Seaman Clipper the
Volume 83
On the
6 12 17
Inside:
Issue 6
A cynical outlook on society and life.
Two retiring teachers celebrate time spent at Seaman.
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Seniors offer final thoughts on high school.
May 16, 2013
Kid Cudi’s new Seaman High School album not one to 4850 NW Rochester miss. Topeka, KS 66617
Teachers reflect on their first cars. Check us out at
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Alums doing big things in collegate athletics.
Coach Mark Simoneau hugs Morgan Kottman as her family looks on during the intermission between the varsity baseball games versus Washburn Rural. The games and proceeds were dedicated to Morgan and her fight against brain cancer. (Photo by Suzanne Marshall)
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SeamanNews.com SeamanNews @SeamanNews
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NEWS www.seamannews.com Barth family adjusts to life with new daughter, sister May 16, 2013
by Mallory Searcy staff writer Colorful “welcome home” signs were held excitedly in the air as a girl was carried off the airplane and into the arms of her new family. That image was fresh in the mind of junior Emily Barth when telling about her new little sister Olga. A year ago, on May 14, Katie and Randy Barth first laid eyes on their bright-eyed beautiful daughter while visiting her at an orphanage in Eastern Europe. Olga has cerebral palsy, which is a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills. “Cerebral palsy is usually caused by brain damage that occurs before or during a child’s birth, or during the first three to five years of a child’s life. In Olga’s case, she was born at 26 weeks and did not have immediate medical intervention. Her brain was deprived of oxygen and, therefore, caused a brain in-
jury that affects her ability to use her legs and arms as well as communicate verbally,” said Katie Barth. Seven and a half months have passed since the Barth siblings, senior Tyler, junior Emily, freshman Jessica, and middle school student Abbie welcomed their five-year-old sister Olga Ellise Barth (OE) to her new home. It seems as if Olga’s adjustment period has come full circle with bridging the communication gap by signing and talking to her family. “One of our most exciting moments was when she said ‘Mama’ and ‘Daddy’ out loud,” said Katie. For the Barth’s, many changes came along with welcoming a wonderful, new addition to their family. “It takes a little longer to go anywhere. We have lots of toys and toddler items around the house again, which takes up quite a bit of space. However, our biggest adjustment has probably been her medical and physical needs. We
Bond issue passes by Landon Weller staff writer On April 2, voters of Seaman USD 345 voted “yes” in favor of the Seaman Bond with a vote of 2,029 to a mere 1,050. This outcome approves the renovations to three of the district elementary schools and the constructing of a brand new Seaman Middle School. This $57.5 million bond will close two elementary schools, Rochester and Pleasant Hill, as well funding the construction of a new Seaman Middle School just south of where the current middle school sits.
The current middle school will then become an elementary school to accommodate students from both Rochester and Pleasant Hill. “We will then move the elementary students into the middle school, but this cannot happen until the building is complete,” says Seaman School Board member Fred Patton. “Our hope is by early fall we will be able to put the jobs out for bid and break ground on the projects by Spring 2014.” Patton also encourages students to speak up if they have any ideas for the new Seaman Middle School.
have all had lots to learn so that we can take care of her the best way possible,” said Katie. Among the Barths, Olga’s other family includes therapists that work with her every Monday and Tuesday at Cappers and her teachers and other kids at Logan Elementary pre-school, with whom she loves to interact. “She has physical, occupation, and speech therapy. Olga also has gotten a lot stronger, is trying to put her sense together, and has gained weight, which is good,” said Emily. Olga has made several advances, many of which came from constantly laying in a crib in an orphanage, to embracing her new home with people constantly giving her love and attention. “When we first brought her home, she ate whatever we gave her, she played with whatever we gave her, she never cried for anything, and she went to sleep on her own. Now she points and asks for
Olga enjoys playing with her new family (Photo by Katie Barth).
certain toys, she says ‘yes’ if she likes something or ‘no’ if she doesn’t, she cries if she is upset or needs something because she knows that somebody will come and help her, and she loves to be snuggled and rocked to sleep each night,” said Katie. Along with Olga’s new experiences, her mother said the greatest would have to be Olga knowing the love and security of a family. “It feels like she was meant to be in our family, she fits in really well,” said Emily.
Clip Notes •
Congratulations to Cassidy Frost and Cassidy Stauffer for being selected for the 2013-2014 Kansas State University Classy Cat Dance Team.
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Attention students with gently or unused school supplies! Donations can be made to the Boys and Girls Club of Topeka at 550 SE 27th St, Topeka, KS Telephone Number: (785) 234-5601
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Finals Schedule Wednesday 22, hours 1 & 7 Thursday 23, hours 2, 4 & 8 Friday 24, hours 5 & 6
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NEWS
May 16, 2013
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Student experiences traumatic skiing accident by Emily Worley staff writer For many of the students involved in the Winter Park band competition, leaving Colorado was the last thing on their minds. After spending three ski-filled days in frozen paradise, coming home to good old Topeka, Kansas was not a great prospect for anyone, but for junior Cole Dister it was a different story. After successfully making it through the first two days as an amateur snowboarder, Dister decided to attempt something a bit more challenging and took a series of ski lifts up to The Outhouse, a black diamond slope full of moguls (mounds of hard compacted snow formed as obstacles.) For being a first time snowboarder, Dister was doing surprisingly well. “I don’t really know what happened,” recalled Dister, “I was doing fine until I hit a mogul wrong. Everything went downhill after that.” After rolling head over heels for at
least 20 feet, Dister was able to regain his footing and make it the rest of the way down the mountain. This was no easy task. Even though he did not know it at the time, an air bubble had formed in his stomach and was rising, making tasks like breathing incredibly difficult. After returning to the condos, Cole
Dister waits at the Medical Center in Winter Park. (Photo by Melissa Hollar)
finally decided that it might be a good idea to take a trip to the medical center. There he was immediately administered oxygen and fluids through an IV and, after 45 minutes, was transported to the Denver Hospital in a one and a half hour ambulance ride. “My heart rate was double what it should have been,” said Dister, “I saw my life flash before my eyes.” During his three day stay at the hospital, Dister was given a chest x-ray, a CT scan, and underwent surgery to see if he had a torn windpipe or esophagus. It was eventually determined that what caused the formation of the air bubble was the blunt force trauma caused by the impact of falling so many times. Doctors say that Dister’s body will have to absorb the air, which can take up to three weeks. Dister did experience some pain when he took deep breathes and when he swallowed for a while after the accident, but considers himself lucky to have come out of the situation with no serious injuries.
Debate, Forensics teams achieve most successful year in school history by Logan Konrade Staff Writer Most students at SHS generally recognize debate and forensics, but don’t know what it’s about and how successful it has been. They are both relatively similar and the difference is simple. Debate consists of several categories, including policy debate, public forum debate, and Lincoln-Douglas, that define the topic. Forensics encompasses some debate events as well as speaking and acting. Seaman’s team is directed by Mr. David Ralph. Ralph has been teaching at Seaman for six years and, according to Ralph, didn’t have much to begin with. “The program started with about six kids and (they) hadn’t qualified for the state tournament in three years prior to me showing up.” This year alone, they have won more trophies than ever in school history and had 47 members of the team qualify for the state tournament. With having its most successful year yet, the Seaman Debate and Forensics program doesn’t seem to be los-
ing its momentum. “I think it’s a really cool achievement, and it’s awesome that we have so many that could get it,” says senior Ryan Kelly. Kelly, along with seniors Molly Kaup, Grant Waters, and Matt Parnell, the “Forensic Four” as their fellow students have called them, lead the team. They’ve placed top in the nation a great deal and have set records for Seaman. These four have the highest amount of National Forensic League points compiled in the school. These points are accumulated and recorded from one’s high school career, freshman through senior year. Impressively, Kaup has only debated her freshman and senior years. “I’m not nearly as experienced as the other three,” Kaup says. “It took a lot of practice and a lot of work, but I think I’ve gained a lot of skills that I wouldn’t have now if I hadn’t come back to debate this year. It’s been life-changing.” Kelly, Waters, and Parnell are not just top in the school, but top in the nation. They are a part of the top 15 in Kansas and of the top 100 in the country, which makes
them “All-Americans.” This is a huge accomplishment for anyone, and to have multiple from Seaman is quite the feat. “SHS has had Academic All-Americans before but never have had Debate AllAmericans, let alone the potential for three in one year,” comments Ralph.
Grant Waters, Ryan Kelly, Molly Kaup, and Matt Parnell win third place at the State Championship for Debate.
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www.seamannews.com NEWS SADD makes students aware of risks while driving May 16, 2013
by Shane Sumner staff writer Driving is something that almost everyone in a high school building does on a daily basis, but the consequences of negative decisions while behind the wheel are not publicly exemplified on a usual basis. On April 19, SADD took this into account. Members of SADD painted their faces white, and wore a sign around their necks explaining how they were “killed”, and what time they passed away. “I think this really made people stop and think about the choices they make while driving everyday,” said junior Brandon McPhail.
Another thing that helped to make the situation become clear to students, was the sound of a unique bell that went off every 53 minutes for the remembrance of one who
Editor in Chief Alex Hamilton Feature Editor Delaney Hiegert Ad Managers Kendall Leatherman, Taylor Buessing Copy Editor Shelby Ronsse Sports Editor Trenton Miller Web Page Editor Taylor Czajkowski Staff writers Katelyn Rollins, Cassidy Agnew, Bailey Bushnell, Tyler Bushnell, Sami Fincham, Alayna Hutchison, Logan Konrade, Mallory Searcy, Connor Shepherd, Shane Sumner, Landon Weller, Savannah Workman, Emily Worley Adviser Kelly Neiman
Above:Miranda Powell had her face painted at 2:06 to simulate her death in an impaired car crash, other students took part in the activity throughout the day. (Photo by Emily Wools) Left: Mrs. Marchello paints Brenden Hansford’s face to represent his death. (Photo by Emily Wools)
passed due to irresponsible driving. “I thought it was beneficial because everyone stared that I represented someone and asked what was going on, that died,” said junior Brooke so it was set in their minds Stueve.
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. 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 on copyright or disruptive to the educational process of Seaman High School.
www.seamannews.com
NEWS
May 16, 2013
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Sittenauer awarded Outstanding U.S. History Teacher by Shane Sumner staff writer On April 27, Mrs. Susan Sittenauer was awarded Outstanding U.S. History Teacher for the state of Kansas at Capital City Plaza. Sittenauer received this award from the Kansas Daughters of American Revolution member Terry Healy, who is also a gifted teacher in Manhattan. Along with this
award, she received a certificate and $6200. “Mrs. Sittenauer goes above and beyond what she needs to, to help her students learn skills that benefit them past high school, and her high expections encourage students to do their best while in high school,” said Assistant Principal Shelly Prengel. In order for Sittenauer to receive this award, she had to send in a resume, a personal
Johnson awarded Kansas History Day teacher of the year by Shane Sumner staff writer History teacher Susan Sittenauer nominated eighth grade history teacher Kyle Johnson as Kansas History Day Teacher of the Year. During the State History Day ceremony at Washburn on April 20, Johnson was awarded this honor. “Mr. Johnson has established a reputation as an outstanding educator who helps students prepare high quality projects for History Day competition at all levels. He is highly deserving of this
Mr. Johnson helps his 8th grade Gifted class (Photo by Bailey Bushnell).
honor,” said Principal Bob Horton. Johnson has been participating as a History Day teacher since he became a teacher at the middle school for the last five years. “Kyle is a teacher who uses his love of the subject matter and his knowledge of instruction to facilitate higher learning in his students. He believes that the skills taught through History Day are vital for today’s students, so he works diligently to develop them in every student he teaches,” said Sittenauer. “I had Mrs. Sittenauer as a teacher for History Day when I was in school. I feel very honored having her nominate me for this award,” said Johnson. Johnson will be competing against 50 other State History Day teacher winners for the National History Day teacher award June 9 - 13 in Washington D.C. “This award is a reflection of the hard work that all my students have put in to their outstanding projects over the last five years. I feel very privileged to be able to work with them during the research and creation of their History Day projects,” said Johnson.
statement of her philosophy for teaching, and letters of recommendation. “Mrs. Sittenauer has a great relationship with her students. She realizes that she must first convince her students that she cares about them in order to teach them,” said Principal Ron Vinduska. “I am honored that such a prestigious organization and its members would choose me for this award,” said Sittenauer.
Mrs. Sittenauer assisting one of her students in Civil and Criminal Rights (Photo by Bailey Bushnell).
Snapchat becoming a controversial app by Alayna Hutchinson staff writer
During spring of 2011, in the dorms of Stanford University, three friends were having the time of their lives. The trio was talking and joking around about “sexting.” After creating ideas of a disappearing picture for their eyes only, Reggie Brown, Evan Spiege and Bobby Murphy created a new way to make money. From there on out, the million-dollar idea grew. Each year there seems to be some new trend. Take the app Snapchat for example. According to FactBrowser.com at least 13 percent of teenagers aged 13 through 18 have a Snapchat profile. Yet, along with some new trend come some new consequences. Having the option of how long an individual can view the photo another sends can be expressed in many opinions. Sophomore Carter Metzger states, “ I think it`s stupid how you have time limitations. You should just be able to view the picture whenever.” On the other hand junior Breyanna Wilson claims, “ I like the time limitation because it makes it easier to
have longer conversations. If the time limit were longer, it would kind of seem pointless because you could just take a picture. “ Although most individuals don`t have any issues with Snapchat, there`s always a few “snaps” that go wrong. There have been several court cases filed against Snapchat concerning this issue. Most of these incidents are made worst through teenagers spreading the images throughout the public`s eyes. Even with administrators and authorities contacted, the pictures remain open forever. Freshman Principal Traci Hammes says, “ As an administrator what scares me the most about Snapchat would be how easy someone can engage in cyber bullying, and there would be no evidence in as who did it.”
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May 16, 2013
OPINION
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The planet is fine - the people are in trouble by Alex Hamilton editor-in-chief
“
T
he planet is fine. The people are [in trouble].” This famous quote by the late great George Carlin pretty well sums up the situation facing the human race today. The planet has been around for 4.5 billion years, suffered major disasters (earthquakes, volcano eruptions, tectonic plate shift, meteorite impacts, mass extinctions, ice ages, apparently a massive flood that wiped out all animals except two of each species), and yet it just keeps on keepin’ on. Isn’t it a little bit conceited for humans to think that we are destroying the planet? We actually think that if we continue in our ways that the planet is going to just stop. Humans have been here for about 100,000, maybe 200,000 years - a mere fraction of Earth’s existence - and yet we think we are so “all powerful” that our actions are going to end Earth. I guarantee that if humans were to die out, the planet would be just fine, perhaps even better off. Humans would be just another failed genome, a cul-de-sac on the road of evolution. Humans are the ones facing demise - not Earth. So now that we’ve established that what we care about is humans’ continual existence, not the planet itself, how are we to continue living when so many institutions exist counterintuitive to this goal? Let’s start with the economy. Merriam-Webster defines “economy” as “thrifty and efficient use of material resources:
frugality in expenditures.” After a little bit of closer examination, it becomes apparent that the system governing our society is more of an “anti-economy” than anything. The name of the game is profit. The more profit - the better you’re doing. Or so they say. But this end all goal of profit has led us down a trail of waste and disregard for the well-being of others. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product used to gauge how well a country’s economy is doing) in America is 20 percent from health care costs (Forbes). How can this figure possibly be used to show that America is prospering when 20 percent of it represents sick and dying people? With health care becoming an increasing percentage of America’s GDP it becomes obvious that we’re not so well off after all. Since the name of the game is profit, businesses are stopping at nothing to survive in this dog-eat-dog world. The easiest way to increase profits is to decrease production costs; that means lower quality products, fewer workers, more mechanization. Companies actually implement a strategy dubbed “planned obsolescence” that intentionally produces low quality goods that become obsolete soon after selling them so that customers will have to buy more. If that is not
the essence of an anti-economy then I don’t know what is. Now let’s move on to our “civilized society.” Why is it, that in times of war, people are so eager to give away their rights? Are they even rights if they can be taken away so easily? They’re more privileges than anything. As we saw after the Boston Marathon bombing, the entire city of Boston entered a police state. Due process, protection from illegal search and seizure, having an attorney present for questioning - all these “rights” disappeared immediately. Even after 9/11, only prominent New York targets such as the Stock Exchange were shut down. But there were tanks rolling through the streets of Boston. But in exchange for their rights, the citizens of Boston were awarded with the ability to watch the crap-fest of ever conflicting news stories surfacing from the five major news networks as the story unfolded. Is it even right to call America a civilized society when its chief export is warfare? Reminiscent of the world forcast by George Orwell in his novel 1984, the department in charge of war is called “the Department of Defense.” Defense? That department controls our military it wages wars. It’s almost demeaning to the citizens to call it defense. In our country’s 237 years of existence, we have waged 12 major wars (arguably 14 including the French and Indian and Cold Wars) - averaging a major war every 20 years. War is what we’re good at!
graphic by Creative Commons
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OPINION
Gay rights parade
May 16, 2013 Gun Control
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Boston, MA 4/15/13
Public domain photos
America’s defense budget is larger than the next 13 largest national defense budgets combined. China, Russia, UK, France, Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Brazil, Italy, South Korea, Australia and Canada combine for $695 billion in defense spending, while America spent $711 billion alone. (Washington Post). Earlier this year, the Sequester attempted to cut $85.4 billion from the budget to begin reducing the near $17 trillion debt. Well the Sequester cut an incredible half a percent of the national debt and we are already reaping the benefits, right? No. It’s almost laughable that the Sequestration that took place caused such uproar when it had such a minute effect on the economy. Moving right along to politics. The political spectrum we see today has to be one of the cruelest jokes ever played on the people of this world. It gives us the illusion of choice between two “very different candidates” but in the end we wind up with the same crap by a different name. “If you go vote, you are exercising your right to choose who will run the country.” Well if you already have the options narrowed down to 2 people of equally awful potential, is it really even a choice at all?
The only people who have ever been in office have been raised under American ideals, American standards of education, American ways of life, can we really expect the next American elected to office to be any different? Garbage in, garbage out. And since America is the most powerful nation in the world, with a defense (war) budget bigger than ever, and leaders who study politics, not the people they govern, in charge, the future of the human race is surely in more trouble than ever. It seems to be that politics do nothing but contribute to the mess we’re in. Does passing laws really solve problems? In the case of gun control - controversial as of late - passing laws restricting guns does not actually restrict guns. It’s illegal to shoot people, yet people still get shot. If we make it illegal to get certain guns, people will still gain access to these guns. Politics is relatable to placing a Band-Aid on a wound in the sense that it does not prevent the cause, but merely mitigate symptoms. Further proof of the political inconvenience: we are now experiencing a 3rd major fight for civil rights. Can we really trust that “all men are created equal” when it was written by a group
of slave owners? What they meant was “all white men.” After African Americans gained their independence, they faced nearly a 100 years of slavery by a different name: segregation. Women finally gained rights under the 19th Amendment - nearly 150 years after the country’s founding. And now politicians are trying to make it illegal to be gay - as if sexual orientation is actually something to be determined by lawmakers. Now onto the real reason humans are screwed. The issues above are merely selections from an inexhaustible list of problems in our society. Despite our knowledge of all this, we continue in our ways. Industry continues planned obsolescence, politicians continue making empty promises and America spends more money on waging war (killing people, spreading hate, terrorizing foreign countries) than it does on heart disease research - the leading cause of death in the world. The reason we are in trouble is because we persist in our faulty ways despite alternatives being abundantly available. If we don’t make a change, humans are going to be stuck in a perpetual state of ignorance.
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May 16, 2013
OPINION
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Join the Indicud bandwagon by Landon Weller staff writer Scott Mescudi has been unlike any musical artist of his generation the past five years. Scott Mescudi, or Kid Cudi as his stage name, began his rap career in South Bronx in 2008. He was introduced to the industry with his release of his first mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. This resulted in Cudi signing with Kanye West’s record label “G.O.O.D Music” in late 2008. Mescudi’s single “Day N’ Nite” peaked reaching the Top 5 of Billboard Hot 100. This in-turn peaked his debut album and my personal favorite, Man On The Moon: End of the Day, which featured artists such as Kanye West, Ratatat and MGMT. The sequel album in the Man on the Moon trilogy was released just a year later titled, Man on The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. The album featured popular singles, “Mr. Rager” and “Erase Me” which featured Cudi’s mentor, Kanye West. After the release, there were many questions whether Scott Mescudi would continue with his music after he expressed his ambition to focus on acting and filmography. Cudi later revealed that he would continue his musical journey, at least for the time being. He went on to add that would take a break from the MOTM installment by branching out and recording an alternative pop-rock album (WZRD) with friend and fellow artist, Dot da Genius. After his rock album with Dot, Kid
by Samantha Fincham staff writer Today, two of the most popular social networking sites are Facebook and Twitter. Ill admit I’m just as addicted to social networking as the next person. People view Twitter or Facebook as a place to let loose, say what’s been ticking them off all day, or to let off steam, using occasional foul language or saying
Cudi was rumored to release a mixtape titled A Man Named Scott, which would be followed by the final chapter of his MOTM trilogy. These rumors were later dismissed after Cudi released singles “Just What I Am”, “King Wizard” and “Immortal” which would later be featured on his third studio album, Indicud, an alternative hiphop album. This album would be unlike any he had made thus far. Indicud features tracks featuring new faces in the game (Kenrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky) along with experienced veterans in rap (Too $hort and RZA). Although this album unlike any other produced by Cudi since beginning, it came as a nice surprise to this longtime Cudi fanatic. I especially enjoy tracks such as the sequel to his “Solo Dolo”, which appeared on MOTM: EOTD, “Solo Dolo Pt. II” along with tracks “Brothers” and “Cold Blooded”. “It is really different, but it’s freaking awesome!” said Seaman student Taylor Mah when asked about Cudi’s latest album, Indicud.
Nolan Versluys also had positive comments about the album . “It’s like a blend between WZRD and Man on the Moon. Cudi killed it!“ After leaving many fans disappointed after the released of rock album, WZRD, I believe that Cudi made a statement with the release of Indicud that his music will be in fact that, HIS music. Personally, I thought that Indicud was a complete success. I would recommend it to anyone that has enjoyed listening to Kid Cudi in the past or anyone who listens to current hip-hop. The Cudi bandwagon still has a few seats on it, and I encourage you all to get on it while you can.
something about someone. Junior Tanner Lavin says that on average he tweets 4 times a day maybe more and if you count retweets it’s about 10. He says, “Everyone of my tweets, I would say in public or to someone, I act like I do in person on twitter.” What people might not know is that jobs or businesses might be looking at profiles I occasionally slip up and tweet some-
thing inappropriate or mean. I don’t do it a lot because one, drama gets started that way; second, because my family has accounts on both of these sites, they monitor what I post. I see fights on Twitter all the time, and it’s good that you are saying it to the person instead of “subtweeting” or stating the obvious. If the business is okay enough to put out there, confront the person in public, because the only thing separating the two is a screen.
May 16, 2013 ENTERTAINMENT Senior writes, directs “Webs” a story within a story
www.seamannews.com by Katelyn Rollins staff writer
The actor says the last line, the curtain falls, and the auditorium goes black. The audience jumps to their feet and roars with applause. Senior Corey Perkins walks out to the middle of the stage and soaks in the atmosphere. He had done it. His story had been brought to life. Browsing through possible classes, Perkins stumbled upon a class he had never heard of: Playwriting and Directing. It’s a theatre class offered by Mrs. Diane “Diva” Payne, but this class is not taught very often. “Diva had the class on the roster and I had to go talk to her. For the class, I had to basically write a script and direct it. It was really exciting to talk to Mr. Vinduska and to be able to take the class as an Independent Study,” said Perkins. Perkins’ creativity had shone bright way before this class. Since Perkins was a little kid, he had always had a creative and innovative side. Perkins says, “Since I could remember, I always had ideas and scenarios of worlds and characters in my mind. I wanted to make these ideas more real than just in my mind and I just wanted to
write and create. Acting was just the next step.” Using these ideas and characters, Perkins was able to write his own play that illustrates unique and creative twists. The plot line shows Perkins’ new take on playwriting. “The play is a story within a story. It is about a troupe of actors who have problems with each other and themselves. They stumble into a theatre and see an audience sitting there. Now, the group must entertain the audience by performing a fairytale. As the performance continues, each character’s problem with each other are worked out and resolved,” added Perkins. Amazingly, Perkins only had one semester to brainstorm, write, edit, and finalize his work and with a time crunch comes many things that could have happened differently. Perkins tells us, “I wish I could go back and fix the tension during the early times of figuring parts and lines. I would change and make it so there were enough parts for everyone in the class. When I first started writing, I was not aware of the number of students because the second semester Advanced Acting class performed it.”
Viking Voices
“Go skydiving while wrestling a tiger.”
Ryan Brown, 9
However, the entire year of writing and directing has made many memorable moments for Perkins. “I really liked how everyone came together at the show. I was nervous since I am a first time director, but everyone added ideas and tips that made it as good as it was. I was really proud of them. Also, I was happy that everyone was cheering and applauding,” added Perkins. On the night of the performance, the turnout was normal for a Thursday night performance. “It wasn’t a large crowd, but normal for that particular show date,” said Perkins, “From what I have heard, a lot of them liked it. I was just happy that they were cheering and laughing when they were suppose to.” Even though the curtain dropped and the perfor-
Upper: Senior Jonathan Vanzandt, and junior Caegan Hirsch take a seat on junior Andrew Smith, senior Cindy Whitham, and freshman Alex Veal. Left: Junior Caegan Hirsch, senior Corey Perkins, and sophomore Stephanie Bayless strike a pose.
mance is done, Perkins will not stop writing, performing, and directing. Perkins plans to major in theatre and education at Washburn University. Perkins adds, “I plan to continue to write for play, script, TV entertainment, stories, or my own entertainment.” However, the successes he enjoyed in high school could not have been without the support of fellow teachers and classmates within the theatre department. “I’m proud of everyone who was a part and helped. They are what made the show what it is and I couldn’t of done it without them. Also, I would like to thank Diva for everything she did,” said Perkins.
What`s on your summer bucket list?
“Drive until I can’t go any farther. With no map, or sense of where I’m headed.”
Reegan Riner, 10
9
“Sleep on top of the high school.”
“Go camping with all my friends.”
Josh Simmons , 11
Maddie Potvin , 12
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May 16, 2013
FORMER STUDENTS
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Former students relive college experiences by Mallory Searcy staff writer
Leaving the Comfort of Home Transitioning from high school to college is difficult for most, leaving mom’s home-cooked meals and frequent laundry, a tight-knit community, and friends that are constantly there. Now imagine leaving not just Topeka, but Kansas to travel to a new place, where everything is different and the surroundings resemble nothing of the wide-open spaces called home. Former students Elaina Murray, Jessica Sisco, and Zack Bahr have experienced the challenges and rewards that come moving to another state for colleges that are highly sought after. Jessica Sisco, class of 1997, moved to California and attended Stanford where she earned her bachelor’s in Communication. Sisco currently finished her master’s of Science in Organizational Development at the University of San Francisco, while working full time. 2006 graduate, Murray attended Wellesley College outside of Boston for four years and graduated in 2010 with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Economics. 2008 graduate, Zack Bahr attended Ivy League school Brown University and graduated with a bachelor’s in History and Policy of Education. Choosing the Right College The universities Sisco, Murray, and Bahr attended are considered elite universities where acceptance rates are continuing to decrease. Prestige may be what many college bound students are looking for, yet Murray said,”
How well-known a school is doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better than another.” Bahr, who attended Brown said, “Students pursing an Ivy League school should consider whether they are looking at the school because of the name or because of the opportunities that the school has to offer. Students need to realize that it’s not the name of the school, rather what you did while you were there.” When completing those stacks of applications, high school seniors should be looking for the best possible fit. Murray said,” I’d focus more on the size of the school and the interests of the faculty when making a choice. It doesn’t matter how prestigious the school is if the professors are interested more in grant money and graduate students than the undergraduates.” Students should also consider making their application stand out among the hundreds of applications. “Your goal is to ensure that after the admissions team has read through 500 applications, yours is one they remember,” said Sisco. Sisco mentions that building a well-rounded roster of both academic and extracurricular involvement is extremely important. Transition to College Life
Those who are considering moving out of state for school will have a major shock, and having new experiences and making new friends will help that transition. “It’s important to widen your circle of friends and experiences. Talk to everyone. Spend time with people who are different from you. Take classes that are interesting to you, even if they have a reputation for being tough,” said
Murray. Along with having new experiences, culture was on Bahr’s mind when telling about his experiences at Brown. “It was quite a shock coming from Kansas to Rhode Island. I was one of three students to be from Kansas in 2008. My freshman year roommate was from China and my roommate for the next three years has a building at Washburn that is named after his grandfather. Just realizing the amount of wealth, power, and history that I was surrounded by was such a shock. There are people who were 6th generation Brunonians,” said Bahr. Sisco remembers vividly the shock she also encountered during her first year at Stanford. “It was tough for me to transition from being a big fish in a little pond here in our small high school in Topeka to being a small fish in the much larger college environment. You have to learn how to maneuver in a new world and build a new support system. But it helps to remember that every other freshman is going through the exact same emotional transition, so reach out to others for friendship and support,” said Sisco. Murray enjoyed several new experiences during her transition, such as going to Red Sox games, and training and running for the Boston Marathon. Lessons Learned While the challenges Murray, Sisco, and Bahr faced seem overwhelming, moving away, making new friends, and joining in on the college experience, the rewards were wonderful and the lessons were life-changing. “The most important les-
“You have to learn how to maneuver in a new world and build a new support system.”
- Jessica Sisco
son that I learned in college is that failure is going to happen. It is how you respond to this failure that shows the type of person you are. I ended up not being able to compete in track my senior year because I had messed up both my knees. I also failed calculus, but from this I realized that economics and premed were not areas of interest to me. In failing calculus I came to the understanding that history and policy were where my passions were,” said Bahr. Along with those common setbacks, expanding experiences, friends, and the type of classes taken will only add to the college occurrences. “It’s important to widen your circle of friends and experiences. Talk to everyone. Spend time with people who are different from you. Take classes that are interesting to you even if they have a reputation for being tough. Involve yourself in groups that you never had the courage to try in high school,” said Sisco. Whatever college high school seniors decide to make their new home, maybe finding a little magic is just right around the corner, a feeling Murray knows all too well. “Having a school like Wellesley as an alma mater is a bit like having Hogwarts as your alma mater; after you graduate, you probably won’t visit regularly, but when you do, the magic is still there,” said Murray.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
May 16, 2013
Former students’ journeys spread across the States
“I did not apply to any Kansas schools. In retrospect, that sounds pretty scary, but at the time it was my fail safe to ensure that I had the chance to experience another place and to have some adventures away from Kansas.” -Murray
“I recently just finished my Master of Science in Organization Development at the University of San Francisco.” -Sisco
“I was w a accepte it listed at Harv a essentia d at Wellesley. rd and When W lly matc ellesley hed the grant m o s my nam ney, I chose W cholarship with e e was the off Harvard’s w llesley and took best de cision e ait list, which ver!” -M urray
“If the a the qua tmosphere is regard lity of teachin right, e new an d, and it’s so g highly m d excit ing, it w eplace deliver r e g a r dless o ill probably -Murra f prest y ige.”
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ad never nestly, I h re I was o h e it u Q “ fo Brown be ack and tr heard of r fo re e th recruited r h field.” -Ba
only way ys are the cer a ss e r u o “Y ffi missions o that an ad nse of who you will get a se ose stories to th are, so use pelling visual m o c you create a t addition of the grea their campus.” to will make o c is -S
to “I decided f o st o m focus y rg e n e my g on applyin nia r fo for Cali isco -S .” ls schoo
“Currently, I plan on working for two more years and then applying to schools for PhD programs. I want to eventually work somewhere in higher education administration.” -Bahr
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May 16, 2013
SENIOR RECAP
www.seamannews.com Luke Stuke
MOST EMBARASSING MOMENT:
“WHEN MY PHONE WENT OFF IN CLASS AND PLAYED ‘STUCK LIKE GLUE’ BY SUGARLAND.” Austin Ruddy
Haydn Miller ADVICE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN: “ACTUALLY SHOW UP TO LEARN, TEACHERS REALLY APPRECIATE IT.”
Taylor Hiltgen
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: “I WAS GIVEN THE NICKNAME ‘MANLY’ AFTER I DID MORE PUSHUPS THAN ALL THE BOYS.” Emily Struttman
ADVICE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN: “DON’T PROCRASTINATE AND DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR DR EAMS. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO.”
Taylor Mah
“IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING, I WOULD OF GONE BACK AND ENJOYED THE TIME I WAS HERE INSTEAD OF WISHING IT AWAY.”
“IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING, I WOULD BE MORE ACCEPTING OF PEOPLE FROM THE BEGINNING AND NOT SO SET IN MY WAYS. SOME OF THE BE ST FR I EN D S H IPS I HAVE ARE THE ONES I LEAST EXPECTED.”
Travis Kesinger
FAVORITE MEMORY: BreAnna Gilchrist
“GETTING TO MEET A LOT OF MY FRIENDS AND ENJOYING MY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS WITH THEM.”
Anne Haskell
Areli Bermudez
“IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING, I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING DURING HIGH SCHOOL.”
FAVORITE MEMORY: “DEFINITELY AT SOCCER PRACTICE WHEN DI THREW THE BALL DOWN AND IT BOUNCED RIGHT BACK UP AND HIT HIM IN THE FACE, KNOCKING HIS GLASSES OFF, THE WHOLE TEAM FELL TO THE GROUND LAUGHING.”
ADVICE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN: “DO SOMETHIN’ FRUITY”
Alyssa Martinez
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: “PUTTING MY GUM IN MY POCKET BEFORE MY FIRST SPEECH.”
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SENIOR RECAP
May 16, 2013
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Abigail Brooks
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: “GETTING IN TROUBLE FOR TELLING SOMEONE AN OFFENSIVELY VULGAR DECLARATION.” Matt Ingram
ADVICE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN: “JUST HAVE FUN. THE YEARS FLY BY IN A BLINK.”
Bailey Seetin
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: “MR. LATIMER GRABBED MY TONGUE TO GET RID OF MY HICCUPS.”
Alexandrea Hare
ADVICE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN: “TRY NOT TO JUDGE PEOPLE SO QUICKLY BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BE YOUR BEST FRIEND TOMORROW.”
Gaige Jackson
Trang Nguyen “IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING, I’D WORRY LESS AND JUST ENJOY THE PRESENT BECAUSE EVERYTHING ALWAYS WORKS OUT FOR THE BEST.”
ADVICE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN: “STOP MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF LITTLE THINGS. CHERISH ALL THE MEMORIES AND TAKE TONS OF PICTURES BECAUSE EVERYTHING WILL FLY BY FAST AND EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE.” Courtney Brackey
FAVORITE MEMORY: Jace Friend
“HAVING MRS. MUXLOW AS A TEACHER.” Hallie Kresin
ADVICE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN: “JUST KEEP GOING.” Jessica McCall
FAVORITE MEMORY: “BEING ON THE GOLF TEAM AND MEETING ALL THOSE GIRLS.”
“IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE PAST FOUR YEARS I WOULD MAKE THEM GO BY SLOWER.”
Bailey Reynolds
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: “I FELL ASLEEP DURING A READING PERIOD IN CLASS ONCE AND SNORED PRETTY LOUDLY DUE TO A COLD.”
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FIRST RIDES
May 16, 2013
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These are cars similar to those driven by (left) Mrs. Chamberlain, (center) Mrs. Simons, and (right) Mrs. Naylor.
Faculty first rides -Even as the years go by, some memories never fade. Those very first cars always hold a special place in the teenage heart well after the teenage years are gone. Some staff members sported the cars of their dreams. Others had first cars held together with duct tape and love. But all remember their first taste of freedom. “Mine was a blue 1969 flat bed International pick up. We called it Herbie. For a 16 year kid it was cool, because the truck would backfire (loud popping sound) when you would down shift. Of course the back firing actually back fired, because it would get the attention of the local police and they would search to find me!!!” Jay Monhollon “My first car was a Datsun 200SX. Painted cherry red by my father and complete with black interior, faux fur seats (no air conditioning) and a pair of furry fuzzy dice. I sold Avon that summer and delivered in the Kansas summer heat. My back was always soaked through and the fur seat was matted.”Michelle Mettner “A 1979 silver Ford Thunderbird which my friends and I dubbed the “Silver Bullet.” The car, however, was not as fast as the name would imply, and trust me, I definitely tested its limits! When I was in high school the only thing anyone that was anybody did
Staff members recall fun and frustrations that came with those first rides to freedom
on Friday and Saturday nights was cruise Topeka Boulevard. I did not have a cool Camaro or Trans Am, but that didn’t matter. The center disc of one of my hubcaps fell off, and since it sported the Thunderbird emblem, my best friend and I decided to duct tape it to the hood. We were quite proud of my hood ornament although it didn’t really change our cool factor on the Boulevard.” Shelly Prengel “[My very first car] was a 1974 Ford Pinto hatchback that was light green. I bought it brand new at the Topeka Noller Ford Dealership for about $3,400. And made payments of about $74 a month.” Shirley Brading “When I was a freshman my dad took me out to a farm to pick out any vehicle I wanted. I picked out a 1978 Ford Courier long bed, single cab truck (it was free). I spent a year working on the engine and sanding it while buying parts by mowing lawns and finally had it ready to take to school my sophomore year. I painted it blue with a white “7” on each side and everyone called him “Lucky”. I decided to show the engine off after school and blind sided another car. What took me a year to accomplish only took me seconds to throw away. Lesson learned.” Cary Stahly
“I bought a 1966 maroon and black Mercury Marquis for $100 from my older brother when he was discharged from the army. It had power seats, windows,brakes and steering....none of which was very powerful! The back passenger window never completely came up which created ‘Lake Latimer’ in the back floorboard when it rained/ snowed hard. It also featured an automatic headlight dimmer switch mounted in the middle of the dashboard. Made for quite a show when trucks approached.... That car was a lot of fun and got me in a lot of trouble!! Wish I still had it today.” Larry Latimer “My first car was a 1978 Mustang II. It’s not quite like the classics. This excuse for a Mustang was during the gasoline crisis of the late 70’s. They “dumbed down” many cool cars. This little putter was white with a light blue vinyl top. The interior was the same light blue (fake leather). It had a simple radio that I replaced with ..... oh, yeah .... a cassette player. It only had small 2.3 liter 4 cylinder engine. Most cars out there could outrun the little Stang.” Matt Gregoire “I had a 1974 Oldsmobile Delta 88....I put big white racing stripes down the side! It could seat eight people and I could lay down in the trunk!” Randy Crome
“My first car was a 1978 greenish Ford Pinto. My Rottweiler “Amadeus” liked to hang his head out the window. For some reason no one ever bothered me. Go figure. Oh, I named the car Bertha after my grandmother. They both had a similar shape.” Diane Payne “1995 Plymouth Neon. My little sister (now a junior in high school) called it “Turtle” because it was green, and I drove slow.” Amelia Newman “My first car was a gray, ‘87 Ford Station Wagon. That car was ugly as sin, but it got me where I needed to go. The great thing about it, was that it could fit up to eight people (uncomfortably, but with seat belts). The only problem was that nobody wanted to ride in it because it was so ugly. It was the antithesis of a “chick magnet.” Or maybe it’s because I didn’t have any friends.” Michael Kennett My first car was a 1970 brand new Chevelle Malibu ( Gobie beige in color .. kind of a yellow) with a gold vinyl top. I bought it when I signed my first teaching contract. It had black vinyl interior with bucket seats, gear shift in the middle. It was really cool. It cost $2000 in 1970. Can you imagine that?” Janet Krahe
www.seamannews.com “First and foremost, I was very happy to even have a car. BUT, I wanted a silver SUV. I was 16. It was 1999. My friends drove Eddi Bauer edition explorers with systems and MY DAD “surprised me” with a GOLD, 1982 (year I was born), Subaru station wagon. I remember it like it was yesterday: “It’s LIKE a silver SUV,” he said, “but gold….and shorter.” It was rusty and the interior ceiling was coming down. The speakers were all blown. It only had a cassette player that would eat cassettes. It was a 5-speed. The rule was that I could drive it when I learned how to drive a stick, so I couldn’t drive it forever. It had 4-wheel drive and we lived in the city. It turned out to be perfect. I loved it and everyone called it ‘the roo”. I wrecked it a lot. Every time I wrecked it, my dad would take me to the junk yard and find a junk version of my car, buy a part off of it, and bolt it on my car. By the time I was done, ‘the roo’ was gold and red and ducttaped. I drove in 4-wheel all the time, ground the gears learning, and eventually killed the car. I was actually sad to see it go and have been lucky to know how to drive a 5-speed more times than I can count.”Lisa Martinez “ ‘87 mustang GT convertible with a 302 & 5spd. I don’t have to explain how cool a 16-year-old male thinks he is cruising in a loud v8 stickshift convertible! Lots of
FIRST RIDES good times in that car, and it launched my addiction to wrenching & hot rods. Been a garage junkie ever since. Cool story: Shortly after I sold it, the car was stolen from a car lot and involved in a high speed chase from the TPD. Finally got caught when they ran out of gas!” Jeff Mathes “My first car was a 1964 red Renault Dauphine, that my parents bought for me when I was a senior in high school. (Part of the reason for the car was that we moved to Kansas in the middle of my senior year, and I was so heartbroken, they felt a car might help). The Renault was a darling little car....and the victim of a prank. One day, a group of big, brawny senior boys picked up my car from the school parking lot, and put it in an adjoining park. Needless to say, when school was released and I went to my car, I almost had a heartattack to find my little car sitting in the middle of a grassy spot in the park! Thankfully, the boys were good-hearted and after a lot of laughter (as I stood there close to tears!), the guys picked my car back up and plopped it on the street. Sadly, I was involved in a car accident not long after, and although my car was hit by a big clunker driven by an old lady, my Dad took the car away because I wasn’t a “defensive driver” (so unfair!). Although I was the proud owner of that little Renault for just a short time,
May 16, 2013
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One day, a group of big, brawny senior boys picked up my car from the school parking lot, and put it in an adjoining park. Needless to say, when school was released and I went to my car, I almost had a heart-attack to find my little car sitting in the middle of a grassy spot in the park! -Mrs. Barb Chamberlain
I have fond memories of my first car.” Barb Chamberlain “I had a 1985 smurf blue chevy cavalier. It had rust, missing paint, no trim, and it squeaked whenever I turned a corner. My friends called it the O’Sqeal mobile, because of my maiden last name and the funny noises it made. I bought it for a $1000 from one of my friends when I was a junior, and it died the week I graduated from high school. What a piece of junk!” Jayme Doran “My first car was a 1999 Ford Contour. Great little car to get around in for a 16-yearold. But, the awesome thing about “Rosie” was that she was frosted pink! You could easily spot my car in the high school parking lot.” Amanda Jeffries “In high school I drove a ‘68 red Ford Fairlane convertible. I loved driving it, especially when the weather was nice enough to put the top down. The only downside was that in the winter when it snowed, it would snow inside
These are cars similar to those driven by (left) Mr. Crome, (center) Mrs. Brading, and (right) Mr. Ralph.
my car!” Susan Scannell “1976 Dodge Dart. It was sweet!” David Ralph “1964 Olds Cutlas F-85 bought for $35 in 1974 A Classic POS.” Jack Figgs “1985 Ford Tempo. It was cheap, but also a tank. I have a story about breaking down a gate with it while being shot at. (Long story that involved being in the back woods of Missouri...)” Andrew Huff “1978 Fiat 128 2-door Sedan (this color too). In order to get in the back seat, you had to tip the front bucket seat up to the dash. My parents bought it for my graduation in 1980 for $1000.” Jo Simons “My mom and I shared it. She taught school, so on the days I worked after school I took it to Hardees to work. We took turns every other weekend. Every so often the solenoid would act up and you had to jump start the car with a screwdriver to start it. Those were the days!”Nielle Naylor (continued on page 16)
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May 16, 2013
FIRST RIDES
Staff members share first car
(continued from page 15) “My first car was a Peacock Blue 1963 Ford Galaxy 500. I bought it from my parents the summer prior to my junior year of high school when they purchased a new car. The price was right. It got hit and totaled by a drunk driver (not me!) shortly after graduation. I then purchased a used ‘69 Mustang. That was a cool car!” Ron Vinduska “1972 brown Honda Civic. It had an 8-track player that was always playing Molly Hatchet.It was so small that about four guys could pick it up with my friend and myself in it and carry us across the parking lot.”Susan Sittenauer “Brick Red 1978 Chevy Impala 4 door. Bought from an old lady that was moving out of the state for $300. Had just under 100,000 miles and had never driven over 50 mph. First thing I did was pop off the hub caps and spray paint the rims black. The car had a 350 cu in V8 and way too much power for a 16-yearold. I got into a little trouble here and there. Had to get rid of the car when I was putting over a quart of oil in a day. It was later used as a demolition derby car and did really well.” Travis Brown “1967 Rambler. Passed down to me from my brother. It was very boy blue. Nothing girlie about it. It was a stick shift on the column. It had a gigantic foot pedal for the gas. You didn’t need a key to start it. Not sure how my brother did that. The thing had bucket seats that only went up so far. Because of this, I had to drive with a pillow behind my back so I could reach the pedals to stop grinding gears. (One of my dad’s pet peeves.) Sometimes the pillow was hard to explain.” Patty Allacher
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experiences
First thing I did was pop off the hub caps and spray paint the rims black. The car had a 350 cu in V8 and way too much power for a 16-year-old. I got into a little trouble here and there.... -Mr. Travis Brown “My first car was a 1974 Camaro. It was burgandy red, was jacked up in the back with chrome side pipes and pink fuzzy dice hanging on the rear view mirror. I thought I was amazing...... until I got the first speeding ticket. I was going 75 in a 45 up North Topeka Blvd at 1 a.m. The cop was totally shocked when he came up to the window of the car and realized a girl was driving. My ticket cost me $275.....and that was a LOT of money back then. After the 4th ticket they were going to cancel my insurance if I got any more. I couldn’t help myself!! Cars like that NEED to go fast!!!” Deanna Brady “I had a 1962 white Mercury Comet paid for by my parents so I could get to school and pick my mom up after work every day. I didn’t give it a name, but my friends said it sounded like a percolator. Now......does that word age me, too?” Barb Dolifka “I had a 1985 maroon Grandam. It was neat because it was the same age as me. It was a hand-me-down from my older brother.” Stacy Wall “Ellie (short for *ell, it’ll make it) 1972 brown Malibu. However, I borrowed my brother’s antique 1950 Studebaker while I was in college…the doors both opened from the center of the car. It was very weird. And when
I turned corners, the doors would sometimes fly open. And it had a button on the floor that I had to press down on when I wanted to go up hills on the way home from school (from Emporia to St. Marys). It was a peach. I think it was an “overdrive” button.” Marian Sweany “My first car was a 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. Silver paint, burgandy interior. It was the first car I bought with my own money. Man, was I cool driving around in it at 17?!” Donald Koon “My first car was an ‘87 Chevy Celebrity (the ugly, older version on the Cavalier). It had been my mom’s car, and when she upgraded they gave it to me. By the time I got the car there were a few rust spots and several large dents in the fenders. The dents are only part of its story... We raised sheep when I was in school, and we had a ram that would get out of his pen on occasion. When he did, he liked to head butt the fenders on the car. No reason behind it, other than he was mean and a jerk. To make the car even more fun, I found out one day that there was a large mouse nest in the truck of the car. A whole family of those nasty rodents were in there! The only way I found out they were in there was from the one that ran over my foot while I was driving down the road. The simple fact I didn’t wreck the car while I
was screaming should say a lot about my stellar driving abilities. By comparison, it made my little ‘91 Mazda B2200 truck (5-speed, no power windows, power locks, power steering or a heater) look like a luxury ride!” Randi Thompson “1966 Olds Cutlass. Nothing special at all unless you count the heater and passenger side wiper not being real good at working and the dark red color hid quite a bit of the rust.” Steve Darting “It was a Chevy Cintra, guessing a 1983. What made it special was it actually worked! Orange in color, and it had a hatchback. I thought it was the greatest car ever! But thinking back it was a piece of junk.” Margaret Ramberg “1971 Mustang Fastback with a 302 engine. It was pea green (yech), but I saved up and had it painted cherry red to go with the black interior....Her name was Molly!” Laurie Lewis “66 Ford Galaxy 500... Junior year of H.S.... Paid $100 for it at Bob Combs Used Cars... Hood was covered with surface rust... totally covered... I sanded it with a vibrating sander, and my dad and I painted the car baby blue... It was an excellent car...until I fell asleep at the wheel on my way back to ESU on a Monday night. (Chiefs played Monday night football... ) The car was totaled, a crushing blow... to the car and my freedom... I had to borrow my sister’s $50 car for the rest of the year...then I bought my second car... the 69 buick Le Sabre.” Rick Brading “Avocado green Plymouth Duster with bench back seat. I could pack a lot of people in that car for late night donut runs to Lawrence.” Kelly Neiman
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NEWS
May 16, 2013
Retirees bid farewell to years at Seaman
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by Taylor Buessing Staff Writer Mrs. Von Unruh and Ms. Susan Scannell are retiring from the Seaman District. Scannell has devoted all 26 years of her teaching career to the district, while Unruh has spent 20 of her 28 years with SHS. “I really like that most students really care about learning and there is great parent support,” said Scannell. Scannell has taught both 8th and 9th grade math. “I enjoy that age because the kids still like to have fun and be silly. A lot of times the older kids are too busy trying to be cool to have fun,” said Scannell. Scannell will always be remembered for “I really like that her hate for wamost students termelon gum really care about and the word learning and “shut up.” She there is great will also be reparent support.” membered for Ms. Susan her love for SurScannell vivor and KU. After retire“What I like most ment she plans about my job is when to substitute I connect the student teach in Lawwith the employer rence. and the student tells In her 20 me the job is fun and years at Seaman easy.” Unruh has enMs. Von Unruh joyed connecting with students and other faculty. “Developing the Heartland Works job training program and watching it grow has been the biggest highlight of my career,” said Unruh. Unruh has spent her time at SHS in charge of the Heartland Works job training program, helping students plan what they want to do after high school, and. The Heartland Works program is a program that allows students to be paid while working at a business of choice during the school day. In order for this to be possible the student must meet the criteria required. “What I like most about my job is when I connect the student with the employer and the student tells me the job is fun and easy,” said Unruh.
Von Unruh gives assistance to students in the library. (Photo by Logan Konrade)
Mrs. Susan Scannell enters grades into the computer during her plan hour. (Photo by Logan Konrade)
How do you plan on making summer money?
“Continue working at my part-time job.”
Katelyn Hersh, 10
“Well, I’ll be working as a lifeguard at SNFAC saving lives.”
Ryder Chaffee, 11
“I was going to babysit.”
Lisa Marston,12
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May 16, 2013
FEATURE
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Life of a Lunch Lady
Seaman High’s cooks put in more hours than expected
by Delaney Hiegert feature editor
Most students only think about the lunch ladies during, well, lunch. One would assume the lunch ladies are only here during the lunch hour, and after the hour is over, so is their duty. However, this statement is far from true. There are at least two, if not more, lunch ladies here at good ol’ Seaman High no later than 6:30 a.m. and the majority of them are still here when the students are leaving at 3:05 p.m. Throughout the time these ladies are here, they do quite a bit more than serve students their lunches. When they first arrive, they need to make sure the food had been delivered, check it all
in, and get started cooking it. One of them will make a quick trip to the office to see if any students have dropped off their lunch money checks. After all the food has been cooked for the day, they begin to set up the food lines, salad bar, and computers. Now comes the part we all know about: the actual serving of the food. All the ladies will make sure the food stays stocked throughout the course of lunch, while some of them work computers, and others work the clean up windows. After the main event is over, they start to pack things up. The lines are disassembled, and the food is put away. Now, the reports for the day need to be made up. These
have to include how many kids ate lunch that day, what was served, and the portion sizes. These reports have always been required, but with the new lunch laws that were passed nationwide, they have become a more extensive task. By the time the students make their way to the parking lot at the end of the day, the lunch ladies are just about done with their checklist. Once all of the trays, bowls, and silverware have been put through the wash, and everything in the kitchen had been properly stored and put back into its rightful spot, the day is over. These are just a compact run down of the lunch ladies day. There are numerous other tasks that these
women perform throughout the course of the day that we don’t even think about. Usually, there are 14 ladies on duty each day at the high school. There are over 20 that work at the high school specifically. All these ladies do more for the students than we realize, and very few of us acknowledge this. Even though not every student hands the lunch ladies there tray with a pleasant ‘thank you’ these women still manage to keep a smile on their face. “I think it’s important for us to liven up our work place. We like to dance around when we cook, make jokes, just keep the mood light,” said cook Jackie Collier.
Below are the results of a survey the Clipper staff performed on a random selection of students. These results display how properly students think they dispose of their food during the lunch hour, how kind they treat the lunch ladies, and how thoroughly they think they clean their tray. If the students chose a one they felt they did poorly in these catagories and if they chose a three they felt they did well. The staff wanted to conduct this survey to bring light to the issue of manners and conduct in the lunch room.
1 Proper Disposal - 8% Proper Manners - 11% Clean Tray Fully - 7%
Lunch lady Jackie Collier wipes down a section of the salad bar after the final lunch of the day. (Photo by Emily Worley)
2 12% 23% 17%
3 80% 66% 76%
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SPORTS SUPERSTITIONS
May 16, 2013
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Athletic superstitions common among students by Taylor Czajkowski web editor
of games and then the rest of the bottle at halftime. Former Chicago Cub Moises Alou did not wear batting gloves and urinated on his hands to toughen them up. “I’ve always worn the number two and if we are on a winning streak, I will wear the same pair of socks or undershirt every game,” said head baseball coach Steve Bushnell. The softball and baseball teams share a superstition where they do not touch the lines of the diamond on game days, while the Lady Vikes must also stand by their “performance buddy” whenever they are in their team huddle. The baseball boys also refrain from ever allowing their bats to cross in the dugout. - Notes and statistics obtained from: http://www.livescience.com/19666-13-
Superstitions have been around for much longer than any sport. Yet, sports seem to be the number one arena for the preevent, during-event, or post-event rituals. Most superstitions originate from religious beliefs. For example, Friday the 13th is said to be an unlucky day. Some people believe that Adam and Eve consumed the apple on a Friday and also that Jesus was crucified on a Friday. The number 13 has been said to bring bad luck as well, but it is not certain why. It could be that the number 13 comes right after the number 12 and the number 12 is associated with the days of Christmas, number of months, and even eggs in a freaky-facts-friday-13th.html dozen. Regardless the reasons behind it, people fear Friday the 13th. A possible explanation is that the human mind is almost too good at making associations. “If anything bad happens to you on Friday the 13th, the two will be forever associated in your mind, and all those uneventful days in which the 13th fell on a Friday will be ignored,” said Dr. Thomas Gilovich, chairman of the department of psychology at Cornell University. Associating events with days or superstitions can also be a good thing. In sports, athletes create pre-game or during game routines. If these routines are done and the athlete performs well, the routine will be associated with a good performance. The more the routine is done and the good performances keep going, the more likely it will be turned in to an everyday superstition. “I have to have my nails painted on my way to the field and I can’t step on any cracks,” said senior soccer player Offer valid thru August Stevy Stauffer. Stauffer isn’t the only one at Seaman that has a superstition. Many athletes or even coaches have superstitions. Senior baseball player Taylor Mah said, “When I was younger, our coach used to drink half of a can of pop before the game and then crush it. Then we would rub the leftover pop on our bats for good luck.” There are many more superstitions among high school, college, and even pro athletes. Caron Butler, an NBA player for the Los Angeles Clippers, at one point reportedly chugged half a liter of Mountain Dew before a set
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May 16, 2013
SPORTS
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Alumni athletes shine in 2012-2013
Benoit knocked down 8,508 pins in 42 games for the Wichita State Shockers in 2012-2013. He bowled a perfect game at the Leatherneck Classic in November and his 202.6 average was eighth best on the team.
A senior transfer from New Mexico, Carlson has played in 39 baseball games for Emporia State (27-22) this season. He has 18 RBIs on 23 hits and has a perfect fielding percentage on 87 putouts for the Hornets. Kenny Benoit
Connor McDaniel
McDaniel signed his letter of intent to continue his career at Baker University after averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game at Cloud County (15-17) this winter. He scored in double figures in 13 contests for the Thunderbirds, with a season high of 17 points.
Carlson, a senior at Kansas Wesleyan, has led the Coyotes in nine of the team’s 12 golf meets since September, including five top five meet finishes. Carlson won the MACU Tournament in Oklahoma City, shooting one-over, and most recently tied for fifth at the KCAC Conference Championships on April 30.
Jacob Hurla
Rob Carlson
A commitment to play at Texas Tech University is what came from the 2012 season for Hurla, who caught 37 footballs for 608 yards and six touchdowns at Butler Community College (11-1). Hurla was the number two receiver for the Division I breeder, which lost only in the NJCAA National Championship Game.
Zack Carlson A shortstop, Cheray has started 37 of 43 games for Missouri State, who he leads in on-base percentage (.481) and walks (33). He holds the second best batting average (.336) and has two home runs for the Bears (27-16).
Erin Greenwood
A sophomore infielder, Moore was named the Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods Softball Athlete of the Month. She has appeared in all 34 of 40 games for the Monarchs and leads the team in eight offensive categories, including slugging percentage (.558), runs (24), and hits (36).
Megan Moore
Potvin, a sophomore outfielder, was named William Jewell’s first ever Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Player of the Week with her nomination on April 22. She leads the Cardinals (32-15) in five offensive categories including batting average (.405) and stolen bases (21).
Carlson, a senior baseball transfer from Missouri State, started all 12 football games for Emporia State (10-2) as linebacker. He was the Hornets leading tackler in the fall, recording 112 total tackles, 60 of which were solo. Carlson also had three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Ben Carlson Fletcher, who placed second in singles at the 5A State Tennis Championships his freshman season, holds a 17-9 combined singles record for Washburn this season and a 17-13 doubles team record, with 11 of those victories coming at the number one doubles position. Steven Fletcher
Eric Cheray A junior, Greenwood has started in 33 of 37 games for Baker University (23-14) this spring. She is hitting .317, holds a team best ERA of 1.38, and is seventh nationally amongst NAIA Division I pitchers in averaging 13.15 strikeouts per game. Greenwood was also named the March 25-31 NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week.
Rachel Potvin Rea has started all 46 games for Oklahoma State (34-12) this spring, batting .275 with five home runs and 23 RBI. He was named the Big XII Conference Player of the Week for April 15-21 following a week that featured three homers and 15 RBI. This was the second time in Rea’s career he received the award.
Robbie Rea
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SPORTS
May 16, 2013
Baseball clinches league title, eyes State
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by Trenton Miller sports editor
With the wackiest of spring weather combinations behind them, the baseball team is hopeful it can do one thing – continue to win. As of printing deadline, the Vikes were preparing for regionals as the number one seed. With two wins, the Vikes will play in Wichita at Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium in the 5A State Tournament next weekend. The Vikes played six games in three nights to end their regular season campaign, in the aftermath of three doubleheader cancellations due to treacherous weather. “We’ve had a few postponements and some really cold weather, but every player and team has to deal with it. We just continue to do our thing to get victories,” said senior Ryan Colombo, who leads the pitching staff with 26 strikeouts and a 1.01 earned run average (ERA). The entire pitching unit has continued to be a selling point for Coach Steve Bushnell’s squad this season, holding
SENIOR Dallas Hallgren hurls a pitch against a KC Turner batter. (Photo by Alex Hamilton)
a 1.50 ERA as a team. Senior Butch Rea backs Colombo with a 1.77 ERA. The offense hasn’t been slacking either. The Vikes claim the Centennial League’s second best batting average, hitting .346 through 20 games. Colombo, a Drury University signee, paces the squad with a .426 average and 31 RBI’s. Junior Justin McNorton leads the league
Track stars leap atop city times by Taylor Czajkowski web editor
The boys’ and girls’ track teams held their own at the City Carnival track meet last Monday, May 6 at Hummer Sports Park. The boys’ side was propelled by two first place finishes in the 100-meter dash (10.70) and long jump (22’11”) from sophomore Joseph Reagan, who also recorded a second place finish in the 200 (21.76). Reagan’s 100 and 200-meter times are the fast A first place 4x400-relay (3:22.84) win over the state’s fastest team, and wins at pole vault by Luke Shaw (11’6”) and the high jump (6’4”) from Joe Miller pushed the Vikes to 184 team points and the City Carnival title. “We ran well against Shawnee Heights and were able to win it down the stretch. But, there’s still room for improvement as we head into regionals and hopefully the State meet,” said 4x400-relay anchor Cody Scheck. On the other side, the Lady Vikes finished in third place behind a series of runner-up and third place medals. Sophomore Tatyana Legette came in second in the 100 hurdles (17.64) and the 300 hurdles (49.38) to pace the girls. Senior Abbey Harrison also placed second in the pole vault (7’6”). “We’ve continued to work hard despite the bad weather, which has been tough on all of us. We all get along very well and I feel that pushes us to be more successful,” said Legette. Other points for the Lady Vikes came from four third place medalists, who ended with 126.5 team points. Both track teams will be in action tomorrow at the 501 Sports Park for the regional meet.
with five home runs, including three homers in two games against Manhattan. The Vikes’ all-around solid play since their opening defeat at Shawnee Heights has led them to a second consecutive Centennial League title as they head into postseason play with an 18-2 record.
Tennis team competes at State by Trenton Miller sports editor
All six varsity tennis athletes competed in the 5A State Tennis Championships this past weekend in Emporia. The No. 1 doubles team of seniors Trey Horton and Skyler Stevens proved their top seed ranking, winning the regional doubles title with a 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) victory of Andover. With their finish, Horton became only the second Viking tennis player to ever qualify for the State tournament in all four years of high school competition. The number two doubles team of Wyatt Goacher and Cameron Waters placed fourth at the regional meet, while singles players Todd Rilinger and Grant Waters qualified at the fourth and sixth place positions, respectively. The collective effort placed the Vikes three points behind regional champion Andover for second place at the regional meet. This came after third place finishes at both the city and Centennial League meets.
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SPORTS
May 16, 2013
Softballers looking for strong state return
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Lady Vikes looking ahead to playoffs by Landon Weller staff writer
Junior pitcher Mikala Smith takes a turn at that plate.
by Tyler Bushnell staff writer The Lady Vikes season started out strong, winning their first 12 games. The Vikes were being led on offense behind the strong bats of senior Jenna Hosey and junior Jeris Thomas. Senior Carly Smerchek has also been a big contributor with a couple long balls, along with junior Dani Spence, seniors Mary Constant and Brianna Brooks, and sophomore Payton Summers who have added some power of their own. Defensively, the ladies have had great pitching from freshman Hailey Reed and junior Mikala Smith. Both have consistently been in the strike zone, giving
their team a chance to win with every outing. Hosey commented, “This late in the year, we need to be able to keep our intensity level up in both games. We run rule (Topeka) High in the first game, but come out flat in the second game, and we paid for it.” The race for the Centennial League title has gone out of reach for the Lady Vikes, unless powerhouse Washburn Rural manages to drop a couple games. “We just need to continue to fight in our big journey. To be great, not just good, you have to battle adversity and that’s what we’ve been faced with lately. We need to unite as a team and focus on what will be the bigger picture in the
Second place city swimmers looking to continue successful season by Taylor Czajkowski web editor The girls swim team has had a good start to the season and has many qualifiers for the state tournament. They had a couple successful places at the first few meets, but none more impressive than taking second place overall in the city meet. “It was exciting to take second at the city meet, but because of our tough practices everyone has improved a lot and it finally paid off,” said senior Jessica
Schreiner. So far the Vikes have had six qualifiers for the state tournament. Seniors Clair Boggs, Kim Bahr, Kelsey Gandy, Jessica Schreiner, junior BriAnna Dittberner, and sophomore Heather Gandy have all qualified thus far. The girls look to finish their season off strong with a good performance at the state tournament. The state tournament will be held in Emporia tomorrow and Saturday.
After a few losses early in the season, the Lady Viking soccer team (4-9-1) has battled to improve. On the girls’ senior night, they showed what they were capable of. The seniors stepped up big time when senior Kyleigh Rowe scored early in the first half assisted by Stevy Stauffer to give the Vikes a quick 1-0 lead. The girls continued to battle, but the equalizer Freshman Shayla Podlena came from attempts to gain position Topeka High on Hayden’s defender. with a strike just outside of the 18 with just four minutes left in the game. With just 37 seconds left in the first overtime, senior Kyleigh Rowe struck again, this time off of a Jennifer Jackson clearance. The goal was enough to lift the Lady Vikes to a 2-1 victory over the Trojans. “I told the girls, it’s not how you start, but how you finish. You have to improve, and we have been. As a coach that’s what you want to see if we keep improving,” says coach Louis DiLeonardo. The playoff schedule has yet to be determined, but the girls are currently seeded ninth in the region. With Highland Park and KC Christian left on the schedule, the girls can potentially improve their seeding for postseason. “We will keep on working in practice and prepare for regionals. Once you get into playoffs, it is anyone’s game and we are going in with that mindset,” says senior Stevy Stauffer.
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The seniors of this year’s Clipper class celebrate their last contributions to the district’s student run publications. Left to Right: Tyler Bushnell, Landon Weller, Alex Hamilton, Taylor Czajkowski, Trenton Miller. After graduation, Bushnell plans to join the United States Air Force. The other four will be attending Kansas State University this fall. Weller and Czajkowski plan to major in business, Hamilton in computer engineering, and Miller in mass communications - public relations. (Photo by Emily Worley) Not pictured are seniors Katelyn Rollins and Shelby Ronsse who will both be attending Washburn University. Rollins will major in education and Ronsse is undecided at this time.