THENEWTONIAN NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MAGAZINE
IN-DEPTH What rights do students have on school grounds? SERIES 95 | ISSUE 7 | FEBRUARY 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
FEATURES
Influenza spreads across school 3 Finalized salary schedule 4 Individual Plans of Study 4 Railer Connections mentoring 5
Jones overcomes injury 10 Teachers with second jobs 11 Ventura sells beats to rappers 11 Regier plays in Jazz Ensemble 12
SPORTS Winter sports: state preview
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OPINIONS
ARTS & CULTURE
Benefits of zero waste lifestyle 6 Developing individual views 7 Millennials mistaken for sensitive 7
Scholastic Art Show awards
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IN-DEPTH Student rights in school Cover photo by Taylor Tasaka
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Gracie Hammond
Hannah Rogers
Google Arts and Culture review 15
STAFF INFORMATION Editor-in-Chief Lauren Mitchell Asst. Editor-in Chief Online Editor Payton Fenwick Content Editor Photo Editor Gracie Hammond
News Editor Sports Feature Editor Faye Smith Features Editor Erica Beebe Opinions Editor Macy Rice Online Sports Manager Ben Crump
Graphics Manager Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Caroline Barger Asst. Features Editor Addie Lindenmeyer Asst. Opinions Editor Ellen Garrett Arts & Culture Editor Kaete Schmidt
Letters to the Editor The Newtonian may accept letters to the editor and guest columns from students, faculty, administrators, community residents and the general public. Submissions should be 300 words or less and contain the author’s name, address and signature. All submissions will be verified. The Newtonian editorial board reserves the right to withhold a letter, column or other submission and/or return it for revision if it contains unprotected speech or grammatical errors that could hamper its meaning. Letters to the editor and guest columns can be given to the editor-inchief or adviser, delivered to room 1-113 or be e-mailed to nhsrailernews@ gmail.com. The deadline for publication in the next issue is 3/5/18 to allow sufficient time for verification of authorship prior to publication.
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@RailerNews
Reporter Meya Green Reporter Emma Pulaski Reporter Taylor Tasaka Adviser Robin Montano
Influenza virus takes toll on students Meya Green Reporter
The flu season comes and goes, but the public is not fully aware of the harm that the Influenza virus can cause. Fifty-eight percent of 226 students who responded to a school-wide survey know of family members who have had Influenza or an Influenza-like illness. It is difficult to identify the virus as the symptoms resemble to that of typical seasonal illnesses. Influenza is not reportable in Kansas and information on the disease is lacking. “We have other means of surveillance that we track Influenza illness with. Right now, our influenza surveillance system called ‘Influenza-like System Network’ is showing that 12 percent of all visits to the doctor are due to Influenza-like illnesses,” Influenza Surveillance Coordinator of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Amie Worthington said. Vaccines for the current strain of
Influenza have proved ineffective and require clinical trials before being released to the public. Influenza is highly contagious and is easy to spread from person to person. The more students that come to school with the virus, the more students it ultimately affects. “I feel like that’s why the people with influenza came to school and that’s why it spread so fast; people didn’t recognize it as the flu because it didn’t act like the flu,” sophomore Kelsi Harris said. The Influenza virus usually takes up to a week for symptoms to subside with the necessary prescribed medication. Despite the critical consequences of the virus, teachers have said that students have come to school and instead they recommend visiting a doctor. “The strain is impacting a lot of individuals and unfortunately it’s a component of the vaccine that targets that strain is not very good. We’re seeing a lot of illness this season, so it is more severe than the last two seasons,”
Worthington said. 11.3 percent of 71 students who responded to the same survey previously mentioned have missed a week or more of school and 88.4 percent have missed one to four days of school. If students are missing that much class time, they can easily fall behind and it could be difficult for them to catch back up. “If you have a test every four weeks, then that is a quarter of what will be on the test that you’re missing; that is huge. If the students need to watch any clips or videos or anything that you can’t necessarily access on their own, that sets them back significantly,” English teacher Jessica Heidrick said. Junior Jeana Lyons was absent from school for three days due to her catching the Influenza virus. “I was very nauseous, I threw up, ran a fever, and I had a cough and runny nose. People need to wash their hands very often to prevent getting sick,” Lyons said.
FLU SEASON IS HERE TO VISIT WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF:
Did you know...
*71 Responses
Of 216 students 28.8% have missed school for the flu
11.3 % of students have spent a week or more away from school
*216 Responses
58% have had a family member have the flu
State and Nationally... Kansas Flu Rate
51.3% were hospitalized due to the flu this season
5%
National Flu Rate
3.7%
NEWS
| FEBRUARY 2018 | 3
Teacher salary schedule finalized for 2017-18 Lauren Mitchell Editor-in-Chief
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ith only three months of school remaining, teacher salary schedules are finalized for the 2017-18 school year after extensive negotiations between representatives of the district and Newton National Education Association (NEA). On Jan. 17, 89 percent of teachers voted to pass the proposed salary schedule. After the same contract failed in a September vote and no resolutions were made between the two parties, discussion of a possible impasse circulated. However, teachers conceded before formal action was taken. “It was not an official impasse. Someone has to file for that with the state. It was simply that the school board’s representatives refused to come out of the office to meet with us in public, and so there were
some conversations that went on between some of our reps and some of their reps to see if we could find some common ground and go back to the table,” Newton NEA president Cathlina Bergman said. USD 373 Superintendent Deborah Hamm said that while South Central Kansas NEA Director Dave Kirkbride worked with school board attorney John Robb to consider possible solutions, the original proposal remained. “The original salary option was accepted by the teachers. We looked at other ways, if you will, to distribute or allocate the money, but eventually it just came back to what was originally offered and that was what was accepted,” Hamm said. However, one adjustment was made concerning the number of personal and sick leave days teachers receive during the school year.
“There is only one difference between the one in September that failed and the one in November, and that is that the school agreed to give teachers one additional personal day. That is kind of tricky because we have a set of sick days and personal leave,” Bergman said. “They just took one and relabeled it. We have the same number of days total, but we used to have 11 and two, now we have ten and three.” Although the contract is not what teachers were hoping for, Bergman said timing of the next contract cycle prompted the favorable vote. “For the most part, they are still not happy with the overall contract but they feel like it is time to settle. There are some good things in this contract, and they wanted to get it settled so we could move on because it’s February,” Bergman said. “This paycheck is the
first time they will see any improvement from last year. We are starting the next round of negotiations, they start in March for next year already, so they felt like ‘let’s get this one settled so we can move on.’” Hamm agreed that the contract, while increasing the base salary approximately three percent from last year, is still not sufficient. “When you ask, ‘does it meet the needs of the teachers?’ I would have to say no because it is not yet where we want it to be. We will continue to work towards increasing the base salary for teachers so that we get it to a competitive amount over the next several years,” Hamm said. The Newton NEA is currently surveying district teachers in order to identify areas of focus for the 201819 contract negotiations, which begin in March.
early helps them to get into the electives where they can be the most successful,” Moore said. For most, the change has gone over smoothly. However, for one seminar teacher, the change has not been simple. History teacher Elizabeth Gunn has a non-native English speaking seminar and faces unique challenges in the switch to IPS. These challenges cause her class to be unable to get through activities in one seminar. “Some of the items on Naviance are in Spanish, and some of them aren’t. That makes it challenging when it’s not because then in order for them to answer honestly,...we have to go
through the translation process. It’s taken up some time with that,” Gunn said. “Even for our kiddos who listen well and can speak relatively well...if you want to get the information to them, it’s still better if it is presented in Spanish.” In the end, the goal of the IPS implementation is to help students learn their interests and the places they can be the most successful. “Long-term, students leaving high school will have a little bit more clarity of what their interests are. That’s the goal, is we don’t want students to leave here and not have a clue as to what they want to do,” Crittenden said.
IPS implemented to further student success Ellen Garrett Asst. Opinions Editor
IPS are required to be implemented by the end of the 2017-2018 school year. The administration is ndividual Plans of Study meeting the requirements (IPS) were recently introduced at the state level when through a chosen platform, Naviance. The program is commissioner of education used by students in eighth Dr. Randy Watson decided through twelfth grade. This that programs were needed gives incoming freshmen to ensure more individualthe advantage of choosing ized education as a part of electives that will heighten the platform ‘Kansans Care.’ their academic success. At the high school level, “They’re choosing their IPS are being used during electives based on whether seminar to help students or not they should go into identify their strengths, culinary arts, or they should weaknesses and learning go into graphic design, or styles. This process will they should go into welding, further identify careers or activities that students would or they should go into medical science classes. be interested in. Getting that NEWS FEBRUARY 2018 interest
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Harper organizes new mentoring program Railer Connections provides upperclassmen role models Kaete Schmidt Asst. Arts and Culture Editor
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laying video games, organizing basketball tournaments and building friendships are all part of a new student mentoring program designed to help ease the transition from middle school to high school. Last semester, social worker Jeanne Harper proposed the Railer Connections program to help freshmen having difficulty adjusting to high school. Jeanne organized the Railer Connections mentoring program within a month of proposing the idea. She was able to find mentors, along with freshmen, for the program by contacting school staff, coaches and counselors. “We wanted them to have good school performance, good attendance and be a positive person, outgoing, able to connect with some of the freshmen, able to be professional because they have to maintain confidentiality and also kids that make good decisions in school and out of school,” Jeanne said. The mentors chosen were juniors Jerik Ochoa, Dante Harper and Zach Garcia and seniors Ryan Watkins, Gavin Powell, Richard Regier and Ethan
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Torres. All immediately agreed to join the program. Railer Connections meets once a month during seminar. Each of the eight freshmen are paired with an upperclassmen who they engage with in many different activities. “The whole point of the program is just to form that connection and have a fun experience to tie to high school. It’s not academic focused at all.
Hearing that their parents have said they have been doing really well...It just feels really good. It makes me happy.
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-junior Jerik Ochoa
Something fun that helps establish that connection between the freshman and their mentor,” Jeanne said. “Having this positive relationship with the upperclassmen helps them feel a lot more connected so in the long run
hopefully they do better in high school.” In a survey taken by the freshmen in the program at the beginning of the year, many of the answers were very similar. Students’ goals were to maintain good grades, and they each looked forward to coming to the program to play games and spend time with their mentors. One of the freshmen even wrote that their favorite part is “getting to hangout with seniors and be an influence in the school.” Since the program started, Jeanne and the mentors have noticed a change in the students. “I have gotten a lot of parent feedback from the freshmen that that is something that their student looks forward to are the days that we meet,” Jeanne said. “The freshmen are able to maintain in class because they want to be able to have that time with their mentor.” Not only has this program benefited the freshmen involved but it has also made an impact on the mentors. “Hearing about their grades and how they have been doing better ever since this and hearing that their parents have said they have been doing really good at home too, it just feels really good,” Ochoa said. “It makes me happy.”
Seniors Gavin Powell, Ryan Watkins, junior Dante Harper, senior Richard Regier, juniors Zach Junior Jerik Ochoa gets covered with sticky notes during a Garcia and Jerik Ochoa sit on the floor in Willis Gym as they wait to begin the activity during bonding activity. Courtesy Photo a Railer Connections meeting. Courtesy Photo
NEWS
| FEBRUARY 2018 | 5
Transitioning to zero waste lifestyle beneficial Ellen Garrett Asst. Opinions Editor
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hink about how much trash you make in a day. All the plastic bags, tissues, plastic water bottles and the packaging on your food. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency the average American makes 4.5 pounds of trash per day. That adds up to 254 million tons of trash in a year. Not only do we make all this trash and plastic waste, according to seastewards.org, we only recycle 1-2 percent of it annually. This is a huge problem. According to zerowasteamerica.org there are over 13,000 active and inactive landfills in the US. Landfills are one of the largest man made sources of methane, directly creating horrible air pollution and hurting our atmosphere. These thousands of landfills not only cause bad smells, air pollution, and groundwater pollution, it also affects biodiversity. According to the Romanian Ministry of Environment and Forests, even the development of landfills causes the loss of approximately 60 to 600 species per acre. This means that we have caused the downfall of at least seven billion species, all because we are desensitized to the amount of trash that we actually produce and how it stacks up. We not only over fill the three thousand active landfills, but is also beginning to fill our oceans. According to National Geographic there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris floating in the ocean. This causes loss of biodiversity because fish and other marine animals are unable to occupy the space it takes up, it also allows fish, seabirds, turtles, and all other marine animals to eat, get stuck in, and die from this trash. The big pieces of trash are not the only problems. According to onegreenplanet.org, because plastic does not biodegrade, it breaks up into microscopic pieces which are then
Compost Fruit and Vegtable Scraps Nuts Eggshells Plant Material (Leaves, Sticks, Dirt) Napkins and Papertowels Teabags Paper Cups Cardboard (Some Types)
eaten by filter feeders and birds which eventually fills their stomachs and starves them. Approximately 70 species of marine species are in danger of extinction because of plastic waste. Going zero waste could work to completely stop this cycle that we are currently contributing to. Going zero waste is a lifestyle choice that hundreds have made that includes making little to no trash, recycling, and composting. Composting is a way to break down food scraps, leaves, some kinds of paper and cardboard, and turn them back into soil. This can be done from the safety of your own home, either outside in your backyard or inside in tubs with the use of worms to break it down faster. People who go zero waste also avoid food and other products with packaging. Some who are more devoted make their own beauty products and toiletries, but others just buy from bulk stores or buy things in glass or recyclable packaging. Going zero waste can be a big time and life consuming effort, but for some, it fits into their lifestyle easily. Even if the commitment of a zero waste lifestyle is not suitable to your living situation, there are many ways that you can lessen your trash everyday. If your family does not
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Do Not Compost Meat and Dairy Products Grease/Fat/Oil Plastic Wax paper Chemical Products Styrofoam Pet Waste Sanitary Hygiene Products *University of Guelph
already, you can begin to recycle, and pay attention to things that you throw in the trash that could actually be thrown into the recycling. You can begin to compost, either inside or outside. While grocery shopping, you can not only buy and use reusable bags, but you can look for food with less or no packaging, or shop locally at farmers markets or health food stores that already have little to no packaging on their food. Perhaps the easiest thing to do to lessen your waste is to invest in a reusable water bottle. The school even has convenient bottle fillers that can help you cut down on the amount of plastic bottles you throw into landfills. If you are really dedicated to lessening your waste, but still love to eat fast food or takeout, you can request that they either not give you utensils or extra napkins, or ask if they could put it directly into your reusable Tupperware, or at least bring your refillable bottle to use. They often give discounts on drinks because the packaging is what costs them the most. Even if you do not believe that any of these alternatives are feasible to you, at least take some time to notice how much trash you are really producing every day.
Developing personal opinions essential Blind acceptance of parents views limits growth Caroline Barger Arts & Culture Editor
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oday in society there is a lot of controversy between people regarding what they believe. Whether it be about religious or political views, everyone has their own thoughts on what they think is best. But what influences people to adopt the beliefs that they possess? Children grow up observing the views of their parents and often parents compel their views onto their children. People who have grown up being forced to believe the same things about the church as their parents are
more likely to stray from those beliefs, cnn.com says that more than one-third of millennials now say they are unaffiliated with any faith. This is up 10 percentage points since 2007. According to www.theatlantic.com young adults report that two of the most powerful factors that influenced their religious beliefs were the religious lives of their parents and how often they attended religious services with their parents during their childhood and teen years. Also, the British Journal of Political Science, based on data from the U.S. and U.K., found that parents who are insistent that their children adopt their political views inadvertently influence their children to abandon the belief once they become
adults. Political affiliation should be chosen based on the beliefs of the person themself and should not just be chosen based on what someone has been told is right by their parents. The Health and Lifestyles Study conducted a survey consisting of 8,636 families which looked at a child’s views in comparison to their mother and father. 53.5 percent of children misunderstood or rejected their mothers’ political party affiliation, and 54.2 did so for their fathers’. Choosing what to believe in should have many factors, rather than just being based on the influence and opinion of your parents. Children who are allowed the freedom to figure out their own beliefs, whether
they be religious or political, are more likely to agree with their parents and the views they have grown up around and know so well. Discussing politics with your parents is not something that should be avoided when you do not shared the same beliefs. According to www.vox. com the main reason that children do not agree with the same views as their parents is that about only two in three children are able to understand their parents’ party identification. Also 42 percent of parents were unable to comprehend the beliefs of their children. The relationship with our parents can affect where our views end up and being able to talk about what we believe with each other is a big factor.
is not a matter of sensitivity but one of awareness and attention. You can hardly go a day or even a few ours without seeing someone being called out on social media for saying something offensive. Critics say that overly sensitive millennials are the problem but in reality it is the other way around. Young people today have simply been raised to be intolerant to bigoted behavior and even society as a whole is moving in the same direction. In an age where everyone in connected all day at the touch of a button, people can more freely express their thoughts and opinions. This makes way for people to be educated on issues and see from others’ perspectives.
In turn people have become more attentive and aware. When slurs or jokes poking fun at people for their situation, race or other aspects are thrown around, they are quickly met with opposition. For example, in recent controversy, popular clothing brand H&M sold a short that read “coolest monkey in the jungle” and had it modeled by a child of African descent. As expected, social media exploded with a barrages of angry comments and demands to have the shirt discontinued. Users pointed out the glaring racist connotation of the shirt and the history of the slur relating people of color to primates. The people standing up
to the bigotry are not the issue. The fact of the matter is, these things have always been offensive but with time and education people finally have the knowledge and voice to point it out. It really is a sign of the times, insensitive older generations have been conditioned to accept are simply not welcomed by the younger and progressive crowd. The people combating this behavior are not the problem but rather the solution. A society that advocates for each other and fights back against bigotry can hardly be called a bad thing. Triggered is not the right word, but instead “aware”. Aware of the power of words and actions and the effect they can have.
Millennials take action against social injustice Gracie Hammond Content Editor
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hese days it almost seems as though it is a crime to care. If you stand up to someone or call them out for being out of line, you are instantly labeled as triggered and overly sensitive. Last Halloween I even saw a “Triggered Millennial” costume which consisted of wrapping bubble wrap around the person to poke fun at their supposed fragility. Despite criticism and jokes, the truth is clear, people are sick and tired of insensitive and discriminatory behavior. It
OPINIONS
| FEBRUARY 2018 | 7
KNOW YOUR
Administration, American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas clarify situational rights
STUDENT RIGHTS I
Why is it important for STUDENTS to know their RIGHTS? Junior Chase Cassil “I feel that the administration is restricting rights now, and they use not telling student their rights as a device to further restrict what’s already been restricted.”
Senior Diana Unruh “Being that students are at a disadvantage to their authoritative figures, such as teachers and administration, students knowing their rights, especially in disciplinary issues, is super important.”
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n light of the recent drug bust, Pledge of Allegiance debates and other events, questions have to raised as to what rights students carry with them when they walk into the building. Can cars be searched? Can a teacher really confiscate a student’s belongings for extended periods of time? What can’t the school do? These are all questions that are commonly heard in student conversations throughout the school. The school handbook and internet sources provide only a limited explanation of students rights. Between federal, state and district rulings it can be difficult to discern what rights students have. An influential ruling in the student rights topic is the Tinker V. Des Moines case. From that the case comes the iconic phrase which is often brought to mind in students rights discussions. That students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” The quote came in response to students wearing armbands in protest of the Vietnam war. The court ruled the students had the right to the protest as it was freedom of speech and expression. Despite strong federal rulings such as Tinker vs. Des Moines, at the school or district level things become more complicated. Though certain things are not explicitly illegal or prohibited by the school handbook, they can, in a roundabout-way, become so. For example, protesting is not outlawed legally or by the school, but could be considered disorderly conduct or even trespassing depending on time of day, and if the protesting students were asked to leave. Student rights, whether seemingly minuscule or important affect every teacher, student, administrator and district employee. “When students are empowered and are able to educate their administrators and teachers about the law, they are really just making sure that their schools are more free, equal places and democratic spaces,” legal director of the ACLU of Kansas Lauren Bonds said.
*All ACLU comments are from Legal Director of the ACLU of Kansas, Lauren Bonds
Can teachers or administrators search cell phones?
What rights do students have when it comes to phones in school?
No
Can teachers confiscate phones? Can students take pictures or video without others knowing?
ADMIN
“It is legal for you to film or take photos of people without their permission. The problem is, it depends on where you post it. If you post it on Snapchat belittling somebody, then that’s when you start to cross the line. If you are putting a negative connotation on it, that is against school policy.”
ACLU
“The school has quite a bit of rights in this area just because context is important. Students have First Amendment rights to film and take pictures of things that are of public relevance...Is the teacher expecting privacy? Is this inside the school? Is this outside? All of these things really matter. Students have limited rights in this area.”
“If teachers have a rule that you can’t have phones during class, then you have to turn your phone over to the teacher. The teacher will either give it back or bring it to the office and the administrator will give it back at the end of the day. Teachers can’t keep your phone over the weekend,” principal Lisa Moore.
“Teachers are entitled to confiscate phones for a limited period of time...That is an issue that is more of a property right issue than a Constitutional one. It definitely could raise issues,” legal director of the ACLU of Kansas Lauren Bonds.
“It depends on the situation. If you are supposed to be in class and you choose to stand out on the sidewalk and protest, you could be asked to leave. If you refuse to leave, you could be considered trespassing. In a roundabout way, you could be suspended. It depends on what you are protesting and if you are causing a disturbance.” “At this time, it is not in the board policy to have USD 373 students do random drug testing, but it is being considered and we are researching other districts that are doing it.”
“Social media is social media, but if you are doing it on school time, it is a school issue. Outside of school, you can post anything. It is freedom of speech, as long as it is not a threat.”
“Students have signed the acceptable use policy that says they will only use email for school purposes. Anything said in the emails on school computers is still part of school property and school email.”
Yes
35%
ADMIN “We would not take a phone and search through the phone ourselves. We would ask the student to show them that files had been deleted, pictures, or videos.”
ACLU
“Going through the phones, that is a tricky area. It very well could violate students’ Fourth Amendment rights...A student could say no. It might be a situation where the administrators would need to... get additional authorization to go into the phone, or contact parents.”
ACLU of Kansas
Administration “All of those things can be searched...With a car, we will ask permission from the student or parents...Lockers can be searched without permission. A backpack... it is always with student or parent permission unless we have probable cause.”
65%
Student survey results *Out of 332 responses
Can student lockers, backpacks, and cars be searched?
Can students face consequences for nonviolent protesting?
Can administration random drug test students? Are social media posts protected from behavioral consequences? Is the information sent in school emails protected speech?
If administrators have probable cause, or reason to search...that could be a situation where it is appropriate. There are situations where it is inappropriate, when there isn’t a reason to search or everything is just based on ‘this is a bad kid, I am going to look through his locker.’ There needs to be a basis for the suspicion, and a rumor...is not going to cut it.” “Disruption is really the threshold for whether a student can be disciplined...Peacefully holding signs that do not have anything vulgar, offensive, or threatening is going to be very hard for the school to justify disciplining that situation. The only situations where (trespassing) would come up is if you were not entitled to be there, like if the school was closed.” “That is an issue that is governed by the federal Constitution, as well as the State Constitution Schools are allowed to do random drug testing, however, it is limited to certain people who are engaged in extracurricular activities.” “If they are posting slurs at another students, or it is part of a broader pattern of conduct, that might be a situation where the school can get involved. Otherwise, students do have quite a bit of protection for the types of things they can post on their social media, and the school is rarely justified in getting involved.”
“The school is providing the forum, they probably saying they have the right to surveil your use of this. Typically, you will have less of an expectation of protection with school email accounts.”
IN-DEPTH
| FEBRUARY 2018 | 9
Jamieson endures injury, experiences success Ben Crump Online Sports Editor
Season Stats
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vercoming obstacles is something every student has to deal with from time to time. For sophomore Jamieson Jones, his obstacle was a major injury. Jones suffered a dislocated clavicle and would be sidelined from the sport he loved, football, for the rest of the season. He originally didn’t think much of the pain in his shoulder. “I just thought it was a tweak or something and I’d be fine in a day or so,” Jones said. Jones, while upset about missing out on football, worked through a lengthy rehab program for his shoulder. “I had to stretch with bands and I had to do push-ups every other day even though I couldn’t do them,” Jones said. Jones had to work through his injury while not being able to play the sport he wants to play at the next level, football. “I want to play football because I’ve played football all my life,” Jones said. While the injury kept him away, Jones is now back with the NHS basketball team, having to work harder than before. “It made me have to push harder, work harder in everything I do, like bringing my shot up more in basketball,” Jones said. Jones is a concentrated worker in school as well. English teacher Deb Helberg makes a large impact on Jones in his day to day schoolwork. “Ms. Helberg [made a major impact on me], she helps me with anything I need help with,” Jones said. Since first being in Helberg’s classes a year and a half ago, Jones has seen improvements in his work. “Jamieson is a student who makes sure he gets all of his work completed,” Helberg said. After his injury took him out of sports and classes for a short time, it took him some time to recover from the injury. “After his injury Jamieson got off to a slow start, but he soon picked up the pace, caught up after being gone, and completed all of his work,” Helberg said. Despite his clavicle forcing him to change his style of play and effecting his school work, Jones, a self-described athlete, can play without restrictions and remains fearless of the injury. “I just focus on what I’m doing in my sport so I don’t worry about it,” Jones said.
10 | FEATURES | FEBRUARY 2018
Average number of assists per game: 1.6 assists Average number of rebounds per game: 7.2 rebounds Average number of points per game: 6.5 points Field goal percentage: 65 percent
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It made me have to push harder, work harder in everything I do. -Jamieson Jones
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Sophomore Jamieson Jones works on his assignments in Debra Helberg’s classroom. Photo by Jada Berry
Edgmon, George embrace second job
Teachers work to supplement primary income Addie Lindenmeyer Asst. Features Editor
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fter the end of day bell rings, students have the good fortune of being able to go home and spend the rest of their day to their likings. Some teachers on the other hand do not receive the same prosperity. In addition to being a physical education teacher and high school wrestling coach, Tommy Edgmon earns income from a second source, an on-the-side lawn care business. However, Edgmon is not the only teacher earning a second income. Business teacher and assistant volleyball coach Lisa George sells hair care products as a way to earn additional income. Edgmon’s business, Point Guard Lawn Care, was initially started as a way to fill summers away from teaching. “I never thought I would own my own business,” Edgmon said. “I started with picking up the push mower and putting it in the back of my truck, now
I have two trucks and two trailers with multiple crews and employees. I thought it would always be awesome to own my own business.” Although serving as a way to fulfill summers, Edgmon’s work with lawn care overlaps with school towards the beginning and end of the year. Edgmon has acquired the task of balancing teaching with his lawn care business. Consequently, Edgmon has devised backup plans in the event that something goes wrong such as a faulty mower. “Trying to balance the two is rough if you run into certain problems you didn’t expect- you can’t be in two places at once. So you have to figure out a way to make things work,” Edgmon said. George first began selling the hair care brand, Monat, this past July after using it for herself and enjoying it. Although not her own business, George said she considers selling the products to be her second job. “I’ve always wanted to do stuff on the side or just kind of have my own
business of sorts and this is something that I can do while having a full time job. It’s not easy because it is still time consuming,” George said. George said that from selling products she has not only earned money, but enjoys the social benefits. “I can make commissions based on sales but I also, through different promotions and things they have, get free product and eventually, if I got really into it, I can win cruise trips,” George said. “It’s also really fun because part of the way we sell it is through connections like giving out samples, but then also what we call wash parties. You actually have a party where girls get together and then for me it’s like girls night out.” Edgmon said certain aspects of owning a second business have affected him as a teacher and coach. “I have to be more responsible and have everything more organized,” Edgmon said. “It’s just making me see, ‘hey this is possible, why not do more?’”
M O N A T
Lisa George’s line of various Monat haircare products. Courtesy Photo
62 percent of American teachers work two jobs
Tommy Edgmon stands on one of his business’ mowers. Courtesy Photo
*www.schoolsmatter.info
FEATURES
| FEBRUARY 2018 | 11
Ventura creates beats to sell to rappers Student uses talent to kick-start future career Meya Green Reporter
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n the rising rap industry, young entrepreneurs are earning money through creating and selling ‘beats.’ Music artists use these beats in their songs as background noise to their raps. Junior Orlando Ventura has joined this movement and is now making money from selling his beats online. “I use Production software, FL Studio 11 and 12, and I use Ableton
Live which is on my Mac computer. I also have snare [drums]. I create everything from scratch, like I might sample some old songs like Lupet,” Ventura said. By selling his beats, Ventura makes enough income to support himself now and in the future. He believes he will not have to attend college. “I have sold 12 for singles or mixtapes. Only one has my name on it though because I ghost-produced it,” Ventura said.
Although Ventura makes his own beats, he usually does not receive credit when they are used. “I mostly just ghost produce, which is like when a bigger name producer puts his name on your work,” Ventura said. Ventura hopes that in the future he will be able to put his name on his work, but for right now, he is happy to be doing what he loves and getting paid for it. He feels proud and accomplished when people buy his beats.
“I have a lot of placements, hopefully in the future I won’t have to be ghostwriting, but it makes me really happy. I’m doing what I want to do and getting paid for it. Why wouldn’t I be happy?” Ventura said. Ventura is into all different kinds of music. All of the sounds, beats and his love for music inspired him to create his own beats for people to buy and listen to. “I love music, I’m into all kinds of music except for country music,” Ventura said.
Regier plays for local renowned ensemble Credits fine arts department for training, success Erica Beebe Features Editor
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Performing during a time-out, sophomore Eli Regier plays the saxophone as a guest musician with Ilias Revive at a home basketball game. Courtesy Photo
s one of the youngest musicians in the Mid Kansas Jazz Ensemble, sophomore Eli Regier is a little fish in a big pond. He has played the alto saxophone for over five years, an instrument that was created to be one of the most powerful and vocal of the woodwinds. Regier also plays a variety of other instruments, including the mandolin and guitar. “The Mid Kansas Jazz Ensemble (MKJE) is a group of the top high school jazz musicians in South-Central Kansas. It is directed by James Pisano who is the director of jazz studies at Bethel College. I am one of five Newton players who auditioned in,” Regier said.
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After hearing about the orchestra from his lessons teacher Joel Linscheid, Regier auditioned and got the part. The ensemble has a fall and spring semester, with one concert per semester. “I usually play with juniors and seniors in high school. We practice every Monday night. I am one of the younger players in the band but I don’t think it makes that much of a difference. We all just try to play the charts as best as we can and we make some great music,” Regier said.
As a talented musician, Regier actively sought out ways to play at a higher level. He also actively looks for ways to push himself and become a better mus “I wanted to be in this ensemble mostly because I love jazz and I want to take any opportunities I have to play and experience it,” Regier said. “It’s is also cool to be able to play a different selection of music with different people. However, I still prefer to play with our high school band. We have a great program here.”
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Bowling
Boys basketball
The bowling team will travel to Great Bend on Feb. 23 to compete in regionals. The team competed in both matches and triangulars during the regular season.
With substate beginning on Feb. 28, the boys basketball team has been preparing physically and mentally in every practice. They will have a chance to participate in the state championship in Topeka, depending on their performance during substate and quarterfinals. “It’s just kind of preparing ourselves differently because of different opponents,” junior Damarius Peterson said. “I really do think that we’re going to get far.”
Photo by Gracie Hammond
Photo by Gracie Hammond
Winter s Boys swimming
an d
The wrestling team traveled to Valley Center to compete in regionals on Feb. 16. To prepare for the important upcoming tournaments, they had two practices each day for a week. The regular season ended with a team record of 3-3.
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Photo by Jada Berry
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e iti iv
Members of the boys swim team traveled to Topeka to participate in the state championship on Feb. 16. The 200 free relay was one of the events that seniors Ryan Hirsh, Ethan Torres, sophomore James Tyrell and freshman Creed Ekerberg qualified in.
por ts
Wrestling
Photo by Kate Szambecki
so rv ve
Debate
iew
After a successful season, debate has began to participate in out-of-state tournaments during the off-season to continue to compete. They traveled to Moore Okla. for the first out-ofstate tournament. “It keeps us in practice and it makes sure that we’re still debating even though the season has ended for most people,” senior Kenton Fox said. Courtesy photo
Girls basketball
The girls basketball team will compete in substate on March 1 with the opponent and place to be determined. Depending on how they do, they will move on to quarterfinals and the state championship taking place the next week. “If we all come together and play how we know we can play then [we will make it far],” senior Savannah Simmons said. “When someone does something or someone is down, [we have to] pick them back up and get back on the same page.” Photo by Gracie Hammond
FEBRUARY 2018
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Students showcase talents in scholastic art show Senior Gaby Lara
Senior Gracie Hammond
Awards: Silver, Honorable Mention
Awards: Four gold, three Honorable Mention
“Seeing my stuff in an actual art museum was really mind blowing. It was so surreal, probably the best feeling that I’ve felt and definitely the peak of my senior year.”
“I was pretty happy about it, I almost cried at first. I was really excited. I didn’t even think I was going to get one [gold] and then I found out I got four.” Senior Hannah Rogers
Junior Rebekah Nelson
Award: Gold
Award: Gold
“I entered my mosaic of Cole Sprouse, smoking a cigarette while playing a pink DS because the process was tedious, but the end result was amazing and I always want to be reminded of that.”
“I entered in my mosaic of SZA because I poured a lot of myself into that piece and I feel like it represented me. When I see that piece, I see myself.”
Google Arts and Culture selfie feature review Faye Smith News Editor
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he Google Arts and Culture app is a platform for all to discover many art forms, people and interesting cultural news from around the globe. To explore the many stories of artists and even their
featured theme of “black history and culture” in observance of black history month, can be transforming to any with an interest. The app’s most popular feature is the “search with your selfie.” This feature allows you to snap a photo of yourself for the program to search
and find faces from decades worth of art that match your own. Personally, the feature is pretty spot on. Most that I had matched to, resembled close to my facial features. Although I did not have any problem with the program, people of different races and ethnicities have complained of the program
ARTS & CULTURE
matching their faces, to ones that only matched their skin color, nothing to do with facial features. I feel that although Google is making huge strides with this app and feature, they need to work a little more on the diversity of the facial recognition feature.
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