The Trojan Vol. 49 Issue 2

Park Hill High School

7701 NW Barry Rd, Kansas City, MO 64153

September 2017 Vol. 49 Issue 1

THE TRoJAN Women of the World pg. 8

There’s No Shame About It pg. 11

Dare to be Diverse pg. 12

Letter from The Editor

Judiann McMahon ABOUT THE COVER: Freshman Halima Aden proudly watches as her teacher Caitlyn Fudge gets recognized for her excellence in teaching. Photo by: Emily Koelliker

The Newspaper Staff Editor-In-Chief: Judiann McMahon Senior Adviser: Abby Hostick Copy Editor: Mia Tyler Section Editor: Derek Dillard Design Editor: Kamryn O’Dell Business Director: Maddie Roberts

2017-2018

Dear Readers, We are incredibly excited to share the second issue of The Trojan with you. We do understand some of our text was hard to read last issue as we are still learning what works and what doesn’t work with our new publisher. Thank you for bearing with us, yet still jumping into our current issue.

Several brave students opened up in interviews and shared their emotionally, complex stories with our staff. We want to thank those students and are glad we can share their stories in hopes of impacting other students.

Fall is here: sweater weather, pumpkin spice and boots and socks. You’ve heard it all a thousand times before. But fall is more than the clothes and food. Fall is a season of perseverance. We have recently gotten back into the routine of school, and if you’ve ever lived you know that just as you begin to settle down another storm always seems to hit. This month’s publication is all about how our students have overcome these storms. Our community, our city and our world are constantly battling injustice, natural disasters, disease and much more. We have decided to highlight the power of women’s equality, the struggle of immigration and perseverance through mental illness.

High school can be a battle. Perseverance is an essential tool we must hold close throughout this four year journey. For all my fellow seniors out there, we only have seven months left. We made it through the painful three year underclassman expedition and now it’s time for the final year cruise. Don’t waste your final moments; they have been precisely prepared to be the best moments. I’m excited to see where this year takes us physically, spiritually, mentally and relationally.

Not only are we highlighting our school’s ability to persevere, but we want to enjoy the perks of the season. Although the temperature is consistently dropping, fall is a warm season. We intend to capture that blissful blanket, creamy coffee, familiar fire, cozy couch, feastful food feel throughout this issue.

If fall is your favorite season, if you have senioritis as a sophomore, if you feel oppressed, if you need support, if you’re livin’ your best life, if you’ve driven all the way to Chick-Fil-A on Sunday, if you got out the first round of assassin or don’t know what Taylor Swift song is your favorite, this issue is for you. This issue is for everyone. This school is for everyone. Persevere, it’s only four years.

Your editor,

“Accept your responsibillty for the collective well-being.”

- Dr. Brad Kincheloe

Social Media Director: Zoe Cain Reporters: Alex Kaliz Anna Turnbull Lily Cota Chandeh Doe Adviser: Megan Carnes Look for QR codes like this throughout the magazine!

You can use Snapchat or a QR code reader to scan for more information and pictures on stories The Trojan, published six times throughout the regular school year, is the official publication of Park Hill High School, and is printed by Osage Graphics in Olathe, KS. Opinions expressed here are that of the student journalists and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty, administration, and the Park Hill School District. The Newspaper is free of charge to all students but it also available for subscription. The Trojan welcomes letters to the editors. All letters must be signed to b published but may remain anonymous if the author chooses. Letters may be no more than 350 words and must be delivered to room 350 ten days prior to publications. The Trojan staff welcomes comments, questions and opinions. Send comments to publications@gmail.com.

CONTENTS

Sophomore Gabby Holmes paints her project during Art Club.

Photo by: Chandeh Doe

CAMPUS

FEATURE

-To the Beat of a Drum/ page 4

- Women of the World/ page 8-9

-(No More) King of The Hill/ page 10

COMMUNITY -The Fall of a Flavor/ page 5 -Theres no Shame About it/ page 11

SPORTS - Stepping into our Hearts/ page 6 Check out the additional Trojan Scavenger hunt on Page 14!

ENTERTAINMENT - Binge Addictions/ page 7 -TId Bits/ page 14

WHERE IS THE TROJAN? A small Trojan head is hidden in the pages of this issue. Be the first to find it and come see Megan Carnes in room 350 for a $10 giftcard

actual size

4 Campus

To the beat of a drum By: Abby Hostick

You know them as the group of percussionists who and state auditions,” said Zach Howard.

“We have mandatory rehearsals from 6-9 p.m. hype up the crowd at football games or initiate the Apache (Jump On It) dance at assemblies: Drumline! on Tuesday and Thursday, but we’re here a lot,” said senior Alec Lamb.

The Drumline has always been a hit with students, The hard work seems to always pay off in the staff and parents but what many don’t know is that end as they’ve become more of a family. All the the drumline season does not end when Friday night time they spend together most likely accounts for the football does. Drumline is a year long commitment strong bond they’ve formed. with many late nights and And even though the Drumline weekends full of hard work and members all differ in age, it dedication.

“I like that you get to be a doesn’t seem to matter.

“I really like the things we get “I like that you get to be apart to do outside of Drumline. We get part of something bigger of something bigger than yourself to mix with some other schools sometimes and, we get to than yourself and you and you get to have a family connect and do percussion with that’s always there if you need get to have a family that’s a lot of other schools and share them,” said junior Emily Reid. this in common with people When asked about their favorite always there if you need outside of our own school,” said thing about Drumline, they all them.” junior Jeremy Kasper. gave very different answers.

For many members, “It’s an unlikely group, but we balancing school and a job is all have something in common hard enough, let alone doing that and a co-curricular and we all just grow while doing something we like activity. together,” said junior Kade Palguta.

“It’s really hard to balance everything. We have And perhaps one of the more honest answers, a lot of late nights. I had a job for half of marching “Oh, the chicks,” said junior Blake Harris. season, but it became too much. I’m also playing drums for the musical and working on on our district

5 Community

-1 hot chocolate packet with milk -1 tsp. of cinnamon -1 tsp. nutmeg -1 tsp. pumpkin spice

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PUMPKIN SPICE HOT CHOCOLATE

By: Zoe Cain

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“I like pumpkin spice everything. My brother made pumpkin spice hot chocolate and it was bomb!

Although I would definitely try the maple drink, it sounds really interesting” said senior Danielle Roberson.

Cited by MarketWatch, “The number of pumpkin spice items sold online has jumped 49 percent year-over-year, but sales have only grown by 20 percent.”

The Trojan had a selection of students taste test both drinks: Maple Pecan and Pumpkin Spice.

To our surprise almost all of the students chose the Pumpkin Spice, although they stayed optimistic in saying that they would definitely order the Maple Pecan in the future.

Not many people know about new maple products, but it shouldn’t be long until the two flavors are off to the races each year.

Pumpkin spice may have the crown now, but who will have the throne in the long run?

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From yogurt, to coffee, donuts and more, pumpkin spice by far dominates the fall flavor department. However, could maple be coming in as a close second or even first place?

On the first day of fall, Starbucks released their new drink, the Maple Pecan Latte.

Dunkin’ Donuts released the Maple Pecan Iced Coffee and began serving the Maple Sugar Bacon Breakfast Sandwich.

You may be asking yourself what the hype is for increased maple demand. Folks that want to be healthier might look to maple for a healthy solution. Fall fanatics are now using mineral rich syrup as a substitute sweetener instead of cane sugar. Maple syrup contains higher levels of antioxidants and beneficial nutrients. The blood sugar level for maple syrup is lower than cane sugar making it better for the body; however, pumpkin spice will not back down so easily.

“Pumpkin spice all they way, I think it will always be my love and go to flavor forever.

I don’t like pecans that’s why would never try the maple pecan drink,” said coffee lover, senior Mariah Engle.

Students participated in a blind taste test between STarbucks’s maple Pecan and pumpkin spice frappacinos.

Winner: Pumpkin Spice

6 Sports

Stepping Into Our Hearts Senior and Captain Deja Thornton

Freshman Sihaam Hagi, junior Lamia Mitchell and sophomore Indira Ealey

Family. The people who are always there, the people who always know how to help and the people who can turn every experience into a fun time. Step Team has created their own family with Mrs. Jenetta Norfleet as their “mother”. Norfleet has sponsored the Step Team for four years and has loved every moment of it.

“My favorite thing about Step Team is the girls and learning so many different personalities. I don’t have girls that I physically gave birth to, so for me to find a group of girls that get along and getting to do some things that we like to do which is dance, laugh, and have fun is what I like about it,” said Norfleet.

Step Team practices every Thursday and Friday after school.

They work hard learning all the different routines and dances for each assembly performance which usually totals to around five to six dances.

Despite this challenging feat, the girls constantly put tremendous effort to make each performance look solid.

“I really do enjoy the performances just because you get to see all this hard work out there and when you’re actually out performing in front of people, it seems like everyone puts in ten times as much effort. It just looks so good to see all the hard work come together,” said sophomore Belle Pham.

According to Park Hill, Step Team is still technically a club. Because of this, they don’t receive funding from the school. This makes fundraising even more important so the team can raise enough money for all their costumes and other things they may need.

“It’s $75 to be on the team. With the $75, I have to be able to purchase three uniforms for each girl. This year we’re going to do t-shirts because the girls want to do that. I have various people wanting to do fundraisers with us, but it’s a matter of being able to get 100% participation from the girls,” said Norfleet.

Just like any other club, Step Team has their fair share of funny stories to look back on and laugh about.

“The funniest thing that I can say upon me walking into Step Team

By: Mia Tyler

practice is seeing the girls freaking out over something and I didn’t know what it was. It was a wasp. One wasp landed upon a stepper’s head and you would have swore up and down, it killed her. So girls are running down the hallway screaming like a banshee at one wasp.

And it took me to get the wasp down and killed,” said Norfleet.

It wouldn’t be a team without the girls working together and being there for each other through thick and thin. The amazing chemistry among the girls makes the team that much more cohesive.

“Getting to interact with all of them is a lot of fun. I know that they’re there for me and they always have my back. It’s a lot of fun to do steps and do the dances with them and everyone like has their own time and I feel like everyone’s true colors come out being on the team so you get to see everyone. I feel like step team’s a place where you can do that and feel comfortable and have a lot of fun,” said sophomore FeFe Tulay.

Step Team is more than a club to Norfleet and the girls. It is a family.

“Even though we don’t know each other we just mesh. It’s like a family reunion where you might not know everyone but you just click,” said sophomore Heaven Mcgautha.

They not only exhibit great performance qualities, they also treat one another with respect and spread a good example throughout the school.

“Step Team has changed a great deal because we work really hard in trying to change our hearts in the way we think and do things.

Putting more time and effort into our education and more time and effort into actually trying to do the right thing toward not just ourselves but each other on the team,” said Norfleet.

“Wham, bam, chicken and ham.”

Senior Taressa Johnson

Sophomore Indira Ealey

Sophomore Soon Jen Pak

7 Entertainment

Upcoming Concerts

Rap

Alternative/Rock Country Pop

40% 33%

20% 7%

November 13: Foo Fighters Rock/Alt November 15: Lady Gaga Pop November 15 Blue October Rock/Alt November 17: Josh Turner Country November 19: St. Vincent Alt November 25: JoyWave Rock/Alt December 4: Kodak Black Rap December 7: Lil Uzi Vert Rap January 9: Lana Del Rey Alt/Pop

By: Lily Cota

Students’ Favorite Music Genre Poll

When they’re not listening to music (or doing homework, of course) masses of students spend time watching T.V. shows and movies on Netflix. With an ever-growing list of new shows and seasons popping up, there’s a neverending supply of binge-watching material.

An abundance of new seasons debuted this fall, including season two of both Stranger Things and Riverdale and season eight of The Walking Dead.

“I was most looking forward to season two of Stranger Things,” said Bolek. “I never got into Riverdale but I know a lot of people were excited when season two of that came out.”

While there are popular shows that everyone enjoys, there are still those shows that not everyone agrees are binge-worthy.

“I think that Big Brother is overrated. I really don’t see the point to it,” says Steckelberg. “It seems like a lot of made up drama that doesn’t really matter.”

“I didn’t enjoy 13 Reasons Why although it was really popular,” says Bolek.

The second season of 13 Reasons Why is in the works and will not premiere until January.

Aside from new shows, students often have one series that they love and will watch over-and-over again. Binge watching is a familiar concept as many students find themselves watching one show for hours on end.

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is my all time favorite show. I watched it for eight hours straight once,” said Bolek.

When students finally find a series that really catches their attention, it’s hard to watch anything else for a while.

“I’ve watched only one show for three weeks.” said Steckelberg, “I couldn’t get enough!”

From binge-watching your choice shows to listening to your favorite music, the future of entertainment looks promising and students will continue to enjoy it as new forms emerge.

Binge Addictions

Entertainment comes in many forms: music, television, art and games. And it seems students have plenty to say about both music and television.

Many people agree that music is an important part of life. It can change a mood, fill time and bring people closer. Music comes in many different sounds, moods and genres. According to a recent poll on the Publication’s Twitter, 40% of students prefer rap music.

It is inevitable for different music opinions as the genres are endless. Several people enjoy any type of music and do not prefer a specific type. ”I like anything with a good beat,” said Junior Lauren Steckelberg.

On the other hand, numerous people have a more distinct type in which they solely listen.

“I typically like more alternative or rock music,” said senior Ashley Bolek.

The way that students obtain their music is also very different. Some use Youtube, Apple Music, Soundcloud or Spotify.

“I like Spotify because all of my music is virtually in my hands at all times and is easily accessible,” said Bolek, “I can make playlists and be provided with suggestions based on my most listened to music.”

Aside from having music apps on phones, students often enjoy going to live concerts.

“The last concert I went to was Chance the Rapper and I loved it because the atmosphere was great and I enjoyed being surrounded by my friends while listening to one of my favorite artists,” said Steckelberg.

Kansas City has many different concert venues and is an overall hub for great live music.

8 FEATURE

WOMEN OF The Search for the New Marie Curie

Beyonce once said, “Who run the world? Girls!” While this song has a great message, many would disagree. All around the world, women are faced with numerous hurdles in everyday life. Over 65 million girls are denied schooling opportunities around the world. In Yemeni court cases, women are only granted the ability to be half of a witness to a crime. In comparison, the U.S. is a paradise. However, in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs, the numbers are staggering. According to the US Census Bureau, women only make up 18.4% of engineering graduates, but that doesn’t stop many students from defying the status quo.

What is STEM? WHY DOES STEM MATTER?

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM careers include architecture, medicine, research and more.

As technology becomes more prominent many lower level careers are getting replaced by automation. This means that there will be a surge in computer related jobs in the next few decades. Jobs that once didn’t require a degree such as factory careers are being replaced with engineering jobs that build robots to assemble products. This means that the most feasible way to make a living is to stop raging against the machine and join a science career.

Why aren’t girls in STEM?

Referring to the Robotics team, an anonymous student (referred to as K.) said, “Being on the team is difficult. It’s like, guys are always making jokes that make me uncomfortable. They don’t try to deny opportunities or anything like that, but they’re always doing stuff for me. I’ll want to work on something, and someone will say that they’ll handle it, even though I can. I think it’s because they think I’m weaker or something.” There are mixed opinions on why girls aren’t entering STEM programs, and K’s derives from experience.

“People don’t expect girls to be good at science.” said K. She tells The Trojan that she still enjoys being on the team, she just wishes that the environment was more comfortable for her. She thinks that girls don’t enter STEM fields because boys don’t treat them like they should.

“It’s [the STEM field] very male dominated right now, and that can be somewhat intimidating. Nobody really wants to talk about women’s rights and other stuff. It’s just not expected.” said sophomore Debra Holliman.

Unlike K, she believes that girls don’t enter masculine fields because they’re not expected to, and don’t feel like it should be something they want.

“I also think a lot of the teachers don’t focus on telling everyone to do it, they tend to ask boys to help them lift things and stuff instead of asking the girls. I don’t think they do it on purpose,” said Holliman.

Senior Grant Mertz agrees that girls don’t think they belong in STEM fields. He said, “Because they see it [STEM careers] as something that only guys would like.” However, Grant believes that girls should join the field.

“Yeah, if they want to, girls should join STEM jobs.” said Mertz.

WHO’S CHANGING THAT?

There are girls all over Park Hill with aspirations in the STEM field. Many of them are beginning their careers by taking science and math classes. The school has an incredible amount of females who believe in science and want to pursue a career in it.

Sophomore Josie Larson is taking many advanced placement (AP) science classes. Currently, she is in AP Chemistry. “It’s something for a career I want to pursue. I want to enter a medical program. It’s an interest I have and I feel like it’s my strong suit at school,” said Larson.

“My [Biology 2] class is only like 19 people, but it’s mostly girls anyway. I think Park Hill wants to make sure that girls actually do take science classes, but I think it makes up a small amount of what they look for. I think they look at academic talent above all,” said Sophomore Jessica Hill. She is a 10th grade student taking numerous high level STEM classes.

WHO RUN THE WORLD?

Girls at Park Hill are working hard to destroy the status quo and pursue STEM careers. Maybe someday soon, women will be running the world after all. Maybe science fields are dominated by men right now, but women will keep pursuing.

“I feel like in any field the experts should represent the people that it benefits and all people benefit from science, technology, engineering, and math. From medical careers to how things work and the way that we travel, and to all of that, so the more diverse the people who run that field are then it better reflects the people who need the products of that field,” said science teacher Jennifer Damti.

THE WORLD by: Alex Kalisz

All around the world, women face numerous hurdles in everyday life. From Saudi Afrabia to Mexico, women everywhere are fighting against injustice.

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia’s government admits that women aren’t legally able to enter swimming pools, try on clothes while shopping, or according to Human Right’s Watch, make any major economic descisions for themselves.

Turkey

According to a recent government census, women are five times more likely to be illeterate in Turkey than men.

MEXICO

According to the UN, at least 44% of women in Mexico have been victims of some sort of sexual crime.

SOUTH AFRICA According to a recent government poll, 1 in 5 women experience domestic violence in South Africa.

Taiwan

In Taiwan, according to their government, only half of married women participate in their labor force.

FEATURE 9

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“The homecoming king sort of happened serendipitously so there wasn’t any process that the senior class had gone through to decide they were going to have a Homecoming King a few years ago.”

- Dr. Brad Kincheloe

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Controversy and confusion revolved around Homecoming this year. There was no king! Rumors spread saying that having a king violated Title IX, a law that says workplaces can’t discriminate based on gender. These accusations couldn’t have been more false, and Title IX wasn’t applicable to the situation. The issue was all about representation in the school.

The idea of Homecoming and a Homecoming Court originated in our own state. In 1911, the University of Missouri-Columbia, held their annual football game and invited all of the alumni to “come home,” hence the name. This stuck and over time, schools all across the country adopted it.

Fast forward a century, the problem at Park Hill came because of the male-heavy skew in school representation. The senior class holds Homecoming and student council holds Mr. Park Hill. Because they are two separate entities, the thought on how the two events would pair never crossed the sponsors’ minds. Having both genders be on the homecoming court, but then only hosting a male school pageant gave boys the upper hand.

The school thought this was unacceptable and made the decision to not have a Homecoming King this year.

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The Hill

By: Derek Dillard

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10 Campus

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This was the original way the events worked from the first Mr. Park Hill in 1989, up to a couple years ago, when the first Homecoming King was introduced by that year’s senior class.

Some think that there could have been other fixes implemented.

“I guess I would rather have us have a homecoming king rather than Mr. Park Hill,” said senior Emily Jones. “I don’t think we should have a Mr. Park Hill, but let that be inclusive to both genders, like a hero of Park Hill.”

Others are less opinionated.

“I could care less about the decision made.

I would be content with either decision. Whether that be no Homecoming King, like it is now, or having a Homecoming King but no Mr. Park Hill,” said senior Sutton Bassett.

All though there are mixed opinions, the majority of students are happy or at least indifferent with the decision made this year. The gender representation in the school has yet again been rebalanced.

11 Community

Shame By: Madison Roberts Mental Health: a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. By definition one’s mental state seems an easy enough concept to understand. On the contrary, no one can truly understand what is going on in the mind of an individual.

When mental health is addressed in public schools, students seem to go to assemblies and listen like clockwork, yet what most don’t realize is the person across from you in Chemistry or the one who sits beside you at lunch, is struggling with their mental health on a day-today basis.

A student who wishes to remain anonymous was diagnosed with Depression in 7th grade and said she continues to struggle with it on a regular basis. To better understand those that struggle with mental health, it’s best to learn what life is like in their shoes.

“I feel like everyone is staring at me, judging me. It just brings me down a lot,” and, “You don’t see it in everyone,” she said.

When it comes to coping mechanisms she said, “I just try to ignore it, honestly, I used to cut really bad, but I don’t anymore”.

The student has gone through counseling, but believes that, “they [the counselor] would only focus on the negative, like when I last cutted or what I did that day. I wanted to talk about the ups in my life,” and “I almost feel

like the counselors need to look for the positives in people instead of the negatives.”

It’s important students know that they are not alone; teachers and administrators have endured and still endure the same situations English teacher Victor Abundus was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Depression just six years ago, but has been, “going through it since high school,” he said.

As a high school teacher, he

encourages students to find comfort in sharing their story and not feel ashamed.

“With high schoolers, there sometimes is a big shaming factor. It even happens to adults. You feel so ashamed, but it’s not like if you broke a finger, twisted your ankle, or even had the flu, and you’d see the doctor,” he said, “these are internal problems and there’s a shaming mechanism there.”

Abundus makes a point that, “It’s ok to tell your story; there’s no shame

in letting people know you need help. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness.”

These stories are not taken lightly in comparison to the previous years of Abundus’s teaching career, “Park Hill is doing a really good job, and we’ve adopted some new proto calls.”

Abundus is part of the Mental Health Crisis Team. This is a district-wide team that provides any type of service to a struggling student.

“So far, as of the last count, we had 28 students who have gone through our suicide proto calls. We’re actually doing a great job talking to students about their issues and getting the help they need,” and “fortunately that’s 28 kids who could have potentially gone down that path of suicide, but they didn’t because we stepped in and helped.”

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in teenagers.

Instead of ignoring the statistic and tuning out the talks, start with a simple “hello” or “how are you?” to the kid across from you in Chemistry or the one that sits with you at lunch.

SPEAK UP

&

REACH OUT National Suicide Prevention LifeLine 1-800-273-TALK www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

12 Campus

Dare to be Diverse By: Anna Turnbull be a major obstacle to overcome. The students stereotyped feel they The way people of different ethnicities are treated has a strong have to work harder to be able to counter those false statements. correlation to the way they live their everyday lives. People of many “I think that people need to realize that every single person looks races suffer discrimination every day, whether it be in their classroom, workspace, home or public place; however, Park Hill is determined to different, even people from the same ethnicity. We should never assume, or judge who people are, based on how they look. Every person is remove “classroom” from the list.

“I feel like I belong there [Park Hill] and it’s really diverse. The school different and while ethnicity can affect who you are, you are not only your ethnicity,” said sophomore Sydney Nolte who is both Asian and has different people from different countries with different cultures and because of that it felt like home to me,” said junior Ruth Tsegaye who is Muslim. “Though it is important to be proud of who you are and where your family comes from, that should never be a factor in how you are of Ethopian descent. “I love the fact that I get to experience and know people from a different background. Teachers are always trying to find a treated.”

Nolte said, “ I am proud of my ethnicity and how it is a part of who better way to help students that are from a different country.”

I am. I am proud to say I am a dark skinned, fluffy-haired Asian, and no one can tell me otherwise. I just have to remember that,” she continued, “Stereotypes that bother me are that Asians don’t have to work hard in school, that they always get A’s, and all Muslims are terrorists. Those are just a few.”

Conner Sauder, a Micronesian, wants people to know that “not all Micronesians do drugs.”

“Sometimes people label you just by looking at your outside appearance and you have to work harder and smarter to pass those stereotypes,” said Tsegaye.

What can Park Hill do to become more culturally aware? Students think there needs to be more international days where everyone can learn about culture while having fun, culture projects in history classes and overall more curiosity about different races.

Nolte said, “I know that when someone is genuinely interested in my in my mom’s culture, which is my own, and it makes me feel accepted.”

As Park Hill increases to fit into an ever-diversifying world, the different culture we share become what makes a Trojan a Trojan.

Though students succeed through the support of their peers, teachers and staff, it is important to consider that everyone has a different definition of diversity.

Tsegaye defined it as being in a society with different ethnicities, cultures, genders, or other backgrounds.

Senior Jessica Tillman, who is Black, said it is all about “meeting new people and being able to interact with them.”

Diversity is simply meeting someone new and respecting them no matter their color, religion, culture, or sex.

Sophomore Adrian Ampon said, “Diversity is a way of expressing one’s personality and culture. Diversity exists in all people, even of those of the same race.”

The biggest difficulty for many races is stereotypes placed on them.

Countless people look at their outside appearance; it can

13 Human of Park Hill

HUMAN oF PARK HILL

By: Chandeh Doe

Kristel Vega After the sudden death of both of her parents, 15 year old Kristel Vega packed her bags and moved over 1,000 miles away from her home of Chihuahua, Mexico and landed in Kansas City, MO. When Vega came to the U.S., she spoke almost no English whatsoever, but through a lot of time dedicated to reading books and some help of the ELL (English Language Learner) program, Vega has come full circle and is now able to call English her second language.

Upon arrival Vega and her younger brother were taken in by their distant older sister who had come to America to pursue her dental career. The only interaction they had with their sister in the past seven years some two-minute phone calls here and there, so it was an odd time in their lives having to adjust to their new life in their new home and a completely new country.

“It was mainly weird because we have very different personalities and we weren’t very close at the time either. But she’s definitely a person I admire and I try to follow in her footsteps,” said Vega.

Vega arrived at Park Hill in the middle of what she expected was going to be her sophomore year but little did she know she was going to lose all of her credits and have to start over as a freshman.

“It was not a great feeling at all. You could tell that I was different than everybody else, and that’s how everyone identified

me: different,” said Vega.

Even as she struggled to adjust to her new environment and relive her freshman year without a support system and in an unfamiliar place, Vega still tried to keep a positive attitude considering the circumstances.

“I was pretty sad but it was good on one side since I had more time to actually work on my English before I go to college.” said Vega.

Though Vega taught herself the majority of the English she knows today, being put in ELL provided her with a sense of comfort; it made her feel at home in some ways.

“ELL helped me to not feel like I was on my own. It helped me realize there’s more people like me, and it made me feel like I was a part of something. It also helped me to understand and analyze the proper way to speak English,” said Vega.

Now, nearly halfway through her senior year, Vega is a friendly face in the hallway saying hi to just about everyone she sees. She’s developed so many strong relationships with her classmates and teachers. She has overcome so much in just a short span of three years and hopes to follow in her sister’s footsteps and pursue a career in Dentistry when she graduates in May.

14 Interactive

Trivia!

1. What is a Pumpkin?

A.) Veggie B.) Fruit C.) Plant

Tid Bits

By: Kamryn O’Dell

Simple Thanksgiving treat how-to video

GOT MEMES?

2. From the base to the point, what is the order of color on a candy corn?

A.) yellow, orange, white B.) orange, white yellow C.) red, orange, white D.) white, orange, yellow 3. What were the first jack-o-lanterns made out of?

A.) Pumpkins B.) Canalops C.) Turnips 4. How many newspaper staff members are there?

A.) 6 students B.) 18 students C.) 11 students D.) 9 students See answers on page 15

Pet of the Month

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Trojans around the Hill -1 Trojan head per person!

-5 Trojan heads are hidden!

-Report to Ms. Carnes in R350 no earlier than 2:40 with the Trojan head to recieve a prize!

Clues: 1. Door #24 2. The OLD PHHS main office 3. Door #1 4. Auditorium seat T5 5. Door #5

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PUBLICATION SOCIAL MEDIA @ph_publications Instagram and Twitter Have a funny meme? A popular tweet? A cute pet, hilarious joke, or a challenging trivia question? Direct message us to have it featured in the next issue.

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Resources and Activities

15 Resources

What Park Hill has tO Offer

Health What is an AED?

AED stands for automated external defibrillator. It is used when a person’s heart goes into cardiac arrest.

We have three in this school!

They are located: 1.) 300s Hall 2.) By the Auditorium 3.) Cafeteria

Computer Problems?

See technology in room 511

Park Hill District Clothing Center Shopping Date 8009 N. Atkins, KCMO 64153

November 7 November 21 December 5 December 19

FAFSA FRENZY

10 a.m.-noon; 5-7 p.m.

Senior Parents:

Get free help with your FAFSA!

10 a.m.-noon 10 a.m.-noon; 5-7 p.m.

Tuesday, November 14 PArk Hill South HS 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

10 a.m.-noon

Sign up for help from an A+ student during homeroom or Trojan tutoring. https://tinyurl.com/ycxctl23

Bring ypur FSA ID, and your 2016 Tax Return Information, and we'll have experts available to help YOU file your FAFSA

Thanksgiving Break

Miles Of Smiles A portable dentist office will be at PHHS April 10- May 7 This service needs to be approved through an application process.

Nov. 22 - Nov. 24

November 16 - Thanksgiving Lunch

Mr. Wissman and senior Peyton Stremmel working on a lab. Photo by Abby Hostick.

Reach out to the school social worker, Torre Tipton, for more information.

Email: tiptont@parkhill.k12.mo.us Cell: 816-359-5884

SCHOOL TRIVIA ANSWERS: 1.) B- fruit 2.) A- yellow, orange, red 3.) C- turnips 4.) C- 11

2017 Mr. Park Hill Candidates

College Attire Tuesday November 14

Studnets and teachers wear college attire to show support for your favorite university.

Park Hill High School Library Dr. Dana Kepler, Librarian Ms. Marlene Reuter, Library Assistant

Accepting non-perishable food and hygiene items through December in exchange for library fines! Donations will benefit local families! *Exclusions may apply

Start reading now for your chance to win Sonic gift cards and other cool prizes!

Ad funded by a Ruth Toor Grant for Strong School Libraries and ALA.