{reporter}
THE
volume 94 issue 3 February 2019 paola high school 401 angela street paola, ks 66071
cONTENTS editorial
3 Education Takes You Higher Make the best out of your learning opportunities.
School news
5 Homecoming Behind The Screen
The show goes on for pep rally, talent show, and corontation despite winter weather delays
Opinions
8 You Don’t Own Me
Live life for yourself and no one else
Features
13 1 in 629
Sophomore Beth Oberheide carries on family tradition on stage and backstage.
15 Government Shutdown
Life gets put on hold for junior Macayla Enman and Army mom.
Sports
17 Wrestling
Freshman step up to help upperclassmen on the varsity mats.
19 Basketball
Girls’ team values tradition of success on the court
On the Cover
Members of The Developmental Leadership class visit Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary Jan. 29. The class made dog toys out of old jeans for the dogs. “I enjoyed going there to pet and play with the dogs,” said Karlie McMullin, junior. {Photo by Mariah Sullivan}
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The Reporter February 2019 Contents
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Top Left: Snow sits on the ground after 7 inches of snow falls Jan. 12. The snow caused several branches to fall because of the snow’s heavy weight. {Photo by Emma Johnson} Top Right: Snow covers the gazebo at the Square Feb. 15. The storm brought three inches of snow. {Photo by Mariah Sullivan} Bottom: The snow falls over Paola High School Feb. 15. making school canceled for seven snow days so far. {Photo by Mariah Sullivan}
“On the crazy week we had off, my whole family slid down our driveway. My driveway has an incline, so brakes are futile. we all found that out a little too late. My dad slid down it sideways; my mom spun around at the top and proceeded to slidE down backwards and I had to drift into my driveway and almost hit the gate and a few trees on the way down. We all had to get off the gravel at the bottom to stop.” Trysten Williamson, junior
Design by Abby Heger & Macayla enman
Education takes you Higher we should respect our learning opportunities For: 17
Against: 0
Absent: 5
The Reporter
Staff list
2018-2019
Staff Editorial
Editor-in-Chief & Managing editor Mariah Sullivan & Bre Allen
Design Editors
Hannah Menefee & Chloe DeYoung
Copy Editor
Trinity Miller
Monday morning. You’re sitting in your car before school, it’s 7:30 a.m.. Pick your poison; you take the last swig or the last hit and you are ready for the day. You walk aimlessly to class, not sure what you are doing, and stumble through the rest of the day until the bell rings to go home and do the exact same thing you did before school. Maybe you aren’t flunking your classes because your peers send you the homework, or maybe you are and you just do not care. Whatever it is, you are risking your education. Education has always been on the top of my list. Not just getting “good grades” or passing tests, but actually learning. You may not learn what you want when you are sitting in College Prep or Biology, but you learn how to take notes, listen to lectures, engage in projects, socialize and interact with peers. Believe
Design By Gracyn Shulista
Photography/graphics Editor Paige Fleming
Online & Social Media Editors Gracyn Shulista
Public relations Manager Kalyn Bell
Ads Managers
Amanda Meeks & Taylor Murdock
Senior ads managers
Abby Winterscheid & Haleigh West
Reporters
Rylan Armbruster, Emma Behrendt, Claire Cox, Emma Cox, Macayla Enman, Abigail Heger, Makayla Hughes, Skyler Hughes, Emma Johnson, Liv Meridith, Abby Richmond, Grace Thomas
Adviser
BriAnne Chayer
Social Media
Twitter:@Paola Journalism
Instagram: @phsjournalism
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 94 Issue 3
Mission statement
Social media editor
in class are all things teachers see everyday. There are children around the world who don’t have easy accessibility to education, so why are you taking yours for granted? The Global Campaign for Education found that only 10% of children attend primary school in Somalia and the number of students who get any higher education is less than that. If you decide to drop out of high school, the average annual income is only $20,241, but if you get your diploma the average is $30,500. Get through it, stay focused, it will be worth it. Instead of getting high off drugs, try being high on life instead. Excel in your studies, like that College Prep or Anatomy test you definitely haven’t studied for yet. Join a club. Pick up a hobby that doesn’t involve illegal substances. Heck, you could read a book. I can’t judge or tell you what to do in your free time, but school is not free time. Teachers are here to teach you. Students are here to learn. Stop bringing your wild weekends into the classroom. If not for your education, for the education of the students who care. There’s enough time outside of school to do whatever you please take a break.
The reporter editorial policy
{Gracyn Shulista}
it or not, whether you’re planning to further your education after you leave high school or not, the skills you learn will help you. When you obstruct these skills with your outside of school “hobby”, you pose a risk to your education, and to others. I, who come to school everyday ready to expand my knowledge, and others who feel the same, do not want to come to school to be surrounded by people who do not treat their education the same way: we are annoyed by the class disruptions, sleeping through lectures and continuously asking for last night’s homework. School is not the place for these actions. From the “Communities That Care” survey, 5.32% of students in Miami County reported they have shown up to school drunk or high at least once in the past twelve months. That means at our school thirty-four students show up under the influence out of six hundred-twenty nine students. Contrary to the popular opinion, teachers and administrators care about you and your education. They are not just here for the paycheck or to get you in trouble. They deserve respect. When you show up to school under the influence you disrespect a teacher. Not paying attention, causing disruptions and sleeping
The Reporter February 2019 Editorial
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.
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Homecoming Photo Gallery By The Journalism Class
The Reporter February 2019 Advertisements
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behind the scenes setting up homecoming talent show after snow days
{hannah Menefee} {liv meridith} design editor
Reporter
The gym fills with students and staff as the lights fall low and a hush falls over the crowd to welcome the first act to the floor. The winter homecoming talent show began after weeks of preparation and a week off school because of snow days. Alice Grandon, freshman Lily Woolsey’s grandmother, starts the show playing the Panther fight song on her accordian. Stuco starts to plan Winter Homecoming right after Fall Homecoming. “We start planning two weeks before Christmas break,” Brendan Ohlmeier, Stuco President said. The most difficult part of homecoming is getting everyone involved, Ohlmeier said. “First we come up with the spirit days and we have to get them approved by [activities director Darin] Gagnebin,” Ohlmeier said. “Then we have to set up a time for auditions.” Compared to fall homecoming, Ohlmeier said he enjoys being inside
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and closer to everyone for winter homecoming. Student Council tried to have a talent show a couple years ago, but didn’t get the participation they envisioned. “The idea behind [the talent show] is that we have a large number of students that have amazing talents that nobody knows about and we wanted to allow an opportunity and be able to showcase their skills,” Justin Elliott, Student Council sponsor, said. Elliott said the talent show opens doors for those students who don’t have other opportunities to be on stage. “Most of the acts are showcasing their vocal ability or instrumental skills,” Elliott said. “I want to see it expand or see more creativity because the imagination is whatever you think is a talent.” Elliott said the biggest challenge was getting passed the snow days and rescheduling all the events. “We always knew we would reschedule the talent show because students had put their hard work into tryouts and practice,” Elliott said.
Right: Delaney Armbruster and Braden Parks, seniors, win homecoming queen and king Feb. 14. Armbruster’s favorite part was hanging out with all the candidates and dressing up. “When I heard my name all I thought was ‘oh, now I have to walk up there,’” Armbruster said. {Photo by Bre Allen}
Design By Hannah Menefee
Top: Kailey Johnson, senior, plays the piano at the talent show Feb. 14. Johnson played a song she wrote herself. “I played in the talent show last year and it was fun. I was really proud of the song I wrote and I wanted to show people,” Johnson said. {Photo by Bre Allen} Bottom Left: Terrell Moffett, senior, dances in the talent show to a song he made. Moffett also played the drums as part of his performance. “Mentally I tried to picture what the audience wants to see. I visualized the last way of experessing myself in front of the school,” Moffett said. {Photo by Bre Allen} Bottom Right: Shannera McCoy, freshman, sings “Ashes” by Celine Dion in the talent show Feb. 14. McCoy prepared for the talent show for two months. “The song reminds me of a Pheonix rising from the ashes and I think of a new beginning which I can relate to,” McCoy said. {Photo by Bre Allen}
The Reporter February 2019 ENTERTAINMENT
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The Six-Week Scramble robotics team races to complete its robot {Chloe DeYoung } Newspaper Design Editor
On the night of Jan. 5, the Robotics team gathered together, watching a livestream, excited for the kickoff of the season. “We get to learn what the game is,” Isabelle Ure, senior Robotics president, said. “Everyone around the world is watching the same video we are.” The game is called “Destination: Deep Space.” Two alliances of ‘deep space travelers’ (teams) race to place hatch panels on their rockets and cargo ship, load valuable cargo, and return to their habitat (a series of stairs). According to The Blue Source Alliance website, each of these task earns points, and the alliance with the most points wins the match. Once the livestream is over, Ure said the team brainstorms ideas. Each Robotics season last only six weeks, so some robotics members said they feel a lot of pressure to get their robot made. They can use the provided kit called, “The Kit of Parts” which includes the Drivetrain (the wheels and motors.) However, the Robotics team decided to start from scratch. They even 3D printed their own wheels. With so little time, they work on the robot as often as they can. “We’re there pretty much every night,” Ure said. “But the good thing is our robot is actually starting to look like a robot now.”
Ure said the team is largely composed of underclassmen, which makes for less experience all around. However, she said even though the upperclassmen teach their subordinates, the newer members are fast learners. Davin McRoberts, sophomore, joined Robotics last year because his cousins and friends are involved and told him to join. “I went and I got hooked because I like building things,” McRoberts said. McRoberts specializes in fabrication and welding -- essentially building the frame of the robot. Robotics taught McRoberts skills beyond building, such as better communication. During the six week time crunch, McRoberts said things can get tense, but when that happens, he said he talks about it with his teammates, take breaks and tries to focus. Even with those tense moments, Robotics is still one of McRoberts’ favorite things. “The most I enjoy is interacting with new people and getting to experience other people’s environments,” McRoberts said. The regionals competition is March 14-16 at Olathe South, much closer than in the past. Last year, the team went to Milwaukee, Wis. and the year before they traveled to Huntsville, Ala. “We’re hoping more students will go,” Ure said.“Just like how the Rat Pack does for the other games, we could use support as well.”
Build Season Timeline Jan. 5: Kickoff
Jan. 18: have most of a design making parts
Week 1: talk strategy, make plans and start building
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Feb. 19: Bag and Tag Date
Week 4: Start to install electrical components March 14: Competition
Top: Ryan Flynn, freshman, hammers in a piece to the robot named Orbity, Feb 12. The robotics team had only a week left of its build season. {Photo by Chloe DeYoung} Bottom: Dylan George and Truman Harp, freshmen, mark measurements on the floor Feb. 12. They prepared for the layout of the game called “Destination Deep Space” which they will play at competition March 14. {Photo by Chloe DeYoung}
{Source: Members of the Robotics Team}
The Reporter February 2019
School News
Design By Chloe DeYoung
Melt Down students confront global warming Reporter
Ben Damron and Lora Peterson, juniors, started the Clean Earth Club at the beginning of the school year to help decrease the school’s carbon footprint and become environmentally friendly. “I find a lot of recycling gets thrown away, which harms the environment,” Damron said. “We hope to inform the student body about what can and cannot be recycled,” Damron said he wants to grow the Clean Earth Club, currently 38 members, by putting up posters around the school encouraging students to come to meetings. Autumn Craig, freshman, said she is concerned about the extinction of polar bears due to polar ice caps melting. According to Worldwatch website, arctic ice caps have thinned 40 percent in the last 30 years. Craig said people need to start using better energy resources instead of fossil fuels. “Energy sources like solar, wind, or water would prevent fossil fuels from polluting the Earth, causing global warming and extinction,” Craig said. Craig said not enough students are concerned about current issues such as global warming and clean energy sources. “They [other students] don’t care as long as they have their wifi and lights,” Craig said. The world in 50 years is a huge unknown. According to ScienceNordic website, what the climate will look like in 2050 largely depends on humans. Craig said she is not sure if there will be a world in 50 years if people continue to abuse the Earth. “It’s most likely going to be polluted and bad
Species Extinct Since 1989 {Source: Reader’s Digest website}
Design By Emma Cox
and we might be living on a different planet for all we know,” Craig said. Craig said she tries to recycle as much as possible and cut down on her use of lights and electronics. Karl Schmidt, biology teacher, said global warming is a scientific fact and society needs to start making decisions on what is most important. “Clean air and clean water are more important than a new car,” Schmidt said. To reduce waste, Schmidt said, both in his household and classroom, he recycles and cuts down on the amount of glass, plastic, and metal he uses. “Not only for global warming, but I ride my bike when possible and I walk to school to use less gasoline for less carbon in the air,” Schmidt said. Alyssa Cole, senior, uses a steel straw in her water cups every day instead of using plastic straws. “They are good for the environment and make your drink colder,” Cole said. Cole said her family is environmentally friendly and recycles almost everything, such as cans, milk jugs, papers, mail, plastic shopping bags and boxes along with shopping online at reputable places that are also environmentally friendly. “My dad started being really strict about it because if we can help keep garbage out of the Earth as much as possible, we are doing our part for the environment,” Cole said. Kansas is so far from the ocean, so people will not experience water levels rising, Schmidt said, but they will feel storms that bring extreme cold or hot weather. “We don’t fully grasp the consequences. If we did, we would do something about it,” Schmidt
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Where Do You See The World In 50 Years?
{Emma Cox}
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{Photo illustration by Emma Cox}
“overpopulated with a really bad climate and many animal species extinct. katie Seaman, senior
“More polluted and crazier weather; nothing too drastic. Delana Johnston, sophomore
“Earth will be the same with better advancements. Laveinia Newton, freshman
Western Black Pinta Island Golden Toad Pyrenean Ibex Monk Seal Rhinoceros Tortoise
1989
2000
2008
2011
2015
The Reporter February 2019 School News
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skip the straw take your own shots plastic straws take over the world
“Even with just living in Kansas, you can change the world.”
-Senior amanda meeks Our footprint on the world is bigger than we think. Without thinking, we litter, create too many objects and emit too many gases. With one person changing their habits, it is easy to change the world. Straws create so much waste, it’s like we use them as if they’re going out of fashion. My journey with not using straws started over the summer after I saw a video of a plastic straw being removed from a turtle’s nose. It broke my heart. I started questioning my actions. What if that was my straw? What if I could have prevented that? Like most things I see on the internet, it shocked me for 15 minutes and I went back to living my life. A couple months ago, I traveled to a town that banned all plastic straws, which helped reiterate this idea of banning plastic straws from my life. 500 million straws are used each day in the world. That is insane. I took it upon myself to change my habits and to change my footprint. I made my New Year’s resolution to quit using plastic straws and to use reusable ones, instead. I occasionally forgot about my resolution, but quickly banned them from myself again. I started bringing metal straws with me everywhere. One time, I forgot to bring a to bring a straw with me when I went to get a smoothie, but I still stayed on my clean green path and didn’t use a straw. After a little while, I learned to not use
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{art by Trinity Miller}
a straw because it became a habit. It’s super easy to just cut simple things out of your everyday life, even if it is just a straw. To continue being green, I decided to take it up a notch. Now every time I’m about to throw something away, I question if it can be recycled or not. Even though it seems like it might be something that could never be recycled, most things can still be reused. The website One Good Thing, reports you can recycle ordinary items, such as holiday lights, mattresses or crayons, and how to get rid of everything. I also decided to not litter, because nearly all trash ends up in the ocean. According to the Visually website, about 9 billion tons of trash ends up in the ocean every year. Even with just living in Kansas, you can change the world.
The Reporter February 2019 Opinion
know what the side effects of vaccinations “Every vaccination has side effects, everyone’s body reacts to medicine differently.”
-Senior Kalyn Bell
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) stands as one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in males and females. People infected with this virus can spread the infection causing more than 100 different problems for men and women who are sexually active. According to the newsletter Healthline, every year the HPV virus causes 33,700 cancers in men and women across the United States. This includes cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva in women. For the males, this causes cancers in the genitalia and in the back of the male’s throat. In 2006, the Gardasil vaccine was approved in the United States letting parents have the option to let their children receive it. Teenagers across the United States need to be aware of this vaccination. Parents all over the nation have opted their children out of receiving this vaccine. The two most popular reasons for this are they do not want to encourage sexual activity and the side effects reported. Every vaccination has side effects, everyone’s body reacts to medicine differently. The side effects include fainting, pain at the injection site, headache, nausea, and fever. There have been concerns that this vaccine has caused death. According to the FDA, as of December 31, 2008, 32 deaths were reported to VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) they report vaccine feedback. After the autopsies and researching medical records, there were
other factors other than the vaccine that caused these deaths. In 2016, 63 percent of girls and 78 percent of boys, did not receive the HPV vaccine due to parents choice. Personally, I would not accept the vaccine. I know how my body reacts to different medicines, and I do not want to take the chance of a severe side effect. According to the Center for Disease Control website, this shot has been proven to cause weakness in the immune system which damages nerve cells. I also have read online about the lawsuits against this vaccine,according to The Refusers website, 49 out of 200 people filed a court case for death and injury against the HPV vaccine were reported. This shot does not prevent every strain of HPV, the strains it protects against include the types of 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. Around the age of 18, or the age you become concerned, it is recommended to receive a checkup for these issues from the doctor once a year. There are other ways to be safe. One of these ways is using condoms. Another way is to avoid skin-to-skin contact completely, this is the most effective way. When I weigh the pros and cons of getting the HPV vaccination, the best choice for me is not getting the shot. Do your research, and make your own choice about what you put into your body.
Design By Gracyn Shulista
Life Lessons in School Value quality Over quality making mistakes helps us learn and grow
“We all have people we don’t like and people we like, but tolerance is a key to life.”
-Sophomore Emma Behrendt High school is the first place we really learn things for ourselves. We are taught handfuls of information every day in school, but we only take the most memorable things with us after high school. A good portion of high school is life lessons we have learned by making mistakes or seeing other’s mistakes. The most valuable lesson I’ve learned so far other than to try my hardest, is to stop caring about what others think about you. It is a complete waste of time. Whether you mess up on a speech in front of your class or you get a bad grade on a test, tomorrow no one in your classes will remember. Caring about what other people think is too stressful and pointless. Realizing this in high school is so important because one day, when you are out working a job, you will try to live life to the fullest, and you can not do that while worrying about others. Another important thing we learn by ourselves is in elementary school. We learned everyone needs to be nice and friends with others. It makes life so simple and drama free. Of course, in middle school we don’t listen and we cause drama and lose friends. When we find ourselves in high school, we find our friend groups and must learn something huge: tolerance. If you don’t like someone, it’s not a shock. We all have people we don’t like and people we like. But tolerance is a key to life. Out in the real world, we will deal with others we don’t like. High school taught us tolerance so we don’t go back into our middle school stage.
Design By Gracyn Shulista
4 life lessons learned 1 Treat people with respect 2 Take chances 3 Stand up for yourself 4 Roll with the punches We hear it all the time, “hard work pays off.” It is as common as “treat others the way you want to be treated”. It is easier said than done. But If anything really teaches us this, it is high school. If we work hard throughout our four years, we can expect scholarships, amazing opportunities, great schools, and more. If we are looking at a short term example this could be studying really hard for a Spanish test and scoring an A on it. No matter what, even if you don’t meet your expectations, you made more success than you would have. Hard work will pay off no matter where we go in life.
count your blessings, not things “In reality, none of the madness matters at the end of the day.”
-Senior Makayla Hughes Life goes by so fast, sometimes it grabs you by surprise. Oftentimes we lose ourselves in the day-to-day madness. We get wrapped up in whether or not Jane likes us today or if our brand-new shoes match our outfit. In reality, however, none of the madness matters at the end of the day. What kind of life are you living? This is a question I challenge myself with each and everyday. Was today a day where I can say I am completely satisfied with the end result? Did I accomplish something? In a week, can I look back and be proud of what I did? I challenge you to ask yourself these same questions. The quality of every aspect in your life trumps any numbers. Who cares if you have twenty friends? Most of the time, those friends will not be genuine nor stay true to you. A true friend should be there for your ups and downs with endless support. They are someone who tells you the truth even when it hurts. Someone who will laugh with you and sometimes at you. So what if you have the most name brand clothing? They are
going to weather just the same as everyone else’s. Why does it matter if you have 484 likes on Instagram? Do you even know that many people? Society’s materialistic views have shaped the youth into believing social media likes, comments, etc. are the things that matter most. It is not about the quantity because it all truly boils down to a bunch of irrelevant numbers. Value your time and yourself. You won’t ever have to ask someone who wants to stay to take a seat, they will do so willingly. Friendship should be a reward, not something you give away so easily. It’s always important to take care yourself and know how you feel. Take the time to evaluate the ones around you. Take the time to de-clutter the friendships, the relationships, and the bonds you create with others. You deserve more than negative people and comments dragging you down all of the time. Why would you do that to yourself? Be happy and let them go if they aren’t bringing anything positive into your life.
The Reporter February 2019 Opinion
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Hashtag keep on Track advantages and disadvantages of tracking apps {
Skyler hughes reporter
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Rylan ARmbruster Reporter
Life360, Find my Phone, and Snapchat have something in common; they can be used to track people. There are also other ways to track people, for example hashtags on social media can be used. Alysa Allen, junior, uses the tracking app Find My Friends to track her friends and family. “I track all of my siblings because I want to make sure they don’t die. I also track Taylor and Amanda because I like to know where my friends are at,” Allen says. Allen uses tracking apps as a way to make sure her loved ones are safe and where they are supposed to be. She said there is a correct way to use tracking apps and a wrong way to use tracking technology. Allen said parents should not track their kids, as you should be given privacy and be trusted to do the right thing. Ashton Wood, senior, does not use tracking
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Pro
“If you don’t trust them, then why would you be dating them in the first place because one of the top factors that I have in my relationship are trust and honesty.” Cyla Brooks, Sophmore
top 3
most used tracking apps
1
Snapchat
2
Life360
3
Find My Friends
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“All of us are pretty chill, we just like seeing what we’re all up to. (Also for some of the foster kids it is to keep an eye on them)” Jackson Macfarlane, SEnior
Tracking can cause over obsession of a boyfriend/girlfriend Tracking friends and family can help to make sure they’re safe Can lead to dangerous people finding children Having Snapmap location on can let your loved ones know where you are Can lead to trust issues Locate missing people or items Creates impulsive tendencies
con
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apps. “I believe that tracking apps are a waste of time and a breach of privacy that others shouldn’t have to know unless they ask,” Wood said. Wood isn’t the only student who feels this way about tracking technology. Out of 102 responses 28.4% agree that tracking apps are negatively affecting the world. Wood said having anyone tracking someone else is a breach of privacy and the tracker does not have the right. “It does bother me because it isn’t anyone’s right to track other people even when they don’t know that they are being tracked. Basically it’s a breach of privacy,” Wood said. Wood said that unless a person has asked to track, you they should not be allowed to track you. Social media can be a way to track people if used in the wrong way. If it is used right it can be very useful. Wood does use social media to keep in contact with his friends from Utah.
{Source: KBI Agent Angie Jones, Reporter survey of 16 percent of student body- 102 students}
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The Reporter Febuary 2019 entertainment
Do you have a Tracking app on your phone?
Q&A
with Angie Jones, Kansas Bureau of Investigation Agent
How has new tracking technology affected the mindsets of people? Tracking technology has given the user the need for immediate gratification. Especially with our teens, I’ve noticed some of the same tendencies we see with domestic violence cases, the need for the control (knowledge) of the loved one at all times. What are the most common ways to track people? There are many and constantly changing. How are hashtags used to track? There are hashtag tracking tools; there are tools within each social networking app, you can search hashtags on Google… If searching for a hashtag, once it’s located, oftentimes people don’t remove the geocoordinates on their photo, so the person can actually learn the location where the photo was taken.
Yes - 51.4% No - 48.6%
How do tracking apps help in bad situations? In cases of missing persons. What are some reasons people track others? The most common, reasonable purpose is parents tracking their kids. Some people use it to “catch” their partners doing things or keeping track of their partner which is damainging to relaionship if used inappropriately. Are there reasons not to track? It creates impulsive tendencies ; trust issues.
How do you feel about tracking apps?
Very Positive - 7.6% Very Negative - 28.6 % It’s OK - 63.8% {Source: Reporter survey of 16 percent of student body- 102 students}
In your professional opinion is it smart for parents to track their kids? Why? Yes. This should be done openly with concrete expectations placed by the parents. It should not be done secretly to “catch” the kid. It should be used as an accountability tool with set consequences when the rules are not followed. Of course, it’s a safety resource as well!
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“I track my friends and Family to know where they are just in case something happens and make sure they are safe” Leigha Clark, senior
“friends should track to make sure you’re ok, while parents just want to make sure you’re following their rules.” Rileigh Dale, Freshman
Design By Rylan Armbuster & Skyler Hughes
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“The J Room” An Office Parody By The Journalism Class
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1 in 629
a series providing a glimpse into the life of one out of the 629 unique students at PHS
AOberheiPlayful Life de carries on tradition in theater {Claire Cox} Reporter
Some families keep special traditions that they pass down from generation to generation. For Beth Oberheide, sophomore, her family’s tradition is theater. “My older sister did a bunch of acting, props, set construction and stage managing. My little sister has done some acting and my dad has also done acting. My mom just watches,” Oberheide said. Oberheide first became a part of the theater world in eighth grade, when her sister Anna Oberheide, 18’ graduate, introduced her to it, and said she has loved it ever since. “In Anna’s junior year she did Fiddler On The Roof and they needed some little kids to be in it. Anna told that she had two sisters that could read music and sing, and Coats gave us the part,” Oberheide said. When it comes to theater, Oberheide said she feels like she has a second home. “I like that we as a theater troupe feel like family. I also like how I can express myself artistically,” Oberheide said. Oberheide said her favorite play so far has been Fiddler On The Roof, when she played the role of Bielke. However, Oberheide said performing can be difficult. “The hardest part is just keeping concentrated and not thinking about other problems happening in the real world,” Oberheide said.
Design By Abby heger
When it comes to her hardest role, Oberheide said it was during Almost Maine in October 2018, when she played Janet. “It was difficult because I had to be in love with somebody I’ve never met before. I hadn’t really met Ben prior to the show, so just having a physical connection with him was weird but it was fun to do in the end,” Oberheide said. Oberheide said her favorite part of theater is being a part of the tech crew, specifically props. “I like how it fits all together at the very end. It is a very pleasing feeling for the last prop to go onstage because then you know everything is ready to go,” Oberheide said. During her two years of theater, Oberheide said she met new people and became friends with people she never thought she would. “Cooper Edison, junior, was one of them, I definitely don’t know if I’d be friends with him if it wasn’t for theater. Doing shows with Cooper and goofing around with him is a lot of fun,” Oberheide said. When it comes to role models, Oberheide said she draws a lot of inspiration from her dad, as well as fellow peers. “I get a lot of encouragement from my Dad and I’d also say Cooper because he really gets into his roles and characters, and I like that,” Oberheide said.
Above: Beth Oberheide, sophomore, leans her head against Ben Owens’, junior, during the Oct. 6, 2018 performance of Almost Maine. Oberheide had been in theater since her freshman year and followed in her family’s footsteps. {Photo by Matthew Troutman}
top 3 favorite moments in theater 1 2
Feeling fulfil ed after shows
3
The first time reading through a script
Celtic Tale’s blackout scene
{Source: Beth Oberheide, sophomore}
The Reporter February 2019 Features
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Have you tried putting it in rice? students crack their phones in wild ways Jordan West Freshman
“I dropped it walking down the carpet hallway at school.”
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Dylan Miller Sophomore
“I dropped it getting out of my car .”
The Reporter February 2019 advertisement
Lamont Hill Junior
“I was riding a horse up a hill with ice on it. My horse slipped and my phone fell out of my pocket. ”
Kaylee Wilson Senior
“I just drop it a lot.”
Design By Amanda Meeks & taylor murdock
Don’t shut it down the government shutdown sets back the Enman family plans {Trinity Miller} Copy Editor
The government shutdown created a dent in their lifestyles, such as junior Macayla Enman’s family. After serving in the Army for 22 years and being deployed five times, to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, Macayla’s mom, Lori Enman, First Sergeant, decided to retire to be more involved with her family. “The government sends me where they need me, so sometimes I miss out on important things, like the first day of school or first teen birthdays,” Lori said. “But, now that I am home, I plan to be involved in everything.” With the recent government shutdown, Lori said the retirement process is taking longer and is more stressful. “If I can’t retire, there is a good chance I will reenlist and wait another two years before I can retire,” Lori said. If Lori reenlists, she said she will decide to either deploy or relocate, but she would miss out on important family events. “There are some things Trump is doing that are beneficial, but not everything,” Lori said. “If he were to compromise with the Democrats, realize the important things and give up on the little things, then the country would be going in the right direction. We just need to unite again.” Macayla said the government shutdown isn’t the best way for Trump to help Americans.
“I feel the government shutdown isn’t the best way for Trump to make America great again,” Macayla said. “I see it as a person throwing a fit because he isn’t getting exactly what he wants, so we have to put everything on hold for him.” The second shutdown did not happen, but Trump ordered a national emergency to receive the money to build his wall. Macayla said the national emergency is not the best way for Trump to get his wall, because it still messes with the country’s people because it pulls military funding. “With my mom being so close to retirement and the government deciding to shut down, it really threw a wrench in our plans,” Macayla said. “With a rumored second shutdown, we’ve started last-minute planning for her retirement. She originally wanted an outside ceremony in April, but now we have to move it up so she can actually retire.” Even with the stress of her mom’s retirement, Macayla said she is still hopeful for the future. “I feel if we’re not hopeful then nothing good will come from the worst of things,” she said. Todd Weaver, government teacher, said he thinks the government shutdown could have been avoided and a concensus met between both parties and chambers of Congress. “I do not believe either one of them [the government
VS.
Speaker Pelosi Design By Trinity miller
{Art by Trinity Miller}
top 3
jobs affected by the government shutdown
1 Airport Security- TSA 2 Food Inspection and Aid- FDA 3 Criminal Investigation- FBI {Source: The New York Times}
shutdown and the national emergency] to be an effective method of dealing with a high profile issue,” Weaver said. “They both tend to hurt the everyday, average government worker rather than the politician.”
President Trump The Reporter February 2019 local news
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For better or worse the traditions of dating shifts through the decades {skyler hughes} {paige fleming} reporter
photography editor
Lily Hermes, junior, said technology and the use of phones for flirting kills chivalry. Phones make relationships more complicated and faceto-face interactions get lost when technology is involved in relationships. “There really isn’t any replacement from faceto-face conversation but there are many queues that are lost in technology,” Hermes said. Hermes said the use of phones in a relationship can be hazardous if used without caution. The hazardous part is the lost connection between people in real life, not through technology. The ways to be cautious are looking up when talking to people and not texting to ask on a date. Today, cell phones consume many teens every move. Instead of having face-to-face conversations people text, Snapchat, and make calls over the phone. Do cell phones ruin relationships? The most popular term used for this behavior is called “phubbing.” Phubbing is simply phone snubbing, where someone could be in the middle of a conversation and simply be interrupted by technology. Sometimes people pay more attention to their phones than their partner, which can or will cause future problems. According to TIME Magazine, researchers have proven that cell phones slowly, but surely ruin relationships. People tend to pay more atten-
1800s
“The Gentleman Caller” the gentleman would go to the family’s home and be welcomed into the parlor.
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tion to their phones instead of their significant other, which causes problems. Nick Fisher, junior, said without technology relationships between people would be a lot more straight forward, rather than people hiding their true selves behind a phone. “There is a loss of emotion in relationships which happen with the effects of technology and this makes it almost impossible to talk to our significant others without issues we may have,” Fisher said. A popular opinion is that little things matter, such as good morning/night texts, buying flowers just because or holding open a door. A lot of this is lost due to technology. We are too busy looking down at the Snap we just received instead of looking forward and this is where chivalry is slowly dying. A lot of people ask others on dates via text or call instead of face-to-face. Leslie Coats, theater teacher, said dating today is just different, not that it necessarily changed for the better. Coats said common courtesy and being friendly are more important than overly romantic things. The human thing to do is take care of each other, which has very little to do with dating, she said. “What chivalry means is integrity or trust. I think that integrity is the most important things, what you say is what you mean. Tohou shall not BS,” Coats said.
1900s
Dating becomes a thing Couples began going out in public “unsupervised”
Q&A
with Todd DeYoung, science teacher
How do you think dating has changed over the years? Dating a lot of times now is considered something you do over the phone, we got in trouble with teachers by passing notes. Then the teacher would come by, take it and read it out loud to the class. I still like to open doors and pay for my date but I don’t know if that’s the standard anymore. Has dating changed for better or worse? I do think it’s worse but I do know you have Tinder and all those things you can use to know something about that person before you meet them. In school everybody knows everybody. Do you think phones have a positive or negative impact on relationships? Very negative, people get bold behind a phone or computer and would say something to a person that they would never say to their face. Once you say it you can never take it back. I think if you’re gonna be mad enough to say something, you should just walk away.
VS.
1950s
today
Status that labeled a relationship to stand out amongst friends
Everyone has dating app on their phones and communication is technology based
“going Steady”
Millennial dating
{Source: The List Website}
The Reporter february 2019 Features
Design by Paige Fleming
Above: Jeffery Schartz, senior, performs a single leg move Jan. 8. “Being on the wrestling team has made me tough, you get out what you put into it,” Schartz said. Schartz placed third at regionals and will head to state.
pin it to win it
freshman step up to varsity with the help of seniors {
}
Rylan Armbruster reporter
Some freshman stepped up to varsity and made an impact on the wrestling team, but they couldn’t do it without the guidance and leadership of the senior class. “The freshman have been great training partners, and some have even stepped up in the varsity lineup and have got some points for the team,” Brendan Ohlmeier, senior, said. ”Their work ethic has really helped the team.” Tyeus Dillon, senior, said the freshmen have impacted the team by pushing their limits. “They aren’t afraid to challenge themselves,” Dillon said. Russ Hermreck, head coach, said the team has been happy to have a great bunch of freshman wrestlers. “Our numbers have remained consistent,” Hermreck said. “These young guys have done a great job just plugging away and getting better by practice.” Isaiah Taylor, freshman, said he started wrestling four years ago to improve in football, but said he has grown to love the sport because of the one-on-one competition.
Design By Rylan Armbruster & Mariah sullivan
“I like that you have to depend on yourself,” Taylor said. Steven Yeager, freshman, said he doesn’t feel any pressure on varsity, he just “treats it like wrestling.” He said he goes into every match and gives it his best. He has gotten help from the upperclassmen, including Preston Martin, junior. Yeager said Martin helped him learn new moves and techniques. Hermreck said while the freshman are helping out the varsity team, the upperclassmen help to guide them and make them better everyday. Taylor said Ohlmeier led by pushing the whole team and making them give their best. Hermreck said the seniors are one of the best groups they’ve had in a long time. “The leadership qualities of this group have been outstanding. They ‘walk the walk’.” The team placed third at the regional tournament, and sent five wrestlers to State. Preston Martin is the three-time defending Regional Champion at 126 lbs. Noah Bowden, Brendan Ohlmeier, Mikey Stribling, and Jeffery Schartz all placed third. Martin placed first at State for the third consecutive year. Ohlmeier placed sixth.
Top: Preston Martin, junior, pushes his opponents head into the mat during his match. Jan. 8. Martin has been Regional and State Champion for three years. {Photo by Mariah Sullivan} Bottom: Caden Marcum, freshman, drives in for the attack on his opponent from Seaman High School Jan 8. Marcum is shooting a double leg move.
Q&A with Zach Donahue, freshman
How did you break your collarbone? We were at Manhattan, the last match of the day on Dec. 8, 2018. I did a stand up and he took my arm and slammed me back down to the mat to turn me. It snapped right there. How did it affect your season? It pretty much ruined the whole season because I can’t come back now. What were your goals for this season? My goal going into the season was just to get through it, which I pretty much failed. What are your goals for next year? To make varsity and not break my collarbone.
The Reporter February 2019 Sports
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Seniors say Bye to swim Team repeats as league champs {Macayla Enman} Reporter
The bleachers by the swimming pool filled with cheering fans as the seniors dove for one last time. With eight seniors leaving, the swim team will be have four juniors and one sophomore. Kye Mayo, senior, said he has mixed feelings about leaving the team. “I’m definitely going to miss the team, but I do also feel that I am ready to leave at the same time because I feel that I have left a mark and so it’s time for some other people to come in,” Mayo said. Mason Escobar, junior, said the team won’t be the same without the seniors. “It’s pretty daunting just because a lot of the seniors that are leaving are really good and they are like the core of our team but I think we still have a lot of really promising swimmers coming back next year so we should be fine but it’s definitely not going to be the same without them,” Escobar said. Ian Heid, sophomore, said the team was like a second family. Dylan Strigham, senior, said he would miss the team after the season. “I know that the underclassmen keep getting better so I feel that us seniors will be replaced with a good group of swimmers,” Stringham said. Mayo said his main focus this season was breaking Nate Trigg, 17’ graduate, record of the 100-meter breaststroke. Trigg’s record of the breaststroke was 108.38 and it was set 2016. Mayo has wanted to break Trigg’s record since he set it. Mayo’s focus before has been on doing his absolute best and knowing that this is his last year, he
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wants to leave a mark. “I want to break Trigg’s record because during my first years of the high school swim team that is the one kid who would challenge me the most and when he set that record I just knew that I had to take it down,“ Mayo said. Mayo was 5 seconds away from breaking Trigg’s record, but was unsuccessful. “I want to break it but I am not as close as I should be and so I am not sure about breaking it but I’m also not going to give up,” Mayo said. This was the third season the boys team won league. Paola qualified in three relay events. Swimming on the relays were Kye Mayo, Lucas Teeters, Dylan Stringham, Carson Eilts, Ian Heid, Kendrik Thompson, Mason Escobar and Isaiah Waggerman. The relay teams did not place at state
The Reporter February 2019 sports
Top: Isaiah Waggerman, junior, comes up for air as he swims the 50-meter butterfly in the 200-meter individual medley during the swim meet Dec. 12. “Swim has taught me to reach and achieve goals and to always keep moving forward,”Waggerman said. {Photo by Macayla Enman} Bottom: Mason Escobar swims a into first during the swim meet Jan. 9. “ Swim has taught me how to force myself to be self-motivated and how to motivate myself even when there’s not a lot of external forces doing the motivation for me,” Escobar said. {Photo by Bre Allen}
Design by Macayla Ennman
Champions Play as One girls’ basketball overcomes pressure {
Abby Richmond Reporter
}
If somebody were to ask about the tradition and success of the high school’s girls’ sports teams, basketball would come up pretty quickly In the last six years, the Panther basketball team has won consecutive substate titles and at least 10 athletes have play college basketball. Two of those athletes are coaching in the same program in which they played during high school. Lyndsee Johnson, ‘15 graduate, and Taryn Morris ‘06 graduate, have experienced the pressure of keeping the state streak alive, so they can relate with the pressure the Panthers feel. Madison Bryant, junior, has been on the varsity team for three years and understands the sense of urgency she and the rest of her team feel to win substate. “We all know it’s going to be hard because we’re transitioning girls from JV to varsity, so we just try to focus on playing as a team and getting along well,” Bryant said. Bryant said the girls feel closer than ever because of the challenges they face. “As a team, we have done a lot more team-bonding activities that help us play better together and help us reach our common goal of state,” she said. Junior Trinity McDow said through the challenges, they have grown closer. McDow also said she’s proud she and her teammates bring a positive element into the gym “During games, when girls get down on
Design By Abby Richmond
themselves, it’s important for me to build them up and make them realize that they can do better next time,” McDow said. Senior post Halle Schindler made three trips to Salina as a member of the postseason roster, and made amazing memories and learned a lot. “It has taught me teamwork and that you have to work hard for everything, and that nothing is handed to you,” Schindler said. In Schindler’s four years, she said she has spent basketball season with awesome seniors who taught her important lessons in sports and life. “My freshman year was pretty awesome because Morgan Laudan was one of our seniors and she was such an amazing role model,” she said. Laudan, ‘16 graduate, starts at Emporia State University. Schindler said she would also like to leave an imprint on the underclassmen. “I just want them to know that it takes hard work and you won’t get anywhere unless you’re willing to give that up,” she said. Schindler along with her teammates said they recognized how crucial the coaching staff was to the team’s success. . “If I had to say one thing it would be thank you to all of the coaches in the Lady Panther basketball program. You not only taught me how to be a good athlete but you also taught me how to be a good person, and you helped make my high school career memorable.”
Top: Corbin Gant senior, goes up for the tip on Dec. 14. Gant won the tip, but the boys lost to Ottawa, 32-57. This was the boy’s first league game. {Photo by Abby Richmond} Bottom Left: Grant Penn, junior, fights off a defender as he continues to keep the ball in the Panther’s possession. The boys played Piper on Jan. 11. They lost to the Pirates 80-37. {Photo by Hannah Menefee} Bottom Right: Sophie Jones, junior, calls a play at the key. The girls lost to Eudora 48 - 29 on Feb. 11. {Photo by Emma Behrendt}
Q&A with Grant Penn, junior
Compared to last year, how has the team changed? We lost senior leadership and big bodies in the lane, but we gained team chemistry. What are your goals and how do you plan to achieve them? Our main goal is to get better every day and learn new things about the game. Our game plan is to play as a team and play within ourselves. Have the season’s challenges made the team closer? Yes, because we all go down together, and it’s not just one of our faults. What is your leadership role on this team? Leadership is one of the biggest changes. When you’re an upperclassman you’re expected to show the sophomores and freshman what to do. The Reporter February 2019 Sports
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bullet it
time e e r f s i h n i s e t i poet wr
journaling benefits the growing mind {Gracyn shulista} social media editor
Creighton Markovich, junior, does not draw or paint, but produces a different type of art form. Markovich expresses himself through writing and journaling in his spare time. “It is a great expressive art form that allows people to deal with different problems in their life,” Markovich said. Markovich usually focuses on writing poetry about the world or his personal life, but also enjoys writing scripts and satirical work. “There is no real set theme to my writing; maybe life would be an overarching theme,” Markovich said. Many people encourage Markovich to continue writing and also use writing contests and opportunities to be published to motivate him. “Lots of people encourage me to write. My mother, Mrs. Kauk and
Braden Parks [senior] all encourage me to keep working,” Markovich said. Heather Kauk, English teacher, encourages students to write often. Kauk and Megan Keltner, English teacher, cosponsor a writing club that meet Tuesdays after school. “We don’t make students share their journals, but kids that like to write, we ask them to write,” Kauk said. Kauk said journaling helps her and students because it is healing. “When I begin to feel frustrated or irritated, I tend to write my thoughts down,” Kauk said. “A lot of times when a kid will come to me with an issue or problem, the first thing I will say to them is write about it or write it down” Kaylee Miller, sophomore, uses journaling the same way Kauk encourages students to do. “I will write for hours on end about anything that comes to mind.
If I am feeling stressed or worried I will write, and when I’m finished I feel so much better,” Miller said. Miller finds herself writing when she has a lot on her plate. She said it helps her relax and understand her situation. “I find writing relaxing,” Miller said. “When I write, I put so much detail into it because I feel safe within myself.” Miller writes mostly outside of school, other than the writing she does for English teacher Megan Keltner’s class. Miller said she feels she focuses and writes better when she is alone, and only writes when it is truly necessary. “I know I need to write when I have a ton of stress on me or something in my life is out of order. Writing helps me grow to my fullest potential, especially when I’m not overloaded with stress, and it helps me understand myself,” Miller said.
Q&A
with Kathren Escobar, sophomore
When did you start bullet journaling? I started bullet journaling like two or three years ago when I was first interested in hand lettering. Why did you start it? I started it because I like to have my life and events planned out. Bullet journaling helps me keep track of things while also being creative.
Above: Kathren Escobar, sophomore, writes and creates her journal in her bedroom anytime throughout the week. Her journal consists of quotes, book pages, art and freehand calligraphy. {Photo courtesy of Kathren Escobar}
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Above: Kathren Escobar, sophomore, uses her journal to record her mood, water intake and notes throughout the week. “My journal helps me stay organized and in-tune with myself,” Escobar said. {Photo courtesy of Kathren Escobar}
The Reporter February 2019 entertainment
When do you usually journal? I don’t journal all the time, but when I do it’s usually at night. Doing it at night helps me feel prepared for the next morning/week.
Design by Trinity miller