19-20 Issue 2 by The Clipper

Volume 89| Issue 2| November 8, 2019

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Clipper Staff Editors in Chief Alexis Desch Alyssa Flower Web Page Designer Reese Lister Graphic Design Editor Camryn Turner Ad Manager Lauren Hren

Sports Editor Tristan Fangman Centennial Editor Madeline Gearhart Adviser Amy Riley

Staff Writers Loren Baldwin Sami Boyles Megan Carter Grace Gomel Isabel Grimes Jordan Riggles Sam Shea Kaycee Tanner Isabelle Vasquez

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To submit a letter to the editor, the letter must be 300 words or less in length. All correspondence must be signed. The goal is to report school and community news and suggest ideas for improvement. We welcome your opinions weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do our best to publish what you have to say. Views in the 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 privacy or disruptive to educational process of Seaman High School.

Building Relationships Through Story by Jordan Riggles

You may have heard the term “YoungLife” throughout the community in the last few years, but do you actually know what it is? Schools across the community such as Topeka High, Washburn Rural, and Shawnee Heights, come together to build relationships. They listen to music and play games,having fun along with worship at the end. “We are a youth organization geared towards youth mentorship, “ says Andy Vogel, the area director for Topeka YoungLife. With the success of the group in neighboring schools, Casey Boquin is trying to start a group for Seaman students. “Around the world, kids are longing for relationships. I think YoungLife gives them a positive way to be in a relationship with each other while hearing an even more positive message,” says Boquin. “Kids want to be accepted and I think YoungLife does a very good job of that.”

Getting involved in YoungLife can leave a lasting impact on you. Not only are you building connections with classmates, but with others throughout the community. “It brings everyone closer together as a community. Our leader goes to our soccer games and he goes to football games. If you don’t have someone there supporting you, you will always have your YoungLife group that will come watch and support you,” says Jake Moss, a sophomore, who is a regular Seaman YoungLife attendee. Moss enjoys the time that he has spent and the friends he has made through his YoungLife experiences. “Young Life has connected me with new people and it gets us (Seaman) involved with other schools that also have a YoungLife. We just make a lot of new friends,” says Moss. To most, hearing the term YoungLife makes them immediately think of religion and or Christianity, but it’s so much more than that. You don’t have to have strong religious beliefs, or be involved or

committed to any certain church to attend events. It is all about building relationships with others around you, giving you a safe place to be yourself and explore new possibilities. “We speak about God and what a relationship with him means a lot, but two out of every three kids that go to YoungLife are not plugged into a church,” says Vogel. “We try to build this environment of ‘Hey come take a look at who God is’, but we want to build relationships, fun, and experiences regardless of people’s church involvement.” All types of students are welcome, no matter what background they come from. “No one is excluded. There’s groups for everyone to be a part of… It’s open to everyone,” says Vogel. Don’t be scared to jump out of your comfort zone and try something new. Attend an event or reach out to a friend and tag along to a city meeting. Making sure to be on the lookout for future YoungLife events here in the Seaman community.

Get Down to Save the Story by Samantha Shea

You may have noticed some activity in the stands during half-time at the football game on October 4th against Topeka High School. That activity was the Future Business Leaders of America, FBLA, hosting a coin drive to raise money for March of Dimes. March of Dimes is a non - profit organization that raises money to improve the health of premature babies and their mothers. March of Dimes has been working for 80 years to advocate for proper health for mothers and their babies. March of Dimes workers will help mothers through every step of their pregnancy, positive or negative. After delivery March of Dimes also helps mothers get adjusted to their new role. This is not the first time FBLA has done a fundraiser to donate to March of Dimes. The ugly sweater dance which takes place in December after the varsity basketball game is one of the largest

fundraisers FBLA does for March of Dimes. FBLA has also been doing coin drive for the past three years, each year raising more money and even more awareness. “I like when we donate back to March of Dimes because it makes me feel like we are actually making a change with the fundraisers we are doing,” senior FBLA member, Sophia Sparks states. At the football game on October 4th versus Topeka High School, FBLA raised $196.04 in coins from the people who attended the game and donated. “I’m very pleased with that amount especially for it being the first time. I’m glad we almost got to $200.00,” senior FBLA president, Andrew Patton said. FBLA will be doing another coin drive during basketball season. The date of this is to be determined, but be on the watch to donate your spare change to an amazing cause.

Annual 5K brings in money to Improve Trail Story by: Grace Gomel

Fall Into Fitness, the 5k run, started back in 2011. At the time a science teacher had cancer and she was struggling to pay for her medical bills and the 5k was a way to raise funds to help a staff member. There are plenty of runners who partake in Fall Into Fitness. A lot of kids are hoping to spread awareness through running through the trail, or just simply have a good time running with friends. Coach Welch said, “There is not a limit on it. Over the years it’s averaged anywhere from as high as 300 to as low as maybe about 175. And right now, I have around 270 signed up to run. This year we have Girls on the Run that they’ve done in the past, and they’ve now started running clubs at the Elementary Schools. So those little guys are gonna come and run up with us.” The runners started out running on 50th, Rochester, and 46th, and also on Topeka Boulevard. Mrs. Welch explained that once the trails were built, they were included in the 5k run. “So, we actually start on the football field, we exit the South end of the stadium, out to the trail, we go up the trail, and around, and then we come

out on Rochester, to 46th, to Topeka. We cut through the little housing section there in Hayden, and then come back up on 50th through Rochester, back to the trail, and then we come back up the trail, and come in, and end up on the track.” The 5k is going to take place on November 9th. October 18th was early registration, and if you haven’t signed up yet, then late fees apply. At this point in the registration process, students 18 and under are $20, and adults are $30. The cost includes your race number and a T-shirt. The event is also funded through sponsor donations. “We already have our sponsors for this year. We have a couple $500 sponsors and then we have several clubs and organizations that are our $200 sponsors, and then $150 sponsors. And then we have in kind donations, too. We have several categories sponsors can choose to sign up for.” The money from the 5K will fund a phase two addition to the trail located around the areas with the tennis courts, shot and discus area, and back to the football field. This will hopefully take place over the winter. The 5k run is a fun event that you can go out and enjoy with your friends, while raising money for something important.

Downtown event encourages Involvement Story by: Megan Carter

The newly formed Topeka Youth Commission consists of 21 young adults from across Shawnee County. These 21 members joined the organization with a goal to offer youth a chance to have their voices heard and to be involved in the Topeka community. They work with the mindset that it’s not all about politics, it’s about being heard and volunteering while also having a good time. Cally Anderson and Eva Noble are both a part of the Topeka Youth Commission. Along with the 21 other members they were both selected by their peers who are considered the founding members after an application and interview process. Cally Anderson said she chose to apply because, “After attending the High School Leadership Academy, I realized that Topeka has a future and I wanted to be a part of the great future ahead and youth are an important voice that needs to be heard.” In June the Topeka Youth Commission began planning for the first annual Grub Crawl, which took place Saturday, October 26, 2019 from 1:00 to 4:00. The event was planned in order to get more young people involved in the community. Anyone aged 14 to 21 was able to register for the Grub Crawl for $2.00. “We want youth to go downtown and this event

shows the young people that there are fun things to do in downtown Topeka,” Anderson added. The Grub Crawl featured five downtown restaurants including Moburt’s, Iron Rail, The Pennant, Hazel Hill, and Cashmere Popcorn. The group spent 20 minutes at each restaurant and they received a sample of the food the restaurant offers and got some brief information about the restaurant. “My favorite was The Pennant because I enjoyed the food, which was Mac and Cheese Balls and Chicken Tenders. I also thought the information the manager gave us was very interesting,” said senior Grace Sheets who attended the Grub Crawl. The Youth Commission worked together for many hours to finalize the event and they were happy with the results. The group worked closely with the restaurants and businesses to make sure attendees would have a great time. “The event was a success, we had a great turnout and each person I have spoken to said they would go back to downtown Topeka and visit one of the restaurants,” Eva Noble commented. The Grub Crawl had a goal of creating community outreach and involvement while also having fun and bringing life to downtown Topeka. “My favorite part about this event was having the opportunity to meet new people from other schools and enjoying some great food,” Eva Noble said.

grub Crawl greeters: Students involved in the Topeka Youth Commission greet people when they arrive. This group also handed out shirts to the first 40 people who registered. (Photo by Cally Anderson)

getting a taste: A group from the Grub Crawl gets their food from The Pennant. The group got to eat Mac and Cheese Balls and Chicken Tenders. (Photo by Cally Anderson)

thank you: Members of the Outreach committee of the Topeka Youth Commission pose for a picture. They brought t-shirts to thank the businesses who participated in the Grub Crawl. (Photo by Bryce Liedtke) Page Design by: Megan Carter

Places to Donate Left Over Food Topeka Rescue Mission Harvesters Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Help Salvation Army American Red Cross Meals on Wheels

Community Thanksgivings in Topeka, Kansas North Topeka on the Move (NOTOMA) Agriculture Hall Topeka Rescue Mission

$293 millio n wasted on turkey alo ne each Thanksgiv ing

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Page Design By: Loren Baldwin 8 & Isabelle Vasquez

Knowing the Importance of Food Going to Waste Story By: Loren Baldwin & Isabelle Vasquez

Thanksgiving is a holiday to get together with family and friends and give thanks for everyone and everything in your life. Although Thanksgiving is known for eating a bunch of food, we waste $165 billion each year for this holiday. Each Thanksgiving, around $293 million is wasted on turkey alone. Many would think turkey or ham would be the most wasted food for Thanksgiving, but surprisingly it is vegetables. Around three million pounds of vegetables are wasted. There are many ways to use these leftover greens. To keep these numbers down, there are many ways to prevent the complete waste of

food and money. One way to help save money on the holiday is to go to a local community Thanksgiving. Generally local churches and community centers host community Thanksgiving dinners. At these gatherings they have a variety of food choices, and not a lot of food is wasted. Another way to save food and money is to reuse the leftovers to make different entrées and snacks. If people decide on having their own Thanksgiving and don’t want to waste all of the leftover food, they might also want to consider donating the food to people who need it or will make use of it. Any food leftovers that you don’t

want to eat can also be composted. Composting recycles many organic materials and provides many essential nutrients for plants. Doing this can help plants grow bigger and make them healthier than usual, it reduces the volume of trash, serves as a fertilizer, and saves money. Saving food is a very important idea to consider, especially during the holiday season. With all of the items going to waste, there is always a better choice. Most people just throw out any food they don’t eat because they simply don’t know what to do with it. Instead people should try to find a place to donate any food they have leftover to help other people out.

What Do You Do With Leftovers?What do you think the most How can we prevent from all the food waste?

"Give it to people who need it more than you do and donate it." - Coen Peoples, 9

What should people do with leftover food? "Giving it to people who need it and putting it to good use" Aiden Gardner, 11

wasted food is & why?

"Sweet potato casserole because by the time they are ready to eat it, they are already full on regular potatoes and rolls" - Caleb Kerr, 10

What do you do with your leftover Thanksgiving food?

"Usually we eat it all and gain 20 pounds" Maddox Gomez, 12

FALL BUCKET LIST

Leaves are Falling, A Ideas to do with friends throughout the fall season!

Carve Pumpkins Halloween Movies Haunted House Corn Maze Drink Apple Cider Pumpkin Patch Hay Rack Ride Bonfire Bake Fall Treats Decorate for Fall

Sugar Spice & Everything Pumpkin 15

Fall Festival & Fairs Time with Loved Ones FROM:

ADVENTUREMOMBLOG.COM

10 Page Design By Kaycee Tanner

THE

CRAZIEST

PUMPKIN

SPICE

FLAVORED

FOODS

TWINKIES

GUM

MUFFINS

OREOS

POP

PRINGLES

ICE

COFFEE

M&MS

MARSHMALLOWS

TARTS

CHEERIOS

INFO

FROM:

OFFBEAT.COM

CREAM

MILK

, Autumn is calling

Turkey Talk

SWEET TOOTH

THANKSGIVING FOOD WASTE Americans throw away 40% of their food each year. What would the percentage of the food of thanksgiving meals look like? Take a look for yourself.

TOP 10 CANDIES

TURKEY

Reese's PB Cup

Snickers

172 Million Pounds WASTED

ROLLS

VEGETABLES

14 Million Pounds WASTED

29 Million Pounds WASTED

Kit Kat

BUTTER

Twix M&Ms Nerds Butterfinger Sour Patch Kids Skittles Hershey Bar

3.5 Million Pounds WASTED

GREEN BEANS

SWEET POTATOES

45 Million Pounds WASTED

48 Million Pounds WASTED

MASHED POTATOES 40 Million Pounds WASTED

CRANBERRY SAUCE STUFFING

35 Million Pounds WASTED

GRAVY

38 Million Pounds WASTED

30 Million Pounds WASTED

gallons of water PER PERSON WASTED. NEARLY EQUAL TO 2 HOURS OF RUNNING WATER FROM A FAUCET

INFO

FROM:

REALSIMPLE.COM

INFO

FROM:

USCHAMBERFOUNDATION.ORG

Taking a Hit: Vaping “rips”

story by Alexis Desch

s time passes by, teenagers and their “extra curricular” activities change along with the years. Vaping, specifically, has become one of these activities that is growing in popularity. According to an annual survey conducted by the Institutes in Health, vaping reported among 12th graders rose from 28% in 2017, to 37% in 2018, and continues to rise today. “Having a hit” is growing more popular among adolescents as peer pressure causes teens to give in and take up an activity they hadn’t originally considered. Once teens succumb to peer pressure, general addiction to these nicotinefilled products takes over and makes it difficult to quit.

How dangerous is vaping?

Before understanding how dangerous and harmful vaping is, one must have an understanding of what vaping is. Also known as JUULing, vaping is the act of inhaling puffs of nicotine-filled vapor from e-cigarettes and similar devices. The amount of nicotine in these products, along with the tasteful flavors from strawberry-watermelon to coffee, cause them to be very addictive to teens. This, mixed with the emotional state of some high schoolers feeling attached to vaping, causes this addiction to be hard to break. Although it is important to break this habit, ignoring these cravings causes withdrawal symptoms that can bring users right back to their addiction. Looking specifically at the effects that the toxic substance nicotine has on users’ bodies, shows that the chemical raises the person’s blood pressure and spikes their adrenaline, which in turn increases their heart rate and likelihood of having a heart attack (hopkinsmedicine.org). Along with the side effects of nicotine, there are many other unknown chemicals in vapes that can cause harmful effects on the body, including cancer and many other life-threatening lung diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

page design by Alexis Desch

there had been 26 vape-related deaths as of October 10th, and 1,299 lung injury cases (usatoday.com). From risk of lifelong injuries, to even sudden death, vaping is a highly dangerous activity for not only teenagers to take part in, but for people in general.

Is vaping illegal?

Understanding the legality of vaping becomes very confusing in the state of Kansas, and in Topeka due to all the county regulations surrounding the sale and purchase of vaping products. The overall state law says that people 18 years and older are allowed to purchase and own vaping products; however, certain counties have passed Tobacco 21 laws that restrict 18-20 year olds from purchasing and owning these products. Topeka, for example, has passed ordinance no. 20099 that restricts anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing these products. However, the ordinance does not restrict 18-20 year olds from possessing these products. This has led people in this age range to visit surrounding cities and counties to purchase their vape products. Ordinance 20099 has made vaping more of an inconvenience, however it has not made the use of JUULs and other vape products illegal.

What is our school’s stance on vaping?

Vaping has,unfortunately, become a popular activity among students of Seaman High. Walking into a bathroom during lunch and passing period, as well as occasionally during class time can lead one to find students “taking rips” from their vapes, as well as sharing with fellow students. Due to how prominent this problem has become, members of the administration, with the support of the community and part of the student body, have been working on incorporating tobacco testing into the random drug testing, in addition to finding other solutions to limit the use of vapes among students. Principal, Mr. Mike Monaghan said, “Educating our students on the harmful effects that cause health problems, and even death, is our number one priority. Along with that we’re also doing PSAs on SVTV,

poster campaigns, and anything else that will help kids understand the harmful effects and help them make good decisions.” Adding tobacco as a panel within the random drug test is an idea the board has discussed and is currently still debating; however, due to the fact that these tobacco rules weren’t included in the policy at the beginning of the school year, students cannot face consequences if these policies were to be added now. If the final decision is made that tobacco shall be added, then punishments will be equivalent with the rest of the drug test starting as early as the beginning of next school year. Students can still be tested for these chemicals this school year, but rather than being punished, parents would simply be contacted the school would offer and guidance and support. Looking to next year, if tobacco is added to the random drug policy, the tricky topic of handling punishments for 18 year-olds arises. Due to the fact that vaping is legal for 18 year-olds, these students could not be punished; therefore, parents would simply be contacted, and again guidance and support would be offered.

What do our students have to say?

With rumors of nicotine testing circulating the school, students are forming their own opinions on the topic. An anonymous senior gave their opinion when asked about the idea of nicotine testing and said, “I think it is unnecessary because I don’t think our school is at a point where it’s become necessary. It’s just costing more money that the school doesn’t have because they can’t even pay the teachers. I think the school should focus more on more important things like our academics and not so much on what we do during our free time. Is anybody really hurting each other by vaping on their free time, outside of school? There’s punishments for vaping inside of the school, so why should kids be punished for what they do outside of it? It’s not the school’s business what we do during our free time.”

into the lives of high schoolers How to recover from vaping:

While vaping is an activity that a lot of people believe should be avoided, we must face the fact that we are all humans and we make mistakes. Becoming addicted to vaping is incredibly easy, and quitting this habit can require time and help. One of the first steps for someone to quit vaping, is to assess why they would like to quit and setting a date to quit by. Not having a specific reason for quitting can cause the person to lose focus and easily slide back into old habits. Repairing health, saving money, and increasing mental stability are all great reasons for a person to focus on quitting vaping. Once an end date is set, the person should learn their triggers, prepare for cravings and withdrawals, and resist temptations. Downloading games to play on their phone, becoming active, or simply finding people to talk them through it are all effective solutions to overcome these problems. When all else fails, ask for help. If you or a friend are trying to recover from a nicotine addiction, there are many online sources such as livehelp. cancer.gov that provide 24/7 assistance to people with questions about quitting smoking as well as other concerns. Along with that, simply asking an adult that you trust, whether at home or at school, can get you the help that you truly need.

The 30’s and 40’s of with Centennial Editor Madeline Gearhart The 1930s and 1940s were an interesting time at Seaman High School. Nothing was progressing at an astronomical rate, but over time more of a community was established through the new activities, sports, and clubs that were added to the school. Although a foundation was created for the school, it still needed tweaking over time and there was nobody better to do it than these teachers and students. At the beginning of the ‘30s, Fred Seaman stepped down as the principal of Seaman High School. Staff, students, and parents tried to “demand” he keep on going, but he only stayed for another year and then left. Eventually, Charles Logan took over as principal in ‘32 and remained throughout the rest of the ‘30s and ‘40s. The early 1930’s also brought about some other hefty changes such as the establishment of the radio in November of 1930. This was mentioned in the previous 1920’s story but the 1930’s

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yearbook elaborates on it quite a bit more. The school situated four loudspeakers and the radio was available in the following five rooms: office, annex, study hall, auditorium, and kitchen. Eventually, they were installed in every single classroom, and students would listen to the Walter Damrosch Music Appreciation Program every Friday. The Agriculture boys and Home Economic girls would broadcast radio programs to their departments as well. They were so in-tune with the radio at that time that they actually appointed a committee that would watch for the best programs. The principal later installed a microphone into the office so that they could “call students and broadcast information of importance to pupils and teachers.” In addition to establishing a radio, students eventually decided upon an emblem for the school. The class of 1933 appointed the Viking emblem, which they called “the brave Viking.” The activities of these times flourished throughout the school, featuring many additions. The activities were included during school, two of them being the Girl Reserves (later named Y-Teens) and Hi-Y which were both Christian organizations connected to the Seaman Community Church. The church services

19 32 1933

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Seaman High School originally took place in the high school, but it was later replaced by a building constructed nearby, which still stands today. There were other extracurriculars during the beginning of the ‘30s as well such as the Debate Team, Girls Judging Team, Boys Judging Team, Girls Glee Club, Boys Glee Club, Night School and last but not least the Seaman Bank. In 1931, Print Shop, later known as the Seaman Clipper, was added to the class schedule. Print Shop wrote a small newspaper and published sporadically throughout the year; they also printed tickets and programs for school activities. Then in ‘33, Print Shop was reformed a bit more before the Junior English classes took it over in 1937 and published once a month for the community to enjoy. Orchestra was established in 1932 as a vital piece of the school. In 33’ the Drama Club and FFA were added to the activities roster. In the following year, the Future Homemakers club for female students as an alternative to the Future Farmers of America. Although the classes had previously established a President, Vice-President, and Secretary, they established an actual Student Council in 1934. The Band we all know and love was established in 1937, including a huge variety of instruments that are not seen today, and the mixed chorus followed in 1941. The year of 1940 gave Seaman the Science Club as well as the Pep Club. By the mid-’40s, the Pep Club resembled the cheer team that we see today, rather than a Spirit Club. 1943 gave Seaman a very unique club named

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the Junior Classical League which consisted of students who completed or were in their 1st or 2nd year of Latin classes. Sports, on the other hand, didn’t see the additions that the activities did; Girls Basketball, Basketball, and Football were the first sports available at Seaman High School. Later the school added track in 1932, but only for boys. After 1932, Girl’s Basketball was replaced with the Girls’ Athletic Association which remained at least for the rest of the ‘30s and ‘40s. Four years later, the baseball team was added to the list of sports at Seaman. Eventually, an athletic board is established in 1946 with about five members for each of the following years. As a board, they were also able to establish that football season had the highest number of attendees, totaling about one thousand people per game. Later that same year, the first homecoming queen, Darlene Palmer, was crowned and the following years generally featured two runner ups and a queen. In 1949, the first homecoming king, Richard Holt, was crowned. Classes offered at the high school were pretty consistent throughout the decades. The 1937 yearbook listed classes as Social Science, Art, English, Lab. Science, Business, Vocational, Math, Languages (including both Latin and Spanish), and Shop. No other classes were added throughout the rest of the 30’s through the 40’s. The ‘30s and ‘40s were a time for exploring what Seaman wanted to accomplish as a school. Many of these decisions have given us a bright home-like feeling throughout the school today. Without these first students and staff, Seaman would not have the community that it has established today.

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Cheerleaders plan for different outcome Story by Alyssa Flower

Two years ago, a team with no idea what a cheer competition entailed stepped into the Expocentre with naive eyes, but a fight within. That team walked out that day with their heads held high and were prepared to come back the next year with big dreams. Last year, a team with an experienced head on their shoulders stepped onto the obnoxiously green mats with a bigger goal than the year before, a goal to win. They fought hard, but a few aspects of their performance and some technicalities caused them to come up short. Now, a team prepares for a performance that could bring home the first cheerleading state championship to Seaman High School. The third annual Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) Gameday Spirit Showcase is taking place on November 23. One Captain, Kilian Cox says, “The team has been preparing for the state competition by practicing Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6:00 to 7:15. The competition team also performs at our regular practices to get feedback on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons.” Preparations are quite different this year compared to last year. Rather than having morning practices three days a week, the entire team practices after school. This takes away the availability of a gym which is the easiest, largest place to set a routine. With the gym being open in the mornings, almost thirty members dedicated every day to some sort of practice, even if that means early mornings. “Last year we had competition practice at the same time we had regular practice so the people who were not doing competition did not have much to do during our competition practice time,” junior Ella Kelly adds. Due to the limited practice time, organization and being prepared has been a tool utilized by the team. Captain Ali Reed says, “I feel like everything is a lot more organized this year because we have everything planned out, and Geis will teach it so it is not the captains trying to teach, set spots, and perform with the team.” Of course, no team goes in with an intent to lose, but this year’s competition team has a very specific goal in mind: to beat reigning champions, Shawnee Heights. First year competitor, Erin Feldkamp says, “I really want to win and prove how good we really are as a team.” For some, this year is all a mind game. Last year when the team expected to place higher, it was a tough pill to swallow. “We had the mindset to win last year, but not the work or want to win. This year from what I have seen, we have all had an attitude to win. ” Cox says. Aside from three minutes of cheering, competition brings memories with a team that will last a lifetime. “My favorite part of competition has always been the moments right before you walk onto the mat and you can feel the excitement building up. The team in that moment has nothing else on their minds and the goal is the same. We are shouting words of encouragement, giving last minute hugs, and being able to finally express just how much this team matters. It is like for the two minutes before, during, and

16 page design by Alyssa Flower

after a performance, nothing else matters and you and those thirty other cheerleaders have reached the highest potential,” Flower says. The performances before the day of competition serve as a sort of dress rehearsal which helps members that have never competed or performed in front of a crowd before. On November ninth, the competition team will have their big debut of their final routine for the state competition at Washburn Rural High School. This serves as a precompetition against other schools that will be at the KSHSAA Competition. On the 20th of November, the team will host their own showcase at the high school to show off all routines that will be performed. Finally, on November 23rd, the Kansas State High School Activities Association will host the Gameday Spirit Competition and the team will fight for first place. Reed says, “We want to take that weird picture where we all have our hand facing down with our rings on our fingers.” Getting a state ring would be a huge milestone in each cheerleader’s life. Captain Alyssa Flower adds, “Getting out in front of a crowd to perform a routine you have been working on is the best form of practice. Right now we are drilling routines and cleaning everything the best that we can, but for those who have never performed before, being in front of people helps ease the nerves that are present when going out with this level of a routine. “We have been working really hard to go to state and place well. It really helps when we see our friends go and support us” Cox says, and Reed adds, “The cheerleaders support teams for their seasons, and it helps a lot when people are there supporting us too.”

blue out: The competition cheer team poses for a photo after a morning practice. Some of their practices were themed to add some fun to their hard work. (Photo provided by Alyssa Flower)

at 2019 state competition Jumps Jumping has been a priority of the cheer team all season. At competition, jumps can be the difference between a team with energy and spirit and a team without. Technique and stamina are required to make a jump great, even if someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legs are not the highest.

Crowd Leading Getting the crowd involved is one of the most important parts of high school cheerleading. At the Gameday Competition, crowdleading, or crowd involvement, is a portion of each score. The cheer and band chant in particular are meant to get the crowd on their feet and involve everyone.

Stunts Stunting is a huge part of cheerleading at SHS. Most cheerleaders will tell you they love stunting and learning new skills. At competition, stunts must stay at a certain skill level. The skills a team has do not increase their points, instead the technique and how closely they followed rules do. At the Washburn Rural Spirit Showcase, two stunt groups are taking the floor to demonstrate their best stunts in one minute.

Tumbling While the SHS cheer team does not require tumbling, there are a few members who have either running tumbling, standing, or both. Tumbling at the Gameday Competition must be only standing and can only have one skill.

Onto the Next... Story by Camryn Turner College can be a very scary thought due to all of the unknowns. An option to make college more fun, and make new friends easily while being involved can be joining a sorority or a fraternity. The movies stereotype the two as just a group of crazy people who party constantly, but that is not the case. Sororities and fraternities are groups of men and women who are very involved in their school by helping out in the community and raising funds for charities. Allison Branam and Trent Cox are just a few Seaman High graduates who are currently involved in Greek life at Kansas State University. Many people have different reasons for wanting to be involved in a sorority. There is also a process for being accepted, and it can be a long and stressful process. Branam shares, “I decided I wanted to be in a sorority because my cousin is also in one at Kansas State and loves it, and has met so many great friends through Greek life! In order to be in a sorority you have to go through recruitment which is the week before school starts. It’s a pretty tiring and challenging week but it’s all worth it in the end!” During recruitment you will receive offers from the houses that are interested in you to see if you want to be a part of their house or not. Applying for a fraternity is a little different than sorority recruitment. Cox states, “You start off with the rush process, where you pretty much see which houses interest you and if that

interest is reciprocated. If a house offers you a bid, you can either accept or decline. As a freshman I’m currently going through my pledge ship, where you are not completely a member yet, until being initiated in February”. There can be many activities that they are constantly doing with their time, some Branam shares, “Within the sorority we do lots of activities especially for our philanthropy which is St. Jude walk run in Kansas City. We also have chapter meetings every Wednesday and do other various bonding activities”. Fraternities have the same basic idea, “We all have our philanthropies, we volunteer, always doing intramurals are just a few examples” Cox tells. Both have only been a part of this community for a short period of time but they love it and recommend applying to others who are thinking about it. Cox shares, “I highly recommend looking into joining a fraternity because it’s a great way to meet a bunch of new people and also allows you to easily get involved with the other Greek houses on campus.” Branam agrees as well. “I would definitely recommend being in a sorority! It has made the transition to college so much easier and just in the last few months I have already met some of my now best friends. It’s a great way to get involved with the university right from the start!” College, just like high school, can be a lot easier when you are involved with classmates and with the community. Being a part of sororities and fraternities supply ways for that to happen.

ΔΔΔ Tri Delta

ΔΥ

All For a Reason Their philanthropy of Tri Delta is St. Jude. They have their annual walk, they also have tons of fundraising events throughout the year. (Photo provided by Allison Branam)

Page Design by Camryn Turner

Delta Upsilon

Number One Fans Trent Cox and the rest of his fraternity dressing up in costumes for a school event. (Photo provided by Trent Cox)

Going All Out Coxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fraternity, again dressing all out for a school event where they are showing off their school spirit. (Photo provided by Trent Cox)

The Whole Family The Tri Delta sorority includes your family. There are multiple dads weekends where there are many activities involving the parents. (Photo provided by Allison Branam)

Fun Festivities Branam and a couple of other girls in her sorority. They are having an event for St. Jude. (Photo provided by Allison Branam)

Caturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cox with some of the guys headed to the Saturday football game at the Bill Snyder Family Stadium. (Photo provided by Trent Cox)

seniors: what to know before going to college

Page design by Isabel Grimes

Seniors stress over graduating year Story by Isabel Grimes

rom the time we were in eighth grade, the 2020 seniors have heard how important and exciting it is to be the 100th graduating class. And truthfully, it is pretty interesting to be the 100th group of seniors to walk the halls of Seaman High School. We are a moment in history that not many students can say they were involved in, not to mention the many t-shirt design opportunities we have. But this also comes with copious amounts of expectations and stress. We are expected to have a 100% graduation rate, which we have already broken; we are always under surveillance, as if being the 100th class means we ought to be perfect; lastly, we are constantly reminded of our graduation year. Ella Prengel expresses, “It’s cool that we’re the 100th class but the expectations

everyone has for us is stressful. Having 100% graduation rate is a good goal, but it’s not realistic.” Now we understand that this is not the message administration or the community is trying to send us. We know they mean well--we just want a break from our own graduation. The added stigma to our senior year has been full of repetition. The last 100 years has been brought back from the past and placed front and center of our graduation. Kya Tenbrink adds, “I feel like that’s all that’s been talked about. Our senior year has to do with decades and us being the 100th class, and that’s all that’s going to be talked about at graduation.” Personally, I feel overwhelmed by all the senior activities the year 2020 brings. It seems everything has been planned out for us before we even entered high

school. We are to take specific pictures, go to specific assemblies, and act a specific way. While these activities will be nice to reminisce on 50 years down the road, I think the seniors can agree that everything is over exaggerated. Avery Barta concludes, “It gets annoying since it’s not really that big of a deal to some of us. I get that it’s cool we are the 100th graduating class but it just doesn’t seem like something that should make us be held to a higher standard.” And even though this is a great moment to be a part of, the senior class believes we shouldn’t be held to a higher standard than any other class, before or after us. So as graduation inches closer, we can only focus on the goal at hand: graduating. And we can only expect the ceremony to be as full of one-hundreds as the school year has.

Fumbling towards the future Story by Sami Boyles

or most students, every year closer to graduation is a year closer to going to college. For this year’s senior class, the thought of graduating has been scary to some students. Seniors who choose to continue in their education are required to take many steps that some feel unprepared for. With filling out college applications, applying for federal student aid, and applying for housing, many students at Seaman High School are starting to feel the stress of growing up. To start, students must choose different colleges they wish to apply to, then fill out the college application. Senior Cassi Hurd, who plans to attend the University of Missouri-Kansas City said, “The application process was pretty simple. Most of the questions are basic information about yourself and your schooling. Overall, it was an easy application.” Along with filling out college applications, many students have also planned on, or have already filled out the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Senior Austin Feldkamp, who plans to major in industrial design, said, “I have filled it out, and it was not too bad, however there were some parts that confused me”. There are many options for where students want to live after

high school as well, one of them being living on campus. Senior Andrew Patton, who plans on attending Kansas University for business in the fall said, “I applied for housing, it wasn’t very difficult and only took me about fifteen minutes.” Whether students decide to go to college, go straight into the workforce, or join the military, some students still feel unprepared when it comes to their future. Senior Alyssia Adams, who plans on attending Washburn University said, “I don’t feel very prepared for next year. I still am unsure how to apply for scholarships and different things that you need.” While some seniors are still unprepared for their future, others are very ready to start their lives after high school. Senior Sophie Billings, who wants to attend Highland Community College next year said, “I feel very prepared for next year. I have already been accepted to my university of choice and all of the credits I earn there will transfer to Washburn, where I intend on going for nursing school.” As the time for graduation starts to get closer, students are still excited to explore new options after high school. Senior Baily Meredith said “I’m very excited about my future, I feel that I’m well prepared for life after high school.”

An officer’s take on police brutality Story by Lauren Hren

The media has focused recently on controversy surrounding police and their actions. A lot of times media is quick to judge a situation without having all the facts. Most of the time when the media releases the first articles about an instance involving use of force by the police, the general public will follow the original article’s release. However, the police cannot always release all of the pertinent information during an ongoing investigation. While there are definitely instances of police brutality which should result in harsh punishments for officers involved, officers are required to use force in some situations. However, they are trained to avoid force whenever possible. “Officers don’t like to use force, it is just something that has to be done in certain circumstances. An officer doesn’t just wake up and say ‘Hey, I am going to go out and do this today.’ It just doesn’t happen,” says Police Chief Bill Cochran. When a situation arises to the point that an officer needs to use force, all departments use different measures, but in our community TPD takes the extra steps to ensure that they used force the

way it needed to be used. “The Topeka Police have a cutting edge policy as well as individual officers that train in use of force and defensive actions. We then train all of our officers. Every year there is new training. One

An wake up going to today.’ It

Page Design by Lauren Hren and Sami Boyles

force are thoroughly investigated resulting in unbiased determination of an officer’s use of force, the TPD takes the extra step. “The officers who use force have to report it to their supervisors, then the supervisors look into it. After they look into it, they send the information to the lieutenant who then reviews it and he or she then makes the determination of if it is good or bad. Then the captain will look into it, then the major, then to the legal adviser, then to the deputy chief for the final review,” explains Cochran. TPD is one of the most advanced departments in reviewing all the cases that involve use of force to make sure that the correct actions are taken. “Police Brutality is a phrase that has been coined by people in the community. It refers to anytime there is force utilized by law enforcement... the unfortunate thing is that there are times when we have to use force in order to make an arrest, so when people give it the name ‘police brutality’ it’s one person’s perspective on what they deem to be an issue.”

officer doesn’t just and say ‘Hey, I am go out and do this just doesn’t happen.

-TPD Chief Bill Cochran thing that we have built in is deescalation processes. We don’t want to have to use force,” Cochran says. When it comes to situations back home, officers in Topeka get more training than most departments. TPD is more involved in keeping the suspect and the officers as safe as possible in all situations. The trainers continue to keep officers aware of the most up-todate scenarios to keep themselves and Topeka safe. To ensure that situations that involve

The

Heart

ophomore Ellise Langdon has been the cross country manager for two years and counting. Langdon explains that she became the cross country manager and track manager in the spring because “my sister was in cross country and track and I just wanted to be with her and do something with her for her last year of high school.” Some of Langdon’s responsibilities include timing during meets and helping out the coaches whenever they need it whether she is timing the runners during practices or comparing times. “Everything is so fun,” states Langdon, “I love being connected with everyone and being apart of something.” Ruth Maciel says she decided to be the football manager because, “my group of friends are all football players and I thought it would be a fun time to hang out with them and see them play football because that is what they all like to do.” During practice, Maciel fills up the water bottles and makes sure that by warm-ups the water is really cold and ready. Maciel’s favorite part about managing is “the energy the boys bring because they’re all hyped for practice and I like being around all of the positive energy

of the team

they have. And they’re all goofy.” Aside from managing, Marciel is also a soccer player. Sophomore Jenna Keil manages football because “it keeps me out of trouble and gives me stuff to do during the week.” As a manager, Keil encourages the boys before games, gets them water, and gets everything ready for practice. The best part is “spending time with the boys and cheering them on during the games,” says Keil. When football is over, Keil is a wrestler. This is Joseph Meier’s third year managing football due to his love of football. During practice, “I refill the waters and tend to the players,” says Meier. His favorite part about managing football is “to travel with them and watch them play.” Sophomore Amiya Stafford has been the football manager for two years now. “I kinda wanted to be a manager in middle school but I never had the chance so decided to manage in high school,” states Stafford. During practice, Stafford gets water for the boys, gets all of the equipment out and put it away each day, and gets the ice ready. She also goes to the boys’ game to get them water and cheer them on. “I go to every varsity

game and I have been to every freshman game,” says Stafford. Stafford likes how managing gives her something to do. “I am in sports (dance) but I am not in that many so it keeps me busy and I get to meet more people.” Sophomore Amberly Sadler has played just about every sport and plans to do swimming and soccer this school year, so she decided to manage boys soccer. “I wanted to see how practices ran so if I decide to do girls soccer in the spring I would know what to expect,” stated Sadler. Some of her duties include filling up the water jugs at the beginning of practice, making sure all the soccer balls are aired up and carrying the equipment during games. Sadler says the best part of managing is to watch them play. “It’s really interesting to see how they compare to the girls and see the team chemistry they have.” Her best team memory is when the boys did a team bonding activity with their ankles taped together. Sadler said, “Watching the boys try to run around while doing that was very

Back row: Emelina Moore, Amiya Stafford, Ellise Langdon, Jenna Keil, and Jaxon Kramer. Front row: Amberly Sadler, Ruth Maciel, and Kaylynn McClenny. Not pictured: Brooke Frisby and Joseph Meier. (Photo by Tristan Fangman) Story and Page Design by Tristan Fangman

Photo by Sami Boyles

interesting.” Emelina Moore has been managing soccer for two years, and plans to play soccer this year. Moore says she became a manager because, “I don’t really have anything to do during the week and I like helping people out so I figured it would be good.” As a manager, Moore gets water for the boys, makes sure all of the soccer balls are clean and filled up, takes stats, records the games, and just, in general, helps the boys if they need anything. Her favorite part of managing is making fun of the boys. “That’s my number one thing, I love making fun of them.” stated Moore. The best team memory to Moore is when they scattered all the equipment around the soccer field and they had to run around and clean it up. Moore says, “It was fun watching them try to get ahold of everything.” Freshman Jaxon Kramer almost missed his chance managing for the volleyball team. “I was planning on doing it at the start of the season because it would give me something to do and I already knew most of the people in it,” Kramer explained. “Then they had already filled up.” After reapplying, a spot opened up, so Kramer became a manager. Some of his responsibilities include filling up the water bottles, helping with drills, recording at games, and doing stats at games. Kramer says his favorite part about managing is when they play games, “because every once in a while they let me play too.” When volleyball is over, he plans to play basketball in the winter and tennis in the spring. “Once high school hit, I wanted to

Photo by Cally Anderson

Photo by JahnAsia Anderson

focus on academics,” explains Junior Brooke Frisby, “but I also wanted to still be a part of the team so I decided to become the volleyball manager.” She has been a manager for volleyball since freshman year and plans to do it her senior year as well. Usually at practices, Frisby just helps out when needed, but during games, she takes stats or films. Frisby says the best part about managing is “being a part of the team, getting to hang out with the players and build stronger bonds with everyone, and of course, I love hanging out with the coaches and getting to know them better. “My favorite team memory is last year when we were in the Lansing tournament and we were playing the championship game and we took first place and beat Lansing out of their own tournament,” says Frisby. Kaylynn McClenny has been a volleyball manager for two years. “I like to get involved and I don’t have a fall sport for school or even out of school for this time, so I became a volleyball manager and it is fun and I really enjoy it,” explained McClenny. Getting to know the girls and form a connection with them is McClenny’s favorite part of managing. “We go to team dinners and we do other team bonding things,” said McClenny. During practice some of her responsibilities include shagging balls for the girls and helping them on drills. When game time comes around, McClenny records the games and does stats for hitting, setting and passing. When volleyball is over, McClenny plans to do basketball in the winter and track in the spring.

Photo by Lauren Beavers

Photo by Jacklyn Roy

Vikes at State Cross Country Meagan Allacher Chloe Devlin Bethany Druse Suzanna Mosqueda

Peyton Sannan Emma Schultz Tara Spencer

Football Bracket Play-offs began November 1st

Golf Molly Biggs Aspen Burgardt Madyson Hardesty Molly McLaughlin

Jade Thomas *Lois Deeter *Tied for 5th at state out of 89

Soccer

The Vikings played Shawnee Heights with a score 0-2 in the Regional game.

Tennis Doubles Emma Dowd and Lauren Sweeney Emma Biggs and Grace Unruh 7th at state

Singles Elise Schreiner 11th at state Team finished 8th overall

Volleyball The ladies won their first two games against Blue Valley Southwest, then lost to St. James in the substate championship

Photo by Sam Shea

Photo by Renae Sturgeon

26 Page Design By Lauren Hren

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