the Seaman
Students weigh in on great leadership. PAGE 8-9
4850 N.W. Rochester Rd. Topeka, KS 66617 seamannews.com It’s a GREAT day to be a Viking!
North Topeka’s art district prepares for expansion. PAGE 6-7
Volume 86 Issue 2 Nov. 4, 2016
WILL IT WORK? Sophomores Sam Payne, Devon Holt and Ryan Zielsdorf create working arms in Mr. Chris Goble’s class. “We were building an articulate arm in human anatomy, and we had to pick up a box and move it from one side of a desk to another,” said Payne. (Photo by Regan Bond)
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Two seniors qualify as Semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship by Bailey Chinn staff writer About 1.5 million students take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). Of that 1.5 million, the top one percent qualify in the Semifinalist category. Seniors Stone Brackett and Madison Sandall both earned the honor of being Semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship. Madi says, “Every year, a certain score is set that must be reached in order to qualify, but you don’t know what it is until the next year.” Typically to be in the top one percent, the score must be about 1400 of 1520. About 16,000 students qualify for the Semifinals. As Semifinalists, Stone and Madi are given opportunities for scholarships. Some schools grant different scholarships for Semifinalists, and some grant full rides to their college.
Clip notes
Stone Brackett
Stone says, “Being a Semifinalist qualifies us for some full rides to colleges; then if you become a Finalist, you get put in a large pool of scholarships.” Also, because the scores are published for the pub-
FFA officers attend their national convention
UPCOMING DATES
Nov 7: NO SCHOOL - Professional Learning Day
Nov 12: Fall into Fitness 5k Run/Walk 8:30 A.M. @ Seaman High Stadium Nov 23-25: NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break 2016 State Softball Championship Team Ranks 4th on list of NCFA Easton Top10 Academic Team Honors with an average team GPA of 3.817
by Jacob Busey staff writer Eight FFA officers and their sponsors took an eight hour van ride to the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis. The trip consisted of lots of fun, learning and sightseeing. Early on in the trip, they had a visit to Prairie State Semen Supply.
Theater program presents ‘The Election’ by Bethany Piel staff writer The theatre department is putting on a play called “The Election.” on Nov.10-12 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Director Diane Payne says, “Seaman High School’s fall play “The Election” by Don Zolidis is a very funny satire about the political process. The play is set in a high school and is centered around an election for student body president. Very much like our current USA election
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Madison Sandall
lic, many schools recognize National Merit Semifinalists. ”The biggest reward is the ability to move on and hopefully become a Finalist,” Madi says. “This opens the door to many more guaranteed scholarships.” In order for Stone and Madi to move on in the competition, they have to take the SAT and submit another application. The application must include an academic record, SAT scores, a list of extracurricular activities, community service hours, recommendations from teachers and a personal essay. Being a Finalist hopefully entails winning the National Merit Scholarship of $2,500, plus more scholarships from colleges. What does it feel like to be really smart? Stone replied, “I don’t know what it feels like to be stupid.”
for President, both genders are fighting for the position. Christy Martin and Mark Davenport go head to head in battle as mud is slung on both sides.” They have a large cast, and according to Director Diane Payne, it is a guaranteed laugh. She says, “The play is funny because it’s humor hits very close to home and addresses issues we all can relate to right now in 2016.” Tickets cost $6 for adults and $5 for students or children.
In Mrs. VanGordon’s class, FFA school sponsor and agriculture teacher, has taught about pig semen collection for artificial insemination. Some of her FFA officers are in her classes, so they got to see what they learned in class firsthand. First night at the convention, they went to the Bankers Life Fieldhouse to start it all off. They
learned about this year’s theme of “Transform: Propose to Action.” Another excursion the group went to was to a organic dairy farm in Zionsville. There, they got to learn about why people choose organic for their dairy products. The group ended their stay in Indianapolis at the annual career fair. There local colleges, and hun-
Lead Roles: Mark Davenport-....... Errick Guzman Christy Martin-.......... Phoebe Stottlemire Karl Merriweather-.... Hayden Wells Gary McMaster-........ CJ Thurlow Kyli-........................... Julia Hartner Skip-.......................... Kyle Kleiner (understudy) Skip’s Girlfriend-........ Andrea Lichter (understudy) Marge-....................... Liz Williams Animal Shelter Guy-.. Lane Barnhart Bird McBean-............ Cameron Charity Charles Moore-......... Mason Clark Sally-......................... Abigail Wendlandt Chip-......................... Lucas Anderson Miranda-................... Caitlin Charity Sasha-..................... Bailey Stattleman
dreds of business corporations had booths set up for all of the FFA groups. If they were interested, people could go up to the booths and participate in a survey, game, judging competition or ask and answer questions over possible future careers in agriculture for little rewards.
Ensemble:
Noah Thomas Bilby, Austin Rosencutter, Kale Michael, Sidney Lopez, Kyli VanSchaick, Mia Leon, Josh Duncan, Sage Hernandez, Christopher Richardson, Danny Cluff, Augie Chapas, Tristan Hahn, Abbi Thurlow, Jade Essman, Nora Billings, Reagan Propps, Jodi Kern, Max Drobot
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Psychology teacher Tolin retires after 44 years by Bailey Chinn staff writer Psychology teacher Ed Tolin will be retiring after 44 years of teaching. Mr. Tolin attended Highland Park High School. He then went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Washburn University and further his teaching abilities at Emporia State University and Kansas State University. “That’s what I wanted to do--teach psychology,” he says. Mr. Tolin taught his first five years at Highland Park Junior High School.
There he taught physical education and health. He also coached football, basketball, tumbling and track. The next two years of his career involved working at Northern Hills, now known as Seaman Middle School. At the middle school he coached football, basketball and track. After Northern Hills, Mr. Tolin moved on to teach at Seaman High School. He was hired as the head boys basketball coach. At Seaman High he also helped coach football and the boys tennis team. Since he has been here, he has taught
psychology, career education and physical dimensions. Mr. Tolin has been working part time the past 10 years. When he is not at school he attends to his farm. After retiring, he wants to spend more time at his farm and will hopefully have more time to go hunting. “We will probably expand our farming operation,” he says. Considering Mr. Tolin has been part time for 10 years, he has already had a taste of retirement. He has traveled with his wife over time. “Everything we have is right here,”
Freeman continues fight against cancer
by Stone Brackett and Roland Westling staff writers
Austin has been continuing to fight Ewing’s Sacoma, a rare form of bone cancer. He has recently received his last treatment of his second set of chemotherapy. His tumor has shrunk by over half. In six weeks Austin will be beginning his radiation treatments. Recently, there have been many fundraisers to help Austin’s mother, Ms. Robin Hendrix, pay for his treatment. One of the fundraisers has been selling wristbands that say “Seaman Strong” on them. “Fundraising for Austin has been really great! So far we have raised a lot of money through the Seaman Strong wristbands,” says Katie McLaughlin, StuCo president and senior. “We don’t have a goal for how much money we raise, but we plan on selling these until people stop buying them.” Another fundraiser that will be taking place is the No-Shave November competition. The No-Shave November competition is the perfect opportunity to have a fundraiser, as No-Shave November was created as a way to raise awareness for cancer patients, who normally lose their hair during chemotherapy treatments.
Senior Pictures and Senior Spotlights are due to C-2 by Christmas Break!
“There will be 30 to 60 people participating in the contest,” says Zach Burns, who is running the competition. “We will be collecting money during lunch every day, and our goal is $60 each day. For every $2 that we are short each day, we will be drawing names out of a hat, and those contestants can shave. On the last day, all of the names left will go into a hat, we will pull one name and the winner will get a prize.” In addition to the ones Seaman has been running, Ms. Hendrix is hosting her own fundraiser online (https:// www.youcaring.com/austin-freeman-645658). Austin’s mother is thankful for all of the fundraising efforts. “The school and their fundraising efforts have been greatly appreciated,” says Ms. Hendrix.
he says. Mr. Tolin will miss interacting with his students the most. “You kids keep us young. I’m continuing to get old, but the kids keep us thinking younger,” he says. Also, he will miss seeing the staff, which have become his closest friends. He hates to give that up because it is hard to do. This year will be Mr. Tolin’s 44th year teaching, his 39th in the Seaman district. “This is the best place there is to teach,” Mr. Tolin says.
Parking passes compare to other schools
Buy your yearbook in C2! $70 - standard $75 - personalized USD 501 does not require parking passes. Infographic designed by Kennedy Mirowski
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Students attempt to prepare for ACT the correct way by Jacob Wildeman staff writer One of the most important tests that students will take in their high school career is the ACT. Knowing this, they must know how to prepare for it. The ACT is the leading college admission test measuring academic readiness. It covers four skill areas of English, math, reading and science. ACT scores are used to help admission officers put local data, such as grades and class rank, into a national perspective. There are many different ways to study for the ACT. A very popular one is to purchase an ACT prep book like senior Benton McCann has done. “I have an ACT prep book that has four full practice tests in it and for about 1-2 weeks before the test I’ll go through every night and do one section of the test. If I do poorly I’ll go back and do that same section again from a different test,” says McCann. By using this strategy Benton has improved his ACT score by five points from the first time he took it. Another useful tool to help study for the ACT is to take the practice ACT. Taking the practice ACT is extremely useful because it is just like taking the real test except the score doesn’t count. Students can then use their practice ACT test to study for the real thing and can review what questions they missed. Students
VIKING voices When should we have pep assemblies?
also get to see which sections of the test they need to study and improve upon. Junior Zach Terrel took the practice ACT and thinks that it will be a great study guide. “I think the practice ACT will help me study because it is just like taking the real ACT,” says Terrel. Lastly, students can visit the ACT website at https://www.act.org/ content/act/en/products-and-services/theact.html. The ACT website has an official prep guide, practice questions and other online preparation features. Along with prep information this website gives all the information students will need about the ACT, like test dates and previous ACT scores. Whichever method students choose to use they al“I say during seminar because 7th hour is one of my favorite hours of the day. During seminar, a lot of people have free time because some people finish their homework in their classes.” -Abe Day, 9
BARBARA DEETER
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Independent Sales Representative Club David H. McConnell 785.233.0683 785.231.0474 bdeeter@avon.com
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ways need to study hard and try their best. The ACT is an important key to the future.
“During 7th hour because seminar is homework hour, you know? I don’t want it interfering with my homework, because I have a job after school, and it is very hard for me to come home after and do it.” -Noah Carlson, 12
“ T h e y should be at the end of the day because I don’t like it interfering with my seminar work.” -Daniel Anderson, 12
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SHARP program adds new advantages to reward qualifiers by Jacob Busey staff writer
The SHARP program was started 13 years ago as a way to reward and recognize academic success for the high school students. It’s also an incentive for good grades through high school. Students are given awards for their GPA from last semester. One-star students are those who have improved their GPA from the previous semester, two-star students are those with a GPA of 3.0-3.49, three-star students are those with a GPA of 3.5-3.99 and four-star students are those with a GPA of 4.0+. SHARP students are given a list of
events they can attend throughout their current semester as a reward for their GPA, ranging from free entry into school games all the way to pizza parties. The SHARP program has become very successful over the 13 years with half the student body qualified. There have been a few changes from last year with some big changes in award opportunities. This is the first year that the SHARP program has not done coupons for free class periods that a student can miss. In exchange, there is a new reward of finals waivers. Two- and three-star students are given one waiver and four -star students are given two waivers. The waivers let students be exempt
from their finals in a class of their choosing. But, like all good things, the waivers come with exceptions. Students are not allowed to use their wavers on college credit classes and cannot be used if a grade in the class is below 90 percent Other changes include by weekly drawing for prizes. Four four-star, three three-star, two two-star and one onestar students are drawn at random every two weeks and receive a surprise gift. Two students are also chosen weekly for a front row parking pass. Students can then park right next to the school. The SHARP advisers as well as students are looking forward to these new changes implemented.
Library expands activities, services for students, staff by Bailey Chinn staff writer
Going to the school library is not just about books anymore. New activities are being planned in the library to get more students involved. Librarian Billie Esser is hoping to create more opportunities in the library for students. “Mostly what I want students to know is that I’m here to help them and to create an environment that they enjoy being in,” she says. All of the new initiatives Mrs. Esser is working on are in line with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 21st Century Library Media Standards for learning. She explains, “Learning isn’t
just academic or something done at school, it is something that is done every day, by almost everyone, as they grow and develop as an individual.” The library wants to support students and staff for both personal and academic learning. One initiative the library is implementing is the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. Students can borrow books or receive documents from other libraries. Mrs. Esser says, “We are partnering with the state library of Kansas so that students don’t have to go to other libraries.” Students are able to get the books and resources that they need by just visiting the library. The library is promoting Breakout EDU, which includes classroom break-
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The library is not a VALUE if the library does not VALUE THE PEOPLE. Its goal is to SERVE THE PEOPLE. - Librarian Mrs. Billie Esser
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out games. The goal is to get teachers to check out the games for their class and student clubs could also use the program. Mrs. Esser is also looking to add more events in the library; recently, the Kansas Wildlife and Park Department gave a presentation in the library about the changes in hunting regulations and gave an outlook on the 2016-2017 hunting season. Eventually they could include a gaming exhibition with table tops and poetry slams. The library is planning to obtain makerspaces. The purpose of these would be to have a space for students to know what they are interested in. People could learn how to knit, code or make duct tape purses. The library is also certainly a place students can help solve their software problems. Mrs. Esser believes to make the library successful, they need to know what kids need. She has been using Schoology to post updates on the library. Basically Mrs. Esser wants to work at being student-oriented. “The library is not a value if the library does not value the people,” she says. “Its goal is to serve the people.” As part of a pilot program, the library is going to remain open until 3:50 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
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What are your thoughts about the SHARP waivers?
Mrs. Emily Rudy, Art: “I didn’t know about [the SHARP waivers] before the assembly. But being an art teacher, a lot of my class work involves big projects. If, by the end of the semester, my kids have a 90 percent, that shows me that they’ve worked hard all year and will probably do good on my final. So, yeah, they can use them.”
Mrs. Shawna Anderson, English: “As a committee member, we did reach out to gather feedback from each department before rolling it out. I am actually a HUGE fan of the waivers because I think that they provide a wonderful reward for students who are a part of the SHARP program.”
Mr. Matt Tinsley, Business: “I was never approached about the idea of the forms, but I will be letting my students who have an A in my class use the waivers because I believe they’ve earned it.”
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Favorite thing about Fall?
“The leaves falling from the trees and also the scenery and nature of fall,” Isabel Grimes. 9
“Probably my birthday and Halloween because I like pumpkins, watching scary movies, and looking at all the decorations.” Emelia Ziegler, 10
“Halloween is definitely my favorite thing about fall. I enjoy going to Gary’s Berries and Rees Fruit Farm to get apple cider.” Madison Flory, 11 “I like Thanksgiving because my family comes together where we do a ton of activities that we finally have time to do.” Kim Nguyen, 12 “I like waking up at nine o’clock in the morning and then watching football on Saturday until one o’clock in the morning.” Mr. Hebert
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NOTO plans for expansion NOTO expansion is on the horizon. This past year national consultants have devised a plan to greatly extend the area from a two-block district to a huge area from the Kansas River to several blocks north and bordering between Topeka Boulevard several blocks to Quincy Street. Anita Wolgast, co-chair of NOTO project, is very excited about the expansion. “It is such an exciting plan, In the NOTO arts Center, we have walls filled with designs that consultants produced.” She said that the First phase announcement will be in a few weeks. Anita Wolgast and John Hunter became co-chairs to develop an arts district. One of the appeals of the NOTO area is inexpensive rent which appeals to artist because this part of North Topeka was devastated by a flood in 1951. Wolgast says, “I consider this an opportunity to help bring this to a reality for the community. I’ve always supported the arts, I’ve seen success in other cities, and was excited to bring a team together to work to make it happen.” In the six years of existence, NOTO has grown to over 35 businesses including galleries, artist studios, antique stores and complementary businesses. Events like First Fridays, the first friday of each month, brings in local talent. Anyone can set up to sell art
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FIRST FRIDAY TONIGHT features an internationational TAPESTRY WEAVING show
- Co-Chair of NOTO Project Anita Wolgast
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pieces they have created. There are a variety of different stores that are usually open and have deals on their merchandise. All of these First Friday events bring 3000 to 4000 people to the area each month. Charlene Robuck, the owner of Robucks said, “NOTO has brought more people to the area and therefore leads to more people, the more people the better your business.” The business has been up and running for over 50 years. Robucks will be offering a variety of different deals throughout the fall. Organizations like Hearland Visioning and Noto Anonymous have been the key in NOTO success. NOTO Anonymous is a group of people who set up and host many different activities that take place in NOTO. Events can be anything from wine mixers, dog days, mustache bashes, Christmas parties and community service projects. One annual event called Awkward Elephant Christmas Party is an event that takes place in the middle of January. Everyone is required to bring fun gifts to ex-
by Mercedes Scarbrough and Tatum Carlson
change. The most popular event that takes place is the NOTO Anonymous Service Crawl. This event is to help bring people together in order to help businesses in the NOTO district with unfinished projects. Lindsey E. Martin, associated with NOTO Anonymous, said, “These projects can be anything from painting a store front to throwing a refrigerator off the third story of a building.” Anyone can participate in this event, but those under the age of 18 must have a form signed. Martin also said, “Anyone can join as long as you have great ideas and a drive to accomplish great things.” Two of the newest businesses in NOTO serve food: The Wheel Barrel and Norseman Brewery Company, owned by Jared Rudy and co-owned by Emily Rudy, one of the art teachers. Emily Rudy sees many positives to the expansion of NOTO saying, “I’m excited about it. Anything that will help the district will help us, so we are super excited about it.”
Progress will continue as funds become available.
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Development and Enhancement - looking south from Morse Street
Ideas for an Arts district are proposed.
NOTO Board approves plan to make NOTO area larger, from Topeka Boulevard to Quincy Street.
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Club presidents weigh in on leadership qualities by Kyser Dougan social media editor The current election has left a lot of people angry and wondering what a good leader even is. Between the major party nominees, many people do not see any desirable leadership qualities. Class leaders from a variety of clubs and organizations shared what qualities they would find in a good leader. Katie McLaughlin, STUCO and NHS president says, “To me, good leadership characteristics include being inclusive to everyone and not to just ‘your group’, being friendly and kind to everyone you meet and also being humble—these traits are those of a true leader.” FBLA President Carson Tjelmeland also thinks people skills are important, “A good leader is a person who forges a new path and tries to make a difference in society. This can be through charity work or many other outlets. Ultimately, a leader must be knowledgeable and understand what drives people so that they can have an efficient team. Finally, a leader needs to respect the people who surround them and take their ideas into consideration even when they are hard to deal with.” Club leaders also have different people who they look up to as leaders. McLaughlin says she looks up to Mother Teresa for her love and to understand the most rejected people in society. Madison Russell, Math Club president, looks up to senior Ethan Schultz. “He’s super organized with every club he’s involved in and low-key about everything! He helps others feel appreciated, and that makes people feel important. You can tell others look up to him, especially underclassmen.” Club leaders also had a lot of inspirations to lead. Hayley Woodyard’s Art Club president, created the club this year. She says, “I wanted to start Art club because I love art, and I thought that it would be amazing if I could share that passion with other creative people that enjoy art
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just as much.” Taylor Stirton Bank President and Yearbook EdSpirit Club President itor-in-Chief Faith Barr says, “My inHayley spiration to be a leader stems from the Woodyard fact that I have the possibility to make Art Club President a difference in the lives of those around me. Also, the leaders that I have met throughout my high school career have inspired me to lead as they did.” School leaders also believe that Katie McLaughlin there are certain qualities that all leadSTUCO / ers have. NHS President Barr and McLaughlin both say that all leaders have motivation to fix issues or making something better that they find to be important. Russell and Tjelmeland both Carson think that leaders need to be apTjelmeland proachable. FBLA Tjelmeland says, “Leaders President must be intuitive, charismatic and respective.” While being a leader is hard work, there is a lot to enjoy about being at the top. Barr and McLaughlin both like how people look up to them and they Faith Barr can inspire people to make a Bank President / difference. Yearbook On the other hand, TjelmeEditor-in-Chief land likes controlling the outRoland Westling come of projects and watching NHS VP people grow to be leaders as Photos by Garrett Polter well. All of our leaders have goals for their respective clubs. Russell wants to increase the amount of people in Math Club and show that it is a great club to join. Tjelmeland wants to increase underclassmen involvement in FBLA and get more students to run for state office. Barr would like to make sure that all banking students know as much about - Faith Barr, Bank President/Yearbook Editor-in-Chief how the bank operates as they can and, “try to get more students to open accounts and become aware of all that the SHS Bank does for our school, our community and students individually.” years, and improving the planning and to be more of a positive influence on NHS Vice President Roland Westling the school and have our members communication between members. says he wants to improve the society by, Finally, McLaughlin looks to improve be more committed.” “getting the new members more inSTUCO by, “revamping student council volved than they have been in previous
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My INSPIRATION to be a leader stems from the fact that I have the possibility to make a DIFFERENCE in the lives of those around me.
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Students learn to become leaders in40 community through different events by Bethany Piel ad manager The leadership class is a unique class that has many different goals. Mrs. Jaimie Christopher says, “The goal for this course is not only to help the students learn about leadership skills and discover their strengths but implement those by helping our school, district or community.” Throughout the semester, students participate in many different projects. The students start off as a class and complete two class projects. After those are completed, they move to medium group projects (6-7 students) and finish with small group projects (3-4 students). One of projects this year has been Color Chaos. This event was before one of the football games and the project raised around $1100 for Team Blake. Since then, the school has benefitted from activities like “Movie on the Hill,”and those in need have gained the proceeds of the event. While working on these events, the students get to explore their individual leadership qualities. While many people say that leadership is a quality people are born with, Mrs. Christopher has a different perspective. “I believe people have certain qualities and leadership strengths that come naturally to them. However, I do believe leadership can be learned. The definition of leadership is the action of leading a group of people or an organization. So leadership to me is more of a verb
40 14 6 CATWALK: (above) Senior Robbie Nickelson interviews sophomore Brooke Prescott at the leadership fashion show. (Photo by Jaidyn wYingling) COLOR CHAOS: (left) Students participate in the second annual color chaos event sponsored by the leadership class. (Photo by Bailey Savoie)
than a noun/quality,” says Mrs. Christopher. Throughout her time of teaching this class, Mrs. Christopher’s favorite part is seeing all of her students become better leaders. Mrs. Christopher shares, “Sometimes it’s huge changes, like a quiet shy student gets out of their shell, takes charge and plans a great event. Sometimes it’s a subtle change, like helping a student gain the knowledge and organization skills to make their ideas a suc-
Which candidate should be elected president?
cess. However, in all my students I always witness a sense of confidence, pride and accomplishment grow in them as they plan and complete their projects throughout the semester.” The leadership class has already began to plan more events. Some of the upcoming events include “Family Feud,” a bake sale, and a Christmas donation drive sponsored by this class.
Hillary Clinton Donald Trump Gary Johnson Did President Obama do Jill Stein a good job in office?
Hilary Clinton, Democrat
Gary Johnson, Libertarian
Jill Stein, Green Party
percentage of SHS voters
Donald Trump, Republican
46%
141 students surveyed in both polls
27%
27%
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Voting third party not wasteful by Stone Brackett
staff writer This year, the two main party presidential candidates have historically low favorability ratings: Hillary Clinton has a 43.3 percent favorable rating, and Trump has a 35.1 percent favorable rating. These are the lowest since they began measuring in 1952. Because of this, many people have considered voting for third party candidates. However, some people tell others that voting third party is “throwing away your vote.” They encourage others to vote for either of the two main party candidates so that the person they like least doesn’t get elected. Although many people believe voting for third party is a waste, many also support voting third
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I believe that PEOPLE should be able to do what they WANT to, without restrictions, so long as they aren’t HURTING anyone else.
- Lucas Hurla
party. “I don’t think third party voting is a wasted vote; it shows that you do not support either of the major party candidates,” says Lucas Hurla, junior. I believe encouraging people to vote for somebody just because they are better than another candidate is counterintuitive to the nomination process. A presidential candidate should not be the “lesser of two evils,” but rather a person that is well-respected throughout the country.
Viking voices
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I personally do not like either of the main party candidates, and I encourage people to vote third party if they don’t like Trump or Clinton. Though, I do concede that a third party candidate will not get elected in the near future. The point of voting third party, however, is not to elect a third party candidate, but rather to send a message to the major parties. If, for example, Gary Johnson, the libertarian candidate, gets 15 percent of the vote,
then major parties might finally realize that they cannot just do whatever and expect for the people to take their lies and insults. “People should vote third party if they find a third party candidate they really like outside of the two major parties,” says Hurla. Many students have taken it upon themselves to learn about other candidates, rather than the two that are constantly on the news. “My favorite view by a third party candidate is Gary Johnson and Jill Stein’s view on drug policies,” says Hurla. “I believe that people should be able to do what they want to, without restrictions, so long as they aren’t hurting anyone else.”
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seniors are eligible to vote
Presidential Election
What is the first thing the new president should do?
Opinion
More Viking Voices are featured at seamannews.com
“There are many issues that need to be addressed by our next President; the economy, terrorism, the growing racial divide and how to help the ever -shrinking middle class.” Mrs. Susan Sittenauer, History
“The next president needs to get the laws for or against human rights figured out, and he/she needs to work on health care and college spending. There’s no need for the amount of debt and student loans in the US.” Connor Bryant, 10
“Strengthen ties with allied countries and resolve economic and/or diplomatic issues with countries who could be future political allies.” Sophia Billings, 9
“The first thing the next President should do is make it easier for more qualified people to become U.S. citizens.” Zeke Metz, 11
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Advice for teens on how to cope with death of role models by Sophie Darting staff writer As children are growing up, many of them find a popular athlete or celebrity they idolize. When they become teenagers, they tend to worship their role models and try to copy them in any way that they can. To parents, role models are just a random person that their child will never actually meet but to the child, it is an emotional attachment to someone that they have grown to love and admire. What happens when the child’s role model dies unexpectedly? “Sam Foltz, UNL’s punter, was killed in a car crash this summer, and it was really upsetting for me to hear about the death of someone that I watch all season,” says senior Natalie Brodine, “The first game after his death, they only lined up 10 men on the first punt and took the penalty for him. The whole stadium was in tears, and it was really hard to watch but touching at the same time.” Foltz’s death was a tragic accident. His friend, Michigan State punter Mikel Sadler, was driving at the time, and they lost control of the car. Both men were killed July 23, 2016. It can be hard to deal with the aftermath of the death of role models, especially considering that a vast majority of the deaths occur because the role model in question was being careless and making rash decisions. “Robin Williams’ death really affected me since I grew up watching his movies,” says junior Mason Loy. “He always made me laugh and he was always one of my role models. He was a huge inspiration to young people all over, and it was tragic that the world lost someone like him.” Williams suffered from major depression and eventually committed suicide on August 11, 2014. He chose a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and his hasty decision hurt the people closest to him, as well as his large fan base.
Students should use care when picking role models
Ever since we are little we look up to athletes and celebrities that we see on TV, but lately it has been very difficult to do so. Athletes such as Ray Rice, Lance Armstrong, Oscar Pistorius, and Ryan Lochte and celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Justin Bieber have made big mistakes in their careers and they’ve made it very difficult for students to look up to them. Even the recent presidential candidates have been questioned as good role models.
Picking a hero has become even more of a difficult task than usual. As a result of the recent downfall of celebrities, athletes and political leaders many students have changed their outlook on what the ideal role model should be. What qualities are most important in a good human? Junior Bryce Cowan says, “I like to pick a hero who has similar qualities and goals as me.” This change in perception on role models has been a common theme amongst young people throughout the district. Along with looking for new qualities in a hero, a lot of students have
changed from picking someone famous as their hero to someone closer to their daily life. Junior Dray Podlena says, “Coach Kelly is my hero because he is so influential, and he always pushes me to do my best.” Picking a parent, teacher, coach or someone who is around students daily, to look up to, has also been a common occurrence. For some students picking a hero may seem unimportant, but in the long run a hero can make a lasting impact on a student’s life and can continue to do so for the rest of their lives.
“I loved Whitney Houston; it was hard not to. She was everything that you wanted to be; she was beautiful, she could sing like no one ever had, and she wasn’t afraid to be her own person, you felt connected to her even though you didn’t know her,” says senior Emily Russell, “I was 14 when I heard about her death, and it was very sad. The whole world felt like it was missing a piece. She was a living legend and I’m sad that she’s gone, but she has left a powerful legacy behind her.” Houston died February 11, 2012. Her cause of death was drowning with the effects of heart disease and cocaine use. Her death was labeled an accident, but it can be argued that she would still be
here today if she wouldn’t have abused drugs. Personally, I struggled with the recent death of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez. When I first heard the news, I was in total shock. He played baseball with so much passion and was always smiling, it was hard to believe that someone with so much talent and so full of life was truly gone. I always thought that he was an admirable person because he fought so hard for his freedom. He finally defected to the United States from Cuba after three failed attempts, he was living out his dream; he made everyone feel like they could achieve anything if they put their mind to it. He was killed in a boating accident
on September 25. He was warned by multiple teammates and friends to not go out onto the water that late at night. It is heartbreaking to know that his life could have been spared if he would have listened to that advice. It is a sad twist of fate that he was killed on the water, a place where he felt the most comfortable and even save his mother from drowning when they escaped from Cuba. Whether or not the role model was someone worthy of that title, it is never easy to experience the death of someone that you admire. Just try to remember the legacy that they are leaving behind, celebrate their life, and find a reason to smile for them.
by Jacob Wildeman staff writer
Opinion
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Dreams give insight to unconscious thoughts, desires by Sophie Darting STAFF WRITER Everyone dreams. Some people claim that they don’t dream, but they actually do. They just don’t remember their dreams. There are many different reasons why people dream. Sigmund Freud, arguably the most influential psychologist of all time, studied the mind intensely. He categorized aspects of the mind into three different parts: Id, which is centered around primal impulses, pleasures, desires, unchecked urges and wish fulfillment; Ego, which is concerned with the conscious, the rational, the moral and the self-aware aspect of the mind; and Superego, the censor for the Id, which is also responsible for enforcing the moral codes of the Ego. When the mind is conscious, the impulses and desires of the unconscious mind are suppressed. Through dreams, people are able to get a glimpse of their unconscious mind. During the dream state, the mind’s guard is down so the unconscious has the opportunity to act out or express hidden desires of the unconscious mind. “I rarely remember my dreams,” says senior Kim Nguyen. “Sometimes I don’t know if I’m remembering a dream or if they’re real memories.” Freud believes that the reason people struggle to remember dreams is because the Superego is at work and trying to protect the conscious mind from disturbing images or desires.
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I can usually TELL WHY certain things are happening in my dream BASED ON WHAT went on in the day or weeks before. - Melissa Bryan
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“I have multiple dreams a night, and they usually don’t affect my daily life except giving me weird stories to tell my friends, but if they do affect me they make my problems worse by influencing my emotions,” says senior Melissa Bryan. “I can usually tell why certain things are happening in my dream based on what went on in the day or weeks before.” Dreams occur during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and Freud also believes that during sleep, the mind tries to conjure up solutions to real problems. “I think that dreams can be fun and that they are very important,” says psychology teacher Ed Tolin. “Sigmund Freud said that we all need to have sleep, and he also said that we won’t waste our dreamtime dreaming about insignificant things. Dreams are nothing to be frightened about, and they are the unconscious mind trying to solve issues for us that we can’t solve in our waking world.”
What happened in your weirdest dream? Andrew Patton, 9: “There was one where Australians could teleport and they killed my family and took over the U.S. but they hid me away. They were also running tests on my mom’s brain. It was a weird dream.”
Austin Kruse, 10: “So, my entire family and I live on this praire farm, isolated from any surrounding neighbors. My brother and I are riding our bikes, when suddenly we see these guys enter into our farm. Out of nowhere, Lady Gaga appears and rushes us into a little corner, where we hide until the men stop searching. Somewhere in between all of that, she brings us McDonald’s. The dream was very weird.” Emily Burd, 11: “I had this repetitive dream when I was younger. It started with me walking into my house, and all of a sudden, the Berenstain Bears appeared and there was an earthquake and I ran to my room. As I was crying because of the earthquake, my brother appeared and told me that this was all because I ate an Oreo when I was told not to and I deserved this as punishment. That’s when the dream ended.”
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Audrey VanDyke, 12: “I have this reocurring dream of a clown. My sister, my cousin and I are all at the pool, and this clown appears out of nowhere and tries to attack and kill me. It’s so ironic now because of all the clown stuff in the news. But this is real. He pushes my cousin in the pool and kills my sister. I escaped and I always wake up.”
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EDITOR Shyanne Osterhaus BUSINESS/AD MANAGERS Kennedy Mirowski Bethany Piel SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Kyser Dougan SOCIAL MEDIA CREW Elijah Laird Jacob Wildeman STAFF WRITERS Stone Brackett Jacob Busey Tatum Carlson Bailey Chinn Sophie Darting Kyser Dougan Elijah Laird Kennedy Mirowski Bethany Piel Mercedes Scarbrough Lauren West Roland Westling Jacob Wildeman ADVISER Kelly Neiman
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 newsmagazine do not always represent those of the faculty or school board of U.S.D. 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.
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Apple slashes aux cord with IPhone 7’s release by Roland Westling staff writer With the annual release of the latest iPhone in Apple’s line of popular smartphones comes several major changes such as the removal of the aux port, an upgraded camera and major storage improvements. Perhaps the most controversial change made to the iPhone 7 has been the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack. Although Apple made this change in order to further their underlying push towards wireless and free up space for more improvements, this change still has many consumers fuming. “I think a lot of people dislike the removal of the aux port, but I haven’t really had an issue with it because the phone comes with an adapter and headphone that plug into the charger port,” said senior Reese Emert. In order to accommodate the majority of individuals who still possess products that require the use of an aux port, Apple has included the dongle which serves as a converter between the lightning and aux ports, as well as a pair of earphones that connect directly to lightning ports, instead of the traditional aux ports. “The removal of the aux port is very inconvenient. I feel like I will misplace my dongle, or I won’t have it when I need it. I need it for my aux cord in my car as well as my headphones, so if I forget it in my car I won’t be able to listen to music
in school and if I’m riding in a friend’s car and they hand me the aux and I don’t have my dongle, I can’t blast some sick tunes,” said senior Mikala Adams. In addition to the removal of the auxiliary port, water resistancy is another hot topic in the smartphone industry. Unlike all of its predecessors the iPhone 7 is water resistant, meaning that it can be submerged in one meter of water for a time span of 30 minutes and still function optimally. “I think it’s really groovy how the iPhone 7 is water resistant, especially seeing as how I often go swimming during the summer, and now have the security of knowing that if I forget to take my phone out of my pocket it won’t come to harm,” said junior Lucas Hurla. The iPhone has been renowned for taking great photos in the past, and with the release of the iPhone 7 this has remaind true. Among the numerous improvements are the addition of a 12-megapixel sensor behind a 28mm wide-angle lens on the iPhone 7, and the additional 12-megapixel sensor behind that on the Phone 7 Plus. These improvements among many others help the iPhone to minimize the blurriness of photos when shot with shaky hands. “The iPhone 7’s new camera was what really enticed me to purchase it, so I could enhance my snapchat selfie quality,” said Adams. Many loyal iPhone users who use their phones frequently have likely grown accustomed to the “Storage Al-
most Full” popup. With the iPhone 6 most consumers had the standard 16GB model which works for those who don’t have very many apps or photos, however many users find the primary model insufficient. Unlike the iPhone 6 which offered a 16GB, 64GB and 128GB model the iPhone 7 offers twice the storage, with a standard 32GB model as well as 128GB and 256GB models. “I went from 16GB of storage to 128GB of storage and it’s nice to not get the full storage messages,” said Adams. Another substantial change that has been made to the iPhone 7 is the removal of the mechanical home button in favor of a static one that vibrates in response from being touched. In order to prevent accidental touches the button is pressure sensitive so it’s able to deduce whether it’s been pressed or accidentally tapped. “I like buttons,” said Stone Brackett, senior. “It makes me sad that they got rid of the button.” Aside from the mechanical changes Apple’s latest smartphone has undergone some very notable cosmetic changes such as its slightly larger size. With the removal of the iPhone 6’s Space Grey color option comes the new Jet Black color, along with all of the iPhone’s colors from previous years (Black, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold).
Consumers get burned by Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 by Eli Laird staff writer The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 launched with a bang, but not a good one. The highly anticipated smartphone has been experiencing issues ever since it has been released. This has caused Samsung to halt production of the phone. The company is also encouraging customers who purchased the phone to return the cell phone immediately due to safety issues. People have reported the phone catching fire and explod-
ing. Ethan Dolsky, junior, says, “ I would never get it. I like my face and want to keep it.” According to Android Central, the phone has also been tagged as a flight risk by U.S. authorities who have banned any passenger from bringing one aboard. Samsung attempted to fix the problem by replacing the phones with a new and improved model. This, however, turned out to be another failure as these supposed improved models had the same exact problems. Apple, a competitor of Samsung,
recently came out with the IPhone 7. The phone is becoming more and more popular due to the absence of the Galaxy Note 7. Despite their recent struggles, Samsung still remains one of the top cell phone companies and other new models like the S7 are having success. A Samsung rep also told reporters, “It is a very rare manufacturing process error.” That being said, consumers who were looking forward to purchasing the phone are going to have to wait. The company will survive the failure, but this puts more pressure on them to make their next model a major success.
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Fall sports teams make history, end with successful seasons GIRLS TENNIS
FORCEFUL FOREHAND: Junior Sydnie Crow returns a serve at the League meet. Sydnie was the No. 2 singles champion at the city meet the week before.
FOOTBALL
(Photo by Faith Traver)
BOYS SOCCER
FOCUS ON DEFENSE: Dray Podlena tries to step into the ball to block a pass. The Vikings have only lost one game all season.
Sports
TEAM RESULTS 2nd- Regionals Qualified for State as a team
“The Lady Vikes accomplished things that had never been done in the history of the program. Overall, it was an exciting year and fun to see the ladies competing on such a high level,”
“The girls did a great job improving throughout the year! I hope the girls continue to play throughout the year so we can continue to have success next year,”
- Assistant Coach Amanda Torbett
“...the team finished the regular season with a 6-2 record, good enough for 3rd place in the Centennial League. With a playoff victory the Vikings could remain at home for secondround action,”
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: The Vikings congratulate Topeka West on a good performance in the game. The Vikings beat Topeka West to win the first game of the season.
(Photo by Micayla Nemnich)
TEAM RESULTS 3rd- City 2nd- League 2nd- Regionals All six varsity members qualified for State
- Head Coach Glenn O’Neil
- Head Coach Trent Oliva
BOYS TEAM RESULTS 2nd- City 3rd- League 2nd- Regionals GIRLS TEAM RESULTS 3rd- City 2nd- League 2nd- Regionals
“The season has been a great one. We have made huge strides on the field and in the classroom. I am very proud of the boys for what they have accomplished in the two years I have been the head coach. Hopefully, they continue their form throughout the playoffs,” - Head Coach Craig Rocastle
GOOD FORM, GOOD SHOT: Senior Sydney Kirmse concentrates on where her ball goes after taking a shot. (Photo by Faith Barr)
CROSS COUNTRY “The boys won the League JV Championship and Dawson Podlena has medaled at every varsity meet and won the titles at three meets. We will conclude our season at the state championship, and we expect to place high and end on a great note!”
TEAM RESULTS Regular season record- 6-2 3rd- Centennial League TEAM RESULTS 1st- League 1st seed- Regionals Undefeated in League games
GIRLS GOLF
TEAM RECORDS Freshman- 19-11 JV- 22-13 Varsity 16-21 “Our athletes have done a great job of coming to practice every day with the mindset of working hard to get better as a team. We are proud of how much they have grown individually and as a team. This has been such a great group of girls to work with,”
- Head Coach Brooke Ralph
- Head Coach Luke Wiens
VOLLEYBALL
DIGGIN’ DEEP: Senior Taylor Stirton dives to save a ball before it hits the ground. The Vikes lost in the second round of Sub-State to end their season. (Photo by Mackenzie Chinn)
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ATHLETES SWEAR BY SPORTS SUPERSTITIONS, RITUALS A young golfer steps up to the tee box, and takes three practice swings. Then she steps up to her tee and swings the club, only to be greeted with a perfect shot on to the fairway. When it is time to putt, she does the same thing, and three practice swings and one real shot later, her ball is safely in the hole. Many athletes believe that rituals or superstitions, such as swinging a certain number of times, help them perform better. The majority of athletes have some sort of pattern they follow on competition days, and even during the game itself. They believe that if the pattern is broken the way they play will suffer.
HAYLEY WOODYARD, 12
MATT CHRISTMAN, 12
SIMEON SYKES, 12
ETHAN COWEN, 12
“I always start the day off with a good breakfast and I’ll always pump myself up by blasting music on the way to the meet.”
“I always think of classic rock when I’m swimming, I sing “Carry On My Wayward Son” or something in my head. I feel like it makes me go faster.”
“I normally do pregame handshakes with my friends and then I listen to three of my favorite songs on repeat.”
“Before every game listen to my very special warm-up playlist to get my mind set and focused on the game.”
62.5%
ANDREW GILL, 12
GARRETT POLTER, 11
“On meet days I listen to my gameday playlist. During matches, I have to play with the single line on my racquet head facing down.”
“When I’m about to bat, I try to do the same type of routine in the on-deck circle and between pitches.”
COMMON SPORTS SUPERSTITIONS BASEBALL
Spitting into your hand before picking up the bat is good luck
The last person to shoot a shot in warm-up will BASKETBALL have a good game
HOCKEY
of athletes interviewed claimed music is involved in their ritual
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It is not good for hockey sticks to lie crossed
Balls with a number higher than 4 are bad luck
GOLF
Information provided by bleacherreport.com
Infographic designed by Shyanne Osterhaus
Former students give advice for future athletes By Lauren West staff writer
For some athletes, playing their sport in college is their dream. They can’t picture their athletic career ending in high school. But not every athlete with these aspirations knows what it is actually like to be a college athlete. Many former students-turned-college-athletes had the same dream when they were little kids. “I chose to play a sport in college because it had been a dream of mine since I was a little kid!” said Ryan Zeferjahn, ‘16 grad and baseball player at KU. Rylee Neigenfind, ‘16 grad and volleyball player at UCM, had the same aspirations from a young age. “I chose to play a sport in college because it was something I always dreamed of doing. I love to play volleyball, and I wasn’t ready to give it up this early,” said Rylee. The former students weren’t afraid to admit the struggles that come with being a college athlete. “The biggest challenge is time management. You have to balance your school work with weights, practices and games. It’s really difficult sometimes, especially when you miss a class,” explained Rylee. “You are always on the run with practice and stuff. You never really have much free time and you are expected to perform at a high level,” said Ryan. It can be scary committing to play a sport in college.
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You have to BALANCE your school work with weights, practice and games. It’s really difficult sometimes, especially when you miss a class. - Rylee Neigenfind
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But with some good advice, the experience can be a little less intimidating. “My advice to kids who want to be college athletes is to work hard all the time and become the best athlete you can! Being a college athlete is the best decision I have ever made, and I will never regret it!” exclaimed Ryan. “My biggest advice to students looking to play a sport in college is to be confident in yourself and your abilities. You’re going to have off-days and you’re going to get yelled at, but just keep working as hard as you can, and it will get better! Just have some tough skin and be coachable,” explained Rylee.
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AT HOME IN THE STACKS: Kishno Bell researches for her History day project at Watson library at the University of Kansas. (Photo by Kennedy Boyles) TEETERING ON PERFECTION: Powderpuff cheerleaders (from top) Kaleb Romine, Michael Guerrero, Andrew Patton, Matt Christman, Zach Patton, Joe Crome, Logan Stuke, Mitch Miller, Zack Gomel and Seth Sauer with help from cheerleaders Brooklyn Carter and MaKayla Creollo support powderpuff football junior and senior women to raise money for a good cause. (Photo by Ian Lee )
WARRIOR DASH: James Perry, Cameron McGrath and Reuben Juarez push a Humvee as part of the army’s workout with physical education classes. (Photo by Ashlee Kleiner) HIGH IN THE RAFTERS: Senior and student manager Noah Wells puts in time on the Habitat House. (Photo by Colton Sturgeon) BATTER UP! Makayla Akin takes a swing at the piñata filled with goodies at the SHARP Fall Fun day. Festivities included lunch and a trip to Gary’s Berries as a reward for good grades. (Photo by Jaidyn Yingling)
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