20-21 Issue 3 by The Clipper

Pages 5-6

Covid Pages 12-13

18 Under 18 Pages 16-17

Vikings Volunteer During Holidays Pages 20-21

Girls Wrestling

Seaman High School Topeka, Kansas Volume 90 | Issue 3 January 26 , 2020

2 | INDEX

An Inside Look News

Staff List

3 Stay 785 4-5 Free Lunches 5-6 Covid Vaccine and Covid Timeline

EDITORS IN CHIEF Tristan Fangman Madeline Gearhart

Feature

GRAPHICS EDITOR Camryn Turner

8-9 Senior Soundoffs 10-11 How to Stay Positive Trying to Test Negative 12-13 18 Under 18 14-15 Adopting Families 16-17 Volunteer Opportunities

Opinion 18-19

Christmas Decor and New Years Resolutions

Sport 20-21 22-23

Girls Wrestling Covid in Winter Sports

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

To submit a letter to the editor, the letter must be 300 words or less in length. All correspondence must be signed. The goal of the staff is to report school and community news and suggest ideas for improvement. We welcome your opinions and will do our best to publish what you have to say.

Online Stories

@SeamanNews.com

SHS CHANGES FINALS SCHEDULE

HOLIDAY DECORATION DURATION

HOLIDAY MOVIE RANKINGS

Views in this newspaper do not always represent those of the faculty or school board of USD 345. The Clipper reserves the right to edit or refuse publication of material that is libelous, obscene, invading privacy, infringing copyright or disruptive to education process of Seaman High School.

EQUITY COUNCIL HOLDS COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

Page Design by Kendal Broughton

OPINION ||

Decking the Halls While Hitting the Books

Another part of the school year that is going to be different due to COVID-19, is the finals schedule. In the past years, finals were taken over the course of three half days varying between two to three finals each day. Finals this year are going to accommodate the all-virtual schooling system. Finals will be taken in two full days opposed to three half days. Vice Principal, Mr. Schmidt shares the approach they plan to have. “Teachers have more flexibility in regard to the type and style of final they would like to give this year. Finals will be administered over two full days this semester as opposed to three half days last year. Odd

finals will be Monday (January 11) and even finals on Tuesday (January 12). Also, finals will obviously have to be designed in a remote format so students can take them online from home.” According to the teachers you have, the format of finals can be different or a very similar style of tests to previous years due to the various platforms and options teachers have utilized during virtual learning. Mrs. Schafer does not enjoy having the finals being taken online, “I changed all of my finals to be essays because I was afraid that students would cheat on multiple choice online finals. I think it is a lot more work for me because of grading

purposes but allows me to gauge what my students learned.” Senior, Callee Dempewolf shares her struggles and frustrations with online finals. “With finals being two full days instead of three half days, I just feel very stressed and very rushed. Normally when we would have half days it would mean the classes are longer and so we have more time and now we just have normal class time to finish a really big test that is worth a big portion of our grade. Also I am kind of upset we have no waivers anymore because normally those would take some of the stress away and also I worked really hard for them last semester.”

5 | NEWS

A New Hope?

A Vaccine in the Making STORY BY ALYSSA BOOS Ad Manager

Some hope has come to light in the midst of a tragic, once-in-alifetime pandemic. Two vaccines, one from Pfizer and one from Moderna, are hitting the United States, in a hopeful idea to lessen the stain of lives taken and increased infections. Now, what is known about the vaccines? Well, it’s actually incredibly cool, so let’s take a look! The new vaccine uses mRNA, specifically those little spikes protruding from the ball of coronavirus. Those proteins are then injected into the body, causing your body to attack it, thus providing protection from the Coronavirus. However, the Pfizer vaccine has to be supercooled and stored at 100 degrees below zero, or else the mRNA will selfdestruct, as it does in higher temperatures. This creates an issue when distributing the vaccine to rural areas, along with dose issues. These might be some of the reasons why Kansas was so low on the vaccinated list for a time. After getting the first shot of the vaccine, after two or three weeks a second shot is required. As for the side effects of the vaccine, there haven’t been many revealed, other than those typically experienced after getting the flu vaccine, such as fatigue, fever, aches, etc. Most symptoms of the

vaccine will occur within six weeks of getting the vaccine. It is also possible to still get COVID-19 after

to get the vaccine will be people who have illnesses or diseases that make them more susceptible to the virus, along with the elderly aged 65-75. The last group of people will be anyone from 16years of age to 65. The vaccine hasn’t been completely cleared for anyone under 16. When it comes to the question of when life will return to, the earliest possibility is August of 2021. This is an educated guess by professionals and not a hard deadline. There are still many roadblocks in the way, including more distribution of vaccines, and looking into mutations in the virus, such as the one that stemmed from the United Kingdom. The mutation in the UK provides a high risk for the future, as it is more contagious and is proven to be more deadly. As of a few weeks ago, the UK mutation

getting two doses of the vaccine, but the symptoms won’t be as severe and are less likely to lead to hospital cases. Therefore, even after getting the vaccine, people will still need to wear masks and be cautious of their gatherings. As for the future of the vaccine, the first people to get the vaccine will be government officials, followed by medical workers/ frontline essential workers and people over the age of 75. The next

made its way to Colorado in the United States, where numbers are already soaring. As the world nears 100 million cases of COVID-19 and 2 million deaths, the inhabitants of the world are pleading for the answers. In the middle of a dark time, a vaccine provides hope for the future and that one-day people can see their families in a long-awaited embrace.

August 2020 10 - The confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide surpass 20 million 11 - Vladimir Putin (Russia) anoounces the worlds first ‘approved’ vaccine, causing international debate 22 - The death toll for COVID-19 surpasses 800,000 30 - The confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide surpasses 25 million 30 - India reported the highest recorded number of increased cases by the day

September 2020 17 - The number of confirmed cases worldwide surpasses 30 million 29 - The world death toll of COVID-19 surpasses 1 million - September 8, Seaman High School opens the school to hybrid learning, with Group A in-person on Mondays and Tuesdays, and virtual the rest of the week. Group B goes in-person Thursday and Friday and virtual the rest of the week

October 2020 5 - Number of confirmed cases surpasses 35 million worldwide 5 - WHO suggests the total cases around the world may be 1/10 of the world’s population 19 - The confirmed number of COVID-19 cases surpasses 40 million worldwide 30 - The confirmed number of COVID-19 cases surpasses 45 million worldwide

November 2020 8 - First successful trial for a COVID-19 vaccine is announced by Pfizer and BioN Tech 11 - Sputnik vaccine is proven to be 92% effective against the Coronavirus (2% more than BioN Tech and Pfizer) 17 - Confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpass 55 million worldwide 30 - Moderna files for an Emergency Use Authorization application for their COVID-10 vaccine

NEWS | 6

December 2020 2 - United Kingdom approves BioN Tech and Pfizer’s vaccine 5 - Russia starts vaccinations with the Sputnik vaccine 10 - U.S. and Saudi Arabia allow tozinameran to be used as a vaccine 12 - COVID-19 cases pass 70 million worldwide 20 - New strand of COVID spreads through Europe and Australia 20 - COVID cases pass 80 million

January 2021 - FDA approves an over-the-counter home COVID test - Eights cases of the U.K. Coronavirus mutation show up in Ontario, Canada - CDC states the next surge of Coronavirus will emerge from the storming of the U.S. capitol on January 6 - Seaman District plans to return to hybrid learning on January 19

Keeping Up To Date: The Last Six Months

Germany

Total Cases: 1,951,470 Recovered: 1,570,000 Deaths: 42,745 Cases Per Day: 11,723 Deaths Per Day: 663

United Kingdom

Total Cases: 3,165,051 Recovered: 1, 406,967 Deaths: 83,203 Cases Per Day: 46,169 Deaths Per Day: 529

USA

The Statistics around the world

China

Total Cases: 87,591 Recovered: 82,260 Deaths: 4,634 Cases Per Day: 103 Deaths Per Day: N/A

Total Cases: 23,194,376 Recovered: 13,700,230 Deaths: 386,702 Cases Per Day: 214,683 Deaths Per Day: 1,964

New Zealand

Total Cases: 2,222 Recovered: 2,120 Deaths: 25 Cases Per Day: 3 Deaths Per Day: 0

PAge DeSign BY ALYSSA BOOS

10 | FEATURE

How to keep STORY BY TRISTAN FANGMAN

Positive Vibes

Co-Editor in Cheif

daptation, the word we can’t seem to escape. Our lives have been interrupted now for about a year taking a strike at the mental health of the public. It is easy to lose hope, especially during the holidays, but there are ways to look after our mental health and provide support to our loved ones. Developing a daily routine can help keep spirits high. That means getting up and going to bed at a similar time every day, eating healthy meals at regular times, and having scheduled time for work and school. It is also recommended to keep up with personal

during hard times

hygiene, exercise regularly, and make time to do the things you enjoy. Staying informed with the latest news can either be detrimental or beneficial. Listening to the advice and recommendations of national and local authorities and trusted news channels can provide hope and security, but it is important to recognize what social formats make you happy and which cause stress. Reduce the amount of news and social media platforms you use that put out bias, false, or hateful information for viewing them could cause distress. Human’s are social creatures and although being in physical contact with friends and family may not be possible now, we are fortunate enough to have resources to virtually catch up with the people we care about. You can call, text, facetime, DM, snapchat, zoom, google meet, and so much more. Block some time off to talk to your friends on a zoom call or gather your family to join a watch party on a streaming app like Netflix. Make the effort to connect. It is easy to lay in bed all day scrolling through social media or playing video games when you’re feeling down, but be conscious about your screen time. Be sure to take regular breaks from screens and keep an online offline balance in your daily routine. It is important for our wellbeing to

stay active. Physical activity can reduce high blood pressure, manage weight, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Mentally, exercise can reduce the risk of depression, cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia, and improve overall feeling. It is easy to get unmotivated with new regulations on gyms, but we need to find new ways to exercise from home. Going for a walk or finding an at home fitness influencer on youtube can help to replace gym visits. Just a short three to four minute break from sitting can help improve blood circulation and ease muscles. Since we’re all sitting at home unable to do the things we want to do, we are all a bit more irritable. The last thing we need in the community right now is more of a reason to feel unhappy. Spread kindness to the people around you and do your best to make our essential workers jobs easier. This means wearing a mask when you go to the store and not having large get togethers to help prevent the spread of covid and burn out of our health care workers. Life is challenging right now, but you are not alone. Contact your family, friends, or a staff member if you need help. The world may seem as though it is falling apart but it will get better. Keep your head up and look towards a brighter future.

Student/Staff Advise Columns Zosia Stottlemire

Page design by Tristan Fangman

Before school began I started going to therapy again, as I knew I would need it for the sake of my mental health. That helps me cope and process the situation more effectively and in a healthier way. I also have gotten better about letting myself reach out to people when I’m missing them and thinking about them. Try to remember that this is temporary. Give yourself grace. No one should be expected to perform the same in any way during a pandemic. It affects so many aspects of our lives and it’s easy to be critical of yourself. Take a step

back, remember that you’re doing the best that you can, and it’s okay that your best now may not be what it used to be. The feeling of inadequacy is the toughest for me. In a normal school year getting to be around people and see how they’re doing and be on the same page as them, as well as easily having an understanding and a good line of communication with my teachers was a way I was able to stay afloat when I struggled with school. I’ve been fully remote since the beginning, and as time goes on it’s frustrating when it doesn’t get as easy as I’d hoped, and every day just feels the same and the homework

FEATURE | 11 is never-ending. I’ve honestly really struggled to get by with this but I’ve had to come to the really difficult conclusion that I am not going to be able to be the student that I used to be. Finally accepting that allowed me to actually give myself a break (metaphorically and literally) and forgive myself for not being perfect.

Ebb Nelson I have started to get motivational quotes be sent by text to help with everything. It just helps persevere and give me the mindset that I can get through this even thought it’s hard. I also have worked out more to keep in physical shape to help with mentality. The only advice I can give is to not let negative thoughts enter and take over. Stay physically fit, and mentally fit.

Mrs. Noble I am a bit of a news and data junkie, so I can get feeling down, anxious, or downright angry at the world right now. When I start feeling this way I seek out something lighthearted and fun or get a little silly to lighten the mood. Sometimes I join in with fun-loving groups of people on Facebook who like to joke around and create funny memes about the world. Other times I watch funny shows or comedians. I also make time each day to complete my Bible reading plan. I will finish reading it for the fifth year in a row this week! It keeps me centered on what’s important and not looking around at all that could just make me sad or mad. When people make me upset, I try to remember that not everyone thinks and feels the way I do because we all have different life experiences. It helps me consider how I need to see the situation from their perspective and grant them a little grace in these stressful times. I always hope others might see that and grant me a little grace too...goodness knows I need it some days with all this crazy technology going berserk all day long!

Mrs. Allacher Let’s be for real…This has been hard and has affected all of our mental beings. Even the counselors and social workers have had their bad days. When I am having one (or several) of those bad days, I make sure I reach out to my people. Trying to cope by myself does not work. I also choose to have great days. I keep a grateful journal. No matter how bad things are, there is always something great

to appreciate even if you have to search for it. I exercise most days. I choose not to beat myself up if I don’t complete a task I set out to do, giving myself grace. So good at giving others grace, but have had to perfect extending that grace to myself. I consciously try to remain in a positive mode. When I feel my thoughts heading south, I regroup and choose to replace those thoughts with positive thoughts. Laughing is always good too. The most mentally challenging thing is not seeing my parents. Trying to balance my want/need to see them vs the uncertainty of what could happen to them/community if I had gone to see them was a really hard thing. I taught them to facetime. Most of the time we just see their foreheads, but at least they can see us! I also struggle with seeing all the kids and families struggle. It is so hard to navigate the pandemic. I just wish I could scoop everyone up and give them a great big hug. I constantly tell myself that this too shall pass. What seems like a forever event will one day be a distant memory. I tell myself one day at a time is as good as we all can do.

Mr. Rineberg The first and most important thing to understand is if you are having a really hard time do not hesitate to reach out to a mental health professional such as your school counselor. So many people are struggling with this pandemic for a variety of reasons and it is not a sign of weakness or cowardice to reach out!

Now as far as self-care goes there are a multitude of different things you can do to help keep a positive mindset during this pandemic. To that I firmly support fresh air and exercise. Get out of your house (safely)! Any activity that allows you to maintain proper social distance while at the same time allows you to get some sunshine (vitamin D) and also release some endorphins. If you are missing your family around this time, which I know I am, get in contact with them. And I don’t mean to send a random text at 2 am to your grandma. I mean actually picking up the phone and calling them or even better FaceTiming. You simply don’t get the same connection via Snapchat or text as you do actually talking to someone. And let’s get real, no one wants to see a selfie for the 1000th time compared to having a real conversation with someone! Personally, I have had to come up with a lot of different methods to stay upbeat during this pandemic. I was actually quarantined for 14 days because of close contact and then 5 days after I got out of that quarantine I contracted Covid-19 and was isolated again for another 10 days! During my time in quarantine one thing that has helped has been reading. I actually finished a 14 book series, The Wheel of Time (which I highly recommend). I have also benefited from keeping a routine. Waking up at the same time during the workweek and continuing to stay on top of my job has been a huge help. Plus, looking forward to seeing all my students every day has been great.

18 FEATURES

Lights and Tigers and Bears, STORY BY MADELINE GEARHART

Editor In Chief

brittle breeze tingles noses as the sound of a lion’s roar rings in their ears. Students have come together to wrap light strands on trees and sell hot beverages at the zoo. As the Topeka Zoo started a new tradition this year called “Zoo Lights” by creating light displays for the community, Seaman High School students took to helping out for the event. Since the event was outdoors, it provided a place for learners to get away from the restrictions of remote schooling. “Quarantine was keeping me in the house and the NHS offered a volunteer opportunity at the zoo,” said Kevinh Nguyen, an avid volunteer. “I could be outside and look at animals. It got me out of the house.“ The process of decking the zoo out with lights started earlier this year at the

Oh My! I

beginning of November. The first helpers were presented with several variations of projects to assist with. Each volunteer held responsibilities with the decorating such as organizing boxes of holiday lights, moving holiday lights throughout the zoo to a specific display, and wrapping signs with strands of lights. “I was usually sent to one team leader and then they would give me little tasks. It was a lot of moving around and putting up lights or creating signs in the pavilion. I would always have chats with other volunteers or employees so my time volunteering went very fast,” said Nguyen. As the time for the walkthrough approached and everyone involved began to work more frequently to complete the displays in time. The volunteers were being pulled in on miscellaneous days and weekends. Once the Zoo Lights show opened, more opportunities were given to the volunteers. Nguyen in particular received more than he bargained for

Powering On -

(top) Tristan Fangman and Kevinh Nguyen pose with their evergy sign creation. Creating signs was one of the many roles that student volunteers held. Photo from Kevinh Nquyen.

Twinkling Moments - (right) Juniors Hannah Mott, Olivia Oliva, and Samantha Myers take a stroll through light displays. The volunteers received opportunities like this as a reward for their help. Photo from Olivia Oliva.

when working the position. He was hired to be a temporary employee during Zoo Lights. The role was noted to be completely unexpected and left him “pretty stoked” to help out in a bigger role. More students began to help out as the show went into full action. They were typically located near concessions selling food and merchandise to patrons. Junior Hannah Mott said that she helped out with “Mostly just customer interactions, and helping people purchase items such as the hot chocolate, toys, raffle tickets, and zoo merchandise.” Though the volunteers admit that the chill in the air was discouraging, the people they got to help made it all worthwhile. “It was a really fun experience, and it’s cool to be able to see all of the lights while also helping out your community.” said Mott.

FEATURES | 19 Countless Cookies - Wax

Wrapping Up - Seniors

paper with no bake cookies filled any available counterspace. The group used sticky notes to keep track as the numbers grew.

Callee Dempewolf, Camryn Turner, Raigan Kramer work together in a chain process to wrap presents for their adopted families. After the group finished the baking, deliveries, shopping, and so much more, the only thing left to do was wrap.

Getting the Scoop - Two

volunteers plop down warm no bake mix on wax sheets. This part became one of the most tedious pieces of their process.

Cookie Sale Produces a Sweet Reward more. Their initially small endeavor completely took off with 200 dozen cookies sold in a matter of mere days. In combination with other contributions, this left a whopping $2200 as their final total. “A lot of people wanted to contribute because helping others, and making others’ Christmas genuinely made us very happy,” said senior Riley Cowan, who participated in the project. Due to the pandemic, the students tried to mind safety as the orders came through. The contributions remained almost completely virtual for the comfort of contactless giving. Several of the contributors to the fundraising did not even buy the cookies due to Covid concerns. Yet they wanted to donate in the spirit of the holiday giving. “We gathered all the donations through mainly Venmo. If someone did not want to buy cookies due to Covid, they would still donate mainly through Venmo because that way there was no in-person contact,” said Cowan. 10 SHS students and one friend from another district gathered together in their free time to fulfill the numerous orders. The group spent a whole

STORY BY MADELINE GEARHART Editor In Chief

lops fill the room as teenagers drop hundreds of chocolate oat spheres onto wax paper. The cookies had a dual benefit to customers: fulfilling their holiday baking and helping to raise money for adopting families. Students at SHS began creating a fundraiser in early December. Several advertisements were sent through social media to gain attention from the community. Senior Raigan Kramer was the first student to initiate talks of raising money. Several of her peers shared her interest in helping others in need during the holiday season. “We wanted to do this because that is what Christmas is all about,” Kramer said. “We wanted to give back to the people that needed it.” The no-bake’s were prepared and sold by the dozen for five dollars. Throughout the baking process, the students remained hopeful that a sufficient amount of money could be raised to adopt families. However, community members came through to give the group so much

weekend in December packaging their baked goods side by side. The cookie making turned into a much larger event than the students anticipated. “We bought all of the cocoa powder from every store out North so then we had to go out to Sams,” Kramer said. “What we thought was going to be a Friday night thing, turned into a weekend thing.” Everyone fulfilled a particular role when creating dozens of sweet treats. They all were given roles such as putting ingredients in a pot, bringing the mixtures to a boil, scooping cookies, laying out wax paper, washing pots, and store runs. Two times the students operated unitl midnight to make sure everything was properly prepared. Roughly 25 hours were spent fulfilling

the orders in just that single weekend: 15 hours making the cookies, and another 10 shopping and delivering. After all of the cookies were delivered, buying all the gifts for the families became the priority. After receiving all the funds, there were able to adopt four families in total. Together the group operated one final time to wrap each of the gifts before a final delivery was made to the very families which they had thought of when the endeavor began. The students recalled the moment in which the presents were finally delivered as eye-opening. Cowan said, “My favorite part of the work was going to deliver the presents and getting to know some of the families, seeing their faces light up is a memory I will never forget.”

18 | Feature

September- Seniors Kaden Fox and Camryn Turner won this year’s homecoming king and queen. Candidates also joined their peers in a week full of fun leading up to the crowning ceremony. (Photo by - Molly McLaughlin)

March - Lady Vikes basketball team made its path in state going all the way to the final four until sadly things came to an abrupt end due to Covid. The lady vikes had a record of 17-3 and won both of their sub-state (Photo by Dewayne Christensen)

August - The senior class of 2020 were still able to have their graduation which was in early August right before most of them headed to college later that month.( Photo by Dewayne Christensen) February - Students at SHS were allowed the chance to check out the aircraft carrier Black Hawk and other machinery thanks to soldiers from Fort Riley. (Photo by - Cassie Geis)

October - Lady Vikes tennis won the regionals team title for the very first time this year. (Photo credits - Grace Unruh)

July - Due to prom being canceled from Covid-19, students came together and made their own prom happen. (Photo Credits - Kaden Fox)

December- The high school wrestling team made history by organizing the first girls wrestling team in school history this year. ( Photo by - Madeline Gearhart )

19 | Feature

April - Students and staff are in the middle of trying to get comfortable with online learning, as this is the first of many more months yet to come. (Photo Credit- Amy Riley)

May - The boy’s baseball team played one more game together after this year’s season was canceled. (Photo Credits - Sami Boyles)

November - Senior Camryn Turner signed to play D1 volleyball for the University of Kansas. (Photo Credits - Camryn Turner)

January - Jr. Vikes perform at half time of the varsity boys basketball game v.s T- High with the help of the SHS cheer team. (Photo credits - Amy Riley)

October - The varsity boys football team beat Manhattan High School for the first time in 8 years with a score of 35-21. (Photo Credit - Ewan Mills) Page design by Jozee Esser

20 | Sports

Fighting the Norm: Lady Vikes Take Down Standards on the Mat By Bethany Druse Staff Writer

Since the announcement from KSHAA last year stating that girls wrestling would become a state sport, Seaman High School has diligently tried to produce a girls wrestling team. It started when superintendent Dr. Steve Noble, SHS administration, and the wrestling staff had an interest in creating a girls team. Sadly, no girls were ready to commit initially. This year, with the help of Head Coach Patrick Kelly, his assistant coaches, and Mr. Bushnell’s, Seaman High athletic director, extensive background in coaching wrestling, they produced a girls wrestling team. “After an initial 31 girls that showed interest, the roster has settled in at 21, which makes it one of the largest girls wrestling rosters in the state,” explains Patrick Kelly, the head coach of both the girls and boys wrestling teams. Although many of the girls went out for wrestling because their friends were going out for it, Reagan Carter, a junior at Seaman High School, cited a slightly different reason. “I grew up watching both my brothers wrestle so when I heard a lot of my friends and just girls in general were going out I thought why not?” So far Covid-19 has affected their season by requiring

Page Design by Bethany Druse

athletes to wear masks up until they wrestle and in some meets even when they wrestle. “Wrestling with masks is just a whole other level of difficulty,” says Carter. Another effect is that they don’t have a set schedule. Due to Covid-19 the coaching staff is putting a schedule together as the season goes and are trying to provide as many opportunities for the girls as possible. With Covid-19 the coaching staff is more vigilant than ever about health precautions. The custodial staff has been instrumental to the team keeping the practice room, locker rooms, and practice gear clean.

Despite these setbacks and difficulties, the team is excited for the season. “My favorite thing about wrestling so far is going to the meets and watching my team compete, all of the girls are so supportive when everyone is wrestling and they are also super fun to watch,” explained sophomore Kaidence Heston. The girls are also learning how ambitious and unique the sport is. “You can’t really put into words what wrestling is like and how it feels until you’ve been out on the mat.

Wrestling is such a different sport from the rest. It takes a lot of drive and thinking on your feet. Kind of an act and react sport,” explained Carter. If the girls go to state, it will be very hard to qualify, but the coaching staff has faith in this team. “I can speak for the coaching staff in saying that we are all very impressed with what we are seeing out of the girls,” explains Coach Kelly. Good luck to the girls wrestling team and to the rest of your season!

21 | Sports

22 | Sports

Dive

Splash

Swim Erin FEldkamp Staff Writer by

Bernard Tuck, head swim coach, said their season has been affected by having different practice times to keep athletes split up. Athletes have lane assignments and start at opposite sides of the pool, along with masks and social distancing before getting in the pool and after are required. The only difference between years past and this year’s tryout was it was cut down to one hour because two different groups had to try out. “If an athlete was quarantined and still wanted to try out after it was over, I gave them that opportunity if they still wanted to try out,” said Tuck. In terms of meets, no fans are allowed and fewer teams are attending. “Of course, as a team, we want to place well at city, league, and state. However, I just want to make sure that we have a season.” Tuck said as his goals for this swim season. Stephen Reed, senior, has been on the swim team all four years of high school. Reed said COVID-19 has affected his season by having to wear masks unless they are in the water. Swimmers must stay socially distanced at all times. “Meets have been very awkward and everything is a lot quieter,” said Reed. As of right now, their meets are being live-streamed like the other sports for parents to watch. “I hope to qualify for state in the 100 back broke and the 500 freestyle that would make my season is quaffing for the 100 free” are some of Reed’s goals that he is hoping to accomplish this season. Though the student-athletes are disappointed with the restrictions, they remain grateful to still participate.

23 | Sports

Dribble

Jump

Shoot Erin FEldkamp Staff Writer by

This year sports are looking completely different due to guideline changes compared to others due to COVID-19. Tinsley, head girls’ coach, said their season started off by being in quarantine but still holding a virtual practice. During the practices, he said, the girls have watched videos, diagramed plays, and have done aerobic videos to work on their cardiovascular strength. Tinsley said,” I feel like we are getting something out of it and make the most of a tough situation.” If a student was quarantined while tryouts were being held, they simply had to try out when they were able to

be back and participate in basketballrelated activities. The players are taking precautions this season by using hand sanitizer several times during practice, cleaning basketballs after practice, wearing masks when not playing, food high fives, and being socially distant on the sideline. Starting December 10 through January 28 two parents and or guardians per participant are allowed by the local board of education and health department. “Not get too high or too low. We are just going to have fun playing this season when we get the opportunity,” is what coach Tinsley is hoping to accomplish this season. Micah Kobuszewski, senior said, “tryouts were the exact same formats as the year before, the only difference being that we had to wear masks.” For the first few games of the season, no parents were allowed and now KASHAA is allowing parents to watch the home games. “Hopefully by some point in the second semester, students will be able to come too, but we will see,” says Kobuszewski. Due to COVID-19 their season almost got delayed/cancelled but KASHAA voted to let the players play. “We hope to come together as a team, have good leadership, and to finish with a good overall record” stated Kobuszewski as this year’s team goals.