Annual Peer Tutor Picnic held May 16

Photos by SARAH KESSLER
Room 210 Editor (with a little help)

Talent show set for last day of school

By MARY JEAN MILLER
Room 210 Staff Writer
Auditions for South Middle School's annual last-day-of-school Talent Show were held recently. The talents are scattered in between various awards, shows, and goodbyes. Many try out for the Talent Show, and this yearʼs acts and participants are as follows:
Elvis and Priscilla
Southside
Annie
Adam Schilling
Merisha Alderman
Christina Gates
Gil Randolph
Tozia Burris
Sarah Matthews
Ervinʼs TA

Dress Rehearsals are:
May 20, 3:10-4:50
May 22, 3:10-4:50
May 27, 3:10-4:50

(Christina Gates sings, Mr. Rocky Biggers helps eighth grader Adam Schilling with his act; Nichole Yeoman, Holly O'Dell, and Lauren Layne practice their dance routine. Photos by Alex Kangethe and Mr. Turner)

SMS cheerleaders selected for 2008-2009

By MARY JEAN MILLER
Room 210 Staff Writer

As you all probably know, the South Cheerleader Tryouts occurred recently. Congratulations to the girls that tried out. It takes a lot of courage to learn a cheer and a chant in just 3 days, and then perform it in front of many judges in the auditorium by yourself. I would know. Good job girls.

8th Grade
Torri Ackerson
Victoria Backer
Lexi Brown
Allison Hankins
Elisha Mansour
Jamilet Mendez
Thea Voutiritsas
Elaina Warren
Ashley Wescoat
Alexis Woods
Emily Yarbrough

7th Grade
Heather Copeland
Katie Earll
Jordyn Ganes
Kaci Gowen
Bailey Hale
Aleecia Hardin
Stormi Potts
Kahla Quinn
Marti Westfall
Adison Wright

South girls prepare for cheerleading tryouts

By ALEX KANGETHE
Room 210 Staff Writer

Practice for South Middle School Cheerleading squads are being held in the South Middle School gymnasium and cafeteria. 6th and 7th graders are practicing for May 9th, which is the night of the tryouts, which begin right after school.

Eighth graders tour high school

By SARAH KESSLER
Room 210 Editor

South Middle School eighth graders visited Joplin High School today, receiving an opportunity to tour the school where most of them will be attending during the 2009-2009 school year.

The visit began with lunch in the cafeteria, followed by a performance from the High School Jazz Band in the auditorium, and a tour guided by Student Council members.

(Pictured: The Jazz Band performs, Freshman Principal Joe Boyd speaks to South's eighth graders. The bus prepares to leave. Photos by Sarah Kessler)

SMS Band holds spring concert

The South Middle School Band Spring Concert was held tonight in the school auditorium.
The program began with three numbers from the Jazz Band, followed by four by the Beginning Band, and concluded with four from the Concert Band.

Jazz Band members are:

Saxophones- Tyler Terry, Cheyenne Howard
Trumpets- Sarah Kessler, Luke Lenhart, Calvin Alumbaugh, Jeff Terry, Drew Welch
Trombones- Corey Hounschell, Gabby Londe
Rhythm- Gil Randolph, Gareth Evans, Emilee Wills

Beginning Band members are:

Flutes- Elisabeth Heimberg, Tianna McCarthy,
Saxophones- Mac Owen, Eric Spicer
French Horn- December Hedge
Percussion- Mason Atwood, Victoria Baker, Eric Banfield, Tyler Price, David Reed
Clarinets- Shelly Carrier, Heather Cowan, Summer Dean, Lauren Leibee, Tori Thompson, Kylee Tipton
Trumpets- Dylan Castillo, Gavin DePaul, Kyle Gradwohl, Courtney Huggins, Nick McKay
Trombones- Aaron Dunaway, Tyler Dye, Preston Miller


Concert Band members are:

Flutes- Molly Baker, Abby Bass, Amber Chacon, Jessica Kennedy, LynnLee Shepherd
Alto Sax- Callum Eldred, Bryan Ross, Alex Vaughn
French Horn- Jeff Terry
Percussion- Dylan Caldwell, Zach Hibbard, Hunter Mills, Damien Mitchell, Billy Nguyen, Blake Putnam, Gil Randolph, Dalton Smith, Axle Vene, Ethan Warstler, Emilee Wills
Clarinets- Brittany Frisbie, Aron Hembree, Kylie Lewsader, Austin Mallory, Michael Oyler, Trey Randolph
Trumpets- Calvin Alumbaugh, Nathan Cox, Gareth Evans, Sarah Kessler, Luke Lenhart, Spencer Peterson, Orion Quintana, Brett Stearnes, Kyle Vene
Baritone- Nathan Baker, Drew Welch
Trombones- Geoff Aiken, J. J. Buxton, Dakota Reasoner, Desean Triplett, Dillon Warlaumont

Former SMS students shine in high school musical

Former South Middle School students shined during performances of the Joplin High School musical "Little Shop of Horrors" held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in the T. Frank Coulter Auditorium.

The cast included former SMSer Hunter Dowell in the lead role of Seymour. Other SMS alumni included Skye Smith, Kaycie Trumbore, Becca Mascher, Mollie Sanders, Serena Bannasch, Zach Bradley, and Nikki Burkett.

Other SMS alumni involved in the production included Chase Neely, Lauren Bynum, Mariah Hibbard, Fox Navarre, Ashlee Stephens, Mary White, and Lainie Nicolas.

A special day for special athletes

By SARAH KESSLER
Room 210 Editor
"A race is on the way... please clear the track!!" The stadium speakers blared over the field for everyone to hear. When I heard these words, I directed my gaze over the field to the starting line where three athletes stood, crouched in a starting position. The gun sounded and they were off, running like the wind, at least two of them were. The third was running, but not like the wind. I felt compassion for the little boy who was lagging behind, but I also felt respect. Even though this athlete at the 2008 Special Olympics wasn't winning, he just kept going, running as fast as he could down the track.

Seeing this boy's perseverance made me realize how honorable people with mental disabilities really are. Even when all the odds are against them, they just keep going. They keep going until they reach the end. Despite the ridicule they face from their peers and the doubt they receive from the world, they never quit. Whether it's reaching the finish line in a race, or reaching high school graduation, these kids will persevere. No matter how much better we think our minds are, we can all learn a lesson or two from kids with mental disabilities.

In the past two years at South Middle School, I have had the amazing opportunity to be a peer tutor. Through this experience, I have really gotten to know some to the kids in the special needs class at my school, and I never cease to be amazed at how strong those kids are. I don't just mean physically strong, but strong in character and in heart.

Kids with Down's Syndrome and other similar disabilities are made fun of on a daily basis, yet they hold their heads high and continue to be some of the nicest kids in school. I can't even imagine how hard these kids work just to learn things like how to spell their name and how to count to ten. They have my respect for their amazing work, kindness, and perseverance.

The athlete finally crossed the finish line and the crowd went crazy! From my seat in the bleachers, I could see the boy smiling as the crowd applauded him. I smiled too. He had finished the race, and even though he didn't cross the finish line first, he was a winner.

Sixth grade honor roll students enjoy field trip

By TARYN PARKER
Room 210 Staff Writer
The sixth grader honor roll students ate at the Northpark Mall. After, the students ate they went to Rangeline Miniature Golf. Sixth grade honor roll is where students who achieved either an a or B get to skip 3 hours of an school day to go on a fieldtrip.

The following students are qualified for honor roll:

Tiffanie Alexander, Desirae Anaya, Mason Atwood, Trinity Bennett, Joceline Bogarin, Kenneth Braun, Alexander Bryant, Meagan Camden, Preston Carpenter, Kasen Chew, Damian Cochran, India Coleman, Heather Copeland, Drew Cox, Leigh Ann Craig, Khristopher Dailey, Gavin DePaul, Shelbie DeWitt, Abigail Dial, Aaron Dunaway, Katelyn Earl, Bain Edens, Sammatha Eshom, Oswaldo Gomez, Kenny Gonzalez, Kaci Gowen, Khaled Graham, Lane Grimes, Bailey Hale, Chase Hall, Erica Handy, Aleecia Hardin, Cayley Hardison, Haleigh Hawkins, December Hedge, Sarah Heimberg, Chandlar Hendrix, Stesha Hiebert, Wesley Hooks, Courtney Huggins, Colton Johnson, Keaton Jones, Bradley Kennedy, Spencer Layne, Jessica Little, Joanna Lopez, Amanda Marvin, Chanci McGowen, Nicholas McKay, Bethany Meehl, Emily Merritt, Robert Metsker, Preston Miller, Jacie Mitchell, Morgan Osburn, Alexandra Oviedo, Austin Oxford, Taryn Parker, Hailee Peek, Amara Pendergraft, Alivia Plassman, Stormi Potts, Gannon Purdy, Cole Putney, Kahla Quinn, Luke Randolph, Kymbre Resler, Amanda Schilling, Keyna Schmidt, MacKenzie Shamblin, Marissa Shofner, Scott Simmons, Eric Spicer, Devon Stahl, Shaffer Stevens, Christian Still, Alexander Tanner, Stephen Tatum, Ashley Taylor, Cheyenne Thomason, Kylee Tipton, Kristen Tyler, Zachary VanLoon, Michael VanSlyke, Georgina Velazquez, Brooklyn Vickers, Nicole Walker, Trevor Walker, Lesley Wallace, Megan Walls, Rebekah Walters, Robert Walters, Alexia Westfall, Caleb Willis, Dayza Winters

Seventh grade honor roll field trip held today

By ELAINA WARREN
Room 210 Staff Writer

The seventh grade honor roll field trip held today at Range Line Miniature Golf. The Students ate at Northpark Mall.

Those who qulifed for the trip were:
Torri Ackerson, Calvin Alumbaugh, Dalton Anderson, Jodi Anderson, Victoria Baker, Sierra Bartholomew, Abigail Bass, Eric Bauersfield, Lisa Bromley, Charlee Brown, Casey Burkhart, Austin Burns, Elmer Byrd, Joseph Capehart, Chelsea Clevenger, Alex Cole, Ronald Darby, Aaron Daum, Shaney Delzell, Danielle Doerr, Karissa Dowell, Caroline Dutton, Preston Eafrati, Callum Eldred, Wesley Estes, Judith Fausto, Caleb Garton, Danielle Gideon, Kelsey Gould, Tera Hall, Olivia Hampton, Allison Hankins, Hannah Hare, Shanice Hazley, Elisabeth Heimberg, Alex Hill, Esteban Hinijosa, Kevin Justus, Brandon Laub, Nicholas Laub, Kylie Lewsader, Hunter Mills, Damon Monasco, Alexander Musgrave, Hailey Oxford, Spencer Peterson, Devin Plassman, Thomas Richins, Alexandra Ritter, Bryson Sexton, Victoria Thompson, Theodora Voutiritsas, Elaina Warren, Ethan Warstler, Andrew Welch, Ashley Wescoat, Allison White, Storm Whittington, Alexis Woods, Emily Yarbrough