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Volume 87
Issue 1
Fall Sports Preview PAGE 15 Nathan Jowers goes up for a header. Photo by Kyser Dougan)
Sept. 22, 2017
READY FOR A VICTORY: Senior Seth Sauer, junior Chris Havenstein and sophomore Skyler Price represent the red, white and blue theme on the front row at the first home game of the season against Topeka West. Tonight the Vikes celebrate Homecoming in their game against Shawnee Heights.
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Should GPA matter where scholarships are concerned? by Eli Laird staff writer
H
igh School can be a stressful, yet exciting time for students. For some, college is the next step in the process to becoming an adult in the real world. As many people have come to know, college is becoming ridiculously expensive. The best way to reduce these expenses is by obtaining scholarships that schools and organizations provide, whether that be for academics, athletics, or both. Generally the biggest scholarships are the ones that are based off ACT/SAT scores. GPA does play a role alongside those scores, but the ACT/SAT is ultimately what allows for the most considerable amount of money. Personally, this does not seem like the best way to handle this. Factors, such as test anxiety can diminish stu-
dents’ scores and hurt their chances at receiving big time college scholarships. Senior Rylee Harrelson, who is planning on attending Kansas State, agrees. “As a student who has taken challenging classes and succeeded in them, but does not have a strong suit for test taking; I believe that colleges should not always focus on strong test scores like the ACT because GPA shows you are responsible and know what it takes to obtain good grades.” To me, GPA should be incorporated more heavily in the scholarship process because it demonstrates strong worth ethic and responsibility. I know countless students who rely on their natural intelligence and slack off, which negates them from reaching their potential. The fact that they are rewarded because they do well on a single test rather than a culmination of months seems
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unfair to me. My solution is colleges need to implement incentives for achieving a GPA above a 4.0, or community service activities students participate in. This in turn will challenge more students to take honors classes and do well in them. To me, if students can prove they can work hard and achieve excellence despite possible struggles, is it more valuable than a student who gets by on intelligence alone. This change in design will not likely happen any time soon, but I hope for future generations of kids, colleges will begin to focus benefits to not only one’s brilliance, but their hard work as well.
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Editors Kyser Dougan, Lauren West Ad managers Garrett Polter, Jackson Cobb Staff Avery Bocquin, Evan Cluff, Alexis Desch, Alyssa Flower, Lauren Hren, Eli Laird, Annika Lloyd, Mason Loy, Riley Polter, Mercedes Scarbrough, 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 USD 345. The Clipper reserves the right to edit or refuse publication of material that is libelous, obscene, invading privacy, infringing on copyright or disruptive to the educational process of Seaman High School.
Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 25 percent of 13- to 18-year-olds. Untreated childhood anxiety can cause children to perform poorly in school and on tests.
” Internship program helping students for life after high school - Timothy Legg, PhD
by Jacob Wildeman staff writer
T
he growing question for all high school students is what kind of job do they want to have after school. Many students are uncertain when they get to college and even for those who think they know, they might end up changing their minds. According to the New York Times, 80 percent of college freshman at Penn State are uncertain about their major, and about half will end up changing their minds after declaring. This is the case for all colleges across the country. To make this decision easier students
Opinion
should take the internship class offered here at Seaman High School. Personally, I am still not positive on what I want to do when I grow up. I have an idea that I think I am interested in, but I wanted to learn more about it before fully committing to it in college, so I decided to take the internship class. “The internship class is an excellent opportunity for students to determine if a chosen industry or profession is the best career option to follow before investing a lot of time and money in training and education,” says Internship teacher Mrs. Gita Noble, “Essentially students have the opportunity to “testdrive” career possibilities and create a
network of contacts all while gaining high school credit.” The internship class is only offered to seniors and is only a semester class, but it can be taken both semesters if students would like to intern at different locations. Seniors should definitely take advantage of this opportunity. Even if a student ends up not liking their internship then at least they know that career path was not the right choice for them and at the minimum they are still gaining valuable knowledge about the work place. “Students are taught how to be successful in any working environment by establishing a strong work ethic which
is the number one trait employers across the nation value,” says Mrs. Noble. All students are greatly encouraged to consider the internship program. The class can only benefit them in the future. “I would certainly encourage this year’s juniors to consider the class for their senior year. Students should have an idea of a career they would like to explore,” says Mrs. Noble. I have really enjoyed my internship so far and would strongly recommend that students take the class. For more information on the internship class or if students have any questions please visit Mrs. Noble in C4.
Participation trophies hurt children instead of benefiting by Alyssa Flower staff editor Children are always wanting to get a trophy and be told that they’re the best participant in an activity. To compensate for the desire, participation trophies have been handed out at events all over the world. It does not matter if a child pushes themselves to a breaking point every day when working at an activity, or if they just show up and do not care, they still receive a trophy telling them they put in hard work at an event. This was started mainly to keep kids from feeling bad when they didn’t receive a trophy which would lead to tantrums or embarrassment at times. Encouraging kids to strive to be better was a custom for so long, but that has changed, and it is not for the better. By handing out trophies to everyone, kids have learned that they do not have to put in as much effort in order to get recognition. Children have also learned that they do not have to do anything to get a trophy, so they wonder why they would have to do
anything to get a good grade, a scholarship, a job, or anything that would require effort. This leads to a life full of expectation and entitlement even if there is no effort put into what they are doing. According to a Reason-Rupe poll, 55 percent of children thought only the winners or top placers in an activity should receive trophies, 40 percent said everyone should get a trophy, and three percent did not have a preference. Even children are wanting to be recognized for their actual work instead of being put on the same level as someone whose work ethic is completely different, whether it be good or bad. As a society filled with wanting everyone on the same playing field, it would make sense that there should be separation from that philosophy to keep everyone from being the same all the time, which could easily happen by giving trophies or awards to those who have worked for them. Yes, it is possible for people to put in work and not be in a place where they would get a trophy, but on the
other side of that, there are people receiving participation trophies for doing absolutely nothing. Hard work most usually pays off over time, and by being recognized for that hard work with only top placing trophies and awards, kids would spend more time working on improving themselves because they see what happens when they work and have goals. By taking away participation trophies, kids could begin to have more healthy competition that isn’t always there right now. It would also allow for teams to train and work harder by having a team that cares and wants to put in work. Over time, children would learn to work for what they get and not to assume whatever they want in life will be given to them. Participation trophies should become an idea and practice of the past so that children will feel what it is truly like to work for what they receive in life. The world is not going to give anything free to the children later, so they should not be learning that practice now.
Confederate statues hold historic value by Garrett Polter staff writer Statues have been built for thousands and thousands of years. The oldest statue ever built dates back nearly 40,000 years ago and was built in the Swabian Alps, in Germany. They are scattered across the world’s many landscapes, become major tourist attractions, and even become some of the world’s greatest wonders. However, some of these statues are central to major conflicts in recent news. Those revolving around the civil war are the topics of everything from emergency town council meetings to street fights. By cover of darkness, statues are being removed to keep the peace. So what is all of the hooplah about
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these Confederate statues? Well if one can recall the Confederate States of America fought in the Civil War, in order to maintain their “right” to slaves. Only looking this deep into the issue makes this a no brainer to remove the statues due to their portrayal of leaders who were fighting to keep African Americans enslaved. However, these monuments remain a part of history, and it is very important that we as a country do not remove a portion of our nation’s makings. In order to reach a compromise of not having these statues exist, and letting them remain standing in our cities and neighborhoods, we must remove the statues without defacing them, and portray them in a non-offensive way that also allows them to still be a part of United States’ history.
With that being said, I believe that one of the easiest ways to meet both sides demands, without having much backlash, is by creating a separate museum dedicated to the Civil War. Here you could locate all Confederate and Union monuments and artifacts, as well as keeping them safe. As a country we must compromise. It does not make much sense how we as a “united” nation cannot come together for the greater good and get things done. It is easy to sit back and point fingers at who is doing whatever wrong. It is much more difficult to step up and make decisions that will benefit those in our nation and abroad. When we can find people to do this, is when we will become a truly, United States.
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Do you think kids should receive participation trophies? “I think kids should get participation trophies because it boosts their self esteem and tells them that they actually did good. If they didn’t get one, it would tell them that they did bad, and they won’t want to carry on.” Megan Hollar, 11
“Kids should not receive participation trophies because it shows people that it’s okay to not try your hardest and be okay with just being there as opposed to trying to stand out and work for the best outcome.”- Alec Boyd, 10 “Kids should receive participation trophies because kids should be recognized for their participation because kids should be able to feel good for accomplishing anything they do.”Kaylee Workman, 9 “I think it’s okay for kids to receive participation trophies as long as they aren’t just giving away trophies to please the children. If they work really hard to get recognition, it seems okay. - Mr. Zane O’Brien, 9 Biology teacher
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Old gym floor turned into new hallway decoration by Riley Polter staff writer All summer long, workers and crews were in and out of the high school trying to get the hefty task of reconstructing the gym floor done by the deadline. Staff realized that they should not let the history of the court disappear. They decided to save the center circle of the old basketball court. The job required a lot of people. Mr. Lee Schmidt, assistant principal, was just one of the many leads of this project. He shared that the team consisted of himself, Mr. Mike Monaghan, Mr. Brad Dietz, Mrs. Shelly Prengel, Mr. Steve Alexander, and student Megan Skoch. Along with the adult help, junior Megan Skoch was a key factor in making the process
go along smoother. She was picked to help with this because she had a hip injury during summer, and could not participate at the basketball camp. Her job was very important. She was in charge of labelling more than 260 pieces, to make sure they all went back in the correct order when the Viking was rejuvenated. She had to start with the very first row and title it “A” then moving down until she got to row “Z”. Once the end of the alphabet was reached, they had to start over again with “AA” through “ZZ”. This also went on until “AAA” ended at “KKK”. There are over 65 rows of the circle, with some rows having 5 boards. “I had to first number all of the boards inside the blue circle from A-Z,” says junior, Megan Skoch. “Then
Mr. Mike Wilson works on the center circle in N-6. It has been hung in the senior hallway. (Photo by Mr. Mike Monaghan)
we had to carefully lift all the pieces up and put them in the wood shop.” Megan’s job was important because at this time the principals could go and buy plywood to move the
center circle on. When they had moved every row up from the gym floor, they were told to start putting it on plywood, so it would be easy to cut and hang. Once all the pieces were on the plywood,
woodshop teacher, Mr. Mike Wilson, cut the large circular piece into three smaller pieces. This was done to make the hanging easier. The placement of the center circle was decided amongst the
administrators. They wanted the project to be kept in a spot where it was safe and easily viewed. The 35-year-old center circle viking head was hung in the senior hallway of the school.
New program to help ‘at risk’ students with future plans by Lauren Hren staff writer New to SHS this year is the JAG program. JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) is here to help some students in their future. Here to oversee the program is Mr. Craig Rocastle. The school decided to start the program to help those at-risk students have a chance
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at college and a job. “The program helps not only get the kids jobs and get into college, but also gives them that relationship with guidance that makes them want to come to school,” said Rocastle. JAG is set up all across the country in different high schools making it easier for their at risk students to stay in school. Kansas has multiple schools that
have recently started JAG such as: Lawrence Free State, Topeka West, Highland Park, and Shawnee Heights. All the schools that have been in the JAG program have seen significant improvements in their dropout rates. After students complete the JAG program they can continue onto college or move straight on into work. JAG is partnered with companies
small and large to help get kids from the JAG program into careers and secondary educations. If students hit five of the possible 20 preset JAG barriers such as: attendance, GPA, and discipline then students are enrolled in JAG as a classroom culture elective credit if they think they need the help of JAG and to help plan their future.
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Sleep in a Box: what to expect out of an annual tradition by Alyssa Flower staff writer A great cause, a great time, a great memory. Interact’s Sleep-in-a-Box event is full of competitions and experiences that build awareness about homelessness. Sleep-in-a-box started in 2010 with Mrs. Carrie Magette. Mr. Tim Collins, sponsor, explained that Sleep-in-a-Box donations all go to charities in Topeka. “We donate money to The Topeka Rescue Mission, P.A.N.T (Pet Assistance Network of Topeka), and Topeka North Outreach. We also donate canned goods and toiletries to Topeka North Outreach and The Topeka Rescue mission,” Collins said. There will be speakers from these charities at Sleep-in-a-Box telling about the charity’s purpose in the community. Collins expects that students will represent Seaman High School well as students donate to the cause as well as take the importance of the event in as speakers explain the significance of what the
community needs to do to assist the homeless. When students arrive at Sleep-in-abox, they must give up their items that are not necessities in life. If they wish to bring anything except the clothes on their body, they must bring a certain number of cans. “Let’s say you’re allowed to have a shirt, pants, and shoes, but if you want to have a cell phone, then you have to pay a certain number of cans. The same goes for a pillow, blanket, or anything that is not a necessity,” Collins explained. Interact will be providing food for students who are participating, so students will also not be allowed to bring in outside food or drink to keep the simulation of being homeless as realistic as possible. Along with not being able to bring non-necessities, there will be rules in place to keep the event organized and maintain fun. “Obviously when you bring a bunch of human beings together, you have to have rules. At a predetermined part of
the night, females and males are separated and they have to sleep in separate areas; students have to participate in the activities, and students must follow the necessary guidelines put in place,” Collins said. While at sleep in a box, students will participate in different activities that include building their own box house on the track and football field, egg races, sack races, capture the flag, dumpster diving, and watching a movie. The competition students buzz about for the weeks before and after Sleep-in-a-Box is the actual building of their box houses simulating having to make shelter and having an idea of what the homeless go through. “There’s a great deal of comradery, a great deal of fun. Where students get to hang with their friends, but it’s for a good cause. There’s all this fun that’s happening, but at the same time there’s moments when the speakers talk about the fact that there’s so many homeless people, and there’s individuals your age that are homeless,” Collins explained.
Interact began to plan Sleep-in-a-Box over the summer and have met as school began, to set an itinerary and structure the event. As a group, they have decided to make their objective that this year’s sleep in a box will be the best one yet. “Our objective this year is that this is the best Sleep-in-a-box ever. That’s a tall order because in the past we’ve had groups that have put together elaborate shacks, such as the giant ship that they had, and a rubix cube last year. That’s fantastic and wonderful, but I think we can put together an evening that accomplishes the mission of raising awareness and at the same time creating fun for the students of Seaman High School,” Collins explained. Sleep-in-a-Box will take place on Sept. 30 and will bring students together for a time of fun and learning. It will be an event that will be in the memories of students at Seaman High School for the rest of their lives.
Student competes, takes cash prize at National History Day by Avery Bocquin staff writer In June of 2017, the National History Day qualifiers traveled to Washington D.C. to compete at the national level. Among these qualifiers was Kim Vu, junior. Kim chose to create a documentary over Vietnamese Amerasians and Robert J. Mrazek’s impact on the Amerasian Homecoming Act. “I chose this topic because I was interested in the Vietnam War era. I am Vietnamese myself, and yet I didn’t even know that Vietnamese Amerasians existed until I stumbled upon it while researching for a topic,” Kim shared. Her project, entitled Standing Up for the “Bui Doi”: U.S. Representative Robert J. Mrazek’s Impact on Vietnamese Amerasians with the Amerasian Homecoming Act,
focused on Mrazek, the U.S. Congressman that authorized the Amerasians Homecoming Act, a topic falling perfectly in the 2016/2017 History Day theme, Taking a Stand in History. “I interviewed two Amerasians shortly before the national competition. One Amerasian came to America through Operation Babylift, while another Amerasian came through the Amerasian Homecoming Act. The Amerasian that came through the Amerasian Homecoming Act had a touching story. She was pregnant with her son when she came in December 1994. At that time, she along with her husband couldn’t find anywhere to stay for the night. They had been asking around, but all they were let down.” Kim presented her documentary at the district and state level, where she took first, advancing her on to
compete at Nationals. Kim’s unique topic qualified her for the Vietnam War Era Prize, a prestigious award granted to an entry that focuses on the Vietnam war and its ongoing legacy. Along with the award came a cash prize of $1000. Kim told her story of how she found out she had won the award. “This is a pretty funny story. We were at the awards ceremony, but we had to leave early to catch our plane. We were still streaming the ceremony in case someone won something. We were at the hotel parking lot when they announced my project as the winner of the prize. Everyone in the car was screaming and Ms. Mettner, who was driving, freaked out because she thought she ran over something.” sight seeing: Kim Vu takes a break from the action, while posing for a photo in front of the capital in Washington, D.C.
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Authors talk to students about becoming young writers by Mercedes Scarbrough staff writer Jimmy Adams and Brenda Heller, authors of the book “TimeWorm”,came to talk to students interested in becoming a writer. Throughout the presentation, students learned various steps in publishing, pros and cons of writing, and many aspects that are taken into consideration when becoming a young writer. Jimmy Adams is a history teacher from Derby High School who spends his free-time writing books with coauthor, Brenda Heller. Brenda Heller spent 34 years as a school teacher and is now retired. Adams’ and Heller’s main genre is historical fiction when it comes to writing books to entertain the teenage audience. “TimeWorm”,which was released last year, will have two more upcoming books to finish the series, “TimeWorm:Vigilatus”, and “The Final Chapter” in 2019. The authors incorporated real life people into their books such as Maximil-
influencing the future: Authors Jimmy Adams and Brenda Heller speak to students interested in becoming writers. Andrea Marshbank, Freshman English teacher, made the event possible. (Photo by Torey Moten)
ian Kolbe, a Franciscan friar, who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi death camp. The authors tried to portray the events that happened in his life into the book. Adams and Heller also incorporated their personal life into their work. The main character, Theo, in
the book, “TimeWorm”, is actually the name of Jimmy Adam’s brother. “You can take things from your life and make a big story out of it, which is what we did to create these characters,” said Jimmy Adams. When it comes to writing, there are
little “pebbles,” as Heller would call it, that slow down the process of publishing a book that may cause issues. Heller wrote her first book in the year of 1991 where the author had to sell their product. As of now, publishers come to the author to buy their product. Although, this may seem like a good idea, it may cause problems along the way depending on how the writer chooses to publish a book. “You live in a different world. You live in a changing world and technology is the same way. So we have found this had been a pebble for us. You can do what’s called self-publishing. That’s the one that we don’t really recommend because it can become very costly. When that happens, you can contact publishers online and they can come to you,” said Brenda Heller. The second book to the series, “TimeWorm:Vigilatus”, is scheduled to be released in December of 2017. Go to www.timeworkbook.com to find out more information.
STUCO brings students together to unite the community by Lauren West co-editor Behind every great dance, fundraiser, and bonfire is a group of people that work hard to put it together. STUCO has been working for years to unite students and raise money for good causes. Each year a president and vice-president are elected by STUCO members. This year, Nic Flores and Rylee Harrelson took those positions. With help from sponsors Mr. Sean Riley and Mrs. Patty Allacher, STUCO tries to bring students together to unite the community and student body. Last year, STUCO underwent a change and instead of working as one big group on a project, the members of the organization have separated into committees called REALMS (which stand for Recreation, Education, Attitude, Leadership, Money, and Service).
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“REALMS have helped us accomplish more projects simultaneously, which will help us create more events for students,” said Harrelson. Mr. Riley added, “Each committee has a special focus; this structure allows us to help more people.” While each committee focuses on different areas of interest, they come together when needed. Every member of STUCO can agree on a common goal between all the committees. “Our goal, as always, is to do whatever we can to improve the quality of life for those around us,” said Mr. Riley. “This year we want to become known leaders in the school. We want to show the student body how STUCO can make school fun for everyone,” explained Harrelson. While deciding what to do for the the current school year, members keep in mind what SHS students want. One ma-
jor decision that STUCO made this year will affect the Homecoming dance. “The decision to make the Homecoming dance casual came after it was brought to our attention that some problems had developed with the dance, specifically because of the commonlyheld impression that the dance was formal,” said Mr. Riley. He went on to explain that, “Students were leaving before the game was over, the members of the football team, the band, and other groups were missing over half the dance because they were getting dressed up after the game was over.” With this change in attire, STUCO hopes that students will be satisfied with the switch. With a now casual Homecoming dance, members decided to make a new theme for it. “We thought that by having a theme
like glow in the dark, students could get excited about it,” said Harrelson. “We hope that by having the “GloCo” theme for the dance, students will feel comfortable staying at the game until the end, and then just coming straight over for the dance,” explained Mr. Riley. STUCO is excited to hear the student response after the new-and-improved dance. Along with the dance, this upcoming year yields some exciting plans. “We’re really excited about the upcoming blood drive and we are planning on raising money for Hurricane Harvey,” said Harrelson. From dances to donations, STUCO plans a range of events.Members are always eager to hear ideas from the student body. “We really want to be an organization that helps others, so please let one of our members know if there is something that we can do,” said Mr. Riley.
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New science classes offer unique hands-on learning opportunities by Avery Bocquin and Mason Loy staff writers When Yahaira Saliceti entered her 6th hour class she had no idea she would spend most of the 90 minutes studying the blood spatter of a crime scene. However, that’s the kind of surprise new classes like Principles of Biomedical Science and Intro to Engineering have brought to the curriculum . Mrs. Cassandra Geis is now teaching Principles of Biomedical Science, an interesting new science class that focuses on medical related studies. The course revolves around the death of Anna Garcia, a victim found at a crime scene with an unknown manner of death. The student’s job is to act as a detective on the case, analyzing the crime scene and the evidence. In order to teach this class, Mrs. Geis was required to complete a two week training through Project Lead the Way (PLTW), attending daily classes at Missouri Science and Tech, in Rolla, Missouri, lasting from 7 a.m. to after 5 p.m.. “During the training, we basically completed the entire course… It was very intense.” Atthetraining sessions, the instructors were to play both the role of the student along with the teacher in order to experience the class from both points of view. “With this, because it is so lab intense, they wanted us to know how to set up the labs and how to perform the labs.” Next year, there will be an additional biomedical class that students will be allowed to enroll in. The second course available to students is Human Body Systems, a class in which students will be able to fill in a skeleton with clay organs . The following year,
Medical Interventions will be the third course following the Principles of Biomedical Science class, which focuses more on the medical side of science rather than crime scene investigation. “I love it. I think [this class] is a completely different approach to science than what students have had before… this class, as much as we can, is hands on and up and moving.” Mrs. Geis is excited for her students to learn about Anna Garcia and solve the mystery of her death. She also encourages future students to look into the class, even if they are not interested in going into the medical field. “Students might get put off when they hear about this class because they think this class is only for people who want to go into medicine, and it’s not. It’s just a cool science class. It’s the same reason why you might take an art class; you might not want to be an artist, but you like art. This is the same thing.” Mr. Mike Wilson is teaching the new Intro to Engineering class, which gives students interested in pursuing a path in engineering the chance to get a deeper look into what engineers do. Students will create many projects throughout the course of the class, using a program called “Inventor”, which is different than what Mr. Wilson has used in the past. “It’s a drafting program that makes solid models, so you can design an engine and have all different parts, you can [then] set those parts into motion on the computer...It’s a very intense program,” Mr. Wilson explains. Similar to Principles of Biomedical Science, Intro to Engineering is sponsored through Project Lead the Way. Its goal is to send kids to area colleges for engineering, which is
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investigating the crime: Students Haley Bitner and Janson Garman use forensic science to investigate a “dead body” at the crime scene in Mrs. Geis’ biomedical science class. (Photo by Samantha Boyles)
a growing field that also pays well. Engineering is a coed field, though in the past it was very male-dominated. The number of girls in the new class has made Mr. Wilson hopeful that more girls will become interested in the field. “It’s just not a field that a lot of girls have been in in the past, and it can be,” Mr. Wilson says. Additional engineering classes are expected to be added next year, including Advanced Engineering, which will deal more with the physics aspect of the course, and Principles of Engineering. There are also numerous other classes in this series that allow students to
learn about certain types of engineering. “You could specialize in aerospace, and maybe even astronomical. There could be electrical, there could be mechanical, there could be civil,” Wilson added. So far, Mr. Wilson has loved his new class, and the students seem to as well. With the addition of this class and more to come, he is hopeful to see more students enrolled in engineering classes in years to come. “My guess is next year, more kids will take engineering because they kind of see the cool things that we’ve done [in this class],” Mr. Wilson says.
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news from
monthly update
Tax reform priority
-DACA ( Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is an immigration policy created by Obama
President Trump’s latest push is to reform taxes. He wants to cut the number of tax brackets from seven to three, with rates of 10, 25, and 35 percent.
-800,000 unauthorized immigrants, called Dreamers, are protected by DACA. -The President has given Congress a six month deadline.
President Trump on his way to end DACA
Murder in Myanmar
Troop increase planned
IRMA
3,000 Rohingya people may
have been killed during the genocide
73,000 Rohingya people have
fled the border of Myanmar and tried to enter Bangladesh
President Trump wants to increase the number of U.S. troops He wants to send over at least
3,500
U.S troops. The U.S. has about
8,400 troops in Afghanistan currently.
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North Korea has put a nuclear war head inside a missile, but has not found a way to launch it far enough to hit the Continental U.S. This month, North Korea detonated its first hydrogen bomb. It is five times as strong as the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. North Korea’s leader is Kim Jong Un, who was named Supreme Emperor of North Korea in 2011. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11388628 http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/644249/North-Korea-Nuclear-War-Missile-BombKim-Jong-un-Washington-Mark-Miloscia-Senator-Plan
Nuclear War Threat
in Afghanistan.
HARVEY At least 72 killed
210,000 houses damaged 132 mph wind speeds 52 inches of rain
Rohingya people are descendants of Muslims. They have been feuding with the Myanmar government for centuries. Picture from Whitehouse.gov
Hurricane Aftermath
6,300,000 evacuated 1,300,000 without power 185 mph wind speeds At least 59 killed Photos from U.S. Department of Defense
Designers: Cody Kyser (Tax reform), Samantha Boyles (Myanmar), Paige Gilbert (North Korea), Isabella Galvan (DACA), Parker Gower (Troop increase), Andrew Patton, Reese Lister (Hurricanes). Info compiled by Kyser Dougan and Garrett Polter.
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Exchange students learn to adapt to U.S. culture Frederik
Helene
Ornela
Lara
Frederik Von Wildenrath Beltner Country: Denmark Sports or Hobbies: Tennis, gymnastics, kickboxing Weirdest US Expression: “It’s lit, fam.” One thing you have learned from SHS students: Enjoy your stay Helene Bjornsen Country: Norway Weirdest US Expression: “That’s neat.” One thing you have learned from SHS students: Slang Other random notes: I play club (soccer) with some SHS girls, and I love hummus! Ornela Henic Country: Switzerland Sports or Hobbies: Boxing, tennis, dance, music Favorite trends: Vikings t-shirt One thing you have learned from SHS students: Nobody uses a knife. Other random notes: I play tennis with the Lady Vikes. Lara Gerin Da Costa Country: Brazil Weirdest US Expression: “Hit me up.” Other random notes: Food here is more spicy than Brazilian food. Iga Karasinska Country: Poland Sports or Hobbies: Hiking Weirdest US Expression: Pizza with butter One thing you have learned from SHS students:
Iga
Sarah
Tea
Ale
Positivity Other random notes: Turn off this air conditioning! Sarah Her Country: Denmark Sports or Hobbies: Hiphop and fitness Weirdest U.S. Expression: Many end their sentence with “Alright/Okay.” Tea Flisch Country: Belgium Weirdest US Expression: “That’s my bad.” Other random notes: I am always hungry here I think I will gain 22 pounds before the end of my exchange. Ale Larios Country: Mexico Weirdest US Expression: “Idk”= don’t know Favorite food: Chile Nogada One thing you have learned form SHS students: Be nice with the others Leonardo Berti Malaquias Country: Brazil Weirdest US Expression: Okey-dokey One thing you have learned from SHS students: Soccer players say: “Don’t ask stupid questions to the coach.” Other random notes: Americans have large portion of food
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Tatsuki
Camilla
9.22.17
Mattia
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Simeon
Tatsuki Goto Country: Japan Weirdest US Expression: “Bless you.” One thing you have learned from SHS students: Eating Fast Camilla Fumagalli Country: Italy Weirdest US Expression: “Okey-Dokey.” One thing you have learned from SHS students: They don’t use knife while they are eating. Mattia Stiunovic Country: Italy Sports or Hobbies: Basketball, American football, tennis Word that best describes you: Bear Other random notes: My mum is Italian and my dad is from Croatia Simeon Vryghem Country: Belgium Word that best describes you: Playful Weirdest US Expression: Hustle up One thing you have learned from SHS students: Make your homework and you will be alright Other random notes: “Smile and the world smile with you!”
German students plan 2-week stay Students have also had the opportunity to meet 12 students from Marburg, Germany who are spending two weeks in America. They have been giving presentations to classes and travelling around northeast Kansas experiencing life in the Midwest.
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Apparel store to provide experience for students by Kyser Dougan co-editor
Another change made over the summer to the school was the addition of an apparel store. Students helped renovate a former storage space and office for the kitchen into a new store. Principal Mike Monaghan says the goal of the store is to teach students “marketable job skills”. The store will be led by parents with the Athletic Booster Club owning the inventory. After they get the store up and running the goal is to have students work to learn skills like ordering and pricing merchandise, customer service, how to operate cash register technology, online marketing, and even inventory control and accounting functions. Once the store is up and running it should be, “parent led, and student run,” according to Mr. Monaghan. The details for the store are still evolving and being worked out, but the goal is for the Athletic Booster Club to partner and work with the Fine Arts Booster Clubs and different clubs to earn money that will go back to the students. The store should be getting closer to opening in the next few weeks with the goal to be fully operational by the winter sports season. real world experience: Seniors Kyle Dindios (back) and Dawson Morstorf help with the renovation of the apparel store. Several students worked on the project over the summer. (Photo by Mike Monaghan)
Changes coming to student-run bank by Kyser Dougan co-editor
money: Junior Jessica Grist uses the newly installed ATM in the commons. Silver Lake has waived the fees for people who bank elsewhere. (Photo by Mason Hartter)
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Among the many changes this new school year, some of the biggest are with the student-run bank. Bank sponsorship has changed to Silver Lake Bank from Kaw Valley. Inside the bank there are documents dating back to the 1950s that show affiliation with Kaw Valley, and no evidence to show there was any other sponsor before that. Many new changes will be coming to the bank as a result of this change such as new banking and accounting software, as well as online banking tools. Bank sponsor Kevin Hoffmans says so far the process has not changed much for his students. There are some small differences in the cashier windows, but
not with the rest of the bank. He adds, “At some point this fall, we hope to be automating the cashiers and they will have to learn a new software.” Bank President Zach Patton adds, “The sponsorship hasn’t drastically changed how we operate other than the windows all balance separately so that it is easier to balance and keep track of who did what at the end of the day.” Executive Vice President Bailey Keating says the new software is going to be difficult to get used to. “But I’m excited to see our bank renovated into how banks are actually ran today.” The commons is seeing new additions to the bank with an overnight drop box and a new ATM. The drop box is a nice addition. “So teachers after concessions and gates can drop off their money after the event and
the school bank or administration can get it the next day,” says Hoffmans. The ATM is not affiliated with the student’s operations in the bank. However, Silver Lake will not charge anyone fees to use it. This will be very convenient when people need cash for events like games and plays that take place after school. Superintendent Dr. Steve Noble says, “This change is about what we believe Silver Lake Bank will do for us, not what Kaw Valley wouldn’t do for us. Both banks are fine establishments,” Due to the fac that they were proposing a service, there was not a formal bid process required. Both Kaw Valley and Silver Lake provided proposals. Silver Lake Bank’s main branch is located in the district and also serves as the Seaman USD 345 district bank.
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Some of earliest inhabitants of zoo facing old age by Mason Loy staff writer
Late last month, Tiffany the gorilla, a long-beloved inhabitant of the Topeka Zoo, sadly passed away due to ovarian cancer. After nearly 50 years at the zoo, Tiffany’s passing hit the keepers and community hard. She was one of the many animals inhabiting the zoo that the public has cherished for decades now. “We get to hear stories of people that have been visiting since they were little and can’t believe they’re the same two elephants or the same orangutan or, until recently, the same gorilla, that they saw and remember from their first visit to the zoo when they were a kid,” explains Wrylie Guffey, Assistant Curator and Records Manager for the Topeka Zoo, and a 2007 graduate of SHS. It is hard to know exactly what animals can be considered geriatric. Different species have different lifespans, and there are sometimes animals at the Topeka Zoo that live much longer than others in their species. “Some of our animals’ ages aren’t known for a fact. That is because in some cases…[they] were born in the wild and in other cases, the birthdate may not have
been recorded at the birthplace,” Wrylie says. As far as care goes, geriatric animals are generally less physically able than their younger companions, and so require special living spaces or supervision. Zookeepers must be able to read an animal’s behavior to understand when something is wrong, and they always have to be ready to make the tough decision to let an animal go. “It is never an easy decision when it is made, but it is always in the best interest of the individual animal. While we can do quite a lot to provide support to animals with these conditions so that they maintain a good quality of life, there is no cure for old age and eventually we may have to make that decision,” Wrylie says. Though caring for geriatric animals takes great patience, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Wrylie concludes, “Their personalities stand out, and it’s fun to have conversations with people about them. It’s enlightening to see how many lives can be touched and how one individual can bring more awareness about its species. It’s easy to think of the animals that we care for like family.”
Ghost tours provide Topekans with spooky experience by Evan Cluff staff writer Is Topeka haunted? With Halloween approaching, it is the perfect time to check out the Ghost Tours of Kansas. Cathy Ramirez, author of “Where’s the Ghost?,” has been in charge of the tours for 14 years. After she attended Rochester Grade school, she began hearing stories of the Albino Lady, and “she fascinated me and my interests in Halloween and spooky things grew.” Many occurrences have happened during tours; people have captured apparitions, anomalies and, because of spiritual energy, people have become nauseated. Cameras, cell phones, and transportation electronics have gone haywire and readings have been seen on dowsing rods, k2 meters, temperature gauges,
and cameras. These occurrences have probably happened around the most haunted location in Topeka, the former Moose Lodge located at 1901 N. Kansas Ave., and the building with the most activity, Three Flowers Metaphysical Treasures at 733 S. Kansas Ave. Other locations include the alley behind the Jayhawk Tower, 700 SW Jackson St. #A, and the Capitol Building. Tours are $10 per person all year except October when price is raised to $12. For private tours, with a minimum of 4 people, the price is $15. Most tours start at 8 p.m. and last about 1 hour and 15 minutes and are one mile long. For more information visit ghosttoursofkansas.com. For specific questions email ghosttoursofkansas@gmail.com or call (785)-851-0856.
Left: The State Capital Right: The former Moose Lodge (Photos by Evan Cluff)
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New teacher shares roller derby love by Mercedes Scarbrough Staff Writer
New special education teacher, Mrs. Raqual Carlson plays for the Capital City Crushers roller derby team in her free-time. Players are required to choose a nickname, derby name, along with a number to represent an individual. Mrs.Carlson is known as Manslaughter with her derby number 0626. Her derby name originated from her maiden name, Man, but she was unable to add her current last name into her nickname so she attached slaughter at the end, which soon became Manslaughter. She is a pivot, which allows her to become a backup jammer throughout the game. She is in her fourth full season of roller derby and is not thinking about stopping any time soon. “I love the camaraderie that I have of being a part of this amazing group of women that come from all different avenues of life, yet Tuesdays and Thursdays, there we all are sharing the same love and passion for this one sport that we call the greatest sport in the entire world.” The Capital City Crushers are currently undefeated in regular game play. Roller Derby is a year-long sport in which they practice all year long, while competition months are March
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When you feel like life has totally KICKED you when you‘re DOWN, go to practice. Roller Derby is an excellent way to FUNNEL all your EMOTIONS. Your sadness, anger, aggression, frustration. So when you don’t want to go to practice, GO TO PRACTICE. Ms. Raqual Carlson through October. This year, the team took home silver in the “War of the Wheels” tournament in Salina. The team also took home gold at the “Midwest Derby Fest” earlier this year. Everyone has a certain challenge in life. Whether it be school or sportsrelated, many face challenges that test their determination. Every year, players are obligated to participate in a series of minimal skills test. One of the components of passing is a skill test known as 27 and 5’s, meaning players have to skate 27 laps in less than five minutes, equivalent to about one mile. Some may think this is easy, but for Mrs.Carlson this was one of the most challenging obstacles she has faced in her four seasons of roller derby. “It wouldn’t be hard if you were going straight, but you’re going in an oval, so it becomes a little more challenging. And I could not pass, and when I say that I could
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not pass it, sometimes it takes girls five or so times, I took 30 or so times to pass.” Mrs. Carlson’s number one motivator is her coach, Miranda Reaver. At the beginning of her roller derby journey, she admitted that she was not the best player, but that is what makes roller derby exciting. No matter what the body type is, everyone has a purpose in roller derby. What society deems the “right” body type goes out the window in roller derby because there is a place for everyone. “When you’re happy, go to practice. When you’re sad, go to practice. When you feel like life has totally kicked you when you’re down, go to practice. Roller Derby is an excellent way to funnel all your emotions. Your sadness, anger, aggression, frustration, so when you don’t want to go to practice, go to practice,” Carlson concluded.
STAMINA REQUIRED: (above) Mrs. Carlson takes professional shots. (Photo by “Oh SNAP! Photography”) (left) Mrs. Carlson shows physical stamina required to be a roller derby player. (Photo by Tim Wilson)
Freezing Moo ice cream parlor making its way to Kansas by Riley Polter Staff Writer Ice cream parlors have made their own spot on the social media platform. Most recently, a chain known as “Freezing Moo,” has been getting a lot of attention. Freezing Moo changes up the ice cream game with the Eastern Asian method of using ice cream rolls instead of scoops we know. The customer gets to pick a flavor and watch all the ingredients, syrups, and toppings come together on a large silver plate before getting the tradition roll.
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Another attribute that sets Freezing Moo apart from the rest, is the ice cream artist will draw pictures with the customer’s preferred syrup before rolling it. “I’m an avid lover of ice cream, so I put Freezing Moo to the test,” says junior, Mason Hartter. “It passed with flying colors.” With over 40 toppings and flavors, a customer can always switch up choices. Customers will have a bit of a drive to experience rolled ice cream. Stop by the three Kansas locations, open seven days a week in Leawood, Overland Park, and Oak Park Mall.
Freezing Moo is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 6936 W 135th St. Overland Park, KS.
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9.22.17
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New Staff Crossword Quiz
Viking voices
If you had a food truck, What kind of food would you serve?
Crossword by: Jackson Cobb
“I would sell candy, because kids would be a sucker for that.” Kennedy Boyles, 12
“Mangos on a stick. I like mangos and I particularly like them on sticks.” Killian Cox, 10
“I would sell square waffles with circle holes.” Curtis Quinn, 10 Features
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Beloved game connects people with sports by Eli Laird staff writer Dylan Wallace sits amongst his football articles; laptop at the ready. He is hoping for the perfect draft picks and a chance at landing the sleeper that turns into a star. He has done practice drafts to get conditioned for this moment. It is draft day, and every owner in his league is eager to best him and form the better team. The NFL starting marks the commencement of the growing and popular game Fantasy Football. Student Dylan Wallace has been playing for three years and truly enjoys what the game has to offer, “I think fantasy football is a big brotherhood of friends coming together over the love of the game. It combines competition and friendship and that is hard to find.” Fantasy football is not the only fantasy sport; however, it is currently the most prominent by a wide margin. It is a game that allows people to own and manage real life players that they have strategically assembled to be on their team. There are a couple different types of fantasy football. One involves a commitment to the entirety of the NFL season, while the other is the duration of a single weekend of games, or as it is commonly called, daily fantasy. These typically start with some sort of draft. League members will take turns picking up players they best see fit for
Week two of the NFL season is now in the books. This is the time to pick up low-value players who could turn into stars. Here is my list of the top sleepers currently in Fantasy Football. (Statistics updated as of 4.56 p.m. CT 9/13/17)
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their roster. Draft day is one of the most important days throughout the season, and there are many strategies to follow. One is implementing a strategy that chooses running backs in the first two rounds, while another is to obtain wide receivers and worry about running backs in the middle to late rounds. That being said, most just pick the best player available and do not follow a specific set of rules. Owners then from that point forward, have the option of trading their players with other teams or keeping the players they drafted. Another common draft day decision is to deciding whether to take a risk on a sleeper.
Sleepers are players that are not ranked high and no one really talks about them. These players can often help win leagues because their low-risk can produce high reward. However, it is extremely difficult to pick the right sleepers, so there is unpredictably involved. Corporations such as ESPN and the NFL have taken advantage of the popularity and made fantasy football apps which keep track and record statistics for the players, which makes it much easier on owners. ESPN along with others, also have hired experts that give advice by writing blogs, producing podcasts, and even having television shows. The game has become extremely
COOPER KUPP LAR WR - Rams receiver Cooper Kupp is one of the top tarpets for Jared Goff in a re-vamped Rams offense. His versatility out of the slot makes him a reliable option and a possile staple for fantasy teams. (Available in 69.2 percent of ESPN leagues)
SHANE VAREEN NYG RB - Shane Vareen continues to do what Shane Vareen does best, and that is catch passes. If you are looking for a consistent option in PPR formats, he is the guy. (Available in 71.5 percent of ESPN leagues)
serious to many people and some put hours of research into formulating their team. Senior Chantz Barta has witnessed the growth of his league first hand. “My league started out as a very loose and relaxed thing, but it is now turned into something a little more serious with extra money put in, a trophy for the winner, and even harmless punishments for the last place finisher.” Being excellent at the game takes time and awareness. Bye weeks, injuries, and even weather could affect the availability of NFL players every week. This season notable stars such as David Johnson and Allen Robinson have suffered significant injuries. Owners have been put into tough situations and are forced to make decsions on how to handle the absence of key players. The dedication and intense competition is one of the reasons the game thrives. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, or FSTA, the estimated number of players has increased by over 40 million since 2003. The variety of options and developing market for Fantasy Football have made it into a considerably large industry. Even though NFL has already begun, it is not too late to get together with friends and family and begin the journey that is Fantasy Football.
KENNY GOLLADAY DET WR Golladay was a star in Lions camp and has shown flashes of excellence this season in a pass-first offense. With defenses focused on other weapons like Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, Golladay could quietly become a top 20 receiver and is a must add. (Available is 61.2 percent of ESPN leagues)
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Fall sports striving for success this season Boys Soccer
Girls Tennis
What are your goals for the season?
How is your season going so far?
“For the students to be a class act on and off the field. Whether we achieve another league title or not, my main goal is to make players mature and reach their goals.” -Head Coach Craig Rocastle
“The season is off to a great start. I have a great group of girls that work really hard and give me their best effort and that is really all you can ask for. I’m excited to see where the year goes.” -Head Coach Tatiana Schafer
What is your team’s best quality?
Who are your team leaders?
“We have a very athletic and competitive team. The players push each other in practice and that only makes for a stronger team.” -Senior Captain Sydnie Crow
Volleyball
Girls Golf
“Sarah Forrer and Brooke Prescott, our returning juniors, have assumed a leadership role since we do not have any seniors on the team this year.” -Head Coach Julie McLaughlin
Boys Cross Country
Girls Cross Country
How is your season going so far?
What are your goals for the season?
“Our season is off to a good start. We placed third in both divisions at the 14 team Manhattan Invitational, competing with some of the top teams in 5A and 6A.” -Head Coach Luke Wiens
“Right now we are trying to build a varsity team and once we do that we are going to keep improving throughout the season and get back to state.” -Senior Runner Emily Jowers
Football
What is your team’s best quality?
“The best quality that we have as team is our belief in family. Our players will play for each other and sacrifice for the good of the team. Our ability to come to practice and work hard for each other is a must for our success.” -Head Coach Glenn O’Neil
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Homecoming Royalty 2017
What is a weird food combination that you like?
What is the most useless talent that you have?
Torey - “I dip my breakfast sandwiches in milk.” Kyser - “I eat tortilla chips with ketchup.”
Yahaira - “I can roll my belly.” Nathan - “Driving everyone around and spending all my paycheck on gas.”
What celebrity do you think is overrated and why?
What is your go-to karaoke song?
Torey - “Kim Kardashian because her butt is too big.” Kyser - “Mark Wahlberg because he is overrated and Garrett likes him.”
Kyser Dougan & Torey Moten
Nathan Crowder & Yahaira Saliceti
Yahaira - “I am currently jamming to every Harry Styles song.” Nathan - “Any Man of Mine by Shania Twain.”
What is something you used to do, but are now embarrassed by?
If you could make any Olympic sport, what would it be?
Niajiah - “I used to put my shoes on the wrong feet.” Derrick - “Watch Big Time Rush.”
Kayla - “Crab races (humans crab walk vs. an actual crab).” Janson - “Who can spit the farthest because that’s a skill.”
If you could be any character from a tv show, who would you be and why? Niajiah - “Nev from ‘Catfish’, because ‘Catfish’ is amazing and Nev is so hot.” Derrick - “Tom from ‘Parks and Recreation.’”
If you could be any character from tv show, who would you be and why? Derrick Quinn & Niajiah Baker
Janson Garman & Kayla Neigenfind
Kayla - “Rachel Green from ‘Friends’ because she’s perfect. Janson - “Zack from ‘Suite Life of Zack and Cody’, making Cooper Cody.”
What is something you used to do, but are now embarrassed by?
If you could be any character from a tv show, who would you be and why?
Mackenzie - “I wanted to be a movie star or a singer. Cooper - “ My life goal was to beat Janson at whatever we were doing.”
Mackenzie - “Miley Stewart from ‘Hannah Montana’ because she’s living the dream life.” Cooper - “Ferb from ‘Phineas and Ferb’ because he is the smartest and chillest guy I have ever seen.”
Homecoming
Cooper Garman & Mackenzie Moylan