For as long as I can remember Gillispie has been covering news in Baldwin City, from sporting events to feature stories of kids accomplishing their dreams.

So what will happen to Baldwin news and the Signal? Well, a whole lot less of writing that Baldwin citizens find relevant and interesting to their lives. It was rare to not see Jimmy at a game, even attending multiple sporting events in one day. He even often made Facebook and Twitter posts giving updates on how BHS and Baker sports teams were doing. Without Gillispie, Signal readers will not being seeing those frequent updates or stories covering last night’s games or events.

In addition to covering sporting events, Gillispie also covered more unique feature stories about BHS students and citizens in Baldwin City. Gillispie took the time to sit down with those kids and try to understand what is was that they did with their animal, their 4-H group, their church group. Whatever it was unique that they did, Gillispie tried to cover it and share it with the rest of Baldwin. But now with one reporter trying to write for several different area papers, there will not be time to sit down and cover those feature stories. In fact, if you get on the Baldwin City Signal website now, you’ll find articles covering Basehor-Linwood. Not that we are self absorbed citizens and do not want to know what is going on around us but we all subscribe and log on to the Signal to read about Baldwin news specifically.

Another applause goes to Gillispie for his photography. If there was an article Gillispie wrote more often than not you could find a photo with it. And not just any photo, a high quality photo that epitomized photojournalism at its best. Shooting the teams as they leap off the bench, an end-zone dance, an intense debater, you could already know what the story was about without even reading the article. If you check out the recent article covering the BHS boys basketball game against Perry-Lecompton, the photo is less than desirable, it is hard to tell who the player even is because it is so pixilated.

Aside from reporting and his duties at the Signal, students loved to see Gillispie at the events. Many often posed for candid shots or yelled “JIMMY” as he walked down the sideline.

Also, if you notice the paper has barely been 5 pages thick the past few weeks. They need more writers, not less. If they’re not careful they won’t have any reason to print the paper because citizens will quit subscribing. The Signal will suffer because of their choice to cut Jimmy Gillispie.

The annual Super Bowl is a rematch of Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Just like in previous years, Baldwin High School staff and students are indecisive on who they think will win.

“I’m probably going to be cheering for the Patriots,” junior Carter Sudja said. “It’s not that I don’t like the Giants, I just decided to pick the Patriots.”

“I want the Giants to win,” freshmen Taylor Jones said. “They just seem like a really good team so I think they should win.”

Some people don’t judge who should win on how good they are but how good looking the quarter back is.

“Whatever team Tom Brady is on,” counselor Natalie Schmidt-Konkel said. “He is better looking than Eli Manning.”

Then there are the viewers who really do not mind who win they just like watching the game.

“I like watching the games but I also like the commercials,” senior Hunter Burkhart said. “It’s a perk to the game so you don’t get bored if the game is terrible.”

Super Bowl parties are also a must according to Burkhart.

“You got to have a party and the party has to have good food and drinks that’s a must,” Burkhart said. “You can’t be at home by yourself watching the game.”

Sudja plans to go to a party to enjoy the game.

“I plan to go to a party,” Sudja said. “It’s better than sitting at home by myself watching it.”

If you are one of the viewers who like the commercials more than the games you can have a party too.

“We are actually having a commercial watching party,” teacher Danielle Balsman said. “Not a game watching party.”

Kaitlyn Barnes

• Activities: Cross Country, Basketball, Track, FCA, Letterman’s Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, 4-H, and Youth Group
• Future Plans: Attend college
• Favorite Quote: “Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one that is youer than you.” ~Dr. Suess

Tyler Cawley

• Activities: Baseball, Basketball, Football, FCA, Letterman’s Club, Youth Group
• Future Plans: Attend college play basketball there, and earn and exercise science degree and become a personal trainer
• Favorite Food: Ribs

Regan LaTessa

• Activities: FCA, FCCLA, Link Leader, National Honor Society, Softball, and Student Advisory Team
• Future Plans: Attend college and become a pediatric oncologist
• Favorite Color: Blue

Caleb Gaylord:

• Activities: Basketball, Track, Letterman’s Club, Link Leader, Culinary Management Team
• Future Plans: Marry his dream wife and get a professional degree
• Favorite Sports Team: Nebraska

Abby Clem

• Activities: Band, Soccer, Cross Country, National Honor Society, FCA, FCCLA, Student Council, Harry Potter Club, Fall Play, Spring Musical, Robotics, and Real World Design Challenge.
• Future Plans: Go to a university or college and study architectural engineering and historical preservation
• Favorite Book: Pride and Prejudice

Colton Horne

• Activities: Cross Country, Wrestling, Letterman’s Club, 4-H
• Future Plans: Become a Navy engineer, not to specific yet
• Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump

Students voted for the candidates they wanted to win on Thursday, Feb. 2. The winners will be announced at halftime of the boys varsity basketball game Friday, Feb. 3.

Senior candidates are: Paris Nottingham, Louis Joslyn, Hayley Schwartz, Tosh Mihesuah, Elizabeth Sigvaldson and Alex Twombly.

Hayley Schwartz:

• Activites: Link Leader, FCA, Letterman’s Club, Tennis, and Softball
• Future Plans: Attend Kansas State University, major undecided
• Favorite Colors: Blue, and anything bright

Tosh Mihesuah

• Activities: Track and Cross Country
• Future Plans: Run Cross Country and Track at the college he attends and go into the medical field, possibly studying Physical Therapy
• Favorite Food: Chinese

Elizabeth Sigvaldson

• Activities: Link Leader, National Honor Society, Letterman’s Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Cross Country, and Track
• Future Plans: Go to college while running Cross Country or Track
• Favorite Quote: “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” ~Walt Disney

Alex Twombly

• Activities: Link Leader, Letterman’s Club, Football, Basketball, and Baseball
• Future Plans: Attend Pitt State University
• Favorite Music Artist: Drake

Louis Joslyn

• Activities: Soccer, Link Leader, National Honor Society Treasurer, Student Council President
• Future Plans: Go to college, study something in math or science and play soccer
• Favorite Sports Team: Wolverhampton Wolves

Paris Nottingham:

• Activities: National Honor Society President, Letterman’s Club, and Volleyball
• Future Plans: Attend Oklahoma State University on an Equestrian Scholarship
• Favorite Movie: Despicable Me

• DATE: Monday 12/5
• OPPONENT: Chanute
• W/L SCORE: W 44-29
• HIGHLIGHTS: Junior Kaitlin Jorgensen led the team with 13 points.
• CURRENT RECORD: 1-1

• DATE: Friday 12/2
• OPPONENT: Santa Fe Trail
• W/L SCORE: L 47-39
• HIGHLIGHTS: Sophomore Katie Jones led the team with 20 points.
• CURRENT RECORD: 0-1

• DATE: Tuesday 1/31
• OPPONENT: DeSoto
• W/L SCORE: L 41-54
• CURRENT RECORD: 10-4
• NEXT UP: Friday night, 2/3 at home

• DATE: Saturday, 1/21
• OPPONENT: Bonner Springs
• W/L SCORE: L 32-47
• HIGHLIGHTS: Sophomore Cornell Brown lead the team in scoring with 12 points.
• CURRENT RECORD: 9-3
• NEXT UP: Thursday, 1/26 at Osawatomie

• DATE: Friday, 1/20
• OPPONENT: Augusta
• W/L SCORE: 56-55
• HIGHLIGHTS: The Bulldogs lead up until half, fell behind in the third but rallied in a very intense 4th quarter to come away with the win to take them into the Championship game.
•  CURRENT RECORD: 9-2
• NEXT UP: Saturday, 1/21 against Bonner Springs in the Championship game of the BIT.

• DATE: Tuesday 1/17
• OPPONENT: Perry-Lecompton
• W/L SCORE: W 65-37
• HIGHLIGHTS: Junior Caleb Gaylord lead the team 12 points and senior Tucker Brown chipped in 9 with three 3-pointers.
• CURRENT RECORD: 8-2
• NEXT UP: Friday, 1/20 in the BIT against Augusta @ 8:30 p.m.

• DATE: Friday 1/13
• OPPONENT: Spring Hill
• W/L SCORE: L 56-58
• HIGHLIGHTS:
• CURRENT RECORD: 7-2
• NEXT UP: Tuesday, 1/17 vs. Perry-Lecompton in the BIT

• DATE: Tuesday 1/10
• OPPONENT: Ottawa
• W/L SCORE: L 33-56
• HIGHLIGHTS: Both teams were undefeated going into the matchup. Ottawa (8-0) and Baldwin (7-0).
• CURRENT RECORD: 7-1
• NEXT UP: Friday, 1/13 at Spring Hill

• DATE: Friday 1/6
• OPPONENT: Louisburg
• W/L SCORE: W 49-26
• HIGHLIGHTS: Senior Alex Twombly lead the team with 10 points.
• CURRENT RECORD: 7-0
• NEXT UP: Tuesday, 1/10 at home vs Ottawa

• DATE: Tuesday 12/13
• OPPONENT: Paola
• W/L SCORE: W 49-42
• HIGHLIGHTS: Sophomore Cornell Brown had a career-high night scoring 17 points.
• CURRENT RECORD: 5-0
• NEXT UP: Tuesday, 12/13 at Eudora

• DATE: Friday 12/9
• OPPONENT: Iola
• W/L SCORE: W 40-35
• HIGHLIGHTS: The Bulldogs were crowned the Bulldog Wildcat Classic Tournament Champions.
• CURRENT RECORD: 4-0
• NEXT UP: Tuesday 12/13 at Paola

• DATE: Tuesday 12/6
• OPPONENT: Anderson County
• W/L SCORE: W 49-34
• HIGHLIGHTS: Sophomore Cornell Brown was the only Bulldog to score in double digits with 11 points.
• CURRENT RECORD: 3-0
• NEXT UP: Friday 12/9 in the Louisburg tournament title game

• DATE: Monday 12/5
• OPPONENT: Chanute
• W/L SCORE: W 59-57, OT
• HIGHLIGHTS: Junior Tyler Cawley went 6-6 on the line for free throws. Cawley also took a charge and made both free throws to help the Bulldogs in their first round tournament overtime victory.
• CURRENT RECORD: 2-0
• NEXT UP: Tuesday 12/6 in the Louisburg Tournament against Anderson County.

• DATE: Friday 12/2
• OPPONENT: Santa Fe Trail
• W/L SCORE: W 57-44
• HIGHLIGHTS: Leading the Bulldogs in scoring was junior Caleb Gaylord with 14 points and sophomore Cornell Brown with 11
• CURRENT RECORD: 1-0
• NEXT UP: Monday 12/5 in the Louisburg Tournament against Chanute

Zuzzio was named the National Federation High School Outdoor Girls Track & Field Coach of the Year for 2011. Zuzzio was completely caught off guard when he found out he had won.

“I was totally surprised, being from a small town in Kansas I believe anyone would be totally surprised,” Zuzzio said.

Over the years Zuzzio has been involved in several different programs at Baldwin High School, one of those was the BHS football program.

“I was an assistant coach here [at BHS] for the football program from 1976 to 1985,” Zuzzio said. “We had a run of seven consecutive league titles, a state title in 1981, and we were the state runner-up in 1978.”

Another program that Zuzzio was heavily dedicated to is the BHS girls basketball program.

“I was head coach of the high school girls basketball team here for 20 years, from 1976 to 1997,” Zuzzio said. “We had nine trips to the State Tournament, 2 state titles, 1982 and 1996, and three state runner-up finishes and a fourth place finish.”

Zuzzio coached many girls throughout the 20 years he coached and one of them is BHS English teacher Bonnie Butell-Huntoon.

“We knew when we played for Coach Zuzzio that we were expected to win,” Butell-Huntoon said. “We had grown up watching the high school girls go to state in Salina and that was the dream of every young girl playing basketball.  He built a program.  He recruited girls in the hallways that seemed athletic and gave them confidence to try out for the team.  We felt like we were part of an important tradition.”

The program Zuzzio has been involved with the longest is the BHS Girls Track and Field program.

“I have been the head girls high school Track and Field coach since 1976,” Zuzzio said. “In my 35 years of coaching we have won 15 league titles, 20 regional titles, two state titles and two state runner-up finishes.”

Many coaches have worked beside Zuzzio and one that has been with him for several years is BHS Cross Country and Track and Field coach Mike Spielman.

“He is very deserving of the award,” Spielman said. “He has worked very hard and put a lot of time into our track program here.”

Zuzzio has coached many BHS track athletes and one of them is junior Sienna Durr who has also been on one of the state champion teams.

“Zuzzio is a great coach,” Durr said. “He is always making sure we are improving and performing at our best.”

Zuzzio has also been greatly involved in sports at the junior high level as well.

“I have been the head girls junior high basketball coach the past 15 years with 180 victories and 33 losses,” Zuzzio said.

He was also involved with the junior high Boys Basketball team as well.

“I was the seventh grade boys varsity basketball coach in 2002,” Zuzzio said.

Zuzzio did not stop at the junior high and high school levels, he has also been involved at Baker University as well.

“I was a Baker University football assistant coach in 1986 coaching the receivers,” Zuzzio said. “We were the National Runner-Up that year.”

Zuzzio has many great memories from all of his coaching experiences.

“Some of my favorite memories are coaching and being part of State championship teams here in football, basketball and track and field,” Zuzzio said. “I have enjoyed being a part of some dominating football teams, overtime and come from behind victories in basketball, and mile relay finishes securing state titles in track.”

Zuzzio played all three sports that he has coached when he was in high school.

“In high school I played the big three, football, basketball and track and field,” Zuzzio said. “We didn’t have baseball in school but I played through legion age in the summers.”

Zuzzio had several mentors as coaches growing up.

“My dad was my main mentor as he coached 34 years of high school sports,” Zuzzio said. “I was always with him when I was young, and had the honor of playing for him in high school. My other two high school coaches, Don Walburn and Frank Hemphill, were also instrumental to my sucess.”

Zuzzio knows that there were countless people that allowed him the honor of this award.

“I have been blessed with kids here that are willing to work and compete and coaches working with me to try to give each kid a chance for success,” Zuzzio said. “We have quality experienced coaches here that care and like competition as well, and he have great supportive parents which is another bonus of coaching here.”

Zuzzio believes that this is an award to be shared.

“This award is for all the track kids from Baldwin, all the coaches, and all of Baldwin,” Zuzzio said.

• Monday (1/30) : Inside-Out Day
• Tuesday (1/31) : Hat Day
• Wednesday (2/1): Twin Day
• Thursday (2/2) : Duct Tape Day
• Friday (2/3) : Purple Pride Day

After the blitz of anti-Gingrich ads attributed to a pro-Romney SuperPAC before the Iowa Caucus, it seemed fairly obvious to all that the primary focus of the Gingrich campaign was to see how far they could drag down Romney, ESPECIALLY after watching Newt’s smoldering post-caucus speech. If he could have breathed fire on that audience, he would have. My inside source that I just now made up also told me that Newt also carries a Mitt Romney voodoo doll and has a very detailed blueprint of how he might break into Romney’s home and kidnap all his pets.

Now, however, the story has changed. Newt’s campaign has picked up a little steam since Iowa, particularly after their win in South Carolina. As funds dwindle, Gingrich has dug in for the long winter between now and Super Tuesday, in which the Gingrich-favoring Bible Belt states will have their turn at bat.

What’s really kooky is that Gingrich now seems like he’s in-it-to-win-it.

I’m not too surprised, though. Newt is banking on his belief in the short-term memory of the American people. It is highly likely that the people will have forgotten all about Newt’s scandal in 1997 when he was assigned a $300,000 congressional sanction and over 84 ethics complaints. Or  his scandal in 1980 when he asked his wife for a divorce whilst she was in the hospital undergoing cancer treatment. Or when he made a gorgeous salary as a “historian” for Fannie May and Freddie Mac whilst still in Congress.

There you have it, Newt Gingrich is this week’s crazy candidate.

(1/30/2012) Today’s topic: Mitt Romney could buy your whole family.

After much pestering and challenges by competitors and the media, Mitt Romney released his tax returns for fiscal year 2010. The revelation: Mitt Romney is super-duper-OMG-are-you-serious-but-okay-it’s-not-really-that-surprising… rich.

Romney’s overall net worth is estimated between $190-250 million and last year paid a tax rate of 13.9 percent. Now, Mr. Romney is a businessman and he made some very businessman-like decisions as CEO of Bain Capital that made him a lot of money that may or may not have cost lots of working-class people their jobs. It’s not illegal to be rich.

However, the way Romney staff and supporters are defending the issue is a little strange: they are comparing how minuscule Romney’s wealth is to that of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson. This is true: at the time George Washington died he had wealth that, when adjusted for inflation, would make Warren Buffet’s mouth drop. However, the chink in the logic is the fact that it was GEORGE. WASHINGTON. Also, he made his entire fortune off of slave labor. The same goes for Jefferson.

There you have it, Mitt Romney is Cody’s Crazy Candidate for today.

• DATE: Saturday 1/28
• MEET: B.I.T.
• TEAM RESULT: Fifth, 125
• INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: Seniors Colton Bonner (first), Andrew Morgan (second), juniors Bryce Shoemaker (second), Jason Von Bargen (fourth) and sophomore Tucker Clark (third).
• HIGHLIGHTS: The Bulldogs put four wrestlers into the finals for the first time ever at the B.I.T.
• NEXT UP: Silver Lake Tournament, Feb. 4

• DATE: Thursday 1/26
• MEET: Piper Dual
• TEAM RESULT: Bulldogs win 52-24
• INDIVIDUAl RESULTS: 106: Jon Pratt (B) wbforfeit. 113: Ethan Bach (P) def. Ben Huntington (B), WBF. 120: Tucker Clark (B) def.Chad Irwin (P), WBF. 126: Bryce Shoemaker (B) def.Corbin Anderson (P), WBF. 132: Andrew Morgan (B) def. Jacon Morris (P), 10-0. 138: Ryan Baynes (P) def. Grayson Langham (B), WBF. 145: Bret Thorington (P) def. Dalton Mitchell (B), WBF. 152: Colton Horne (B) def. Jeff Potts (P), 9-1. 160: Jason Von Bargen (B) def. Lonnie Penney (P), 16-0. 170: Mark Harman (B) def. Brandon Fahnestock (P), 11-6. 182: Mario Garcia (B) def. Jacob Asherman (P), WBF. 195: Tiler Garcia (B) wbforfeit. 220: Colton Bonner (B) def. Dalton Murray (P), WBF. 285: Jonathon Ortiz (P) wbforfeit
• NEXT UP: B.I.T. Jan. 28

• DATE: Thursday 1/19
• MEET: Burlington Dual
• TEAM RESULT: Bulldogs win 44-27
• INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: 106: Jon Pratt (BAL) win by forfeit. 113: Ben Huntington (BAL) win by forfeit. 120: Jake Elbrader (BURL) def. Tucker Clark (BAL), 6-3. 126: Bryce Shoemaker (BAL) def. Hunter Isch (BURL), WBF. 132: Andrew Morgan (BAL) def. Kendell Jeffers (BURL), WBF. 138: Trevor Breshears (BURL) def. Grayson Langham (BAL), WBF. 145: Andrew Monge (BURL) def. Dalton Mitchell (BAL), WBF. 152: Renato Pinto (BURL) def. Colton Horne (BAL), WBF. 160: Jason Von Bargen (BAL) def. Brandon Caudell (BURL), 16-0. 170: Mark Harman (BAL) def. Joe Metzger (BURL), WBF. 182: Josh Hoch (BURL) def. Mario Garcia (BAL), WBF. 195: Tiler Garcia (BAL) def. Terry Dowd (BURL), WBF. 220: Colton Bonner (BAL) def. Tanner Taylor (BURL), OT 2-1.
• HIGHLIGHTS: All of the seniors competing won their match.
• NEXT UP: Piper Dual, Jan. 26

• DATE: Fri 1/13 & Sat 1/14
• MEET: Bobcat Classic
• TEAM RESULT: Thirteenth, 85
• INDIVIDUAL PLACERS: Senior Colton Bonner finished first for the Bulldogs. Junior Bryce Shoemaker finished second and senior Andrew Morgan finished fourth.
• HIGHLIGHTS: Shoemaker defeated two state champions on his way to make it to the finals.
• NEXT UP: Senior night/Burlington dual, Jan. 19

• DATE: Sat 1/7
• MEET: Bonner Springs Tournament
• TEAM RESULT: Second, 194.5
• INDIVIDUAL PLACERS: Placing first were senior Colton Bonner, junior Bryce Shoemaker and freshmen Tucker Clark. Second place finishers were senior Andrew Morgan,  junior Jason Von Bargen and freshmen Jon Pratt. Other placers included senior Cody Sellers (third), juniors Ethan Beeman (third), Colton Horne (fifth), freshmen Tiler Garcia (fifth) and Mario Garcia (sixth).
• HIGHLIGHTS: Bulldogs put six wrestlers in the finals to help them in their second place team finish. Tucker Clark won his first tournament of his high school career.
• NEXT UP: Bobcat Classic, Jan. 13-14

• DATE: Sat 12/17
• MEET: Ottawa Dual Tournament
• TEAM RESULTS: Third, 4-1
• INDIVIDUAL RESULTS: Going undefeated for the Bulldogs were seniors Andrew Morgan (5-0), Cody Sellers (5-0), juniors Bryce Shoemaker (5-0), Jason Von Bargen (5-0), sophomores Tucker Clark (5-0) and Grayson Langham (2-0)
• HIGHLIGHTS: Bulldogs finished third in the dual tournament falling to 5A Valley Center. Shoemaker lead the team with 30 team points (five falls) followed by Morgan with 29 team points (four falls, one tech fall)
• NEXT UP: Bonner Springs Tournament, Jan. 7

• DATE: Fri 12/9 & Sat 12/10
• MEET: Eudora Cardinal Classic (24 teams)
• TEAM RESULT: Ninth, 139.5
• INDIVIDUAL PLACERS: Seniors Colton Bonner (first), Andrew Morgan (fifth) and junior Bryce Shoemaker (second)
• HIGHLIGHTS: Bonner went 8-0 with six wins coming by fall.
• NEXT UP: Ottawa Dual Tournament, Dec. 17

• DATE: Sat 12/3
• MEET: Gardner Edgerton Trailblazer Invitational (17 teams)
• TEAM RESULT: Tenth, 93 pts
• INDIVIDUAL PLACERS: Seniors Colton Bonner (second), Andrew Morgan (fourth) and junior Bryce Shoemaker (third)
• HIGHLIGHTS: Shoemaker defeated Gardner Edgerton’s returning state champion TJ Stokes 4-2.
• NEXT UP: Eudora Cardinal Classic (24 teams), Dec. 9-10