Issue 6, Series 89 Newton High School; 900 W 12th; Newton, KS 67114 December 14, 2012

Newtonianthe

FEATURES, PG 10

Tis’ the seasonGerman Club member, junior Sam Pierce adds the finishing touches to his gingerbread house. Members of the German Club made their gingerbread houses during second clubs on Wednesday. “I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it. It breaks my heart to see it go, but I had a great time making it,” Pierce said.

photo by DeAnna Opland

OPINIONS, PG 7

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ENTERTAINMENT, PG 8NEWS, PG 2

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Celebrating 42 Years Celebrating 42 Years Celebrating 42 Years of Fun Fashion of Fun Fashion of Fun Fashion

newsPage 2 The Newtonian Dec. 14, 2012

Building

alex stuckyco editor-in-chief

Three weeks before school started, senior Brittany Stark sought adviser Ronda Limon at the high school in order to find out what her responsibility as president of National Honor Society meant and what was ex-pected of her. During her search to find what her duties included, Stark came across the National Honor Society Web site and Constitution online.

One of the requirements found in the Constitution was for each chapter (each school) to complete a service project every year. According to the bylaws, the project must fulfill a need within the community, have the support of the administration, be appropriate, educational, well-planned, organized and executed.

“This is a very transitional year,” Stark said. “I am trying to focus our goals and keep them more constitutionalized. Na-tional Honor Society members already demonstrate scholarship and leadership, but this project will help strengthen character.

You can’t measure character in school, because it’s only what teachers see, and this gives a chance to show and build char-acter outside of school.”

After nine years as National Honor Society adviser, Limon has passed the position to Ger-man teacher Nan Bergen.

“It’s more work than I antici-pated originally, but I think it’s worth it , and it’s rewarding,” Bergen said.

Stark met with the execu-tive members to discuss and brainstorm different ideas for a service project that would meet all of the previously mentioned requirements. Out of the requests sent, Kidron Bethel Vil-lage was the only organization that responded. As the project was pursued in further detail, Stark e-mailed Kidron’s activi-ties director, Beth Penner, and met in person to try to set up an activity with the residents. The outcome resulted in the theme, Building Bridges.

“It’s closing the gap between generations,” Stark said. “So-ciety is changing, and we don’t want to lose the experiences that they had. Like history, we

don’t want to make the same mistakes.”

National Honor Society will volunteer at Kidron once a month to engage in various activities with the residents that go along with a certain topic. Some of these include technol-ogy, fashion, talent and food.

“I like the idea for several reasons,” Bergen said. “For one, it’s an idea that the students came up with themselves. It’s student-driven. I also think it’s something that both students and the elderly can benefit from.”

Stark wanted to bring the focus back to the community this year. She said it was hard finding specific needs in the community, but hopefully this project with Kidron will help equip people to go out and help the world, after the needs in the community have been met first.

“I’ve learned over the years that while I want to help every-

one, I first have to help myself,” Stark said. “We need to stabilize our community. Then we can exhaust our efforts in other countries. I wanted something more long term and that would require reliability, because we are supposed to demonstrate service in a reliable way. I want to bring influence back on our community, because it is our responsibility. I specifically want to focus the NHS chapter on this.”

The main purpose of this project is for both generations to benefit from each other.

“I think students can ben-efit from the wisdom and life experiences from older people,” Bergen said. “This intergen-erational mix will help toward understanding, just like learning languages helps with cultural understanding. Also, our show-ing interest in them makes them feel good.”

Stark also said she thinks this

will be a very good experience.“[It will be] humbling and eye

opening, and I think we’re going to benefit a lot from this,” Stark said. “I think we can strengthen our relationship with them and build a bond. It’s healthy to interact with people they don’t see everyday, and it’s the same for us.”

Bergen said each month the school focuses on a different character trait, and the one for December is caring.

“I’m not saying that Decem-ber is the only good time to do service projects, but the fact that we’re starting in December is fitting,” Bergen said. “I just feel generally it’s important for people to do service projects. You go to help someone else, and in the end you feel like you were helped more than them. It’s good character building.”

National Honor Society teams with Kidron Bethel Village to close generational gap

Schedule:

Jan.-sing-a-long

Feb.- Fashion

March- Food

april-Books,games

May-Talent showBridges

newsDec. 14, 2012 The Newtonian Page 3

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1st, 2nd clubs celebrate Christmas seasonLEFT: Interact Club officer Steven Gong and club sponsor Eunice Nickel fill Christmas boxes with pencils, soap, toys and other items to send to children overseas who will not receive much for Christ-mas. TOP RIGHT: Junior French Club members Casey Baldwin and Hayli Vogelman take a break to have snacks during the last French Club meeting before the holiday break. BOTTOM RIGHT: Junior German Club members William Davis and Rodrigo Negrede make gingerbread houses during second clubs on Dec. 12.

Counselers ask schedule changes to be made earlynaTaLIa RaMOs-THawreporter

Counselors are asking stu-dents who want changes to their second semester schedule to re-quest them as soon as possible.

“[It’s better] to start off the semester in the correct classes,” counselor Jana Crittenden said. “You don’t want to miss three to four class periods and be

behind.”Changes can be made

anytime from now until winter break. After winter break the only changes allowed to student schedules will be special cases. That means mainly by teacher recommendation.

Counselor Brad Cooper said the counselors want students to make schedule changes now to ensure there is enough room for

them in the classes they want to be in. However, even if students try to make changes now, there is no guarantee that accommo-dations can be made to change classes.

Cooper and Crittenden agreed that making requests for schedule changes now will benefit everyone involved in the long run.

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visit us online at, Railernews.com

newsPage 4 The Newtonian Dec. 14, 2012

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BPA competes at regionalsElysE cashreporter

Sixty-eight students com-peted on Dec. 6 and 7 at North High School and Central Com-munity Church in the Busi-ness Professionals of America (BPA) regional competition.

“We did really well as a school,” junior Colton Aarstad said. “We had more students place than any of the other schools.”

The four different competi-tions included Financial Ser-vices with 10 events, Adminis-trative Support with 13 events, Information Technology with 10 events, and Management, Market, HR with 12 events.

Each student competed in two events. Thirty-one stu-dents competed in Financial Services with four students competing in eight of the 10 events. One student placed first and one placed second.

Forty-one students com-peted in Management, Mar-ket, Human Resources with four students competing in the events, three placed first and two placed second.

There were 10 students who placed first overall.

“[I think the BPA region-als] went really well,” BPA sponsor Melinda Rangel said. “It was a good warmup for us to get ready for state. Every-one did really well.”

The BPA state competi-tion will be Feb. 21-23 at the DoubleTree Hotel, Wichita West High School and Central Community Church and all 68 students will go. Those that place at state will advance to nationals.

Glann steps down as football coachconnEr mitchEllnews editor

For the past 13 years, Railer football has been a way of life for history teacher Brent Glann. Seasons came and went; games were won and lost; rosters changed. The one aspect of the Railer football team that remained unchanged was Glann at the helm. A 55-69 re-cord and six trips to the Class 5A playoffs later, Glann announced his resignation as head football coach Nov. 28.

Glann said the decision mak-

ing process to resign was fairly easy.

“I just got tired of it. I couldn’t get excited to do another season. I didn’t think I could do it anymore as a head coach. It was just too much of an all-encompassing job,” Glann said.

Sophomore lineman Michael Estrada said it was an eye-open-er to hear of Glann’s decision.

“He came to each weights group to let us know, and you know Coach Glann, he got straight to the point and told us. It was a bit of a shock, and we’ll miss him. I wish the best for him,” Estrada said.

The decision to resign also surprised Glann’s family.

“They were shocked, as

coaching is what I have always done. I have two daughters who were not very happy about it and a son in seventh grade who was not happy about it either. I do think they understood it was something I had to do,” Glann said.

Glann said he knew he was leaning towards resignation af-ter the final game of the season.

“I knew right after the last game. The game against An-dover was an incredibly heart-breaking loss on a last second field goal,” he said. “The highs just weren’t high enough, and the lows were too low.”

Activities Director Brian Engelken said Glann’s efforts as coach were appreciated.

“We appreciate everything Coach Glann did for Railer football. He was very dedicated to the program,” Engelken said. “He won two league champion-ships during his tenure and

worked hard improving the overall caliber of the players and team.”

Glann said it was difficult to single out his proudest moment as Railer football coach.

“There is no one particular moment. It’s just all the great guys we had,” he said. “When I [became the head coach], the program needed a culture change. The program was in a tough place. [However] the guys really got after it in the offseason and now know what it takes to be competitive at this level.”

Glann said being around the people associated with the Railer football program is what he will miss the most about coaching.

“We have had some great kids, parents and coaches come through this program,” he said. “Being around them and all the guys is what I will miss the most.”

Glann

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Newtonian staffBY THE NUMBERS

16 members

of the

Newtonian

Staff

measured

some of

their habits

for 3 days. On average,

they got 8 hours of

sleep a night, spent 2 hours on social media,

1 hour doing exercise

and 1/2 an hour

studying.

staff editorialDec. 14, 2012 The Newtonian Page 5

Teens have been told for years how important it is to take care of themselves. Parents are constantly reminding their kids of how essential it is to make sure they know what is good and bad for them. Although it may get a little old after awhile, developing good habits now can really help pay off in the long run. There are tons of ways to make sure you take good care of yourself, and you may be surprised at how easy it can be.

One easy way to do this is to get enough sleep. Getting to bed on time with nine to 11 hours of sleep per night is a good way to replenish your body after a long day of work. With homework, sports and other activities after school, sleep may seem like an unimportant thing at times to teens. Without a good night’s rest, however, sleep deprivation can cause stress, make the body weaker and more prone to infections, and can lead to health problems later on in life. Catching some Z’s now will definitely pay off in the long run.

Just as sleep gives you the energy you need to start the day, so do the foods that you consume. Teens know how quick and easy it can be to eat unhealthy foods and how hard it can be to eat the healthy ones.

Mak-ing unhealthy food choices can lead to long and short-term effects such as weight prob-lems, chronic diseases, and even dental issues.

Finally, a key way to take care of yourself is to stay away from drugs and alcohol. Not only do these things affect brain growth and cause health problems, but your family and social relationships, school performance, and future can all be affected by the use of drugs and alcohol. Staying away from these substances now can greatly increase your chance for success later on in life.

No teen is perfect, but the decisions we make now affect our lives well into the future.

Finding Your BalanceFinding your balance

Letter Editor When I read the new rules about

leggings and yoga pants in the school an-nouncement, I was absolutely disgusted. I am relatively tall, and I love wearing dresses. However, due to the fact that we have a “finger-tip length” rule on dresses, I am not able to wear them. My solution is to pair them with opaque leggings. I have been doing this since freshman year, and I frequently buy new leggings and dresses to wear to school. It has never been an issue in the past. I also wear yoga pants to school because they are comfortable and in-style at the moment. I am allowed to wear yoga pants to my job, and because I work right after school, it is an easy transition from school to work. Now I am unable to do so because of this ridiculous new policy.

I would like to point out that no skin is visible while wearing leggings or yoga pants; all private parts are covered. I have heard that the faculty’s excuse is, “we don’t want to see certain people wearing those.” What they are referring to are what they deem heavier girls. It should not be up to the school to ban a clothing item because they think big girls do not look appealing in them. That is discrimination.

On another note, does this school have nothing better to do than to nit-pick at everyone’s clothing? We have students failing classes, yelling profanity in the hallways, coming to school high, and yet they choose to hand out referrals because our pants are too tight. I am a good student with good grades, have never re-ceived a referral in my life, and yet I am to be punished for wearing leggings?

Lastly, boys are not distracted by our

tight pants. More distracting is a girl being called out in class by a teacher because they are wearing leggings or yoga pants. More distracting is all the angry chatter of girls in the classroom discussing this new policy. I promise that in the mornings when I decide to wear leggings or yoga pants, it is not to be seductive and distract the opposite sex. It is because school is stressful and tiring, and I would prefer not to look like a slob in giant sweat pants.

Who is to say that tight jeans will not be revoked next? Or tight shirts? Please do away with this pointless policy and let the NHS girls continue to wear what has been appropriate for the past years of our high school career.

Sincerely,

to the

the newtonian staff

editors-in-chief Larrah Bills Alex Stucky

online editor Hana Robinson

news editor Conner Mitchell

opinions editor Hannah Carlgren

features editor Carlie Rodgers

entertainment editor Hana Robinson

sports editors Kylie Mick Taylor Stahly

business manager Dylan Moore

photo editor DeAnna Opland

graphic artist Corey Helsper

reporter Alyssa Gaede Sheila Autry Elyse Cash Avery Anderson Natalia Ramos-Thaw columnist Cody Mick

photographers Lauren Duerksen Johanna Patton Austin Prouty

adviser Erica Rickard

Thank you to our patrons:Xpressions By Kim

Bud & Steve Auto ServicesHank & Elaine Prouty

Randy & Tami CarlgrenGordon & Christine Schmidt

Roger & Amy Mitchell

ATTENTIONTo read more work by guest columnist, check out pg. 6 where freshman Lauren Beebe expresses her opions on the current dress

code policy.

The Newtonian is now accepting requests to be a guest columnist. If you are interested in becoming a guest columnist for an issue or sending in a Letter to the Editor, you may send requests to room 1-113.

As a girl attending Newton High, I have very recently had one of the many joys in my life taken away. Yoga pants have been banned. This new rule has obviously caused a fuss among my fellow females in the halls.

My most recent conversations have consisted of sobbing girls trying to figure out what on earth they can wear. Some of your reasoning, ladies, I can understand. We all enjoy wear-ing tight, comfy pants now and then and feeling pretty.

Let’s not forget that within a matter of weeks, yoga pants and leggings might not even be in style. Then we can all move along to the next provocative and rebellious fad in fashion.

With the sudden ruling, I wish to express what desperately needs to be said. Girls: this is not just an excuse to argue with our principals. If your arguments are valid, by all means- speak your mind.

“They might as well just make the girls go to uniforms with the way things are going,” was one comment I have heard more times than I would have liked to. I wonder if perhaps the reason the clothing we like so much always gets banned, is because we stretch the limits of the current dress code.

Here’s one example: Wearing leggings and yoga pants would be just fine with maybe a long shirt or a baggy sweater. Worn with a short, tight T-shirt for everyone to see what no one would like to see is exactly the kind of thing that led our principals to their decision.

Meet us half-way, administration. Give us a second chance to prove that the style we currently enjoy so much can be worn appropriately. I suggest an adjustment in the rule. Allow us to wear our leggings while giving us guidelines to follow.

While we have many objections, we still have to remember that we are only students. Our arguments only go so far. So stay strong, ladies, and fight for our right to comfortably wear the leg at-tire of our choosing. Sincerely,

ALYSSA GAEDEreporter

It has come to that magical time of year

when we are blessed with family, friends and finals. Yes, we all know finals are terrible. Some people fell asleep in math, others did not

pay attention in history, and now finals are upon us. You have no clue what you are do-ing, but instead of complaining, keep your chin up and just take them.

Finals are necessary to see how much progress students have made from the start of the year. Sitting around complain-ing about not wanting to take them isn’t helping you, and

honestly, I do not want to hear it because I am in the same boat. Everyone around you has a final they do not want to take. It’s not the end of the world, so please quit acting like it.

If you choke down your first couple finals, the next ones go by much easier. You should not blow it out of proportion. It is a few days of testing over material that you have already

learned. It will make it easier on you to just take a deep breath and calm down and an-swer to the best of your ability.

Finals may not be the ACT or SAT, but they still affect your overall grade. Making a good effort and taking your time could have an impact on your final results. Actually trying to

answer correctly, instead of just choosing C for every answer, can be the difference between passing or failing a class.

opinionsPage 6 The Newtonian Dec. 14, 2012

Become ultimate Railer fan

Finals are just part of life; everyone has them

CODY MICKcolumnist

Forget about nonsensical, cliche holiday-season things like Santa

Claus, gingerbread men and winter wonderlands. Stop considering cold weather, hot chocolate and finals week as the most important aspects of the season.

The month of December brings with it the beginning of some of the most exciting weeks of the school year: winter sports season. Grab your bowling balls and wrestling shoes, slap on your cus-tom basketball jerseys, struggle into your speedo, head out the door and you’re ready to become the hardcore (yet poorly dressed) Railer fan Newton expects you to be this time of year.

Something about winter sports season screams “Railer pride,” and I couldn’t be more excited to make a fool of myself and risk getting ejected from Ravenscroft than I am this month. The fol-lowing paragraphs are enticing not only because they are written by a sexy journalist, but because

they offer great advice on how to become the ultimate Railer fan.

Be sure to attend the Friday night home basketball games. People love to stay indoors during the rough winter weather. There are many activities to do indoors which provide relief from the subzero temperatures, but some are better than others.

If the following two opportuni-ties to beat the cold arose, which would you choose: staying at home and listen to tacky Christ-mas music on the radio while choking on egg nog surrounded by ill-stricken siblings, or scream-ing your heart out with fellow classmates in Ravenscroft gym as Newton scores against Maize? I prefer the latter, but only because I’m not an idiot. Should someone choose the first option, I would not judge them, but they are idiots.

Join the wrestling team. Not because I think every student would be good at it, but because it would be hilarious to watch sev-eral students decide that it’s a lot more rigorous than they thought and realize that it takes hours upon hours of dedication, so they just quit.

Basketball for whatever reason always receives more attention than wrestling, so if we were to learn to appreciate the sport for what it was, we might give more recognition to the athletes who definitely deserve it after the dedication and sacrifice they live through every season.

Make a friend on the bowling or swimming team. Believe it or not, swim meets are very loud and exciting, and bowling tour-naments are great for the self-realization that a lot of people are actually skilled at the sport, and they don’t even use bumpers! How?

This winter, stop asking yourself “should I go to the game or should I stay home and bathe in my selfish laziness?” Instead, get together with best friends, buy a custom basketball jer-sey, get a pair of spirit sleeves, participate in the athletic events during homecoming week, get light-headed from screaming so hard, risk the administrators’ death stare and help the Railers make other teams’ records look worse than the Jayhawks football season.

“It’s not the end of the world, so please quit acting like it.”

Letter to the EditorWinter sports season ‘most exciting weeks of the year’

opinionsDec. 14, 2012 The Newtonian Page 7

Martin nolteniusguest writer

Christmas is celebrated all around the world. In Germany, my 24th of December starts with a big breakfast and a little tea in the afternoon. In the evenings, most Germans go to church. After that,

we open the presents at home on Christmas Eve.

Most Germans have just the close fam-ily over on Christmas Eve. We open the presents, have a big dinner, eat sweets and stay up late. On Dec. 25, we sleep in. In the afternoon, we meet up with family and friends and have a big meal together. On the Dec. 26, we do the same for the second day of Christmas.

The Christmas tree is normally a huge deal. We have real trees with real candles

on them. Because of this, my mother is always so scared about the candles. She thinks that they will burn down the tree and the house. Every year she wants the tree out of the house as fast

as possible. During Christmas in Germany, markets

are very popular. Every town has one. They normally stay from around three weeks before Christmas until two or three days after Christ-mas. You can buy a lot of candies, candles and

different stuff at these markets. Seven days after Christmas Eve, we celebrate

New Years. Everybody has many firecrackers and other stuff that we play with. We have big suppers and have big New Year’s parties to kick off the new year. It is quite fun.

name: Martin Noltenius

Home town & Country: Bremen, Germany

What has the hardest thing been so far for you? To come to a new school where you don’t know anyone. Culture differences were also difficult.

What do you miss most? My parents, sibling and my other good friends.

What are you most excited about for this upcoming school year? To see American Christmas tradition, the traveling I’ll be doing including Chicago, the Rocky Mountains and Hawaii, and graduation.

What do you like best about newton High? The high school seems to prepare you better for your future career more than German schools, where you only take the basic classes needed to graduate including history, math and English.

<<Eetu Laitinen

I live in Finland, and back in my home town, we have some different Christmas traditions. We usually go to the cemetery first, that’s on Christmas Eve. Then we go to the Christmas Sauna (some-thing that is a tradition in Finland) and we

eat lots. If there are children in the family, Santa Claus comes around eight or nine and talks with them as they open up pres-ents. We gather around with relatives too, of course.

Here, I am looking excited to see the traditions. Who wouldn’t want presents? We aren’t doing anything special, just spending time with my host family and my relatives. Christ-

mas is a bigger deal back here in the sense that Christmas music is always playing and Christmas lights are up.

I do miss the sauna, my family and snow. I’m not sure if I can celebrate Christmas when there

is no snow.

There’s too much stuff on radio and TV. It’s no more get with your family and have fun, it’s get your presents.

fr. Jeremy Mcduffey

“

”

Do you think the Christmas season has become too commercialized?

“I don’t. Christmas has to be seen everywhere. It’s the best holiday.

jr. Connor Rhodes

“”

Nope, I think that people have not re-ally forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.

sr. Nikki Anderson

“”

It shows too much stuff about Christmas. It starts going to commericals and stuff way too early.

so. Ashley Bartel

“”

Giulia Apostoli>> I live in Nuvolera, Italy. Christmas is so much dif-

ferent in Italy then it is here. It is much more religious, and we don’t have Santa Claus. The past two or three years

he has become more popular. We know who he is now. We get presents on Dec. 13, because that is the Saint Day of a famous saint. We get more presents back home, I think. We usually go to church at midnight on Christmas Eve, and then go out to party with our friends to celebrate. Then we go home and put the little statue of Jesus in the nativity, then we go to bed. In the morning, we have a

huge lunch with family, and then we drink coffee and have a live-nativity, I’m actually

one of the actresses, and I love them. That’s about it. We don’t even have a

Christmas tree back home.

No-17%

Yes- 83%

*survey of 60 students

worldviews: GermanyChristmas traditions from my home country

graphic by Lauren Duerksen

entertainmentPage 8 The Newtonian Dec. 14, 2012

“ Wants to watch Christmas movies all day... but no, I have dance and work. #sad

I told my dad I wanted season one of Gossip Girl for Christmas so if he doesn’t get it, I’m probably going to cry.

I’ve never wanted anything more for Christmas than every episode of #DuckDynasty

jr. Jessica Castillo

sr, Dakota Long

fr. Kassidy Thompson

@ktgymnast97

@mexxibaby

@dakotalong03

Twitter Talk

”“

”“

”

I really wish Christmas break would hurry up and get here. Like right now.

fr. Taylor Edson

@taylor_edson

“ ”

Don’t Freak For FinalsSeniors share their study tips for the week of finals.

“I just go over all of my notes and previous tests, just anything that I think will help. I try and get plenty of sleep. I basically just re-read everything.”

- Sr. Kylee Hotlman

“I go over my notes and review

old tests and homework.”

- Sr. Selene Rodriguez

“I don’t wait until the night before. I start a week in advance and study a little bit at a time, and then the last night I study everything at once.”

- Sr. Brianna Gouvion

“I read my notes for about 5 minutes,

and I then stop. That’s abou

t the max.

I worry a lot, I cram the night

before.”

- Sr. Dylan Palmer“I’ve never studied for a final. If I was going

to study, I would probably study an hour a

night.”

-Sr. Daniel Grah

“I look over notes and pass tests.”- Sr. Sergio Meza“I try to go to bed earlier, and I use my time in seminar more wisely.”

- Sr. Megan Bradley

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Want to be mentioned in the next issue? Tag @Railernews in a tweet, and tell us

what you liked about the paper!

“I spend the week before finals going over what we learned in the semester and I study early in the morning with friends. I work on eating right the week of finals, that’s mostly it.”

- Sr. Clinton Unruh

entertainmentDec. 14, 2012 The Newtonian Page 9

>>Movies in a MinuteMovies hitting the Chisholm Trail 8 theatre just in time for the winter break. Compiled by columnist Cody Mick.

Jack Reacher

Release Date: Dec. 21

The thriller, based on the popular book series, stars Tom

Cruise as the title character, a former military police officer. After five people are killed in a rush hour crowd, an accused, apprehended gunman insists they’ve got the wrong guy and to find Jack Reacher. Reacher sets out on a mission to discover the truth behind the brutal killings. “The law has limits. He does not.”

For fans of: The Mechanic, Mission Impossible

The Hobbit

Release Date:Dec. 14

Director Peter Jack-son returns to the extremely popular

“Lord of the Rings” saga with a three-part prequel depicting the original book. The first of three films follows Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and a group of adventurers who set off on an epic, fantasy-fueled quest, which results in Baggins discovering a mysterious ring. Parts two and three are expected to be released in the next couple years.For fans of: Pans Labyrinth, Lord of the Rings

This is 40

Release Date: Dec. 21

The proclaimed “sort-of sequel to ‘Knocked-Up’” follows

married couple Debbie and Pete (Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd) as they fight their way through their marriage. Fans of director Judd Apatow (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Funny People,”) will more than likely find a touching message intertwined within the crude jokes and sexual humor, as Apatow films are famous for it.

For fans of: Knocked Up, Superbad

Django UnchainedRelease Date: Dec. 25

Quentin Tarantino’s latest directorial work follows Django

(Jamie Foxx), a slave turned bounty hunter who is hired to eliminate a group of killers whom only he has seen. In exchange, he will receive aid in rescuing his wife from vicious plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The film will more than likely have many Tarantino-esque aspects, in-cluding brutal violence and hilarious dialogue.For fans of: Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction

FR. NIColAS PARgA

“‘Jingle Bells,’ because [it is the] most popular [Christmas carol].”

Railer Beats carols

x

_________ the Red-Nosed

_________ had a very ________

______, and if you ever saw it, you

would even say it ________. All

of the other __________ used to

_______ and call him ________;

they never let poor _______, join

in any __________ games.

Then one ______ Christmas

Eve, Santa came to say, “_______

with your nose so ________,

won’t

you

guide my

___________

tonight?”

Then how the __________

loved him, as they _______ with

glee. ______ the Red-Nosed

________, you’ll go down in

history!

Madlib Newtonian

name 1

mystical creature adjective

adjective

noun

verb

insulting adjective

name 1

adjective

adjective

name 1

verb

source of transportation

plural mystical creature

past tense verb

name 1

mystical creature

plural mystical creature

Sung to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

So. Kyle KelSey

“‘Jingle Bell Rock’ because they sing it on Mean Girls, and I love Lindsay Lohan.”

BeHAvIoR INTeRveNTIoNIST ToNy JoHNS

“‘Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire’ by Nat King Cole, because he can sing.”

SR. eDUARDo ToRBIo

“‘Feliz Navidad’ (Mariachi Style) because it’s traditional.”

{ }Christmas edition

featuresPage 10 The Newtonian Dec. 14, 2012

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In a survey of 62 students, 31

students said they feel stressed out.

Only17 students said they usually

get the recommended 8 hours of

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Only 36 students said they usually

eat the recommended 3 meals a

day. Only 25 students said they

have at least 4 hours of free time to

spend how they would like.

By the numbers How do you de-stress?

Score one point for each “yes” answer.

0-3 : You may not deal with any great amount of stress.

4-7 : You may have mod-erate stress occuring that could be damaging to your health.

8+ : You may have major stress that could turn into a long-term health concern.

jr. Lexi Southern

so. Dagan Willingham

fr. Ally Tozier

sr. Jarrod Ornelas

“I like music. I feel like it helps.”

“Sleep and wrestling because it gets my mind off of school.”

“Get a pedicure with Lau-ren Guhr, and we have jam

“I lift weights everyday and run. I talk to

Do you feel like your energy level keeps getting lower than it used to be?

Do you have a hard time saying no to people?

Are you a very competitive person? In work, school or sports?

Do you tend to keep your feelings bottled up?

Discover your stress level. Answer yes or no to these questions and keep track of your answers then use them to check your results.

Are you usually in a hurry to get somewhere or get something done?

Do you try to tackle many tasks at one time?

Do you get angry easily?

Is there something big going on in your life right now that is upsetting?

Do you have trouble sleep-ing?

Do you have a hard time feeling confident in your-self?

RESULTS

Savannah Justice.”

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featuresDec. 14, 2012 The Newtonian Page 11

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Stress is a normal part of everyday life. It’s inevitable. Stress is the body’s natural response to environmental de-mands or pressures. When your body perceives something as being straining or exceeding its adaptive capacities, then stress happens.

What makes stress a bad thing is when there is too much of it for someone to cope with. Teenagers tend to carry im-mense amounts of stress. Often stress in younger people comes from feeling overwhelmed.

There are many different reasons teenagers might feel in over their heads. School nurse Karen Lehman sees stressed out teenagers every day.

“I think the pressure of schoolwork, family expecta-tions, jobs, peer relationships and extracurricular activities all adds up,” Lehman said.

Whatever the cause may be, too much stress is harm-ful. The human body struggles when it is dealing with lots of stress. Physically, stress can cause stomach issues, head-aches, lethargy and changes in

blood pressure. The chemical imbalances that can occur in the brain due to stress largely affect one’s mood. Chronic stress is even more dangerous because it weakens the immune system, causes intestinal problems, puts strain on the heart and damages brain cells.

“Personally I think frequent headaches and frequent stom-achaches are the biggest signs something is going on,” Lehman said.

Teenagers who are over-stressed may be irritable, low-spirited or very anxious. They may have a hard time with eating, sleeping or remembering things because they feel frazzled.

“My opinion is anxiety comes from how you cope with stress. You can learn tools that can help

you cope with stress better and prevent anxiety,” Lehman said.

When teenagers are over-stressed, they might find it hard to be as productive as they would normally be or they might feel as if they can’t escape from their negative feelings, but in all actuality doing many differ-ent small things can make a big difference in reducing stress. It is important to deal with stress in a healthy way, though. Using stimulants or relaxants to cope with stress can just cause things to get worse and not do anything to help.

“I would suggest any relax-ation techniques. Also, it’s im-portant to have a strong support system, someone to talk to,” Lehman said.

Too much stress damaging to students’ bodies, minds relax

Some ways to try and manage stress better are:

Don’t overschedule or “bite off more than •you can chew.”Stay organized the best that you can.•Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. •Trying to be perfect only adds onto stress.Get good sleep.•Eat well.•Exercise regularly.•Practice relaxation. Try different breath-•ing exercises or use positive self-talk or do some stretching. Any way to calm yourself does your body good.Stay optimistic.•Take breaks. Don’t wear yourself out.•Eliminate problems one at a time.•Ask for help when you need it.•

sportsPage 12 The Newtonian Dec. 14, 2012

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There are 21 boys and 10 girls trying out for bowling this year. 2 state qualifiers are returning to the team. The team is led by 6 seniors and 10 letter returners. Tryouts began Dec. 3.

Bowling team has high hopes Avery Andersonreporter

As the start of bowling season approaches on Jan. 4, junior Jerrod Ashcraft looks forward to the start of a new season and the opportunity to improve this year.

“We didn’t do so great last year,” Ashcraft said. “I hope we won’t screw around so much at practice and take it more serious so we can bowl better.”

Although the team didn’t meet its expectations last year, Ashcraft said that there are some strong points about the team.

“I think our strong point is when people see other bowlers doing well, they get fired up and bowl better,” Ashcraft said. “I feel as a whole we are returning the full varsity team from last year so we will perform better as a team.”

Returning varsity players include junior Austin Gronau, senior Bryan Esau, and senior Andrew Rikoff. Some freshmen are providing the team with some assistance as well.

“We are the same team but more improved and more mature. Having a few freshman that can bowl will help a lot,” Ashcraft said.

With the season approaching fast, Ashcraft has high hopes for himself and

the team.“I picture the team going to state as

a team this year,” Ashcraft said. “I look forward to having fun with Austin Gronau at away meets and overall being a big competitor to other teams.”

BowlingBy the Numbers

Junior Jerrod Ashcraft bowls at tryouts on Dec. 6 at Play Mor Lanes. photo by Austin Prouty

sportsDec. 14, 2012 The Newtonian Page 13

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Girls take 1st place, boys take 4th at HaysSheila autryreporter

The varsity boys and girls basketball teams traveled to Hays Nov. 29 for the Hays Shoot Out, which resulted in a first place trophy for the girls. The boys team took fourth Anticipation was high as the players geared up for the first games of the season. From the toss up to the final buzzer, all the suspense was turned into an exciting series of games. In their third game, the boys team lost to Hays in overtime 54-53. The team then turned to DeSoto to determine the third place team. They were defeated 60-52. “We kind of lost our heads at times and turned the ball over and made bad shots,” senior Grant Walker said. “We need to finish games, and take smarter shots. We go through so much conditioning that we will be able to do that throughout the year,” The last game for the girls team was the championship

game against Kearney, Nebraska, which they won 51-45. Junior Jaqueline Anderson described the game as being very competitive. “We got up by 20 points and relaxed, and [then] they came within four points,” she said. “We picked up our defense, they started fouling, and then we just made our free throws and finished the game.” Players and coaches often agree that pre-season practices and games can define a team’s season. Lessons are learned and the team strategizes based on the outcome. “We really pushed on being in good condition for the shoot out, and making that a top priority really helped us in the long run,” junior Jacqueline Anderson said. With the official arrival of basketball season, both teams continue on with hopes to compete well. Walker said he believes the boys varsity team has a chance

of making it to state. “We will mess teams up,” Walker said. Anderson also expressed her enthusiasm about the girls varsity season this year. “We will be competitive. If we keep making improvements we can look forward to a solid season,” Anderson said.

Since the Hays Shoot-Out, both teams have played Salina Central and Salina South. Against Central, the varsity girls won 45-42 and the varsity boys won 55-55.

On Tuesday’s game at Salina South, the Lady Railers wre upset 44-34. The boys also lost 56-52 in overtime.

aboveSenior Austin Krogmeier goes up to contest a shot during the boys third place game against DeSoto. The team ended up getting fourth after losing 60-52.above leFtThe girls team celebrates their first place win over Kearney in the finals of the Shootout. The final score was 51-45.bottom leFtSenior Kelsi Langley sets up the offense during their game against Hays High. “[The tournament] was a really great experience,” Langley said. “We had good competition and strong, fast moving games.”bottom rightPushing the ball against a DeSoto defender, senior Grant Walker prepares to start the offense for the team.

courtesy photos

Teams start strong, grab important early season wins

JUNIORS AND SENIORS Now is the time to get ready for college. That includes getting your Meningitis vaccine. Call to make an appointment or walk in on Wednesdays.

The Health Department will be conducting Fall Flu Clinics at all of the schools in Harvey County. We will be at NHS on September 26th. Call our office for clinic dates at other schools. Forms can be found on the USD 373 website or at our office.

Mon, Tue, Fri 8am-5pm • Wed 8am-6pm • Thur 11:30am-5pm

Harvey County Health Department 316 Oak St., Newton, KS 67114 316-283-1637 • 800-414-424

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sportsPage 14 The Newtonian Dec. 14, 2012

Upcoming EventsDec. 15J.V. G/B Basketball Newton Invitational

Dec. 15V/J.V Wrestlingat Bishop Carroll

Dec. 18G/B Basketballvs. Campus at home

Wrestling starts undefeatedkyliE Micksports editor

The varsity wrestling team has started the season off strong, win-ning the first three duals and the first tournament.

The team won the Douglass In-vitational Tournament on Saturday, and senior Dillon Archer and junior Garrett Lee placed first individually.

The Railers added the win at Douglass to a win over Derby earlier in the week. Lee pinned his oppo-nent in the last match of the evening to add six points to the Railers’ total and allow them to win 38-33.

The first duals of the season were against Pratt and Mulvane on Nov. 29. Newton beat Mulvane 64-18 and Pratt 55-21.

Starting the season undefeated allows the boys to feel like they are in the mix with other big schools, head coach Jude Wilson said.

After winning the Douglass tour-nament, Lee said Newton could go undefeated this year.

The wrestling team will compete Saturday at Bishop Carroll. Wilson said his hopes for the rest of the sea-son include everyone working hard and improving everyday.

For more pictures,

stories, videos and more visit:

railernews.com

lEFT Senior Garret Lee prepares to make a move on his opponent from Mulvane at the double dual in Pratt.BElOW senior Peter Nelson works to hold his opponent from Pratt down.

>>Railer wrestlers win first 4 events

photos by Kaley Archer

HannaH Carlgrenopinions editor

After placing second at two meets and third at one meet, the boys swim team has started out on what the team would call a “promising” season.

“It’s hard to say much about the season since we only have had three meets so far, but from what I can see, we have a team full of hard working guys that are improving fast,” senior cap-tain Aaron Clark said. “Seriously everyone is dropping times like crazy, and all the freshmen have shown good improvement and strong technique.”

The team’s latest competi-tion was an invitational held in El Dorado on Dec. 7, where the team placed second.

“We did really well. I feel like we are a solid and well balanced group,” junior Preston Ford said. “We’ve mainly only lost to Derby, and they’re an amazing team, so it’s good that we are keeping up with them.”

Head coach Phil Schmidt said he felt encouraged by what he had seen so far.

“I think the season is going really well,” he said. “The guys have continued to improve at ev-ery meet. Going to meets helps the younger guys understand what I talk about it practice.”

The boys have a while to

improve their times before their home meet on Jan. 3. They have already qualified all of their relay teams and five individuals for the state competition and are expecting to qualify more.

Schmidt said he plans to work with the boys during prac-tice in an effort to qualify more team members.

“Right now we are just focus-ing on individual events. We are spending time and energy for the specific events,” Schmidt

said. “We are trying to get the individual events and strokes down for those who are close to state times.”

Clark’s goal for the team is to qualify over half the squad to state competition, and he plans on working hard to accomplish the goal.

“If we keep on dropping times and working hard in prac-tice, we will keep heading on the right track and be prepared by the end of the season,” he said.

sportsDec. 14, 2012 The Newtonian Page 15

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Swim season ‘promising’leFT: Sophomore Hunter Linear swims in the med-ley relayBOTTOM leFT Senior Nat Dick does the butterfly stroke at the home meet on Nov. 26BOTTOM rIgHT Senior Aaron Clark does the back stroke. The Railers came in second place.

“I would like [the old uniforms] if the shorts weren’t so small”

sophomore Brendan Downey

[Our uniforms] are pretty baggy, but I think they are getting new ones next season.

seniorJacob Wright

Then and NowU N I F O R M S

B A S K E T B A L L

1991Jason jenn

photos by Austin Prouty

photo essayPage 16 The Newtonian Dec. 14, 2012

1. Senior Taylor Carr hangs garland in the commons to help FC-CLA decorate for the holidays. 2. Freshmen Alex Rivera and Cole Henry play video games at Hobby Club with sophomore Craig Dansby on Dec. 5. 3. Freshmen decorate sugar cookies in FCA on Dec. 4. Junior Orlando Gonzalez plays basketball at Fitness Club on Dec. 12. 5. Freshman Cole Koerner scrounges around for candy at the pep assembly on Dec. 7. 6. Junior Maddy Glenn wears a unicorn hat on Hat Day. Students had the opportunity to pay a dollar to wear a hat on Dec. 7. 7. Junior Melina Schrader and Lexi Colvin are served by senior officers as they go through Spanish Club’s buffet line on Dec. 5. 8. Junior Stephanie Brown plays a game with freshman Krisandra Ritchey during Drama

Club on Dec. 12. 9. Seniors Gabe Libel and Gerard Decina scoop ice cream in Art Club on Dec. 5.

HOLIDAY CHEER is HERE

Photo essay by Lauren Duerksen