Seaman High School Topeka, Kansas Volume 90 | Issue 2 November15 , 2020
Pages 8-11 Adjusting to a new learning style
Pages 12-13 Commemorating an unsung hero
Page 20 A new obsession Among Us
2 | INDEX
An Inside Look... NEWS
Black Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04 NOTO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 Downtown Reivial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06-07 SHS Going Face to Face . . . . . . . . . . 08-11
FEATURES
Unsung Hero Portrait . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13
18 Under 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-15 Janitors Deal with Covid . . . . . . . . . . 16-17
OPINION
Fall Surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 Among Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Album Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Lack of School Dances . . . . . . . . .22 ..
SPORTS
Football Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25 Spotlighting Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27
Staff List EDITORS IN CHIEF Tristan Fangman Madeline Gearhart GRAPHICS EDITOR Camryn Turner ONLINE EDITOR Kaycee Tanner AD MANAGER Alyssa Boos STAFF WRITERS Kendal Broughton Rene Cabrera Bethany Druse Jozee Esser Erin Feldkamp Lynde Heald Savanah Reeves Tara Spencer
The
INDEX| 3
Clipper Crew
TOP LEFT: Alyssa Boos, Tristan Fangman, Madeline Gearhart, Jozee Esser, and Rene Cabrera MIDDLE: Kendal Broughton, Savanah Reeves, Amy Riley, Camryn Turner, and Kaycee Tanner BOTTOM LEFT: Erin Feldkamp, Bethany Druse, Tara Spencer, and Lynde Heald
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Creating New Traditions Tra Camryn Turner Staff Writer
Another change of tradition having to be made this year due to the conditions being put in by the Coronavirus is Black Friday shopping. Black Friday shopping is the day after Thanksgiving where everyone sets out to find the best deals for the gifts they are wanting to give their loved ones. Or, they are just wanting to find the best deals on some items they have had their eyes on. Everyone knows how hectic and crowded this day is, how are the stores planning on maintaining that social distance of six feet, and ensuring masks are on to prevent the spread of the virus? Stores usually start to open their stores to the public around six in the evening on Thanksgiving Day. This year so far the concise response has been that the stores will be closed on Thanksgiving day, but the sales are being extended. Major retailers such as Bath and Body Works, Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Kohls, Sam’s Club and so many more of every-
one’s favorites have confirmed some of their restrictions already. Walmart came out with their deals this holiday season on October 14th. They have renamed the annual shopping day to its “nearly-month long event Black Friday Deals for Days”. There also is going to be more of a variety and more sales online than before. Their events have been split into 3 different events; the first event date starts on November 4th and goes until the 7th, and sales go live on their website at 7 p.m. The third event includes being able to shop in person, customers are being required to form a single line to enter the store, and there will be a limited number of people that are allowed to enter the store at a time. Target’s Black Friday plans are similar to Walmart’s: their deals are going to be up for grabs the whole month of November. There will be new deals dropping everyday. Something different than the other stores that they are preparing for is a curbside pickup. A plan in doubling their
staff to maintain the in-store employees, with the curbside helpers, and then the ones that are there to help with the distribution centers. Another huge retailer that has announced their new protocol is Sam’s Club. They have mailed out their deals to their customers. Sam’s Club’s deals are lasting a total of eight days (November 7th-15th) for their pre-sales event. Although there will be deals online, there will be more put in-store. Five days after their pre-event sales there will be a “10 Days of Thanks-Saving” starting on the 20th, and last until the 29th. Each store has their own way of doing Black Friday shopping this year, but there will be an event. Because all stores are having their own spin on things, make sure to look online at their protocols. All stores will be having more sales online, and are enforcing Coronavirus guidelines. Make sure to wear a mask and maintain social distance this Black Friday.
NOTO R
by Erin Feldkamp Staff Writer _
Many of us know North Topeka as a place to see galleries, cafes, boutiques, and antique historic buildings. On first Fridays, many shops and galleries are open late, and an outdoor market, open from 6-8:30 p.m. offers antiques, crafts, and live performances. Let’s check out what new places have been brought to NOTO. Doughboyz Pizzeria opened in mid-July and is owned by Eli Campbell and Trevor Burdett. Campbell has always dreamed of opening his own pizza restaurant so for the past 15 years he has been interested in all things pizza and the restaurant industry. This large building gives Burdett and Campbell the ability to host large parties. Inside the building, two murals created by a local artist Jordan Brooks decorate the walls. The
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restaurant features a wideopen dining room with a mixture of low-top and hightop tables seating about 80 people. Meals cost anywhere from $2.95-$38.50. Along with all of this, there will be a corn hole, a big blow-up movie screen, and an arcade room that will consist of a variety of old-school and new games. Outside of their restaurant, they have a back patio and Burdett said it will be ideal if COVID-19 continues to spread. He loves what NOTO has done for him and his family. He also says NOTO is one of the few places that they can eat without fighting a huge crowd. They both hope to create a name for themselves and hope to be a dynamic pair that creates an environment for kids and adults to enjoy. Doughboyz Pizzeria is hoping to build their brand in the NOTO Arts
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and Entertainment District. Phoenix Finds NOTO is a locally owned top-of-theline thrift store. It is always expanding and updating its selections and sells anything from old toys and dining room sets to vintage treasures and collectibles. Phoenix Finds also sells dolls, jewelry, and glassware. They have over 14 years of experience in this industry. Their goal is to always have top quality products that are reasonably priced. They are open Tuesday – Friday from 10 am – 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am – 4 pm. They are closed Sunday and Monday. You can check out their unique products on the first Friday and Saturday of each month during the art walk they host. The Onyx Salon and Wellness Spa are located in NOTO Arts and Entertainment District. The
salon and wellness spa have been part of NOTO since 2018 and they feel rewarded. The salon and wellness spa renovated two old run-down buildings and transformed them into relaxing Oasis. Along with the salon and wellness spa, they have a café. The café has a variety of drinks including juice, kombucha, coffee, and protein treats. Prices range anywhere from $3-$14. Overall NOTO Arts and Entertainment District has been making many new changes for the better! Make sure you go and check out some of these local amazing stores.
Page designed by: Erin Feldkamp
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Downtown Revival BETHANY DRUSE Staff Writer BY
People around Topeka have been wanting downtown to include more fun and interactive experiences for families. Many places have tried to open, but sadly ran out of business. Five small business owners, who also own Legacy Motors decided to get together and make a new fun place for families because they all wanted to grow the area of downtown and make it a more enjoyable area for people to hang out. The Axe and Ale owners love their location because it
is right off the Evergy Plaza. Also, they wanted to add to the growth of Topeka so they thought that putting their business Downtown was the perfect place. Tom Cox, one of the five owners of Axe and Ale said, “The city needs more fun things to do for families and individuals and we thought this would be a great way to help!” The employees work very hard to create a fun environment and to ensure that everybody had a great
Page Design by Erin Feldkamp and Bethany Druse
experience. Avery Samuelson, freshman, said, “Overall my experience was pretty fun. Once we were in our area we got to take our masks off, but everything was safe Covidwise. The employees were all very nice, and there was food available if you wanted to purchase it.” The new permanent special at Axe and Ale is kids 17 and under are half price on Sundays.They are committed to making sure that every customer has the
best experience and will walk out excited to come back. “Anyone can throw an axe, some pick it up faster than others but we feel strongly that we don’t let anyone leave without being able to land a throw,” explained Cox. Their weekend hours are Saturday from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Here is a link where you can find their weekday hours https:// axealetopeka.com. Make sure to go check them out!
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Cyrus Hotel
Price: $99 - $109 per night per room Location: 920 S Kansas Avenue Hours: 24 hours a day The Cyrus Hotel offers 109 with a restaurant and a wedding venue!
Ash Boutique
Evergy Plaza
Price: Free Location: 630 S Kansas Avenue Hours: 7:45 am to 10 pm Evergy Plaza opened in the summer of 2020 and will host many events which include fountain shows, lunches that will have live music, Jazzercises, and show movies on the on the big screen!
Jayhawk Theatre
Price: $19 - $198 Location: 921 S Kansas Avenue Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sundays are closed Ash Boutique is a women’s boutique that offers contemporary women fashion. They carry anything from accessories to gifts to clothes.
Price: Ticket prices will vary Location: 720 SW Jackson St Hours: Wednesday’s 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm The Jayhawk Theatre of Kansas is a 1,500-seat theatre that has been hosting live events since it opened in 1926 and has been renovated since then. The theatre has added many new features such as the hotel, shopping complex, and a place for visitors to eat, sleep, and be entertained.
Hazel Hill Chocolate
The Pennant
Price: $1.10 - $66.00 Location: 724 S Kansas Avenue Hours: Monday - Thursday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, Friday - Saturday 10:00 am - 8:00 pm, Sunday’s are closed Hazel Hill Chocolate is a handcraft made from scratch chocolate store. Due to COVID 19 their store is currently closed.
Price: $4 - $15 Location: 915 S Kansas Avenue Hours: Everyday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm The Pennant is a restaurant that has many different foods, drinks, and milkshake options. You can then head upstairs and play many different vintage arcade games.
8 | NEWS
Adjusting To A New
Learning Style STORY BY Kendal Broughton Staff Writer
Seaman High School, like the majority of schools across the country, have had to make a tremendous number of changes in efforts to keep students and teachers healthy and safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, all elementary schools are full-onsite learning. The middle and high school, however, are continuing in the Hybrid Learning model in order to keep a safe environment. The elementary fullonsite transition plan includes these strategies to reduce risk of COVID-19: masks required, regular hand washing breaks, temperature checks when entering school buildings, Page Design By Kendal Broughton
social distancing to be enforced when possible, cleaning and disinfecting buildings every night highly focusing on highly touched areas, and contact tracing. But the President of Seaman’s Board of Education, James Adams, is concerned that when bringing back secondary schools, these strategies are not as easy to maintain with the amount of people. “My biggest concerns with the plan to bring everyone back in October had a lot to do with the growing number of students in quarantine at the time as well as I didn’t feel it adhered to our mitigation strategies and put our staff at risk” says Adams. On September 28th, there was a specially requested board
meeting where building administration presented the plans for middle school and high school to return.. This board meeting was called specifically to talk about the plans to return to full-onsite learning. Proposals were made with the idea that cold and flu season are upon us, therefore, the board had to keep in mind what was safest for students and staff. The plans presented included bringing highschool students back fulltime, on-site on January 19th, 2021. As for the middle school, the plan was to return October 26 four days a week. “This recommendation was based on feedback from parents, students, and staff as well as the varying methods for
content delivery at the middle and high school. While the high school remains mainly synchronized learning, the middle school is delivering content in a more asynchronous environment. The age of students is also an added factor as many of our middle schoolers require more direct instruction than most high school students. Also, the high school is twice the size in population as our middle school and research shows the older the student, the more susceptible the student is to contracting COVID and transmitting it to others,” explains Dr. Noble, the superintendent. This proposal was not favored and the board discussed that students
NEWS | 9 should come back sooner than January, modifying the plan so students would return in October. The board requested the following changes to the original R2R transition proposal. SMS and SHS will begin identifying and bringing in students to on-site learning four or five days a week in the next couple of weeks. SMS hybrid students will attend on-site learning on October 21 for a trial run and transition to full onsite learning beginning October 26 with nearly all students working remotely every Wednesday and a few students attending five days a week. SHS hybrid students will be offered the option to remain in hybrid or transition to full on-site learning (with Wednesdays as remote days). Family Choice Remote Learning will continue as planned. Many people in the community disagreed that the plan was changed to return in October. The majority of students and staff, specifically at SHS were not, and still are not comfortable with
returning to full-onsite learning. With this being said, some students from SHS spoke out at the October 12th board meeting regarding what their opinions were on the plan to return in October. Molly McClimans, senior, thought that the administration was trying to bring students back too quickly. “As of the date of that board meeting, the students in quarantine were at a record high for Seaman High School, not to mention the fact that Shawnee County had just moved to the orange level. With cold and flu season approaching, with symptoms much similar to COVID’s, now is not the time to rush the return back to school” says McClimans. McClimans believes that rather than trying to push students back into school as soon as possible, administration should be enhancing the quality of online learning instead of taking the alternative of bringing us back to school with an unsafe environment. “It’s not based on the fear of what will happen to
“Keep hybrid learning, the amount of students in this building puts me at ease, since there aren’t as many bodies.” Yuvia Cabello, Sophomore
me if I get sick, but rather fear that my peers may have unknown underlying conditions that put them at risk for this being severely ill if an outbreak were to occur. I also do not want to return fully remote if an outbreak were to occur-- two days at school are better than zero days at school, in my opinion. And, according to results from a survey Mrs. Fernandez-Flores (Director of Secondary Education) put out, around 70% of teachers in our building are not comfortable with students returning back at this time. I trust the opinions of our educators who see the insides of our school every day more than I do the opinions of students, some of which just want to see their friends and are indifferent, and parents, who do not see the insides of our classrooms every day,” explained McClimans. Junior, Kevinh Nguyen, also spoke at the October 12th board meeting. Nguyen believes there are big risks for everyone to come back that doesn’t need to. “It should just be need
“I think it would be good if we went back to normal because it’s easier to learn and I find doing my work harder when I’m at home.” Ethan Schulz, Sophomore
based. (At the meeting) I talked about how the school has become complacent with reaching out to students when making decisions. I used mobile hand washing spots as an example. They are barely used because it’s not what students wanted. Less than 400 students actually take polls compared to the 1200. The board uses this number to make decisions,” Nguyen says. He believes that the board often forgets who they are impacting with their decisions. “The parents will never feel the full impact of any decisions. The students will. They have to face week long quarantines if an outbreak occurs. They have to suffer if a teacher is underpaid and leaves. There is no trust in the school board lately and we will support the board if they actually try and sit down with us.” However, the board assures students that it values the students’ opinions and appreciates when students speak at board meetings. “Having students speak at board meetings is a
“Personally, I believe we should keep hybrid. If we do all in school then I wouldn’t like it at all because it would be more likely to get corona or carry it to our family at home.” Tiara Gant, Junior
10 | NEWS valuable contribution to the board. Our biggest stakeholders about any decision we make typically involves kids, so it’s been good to hear how they are taking all of this in and what ideas they have about how to make it better. By having them active in the process it gives us an additional set of feedback to work from and their voice being heard is as important as anyone else” explains James Adams, Board President. Superintendent, Dr. Noble is also proud of students for coming and giving their opinions. “I’m always proud of our students for advocating on behalf of themselves and others. We hope that our students always feel they have a voice and are part of the decision making process,” says Dr. Noble. Adams understands that
no matter what decision the board makes, there will be some people who are unhappy with the decision. “As soon as we make one group happy, another group is potentially negatively impacted in some way. COVID-19, more than any other issue in the past decade of being on the board, has highlighted this point the most. A mentor of mine, when I first joined the board gave me what I believe to be great advice on this question. ‘As long as you make students the focus of any decision you make, you can’t lose. ALWAYS put kids first.’ Leadership is a funny thing, it isn’t about popularity or caving to those that scream the loudest, it’s about what is doing right,” explains Adams. On the week of October
“I personally wish I could come in everyday for school. I do better when I’m in class, working from home is too hard for me to fully understand.” Ariel Grader, Junior
Page Design By Kendal Broughton
19, the Clipper conducted a survey that was given to almost all CLP classes. In this survey, it is shown that 88% of students--94 out of 107-- that took the survey, are more comfortable with continuing Hybrid than going back to school fulltime. This compares to the district’s survey from September 28th that shows about 46% students were more comfortable staying Hybrid. According to the Clipper’s Survey, over half of the students that responded saying they do want to come back fulltime, only want to return because they do not feel that they are learning well enough at home. The next board meeting is scheduled for November 9th. The elementary curriculum director, Rebecca Kramer, will report how full-onsite learning is
“I think that it is a good idea. It is a good way to keep down the level of contact between students. I think that it is better especially with COVID, the cases have been rising.” Kelly Del-Zio, Senior
going for the elementary schools. The secondary curriculum director, Danira Fernandez-Flores, will report on the status of Hybrid at SMS and SHS. “We are trying to adapt as quickly as possible to changing information while still maintaining a degree of stability, so we don’t create more chaos than necessary for our staff and families” explains Adams. “If we return too quickly and create a scenario in which our positivity rates skyrocket and our absenteeism drops among students and staff, and we will be forced to take more drastic measures.” There will be more information regarding secondary learning models after the November 9th board meeting.
“I don’t really think hybrid learning is beneficial. When I’m at home, I learn nothing. But I understand because they just want everyone to be safe.” Taylor Godbout, Senior
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What do the students say? Week of September 28 SIT BACK AND OBSERVE: Students involved in the young democrats club watching the board meeting on October 12th. Picture by Alyssa Boos.
Clipper Survey Results: Week of October 12
USE YOUR VOICE: Theo Wagnon, Junior, as he speaks his opinion on the Hybrid Learning Model. Picture by Alyssa Boos.
PREPARE FOR THE BEST: Kaden Fox, Senior, as he prepares his speech. Fox spoke at the board meeting October 12th and gave his opinion on the current learning situation. Picture by Alyssa Boos.
12 | FEATURE
Commemorating an
Unsung Hero
STORY BY TRISTAN FANGMAN Co-Editor in Chief
but unfortunately Covid has not allowed me to do that. I also sometimes take some spillover from the counseling office where there are some kids who he Advanced Art classes come talk to me to get advice or just need (Advanced Studioand AP Artand someone to listen and I am very grateful Design) have an annual Unsung I can do that for them,” says Simons. Senior Madi Harlow who heroes project where they collaborate to helped create the portrait says she create a portrait of a deserving member was chosen because “she provides of the Viking community. This year’s selection was tech expert, Jo Simons. the snacks and computer help and Mr. LeDuc has been giving this generally cares for the students.” The process of this assignment assignment to his advanced art students started with the class discussion to for about 20 years to emulate artist Chuck Close’s style, but in the past ten pick the unsung hero, photographing years, the assignment has become a way Simons, cutting and distributing pieces, to honor impactful people in the school. then compiling and hanging the pieces. “The first conversation we have From start to finish, this project took for this project is who do you think about four weeks to complete. The is deserving and is an unsung hero nine artists had 252 six by six-inch in the building,” explains LeDuc. squares to complete for the portrait, “It could be anybody. It could be an which is about 25 to 30 pieces per artist. “The number of pieces we had administrator, a teacher, a student, to do was the most challenging part. a cafeteria worker, or a custodian.” The pieces we cut were not all accurate The students advocated for to size. There are more pages than their nominations of who was most deserving and Jo Simons was chosen. people and fitting it all together In addition to aiding teachers and and getting it straight with so many students with their technological people is difficult,” explains Harlow. Covid-19 had posed many needs, Simons runs an underground food station to feed SHS students. challenges to the artists, but they “Generally I feed kids every morning tackled every conflict thrown at them. LeDuc explains, “We knew would be challenging because normally as they work they put it together probably 15-20 times during the process doing tweaks and critiquing and that was not at all possible with Covid and having A and B groups.” Because they knew the pieces would not line up as seamlessly as past years, the students suggested a creative spin on the portrait, which in past years has been exclusively done in gray scale, by using an Picturing talent: These are the gifted artists who created the portrait of analogous color scheme with unsung hero Jo Simons. Back Row: Reagan Carter, Jennifer Montague, Simons’ favorite color teal. Jo Simons, Jayden Brandt, Summer Gardner, and Brinlee Deeter. Front Another problem Row: Trinity Powell, Emma Horton, Madi Harlow, and Anna Brodine . showed up when the class put the final pieces Page design by Tristan Fangman together and they discovered
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they were about 12 pieces short. “I don’t know where they went or if there was a miscommunication in distributing,” explains LeDuc, “so we had to figure out what to do with those blanks and decided to create an affirmation for Jo with them. Covid presented a lot of challenges so we wanted to show unity and variety and make that a bit of a theme in the piece.” Simons was shocked and delighted to see what the artists had created as well as the new style that was produced this year. “They asked me what’s your favorite color so that’s when I knew they must be adding some color somewhere and when they were revealed it I thought it was just a beautiful piece of art that they had done such a wonderful job! I love all the colors and inspirational quotes that they included I just think it’s so clever and brilliant,” says Simons. LeDuc, also applauds their work in saying, “I’m just so proud of the kids because it’s a really difficult assignment. As artists, almost always you are doing projects independently, but we put nine people on the project; it’s just really tough. I’m super excited for Jo Simons, very deserving, and I’m excited that she was chosen.” As for the artists, this was a bonding experience that they will not soon forget. Many challenges arose, but by working as a team, the artists overcame obstacles to make the first color unsung hero portrait. Junior Brinlee Deeter says “My advice for next year’s students would be to try to make friends with their classmates as much as you can and work together even if you don’t agree on something. Try to make the best out of it and just be cohesive and be nice.” Covid-19 continues to bring up new challenges for the Viking community, even throughout this art project. Jo Simons is a positive light in the building and she urges people to stay optimistic. “Right now when there’s a lot of hate and violence being spewed around, I think it’s [the portrait] just a real tribute that the love that you put into the world comes back to you. Lead with love not hate for goodness sake!”
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18 UNDER 18
FORREST BRUNGARDT STORY BY ALYSSA BOOS Ad Manager
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orrest Brungardt is a senior at SHS who has been involved in GSA, Scholars Bowl, Model UN, and Student Council. He is the main organizer of the Civic Engagement Club and the founder and president of the Young Democrats Club. Brungardt and the Civic Engagement Club presented a bill in January of 2020 to make Election Day a holiday. After doing research about how other states made Election Day a holiday, Civic Engagement Club went to testify in favor of the bill. However, the bill was unsuccessful. “The bill would have made voting easier and increased voter turnout, but I met a lot of legislators who I still have contact with today,” Brungardt stated. As for the Young Democrats Club, Brungardt started the club in February of his freshman year. “I went to a very conservative and homophobic private school from middle school until the first half of my freshman year. I transferred out in January and went to Seaman. I wanted a complete change. Seeing that there was no Young Democrats Club at Seaman, I wanted to create a community of people like me, because I had never had that community at my old school.” “Making YDC a club was not easy,” as Brungardt stated, “I drafted the constitution, got a sponsor, got members, but I got frustrated, after being told I needed five members, then I needed fifteen members.” Brungardt then found a law called the Equal Access Act, which stated that the school couldn’t stop Forrest from making Young Democrats Club, as long
as it doesn’t promote violence, drugs, etc. After a long fight, Brungardt talked to some lawyers, and YDC was made an official club at Seaman High School. Seaman High’s Young Democrat's Club is the biggest Democrat’s Club in Kansas, with over fifty members. In September, YDC attained 19 new members and on October 21 new members were added. “The turnout wasn’t expected. Two years ago when the club started there were three to four people and last year there were six people. Part of the increase in members was mainly the work of Rene Cabrera and Molly McClimans recruiting people,” Brungardt said. Young Democrat’s Club has been one of the main supporters of staying in Hybrid as opposed to returning to a five-day week. Members delivered four speeches from four students in October’s board meeting. YDC also supported teachers last year, arguing for salary increases during contract negotiations. “We’ve done many lit drops for political campaigns and have to lead the fight to rename Seaman after the article of Fred Seaman being a KKK member,” Brungardt continued. When asked about leadership and his advice to others about it, he said, “There is no one type of leadership. I tend to be quiet and reserved and I don’t take bold actions. I do a lot of behind-the-scenes work and my advice for what leadership is that leadership is whatever you want it to be.” Forrest is currently in-between careers, planning to major in political science and then go to law school or major in the statistical analysis of elections, either at the University of Washington in Seattle or at the University of Kansas.
FEATURES | 15
STORY BY ALYSSA BOOS Ad Manager
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eece Adams is a senior who is also the president of SADD, or Students Against Destructive Decisions. Over her four years at Seaman High School she has been involved in the musical, spirit club, cheerleading, FFA, band, swim team, SAFE committee leader, NHS, Key Club, Kansas Youth Connect was a football cheer captain. SADD was a club that was revived by Reece Adams during her junior year. SADD is bringing awareness to the pressures in high school, like bullying, drugs, suicide, domestic violence, and alcohol. So far SADD has held Red Ribbon Week, Suicide Prevention Month, and has done a seatbelt survey. “At the end of junior year I noticed a lot of things that needed to be addressed, that wasn’t addressed, in the high school. So I connected with a sponsor and said I think this program needs to happen at Seaman. This club went from my best friend and me to around more than thirty members,” Adams states. For Red Ribbon Week, SADD hosted a Kahoot with facts about drug awareness, and whoever wins gets a free drink
from the Viking Brew. While for Suicide Prevention Month, Adams organized positive messages in chalk, posters to put around the school, and a yellow day. When asked why she’s so involved in school, Adams said, “I tried many things in my freshman year I never thought I’d do. Even if I didn’t stick with all the things I tried, it helped me figure out what I liked to do and what I’m good at. Pushing the border really makes a difference” Adams provided statistics that 86% of teenagers know someone who drinks alcohol. “We’re trying to show that there are resources available for you and that just because your friends do it, doesn’t mean you have to do it.” Before Reece graduates, she wants to leave a lasting impression at SHS, where students have resources available to them at any given time, whether it be through the counselor’s office and teachers, to the SADD club. “I just want everyone to have a place in the high school. I know about sitting alone at lunch and no one caring that you are alone. When I see someone like that, I go up to them and ask if they’d like to sit with me. It’s not hard to show you care.” Adams plans to go to the University of Kansas to major in aerospace engineering.
REECE ADAMS 18 UNDER 18
Page Design by Alyssa Boos
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Custodians take on
FEATURES | 17
Adjustments to Cleaning Routine STORY BY MADELINE GEARHART Editor In Chief
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f there is one element that is vital to schools during a pandemic, it is maintaining a safe and healthy environment. The high school has to not only be consistently clean but constantly sanitized. Therefore, the janitors are taking on an increased workload in order to combat a potential spike in sickness. The practices which the school uses in order to properly clean have now been altered to fit a viral threat. Custodial worker, Tony Ayala, states that “A whole lot has changed. Right now we are basically wiping down where everyone touches, so we are
disinfecting, and wiping down the tables, student’s desks, teacher’s desks, light switches, door handles, basically everything.” Although these surfaces would have been cleaned the same last year, it is because of slight variations that the practices are different this year. The frequency of cleaning is a huge variation from previous years. The custodians would cleanse
everything about twice a week, but now the system has transformed into a daily ritual. The new standards require disinfecting surfaces every day, Monday through Thursday, and then a comprehensive cleaning on Friday. Added cleaning time is another factor that many, if not all, custodial workers have seen in their routines. Eric Snell, a custodial worker, states that “It is probably an additional hour or so if not longer. With the extra equipment we have been given to combat the COVID-19 virus, that takes changes.” Ayala adds that, “ Each room takes about ten to fifteen minutes as opposed to before when we probably took maybe eight minutes.” On top of the added work, more supplies have been provided. “We use 16 (the weekday cleaner) to disinfect everything to kill germs. Both of the cleaners kill Covid-19 but the weekday one kills blood-borne diseases as well. The new Friday chemical is a disinfectant but it is mostly meant to clean surfaces” explains Ayala. The combination is used in order to sanitize as well as clean, which they find is most effective. The staff themselves see this cleaning time as a necessary addition to their routines when it comes to keeping the school safe. “As far as what more we can do from right now, I think and believe we’re doing enough. My understanding is that we have not had a serious breakout in the high school which is a great thing. A lot of schools cannot say that. So as far as custodial staffs’ jobs, I think we have done enough in that manner,” says Mr. Snell. According to the weekly COVID-19 report on the district website, The current infection rate has remained relatively low throughout the district as of October. Safety is important overall, but these additional tasks are believed to be more significant because of the impact which has been seen by the staff. Ayala remarks, “To be honest with you, it’s necessary for the kids because I see a lot of the kids get sick already. On top of that, I know a lot of elderly people are dying from it (COVID-19). I’m just doing it for the safety of the world.” The school district is especially trying
to maintain health as the typical spread of sickness heightens during colder months. For the concern of safety as the winter months approach along with flu season, the custodial crew is not overly worried. Snell explains, “COVID-19 started in March and it was still pretty chilly then. Nobody knows exactly how the winter months are going to go. We are still going to do what we have to do. If things change, we’re still going to do what we have to do.” The general consensus is that adjustments will be necessary but that schooling will continue nevertheless. The custodial staff will continue to be there for protection against illness. As for Mr. Snell, he would like to say, “Thank you, for those students that I speak to at events or in the hallway and the teachers. You have shown us courtesy and thank us for the work that we do. It is dirty work but we do it because most of us enjoy doing it. To the staff, faculty, and students, thank you. I appreciate you as well.”
Clearing Cans - Custodian Marcia Peak clears out a trash can from the lunch room. She has been regularly responsible for maintaining this part of cleaning within the high school.
Rinse and Repeat - Desks are regularly wiped down within the classrooms by ___, a custodian. The custodians have mopping tools which they occasionally use on top of the desks rather than the floor for ease of cleaning surfaces.
18 | Feature
Viking Voices
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Kit-Kat Reeses Twix Candy Corn Snickers
What was your best Halloween Costume? “A giant piece of cake when I was in 5th grade.” -Samantha Viera, 12 “My dad and I were Shrek and Donkey. I was Donkey.” - Natalie Holloway, 9 “I was Elliot from ET and my dog was ET. I wrapped her in a towel and put her in a milk crate on the front of my bike.” - Ellie Ayres, 9
1. Hocus Pocus 2. Nightmare before Christmas 3. Halloween Town 4. Halloween Page Design By Kaycee Tanner
Feature | 19
Mrs. Riley Alyssa Kendal Rene Bethany Jozee Tristan Erin Madeline Lynde Savannah Tara Kaycee
Rating Key:
Camryn NEED TO HIT THE GYM
FEELS LIKE FALL
SLOWLY BUT SURELY
GOING STALE IN THE PANTRY
STOP JUST STOP
20 | Opinion
mong Us
The Trend Among us JOZEE ESSER Staff Writer
Recently a new game has swept the attention of our student body at Seaman High. This new game is called “Among Us” Among Us features anywhere from 5-10 players and anywhere from 1-3 imposters in the group. The objective of the game is for the imposters to try and kill the crewmates without getting caught while the crewmates try to catch the imposter to win the game. During the game, the crewmates and imposters are assigned a set of tasks to complete. The imposters attempt to sabotage the space ship that they are on and the crewmates have to keep the ship up and running while trying to catch the imposters. When dead bodies are found players can report the deaths to the group. These bodies were killed by the imposters. The imposters are trying to kill all the crewmates without getting caught. Once reported, the group has to figure out who killed the person by talking it out. During this discussion, the imposter acts innocent and tries to blame other people so that they can get rid of the rest of the crewmates and win the game. If anyone seems suspicious, the group can vote that person out which is decided by a majority vote. Once that person is voted out it, they will tell the group if they were an imposter or not. I just recently started to play this game and it brings out so many emotions in me. I get so angry at times because someone is either accusing me of being the imposter or because of how unreasonable others sound in their accusations. Sometimes I do feel guilty sometimes when I’m certain that someone is the imposter and I get everyone on my side to vote them out and it turns out that they weren’t the imposter after all. It’s like, oops my bad.
From my experience, players lose track of time so easily when playing. One minute they think it’s 1:00 in the afternoon and then they check the clock and it’s somewhere around midnight. Overall, I think that this is an enjoyable game to play, especially if players are competing with people they know. Honestly, I play this game too much; I have even played it during class when I have nothing to do. I would definitely recommend trying this game if you haven’t played it yet!
PPage designed by Jozee Esser
Opinion | 21
LL I IL SSI T TS E ET N NE N UU P PU P By Kaycee Tanner
COVID-19 may have put a stop to the majority of life throughout 2020, but it did not stop the music industry. The major downfall of the virus was that live performances were cancelled, bands and musicians were forced to put their tours on halt, most of which postponed them until 2021 or later. On the other hand, musicians were able to focus on finishing projects, getting healthy, creating new music and remembering why they enjoy their profession so much. Across social media videos of muscians playing from home were posted to encourage fans to be safe and be hopeful. As the fall season came around, about six months had passed since the inital shutdown across the US and new music was being released across the board. Here are some tracks that came out in October 2020.
Mama’s Boy - LANY
What You See Ain’t Always What You Get - Luke Combs
HOLY - Justin Bieber
Positions - Ariana Grande
Wonder - Shawn Mendes
Love Goes - Sam Smith
Page Design By Kaycee Tanner
Opinion | 22
Can dances be COVID safe?
STORY BY LYNDE HEALD Staff Writer High school dances help students create memories that last forever. Due to COVID-19, school dances and events have been canceled putting a stop to those memories. High school is something we only get to experience once. With certain regulations and rules, we could still have these dances while still being safe during COVID-19. Dances mean a lot to students and are a big event that they can look forward to. They are not just dances, but they are a way for students to connect and see their peers in a different setting. Students are able to express themselves more and have the opportunity to really connect with fellow peers. Dances would also give students the chance to see other students that are fully-remote or in a different hybrid group allowing all students to socialize with their friends. In order to still be able to have this opportunity available to students, we would have to follow new regulations to keep students and chaperones for these events safe. If these dances were allowed, students
would have to stay six feet apart. Without restricting some students from the dance, we would need a larger space to all attend together. Instead of only gathering in the commons, we could use both the north and south gym as well as the commons creating more room for social distancing. If school officials are worried about the gym floor, students could take off their shoes before entering the gym. The timing of these dances is also very important with COVID-19. If cases are spiking, we should be staying home and going out as little as possible. If case numbers were small or declining, masks would have to be worn just like at school (which in-person students are used to) as well as temperature checks at the door and hand-washing stations all around the area. These events are what bring us together as a school. We could still have them while having fun and being COVID-friendly. Having these dances is important to students, but the health of our peers and faculty is more important. Waiting to have them and following regulations can help us jump back into having these memorable nights.
ADS | 23
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VIKING FO Story by Savanah Reeves
This year Seaman High School’s football team tackled a big win against the Manhattan Indians on October 2, 2020. This was the first win against Manhattan since 2013. What changed in the program this year to pull off the win? Head Coach Glenn O’Neil had that answer. “The biggest thing this year was confidence. The early success that we have had against other teams, kind of built on the confidence level and then when we beat Hayden and Hayden beat Manhattan, even though those two don’t correlate much in the long run it gave our guys an extra little sense of confidence and we got off to a quick start.” Getting off to a quick start is a big play in any season or game. Having the lead at the first half doesn’t determine the second half, though, and that’s exactly what the Vikings indicated in this game. “After [Manhattan] scored and the onside kick that they recovered, the defense really stepped up late in the 4th quarter and created a four and out situation for us where we got the ball but if Manhattan would have scored on us it would have been really scary,“ said Coach O’Neil. Every player and coach showed up with the mindset to win despite the setbacks that SHS faced. “Our defense as a whole stepped up and was physical because Manhattan is probably a little bit bigger than what we are in most positions and I think our defense did a really nice job of creating turnovers which gave us a short field because I think in our first touchdown we only had to go about seven yards. So that was really big and the confidence
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Page design by Tara Spencer
grew from there,” said O’Neil. Reid Cowan, Quarterback, was really proud of his team and the outcome of this game. “I think our defense flew the ball really well. I mean coaches made great calls and you know great passing schemes and everything. Receivers made some phenomenal catches and I think that everyone wanted it more than [Manhattan] did.” Feelings and emotions were high this game and after the win the smiles were big. “For me that is the first time we have beaten Manhattan since I have been here and I’ve been here for five years. And this is the first time that Seaman has beaten them since 2013. Manhattan’s main sport is probably football so it was a big win for our guys this year,” said O’Neil. Cowan was also proud of the Vikings’ performance. “It was really good to get that win. We all were looking forward to the game, you know, having a good chance to beat them. We haven’t beat Manhattan in our class. Just to go out there and beat them feels really good as a team,” said Cowan. According to O’Neil, this season has been built on positive momentum and confidence in the team and themselves. “It’s just kind of built on what we created early as far as positive momentum and the players’ belief in themselves has grown by beating a team such as Manhattan and playing Junction City close. Keeping everything rolling and keeping a positive momentum run and on top of that the lack of injuries has played a big part in success this year.”
OOTBALL
The Vikes get ready to run out onto the field before the game .
Fighting hard, the Vikes keep the ball away from th opposing team.
Vikes celebrate a goal together against Manhattan.
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26 | SPORTS
Fall Sports Wrap up: Football “This year we have been 6 and 1 we ended up losing to junction city 34 to 27 we all worked really hard over the summer coming to weights 5 days a week and everyone just wanted it this year and we knew we could do something special and we all believed that and we started to play together as a team and came out the first week beat Washburn 21 to 45 second week beat Hayden 28 to 22, with both teams we were expected to lose but we came out strong and it got a lot of people to pay attention and in high spirits and we could make a great run at state.” Reid Cowan, 12th grade.
Volleyball “We had a very successful season this year! We had a few newcomers this year that really gave our team the extra push of talent and energy that made us as successful as we were. Our final record at the end of the season was 28-8. As a team, we made it to State for the first time since 2014 after beating Highland Park and then Shawnee Heights in Sub state. Unfortunately, we lost to Lansing in the quarterfinals. We also took first in the Centennial League, which was super exciting considering we had to share the title last year.” Samantha Ingram, 12th grade.
Girls Cross Country “At the beginning it was kind of rough and then we started to work harder in practices and we got to the point where we started to get some PR and it was really fun because we were really happy about our races. Towards the end we were getting all of our goals which was really fun. At City I broke the school record by 7 seconds and I just felt really good about that race. State hasn’t happened yet.” Bethany Druse, 10th grade.
Boys Cross Country
Savanah Reeves|Page Designer and Photographer
“Thankfully we actually had a season during these times, but I wouldn’t say there was a drastic change in how we did things. Our meets had less people and we weren’t able to run Rim Rock, but our practices operated the same as how they always would, and most of the time at meets, all we had to do was wear our masks until a minute before we started. It was a good season altogether. We worked our tails off, both the Varsity and JV, and that generated many PR’s and us taking first place at Regionals. We moved on to State, and took 9th as a team. What’s great about our team is that instead of talking and boasting about what we can do, we prove ourselves through competition.” Anson Appelhanz, 11th grade.
20-21 Season Boys Soccer “I thought we did good. I would have liked to gone a little further into the state tournament. Over all though at the beginning of the year we got off to a rough start we did not really connect well it was just basically everyone for themselves. Towards the end however I thought we started to connect and actually start playing as a team it was not just 3 people doing all the work it was more of a team effort. It sucks the way it ended but it has to end somehow.” Cadin Worcester, 12th grade.
27 | SPORTS
Girls Tennis
“Our tennis team had an amazing season, with a huge amount of success both individually and team wise. Our team won the city championship in the number 2 singles division, played by Sarah Latendresse. As well as in the number one doubles division by Lauren Sweeney and myself (Grace Unruh). On top of those individual accomplishments the biggest thing we did as a team this season was capture the team city championship. Seaman had not done that in over 5 years, and only 2 times in the last 20+. We placed second at league as a team with a 4th place finish from Elise Schreiner and a 6th place finish from Sarah Latendresse. In doubles Lauren Sweeney and I finished first and our team of Emma Smith and Kylie Jones finished 8th I believe? Sorry, not 100% sure on that one. Elise, Lauren and I qualified for state and Lauren and I placed 4th, the highest doubles finish in school history. Overall this season was the best one we have had as a team. I think all six of us continuously pushed each other and instilled a lot of confidence and support in each other. It definitely was the best season, and we all could not be more grateful for the seniors who have made this team what it is.” Grace Unruh, 11th grade.
Auxiliary “The auxiliary season started off really weird. Band camp was completely different this year and everybody had to adapt, including auxiliary. We still worked on everything we could but since we had to stay distanced working on the football field was extremely difficult. When school came it only got worse because our team was split up this week and the only time we all worked together was during TNR. This made it really challenging to set formations and clean the group as a whole. However, our team was pretty dedicated and we somehow figured everything out regardless of the barriers placed against us. I couldn’t be any more proud of my team and I wish I could stay another year with them. My favorite thing about performing is the time our team has together before we walk onto the field. We basically just joke around and have fun and then the second the Vikettes start performing we all get really silent and line up. It’s such a funny series of events, every time.” Ali Reed, 12th grade.
Girls Golf “The golf season was good! We had two new freshman players this year. Got third as a team in a lot of tournaments. We went to regionals as a team and got 4th in regionals. Sadly we did not get to state. But on the other side, Aspen Burgardt and Molly McLaughlin went to state as individuals. Aspen got 35th with a score of 183 and Molly got 40th with a score of 190. I can not remember but like two girls did well at the league and got some mention in a newspaper. All the girls got along well and bonded well too.” Madyson Hardesty, 11th grade.
