THE BLUEJAY POST - Cimarron High School

THE BLUEJAY
POST
Cimarron High School
Cimarron, Kansas 67835
Non-profit
Permit #41
Cimarron, KS
67835
April 2007
Vol. 4, No. 7
Sneak Peek
• Sponsoring youth, p. 2
• A-Team Banquet, p. 3
• Anatomy of video games, pp. 4-5
• Senoritis, p. 7
Local librarian doubles as talented thespian
Take a bite: Local librarian
Sara McFarland takes on
the role of Mina in the Boot
Hill Repertory Company
production of Count
Dracula. Although this
production took place in the
eighties, McFarland is still
involved with performing,
not only with the Repertory,
but for local activities as
well. McFarland left her
hometown for some time
and had many experiences,
but finally arrived back in
Cimarron. “I felt as though
I was led back home,” she
said, “and I know I’m doing
good things here. It’s so
good to be back!”
(Courtesy photo)
Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville and the Strategic
Air Command Museum (now known as the Strategic Air
and Space Museum) in Ashland, Nebraska.
After traveling and having experiences, McFarland
returned to Cimarron, where she has been the librarian
for the city library for seven years.
Now, when asked why she came back to Cimarron
McFarland replied, “I felt as though I was led back home,
and I know I’m doing good things here. It’s so good to
be back!”
McFarland enjoys Cimarron and the many people
who live here, which is why she is involved in many associations such as Rotary Club, Lions Club and the Gray
County Farm Bureau. She also plays piano for the local
United Methodist Church.
McFarland, thespian of all arts, is a valued member of
the community, and she will continue to provide entertainment and education to the citizens of the area.
The Cimarron Hig h School Forensi cs
Clu b Presen ts
by Katelyn Royle
T
earing up the keys (of a keyboard that is), singing, acting. . . All qualities of a performer. All
qualities of Cimarron’s own librarian, Sara McFarland,
because she’s not just your average librarian.
McFarland, although involved in many activities in
Cimarron, is also involved with theatrical activities, thanks
to her upbringing.
“When I was 15, my dad wanted me to go audition at
Boot Hill Museum for daytime shows,” said McFarland.
“At first I was reluctant, but I went and acquired a job
playing piano.”
She eventually became more involved at the museum.
McFarland said, “I was a part of three different shows
a day. They were mini- Miss Kitty shows, and I eventually
became the back-up Miss Kitty.”
Although she was an understudy, McFarland acquired
a role of her own.
“Lizzie Overlie; she was a crack-up! I was able
to express a whole different side of myself through the
character,” said McFarland. “I developed many qualities for her, for example, how she believed herself to be
a great singer from back East, and how she would teach
the cowboys.”
Her commitment to the museum led her to become
involved with the Boot Hill Repertory Company, which
branched off from the museum.
“My first show with the Repertory was Count Dracula, in the early eighties, and I was cast in the role of Mina,
the one who is bitten,” said McFarland.
McFarland did not limit herself to experiences in
Dodge City. She attended St. Mary of the Plains College
for six years and graduated from Eastern Illinois University
in Charleston, Illinois.
“I acquired a master’s in Historical Administration
and museum studies,” said McFarland.
Because of her experience with museums, she was
able to intern at establishments such as the Country Music
A Case of Belongi ng
by J an Allred
on Friday, Apri l 13 @
9:15 a.m. for the HS
2:30 p.m. for the GS
Admissi on is free of charge
The performances wi ll take place at the Ci marron
Hi gh School Auditori um
2
OPINIONS
The Bluejay Post
April 2007
Video games: escape or incite?
by Drew Harp
Our world has many problems today, far too many to list here if you want
to get really specific, but now some
(mainly politicians and ignorant people)
No, Jimmy, I can’t
are citing violent video games as the
source of corruption for our generation.
play right now.
Most teenagers will roll their eyes
I’m talking to a client
at this argument and go back to playing
from my office.
some Halo. My advice? That’s exactly
what you should do.
The scapegoating of video games
is just part of a long tradition of controversy with newer forms of media.
Books, movies, and television have
all gone and are still going through a
phase when the creators are starting
to push the limits of their creations.
So, what’s the problem with a
little virtual creativity? According to
some people, it’s the fact that games
like Grand Theft Auto and Doom
“encourage” youngsters to be violent.
I know what you’re thinking. Yes,
they are NOT REAL, and you’re smart enough not to take
the games can influence your mind and actions. So? We
a baseball bat to someone’s grandma in the middle of a
are influenced everyday, whether it is positive or negative.
crowded street.
Simply put, it’s easy to put a bad rap on video games,
U n f o r t u n a t e l y, n o t e v e r y o n e r e a l i z but you have to remember: they’re just a bunch of pixels
es the same fact. These tragedies are kids whose
in a virtual world. If anything, a violent game can be good
parents let television and the media parent them.
stress relief.
Yes, I’m blaming the media now. It’s a vicious cycle
It all comes down to one simple fact: people, not the
of blame and blame back. It’s just human nature not to
games, make the decision to commit an act of violence.
want to admit your faults and find an outside source.
There’s no reset button for that.
I can see some points made by politicians. It is true that
The real cause?
Sharing the wealth
Sponsoring a child provides positive experience
by Alison Ketzner
We’ve all seen those commercials that plead with the
American people to help less fortunate children in other
countries. Most of us just roll our eyes and flip the channel. However, if we ever took the time to listen to these
commercials, we would realize the good that can come
out of them.
The Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) is an international child-sponsorship group that provides assistance to
communities in 33 countries. It has assisted more than
10.5 million children and families and has provided more
than $2.5 billion in services to children. This funding
often comes from individual contributors in the form of
monthly child sponsorships.
Being a sponsor for a child in another country could
be a positive experience for both the sponsor and the child.
CCF uses money from sponsors to provide children with
an education, health benefits, nutrition, and emergency
relief. By becoming a sponsor, the individual is allowed
to visit his/her child and learn more about that child’s life.
The sponsors also get a first-hand look at the opportunities
they are providing for their child.
However, being a sponsor is not only an individual
experience. As a school, we could donate the small amount
of $24 a month to provide assistance for a child living in
poverty in another country. The school could conduct class
competitions in order to raise this money for the child.
Groups like KAYS or SADD could also donate money
they raise to help a child.
Being a sponsor to a child in need will not only make
a difference in a child’s life but also in your own life. The
sense of providing for another individual who does not
have the means to help himself is often an amazing feeling and should be experienced by all who wish to make
a difference.
Okay...I’ll just go
play some Grand
Theft Auto.
Cartoon by Drew Harp
Although our editorials are written by individual board
members, the thoughts and ideas conveyed are that of The
Bluejay Post editorial board. Members of the editorial board
are Katelyn Royle, Alison Ketzner, Joseph Dasenbrock, and
Drew Harp.
The Bluejay Post
2006-2007 Staff
Editors: Katelyn Royle and Alison Ketzner
Sports Editor: Phillip Marshall
H.S. Organizations, Arts, Music Editor: Joseph
Dasenbrock
Photo Editor: Drew Harp
Community News Editor: Roman VanNahmen
Grade School/Middle School News Editor: Kyle
Anderson
Copy Editor: Katelyn Royle
Graphic Arts Department: Alison Ketzner and
Katelyn Royle
Advisor: Lynne Hewes
Cimarron High School
April 2007
Volume 4, Issue 7
NEWS
The Bluejay Post
April 2007
News Bytes
A-team banquet honors students
• March 30: High school track meet @ 3:00
• April 2: Red Wheel sales begin
by Alison Ketzner
Hard work and exceptional grades are both qualities
a student needs to be honored at the A-Team Banquet, and
for some CHS students that honor took place on March
26 at 6:30 p.m. at the grade school gymnasium.
The A-Team Banquet is held every year for students
in high school who have excelled during the school year.
These students are required to have a 3.67 average GPA
during the first semester of the school year.
The students who have met this criteria this year
are Seniors Charity Bailey, David Burl, Autumn Burns*,
Drew Harp*, Alison Ketzner*, Phillip Marshall, Katey
Nash, Kristin Riney, Katelyn Royle, Ashley Siek, Roman
VanNahmen; Juniors Paige Addison*, Alexa Burns*,
Brooke Fairbank, Laura Johnson*, Bobby Litton, Haley
Lloyd*, Brayton Maier, Chelsea Morton, Amanda Payne,
Chris Vossschulte; Sophomores Joel Baublits, Matt
Baublits, Mini Casas, Cory Gleason, Joseph Riley, Jordan
Toothaker, Lindsay Underwood; and Freshmen Callie
Fisher, Britnie Jenkins, Katelyn Ridenour*, John Shaughnessy, Kelsey Stucky*, and Amber Thomas.
* = All A’s first semester
3
• April 5:
Grade school Easterparties @ 10:30-11:30, 2:30-3:30
• April 6-9: Easter Break
• April 19-22: NHS trip
• April 30:
Red Wheel delivery @ 4:00
Powder-puff to be held
by Roman VanNahmen
Tradition at Cimarron has many forms: parades, sports, and
fundraisers. Powder-puff football is one of those fundraisers.
This year, the National Honor Society in Cimarron will be
sponsoring the activities on Saturday, March 31.
At 6:00 p.m., there will be a hamburger feed at grade school
parking lot, followed by the game at 7:00 p.m.
This year will feature intense rivalry between seniors and freshmen vs. juniors and seniors.
Dr. Drew’s Reviews
TMNT(PG)
Stars: Patrick Stewart, Sarah Michelle Gellar,
Kevin Smith
Running Time: One hour, thirty minutes
Plot Haiku:Yeah, it’s nostalgia, could use a
bit more action, but it’s pretty good.
Okay, I’m going to admit it. This show was my
all-time favorite when I was little. So I think that says
enough already, but that would be too short. TMNT is
semi-triumphant return of everyone’s favorite mutated,
adolescent, and martial arts practicing reptiles.
If you’ve seen the old live action flicks, then it’s stan-
dard turtles’ plot. The four brothers have to come together
to fight some sort of evil and must recover from a split up
before hand. That’s it really, and although it seems sparse,
most movies can be diluted to a few words.
Despite the seemingly bare bones plot, the computergenerated animation was good. The human characters
were too cartoony for my taste, compared to the realistic
turtles. Well, as real as anthropomorphic reptiles can get.
There’s some good action in there too, and a few chuckles.
Of course, in there lies the problem behind the movie.
There’s just not enough of anything. The story seemed a
little rushed to me, and as a result the action has been cut down
to a few short, but awesome moments. Also, this seemed a
little too corny for my taste. Then again the live action movies weren’t exactly masterpieces of modern cinema either.
The biggest problem I had with the movie was that
I wasn’t excited at anytime except during one scene. The
feeling I had was more of visiting with your old best friend
after a few years: you’re still buddies, but the friendship
you had is gone.
Of course, it didn’t help that I had played the
movie game before hand. For future reference, if a movie
game comes out before the movie: DON’T PLAY IT!
Rating
out of 5
March Students of the Month
Loganne
Charmasson
“She always comes
to class prepared
and with a friendly
attitude.”
- Mr. Hornung
Laura Johnson
“She has a wonderful
attitude and work ethic
- she is kind and helpful
to all.”
- Mrs. Unruh
Cole Nash
“He has shown
me a lot of growth
and maturity...he is
one of our school’s
more responsible
and dependable
students.”
- Mr. Mowry
4
FEATURES
The Bluejay Post
April 2007
Video games provide entertainment,
Advantages of handheld gaming: Nintendo vs. Sony
by Roman VanNahmen
A
mong the gaming world, consoles are king. For
that reason, one might occasionally overlook the
benefits and ramifications of handheld gaming.
The main advantage of a handheld system is that it’s
not a console that requires a TV hook-up. In some areas
TVs aren’t readily available for gamers.
Tyler Royle, freshmen said, “Handhelds are better
because you can go anywhere with them, instead of being stationery.”
Kyle Maddox, freshmen, agrees.
“You can play on them discreetly almost anywhere,”
he said.
And where exactly is anywhere?
“I play my Nintendo DS on road trips so I don’t get
bored,” said Nick Simmons, sophomore.
But does the smaller size make for less exiting
games?
“The consoles have better games, most of the time,”
Maddox said, “but handhelds have their own perks.”
Handhelds just don’t get the attention of their bigger
console relatives.
“I play my DS about 10 hours a month.” Maddox
said.
Senior Zach Pulkrabek ignores his Game Boy Advance.
“I haven’t used it for over four months,” he said.
A few things could be done to make the handheld
gaming experience better.
“You can play consoles on the Internet, and
Internet access with handhelds would be pretty cool,”
said Royle.
The favorite systems among Cimarron students are
made by Nintendo, the DS and GBA.
“The graphics on
the PSP are a little better, but it’s not worth the
higher price and shorter
battery life,” Pulkrabek
said.
Zach Tague, senior,
may have a reason for
the PSP’s shortcomings.
“The PSP is just
ahead of its time, like
the SEGA Gamegear
of the early 90’s. It’s
not a bad system. People
just aren’t ready for it yet,”
he said.
Video Games
Historic Timeline:
Video game addiction: how we got started
by Kyle Anderson
V
ideo games are one of the newest types of entertainment for the today’s youth. The games have
been around for a very long time, but they really didn’t
get their recognition until the invention of the Atari. Now,
with new technology, there is a high demand for multiple
gaming systems, with the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the
Nintendo Wii being the top dogs.
Some teens are so addicted to video games they will
play them for hours at a time.
Senior Zach Pulkrabek is a prime example.
“I played for a straight 25 hours, trying to beat Metal
Gear Solid 3,” he said.
With that kind of game play, Pulkrabek could be labeled as an extreme gamer. However, for Sophomore Ross
Addison, that’s just a drop in the bucket.
Addison said, ”I played in a Madden tournament at a
Kids-Are-Us for 48 hours straight. They would bring us
food and drinks so that we wouldn’t have to stop playing.
It was so much fun.”
This may be a sign of a true gamer at heart.
Gamers of today are known to be picky about what
system they play on. Some may even like the old gaming
consoles.
The Atari is in every avid gamer’s mind as the begin-
ning of video games.
Senior Roman VanNahmen was once an Atari player.
VanNahmen said, “ I started playing when I was in
kindergarten, and it was because we had always had an
Atari in the basement, so I just started playing it because I
was bored one day and got hooked on it.”
With the first gaming console made, what was a game
most people played for the first time? For Freshmen Matt
Wehkamp and Cody Wagner, Sophomore Rylan Lacy, and
Senior Zach Tague, Mario is the game of choice for beginning gamers.
Tague said, “I played the original Mario for the Super
Nintendo, and it was sweet.”
Tague wasn’t the only one to play Mario as his first
game.
Lacy said, “ I played Mario, and it was awesome.”
Wehkamp also joined the many gamers to experience
video games for the first time through Mario.
“I think Mario was my first game to ever play,” he
said.
Others played Mario-related games because a great
game always has to have spin off the original.
“My first game was Mario Cart,” Wagner said.
Mario is a game played by many, but some of the
newer games of today are the shooter games. With improved
graphic on the gaming systems shooter games are crisp and
clear making them extremely playable and fun.
“My favorite game has to be Gears of War or Halo.
Wehkamp said. “I just like to play shooters because I can
do stuff I can’t do in real life,”
The original games are some of the greatest games
around, and the newer games of today that everyone loves
to play might just become known as some of the greatest
games of tomorrow.
Video games galore: Eighth grader Tyler White spends some
free time playing video games. White perfers the sports games
over the shooter. (Anderson photo)
FEATURES
The Bluejay Post
April 2007
5
escape from reality, outlet from aggression
The beginner’s guide to video games
by Drew Harp
A
s long as people have been bored with reading,
chores, or just about anything else, there have
been games to entertain and refresh their minds. In the
1970’s the whole gaming concept took a step forward with
the introduction of video games.
Since then, games have come and passed. To make
this guide easier, we’re going to differentiate between two
major types of gaming: PC and console.
PC games are played on a computer. The ability to
play them depends solely on the processing power of your
rig. Console games require a piece of hardware called a
console. The processors and technology is all inside and
need only be plugged into a television. Games are in
cartridge or compact disc form and are placed into the
device somehow. For sake of time, this guide will focus
on the consoles.
Many divisions can be made when comparing video
games: whether the device you play them on is portable,
whether it is current gen (modern consoles) or retro (older
consoles); but one of the best ways is to define them the
same way we do all other forms of art and entertainment:
genres.
They are nine types of video gaming genres: action,
fighting, RPG, puzzle, strategy, shooting, sports, music,
and platformers.
The first and foremost is action, which can be further
divided by its perspective: third (you can see your character
or avatar in the game) or first (you play from the character’s
point of view) person. Action games are all about…action.
Whether it’s fighting monsters or exploring vast areas,
there’s always some excitement going on.
Action games representative: Kratos- God of War
(PS2)
A Little Terminology...
The second is fighting. Fighting is all about oneon-one battles between you and your opponent. Martial
artists exchanging blows, weapon masters clashing their
blades together, those are just some of the melees waged
in fighting games.
Fighting games representative: Ryu- Street Fighter
series (multiplatform)
Next are role-playing games, more commonly known
as RPG’s. Despite the same acronym as a dangerous
weapon, the only thing a RPG can damage is your free
time. They’re all about taking the role of a character and
going on a quest. You fight monsters, gain experience,
and level up to become stronger. They usually last many
hours, a minimum of twenty.
Role-playing games representative: Cloud- Final
Fantasy VII (PS1)
Fourth and fifth are the more cranial games. Puzzle
games test your logic and deductive reasoning. They are
usually easy to learn, but hard to master.
Puzzle games representative: Tetris block- Tetris
(multiplatform)
The other thinking game is the strategy. You have
a bird’s eye view of the action and can order your units
to attack your foes, gather resources, or explore the vast
landscape. Popular spin-offs of this genre are “god games,”
where you can create cities or people and watch them
develop. These are more PC based because a mouse is
often essential for these games.
Strategy games representative: A Sim- The Sims
series (multiplatform)
From cranial to twitch and reflex based gaming,
shooting games are all about blowing your opponents
away with superior firepower. Shooters are very popular
for their adrenaline-inducing gameplay and relative ease
to learn.
Shooting games representative: Master Chief- Halo
series (Xbox)
Another competition-based genre is the sports game.
Pick a sport and there’s a video game for it. Play as your
favorite athlete and go for the win. Racing games are also
a popular sport game genre.
Sports games representative: John Madden- Madden Football series (multiplatform)
A relatively new type of game is the musical game.
Whether you rock out with a guitar controller, hop on a
dance pad and boogie down, or sing off-key to eighties
songs, music is a rising force in gaming.
Music games representative: Your horrible dance
moves- Dance Dance Revolution (multiplatform)
The final type is what began the surge in popularity
of videogames: the platformer. It’s all about collecting
items and jumping on platforms. Yeah, it doesn’t sound
like much, but it’s simple and one of the earliest forms
of gaming.
Platformer games representative: Mario- Super
Mario series (multiplatform)
That’s it. You now have a basic grasp of the wide
world of videogames.
Now get out there, grab a controller, and plant yourself in front of your television.
Cheat codes- Passwords or certain button combinations
put in by developers to make the game easier during testing.
HP (health points), Life bar, etc.- Usually represented by bars in a health-based game, these determine
Bug- A glitch or flaw not found by testers that mars
how healthy your character on screen is. If they hit zero,
gameplay.
you die.
A life- Usually represented by a small icon someGame Over- You’re done. You’ve run out of lives or
where on the screen, these determine how many more
health
and you can’t respawn. Time to start over.
times you can die in a live-based game. Hit zero and it’s
game over.
13375p34|< (Leetspeak)- Typically used in online
games,
letters are replaced with numbers and symbols.
A continue- Harder games feature this. You can only
reach the game over screen a certain number of times bePwned- Pronounced “poaned” this means that you
fore you can no longer continue from the point you died. have
thoroughly thrashed a lesser player.
Respawn- Some games allow you to come back to life in a
certain location after you die. Mostly used in shooting games.
Total pwnage- Complete and utter
humiliation during gaming.
6
SPORTS
The Bluejay Post
April 2007
Cimarron girls’ basketball team
experiences state competition at
by Kyle Anderson
After winning sub-state, the next option for the Cimarron girls was state competition in Manhattan. The games
were held in the KSU gym.
The girls played their first game on Thursday against
the Panthers of Saint Mary’s-Colgan. The Cimarron girls
came out on top with the score of 51-39. They then played
on Friday against the Minneapolis Lions, but lost in overtime by the score of 48-43.
The final game was played on Saturday against the
Osborne bulldogs. They ended the game with the score
of 57-46, Bulldogs favor. The Lady Jays ended the year
placing fourth at state and with the record of 21-5.
The last girls’ team to go to state basketball was in
1998. This year’s team had some high notes to end on.
Senior Kristin Riney said, “Winning the first game
and advancing into the semi-finals was exciting.”
Others from the team also had positive experiences.
Junior Haley Lloyd said, “There is never a dull moment with Ellen Blattner around.
Golf season arrives
by Joseph Dasenbrock
CHS golfers have returned to their sport this month.
The first practice was on March 14.
“The numbers are a little down this year,” said coach
Lance Walker. Returning varsity players include: Senior
Adam Peterson, Junior Brayton Maier, and Sophomores
Stephen Austin, and Cory Gleason.
The first competition is scheduled for Thursday, April
5 in Lakin.
“I am really looking forward to the upcoming season,”
said Walker. “There is a lot of talent out there.”
Fore! Junior Brayton Maier practices at the driving range.
First golf competition is on April 5. (Dasenbrock photo)
Senior Kristen Riney gets ready to take her free throw at
state basketball. Cimarron lost to Osborne by 11 points.
(Yearbook photo)
Senior Samantha Chandler shoots her jump shot and gets
some air in the process. (Yearbook photo)
Phil-osophy
Marching into Madness
NCAA basketball tournament underway
by Phillip Marshall
The NCAA Men’s D-I Basketball Tournament will
start on March 15, and end with the Championship Game
on April 2.
Several of college top-ranked basketball teams are
looking for their trip to Atlanta for their quest for glory.
The Florida Gators, who won the Championship last season, are ranked Number 1 in the Midwest bracket.
The North Carolina Tar Heels, who won the title in
‘05, are ranked Number 1 in the East Bracket.
The hometown team, Kansas Jayhawks, are Number
1 in the West, and Big X’s Tournament champs, the Ohio
State Buckeyes, are Number 1 in the South.
Last year, the LSU Tigers eliminated the top ranked
Duke Blue Devils in the “Sweet Sixteen”. Memphis
was upheld by UCLA in the “Elite Eight” round of the
tournament.
Last year, the “Cinderella” team, George Mason,
upset the UConn Huskies. The team that won the championship, Florida, defeated the last Number 1 seeded
team, Villanova.
Case in point: just because teams are number 1
doesn’t mean they should be slated for the “Final Four.”
George Mason, last year, rode the wave of momentum,
and let it carry the team all the way to the “Final Four.”
G. Mason was ranked 11th in the East bracket.
Kansas, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio State will
have targets on their backs throughout the tournament. In
the opening round Florida faces off against Jackson St.,
North Carolina faces off against Eastern Kentucky, Ohio
State plays C. Conn St., and Kansas tips off the tournament
against Florida A&M/Niagara.
The one team many are already calling this year’s
“Cinderella” team is Wright State. Wright State defeated
Butler to lay claim to the Horizon League title, and they
also have a victory over George Mason. Could this be
another repeat of upset years?
My Prediction:
Although Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio State, and
Florida are all Number 1 seeded teams in the tournament,
it’s hard to jump on one of these teams’ bandwagons. In
the “Final Four” of the tournament I select Wisconsin vs.
UCLA; Georgetown vs. Ohio State. I just hope Ohio State
basketball performs better than Ohio State football.
PEO PLE
The Bluejay Post
April 2007
7
Students rock out to their favorite music
W
by Joseph Dasenbrock
hen you are driving in the car, lounging in your
room, or on a charter bus headed to a school
event, are you listening to music in any of these places?
You might have a multi-hundred dollar stereo, the
stock stereo in your car, one of those fancy little mp3
players, or maybe you’re old-fashioned and have a Walkman. Either way, if you’re an average American, you’re
listening to music. One of the most popular types of
music, especially locally, is Country/Western.
“I usually listen to Country,” said Sophomore Jared
Nichols. “But I don’t really listen to music often.”
English instructor Sue Wiseman agrees to some
extent.
“[I listen to] Country, I’m a die-hard Country music
fan,” said Wiseman.
But some people listen to more of a wide spectrum of
genres of music; one of these is senior Autumn Burns.
“I love rock, Country, and Christian,” said Burns.
A singer/songwriter named George Strait is one of
Country music’s biggest hits. He has been at it since the
mid to late seventies, and has sold upwards of 62 million
recordings. Katey Nash, senior, is a big fan of George
Strait, as is Wiseman.
“Metallica’s songs are raw,
heavy and natural; they are
an awesome band.”
- Alfredo Soipili
“I’ve always enjoyed George Strait,” said Wiseman.
“I also like Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, and Gretchen
Wilson.”
Nichols just likes Country music in general.
“Man, I just like to listen to my truck,” said Nichols.
“But sometimes I will listen to Jason Aldean. His ‘Hicktown’ is a great song I jam out to it.”
And on the Christian rock side of the spectrum there
is Burns.
“I love Relient K,” said Burns. “It’s good, clean music
with great beats and lyrics I can relate to.”
Now that we have seen what kinds of music our average Kansan/American likes, let’s look at some of their
dislikes.
“Rap annoys me,” said Burns. “What is the point of
listening to somebody talk really fast? There isn’t one.”
“I hate electronica or club music,” said Alfredo Soipili,
senior. “It simply gets on my nerves.
“Some rock and rap I don’t like,” said Nash. “It just
doesn’t make any sense, plus you can’t understand it.”
Mauricio Soto, seventh grade, enjoys rap.
“I don’t really like Country,” said Soto, “But I do like
rap, I like the bass.”
Wiseman, a fan of Country, dislikes hard rock.
“Heavy metal, hard rock,” said Wiseman. “I don’t
like, it is too loud.”
On the subject of being too loud, there is a band called
Metallica. This group is considered to be one of the most
successful acts in recent times, and is included in the ‘Big
Four’ thrash metal bands. In the United States alone, they
have sold 57 million albums and counting. Soipili is a fan
of Metallica.
“Metallica is one of my favorite bands,” said Soipili.
“Their songs are raw, heavy and natural, and I love their
lyrics too.”
All in all, music is something humans use to release
their emotions, relax themselves and just plain old listen
to.
“Music can always accompany and entertain me in
some kind of way,” said Soipili. “Every time I listen to
music I can relax myself.”
It is also important to Burns.
“Music is essential for me,” said Burns.
It is an essential for Nash also.
“Music is very important to me, songs take me away
from what is going on around me, lift my spirits, and make
me feel better,” said Nash.
“ Ja s o n A l d e a n ’s s o n g
‘Hicktown’ is a good song.”
- Jared Nichols
“Music is very important
to me...especially George
Strait”
- Katey Nash
Seniors look forward to graduation, days after high school
by Phillip Marshall
A
s we draw closer to the end of the 2006-07 school year, students and teachers alike look towards summer break. No students, however, look forward to this
special occasion more than seniors.
Every year, students, especially members of the
graduating senior class, can’t wait until that final day
arrives. For seniors who are tired of school, want a new
challenge, and plainly just want to be finished with high
school, the problem is simply called: Senioritis.
“My definition [of Senioritis] is that students are
tired of being in school; they want to move on,” said
Shelley Baublits, librarian and senior class sponsor.
Susan Wiseman, English teacher and senior class
sponsor, agrees.
“From spring break till the end of the year, [conditions] are bad,” said Wiseman. “Seniors want to be
outside in the nice weather, rather than be crammed into
a classroom all day. Plus, they just want to finish school.”
Karrie Millershaski, guidance counselor, has a similar
concept on the basis of the theory of Senioritis,
“Students just outgrow high school,” said Millershaski.
“They are tired of high school, and ready to move on.”
Senioritis affects seniors every year. Prominent students the first three years of high school easily find themselves slacking off in most classes.
“I started slacking [from Senioritis] when second
semester started,” said Charity Bailey, senior, “especially
in yearbook. Last year I was on top of selling yearbooks,
but this year I just really slacked.”
Jesus Sauzameda, senior, feels ready for the next
step.
“I’m ready to be out of here,” said Sauzameda. “ I
don’t do my homework; I just don’t care.”
Depending on who they are, Senioritis affects seniors
at different times throughout the year.
BORING! - Seniors Zach Pulkrabek and Eric Simmons
look at an online catalog during class. Seniors struggle
to stay focused during class. (Marshall photo)
8
The Bluejay Post
April 2007
ADMINISTR ATION NEWS
The Principal’s Perspective
Today’s Learners
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the
Mid-America Association of Computers in Education (MACE) conference. The keynote address
was delivered by Marco Antonio Torres (who was
recently recognized for the California Teacher of
the Year award).
During his keynote address, Mr. Torres spoke
of today’s learner and how they learn. I found his
words to be thought provoking and very insightful.
With your permission, I would like to share just a
few of his remarks:
In the past, students’ main mode of learning
was through ‘receiving’ information. At one time
or another, I’m sure we have all thought (or commented) that we are living in an ‘information’ age.
Mr. Torres believes we have entered a new phase in
our American culture. Students no longer learn by
‘receiving’ information. He believes that the students
of today learn best by ‘producing’ information. We
have moved from ‘receiving’ to ‘producing.’
Mr. Torres challenged us to think about those
events that have shaped history during our lifetimes. Immediately, I thought of the Kennedy Assassination, the Challenger explosion, the fall of
the Berlin wall, and the attempted assassination of
President Reagan. After we had named several of
the events, he then asked, “How did you learn about
those events?”
Without exception, we all had learned about
these events by way of video and sound (i.e., we
don’t remember the events in their ‘written’ form).
In essence, we learn best by way of the visual (i.e.,
video) and auditory. Therefore, educators should do
more to present information by way of the visual and
auditory rather than by ‘reading all about it.’
As an American society, we have moved through
three distinct periods of time and are now fully
engaged in a fourth period. Initially, we were an
‘agricultural’ society. We then moved through the
‘industrial’ age, followed by the ‘informational’
age. Many people still believe that we are in this
last stage.
However, Mr. Torres believes we have gone
beyond the ‘informational’ age and are now in the
‘conceptual’ age. Upon graduation, most of our
students will work in careers that demand they ‘conceptualize’ new thoughts rather than reproduce the
thoughts of others.
Finally, Mr. Torres encouraged every educator to
“…never ask a question that can simply be ‘looked
up’ on the Internet or elsewhere.” Information is
available to everyone quickly. Anybody can look at
the Internet to retrieve information. However, we
must create an environment that will ‘foster’ ideas,
uniqueness, original thoughts, and allow students to
‘conceptualize.’
--Mr. Brown, CHS Principal
The Counselor’s Corner
I know I have said it before, but where has this year gone?
It seems like just yesterday school started. State Assessments
are in full swing with math completed and English started. We
will finish up with all assessments in April. From many of the
preliminary results, it looks like our kids are doing well overall.
We will not have final data until in the fall.
Many juniors are planning on taking the ACT in April. Do
not panic if you did not get signed up for April; there is always
the June test. Please remember that May 4 is the last day to
register for the June test if you are interested.
I am in the midst of pre-enrollement for next year. If you
were absent the day I enrolled your class, I will catch up with
you over the next few weeks. I highly recommend that you
discuss with your parents the classes you’re enrolled in, and if
there are any concerns stop by and see me.
Dates to Remember:
March 28
April 14
April 11
April 23
Leadership Conference
ACT test
ETS lunch for Seniors
Explore test for 8th graders
Seniors:
Please be watching the due dates for scholarships!
--Mrs. Millershaski, counselor
April Birthdays
2 Kyle Maddox
21 Ashley
Harrell
5 Adam Peterson
24 MacKenzie
Batman
6 Dalia Erives
27 Gretchen
Bailey
7 Tyler Peterson
27 Kailin Blackburn
7 Zazhary Pulkrabek
27 Alfredo
Sebastian
7 Shay Zielke
28 Klayton
Bock