The View Vol 22 Issue 4

Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 Friday February 13th, 2020

Vol. 22, Issue 4 Park Hill South High School Riverside, Mo.

to relationships pg. 5 to the Chiefs pg. 10 to college athletics pg. 12

to political beliefs pg. 16 to Star Wars pg. 18 to helping others pg. 22

table of

CONTENTS

04 07 08 09 15 17 23

ENTERTAINMENT Galentine’s Day ENTERTAINMENT Singles Playlist ENTERTAINMENT Chinese New Year

on the

SPORTS Winter Sports Recap

COVER

FEATURES New Year’s Resolutions

STAFF

OPINION Environmental Offense NEWS On Being in Broadcast

LETTER FROM THE

editor

Along with a new semester comes a new staff, and in addition to writers we’ve had the privilege of gaining some incredibly talented designers. And in the spirit of the commitment issue, we’ve committed to improving the quality of our paper bringing you our first all color issue.

The paper in your hand is byproduct of a lot of hard work from a host of talented students, and I know I speak for my co-editors as well when I say we are very proud of how this issue turned out.

What may be a small, hopefully enjoyable, part of your day is a huge part of the staff’s high school experience and we greatly appreciate your support for The View. So, happy Valentine’s day, and we all hope you enjoy it.

12-13

Print Co-Editors in Chief Kiana Fernandes & Johnny Sterrett Digital Editor in Chief/Co-Art Director The View is a member of the National Avery Glover Scholastic Press Association and the Co-Art Directors Missouri Interscholastic Press Association and is printed by Osage Graphics in Parker Rivers Olathe, Kan. Stevie Williams Olivia Stone Section Editors Maria Allred Annie Woodson Claire Hoy Jessie Hagen Amy Graham Reporters Garrett Anderson Laura Distefano Dawson Evans Alice Gamble Austin Kinsey Jacob Lazen Nico Leluga Payton Miller Lina Navarro Hadley Uribe Emily Williamson Adviser Megan Palmer

Brandon Cook Sophia Dunn Will Fricker Sadie Hudson Sophia Koch Zane Leiker Georgia McGonigle Grant Mulligan Sam Pfeiffer Paige Wessel Maddie Winkler The View is published six times during the regular school year as the student news publication of Park Hill South High School in Riverside, Mo. Opinions expressed here are that of student journalists and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Park Hill School district. To access editorial policies or to submit a letter to the editor, visit our website at phsouthnews.com

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM entertainment 3

365 + 1 2020 is here and that means it’s Leap Year. But do you really know what Leap Year means?

Imagine being a sophomore in high school, but only having had three birthdays.

Anthony Jones, sophomore, was born during a Leap Year on Feb. 29—Leap Day! “It’s such a rare occurrence and it makes me feel special,” said Jones.

Jones is the only current South student to be born on Feb. 29.

On normal years, he celebrates his birthday on Feb. 28.

Technically he’s been living for 16 years, but he has only celebrated his birthday on his birth date three times. This February, he will be able to celebrate his 16th birthday on his actual birthdate for the fourth time.

Not only is 2020 the start of a new decade, it’s also Leap Year.

Leap Year happens every four years, but how do you know when it’s Leap Year? A Leap Year is always divisible by four (2000, 2004, 2008,) and it’s the same year as the Presidential Election; because who doesn’t want one more day to talk about politics?

Legend has it that February only has 28 days due to some jealousy with the Roman Emperors. The theory is that February had 30 days until the Roman Emperor Augustus wanted his month (August) to have as many days as July (July has 31 days), named after Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. August only had 29 days, so Augustus took two days off in February. Not sure what February ever did to him, but that’s why the calendar is the way it is now—at least, according to ancient legend.

Most people don’t know why we even have Leap Year. Leap Years keep our calendar aligned with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun. It doesn’t take Earth exactly 365 days to revolve around the sun. It takes 365 ¼ days to revolve around the sun. To keep in alignment, every fourth year (a year divisible by four), a day is added to the calendar.

Final fun fact: Normally each day of the year occurs on consecutive days of the week except following a Leap Day. For instance, in 2018, Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) was on a Wednesday.

In 2019 it was on a Thursday. This year it will be on a Friday, but next year (2021) Valentines Day will leap over Saturday and fall on a Sunday because of the intervening Feb. 29.

By Sophia Koch

LEXI TERREL

sophomore

4 entertainment PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

Why do you think other girls should celebrate Galentine’s Day? I think that other girls should celebrate Galentines because it’s a good way to show appreciation toward your friends and the people you love.

GIRL GANG EMILY SAYLOR

freshman

Do you buy your friends presents? If so, how much do you spend?

We will sometimes get each other gifts, typically something small such as candy or little things.

Usually we spend under $15.

the

S UP P OR T

galentines party checklist choose a theme

Y OU R L OC A L GI R L GA N G

pick a signature treat invest in balloons make a playlist assign everyone a secret cupid serve chocolate covered strawberries organize games watch a classic chick flick hand out galentines

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM entertainment 5

4-Year Couple

Trivia Emma and Kellen

Emma Gorombey and Kellen Danielsen, seniors, began their relationship in May of 2016.

They met in middle school, and the rest is history. The two love to play with dogs together, or visit “Whiskers Cat Cafe” in downtown Kansas City. They plan on staying together for as long as they are happy.

How well do these long-term lovebirds know each other?

Let’s find out by looking at a few trivia questions about each other, and how they answered them

Kerrigan and Nicholas

Kerrigan Meehan and Nicholas Brancato, after meeting in seventh grade, started dating in 2016.

Their favorite memory is when they visited Marco Island, Fla. together. In the future, they plan to stay together throughout college and simply be happy.

Questions Emma and Kellen

Kerrigan and Nicholas

1.) What is Kellen’s biggest fear?

Emma Said: “Paranormal activity.”

Kellen’s answer was: “Heights.”

1.) What is Nicholas’s favorite band?

Kerrigan said: “The Beatles.”

Nicholas’s real answer was: “The Beatles.”

2.) Who is Emma’s celebrity crush?

Kellen said: “Leonardo Dicaprio.”

Emma’s answer was: “Leonardo Dicaprio.”

2.) Where is Kerrigan’s dream trip?

Nicholas said: “Paris.”

Kerrigan’s real answer was: “Italy.”

3.) What is Kellen’s favorite movie?

Emma said: “Deadpool.”

Kellen’s answer was: “Deadpool.”

3,) What cheers Nicholas up when sad?

Kerrigan said: “Being with me.”

Nicholas’s real answer was: “Video Games.”

In 2019, The Necco Company who makes the iconic Candy Hearts shut down suddenly just two weeks before Valentine’s Day but will return in 2020. Should the classic candy continue to stock shelves, or be discontinued for good?

Picture this: You’re in love Ever .

You’re in love and , yo u w since I was little ant to e get your sweethea ve always set th rt so m et hi ng great for candy hearts ha Valentine’s Day, so hen in , you figure, why e’s Day, from w in nt le Va r fo d not some classic candy hear moo e them ts? You pick up a hen we would us w ol ho sc to ry s ba ta ie g rt and give them to your S/O… only elemen ine’s Day pa for them to slap th ts for the Valent heart e nk ba pi ha g out of your nd tle s lit for arts and craf an l al d br sm eak up with you on hoolers pass the the spot. d on pe am st W e” hy in seeing middle sc ?

M Be cause you bought “Be y those bland, tastel ith the message ironically heartless ing back so man ess and to their crush w br r ga su of s ex m cu ge se ld s tle fo ou lit r candy that those w se hy w so , 66 he 18 ar the front. The ts candy are. ck to te all the way ba memories that da Ca nd ? y he em ar th ts n , or “Sweethearts” get rid of ue the productio as they’re branded by candy company you ever want to enough to contin y ill ck st lu e e Spangler, are awfu m ar so e t w bu , ar ye st la l-tasting Fortunately, n representations of tinuatio a commercialist ho e nonsense. et after the discon pl ts m ar co he is y nd ch lid hi ca co ay run by of rporations. od w every ld be gone for go Day; they are on Pr s e’ im believe they shou in ar nt ily le , I Va ju st of have to say that Sw the center pretty much eethearts are just candy. They would They are solely e to where they in not nt be le va better categorized d be an ld n ou tio w ra ts co ar de so , he as chalk, or maybe m y rd e ca nd of ca th t os ou e g ol d tin Flintstone vitamin liday. Cut s your parents mad take as a kid. Afte make up the ho of Christmas. t e you ou r eating just one, us of la C on a as nt se Sa e g th in r tt you need to drink fo cu ne e to lik e ga th llo t n se of s w a ay re at er to get the powde n; su ve alw ry texture out of yo ne for Hallowee Candy hearts ha mouth. ey corn sets the to th y ur t nd bu , ca ar w ye ho e e th ut ho ug ro love, just lik th l al t ea Th u t es yo ea e worthless “symbo ies that ays for you get to ls of the season” ar they’re not cand nothing more than ted for the holid e ci ex e or m en ev a shameless cash-g make you ra ca b pi . th ta ts at liz es on a commerci trea put a alized culture. these once a year seeing my mom d an r Be ge in un g yo ex g tre mely cheap to crea I remember bein was always at te as they essentia boil down to tastel out on Feb. 1. It ts lly ar he y . ess compacted du nd ar ca ne of as w ay bowl D s e’ st , in ha Sw nt ve ee le co th Va rn ea er rt ew s ed kn the market for the candy that time that I staple Valentine’s Day candy, but di t like the taste of sy d you really notic ee ch Even if you don’ tle lit te cu e e their absence th ing if last year? e By hearts,sayogeu’sdenbegrlyaved on the front didn’t ma ak No, you didn’t. Be tting piece of cause nobody actu An mesyou smile. I mean, seriouslpey,a”geor ally or cares about Sweeth “love bug” earts. t ee w “s ys sa at , th y sy U ni nfortunately, they ee ’re making a e cand“text me” is just so laughae blyoeurandad ych comeback in 2020 ey ; ak ho W m pefully, t no it s th how could ey ’ll come back with oo e’s Day has been some in better? Valentin flavor this time ar K s ie ur nt ou nd, but ds celebrated for ce I seriously doubt th ts and ar at tin he ca y ndy on nd ca ith w s he ar ts co uld be anything ea has truly becom other than tastele Au e th ss r fo symbol y garbage.

B day of love. It be t n’ ld ou w the same without them.

Candy Heart-Attack

Valentine’s Day

For Dummies

What to get your boo of...

1 Month

Ice cream and roses

6 Months

1 Year +

Candy Bouquet

Surprise Dinner

Jewelry

Custom photo gift

By Claire Hoy and Maria Allred

Shoes

entertainment 7

Singles

Playlist

1. Pretty girl rock, Keri Hilson 2. Single Ladies, Beyonce 3. Feelin Myself, Nicki Minaj 4. 7 Rings, Ariana Grande 5. I Love Me, Meghan Trainor 6. Ridin’ Solo, Jason Derulo 7. No Scrubs, TLC 8. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor 9. Obsessed, Mariah Carey 10. Gives You Hell, The All- American Rejects 11. Part of Me, Katy Perry 12. Truth Hurts, Lizzo 13. Confident, Demi Lovato 14. Do Re Mi, Blackbear 15. How to be a Heartbreaker, MARINA

8 entertainment PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

always active, amusing, popular within a crowd

The Year of the

Rat

ely m d, tre te ex ima and an tive etic. ac erg en

As many celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, other cultures celebrate the Chinese New Year

By Sadie Hudson

g mi entl e l ne d-m , red an sta , sym ble shy, pa and t ic, het-

extremely animated, active and energetic.

g qu ent i g et le, sk ant, , ele illf al e pa ul, k rt, tie ind nt , ,

loy es al, h t ble , am onia c , an aut kind d p io u , ru s de nt

d de ilige ity pen nce d , , an stre abil d n mi de gth na ter tio n.

gentle, , quiet, eleve e, gant, alert, bra tiv i t e ict skillful, kind, mp co pred nd patient, un e, a t. l ab fiden n co

, ng c, o r st ifisti d n c pa est a ous n ho rage u co

creative, amiable, opportunistic and generous

ate teinn ge, d n ura , a e co city enc na llig e int

Ask Jacklynn Jacklynn Pham, senior, celebrates the Lunar New Year with her family.

What do you and your family traditionally do to celebrate?

“Go to my temple where people gather for the soul purpose of Chinese New Year. There’s lion dancing, traditional food, professional attire, and the dance and activities we do.”

What’s your favorite Chinese/ Vietnamese meal?

“My favorite during Lunar New Years is Banh tet, which is a sweet rice, you could serve sweet or savory.”

Long ago, there was no Chinese Zodiac. The Jade Emperor wanted to select 12 animals to be his guards. He sent an immortal being into man’s world to spread the message that the earlier one went through the Heavenly Gate, the better the rank one would have.

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important Chinese Holiday. It is defined as the first day in the first month of the traditional Chinese Calendar. Typically, the celebration begins on New Year’s Eve and continues for about 15 days - into the middle of the month.

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Sports 9

Winter Sports RECAP

By Brandon Cook & Dawson Evans Winter sports are off to a “winterful” start with South Basketball having a baller start. The boy’s basketball team record is impressive, with a record of 11-4.

“This season is different than other seasons, it's more about the team, and everyone has each other’s backs. It feels like a true bond on the court,” senior Josh Prosoki said.

After losing 2019 graduate Lamel Robinson, Prososki stepped up for the team and averages 16 points and is a captain of the team. The biggest highlight from South’s season so far was winning the Republic Tournament.

The Girls Basketball team doesn’t boast the same record, but their goals and hard work is rising.

“Our team goals are to go .500 in the season and win a game of districts,” said Brooke Jones.

The team this year is completely new, as only two people have returned from last year’s varsity team.

Senior Cameron Gillespie has wrestled for all his life he is the captain of the boys wrestling team.

“The biggest highlight of my season so far would be winning the Lee’s Summit tournament just because it’s the toughest tournament we had this year. I won it last year

as well, so it was good to repeat. We have Winnetonka this weekend and that's the big tournament of the year so if I can place high it would be a big deal,” Gillespie said.

Freshman Maddie Kubicki also has been wrestling all her life. She is the future of South’s girl wrestlers.

“So far, my season is good. I’ve learned new moves and have won all my matches on the girl side and have only lost two boy matches,” Kubicki said, Junior Emma Clark has been on the swim team for three years. After her sister, graduate Georgia Clark, went to Iowa, she had to step up a little bit.

“This season is a lot different than last season. We have a bunch of freshmen this year. which is exciting as a team. It’s a lot more getting to know you, people, as the season goes along which makes it extra fun,” Clark said.

The girls swim team is known for sending a lot of girls from our team to State.

“This season, I would personally like to go to state, but as a team I would like to win the conference and keep a positive attitude throughout the season,” Clark said.

SUPER SEASON The Kansas City Chiefs experienced a historic Super Bowl win following an amazing season Following the AFC Championship exit in 2019, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs were seeking redemption in this year’s NFL PLayoffs.

In week 17 of the regular season, Tom Brady and the Patriots blessed the Chiefs with the first round bye after taking a devastating loss at home to the Miami Dolphins.

The Chiefs finished a very promising season at 12-4. They were given the 2 seed along with the Baltimore Ravens getting the 1 seed. The playoffs were set to begin this year on Jan. 4 where the Wild Card teams looked to compete to get a chance to play in the Divisional Round.

The Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills squared off in a Wildcard game that ended in a 2219 win in Houston’s favor. Mahomes vs. Deshaun Watson was the matchup that every NFL fan looked forward to. Two young-guns going head-to-head in a game that will birth their spot in the AFC Championship.

The game started in a nightmare. Down 24-0 midway through the second quarter had everyone in Kansas City’s hopes descending. Thankfully Dan Sorenson read the minds of the Texans and made a fantastic read on a fourth and four when they went for a fake punt. This specific play sparked the Chief’s offense to go on a historic comeback and score a touchdown on seven straight offensive drives.

“This was probably one of the greatest comebacks I have ever seen in a football game. I’ve never seen momentum switch so fast like it did in this game.” said senior, Brock Ivy. Travis Kelce stole the show and finished the game with three touchdowns and 10 receptions for 134 yards. Damien Williams also had an incredible game with 68 total yards and three touchdowns, as well.

The game eventually finished in a comfortable 5131 victory that led Kansas City to its second straight

appearance at an AFC Championship.

The Tennessee Titans defined all odds by beating the reigning Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, and the NFL MVP Lamar Jackson both away from home.

The Titans’ historic run happily came to a close in Kansas City. Mahomes and company took a comfortable 35-24 victory as Mahomes finished with 294 yards and three touchdowns in another performance that helped cement himself as one of the all-time greats so early in his career.

“I have complete faith that Mahomes will bring us a bowl sometime soon. If it’s not this year, then I expect one in the next few seasons. Mahomes it too good to not win it all.” said Jake Smith, senior.

Super Bowl 54 featured the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. However, Mahomes went off to a slow start and it showed as the game was tied 10-10 at halftime.

As the fourth quarter began, the Chiefs were down 20-10. Three straight TD drives put the Chiefs over the 49ers ,31-20. This is tied for the second biggest deficit to ever come back from in Super Bowl history.

Damien Williams finished the game with two touchdowns and 104 yards and arguably got snubbed from this year’s Super Bowl MVP. Mahomes had statistically, one of the worst games in his career. He completed the game with 286 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

This is the first Super Bowl to come back to KC in 50 years, and the entire city gathered downtown on Feb. 5 to celebrate.

As Mahomes continues to prove that he is the face of the league, will we see another championship in the next couple of years?

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Sports 11

By Zane Lieker and Garrett Anderson

Race To Columbia From a scrawny freshman to a D1 commit.

BANG! The official presses firmly into the start gun kicking off an exciting race between runners.

As the leaves fall and the flowers begin to bloom, runners gear up for their fall or spring seasons. For many, the only break is a bit in the summer and a bit in the winter, but for Quentin Worley, senior, there are close to no days off.

Besides two weeks after the cross country and track seasons, Worley follows a strict running schedule.

“Every summer morning we train and follow Coach Roth’s training program to a T,” Worley said.

But it wasn’t always this way. It wasn’t until Worley’s sophomore year that he began running cross country at all. He was on the varsity team and made it to State his junior year, this past year earning All State honors and placing 10th in Class 4 championship in Columbia.

Along with bringing home an All State title, Worley was also the Conference and District champ, and broke a school record at the State meet. With a year of hardware over, now Worley is thinking about the future.

“I was always back and forth on whether or not I wanted to try to run in college before I even had a chance.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have a normal college experience or not, but once I met the coaches and teammates I knew this was something I wanted to do,” Worley said.

Worley had already decided on Mizzou, whether running or not, so once given the opportunity to run D1, it was an absolute yes.

Next year Worley’s goals include to keep getting better and enjoy running with the team.

“Quentin has always worked hard for me during cross country and track.

His effort is the reason he is so good.

He also hates losing. He wants to win and doesn’t let anyone intimidate him on the course”, AJ Roth, head coach of the cross country team, said.

The distance boys at South are looking forward to their track season beginning this March, with having the end goal of getting on the podium at State in relay events.

“This past season, watching the 4x800 guys break our school record and earn all-state and win KU relays are some of the best memories,” Roth said.

With one semester of track left, Worley is looking to make the most of the final season before competing at the college level. With many more officials banging the start gun in his future, the runs are far from over.

By Laura Distefano & Sophia Dunn

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Sports 13 As we walk around the halls here at South, we see so many different faces everyday. There is one in particular that stands out when seen, and that is because of the amazing talent this individual has.

Meilin Sullivan, senior, has been competing in gymnastics for almost her entire life. Recently, she has made some life changing decisions.

In 2017, Sullivan committed to the University of Nebraska to continue her academic and gymnastics career.

Since then, Nebraska has made some coaching changes and Sullivan decided to rethink her decision based on what she thought would be the best fit for her. Sullivan decided to decommit from Nebraska and this past November, she committed to Oklahoma University.

“I feel like I fit in with the team atmosphere at Oklahoma much better. In my opinion, the head coach at OU is the best in NCAA gymnastics. All the girls who go there only improve once they get to Oklahoma,” she said.

Her favorite thing about the OU campus is the campus corner which is a strip of businesses and little coffee shops that remind her of downtown Parkville. Sullivan is excited to start her collegiate gymnastics career making new friends, and setting high individual goals for herself.

Another familiar face seen around South is senior, Eva Kresovic. Ever since Kresovic won tennis State her sophomore year, students knew she would end up doing big things. This past January, she made a big decision when choosing to go D1 and continue her tennis and academic career at the University of Missouri Kansas City.

“I really like the coaches there. They have a great schedule, and I really wanted to go to a school in an urban area,” Kresovic said.

Kresovic is inspired by her coaches and just the game overall, but her parents are the people who she credits the most for getting her to this point.

“They have struggled a lot and still manage to give me a great childhood and pushed me to become a better play, and an even better person,” Kresovic said.

As she finishes her senior year, Kresovic will miss all her friends who are leaving, but is so excited about moving forward in her life and playing collegiate tennis.

By Jessie Hagen

From The

Beam To The Rackets

South girls get ready to dominate D1 college sports

By Jessie Hagen

14 SPORTS PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

Spring Forward into Spring Sports

Finally, spring. The weather is getting nicer, the days are getting longer, and the end of another school year is becoming imminent. There is much to look forward to this time of year, including graduation for seniors and spring break. Everyone has their own plans for spring break, from going on vacation to just using the extra time to lay back and relax. But there is a certain group of people in the school who are all looking forward to doing the same thing this time of year: spring sport athletes. This one section of the year is when they thrive- perfecting their craft, and working towards becoming the best athlete they can be at their own sports.

They are truly living in their pinnacle.

Baseball is one of these spring sports. This year, the baseball team is hoping to have one of their best years yet, with their eyes on conference, district and potentially state.

With a group of very talented and motivated individuals, they are hoping to come together and make great things happen.

“I’m really looking forward to this year. I love the group of guys, we get along really well, and we should play really well together this year.” Owens said After having their season cut short in districts last year, the team is hoping to push boundaries this year. Max Pawela, junior, shares these high hopes for the team. trict title back to south. I feel like we have all the pieces to do it and this is our year.” Pawela said

spectrum of athletes, from sprinters, long distance runners, jumpers, javelin throwers, shot-putters, and more. Melody pating in the 4x4 relay, as well as the high jump. more options when it comes to running events, and you’re

-

practicing with a lot more people, especially since I do the 4x4 relay. With jumping you get more one on one coaching, and it’s more individual based.” Sasser said. Sasser is hoping her 4x4 relay makes a run for state this spring.

Walking back up the hill, across from the baseball catch them on a practice day, you might see them doing the Cooper (a staple running drill in the organization) or putting in new plays with their coach, Jared Byrne. Payton Miller, junior, plays left back on defense, and is hoping to have an exciting year.

“This will be a good year for the team, because most of the girls are returning upperclassman- we will have ten juniors.

I’m hoping we can make it further in districts this year, because I think we are good enough. We just need to continue to improve on playing together, and understand each other the sidewalk towards the road, a walk all spring athletes are very familiar with, you will run across the tennis courts.

There are eight tennis courts within the fenced in area, all of which are in use once the season commences. There, you can tion through drills or practice matches, or working on their is really looking forward to the upcoming season. He wants the team to have fun while also playing to win.

“My favorite part is getting to see my tennis boys every day.

The connection between these athletes runs deeper than the plot of land they share past the gates of a well worn path trodden on by athletes for generations. They share a passion for the sport they love, and the drive to become the best.

If you want to see these athletes in action, then pay attention to the announcements, and come out to support them on game day.

by: will fricker

January 1, 2020

By Maddie Winkler and Hadley Uribe

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Features 15

2020 Vision New Years Resolutions

Michael Verhoeven: Failed What was your New year’s Resolution?: My New Year’s resolution was to get all of my homework done by 9 p.m.

HOw long did your resolution last before it failed?: My resolution lasted two weeks before I had to start staying up late because of procrastination.

Will you have the same resolution next year?: I will have the same resolution next year, and some things I could change would be being more responsible about my time management and putting school ahead of other priorities.

Kate May: Still Going What was your new year’s resolution?: My new year’s

resolution is to work hard and be the best version of myself that I can be. I want to be my own person and do what makes me happy.

What has kept you going?

Some things that have caused me to keep going would be knowing that if I am successful with this I will be really happy. I am going to try and keep this going throughout all 2020.

Emma Clark: Failed What was your new years resolution?

Cayo Dominguez-Heitoff: My New Year’s resolution is to give up Still Going eating McDonald’s because I find myself What was your new years resolution? going there too much and it’s affecting my My New Year’s resolution is to give health and my bank account. up procrastinating (right when I get home I try to do my homework/work- How long did your resolution last? out and do things that need to be My resolution lasted until the first done before the day ends).

What keeps you going?

Some things that keep me going are having my family’s support and maintaining good grades throughout the year.

The failure rate for New Year’s Resolutions is said to be about 80%, and most lose around midFebruary.

weekend of January. Sadly, I gave in and made a McDonald’s run.

Will you have the same resolution next year?

No, I will not have the same resolution next year because I’m going to keep eating McDonald’s because it is really good.

Eatin g is the healthy a n t as th op resolu d being m ey we t lcom ion for A ore activ e m e the New ericans Year.

FEATURE PHSOUTHNEWS.COM 16 opinion16 PHSOUTHNEWS.COM PHSOUTHNEWS.COM Features 15

Controversial Conservativeness High school, like college, is a time for discovering who you “I feel like it has made me stronger as a conservative are and what you believe in, and for many, that includes where because there are a lot more people that I’ve met that are you stand politically. trying to turn me away from what I believe, but doing the Most would agree that young people are generally more opposite makes me stronger,” sophomore Gwyn Meinhardt liberal than conservative. In high school, conservatives are said. almost always the minority, and that comes with its own trials Other students had similar stories. and tribulations for these students.

“I’ve been called racist and homophobic before, but I don’t Students are conservative for a variety of reasons. For some really let it bother me because I know it’s not true. . . I think it it’s because they were raised that way, and others have their has its ups and downs, but it’s what I believe in at the end of own grounds for their beliefs. the day and I’m going to stand by it,” Montalbano said.

“My parents are conservative, so I’ve always had that College is notoriously liberal, and it’s something that is experience in my life, but lately I’ve dived into politics to much anticipated for conservative high schoolers. become more aware of the world around me and I find that “College is a little nerve-wracking because universities have my beliefs align with the values that come with “It has its ups and a rap of being safe spaces and overwhelmingly being conservative,” junior Nathan Zornes said. liberal, where less than one percent of downs, but it’s what I For others, such as senior Amy Montalbano, college professors anywhere in the world are believe in at the end conservative,” Zornes said. their reasons for being conservative were much of the day and I’m When our generation gets older and more more practical.

“I really fall more on the fiscal side when I’m going to stand by it.” interested in politics, it will be interesting to see judging a situation and I like more spending on how we vote. Political commentators from both the military and not spending as much on government welfare sides have said very different things, but only time will tell. programs,” Montalbano said.

“I believe that as we age, as we mature and how we realize The political lean of South differs depending on who you how life actually works, that our generation will prove to be ask, but most agree that high school overall is more liberal. one of the most conservative generations ever,” Zornes said.

“In general it feels like there’s more liberals, but in this Being conservative in high school can be difficult, but the school I’d say it’s pretty 50-50,” Montalbano said. challenge strengthens these students’ beliefs.

For most conservatives, high school is a challenge and everyone has different experiences with it.

Scan for a video about recent voting trends

What it’s Like to be the Political Minority in High School

By Alice Gamble

Environmental this. Environmental that. Words thrown around by politicians that are more prevalent now than ever.

With the rapidly deteriorating state of the Earth, the last thing needed is the continuous overturning of environmental protection acts and policies by President Trump and his administration since the beginning of his term in office.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), according to the Pacific Standard Magazine, was initially an outline for minimizing human impacts on the environment and keeping policies compliant with other federal environmental laws. In charge of regulating how the act is used and implemented is the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) that was established by the NEPA. As of 2019, Trump, along with the CEQ, have been working to completely rewrite the NEPA rather than just altering and updating certain parts of it. Changes that they plan to make include expanding the list of categorical exclusions that will apply to any projects that federal agencies intend to take on. This means that the different types of projects that will need review under NEPA will be lessened, which in turn will allow many more environmentally harmful projects to pass through without a problem.

Another change that they intend to make is an attempt to cut down the environmental review time to two years as well as shortening the statute of limitations from six years all the way down to 150 days.

As stated by Pacific Standard Magazine, the Trump administration has made it one of their priorities to block environmental research, prioritize big business over the well-being of the country, and reduce actions protecting endangered and threatened species.

In addition to this, Trump and his administration has reversed the Methane and Waste Prevention Rule, narrowed how the EPA will regulate potentially toxic chemicals and remove pollution controls on streams and wetlands. Allowing these things to take place is just one more huge step toward the collapse of the environment. In regards to the removal of pollution control, Trump, while at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s convention, commented, “I terminated one of the most ridiculous regulations of all: the last administration’s disastrous Waters of the United States rule”.

According to an article by the New York Times, this decision will open up many protected areas to pollutants and harmful chemicals that could make their way into the ocean.

Despite many questionable decisions that Trump has made in regards to climate change and the environment since being in office, there are a few politicians that have spoken up about the injustices being done. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member

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of the U.S. House of Representatives, proposed the Green New Deal to thoroughly cut carbon emissions. Nancy Pelosi, in her first address as Speaker of the House, said, “the entire Con gress must work to put an end to the inaction and denial of science that threatens the planet and the future.”

It’s important to remember that not everyone in the government supports Trump, so in the future we may be able to undo his damaging policies.

So why do we care? As a people, we have a responsibility to keep the environment healthy and the way that Trump and his administration are plowing their way through environmental protection policies and acts restricts us from doing that. If large corporations continue to remain complacent with the revocation of protection laws, while economists celebrate, every living thing on Earth will continue to suffer.

As the effects of climate change are becoming more and more visible in the everyday lives of people all around the world, Trump’s inaction in regards to climate change is almost as alarming as his actions. In his first two years, he was seen on multiple occasions prioritizing the interests of himself and big businesses over those of the environment and its inhabitants.

This goes to show that the absolute last thing that we need as a country is a president that will allow for the deterioration of the Earth for his benefit and the benefit of those like him.

ENvironmental Offense

Insight on the environmental issues spurred on by Trump and his administration since the beginning of his term in office

By Emily Williamson

18 opinion PHSOUTHNEWS.COM When, why, and how a Hollywood franchise was destroyed...

By Grant Mullligan In 1971, a young filmmaker in a Hollywood not too far far away, George Lucas, had a vision for what could live up to be a complete flop or a franchise spanning over four decades. It is believed that Lucas’ three film trilogy sparked inspiration for the sci-fi genre to be more than just a nerd fad.

2015 started the highly controversial “sequel trilogy” that was divided by fans as whether it was essential to the conclusion of the Skywalker saga or just a Disney cash grab. With Lucas not at the helm after selling his child that he raised on his own to the infamous Disney for a whopping $4.5 billion, the three new films would be directed with J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson and a new lineup of characters along with a couple faces from the original cast to add to the nostalgia.

High production and years of effort put into the two new films grossed billions of dollars and fairly high reviews from fans and critics all around. 2019 would arrive with only one film left in the lasting nine film saga. The end was finally here.

As always, I preordered my tickets with my dad for opening day, my birthday, for “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.” He grew up on the original films and introduced me at a very young age.

We both agreed how awesome the universe was and shared similar opinions on the newest additions to the franchise. They were acceptable, but unnecessary at times.

We just hoped that Disney would wrap up the story the way it was supposed to end (again).

Two hours and twenty-two minutes later, and I’ve never felt more let down from a birthday present in my life. I’m speechless. I don’t even know where to start.

I felt personally attacked at the way that Disney took my childhood, crumbled it in a ball, and threw it in the trash.

Let’s start with the characters. I’ve always had my favorites, and everyone else was fine. In the original films, I honestly believe every character was thought out and flawless. In the newest film, the only connections I felt were with Kylo Ren and everyone else of the original 1977 cast.

Adam Driver gave an outstanding performance as Kylo Ren for what he was given. The rest of the acting is good, but it just isn’t Star Wars. Disney just couldn’t work the magic the way they did in the originals in making good characters and arcs for them.

A Disney produced film is going to be visually pleasing to anyone, and this movie does live up to that. But the choices that were made due to poor writing and directing meshes ruined the series right when it was ready to jump into hyperspace.

What I believe made the series so good, is that one man had his story planned out and he got to control it all.

Having J.J. Abrams, a solid sci-fi director, was a good choice for Disney. Rian Johnson also had a few blockbusters up his sleeve, as well. The problem was, they had two different stories, paths and adventures for the galaxy far far away.

Johnson should’ve communicated with Abrams more about where the story was going. It was almost like the characters were completely different film to film. It just doesn’t work when the story spends two movies building two different plots, but Abrams did what he could with what he was left with.

Have your own opinions, it’s 2020. To the average human who is watching Episode IX, you will probably enjoy it. As someone who holds this franchise so close to my heart, it felt like Darth Vader was force choking me during the whole movie.

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By Johnny Sterrett Our generation grew up loving the prequels, and despite being considered objectively bad movies by many, stood by them despite all their flaws; creating millions of lifelong Star Wars fans. Our parents, on the other hand, couldn’t stand them. They either weren’t true to the originals, were unnecessarily convoluted, or they just got bogged down by minor details that detracted from their appreciation.

There’s something about the themes of hope and good vs. evil that resonate with the child inside all of us: and whether it’s Luke Skywalker dreaming of life beyond tatooine, young Anakin wishing for a life beyond slavery, or even Ray longing for a family, they’re all fundementally Star Wars. The mistake fans make is in saying that a movie that doesn’t fulfill the impossible task of replicating the magic of the originals is automatically trash.

I was hesitant about the return of the franchise from the beginning. Like many fans, I didn’t feel Disney should be allowed to desecrate a franchise with corporate interests diametrically opposed to the humble beginnings of George Lucas’ low budget masterpiece. Though in many ways Abrams first effort into the sequel trilogy, “The Force Awakens”, successfully utilized the nuanced mystery present in the Originals, fans couldn’t help but wonder: why?

Why is the first order a thing? What happened to the end of the empire? Did it only take 40 years for the galaxy to implode on itself? As a fan, I was disappointed by the sloppy storytelling that felt more like recycled material than a continuation of the narrative; but that didn’t detract from the excitement that came with more movies in my favorite franchise.

They weren’t perfect, but growing up craving more and more of the story that played such a huge role in our childhoods, we took what we could get. Despite the undeniable desire from fans to enjoy the trilogy finale with director J.J. Abrams taking back over creative control, the film has been plagued by negative reviews.

The most puzzling part of the harsh criticism facing “The Rise of Skywalker” is that generally, the world has been receptive to the rest of the films thus far.

I am admittedly copasetic to anyone that rejects the trilogy in its entirety, but as a conclusion there wasn’t any more that could have been done. The slander this movie has faced is completely unfounded if you consider yourself a fan of either of its predecessors; the movies responsible for completely wrecking the characters from the original movies.

This movie was an attempt to rectify those mistakes, apologizing to fans and creating the closest thing to an original Star Wars movie we’ve seen thus far.

“The Last Jedi” received a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, but “The Rise of Skywalker” only received a 52%, providing further evidence that critics don’t understand Star Wars.

This movie has a better understanding of the interaction between the light and the dark, the force in general, and even the weapons than the rest of the trilogy. I may be a sucker for nostalgia, but I personally felt that the callbacks to the original were some of the highpoints of the film.

After the disappointment of the previous installment, “The Last Jedi,” my expectations were high for director J.J. Abrams to salvage the sequel trilogy after interim director, Rian Johnson , took the story in an entirely different direction-halting character development. Unfortunately, creative differences make the plot clunky at times as Abrams tries to collect the plot he began before stepping away. But despite my initial knee jerk reaction, the film is fundamentally Star Wars at its core.

Sometimes you need to suspend your disbelief when you enter the theatre, but the opening minutes of the movie asks a lot of the audience--even for Star Wars. If you can get over the initial and perhaps unnecessary might that the final order suddenly amassed, the rest of the film is an adventure full of compelling action sequences and call backs to the originals.

Critics like to pinpoint the presence of Palpatine in this movie as another cinema sin, chalking it up to be lazy writing to replace Snoak with what they consider to be a pseudo Vader; but the return of the emperor is one of the few things tying these movies together. Along with the mystery of Ray’s past, the movie also alludes to Palpatine uncovering the secret to stop death: the sith power his master possessed that he alluded to in the prequels.

Was this movie a masterpiece? By no means would I go that far. If you’re a purist, there’s little chance this movie will do more than frustrate you, but you should have known that before you bought a ticket. If you can separate the two long enough to appreciate the films for what they are, you can enjoy these movies without detracting from your love for the originals.

Disney has done right by the franchise, regardless of your opinion of the main storyline. With the extreme success of “The Madalorian” and side story films like “Solo” and “Rogue One,” fans have found common ground in their approval of the extended universe adventures disney has pursued to keep fans captivated.

Let’s all just celebrate the fact that Star Wars is back. Just like that little boy on Tatooine, kids will grow up looking to the Stars, dreaming of adventures far, far away.

Why the critics were so wrong about the sequel trilogy

20 news

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

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BEAUTIFUL For many people, life is an endless search for beautiful places or beautiful moments or beautiful items.

They are continuously in search of something more than what they have, not easily satisfied by any of the supposed beauty they think they are finding.

But these people reach the end of their lives, only to realize that all the beautiful moments had been right in front of them the whole time. Not in the places or the moments or the items, but in the people.

It’s easy to see beauty as something physical, easily distinguishable and comparable. This is how most of our society sees beauty. Beautiful moments are said to be flawless and clean, like perfectly wrapped gifts with bows on top. However, a search for this kind of moment is

hopeless and impractical, because there is no such thing as a flawless moment and the clean cut moments are not the beautiful ones.

So, what if a beautiful moment did not lie in the tangible parts of it, but in the feeling found in that moment and in the people the moment was shared with? What if the beauty lies in the raw imperfections found in the seemingly insignificant parts of our lives?

To search for perfect moments is endless and futile. Instead, search for all the beautiful pieces in every imperfection and every little piece of life.

More importantly, take notice to the people you find yourself with in these moments.

By Avery Glover

MOMENTS

22 news

PHSOUTHNEWS.COM

Rule number one: Do no harm.

We strive to help--and not hurt--with injuries that meet the eye, and we must walk the same fine line when it comes to mental health. But what if we’re not doctors? What if we have not one patient, but over a thousand?

As we see a rise in the mental health problems facing teens, school districts have been tasked with an impossible job: adequate suicide prevention. While these preventative measures are ongoing throughout the school year, the one that stands out to students is SOS (Signs of Suicide) Day. “We realized we needed to be talking to the kids about this… Dr. Amaya found this program signs of suicide. It is a research-based approach,” said Dr. Beth Esco.

The program was implemented for the first time only last year. The idea was that kids would fill out a BSAD (a nationally used screening form for mental health) and then be called down, based on the results of the survey or recommendation from another student. This approach was met with much controversy last year, leaving some students feeling upset.

“The beginning of the day was fine, and then once I found out that they were pulling kids out of class to talk to a counselor, my anxiety just started going,” said Junior Abby Ahrendt. “I felt so outed walking through the hall with the ‘man with the clipboard.’”

After being called out, students would meet with a counselor, and after an evaluation be dismissed back to class.

“I honestly felt like I was being interrogated… She’s sitting there writing all these things out, and at the end she told me it would go in my file and I didn’t know what that meant. I just thought ‘This isn’t something I ever wanted the school to know’,” said Ahrendt.

“The main thing that I found disturbing was the way they pulled kids out of class, so outwardly. We all knew what it was for,” said junior Zoie Costello.

After the day, which served as a preliminary test for SOS, the district decided to hold a meeting with students to discuss the event and receive feedback.

“We had two or three doctoral students from KU that did an organized focus group with students… We had kids that went to the district office and it was completely volunteer…

They worked with the doctoral students to give their feedback and what they wanted changed,” said Esco. “The videos were horrible and you hated that we pulled people from class. That was the overwhelming feedback that we got.”

Students who attended were invited to speak honestly about how they felt and how the administration could improve the day.

“The general consensus was we were all feeling the same kind of way… we didn’t find it very helpful. We all had similar experiences with loved ones and friends… We knew that wasn’t the reality of that situation,” said Costello.

With input from the student body, the program changed greatly this year.

“We sat down as the administration and we talked about: Do we need to do the BSAD every year? Do we need to just do a card?” said Esco.

Some students may have noticed that the card, as opposed to the BSAD, was implemented this year. It was a much simpler questionnare asking if students wished to talk to somone. Freshmen, however, were still required to take the BSAD. In addition to the question aspect changing, another broadly disliked part of last year’s SOS also changed: the videos.

“We pushed SOS, and they created new videos. They also created refreshers, so that next year we can use the refreshers instead of watching the whole videos again,” said Esco.

Most students last year thought the videos to be cheesy, and not representative of the issues they attempted to portray and it was with pressure from many districts around the country, including Park Hill, that the organization quickly made new videos for this year.

“It was better. They definitely still need to improve things but they actually listened to what we had to say about the video and survey which caught me by surprise,” said Ahrendt.

No matter what, the SOS day will continue to take place in coming years, but the administration has demonstrated that they are more than willing to take students’ feedback, and transform the program’s implementation to better serve students. The administration has a fine line to walk in dealing with a particularly difficult issue, and they’ve committed themselves to helping, and not hurting.

“MY ANXIETY JUST STARTED GOING”

DO NO HARM

BY AMY GRAHAM

On Being in Broadcast The South Side Scoop is one of the most driven student organizations, yet they often go unrecognized for their work

“Good morning and welcome to the South Side Scoop.”

Every day without fail, South is greeted with these words by the anchors of the daily broadcast show. The Scoop is a nationally ranked program for daily news as well as story packages, and the reason for that quickly becomes apparent.

The dedication that members of the Scoop have for their program would be extremely difficult to match.

“It’s probably the only class that I worry about when it comes to grades because I calculated it and I found out I spend 20-25 hours a week just on the Scoop. It’s like a parttime job,” Mary Garrett, senior, said.

The work produced by the South Side Scoop can fit into two broad categories: live shows that go up daily for students and weekly package assignments where members have to create a complete video story from scratch.

“At the Scoop, we are constantly thinking about our show days in advance. There’s a lot of chemistry that goes into the kind of people you want to put on air versus the people you want to put in the back room. It also takes a lot of time outside of class to set up interviews and think of stories to write. All my projects are done outside of school, so during class instead of time to work on my projects, I’m thinking about the show. It’s a constant job, shuffling the two aspects,” Tatum Lierman, senior, said.

With all of the work that goes into the broadcast program, it can be very disappointing for staff members when student reactions are dismissive or rude.

“To see people screen-record and make jokes about it or talk about it...It’s five minutes of stuff that you probably want to know and the cool stuff you might not know otherwise.

You don’t go to the football game to make fun of the team to their faces but people do tell jokes about the Scoop to my face and it hurts because it’s a big deal to me and everyone works so hard,” Garrett said.

Another issue that the staff of the Scoop comes into

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By Kiana Fernandes contact with are classrooms that choose not to show the program.

“The five minutes added to first block are there for the Scoop; there’s no excuse not to watch it. I feel like if students and staff knew how much effort people put into it they would maybe care about it,” Lierman said.

In spite of the sometimes disheartening reaction to the Scoop, staff members continue to pour their hearts and souls into the program because they know the importance of bringing consistent, daily news to students.

“Come spend a day in my shoes and come fill the jobs that I have to fill and tell me that the South Side Scoop isn’t important and that you don’t have to watch it because it’s really taxing work, it’s like a job, and a lot of people don’t get that,” Lierman said.

So, the next time the Scoop’s intro starts up, pay attention. A lot of hard work and dedication went into the program and the valuable information it provides.

“That’s all we have for you today, have a great day Park Hill South.”

Go to https://www.youtube.com/user/southsidescooptv or scan the QR Code to see more work produced by the South Side Scoop

You gotta

FIGHT

for your RIGHT to

LOMBARDI -Travis Kelce