{reporter}
THE
volume 92 issue 2 dECEMBER 2016 paola high school 401 angela street paola, ks 66071
In this issue {4} the art of selfies {6} family ties {7} aim for game {8-9} money matters {15} game faces
being yourself is the most beautiful thing you can be
The Reporter DECEMBER 2016 Editorial
Ashley Everhart
sam duckworth junior
it all we are still beautiful. Let’s face it, in 30 years none of us will look the same and most of us will be wishing we looked like we did in high school. Instead of wasting away our youth wishing we could change our looks, let’s learn to love ourselves the way we are. It’s important to love every part of ourselves, but instead of focusing so much on physical appearance, we should look inside and focus on what’s in our hearts. We are all beautiful in our own way, but at the end of the day it’s what’s in our hearts that truly defines our beauty. I believe we can rise above self-judgement and self-hatred. It’s OK to love who you are and what you look like. It’s OK to be different, no matter what anyone else tells you.
“It’s so important because if we were all the same we’d be like a bunch of clones.”
“Being yourself, no matter what, is the most significant thing about your character.”
Managing Editor Karly Hoskins
Copy Editor Shannon Robinson
Online & Social Media Editors Mariah Sullivan & Moorea Long
Ads Manager Amanda Meeks
.
Photography Editor Natasha King
Senior ads managers Bre Allen & Abby Winterscheid
Reporters
Vanessa Barbosa, Kalyn Bell, Erik Brakner, Stephanie Castillo, Jenna Collier, Claire Cox, Emma Cox, Lainey Dent, Joey DuVal, Macayla Enman, Paige Fleming, Mckenzie Gagnebin, Jacquee Hecker, Skyler Hughes, Lexi Jones, Abby Langton, Kelsey Lester, Ivy Male, Hannah Menefee, Aniston Poage, Matthew Troutman, Ethan Palsmeier, Michaela Palsmeier, Vinn Rolf, Cali Seck, Gracyn Shulista, Abbie Upshaw It is the policy of the Paola Reporter to provide a forum for student expression, voices in the uninhibited, robust, free, and open discussion of issues. The Reporter encourages students to write letters to the editor or submit articles for the editorial page. We reserve the right to edit content. Material that contains libelous or obscene information will not be published. Material that will cause a disruption of school activities is also prohibited. Authors must provide their full name. No articles will be published with an alias.
Volume 92 Issue 2 mission statement
“I think it’s very important to be yourself so that people know the real you.”
Editor-in-chief
the reporter editorial policy
“You have to be yourself with your style, art and music no matter what.”
{2}
being judged and scrutinized, all by ourselves. We are our toughest critic. The thing is, if we all looked the same, thought the same and did the same things; life wouldn’t work. There would be no way to distinguish between one another if we were all exactly the same and life would be absolutely boring. I don’t know about you, but that is not a life I dream about living. I dream about living in a world where I can wake up, look in the mirror, and not immediately start to pick out my flaws. I dream about living a life where being unique is celebrated. I dream about a life where we can be confident in ourselves. Despite what you may think, there really is no reason for you to be more like anybody, except yourself. We will always have flaws; there is no way to make ourselves perfect. I think it’s high time we start loving ourselves for who we are. We are all a little broken; we’re imperfect, we have problems, sometimes pimples pop up, but in light of
aLTON MILLER freshman
hall talk
We are like flowers, unique and beautiful. Despite that similarity, the majority of the time we don’t see our differences as beautiful as we do flowers. We pick out every flaw: random freckles, ‘oddly’ shaped noses, uneven eyebrows, ears that stick out, chubby cheeks, ‘weird’ face shapes and so much more. Being unique has suddenly become a bad thing, we’re constantly wishing to look like someone else whom we deem as “perfect.” Instead of owning what we look like, we hide and try as much as possible to make ourselves look “more like her” or “more like him.” Constantly we are under attack,
Absent: 0
Jacob Michael jr senior
Against: 0
Calista Gatino Sophomore
For: 21
2016-2017
perfectly imperfect staff list the Reporter
The Reporter is for the students, by the students. The goal of The Reporter is to give the students a voice, and provide an open forum of ideas while maintaining an ethical publication with unbiased coverage.
The Generation Gap celebrating differences between ages 1962 - 2016
{ethan palsmeier}
Duane Lintz, Baby Boomer
{
}
“Live and let live.” Todd Weaver, Gen X
birth year and generation: views on world events: life-altering event:
First job: other generations:
words to live by:
1968 Generation X
1962 Baby Boomers
“We’re all goin’ to hell in a handbasket.”
“Kennedy was assassinated; MLK was assassinated. Seeing a theme?” “I mowed yards. It was making money and for a 5-year-old that’s a good thing.”
“Yours is the generation of instant gratification. The ‘me’ generation.”
“So what? Big deal! Who cares?”
Dailey Mitchell, sophomore
Todd weaver, social sciences
Duane lintz, debate coach
{ } “Kennedy was assassinated; MLK was assassinated. Seeing a Theme?
Sara allison, French teacher
reporter
1987 Millennials
2001 iGen
“It all just seems “Those clowns “America’s role in to be going crazy. are scary. It’s the world is being We have periods stupid people challenged by where everything think it’s funny other countries seems fine, then to do that. Wait, more than ever.” it just explodes.” what war?” “When I had “The 9/11 attacks my first child. I were a huge deal. realized my I was a freshman lifestyle was at the time and it about to definitely altered change.” our worldview.”
“Mowing Pizza Hut’s lot. I hated every minute of it.”
“I was a resident assistant in the dorms at KU.”
“The work ethic “There doesn’t of the youth is seem to be a poor and they lot of studying. are a bit more en- Phones have titled than they become a big should be.” distraction, too.”
“Live and let live.”
“Live life to the fullest, and you gotta take risks.”
Front Cover: Senior Brian Alberty, freshman Jacob Farmer, sophomore Kailey Johnson, freshman Joseph Smith, sophomore Riley Upshaw, junior Bea Pomatto, and junior Caleb Weaver dance and sing to “Tomorrow Looks Good From Here” at the end of the One Man Two Guvners Nov. 19. The characters spoke with British accents except for Alberty who spoke with a Jamaican accent. “I liked how well they used the accents, it really showed how complex of actors they all are,” freshman Cali Seck said. {Photo by Abbie Upshaw} Art: Courtesy of Google Images.
{ } “I was a resident assistant in the dorms at ku.”
sara allison, millennial
“Probably when my mom was diagnosed with cancer.”
“I worked concessions at the Paola Pool this summer. I enjoyed making my own money.” “Older people don’t know anything about new technology.”
“Mind over matter.”
{ } “Older people don’t know a thing about new technology. Dailey Mitchell, iGen
The Reporter December 2016 Entertainment
{3}
the
art
ofselfies
students express themselves in pics {
}{
moorea long social media editor
favorite filters:
editor-in-chiEf
tips on selfies:
“I’m old. For me, filters are what I put in the furnace twice a year.”
“Aim down, double chins are only cute on babies.”
-phil bressler, principal
-Courtney earring, senior
“The dog filter.”
“Stop with the angles that makes it look like you held your phone in your lap. There are probably other angles that may be more flattering.”
-Thomas stribling, Freshman “Probably the flower crown or the bat filter Snapchat had for Halloween.”
}
ashley everhart
-Chloe deyoung, Sophomore “Have your face in the picture.”
-alicia leach, senior
-Thomas ryckert, senior
“Chrome and transfer.” “The filter that makes the selfie not exist.”
“High angle, stand in front of a window for good lighting, chin down, smile big, edit, filter, find good caption, post it.”
-Jacob Farmer, freshman
-Miranda Carrete, freshman
-alyssa cole, sophomore
About how many selfies do you take on average per week? none 1-50 50-100 100-200 200-300 300-400 400-500 500+
{4}
39.8% (64 students) 41% (66 students)
7.5% (12 students) 1.9% (3 students) 4.3% (7 students) 1.9% (3 students) .6% (1 student) 3.1% (5 students)
{Source: Reporter survey of 38 percent of student body- 161 students}
The Reporter December 2016 Entertainment
Q&A Kia Bondurant
with expert photographer
What is the best angle for selfies? Holding the phone above you is the best angle.
What is the best lighting? Face towards the light or a window, but not full sun on your face. What is the best position for selfies? The best position is your weight on one hip, shoulders uneven and your neck extended a little bit. What are the best colors to wear? A different color than your skin is the best to wear. What are the best filters? Juno is my favorite filter, it enhances the yellow and gold in pictures to make it look richer. What are the best items to take selfies with? The best items are always puppies, babies and kittens. Are there any selfie apps you recommend? The best selfie app is Instagram. What are good selfie captions? Asking questions is always good, a little poking fun at yourself is fun too. Do you crop it to perfection? Crop out distractions. What is too much head tilt? If it looks like you are going to fall over, it’s too much head tilt. Where do you look? Look straight at the camera in the phone or off toward the light. How do you think picture taking has changed through time? Picture taking has completely changed. It used to cost $1 for every time you took a picture - film and printing included before you could see the picture. Now you can and do take 100 pictures to get one that you like. It’s immediate and you learn so much more quickly that way. How would you describe the “art of selfies”? I love to see how people see themselves! So many people have created a lifestyle brand and are making a living from defining themselves through selfies.
class rings are milestone for sophomore year {hannah menefee} Reporter
Sophomore Gracyn Shulista ordered her ring with her birthstone, turqoise, and a symbol for cheer to remember her high school years. “My parents ordered their rings to remember high school and I thought it would be cool to have one as a keepsake,” Shulista said. Ordering class rings is one of the biggest parts of sophomore year. It’s a chance to receive a keepsake to remember high school. Costing about $400, Shulista said her ring will always be an important memory of high school. Junior Sydney Custer said she ordered her class ring to remind her of the activities she does in high school.
“I want to have it as a memento from high school,” Custer said. As for sophomore James Wilson ordering a class ring isn’t necessary. “My dad is a master jeweler and he wanted to make it so it would mean so much more than a piece of metal,” Wilson said. “He is also going to let me design it myself.” Wilson’s ring will be silver and have his birthstone in the middle to make a peace sign. “It makes it so much more personal,” Wilson said.
About how much did your class ring cost? $0-100 $100-200 $200-300 $300-400 $400-500 $500-600 $600-700 $700-800 $800-900
43.1% (47 students)
11% (12 students) 16.5% (18 students) 8.3% (9 students) 11% (12 students) 4.6% (5 students) 1.7%(2 students) 1.7% (2 students) 1.7% (2 students) {Source: Reporter survey of 38 percent of students}
Did you buy a class ring?
yes:
54% - 87 students
no:
46% - 74 students
Do you still wear your ring?
yes:
28.6% -46 students
no:
71.4% -115 students
symbols of Sydney custer’s ring:
Price of Pride
school mascot name graduation year softball
{
{
choir birthstone
}
“Gave mine to my high school boyfriend and it was stolen by a jealous girl. She later told me she pitched it out the window of a car going down the highway. I bought my next one and did not ever give it away again.”
}
-Deanell Wieland, counselor
“The ring they used to try on was smaller than my actual ring ended up being, so I ended up having to send my ring back to be resized. I was ready to have my ring, so giving it back was kind of sad, but I’m so excited to get it in the mail now. ”
-Paige Fleming, sophomore
{
}
“I never got a class ring for myself, but I did wear my mom’s. I still have it, which means a lot to me now that she is gone.”
{ } -Rachel Dougherty, science teacher
“My senior year I went swimming at the Low Water Bridge with friends. I left my class ring on the dash of my friend’s car. As I was drying off I went to grab the ring off the dashboard but instead knocked it onto the bridge. It bounced twice on the concrete and then fell in the creek. Tried to find it but never had any luck.”
-Jeff T. Hines, athletic directer
The Reporter December 2016 School news
{5}
Fantastic dynamics perception of family differs among students {ashley everhart} {ethan palsmeier} editor-in-cheif
reporter
When picturing the perfect family, sophomore Riley Upshaw thinks of his mother, father, sister Abbie and their two dogs. Yet, Upshaw said they are still anything but normal. “I’d say we’re the definition of ‘not normal’, but in a good way,” Upshaw said. “We’re loud, we’re rambunctious and we love to get out to do stuff together all the time.” Upshaw said despite his family’s
boisterous personalities, he enjoys a wonderful home life. Upshaw said he looks up to his sister as a role model, and can always rely on her boundless optimism. “She always tries to find good things about every day,” he said. Upshaw said families that have been split up by divorce seem sad and distraught and he cannot imagine how different life would be if his
parents annulled their marriage. “It would be very strange not doing all the things we do together now,” he said. “We would be broken, in a sense.” However, Upshaw is content with his family and their quirks, and can’t help but appreciate his family’s openness and outgoing nature. “I wouldn’t change my family,” Upshaw said. “Not for the world.”
THE UPSHAW BUNCH
With seven brothers and four sisters sophomore Maddie Slyter said it is often hard to find peace and quiet in her home. She currently only lives with two of her brothers, one sister and her two nephews who are staying with them. “It’s really crazy because there is always a lot of people in my house,” she said. “My younger siblings are
all about the same age so they’re always finding something to argue about and add to the chaos.” Slyter said it’s difficult to get all of her family gathered in one place because of how many different schedules they all have to work with. “When we do get together it has to be in a really big house to fit everybody in,” she said.
While she often has a hard time finding personal space, she said she still loves having such a large family. “I feel like the more siblings I have, the more support I have,” she said. “The more people I have to come to all of my soccer games and help me with my problems because everything I’m going through, they’ve already done.”
1 TT KIDS AND COUNTING
In the last nine years, secretary Angie Goodwin has had nearly 60 foster kids stay in her home. Some only stay for one night and some stay for more than a year. “We decided to be foster parents because there are so many kiddos out there that need homes,” she said. “We hoped to find a child that would fit into our family so we could adopt them, and that’s how it all started.” Goodwin said the biggest down-
fall is how broken the system is. “Sometimes it is really hard to let them go, if you know they are going back home to a bad situation, it’s even harder,” Goodwin said. “There have been a lot of tears shed by myself, by my kids, by all of us.” While it requires a lot of sacrifices, Goodwin said the time spent with the children is worth it. “All they want is to know that they’re going to bed at night, that
they’ll go to school in the morning and that they have someone who cares about them,” she said. After adopting three boys Goodwin said her family is getting to the end of their foster parenting and is now considering closing their home. “I wouldn’t change the time that we’ve put in, the children we’ve helped, or the people we’ve met along the way,” she said. “We’ll always keep in touch with who we’ve met.”
At 8 years old, senior Cole Decker’s parents decided to get a divorce. “I understood what was happening at the time and I grasped it, but it wasn’t real to me,” he said. “It was weird, I didn’t really know how I was supposed to feel about it.” The divorce took seven years. “We were in a custody battle fighting about money, guardian ad
litem, lawyers and everything else,” Decker said. “It was not a clean divorce by any means. The aftermath of it was pretty vicious.” Decker began to internalize all of his emotions; to deal with the effects of this Decker has seen six counselors and therapists over the years. “There was a lot of emotional strain that came with the divorce,”
he said. “Before, when they were together it seems like we were happier, I am still happy now, it just seems like things were simpler.” While Decker said the divorce changed his perception of family, he wouldn’t change any of it. “As awful as the divorce seems, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. “It’s made me who I am today.”
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The Reporter December 2016 Features
THE FOSTERS
THE BIG SPLIT
Open Season hunters are gearing up {kelsey lester} {aniston poage} reporter
Science teacher Karl Schmidt got his first BB gun at 12. His older brothers taught him to hunt when he was 14 using BB guns, a .22 rifle, and a .14 shotgun, he said.. Schmidt hunts pheasants, quail, dove, turkey and deer. He said his favorite animal to hunt is a pheasant, because he likes the way they taste. He also said he enjoys hunting pheasants because it’s a group activity, a social event and he gets to take his yellow Lab, Elsie. Elsie is 13 years old and has
been trained to sniff out pheasants. Schmidt said Elsie finds the pheasant, then flushes it in the air for him to shoot. Schmidt has taught Elsie 16 words, such as right, left, back, kennel, truck, sit and get and even how to get firewood, or “stick,” and put it on the wood pile. Schmidt said he eats everything he hunts. Schmidt’s favorite weapon for hunting is a .12-gauge shotgun, which he prefers over a bow. “I think a gun can make a
reporter
quicker, cleaner kill,” he said. When he goes hunting, he wears hunter orange, mainly because he said he doesn’t want to get shot. Schmidt goes on hunting trips every year. He spends 10 weekends, about 20 or more days, a year hunting with friends and family. “The best part of hunting isn’t killing the animal, it’s planning the trips, being with friends and family, and eating the meat,” Schmidt said.
Top: Senior Danielle Beachboard, practicing to focus on a target. Beachboard learned to shoot with a bow and arrow last year. {Photo by Matthew Troutman} Bottom: Karl Schmidt, science teacher, sits next to pheasants his hunting group killed. Schmidt loved to hunt with his yellow Lab Elsie. {Photo courtesy of Schmidt’s hunting buddy}
Ks hunting stats 283,000 hunters 5.2 million days $401 million on hunting costs Local spots: Hillsdale lake and miami state lake {Source: Government Census website and Kansas Outdoors website}
Beachboard loves the bow Senior Danielle Beachboard first started hunting with her dad when she was 6 years old. She got her hunter’s safety and started to hunt with her own gun when she was 11. Beachboard learned to hunt with a .243 rifle and mainly hunts whitetail deer. Beachboard learned how to use a bow the beginning of her junior year. Even though this is only her second season using a bow, Beachboard said she prefers hunting with a bow and arrow because it gives her more of a challenge. Beachboard said her typical hunting outfit was camouflage
clothing with scentlok to keep the deer from sensing different kinds of smells. She said she loved to hunt deer because she hasn’t had the opportunity to hunt any other animals. “It’s what I’ve grown up hunting,” she said. Out of the few months during deer season, Beachboard said she spends about two or three weekends hunting on family land whenever she has time. If their hunts are successfully, she said she and her family make deer jerky and summer sausage
The Reporter December 2016 Features
{7}
billionaire S
want
to a
b e how students manage their personal finances While many high school students in Paola find jobs at fast food chains, the library, banks or even babysitting, freshman John Hart works with his mom and dad. “I work with my dad doing environmental engineering and go around western Kansas collecting water samples, and when I’m with my mom I help out at her store, Gus’s Toys, on the square,” Hart said. Instead of spending all of his money on unnecessary objects, Hart said he puts 60 percent of his money in the bank. He spends the rest, but only on necessities. “I try not to put all of the money I have left in my wallet, so that I way I won’t be as tempted to spend all of it,” he said. Hart said he made the decision to save his money because he wants to purchase a vehicle. “It would be easy to spend all of my money on little things, but saving up for a car is important to me,” Hart said. “You just have to be mindful and think about the long-term plan.” Hart said while he believed money was valuable because it gives people a sense of freedom; he also said he didn’t think it should take precedence over other aspects of life. “Money is nice to have but you don’t need it to be a good person,” he said. “You can have all of the expensive new stuff and make yourself look cooler, but it won’t ever change who you are as a person.” Senior Madison Duncan is also saving her money, but instead of saving for a vehicle, shes saving money for college. “Ever since I had my first job, I started saving up money so I could purchase what I need without always relying on my parents, and so I could save up for college,” she said. Duncan is planning on attending Johnson
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County Community College in the fall because she said she doesn’t want to be in debt after college. “The idea of being in debt really scares me and I just want to be able to get my own apartment and not have to worry about money,” Duncan said. According to the Market Watch website, the current national debt from student loans is $1.2 trillion and is rising by about $3,055 every second. “The idea of being in debt for the rest of my life is terrifying, so I’m just trying to make smart decisions that will help me out in the future,” she said. Junior Sydney Custer said she also thinks she manages her money wisely. “I like to have money to do things and to get what I need,” she said. Custer said she tries not to take her debit card everywhere she goes to avoid spending so much money. “I try to budget as much as I can and try not to spend money where I don’t need to,” said Custer. Running out of money and having to ask her parents for some was one of the ways Custer became more responsible with her money. “Spending my own money has made me feel more like an adult because I worked for that money and I get to spend it on what I want,” said Custer. “It’s not money that was just given to me without having to work for it.” Custer said she thinks money is valuable to her because she wouldn’t be able to get gifts for other people as well as get things she needs. Although money is valuable to her Custer said she tries not to base to many decisions in her life around money. “People get too caught up in money, because most people assume that if you have a lot money you can do more than a person who doesn’t make as much money, but in reality they just don’t allow their life to revolve around money,” Custer said.
The Reporter December 2016 Features
T
{ashley everhart} {mariah sullivan} {gracyn shulista} editor-in-chiEf
online editor
reporter
apps to save money fast daily spender
This app is designed for travel expenses. You simply fill in how long you’re traveling, how much money you have to spend and it will distribute your money accordingly. It allows you to save, spend and redistribute.
pocket expense
Pocket expense brings all of your bank accounts together, allowing you to track and understand your finances. You can see where all of your money is going and see statistics on your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly expenses.
you need a budget
You Need A Budget (YNAB) provides you with helpful information on your spending habits through charts and icons. This allows you to make sense of your spending on a secure app that keeps your information safe at all times.
on trees
This app allows you to spend your money smartly wherever you are and make the most of your money. On Trees gives you a breakdown of what you’re spending money on so you can make informed decisions.
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Tips on how to
Save money
tay home and don’t go out with friends all the time or go to the all where there is lots of unnecessary spending opportunities.”
About how much money do you spend on average per week?
12.7% (15 students) $0 $1-25 $25-50 12.7% (15 students) $50-100 5.2% (5 students) $100-200 $200-300 1.8% (2 students) $300-400 2.7% (3 students) 3.5% (4 students) $400-500 $500+ 1.8% (2 students)
29.8% (37 students) 29.8% (37 students)
sa Loya, senior
imit yourself on how much you can spend. If you have a bank count, split your money and pay checks about 75 percent savg and 25 percent checking.”
arrett Rausch, Junior
ort out what you want from what you need.”
would you consider yourself a Saver or spender?
mma cox, Sophomore
on’t buy everything you want and keep all of your spare ange.”
ance elliott, Freshman
care yourself with the thought that if you don’t start saving w, you will become an ultimate failure in life and won’t ever mount to anything, thus making you want to save money.”
0e Denton, Senior
se a piggy bank I know it sounds silly, but it really does work”
Saver:
45.3% - 56 students
Spender:
54.7% - 64 students
do you spend more money on wants or needs?
want:
44.1% - 55 students
need:
55.9% - 65 students
What do you spend the majority of your money on?
Restaurants entertainment shopping other
27.1% (32 students) 8.5% (11 students) 24.6% (29 students)
39.8% (48 Students)
ea Pomatto, Junior
ut it in a place where you can’t see it and make sure it’s not in ur wallet, then take it to the bank. If you can, pay with cash stead of doing it on your card.”
rendan ohlmeier, Sophomore
Wait one week before you buy something and then if you still el like you need it, buy it.”
pencer ryals, Freshman
do you have a credit card?
yes:
9.3% - 12 students
no:
90.7% - 108 students
yes:
do you have a debit card?
50% - 60 students
no:
50% - 60 students
{9}
{Source: Reporter survey of 20 percent of student body- 120 students}
The Reporter December 2016 News
through the beauty ages behind our screens social media’s impact on our society locked
beauty evolves through the generations
“The more you limit yourself from getting on social media and getting involved in situations that don’t concern you, the better off you will be. Put the phone down, pick yourself up and go out and make the best of life. ”
-sophomore hannah menefee Social media has us chained to our phones like prisoners. Whenever we would get bored we used to reach for a book, paper to draw on, or even just simply went outside and enjoyed the nice weather. Anytime we get bored, most of us reach for our phones. Social media has been around for the past 19 years. Most of us are familiar with it and wouldn’t be able to function without it. We all have it; we use a variety of different social media sites. Without even realizing it we spend nearly nine hours on social media every day according to “Washington Post”. Social media has had a positive impact on our lives, such as the ability to communicate. Not only has social media taken over our daily lives, we depend on it to stay updated or talk to friends. It’s hard to imagine life before social media, without texting or phone calls. Many of us have let social media come before homework, family and life in general. Life doesn’t pause because you have to share something you can’t get over. Social media can be used for a variety of reasons. Some use it for communication, for big group events, and others use it to stir up commotion for attention. It is perfectly fine to express your opinion as long as you don’t call someone out. Social media has also had a negative impact on society. A lot of friendships and relationships have been broken and torn apart because of stuff going around on social media. Many people try to center the world around their feelings with their posts. Their life may seem so picture perfect on social media when in reality, they hate everything
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and everyone around them. Cyberbullying plays a big part in social media. People’s comments can be hurtful towards others if they call one specific person out. Once you put something out on social media it’s out there forever, no taking it back. We may not realize it, but cyber bullying happens everyday. It isn’t always seen until it’s too late. You might post something and think it’s OK when another person thinks the complete opposite. It’s OK to disagree with someone as long as you handle it in a mature way and don’t drag it out. A lot of times, people mistake a joke or comment for cyberbullying and read it as something offensive when it means the complete opposite. Social media has allowed us to hide behind a screen and attack someone instead of getting over your ego and talking to them face to face. Social media’s impact has been balanced. As long as you keep your life centered on your goals in reality and use social media as a small part to just relax and stay updated with people around you, you will be just fine. It’s good to stay off of social media and focus more on reality because everything that happens on social media is just a dream in a cloud that very rarely rains down on you. The more you limit yourself from getting on social media and getting involved in situations that don’t concern you, the better off you will be. Put the phone down, pick yourself up and go out and make the best of life.
The Reporter December 2016 opinion
“Today we define beauty with physical characteristics. Many don’t look into people’s personalities or traits. People today feel pressured to change their appearance or personalities based on what they think others prefer.”
-Sophomore mariah Sullivan The image of perfection has been changed each year in society. Several aspects of beauty that were once adored are now frowned upon. Many have found themselves striving for something that they feel they lack, but someone else has. But remember this : Society’s views of perfection is constantly changing. According to the Huffington Post website, the ideal body type during the Ancient Egyptian time era was slender shoulders and a narrow waist. Hundreds of years later, in the Italian Renaissance, beauty was defined by fair skin and a round stomach. Throughout the 1940s and 50s women who were skinny were shamed and considered to be unattractive throughout their society. Actress Marilyn Monroe was known for being extremely curvy and was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time. Huffington Post website also stated this idea had changed by the 1980s when women who maintained both an athletic build and curves were considered to be alluring throughout their time period. Now in today’s society the image has turned around and gone back to an hourglass figure. Kim Kardashian is most women’s ideal body type. Today we define beauty with physical characteristics. Many don’t
look into people’s personalities or traits. People today feel pressured to change their appearance or personalities based on what they think others prefer. According to the Plastic Surgery website, a study shows that since the 2000s plastic surgery procedures have increased by 115 percent. Perfection is unachievable. Everybody strives for perfection, but when they become perfect, they instantly want to be better. The only way to achieve true perfection is to be able to look in the mirror and be OK with what you see. Everyone has a different view of perfection. No matter how hard one tries, it is not possible to make everyone’s concept of perfection the same. What one person sees as perfection could be completely different from another’s. No two people see an image the same way. The image of perfection is constantly evolving. Nobody should have to change the way they look to please another person. We all strive for perfection, if we realize that perfection can never be reached we will be able to accept ourselves. Just like everything else in society, the perfection we see now is a trend. This idea of perfection will change in the future. Instead of getting down on yourself for not having a certain attribute, embrace what you have.
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keep bleeding green and gold
conmo’ money mo’ problems
Avarice. Cupidity. Rapacity. It goes by many names, yet there is one by which all people know it; greed. Since the time man could reason, he has felt greed gnawing at his brain, preying on his deepest urges and compulsions, convincing him he deserves to own the world. From the times when Jesus walked the Earth to the current age Greed is one of the seven deadly sins for a reason; it is the ultimate treachof Donald Trump and Beyonce there has always been some form of ery, causing man to turn on his friends, family, morals and virtues. He betrays monetary exchange. Whether it was with fish, gold coins or green them for material possessions to covet and fawn over, treating his bobbles and paper, we’ve always had money in our society. trinkets with a love they cannot appreciate. As the system of money has evolved, so have the people spending The advent of currency has only encouraged greed to grow stronger, through it. Money has quickly became the most important aspect for many. no fault of its own. Humanity needed something, some sort of system in place, People base their entire lives around money. Their job, their educato replace the inefficient and oft-abused barter system. tion, their family. Money provided a way to fix the value of goods and make it easier to work Unfortunately, many of us don’t realize money is taking over our for a wage and acquire items needed to live a comfortable life. lives until it already has. We don’t see it until after our dreams and Even this new system needed guidelines. Through the centuries, great desires no longer matter. minds proposed unique visions of how money was to be handled. The most All of the sudden we are told we have to find a job that will actually notable of these are also the fiercest of enemies: capitalism and dommunism. provide for our future selves, go to a college we can afford and start sacThough historically disastrous in practice, communism was meant to rificing precious moments with family so we can work a boring desk job unite the people under its dominion and and make all men equal in their for the rest of our lives. wealth and happiness. However, no competition meant no progress, and We are told that becoming an actor is an “unrealistic and risky career” no progress meant the stagnation and collapse of the economy. unless our last name starts with a “K” and ends with an “-ardashian.” (I For this reason, the United States denounced the practice and swore know they don’t consider themselves as actors, but honestly, no one is really fury on its supporters. The United States supports competition and that crazy.) working hard for what you want out of life. Capitalism is the way to go. We are told that attending the university of our dreams is not a intelliOr so it seems. gent decision when we can obtain a degree for much cheaper online. Free enterprise has allowed America to become an immensely prosWe are told that quitting our job to spend more time with our family and perous and powerful nation, but its devotion to regimented work hours friends, enjoying life, is not an option. and bi-weekly paychecks have sucked the meaning out of living. Whoever we are and wherever we are in the world, we’ve been taught that The masses spend their finite time to earn finite cash to spend on money is important. In order to have any sort of status in the world, we have finite possessions. This clockwork pace has sped life up drastically, to have money. Unless we’re Mother Theresa -- then we’re probably a bit more to the point birth and death seem not a fortnight apart. concerned with healing lepers than our current financial rating. Unfortunately, money will not leave soon. It’s a necessity in the As unrealistic as it sounds, why isn’t doing away with our current monetary world and, when used properly, keeps life simple. If only people system an option? would stop and realize money will not, in fact, buy hapThe idea of a cashless society sounds like an absurd idea that would compiness. pletely change the face of our society. In reality, it’s been around from the dawn True joy comes from living in the moment and apof time and boils down to a world of sharing, borrowing and trading. preciating the little things. Go out, play in the snow, According to the United Nations University, this idea would result in an overall run in the leaves, and use your time wisely. decline in material consumption. As old of an idea that bartering seems to be, many experts believe it’s a strong possibility throughout an economic downturn. While this idea and many others, may seem like a great solution, it is not likely to occur overnight. So for now, instead of basing our life decisions around money, we should step outside of our comfort zones. Our dreams won’t come true because of all the money in our bank accounts, they are brought to life by the love in our hearts. We should go to the college of our dreams, fight for the jobs we truly desire and never let money take precedence over anything else in our lives. {Art by: Vinn Rolf}
The Reporter December 2016 Opinion
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PHS JOURNALISM ONLINE Lainey Dent’s story about negative tweets
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1 in 615
a series providing a glimpse into the life of one out of the 615 unique students at PHS
Don’t cross him
sophomore alex lafrance loves adrenaline from motocross {abbie upshaw} reporter
Alex Lafrance jumping and and making sharp turns on his motocross bike. Alex Lafrance is able to use the track out at his house to practice. Photos courtesy of Nathan Lafrance.
He watched his older brother Colin, ‘14 graduate, compete in motocross. After trying it the adrenaline made him want to keep going. Sophomore Alex LaFrance competes in motocross just like his older brother. Motocross is cross-country racing on motorcycles. “I’ve been riding all of my life, but I just recently got into it competitively about a year ago,” LaFrance said. LaFrance said he considers his dad, Troy, to be his coach. “He knows a lot and we just put a lot of time in,” LaFrance said. “We even have a track out at the house.” Lafrance said his brothers helped get him where he is today. “I did a race not too long ago in Kingsville that was fun, my brothers did that one, too,” Lafrance said. Lafrance’s older brother, Colin, was the first one in his family to do motocross. “He was the first one in our family to do it,” LaFrance said, “and he was pretty good.” Blake Boedicker, sophomore, has been Lafrance’s friend for many years and says Alex could go far in motocross.
“I’ve known Alex since first grade and we’ve been best friends for a long time,” Boedicker said. “I’ve seen him ride and he does very
{ } “He’s a hard worker... I think he could go far.” Blake Boedicker, sophomore
good, he knows his track well,” Boedicker said. Boedicker has ridden on the track at the LaFrance’s house. “It’s a good track, we rode bikes on it one day,” Boedicker said. “It has a couple of jumps and it’s fun.” Bre Allen, sophomore, hasn’t seen Alex or his brothers compete in any races, but she has watched them ride for fun. “I got to see them riding mountain bikes in a place near Branson, Mo. Riding takes a lot more skill than you would think,” Allen said. Allen said watching them ride bikes made her very nervous. “They asked if I wanted to try but there was no way I would’ve gotten on that bike,” Allen said.
Recently the barn where the LaFrance’s stored his equipment burnt down causing a setback. “A friend was working on a dirt bike, it caught fire and he couldn’t put it out. We had seven dirt bikes, about $10,000 a piece, in the barn,” LaFrance said, “The whole barn went down and we lost about $200,000 worth of stuff.” His family is trying to recover from the fire, and LaFrance said he has decided to focus more on his other activities. He has been able to come back from the fire with his recent purchase. “I just got a new bike and I’m getting it ready for next season,” LaFrance said.
The Reporter December 2016 Features
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Q&A Brandon Wilkes Born this Way talent, effort combine with athletes’ success {
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amanda meeks
Basketballs swoosh through the hoops every morning before school. Senior Noah Bell and junior Brandon Wilkes shoot those baskets every morning. Wilkes said his passion for hoops got started long ago. “I would say it started off as a way for me to bond with my dad because we always played together,” Wilkes said. “Then it slowly became much more to me.” Wilkes said he was proud to have his dad watch him play a sport he loves. Bell said he also credits his parents for introducing him to basketball when he was in the fifth grade. “I have my mom and dad to thank for establishing a good standard for my work ethics,” Bell said. An athletes’ success on the playing field can come from natural ability and hard work. Sophomore Alyssa Henness has started to prepare for the track season, running and lifting five hours a week. “My parents gave me some good genes that allow
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The Reporter December 2016 sports
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me not to have to practice as much, but I always put in the same amount of effort as everyone else so I can continue to improve,” she said. Girls varsity basketball coach Stuart Ross said he expects more from his players who have a natural ability because he expects them to work even harder. “It just depends on their attitude,” he said. “It certainly makes it easier to coach someone who has developed and invested in their skill because they care.” Ross said one of the many players on the team who continues to put forth an abundance effort is senior Matti Morgan. “I’ve known her since she had a little bowl haircut as a kid, and I’ve found she puts in a lot of time and effort,” Ross said. “She worked her butt off for a long time.” Morgan said her favorite thing about basketball and other sports is that they all provide the opportunity to become better. “I started shooting hoops in my driveway every night. I was just a little kid with the dream of be-
How many baskets do you shoot every practice? At least 100 because of all the shooting drills we do. What is your goal for the season? Well, the ultimate team goal to make is for us to get to State and do well there. What is your personal goal?
My personal goal would be to help the guys out; carry the the team whenever they are down and just help the team. What is the hardest thing you have to do when on the court playing basketball? Easily defend especially when you are playing a really good team. How has basketball helped get you to where you are today? Having practice has taught me how to workfor what I want in life.
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on offthe court athletes discuss how they carry themselves {
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joey duval
For junior Ady Edwards, classes on game day can be a blur. “It is almost distracting, but you can’t focus on it too much or you will psych yourself out,” she said. Edwards said for student athletes to succeed they need to find a balance between the classroom and court. “On game day, you don’t have a lot of time to do your homework. Except you have to do it in order to keep playing,” Edwards said. Edwards said it takes teamwork and persistence in the classroom and the court. “ Never giving up can apply to the classroom too,” said Edwards. Edwards said when she’s on the court, her competitors have the same goal. “People are going to have to deal with people they don’t like, people just have to respect their drive,” Edwards said. She said her team fights sometimes, but they only want the best for each other. “You definitely can’t think about yourself, think of your team,” Edwards said Senior Donovan Sutti said sports-
manship teaches him how to learn from failure. “It teaches you how to lose, and to get back up and to work harder for where you want to be,” Sutti said. Sutti said at times it can be difficult with having practice and then getting home afterwards.
{} “People are going to have to deal with people they don’t like, but you just have to respect their drive.” Ady Edwards, junior
“ On football nights play at seven and we won’t get back home till like between 11 and 12,”he said. Senior Andrew Bevis said a lot of the time it is hard to balance homework, sports and his social life. “I know a lot of people who struggle with it,” Bevis said.
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Bevis said through sports he has learned a lot about discipline. “I have learned to maintain my job [in sports],” Bevis said. Coach Mike Dumpert said when he was in high school he was always thinking about winning for his football team. “I was motivated by failure, I had a little bit of anxiety, because I thought like that,” Dumpert said. Dumpert said he was was a better athlete than a student. “Competing brought a lot of joy. It was one thing that gave me confidence,” Dumpert said. Dumpert said one thing that attracted him to sports is he didn’t have to have cool clothes or a car. “I thought some people looked down on me because of that,” he said. Dumpert said he used to have a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, because he felt judged. “My family didn’t have a lot of money, I didn’t have a car or cool clothes,” Dumpert said. “ Athletics was one of the places I got positive comments toward.”
The Groom Room Happy Holidays Panthers!
Number :(913) 731-2205 Address: 5 North Silver St Paola, KS 66071
Top: Senior Tanner Moala dunks the ball in the first game of the season against Wellsville on Dec 5. Both the boys and the girls team won their games that night. {Photo by Aniston Poage} Middle Left: Senior Noah Bell shots a free throw in the game against Harmon. They lost the game 46-47. {Photo by Mariah Sullivan} Middle Right: Junior Ady Edwards dribbles the ball down the court in last years Sub-State game against Louisburg. Edwards said it takes teamwork and persistence in the classroom and the court in order to achieve accomplishments. “Never giving up can apply to the classroom too,” said Edwards. {Photo by Erin Winterscheid} Bottom: Junior Brandon Wilkes and Senior Andrew Phillips guard Harmon’s players on Dec 6. This is Wilkes first year as a starter. {Photo by Aniston Poage}
The Reporter December 2016 Sports
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How to have A HOllyJOlly Chri s tmas { }
nine unique activities to make this holiday season, your best one yet
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Put on your PJ’s, load up in the car with your family and drive around with no destination looking at Christmas lights. Bring lots of blankets and hot chocolate to keep you warm and cozy for the ride. A few of our favorite local festive neighborhoods include: Candy Cane Lane, Christmas Place, Paulie’s Penguin Playground, and Christmas Card Lane.
ashley everhart editor-in-chiEf
{Art by: Paige Fleming}
Go ice skating! While ice skating on a frozen pond is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit, you’re also sure to wind up on crutches for the rest of winter. So instead of trusting your fate in Kansas weather, go to an ice rink. Crown Center Ice Terrace is an outdoor rink that will feel just like skating on a pond, with all of the fun but without the risk. Turn off all the lights in your house but leave on the lights on your Christmas tree, candles and other festive decorations. Place all of your softest blankets and pillows around the tree and gather your family around to have a holiday picnic. Some of the best picnic foods can include: sandwiches, puppy chow and of course, milk and cookies. Dig around in the depths of your closet, attic and dresser in search for your ugliest Christmas sweaters. Get together with a group a family and friends (all in their equally ugly Christmas sweaters) and have a photo shoot. Not only will this make a great Christmas card, but you’ll be able to look back and remember all of the fun memories you made.
Invest in a good pair of fuzzy socks to get you through the winter. These are perfect to wear while sitting around the fireplace. Scheels and Target sell some of the best fuzzy socks and for a great price, but if you’re in a hurry Wal-mart and Dollar General will work. If fuzzy socks aren’t for you, they make a great present for just about anyone!
Pull out all your favorite Christmas books from your childhood. If you don’t have any of your old books try looking at the Paola Free Library for a copy. These are best to read with your entire family on Christmas Eve with. While you may feel a little childish, hopefully it will remind you of what Christmas was like when you were younger. Gather a group of friends and family to write letters to Santa. It will be easy to start in on a long list of all of the gifts you want, but try to be more creative. Include silly and cheesy questions about how Santa keeps his figure in with all of the cookies he eats. While you’re at it add some colorful pictures for Santa to hang on his refrigerator.
Make gingerbread houses. This can be expensive and beautiful, or cheap and fun, depending on how you want to spend your time and money. If you’re feeling competitive, then get a group of people together and see who can make the best home for their gingerbread man. Use edible ingredients so when your done you can sample your master piece. Shop for a gift for less fortunate children. There are plenty of places to sign up for this, a local charity “Angel Tree” is one of the best! They assign you to one or more children and you get a list of their favorite toys and a place to drop them off at. This allows you not to only get yourself into the Christmas spirit but a whole other family to as well.
The Reporter December 2016 Entertainment
{Art by: Ashley Everhart}