The Newtonian , Issue 8 (2017-18)

THENEWTONIAN NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MAGAZINE

IN-DEPTH Funding a college education SERIES 95 | ISSUE 8 | MARCH 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS

FEATURES

District survey results 3 Students receive ALICE training 4 Anti-Oppression training 4 Remembering coach J.J.Thaw 5

Student walk-out 10 Staff member spotlight 11 Student choreography concert 12

SPORTS Girls track aims for state title

13

ARTS & CULTURE Black Panther breaks barriers 15

OPINIONS Staff members weigh in on the national debate on gun control 6-7

IN-DEPTH The cost of college

8-9

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. The deadline for publication in the next issue is 4/2/18 to allow sufficient time for verification of authorship prior to publication.

2 | STAFF | MARCH 2018

@RailerNews

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

District survey reveals community concern Students weigh in on issues, give district ratings Ellen Garrett Asst. Opinion Editor

I

n January 2018, the USD 373 school board conducted a survey in an attempt to discover the reason that the 2017 school bond failed. The survey was sent out over the phone to 400 random heads of households who voted in the bond election. An additional online survey was made available for community members on the district’s website.

“As the bond was defeated, we wanted to understand the various reasons why. There were many thoughts of what that may or may not be and this was a way to try to accurately gauge the community’s thoughts, not just assumptions,” school board president Carol Sue Stayrook Hobbs said.

The survey had participants rank 15 aspects of the school district with letter grades (A, B, C, D or F). Only four of the 15 aspects were ranked B or above. The overall rank of the district was below a B. Many problems around communication and physical infrastructure were shown with the

“

Student Responses Percentage that rated building quality below average

C

26%

D

27%

F

17%

Overall grade of the district

results of the survey, but still mostly received mediocre grades. While the survey showed an overall opinion that communication was poor, however, community member and parent Jennifer Chappell Deckert sees potential for improvement in this area.

“Generally speaking, they’re good at getting back to parents. Communication

Communication feels good to me right now. I would say that communication is an asset.

“

-parent Jennifer Chappell Deckert feels good to me right now. I would say that communication is an asset,” Chappell Deckert said, “Buildings need a lot of work, I would not call buildings an asset. I think that there are some really talented teachers in our district. I’m not saying that everybody is extremely talented, but there are a few teachers that our kids have had that have been

really excellent and I’m grateful for that.”

This feedback is consistent with the survey results. Physical Infrastructure was given a C rating, while Performance of District Teachers was given a B along with Quality of Technology and Safety of Students. In a school-wide survey of 154 students, the results mirrored those of the community survey.

Students rated quality of technology a B, along with Performance of District Teachers. However, Safety of Students received a C rating. Class Sizes and College and Career Readiness were also given B ratings. The concerns of students were also shown in the survey results. District Response to Concerns was rated F and Quality of School Buildings was rated D, in the community survey, these were given C and B ratings.

“Our school is falling apart, it needs remodeled. We need better school safety. The fact that students come to school in fear that we will get shot up one day is frightening. We don’t practice anything that involves providing safety if something tragic happened. There’s just a handful of things our school does that don’t make sense,” junior Jillian Kelley said.

Community Responses Percentage that rated building quality below average

C

D

F

27%

6%

2%

Overall grade of the district

A: 4%

A: 11% B: 27%

B: 53% C: 43%

C: 31%

D:21%

D:5% F: 1%

F: 5% NEWS

| MARCH 2018 | 3

Students to complete ALICE response training Kaete Schmidt Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

I

n the spring of last school year, teachers were trained in ALICE, an active shooter response training. After spending a year making sure that all staff including substitutes, ETC and maintenance were trained, the district is beginning to extend the training to students.

ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Confront, and Evacuate, was created after the Columbine shooting in 1999. The goal is to evacuate students and staff and take action, rather than remaining on lockdown.

“Unlike the previous protocol for lockdowns, which had a step-by-step set of actions, ALICE requires that staff and students be able to make the best decisions given the situation in which they find themselves,” superintendent Deborah Hamm said.

The district plans to begin training students in early May to familiarize them with the system and different possible options.

Parents were informed about the training process at a meeting on March 12 at the high school.

“There was a powerpoint that went over what ALICE is, why the district has gone to ALICE, and the acronyms. Then, there was a couple of scenarios. It will probably be a

two day training where we will talk about what the lockdown is, what the barricade is, the confront and the evacuation. That will happen during seminar,” assistant principal Greg Dietz said.

Not only will the high school be training students, but all other students throughout the district will as well. This includes elementary students with training that is adapted to fit their age.

“At the high school was you could easily get some people to move some desks and barricade the door. At an elementary level you cannot. They are second and third graders so they are going to have to problem solve to see what they can do,” Dietz said “But, If you’re a 1st or 2nd grader it’s pretty scary, it’s pretty traumatic.”

Although ALICE is a step to making the school safe and secure, there are still many changes around the corner. According to Dietz, these changes may include another SRO in the school as well as a buzzer system.

All new changes will continue to ensure the safety of students and staff.

“The district is committed to making further improvements to processes, protocols and facilities in a continuing effort to do all that is possible to create and maintain a safe learning environment for all students, staff members, and patrons,” Hamm said.

ALICE Implementation

50

States

1,000,000 1M + Individuals

4,200

K-12 School Districts

950 Higher Education Institutions

760

Government Agencies

4,150

Police/LE Departments

1,300

Healthcare Facilities

3,055

Businesses

480

Houses of Worship

90

Families

Students, staff attend anti-oppression training Caroline Barger Arts & Culture Editor

T

eachers and students attended the AntiOppression Training led by Roots of Justice on March 12. Everyone taking part in the training wanted to gain understanding and have a better perspective on racism by the end of the day.

“All of us think that we are not racist, and there are so many hidden ways of being racist, so many things in the culture and in the community that you do not even realize,” German teacher Nan Bergen said. “I think there are so many ways that we don’t

realize what people of color are going through and this training helped with that a lot.”

Junior Quinn Rhodes was one of the many students who attended the training and feels as though when it comes to interacting with one another this training was very beneficial.

“People are very uneducated and racist, and I think it is important for people to learn to try and love people regardless of their skin color, their culture or anything about them that might cause you to have a prejudice,” Rhodes said.

Members of the Students

4 | NEWS | MARCH 2018

for Racial Justice club attended the training including freshman Natalie Kuhn. These students attended to not only gain greater knowledge, but to be able to help others’ knowledge of racism expand as well.

“We want to be educated so that we are not spreading something that is not truthful because that is just another problem,” Kuhn said.

Teachers interact with the same students every day, but most do not know what that student may be going through outside the walls of the school. Bergen, attended the training in hopes to gain

*(website)

more perspective for her students.

“For me that’s not a racial issue but I think it has helped me see that I have no idea where my students are coming from no matter what their skin color is and I have even less idea when it comes to people of color,” Bergen said.

The consensus of all those in attendance is the same when it comes to recommending this event to others.

“It is 2018 and we need to have a voice. What better way to learn than this training,” sophomore Devin Roberson.

Students, staff mourn loss of J.J. Thaw

Thaw remembered as loving coach, mentor, friend

A

ssistant wrestling coach and special education paraprofessional Jack Jermaine Thaw (J.J.) left many memories in the hearts of students and staff at Newton High School. J.J., age 45, died on Feb. 19 at his home in Newton.

J.J. was born on Jan. 3, 1973 in Alamosa, Colorado and graduated from Newton High School in 1991.

He was a successful member of the wrestling team, winning the state championship his senior year. He wrestled throughout college at Labette Community College and Fort Hays State University.

J.J. continued his love of the sport as Newton’s assistant wrestling coach for 15 years, where he inspired and impacted the lives of many student athletes. He began his work in the USD 373 special education department in 2003 as a adaptive physical education paraprofessional. J.J. enjoyed his daily interactions with his students and continually expressed his compassion and empathy through his work.

He is survived by his parents Jack Thaw Jr. and JoAnne Thaw of Newton, brother Justin Thaw and his sisters Jahree’ Rager and Jenee’ Baytop. J.J. loved his family more than anything and was proud of all of their accomplishments. His impact on the Newton community, his family members, students and staff is lasting.

“He was Mr. Railroader. He supported every sport and showed up to events to support the kids. He was very selfless. I would say that J.J. will be remembered most for all of his service. He was a great servant to our community.” - history teacher Mark George

“I’ve known J.J. ever since he was a little boy. The most important thing I will remember about J.J. is that he understood this lesson in life: a rich life revolves around helping people.” - history teacher Grant Scott

“I’ve known him all my life, and growing up with him...the special connection between a wrestler and coaches definitely impacted me.”-sophomore Grant Treaster

J.J. was wonderful with these kids.

He had a compassion and a real soft heart and they sense that.

Several of these kids were close to him, and they are having a rough time with him being gone.”

- adaptive P.E. coordinator Judy Flaming

“He definitely taught me how to be a Newton Railer and what wrestling means to the community...being here for 15 plus years he helped me learn what I needed to learn and become a good coach.”- head wrestling coach Tommy Edgmon

“I’m going to always try to continue his motto, he always wanted you to do your best and push your hardest.”- sophomore Zach Engelken

NEWS

| MARCH 2018 | 5

THE DEBATE SURROUNDING In the midst of the gun violence issues that have taken place in America recently, the Newtonian staff members share opinions regarding the differing causes of and proposed solutions to the violence.

STRONGER MENTAL HEALTH BACKGROUND CHECKS NECESSARY Erica Beebe Features Editor

A

lthough federal law prohibits the sale of firearms to anyone with a history of mental illness, there are dozens of loopholes that allow those people to obtain them. According to USA Today, the Parkland shooter obtained his semi-automatic rifle legally, simply because he passed a criminal background check. There was no mental illness background check he needed to pass. If there had been, the seller would have seen that Nikolas Cruz had brain development problems and depression.

According to CNN a person can be restricted from buying a firearm due to mental illness if they are involuntarily checked into a mental hospital or if a government body declares them mentally unstable. These requirements are extremely relaxed compared to what they would need to be to identify potential shooters. For this reason many people are calling for reform when it comes to the process of purchasing a gun. Mental background screenings would have prevented many of the recent assaults in schools, bars and churches. They have potential to prevent future assaults.

States requiring mental health background checks *motherjones.com

6 | OPINIONS | MARCH 2018

AVAILABILITY OF GUNS TO BLAME

Gracie Hammond Content Editor

exempt.

Additionally, though fully automatic weapons are illegal, accessories like bump stocks are here are many factors that not. They can be used to turn semicontribute to the problem of automatic weapons automatic, as mass shootings. An obvious and they can fire glaring factor is continuously the availability of until the trigger “Americans are ten guns. released. Bump According to times more likely to be isstocks were the Washington used in the in killed by guns than in Post, there the Las Vegas were 357 other countries.� shooting, which million firearms according the nationwide *American Journal of Medicine The Telegraph, in 2015. As resulted in over the number 58 deaths and of firearms in 527 injuries.

America soars, so Many hide behind the Second do gun-related crimes. The American Amendment claiming accessibility to Journal of Medicine states that such weapons is their right. Citizens Americans are ten times more likely do have the right to bear arms but to be killed by guns than in other not every weapon is the same and developed countries. neither are their operators.

Guns are alarmingly easy to Though gun availability is not acquire. The AR-15 and other similar the only cause, it is at the center. If weapons used in recent shootings things are to change, the weapons can be purchased by individuals that are available and who can have as young as 18 under federal law. them must be reassessed.

While all licensed retailers require customers to have a background check, any private or online sales are

T

IT IS AN ISSUE OF SELF-CONTROL Addie Lindemeyer Asst. Features Editor

I

magine sitting around a table full of food. You have the option to fill your plate with whatever you wish, however you only grab what you desire. Now replace the food you envisioned with a gun. Once again, while the gun is at your disposal, it is a personal choice as to whether you use it and with what you intend to do with it.

The recent school shootings are not issues of gun-control, but

instead an issue of self-control.

According to www.benzinga.com, 39 percent of American households report owning a gun. If gun violence was a matter of gun control, there would be far more incidents involving guns in addition to the reported 48 mass shootings in 2018.

Not only does self-control relate to gun violence, but brutality in general. Guns are targeted because they are the main source of weaponry, yet when it comes to selfcontrol, access to a knife could be just as easily abused.

NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE STRONGER GUN CONTROL NEEDED Ellen Garrett Asst. Opinions Editor

A ARMING TEACHERS IS AN ABSURD “SOLUTION” Lauren Mitchell Editor-In-Chief

E

ducator, mentor, confidant, student advocate. With recent mass shootings, President Trump and 44 percent of Americans support adding security guard, sharp-shooter and the first line of defense to the list of duties of already underpaid and overworked teachers across the nation.

Despite the fact that we should be ‘arming’ teachers with higher salaries and adequate teaching resources instead of handguns, unquestionably many more lives will be lost and untold amounts of funds wasted by this escalation-based solution.

While emotion from the most recent Florida high school shooting has resurrected the call for guns inside of the classroom, the logistical reality is being ignored.

Where would the firearm be kept? How would teachers transform into a soldier if there was an active shooter? What would

happen if an unstable teacher was armed in a classroom full of students?

If an unstable student grabbed a teacher’s gun?

Even if these questions could be answered, expecting teachers to take down school shooters with assault rifles is not feasible. President Trump cites only placing guns in the hands of “highly adept people.” However, the nation’s largest police force, the New York Police Department, only has an average hit rate of 18 percent in gunfights.

Arming teachers with handguns to respond to domestic terrorists bearing assault rifles is the equivalent of bringing a knife to what has become a modern day gunfight. Are school districts prepared to defend lawsuits when teachers shoot, miss, and kill their own students?

While stricter gun control laws and enforcement should be the government’s primary focus, transforming teachers into soldiers will only continue the bloodshed.

fter the Parkland school shooting, many answers to the problem of school shootings and gun violence as a whole have been brought up. Some are as ridiculous as banning backpacks, so that students cannot hide their weapons. Somehow, most have overlooked the solution of stricter gun control.

According to fortune. com, in 1996, Australia had a mass shooting at Port Arthur.

In this shooting, 35 people died and 18 were wounded.

The weapon of choice in this shooting was an AR-15, the same weapon used in several shootings in America, including the Parkland shooting. Within weeks of

the Port Arthur shooting, Australia’s Prime Minister banned semi automatic and other military-style weapons.

They also created a program that allowed citizens to freely give up their guns, and many weapon and gun owners did. According to NBC news, Australia has had no mass shootings since then.

America can take a page out of this book of gun control.

America and Australia are two of the most similar nations in the world in terms of culture, history and demographics, so it would not be much harder to implement similar restrictions in America. Our right to bear arms can still be protected. Even just requiring stronger background checks or enforcing age restrictions will make our country safer.

INCREASE SECURITY MEASURES Emma Pulaski Reporter

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hile many thought the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that occurred five years ago would be the turning point of gun control laws, no significant changes regarding federal legislation were made since then. Because of this, it is appropriate to assume that debating with federal officials is not the solution to preventing further shootings. Instead of waiting for the government to pass laws, schools need to start taking action.

Crime prevention through environmental design is used in popular areas nationwide and would be beneficial to start implementing into schools.

NBC News

recently reported on an Indiana school, who spent 400,000 dollars on security, earning them the title of “America’s safest school.”

While it is costly, the mere fact that it could save the lives of every student and staff is well worth it. Some installations included bullet-resistant classroom doors, a personal speaker system with a panic button for each teacher and smoke cannons hidden in the ceiling that would disorient an intruder while they roam the halls.

Despite the debate regarding gun control, laws always have been and will continue to be broken. Schools need to stop waiting for federal change and prepare for what is now a sad reality.

OPINIONS

| MARCH 2018 | 7

0025

DATE

PAY TO THE ORDER OF

A College Education $

MEMO AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

|:789123456|:123789456123||0025 Faye Smith News Editor

A

“

s the road to graduation reaches an end, the class of 2018 faces the reality of financing the next step of their educational journey--college. College tuition rates have almost doubled since the year 1985 according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. From Pell grants, to scholarships, loans and work studies, seniors have to face the struggle of being able to pay to further their education.

Students that apply to any college in the United States can also fill out a

have money so I could use it without taking out a loan, and not having to pay it back,” senior Abby Hatch said.

In addition to Federal loans, students are also able to take out student loans.

Senior Andy Deckert has had his parents’ advice on taking out his own loan.

“I will be the one to pay it back and with a college degree it will be easier to pay back those loans with a higher paying job,” Deckert said.

Holding student jobs is another way for students to pay back student debt.

According to Georgetown University, over the past 25 years, over 70 percent

Seniors utilize loans, scholarships, Pell Grant aid and student employment to afford college able to work on-campus. The U.S Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid states that students are able to funnel their payment into their school charges as well as their bank account.

Senior Brett Knepper believes that the hours will be more beneficial than a regular job.

“It should hopefully help pay for, not necessarily a big amount but more than I would just with an average job.

I should be able to get more hours, because it works around your schedule,” Knepper said.

Just like Szambecki, in addition

My parents are both teachers, so they don’t meet the requirements through the state to be able to pay for my college by themselves...I could use (a Pell Grant) without taking out a loan.

- senior Abby Hatch

”

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). According to studentaid. ed.gov this can determine how much money each student is able to receive through federal loans or grants, by finding a student’s “financial need” though your cost of attendance and expected parent contribution. A Federal Pell Grant is awarded to those who express a certain level of financial need.

Senior Abby Hatch plans to rely on Pell Grant aid as part of her financial contribution.

“My parents are both teachers, so they don’t meet the requirements through the state to be able to pay for my college by themselves, and I don’t

8 | IN-DEPTH | MARCH 2018

of undergraduate students have held a job during their schooling.

Senior Kate Szambecki said that while holding a job throughout college will pay for a majority of her debt, it isn’t the only way to pay for her fees.

“I have a scholarship that will pay for half of my tuition, but it’s still going to be very expensive. I am working a lot up till and through college, so with that money and some of my parents savings, that’s how we will pay along with the money I will be making though college,” Szambecki said.

Similarly, students also have the opportunity to hold a work study-a federal program where students are

to other forms of payment, senior Kit Kingsley will be utilizing local scholarships. Applying for many scholarships regarding her field, and activities she’s been involved with, Kingsley relates the importance of local scholarships to the ease it is to receive them.

“A lot of times you can get them easier if they are local because there are less people wanting them. A lot of times too they are worth more money.

But without scholarships it’s really hard to get out of your student debt after you get out of college,” Kingsley said.

Average tuition amount average student received in aid last year:

66%

$

$13,200

1

of students received financial aid (grants/ scholarships) in 2015

$3,440

Public four-year (in-state)

$9,410

3

80.5%

19.5%

of seniors plan to attend an in-state college

of seniors plan to go to an out-of-state college

National Statistics - paying for college

Public two-year (in-district)

2

*The College Board

*Out of 41 responses

by college category

Public four-year (outof-state)

$23,890

4

Private four-year

$32,410

*The College Board

How will you pay for college?

70%

Student survey *out of 40 responses working in college

66%

local scholarships

32% 40%

6%

35%

student loans Pell Grants work-study

80%

70%

90%

ACT score value at Kansas colleges ($/year) working in college - 70% of students *Georgetown University study student loans - 66% of students

*Institute for College Access and Success

Pell Grants - 32% of students *College Board

24

33 or higher

*GPA affects scholarship amounts

$1000

University of Kansas

$5000

$2000

Kansas State University

$9000

$2000

Wichita State University

$4000

$1500

Fort Hays State University

$3500

work-study - 6% of students * National Postsecondary Student Aid Study

65%

of student loan borrowers in Kansas graduated with debt, which averaged $25,521 (2015) *Institute for College Access and Success

IN-DEPTH

| MARCH 2018 | 9

Senior Gracie Hammond and Junior Quinn Rhodes lead a meeting on Thursday, March 1 to organize the gun violence protest that will take place at our school Wednesday, March 14. Photo by Gaby Lara

10 | FEATURES | MARCH 2018

17 lives 10:00 a.m.

One month anniversary

ollowing the devastating Feb. 14 shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, there is currently a nationwide call to social and political reform. Among these was the organization of a national student-led walkout, which Newton students participated in on March 14.

Approximately 150 students participated in the walkout, lasting precisely 17 minutes to honor the number of students and staff killed at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas.

Upperclassmen students who felt passionately on the issue took charge to organize the walkout and get approval from the administration.

“We talked about things we wanted to achieve and goals. I sent out a survey to get an idea of who would participate in the walkout. I and others agreed we wanted the administration to approve the walk out to maximize the amount of people who could participate,” senior Gracie Hammond said.

Prior to the walkout, students made signs and a banner demanding for a safer school setting. Students reported to the front of the school, where there was a podium set up to let their voices be heard.

Seniors Gracie Hammond, Jabria Giles and junior Quinn Rhodes co-wrote a speech to give during the walkout.

“We decided we wanted a speaker, but

17 minutes

F

rather than just one person write a speech we kind of decided to have the interested people co-write something. It allowed more voices to be heard and just kind of had this message of unity,” Hammond said.

Student participants still feel deeply about the precautions the student body and administration must take in order to prevent another school shooting.

“It wakes us up, it wakes everybody up.

It wakes us up to what needs to be done and what we need to do. We need to make schools and other places safer,” junior Rebecca Raymundo said.

Some students feel that the issue may be more than a matter of stricter gun laws.

Rhodes said that regardless, something needs to be done about the safety of students in the community.

“At this point, it’s not about your political party. It’s about keeping people safe. No matter what you believe, people are dying from assault rifles, cars and knives. And it’s not just about a matter of keeping people safe from guns, it’s a matter of keeping people safe from violence,” Rhodes said.

Other than the walkout, Hammond and Rhodes created a Facebook group, Newton Youth for Change, and are encouraging students to remain engaged in local and national issues.

“Other than the walkout, we are encouraging students to be civically active and I’m trying to get a voter registration booth at the school. The effort can’t just be on Twitter,” Hammond said.

#ENOUGH

Payton Fenwick Asst. Editor in Chief

#March14

Shootings prompt national school walk-out Students organize protest on gun violence issues

*Information accurate at the time of press (March 12)

Behind the scenes: staff you should know u er ri Sa wein a K

Taylor Tasaka Reporter

Media aide Kari Sauerwein browses through a book in the library. Photo by Taylor Tasaka

M

ost students use the library without a passing thought, whether it be checking out books for leisure or reserving a book for a project.

However, few know the work that goes into maintaining the area. For assistant librarian Kari Sauerwein, the work is worth it. ¨It varies day-to-day what I do, sometimes it’s restocking the book shelves or mending. I do a mix of everything,” Sauerwein said. “It’s not very orderly. I don’t have a set schedule where I need to do this at one time and this at another. I like the openness because it keeps me on my toes and I don’t get bored. That is very important to me.”

Sauerwein feels a unique type of reward at the end of each day, knowing that it’s possible she helped at least one student.

“It seems like there was not specifically a day where I thought ‘I was born to do this,’ it is more of a situation where somebody will wander in, questioning what to read,” Sauerwein said. “It’s the moment where I can say, ‘Oh yes! I know what you have read, read this,’ It’s that moment of connecting with a reader that makes it worthwhile.”

W

hile most people are still sleeping, custodians are already at work.

After starting their day at 6:30 a.m., the custodians work non-stop until 10:00 p.m. on nights the school has activities. Facing lunch, set up and take down for events, and typical maintenance is a daunting task for such a limited number of people. Head of custodial staff Rob Wharton faces these challenges every day.

“On a day-to-day basis, my two custodians that work days cover lunch and if one of them is gone, I step in. I am usually running around getting information from Brian (Becker) or Lisa (Moore) about whatever events are coming up so we can make our plans. Every day is different for me. I don’t like the repetition, I like the difference. I like having different jobs and different tasks,¨ Wharton said.

Even with around the clock maintenance, Wharton enjoys his job particularly when their work is recognized by others. ¨The most rewarding part is definitely when the kids appreciate what the custodians really do,” Wharton said. “That’s kind of cool, there are some good kids that will mention ´nice job´ or ´thanks for helping´ and that’s rewarding. I appreciate that. I think we all really appreciate that.”

e l D o er ks a h en ic M

Paraeducator Michael Doerksen prepares a piece of wood in Intro to Industrial Technology. Photo by Taylor Tasaka

T

Rob

Wharton

Head custodian Rob Wharton cleans after the lunch rush. Photo by Erica Beebe

hose who have know Michael Doerksen are familiar with the dedication he puts towards helping students make sure they are being the best version of themselves. After working as a teacher and paraeducator for 36 years, Doerksen knows the small victories and troubles of working with students but says he would not do it if he didn’t love it as much as he does.

“I retired a year and a half ago from teaching, I would of been doing something somewhere so I decided to come back to teaching. As a para I still get to work with kids,” Doerksen said. “I work with kids in classes, helping them with anything they may struggle with to keep them on top.”

Along with helping students succeed, Doerksen found another reason to fall in love with teaching. ¨I got into teaching because I could also coach and I really enjoyed that, maybe more than teaching. After all, it’s just a different form of teaching,” Doerksen said. “That was a big part of why I started teaching. Just the thrill of watching somebody figure something out for themselves finally is a good thing.”

FEATURES

| MARCH 2018 | 11

On the rise: students showcase choreography

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Macy Rice Opinions Editor

ollowing a six year tradition, eight high school students participated in Bethel College Academy of Performing Arts’ student choreography concert on March 12.

Sophomore Emily Brandt worked for two weeks to choreograph a ten person dance, which she also performed in. Brandt got the idea of choreographing such a large dance from their teacher.

“My teacher Haylie had a list of people that weren’t in many dances, so she encouraged us to use certain people, which then grew to ten people,” Brandt said.

Naturally, when dealing with the schedules of ten different people, problems are likely to arise.

“I think the biggest challenge has been trying to get everyone together at one rehearsal and teaching it to them,” Brandt said.

Students who performed in the concert were responsible for holding their own rehearsals. Many students held their rehearsals at Bethel College.

“Most of the students are company

members at BCAPA, so they organize their own rehearsals typically on the weekends after company practices,” BCAPA director Haylie Berning said.

In order to perform in the concert, students had to audition in front of judges who were given specific judging criteria.

“The students must have a dance at least one minute long. During the auditions the students give information about how long the piece is going to be and how far along they are in the process,” Berning said. “Typically students are halfway done with the dance at the time of auditions when the judges watch it.”

This concert provides the opportunity for students to showcase their work, as well as improving their choreographing skills.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity to get your foot out there and start choreographing and working with other dancers,” Brandt said.

Ten dances were performed at the concert including one from sophomore Abigail Boese.

“I’m excited because it’s my first solo that I’ll be performing in front of people, so that’s really fun and exciting,” Boese said. “It’s a great opportunity because it allows me to learn how to choreograph. I’m the only one dancing.”

Students perform their dance to the audience at the concert on March 12. Sophomore Emily Brandt choreographed the ten person dance. Photo by Macy Rice Freshman Abigail Boese performs her first solo dance at the student choreography concert at Bethel College. Photo by Macy Rice

12 | FEATURES | MARCH 2018

4 X 100 relay team looks to repeat success Meya Green Reporter

T

he girls track team has gotten a necessary amount of attention for their success in recent years and now that the track season is coming up, there are high hopes and standards for these talented women.

“We hope to be well-rounded, we have been known the past few years for our sprinters and our throwers but our goal is always to be a well-rounded team. We are hoping to score in all aspects this year,” track coach Tad Remsberg said.

The 4x100 team has made an impact with a successful recent winning streak. 2017, the relay team has included Kalli Anderson, Taylor Antonowich, Savannah Simmons, and Jennifer Andres. Andres graduated last year and the track team is uncertain of who they are going to have replace her.

“We always have to reload from year to year, we always lose some quality seniors. So it can hurt you somewhat but hopefully we have the athletes to replace the ones we are losing,” Remsberg said.

The girls 4x100 relay team have not let their team down for

In the

two years straight now and will try and continue the winning streak.

“I think one of the keys to our success is we have a lot of athletes that ran summer track and started running when they were very young,” track coach Tad Remsberg said, “that carried over and really helped us a lot.”

The bond between the four girls can depict their success and how well they work together.

“The bond is so important. I mean, 99.9 percent of the time we will be laughing, but when the gun goes off it’s time to get it done. I love these girls, I mean it is unexplainable,” Anderson said.

Simmons has set a record in the 200 meter dash with a 24.52 time and Anderson set a record in the 100 meter dash with a 11.76 time. Anderson usually runs the first leg of the 4x100 relay and that could potentially determine the rest of the race and how successful they are.

Although, Anderson believes that not only is this a team sport, but it is a sport where you have to rely on each other to work hard.

“If everyone does their part and gives it their all then we will be good,” Anderson said.

Senior Taylor Antonowich

“I think this season could go really well, the girls have only lost a few seniors. I’m really excited. We’re about to get a three-peat.”

Senior Savannah Simmons

“I feel like we should do really well. We have a lot of people returning, and I feel like that will help. 4x100 wise, we just need someone to step up.”

Junior Kalli Anderson

“I think losing Jen (Andres) and Kailey (Harris) could really hurt us in points but if everybody comes out and competes really well, then we should be good. I’m kind of anxious but we’re hoping for a three-peat.”

2017 season, the 4X100 relay team

consisting of Anderson, Antonowich, Simmons and Andres ran the relay in

46.86 seconds. The

4X400 relay team of Remsberg, Antonowich, Andres, Simmons ran the relay in 3:59.01.

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Black Panther gains student approval Gracie Hammond Content and Photo Editor

W

ith an over $290 million opening week, “Black Panther” made waves in the cinematic world. The movie’s opening followed the footsteps of many of Marvel’s previous movies, but quickly outshined them. The opening came only second in the franchise, only a few thousand dollars beneath “The Avengers,” Marvel’s top opening movie according to Deadline. Other than its quality, the film has a deeper reason for the popularity.

Black characters with lead roles or majority black casts in major movies are uncommon. Though many black heroes exist in the comic world, nearly none had a movie. The movies that do feature largely Black casts rarely make an impact on the box office or the characters are not considered positive representation.

With a nearly all Black cast and positive representation it covers all bases.

The movie also features a slew of strong female roles that revolve around intelligence and skill rather than beauty.

Characters like T’Challa’s sister Shuri, a 16-year-old genius and princess, provide a character for not only people of color, but also girls to look up to.

“Black Panther is special because it promotes black excellence. I thought the movie was enthralling, and had a good story and definitely lived up to the hype,” junior Jeana Lyons said.

The movie sparked the Black Panther Challenge. It encouraged people to donate so that children, from less financially privileged neighborhoods could see the movie. The challenged prompted over $800,000 in donations.

In only weeks the movie has earned a spot in the top earning movies in history. The movie’s success is attributed to many factors whether it be the quality, representation or the hype. As the movie continues to climb the box office charts it is safe to say it has created an impact on pop culture and paves the way for greater representation and diversity.

“I thought it was well put together, it was perfect. It was outstanding and way above the standards of anything I’ve ever seen,” senior Jasani Beasley said.

Maddie Duncan

“I think that it’s good that there is a large party of women and people of color in the movie. I think it was a great way to represent minorities.”

Sophomore Kati Blaylock

“I liked it a lot because most movies don’t have “African Americans” like as the main characters.”

Junior Legacy Victorio Coto

“I really enjoyed watching Black Panther because while the movie is action packed it also focuses on real world problems that we have today involving race. Killmonger, the main villain, wanted to help African Americans by giving them weapons to fight back. ”

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