The View Issue 4 Vol 23

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Park Hill South High School Riverside, Mo Issue 4, Volume 23 April 16, 2021

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Letter from the

EDITOR

Welcome back to school full time! I’m sure most of us were not ecstatic about having to wake up early all five days of the week. Most of us, though, can still appreciate seeing our oppositesection’s friends for what could be the first time in a year, feeling the life in a busy hallway during passing time, and not having to do online work any longer.

This is the View’s first issue since we came back full time, which means it’s also the first time our staff has been all together to produce an issue in a very long time. At the end of last year, our staff put out two entire issues entirely online. And now this year, we’ve put three issues without being able to be in one room together.

While it’s certainly exciting to see everyone’s facing while handing out our issues in the morning, I think it’s important for the View Staff to relish in this moment, because all their hard work in overcoming our strange cyber world has finally led them back to what is starting to feel like normalcy.

The View Staff Spring 2021 Print Co-Editors Reporters in Chief Laura Distefano Katie Claunch & Amy Graham Tyler Clippard Digital Editor in Chief Sophia Koch Design Editors Parker Rivers Emma Clark

Sophia Dunn Alice Gamble Kara Hagen Yesi Hailemariam Caleb Hicks Alyssa Kobayashi Demetrius Peters Hadley Uribe Paige Wessel Maddie Winkler

Adviser Megan Palmer

Table of Contents

Issue 4, Vol 23 April 16, 2021

News

4

Moving to all In-Person

7

Opinion Cancel Culture Entertainment

13

Shower Thoughts Sports

15

Dynamic Duo

What’s Old Becomes

New Again

Dr. Kerrie Herren moves to a permanent position as he drops interim from his principal title Some may have noticed this year that South’s principal, Dr. Kerrie Herren’s title was “interim.” For all students, regardless of grade, this was their first year at South with a new principal.

And given the sudden nature of Dr. Longeencker’s retirement last spring, it’s no surprise that the district rushed to find an interim principal to fill his spot until they could do a more traditional appointment process.

“It has been the honor of my professional career. I have enjoyed every minute connecting with our students, and working closely with our teachers and support staff in creating a school that each student can find a high sense of belonging,” Herren said.

“I also know that I am extremely lucky to be able to serve this community.”

Dr. Herren has spent his year as interim principal essentially working as any permanent principal would. Under his tenure, South has seen the emphasis on diversity and inclusion being made by administrators and staff alike. Additionally, Herren has worked closely with organizations like Senior Exec.

“Dr. Herren has been one of the most supportive administrators in the building. He is always willing to help us out in whatever way we need, and it’s been great knowing that we have the full support of the administration,” Senior Exec Vice President, Karla Gomez-Shepard, said.

Just weeks ago, the Park Hill School District announced that after a lengthy selection process (with other applicants), Dr. Herren graduated from his interim position to a permanent one.

“This was the most rigorous interview process I’ve experienced and I applaud the district in their thoroughness. There were three rounds, and six total interviews,” Herren said. “I met with students, families, staff and district administration.”

by AMY GRAHAM

Part of the interview process was a student board of evaluators.

This group was asked to answer specific questions and make a determination about which candidates were most qualified.

“I answered a lot of questions about flaws I saw in Park Hill South and gave suggestions as to how the administration could fix them,” one of the student evaluators, Sophia Nguyen, sophomore, said.

As the interview process finally concluded, it was announced that Dr. Herren would be the permanent principal at South, which has been well received by those he worked closely with.

“I’m glad he got the nomination to be principal. I think he has proven this year that he is more than capable of the job,” GomezShepard said.

Herren has additionally been straightforward about his plans for the coming years, keeping with this year’s pattern regarding the administration’s top priorities.

“Our focus on inclusion and equity will remain our top priority in our classrooms, curriculum, and extracurriculars,” Herren said.

“We also want to make sure the physical space is welcoming and inclusive for our students,” Despite the happy outcome, some concern was expressed about the student panel, and one student believes the group had little to do with the selection.

“Overall, I’m satisfied with the decision that was made,” Nguyen said. “I got the distinct sense that student input wasn’t really going to count for much in the grand scheme of things anyway.

Personally, I felt that they did it for the illusion of diversity of opinion.”

As the school year nears its end, underclassmen can only make predictions about the year to come.

NEWS 03

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W

ith the Coronavirus affecting schools everywhere throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the Park Hill School District issued a plan of online school and hybrid. This allowed students to have the choice of either going to school on specific dates (depending on last name) or online school. Each method has affected students and teachers all over the district in some way, be it positive or negative.

When the new systems of learning were introduced at the start of the year, students and teachers had mixed reactions, most of them being positive.

“I thought that it was a great idea for keeping our students as safe and comfortable as possible. I knew it would take some adjustment and extra work, but I thought it was the right choice,” said Alicia McKinney, online and hybrid teacher.

Students were also positive about hybrid learning.

“I was really excited about the new online plan when it was first introduced. Because I attended school the first semester, I understood the dynamics and felt that I wouldn’t really be missing out on the social or learning aspects,” Lola Reuscher, junior doing online, said.

Starting with Hybrid, Over 81 percent of South students choose to come to school on either A day or B day. South had the highest number of hybrid students in the district. The new system had its ups and downs for many students, one of the positives of hybrid being giving students more space to plan their schedules outside of school.

“With the hybrid schedule it was definitely a tiny bit easier to plan my schedule as I had more free time, school takes up eight hours of your day so it’s kind of limiting when you have to do that every day,” Zoie Costello, senior doing hybrid, said.

However, teachers planning lessons for classes became difficult due to the different days, especially for the teachers teaching both online and hybrid.

“It was difficult to wrap my head around how to plan for

Learning Mode Adjustments

by YESEM HAILEMARIAM

04 NEWS

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each week, and to conceptualize what things are best for at home learning, like flipped lessons, and self-guided practice activities, and what types of activities we needed to do to maximize interactions in the classroom,” Anna Thiele, Spanish, said.

Both the Hybrid and online programs for the year have been able to function with little to no issues but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Students and teachers believe that there are ways both systems can improve to benefit everyone.

“I wish we could interact with our classmates more because all we really do is just listen to the teacher do a lecture or lesson and then we leave if we don’t have any questions,” Christine Hwang, senior doing online, said.

For hybrid students all over the district, school has become a full in person learning environment which started on March 22. This announcement brought both positive and negative thoughts from students and teachers across the district. One of the biggest demands from South was to bring back early release Wednesdays.

“My thoughts on going back again are pretty mixed. I think it’s gonna be weird to see everyone again on a regular schedule every day but also I wonder how safe that is as many of us still don’t have a vaccine. But mainly I wish that now that we’re coming back, it’s to have our Wednesdays,” Costello said.

Teachers also had mixed responses to coming back all in-person.

“I trust that the data and science behind this decision means it’s safe. I worry a little bit that it will require us to quarantine more students, but [both students and teachers] have become better at communicating and providing alternate assignments on Schoology, that I think we can make it work,” said Thiele.

For the school year of 2021-2022, the Park Hill School District has given the choice to students to continue in-person learning or a new system that has built on online learning called Park Hill Online Academy, with the hopes of easing students into a new way of learning after the chaos COVID-19 has created.

C D C NEW INES L E D I st u GU m ow

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by KATIE CLAUNCH

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For a lot of people, coming back to school full time seemed daunting. Coming into school, on-campus, five days a week sounded overwhelming. It was something that used to be the norm. Unfortunately, COVID altered our understanding of what normal means. Despite how we may be feeling, there are loads of positives! Learning is more efficient, students are more motivated to get out of bed, and there are more social interactions.

Overall, school all-in-person is more beneficial to students all over the globe, including at South.

A year ago, when we switched to all online classes, students stopped doing assignments, stopped opening their laptops, and started cheating. Instead of reading through assignments or test questions, Quizlet was used. Teachers started to expect this from us. When an assignment was given, they knew what we were going to do. It was the easy way out so many students took this route.

Now that we are in-person, we have to do our work.

Most things are completed in class. We learn in class, we do our assignments in class and we take tests in class. Students’ knowledge and capabilities have clearly been improving and we owe it all to in-person learning.

Each morning, COVID or not, it can be a challenge to wake up and roll out of bed. When we were hybrid, we would think of the day ahead of us and dread it. We may have had tasks to get done, but the deadline wouldn’t have been until midnight. We were wasting as much time as possible before finally getting out of bed. This mindset changes when you have somewhere to be or something to do. It makes it so much more rewarding to get up knowing that we’ll go to school and complete an assignment, take a test or talk to our favorite teacher.

Now that we’re in-person, these are the things that drive our motivation in the morning. Although school may not be everyone’s favorite place, it gives students a reason to get up and get ready.

Social interactions, by human nature, are necessary. The mental health of humans is naturally improved when social interactions are increased. One easy way for us to get social interaction is at school. We see our friends in the hall; we talk to peers between classes or during class discussions; we interact with our teachers.

Overall, we are building relationships with those around us.

For lots of people, the only human interaction (outside of family) they get is at school. While hybrid, we only got human interaction two times a week. While fully in-person, we get it five days a week. Social interactions are necessary and are only increased while at school.

Not all students at South were ready for this change, but now that it has come, we are all reaping its benefits. Coming to school is just naturally good for humans and we’re blessed that we’re finally able to do it again.

Overall, the negatives to coming in-person are all emotional, whereas the positives are physical. We are better off in-person whether we like it this way or not. Efficiency, motivation, and interactions are all bettered through coming in-person.

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by CALEB HICKS

After almost four months of heated debate, the Park Hill District made the snap decision to bring 6-12 students back full time starting March 22. This decision came after the North Kansas City School District decided to come back.

While we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, we are not free from the Pandemic yet. Bringing students back full time creates a potentially dangerous situation for both staff and students.

The initial statement by the school district, before it was announced that students would be going back full-time, implied that they would wait until after all staff had the opportunity to get vaccinated. Clearly, that is no longer the case. There will be very few students who will be vaccinated, and yet social distancing is being thrown out the window.

There are many students who choose to pull their masks down and teachers are not always able to catch it. This will become a very significant issue if an outbreak starts at any of the schools.

The CDC’s new guidelines suggest that three-feet social distancing will work for reopening schools back fully, but with us back all in-person, it is still almost impossible to do such. In just our first day back, we hadstudents side by side and cramped together in hallways and on the stairs.

In the classrooms, there are some with over 30 students, all very close with absolutely no social distancing. Simply put, it appears that there is a blatant disregard for what was recommended as the safest option by the CDC. We all wish that life could go back to normal, but living in this time means that we need to take care of ourselves and others before we find the comfort we yearn for. More than anything, I wish this school year could have been COVID free, but we cannot push for normalcy when we still lack for sure answers. Pushing students back full time was a mistake, and I hope that the district does not regret their reckless decision.

Now, we as students have to lift our heads up high and be the test dummy for those at the top and pray that we will be able to stay safe and healthy.

OPINION 05

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One Year Ago, Today One year anniversaries of important dates during COVID

2020

by ALICE GAMBLE

March 7 - First COVID cases reported in Missouri and Kansas March 11 - COVID-19 declared a pandemic; NBA season suspended March 12 - NCAA canceled March Madness March 13 - Park Hill announced two weeks of online school March 16 - MLB season postponed March 21 - Park Hill went online through April 21 March 30 - KS statewide stay-athome order announced April 6 - MO stay-at-home order announced April 9 - Governor Mike Parsons orderd MO schools closed for rest of year June 30 -Statewide mask mandate issued for MO July 3 - Statewide mask mandate issued for KS

06 NEWS

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Cancel Culture Confusion The saying “history repeats itself” holds true today, especially for the conversation about “cancel culture” in our country.

For as long as strides have been made towards including and upholding underrepresented groups in our society, and advocating for accountability, there has been a derogatory term to knock down those efforts.

Several years ago, conservatives labeled everyone as “triggered” for caring about injustice or wrongdoing. Now, holding someone responsible is automatically “cancelling.”

It’s pretty easy to determine the flaws in how overused the attack is.

The most recent case of Dr. Seuss exemplifies this.

The minute a few pieces from the famed children’s author were halted in production, there were huge names in politics running to his defense. Alongside this, many people who couldn’t bear what was happening flocked to stores and rapidly increased sales of Seuss’ literature... only to find out they were supporting his “cancellers.”

Seuss’ own estate were the ones that initiated the process of no longer publishing a selection of books from his vast collection. They recognized some of their material was dated and had prejudiced literature and art, not appropriate for young kids, so they did something about it. The case left those attacking the event foolish to say the least.

The reality is that the rhetoric about being “offended” is constantly pressed upon by Republican voices but all they prove is their own obsession with the topic. If anything, the right spends more time on why they don’t like so-called “cancel culture” than the left does actually “cancelling” people.

But the biggest issue in regards to the language of today is not about who is winning in the individual debates or where the last laugh lies. There are two problems in this more necessary to address.

The first is the dramatic polarization of political oppositions in our country. The more often one side immediately jumps to defend anyone that the other goes after is a testament to the detrimental

increase in partisanship that is so apparent across our nation.

In a time of crisis like this, Democrats and Republicans working side-by-side for the will of the people is most vital, but instead it remains unaddressed how much of our democratic process is left in the dust in the name of party pride. Take, for example, the most recent stimulus bill: supported by a vast majority of Americans, it received zero red votes in the Senate.

Parties don’t need to come closer to each other politically to achieve larger support for things that many Americans need and want. Yet, the practice continues.

Further, these debates detract from the legitimate necessity to get rid of problematic people or things that still hold influence today.

Whether you call it “cancelling” or liability doesn’t matter.

The inherent readiness to defend every single individual that comes under fire has contributed to marginalized groups continuing to fall victim to bigoted rhetoric across our nation, and has gone on to delegitimize the ongoing power of the “Me Too” movement, as well.

This isn’t even one-sided.

New York’s Democrat governor Andrew Cuomo has been in the spotlight recently following multiple accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, as well as severe uncoverings regarding his handling of nursing homes during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While conservatives and some Democrats have pushed to take action and potentially remove Cuomo from office, there are still members of his own party fighting to defend him through it.

No party is alone in its blind defense of those with questionable histories or severe allegations. This isn’t a revolution against the fundamental of “innocent until proven guilty” but an encouragement to abandon “proven guilty but in my party.”

The people that ought to be considered most are those actually affected by the actions that are being questioned and right now they are being valued the least.

Out With The Old in With The New A look at some of the new fashion trends in 2021

by PARKER RIVERS

Fashion Hits & Misses

by ALYSSA KOBAYASHI

New fashion trends for 2021 are coming in hot, so switch out the old for the new! Influential decades and fun patterns are playing a major role in this year’s looks. Many trends that didn’t get to make an appearance last year due to quarantine will get their time to shine this spring.

Skinny jeans are slowly going out of fashion as the once-dated mom jeans, straight jeans and even 1970s style boot cut jeans are coming back into style. Asymmetrical jeans such as different shades of denim throughout the jean, embroidery and buttons off to the side can spice up your outfits this year.

Matching sets have been a huge hit in 2021. This does not just include a “pant suit.” From matching sweats and hoodies to matching dressy skirts and tops, you can expect this trend to be in style all year round. This trend doesn’t require too much thinking in your groggy morning mind and is perfect for any season.

Trade your scrunchies for claw clips! The ‘90s claw clips are quickly making a comeback. Just a quick twist and chomp of the clip and your hair is in an adorable up-do.

OPINION 07 This hairstyle is super low maintenance and works with multiple hair phsouthnews.com lengths!

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08 FEATURES

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Scan to take a look at The Picnic Place’s website!

FEATURES 09

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Spring has finally arrived and students are so excited to take a break from this hectic year we have had.

It seems as though we have come full circle from a year ago when many students and families had to cancel their Spring Break plans due to COVID, but this year with the vaccine and everything starting to return to normal, students are able to go on fun Spring Break trips and finally take a step out of Kansas City.

Some students are having to take extra steps to get to their destination due to COVID, while some don’t.

Morgan Homoly and Emma Gillespie, seniors, are going on a long trip to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands for eight days.

“We have to get a negative COVID test before we can go, but we don’t have to test to come back into the United States since it is United States territory,” said Homoly.

Everywhere you go is different, but usually when traveling around the US you won’t have to get tested.

Homoly saidshe will have both of her COVID vaccine shots by then so she should be okay. Homoly also talked about how she is very excited for a big trip because she hasn’t been able to travel since last summer to Colorado.

Some students are taking another route and traveling by car, which makes things a lot less difficult when it comes to COVID. Tess Owens, senior, and her family are going to the Lake of The Ozarks, then to Iowa to visit grandparents.

“I am visiting my grandparents on both sides because they now have their vaccinations so we don’t have to worry about getting them sick,” Owens said.

Owens said she is super excited to see her grandparents because she hasn’t been able to see her grandparents since last year’s Christmas and she said it

50% of students went on a trip

will be great getting to catch up in person with them.

Florida is another hot spot for spring breakers with the beautiful weather and beaches.

Lina Navarro, senior, is going to Tampa and Orlando to see family for Easter and tour future colleges.

“I haven’t been able to go on a trip in over a year when usually we go annually because we have had to cancel past trips due to COVID,” Navarro said.

She said there are no restrictions to go and visit Florida as far as having to quarantine or get tested before leaving or coming back to Kansas City.

Spring Break is an exciting time for all students whether they are traveling or not especially with the year students and teachers have had. Students and teachers enjoyed the week-long break and came back stronger for our last quarter of this crazy school year.

“I haven’t been able to travel since last year, so I am really excited to leave Kansas City for a little while.”

VS.

50% of students stayed home

South Spring Breakers Spring Break brought travel for some and time at home for others

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by PAIGE WESSEL

Luck of the IRISH St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in the Irish community for over 1,000 years.

St. Patrick lived during the fifth century. He was kidnapped at the age of 16 and brought back to Ireland as a slave.

He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and brought Christianity back to the people. His death was

then made a holiday.

All around the United States, this holiday is celebrated whether it’s the catholic church or even in the Irish community. There are many ways to celebrate including wearing the color green, attending parades and festivals, and eating cabbage!

What are your traditions?

Every year, Laura Distefano, senior, celebrates St. Patricks Day by eating the Irish staple corn beef and cabbage. Her mom also makes her famous Irish soda bread. These recipies orginated from her great ancestors.

60% of students celebrate St. Patrick’s Day each year

Tess Owens always looks forwards to the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake around this time of year.

“Ever since I was a child, I have loved the flavors and how festive this shake is, and it’s so easy to make DIY at home, too!”

by MADDIE WINKLER

FEATURES 11

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Turning the dial to April of 2019 was an emotional

by HADLEY URIBE time for us all as it was the release of “Avengers: Infinity War.” We watched many of our comfort characters disappear to dust. However, one of the most significant deaths would have to be Vision. He’s killed by the love of his life, Wanda Maximoff, for the greater good, but then brought back to life just to be killed again by Thanos. Just after, Thanos snaps his fingers and half the planet is gone; one of those vanished being Wanda.

After the vanished are brought back and Thanos is defeated, one has to wonder what the heroes do next.

Fortunately for us, Marvel isn’t leaving everything to the imagination. “WandaVison,” released on January 15, 2021, follows Wanda Maximoff after the events of “Endgame.” The first few episodes seem to be a timechanging sit-com with Wanda and a now alive Vision. They seem like a happy, normal american family, minus having powers and being a robot. “WandaVision” blurs the line between hero and villain as it showcases effects of grief in the most super, yet normal way.

We start by seeing Wanda and Vision, newly weds, in what seems to be the ‘50s-’60s. The episode takes place in all black and white, and alludes to shows like “I Love Lucy” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” The episode follows a class sit-com plot and even includes a laugh track and commercials from the specific era. The attention to detail should be noted as everything from the way they dress to the way they talk and even walk is taken from the era they are trying to replicate.

It isn’t until the end of the first episode that the audience gets even a clue that the show isn’t just a random “what could have been” for Wanda and Vision’s relationship. When the couple is questioned about their relationship and reasoning for moving to town by Vision’s boss, Mr. Hart, it’s clear neither of them know the answer. When he continues to insist for an answer, Wanda becomes flustered and Mr. Hart starts to choke on seemingly air. Neither Mrs. Hart or Vision make a move to help him until finally Wanda tells Vision to help.

It’s as if they were waiting to be told what to do. They don’t give us much time to dwell on this fact as the Harts leave soon after and the episode ends with the couple sitting happily together on the couch in front of the television.

The next episode takes place in the late ‘60s to early ‘70s. It furthers the belief that something out of the ordinary is going on. Throughout the series, many of the people living among Wanda and Vision make comments with a double meaning that leaves you with an eerie feeling. This is seen when Wanda gets off on the wrong foot with a neighbor, Dottie, and tries to assure her that she means no harm. Dottie responds by saying she doesn’t believe her. Wanda seems to be just as confused as us.

These moments are important because we, as the audience, have always seen Wanda Maximoff as the hero, so by introducing the idea that people see her as harmful to them changes the dynamic of the show. The episode ends with Wanda and Vision kissing as the world around them turns to color. One can only assume it’s because the next episode will be following the ‘70s era; at which color television became more prevalent.

It isn’t until later in the show that it is revealed that the sit-com world that includes Wanda and an alive Vision is a false reality, created by Wanda. It’s clear that the reasoning behind this is Wanda is in grief. She lost the love of her life, twice, and never got to grieve him as she was dusted away almost immediately after.

In “Endgame,” we see Wanda’s anger towards Vision’s death. “WandaVision” takes place three to four weeks after the events of “Endgame.” It would only make sense that during that time period she was still feeling that anger. What happens when the anger starts to subside? She’s left with denial. We see this in Wanda throughout the show, as she becomes conscious of what she’s doing, but she makes no effort to fix it. It brings the question of is Wanda a villain for trapping these people in her own fantasy? Or is she just in grief? The answer is left up in the air to the audience.

Overall, “WandaVision” is an amazing show that does a terrific job of pushing the audience to read between the lines. It also goes above and beyond in their attention to detail as each episode travels in time, highlighting sit-com trends of each era. What makes “WandaVision” special is even the way each episode is filmed changes according to the era. Although we lost one of our beloved Avengers almost two years ago, we are thankful to see him again on the screen, alongside his love, Wanda 12 ENTERTAINMENT Maximoff.

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ENTERTAINMENT 13 phsouthnews.com

Soccer Surplus Soccer is undeniably one of the most popular girl sports at South. Incoming freshmen enroll in camps and scrimmages to show what they are made of before tryouts. The coaches were aware of the talent coming in but still in shock when tryouts rolled around.

“Girls soccer is such a positive and amazing environment so I wasn’t surprised that more girls wanted to be a part of the program,” Keegan Good, junior, said.

In total this spring ,the team had 29 freshmen show out and compete for a role. An unbelievable attendance matched with incredible talent.

“Anytime you have that many kids coming out, you’re bound to have some talent. It’s a very good class,” Jared Byrne, head varsity soccer coach, said.

The team was able to make two C teams for the freshmen so that they wouldn’t have to make cuts. They were able to add another coach to their roster and add a volunteer. Many teams in the conference were unable to form a C team due to lack of freshmen.

“It’s very surprising as you look at other programs around the area. Many teams, even big schools, didn’t have enough for a C team,” Byrne said.

The team was heartbroken last year around this time when they found out their season was canceled. The seniors didn’t get the closure they were expecting, and the younger athletes weren’t able to prove their talent.

This spring, they have a chance to get back their season--with even more girls to help them along the way.

Track Precautions

Track is taking many precautions this year to ensure the safety of their athletes. Having a huge team full of boys and girls can make things very difficult in a pandemic. The team must be cautious this season to ensure no quarantines take place.

Shea Worley, Junior, said. “Track is an amazing sport to be in at South. The coaches are doing a great job at keeping all us runners COVID safe.”

Luckily, in track the team splits into events, so the groups are smaller and stay together during the whole practice. To ensure his runners safety, Coach Chris Leibrand, girls varsity coach, enforces a temperature check at the beginning of each practice. He also takes precautions like enforcing masks, social distancing, and contact tracing.

“I am most excited to get a season in! It has been two years since we have had a track meet. I can’t wait to see the girls compete in their events,” Leibrand said.

This year’s meets will look insanely different from past years.

Runners will only be allowed two spectators and they must wear masks the whole time. The overall meets will be a lot smaller this year, with less schools coming.

The runners and field athletes are ready to get back into the swing of competing. They were forced to cancel their season in 2020 and start fresh this year. 2021 is looking brighter than last year with sports actually being played.

Back on Track

Diving into the massive show out at Girls soccer tryouts and how track will look different this year

14 SPORTS

phsouthnews.com

by KARA HAGEN

The Dynamic Duo Two seniors have been waiting to play together for two years After a very long Corona break, the last boys tennis season was canceled to keep people safe.

Tennis finally returns and their two best players Adam Henn, senior, and Charlie Scott, senior, couldn’t be more excited.

Henn and Scott were doubles partners towards the end of their sophomore year and would have played together their junior year if there was a season. This year they will be looking to make a State run in doubles and hopefully the tennis team can repeat 2019 as District Champs.

Training for them has never stopped ever since they joined the team freshman year. They have been practicing ever since to get their last chance at a State run. As always, to keep up with COVID regulations, change had to be made regarding masks and traveling. Some of the travel meets were canceled and the boys have to wear a mask

Charlie Scott

by TYLER CLIPPARD

whenever they aren’t on the court.

Scott and Henn will be playing doubles together but they also will compete in singles.

“There are pros and cons between playing singles versus doubles. I think that doubles is my favorite because I’m really close with Adam and I know his movements, but even more I know I can trust him,” Scott said.

Last season’s disappointing early close due to COVID prevented Henn and Scott from getting a chance to advance in singles or doubles.

“My sophomore year as a team we won districts and went to sectionals (where we lost to Liberty). Individually, sophomore year, I played singles and lost in the second round of districts,” Henn said.

Henn and Scott look to have a great season ahead and hopefully can make up for their lost COVID year.

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Adam Henn

SPORTS 15

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