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The mentor Vol. 102 Issue 9 | Manhattan High School | Nov. 4, 2014

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Spanish Club sells Day of the Dead candygrams Spanish Club co-president Matt Turnley and member Kirkland Lambert, juniors, deliver Day of the Dead candygrams to students in class. Spanish Club sold Day of the Dead candygrams for $1 each in the cafeteria during the week of Halloween. On Friday, Turnley and Lambert delivered candygrams sent to students by students. “It’s just a fun thing for the students to do, and it helps them learn a little bit about día de los muertos,” Turnley said. Spanish Club co-president Matty Mahan, senior, said though selling candygrams doesn’t earn the club much money, it’s a fun way to celebrate the Day of the Dead. “Candygrams honestly don’t benefit Spanish Club a whole lot, money-wise, because we only make like 25 cents off of each we sell,” Mahan said. “So, mainly we mainly do it because it seems to be an enjoyable thing for kids that participate. But from the little money we do make, it helps fund other activities such as having chips and salsa one day at a meeting, or something like that.” PHOTO BY DANIELLE COOK

Science teachers creating Biology Olympiad team, motivating students Tracy Le Trending Editor When Manhattan High science teacher Pat Lamb looked at the Biology Olympiad test last year, he said, “Dang, this is a test.” “It was so rigorous. It’s harder than your master’s test. Some of the stuff they ask...I was pretty impressed,” Lamb said. “It’s a test for me and I’ve been in science forever and when I was looking through the test I was having to eliminate and guess between two on quite a few so this was impressive so I thought, ‘we need to do this’. It gives you another

thing to shoot for, here’s another level.” Biology Olympiad is a national competition and each year, out of 20 finalists, four will be chosen to represent the U.S. internationally. “I’m taking a test for it but other than that, I don’t know anything about it. I think this is our first year doing it,” senior Isaac Blankenau said. “I think it’s a lot like Science Olympiad. It’s my first year [in Science Olympiad], I really like it.” Lamb is hoping all the Science Olympiad members and his students from his AP Biology class will participate and is beginning to gather a group of

people. “Some of our students are alternates for the Science Olympiad team and I wanted something for them to do, to focus on. They do get to go to practice, competitions... but there’s more of a reward for this. This year in Science Olympiad, we have 28 people -- that’s almost enough to make a second team. That second team could have won Regionals. They’re really sharp people. I wanted to give them something to work towards for this first year,” Lamb said. “The chances of us being one of 20 kids in the nation is probably really low. Especially since

bers brought some extras. “We carved pumpkins and had fun,” Clauss said. “And luckily there was an extra pumpkin for me.” Clauss and other members of the club used pumpkin carving as an opportunity to express their originality with creative carving designs. “I made an ‘18’ pumpkin that was pretty cute for my 18th birthday,” GSA president Beckie Carter said. “Jenny [Rodrigues, sophomore] and Emily [Lamkin, sophomore] made generic happy face pumpkins that were really cute. Mrs. Rempel and our sponsor Tracy [Weston] didn’t participate because they’re adults and don’t feel like pumpkin carving, but they should have because Mrs. Rempel would have made an awesome one. Allison [Clauss, sophomore] helped me design

mine, so I was trying to make it cooler than just an 18.” This meeting not only let students express their creativity, but also allowed members to carve pumpkins that may have not been able to do otherwise. “It was just a lot of fun hanging out and seeing everyone,” senior Mary Romig said. “It’s not often I get to do this because I come from a low-income family, so I actually don’t get to carve pumpkins every year. So this was a good change of pace and I was really happy we got to do it.” Despite lower attendance than usual, this meeting was an overall success. “The atmosphere was festive,” Carter said. “No one threw their pumpkin on the ground, so it was a successful pumpkin carving.”

Boko Haram responsible for marrying off abducted girls, injures dozens at bus station

The group is also responsible for multiple bombings at a bus station in Nigeria that killed at least eight people and injured dozens more. The bombings took place during rush hour.

we’re not studying specifically for that test, we’re just going to take it. But I think it will give them an idea of how much their hard work has done for them.” As a teacher and coach and a part of many peoples’ lives, Lamb is proud of his students. “Everything from football to music to drama to science -- our students, they’re tough. Tough is a mental thing. It can come out as a physical thing but it’s a mental thing. Will you fold under pressure? When you walk on stage, will you know your parts? Will you know the piece of music you’ve practiced over and over again?

Our students refuse to not excel. That’s a double negative but that’s the way they do things. They won’t give up. I love that about our students. You don’t have to be the very best to win, you just have to refuse to give up. If you keep fighting for whatever you want, you’ll get there. If you work hard enough and sacrifice enough you can do anything -- I believe that. And I have a little saying, ‘pain is temporary, pride is forever’ and it goes for everything. Studying is a pain. The grades and the accomplishments that come afterwards stay forever. Tough people handle those temporary pains. And that’s

the way the kids are here. This is a generalization, but overall, Manhattan kids are tough kids. I don’t think we’re smarter than everybody, I don’t think we’re more physically blessed than everybody but we fight hard,” Lamb said. “I have great students everyday. You want to work hard for them because they work so hard for you. So you look for the little things, like Biology Olympiad. You want all your students motivated. Not just the guys that made the team, everybody. You want everybody to reach their goals.”

Gay-Straight Alliance carves pumpkins Marisa Lang Graphic Designer As the sound of spooky music and the smell of fresh pumpkins drifted out of the ceramics room last Wednesday, members of the GayStraight Alliance were hard at work carving pumpkins in honor of Halloween. “Beckie Carter, the president, thought it would be fun to carve pumpkins,” GSA sponsor Sara Rempel said. “She sent out a Facebook message -- ‘everyone bring a pumpkin’ -- and so everyone met [on Wednesday] and they had fun talking and carving pumpkins.” Sophomore Allison Clauss said she doesn’t have a Facebook so she didn’t get the message about bringing your own pumpkin. Luckily, other mem-

Global News Miranda Hairgrove Copy Editor 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.

The Nigerian Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has claimed that the 200 girls kidnapped earlier this year have been converted to Islam and married off. The news came in a video released Saturday by the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau. In the video, Shekau also denied claims of a deal by the Nigerian government. The deal was supposedly a ceasefire and, according to CNN, “included the release of more than 200 girls whose kidnapping at a boarding school in the nation’s north stunned the world.”

Mass protests stop Hungary internet tax A proposed internet tax has been stopped on Friday when Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said “This tax in its current form cannot be introduced.” According to NPR, “Days after some 100,000 people took to the streets in protest, Hungary’s government has given up on plans to tax Internet usage.” The tax would have charged every gigabyte of data transferred.

Senior Mary Romig plans what she will carve into her pumpkin. PHOTO BY MARISA LANG

Eruption in Rica causes evacuations

Costa streaming away from a flag- UK exit of the EU ceremony that takes worry, lowering places at dusk each day at the possible

The Turrialba volcano started spewing ash on Wednesday. According to the BBC, “The volcano has not spewed lava since the 1800s but there are concerns that this eruption could be a precursor to larger eruptions.” Authorities have evacuated the nearby area.

Bombing leaves dozens dead in India

A bombing on the border of Pakistan and India has killed over 45 people and injured dozens more. The bombing, according to The Guardian, “occurred as spectators were

Wagah border post, an immensely symbolic and sensitive area 15 miles from Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province.” The attack has been confirmed to be the result of a suicide bomber. “The suicide bomber failed to cross the security barrier and blew himself up outside when people were coming out,” Punjab Rangers chief Tahir Javed Khan said. So far two Islamic terrorist groups have taken credit for the attack. According to the BBC “the Pakistani Taliban told the BBC that it had carried out the attack, although another militant group, Jundullah, also said it was responsible.”

After disputes over interunion migration, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made it clear that she would rather have the United Kingdom leave the European Union than reform the migrant system. According to the BBC British Prime Minister David Cameron has expressed an interest in “a plan to … ban migrants who do not have a job, and to deport those who are unable to support themselves after three months.” Cameron will attempt renegotiation with the EU before holding an in-out referendum for EU membership.

Opinions

The Mentor • Nov. 04, 2014

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Stop schools from restricting Advocate responsible senior portrait poses driving techniques for teens 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 Dogs, books, basketballs, guns, bats, clubs -- all things that could pertain to hobbies of high schoolers throughout the nation. However one has caused debate and even been the grounds for suspension in several schools -- guns. Recently in different towns throughout America high school students have been punished for posting photos online posing with guns before homecoming, as well as prohibited from taking senior portraits with guns. The Mentor editorial board discussed

whether or not such regulations were valid or necessary and came to the conclusion that they are not. Often shooting or hunting is a leisure activity -- a passion even -- and if other students get to take photos with props relating to their hobbies, why should a marksman or hunter be denied the same right? It’s unfair for a school to prohibit such photos because a weapon is involved. Many things used for sports could be, and have been, used as weapons of assault. The pictures posed with guns are not promoting violence in anyway, but simply making a statement of that particular student’s individual interests and nobody should have the right to restrict them expressing themselves. If a school wishes to ban such

items from photos they have to ban all props; if not it just becomes a form of discrimination. Students and their interests outside of school have nothing to do with the administration on any level. They aren’t committing or encouraging any type of crime, so why should they be punished? The school having rules prohibiting the possession of firearms on campus is, by no means, a defining factor in how they may or may not pose for a photo. After discussing all of these aspects of the situation, the editorial board came to the consensus that high schools don’t have the authority to control the photos students take outside of school and off the campus and trying to have such authority is oppressing and inappropriate.

Shift focus to self-satisfaction

Manhattan High School has over 1,700 students, 1,700 different faces pass by every day. Some might wonder where they will go after high school, others have known what they were going to do since birth. But what about the ones who are just ready for life? The world may never know what exactly defines “ready for life”, because no individual has the right to really say what “ready” entails, but all i can say is sometimes people just know -- and they jump into it. So what do you do when you’ve done everything soci-

ety expected you to do? Having a job, getting great grades -- maybe you’re the president of an academic club -- constantly being admired by fellow students or even those in an authoritative position. Out of all the good things that one might do, what if they wake up and realize that they are simply ahead of everyone else and are ready? Well, they drop out. There it is, a high school dropout, a person who got their GED. Automatically they are viewed as lazy, unintelligent, and simply ignorant. But why is that? Sure, there are a few bad apples in the barrel who say, “yeah I’m going to drop out of school because I can go to Colorado, YOLO” but that is not always the case, and if you’re considering that, I am not promoting it. Kids who decide to drop out should not be looked at so

negatively, we are told at this are to make decisions and that we need to plan out our lives, and this is a very big decision. Bill Gates, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Charles Dickens, Ringo Starr -- all very successful men who dropped out of high school and became role models. They created revolutionary things, insane ideas, bettered humanity and most of all they inspired people. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said; “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” Success is not all about pleasing everybody, making a million bucks or being a rockstar. It’s about sitting down at the end of the day in the future, whether it be five years from now or 15 , and being satisfied with yourself.

Question of the Week: Who are/would you vote for? “I have no idea. I haven’t really been paying much attention,” freshman Kendra Geisbrecht. “Luke Stegeman!” senior Katie Bussmann said, @kickitwith_Kate “Gryfindor,” sophomore Camille Fellers, @camilleonnn

“That’s a hard one. Sorry I don’t know whom I’d vote for,” junior Antonia Camara

What song do you want to see performed in Battle of the Bands? Tweet your answer @mhsmentoronline or answer at our website, mhsmentor.com for a chance to be featured in the next edition.

Would you like to see your words in print? Share your letter to the editor with The Mentor @mhsmentoronline on Twitter or mhsmentoronline.com for a chance to have your column featured in the publication.

A recent dangerous car accident on K-177 caused some alarm to drivers a couple of weeks ago. The driver missed one turn, and, through a series of mistakes, his truck drove off of the K-177 bridge and was suspended above the Kansas River. One missed turn caused that dangerous, life threatening accident. People tend to ignore just how dangerous driving is. It only takes one twitch of the arm to end a life. Driving is the most dangerous thing people do every day. Driving is the leading cause of most deaths in America. According to CDC.gov, 30,000 people are killed every year in motor accidents. The common cause for driving accidents include distracting driving and driving under the influence and other reckless driving behaviors. The National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration has reported that 60 percent of drivers will be in an injury causing accident during their lifetimes. It has been predicted that every driver will be in an accident every decade. Out of all the drivers on the road, teen drivers are the most reckless and dangerous drivers behind the wheel. Young adults think that they are invincible. More accidents occur in the 16-to-19 year old age group than in any other age group. Driving with other teen passenger increases only increases the accident risk. One of the most dangerous times for teen driving is the month that teenagers receive their license. There are a number of factors that play into teen related accidents. Young adults underestimate or do not recognize dangerous driving situations. Teens tend to speed and don’t judge the distance between them and the car in front of them correctly. Only 55 percent of young adults wear seat belts when they are driving. According to CDC.gov, in 2012, 23 percent of young adults involved in fatal car accidents were driving under the

influence of alcohol. CDC.gov reported that the leading causes for fatalities in accidents among teenagers are: driving inexperianced, driving with teen passangers, driving at night, driving without a seat belt on, distracted driving, reckless driving and driving under the influence. Driving is not something that anyone should do care free. Anything can go wrong on the road and if you’re not prepared to react the right way, you can become another statistic. There are many simple ways to reduce the risk of accidents. Do not be careless when driving. Pay attention to everything that is happening around you. Don’t let music, food, friends, or your phone distract you from the road. Do not take substances that will alter your driving skills. A drink is not worth your life. Seat belts have not gone out of style, they work well with any outfit. So, please wear one. There are always going to be risks when you drive, but you can do your part in reducing those risks.

Promote expression of emotion in adolescents Expression of emotion has been suppressed or frowned upon in various historical societies -- in a majority of them, actually -- and today’s society is no exception. Have you ever experienced twinges of guilt for being sad or upset? Or perhaps even when you’re having a great day or you’re really excited about something? That twinge of guilt when our emotions are markedly below or above average is because our society feeds us the message that we should “just get over it” in order to equalize our feelings with the feelings of those around us. Though it seems that effort to promote healthy expression of emotion is made by influential forces of our present world (movies, music, literary works, etc.), and while such things that are part of our culture seem to even lend temporary confidence to express real emotion to those who lack it, expression of emotion in our society is heavily affected by

suppressive cultural norms. And often, the cultural norms of our modern society, much like those in societies past, prohibit healthy expression of emotion through what is considered appropriate or proper behavior. It is not humanly natural, as we are individuals meant to have unique feelings, but is a side-effect attached to heightened emotion by our cultural norm: simply toss our personal emotions aside so that they will not affect others. Emotional expression (in psychology) is defined as “observable verbal and nonverbal behaviors that communicate an internal emotional or affective state” and is considered crucial to the mental and sentimental health of humans, and even animals. According to an article from mysahana. org, a website of posts dedicated to maximizing mental and emotional health, and other research, suppression of emotions and feelings can often lead to violent behavior and depression due to its principal part in the social aspects of one’s life. Our emotions are meant to help us connect to others on deep, soulful levels. If you’re angry, sad, upset or any other negative emotion of the like,

don’t be afraid to express yourself to someone you trust or who cares about you; if they really do care, expressing your emotions can help you form a deeper bond with them. They will not judge you based on our social norms if they truly want to understand. If you’re happy, smile, laugh, be happy, share your joy with others, spread it. Again, those who truly care will not judge you, but be glad that you’ve helped them feel joy, too. Though expression of emotion must be handled with care so as not to actually have negative effects on others, if you take the time to get to know yourself and your behaviors and observe that of those around you, accepting and expressing emotions should come completely naturally. As humans, each and every one of us has feelings, and we are meant to share our joys and sorrows with each other; that’s how we create strong, positive relationships with one another. If we let society tell us that suppressing feelings for the sake of others is the right thing to do, we can never progress toward positive expressional terms with the people around us and will not get the opportunity to understand others or to be understood by others.

EDITORS: Kristen Batson -- Print Editor-In-Chief/Opinions Joseph Sell -- Online Editor -In-Chief Danielle Cook -- Entertainment/Content Editor Madeline Marshall -- News Editor Alan Brown -- Features Editor Greg Woods -- Sports Editor Tracy Le -- Trending Editor Anna Hupp -- Photo Editor Marisa Lang -- Graphic Designer Miranda Hairgrove -- Copy Editor Senior Staff Writers/Photographers -- Madison Newman, John Rockey Staff Writers/Photographers -- Rick Brown, Elassia CunninghamYounger, Darian Foga-Frehn OTHER: Angie Moss -- Business Manager Kristy Nyp -- Adviser Circulation -- Kristyn Baker, David Clinkinbeard, Charlie Dickey, Karl Drown, Rachel Efken, Jordan Hatley, Colten Kirk, Joshua Kohls, Kendall Oatney, Megan Ritthisorn, Zane Smith, Darnel Stewart, Austin Tatum 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 Kansas Scholastic Press Association. The Mentor is an open forum that accepts contributions from the public. E-mail us at mhsmentor@gmail.com.

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The Mentor • Nov 4. 2014

Features

Clark launches Air Force career Madison Newman Senior Photographer

Many students at Manhattan High School have heard the speeches given by the military recruiters and some even have plans to go on to serve in the Armed Forces. Senior Nick Clark has known that he wants to serve for a long time, so he took the first step and applied to go airborne. After filling out a precandidate information packet online, he was moved up to candidate status shortly after. Next he was interviewed by an Air Force major in Topeka, then had to submit essays in response to things that they spoke about. One requirement to be in the academy is receiving nomination from a congressman. “Senators and congressman are only allowed to have a certain number of people at each academy, so their principle

nominations receive a slot automatically,” Clark said. Clark chose to contact senator Pat Roberts, senator Jerry Moran and congressman Tim Huelskamp; he received principle nomination from Huelskamp and competitive alternate from Moran. “The principle nomination is basically an assurance that I’m in,” Clark said. Now it comes time for him to wait. When going into any military branch, it is recommended that one should have a back up plan. Clark plans on going to Kansas State University, enrolling in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, and reapplying again next year. The only thing he fears is getting hurt and potentially losing his place, but other than that he is ready to get his response in mid January or March to be officially selected. “I am confident that I will make it,” Clark said.

Senior Nick Clark practices aviation skills in preperation for the Air Force Academy heading home from Newton with his family. COURTESY PHOTO

Senior performs in prestigious FFA National Band Madeline Marshall News Editor

Senior April Ascher participates in the FFA National Band in Louisville. Ascher was one of the four Kansans selected to attend the event. PHOTO BY DARIAN FOGA-FREHN

One of four Kansans in the FFA National band, senior April Ascher played a flute solo in front of thousands of people in Louisville last week. It all started last May when she sent in a form. “I filled out a form saying that I wanted to do it at the very end of May after school got out and then I had to have my audition submitted by July first,” Ascher said. “I submitted my audition one minute after the deadline, but it was still okay.” Ascher received news that she had made it two weeks into the school year. “The second week of school I got an email,” Ascher said. “It was kind of bittersweet because [Kansas Music Educators Association] and festival were that week so I

was worried as to what I was going to do. But I talked to [band director Joel] Gittle and he told me ways I could get around it so I could go.” Ascher’s audition led to her being second to last chair. “There were four musicians from Kansas, but I was probably the best one,” Ascher said. “I sent in my audition one minute after July 1 and it was after work so it wasn't a very good audition so I was next to last chair, but when I did my solo audition they were like 'you don't sound like crap' so that's how that happened.” Ascher auditioned for a solo on flute once she arrived in Louisville. She received a solo over an “Earth, Wind and Fire” medley. “It was crazy,” Ascher said. “64,000 people attended the convention. I don't think quite that many were actually at the concert, but there were thou-

sands. It was packed.” Ascher rehearsed nonstop. “The first couple of days we had nine hours of rehearsal each day,” Ascher said. “I had to take the solo back to my hotel room to work on memorizing it. It was a lot of work.” When the time came to perform the piece, Ascher was uneasy. “I felt like I was going to puke,” Ascher said. “It was scary, because I had to have it memorized and I couldn't have the music with me so the first time I performed it was the first time I played it from memory. I was trying to remember where in the music I came out and it was scary. But once I started playing it was great like I really got into it.” Ascher enjoyed the experience. “It was a lot of fun,” Ascher said. “I got to play music and make new friends.”

Lamb completes transition from coach to radio analyst Alan Brown Features Editor 4th and goal. The Indians have their backs against the wall. The Hayden players, with physical strength on their side, had already been denied three times in their attempt to punch the ball into the endzone. For Manhattan, a stop here would give them the ball back. All they would need is one player to step up. Coaches frantically signal plays from the sideline. Hayden’s quarterback bellows out the call to his team and the ball is snapped. The fullback receives the handoff and quickly turns his eyes to the endzone. It’s on. Enter Joe Dooley. He’s hardly the biggest or the fastest linebacker to ever step foot onto the turf for MHS. In fact, he’s probably about 30 to 40 pounds lighter than the fullback heading straight in his direction. The fullback, sensing the physical mismatch, prepares to plow his way into the endzone. It doesn’t get much easier than this, or so he thinks. Dooley, sticking true to the fundamentals, drills his facemask into the fullback’s chest as the two collide. Smack! The fullback desperately tries to

force himself forward, but he isn’t going anywhere. A group of Indian defenders swarm to Dooley’s side and force down the ball carrier. It’s a goal line stand. MHS victory. To the viewers in the stands, the game had been over for a long time. The score had been 36-0 in favor of Manhattan. Dooley himself was only a third string player. To the team, however, all of this was irrelevant. Every play mattered. They would continue to play their hardest throughout all four quarters. Giving up would never be an option. They would play the game Coach Lamb’s way: the Manhattan way. “I told my players, I don’t care if you are first string, I don’t care if you are third string, if you step on the field you better play like you were from Manhattan High,” Pat Lamb said. “I’ll never forget him, Joe Dooley. I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud. That kid was playing like it was for the championship. That’s why you coach.” Throughout his 40 years of coaching, Pat Lamb has always emphasized character to his players. Learning the right attitudes, expectations and how to be a competitor were all crucial. To him, that’s what football is all about. He’s carried

this message with him both on the field as a coach and in the classroom as a teacher. Life, he says, is all about giving everything your best shot. “Pain is temporary, pride is forever,” Lamb said. “That’s something football has taught me. It’s not enough to just want to be good. Everybody wants to be good. Are you willing to work hard enough and sacrifice enough to be good? That’s the difference.” *** Lamb’s philosophy continues to make an impact on his former players. Even now as members of the varsity team, players haven’t forgotten the valuable lessons that he taught them. “Coach Lamb treated us like men, and that’s why I’ve always respected him,” junior A.J. Pablo said. “He taught us the tradition of Manhattan as well as values and how to conduct ourselves as men.” Junior Adam Al-Soltani agrees. “Coach Lamb was awesome,” Al-Soltani said. “I learned that no matter what goes on in life and in football, you’ve just gotta keep going. Never quit.” It’s been almost exactly a year since Lamb decided to step down as head coach of the freshman football team at

MHS. After lots of thinking, Lamb realized the time was right to retire. His decision was heavily influenced by the chance to spend more time with his family, specifically his father, and the opportunity to open the door to one of the younger, up-and-coming coaches to find a spot with the team. Memories of standing on the sideline surrounded by his players are still fresh in his memory, though, and the desire to come back onto the field hasn’t completely gone away. Even today, it has been difficult for Lamb to move on from the game he has come to love throughout the years. “I can’t walk up on practice fields anymore. That’s too hard for me to do,” Lamb said. “I can watch them play games, but I can’t walk on the practice field.” *** This year Lamb has found other ways to keep up with football. For a while, he continued to run the down and distance board during games, keeping close tabs on the team. After several radio analysts, including former Kansas Sportcaster of the Year Matt Walters, stepped down from their positions at KMAN, a new job became available in the radio booth. After listening to recommendations from

coaches and to those close to the team, KMAN presented Lamb the opportunity to work as the MHS varsity football radio color analyst alongside John Kurtz. “I thought about it, and since I went to all of the games anyway, I thought I’d give it a shot,” Lamb said. For a color analyst, the job doesn’t just happen on Friday nights. Hard work and preparation throughout the week is necessary to be effective in the booth. Lamb usually begins the process with a chat with head coach Joe Schartz, collecting knowledge of game tactics and information on the opposing team. He then sits back and watches game film, jotting down notes as he goes. By the time the process is over, Lamb has put together neatly-typed notes devoted to offense and defense, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each team. These serve as valuable references for him throughout the game. Perhaps equally important to Lamb’s knowledge base is his understanding of the game at a coach’s point of view. According to him, it helps him catch things that might not be noticed by an inexperienced eye. “The coaching aspect really helps. When you look and call plays [as a coach], you have to

watch defenses. You have to see where they have a weak spot and see where they are strong,” Lamb said. “You have to do the same thing upstairs and that helps you realize what’s going on. It helps that I’ve done it before.” *** Even though he no longer coaching on the field anymore, Lamb appreciates and respects what the football team has accomplished this season. After a major coaching turnover coming into the year, he has been impressed by the team’s transition. Quality coaching has been a vital piece of the success. But at the end of the day, he points out, it all comes back to character. There were moments throughout the season where the going was tough, but the team never quit. That, Lamb says, is true toughness. “I love this school. The kids here don’t give up. They are mentally and physically tough,” Lamb said. “Our kids fought. They played like they were from Manhattan and I’m really proud of that.”

MHS FFA attends National FFA Convention in Kentucky Darian Foga-Frehn Staff Writer The streets of Louisville, Ky., were filled with a sea of blue corduroy last week during the 87th National FFA Convention. According to the National FFA website, 60,000 FFA members from all over the nation, including the Manhattan High chapter, gathered in Louisville from Wednesday to Saturday. Members from Alaska and Hawaii to U.S. territories Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands piled in the Kentucky Exposition Center’s Freedom Hall, waiting for the first general See “FFA” on Page 4

Justin Moore, Easton Corbin perform at National FFA Convention Darian Foga-Frehn Staff Writer Brightly colored lights and thick gray smoke from a smoke machine were some of the first things FFA members noticed when they entered the KFC Yum! Center arena Wednesday night. High up in the stands on the far right side of the stage, Manhattan FFA Members sat in wait for the country music artists Justin Moore and Easton Corbin to begin performing. “It was my first concert,”

Manhattan FFA Treasurer and senior Stormie Clemens said. “We didn’t have the best seats, but it was still really cool.” During the concert, both performers thanked the FFA for their hard work and dedication to agriculture and reminded them to follow their dreams. “You have to believe in yourself and believe in your talents and what your dream is,” Corbin said. “For me, I remember when I had stage fright. At one point I thought, See “Concert” on Page 4

The Manhattan High delegation to the National FFA Convention poses together to show off recognition they received at the convention. PHOTO BY DARIAN FOGA-FREHN

Sports

The Mentor • Nov. 4, 2014

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Schroeder takes State title, cross country finishes third

John Rockey Senior Staff Writer All it took to make Manhattan High School history was four seconds. Sophomore Jackson Schroeder’s finish last Friday at Rim Rock Farm came four seconds ahead of senior Michael Melgares and Blue Valley’s Joseph Gorthy. That made him MHS’s first ever State champion for boys cross country. “I can’t believe it. At the beginning of the season, I never really thought I had a chance for it,” Schroeder said. “But as soon as I finished, I was just really excited.” As soon as the race had started, the “smooth criminals,” as Melgares and Schroeder are nicknamed by their teammates, trailed the leading

runner Gorthy throughout the race to let him do the work and allow them to keep pace throughout the course. “They ran very smart to let [Gorthy] take the lead,” coach Susan Melgares said. “They may make it look easy, but they push so hard and to watch them succeed was big. We’ve not had a cross country State champ going in, and having two people finishing first and second was huge.” It was in the last kilometer of the race that the lead shifted to Melgares and Schroeder and the final charge began. “When I passed the front runner, it got really quiet for the last 400 meters,” Schroeder said. “I didn’t know how far ahead I was of anyone else. As soon as I crossed the line, I was just so excited. And was really

excited that Michael was the next top runner.” “He had beaten me at every other race this season, except for this one. He worked so hard.” Their first and second place finishes helped the MHS boys secure third place overall with a combined team score of 101 points at an average time of 16:40.38. The girls team stepped up in their 4K race with a solid fourth place finish overall at an average of 16:12.16 with senior Megan Ochoa and sophomore Cara Melgares both getting medals in the top 10 in the race. “Everybody gave their best and ran strong,” Coach Melgares said. “Nobody started bad at all and everybody competed very well.” With the cross-country sea-

son completed, the team will now look forward to a period of rest followed by running to keep themselves ready for the spring track season they have ahead of them. Coach Melgares described the team’s start of the season after several runners graduated creating a tough challenge for them that they ended up overcoming to have success in their season. “We had some adversity this year within the guys,” Melgares said. “We had some personal battles to fight and to see them on the podium is a huge accomplishment. I’m just really proud of the team. There were a lot of challenges and it wasn’t easy. I’m just really proud of them. There were a lot of challenges and it wasn’t easy. As a coaching staff, we couldn’t ask for more.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

SOPHOMORE JACKSON SCHROEDER Schroeder won an individual Kansas 6A State title on Friday and helped the Manhattan boys cross country team as a whole bring home a third-place finish from Lawrence. On what went through his head crossing the finish line... “I couldn’t really believe it. I knew it was possible but I didn’t really expect it. It’s just crazy.” On his favorite part of running cross country... “It’s a challenge. I just like to run.”

Football finishes 2014 with rout of Washburn Rural Greg Woods Sports Editor Even with the playoffs out of the question, the Manhattan High football team finished its 2014 campaign with flair. The Indians marched into Topeka Friday night and routed Washburn Rural, 45-23, and clinched a share of the Centennial League title. Senior Chris Martin finished the game with five total touchdowns: four rushing and one receiving. “[Martin] had a fantastic game,” head coach Joe Schartz said. “It’s something he’s always going to remember. Chris has been extremely important to us the entire year, offensively and defensively.” Martin said he has appreciated what the MHS football program has meant to him. “We came in Monday [and did] up-downs, and everybody usually hates up-downs, but I got choked up a little bit and teary-eyed. Like, ‘the last updowns ever,’” Martin said. “To come out with a victory and to be with my senior class that I’ve come so close with feels really, really nice. Words can’t really describe it.” The Manhattan defense forced the WR offense into a three-and-out on its first possession and capitalized on the other end. Martin got into the endzone on a one-yard run, his first score of the night.

“Our offensive line was working [Washburn Rural] pretty well,” Martin said. “Our speed kicked in and they couldn’t really handle it at times.” After a Joe Trujillo field goal to widen the Indians’ advantage to 10-0, senior Eric Prockish completed a 41-yard pass to set up Manhattan within the Junior Blues’ five-yard line. Martin capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run to put MHS up 17-0. The next three drives featured a lot of points. The Junior Blues got on the board with a 90-yard touchdown pass from Blake Peterson to E’Laja Steele. However, the Indians followed the touchdown drive with one of their own. Sophomore Keadrian McDonald hauled in a one-handed, 26-yard screen pass that resulted in six points, only to be countered with a WR touchdown pass as time expired in the first half. Manhattan led at halftime, 24-14. The second half saw drives stall for both teams, but Martin put Manhattan up 31-14 with a 36-yard touchdown run on the Indians’ second drive of the half. “The offensive line stepped up big,” Martin said. “There [were] a whole bunch of holes. Everybody was talking about that we wanted to be ready, ready, ready.” Washburn Rural would

go on to score on a 12-yard touchdown before Prockish completed a 52-yard touchdown pass to Martin to put the Indians up, 38-20. “On that catch, when I broke the tackle, I was like, ‘I’m about to get hit,’ and I turned back around and I saw D’Angelo [Gray] crack him,” Martin said. “I give D’Angelo props because if D’Angelo wouldn’t have cracked that dude I would have been tackled right there.” Martin continued his statstuffing night on the defensive side of the ball at the beginning of the final period. The senior intercepted Peterson and later scored on a one-yard touchdown run on the ensuing MHS drive. Manhattan led 45-20 before Washburn’s Perry Schmiedeler split the uprights with a 19-yard field goal, ending the contest at 45-23. Prockish felt strongly about his last game in a Manhattan uniform. “It’s crazy,” Prockish said. “It’s not about me at all, really. It’s about the team. It was really emotional getting in the locker room. Overwhelming, really, realizing this is the last time you’re going to be with your brothers and be out there on the field.” The Indians finish the season 7-2 with a share of the Centennial League title for the sixth-straight year.

Seniors Chris Martin (No. 1) and Luke Stegeman embrace following MHS’ Friday win. PHOTO BY DANIELLE COOK

Schroll accomplishes goal, signs with K-State Soccer downs Dodge City, plays Rural tonight Angie Moss Business Manager There are a lot of students that play sports in high school, but only a fraction of these students get signed to play in college. Of the students that get signed to play in college, even less sign to a Division I school. Senior Kelsey Schroll, a middle blocker for the Manhattan High School volleyball team, signed to play at Kansas State University next season. The process of getting signed to college athletics can be lengthy. It begins with getting information out to various coaches. From there, one must wait for replies, narrow their college choices, visit the schools, become a priority for

a school and finally make the decision as to which school to attend. It’s been five years since a volleyball player from MHS has gone to a Division I school and once again that school is K-State. “Well for one it’s super close to home, which had been a controversy between me and my parents because I wanted to get out of the state and they wanted me to stay close,” Schroll said. “Another is that I’ve grown up around KSU and love the campus.” Head coach Lisa Kinderknecht believes that Schroll has a lot of potential and will thrive at K-State. “I feel like [Schroll] hasn’t gotten close to reaching her

potential and as you can see, she can be pretty dominant on the floor,” Kinderknecht said. “She’s matured so much over these past two years, but she’s excited and she has a lot of passion for volleyball, she loves the game and so I think she’ll bring that to the Wildcats.” Schroll’s dream of playing in the Big 12 has been fulfilled. Getting to play in her hometown makes it even better. “My dream ever since I knew I wanted to play volleyball in college was to stay in the Big 12 whether it had been at K-State or somewhere else,” Schroll said. “Plus since being from here, I always thought it’d be pretty neat to be the hometown kid playing at K-State.”

Greg Woods Sports Editor Despite losing a host of seniors after its 2013 State championship contention, the Manhattan High boys soccer team continues to win. The Indians knocked off Dodge City Thursday 2-1 and

won their Regional bracket. Junior Austin French scored both MHS goals. “It was pretty intense,” French said. “A lot of pressure.” With the win, Manhattan advances to the Sub-State final tonight against Washburn Rural. The Indians dropped their lone match to the Junior Blues

3-1 in the regular season. “We’re going to have to play extremely well,” junior Kirkland Lambert said. “They’re not going to hand it over and obviously we’re not going to hand it over. It’s going to be a grind out but we’re going to have to bring our A game for sure.”

BY THE NUMBERS

How the Indians have made their 2014 postseason run

Number of goals Manhattan has scored during this season

Number of assists by Manhattan players this season

Number of shots on goal by Manhattan this season

Number of game-winning goals scored this season

Technicians make a difference behind the scenes Miranda Hairgrove Copy Editor Behind the glamorous faces, the resounding music, the dazzling lights are the hidden members of the school musical. These students work hard and stay hidden to make the ever-loved Manhattan High School musical possible. They are the musical technicians. “Technicians basically run

everything needed for the show to happen,” junior Emma Galitzer, stage manager, said. “So if there was even one area of technical work that didn’t get done for the musical, then we wouldn’t have a show.” Technician is a broad term to describe all people who participate in the musical behind the scenes to make it work. There are crews that have a specific area of expertise and

stage managers who make sure all the actors and technicians do what the director wants. The crews are various and all kinds of people are needed for them. There are light, sound, construction, makeup, costume and running crews. “Without the techies, you wouldn’t have the show,” senior Lance Jarvis said. Like actors, technicians (commonly called “techies”)

are committed to the musical. “We come in every rehearsal,” Jarvis said. Technicians are also affected by the same stresses at actors and directors. This week is the notorious “Hell Week,” which is a week of rehearsal before the first show. Technicians, however, have to deal with their own stress as well as the stress of all the actors. “The biggest challenge right

now with me is having to deal with belligerent actors,” junior Toula Sweeney said. “When it gets closer to the show time, everyone -- actors, directors, techies -- gets a little bit crazy because of course the stress will get to you. There’s just a lot of stress involved with the job but it’s worth it.” To many of the technicians, however, the stress is worth it. “The most rewarding as-

pect is when we actually have the show and see all our hard work and what it eventually comes to,” Galitzer said. All their efforts show in the final production. “The best part is watching the beautiful creation of musical theater come together,” Sweeney said.

Page 5

The Mentor • Nov. 4, 2014

Entertainment

Anime Club throws fun Halloween costume party Marisa Lang Graphic Design Creatively costumed Anime Club members threw their annual Halloween party after school last Thursday, filling the halls with loud conversation and upbeat pop music. At the party, members participated in an anime-inspired game, held a costume contest and told scary ghost stories. Members were encouraged to dress up in costumes for the party. Anime Club vicepresident Faithlynn Hoofard dressed as a dark angel, a costume that she says reflects her unique personality. “I think that regular angels are really overused and I like to be something that isn’t extremely popular all the time,” Hoofard said. “I’m a very unique person. That’s why I’m in this club where you can be

unique and no one can be like ‘you’re weird’ or tell you that you’re a geek or a nerd. We’re embracing it.” Other people drew inspiration for their costumes from things other than anime. Freshman Hunter Resseguie came as a main character from the popular Disney Channel show, “Gravity Falls.” “I dressed up as Dipper Pines,” freshman Hunter Resseguie said. “I just had a recent obsession with Gravity Falls and I’ve been watching it a lot.” Once all of the members had arrived, the club went outside and played a game where members had names of popular anime characters taped to their backs, and the members had to guess which character they were by asking questions. “[My favorite part of the party was] probably the game,

just because of how chaotic it was,” senior Meycelle Miller said. “I didn’t get [a name] because I was the one passing them all out, but I probably would have done a Fruits Basket character.” After the game, the club went back inside and held a costume contest. Then, members were invited to tell scary stories. Resseguie said he liked the party more than he thought, and plans to return to anime club for future meetings. “This is the first time I’ve ever gone [to anime club],” Resseguie said. “A lot of friends were telling me about it and in middle school I heard about it and I wanted to go to it in high school. I thought it would be really interesting so I came. I like it a lot.”

Sophomores Faithlynn Hoofard and Allison Clauss converse with fellow Anime Club members at the Anime Club’s Halloween costume party. PHOTO BY MARISA LANG

Thespians trick-or-treat so kids can eat Miranda Hairgrove Copy Editor

Members of Manhattan High Thespain Troupe 941 pose in the Black Box Theatre with the food items they collected while “trick-or-treating.” COURTESY PHOTO

Deemed by some to be too old for trick-or-treating, members of the Manhattan High School Thespian Troupe didn’t let age deter them from going to strangers’ houses while dressed up. Except, these students weren’t “trick-or-treating” for candy, in fact, they weren’t even wanting things for themselves. They were doing their annual TOTSKCE. “TOTSKCE stands for Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat. Thespians does it every year around halloween. We go ‘trick-or-treating’ for canned goods and then donate them to the Flint Hills Breadbasket,” sophomore Isaac Sorell said. Participants dressed up, split into three groups and headed out to neighborhoods around Manhattan asking people to donate non-perishable foods. Sometimes having trick-ortreaters on a night other than Halloween is jarring to people, but doesn’t mean they’re unwilling to participate and spread the kindness. “At first when we showed up at their doors, people were confused,” senior Lauren Fischer said. “But once we

explained why we were there, they were happy to donate.” The kindness and hospitality didn’t stop at just donating food. “Every house we went to, we were invited inside,” senior Katrina Yau said. “They were all so friendly.” While many of the houses visited by participants were of strangers, the students did get to have a little fun with people they knew. “The funniest moment of the night was [senior] Adam Hupp’s face when we showed up at his house dressed in costumes,” Sorell said. Despite the warm fun, the TOTSKCE participants had to deal with the cold--but the weather didn’t impact them too much. “A lot of people thought it was cold, but most people just wore jackets over their costumes, so the weather wasn’t too much of an issue,” Yau said. After a cool night of trickor-treating, the participants came back to MHS to pose with their hauls and celebrate a successful night. “We spend two hours out collecting cans. We collected around 150 food items this year,” Sorell said.

“Ouija” a cliche disappointment despite hype

All the hype about “Ouija” that commercials have been advertising for the last couple weeks are a bit far-fetched. Everything about the movie is generic. The characters are generic high schoolers. The dead person they’re trying to contact is a generic preppy girl that decided to be stupid with a game and then got strangled by a generic ghost. Sure, there are a few scenes where the action gets intense, but the movie doesn’t actually get into your mind. It doesn’t leave you paranoid as you exit the theater. The point of horror movies is to scare you and make you nervous about being alone in your own house. The smallest of sounds should startle you after seeing a decent horror film. “Ouija” did not accomplish this at all. Quite frankly, I don’t even know what the plot of the movie was. It just seemed like a bunch of high

schoolers messing around with a game that may or may not actually work the way they want it to. One factor that is a musthave in ghost movies is a sick and twisted ghost. One that tortures its victims and leaves the audience wondering what might happen next. This is yet another thing that “Ouija” didn’t have. The ghost didn’t do anything surprising or even relatively frightening. It killed its victims off fast and didn’t leave me guessing what’s next. There was one point where one of the guys saw a ghost in the mirror he was looking in and the ghost pushed him into the mirror. That probably would have been a little scary except for the fact that the guy was able to brace himself, so no actual harm was done to him. The producers of this movie are the same people that produced “Insidious” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” which says a lot considering those movies were more humorous than scary. The quality of the movie was equal to what someone our age would create. It’s safe to say that “Ouija” was a disappointment to thrillseekers and anyone expecting a decent movie to scare them Halloween weekend.

GRAPHIC BY ANGIE MOSS

Technicians make musical happen Miranda Hairgrove Copy Editor Behind the glamorous faces, the resounding music, the dazzling lights are the hidden members of the school musical. These students work hard and stay hidden to make the ever-loved Manhattan High School musical possible. They are the musical technicians. “Technicians basically run

is when we actually have the show and see all our hard work and what it eventually comes to,” Galitzer said. All their efforts show in the final production. “The best part is watching the beautiful creation of musical theater come together,” Sweeney said.

2014

Trending

The Mentor • Nov. 4, 2014

Page 6

Elections Many Manhattan High seniors will be able to go through the voting process at this year’s state elections. Here are two major candidates for Kansas governor:

Sam Brownback Republican LT. Governor: Jeff

Paul Davis Democrat

Coyler

LT. Governor: Jill docking

Standardize and increase school standards under the Common Core initiative Taking government action to limit the levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere Legalizing Gay marriage The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Ability of employers to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if they disagree with it morally Raising the minimum wage Highly restricted abortion Increase taxes on corporations and/or highincome individuals to pay for public services

Rick Brown, 21st Century Journalism Student Graphic b y Marisa Lang

The 2010 gubernatorial and 2008 U.S. Senate elections in Kansas could hardly be considered competitive: the winners of both received more than 60 percent of the vote and won in more than 97 percent of Kansas counties. One would expect this year’s election to be just as noncompetitive. Yet this year both incumbents have a reason to worry: neither is predicted to win. The Kansas gubernatorial race has come down to two

Secretary of State: Republican: Kris Kobach Democratic: Jean Schodorf

main issues: education and taxes. Republican governor Sam Brownback eliminated all personal state income taxes on 191,000 business owners, arguing that they would spend the savings to create new jobs. Opponents Paul Davis, Democrat, and Keen Umbehr, Libertarian, have pointed to a resulting decrease in state revenues by more than $378 million in April, May, June, September and October and a downgrade of the state’s credit rating by investment company Moody’s and financial services company Standard & Poor’s. Brownback has argued that it will take time for the state to recover and has proposed deeper tax cuts. Davis has proposed freezing the tax cuts at their current level, and Umbehr has argued for replacing the current taxes with a 5.2 percent consumption tax. Brownback argues that he has supported education well, pointing to an increase in school funding by over $270 million since 2011. Davis has challenged Brownback’s claim, arguing that inflation has outpaced Brownback’s increases to education resulting in a lose

U.S. Senate: Republican: Pat Roberts Independent: Greg Orman

of money for schools. He further argues that when constitutionally mandated increases to teacher’s pensions are left out of the equation funding for education has actually decreased significantly. Davis has said that he will adequately fund schools but has not provided details. Umbehr has proposed freezing school funding at its current level. In Kansas’ U.S. Senate election, the issue of which party will control the senate has taken center stage. Incumbent Republican Pat Roberts argues that votes for him will help the Republican party to hold a majority in the Senate. Independent candidate Greg Orman has argued that the Democratic and Republican parties have been locked in intense gridlock, and as an Independent candidate he would be able to help the government function more smoothly. Randall Batson, Libertarian, has not stated how he would influence the Senate. Given the closeness of these races, Kansas officials are expecting a higher-than-usual voter turnout for midterm elections.

U.S. House of Representatives: Republican: Tim Huelskamp Democrat: Jim Sherow From the Huffington Post, Ballotopedia

For More Infomation on the Candidates:

votesmart.org

ontheissue.org