The Newtonian, Senior Issue 2018

THENEWTONIAN NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MAGAZINE

CLASS OF 2018 SENIOR ISSUE SERIES 95 | ISSUE 10 | MAY 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS

SENIOR ADDITION

Retiring teachers reflect on years at Newton High School

4-5

Class of 2018 pop culture trends 12 Teachers provide advice for 13 post-high school responsibilities

SENIOR FEATURES Bryce Nicholson: disc golf sponsorship

14-15

Eleanor St Peter: Job’s Daughter Honor Queen

16-17

SENIOR OPINIONS Newtonian staff seniors share 6-8 high school experiences

IN-DEPTH 10-11

Class of 2018 Survey Cover photo by Gracie Hammond

STAFF INFORMATION Editor-in-Chief Lauren Mitchell Asst. Editor-in Chief Online Editor Sports Feature Editor Payton Fenwick Content Editor Photo Editor Gracie Hammond

News 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.

2 | STAFF | MAY 2018

Reporter Meya Green Reporter Emma Pulaski Reporter Taylor Tasaka Adviser Robin Montano

Railer

ews

journalism department of Newton high school

@RailerNews railernews.org

SENIOR FEATURES

SENIOR ADDITION

Christina Bruce: original novelist

Students continue to collegiate athletics

18-19

Full-tuition, regional, local scholarship recipients Jose Mendoza: information technology Brennan Wald: dual degree graduate

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Students take year to travel, complete mission work

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21 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange

Cap and gown portraits Senior recognition Baby pictures

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NEWS

| MAY 2018 | 3

end of the tracks

Retirees dedicate their years to educate students

Faye Smith News Editor

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ix long-term teachers have announced their retirement for the end of the 2018 school year. Leaving legacies, cherishing students, and a combined 167 years of success, have driven these teachers to look behind a fulfilling career.

When reflecting on the past several years of their careers, retirees have had a common belief that students have impacted their careers in a positive way.

“You just meet some amazing kids, and I think that has an impact on your life. It’s just like you’re supposed to teach them but at the same time they teach you. Certain things about what life is about,” art teacher Raymond Olais said.

In addition to Olais, Culinary Arts teacher Melinda Jeffrey feels most proud when students find success in the classroom.

“I really enjoy seeing my students grow from not knowing much in the kitchen to being able to put together dishes without recipes. Seeing the growth of students makes me feel good,” Jeffrey said.

For band director Keith Woolery, making a career as a performer was

4 | NEWS | MAY 2018

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adequate until age 34, where he began his teaching career. Along with having a gratifying experience with students, Woolery states that the growth of the students is one thing he will miss about teaching.

“Working with the kids, Especially the jazz kids. With them, We’ve been

You just meet some amazing kids, and I think that has an impact on your life.

It’s just like you’re supposed to teach them but at the same time they teach you.

-Art teacher Raymond Olais

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able to perform music at a high level.

They really don’t know how high a level they play compared to most places. Just watching the students grow throughout the years I have them,” Keith said.

In addition to students fulfilling the careers of teachers, choir teacher Donna Woolery believes that one of the leading

accomplishments of her career, was the ability to include all students into her program, no matter what the talent level.

“I think the fact that I feel music can be for everyone. I’ve always been able to work in who wants to be in choir,” Donna said. “They don’t have to be the best singer, they don’t have to be able to sing at all, they can still be in one of my choirs, and get a good education and experience. That’s what I really feel fulfilled when I see that happening.”

Through their years, teachers have found themselves building on the memories made each year.

“Every year there are numerous memories to reflect back on as the years go by. I think it’s kind of like a cumulative effect. They just add up and add up, I think as a whole it’s going to be a great memory or numerous memories coming together,” Olais said.

As the teachers students have come to love wrap up their final days as Newton Railers, the time passed as a mentor and friend to students, has moved rather fast, but have achieved a worthy career.

“I will remember that it seems to have gone very fast, yet it seemed that it would take forever. In the end it balances out. It’s been a good run,” Olais said.

Longtime teachers remember years at Newton

Lowell Ely

Raymond Ola is

31 Years

25 Years

Photo by Gaby

Lara

Who has been the most influential in your career?

“Mrs. O. She is the one that gave me the guidance that I could do something with my art.”

rey Melinda Jeff 17 Years

h y Faye Smit

Photo b

How will you be leaving your legacy?

“As the class where you get to eat, that’s honestly it right there.”

Photo by Faye Smith

What will you miss about teaching?

“Students, because of their interest in agriculture and competing in activities.”

Lou Didier Photo by

27 Years

Gracie Ham

mond

How has teaching impacted you on a personal level?

“It’s made me a lot more cognizant of issues students face today. The diverse background kids are coming from, and how kids can be lucky.”

y Keith Wooler 34 Years

kah Nelson

Photo by Rebe

How will you leave your legacy?

“I have been able to continue the tradition of really good jazz bands. I will leave them in able hands.”

ler Donna Worso

y

33 Yea

tlanta Lopez

Photo by A

What will you miss most about teaching?

“The students. I like them, especially when they are happy and I’m happy. They just make me happy.”

NEWS

| MAY 2018 | 5

SENIOR OPINIONS

Seniors weigh in on most valuable high school experiences

Embrace change in order to achieve goals

Erica Beebe Features Editor

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s seniors finish their final days of high school and prepare for the world beyond, many look back and evaluate the last four years of their life.

While some may judge their progress based on grades, their number of friends or the money saved for college, I have decided to judge my progress off of

new experiences and how I have dealt with them.

Entering high school as an introvert, I did not have many friends and had no intentions of making more. However, I had goals for myself that would require me to get out of my comfort zone. I wanted to be an editor for the school newspaper, I wanted to be the captain of the girls swim team and I wanted to talk to boys without getting nervous. This is where my mind prevented me from reaching my goals, and I had to make a change.

Change, a thing so common and constant, is often despised in our culture. Few people realize that change drives our lives in a way that is both beneficial and uncontrollable. I forced myself into activities and I talked to more people. I have made best friends

from many different groups. Along with making new friends, I have lost some that once meant so much to me.

As a non-confrontational, shy teenager I have avoided conflict and high school drama like the plague.

I distanced myself from those who spread lies and rumors about others, even if it was not the ‘popular’ thing to do. I lost many relationships because of this mentality, but I have also made relationships. If I could go back in time I would still take a bad grade on that assignment because I valued my mental health, or go to that concert the night before the ACT. I am ready to head off to college because I have been willing to take risks to find out who I am. I am still an introvert, but I have met my goals by not limiting myself to that definition.

discovering a friend in someone new or even work days in the journalism room, things have changed immensely.

Summer of 2014 was my first round of morning practices with the dance team. We ran, laughed and even danced a little bit. There, in that dance studio, I became the confident, competent dancer I am now. Before, at Kansas Dance Academy, I was shoved in the back of the dances, overlooked for dancers who were older and who had more money. With the Railiners, I discovered the kind of dancer I want to be. One that you can trust to energize the audience and someone who you can give any choreography to. Without Amy Pollard to guide and push me, I would still be stuck in that Wichita studio on my 14th year of gracing the back row.

Journalism has allowed me to discover my creative side and to become more of an extrovert than an introvert.

Montano’s room is like a different universe. One where you can say what

you are thinking without worrying about being judged and where you can find a mom away from home. Even if I am not planning to pursue a career in journalism, it has pushed me towards the career I am pursuing.

Do not let popular opinion sway you from experiencing high school the way that you want to. Movies and TV shows portray the “correct” way to do high school, but the right way is your own way. The stereotypical high school experience is not for everyone. Doing what everyone else is doing is only going to change your opinion of yourself and you could become even more lost than one feels when they are our age.

High school is hard enough with deadlines, shifting friend groups and pressures to figure out the rest of your life in these short four years. If you do high school right, your way, things will change for the better and you will be thankful for your experience at Newton High School.

Create individual path through extracurriculars

Payton Fenwick Asst. Editor-in-Chief

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efore high school I was a little girl with long hair and braces who just wanted to keep her head down and get through the last four years. I did not understand how much high school truly changes you. I did not do high school the typical way, with pep rally attendance and cheering on the front row at games, but I did it my way. And that has given me more than I ever could have imagined. With dance team performances, late nights at Drubers,

6 | OPINIONS | MAY 2018

Celebrate unique talents outside of academics

Gracie Hammond Content Editor, Photo Editor

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ver since entering school we have been faced with the pressure to be the best—to keep up with your classmates, take the hardest classes and of course, get the best grades. When we were young it seemed easier to keep up with the pace and be just like everyone else; when middle school and high school came around, things were not so easy.

I have never been book-smart. That is one thing I have and will always admit.

Some people are gifted with being able to understand what they are taught

in school quickly and efficiently, but I have never been part of that group.

This became a quality I grew to feel ashamed of. While my friends and peers were taking full course loads of AP and honors classes, I felt like a failure for struggling in regular courses. It became a never ending struggle to keep up with

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Success and worth are not linear; there is no right way or track.

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other people but it only left me feeling useless and subpar.

While I struggled in the traditional classroom I did discover that I was able to excel in other areas like art and journalism. I felt like I had found my ‘thing.’ When it came to those things, I no longer felt like I was a step behind the rest. They gave me an outlet to express myself and something to feel proud of, plus I had fun doing it. It

opened my eyes to realizing that my worth and capabilities were not solely tied to my academic success. Despite being told hard classes and good grades would get me college acceptance and scholarships, it was my work outside of the classroom that paid off the most for me.

In high school, it is incredibly easy to compare yourself to everyone else and feel inferior. The irony of that is that there are a million ways to live your high school experience, there are countless class combinations and ways to spend your time, so how could there be one right answer?

Success and worth are not linear, there is no right way or track. Rather than spend time wishing to be different than you are and trying to fit a mold you have never belonged in, celebrate what you are good at. Find the things you love and can do well. We are not that same person and our lives are all taking us on different paths so there is no point in feeling ‘less than’ for just being different.

Value high school social experiences

Open-mindedness leads to strongest friendships

Lauren Mitchell Editor-in-Chief

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ach one of us in the class of 2018 defines our success differently - music, athletics, art, dance, photography--which is something that should be valued. Yes, the essays, college applications, standardized tests, and grades are important if your path after high school is academic in nature.

However, never forget to be a high schooler regardless of what the future looks like. The things I hold close as graduation draws near are not academic awards or grade point averages, but the late rainy drives with friends, dancing like no one was watching at senior prom, and endless laughter at the Cracker Barrel scholars’ bowl dinners.

This is the biggest retrospect I have from my four years, but there are two more things that I learned from high school that changed my perception and will influence my future endeavors.

First, one of my college essays asked for a quote from a movie or a book, and this To Kill A Mockingbird one stuck with me. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This concept of not judging someone can be

a trite and overused expression, but it’s so crucial in high school hallways and as we meet our future class of 2022 friends and co-workers. The person next to you who you thought “hated you” because they were not smiling may in fact be dealing with financial issues, chronic pain, or an abusive relationship. Always keep an open mind, give everyone a fair chance, and be considerate of others’ circumstances.

Second, I met some of the greatest, most inspirational adults who are so much more to me than my teachers.

I made the greatest friendships with the newspaper staff and scholars bowl team. There will always be a chance to find “your people” wherever you go.

Never turn down an opportunity. If I had, I may have never met my little “families.”

OPINIONS

| MAY 2018 | 7

High school influences, memories will last forever

Caroline Barger Graphics Manager

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s our final days of high school come to an end, we look back on the last four years of our life. We all spent our high school years excelling in different places, whether that be on the court or in the art or music room, or in the classroom, and we all have something to be proud of.

Everyone has different opinions on their personal high school experience, but we can all agree

that whether we were the student involved in countless activities or the student who kept to themselves, high school has had an impact on us. For some of us, we have stuck with the same people since freshman year but for others, friends have come and gone. Regardless, we have all built meaningful relationships and had experiences that helped shape and prepare us for what is ahead.

In less than six months we will be headed in different directions, trying to adapt to being on our own for the first time. Everyone has heard that these are the best years, and even though many of us believe that it is not true, we will never forget the late nights with our friends, the trains we all hate and the other memories and relationships we have made in this short amount of time.

Sports teach personal growth

Ben Crump Online Sports Manager

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here is no doubt that my high school career has been dominated by sports. Whether I am participating in games at Ravenscroft Gym or Fischer Field or reporting on games played by our Railer athletes, I am always involved in sports. I am lucky enough to have participated in four different sports and have learned from each and every one of them. You learn how to be a hard worker, battle adversity and unite with your teammates.

8 | OPINIONS | MAY 2018

However, the best lesson sports can teach you is if you put in work, you can continue to grow and become a better athlete. Hard work equals results. Working hard outside of sports might not always give you the results, but at the end of the day you will feel better about yourself knowing that what you did today could not have been done by you any better within your power. While I might not always give all of my energy in school, I am confident in knowing that I can put in the time and effort to improve my life heading into the future. I was blessed to be surrounded by amazing people in my senior year including the cross country and wrestling teams along with the Newtonian staff and all the people at Newton High School. They have helped me set a course for success in life and for that I will forever be grateful for every person I met at this school.

Control individual happiness, develop deep friendships

Macy Rice Opinions Editor

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ut of all lessons I have learned throughout high school, learning to not care about what people think of me is the one that will stick with me the most.

Freshman through junior year I was overly concerned with other people’s opinions of me and I let it dictate my happiness. This year, I have learned that I am the only source of my happiness and I should not base that off of any other person.

While it sounds super cheesy, high school has allowed me the opportunity to discover the kind of person I want to be and the kind of people I want to surround myself with. I had to lose some friends and some of the people I thought I would never part from in the process. I used to think that having lots of friends would make me a happier person, however, I

have learned that it is much better to have a few very close trustworthy friends rather than having numerous acquaintances.

My advice for any high schooler would be to not get caught up in the idea that someone with more friends is happier than someone with few friends. Being yourself will attract the kind of people you want to surround yourself with, so never sacrifice your values and beliefs to fit in with the crowd.

It is definitely true when people say that you meet the best people in your last year of high school; people that you wish you would have known since childhood. The best people come into your life at the most unexpected times.

While it was bad timing, I know that our friendships will last long after high school.

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SENIOR STATS: F

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Top 5 Majors 1. Education

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2. Nursing

3. Business

4. Music

149 students attending college

5. Exercise science

6 students entering the armed forces 66 students are undecided or are taking a gap year 19 students entering the workforce

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Destinations...

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The Class of 2018 will be attending college in 11 states.

This includes fouryear universities, community colleges and trade schools. *This graphic does not include students who indicated “undecided� for their college plans or are attending college outside of the U.S.

CLASS OF 2018 Top 5 Hardest Classes

Top 5 Extracurriculars

2. AP Calculus

2. Drama/Theater

Top 5 senior memories

1. Anatomy & Physiology 1. JV/Varsity sports

3. Physics/Honors Physics 3. Music 4. F.S.T.

4. National Honor Society

5. AP Biology

5. Scholars Bowl

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average hours of community service completed by each senior

April 21

Senior prom Sept.

30

Homecoming football game Oct. 26

Boys soccer regional final average number of extracurricular activities

RA PER ASP ER AST A AD

May 27

2017 state track

88%

March 24

of seniors will attend college in Kansas

New Orleans jazz trip

IN-DEPTH

*Statistics are based on 142 survey responses

| MAY 2018 | 11

#TRENDING

According to a survey sent out to the Class of 2018, these are the three of the most memorable trends throughout our elementary, middle and high school years.

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Kids were drawn to the cuddly exterior of Webkinz and the online game site.

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Senior James Harris “Pokemon was my favorite thing back in the day, I played tournaments and everything. Anytime I got money I would go and buy a giant stack of cards, then I’d look through them and put the rarest on Ebay.”

Vine stayed popular long after the app ended. Vine references were all over social media and day to day conversations.

Zap was a school yard game where giggling girls and boys asked out whosoever name was written on their palm.

Many students played Poptropica, an online role play game. during classes or in computer lab.

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Before the iPhone there was the slide phone.

The phone to have of the early 2000s.

Fidget spinners became the novelty to have. The device made to keep hands busy became a fun past-time.

12 | FEATURES | MAY 2018

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Senior Jada Berry “Watching Disney Channel because they had all those good shows on there like That’s So Raven and Lilo and Stitch. But now all the good shows are on Netflix.”

The game Flappy Bird became wildly poplar worldwide. Eyes were glued to the screens to beat each other top scores.

Twitter became the social hub for the high school crowd. Sharing messages, memes and news.

Silly Bandz become a popular addition to the middle school wardrobe. Students eagerly bought and traded them.

Senior Brian Wedel “Snapchat is my favorite trend from high school because it’s a fun way to keep up with friends.”

Adult life survival guide Finances

Teachers offer their best advice for the Class of 2018

$

Cathlina Bergman

Jessica Heidrick

“Scholarships: Check your registrar’s office or other similar department for local scholarships. These are often small ($200) but add up quickly, and most other students don’t bother with them. Apply every year for every scholarship that you qualify for, and see if you can earn a bit of money.”

“There are a ton of apps that can help you keep track of your budget--when you take out loans, it’s important to keep the big picture in mind! Keep a monthly budget to make tracking your spending habits and paying off loans easier.”

Work/School Elizabeth Gunn “A lot of employment and internship opportunities are about who you know. This is where it becomes important that you weren’t being a poop to teachers, administration, bosses, etc....those people can open doors for you if they think you would work hard and take advantage of the opportunity.”

“Definitely be willing to take a risk and room with someone you don’t know. You can gain a lot of experience/ life lessons this way.”

Nanette Bergen

Social

Kathy Shockley “Before you find an internship, at least work part-time and be an exceptional workers no matter what the job. You will need many character references and you will want people to speak highly of you!”

“On shopping for yourself make sure your checkbook is balanced before you spend money you don’t have. In my school they didn’t serve dinner on Sundays but there where free meals served in a church across the street, look for those opportunities.”

“Buy groceries at ALDI! Try not to eat out too much. Plan for eating out and entertainment as part of your budget and when that money is gone, plan to cook for yourself or eat in the caf.”

“There is always time to wash your face and brush your teeth.”

Laurie Behymer Keri Unruh

Fred Becker

“Talk to your professors! I got my secretary job simply because a teacher told me I should do it!”

Daphne Evans

Brian Kennell

Lisa Moore

“Try new things and get involved in structured/organized activities/ organizations like intramurals or student government. These are great ways to meet people and make friends. If you are in the dorms make friends with your RA they are often great people. Join/participate in a group that provides a social support network like a church or a club.”

“Live in a dorm for your first year-you meet friends and learn how to co-habitate. You learn about yourself and you learn how to balance your space vs their space. You learn how to talk to others and build schedules around others.”

FEATURES

| MAY 2018 | 13

NICHOLSON: UP TO Dedication to family sport results in sponsorship, professional team membership

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Ellen Garrett Asst. Opinion Editor

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any internationally ranked disc golf players begin their long careers at very young ages.

When senior Bryce Nicholson began playing, he was only six years old. What started out as a father son bonding activity turned into a 12 year long passion.

“My dad was into disc golf in his early 20’s and he got me into it. I pretty much started playing when he started playing, ” Nicholson said. “He taught me a lot. I remember going and playing to get better with him.”

Disc golf is an internationally popular sport that uses the rules and scoring of golf. Players throw discs at a metal scoring basket from several yards away and attempt to get them into the basket in a specified number of throws. Whichever competitor takes the least number of throws to score over several baskets wins.

Nicholson believes that most

12 Years of disc golf experience

people who don’t play disc golf don’t know which disc to use.

There are three types of disc that correspond to the different clubs in golf. They are driver, mid-range and putter. Each has a specific use.

“A driver is mainly off the tee.

If you do need to go as far, that when you get the mid-range.

Putter is just for putting it into a basket,” Nicholson said.

After playing for eight years, at the age of 14, Nicholson got the chance to take his playing to the next level when disc golf team Latitude 64° held a recruitment tournament.

“I got to play in front of them and show them what I can do. I gave them my info and then they emailed me later saying that I’m a part of the team,” Nicholson said. “It’s a team from Sweden, but they have a little company here that I can play for.”

The team requires Nicholson to play five tournaments each year, but he also enjoys playing with friends.

“We used to play every weekend. It’s really fun because

Disc Golf Tournaments Played

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we’ve played together since we were about 8 years old. [My favorite memory] was when we were in centennial park and I got a hole-in-one on the sixth hole,” junior Erick Hernandez said.

Nicholson and Hernandez even made a YouTube video together in which they played a full game of Disc Golf at the Bethel College course.

During his 12 years of playing, he has received two sponsorships. Disc golf sponsors rarely give money and instead give equipment and other accessories.

“Latitude 64° and Hand-Eye Supply which is a disc golf store in Wichita have both sponsored me. They give me tons of clothes, discs and bags,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson’s post-graduation plans reflect his dedication to the sport. He plans on going on a disc golf tour after high school.

“Latitude 64 has a junior tour that you can do and you get to travel and they pay for all of your tournaments. Also Wichita State has a disc golf team that I want to be a part of.” Nicholson said.

49 NHS students play Disc Golf *out of 110 responses

FEATURES

| MAY 2018 | 15

Jobs Daughter s St. Peter excels in community organization Erica Beebe Features Editor

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leanor St. Peter could appear shy or reserved to those who interact with her at school. However, she has developed strong leadership skills through membership in an international club. Peter joined Job’s Daughters with her sister for four years ago and has been climbing the ranks ever since.

“When I first joined I was in one of the lower positions, I was one of the custodians. Within six months I became the chaplain, which is one of the higher positions, and then I did memory work to become eligible for what we call the line which includes five officers,” Peter said. “Each term takes 6 months. It took me two and a half years to be honor queen and about a year ago is when I had my honor queen term.”

In the state of Kansas there are nine bethels, or clubs. The number of bethels varies from state to state, with numbers

SPONSORSHIP APPROVAL INITIATION MEMBERSHIP 16 | FEATURES | MAY 2018

ranging from two to 30. Bethels from across the state also gather to meet each other and share ideas.

“Two times a year, once in the fall and once in the spring we have a grand bethel which lasts all of Saturday and a Sunday morning. We do fun activities, have our meeting and in the morning we have breakfast,” Peter said. “During the summer we have a five day gathering in Wichita. We stay in a hotel and have formal banquet dinners where we all wear prom dresses.” Being in a formal setting is normal for members of Job’s Daughters, as they plan their meetings with care.

“We conduct it as a professional business meeting. We start with the pledge of allegiance and we have another flag that we call our bethel flag.

We do a lot of singing in our meetings and we do a few prayers,” Peter said.

“We talk about finances and we go over our minutes, pretty much like any other business meeting. Adults are mostly Girls may join if they have a sponsor or are related to a Mason.

Girls wanting to join Jobs Daughters must have approval from both the existing members of the club and council.

During the initiation process, new members learn about the order of the club and are told the story of Job.

When first initiated, new members hold the lowest positions. Each member holds her position for six months, and then is moved.

just there as supervisors; the girls run the meetings and the girls plan the meetings.” So what if someone wants to join? How to they welcome new members?

“If you want to join Job’s Daughters we have a paper you fill out a ‘call to petition’ which is just stating that you are related to a Mason or you have a sponsor. We read over it at the meeting and decide ‘do we want this person or not?’ and almost 100% of the time we do accept them. Then they go to the council for approval and then once they approve it we will set an initiation date,” Peter said. “We’re always looking for new members, we have 11 girls right now and our ages are 10-20.”

Religion

Many have false conceptions that Job’s Daughters is a secret club.

However, this club only requires a belief in a higher power, with no specifications. One of Job’s Daughters’ primary values is faith, whatever faith that may be.

Upon being inducted into this club, members are taught the story of Job and are encouraged to live by similar morals through building up women around them.

Leadership

Each member of Job’s Daughters has a different role to fill, including inner and outer guards, junior and senior custodians, messengers, treasurer, chaplain, recorder, musician, librarian, marshal, guide, junior princess, senior princess, and honor queen. Members in these positions learn how to plan events, conduct business meetings, give speeches and attend formal events.

Older members are called to set an example for the younger members.

Outfit

The white Grecian dress symbolizes equality, purity and represents the time period of Job. Every aspect of the uniform is specifically outlined: robes are tied with three twists and a fish knot and a slip and knee highs are worn with Grecian slippers. The three principal officers wear capes and crowns to represent the three daughters of Job. The cape and crown are a symbol of authority, but also a reminder of an officer’s responsibility to the members that elected them to this position.

FEATURES

| MAY 2018 | 17

B

ruce works to complete ook publication next step in process

Payton Fenwick Asst. Editor-in-Chief

F

or some, writing is a chore or simply a homework assignment for a grade.

However, senior Christina Bruce sees it as a future career opportunity and a way to escape from the world around her. Bruce is currently finishing an original science-fiction novel and soon hopes to share her work with the world.

“I like creating cool worlds where I can just shape everything and everyone.

I just think it’s really cool to be able to do that with a novel,” Bruce said.

Bruce is constantly expanding and improving her novel. She has gone through an extensive procedure to enable her novel to be the best that it could be. Bruce hopes to hire an editor and a publisher to help sell the novel.

“It’s a really big process because you

18 | FEATURES | MAY 2018

have a lot of steps you need to take like plot work, theme work, genre study and character sheets. There’s so much that goes into it behind the scenes besides the writing part of it,” Bruce said.

To create a novel, Bruce drew from different authors to inspire her work, such as J.K. Rowling, James Patterson, James Rowlands and many others.

Although these works have influenced her writing, she took initiative to push herself to become a better writer.

Writing a book has always been an aspiration of Bruce’s and she hopes to one day expand her experience into writing a series of books.

“I wrote a book when I was 12. Not a good one of course, but it helped me realize how much I love being able to create my own world and be able to be inside of that world as the all-seeing god or whatever,” Bruce said.

Overall, Bruce views herself as an external character. Subconsciously, however, she likes to think that the protagonist makes similar decisions as she does.

“I don’t really like to base the protagonist off of me but when writing protagonist scenes, I think, what would I do in this situation and then try to go off of common sense instead of just emotions,” Bruce said.

While the book is yet to be finished, Bruce has the science-fiction plot and characters developed.

“The book is about a girl, a criminal, who is put into a coma, or dies, and wakes up as an alien. That’s basically it but there’s a whole bunch of back-story to it,” Bruce said.

Writing her novel has taken much of her time but has paid off because of the basic outline Bruce has produced

“I wrote a book when I was 12. Not a good one of course, but it helped me realize how much I love being able to create my own world.”

Illustrations by Christina Bruce

original science-fiction novel “ through her months of writing. “[Some themes are] Courage. There’s definitely courage. You always have to have romance in a book or else it’s probably not going to sell,” Bruce said. “Courage, romance, memory and technology are big ones.”

Bruce believes this novel will provide her with a healthy starting point for the career that she wishes to pursue.

“I’m thinking of becoming a creative writer except I know that’s not going to get me by for the first few years, so I’m going to be a editor and a publisher for awhile. Then, I’m going to move into making my own novels,” Bruce said.

Staying motivated for any writer is a difficult task, but with Bruce’s school work and extracurriculars, she has managed to keep pushing herself. “[What motivates me] is how fun it is. It’s a fun process to go through, even though it’s a long process and it could take months to years to write a book.

And it’s gonna take awhile but it’s gonna be a great payoff in the end,” Bruce said.

IT MUST’VE BEEN one hell of a day to get knocked unconscious for one year, six months, fifteen days, five hours and thirty-two minutes.

It was too bad I couldn’t quite remember what happened--only vague snippets of air, the sky, some words, and darkness. It was three hours after dawn, and the sun was still low above the horizon. A beautifully intricate sky was being concussed into a revolting orange rather than the regular smoggy cobalt--a warning sign that something had changed that day. There was an eruption beneath my shoes. The concrete quaked and shivered. Hover-cars were taking off into the sky out of terror. Anywhere but here was safe. The clouds were being split apart like a patchwork fabric being cut by dull scissors.

”

*Excerpt from Bruce’s novel

FEATURES

| MAY 2018 | 19

PASSION FOR

TECH Mendoza gains experience in information technology Kaete Schmidt, Arts & Culture Editor Emma Pulaski, Reporter

W

hat started as a general interest in electronics and how they work, has now developed into a full hobby and passion for senior Jose Mendoza.

For almost two years now, Mendoza has taken on projects with a friend, repairing many kinds of electronics for people he knows.

“I’ve always loved technology,” Mendoza said. “I enjoyed looking at the parts and I wanted to learn how everything is put together.”

The first electronic Mendoza decided to experiment with was a gaming console. After watching YouTube videos and learning from his friend, Mendoza decided to take IT Essentials with Business/Computers teacher Tyler Swalley during his senior year.

What he has learned from Swalley has significantly helped and will continue to as he plans to pursue a career in the field.

“In a way, I’m going to make a career

20 | FEATURES | MAY 2018

out of it,” Mendoza said. “I’m going to do computer engineering which kind of deals with IT essentials and I’m doing video game design.”

Mendoza is capable of repairing almost any hardware or software problem and has fixed around 26 electronics in the past two years, half of them being gaming consoles. In his free time, he works on building computers from scratch.

“If it’s a software problem, I would have to basically delete the whole windows system and reinstall it,” Mendoza said. “With a hardware problem, I would have to replace it.”

Along with fixing technology, Mendoza has also worked closely with using technology to create his own music. He uses different applications to record and edit music, and his creations are stored on his MacBook.

“I play four instruments and I’m going for my fifth one in the summer,” Mendoza said. “I have done my own music but haven’t really put it out there. It’s just kind of on my computer

somewhere.”

Although he enjoys the art of making music, Mendoza has experienced challenges associated with editing and creating music electronically.

“There’s some apps, like Soundcrack where you can either hook it up to another computer or hook it up with a mic,” Mendoza said. “You can either play each note with a certain instrument all at once and then add each thing. Or you can do everything at the same time, which is literally impossible for me sometimes.”

Mendoza plays the piano, guitar, drums and bass. His inspiration for learning to play his first instrument, the bass, comes from a close friend and being able to watch others.

“Some lady from my church back in California, she played bass and I always wanted to learn,” Mendoza said. “When she moved to Florida, she gave me the bass and I had it under my bed for five years - I never really played. Then just one day I saw this guy playing bass and I got inspired by him so I continued.”

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE

Wald completes dual high school, college degree program Addie Lindenmeyer, Asst. Features Editor Taylor Tasaka, Reporter

T

TOP: Wald poses for a final picture with family before moving in at Fort Hayes State.

BOTTOM: Wald and his family stand outside his dormitory after the graduation ceremony. Courtesy Photos

hrough the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science, a Fort Hays University high school partnership program, senior Brennan Wald attended college while also being a part of the 2018 senior class. Prior to graduating high school, Wald will have already graduated college with an associates degree.

Since elementary school, Wald has always excelled in math and science courses. Come sophomore year, Wald had already exceeded the credits needed to graduate.

“I’d get bored and my grades started to slip because of it. I wouldn’t pay attention in class and I wouldn’t do homework.

I’d come in and only ace the test,” Wald said. “As far as that goes, my grades were slipping and on paper I was starting to look not as good as I really am. I needed a challenge.”

After his mother heard of the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS), Wald jumped at the opportunity. Within weeks, Wald was prepared to leave his hometown to find the challenges he needed for personal success.

“We filled out the application five weeks from the day I found out to the day I left,” Wald said.

“It was quick, really quick. I was there and then I was gone.”

Although Wald has managed to complete high school as well as two years of college, he said he missed his friends and some of the experiences offered by traditional education. On the other hand, Wald said his college experienced has only

strengthened the bond with his family.

“When I was in high school, I would see them everyday. I was on my own schedule. Now when I come home, it’s ‘hey let’s go do that, let’s bond, hang out and have a good time’ versus ‘let’s just sit around. You sit in your room and I’ll go sit in mine,’” Wald said. “I needed my privacy, but now I have it all week and I come home and it’s like, ‘it’s nice to see you guys. I missed you’. It’s part of growing up.”

As far as being able to graduate with his high school class, Wald said he looks forward to seeing family and childhood peers. On May 5, he walked across the stage at Fort Hays to accept his associates degree, just 14 days before earning his high school diploma.

“Everything has more meaning to it.

This is a part of me that brings me back to the high school. It reminds me that this is still a part of who I am. I’m still a high school student and these are still my peers,” Wald said. “It’s like my own reunion before I actually start with high school reunions.”

FEATURES

| MAY 2018 | 21

Out of 66 seniors who participated in a varsity sport during high school,

00:00

COLLEGE ATHLETICS HOME

AWAY

20

18

CONTINUINGATHLETICCAREERS Kaitlynn Clanton Bowling Kansas Wesleyan University “Meeting new people. I’ve already made friends. So one of my new roommates is actually someone that I have connected with who is on the team so just meeting all the new people.”

Brian Wedel Ice Hockey Undecided

“I am looking forward to all of the people I will meet because when you go to college there is people from everywhere and if you play hockey it is even more so i will meet people from Canada and other places.”

27%

Tanner DeGrado Golf Hesston College

“I love the game of golf, it’s so much more than just swinging a club. It’s a mental game. So much of who I am is from what I’ve learned playing the game and controlling my temper or things like that.”

of seniors will continue to collegiate athletics

Committed collegiate athletes

D1

Payton FenwickKansas State, Dance Team Erica BeebeKansas State, Rowing

D2

Macy Rice- Newman, Cheer and Dance Jada Berry- University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Basketball Savannah Simmons- Missouri Western State University, Track Andrew Chappell Deckert- St. Edwards University, Soccer Isabelle Saenz- Southern Nazarene University, Soccer James Harris- Missouri Western State University, Track

22 | FEATURES | MAY 2018

NAIA Caroline Barger- Baker University, Volleyball Jesus Reyes- McPherson College, Soccer Jose Rojas- Bethel College, Soccer Shawn Lettau- Bethany College, Cross Country and Track

NJCAA Allyssa Meyer- Butler CC, Dance Abigail Edson- Butler CC, Soccer Kaleb Vasquez- Hutch CC, Track Taylor Brewer- Pratt CC, Basketball Christina Bruce- Hutch CC, Track

Out of 149 students planning to continue post-high school studies,

Scholarship Recipients PURSUINGACADEMICSUCCESS Kaitlyn Serrano Quest Bridge Scholarship University of Chicago “I received a little under $6,000 per year so like $24,000 overall. That covers full tuition and supports in-housing and food plans.”

Kenton Fox Oxbridge William Jewell College

“William Jewell has this program called the Oxbridge program. If you get accepted into this program, they give you a $26,000 scholarship renewable over 4 years.

Junior year I am going to be studying at Oxford”

Kaitlyn Willis Morris Publications University of Kansas

26%

Received Scholarships

“I got it when I was a baby because my parents entered me in a drawing. It made it easier to think about going to a bigger university, being able to have experiences by myself and being more independent.”

Totaling $3

0

1

11

7

4 2

=

8

5 3

+

6

-

,4

9

78

X

Local scholarship winners Brian Arellano Memorial- Taylor Antonowich, Kyndal Bacon Coleman- Garrett Mick Teresa Blatchley Conkey Memorial- Aubrie Nichols Curtis Fischer Memorial- Isabelle Saenz Fine Arts Booster Club- Gracie Hammond, Aubrie Nichols, Douglas Ragon, Brian Wedel Vince Garcia Community Service- Kailei Sidebottom Katherine Hanna Memorial Trust- Erica Beebe, Abby Edson Ethan D Lichti Memorial- Gracie Hammond Leondard & Alma Nelson- Douglas Ragon Newton Babe Ruth Baseball- Erik Brown, Gavin Powell Newton NEA- Erik Brown Newton Rotary- Taylor Antonowich, Kyndal Bacon, Tanner Deurksen, Lauren Mitchell

Nygaard- Taylor Antonowich, Erica Beebe, Abby Edson, Mackenzie Parsons PEO Women’s- Lauren Mitchell, Kaitlyn Serrano Selanders- Payton Fenwick, Brett Knepper Shelter Insurance- Kyndal Bacon Regina (Starr) Esau- Diana Unruh Ericka J Stucky Memorial- Gracie Hammond Torline Family- Lauren Mitchell, Linda Moyo White Eagle Credit Union- Kaitlyn Serrano Stahly Family- Jada Berry Treble Clef Club of Newton- Aubrie Nichols, Douglas Ragon, Maggie Tyner, Diana Unruh, Jason, Unruh Denise Lynn Oursler Memorial- Ryan Hirsh Franco A Sjogren KSU- Tanner Duerksen Clark & Betty Whiting- Katy Clanton

FEATURES

| MAY 2018 | 23

S

Ludwigshafen, Germany

ince eighth grade, senior Erik Brown has been interested in the German culture - from taking language classes, hosting exchange students and visiting the country. Brown had always wanted to participate in an exchange program, however did not want to miss a year of sports or academics. Taking a gap year to participate in an exchange program resulted in the perfect solution. Next year, Brown plans to attend a high school in Germany and live with a host family.

“I think it will allow me to gain a different perspective of education before I go to college,” Brown said. “I also think that it will allow me for a well-needed break between

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange

American high school and college.”

Brown is looking forward to the challenge of being completely immersed in the German culture and hopes to gain fluency in speaking by the end of his experience.

He is also looking forward to how the experience of living there for a year will be different from his past visits and hosting.

“I’m excited to see how people in Germany live their life. When I was there for a month, I felt like I was constantly doing something and wasn’t observing their lifestyle,” Brown said. “Seeing someone different from American living their life like that, I’m looking forward to.”

Seniors take year abroad to widen horizons W

Colorado Springs, Colo.

hen talking with her parents about potential plans for after high school, participating in a year of service and volunteer work sparked senior Jenna Baldwin’s interest. After an extensive application, interview and visit, Baldwin was accepted

by Mennonite Mission Networks Service Adventure Program.

During the next year she will live with others in her church community and do volunteer work. Baldwin will spend a year in Colorado Springs, Colo., working with physically and intellectually disabled individuals who have aged out of the school system.

“I feel like the program that I’m going to be involved with

and other programs there are all doing really amazing things for their community and they’re all something that I’m really passionate about,” Baldwin said.

She is excited to spend the year building new relationships with people, growing in faith and seeing how the experience will change her overall. Baldwin believes the gap year will help her become a better leader and help her better handle problems that might arise in the workplace.

“The work that I’m going to be doing will be hard but it will definitely prepare me for what I will eventually experience,” Baldwin said.

24 | FEATURES | MAY 2018

Mennonite Mission Network

Elijah Albrecht- Iowa Lakes Community College, Auto Collision and Paint Repair Austin Altum- Law Enforcement Kaylee Anderson- University of Kansas, Undecided Taylor Antonowich- Washburn University, Physical Therapy Nathan Ashley- Undecided Kyndal Bacon- Colby County Community College, International Relations Jenna Baldwin- Voluntary service in Colorado Springs Caroline Barger- Baker University, Undecided Jasani Beasley- Minneapolis Tech and Community, Microbiology Kyle Becker- Undecided

Erica Beebe- Kansas State University, Anthropology Elaina Bergquist- Bethany College, Elementary Special Education Jada Berry- University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Psychology Alina Bezgub- Moscow University, Design Jayden Billinger- Central Christian University, Biology Benedetta Biondi- Undecided, Science Samantha Blades- Hutchinson Community College, Auto Elijah Boese- University of Colorado Boulder, Biochemistry Skylar Botterweck- University of Kansas, Business Administration Ellen Bradley- Bethel College, Musical Theatre

Taylor Brewer- Undecided, Pre-Dentistry Devin Brewer-Wadley- Undecided Erik Brown- Brown University, Cognitive Neuroscience and International Relations Aaron Brown Roberts- University of Kansas, Education Christina Bruce- Wichita State University, Literature Samantha Buffalo- Wichita State University, Dance Oscar Campos- Undecided, Business Juan Campos Cisneros- Undecided Claudia Canete Molero- Malaga University, Education Max Cantu- Wichita State University, Mathematics

Francisco Castillo- Hutchinson Community College, Fire Science Andrew Chappell Deckert- St. Edward’s University, Nursing Keila Chavez- Newman University, Respiratory Therapy Jayden Christiansen- Entering the workforce Kaitlynn Clanton- Kansas Wesleyan University, Elementary Education

Jonathan Colvin- Pittsburg State University, Psychiatry Alexandra Cooper- Hutchinson Community College, Education Brayden Cornejo- Undecided, Business Rebekah Couser- Eric Fisher Academy, Cosmetology Benjamin Crump- Emporia State, Undecided

CLASS OF 2018

| MAY 2018 | 25

Justin Curiel- United States Navy Bryan Cusick- Undecided, Engineering Kaden Davis- Entering the workforce Cynthia de la Cerda-Vazquez- Entering the workforce Tanner DeGrado- Hesston College, Biochemical Engineering

Warren Dietz- Wichita State University, International Business Makenzie Drake- Pittsburg State University, Elementary Education Tanner Duerksen- Kansas State University, Mechanical Engineering Aaron Dugan- Undecided, Music Education Bruno Duran- Wichita State University, Undecided Deston Eason- Undecided Hunter Easterberg- Hutchinson Community College, Undecided Holly Ediger- Paul Mitchell the School, Cosmetology Abigail Edson- Butler Community College, Undecided Jakob Entz- Wichita State University, Aerospace Engineering Alex Escobedo- Undecided, Nursing Austin Esslinger- Hutchinson Community College, Wildlife Management Payton Fenwick- Kansas State, Secondary Education Jennifer Flores- Newman University, Nursing Olivia Forest- Gap year Kenton Fox- William Jewell University, International Relations Jacob Franco- Wichita Area Technical College, Aircraft and Powerplant Mechanics Henry Friesen Guhr- Undecided, Mechanical Engineering Gabriella Gallegos- Undecided, Cosmetology Nathan Garber- Bethel College, History

Adriana Garcia- Undecided Astrid Garcia- Hutchinson Community College, Elementary Education Cristian Garcia- Butler Community College, Culinary Cyle Gautschi- Law Enforcement Lindsey Gile- Butler Community College, Athletic Training Jabria Giles- Undecided Garrett Goddard- Undecided Nancy Gonzalez- Kansas State University, Veterinary Medicine Jentry Griswold- Fort Hays State University, Nursing Vladimir Guzman-Garza- Undecided Gracie Hammond- Columbia College Chicago, Photography and Media Marketing Joshua Hansen- Wichita State University, Nursing Jacob Harder- Hutchinson Community College, Welding Technology Brandon Christopher Harkness- Undecided James Harris- Missouri Western University, PreMedicine

26 | CLASS OF 2018 | MAY 2018

Abby Hatch- Park University, Nursing Esmeralda Hernandez- Hesston College, Early Education Raymond Hernandez- Military Alexis Hightower- Undecided, Biochemistry Mark Hingst- Undecided E. Charles Hinz- United State Marine Corps Ryan Hirsh- University of Kansas, Biology Gregor Hofmann- Aachen University, Engineering Heather Holder- Hesston College, Undecided Elizabeth Holguin- Undecided Garrett Howton- Hutchinson Community College, Automotive Dylan Hultman- Undecided, History Alex Kern- Undecided Kathryn Kingsley- Kansas State University, Rangeland Management Brett Knepper- University of Kansas, Creative Writing and Journalism

Levi Knopp- Volunteering with Americorps Khalil Kumar- University of Kansas, Computer Science Jade Lammon- Entering the workforce (CNA) Gabriela Lara- Wichita State University, Pre-art and Design Creighton LaRose- University of Kansas, Biology Cale Lasiter- Entering the workforce Adrianna Lettau- Gap year Shawn Lettau- Bethany College, Exercise Science Jose Lopez Valdivia- Undecided Miguel Lujano- Wichita State University, Business Administration

Andres Luna- Hutchinson Community College, Fire Science Cheyenne Magerfleisch- Salina Tech, Diesel Mechanics Christian Malcolm- Undecided Hunter Mapes- Wichita State University, IT Tech Justin Martin- Hutchinson Community College, Psychology Lillian Martinez- Sterling College, Business Marelina Martinez- Entering the workforce Jacob Masters- Hutchinson Community College, Computer Science Jace Maxwell- Wichita State University, Aerospace Engineering Benjamin McCleary- Project Search Ryan McDermed- Undecided Hervey Medina- Undecided Ashley Medina-Arriaga- Undecided Ana Maria Medrano- Traveling Jose Mendoza- Hutchinson Community College, Computer and Audio Engineering

CLASS OF 2018

| MAY 2018 | 27

Angel Merrill- Undecided Allyssa Meyer- Barton Community College, Criminal Justice Garrett Mick- Kansas State University, Communication Sciences and Disorders Brayden Miller- Emporia State University, Secondary Education Megan Million- Undecided, Personal Training Lauren Mitchell- Duke University, Neuroscience Linda Moyo- Bethel College, Psychology and Communications Jeremy Mueller- Kansas State University, Undecided Sidney Murrow- Hutchinson Community College, Dental Hygiene Jarrod Myers- Hutchinson Community College Aubrie Nichols- Baker University, Music Education Bryce Nicholson- Kansas State University, Sports Management Woranun Normai- Undecided Alisa Oller- Undecided Joanna Ortiz- Undecided

Sonny Ortiz- Wichita State University, Engineering Karli Parks- Bellus Academy, Cosmetology Mackenzie Parsons- University of Kansas, Pharmacy Cristian Patton- Entering the workforce Connor Peterson- Wichita Area Technical College, Network Engineering Acacia Petrie- Undecided Garret Pfannenstiel- Army Reserve Jerum Phillips- United States Air Force, Aerospace Propulsion Apprentice Colin Potluri- Pittsburg State University, Engineering and Technology Education Gavin Powell- Fort Hays State University, Criminal Justice Jasmine Powell- Emporia State University, Nursing Douglas Ragon- Kansas State University, Music Composition Anthony Raub- Undecided Richard Regier- Entering the workforce Allison Reiner- Washburn University, General Practitioner Alex Resser- Wichita State University, Business Jesus Reyes- McPherson College, Physical Therapy Madison Rhodes- Butler Community College, Undecided Macy Rice- Newman University, Business and PreLaw Trevin Rindt- Hutchinson Community College, Insurance

Hannah Rogers- Bellus Academy, Massage Therapy Jose Rojas- Bethel College, Business Administration Bryant Roldan- Undecided Cynthia Romero- Hutchinson Community College, Radiology Tech program Brianna Ruiz- Friends University, Zoo Science

28 | CLASS OF 2018 | MAY 2018

Isabelle Saenz- Southern Nazarene University, PreMedicine Alicia Salas- Wichita State University, Elementary Education John Salas - Undecided Valentina Samuelli- Undecided Christina Sanchez- Undecided Lisette Sanchez- Hutchinson Community College, Political Science Matthew Sattler- Undecided Ashley Schmidt- Newman University, Occupational Therapy Riley Schneider- Pratt Community College, Undecided Devin Schulte- United States Army

Christopher Schwind- Hutchinson Community College, Welding Kaitlyn Serrano- University of Chicago, Applied Mathematics Kailei Sidebottom- Kansas State University, Business Zoe Siemens- Bethel College, Environmental Science Savannah Simmons- Missouri Western State, Exercise Science Sidney Simmons- Undecided Athena Smith- Undecided Ivy Smith- Hutchinson Community College, Paramedic Anthany Solorio- Hutchinson Community College, Finance Nathaniel Spoon- Undecided

Mykala Sprague- Texas Woman’s University, Music Therapy Eleanor St. Peter- Wichita State University, Computer Science Sarai Stamps- Hutchinson Community College, Secondary Education Trista Stark- Wichita State University, Nursing Taylor Stevenson- Butler Community College, Elementary Education

Asia Stewart- Undecided, Cosmetology and Nursing Darian Stott- Undecided, Musical Theatre Kyle Stuchlik- Wichita State University, Undecided Katherine Szambecki- Eastern Mennonite University, English and Communications Kiley Tackett- Entering the workforce

Christian Tegethoff- Wichita State University, Aerospace Engineering Krystyan Thomas- Undecided Jelena Tocakovic- Parsons Paris, Fashion Marketing Ethan Torres- University of Kansas, Pre-medicine Verania Torres- Hutchinson Community College, Nursing Reagan Treffer- Fort Hays State, Polymer Chemistry Magdalene Tyner- Wichita State University, Musical Theatre Ryu Uchima- Undecided, Education Diana Unruh- University of Kansas, Music Education and History Cailen Valdez- Wichita State University, Nursing

CLASS OF 2018

| MAY 2018 | 29

Edward Valdivia- Undecided Anthony Valverde- Undecided, Graphic Design Kaleb Vasquez- Hutchinson Community College, Fitness Trainer Victoria Velazco- Wichita State University, Psychology Brennan Wald- Kansas State University, Mechanical Engineering

Ryan Watkins- Hutchinson Community College, CNA Brecken Wedel- Central Christian University, Exercise Science Brian Wedel- Bethany College, Music Education Roland Wedel- Hutchinson Community College, Law Enforcement Jared Williams- Project Search Maximillian Willingham- Fort Hays University, Criminal Justice Kaitlyn Willis- University of Kansas, Pharmacy Deven Wilson- Entering the workforce Rosa Witterick- Hutchinson Community College, Nursing Brian Wolfe- Kansas State University, Veterinary Medicine

Nathan Wolfe- Undecided Jason Wong- Eastern Mennonite University, Computer Engineering and Music William Wortz- Entering the workforce Nicolas Ybarra- Entering the workforce Gabrielle Younts- Hutchinson Community College, Nursing

Not Pictured Jarrin Anderson- Early Grad, Undecided Shaye Bartel- Undecided Jonathan Bartley- Hutchinson Community College, Welding Kylee Breon- Butler Community College, Education Jeniffer Castillo Porras- Early Grad, Entering the workforce Cassidy Christiansen- Early Grad, Entering the workforce Elena Felix- Bethel College, Nursing Eduardo Hernandez- Undecided Jesse Hernandez- Undecided Carlos Holguin- Entering the workforce Anthony Johnson- Undecided

30 | CLASS OF 2018 | MAY 2018

Tanisha Kunkel- Early Grad, Hutchinson Community College, Computer Science Linzee McGruder- Early Grad, Hutchinson Community College Javier Moreno- Undecided Allison Palmer- Barclay College, Theatre and Music Gabriella Quinones- Undecided Tatiana Ruiz- Undecided Chela Scott- Early Grad, Undecided Midhat Sulejmani- Entering the workforce Jayden Walton- Eric Fisher Academy, Cosmetology

CJ - I’ve watched you grow.

I’ve watched you thrive.

I’ve watched you succeed, and I’ve done so with more pride than I can describe.

You are my shining star and the world is yours to conquer.

Congratulations!

All my love - Mom

Congratulations Jenna!

We love you, Mom, Dad & Callan

Congratulations Jace! I wish you the strength to face challenges with confidence, determination, and always help others on your journey. Never forget that we love you and will support you all the years to come. We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what awesome future lies ahead for you!

Congrats Garrett (our favorite runner/ drummer!) Best of luck next year at KSU! Love, Mom & Dad

We are so proud of You! Love, Mom, Dad, Katelyn and Allen

We’ve always seen so much in you.

It’s always been art. we’ve always seen the love and passion. We know that you will accomplish so many things and get very far in life. We love you!

All the dreams I prayed you’d be are all the things you are. You were once our little girl and now our shining star. Keep up the good work and your hard work & dedication will pay off. We are so proud of you! The sky’s the limit.

GO FOR IT!!!

Love, Mom, Greg, Aydan and Brooklyn

SENIOR RECOGNITION

| MAY 2018 | 31

Macy, it’s almost unbelievable that you’ll soon be graduating high school and heading to Newman...it seems that just yesterday you were an inquisitive, talkative little girl who loved to dance in her room! We are so VERY proud of your accomplishments and we look forward to watching you achieve your dreams!!

Congratulations and we love you!

Love, Mom, Dad & Isaac

Congratulations Lauren!

We’re so proud of you and all your hard work!

Love, Mom, Dad, & Conner

32 | SENIOR RECOGNITION | MAY 2018

Congratulations!! We are so proud of you!

Love, Mom, Dad, Lindsey, Olivia and Max Felicidades Jesus A. Reyes!

Estamos orgullosos de ti!

Explore. Dream.

Discover. You hold the key to your future.

Love, Mom, Dad and family

So proud of you! You will do great things! Spread your wings and fly!

Love you! -Mom

Congratulations Caroline!

We are so proud of all you have accomplished and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!

Love, Mom, Dad, Brennan & Courtney Jayden, We have watched you grow up and become an amazing young lady. Follow your heart!

The road that awaits you will lead you to your hopes and dreams. We are so very proud to be your grandparents and we love you so much.

Grandpa & Grandma Billinger

Congratulations Kaylee!

Jerum, you have become an amazing young man. Your family is beyond proud of you. Keep reaching for beyond the stars!

Love, Dad, Mom, and siblings P.S. Jerum Phillips is not adopted!

SENIOR RECOGNITION

| MAY 2018 | 33

Congrats Connor!

Love you to the moon and back!

Mark, we are proud of how far you’ve come.

We have faith you will go far. May God guide, and direct you to a bright and blessed future.

Congratulations!

Dad, mom, Chris, Scott, Mary, Sarah, David, and Stacie

I am so proud of all you have accomplished and the young lady you have become! I am so excited to see where God leads you next and can’t wait to watch you dance as a Classy Cat! Love you so very much! - Mama

We are PROUD of you!

Mom, Dad, Anthony, Sophie, G-ma, Grandpa, Melanie, Hallie, & Gehrig

34 | SENIOR RECOGNITION | MAY 2018

Our baby girl, we are so proud of you!

We love you Makenzie

Aubrie, I am proud of all your accomplishments.

Happy graduation!

Love, Mom

ZOE, SHOW UP TAKE ACTION LIVE BIG. Love, M, D & A

Embrace life, Reach for the sky, and enjoy the ride Bubba! Love your Aunts, Uncles, & Cousins

Good luck, Kate!

- Mom You’ll need it!

- Dad We love you!

Congratulations, Deven Wilson!

We all love you!

Mackenzie, We are so proud of the amazing and strong young woman you have become! We know you will do great things in your future.

We love you!

Mom and Dad

Mom & Dad, Austin, Megan, Kyle, Carter & Benjamin

SENIOR RECOGNITION

| MAY 2018 | 35

Way to go, Trevin Rindt!

Love, Mom and Eris

Brett...

No matter where you go, or what you choose to do, always stay humble and never stop reaching for the stars.

All the best to you at the University of Kansas as you realize your writing dreams!

Love, Mom and Dad

he t o s and re u t n e adv .. . s n i g be

GOOD LUCK! dad, mom & sis Alex, “Never doubt, you were born to do great things�

Estamos orgullosos de ti!

Te queremos mucho, tu familia

Congrats Izzy, we are proud of you!

Good luck at SNU! You will do great things there!

Love, Mom & Dad

Congratulations Dylan Hultman!

Congratulations Trista, you did it!

Love, Mom

Love, Mom, Connor, Grandma & Grandpa McDiffett, Grandma Teresa & Dad

36 | SENIOR RECOGNITION | MAY 2018

Ellie, we’re so proud of you and can’t wait to see where life takes you!!

Break a leg!

Love, Mom, Dad, Ma, Erin & Emma

Congratulations! What an accomplishment!

We love you!

Mom & Dad, Matthew & Caleb Garber

We are proud of you, Allison!

Love, Mom & Dad

Hervey, new beginnings are about to start

for you, new adventures, new goals. Your

family hopes the best for you. We know you can do it with hard work and dedication. Any goals you will make have next will happen with hard work.

Congratulations! We are all very proud of you! Look out world...here he comes!

Mom, Dad, Libby, Lars, Grammie & Aunt Jan

Congratulations Erica! We are very proud of the person you are. Can’t wait to see where the future will take you!

With love, Mom, Dad, Jacob & Lauren SENIOR RECOGNITION

| MAY 2018 | 37

Empathetic Ladybug Athlete Inspiring Nascent Aria

Austin Altum, you did it! Congratulations! I am so very proud of you. I cannot believe how fast time has flown by. I have loved every moment of being your mom! Watching you play football, wrestle, track and building cars. You’ve done a lot of great things for such a young man. You’re a great person who knows no stranger and would do anything for anyone.

A loyal friend and worker who sets goals and crushes them every time, never giving up. You can make anyone smile and laugh with your great sense of humor. These qualities will take you big places. I can’t wait to see you through your next chapter in life as you continue on in college and your law enforcement career. Remember those who made positive impacts in your life and pay it forward. I believe in you!

Congratulations, son!

Love Always - Your biggest fan, Mom

You did it baby girl.

You made us proud.

Congratulations Tanner!

Love, Mom & Dad, Logan & Levi, Trevor & Ashlynn

Love, Mom & sisters

We love you!

Mom, Dad, Elyse, Garrett, Elia, and Braxton

We love you!

- Mom, Dad, Colton & Brynna

38 | SENIOR RECOGNITION | MAY 2018

We're So Proud of You Charles!

We Love You! Mom, Dad, Mason, Maddie and Livvy

Congratulations Katy - We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments.

You have an amazing future ahead of you. Reach for the stars and you can do anything you set your mind to.

Jada, we are so proud of you and so excited for your future! Go do more big things at UTPB!

Love always, Mom

Love, Mom and Brad

Congratulations Alexis, we are all so proud of you!

Love, Mom, Dad & Madison Be bold enough to use your voice, brave enough to listen to your heart, and strong enough to live the life you’ve always imagined.

Let the adventure begin.

Love always, Mom, Dad and Tasha

Taylor, you are such a joy to be around! You are going to go far in this world! Your family is so proud of all that you have accomplished!

Love, Dad, Mom, and siblings

SENIOR RECOGNITION

| MAY 2018 | 39

You have made us so proud and we wish you all the best! Remember to walk on the sunny side of the street! “Oh, the places you’ll go!”

We love you!

“All the dreams I prayed you’d be, are all the things you are. You were once my little girl, and now my shining star.” —Anonymous Jayden, we are so very proud of the strong, independent and compassionate young lady you have become! We love your kind heart, crazy wit and passion for life! We wish you the very best as you start down this new and exciting path. Know we are always here for you and we are so excited for the amazing future you have ahead!

Congratulations!

Love, Dad, Mom, Mathew, Audrey and Emily

Congratulations Taylor, we are so proud of you! You have amazed us every day of your life. You have worked so hard and accomplished so much, never opting for the easy way out...”Outwork!”

We look forward to following your adventures as you embark on the next stage of life’s journey! We love you Taylor, and we wish you a future filled with all the peace, happiness, and success yo deserve! “Success is a project that’s always under construction.”

Love, Mom, Dad, Destiny and Gma & Gpa Brewer/Gill

Congratulations Eli, we are so proud of you!

Good luck!

Love, Mom, Grandma, and Abi

40 | SENIOR RECOGNITION | MAY 2018

Congratulations Sky! We are so proud of you!

Love, Dad, Mom, Braiden & Taije

Congratulations my Garbancito! I hope you keep on being the great boy you are and I know that your dad from where ever he is, he’s very proud of you as well as I am. We hope you always reach your goals and keep aiming for the best. We love you with all our hearts and never forget that.

Love, Your mom and dad P.S. never stop smiling at life.

Congratulations Gavin Powell!

Jeremy, go confidently

in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.

Love always, Mom, Dad, Baily, & McKinley

Good luck at FHSU next year! We are proud of you!

Mom & Dad

SENIOR RECOGNITION

| MAY 2018 | 41

42 | BABY PICTURES | MAY 2018

1. Taylor Stevenson, 2. Colin Potluri, 3. Henry Friesen Guhr, 4. Eleanor St Peter, 5. Cynthia de la Cerda-Vasquez, 6. Ryan Hirsh, 7. Andy Chappell Decket, 8. Alex Kern, 9. Allyssa Meyer, 10. Abby Edson, 11. Gaby Lara, 12. Javier Moreno, 13. Elaina Bergquist, 14. Sonny Ortiz, 15. Sarai Stamps, 16. Maggie Tyner, 17. Cailen Valdez, 18. Christina Bruce, 19. Jeremy Mueller, 20. Juan Campos

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here’s looking

BABY PICTURES

| MAY 2018 | 43

21. Gabby Gallegos, 22. Charlie Hinz, 23. Mykala Sprague, 24. Ana Maria Mendrano, 25. Marelina Martinez, 26. Alicia Salas, 27. Briana Ruiz, 28. Esmeralda Hernandez, 29. Bryan Cusick, 30. Angel Lujano, 31. Christina Sanchez, 32. Jelena Tocakovic, 33. Kaitlyn Serrano, 34. Jose Rojas, 35. Josh Hansen, 36. Olivia Forest, 37. Kenton Fox, 38. Tanner Duerksen, 39. Gregor Hofmann, 40. Diana Unruh

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at you, kid

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