the
reporter
Paola High School • 401 N. Angela • Paola, KS 66071
New teachers
3 (news)
October 2013
Define this
5 (entertainment)
family Finding a
New rat pack leader
Scarred
10 (sports)
6-7 (features)
achain
reaction
Project Rachel assembly challenges students to start a create change through kindness
Foster care system leads to home for Tracys
aly johnson editor-in-chief megan stover reporter
Senior Heather Tracy entered the foster care system after she was severely burned by her birth mom. Heather said her birth mom made her sit in a bath filled with burning water for an extended amount of time. Heather was rushed to the hospital where she underwent surgery for third degree burns and had skin grafted from her thighs to her legs and ankles. “I was sent into the foster care program directly after becoming well enough to leave the hospital,” Heather said. Along with that instance of physical abuse, junior Harley Tracy, Heather’s brother, said they were neglected by their biological parents. “I lived in a car seat, the food I ate was potato chips, I rarely got my diapers changed, my biological dad almost dropped me off of a three-story building but the neighbors saved me,” Harley said. “And I suffered from malnutrition and my hair was really stringy and gross.” When Harley was 18 months old and Heather was 2-and-a-half years old, they were adopted by the family who had fostered them. Becky Tracy, Harley and Heathers’ adoptive mom, has been fostering children for 24 years. When she was growing up, Becky’s parents fostered, so she said it inspired her to do the same. According to Harley, between 250 and 300 kids have gone through their household. Becky said fostering children has
both positive and negative impacts on their family. She said her children welcome the new members into their family, so when they leave it feels like a death. On the other hand, Becky said fostering has helped her children learn compassion, empathy and love. “It has helped my kids learn that life isn’t all about them and that there are other people out there who need help,” Becky said. Looking back on the situation with her biological parents, Heather has mixed emotions. “Sometimes it bothers me, and sometimes I’m OK,” Heather said. “Sometimes it reminds me of a person who hated my guts, and other times it is a tool to help other hurting people.” Heather plans on using her experiences to help her pursue a career as a social worker. She said a good social worker is someone who understands the problems children are facing. Harley said that, though he doesn’t remember much of what happened since he was so young, he is infinitely grateful for his adoptive family. “I just appreciate them so much for taking us out of the situation we were in with our biological parents,” Harley said. “By them taking us into foster care and then adopting us, it’s like they saved our lives.” Despite the situation they were in, Harley said he doesn’t hold a grudge against his biological parents and ultimately he’s happy with the way things worked out. Finding a family: see page 2
Freshman Isa Loya writes a “random act of kindness” she witnessed to add as a link to the chain of kindness. The idea of creating a“chain reaction”was inspired by the Project Rachel assembly on Aug. 28.
audrey brodie reporter Senior Lexi Loya decided to take Rachel’s Challenge into action. Loya stood up for a classmate during lunch a few weeks ago. “This girl…walked by these boys’ table and they said something to her, and when she came to sit back down, I noticed that she was kind of upset and looked like she was about to cry,” Loya said. Loya walked over to the boys’ table and told them to be nice and not mess with the girl. Then she went back and sat with her to make sure she was OK. On Aug. 28, a program called Friends of Rachel was started at the high school in memory of Rachel Scott, who was killed in the Columbine
High School shooting on April 20, 1999. Rachel’s Challenge was an attempt to start a chain reaction of kindness. Everyone was given goals and challenges to try and spread kindness throughout the school. “I like what its goal is. I really don’t remember all of the challenges, but I try to be nice because I don’t like bullying,” Loya said. Loya said that not many people took the assembly seriously. “I haven’t really noticed change, sadly. A lot of people just took it as a joke,” Loya said. Counselor Deanell Wieland and senior Makayla Medlen said it’s too early to tell if any changes have been made. “Some people we heard
in the assembly weren’t necessarily believing in all the things that they talked about that happened, and that’s OK, but we just hope that people will get on board and that they get the message,” Wieland said. Wieland said the reason bullying is such a big problem is because some people don’t even realize what they are saying is bullying or that it has a negative effect on another person. “Some people do realize what they are doing, but others are just genuinely unaware that what they are saying is hurtful,” Wieland said. Katharina Dietz contributed to this story.
2 (quick news) quick picks
The Reporter • October 2013
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Photo by Rebekah Hadle
Students perform You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown on Sept. 28 at the high school. This is one of three performance dates including one at the Paola Community Center on Oct. 3.
Food choices, walls change During the summer, changes were made to the school that upset some students. These changes include different rules at the snack bar and painting over murals in the hallways. Vice Principal Jeff T. Hines said changes in the snack bar rules were not that big of a deal. Changes to the snack bar rules consist of deleted menu items and not being able
to have the snack bar open for breakfast. Hines said he has received positive feedback about painting the walls, which included painting over the class of 2000 and 2011 wall murals. “Some people..said to me they think it’s great that we are taking care of our school and keeping it fresh,” Hines said. Senior Aleksis Cotton disagrees. “I think that the painting of the
walls was worthy of a Facebook page,” said Cotton.” I feel like it was really disrespectful for them to paint over something that so many kids took time out of their day to make. They said the walls needed cleaning, but they could have painted around them.”
- Audrey Brodie
Finding a family: Vending machines missing in action (cont’d from page 1)
“I had a social worker that took great care of us and picked a great family that she knew would be perfect for us. And she was right,” Tracy said. “I didn’t die and I’m in a good family that loves me far better than [my biological parents] ever would have. I’m glad everything worked out the way it did.” Guidance counselor Justin Elliott said that, along with being in an abusive or neglect situation, students can be put into foster care for self-destructive behaviors that can range from truancy from school to sexual activity to drugs and alcohol to stealing to fights to partying. “If the family that they’re in is doing everything they can and the student is refusing to cooperate with the family or the court systems, sometimes they will be removed from the home and placed in another community to try to get them away from some of those negative influences,” Elliott said. Since going into a foster home isn’t permanent, Elliott said foster students often have trouble adapting and transitioning to a new school and new environment due to the fact that they’ve rendered it useless since they know it’s only temporary. Because of this, Elliott advises that everyone attempt to extend welcome not only to foster students, but to any new students. “We’ve talked about it quite a bit recently with the whole Rachel’s Challenge presentation, but just the idea of reaching out to those who are by themselves would be a challenge that I would have,” Elliott said. “Anytime you get a new student—especially a foster care student—the efforts of our student body and staff to try to make them feel welcome are very important.”
The vending machines in the front entrance of the school were removed. Principal Phil Bressler said the vending machines were a spot for kids to hang out instead of being in class. “When kids were supposed to be going to the bathroom, office or the counselors, they ended up at the machines,” Bressler said. Bressler said money was not made off the vending machines. He also said some items in the machines went past the expiration date. Sophomore Rylie Edwards said she doesn’t like that they are gone. “I’m hypoglycemic, so I’d go to the vending machine to get food whenever I got lightheaded,” Edwards said. She said she usually visited the vending machines at least
three times a week. Senior Katey Colwell is indifferent to the absence of the vending machines. “I didn’t go that often, but it was nice to go whenever I was hungry,” Colwell said. “It doesn’t really bother me that they are gone. I’ll probably end up saving more money anyway.” Both Edwards and Colwell proposed changes that could have possibly saved the machines. “They should have stricter rules so kids wouldn’t just go get snacks whenever they wanted,” Edwards said. Colwell said she liked the idea of a fruit machine. “I think that a vending machine with fruit would be an adequate replacement,” she said.
-Jackson Setter
A shift in school safety Security at the high school has seen some significant improvements this year, and Principal Phil Bressler said even bigger plans are on their way. “The school shooting at Sandy Hook definitely played a role, as well as last year’s bomb threat,” Bressler said. “We knew we had to do something.” Bressler referred to two incidents from last year. At Sandy Hook, 20 elementary students and six faculty members were shot at a Connecticut school in December. At the high school, a student wrote a bomb threat on a bathroom wall in January.
Some of the new rules implemented to ensure student safety include locking all the exterior doors, students not going outside during passing period, visitors using the front entryway and checking in at the attendance center during school hours. “In previous years when people came in, it wasn’t very welcoming, and they didn’t know where to go. We wanted to increase the overall comfort level of the school for everyone,” Bressler said. “Now we know who is in the building at all times.” Larger plans are in store, he said.
“We are currently working with an architect on redesigning the front end of the school,” Bressler said. “We should have some designs ready to show the public by the end of the semester.” Bressler said the new rules have been put in place with the students’ safety in mind. “Everything we do, we’re constantly looking at if it’s the right thing to do,” Bressler added. “We always examine what we’re doing to make sure it’s best for the kids.”
-Stephen Rau
(academics)
Ch-ch-changin’
The Reporter • October 2013
AP class offered tristan barnes reporter Senior Michelle Wilkes said she was particularly happy about seeing AP Calculus written on her schedule. “I was slightly confused [at first],” Wilkes said, “but then I got excited because it looked smart.” This is the first year that an advance placement class has been offered in Paola. Math teacher Lisa Collier said she spent four days at Olathe Northwest High School in order to become certified to teach the class. “Advanced Placement is similar to an honors level course,” Collier said. “Until this year we were one of the only schools in our [league] that did not offer some sort of AP course.” Wilkes said she would take other AP classes if they were offered. “I have friends from other schools that have their schedule filled with AP and honors classes,” she said. “It’s about time Paola offered one.” Collier said the class will help prepare her students for college. “I am trying to prepare my students to be successful by not using any notes this year on their tests,” she said. “They will have to memorize a lot of material.” Wilkes said she hopes to see more AP classes in Paola’s future. “It will make the classes more challenging for students who find classes super easy and will prepare them for college,” Wilkes said. “I just wish they had [offered] more
3
Back to PHS
during my years at PHS.” Counselor Justin Elliott said AP classes have their benefits. “AP has the same level of rigor across the board,” Elliott said. He also said it is universal. “If you were to get a five on you AP exam, all colleges know what that means and they know where you stand,” Elliott said. Elliott said they saw calculus as a great introduction to AP since it was not offered as a college credit class. The AP exam is based upon a five point scale and colleges accept a three or higher on the exam for college credit. Despite the benefits, there are some disadvantages. “AP courses require a lot of training and the district has to have an AP coordinator,” Elliott said. He said that the bigger down side to AP classes is financial. “We receive a portion of enrollment money from Fort Scott Community College,” Elliott said. “We funnel that money back into the departments that teach those courses offered by Fort Scott. Some departments have come to rely on that money for any materials that they may need.” Despite the drawbacks, Collier agrees that the AP course is more rigorous. “You are better off taking it,” Collier said. “When you start taking a college calculus class, you will feel much more prepared.”
For more stories about new teachers and classes go to phsjournalism.com
Photo by Mariona Olasz
Andrew Gibbs, language arts teachers, instructs his College Prep English class Sept. 8. Gibbs returns to the high school after teaching in Illinois for nine years.
mariona olasz reporter Andrew Gibbs, college prep and freshmen English teacher, is back. Gibbs has taught for 13 years, his first teaching job was at Paola High School in 2001. He spent his last seven years teaching at Olivet Nazarene University. Gibbs said it has been an adjustment getting back at the high-school level. “The structure of the day, getting used to bells again, being in one place all day, teaching all day. At the university you teach maybe two or three classes a day,” Gibbs said. Gibbs had already taught at the school, so he knew the high school structure. Gibbs came back to the high school because his wife accepted a position at the medical center at the
Come See Us At The Annual Halloween Parade!
15 W. Wea
University of Kansas and was looking for a job. Gibbs contacted a couple of people he knew in the school community about job openings. “Mr. Ross and Ms. Carr, who used to teach here, they both contacted me the morning they knew about this opening,” Gibbs said. Gibbs said he knows students behave different during the first days they have a new teacher. “I think there is always that kind of ‘trying period’ seeing exactly how things work and function,” Gibbs said. Phil Bressler, principal, said he hopes Gibbs teaches at the high school for a long time. “We hope he teaches here until he decides to retire,” Bressler said. Tera Brandt, senior, has Gibbs in English 4 College prep. “He explains the concepts really well,” Brandt said. “He makes the stories easier to understand.” Like Brandt, Matthew Sommers also has Gibbs in English 4. His first impression of Gibbs was as a relaxed teacher in some
aspects. “He seems kind of relaxed, but it’s not a complete relax,” said Sommers. “He’s kind of a man that you end up being forced to respect, just because of the way he is.” Sommers said that Gibbs is a good teacher. “He doesn’t make it easier, but it’s more relatable to the student, and he brings in a higher intellect,” Sommers said “he is able to take that and bring it down to our common folk, and get us to understand it better.” Brandt agreed. “He is really cool, he makes the literature really fun to read,” Brandt said.
4 (news)
The Reporter • October 2013
International flair
Olasz adjusting to small town from Spain
stephen rau reporter
Dietz taking part in activities not in Germany Junior Katharina Dietz of Würselen, Germany, has wanted to visit America for a long time. “I’ve always wanted to go to another country,” Dietz said. “A friend of mine lived in America, and I visited her when I was 13. I really enjoyed the culture and wanted to improve my English.” Despite having a much lower population and covering less area, Paola somehow seems a lot bigger than her hometown, she said. “Paola is smaller, but everything seems bigger and further apart,” Dietz said. “Here, everyone uses cars. At home we can just walk everywhere or take public transportation.” Dietz said she has been enjoying Paola
Katharina Dietz so far, and has even taken up cross country, an activity unavailable at her school in Germany. “There are no school sports in Germany,” Dietz said. “Those are all outside activities. We don’t have any mascots, and there isn’t a sense of school pride.”
Brandelik’s first time out of Germany
Mariona Olasz “At my old school, the focus is entirely on academics, and you were more on your own,” she said. “Here, the teachers really want you to succeed.” Olasz also commented on how welcoming Paola has been for her. “Everybody has asked me where I am from, and how I am liking it so far,” said Olasz. ”My host family, the Johnsons, is very nice, and wanted me to feel comfortable. They accepted me as if I was their daughter.”
37,693 5,000 1.621
people populate Dietz’s home town in Würselen
almo st
“Garmisch-Partenkirchen” Try pronouncing that correctly. Chances are, unless you’re Junior Felix Brandelik, you failed miserably. Brandelik has lived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany his whole life. This year in Paola is his first experience outside of Germany. “Paola is very small—my hometown has over 30,000 people,” Brandelik said. “Everybody knows everybody, which is pretty cool.” Brandelik also mentioned how much spirit Paola has for its sports teams. “In Germany we don’t have any sports at school, all of that is done on your own time,” Brandelik said. “Here, the whole town gets together for the games. That doesn’t happen in Germany.” Football is something Brandelik said he
Imagine moving from rural, farmland Kansas to Barcelona, Spain—where no one speaks your native language, and is populated by about 1.6 million people. Now think about the reverse. Hard to imagine? Just ask Junior Mariona Olasz. She moved from Barcelona about two months ago to study in America. “My cousin told me that she loved it. The first three months were really hard for her,” Olasz said. “After that it was the best year of her life.” Olasz added that there are a lot of cultural differences, both around town and at school. “I am not used to using cars so much,” Olasz said. “In Barcelona, I can always walk to school, or take a bus downtown. There are more people at my school, but the building is smaller. We don’t have fields and there is no football, only soccer.” She specifically mentioned how helpful her teachers have been.
miles from Brandelik’s home in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Paola
million people populate Olasz’s home town in Barcelona
Felix Brandelik looks forward to playing and watching. “It is very hard to find German broadcasts of NFL games,” Brandelik said. “Last season I found one channel that was broadcasting the Superbowl, which was awesome.” Brandelik said that he applied to study in America to mix things up. “School in Germany was easy for me,” Brandelik said. “I wanted a challenge.”
Have a story i d e a ? Te l l someone on the Reporter staff.
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(entertainment)
5
Philosophically speaking THIS... The Reporter • October 2013
DEFINE
Wealth
love kindness at peace cont valuable fami friends happy satisfied mon successful lov heart gaining hard work at p people things abundance ki holds dear val themselves w full heart love kindness peac
whitney mcdaniel online editor
Beauty
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“Wealth is what each person considers to be most valuable to them. It isn’t necessarily money. It can be family, friends or a necklace. It’s basically what a person holds dear to themselves.” -AshLee Hidden, senior “Having a heart full of love and kindness, being at peace with yourself and being happy with the people and things you already have, being content and satisfied.” -Shelly Macke, senior
not a lie proven supported real answer brutal honesty judgements deep down tr people look act lie real do may hurt others proven ju really happened know tru supported real lie honesty answer not a lie deep dow truth answer brutal suppo honesty judgements peop
“The truth is something that can be proven and supported.” -Katelin Anderson, freshman
“
[Truth is] brutal honesty, even when it may hurt others. “
-Cole Decker, freshman
“Something that you know deep down is the real answer, or what really happened.” -Macey Conrad, junior
“ I define beauty by your personality. If you can make me laugh then you are pretty beautiful to me. -Addie Dashiell, junior “A moment of speechlessness” -Seth Slayman, senior
Intellect
Truth
“Being successful and gaining things through hard work.” -Dylan Speaker, sophomore
“Beauty is the sparkle or uniqueness of a person; can be on the inside or outside. It’s also the recognition of your self-worth and embracing who you are no matter what others think.” -Mackenzie Grandon, freshman
“
“Having an abundance of something that someone sees value in.” -Skyler Smith, junior
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“[Truth is] being yourself, knowing that it’s not a lie. You can’t make judgments on how people look/act.” -Aaron Prothe, sophomore
“In my opinion, to be intelligent is being open to learn new things and not just what school teaches you. Defining intelligence is by trial and error and being able to accept where you are in life but I still believe you should use common sense.” -Rilee Kurkowski, sophomore
Photo illustrations by Whitney McDaniel
“A combination of common sense and book smarts.” -Connor Patton, senior
(features)
Marks tell stories of memories, accidents
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Most painful
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School nurse Glenda Kinaman has been in nursing for over 20 years and deals with injuries every day. “Frequently [I see] kids fall off monkey bars onto the woodchips, but here it is more severe like getting cut in the woodshop,” Kinaman said. Kinaman has seen many scars throughout her career including those from surgeries and accidents. “A lot of times you see scars on people and they tell a story of their medical history. The bigger the scar the more profound the story,” Kinaman said. Scar prevention is mostly dependent on how the Schoo lN wound is cared for, Kinaman said. Photo otic oin urse Glend by Nata a lie Epp t “How you put it back together and how the ler studen ment and b Kinaman u ses an andag ts’ wou wound is treated have a big effect on scaring,” Kinaes to p tibinds. rotect man said. According to Kinaman, new technologies in hospitals such as wound vacuums help speed the healing process by providing a dry clean environment for the injury, but for most school related injuries Kinaman said she uses antibiotic ointment and wraps the wound. “Keep it clean,” Kinaman said.
School Nurse: Glenda Kinaman
Sophomore Audrey Robinson and her brother Eli were not supposed to be there, but that’s when Robinson was lifted up off the ground and bitten on the right shoulder. “Oh my goodness,” Robinson exclaimed. “I was in utter surprise, just really, really surprised.” On that fateful day eight years ago, Robinson was picked up and dropped by a horse. The stallion not only left a black and blue mark, but a scar as well. “[The scar] seems like a bond between me and my brother. It brought us closer together, and we learned how to cover for each other,” Robinson said. After Robinson was bitten by Jack, the horse, Eli threatened to beat Robinson up if she told their mom. Robinson’s mom was eventually able to get the truth from Robinson and she did not get beaten up by her brother.
Sophomore: Audrey Robinson
A squirrel was under attack. Senior Alicia Morgan’s second favorite animal was on the ground wrestling with a dog. It was just Morgan and a random dog, so Morgan took action. “I thought I should go help. [The squirrel] looked very helpless,” Morgan said. Morgan ran over to the animals, tried to pick the squirrel up, but it bit her on her left middle finger and ran up into a tree. “It did not hurt that bad. It was mostly shock,” Morgan said. “I was just surprised it happened.” Although Morgan was able to save the squirrel from the dog, she could not save it from being shot. “It was really sad,” Morgan said. Since the incident Morgan has owned three pet squirrels. “I love them more than ever,” Morgan said.
0
Least painful
Behind Scar Senior: Alicia Morgan
he Reporter • October 2012
the
Freshman Danielle Beachboard was in the wrong place at the wrong time. “I didn’t realize I was bleeding until I touched my face. There was blood on my hand and I started screaming,” Beachboard said. Beachboard was on a camping trip in Canton Oklahoma. She and her cousin were playing croquet. During the game, her cousin swung her mallet back and it collided with Beachboard’s face just below the left eye. “I think my cousin was more upset than I was,” Beachboard said. Beachboard needed medical attention, but the hospital was three hours away. “My parents stayed calm and mom held me on the way. When we got there mom stayed in the hallway and I screamed while I was getting stiches,” Beachboard said. After five stiches and four weeks of recovery Beachboard was left with only a scar.
Freshman: Danielle Beachboard
Junior, Jacob Drews, having 15 scars has become very familiar with the topic. Out of all 15, the most memorable would be the most recent. Billy, a bull, smacked him in the face, pushed him up against the fence for 67 seconds and beat him with his 8 inch horns. “I don’t know what happened; I just got up over the fence, my adrenaline going. I was dazed because he hit me so hard.” Drews said. They super glued the wound shut, an hour later he was back up on the bull again. “I was kind of mad, but ready to get back on again,” he said. Another scar that stands out to Drews is the one from when his dog bit off the tip of his ear. The dog had been missing all day. When Drews finally found him, he picked him up to put him back in his cage. The dog seemingly did not like this idea, so he bit off the tip off his ear. It was a ten minute drive to the nearest emergency room where Drews received multiple shots to his skull to keep the wound from getting infected. After about 3 months the cartilage in his ear grew back, and they got rid of the dog. Now the only thing left to remind Drews of this is a scar.
Junior: Jacob Drews
It was probably a good thing senior Jamie Silvers had no idea what was going on because he had just indented his skull with a computer monitor. “I was mostly numb and I cried, but my dad patted me on the head and said it was going to be okay,” Silvers said. When Silvers was 8 years old he moved with his dad into a new home. Boxes and a dog filled the living room. Silvers chased the dog, tripped and collided with a computer monitor lying on the floor. “Luckily, I did not hit too many nerves,” Silvers said. “I hit that thing pretty hard,” To care for the wound, Silvers wore a gauze pad over the injury and had to stay home. It took one month for Silvers to recover. “I do not even notice it anymore,” Silvers said. “I do not think people notice it, so it does not really matter.”
Senior: Jamie Silvers
The Reporter • October 2013
The Reporter • October 2012
8 (opinion)
The Reporter • October 2013
Cartoon by Stephen Rau
] : h s a l f s w e [n
YOU ARE SOCIETY.
Be the change in our society instead of just complaining and judging aly johnson editor-in-chief
When I was first assigned this story, I was going to write a con opinion about the new rules and changes that explained why I think this school is a prison. So I wrote it. And rewrote it. And rewrote it. And kept rewriting it to the point that I couldn’t even see straight. No matter how many times I edited, revised and reworded it, though, I just didn’t like it. Feeling uninspired, I was advised to start from scratch with a fresh, new story idea, and in order to find something to write about, I was told to observe life and the people around me to find something that really grinded my gears. So I watched. And listened. And observed. And sure enough, it hit me. School lunches are disgusting. People who block the halls or walk -4 mph are annoying. School is boring and monotonous. The parking lot is a madhouse. Having to take our planners everywhere we go is annoying and inconvenient. Swaggin’ down the hall with your Beats on actually doesn’t make you cool. High-five Friday is gross. People are seriously the worst. Shooting heroin is a bad. And yes, this school is a prison. Oh, how easy it is to sit back and judge and complain. But that’s not the point,
We’re all guilty of it — an overtly loud complaint, a judgmental glare in the hallway, a backhanded comment, a *gasp* subtweet on the twittersphere— petty behaviors like these have become so commonplace that most of us don’t even stop to think about them anymore. It seems as though it has become part of our human nature to regard any act that is at all off the wall or against the grain, as being wrong and unacceptable. By some warped sense of self-righteousness, we have decided it’s our job to not only analyze and observe people, but to in turn judge them and regard them as being lower than us simply because they express themselves in ways we can’t wrap our small minds around. Instead of taking everything in and appreciating the fact that there are so many different, beautiful people around us, we resort to judging them and then complaining when they don’t fit our definitions of how proper humans are supposed to act. *dripping with sarcasm* But oh no, it’s not our fault that we do these things —it’s all society’s fault. Society and the media have taught us to be this way. Our world is so corrupt because of society. *complain, complain, pass the blame, blah. blah. blah.* But wait... here’s a spicy piece of information for you guys: YOU ARE SOCIETY. And “society” will never stop being the way it is until we —as the very individuals who make up our society — just let everyone be their own person and live their own life. So I encourange you all: Instead of judging everyone and seeing things through negative eyes, open your mind, put on your positive pants, and appreciate the good things instead of wasting time fretting over the bad. Instead of criticizing and trying to change people, accept them. Instead of complaining, be proactive and work toward a positive change. Because life’s too short, man. YOLO.
It’s no big deal tristan barnes reporter
When I walk into school I hear a colossal amount of negative comments regarding rules and procedures. In all honesty I don’t understand what the big deal is. For one, there aren’t that many changes. Changes involving rules include a shift in the number of days you can miss each semester and a different way of choosing the valedictorian and the salutatorian that will only affect the class of 2017 and after.
Get over yourselves. It seems to me everyone is freaking out over nothing. You’re going to have to deal with rules over the course of your entire lives. According to Principal Phil Bressler, the rules in place on school grounds are to help you become accustomed to rules you might find anywhere out in the business world. “Like it or not, we all must submit to rules that are determined by others: bosses, legislative, societal,” Bressler said. “We have a choice to comply, to rebel or to work for a change. Rules are designed, for the most part, as agreements of behavior.” Rules are there to keep you safe. For instance, if just anyone
Rules are put in place for a reason, deal with it could walk into the school without first checking in through Secretary Callie Rolf there is a lot more potential for danger. For the same reason, you cannot leave the building and be readmitted into it without checking in. This is to ensure that you, as a student, feel safe. It also helps your parents feel more comfortable about leaving you in the care of school officials. The new rules and procedures were put in place to make sure that we, as a school, are taking all the necessary precautions to keep the student body safe and give the parents piece of mind. Those of you who complain are only making yourselves miserable as well as the other students around you. Learn to change with the change rather than resist it.
(opinion)
The Reporter • October 2013
pink
Cancer isn’t always
Breast cancer casts shadow on other forms ashley everhart reporter
Hall Talk
As October approaches, colors of fall surround us – shades of orange, yellow and PINK. October is “Breast Cancer Awareness” month and the Susan B. Komen foundation has made pink very popular, especially in the month of October. Some very prominent names that support breast cancer awareness, and only breast cancer awareness, are Campbell’s, Shoe Dazzle, the NFL, O.P.I. nail polish, TicTacs and Yoplait yogurt. According to dailymakeover. com celebrities like Taylor Swift, P. Diddy, and Jennifer Aniston, have added their names to the long list of Hollywood notables who
support breast cancer awareness. The numbers of those who support melanoma and other types of cancer awareness, however, are glaringly lower. Many people assume breast cancer is the deadliest cancer, but they are wrong. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer actually ranks fourth on the list of deadliest cancers, and second on the deadliest cancers in women. Lung cancer is actually the No. 1 cancer killer in women. According to the sheknows website “Pink dollars” raised in 2010 funded more research at the National Cancer Institute than money raised for both lung and prostate cancer combined. There is an estimated 5,660 more cases of these two cancers every year and they continue to receive less funding. In 2010, for example lung cancer, the most commonly
Fall Favorites “Fall ball” -Tr e v o r B o e h m , freshman
diagnosed cancer, only received $281.9 million for research. Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer, received $300.9 million, and breast cancer received $631.2 million. It seems there is a stigma attached to some cancers; some may think smokers have brought lung cancer on themselves. This is not always the case. Lung cancer in non-smokers is currently the sixth most common cause of cancer related death. People suffer from all different types of cancer. Breast cancer is just as deadly, but it does seem to get a lot more attention. Does anyone even know when “Ovarian Cancer Awareness” is? It was September, as in last month, what about lung? Or prostrate? As we look through our pinktinted glasses we should raise awareness to all cancers, not just breast cancer.
staff editorial Believe it or not, you are not invincible. You are not immune from stupidity or ignorance. Poor decisions will lead to poor consequences. It may be in your best interest to take the advice given to you. Acting irresponsibly can cause harm. Take texting and driving, for example. A lot of people do it despite the risks involved. Yeah, it may be an important text message you are sending out, but is it really worth the risk? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 21 percent of drivers between 15 and 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were distracted by the use of cell phones. Life is sacred. You probably take your best friends and family for granted, which is OK, it is part of human nature. Appreciate people and let them
know you do. They could be gone in the blink of an eye. Instead of doing that ‘YOLO’ mumbo jumbo, take time to savor your life and enjoy the small aspects. The things you do will impact your life tomorrow. Don’t go speeding on gravel roads in the middle of a downpour. You don’t know the consequences that may result because of that. Take a load off every once in a while. The game of life is a speedy one. Tell people you love them and do not take them for granted. Don’t make decisions that could negatively impact your life, no matter the severity. Remember you are not invincible.
- The Reporter Staff
whitney mcdaniel online editor
“Having days off of school”
“Sweatshirts and bonfires”
“Thanksgiving and the fall food”
- D er e k R obiso n , sophomore
-Katie Thoden, junior
-Kelsey Slawson, senior
the
reporter the staff
Volume 89 Issue 1
9
Editor-in-Chief: Aly Johnson Managing Editor: Katie Biggs Online Editor: Whitney McDaniel Sports Editor: Brooke Prothe Opinion Editor: Jackson Setter Reporters: Tristan Barnes, Audrey Brodie, Katharina Dietz, Natalie Eppler, Ashley Everhart, Brittany Feugate, Eric Haefele, Mariona Olasz, Stephen Rau, Megan Stover Ad Manager: Lauren Wood Adviser: BriAnne Chayer
mission statement
editorial policy
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.
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
10 (sports)
The Reporter • October 2013
Davis leads Rat Pack at pep rallies, games First junior leads student cheer section brooke prothe sports editor The Rat Pack, the student cheer section at sporting events, has been around for 10 years. Each year a senior leads the cheers and encourages the team. The leader also gathers supporters from the rest of the school to join in on the cheers. As a new year approaches, the Rat Pack leader of the previous year chooses a new leader to follow in his footsteps. The leader is usually a senior who was a large contributor the previous years. This year, junior Foster Davis was chosen to lead the Rat Pack. Davis said he thinks he will have trouble getting respect and followers because he isn’t a senior, like most Rat Pack leaders have
been in the past. Davis said he loves supporting the team and showing school spirit. “I love helping the teams in really tight games that [our support] can help make a difference in,” Davis said. Senior Shelly Macke said that even though Davis is doing a good job, there were seniors who would’ve been able to take the role. Photo by Whitney McDaniel “I’m upset because we were told that girls weren’t allowed to be leaders.” The Rat Pack shows its support by cheering and making noise at the home game versus Spring Hill Sept. 20. Athletic Director Jeff T. Hines said that even though there is led by a group, not just one person. the ability to still participate and technically a leader of the Rat Hines said he likes the Rat Pack provide positive support for the Pack, there has never been a school because it gives the students teams. recognized leader and it is usually who are not involved in sports
For the record
brooke prothe sports editor
Photo by Anna Darling Photo by Whitney McDaniel
Football 4-1
Photo by Josie Jones
Volleyball 21-13
Soccer 0-10
Next week:
This month:
Volleyball: Oct. 15 v. Louisburg
Volleyball: Oct. 22 v. Spring Hill
Soccer: Oct. 17 v. Desoto
Soccer: Oct. 22 v. Piper
Cross Country: Oct. 17 @ Ottawa
Football: Oct. 25 v. Prairie View
Football: Oct. 18 v. Osawatomie
Cross Country: Oct. 26 Regionals
Photo by Bree Prothe
Cross Country Boys:
1st at Pittsburg 3rd @ Topeka Hayden, Paola 11th @ Bonner Springs Girls: 1st @ Topeka Hayden, Home, Bonner Springs, Pittsburg
11
(sports)
The Reporter • October 2012
‘It was a tearjerker...’ Varsity athletes honor McClellan at memorial jackson setter opinion editor
On Aug. 18, Brennan Haley and 11 other players on the football team went to Louisburg. Instead of going for a game, they went to honor a player from Louisburg who died. “We walked in the stadium with our jerseys on and everyone stood up and applauded us,” Haley said. He said it was overwhelming. “We were the only high school team to go,” Haley said. “The family walked by us and thanked us. It was a tear jerker.” Senior Auston McClellan died in a car wreck a few days prior to the memorial that the players attended. “I knew Auston from a couple pool parties at Kenzie Getz’s house,” said Haley. “But I mostly knew him from playing sports with him since seventh grade.” Senior Andrew Henn recalls the plethora of ovations they received from Louisburg. “Everyone shook our hands and said thanks
for coming,” Henn said. Junior Jake Robison credits Henn for the idea of attending the memorial service. Robison could empathize with the loss of someone important. “I have lost a friend and I know what it is like,” Robison said. “I wanted to go give them support.” Senior Lucas Wilson could never imagine losing a teammate. “Every single guy is like family to us,” Wilson said. “We’d do anything for them Photo by Reilly Peuser and they’d do anything for us.” Wilson compared it to Players raise their helmets during the kickoff of the Paola versus Spring Hill game on Sep. 20. Paola won with a final score of 42-12. something more personal. “It’s like losing a brother,” he said. “It is terrible.” Head football coach Mike Dumpert He said it was nice to see them get Haley said this experience has changed applauded his team. recognized. him. “I was proud of them for having “I was not surprised at all. We have good “It made us become more cautious,” Haley compassion for someone that just lost their kids.” said. “It changes your aspect on life when child,” Dumpert said. “I got nothing but you see a whole football team crying.” compliments from Louisburg.”
It’s all about tradition Wilson, O’Brien explain superstitions eric haefele reporter
It’s a home game. The football players wait in the locker room. A few minutes until it’s time to take the field. Sophomore Alex Wilson is ready. As the team marches out of the locker room, the players make sure to slap the sign by the exit door as they go out. Call it superstition, tradition or just plain crazy, but for Wilson it seems like a must. Slapping that sign gives the team a sense of encouragement and confidence.
Coach Mike Dumpert said it’s been a tradition since he put the sign up 15 years ago. “It’s something we’ve always done and I don’t know why,” senior Elijah Short said, “It’s just tradition.” Short believes this is a good thing for the team. “I feel like it’s a good way to get ready for the game,” Short said. The volleyball team has its own traditions and superstitions. “If we win [a game] on one side of the net, we will stay there for the next,” O’ Brien said. O’ Brien has some personal superstitions as well.
Paola Free Library We have temporarily moved to
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3 doors east of Emery’s www.paolalibrary.org 259-3655
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She doesn’t wash her knee pads for the whole season she said. This is for good luck, she claims it needs to be done or else it would change her game plan and she doesn’t like change. Cross country head coach Lesley Wilson said the team has traditions of its own. “We have long run breakfasts, chants before a race, pre-meet practices and the girls’ team tie-dyes shirts,” Coach Wilson said. Traditions and superstitions evolve for many reasons. “The [traditions] bring unity to the team and feeling of acceptance,” Wilson said.
Photo Illustration by Aly Johnson Players smack the sign by the exit before leaving the locker room. This has tradition for the football team for 15 years.
12 (features)
The Reporter • October 2013
Made with
We experiment with projects found on social media site
Step 1
katie biggs managing editor mariona olasz reporter
DIY Heart Necklace
My first experience with making my own fingerprint heart necklace was a messy one. I have never been good at keeping my area clean while I cook, so mixing salt, flour and water wasn’t the cleanest project I’ve ever done. I have some advice to share with anyone who wants to try this project: 1. Two cups of flour and one cup of salt goes a long way, and unless you have a little brother who really loves playing with mushy stuff, I would recommend using a lot less than what the recipe calls for. 2. When you are cutting out the heart shape, make sure that it is a pretty thin piece of dough; otherwise your fingerprint won’t show up. 3. When making your fingerprint in the dough, hold your finger in the dough long enough for the fingerprint to show up. 4. This is probably the most important thing to remember. Don’t forget to poke a hole in the dough or the chain to go through. I forgot and I had to improvise, so if you want to make it easier on yourself, don’t forget to put the hole for the chain.
Step 3
Step1
My Wire Heart Bracelet Honestly, I need to say that the pinterest picture of the bracelet project looked much better than mine. Basically because bending a wire is much more difficult than it seems. I guess it needs practice to make a wire look like a heart-bracelet. The materials that you will need to do this bracelet are all easy things to find at home or even at Wal-Mart. A glass, needle nose pliers and wire. You can find different wire colors at Wal-Mart, chose the one that you think you would wear as a bracelet. Get ready to go crazy bending wire, and trying to make it look like a heart, you will understand me once you finish your project. The first thing to make is the clasp. Somehow, bend one of the tips of the wire in a heart shape. To make the other part of the clasp, take the other tip and fold it completely in a “C” shape. Then, wrap the wire around the glass to make sure it is round, like a bracelet is supposed to be.
Final Products
Final Product
Step3 Washer Necklace First of all, I want to say that when choosing which projects I wanted to do off of Pinterest, I tried to find ones that looked interesting and ones that I had never seen before. This one was very interesting. A necklace made out of washers and a ribbon. I’ve never heard of anything like it, but I did it anyway. The project actually turned out as planned. There were a couple roadblocks along the way mainly because my ribbon was too short. But besides that little mess up, following the directions was a success. I am still having a hard time figuring out why someone would wear a necklace made of washers though. I think it turned out well but I don’t really see the point. It looks kind of weird and it’s a little bulky. However, it was somewhat easy to make once I got the process down. It’s basically just a lot of loops around and through the washers. So all in all, I think it was a pretty fun project to do, especially if you have nothing else to do.
Final Product
Bleach Design Sweatshirt Every time I open my closet, I see an old sweatshirt, bags, jeans or T-shirt that need something new. Here’s the perfect way to give it a new look. Put bleach in a cup, get a pencil with an eraser, your sweatshirt and get ready to create. Keep in mind that whatever you want to draw will turn white, so don’t expect it to be colorful! Wet the eraser in the bleach and use it to draw something on the sweatshirt. What the bleach does is it fades the fabric and turns it white, so it will take a while, but you will see that in a couple of minutes, the drawing will start to turn visible. Maybe your designs are not as visible as you wanted them to be. Well, that has an easy solution, redraw them! One piece of advice that I can give you is to be careful with the drops of bleach that can fall from the eraser, because once the bleach has touched the fade, there is no way to clean it! My first sweatshirt tuned with bleach is full of drops, but it’s still really cool. I am sure I will repeat this project lots and lots of times. I have too many clothes that really need a touch of bleach on them. Don’t get upset if your first project doesn’t turn out as well as you thought it would. Just keep trying. I’m sure you also have more than one sweatshirt that can be renovated.