PHS MEDIA NEWS

Former Paoli High School student Richard Minton graduated in 1972. After graduating, Minton decided to stay in his small hometown, and he has now lived in Paoli for 47 years. Minton believes his time at PHS helped him become the man he is today, thanks to some of his PHS teachers and coaches.

“During all of my years, my favorite teacher was Darrell Newkirk. He made my physical education class enjoyable, and he taught me many life lessons,” said Minton.
Minton was never a big fan of mandatory classes, but he enjoyed his history class with Gary Hagg.

“I took his class my junior and senior year and unexpectedly enjoyed it. I was never a huge fan of school. Sports kept my interest more than any of my classes,” said Minton.

Minton played basketball for the Rams for three years of his high school career. He played junior varsity during his sophomore season and was on the varsity team for his junior and senior years.

“My coach Mike Copper was a great coach. He would always joke with me and tell me that I needed to be taller, but he was a really good guy and taught me some great life lessons. I learned that I needed to be mentally tough and work hard to achieve great things,” said Minton.

Minton spent time outside of school with his friends Randy Chastain and John Huff.

“We spent lots of time driving around, playing basketball at the park, stopping by Chat-n-Snack and Shakeburger. We had some good times,” said Minton.

Minton worked at Shakeburger for part of his high school career and for some time after he graduated.

Minton met his sweetheart, Dinah Hypes, a sophomore at the time, his senior year of high school. Hypes was a basketball cheerleader and loved watching Minton play. They went on their first date at a restaurant called Tasty House after a basketball game one night, and the couple has been together ever since. The week after Hypes graduated, they were married.

After Minton graduated, he began working at Electricom and had several other jobs before working at REMC for twelve years. Minton now owns his own business, Minton Billiard Supplies, which has been going since 1989.

Minton, still married to Dinah, has two children, Kasie and Brent, and they also attended and graduated from PHS. Minton now has three grandchildren, Kaden, Benjamin, and Miley. Kaden also attends PHS while Benjamin and Miley are homeschooled.  

Minton has no regrets from his time at PHS, and he encourages today’s students and student athletes to work hard and never give up.

“Don’t get discouraged during practices. Put in the time and effort– it will be worth it. Keep practicing your sport and enjoy your time on the court. It won’t last forever,” said Minton.

Minton is pictured above with his wife.

Story by Kaden Lewellyn

History teacher Chris Lindley graduated as the salutatorian of the Paoli High School class of 1986. After graduating, Lindley went to Indiana University to obtain his bachelor’s degree. He graduated from IU with honors and was a 4.0 student twice. Lindley then transferred to Indiana University Southeast for his master’s degree. He majored in B.S. and M.S. Secondary Social Studies Education: U.S History, Government, Geography and Sociology.

Lindley has many accomplishments in other parts of his life as well. Lindley has been nominated by the DAR for Indiana History Teacher of the Year and has been head of the Social Studies Department. Lindley served as part of the building steering committee for several years while they were working toward accreditation in the early 2000s. He successfully coached the academic team for more than 20 years and had three teams advance to State, one of those teams getting a bronze during the 2014 competition in English. Lindley has played a big role in the drama productions since 2009. He has played roles in some of the plays if they needed a role filled during his time helping the drama production. He was an anchor for many television election coverage shows in 2003, 2004 and 2006 with former PHS English teacher Cynthia Webb’s television class and was a part of her telethons.

“We also created a series of documentaries called ‘The Challenge of Democracy.’ As part of that project, we went to Washington, D.C., where we met with Lee Hamilton and with Senator Lugar’s staff. I interviewed Governor Mitch Daniels when he came to Paoli after his election win. I’ve helped create and emcee two School Board forums for our school district as well as the ‘Hoosier Genius’ show to celebrate Indiana’s bicentennial in 2016,” said Lindley.

Lindley’s advanced history class has produced an annual “Night at the Museum” for over 15 years and in the past three years have received awards and judges. Lindley is married to Michelle Lindley and has three children, Patrick, Dylan and Ashley Lindley. He also has three grandchildren, Dawson, Hunter and Jace.

“I love gardening and raising poultry, reading, learning history, and have a special interest in our local area’s history. I have been involved in 4-H both as a youth and now as an adult volunteer. I also judge horse shows and do equestrian workshops for 4-Hers,” said Lindley.

Lindley has served as on the 4-H Poultry Committee for the last 17 years and has been a chairman for the last eight years.  

“We were successful in growing the project to the point of needing more space and advocated for the move to the bigger building. After Billy Drury’s death, my wife and I were successful in getting the building named in his honor,” said Lindley.

From his time as a both a teacher and a student at PHS, Lindley has had the experience to be able to give important advice to students of today.

“In this life, many circumstances are beyond your control, but you can control how you respond to them. Look for the opportunities, and do not let the inevitable failures and heartaches prevent you from pushing forward to be the best person you can be, keeping the focus that people matter more than money or fame. Remember that no one arrives anywhere on their own, so surround yourself with quality people who will tell you the truth and love you and challenge you and find ways to give back for all the blessings that have been given to you,” said Lindley.

Lindley is pictured with his wife, Michelle.

Story by Faith Wilder

Many bands that we know today started off as a small town “garage” band with a dream to become a hit in the music industry. Four musicians from PHS decided they wanted to do the same. Eighth graders Adin Monroe, Keenan Hays, Gavin King and Marty Higgins combined their skills and talent to form their own band, Stoked.

They unexpectedly formed the band about a year ago in health class. The name Stoked was simply created because it “sounded cool” to them. The band was originally only Monroe, Hays and King, but then Higgins joined in later, who has now been a member of the band for three months. They mostly play alternative rock and like to compare themselves to other bands like Weezer, Cage The Elephant and Green Day.

“Most bands we look up to, like Cage The Elephant, started off small like us. Through lots of practice and hard work, we hope to gain popularity and success as they did,” said Monroe.

The group doesn’t have an official rehearsal schedule, but they practice when they can, which is usually the weekends. Monroe plays the drum set, King is the lead singer and plays rhythm guitar, Hays plays lead guitar and Higgins recently learned how to play bass guitar. They have performed one gig so far and are planning on more.

The band has three original songs that are still in the making, but they mostly play cover songs. One of the their original songs is called “ Under The Stars,” and each member of the band wrote their own part, but Monroe wrote the lyrics of the song. Some cover songs they play include “Song Two” by Blur, “You’re Gonna Go Far Kid” by the Offspring and “Warning” by Green Day. The members of the band hope to be remembered for their creativity, ability to have fun during a performance, and their original songs.

“I have always wanted to be known for something and leave a mark on the world so people would recognize I did something, and I think music is the way to do that,” said Hays.

The group has many things they plan to improve on during their practices. One thing they all agree that needs to be improved is communicating better and practicing regularly, which will help them sound better and function smoothly. Another thing they want to improve is practicing on their own and being able to play well by themselves, which will hopefully lead to playing well together.

“Practice is key. First, we need to get better at playing cover songs, and then we can create good originals,” said Monroe.

Although the band needs to make a few improvements, they also do a lot of things well. They are able to cooperate with each other, which is very important when it comes to being in a band. They also have no trouble giving each other feedback so they can be their absolute best. The members get along well and can adapt to each other when playing.

“One thing we do well is having fun when we play. We can jump around and still sound good. I also find that we can start learning and playing a new song fairly fast,” said King.

The group is hoping to play at the Dogwood Festival and Paoli Fest this year. They’re all very confident in the band and plan for a long, successful road ahead of them.

“I think the future of the band looks promising. We need to stick together as friends and as a band. If we keep having fun and enjoying playing music together, good things will come to the band,” said Higgins.

You can follow them on Instagram @stoked_the_band for previews of their work.

Story by Angie Ceja

Junior Avery Owens has a love for helping in any way she can and has the greatest opportunity to do so through the Orange County Youth Council, created by the Orange County Community Foundation.

“I enjoy helping people and being involved in the community, so I knew this would be a good opportunity to be involved in many things locally,” said Owens.

Owens got involved with Youth Council her eighth grade year, after she applied during one of PHS’s annual club fairs. After a short interview, she was accepted.

“My favorite thing about Youth Council is knowing I am doing good things within our community. I also love getting to meet new people,” said Owens.

The Orange County Youth Council is comprised of all three county schools, Orleans, Paoli and Springs Valley. Members meet once a month to discuss upcoming events and ways they can help the community. During these meetings, a monthly donation is also collected.

“We help former Judge Blanton hold banquets for the varsity basketball teams in Orange County, donate to many local businesses such as the Humane Society, ring bells for the Salvation Army and many other things,” said Owens.

On top of service in the community, Youth Council members are also expected to explain Youth Council to seventh graders to encourage them to join their eighth grade year and talk to the fourth grade students at Throop Elementary about what philanthropy is and what it means to them.

“I absolutely love teaching fourth graders because I like getting the opportunity to get in front of young people and teach them about all the good they can do in our community, even at a young age,” said Owens.

Every holiday season, the Youth Council gets together and ring bells outside of Walmart. While there, they sing Christmas carols.

“My favorite things we do with the Youth Council are ringing bells for the Salvation Army and teaching fourth graders,” said Owens.

For Owens, Youth Council means a place she can help our community.

“Being in the Orange County Youth Council is very fulfilling and makes my heart full,” said Owens.

Story by Rebekah Reeves

On March 10, former PHS band director Bill Laughlin received a new award to add to his collection. After working in music education for 35 years, Laughlin has been selected to be a part of the Indiana Bandmasters Hall of Fame through the Phi Beta Mu fraternity.

“I had no idea I was even on the radar for this kind of award, for most guys receive it after several years of retirement. I was really blown away by not only the consideration, but the actual award vote as well,” said Laughlin.

Phi Beta Mu, the International Bandmasters Fraternity, was first started in 1939 by Colonel Earl D. Irons at the Rice Hotel in Houston, Texas with only six members. Since then, the fraternity has grown considerably, with 34 chapters in the United States, three chapters in Canada and one chapter in Brazil.

“Phi Beta Mu is a non-political, non-profit fraternity organized to promote fellowship among its members, to encourage the building of better bands and the development of better musicians in schools throughout the world, to foster a deeper appreciation for quality wind literature, and to encourage widespread interest in band performance,” said Phi Beta Mu’s mission statement.

Laughlin has been a part of the Paoli band for over 30 years now and has made a big impact on the band program and our community as a whole. As head band director, Laughlin led the band to 15 State Championships and numerous State appearances. Laughlin has also traveled around the world with the band, visiting places such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Orlando, Italy and many European countries.

In 2001, Laughlin was nominated by three members of the fraternity to be a part of the group. After he was investigated for a year by members, his invitation into the group was voted on by members of the fraternity. He was then inducted into the fraternity and has since served as a member, and he has even served as the Gamma Chapter’s President a few different times. In 2004, he and two other people were nominated for the “Outstanding Band Director of the Year” award, and Laughlin ended up being the person who received it. For the “Hall of Fame” award, the fraternity nominates two or three retired band directors and then the group votes on which person they believe deserves the award.

“I am both humbled and honored to know that my very successful colleagues think of me in such a way as to recognize my teaching career as a positive and successful one,” said Laughlin.

Story by Michael Hannon

Seniors Devon and Johnathon Foughty-Killion are one of the three sets of twins in the senior class. Being a twin comes with a lot of confusion and stereotypes, but there is always comfort in knowing someone is there when other people may not be.

“I always have a friend with me, but I also always have an enemy,” said Devon.

The Foughty-Killions are both known at PHS for being funny.

“[The best thing] is that we can confuse people,” said Johnathon.

The brothers agree that there are ups and downs of being twins, especially when they know each other better than anyone else.

“Everyone has their own limits and knows what pushes them to the edge. Imagine having someone who knows your limits and pushes you constantly,” said Devon.

Like the Foughty-Killions, seniors Addie and Gracie Wolfe, another set of twins, recognize the pros and cons of being twins.

“[Having a twin] has affected my life in a good way. I have an automatic best friend and someone who is always there for me,” said Gracie.

Addie and Gracie have been together since the first day and would not change that for the world. To them, having a twin means having a best friend, and they both cherish the memories they share.

“My most important memories include us being with each other no matter where we go or what we do, from working together, kindergarten and sixth grade graduation– everything,” said Addie.

Being together all the time inevitably means arguing, but the two sisters say their fights are not anything special.

“Addie’s the oldest twin by 17 minutes, but that hardly comes up in an argument,” said Gracie. “We never agree on where to eat, and we always fight over clothes.”   

The third set of twins, seniors Julia and Julieta Calzada, like the Wolfes, think having a twin is great.

“[The best thing about being a twin] is having a best friend,” said Julieta. “She’s the coolest person I know.”

The Calzadas share everything, from hobbies to life plans.

“We have similar interests, but it doesn’t complicate anything,” said Julia.

After high school, all twins plan on going to college together and going into similar occupations.

The sets of twins are pictured as small children.

Story by Kinley Block

Senior Kimana Knight took a trip to Washington, D.C. in November as a part of her Jobs for America’s Graduates, or JAG, class. There were several JAG students across America who attended, and Knight represented Paoli. The purpose of this trip was to meet new people and learn new skills for her future, including communication skills and employability skills.

Knight was eligible to go on this trip because she had previously won a CDC grant and was very involved in JAG events. On the trip, the representatives of the JAG programs split up into groups and had the opportunity to look at memorials and visit Arlington Cemetery.

“I liked learning new things and getting to meet new people,” said Knight.

Knight learned skills to help her all throughout her life.

“JAG is an amazing class and can create hard working, successful people. Coach Lowery and the JAG program have given me some great opportunities for bettering my future,” said Knight.

Story by Haley Owens

On January 17, eleven PHS students, ten band members and one choir member traveled to Fort Wayne, Indiana for the Indiana Music Education Association conference. These students were a part of a few different events throughout the weekend. Students in the IMEA High School Honor Band were junior Hunter Roach, junior Noah McSpadden and senior Maggie McGowen. Students in the IMEA Junior All-State Honor band were seventh grader Braydon Crowder, eighth grader Brody Wilcox and freshmen Marissa Fleenor, Kylee Charles, Angie Ceja and Michael Hannon. Additionally, senior Breanna Ward was a part of the IMEA All-State Orchestra, and junior Megan Poe was a part of the IMEA All-State Honor Choir.

“[My favorite part was] getting the opportunity to travel and see things I wouldn’t normally have seen, and I also got to be a part of a band that is a lot bigger than ours,” said Charles.

To be selected for this honor, students had to send in recordings of the audition music to the IMEA judges, who then selected students according to their ability to play the excerpts.

During the weekend, these students participated in many rehearsals with other students from all over the state. During their breaks, students could visit many different booths set up at the convention center. There were many types of booths, from people with new instruments to colleges wanting to recruit students into their music majors.

“I met a lot of really fun people and even made a group chat with some of the people I met,” said Roach.

On Sunday, January 19, each of these honor groups got to perform the pieces of music they had been preparing. They were supposed to perform at the Embassy Theater in Fort Wayne, but due to weather conditions, some honor groups had to perform in different locations.

“This year’s All-State Orchestra was probably one of the best groups I’ve ever played with. The conductor was amazing, and he taught us some valuable life lessons as well as how to dig deeper to play our music the best we could,” said Ward.

Story by Michael Hannon

Less than a year ago, in May of 2018, Kennedy Embry graduated from Paoli High School. Being new out of PHS, Embry’s memories are still fresh in her mind, including her fondest one, senior prom.

“It was one of the last things all the seniors got to do together, and it was special,” said Embry.

Embry’s time spent as a media student was a close second, though. She found success in both her journalism and English classes, having more than one period of each subject her senior year. These were her favorite classes to attend as well.

“I was very active in the media department and excelled in English classes,” said Embry.

In media especially, Embry’s writing helped her find opportunities and take advantage of them. Her work over the years as a writer for the website, newspaper and yearbook earned her the position of Chief Writing Editor her senior year. With this title, Embry was in charge of not only her responsibilities, but other students and their responsbilities.

“I made sure everyone got their things done,” said Embry.

She had authority over and the responsibility of organizing, editing and placing stories efficiently in the Hillcrest yearbook and Paolite newspaper. However, writing was what Embry did most; a lot of the stories have her name attached to them.

The media adviser Heather Nichols played a massive role in the shaping of Embry as a person and as a writer. Nichols was her biggest influence and Embry’s favorite teacher overall.

“She was the best teacher I ever had and taught me to always go after my dreams,” said Embry.

Just like any other teenager, Embry spent her free time with her peers. She enjoyed her friends’ company in high school and spent a lot of time with them. Embry was also supporting the Paoli Rams at football and basketball games every chance she got.

“I went out with friends often and usually attended sports games,” said Embry.

Several events have taken place in Embry’s life since she took home her Core 40. She attended Indiana University Southeast as a freshman.

Embry also moved to New Albany, forming new relationships with new people in the city. In addition to those friendships, Embry also managed to stay in touch with those she was close with in high school.

“I started college, met important people and reconnected with old friends,” said Embry.

Now, she is setting her sights on the future. Embry is brainstorming what it is that she wants out of life and what boxes she would like to check off in the career department down the road.

“[I’m] focusing on finding my path and deciding what to do with my life,” said Embry.

Although nothing is for certain yet, Embry is planning on continuing her writing career through journalism. She has not stopped writing since the end of her media classes. Rather, Embry has continued to write for herself and has found contentment in the expressive outlet.

Looking back on Embry’s experience at Paoli High School, she has no regrets whatsoever.

“Everything happens for a reason,” said Embry.

She does feel that she can offer advice to those still attending PHS, since she was so recently in their positions herself.

“Don’t drop out, graduate and make lots of friends,” said Embry.

The high school career Embry had has not slipped her mind and she does not plan on forgetting the passion for writing she found in her media class; she is going to run with it.

Embry since graduating high school.

Story by Masden Embry

Some students in high school start saving money for the future. One of the easiest ways to do this is by getting a job. Starting to work at a young age allows more time to start saving. For senior Jeremiah Chastain, planning for his future is at the top of the list.

During Chastain’s sophomore year, he applied for a job at Porky’s Restaurant and has been working there every since. Chastain was first inspired to start the job when his best friend’s mom, who was the manager, offered it to him. He is now a night cook, and some nights he is running the kitchen by himself. He usually starts his shift around 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. after school and works until 10 p.m., later if he has to.

“My favorite part about working there is when I’m not making orders, I get to experiment with making different food dishes and my own creations,” said Chastain.

Despite the advantages of working there, Chastain tends to not enjoy working night shifts.

“My least favorite part is that I have to work nights. I’m there four or five days a week after school, so I don’t have much free time,” said Chastain.

Chastain had to take several steps in order to get to the position he’s in now. He started out as a dishwasher and worked his way up into becoming a cook. He also had to learn how to run the smoker. Chastain is not the only member of his family who works there.

“My sister actually worked there first as a server, and then I started on. My mom also works there part time as a dishwasher,” said Chastain.

Once Chastain graduates, he plans on leaving Porky’s and will soon find another job in the same field as a cook.

PHS alumnus Kyle Street graduated in 2016. Since graduating, Street is currently working toward earning his degree in finance from Indiana University. He plans to graduate from Indiana University in May 2019.

During his time at PHS, Street believes three specific people shaped him into the person he is today. Those people include English teacher Carol Fullington, basketball coach Dusty Cole and his mother, Pam Street.

“Ms. Fullington helped prepare me for what college work would be like. Coach Cole showed me hard work pays off and made sure everyone was giving 100% at anything they did. My mom made sure I was responsible and getting my work done,” said Street.

Fullington was an influential teacher and among one of Street’s favorites. She was always understanding and willing to help any student who needed it.

“She challenged all her students with every assignment but was also fair in letting people get the work done. She was also focused on a kid’s future and would go out of her way to help anyone,” said Street.  

Throughout high school, Street was a member of the boys basketball team, the tennis team, the golf team, National Honor Society and Student Council.

“My favorite memories in general were just hanging out with different groups of friends. I have a lot of moments with several different people,” said Street.

Street was extremely busy through his four years of high school. Many of his days were filled with long practices, school work and spending time with family. This busy schedule made Street realize the importance of time management, along with many other lessons, and Street took them with him when he went on to college.

“While I was in high school, I learned a lot about time management and the importance of getting school work done early,” said Street.

Street also became accustomed to going out of his way to talk to new people. All three of these things have stuck with Street as he continued his education as a finance major. He choose this path because going into finance felt as if it was a well rounded major and would allow him to work in many different areas.

After graduating from Indiana University, Street hopes to become a financial advisor or have a job in operation management in a bigger city.

Although Street participated in all activities he wanted to, he does wish he would have done some things differently.

“I wish back then I would have went out of my way to talk to more people that weren’t in the same clubs or on the same teams. Coming to school taught me that people have a lot of different experiences and interests, and you can start to like the same things from hearing about them,” said Street.

Throughout his four years, Street was able to gain confidence and get involved. He hopes kids in high school today are able to do the same thing.

“If you think a club or activity sounds like fun or you just want to try it, then do it. It’s a lot easier to get involved when you know the people around the organization, so go for it. Just have the confidence to do things you want to do,” said Street.

Story by Madison Street

Many students at PHS participate in athletic organizations. A handful of these students have been playing varsity since freshman year, and senior Madison Street is one of those few.

Street has been an active member of the girls basketball teams since elementary school, and she hasn’t looked back since. Though no one has really inspired her, Street has been around the game her whole life, as her family has always been involved with the sport. When she was asked to play on a basketball team in third grade, she felt it was only right of her to play. As Street has grown and matured through the years, she has learned to love the game and understand it more.

The game of basketball brings many things to people– life lessons being one of them. Street has learned several lessons throughout her years playing, and she will be able to apply these lessons in her future.

“Basketball has taught me to be disciplined and the importance of hard work. There are a lot of things you may not want to do, but it is important to be persistent for the good of the team. It has also taught me the importance of accountability. Everyone expects you to do your job, and they need you to be able to count on you,” said Street.

Aside from life lessons, Street has also gained other things, including friendships. These bonds, like the life lessons, will last a lifetime and are irreplaceable in Street’s eyes. They provide her with something that is bigger than basketball. Though her time playing the sport she loves has come to an end, the bonds she has made will last forever.

“Basketball has brought me closer to girls I would have never otherwise talked to and gave me the opportunity to spend time with friends I have had forever. I have been playing with Jacqlyn and Keaton my whole life, and this has created a friendship that will last a lifetime. Without basketball, we may have not created the bond we have,” said Street.

Throughout her years as a player, Street has experienced her fair share of success. The most memorable season for Street has to be her junior year, when the team advanced to Semi-State. Though the girls did not come out on top against Winchester in the Final Four battle, the season was a record breaker in terms of PHS athletics. To Street personally, her favorite memory is winning the Regional of that record-breaking season in the Paoli gymnasium.

“It was a great feeling to know the whole town was behind you and was happy for your success. The gym was packed, and it was overall a great atmosphere,” said Street.

As Street retires from basketball following her graduation, she wants to leave the current girls basketball players some words of wisdom for years to come.

“The practices are going to be hard, and things may not always go your way, but when things get tough, you need to be able to count on your teammates, and they need to be able to do the same with you. If you continue to work hard and do the things you need to do, good things will happen,” said Street.

Following high school graduation, Street plans to attend Indiana University Bloomington and major in psychology, specifically child psychology.

Story by Jace Ingle

Everyone has a passion. No matter the scenario, it takes motivation and practice to improve in that passion. For freshman Karyas Slaten, she has found her motivation in volleyball, more specifically travel volleyball.

Slaten has played travel volleyball for three years with two different club organizations, Aspire and Union. At Aspire, she played for the 14s and 15s team, and this year she is part of the 16s Regional White team. Teams are made based on the players’ ages. In travel, athletes can play with any age group older than them but they can never play down an age group.

Through her years of experience, Slaten has learned a lot from her coaches. In volleyball, only six people to play at a time. Each position is important to playing the game, and Slaten started out with back row passing and outside hitting. An outside hitter will hit on the top left side position at the net, and back row players typically do not play the front row. At Union, Slaten has been able to work on other positions she has not played in the past.

“This year, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, so I’m now playing middle hitter and blocker full time, and I’m loving it,” said Slaten.

In school volleyball, she has played the right side, or the hitting position on the top right side at the net. Those who are left handed have a greater advantage of playing right side. Although school volleyball can be a fun learning experience, Slaten learns a lot from playing travel volleyball.

“Travel has really helped me better understand the game in all aspects. It especially helps with improving basic skills, and I think my skills [have] improved a lot,” said Slaten.

Slaten typically gets home at 10:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. She practices for around two hours and then drives back to Paoli from Pine View High School. However, she manages her school work and volleyball so she can still succeed in both the classroom and on the court.

Goals are important to Slaten, so she has set some goals to work on and eventually complete. One of her goals is to learn and understand all aspects of the middle hitting position. Along with this, she hopes to successfully run a slide, which is a type of hit for the front row hitters.

“I do plan on always playing travel volleyball, definitely for Union. I would even love to travel to bigger cities with bigger tournaments or even join a sand volleyball team,” said Slaten.

One of her favorite things about travel is improving her skills and knowledge in preparation of her sophomore year of school volleyball. This allows her to work with different girls and a new coach to get their perspective on the game.

After Slaten graduates high school, she hopes to attend Indiana State University to play volleyball. Travel and high school volleyball inspire her to want to continue her passion as long as she can.

Story by Kinley Block

Tackling the challenge of learning something as complex as a guitar can be daunting, but eighth grader Keenan Hays was up for the challenge.

Hays first picked up a guitar in September of 2017. Hays had dreamed of playing the instrument for as long as he can remember, and his father turned his dream into a reality.

“Playing guitar was always something I wanted to do, so my dad introduced it to me,” said Hays.

The first step Hays took to learn the guitar was to first rely on his father’s teachings. Then, he reached the point of being able to play a little bit on his own and educate himself on the skills he needed and wanted to learn.

“My dad taught me the basics, but after a while, I just started teaching myself,” said Hays.

For Hays, starting to play guitar came with some mild difficulty; however, he did not have any particular hardships. He did have certain things he depended on when he needed help.

“The most helpful things are my dad, tablature websites and a chord library,” said Hays.

Hays decided that his first song would be Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” This song was the very first he ever learned, his father being the one to teach him. First, Hays went over the notes in the melody. Next, he moved towards mastering the power chords, and then he finished the song off with added muted notes.

“This is a song that helped me play better as I learned more technique,” said Hays.

Although “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was his first, Hays has taken a particular liking to the song “Holiday” by Green Day. Hays finds himself enjoying playing the song, and the “awesome guitar solo” only adds to the reasons for his favoritism.

Along with playing covers, he creates his own songs. He is in a band called Stoked with three of his friends. In the group, Hays is on lead guitar. He creates songs for his band by using an effects pedal with a looper. With this, Hays is able to play several parts and layer them over one another. Once he is happy with the product, he teaches his bandmates the parts.

“I love to make new songs, and I try to make and perfect a new one each week,” said Hays.

In the year and four months Hays has been playing, he has absorbed a lot of information and gained knowledge on guitar that has helped him play more easily. He has improved greatly from when he began and will continue to advance in the future.

In the future, Hays would like to make guitar his expertise. In an ideal world, he would be known for his skills on the instrument like some of his favorite guitarists, Slash of Guns N’ Roses and Angus Young of AC/DC.

For his band, he has similar plans. With Stoked, Hays would like to establish success, an obvious goal. He wants the group to make a name for themselves, getting noticed and being acknowledged for songs they write.

Hays’s ambition and his motivation to go somewhere with his band could be the very thing that gets him and the other members of Stoked a following of their own, along with a future in music.

Story by Masden Embry

Between school work and time with friends, senior Mahalia Taylor has spent the last seven years cheering at PHS. Taylor has cheered since she was in elementary school. Her eighth grade year, Taylor joined cheer as a base. Taylor’s freshman year at PHS, she was added to the varsity squad.

“I started because of one of my brother’s friends, Ashley Toliver, who, at the time, was a high school cheerleader. I just really looked up to her, and she made cheering look really fun,” said Taylor.

Now, Taylor has turned to her squad for inspiration. Sophomore Libby Padgett, who Taylor has cheered with since Padgett began, encourages Taylor to be the best.

“Libby Padgett inspires me a lot. We grew up together, and I have seen her grow and become who she is as a cheerleader, and it’s really amazing. I’m really proud of her,” said Taylor.

For Taylor, the only downside of cheer is the frustration that comes with practicing stunts.

“Sometimes stunts just don’t hit, but we always work together and figure it out,” said Taylor.

Of every stunt, Taylor’s favorite is one she learned while at a Universal Cheerleaders Association, or UCA, camp. Every year, the cheer team heads to Indiana University for three days and are taught dances, chants and cheers by UCA cheerleaders.

“We’ve learned so many good stunts over the years, but my favorite one is definitely a handstand stunt we were taught at camp my junior year,” said Taylor.

As for games, Taylor’s most memorable match-ups were always the most anticipated by the Ram fans as well.

“I’ll always remember the Orange Bowls and games against Orleans. Those are some of the most popular games,” said Taylor.

The cheers and chants aside, Taylor is thankful for her squad and the memories she has made. Taylor believes some of the best parts of cheer have been watching her team grow and develop since she first joined.

“I’ll miss everything about cheering. When you work with certain people like I have in cheer, you create a bond with them, and you create a love for what you do,” said Taylor. “Cheerleading has given me many new friendships and taught me many new lessons over the years, and I am so very grateful for all it has done for me.”

After high school, Taylor does not plan on continuing her career as a cheerleader. Taylor plans to attend college with a major in graphic design, but has not decided what school.

“Honestly, for me, cheering in high school is all I want,” said Taylor. “I have really enjoyed cheering on the varsity squad since my freshman year. It has really helped me become who I am.”

Story by Rebekah Reeves

Some people believe everything happens for a reason and if it’s meant to be, it will be. For seventh grader Nadia Garcia, these phrases hold true for her journey with school cheer.

Garcia did not try out for the junior high squad when tryouts were hosted last school year, but Garcia joined midway through the basketball season.

“I joined midseason because one of the other cheerleaders quit, and they needed another girl. I felt good about it, considering other girls could have joined, but the coach chose me,” said Garcia.

This obstacle the team experienced was easily fixed by adding Garcia, especially since she has cheered in the past in fifth and sixth grade. Surprisingly, Garcia jumping into the squad midseason only came with a few challenges. In her mind, the most difficult part about the process was learning all of the cheers.  

“I adjusted to the team pretty well. I learned the cheers by staying after school with the other girls,” said Garcia.

With every group that runs on teamwork, things are bound to go wrong, which is Garcia’s least favorite thing about cheerleading. However, to Garcia, the ability to pick herself and her team back up after making a mistake is the most important part. Learning from their mistakes is half the process of improving as a team.

Her teammates are a lot of the reason why Garcia loves cheerleading so much. Garcia has appreciated the memories she has created with the other girls on her team. When Garcia is eventually done cheering, her teammates are what she is going to miss the most.

“I feel great when I am with them. The laugher and everything is all great,” said Garcia.

Although Garcia enjoys cheerleading, she is unsure about participating in the future. With her participation in other activities, such as volleyball, cheering another season could be overwhelming. Although this is her reality, Garcia does not take for granted her time as a PHS cheerleader.

Story by Sara Kesterson