The Newtonian, Issue 1 - Fall 2021

THE NEWTONIAN NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MAGAZINE Series 99 | Issue 1 | Fall 2021

Devious Licks Trashy behavior affects school atmosphere Photo by Ann Pomeroy

TABLE OF CONTENTS Ann Pomeroy Pages 4-5

News Students engage with community

4-5

Students address drug issues

6-7

Opinions double booked students face trouble Students feel shamed by adults

Addie Clayton

Features Hendrickson crowned MKOT

8-9 10-11

12-13

Sympson runs shoe reselling business 14-15 NHS welcomes 21-22 exchange students 16-17

Pages 12-13

Kaufman trains for new opportunity

Elly Green

Arts & Culture Students discuss met gala outfits

20-21

NHS halloween Pinterest board

22-23

Sports Pages 18-19

Annika Yoder

Drumline faces challenges

24-25

Gymnasts flip through season

26-27

breast cancer awareness expressed

28-29

Photo Essay Quarter in Review

Pages 28-29

2 | STAFF | FALL 2021

18-19

30-31

NEWTONIAN STAFF Ann Pomeroy Editor-in-Chief Senior

Elly Green Print Production Manager Senior

Daniel Gonzalez-Arevalo Sports Manager Senior

Simon Hodge Reporter Senior

Eris Rindt Reporter Junior

Caileane Thurston Reporter Junior

Mateya McCord Social Media Chair Sophomore

Lucy Buller Social Media Chair Sophomore

Addie Clayton Reporter Sophomore

Annika Yoder Reporter Sophomore

STAFF

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Taste of Tradition

Ann Pomeroy Editor-in-Chief @PomeroyAnn

Students engage with community through annual Taste of Newton event

T

aking over downtown, the annual Taste of Newton event made its grand return on Sept.

30 after a brief time away due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As restrictions were lessened this September, Newton residents swooned at the idea of this social gathering being reinstated.

“I think that Taste of Newton is probably a highlight of our community’s year. We can all get together to enjoy the delicious foods, all while

being able to give back to our local businesses and organizations who provided food at the booths,” senior Hallie Watkins said. “I’m going to miss it while I am at college next year.”

Taste of Newton is generally considered one of Newton’s largest events on its social calendar.

The event has been taking place for the past 34 out of 35 years. Each year, vendors line up and down Main Street of downtown Newton selling a

1.) Serving up edible cookie dough and positivity at the STAND booth, NHS students freshman Estrella Negrete-Sanchez, freshman Gehrig Watkins, freshman Emma Zimmerman, senior Hallie Watkins and senior Savannah Hunsucker pose for the camera. Photo Courtesy. 2.) While working their shift at the NHS cheer bake sale booth junior Alicia Gaeddert, sophomore Daytona Doty-Helm and sophomore Violet Bartley make funny faces at the photographer. Photo by Caleb Smith.

5.) Focusing on his music, junior Ryan Ruggiero plays his saxophone at the downtown evening performance at Taste of Newton. Photo Courtesy. 6.) After performing in the Railiners showcase at the Taste of Newton, sophomore Mateya McCord captures a quick picture with senior Olivia Adams. Photo by Mateya McCord. 7.) Helping out customers freshman Karla Lopez-Correa works at the NHS choral department booth to raise money for their upcoming trip to Disney. Photo by Caleb Smith.

4 | NEWS | FALL 2021

8.) The NHS Railiners perform a dance while dressed in baseball jerseys at the downtown event of Taste of Newton. Photo by Caleb Smith. 9.)

With a big smile on her face, senior Elly Green performs the NHS fight song with the Railiners.

Photo Courtesy.

10.) Aerial footage of the event shows the vast numbers of Newton residents in attendance. Photo

by The Kansan.

3.) Junior Mohamed Farah focuses while scooping up a big scoop of Chocolate Chip Cookie dough at the STAND booth. Photo

by Olivia Adams. 4.) Proudly displaying their Disney themed apparel and choral department T-shirts, junior Lynn Morford and freshman Karla Lopez-Correa smile at the camera. Photo by Caleb Smith

variety of goods. Student organizations at NHS also participate in the event with a variety of booths and performances. “[I attended the event due to] the cheerleading performance and the cheer bake sale. We were trying to raise money for new uniforms,” senior Alyssa Hamm said. “ I enjoyed performing at the Taste of Newton because our performance was fun to do.”

Given the size of Newton, you are bound to see a familiar face when walking around at Taste of Newton. This event is centered around socialization

and provides an opportunity for reconnection with friends from all around the area. The socialization aspect of the event is what many look forward to each year on the chilly September Thursday night.

“I performed with Newton Performing Arts Center, The NHS Railiners, and the NHS show choir called Railaires,” senior Tabitha Buffalo said. “I enjoyed seeing everyone come together in our small town for the first time in a while. It was nice to see familiar faces of the previous graduating classes that I once went to school with.”

NEWS

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easy access 6 | NEWS | FALL 2021

Students address drug issues on campus Daniel Gonzalez Sports Manager @danny_g679

H

igh school brings about a whole new way of life for many students. Exposure to things such as picking your own classes, going to class with people who may not be in your grade and extracurricular activities. However, a problem that students who are transitioning to high school have always had to deal with has been the exposure to drugs and other illegal substances.

In recent weeks, NHS students have been caught and disciplined for bringing illegal substances to campus. While the situation is something that many students do not see very often, some students remain unsurprised.

“I don’t think it is very shocking to be honest, if you look around our high school drugs are everywhere and are probably not going anywhere any time soon,” anonymous said. “I do not think our administrators or SRO have any idea what actually goes on.”

In response to the recent drug related activities on campus, the students caught have been disciplined with suspensions and expulsions. Despite the outcomes of these situations, some students still believe that the punishments given to those found guilty are not harsh enough and believe it has become easier to acquire illegal substances.

“I think [acquiring drugs on campus] has become way too easy because our administration just straight up does not even try to stop it,” anonymous said. “It is so easy to get anything you need if you know certain people and it is happening all the time right outside in our own parking lot.”

Other students believe that some substances are easier to acquire than others.

“In regards to weed, I think it is so easy to get it,” anonymous said. “Literally anybody could and I don’t know how to phrase it but I don’t think drugs are meant for

everyone. I think some people can handle smoking weed on occasions, and taking edibles and such, but I don’t think drugs are made for everybody. Not everyone is smart about it. Like kids that think that they need to smoke a blunt every morning before going to school.”

The anonymous sources also believe that classmates are not taking into consideration the long term effects of their drug use.

“Studies have shown that large amounts of marijuana intake before the age of 21 and before your brain is fully developed is really detrimental for your health,” anonymous said. “So I think that a lot of students don’t take that into consideration. They don’t take addiction into consideration because weed is a gateway drug.”

The use of marijuana has become a very popular debate in recent years with states debating whether or not it should be legalized. Some students believe that the punishments concerning marijuana should be less severe due to the effects it can have on the future of students.

“So many drug busts are just based around weed,” anonymous said. “I think it’s a little dramatic. I think that weed is the safest drug, in my opinion. It’s a natural plant, it’s commonly used and we know a lot about it. If it was for a different drug class, I would totally understand juvie, prison and expulsion. But for weed, I think that it should be reevaluated and especially in the courtroom.”

Despite the recent drug busts and the punishments being dealt, the anonymous sources believe that the drug problem will not stop anytime soon.

“People are selfish and they think they know the best even when they don’t,” anonymous said. “It’s just a natural human trait. People think that they know what’s good and what’s bad. I don’t think there will ever be a time period in the future where drugs are not an issue or drugs are not being used, especially in our age group. I don’t see that happening.”

NEWS

| FALL 2021 | 7

College Algebra 1 College Algebra 1-2074-hour 4

English Composistion 101 English Comp. 101-hour 7

First Semester

First Semester

AP Psychology AP Psych-6774-hour 1 First Semester

Honors Spanish Honors Spanish-2334-hour 2

Seminar Seminar-3rd year-9001

First Semester

All Year

8 | OPINION | FALL 2021

Double Trouble

Double booked students face trouble with workload Elly Green Print Production Manager @EllyGreen16

J

ust like every year, senior students are scrambling to take as many college classes that they can before graduating.

However, new to this school year, most college classes through Hutchinson Community College (HCC) are online and unfortunately for some students, the classes are double booked. This poses a problem for students enrolled in HCC classes as they question if there will be enough time for all the classwork.

Classes such as English composition and college algebra have proctors inside of the high school but for the most part they are online. Math teacher Erica Rickard is the proctor for college algebra, however due to scheduling conflicts her sixth hour college algebra class was moved online, making it a completely online class for her students for the rest of the semester..

According to Cision PR Newswire, 59% of students agree that online learning is much harder than in-person learning.

So not only are students taking harder college classes, learning the material online but some students are double booked for their allotted time period as well. This means that during their reserved time to be working on their college courses they have another, in-person class to attend.

English composition, also taught by HCC, is partially online for its high school students. After the retirement of Scott McCloud, the former English composition teacher, administration asked students who were planning to take the class if they would prefer an online class or an in-person class.

Whether students chose online or in-person, a new, permanent teacher was not obtained for the 2021-2022 school year and English composition is mostly online for its students, aside from certain Tuesdays and Thursdays if the black and gold schedule allows. The proctor, Lael Ewy, former English teacher at the high school, says that he uses the in-person class days to answer questions and to make sure students are keeping up with their work.

Other dual credit programs offered at the high school are: geriatric aide (CNA), emergency medical technician, American government, nutrition, accounting and many more. All of these classes are difficult enough on their own, when other obstacles such as double booked schedules are added, the workload becomes basically impossible.

Students who are double-booked struggle with keeping up with classwork when they do not have assigned time to work on that class, senior Linda Shine said, who is taking both college algebra and English composition and is double-booked for both periods.

Shine said that not having a designated class time seriously impairs her ability to get work done. Not only that, but the college classes have a significantly higher workload.

Shine says that although online classes have some positive outcomes, such as extra free time, she would prefer having in-person classes to thoroughly learn the material.

Without relying on class time to work on assignments, double-booked students have a whole load of homework and no time to work on it, not to mention that students who are involved with athletics, activities, jobs or any other extracurriculars have an impractical work load. This contributes to the ever-knowing opinion that online classes are harder, without motivation or especially a teacher to help you along, students tend to struggle more with online classes. To fix the problem in future years or semesters, counselors at the high school can focus on whether or not specific students will be able to handle the double booked classes or if double booked classes should be available to students at all.

OPINION

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High school students feel shamed by adults

Mateya McCord Social Media Manager @mateyamcc06

W

alking through the halls of NHS, many students tend to feel pressured about their appearance. Often students receive hurtful comments, shaming their sense of style or the way they dress. Minors, both women and men, experience being shamed or bullied by adults, elders and other students.

It is completely unacceptable for adults to humiliate a high school student for their clothing choices. Some students like to wear what allows them to express themselves and feel comfortable, therefore humiliating a student may make them feel uneasy about themselves and cause them to no longer want to express themselves.

When an adult shames a student it causes them to feel guilty about themselves. Adults and others will make comments such as, "cover up," or "your shorts are too short," and "cut your hair." They typically expect their culprit to feel good about themselves after they say all of these horrible things about them. Then they will ask, "what's wrong?" and "why do you always wear baggy clothes?"

Teachers and other adults are supposed to make kids feel comfortable in what they are wearing and support who they are and their decisions. Adults may say nasty comments when they do not even know what is going on. If an educator is labeling a student, other students may catch on and start labeling their classmates. Labeling students will also bring

10 | OPINIONS | FALL 2021

them down and humiliate them for no reason at all. I believe that if everybody left everyone alone and supported each other, the world would be a way better place.

All of this humiliation has a negative impact on kids’ mental health. According to FamilyDoctor, children as young as three years old are likely to struggle with body image issues. This is exactly what our generation has faced. Three years old is far too young to be concerned or depressed about one’s appearance. We need to do a better job of building up our children and loving them regardless of their appearance.

Peers also are involved in shaming. High school students will shame each other and everyone always has something to say. One nice compliment to someone can go a long way.

According to NBC News, being positive and complimenting others helps build positive relationships and can make someone’s day better with just one smile or conversation.

Compliments make you feel good about yourself and shaming causes damage. Everyone needs to learn from this.

If a student is struggling learning something or needs help with something, teachers need to help them and not make jokes or be sarcastic. Educators should always help encourage students to be their best selves and not bring them down. I feel that if you ever need to punish a student you should not make them feel so bad about it that they are being negative towards themselves or others. Make your punishment reasonable and appropriate so the student feels comfortable and learns from it to help others.

Stop the

Shame

OPINIONS

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Crowning Achievement Hendrickson Crowned Miss Kansas outstanding teen Addie Clayton Reporter @adelync7

W

hen people think of beauty pageants, they think of crowns, jewels and young girls parading around in ball gowns, however, the world of pageantry is much more than that. Pageantry is in many ways connected with the entertainment industry and can serve as a tie to career paths such as acting, modeling and performing.

After her run on stage, Junior Gracie Hendrickson was crowned the 2021 Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen. This year’s Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen competition was held on Jun.

12 | FEATURE | FALL 2021

12 at Pratt Community College in Pratt, Kan. Hendrickson has been competing in pageants since the age of nine and has had a passion for it ever since.

“Miss Kansas’ Outstanding Teen is a scholarship pageant that is a part of the Miss America Organization. It aims to promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement,” Co-director of Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen Logan Caywood said.

“Candidates at our state level compete for the chance to represent Kansas for the year, compete at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition and earn scholarships to further their education.”

Hendrickson says her love for pageantry originally stems from watching Miss America and Toddlers and Tiaras on TV. She was inspired by the young men and women in the show and wanted to try competing in a pageant herself. When she was eight she asked her mom if she could compete, however her mom initially said no.

“The only thing [my mom] saw from pageants was the Toddlers and Tiaras show where little girls danced around the stage with fake hair, way too much makeup, and a tiny outfit,” Hendrickson said. “Later on, I found out about a natural pageant where it had nothing to do with how you looked and all to do with your confidence, poise and your community service work. I wanted nothing more than to perform on stage and feel beautiful in an evening gown all while making new friends and gaining new experiences. My mom finally said yes and I was able to compete. After that, I was hooked and I continued to compete as I saw growth in myself.”

Senior Hallie Watkins used to compete with Hendrickson in pageants when she was younger. Watkins says she does not remember much but she does remember having lots of fun competing on stage and spending time with the other young girls. While Watkins currently models, and although it is not quite the same as pageants, the two industries share similarities.

“Both [modeling and pageantry] are a way to promote yourself and your platform to the world with the different opportunities that are given,” Watkins said. “We both show grace in what we do and we can both be confident while doing so. While modeling isn’t a competition like pageantry can be, they both help girls acknowledge confidence in themselves, whether that be with their public speaking or their ability to walk a runway with elegance.”

In order to compete at Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen Hendrickson had to win a preliminary local competition.

Hendrickson says to compete you have to be committed since it is very time-consuming and challenging. In every state, there is a competition where the winner advances to the national competition, Miss America’s Outstanding Teen. Miss America’s Outstanding Teen is the little sister program to Miss America.

“Girls aged 13-17 compete for scholarship money through areas of competition; an eight minute panel interview, lifestyle and wellness, talent, evening gown and on-stage question,” Hendrickson said. “After I won Miss Kansas Outstanding Teen, I had about four weeks to prepare for the national competition. Mock interviews, paperwork, social impact initiative work, talent rehearsals, wardrobe fittings, voice lessons, fundraising, runway walk rehearsals, selling ad pages and that’s not even all. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it can be so much fun.”

Each competitor has a talent and a social impact initiative which is a wide variety of organizations that create positive impacts on the world according to Global Social Impact Initiative. Hendrickson’s talent is singing and her social impact initiative is iStand Teens Against Drug Abuse.

“The Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in Florida was a five day competition with 50 other girls, one from each state and D.C.,” Hendrickson said. “Every day, we arrived at 7-8 am, said goodbye to our family and phones and didn’t return to them till around 8-9 pm.”

A regular day at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in Florida was filled with long rehearsals, filming, fun events, naps in dressing rooms and competition in the evenings to follow, Hendrickson says.

“This was definitely the hardest competition I’ve ever done, and actually, the first time ever that I didn’t make finals,” Hendrickson said. “[Due in part to] the COVID-19 year, they let girls that would have aged out still compete. So, at 16 I was competing against girls almost all older than me, most of which had already graduated.”

Although Hendrickson did not place, she came home with $1,000 in scholarship money, full ride scholarships to multiple schools and memories from an exciting week that will last a lifetime. Hendrickson says that it is all the prize she needs.

“My favorite part was competing with such a diverse group of girls,” Hendrickson said. “Living in little ol’ Newton, it’s crazy to see how culture can be so different from state to state.”

FEATURE

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Flippin Kicks

14 | FEATURES | FALL 2021

Sympson runs shoe reselling business Daniel Gonzalez-Arevalo Sports Manager @danny_g679

I

n a period where the internet has become an integral part of the daily lives of many people, it has become increasingly simple to find things that you are interested in online. The internet offers a wide range of opportunities for many people including shopping, social media, access to music, streaming services and even business opportunities. For senior Ethan Sympson, the internet has presented him with a window of opportunities to grow his sneaker business.

Sympson has spent the majority of 2021 developing and growing his very own sneaker reselling business. Something that Sympson claims started as a hobby has proven to be a new source of income.

“I was picking sneakers up for personal use,” Sympson said.

“Then every once in a while I’d sell a couple. Once I realized that there was real money in it, that’s when I actually started [the business].”

The increased cultural influence sneakers have had in the past decade additionally influenced Sympson. He says seeing sneakers on the feet of famous celebrities often catches his attention.

“Seeing them on a lot of big celebrities, I thought they were really cool,” Sympson said. “So I started researching them and I ended up buying them and then I started reselling them.”

Other resources such as YouTube were of great help to Sympson. The ability to learn from others who were already involved in the business allowed Sympson to know exactly what to expect starting out. “[One of my inspirations is] Harrison Nevel, he’s a big sneaker YouTuber,” Sympson said. “I started watching him, and he also helped get my brain ready to go in sneakers.”

Sympson states that he did not begin to take sneaker

reselling seriously until he was a couple months in. With sneaker collaborations between famous celebrities and sneaker brands, Sympson was able to make a large amount of money from selling a single pair of sneakers.

“I probably made close to one grand,” Sympson said. “My most profitable shoe was] the Travis Scott Jordan 1 lows. I think it was like six to seven hundred dollars.”

The collaboration between Scott and Jordan brand released on Aug. 13 and is worth up to $1500 now. This pair of sneakers is just one of the favorites Sympson has had the opportunity to own.

“I really like the Off-White collabs that I get and I even have a pair of Off-White Dunks,” Sympson said. “Actually, I have two pairs of Off-White Dunks right now, and I just think that the Off-White collabs are really interesting because they’re deconstructing a sneaker. The Travis Scott Jordan 1’s are sick too and I’ve had a pair of the lows before, but not the highs yet.”

The process Sympson goes through to acquire his sneakers is something that many are not familiar with. Sympson purchases his sneakers for the standard retail price and resells them at a higher price in order to profit from the sale.

He usually uses social media to acquire his shoes but when needed he uses other sneaker selling applications.

“I mainly go online with Instagram people as well as if there’s a good price on sneaker reselling apps [such as] Grailed, Stock X and Goat, which doesn’t happen often because the taxes, and the fees do take out a lot, but those are the main ones,” Sympson said.

At the moment, the business Sympson runs is still growing as he mainly uses Instagram to promote his shop. His current handle is @solestreetks but he has goals of establishing his very own shop in Kansas City one day.

“I mean I want to continue making my own shoe shop,” Sympson said. “Hopefully in like Kansas City, somewhere that has a lot of foot traffic.”

FEATURES

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Abroad View Seyun Kwon: South Korea

K

won is one of the 11 foreign exchange students attending NHS for the 2021-2022 school year. She is staying with host parents James and Carrie Reid. Back home in South Korea she loved technology and public transportation.

“I like it in [South Korea] because the wifi connection is really fast even when I climb mountains,” Kwon said. “Public transportation is comfortable to go on and go to different places.”

She is looking forward to making new friends and participating in various activities like sports and foreign languages. One of the activities she is very excited about is volleyball. A major difference between Korea and America is that at her school they did not move to different classrooms throughout the day, Kwon and her various classmates typically stayed with each other and instead of students moving classrooms the teachers moved.

“What I love about America is that I can choose classes that I am interested in or what I want to do,” Kwon said.

“People are so open minded here to anyone, even if they are strangers.”

16 | FEATURES | FALL 2021

Caileane Thurston Reporter @_cailey7

Marta Buscemi: Italy

B

uscemi is originally from Italy and is staying with host parents James and Carrie Reid. Italy is home to various attractions such as Rome, Venice and the Amalfi coast.

Marta adores all of the many types of Italian cuisine as well as all of the fascinating sites she has visited there. While she is heavily involved in her school and extracurriculars back home, she has yet been able to participate in any activities at NHS to date. Buscemi does plan to swim this winter.

In many ways, Italy differs from America, including the housing, food, places and people. Making friends and talking to new people is one of her favorite things to do.

She has enjoyed her time here in America and is patiently waiting for new opportunities throughout the year.

“One thing that I’m looking forward to doing this year is probably to be able to reach some of the goals that I set for myself and to speak/learn the English language very well,” Buscemi said.

NHS Welcomes 21-22 Foreign Exchange students Louisa Vetter: Germany

Pablo Garcia Gentil: Spain

G

entil traveled all the way from Spain to America this summer. While growing up in Spain, Gentil loved spending time with his friends and family but especially the customs and food.

“I like having a different experience [while staying here in Kansas] and meeting new people,” Gentil said.

In the fall, Gentil is planning on participating in Cross Country but he is open to all possibilities and more activities throughout the year.

“It’s really different [here in America],” Gentil said. “School in Spain is only for studying. We do not have any dances or any clubs.

Everything is really different but the biggest difference is the school.” Spain makes a ton of sports but they don’t focus on it as much in school. They have a variety of outside clubs such as soccer which is the biggest sport in Spain.

“Well Spain is a really good country. I am really proud of it, Spain is my home so I like Spain better. What I like about Kansas is the southern hospitality, I like that people are so nice and cool here,” Gentil said.

V

etter is from Germany, and is very interested in sports. She anticipates meeting a lot of new people and attending sporting events while staying in Newton.

Vetter is going to play tennis in the fall and she might give basketball a shot in the winter. She says that her country is very different from America. For example, Newton does not have many transportation options compared to those in Germany.

Vetter lived in a village in Germany and would always take the train or bus wherever she needed to go. She did not have to change classes like students do at NHS, and therefore is having difficulty deciding on what interesting classes she should take throughout her semester abroad.

Although life in America is not completely what she expected, Vetter has found joy in little things such as with her host family.

“I thought that maybe there were some veggie meals in

fast food places but no, I was kinda disappointed, but my favorite thing is my host family’s cat. It’s a giant big fluffy white cat,” Vetter said.

FEATURES

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Strength. Confidence.

Purpose.

Kaufman trains for new opportunity Elly Green Social Media Manager @EllyGreen16

B

odybuilding first became popular in the 1950’s and 1960’s with the emergence of strength and agility competitions around the world. However, the first official bodybuilding competition was held in 1891 and called “The Great Show,” created by Eugene Sandow. Since then, bodybuilding competitions have become extremely popular and will continue to grow as physical extremes are pushed, according to A History Lesson In Bodybuilding.

Senior Clayton Kaufman has recently become interested in professional bodybuilding and has since worked towards creating a new body for himself while also preparing for foreseen bodybuilding competitions. Kaufman began lifting in the spring of 2020, which led to an interest in specifically bodybuilding in the spring of 2021. Kaufman says that the best part of bodybuilding to him has to be the lessons it teaches.

“The best thing about bodybuilding has been the lessons it’s taught me about the difference between discipline and motivation,” Kaufman said. “Most people give up the gym after a couple of months because that’s when the motivation runs out, it’s a lot harder to stick with it when discipline is the only thing keeping you there.”

Along with lifting weights, bodybuilding includes a wide variety of other components of health. Kaufman says that bodybuilding is 40% lifting, 50% diet and 10% everything else.

“Bodybuilding has definitely led me to be very conscious and disciplined about my diet,” Kaufman said. “I’ve gained a ton of knowledge on proper nutrition and that has helped a ton.”

Along with help from fitness friends such as seniors Joey Thiessen and Colin Bybee, Kaufman looks to the bigger names in the industry for inspiration. The International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) is an organization that oversees many bodybuilding international events. It also houses many of Kaufman’s role models.

18 | FEATURES | FALL 2021

“My main influences have been IFBB pros like Chris Bumstead and Logan Franklin but also a lot of smaller influences on social media like Weston Garland,” Kaufman said.

On Oct. 2, Kaufman made his way to his first bodybuilding competition in Nebraska at the National Physique Committee (NPC) Nebraska State Championship. The agenda of a bodybuilding competition consists of firstly standing on a stage with the other competitors in your division and judges who will assess the competitors in five mandatory poses. The night show then has the athlete show the same five poses to a crowd and perform a 60 second free routine. The winners are announced the following evening. At the competition, Kaufman took first in teen classic, first in teen physique and second in true novice classic. Kaufman says that depending on the circumstances, he could still bodybuild for the rest of the season.

“I’m still undecided if I will try and compete in the spring,” Kaufman said. “It depends on how my body looks coming out of wrestling season.”

While the sport can be extremely rewarding physically, other factors make the experience difficult at times. Kaufman says that for him, being a teenager, the worst part about bodybuilding is missing out on social events and experiences.

“I’ve missed a lot of things in the nine weeks preparing for my show because I either couldn’t eat the food people were eating or I needed to lift or I simply didn’t have the energy,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman says that bodybuilding has not only made him confident in his body, but also his mentality. Meaning that Kaufman is now able to feel confident in the discipline and mental strength required to change his body shape. Along with this, Kaufman enjoys the idea of being able to change his body however he wants.

“I wanted to start bodybuilding because I loved the idea of being able to control my body to look a certain way,” Kaufman said. “I think of it as art but your body is the canvas and you work to change the muscles to look a certain way.”

Photos by Olivia Adams

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NHS students discuss 2021 Met Gala outfits Addie Clayton Reporter @adelync7

T

here is no question that the Met Gala is a big event not only for the people who attend but also for the people who watch, from the comfort of their own homes. The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Many sources state that the Met is one of the biggest fashion events. The event is normally held on the first Monday in May, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the last Met Ball was hosted in 2019, and this year’s event was then pushed back to Sept. 13, according to Vogue.

The only people who attend the Met Gala in person are mainly celebrities and news outlets. The people are invited by the co-chairs of the ball and they either pay a $30,000 ticket cost or are invited by fashion brands such as Dior, Wintour, Louis Vuitton, etc. These brands then pay for the costs according to Fox Business. The day after the Met Gala is exciting for many fashion enthusiasts just because people on social media apps such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter have lots of opinions on the stars’ outfits they wore and openily start debates about them on these social media platforms.

“I normally don’t watch the Met Gala live but I do look at all the pictures the day of or the day after. I really liked all of the different varieties of outfits this year and how they were all unique in their own way,” sophomore Ava Claassen said.

Claassen said she enjoys watching the Met Gala because she likes how every year you get to see different outfits and there is no repetition. Claassen also loves how the designers design very unique outfits and even when designers have a “I liked Kid Cudi’s Outfit. I liked how original it was and the colors of it,” sophomore Haley Ruth said.

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theme to their designs the outfits are all still very different.

“I loved Emma Chamberlain’s outfit. It was really simple for the Met but I think it was a good kind of simple for the Met. Another I loved was Hunter Schafer’s look. I loved her face makeup and colored contacts. I loved the simplicity of it and how flattering it was. It all just went together really well,” Claassen said. “I didn’t like Kid Cudi’s because I think it was too casual for the Met. I think he could have done something more with it. Kim Kardashian’s was another I didn’t like because it was very different and not the kind of different I particularly like. I didn’t like how her face was covered. I did, however, like the story behind it.”

Additionally, Claassen enjoyed Billie Eillish’s outfit because she loved the way it fell to the ground. Each Met Gala has cochairs that help with the guest list, food and decorations. This year’s co-chairs included Billie Eillish, Timothee Chalamet, Amanda Gorman and Naomi Osaka. Junior Ava Gillmore loves seeing how people interpret the theme in different and unique ways. She likes to see if they are either on point with the theme or completely far off from it.

“I think Quannah Chasinghorse had one of the best [outfits], I just loved what she did for the theme and how she incorporated her own culture. Lili Reinhart also had an amazing look, with how she had the 50 state flowers in her outfit,” Gillmore said.

Gillmore said she didn’t like Mindy Kaling’s outfit because she thinks it was too bland for the Met. She also didn’t like Kim Petras’ outfit because she did not enjoy the horse head dress she was wearing.

“I just love seeing all of the different outfits and the variety of looks from the Met Gala. They are always different and never the same,” Claassen said.

“I loved Jennifer Lopez’s outfit because she looked very beautfiful in it,” freshman Esperanza Dunnahoo said.

Met Gala

“I loved the diamond shaped top she wore, it was very flattering on her,” Claassen said.

“I loved Emma Chamberlain’s outfit. It was really simple for the Met but I think it was a good kind of simple for the Met,” Claassen said.

Photo by Elite Daily

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For you

Hair

Halloween

Room Decor

Mateya McCord

Anne Koontz

Clayton Kaufman Haley Ruth

Preslee Ellette

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Olivia Adams

Outfits Fall Aesthetic

House Inspo

Recipes

NHS Railiners and Cheer

Linda Shine Morgan Hiebert

Camryn Entz

NHS Halloween Pinterest Board

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Marching to a New Beat Drumline Faces Challenges Due to shortage in members Simon Hodge Reporter @Hodge_Simon

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ome football games are always an event NHS students eagerly look forward to at the end of a long and tiring week of school. While the scoreboard at the end of the night may not always be victorious, the school spirit throughout the student section is enough to keep students attending week after week. One major part of the student section experience is the drumline.

This year the drumline has shrunken down from around 20 members in 2019 to six in 2021. This change has had a drastic impact on the drumline’s moral and overall effectiveness. In particular, due to the lack of symbol players, symbols have been placed on top of the snares, forcing the change of playing style for those affected members.

“There are pros and cons to [having a small drumline], we have a very small line, so on one hand that allows us to sound really clean because there are less people that are able to not be together while playing but the downside is that there is a little less hype for performances,” drumline captain Kaden Anderson said.

The drumline has relied on passing down songs by teaching new members how to play the music, since the number of players in drumline has decreased, this practice can not be used anymore and instead the upperclassmen have to figure out something different.

“One of the big cons is that songs we have been playing

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for years have to be passed down in different ways such as actually writing the music instead of just showing people how to play them,” junior snare Brendan Thompson said. “We don’t have enough players to pass the songs down anymore.”

Bass drums provide the drumline with the beat and rhythm that the rest of the players follow. Usually a drumline would have at least five bass drums, though with the amount of players this year the drumline only has two players.

“Normally [we have] five bass drums in a drumline but now Newton only has two. As long as the bass drums can play clean however it’s okay to only have two,” said Anderson.

The drumline might be smaller and might not provide as much hype as it has in previous years but it is still a major and effective part of the NHS game day experience. When time constraints come into play during half time or a time out, the student section becomes greatly disappointed when the drumline is not able to play their set.

“The NHS drumline is by far the best piece of crowd hyping technology and beat maker that NHS has,” senior Joel Franz said.

To boost the spirits of the student section the drumline often plays songs that involve crowd participation such as the song Remo in which the crowd sways back and forth along with the beat of the drums.

“By far my favorite part is when they sway, it’s hilarious because you look at the student section and everybody’s going crazy and it’s like a whole body of students swaying back and forth and just trampling each other,” Franz said. “It’s awesome because they bring rhythm to the student section.

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Tuck and Tumble

Railer Gymnasts Flip Through Season Eris Rindt Reporter @Rindt_Eris

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he 2021-22 NHS gymnastics team has faced an array of challenges this season whether due to COVID-19 restrictions, or working through a hard routine, yet they continue to preserve. Throughout the fall season the gymnastics team has competed all throughout Kansas.

Gymnastics is a fall sport that takes place during the same season as other girl sports such as volleyball, tennis and golf.

This year’s team consists of 10 people.

Playing on a team sport for two hours a week as a studentcan have a positive effect on a players mood according to Reuters. Each student on the team works on different routines, or conditioning for a set amount of time depending on what other events or activities the gymnast has going on. During the school year of 2020-21 the gymnastics team made it to the State competition which was held at NHS. The team hopes to attend the State competition again this year which will be hosted on Oct. 23 at Shawnee Mission West high school.

“Practice varies for everyone but on a typical day we go for an hour in the morning, 5:45 a.m. - 6:45 a.m., then two hours in the afternoon, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., but since there’s a few of us in cheer, we often have to leave a little earlier than the others [for games and other activities],” senior Georgia Garcia said.

The team has competed a total of four times this season, with two of their home meets being rescheduled due to COVID-19 related issues. Senior night this year was hosted on Oct. 9 and honored three seniors; Rylie Pierce, Georgia

Garcia and Elena DeLeon. During competitions each gymnast that competes receives a scoring on a scale of 1-10. One meaning there are needs for improvements and 10 being the best score a gymnast could achieve. Points can be taken away if the gymnast falls or takes an extra step according to USA Gymnastics.

“My first meet that I competed in was [Sept. 20] and I got a 6.9 on floor,” sophomore Addie Forman said. “Obviously I kind of find [meets] scary, depending on if it’s an invitational vs. a quad. An invitational has a lot of people while a quad does not. The invitational was scary even though I didn’t compete.

Some of those girls are intimidating.”

Currently, there are two coaches that advise the team; head coach JoAnne Thaw and assistant coach Keely Boston. The main job of the coaches is to advise and guide the gymnasts into finding their strengths or helping them work on improving their weaknesses.

“My main struggle is definitely mental, I get worried easily that I’m going to fall or something, so that’s definitely an issue,” freshman Abbigale Steinert said. “The coaches have helped me a lot by encouraging me to try other things because I get stuck on mental things sometimes where I don’t want to go for something because it is scary.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has not had much availability for team bonding but the members have bonded and shared memories together during bus trips and other smaller events. As the team goes to meets they take a bus together which leaves time for the team to bond. “[My favorite memory] is probably the sandwich making contest we had in the dark on the bus,” Foremen said. “It was pitch black and we were trying to have a sandwich making competition.”

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Pink Out Students Express Breast Cancer Awareness Through October Annika Yoder Reporter @YoderAnnika

E

very year at Newton High School, the school recognizes October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The athletes participating in fall sports celebrate this month by incorporating pink into their uniforms. Many NHS students also show their support by dressing in all pink outfits to an October football game.

This year at NHS the pink out theme took place at the Oct. 8 football game where the team played a victorious away game at Goddard. The purpose of wearing pink is to recognize those who are battling cancer, have beaten cancer, and those who have unfortunately lost their battle to breast cancer, and the progress that has continued throughout the years to find a cure.

“Pink out represents hope to those suffering from cancer and represents our support for those people because more often than not, cancer is a long, tough, scary road and no one should have to go through it alone,” senior Katie McMullin said.

Fall sports show recognition of Pink Out every year. The cheer team switches out their black and gold poms for pink ones. The volleyball team shows their support with pink jerseys. The football team incorporates elements of pink in their uniforms. Just about every fall sport wears something to show their support for Pink Out. “My favorite part of Pink Out is seeing the whole student section wearing pink and seeing the athlete’s October uniforms,” sophomore Gracie Rodriguez said. “When I see everyone wearing pink, I can see that people care and are trying to show their support.”

On Sept. 30, President Biden announced that the month of October 2021 is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Even though people all over have celebrated women during this month, it is important to note that it is just now recognized as a national month, as it was not official before.

“It’s important to recognize [Breast Cancer Awareness Month] so we can show that we care. Recognizing breast cancer spreads awareness and shows that we stand with the women who have had to deal with cancer,” Rodriguez said.

Breast cancer is a very difficult journey for both the patient and their families to go through. The month of October is supposed to recognize breast cancer and the women who have battled it. It is important to give support to the families and women who battle cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer also greatly affects the patient’s family and friends, as they have to cope and adjust to a new situation. The people affected by breast cancer may need help and support from the people around them.

“I think one thing we could do is to further recognize those that have been closely affected by breast cancer. I know this from experience because my mom was diagnosed almost exactly 2 years ago. I would’ve liked more support from other students and the school as a whole. Sometimes when things like that happen it can make you feel alone. I guarantee that there is at least one person every year that has a close relative or even a parent that is going through it. It is not just hard on the person who was diagnosed but everyone around them and it can be very hard to go to school every day and then go back home where you know someone you love is suffering,” McMullin said.

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Roundin’ Out First Quarter

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1.) Showing team unity and pride, the NHS boys soccer team huddles together prior to the start of their home game against Andover on Sept. 16.

Photo by Camryn Entz. 2.) Freshman Regan Hirsh expresses her excitement after a good play at the home volleyball match against Derby on Oct. 5.

Photo by Kamryn Archibald. 6.) Posing for a picture on top of a blown up air mattress and alongside stuffed animals, FACS teacher Kimberly Powell and Special Education teacher Judy Flaming smile at the camera on PJ day of homecoming week. Photo by FACS teacher Molly Shauf. 7.) Pointing towards the sky, senior Luke Hirsh takes a moment to remember the lives of loved ones lost too soon at the varsity football game against Andover on Sept. 3. Photo by Zach Ruth. 8.) Senior Alexis Epp looks out towards the audience while singing her part with the Railaires at the NHS choir concert hosted on Oct. 7. Photo by Caleb Smith.

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Ann Pomeroy Editor-in-Chief @PomeroyAnn

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3.) Dressed in the official NHS marching band uniform, junior Otis Musser plays his trumpet at the Sept. 24 home varsity football game against Hutch. Photo by Caleb Smith. 4.) Sophomore Angel Valverde shows his support for the NHS varsity football team by proudly holding a sign that depicts “Go Railers” at the homecoming football game on Sept. 24. Photo by Caleb Smith. 5.) At the AVCTL girls tennis meet, freshman Natalie Hershberger extends her racket in reach of the tennis ball. Photo by Caleb Smith.

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9.) Faking forgetfulness, seniors Lauren Anton and Joel Franz look toward the audience while performing their choreographed handshake prior to fall homecoming coronation on Sept. 24. Photo by Kamryn Archibald. 10.) Junior Aspen Schmidt sprints toward the finish line at the home cross country invite hosted on Oct. 2. Photo by Caleb Smith. 11.) Posing with spray paint cans locked and loaded, students from the freshman class prepare and decorate their class homecoming float at the 4-H building on Sept. 22. Photo by Olivia Adams.

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“THE FACT THAT EVERYONE CAN COME OUT AND WE CAN STILL HAVE FUN [REGARDLESS OF THE SCORE] IS THE BEST PART,” SENIOR CALEB KOONTZ SAID.

THE NEWTONIAN NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MAGAZINE Series 99 | Issue 1 | Fall 2021

Photo by Caleb Smith