The Viking Voice

A monthly newsletter sharing the experience of being a Northeast Viking.

Mr. Cramer is the principal of Northeast High School and is also praised as being one of the most supportive parts of the staff. Mr.Cramer got into his career as "principal" due to his past coaches and teachers inspiring him to excel. He continued to go to Pittsburg State University after high school to get his degree his bachelor of science degree, master's degree, and educational leadership degree. This persistent principal started out teaching biology and weights while building up his experience. He then later became the principal of Northeast High School. "He stated that when going into a teaching career, you are to help, give advice, and do your best for the school and kids."

Mr. Cramer said passion is the most outstanding quality of the teachers here at NHS. He stated that teachers have a desire to make the world a better place. During Mr. Cramer's career, he has learned the importance of the school stakeholders, listening, and making the school the best it can be. As a principal and teacher, he is also tasked with difficult decisions but deals with each situation appropriately.

Northeast High School is a very environmentally friendly place and it is what attracts people to it. Mr.Cramer is one of the people that has got the Northeast High School this prestigious reputation.

We thank you, Mr.Cramer, for doing and being your best.

At Northeast High School, they’ve made it to their first homecoming of 2023. This week consists of many fun activities for the students. It’s a week of enjoyment for everyone. Wednesday, September 20th, 2023, is a big day for the students; they get to participate in Powder Puff Football and Ironman Volleyball and then have a big bonfire. To conclude, that night, the students go out and TP houses.

The seniors are very confident that they will dominate all the other classes. Some of them wished it was more competitive. After interviewing students about their thoughts on these events, both Jasmine Sigmon and Haleigh Parcel said, “The seniors will end up winning Ironman!”. They agreed the sophomores/juniors would most likely win Powder Puff. Jaycee Maples said, “I really enjoy these events; showing up for these activities really shows how much you believe in your school.” This week is for fun and to make our high school experiences enjoyable!

This year, NEHS got a few new students from different schools. This section will be about which schools they came from, how they like it here at Northeast, and which one they like better. This month, we will be spotlighting Fa'alenu'u (NuNu) Loa and Megan Tarter.

NuNu is a senior who came from Goddard Academy in Goddard KS, near Wichita. One of the things that she misses from her old school is the people, but she likes the people here at Northeast, too. Other things she likes here at Northeast are the classes, the structure, and the size because it is not too big and it's just right. When NuNu was asked which school she liked better, she said that she really liked this school. She jokes she gets bullied a lot by Mr. Smith. Some things about her are that she loves Marvel, Disney, and volleyball. She isn't playing volleyball this year because she wants to focus on getting a job.

Megan Tarter is a freshman from Pittsburg Community Middle School; she misses some of her friends and most of her old teachers. She likes that Northeast is smaller and that there is less drama. When she was asked which school she liked more, she said that she likes it here by far. Some things about her are that she was born in a hospital at Fort Scott that ended up closing down, so she was the first and last baby born there. Currently, her favorite animals are cows, pigs, and horses.

It's the beginning of the school year, which means it's volleyball season! The Varsity volleyball team includes Shelby Underwood, Lexi Yarnell, Abby Harding, Carleigh Carden, Brooklyn Jackson, Destiny Hagan, Ciara Neville, Jimi Willard and Erin Doubledee. They are coached by Jena Williams and Angie Sparks. These girls have been putting in the work and dedication to the team. Talking to the Mrs. Williams, her goals for these athletes are to make them a better team and teach them how to work as a team. Her expectations consist of the girls coming to practice every day, taking everything seriously, and for the girls to push themselves so they can become better players. Like in any team, there are places for a team to improve. Mrs. Williams said they need to focus on their communication skills, not giving up, having confidence, believing in themselves, and working more as a team when on the court.

When asked about their thoughts on the team, Lexi Yarnell responded by saying, "We have a lot of energy, our demeanor is great, and we have lots of fun as a team." Then Brooklyn Jackson went on to say, "We all get along and have no drama." The team's goals are to keep getting better and cut down on mistakes. Asking about how far they believed they would make it this year, the coach and the players answered they could go into sub-state and compete if they played to the best of their abilities.

The volleyball team's record is 10-11, with more wins to come.

It’s once again homecoming time at Northeast High School. This is a time at Northeast with activities that include spirit week, homecoming dance, and most importantly the Homecoming game. During Spirit week on Monday students dress in pajamas, on Tuesday it is a Soccer Mom/BBQ Dad, on Wednesday and Thursday it is class colors, and lastly on Friday all students dress in Burgundy and White. On Friday the Homecoming dance and Homecoming game happen. This year's team captains on the Senior class for Iron Man are Shelby Underwood, Lexi Yarnell, and Abby Harding, the Junior class team captains are Carleigh Carden and Addison Zamora, and the Sophomore class Team captains are Brooklyn Jackson and Destiny Hagan. This years team captains for Powderpuff the Senior class are Tayshawn Gaynor and Dawson Troth.

In conclusion Homecoming is a fun activity that our school does and most students participate in.

Every year after the bonfire, students go around and throw toilet paper on the teacher's houses. Usually, they go and buy toilet paper either the day before or speed over to Dollar General after the bonfire to pick some up. After they have purchased their toilet paper, they go around and TP all of the teachers' houses or as many as they can get. Usually, the targeted teachers are Dustin McMurry, Angie Sparks, and Ron Almandinger. Sometimes, people go and TP their friends' houses, maybe even some random people's houses, on accident because you can't see that well in the dark.

We all know how much fun we students have doing this, but have you ever thought about how the teachers feel about this? Here is what the teachers think about their houses getting toilet paper thrown all over them.

The teachers who have been asked to comment about the TP are Mrs. Sparks, Mr. McMurry, and Mr.Almandinger. Mrs.Sparks says being "TP'd is a privilege because students either like you or hate you." When she was asked if teachers should TP students, she said, "No because it seems like more work. She said that it takes about 10-15 minutes to clean up all of the toilet paper." When she was asked who she said that a lot of people probably got her, including her son.

Mr. McMurry says that he doesn't mind his house getting TP'd because it gives him something to do; he likes getting the hose out and spraying the invaders. He didn't get to this year because it was broken. He doesn't think that teachers TPing students would have the same effect and would probably be a bad idea. Mr.McMurry believes he was chosen to be TPd because anyone working at the school is a target. To clean the toilet paper up, it takes him about 10 minutes. Mr. McMurry says that pretty much everybody went to TP his house because there were so many kids going to TP his house.

Mr. Almandinger, the proud owner of TP Taj Mahal, says that it makes him feel pretty special that students care enough to get the very best cause this year; it was almost all Charmin, his favorite brand. He thinks that teachers should TP students and that it could get medieval because they throw TP "old school" style. He says that he was chosen because of his fun personality. The time he spends picking up toilet paper comes in sections. The first would only take 30 minutes; then when the wind blows some more down, he would have to go pick more up. Mr. Almandinger says that it was probably mostly juniors who went to TP at his house.

The TP is a tradition that has gone back many years, and hopefully, it will go on for many more years.

After interviewing the head Coach Mark Manriquez he was very forthcoming and honest about his thoughts and hopes for the team this season. From the looks so far the team has had some troubles so far. The team consists of 17 players and three coaches. The coaches are- Head Coach Mark Manriquez, Assistant Coach Zach Vance, and the other Assistant Coach Landon Hardman.

So what made you decide to come here to coach?

I saw an opportunity to help rebuild a team and so I decided to throw my hat in the ring to give it a try.

What are your Goals for the season?

The goals for the ball club are to get better Day by Day, Week by Week, and Month by Month and ultimately win the playoffs.

What were your thoughts on the past games?

Unfortunately, we were outgunned and outmanned which had made it hard to have any consecutive plays on offenses or defense.

What are your hopes for the next games?

My hope for the next games are to go 3 and 1 so we can make it to the playoffs.

What are your thoughts on the players?

Well from the physical standpoint, they have played very well while in the mental aspect, they aren’t quite there.

What are your thoughts on the overall performance of the team?

Well, the different variables come into play like the fact that players have left momentarily due to injuries I believe that were almost there.

In photography, which is led by Mrs. Popejoy, the students are very invested. This photo, titled “Nature on the Porch”was taken by NuNu Loa. It’s a beautiful photo taken, and there will be many others taken in the future.

They take photos with their phones because phones have higher resolution. They learn about composition, in which an image and its elements are arranged. They also learn how to edit the photos. The students take candid photos, and one of their goals is to get three pictures of each person at least.

This is the first year Mrs. Popejoy has done this, and she is delighted about it. Mrs.Popejoy is also a sponsor of the yearbook. The photos they take are lovely and will continue to grow even more remarkable everyday.

There are things going on in the world, in our country, in our state. And there are some kids and people out there who don't have accessibilities that let them know the things that are going on around us. Or there are people who want to know but don't know where to find this information. Well, to those people and to our Northeast High, here is that information!

We decided that we should include a section in our Newsletter that informs our students and staff about what is going on in the world and what is happening in the world that we all live in.

Have you heard about the wildfires in Maui, Hawai'i? Or the reports of alien sightings in Mexico? Or that a new strain of COVID-19 is skyrocketing throughout the nation? If not, here's your update on what is happening in the world around us!

Wildfires in Maui, Hawai'i

On August 8th, 2023, a colossal storm overtook the small town of Lahaina, Maui, in the US state of Hawai'i. Winds at the speed of 85 miles per hour and over, floods of rain, flashes of lightning. The winds were so strong that they were able to knock down the powerlines in Lahaina. Electricity, water, and land combined. Sparks flew everywhere, and fires began to erupt. Despite the people and fire/police departments wanting the electricity to be shut down, the people who ran the electric company didn't want to. So they refused to, shortly resulting in massive fires that swept over the town at high speeds and temperatures. Statistics say that over 97 people were killed in the fires, and over hundreds lost their homes. The estimated cost of the damages were estimated up to 2 billion dollars.

Aliens in Mexico

On September 13th, 2023, bodies were found in Mexico. But as scientists investigated the bodies, they began to notice several differences in the bodies that were found from the bodies of human beings. They noticed that the bodies only had three fingers on each hand and elongated heads. UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan, noted that the bodies looked to be 1,000 years old! The state he examined them to be in was compared to mummified children. "We are not alone." Maussan said.

Unfortunately, this was all quickly found out to be a hoax.

The New Strain of COVID

Lately, scientists have been investigating the new strain of COVID-19, named EG.5, which has already been declared the most dominant strain in the country, surpassing many different strains. Scientists are saying that it is more transmissible and has been spreading faster than any other strain. Statistics show that the EG.5 strain caused over 20% of the COVID-19 cases during the 3rd week of August this year. According to resources, EG.5 is a big cause of an increase in hospitalizations due to COVID. They are currently working on boosters and vaccines for this specific strain. Allegedly, EG.5 is not an exact match for the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax. Make sure to keep your hygiene up and stay safe out there!

Would you like to read more?

Wildfires in Maui, Hawai'i

Maui Wildfires Latest: Lahaina Reopens to Residents

Hassan and Betts

https://www.nytimes.com/article/maui-wildfires-hawaii.html

Aliens in Mexico

Exclusive: A close encounter with the 'alien bodies' in Mexico

At Maussan's office, in the Mexico City business district of Santa Fe, staff members carefully carry the two closed boxes with glass lids containing the bodies into a green-screened studio,...

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/close-encounter-with-alien-bodies-mexico-2023-09-16

EG.5

What to Know About EG.5 (Eris)-the Latest Coronavirus Strain

Katella

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-eg5-eris-latest-coronavirus-strain

As the Northeast High Newsletter crew, we believe that our teachers and staff deserve recognition, don’t you? They work so hard, and they deal with our attitudes, and they help us out with anything we need. Because of how much they deserve this recognition, our Newsletter group has decided to involve a Spotlight Teacher section!! Can you guess who your September teacher is?

Well, if you guessed the spunky, positivity-spreading, one and only Mrs. Strong, you guessed correctly!!

We asked Mrs. Strong some questions to get to know her better, and here’s what she had to say!

What subject do you teach, and how did you get interested in it? How long have you been teaching?

Mrs. Strong teaches science at our very own Northeast High and has been for the last four years! Before that, she was a case manager in Webb City for ten years! She worked with Special Education students. So Mrs. Strong has been teaching for a total of 14 years! Her love for science was inspired by her father, who loved nature and used to take her camping every weekend in the mountains. She became interested in the science involved with nature and everything and how it works around us!

What are some of your favorite things to do in your free time?

Her favorite thing to do in her free time is spend time with her kids. And aside from that, she enjoys going on walks, fishing, and reading!

What is your favorite movie or book, and why?

Favorite movie - One Fine Day. Starring Michelle Pfeifer and George Clooney, the film is about a couple of single parents having a hectic day and having to end up relying on each other due to their complicated situations and kids.

Book - Educated by Tara Westover. It is an autobiography about a woman who overcame a rough childhood filled with neglect and trauma. She was raised with no schooling or love, but ultimately, she educated herself and attended Harvard because of her dedication to education.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

The mountains! Due to her being from Colorado and her history with mountains, she loves them!

What is a random and unique fact about yourself?

She began teaching because of her dislike for her high school years. Because of this, she decided to become a teacher to help kids who felt the same way she did. She decided to dedicate herself to helping the children she comes across, trying to make the everyday experience more positive and hopeful.

Along with our newsletter crew, Mrs. Strong’s fellow teachers had some quotes to add to her notice of appreciation.

• Mrs. Popejoy - “I love her. She’s such an amazing asset to this school. She’s so positive, no matter what’s going on in her life. And it’s just so amazing.”
• Mr. B. Smith - “She’s an amazing teacher. She is really into helping her students.”
• Mr. Cramer - “She has such a commitment to her students and cares for them. And she has so much will in her to help.”
• Mrs. Cramer - “I think she has a huge passion for teaching and for her students. She goes above and beyond her job description to help her class and her students individually.”
• Mr. A. Smith - “She brings positive vibes, and she’s a great person to work and collaborate with.”

Congratulations to our September Spotlight Teacher, Mrs. Strong! We hope you know that you are seen and appreciated! Northeast would never be the same if we didn’t have you with us!

August Birthdays:

Tyler Arkeketa - August 1

Alyssa Smith - August 1

Kale Nunn - August 1

Korbyn Larson - August 2

Trinity Steffey - August 3

Kyra Royal-Bey - August 4

Hayden Burt - August 5

Bella Sheldon - August 6

Brodie Doubledee - August 7

Addison Zamora - August 7

Andre Fleury - August 13

Joshua DeBusk - August 14

Jaycee Maples - August 14

Tanner O’Banion - August 19

Emily Powell - August 19

Stella Schwab - August 21

Marian Roberts - August 21

Tayshawn Gaynor - August 22

Maddison Villarreal - August 22

Teagan Smith - August 23

Destany Wheeler - August 23

Jonathon Bolden - August 27

Sophia Pommier - August 29

Anjela Tavernero - August 29

David Gilbert - August 30

September Birthdays:

Nathon Trammell - September 1

Kaylee Morang - September 15

Dyamond Hagar - September 20

Kannon Lofts - September 30