First track meet held

By CHRISTEN COOL
Room 210 Staff Writer

South did really well on Monday. South athletes worked their "butts" off out there running against other schools.
South won a few medals in seventh grade 4x2 relay Alex Karns , Blake Putnam, Tolby Clemons, and Jeffery Terry got second place, Matt McCoy took third in shot of the distance of 38.9 ft, Kelley Leach got 65.5 for discus and for shot she got 34 feet and finished in second place.
At the meet, all of us were cheering each other on. It was wonderful feeling the wind rushing by your face and the sweat dripping off your arms and face. The best feeling of all though is passing that finish line at the very end. When you're at a track meet, it goes pretty fast- one race after another so you have almost no rest point but it's all worth it in the end. We have our next track meet on Friday in Neosho at 4 p.m. Wish us luck

NEO Music Festival scheduled

South Middle School vocal students, under the direction of Ms. Julie Yonkers, will perform at the annual NEO Music Festival Tuesday, April 3, in Miami, Okla.
Practice will be held first and second hours Monday, April 2.
Those scheduled to perform are:
Sopranos- Taylor Camden, Nikki Carter, Gina Casada, Jordan Chambers, Brittany DeKruif, Hannah Doerge, Leah Forkner, Makenzie Freeman, Christina Gates, Alexis Hawk, Ashley Henson, Rachelle Hughbank, Tera Knight, Tessa Luper, Sarah Matthews, Kelsey Pace, Sarah Painter, Cindy Pham, Katie Phelps, Mackenzy Pierce, Tymber Pope, Rachel Richins, Hannah Rosario, Mollie Sanders, Alicia Shofner, Samantha Warren, Tamera Wirick.
Altos- Jacquelin Bogarin, Tozia Burris, Christen Cool, Takada Davis, Ashley Dean, Tara Fleming, Paige Harmon, Christy Hernandez, Shaynee Johnson, Selena Jordan, Katie Kemmery, Lauren Layne, Breanna Martin, Tori Mitchell, Holly O'Dell, Samantha Rice, Mariah Sanders, Cassey Schulze, Adrienne Self, Kaylee Sexton, Shelby Shumaker, Hailey Smith, Sydney Snyder, Shanna Striegel, Kaitlin Sullivan, Kendra Wilson, Jaclyn Wright
Baritones- Cecil Cornish, Tanner Crawford, Jared Fuller, Colten Hawkins, Joe Huddleston, Alex Karns, Kelley Leach, Grant Lewis, Dylan Prauser, Jesse Rowe, Adam Schilling.

Quiz bowl team has best showing ever in Academic Challenge

The South Middle School Quiz Bowl team had its best showing ever in the Academic Challenge trivia competition held Tuesday at College Heights Christian School.
The top South team, consisting of captain Savanah Sweeton, Kane McCaslin, Lainie Nicolas, and Kylie Hurrell, posted a 6-3 record, including wins over eventual tournament and overall champion Carl Junction, Carl Junction II, Monett, Monett II, Diamond II, and South's second team.
The second team, consisting of captain Dylan Prauser, Ken Zhang, Mollie Sanders, and Alex Kangethe posted a 3-6 record, with wins over Carl Junction II, Diamond II, and Monett II. It took South's top team overtime to beat the number two team 60-50.
The top team was led by Miss Sweeton with 12 correct answers, McCaslin with 11, Miss Nicolas with 10, and Miss Hurrell with six.
Leading the second team were Prauser and Kangethe with eight correct answers apiece, Zhang with seven, and Miss Sanders with six.
Not able to make the competition were Sarah Kessler, who was representing South at the Regional Science Fair at Missouri Southern State University, and Marina Dudley.
The Academic Challenge is a traveling competition held once a month with meets this year in communication arts, science, math, history, and general trivia. The meets were held at Carl Junction, Neosho, Diamond, Lamar, and College Heights.
The quiz bowl team's season is expected to continue with a second meet against Memorial and North middle schools some time this quarter, a competition with the South faculty, and possibly a dual meet with Diamond.
The team is sponsored by Mr. Randy Turner and Mrs. Kathy Weaver.

Board candidate forum held at South

The four candidates for the Joplin R-8 Board of Education discussed issues March 22 during a forum in the South Middle School Auditorium.
The forum moderator was Rob O'Bryan. Candidates for two three-year posts are incumbents Jim Coburn and Mike Landis, Ashley Micklethwaite, and LaRae Miller.

Track schedule given

By CHRISTEN COOL
Room 210 Staff Writer

South Middle School's track schedule for this year is as follows:

Mon. Mar. 26 McDonald County

Fri. Mar. 30 Neosho

Tues. Apr. 3 Carthage

Tues. Apr. 10 Carl Junction

Thurs. Apr. 19 Nevada

Tues. Apr. 24 Joplin

Mon. Apr. 30 Tri- County Conference
[rain date: May 1]

The places that are named are where the meets are going to be held. So come out and cheer us on. South is working hard like always.

Tours given of South to prepare for bond issue vote

Tours of the three Joplin R-8 middle schools were given Monday night to provide voters with information prior to next week's $57 million bond issue election.
At South, voters were shown the auditorium, which doubles as a gymnasium, small classrooms, leakage problems, handicapped accessibility problems, the small library and the computer lab which was formerly a boys' restroom.

Parent-teacher meetings today and Friday

South Middle School students will be out of school Friday for parent-teacher conferences.
The conferences will begin after school Thursday and last until 7 p.m. The conferences are scheduled from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.

First track meet postponed

BY CHRISTEN COOL
Room 210 Staff Writer
(Note: Eighth grade track member and Room 210 staff writer Christen Cool is providing an ongoing diary of the 2007 track season at South Middle School.)

I'm sorry to report South didn't have that first track meet of the year like it had planned. It was rained out. The athletes had been working for three weeks and then they get rained out what a shame.
So instead they had yet another day or practice- you know what I'm talking about- that fun thing a few days before a big game.
The coaches had us all running hard, getting in every single minute they can get in before we have to compete with other schools. Distance runners did stairs like crazy, hopping up the stairs right foot only, then going up the stairs left only, walking all the way down then hopping with both feet all the way up and then walking all the way down then jogging up the steps then last, but not least, skipping a step going all the way up.
They had to do that for eight minutes then run for five minutes. It's safe to say we were all pretty beat by the end of the run. What made it more fun is that we had to do it all over again before we could go home!
Throwers had to do stairs like the distance people. Out of the two groups, we had a few kids get sick. The sprinters had to work outside doing different things, working on relays such has hands offs. We all worked really hard today the reason I say this is because everyone was sweaty like you wouldn't believe, soaked, I tell you. All we need to do now is make our coaches just as proud as we do in practice by winning this year. All we have to do is work for it and I know we can do it if we work as a team, not by ourselves in a race. We might run by ourselves in the race but that doesn't mean we can't get cheered on by the others.

More than 300 attend bond issue pep rally

More than 300 attended a bond issue pep rally Tuesday night at Joplin High School.
The rally featured information about the April 3 $57 million bond issue, which calls for construction of new South and East middle schools, and a massive refurbishing of North Middle School.
Entertainment was provided by the Joplin High School Jazz Band, Sound Dimension, the All-City Singers, and the duo of Superintendent Jim Simpson and Memorial Middle School Principal Steve Gilbreth, on fiddle and guitar, respectively.
Testimonials for the proposal were given by community leaders.

Track season about to begin

BY CHRISTEN COOL
Room 210 Staff Writer

(Note: This is the first in a series of track diary entries by SMS eighth grader and Room 210 staff member Christen Cool.)

On March 20, 2007, South will have its first track meet at Junge Stadium. There will be about 75 to 100 middle school students running for the top spot to be number one.
Any coach will tell you not to eat very much before a race unless you believe it's good the second time around. You have students running and jumping their hearts out for the number one spot.
The meet will feature everything from the 100 to the mile in running to long jump to pole vaulting in the jumping. At the track meets, there are both seventh and eighth graders of both genders there.
Kelley Leach is one of our throwers. She throw both shot put and discus. James Mitchell runs the 800 meter; that's a hard race to run. They say the hardest race is the 400; one lap easy right? It's not as easy it looks. You have to be able to sprint one lap. That's a lot of work. The easy race to run would, of course, be the 100- one straight away.
Track is a team sport but it's also a self sport, you could say. It's a team sport by giving your team a win and it's a self sport because you are seeing how hard you can push yourself for that win to make your team, your coaches, your family, but most importantly yourself happy. Track pushes you in speed, distance, how much you want and in mind. So we shall see who has what it takes and who does not.

Three SMS students advance to regional science fair

The following students, who competed in the 6th Grade Gifted Science Fair advanced to the Missouri Southern Regional Science Fair. They earned the opportunity based on their interviews with three professional scientists, who scored them on the interview, knowledge of the Scientific Method, and visual display. They were also scored based on the quality of their written report, preparation, promptness, and quality of work:

Alex Hill, first place, earth and environmental science
Calvin Alumbaugh, physics and astronomy
Olivia Hampton, plant sciences

Bond issue rally set for tonight at JHS

A rally to support the upcoming bond issue will be held 6:30 p.m. today at the Joplin High School Auditorium.

(Photo: A press conference on the bond issue was held earlier this month in the MAC Lab at South Middle School.)

SMS students, former students named to high school choral groups

The following South Middle school students and alumni were selected to Joplin High School choral groups following recent tryouts:

Concert Chorale- Hannah Doerge, Leah Forkner, Amanda Needham, Alicia Shofner, Taylor Tressler, Jaclyn Wright, Zach Bradley, Daniel Burkett, Nikki Burkett, Lauren Bynum, Lauren Hight, Breanna Jamerson, Jessica Myers, Skye Smith, Josh Thiele, Kaycie Trumbore

Touch of Class- Brittany DeKruif, Hannah Doerge, Christy Hernandez, Taylor Tressler, Katie Wood, Lauren Hight, Brenna Jamerson, Jessica Myers, Grace Randolph, Shelby Sullivan, Kacie Trumbore, Tamera Zajac

Sound Dimension- Arlisa Arwood, Nikki Burkett, Daniel Burkett, Lauren Bynum, Jordan Hudspeth, Becca Mascher, Spencer Moss, Derek Rider, Skye Smith, Josh Thiele

Five South students named high school cheerleaders

South Middle School students selected as Joplin High School cheerleaders after tryouts earlier this month were:

Kaylee Sexton, Tessa Luper, Becky Cooper, Cindy Pham, and Loryn Ligon

Tryouts provide challenge for prospective cheerleader

By TORI MARDIS
Room 210 Staff Writer
Thursday, March 8, 2007.
A bunch of us have worked hard all week and on that day after school we tried out for cheerleading. Since Monday, about 50 girls went to Joplin High School until seven o'clock every day. We stretched and jumped, worked on our toe touches and herkies. The varsity cheerleaders worked hard, teaching us our cheer and chant. They went over our routine with us a few times then we split up into groups and practiced.
Since girls from North, South, and Memorial are trying out, we normally worked with girls from our school since we knew all of them.
Mock tryouts were held Wednesday, March 7. Each girl performed in front of three varsity cheerleaders. We sprinted in, did two jumps, our chant and cheer. I was so nervous I almost got sick. A lot of other girls felt sick, too, but everyone was o.k. and tried their best.
As the time approached for the real tryout, we were all really nervous because we had to go in front of the varsity squad, coaches, and the rest of the judges. I kept going over the chant and cheer in my head.
"Hey, hey, let's fight, let's win tonight." We had to repeat it two more times.
And our cheer was "Joplin Eagles, our team is on top. JHS, we're fighting non-stop. Explosive, dynamic, you're looking at the best, we explode with spirit and eliminate the rest.
"Yell JHS, JHS, JHS."
Those who tried out from JHS were Christen Cool, Samantha Warren, Cindy Pham, Kendra Wilson, Alicia Shofner, Nikki Carter, Lacy Heiskell, Tessa Luper, Hannah Doerge, Kaylee Sexton, Loryn Ligon, and Tori Mardis.

Athletes weigh in on bond issue proposal

By KELLEY LEACH
Room 210 Sports Editor

During his time as an athlete at South Middle School, Lane Hampton never had a chance to play at his home school. "It sucked so bad," he said.
If a proposed $57 million bond issue passes next month, future South athletes will never have to go through what Lane and his teammates have. The issue calls for construction of a new South Middle School...and this one will have a gymnasium.
"It's a good idea," Lane said.
Because of the lack of a gymnasium at South, South athletes have played their home games at Memorial Middle School. Their home football games have been played at Junge Stadium. If the bond issue passes, South will have its own football field.
Principal Ron Mitchell says it is not fair that South athletes have to play all of their games on other courts and fields. South's past athletes certainly agree with that, and hope future athletes will never have that problem.

Tressler, Martin honored by Elks Lodge

South Middle School eighth graders Taylor Tressler and Breanna Martin were honored Thursday by the Joplin Elks Lodge for taking first and third place, respectively, in the lodge's annual essay contest.
A reception was held in the SMS Library, in honor of the two and four other winners in the contest's fifth and sixth grade and seventh and eighth grade divisions.
This year's topic was "Why I Am Proud to be an American."

(Photos: From top- Taylor Tressler and Breanna Martin, group photo of winners with Elks Lodge members, Taylor receives her award. Breanna receives hers)