the
reporter
Paola High School • 401 N. Angela • Paola, KS 66071
Senior goodbyes
Toxic rays
Entrances first on list Work to begin on bond projects this summer
Despite risks, some students still tan
natalie eppler reporter
7 (opinion) Senior plans
8-9 (features) Global studies
11 (features)
Conspiracies
12
(features)
Illustration by Megan Stover
megan stover reporter Health and Fitness teacher Jennifer Page was diagnosed with skin cancer several years ago. “Even after that I still went outside, I still laid out… My mentality was ‘if this is what’s going to get me, this is what’s going to get me,’” Page said. “It is that ‘Superman complex’ that everybody has, and until it does happen to them, they don’t take it into consideration.” Senior Remick Paulsen is one of the many girls who prepared for prom by tanning. Paulsen said she started tanning in March in a tanning bed. She went tanning twice a week until prom. “[Tanning] is good as long as it is not every day, year-round,” she said. Paulsen said she hasn’t ever been burned and isn’t concerned about skin cancer. “I use tanning oil to keep my skin from burning,” Paulsen said. Sophomore Delaney Taylor’s mom has also had skin cancer. “[My mom] would fall asleep out in the sun when she was younger, and that’s when you are fully exposed to the sunlight,” Taylor said. “She still has skin cancer; it never goes away… she has to keep getting it removed.” Taylor said her mom’s cancer was due to overexposure to the natural sunlight, and not by tanning artificially. “Whenever someone tells me that they’re going to go tanning, I just try to tell them that it’s not smart, and
Information from the Skin Cancer Foundation website
you never know what could happen,” she said. Taylor said she doesn’t think girls are well informed about the risks of skin cancer. “They just think, ‘Oh well, I’m only in there for six minutes,’” she said. “What they don’t realize is six minutes really adds up.” Junior Kaleigh Loar said she
Toxic rays: see page 11
May 2014
During the next two years, district facilities will be transformed, athletic facilities will be improved, students will gain new educational opportunities and security changes will be made. Security improvements will be made this summer. The remaining projects will be designed and constructed in the next two years. Junior Dylan Sims-West said he has mixed feelings about the bond. “It annoys me that the band is not getting any of it,” Sims-West said. “Besides that, I think it is a good thing that we are getting funding.” Senior Regan Boyer said she is ready for the changes. “This is making me really excited to come back and see everything,” Boyer said. “I am just sad that they are doing this right when we are leaving.” Principal Phil Bressler said the $17 million district bond passed April 1. “We are grateful as a district to the patrons who said yes,” Bressler said. “Our voters showed that they believe in education and feel that it is important to spend the money.” Projects funded by the bond include: Secure entrances: security cameras and required entry
through the office at all schools Storm shelters: Classrooms added at the elementary and middle schools and a competition gym seating 2000 people at the high school able to withstand winds of up to 250 mph. Biology greenhouse FFA animal lab Two baseball fields: located north of Cottonwood with synthetic turf infield Two softball fields: located north of Cottonwood with synthetic turf infield Six tennis courts: located north of Cottonwood. Allows high school to host home tennis tournaments Synthetic turf on the football field: All football and soccer games can be played there Track: new asphalt on track, triple jump and long jump pits moved out of infield and a fence surrounding the track Improved stadium seating: handicapped accessible bleachers, storage underneath bleachers and more seating Remodeled press box Middle school auditorium renovations Middle school commons area restroom renovations Resurfacing of parking lots: Student and faculty parking lots at the high school and the faculty parking lot at Cottonwood
2 (briefs)
The Reporter • May 2014
F.I.R.S.T place achievement For sophomore Mariah Hansen, the Robotics team is family. She has shown commitment through the work she has done. By doing all of the media work, including videos, and by helping with some of the building she helped lead her team to the regionals competition. Hansen said reaching the final match meant nothing could be better but to win, and that is exactly what they did. “Winning the regional was intense,” Hansen said. “The final match was probably the scariest, yet best thing I’ve ever seen, or experienced.” Hansen said the competition was crazy and they made many friends from Indiana and Alabama. Both teams cheered for them during the final match. The Robotics team also won awards for best mentor, best participant (junior Kate Sample) and for being the most professional team that represented and spread the word of F.I.R.S.T.
F.I.R.S.T. means For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, junior Tyler Box said. Box, the co-build leader, also operates the robot during matches. After winning regionals, Box said everyone was filled with so much joy and excitement that some people cried. “The best memory from this year is when I looked up to see the final score of the final match and I saw that we had won,” Box said. Adult mentor, Larry Cole, said because of its performance at regionals, the team qualified for the World Championship competition on April 24-26 in St. Louis, Mo. Cole said students compete in Robotics because of their interest in technology, fun, to prepare for college and to help with future employment. “Robotics offers you an exceptional chance for personal growth,” Cole said. “Each year the team provides you with the opportunity to assume higher levels of responsibility and leadership.”
photo by Eric Haefele
Junior Derek Weaver competes in a tennis match at the varsity home meet held in Gardner on April 4. Weaver competed well with a 2-2 record for the meet.
Star studded staff Forensics competes at state - Eric Haefele
Staff members receive recognition for their work from the Kansas Scholastic Press Association (kspa) and from the Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City(jemkc).
KSPA state awards All Kansas newspaper publication 3rd place yearbook sportswriting: Erin Brown, senior
KSPA Regional awards 1st place photo illustration: Aly Johnson, senior 1st place newspaper sports writing: Brown 1st place yearbook copy writing: Brown Honorable mention student life photo: Kenzie Getz, senior Honorable mention sports photography: Johnson and Natalie Eppler, junior
JEMKC awards 2nd place editorial cartoon: Steven Rau, senior 2nd place political cartoon: Rau 3rd place newspaper photo illustration: Johnson 3rd place computer-generated art/phot illustration: Natalie Franz, senior 3rd place yearbook sports design: Franz
-Katie Biggs
The forensics team placed 7th out of 50 at state on May 3 at Washburn Rural High School. “State’s huge. The 4A tournament is by far the hardest level of forensics in the state of Kansas because it’s the biggest,” Forensics coach Leslie Coats said. “There are generally between 50 and 60 schools involved.” Sophomore Jarod Shulista said the forensics team usually places very well at state. “Some schools don’t win any tournaments for a few years. We usually win at least two to three tournaments every year,” Shulista said. “We usually place in the top 10 at state, which is good considering how many teams we compete against.” Coats said there are a lot of different competitions to qualify for at state. There are normally between 12 and 20 teams that have 15 to 16 entries, 16 being the most entries you can have. There are a lot of competitors because there’s a lot to compete in. Shulista said the scoring is different depending on what events students’ compete in. “For example, humorous IDA [Improvised duet
acting] generally scores higher than serious IDA because people want to laugh, they don’t want to cry,” Shulista said. In IDA, the actors go in for their ‘draw time’ half an hour before they perform. They draw three locations, characters and situations. They choose one location, one situation and two characters, one for each partner. Then they have half an hour to create a scene that lasts about four to seven minutes. They act their scene and are judged on their performance. “I like it because it gives me an idea of what I’m up against in the acting world,” Shulista said. “It really brings competition to [acting] and I love competition.” Sophomore Rebekah Hadle said she likes forensics because it helps her grow as an actress. “It helps me speak in front of people and have correct grammar when I’m speaking,” Hadle said. “I also like it because I can meet new people, or make stronger bonds with people I already know.”
-Audrey Brodie
Because I’m ‘ Appy
(news)
The Reporter • May 2014
It’s easy to get lost in time while searching through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, many of us spend hours upon hours looking into the lives of others. Senior Alicia Schoenberger said that is what she thinks is the main reason for the time spent on these apps. “I spend a lot of time on these apps because I just like seeing what people are doing, but not in a creepy way, it’s just interesting,” Schoenberger said. Schoenberger said these apps are popular because everyone has them so other people decide to get them. “If you’re on social media, well it’s just kind of typical for everyone to have one, so I guess you’re just being part of the crowd,” Schoenberger said.
Students spend time on variety of mobile applications ashley everhart reporter
Social media
Clash of Clans
A new app called Clash of Clans has created a takeover. This app consists of building up one’s village and defeating rival clans. One of the many who have succumbed to this addiction is sophomore Trent Rosner. Rosner said he thinks this take-over is caused by the feel of making it to the next level in the game. “Games where you can level up on your stuff tend to be really addictive. Leveling up, it’s kind of like a separate life,” Rosner said. He also thinks the apps people use say a lot about themselves. “It shows what they think is valuable,” Rosner said. “Like some people have Facebook and Twitter, I have games.”
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Photo by Ashley Everhart
“BAD BAD BAD. This app is not what it seems,” is one of 607 bad reviews for the app Talking Angela. Freshman Dalton Rankin ignored the reviews and friends’ warnings, and downloaded the app. “Everyone was talking about it, so I just wanted to see if it was true,” Rankin said. The app - falsely - has the ability to hack into a device, look through the camera, get access to all passwords and personally chat with people to gain private information. Rankin said after downloading the app he was not deterred by the apps lame attempts to freak him out, but the rest of his class was. “No , I wasn’t freaked out, I mean I would have if it was different, if it were actually real,” Rankin said.
Talking Angela
Flappy Bird
Junior Ellie Jones said she had only just downloaded the app, Flappy Bird and gotten accustomed to the consistent tapping and coordination required by the game when suddenly it was ripped right out of her tapping fingers. “I had only played on the original Flappy Bird for a short period of time before its removal,” Jones said. To make up for the hole Flappy Bird left in her heart, Jones found play-offs of Flappy Bird. “I just felt like ‘OK’, but I did want to continue playing it so I just went to the Google play store and found knock-offs of the original,” Jones said. Jones also said that she thinks there is a right app out there for everyone. “There are unique apps for each unique individual,” Jones said.
Freshman Abbie Upshaw checks her Instagram during make-up day. Upshaw says that this is her favorite app because she likes seeing what other people do in their daily lives.
Apps by the numbers
1 in 10 17.5% students favorite said apps are a waste
of time
67%
have been addicted to an app
app: Clash of Clans
1 in 10 want a app
that makes them food don’t have a
10% favorite app
Information from a Reporter survey of 20 percent of students.
4(ads)
The Reporter May 2014
(opinion)
The Reporter • May 2014
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Look at the silver lining When times are hard, there’s always hope tristan barnes reporter To the greater population, hope may just seem like a four-letter word with little meaning; but to me, that is not the case. Hope is something that possesses great power. The concept in itself is wonderful and should be treated as such. By now, most people know something about how the past year has played out for me. If you are unfamiliar, then let me tell you it has not been easy. I have been both a physical and emotional wreck.
My body is attacked constantly and I am powerless. Or so it would seem. If you haven’t already guessed where I’m going. you will soon find out. Power comes from within. Hope comes from within. When I let myself think that I have no hope or that I am powerless, I become both. I’m going to assume I am still not making any sense and try to spell it out loud and clear. I am telling you right here and now that without hope , you will be nothing. Trials come and go
everyday, but it is those who have hope who survive. My favorite acronym defines the word in a way that makes this evident. H.O.P.E. Hold On Pain Ends. Pain is unavoidable and it sucks, but giving up is the easy way out. Value in yourself and your dreams will ultimately lead you to success. I’ve never really thought much about what my last statement to my fellow students would be, but this is it. Get up every day and be thankful. Live your life to the fullest, and never give up hope.
Dear senior jerds:
Cartoon by Katie Biggs
3 tips to make school easier jessica schasteen reporter In life, you learn lessons later on that you wish you would have learned sooner. In high school, I came across three of these kinds of lessons, and once I learned them, high school was a lot more enjoyable.
First lesson: Don’t worry about your grades.
We’re going to miss you. Thanks for your leadership and expertise. The Reporter and Panther staffs and Mrs. Chayer
I know teachers don’t want to see this, but hear me out. I’m not saying to slack off and fail every class. What I am saying is, if you get a bad grade, don’t dwell on it. Just move on. You will have plenty more tests, quizzes and homework grades that you can do well on. Also, getting a 4.0 is not everything. I thought it was, until I got my first B. It seemed like the world was going to end, but, hey, it didn’t. Just because you get
below a 4.0 doesn’t mean you’re stupid. Don’t look at those other students who have a 4.0 and wonder why you can’t be “as smart” as them, or how it is that they are “better” than you. Some people who have a 4.0 only have it because they took the classes that are hard to fail.
Second lesson: Don’t worry about what other people think of you. If you have to work hard to impress somebody, then their opinion probably doesn’t matter. There are these people around you called your friends. These people don’t care about your grades, how much money you have, your possessions, etc. All they care about is you as a person. If somebody is going to judge you for what you have or don’t have, or for who you are, then they aren’t worth your time.
Third lesson: People change. Yeah, who would have thought? In high school, people
tend to grow up. Deal with it. Yes, maybe part of the reason that people are changing is because they are trying to impress that one group, but I personally believethey really are just growing up. When the people around you change, it is up to you to decide if that change is for the better or worse. If it’s for the better, encourage them. Everything is going to be fine. If it happens to be a change for the worse, then maybe that is a sign you don’t need them anymore. Maybe these lessons don’t apply to you and that’s fine. But my advice would be to find what is stressing you out in high school and fix it. If it’s grades, get help with your homework or chill out about getting that A. If it’s people, then separate yourself from them. If they don’t appreciate you, don’t bother appreciating them. The way I see it, if you’re stuck here for four years, you might as well make them as painless as possible, and do your best to make them enjoyable.
(opinion)
Free at last
The Reporter • May 2014
Sayonara, Paola High School. I can’t say I’ll miss you. This school has been a blessing and I am truly heartbroken to see my four years at this wonderful institution come to a close. HA. JUST KIDDING. aly johnson editor-in-chief I am not going to lie to everyone. I am not going to spout the typical, cliché nonsense about how this school has molded me into the person I am today and without it, I would be lost. I am not going to say that I have truly cherished every moment here and will carry the memories I’ve made with me forever. I am not going to talk about how utterly crushed I am to leave this town and all of its wonderful occupants. Because, quite frankly, those would be lies. I am not sad to leave. In fact, I can’t wait. It’s nothing personal, really, high school has just not been my cup of tea. Not a single day has gone by at this school where I didn’t think to myself ‘wow I hate school.’ And, maybe I’m wrong, but I really don’t think that’s how it’s supposed to be. When I went to Holy Trinity, school was fantastic. I woke up every morning full of excitement, and I went home every day full of so much happiness and joy that it was normal to have stomachaches from laughing so hard—yes, I know… isn’t it crazy to believe that laughing was actually OK in school?? I can’t believe that *gasp* students were actually allowed to openly express their joy! How absurd! But that’s because, at Holy Trinity, school was about more than just cramming in the curriculum and skating by. It was a place where the students, teachers and administration genuinely cared about each other. It was a place where everyone was like one big family, and school was like our home away from home. It was a place where everyone could openly express themselves without being judged. It was a place where free thought was encouraged and open discussions were a daily occurrence. It was a place where everyone had a voice. It was a place where we were taught to not only to be good students, but to be good people.
Holy Trinity placed value on what was actually important, and I grew more as an individual in one day at Holy Trinity than I ever did throughout my four years at Paola High School. Maybe I got lucky and what Holy Trinity had was just really rare and special, but I certainly hope that’s not the case. I hope school isn’t supposed to feel the way it has felt here, because I know this is not how it should be. School shouldn’t make me dread the sound of my alarm clock every morning, knowing I have to drag myself out of bed to waste away seven hours of my day. School shouldn’t make me want to turn around and go back home the second I enter the building. School shouldn’t be a place where students are afraid to be themselves because they feel judged. School shouldn’t be a place where students feel like they have to write bomb threats on the walls just to have their voice heard. School shouldn’t just be about getting through the curriculum and following the same exact monotonous routine day after day. School shouldn’t be a place where mindlessness and mediocrity are the standard. Open your eyes. School does not have to be this way. Administrators, take it easy. This is high school, not prison. Teachers, get to know your students as more than just a face in a classroom and show them you care. Switch up your routine and realize that it’s OK to steer from the book every once in a while. Students, look out for each other and don’t be too quick to judge. Let people express themselves as they please—individuality is a good thing. And, while there have been a few teachers and classes at this school that I have really loved and appreciated (hopefully you know who you are), unfortunately they have been very few and far between. So good riddance, PHS. I can confidently say I won’t miss you.
Photo by Lexi Loya
(opinion)
The Reporter • May 2014
Chin up, fluff forward
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learning that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes erin brown yearbook student life editor
Editor-in-Chief: Aly Johnson Managing Editor: Katie Biggs Online Editor: Whitney McDaniel Sports Editor: Brooke Prothe Reporters: Audrey Brodie, Katharina Dietz, Natalie Eppler, Ashley Everhart, Eric Haefele, Mariona Olasz, Megan Stover Ad Manager: Lauren Wood Adviser: BriAnne Chayer
photo illustration by Natalie Franz
in store for you so don’t worry. Keep your chin up and your fluff forward.” Her words made me feel like I was actually worth something, like I really mattered. She made me see that, even though it didn’t feel like it at the time, I could make a difference in the world. And lastly, me. I’ve inspired myself with the vast knowledge I have gained over the years. I know it seems a bit selfish to say I’m my own inspiration, but it’s true. I’ve learned so much about myself and I continue inspiring myself daily. So, if you’re like me and you’re tired of feeling like you aren’t “beautiful,” then stop listening to what society has to say about you. Listen to your heart and push yourself. Be all that you can be. Be beautiful.
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.
editorial policy
Volume 89 Issue 6
was as a person. I felt dehumanized, broken, and empty. I was more-or-less a ghost of a person who used to exist. But as hard as it was enduring the pain others put me through, I painted on a smile and acted like the words didn’t hurt. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not saying you should plaster on a smile and pretend you’re not hurting because that makes you feel worse inside. But I want to give you the whole gist of how I went through my school years. Although I had suffered in school, in high school things were different. I began to see that everyone had their flaws, but no one really seemed to care. I started to think that maybe if I was lucky, I could make it through high school unnoticed by the cruel people I had to deal with in years past. I spent my nights cramming mind-numbing information into my head while also hearing the echo of hurtful words in the back of my mind. I would cry almost every night praying that someday I would get the chance to be the skinny person instead of the “chubby, but hilarious” friend. Sometimes it was hard falling asleep because I knew that I would forever be in the friend slot as the “chubby friend” and nothing more. But, I kept pushing through. Junior year was probably the best year for me. I began seeing that in the two years I had been stuck in this prison (aka: Paola High School), no one seemed to care that I was a nugget. They saw me as a human being. During the summer before my senior year, I began working out, eating better and becoming the best me that I could. I lost 20 pounds. and felt amazing coming into my senior year. Along the road though, I was given words of wisdom from some pretty inspiring people. My favorite comedian Gabriel Iglesias said, “I’m not fat, I’m fluffy.” His take on the word fat made me see that I didn’t have to sit back and take the blows to my self-esteem, I just needed some comic relief to ease the pain. Then my amazing mother said to me, “You’re always beautiful baby, no matter what. God has something amazing
mission statement
the
reporter
the staff
I’ve been a big girl my whole life, and let me just say as great as having curves is, it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. People today find flaws with the fact that some of us are made differently. But, I’m here to tell you that they don’t know what beauty truly is. My whole life I’ve searched for the answer to what “beauty” really is, and I’ve found what I believe is the correct answer. Beauty is being yourself. It’s knowing that you are something amazing and that you have a purpose. It is learning that although people think they are better than you, they aren’t. You’re as beautiful as you believe you are. That lesson has taken me 18 years to figure out. As a child, I was happy being whatever size, I just did my own thing and didn’t care what others had to say. That all changed when I started noticing that the other kids were much smaller than me. Thinner, shorter and all around just hobbitsized! I felt like a giant in a miniature world, can you imagine how devastated I was?! That started in third grade. I mean I’d always been a little bit chubby, and no matter what I would do to try and reverse my chubbified body, I couldn’t. I changed everything about myself, and constantly trying to do everything I could to make myself better, make myself “beautiful.” But it was harder than I thought. I played sports, ate better and pushed myself, but it didn’t show. When I would go to a doctor’s appointment, they would hurt my self-esteem just like the kids at school. I was teased daily, and when I wasn’t being teased, I was worrying about what the world would think of a “fatty” like me. School was hard for me and to be the victim of bullying was heart-breaking because I knew that it wasn’t right but I didn’t attempt to stop it. I was afraid that I would be made fun of even more, but as the years went on, I began to lose who I
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.
2014
The Reporter • May 2014
(features)
Pursuing dreams for the future
Jones said. When not studying, Jones said she will take a marathon training class, participate in the Bod Squad, a club similar to the Rat Pack, travel and work at McDonalds. “I want to go on mission trips out of the country,” Jones said. “Probably somewhere they don’t have a lot of food. I kind of want to see what it is like in another country.” Jones said she will come home from college often. “I don’t think I could last two weeks without everybody here,” Jones said. “I will miss all my friends I have acquired here and Robotics.” Guidance Counselor Deanell Wieland said it is important for college students to have a support system. “You may not have all the support that you have right here at high school with friends and family,” Wieland said. “You have to learn to cultivate your own support.”
Jones said she feels more secure about college than most and that this security will help her to succeed. “I am most anxious and excited to get into an actuary program,” Jones said.
natalie eppler reporter
Next fall, the dream of Senior Andrew Henn will become a reality. He will throw the javelin on a partial scholarship for the Razorbacks at the University of Arkansas. “I’m ecstatic,” Henn said. “It was a dream to be able to go Division One in a sport.” Henn said he decided he would be throwing at the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2013. “I told my friends and family and they were really excited,” Henn said. “I’m ready to get out on my own and see what I can do.”
Henn said his goal for college athletics is to place at the SEC conference track meet and the national track meet. To achieve this goal, Henn will work out year round. He will be stretching, lifting and strengthening his quick twitch muscles. “You need to be really flexible, really strong and just keep your body healthy,” Henn said. Henn said his ultimate goal is to throw the javelin 230 feet. On April 19, Henn placed first in the javelin event at Kansas Relays held at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence with a throw of 192 feet; throwing farther than athletes from across the country who also competed. “After you throw it and it’s still in the air it’s just cool to watch and anticipate how far it went,” Henn said. Henn said college competitions will be every week during the spring. The team will travel to Oregon, California and Texas.
“Have fun,” guidance counselor Danelle Wieland said. “You have responsibilities, but definitely take advantage of opportunities that can help you grow.” Henn said he will also spend between four and six years studying business finance at the University of Arkansas in the hope of opening an investment brokerage similar to Edward Jones. “I’m good with numbers and I like math, so I feel like that might be a good area for me to go into,” Henn said. Investment brokers place trades for investors in the stock market, provide retirement advice and give clients tax tips. As payment, the broker receives a portion of the investor’s profits according to the Investopedia Encyclopedia website. “It will be nice to meet new people and experience new things,” Henn said. “Hopefully I will be able to enjoy it.”
Emily Fredock: The Psychologist
Austin Smith: The Actor
Senior Austin Smith will spend the next two years doing what most students do in four. “I’m really looking forward to focusing specifically on my acting career and focusing on enhancing my training and skills,” Smith said. “It’s very intense training.” Smith said he plans to study acting at Stevens College in Columbia Mo. He will take a variety of courses including: acting, improvisation, tap dancing, modern dance, ballet and theatre history. “Theater has completely changed me,” Smith said. “It has broadened my definition of living and allowed me to express myself fully.” Smith first became interested in acting seven or eight years ago when he watched a performance of the Seussical at the high school. “I was awestruck afterwards by the sheer volume of the show and knew instantly that, that was what I wanted to do,” Smith said. To prepare for college, Smith said he plans to attend an intense summer training program in Okoboji, Iowa. The program begins one week after graduation.
whitney mcdaniel online editor
Andrew Henn: The Athlete
Katie Jones: The Actuary
Predicting the future with numbers is what one senior hopes to do. “I’ve always liked math,” senior Katie Jones said. “I like having straight answers and being able to figure things out in the real world with it.” Jones said she plans to become an actuary. Actuaries use numbers to evaluate the likelihood of future events, design ways to reduce the chance of bad events and decrease the impact of bad events, according to the Be An Actuary website. “When I took the career and life planning class with [Janet] Ward, that was the job they paired me with,” Jones said. Jones said she will study actuarial science at Washburn University in Topeka. She plans to attend college for three to four years. “I’m excited to get away and experience and meet new people and get involved in activities at college,”
The Reporter • May 2014
The group will perform multiple performances each Saturday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. “I am not going to get a whole lot of sleep,” Smith said. “It gets us ready for the switch of performances found in professional acting.” Smith said he will miss the theatre and will miss, theatre teacher Leslie Coats, most of all. “I wouldn’t be who I am without her,” Smith said. “She has helped me realize my potential, who I am and who I can be.” While in college, Smith will share an apartment with former graduate Husain Agha and will take classes with both Agha and Senior Libby McCormack. “It’s kind of a relief just to have one or two people that I do know there,” Smith said. After college, Smith said he plans to audition for small theater productions in big cities throughout the country. “[I am going to start with a] little Off-Broadway stuff and see if I can work my way up,” Smith said. Smith said finding a job acting is very difficult and many actors become starving artists.
“There is a lot of competition and you need to have great skills,” Smith said. “If there is anything about you that is just a little off, it can throw your audition.” Although it may be difficult to find work, Smith said he is excited to begin his acting career. “I’m ready to be out on my own and start having my
own responsibilities,” Smith said. “Entertainment is vital. We wouldn’t survive without it, and that is what I want to do.”
Senior Emily Fredock hopes to spend her life fixing the brokenness she finds in other people. “I want to be that person that gives [the mentally disabled] stability, helps them find their center and helps them get better,” Fredock said.
Fredock plans to work in a psychiatric hospital and hopes to focus on helping teens. “I like being around them,” Fredock said. “I feel like it would be the perfect place for me.” Fredock said to work at the hospital she must first
receive a mental health and rehabilitation degree. She plans to attend The University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. The program will take between six and eight years to complete. “I have a lot of good friends in Georgia,” Fredock said. “They are supportive of what I want to do and I will get to visit them more often.” To attend college Fredock will move 901 miles away from home, according to the Distance From To website. For Fredock, the worst part is moving away from some of her close friends. “I’m going to start my life, but I am kind of going to miss my childhood here,” Fredock said. Moving away from friends is not new Fredock said, but this time it will be different. “I am actually leaving on my own,” Fredock said. “It’s not my parent’s decision, it’s my own.” Before leaving, Fredock hopes to make a lasting impact. “I wasn’t really here through high school,” Fredock said. “I want to do something so that they will remember me.”
Guidance Counselor Deanell Wieland said college is an opportunity to have a fresh start. “It is completely up to you,” Wieland said. “There is no one there to tell you what to do and your time is completely how you spend it.” While at college, Fredock plans to live in an apartment and hopefully work two jobs. “It would be really cool to be a coffee barista and a musician. I write my own [music] and sing acoustic and alternative music,” Fredock said. “I hope it goes somewhere.” Fredock said from a young age she has been interested in people with mental illnesses and why things affect them differently. After college, Fredock hopes to work at the Manhattan Psychiatric Hospital in New York. “If people are broken, I want to fix them,” Fredock said. “They are constantly broken, constantly empty and that is what I thrive on.”
10 (academics)
The Reporter • May 2014
I regret...
Trumbly, Gregg, Rayne, Golbuski tell biggest regrets
katharina dietz reporter
Jace Trumbly Senior Jace Trumbly has played baseball during high school. Because of his commitment to baseball, he was too busy to participate in other sports. He regrets not playing other high school sports, such as basketball or football. “I was always just busy doing baseball stuff in the winter,” Trumbly said. While all his friends participated in other activities, he was playing baseball. “It just would have been fun to go out there and play with all my friends in front of the school,” Trumbly said. If he could do high school all over again, he said he would definitely play basketball and would advise others to do so. “Make the most out of high school sports,” Trumbly said.
Autumn Gregg As a sophomore, Autumn Gregg said she planned to become a psychiatrist. She decided to graduate early, because of the amount of schooling the job requires.. Now, Gregg is a senior and only has a couple more days of school left. Gregg said she regrets her decision to graduate as a junior because she won’t be graduating with the class she grew up with, but with a class that she hasn’t socialized with. “Now that it’s becoming real, it’s kind of sad,” she said “I’m probably going to cry at graduation.” When Gregg changed her plans to become a neonatal nurse, she held on to her decision to graduate early. Even though she regrets it a little bit and it is sad to her right now, Gregg said it will be worth it in the long run.
Libby Rayne As a freshman in high school, senior Libby Rayne tried to get involved and strived for the things everyone in high school seemed to strive for, such as being well liked, getting 4.0s, having a good image and getting involved. “It was hard for me, because I was so different from everyone else,” Rayne said. “And, for a long time I believed that all of these teams and clubs and things would make my high school career one to remember.” It took Rayne until her junior year before she started seeing things differently. She said she saw that teachers played favorites and that Student Council was only a popularity contest. Rayne started being quiet and watched the students around her. “It became apparent to me that the popular kids are only popular by their own definitions,” Rayne said. “It came into my understanding that the rules by which my peers lived were the very rules and systems that have brought our world to ashes.” She now regrets being blind to the system for part of her high school time. “I wish that from the start I would have been my own person,” Rayne said. “I wish I wouldn’t have cared about what everyone thought. It is a sick veil to live under.” Rayne said high school should be centered on developing fully happy, wellrounded people and on discovering their talents instead of focusing on curricular activities and fame. “I truly believe the people who try and be the poster child for Paola High School—I don’t think they have found themselves,” Rayne said.
Brett Golbuski Brett Golubski, senior, said he has probably skipped school about five times, but got caught only once. “It was a pretty big rush,” Golubski said. “I had a lot of fun.” After he got caught, it wasn’t fun anymore. Golubski recieved three and a half hours of Friday school, couldn’t opt out of finals and got in trouble with his dad. Golubski said he skipped school because he was tired of school and the weather was nice outside, too. “I skipped just to have a little fun,” he said. “My dad kept telling me it was a bad decision, but sometimes bad decisions make great stories.” Now, Golubski regrets his decision. He said he’s not sure if it was worth skipping, because of Friday school and the conversation with his dad. Since he was caught, Golubski hasn’t skipped.
Seniors bid farewell Butler, Finch say goodbye to friends, family audrey brodie reporter Senior Burgess Butler said her friends have been a big part of life during her years at the high school. “They’re just somebody to talk to, vent to and be weird with,” Butler said. Senior Cameron Finch said counselor Justin Elliott helped him survive high school. “When I transferred here, he’s the one who helped me the most,” Finch said. “He was really supportive.” Butler said she doesn’t think it will be hard to say goodbye and is looking forward to moving on. “I plan on staying in touch with my close friends,” Butler said. Finch said it will be hard to say farewell to his parents because he’s never had to live without them. Government teacher Cristie Sims said she always regrets not knowing some of her students on a more personal level at the end of the semester. She likes to know the people she teaches, but there isn’t always time. “There’s not always the opportunity, especially with students I only have for one semester,” Sims said. “There’s certain content I have to cover, and there isn’t always time to have a 10-minute conversation.” Finch said his parents were a big help to him throughout his life. Math teach Lisa Collier said she loves when her students come back to visit. “My students come back to visit with a year or two of college under their belts and they tell me they didn’t realize how easy they had it [during their time here],” Collier said. Sims said she enjoys seeing how life in the big world has affected her former students. “Some of them are a little nostalgic about being here. Now they have a bigger frame of reference,” Sims said. Collier said that her final words to her students are to be the best. “Always strive to be the best you can be,” Collier said. “I see their potential, I just hope they see it.” Sims said she is going to miss her seniors, but is glad they are moving on and can’t wait to see what their futures have in store. “Be happy and dream big,” Sims said. “Challenges are only as big as you make them.”
(features)
The Reporter • May 2014
11
Expanding horizons Drummond, Gulley get ready to get the best out of once-in-a-life-time opportunity mariona olasz reporter Sophomores Cybil Drummond and Israel Gulley will be spending a year in a different country and learn a different way of life. Drummond decided to become an exchange student to explore the world. “I’ve lived here in Paola all my life and I don’t really know what life is like out of Paola,” Drummond said. “So [I thought] it would be a good chance to go somewhere else and just see what life is like there.” At the end of July, Drummond is going to spend her junior year in Peru, where they speak Spanish. Drummond is currently taking Spanish 1. “After like two or three months there you kind of pick [the language] up,” Drummond said. “It’s good to know it beforehand, but you don’t really really learn it until you go there. There, you get really fluent and understand it completely.” Gulley is going to spend a year in Thailand, where they speak Thai, Mandarin, several forms of each of those and English, Gulley said. “I wanted to see other cultures, different people, and kind of compare them,” Gulley
said. “And I also thought it would be a really cool experience to get myself out of my comfort zone.” Counselor Justin Elliott said it’s not common to have two exchange students in the same year, but to have one every other year. Elliott said he wanted the students to enjoy the experience as much as possible. “The exchange students that we’ve had here who got involved in school activities and made friends were the ones that were successful,” Elliott said. “But the ones who after school went straight home and went online to talk to their friends back in the country from wherever they came from didn’t have a good experience.” Drummond said she is going through this experience with the Rotary program, which nominates students from each district to become candidates to be exchange students. The top 20 to 25 students of each sophomore class are selected and are able to apply. For Gulley, being away from Paola won’t be a new experience. “I’ve been out of the country three times. I went to the Philippines when I was like 8, to Ecuador two years ago and I‘ve been to
Toxic rays: (cont’d from page 1) tanned about twice a week to look better in her dress for prom. “[For me to look the way I want,] it’ll probably take a month,” she said. Loar said she suffered from a burn when she first started tanning. “It was really bad… my eyes were burnt too and I was red and sore,” she said. Like Paulsen, Loar said she is not concerned about the risk of skin cancer. “I don’t go very often, and I’ve only been burnt once,” she said. Junior Madison Armbruster did not tan for prom. “I don’t think they realize it really ups their chances of getting cancer,” Armbruster said. “They don’t realize how soon they could die from melanoma.” Armbruster said she doesn’t tan mainly because of the
Photo illustration by Katharina Dietz Sophomores Cybil Drummond and Israel Gulley will spend their junior year in Peru and Thailand respectively.
Mexico,” Gulley said. However, being an exchange student and being away from his family and friends will be a new experience. Gulley said that he doesn’t know what to expect out of this experience since he has never been an exchange student before. “I know that it probably will change me and make me more mature, but I haven’t experienced it, so I can’t know what exactly is going to happen,” Gulley said. Elliott said to be engulfed in another culture, language and traditions is a very amazing, but hard experience.
risk. “Cancer already runs in my family anyway, and I don’t want to do anything else that could increase my chances,” she said. Armbruster said people can use safer methods, to attain the tan they want. “I use the tanning lotion, and it has already gotten me pretty tan,” she said. “There is a ton of stuff at Wal-Mart, and they have the gradual kind that you can stop whenever you want.” Page said that for some girls, the risk of cancer may be justified. However, most may be uninformed or have not had any experience with cancer personally. “Society especially has put out that tanning is prettier and being tan is more desirable,” she said. Page said a lot of the time the risks of tanning are downplayed. “Most tanning salons tell people, ‘it’s OK. It’s safe’,” she
“All the exchange students that have come back agreed that it opened their eyes,” Elliott said. But at the same time it would be really hard to stay away from friends and family for a whole school year. “I wouldn’t recommend this experience to everybody,” Elliott said. Drummond knows what she wants to get out of this completely new experience. “I expect to be able to speak fluent Spanish afterwards, but I also expect to just have a fun time, and remember what I learned there,” Drummond said.
said. “But excessive tanning, no matter how you get it, can cause skin cancer.” Page said she didn’t take as much precaution as she should have the first time she was diagnosed. “I was still at the age where a tan was pretty,” she said. “It wasn’t until my second diagnosis that I began to take it more seriously.” Page said she was bed-ridden for weeks after her surgery. “They had to go in and cut a hole out of my leg and do a skin graph on it,” she said. Page said depending on the stage of cancer, the doctor may want to see if it has spread to your lymph nodes. “With melanoma, your lymph nodes are the first place it’ll spread,” she said. Page said if the cancer does spread to your lymph nodes, you may need to undergo chemotherapy. “However, it’s a very fast, aggressive cancer,” she said. “You want to make sure you take care of it quickly.”
12 (entertainment)
conspiracy 9/
It’s a
Students, staff share beliefs regarding conspiracy theories
mermaids
aly johnson editor-in-chief
After the documentary Mermaids: The Body Found was aired on the Discovery Channel, many students became believers that a half-human, half-fish creature lives within the expanses of the ocean. Amongst those is junior Tiana Moala. “I had never really thought about mermaids until I watched that documentary, but after watching it, I totally believed it,” Moala said. “People have told me it wasn’t real, but I don’t listen to them. Life is more fun when you believe in cool things.” However, senior Dustin Rojohn said it’s bogus. “The ‘video evidence’ in that documentary was digitally manufactured and the
‘scientists’ in it were actors,” Rojohn said. “So if you’re basing your belief on that one documentary, you should reconsider.” Sophomore Gunnar Baldwin agrees. “No real evidence of mermaids has been found,” Baldwin said. “Most of the supposed mermaid sightings were just of sea cows.” However, despite the lack of evidence, Moala said the possibility of mermaids can’t be ruled out. “The ocean is so vast and unexplored that there could be anything out there,” Moala said. “They thought the giant squid wasn’t real, but it is real, so that’s the same thing that’s going on with mermaids.”
Amongst other conspiracy theories, the existence of extra terrestrials—aliens—is widely debated. Senior Karsten Gray said the possibility of the existence of another life form is almost impossible to rule out. “You don’t have to see one to know that they’re out there,” Gray said. “You would be naïve to believe that we are the only life form in this galaxy.” Baldwin agreed. “The thought that we are alone in this vast universe that consists of light years upon light years is kind of ignorant,” Baldwin said. Baldwin said it is possible that aliens are kept in Area 51, a secret Air Force Base located in the Nevada desert. “There might be some proof of extraterrestrials that they’re keeping in Area 51 because—let’s be honest—if anybody ever actually did find solid proof and it got out to the public, there would be mass
panic,” Baldwin said. “People would be questioning their religions, their ideals on life in general—they would be questioning everything, because they would be freaking out that there are these beings that are more intelligent and more advanced than us who have traveled here.” However, senior Jamie Silvers said he does not believe this theory. “I think humans are the supreme beings of this world, and I think the Earth is the ultimate place to live,” Silvers said. “I think everything else—all the planets and all the stars—are just things to look up to, but I don’t think they’re inhabitable. I just don’t see there being any life on any other planet or any other space.” Silvers said people are gullible and get sucked into conspiracy theories too easily. “I think when people get bored, they start using these conspiracies to try to add things to their life that aren’t really there,” Silvers said. “But I think once you start to believe in something beyond what you can actually grasp, you get carried away.”
aliens
The Reporter • May 2014
On Sept. 11, 2011 a devastating terrorist attack on the United States left the nation in shock, causing billions of dollars in damage and taking thousands of lives— or so we think. Since the attack, countless conspiracy theories have formulated in an attempt to unveil the truth behind what really happened on 9/11. Amongst those 9/11 conspirists is senior Seth Slayman. “I’m just suggesting this—I’m not sure if it’s realistic or not—but Hilter performed a giant attack on the Reichstag and blamed it on the Russians, when really it was just Germany bombing themselves, so I don’t have any evidence, but I’m just saying it could be possible here,” Slayman said. “As Ab Soul (hip hop artist) once quoted, ‘I saw Hitler in the picture when the twin towers dropped.’” Although Slayman doesn’t know what the U.S. government’s motive would be behind performing an attack on itself, sophomore Rilee Kurkowski has a theory. “I believe the government did it for money to
go over to Afghanistan and all those other countries to get oil,” Kurkowski said. “They wanted to be safe about going and invading other countries, so I think the government got together and planned the 9/11 attack.” Sophomore Jake Walker has also heard various conspiracy theories regarding 9/11, but he said he chooses not to believe them. “I’ve seen a show about it and there are people who say it was a hoax and it didn’t really happen or that we did it to ourselves and all that, but that’s kind of stupid because it was on TV and people saw it happen,” Walker said. Freshman Ted Smith agrees that the 9/11 conspiracy is way off-base. “Why would we go to war and spend millions fighting against terrorism if we did it to ourselves?” Smith said. “People are ignorant to believe that.” While people may never know for sure, junior Kate Sample said she likes to keep her mind open to the possibility that this conspiracy theory could be true. “I believe that nothing is impossible, only improbable,” Sample said.
The Illuminati
“Novus ordo seclorum.” For some, these are just seen as three Latin words written on the dollar bill, but for senior Shelly Macke, they are seen as the translation “New order of the ages” and are one of the many ways the Illuminati has subliminally shown its control over the government since it was founded in 1776. According to Macke, the Illuminati is a group of elitists whose executive goal is to establish a new-world order, or a one-world government, and bring about the downfall of our economies and the death of nearly every nation. “They subliminally control us through the media. Social media, radio, TV—you name it, they are the reason it’s there,” Macke said. “We have been told a lie our whole lives—and I’m not talking about Santa Claus.” Senior Noah Franz said the Illuminati uses symbolism and the media to have a major impact on world culture. “In the 1960s, the CIA used brainwashing techniques and Illuminati symbology as a mind-control technique to get people to do whatever they wanted,” Franz said. “Even today there is still a lot of symbolism in the
media that could be construed as Illuminati symbolism. To me, it is our entire culture. The all-seeing eye (the eye of Horus), for example, is seen everywhere. I know that the Illuminati still has ties with the government.” Art teacher Susan Blankenship said the concept of a group of powerful individuals controlling the government is viable. “I’m sure there is an organization of mostly old, white, rich men who do pretty much control the world,” Blankenship said. “I think there always will be. When you put money, power and greed together, there is a power vacuum and someone is always going to fill it.” Macke said the Illuminati is still very much in control. “But with the Illuminati, they don’t just broadcast themselves with their name under them like ‘hey we’re just a group of elitists that control you and everything you do’,” Macke said. “Instead, they give us music that we like. They give us TV shows that entertain us. They give us drugs. They dumb us down and pop us full of pills to keep us stupid and at bay.” For more on the Illuminati, go to phsjournalism.com
13 Seniors’ sports highlights (sports)
The Reporter • May 2014
Players’top lists of state aspirations, winning memories
Softball: Kaylee Hill
Years Competed: 2
Age Started: 4
Age Started: 16 Photo by: Brooke Prothe
Why she started: “I loved watching my older sisters play when I was younger.”
whitney mcdaniel online editor
Track: Katie-Jo Kirk
Years Played: 14
Position: Catcher
brooke prothe sports editor
Events: 1 mile, 2 mile, 4x800
Golf: Laike Walters Years Played: 17 Age Started: 1
Photo by: Natalie Eppler
Why she started: “I did cross country my sophomore year and I loved all the friendships I made.”
Photo by: Isa Loya
Why he started: “My grandma got me a plastic set of golf clubs when I was one.”
Inspiration: “I want to win state and get a state ring.”
Inspiration: “I’m inspired by those who strive to improve and who look to do their best all the time.”
Inspiration: “Tiger Woods shows me you can be your best one week and your worst the next. That keeps me wanting to play, to have fewer worse weeks.”
Favorite Memory: “My favorite memory is getting my first homerun when I was 9 years old.”
Favorite Memory: “Definitely winning state in 2012. It was an awesome goal that we reached and I would love to do it again this year.”
Favorite Memory: “My favorite memory is when I took ninth place at state my junior year.”
Swim: Jessica Schasteen
Tennis: Zach Chapman
Baseball: Brock Huber Years Played: 13
Years Played: 10
Age Started: 5
Age Started: 7
Position: Catcher
Why she started: “My older sister swam and told me it was fun so I decided to give it a try.”
Photo by: Erin Winterscheid
Why he started: “My dad got me started. It was his favorite sport.” Inspiration: “I love watching Derek Jeter play. He plays basesball for all the right reasons.” Favorite Memory: “My favorite memory is when we won the legion state title and when I caught Trey Taylor’s no hitter.”
Years Played: 4
Photo by: Whitney McDaniel
Inspiration: “I like knowing I can do better and I can improve from whatever I did last time.” Favorite Memory: “The state meet in2011. We were in a tornado warning, which postponed the meet. We had a senior with us who was missing graduation. In the shelter, we sang while she thanked strangers for‘attending her graduation.’ She wore her cap and gown when we received state medals for the 400 freestyle relay.”
Age Started: 14 Photo by: Eric Haefele
Why he started: “I enjoyed playing badminton freshman year in P.E. class, so I though I’d play tennis.” Inspiration: “I love playing every day.” Favorite Memory: “Playing tennis at Mill Valley and watching a teammate accidentally get into the wrong van.”
14 (sports)
Running down memory lane eric haefele reporter
Senior Cayman Long remembers hitting the game winner at Ottawa on Jan 10. “The whole crowd just erupted and it was beautiful,” Long said. “It was awesome seeing all of my friends go crazy helping celebrate the victory.” Senior Lauren Frederick said she remembers making history when both boys’ and girls’ basketball won substate Mar 8, for the first time in school history. “It was an ‘awe’ moment,” Frederick said. “Both teams worked hard.” Freshman Matti Morgan said she remembers being able to be a part of the girls’ substate championship game. “At first it was nerve-racking, but once I got in, it felt like a normal game and I knew I had a job to do,” Morgan said. Sophomore PJ Capettini said he remembers getting the opportunity to go to regionals for wrestling. “My coach allowed me to go, so being able to go was awesome,” Capettini said. All of these memories were the greatest moments each of these individuals had this year in sports. Long said he has been motivated to do try his best ever since he was a little kid and so it was a great year for him to end on as a senior. Long’s teammates have helped time go by for him at school and sports have given him something to look forward to. All of these things make his career a memorable one. The joy of running and the team atmosphere are two reasons Frederick has competed in track. “I like being able to do more than one thing,” Frederick said. While substate for basketball was the greatest moment of the year for Frederick, she said it still isn’t her greatest memory of her whole career. “It was really cool to win the state championship for the 4x8 relay last year,” Frederick said. The reward of the girls team winning state track Frederick’s sophomore year is another memorable moment for her and she hopes they can do just as well this year. “I’ve gone through health complications the last couple of years and all my teammates have been very positive about it all and encouraging,” Frederick said. Morgan said she feels like she has accomplished a lot for her freshman year. “It has given me some experience so I will know what it will feel like in the big moments,” Morgan said. Morgan has made it her goal this year to make it to the varsity level in all of the sports she can, because she knows she has worked hard. She said her teammates give her confidence which helps her know she can do it. That confidence has been building for a long time for her.
“I’ve always played [sports] since I was little and I’ve kept working hard on them,” Morgan said. Capettini has participated in football since he was little as well, and looks on his season as successful. “I feel like I did better than last year, but I can still do better,” Capettini said. Capettini works hard to get better next year by lifting weights so he can get stronger. His teammates help him as well. “They motivate me and they are like my brothers,” Capettini said. Along with Morgan and Frederick, athletic director Jeff Hines said the greatest accomplishment in sports this year was both basketball teams making it to state. He said the greatest individual moments of this year that he watched was sophomore Taylor Williams shot near the end of the substate basketball championship game and the game winning touchdown in double overtime against Louisburg in football. “Seeing the entire visitor’s bleachers empty at Louisburg and all of the Paola fans gather around the end zone to watch the conclusion of the overtime game was definitely memorable,” Hines said. “It’s always nice to remind Louisburg who the top school in Miami County is.” Hines said the amount of dedication by coaches and student athletes is very fortunate to have. Summer camps, working out in the gym, athletes staying after practice putting in extra time, practice every day over the entire season, and practicing over the weekend when a practice is cancelled due to weather are all things, Hines said, students do. “Not only do our students work hard to get into shape they also spend hours watching game film to prepare mentally for their next opponent,” Hines said. This dedication shows from all that has been accomplished this year. Cross country finished third at state, football made it to the final four, basketball boys and girls winning substate with boys finishing third at state, and multiple state medalists in wrestling. Hines said he expects a lot from spring sports as well, saying track, softball, and baseball are all ranked, the golf team is defending last year’s regional championship, and tennis has a chance to qualify individuals for state as well. Hines said the leadership from the seniors have helped too. “This is one of the best senior classes in school history, Hines said. “My favorite thing about this senior group is how well they get along with each other as well as how they push each other to reach both individual and team goals.”
The Reporter • March 2014
Students look back on their sports year
Photo by Whitney McDaniel
Lauren Frederick running at the Topeka-Hayden Invitational on Sept. 7. The girls’team won first place.
Louie Hare, Manager 104 W Piankishaw Paola, KS 66071
15
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The Reporter • March 2014
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16 (features) Summer to-do: on the cheap
The Reporter • May 2014
Cheap summer activities to add to your bucket list
katie biggs managing editor
1. Go for a walk (or a jog, or a run) on the new path in Wallace Park.
2. Read a good book in a hammock (where everyone knows is the best place to read good books). 3. Rent blockbuster movies you’ve never seen before and have a movie marathon (with candy and popcorn included of course). Jaws, the Back to the Future series, Jurassic Park, and E.T. are all great movies to start with. 4. Have a water balloon toss with some friends, or if you’re not that civil, go for a water balloon fight. 5. Go to a farmers’ market. Buy at least one weird thing you’ve never eaten before. 6. Get on your bike and ride (destination: ice cream cones). 7. Teach yourself the dance routine from “Thriller.” It’s like “Single Ladies” but more terrifying. 8. Have a bonfire and grill up some hot dogs and hamburgers. 9. Make plans with a friendly acquaintance from school whom you know, but never really hang out with. 10. Draw with sidewalk chalk. Just draw whatever you can think of and become Paola’s Vincent Van Gogh of sidewalk chalk. 11. Build a city out of Legos. Don’t forget to build people to inhabit your city.
Favorite summer activities of PHS
12. Do a huge jigsaw puzzle outside on a nice day while drinking homemade strawberry lemonade. 13. Go see a randomly selected $5 movie with friends. 14. Get super cheap tickets on StubHub.com and go to a Royals game. 15. Watch a fireworks show. 16. If there’s ever a rainy day, play some classic board games. Monopoly, Scrabble, and Clue are always acceptable. 17. Go on a picnic complete with a red and white checkered blanket. 18. Go camping under the stars with friends. 19. Take a day trip to Deanna Rose petting zoo and take selfies with animals. 20. Have friends over and do outdoor games like a watermelon seed spitting match, badminton tournaments, paper airplane competition, or a basketball free-throw contest.
Based off a survey of 20% of students
Information from teenadvice.about.com