Yearbook deadlines. Debate. FFA. No voice. Tera Brandt, junior, was stressed.Last year, she had so many obligations she went

to school sick. “I felt I needed to muddle through the day no

matter how sick I was,” Brandt said.Excess stress causes complications when

fighting illness, according to ABC news website. However, some students come to school despite the risk of getting sicker or spreading their illness.

Deanell Wieland, counselor, said it’s OK to come to school with a minor illness. She said when a student leaves school or work, it’s hard to catch up when they get back.

Last year, Brandt found out she had shingles, but after the contagious stage had passed. She didn’t go home.

She had dance practice. “I couldn’t miss anything,” she said.Wieland has seen students get so overwhelmed

with homework buildup because they have missed days that they don’t know where to begin.

“They put it off, which then adds more stress because they might not know how to do current work if the prior learning hasn’t taken place,” she said.

Wieland said students should make it a point to get work in and complete to stay above water. “If students see that they are going to miss several days, it’s always a good idea to ask for a homework packet,” Wieland said.

While some students panic if they miss a day, Justin

Elliott, counselor, said other students stay home because they are not interested in school or because they did not complete everything due that day.

Or they just need to sleep. “Most of the time when a student misses on

a regular basis, they are taking advantage of the system,” said Elliott, counselor. “It is estimated that in the US, each day approximately 160,000 students skip school to avoid harassment.”

Sophomore Addie Dashiell admits to coming to school when she had the flu in ninth grade.

“It’s really

frustrating to miss,” said Dashiell.Her less-than-perfect health contributed to a

more negative day.“I don’t have a high tolerancefor annoying people,” Dashiell said. Not only was her interaction with peers

different, academically her day was difficult.“I can’t concentrate and I have even less

motivation to do my homework,” she said.Her mom and a few teachers were upset that

she showed up at school, too.Her mom “worries about everything” and

Dashiell said teachers were dismayed because she “couldn’t pay attention.”

Dashiell may have gone to school, but she did not stay in class. She had to excuse herself from one class because she was not feeling well.

“If you are not feeling well but could manage to make it through the day, then yes you should be at school,” said Elliott.

thereporter

Paola High School • 401 N. Angela • Paola, KS 66071 November 2012

4 5 11(news)

Punchy politics Rags

(sports)

““I just don’t express my stress as much. I am stressed out, but not as much as other people show it. I keep it to myself. I’ve been reading a lot lately. Quiet is what I need.

- Taylor Blake, senior

Happy 125th anniversary

(entertainment) 6-7 (features)

All-American

Sneezy wheezy stressBrandt, Dashiell come to school ill, say they can’t afford to stay home

lane harris reporter

How they de-stress

camille mars reporter

PJ Capettini , at left, and Caleb Bishop, freshmen, listen to music and run to relieve stress. “I let my mind go free and just focus on the music instead of focusing on everything else in life,“ Capettini said.

“I like to build things when I’m stressed. If I have a lot of stress I go down to my room, shut my door, turn all the lights off and listen to music. If I’m outside I run for a mile or so until I lose the stress.

- Caleb Bishop, freshman

“

“ I eat when I’m stressed. I just think it relieves stress. It makes me feel better.I usually listen to my music on my phone and I read. Sometimes I’ll listen to music and jog on my grandpa’s property.

- PJ Capettini, freshman

“

Photo illustration by Camille Mars

Some students go to school even when they’re sick to avoid the stress of too much homework.

The Reporter • November 20122 (quick news)

quickpicks

1983year graduated from Harvard’s Law and Buisness School

year graduated from Columbia University

Compiled by Jackson Setter

Information from the biography website and fox news

Barack Obamayear graduated from Brigham Young University

Senior Husain Agha pops a water balloon over Principal Phil Bressler’s head to celebrate homecoming on Oct. 19. Seniors Pete Timpe and Amber Harris won homecoming king and queen.

Photo by Journey Capettini

The Optimist Club is hosting Paola’s Got Talent on Jan. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. Applications to audition are due Nov. 16 and will be Dec. 1. The entry fee is $10 and the prizes start at $100 and end at $500.

They are part of a national organization called Optimist International. Paola’s sector

was started in 1969 with the motto ‘friend of youth.’

“We would like to have 20 acts,” said Barbara Gray, Optimist Club chair member.

Vice President Jim Gray said that they will audition more, but only have time for 20 during the show.

The show is supporting causes such as the Unsung

Heroes program and Fish for Fun Day.

“All proceeds are helping to finance the youth causes that the Optimist Club focus-es on,” said Barbara.

This is the first year the Optimist Club will host a Paola’s Got Talent.

“The idea came from the Ottawa Optimist Club that

has sponsored Ottawa’s Got Talent based on the TV show “America’s Got Talent” in years past,” said Barbara.

The Miami County TV station is to record the event. They will be present at the auditions, the dress rehearsal and the night of the show, said Jim.

-Tristan Barnes

Paola to have talent

Prom can expect to see some adjustments this year. The prom ev-eryone is accustomed to, will soon change.

“The prom commit-tee wanted to look at the idea of having prom on the Square,” said Phil Bressler, principal. “I told them I would sup-port them if that was their desire.”

The committee want-ed to relocate the prom for more room and a more elegant location.

“After meeting with officials of several agen-cies that would be re-quired to make this hap-pen, it became apparent that it would be a logis-tical nightmare,” said Bressler.

Bressler said he thought the Square would have been wonderful.

“You guys would have had one of the most

unique proms in the country,” said Bressler.

However, Bressler said he is still impressed with the originality of the prom because of walk-in.

Since the prom will remain at the high school, some security requirements will be put into place. More adults will supervise.

There will also be up-front rules as to what vehicles can be used at walk-in and who can drive them. The route used at walk-ins may be altered to expand the area for more people so it is not as congested. Bressler said more de-tails weren’t available at press time.

“It’s purely a safety issue,” Bressler said.

However, Bressler said as a prom-goer, the changes won’t be very apparent.

-Whitney McDaniel

John Henry Kelley was looking for a challenge; something that was not easy for everyone, that many people couldn’t accomplish.

The challenge he chose was to gradu-ate high school at 15.

“It’s a satisfying challenge,” says Kel-ley. “I felt the sophomore classes weren’t challenging me enough.”

Kelley is in the regular sophomore classes as well as gifted classes and the Success class.

Kelley was looking for something more than his high school education.

“I want to go to Harvard a year after

graduating,” Kelley says. “It’s the most prestigious college in the world and there will be a variety of intelligent people there.”

This challenge will come at a cost, he said.

“I will miss out on sports and devel-oping my potential athletic career,” said Kelley. “I am also going to miss out on the normal teenage life.”

Even though Kelley is missing out on the opportunities normal teenagers have, he is experiencing some things many won’t for a few more years.

The requirements to graduate high

school are 28 credits. Out of those 28 credits 4 are English, 3 are natural sci-ence, 3 are math, 3 are social science, 1 is physical education and health, 1 is a fine arts or performing arts and 13 additional elective credits, according to the student handbook.

Kelley has high expectations after graduation. As a student, he said the academic curriculum isn’t challenging enough. It won’t help prepare future stu-dents for college.

-Chase Mercer

Prom changes Sophomore to graduate early

Mitt Romney

19911971

1975year graduated from Harvard Law School

303 number of electoral votes received 206 number of electoral votes

received

The Reporter • November 20123(academics)

Handwriting analysis

Nicholas Hermes, sophomore, spent his time following in the foot-steps of Sherlock Holmes. After seeing Holmes perform handwrit-ing analysis in one of his movies, Hermes decided to learn the trade.

“Handwriting analysis is the study of the person’s emotional traits based on cursive handwriting, which is unique to each person,” said Hermes.

According to the science of graphology website, how one

crafts let-ters and words can indi-cate more

than 5,000 different personality traits.

The majority of the traits are emotional and intellectual such as sarcasm, kindness to others, intelligence, memory and opti-mism. With so much to remember, Hermes managed to learn the ba-sics in only a couple of weeks.

The hardest part, he said, was to remember everything with-out having to refer to the book

he’d been studying, 8 Steps to Graphoanalysis.

According to the website, a handwriting analyst looks for things such as the depth of letters, slant of writing, placement of dots and loops of specific characters.

Handwriting can tell about a person because as one writes, one obeys the guidance of his brain as it sends its orders through to the pen you’re holding. Handwriting

is therefore, programmed by your brain.

“It can’t be confused with for-tune telling, though,” Hermes said.

Handwriting analysis only re-veals information about a person’s past or present self.

To the average person, it’s just handwriting, but to a handwriting analyst, it paints a picture of the in-dividual behind the pen.

whitney mcdaniel reporter

Slant of the ‘e’ shows the person’s interest in literature.

Hieght of the bar on the ‘t’ shows ambition. Length of the bar shows enthu- siasim. Point on the end of the bar shows sarcasm.

Hump on the ‘n’ shows the type of think- ing the person does.

Loop on the ‘g’ shows the person’s imagination.

Hermes explains what your handwriting may reveal about you

Design by Caleb Hecker

The Reporter • November 20124(news)

Junior Ian Johnston said he became interested in poli-tics four years ago. He wanted to know why the cause of the recession. Some students and teachers said politics are interest-

ing and necessary for a student. Others didn’t.“I think studying politics helps the student under-

stand economics and foreign affairs,” Johnston said.Johnston said being unbiased about one’s views is

difficult because the meduia sways one’s opinion. “Media bias is very prevalent in our society,” he said.Johnston said he looked to his morals and values to

choose a political party with the best fit.Trisha Cloughley, freshman, said politics are impor-

tant for adults. She said she watched a debate out of curiosity when her parents turned on the TV and she happened to be in the room.“I’ll be in there with them and I’ll just leave when it

gets boring,” she said.Cloughley said it’s the adults’ job to be interested in

politics.“It doesn’t really concern us now,” Cloughley said.

“We’re still kind of kids.”Cristie Sims, government, disagreed. “You got to do

it all your life whether you like it or not.” Sims said.Sims said the importance of politics is to understand

government.“The knowledge of government is more important

than politics,” she said. “Politics influences what gov-ernment does. That’s the hook.”Sims said she doesn’t want her students basing their

political opinions on pop culture.“I wanted them to learn there are places they can find

out facts,” she said. Sims said students can get involved with county or-

ganizations like the Miami county Republican Party and the Miami country Democratic Party and regis-tering to vote.This will help students decide which party they be-

long to.“I leave the decision of party preference to the stu-

dent,” Sims said. “I’m one of those who believe in the power of the vote. I don’t care who you vote for. Just vote.”

The vote is in, some don’t care

lane harris reporter

Photo by Lane Harris

The flag soars outside the school Sept. 13. The flag is raised and lowered every day by the janitors.

Johnston gets into issues, Cloughley leaves it to adults

23%

35%

42%

Romney

Obama

Neither,Themself,Kid Cudi,etc.

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Head to ToeWomen’s Apparel

Come see our great collection of gifts for the girls “stocking stuffers”

Free Gift Wrapping!

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Head to ToeWomen’s Apparel

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8 East Peoria 913-294-2777

For senior Tanner Morris, having a 4.0 is an important part of her high school career. “My sister, Timmie, did,” said Morris. “She is just

a huge role model for me and I want to be like her.”Making good grades in school is essential for

some, and not so much for others. Morris has several motives to achieve a 4.0.“I am really trying to become a valedictorian and

get scholarships for college,” said Morris. For others, the drive to have a 4.0 comes from

within.“It was my own decision to get a 4.0,” said Sara

Allison, French teacher.Other student’s motivation is not as great.“I’d rather take it easy,” said freshman Ben

Aistrup.Allison said trying hard in school will produce the

best outcome.“If you try your hardest and only get a B or C, it’s

not the end of the world,” said Allison.

libby rayne opinion editor

Making the grade

The Principal Advisory Committee has recommended having more dances. The plan is to have one dance each month if the students are interested.The dances will be Friday or Saturday nights.

Kate Sample, sophomore and a member of the committee, said she didn’t go to the dances because she thought the dance wouldn’t be fun and none of her friends would be there. “I’m not interested in going somewhere that

I already spend eight hours a day at, especially when I could be doing something else,” said Sample.Alex Slawson, freshman, attended the first

dance.“I thought no one was going to be having any

fun but when I got there everyone was having a good time,” said Slawson. Principal Phil Bressler said the money from

admission fees from the dances covers the cost of the dance and other school expenses including new books. Homecoming and Prom dance money goes to Student Council.

More chances to dancebrooke prothe reporter

The Reporter • November 20125(entertainment)

Favorite group: Emblem 3

Favorite person from the group: Wesley

First there are tryouts in front of the judges and crowds, next they go to boot camp where they have to complete difficult talent tasks then the people that get accepted go to the judges house to go through a final stage. Finally the remaining contestants perform in front of America to choose the X factor.

The X- Factor

This fall all of the contestants are amazing and I know America will choose the right one.

Verdict:

Mythbusters

Linda Flores, freshman enjoys the show ‘Criminal Minds.“I like crime shows,” Flores said. “I like that charac-ters in that show and the way they get inside people’s heads.”

Verdict:

Fall frenzy:A look at fall showshali wimbush design editor

-Lauren Wolff, senior

Rags is back.The musical was first performed

at the high school in 1997. Sandra Buntin, choir director and Leslie Coats, Drama teacher loved the musical and could not wait to do it again.

“I like the story, the meaning and the different characters,” Buntin said.

The musical was chosen a year prior to the performance.

Rags, being performed Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 1, focuses on Rebec-ca and her son’s journey to the United States and what they encounter and experience, Buntin said.

“I loved the show,” Coats said, “It has one of the best scores, and this year I think we have the right combination of voices.”

A year after deciding on a script, stu-dents were able to audition for a part in Rags.

Junior Libby McCormack sang “Happy Birthday” in front of Bun-tin and Coats to land her the part of Rebecca.

McCormack said that her past experi-ences with Coats and Buntin helped her get the part.

After getting parts, actors learned

their lines. “I get them word for word, and then I

go to Mom,” McCormack said For senior Sarah Dickson and

McCormack, it can take one day, if they work really hard and two to three weeks to learn all the lines.

“I will still run over them even though I know I have them,” Dickson said.

Along with learning and reviewing their lines, performers re-hearse three nights a week for 1 ½-to-2 hrs, Coats said.

Finding a time that all 40 plus cast members can rehearse is the most dif-ficult part of being director, Coats said.

During rehearsals, the cast works on a variety of things including music, dialogue and getting into charac-ter.

“Every character is everything,” Mc-Cormack said “every character has every feeling.”

McCormack’s character, Rebecca is a young Russian mother who speaks no English and has just immigrated to the United States.

Rebecca is stuck between being loyal to her husband, who doesn’t understand her, and a man who knows and under-stands her.

“It’s a great story,” Coats said “very human, funny, serious. Ultimately it should make you feel really good.”

Musical depicts immigrant experienceMcCormack plays young

Russian mother who

brings family to U.S. natalie eppler reporter

Continued show Loved show

Criminal Minds

Missed show

Full House

Flores misses the show Full House. Full House was a popular show which ended on May 11, 1995.

“I always liked that show because it was funny,” Flores said. “I liked how real the family was. It reminded me of my family.”

This fall they are working on mini myths. One of the mini myths this season was that you actually know the back of your hand. They tested to see if the potty dance actually works. It does depending on who you are. They also tested to see if you could ride a bike underwater. The underwater test depened on a persons weight.

This fall the seasons gone alright. I don’t really have a fa-vorite myth though. I just enjoy being surprised.

-Austin Smith, junior

Continued show

Jordan Malone, senior works on painting the set during seminar in preparation for the musical Rags.

Seniors Sarah Dickson, Zach Holtz, Kyam McCormack and junior Andrew Henn reherse songs for the musical Rags. Henn and McCormack worked on matching notes.

Photo by Hali Wimbush

Photo by Hali Wimbush

The Reporter • November 2012The Reporter • November 2012

1974

125 YEAR

S In honor of the 125th anniversary of PHS, past students and staff share about their experiences here

PHS: Through the ages...1888

Paola’s first graduat-ing senior class

1956 1981

2013

1994

Richard Prothe (see pro-file above) graduates

Sherry Ball (see profile above) graduates

Jim Lee (see profile above) in his 2nd year of teaching and coaching

Leslie Coats (see pro-file above) in her 18th year of teaching

Paola High School celebrates its 125th anniversary

Richard Prothe: 1956Richard Prothe (1938-1977) was born and raised

in Paola. He graduated in 1956. Since then, both his children and grandchildren have attended the high school.Richard’s grandson, junior Brett Golubski, is a proud

third-generation Panther.Golubski said he enjoys Paola and plans to come back

after college to coach and raise a family of his own here.“This is where my family is—my grandma and

grandpa lived in Paola so I guess that made my mom and dad choose to live here,” Golubski said. “And I’d like to live here too someday.”Golubski said he enjoys Paola because of its small-

town environment and Panther tradition. “I like the black and gold and the winning football

franchise,” Golubski said.Richard’s wife, Linda Prothe, said Richard was always

very involved with the ag department at the high school. However, before his days at the high school, he went to the Block Lutheran School in Paola.Linda said the Block school is one of the things she

and Richard loved about Paola.“I think at parochial schools you’re able to grow up

with some really good friends that you know you can always go talk to if you need to,” Linda said. “I think that’s something a lot of kids miss out on nowadays.”Aside from its parochial schools, Linda also said she

enjoys the public schools in Paola. One tradition Linda said the high school has begun to

lose over time is its rivalry with Osawatomie. “I think the rivalry between Paola and Osawatomie

was a lot stronger at that time,” Linda said. “It was just such a huge thing when we were younger.”She also said fashion trends amongst high school kids

have undergone quite a change.Linda said in the late 50s and early 60s when she and

Richard were in high school, can-can skirts, bobby socks and white suede shoes were the rage.“I think at about that time, everything was kind of

changing as far as style being important,” Linda said. “If you didn’t wear dyed-to-match sweater and skirts to school, you were just nobody.” Along with changes in fashion, Linda said society as

a whole has changed a lot since when she and Richard were younger.Linda said the things on TV today give off a message

of ‘if it looks fun, do it’ and it is because of those ideas that the country’s morals are in trouble. “Kids today are exposed to so much more than we

were,” Linda said. “And I think that makes it really hard on them because, when I was a kid, we didn’t grow up with that. We never saw that kind of stuff on TV.”Linda also said a huge difference with society today is

in how seriously teens take high school relationships.“It seems like it’s always such a serious thing. It was

never that way when we were kids,” Linda said. “The girls and guys were just kind of a group of friends and it’s sad to see that go by the wayside. So many kids pair off and I think that just causes you to miss out on so much.”She advises teens today against trying to grow up too

fast, saying that high school is supposed to be the time to enjoy life, not a time to seek out the adult things in life.“I think we’re reaching for too many things and not

just enjoying what we have,” Linda said. “Enjoy being a kid and going to the games and laughing. Be young and have fun. Just enjoy yourself and realize that it should be a lot less stressful of a time.”

aly johnson feature editor jackson setter reporter

Sherry Ball: 1974Sherry Ball has ties to Paola that go beyond 1974,

the year she graduated. Ball, an outstanding athlete, went to Pittsburg State University where she played basketball and softball. She graduated with a bachelor of science in education. Ball ran track in high school. “You know when you’re a kid and you have illusions

of grandeur and you want to go someplace else? Ultimately when it came down to raising our family, I wanted my kids to go to school here.”“Well, back then we didn’t have sports for girls other

than track,” Ball said. “And that didn’t come around

until my sophomore year.”Ball was a state medalist in track her senior year.“I wish we had more things,” she said. “I wish we

had basketball, volleyball, and softball. I enjoyed competing.”Since there were no sports for girls, they found another

way to get involved.“We had a pep club back then and it was all girls,”

Ball said. “We took a bus and went to all of the out-of-town games.”Ball said at least one tradition definitely remains.“We hated Osawatomie. None of us had friends from

there,” she said. “The Tom-Tom was a big deal back then and still is now.Being without technology, Ball said they had to get

creative.“We TP’ed for fun and did other things like that,” she

said. “We used to ride around the Square, but we didn’t talk on the phone or text. We had to do it face-to-face.”Ball remains loyal to Paola by substituting and running

the swimming pool during the summer months.“I made the good decision of bringing my kids back

here and raising them up back here in Paola,” Ball said. “It’s a great place to live.”

Jim Lee: 1979In 1979, Jim Lee came to Paola, where he began a

teaching and coaching career that would soon leave a lasting mark in Panther history.Lee taught math, was an assistant coach for the

wrestling team, and was the head coach of the football team.He retired in 1988 and later came back as an assistant

coach from 2002-2010. Though, coaching football isn’t always what Lee saw himself doing.“We never had football when I was in grade school,”

Lee said. “The first football game I saw was one that I played in as a freshman. So before high school I guess I didn’t have too many dreams.”However, after having some success with football

in high school and receiving encouragement to go to college, Lee decided to pursue a career in teaching and coaching football at Paola High School.Lee said the discovery of a great parochial school

in Paola (Holy Trinity Catholic School) was the main turning point in his decision to move to Paola and from then on he grew to love the community.

“The people of Paola have always been so supportive of the football program,” Lee said. “We’ve had some really good people go through our program. And what I appreciate the most is the effort that was given during those years that I was coaching.”When he first began coaching, Lee said their muddy

football practices were held on an open pasture, which is the current parking lot.Lee also said back when he coached, the Paola-

Osawatomie game was a bigger ordeal than it is today. The whole community got excited about it and there was a parade.However, Lee said there are also some traditions

that have been added since his day. Among those newfound traditions, he mentioned team meals and the establishment of the Rat Pack as two positive additions.Some of Lee’s best memories from his time coaching

football at Paola were winning the State titles in 1984 and 1994 and getting second place at State in 1987.Throughout his time at Paola, Lee said he wouldn’t

change a thing.“The grass always appears greener on the other side

of the fence,” Lee said. “But really, I have no regrets with what I’ve done and the decisions I’ve made with Paola.”Lee was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in

2000 for being an ‘outstanding Paola High School football coach’ and winning 223 games during his time as head coach.Currently, Lee is a small-time farmer and has a pecan

orchard in the making.Though he misses his coaching and teaching days at

times, Lee said he is happy with his life how it is today.“It was a good experience,” Lee said. “But I enjoy the

country life. I like piddling with the pecan trees and working as a small-time farmer. It’s enjoyable to me.”Some advice that Lee wishes so pass on to our

generation would be that you always need to be willing to work hard.“Don’t sell yourself short,” Lee said. “There’s going

to be days when it’s easy to give up and days when things don’t quite go your way, but somehow you need to find the intestinal fortitude to work through that and, pretty soon, you’ll accomplish what you set out to do.”

Leslie Coats: 1973Leslie Coats has been teaching theater at the high

school for 37 years. She arrived here in 1976.“I was teaching in a little town up in north-central

Kansas,” Coats said. “What I did was I drew a 75-mile radius circle around Kansas City, Lawrence and Wichita because I was tired of only getting one television channel.” She wanted to be back in civilization. She found an

opening and had an interview here.“This was my first interview and I liked it, so I took

it,” she said. “I’ve been here ever since.”Coats has seen more than 30 years of traditions, trends

and has even taught current students’ parents.“No one really cruises the square anymore,” she said

commented on former traditions. “I never understood it, but it was a big deal.”The style of clothing has also made the rounds.“The fashions have all come around twice since I

started here. That’s nothing new,” Coats said. I mean it’s really strange, but it’s really true.”Coats said she plans on teaching here for a while

longer.“As long as I’m enjoying it, and think I can still do a

good job, I would like to keep teaching,” she said.

The first PHS, built in 1872 The second PHS, built in 1917 The third PHS, built in 1969 Modern day PHS, built in 1992Photo by Aly Johnson

Students display popular fashion trends at the high school during the ‘80s.

Head coach Jim Lee and the 1994 Panthers

Head coach Mike Dumpert and the 2012 Panthers A 1972 student works on pottery, which used to be one of the elective classes available at the high school.

Photo by Aly Johnson

Current students Joe Pomatto, Noah Beets, Andrew Henn, Katie-Jo Kirk, Allie Ozier, Lucas Wilson, Trey Tay-lor and Zach Walker’s take on ‘80s fashion.

Photo by Libby Rayne

1988

1994

1972

2012

2012

The Reporter • November 20128(opinion)

Before I begin, I would just like to say, I do not hate Paola.

I think Paola is a lovely town with some great people in it. However, every small town has its drawbacks.

So, though I love many of the aspects of small-town life, I must admit, not all of the Paolan lifestyle is quite so enjoyable. Here are a few of the many curses of living in Paola.

Nothing is a secret.It’s amazing, really, how quickly things

can spread around this town.If I were to make up a rumor right now, no

matter how ridiculous, I’m sure by tomorrow at sunrise, everyone and their cat will have heard about it.

The funny thing is, sometimes these stories that spread around truly are entirely made up.

Countless times I’ve heard stories of supposed shenanigans that are completely untrue. The beauty of rumors in small towns, though, is that by the time they get back to you, everyone has already heard about it.

So even if the story about little Billy getting hammered last weekend is totally bogus, Billy can’t do a thing to prove his

innocence. Once people hear a rumor, they are sure to believe it—no questions asked. Oh, and good luck regaining your good-boy reputation, Billy. Because, once your reputation gets flawed, it will stick with you for an eternity.

Your reputation tells all.It’s sad, but true. Everyone in this town,

adults and teenagers alike, will judge and treat you differently based on your reputation.

If, somehow, you manage to make it through without a stain on your ‘good kid’ reputation, congratulations—everyone will love you.

But, if you are one of the many people who become flawed by those lovely rumors that fly around, true or untrue, prepare to be judged harshly.

Because, apparently, it is everyone else’s job to tell you how to live your life.

Since we live in such a small town, we are privileged enough to know most people in Paola on a semi-personal level. However, this isn’t always a good thing.

Many people tend to interpret the town closeness as thinking they have the right to treat you like they’re your mother.

When people find out about even the smallest of your wrongdoings, not only do you get a scolding from your own mother, but you’re sure to be the topic of discussion amongst all the local gossip circles.

Heck, you may even get a bonus lecture or two from your classmates and other random people around town.

Mean girls.They are a staple piece to life in towns

of all sizes. The only difference with having them in a small town is that here, the drama they create not only affects their target of the day, but it affects everyone.

We are all forced to sit by and listen to their issues. Oftentimes, we even get to see it all go down during a public Facebook fight. How fun.

They know who they are. I think they may even take pride in their title. Otherwise they simply wouldn’t be mean, right?

They are the ones who can pick a fight with you without having ever talked to you before. They hate you before they even get to know you and you are wary of them before you even get to know them.

It’s almost as if they, like all the rest of us around here, run out of things to do, so they just decide, ‘Whelp, time to start some drama.’

I’ve never actually gone head-to-head with a ‘mean girl,’ but I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing their drama via Facebook numerous times.

Now, I understand that calling people out on Facebook is the ultimate way of showing everyone that you’re the baddest B around, but honestly, nobody wants to see that.

In fact, the very last thing everyone wants to see whilst scrolling through their newsfeed is a bunch of girls lashing out at each other and picking at each other’s flaws and insecurities for literally everyone to see. Not only is it awkward to read, but it’s just not classy.

The Solution. To make Paola life better for everyone, I

have a few suggestions.First, don’t believe everything you hear.

Most of the time, your “factual information” is actually quite the contrary. Don’t risk ruining someone else’s reputation by passing along false information. Like… just don’t do it, bro.

Second, don’t judge. You never know what someone may be going through behind closed doors. Always consider a story from both sides before passing any sort of judgement. Don’t know the full story? Then you have no right to judge.

Finally, keep it off Facebook. Resorting to calling people out by posting things online is the mark of a coward. If you have a problem with someone, talk it out in person. Not by yelling and cussing each other out, but by actually having a civil discussion. It’s really not that difficult—just be good to each other. Simple as that.

Small town, big problemsSmaller doesn’t always mean betteraly johnson feature editor

Letter to the editor

Editor:In your current edition of The Reporter, the staff edito-

rial is critical of the decision to allow seminar teachers to monitor student grades and assignments, citing privacy of information.

While I understand your argument, I want to point out the reasoning behind this change. We know that the vast majority of failing grades are solely due to assignments that are not submitted.

When a student earns a C or B on a final exam, yet has an F for the semester due to missing assignments, this is an issue that we, as educators, can help students to address.

As Principal, it is my duty to ensure that we are doing everything that we can to ensure student learning. For many students, this means that a weekly reminder of missing as-signments is very appropriate.

It is akin to businesses sending statements to customers who have an outstanding balance, doctor offices making reminder phone calls the day prior to appointments, or our attendance secretary calling your parents when you are not here and we don’t have reason for your absence.

All of those are customer service issues and this effort by our teachers on behalf of students is really no different.

Thank you,Phil Bressler, Principal

Bressler explains reasoning for weekly grade checks

Cartoon by Katie Biggs

For more stories go to phsjournalism.com

The Reporter •November20129(opinion)

Volume 88

The Reporter is for the students, by the students. The goal of the Reporter is to give the students a voice, and provide an open forum of ideas while maintaining an ethical publication with unbiased coverage.

mission statement

It is the policy of the Paola Report-er, to provide a forum for student expression, voices in the uninhibit-ed, robust, free and open discussion of issues. The Reporter encourages students to write letters to the edi-tor or submit articles for the edito-rial page. We reserve the right to edit content. Material that contains libelous or obscene information will not be published. Material that will cause a disruption of school activi-ties is also prohibited. Authors must provide their full name. No articles will be published with an alias.

editorial policy

Editor-in-Chief: Caleb HeckerDesign Editor: Hali WimbushFeature Editors: Katey Colwell, Aly JohnsonOpinion Editor: Libby RayneReporters: Tristan Barnes, Natalie Ep-pler, Lane Harris, Camille Mars, Whitney McDaniel, Chase Mercer, Brooke Prothe, Jackson SetterAd Manager: Marissa BergmanAdviser: BriAnne Chayer

thereporter

Issue 2

the staff

I’m sure everyone has been bullied at least once in their life. It’s a part of growing up.

Today, it has been taken too far.

Because of bullying and people not knowing when to stop, suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between 15 - 24 years of age, according to the CDC.

Third. Leading. Cause. We are killing each other

through acts of hatred and violence.

There was bullying 30 years ago.

The only difference is today we have the internet, cell phones, video cameras, etc.

I appreciate that technology can make my communication and school work easier.

But like weapons, if they fall into the wrong hands, destruction will occur. It makes it easier for bullies to put up a wall and say/do things they would never do in person.

In a number of cases, cyber bullying goes too far.

Recently, Amanda Todd, 15,

of Canada committed suicide for something she had done three years earlier.

An inappropriate image and video of her was released to the media and followed her everywhere she went.

She would move and change schools but she could never get away.

Not only did the image and video follow her but so did the bullies. Now she’s gone forever.

Technology puts up a wall and desensitizes people.

We leave compassion and empathy behind us to greet animosity at the door.

The problem is that not very many people take bullying seriously.

That “accidentally” hard slap of the shoulder or the typical “harmless” joke can be very damaging.

Onlookers see it as playful behavior, mostly because they don’t understand the underlying thoughts and the true feelings shared between the bully and the victim.

People don’t want to get involved in the situation because they don’t want to be bullied, or it’s none of their business, so why interfere?

Listen, no one wants to be bullied or harassed by anyone.

They also don’t want to feel alone or like they don’t matter.

For those of you who “don’t see” the bullying, you are living in an oblivion. It happens everywhere.

We have students getting suspended for it, as it is justly deserved.

The bullying policy, according to the student handbook, is that any person or persons who has participated in fighting/aggressive physical contact, flagrant disrespect of others or harassment (including bullying) will result in a suspension or expulsion.

We know that in our life times, we have given people snide remarks, or dirty looks in the hallways. We know we made those people feel uncomfortable and out of place.

We’re sorry. Some of the things we have

said are unacceptable and quite frankly immature and stupid.

The only way to keep bullying from happening is to look back at mistakes and understand why they are mistakes.

Learn from them, and try to make the world a better place.

When is it fair to say

‘enough is enough?”’

Cross ing the line

Let small things slide

The feelings I am about to express, are feelings that have built up inside my bones for the entirety of my high school career.

There are few things that really anger me about people. A major one is when people are judgmental.

Ever since I started high school, I have noticed it. People judge other people on a daily basis. Whether it is a smug glance in the hall or an unpleasant comment, I see and hear it far too often.

No matter what the situation is, it is unneeded.

There is absolutely no reason to be so harsh on everyone else. It is uncalled for.

I implore everyone to stop. Take a moment and think about what you or someone else did in regards to someone else. Think: does it even matter? What will this feeling even accomplish?

I hate when I come to school and try to be myself, and in turn, I get judged.

Freshman year my friends and I sat at a table with upperclassmen. I guess we laughed a little too loud because we were given dirty looks everday after that.

It did not intimidate me or hurt my feelings, but I did lose respect for those girls.

It is hard to believe so much bigotry is present in the students at school. A good amount of things we learn in school teach us to not judge others. To Kill A

Mockingbird, The Scarlett Letter and Warriors Don’t Cry are all a part of that curriculum. Yet no one blinks an eye or tries to connect these works to their own life by learning from the lessons they teach.

All of these novels portray the idea that judging others is going to get you nowhere.

Every Tom, Dick, and Harry scold and scoff at The Holocaust, 9/11, and so forth, yet continue to express the same feelings of hatred towards those around them.

We still critique others, though. Quite frankly it is hard not to.

There is a point however, when it all crosses a line. It goes too far when feelings of arrogance, haughtiness or bitterness start to erupt in your thoughts and actions.

That is not a worthy way to live. Spending time finding things wrong with other people is a waste. It truly is sad to me when I see people living their lives like that. They are missing out.

Here is a solution. Do not be so easy to anger. Do not take everything someone does so personally. It is their life, not yours. You cannot judge someone if you don’t know them, so stop trying. Looking at everyone else from a pretentious perspective is quite a challenge. Eventually you will wear yourself out.

It is not worth your time. My Grandpa Bill quoted a famous biblical quote the other day, “Judge not least ye be judged.”

Instead of wasting energy on crushing someone else’s character, live your life to its fullest potential.

Enjoy the company of others, talk to someone even if you are not friends, get out of the house and off your phone, laugh loudly, love deeply and make everyday a spontaneous decision that will shape into a lifetime memory.

staff editorialw

libby rayne opinion editor

The Reporter • November 201210 (sports)

A lot of talk surrounds all kinds of sports and the different levels at which they are played. With the national attention on pro sports teams, sometimes we put local teams on the backburner. Our peers make up these teams, so they deserve our main focus.

The Royals last playoff appearance was in 1985, according to the baseball reference website.

The Chiefs last playoff appearance was 2010, according to the pro-football refer-ence website.

Despite a lack elite of status for either team, fan support has never really been an issue in Kansas City.

The Chiefs somehow manage to sell out every game and have one of the most feared crowds in the NFL. Every week people

arrive at the stadium hoping to watch the Chiefs stomp on their opponent; instead they have watched the Chiefs lose 24 home games since 2008, according to the ESPN website. A total of 36 games have been played at home since that time and seven of those 12 wins came in 2010 when the Chiefs won the division. It isn’t considered home-field advantage when you can’t get it done in Kansas City.

The Royals have managed only two winning seasons since 1994. The Royals shouldn’t sell a single ticket to a game be-cause of the lack of production on the field. The Royals have lost 1,715 games in that time span, but have one of the best minor league systems in the game. Let’s be honest, the minor league players have been there for a while, but never seem to make it to the big leagues and when they do they never seem to contribute.

With the pro sports teams’ lackluster performance of late, one reason our sports are so appealing is because they are always winning.

Volleyball was undefeated league cham-pions; football made three straight sub-states and girls cross country won regionals. There aren’t hundreds of millions of dollars being thrown around in an attempt to buy the best

talent available for our team. Talent is grown and coached in our com-

munity and we take great pride in it, so no matter how bad it may get, the crowd will be loud at any game.

Let’s keep showing our Panther pride, because the pro teams aren’t getting better any time soon.

Staying local Sports fans need to show more support for school, not as much for professionals

caleb hecker editor-in-chief

Photo by Journey Capettini

People fill the stands for the district championship game against Louisburg on Oct. 25. Paola won the game 14-7 and were district champions.

Photo Illustration by Caleb Hecker

Opinion

Behind the blockersQ: What sports do you play?A: Football, wrestling, track and baseball

Q: What sports do you play?A: Volleyball, basketball and track

Q: Why do you play sports?A: To kill time.

Q: Why do you play sports?A: I started because my mom played and it was expected, but now I play because I love it.

Q: How do you get better in the off-season?

Q: How do you get better in the off-season?

A: I play basketball on a tournament team to get a better chance at scholarships.

Q: What satisfaction does it give you to improve?

Q: What satisfaction does it give you to improve?

A: Every opportunity I am in the weight room, or doing something that benefits athletics.

A: I enjoy getting the approval from the coaches and the fans.

A: To know I can beat people up in competi-tion and not be beat up on.

Q: Does it get easier or harder to improve as you get older? Q: Does it get easier or harder to improve as

you get older?A: Harder because the skills you need to learn are harder than when you were a kid.

A: Harder because the areas you need to im-prove upon are narrower and require you to work harder.

Q: How do you stay positive when things aren’t going your way?

Q: How do you stay positive when things aren’t going your way?A: I try to laugh a lot, sometimes it is just to much because I am mad at myself not my teammates.

A: I realize that if I give 100 percent then I have nothing to regret. Dedication to my team also helps me keep going.

Photo by Kenzie Getz Photo by Katey Colwell

Senior Joe Pomatto blocks a Spring Hill lineman on Sept. 14. Paola beat Spring Hill 16-14 for the first win of the season.

Sophomore Tiana Moala blocks a spike attempt in a game against Ottawa on Oct. 2. Paola swept Ottawa.

Joe Pomatto, senior Tiana Moala, sophomore

Pomatto, Moala share what allows them to perform their best in competitioncaleb hecker editor-in-chief

The Reporter • November 201211(sports)

The Groom Room

Open 6 Days a Week

5 North Silver

Dog Grooming

Volunteering to dance in front of hun-dreds of people was no easy task for Fresh-man Maggie Fleming. However, that’s how she became an All-American dancer.

Fleming had to learn a routine with many difficult dance elements. Along with a little of her own choreography.

She then had to perform this routine by herself in front of many people and judges.

“My biggest challenge when dancing is probably stage fright,” Fleming said. “I get very nervous before I perform, but my team-mates help me overcome this.”

Inspiration and support from family members motivates Fleming to keep danc-

ing and be so passionate.“My sister Jennifer was a dancer all her

life,” Fleming said. “When I was little I wanted to be just like her.”

Maggie started dancing when she was 12. It was during this time she was given the advice that keeps her going and will never be forgotten.

“Perform like it’s your last time and just have fun,” Fleming said.

Although Fleming is just a freshman she fills a big role on the team.

“Maggie has contributed to the dance team significantly and has a very positive effect on her teammates,” junior Idalis Bird said. “She is always encouraging her team-mates and is very energetic.”

Along with advice and inspiration to dance comes her motivation to keep dancing.

“I love to dance and have a lot of fun while doing it, this motivates me to keep dancing,” Fleming said.

Fleming sets goals for herself.“I set goals by writing on my whiteboard

the corrections from my coaches and things I need to work on to get better,” Fleming said.

Fleming said making sure to stretch is important.

“I stretch for 15 minutes every night and about 30 minutes at practice every day,” Fleming said. “Practicing and stretching is a big key to a dancer’s suc-cess.”

Dance coach Bonnie Dumpert agreed that stretch-ing is key for a dancer’s health.

“Stretching is good so you don’t pull any muscles and it helps to become more flex-ible,” Dumpert said.

Her dedication, passion and skill like this that makes you successful.

Not only is Maggie an All-American dancer, she is tumbler of the year.

“I have 45 trophies in my room, from tumbling and dance competitions,” Flem-ing said.

Freshman Maggie Fleming dances at a football game against Baldwin on Sept. 7. Fleming has been dancing since she was 12.

Photo by Journey Capettini

Dancing through high school

For fall sports wrap-ups, go to

phsjournalism.com

lyndsee johnson reporter

Design by Caleb Hecker

Fleming passion-ate about dancing

The Reporter • November 201212 (features)

The entourage/dreamers /overachievers

At a young age Clark West, senior, entered the world of film.

“I did little short videos with my friends when we were younger,” West said.

The videos started out at10 to 15 seconds with just ran-dom things thrown into them. Since then, West has created more videos with a basic plot.

“More often than not they’re comedy,” West said. “But I’ve done amateur film festivals where I’ve done drama.”

West uses a Cannon 550 D camera and a road-video ex-ternal mic to document and record his videos.

West is part of the drama department at the high school and has used this to incorporate some of the other members.

“I have used Jordan Malone and Kyam McCormack

[seniors] before,” West said. West said he hopes to take his interests in film further

than high school. “I’m planning for it to become a career,” West said. “I’m

going to school for live production and film.” Jobs in the filming industry normally start out on an

entry-level basis as a screen play reviser or a boom operator according to West.

The knowledge to enter the filming industry usually requires different movements that you would do and kind of shots, knowing how to use your equipment specifically the camera. Different information about lighting and audio according to West.

Students shed little light on activities outside of school

Chase Patton, junior, was influenced by Corey Stallbaumer also a junior, to ‘coon hunt. Patton was invited by Stallbaumer to go hunting during a weekend one year in November. “I call him Coon Boy and he calls me Coon Killer,” Patton said. Patton and Stallbaumer haven’t gone any time recently. Coon hunting is not in season and is hard to do in the cold weather. It’s also illegal to hunt certain species of animal when they aren’t in season. Coon hunting is helpful with a pair of dogs and a 22 rifle. Patton said when hunting for the coons, he and Stallbaumer usually let the dogs out first. The dogs carry GPS’ on them so when they have a coon treed, both boys know where and when to go shoot the coons. Patton learned how to shoot from his father. They would go out hunting with the guns to work on aim and or use them for target practice. “It’s mainly the dogs,” Patton said. “But when we find them, we’ll take turns shooting them.” Patton said coon hunting is fun, but prefers pheasant hunting. Patton said that someday he might teach his sons or grandsons how to coon hunt. “Make sure you have more than one dog and have good dogs that can tree,” Patton said. According to Patton part of being a good coon hunter is being a good shot.

Michael Morgan, freshman, understands a concept that most high school seniors struggle with.

Physics. Morgan began researching physics early last year after

he watched a video. “One day it was featured on YouTube so I decided to

look into it,” Morgan said. “It was interesting.” Morgan is the only one of his peers that studies physics.

Even though it’s not in the plan now, Morgan would like to take physics his senior year and then continue through college.

“I’m looking into either being a physicist or an astro-physicist,” Morgan said.

A physicist is a person who studies physics and usually does research on various topics of physics and an astro-physicist studies a combination of physics and astronomy like the stars and the expansion of space.

Morgan said he hopes to attend MIT after he graduates. To understand the concepts of physics Morgan often

spends his time during gifted on the internet researching and looking at videos.

Morgan has had one chance to display his passion for physics.

“Last year for the science fair I did do an experiment for physics,” Morgan said.

Morgan was proud of his experiment because it ex-

Natalie Franz, junior, received a camera in 2009. This camera contributed a lot to her love of photography.

“I think a lot of it had to do with my aunt,” Franz said. “Because she was really into it in college and she gave me a Nikon cool pic it was like a little point and shoot camera for Christmas, I think it was 2009, and after that I pretty much really got into it.”

Franz enjoys taking both still life and portrait shots but her favorite is still life.

“It’s easier to control,” Franz said. “With people you can only control them so much.”

Both Franz and her older sister enjoy photography. “We kind of bounce ideas off each other,” Franz said.

When Franz needs help she looks to her older sister. “She knows a lot about it so she helps with the technical

side,” Franz said. Franz hopes to make photography her career. “I would love to become a photographer,” Franz said.

“It’s a pretty small job market though and there’s a lot of competition.”

Even if becoming a full time photographer doesn’t work out, Franz plans on making it a part time thing.

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The hunter

katey colwell feature editor hali wimbush design editor