The wildcat march

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March 29, 2018

Volume 47, Issue 7

STUDENTS REACT TO SCHOOL SHOOTING

Student-produced news for Warsaw High School

20363 Lane of Champions, PO Box 248, Warsaw, MO 65355

District board approves move to four-day week by

Brenna Smith

photo editor/writer

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fter months of great consideration and a lot of questioning, the school board voted on the decision to move to a four day school week for the 20182019 school year. The school board meeting was held on March 22 with several staff members present to hear the final vote. The final decision, Yes. The board dedicated the district to the four-day schedule for at least three years in a 5-1-1 vote with board member Brandy Fajen abstaining due to a conflict of interest and Amie Breshears voting against the measure.

Now that the four day week is final, students are looking forward to the change.

Sophomore Arianna Johnson is a fan of the four day week and what it will mean for class time.

“I think the four day week is beneficial for homework purposes, we always get overloaded during the week, and never

get enough time in class,” Johnson said.

Teachers, as well as students, are hoping that the longer class time will help the students to get more done. Teachers and staff members were overwhelmingly in favor of the school week change, according to a survey taken by the central office.

Next school year, students and staff will have Mondays off and school will start at 8 a.m. and end at 3:31 for high school and middle school students. The high school and middle school classes will be lengthened by 12 minutes, taking the 45-minute classes to 57 minutes each and removing the academic lab/ advisory period.

“It’ll be alright, you’ll be here longer, learn more, and hopefully get more done,” biology teacher David See said.

Before the vote was final, Superintendent Dr. Shawn Poyser prepared a parent forum for community members and parents to get more information on the upcoming change. Poyser arranged and planned in advance on how to best

inform the town.

Poyser also invited three Warsaw staff members and school board members and administrators from other districts who have made this change, to speak to the community. Poyser said he researched the 4-day school structure for 18 months.

“I also took every question off of the district emails and tried my best to answer each one throughout the presentation,” Poyser said The guest speakers at the parent forum on March 8 were leaders in districts that have made the move to the fourday week. They included Dr. Shannon Snow, the current superintendent at Stockton, Mr. Bill Crabtree, retired middle school principal at Stockton and current Stockton school board president, and Larry Walters, Maries County board vice president.

The forum covered issues such as child care, food packs, make up days, and student attendance. The district is hoping the four day week will aid the

problem of students not showing up to school. The district is trying to increase the low 83 percent attendance rate (83 percent of students attend 90 percent of the time) and help attract and retain quality educators. Snow reported that Stockton improved attendance after their move to a four-day schedule.

Fifth-grade teacher Crystal Boyd, middle school English teacher Ty Payne and North/Ruth Mercer principal Beth Love spoke in favor of the change.

“I would never support it if I felt it would hurt kids,” Love said.

Junior Kamryn Yach attended the forum with her parents and thought that it was very informative for the attendees.

“I thought it was very informational.

It was good to hear speakers who already have four day school weeks in their districts,” said Yach.

After the forum, Poyser gave out a survey for those who wanted to take it about what they thought of the four day week after given information. Sixty seven community members filled out

the survey; the result concluded with 57 for the four-day week, and 10 against.

School board member Dr. Amie Breshears was still weighing the odds on the best decision for Warsaw after the forum.

“I am not yet fully comfortable with a four-day week schedule for our district. While there appear to be potential benefits, there will also be costs. I am truly glad for the families, children, and employees for whom it will be positive, but I am concerned about the families, children, and employees for whom it will be negative,” Breshears said.

With the district confident in the move to the four day week, several school board members are ready for the change.

“It is my opinion that this course of action, at this point in time, will help the district move forward with academic achievement and teacher retention,” school board member Drew Burdick said.

Students dance in the ‘Sea of Love’ at annual Echoes Ball

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he Ozark Echoes yearbook staff hosted the Echoes Ball on Saturday, March 10. The night featured the coronation of royalty, prince junior Chance Thirstrup, junior princess Autumn Long, king senior Logan Neth and queen senior Zoe Eledge.

Junior Jacob Luebbert and sophomore Kiersten Grobe dance in a conga line. The Echoes Ball was the only semiformal dance for the year. Photo submitted

Senior king and queen Logan Neth and Zoe Eledge and junior prince and princess, Chance Thirstrup and Autumn Long celebrate in the spotlight as Echoes Ball royalty. Graduates Makayla Mais and Wesley Carr, with the help of flower girl Addison Young and crown bearer Connor Roberts, awarded the royalty. Photo submitted Left: Freshman Damen Barnett and sophomore Jillian Botteron participate in a slow dance. The theme for the Echoes Ball was “Sea of Love.” Photo by PetralieJo Wurtz.

2018 Benton County Enterprise Company, Inc. Warsaw, Missouri

Sports

March 29, 2018

thewildcatonline.com

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Coaches, athletes see need for new track Brown places 17th in state for archery by

by

Drew Dawson

Kylee Creach

web editor/writer

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or many years, Warsaw has had the same track that doesn’t meet the qualifications of MHSAA standards and is in very rough condition. Having a new track would bring many new opportunities to Warsaw High.

“It would allow us as athletes to run the correct length instead of running on the football field.

It would also allow us to understand how to properly use blocks and stance. This has been a huge issue when we go to meets because we don’t have the track to practice. It’s a huge disadvantage to us runners in all of these aspects,” senior hurdler Hannah Chapman said.

The downfall of getting a new track is the cost and work that would have to be done. According to head track coach Cody Morgan a new track would roughly cost $200,000 $300,000.

“Currently, it is not in the budget, but it is something that you develop a long-term plan for,” athletic director Ryan Boyer said.

“The contractor would have to

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The current track situation for athletes stretches along the football field. There are cracks, faded paint and to few lanes. Photo by Drew Dawson

lay a new surface of asphalt on the existing track, coat that with a rubber synthetic material (allweather track material), measure out an mark lanes, starting lines, exchange zone, and finish lines. Long jump, triple jump, and high jump runways and surface would also be re-done using the same synthetic rubber material,” Morgan said.

A new track wouldn’t just benefit the track team, it would be a benefit for all sports in and out of season.

“It would impact all of our student athletes in a positive way.

Having a proper training surface is essential for improving our athletes,” Boyer said.

Having a new running space for all athletes would bring a great change.

“I would cry in joy if future students could have something good to run on. For six years I prayed our school would take initiative like they did for the football field to allow runners to have legit experience through a real track,” Chapman said.

“It would have a tremendous effect on athletes. By not having a track, it decreases the number of athletes. I have seen in other districts who had a crappy track or none at all (change) to having superb facilities and it turns a small team into a large team,” track coach Ehren Banfield said.

staff writer

rchery is an activity that borders on hunt and game.

No matter the target, archers have shown their advanced marksmanship through the various tournaments they have attended.

Archery’s last match was on March 1. The match ended with various great scores and freshman Bradley Brown qualifying for state with a 294.

Brown scored a 288 at state, finishing 17th overall and third in the ninth grade boys category.

Coach Jackie Downing said she was proud of all of her archers. They worked hard and some of them were new to the sport.

“I enjoy coaching archery because it’s fairly new and kids get excited about it, especially the kids that have never shot a bow before,” Downing said.

“It makes me proud when they focus at practice and see the results.”

Since archers aren’t on a team together, each individual person gets to advance by their own scores.

“It’s a sport where you can’t mess anybody else up, and other

Freshman Bradley Brown walks the hallways in honor of making it to state Archery. Photo by Kylee Creach.

people can’t mess you up when you’re trying to shoot,” junior Caitlin Dudenhoeffer said. “If you make it to state, it’s just you, not a team.”

Dudenhoeffer also expressed her emotions knowing she only has one year left to shoot. This year was her second year as a Wildcat archer.

“Knowing I only have a year left it kind of makes me sad and makes me want to do better,” Dudenhoeffer said.

Not advancing to state can be disappointing for archers.

“It’s a bummer I didn’t get to state,” sophomore Trevor Thoele said. “I’ve been doing it since fifth grade and I want to keep up with it and get better. I want to try to get into better tournaments that aren’t school sanctioned.”

Personal goals are also important for archers.

“This season I did terrible. It may have been my worst season, my average was 250 or less,” Thoele said. What constitutes a good score?

“I think I did pretty good.

Each year I keep getting better,” Dudenhoeffer said. What was her average?

Sophomore Aubri Umlauf has experienced a level of nervousness, since this is her first year as a Wildcat archer.

“It was my first year. The competitions made me nervous because I was shooting with someone I didn’t know. I’m kind of sad it’s over, it was really fun.

You get to go interact with people from other schools,” Umlauf said. “I joined to get my brother into something.”

Small golf team starts season with new coach by

Brenna Smith

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photo editor/writer

espite a small team of eight players, Wildcat golfers are hitting the course to see improvements this season.

Junior Ethan Schomburg has been playing golf for two years, and fills one of the varsity spots this season. As a junior, Schomburg has high goals this year, hoping to go far and prepare for his final year to come.

“My goal for the season is to get my scores down far enough to where I can make sectionals and maybe even state,” Schomburg said.

Schomburg is not the only player who is hoping to go far this year. Senior Rayne Faulconer will be playing golf for his third year. Faulconer will also fills a spot on varsity, hoping to

play his best season yet.

“Well, I hope it ends well. My game has improved a lot from last year and I hope to make it to sectionals,” Faulconer said.

With few players, the golf team is working hard during practices to make sure that everyone benefits the team during matches.

“We hit at the driving range for about an hour and then we go chip and putt at the putting green to practice and get our putting down,” Schomburg said.

New head coach Kyle Stoecklein is filling the position of golf coach this season.

“I have played golf my whole life; my family likes to go and play together throughout the summer. It is just one of the things we all enjoy doing together. Unfortunately, I never

“I have played golf my whole life; my family likes to go and play together throughout the summer.

It is just one of the things we all enjoy doing together.”

-Head coach Kyle Stoecklein

played in high school. I liked to just focus on getting ready for football in the spring and I liked to just play for fun rather than playing to compete,” Stoecklein said.

As a new coach, his goal for the season is to help the new members grow as players.

“We have focused on learning the rules and the mechanics of the game. We have a lot of new members and this is their first year playing, so we have spent a lot of time at the range

just practicing making contact,” Stoecklein said.

With golf being a quiet sport, players focus on the positive aspect of game.

“Golf is there for me to be able to get my mind off the world and just go out and relax. It isn’t a physically taxing sport and I enjoy the fact that it can get my mind off of the things stressing me in life and just go out and play. That is why golf is so enjoyable and I continue to play,” Schomburg said.

Everyone is looking forward to the upcoming season, with plenty of competition ahead.

“I am excited to learn about how the game is played at the high school level. I am ready for the competitions and seeing how our team stands up against everyone else,” Stoecklein said.

Junior Ethan Schomburg practices his swing at his match in Clinton. This is Schomburg’s third year in golf. Photo by Kylee Creach.

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Opinion 3 Lifein Hawking inspires others through life, challenges

thewildcatonline.com

March 29, 2018

Staff Editorial

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Today’s generation to face consequences of apathy

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oday’s generation seems to be changing when it comes to how much students care about school and grades. In today’s world, more and more students do not care when they get an F. They will blow it off or they will think it’s cool to get that kind of grade.

Some students don’t care simply because they are lazy and don’t want to do the work that it takes to make the grade. Parents are not putting it in their heads that grades matter. Some simply don’t seem to value education as a means to a brighter and more successful future.

To accommodate this lazy mentality, students poke fun by making up sayings that normalize bad academic morale. Examples include, “D is for Diploma,” and “C’s get degrees.”

Even though the sayings are true, students should not be aiming to get the lowest scores for the bare minimum results. A high school diploma and low-level degrees will not aid in capturing a great job.

According to an Education Post article, there are many reasons why students don’t care anymore.

One reason is that students don’t find a purpose to learn certain things. Some people find no purpose to learn certain things because they don’t think they will ever use it after high school or college. Students would rather focus on the stuff that they might actually use in their life after school.

Yes, you can get by with the bare minimum. However, the work you put in reflects the profit you will receive. By ignoring the opportunity to improve your grades, you are ignoring the chance of achieving a greater outcome from your high school career.

The school system attempts to encourage passing grades by requiring a certain level of academic standard. Playing sports requires no more than one failing grade. School organizations that take trips during the school day require no failing grades.

However, these incentives are not enough to entice some students to care.

Grades may not be the most important things to certain students, but caring about education, in general should be. Having pride in your work and doing it well (no matter what the subject-matter) is essential to becoming a thriving and successful adult. In addition, if you do plan to go to a good college, you need to pay attention to your grades to gain acceptance.

The consequences of this apathy now, can follow you into your future -- college, career, etc. Start caring now so you are prepared for your future.

ildcat

The Wildcat, the official student newspaper of Warsaw High School, has been established as a forum for student expression as well as a source for student news and opinion. The Wildcat is published as part of the Benton County Enterprise monthly at a cost of 75 cents per copy. The content is also available online at thewildcatonline.com.

Letters to the editor are welcome, however all letters must be signed and are subject to editing.

Write to: The Wildcat, Warsaw High School PO Box 248 Warsaw, MO 65355

or e-mail Adviser Amanda Adler aadler@warsawk12.org

Editor-in-Chief Ally Estes Photo/News Editor Brenna Smith Web/Features Editor Drew Dawson Sports Editor Tyler Simons Writers/Photographers Rheanna Coke Kylee Creach Bonnie Davis Electa Good Brandon Herring Adrian Marlin Rebecca Petesch Joshua Simpson Madison Rozzel Brooke Spry Samantha Townley Misty Wingender PetralieJo Wurtz Adviser Amanda Adler

Quotes

by

Brenna Smith

photo editor/writer

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at,” - Stephen Hawking

Before the

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Buzzer

by

Tyler Simons

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sports editor

teroids and other PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) have had a major impact on sports, especially in recent memory.

When steroids and PEDs in athletics are mentioned, former MLB stars Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds come to mind.

In baseball, the late ‘80’s through the late 2000’s is often referred to as the “Steroid Era.” During this time, steroids were becoming the norm in professional baseball, and it showed in the games.

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tephen Hawking, a theoretical scientist, died on March 14 at the age of 76. At a young age, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, and lived past his expected life span by a half century. Many people today are inspired by Hawking’s work and generally how smart and accomplished he was with a disability such as his. Many of my friends were not die hard Hawking fans, but, of course, we all knew of the incredible genius. When hearing of his death, friends and people I knew were shocked, as if we expected him to live forever. His talents helped the world discover amazing things, and his gifts will definitely further grow the future.

It’s often wondered why people admire others, especially a scientist such as Hawking. I believe that if it weren’t for his disability, he wouldn’t have lived his life nearly as recognized as he was. It wasn’t just his inge-

nuity that inspired the nation; it was him overcoming the odds.

I feel that people are always searching for something or someone to inspire them. We all search for a light in the darkness, and often have trouble finding it.

Someone such as Hawking was inspiring to so many, not just by his thoughts, but by how he went on with life, even when he struggled with his crippling illness.

Many of us find it hard to be inspired by what’s inside of us, which is why we often look to someone else for comfort. We should be inspired by ourselves, and what makes us, us. We need to be inspired and encouraged by everything around us, and learn to keep going no matter how hard our life may be.

Stephen Hawking was inspiring just for simply not giving up, and for accomplishing so much even when the world was against him. To look within ourselves even when things are not

going our way and to see a way around the situation -- the bigger picture -- is a gift we all hope to have.

Hawking lived an amazing life by looking up at the stars and knowing that he could go further. We should look at his life and be inspired by him to do the same.

Brenna Smith is a Junior this year, continuing her writing career as a member of The Wildcat for her third year. This is her first year serving as the Photography Editor. She is currently involved in pep club, English club, science club, Journalism, band, pep band, color guard, Quill and Scroll, and A+ tutoring. Her hobbies include spending time with her family and friends, writing and exploring.

After high school her plans are to attend University of Missouri to study journalism in hopes of eventually becoming a travel writer.

Steroids incite thrill but reduce work ethic in sports According to ESPN, only three players had ever hit 50 home runs in a season between 1961 and 1994. In the late ‘90’s alone, several batters were hitting that mark and higher. In 1997 alone, both Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey Jr. came close to breaking the home run in one season record, being 61, and 13 different players hit over 40 home runs. McGwire hit 58, six more than he hit the season before, beating out Griffey Jr. by just two runs.

This era hurt the sport and the public image of Major League Baseball, with drug testing becoming a top priority and several players being found guilty of using PEDs. It took away some sense of reality and achievement with each home-run hitter being doubted of putting in the hard work to bat with such power.

Although the sport’s image has been tainted by this era, it was one of the most exciting times the sport has ever seen. These “superhuman” type athletes would set entire stadiums in pandemonium with each home run, and the suspense between

pitcher and batter was otherworldly. The entertainment factor of baseball was at an all-time high, drawing in fans by the millions. Not only did batting become more intense, but these sluggers forced pitching during this time to improve in order to compete with the increasingly stronger hitting.

From an entertainment perspective, it would make sense if certain PEDs or supplements were allowed. The point of professional sports is to compete on the highest stage possible, with the greatest performers on the planet, a glimpse of this being shown during the “Steroid Era.” On the other hand, an athlete’s quality of life shouldn’t be diminished because of their competitive drive. PED’s can have life-altering effects on those who use them, according to Drugabuse.com, such as intense weight loss, unhealthy amounts of muscle gain, heart problems, extreme fatigue, trouble sleeping, and extreme mood swings commonly referred to as “roid rage,” which can blind judgement and have major conse-

quences.

When the MLB started testing for these banned substances in 2003 they weren’t just looking out for their own image, but also the lives of the players. It’s more satisfying, thrilling, and genuine to see home runs hit by those who put in constant work to be the best than seeing one batter after another hitting pitches out of the park. Steroids take away the emphasis on work ethic, one of the most important learning points that athletes have to offer.

Tyler Simons is a senior, and this year is his first with The Wildcat news staff. The son of Shane Simons and Emmi Smith, Tyler is involved in varsity basketball as well as FBLA. During his free time, Tyler enjoys following the NBA, spending time with friends and family, playing video games, writing, and playing basketball.

Currently working for the Benton County Enterprise, Tyler hopes to attend the University of Missouri to major in journalism, and one day have a successful career as a sports journalist/ commentator.

thewildcatonline.com

March 29, 2018

by

Becky Petesch

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staff writer

here have been eight school shootings in the United States so far in the year 2018.

Since all of the shootings, students have felt a lot of different emotions.

“It’s really sad that we have to think about that happening in our world and I think it’s kind of scary because were at school and you never know what could happen,” senior Ashton Adams said.

“It’s sad honestly to think these kids are actually dead and that some students make joke about it, but the reality is it can happen anytime anywhere,” freshman Joe Montez said.

Senior Cody Wilson said he thinks it’s crazy that there has been so many this year already.

According to Education Week’s school shootings tracker web page, “School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where,” there have been nine school shootings in total, all of which have included injuries or death.

Education Week also provides a map on there site that shows where each one has taken place.

School shootings have taken place in Los Angeles, California, Italy, Texas, Benton, Kentucky, Oxon Hill, Maryland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Parkland, Florida, Birmingham, Alabama, Seaside, California and Great Mills, Maryland.

The largest one so far involving injuries and deaths, was the shooting in Parkland. It included 32 victims; 17 of which were killed and 15 left injured.

As a result of these shootings, schools nationwide are increasing their security detail in order

to better protect students. Many precautions have already been set in place at Warsaw High.

“We practice evacuation drills, we train our staff and we try and track down any online or gossip threats we hear about,” principal Randy Luebbert said.

While most students interviewed said they feel safe at school, they also realized that such an incident could happen anywhere. Many students cited having a school resource officer on campus (added just this school year) as giving them a stronger sense of security.

The high school has also restricted high school students to one single point of entry, making it easier to monitor students as they arrive and leave the school, according to resource officer David Fajen.

Some students believe that more could be done amongst the student body themselves.

“It all starts with us just talking to each other and making sure everybody’s alright and okay whenever their at school and not at school,” senior Cody Wilson said.

“To prevent school shootings, Warsaw should share positivity and try to make everyone feel like they fit in,” sophomore Autumn Bauer said.

Some students actually believe that the school hosts a reasonable amount of physical security measures, and that Warsaw, specifically, shouldn’t require more because of its small size.

“I think Warsaw, being a decently small school, has enough security,” Bauer said. “The school isn’t very large, so I feel like the precautions we are tak-

“To prevent school shootings, Warsaw should share positivity and try to make everyone feel like they fit in.”

-Freshman Autumn Bauer

ing and our one resource officer is enough.”

On the other hand, Luebbert believes there are still more precautions the high school needs to take, such as replacing a lot of doors and windows and securing a few places that are security concerns.

Most students know that a school shooting can happen anywhere, but they feel safe enough that they don’t believe it will happen at Warsaw.

“I don’t necessarily feel less safe because we have a resource officer and like people are watching us and making sure were okay, but that doesn’t mean something couldn’t happen,” senior Ashton Adams said.

Popular news outlets and social media profiles push at the fact that the number of shootings should be doubled. The truth, however, is that a reported eighteen school shootings is only an exaggerated number.

Some news sites, such as CNN, say there has been 17 because some are counting shootings that were like accidents.

Famous news outlets such as

NBC News and Huffpost have discussed gun control controversies as a result of these 17-18 school shootings. However, their definition of a school shooting is very flexible. In fact, some cases don’t even involve students or injury of any kind.

“I think that a school shooting is when a kid that was or is bullied, murders kids at a school,” freshman P.J. Landsberg said.

Investors Business Daily wrote an article over this dilemma called “No, There Haven’t Been 18 School Shootings This Year- Not Even Close.” In it, they discussed an incident at Greyson College when a student discharged a weapon in a criminal justice center during class.

Despite the class having been supervised by a police officer, it was still formally labeled as a school shooting by Everytown for Gun Safety.

Another incident occurred on Jan. 3, when a 31-year-old man parked outside of a Michigan elementary school called the local police to inform them he was armed and suicidal. Several hours later, he killed himself.

Despite the tragedy, one vital fact is missing from this story.

The Michigan school had been closed for seven months. There were no teachers or students on campus.

News outlets appear to pick on what information to present.

As a result, Warsaw High school students have differing accounts on national school shootings.

For example, sophomore Maddy Schockmann has heard about 18 shootings but sophomore Autumn Bauer has only heard of three.

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ildcat 4 Features Students reflect on school safety in reaction to deadly shootings

Senior Kyra Kleihauer releases one of the red balloons at the balloon release on March 14. Each red balloon had a name of a victim from the Parkland, Florida shooting. Photo by Becky Petesch.

Since all the recent shootings, students’ opinions on gun control has become more discussed.

“My opinion on gun control is that we need to take threats seriously and we need to make sure the government does their job and enforce the laws,” Landsberg said.

Since all the opinions of gun control have come out, many students across the United States decided to do walkouts against gun violence. Warsaw students held a balloon release for the victims of school shootings and the officers that had lost their lives in the line of duty.

Most of the walk-outs took place on March 14, one month after the shooting in Parkland, Florida. On that day during academic lab, students filled the courtyard for six minutes of silence and released 17 red balloons with each victim’s name

“I pray that it never happens, but certainly want to be prepared in the event that it does.”

-SRO David Fajen

from the Parkland shooting, a white balloon for all the school shootings that have happened and a blue balloon with the two names of the Clinton officers who died in the line of duty.

Most all students, faculty and staff can say they hope that a tragic event such as a school shooting will never happen at Warsaw.

“I pray that it never happens, but certainly we want to be prepared in the event that it does,” Fajen said.

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Features

thewildcatonline.com

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March 29, 2018

Students’ obsession with media causes health hazards by

Misty Wingender staff writer

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he telephone stood as a staple for progression in the year 1876, but now 2018 brings a new generation of social technology. Phones evolved into seemingly harmless metal devices serving to amuse children and adults alike. While it is undeniable that phones have several means in which they entertain the user, social media and addicting games have brought to life a discourse among modern society. While some argue that electronics can be used for entertainment, help or just to pass time, most adults and children can agree that the usage of phones has reached a nearly unhealthy standard.

“A majority of students rely on their phones to answer ques-

tions. That has become an addiction and now students don’t talk to each other,” art teacher Jennifer Greene said.

Greene’s evaluation goes in hand with a study hosted by Microsoft Corporation - an American multinational technology company - which implies that the constant use and reliance on technology has reduced the student’s average attention span.

The average human attention span was 12 seconds, while in just a decade it has been reduced to eight seconds. A majority of parents and matured teenagers have agreed that children and teenagers should spend a maximum of two hours a day on electronics. However, many kids are getting “up to 75 hours of media every week,” reported “Study Shows Kids Tethered to Technology” by ABC News. This 75

hours, according to the 2010 report, includes internet, TV, movies, video games and music.

“I spend about every hour on my phone,” sophomore Erin Stapleton said.

Staying on an electronic device can lead to problems in children and teens, students, however, need to have a clear mind at school to grow.

“Electronics destroy student’s attention spans by pulling our minds away on what’s going on around us, this is being said by someone who uses technology for about three to five hours each day,” sophomore Toni Turner said.

Being obsessed with electronics can cause many child development defects and can lead to an array of health problems by being in screen time. According to Psychology Today article, “Gray

Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages the Brain” by Victoria L. Dunckley M.D., screen time can mess up the brain structure and function, it mostly goes to the brain’s frontal lobe; which areas concerning with behavior, learning, personality, and voluntary movements. Many teenagers are unaware of these effects or don’t really care. They see it as part of their culture.

“I didn’t know there were any health defects of screen time,” junior Allison Thomas said.

“Because of being attached on my phone on a daily basis, I don’t want to change my phone habits.”

Students have many accesses to a variety of sites while on the web, unblocked or not. Schools now advancing to technology use have rules students must follow. However, even though

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Sophomores Samantha Townley and Bonnie Davis use their devices in order to complete their journalism assignments. Photo by Madi Rozzel.

students are restricted at school of screen time on their phones, it still counts on computers.

Students spending time on their phones at homes and at school has brought where being on a device is part of the natural cycle of the day, but it isn’t all teenage students, children to adults have all become accustomed to media

in everyday life.

Warsaw school tech director, Larry Ransdell, gives tips on how students could help themselves limit the addicting devices.

“The problem is that if you are on your phone too much, you don’t realize or you don’t want to get off your phone. You have to want to change your habits.

High school hero: Dayvon Bruce

Junior showcases responsibility, respect towards school by

PetralieJo Wurtz

staff writer

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unior Dayvon Bruce is about to finish his first year at Warsaw, but has grown to enjoy the town and has made positive contributions to the school.

“Nothing really changed when I moved here because I’m used to a small town, besides I went to a school with about a thousands students,” Bruce said.

Bruce feels a responsibility to make his community better and to lend a helping hand.

“When I see trash, I pick it up or when someone liter’s I pick it up and throw it away,” Bruce said.

Bruce is known among students for being friendly and a good friend.

“He always lets me know that he has my back, he talks to everyone and can connect with everyone he meets, and he always says hello to people and is a very well known person,” senior King Archer said.

He is a very kind, respectful and wellmannered person to his teachers, staff and his friends.

“He is very artistic, he is very respect-

ful, he does a lot of his work on time and it looks nice,” art teacher Jenny Greene said.

“He greets me whenever he sees me,” science and boys basketball coach Mason Dunnaway said. “He is respectful whenever I ask him to do something.”

“I think he is a very nice person and all people should be friends with him,” said freshmen Breanna Shaw. “He makes sure no one is mean. If someone is mean he takes up for anyone,” said Shaw.

“He is a pretty funny guy, and he gives great advice, he is pretty sweet and, outgoing,” said senior Alexys Farley.

“He is nice to everyone and is always a helping hand, helps keep everyone in a better mood when he’s around,” sophomore Jillian Botteron said.

Last May, Bruce moved to Warsaw with his father and stepmother from Kansas City.

“I miss the malls, food choices, things to do like Sky Zone or CBE college basketball experience. I miss my friends,” Bruce said.

Bruce said he enjoys the Warsaw community because it is a small town close to the lake.

Soon after moving here, he was introduced to his new high school, his classmates, and teachers.

“I simply accepted him into our group of friends as he was friends with King Archer,” senior Lee Newell said.

“I have been friends with Dayvon since seventh grade before he moved,” said Archer. “He is my best friend, so I just tried to show him around the school and help him meet people,” said Archer.

He had no problems making friends to help him get around school.

“He is a cool guy to be around and seems to always have an upbeat mood that makes you wanna be his friend,” junior Kolby Estes said.

When basketball season started he joined the team for a extracurricular activity.

Bruce enjoys hanging with his friends in the morning before the start of his school day.

“We play four square in the mornings to pass time before school starts, it is pretty fun” said Estes.

His favorite subjects are ecology and art.

“He is a nice kid, pleasant to be

Junior Dayvon Bruce works on drawing ideas for a new assignment after completing his Vans Off the Wall Project in Jennifer Greene’s drawing and painting class. “When he showed me his art work, his level of experience was way higher them my art two classes, and that’s why when he asked to join painting class I let him, which doesn’t happen especially mid year,” said Greene. Photo by PetralieJo Wurtz.

around. He has a good attitude, when I give him work he does it. He is hardworking and friendly,” said Dunnaway.

During the weekends on his free time, he enjoys to draw, listen to his music, think of his goals for his future, spend time with his family and friends, watch Netflix and other productive activities.

“We always watch movies or go swimming because we have always done that because our parents were friends and it caused us to hang out a lot,” Botteron said.

For his future dreams, he plans to go to college, travel the world, and own a business.

“I determined to own my business and travel around,” Bruce said.

News

March 29, 2018

thewildcatonline.com

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New board member assumes vacant position Big performances send speech team to state contest by

Ally Estes

M

editor-in-chief

ike Mais was chosen by the school board to fill in the remainder of a term left by resigned board member Denise Hinkle at a March 1 school board meeting.

Mais was chosen from five applicants for the position. Applicants included Amber Campbell, Tabitha Colbert, Rickie Caswell and Jeremiah Mosley.

Hinkle resigned at the January board meeting after serving two years of her term. The position will go up for election in April, 2019.

Mais has lived in Warsaw for almost 35 years. Mais is currently employed as a Market Fresh Operations Manager for WalMart, where he oversees 34 stores. Mais has nine years of experience on the board.

“Being on the board prior, I have the understandings of the functionality of a board and the district,” Mais said. “A school board member must be able to look at all issues that arise with an open mind, then make the best decision with the information available.”

The process for filling a va-

cant position works according to board policy BBE-1. There is a notification process, a review/ interview process, a selection process, swearing in and notification of legal responsibilities. School board president and MSBA delegate Tracey Spry has held her position on the board for two terms and believes that Mais is best suited for this position because of his experience on the board and his involvement in the community.

“I personally think a board member should have integrity, honesty and good moral values. They have to want what is best for the school district. They should also have a connection to the school and the community that they plan to represent,” Spry said.

Mais hopes he can use this position to make improvements in the district by lifting attendance rates and test scores. He considers the four-day week a possible solution to the attendance aspect of this issue.

“The 4-day week sounds like it would help attendance of the students. It would also reduce the number of subs needed as well,” Mais said.

by

Adrian Marlin

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School Board Member Mike Mais

Superintendent Shawn Poyser believes Mais will make a promising board member. He said a board member should be open-minded, a team player, a good listener, willing to communicate and work with the superintendent and have no hidden agendas.

“Mais has nine years experience, four as board president and this was during some tough times for the district. He is very intelligent and I believe he has no personal vendetta or hidden agendas. His business background, vision, and leadership experience are invaluable assets,” Poyser said.

staff writer

he speech team performed on Friday, March 2 at the district competition at State Fair Community College and left with some exciting results as the reader’s theater earned second place and three other events placed in the top three, making them eligible for the state competition.

The reader’s theater performance, “Fight Like a Girl,” is a mix of poetry, acting, and reciting. The performers are seniors Caitlin Easter, Madison Rozzel, junior Ren Rozzel, sophomores AJ McMillen, Alexa Scrivener, Anna Cawood, and freshmen Ariel Givens and Kyleigh Hines.

Katie Johnson, middle school counselor and speech team coach, was very proud of this achievement.

“I am absolutely thrilled. We have always had individual event winners go on to state, but this is the first year Warsaw has taken a large event, and the first Reader’s Theater event I have taken on to state in my career as a coach,” Johnson said. “It has been difficult over the last 25 years of coaching to get a large

event to go through our district as we have a very competitive contest in that.”

State speech contest will be April 19 - 21 in Springfield.

“I am super proud of all of them. They have really pushed themselves this year and our team has grown in numbers as well as increased skill and ability level,” Johnson said.

Other speech team members are also proud of this achievement.

“I was really excited. It was amazing because of the nature of our piece was very hard to perform and the fact that we were the first big group in our school to ever make it to state made me feel accomplished.”

Ariel also believes this win is well-deserved and well-earned.

She said that the team has worked hard this year and put enough time and effort to earn that second place, if not first.

This win was not won with just blind luck.

“I think I can speak for the whole team on this, but this was probably the hardest and most emotional year yet for speech.

We are generally one of the schools to watch out for because

of our selection of people is really good at what they do. We have worked hard and shed way too many tears for us to not get what we got. Getting this reader’s theater to state is the biggest thing that has ever personally happened in my life and these girls deserve this victory,” Givens said.

“Our piece is about something big and personal. We were taking a huge risk doing it, but it was okay because we weren’t doing it to win. So when we got second and found out we were going to state, it was so relieving and a beautiful moment for the team,” Rozzel said.

The success of the reader’s theater was accompanied by three other performances making the state cut. Sophomore A.J McMillen won first in poetry reading, senior Caitlin Easter took second in Humorous Interpretation and senior Madi Rozzel took third in Storytelling.

“It was insane. I’ve never done particularly well with that specific selection, so I was happy to have made finals and qualified for state, but I was expecting third place. I never would have expected to have gotten first,” McMillen said.

High school hosts annual blood drive, breaks previous record Sixteenth annual collection yields 122 pints by

Joshua Simpson

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staff writer

single pint of blood can save more than two people.

122 pints of blood could save hundreds.

This was a record amount for Warsaw High School’s blood drive,which has been held annually for 16 years.

In these past 16 years total, Warsaw has collected 1,545 pints of blood. This amount of blood has impacted the lives of over 3,100 people.

The previous record for donated blood was 107 units and was set in 2012, and the same amount was reached again last

year, in 2017. This means that Warsaw beat the record by 15 units.

From a single donor, three components are collected. Red cells, platelets and plasma.

There are many machines that are used to collect blood. There is the Trima machine, Alyx machine and Hemoflow machine.

Warsaw hosted the Alyx and Hemoflow machines.

The effluvia collected is transported to the CBC lab in blood coolers, where it is processed and held in a blood bank until it is needed.

“The importance of a blood bank is our mission to provide our hospitals and patients with safe, adequate and a effective blood supply for our community,” Collection Supervisor Shemia Halsey said.

The Blood Drive ran from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on March 13 and was held in the gym. Student council helped to run the process and to make a comfortable environment for donors.

“Your blood donation saves lives,” Student Council Sponsor Jennifer Greene said. “Cancer and surgery patients, accident and trauma victims, newborn babies, and many others close to 500 people in our area every day- need blood transfusions.

There is not a substitute for human blood.”

Giving blood was a new experience for a lot of students. There were 58 first time donors this year.

“I donated blood because I wanted to give back to the community and give my blood to people who needed it, maybe

help save a life,” junior Abby Foster said. “[I was feeling] really nervous — I really hate seeing my own blood. I’d definitely do it again.”

“I couldn’t donate last year because my iron count was really low, and I felt that I would be helping people,” junior Ciara Cooper said. “I felt really good until I sat up and dropped to the floor.”

“Our advice for first time donors is to get a good night’s sleep, drink lots of fluids days before and to have a really good breakfast or lunch, depending on when you decide to donate,” Halsey said.

“Before I donated blood, I was kinda like ‘man, this is okay, this is gonna be fine’,” sophomore Savannah Neth said. “Right when [the phlebotomists] were

Sophomore Jesse Barckley prepares to donate blood for the first time on the 13th.

“I could feel the blood being sucked out of my arm. I was worried about air being pumped into my vein,”Barckley said. Photo by Joshua Simpson.

giving me the needle, I was like ‘I’m gonna cry’. I was scared.

Then after, I was dizzy — it got hot in the room. Then I just kinda went on with my day.”

Greene helped set up the blood drive as Student Council’s spon-

sor and also donated blood.

“My favorite part about donating blood is knowing that it is going to someone in need!

The most intimidating is that I am deathly afraid of needles,” Greene said.

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News 7 FFA breaks auction records at annual event Music department ildcat

thewildcatonline.com

March 29, 2018

by

Drew Dawson

web editor/writer

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he annual Friends of the FFA Chili Supper and FFA worker’s auction was one of the most successful in the history of the program on Feb. 28 despite being rescheduled due to the threat of snow on Feb. 20.

Students raised $3,000 to help member expenses and the entire chapter.

The chili supper and auction was originally planned among the annual FFA Week events for the chapter, which included a breakfast for businessmen and women of the community and first responders and fun events for FFA members, including a farm show trip.

FFA alumnus and 2017 graduate Hunter Bagley called the auction of members to work for bidders. Workers were auctioned for a dollar amount per hour for four hours of work. Three hours of that money goes into that particular FFA members account and the last hour goes to the FFA’s general fund account.

“They can use that to cover FFA related expenses like conferences, trips, FFA jackets, etc . . . The other hour goes into the FFA general fund to be used for chapter operations and events

Auctioneer and 2017 graduate Hunter Bagely and senior Rayne Faulconer auction off Zach Sharp. The auction occurred during the FFA chili dinner workers auction. Photo Submitted.

“I went for $155 per hour. I do lots of work outside and with anything agricultural. Make America great again.”

- sophomore Lerran Yoder

like banquet, Barnwarming, and community service projects,” FFA advisor Stan Adler said.

The auction has been an event that FFA has held since year one, which means it’s been a continu-

ous event for seven years. The FFA members do a variety of work for their highest bidder.

Adler said students often do yard work, cut wood, baby-sit, fix fence, clean windows, and the list goes on.

“Anything within reason and with in the bounds of the law, Adler said.

This year is believed to be the most successful, bringing in a total of $3,000 and zooming past last year’s amount, which was just at $1,800. Some FFA members don’t get auctioned off and just help put on the event.

Other than workers, FFA members also auctioned off projects,

such as post drivers and chairs made by students in the Ag building shop.

“I personally was never auctioned off, I was always the one in charge of the worker’s auction and organizing it. This was my first year doing the worker’s auction, last year I was unable to do it and Mr. Adler asked me this year if I would be willing to take it over for him since I was well organized,” sophomore Kaitlyn Hawley said.

Sophomore Lerran Yoder has been doing the workers auction for two years and has always been auctioned off, this year Yoder went for the highest price.

“I went for $155 per hour. I do lots of work outside and with anything agricultural. Make America great again,” Yoder said.

Senior Rayne Faulconer has been doing the worker’s auction for the last four year.

“We haven’t decided on what work I will be doing, but I went for $40 per hour,” Faulconer said.

This being the most successful workers auction that the Warsaw FFA Chapter has had, Adler is very thankful for everyone who helped it be as successful as it was.

prepares for state by

Samantha Townley

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staff writer

usicians recently participated in District Solo and Small Ensemble Festival on March 5 at Stockton High School. Thirty-six vocal students went with either solos and/ or small ensembles. Of these 36, 22 students received a I rating, making it to state on April 28.

Senior Caitlin Easter made state with her vocal groups, Sprouse SAB, and Ladies 6.

“Emotions were running high during the performance, especially because it is my last year, and that it could have been my last ever,” Easter said.

As musicians prepare to compete at the state level, they are also prepared for a small change to the rating system. Instead of being awarded a numerical evaluation of a 1, 2, 3 . . . the performances will earn a gold, silver or bronze rating.

“I did not know this was a possibility of changing the ratings,” sophomore Aiyana Chenault said. “It doesn’t really bother me, but I know that it will affect other people, simple because it’s different.” Chenault has been singing since fourth grade when

State Bound Musicians Flute Trio: Alyssa Alcantara, Autumn Long, and Gabrielle Porter Madeline Schockmann, flute solo Gabrielle Porter, piano solo Zoe Eledge, clarinet solo Gabrielle Porter, flute solo Autumn Long, flute solo Nate Fauquier, vocal solo Grady Miller, vocal solo Madi Rozzel, vocal solo Madeline Schockmann, vocal solo Alli Thomas, vocal solo Ladies 6: Madi Rozzel, Alli Thomas, Jessica Dwyer, Madeline Schockmann, Caitlin Easter, Rylee Pals Thomas Mixed 8: Alli Thomas, Allyssa Gemes, Aubrie McRoberts, Becky Petesch, Lerran Yoder, Grady Miller, Wade Henderson, Chance Thirstrup Fauquier SAB: Madi Rozzel, Helena Givens, Rylee Pals, Madeline Schockmann, Nate Fauquier, Rayne Faulconer, Will Dornan Sprouse SAB: Mikayla Andrews, Caitlin Easter, Jessica Dwyer, Aiyana Chenault, Ryan Sprouse,

she was in K-Kids.

Easter is okay with the rating change.

“I guess it makes it easier to understand. A lot of people don’t understand our rating system, so I guess it makes more sense,” she said.

Students focus on personal priorities when scheduling for next year by

Electa Good

staff writer

J

ust this week, students have started choosing their classes for next year. While graduation is the ultimate goal, personal interests, academic goals and friends are all motivations for what classes students pick.

Sophomores will begin scheduling on April 3 and 4 and freshmen on April 5 and 6. Eighthgrade schedules will follow.

Some teachers have said that students usually pick the class because of the teacher and/or because of their friends. Other teachers say that they hope that the students are picking classes to further their education instead

of just whatever class the students friends are in.

Some students prefer to do what they enjoy or to just try classes that they spark their interest.

Junior Brianna George prioritizes different classes by exploring those that she is interested, she tries different options and sees what suits her best. George has explored her interests by taking lifetime sports, FCCLA, Nutrition and Wellness, interior design, child development, human anatomy, computer apps, entrepreneurship, business economics, Piano 1, and Art 1.

“I wish we offered a nerd class so that we could discuss movie theories,” George said.

Junior Allison Thomas chooses classes that she likes, and is more likely to pay attention to.

“Classes that I wish they had would be orchestra because I just really think that orchestra is cool and I would play the violin,” Thomas said.

Some students heavily rely on friends when it comes to choosing their classes for the next year.

Sophomore Dalton Brown enjoys having classes with friends that way he can hang out during class.

Brown also wishes that the school would offer different gym classes so that he could better train for sports.

“I would like training all year

around instead of just when the season is,” Brown said.

High school counselor Tyler Richardson recommends students do their research to choose classes that help accomplish their four-year plan and their career and education plans for the future. He advises students to talk with their teachers if they are in a program of study to discuss with them classes that they would advise to take. He wants students to take classes that will prepare them for that goal.

In order to get a high school diploma a student needs seven credits but to get a honors diploma you need 3 elective credits but you also need 4 ½ core electives. New classes added in the

high school for the next school year will include Women’s Aerobics, Child Development 2, Consumer Mathematics, World Religion, Ancient Egypt, Europe History, Geography, WW2 (Nazi Germany), United States History (2001), Civil War period, Sociology, Animal Science (Dual Credit), and Criminal Justice Technology 2, which is a CTC Program.

Most seniors have enjoyed the classes that they took throughout high school and have some advice for those still making those choices.

“I liked senior composition and human anatomy,” said senior Triston Good. “I wish we had a German class because of the language and because it came

before English and shop class because I like building things and I don’t get to do that here.”

“I definitely recommend personal finance because it’s more like common sense but I never really knew about it till I took the class,” said senior Elijah Dillon. He said the only class he wished he would have taken would be a machinery class to work on engines.

Scheduling can be a problem when the student wants to change their classes for someone else, not for their own education.

“Well, I like to think they do what they want to do but, really, it’s wherever their friends are,” FACS teacher Suzie Dudenhoeffer said.

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thewildcatonline.com

Sports

Baseball begins another thrilling season by

Rheanna Coke

staff writer

B

aseball season has begun and everyone is excited for another thrilling season. The team is working very hard to try to improve from last year’s record of 11-14 They plan to do so in many ways, one being working as a team and succeeding together, rather than individually.

“Teamwork is very important to athletics and baseball specifically. You have nine guys and everyone has to do their job in order for a team to be successful, if one person fails then it effects the rest of the team,” senior pitcher and first basemen Cash Miller said. “The motto for the year is ‘do what makes you great, not what makes you happy,’ and if we can get everyone

to selflessly buy into that idea and work hard to get better on a day to day basis then we have the potential to have successful season.”

A lot of players go out of their way to get in any kind of extra practice they can.

“I try to practice as much as I can outside of practice even if it is just playing catch or going to batting cages,” freshman third basemen Trey Palmer said.

Not only does the extra practice have to do with improving skills, but, to the players, it’s exciting to practice getting out on the field.

“I’ve been waiting to get back out on the field since the last season ended. I can’t wait to get out there with the boys and show off how hard we’ve been working,” junior second basemen Owen

Howard said.

The upperclassmen may seem intimidating to the freshmen, but for this team, they all get along great and have little to no problems “I was a little nervous joining the team my freshmen year, but as soon as I got there they were all welcoming, are my close friends, and we work well together,” freshman center fielder Joe Montez said.

The team has found early season success beating Pleasant Hill 12-0 on Friday, March 23.

Junior pitcher Matt Luebbert only gave up one hit while senior Cash Miller hit three. They continued with a 10-5 win on Saturday, March 24, over the Lone Jack Mules for 5th place in the Knob Noster Invitational Tournament. Senior Cash Miller

pitched the game with senior Owen Howard achieving three hits and sophomore Scott Winters adding a big double.

The team began their season competing in a jamboree on March 10 in Sedalia. The team played three sets of three inning games, winning one and losing two. Their first official game was on March 17, falling to Holden 1-0 and 4-1.

Both games Cash Miller, Matt Luebbert and Joey Mace spun the ball well. Miller went 3 for 6 knocking in Luebbert for the Cats only run of the day. The Cats also fell to Concordia Orioles on March 22, 0-4 with junior Joey Mace throwing five innings without an earned run.

The Wildcats were 2-3 going into their home opener on Tuesday, March 27 against Buffalo.

March 29, 2018

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Tech club builds 3D printer Tech club advisor Bob Foster attends 8th grade parent night to advertise the club towards underclassmen. “The boys really put a lot of hard work into this,” Foster said. “I’m really proud with how it came out.”

Photo by Ally Estes.

by

Ally Estes

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editor-in-chief

ech club is a recently added organization that is a part of the science community within Warsaw High. Some of the members had the opportunity to create a Prusa i3 Mk2 3D printer.

Junior Virgil Goucher first heard of the 3D printer in his chemistry class.

“The hardest part was getting it to work. The first time we as-

sembled it, it wouldn’t work so some of the tech club members resembled it,” Goucher said.

Other students heavily involved with the printers creation are juniors Jake Luebbert and Ethan Schomburg as well as senior King Archer.

Tech club advisor Bob Foster refuses to accept any credit for the making of the printer.

“The boys really put a lot of hard work into this,” Foster said. “I’m really proud with how it came out.”

Track athletes consider different events based on experience, ability by

Ally Estes

S

editor-in-chief

printing, jumping and throwing are all basic attributes of movement. Track athletes specialize in turning these movements into a complex sport that challenges strength, dexterity and concentration. With numerous forms of track being offered to athletes, it can be hard to choose just one to attend. Out of the 22 offered events, athletes must choose four to compete in. Making this decision can be tough for both beginners and veterans.

Freshman Rheanna Coke has done track for three years. Coke participates in shot put and discus.

“My favorite part about track is how independent of a sport it is. Although we are all one big team, it’s all about personal goals and records. Also, the variety of different things you can do makes track interesting for almost anyone. There’s something for everyone,” Coke said.

“I’ve done pretty much every event I’ve wanted to try out in past years, this year I’m just sticking to what I’m good at. I’m more of a thrower than a jumper

and Warsaw has all throwing events.”

During the Clinton track meet, the Ladycat javelin record was broken three times by three different athletes. The record was again broken immediately after at the Versailles competition by sophomore Kiersten Grobe.

Grobe, who finished at 2nd (95’ 6.5”).

“My favorite part is going to track meets and making fun memories with my team and friends,” Grobe said. “I consider long distance the hardest event for sure, I don’t know how they can run that far and not even get that tired.”

“I feel good and I think that Kiersten Grobe and I will have a really fun season trying to outthrow one another,” Fajen said.

Fajen chooses which event to do based on how comfortable and fun it is for her. She is currently involved in javelin, 4x4 and shot put.

“I would love to try discus and triple jump,” Fajen said. “They both look really fun and I would love to learn how to do them.”

Senior Dallas Larsen and sophomore Parker Love medaled during the track meet hosted

at UCM on March 19. While Larsen claimed second place for 3200M dash, Love placed twice for Long jump and 60M dash.

Love also broke a school record for the 60M dash.

“I feel like breaking school record is definitely a good thing, but it’s only a start and I plan to break more records when I am able to,” Love said.

Love has been in track for four years and also attends events such as open 200m, 4x100m relay, long jump and triple jump.

Love chooses what events to do based on what he’s best at compared to the team.

“I consider 400m and 300m hurdles to be the harder events,” Love said. “I’ve never tried these because I either haven’t conditioned enough or I don’t have enough experience to start now.”

Sophomore Kya Schepker medaled at the UCM event for long jump, where she claimed 6th place. Senior Hannah Chapman broke school record for her 60M hurdle, where she placed 14th and timed 11.22.

While most believe track is strictly an individual sport, the prospect of relays create a very

competitive yet team-dependent environment. At the UCM meet, Warsaw’s Distance Medley Relay set a new school record at 12:16.57. The relay group consisted of senior Dallas Larsen, junior Maleek Porter and sophomores Chase Steiner and Zach Chapman.

“I’m glad I got to be a part of such a great team. I wouldn’t want to run with anyone else,” Porter said.

Coach Cody Morgan suggests students entering track to base their decision their strength, speed and talents.

“It is longer running distances to train for distance events, but easier to see instant results.

While it is shorter training distances for the sprinting events, but often takes a longer time to start seeing the results of training in your times,” Morgan said.

“We have had a great start to the season. Two meets in and we have set new school records at both so far (Javelin, Distance Medley Relay, 60M Hurdles).

Our times seemed to have picked up where we left last year off, so if we improve like we did last year, this year should be even better for Warsaw Track & Field.”

Sophomore Rayni Simons participates in relay during the Clinton track meet. Simons runs in the 4 x 2, the 4 x 1 and the 4 x 4. Photo by Kya Schepker .

Junior Keion Davis runs at the UCM track meet. Davis placed 17th in the 4 x 200 event. Photo by Rheanna Coke.