Newtonian: Oct. 8, 2010

Issue 3, Series 87 Newton High School; 900 W 12th; Newton, KS 67114 October 8, 2010

Newtonianthe

railernews.com

Mud runnersSophomores Keagan Attebery and Dylan Anderson run during the late-night Mud Run on Sept. 29. Students competed within their grades, and the fastest times from each grade fought for overall fastest times.

photo by Brandon Hanchett

Fall sportsPg.16-19

PolicerobotPg.3

Denmark speakingPg.8

BIGS: Worth volunteering forPg.9

Familiar facesPg.15

news The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

briefsnewsParent/Teacher conferences- Parent/Teacher conferences will be held Monday, Thursday and Friday of next week.

No school for students- Students will not have school next Thursday and Friday due to a teacher work day and Parent/Teacher Conferences.

PSAT- Sophomore and junior students who signed up for the PSAT will take it on Wednesday in the lecture hall.

Jazz concert- The Jazz I & II classes have a concert on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Little cheer night- The home football game against Emporia Oct. 15 will be Little Cheer Night.

Academic awards- Seniors will assemble for academic awards on Oct. 18 followed by juniors on Oct. 19 and sophomores on Oct. 21.

End of first quarter- The end of the first nine weeks is Oct. 22.

Access to library during seminar requires ticketBreNdA vALdiviArandom railers editor

When students started to pile into the library this year, the librarians immediately took notice.

Initially, teachers could send students to the library during either black or gold days without a pass. However, the librarians became overwhelmed with the substantial increase in students and lack of ac-countability.

“It was way too open. We got so many students during seminar. Stu-dents would distract other students

who wanted to get things done,” librarian Ronda Limon said.

Wanting to provide a more condu-cive atmosphere for the students to learn, different measures were taken into consideration. What was chosen as the new rule was that students who want to go to the library during seminar have to stop by the library during the day to get a pass so they can attend during seminar.

“Just because it’s this way now does not mean it won’t change in the future,” Limon said.

Another library regulation that has changed is that students need to

present their student IDs to check out laptops if they want to use them. This is just a way of keeping track of who has a laptop since they tend to go everywhere.

Something to check out is the new library drop box located by the check out desk. Now students do not have to wait to hand in their books. Students can swing by the library whenever they can and slip them in the drop box.

“We are just trying to get the new time, new space and new schedule to work for the students,” Limon said.

Clubs- Second clubs will meet during seminar on Oct. 20.

Orchestra concert- The first orchestra concert of the year will be Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

ChriSTiNA POuLSgAArdreporter

Years ago a forgotten lunch card and money would mean no lunch that day. No card, no cash, no meal - that was simply the deal. That is no longer the way it works. Two weeks ago, a change made it possible to get something to eat at lunch even with-out a card or money. The food service workers now hand out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk if students forget their cards or money.

“We don’t wan’t the kids to starve, and we just try to help them,” student meal account manager Terrie Port-lock said.

This change is not only something happening at Newton High School. Most other schools in the district of-fer a similar solution when students forget their cards or money.

The cause of this solution is state regulations. The mainline and second line in the cafeteria are state-funded meals. The a la carte line, however, is the cafeteria’s own line, which means students can actually pay cash for the a la carte food.

Earlier the food service workers used to allow the students to charge any meal and pay for it later.

“We ended up loosing a lot of

money that way. We are not aloud to do that anymore,” Portlock said.

She also points out that the food ser-vice workers will keep track of the students who get a pea-nut butter and jelly sandwich and milk. That way they can avoid students abusing the new service.

“We will put their name down on a piece of paper, and if it happens three times within a short time period, they will get a refer-ral and go have a talk in the office,” Portlock said.

Luckily there does not seem to be a problem with students trying to get the free peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk in order to avoid paying for lunch.

“This is simply a help for the students,” Director of Food Service

Mandy Zinn said. However, the food service workers

still ask students to remember their cards.

“The card just makes it easier for everyone. As long as a student can remember his student number printed on the student ID, he can pay for his lunch that way,” Zinn said. “But it will make the lines go crazy because ev-eryone else will have to wait. We still expect the students to be responsible.”

Cafeteria gets new policies

photo by Shannon AhlstedtThe solutionOn days when students are out of lunch money, they will receive a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk.

newsOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

Robotics program expands to communityTeam builds robot for Harvey County law enforcement

ERIN REGIERfine arts editor

As robotics mentor Shawn Taylor puts it, the robotics team will be “taking a semester off of competition to compete in the game of real life.

This semester, in place of the fall season JV robot, the Robotics team will be building a robot for Harvey County law enforcement officers.

According to Senior Investi-gator Jim Sauerwein, father of sophomore Everett Sauerwein, the idea first occurred when he attended his son’s robotics com-petitions last year.

“I had talked to (Shawn) Taylor about the possibility at my son’s robotics competition last year,” Sauerwein said in a phone interview. “I thought it would be neat for the team to build a robot for us.”

The robot, which is now in the brainstorming phase, will be used by the Harvey County Emergency Response Team (ERT).

“Basically, the purpose of this robot is to replace a live officer going inside a building in a dan-gerous situation, for instance a SWAT team emergency response or a hostage situation,” robotics mentor Randy Jolliff said.

Ideally, the robot will con-tain both a video recorder and microphone, possibly with a communication device to allow the negotiators to talk with the subject. It must also be able to climb a 45 degree angle and 8 inch stairs.

Sauerwein said the camera could also be used to figure out the layout of a location without ever entering the home.

“Sometimes it may not be possible for the robot to enter, like if the door was barricaded,”

Sauerwein said. “The robot could be sent around the house in place of an officer and give us a close up view of the perimeters. We have people trained to know what the layout of a house is just by looking at the outside.”

While Harvey County may not have many encounters with dangerous hostage situations, Sauerwein says the robot will be used frequently.

“We would probably use it on every call out,” Sauerwein said.

Even if the robot is never used in dangerous situations, Jolliff still thinks the work is worth it.

“It’s something that we hope never gets used,” Jolliff said. “But if you would need it, you want to be prepare. Even if it only gets used once, it’s worth it.”

The idea of using a local robotics team came about for several reasons. One of the main reasons is the cost of purchasing a robot.

“These are tough times,” Sau-erwein said. “If there’s a spare robot that the team can fix up or add on to, that saves a lot of money.”

Top end robots with functions similar to what they are looking for cost upwards of $50,000. According to Taylor, the ERT has a minimal budget of around $3,000, but the robotics team will try to keep the cost within funds.

While this project is un-like anything that the robotics team has built before, the team members will still make all of the major decisions and build the robot as a team.

“This is the student’s baby,” Taylor said. “It’s 100 percent theirs. I’m not building it. As mentors, we don’t let them make mistakes, but the students do all the work.”

Another reason for using the robotics team is the high standard of excellence the team strives for.

“We’ve been involved in robotics for 10 years now and have been extremely successful in competition,” Taylor said.

Sauerwein agrees that the police department regards the robotics team very highly.

“Just by having the team build the robot, it shows we think enough of them to ask if they could help us out,” Sauerwein said.

Robotics team captain Dylan Jantz said the team is excited to reach out to the community through this robot and see it through to completion.

“We’re really excited to see the finished project and watch it in action,” Jantz said.

Jolliff is also hoping to help

the community and publicize robotics in the process.

“It’s something that helps the community and also allows us to attach our names to it and spread the word about math and robot-ics,” Jolliff said.

Sauerwein agrees that keeping the robot within the community is a good idea.

“It’s pretty neat to see the community combine resources and together work to meet a common goal,” Sauerwein said.

Brainstorming session Senior Dylan Jantz reviews the ideas produced by one of the three brainstorming groups at the robotics meeting Wednesday. Members determined what characteristics were most important in their robot.


news The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

Teachers: New schedule ‘hard to adjust to’ Tyler Prochazkaonline editor-in-chief

As students and teachers came back for the new school year, they did not just experience a renovated building, but a revamped schedule as well. With this new policy some teachers see benefits, while others raise concerns.

After more than a decade of the block schedule, last year Principal Ken Rickard and English teacher Debra Helberg conducted a review of this schedule due to a requirement in the teachers’ contracts.

This requirement was placed into the teachers’ contracts as a compro-mise between the school board and the teachers.

After reviewing input from students, parents and teachers, a committee was created to make a schedule that would “fit the needs of our students,” according to Helberg. After the review, the administra-tion implemented a mixed block (90 minute classes) and split (45 min-ute classes) schedule for this year. Rickard said this new schedule fixed many of the problems with just hav-ing block classes.

Rickard first pointed to an “un-structured” seminar as a core prob-lem with the previous schedule.

“Seminar just absolutely drove me crazy,” Rickard said.

Seminar was not being used properly as an academic period, and too many students were wasting the time, according to Rickard. To fix this problem, seminar was shortened to 45 minutes and made into a daily period.

Many teachers like the changes to seminar. One teacher surveyed, who did not include his or her name, said the shorter seminar has been “very positive to student learning.”

Another new aspect of the schedule is the three daily 45 minute periods, two at the start of school and one at the end coupled with seminar. According to Rickard, this change was made because some students

needed daily contact with their teachers.

Teachers are more divided on whether this change has helped or hurt students.

In a survey of 23 teachers, just over half said they did not like the daily class periods. Many teachers described a “hectic” environment for both themselves and students. One of these surveyed teachers said students do not “focus on the topic we are discussing” and when taking tests students “feel rushed and don’t do as well.”

Another teacher said, “students do not feel that subject matter can be discussed and analyzed as thorough-ly,” during shorter periods.

“I feel as though I don’t get to be immersed in the subject,” senior Katie Schmidt said.

Many of the concerns from the daily periods arise from having to teach upper level math and science during the shortened periods. To mitigate this, the administration asked teachers which classes needed to be 90 minutes. In particular, teachers of upper level classes like Calculus requested block periods. Some upper level classes, like Physics and Honors English III, could not fit into the limited block hours and became 45 minutes instead.

Science teacher Jon Preston said there is “no way” he could teach Honors Chemistry, which is cur-rently 90 minutes, in 45-50 minutes. He also said he is concerned his split block Chemistry I class, which meets during a 45-minute block, might not be able to do certain lab experiments.

Preston said the change has been hard to adjust to but he is “definitely trying.”

However, other teachers were more quick to embrace the new schedule. Specifically, freshman math, general English and foreign language classes stand to benefit from the new schedule, according to Rickard.

“I believe (students) are retaining more information and seeing how

things connect better (with daily classes) than when they meet for 90 minutes every other day,” one sur-veyed teacher said.

P.E. teacher Lisa Antonowich said it has improved student participa-tion.

“I think the students can focus and stay intense since it’s a shorter time frame,” Antonowich said.

Most teachers agree, though, that it is “too early to tell” whether the schedule has had a significant impact on student performance either way.

There may be a discrepancy be-tween teacher and student approval of the new schedule. While teach-ers are divided, more students like the new schedule than dislike it in a random survey of 70 students.

“I like that the morning classes don’t drag on anymore,” junior Lexi Blankenship said in the survey.

Another issue with the new sched-ule was the “tension” it created when some requests for block periods could not be accommodated due to the limited block periods.

Counselor Jana Crittenden said that while the new schedule created certain “challenges,” students were able to take their desired classes as frequently as with the previous schedule. Crittenden said the new schedule actually increased options for classes previously on the split like band, orchestra and weights since more classes are now available to take after these classes.

“I think, all in all, next year we will still use this (schedule) structure and tweak it,” Crittenden said.

Rickard said all of the concerns from both students and teachers will be considered in the spring when the schedule is discussed. Ultimately, he feels that the faculty will adjust.

“Change takes time, and change is difficult,” Rickard said.

But when the final call is made, Rickard said his first concern is making sure students have the right environment to learn.

“If the kids quit coming to school, we’ve lost the battle,” Rickard said.

What do you think. . .Do you like or dislike having 45-minute classes every day?

Like 46%, Dislike 30%Undecided 24%

fr. avery atkison“I like it because it is something different, and the day feels shorter.”

so. larissa Miller“I don’t like it because there is not enough time to get things done, and it was fine the way it was.”

so. Steven Gong“I don’t like it at all. I have more homework and less time to do it.”

jr. lexi Blankenship“I like that the morning classes don’t drag on anymore.”

sr. katie Schmidt“I feel as though I don’t get to be immersed in the subject...but on the upside, it doesn’t give me time to fall asleep.”

results based on a random survey of 70 students

Teacher comments“Difficult to get the same amount done in two shorter classes than in one longer block class meeting every other day.”

“Homework is not getting done.”

“The students I teach in the shorter classes perform as well or better than the students I have in the longer classes.”

“The performance is no better, and if anything it has declined because instructional time is lost.”

Female crash dummies introduced to increase safetyAfter years of only male crash test dummies being used to test the safety of cars,

the use of female crash test dummies is being implemented. The use of these new dummies will more accurately show how safe vehicles are. In the past, vehicles were tested only

to determine how safe they would be for men. Now, testing is conducted for the safety of everyone. This different testing was necessary because women are often much smaller than men, and crashes and airbags could affect them differently.

The Story

newsOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?

junior Kady KingI think they are a very good

idea because women and men are shaped differently so cars can be better designed for women as well as men.

Mankind one step closer to human super powersIn the movie “Iron Man,” Tony Stark creates a suit to turn an ordinary man into a superhero. Children

and adults alike dream of having superpowers, and now with the XOS 2, created by Raytheon Sarcos, mankind is getting closer to gaining super powers. This suit, similar to the suit in “Iron Man,” gives a person incredible strength - letting one man do as much work as three men in less time. This suit is for military use only, but it shows how realistic the “Iron Man” movies really are.

sophomore Nat DickIt sounds like a good idea, but

there’s no way they can mass-produce it and make it available for everyone. It seems like they could find something better to use it for than the army.

Atronomers discover new planet similar to Earth For the first time, astronomers have discovered a planet in an area referred to as the “Goldilocks zone”

for life. The area is given this name because it is not too hot, not too cold, but just right. It is possible that this planet could contain liquid water. This planet is similar to Earth, but it is also different in many ways. It is approximately three times the mass of Earth and is much closer to its star (its equivalent of the sun). Not much is currently known about this planet, but this discovery brings the world closer to knowing whether or not there is life beyond that on Earth.

senior Lindsay SchmidtI think it would be cool to

explore another planet, because it would be interesting to see if there was life existing. But it will probably never happen.

Student Response

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staff editorial The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

Voting for homecoming king and queen has been subject to a drastic change this year. Instead of voting during seminar, students had to vote online, on their own time. The tradition-al voting allowed for greater participa-tion, and voting should be returned to seminar.

The change to online voting hap-pened for many reasons. Assistant Prin-cipal Janis Whitfield said the machine typically used to count votes is nearing its demise, and homecoming organiz-ers were attempting to increase student participation.

First and foremost, online voting is not an accurate representation of the student body. Only a select few students will take the time to log on and vote. This could be because they do not care enough, because they lost their pass-words or because they just do not have the time.

In past years, between 800 and 850 students voted, according to registrar Tammy Shirley. This year, only 577 stu-dents voted. From these numbers, it is obvious that switching to online voting has not increased student participation.

Student Council members put forth a valiant effort to increase student par-ticipation in voting. A table was set up during all three lunches where students

could go to vote. This could have helped increase voting, but students’ main focus at lunch is eating.

Many students have homework every day that needs to be done using a computer. Whether it is searching for something on the Internet, writing an essay or voting for homecoming king and queen.

When going online, it is inevitable that a student will be sidetracked. Between checking Facebook, e-mail and FarmVille and doing homework, it is difficult for students to remember to vote for homecoming king and queen.

Switching to an online vote breaks tradition. The seniors have voted for homecoming king and queen in semi-nar throughout high school. They have had to deal with so much change this year, it seems that the least the home-coming organizers could do is leave voting the same.

It is important that all students have a chance to vote. If every student does not have a chance to vote for home-coming king and queen, it is not an accurate portrayal of the student body. In the past, not all students voted, but instead of moving towards the goal of having every student vote, the online voting is moving away from it.

Voting in seminar is not difficult.

Teachers merely have to use five min-utes of seminar time - the time before the first bell rings - to have each student vote. Even if paper ballots have to be hand counted, it will be worth the time to make sure that more students vote.

As the homecoming organizers prepare for winter sports week, they should consider going back to voting with paper ballots. Ultimately, this will increase student participation in voting and more accurately represent student body.

What do you think. . .Do you like the new online method for voting for homecoming king and queen?

YES 42% NO 43%UNCERTAIN 15%

so. Aaron Clark“I don’t like it because more people forget to vote it seems like.”

jr. Kendra Scott“Yes. It was quick, but I doubt everyone will actually do it.”

fr. Ruth Raymundo“Yes. Because it’s easy and you don’t need to waste lots of paper.”

so. Lane Pauls“No. Not everyone votes and you have to have access to a computer.”

sr. Samuel Smucker“By not having to vote in seminar, people will inevitably forget and the vote won’t be as comprehensive or accurate.”

so. Jessica Raprager“No. Because I haven’t had time to do it.”

jr. Nichole Stukey“Yes. It makes it easier and you can vote for who you want and nobody will know.”

sr. Jesse Lintz“Yes. Because it is easy and you can do it anytime you are on a computer.”

so. Elizabeth Kuhn“No. Because not everyone has internet access.”

results based on survey of 69 students

Ashley Murrell editor-in-chiefTyler Prochazka online editor-

in-chiefEmma Bradley news editorAlex Stucky news assistantTyler Brotton opinions editorLarrah Bills sports editorCody Mick sports editorJoanna Epp entertainment

editorChristina Poulsgaard reporterErin Regier fine arts editorMindy Ragsdale features editorBrenda Valdivia random railers editorShannon Ahlstedt photo editorBrandon Hanchett covers

editor

DeAnna Opland photographerWes Derstine cartoonistMaddy Anderson cartoonist,

photographerKatie Meyers business managerKyle Wiens online assistantErica Rickard adviser

The Newtonian316-284-6280 ext. 2117900 W. 12thNewton, KS 67114

the newtonian staffLetters to the EditorThe Newtonian may accept letters to the editor, guest columns and news re-leases from students, faculty, adminis-trators, community residents and the general public. Submissions should be 300 words or less and contain the author’s name, address and signature. All submissions will be verified.

The Newtonian editorial board re-serves the right to withhold a letter, column or other submission and/or return it for revision if it contains unprotected speech or grammatical errors that could hamper its meaning.

Letters to the editor, guest columns and other submissions can be given to the editor-in-chief or adviser, deliv-ered to room 1-113 or be e-mailed to [email protected].

For sports scores, photos, videos and much more...

railernews.com

illustration by Wes Derstine

prochazka’s politicsOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

Tyler Prochazkaonline editor-in-chief

The recent debate on illegal immigra-tion has been fueled by the controversial immigration law in Arizona that required documentation for suspected illegal immi-grants. While reform is needed, increased border security and Arizona-type laws are not the answer. In fact, reform that allows more immigrants in legally will not only help immigrants, but Americans as well.

Opponents of immigration largely argue it prevents native born Americans from finding jobs. However, this is based on a flawed understanding of economics.

Immigration allows for “brain gain,” or increased knowledge brought to America by immigrants. The computer industry has been able to innovate by importing tech-savvy immigrants from countries like India, increasing growth across the entire economy.

Low-skilled immigrant workers put upward pressure on Americans to increase their skill sets, meaning more individuals attending college. Immigrants also yield lower prices for consumers. Moreover, an increased population expands the economy, therefore producing more high economic opportunities, like manager positions, for Americans.

Looking at overall statistics, the cost of immigration enforcement is widely dispro-portionate to than the cost of immigrants to taxpayers. In fact, immigrants are more likely to work than Americans and pay far more in taxes than they use, according to Professor of Law Francine Lipman.

Opponents also argue immigrants bring waves of crime. However, years of data show no connection between immigration and crime rates. In order to avoid being deported, both legal and illegal immigrants avoid crime, even more so than Americans, according to the PPIC.

Some even claim there is a terrorist threat from more relaxed borders. However, underground illegal immigration channels are created by the strict laws, which also brings drugs and disease. Security experts note that no terrorists have ever crossed the border illegally. Furthermore, the billions wasted on immigration enforcement could be redirected towards terrorist intelligence.

Increased border security, like the fence and police, drives immigrants toward more dangerous and less watched areas. This has increased the number of immigrant deaths while attempting to cross into the United States.

The answer to solving ille-gal immigration is increasing guest worker permits, which allows immigrants to tempo-rarily stay for work and apply for citizenship. In the past, this has prevented the vast majority of illegal crossings.

If immigrants are legal and on the books, they will pay more taxes and could become more productive. They could also report criminal activity, which is often an issue with illegal immigrants afraid of deportation. Moreover, im-migrants would be screened before they came in, prevent-ing future disease outbreaks.

Cato, a libertarian think tank, estimated that there would be a net growth of $180 billion to the economy annually if the worker program was implemented.

On the other hand, the billions thrown at prohibiting immigration are both inef-fective and counterproductive. Americans should open their borders and open their hearts to foreigners who wish to also live the American dream. When Americans and immigrants can finally live and work together freely, we all stand to benefit.

Immigration reform laws needed to stimulate economic growth

kendall Friesenguest reporter

Our nation would be completely different without the influences of foreigners. If everyone in America was of British or Native American descent then I would not be writing this column right now as I am mostly German. All that said, the America of today is radically different then the America of yesterday.

Would I like America to be able to accommodate the needs of every

refugee and every person seeking a better life? Of course I would. I would also like to cure HIV and end global hunger. That unfortunately is completely unpractical.

In the last century Americans have become the top of the world’s largest consum-ers of pretty much everything. We burn through oil at a rapid

rate, fill ourselves with an abundance of sugars and fats and we package and disinfect everything. The amount of waste we as a nation produce is uncanny. Americans have a tendency to think they deserve all of the things they have.

They also think everyone else should live like they do. Many people say everyone should have a chance to live the American dream, but we

should open the doors wide for all to enter and partake of the abundant lifestyle so many of us enjoy. That is impossible, the earth doesn’t have the resources to support so many people living so abundantly.

The American population will naturally rise and with it our savage rate of consumption, but opening our doors for all who want to live such a decadent lifestyle is not a way to make the planet last.

Would allowing free access across the border and granting amnesty to immigrants who are already here be more practical if Americans lived more modestly and frugally? Absolutely, but judging from all the commercial-ism young children are exposed to and all the Wal-Marts so many of us visit everyday, that scenario is going nowhere fast.

These topics are not an immediate threat of course. If the United States opened its borders right now chances are there would not be that large of a flood of immigrants, but over time our nation would grow larger and larger.

It is true that by trying to limit the growth of our nation it will miss out on foreign cultures and different customs. Despite such a fact unless America consents to a lifestyle that is radically different from the wealth we all enjoy now.

Perhaps instead of fighting wars overseas the nation could focus more on boosting the economies of third world countries, then there would be little need for others to come to our nation. However, as long as Americans insist on driving three blocks for a hamburger and owning twelve or more pairs of shoes, limiting the number of people in the country is necessary, especially immigration.

Not enough resources to support illegal immigrants

is immigration a good thing?


opinions The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

Wes Derstinecartoonist

Video games are sweeping the nation! They are making their way into all areas of life. Cheesy hooks aside,

video games do have many con-structive uses.

Video game experience could become a legitimate prerequisite for jobs other than the practical use in video game testing. Some of these games are integrating ed-iting applications that are closely resembling CAD (Computer Aided Design).

Computer games have in-volved these CAD tools for years, but video game editing is making its way into the console. Halo: Reach has brought map editing to a higher level with fine tuned de-tailing. Gamers have the ability to rotate objects down to the degree and move them by the “inch.” Skills learned while experiencing these games can indeed be used for jobs that involve any kind of building.

Video games are no longer just the domain of the geeks or the young. Game controllers have found themselves cradled in the hands of people of all ages and backgrounds. There is a good reason too.

All flagship game consoles like the Wii, Xbox 360 and Playsta-tion 3 have done their part in

trying to bring everyone into the gaming experience. Their com-mercials feature families, young and old, boys and girls, playing together. This makes all games appealing in the glistening eyes of the lonely.

Speaking of eyes, video games increase visual greatness. Periph-eral vision is turned up. Video games also increase attention spans (believe it or not) and is an excellent teaching tool. Studies have shown that children learn more in activities involving games because they do not realize they are learning.

Aside from the learning, bonding and visual opportuni-ties, video games are also a great past-time. If there is time to kill, then everyone can spend it play-ing their favorite games. I know I have spent countless hours play-ing “Halo.”

Sometimes people spend too much time and end up missing work and school and even neglect their children. Video games such as “World of Warcraft” is infa-mous for its addicted players. For everyone out there who likes great puns let me just say “WoW.” Good thing there are video game rehabilitation centers for these kinds of situations.

Usually the goal of the video game developers is to entertain. That is just what they do. Time flies by while “pwning n00bs.” Essentially, when in the right hands, video games can be ben-eficial rather than evil. They can create bonds between friends and families, teach and be a really great time.

Christina POULsGaarDreporter

A month and a half of the school year has already passed by. Constantly having to

speak, think and understand America and the American language has made me real-ize how different but still how similar the culture and lifestyle is from one side of the Earth to another.

High school is high school. Basically it is what I thought it would be like, but it is still different from what I am used to. As mentioned in last issue, I went to a boarding school with 96 students last year. It is actually a Danish tradition that young people from age 14 to 17 attend a boarding school, where they live at the school, in another part of the country. As a boarding sch0ool student you won’t see your family and friends from home everyday - not even every weekend - and it will help develop students into more individual and independent people. Because of the relatively small number

of students, students get an amazing community with both teachers and other students. Everyone knows each other. The teachers are the student’s friends and often some of their most reliable persons during the year. Students and teachers even hang out during breaks, evenings and activities. No drama, no rumors. It is kind of one big, happy family even though it might sound cliche. I had a blast there last year.

Sometimes I feel like I’ve gone back in time five years while going to NHS because there are a lot stricter rules and expectations here. In Dan-ish schools there are no dress codes, no calling teachers by last name, no pre-signed passes in order to leave the class room. Furthermore, most of the teaching is electronic, which means a lot of students bring a laptop to school to take down notes and send assignments to the teachers through e-mail.

Young people have less freedom here than back in Den-mark, and I think that is one of the biggest differences for me as well for the other exchange students. To me it seems like young people here aren’t as released from their parents as we in Europe would be by high school age. I’ve talked to a lot

of people about it, and I figured out that we in other parts of the world, especially Europe, are raised with a lot of freedom and independence in order to make our own choices and right deci-sions through life from a young age. My parents always let me do pretty much what I wanted; hang out with whoever I wanted and go to parties till the early morning. Simply because they had that trust in me that I would make the right decisions. It doesn’t mean they didn’t care about me, but that they treated me more like an adult.

I’m sure parents here have as much trust in their children as parents in Denmark have, but I think they are a lot more protective in an obvious way. As an example, I have never heard of anyone in Denmark getting grounded. Young people in Denmark might have de-served the same consequences for an action as an American teenager, but because of the different points of view and ways to tackle problems, the consequences still turns out differently. I find it interesting how the country and the culture we’ve been raised in have such a big influence on how we think about other people and the way they handle daily situations and problems.

stricter policies in americaillustration by Wes Derstine

Video games mind blowing fun for all ages

opinionsOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

cody micksports editor

When it comes to college sports, there is always one rivalry that pops into Kansans’ heads as

the season starts. Sports fans or not, a side must always be chosen by Kansas folk when these two teams hit the field or the floor. I am referring of course, to The University of Kansas and Kansas State University.

Peer pressure is easy for even the non-sport fans to give in to. They are told which team to cheer for, so they do, while they in fact know nothing about the team which they are so avidly

rooting for. With this in mind, allow me to clear the “Phog,” and give some of these fence-sitters some advice, so that the next time a side must be chosen, the right one is.

To begin, some facts must be established. First off, consider the mascots. Representing KU is a fictitious, overweight blue and red bird that wears yellow tennis shoes and makes noises that have innocent forest creatures wishing they were born deaf.

However, take the blue and red colors of KU, twist, hammer, crush and bash them together, and after a few blows with an aluminum bat, a fantastic, beau-tiful color is created; purple, the color of royalty. This brings me to KSU’s mascot, the purple wildcat.

This ferocious bird-hunting predator is highly feared throughout the state. Not to mention, it actually exists. Also,

if one were to decide to pop open the Bible, it would be wise for them to look closely at the book of Isaiah: “The wolf also dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, as the cat lies upon his blue-feathered dinner,” (Isaiah, 11:6). Even God is root-ing for the Cats.

Second on my list is the fa-mous KU motto. Upon entering the ancient, rusty barn that is Al-len Fieldhouse, a game attendee will more than likely hear the phrase “Rock chalk Jayhawk!” being chanted over and over. After a mighty long ponder, the attendee will most likely say to himself, “Gosh that makes com-plete sense! I’m ever so glad that I paid $85 for my ticket. Now I can chant that phrase with these incredibly wise KU fans, and I will look and sound like a king

before his servants!” Note to reader: quoting complete lies is in fact, legal.

Coaches also play a big factor when selecting a team to ad-mire. On the side of KU, Turner Gill has taken the place (well, at least one-third of it, anyway) of “has-been” head coach Mark Mangino. After some abusive comments, rude behavior, (and probably a couple of close calls with a blown artery), the robust Mangino was forced to waddle on out of the stadium and resign as coach. However, Mangino’s size must have intimidated the players, as they were at least able to win football games in previous years. Last I heard, Mangino was living out his retirement at the local KFC.

In contrast, if Bill Snyder was not coaching the KSU Wildcat football team, he would most likely be resting on a beautiful

leather sofa in the Oval Office sipping tea with his family as the president of the United States. The economy would be the best it’s been in 15 years, gas prices would be at an all time low, and the war on terror would come to an abrupt end.

As the football season rolls on, and as winter approaches, one would do well to remember these simple facts when considering what color to wear on game day. It might be coach Frank Martin’s loud determination echoing off of the walls of the “Octagon of Doom” that inspires purple-blooded Kansans. Perhaps, for others, it is the helpless squawk-ing of the Jayhawk that inspires them to wear their red and blue without shame. Just remember that no matter who fans might choose, both teams represent Kansas well, one with (cat) pride, and the other with cat food.

an organization worth volunteering forAshley murrelleditor-in-chief

Once a week I spend my seminar coloring, playing board games and making friendship bracelets. To most people it probably sounds like I am not using my seminar time very wisely, but they are wrong. This is the time I spend volunteer-ing for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). BBBS offers several

different branches of its organization that people can volunteer for. Since the beginning of my junior year, I have been involved in the Bigs in Schools program. Once a week I leave during seminar to go visit my little sister. It may only be one hour out of the whole week, but to her it makes a huge difference.

Even if the time spent together is brief, Littles view this as a time to escape from the difficulties they may be facing. It is a time for them to simply be a kid and

have fun. Each week they look forward to their Big coming, because it is an important part of their life.

Having a positive role model and someone they can always talk to is important for kids. By being a Big, volunteers fulfill that need for a child in the community. According to a study on the official BBBS Website, after 18 months with their Big, Littles were 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol and 52 per-cent less likely to skip school.

Those numbers may not seem like much, but those are all kids who chose the right path because their Big influenced them in a positive way. Simply volunteer-ing an hour out of the week can greatly impact a child’s life.

BBBS is always in need of more volunteers, espe-cially males. If students are interested in volunteer-ing, they can talk to the dozens of NHS students who are already apart of the Bigs in Schools program or contact the Harvey County Big Brothers Big Sisters office by calling (316) 283-0070 or e-mailing the BBBS director, Jackie Rice, at [email protected].

Big Brothers Big Sisters:


Wildcats superior over Jayhawks in Kansas sports

features The Newtonian Oct. 8 2010

Emma bradlEynews editor

As students walk down the halls through the hustle and bustle of the school day, they probably do not stop and appreciate how nice Newton High School is. But when they finally take the time to stop and look, they’ll see all of the little details that the behind-the-scenes employees of NHS have worked to perfect.

Custodians and maintenance workers are the behind-the-scenes workers at Newton High. Students may not know how much time these people spend working on the school. One maintenance worker, David Kliewer, has been working at NHS since May 1997.

Before joining the Newton

school district, Kliewer, originally from California, worked for 10 years as a dairy herdsman and farmer in Hillsboro, Kan. Fol-lowing this work, he was a youth pastor at a local church.

“A position in maintenance came up, and a guy from church told me about it,” Kliewer said. “I decided it would be a good career.”

A normal day for Kliewer includes spending 10 hours at the school. In addition, he does rounds on weekends and has to work when something breaks down. This means there are oc-casions when he is alone in the school late at night.

Once, Kliewer was alone in the auditorium around midnight and he heard doors opening and

Kliewer active in Newton communityCusTodial, maintenance work admirably for nhs

ScheduleFirst Shift- 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Second Shift- 3 p.m. to midnight

Third Shift- 1 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Third Shift- 2 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Third Shift- 3 p.m to 1:30 a.m.

alEx Stuckynews assistant

The job of a custodian is most often underestimated. People generally categorize their work with cleaning toilets and the occasional throw-up. These responsi-bilities are a reality of their jobs, however, there is more to it than that.

“Its not just cleaning,” head custodian Mary Glenn said.

According to Glenn, be-ing a custodian is actually one of the more stressful jobs, especially at the high school with the numer-ous activities that are held. Glenn has been working

in the school district since 1982. She became a full time custodian in 1988 and has been the head custodian for three years.

After working at the high school for a number of years, its practically impossible not to meet a lot of people and make new friends. Glenn enjoys the relationships she has made with teachers, the many students and her fellow workers.

During the school year, Glenn arrives at the high school between 6 and 6:30 a.m. and finishes around 3:30 or 4 p.m. However, contradictory to what some might think, the summer is

Glenn oversees all custodial duties

featuresOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

closing. “I would go look and no one

was there,” Kliewer said. “It was kind of creepy.”

When he is not at the school, Kliewer enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing and working for Stagecraft. Stagecraft is a company of local stage hands for concerts.

“It’s my hobby job,” Kliewer said. “I’ve met Gene Simmons, Kevin Cronin - The singer from REO Speedwagon, Reba McEntire and Kellie Pickler. I got to talk to Josh Groban for a while.”

In addition to working for Stagecraft, Kliewer is a member of the Newton Community Theater Board.

“I do lots with the community theater,” Kliewer said. “I go out in the community and do things like

help with the homeless shelter.”In the past few years, he has

acted in lots of plays including “Willy Wonka,” “Anything Goes,” “Into the Woods,” “Oliver” and “The Secret Garden.”

When he is not acting in plays, Kliewer spends time helping with the technical aspects of the shows. He often helps with the high school drama department.

“David Kliewer is awesome at getting things fixed,” drama teacher Cassandra Conley said. “He does our sound and does an excellent job with that too.”

Kliewer said he is active in the community simply by working at the school.

“How much more can you be in the community than being at the school?” Kliewer said.

Kliewer active in Newton communityCusTodial, maintenance work admirably for nhs

in the school district since 1982. She became a full time custodian in 1988 and has been the head custodian for three years.

After working at the high school for a number of years, its practically impossible not to meet a lot of people and make new friends. Glenn enjoys the relationships she has made with teachers, the many students and her fellow workers.

During the school year, Glenn arrives at the high school between 6 and 6:30 a.m. and finishes around 3:30 or 4 p.m. However, contradictory to what some might think, the summer is

the busiest time. Glenn said this summer was espe-cially busy because of the construction and getting everything presentable for school.

“(The best part of being a custodian) is all the dif-ferent things that go on. There’s something different every day,” Glenn said.

As the head custodian, Glenn is in charge of organi-zation. She makes sure ev-erything is getting done and all the activities are being covered. The school district is not the only one who uses the building, and for Glenn the hardest part is remem-bering everything that is taking place and “keeping

everything straight.” “You have to be physical-

ly fit (to be a custodian) to go up and down ladders and run scrub machines.... we have good workers, and we have good times together,” Glenn said.

Custodian Joe Hernan-dez described Glenn as “having experience.”

“Its good to have some-one who knows the system, she’s very explainable,” Hernandez said.

Outside of school, and when time permits, Glenn enjoys camping, traveling, and being with family and friends.

Woelk vital part of maintenance staff Mindy ragsdalefeatures editor

Everyone sees NHS cus-todians and maintenance workers everyday, but few stop to wonder who the person behind the face is. They clean the floors, prepare the rooms for activities such as band or prom, and fix mishaps of fire alarms this year, but are rarely ever recognized.

Bryce Woelk has been head of the Maintenance Depart-ment at Newton High School for 32 years, always working from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and sometimes even later.

“Our job is to take care of all the mechanical, heating and cooling systems, fire alarms and sprinklers around the entire school,” Woelk said.

In his spare time, Woelk tends his hay and raises Wa-tusi cattle, which are “native to Africa.”

“We just got back from showing our cattle. It’s what I do in my spare time, besides taking night classes at the moment,” Woelk said. “I enjoy living on a small farm. It’s what I do.”

Woelk is always working on something at the school, even on weekends.

“It’s incomparable,” Assis-tant Principal Roger Erickson said. “He’s here before 6 (a.m.) and is here sometimes re-ally late. He is even here on weekends on special emergen-cies when things break. Bryce is always taking care of stuff. I don’t know what I would do without him.”

Hamilton enjoys working with family

Glenn oversees all custodial duties

Mindy ragsdale features editor

Some people may have had good experiences work-ing with family and some may have had bad, but custodian Darlene Hamilton said she has been working with fam-ily for the past six to eight months and its been a good experience.

“Working with family is not bad at all. It’s a great (expe-rience). Just as long as you keep your priorities straight,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton has been working at NHS for the past two and a half years. Hamilton’s sister, custodian Lisa Hollinde, and her two nieces, custodians Jamie Rine and Marissa Bot-tell, have joined Hamilton in the past six to eight months. They ususally do not work the same hours.

Hamilton works from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“Outside of school I don’t have very much free time. I

have a teenage son at home and guardianship over an-other teenage boy who I need to take care of. Then, when I’m not taking care of them, I am taking care of my brother who is currently ill and getting worse,” Hamilton said.

Even with Hamilton always taking care of someone or something, she still man-ages to go to night classes to become a Certified Nurse’s Assisstant.

“I want to be a nurse because someday I won’t be working here anymore. I’ll be old and I would at least like to have options and help some-one in need,” Hamilton said.

Mary Glenn, her supervi-sor, first hired Hamilton, and then it turned into something close to the Brady Bunch.

“It started out just needing people to work. At first it was just one (person), and then the rest just came pouring in. Darlene was a good worker so I thought her family would be too,” Glenn said.


entertainment The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

iPod Touch offers ‘amazing possibilites’mindy ragsdalefeatures editor

Some people may think that the iPod Touch is over-rated. Music lovers already own an iPod or mp3 player, so why pay another $229 for one with a touch screen? What most people do not realize is all the amazing possibilities the iPod touch has to offer.

The first generation iPod has only the basics any music device can offer such as music, radio and music videos. Compare any other music device to the iPod Touch, and music fans will be wondering why they did not get an iPod Touch sooner. At least that is what I thought before I purchased one at the end of September.

The iPod Touch is certainly a gigantic step up from any old iPod. Not only does the iPod Touch carry music, it allows music fans to listen to the radio and watch music videos. They can also surf the web, play games, watch TV shows, rent movies and so much more.

Some people may not have bought it because they find it too big. However, weighing in at only 3.56 ounces with 3.5 inches of screen space, the iPod Touch is extremely portable and can easily fit in any jean pocket or purse.

Not only is the iPod Touch good for entertainment purposes, but also helps busy lifestyles, and for school too. As a high school student and the owner of one of these nifty devices, I know this first hand. Imagine doing chemistry homework, but the conversions are impossible. All the owner of an iPod Touch would need to do is take it out, upload the conversion app and presto. Now they know how many milligrams are in 10g.

The iPod Touch is a promising buy that will meet all of music fans expectations. I would recommend this to any type of person, even if they do not like to listen to music. The iPod Touch is just that great. Faced with all the spectacular options the iPod Touch has to offer, I would be surprised if someone chose otherwise.

‘Make Some Noise’ provides fist-pumping actionwes derstinecartoonist

If anyone is craving some fist-pumping action, then “Make Some Noise” by Dougal and Gammer released on the album “Clubland: X-treme Hardcore” is a great choice for the listener’s brawl with the sky. This song is hardcore. No, seriously. That is the actual genre. Also referred to as “happy hardcore” or “UK hardcore,” this genre is like the punk of techno. “Punkno” anyone?

“Make Some Noise” is a good representation of Hardcore. It is a fast paced party-pumper where the beat per minute sits around 170. Some people would consider that pretty fast. “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz is 120. So compared to “Dynamite,” “Make Some Noise” is 140 percent faster if its easier to think about it that way.

Dougal and Gammer’s song has a high pitched lead synthesizer that sounds like someone gently poking on the inside of the brain. This brings the listener into stance ready to dance. Then the build-up makes its slam into the straight beat. After this peak starts to fall, the listener is brought down to a meadow of mythical “strings” that reaches down and touches his or her soul. The rush of excitement comes once again and the plateau eases into the home-stretch.

The song repeats many variations of words or

vowel sounds of the phrase, “everybody in the house make some noise.” One might hear the word “noise” a thousand times. That could be a little annoying, but once past the first build-up, the song backs off with its usage of the phrase.

Plus, the song happens to be on an album with the infamous parental advisement regarding explicit lyrics. Parents of minors, do not fret. Keep in mind that this particular song does not contain those lyrics, but other songs on the album do. Regardless of these downsides “Make Some Noise” by Dougal and Gam-mer can make a nice addition to anybody’s playlist.

Variety of apps, portable size make iPod Touch a worthwhile purchase

Music picks of the week

I Want My Mullet BackBilly Rae Cyrus

“It represents who I am.”

sophomore Matt Munger

I Want You To Want MeCheap Trick

“Why is it my favorite song? The title pretty much sums it up.”

freshman Joseph McConnell

Please Don’t GoMike Posner

“We’re really emotionally unstable and it just settles our souls, and we like dancing to it.”

juniors Sarah Brill and Katie Loescher

Holler BackLost Trailers

“I like the lyrics and the beats, and it’s funny.”

senior Austin Sharp

entertainmentOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

the Newtonian SE ARCHWhat monthly holiday is nationally recognized during the month of October?

Can you find the secret answer to the question?

2. Find the first letter following “cross coun-try” in a headline on page 18.3. Find the third letter in the word following “of” in a headline on page 6.4. Find the sixth letter of the staff cartoon-ist’s last name.5. Find the fourth letter in the name of the first movie listed in the “Now Showing” box on the entertainment page.

7. Find the second letter in the last name of the female head custodian. 8. Find the first letter in the first word of the “Stricter policies in America” column.9. Find the first letter of the seventh word in the headline of the editorial about Bigs.10. Find the last letter of the third word in the headline about Azteca.11. Find the first letter of the caption lead-

in for the picture on the front cover of the paper.12. Find the second letter of the last name of the student interviewed in the Cross Country Q & A.13. Find the last letter in the first word of the headline of senior Kendall Friesen’s column.14. Find the first letter in the title of the song senior Austin Sharp enjoys.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1 42 3 987655 11610658 1413101211

A.

1. Find the first letter in the headline of the “Denmark Speaking...” column.

6. Find the first letter in senior Ashley Murrell’s staff position.

Q.

Joanna Eppentertainment editor

As a high schooler, teacher Patrice Olais participated in a dance troupe. Now, she and teacher Crystal Sanhueza head up a troupe of their own. They have brought in instructors from Mexico to teach the student dancers, and Olais buys professional outfits for the troupe every year when she goes down to Mexico. This is the Azteca Dance Troupe.

“It’s kind of the highlight of my week,” senior Olivia Lyles said. “Without dancing, I don’t know what I would do with my time.”

Students who are new to the dance troupe practice after school on Wednesdays. The senior members, which are those who have previously been on the dance troupe, meet on Monday evenings. Graduated students who still live in the community also return to dance with the students. Quite a few new members have joined the troupe this year.

“This year, new dancers outnumber us seniors,” senior Chris Gonzales said.

The dance troupe performs at several different places each year. The performances at Taste of Newton, Kansas Christian Home and a festival in Chanute KS are the main events. The students also dance at different local schools in May and give various other performances when asked.

Lyles has been part of the dance troupe since her freshman year.

“I grew up across the street from the Olaises,” Lyles said. “That’s where we get dressed, and I’d see (the troupe members) come out of the house, and I’d think ‘oh, I want to do that.’ ”

Vercruz, Nortenos, Jalisco and Azteca are the four types of dance the troupe regularly performs. Returning alumni along with Lyles have added a salsa routine. Sanhueza enjoys watching the students as they learn new types of dance.

“I like the interaction with the young people, with the music, and the pride that comes when they master the dance and give a wonderful performance for others to enjoy,” Sanhueza said.

fine arts The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

Azteca brings in many new members

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Azteca dancers entertain the crowd. The Acteca Dance Troupe performs at festivals, schools and nursing homes throughout the year.

Senior Chris Gonzales dances with his partner.

Junior Esteban Castillo and senior Olivia Lyles perform a type of dance called Gavilán. This particular Gavilán dance is called the sparrow-hawk.

Lyles and seniors Maria Meza and Michele Ramos perform for Presbyterian Manor residents.

Castillo and Lyles dance together Sept. 21 at Presbyterian Manor.

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courtesy photos

random railersOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

TYLER BROTTONopinions editor

Each morning the smiling face of secretary Pauline Salas fills the office’s atmosphere. However, some students do not know much about Salas.

Salas was involved in Business Profession-als of America during high school and then at-tended Wichita Business College majoring in medical and legal sciences. Salas saw an add in the paper and applied for the open position of secretary at NHS doubting that she would actually get the job. After starting the job on Oct. 16, 2000, she grew fond of the job.

“It is constantly busy, so my day goes by fast. It makes it easier to work,” Salas said.

There are some difficulties when working, but they are not major issues.

“It is a very repetitious job. Sometimes there are kinks in it, but you just have to fig-ure it out and go forward,” Salas said

Receiving days off when school is not at-tendance may seem satisfying, but Salas does not like it.

“I would rather be working than taking days off. You don’t get paid for the off days,” Salas said.

Salas can be enjoyable to be around once understood.

“I can be a nice person once you get to know me. I am a jokester once you get my sense of humor,” she said. “I’m easy going, and I try to make things fun.”

Secretary Cassandra Carrion enjoys work-ing with Salas.

“(Salas) is a very nice person,” Carrion said. “Pauline has always got my back.”

Working as a secretary for NHS has changed Salas’ views on teenagers.

“I have developed positive attitudes about teenagers,” Salas said. “People don’t realize that there are good kids in the world, and that’s what I got when I came here.”

However, there are negative aspects that result from working as a secretary for NHS.

“I feel sad for the kids that don’t make it through high school,” she said.

Salas likes that her two kids that attend Newton High School.

“I like that my kids go here, but they prob-ably don’t,” Salas said.

ALEX STUCKYnews editor

When students walk into the of-fice, they can be reassured they will be welcomed with a friendly face behind the counter. One of these familiar faces is NHS graduate and secretary Casandra Carrion.

Before coming to the high school, Car-rion worked as a para at Santa Fe Middle School. She has now been working as a secretary for six years. In addition to working at the front desk, she also works some afternoons and during the summer doing chemical hygiene secretarial work for CHP director Chuck Engel.

From 6:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m., Carrion is at the front desk busily completing all of her responsibilities.

“It gets a little stressful sometimes,” Carrion said.

Some of her jobs include answering the phone, taking care of teacher absenc-es and sending out the student bulletin every morning. A main part of her job is to help direct the public and students. Whenever a student needs guided to a certain location in the school or needs any general assistance, the secretaries are always there to help. Carrion said the schedule sometimes becomes chaotic with all the students coming in.

She enjoys the company of the other office workers and office aides. Accord-

ing to Carrion the best part of being a secretary is working with other people. She has had some amusing memories from being around all of the high school students. Just recently the homecoming theme for Dukes of Hazard roused a good laugh from the office members.

According to principal Ken Rickard, Carrion has done well making the office a friendly environment, and he is pleased with her work.

“She takes her responsibilities very se-riously, and she’s very good at following through (with her work),” Rickard said.

Students speak out | What did you put on your “Swagga band”? Why?so. Coleman Kingsley“Night hawk” Why?“Because I thought it was cool.”

sr. Jake McGuire“I’m on a boat.”

Why?“It’s a really cool song.”

photo by DeAnna Opland

Double checking her workSecretary Pauline Salas makes sure an activity is excused.

photo by DeAnna Opland

Getting work doneSecretary Cassandra Carrion talks on the phone during seminar.

jr. Emily Runge“Thug Love” (With a bullet hole as the “o.”)

Why?“Because it’s my favorite Tupac and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony song, and I use it to warm up for debate.”

Energy helps boost office atmosphere

fr. Gunar Drinnen“One man wolf pack”

Why?“It’s off the movie ‘The Hangover.’”

Secretary’s good attitude lifts students

Larrah biLLssports editor

The girls tennis team has not made it to state in six years. Se-niors Adrienne Buss and Leah Unruh hope to discontinue that streak in the upcoming weeks.

On Saturday the tennis team will be travelling to McPherson

for the regional competition, and state will be held Oct. 15-16.

Buss has been a member of the varsity tennis team for three years, and she said the team might just make it to state this year.

Unruh says the team needs to make improvements.

“(By) keeping our head in the game and trying our hard-est,” she said.

Buss remains hopeful. “The team has been very

diverse,” she said. “There have been several switch ups, and hopefully we have the right combination for state.”

Whether or not they makes it to state, Buss and Unruh will al-ways say playing tennis at NHS was an enjoyable experience.

“Playing tennis here was very good,” Buss said. “Tennis is a family sport. Everyone is close and we have a lot of fun. It takes some work, but it’s definitely worth it.”

sports The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

Gymnastics team works toward another state titleErin rEGiErfine arts editor

With last year’s state cham-pionship under its belt, the girls gymnastic team hopes to bring home another state title this year.

They competed Sept. 28 at Olathe, placing second overall and first among the Kansas teams. (The winning team was from Missouri).

The girls have seen similar success all season long, and they are not stopping yet.

“Our season is going very well,” head coach JoAnne Thaw said. “I’ve already seen a lot of personal improvement, and we will keep improving and add more tricks.”

Of all the events, the team’s strongest event is vault.

“We almost can’t improve any more on vault without making it

more difficult,” Thaw said.Part of the team’s success is

because of strong senior lead-ers. Four of the eight girls are seniors, and three of those were part of the state championship team.

Along with this large percent-age of seniors are several strong underclassmen, and some young, new additions to the team. This vast difference in experience and age has challenged the coaches.

“We’re working with upper-classmen to win another state championship and trying to teach new girls at the same time,” Thaw said. “We try to balance that. My goal is to help each girl reach her potential.”

Although the team is work-

ing hard for the current upcom-ing meets, the state meet is the already on every ones mind.

“We want to stay on top,” Thaw said. “We’re definitely in the top three, but we have to hit. (Lawrence) Free State beat us by .35 points earlier this season. That’s less than one fall. We can’t fall.”

Although the coaches are working towards the state title, Thaw said the girls feel more pressure than she does.

“There is a lot more pressure this year now that I’m a senior,” senior Jamie Hansen said. “I’m going to give it all I’ve got and put everything I’ve worked for out there.”

Seniors hopeful for trip to state meet

photo by Shannon Ahlstedtapproach shotSenior Leah Unruh reaches for the ball at her match on Aug. 27.

The Tanning Gallery

817 N. Main(316) 283-7702

Month of October!20% off with your

Student I.D

Flying highSenior Katelin

Gaeddert lets go of the bar while

trying a new trick during practice

on Sept. 29. Gaeddert has

participated in gymnastics for

four years.

photo by Shannon Ahlstedt

sportsOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

Volleyball coach’s corner with Jamie DibbensWhat are the strengths of your team? “We have a lot of options with hitting and girls that play off season that are developing experience.”

Having seven seniors this year, how will that affect the team next year? “We will have a lot of competition, and we will have to fill in spots. The junior class will have to step up.”

Being in a new league this year, have you switched up your goals or the way you practice? “No, we really haven’t as far as that. (We’re) still as competitive as last year.”

What are your personal goals for the team? “Our goal right now is win our league, then to reach our post season.”

Who is your biggest competi-tion? “Maize”

How has the team done against them? “They beat us (on Sept. 21).”

Where does the team need improvement? “(We need to) improve with passing. (We’re) not really consistent right now.”

What can you look forward to as the season continues? “This team, when they’re on fire, they play with a lot of emotion. They’re fun girls to watch.”

Dibbens

Floerke’s hard work ‘a major contribution’AsHley Murrelleditor-in-chief

An all around good player. A positive, unselfish attitude. A major contribution to the team. Football coach Brent Glann and senior Silas Minkevitch used these words to describe senior Josh Floerke.

Floerke is currently the full back for the Railers, and like the majority of football play-ers, he started playing foot-ball in fourth grade for the Warriors and has played ever since. Floerke’s love and passion for the game is something he is known by.

“I just love the game, and I also like to hit people,” Floerke said. “I like how everyone works together for a common goal, and when you achieve it, it’s awe-some.”

Floerke enjoys playing for the Railers because of the supportive community and “everyone in the town backs the sport” making it

an even better experience.“When I run onto the field,

it’s an awesome atmosphere,” Floerke said. “I come out ready to play, and I’m locked in. The only thing I’m thinking about is doing my job.”

According to Minkevitch, Floerke is part of “the backbone of the team.”

“Josh is a major contribution to our team. He isn’t scared of anything or any-body. He’s tough and has a lot of heart,” Minketvitch said. “We’re both on of-fense. It’s fun playing with him because we can both joke around even if it’s really stressful. He saves

my butt a lot, and he’s there to help me block and pick up my mistakes.”

Glann agreed that Floerke’s ability to work with the team was one of his strong suits.

“He helps the team a lot because he’s a team player and willing to work hard. Other guys can look up to him because he’s in it for everybody,” Glann said. “He’s unassuming, confident and just (has) an overall way of being.

He’s just a good guy.”From an athletic talent stand-

point, Glann spoke highly of Floerke focusing on his strength, speed, and ability to get the job done. Minkevitch described an almost identical athlete and praised Floerke’s hard work.

“He works as hard as he can at everything he does,” Minkevitch

said. “Every single day of sum-

mer weights he was working his butt off even if that meant he was puking his guts, he still kept working hard. He always keeps going.”

After high school, Floerke would possibly like to play foot-ball in college. After college he

plans to look into the military.

Floerke said football will “definitely” always be apart of his life.

“I’ll always love football,” Floerke said. “ When I have kids I’ll be pushing them in football and starting them off young just like I did.”

Down the fieldIn the homecoming game against the Campus Colts, senior fullback Josh Floerke attempts to break free of a Campus opponent. Campus came away with a 40-20 win against the Railers. Newton plays at Salina Central Friday.


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”

He helps the team a lot because he’s a team player and willing to work hard. Other guys can look up to him because he’s in it for everybody.coach Brent Glann

FAsT FACTsAfter losing to Maize the past three times Newton faced them, the Railers beat Maize on Tuesday at the Derby Triangular This was Maize’s first league loss of the season.

The volleyball team’s current record is 21-6.

The team’s next competition is Saturday at the Derby Invitational. The first game is a 9 a.m.

sports The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

cody micksports editor

With the season swiftly coming to an end, the girls golf team is optimistic about the next few weeks. The league, regional and state meets are approach-ing, and head coach Joanie Pauls is confident in her team.

The division I AVCTL league meet was held in Newton at Sand Creek Station on Thursday. Results were not available at press time.

Senior Hannah Anderson medalled last year at the division II meet.

“She is hoping to again earn all league honors,” coach Joanie Pauls said via e-mail.

On Monday the team will head to

Hays for the regional meet.“We will have a good chance of

finishing in the top three and qualifying for state,” Pauls said.

Seniors Hannah Anderson and Katie Schmidt, sophomores Alexa Salsbery, Ginny Loeffler and Emily Epp, and freshman Lexi Pauls are the competi-tors in the league and regional tourna-ments.

As the last two major events remain just around the corner, sophomore Em-ily Epp reflects positively on the season.

“Our team is pretty strong. We have some really good players. Overall as a team I think we probably could have done a bit better, but we did the best we could,” Epp said.

Girls golf team prepares for post-season meets

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cross country Q&ATavia Hoheisel

What are your individual season goals? “To make it to state and to run sub 16 (minutes).”

What are your goals for the team this season? “I would like the whole team to qualify for state, boys and girls. That would be amazing.”

How many years have you run cross country? “This is my very first year.”

What has been your favorite meet so far? “Rim Rock Clas-sic. We got to stay in a hotel over night. There was good weather, and the course was a change of scenery, and it had lots of steep hills.”

What is your personal record in the 4k? 16:06

How did you get started with running? “In the seventh grade I ran track, distance. I guess that started my running adventure.”

do you plan on running after high school? “I hope to, if I can find a college I’d want to run for.”

if you could change one thing about cross country what would it be? “That we did not have to run in the heat.”

What has been one of the hardest things to overcome this season for you individu-ally? “Staying healthy and just pushing myself mentally while I’m running. Just telling myself to aim for sub 16.”


Fore Senior Katie Schmidt tees off at practice on Sept. 27. The team will compete at Hays for the regional tournament on Monday.

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sportsOct. 8, 2010 The Newtonian

The volleyball team

took 1st at its home

tournament. Senior Austin Lettau

placed 9 th at the NHS

cross country meet.

When added together,

the height of the senior

football players is

91’3” .

At league tennis, senior

Avery Vogts had a match

lasting nearly 3 hours.

At the Olathe South

meet, the gymnastics

team placed 2nd.

Sophomore Emily Epp

shot a 110 at the

Hutch Golf Invitational.

Senior Gonzalo Toribio

scored 3 goals at the

soccer game against

Salina Central.

By thenumbersJoanna Epp

entertainment editor

Sophomore Nat Dick has a broken hand and senior Missael Reyes sprained his back. Both agree these are the worst soccer injuries they have ever sustained. Overall, the soccer team has more people sitting out from various injuries than in years past.

“There seems to have been a lot of injuries,” Dick said. “We’ve had to try new people in new positions and adjust a little.”

Dick’s hand was broken when a player from the other team stepped on it during the Sept. 23 Rose Hill game. Reyes’ injury at the Valley Center game on Sept. 16 caused him to sit out for about a month.

Describing his injury, Reyes said, “My spine is bent, bent to the right. A guy took out my legs, and I flipped and landed

on my back and head. This has been my worst injury. I’ve never missed more than a week before.”

Lacking healthy team members to play is not the only consequence of injuries, coach Scott Jantzi said.

“We’ve really had to look to other players to step up and voice what needs to hap-pen on the field,” Jantzi said. “We have plenty of seniors, but it seems like the one injured senior (Reyes) is the voice of our back, and with-out him, it’s pretty quiet.”

The offense on the varsity soccer team is young this year. According to senior Gonzalo Tor-ibio, half of the offense is freshmen and sophomores.

“(Our strength is) defense this year,” Toribio said. “We lost our offense last

year. It’s pretty young this year.”The increased number of injuries have

also caused more young players to take on new positions.

“We had a goal keeper get injured, so a freshman keeper had to step up,” Reyes

said. “Some freshmen have had to step up to play some new spots.”

The team’s record as of Wednesday was 6-5-2. Thursday, the team played Goddard at home. Results were not available at press time.

Bettering the offense is the team’s goal for the

rest of the season, Jantzi said.“I think we’ve solidified the defense

pretty well. It’s just working on the of-fense,” Jantzi said. “The more shots we generate, the better chance we have.”

Soccer team adjusts after injuries

photos by Shannon Ahlstedt

TeamworkSophomore Ryan Stuchlik passes the ball to senior Bryce Volk during the Salina South game on Sept. 28. Stuchlik scored the winning goal in overtime.

FootworkSenior Gonzalo Toribio uses footwork to pass the ball down field. Newton beat Salina South 1-0 in overtime.

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”

We’ve really had to look to other players to step up.soccer coachScott Jantzi

Visit...

railernews.comExclusives:-Photos from homecoming week-Video interview with Roger Erickson-Daily sports scores

photo essay The Newtonian Oct. 8, 2010

Senior Jenny Pierce, freshmen Hannah Carlgren and Caitlyn Wedel and senior Kaitlyn Gaed-dert dress in John Deere attire.

Seniors Ben Koerner Hayden Coo-per and John Wright don “Daisy Dukes,” plaid and cowboy hats for the amusement of all.

Sophomores Hannah Robinson, Andrea Baron and Anna Clough dress as a bunny, dog and cat, from the farmland.

Seniors Jon Alexander and Austin Jones dress in as much hunter’s camouflage as possible.

Students dressed in all cowboy attire. Cowboy hats, leather boots, jeans and bulging belt buckles all made appearances.

John Deere Day Dukes of Hazard Day Down on the Farm Camo Day “Corral the Colts” Day

RoyaltySeniors Shannon Ahlstedt and Jake Bevan stop on the field after being crowned king and queen.

photo by Brandon H

anchett

Spitting with a purpose

Freshman Dakota Kern uses

momentum to spit a sunflower

seed during the contest on Sept.

28. Sign-up was held during lunch.

The goal was to spit seeds the

farthest across the gym floor.


Leaping to a beatRailiners performed to a mix of popular songs before the start of the home-coming football game on Oct. 1.

photo by Brandon H

anchett

Mud on your face

Sophomore Anthony Monares blinks

mud from his eyes after participating

in the Mud Run event on Sept.

29. Monares also worked on the

sophomore float earlier that evening.


Get ‘R Done

ThrillerJunior Emily Runge and senior Tyler Prochazka dance together illuminated by black lights and strobes at the homecoming dance. The dance started at 10 p.m. and lasted until the clock struck midnight.


Newtonian: Oct. 8, 2010

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