OCT. 5 6 5 5 S . 4 T H S T R E E T S T . J O S E P H , M O . 6 4 5 0 5 ( 8 1 6 ) 6 7 1 - 4 0 3 0 2011

SCARIEST PLACES IN AMERICA TOP 10 SCARIEST MOVIES STAFF STORIES

THE BENTONIAN

Spooky Edition!

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Brittany BoggessEditor-in-Chief

Emily CoxOpinion/Columnist

Daniel StephansNews Writer

Cheyanne MastNews Writer

Jourdain BrooksSports

Jered RossStudent Life

Leetha RoweNews Writer

Kaelynn BurchettStudent Life

London PostonFeatures

Sami KretzerSports

Miranda SmithArts & Entertainment

The Bentonian Staff

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CONTENTSThe Beginning.............................................................................................. 3Staff Stories................................................................................................3-5Unlucky Number 13 ......................................................................................6Worlds of Fun Hauntings...............................................................................6Showdown in Joe Town .............................................................................. 7Basketball Rankings .....................................................................................7World Series ................................................................................................ 7Halloween Around the World. ...................................................................... 8Saint Joseph Hauntings............................................................................... 8BHS Celebrates Halloween .................. ...................................................... 9Marching Band/Debate .............................................................................. 9States Banning Halloween .......................................................................... 9Benton Hauntings/ Do you believe?........................................................... 10Scariest Places in America .........................................................................10What’s Hot?.................................................................................................12Phantom of the Opera.................................................................................13

By: Brittany BoggessHalloween is a time for celebration, It is also a time to express yourself in many different ways. Halloween is thought to have originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (sow-an or sow-in) in which in the late 19th century would light torches and stand around bonfires while wearing costumes to ward off roaming ghosts and evil spirits. The medieval Goidelic festival of Samhain, which began early in the night, at the end of the harvest season, would lead into a darker half of the new year. The festival of Samhain is celebrated over the course of several days. People around the village would bring in

their livestock and often walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual. The bones of slaughtered livestock were then casted into the fire. Samhain is known to be celebrated as a religious festival. Back in the 8th century, Pope Gregory III created November 1

as a time to honor all saints. The day before November 1 was known as “All Hallows’ Eve,” and later came to be known as Halloween. The word Halloween, in the late 16th century, represented a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even, which is the previous night before All Hallows Day. Even though All Hallows is found in Old English as (mass-day of all saints), All-Hallows-Even itself was not founded until 1556. Halloween is known for being a community-based event with friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating is a time for children to be in costumes, which gives the children time to play dress up. Trick -or-treating gives kids ranging from all different ages the chance to travel from house to house asking for treats, such as candy, or in other cultures, money, with the phrase "Trick or treat?.” The phrase has been a Halloween tradition since at least the late 1950s. Any homeowners wishing to participate in it usually decorate their homes’ entrance with various types of decorations such as, plastic spiderwebs, paper skeletons and jack-o-lanterns to get into the spirit of Halloween.

The Beginning

TRICK OR TREAT HAS BEEN A CUSTOMARY HALLOWEEN TRADITION SINCE AT LEAST THE LATE 1950’S.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

WINTER SPORTS BEGINS TODAY!!!

Debate Club

November 18-19:

North KC Invitational

Wrestling

November 29:

BHS vs. Pleasant Hill (away)

JROTC

November 11:

Veteran’s Day Parade

Downtown St. Joseph

2:30 pm

November 19:

JROTC Military Ball

American Legion Post 359

6:00 p.m

Boys Basketball

November 29

BHS vs. Lafayette (away)

5:00 p.m. Freshman

6:15 p.m. JV

7:30 p.m. Varsity

Picture provided by Google Images

Samhain Celebration

Bloody MaryBy Sami Kretzer “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary…” Do you have the guts to say it just once more?  There are many rumors behind the age old Halloween game of mirrors, chants, dares, and death, but I don’t think anyone knows the real story.    Some people think that it dates back to the Tudor Period when Queen Mary was head of the thrown.  She was given the nickname “Bloody Mary” for her violent executions of the Protestants during her reign.  Queen Mary had two phantom miscarriages, which is where the variations that consist of chanting “I stole your baby Bloody Mary” come from.   Others believe that it dates back to the Salem Witch trials where a witch named

Mary Worth was found, and executed, for her black arts.  She comes back from the dead to seek revenge on those who chant and taunt her name three times into the

mirror in a dark room, with the only light source being a candle.  Another belief is that Mary Worth was a mother killed in a terrible and tragic car crash that resulted in both the death of herself, and her younger child.   Whatever the real reason behind the superstition, the end result is always the same.  When you summon Bloody Mary back from her grave, she appears in the mirror and claws your eyes out.  Bloody Mary has only one thing on her mind: Death. It’s unknown which story is true- if any, and whether or not you believe it is entirely up to you.   So this Halloween night, when one of your friends suggests the game of Bloody Mary, and it’s your turn to enter the dark room, give it a try… if you dare! 

The Bentonian Staff and Teachers Share Some of Their Scariest Stories

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(Right) picture from Google images/www.castleofspirits.com

A HAUNTINGBY: MIRANDA SMITHTo this day, I still think my old house in Portales, New Mexico is haunted. This house was very beautiful, but one couldn’t let the beauty distract you.  Although the house was always full of people, it felt so empty inside. Not only did was there an eerie feeling to it, there was also physical proof that someone, or something, else was inside besides us.  My parents and I first moved to the house in 2008, and lived there for 3 years. When we were moving in, the woman who sold us the house said there had been two deaths there years before. My mom didn’t mind; that was her dream house. There was something about its beauty she just couldn’t stay away from.     After we moved into the house, the eerie feeling grew stronger, and strange things began to happen.  A couple months after moving in I started hearing screams and footsteps running up and down the hallway. Every time I opened the door no one was there. I told my sister about the footsteps and screams, she believed me, but no one else did. The scariest thing I saw happened when my mom asked me to go out to the garage to get her something. When I stepped inside, I saw a body hanging lifeless from the ceiling. I was so scared I screamed at the top of my lungs. My mom and sister ran out to see what I was screaming about, but when they got there, it was gone. I later found out one of the two deaths that had occurred in the house years before was because a guy hung himself after his wife left him. The other death happened when a young lady was stabbed to death, then buried in the backyard.  That death explains what my sister saw one night.    My sister was outside with the dog when all of a sudden the dog began digging in a particular spot. My sister ran to see what he was digging for and found tiny bone fragments. Later that night, we were watching television when we heard a noise at the back door. My sister got up to see what the noise was only to find a woman lying in our laundry room. She was hardly breathing and kept forcing the words “help” out of her mouth. When my sister ran to call 911, the woman disappeared.  At this point, we told my mom about all the strange stuff that had been happening around the house. The next day she called a priest to come and bless the house. After the priest left, the house felt peaceful, and that cold, empty feeling was gone. The ghosts were still in the house, but they weren’t angry. I never thought the ghosts were angry, I think they just wanted their souls freed. Another family lives there now, and they love it. They say the house is peaceful and can’t imagine a better home.

THE HAUNTING OF SALLY HEARTLAND

By: Jered Ross

Atchison, Kansas is said to be the most haunted city in Kansas, and is on the top 10 list of America’s most haunted cities. The Sally house is just one of the many haunted houses in Atchison and the tragic story behind this house is no mystery. Sally Heartland was just 6 years old when she was diagnosed with appendicitis one winters night in the small town of Atchison, Kansas. Sally’s mother rushed Sally up to the doctors office which, at the time, was located on the second floor of their home. The doctor knew right away it was appendicitis, and immediately prepped Sally for surgery. With Sally on the operating table, the doctor started the anesthesia, as she moaned in pain. Once under sedation, the doctor picked up the scalpel and began the incision. Before the doctor had a chance to remove the appendix, it burst inside her learning her only minutes to live. Before she passed, Sally awoke from the anesthetics. She looked at the doctor with fear and terror in her eyes, and passed on. To this day, Sally still remains in her old house, forever haunting it. The people who have moved into the Sally house have experienced several pranks pulled on them. Pictures get turned upside down, electrical problems occur, and furniture moves unexpectedly. Sally has also been known to attack any man living in the house and will experience her wrath by receiving deep scratches on there back. Several families have lived in the Sally house, and most don’t stay for long. Whether they experience her pranks, or experience her pain, Sally always makes her presence known.

Home of Sally

HeartlandAtchison, Kansas

Picture provided by Google Images

AMITYVILLE HORRORSBY: CHEYANNE MAST

November 13, 1974, seemed like atypical day in Amityville. It was a calm, uneventful fall day. By the night’s end, though, that all changed, and life in Amityville would never be the same again.Around 6:30 p.m., Ronald DeFeo Jr., a resident of Amitville, New york, opened the door to Henry’s Bar on the corner of Merrick Road and Ocean Ave. Patrons in the bar turned to stare as DeFeo rushed in yelling, “You got to help me! I think my mother and father are shot.” Six people quickly piled into Ronald’s 1970 Buick Electra 225.The DeFeo home was built in the Dutch Colonial style in 1925. The property was long and narrow, forcing the house to sit with its front door facing the long driveway. At the end of the DeFeos’ 237-foot-long lot sat their boathouse, right at the edge of the Amityville Creek.DeFeo led the men upstairs to the second floor. As the men reached the second floor of the three story house, they became overwhelmed with the stench of death. Bobby, a frequent visitor to the DeFeo residence, stopped at the doorway to the master bedroom and turned on the lights. What he saw before him

would haunt him forever. There on the floor lied Ronald Joseph DeFeo Sr., 43 and his wife Louise DeFeo, 42. There was a hole in the center of DeFeo Sr.’s bare back, the first indication he was awake when he the bullet hit him. Dried blood had poured out of the wound and covered the master bedroom floor.The men rushed into the northeast bedroom to check on the DeFeo children only to find the same horrifying scene. In their beds on opposites of the room laid the bodies of two young boys, face down, just like their parents, with the same wound going through them. In the bed to the left was the body of John DeFeo, 9. In the other bed lied Marc DeFeo, 12.The murders that occurred in Amityville that night still haunts the town, and the house to this day. On December 18, 1975, more than a year after the grisley murders, a family of five moved in to the Amityville house; George and Kathy Lutz, and their children Daniel, 9, Christopher, 7 and Missy 5. Twenty eight days after the family moved in they fled the house, leaving all their possessions behind, claiming it was haunted.Today, the home is occupied by a family that is said to be living there in peace. Whether that remains the same only time will tell.

“Cleaning” Up the GhostsBy: Leetha Rowe

In the small town of Chamois, Missouri, lies is a haunted house my grandma’s friend, Bobby, bought as a “fixer-upper”. The house is three stories tall, with a basement, as well. One day Bobby asked my grandma if she would mind helping him clean the house up a bit. My grandma said yes and the first task she decided upon was to remove the white linens from the furniture. Grandma walked out of the room for a moment, and when she came back in, the linens were back over the furniture again. Grandma was a bit confused but went about taking them off again. She walked out once again, to continue the cleaning and when she came back into the room again the linens were, once again, back over the furniture. This incident occurred over and over. Later on, she asked Bobby about it and he informed her that the house was haunted. Two ghosts were residence there and not harmful, but she had to be patient because the ghosts liked to play games. My grandma didn’t act surprised because she was familiar with ghosts and just went on cleaning the house tolerating their games.

The Story of Michael MyersBy: Kaelynn Burchett Growing up, I was not a big fan of scary movies. Watching the Michael Myers movie, “Halloween”, when I was 16, terrified me, and reminded me why I don’t watch scary movies. The story began when Michael was 10 years old. He started small, killing animals to take his mind off verbal abuse he received from his mother’s boyfriend. When animals were no longer helping him cope, he eventually led to killing humans, his mother’s boyfriend being his first victim. Michael eventually took up the hobby of creating paper-mache masks. At this time he was also seeing a psychiatrist where he received unsuccessful therapy from Dr. Sam Loomis. As an adult, Michael returned to his hometown to reunite with his sister, Laurie. Out of fear, Laurie ended up shooting Michael in self-defense, and Michael is presumed dead. Michael eventually resurfaces after a vision of his mother tells him it’s his duty to track Laurie down so they can “come home.” In the end, Laurie kills Michael by stabbing him repeatedly in the face and chest with his own knife.On August 31, 2007, the remake of this famous horror movie was released in 3,472 theaters, across North America, giving it the widest release of any of the previous Halloween films. To this day it is still known as one of the most popular horror films to date.

The Legend of Big FootBy: Brittany BoggessI took the time to ask my favorite math teacher, Mr. Ronald Knight, what his favorite “spooky” legend is, in honor of Halloween. This is what he said:“I have been scared of running into big foot since the 8th grade. I did a report on the missing link between ape and man, and it read that Big Foot travels through Northern America. There have been several sightings in the Northern Region of the U.S., and in Southern Canada. When Big Foot finds you, he will seek you out by your scent, and track you until you are out of the woods, or deceased. I would like to make those people who enjoy camping, aware of his doings, and advise you not to stay in tents, or in the woods. He will attack anyone and everyone and he will not give up until he finishes his journey. Be aware that there are small packs of them and they are not centrally located!”

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en.wikipedia.org

Amityville House

Frederick Charles Krueger, the son of 100 maniacs, was born in the early 1940s. His birth was the result of a brutal attack. His mother’s name was Amanda Krueger, a nun at the Our Lady Of Sorrows criminal asylum in Springwood, Ohio. One year, around Christmas time, Amanda was accidentally locked inside the asylum with all of the inmates. They proceeded to brutally attack and rape her repeatedly. Amanda was left for dead, but coworkers found her, still alive, and pregnant. That wing of the hospital was closed later on and became the Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital.Young, and very damaged from the horrible accident, Amanda gave birth to the child and named him Frederick. Shortly after the delivery, Amanda gave Frederick up for adoption in hopes that he would have a better life than she could give him. Unfortunately, she didn’t know the circumstances the baby was being adopted under. Mr. Underwood was the man who adopted Freddy. He lived at 1428 Elm Street in Springwood. There couldn’t have been a worse adoptive parent than Mr. Underwood. He was a known alcoholic. Mr. Underwood nicknamed the baby “Freddy”. Freddy was subjected to nonstop abuse, both physically and mentally, during his entire youth with Mr. Underwood.As Freddy got older, he began exhibiting the same behavior as his adoptive father. Freddy eventually learned to just accept the abuse..

When Freddy was a teenager, it was said that he told Mr. Underwood, “the secret of pain is to stop feeling it and start using it.” Freddy killed Mr. Underwood and ran away shortly after.Later on in Freddy’s life it appeared he was beginning to get on the right track. He got married and had a child of his own. He even worked as a janitor at a local power plant.What the locals didn’t know was that Freddy was

secretly committing many child murders. He used his job as an advantage. He would take young children, especially little girls, lead them down to the boiler room of the power plant, and ten proceed to torture, rape, and kill them in the most gruesome ways. Freddy even created his own weapons. He is most known for a pair of hideous looking gloves with four metal talons on the fingertips.Time passed and Freddy became a part of the past. The children made up a rhyme about Freddy and often sang it while playing games. He lived heavily in the hearts of adults.

After awhile, the missing girls began to turn up, or at least their bodies did. The town went into a panic; they named the killer the “Springwood Slasher.” Kathryn, Freddy’s wife, found his weapons and connected them to the murders. She promised not to tell, but soon after her discovery, she came up missing. No one knew anything about Kathryn’s disappearance until years later, in 1986, when Freddy’s daughter came forward and told the police she had witnessed her father strangling her mother.

The History of Freddy KruegerBy: Emily Cox

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Unlucky Number 13By: Daniel Stephans       The number 13 is considered to be an “unlucky” number. In fact, it is so unlucky that most architects leave the 13th floor out of their blue prints when creating buildings. The number 13 is looked at as unlucky in several different cultures; for some, it pertains to religious beliefs, and for others it pertains to traditions and customs. Here are just some of the reasons the number 13 is so unlucky 1: In the Christian religion, the number thirteen is thought of as unlucky. In the painting of the “Last Supper,” there are 12 guests, or apostles,  standing around the table, and Jesus standing in the middle of them. That makes 13 total guests at the “Last Supper”; 12 apostles, and Jesus. Jesus was betrayed by one of his 12 apostles, which is why the number 13 is considered unlucky. 2: In architecture, the number 13 is often left out of the blue prints for buildings and skyscrapers. Since it is considered so unlucky, people fear of having anything to do with a 13th floor or a 13th room. To avoid this, companies label their hotel rooms 1-12 and then 14 and up. 3: Airline companies often skip the number 13 when numbering their aircraft, service vehicles, and seating rows onboard the aircraft. They label their rows 1-12, 12A, and then 14 and so on. 4: The Great Seal of the United States doesn’t believe in the number 13 being unlucky. In the picture if The Great Seal of the United States, there are 13 olive leaves (with 13 olives), 13 arrows, and 13 stars. These all form a triangle over the eagle with the number 13 on each point. On the reverse side, the pyramid has 13 levels, and there are also 13 stars above the eagles head.5: Train conductors will often avoid using 13 carts, if there is an instance where there are 13 carts, conductors will add an extra engine, or add an empty train cart. 6:The most dangerous segments of The Cold War, and The Cuban Missile Crisis, lasted a total of 13 days.7: Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number 13.8: Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th. 9: Because the number 13 is such an unlucky number, many cities won’t have a 13th street or 13th Avenue. 10. Most elevators don't list the 13th floor, and most hospitals don't have a room number 13.

The Haunting of Worlds of Fun

By: London Poston

I know many of you have heard some scary

stories and know a lot of different myths and legends that circulate around Halloween. I’m

going to tell you of a little friend I met awhile ago

named Sally. Sally was found at Worlds of fun, and somehow ended up at my friend Jayden’s

house. Sally, I believe, came from Coaster Food

Place my friend and visited in Worlds of Fun.

My close friend Danielle, who was with Jayden, Mallory, and I that day, complained she was

hungry and needed to eat so she went to Coaster

Food. The worker gave Danielle her total; it was $6.66. I told Danielle she needed to add

something to change her total because that is not

an amount you want to end up on. She told me no, and at that point, I knew that all heck was

about to break loose. It was October 17th, close

to Halloween anyways, so it’s only natural for

something crazy to happen. On the way back to Jayden’s house from Worlds of Fun, everything

seemed fine. When we arrived home everything

was going good until it was time for bed.

When Jayden, Mallory, Danielle, and I got settled

in to bed, unusual things began to happen. In the

middle of the night, a little girl appeared in our bedroom. She was short, and had long, beautiful

hair. That’s all I could really notice about her

looks because I was too freaked out to pay

attention to anything else. As she was standing there, she bent down as if she was looking for

something. When she popped her head back up

she had a little light, then she just disappeared.

Mallory woke up the next morning and said that

she saw something in the middle of the night.

She said it was a little girl with long hair and she sat on the end of the bed and told her to be

quiet.. Mallory and I were so scared, and still to

this day, Sally is still a presence at Jayden’s house.

Picture courtesy of Google Images

Picture courtesy of Google Images

Showdown in Joe Town

BCS National Standings. Week 10.

1. LSU2. Alabama 3. Oklahoma State 4. Stanford 5. Boise St. 6. Oklahoma 7. Arkansas 8. Oregon 9. South Carolina 10. Nebraska 11. Clemson 12. Virginia Tech. 13. Houston 14. Kansas State15. Michigan 16. Penn. State17. Michigan State 18. Georgia 19. Arizona State 20. Wisconsin 21. Texas 22. Auburn 23. Georgia Tech.24. West Virginia25. Southern Miss.

College game day.

#1. LSU vs

#2. Alabama

Live from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 10:00 AM. on ESPN.

Nov. 5. 2011

Kickoff. 7:00 PM Live on ABC.

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The battle for a chance at a District Championship was Thursday, October 27th, at Leah Spratt Stadium and the two contenders were the Lafayette Fighting Irish, and our very own Benton Cardinals in the annual Joe Town Showdown. For the seniors, this was last home football game got to suit up for. It was also the last chance at a victory over the “leprechaun” cross-town rivals and to some, that meant even more. It’s been a tradition for the Cardinals that the last conference game be on a Thursday night against the Fighting Irish. This game was the “make it or break it” decider for the two teams as to who would move on to district play and be granted a shot at a championship. Coach Tabor said the reason we play Lafayette every year in the last game of the season because of our District 16 assignment. Our district is set by the

state. This was actually the last time Benton we will be playing Lafayette in the last week-Week 10, of the season. Next year, our game against Lafayette will be played in week 3 of the season. Before Thursday night’s game, Coach Tabor was asked how prepared he felt for his team. “The biggest thing for us going into this game is how healthy we are. If we are healthy, I feel confident with our game plan.” He likes the concept of saving Lafayette for last, and has been looking forward to this game just as much as the boys. “This game being the last one of the year, always ensures that our kids continue to work hard, and essentially have something to play for.” The Cardinals and the Irish did go head-to-head Thursday night in a tough battle.  The game was filled with excitement and drama from the moment the clock started, to the very end where three touchdowns were ran

and completed in the last minute and a half.  The game was filled with back-and-forth plays, with both teams making touchdown after touchdown and leaving the fans on their feet as they awaited the end. Both teams showed up bringing their all with the intention of winning, and each provided strong moments of greatness.  They fought a good fight but in the end, there can only be one winner. In the end, the final score was 40-46; the Fighting Irish coming out on top.Fans can be nothing but proud of the Cardinals and their devoted attempt on the field, not only Thursday night, but throughout the entire season.  The players never gave up when faced with a challenging team.  Benton Cardinal football ended the year with a record of 4-6 and 2-5 in the MEC.  The Cardinals played their hearts out, and for the senior class- that's a season to be proud of.

WORLD SERIESBy: Briana Michaud Baseball season has now officially come to an end and the St. Louis Cardinals are crowned the best team in baseball, winning the World Series Friday night with a 6-2 against the Texas Ranger. After being ten and a half games back just weeks before the seasons end, the Cardinals proved they are a force to be reckoned with as they slowly made the climb to the top to become the wildcard slot for the NL division. The Cardinals faced several deficits throughout the postseason, including four elimination games and being down to their last strike not once, but twice, the night before they won the World Series.

Despite several on-the-edge-of your-seat games in the postseason, the final game of the World Series did not hold many breathtaking

moments. With an early comeback in the bottom of the first inning, the Cardinals managed to hold the Rangers score at two while they continued to put points of the board. In the end, the Cardinals defied all odds and came out the World Series Champions. This is the 11th championship

win for the Cardinals, the second highest World Series wins in baseball history behind the New York Yankees 27 World Series championships. While that might be impressive, no team has won it quite like the Cardinals in what is sure to become one of the most memorable World Series wins in baseball history.

Picture courtesy of Google Images

NBA LockoutBy: Jourdain BrooksThe NBA has already canceled some of the games in the season. The NBA has cancelled the its season until November 30, as of right now. October 31 is usually a big day for rookies because a large part of the rookies receive contract extensions. Dallas owner Mark Cuban proposed to the board to dump the salary cap which he believes would take off a heavy luxury tax for teams that have spent way beyond their budget. The opener of the world tour exhibition has also been postponed, as well as the first two games indefinitely. The NBA will undoubtedly lose hundreds of millions of dollars because of the cancelled games. The owners of the NBA teams say that they will take a 47% pay cut, but the players refuse to drop below 50%. The NBA may not begin its season until the beginning of December; possibly the end, as of today.

by Daniel Stephens• • •

As one of the world's oldest holidays, Halloween is still celebrated today in several countries around the globe, but it is in North America and Canada that it maintains its highest level of popularity. Every year, 65% of Americans decorate their homes and offices for Halloween, the only holiday that ranks higher Christmas. Halloween is the holiday when the most candy is sold and, is once again, second only to Christmas in terms of total sales. In Ireland, believed to be the birth place of Halloween, there is an old legend about ‘Stingy Jack’. Stingy Jack was said to be so mean that he couldn't get into heaven, nor hell because neither would take him, so he was forced to walk the earth for eternity with nothing but a lantern made from a turnip containing only a single coal inside it. He became known as Jack-O-Lantern. Because of this name, the tradition of putting lanterns from turnips, beets, or pumpkins in windows and doors began. This was said to be done to scare away Jack and all other spirits who walk the earth. Pumpkins didn't really become big until a big wave of Irish moved to America where the pumpkin was

ubiquitous. In Ireland, “jack-o-lanterns,” were primarily made out of large vegetables, like turnips, or a “manglewurzel”. In Ireland, the tradition is still celebrated today, as much as it is in the United States.Children dress up in costumes and go house to house trick-or-treating. Afterwards most Irish will attend parties where games such as “snap-apples,” and treasure hunts with sweets, are played. The Irish also play card games where the prize is, once again, a yummy sweet. "Barnbrack" is a traditional fruitcake most Irish will have on Halloween. A muslin-wrapped treat is baked inside the cake which, is said to have the ability to foretell the future of whoever is lucky enough to find it. A ring is another prize that can be found inside the cake, a the person finding this prize will soon be wed. If a piece of straw is found inside, the lucky person will have a prosperous year. The Germans are very superstitious when it comes to Halloween and are known to put away their knives for the holiday. Because spirits are known to be free to rome the Earth on Halloween, the knives are put away to prevent the spirits from getting hurt. In Mexico, Halloween has been celebrated since roughly 1960. Their traditions are much like ours in that children will get dressed up in costumes and go

house to house trick-or-treating. When children knock on doors, or ring the bell, they will say, "Noche de Brujas, Halloween!" ('Witches' Night, Halloween!') or "Queremos Haloween!" (We want Halloween!). The second phrase is more commonly used among children, "We want Halloween" means "We want candy.” Halloween in Mexico lasts for three days, the day after Halloween is known as All Saints' Day, and begins a two day celebration of the Day of the Dead, or the Día de los Muertos. All Saints’ Day is a traditional Catholic celebration and is always celebrated among the Mexian-Catholics. All in all, Halloween is widely celebrated across the globe, in several cultures.. Some with similar traditions and beliefs, and others drastically different. Whether it’s putting your knives away, placing a lantern from a turnip in your window, treasure hunting, or dressing up and going door-to-door, it is a world renowned holiday that has been around for centuries, and will continue to be celebrated for many more.

Halloween Around the WorldFe

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St. Joseph HauntingsBy: London Poston

• • •

There are many stories told about hauntings in St. Joseph; this is an old town, after all. While there are many stories of haunted places in this town, only a few have been selected for mentioning. Have you heard them? Localists say that Central High School was built in 1932 at its current location. It was originally located on Tenth and Edmond where its name was, “The High School.” It 1910, its name changed to Central High School. Most residents of St. Joseph may not realize that CHS is the second oldest building west of the Mississippi River.

Locals say there is a very playful ghost that is a permanent resident at CHS. Students and faculty have heard, and some have seen some of the paranormal activity taking place there. Ghosts will flood all the bathrooms on each floor from time to time. Mostly, they like to target the second and third floors. Sophomore Jordan Gabauar, a student at Central High School says that sometimes she feels she can’t even go to the second floor bathroom by herself because she gets scare. Also, among the spirits that walk CHS, there is one, in particular, that is partial to the theater. This friendly

ghost like to watch the performances that go on, and sometimes prefers to be in them. Gabauar also stated that she hates leading the classes to the theater room for meetings; she’s always afraid she will see something and freak out, then everyone will think she’s weird.   Glore Psychiatric Museum is another very old and well known building in St. Joseph; it is also very haunted. Those very familiar with the building have reported strange noises and seen strange apparitions appear on the third floor of the building. This apparition has appeared to be a man wearing dress slacks. Other apparitions have been recognized by former employees as old patients who have been wandering the hallways of the building. The former morgue is believed to be the most haunted place in the building. Creepy as it sounds, reports say in the basement, screams for help, shadows of a man roaming around, sounds of a sewing machine going off, and motion detectors being triggered when no one is in sight are common occurrences. Several others have said they’ve heard a woman screaming out “HELP ME!” If you are getting onto the elevator in the museum, you might hear a man running towards you hollering, “ Why are you here? GET OUT!” These are just some of the strange encounters people have had while visiting the Glore Psychiatric Museum. Building aren’t the only thing that is haunted in St. Joseph. Mason Bridge is also said to be haunted. Supposedly, if you sit under the bridge with your car and its lights off, a figure will appear and walk down the road. Witnesses say it’s a young girl holding her head, and walking slowly. If you take Ajax to Mason Bridge in the middle of the night, witnesses say to be sure you have your windows rolled up and doors locked. Freshman Danielle Swaistyn of Benton High School said that she has been to Mason Road plenty of times and she had never experienced anything until one night when she decided to go out there with a couple of friends. Swaistyn said that she was in the passengers seat of the car when all of a sudden she spotted a figure walking along the side of the road. She made her friend stop the car and shut it off, and that’s when she claims the figure turned around and began walking towards their car.

So does this old town really hold ghosts from the past? Witnesses will tell you yes, but do you believe? Visit the museum, or take a late night drive to Mason Bridge...if you dare.

Central High School

Mason Bridge

Glore Psychiatric Hospital

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

BHS MARCHING BANDBy: Brittany Boggess

In October, the Cardinals marching band participated in several competitions. On October 11, the marching band preformed at the Missouri Western State University Tournament of Champions competition, and received a 3rd place trophy in 1A division. On October 15, in Trenton, Missouri, the band performed in the Trenton Field Day competition were they received 8th place in the class 4A. The drum line also received 3rd place in the drum line showcase. On October 22, the marching band played in Missouri Westerns Homecoming Parade competition where they received 2nd place in class 4A. Congratulations to the BHS Cardinals Marching Band.

BHS DEBATEBy: Briana Michaud

On October 21-22, BHS debate went to North Kansas City, MO. to compete in Park Hill’s Crabtree Classic at Park Hill High School. Sophomore’s Cameron Pike and Megan Longoria were two finalists representing Benton High School; Pike with humorous interpretation, and Longoria with poetry. Both Pike and Longoria finished 6th place. On October 29, BHS debate went to Maryville High School to compete in the Spookhound Classic. Seven students from Benton competed in the classic. The next tournament will take place November 18-19, at the North Kansas City Invitational at North Kansas City High School.

What are you doing for Halloween?

“Hangin’ out with my best friends.” -Heather Stobbs

“Going to a Halloween party” -Garrett Woolery

How old is too old to trick-or-treat?

“18 years old, because that is when you are considered an adult.”

-Mr. Knight

“Never too old!” -Savannah Domann

What are teachers doing for Halloween?

“FIRST, I’M GOING TO HAVE BREAKFAST, I’M THINKING POPTARTS, THEN I’M GOING

TO SCHOOL TO THROW DOWN SOME KNOWLEDGE, THEN I’M GOING TO GO

HOME AND TAKE MY CHILDREN TRICK-OR-TREATING.” MR. TURNER

“I WANT TO MAKE AN APOLLO MOONSUIT TO WEAR.” -MR. GIER

Stud

ent L

ife BHS Students Celebrate HalloweenBy: Kaelynn BurchettHalloween  is  a  special  holiday  celebrated  every  year  on  October  31st.    Halloween  used  to  be  when  children  dressed  up  like  scary  creatures  to  scare  the  souls  of  the  dead  so  they  wouldn’t  be  haunted.  Children  then  walked  throughout  their  neighborhoods  trick-­‐or  -­‐treating.  Now,  for  Halloween,  we  dress  up  as  our  favorite  creatures  and  go  trick-­‐or-­‐treating  to  get  delicious  candy!  

Picture taken by Barbara Lafasciano

It has been said that Benton High School is haunted, the school is said to possess all sorts of weird apparitions. One possible reason could be because it was constructed on top of an old Native American burial site. If you go the third floor at night, and try to walk down the 200-foot hallway, you may experience books being thrown at you. Also on the third floor, if you walk down the hallway, and look into classrooms, you can see students sitting in a room doing homework. These students are supposedly those who were killed in a car crash years before. It is also said that if you walk down the hall and start yelling, the lockers will start opening and you will hear people on the intercom talking from the main office in the building. About 10-15 years ago a secretary died. Nowadays, when you walk into the office, some say they can smell the perfume she wore, and the chair that she sat in will always be lowered to just the way she had it when she was a secretary at BHS. A mysterious ghost haunts the annex of Benton High School. One night a woman reported seeing it

enter a room, only to turn on the television set and sit down to watch it. People have also claimed to see a red glowing light floating down the halls. The theater arts teacher, Mrs. Schultz, believes that the school is haunted because she has experienced some paranormal activity herself. Some of the paranormal activity that she has experienced is the doors in the auditorium have been known to unlock themselves and items have been moved. Mrs. Schultz has heard the piano playing by itself, and she has also heard footsteps in the back hallway behind the stage. “There are supposed to be 2 ghosts in the auditorium, one male and one female. The female has a strong flowery perfume smell.”

Like many old buildings in St. Joseph, Benton is just one more with a long, and sometimes tragic, history.

The Haunting of Benton High SchoolBy Cheyanne Mast

HAUNTINGS

3RD FLOOR HALLWAY

OFFICE

Stud

ent L

ife

Information courtesy of theshadowlands.net/places/missouri.htm

Opin

ion

Do you believe?By: Emily CoxMany of you may have heard about the hauntings at Benton High School. Some of you may have experienced them personally. The question I’d like to know is, do you believe in ghosts? If all of the myths are true, how can they be explained? Do books just float by themselves? Can a red light randomly go off in the dark? Is the smell of a familiar perfume just a coincidence? But the biggest question of all is do YOU believe spirits walk among us?

THE MYTHSThe Third Floor: During the evening hours, an unseen presence/ghost throws books at people who walking down the hallway. Students and teachers have heard yelling and screaming, or voices coming across the school's intercom. They are very muffled.Main Office: The legend of a secretary – it is believed that a dedicated, but dead school secretary is still working at Benton High School.Her apparition has been seen walking into the main office. Many members of the benton staff recognize the smell of her perfume in the office.The 1969 Annex: An unknown ghost haunts the classrooms and hallways.There is a red light that is often seen floating up and down the hallways. Another apparition has been seen entering one of the classrooms, where it proceeded to turn on a TV set, sit down and watch it. The Football Field: The Benton Football Field is named "Jim Sparks Memorial Field", after a young man died on the football field during a game. It is said that he can still be seen tossing a football at night.

3RD FLOOR STAIRWELL

ANNEX STAIRWELL

Feat

ures

Alcatraz, home of San Francisco’s former maximum-security prison, and one of California’s most famous landmarks. Visitors who come to the island claim to see a ghost or some supernatural being, walking the cellblocks. Visitors also claim to hear voices coming from what was once the cafeteria.

Scariest Places in America

The art and historical museum itself isn’t haunted, but Robert, the doll, is claimed to be. Gene Otto, the man who was given the doll in the early 1900s, was terrified of the Robert. He claimed it would threaten him, and wake him in the night by throwing furniture around his room. Gene’s parents claimed to have seen the doll moving, and neighbors said they often saw Robert pacing in the front of the windows when the family was away.

10. San Francisco, California 9. Key West, Florida

The Athens Lunatic Asylum operated from 1874 to 1993. The hospital has been the center of many ghost stories, and was notorious for being the site of hundreds of lobotomies (brain surgeries). Students that go the university that owns the asylum grounds, are most concerned about Margaret. She was a deaf-mute patient who escaped from her room, and became trapped in an abandoned ward, and died of exposure. Her body was found weeks later, and the stain that was left on the floor of the ward can supposedly still be seen today.

8. Athens, Ohio 7. Portland, Oregon

6. Charleston, South Carolina 5. Salem, Massachusetts

4. Chicago, Illinois 3. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

2. Savannah, Georgia 1. New Orleans, Louisiana

The Shanghai Tunnels were used as a safe way to capture men and women for slave labor or prostitution, and not get caught. Today, they are said to be haunted by the people who were kidnapped, and who were never seen or herd of again.

The Dock Street Theater was built in 1809, and its home of two spirits. One is Nettie, a prostitute who was killed by the theater, after being struck by lightning. Junius Brutus Boothe, the second spirit, was an actor who is famous today for being the father of John Wilkes Boothe, the person who killed Abraham Lincoln. The spirits have been seen wandering the backstage area of the theater by many workers and performers.

Joshua Ward House was built on the foundation of George Corwin’s house. Corwin was the Sheriff during the Salem witch trials. Corwin tortured Giles Corey into admitting to witch craft. Corey however, never admitted, and was killed and buried underneath the original foundation. Today both George Corwin and Giles Corey are said to be haunting the Joshua Ward House.

The Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery is one of the prohibition-era gangsters’ favorite places to dump bodies. There has been tons of stories about spirits, ghosts, and devil worship. The headstones have been moved at and people say the dead people often materialize and walk around the grounds at night. The most known is the “White Lady” the ghost of a woman who is alway in a white dress, holding a baby in her arms.

The Devil’s Den is boulders and shrubs that was the site of one of the clashes of the second day of the battle. It was famous for the location of a skirmish that took place when a Union artillery unit opened fire on a Confederate sharpshooter who took shots at them from behind the rocks. Alexander Gardner later found the body and took a photo of it and it has become one of the most iconic pictures of battle. But it is said that the man in the picture is not the man responsible and that they dragged another body for the picture. Now supposedly, this man’s ghost haunts the Devil’s den and visitors to the park have a trouble trying to take pictures anywhere near the site. The pictures come out unusable or blurry and the camera has a strange way of dying when ever they are turned on in the area.

The hampton Lillibridge House was built

in 1796 and was a three-story boarding

house. The was bought in the 1960’s by

a man who hoped to repair it. During

the construction, a part of the roof fell

and killed one of the workers. Some of

the workers said they would hear

footsteps and voices while alone and

some of the equipment would be thrown

across the room. The house has gone

though many owners but the thing that

haunts it is still to remain there today.

The LaLaurie House is the most haunted place in the U.S.A. In the middle of the French Quarter lies an ornate mansion the belonged to a physician Louis LaLaurie and his socialite wife Delphine in the 1880’s. The rumor is that they treated their slaves horrible. There was evidence that Lady LaLaurie was responsible for a murder of a 12-year-old girl. There was a fire and the firemen ran in and found slaves chained to the wall in a kind of makeshift dungeon. They soon fled the city and Lady LaLaurie disappeared. The mansion still stands today and many ghosts have been seen, Delphine LaLaurie and the young girl have been seen too.

TOP 10 HORROR MOVIES

If you plan on staying inside this Halloween, why not do so watching a scary movie? In honor of this “frightful” holiday, we have selected the top 10 scariest movies of all time. So grab your friends, cook some popcorn, and get ready to be scared with our top picks for a “Scary Movie Marathon.”

Revi

ews

1.Texas Chainsaw Massacre

2.The Ring

10. Friday the 13th 8. The Shining 7. Hellraiser

5. Nightmare on Elm Street

4. The Exorcist 3. The Grudge

6. Silence of the Lambs

Photos courtesy of Google Images

What’s Hot!

OCTOBER BOOK REVIEWSTiger’s Quest

Kelsey has decided it was best for her to return to Oregon and get her life back to normal. In order to do this, she must push her feelings for Ren aside. Some horrible is just around the corner though and Ren is missing. Now Kelsey and Ren’s “bad boy” brother, Kishan, has to go on a new quest with Kelsey to get his brother back. Something horrible has happened to Ren and everyone knows it but Kelsey. What she doesn’t know could ruin her forever.

“Houck cranks the love-o-stat up another notch...Hyper-steamy romance... ‘hot, melty, smoldering’ (but still chaste) make-out sessions...” Kirkus Reviews.

“Forget vampires and werewolves, tigers are the new hottest thing...a guaranteed page turner with a huge twist at the end that will leave you breathless” RT Book Reviews.

I rate this book 5 stars because the way Colleen Houck captures your attention and leaves you breathless at the end.

Thirst

Alisa, a five thousand year old vampire, has no control of her urges, but kept it a secret. When her creator comes back to hunt her down, she has to break her own rules to survive. Ray, a man Alisa must get close to in order to ensure her immortality, falls in love with her, and Alisa feels the same. As she falls for Ray more and more, her own life grows increasingly at stake.

“I loved reading this fantastic book! It has a story that keeps you entertained for hours.” Costumer Review.

I rate this book five stars because it tells a very interesting story about how Alisa has came to be and how she battles to stay alive.

Photos courtesy of Google Images

9. Halloween

Sadie Hawkins

DanceWhen: November 4, 2011

Time: 7:00-9:00 pmCost is $5

GIRLS ASK GUYS!!!

Sponsored by BHS Administration and Support Staff

Picture courtesy of Google Images

Benton Football

Home of the Cardinals

Coach TayborCoach Dial

Coach JohnsonCoach Glawson Coach McCoy

Coach FowlerCoach BurtonCoach Paolillo

Coach McCammyCoach Hubbard

Legacy StablesGod First Horses Second

2012 Summer Camps

No horses?Ride one of our!

All ages and experiences welcome.

Jamie & Tammy Noll7765 N.W. Hwy NN

Stewartsville, Missouri 64990(816) 424-6309(816) 294-3651

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Boarding, lessons, camps.It can all be found at

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