On September 24, 2014, the FBLA door decorating committee met before school to discuss what they wanted to do for the event. It occurred to the committee to have different themes for the doors, depending on the holiday. The first theme that they wished to do was Halloween. The members of the committee decided that the four grades would decorate the doors of their class sponsors for the year. Instead of receiving prizes, the winning class would receive spirit points, which would help them get one step closer to winning the pizza and ice cream party at the end of the year.
   Beth Schenck, a senior at the New Haven High School, came up with the idea of having a door decorating contest. When asked about how she got the idea, she stated, “ I saw that the idea was pretty common among other schools when I attended the officers’ leadership convention this summer, and I remember how fun it was when we did it in middle school around Christmas time. So, I’m looking forward to some decorative doors and hallways.” When asked how she thought the students felt about it, she responded, “ I think the students and teachers will like and hopefully continue it in the next several years.”
   In conclusion, for Halloween the New Haven High School’s doors and hallways will be filled with decorations and wonder. 
-by Jennifer Alvarez

   On September 16, 2014, the Nation Honor Society held a committee meeting for the 5K run. The committee is made up of students that have been selected to be in the organization. Part of being in Nation Honor Society is coming up with ideas to fundraise money for the New Haven High School or to help out members of the community. This year, the officers came up with the idea to do a 5K run around New Haven.
   Mrs. Oelrichs, the sponsor for National Honor Society, thought the idea of doing a 5k was great. When Mrs. Oelrichs was asked why they decided to do a 5K, she responded, “ Well, the officers thought of the idea at the end of last year and said that they wanted to do it this year.” Mrs. Oelrichs commented, “ I will be looking forward to this because I like seeing the groups working together and having fun with it.” A member of the committee, Emily Moreno, said “ I signed up for it because I thought it would be fun and I know it will make people happy because it’s raising money for charity, which is a good cause. I will also be looking forward to the possibility of having hot cocoa.”
   When asked how she thought the students felt about it, Mrs. Oelrichs replied, “ I think they will have fun with it because it will be a Christmas theme.” She hopes to do similar projects in the future because, “ I think its for a good cause; for example, this year we are doing it for the track project. Later on, we could do fundraising ideas to help out our members of the community.”
   In conclusion, the National Honor Society Committee hope to raise money for the New Haven Track Project that can later on be used by the elementary and middle schools students.   -by Jennifer Alvarez

   Pack the gym for the New Haven Volleyball teams was a success. Starting the night off right, the New Haven Junior Varsity team beat Hermann in two sets. Between the Junior Varsity game and the Varsity game, there was a serving competition. 
   Abe Madden, Bobby Pruessner, Thomas Ley, Aiden Bailey, and John Fleer were sitting on the court holding up signs that had prizes on them. The prizes were candy, Casey’s pizza delivered to lunch, and a Casey’s card. For the freshman, Lydia Pataky served, winning Casey’s pizza on her first serve. She missed her second serve but came back on her third, winning some candy. The server for the sophomores was Will Soete. Will missed his first serve, but his second serve was a success, winning some candy as well. He served his third ball but missed again. Serving for the juniors was Andrew Menke. Andrew did not start out well, missing his first serve. The other two serves went well, earning him candy and pizza also. Pack the gym is a chance for the students to earn spirit points for their class. By coming and supporting the volleyball team, the students that were there helped out their class also. The theme for this pack the gym was Hawaiian. If you dressed Hawaiian, you got double spirit points for your class. There were so many surfers in the crowd! 
   After the serving competition, the Varsity game began. The varsity team was pumped up and ready to play. Beth said, “I thought everyone was on top of their game, JV and Varsity. That game got us pretty pumped for the rest of the season. As far as our crowd goes, our student section is the best. They are really good about cheering for us and not against the other team. I think that says a lot about our school.” Mrs. Hoener mentioned to the varsity, “Hermann has won 63 conference games straight, and the last one they lost was to us.” Beating Hermann in the first set was a good confidence booster to help the team get through the second set with even more enthusiasm. New Haven beat Hermann by even more the second set, winning the whole game. On that last point, the gym exploded with claps and yells for the girls.   -by Kathleen Jasper

   Monday, September 15th, the Shamrocks softball team faced South Callaway on a dreary day. Many of the girls remembered the pitcher from last year. Tenille Duessler mentioned, “She was only a freshman last year, throwing great pitches.” This set the mood to be aggressive when up to bat and make contact with the ball.
   Molly Munsinger went up to bat first in inning one. Munsinger made contact with the ball, and it just kept going! When asked how it felt to hit that home run, Molly said, “I never believed it would happen. I’m glad I decided to play softball, and it’s great to have Coach Scheer as my coach, since he was my first coach, actually,since kindergarten ”
   After that, the Shamrocks got up to bat and meant business. A lot of contact was made, including two doubles from Tenille Duessler and also doubles from Carlie Steinbeck and Lindsay Nixon. After all this action, many, even Coach Scheer, thought the score would be quite different. The batting may have been quite a scene, but the teammates agree that their defense could have gone better.
   Although it was an entertaining game, the score still remained at one for the Shamrocks, and South Callaway came away with a score of eleven. The Shamrocks play against the Pacific Indians tomorrow. Good luck girls!   -by Tenille Duessler

   Bright and early on Wednesday, September the 17th, students began to enter Mrs. Miller’s classroom for the first Family Career Community Leaders of America meeting. The meeting was brief yet informational. Each member had to sign up for at least one committee: community service, t-shirt, gift exchange, hospitality room, or field trip. This year, the club is going to hold a Halloween Costume Contest and go on a field trip.
   “It’s okay if someone missed the first meeting. It isn’t too late to join,” Jenny Alvarez, the FCCLA president says. “For someone who isn't sure of joining, I would tell them that it is a fun experience and you get to do so many fun things and not just sit or come to meetings.” Mrs. Miller, the teacher in charge of FCCLA, says, “This year we have 20 members signed up. That is a little lower than last year, but people are still coming to join.”
   This school year, the club hopes to do more community service than before. During the meeting, Julie Moeckli, the vice president, shared some of her ideas to help the community. She brought up reading to kids at the children’s hospital and volunteering at the local food pantry. Like Mrs. Miller said, “FCCLA helps students connect with their peers and help out their community,” That is what FCCLA intends on doing this year!   -by Paige Adams

   The New Haven cross country team ran in Linn this past weekend on September 9th, which proved to be a strenuous journey. The boys’ varsity team finished 6th, while the girls’ varsity team finished 7th, and the boys’ junior varsity team finished 6th. Mr. Tucker isn’t too concerned how the teams are doing with placing yet; he just wants to see where every runner is and what to work on.
   The boys’ varsity race was a hard race, but the times were still good for the course that they ran, which was quite hilly. Nathan Ford was the first runner for the varsity team. Behind Nathan were Dylan Goodwin, Dominick Pataky, Keven McDowell, Jon Stone, and Ryan Blankenship, in that order. Jon Stone made a good point by saying, “Even if you aren’t running that fast, you’re still running faster than the people on the couch.”
   The girls’ varsity team ran 5 girls, which just makes up a team. The top runner for the girls was Abby Grater, and behind her was Emily Lewis, Lucy Roth, Hannah Kruse, and Natalie Hoerstkamp. Abby Grater and Natalie Hoerstkamp are both new runners for the girls’ team.
The boys’ junior varsity team had 5 runners. The first finisher was Riley Otten; behind Riley was Drew Armfield, Alex Madden, Bubba(Damion) Gale, and Robbie Cichon.
   The next meet for the New Haven Cross Country team is in Steeleville, which is a flat course, with only one hill. The varsity boys placed second as a team last year, and plan to do the same this year. “I’m excited to see how we run in Steeleville because it’s an easy course, and it’s a small meet,” said Mr. Tucker. The cross country team runs in Steeleville on September 18th.   -by Alex Madden

   New Haven High School always has a wide variety of sports to choose from.  From boys and girls basketball to cross country and track, student participation is one of the things that make this school unique.  Volleyball and Softball are already underway, and now it’s that time of year when we start hearing the “GO! FIGHT! WIN!” cheers in the cafeteria after school.  Cheerleading Tryouts were held on Friday, August 22nd, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
   A number of ladies tried out for the squad -- ages ranging from freshmen all the way up to seniors--and even a couple foreign exchange students. As a rule, there can only be twelve cheerleaders on the squad each year; however, this limitation does not cap the interest there is to get a spot on the varsity cheer squad.  
   More interest convinced Mrs. Englebrecht and Mrs. Munsinger to have another set of tryouts on Friday, September 5th from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
   This opportunity gave those ladies who were not able to make it to the first tryout a second chance to jump in and be a part of the Shamrock tradition.
   The 2014-2015 Varsity Shamrock Cheerleaders are as follows: returning seniors Karissa Durbin and Jenny Gallardo, juniors Jenny Alvarez and Stephanie Russo, and sophomore Emily Lewis.  The new cheerleaders are senior Luna Tomasi; juniors Sharon Brewster, Nele Granse and Emily Moreno; sophomores Alexia Nixon and Zoie Mathis.
   Sharon Brewster and Alexia Nixon, who are both new cheerleaders this year, said they were ecstatic for the upcoming cheer season.
   Sharon commented, “I think it’s a great way to meet new people and make new friends!”
   Jenny Gallardo, returning senior, commented, “I just love cheerleading all around! I love the experience and the adrenaline when our team is winning, and I love cheering for our school.”
   Karissa Durbin, also a returning senior, commented, “These ladies that I cheer with aren’t just my fellow cheerleaders, we’re all a family. I can’t wait for this season to get started even though it’s my last one.”
   Congratulations ladies!  Let’s keep our Shamrock tradition going!   -by Karissa Durbin

   On September 17, 2014, the New Haven High School held a parent informational meeting for its cheerleaders. This year, there is a total of twelve cheerleaders, two of which are foreign exchange students. Luna is from Italy, and Nele is from Germany.  
   During the meeting, the coaches, Mrs. Engelbrecht and Mrs. Munsinger, discussed many aspects of being a cheerleader. First, they went over the uniforms and shoes. They said that the uniform alone was three hundred dollars! But, they mentioned that they had many fundraising ideas to help pay for the uniforms. Second, they went over general rules, such as behaving at games, being on time, and always setting a good example for the school. Lastly, they told the cheerleaders to have fun cheering and to always keep the school spirit up.
   When Luna, a foreign exchange student from Italy, was asked what she thought cheerleading would be like, she stated, “I think cheerleading will be fun, exciting, and difficult, but I am excited to work with and know more about the other cheerleaders.” When asked why she chose to do it, she said, “Well, we don’t have cheerleading in Italy, so its very uncommon for us. I thought it would be fun to experience what it would be like to be a cheerleader.”
   In conclusion, the cheerleaders learned about what’s expected from them and are ready to start a cheerleading season.   -by Jennifer Alvarez

   The Steeleville cross country course proved to be an easy run for the New Haven cross country team. It was a flat course, located in the park of Steeleville. The varsity boys continued the tradition and got second as a team. The junior varsity team finished in third place, losing to Sullivan and Pacific. The Varsity girls finished third as a team.
   The varsity boys top 5 runners all medaled. The runners who medaled were Nathan Ford, Dominick Pataky, Keven McDowell, Cole Lensing, and Ryan Blankenship.
   The junior varsity boys also had the top 5 runners medal. Those runners include Riley Otten, Alex Majors, Drew Armfield, Alex Madden, and Bubba Gale.  The varsity girls had 3 runners medal, which include Abby Grater, Emily Lewis, and Lucy Roth.
   Mr. Tucker was really excited with the results from this meet. He said, “This was our best meet so far, SO FAR.” He was sure to emphasize “so far” because he plans on the cross country team getting even better. He was also sure to mention,”Jefferson Barracks is not an easy race. It has a lot of hills and is one of the hardest courses we will run on.” Jefferson Barracks will be held on September 27th, a Saturday.   -by Alex Madden

 The New Haven Marching Shamrocks are back at it. Marching season has began once again! The students have had countless hours of morning rehearsal and sectionals. This past Friday, they proved that they are ready. Who agrees? Does their band director, Mrs. Koch, think they are? Keven McDowell, the drum major who is in charge of leading the band into the paths of competition, says “The song is there, and most of the sections are ready.” To prove that they are ready for the Sullivan competition, the band had their annual preview parade through town.
   Mrs. Koch believes that there is still room for improvement before their first competition Saturday, September 27th, in Sullivan. “There were never any perfect moments from any aspect Friday; therefore, we will continue to work on all concepts in which we will be judged, including marching alignment, individual marching technique, music, and overall confidence in our performance,” she commented. They will leave early that morning to make that performance, then hurry back to play in the Balloon Festival.
   This year the band is playing Any Way You Want It by Journey. Each year, Mrs. Koch gives the musicians the choices of music they can play the following year. Originally, the band was going to play two songs, the other being Forget You by Cee Lo Green. She decided on not playing this song because of all the new band members they acquired this year.
   The marching band goes to four competitions each year. This year, they are only going to participate in three. Mizzou Homecoming is the competition they will not be competing in since the band attended Mizzou Band Day. At each competition, they play their songs while they march and get judged by different judges. Each judge will give them a score, and they get compared to the other bands in their class. After each band has performed, the drum majors from each band all wait to receive the awards their band has won.
   The band gets judged on many elements at competitions. There are seven types of judges. Two are judging the music: music overall and music general effect. Two others are for marching: marching alignment and marching general effect. The last three types of judges are for the auxiliary, drumline, and drum major. For each category, there is a trophy for the top three bands in each class.
   New Haven Marching Shamrocks are planning on having a very successful season. Even though there are so many new members, they think they can make the season one filled with many first place trophies.   -by Abby Perdue

   Shouldn’t every student receive a chromebook? The choice of whether they should be used or not is up to the school, and each side of the argument has merit. Each school decides what grades get to use the laptops and to what extent that they can be used. Most schools limit the usage of the laptops outside of school to juniors and seniors due to the required amount of trust and responsibility.

This is being used to help schools teach students about the modern world and the technology that has advanced (Wagner 2008). Multiple tests were carried out and are still being carried out as to whether giving each student a laptop to take home is worth the risks and costs. Most of the tests show multiple reasons to implement the One to One Initiative. Some schools have either rejected the use or stopped using the initiative because they claimed there was insignificant evidence of raised achievement scores.
   According to some of the studies taken, the biggest area of improvement has been with writing skills. These same studies also conclude that the more a student uses a laptop, the better their writing skills become (Bebell & Kay, 2010; Gulek & Demirtas, 2005). Another study (Suhr, Hernandez, Grimes, & Warschauer, 2010) showed that students that had access to a laptop and used it outperformed other students that didn’t have laptops. Studies also show that there have been increases on test scores with science classes but not math classes. The use of a laptop, depending on how long it has been used, will increase a student’s GPA, the longer the use the higher the GPA. The use of a laptop also has the benefit of helping students with their technological skills.
   The use of the One to One Initiative has also been shown to improve what students think of school and how they behave (these improvements include participation in class, attendance, behavior, motivation, and teacher practices). Tests conducted with 44 Texas middle schools showed that students that attended the one-to-one schools were more satisfied with school and were sent to the office less than students that didn’t attend a one-to-one school.
   The students aren't the only ones changing due to the new initiative. The teachers at schools that implement the one-to-one initiative have been seen to do more group and individual work with their students. Teachers have also been better able to collaborate with each other (Burns & Polman, 2006).
   Most of the schools that use the one-to-one initiative have seen improvements but not all. Some schools don’t use the initiative due to budget cuts and having seen no improvements in their schools. The only way to see if each school is willing to pay for chromebooks for each student is to ask the administrators
   Interviews done with Kyle Kruse (superintendent of New Haven High School) and Nate Offard (student) provide some insight as to what people think of the situation. Mr. Kruse said that the use of chromebooks would help New Haven Schools by allowing students to take tests online, which would help improve scores, technology aptitude, and career advancement. He said that chromebooks would make education, ”quicker, faster, better, and more fulfilling.” He also explained that technology would become more advanced and more involved with education.
   Nate Offard believed that chromebooks aren’t yet used fully by the students that have the chance to use them for school work. He also believed that technology may replace books and paper altogether in the future.
   New Haven High School and Middle School are being very trusting by giving every student (that is willing to pay a fee) a chromebook to use at school and at home. There are a set of rules which applies to every student. These rules are in place to keep students from accessing content that could be harmful to the school’s network. The program Hapara is used by the school to monitor what the students are doing on their chromebooks, and it allows the teachers a different level of interaction with their students.
   There are two different ways a student can use a chromebook. One of these ways (the most commonly used) is for students to pay a 20 dollar fee at the beginning of each year for the privilege of taking the chromebook home. The other way a student can use a chromebook is for them to rent one, from whoever manages them at the school, every day one is required for their classes. Just like any other laptop, a chromebook has a battery and charging station. The charging stations are in place for students to charge their chromebooks before school or another time if it is convenient and allowed.
   How the chromebooks are used in class is up to each teacher. Some teachers use them for similar purposes. These can include researching a paper or finding out how to do something. Another use would be to communicate with the teachers and other students through programs that the students are allowed to use. These features allows students to work outside of school and in groups while in school. This helps students learn how to work with others better, improving their chances of having a successful or easier life once they get out of high school.
   What all of this information tells us is that the world of education is changing and always will be. How it will change will only be known in the future. -by Josh Thurman

   The New Haven Shamrock Varsity Volleyball team participated in the SEMO Dig for Life volleyball tournament in Cape Girardeau, MO. The tournament consisted of 48 teams and ran for two days.
   New Haven started off the tournament with pool play, playing teams such as Poplar Bluff, Advance, and Bell City. The Shamrocks won against Poplar Bluff, 25-17, 25-19. Against Advance, the Shamrocks had another victory, winning 25-20, 25-18.
   The next morning, the Shamrocks played their last pool play game against the Bell City Cubs. The game ended in a two-set win for the Shamrocks, consequently earning them a spot in the highest bracket possible, the Gold Bracket. Here the Shamrocks had their first match against Cape Notre Dame, the reigning champions of the 2013 Dig for Life tournament and also the home team in the tournament. In this match, New Haven lost in two sets to the Lady Bulldogs, 13-25, 21-25.
   Although the Shamrocks lost their first game of bracket play, they had an opportunity to still win Gold Consolation. Consequently, New Haven played Clearwater, who had lost to Jefferson in their previous game. New Haven beat Clearwater in just two sets, advancing to play in the Gold Consolation semi-final game against Eminence. During their run against Eminence, the Shamrocks were thrown some curveballs. Outside hitter Kayla Borcherding and middle blocker Lauren Bergner both battled ankle injuries; not to mention, outside hitter Katie Peirick went out with a knee injury earlier in the tournament, and right side hitter Beth Schenck missed the tournament with a concussion. All in all, the Shamrocks persevered, beating Eminence in three sets.
   The final match for New Haven was against Bernie. In the match, the first set went to Bernie, 17-25. The Shamrocks did not give up, though. The Shamrocks took control, winning the second set, 25-20. With a split game, the Shamrocks had to go into a third set. When asked about her thoughts going into the third set, setter Erin Scheer stated, “I knew if we all came together as a team, we could definitely get the job done. We had beat them one set already, and I never doubted our abilities. I also really wanted to win for Katie and Beth. We worked hard all weekend, and we really wanted it.”
   Coach Jaime Hoener stated, “I thought we had a very good weekend at SEMO; the girls played hard and didn’t give up even in the close three set matches.”
   In the end, the Shamrocks came out on top, winning the Gold Consolation title, 25-22. Overall, The Shamrocks ended the weekend with a record of 11-4-1.   -by Lauren Bergner

   Recently, the New Haven JV volleyball team participated in the Pacific JV volleyball tournament. Not only did they participate, they won the championship game and took home first place! They started off the day with a win against Union in two sets. They continued their good game play and won another game against Pacific, also in two sets, ending pool play. The tournament was held at the Pacific High School.
   Mr. Carey, the JV head coach, was with the varsity volleyball team at SEMO helping Mrs. Hoener. Ms. Bailey and Coach Speckhals took over and coached the team. Our managers helped out Ms. Bailey and Coach Speckhals. Colter Wilson was the full-time line judge. Julie Moeckli kept records in the score book. When asked how the girls played, Ms. Bailey responded with, “I thought the girls played phenomenal. I loved how they played together and worked as team.”
   Emma Engelbrecht got an awesome slide in the championship game. Emma said, “It felt great! It was the best feeling in the world! Bracket play began with a game against Sullivan. After New Haven won their game against Sullivan, they moved on to play St. Clair in the championship game for first place. There were two games going on in one gym at the same time. The gym was loud and bursting with excitement for the championship game while the third place game was going on on the other side of the gym. Winning in two sets, New Haven took first, bringing home yet another first place plaque. This is the third year in a row that New Haven took first in the Pacific JV volleyball tournament.   -by Kathleen Jasper

   After a Gold Consolation title under their belts at SEMO’s Dig for LIfe Challenge, the Shamrocks had to be ready for the reigning 2013 Class 3 state volleyball champions, the St. Francis Borgia Knights. Not only was the volleyball match going to consist of stiff competition, but the cheering sections were going to be just as competitive.
Both teams had some downfalls going into the match, though. Borgia’s leading outside hitter, Audrey Arand, was out for the game with a wrist injury; whereas, New Haven’s starting outside hitter, Katie Peirick, was out with a knee injury. Both injuries happened at weekend tournaments.
   In the first set, New Haven and Borgia were neck and neck the whole match. On and off, one would lead, but not for very long. Back and forth, both teams were playing aggressively, putting the other’s defense to the test. Borgia ended up taking the first set, 25-23. Although the Shamrocks lost the first set, they kept their composure. In the second set, New Haven served aggressively and made strategic decisions, contributing to their second set win, 25-13.
   With the captains called for the the third set coin toss, both teams were on edge. The fans were pumped up, and adrenaline was in the air. New Haven fought a long, hard battle with the Borgia Knights, but ended up losing the match, 25-18. When asked on her thoughts about the game, setter Kenzy Vedder stated, “We went out there and played our hearts out; it showed too. We played as a team, and it was super fun!”
   Also, middle blocker Taylor Covington added, "Going into the Borgia game was very nerve-racking. I was so nervous that I prayed multiple times before the game! As the game began to roll on, our team got even more and more excited after every point, and even when we lost the first set, we were still pumped and ready to go for the second set. The second set was the most exciting set of the night. Kenzy got her AMAZING pancake, we were serving aggressive, and our kills were domination.      When we won that set, I truly felt that we were going to bring that same intensity to the third. Maybe we were tired, or maybe we just got down on ourselves, but losing that game I believe triggered something in all of us. We don't want to lose to any team.”
   Although the Shamrocks didn’t pull out the win, they didn’t go out without a fight. The Shamrocks are now 11-4-2.   
-by Lauren Bergner

   Tuesday, September 16th, the Pacific Indians visited the Shamrocks Softball Team for a 4:30 game on Lions Field in New Haven. The Shamrocks had perfect weather and a large turnout for the Flood the Field game. Pitcher Emily Scheer hurled one of her better games of the season; however, she did give up one out-of-the-park home run. The Shamrocks gave up 10 runs and did not score any to lose the game in the fifth inning, due to Mercy Rule.
   The Shamrocks struggled with hitting the ball. Niki Zietzmann would be the only Shamrock to get on base, due to getting hit by the ball in the fourth inning.
   “I thought we could've played a lot better. We weren't very aggressive when we went up to bat. We also made too many errors. I hope we can improve with our next game,” remarked New Haven softball player Abby Perdue.
   The Indians played a tight defense, stopping any ball that was hit in the infield. “Tonight we struggled with hitting the ball. We gave up too many errors. This was a team we could have easily played with,” said head Coach Tim Scheer.
   The Shamrocks will play a 4:30 home game Thursday night against the St. Clair Bulldogs and again Saturday in the rescheduled Owensville Tournament.   -by Molly Munsinger

   At the New Haven “Short Course” Invitational, the varsity boys’ team finished eighth as a team, with 171 points, behind Union by 10 points, and ahead of Belle by 29 points. The boys’ top runner was Dylan Goodwin, with a time of 13:30.45, finishing 25th. Keven McDowell came in behind Dylan by 8 seconds, finishing with a time of 13:38.43, in 30th. The runners that came in behind Keven and Dylan include Jon Stone, who finished in 33rd, with a time of 13:46.73. After Jon was Cole Lensing, who was sure to say, “We need to bury our competition.” He finished with a time of 14:26.76. Drew Armfield came in with a time of 15:03.88. Alex Madden was the last finisher for the boys varsity team with a time of 15:54.91.
   The junior varsity boys finished in 3rd with 80 points. Nathan Ford finished in 1st place with a time of 13:02.52. Ryan Blankenship finished in 9th, with a time of 13:49.37. Kyle Brumels finished in 21st with a time of 14:28.58. Riley Otten finished in 29th with a time of 14:51.33. Damien(Bubba) Gale finished with a time of 15:35.05, and Robbie Cichon with a time of 18:00.05.
   There were only 2 girl runners for the girls varsity team, so they couldn’t place as a team. The 2 runners were Hannah Kruse, who finished in 39th with a time of 17:02.02, and Natalie Hoerstkamp, with a time of 20:47.68.   Mr. Tucker said, “I just wanted to see how everyone runs and competes at this meet; it’s basically a practice meet to see where you are at.” He was also excited to see how everyone was going to run in Linn next week, which has always been a brutal course. 
-by Alex Madden

  Not only is the New Haven High School getting new things like air conditioning and chromebooks, but they are also getting new teachers such as Mrs. Strickland and Mr. Gortney. What some students may not know is that we are also getting a new cheerleading coach, Mrs. Munsinger.
   Mrs. Munsinger graduated from New Haven High School in 1987. During her high school years, she played the trumpet in the marching band, played volleyball and softball, and was a cheerleader. She attended East Central College and Missouri Baptist University. She has an associate of arts degree in Early Childhood and Family Development. She has two daughters; Molly is a senior, and Makenzie is in eighth grade. Mrs. Munsinger and her husband will be celebrating their 20th anniversary on October 8, 2014. During her free time she enjoys shopping, camping, and spending with her family.
   When asked about why she choose to become cheer coach, Mrs. Munsinger commented, “Well I know LuAnn wasn’t going to do it alone, and Mr. Hoener came up to me and asked me if I would be able to do it, being as I was a cheerleader in high school. I also enjoy the school spirit.”
   When asked what she was looking forward to, she said, “ I am looking forward to meeting the girls and working with each and every one of them. I also look forward to working with LuAnn because I know that we will be able to learn different techniques from each other.”
   In conclusion, Mrs. Munsinger is looking forward to being a cheerleading coach for the first time, so she can keep up the school spirit.    -by Jennifer Alvarez

 It was an early and exciting Saturday morning for the New Haven High School Marching Shamrocks. The Marching Shamrocks left the high school at 7:55 A.M. After a fun bus ride to Columbia, they arrived at the Mizzou campus at 9:35 A.M. Not only was it an interesting morning, it was also a fun-filled day. Along with the New Haven marching band, there were 24 other bands. Some bands were from Bourbon, Blair Oaks, New Bloomfield, and the Missouri Military Academy. With all of these bands, there were 1,400 students total.
   During halftime of the Mizzou vs. South Dakota State football game, all of the bands took the field to perform the halftime show and played “Marry You” by Bruno Mars with the Mizzou marching band. The flags and color guard were positioned in the back. In front of the flags was the drumline, then the Mizzou marching band. In front of Marching Mizzou were the poms and baton twirlers. To the left of Marching Mizzou were all of the brass and woodwinds.
   The New Haven colorguard got to rehearse with the Mizzou color guard for an hour. There was a mix up with the New Haven Shamrockettes; they did not have a routine made for them. While every other part of the band was practicing, the Shamrockettes were trying to make up something to perform. Before the game started, the Shamrockettes managed to come up with a routine.
   The majority of the band members agreed that this event should have been planned a little bit better. The Mizzou members were altering the schedule of the day and the placement of the schools during that day. All of the Shamrockettes unanimously agreed that they should have been given a routine to do during the halftime show. They are hoping to get that figured out and ready to go for next time!
   Mrs. Koch said, “We will do Mizzou Band Day every four years. We are a parade band, not a field band. It is a good experience, but not a competition where we get judged.”
   This game was on opening day for Mizzou. There were 60,589 people present watching the game and supporting the team. After every touchdown the Mizzou football team scored, they shot fireworks off, and the fans went wild. After a long day, it ended up being successful with Mizzou winning the game 38-18 against South Dakota State University. While it was successful for Mizzou, it was also successful for the New Haven Marching Band. This was the first year New Haven went to Mizzou Band Day. New Haven performed well on the field with Marching Mizzou and the other bands. -by Kathleen Jasper

   As college graduate, teacher’s aid, and an assistant volleyball coach, she is a newbie, but she’s already taking on responsibility. Ashleigh Bailey is a new teacher aid in our school. She is working in the Special Education room with Ms. Allen. Ms. Bailey was interviewed and revealed a little bit more about her life before she came back to New Haven to teach. Ms. Bailey went to high school here at New Haven, was on the varsity volleyball team that went to state in 2005, and graduated in 2007. As soon as she got her college degrees, she came right back! Ms. Bailey was asked how much has changed since she went to school here. “Not much has changed, what are there four new teachers? The chromebooks are new. When I walk down the halls, I see a lot of similarities,” she said.
   The next question that was asked is where she went to college and what her degrees are in. Ms. Bailey replied, “I went to East Central, and I got my degrees in general education and in skin therapy.”
   Many of the teachers come back to New Haven to teach, and so did she. When she was asked why, she answered, “I’ve always wanted to come back to New Haven because when you go to school here, you have a bond that makes you want to come back, and I’ve always wanted to help coach volleyball. It just worked out.”
   “I look forward to learning new things. Everyday is different, which pushes me out of my comfort zone to make me work even more.” Bailey is not doing all of her work without help. “Ms. Allen has been very helpful by easing obstacles that I will encounter. She has been very calm and informative about my new position.”
   Volleyball is another way she is a part of this school. She was asked if she liked coaching and if she remembers the feeling of winning state.“Yes, I absolutely enjoy volunteering! I do it for the tradition of New Haven and for my love of volleyball.The girls this year have a chance to do something great, and I am happy to be a part of it.” When asked about the feeling of winning state, she said, “The feeling is indescribable. It’s something we worked so hard for and we accomplished it. Winning state was something we worked toward our whole lives.” As the new school year is beginning, Ms. Bailey is able to share her love of volleyball by coaching and her love of New Haven by being back in the halls where she spent her high school years.
 -by Abby Perdue

  The Lady Rocks faced the Sullivan Eagles on Tuesday, September 9. The game started out with the sound of deep thunder in the background, but the game continued until the top of the third inning when the umpire saw lightning and called a thirty minute delay. Both teams and most spectators gathered under the pavilion behind the field. After thirty minutes, the umpires called the teams back onto the field, and the game continued. At this point, Sullivan led by one with a score of 3-2.
   The weather held strong until the bottom of the third, when all spectators and players resumed their positions under the pavilion. Lightning was spotted three times, pushing the time farther and farther back. Coaches thought of rescheduling after 45 minutes of waiting, but umpires decided after all to resume the game after not spotting lightning again.
   Sarah Mckernan had started the game off at pitcher but was replaced after the fifth inning by relief pitcher, Emily Scheer. Batting wise, Molly Munsinger had a strong hit to center, which was caught, unfortunately. Carlie Steinbeck nailed a line drive, bringing in Nicki Zeitzmann. She managed two other great hits, letting Nicki score again, as well as herself, on a throwing error. Nicki was complimented on her running, to which she responded, “I’m just happy I could help put something on the scoreboard for my team.” Tenille Duessler made a double play by catching one long fly ball and throwing to third for an out.
   There were plenty of good plays performed by New Haven’s Softball team, but the Sullivan Eagles’ great hits and teamwork brought the score to 13-3 in Sullivan’s favor at the end of the sixth inning.   -by Tenille Duessler

   New Haven High has been getting air conditioning installed over the summer. Even though it was started this summer, the construction has not been completed. Mr. Hoener was interviewed about the installation of the air conditioning, where the funding came from, and what were the goals of the air conditioning. Some students were also asked a few questions about how they feel about the school turning cool. The first rooms that got the units installed where the ones with window units from before. He said that the installers worked inside until the last week of July and got as far as the classrooms look now. A student from every class was questioned on how they feel about the air conditioning. When Blake Gale (Freshman) was asked what he likes about the A/C, he said, “It’s cool.” He also said that he likes everything about it. Noah Addison (Sophomore) and Mackenzy Vedder (Senior) both had the same idea about what they don’t like about it. They said that they didn’t like that it’s not installed in every room yet. Emma Borcherding (Junior) and Noah Addison (Sophomore) also agreed that Mr. Prussener’s room is one of the warmest during the day. “The Library, that’s the only one I bring a jacket to,” Makenzy said after she’d been asked which of the rooms is the coldest. She also enjoys being able to bring a jacket, but she doesn’t like that there are other teachers using the library during her study hall due to the teachers’ classroom being too hot. Some of the students are enjoying this new transition, while others are hoping for it to be done sooner. Mr. Hoener would like to achieve a main goal. The air conditioning will make learning easier. When all four of these students were asked, they all said the same thing, “Yes.” This goal has already been met. Once the rest of the units are in, the whole school will be cool and ready to focus on learning in a more comfortable temperature. -by Abby Perdue

   Even 4,977 miles away from New Haven, Clare Roth is showing the Shamrock tradition of excellence. Clare is spending a year in Vienna, Austria, embarking on many adventures in the foreign nation. She stepped out of her own comfort zone to see what the world outside of this small town has to offer.
   Just imagine taking ina new culture in a completely different country with only a basic knowledge of the language. Luckily for Clare, she spent two weeks attending language camp to help her grasp German. Although German is difficult to master, she is improving every day. Her host family and classmates speak a mixture of German and English to help her with conversational skills. Clare’s host grandmother even comes over every Sunday to help her learn the rules of the language. Clare states in her blog that when she ventures out into the city and tries to speak German, she has some trouble, so the natives will automatically speak English with her.
   School is a whole new adventure in itself! Clare explains in her blog that her first week of school wasn’t as bad as she had pictured it to be. She is attending a small Catholic school named Friegasse. The class sizes are similar to those at New Haven High. While New Haven started school on August 18th, Clare started on September 1st. She plans to play volleyball, take a dance class, and join a running team. Clare said that she is going to miss basketball games, cross country, her friends, family, and even teachers!
   Lucy and Mrs. Roth were asked what they miss the most about their sister and daughter. Lucy and Mrs. Roth both say they miss Clare’s voice; the house is much quieter without her presence. On the other hand, Mrs. Roth doesn’t miss dirty towels on Clare’s bedroom floor. Lucy also says she misses eating broccoli with candles lit and doing homework with her sister. Clare shared the ways of communication to home, “I talk to my family sporadically throughout the week via text, email, and Facebook chat, and I Skype or FaceTime them once a week, usually on Sunday night.” Thankfully, technology has made the distance more bearable.
   Clare stated, “I love how I can go from the truly stunning, bustling cities of Vienna to the equally stunning, quiet villages in the mountains.” She has gone from a town with a population of 2,089 people to a city with a population of 1.731 million! Clare commented on this, “There are so many people with different ethnicities all over the city. This means I have an enormous array of food from all over the world at my fingertips.”
   Without Clare’s knowledge, a few of her friends were asked to send a message to their international friend. Clare also had a brief message to her friends at home, “I miss you all at school and hope things are going well for you!” In conclusion, Clare is enjoying her time 4,977 miles from home, but New Haven misses her smile in the halls and community. From what Clare describes, she is continuing to grow and learn more in Vienna. What a lucky city to be hosting New Haven’s very own Shamrock! To find out more about Clare’s marvelous adventures, click below read it from her point of view: https://clarerye6060.wordpress.com/ -by Paige Adams

   On September 5, 2014, the New Haven High School had its annual swimming intramurals. The students used this as a way to relax and get away from their classrooms, while encouraging their classmates as they competed. Even though some students can’t swim well, they still compete for the fun of it and for the spirit points they earn for their class. When students were asked what they thought about the intramurals, they said that they enjoyed getting out of class. Senior Karissa Durbin commented, “It’s a hot day, but I will enjoy jumping in as a class.”` Senior Hannah Pruessner said, “ I will miss my friends and seeing the younger classmates in the school. When asked, freshman Michelle Bahena stated,”This is exactly what I expected, especially the competitiveness.”
   When asked if he had a good first experience coaching the intramurals, Coach Pierick commented, “It went pretty good. I appreciate the timers who were willing to help, and there is nothing I like the most due to the fact it was all great. I already had an idea of what to do from watching Coach Steinhoff do it last year.” Even though Coach Pierick went from shop teacher to P.E. coach , he said, “ I enjoy being a P.E coach because I like being active and being outside with my class.”
   Some of the events that occurred at the swimming intramurals included the 50 girls’ freestyle,won by freshman Lauren Gerlemann; the 50 boys’ freestyle,won by junior, Matthew Clines; the 50 girls backstroke, won by senior Hannah Pruessner; the boys 50 backstroke,won by senior Kyle Ruediger; the 4 by 50 free style girls relay, won by the seniors; and the boys relay, won by the freshman. Overall, results were as follows: first place,seniors with fifty-two points; in second place, freshman with thirty-eight points; in third place, juniors with thirty points; and in fourth place, sophomores with twenty-nine points. Even though it was a hot day to be outside, everyone had a splash by the pool. -by Jenny Alvarez

   New Haven High School has added three foreign exchange students to the school roster for the year. To welcome them to school, let’s meet the three new students..
   Kashaf Iqbal is from Sialkot, Pakistan, and providence Punjab. Kashaf will be staying with the Adams family and coming to school with Paige Adams. When asked about New Haven High School, she said it is very different than her school in Pakistan, but she likes it so far. She says the hardest thing is the homework assignments. Kashaf also misses her friends and teachers at her old school, though she has particularly liked Mrs.Hausmann’s classes. When talking about tests like the ACT, she stated that they have something in tenth grade that if one scores well, he/she may be able to get a scholarship or even half off all college fees. When talking about student life in New Haven, Kashaf has noticed the unique athletic style and says she doesn't think of it as weird, just different. Thanks to the Adams family, she has also been able to find a new favorite food: lasagna with zucchini. And lastly, when Kashef was asked why she chose to come to America as a foreign exchange student, she said she wanted to share her culture and to learn more about America.
   Luna Tomasi is from Trento, Italy. Luna will be staying all school year with the Patakys and coming to school with Dominick Pataky. When Luna was asked about how she likes New Haven High School, she said that she has really enjoyed the block-schedule with four classes a day. Something very similar to the ACT is in her school and is provided at the end of 5 years in high school for her state. She says that understanding the language can be really difficult at times. What she misses the most is her friends back home and having her phone by her. The Subway in town may make it easier, though. Luna loves Subway food and may consider it her favorite. Her favorite teacher is Mr. Tucker because she thinks he is funny and she understands the rules of his classroom. Something else she finds funny is the style of New Havens students. When asked about if it was weird, all she had to say was: “YES!” Lastly, for Luna, her decision to come to America as a foreign exchange student was mostly based on the fact that everyone in Italy loves America and also she was ready for the experience.
   Nele Granse is from Hamburg, Germany. Nele will be staying the school year with the Nixon family and attending school with Lindsay Nixon. When asked about school in New Haven, Nele said it is a very nice school with friendly people, though the rules are strict. The ACT, she thinks, sounds very similar to exams at the end of the year but not close to anything else. Another thing that is different is the clothes she says we wear. “We don't wear sport clothes in school,” says Nele. Speaking of Nele’s school in Germany, she says the hardest thing is not having her phone in school, as well as no breaks! Things that make life easier for her here would be frozen custard and Mrs.Hausmann’s nice smile, though English class is difficult. And finally, Nele’s reason for coming to America is because she wanted to experience our school spirit and togetherness as a school since it isn’t quite like that at her school. She loves the supportive teams and our culture. These are the new students of New Haven High from countries around the world. They are here in the area and are getting uses to their surroundings. Lets make sure they get a warm welcome from the people of New Haven. -by Tenille Duessler