the
Messenger Wichita High School East 2301 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67211 ehsmessenger.com Volume 124 Issue 3 October 18, 2017
DACA student tells struggles of being undocumented Page 8 - 9
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6
Players sit during National Anthem stirs controversy
12-13
Trick-or-Treat! How old is too old to participate in this holiday festivity?
8-9 16
Students discuss affects of DACA
New teachers raise money from paintings
table of contents 3
our STAFF
What is your favorite childhood halloween costume?
kaedra brennereditor-in-chief Christmas Present
isabel ebersoleeditor Hermione Granger
suzannah youngeditor New York Yankee
will barfieldreporter
Sully from Monsters Inc
piper prologoreporter
shannon brunophotographer Seniors Justin Lewis, Naquan Jones, and Darrius Ray, win Aces got Talent, Oct. 6, with their performance of “You’ll Be Found.” The trio competed against seven other talents to win the competition.
Wednesday Adams
katelyn reganreporter Justin Bieber
aidan teeterads manager Ghoul
coralie correareporter Baby Cow
kali soyezreporter Princess
lizeth sustaitareporter
Icons Related to Death
tudsaley vongsenareporter Bumble Bee
tarynn brennerreporter truc nguyenphotographer Rebecca Jensen, sr., Zeev Barmor, jr., and Anna Duntz, jr., dance it out during their first performance of Nights Of Broadway, Oct. 7.
lina romanphotographer Kenneth Mupendwa, soph., competes in the pumpkin decorating contest, Oct. 4, which can also be seen on page 12.
Inflatable Cow
kayli brownreporter Disney Princess
steven phamreporter Spider-Man
mia reddyreporter Tinkerbell
olivia wilchreporter Cheerleader
sharon martinadviser Princess Mask
lena alhallaqphotographer
lena alhallaqphotographer
Seniors Leo Matzeder and Emma Neel enjoy the volleyball tailgate, Oct. 3.
Students are inducted into National Honor Society during lunch, Sept. 28.
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Editorial Policy “Messenger” is published in print once a month, except
during vacations, by the communications department of Wichita High School East, 2301 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS
On the Cover: Sophomores Emaan Syed and Madeline Halabi raise signs during the DACA Rally, Sept. 22.
67211. The Journalism department can be reached at (316) 9737275 or by email at smartin2@usd259.net. “Messenger” staff will publish news, entertainment, features and sports in an unbiased and professional manner and serve as a public forum for the students of Wichita High School East. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to room E144 or
@easthighmedia
East High Messenger
by email, and must be signed, legible and concise. The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to “Messenger” style. Baseless accusations, insults, libelous statements, obscenity, and letters which call for a disruption of the school day will not be considered for publication. “Messenger” is the official student magazine of Wichita High
@easthighmedia
@easthighmedia
School East and it is distributed free to students. The opinions expressed in this publication reflect those of the student writers and not the Board of Education, Wichita High School East administration, faculty, or adviser.
the messenger october
4 news
on the
List
Book with transgender content censored in schools Wichita Two of the five most banned or challenged books of 2016 included transgender characters: “I Am Jazz” by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings at number four and “George” by Alex Gino at number three. The Banned Books Week Coalition sponsored a celebration of awareness of book censorship Sept. 24-30 by organizing a list of the books that incite the most criticism by including details deemed too controversial. According to the Banned Books Week website, the campaign was launched in 1982 when there were suddenly more and more challenges to the ability of books to be sold in certain schools, bookstores, and libraries. Even today in Kansas, challenges are made against certain books. The William Allen White Children’s Book award was created and is still sponsored by Kansans. A selection committee chooses books published the year before that they believe are notable in some way. These selections generally act as a guideline for Kansas teachers looking to present their students with good books. Criteria listed on the WAW website for book nominations outline that books
faces of Aces
the messenger october
must include “sincerity of author and respect for the reader” as well as being “age appropriate for third through eighth grade children.” In spite of the rigorous vetting process, one of the awarded books has caused controversy in the state, contributing to its place on the Banned Books Week list: “George”. Although this list generally served to guide educators of elementary or middle school students, this year USD 259, along with several other Kansas school districts, have chosen not to purchase the book to be in libraries. Gail Becker, the Supervisor of Library Media and Textbook Services for Wichita Public schools explained that rather than purchasing a copy of “George” for every school, along with all of the other nine books on the William Allen White list, individual schools were given the opportunity to choose whether to put the book in their libraries. “In the case of ‘George,’ instead of requiring elementary Library Media Specialists to add it (to) their building collection, they were given the option to evaluate it and make the decision,” Becker
said. Although each school is able to purchase a copy, only four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school out of the eight comprehensive high schools in USD 259 elected to put “George” on their shelves. East High’s library has a copy of the book. As a community that encourages self-expression and open-mindedness, the importance of allowing students access to a book that discusses transgender issues cannot be overstated. Normalizing discussion and dialogue about transgender issues could greatly impact the alienation of transgender youth. These young people experience a disproportionate amount of hate crimes, yet the issue is perpetuated by a continued and willful ignorance of trans voices like the one in “George.” According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, 78 percent of transgender or gender non-conforming students experienced harassment, 35 percent of these students experienced physical assault, and 12 percent were subjected to sexual violence. piper prologoreporter lina romanphotographer
Sam Figueiredo, sr., chose to change his pronouns from female to male and discusses the effects and implications of this decision. Q: When did you make the decision to change your pronouns to he/him? Why?
A: “The summer before and into my junior year, things started to feel even more conflicting. I started watching more and more documentaries about kids who were transgender and it opened a new world for me. I decided that this is what I am, and I’m not going to try to run away from it anymore. It was around July that I texted my friends and told them I’d start going by ‘Sam’ and to start using he/him pronouns and that I hoped they’d respect that.”
Q: How do you feel about this decision now and has it helped you?
A: “For me, changing my pronouns has really helped me deal with my dysphoria, which is the depression that comes from associating your body with something being wrong in your anatomy. Just hearing Sam or hearing he/him kind of brightens me up, it makes me feel better, like things are getting to the point where they might be correct - even if it still isn’t perfect.”
news 5
Upcoming Wichita events
look
BACK
coralie correareporter kayli brownreporter
Oct. 21 WSU Trunk or Treat, at Rhatigan Student Center Ife-Oluwa Oduniyi, jr., performs in Nights of Broadway, Oct. 6-8.
truc nguyenphotographer
John Huslig, sr., volleys the soccer ball at his Tri-County soccer game, Sept. 29. truc nguyenphotographer
Cathy Truong, sr., helps run her booth during Wichita ICT, Oct. 7.
jordan plowmanphotographer
Betsy DeVos changes sexual assault policy on campus
Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.
Cholerea outbreak in Yemen kills thousands
In the last three months, 400,000 cases of cholera have been suspected in Yemen, due to the debilitating war that has been going on for over three years. Over 19,000 deaths have been recorded. Victims need clean water, fluids and good nutrition to treat the disease.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos goes back on her words from Sept. 7, according to “New York Times.” She spoke of rescinding guidelines created by the Obama Administration on how sexual assault cases are investigated on college campuses. DeVos stated that her plan is to protect students from discrimination when the cases are being looked after and that they “lacked basic elements of fairness.” The controversy of the rules put in place by the Obama Administration lays on the basis that it called for the lowest standard of proof in order to decide if the student was responsible for sexual assault, a ruling that could lead to the student’s expulsion. On Sept. 22, colleges were allowed to not acknowledge the standards and could then use higher standards known as “clear and convincing evidence.” The president of National Women’s Law Center, Fatima Goss Graves, stated that this law could have a “devastating” effect on students. It could take months to produce new rules during a “public comment period.” It is not certain if colleges will be forced to follow the higher standards DeVos plans on making.
Oct. 28 37th Annual Asian Fest, at Century ll
Nov. 2 2nd Annual Party for Prevention, at Adobe Venue Nov. 3 Heroes Gala, at Exploration Place
Nov. 3 The Legend of the Northern Lights, at Century ll Nov. 11 Veteran’s Day, at Sedgwick County Zoo
Nov. 11 Air Capital Comic Con, at Century ll Preforming Arts & Convention Center
Devistation strikes Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria
According to CNN, at least 10,000 containers of food, water, and more vital supplies sit in the port San Juan in Puerto Rico for which the residents have been asking. Part of this disruption is due to the small amount, only 20 percent, of drivers that reported back to work after the arrival of Hurricane Maria, which left 45 dead. There are still many people on the island who have no running water, gas or food readily Damage from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. available. Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons
the messenger october
the opinion Board Policy
6 editorial
regarding the Pledge needs change
The first time athlete Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers decided to remain sitting during the national anthem his intentions were nothing other than to bring awareness to police brutality and racial oppression. The purpose was not to deliberately disrespect the flag. He had no intention of dishonoring those who have fought for our country or to gain mass publicity for his actions. The point should have been nothing but clear: Kaepernick was not willing to stand during the national anthem until he feels that justice and equality is served to all Americans, regardless of race. Although many of us think to Kaepernick’s present day example of public displays of silent protest during the anthem, we forget that lesser known protests such as this have occurred throughout history. In 1969, Tommie Smith and John Carlos of the United States track team expressed their views by raising a fist during the playing of the national anthem at the Olympic medal ceremony, and in 1972, African American runners Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett took a similar stance when they refused to stand attentively at their own Olympic medal ceremony. While their methods may have been slightly different each time, the message of a greater need for racial equality was the same.
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The problem with players sitting or kneeling during the anthem is not a legal issue at all, as both owners and directors of the NFL and various teams have enabled and even protected their players’ rights to express their viewpoints through peaceful demonstrations on the field. Instead, controversy arose from those who believe that sitting/kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful to the flag and people who have fought for our country. Many veterans and current servicemen and women have supported the protest, saying that the reason they fight is that so Americans may have the liberty to protest and express their freedom of speech. While the controversy about standing during the anthem is important, it does nothing other than to distract from the main purpose of the protest against racial oppression. It’s not that those who oppose Kaepernick and his followers are unaware of the true reason for the demonstration, as Kaepernick has repeatedly expressed his views and intentions. The truth of the matter is that those who claim the protest is disrespectful are purposefully failing to acknowledge that there are serious racial issues in this country that are failing to be addressed, as minorities feel they are no longer represented under the anthem and/or Pledge. Furthermore, the USD 259 board policy
regarding student participation in the anthem and Pledge, states that a student must have written permission from a parent if they wish to abstain from such procedures “on the basis of personal, religious, or ethnic considerations.” In other words, if a student does not stand for the Pledge, their teacher/ administrator is required to notify and receive written permission from the legal guardian, for that student to do so. Not only is this a waste of time for all those involved, but it is also a largely unnecessary course of events. As maturing young adults, high school students should be allowed to make their own decisions regarding personal and religious views without a need for “written request” from an outside party. Besides, this procedure is nothing more than an useless formality, as parents of students may hold no objection or even care that their student holds such viewpoints, as well as the fact that the simple act of not standing during the Pledge harms no one and cannot distract a class unless a teacher calls unnecessary attention to the matter at hand. The bottom line is that the board policy regarding the Pledge needs to be changed. Students should feel free to peacefully express, their views without the need for unncecesary forms of consent. suzannah youngeditor ella townsendeditorial cartoonist
speak UP speak OUT
minitorial 7
and
Do you stand for the Pledge of Allegiance?
Students Speak
-----------------------------------------------Cathy Troung, sr. I stood for the pledge for 10 years of my life, that’s what I was taught. Along with the other students in my class, I would half-heartedly rise to my feet as we all mumbled the pledge. But when I began to learn more about the injustices that are happening every day in our country and the corrupt history our nation was built upon, how could I spew these words? When
freedom of speech and religion are constitutional rights, why would I praise our nation? How could I praise the “liberty and justice for all” when it was, in fact, not for all? I have pride in my country and its people, and I’m not going to stand when I know we can do better. #takeaknee
Out of 120 students polled, 74
students stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. However, 37 students sit along with 9 who sometimes stand and sometimes sit.
Teacher requirements and peer influence played the biggest role in student’s want to or ability to either stand or sit. 1% Both
31% Sit 62% Stand
isabel ebersoleeditor
betsy chaivezphotographer
Should students be required you stand for the Q A JROTC Q Do to stand for the Pledge? Pledge of Allegiance? Perspective --------------------------------------------------------
A
Yes, out of respect for those who fought and died for our country.
A
No. Service members fought for freedom of choice. Though I believe all should stand out of respect, none shoud be forced.
Zerrick Nance, jr.
the messenger october
LA LUCHA SIN PAPELES
8 feature
DACA STUDENT STRUGGLES WITH BEING UNDOCUMENTED
“ We’re just seen as pawns in a political game. We’re not seen as humans. We are contributing individuals in society: human beings. ” the messenger october
For privacy and safety reasons, the student opted to remain anonymous and go by the name “Lola” throughout the story. At the age of five, Lola’s family made the decision to move to the United States. The family wanted a change for their daughter: more economic opportunity and broader options for her future. To get here, Lola and her mom crossed “El Puente,” a common name for the bridge in El Paso, TX which serves as a gateway between Mexico and the U.S.. “Me and my mom used fake IDs that looked nothing like us,” Lola said. “The officer just looked at us, looked at the IDs, and let us pass. My dad had to go through the river, though, and all I remember about that is that I cried because I didn’t want to be without him.” They had only planned to stay in the U.S. for a few months, but conditions deteriorated quickly in Mexico as the cartels rose to power. “Once we got to Texas, all the corruption and killing of people day and night really became full force because all the cartels were fighting for full dominance in Mexico,” Lola said. “The government was super corrupt so the cartels worked with them. This started right when we moved, so we got lucky in that sense.” After narrowly escaping the violence that ensued, the family settled in Texas, staying with relatives that lived there while Lola began kindergarten. “It was definitely hard for me because the school I went to had no one who spoke Spanish,” Lola said. “The teacher didn’t even speak Spanish. I would cry to my mom and dad saying, ‘I don’t want to be here. Nobody understands me.’ It was really hard, and I barely had any friends because nobody understood me.” Her lack of English skills soon became even more evident when the class began taking vocabulary tests, alienating her from her classmates even more. “I remember in particular when we had vocab tests the people with good scores would get prizes,” Lola said. “There was this little white girl who always got perfect scores and would get a prize box. I never did well on the tests because I was still learning, so one time she won and I remember asking her, ‘Hey! Can I have a sticky note or something?’ And she was like, ‘No. You should learn how to speak better English or you should just go back to where you came from.’ It made me really mad. It was my first experience with discrimination against me.” Lola’s family then moved to Wichita, the next stop on their journey to Washington: their initial destination. “We stopped here in Wichita and we did have some family friends here, so we stayed with them, and my parents decided that we should stay here,” Lola said. “We then moved out and got a duplex and all slept together on a mattress. That’s basically all we had.” Her dad landed a job in roofing, a job he still holds today, and although nothing like his architectural job in Mexico, it paid the bills, and America didn’t have anything better to offer.
DACAquick questions
The questions on many people’s minds were answered by DACA student, Joselynne Lozano, jr.
feature 9
“My dad used to wear a suit and tie to work in Mexico, and now he’s out in the sun seven hours a day, in the heat and in the cold. It’s hard to see that as a little kid. Even now. My mom has also had to have jobs to support my dad and to pay the bills and rent and everything because we had to start from nothing.” As her family established themselves in America, Lola advanced out of ESOL classes and grew into a regular teenager, primarily focused on middle school issues. Her documentation status soon came to the forefront of her worries when it held her back from getting a driver’s license. “My friend, who is also undocumented, and I went to school together, and our group of friends were called ‘the Mexicans,’” Lola said. “At recess our whole grade ganged up on us, pushed us against the fence, and said ‘You should hop this fence and you should hop the other fence to get back to where you came from. Nobody wants you here.’ We were scared because it was like everyone was against us. Us two against the whole class. And none of the teachers came. One of my friends who is a citizen saw it happening and didn’t say anything or speak out. I understand it, but it made me realize that nobody was going to stand up for us.” Lola and her parents made the decision for her to apply for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) during her sophomore year. The program gives recipients access to a driver’s license, a social security number, and protection from deportation. “I applied when I was 15,” Lola said. “It’s a nerve racking process because you’re introduced to a whole new system of the government. The process took a year, so it’s not like a quick ‘bam.’ It takes a lot. I had to send a packet of me proving that I was here, that I was studying or you’re working or that you’re eligible for DACA. You have to prove that you have no criminal record and you have to go get your fingerprint scanned so they can make sure that you don’t have a record. Once that’s sent, you get approval or disapproval.” In Lola’s case, she was approved, but her fear for her parents remained, as they still had no protection under DACA. “My parents don’t have any protection. I am scared for them - not scared - it just hurts me more. My parents are educated, they graduated from college in Mexico. It hurts because of all the sacrifices that they’ve made to come here to give me a better life. I don’t want to say they did all of that for nothing, but how the government is going it’s like we have no support. It sucks that we aren’t seen as individuals and members that contribute to society. We do pay taxes. We do contribute to society. We’re not just lazing around and taking benefits from the government because we literally cannot.” A month ago, President Donald Trump rescinded DACA, giving Congress six months to create a bill to save the program or terminate it through inaction. “It hit me a couple of days ago that I only have nine months left with DACA,” Lola said. “I didn’t get the chance for renewal, and this is my first time with it. Nine months left, and six of those are just waiting for the government to do something. Waiting for my future.” will barfieldreporter
Is DACA hurting taxpayers? “First of all, we pay taxes too, so repealing it wouldn’t save anyone taxes,” Lozano said. “We have to pay in order to begin the process, which is between $500 to $600, and if we get in DACA, we still have to pay for our entire education ourselves.”
Does DACA protect criminals? “No. We have FBI background checks, they scan our fingerprints, they look through everything so it becomes a very long process, just to be admitted,” Lozano said. “If someone commits a felony they can have their membership revoked.”
Can recipients become citizens? “We can’t,” Lozano said. “If we could we would be trying to get that citizenship and not worry about DACA. There’s no possible path to citizenship through DACA.” lizeth sustaitareporter
the messenger october
10 ads
2017 Fall Homecoming Court
truc nguyenphotographer King candidates include Jackson McHenry, sr., Hugh McPherson, sr., Carter Mitchell, sr., Justin Lewis, sr., Nate Matzen, sr., and Nicholas Foster, sr. Queen candidates include Brenda Le, sr., Amira Linson, sr., Lydia Lavacek, sr., Tatum Tholen, sr., Valeria Esparza, sr., and Taylor Rico, sr.
317 N. Osage Wichita, KS 67203 Servopro9918@gmail.com www.servpronwwichita.com Fax (316) 722-1938 Bus (316) 722-1187
East High Discount: $50 off Duct Cleaning $25 off Carpet Cleaning
All discounts will go to the East High Boys
and Girls Soccer Team
Independently Owned and Operated
reminds you to get your flu shot this season!
the messenger october
entertainment 11 feature 11
1. Will Barfield, sr., Divya Natesan, sr., Piper Prolago, sr., and Caroline Laycock, sr., play music at L’image during Final Friday, Sept. 29. hunter phillipsphotographer 2. Anna Harding, sr., plays the violin, Sept. 29 during Final Friday. jordan plowmanphotographer 3. A performer from Phlox, a local fire performing company, blows fire out of his mouth, Sept. 29 in a fire show at Old Town Square. jordan plowmanphotographer
final
Friday
1.
tudsaley vongsenareporter
Art, music shown at Vagabond Cafe, L'image
2.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, and so when people gather to look at these pictures, much speculation over both the pictures and the words occur. One of these gatherings happens on the last Friday of every month, when nearly 30 gallery showcases are displayed in various businesses and venues throughout downtown that stay open late. This free event, Final Friday, offers the chance to purchase artwork directly from local artists and view creative art space with artist demonstrations or music. Divya Natesan, sr., played music at L’image for three hours along with Will Barfield, sr., Caroline Laycock, sr., and Piper Prolago, sr., in the most recent Final Friday, Sept. 29, making $181 in tips. “We wanted to play because we first thought it was a really cool opportunity to play in the gallery at all, and we wanted to raise money for Tri-M,” Natesan said. “We’re trying to advertise our benefit concert. We thought that since we’re trying to raise $5000 for this pipe organ, any money we can get could help.”
The artwork "Valley of Roses" by Sydney Beal, jr., is displayed at Vagabond Cafe, Sept. 29 in the gallery showcase "Of Women and Riots, a Feminist Art Show." hunter phillipsphotographer
3.
In addition, artwork was shown in Vagabond Café in the gallery “Of Women and Riots, a Feminist Art Show” coordinated by Liesl Wright, art instructor. “As an art teacher, I’ve always tried to promote art as a powerful means of communication and propaganda,” Wright said. “Art can be used for the good of humanity or as a means of shaping beliefs in a negative manner, as in advertisements that create an impossible expectation of beauty for women.” Mauricio Alcaras-Lopez, soph., Karen Anderson, sr., Hannah Ezell, jr., Kaitlin Gray, jr., Alaysia Ross, sr., and Autumn Weis, jr., all contributed to two collages that were displayed in the gallery. An individual art piece "Valley of Roses" by Sydney Beal, jr., was displayed as well. Her drawing was chosen to be included in the gallery showing because of its meaning. “I consider myself a feminist,” Beal said. “If the person who made (the artwork) is a feminist, it’ll become a feminist piece.” She created a piece that challenged the societal gendered body image norms. “I enjoy (drawing larger bodied people) because other artists tend to stray away from that,” Beal said. “I do not draw just large women all the time, but I like to include body diversity and different ethnicities.” No matter the type of meaning that is conveyed, the art speaks the loudest and allows viewers to connect the most through it. “This art show was an opportunity for students to promote their ideas using artistic communication in a real-world setting,” Wright said. “I know we made an impact because I answered many questions from community members who wanted to know more about the art and the artists.”
the messenger october
12 entertainment Dani Sheets, soph., and Kenneth Mupendwa, soph., share a laugh while describing their pumpkin creations.
Picturesque Pumpkins Five Aces competed to see who could paint the best pumpkin, Oct. 4. Though the pumpkins were painted in good spirits, the stakes were high. The winner will receive a $10 giftcard to QuikTrip. Voting will take place Oct. 18 to Oct. 20.
Now, you choose your tarynn brennerreporter favorite. Vote either on Twitter mia reddyreporter @easthighmedia or come down to E144. lina rowmanphotographer
Pumpkin by Maddie Halabi, soph.
Pumpkin by Jasmine Brown, soph.
Jasmine Brown, soph., dips her brush in red paint for the face of her pumpkin.
the messenger october
Pumpkin by Carter Mitchell, sr.
Maddie Halabi, soph., paints a ring of pink frosting onto her donut-pumpkin.
Pumpkin by Kenneth Mupendwa, soph.
Pumpkin by Dani Sheets, soph.
Carter Mitchell, sr., uses a spatula to touch up the scar on his Harry Potter pumpkin.
entertainment 13
trick or treat olivia wilchreporter
truc nguyenphotographer
Underclassmen debate proper age to give up beloved Halloween tradition Vivian Le, soph.
Though Halloween was an exciting part of childhood because of the amount of candy and treats that were --received, I’d like to point out that this sugar filled holiday is part of our childhood. It seems a bit strange for high schoolers, who can buy their own candy, to ask adults (which they will legally become in a few years) for infinitesimal rectangles of sugary delight. There isn’t a specific age that people should stop trick or treating, but it should be whenever the person has the ability to purchase candy on their own. Even with a sibling, it doesn’t seem right to ask for candy with an elementary school student. Doesn’t that just make you as much of a child as them?
Halle Wilson, fr. High schoolers should definitely still be able to go out and trick or treat. You’re not a kid forever, so you should enjoy fun things like trick or treating while you can. However, the whole point of Halloween is to dress up as something you can’t be every other day of the year. Therefore, it’s really not okay for someone to try and get candy without wearing an appropriate costume.
No
15% Of 100 East High students, nearly half say they support high schoolers trick or treating, however only if they’re accompanying a younger child.
Yes
37%
Yes, only if they’re with a younger child
48% ayden christensencartoonist
the messenger october
14 sports
COURSE to STATE
Cross country boys reach goals with young team
jordan plowmanphotographer
mentioned top runners: Will Clayton, jr., Elui Ramirez, jr., Jack Walsh, soph., and Dylan Stoltzfus, soph. Although named as top runners, they are very confident and supportive of the entire squad. “I have been in so many sports throughout my childhood, and I don’t think I’ve seen any seven guys, even the whole team, about 40 or 50 people that just work hard every day after school,” Walsh said. “At Saturdays meets we all come together and work hard.” It is not only the hard work every day after school and Saturday mornings, but the bonds created throughout the season. “I would describe them as really good friends but besides teammates I have considered them more as brothers,” Ramirez said. “They are always gonna be there no matter what. During the season
or after the season, they will always be there.” Not only do they run because of the team atmosphere but because of the love they have for running personally. “I run because it helps me make more friends around other schools,” Ramirez said. “It keeps my mind off of stuff that I have problems with in life. It helps me get free.” Just like Ramirez, Rogers wants the team to benefit personally and improve who they are as people, not just for the championships. “The goals for this season are to improve every single week, for each of our athletes to learn and to grow, and to be a better human being because of what we do,” Rogers said.
football
girls tennis
cross country
kayla vanphotographer thomeris hollandphotographer Nick Snell, soph., watches the play before making his move against Southeast, Sept. 29 .
truc nguyenphotographer Jada Khim, sr., prepares to serve the ball to her opponent in a match against Kapaun, August 29th.
jordan plowmanphotographer Emilee Endsley, sr., runs ahead of her opponent from North High, at the Southeast Invitational, Sept. 9.
Heights..........................................................................8-1 West..............................................................................9-0 State Qualifiers..................Emilea Vazeos,soph., Cassidy Steward, sr., Evelyn johnson, jr., Aditi Joshi, sr.
*boys scores, girls score Southeast..........................................................3rd, 8th Rim Rock........................................................31st, 33rd Newton..............................................................4th, 7th El Dorado........................................................5th, 12th
A new year with the same goals; the cross country team has its focus on State. Although the goal is the same, a fresh, new and young boys team with potential to reach the goal comes to the surface this season. Darahm Rogers, head cross country and track coach, or “Doc” as his athletes call him, has high hopes for this boys team and the new lengths they can reach as the girls team still finds their footing. “We have a great bunch of athletes who all try to work together and try to boost each other up as much as they possibly can,” Rogers said. “The boys are young. We have a lot of young individuals, but we also have some very, very experienced runners that have been with us for a while.” As Rogers acknowledges his talented and young group of athletes, he also
Opponent...............................Score
Kapaun.......................................................................0-21 Bishop Carroll.........................................................0-30 Southeast................................................................23-16 Great Bend.................................................................6-7
the messenger october
Opponent................................. Score
kali soyezreporter
Opponent.................................. Place
c
ki
sports 15
& ks
lips
steven phamreporter
Player cuts hair for hobby, assists others
over team,
Soccer player Brandon Savinon, sr., has taught himself to cut people’s hair as a hobby. Savinon can also do facial hair line ups and designs to thin out hair. The cost is $5 and Savinon keeps the price low because some people cannot afford a good haircut. In total, Savinon has cut hair for 100 people, including a few of his teammates on the soccer his friends, and family. Savinon first started cutting hair two years ago and it took him a year to learn how to completely do it. His inspiration was his cousin who co-owns a barbershop called Fusions. “I always wanted to be like him,” Savinon said. “I would look up to him. I would go to the shop with him and watch him cut.” Savinon decided to start learning on YouTube how to cut so he could save his friends, family, and teammates some money. He practiced cutting hair on his brother. Savinon loves cutting hair, but doesn’t see it as his profession. In the future, he plans to study business management and marketing to become a real estate agent. Savinon cuts hair as a hobby to help him and others out, too. “It drew attention to me sophomore year,” Savinon said. “I wanted to give back to those who were not as fortunate as I was to get free haircuts every other week.”
Brandon Savinon, sr., cuts Jamie Guardado’s, soph., sides after soccer practice. truc nguyenphotographer
volleyball
boys soccer
girls golf
Jessica Roberts, jr., gets ready to spike the ball and score a point, Sept. 12. lena alhallaqphotographer
Marcos Vera-Bareiro, jr., throws the ball in to one of his teammates, Sept 21. kayla vanphotographer
Adela Grajeda, jr., gets ready to putt the ball inside the green, Sept. 11. lina romanphotographer
North......................................................... 22-25, 24-26 Northwest................................................ 18-25, 22-25 Campus Invitational..............................................2nd West.............................................................25-19, 25-10 Heights. .......................................................21-25, 12-25 Kapaun. ..................................................... 16-25, 10-25 Derby Invitational.................................................. 8th
Southeast................................................................. 2-1 North.........................................................................5-2 Kapaun Mt. Carmel............................................ 3-1 Northwest...............................................................3-2 Life Prep.................................................................11-1 North........................................................................ 0-2 West.......................................................................... 2-0
Sim Park............................................ Zoey Lee 58 Ark City............................................Zoey Lee 115 Macdonald........................................ Zoey Lee 47 Sim Park.......................................... Zoey Lee 101 Auburn Hills...................................Zoey Lee 103 Regionals......................................... Zoey Lee 101.
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the messenger october
16 feature kaedra brennereditor-in-chief katelyn reganreporter truc nguyenphotographer
PASSION PAINTINGS
the in the
“San Luis Sunset”Rob Compton
East alumn, teacher continues life-long hobby, creates profit Rob Compton, a new teacher to East, has been painting since he was 15 years old. Compton graduated from East in 1992 and currently teaches sophomore and senior gifted English and AP Art History. Compton began painting after receiving an oil painting set bought at a garage sale from his father one Christmas during a time of family financial trouble. He has been drawn to painting ever since then and actively painted all through high school, having one of his painting awarded a Gold Key and featured on the front cover of The Messenger in 1990. “I graduated East High in 1992,” Compton said. “(I) went to the Kansas City Art Institute and pretty much hated
“Not Alone Exactly”Rob Compton
the messenger october
it. When I left there I was just done. I didn’t want to produce artwork anymore, and I was reading Rob Compton, English instructor and writing a lot more, and that’s when I started studying English…I was probably at that point I felt like I was never going to (paint) again” From the time he was 18 years old until he was about 21, Compton quit painting all together. It was not until he saw the horizon line of eastern Colorado that took his breath away that he was inspired to return to painting. “For about six months after that all I painted were horizon lines,” Compton said. “It was just a whole bunch of them in a variety of colors, and so it kind of grew out of there and (I) started to sell a lot of work…I did some small commissions of work when I was in high school, (but) I didn’t start actually selling until about 1998.” Compton uses his personal website, robcompton.com, to display his artwork. Anyone can contact Compton about purchasing a piece through his website, but most purchases come through in-person contact. The farthest one of his purchased paintings has traveled is to China. Most of his work is displayed during art shows around Wichita, with his next show coming up in February. “I have been in about eight solo shows
“Colorado Creek”Rob Compton
around Wichita,” Compton said. “I’ll be in the 2018 Final Friday in February in City Arts, and it’s the full main gallery. It will be a big show, it will be the biggest show I have had in about three years.” Compton finds a greater sense of focus while painting than he finds anywhere else. “Anytime I’m in the studio with paint there is a focus that I don’t get with anything else,” Compton said. “And a calmness, even if I’m not enjoying it particularly, it’s still this kind of other world I lean into. I do use it as a type of refuge. Time is a factor so I try to just schedule, like Saturday or Sunday mornings, sometimes both, I’m up in the studio before anyone is even awake.” Along with painting, Compton also enjoys teaching at East. “I’m an extrovert and so teaching is really good for me,” Compton said. “And when people ask me ‘Do you want to do painting full time?’ I always say no. I just wouldn’t be happy just doing that.” Through all the ups and downs in his time as an artist, Compton has always returned to painting. “I imagine that art will always stay with me,” Compton said. “And I say that now because there have been times when I wasn’t painting and then it just always comes back around.”