the
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Paola High School • 401 N. Angela • Paola, KS 66071
Punchy politics
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Rags
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How they de-stress
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I just don’t express my stress as much. I am stressed out, but not as much as other people show it. I keep it to myself. I’ve been reading a lot lately. Quiet is what I need.
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- Taylor Blake, senior
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I like to build things when I’m stressed. If I have a lot of stress I go down to my room, shut my door, turn all the lights off and listen to music. If I’m outside I run for a mile or so until I lose the stress.
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November 2012
- Caleb Bishop, freshman
I eat when I’m stressed. I just think it relieves stress. It makes me feel better. I usually listen to my music on my phone and I read. Sometimes I’ll listen to music and jog on my grandpa’s property.
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- PJ Capettini, freshman
PJ Capettini , at left, and Caleb Bishop, freshmen, listen to music and run to relieve stress. “I let my mind go free and just focus on the music instead of focusing on everything else in life,“ Capettini said.
Happy 125th anniversary
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Sneezy wheezy stress
Brandt, Dashiell come to school ill, say they can’t afford to stay home camille mars reporter
lane harris reporter
Yearbook deadlines. Debate. FFA. No voice. Tera Brandt, junior, was stressed. Last year, she had so many obligations she went to school sick. “I felt I needed to muddle through the day no matter how sick I was,” Brandt said. Excess stress causes complications when fighting illness, according to ABC news website. However, some students come to school despite the risk of getting sicker or spreading their illness. Deanell Wieland, counselor, said it’s OK to come to school with a minor illness. She said when a student leaves school or work, it’s hard to catch up when they get back. Last year, Brandt found out she had shingles, but after the contagious stage had passed. She didn’t go home. She had dance practice. “I couldn’t miss anything,” she said. Wieland has seen students get so overwhelmed with homework buildup because they have missed days that they don’t know where to begin. “They put it off, which then adds more stress because they might not know how to do current work if the prior learning hasn’t taken place,” she said. Wieland said students should make it a point to get work in and complete to stay above water. “If students see that they are going to miss several days, it’s always a good idea to ask for a homework packet,” Wieland said. While some students panic if they miss a day, Justin Elliott, counselor, said other students stay home because they are not interested in school or because they did not complete everything due that day. Or they just need to sleep. “Most of the time when a student misses on a regular basis, they are taking advantage of the system,” said Elliott, counselor. “It is estimated that in the US, each day approximately 160,000 students skip school to avoid harassment.” Sophomore Addie Dashiell admits to coming to school when she had the flu in ninth grade.
“It’s really
Photo illustration by Camille Mars
Some students go to school even when they’re sick to avoid the stress of too much homework.
frustrating to miss,” said Dashiell. Her less-than-perfect health contributed to a more negative day. “I don’t have a high tolerance for annoying people,” Dashiell said. Not only was her interaction with peers different, academically her day was difficult. “I can’t concentrate and I have even less motivation to do my homework,” she said. Her mom and a few teachers were upset that she showed up at school, too. Her mom “worries about everything” and Dashiell said teachers were dismayed because she “couldn’t pay attention.” Dashiell may have gone to school, but she did not stay in class. She had to excuse herself from one class because she was not feeling well. “If you are not feeling well but could manage to make it through the day, then yes you should be at school,” said Elliott.