LHS Light #3

lhsirish.org-Lafayette High School-412 E Highland Ave. St. Joseph, MO

March 25, 2011 | volume 14 | issue 3

LHS Boys Basketball: “Here We Go!”By: Jessica Johnston, Editor: [email protected]

The Lafayette High School Boys’ Basketball team has been on a roll this year! The boys finished out the regular season with a record of 17-8 . The last game of the season was also their Homecoming, and students and parents say it was quite a show! After beating Smithville, the team did the ceremonial cutting of the net, and prepared them-selves for Districts. The first District game Lafay-ette played was against Benton High School. It was said to be an easy win and Lafayette came up victorious. The next game for the Irish was against Platte County. Platte County had the home court advantage, but La-fayette came to win. Junior, Onna Farris, said “Platte Coun-ty had me a little worried. They came to play and came out with a fire and winning against them

on their own turf, I think, really gave us the edge we needed to

keep going and stay motivated. After that game we could do any-thing.” Lafayette pulled through to win the game. The Savan-

nah game was the last obsticle the boys had to face in order to

become District Champs. The stands were packed and the rival schools battled with cheers the entire time. Tension was high.

It was a close game, until fourth quarter when Lafayette fell be-hind. The boys were down by seven with a minute left. You could see the excitement drain-ing from the Irish fans. But the boys pulled through. “It didn’t feel good to be down; I can tell you that. But we never stopped fighting and since then we’ve been fighting all the way to state,” says Senior, Tim Nel-son. The Irish pulled through in overtime with a victory. The Lafayette Boys next played the Oak Grove Panthers for Sectionals in Liberty, MO. LHS won decisively 53-41. The Irish fans were outstanding, showing up in force. Not in over three decades had the Northside had

so much about which to shout. Next would be Missouri State Quarter Finals. continued on page 12

Lafayette Homecoming RoyaltyBy: Kelsey Gardner, Beat Writer: [email protected]

Homecoming week, for La-fayette High School’s students and staff, is full of phenomenal

school spirit and extensive tradi-tion. This winter was no excep-tion. Thursday, February 17th, the King and Queen Candidates for Winter Royalty were intro-duced. 2011 Winter Homecom-ing King Candidates included: Cory Stover, Tim Nelson, Ian Toalson, and Dylan Payne. The Queen Candidates included: Darci Harris, Mena Lucas, Mad-

eleine Misemer, Lindsey Vest, Micaela Bundy, Kayla Moeck, and Taylor Riggs.

Darci Harris is the 18 year old daughter of Amanda Rogers. Af-ter high school, Darci plans to be a CNA and work at Living Com-munity. While attending Lafay-ette High School, Darci has been involved with many things. Dar-ci has been an Irish cheerleader all four years of high school, in JROTC three years, and an S5 on staff for JROTC one year.

Mena Lucas is the 17 year old daughter of Evonda Weinmann

a n d S h a -r o n Lucas. A f t e r h i g h school, M e n a p l a n s to at-t e n d t h e U n i -versity

of Missouri and major in Busi-ness. While attending Lafayette High School, Mena has been in-volved in JROTC for four years

a n d P o m s f o r t h r e e y e a r s . A l o n g w i t h V o l -leyball, she has p a r -ticipat-ed in S T U -

CO and DECA for two years. For one year, Mena Lucas engaged

in Track and Freshman Cheer-l e a d -ing. Mad-e l e i n e M i s e -mer is the 17 y e a r o l d daugh-ter of G a l e a n d S o n i a Misemer. After high school, Madeleine plans to attend Mis-souri Western State Univer-sity and enroll in the Physical Therapy Program. While at-tending Lafayette High School, Madeleine has been involved in Tennis, Academic PIN, and SOAR for four years. For three years, she participated in Stu-dent Council and engaged in DECA for two years. Madeleine has been associated with Track, Choir, Freshman Mentor Pro-gram, Junior DECA President, and Student Body Secretary for one year.

continued on page12

Above: Queen Canidates: Left to Right: Darci Harris, Maddie Misemer, Taylor Riggs, Lindsey Vest, Kayla Moeck, Mena Lucas, Micaela Bundy

Page 02 The Light

March 16th, 2011

Page 02 The Light

March 16th, 2011 NEWS

LHS Class NewsBy: Breeanne Frederick [email protected]

It’s very important to keep up with what is going on in the classes at LHS. To stay informed, please see the following class news:

Seniors (Class of 2011): --The Class of 2011 is continuing to fill out applications for the colleges of their choice and completed the FASFA. Seniors are also enrolling for the next round of ACT in April. While fighting senioritis, seniors are preparing for gradu-ation by ordering gradations materials, finishing scholarships, and focusing on completing the last quarter of their high school careers. Seniors are also trying to stay focused and finish the re-maining graduation required classes.

Juniors (Class of 2012): --The Junior Board is busy making final decision and ordering items for Prom. Soon they will be constructing Prom sets, decoration, etc. For more information about Prom and Dues, see Ms. Newby in the library. Juniors are also preparing to take the April ACT test by participating in ACT Prep classes, ACT academy, and other test taking endevours.

Sophomores (Class of 2013): --The Class of 2013 is continu-ing to get ready for the end of year exams and finished up the SRI testing. They’ve made their way into 4th quarter. Sophomores have been filling out schedules for next year, finishing projects, and getting ready to become upperclassmen.

Freshmen (Class of 2014): The Class of 2014 have completed the third quarter of high school and are on their way to being sophomores. The freshman are getting prepared for the end of year exams and have finished up the SRI testing. In conclusion, all four classes are very busy this year. The Light will continue to monitor their progress. For more information, continue to read “Class News.”

Have you ever saved a life? If you donated b l o o d , then you q u i t e possibly saved a life. On F e b r u -ary 16th, L a f a y -e t t e H i g h S c h o o l STUCO h o s t e d the Saint Joseph Commu-nity Blood Drive. Many La-fayette High School faculty, staff, and students took a

moment to donate blood.

The event lasted all day and was held in the Lafayette High School Practice Gym.

Lafayette High School Donates More Than TimeBy: Ryan Holcomb, Beat Writer: [email protected]

Above: Kayla Moeck, Right: Ms. Shiflett getting ready

Senior, Eric Pyles, was asked if he thought it was

worth the experience to do-nate blood and his response was, “Yeah, to save a life is definitely worth donating.”Some i n d i v i d u a l s even donated blood for the first time. Many over came their fears to help the cause. You do not have to like needles to do-nate blood. Dr. Shane Heard, supervisor of The Light, said, “It did not even hurt at all, until they pulled the tape off of my forearm. It was a great feeling to know that I was possibly helping some-one in need.” Being deathly afraid of needles does not mean you can not donate. The blood drive was a huge success as many students signed up to donate blood. The entire event lasted all day. As this is the last time, this

year, that St. Joseph Com-munity Blood Center will be

at Lafay-ette High School to host the b l o o d d r i v e , . T h e r e are still o p p o r -tunit ies for fresh-m a n , s o p h o -m o r e s ,

and juniors to donate. Thus, everyone is urged to donate as you may be saving some-

one’s life. For more information, please visit the St. Jo-seph Community Blood Center’s website at: www.savealifenow.org.

Above: Kayla Moeck, Right: Ms. NicoleShiflett prepare to give blood.

Page 03 The Light

March 16th, 2011NEWS

Lafayette High School Students Take the “Plunge”By: Breeanne Frederick

Beat Writer: [email protected]

Many will ask, what exactly is the Polar Bear Plunge and why do I care? The Po-lar Bear Plunge was held in Feb-ruary, 2011 at Lake Contrary. Many of Lafay-ette’s students and staff par-ticipated in this event, such as Mr. Guthrey and Corey Stover. The Plunge was an activity to raise money to help out the Spe-cial Olympics. The Plunge in-volved 205 peo-ple jumping into the frozen water of Lake Con-trary. Just take a walk down the main hallways of Lafayette if you would like to see names of the participants and a large picture of some Irish Olympians.

It’s a brave act to submerge one’s self in subfreezing water. When asked how it felt, Senior Corvette Way replied, “It was like getting hit in the gut, and I loved it!” Many students from schools across the city partici-pated in this event and jumped into the ice-cold water to raise money for a great cause. Ear-lier in the month of February, Lafayette held a jar competition for the students to raise money to vote on which teacher would be forced to launch themself into Lake Contrary. The winner was none other than Mr. Jason Guthrey. Mr Guthery stated, “It

was not the cold water that got you, but the smell of Lake Con-

trary!” Teamwork, acceptance, and sports are the fundamentals

of Special Olympics. Since the very beginning of the Polar Bear Plunge, thirteen years ago, over 6,200 Missourians have taken the plunge in lakes across the state. Combined, those 6,200 people helped raise well over $1,000,000 to donate towards the Special Olympics. Those donations helped finance local programs and provided opportunities for hundreds of athletes to compete. Through 19 year-round sport activities, Special Olympics Missouri offers children and adults with mental disabilities training and competition di-

vided by age and ability. How-ever, they are more than simply

sports. When asked her role in the Plunge, Senior Madeleine Misemer replied, “Our whole Leadership class played a part in raising money. We sold bear suckers and had a money war on which teacher had to jump.” The Polar Bear program helps pro-vide athletes with the confidence and skills to hold jobs, get good grades, and earn respect. It is a goal to have every athlete feel accepted and appreciated. Special Olympics Missouri was founded in 1971. What began as a track meet with a few hundred athletes has grown to serve more than 15,000 athletes with more than 150 competitions annual-ly. The Polar Bear Plunge relies solely on donations from gener-ous individuals and businesses to provide great experiences for our athletes. When asked if he thought this was beneficial, Se-nior Corey Stover replied, “Yes. We helped the Special Olympics with our donations.”

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Above: The LHS Polar Bear participants prepare for the day. Below: LHS Students brave the freezing waters of Lake Contrary.

Page 04 The Light

March 16th, 2011NEWS

LHS MSHSAA District One Act and Readers’ Theatre CompetitionBy: Kelsey Gardner, Beat Writer: [email protected]

MSHSAA District One Act and Readers’ Theatre Competition is right around the corner. On March 18, the Lafayette High School theater kids will ven-ture to Oak Park High School to make their mark in the com-petition. For those who do not know what a One Act is, it is a play that only has one act and may consist of one or more scenes. Readers’ Theatre is a type of theatre where the actors do not memorize their lines. The actors use vocal expres-sion to help the audience un-derstand the story rather than

using sets or costumes. For Readers’ Theatre, the La-fayette High School students will perform “Memorial” by Tim Kelly. In this patriotic play, a family gathers to remember Billy, who died years ago. Each remembers the soldier the way he was without any thought to what changes the passing years have made in their lives. The mother, aunt, and sister are joined by the soldier’s former sweetheart, now a grown wom-an with two sons. When their memories bring Billy back, it is the fallen soldier who realizes

he can not stay- that time has moved on and there is no lon-ger a place for him. The cast of “Memori-al” consists of mostly u n d e r -classmen including:B r o o k e M e y e r

as Linda Conners, Hanna Rehm as Frances and the Aunt, Alec Harmeyer as Lois and Ruth ConnersKyrsten Neverdusky as Sally and Helen, and Eric Pyles as Bill For One Acts, Lafayette High School’s students will perform “Rapunzel Un-cut” by Mariah Everman. This comedy is the story of Rapunzel told by duel-ing narrators. Like any good fairytale it includes a misunderstood witch and an unimaginably, stupid prince. The cast of “Rapunzel Un-cut” includes upperclass-men such as: Carrera How-ie as Narrator 1, Kaitlyn Skiles as Narrator 2, Taylor Weed as Mother, Josh El-liston as Father and an Off-Stage voice, Talon Johnson as the Prince, Megan Ren-der as Rapunzel, Trinity Best as the Witch, Branden Landers as Townsperson 1, and Buddy Brelsford as Townsperson 2. Again, these talented ac-tors from Lafayette High School will be perform-ing Friday, March 18th at Oak Park High School. The MSHSAA District One Act and Readers’ Theatre Com-petition welcomes parents to come and enjoy as the kids put on a show. For directions or any oth-er information contact Dr. Shane Heard at 816-671-4220.

Page 05 The Light

March 16th, 2011News

PACT Continues to Work for LHS By: Jacob Beattie


The PACT meetings are now in full swing, currently focus-ing on maintaining stable and productive learning facilities within the Saint Joseph School District. For those of you who do not know what PACT is, here is the scoop. PACT (Planning A Course Together) is an organization within the Saint Joseph School District that works to improv-ing the schools: building, staff, curriculum, etc. Any member of the community can take part in PACT meetings and ac-tivities. Their last meeting was held February 15th of the cur-rent year, during which they were focused on answering questions like “ Is the Saint Jo-seph School District recruiting

and retaining a quality teach-ing staff?” and “ Do the teach-ers have the necessary tools to get the support they need to do their best work?” Their goals for the month of March are the evaluation and improvement, if necessary, on

the school b u i l d i n g s . H o w e v e r , many ses-sions are be-ing resched-uled to later dates due to the numer-ous snow

days. During these building evaluations, they will be in-specting the physical condi-tions of the building. They will be keeping an eye on the class-es and teachers as well. For more information on the goals and plans of PACT, log onto www.Pactforsjsd.com.

Cheerleader and POMS Senior NightBy: Kelsey Gardner


Senior Night, for those students at Lafayette High School, is one of the most traditional nights of their high school careers. The Poms girls and the Cheerleaders are no exception to this. On Fri-day, February 18th, the girls pre-pared them-selves for an eventful last game. Se-nior Night happened to fall on the same night as Home-coming, which made for a mem-orable event. The Cheerleaders and Poms were announced to the crowd and given gifts from their fellow teammates. For the parents, family, teachers, and friends of these phenomenal girls this evening was more than their last home game. Although Senior Pom girls, Jessica John-ston and Devin Weston enjoyed the Homecoming game they both wished there would have been more emphasis on the girls

and said that, “it didn’t seem as special.” Darci Harris and Carre-ra Howie, Senior Cheerleaders, thought it was exciting that their Senior Night and Homecoming were paired, but agreed, “It was strange with so much going on.”

For Devin Weston, a Poms girl for three years, her teammates influenced her the most over the

years. Each year different girls made Poms enjoyable for her. When asked who another person was that influenced her, Devin said, “Myself. I’ve been through a lot, but I have finished proud and satisfied.” Devin’s favorite memory of Poms was the pranks and practices at camp. She was questioned about whether or not being a Poms girl had been memorable or not and she had replied, Continued on Page 5

Cheerleader and POMS Senior NightBy: Kelsey Gardner


Page 06 The Light

March 16th, 2011SPORTS

Lafayette High School Senior Signings

By: Torrie Gibson, Beat Writer: [email protected]

Three Lafayette High School Students have already signed Letter of Intent to play a par-ticular sprte for local university. Lindsey Vest, Ian Toalson, and Tim Nelson will be playing next year. Lindsey Vest plans on go-ing to Park University when

she leaves Lafayette. She will be playing golf and will be receiving scholarships for both academics

and golf. When asked for a quote from her she said, “I had to work through my high school career and all my work paid off.” Ian Toalson is going to go to the University of Central Mis-

souri. He is receiving an athletic scholarship and is going to play football. When asked about his future plans, he stated, “I expect to go to college and star in a na-tional championship.”

Another student with an ath-letic scholarship is Tim Nelson. Although the college he plans on attending is currently undecided,

he plans on going for basketball. When asked for a quote, he said, “Here we go.” Please take a moment to con-gratulate each of these players on their outstanding accomplis-ments.

Senior Night Conintued

By: Kelsey GardnerBeat Writer: kelsie.gardner@

lhsirish.net

“Yes! I have had good and bad times that have shaped me into who I am now as an individual and as a teammate.” Jessica Johnston participated in Poms for two years. “Poms was very memorable. I love my girls and made a few friendships that will last a lifetime,” stated Jessica when asked about her time with Poms. Jessica’s favorite memory was Senior year camp. “Prank wars, pizza, and Nazis. Nothing could top that!” she exclaimed. Heidi Prokop,a cheerleader for three years, had the entire La-fayette High School faculty as a whole that influenced her the most. “When I made the squad for basketball season, they came up to me and said,’it’s so nice to see you in a cheer uniform again’,” she praised when asked how the faculty influenced her. Kailey Hardin’s time as a LHS cheerleader, three years, was

full of memo-ries. When asked what her favorite memory was she stated, “I loved being with all the girls and just having fun at games. Oh, and the sleepovers we have!” All of these spirited girls have enjoyed their time as teammates with some of the most gifted, involved students in La-fayette High School. With their experienc-es they would like to give some advice to future Cheer leaders , Poms, and stu-dents in general. Don’t let the dra-ma get to you. Stay positive, because it can be very stressful. If your heart is in it then put forth a little dedica-tion and see how bright you shine. Enjoy every mo-ment. “JUST HAVE FUN” in what you do!

Color Special: All-Over or Highlight, including Hair Cut and Style: $65

Page 07 The Light

March 16th, 2011

Date Level Opponent Location Varsity Start Time LHS Them Record

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL:

1/28/2011 F/JV/V JC Harmon Home 7:30 PM 45 53 12-72/4/2011 F/JV/V Cameron High School Home 7:30 PM 43 57 12-82/7/2011 F/JV/V Benton High School Home 7:30 PM 44 41 13-82/11/2011 F/JV/V Bishop LeBlond HS Away 7:30 PM 57 30 14-82/15/2011 F/JV/V Chillicothe High School Away 7:30 PM 71 49 15-82/16/2011 F/JV/V Savannah High School Away 7:30 PM 49 37 16-82/18/2011 F/JV/V Smithville High School Home 7:30 PM 2/21/2011 Varsity District Tournament Lafayette High School are 2010-2011 DISTRICT ChampsSectional Lafayette High School are 2010-2011 SECTIONAL Champs Quarter Final LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL ADVANCED TO FINAL FOUR Final LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL FINISHED 4th IN THE STATE OF MIS-

SOURI!

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL:

2/4/2011 F/JV/V Cameron High School Away 7:30 PM 50 47 6-102/8/2011 F/JV/V Benton High School Home 7:30 PM 34 55 6-11

Lafayette High School Phat Stats

Starting last year and con-tinuing this year, the Lafay-ette High School Choir stu-dents started fundraising for a new piano. Ms. Kim Ev-ans, the LHS Choir Director, started this fundraiser. The Saint Joseph School District heard about this fundraiser and thought it was a great idea. They thought all three high schools needed a new piano and decided to help. It was a fundraising dinner that happened last year. The students performed while the guests enjoyed a nice meal. It was a really nice set up

event that took place. Mrs. An-gie Riggs d o n a t e d the deserts and the rolls, while R i c h a r d and Linda Evans, the parents of Ms. Kim E v a n s , made the dinner. Ms. Kim Evans stat-

ed, “It was just a really good evening. It was fun and the kids enjoyed themselves, as well as the adults that at-tended. It was a successful evening.” This March, the St. Joseph School Board of Education will be voting to approve a certain amount of funds to put toward this project. The choir students, as well as Ms. Evans, are hoping to pull through. Ms. Kim Evans also stated, “The School Board will be voting in March. It’s looking promising, but not for sure though.”

ACTIVITIES

LHS Choral Department Gets a Much Needed GiftBy: Kelsie White, Beat Writer: [email protected]

Page 08 The Light

March 16th, 2011EXTRAS

The Light Staff…and Lafayette High School said,

“Let there be light!”

Editor: Jessica Johnston Writers: Allison Beattie Clubs Jacob Beattie Opinion Bree Frederick Beats Kelsey Gardner Performance Torrie Gibson Holidays Damara Hall Activities Matt Hillhouse Daily News Ryan Holcomb Beats Kaytlin Moberly Liaison Troy Rash Beats Nick Sutton Advertising Kelsie White ArtsSupervisor: Dr. M. Shane Heard

Department NewsBy: Breeanne Frederick [email protected]

To follow an update on what is happening in various departments at Lafayette High School:

Communication Arts- This month, in the LHS Language Arts Department, the students are taking reading tests and focusing on improving their reading skills. Other students are taking the SRI Tests to see at what level their reading proficiency is. The students will take another test in May.

Foreign Language (F.L.)- This month, in the LHS Foreign Lan-guage Department, the students are making “Shoes for the Three Kings.” The students put their shoes that they made for the three kings out for the kings to put prizes in them.

Industrial Technology (I.T.)- This month, in the LHS I.T. Department, the kids are working on their projects to get ready for competition. The Missouri State Competition is held in March. Another thing that is going on in the I.T. Department is the teachers are working to identify the problems in rooms for the SJSD PACT.

Math- In the LHS Math Department this month, the students are working on getting ready for the Math Benchmarks and working really hard for other testing. The students are trying to score high on the Math Benchmark, and other mandated tests.

Social Studies-This month, in the LHS Social Studies Department, the students are working on their History Day Proj-ects. District History Day was held February 25th and the Missouri State Competition will be held April 9th. Last year Lafayette High Shool had 10 eligible students for placing. Lafayette High School and the students filled 9 of the 10 spots.

Science- In Chemistry, the students are learning about chemicals reactions. In Advanced Chemistry, the students are studying heat. In Physics, the students are building rockets and calculating the projectile motion. In Biology, the students are learning about photosynthesis and did a lab using spinach. In Biomedical, the stu-dents used molecular models to show different macromolecules.

Teacher Spotlight: Ryan Madison

By: Nick SuttonBeat Writer: [email protected]

Ryan Madison is a teacher of the Foreign Language, Spanish, at Lafayette High

School. He has taught Span-ish for over 15 years and has taught at Lafayette for about one year. Mr. Madison is also the Varsity Girls’ Basket-

ball Coach for the Lafayette Fighting Irish. When asked what was something unique

about him and something most people did not know, Mr. Madison answered, “ I love music and have over 1000 CD’s!”

Literacy HourBy: Allision Beattie, Beat Writer: [email protected]

“A home without books is a body without soul.”--Marcus Tullius Cicero, accomplished poet, philosopher, rhetorician, and humorist once said. Literacy hour is the time of day where ev-ery student is required to read a book of their choice for at least twenty minutes. “I don’t think we should be required to read twen-ty minutes every day!” says Jesse Plowman, senior at Lafayette High School. When asked what they thought about literacy hour, seniors Baali Mitchell, Devin Weston, Alexis McVey, and Mena Lucas said, “Literacy time is brilliant, helpful, enlightening, and fun.” Like it or not, literacy hour has become a requirement every day of the school week. “It’s good we get time to read.”

says sophomore, Stephanie Auxier. “Some of us are busy outside of school so we don’t really have time to.” Some teach-ers, however, don’t make their students read for the required twenty minutes. To keep said teachers from getting into trouble, their names will not be mentioned. Just follow the rules and no one gets hurt. “I think reading is really fundamental to a good educa-tion.” says Richard Shaginaw, LHS Math Teacher. “I enjoy reading a lot.” says sophomore Cerryssa Bonea. “I’ve been reading for a long time and I think literacy hour gives people a chance to get more involved in reading.”

Page 09 The Light

March 16th, 2011EXTRAS

Book/Irish Ink ClubsBy: Allison Beattie, Beat Writer: [email protected]

For anyone who has ever picked up a book just because; For anyone who ever wrote a short story just to put their feel-ings down on paper; For anyone who wants to be somewhere they can talk to someone who thinks the way they do, Book Club and Irish Ink is for you. LHS Book Club and Irish Ink, Writing Club are both run by Language Arts teacher Mrs.Jor-dan. When asked why she had taken over Book Club, after the previous sponsor Ms. McCallen had left, Mrs. Jordan stated, “I couldn’t stand the thought of losing a great club. I’ve had the pleasure of spending countless time in great discussion about a book. Book Club gives stu-dents the opportunity to have this experience as well. I knew that students would be losing in the long run if the club wasn’t continued.” When asked the similar question of why she had started Irish Ink she said, “This has been my dream for a long time. I know there are very tal-ented writers at Lafayette that would go unnoticed if not for Irish Ink.” Unfortunately, there are very few members in either club. This is not, however, because of bad advertising. Both Book

Club and Irish Ink meeting dates have been called over the announcements during XFL and at the end of the day. Also, club members have made post-

ers that have been hung up around the school in an effort to spread the word and gain more members. Book Club meetings are every Monday starting at

2:45 pm and end-ing at 3:45 pm. Irish Ink meets e v e r y W e d n e s -day with the same h o u r s as Book Club. Book Club ac-t i v i -ties range

from talk-ing about books to a p r o s p e c -tive field trip to Bor-ders before it closes in April. Dis-c u s s i o n s and de-bates about c h a r a c -ters, plots, and what makes the

books great are often heard in Room 103A. “Irish Ink hasn’t met its full potential by far. Members are looking forward to Poetry Slams and competitions in the future.” Mrs. Jordan said.

Book Club:

Sandra Pennock, Matthew Hill-house, Amanda Paden, Allison Beattie, Lesli Perez, and Jessica Kline

Irish Ink:Trinity Best, Dakota Testerman, Allison Beattie, Rebecca Perez, Daniel Perez, Sandra Pennock, and Matthew Hillhouse When asked if there was any-thing she would like to add Mrs. Jordan said, “Book Club is a great place for students to hang out and have inspiring conver-sation about what they’re read-ing. As for Irish Ink, this is our first year. Everything isn’t ex-actly as I dreamed, but we are well on our way. I’m looking forward to growing as a club and becoming a place where every writer has a place for his/her voice to be heard.”

For more information, please contact Mrs. Jordan.

Above: Book Club, Below: Irish Ink

The Fighting Irish had a great spirit week with all the students dressing up to support the Irish. It was La-fayette’s homecoming week and the students PACKED THE HOUSE on February 18 to support the boys. The Fighting Irish beat the Warriors 64-57. The students supported the Irish that day and helped them win. That home-coming week, we had a lot of spirit days. Students dressed for many different days such as: Greek Day, Green Day, and Geek Day. It was a great week for the Irish. Jordan Morehead said, “It is fun for the kids in the school to dress up and act crazy for the days”. Mrs. Alden said “ Homecoming is a good activity for students and it allows then to get involved in activities and not just the athletes”.

Spirit WeekBy: Troy Rash


Page 10 The Light

March 16th, 2011

Page 10 The Light

March 16th, 2011 EXTRASCounseling/Career Center

By: Damara Hall, Beat Writer: [email protected]

Whether you need someone to talk to about college, family life, personal things, money situa-tions, or just someone to talk to, the ladies in the Counsel-ing Center are always there to help you! These six women are always there with arms wide open when you need a hug; they are very inspiring and they make great conver-sation. Lynette Steltenpohl- Lynette is the Counseling Center Secretary for LHS. She has been working at Lafayette High School since the year 2000. Lynette says she loves working for Lafay-ette because, “I love the staff and students. We have a lot of positive in this green school!” Her favorite thing about LHS is “The strong hearts of teach-ers doing their best to edu-cate all students.” When asked if she’d change anything about Lafayette she said, “I can only think of material items, because we have the best staff with great goals!” The extras she added in-clude, “..more teachers. I would love to be able to do groups again for students that are grieving, an-gry, or stressed about home life. A common area for our students would be AWESOME!” Lynette is 43 and has a daughter, Lind-sey, that is 14 years old, and she has three step-children. She also has six grandchildren. Lynette’s desk is located in the Counseling Center.Diane Guthery- Diane is the College and Career

Advisor for Lafayette. This is her sixth year working for Lafay-ette High School. Diane says she

loves working for LHS because, “I enjoy helping students get to college and to work with great people.” Her favorite thing about Lafayette is “school spirit, family atmosphere.” When asked if she would change anything about Lafayette she said, “Absolutley not!” The extras she added in-clude, “I love my job and hon-estly look forward to coming to work!” Diane is 51 and has three children- Jason (Mr. Guthery), Brett, and Kelsey. Diane’s desk is located in Room 106.Terri Johnson- Terri is a Counselor at LHS. She has been working at Lafayette High School for 24 years! Terri says she loves working for LHS

because, “I love the kids and the school sprit!” Her favorite thing about Lafayette is, “I love that we

have pride and traditions here at LHS! We bleed green and sup-port each other!” When asked if she’d change anything about La-fayette she said, “I would put an elevator in, and a big commons area for students to gather, study, and talk to each other.” Terri is 52 years old and has three sons; ages 22, 19, and 16. Her desk is located inside the Counseling Center.Debbie Fite- Debbie is the Counseling Department Chair, Professional School Counselor at Lafayette. She has worked for Lafayette for nine years. Debbie says she loves working for Lafayette because, “The whole school is a family.

The counseling center works as a team; our special skills fit togeth-er very well.” Her favorite thing about LHS is, “The school spirit and the way everyone tries to make it a better place.” When asked if there is anything she would change about Lafayette she said, “I would love for every kid to have two loving parents, a safe place to stay, plenty to eat, warm clothes to wear, and a desire to learn!” The extras she added include, “I’ve worked in other schools and there is NO place like Lafayette.” Debbie has one grown daughter. Her desk is located inside the Coun-seling Center.Jeanie Benitz- Jeanie is a Counselor for LHS. She has been working at LHS for 15 years (25 total in the district). Jeanie says she loves working at Lafayette because, “Lafayette

is like a big family, it is confort-able; it is sprited; there is a won-derful feeling when you walk through the doors. Her favorite thing about LHS is, “All of the traditions.” When asked if she’d change anything about Lafayette she said, “Just improving things like the technology, the furniture, things that need to be updated.” The extras she added are, “You could not ask for a better place to go to school or to work at. I have worked in other buildings --- and can honestly say --- there is no better place to be. It’s great to be GREEN!” Jeanie is 48 years old and has a daughter, Ashley (Atha), that is married and a son Brett Gilpin that just graduated from Lafayette last year and is at MU. Jeanie’s desk is located in the Counseling Center.Emily Sumner- Emily is a Social Worker for La-fayette. She has been working at LHS for 7 years. Emily says she loves working at Lafayette be-cause, “The people are awesome; It is good to be Irish!” Her favor-ite thing about LHS is, “We are one big family at LHS!” When asked if there is anything she’d change about Lafayette she said, “No.” Emily is 31 years old and has one daughter, Avery who is seven years old. Emily’s desk is located in the Counseling Center. If you have a problem or simply need someone to talk to, please visit any of these outstanding ladies today!

Left to Right: Emily Sumner, DebbieFite, Jeanie Benitz, Lynette Steltenpohl, Terri Johnson, and Diane Guthery

Page 11 The Light

March 16th, 2011Opinion

Sweet DreamsBy: Torrie Gibson


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Out of all the things in the world, I think the biggest thing any high school student wants is to be able to sleep in on school days. So I think, like probably most students, that school should start later and still end at the same time. Many more students would go to school if school started later. Students would be more ener-gized as the day begins and not as tired by the end of the day. They also would not have to wake up, drive to school, while being ex-tremely tired.The De-cember 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medi-cine states that after a one-hour delay of school start times, teens increased their aver-age nightly hours of sleep and decreased their “catch-up sleep” on the weekends, and they were

involved in fewer auto accidents (15). It is hard balancing everything out during your day when you are too tired. The Saint Joseph School District and the SJSD School Board should all realize how much work is assigned to students. Sure, things are not always that difficult, but it does become stressful having school,

school activities, a social life, and a job. Plus, there is all of the homework that gets pushed on so many students. Everything ends up becoming overwhelm-ing. Yet, we are still forced to do most of these things, otherwise,

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we become unsuccessful. Start-ing school later would help to make more student successful. Students’ minds are not alert and functioning right when they get up. Many students feel as if they have to rush because they do not want to be late to school. Be alert and awake is important in order for students to do well in class. If they are, they are then unsuccessful. For more information about school schedules, see your Lafayette High School Counselor and/or Assistant Principal.

Snow DaysBy: Matt Hillhouse


The Saint Joseph School District has had a total of six snow days so far this year. Thanks to the nu-merous snow storms, the roads were too danger-ous to risk having the stu-

dents and staff driving. The school district allows 6 snow days before the schools have to start mak-ing them up. Many seniors are starting to wonder if this will affect them. Due to the excess amount of snow days, it just might. Graduation is approaching fast for seniors. May 22nd is right around the corner. Seniors usually get out a

week or two before the rest of the school. However, with the days that will have to be made up, that might change. What is a senior’s opinion on the matter? Jordan Moorehead said,

“I hate snow days, ‘cause I hate the snow” When asked how the school days affect her, Jessica Kline said, “ I don’t care as long as we get out of school.” When asked the same thing, Kim Da-vis, Secretary for Lafayette High School, said, “I like them as long as we don’t have to make them up.”

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Page 12 The Light

March 16th, 2011Back Page

Boys Basketball ContinueBy: Jessica Johnston, Beat Writer: [email protected]

After becoming District Champions and winning Sectionals in Liberty, the Lafayette Boys’ Basketball Team, along with their de-voted fans, took a trip down to Warrensburg, MO for the quarterfinals game. The team knew they were one game away from State, and they went into this game with more effort and determina-tion than one could imagine. This showed in their perfor-mance. The boys had their hearts set on this victory, and nothing was going to stand in their way. “When the clock hit a minute, and we were up by about ten, it started to hit me that we were about to go to state. As the seconds ticked away, I about burst with happiness. I seriously almost cracked a tear,” says Se-nior, Micaela Bundy, who wit-nessed a first in over thirty years for Lafayette High School. LHS Boys’ Basketball had not made it to State since 1976. The final

score was 53-38. When asked how it feels to achieve something your school has not seen in over thirty years, Senior, Tim Nelson said “Well it feels like a dream come true to get to State. But since we are here, we might as well win it all!” A group of spirited students took over the stands at Lafay-ette basketball games. One could hear them from a mile away with their stomping, defense cheers, and beloved “MOOOOOs!” Coach Neff has made it very clear

that the team would be nothing without its fans. When asked what it is like to have a side court view of Lafayette’s players and fans, Senior Cheerleader, Cari Howie, replied, “It’s just so awe-some! I have an amazing view of the players, the coaches, and the crowd. Watching the pride pour out onto the court makes me ec-static to be Irish.” This year, a select group of seniors has taken it upon themselves to bring the school spirit times 100. Cory Stover, Corvette Way, Cameron

Hulet, Jerrad Carrithers, and DJ Adams, otherwise known as “The Mob,” had been sporting throw back jerseys from the 90s to all of the games, beginning with the Savannah game in Platte City. These jerseys were worn back when Coach Chris Neff was in school. This was definitely a sight to see, and these seniors were among the most spirited in the school. “If it wasn’t for the mob, the crowd would

be nothing,” says Senior, Cam-eron Hulet. When asked what it is like being front row in Lafay-ette’s Loud Crowd, Senior, DJ Adams replied, “ IT’S FREAK-ING AWESOME! Front row ev-ery game with the old throw back jerseys and warm ups on, it’s just amazing! It shows the spirit and closeness at Lafayette.” Ultimately, the team fin-ished 4th in the state of Missouri!

“Homecoming Royalty” ContinuedBy: Kelsey Gardner, Beat Writer: [email protected]

Lindsey Vest is the 17 year old daughter of Russell and Sharon Vest. After high school, Lindsey plans to play golf at Park Univer-sity and major in English. While attending Lafayette High School, Lindsey involved herself in Choir, All School Musical, SOAR, and Varsity Golf Captain for four years. For two years she participated in DECA and History Day. Lindsey engaged in the Freshman Mentor Program for one year. Micaela Bundy is the 17 year old daughter of Elizabeth Bundy and Michael Glover. Micaela was named the First Attendant at Lafayette High School’s Winter Homecoming. After high school, Micaela plans to double m a j o r in mu-sic edu-c a t i o n a n d S p a n -ish at N o r t h Caroli-na A&T, and later become a high school

Choir Teacher. While attending Lafayette High School, Micaela has been involved in Marching Band, Concert Choir, All-School Musicals, Thespian Society, Volleyball, and District Mu-

sic Competition for four years. For three years, she participat-ed in Chamber Choir, Concert Choir, Wom-en’s Chorus, Show Choir, and State Mu-sic Competition. Mi-chaela participated in Student Council and Missouri Verses and Voices for two years. For one year, she as-sociated herself with

the Freshman Mentor Program, Science Investigations, and Co-tillion for Achievement. Kayla Moeck is the 18 year old daughter of Michelle Moeck

and Ro-d r i c k Hughes. K a y l a w a s n a m e d the Maid of Honor at La-f a y e t t e H i g h School’s W i n t e r

Homecoming. After high school,

Kayla plans to attend Northwest Missouri State Uni-versity and major in Psychology. While at-tending Lafayette High School, Kayla has been involved in STUCO for four years and Lead-ership Class for three years. For two years, she participated in DECA. Kayla was in-volved in Art Club, the Freshman Mentor Pro-gram, and Girl’s Golf for one year. Taylor Riggs is the 18 year old daughter of Keith and Angie Riggs. Taylor was named the 2011 Miss Winter Shamrock at Lafayette High School’s Winter H o m e -coming. A f t e r h i g h school, T a y l o r plans to a t t e n d N o r t h -w e s t M i s -s o u r i S t a t e University. While attending La-fayette High School, Taylor has been involved in Volleyball and Soccer for four years. For three years, she participated in Poms,

Yearbook, Student Council, Aca-

demic PIN, and SOAR. Taylor was Poms Captain and Boys Bas-ketball Manager, along with a member of DECA for two years. For one year, she engaged in Basketball, Light the Night, and the Freshman Mentor Program. On Friday, February 18th, the King and Queen candidates were crowned. Lafayette High School’s 2011 Mr. and Miss Win-ter Shamrock are Taylor Riggs and Cory Stover. Cory and Tay-lor were ecstatic to be crowned with this honor. When Cory was announced as King, Lafayette High School’s students and staff went into an uproar of enthusi-asm. When Taylor was crowned queen, the crowd at the Lafayette vs. Smithville game went wild.

Above: King Canidates: Left to Right, Dylan Payne, Tim Nelson, Ian Toalson, Cory Stover

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