the
Volume 1, Issue 5 April 3rd, 2019
ROCKET PRESS
Hidden Pain IN-DEPTH COVERAGE ON Bullying
Rose Hill High School 1
photo courtesy of Andrea Deshaine
Community raises money for cancer-stricken students by gracie russell, reporter
Citizens of Rose Hill conducted a fundraiser for two students fighting cancer in the Rose Hill School District, Caitlyn Stuart at the high school and Brandon Fleming at the middle school. The fundraiser was called “No One Fights Alone” stating that Caitlyn and Brandon will never be alone through this fight with cancer. This event was held on Saturday March 9, 2019 in the multi-purpose room of the middle school from 5 to 8pm. This fundraiser was hosted by Gerald Amato Agency and fueled by Spaghetti Productions, LLC and 100 percent of the money donated for Stuart and Fleming was split between the two of them. The final total of money raised was nearly $9,500. 2 The Rocket Press
It was suggested that the minimum donation was five dollars for the pancake feed. At the pancake feed there was water, tang, and coffee available for drinks. The live music was provided by local band Flashpoint and the live auction began at 5:30 and ended at 6:30. The raffle went on the entire evening. “When I think of this fundraiser, I think of the old African proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ comes to mind,” said Andrea Deshaine, who works for Fueled by Spaghetti Productions. “African Villages have been known to be very tight in helping and supporting their communities. Our community has the elements to be that kind of ‘village,’ if we all pitch in and help our neighbors when we see they are in need.”
State Rep worried about mill levy tax by faith exley, reporter
Butler County State Representative Kristy Williams has raised a controversy about the mill levy and how it is affecting communities and colleges. There are many groups that assess the mill levies including: the State of Kansas, the county of Butler, the city of Rose Hill, Butler Community College, Rose Hill School District, Butler County Fire District, Rose Hill Public Library, Rose Hill Recreation Commission, Rose Hill Historical Society, Richland and Pleasant Townships. “Each of these groups run their businesses from the taxes they charge on your property,” said Randal Chickadonz, who is the superintendent of the Rose Hill School District. “Most of the amenities that we have in life are available because we pay taxes to fund them.” The mill levy is the amount of property tax county residents pay to the Butler Community College. However, one mill is one dollar per $1,000 dollars of assessed value. It’s composed of a local portion which is used to fund area services and a statewide portion. This is also used to fund public schools. The mill levy is imposing property owners of Butler County to support a community college that serves students that are living outside of the county.
A controversy over the Butler County mill levy has arisen via concerns from a State Rep. This system is the way the state has set up to fund Community Colleges. However, it has not always been this way. The counties that had people attending the Butler Community College used to send some of their tax dollars to the College, but the state changed that several years ago. “Some people do not like that they are charged a tax from the college because they live in Butler County and a person from another County (Sedgwick, Cowley, etc.) can attend the college but do not have to pay the taxes because they do not live in Butler County,” Chickadonz said. Aside from everything stated above, there is also suggestions about lowering college property tax rate for Butler County owners. Non-Butler County residents in Kansas will pay $11 more per credit hour than the Butler County students for the year of 2019. Taxes are the way the state and society have chosen to pay for these amenities that we like to have (roads, schools, parks, libraries, senior centers, etc.). Everyone likes to have these amenities to improve living. “Taxes is a way we pay for our amenities and the mill levy is how taxes are charged,” said Chickadonz. Rose Hill High School 3
School’s size limits bullying by micah streeter, editor-in-chief
Bullying behavior has been a much reported and publicized issue in most American schools for many years. However, due to the abstract nature of the definition and reporting tendency of the issue, it is often difficult to assess just how much of a problem bullying is in a school like Rose Hill High School. This article takes into account the views of students, teachers and administration in Rose Hill High in an effort to discern to some degree how much of an issue bullying really is at Rose Hill High. “Bullying-wise, no I don’t think we have a problem here at Rose Hill High School,” said Assistant Principal Aaron Jackson. “You know I think we have a lot of good kids. I think the other schools do a good job at coming through and teaching that bullying behavior is not accepted. So I don’t feel we have a problem.” Junior George Jameson agreed with Jackson. “I’ve seen it around a few times,” said junior George Jameson. “But I wouldn’t say it’s exactly a problem. Are there some things that go on when you throw 500 kids in one building? Sure. But is it called bullying or is that bullying behavior an issue? “No,” clarified Jackson. “But like I said I’m sure we’ve got an instance here or two when maybe somebody is showing that, but it’s not a problem.” Some students believe that bullying is significantly less prevalent in high school than it was in middle school. “I think it does happen but it’s not as big as it’s put out there to be,” said senior Reagan Evans on bullying in the high school. “I’d say middle 4 The Rocket Press
school bullying is probably a lot worse because it’s very immature, and once you get into high school you see it in the freshman sophomore classes more and then once you become an upperclassman it dies down cause everybody matures.” Jackson thinks the size of the district plays a factor into the minimal bullying. “Again it’s taught coming up through the younger grades including in high school that it’s not accepted,” Jackson said. “And pretty much here everybody knows everybody. The teachers know all the kids and all the kids pretty much know each other. And if they do witness something that they feel is improper or wrong they bring it to my intention or you know we’ve had other kids shut down other kids.” Some schools have 2000 students in a building, which can lead to students getting lost. Students have chosen to come to Rose Hill because they do not want to deal with issues like bullying that is more prevalent at larger schools. “I’m not knocking those districts, that’s just the nature of the beast when you throw 2000 kids in there,” Jackson said. “You know me as assistant principal, Mr. Haydock as principal and Mr. Linot as AD – the three of us know every kid in the building, Whereas if you go out and go to Derby or Southeast that’s not the case.” Andrea Holland, who teaches science, who previously taught in Derby, said bullying is not as significant here because teachers are able to pay closer attention to student interaction. “It’s (bigger schools) a lot larger so it’s a lot harder to watch and monitor,” said Holland. “You have a lot larger population of different groups of people that don’t always mesh.”
The hard facts of bullying -In the U.S., 66.8 percent of K-12 students said they were bullied once or twice in a school year; 33 percent were bullied once or twice during the school year; 4.2 were bullied almost daily.
-The percentages of individuals who have experienced cyberbullying at some point in their life have nearly doubled (18 percent to 34 percent) from 2007 to 2016.
-Bully victims are between two to nine times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims according to studies by Yale University.
-64 percent of students who drop out of school do so due to being bullied repeatedly and over 160,000 kids refuse to go to school each day for ear of being bullied. -33.6 percent of bullying occurred in a classroom; 41.7 percent occurred in a hallway; 9.4 percent in a bathroom or locker room; 22.2 percent occurred in the cafeteria; 19.3 occurred outside on school grounds; 10 percent occurred on the school bus; 11.5 occurred via social media or text.
-A meta-analysis found that students facing peer victimization are 2.2 times more likely to have suicide ideation and 2.6 times more likely to attempt suicide than students not facing victimization. -74.1 percent of LGBT students were verbally bullied in the past year because of their sexual orientation and 55.2 percent because of their gender expression. by sydney lakous and taegan belcher
All information courtesy of pacer.org, bullyingstatistics.org, campussafetymagazine.com and educationcorner.com
Rose Hill High School 5
According to the website stopbullying.gov, bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance abuse and suicide. Photo courtesy of unsplash.com 6 The Rocket Press
Effects of bullying by kylie gregory, reporter
Bullying can affect everyone those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying.
According to www.stopbullying.gov bullying is linked to many negative outcomes including impacts on mental health, substance use, and suicide. It is important to talk to kids to determine whether bullying or something else is a concern. Kids who are bullied can experience negative physical, school, and mental health issues. Jaydn Nixon, who is a freshman at Rose Hill High School, said when she was bullied, she did whatever it took to stay away from school. “It (bullying) made me feel like I couldn’t come to school,” Nixon said. “It also hurt my grades.” The website bullyingfrenz.com said “kids who are bullied are more likely to experience some of the
effects depression, anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns,loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy”. These issues may persist into adulthood. Decreased academic achievement GPA, standardized test scores and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school. Media reports often link bullying with suicide, however bullyingfrenz.com also said “youth’s who are bullied do not have thoughts of suicide or engage in suicidal behaviors, kids who are bullied are at risk of suicide, bullying alone is not the cause.” “People take bullying to heart,” junior, Lexi Murphy said. “It is frowned upon to share feelings, so they become bottled up and then those thoughts like suicide start to happen.” Rose Hill High School 7
Dot Dot Dot
Bullying is no longer just face-toface interaction. The rapid growth of social media means teenagers can sit behind a screen and let their fingers do the bullying. by charlee conroy, reporter Cyber bullying is an issue that the current generation is facing. This problem can be just harmless teasing but can turn into harsh words that can lead to depression or being extremely confused at a young age. This issue also does not just occur with young kids but older kids as well. “I think it’s really in middle school that cyberbullying occurs and early high school years such as freshman and sophomore year,” sophomore Josh Hopkins said. Bullying has long been an issue and the problem does not seem to be going away but actually getting worse. Many people cannot escape the onslaught of words unless they delete social media “I think cyberbullying is going to get worse because our lives revolve around our phones,” 8 The Rocket Press
freshman Kaylee Vaughters said. Commercials are shown on television and in news magazines that advertise to not take bullying lightly. “I think it is a very bad situation because we don’t have adults monitoring what’s happening on social media,” Rose Hill English teacher Stephanie Arbogast said. “Even when there is monitoring messages from social medias are hard to control and stop.” Fellow English teacher, Natalie Page, said how bullying can become anonymous more today than in the past because of screens. “I have seen girls in tears because of people that were bullying them and they were afraid to come to school because of it,” Page said. “I mean it is really easy to say something mean online anonymously then say it to someone’s face. Most of it comes from emotions and a lot of those times those emotions are hatred, anger, and fear.”
“I think it is a very bad situation because we don’t have adults monitoring what’s happening on social media. Even when there is monitoring messages from social medias are hard to control and stop.” -Stephanie Arbogast, RHHS English Teacher Rose Hill High School 9
Freshman Sidney Gilchrist who previously went to school in Derby, thinks Rose Hill has less of a bullying problem. “Bullying, in my opinion, isn’t as common here as it was at my old school,” she said.
More or less Does RHHS have more of a bullying problem than other schools? by sydney lakous, reporter
Bullying occurs at almost every school, whether it is online or in person, whether it is physical or verbal. But how does it compare to other schools around the area? Two students and a teacher were asked about the comparison of bullying from Rose Hill High School to other schools they have previously been to. “Bullying, in my opinion, isn't as common here as it was at my old school,” said freshmen, Sidney Gilchrist, who previously attended school at Derby. Math teacher Jessica Dutton, who previously taught at Oxford High School, thought that bully10 The Rocket Press
ing was a common issue at every school. “(Bullying at Rose Hill) is about the same honestly,” said Dutton. “You go to any school and you are always going to have issues.” Sophomore Noah Bolticoff is the newest transfer to Rose Hill. Bolticoff, who previously went to Andover High School, said both schools had little bullying as a whole. “There wasn’t a lot of bullying at Andover,” said Bolticoff. “But (when there was) there was a lot more verbal bullying there than there is here.” While the sample size is very small, evidence would suggest bullying at Rose Hill High School is minimal in comparison to these other schools.
Bullying:
What it’s like on both sides by matt browning, adviser
When we chose to focus on bullying for this issue of The Rocket Press, it took me back to some places in my life that have shaped who I am today. You see, I can look at bullying from both the perspective of the victim and the bully. From second grade until about sixth grade, I always struggled with my weight, which allowed me to be the focus of bullies. I can vividly remember an encounter at a pool when I was 10 or 11. I was on my way to the bathroom and I overhead kids talking about another “fat kid” and the comment they made was “No not that fat kid, another fat kid. He is way fatter.” That hurt so much. The tears came fast and furious that day and there were others similar to it. Luckily, puberty hit in the seventh grade and I grew eight inches and lost a significant amount of weight. But that also brought new challenges. Ever since I can remember, I have loved sports and so does my family, except my little brother, who is five years younger than me.
When I was 13 or 14, my brother was being bullied by several of his classmates and not only did I not do what a big brother should do and confront these kids, I also bullied my brother. Now a science teacher, my brother was always interested in nature, animals and other things like that. To him that was cool, but to me I thought he was weird and I never missed an opportunity to tell him. I consider myself fortunate that I do not have many regrets in my life, but the way I treated my brother when he needed me most is by far by biggest regret. We are now good friends, but it is a scar that will always be on my heart. On the first day of school, one of the things I talk about to each of my classes is that bullying will never, ever be allowed. The way I see it, I had a chance to help somebody I love when they were being bullied and I chose not to. I do not want to make that mistake again.
Rose Hill High School 11
RHHS is a safe place for students an editorial by reporter, ethan woodrome
“If people throw stones at you then pick them up and build something.� -anti-bullyingquotes.com
This issue The Rocket Press was investigating if there was a bullying issue at Rose Hill High School. Personally I have been physically bullied at another school, however have not seen a bullying problem at Rose Hill. The bullying at the other district had negatives later on. I believe it has made me more timid and lessened my confidence. The bullying made me a little bit more antisocial than I would have been. However, it also had some positive effects. It definitely made me tougher and made me more aware. It gave me some protective instincts and while that does not excuse the bullying, it has made me see what bullying actually is. On my first day of school in 2016 at Rose Hill High School, I was sitting alone at the lunch table. Having transfered districts, I did not have any friends yet. But some freshmen girls saw that and not only invited me to sit with them but also moved from their table to sit and talk with me, Then a few weeks later some girl in my grade gave me her number trying to be a friend since I 12 The Rocket Press
was new. By the end of the year I was sitting at a table with many people in my grade. Rose Hill is very welcoming to new students. Although people seem bullying is a problem I am not so sure about that here. I have seen people joking around with each other on campus and it seems to be friendly because the school and town is smaller than others people tend to be closer. In fact a study done by the University of Kentucky found that the smaller the school the bigger a percentage of reported bullying, but most of the bullies did not realize they were bullying. If someone does not want to get bullied they should get involved and try to get to know more people. If that person thinks they are being bullied talk to the person directly and tell them what they think of what that person is doing or saying. If that does not work talk to a teacher or try getting involved other places. So does Rose Hill have a bullying problem? The answer to me is simple: no.
Rocket Productions is all about family
Brian Firebaugh, Koby Campbell and Konner Barron discuss the latest sports news on Are You Serious, which made its debut on Rocket Productions last fall. Photo courtesy of Lydia Kimble by lydia kimble, reporter Rocket Productions is a sense of family, it is a home for most of the students in it. It has become a safe place where people from all different friend groups come together to create product. Students come together and become friends, or even more than friends, they become a family. “My favorite part for Channel 7 News is when its show day,” said junior Cody Puetz, who is on the Channel 7 News and Fake News staff. “Because getting the show done and then seeing what you’ve accomplished as a team (is rewarding) and for Fake News the best part is the shooting of the skits, which is fun to do.“ Rocket Productions is preparing students for life with real-world situations by learning how to meet deadlines, staying on task, talking to adults and being placed in a professional environment. The skills could prepare you for assignments on jobs and future professions.
“These classes have affected me a lot because of how I speak around a camera and around crowds of people,” said Koby Campbell, host of Are You Serious. “It’s been a lot of fun learning how to put together your own show and produce different kind of material.” Rocket Productions has become a place where kids with different passions, ideas, and backgrounds unite. Staff members crossover and become friends. Students that are in Channel 7, become friends with people in Are You Serious. Or students from The Rocket Press and Fake News become friends while working on stories or different projects. “Rocket Productions has given this great opportunity to hone every single skill that I had and make it a lot better,” said Dakota Morgan, a staff member on Channel 7 News and Fake News. “I think I’ve become more fluid in my ability to read and perform.” Rose Hill High School 13
Wrestling has best season since 1997 The Rockets win back-to-back league championships and place 13th at the state tournament. by taegan belcher, reporter The Rose Hill High School wrestling team had an exceptional season in 2018-2019. It was their best season since the 1996-1997 season. There were seven state qualifiers this year, which was a one wrestler improvement from last year when six qualified. Of the qualifiers, Kyle Sackett, Grant Scheer, and David Leck all placed in the top four at state. “I got more into it,” David Leck Junior at Rose Hill High school said, “I just was trying to reach my goals more this year than before.” The team placed in the top five in four out of the six tournaments that they participated in. Not only that, but they had a dual record of 4-1, which earned them the league title. “What we started last year we kept going this year and it ended up being a pretty successful season this year as well,” said head coach Darian Eshelman. “We’re going to keep shooting for that top ten at state and keep shooting for the championships.” 14 The Rocket Press
Freshman Keegan Beavers takes down his opponent at the Rose Hill Invitational on February 2. Photo courtesy of James Patterson They ranked in top ten in the Class 4A throughout the season, which helped them take 13th at the state tournament. “Well it was just a good year and I think we came back from state with some people who did a good job,” said Leck. The Rockets will be losing nine seniors this year and Eshelman said this is the most seniors they have had in his previous years as coach. “We’re always looking forward to next year, the downside is we lose a really good senior class,” Eshelman said. “We’re losing quite a bit of talent and experience. We’re always excited about it, but we’re really going to have to pick it up a notch to keep at that same level.” Leck said the Rockets were satisfied with their season. “Well it was just a good year and I think we came back from state with some people who did a good job,” Leck said.
Briefs
Winter sports dominate all-league awards Emily Adler, starting guard for the Lady Rockets basketball team, was selected as the AV-CTL Division IV MVP. Joining Adler on the first team was her sister, Sydney and Breckynn Myers. Drew Glennemeier was selected Honorable Mention. Coach Greg Welch was chosen Coach of the Year. Emily Adler was also chosen second team All-Class 4A by the Topeka Capital Journal. On the boys side, Koby Campbell was selected to the first team, while Dalton Rapp and Konner Barron were second team. Coach Josh Shirley also took home Coach of the Year honors. Campbell was also chosen Honorable Mention All-Class 4A by the Topeka Capital Journal. In wrestling, Kyle Sackett, Cole Daughhetee, Grant Scheer, Peyton Besco and David Leck were all selected to the first team. On the second team were Keegan Beavers, Devin McMains, Michael Diaz and Anayka Besco. Charlie Black and Clayton Epley were chosen Honorable Mention. Coach Darian Eshelman was selected as Coach of the Year. --lydia kimble
Spring sports off and running For the first time in four years, the Lady Rocket soccer team won the opening game of the season, defeating Nickerson 3-2. They followed that up with losses to Valley Center and Andover.
The Lady Rocket track team took first in the Early Bird Invitational at Mulvane. Faith Exley took first in the 100 meter, 200 meter and was apart of the 4 by 100 team, which also includes Aubrie Thomison, April Carney and Haley Thrush. Thomison also took first in the 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles, while Thrush also took first in the triple jump. In boys track, Mason Lane took first in the triple jump. The Lady Rocket softball team defeated El Dorado in their first two games, but followed that with losses to Andale. The baseball team dropped both doubleheaders.
--lydia kimble
Rose Hill High School 15
Rocket Productions Advertisers
16 The Rocket Press