Augusta High School2020 Ohio StreetAugusta KS 67010

April 30, 2011 Volume 77, Issue 8

Inside2 ‘Crucible’ Review

3 Students help the environment

5 Student Feature: Cody Morgan

13 Senioritus strikes again

14 Great Debate: Should Pluto be considered a planet?

“Forgive Us Our Trespasses” In AHS’s production of “The Crucible,” John Proctor (Matt Madison, 12) begins to recite “The Lord’s Prayer.” Also “hang-ing out” with him are Rebecca Nurse (Angie Thompson, 10) and Martha Corey (Shalynne Kerby, 11). The trio seen above were convicted on false grounds of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death during the Salem Witch Trials. The fact that they are reciting this prayer proves that they couldn’t be witches, and yet they still hung. (See story page 2. Photo by Rachel Pangrac)

The Oriole

Oriole Augusta High School 2020 Ohio Augusta, KS 67010

Policy Statement The Oriole is published monthly from October-May and distributed free to the members of the high school community. It is reproduced at the USD 402 Copy Center. The Oriole is a student-produced newsmaga-zine published to entertain the community and educate members of the Newspaper Publications class. Opinions expressed are those of individual authors and do not necessarily relfect the views of administration or the staff. Signed guest articles are encouraged but are subject to editing for grammar, length, legiblility, and taste.

(Member of KSPA)

StaffEditor in Chief................................Nathan DanielBusiness Manager......................Rachel PangracCartoonist......................................Kirsten SmithCopy Editor.........................................Nick ReimerEntertainment Editor.................Casey MatlockNews Editors..................................Halley Groom, Rochelle BrowningSports Editors.........Adam Tabor, Natalie SykesReporters: Hailey Base, Ally Spease Adviser.......................................Kathey Gibbs

Coming Next Month...May 4- Baccalaureate Pratice 9 a.m.May 8- Baccalaureate (Auditorium) 7 p.m.May 15- Commencement (Hiller Stadium) 2 p.m.May 19- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

2

By Halley Groom This spring AHS took on the challenge of performing Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and brought in their own style. Even with the thunderstorm knocking out the power on Friday, the actors went on with their lines as if they were still under the spotlight. In Act 2 the data projector, used in the opening credits, came on randomly during the scene that Giles Corey is pressed to death. Needless to say, even a malfunctioning data projector couldn’t stop this cast. Saturday night was smoother, with no technical difficulties at all. The actors were flawless as the night went on. Matthew

Madison (12) was full of ever-changing emotion. The courtroom scene was set up so that the backdrop made the audience think about the words that were printed behind the actors. The high intensity of everyone’s emotions kept everyone wondering what would happen next. At the end of the closing night, the seniors received going-away presents consisting of witches’ hats and brooms from the other cast members. Director Tim Laner and Tech Director Jennifer Bagby were also given gifts from the cast members. To sum up the whole play in one word is hard, but here’s a shot… marvelous, simply marvelous!

‘Crucible’ premiers

Freeze Frame! Jennie Thompson and Matt Madison (12) share the spotlight during “The Crucible.” (Photo by Rachel Pangrac)

April 30, 2011 3

By Rachel Pangrac Many people turned their focus to what they can do to help the planet April 22. Earth Day is celebrated twice a year, on the March equinox and April 22. It is intended to spread aware-ness of this planet where we live. Even small actions can change the course of the planet. Our planet is in a crisis, thanks to global warming and overpopula-tion. Earth Day has led to the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act and the estab-lishment of the Environ-mental Protection Agency. We all share the responsibil-ity to preserve the planet’s natural resources. Pick up litter, recycle, use public transportation, turn down your heater, turn off your

air conditioner and install energy efficient lights.

By Rochelle Browning Many people once celebrated May Day which happens to fall on May 1; however, it seems that this holiday has slipped the minds of people during recent years. In fact, a large majority of today’s gen-erations probably doesn’t know much about May Day because it is not commonly celebrated any longer in America. May Day was originally celebrated by the Druids of

the British Isles as a cel-ebration of the coming of summer. A fire would be set, and sweethearts would pass through the smoke for seeing good luck. When the Romans came to occupy the British Isles’ their customs for the celebration of Flora, the goddess of flowers, eventually merged with the British Isles customs of May Day. In America, May Day was first celebrated by early European settlers. It was a

tradition for them to make May baskets. These baskets were usually small in size and filled with flowers and/or treats. The basket-giver would leave the basket on the porch of a chosen person, then knock on the door and run. Whoever was receiving the basket was supposed to catch the basket-giver, and if caught, a kiss was to be exchanged. May Day used to be of some importance to people because it helped them to

feel a sense of love. Nathan Pearcy (11) remembers giv-ing paper flowers to every-one, and Emily Abernathy (11) gave paper flowers with compliments written on them to her mom. We have allowed the day to become a part of the past instead of a tradition. It’s time to bring back the tradition, so this year, take the time to leave a May basket for someone special to you. It should bring a smile to someone’s face!

May Day fading away, or can we bring it back?Origin of the holiday

There are dozens of ways you can lighten the load on

the environment. This year the Earth Day Network launched the Green Generation Cam-paign that has focused on reducing carbon emissions through renewable energy sources, which eventually will lead to the creation of greener jobs and a greener economy. The past 41 years have been annual reminders of what we are doing to the Earth and ways we can re-duce, reuse and recycle. AHS students were al-lowed out of seminar in or-der to help clean up Garvin Park and the Augusta City Lake on April 21. Students and teachers were bused to the park and lake to help make our community cleaner. This is just a start for how we as a community can give back.

Pause! Austin Tilcock (9), Colton Albert (9), Jerred Long (10), and Blake Rader (10) help clean-up the lake. (Photo by Rochelle Browning)

Earth DayStudents give back to the environment

The Oriole4

What was

your favorite

childhood

cartoon?

“Tom & Jerry”

-Troy Shaver (11)

“Rugrats”

-Allie Watkins &

Kellie Hutchins (12)

“Scooby Doo”

-Harley Alexander (11)

“Rocket Power”

-Rhi Bayer (9)

(Photos by Halley Groom)

Kicking the habit

How to end technology addiction

By Rochelle Browning

Let’s face it. This

generation of people has

become technology ad-

dicts. It has become a

challenge for many to stay

off a computer for a day,

or even to put down the

cell phone for two minutes.

The technology craze has

led to a lack of face-to-face

and personal interaction. In

July of 2010 more than 500

million people were users

of Facebook. According to

CBS News, young people

between the ages of 8 and

18 spend roughly 10 hours

and 45 minutes a day engag-

ing in media. So the ques-

tion is, how can we kick the

technology habit?

1. Set the cell phone down!

Have a REAL conversation

with a person. I promise

they won’t bite, unless you

make them mad, that is.

2. Step away from the

mouse and quit updating

your Facebook, Twitter and

Myspace status every five

minutes! The whole world

doesn’t need to know your

every move and thought.

By the way, that includes

updates via text!

3. Take out the headphones

and listen to your surround-

ings. Who knows... you may

learn something by tuning

into reality instead of your

iPod.

4. Try escaping from the

video game world and go

into the real world. Believe

it or not, the real world can

be exciting, too.

5. Instead of sitting on your

couch watching television,

try going outside, and enjoy

a nice day! The exercise

will be better for you than

the couch.

It’s true. Technology is

a huge part of our lives, but

minimizing its usage could

benefit us. Take a day to try

these five tips, and maybe

you’ll realize that a day

without all the technology

could be rather peaceful.

All of us, including myself,

are guilty of this addiction.

The time has come to get

back some of that personal

interaction!

Students ready to perform

Contestants chosen for annual talent show

By Rachel Pangrac

At the end of each year,

Drama Teacher Tim Laner

and Choir Director Rachel

Simmons band together to

host a talent show for the

high school.

The annual talent show

will be May 4 during semi-

nar. Tryouts were April 14.

Twenty-five students

tried out, but only fifteen

will be featured in the show.

Students had to be cut due

to the fact that the talent

show can only be an hour

long. With such a time limit,

it would be impossible to

allow all 25 students who

tried out. The finalists were

selected by Laner and Sim-

mons.

None of the teachers

signed up to participate this

year, unlike in years past

when teachers danced to

songs such as “Beat It” and

“Can’t Touch This.” Last

year Math Teacher Bryon

Sturm sang his famous

quadratic formula song with

a Jack-in-the-box.

This year students par-

ticipating are seniors Casey

Matlock, Jennie Thompson

and Brendan Delancy, Josh

Chosa, David Burkhalter,

Maithy Ta and the Pips;

juniors Hailey Base, Kori

Visor, Austin Harlow and

Daric Dunn, Caroline

Phipps; sophomores An-

gie Thompson, Ashley

Reischick, Mariah Small

and The Bradley Stevens

Project.

Tickets for the show

went on sale for $2 April

27 during all four lunches.

The tickets will continue to

sell during lunches through

the day of the show. All

the money raised will go

towards the drama and choir

classes. Be sure to purchase

your ticket in support of the

arts.

April 30, 2011 5

By Rochelle Browning

Music is a part of ev-

eryone’s life, usually on a

daily basis. It’s common

for people to listen to music

in the car or when doing

homework. However, for

Cody Morgan (9) it’s more

than that…It’s his passion,

and something that he wants

to turn into a career. To this

day he still has the 12 CDs

he had when he was young-

er that he listened to on his

Walkman.

“My first real influence

was, of course, Eminem. He

really spoke to me with his

music, and it made me want

to speak to others through

music,” said Morgan.

His mom was the first

person to introduce him to

the world of rap music. She

loved Eminem’s music, and

that’s what mainly got Mor-

gan interested in him.

At age 5, Morgan had

his first attempt at writing

lyrics; however, it was a

basically a knock-off of an

Eminem song. By the age

of 9 he was legitimately

writing full songs, and by

the age of 13 he had become

completely involved in his

writing and produced his

first demo. He currently has

four drawers and a box full

of notebooks filled with his

rhymes. Yet, as technol-

ogy has advanced, Morgan

now keeps his lyrics on his

phone, iPod and computer.

Many things inspire his

writing: things from sit-

ting in math class to real

life situations. He is also

influenced by the music of

Mack Miller, Young Jeezy,

Drake, Wiz and, of course,

Eminem.

Although he would love

to make a living with his

Making his way to the top

Setting an example for following your dreams

Keepin’ It Real Cody Morgan (9) represents those

who set out to chase their dreams and make them real.

Morgan has been doing his own lyrical writing since

the age of 5, and was first influenced by Eminem.

(Photo by Rochelle Browning)

music, he cares more about

the importance behind his

lyrics and reaching out

to his listeners. As he has

stated, he wants to speak to

others.

“I just want to continue

making music and have

people understand what I’m

saying along the way,” ac-

cording to Morgan.

Morgan has put much

effort into making his way

into the music industry. So

far he has made two demos,

an extended play and a web-

site (youngsolution.band-

camp.com). However, there

is more to come. He still has

multiple ideas that he may

explore, such as making and

selling tee shirts. His next

step is to start doing stage

shows, which hopefully will

begin with this year’s high

school talent show.

There are multiple

people who believe he has

a real talent. Sophomores

Jamie Ahrens and David

Forrester both stated that his

music is great.

“I like it. I sing his songs

when I’m in the shower,”

said Ahrens.

Although the shower

statement was a joke, the

point was that he genuinely

enjoys Morgan’s music!

Morgan’s efforts towards

his dreams are inspiring.

He’s setting a good example

for this small town. The mu-

sic industry can be a tough

one, but he is headstrong

about following his dreams.

With his ambitions, he is

someone people could look

up to. If people took the

time to hear his music and

truly listen to his lyrics, they

would not only realize his

talents, but they would learn

a little bit about him as well.

The Oriole6

By Natalie Sykes

As more and more names are added to the list of those who have graduated from the Augusta Senior High, many kids don’t realize that most of the “important” events in the high school are actually traditions. During the traditional Freshman Orientation, stu-dents learn the high school’s fight song and Alma Mater. Both of these songs are long time traditions, so the fresh-man are participating in a tradition within tradition. Freshmen are not the only class that has tradi-tions. Everyone participates in a tradition. Juniors participate in their annual Job Shadow Projects. They also get to plan, manage and go to Prom. Seniors also have a lot

of traditions. They have Senior Scholarship Night, when they sit in the Com-mons to find out what schol-arships they have received. A lot of the seniors go to Prom, watch a senior video, and of course, they also have graduation. While some students may think that the faculty is only into boring things like homework and stuff, but in reality even the faculty has traditions. They have “theme” based lunches every month. March was baked potato bar, and the last day in May is a cook-out in the outdoor commons area. They also have a faculty Christmas party that many former staff members come back for a visit. For the music loving stu-dents, there are traditional concerts for both band and

choir. Also, the drumline sometimes marches through the hallways during seminar to lead everyone to the pep rallies, especially for big games like Homecoming. Of course, sports have many traditions as well. Football, for instance, has pregame meals on Thurs-days after practice gets out, and they also eat together after school on Fridays before the games. Cross-country practices with the middle school team. They have the same shirts ex-cept that the colors match whatever school they go to. Also, both teams eat at the Reichardt’s house after the season is over. An ironic sports tradition it that track always seems to host a meet the weekend of prom. Both of the homecom-ings, prom and graduation

are some of the biggest traditions in the high school. With Fall Homecoming, comes Spirit Week, a cel-ebration with the city, the parade, and also the Power-puff football game. There are many tradi-tional awards ceremonies at AHS. There is the end-of-the-year student recogni-tion ceremony at which the Citizenship ‘A’ awards and many more are announced. Renaissance Week rewards students for grades, par-ticipation in activities, and teacher choice twice a year. Also, two students are hon-ored every week throughout the year. Traditions may end, and new ones will begin, and make sure you participate in things during high school because you’ll regret it in the end.

Graduation, other traditions continue

By Casey Matlock As the school year comes to an end, many seniors are either push-ing to finish their senior projects or whining about how far the seniors’ last day seems. It’s “se-nioritis” and has been an epidemic to schools far and wide. Senioritis is when high school seniors really can’t think about anything else but when the heck they get to leave school. They just don’t care about

how their grades are any more and forget to enjoy the few enjoyable moments being a high school senior. Just think that when you are in col-lege on your own, you’re going to miss at least SOME of the people you see everyday, free living at home and NOT having to pay for bills. Parents and teachers warn you not to let se-nioritis get to you because of your grades, but it’s not enough to have someone

telling you not to let it get to you. You need to have that drive to take your full potential to the max, then take your diploma and run to the best university. If you suddenly degrade yourself of what you can do just because you’re almost finished, what are you proving? That when the going gets tough, you will be the first one out? How do you think employers and college representatives will look at you when they see a re-

cent decline in your high grades? Certainly not honorably and not want-ing someone like that to represent their school. Since you’re almost finished, wouldn’t you want to finish at your best when you leave for the real world? Trust me, the work you’re putting in right now will get you farther than the slacker in the back of the room. Like they say, “Grab the bull by the horns and take it on!”

Regrets of senioritis last for a lifetime

April 30, 2011 7

Administration Seniors’ last day is May 12, not May 10 as originally believed. There also will be at least two No Tardy and Pizza Parties with the principal.

Class

And

Club

News

NHS NHS members host-ed a breakfast April 20 for their new members. New members were inducted April 26 during the Student Academic Assembly. For their end-of-the-year party, members who received all 10 points from first semester and their points from this semester are invited to dinner May 7 at SU-MOS. The bus will leave from the student parking lot at 5:30 p.m.

Stuco Stuco officers were elected for the 2011-2012 school year April 12. Election results were President Logan Smith (11), Vice President Mi-chael Cox (9), Secretary Alyssa Bisagno (10), and Treasurer Hope Laubhan (11). The four officers will be inducted into of-fice May 10 during the usual Tuesday morning meeting.

Counselors The science assess-ments were April 19-20. The Asset test was April 14. The English and Math Map tests will be April 21-May 2. Jolene from Butler will be here to enroll for Butler classes May 2, and the social studies assessments will be May 3-6.

Forensics Six forensics students attended the National Forensics League Tourna-ment at Derby April 15-16. No one from Augusta placed Debate/Forensics Night to honor the par-ticipants will be May 3 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Michael Cox (9) will be attending state for his poetry May 7.

Band Concert Band went to state contest April 14. Todd Hollis directed “Sky Dance,” a descriptive mu-sical piece. Randy McKee also directed “Arsenal,” a British march. The band scored all I’s, the high-est scores possible, with these three pieces.

FCCLA

FCCLA went to the Kansas Food Bank for backpack packing April 14. They spent the day filling backpacks with food.

Drama

Drama will participate in the Night of One Acts May 2 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.

SADD

After-prom plans have been set in motion. Plan on engaging in a jousting arena, poker games, mov-ies, a bungee run, and a 68-foot blow-up obstacle course. If the weather is good, there is a possibil-ity of some extreme Fris-bee and football outside as well. The fun for After prom is all owed to White Eagle Credit Union, who donated $2,000 and SADD who helped fund the event.

By Nick Reimer Misconceptions are everywhere. Whether you believe me or not, many of your ideas and “logi-cal” statements may be false. Stay a while, and listen. One of the most com-mon misconceptions of all is that blood is blue. Blood is “blue” because the veins and arteries that carry it are. Blood is red. If anything, it would turn maroon with no oxygen. Vikings did not wear horns on their helmets. This was most likely suggested because of the fear-factor that goes along with horns. Think about it; you’re a Viking, and you start going toe to toe with your foe. He grabs your horn and breaks your neck. Horns have no purpose on their armor, so they wouldn’t put them there. Gum takes seven years to digest. No, gum has no digestible sustenance in it, so instead of tak-ing seven years to digest, it simply passes straight through your system. Most misconceptions are birthed by some stray word. What people tell you and what is actually going on may be two completely different things. Biology bends to nobody’s gain.

Misconceptions

proved false

Philism of the Month

Google for the

“Health of it!”

8 The Oriole

By Hailey Base

The softball team started their season with big losses for their first two games, but they have progressed since then. The first two games were against Andale and Garden Plain. The Andale score was 11-0, and the Garden Plain score was 12-1.

Softball earns winning streak after rough start

By Halley Groom

Four meets into the track season and the team is off to a great start. The Early Bird meet that is always held at the Andover Stadium was rescheduled from March 29 to April 1, due to the weather. Friday proved to be a better day to have a track meet, since the weather was up to 85 degrees with only a light breeze. Kaleb MacNicol (11) placed fourth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.96 seconds. In the 200-meter dash Alex Clausing (11) came in fifth with a time of 25.03 seconds. AJ Willett (11) ran the 1600-meter run or the mile in 5:39.15, and Cassidy Hartup (9) was fourth with a time of 6:41.42. Bailey Reichardt (9) received third in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:54.68. Sean Wisdom (12) jumped all the hurdles

with fourth place in the 110-meter hurdles and a time of 18.08. Also, Wisdom was third in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 43.93. The boys’ 4x100 relay came in third at 48.02 and the 4x800 relay, also third, ran with a time of 9:14.83. The girls 4x800 Relay was second with a time of 12:09.53. Kyler Steinkamp (9) was second in high jump with a jump of 5’06. Cody Smith (11) was first in pole vault with a height 8’06 and Alec Burns (11) was second at a height of 8’0. Colton Robinson (11) received third in Shot Put with a throw of 42’01, and Rebecca Winter (10) was fifth, throwing 29’07.50. Michael Hopkins (12) was fourth in Discus with a throw of 96’04, and Kendi Ripperger (11) threw 76’10.50, placing sixth. MacNicol also threw the Javelin 122’04, earning a fourth place finish. The following Friday

Tracksters battle spring weather

April 8 at Valley Center Wisdom placed second in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.31. Zach Budda (11) jumped 6’2” in the high jump, placing third. The girls’ 4x800 came in seventh. The JV team traveled to Buhler April 12. Hope Travaille (9) threw the shot put 25’01 and came in fourth place. Rhi Bayer (9) ran 100-meters in 0:14.65 earning seventh place. Burns polevaulted 8g tying for second place. The boys 4x800 Relay came in sixth with a time of 10:18.25. K.T. Woodman Classic was April 14-15 at WSU. Halley Groom (12) was the only girl in attendance from AHS, running the mile with a time of 6:10 Thursday night. Wisdom ran the 110 hurdles and placed second Friday. Also due to unfortunate weather, Budda was moved inside to high jump. Smith and Clausing did not run due to the weather.

Toss! Kendi Ripperger (11) gets ready to throw her dis-cus on April 8. (Photo by Halley Groom)

After this rough start, Augusta managed a winning streak. Both of the games against Wellington were Oriole wins, with scores of 14-3 and 16-6. Wellington put up a good competition with many runs hit, but Augusta came back with awesome defense. Next, Augusta traveled to

Circle, winning two games there as well. Augusta scored four runs in the first game and two in the sec-ond. Circle managed only one run in the very first and none in the second. The next two games were shut-outs against El Dorado. El Dorado didn’t score a single run in either

of these two games. Au-gusta put up a fight with 15 runs in the first game and a whopping 27 in the second. “We’re working together really well and communi-cating great as a team,” said Leslie Burkett (9) about the team this year. This seems like a great year for AHS softball.

Playing Catch Up! Kyler Steinkamp (9) trails two ri-vals during the April 8 meet. (Photo by Halley Groom)

Early Bird gets the worm

9April 30, 2011

By Natalie Sykes

It’s “tee” time, but you can’t drink this kind of tee. As the weather warmed up, it brought bright colors and crisp air, but most importantly it brought spring sports, including golf. Collegiate hosted an Invitational April 15, where the varsity golfers placed seventh. Individually, Trey Hayden (12) placed second with a score of 76. Kesten Trebbe (10) scored an 88, Trevar Bevan (9) shot a 99, Kevin Walp (12) shot a 101 and Brock Keazer (10) a 111. Augusta hosted an Invitational April 14. Hayden finished with a score of 40. When it came down to who won the team title, Augusta and Andover were tied. After the tiebreaker, the Trojans were declared the winner by two strokes. Connor Carman (12) scored a 46, Bevan a 47, Trebbe a 48, Cole Richardson (12) a 50, and Greg Slaton (9) a 56. The varsity golfers were back at Terradyne April 12, but this time it was for the Andover Central Invitational. Hayden placed fourth with a score of 74. The junior varsity team had a meet, April 11. It was the Andover Central Invitational. Augusta placed second

Hayden leads teamwith a total score of 325. Hayden scored a 71. Carman and Richardson scored an 81. Trebbe scored an 89. Bevan scored a 97, and Slaton scored a 114. Varsity had a meet on April 7 at the Wellington Invitational where they placed first. Hayden placed first with a score of 70. Trebbe was third with a score of 76. Richardson, Carman, Keazer and Walp also attended this meet. Richardson had a score of 83, Carman had a score of 87; however, Keazer and Walp had the same score. They both ended with a 96. The JV Orioles, April 7, hosted the Augusta Invitational. At this meet, Augusta placed fifth with a total score of 362. Hayden placed first, shooting a 78. The boys’ varsity golf team attended the Andover Invitational at Terradyne April 4. The Orioles placed fifth overall behind Collegiate, Goddard, Andover and Maize. Hayden scored a 78. The team consists of seniors Carman, Hayden, Richardson and Walp; sophomores Jared Austin, Caleb Cook, Chance Hufman, Keazer, and Trebbe; and freshmen Bevan, Caleb Laubhan, Scott McMurphy, and Slaton.

By Ally Spease

Varsity baseball went to El Dorado April 11 while JV stayed home, both winning their games that night. Varsity won 11-3 in the first game, then again 10-1. At home, JV was doing the same as they won by a whopping 15 points in both games. Starting off 18-3 was the score for the first game, and 15-0 in the second.

High school baseball teams play an irregular game, as the varsity plays a seven-inning game, and JV plays a five-inning game, as where a standard baseball game goes for 9 innings. Varsity games usually last until 9:30 and JV games are over around 8:30. Due to how well the boys were playing against El Dorado, the baseball games were cut short at the fourth innings in both JV games, sending the boys home about an hour early! It was a good night for Oriole baseballers! Orioles came face to face with Circle April 7 for a different story this time. Varsity lost 4-3 in game one, and took another loss in game two 10-6. This is a dramatic change from last year when varsity beat the

“...every double header we learn

something new about our team

mates...”

-Coach Jefferson

Circle Thunderbirds by at least 10 points. The baseball teams played Wellington April 4. In game one, varsity Orioles won 8-2, followed by another closer win in game two, with a score of 12-11. Wellington also beat the JV boys in both of their games for the night. The first game was 10-6, trailed with another closer loss of 19-18.

Head Coach Doug Jefferson said, “We did some good things, but we were not consistent the beginning of the season,” Jefferson says that consistency is the weakness of the team, but a strong quality of the boys this year is pitching. The season has merely just started, but Jefferson believes that the upperclassmen are probably the strongest players on the field. The baseball team lost three seniors from last year but gained 10 new players. “We should be just fine. Every double header we learn something new about our teamEmates,” said Jefferson about the rest of the season. The Orioles were scheduled to play Winfield May 2.

Baseball improves

with every game

10 The Oriole

Your crush has been texting you a lot lately.

You:

Make your move

Wait for them to make the move

You’re shopping, what are you most

likely to buy?

Video games

A cute new outfit

I don’t shop

On a Friday night, you’re most likely:

Out with friends

By yourself

Your wardrobe mostly consists of:

Anything bright

Anything dark

A little bit of everything!

You just tripped in front of the entire

class, you:

Are extremely embarrassed

Don’t care what

people think

In a relationship, you are most likely to fight

about:

Them flirting with someone

elseThem

being too clingy

When it comes to movies, you’d

rather watch:

The Notebook

Transformers

When it comes to sports, you:

Watch themCouldn’t care less

In your free time, you’d rather

Walk the dog Sleep

You’re outgoing and outspoken for the most

part, but sometimes care too much what others think of you.

It’s always a good and exciting time when

you are around.

The fun one! The nice one! The odd one!

Friends usually count on you to talk to when they’re having a tough time. Generally you’re pretty comfortable with yourself. Remember to put yourself first some-

times too, though!

Unlike most, your life doesn’t revolve around high school drama. You typically do what you want, when you want. Try to be more social,

your care-free influence is refreshing.

What kind of

you?START HERE!

By Ally Spease

person areBy Nick Reimer It’s that time of the month. It’s time for blood and anger angst and mal-ice. It’s time for irrational female hatred and rage. It’s time… for Dragon Age 2. Dragon Age 2 is an over-the-shoulder RPG centered around Hawke, your charac-ter. From character gen-eration, you choose one of three backgrounds and set your physical appearance. Afterwards, you choose one of three major classes: Mage, Warrior and Rogue. Mages deal magic damage, Warriors hit things with large objects and Rogues hit things in the back of the head while they are dis-tracted. The storyline of the game is presented in a slightly humorous ‘Sto-ryteller’ type deal. Varric, the clean-shaven dwarf, is somewhat a bard and is tell-ing the story to a mysterious lady (who is obnoxiously ireful, thus the intro to this review). In general, the game-play is great. It has the feel of a rail-game(You can’t free roam), but this effect is slightly nulled from the diversity of things you can actually do. Runes to find, items to equip, and secrets to unlock are all good things that add to the gameplay. I give Dragon Age 2 a 4 out of 5. Remember, chil-dren, Reimer loves all his games, even the ones thatare hard in the first stages.

Reimer Review

April 30, 2011 11

By Natalie Sykes

The WSU Shockers won their first ever NIT champi-onship in March. The final rounds are played in Madison Square Garden where there were 32 teams at the beginning of the tour-nament. The game also gave Wichita their twenty-ninth win of the season,

By Ally Spease

The weather is too perfect now to sit around at home and play Xbox or Facebook it up in the base-ment. It’s time to get out and do something fun, and I have just the thing! Tang-anyika Wildlife Park and all of its adorable animals are waiting for you. Tanganyika

opened in June of 2008, and I had al-ways wanted to visit but never got around to it. Finally, over Spring Break, I took the time to see what all the talk was about. When approach-ing the park, you feel like

you’re about to drive out into the boo-

nies because it is hidden behind trees out on a gravel road, but have no fear, just when you think your GPS has malfunctioned, there are signs with arrows point-ing where to go. From the parking lot you can see the giraffe heads above the entrance sign as they are roaming around the park.

The excitement starts here, because you will soon find out that you don’t just get to look at these beautiful creatures…you get to feed and pet them too! Entrance fee for a teenager into the park is a whopping $14, but well worth it. This cost is only $2 more than the fee for the regular zoo, where all you get to do is look at the animals. There are only a few animals in Tanganyika that you just get to look at for safety reasons, such as the white tiger and the red panda. If you want-ed the dangerous rush of adrenaline, try catching the park attendant who walks around with an alligator on its leash! They’ll let you pet the gator! If you want to get really up close and personal, the lemurs will climb all over you if you’re holding a cranberry, which can be pur-chased from one of the park attendants for $1. Yes, the food for the animals is defi-

nitely where the park gets most of their money, but be smart about it. Instead of feeding the whole cranberry to the Lemurs right when you buy it, savor it by split-ting it into multiple pieces. The animals will stick around until you give them every last bite of food you have with you. I could sit here and list all of the awesome animals you come in contact with on just one visit to this miraculous zoo, but I’ll leave it up to you to go to find out what else is inside those wonder-ful wildlife walls. What are you waiting for? Go anytime, Friday – Sunday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tanganyika was voted #1 for families in the “Wichita Family Magazine” for a good reason. Even if you don’t want to take your fam-ily, take some friends and get out of the house. Tang-anyika is one of Wichita’s often forgotten treasures. Now go and embrace it!

Tanganyika Wildlife Park

One of Wichita’s often forgotten treasures

WSU takes their first ever NIT championship!

Furry Friends! Ally Spease feeds a lemur at Tanganyika Wildlife Park on April 8. (Photo by Tina Spease)

which is the school record. WSU beat Alabama, 66-57. The Shockers ended the tournament with a record of 29-8, and their Missouri Valley Conference record was 14-4. Wichita State made 50% of their field goal (2-point) shots, while Alabama made only 37.5% of theirs.

The Shockers made 76.5% of their free throws compared to Alabama’s 86.7%, but when it came down to the three-point shots, WSU made 46.7% and Alabama made 14.3%, according to ESPN.com. WSU led the game with up to 14 points. WSU was the only Kan-

sas team to win; however, both KU and K-State were in NCAA Tournament play. K-State lost to Wisconsin 70-65 during the Elite Eight, and KU lost to Virginia Commonwealth University 71-61 right before the Final Four. UConn ended up winning the ‘Big Dance” against Butler, 53-41.

12 The Oriole

The evolution of all that is game awesomeness

By Nick Reimer and

Kirsten Smith

Needless to say, the gam-ing industry has exploded exponentially over the past 53 years. In 1958 the first known video game, “Ten-nis for Two,” was invented by William Wiginbotham, a nuclear physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project. That moment, when he released to the world the technological wonders of gaming, he set in motion the first link to the evolution of modern entertainment. The first games were de-ceivingly simple in design, as most technology begins. They were flat, two dimen-sional, with tiny pixilated graphics and limited com-mands for game play. A well-known example of how simple the first games were

is Pong, the iconic tennis game consisting solely of two white bars and a bounc-ing square pixel “ball.” Gaming grew in popularity quickly; arcades popped up everywhere seemingly over night. Whole buildings and establishments where erected with the purpose of housing arcade games. Landmark games like Gal-aga, Pac-Man, Centipede, Mario, Donkey Kong, Sonic and a personal favorite, Dig-Dug, are games that have been recreated with modern technology and still played today. Console gaming soon developed out of arcades. Skipping the years where the $10 consoles came up with built-in cartridges, there came from the entropy a system that revolutionized

gaming…The Nintendo 64. While most of the games for the 64 were relatively bad, something new came out of the 64. 3-D Gaming. The 64 was the first console that ever did incorporate 3-D models, and dynamic worlds that allowed the player, and the game’s plot line, to roam freely and explore, instead of being stuck in one linear story path and environment. A perfect example of this genre of adventure games is Legend of Zelda. Game graphics quickly evolved as technology advanced, each new game striving to be more detailed and more realistic. Al-though the graphics and the base engines and physics of games have advanced, gameplay and story have remained pretty close to the

standards they were a few decades ago. Video games are notorious for cheesy and sub-par story lines, un-less the game specifically focuses on its story (story heavy games tend to lack in the gameplay department respectively), but gamers permit this lack in story for better gameplay. In general and conclu-sion; The evolution of gaming is not going to stop any time soon. Games will keep getting more and more realistic; more and more “worldly” correct. Technol-ogy evolves quickly and exponentially, and gaming is no exception to this rule. Maybe in ten years, teens will be hanging out in vir-tual reality arcades like their parents were in their own arcades decades before.

By Casey Matlock

April 29 will mark as a moment in history when Prince William of Wales and his fiance Kate Middleton will wed at Westminster Ab-bey. William and Kate have been a couple adored by the public for the past 10 years. Fans were stunned by their breakup in 2007 and rejoiced by their reunion. William reportedly popped the question during a trip to Africa using his mother, the late princess Diana’s, en-gagement ring. Kate comes from a middle class family in England and met William at school at the University

of St Andrews in Fife. In preparation for the wedding, the UK has de-clared their wedding day a bank holiday so that local businesses will be closed for the occasion. Security is ex-tremely tight, and fans will be able to witness it only from the outside. News will be all over the area. Many of the juicier details such as “what will she be wear-ing?” is confidential and will remain that way until the big day. For the reception, a grand party will be held in the palace and is reportedly “disco themed.”

Lifetime channel aired a made-for-TV movie, per-fectly titled “William and Kate,” on Monday, April 18, the week before their vows that showed how they met, the breakup heard across the globe, the reuniting, and the time up unitl their marriage. Since Britain’s finest have not had the best track record for marriages that last (Diana’s and Fergie, Duchess of York’s to name two), everyone is hoping dearly that William and Kate’s will last the test of time and break the “curse” of un-lasting royal mar-

riages. One difference between Kate’s relationship and Diana’s corrupt mar-riage is that William and Kate waited to make sure that their relationship could last when Charles and Diana were forced into marriage through pressure from the tabloids and the palace. Diana was unprepared for all the media’s scrutiny that came with marrying royalty. Whereas Kate has had years of preparation carrying her-self in the public eye. The wedding will hope-fully fulfill everyone’s fairy tale dreams and definitely be a day to remember!

Britian’s Kate finally gets her Prince Charming

April 30, 2011 13

Seniors ‘dress’ for success

pencil skirts on an almost always regular basis, and not just when your parents force you to wear them. Job interviews and university life is on the horizon, and that means you will need to be prepared for whatever unexpected thing is thrown at you. Moving to a life of adult-hood means that SOME-TIMES you are going to have to be out of your comfort zone. When people look at you, don’t you want them to see you as the best person you can possibly be? You want to be seen as the “poster child for success.” “To be the best, you have to look the best” is my motto in life, and it has gotten me to where I want to be. Don’t

1.Nascar2.More Reality TV3.Indoor Football League4.Women’s Football5. Professional Bowling

Tabor’s Top 10Things That Will take the Spot of the

NFL if the Lockout Continues

By Hailey Base

Drugs have become a huge part of our culture to-day. “Tweak” by Nic Sheff, is an autobiography telling his story of drug abuse; how he went from being the golden child of his family to a complete night-mare for anyone around him. He describes how his drug use went from “casual experimentation” during his freshman year of high school, to his escalated use by senior year, when he was using marijuana mul-tiple times every day. During his college years, Nic came into contact with more drugs…meth affected him the most. He was addicted within weeks, and to feed his addiction, he went to extreme lengths, like steal-ing from his little brother to get money for the drug. Nic’s parents checked him into rehab. He re-lapsed a week later. After multiple times like this, Nic finally thinks he’s got-ten clean for good, because it’s been over a year since

he’s even thought of crystal meth. One night, however, Nic found himself on a fa-miliar street where he used to buy and sell. That was the night Nic relapsed into his most addicting experience yet. “Tweak” is a devastating story that showcases how awful addiction can be for not only the users, but for the families too. Throughout the story of Nic’s addic-tion, he keeps expressing the thought of how much he HATED to hurt his family, how he wanted to quit…but how if he quit using he would have to then deal with all of these emotions. I highly recommend this book. It’s great for anybody, but especially for those who have read and enjoyed the bestselling book “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins, or who have gone through similar experiences in their life. Go read this book, and see how Nic went from selling his body for meth to becom-ing a “New York Times” bestselling author. It’s worth your time.

From drugs to best seller

for the ‘New York Times’

By Casey Matlock

As seniors prepare to depart from high school and take that unknowing step into the real world, classmates must not only graduate from their educa-tion, but from their clothes as well. You are moving from the teenage years to the very important and inevitable adult years, so it’s time to make that transition from sweats and t-shirts every day to blouses and

you want to get where you want to be in life, as well? It may not be easy and you will probably be feeling stupid and like a stick in the mud, but if you make that change into business attire, I assure you that you that you won’t regret it. People will respect you more in the end and take you much more seriously than before. Ladies, just because you made that transition to business attire doesn’t

mean that you have to be the bore of the boardroom. Add a necklace to accentu-ate your neckline and bring color to that navy, black or grey business suit, as well as highlighting your awe-some facial features. To add color to an outfit, try bright colored tights, but be care-ful on the color; hot pink and neon green are probably not the best colors for the office, or a strict business environment. Just maintain your common sense, and you will be fine. When you take that giant step into the real world, don’t degrade yourself of your potential because of your clothes. If you really want that dream, go for it and do whatever you have to do to get it!

“To be the best, you have to look the

best” is my motto...

6.Sunday Night Cartoons7.Indoor Track and Field 8.Competitive Chess 9.Game Shows10.Major League Gaming

Savy fashion advice

for your future life

The Oriole14

By Kirsten Smith

Pluto should have never been considered a planet. Celestial bodies are classified very carefully. To be considered a planet, an object must fall under three strict criteria: it must orbit a star, be massive enough to maintain a spherical shape, and it must clear its “neighborhood.” This last point means the object must be gravitationally dominant in its orbit and no other planetesimals orbit in the object’s orbital zone without falling under the gravitational influence of the object. Objects that follow the first two criteria but haven’t cleared their neighborhood are referred to as dwarf planets. Pluto rests in the Kuiper belt, the ring of asteroids that orbit beyond Neptune. As the second largest body making up the heavily

populated Kuiper belt, Pluto has not cleared its neighborhood at all. There are many other little fun facts that prove Pluto unworthy of planet status as well. Pluto is the second largest body in the Kuiper belt, the largest being Eris, which is 27 percent more massive than Pluto. There are several other dwarf planets that share Pluto’s neighborhood, such as Makemake and Haumea, intruders a legitimate planet like Jupiter would never allow in its orbit. Regardless of what we call it, Pluto is still Pluto. It still has its wacky orbit that crosses paths with Neptune’s and it still has its tree moons. Whether we want to call it a planet or a dwarf planet or a really big rock doesn’t change anything.

Great DebateShould Pluto be considered a planet?

No Yes

By Adam Tabor

When I was in elementary school, I learned that there was nine planets in the solar system. In 2006 the IAU (International Astronomical Union) defined what a planet was. There were 19 in all to vote for the definition. The majority (11 people) voted in favor in the current IAU definition of a planet, which is “A planet is any object in orbit around the sun with a diameter greater than 2000 km (1242.74 miles),” according to IAU.org. Eight people voted for the definition: “A planet is any object in orbit around the sun whose shape is stable due to its own gravity. “ The other six voters voted for: “A planet is any object in orbit around the Sun that is dominant in its immediate neighborhood”.

For this definition Pluto would have been classified as a major planet, because Pluto has three moons, Charon is the largest satellite of Pluto. Right now, Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet. Calling Pluto a dwarf is like calling a short person a dwarf even if they are not medically classified as one. If we are calling planets dwarfs, then Eris is the “tallest” dwarf. Eris also has a moon named Dysnomia, which is much smaller then Eris. Eris is a trans Neptunian object, which means farther out of Neptune’s orbit, according to astronomytoday.com. If someone walked up to me when I was eight years old and asked me how many planets there are, I wouldn’t hesitate to say nine. Now if I asked a little kid, we might get into an argument.

Pluto a planet?100 Students Polled

April 30, 2011 15

By Rachel Pangrac

“I just want to grow up.” We have all thought what it would be like to be an adult with no parents telling us what to do or when to be home. Freedom comes with a price however...I think we lose sight of how old we really are or how far gone our childhood really is. The other day I took a good look at my life, and what I saw was surprising. We are almost adults and there isn’t much more

time for fun and games left. I have two summers vacations left of high school. Then it’s off to college, and then I’m finished. I’ll have to find a job and my own home soon enough. Even if you’re not going to college, I’m sure you will be looking for a job. After high school, the only safety net that’s left is our parents; we usually move out right after high school or a few years later,

so that net doesn’t last long. Then we’re high on the tight rope without that safety net. Everything becomes our responsibility, from housing to food, not to mention the dreaded house cleaning and work. Everything. But for now we’re still high schoolers. We still have a little time to enjoy being young and carefree. So let’s take things a little less seriously. Pick up a coloring book and some crayons, watch a old-

fashioned television show or even a cartoon, maybe grab some old board games, ride and tire swing and just have some fun. Spend time with your siblings and your family because pretty soon you won’t have that time together. Now is the time to soak up what little time you have left to be a kid. We’ll be adults for the rest of our lives, but now we’re still kids and childhood ends all too soon.

Growing up not all it’s cracked up to be

Redhead misconceptions meet truth

By Hailey Base

Many misconceptions exist about blondes, like how they are dumber than everyone else…but there are just as many misconceptions for redheads! The first misconception is that redheads are naturally angry people with short tempers. I know quite a few redheads, and none of them are any angrier than people with brown, black or blonde hair. I mean…I’m a redhead, and I kind of pride myself in having a lot of patience and keeping my head in frustrating situations. Also, in Germany during the 1400s people with red hair were thought to be witches because the color red was seen as “the mark of the devil.” Redheads were stripped and searched for freckles, which were

viewed as proof of the devil’s involvement. If freckles were found, the redhead would either be tortured, or murdered. Well…I mean…I don’t think I’m a witch, so this has to be a misconception too! It is also commonly said that people with red hair are deviant, mischievous people who frankly just aren’t very nice. Seriously? I guess there are probably some redheads who are mean, but there are also blondes, brunettes and even blue-haired folks who are mean! One misconception that I hear a lot is that redheads are dishonest, dirty liars. Either all of you have been lied to by a redhead once in your life (and are now severely scarred by forever thinking redheads are constantly lying) …or you

just don’t know what you’re talking about! I’m thinking probably the latter. During the Medieval Ages, it was believed that poison needed one special ingredient, blood from a redhead. This, clearly, is a myth. There are many household items that people are poisoned from all the time, like certain household chemicals, medicines, and even vitamins can cause poisoning. None of these have Ginger blood in them. My least favorite misconception about redheads though, is that they don’t have souls. This “joke” came about when the television show “South Park” showed an episode saying that red hair and freckles are symptoms for “a lack of soul.” It goes on to say that people suffering from these symptoms

may have an illness called “Gingervitus.” GINGERS DO HAVE SOULS! Honestly, this is probably the strangest misconception ever to come about. Gingers have souls and feelings just like you. We’re people, too. Trust me! These are just a few of the many, many misconceptions and misunderstandings about redheads. None of them are true. They are all just false sterotypes, making “gingers” out to be angry witches who are rude, dishonest, and use their blood as poison, while walking around WITH NO SOULS! Just remember, other people are just people like you, no matter what their hair color. Just as not all blondes are dumber than dirt, not all redheads are evil or souless.

April 30, 2011 16

Congratulations,Seniors!

By Nathan Daniel In 1961, a vision was born, a vision to build a car that would change the nation forever. Out of this vision, the Ford Mustang was born unto the world in 1964. Almost 50 years later, Mustang drivers continue to drive these cars with rightful pride. Among these drivers is Jared Bishop (11), owner of a 2006 Ford Mustang GT. This car remains stock with its 4.6L V8 pushing 305 horsepower, allowing the car to blow most cars off the road. He hopes to add even more power by installing a roush cold air intake, which would boost his car about 17 more horsepower. (That’s a heck of a lot of horses.) Bishop purchased this legendary Mustang at Mel Hamilton Ford for a whopping 18g’s. This

seemed to be a fair price since the car has only 55,000 miles on it. Bishop hasn’t had the car too long, but he seems to have already tested the limits of the car, reaching speeds as high as the speedometer can go. When it comes to fuel efficiency, this car is not going green. Although pretty and powerful, this Mustang gets a max of only 23 mpg on the highway. But that’s the dilemma if you’re choosing a V8 over a V6. Mustangs have made American muscle cars what they are today, and Bishop’s Mustang lives up to its reputation. So the next time you hear a thunderous roar as though over 300 horses were running through the parking lot, you’ll know you heard Jared Bishop cruising in his legendary Mustang.

Bumper to Bumper

1. What’s your middle name?Edward2. What college did you go to?Emporia3. Where were you born?Parsons, Kansas4. What is your significant other’s name?Stana5. Favorite color?Green6. What was your first job?Custodial Staff7. What is your favorite movie?“Bull Durham”8. What’s your favorite band?

Zac Brown Band9. Who’s your celebrity dream girl?Jessica Biel10. Where have you always wanted to travel?Europe11. What’s your favorite TV show?“Two and a Half Men”12. If you were an animal, what animal do you think you’d be?Lion Answer: Doug Jefferson

March Game Answers

Sha-Bang! Jared Bishop stands snazzily with his 2006 Ford Mustang GT. (Photo by Nathan Daniel)