The Newtonian, Issue 1 - Fall 2020

THE NEWTONIAN NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MAGAZINE Series 98 | Issue 1 | Fall 2020

Page 24-25 Reflect on a COVID filled holiday Photo by Ann Pomeroy

TABLE OF CONTENTS News Painkiller Usage can Lead to Addiction

4-5

Seniors Eligible to Vote in Presidential Election

6-7

New Flag Chosen to Represent City

8-9

Student Council Elects New Members

Features

10-11

Adams Starts Photography Business

12-13

Hodge starts tie-dye Business

14-15

hamersky Welcomed to NHS Staff

16-17

Exchange Student Takes on Cheerleading

Arts & Culture StuDENTS Sport Masks on Campus

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Seniors Give Advice to Freshman

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Students Favorite Places to Eat Out

22-23

Reflect on covid filled holiday

24-25

Students share favorite halloween movies

26-27

Sports Covid-19 Restrictions During Athletic Events

Photo Essay Quarter in Review

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28-29

30-31

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STAFF INFORMATION

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1. Page 32 2. Page 10-11 3. Page 19 4. Page 16-17 5. Page 28-29

Editor-in-Chief Ann Pomeroy @PomeroyAnn

Reporter Matt Olson @MattOlson2021

Reporter Ava Olson @avaroxanneolson

Reporter Kati Blaylock @kati_blaylock

Reporter Daniel Gonzalez-Arevalo @danny_g679

Reporter Eris Rindt @Rindt_23

Reporter Libby Crawford @LibbyCrawford9

Reporter Elly Green @EllyGreen16

Adviser Dan Page @DanPage_

Follow @RailerNews on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to follow sports updates, as well as important announcements from the journalism department!

Bookmark our website www.RailerNews.org to follow online content, as well as stories printed in this magazine!

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The Problem of Painkillers painkiller usage can lead to addiction Elly Green Reporter @EllyGreen16

Dealing with injuries is an everyday struggle for athletes. Athletes are aware of the hazards of playing when they sign up, but dealing with an injury is difficult for all athletes.

Data from the US Department of Health and Human Services reports an estimated 8.6 million injuries occur from sports each year. When an athlete is injured, prescription drugs or over the counter medicine can be used to ease the pain, but what is sometimes overlooked is the use of “painkillers” to not fully or professionally heal the injury.

Podiatry Today reports that for many years there has been a stigma around the injured athlete, to go back to being a driven, active player as soon as possible. It is also widely known that athletes play through the pain or “tough it out”. Even when following a professional rehabilitation technique, the switch going from an injured athlete to an active athlete does not come without complications, whether it be physical or emotional.

Junior Gabriella Mayes explains that surgery is definitely a better option than taking painkillers, although surgery could result in other inconveniences.

“Taking painkillers sometimes seems like the better option because with surgery you have to be out of the game for a while,” Mayes said.

“Surgery can also be super expensive depending on where the surgery is located and insurance.”

Mayes, who has ran track and cross country since seventh grade, says that she suffers from what medical professionals call Patellar Tendonitis.

Mayes explains that she first injured her Patella while running eighth grade track, and the injury continues to worsen the more time she runs, this current cross country season being the worst pain she has felt with this injury. Mayes says that taking painkillers is a short term solution to injuries, a long term solution for her specific injury would be surgery.

“I take [painkillers] every morning and right before practice to help deal with the pain in my knees and hips,” Mayes said. “I take Aleve most of the time but sometimes Ibuprofen.”

When it comes to healing an injury, painkillers play a big part in recovery. Among these painkillers, some are harmless such as Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen. Another harmless painkiller is Naxproxen also known by its brand names; Aleve, Naprosyn and Anaprox. These are both examples of non-steroidal and non-inflammatory drugs, according to Better Health by Aging.

In a survey filled out by 105 students at Newton High School, 59% of them admitted to using painkillers when dealing with injuries. Junior Simon Hodge, a participant in both swim and track, acknowledges his use of painkillers when dealing with injuries, or just the simple headache.

“I took Advil and Ibuprofen and had pads in my heel and the injury eventually went away.” Hodge said.

On the other hand, not all painkillers are harmless drugs. The class of drugs referred to as Opioids have a high track rate for causing addiction and overdoses, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opiods are used to relieve moderate to severe pain, and can make the user feel relaxed or “high”.

Commonly used opioids may include Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Morphine, Codeine, and Fentanyl. Some of these may be used for recovery from surgery, including a dental surgery such as getting your wisdom teeth removed. Athletic trainer Elizabeth Eck agrees that Opioids can become addictive.

“Medicines [such as Opioids] have to be prescribed by a physician to be used,” Eck said. “If an athlete is prescribed these medicines there is always a possibility they can become addictive, but physicians do a good job of not over prescribing these painkillers.”

Prescription: Hydrocodone NO: 890394456 Take 1 tablet every six hours by mouth for moderate to severe pain.

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Coming of Age Seniors eligible to vote in the 2020 presidential election Ann Pomeroy Editor-in-Chief @PomeroyAnn

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any seniors are faced with a difficult decision this November.

As their 18th birthday’s fly by they gain new responsibilities and opportunities.

One major opportunity for the legal adults in the class of 2021 is the choice whether or not to vote in the 2020 election.

No matter one’s political viewpoint, most everyone knows how important it is for citizens of the United States to participate in voting and let their voices be heard. According to National Public Radio, in the 2016 presidential election only 6 in 10 eligible voters cast ballots.

“I want to take part in the voting for the next president of the United States, I have a voice and I feel like I should use it,” senior John Koontz said. “Take pride in the country you live in, and register in order to make it a better place for you and others.”

Koontz registered to vote in the election towards the end of July.

Although he was always planning to participate in the election, the unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to his urge to want to have his voice heard.

“I was always going to register to vote, but the fact that COVID happened

and could have been handled better and the fact that police brutality is still happening make for extra voting motivation,” Koontz said.

According to The Conversation, the U.S. has one of the lowest rates of youth voter turnout in the world. With evidence and statistics from Super Tuesday, the 2020 presidential election is even worse than in previous years with only 1 in 5 young people casting ballots in their state’s primary.

“Young people should register because they have a voice in determining who leads their country, and they should use it,” Koontz said.

“I would like to see more of my class registering to vote.”

Similar to Koontz, senior Trey Swingle registered far in advance of the Kansas voter registration deadline.

Swingle voices that it is important for youth to register because it adds a new viewpoint in which politicians have to take into consideration to receive the youth vote.

“Democracy is the cornerstone of our society,” Swingle said. “Why not exercise our rights given to us by our founding fathers, I was glad to be given the ability to vote in this election cycle.”

According to a survey of NHS seniors, 88% are not registered to vote. Although some were not of legal

voting age, this number is higher than the national average. According to FairVoter, approximately 40% of eligible voters do not participate in presidential elections “My decision to register mainly stems from my love of policy debate,” Swingle said. “It taught me how to interact with others and how the government interacts with me. Knowing that the government affects everyone even at the local level. Why would you not vote?”

Koontz decided to vote through a mail in ballot because it is more convenient for him. Swingle on the other hand has decided to vote in person.

“I decided to vote in-person,” Swingle said. “The reason for this is that the alternatives only cause problems.

Mail in voting has led to votes not being counted. Online voting hasn’t been tested enough and most security experts advise against it. With that being said the only other alternative would be in person voting.”

No matter whether in person, online, or by mail, the registration deadline for Kansas voters is Oct. 13. Election day this year will be Nov. 3.

“Vote for what you believe,” Swingle said. “Don’t think about it as voting for the lesser of two evils, that is how morally horrendous people get elected.”

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Flag of the Future Community Holds Contest for New Flag to Represent City

Reporter Matt Olson @MattOlson2021

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he production of a flag to represent the town of Newton has been a four month process that began in June, with community meetings about what symbols the community found meaningful, and what they would want to see on a city flag. After many discussions, a contest was opened to the community, allowing people to submit their own designs for the flag. After all of the designs were collected, they were posted online for the public to vote for their favorite flag design. Once the public had cast their votes, the top designs were brought to a panel of judges to be evaluated to determine the final contest winner.

A simple design with yellow railroad tracks in an X. The flag revealing ceremony took place on Thursday Oct. 8, and many members of the community attended, excited to see which design won. The new

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flag represents the town with a simple design of yellow railroad tracks in an “X” formation, and wheat stalks in the crosssection, on a black background.

“I think the simplicity of it [is what I like most], because it’s not super overly complicated and our main thing is trains, we are the Railers, so it makes sense,” senior Jacob Phillips said.

Around 65 entries were submitted in the contest, but the winning flag was submitted

by Ashleigh Lakey, a native Newtonian community member. Lakey’s design will become the official flag of Newton for the foreseeable future.

“I look back on the last like three years [since] this flag was designed, and looking back at the process movement that we created around it and I see a lot of things,” Lakey said. “I see a banner for the community and see a community that has come together, I see unity, I see pride in a hometown and this banner that is going to lead us into the next several years.”

This design features a train chugging through an open prairie field, with a clear blue sky. Both of which would come to mind when thinking of Newton. The train represents the Railroaders, while the prairie field represents the wheat grown in Kansas.

A simple design with yellow railroad tracks in an X formation, with wheat stalks intersecting them was voted to be the winner of the Newton Flag Contest.

The artist describes the design as “an American crossroads where life grows as unique people from diverse cultures intersect and create community.”

This artist chose to use a steam engine with railroad tracks to represent the town’s history with the railroad. The left side contains a wheat stalk, while the right holds a sunflower. Both the wheat stalks and the sunflower pose as common symbols in Kansas, and Newton specifically. The sky is representative of the Newton Sky Project.

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Student council elects new members Amidst COVID Restrictions

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tudent council is facing changes this year with new presidents, more students joining STUCO and COVID-19. Student council elections occurred throughout the week of Sept. 14 and the elected members were announced Sept. 25, two days after voting closed.

Senior class president, Alondra Valle, felt that the election process was drastically different from previous years. Valle says that she recorded her speech multiple times before picking her best take to show the senior class.

“This year the election process was different than in past years.

We didn’t give a speech in-person in front of our class like we always do, instead we pre-recorded them so they could be watched during seminar,” Valle said. “I kept messing up so I had to record my speech like four times but even then I stuttered like five times in the final video, but I decided to go with it because it just makes it look more realistic. I’d say my speech took me like a day to make, but I kept changing things here and there after.”

Freshman class president, Brooklyn Black talked about her inspiration for joining student council and the ways she would like to change things going into her freshman year in her speech to the freshman class. One of Black’s goals is to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and that everyone feels included. Black wants every student to have an amazing high school experience this year and in years to come.

“Some of the changes that I am wanting to make is to make sure that everyone is included. I want everyone to have the chance to go to at least one event that is held by the high school, or for at least every student to be in the event held,” Black said.

“My goal is to make sure that everyone is being safe, respectful, and making their first year of high school full of amazing memories.”

In student council, each elected official is assigned a specific job. Sophomore class president, Nick Treaster’s job is to make sure people have their concerns heard. Treaster was motivated to join student council because of his family as well as to help students feel more represented throughout the school year and in school events.

“Being in STUCO, I hope to be able to execute my role as a representative for my class so I can address any problems or ideas to the rest of student council members,” Treaster said. “Ever since I was in middle school, I knew I wanted to be involved in STUCO and was always encouraged by my siblings who were also on the student council to join too. So when I found out that I won the presidency spot this year I was super excited to help represent all the kids in my grade.”

Junior class president, Jennifer Rubio has been a part STUCO for four years and is happy to continue again this year. Rubio is hoping to make students more excited for events planned by STUCO. Rubio has experienced many different leadership roles in various church events. Rubio is excited to help fellow to be students be excited and comfortable.

“I’ve been in student council since eighth grade and of course it was a little different once we got to high school, but I just like helping people and I’ve always loved trying to make things fun,” Rubio said. “Being a leader doesn’t alway mean you have to be given the title, you can be a leader without it and still do the work and encourage other people and make them feel comfortable.”

Eris Rindt Reporter @Rindt_23

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ADAMS STARTS PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS Libby Crawford Reporter @Libbycrawford9

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inding a hidden talent and creating a business out of it may not be something that is possible for everyone. Junior Olivia Adams, found her passion for photography by taking a simple journalism class and being a part of the yearbook staff.

Starting by doing a photo shoot with junior Jennifer Rubio, Adams continued to learn more about how to use all of the settings on a camera and how to successfully take portraits.

Now, Adams has taken photos for more than 20 different people, whether that be senior portraits or just your atypical photo shoot.

“Besides the basics I learned from journalism and the yearbook I tried to teach myself,” Adams said. “I always sign up to take pictures at games and events to get practice and I follow multiple photographers on social media to stay up to date with filter trends and new ideas.”

Adams describes herself as a people person therefore she enjoys being around her clients and making them feel comfortable to get their pictures taken by her. There are a lot of concepts that go into this business, such as editing and scheduling shoots which take up the majority of Adams’ weekend and days off.

“Some [clients] are shyer than others so I just have to work a little harder in opening them up so their photos capture genuine emotions and excitement,” Adams said. “Being a 16 years old also comes with some difficulties because I can’t

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devote 100% of my time towards photography and booking times since I have school and other obligations at home.”

This past summer Adams started taking senior photos for the 2021 seniors. Seniors Lindsey Antonowich, Asha Reiger, Marah Zenner, Luke Schmidt and Griffin Davis were some of the many senior photo shoots Adams has done. Adams charges anywhere from $75- $110 depending on the amount of locations and hours the photo shoot took. “[I knew I wanted Olivia to take my senior photos because] When we started running track together she said she would take them for me and we had done other photo shoots together and I like her pictures a lot,” Antonowich said. “We were friends before so I liked how I knew the photographer so I would be more comfortable to do poses.”

Along with Adams skill with the camera her creativity helps create original photos that her clients love.

Editorial photos are Adams favorite type of photos to take because she gets a chance to use her creativity in real life. Editorial photography is the idea of telling a story through pictures rather than text.

“I love her creativity. She always has such good ideas on how I should pose or backgrounds we should shoot at,” Antonowich said.

Photography has quickly made its way into Adams lifestyle to where she plans on continuing this business into the future.

With other plans still forming, photography may end up being a side job along with Adams main future career.

“I would love to pursue photography as a career. I’ve always been interested in cosmetology as well so I definitely want to find a way to incorporate both in my future,” Adams said.

@oliviaadamsphotography.

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Shirts to Dye for Hodge starts tie-dye business Daniel Gonzalez-Arevalo Reporter @danny_g679

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ummer vacation, what many students often look forward to all throughout the school year. Longer days, shorter nights, and more importantly no school. With not having to commit to school during the weekdays students find time to focus on other hobbies such as hanging out with friends, working out, and even finding ways to make money.

For junior Simon Hodge, this meant the opportunity to start his very own tie-dye business.

Hodge sells tie-dye t-shirts, masks, and other articles of clothing made out of cotton.

He learned how to dye things from the Internet and his older brother, who owned the business before he did.

“My brother originally started a tie dye business over the summer and when he left to KU I continued it,” Hodge said. “I also made a different name for it. ”

With spirit week for fall Homecoming including a 1960s tie-dye theme, Hodge took the opportunity to promote his business to his classmates and make some extra cash.

“I didn’t have any tie dye shirts and Simon’s are pretty cool,” junior Kayla Wong said.

“He also pressured me into buying one.”

Although Wong was pressured into buying one of the shirts Hodge created, she still emphasized how important it is to support businesses your classmates run.

“I do think we should support our classmate’s businesses because they’re trying to make money like the rest of us,” Wong said. “Also thank you for putting the shirt in my mailbox Simon.”

Even with classmates supporting the business Hodge runs, not everything is easy and enjoyable for the tie-dye maestro. Not only does Hodge have to invest in his own

business by buying shirts, he also has to deliver his finished products.

“It’s not difficult, but it is pretty time consuming,” Hodge said. “You have to do a lot of stuff, spend a lot of money on white shirts and drive everywhere.”

Negatives aside, Hodge still very much enjoys spending time working on products for others and seeing how his products turn out. He has even gone as far as reducing the price on his shirts from $20 to $15. Hodge did this as a way to express his gratitude to all of his classmates who voted him to be a student council representative.

“It’s really fun and whenever I look at the finished product and it looks dope, I get really friggin’ excited,” Hodge said. “It makes me proud of all of my work.”

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Photo Courtesy

STEVE HAMERSKY WELCOMED TO NHS STAFF Elly Green Reporter @EllyGreen16

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fter the departure of Student Resource Officer (SRO) Officer Salmons, the high school was in need of a fresh face to patrol the halls. Steve Hamersky, deputy at the Newton Police Department, offered his help and became part of the administration team at Newton High School.

Hamersky attended Bishop Carroll High School, graduating in 2011. He then attended Newman University in Wichita where he majored in communications. While attending Newman he played soccer for their soccer team.

“I chose Newman because it was a high level of competition since it is part of the NCAA and I knew that would help me get exposure necessary to get to the professional level,” Hamersky said. “Also, the scholarship was too good to say no to.”

After graduation Hamersky went to play professional indoor soccer around the Midwest and semi-professional outdoor soccer on the East Coast. Hamersky’s dream career when he was younger was to become a professional soccer player, so it is safe to say that his dreams worked out. Along with playing soccer Hamersky enjoys coaching soccer. “[My] hobbies and interests are soccer and coaching/ training, I have a few goalkeepers around the Wichita area that I personally train,” Hamersky said.

Hamersky got interested in law enforcement through one of his good friends, John Ferreira, who Hamersky said always had the coolest stories about his law enforcement career.

“John inspired me to pursue this [career] because like him, I wanted to be there to help people when they need it,” Hamersky said. “Being a cop is more than just arresting people. It’s part of the job but I feel like the service aspect of the job, which Newton PD is great about, goes unnoticed by the general public.”

In July of 2017 Hamersky was hired to work on the Newton PD force, first just patrolling and waiting to respond to a situation. One of his favorite parts of law enforcement is the public outreach, so he immediately applied for the Student Resource Officer (SRO) position.

“The SRO job described my favorite aspect of Law Enforcement which is community relations. So, I put in my letter of interest to my Lieutenant and now here I am,” Hamersky said.

Hamersky’s favorite part of working at the high school is the interaction with students, and he hopes that his mask does not cover up the friendly demeanor he possesses. He says that the staff and students here are friendly and the work environment is supportive.

“The work environment at the high school is very supportive,” Hamersky said, “It was all a new experience for me and I had lots of questions which were met with helpful answers.”

Hamersky (far right) and fellow law enforcement officers participate in “Blue Christmas”, where the Newton Police Department hands out gifts to underprivileged kids in Newton.

Photo Courtesy

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Exchange student takes on cheerleading Libby Crawford Reporter @Libbycrawford9

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HS is facing challenging and unprecedented times in many ways, one of which is welcoming the first foreign exchange student onto the cheerleading team for the 2020-2021 school year. Due to exchange students missing tryouts in the spring and the summer practices, this has never been done before, but was never a set rule.

With new coaches this school year, head coach Krystyna Botterweck and assistant coach Ashley Nottingham, agreed to invite Cecilia Merlini onto the junior varsity (JV) cheer squad.

With a short time before the first JV game Merlini had to learn all the chants and cheers along with stunting very quickly.

“I took into consideration the existing team’s feelings since they put in all the work for the tryouts and all summer and to have someone just walk in and be on the team,” Botterweck said. “I wanted to make sure there was not going to be any hard feelings.”

In Italy, where Merlini is from, there are not cheerleaders, therefore Merlini wanted to try something new. Merlini said that learning cheers without perfect English can be difficult.

“I’m glad that I decided to go out for the team because we don’t have cheerleaders in Italy,” Merlini said. “I’ve gotten lots of help from the other cheerleaders.”

Botterweck voices that coming to a new school can be scary let alone coming to a new country, and therefore they wanted to make her coming to America a little easier by allowing her to join the team.

“The team took a vote and decided that if any of them were to go to a foreign country they would want to have the same opportunity,” Botterweck said.

The cheer team has spent the last few weeks reviewing cheers and stunting for the virtual pep assembly. Merlini also participated in her first JV football game on Sept. 21. “[Merlini] has caught up with the rest of the team very quickly, I’m excited to see how the rest of the year will go,” Botterweck said.

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Photo by Kati Blaylock

Newton High School Students Sport a Variety of Masks on Campus

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Senior Advice

Seniors give advice to incoming freshmen Reporter Ava Olson @avaroxanneolson

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he transition from middle school to high school can cause a lot of mixed feelings for many teenagers. Some students may be excited to leave their awkward middle school years behind them, while others may be worried about the social and academic standards that come with starting high school.

There are several stereotypes about high school. These stereotypes come from movies and television shows targeting younger audiences that can make a negative impression on students. Learning about other people’s experiences can be helpful for incoming students to ease anxieties they may have about starting high school. A common misconception is that everyone is judging everything that you do, however most people are just trying to focus on themselves and their school work.

“Freshman year isn’t as hard as you assumed it might be,” senior Tessa Preheim said. “Everyone is trying to deal with their own issues.”

How you appear to others might seem like the most important thing, but in the end no one remembers the embarrassing things that you did in middle school. According to some students, high school is a great time to rebrand yourself, branch out and try new things.

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“You’re starting in square one, it’s just like being a kindergartener looking at a class of fourth graders, you have to build your image back up,” senior Eli Redington said. “Almost like someone hit a restart button on your life.

Upperclassmen have lived life as freshmen with experience being the new kids and have gone through many of the same struggles.

“I was a little scared of seniors at the beginning but after a week I realized that they didn’t really care that I was a freshman, all the ones I interacted with were really kind.” Redington said.

There are numerous ways to alleviate the anxiety that may come with transitioning to a new school. One way to do so is by altering your mindset. Instead of expecting the worst, you can try thinking of high school as an opportunity to become more independent and a chance to become your own person.

“My best advice is to go in not thinking of it as school but as a place where you can start to make your own choices,” Redington said.

“Make sure you stay connected with friends and family, even if school/life

” - senior Tessa Preheim

is hard,

“Before high school, a lot of our decisions are made for us. Now we get to decide how involved we want to be,

” - senior Eli Redington

“Your grades are important but don’t let them control your life. You

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are more than a number/grade, - senior Jayden Smith ARTS & CULTURE

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STUDENT’S FAVORITE PLACES TO EAT OUT RANK

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Favorite Meals - Travis Scott Meal - Big Mac - McNuggets *100 VOTES*

*71VOTES*

*63 VOTES*

- Gllizzy’s (Hotdogs) - Cheeseburger - Bacon Cheeseburger

- Steak Quesdillas - Crunchwrap Supreme - Doritos Locos Tacos

- 4 for 4 - Spicy Nuggets - Frosty ARTS ARTS & & CULTURE CULTURE

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Halloween in Quarantine Reflecting ON the changes OF A covid filled holiday Reporter Matt Olson @MattOlson2021

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he traditions of Halloween have greatly evolved from its origin. Modern day Halloween was derived from the Celtic festival of Samhain, an ancient paegan festival held on Oct. 31 to welcome the harvest and to ward off evil spirits. According to history.com, people who celebrated Samhain believed that during this festival, the barrier between the physical and spiritual world would break down, allowing more interaction between us and beings of the spiritual realm. This is especially significant this year, because of the Full Blue Moon that falls on Halloween. A blue moon happens when there are two full moons in the same month. Under these circumstances, some believe that the veil dividing the physical world and the spiritual world is even more likely to be broken.

Because these barriers were believed to be broken during this time, the Celts felt the need to take extra precautions. In addition to leaving offerings, they would dress up as animals or monsters to avoid getting kidnapped by the spirits who might be visiting. Over time, this has come to be what we know as trick or treating. Nowadays, it is much less of a religious celebration, and instead is a fun holiday for children.

Many people, adults and children alike, look forward to this day each year. However, due to COVID-19, extra safety precautions are recommended in order for people to enjoy themselves while also reducing the risk of spreading the virus. Halloween this year, instead of trick or treating and going to parties, should involve plans where social distancing can be enforced, with smaller groups of people.

Despite what some may think, it is still possible to have fun on Halloween this year. There are many activities one could partake in to celebrate. For example, carving pumpkins is something that can be done outside with friends where you can show off creative abilities. Pumpkins can be found either at the grocery store, or on an outing to a local pumpkin patch.

Another common Halloween activity would be staying in and watching scary movies. Films such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and The Nightmare before Christmas are all popular choices to watch during this time of year.

If scary movies aren’t your thing, or if it is not enough to get you into the Halloween spirit, dressing up in costumes is still a viable option. Whether it be a group costume with a couple of friends, or just on your own, dressing up on Halloween can encourage people to have fun despite the current circumstances.

No one wants to have to skip out on Halloween because of a pandemic, but that does not mean people should ignore it. There are many ways to celebrate this year, while still having fun. That being said, safety should be the highest concern when deciding how to celebrate Halloween, so that next year it will be possible to take part in the regular traditions.

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Carve Pumpkins

Watch Scary Movies

Tell Scary Stories

Dress in Costumes

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Students share favorite Halloween movies Reporter Ava Olson @avaroxanneolson

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alloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States. From haunted houses to costume parties, there are many ways to enjoy the day. Many children look forward to the last day of October, anticipating going trick or treating and having a fun night of costumes and candy.

However, for most people, Halloween celebration isn’t just on Oct. 31. Many people watch horror movies to get into the spirit of Halloween throughout October.

“Every year me and my family sit down to watch a Halloween movie at least once,” freshman Chloe Bunn said.

There are many different traditions that people follow on Halloween. Originally, it was a pagan celebration created to welcome the harvest. A common tradition back then was to light bonfires and dress in costumes to ward off ghosts. This is likely why monsters and horror are associated with the holiday. Many scary movies use Halloween as a setting to explain their supernatural plot. “[Watching Halloween movies] is how my sister and I bonded,” senior Mackenzie Glasmann said. “ [The Nightmare Before Christmas] is my favorite because I have always loved Christmas and Halloween and that movie mashed them both together.”

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is a Tim Burton film that takes place on Halloween and the days leading up to Christmas. It’s a classic fantasy movie about Jack Skellington, the esteemed pumpkin king of Halloweentown. After stumbling upon Christmastown, Jack goes on an adventure to take control of Christmas and add his own spooky twist to the holiday. This popular family favorite is known for its stopmotion animation style, similar to Coraline (2009).

“Coraline would have to be my favorite scary movie

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because of its animation,” freshman Sadie Nattier said. “They found other ways to induce fear other than gore and they take a more psychological approach.”

Coraline is a creepy animated film that follows a young girl who travels to another world through a secret door in her bedroom. The other world closely resembles Coraline’s own, but everything seems better in some way. She had seemingly everything she had ever wanted in this world but she decided to leave for good. Her family in the other world wants her to stay forever, and Coraline must use all of her strength to try to get back home. Many scary movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) use alternate universes and inescapable worlds to give viewers an unsettling feeling of never being sure that you are in your own world.

“Freddy Krueger is my favorite evil person,” sophomore Jiovanni Valdivia said.

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a horror film about a group of teenagers who are mysteriously being attacked in their dreams. Though each teen’s nightmares are different, the thing that they have in common is their attacker. It is up to Nancy and her boyfriend Glenn to figure out how to defeat the man who tries to kill them while they sleep. A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the most well-known horror franchises of all time. Whether you prefer horror or Halloween, watching movies is a great way to get into the fall spirit.

“A good mix of things comes to my mind when I think of Halloween, [such as] dressing up, horror, and the overall fall feel of things,” Nattier said.

Eris Rindt Reporter @Rindt_23

ARTS & CULTURE

| FALL 2020 | 27

We’ve got spirit, yes we do

We’ve got spirit, How about you?

Students Reflect on Covid-19 Restrictions During Athletic Events Kati Blaylock Reporter @kati_blaylock

W

ith the crisp autumn air and the cannon firing, numerous NHS students love going to watch football games to support the Railers. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many limitations put in place for spectators going to these extracurricular events. One area that has been hit with a large restriction is the student section.

In order to minimize exposure, administration has required all spectators to wear masks, stay socially distant, and have decreased the number of people allowed to stand in the reserved student section.

“I was happy [to find out that we still had a student section] just because I didn’t think we were going to even have one,” senior Asha Regier said.

Do Crew officer, senior Marah Zenner believes with the precautions put in place, it makes cheering for the team an obstacle.

“It’s hard to be loud with masks on and with the student section being smaller, we feel like it’s harder for the team to hear us and to be a part of the game,” Zenner said. “The student section also looks small with the limited students. It hasn’t really helped us in any way, but we’re thankful we can have [a student section] at least.”

Do Crew has received a large amount of criticism from peers and members of the community.

“It’s weird for us because we are all athletes and we think it’s important to be doing sports,” Zenner said. “We all know what [sports] have done for us so it’s upsetting when people think we shouldn’t have them.”

Even with these restrictions, countless students still showed up and supported the team at their home game on Sept. 4th against Andover Central.

“I went because it was senior night... and because I wanted to get back into an environment where I could be with all my friends and have a good time,” senior Mallory Seirer said.

Even with a few hindrances at the event, students understand the reason behind them and continue to adhere to them to the best of their abilities.

“It’s super sad about the restricted student section, but I know they’re doing it for our safety,” Seirer said. “There’s still a great atmosphere at the games... and everyone there is excited to support the football boys.”

28 | SPORTS | FALL 2020

Seniors Sierra Wedel, Caitlynn Ericson and Yadira Gonzalez cheer on the varsity football team as they take the field for their first game on Sept. 4.

Photo by Kati Blaylock

Official restriction Guidelines As a measure to reduce the spread, students are required by the Harvey County mask mandate to wear masks when attending social events. Even if these events are held outside, spectators have to adhere to these rules. If a spectator is reported to not be wearing a mask correctly, they are promptly asked to leave.

Masks have been proven to reduce the spread COVID-19 at approximately a 95% success rate, according to Nature.

In addition to masks, seating has been limited and only a certain number of spectators are able to come to events. This is due to the fields 20% capacity seating. The student section allows around 50-80 students at each game, depending on the amount of cases reported in that week. Students are expected to reserve individual wristbands prior to the game, to ensure that no more than the maximum amount of students are allowed into the student sections.

6 Feet

If it is physically possible, students and spectators are encouraged to stay six feet apart to lessen their exposure. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the Coronavirus can live on a surface for hours or days, even though surface touching is not the most common way to contract COVID-19, social distancing has been proven to limit contact opportunities.

Senior Kyle Stenzel and Gabe Gaeddert dance to the drumline during the halftime of the football game on Oct. 2. The drumline performs a five minute “concert� in front of the student section once or twice during each football game.

Photo by Kati Blaylock

SPORTS

| OCTOBER 2020 | 29

64 DAYS Ann Pomeroy Editor-in-Chief @PomeroyAnn

While performing a monologue in the Sept. 26 production of Zoo Story, senior Creed Eckerberg points his finger towards the audience. Zoo Story was performed outside in the bandshell of Athletic Park in accordance with COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Photo by Elly Green

Freshman Annika Yoder, seniors Jordyn Spillane and Jamie Haskew prepare for a kick during their halftime performance on Oct. 9. The Railiners practiced this routine for two weeks. Photo by Kati Blaylock Junior Tanner Dorrell, sophomore Nick Treaster and junior Dylan Petz watch the varsity football team play Derby while dressed in accordance with the student section’s theme of Hawaiian night. The 2020 student section sizes are limited and face masks must be worn at all times. Photo by Kati Blaylock After a victory of 42-41 varsity team members raise their helmets to congratulate the opposing team on a game well played. The raising of helmets has replaced the cordial handshake following the end of the game for the 2020 season due to COVID 19. Photo by Kati Blaylock Styled in concert black and gold bow ties, juniors Joel Franz and Ethan Neufeld focus in on their music during the fall concert. Orchestra classes performed an outdoor concert on the stage behind Santa Fe Middle School on Oct. 17.

Photo by Jamilid Romero With intense concentration senior Mallory Seirer squats in order to place her golf ball in preparation for her stroke.

Seirer was the sole member of the NHS girls golf team to attend 5A state golf in Salina on Oct. 19.

Photo by Kati Blaylock

30 | PHOTO ESSAY | FALL 2020

PHOTO ESSAY

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THE NEWTONIAN NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MAGAZINE Series 98 | Issue 1 | October 2020

Page 24-25 Reflect on a COVID filled holiday

Photo by Ann Pomeroy