CROSS COUNTRY TAKES REGIONALS
Manhattan High School Varsity Boys cross country team heads out to run Regionals at Milford State Park in Junction CIty, on Saturday. The team won first overall and qualifed for State. READ MORE ON PAGE 4.
PHOTO BY CORA ASTIN
Volume 103 // Issue 6 // Oct. 27, 2015
the mentor
School Schedule Reorganization Committee makes progress MADELINE MARSHALL
Print Editor-in-Chief
The district schedule, relatively unchanged for more than a decade, is due for a face lift. Thus, this past Thursday the USD 383 School Schedule Reorganization Committee met for the eighth time this year. Teachers and faculty from across the district once again met to discuss the future of USD 383, this time bringing what Assistant Superintendent and committee co-chair Eric Reid described as “Edutopias” to the table. After some initial discussion of the problems surrounding the current district schedule
as brought to light by a teacher and faculty survey, the committee is now firmly in the idea stage. “The committee determined questions that we believed could help us build some solutions,” Reid said. “The committee worked to narrow down the questions, and we adjusted how we asked those questions in order to get accurate responses. Our district expert on data helped us formulate the questions in the survey form and allowed us to get responses from most of our licensed teachers across the district.” The committee then looked through the responses to find trends and areas where there
was willingness for adjustments. This past week, elementary, middle school and high school faculty members on the committee presented their ideal schedule situations. “We didn’t get too detailed in it,” member Lisa Heller said in reference to the high school “Edutopia.” “We focused more on the amount of professional development and collaboration.” The high school ideal schedule plan keeps the current ratio of content to hours the same, having teachers teach content five of the seven hours of the day. However, it would replace the current plan and collaboration time for two hours with
Debate lands second in Sweeps ELIZABETH UNDERWOOD
Features Editor
Manhattan High School’s Varsity and Junior Varsity debate teams brought recognition to Manhattan. The Varsity team of seniors Nathan McClendon and Cathy Lei and the J.V. team of sophomores Douglas Kim and Lily Colburn competed at Kapaun Mt. Carmel Saturday and placed second in Sweeps, allowing them a closer chance to get a step ahead in their yearly goals. “Sweeps is like, so overall,” senior Cathy Lei said. “Which means we got second out of all of the teams there.” In the J.V. division of the
tournament, Kim and Colburn placed third over the other J.V. teams, gaining experience, confidence and points for the school. “I would say that since they’re both different it’s hard to pick,” sophomore Lily Colburn said. “Varsity’s definitely fun because it’s like ‘I competed in Varsity,’ but J.V.’s good too.” Additionally McClendon and Lei made it into quarterfinals with a 5-1 record of wins to losses, both receiving Bids to qualify them for the Debate Coaches’ Invitational, one of the top tournaments in Kansas. “They dropped in quarterfinals to Shawnee Heights on a really really great debate actually,” coach Ben Suther-
land said. “The folks who were
“The folks who were talking about that round afterwards talked about it being ‘certainly the best debate I saw that tournament.’” -Ben Sutherland talking about that round afterwards talked about it being ‘certainly the best debate I saw
SEE DEBATE PAGE 3
one hour of plan and one of “Direct Support.” “That hour of Direct Support could be a guided study hall, a regular study hall, an MTSS (Multi-Tiered Support System) team, something in which teachers are working directly with students,” Heller said. The committee plans to continue to gain new perspectives and submit a final plan by Jan. 1 of this upcoming year. If all goes according to plan, the plan will be ratified in February. “My hope is that we can create a framework which will provide guidance and structure for buildings such that buildings can do what they need to do during the week,” co-chair
James Neff said. “We want to create something in which buildings have the freedom to create a daily schedule that works without creating inequities amongst teachers. I know we won’t please everybody, but we’re going to do what we can to make the best schedule possible.” “It’s been a great process to have a great conversation on how we can improve our district and serve our students better,” Reid said. “This is a difficult task, but the committee has been communicating, listening and working to make us better.”
Shannon retiring after fruitful career DAVID FLITER
Staff Writer
Superintendent Robert Shannon announced his retirement last week after over several decades of working for the school district. “I’ll be almost 66 years of age in July, and for a number of years my wife and I have talked about [retiring]. My wife has been retired for a number of years and I’ve decided to join her,” Shannon said. Shannon oversaw the $97.5 million bond issue, hired and mentored the many staff and administrators, and has made sure the schools have maintained good relationships with the communities. Kan-
sas schools have been suffering from the budget cuts that governor Sam Brownback has made -- a significant issue on Shannon’s plate. “In recent years with the state budgetary situation the goal is to maintain continuity for students and staff of the operation of the schools with increasingly difficult financial circumstances, to make those square up has been very challenging,” Shannon said. His community involvement will not end with retirement however. “I am sure I will do more volunteer work in the community then I have been able to do. I like that kind of thing,” Shannon said.
Scholars Bowl places first in Salina meet, prepares for Emporia ANDREA LU
Graphics Editor Competitions. Competitions. And more competitions. That’s exactly what Scholars Bowl
prepares for at the start of October and on Oct. 20, the MHS Scholars Bowl team had their first meet of the season, Salina Central Invitational. “I describe it as team jeop-
GLOBAL NEWS MADELINE MARSHALL Print Editor-in-Chief
Global news is a vital part of news today and can directly affect MHS students. In order to inform our readers, The Mentor has compiled small summaries describing some of the largest happenings in the world today. We encourage the reader to read about these topics, and others, in greater depth.
Seven Black St. Louis churches burned, racial motive suspected
This past Thursday a predominately black church, the Shrine of St. Joseph, was burned down in St. Louis. This was the seventh burning to strike the general area in about two weeks. It is suspected that the motive behind these arsons is racial. The fires have all occurred near Ferguson, the St. Louis suburb that has been the center of many protests against police brutality after the murder of Michael Brown by
ardy,” Scholars Bowl coach Ted Dawdy said. “There were 24 schools yesterday and they broke us up into pools of six and then we went head to head versus the five other teams that
were in a pool. We do head to head matchups and then they take the top two teams out of each of those pools and then advance to a bracket play. And then we bracket out the rest of
the tournament until you get to the top four places.” The team performed reasonably well, taking the first place
white police officer Darren Wilson. “If we ever needed a wake-up call to believe that racism is alive in St. Louis -- if this is not it, I don’t know what it could be,” the Rev. Mike Kinman, an Episcopal priest at St. Louis’ Christ Church Cathedral, said
tive Law and Justice party winning with 39 percent of the vote, enough to govern alone without forming a coalition. A victory by Law and Justice gives the party a chance to implement a brand of politics that is strongly pro-NATO but also somewhat Euroskeptic. The party opposes adopting the euro currency and is strongly anti-migrant. Such positions are expected to have a large impact on the European Union, of which Poland is a member.
and the strongest globally in terms of reliably measured maximum sustained winds. Late on Oct. 23, Patricia became only the second Pacific hurricane on record to make landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. However, by Sunday morning, Mexican officials concluded that while a few thousand homes had been damaged by Hurricane Patricia, there had been no reported deaths or catastrophic loss of property. The dangerous storm’s magnitude and wind speeds of as high as 200 mph had the power to be very detrimental, “and that, fortunately, has not occurred,” President Enrique Peña Nieto said according to The Washington Post.
Right-wing party wins Poland’s parliamentary vote According to BBC News, Poland moved to the right in its parliamentary election Sunday, throwing out the centrist party that had governed for eight years for a socially conservative party that wants to keep migrants out and spend more on Poland’s own poor. An exit poll showed the conserva-
Hurricane Mexico
Patricia
hits
Hurricane Patricia was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere in terms of barometric pressure,
SEE SCHOLARS PAGE 5
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE NEWS CHECK OUT MHSMENTOR.COM
Opinions
The Mentor // OCT. 27, 2015 // MHSMentor.com Page 2
Concussions serious issue Letter from principal Hoyt
THIS EDITORIAL IS A COMPILATION FROM A DISCUSSION HELD BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD. TO LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION THAT LED TO THIS PIECE, VISIT WWW.MHSMENTOR. COM.
Concussions. Sports are riddled with them and Manhattan High is no exception. Whether they’re from banging helmets on the football field or kneeon-head contact during cheer practice, concussions are a serious danger to all athletes. When the soft tissue of the brain is knocked around in its surrounding spinal fluid, its impact with the skull can cause bruising, damage to blood vessels and injury of the nerves themselves. Such traumatic brain injuries can lead to some
very harsh effects. Most notably, death. Just one concussion can change the functioning of someone’s brain forever. Thus, it seems pretty ridiculous that we have such lax standards regarding actions taken after a concussion is sustained and that students tend to brush off symptoms just to ensure they don’t get benched. While The Mentor editorial board agreed that preventing concussions to begin with would be the best reality, doing so is seemingly impossible if we wish to continue to take part in physical activity. So, it really comes down to proper regulations and the education of athletes, coaches, etc. The stories of such students as Texas High schooler Cam’ron Matthews, who died after a
Question of the
week:
football game in which he suffered a concussion, need to be made more prominent in the media and used as a cautionary tale. Countless studies involving brain trauma, including the study of dead NFL players’ brains, show that concussions themselves as well as their aftermath (normally further brain-related diseases) are deadly. We encourage all athletes to take serious precautions whenever they show symptoms of a concussion. Making sure you play in the “big game” or competition might seem like the biggest moment of your life thus far, but your health is more important. There will always be another game, but you only have one life.
What’s your weirdest fear?
“gum, candy, sticking my hand between couch cushions, and tall drinking glasses” -- Autumn Hatcliff, senior (@SneakyAutumn)
“according to @josh_rockey , elevators” -- Riley Taylor, junior (@_rileytaylor5)
“working a 9-5 job, being alone and dead inside” -- Rachel Chang, senior (@rachelchang)
“fear that I won’t be able to solve my 7x7x7 Rubix Cube” -- John Benfer, senior (@FourDoodsJohn)
“clear glass water bottles. They’re just kind of wrong. Also curly fries. Like why the heck.” -- Hannah Philips, junior (@Inconsistxnt)
“dogs” -- Cole Gritton, senior (@ColeGritton36)
“sunlight” -- Jace Priddle, senior (@adjacent_)
Next edition’s question:
What was the #spookiest part of Halloween?
Life sucks, but you can fix it
TARA MAGAñA
Blue M Assistant Editor for Verbal Content Like many teenagers, I’ve gone through my fair share of ups and my downs. Breakups, make ups. Making and losing friends. Family issues galore. And with that, I have come away with one specific lesson. No matter how much I think they can, no one can fix what I think is wrong with myself. Only I can. Now, I’ve had the misfortune of thinking I could rely on significant others for my happiness. And that just isn’t the case. For a while, I thought that as long as I can keep them and feel wanted, I’ll be okay. But that was far from the truth. I focused all my time and energy on them and changed who I was for them. But it was never enough; I felt like I wasn’t enough. But the truth was, they couldn’t
fix my insecurities like I thought they could. Only I could do that. But unfortunately, I only realized that recently. With every relationship I had, I lost more and more friends. I put all my energy into people who weren’t worth it and lost sight of those who were. The people who were there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on? I couldn’t connect with them anymore. I forgot the happiness friendship had always brought me in the past and ultimately lost the part of myself that smiled and laughed at the dumbest things. The people who helped me see past my vulnerabilities? They were no longer there to support me as I figured myself out. They couldn’t fix me. And the worst part? Until recently, I don’t think even my family realized how alone I felt. They’re fine with me staying in on the weekends. I mean, they never have to worry about me partying or getting pregnant that way. They never questioned me when I’m holed up in my room doing absolutely nothing.
STAFF MEMBERS: Madeline Marshall -- Print Editor-In-Chief/Opinions Greg Woods -- Online Editor -In-Chief Tracy Le -- News Editor Savannah Cherms -- Entertainment Editor Erick Echegaray -- Sport Editor Elizabeth Underwood -- Features Editor Angie Moss -- Trending Editor
They probably think I’m doing homework when I usually leave it for the last minute. My grades stayed up, so they never questioned me. For a while, they barely knew who their own daughter was. And believe me, it’s hard to help someone you barely know. Right now, this column may seem like me complaining about my life. But that’s not an opinion and would not be in the paper if it was. What I want to get across is that you are in charge of your own life. Not other people. Friends and family can support you, but they can’t make life better for you. Expecting them to will only lead to tension and unneeded stress on them as they are ultimately unable to singlehandedly make you happy. So, basically, don’t be me. Go out and be social. Get some time in the sun. Find time to learn who you are in positive environments. Trust me, you may hate it at first, but you’ll be glad you did in the end. I definitely was when I eventually did.
Cora Astin -- Photo Editor Andrea Lu -- Graphics Designer/Copy Editor Alan Brown -- Copy Editor Staff Writers -- Anna Alanazi, David Fliter, Ale Flores, Anna Hupp, Megan Klug, Gavin Larios, Jordan Lutz, Tara Magaña, Maya Minocha, Dakota Santiago Staff Photographers -- McKenna Eilert, Logan Logback, Moriah Presley, Lauren Race, Dylan Thomas
that totally destroyed it performance and the refor me. I do not think that action from the student I love this school! Truly, there is any place THERE body at large, simply is a this is MY school! Certain- IS NO PLACE for rear microcosm of much that occurs in ly I don’t own the school ends to be this school. but I sure do have a great rubbing up investment in it. I gradu- against the “Traditions have a way of T ra d i t i o n s ated from this high school front of oth- being born, and carried on. have a way being in 1983. I began teaching ers. While That’s what makes them of and students mathematics this kind of traditions. Some traditions born, at this school in 1988. I “ d a n c i n g ” are really worthy of carry- carried on. coached athletes in foot- is prevalent ing on. Others just become That’s what ball and track and field on popular nuisances or worse, reflec- makes them traditions. from 1988 to 2004, when TV shows tions of a society I left the classroom to be- and video that is drifting away from Some traditions are recome principal at Eisen- c h a n n e l s , civility. ” -- Hoyt ally worthy hower Middle School. I this sexual of carrying came back to the school depiction is on. Others in 2013 to be its principal. in no way, Yes I’ve seen this school shape or form appropri- just become nuisances from many different ate in a public school set- or worse, reflections of angles, and I LOVE this ting. In fact, it’s indecent. a society that is drifting school! And it destroyed the Pow- away from civility. Case My dedication and de- der Puff performance for in point: Junior Takeover votion to this school the me. We are defined by the Day. There isn’t even “restudents, worst be- ally” a day that’s titled the faculty, “I love this school! Truly, havior that that! And while, for the the staff this is MY school! Certainis tolerated. most part, the hijinks in and the par- ly I don’t own the school I’m not go- school have been eradients will not but I sure do have a great ing to tol- cated, the percentage of waver, and investment in it.” erate that. students attending school I will never I’ve has dropped and the hi-- Greg Hoyt And apologize spent the jinks that occur in the for setting past three community have grown and holding high expec- years speaking to the guys and in some cases, cross tations for myself, as well that are in the perfor- the line from playful as others. And while 98 mance, asking, begging, pranks in to pure nastipercent of what occurs at pleading to keep it above ness. That’s not a tradiManhattan High is very, the fray. Each time it has tion. That is a travesty. Recently our new very good, if not excel- been agreed upon. And Kansas lent, that still leaves 2 per- each time Commiscent for improvement. it has failed “I do not think that there sioner of On Oct. 2, MHS cel- to live up to is any place THERE IS NO Education ebrated Homecoming standards. PLACE for rear ends to be went on week with a myriad of The partici- rubbing up against the front a “listenactivities. Personally, I pants are of others.While this kind of ing” tour; wish to thank all of the good stu- “dancing” is prevalent on he travmembers of Tribe for dents. They popular TV shows and video eled the working so hard to cre- make good channels, this sexual depicstate and ate and support elements g r a d e s . tion is in no way, shape or listened of school spirit. The cheer They are form appropriate in a public to comand dance teams were pleasant to school setting. munity spectacular, and our pep be around. In fact, it’s indecent. ” band pumps out the mu- But the stu-- Hoyt m e m b e r s and busisic with the best of them. dent body ness ownBut I was disappointed response to ers. The with the Pep Assembly. the 2 perOh, there were many, cent of the performance focus question was “What many good, even great, el- that was objectionable should a 24 year old know ements. But I walked out offensive spoke volumes. and be able to do? What of the gym that afternoon Our student body could do Kansas residents exrather deflated. Permit not, or would not, show pect?” The answer came me to elaborate. excitement for our team back that, while academOrganizations are de- captains, but they ex- ics are important, Kanfined by the worst be- ploded with cheers and sans want individuals havior that a p p l a u s e competent in the soft is tolerated “My dedication and devofor the 2 skills: cooperation, loyaland this is tion to this school the percent of ty, dependability. We truwhat I wit- students, the faculty, the the perfor- ly live in a great nation; nessed. I staff and the parents will mance that but our nation depends w i t n e s s e d not waver.” d e s t r oy e d upon the cornerstone of team cap-- Hoyt it for me. democracy: Our ability tains from That pretty to govern ourselves. The the varimuch says same exists at this school. Our school will only be ous sports coming to the it all. floor to speak about their I believe in this stu- as great as its inhabitants teams and their seasons. dent body. I believe in permit it to be; students, And while they did so, a our young adults. I be- staff, parents and yes, the good percentage of the lieve in the adults in this building principal. I love this school. I love student body paid little or building, and I believe in no attention to them. Stu- this school, but I will not this community. And I dents didn’t cheer loudly waver on high expecta- want this school to be the best school for the teams. Team cap- tions, both in the state. tains spoke about their for academvery teams over the voices of ics and be- “Our school will only be as The students in the crowd havior, and great as its inhabitants per- best school that were talking to each I will not mit it to be; students, staff, in the state. Maybe the other and not focusing on a p o l o g i z e parents and yes, c o u n t r y. the captains. Is that how for high the building principal. ” -- Hoyt Shoot what we demonstrate school standards. about the spirit? Because of world?! 98 percent of the Pow- the failure I don’t think that is farder Puff cheerleader per- to maintain these high formance was GREAT!!! It standards, the Powder fetched. I believe that it is was GREAT!!! The stunts Puff cheerleaders are do-able. It’s really quite that were performed they done. We will not be con- simple. Be great. Or not. were GREAT!!! The cheers tinuing this part of our The choice is yours. that were performed Homecoming activities in -- Greg Hoyt, were GREAT! And then the future. MHS Principal there was the 2 percent What I saw, both in the Dear Students,
Break boundaries through art
JORDAN LUTZ Staff Writer
Go and ask a dedicated art student what art means to them. Many of them may say that art is death. Well, it is true. Art kills. It kills the boundaries that people set up for us. So, use it. Use art and destroy the boundaries. Do not let yourself be limited by others. Life can be hard for us
teenagers. We are expected to do so many things and to be like adults, yet we are told we can not do many other things because we are not adults. There are so many limits put on us that the stress builds. How do we be ourselves if people put so many restrictions on us? The answer is simple: forget them and just feel. Let your feelings flow. There are many types of art, so let those emotions show through words, sounds, pictures, anything. Ignore the criteria that the world puts on you. These are your feelings; express them how
Kristy Nyp -- Adviser Circulation -- Kim Schnee’s fifth hour class: Kristyn Baker, Caleb Barnes, Dalton Blake, Wesley Cattanach, Charlie Dickey, Karl Drown, Rachel Efken, Logan Jones, Lynne Jones, Colten Kirk, Josh Kohls, Douglas McCaskill, Faith A. Parker, Alesha Pearl, Megan Ritthisorn, Bradley Rollins, Mythias Satterfield, Amissa Self, Tedi Stein, Hannah Sullivan and Austin Tatum.
you want. Art is one of the best ways to express how you feel. Never feel like your art needs to be perfect, it does not have to be. This is all about you, not about what society thinks art should be like. Break through the boundary and show your true colors. How you feel is what makes you an individual. Do not let others take that away from you. Use your feelings and use art to break the limits people set on you. No matter what society might say, never stop expressing yourself. Destroy the boundaries through art.
The Mentor is published each Tuesday that school is in session at Manhattan High School, 2100 Poyntz Ave. Manhattan, Kan. Telephone (785) 587-2114. More than 1,000 Mentors are printed each week and distributed free of charge to all faculty members and students. MHS journalists are members of the Kansas Scholastic Press Association. The Mentor is an open forum that accepts contributions from the public. E-mail us at mhsmentor@gmail.com.
Page 3
The Mentor // OCT. 27, 2015 // MHSMentor.com Entertainment
First orchestra concert offers solo opportunities SAVANNAH CHERMS
Entertainment Editor
Solos are a big deal amongst music groups. It’s seen as an honor to be able to step out from your group and show off a talent as an individual. This is just as true in Chamber Orchestra at Manhattan High. On Oct 8, MHS Orchestras had their first concert of the year. Members of Symphonic Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra dressed up in their concert black and faced the challenge of the first show. The pressure was especially on for senior Arnav Das, who had the honor of soloing during the last song of Chamber Orchestra’s set. “I was a little worried,” Das said. “That first concert always has to set the tone for the rest of the year, so I wanted to do
well.” Das had to play his solo from memory, which orchestra director Nathan McClendon commented on that night. “He has to play his solo from memory so please don’t do anything extra to distract him,” McClendon said to the audience. Das spent the last couple of weeks memorizing and practicing his piece in and out of class. “It was really important to me that I didn’t want to screw it up. It was a big deal and an honor for me to get to do that.” Both Chamber and Symphonic Orchestra were offered challenges that night on stage. McClendon gave the Symphonic Orchestra members a piece of music that night, and had them perform the piece after only a few moments to sight read and familiarize
themselves with it. According to McClendon, he does this to challenge the members of his orchestras, and it is also a way to show the audience members how the groups learn, and the talent that the students have from the start. He had a similar exercise for the Chamber Orchestra. “I can’t challenge these kids the same way I can Symphonic,” McClendon said. McClendon gave the members of Chamber Orchestra three options: play one of two challenging pieces they knew, or play a brand new piece. After a minute of voting, the group played a new piece, and even with the lack of previous knowledge the group still performed the song successfully.
Senior Arnav Das performs a solo along side the Chamber Orchestra at Thursday night’s concert. Solos are seen as an honor in orchestra, and Das had to play his solo from memory. Even with the added pressure, Das performed that night without a hiccup, finishing the song with a bright smile. PHOTOS BY SAVANNAH CHERMS
Pops and Varsity choirs sing at zoo History gets a new story with “Hamilton” SAVANNAH CHERMS
Entertainment Editor
When people think of Halloween, the first thought that comes to mind probably isn’t the zoo. However, that’s exactly where Manhattan High’s Varsity and Pops choirs could be found this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, MHS Varsity and Pops choirs made an appearance at the Sunset Zoo’s annual Spooktacular. Members came in costume, and both groups
sang their full sets, including songs like “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and “Blackbird” by the Beatles, courtesy of Varsity Choir. “We perform like 60 shows combined every year, and we mainly sang just to sing at this one. We did it to perform and to get one of our new songs out there,” sophomore Trenton Lopez said. Varsity and Pops Choir are some of the most prestigious musical groups at MHS, and the zoo is not their typical venue.
“This was pretty relaxed, it’s not like a concert where your parents are there and it’s all nice. We all dressed up in costumes, and it was a really fun time,” sophomore Claire Todd said. Lopez shared Todd’s view of the mood for the performance. “It was one of the most chill things out there,” Lopez said. “Everyone there is like, five years old and getting candy out of it so it wasn’t at all serious. It was more for the parents.”
SUPERIOR
Big Blue Marching Band earns superior rating at Central State, brings pride to members and directors
ELIZABETH UNDERWOOD
Features Editor Whoever said the Founding Fathers and rap couldn’t mix so wonderfully? After seven years of trying to create the perfect music score and show, composer Lin-Manuel Miranda has finally released a Broadway musical that is like no other. This past week was the mark of the release of the soundtrack for “Hamilton: An American Musical,” which first appeared on Broadway in February. It is obvious that the time Miranda spent to make this was not wasted. With a mixed racial cast and hardcore raps for America’s founding fathers, the soundtrack for “Hamilton” reveals a
brilliant and entertaining story depicting the Revolutionary War and first steps of the U.S. government, while going through the life of the first Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton. With King George III singing a stereotypical pop breakup song to the Colonists (“You’ll Be Back”), to a political rap battle between Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson about absorbing state debt (“Cabinet Battle #1”) there is nothing more amusing than listening to the creativity that was poured into these lyrics. Adding to those is a mix of other outstanding pieces, such as the drunken raps and shouts of Hamilton, Aaron Burr, John Laurens and Marquis de Lafayette as they declare the rise of the Revolution (“Aaron Burr, Sir” / “My Shot”). Although the show is made up of humor, there are still points where the reality of American history sets in in a serious
manner, such as the truth of how compromises were settled (“The Room Where It Happens”), the effort and grief of commanding an army (“History Has Its Eyes On You”), the scandal of affairs and rumors (“Say No To This” / “We Know” / “The Reynolds Pamphlet” / “Burn” ) and how the majority of people who helped this country end up disappearing (“Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”). One drawback to the performance is that this show is not for sensitive people or children. Although a great and entertaining opportunity for history buffs and others, there are elements of strong language, sex and violence. However, by listening to the lyrics and music invested in this soundtrack and show, it is clear that Broadway has taken a risk that has ended up being successful.
Actor addresses local Thespians
Manhattan High Big Blue Marching Band members cheer after they recieve their ranking of a one superior at Central State. The band competed against 39 other bands. “This is a good festival and I’m just so happy for the students,” Devin Burr, Music Theory Teacher, said. “I think everybody did just an awesome job today, everybody was on point and you know, take the rest of the weekend off and relax a little bit and we’ll come back next week, talk about some stuff to do, and I know that most of the students are pretty happy with their own performances too.” PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH UNDERWOOD
Thespians hold annual food drive ALE FLORES
Staff Writer
Thespians organized an special event to give something back to the community last weekend. In “Trick or Treat so kids Can Eat” students involved in the drama club were welcome to come at 6 p.m to divide in groups and go to nearby neighborhoods to ask for food. “This is a program that started with Thespians in Kansas 20 years ago, that eventually became national, because people liked the idea,” Thespian
FROM DEBATE PAGE 1 that tournament.’” The tournament was overall a huge success for the Debate team, bringing them closer to their goals than before. “As of this year, we, we haven’t won or anything,
sponsor Linda Uthoff said. The purpose of this event is to work together with Flint Hills Breadbasket, a community food network whose mission is to end poverty and hunger. “We divided into small groups, and went around the neighborhood asking for food for kids that don’t have access to food,” senior Evan Heger said. Students felt really excited to participate in this charity and have quality time. “It felt really good to be
doing this good deed, in a way that is really fun and we get to dress up,” Heger said The event seemed to have a great outcome coming up with about 343 pounds of food that are now going to be donated to hungry kids. “It was really fun” Uthoff said. “I think they had a great time” After two hours of raising food, students came back to the school and had a small party in the drama room where they could listen to spooky music and eat some snacks.
I think second’s the best we’ve gotten,” Lei said. “We had a younger team who was in, like, Junior Varsity, and they did very well. So that definitely helped.” This upcoming weekend the Debate team will be hosting their annual
tournament, inviting schools from around Kansas to come and compete. “We’re not competing but we’re going to be running it,” Colburn said. “And then the next tournament we’re competing at is the first week of November.”
Actor Jim Ryan gives a presentation to MHS Thespians. Ryan talked about his past in acting and what students can do to help their acting. PHOTOS BY DYLAN THOMAS
ALE FLORES
Staff Writer
Guest speakers are always popular at high schools. Every year students are corraled into a small space to listen to someone speak about something you arent into. Thespains changed that. Jim Ryan came to talk to all the drama classes about acting and the necessary requirements for good acting. “I want to convey about the craft of acting and talk about the basic ingredients basic elements of honest truthful actors,” Ryan said. “And to talk with young actors about those things, so they don’t get into bad habits, I want
to convey some pivotal elements of truthful acting on stage.” MHS drama teacher Linda Uthoff was delighted to have Ryan talking to students. “He’s a master acting teacher,” Uthoff said. “It’s always good for someone else comes here and explains thing in a different way or a more effective way.” Ryan stayed at MHS drama classes the whole school day and was happy to talk to students about his experience with acting and how to become a better, successful actor, “I love the connections with students and seeing them grow, see lightbulbs come on,” Ryan said.
Some students were really emotional during Ryan’s presentation as he acted for them and and there were tears on some of the student’s faces. “He seemed to have a very clear understanding of acting. You could tell he had a lot of experience with acting, ” junior Wesley Danielson said. Ryan’s visit to the school gave most drama students a new perspective in how to feel about drama and acting. “Manhattan High School is really fortunate to have Linda as their drama teacher,” Ryan said. “She’s so dedicated and so passionate and the kindest person you’ll ever meet.”
Need senior pictures? Contact Quill & Scroll at mhsmentorbusiness@gmail.com to find out about our discounted rates!
Sports
The Mentor // OCT. 27 2015 // MHSMENTOR.COM
Page 4
XC heads for State after winning Regionals CORA ASTIN
Photo Editor
Junior Jackson Schroeder rounds the corner at cross country Regonials on Saturday at Milford State Park. Schroeder came in first with the time of 15:42. PHOTO BY CORA ASTIN
The Manhattan High cross country team dominated Regionals on Saturday. Both teams brought home first place and prepare to head for State. The race at Milford State Park in Junction City was the second time the teams raced there this season. Overall the course was mainly liked by the runners. “Beautiful course, pretty hilly; but it is a good challenge,” junior Jackson Schroeder said. “But we run hills at practice all the time, so it fits our team well.” The girls’ side was the top qualifier, with a score of 27, followed by Lawrence Free State with 48, and Junction City with 89. Two runners placed in the top five; senior Anna
Keeley came in second with 19:16, and junior Cara Melgares was not too far behind in third with 19:23. “Going in we were mainly going for team goals: to win and to just run well all around,” Melgares said. “And that was what we did, we all performed really well. I think our top five was in the top 10 and our top seven was in the top 13.” This is Keeley’s first and only year as a runner for Manhattan on the team, and so far Keeley has been one of the top runners at every meet. “But it’s just really great [the season so far] and I love my team,” Keeley said. “It’s been really fun.” The boys team took the title of first with the score of 35, leading Lawrence Free State with 45 and
Washburn Rural with 74. Schroeder took first with 15:42 and sophomore Cooper Schroeder came in fifth with 16:39. Both teams will be competing at State next weekend, which will be held at Rim Rock, one of the hardest courses they run. “It will be hard I think. But I just going to try to stay relaxed, with the team,” Keeley said. The teams are preparing both mentally and physically going into the race. “Looking forward to being our best and doing our best,” Schroeder said. Both teams are going in with the mindset of winning. “We’re going to win,” Melgares said. “That is pretty much my only thought.”
Soccer ends regular season, prepares for playoffs ERICK ECHEGARAY
Sports Editor
The Manhattan High soccer team kicked off their most recent series of games winning four straight games which brought them to 13-3 for the season. The first game in the series was a home game against Wichita Northwest High in which they were victorious by a score of 2-0, shutting out their fifth opponent in a row. Senior forward Austin French put away the game with two goals that keep him as the team’s leading scorer. The second game was another victory for the Indians as they once again kept a clean sheet by beating Highland Park 6-0. The third game in the series of games was an away game against opponent Topeka West who came into the game with
a record of 1-10. The Indians would once again keep a clean sheet and would even “mercy rule” their opponents in their 10-0 win. Junior Angel Viezcas scored three goal after coming off the bench marking his first hat trick of the season. “The game went pretty well. We expected the 10-0 because we are a strong team,” Viezcas said. He has scored six goals so far this season for the Indians. “We played great as a team. We moved the ball pretty well in the midfield to start off. We lost it for a bit but then we got it back and brought the intensity back again,” sophomore midfielder Nate Awbrey said. “We want to get a win. I mean we don’t need it but we still need to come out and play hard,”
Awbrey said. The Indians were 12-3 for the season with only a game to go in the regular season. Junction City came into the game with a losing record. “We will destroy JC,” Viezcas said. The Indians came into Junction CIty in search of another win that would add to their eight game win streak and another shutout victory for their now school-record seven straight shutouts in a row. They found not only that, but another victory by “mercy rule” against their rivals. “The score lines shows that it went pretty well,“ senior Kirkland Lambert said. He managed to finish the game with two goals and two assists to help the Indians on their win. The Indians could not keep their shutout streak thanks to an early goal in
Football drops second straight game GREG WOODS
ter, and on Manhattan’s ensuing drive, Trapp Online Editor-in-Chief fumbled. The Firebirds For the second straight turned the turnover week, the Manhattan into seven points when High football team found Torneden hit Zion Bowlin itself on the wrong end of on a six-yard touchdown the scoreboard. pass, and the Firebirds And for the second had a 28-14 lead. straight week, it damaged Trapp said the quick its chances of making the turnaround was hard on playoffs. But this time, the his team. Indians are eliminated. “It was pretty deflatIn its second district ing,” he said. “For us to contest of the year Friday have those two quick misnight, Manhattan fell to takes in a row, it took us Lawrence Free State, 35out of the game.” 14. With the loss, the InOn the kickoff after dians are now 4-4 overall Torneden’s touchdown and 0-2 in district play, pass to Bowlin, the Firedropping MHS out of birds recovered an Indiplayoff contention for the an fumble. The Firebirds’ second consecutive seaKameron Lake tacked on son. a 34-yard field goal, and F r e e the lead State rewas up to lied heav- “We’re all disappointed that we’re not go31-14. ily on its T h e p a s s i n g ing to make it to the playoffs, especially us e n s u i n g attack, Manhatas senior seniors.” tan posq u a r -Adam Al-Soltani s e s s i o n terback e n d e d B r y c e w i t h Torneden T r a p p led the charge through “[It was] one play we throwing an interception, the air, totaling 125 didn’t make where we but neither team scored passing yards and three would have had all the after the turnover. touchdowns. Senior line- momentum going into The Indians will host backer Adam Al-Soltani the half,” Trapp said. “If Washburn Rural on Frisaid the air attack made we made that one play day in their final game of the difference down the that got stopped right on the season. Even without stretch. a chance at the playoffs, the endzone.” “Once they started goInstead, Free State en- Al-Soltani said the team ing over the top of us, tered intermission with a will be motivated to end they realized they could 14-0 cushion. the year with a win. have a pretty good pass “We’re all disappointBut Manhattan came game,” Al-Soltani said. out of the break and ed that we’re not going “They started taking ad- scored twice. Trapp to make it to the playoffs, vantage of it.” capped the Indians’ first especially us seniors,” Junior running back third-quarter drive with Al-Soltani said. “We’ve Keiadrain McDonald, a 37-yard touchdown been working for this all who has provided much rush, trimming the deficit of our lives; some of us of Manhattan’s rushing to seven. ever since we were reattack, didn’t make the Six minutes later, he ally young, and growing trip to Lawrence with the did it again. On a drive up together. But we’re team as a result of head that started at Manhat- all really tough guys, and coach Joe Schartz’s deci- tan’s own seven-yard we’re out here battling, sion to sit him after he line, Trapp ended it with and we’re not going to missed a Saturday prac- a 62-yard score, evening give up. And we have one tice. more party to go out and the game at 14. The first quarter ended But the fourth quar- really make a name for without score, something ter was a different story. ourselves, and we’re not Al-Soltani attributed to Free State’s Sam Skwarlo going to go out without a the defense’s effort. scored on a 35-yard rush fight.” “They came out, and 26 seconds into the quarthey tried to run it down our throats,” Al-Soltani said. “We stuffed the run game pretty quick.” But the Firebirds scored twice in the second frame, both touchdown passes from Torneden. The first was a 23-yard score to Zack Sanders, and the second came on an 11-yard hookup between Torneden and Jack Flynn. Manhattan came within six yards of scoring before halftime, but on fourth-and-goal from the Firebird six-yard line, junior quarterback Ian Trapp’s pass fell incomplete. Trapp said it was a missed opportunity at momentum.
Senior Ben Turnley heads the ball into the Highland Park’s goal. The Indians went on to win their last home game by a score of 6-0. PHOTO BY LAUREN RACE
the first half by Junction City. Manhattan will now play the Derby High Panthers in the first round of the playoffs at home. The next game for Manhattan, if they manage to get past Derby, will be played at
Bishop Stadium as well. “Well our record will give us hopefully two home field games, which is big and stuff. Home field plays a big advantage in the playoffs, but yeah, our ultimate goal is to make it to state,” Lam-
bert said. He has 12 goals for the season. The Indians will play Derby at 6 p.m. today at Bishop Stadium to decide the first round of the play-offs for MHS.
Tennis places at State ANNA ALANAZI
Staff Writer
As the 6A State girls tennis unfolded, Manhattan high seniors Lexi Bieker and Cathy Lei competed against girls from all over the region. However, with the regions switched, it made the tournament a little tougher. With a 2-2 record, Lei finished with a tough draw against Sarah Wilcox from Shawnee Mission East, a win against a girl from Garden City and a loss against a girl from Olathe North. “I played fine but I just had a tough draw,” Lei said. “I definitely lost to people that I should’ve lost to, there’s no shame in that. But I played them way too early. Because what happened was the region got switched so that so that kind of screwed over the one and
two of our regions.” Lei qualified for State all four years, yet this year’s atmosphere felt a little different. “[Being there] with coach Ingram and Lexi, we got to bond and it was just fun to be there,” Lei said. “This season I’ve accomplished everything I could’ve. And last year I got eighth, which is probably the best I could’ve done this year anyway. I made my mark so it’s OK.” With gratitude to all of her teachers and friends that wished her the best, Lei finished her career. “Cathy has had a tremendous tennis career at MHS and I could say one of the most successful careers ever,” coach Tony Ingram said. With her goal accomplished, Bieker took on State with an unexpected turn out. She had not played tennis competi-
tively in three years. “Lexi’s goal was to make it to State and she accomplished that goal,” Ingram said. “It was exciting to watch her have success, as the State tournament unfolded and made it to the second day going 3-1 on Friday. She improved as the tournament progressed and finished respectively 12th.” Bieker played against girls from all over the region that had a lot of training and experience. “The best part was from my last match on the friday to actually qualify me for the second day,” Bieker said. “Because it was kind of a tighter match and I did not think I was going to win it.” Bieker finished 12th respectively. With coach Ingram and Lei to thank for her improvement, she brings her medal home ending her first year of tennis.
Volleyball sets path to State JORDAN LUTZ
Staff Writer
On Saturday, the Varsity volleyball team travelled to Washburn Rural for the sub-state tourney. “Our games went really well,” junior middle blocker Gigi McAtee said. “We just all pulled it together and played as a team. We have been struggling with our blocks all season so it’s good to see us get there.”
The team played against many strong teams such as Lawrence Free State. “We played really well, kept the energy up for the most part,” senior hitter Raegan Terrill said. “Free State they’re big but we handled them pretty well. First game against Free State was pretty close but, the rest of the day we pretty much took care of business.” The team’s last match
was played against Wichita East. The girls pulled out on top and won the tournament. “It was awesome,” Terrill said. The team will play at the Topeka Expocentre this Friday for a possible two-day tournament for the state title. “It’s my first time going to state,” Terrill said. “Hopefully we move onto Saturday.”
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The Mentor // Oct. 27, 2015 // MHSMentor.com
Features
Connecting to Vietnam:
Seniors honor military personnel
left: Humanities and Composition students created a dedication wall for veterans. right: Fifth hour senior Humanities and Composition students read “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brein as the Veterans wall they created looms over them. photos by tara magaña
tara magaña
Blue M Assistant Editor for Verbal Content One of the hardest jobs a teacher often has is connecting their students to the curriculum. But by drawing parallels between “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and present-day military, senior Humanities and Composition teacher teacher Regina Harden was able to do so. “One of the things we decided to do in read-
ing the novel is not just think about the fate of the soldiers in the platoon,” Harden said, “but also the connections that we make to those we have in our family who have fought in the military. We decided to make this wall. The first time we did it was last year and all students could write down the name of the family member and [it] kind of expanded.” Along with the Veterans Wall, Harden showed clips from “Forrest Gump” and “Letters from
Vietnam” and shared music and poems to help her students connect with the novel. “My dad’s retired, but I also have two cousins that are in active duty in the military and it’s kind of surprising because, when you’re in the war you don’t talk about it or anything,” senior Montana Kubista said. “Just to kind of see what it’s a little bit like ... is really interesting because you can’t really understand what it’s like until you witnessed it first hand.”
Though there were many thoughts on creating the wall, a common one was thinking of the realities of war. “You just need all kinds of support in case a family member dies over there and they don’t come back or come back and they’re completely different person,” senior Joshua Reyes said. “You need all sorts of support.” According to Harden, some students had a hard time reading O’Brien’s novel due to his realitybased portrayal of war
and their own personal connections. But she thought creating the wall while reading the book was worth it. “I think it’s important,” she said. “I’ve had students several times throughout the past few days since [the wall has] been up that just came up and they just read the names or they go specifically back to their parents’ names. It kind of serves a little bit of the same function as what the Vietnam Wall does. It gives you the chance to say ‘that’s my
uncle and he was important and I wanted people to remember them.’” As Harden’s classes finish reading O’Brien’s novel, she will have her students create memorials for the soldiers portrayed in the book to complete the wall. “I try to make it a good experience for them,” Harden said. “No matter what you’re reading, as a teacher, there’s a lot on us to try to help students connect everything and this is one way I feel like kind of does.”
Sophomores experience Book Talks in library tara magaña
Blue M Assistant Editor for Verbal Content
Sophomore English teacher Wendy Howard describes two of Stephen King’s novels to students during their Book Talks. Put together by Howard and librarian Joann Hettenbach, Book Talks are a way to personalize the average book choosing process. “We’ll do everything we can to give them something they’ll enjoy reading,” Hettenbach said. photo by tara magaña
Facchetti acclimates to life in Kansas JORDAN LUTZ
ropean one,” Facchetti said. “It is more open to change. I like that all the people can be their self The American Field and there is not judge. I Society gives teenagers think that is really nice from across the globe and it’s really differthe chance to experient. It is not better or ence what life is like worse.” in the United States. Being far from This program is what home and in a new gave senior Noemi country brings feelFacchetti the chance ings of homesickness to come to Manhattan and some difficulties High from her home to Facchetti. in Italy. Coming here “I miss a bit my promises some exfamily, but I feel very citement for Facchetti well in my family during her year-long now, my host family. Senior Noemi Facchetti enjoys light hearted stay. I feel part of them. “I’m excited about converstions at lunch. I miss more of my the life here because photo by logan logback friends,” she said. “It I learn something is not sad ... The most new,” Facchetti said. difficult thing is that you there is a mix of society “One my dreams is to see are alone. Not bad things made by a lot of culture.” Colorado. A lot of people but, I don’t know. I live The cultures of two told me that it’s really in my country all my life countries can be different nice place. I don’t know. with all my friends and at times, but that is not alI’m excited for the rest of my family. In life here, the year and new, more, ways a bad thing. “It’s different because you must begin again. It’s people.” it’s a new, newer, it’s young- not easy but, a challenge There are also the surest, younger than the Eu- that I like.” prises that the country
Staff Writer
FROM SCHOLARS PAGE 1 spot at the competition. “We went 8-0. We got first place, eight-andoh record,” Dawdy said. “Our closest match was, you know, 20 points which is two questions but we had a five question lead going in with three questions left so. We didn’t feel challenged. There were no anxious moments at all.” For the Manhattan High team, smaller meets
and the high school hold. “What surprised me is all the big things and big space. That’s a lot of stereotypic,” Facchetti said. “The high school is not just football and cheerleader. Then
like the one in Salina are not difficult and the team typically expects to win. Many of the current team players, like seniors Joshua Schwartz and Sterling Edgar, started their freshman year, owing their early on success to the experience and practice they’ve had. “I almost want to say that we’ve almost become used to it but I think we are used to success,” Dawdy said. “Actually I was having a conversa-
tion with Sterling in the ride home last night because, you know, he did it as a freshman and, you know, that group starting as freshman, when I took them to freshman and J.V. level meets, we would dominate those to and so they have just moved up through the grades and continued to have success. So, we don’t go to Scholars Bowls anymore hoping to win anything, it’s just expectation.” In practices, the team
In the back of the library, laden with books, stood the U-shaped tables where Wendy Howard’s sophomore English students searched for possible reads for their independent novel. “The reason I have them choose the books allows us to narrow our talk to something they might actually be interested in instead of just what we think they might be interested in,” Howard said. Once books were cho-
sen, Howard and librarian Joann Hettenbach took turns talking about the books the students found, in what they like to call Book Talks. “For us, it keeps Book Talks fresh and a little more interesting because, if I were to book talk just the books that I knew, and then we did them over and over, the same thing, then it would sound tired and we wouldn’t be pulling them new things,” Hettenbach said. At the end of the talks, the hope was that students would check out a book they would enjoy reading.
“It also prevents us from judging a book by its cover when they explain about it,” sophomore Celeste Feldhausen said. With their independent assignment, Howard’s students will read 50 pages a week and then respond to one of six prompts each week. “The thing I guess I’m most proud of is the fact that it’s so student centered,” Howard said. “It’s a way to allow them the independence of reading their own book, but I still can have some [control and] hold them accountable and be able to check on my end.”
Concussions abundant at Manhattan High DAKOTA SANTIAGO
Can you guess the one surprisingly common experience among a wide variety of Manhattan High students in activities this fall? If you thought of concussions you’d be right. From football to cheer to even the musical, head injuries are a uniting factor among the MHS student body. After accidentally being hit in the head with the ball by a teammate, Hana Tamura, a sophomore in volleyball, had to sit out for 30 minutes while a trainer looked at her. The immediately observed effects were dilated pupils and serious nausea, but the concussion had a severe impact on her and she was unable to play the rest of the season. “I had to stay at home for two and a half weeks. I impact tested the day after the concussion and I didn’t pass the impact
test. I started walking and driving and doing things like that during my recovery steps,” Tamura said. “I can’t lift a ton of weight. It took away a lot of muscle strength because I had to sit for about a month. With school, anything where I have to think hard, or if I have to organize something, it gives me a headache, so I have to be really careful about that.” Jazmyn Gaither, a senior in cheer, also received a minor concussion after accidentally being hit in the head while doing a stunt during practice. She’s unable to perform until after basketball season due to the concussion. “We have three set groups and she’s one of the main people within one of those groups,” sophomore Lacey Fisher said. Likewise, after hitting her head on a low hanging beam, Emily Petermann, a junior and musical technician, tried to
start driving her car and the world started spinning. After calling her friends and getting a ride home, she was checked by a doctor and was found to have a concussion that took her out of school for a few days. “I was up in the catwalk getting stuff out of the bucket. There are some really low beams up there and I’m relatively tall so I stood up and just whacked my head on one of them,” Petermann said. In yet another incident, the Topeka High football game left junior Kevin Kim with a concussion that will take him out of at least two games. “I have to really limit my phone-time and tvtime; light and sound hurt sometimes,” Kim said. Despite the new precautions, Kim keeps up a positive attitude. “I’ve just been trying to stay relaxed, and all my teachers have been really cool about it,” Kim said.
trained with random questions from previous years in hopes that it would prepare them for the random questions at the meet. Schwartz felt a little challenged during parts of the meet but was generally confident and unsurprised by their win. “[I felt] confident in our ability to completely destroy the competition,” Schwartz said.“[I felt challenged] only during the last round and actually during the second
round too because the second round we went down 10-0 and then won like 80-20 but it was scary for the first few questions and then during the last round we only had like a 30 point lead with five questions left so they could have conceivably come back and beaten us.” Edgar had similar feelings over the outcome of the competition. “It’s easy to get nervous before the first competi-
tion of the year, but after a couple rounds where we were undefeated I was able to become a little more confident,” Edgar said. “I didn’t expect this to be nearly as one sided as it was, and I strongly doubt that the rest of the season will be like this. We knew as soon as the final round was over that we’d gone undefeated.” The team will continue on to their next competition on Monday in Emporia.
Staff Writer
Page 6
The Mentor // Oct. 27, 2015 // MHSMentor.com
Trending
HALLOWEEN It’s that time of the year -- the time that we all dress up and go beg strangers for candy. We took time to make a playlist for you to jam out to, an evolution of costumes, fun facts and superstitions. If the idea of Halloween didn’t already creep you out, this will.
Did you know these Halloween facts?
Most of us have been celebrating Halloween since we were children, but have we ever taken time to actually learn some things about this holiday? Here are some fun facts to acknowledge.
Be glad you don’t have to dance for your treat anymore.
According to Huffington Post, most experts trace trickor-treating back to the European practice of “mumming,” or “guysing.” Participants had to go around performing choreographed routines, skits or songs -- that’s right, they mapped these routines out in order to ensure their delectable treats.
Maybe Halloween really is the Devil’s holiday?
This day was in fact dedicated to the devil, according to List Verse. However, it was meant to mock the devil, not worship him. It was believed that the best way to attack the devil was to address his greatest weakness -- his pride. the traditional costume you see floating around now of the devil with a tail and horns is meant to cause him to flee and ultimately rid the world of him.
Be careful around “fake” dead bodies.
There have been a few incidents in previous years when actual corpses were mistaken for a dummy. In 2012, a mailman mistook the body of a man that had just collapsed for a realistic dummy. Before that, people saw a body hanging from a tree and assumed it was just a Halloween decoration when it was really the body of a woman who had committed suicide.
Hold off on adopting black cats.
Most shelters won’t allow black cats to be adopted around Halloween time for fear that they may be sacrificed. Who would realy want to sacrifice such a cute and cuddly animal?
The movie “Halloween” had a really low budget.
Okay so this may not be about Halloween itself, but it’s about the movie. According to Mirror, the movie had a desperately low budget and needed to dress Michael Myers up in the cheapest way possible. The mask used for Michael Myers’ face was a William Shatner mask. Obviously the producers touched it up with spray paint to make it scarier, but still. Can you ever look at Michael Myers the same way again?
Jack O’Lanterns weren’t originally made from pumpkins?
Apparently Jack O’Lanterns were made from turnips in the beginning. This tradition began in England. The Irish took the tradition to America and began using pumpkins instead of turnips because they were cheaper. Thankfully. Imagine a turnip spice latte. No thanks.
World Wars made Halloween difficult.
Sugar rations due to the two World Wars meant that kids didn’t get candy until the 1940s. That’s unimaginable.
Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
Candy that you get while trick-or-treating could be poisoned or drugged. Check out the candy or treats you get before you eat it. Maybe avoid candy that could easily be rewrapped or you aren’t familiar with. Keep yourself safe and check things out before you consume them.
costumes through the years: how costumes have evolved since the early 1900s You can probably come up with a number of ways that our style has changed since our childhood when it comes to dressing up on Halloween. Ever wondered what people in the early days wore? Us Magazine provided its audience with a short video about costumes in the last 100 years. Here’s a little run-down of what they gathered.
1915 Okay, costumes were a little sketch in the early 1900s. These costumes consisted of paper mache masks with only a couple teeth, stringy black hair and dresses that should have been left in the 1700s.
1985 Toga parties were introduced around 1978 so you can bet your bottom dollar that wearing togas as a Halloween costume kicked into high gear in the ‘80s. This costume doesn’t really get at the whole “let’s be a Greek goddess” connotation that dressing up in a toga should have, but it certainly tries.
SAVANNAH CHERMS
Entertainment Editor
Thriller, Michael Jackson
We all know the moves, so go ahead and get down to this Halloween staple.
Hungry Like the Wolf, Duran Duran
This one is for all those werewolves out there who are ready to party until the sun comes up.
Heads Will Roll, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This Yeah Yeah Yeahs song is perfect for those who simply want to dance. No costume required.
Carousel, Melanie Martinez
With the release of the new season of “American Horror Story,” this new release is sure to get your skin crawling, but still having you bobbing along to this alternative beat.
Monster, Kanye West
This Kanye collaboration is guaranteed to get you pumped for a Halloween party with your friends.
Disturbia, Rihanna
While this song reached its peak in the early 2000s, it’s still exactly what everyone needs to get ready for Halloween.
E.T., Katy Perry ft. Kanye West
We all remember the freaky video for this one, Katy’s alien face hypnotizing watchers. Let that be the inspiration for your costume for this year’s frock.
Grab some of your friends and bust a move to this timeless song from the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” No one will blame you.
2005 What a wonderful time. “Hit Me Baby One More Time” by Sweet Dreams, Marilyn Manson Britney Spears was a hit so Marilyn Manson’s cover is exactly what everyone dressed like her. we all need for Halloween. Manson’s voice will help get you in that mood to get you Awesome. freaked out this Halloween.
Howlin For You, The Black Keys
In stark contrast from our previous musician, this Black Keys hit is perfect for those who aren’t looking to party, but still want to jam out.
Cannibal, Kesha
Another early 2000s hit, this Kesha single is great for just hanging around with your friends and eating all the candy you were supposed to be handing out.
1965 Costumes start getting rather scandalous around this time period. Dressing up as a cat became popular. This costume included a skintight black outfit, whiskers, cat ears and a tail. They also didn’t forget the cat eyeliner.
Halloween, Misfits
Rock out to this one while you and your buddies are out on the town, and try not to terrorize anyone too much.
Howl, Florence + the Machine
graphics by andrea lu
Spiders and witches and cats oh my!
If you don’t already have a playlist for your party or any music to jam out to in your room, look no more.
Time Warp, Rocky Horror Picture Show
2015 Hey look, that’s this year! Obviously we don’t know what the most popular costume is yet. However, Kim Kardashian’s Paper magazine cover that broke the Internet a couple months ago is what’s predicted to dominate Halloween. Of course.
1945 Remember how we mentioned earlier that Halloween is meant to mock the devil, not worship him? Well, here’s a glance at it. The ‘40s consisted of short red dresses, horns, a pitchfork and a tail long enough to drag on the ground. How’s that for making fun of the devil?
13 spooky songs to get you through the night
For all you lovers that’ll be spending this holiday together, this one is for you. Florence’s voice and lyrics are sure to bring you close while giving you chills at the same time.
What superstitions haunted your dreams as a child? We’ve compiled some urban legends to remind you why Halloween is so spooky. Black Cats
Hold your breath
Ever wonder why black cats have been deemed as “bad luck?” According to LiveScience, elderly women were often accused of witchcraft and their pets were said to be demonic animals given by the devil. How’s that for your crazy cat lady aspirations?
According to American Folklore, evil spirits can’t enter your body as you drive past a cemetery if you hold your breath. When passing a graveyard or a house where someone has died, turn your pockets inside out to make sure you don’t bring home a ghost in your pocket.
Knock knock
If you hear three knocks and no one is there, it means that someone close to you has died.
If you light a candle, choose the right color Spiders really are evil
For all you Arachnophobes -here’s a valid reason you can use when you get teased for being scared of something so common. Spiders were also considered evil companions of witches during medieval times. One legend claims that if a spider falls into a candle-lit lamp and burns up, witches are nearby.
Apparently if you light an orange candle at midnight on Halloween and let it burn until sunrise, it’ll bring you good luck. As long as it doesn’t burn your house down. That wouldn’t be very lucky, now would it?