PHS MEDIA NEWS

Junior Hunter Roach has been a member of the marching band for five years and concert band for seven. He has been the first chair in the Junior All-State band three consecutive times, playing a different saxophone each year. However, Roach is very well rounded in the instruments he can play.

“The saxophone isn’t the only instrument I can play. I also play clarinet, piano, ukulele and guitar. I took guitar lessons when I was younger, as my whole family loves bluegrass music and can play string instruments. I found guitar rather difficult for me. I lose my finger placement very easily,” said Roach.

Since Roach grew up around music, he started playing at a young age. However, his family is not the only musical inspiration he has. Roach looks up to PHS graduate Livia Sullivan, who was also a member of the band.

“I have always had so much respect for Livia Sullivan. She has been such a great role model for me, as she was an amazing player and still acted humble without ever boasting,” said Roach.

Roach is privileged to have had a solo in this year’s band show.

Like many athletes, performers and leaders, this soloist has a routine before he performs.

“Before performing, I often find myself closing my eyes, breathing deeply and slowly. I like to think that every performance is just another practice. I put 110% into every repetition, so every run has equal importance in my mind,” said Roach.

Through his experience, he now knows what he wishes he would’ve before his first solo performance.

“Something I wish I had known before going into my first solo is that a solo should never be any different any time you play it. No matter who is watching, your music should always be the same. Perform as well as you can every time, and you’ll come to find that consistency will be your best friend,” said Roach.

Roach has been involved in many solos, duets and ensembles during his band career so far. Playing a solo at Lucas Oil Stadium for State this year was an experience that Roach says he will never forget.

Roach hopes to continue having solos in his final band season next year. Until then, he plans to have solos during pep band at the home basketball games. He really hopes to go to State again next year and take the first place spot.

After he graduates, Roach is not sure what he plans to do with music after high school. If he continues with it, he will likely study music therapy. He currently writes his own music in his free time and hopes that one day it will lead to something big.

Roach will continue to share his musical talents as a member of the band for another year and will hopefully be in the top bands in the state again next year. Only time will tell, but until then, Roach will continue to work extremely hard for the band.

Story by Kaden Lewellyn

Music is a creative outlet for many people, and eighth grader Wyatt Blankenship is no exception. Blankenship is a musician with skill in a variety of areas, both instrumental and vocal.

“I play a wide range of music varying from country, gospel and bluegrass. I play these varying ranges of music because they are all very popular with the citizens of this county,” said Blankenship.

He plays traditional bluegrass instruments like the guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro and harmonica along with the piano and violin. He taught himself how to play each with help from online resources.

“I learned most of them off the internet, studying different chords and notes,” said Blankenship.

He first played the recorder in fifth grade and received a banjo as a Christmas gift in 2015. Blankenship began playing the clarinet the following year, which he played in the school band until the end of seventh grade. In early 2017, Blankenship got a mandolin, which led into his start of the guitar a couple months later.

He shares his musical talents on Saturdays from May through October at the Orange County Homegrown Farmers Market in Orleans from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Blankenship also plays at the local Lost River Market and Deli every Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

His biggest inspiration, his late grandfather, drove him towards the style of music he plays today. Because of his grandfather’s music taste, which featured bluegrass country, and gospel, Blankenship began to perform for public audiences.

“I started playing at the Orleans Farmers Market on August 19, 2017 as a tribute to my grandpa,” said Blankenship.

Blankenship sings and plays original songs, as well as covers. His songs reflect his high appreciation, respect and love for Paoli as well as the wildlife that surrounds him.

“I draw inspiration from my fellow classmates and the natural environment around me. I have several fall songs I’m working on and a few about Paoli I plan to write,” said Blankenship.

The most important part of music, according to Blankenship, is that one’s true self shines through, not how others feel about it.

“Do not care about other people’s opinions; if you feel in your heart and soul that what you sing or play sounds good, no one else’s opinion matters,” said Blankenship.

To create something personal and heartfelt and share it with others has been an amazing adventure Blankenship hopes to continue experiencing.

Story by Masden Embry

When senior Joni Blackburn steps onto the cheer mats, the rest of the world fades away. Worries about yesterday’s AP biology test slip her mind, and her speech homework is forgotten; it is just her and the rest of her team.

“I am disconnected from the rest of the world, and all that matters is me and my time,” said Blackburn. “No matter what is going on in my life, when I walk into practice and tumble or stunt, all my problems seem to fade away. The best thing about cheer is how happy it makes me.”

Blackburn started cheering when she was three, when her mom enrolled her in gymnastics with her sister, Tara.

“My sister started to do gymnastics, so my mom decided she should put me in it too. My mom wanted her children to have choices when they got older and to find something they enjoy doing. I went to a church that had a ballet studio and gymnastics gym in the basement. She put me in ballet, tee-ball and basketball, but nothing made me happier than gymnastics and cheer,” said Blackburn.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, Blackburn can be found at Full Out Tumble and Cheer in Jasper, where she has been cheering since she was twelve. She also cheers with Reign Athletics, located in Chicago, Illinois.  

“Patrick Williams, the head coach, is our choreographer for Full Out, and he invited me to be on his team when he realized that I will have never been on a Worlds qualifying team before graduating. He told me he loved my attitude and skills,” said Blackburn.

At Full Out, Blackburn is on the Lady Lime team, a level three all-girl large, and the Vendettas team, a level five restricted all-girl medium. At Reign, Blackburn is on Valor, a level five coed medium. The higher the level, the more advanced the team is. On Lady Lime, there are 27 other members, and on the Vendettas, there are ten other members. On all teams, she is a backspot. As a backspot, Blackburn is expected to count for the other bases and the flyer and also lift the flyer to help them with weight.

“Throughout my years of cheer, I have had roughly thirty routines. Picking a favorite routine can be hard since there are so many parts to it, but if I had to choose one, it would be my routine with my previous team Black Hearts and Lady Lime last year,” said Blackburn.

Black Hearts was the first level five team she had been on and the first level five team from Full Out to advance to Summit, an annual competition held at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. At Summit, her team got sixth overall in the country. On Lady Lime, Blackburn and her team got second in the country overall by one-tenth of a point.

“The routines are just so fun, and I made important memories with the people on the teams. Last year will always be remembered as Full Out’s big break to becoming a known gym around the country,” said Blackburn.

Although winning second is an accomplishment, not taking first place was upsetting for Blackburn.

“Sometimes we don’t live up to our full potential, and our coach knows it. When we are in competition season and we are having a rough practice, our coach is sure to take it hard on us. The practices are brutal and feel never-ending, but we all know that at the end of it, we’ll be amazing,” said Blackburn. “Knowing we were so close to first was thrilling, but it was also very disappointing knowing that first was so close.”

Blackburn’s favorite memory from her time in cheer is from her first competition with Full Out when she was twelve.

“It was my first year at Full Out, and I was on a senior team. I was the smallest girl, absolutely terrified behind stage, and I started bawling my eyes out. Two other girls on the team, Natalie and Abby, who are both in college now, said to me, ‘You are the most talented and devoted twelve year old we have ever met. You are not alone out there. You have your whole team here with you. We will not let you down; you just do your job and everything will be okay.’ That’s when I realized my cheer family is a forever family, and nothing will ever live up to the amount of love I have for my cheer teams,” said Blackburn.

When it comes to cheer, Blackburn’s biggest supporters are her “littles,” or the youngest members on the team, as well as her family and friends.

“The little girls in the teams lower than mine and the young ones on my team look up to me because I’m a senior. They always want a picture with me, ask me for help and cheer for me during a routine. That support always warms my heart,” said Blackburn. Her friends and family have always stood behind her and been there to cheer her on as well.

“My family has always made sure I had cheer in my life, and through fifteen years, my mom has only missed two competitions. My friends know everything there is to know about cheer and come to my competitions when they can. They always make sure I put cheer first because they know how much I love the sport,” said Blackburn.

Blackburn’s time with her teams is almost over, but she knows this isn’t the end for her.

“I have planned to attend either Purdue or IU, and I intend to cheer to make sure I do not stop trying to make myself better. My All-Star cheer career may end this year, but I still plan to cheer, so I don’t have to stop just yet,” said Blackburn. “Even though it’s not over yet, I know I will miss everything, the people on my team, the drives to Jasper, the smell of hairspray that chokes me backstage, the feeling of nerves before competing, the hot summer days full of sweat and frustration because we’re not perfect yet, the parents I am great friends with, the feeling of winning a competition and the amazing coaches that have never given up on me. Having to leave cheer is going to be like the hardest breakup I have ever had to deal with.”

Story by Rebekah Reeves

Sophomore Libby Padgett is involved in a variety of different pageants. Padgett has competed in around 20 pageants overall since she began as a child.

“I did my first pageant when I was 5, and I fell in love with being on stage. That’s why I love drama and being in musicals so much,” said Padgett.

She has only competed in pageants in Indiana, but she has qualified to travel to California and all over the Midwest. Padgett’s highest win in a competition was Majestic Queen National Preteen. She has also been awarded 250 dollars for an optional actress competition.   

“I got into pageants because they were fun to me, and I learned real life skills like how to dress and act in a interview or how to make eye contact with someone you are speaking to. I also got into it because it was something my mom and I love doing together. She was super supportive of me, and she loves helping me prepare for my pageants,” said Padgett

Most of the pageants she has competed in include a formal wear and an interview portion. Others could include an onstage question or a personal introduction. The judges look for who has more confidence on and off stage, who will carry on a conversation and who will be a good representative out of a group of winners. Judging a pageant is subjective, so judges often have different opinions.

“The sayings I alway hear are ‘different days, different judges’ and ‘you have to find your judges’ because the judges do look for different things,” said Padgett.

The competitions could be one day of 10-12 hours of competing, but others could be multiple days. Padgett enjoys competing because she learns valuable life lessons, and she has made many friends while competing against each other.

Padgett has been given lots of advice since she has been competing. The advice she would give is the advice she wishes she had been given before she started competing.

“Don’t let it change who you are. Be yourself, be confident and enjoy your time on stage,” said Padgett.

Story by Faith Wilder

Sophomore Brady Nichols has been interested in music since he was in junior high. Not only has he enjoyed listening to music, but he has also enjoyed producing it.

“The best part about making music is you can do it how you want it to sound. You do not have to have approval from other people, just listen to it for yourself,” said Nichols.

Nichols’s curiosity inspired him to start making music. He found a computer app, FL Studio 20, which helps users produce music, and through this, he started to get used to the process of making music. Nichols would spend most hours in his room making music and discover new sounds to play with.

Not only did he learn how to produce music, Nichols now also understands how people who are professionals do it, which could be a huge step into his career.

Nichols started making music in the second semester of seventh grade. With spare time after school, he spent most of his time on the computer and started getting used to the app and how it works.

“It takes about 2-3 days to make one mashup,” said Nichols. “It takes a while, but once you are finally done, you are proud of your work.”

Over the years, he has gotten more serious and started considering music production in his future.

“When I am older, I would like to be an EDM producer,” said Nichols.

The latest song Nichols has been working on is called “Empire” and is very upbeat.

“The one that I am working on now is going to have a good beat, and I cannot wait to finish it,” said Nichols.  

Story by Corinne Magner

Senior Lindsay Morasch has been cheering for four years. Throughout this time, she has improved on her stunting abilities as a flier and a base and has lettered three out of her four years. Morasch has participated in many camps throughout her career to help her improve.  

“I have participated in UCA camps throughout the years. In those camps, I learned how to be a better stunter and cheerleader. We did a lot of difficult stunts and also learned new cheers to use for our season,” said Morasch.

Morasch has collected a lot of memories to look back on because of her involvement in cheerleading.

“My favorite cheer memory is probably senior night. It was a great game, and I had a lot of fun, despite freezing,” said Morasch.

Morasch’s biggest accomplishment was becoming a varsity cheerleader her sophomore year, which was her first time cheering in high school.  

“I’m going to miss being at all the games and cheering on the Rams,” said Morasch.                                                                                  

Since Morasch has experienced all of high school cheer, she knows what she would pass on to aspiring cheerleaders.

“I would tell underclassmen to make sure they stick with it and don’t quit because cheer can teach you things that can help you later in life. It helps you create friendships and bonds with people as well and memories that you won’t ever forget,” said Morasch.

After graduating, Morasch plans on attending Ivy Tech and pursuing an associate’s degree in business administration. She then plans to transfer to Indiana University Southeast to get her bachelor’s degree in business with a focus on human resources.

Story by Lili Seals

Many seniors at PHS participate in extracurricular activities. Participating in clubs, sports or committees is a great way to get involved. However, for senior Ian Strange, football is more than just a sport he participates in.

Strange started playing football in fourth grade and fell in love with the game. He was impacted by family members to join the game.

“My two older brothers played football, and they really influenced me to start playing at a young age,” said Strange.

Continuing into his high school career, Strange received the junior varsity offensive MVP award his freshman year. He received the same award for varsity his sophomore and junior years. Strange’s progression as a player throughout his high school career is very noticeable on the stat sheet, and it shows through his numerous honors and awards. Reflecting on the season as a whole, Strange realizes the group of teammates he has around him are special to him both on and off the field.

“We play well as a team on the field, but we always have fun together off the field. It’s like a family,” said Strange.

Senior season is an important season to any athlete, and Strange is no exception. The final season always encompasses so much emotion and excitement that makes any athletes anxious. Seasons like these are special, and Strange could not agree more.

“This season is special to me because these are the people that I have grown up with all my life. I have played football with these guys since elementary school, so this season really means a lot to me,” said Strange.

Football provides players with a sharp mindset and an opportunity to stay in shape. However, Strange believes football also teaches lessons about life rather than strictly football. Skills that are needed for a successful future are unknowingly practiced in football.

“Football has taught me how to be disciplined and how to work and cooperate with others. It has given me a strong work ethic that will benefit me in the future,” said Strange.

Following high school, Strange is interested in pursuing a career as a certified welder. Then again, his work ethic used in welding he owes to football. Strange has been a competitor all his life, and football is where he’s been most competitive up this point in his life. However, he will encounter obstacles in his life that are bigger than a game. When he does, he will thank football for teaching him the skills that helped him reach his future.

Story by Jace Ingle

Senior Josiah McCoy has been running for the cross country team for the past five years. McCoy decided to join the cross country team five years ago because he loved running, and he thought it would be a good chance to become more involved at PHS. Since his final season is coming to a close, McCoy has been looking back on his time as a runner.

“I look back at all the time I spent running and sometimes think, ‘why do you run?’ Then it hits me that I love it and hate it, it helps me think and stay healthy and it hurts, but it makes me happy. Running has been such a big part of my life for the past five years; it is really sad that it is coming to an end,” said McCoy.

Cross country has not only taught McCoy what it means to be an athlete, but it has also taught him life lessons.

“I have learned that no matter how hard things get sometimes, you have to keep moving forward. Just like running, put one foot in front of the other and keep pushing,” said McCoy.

McCoy does not plan on running competitively after high school. He wants to run for himself, not a team. He is excited to see how the cross country team does next year.

“My team is my second family; I am so excited to see how far they go after I am gone. Some advice for next year’s seniors is to not cut it short. Every time you run, give it 110%, even if it is just practice. Working hard pays definitely pays off,” said McCoy.

Since his senior season has ended, McCoy has been reflecting on his time as a runner.

“Cross country has been one of the best times of my life, and if I could do it all over again, I would.”

Story by Kaden Lewellyn

Senior Madison Collins has a unique hobby of video editing. She started editing in the eighth grade and has continued since.

“I like to edit videos because it lets me show emotion and feelings through a visual. It lets me show how I am feeling when I need an outlet,” said Collins.

Collins first started editing videos on Vine, a video app where users could share six-second long video clips.

“I saw that other people were doing it, and I thought it looked fun,” said Collins.

Now that Collins’s love for editing has intensified, she has improved her editing platforms.

“I use two computer programs, Sony Vegas Pro and Adobe After Effects CCS. I first started editing on my phone, but then I upgraded to my computer and my computer programs,” said Collins.

Collins loves to edit Marvel movies and clips the most. It was what she began editing when she was young.

“When I was younger, I grew up on Marvel movies, but I didn’t get really into the movies until I found the Avengers movie in seventh grade. While watching the movie, I was the most drawn to Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America. Since then, I have grown up with these movies, and they have shaped me into who I am today. Steve Rogers taught me to stick up for the little guy and always stick by the people you love. Marvel has become a part of me, and I don’t think I will ever let it go,” said Collins.

When Collins edits videos, she first finds an audio she likes and then selects clips from movies she has downloaded. She combines the audio and clips together and transfers it to another program, where she applies effects and transitions.

“I would love to incorporate video editing into my life after high school. It’s a big dream of mine to work on a Marvel movie,” said Collins.

Story by Gracie Walls

Freshman Taylor Becht has always enjoyed art and has been creating from a young age. As a child, she would spend her time drawing with pencils, coloring with markers and making cardboard cutouts of various objects. Since then, her art has grown, and it has become one of her biggest passions. She wanted a way to express herself, but music and writing just were not a great fit for her.

“I knew I had a lot to say, but I can’t play music that well, and I can only write so well. Art has been a much better way to express myself, so I knew I had to keep doing it. There’s just so much you can say in something so simple. I hope I can do it forever,” said Becht.

Becht currently enjoys painting and drawing with pencils, but she doesn’t limit her art to just that. She is also starting a new project with a stitching art experiment. She makes designs by using a cross-stitching technique that can be used to put on clothing or other materials.

“A lot of my inspiration comes from social media. There are so many people out there with stories to tell, and it inspires me to create so much. Nature and life in general inspire me. The pain a human goes through is incredible, and it’s even crazier to think someone else has it worse. That inspires me to create, whether it’s about love, hate, misery or maybe even nothing,” said Becht.

In addition to art, Becht is also involved in dance at En Pointe in Bedford, Indiana. She started taking classes a few years ago. In the past, she has taken jazz and lyrical dance classes, but she is now taking a beginner pointe class and a ballet class.

“I like to dance to express myself. I feel free and happy when I dance. I especially like pointe ballet because although it can be painful, watching yourself improve and grow is so amazing. Overcoming the pain and learning a new art to make something beautiful is rewarding,” said Becht.

Story by Michael Hannon

Growing up, senior Keaton Chastain was always in sports. Whether she was playing basketball, softball, or volleyball, she always loved it. However, volleyball was always her favorite.

Chastain discovered her love of volleyball when she was in the fifth grade. She has now finished her senior year of volleyball with as much love for the game as she had when she started.

Chastain filled the role on the court as right side hitter and as a back row player for the varsity team.  

“It’s so much fun and became my favorite thing to do,” said Chastain.

She has also taken volleyball to the next level by playing on a club team during her offseason for the past three years. Club volleyball has given Chastain the opportunity to play with new girls and experience volleyball all year-round.

Chastain first became involved with club when former volleyball coach Alicia Clark got her to play on a club team out of New Albany called Union. This gave Chastain many opportunities to play volleyball rather than just regular season games.

After high school, Chastain is hoping to continue her volleyball career at Hanover College.

“I really like the coach, and it seems like a good fit for me,” said Chastain.

Story by Maggie Vincent

For some people, writing is not something that comes easy to them, but for sophomore Chandler Hinton, that is not the case. Hinton writes in his free time, especially during the weekdays. He writes novels, realistic stories and other pieces that push him to become a better writer each day.

Recently, Hinton has been working on his first full-length novel, We’ll Burn Brighter. This piece is an LGBT novel about two teens named Noah and Oliver. It takes place in the 1980s, a time when being LGBT wasn’t viewed as morally acceptable by most people. He thinks it is one of his strongest writings and may end up in the hands of many readers.

“Certain people have this odd complex where they think I’m writing for them. However, that’s not true. At the moment, I don’t write for anything or anyone besides myself. I do think that will change as I shift from being a writer as a hobby to being a writer as a career,” said Hinton.

Within the next year, Hinton plans to have his first novel done. Depending on the results, he may self-publish it. Overall, Hinton would like to create a book that sells well and creates a social change for others.

Hinton can write about 3,000 words on his novel project during the weekdays. On the weekends, he tends to write around 2,000 words because he feels the need to take that time to recharge. Hinton also admits he has love-hate relationship with English despite his love of writing.

“I have two writing styles. The first is my academic style in which I write very short and get to the point of what I’m writing. The second is my fiction style, where I use adjectives and be very descriptive,” said Hinton.

One of his favorite things to do with his writing is share it with others. He enjoys the thought of everyone around him loving and reading his work. Hinton hopes to continue writing throughout his life.

“Writing makes me feel like I have a purpose. I feel happier when I’m writing. I feel even happier when I see that people get enjoyment out of my work,” said Hinton.

Story by Ashlyn Bonta

Senior Madison Street has been playing volleyball since fifth grade. She has grown from playing in grade school to competing in state tournaments. Street has also received several awards throughout her volleyball career, including PLAC All-Conference, Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-District and most assists.

Street has formed memories throughout her career with many of her teammates.

“My favorite memory of volleyball was winning Sectional and Regional my sophomore year,” said Street.  

Over the course of Street’s volleyball career, she has improved the most on defense. Street also participated in club volleyball on the Aspire team when she was a freshman. Street has participated in many activities and has made many friends through them.

“I will miss spending time with my friends, whether we are at practice, a game or just hanging out; we always have a good time together,” said Street.

From her volleyball experience, Street has developed advice for underclassmen players.

“The advice that I  would give is to always work hard and not take anything for granted. One day you will wish you could come to practice and step on the court with your friends; you should enjoy it while you can,” said Street.

As Street reflects on her years in volleyball, she has a lot of accomplishments to be proud of.

“I think my high school career has been pretty successful. Winning Sectional and Regional was unforgettable, and winning it with my best friends made it even better,” said Street.

Even though Street will not further her volleyball career in college, she plans on attending Indiana University and majoring in child psychology.

Story by Lili Seals

Photography is a recreational activity that many experiment in, but for senior Mahalia Taylor, photography is a hobby she has enjoyed for many years and continues to appreciate as she grows older. Photography is a way to see the world in a different light through every picture and every new angle.

Taylor first became introduced to photography when she was in the eighth grade. Her sister-in-law, a professional photographer, inspired her to try it out when Taylor went along to shoot a wedding with her. From this moment, she fell in love.

Along with her sister-in-law, media adviser Heather Nichols was and continues to be a very influential person in Taylor’s photography journey. Nichols has always pushed Taylor out of her comfort zone when it comes to taking pictures, and she enjoys the challenge that comes along with the tasks Nichols faces her with.

At PHS, Taylor is the photographer in charge of taking all senior headshots for the yearbook. Outside of school, she has recently taken family pictures for her sister’s family. Taylor has also been asked to take pictures for many local businesses.

“To be a photographer, you have to be very dedicated. It takes a lot of your time and responsibility, and it is also very difficult. At the end of the day, photography is really fun. It is worth every second and every struggle,” said Taylor.

The most challenging part of photography is getting the good quality pictures, but this is a challenge Taylor enjoys the most. It is important to not get discouraged and continue to find the perfect shot.
“Photography is always going to be a hobby of mine. It is something I will continue to enjoy and a way to kill time as I grow older,” said Taylor.

After graduation, Taylor is undecided on what school she will be attending, but she plans to pursue a degree in graphic design. She hopes to take photography classes as well but is going to focus primarily on pursuing her major.  

Story by Madison Street

Photography is a very common interest in the world. Photographers take photos of any and every thing they can find, including animals, people, objects and nature. There is a wide variety of pictures someone can take, but for freshman Emma McCrary, any photo is a photo worth taking.

McCrary’s interest in photography began when she took notice of her mother’s portraits. She wanted to give the hobby a try and took the classes offered at PHS. McCrary discovered that she enjoyed the classes as well as taking photos for assignments.

“Having actual photo assignments has made me want to learn more about photography and the different aspects of it. The class has also inspired my photography,” said McCrary.

When McCrary first started, she was using her mother’s Canon Rebel, a beginner’s camera. After she realized how much photography meant to her, McCrary moved on to the Canon 7D, which is great for nature and portrait photography. The lenses she uses are an EF 100mm macro lens, a sigma 18-25mm, a tamron 150-600mm and a sigma 24-70mm lens.

“Most photographers start out with this camera, and it is a good starter camera,” said McCrary.

National Geographic photographers also inspire her. McCrary loves to take photos of animals and nature, so it is only fitting to take a glance at what they are capturing. She has also taken numerous photos of animals at zoos and other settings in nature. Her Instagram captures all of the photos she takes, including sports photography.

“I practiced a lot. I was and am always outside taking pictures of anything,” said McCrary.

She also enjoys star photography. She went outside one night, adjusted her camera settings and experimented with the photos. After lots of practice and corrections, McCrary has improved tremendously at star photography.

The future holds many possibilities for McCrary. As she continues through her high school career, she plans on taking photography classes every year. When she goes to college, she plans on taking more advanced classes that will help her with her passion. She also would like to take pictures for people and advertise her photography soon.

“I hope to at least have photography as a side job if it isn’t a full time job. I love it, and I don’t think I could ever get tired of it,” said McCrary.

Story by Kinley Block

Eighth grader Chloe Korsmo has had an interest in horses since a young age. She has known how to ride a horse since she was five years old.

“I have had a passion for horses ever since I was little. My aunt has two horses I have known and loved since I was a baby. I started taking lessons when I was five, and I absolutely fell in love. Ever since then, I have had a need to always be on a horse,” said Korsmo.

Korsmo started training horses since she was 11 years old. She works with a barn that buys, retrains and sells horses. She mainly trains horses to jump, but she can help with any type of training. A normal day for Korsmo is going straight to work after coming home from school. She gets a list of which horses needs what kind of training. Then, she tacks up and heads down to the arena to get to work.

“I mostly do jumping if they need a horse to be trained to jump because I am the smallest rider, and I have the most experience in jumping. Sometimes, if the horse needs trail experience, we will go out on their trails,” said Korsmo.

Korsmo had to make a lot of adjustments after moving to Indiana. In California, where she used to live, there were more English horses to train than in Indiana.

“Since I moved here, things have been tremendously different in the horse world. There are not nearly as many English barns around here as there were in California. The barns are also a lot more laid back, and there are less rules. I’m riding far less English and jumper than I used to,” said Korsmo.

Korsmo is wanting to make a career out of working with horses. She wants to go to Ohio State University to get a degree in equine business and become a large animal veterinarian. Working with horses has had a huge impact on Korsmo’s life. She has learned many skills from working with horses.

“Working with horses has taught me patience, improved my work ethic and greatly improved my balance. They bring happiness and satisfaction when they finally click with something I’ve been trying to teach them for a while. I will definitely continue to work with horses. It pays well, and I enjoy doing it very much,” said Korsmo.

Story by Angie Ceja

Sophomore Gracie Collins enjoys writing songs in her free time. Collins has been interested in music since she was young, and her mom inspired her to take the next step to begin writing music.

“[My mom] was in a band, writes songs, sings and plays instruments,” said Collins.

After learning music from her mom, Collins fell in love with it. She enjoys both music and songwriting because of how many possibilities there are.

“You can turn whatever you’re thinking in your mind into a song. I love to be able to get my point of view across with my music,” said Collins.

Collins has written six original songs but has others she either has not finished or doesn’t like. Collins has performed one original song as well as covers. Her favorite songs to cover are “Riptide” by Vance Joy and “Smells like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. She was nervous to perform for the first time, but she enjoyed the experience. Collins first performed at Paoli Fest in 2018.

“My favorite thing about performing my songs is everything. I don’t have a least favorite thing about performing, but the first time you perform is very nerve-racking,” said Collins.

All of her songs include some kind of instrument. She first taught herself how to play the guitar, but she can now play the guitar, ukulele and some piano. She looks to her mom for advice on songwriting, and she looks to bands for inspiration.

“The bands that inspire me the most are basically punk rock bands; they just have so many thoughts and feelings that are put into their songs, which I try to do with my own songs,” said Collins.

Collins’s advice for someone who wants to get into songwriting is to persevere, even if it gets frustrating or seems hopeless. Collins thinks everyone can connect and fall in love with music just as she did.

“There are no rules with music, you can do whatever you want with it, and no one can tell you it is wrong. I connect with it, and there isn’t much more I feel as connected with as I do with music,” said Collins.

Story by Faith Wilder

Senior Jillian Keen has a very special and important role in the Pride of Paoli’s show this year. In the first part of the show, Jillian sings while junior Hunter Roach plays the soprano saxophone. The song she sings in the duet is called “Pan’s Labyrinth Lullaby” from the movie Pan’s Labyrinth. Band director Ben Werne knew Keen had an amazing voice from hearing her perform with the jazz band and had the idea of using a lullaby for Keen to sing in the show.

“When I was picking music for the show, I needed to find a mysterious, dark sounding beginning, and I kept coming back to the Lullaby from the movie Pan’s Labyrinth. It has a female voice singing the tune, and I decided to use it and have Jillian sing it,” said Werne.

Keen uses a recording of the lullaby to help her improve on her singing. On competition days, she drinks a lot of water and tries to save her voice. Keen also hums softly on the way to warm-ups and the performance to prepare her voice before she starts singing. She makes sure she’s well rehearsed so she’s not as nervous when it comes time to perform.

“Singing in front of audiences has always made me nervous, but at the same time, I live for the feeling, especially when I’m well-rehearsed. It makes me feel as though I can help people connect to what I am singing,” said Keen.

Keen’s solo adds an effect in part one that creates a certain mood. The lullaby has a dark and mysterious sound, which works perfectly for the beginning of the show. Werne wanted to add something unique in the show that other class D bands did not have.

“I think the vocal and soprano saxophone duet provides a very interesting timbre and texture in the opening of our show that not a lot of other class D bands can create. It is something unique to us and impacts the show positively,” said Werne.

Having a vocalist in the show is something new for POP and its audience. Audience members can be more interested by an actual person portraying the notes rather than an instrument. A vocalist can give an effect to the show that instruments cannot.

“I believe that having a vocalist play the part can connect many on such a great level. Playing an instrument is one thing, but you can do so much with singing to get people intrigued and connected to what is being performed,” said Keen.

Keen’s vocalist skills add effect and create the right mood for the beginning of the show, which will continue to impact the performance throughout the season.

Story by Angie Ceja

Senior Noah Magner has been playing tennis since he joined the junior high team in sixth grade. He was introduced to tennis as child through playing with his dad, and this experience influenced him to join the sport when he was old enough to play on the school team.

Since his freshman year, Magner has been on the varsity team and played in the number three singles position. Throughout his time in tennis, Magner believes his team has been the biggest reason behind his improvements. However, he is also proud of how much they have achieved together.

“My biggest accomplishment in tennis really isn’t an individual thing but more of how we have grown as an entire team over the years,” said Magner.

For Magner, the tennis team is closer to being a family than just teammates. His favorite part after every game was the time he got to spend with his team.

“When it comes to tennis, we have made so many memories, but I would say my favorite memories usually come from when we all go out to eat after each match,” said Magner.

Magner’s greatest moments come from when he gets to see that his team has improved or won a victory.

“My favorite part is the feeling you get when all of the different positions win with a 5-0 victory,” said Magner.

Not only have his teammates helped him grow, but so has his coach. Head coach Jim O’Connell is well known in Orange County for actively helping with the food pantry and volunteering in the community.

“Coach O has taught us to not only be humble on the court but to also go out and help our community,” said Magner.

Magner does not plan on playing tennis on a college team instead intends to focus on his schooling and future. However, he will miss the team he has now.

“I did not realize how fast it actually goes until my last full regular season week,” said Magner.

Magner recommends that students wanting to play check it out.

“It really is a fun time with enjoyable coaches,” said Magner.

Story by Rebekah Reeves

When sports seasons come to a close, senior athletes reflect on their time playing their sport. For senior Ashton Minton, this feeling held true for his final year of tennis. Minton started playing seven years ago because he needed a fall sport to complete his goal of playing three sports in high school.

“Tennis is enjoyable for me because it is just yourself out there, and whatever goes right or wrong is on yourself,” said Minton.

Throughout his tennis career, Minton has played number one singles and has advanced in Sectional his junior and senior years. When it comes to improvement, Minton believes he has improved on his ground strokes and his first serve percentage.

“My best memory in tennis was my senior year going 9-3 in regular season, which is the best record in quite a while,” said Minton.

Looking back, Minton is going to miss his coaches, especially the varsity boys tennis coach Jim O’Connell.

“Coach O is my biggest inspiration because he teaches you not only to be a good tennis player, but to be an even better person off the court,” said Minton.

Additionally, Minton will miss his best friends who have played alongside him as well as the long bus rides.

“Being with the other five seniors every day getting better was a great time,” said Minton.  

Minton not only gained memories from playing tennis but advice he use throughout life. Most of all, Minton learned how to be confident in everything he does.

“Tennis has taught me to be myself and confident. If you aren’t confident, you aren’t going to produce the way your team needs you to,” said Minton.

Based on personal experience, Minton would tell anyone who wishes to play a sport to listen to the coaches, work hard every day and appreciate the time you have playing the sport because it “goes by faster than you think.”

After high school, Minton hopes to study exercise science at IUPUI with the intention of becoming a physical therapist.

Story by Sara Kesterson