THE SPARTAN VOICEVOLUME 4, ISSUE 15 APRIL 15, 2011

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

India Cohlmia and Lindsay Wells sing, Mr. Fisher plays bass.

Whatʼs in this Issue:

ISAS: What went down.Helping JapanSummer JobsDance Team tryouts . . .Student Spotlight

ISAS was a great trip this year! Albuquerque Academy has quite easily the most beautiful campus I’ve ever seen. With perfect weather, except for a slight rainstorm, and the most incredible view of the mountains, nothing about the school wasn’t pleasing to the eye. Although with the campus being so pretty, something had to be less that spectacular. The hotel was lacking in some areas but when it came to some of the rooms they decided to make the hotel better with pizza at midnight! It was a very fun-filled and exciting trip. All of our students performed fantastically and I can’t wait to go again next year! By Alex Waldeck

ISAS was finally somewhere interesting this year! It may have been about a twelve hour bus ride but it was in New Mexico which is

better than going to Texas yet again! There were some down sides to

this ISAS though. This year there were only two full days instead of

the first day being a half day followed by a full day then the last day

being a half day again. The weather was also not fully on our side, the first day it rained part of the time and half of that day

was a bit dreary. Other than that the weather was gorgeous and so was their campus! The outdoors was so beautiful; so many

trees, flowers, benches and a few memorials. For those of you who stayed inside most of the day, well you missed out! Another

down side was their way to set up the workshops. In order to go to a workshop you had to get a ticket. They were not consistent

in the times they handed out tickets for the workshops, so if you weren’t standing around all day you wouldn’t necessarily get

in. I for one never got to go to a workshop which is half the fun of ISAS. By Rachel Klingenburg

ISAS: My PerspectiveBy Diana Kim

“Son, can you play me a memory . . .” Cooper Rowe

In my point of view, ISAS is probably one of the single-most best trips that I have gone to in my life. Meeting new people on a beautiful campus is such a great opportunity that Collegiate let us have. Playing games from ʻNinja Assassinʼ to a nice game of ʻDuck,duck, gooseʼ was a fun way to meet people (Not to mention I still have bruises from ʻDuck, duck, Gooseʼ). Not only did we meet new people, there were very talented students from all over that did a wonderful job at ISAS. In my opinion, the Coffee House was my favorite performance because it was with people who obviously practiced hard and were just having fun on stage. Most of the students would sing verywonderfully...and some very terribly. Terribly funny. Not to come off as rude, but usually there wasnʼt an ʻin-betweenʼ; people would rate it with a thumbs up, or thumbs down.Never ʻin the middle.ʼWhen Collegiate was up next singing for the Coffee House, it was great to listen to people you knew to have such talent with their voice. Music from John Mayer, to Celine Dion, it was spectacular. Everyone who participated in the Coffee House did an amazing job (better then the other schools in my opinion). The audience, not to mention,did a great job participating in the performances.

That is one of the best things about Collegiate, the students always cheer on our friends and are always there for eachother. Overall ISAS was a wonderful experience that brought the Collegiate communityeven closer together.Other amazing events to watch that happened at ISAS included parts of the show “WestSide Story”, concert band, dynamics, choir, dancing, and many more. In my opinion everybody did spectacular!

Guitar Hero . . .Mike Choi

Helping JapanBy Jake Barrett

As you all know, we had the Rent-a-Spartan day last Monday, and it couldn’t have gone any better. I had a goal set to raise $800, and I thought we wouldn’t make it. Thanks for proving me wrong, you guys spent a total of $825 on the Spartans, way to go!This money will be in even more need, as more aftershocks are hurting the already tsunami-wounded Japanese people. If this wasn’t bad enough, now the Fukushima nuclear plant that is threatening a complete meltdown, and scientists think that it will end up just like Chernobyl… badly. Japan needs our help now more than ever, and the money we raised will help very much.We didn’t just raise money with Rent-a-Spartan, but Mrs. Cunningham developed a T-shirt to raise money for Japan as well. The T-shirt sales were school-wide, and that fundraiser brought in over $550, bringing our grand total to even more than a whopping $1400!Since Rent-a-Spartan went so well this year, we can hopefully make this a yearly fundraiser for charities and good causes. Next year, maybe we can raise even more money (partially because nobody knew about it this year until the Tuesday that bidding started). Just remember, you need to be generous so we can raise big bucks, and you can have lots of fun with your servants during the day. Thank you so much for your support for Japan!

(If you would like to order a t-shirt we are offering a second order!!! The money from the shirts goes to Save the Children).

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:

PAUL ABROMEIT(CASHBROOK CUP RECIPIENT)

Q: What do you eat for breakfast?

A: Berries and cream

Q: What do you consider your style to be?

A: Sporty hipster/ wise fool/ casual professional/ subliminally sublime.

Q: What is your favorite V-Mag skit?

A:.OMG. Messin’ with the Bull, that started it all.

Q: What is bigger, the African or Asian elephant?

A: Def. Asian--stoopid,

Q: Favorite Class?

A: History Seminar. Hella Fresh.

Q: What three adjectives best describe you?

A: Aucious (awesome & righteous), filthy and willing.

Q: What do you really want to do in life?

A: LET’S FREAKING LOSE IT!!!!!!!BMM, GET OUTTA YOUR MIND!

Q: Who are your heros?

A: Fresh Prince of Bel Aire, Kid Cudi, and Mike Tyson.

Congratulations to

BAND,MADRIGALS &DYNAMICS and

then Madrigals & Dynamics together*

Rated “1ʼs” 12 timesby all judges at state,

a first in Collegiate history!

Mr. Fisher said “they really said

YES!!!!”*how adorable

It’s that time of year again -- dance team tryouts! Every year many try out, few make it. The tryout list has been posted. Many girls, and even a few boys, have already signed up for the ultimate judgment. On Saturday April 23rd, girls will be put to the test in front of brought in professional judges. An experienced member of the dance team adds “Dance team is really hard to get on too… so good luck to the new people!”

Some surprising names were on the list, such as Taj Holt, Curtis Bent, and Aaron Evans. Some say that it is a joke. However Taj tells the Spartan Voice that I have been intimidated and made to feel inferior. The tryouts are very competitive. "Tryouts are very intimidating." a former dance team member says. Not only will the tryout dance be very difficult, one must also keep in mind that there will only be three clinic days to learn it. The judges will be very critical.

1, 2, 3, Hit it! . . . Dance team try outs!Tara Kneller

Festival goers organize a a weird thing whereby you place your head on someone’s tummy!

PAPER TWEET with coach fiegel

Q: Are you going to Prom?A: Why yes I am. Al and I talked about it last and I managed to dodge that bullet for maybe four years, I rode that steel horse as long as I could . . . (laughs)

By Zach Alvarez

Houston Cusick, Christine Estivo, Connor Robertson & Micah White

Let’s face it; almost all of us have gotten a speeding ticket. With it come many consequences, including a heavy fine, a drastic increase in insurance, and possibly a suspended license. Luckily there is a way to avoid any black marks on your record with the speeding ticket diversion program. To receive diversion you must fill out an application (which comes with a $25 fee) and appear in court on the assigned date. Once in court, a judge will decide whether or not to accept your application for diversion. If and when you are accepted you must do the following: Pay the standing fine, pay a diversion fee, pay for court costs, and keep a clean record for the next six months. Failure to do so will result in the loss of your diversion, and both the new traffic violation and the one being diverted will be brought against you.

Summer Jobs.By Kalli Sikes

Itʼs that time again. Wallets are emptying and parents are nagging. Students across the statewill flood to the nearest McDonaldʼs, Sonic, Target and Quick Trip looking for applications inhope of earning a little cash of their own.

For many of us, a summer job seems inevitable, but few have knowledge of the continuallydecreasing numbers of teens in the work force over the past couple of years. Finding a job isnot as easy as it was 20 years ago for teens.

37 percent of teens nationwide worked in the 2006 summer, almost 11 percent fewer thanin the summer of 1989, the very top of the nation-wide economic boom, according to datagathered for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As shocking as this statistic may be, it was a very long time ago. However research studiesprove that the decline has been drastic in the last couple of years.

Compared to the peak of employment for teens in June 2006, 25% or every 1 in 4 jobs held byteens have disappeared from the U.S economy.

Many believe that jobs are imperative to the growth of a teenager into a responsible adult, andare frightened by these statistics.

"Working as a team, completing tasks and taking responsibility. Kids learn these skills throughemployment," says Ivan Charner, director of the Academy of Educational Development/National Institute f o r W o r k a n d Learning.

The decrease is con t i nua l , and c a n n o t b e stopped by one individual. It is difficult to imagine thef u t u r e f o r u p c o m i n g generat ions of teens in the work force.

"We often ask, ' W h a t ' s w r o n g w i t h t h i s generation? They don't have any work ethic?' but adeeper analysis s h o w s t h e y haven't had the same employment opportunities their parents ando l d e r s i b l i n g s once had," says Neil Sullivan, executive director of the Boston Private IndustryCouncil, a business-led intermediary organization that seeks to strengthen Boston's workforce.

For all the teens that are able to land a job the summer, consider yourself one of the luckyones. It may not be as easy for future generations of teens.

Knut [Kuh-noot]By: Ellen Healy When I was a freshman, my family hosted a foreign

exchange student from Germany. Her name was Kathrin

and she became a part of the family soon after the first

day we met. She taught us how to say basic

phrases in German,

helped us learn more

about her culture, and

most importantly how to

adapt to living with

someone other than

our family. One day

coming home from

school, we decided to procrastinate for awhile

by looking at Youtube

videos. WE showed her

“Laughing Baby” and

she loved it, playing

it over and over, and

then she shoed us a

video called “Knut.” IT

was a baby polar bear named Knut eating, playing and

being adorable. Many people know that I am in lovewith baby anything. So it came to no surprise when I fell

in love with the endearing polar bear Knut. He was special

from other polar bears, he was rejected by his mother at

birth, and was the first to be raised by zookeepers. He was

also the first polar bear cub to survive past infancy at the

Berlin Zoo in thirty years; he soon became a well-known

tourist attraction and a commercial success. Books, toys,

DVDs, and media specials soon followed after, making the

cub a celebrity. HE became the center of a mass media

phenomenon called “Knutmania.” So a couple months ago, it was a slow day in Spartan Voice class, so some of us

decided to look up some random videos on Youtube. I

chose to play “Knut.” I felt successful and happy to hear

that people fell in love with Knut just as I had. A few

months later I got a Facebook notification. I had one from

Maxton Craddock. I looked on my wall and read the following post: “NOOOOOOO!!!! Knut died!!

At first I thought it was a cruel joke… I read the link he

posted… Gentle Knut died on March 19th unexpectedly in

front of six hundred fans. Tourists watched in

horror as Knut circled around for what

seemed to be five minutes, had a seizure, and

then collapsed into the water where he died

at the tender age of four. The autopsy showed

that Knut died by drowning after his collapse, while suffering from encephalitis,

an acute inflammation of the brain. I called

Kathrin as soon as I read Max’s post. I was

so worried that she wouldn’t pick up, but

after the fourth ring she finally answered,

with a tired and groggy voice if she had

heard the news. She said that it was on the

news only minutes after his collapse. We

shared a moment of silence remembering all

the times when it had been a bad day and the video of Knut being awesome made us happy

again. I soon realized that Kat had fallen

back asleep, leaving me feeling crazy for

having a touching moment with someone snoring. A week

passed and there were rumors that Knut was to

be stuffed and put on display at the Berlin Museum. But

not this bear, he was way too special. Not only was he

featured on the cover of Vanity Fair with Hollywood’s

Leonardo DeCaprio, but he also had a fan club in Japan,

and followers in Fiji. Many people felt so strongly about not wanting Knut to be stuffed that they formed many

protests, wearing buttons that read “Knut Forever.” Like

any phenomenon, the hype of the situation will die out

faster than you can say “Twilight.” I’m sure people might

say that this article was way too obsessive and long to talk

about one little polar bear. Yes, it may take my inner

preteen girl squeal with annoying coos and awes but then

again, who can resist an adorable cotton puff baby polar

bear named Knut. I dare you to check out his baby video

and tell me any different. KNUT FOREVER.

THE SPARTAN VOICE:STAFF: Max Craddock, Serjay Sambros, Ellen Healy, Tara Kneller, Riley Kemmer, Rachel Klingenberg, Alex Waldeck, Diana Kim, Jake Barrett, Zach Alvarez, Devon Rutledge, Kalli Sikes and Brooke Withrow.

The Spartan Voice accepts the following responsibilities: The Spartan Voice is a newspaper operated by students at Wichita Collegiate School. Content in the Voice will consist of articles, editorials, letters, photographs and any other material pertaining to the Wichita Collegiate community.The Spartan Voice was founded in the principle that all students should have an equal opportunity to share their opinion in an open, unbiased forum of discussion. Students, faculty, administrators, and parents make up the four fundamental parts of the Wichita Collegiate community. Although controversial subjects maybe featured in the Voice, no part of the community will be discriminated against.The views expressed in printed material do not necessarily represent the views of the Spartan Voice or Wichita Collegiate School.

Contact: wcsvoice@gmail.com

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STUCOELECTIONS!

Considering running for office? Then get your petition signed and turned

in to Mrs. Cunningham, today by 4 p.m. STUCO is really pretty cool, you get to represent your class, run Homecoming

and bolster your transcript!So get busy with it!

Harry Potter and the DeathlyHallows Part 1

Out TODAY

Sudoku

COLLEGIATE

PROM . . .

RAve on

Spartans !Do the Q-tip! Q-tip!

Now throw it away!