Mansfield School Blog

By:Lexi Sherman

Spotlight shining in her eyes, knees trembling, nervously, she climbs stairs to a stage and accepts a proficiency award. The crowd applauds at FFA State Convention for junior Lindsay Allen.

During state convention, seniors  Tyler Page, Tron Sherman and Kelly Whorton also received awards. They were all looking forward to the event, “I was so anxious looking forward to state,” said Sherman. “Once I got there, I had a blast and I wish I could go again next year. Our parliamentary procedure team didn’t quite make it to state, but I received my state degree and proficiency so I still had fun.” Sherman is the 08-09 Chapter president and is also an area officer.

Freshmen Katie Hanson went to state for the first time this year and is hoping to become an officer next year. “I had a blast at state,” said Hanson. “I had to go get Tyler’s award for him and some guy pushed me up the stairs… and it’s not like I need any help falling. I’m hoping to receive an award and become an officer next year.” Hanson participated in four contests this year, three at district level.

Sadly, no teams made it to state this year. All members who participated in contest at districts received awards at the FFA banquet on May 7 though. “I had fun at districts and will be receiving an award at the banquet even though my team didn’t do very well,” said junior Robert Snokhous. “I will be looking forward to next year as my last year in FFA.” Snokhous participated on the livestock team and has participated three years in agriculture class.

Agriculture students will also attend camp this summer on June 15.

Crankin’ in corduroy: FFA greenhands walk back to the bus from a conference at the MSU campus, while freshman Dakota Melton busts a move. “I had a lot of fun at the convention,” said Melton. Melton plans to be in FFA all four years of high school.

By: Jakob Adamson

This year at MHS, band and choir have won lots of trophies. The band won at Carthage on Oct. 18 with a two rating, eighth place in finals, Outstanding Drum Major (class A), Outstanding Auxilary Unit (Class A), Best in Class and third place in Parade.

“Band was a little different this year,” said senior Julia Allen. “It was hard in the beginning because we had to learn how to field march. In the end, it paid off big timebecause we won so many trophies at contest. Field marching is a good experience for the high school band, and it’s a lot of fun when you get to learn something new and then do so good at contest with it. I hope the band will continue field marching next year and do just as good or better.”

Like the band, the choir earned a two rating, at West Plains, on April 2 and 3. The choir had a lot of soloists competing as well. Soloist Katelyn Swisher, freshman, got a two, as did freshman Austin Stewart and sophomore Haley Miller.

By: Katie Hanson

Tap, tap, tap, go the students on their calculators as they work on math problems. Children hunch over desks thinking about their work. Tick, tock, goes the clock, the only sound in the room.

This year the Math Club held a middle school math contest on April 25. They have hosted this contest before and have had success with it.

“The middle school contest will go great,” said senior, Tron Sherman Math Club VP, before the contest. “We just remade all the test and I’m excited to see how well they do.”

Last year at the contest, the MMS took the overall trophy in eighth grade.

Before the contest, Bob Cubellis, math club adviser, believed the event would be great. “This year contest should go very well,” he said, “We have new schools getting more interested, and have a couple of new schools entered in the contests this year.”

Two of the new schools include Houston and Manes.

The week before the contest, senior Landon Jarrett, Math Club president,  anticipated that the seniors would step up to the challenge. “I think the contest will go great,” he said. “Even though Mr. Cubellis won’t be there I think the upperclassmen will step up and do good.”

The students who won in the contest include eighth graders Shay Jackson and Devon Huff in word problems, Scott Davis and Taylor Wehmeyer in number theory and Brianna Cubellis and Curtis Carnal in pre-algebra. MMS won the second place overall trophy for eighth grade.

All the students in Math Club who helped rewrite the tests and helped with the contest were taken to a Springfield Cardinals game as a reward.

“The trip should be fun,” said senior Laura Wagner before going, “except I hope I don’t get sunburned again this year.” But Wagner ended up not being able to go to the game because she had to work.

Besides getting red from sunburns, students also get red in the face from trying to complete the 24 puzzle. The 24 puzzle is part of a contest that Math Club hosts for the elementary students. The game consists of students multiplying, dividing, adding or subtracting four numbers to get to 24. The students who win receive ribbons for first, second or third.

“I am pretty good at multiplication,” said Katlin Vough, sixth grader, last year’s first place winner in fifth grade. “It was fun, and I enjoyed it. Now it is one of my favorite games.”

Math Club has also done other activities this year as well including holding a Pizza Hut night at the Ava Pizza Hut.

“Pizza Hut night was very successful,” said Cubellis. “We raised a lot of money for the club.”

Math Club has been very busy this year planning and organizing these contests and holding a Pizza Hut night to raise money but no matter what they do, the sounds of busy calculators and the sight of working children will always be a part of MHS.

By Jenna Campie:

The sound of girls voices fills a crowded room as they work together to memorize a dance routine. Judging by the noise, they are all excited about working with each other to make their performance a good one.

This after school dance activity was for second to eighth graders, sponsored by the high school pommers, who were helping the girls with the routine. The activity was also a fund raiser for the MHS Sweethearts pom-pom team so they will be able to go to camp this summer.

The Sweethearts came up with all the dance steps for the younger girls to memorize during the activity and seemed to enjoy teaching the routine as well. “It was fun,” said freshman Alexis Hunt, a sweetheart. The mini camp took place after school for three days. Each day’s camp lasted one hour.

The mini camp will not have just offered the pommers a way to get to their own camp. It also will have given younger girls a look into what it is like to be an MHS Sweetheart, encouraging the girls to join when they reach high school.

By Mikiah Moore

Crack, the gun goes off signaling the runners to begin their race. As the runners pass by, you hear panting athletes, coaches yelling to them to do their best, their teammates pounding by in the same race or standing on the side, cheering them on. This is true for the boys team at MHS, but not so much for the girls because sophomore Alyssa Moore is the only high school girl running track this year. She also ran cross country as the only girl.

“It’s hard being the only girl running,” Moore said, “but the boys push me somewhat. I just always try to do my best. It’s like I can’t go without running. It’s a part of me.”

While Moore is the only girl running this year, there are several boys. Sadly though, the boys have lost one great runner, freshman Brady Hanger, who was sidelined due to medical problems.

“I was going to be part of the Varsity track team,” said Hanger. “Then I got this kidney injury, and now I can’t run.”

Still, both of the track coaches, Mindy Lemons and Scott Dobson, are excited for MHS track.

Lemons couldn’t say enough about this year’s seniors, Tyler Paige and Evan Whorton. “Tyler and Evan are the two biggest goofs ever. They are also the two most dedicated runners out there.” The pair has run together since they were freshmen.

“I will miss Tyler and Evan next year,” said Dobson. “There isn’t anyone who takes this sport more seriously.”

In flight: Trying to qualify for state, sophomore Alyssa Moore jumps in the long jump pit at the district track meet, on May 11 in Strafford. “All I remember is thinking to myself, ‘Am I going to beat my personal record?’” said Moore. Sadly she didn’t jump far enough to make it to state this year, but she is hoping for next year.

By: Emily Neal

Bases are loaded and the count is three balls and two strikes as sophomore Jessica Berry goes up to bat. The team is leaning on the fence, waiting in anticipation for the next pitch. It’s right up the middle and Berry hits a grand slam. As the crowd goes wild at the softball field, people watching the boys play baseball turn their heads to see the commotion.

In spite of a rough start to their spring season, because their first five games were canceled due to rain, the Lady Lions are expected to keep improving. “The team is working hard, so I think the season will go swell,” said coach Christopher Russo.

The baseball teams start hasn’t been quite as hard but a few of their games have been canceled too. They have had to play in some very cold conditions, and that has made the season tough for them. They still have high hopes for the turn out of the season, though.

“We will be competitive, and I hope we can contend for another district championship,” said coach Doug Jones. A returning All Stater, senior Landon Jarrett, should be helpful to the team on the mound, and senior Colton Jones and juniors Nathan Jones and Cody Clayton should be helpful with the bats. “The outcome of our season will depend on how the bottom of the line up hits and if they hit well. Then it will be succesful,” said Clayton.

Both teams will be working over the summer months to improve. Younger players will have to step up and fill in the spots of seniors that have left.

Going through the motions: Junior Chauncie Mitchell pitches against Fordland. “If I remember correctly," said Mitchell, "I pitched pretty decent that game, and everyone worked as a team.” The Lady Lions ended with a victory that game with a score of 20-4.