Seneca High School Magnet Career Academy

The SentinelNovember 2012 3510 Goldsmith Ln. Louisville, KY 40220 (502) 485-8323

Starting September 8th, Seneca became the first school in Jefferson County to create an in-school Interven-tion/Enrichment Program. The Intervention Program is meant for students who need extra help in their core classes. Groups meet every Friday on a HAWKS schedule. Teach-ers of different subjects collaborate to discuss how the students perform in each teacher’s subject. Jason Toler, interventionist, said one reason it started was because sev-eral students and teachers were unable to stay after school for H.I.P. (Hawks Intervention Program). “I like the Intervention period because it gives teachers and students a chance for cross-curricular collabo-ration,” stated Social Studies teacher, Stephanie Anderson, who partners with Jill Bickel, English teacher. Students who don’t need help in their core classes take Enrichment classes. The students list three

NEW FACES AT SENECA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE 8 FALL SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PAGE 11WHAT’S INSIDE

different enrichment (elective) classes to determine which group they will attend. “The enrichment takes kids to a higher level. We like to look up fun labs on YouTube to do,” explained Nancy Es-arey, Science teacher. With all the changes being made, the Intervention/Enrichment Period will help students perform better in the class-room and enable them to further study topics in their elective courses.

Seneca implements Friday Intervention

Seneca ECE teacher, Re-becca Ivy, recently recieved the JCPS Teacher of the Year award as nominated by the Seneca Leader-ship Team. Ivy has taught for nine total years, and all of them have been at Seneca High School. She was asked to submit an application which inquired about her philoso-phy of teaching. Once submitted, Mrs. Dillard informed her that she was a finalist for the award, and she was soon observed teaching by board members. The next day, she found out she won. Several people from the board and school brought balloons, flowers, and a cookie cake for her and her class. Shortly after, her application to be nominated for the entire state of Kentucky was sub-mitted. Ivy is now one of the top three finalists in the state. The win-ner of the state award is forthcom-ing. Although she feels humbled to have recieved the award, it has not changed her teaching philoso-phy. If anything, it has caused her to refelect on what she is doing well, improve her methods of teach-ing, and become a more involved community member.

Seneca teacher recievesTeacher of the Year Award

ECE Teacher Rebecca Ivy

Mrs. Bartlett instructs students during Friday Intervention.

In early September, three Ec-uadorian ambassadors visited Seneca through Indiana University Southeast and the Sister Cities program, a pro-gram focused on the development of friendly and meaningful exchanges of mutual interest. The ambassadors wanted to see what an American high school was like and learn of the instructional strategies utilized at Seneca. Our school was cho-sen to participate because of our Inter-national Studies and World Language programs. Small Learning Community Coor-dinator, Ms.Ohlman said, “This is a good thing for our school because it gets our name out there about the better things we are doing as well as our message.” Last year, Ms.Sniadecki, Spanish Teacher, took seven students to IUS for a conference which focused on ESL

education to celebrate the guests of honor. The guests of honor were teach-ers and students who did their participa-tion in Ecuador as well as teachers from the American Latina School in Quito, Ecuador. “We made sure to make the guests feel welcome,” said Ms.Sniadecki. The three Ecuadorian ambassa-dors said that they were “blown away” by Seneca. They repeatedly spoke of the positive learning climate they ob-served and their interactions with stu-dents and faculty. They also said they had a world class experience. “The teachers here at Seneca are so open and nice. The people here are very helpful with everything we asked,” said one Ambassador. Seneca is currently working to build a study abroad program with the American Latina School in Quito, Ecua-dor. Sniadecki noted, “We hope to have interested students and participants for next year.”

Hannah WheelerStaff writer

Seneca’s Sister City Comes for a VisitRabija EfendiraStaff writer

Trent MartinStaff writer

Sentinel StaffReporters Charlotte Berger Krystal Brown Rabija Efendira Tiffany Farrell Jenna Meredith Aaron Payne Sierra Phelps Khadeja Powell Hannah Wheeler

News Editor Trent Martin

Features Editor Aaron Stillwell

Sports Editor Aaron Meyers

Forum Editor Jake Rich

Design Staff Hannah Wheeler Trent Martin

Photographer Charlotte Berger

Advisor Jill Bickel

Silent Radio is a satirical section. Names used in Silent Radio sto-ries, unless those of public figues or entities, are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or entities is coincidental, uninten-tional, and accidental.

Editorials are the express opinion of the writer and do not neces-sarily reflect the views of the Seneca Sentinel, Seneca High School, or Jefferson County Pub-lic Schools.

The Seneca Sentinel is proudly associated with The Kentucky High School Journalism Associa-tion, Quill and Scroll Society and ASNE/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

2 Forum

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!The Sentinel would like to publish your work. Please submit any opinion articles, artwork, photos, literary pieces, or ideas for silent radio to Mrs. Bickel in room 330. Or, you can let us know on our Twitter page.

Follow Us On Twitter:@Seneca_Sentinel

Twitter deaths and tree octopi

English teacher, Mitch Greenwell. It’s not easy. For example, today (9/20/12), there are two opposing articles about global warming. On Mother Jones (a website that be-lieves in global warming), the head-lines reads, “Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Smallest Extent Ever Recorded”. On The Drudge Report, (a site that doubts global warming), the headline looks like this: “Antarctic Sea Ice Sets An-other Record -- for Most Amount of Ice Ever Recorded This Time of Year!” Who do you believe? How can you tell what’s real from what people just want you to think? There isn’t an easy answer, because thinking isn’t easy. Take the time to make your own decisions and thoughts. Don’t be a clone. By the way, the world is ending in December. Just so you know.

From The Desk Of...

Bryanna Hofelich

FACT: The Pacific Northwest Tree Octo-pus (Octopus paxarbolis) is a rare form of octopus that has adapted itself to live in the forests of rural Washington State. FACT: In the 1920’s and 30’s, Tree octopi were almost hunted to extinction due o their value as fashion accessories such as women’s hats.FACT: Boycotts of companies that use non-tree-octopus-safe wood harvesting practices have been put into place.FACT: None of the above is true.In 1998, a hoax was created by Lyle Zapato that persuaded thousands of visitors to his website that tree octopi exist. Here is a real fact for you: in a well publicized test, 24 out of 25 seventh graders believed the website’s claim of the existence of a tree octopus and went of to show other peers the “truth” they had found. The internet is full of trolls, and believe it or not, sometimes people write things just to mess with you (to quote Al-fred Pennyworth from The Dark Knight, “Some men just want to watch the world burn”). For example, the fad of “killing” people on Twitter: Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby, Drake, even the President of the United States have been falsely rumored to have died. How do these rumors get started? Mainly by teenagers who don’t stop to think about the source before reposting. Before most of you readers even take a second to fact check, you’re retweeting or posting an update on Facebook like, “OMG Obama’s dead… #RIP #waitthisisnttwitter.” Don’t be that guy. Question what you read/see/hear. I ’ll let you in on a little secret. There is really only one thing a teacher is ever trying to teach you, and that is to think.

Seneca reminisces the loss of former Home School Coordinator

Tiffany FarrellStaff writer

Nancy Mulheirn, Seneca’s previous Home School Coordinator, passed away in July of this year. Mrs. Mulheirn worked at Seneca for twelve years and during that time was a strong advocate of the peer mediation program. She contributed her passion to provide strength for the program, which is still continued today. Also, during her career at Seneca, she began the “Graduate Your Uniform” tradition in which seniors donate their uniforms to future classes. Mrs. Mul-heirn helped pave a road to accom-plish personal success for students and will forever be a part of the Red-hawk family.

Home School Coordinator Nancy Mulheirn.

Forum School lunches are designed to provide healthy options for all students, but many of us find our nutritional needs- and for some of us, our ethical or religious imperatives- being overlooked. Being a vegetarian, as I peruse the daily selection of food JCPS provides, I am appalled at how limited my options of what to eat are. I gaze over the typical chicken patties, hamburgers, and “na-chos” until my eyes settle on my lunch: the salad. Granted, some days there are cheese pizzas and even an occasional grilled cheese, but the salad is the only constant item I always know will be there. I ask you; is it fair that those of us trou-bled by the violence of the meat industry or those of us who have religious obliga-tions are subjected to the same bland lunch every day while our friends are provided with an array of options? Some argue that we simply do not have the funds to take every student’s needs into consideration. Public schools are dependent on the money allocated to them by the government. Budgetary cuts in certain areas combined with larger overarching fiscal limitations, create a climate of a certain conservatism that excludes the student body. (flat screen televisions and new courtrooms aside).

As an animal rights activ-ist, I am offended about JCPS’s lack of consideration when planning the school year’s menu. I find myself questioning ev-ery dish I see. What’s in that quesadilla? (It‘s chicken.) Do those green beans have bacon in them? (No, but they are cooked with beef stock, something I discovered after consuming a portion). For moral and ethical reasons, many students have boy-cotted the meat industry and in my per-sonal experience, I have had this choice violated. Moreover, for many students, it is not a matter of choice; it is intertwined with the fundamentals of their cultural identity. Take the experience of Qamar Shaker, senior and athlete on the school’s soccer team. As a Muslim, he sees the problems created by the JCPS lunch pro-grams. “I can’t eat anything,” he told me, “ Muslims at school have a very hard time finding lunches. The only thing we can eat is pizza on Wednesdays.” Seneca’s faculty stresses diversity and uses it as a selling point on the school’s website, but we have to reevaluate this claim in light of Qamar’s observation. Furthermore, he isn’t alone- the school has a large Mus-lim population with students coming from countries such as Bosnia, Iraq, Pakistan, and many others.

Spend More Do Less: The Presidential Way

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President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.

Saying one thing and doing the other: the failures of the JCPS Lunch programs

Charlotte Berger Staff writer

Jake Rich and Aaron StillwellStaff writers

Writers Jake Rich and Aaron Stillwell

In addition, there are many nutritional benefits to provid-ing more vegetarian options for lunch. Seeing as JCPS is con-cerned with the health of the stu-dents, I think they should be open to providing the healthiest options for students of all backgrounds. There is abundant evidence that a vegetarian diet is much health-ier than the average American diet. Vegetarians have lower can-cer rates and lower heart disease rates- the top killer in the U.S. If JCPS wants to have healthy school lunches that accommo-date students of all backgrounds and cultures, then they have no other recourse than to adopt a vegetarian-friendly menu. Until then, I’ll have the salad please.

President Obama and Sen. Rom-ney have raised the most money in the history of American political campaigns. Although most money is donations given to the parties, it is an excessive amount of money that could be put to better use. The candidates combined spent close to $880,862,520 this past year. This raises questions about why candidates spend so much money on campaigns and if it’s really necessary? Both candidates speak of boosting the economy and putting America back on its feet, but candidates aren’t adhering to their own policies. If both candidates want to cut the debt, then why are they using so much money on the campaign trail? As the campaigns continue, the combined debt of the two candidates rises. To date, the total debt of the candidates com-bined is $18,583,896. With this already immense debt accumulated before tak-ing office, it will be challenging to regain financial stability. The candidates send conflicting messages to the American public when they preach sentiments

like “Let’s get America back on its feet” and then spend more money on the campaigns and thus acquire an irresolvable debt. This money could be put to better use. In America, as many as 17 million children won’t eat each night. That’s one out of ev-ery four children without a reliable food source, according to The Daily Bread, which serves meals to fami-lies in need. Another organization fight-ing hunger in America is the Dare to Care foundation which annually feeds 37 million Americans. Facts from this organization show that 49.1 million Americans are considered to be in poverty. In addition, 48.8 million Americans live in a “food insecure” household. After examin-ing these numbers, is it not apparent that spending millions of dollars on campaigning is wrong? Instead of running a 30 sec-ond campaign ad on the television, upright candidates would consider more suitable and practical uses for the money that might actually ben-efit the American public rather than themselves.

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News

Over the summer, Media Specialist Jill Proffitt and several students rearranged and modern-ized the media center to create a more friendly and student-oriented environment. Senior Joey Stitch stated, “We barcoded and organized all of the textbooks and rearranged all of the computers so that everyone is in one area.” Stitch noted that the students being in one area will help maintain a more unified environ-ment. All textbooks are now online, allowing students to use their stu-dent identifications to check out items which make it easier to

New Media Center Supports Seneca’s Missionkeep track of books and debts.

“We are getting rid of old books,” stated Proffitt. “The majority of books removed haven’t been checked out since the 1960’s.” A little over 5,200 books have been removed from the shelves and organized accord-ingly. Furthermore, the media center is ordering new books. Some utilized unacceptable so-cial terms while others lacked up-to-date information. In addition, Kentucky in American Letters, written in 1913, is so old that we are sending it to the archives. When asked how this change will affect Seneca, Proffitt said, “Giving students updatedmaterial and technologies for

the building enhances studentlearning and helps support our goal of being college and ca-reer ready.” Every teacher has been provided an LED projector, and the Math and English depart-ments have been given docu-ment cameras. In addition, we are moving to bright-link pro-jectors and smart boards and getting more new computers, Proffitt added. By updating the media center, the library will be trans-formed into a more student-ori-ented facility which will further aid our Redhawk Community in becoming more technologi-cally advanced.

Jake Rich and Aaron StillwellStaff writers

JCPS has granted a $50,000 do-nation toward the construction of a legal courtroom for our new pre-law courses. Mrs. Dillard and Mrs.Ohlmann decided at a board meeting that Seneca needed something unique and that’s when the courtroom came into discus-sion. Ohlmann commented, “We wanted something only Seneca has and wanted to showcase a program for stu-dents to “’practice their craft.’” Dillard wanted the courtroom built in order for students in the pre-law program to have an authentic setting to practice their advocacy skills, Pre-Law teacher Mr. Cornell said. But the courtroom will not only be used for pre-law classes. It can also be used for social studies to study govern-ment practices, peer mediation, debate club, mock trials, moot courts, staff meetings, guest speakers, and the Ken-tucky Youth Assembly. In addition, the courtroom will also be used for the Friday Enrichment classes. “I think it will provide an excellent opportunity for our pre-law students to get practical experience with mock tri-als and mock oral arguments.” stated Ms.Fritts, Pre-Law teacher. Both Mrs. Fritts’ and Mr. Cornell’s classes have already begun making use of the courtroom facilities.

In the 2012 - 2013 school year, many new tradi-tions have been implemented around the school. However, one of the most noticable of these is the dress-up days every Tuesday, a proposition introduced by Mrs. Dillard and the school’s leadership team. Many people were won-dering about the future of the dress-up days and if it would become mandatory. Dillard promised that it would not become mandatory and the administration would become more lenient concerning what clothing is acceptable. She did not mention anything spe-cific but did say that making it mandatory would be impracti-cal.

Law and OrderSierra Phelps and Aaron MeyersStaff writers

Dress-Up Days Are Lookin’ GoodTrent Martin and Charlotte BergerStaff writers

Seniors Dylan Duvall and Mary Farnou along with Mrs. Dillard sport their professional attire.

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For if it was mandatory, funds would have to be used to supply student resources with clothes to aid students who can-not afford the required clothing. Dillard explained that the main purpose of dress up days is to prepare students for college and careers where dressing up will more than likely be required. This is but another way that Seneca is preparing its students for their professional lives. Of course, everyone is encouraged to participate, and Dillard is quite happy with the progress that has been made. Most staff and students seem to appreciate the new tradition and the participation level thus far.

6 FeaturesGirls About Town

Writers Krystal Brown and Hannah Wheeler

Paint Spot is an enjoyable place to go where people can paint creative types of pottery and make memories. When we first walked in, we noticed all the types of pottery which include Halloween pieces, magnets, plates, and animals. Krystal chose a dragon, and I chose magnets to paint. We were then led to the studio where we could choose the paint color we wanted. After we finished, we left our projects and paints at the table so they could be dipped in the glaze. The atmosphere at Paint Spot is friendly and encourages cre-ativity. It is colorful and spacious enough to accommodate large par-ties. The staff was generally helpful when we needed assistance. Going to Paint Spot is semi-expensive, and the waiting periods to get projects are a week. Their prices include $11 for two small mag-nets. However, we had fun and we would go there again. We would recommend going to Paint Spot as a group and working on a project together. Paint Spot offers a variety of classes and events for people to participate in. One interesting class they offer is an art class for home-schooled kids. Paint Spot is located at 4600 Shelbyville Road. Their hours are 10 A.M. -9 P.M. Monday through Saturday and 12-6 P.M. on Sundays.

Different pottery options in Paint Spot.

Paint SpotHannah Wheeler and Krystal BrownStaff writers

FeaturesSeniors strike again!

Once again, the seniors de-feated the juniors 28-6 in this year’s powderpuff game. The senior team was led by Jenna Meredith at wide receiver, Jada Bender at runningback and Niya Anderson at quarterback. While the juniors were mainly led by star, who plays quarterback.

Just as the game began to start, Meredith ran the ball 60-yards for a touchdown. It seemed like the seniors were going to run away with the game already. However, the ju-niors quickly retaliated when they ran for an 80-yard touchdown.

When asked about their strat-egies for winning this year, Junior Coach Patrick Neil said they needed to “keep it simple, play hard, and be fast.”

Soon after, Anderson threw a pass for a 30-yard touchdown. The seniors then attempted and were able to score off of the two point conversion. After that the seniors never looked back.

Just before half time arrived, the seniors scored yet another touchdown making the score 22-6.

The two teams were mainly at a stand still for most of the sec-ond half until the seniors ran ten yards for the last touchdown. After that, the juniors and seniors went back and forth for the remainder of the game making the final score 28-6.

When asked about the strat-egies for the seniors this year, the senior coaches chanted, “Defense, Defense, Defense.”

Aaron PayneStaff writer

Powderpuff cheerleaders cheering on the football players.

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The juniors tried their best to come out with a victory, but as always, the se-niors came out with bragging rights and the win.

8 FeaturesNew faces at Seneca

Mrs. AgamemnonosBuildig Assessment CoordinatorQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: My first year of teaching, I taught in a private school, American Academny in Larnaca, Cyprus. I taught first grade and was the only American teacher. Q: What is your favorite color? A: Purple Q: Do you have any pets?A: Yes, a dog named Aphrodite. She is a mixed breed and has one blue eye and one brown eye.

Mrs. CollinsFreshman CounselorQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: My first name means love (strauzie)Q: Do you have any pets? A: Yes, A Jack Russell named Chester Q: What size shoe do you wear? A: 8 1/2ff

Mrs. EvansEnglish TeacherQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: I am as big of a sports fanatic as I can be. My life revolves around football: Bengals and the Louisville Cardinals. Q: What is your favorite food?A: Lasagna Q: Skittles or starburst?A: Tropical skittles

Mrs. FrittsPre-Law Teacher Q: What is a little known fact about you?A: I am the field hockey coach Q: What is your favorite song? A: The UK fight songQ: Where were you born?A: Louisville, Kentucky

Mr. GrahamEnglish TeacherQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: Most students don’t know that I used to be called “coach.” I’ve coached Football, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, and Quick Recall in my teaching career.Q: Pepsi or Coke?A: Diet Pepsi – I love the carcinogenic aspertainQ: How long have you been a teacher? A: I’ve taught for a decade. I can’t imag-ine doing anything else!

Mr. Handley ISAP Q: What is a little known fact about you?A: I am a Real FatherQ: Chocolate or vanilla?A: Chocolate

Mrs. Hill Front OfficeQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: I am scared of heights Q: What is the worst pick-up line you have heard?A: Its been a long time since I’ve been approached in that manner. Q: Zebra or cheetah print?A: Cheetah

Mrs. Campbell Records ClerkQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: I have a 26-year-old Arabian horse. Q: What is your favorite TV show?A: The Weather Channel Q: If you could have a superpower, what would it be?A: God

Mrs. MattinglyPart-Time Pre-Vet/Agriculture Teacher Q: What is a little known fact about you?A: I live on my family’s farm in Indiana.Q: Cupcake or cookie? A: Cookie, Definitely.

FeaturesNew faces at Seneca

Mr. LazamBilingual Arabic Instructor Q: What is a little known fact about you? A: I have one boy and I am waiting for my second boy. He is due January 9th. Q: What is your favorite number? A: Number 6Q: What is your favorite season? A: Fall is the best. I love the tempera-ture in October and the smell of winter coming on.

Mr. Molohon Math TeacherQ: What is a little known fact about you? A: I have an undefeated high school ten-nis career, but I know very little about tennis. Q: Where did you get your shirt from?A: Express MenQ: Dogs or Cats? A: Dogs!

Mrs. MolohonArt Teacher Q: What is a little known fact about you?A: I was the first person in my family to graduate college!Q: What is your favorite store? A: TargetQ: Unicorns or Bigfoot? A: Unicorns

Mr. NeelSocial Studies Teacher Q: What is a little known fact about you?A: I am ambidextrous Q: What is your favorite pick up line?A: Don’t need one, I just choose a lady. Q: Mexican or Italian food?A: Mexican

Mrs. Reid AttendanceQ: What is a little known fact about you? A: I was a music teacher for 28 years.Q: If you could go anywhere, where would it be?A: Caribbean CruiseQ: When is your birthday?A: November 2nd

Mr. Ricks Athletic DirectorQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: I am always hungry, and Ms. Tobin won’t feed me. Q: What is your favorite sport?A: Golf Q: Jeans or khaki pants? A: Khaki shorts

Mrs. WaltersEnglish TeacherQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: I have seventeen grandchildren Q: Flats or heels? A: Flats Q: What did you have for dinner last night?A: Chicken and rice

Mr. Wells

Q: What is a little known fact about you?A: I use to be on K-States Drum line. Q: What is your favorite month of the year?A: September Q: Gatorade or PowerAde?A: PowerAde

Mrs. Ising Goal Clarity CoachQ: What is a little known fact about you?A: I taught chemistry and physics at PRP for eleven years. I was the dance teach coach at and manual for two years and PRP for four years. Q: Krispy Kreme or Duncan Donuts? A: Krispy Kreme Q: What type of phone do you have?A: I/phone

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10 SportsFuture of Kentuckiana Basketball

Aaron MeyersStaff writer

Louisville Cardinals: With last year’s final four appearance, the Louisville Car-dinals are hoping to make a run at the national title. The Cardinals are returning many starters and have added some of ESPN’s top 100 recruits to the roster. Peyton Siva the 6’0 185 lb senior from Seattle, Washington is Louis-ville’s captain and starting point guard. Siva led the team in assists last year and is the facilitator on offense. Chane Behanon is going to be one of the super sophomores for the Cardinals this upcoming season. He was a starter as a freshman and was named part of the Big East All Rookie team. Gorgui Dieng is the returning center from Senegal. The 6’11, 245 lb junior blocked 128 shots as a sophomore and holds a new UofL single season record. Montrezl Har-rell is a Louisville commit from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. The 6’8, 235 lb freshman-to-be was rated by Scout.com as the No. 72 overall prospect in the class of 2012.

Kentucky Wildcats:The Wildcats are coming off a national title, but with all five of their starters entered into the NBA draft, Coach Cali-pari hopes to bring in five new freshman stars to lead their team back to the big dance. Nerlens Noel is a 6’10, 228 lb power forward and Kentucky’s newest big time recruit. He was named the USA Today National Player of the Year, and earned Parade All-America honors.

Kyle Wiltjer is one of only remaining players from last year’s national championship team who actually played. The 6’10, 239 lb forward averaged 5 points per game and made 35 three pointers over the course of the 2012 season. Willie Cauley-Stein is another big time recruit who is hoping to fill the shoes of national player of the year Anthony Davis. The 7’0, 244 lb center is ranked as the tenth best center in the country by Scout.com and also starred at Wide Receiver for his high school football team.

Indiana Hoosiers:With all five starters returning from a team which finished 27-9 and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, the 31 voting members of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll have tabbed Indiana as the No. 1 team in the country with 21 first place votes and 768 points overall. Cody Zeller is the Hoosiers returning 7’0 sophomore center who was eighth in scoring and sixth in rebounding in the Big Ten. He was AP Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman and is cur-rently Sporting News pre-season player of the year. Chris-tian Watford is the 6’9 forward known for making the clutch game winning buzzer beater shot that gave Kentucky one of only two losses last year. He was selected to the All-South Region team at the NCAA Tournament and was ranked 26th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,287 points, started all 36 games.

Several Seneca sports pro-grams are undergoing some major changes this year since there are five new head coaches and a new athletic director, Scott Ricks. Among the new coaches are Brandon Grammer (Basketball), Patrick Neel (Cross Country), Lavelle Boyd (Foot-ball), Emily Fritts (Field Hockey), and Timothy Farmer (Softball). Ricks likes that there are a lot of sports and opportunities for stu-dents to participate in. “I’m looking for good quality coaches, competiveness in all sport areas, creating a winning culture, and bringing good school spirit,” said Ricks.

New Coaches Hope to Revamp Sports ProgramsKhadeja PowellStaff writer

Basketball coach Brandon Grammer is planning on making ma-jor changes to the basketball team. “We are going to have a dif-ferent offense, a more aggressive defense, and we are going to im-pose our team on our opponents,” said the determined and ready coach. Fritts knew she wanted to get involved into something outside of her classroom, and Field Hockey was an obvious choice. “I loved playing field hockey in high school. It is fun being out there practicing with the girls. I love getting close to the girls on the team,” said Fritts. in school activities and loves coaching. However, this years’ Cross Country team is off to a rocky start due to low participation.

He stated, “The only prob-lem is Coach Neel likes to be involved that I need more kids to run.” All of the coaches have dif-ferent approaches to making their team successful. Emphasizing hard work and dedication is part of Coach Boyd’s phi losophy. “The best part of coaching is seeing growth and development in a person,” said Boyd. Overall, Seneca’s new coaches enjoy being a part of the Redhawk Nation and want to see their players grow and improve.

Junior Ajdin Pasanbegovic has proven to be a successful soccer player here at Seneca High School. He has been playing since his freshman year and has had some amazing plays. This season in September he scored four goals at a North Bullet Game and made six goals total in three games. “I didn’t expect to make four goals. I was excited when I made my third goal, the fourth goal was extra.” “It felt great to make that many goals, but I kept it professional,” said Pasanbegovic. Ajdin has watched soccer since he was little and has had a passion for it ever since. He started playing in sixth grade and fell in love with it. It’s his favorite sport because it’s competitive and keeps him in shape.

Ajdin started out playing center midfielder and eventually moved up to forward; he can also play wing. His coach and teammates appreciate his hard work and sportsmanship. “Ajdin knows were to be, he’s very skillful and is a great team player,” said Senior Bakir Hamzabegovic. Ajdin plans on playing soccer in college and hopes he can make it pro one day, but he has other plans just in case.

Sports SpotlightRabija EfendiraStaff writer

GOLF: This season the team consisted of two players, both seniors, Aaron Stillwell and Zach Burns. “I am looking for boys AND girls interested in playing golf next year!” stated Coach Phillip Hayes. He also says that golf club will start in the spring for all those interested.

GIRLS SOCCER: This year, the team struggled with a disappointing season. According to Coach Chris Scherer, they did not play to their full potential and lost some games they could have won. “I can handle losing, I can’t handle not putting out any effort,” expressed Scherer. With one win in the season and placing last in the district tournament, the team faced multiple frustrations. Scherer noted that Junior Carolina Martinez proved herself a strong defender and saved the team when mistakes were made.

BOYS SOCCER: It has been a season of development for everyone on the team. Despite the way things went through-out the season, the team still put forth their effort and did their best. Coach Lorenzo Mcgill offered these words of advice: “Always remember to give it your best no matter the circumstances, there’s always going to be challenges in your life and you need to push forward in order to persevere.” He also mentioned that this year the team’s circumstances were differ-ent due to new players and dynamics.

VARSITY FOOTBALL: With the Football season coming to an end, the team reflects on how it could have been better. With a 1-5 record, the team has struggled, but the District Playoffs start in November and they are hoping for some posi-tive results. “The season has been fun, but we could be doing better,” Coach Boyd explained. In the future, we are hoping for more wins to wrap up the season, Boyd added.

VOLLEYBALL: This season has seen the team move in the right direction. With a record of 14-20, they boast more wins than have been recorded in any of the past ten seasons. Nearly all of the matches were competitive and could have gone either way. The team continually improved throughout the season. They are led by several Juniors and two Fresh-man. “We are one year away from having a great team,” stated Coach Ken Norris. “The team is led on offense by Brooke Saylor and Elly Crittenend. In addition, Hannah Jones has done an outstanding job as a first year setter and team leader. Samari Jones has improved every game and become a very good all-around player. Shannon Watson and Cassadie Cart-wright led the defense in digs, and Rachel Fowler and Channing Watson led the outside hitters in kills.” Things seem to be looking up for RedHawk volleyball in the years to come.

FIELD HOCKEY: This year’s team consisted of many young players. The team faced difficult obstacles and some chal-lenging opponents. Coach Fritts says it was a season of rebuilding and she looks forward to next year.

Fall Sports HighlightsJenna MeredithStaff writer

11Sports

Junior Ajdin Pasanbegovic

BREAKING NEWS!!

The annual Dallas Cowboys game has been cancelled this year due to increased consumption of the illegal substance

tryptophan found in turkey. Several Cowboys players were found semi-unconscious in the locker room next to multiple turkey carcasses giving the Redskins an unfair

advantage.Yes, folks, this means you get to actually spend quality time with your families and discuss what you’re thankful for rather

than lie comatose on the couch watching NFL coverage. Consecutive episodes of “Little House on the Prairie” will air in place of

the game. ‘Tis the season!

Need some extra credit??Students who report to school on Thursday 11/22

will receive an automatic “A” in the class of their choice. Those who attend Friday 11/23 will be given

a doughnut party in the small gym when school officially resumes.

Please report to the fourth floor lobby to sign in each day.