20-21 Issue 1 by The Clipper

Seaman High School Topeka, Kansas Volume 90 | Issue 1 October 9, 2020

Page 8 Victims speak out about Pierce Allegations

Page 22 Corona Virus Tackling Athletic Events

Page 6 Getting Involved: Virtual Club Fair

Making Adjustments

| INDEX

An Inside Look

News

4-5 New Classes Offered 6-7 Club Fair Restrictions 8-9 Impact of Jeff Pierce Allegations 10 Interact and FCCLA Mask Drive

Feature 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20

Topeka Theatres Shutdown Independent Studies Highlight

Opinion 21

Sports Limiting Spectators

Sport 22-23

Club Restrictions by Sport

Staff List

Online Stories

@SeamanNews.com

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

FLATTENING THE CURVE WITH FALL SPORTS

SEAMAN EMBRACES NEW COVID-19 LUNCH

STUDENTS LEARNING TO FOCUS FROM HOME

Ace by Aaron Hutchinson Page Design by Madeline Gearhart

FORMER SEAMAN TEACHER JEFF PIERCE FACES CHARGES OF CHILD PORN PRODUCTION AND POSSESSION

INDEX || 3

Presidential Perspectives Statements

Joe Biden

Jo Donald Jorgensen Trump

States should end stay at home orders and open the economy

Health insurance companies should be able to deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions

The United States should defund the police

A D

A C

D D

Police officers should use body cameras

Transgender or nonbinary people should be able to change their gender on government documents

Same-Sex Marriage should be legal

More restrictions should be created in order to buy a gun

The U.S. Government should create environmental regulations to prevent climate change

Abortion should be legal

KEY: Agreed - A Disagree - D Complicated Opinion - C *For more information, please look at 2020election.procon.org or isidewith.com

04 | NEWS

New windows of opportunity for students as SHS adds new courses BY KAYCEE TANNER Online Editor

Mrs. Zurmely is the instructor for Mind & body fitneSS. “The class focuses on the connection

between mental-emotional health and physical health and the importance of both. We will do things like walking, journaling, yoga, and mindful meditation.” The class was created with input from teachers and counselors among SHS. Mind and Body Fitness is offered for students of all grade levels. Zurmely is overall very excited about the new course offered at SHS. “We live in such a hustle and bustle environment, with many, many stressors, and we often forget to take the time and energy to take care of ourselves both physically and emotionally. This class is meant to be an oasis, a place to slow down and be present, and a way to learn coping strategies for stressors in our daily lives,” she says.

Mrs. Riley is teaches Media & public relationS. “This class is focused on PR and Media. Students will plan, organize, and host a Press Day for each sports season, inviting school and local media to attend. Students will also offer PR services to clubs at the school, focusing on creating social media posts and press releases for events happening at the high school. Additionally, students will be responsible for creating all of the PR materials for theater productions at SHS.” Any student who has taken 21st Century Journalism can take this course. The new class was created to provide students with opportunities to see “another side of Audio Visual Communications. We have SVTV, Clipper, Yearbook, Digital Photo, and Digital Media Tech, but this allows students to experience another career within the pathway,” states Riley. She is most excited about the class offering realworld experiences with PR and Media.

Mr. Bond is the instructor for the chaMber choir. Chamber Choir is a nonauditioned class designed for students who want the choir experience without the pressure of auditioning or competing. This class sings more contemporary songs, focusing on learning to sing by yourself and with others. Bond states that the class is open to everyone. “Anyone even remotely interested in music or singing can take this class! I go over singing techniques and form as well as the basics of reading music in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.” “I wanted to create a class more inclusive that anyone could join,” Bond states. With the new class, there are hopes more students will be involved and “test the waters,”states Bond, “because I know many students have a skewed idea of what being part of a choir means.” He is excited to “have a new opportunity to try out my new dad jokes each week!”

Mrs. Martinez is the teacher for the new course: SpaniSh for heritage SpeakerS. The class is for students who speak Spanish outside of school in their home, primarily with their family. “A heritage speaker vs a native speaker is somebody who grows up speaking a language within their home and family environments that is not the dominant language in the country they live in. Native speakers are also encouraged to take the class too! Most of our students are born here in the states and have learned Spanish growing up at home,” explains Martinez. She is very excited to offer this class since she had seen a need for a Heritage Speakers class for years. She states in the past she has had “students here and there that would enter my spanish classes and I felt like although they were a rich addition to the group, I wasn’t able to do enough with them to really work with them on developing their identity as somebody who is growing up biculturally or improving their Spanish at the level they would need or want to improve it to. All of our heritage speakers this year are from Mexican heritage so I’m really excited to explore other Spanish speaking countries with them and introduce them to Spanish speakers from those countries,” she says. The class will provide a place for students to as well as having a place to dive deeper into the language and cater the class to what the students specifically may need to work on, as well as discuss what the students may want to do with Spanish in their future whether that involves career options or not. Page Design by Kaycee Tanner

Mrs.

Dekat

teaches

SportS broadcaSting

within the journalism department. “Students in Sports Broadcasting research, report, shoot and edit videos, and create enterprise stories. They also study the history of sports broadcasting, sports media partnerships and analyze industry trends.” The class is offered to any students who have completed 21st Century Journalism. Dekat says that the goal for this year is to lay the foundation for the future of the class as years progress. “In the future students in sports broadcasting will potentially do play-by-play announcing, color commentating, sideline reporting, and host a studio sports show,” she says.

NEWS | 05

life fitneSS is also taught by Mrs. Zurmely and is open to all grade levels. “It is a class that utilizes the Wellness Room at SHS. Our focus is on learning how to properly use our fitness weight machines, as well as our treadmills, stationary bikes, and ellipticals. Students develop fitness goals and create fitness plans to help achieve these goals.” “The PE Department here at SHS saw the need for a class that utilized our awesome Wellness Room and equipment.” Zurmely states that she is excited for the students to “get a workout in during their school day. Many people wake up early to head to the gym or go after their workday; our students have the opportunity to do this right here at Seaman High School!” She loves seeing the students enjoy and understand the benefits of physical activity.

Mr. Schmidt is the director of the AVID class, taught by Mr. Kennet and Mr. Nichol. “avid stands for advanceMent

via individual deterMination. This

is an elective class for anyone who wants to go to college and do well. Students are taught good study habits, and how to process complex information.” The class was created to help SHS students reach their full academic potential and have the best possible life and career success. It is offered for all students. “Once enrolled, the students must sign a contract that they will complete at least one year, take a “stretch course”, and attend post secondary education,” states Schmidt

Mr. McAlister is the teacher of a new course: MuSeuM StudieS. “Students enrolled in this class will learn the archival processes for the proper care, management, and exhibition of historical museum objects. These include the USD 345 School District Museum and Historical Society objects. Students will begin by learning of the proper care of objects, documents, and other artifacts housed in the Seaman Historical Society. This “proper care” will include organizing, cataloging, and cleaning of documents and artifacts. Beyond this, students assigned to this class will study how to properly exhibit and tell the stories of the documents and artifacts of the museum. Additionally, exhibits shall not be limited to the objects housed at the Seaman Historical Society, but students will be allowed to branch out and tell stories of the Seaman Community. To accomplish this task these students will study how to build a museum quality exhibit through visiting various museums, research, and exhibit building in partnership with Steve Nowack, Director of the Watkins Museum of History and Mary Madden, Education Director with the Kansas State Historical Society.” The class is available for juniors and seniors who apply or are recruited to join. It was created per request by the former Seaman Historical Society.“Members were wanting to step down. I offered to take over the museum on one condition, students should be involved and the rest, as they say, is history,” explains McAlister.

printMaking ii is taught by Mr. LeDuc. The new class was created to provide more opportunities for students who have taken an interest in Printmaking, and successfully completed the prerequisite course: Printmaking I. “Printmaking II is an advanced course that expands on skills learned in Printmaking I pertaining to a variety of processes including: reductive block, monotype, collagraph, drypoint etching and screen printing. Students enrolled will have both required and independent projects during the course of the semester and be given the opportunity to explore in depth a specific process of their choice through research and experimentation.” Leduc states, “Printmaking is one of my most favorite media to work in and therefore one of my most favorite classes to teach. I am excited to see the work my students produce.”

advanced StudieS in popular MuSic is taught by Mrs. Kennedy. “It’s is

designed so students are able to explore the elements of music and the recording industry through project based learning. Advanced Studies will allow students to experience material in a more in-depth way.” The new class is offered to any student who has passed History of Rock & Roll. It was created due to the several requests from students for another opportunity to continue with the subject matter after enjoying History of Rock & Roll. “And I’m so cool and tell the best jokes that naturally students would want another opportunity to experience my classroom environment...right?” says Kennedy. She is excited to see more students and “dive deeper into artists, the recording industry, and historical contexts of music!”

act prep is taught by Mrs. Mettner. “ACT Prep is offered to students who need to increase their ACT scores for either college admittance or merit scholarships.” According to Mettner, the students upload their previous scores to allow the program to write them a “prescription for the areas of which they need to study and improve upon.” Students need to have a PreACT or ACT score as a prerequisite to this course. She states the best part about the new course is “the time in school that it provides to students, who might not complete the work otherwise.”

6 | News

Getting involved:

SAVANAH REEVES Staff Writer At the beginning of each school year, Seaman High School hosts a club fair. The goal of the club fair is to get students involved in as much as they can be because being involved at school helps with attendance and developing a sense of community. It is still recommended by the board that each student is involved in at least two extra activities at school. Club fair is an activity during Career and Life Planning (CALP) where students are able to learn about clubs offered at SHS and become involved in what they are interested in. In a time without COVID-19, Seaman would usually allow each CALP class to come in and walk around to different club tables and learn more about the clubs they are interested in, but this year it will be much different. “We are going to have a club fair,” said Vice Principal Lee Schmidt. “It’s just going to be a digital club fair. I think it will be a Google Slide, and we will be able to send it out to each student during CALP and they can cruise through it and choose the clubs they are interested in. You can click on it to get more information about that club and then they can join.” Clubs will be able to choose and create their slides including important information about their club in the slide. I talked to Cassandra Geis, Spirit Club Sponsor about the presentation. “ I have worked with club sponsors to create a presentation that

students will go through during their CALP to learn about their clubs. Some clubs have put together little ads that are a part of their slide, others have pictures and others just have a description and a Schoology code.” Many clubs host activities which involve the students being at school, but with a late start this year, club activities have changed and are still changing. SHARP is an academic reward club that students are automatically enrolled in based on GPA. SHARP hosts Fall Fun days, pizza lunches and other activities and rewards for students with good grades and attendance.

“The thing is it’s hard because it is like a double edge sword,” states Lisa Martinez, SHARP sponsor. “On one hand we would have to re-imagine so many different pieces and parts of the event and then on the other hand I feel like all of us can relate to the idea of planning something and having it canceled and not only is that a lot of stress but also a lot of disappointment and so basically we have decided to just take a break on most stuff until spring semester.” It has been hard for activities to happen but SHARP is hoping to reevalu-

ate in the upcoming spring semester. They are hoping to start doing small prizes soon such as parking passes and gift cards giveaways still. SHARP is just one of the many clubs that have been affected by this late start and cut off of last year’s school year. Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Future Farmers of America (FFA), and Seaman Printmakers explain how they have been handling this. FBLA is adjusting to a number of changes due to COVID-19. “We learned that fall leadership conference has been canceled and that was always a big thing for people to go to,” says Kevin Hoffmans, FBLA advisor. “So that usually involves travel and listening to professionals and workshops. Not having that this year is kind of a bummer.” FFA has also had a lot of changes made to their usual schedule and the events that they host. “A bunch of our activities have gotten canceled. We usually start the year off every year with a rodeo and that got canceled because of COVID and we usually host the back to school dance and that got canceled because of COVID, and we usually have a bunch of other FFA activities but those have been canceled because of COVID” says Megan VanGordon, FFA advisor. FFA still plans on having activities, but precautions will be taken. “The first thing that hopefully we are going to be able to do is the Haunted Trail. We are going to have to

Club Fair make sure that everyone is socially distanced, not only for the Haunted Trail but all FFA activities that we do. We are going to have to make sure that everyone has masks on and we are going to try and make everything that we do as an organization outside as much as possible in order to help with that, especially where we can,” says VanGordon. Seaman Printmakers also have not been able to be as involved with club activities as they usually are. “It’s definitely delayed things,” states Bradley LeDuc, Seaman Printmakers sponsor. “We haven’t had a meeting yet and we have had the life drawing night for the past two and a half years and we have put it on hold.” Seaman Printmakers usually hosts their big event, the late-night lock in where students come in and do an art activity. This is planned to take place in late February of the upcoming year. They still hope to have this event but many things are still up in the air due to restrictions from

COVID-19. Precautions that they will possibly have to take would be

a smaller number of people allowed to come. Most meetings for clubs will also be held online over a Zoom call or Google Meet for the convenience of online learners. There is such a wide range of clubs to choose from, so there is really something for everyone.

News | 7

8 NEWS

Victims speak out about Pierce allegations: School provides support services BY ALYSSA BOOS Ad Manager

On September 15 and 17 the FBI came to Seaman High School to talk with students, after the recent arrest of a Freshman world history teacher, and coach. Jeff Pierce is facing two counts of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. Students were informed that if they had been contacted by any of the accounts associated with the investigation, it is okay to speak up and message the FBI. During this gathering, it was emphasized that even if a student sent nude pictures to one of Pierce’s alleged accounts, their name will be kept confidential and they will not be in legal trouble. If you are a victim, please email TopekaVAP@fbi.gov. Seaman High School provides many different resources for students who are victims in this case or are having a tough time processing the recent news. “After the news, we tried to set up ways to let students process and talk to people, and know that you can still trust adults at our school. We had the FBI come, we had teachers talk to students, and we had Family Service and Guidance talk to our staff,” social worker, Julie Kizzar stated. For students processing the information about Pierce, it is important to know the different stages of emotions students might go

through. “The symptoms of processing this kind of news is similar to the five stages of grief [denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance]. You can go from one stage to the next stage and you can go back. It’s important at this time to have peace with yourself and if you are having a hard time, come to the counselor’s office,” Kizzar stated. If you are having issues with the news or have been contacted it is important to reach out to a trusted adult. SHS will work to provide you with assistance.

Social Media Associated with Pierce Investigation

addie8651 addiestrode111 Addie Strode Kennedy Addison Strode

jp131780 Jordan_ rehKennedy Lacrone Jordy Rey Rey jacy townsend

jordyreyrey Addie Strode Kennedy

To: TopekaVAP@fbi.gov. Subject: Pierce FBI Investigation I am a (age) year-old student at Seaman High School. I was contacted on (social media associated with the investigation) by one of the accounts associated with the Pierce investigation, (account name). (Explain a little bit about the interaction you had with the account including any important information).

Zach Calvin

NEWS 9

One of Seaman High School students, junior Zach Calvin, was added on Snapchat by one of the fake accounts Pierce allegedly used, jp131780, under the name of Addilyn. Calvin agreed to sit down for an interview with The Clipper. Calvin first made contact with the Snapchat account jp131780 at the beginning of August 2020. “One of my friends asked if I knew who this [Addilyn] was. So I told [my friend] to give them my Snap so I could figure out who it was. When the account added me, the first thing they did was ask for nudes,” Calvin states. Through the Addilyn account, Pierce allegedly continued asking for nude pictures, and Calvin declined every time. Calvin’s response was to send a picture of his face and stating, “This is what I look like and before I talk to you or do anything else I would like to see a picture of your face to make sure you’re real.” After the confrontation, Calvin stopped talking to the account and it became a faded memory. On Wednesday, September 2, Pierce was arrested and the accounts he is accused of hiding behind were released to the public. Calvin didn’t think he was contacted by one of the accounts until he remembered the name of the user. “I said, ‘Wait a minute’, and I looked it up, and it was him. I couldn’t believe it, so I emailed the FBI.” All conversations with the FBI, are confidential and part of an ongoing investigation and will, therefore, not be covered in this article. Calvin was previously on the Blue team in the Freshman center and stated that he only saw Pierce in the hallway or in the boy’s locker room. He stated, “Looking back on it, I had no idea. I just thought he was a coach in there. But now with the news, it’s concerning, especially since he [allegedly] targeted teenage boys online.” Calvin is sharing his story hoping others will feel more comfortable contacting a trusted adult or the FBI to share theirs. “I wanted to come forward because people need to know they can come forward and anything I can do to help is what I want to do. If you come forward it will not hurt you, it’s just to get more evidence.” Page/Design By Alyssa Boos

| News

Clubs Collaborate to Make Masks ERIN FELDKAMP Staff Writer BY

Across the country, this year has been different compared to others. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people are being asked to wear masks when they are out in public or when they cannot maintain six feet within another person. To help students and community members follow the mask guidelines, FCCLA and Interact club are providing masks for those that don’t have access to them this year. Mr. Tim Collins, Interact sponsor, said,” There are many people who have no access to masks or have to use improper masks or who have to use the same mask for days/weeks at a time.” Collins also said, “we are taking masks throughout the month of September.” Masks should be donated to either W-1 or W-16 or E15. This year is FCCLA’s 75th anniversary, and to celebrate, the officers decided to focus on masks. Jones said “Our officers decided to do something similar to what they did in elementary school to celebrate the one-hundredth day of school by bringing in seventyfive of something each month. September, we decided to go with masks.”

Lastly gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather sides of mask and adjust the mask to fit your face.

Fold over long sides and hem, then fold over short sides and stitch down.

Cut rectangles of cotton fabric and stack the two rectangles because you will sew the mask as if it were a single piece of fabric.

Page Design by Erin Feldkamp

You need many different materials to make the most effective masks. Researchers show that cotton material with three layers is the most effective. Although this is a better mask, it is harder to sew. “If you use two layers and have a slit area where you can put in a filter, my research showed the vacuum filters were the best, but you could also use a coffee filter,” said Jones. According to Jones there are many reasons why it is important to make and donate masks. “It is important because the Seaman district and others who have more have a responsibility to help others in any way they can.” This spring many people gave Jones scraps of material for free and then she was able to make masks for people that needed them. “I’m happy to make masks for anyone who needs them.” Morgan Sharp, junior, made masks through FCCLA. Sharp said that they made the masks by themselves and that Jones sent out instructional videos containing the steps and guidelines of how to make a three-layer cotton mask. Sharp said, “I made about 15 masks and we donated them to St. Francis Hospital.” “I did enjoy making the masks because out whole group is centered on community service, and the hospital was in dire need of masks. So, I just overall I really enjoyed helping our community in a time of struggle.”

Run wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the mask for the ear loops. Use a larger needle or bobby pin to thread through.

If you would like more detailed instructions, please scan the QR code above

ADS | 11

it’s fall, y’all! Page Design By Alyssa Boos

| FEATURES

Local Theatres Go Dark Amidst the Pandemic BY MADELINE GEARHART Editor In Chief

n communities across the country, some groups have experienced more daunting issues because of the pandemic than others. Live performance, for example, is struggling to find its place in a world where human interaction is strictly limited to necessities.

Locally, Topeka Civic Theatre, alongside its sister, Helen Hocker Theatre have made a weighty decision: to shut down from September 1st until at least January. The board of directors over the theatres came to this decision about two months ago. Cassie Hermes, TCT Education Director, says “We were brought to a meeting in

TOGETHER DISTANT - Topeka Civic Theatre and Helen Hocker Theatre staff gathers for final goodbyes before the full shut down. The group planned this event in order to give some closure.

ACTING OUT - Senior Abby Musick (left) shows some attitude in Singin’ in the Rain with her fellow friend. It was one of Musick’s most recent productions at Topeka Civic Theatre.

Page Design by Madeline Gearhart

the middle of the workday, which was summer camp for me, and told we were being furloughed/canceling operations.” Ever since the decision, the theatres had a slow winddown in order to properly pause productions in a graceful manner. The lack of funding that Topeka Civic Theatre and Helen Hocker Theatre have to

pull from is part of the reason for shutting down. Hermes explains, “Our camp numbers were way under our goal at 60%. On top of that, due to the large gathering limits, we were not able to seat the audiences fully. For example, for the production of Shrek Jr. we were able to sit 45 people a night, for a production in the Oldfather we can seat 150

FEATURES || pre-COVID-19. We budgeted our costumes, set, lights, etc. around seating 150 people a night. It’s easy to see where the loss is.” This decline in income for the theatres’ reopenings were devastatingly unsuccessful in comparison to the rest of society’s attempts. When asked why the theatres wouldn’t be able to proceed like schools with precautions, Hermes had plenty of reasons. “The main difference is live theatre makes money and stays above water because of large gatherings. If we have a show and can only sell so many less than budgeted in, it leaves us with a deficit. If compared to schools, the number of children attending is not a financial risk.” Right now the finances are the most daunting issue

which Topeka Civic Theatre and Helen Hocker Theatre face. Hermes remarks, “We can still receive donations from patrons and volunteers. Many of our volunteers are selling crafts, putting on little/self written productions etc. to bring donations in.” These devoted volunteers are what keeps the community alive during these trying times. The community believes that live shows are a vital outlet for its volunteers and are hoping for smooth returns. Senior Abigail Musick who has performed in multiple productions with TCT and Helen Hocker argues that “live theatre is a break from reality. Whether you are a performer, audience member, or a backstage crew member. It is so important to keep

creative outlets alive.” That said, the difficulty of the virus still manages to keep the community apart. Plenty of disappointment is spread among the community as there is a hole left in their day. Freshman Anna Sage states, “Not only has it been difficult for the staff, actors, and other people who make the shows possible, but also for our audiences. Many individuals have been watching shows at Topeka Civic Theater and Helen Hocker for long periods of time, and these theaters were a great source of entertainment. Not to mention how difficult it has been for so many of the actors and other individuals that call these theaters their second home.” All of those previously involved feel the lack of presence of what was once

such a bountiful source of joy. Yet, these contributors to the theatres still have hope that they will soon be together once again. Senior Zosia Stottlemire says, “Things have slowly come to a standstill but I have faith that, once it’s safe to do so, they’ll be up and at it with as much, if not more, vigor.”

Donations - If you would like to contribute to the theatres, scan the QR Code above. They appreciate any donations which they receive from the community.

FRIENDSHIPS FORMED - Both senior Zosia Stottlemire and her friend are pictured in each photo, but the photos are seven years apart. Zosia Stottlemire (right) recalls their friendship as one of the best she made while at the theatres.

PRODUCTION WIND DOWN - Freshman Anna Sage is honored by Education Director Cassie Hermes. “Poppy Awards” like this were given out to the hardworking volunteers during the Shrek Jr. production.

1 | Feature

Fueling Student Passion Story by Tristan Fangman Co Editor in Chief

he Independent study program is designed to offer individual students an opportunity to pursue an area of special interest. Students must have at least a average in their schoolwork to participate in this program. The project is arranged with a sponsoring teacher who will help guide them through their lessons and projects. Students enjoy the freedom independent study classes give as well as the self paced nature.

Kevinh Nguyen Junior evinh guyen is doing an independent study with Mr. Tinsley on macroeconomics. I am studying macroeconomics; science based on human behavior and the effect on the market and the economy. CL , comparable to the better known , is the program guyen is using to prepare to take a test for college credit. guyen has a great passion for math, finance, and science economics principles because they can be applied in everyday situations. hat guyen loves about con is it focuses on choices and trade offs. I used con to make better decisions every day, explains guyen, there is not a good or bad choice. nly the best choice out of the others.

Page Design By: Tristan Fangman

Feature | 15

Sean Hoffmans

Devon Doherty

Currently, Senior Sean Hoffmans is studying what effects elements such as inflation and scarcity have on the economy in his economics independent study. “I needed to take this class because I’ll have courses relating to it in college,” explains Hoffmans. Like most, his favorite part of independent study is being able to work at his own pace. Hoffmans recommends this topic to other students because it teaches the principles of our economy and how it works.

Senior Devon Doherty is taking a Photoshop course through Allen County Community College for her independent study. “I’ve always been interested in learning Photoshop and high school students can take it for free through Allen County so I thought I would give it a try,” explains Doherty. Currently, Doherty is working on Bitmap and Vector graphics and drawing and editing shape layers. “If you have any interest at all I would take it. You are able to get a good understanding of everything and it’s free to take,” encourages Doherty.

Tristan Fangman Because last semester was cut short, senior Tristan Fangman is doing a ceramics independent study with Mrs. Ramberg. “When the semester got cut short last year, I was very disappointed I did not get to finish the remainder of my Ceramics class because it was always my favorite part of the day,” explains Fangman. Unlike a regular ceramics class, Fangman gets to choose what to create without the structure of units and assignments. Currently, Fangman is making Jackolanturn Coffee mugs and plans to make a large slab piece next. “I encourage any student who feels passionately about a subject to do Independent study so they get to spend more time each day doing what they enjoy, says Fangman.”

Above photo by Margret Ramberg. Other photos by Tristan Fangman

Madeline Gearhart Senior Madeline Gearhart has an independent study with Mrs. Riley where she is digitizing the Seaman High School Clipper and yearbook archives. Last year, to celebrate the centennial year, Gearhart studied the yearbooks starting in the 1920s and wrote a series of stories about the decades. Her experience with the yearbooks in Clipper inspired her independent study. “No one was actively working on it at the time after my review of them last year it became clear that someone needed to do something and I decided it would be me,” explains Gearhart. Gearhart believes other students should find a passion to study that would benefit the school or community. “I would encourage students to look for areas of the school that need a bit of TLC and try to find a way this just whether through an independent study or some other Creative Solutions.”

Kylie Jones & Elise Schreiner Seniors Kylie Jones and Elise Schreiner are doing an independent study for National History Day and working on research and their exhibit on spies during the Cold War. Having a class period to work on the project is beneficial because of the extensive workload. “My favorite part about the class is that I can get my homework done after school and not have to worry about my project on top of that,” says Schreiner. The amount of time that goes into a History Day project may be a turn off for some. Jones feels that “more people would do History Day if they had time in school to work on it.” With hark comes great reward, that is why Schreiner says, “if you’re passionate about going to DC and learning about historical topics then I recommend other students study this subject.”

Cade Rothenberger Senior Cade Rothenberger plans to go into business in college so he is completing an independent study with business teacher Mr. Hoffmans. Rothenburger explains, “My independent study is reading chapters, working on services, and tests and quizzes.” His favorite part is being able to work at his own pace. “If students plan on going into business then economics is great for them to study,” says Rothenberger.

16 | Feature

Is Your Favorite Show Leaving Netflix? JOZEE ESSER Staff Writer BY

Due to the pandemic and quarantine, we have all had to find ways to cure our boredom. One of the most popular ways includes watching Netflix and other online streaming services. Recently, Netflix has announced that some of our favorite shows and movies are leaving the site. Many popular, and what many people would call favorite, shows will be going away. One popular show that left Netflix is Friends, which ended streaming earlier this year. Another popular t.v show that is leaving is The Office, leaving in late January of 2021. The Office was actually one of the moststreamed shows on Netflix during the quarantine. The show had as many as 1.23 billion minutes streamed in just one week! “I do not think Netflix should

be taking away good shows that get really good ratings, especially when they are their own originals,” said sophomore Gabbi Mapes. Some of these shows are leaving because Netflix requires the licensing rights to these t.v shows and they only have these t.v rights for a certain period of time. The licensing agreement starts with the needs of both sides. A production company who makes these shows will come up with an agreement to allow Netflix to run their show for a certain amount of years. These agreements can cost Netflix around hundreds of million dollars. Netflix recently made a agreement with Sony Productions to get the rights to stream “Seinfeld” for around 500 million

dollars. Many people have a favorite show that they watched more than other shows during this time. “I really like some shows but one of my favorites is ‘Vampire Diaries.’ I watched it because there was a lot of mysteries in that show which I love,” said Dwyne Jordan, sophomore. “Over quarantine I think I watched ‘Greys Anatomy’ and ‘Outlander’ the most. I would watch them with my mom nonstop until we both fell asleep or the seasons ended, whichever came first,” said Mapes. Since COVID-19 began, online streaming in the US has skyrocketed. The number of Netflix subscribers in the US has skyrocketed to 69.97 million from March through May.

17 | Feature

Top 10 Popular Shows Binged During Quarantine

Netflix Originals

Other Shows Students Have Watched

18 | Feature

Keeping Up With Kaden

Fox Blazes His Way Up to Vice President of Finance

BY KENDAL BROUGHTON

Staff Writer

Page Design by Kendal Broughton

Over the summer, one of Seaman’s seniors, Kaden Fox, was elected to be a National Officer of FCCLA. Fox has been a part of FCCLA for many years, so this is something he has worked hard for. “I started FCCLA the first semester of my seventh grade year, so this is my 6th year in the organization.” The election process to be an officer was about a four month process. Fox first had to get confirmation from the state that they would support him in running for the office as well as talk to his state advisor. “Normally at our state leadership conference, the members would vote. But since we didn’t have a state leadership conference, the state board just kind of pushed me through,” explained Fox. The rest of the process included a survey, a 10 page application, lots of prep-work for his interviews, speeches, and FACS questions. This year the members of FCCLA had to use a virtual program to do their interviews, and they were only allowed one recording, so a question would pop up on the screen for nominees to answer, it would record, and then they would send it off. Lastly, they had a 50 question knowledge test. “The process was very long and took a lot of preparation,

it felt like forever,” explained Fox. The week of last year’s FCCLA Nationals, there were two different letters that let the members know whether or not they were one of the top 20 finalists and council. After that, the top 20 members completed about 4 hours interviewing with voting delegates. “I found out on July 9th that I had gotten the position,” said Fox. Being an officer Fox, has a few different duties than when he was solely a member. There are two offices within the council that also serve a two-year term on the National Board of Directors. “So, one of the biggest roles with my office is that I’m serving this year and then my freshman year of college on the National Board of Directors, serving on the finance committee and then just as a voting member, just to kind of serve as a student ambassador to give my input to the board on how I think things would look from a student perspective,” explained Fox. Fox also does a lot of work with two of FCCLA’s campaigns. One is the Impact Fund, which is a general campaign where FCCLA raises money and then gives out grants to different chapters for various projects, as well as a campaign called the Ultimate Leadership Fund.

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“I facilitate the Impact Fund, and I also am taking charge of our new campaign called the Ultimate Leadership Fund, and it’s a new campaign that I’ve put together this year just to help with affiliation costs for chapters that may be struggling because of the pandemic.” In addition to these responsibilities, is also helping to create partnerships and create a variety of newsletters. Fox really enjoys being an officer for many reasons, however his favorite is knowing the impact he has on many students nationwide. “Having been a member for 6 years, I have seen the impact the national officers have made, not only in my life but in the lives of the other 181,000 members nationwide, and just being able to be a part of those impacts directly in the students’ lives is probably my favorite part,” said Fox. Being a National Officer will benefit Fox in many ways. It provides him with real world and job applicable skills that could be useful in the future. “The majority of those just come from experience of serving such a high level officer position, that will help me with my public speaking skills, my communicative skills, and my relationship skills,” explained Fox. COVID-19 has affected not only the Officers’ election

process and duties, but the FCCLA organization in general. Typically in the fall there are two conferences, but since the pandemic is still widespread they have both been canceled, along with a conference they were supposed to travel to San Diego for in February 2021. “FCCLA has, in the past, required a good bit of travel, not only for officers but for entire chapters as well. Since the beginning of the pandemic, everything has gone virtual. However, because we are a national organization, we have been able to have very professional virtual events. They have been creative and exciting,” says Mrs. Jones, the SHS sponsor for FCCLA. Not everything is completely different, though. This December we are hosting the first ever Virtual Leadership Experience, which FCCLA is working on right now. “Kaden became very competent in using multiple online venues in order to give speeches and answer interview questions... Kaden really upped his speaking skills to adapt to this situation. Kaden is making the most of the situation through social media and presenting virtually,” said Mrs. Jones. Nothing is on pause, though: the FCCLA members are still working hard. The best part for Fox is making

connections with everyone involved in FCCLA in conferences, and on social media, especially now. “I’d say the best part of FCCLA for me is just being able to make lifelong friendships, not only with just my national officer team but with my past state officer teams, and my district officer teams and just different connections with different people,” said Fox. Being a National State Officer is a huge accomplishment, it could also lead to many different career opportunities. However, Kaden is planning on pursuing a career in orthodontics, so even though he may not be applying skills from FCCLA specifically, the lessons he has learned throughout the program can help him tremendously. “One of our career pathways within FCCLA is human services, and orthodontics does fall under human services so I am still somewhat pursuing a career still within the realm of career pathways that FCCLA does have. But as for FCCLA directly, I am going to be a member of the alumni and associates, and still be a part of FCCLA but just not as an advisor or FACS teacher,” explained Fox. Fox has worked hard to be a part of the National Officer Team for FCCLA. Be sure to congratulate him on his accomplishments!

LEFT: Kaden (Second Left) with FCCLA sponsors after receiving the letter to let him know he was a top 20 finalist. RIGHT: The 2020-2021 National Executive Council (NEC) in Reston, Virginia. The NEC was planning for the upcoming year.

Kruse wins State FBLA office Story by Tara Spencer “Even if business isn’t your thing FBLA is great for any student,” says Justin Kruse, FBLA Kansas State Editor, and Executive Vice President of our Seaman Chapter. Kruse has been involved with FBLA for two and a half years at the high school level. During his freshman year, Justin placed 6th in the nation with his Intro to Business Presentation, which has led to his role as the Kansas State Editor, where he updates the Kansas website, and attends the monthly board meetings. Kruse says that FBLA has benefited him by allowing him to improve his speaking and presenting skills. FBLA has also helped him to network and meet new people all over the country and world. “FBLA has a motto of sorts: Service, Education, and progress. But

we have a yearly motto and this year’s motto is aspire and last year was a world of opportunities.” Kruse has competed in Intro to Business Presentations at various levels of FBLA competitions. “There are lots of different fields you can compete in such as 3d Animation to Public Speaking; it really covers a wide range of fields.” FBLA has not been quite the same experience this year due in-person conference cancellations in response to COVID-19. Students were forced to miss the yearly FBLA trip. However, they still benefit from virtual competitions and conferences. “It is a great place to meet friends and it can teach you life long skills that could follow you your whole life,” says Kruse.

SUIT AND TIE: Kruse poses with a few of his fellow FBLA members at an FBLA Conference. The Vikings attend the Fall Leadership conference each year.

Page design by Tara Spencer

HARDWARE: Kruse holds his award from his freshman year when he won 6th place in the nation with his Intro to Business Presentation, Presenting on a national stage helped Kruse perfect his speaking skills

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Adjusting to New Protocols BETHANY DRUSE Staff Writer BY

Remember riding your bike with training wheels down your driveway thinking “I don’t want my training wheels anymore.” So, you told your parents and they took the training wheels off and you adjusted to riding with them off. Was that hard? Well for some people. Others might have thought that it was easy. Or with practice you would learn in no time. Adjusting can be a challenge for some people. This year because of COVID-19, student athletes have had to adjust to the new protocols to their sport. One of the new protocols is wearing masks and some sports are limiting the number of spectators that are able to attend. I have had the opportunity to compete through cross country without my parents there to see me and it is terrible. The only time that I want people yelling at me is when I’m running because it motivates me to go faster,

somehow. When my parents weren’t there for my first race this year, my time was awful. I was struggling because I didn’t have the support and motivation I needed to go faster. I think that all of our meets, and all sporting events, should allow at least our parents to attend and have the s c h o o l district decide whether or not two or four other people can come. Junior Gabby Grace who runs cross country says, “I think that we could have more people show up because we’re all outside and there’s a lot of area for people to spread out on the course.” Grace also says that in order to follow the protocols, they have to limit the number of spectators and wear face masks for the first part of the race and it can range anywhere from 200 meters to 400 meters.

Steve Bushnell, Athletic Director, says, “It’s kind of a collaboration between the Shawnee County guidelines and our district guidelines that controls the number of spectators at the games. With 500 being a mass gathering number, that was a number that was

recommended by Shawnee County for a mass gathering, and so we feel like in most of our sports, other than football, we have that number is typically less than the 500 that’s mandated.” Seaman Sports has done a great job trying to have as many spectators at the sporting events as possible. Other schools are not allowing as many spectators as Seaman is. All schools should be on the same page

about how many spectators there should be because the energy of the games is just as important to the athletes, as is having their parents there. Sports that don’t have to limit spectators are volleyball, golf, tennis, and soccer which leaves football and cross country as the only sports that are limiting the number of spectators. Senior Lauren Ebberts who plays tennis says, “We don’t limit spectators that I know of. People just usually wear masks and space out themselves.” As an athletes perspective, it is hard to adjust to having not as many people in the crowd because the energy is not as it should be and the motivation to push through the difficult times can be hard to find. From there it becomes a mental game and athletes have to make the online spectators proud. But for right now we are still learning how to ride a bike without our training wheels and if we keep following the guidelines, then hopefully we will be able to get back to what it used to be.

Socially distanced: Students practice social distancing at the football game. They had to wear masks and stay six feet apart. (Photo by Madison Minger)

Page design by Bethany Druse

22 | Sports

Corona Virus Tackling Athletic Events By: CAMRYN TURNER Staff Writer

Covid-19 took the world by storm this spring, but as summer ends and fall begins, people are starting to try and normalize life again. With jobs, school, restaurants, there certain restrictions have been set into place for reopening, but in the sports world athletes have new challenges they are facing. Along with wearing masks while being active in the sport, athletes are facing limits on the number of fans who can attend events. However, having support from the fans and the community can give the extra push that the teams need to win those games. Every sport at every level has their own restrictions based on the specifics of that sport. This leaves some grandparents, parents, friends and loved ones unable to see these limited number of high school games their athlete will play. High school football is easily one of the most popular sports, if not the most popular. Everyone looks forward to Friday night football games. This season, COVID-19 has brought the number of fans that can attend those games down tremendously. Athletic Director Steve Bushnell shares the guidelines they have to follow. “The Shawnee County Guidelines say we are only able to have 500 non essential personnel be in the stadium at once. Right now we are at about 17% capacity, we aren’t selling single ticket sales, and are going the voucher route.” The essential personnel that are not counted towards the max capacity at the football games

include the football team, the cheerleaders, dance team, and band along with trainers and referees. With these guidelines in place, the football team has to overcome this challenge. “The biggest negative with restricting gate attendance for the football games (and other activities) is that families have to choose who gets to watch their player participate. It is tough when only your parents get to watch you play, when your siblings cannot come and support you. Your grandparents can only watch from home on the computer or tv. Your friends that were not fortunate enough to get lucky in the ticket drawing don’t get to see you play,” Head Coach, O’Neil explains. There are a handful of other factors impacted by the Covid-19 limitations. O’Neil explains, “In the majority of most sporting contests, home field advantage is huge because of the support that a team draws from a crowd. With the restrictions, home court/field is forfeited. But, it is for everyone. No one has gained or lost an advantage.” The importance of keeping the athletes healthy is another huge factor. “No matter what any of us feel personally about the COVID-19 restrictions, I believe that they are necessary for our HS activities to go on. The future of everyone’s seasons come down to the basic fact that we all have to stay safe and healthy. Our health as individuals is more important than a game and this statement is coming from someone that just loves

competition and HS athletics,” said O’Neil. Cross Country has had a different experience with the cutback of support. Coach Wiens shares the difference that the team has had to adapt to this season. “I wouldn’t use the term ‘toll’ but we have had to adapt to some COVID-related changes. The hardest for me would be the fact that spectators/families have not been allowed at some of our meets. We’ve worn masks to all our meets, and some worn them through the start of the race. We’ve had to spread out on the buses a little more, and I take everyone’s temperature before each practice and meet.” Even though this season has been quite different, everyone is happy to get to compete. “So far, the restrictions have generally been very reasonable. The one that’s hardest to accept for me is the restrictions on spectators, and I fear some of that is a lack of knowledge about how much space Cross Country meets take up. In the end, I’m just grateful that we get to compete and represent Seaman High this year,” says Wiens. Soccer, another outdoor sport, hasn’t seen that big of a difference in attendance this year at home games. “The sports that aren’t getting an attendance over 500 aren’t put at that risk so we don’t believe there need to be restrictions at these events,” The soccer team has seen the differences in attendance when playing in other districts with stricter COVID-19 protocols. “Fortunately, soccer has not

Sports | 23 had many restrictions and been able to run pretty smoothly. We have had a few opponents so far that have only allowed two fans per player, which caused some minimal crowd noise. At home we have had normal sized crowds and people have seemed to continue to come out and support us which is a positive”. These rules are starting to become the new normal. “I understand the caution in putting restrictions in place. I think we are starting to be more comfortable with the world we are living in and the virus is moving through its cycle. I feel things are going to return to normal and we will see some of these restrictions and cautions being loosened up a little bit at a time” explains Kirmer. The last outdoor activity this fall is girls golf who also have had a relatively normal season. Coach McLaughlin shares, “We are fortunate, but there have been a few [COVID-related changes]. Our transportation is more difficult even though we have a small team. Only 3 golfers per van, and we travel everyday because our practice is off campus. Also, they are reducing the number of competitors in our postseason play, which could easily affect us getting to the state tournament this year.” The biggest difference this season for the golfers have been the medal ceremonies. “Tournament sizes have been reduced and we no longer get to have a medal ceremony to organize the best players of a particular tournament once scores have been figured. These are a few disappointments

we have had to deal with”. The only indoor fall sport is volleyball. Coach Schafer shares the most challenging part of playing with COVID-19 restrictions in place. “I think they’ve definitely taken a toll on our team this year. The biggest restriction is the mask restriction and forcing athletes to wear them, a lot of the time while they play. I think it is really hard on athletes and extremely difficult to breathe. It has also taken a toll on the fact that we have had to cancel many games or reschedule games because certain teams can’t play because of the size of tournaments, dates of games (happening within a time that their school doesn’t allow it), and many other reasons. It’s definitely kept us on our toes”! For volleyball, the crowd sizes aren’t as large as football, and the gym capacity isn’t at the max, so the rules for volleyball games are to wear masks, and every other row is taped off to create a good social distance for the crowd. To enter the game the fans also have to have their temperatures checked. Schafer understands the struggle of the masks saying “I understand why many of them are in place, but I feel bad for the athletes who wear masks while playing because I know how much of a struggle it is to breathe. I even feel out of breath when teaching at times so I know it takes a toll on people who are running, jumping and diving.” Everyone has adapted to the changes of the sporting events this year. Bushnell shares his thanks to the community, “I appreciate everyone’s effort to be flexible and being respectful of those around us.

Kaycee Tanner, Riley Cowan, Abby Musick, Camryn Turner, Jaclyn Roy

Nathan Zeferjahn, Reid Cowan, Hunter Snyder, Kaden Fox

Kaden Fox and Camryn Turner Page Design By: Camryn Turner