the
Volume 1, Issue 3 December 18th, 2018
ROCKET PRESS
Juuling the growing epidemic
Rose Hill High School 1
Bad Fad
Juuling among underage students rising at alarming rate by charlee conroy, reporter Throughout middle and high schools across the country, juuling has become an issue that is becoming difficult to crack down. The United States Department of Health states there are an estimated 51.2% of teens that are underage juuling. The product is legal for adults 18 and older, but this is not stopping the underage juuling epidemic. Many long-term effects are still unknown about juuling because of how new the product is. Juuls are mostly nicotine causing small affects on how kids participate, learn, and focus in schools. When you first start juuling the normal effects of nicotine could be felt but eventually juuling could become addicting. “I think a lot more kids use juuls than smoke cigarettes, more people use them because they don’t have the tobacco product but they still have the nicotine addictive substances,” senior Sydney Adler said. This epidemic may keep spreading and growing, or juuling may just be a fad and disappear over the rest of the year. Juuling started off slowly but quickly grew in popularity with 18 and 24-yearolds from 2017 to 2018. Freshman Angel Means thinks that juuling will disappear by stating “No I think it will fade away just like the vapes did,” Means said. Senior Trent Nusz disagreed with Means. 2 The Rocket Press
“I think this will be a long-term problem just like cigarettes,” Nusz said. “A lot of kids think ‘oh they are not cigarettes, they are not making me smell bad, or they are not going to give me cancer’ but in all honesty juuls cause a lot of problems.” The question is though why do kids start juuling when they know it’s bad for them? To popular belief it is usually because kids want to look cool or be popular. “Well I think pure pressure is one of the causes and that this makes them look cool,” Nusz said. “Unfortunately, a lot of kids theses days will do anything to be popular and look cool.” Juuling has now become a problem throughout the school day. Students will ask to use the restroom, but instead will actually juul. “I think that it’s kind of hard (for the administration) to be everywhere, there isn’t enough administrators (for that),” Adler said. “We don’t have cameras so it’s not like they can be everywhere at once tracking everything down.” Social Studies teacher, Josh Shirley, said it is the flavors and options that attract high school students to juuling more than a cigarette or e-cigarette. “I think that part is potentially dangerous,” Shirley said. “I know it’s not just a Rose Hill problem, it’s a United States problem. Because of the availability and it’s easy to hide and the flavors that they are after make it a choice.”
Juuling
Quick Facts
Juuling: what you should know by ethan woodrome, reporter
• 16.2 percent of high school seniors are more likely to use a juul than a cigarette • 30.7 percent of teens who use e-cigarettes are likely to start smoking within six months • 66 percent of teenagers say e-cigarettes are just flavoring • 52.8 percent of middle school students are exposed to e-cigarette retail ads Graphic by Sydney LaKous
*Information above via www. drugabuse.gov
In recent years juuling has become a common trend for young people and has many health risks that are not widely known. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, one in five high school students in the United States have juuled in the past 30 days. “Students don’t realize the long term consequences” said high school nurse, Teri Koester. “I think the ones who do juul are going to have trouble stopping and will see long-term effects with the heart, kidney, and bladder” According to Pennsylvania State University, what attracts teens to juuling is the flavor. The flavorings in e-cigarettes, although they look appealing, are quite dangerous. Flavors are the most common health risk. The favors are made with the same type of fumes that factories use to make popcorn flavor. These chemicals are safe after processed but the fumes are dangerous to the people who inhale the fumes. These fumes can cause popcorn lung, which is a condition that damages the bronchioles, the smallest airways of the lung. This can cause scarring in the lung tissues according to Medical News Today. E-cigarettes also contain heavy metals, which lead to metal poisoning and other toxins like aerosol
that can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. They also can cause cancerous tumors later on according to center addiction.org. The short-term of juuling effects are due to the high amounts of nicotine. The standard juul pod contains as much nicotine as one pack of cigarettes according to centeraddiction. org. The younger the brain is the more vulnerable they will be to the effects of nicotine. Nicotine even causes gum recession according to ask the dentist.com. “I think that with nicotine products when it gets into your system you get rapid heart rate, you get hyper, then when you don’t have in your system you become moody and irritable,” said Koester. According to Science News for Students, juuls contain adrenaline, which is a natural hormone that is best known for the “fight or flight” response. When in the bloodstream it ramps up the heart rate and breathing. People who juul often are in this state all of the time, not just when they juul. “It’s like how when cigarettes were popular people didn’t know about the consequences,” Koester said. “In about 10, 15, 30 years that’s when we’ll see the real consequences and unfortunately your generation will suffer.” Rose Hill High School 3
To juul or not to juul An editorial on both sides of the juuling coin by micah streeter, editor-in-chief Not too long ago, it was typical in high school for kids to be out in the courtyard smoking cigarettes during passing period or lunch. Indeed many adults no doubt remember this time and perhaps they look back on it with no small amount of amusement now. “We were young and foolish,” they might say now. “We didn’t know the consequences because nobody did!” Well that’s not entirely true. Dating back to the early years of the cigarette industry medical experts warned of its potential harm. But back then, who cared? People smoked cigarettes like they were eating tootsie rolls. They blissfully ignored any word of danger from adults who most certainly knew better. Then several years and several hundreds of cases of lung cancer later, people started thinking twice about inhaling tar and smoke into their bodies. Today the number of smokers goes down each year. The remaining smokers have no fallback on ignorance. The dangers of smoking are now about as widely known as the location of the sun (which I think is up…). So you’ve probably figured out the question at the center of this editorial: Are we seeing history repeat itself with the advent of juuling? For some (older people) it’s an astounding yes, and for some (younger people) it’s an astounding no. There are many sides to this argument. Objectivity is seldom found in op-ed journalism, but in this case I think it’s beneficial. On one hand, it’s clear that this is in fact a case of history doing what it does best. The parallels between the rise of cigarettes and the rise of juuling are abundant. Both are extremely popular, particularly among young people. And both carry
with them a shadow of doubt cast by numerous medical professionals who warn of consequences stemming from the monolithic chemicals found in these recreational nicotine inhalers. There are facts throughout this issue that point to the conclusion that juuling is inherently unhealthy. The fact that it’s most popular with younger people is further concerning because the human body isn’t fully developed until around age 26, and with the last part to fully mature being the brain, juuling accordingly would have its worst affect on younger people. There’s a reason why programs like D.A.R.E. make painstaking attempts to implant anti-drug messages in our minds from a very young age, instead of leaving us to explore the effects of these substances our young bodies ourselves. On the other side, there is a school of thought that highlights juuling’s little amount of health risk when contrasted with the direct sucking in of tar that is cigarette smoking. Juuling comes with an unforeseen previously unheard of sense of privacy – it has no odor, and is as small (and in some cases even smaller) than a flash drive. Through the advent of juuling, it has never been easier for a smoker to keep their addiction to themselves. Young people who juul consciously do so in direct stead of smoking cigarettes. As I said, we are a part of the D.A.R.E generation. We know the effects of all the classic drugs. We know what we’re doing to ourselves if we choose to use these drugs. Therefore, if someone is already going to smoke something, one can follow a perceivably logical thought pattern towards choosing to pick up a juul. Again, that’s only if you choose to be a smoker. So we’ve established both sides of this argument. What do I think? Well there are many medical Story continued on page 10
4 The Rocket Press
Real Talk Students and staff of Rose Hill High School share their thoughts on juuling “I feel that if you want to do it (juul) it is your own body and decision. But you should not be stupid and do it at school.”
“I think it’s a really dumb “It’s okay when you do popular thing kids do.” it at first, but when you do it all of the time.” -Braden Ford, Junior -Anonymous
-Anonymous
I don’t think kids notice the danger juuling possesses. You are actually inhaling vapor into your lungs and I don’t think that’s any better than smoking.”
“I think it is stupid and a waste of time and money, but I guess you do whatever you want.” -Austin Brewer, Senior
“Basically kids are told they are not allowed to do that and it’s not right and kids will do it anyways because they’re they can’t. They are trying to find a way to rebel.” -Cole Wagner, Senior “Kids do it because they think they are invincible and think nothing bad will happen to them.” -Becki Evans, FACS teacher
-Stephanie Arbogast, English teacher “It causes respiratory problems, cardiovascular problems and mouth disease. The nicotine chemicals in the juul can stop blood flow in your gums which weaken it.”
“It’s a waste of time and money and it’s not going to get any better because kids want to fit in.” -Skotlin Malmrose, Junior
“Doesn’t take much once there’s a movement in high school for everyone to jump on board.” -Michael Diaz, Senior “It’s the new trend for kids these days.”
-Mia Kuehn, Freshman “It is definitely an epidemic because we have freshmen and sophomores with not even fully-developed brains going to juul in the bathroom. I think the cheap flavors and convenience contribute to the epidemic.” -Clayton Epley, Senior “It makes them look cool when really it is not cool or good for them It makes them look cool with their friends.” -Josee Vogt, Junior
Page by Lydia Kimble, reporter
-Andie Keefer, Senior Rose Hill High School 5
Memorials on display at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France. Rose Hill High School paid tribute to veterans with a special assembly on November 13. Photo courtesy of unsplash.com
RHHS brings back Veteran’s Day Assembly by kylie gregory, reporter
The Rose Hill High School had a Veteran’s Day Assembly on November 13 to recognize those in the community who fought for our freedom. At the assembly, they also recognized the winner of the essay contest about Veteran’s Day and the winner of that essay was junior, Taylor Barlett. Sophomore Emma Greer said that it was stressful to prepare for the assembly, but it was a good idea to bring the assembly back to the high school, where it had been absent for several years. “(The assembly) was good to show what it takes to fight for the country and to learn what these Background graphic by Taegan Belcher 6 The Rocket Press
people did (for us),” Geer said. Geer, along with Aislin Burnison and Sarah Kellogg, were the students involved and were overseen by Family and Consumer Science teacher, Becki Evans. The middle school has had a day where they recognize veterans, so Geer, Burnison and Kellogg all agreed it was time to bring some tribute back to the high school. “We were able to bring the assembly back thanks to STUCO,” Evans said. “But the three girls put a lot of effort into the assembly.”
Story continued on page 10
What sacrifice means to me by taylor barlett, special contributor
When looking at the word sacrifice in the dictionary, you might read a definition such as, “to give up (something important or valued) for the sake of other considerations.” Many people use sacrifice when talking about a compromise in a relationship or even weekend plans, but only a few people know what true sacrifice really looks like. You may be thinking that true sacrifice means giving your life for a cause, but to me, it’s more than that. Sacrifice means giving up time with your family, comfort, and daily luxuries over and over for something you believe in. I believe that our soldiers overseas make sacrifices every day for this amazing country to be forever free. I am not going to pretend that I know what true sacrifice feels like. I have grown up in a home with a loving family, great friends, and good grades. I live in a nice house, get to drive my truck to school, and always have food on my table. Both of my grandfathers and my dad served in the military and they luckily all made it home safely to tell their stories. Sometimes I don’t appreciate this life as much as I should. I forget who has to make sacrifices in order for me to live the way that I do. Some countries don’t have the rights that Americans take for granted such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and women’s rights. The men and women serving our country give up so much in order for us to have these simple rights. They surrender the comfort of their home, time with family, and some even give their lives for the American Dream. It seems crazy that someone would give up such basic luxuries for anything, but that is why only the bravest, most selfless people join The United States Military.
At every sporting event I participate in, I can look up in the stands and see my parents. Military parents may not be able to make it to every ball game or PTC meeting. To miss watching your children grow up seems unbearable, but it’s a sacrifice soldiers are willing to make if it means that we can be free. If I had to live away from my family, only able to talk to them through a phone, it would be excruciating. Soldiers have to miss holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays but that doesn’t stop them from doing what they know is right. There is another group of people that make a great sacrifice for our country. The families of the soldiers overseas sacrifice time with loved ones knowing that they are making a difference. I can’t imagine not having my parents with me to celebrate my birthday or just to have simple conversations with in the evening. Growing up without a parent can change a child’s life forever, but if the parent is defending the freedom of America, it gives the family pride for their country. The empty space at the dinner table can never be filled. The missing parent on Christmas won’t feel normal. However, the feeling of pride when The Star Spangled Banner plays will make everything better, if only for a short time. Sacrifice can come in many forms. From sacrificing an hour to babysit your little sister, to sacrificing your life for your country. For me, sacrifice in its truest form comes from American soldiers and their families giving up time together and comfort for the benefit of this country. Soldiers who go into battle fighting for freedom, knowing they might not return, deserve endless honor. I could never begin to express how sincerely thankful I am for each and every soldier that fights for my right to live in comfort and freedom every day. Rose Hill High School 7
State mandates new crisis drills by gracie russell, reporter
According to the state mandate, the Rose Hill School District have nine new drills to perform this year.
In October, a new drill called “Suspicious Device” was added in which the building must be evacuated.
These are the safety and crisis drills in which the district will have to perform for preparation in case something were to happen, along with four fire drills and three tornado drills. Including all of the new drills, there are 16 drills.
Actual events like the police suspect on the run and the polluted water, which both happened early this semester, counted as drills.
Assistant Principal Aaron Jackson thinks the addition of new drills has been an easy transition so far. "No, the crisis drills haven't been difficult," said Assistant Principal Aaron Jackson. "It’s just a change from what we have done traditionally."
“It’s scary that we have to practice for certain things,” sophomore Noah Owens said. In the month of January, Rose Hill Schools will be doing a few new drills. The first drill is called “Unwanted/Threatening Intruder” in which the students will be taught how to run from an intruder. The other one is called an “Unwanted/ Threatening Intruder” drill, in which they will learn how to Story continued on page 10
“Modern Education”
Crisis Drill Plan Run. Hide. Fight.
Cartoon by Taegan Belcher 8 The Rocket Press
Lessons Learned An editorial on the crisis drills from assistant editor, Stephanie Ma What could a nihilistic school shooter and an underachieving teenager possibly teach us? To be brief: you shouldn’t try to fix the world until you’ve learned to fix yourself. Eric Harris was "a bright young man likely to succeed in life”, according to his teachers, yet he still killed 13 people right before committing suicide at age 18. He hated the world for sucking so much and felt like society needed a boost, so he shot up Columbine High School as an act of natural selection. Eric had a rough time fitting in at school, so he coped by convincing himself that he was a god. He disregarded everything people said about his flaws because he'd already deemed them too dumb to know anything of value. He assumed that the people who disliked him simply lied to themselves and should all be killed off. In his mind, he did society a favor by discarding its dregs. Although he hated people who thought they could play God, he was okay with doing it because, in his opinion, there was no one better. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's antihero in The Catcher in the Rye, displayed less extreme cynicism (he didn’t want to kill anyone). In other words, Holden was so depressed, he lived in the passive voice of his own life. Most of the book takes place in his head because he was too ob-
sessed with his past to take any action for his future. While pessimism influenced Eric and Holden differently, it made them both arrogant hypocrites. Holden condemned everything, even himself, for being so fake. He was sad that his little brother died and thought that society churned out everyone’s childlike innocence and curiosity, so he didn’t try in school and spent his time criticizing his peers while doing the exact things he berated them for, which he recognized as “phoniness" and hated himself even more as a result. He didn’t take responsibility for anything in his life because he’d already decided that growing up would strip him of authenticity. Holden and Eric shared the sentiment that “people are always ruining things for you” (98). Think of this next time you feel like bashing everyone around you for making your life suck. If you start thinking that everything is always someone else’s fault (just like the nihilistic school shooter and underachieving teenager above), chances are: the problem is you. Don’t try to fix the world before you’ve learned to fix yourself. Pallbearers carry the body of a student killed in the Parkland, Florida school shooting. The state of Kansas has implemented crisis drills as a response to the rash of school shootings. Photo courtesy of the Sun-Sentinel Rose Hill High School 9
CRISIS DRILLS (from page 8) use self-defense in case an intruder enters the building. A “Medical Emergency” drill will be performed in the month of March, while in April, there will be an “Interior Hazmat” drill. And finally in May, there will be a drill called “Exterior Hazmat” in which we get into a safe place for shelter from what may be outside.
and students to be safe during certain situations. These drills ensure that the district will know exactly what to do in an emergency. “I think the fact we have to come to school to be prepared for tragedy is sad,” senior Jillian Spires said. “It’s easier to say and practice what to do, but there is no telling what you do if it actually happens.”
These new crisis drills will help the district staff VETERAN’S DAY (from page 6) After the assembly, students were able to choose three 20-minute presentations by various veterans throughout classrooms around the building.
The assembly was an overwhelming success and the hope is to continue this new tradition going forward.
JUULING (from page 4) experts who say juuling leads to health risks that should be taken very seriously, but there are others who say the connection is much less direct than non-smokers perceive it to be. What’s important to note here is that both sides firmly place juuling on the bottom of the danger scale as far as smoking products go. Does that mean people should be allowed to smoke it? Some say yes and some say no. I think, above a certain age, it is, for better or for worse, a right that people should have. But the medical consequences need to be hashed out and made very clear. Even now as their health risks are becoming more widely known, they are also becoming widely disputed. While it is depressing to see such a mass of people deny empirical truth (ex: Climate Change), in this case, you can see where it comes from. Juuling is important to many people, again for better or for worse. It’s helped people overcome their (95% more dangerous) cigarette addictions. It’s a great way to get rid of the awful smell of cigarette smoke in our society. Regardless of your personal opinion, juuling represents the future of the smoke production industry. There are things to argue about here, but 10 The Rocket Press
I think it’s good to keep in mind just how much of an improvement health-wise juuling is over cigarette smoking. That is not to downplay the healthrisks of juuling, which are quite real. I do think there is a deeper social phenomenon happening in their popularity with young people. Whenever someone decides to consume something that can have harmful effects, not of their own volition, but out of pressure to prove themselves as edgy enough for their friends, there’s something wrong. It’s a scientific fact that young people’s minds are still developing. There’s a reason why the government put age restrictions on things like marriage, alcohol, cigarettes – and yes, vapes. Their strict prohibition in schools is not to be challenged. If you’re below 18, you legally speaking should not smoke anything anywhere – especially school. These laws, whether you agree with them or not, are based on undeniably logical and healthbased reasoning. Past a certain point, it becomes an individual issue. You have to make a decision. And if you make that decision for yourself, with the facts in mind, and not based on other people’s influence, then that’s your decision. You have my respect.
Briefs
Boys basketball off to undefeated start The Rose Hill boys basketball team has achieved a 6-0 start for the first time in 12 years. Koby Campbell and Dalton Rapp were the Rockets’ top scorers in each game so far.
They won their season opener for the first time in six years. On Nov. 30, they defeated Circle 44-40. Campbell scored 18 points and Rapp had 12. They also won their Preseason Tournament for the second year in a row. On Dec. 4, they beat Garden Plain 61-35. Campbell scored 25 points and Rapp had 18. On Dec. 7, they beat Caney Valley 54-38. Campbell scored 23 points and Rapp had 11. And on Dec. 8, they beat Chanute 54-26. Campbell scored 18 points and Rapp had 14. --stephanie ma
Lady Rockets win five in a row The Rocket girls basketball team started their season with a record of 5-1.
They lost their opening game to Circle 67-32, but followed that up with three consecutive wins in their preseason tournament,where they took first place.. They walked away with a win of 46-40 against Garden Plain on December 4, a 56-33 victory over Caney Valley on December 7 and a close win over Chanute in the finals on December 8, 57-52. As of press time, the Lady Rockets started league play with a win over Wellington and Clearwater. --taegan belcher
Rocket wrestling team emerging as 4A power The Rocket wrestling team started their season at the Valley Center Invitational Saturday, December 1, where they took fifth out of nine teams. Their next meet was at Mulvane on Thursday December 6, where they won the meet. Then on Saturday, December 8 at Wellington they took fourth out of 14 teams. Senior Kyle Sackett, at 113 pounds, has an 8-0 record, junior David Leck is 8-0 at 160, senior Grant Scheer is 7-2 at 170 and Devin McMains is 8-2 at 220. --ethan woodrome Rose Hill High School 11
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