Century Star February 2012

1000 E. Century Ave. February 2012

weeks on, 2 Size Grief m a t t e r s 1 week off g o e s o n

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Century High School 1000 E. Century Ave. Bismarck, ND 58503

adviser editor assistant editors

Sue Skalicky Madison Barney Abby Kopp Carrie Sandstrom

web editor web programmer design editor news editor opinion editor sports editor entertainment editor close-up editor fiction editor photo editor copy editor business manager

Coleman Spilde Alexander Piyamahunt Jillian Sisk Kenzie Edinger Sydney Harvey Brent Weber Coleman Spilde Marissa Sipes Ryan Haas Tani Sailer Elizabeth Schaff Nick LaQua

assistant business manager

Lucas Sackman

marketing manager designer artist

Tani Sailer Skyler Husebye Bre Moyle

The STAR newsmagazine policy The Star policy is a document that covers everything from our purpose to our plan of action if something goes wrong.

It’s the staff’s guideline as to how our decisions are made.

The Star is a student-generated newsmagazine published through the efforts and decisions of its editorial board and staff without any prior review. It is produced, edited and maintained by students. It is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its audience. The Star and its staff are protected by and bound to the principles of the First Amendment, made possible by the Constitution and various laws and court decisions implementing those principles. The Star staff will strive to report all issues in a legal, objective, accurate and ethical manner, according to the Canons of Professional Journalism developed by the Society of Professional Journalists. The Canons of Professional Journalism include a code of ethics the Star staff is encouraged to follow. The Star publishes itself and covers the budget costs entirely through advertising sales, subscriptions and fund-raising projects.

I grew to love Josh Morrissett because without fail, when I asked him to go to lunch he refused on the basis that he had an everyday, longstanding date with his grandmother. I grew to love Josh because he was the most inherently good, pure-spirited boy I have encountered in my 17 years. I grew to love him because within five hours of knowing him, he had used my head as a platform to launch himself to the front of a 13-passenger van to perform his signature motion sick puke. And I grew to love Josh because when he sang, all anyone wanted was for him to stop. Josh sang at a decibel and frequency my ears could never learn to agree with. I grew to love Josh because, without fail, the words out of his mouth were met with laughter from those lucky enough to be in his presence, and I grew to love him because every day, often before he offered up a “good morning,” Josh asked me what I was wearing, and more importantly why. Josh had my love because his wedding song was going to be “Honkey-Tonk-Ba-Donk-a-Donk.” I loved him because he was so grateful, and so in love with his mother. I grew to love him because he wore cologne for the ladies, and because he was one of the few, the proud, to be willing to try a veggie burger. I loved Josh because he wore a mean wife-beater. I love Josh because every single memory of and with him is my idea of perfect. In any store aisle crowded with plaques of sayings about living, laughing, and loving, there will always be one that says “If you are lucky enough to be Irish, you are lucky enough”....and ladies and gentlemen, we were lucky enough to know Josh, therefore we are lucky enough.

So as the two month mark passes since I got the call that brought me to my knees and to a new reality, I know that I am not the only one in pain. The student body of Century High School dressed in orange, formed support groups (26), and learned to live in a new reality. And as our reality changes, so does the reality of students living in the North Dakota Boom Town. Four members of the Century STAR staff ventured to Williston to see the city that is taking over the news. The media told me to be prepared, my brother told me to bring a knife, my friends told me to just stay home. I crave adventure, and tango with danger, so I was thrilled to go, but as I toured a man-camp, talked to people whose hometown is no longer the place they grew up, and to students whose families look to Williston to provide a living, I realized the good and the bad are equal. I realized that if I had a handful or grey pebbles and two red pebbles, the red pebbles would draw my eyes in, and that is how it seems to work, the attention seems to go to the few differences, and in the case of Williston, the difference is the rising crime and the disappearing small town. So, as the jobs and the population grow, I urge you to look to the good, and find peace with what lies beyond the boundaries of control. Life changes, for good and for bad, but it stays your own, and it stays what we make it.

Madison Barney

4

Running for office

34

Rants & Raves

36

Sydney

37

Marissa

38

It’s My Life

Opinion

Sports

Student Life

Reviews

Moving on without

30

News

8

Pound for pound

26

Close - Up

Lending a hand

13

BOOM TOWN

7

Table of Contents

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+

Student Life

What would you say to the

tal est

man in the world?

“

short | Madison Barney

“What does the world look like from up there?” sophomore Julia Sattler

“Let’s play basketball.” sophomore Chase Willits

“Just how tall are you?” junior Tyler Nelson

What’s the soundtrack to your life?

“The Tangled soundtrack because it’s so upbeat and fun.

Plus Zachary Levi has an amazing voice.” junior Ashlie Hope

“Maybe ‘Firework’ because it gives me hope that I can accomplish whatever I put my mind to.” - sophomore Kyle Hagler

short | Coleman Spilde

“The Batman theme song because ‘I am vengeance, I am the night, I am Batman’.” - junior Sabrina Padilla

“‘The Rite of Spring” because the story fits my life perfectly senior Asa Fox

“Secondhand Serenade’s ‘A Twist In My Story’ album because so far in my life I have related to most of the songs and I will relate to them all by the end of my life.”

- senior Emily Smallbeck

“Am I balding?” junior Hunter Huff Towle “How’s the weather up there?” senior Joey Fuher “Can you hear me now?” senior Emily Archer

”

“You know what they say about tall people...

They’re tall.” senior Marcus Thune

6 senior Marcus Thune

Seasonal Blues

short | Lucas Sackman

Do you have the “winter blues?” There might be a reason for that. It could be a disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. Seasonal Affective Disorder is known for making people go though depressive symptoms although they are known to have a normal mental state throughout most of the year.

There are many causes for this disorder, starting with the amount of light you may receive each day, to your body temperature dropping, from the genes your parents have gave you, or the hormones you may be experiencing from you teen years. Although women are more susceptible to SAD, both men and women go through the same symptoms. Some of the major symptoms are an increased appetite that can lead to weight gain, a lack of ambition/energy, and/or social withdrawal. If these symptoms seem to affect you, make an appointment with your doctor. Don’t just believe you have it without consulting a professional.

Lending a hand

An excess of giving leads to an influx of need story | Kenzie Edinger

I

t happens every January, the optimistic list of resolutions to be accomplished in the new year. The gyms become fuller, chips are replaced with carrots, and addictions are ditched. While most are focusing on increasing their health, there’s one thing that has a tendency to decrease once “the giving season” has passed.

The shelter helps children know that they’re not forgotten over Christmas, despite their financial situation.

Donations are in high demand when Decembers starts.

Churches are collecting, schools have competitions, and volunteers ring bells to help the donation buckets stand out in busy stores. When Christmas is over the rate of donations has declined, there are still families that are hungry, kids enduring the winter with frozen fingers, and mothers praying they have enough money to keep the heater going.

The Salvation Army is able to supply kids with toys because of the donations from the community.

Last year there were enough donations to supply 500 kids with winter coats, and thousands of others with hats and gloves. There are 13 bell ringing locations in Bismarck and Mandan, and 80 other locations, such as restaurants, to contribute a few dollars.

“During our ‘holiday giving period’, we receive 65 percent of our donations for the year,” Abused Adult Resource Center Development Director Stan Stelter said. “A few weeks into January, donations start dropping.”

The Abused Adult Resource Center helps the community in more ways than one. AARC branched off and created Seeds of Hope, which sells many needed household items at an affordable price.

Seeds of Hope is a thrift store where people can drop off items they no longer need.

“Kids in the shelter want the same things any other kids do”, Morrison said. “They’re asking for the video games and toys.”

“The shelter receives money, food and clothing for families, but the thrift store has a lot of different items,” Stelter said. “We carry anything from records to toys.”

One of the most needed items is not something normally found under a Christmas tree, but rather under the bathroom sink.

“People need personal hygiene products”, Lee Morrison of Salvation Army said. “Something as simple as laundry soap or diapers.”

Sweets are offered to the visitors of the Soup Cafe. The Soup Cafe continued to offer deserts regardless of season.

“The bell ringing alone brought in $102,000 this winter in Bismarck”, Morrison said.

“Christmas is the biggest fundraising time of the year. Most months we bring in around $4,000.”

“It’s rewarding to know you’re helping other families in need.”

The money raised is used as Christmas presents for families, and also helps stock the food pantry. Last year the Salvation Army supplied over 9,000 meals and received 80 tons of food. The money also goes towards keeping the facility open.

There are many ways to keep the donation level high throughout the year.

“People can donate canned food, bring in fresh vegetables from a garden,” Morrison said. “You can also volunteer at the Food Pantry or other locations.”

Getting involved in helping the community can be as easy as giving up a used winter coat or picking up a couple extra food items at the grocery store.

“It’s easy to be involved in the community”, Stelter said. “It’s rewarding to know you’re helping other families in need.”

Cups of soup and snacks gather in a cart until the volunteers can clean them afterwards.

7

| student life |

Hu-Hot

review | Elizabeth Schaff

Bismarck’s Hu-Hot Mongolian Grill brings a new, entirely different style of restaurant to the city. Although the wait list is never short, and the waitstaff can leave something to be desired, the food and unique dining experience is well worth the wait and few disappointments. Hu-Hot’s interior decor consists of huge murals surrounding the restaurant, illuminated by interesting wall sconces and intriguing circular lights on the ceiling. The menu is fun to read, and turns dining into a Mongolian conquest. The selection is huge, offering many types of food, both different and familiar. Hu-Hot’s array of sauces is also impressive, making sure guests can find something that suits their fancy.

The desserts are anything but ordinary, including a table-top ‘campfire’ which comes with enough s’more ingredients for 2-3 people. Hu-Hot is a unique restaurant with a fun atmosphere, and is sure to have something for everyone.

Doctor Who

review | Marissa Sipes

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi television show aired on BBC and has been running since 1963. The main character is the Doctor, a time-lord who travels through space and time with whomever his current companions are. The Doctor feels the need to help humanity and is constantly battling an alien of some sort. He regenerates every few years, allowing different actors to take his place, which is one of the reasons why the show has prevailed. With each new Doctor comes a new cast of characters. Doctor Who has everything from wit and humor to romance, adventure and mind-blowing concepts only found in the sci-fi genre. The world-wide fan base- known as the Whovians- follow the show almost religiously, and it’s not hard to see why. The show does a good job of sucking newcomers in and keeping them up to date, but it can otherwise be confusing if one doesn’t pay close attention.

8

| student life |

Pinterest

Pretty Little Liars

review | Abby Kopp

review | Kenzie Edinger

Imagine a bulletin board covered with everything interesting. Maybe a separate board for vacations, and one covered with style ideas.

Perhaps there’s a board just for crafts or new meals to try. Sounds pretty surreal, doesn’t it? Not anymore, because pinterest.com has made this little idea a reality. Starting as just a facebook app, Pinterest has taken the nation by storm. One may search for anything their heart desires and scroll through endless ideas and variations. Once he or she finds the perfect idea, all that is left is to click a button that appears, and ‘pin’ this idea to their own board. The only other difference between this gift to the Internet and Google images is that Pinterest allows one to look at their friends’ virtual bulletin boards and see what interests them. If there is any downfall to this magical website it is that one must be invited to join by a friend, but with the popularity boom, this should not be a problem. If there was ever a need for an online organizational tool, it would be now, and thank you, Pinterest, for providing the world with hours of entertainment and endless ideas.

Starbucks Blonde Roast

The liars are back with more secrets and drama then ever before. The third season premiere of Pretty Little Liars will leave viewers questioning what they thought they had figured out. The TV series based on the books

by Sarah Shepard follow the lives of four high school girls as they try to reveal who killed their best friend.

As if being accused of murder, dodging reporters, and relationship problems isn’t bad enough, the girls also receive text messages from the mysterious “A”. The stalker knows their every move and blackmails them in every way possible. The show is full of twists and turns, so if a single episode is missed, confusion pours in, which can be annoying if one can’t catch the episode.

Sometimes the show also takes indefinate break, which is bothersome when you’re excited for a new episode.

Yet this ABC Family series is one of the best in their weekly lineup, so maybe it’s worth the annoyance.

review | Coleman Spilde

In the last couple weeks, it’s been hard to turn on the television, check an email inbox, or enter a Starbucks without somehow being aware of the coffee chain’s new, more mild blend, the Blonde Roast. The roast is indeed mild. However, it is almost too mild to distinguish drinking the hot coffee from a mug filled with strangely flavored water. The taste of the temperature hitting the tongue is the first thing that someone will notice as opposed to the full, luxurious flavor that has been promised in the various promotion efforts by Starbucks. However, the Blonde Roast is sure to be a hit around teenage coffee drinkers who like their java easily sweetened past the point of recognition.

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Sponsored by NDCAN, a program by Bank of North Dakota

What's your favorite pick-up line? short | Marissa Sipes

| student life |

“My name isn’t Elmo, but you can tickle me anytime you want to.”

-junior Ben Hess

“How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice. Hi, I’m Noah.” sophomore Noah Germolus

“Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?”

-junior Deion Volk

“Did you fart? Because you just blew me away.”

-junior Michael Grossman

“If you were a booger, I’d pick you first.” -sophomore Megan Raatz “If you hold 11 roses in a mirror you will see the 12 most beautiful things in the world.”

-senior Jessica Anderson

Monthly comic comic | Bre Moyle

“Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk past again?” -senior Ethan Sayler

What does being

18

mean to you?

short | Coleman Spilde

“Having more freedom and people taking me more seriously.” - senior Heather DuFrame “I can get a tattoo without my parent’s permission and threaten to move out of the house.” - senior Kelli Kleppe “It means I do what I want, when I want, with no consequences ever.” - senior Tyler Bolme “I can now serve hard time and be charged with a felony.” - senior Nicole Johnson “There are no legal curfews anymore.” senior Tyler Ripplinger “Donating plasma because I get loads of money.” - senior Ashley Flickenger

-

11

Sports

RECESS short | Ryan Haas

“Red Rover”

“Tag!”

- senior Robyn Markhouse

“Kickball.”

The STAR asked students what they did on the playground

- senior Lindsey Horner

“Kickball.”

- junior Landon Wutzke

- junior Tyler Schaeffer

Capital Ice Chips short | Tani Sailer

“Monkey bars.”

- sophomore Brianna Schneider

“Four Square.”

- junior Daryk Brown

“Quoted” short | Kenzie Edinger

Bismarck’s award winning figure skating team sits down to talk about heroes, teleporting, and werewolves Q. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

A. To fly because traffic is bad and if you could fly it would be so much easier and you don’t have to worry about getting in an accident. - sophomore Katelyn Castle

Q. What is your favorite movie and why?

A. Rat race -girl’s scream team movie- because it’s so dumb it’s funny. - senior Karly Knudson Q. If you could wake up in any country, where would it be and why?

A. Australia, because you could bungee jump off the Sydney bridge. - sophomore Annie Nelson

The STAR asked students about their favorite sport’s quote

“If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

- sophomore James Roe “Never settle.”

- senior Miriah Olzweski

Q. Who is your hero?

A. Landy Williams because she makes farting noises right before I jump. - sophomore Karly Goldade Q. What is your favorite number?

A. Nine, but I was born on the tenth month, on the tenth day, at 10:10 in the morning. -sophomore Landy Williams

12

“You gotta risk it to get the biscuit.”

- senior Jade Johnson “To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

- senior Keisha Lehde

“No one knows what to say in the losers’ locker room.”

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

-junior Jayne Leintz

- junior Brandom Trom

.

2 .

2 .

.200.165.170.135.205.230.14 250.150.155.175.265.255.240 Po und .130.115.110.105.235.180.19 fo r 205.300.290.275.245.165.225 p o und .125.215.100.160.220.120.19 story | Brent Weber photo | Lucas Sackman

Cutting weight is a major part of wrestling

E

ating healthy and drinking water are usually accepted as a diet, but now they’ve become an accepted sport practice.

Cutting weight is the process of losing a certain number of pounds in order to drop to a lower weight class in wrestling. By losing the weight the wrestlers are now at an advantage by being in a lower weight class.

“You’ve got to be disciplined when cutting weight,” Century High School wrestling coach Jerald Lemar said.

Unlike past years, the state now limits the amount of weight a wrestler can lose.

“ ”

“It makes me a little weaker, but it makes me bigger than kids,” Century High School senior Izec Neer said.

In order to lose the weight and maintain the loss, wrestlers must be persistent.

different types of meal plans they can use for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Lemar said. “[There are] different types of snack foods they should be consuming and ones to abstain from.”

“North Dakota has implemented some guidelines now,” Medcenter One dietitian Kelly Fisher said.

Seeing people eat food and not being able to eat all the time is the hardest part.

In order to cut weight, wrestlers no longer have to starve themselves. They now have a much healthier way to go about it.

“We put the wrestlers on a diet plan,” Lemar said.

The diet plan is based on calorie intake and the wrestler’s diet plan should never fall below 1,700 calories per day.

“Within this diet plan, we supply them with

The states rules are clear for how much a wrestler can lose and, with parental consent, wrestlers can lose more weight.

“The lowest any wrestler in the state of North Dakota can go to would be at 7 percent body fat,” Lemar said. “A wrestler and his family have the option to sign what is called a 2 percent form, which will then allow them to drop to 5 percent body fat.”

When losing weight, many people outside of wrestling believe that the wrestlers are only struggling with not eating as much as they would be, but that’s not always the case.

“Seeing people eat food and not being able to eat all the time is the hardest part,” Neer said.

13

Player cards

| sports |

Kyle Connor

senior, hockey 1. What’s your nickname?

K Swiss

Crime Dog 2. What is your greatest award?

2. What is your greatest award?

none

Most Outstanding Camper

All State golf, sophomore year

3. How long have you been in your favorite sport?

Kevin Durant

junior, basketball 1. What’s your nickname?

Dehner

2. What is your greatest award?

4. Who’s your idol?

Hunter Walsh

Jake Dehne

junior, basketball 1. What’s your nickname?

basketball, 9 years

short | Brent Weber

3. How long have you been in your favorite sport? golf, 12 years 4. Who’s your idol?

Troy Ressler

3. How long have you been in your favorite sport? baseball, 11 years 4. Who’s your idol?

Drew Wiseman

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1/5/2012 10:40:44 AM

BOOM TOWN Boom Town

Change has come to Williston

package photos | Elizabeth Schaff story | Carrie Sandstrom

ND

What’s the word on Williston?

“I’ve partly grown up in Williston with my grandparents living there, and compared to what it was like a few years ago it’s a complete disaster. [It’s] unrecognizable.”

- sophomore Karen Collins

“I heard a lot of people have been moving to Williston to work on the oil rigs.”

-junior Haily Datz

“I heard they were paying $21 an hour up there just for working at McDonald’s.”

- senior Garret Williams

S

emi-trucks roar over broken gravel roads, cars packed with families and hope for the future congest the highway and oil flows out pumps like liquid gold. For many teens living in the ever-growing city, a small town childhood has become an adolescence marked by new challenges and opportunities as they experience life in North Dakota’s personal boom town.

Metamorphosis

The city of Williston has undergone drastic changes in the past several years. Although oil was discovered in the area in the 1950s, the effects of the latest oil boom were first noticed around four to five years ago. For teens, the first indications of change were the increase in traffic and traffic accidents.

Students with jobs must also deal with customers who sometimes act beyond the norm of typical restaurant behavior. Eliasen works at the local Pizza Hut, one of the few restaurants in town with a full staff.

“I’ve had customers grab my boobs, grab my crotch and smack my butt,” Eliasen said. “They have no reservations.”

Students must also deal with an overburdened police department, limited living spaces and rush hour traffic around the clock.

“There’s no time of the day when there aren’t any cars on the road,” Eliasen said. “I live two blocks away [from school], and I leave at 7:30 to get there [by 8:00].”

Despite these challenges though, students have also had an opportunity to be exposed to new people with many different backgrounds and cultures. For those who take advantage of the new members of the city, it can be a valuable learning experience.

“I like the city feel,” Williston High School senior Rachel Anderson said of the city’s growth. “But I don’t like having people from all over the country that don’t know how to drive.”

Bakken Formation Other changes were more subtle- it became more and more difficult for visitors to find a place to stay, prices began to rise and more and more men came to the city for work in the oilfields.

“We used to walk around in bands of kids,” Williston High School senior Lindsey Eliasen said. “But now you can’t. There are creepy men everywhere.”

Williston

Williston Basin

Where’s the oil?

The Bakken Formation is a shale formation covering about 200,000 square miles of North Dakota, Montana and Canada. Surrounding the Bakken is a more vast region known as the Williston Basin, which encompasses parts of the Bakken and Three Forks shale formations.

Source: www.energyandcapital.com

Regardless of how it came, change came to the city, transforming it entirely.

“It started out a small town,” Williston High School junior Riley Ceglowski said. “Just 10,000 people.

And then, a few years later, it grew overnight.”

Living in a new Williston The changes brought about as the boom town grew by the thousands have left the city of Williston a much different place with a different set of rules.

Girls do their best to travel in packs, and, in general, most people try to avoid places such as WalMart that now have a reputation for danger.

“I feel safe most of the time,” Williston High School junior Kayla Buck said. “But you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I feel more cultured now than I did four years ago,” Anderson said.

Hitting the books Jobs mean new families and new students to fill the schools of Williston.

“There’s a lot of new people,” Williston High School senior Gabe Bjerke said. “It’s not like they scream out that they’re new, but you can tell.”

Although families pulled to the city by the promise of jobs and opportunity provide a steady stream of new students who flood in almost as quickly as students flow out to take their chances on the oil field.

“In the senior class, for every new student we get- we lose one,” Anderson said.

The constant give and take of students poses many challenges for the teachers standing at the front of the class.

Not only must they deal with fluctuating class sizes due to lack of teachers, but they must also work to control classes of unruly students, many of whom only have eyes for oil.

First year math teacher Sarah Magnuson says there’s not much to be done about students who don’t care about getting a high school diploma.

“If that’s what they want to do with their lives, all the power to them,” Magnuson said. “[But] it’s hard [for me to] get into the mindset of ‘I don’t care, I’ll go work in the oil fields.’”

17

| boom town |

Sarah Magnuson

Gabe Bjerke

Taking the field For those students living in Williston, the presence of the oil field is marked not only by an influx of traffic, but a corresponding influx of new people.

However, students say that the gruff reputation of rig workers does not always hold true.

“Most people think [oil workers] are mean and rude,” Anderson said. “But most are nice once you get to know them.”

“We’re better off now than we were before,” Williston Middle School 7th grader Quade Slater said. “It was a great Christmas.”

off-hand the possibility of joining the swarms of men heading to the fields, the idea was not well-received. “[My dad] certainly didn’t want me to work [in the oil fields],” Bartschi said.

For some, changes brought by the boom have been too much. Ceglowski came to the city with her parents seven years ago, looking for a quiet town to raise their family in. Now that the safety and familiarity of a small town has left, the Ceglowski family is also hitting the road.

“We’re getting out of here,” Celglowski said.

“This is not the small town we moved to.”

But even if the pay is good, many who work on the oil field don’t want the same lifestyle for their children.

Williston High School junior Dean Bartschi’s dad is one of those workers. When his son mentioned

Williston through the years short | Ryan Haas

1805 Lewis and Clark 1953 Geologist J.W. Nordquist

For some, however, underneath the oil coating, Williston will always be just a small northwestern town.

“I’d love to come back here and start a family here,” Buck said. “I loved growing up here. It’s not all oil field trash. There’s families that have been here all their life.”

2000 The average oil rig count was thriteen, and the average production rate was 89,388 barrels per day

describes the Bakken Formation

1887 Williston experiences boom due to the development of the Great Northern Railway

Kayla Bauste

Looking forward

Most also have families to support, and the large amounts of money that can be earned on the oil field can make a big difference for some.

pass through Williston

Rachel Anderson

Janessa Storlie

1995 First Bakken oil produced

2010 The average rig counts are more than four times what it was in 2005 at 126 rigs, and average barrel per day count is 218,456

2005 Rig count stands at twenty-five rigs, and the production rate becomes 97,729 barrels per day.

Figuring out fracking

| boom town |

short | Carrie Sandstrom

Hydrolic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of injecting water and chemicals into a well at high pressure. Pressure from the water fractures the shale and open fissures. It is a means of tapping shale deposits containing natural gas that were previously out of the reach of conventional drilling.

Williston has grown by ... short | Brent Weber

Sun

Produced Water

Refinery

Derrick

183 and two thirds dozen eggs

Condensate Tanks

Water

2204 pairs of shoes

35

Fractures

Source : http://frackaction.com/ content/what-fracking

Where are the people coming from? short | Carrie Sandstrom Occupants of the Williston and the surrounding oil fields are coming from all over the nation, many are coming from the west coast and return home during their time off (many work on a two weeks on, one week off schedule). Some have come from as far away as Russia and even Ghana.

Students have mixed feelings on the new inhabitants coming to their area. Many are apprehensive of people with accents who don’t drive like the typical North Dakotan. Despite these feelings, students also agree that they’re more cultured since the boom has come.

and a half bags of Skittles

Source: http://quickfacts.census. gov/qfd/states/38/3886220.html

Now hiring

short | Alexander Piyamahunt

The unemployment rate hovers around 2 percent.

Over 1,200 job openings are available at any given time.

Entry level positions at any restaurant Retail Sales Consultant Full and Part Time Apprentice Electrician Satellite TV Installer Heavy Equipment Field Service

Home, home on the rig Where the west and the oil begin

20

story | Abby Kopp

Beyond the oil derricks and the roaring trucks, the men working on the oil fields need a place to call “home.”

Man camps are small dorm-like structures that are constructed on the oil field. These camps provide housing for hundreds of workers since apartment costs in Williston are unaffordable for many people. The temporary buildings aren’t exactly luxurious, but they contain all the essentials for life in North Dakota. Most rooms have nothing more than a bed, a heater, and a bathroom shared with the neighbor. The men at the camps have time after the 12-16 hour work day for recreation, like watching TV or playing pool. Although living conditions in some man camps aren’t ideal, most residents are grateful for not being forced to sleep in a tent or their car.

| boom town |

“

“Until there’s no more oil, we’ll be here.”

[This is] the wild, wild west.”

This is 16 hour days. This is work. This is money. This is oil. This is Williston, North Dakota as no one has seen it before.

Four years ago Williston embodied the essence of a small town. Children walked to the parks in packs while adults wandered the aisles of Walmart unaccompanied. Teenagers strolled to their cars without an escort and an elderly citizen could pay the rent with their monthly social security check.

This isn’t the case anymore. The aforementioned are now memories that exist only with those who experienced them.

Williston High School senior Lindsey Eliasen grew up in Williston, and has watched it change with time. Starting about two years ago, this Pizza Hut employee found herself serving pizza to more oil workers than students. “[This is] Williston, there’s nothing here but oil,” Eliasen said.

While this is not completely true- there are other pastimes besides working- this hits home for many of Williston’s newest members . Oil field workers Troy Johnson, Natasha Skavish, Raymond Genta and Andy Vanchieri all left their families to come work in the oil fields.

“I didn’t come to North Dakota for vacation,” Genta said.

Coming from as far away as Russia, these friends and the rest of their crew work for two weeks before their company flies them home for one week. This cycle will continue indefinitely.

“Until there’s no more oil, we’ll be here,” Skavish said.

And while the workers have left their true families behind them, they are finding themselves with a new kind of family- not a substitute by any means- but a family of convenience.

“Two thirds of our life is here,” Genta said.

“We’re all pretty good friends and we all get along pretty good, but we’re all here to do a job- go to work and go home to pay the bills.”

This is the true reason that so many people have flocked to this previously-unknown town- not for a vacation, or a break from the real world, but for money and money alone.

The work is not pretty and the conditions are not ideal, but these workers share one common train of thought“This is not some glory job.”

Troy Johnson

Andy Vanchieri

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em

We asked students whether or not they would work in Williston ”Yes, because I would become a female escort for a part time job for like 3,000 dollars a night.” -junior Abbie Hochhalter

Natasha Skavish

Raymond Genta

short | Nick Laqua

“Even though the pay is good I wouldn’t because its way too much work for me.” -senior Jeremy Houser “No, because the oil would only make my job last 10-15 years, although it would be good money.” -senior Adam Torgerson “No, I believe that there are greater opportunities in North Dakota.” -senior Sean Davis “I would love to work there, only in the summer though... but the opportunities are virtually endless.” -junior Jordan Oster ”No, I would get sexually assaulted.” -sophomore Vlad Kunnanz

21

Walking Williston photo story&captions | Elizabeth Schaff The once quaint, friendly town of Williston is rapidly evolving and becoming more industrialized. Horizons that were once simply rolling plains as far as the eye could see are now dotted with oil derricks and acres of plain trailers serving as housing for the men and women who have uprooted their lives in the hopes of striking it rich in oil country. Disheartening images of people living in campers in shopping center parking lots surround the city, and new people from all walks of life are seen roaming the now-busy streets. However, although desperate times seem to encompass the majority of the town, hope prevails. Though the future remains uncertain, one thing is clear to Williston residents- life will never be the same.

A.

B. A. The privacy of these small trailers in the front of the man camp is usually reserved for VIPs visiting the man camp, as the rates are significantly higher than the traditional dorm setting.

B. Even gallons of water are hard to keep in stock because of the large number of customers at Walmart.

C. A cubby in the mudrooms of the man camp houses boots, a hard hat, and bright neon vests worn when working on the rigs.

22

C.

| boom town | A. The ‘Blue Mile’ is a long hallway with eighteen dorms, as well as the cafeteria and recreation hall branching off on either side.

B. The ‘mudroom’ of the man camp is where oil workers take off their dirty work clothes and boots to prevent the dorms from getting dirty.

C. Many people who cannot find places to stay are forced to live out of their car or camper.

D. A typical double-occupancy dorm room consists of two beds, a microwave, a shared bathroom and a closet.

A.

B.

D.

C.

Strip tease

short | Elizabeth Schaff

Above: Heartbreakers, the newest exotic dancing club, brings in many more people now than four years ago.

One industry that is receiving a lot of new business in Williston is the strip club. Williston even opened another strip bar in order to accommodate the influx of people. Many of the previous dancers have been replaced by women from clubs in Las Vegas, coming to Williston for the promise of nearly two thousand dollars a night. For these dancers, the oil boom has provided a nearly 1000 percent increase in average earnings compared to the clubs before the boom.

| boom town |

Proceed with caution

Looking the part short | Carrie Sandstrom

short | Carrie Sandstrom

The STAR asked residents of Williston how to stay safe and what places should be avoided

Workers who frequent North Dakota’s oil fields during the chilly winter months may wear the following

Heavy Jacket

Hard Hat

Coveralls Pants

To be safe when trapsing around Williston there are a few tips to remember.

Always travel in groups and bring mace along when possible. When leaving work late in the evening go out all together. Be aware of your surroundings and note any suspicious behavior.

Boots

24

Measuring up

A few places in Williston have gained a reputation for being more dangerous than others. Students there recommend that invividuals avoid Walmart, the bowling alley, downtown, and the man camps.

Unemploment rate in Nov. 2011 Mass layoffs in Nov. 2011 Average hourly wages short | Marissa Sipes

US

ND

8.6%

3.4%

1,331

0

$23.18 (Nov. 2011)

$17.81 (May 2010)

Source: source: http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm

Back to the Bakken W

column | Elizabeth Schaff

hen I left my hometown of Williston a year and a half ago, I felt completely safe leaving my car unlocked and venturing to Walmart alone to pick up whatever I needed.

When I travelled back last month, instead of excited messages about my return, I got texts warning me to bring a man along, and not to go out after dark without pepper spray. I had heard the horror stories of oil workers breaking into cars and following people around during the night, but I didn’t believe that the friendly, neighborly feel of the Williston of my childhood could have fallen prey to such disasters.

As I journeyed towards Williston in early January with several of my fellow STAR staff members, I couldn’t quite decide what I thought my dreamy childhood wonderland had turned into. It was only eighteen short months ago that I left. How much could it have changed?

Was it as bad as they said? Or, as I desperately hoped, was most of it hype, and there was still potential for my beloved haven to return to its former glory?

The answer to these questions was, as may be expected, some of both. I heard of high school students who refused to leave home without a can of mace in their purses. However, I also heard stories of the good people- the ones who came to make money to send back to their families, and the ones who diversified the once quaint town of Williston and created new cultural exposure. Most of all, I heard of the unending employment opportunities- and, in a country whose economy seems at times to be crashing at a mile a minute, I find joy in seeing a glimmer of hope coming from the place I used to call home.

Williston will always hold a sacred place in my heart.

From learning to walk, to riding a bike, to my first time driving a car- all these historic landmarks, and many more, in my life were marked in the city now seemingly overrun by dirt-caked boots and huge trucks roaring down the once-quiet streets. My visit to my hometown helped me see that, even when all you know is taken and misshapen by forces beyond your control, there is a part of you that will always recognize it if it is near to your heart. I’m grateful that I now live in a safe and comfortable place, but a part of me will always be in Williston. Although I may never live there again, and there may come a time when I stop visiting frequently, I will always remember my time spent there, and the many lessons I learned during my childhood days in the oilfield.

| boom town |

Close - Up

Saying goodbye story | Madison Barney

T

he sea of orange came, but when the orange waters receded the debris of tears, of support, of questions, of memory and of endless love stayed. Friends of Josh Morrissette are still friends of Josh Morrissette, but being his friend now looks different than it did before Dec. 3.

Junior Josh Morrissette suffered an untimely death, and those who loved him suffered all-consuming, untimely mourning, and a new dependence on loving company.

“All I thought [when I heard] was ‘not Josh, not Josh.’ I was trying to convince myself it wasn’t him.

Maddy [Barney] and I just fell to the floor and we didn’t know what to do,” senior Kelly Swanberg said.

“I just went to the bathroom and threw up, and I normally don’t throw up, but that was such a Josh thing, it seemed impossible that Maddy and I were with him the night before and now he was gone.”

Junior Carl Wahlin, one of Josh’s best friends, found the weight of the news to be inescapable.

“It was just kinda like a dream, I wasn’t really fully functional,” Wahlin said. “There wasn’t any running from it.”

Josh’s friends became dependent on each other in dealing with grief.

“It is always easier to handle death with a group,” Wahlin said. “If you are alone it is always a lot harder.”

Century guidance couselors were sure to create a safe environment for students to seek help.

“When we get news like that we just clear off everything on our desks and make ourselves available to students that need support the days after a death like that,” Armstrong said.

Junior Ashley Westbee saw loving company as the only possibility for accepting the new reality.

“Just having everyone there in that time and [having] somebody there to comfort me, and knowing that they were going through it with me was just comforting,” Westbee said. “It was perfect.”

26

On the evening after Josh’s death, Westbee invited those close to Josh to come to her

home to share in memories, in sadness, in support.

“It was so light and good and perfect that we were all there and everyone knew what we were all going through and it made it easier to control,” Westbee said.

This evening together, and the many to come, allowed Swanberg a moment of peace.

“Until we went to Ashley’s I hadn’t smiled or taken a breath until we started talking about how funny he was, and how sweet he was,” Swanberg said.

Friends of Josh were not necessarily friends of each other, but once Josh was gone, genuine, meaningful friendships materialized between those unsure of how to handle the new emptiness. Throughout the week after Josh’s death there were numerous services held in his honor.

Understanding company was the It is always backbone to their composure.

easier to handle death with a group. If you are alone it is always a lot harder.

“That first week it was just all encompassing just Josh, Josh, Josh every single day,” Westbee said. “Everything you did was a part of it, like when we all got together then the Wednesday youth service, and then the viewing, and then the funeral. That was life for a week and it was so awful.”

They sat together at the services, at lunch periods and they sat together the morning of the funeral at Boneshakers.

“Inviting everyone over to Boneshakers was my mom’s idea because she knew that a bunch of us were together a lot that week, and everybody being there, and Joe and Jacob [Morrissette] coming, helped out a lot because you don’t have to sit there alone,” junior Collin Kemmesat said. “It took your mind off of things but everyone there felt the same thing at the same time.”

That time together before the funeral was an intimate moment of peace before several hundred people filled a church to say goodbye.

“I personally just wanted to sit in that moment forever because we were all grieving together and it was like Josh’s funeral hadn’t happened yet so

it was all still so fresh,” Swanberg said. “I think that was really reassuring to have everyone there.”

The group that became dependant on each other Dec. 4, the same group of people that met before school Monday Dec. 5, the group that gave testimony to their dear friend Dec. 7 at a service, and the group that sat together before and during the funeral was forced to say a final good by Dec. 9.

“I was like it wasn’t real,” Kemmesat said. “It was like he was on a trip or something and you would see him pretty soon.”

Nearly two months have passed, but the immense sadness has not passed with the time. The hallways are full of an emptiness for those still waiting for Josh to round the corner and walk them to class.

“It is so hard to be like, it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to smile, and it’s okay to live,” Westbee said.

The grief comes in waves, as do the memories and the longing sensation. Those who loved Josh are aware that saying goodbye will take much longer than a funeral service.

“I will probably start realizing it more towards the summer because it will be the first day on the lake and I will be pretty much alone or with somebody who wasn’t usually there because Josh always was,” Wahlin said.

Part of supporting each other is supporting the Morrissette family.

“I think right now what is important is to be there for the Morrissettes, and to grieve for Josh by all means, but to just be there for the living,” Swanberg said. “I think it is important that that be our focus, and that be everyone’s focus.”

Whether it is by listening to the butt-dial voicemail from Josh, laughing with his brothers about the things he did and the things he said, wearing the dog tag with his photo, or sitting alone in a car and telling him he is missed, Josh Morrissette is loved, is remembered, and always will be.

“Only the good die young is just the perfect way to say it because he was just good,” Westbee said.

7

STAGES OF GRIEF 1. SHOCK & DENIAL 2. PAIN & GUILT 3. ANGER & BARGAINING

4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS 5. THE UPWARD TURN 6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH 7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE

Support and services for grieving individuals in Bismarck: -Care (701) 400-0296 -Steps Counseling Service (701)751-1860 -Rose Basaraba Counseling Service (701) 224-1615

| close - up |

Running for office

Century English teacher Nicole Poolman wants to be a state representative story | Coleman Spilde

Why are you running for state legislature?

I’m a strong believer in public service. We’ve stepped up to make the state, the community and the country better. I really love North Dakota. I see things happening and I want to be a part of it. You don’t have to be in the legislature to know that it’s not exactly a young crowd; I think that I would be a good representative to that group.

If you’re elected, what kinds of duties will you have within the government?

I will have a full time job in the months that the government operates. I’ll be a part of committees and district panels. I’ll request to be on the education committee. I’ll really just be putting my head down and getting to work.

30

photo | Tani Sailer

What interests you about government?

In North Dakota we’re different from the national stage. [In North Dakota] it’s just not what you see in D.C. People sit with their representatives. People are friendly to one another.

These representatives are like your extended family. Also, we only meet every other year, so I like that we have to live by the laws that we make.

What kinds of changes do you hope to see ND go through in the coming years?

I think we would be naive to think that the development of west North Dakota won’t be an issue. The Bakken comes with liabilities. We need to help schools that are crowded and build roads to help alleviate the traffic. We need to invest some of the money coming from the Bakken and put it back into the government. Flood recovery and flood prevention will also be an issue. We have all of this money and it’s important not to grow the government to the size of the surpluses in North Dakota.

Has your life as a teacher influenced your interests or ideas about the government?

Absolutely. I will be a powerful supporter of public education.

[The government] thinks they’re changing so much but I see how little it affects students. I can see the amount of distance between the government and the people.

If we invest in education it lowers the amount that we must invest in other social policies.

How will your campaign change over the coming months?

Right now I’m just working to earn a nomination. There’s the district convention at the end of February. So right now I’m focusing on finding delegates.

If I don’t win the nominationcampaign over. If I do then I’ll try to meet the people of the district. I’ll go door to door, find out what they want to happen in the government.

Mid-September is when the yard signs come out. I’m nervous about this part of the campaign, but the rest is fun.

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Happy Place

“In my mind.”-sophomore Dena Helm

short | Jillian Sisk

“Alone in my room.”-sophomore Erin McNamara

We asked students where their happy place is, and this is what they had to say:

“Anywhere with Morgan Weiler.”-junior Ashley Sitz “Somewhere warm with Ashley Sitz.”-junior Morgan Weiler “In books.”-junior Aryca Bennett “ The beach under some sun!”-Senior Kathryn Alexander “My grandma’s house in Velva.”-Senior Taylor Thiesen

May the odds be ever in your favor short | Abby Kopp

This generation has been gifted with book-to-movie series that have kept people at the edge of their seats from day one. It started with the first Harry Potter book being published in 1997 with six more books and eight movies following soon after. Next, came the widely controversial Twilight Saga in 2005. Now, the Hunger Games is getting it’s chance to shine. After a very successful trilogy, the first movie will debut March 23. So, what’s all the hype?

The book series takes place in a futuristic America called Panem.

Each year, the government requires each of the twelve districts to

send a male and female tribute to compete in the Hunger Games where they will battle the elements, and each other, for their lives.

This is the way it is in Panem, the districts bow down to their governments. The twist in this story, though, comes in the form of a teenage girl that volunteers herself to an almost certain death so her sister will remain safe and a boy that decides he is more than a pawn in the government’s games.

Together, these two force the citizens of the capital to confront the heinous cruelties that have gone unnoticed for far too long.

Welcome to the Hunger Games.

Best part of living in Bismarck short | Alexander Piyamahunt

“It’s probably the most geographically interesting place in North Dakota.”

-sophomore Andrew Carlson “You get the extremes of both summer and winter.” -senior Jeremija Arnold “We have money to spend.”

-senior Kyle Palmer “Mitch Geiger.”

-sophomore Noah Irby “Well, I can’t say the snow anymore...”

-senior Katelyn Grosz “Low crime rate.” -sophomore Casey Schaff “Well, I live close to a Walmart so... I’m pretty stoked about that.” -junior Andrew Nihil

Bills

News

short | Alexander Piyamahunt

Electronics ban

short | Marissa Sipes

Much discussion has surrounded the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year of 2012 (“NDAA”), the Stop Online Piracy Act (“SOPA”), and the Protect IP Act, (“PIPA”).

According to the NDAA, any suspected or accused terrorist can be detained indefinitely without trial and without charge. This act was signed on December 31st, 2011 and is currently in effect.

With SOPA and PIPA, the Internet will be censored for all copyrighted content. Ordinary sites that people visit on a daily basis could be blocked or taken down, emails could be censored and blocked in the United States.

Many websites, organizations, and individuals are speaking out against these two bills.

8 years later

Four months ago, the no texting while driving law was passed in North Dakota. Now, the National Transportation Safety Board wants to take it one step further and ban any electronics use- including hands-free devices- while driving. The only exception would be the use of a GPS or using a cell phone in the case of an emergency.The Bismarck police department says the passing of this law would make the texting ban easier to enforce, since someone who appears to be texting could be merely dialing a number. Although the electronics ban is still just a proposal, starting January 1, 16-18 year olds were banned from talking on their phones in in addition to texting.

short | Kenzie Edinger September 11, 2001 marked a historical tragedy in the United States. Al Queda terrorists drove planes into the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and another plane failed to reach its target and made a crash landing in a field in Pennsylvania. President George Bush announced his “Mission Accomplished” speech in 2003 stating the war was over and the United States accomplished victory in silencing the terrorists’ threats. Just a few weeks later, the country came to the realization that the War on Terrorism was far from over.

President Obama announced in 2011 that the war would officially come to an end and all troops would be home by Christmas. Although we will no longer be at war, troops are still stationed in Iraq and other middle-Eastern countries serving as contractors and security.

The United States has established a sense of security in the major cities in Iraq, and citizens are hopeful for a bright future.

29

Opinion

editorial | STAR staff

The grass may be greener on the other side, but I still think my grass has a lot more personality!

W

hen most people think about Williston their minds conjure up images of chaos. A wildwest city plagued with congested streets, accidents and muggings taking place on the sidewalk. Those who work in the oil fields have been tagged as thugs and deviantsas lustful men with no reservations who flock to the strip clubs in droves. This northwestern city has become equivalent to the more dangerous metropolises in the world, and the idea of venturing to the area is enough to strike fear into the hearts of men and drive women to keep their mace locked and loaded. But Williston, beyond the rumors and negative media portrayal, still has a heart, and we, the STAR staff, feel it’s time to remember it.

The people, for the most part, are still just average people who want to be able to go WalMart without fear, send their children to school without worry and live their lives without hesitation. Even the men and women populating oil fields and man camps are people, many with families back home to support and school programs to attend. And yes, not all people make good choices, but one cannot judge a city on only a small portion of its inhabitants.

There is good and bad in all things. The world is not made of black and white, but shades of gray. It is easy to focus on the negative, to criticize and tear down.

It is not easy to strive for something better, to look beyond the flaws and see possibility. We encourage you to seek the good in everything, to look for the rose amongst the thorns, and to remember that each snowstorm is another opportunity to catch flakes on your tongue.

32

94 % of the STAR staff agrees

| opinion |

Dear editor, After last night’s basketball games at St. Mary’s [December 13], I asked myself this question: “Where is our student section?” Of the students I saw at the game, the only people I saw cheering and standing could be counted on my hands. The rest of you sat there like a bunch of bums and didn’t say a word while St. Mary’s student section had 60 people standing and cheering constantly. I have a few simple questions to ask you: are you proud to be a Patriot?

Do you have pride in your school? Obviously, after last night, many of our students would say no to both questions. As a senior, I found last night absolutely embarassing. All of our students seem to think they are “too cool” to stand and cheer for their Patriots.

What have you got to lose? I mean seriously. So, please, at future basketball games, please come stand and cheer for our boys and girls on the court. They feed off of our energy and enjoy hearing us cheering them on. It seems that at home games there is a little more energy, but it’s the road games where the players need our energy. I don’t know about you, but I think it would be sensational to be louder than Mandan, St. Mary’s and Bismarck in their own gyms! So, get out to the future games and make your voice heard.

-senior Nolan Schmidt

33

| opinion |

Rants

While I can understand why many appreciate Valentine’s Day, I believe that it is a commercialized, expensive excuse of a holiday. I can’t explain exactly why I don’t like Valentines Day, but I do know that if I do anything Valentines Day, I’ll probably be having an anti-Valentine’s day party.

I dislike Valentine’s Day because of the immense amount of PDA. Some people need to know boundaries because I don’t want to see that while I am at my locker.

-Junior Melissa Thurn

Valentine’s Day is way too commercialized.

Besides, love is overrated and having a holiday to celebrate an emotion seems a bit superfluous.

-Taylor Oster

- junior Sarah Liebig

I hate Valentine’s Day because it is the day of single awareness. It makes me want flowers and butterflies but I CAN’T HAVE THEM. Just kidding, being single is da best.

- senior Ivy Lippert

I don’t see the point of Valentine’s Day. To be honest, a guy shouldn’t need to use one specific day to give his girlfriend or wife flowers and chocolates or do something special. They should do it regardless.

- senior Allyssa Seitz

I hate how Valentine’s Day gives people the excuse to be extra touchy. I get it, it’s the holiday of “love.” Yeah, you “love” each other but I “love” to keep my lunch down. Thank you.

- senior Taylor Crosby

34

| opinion |

& Valentine’s Day is dandy because it’s a day devoted to showing you care.

It doesn’t have to be all about roses and hearts. Plus, there’s chocolate.

Valentine’s Day is the day a year you can express your love for your other half. After all, love makes the world go ‘round, right?

-junior Lizzi Hendrickson

-senior Megan Vollmers

Although I have never legitimately had a date for Valentine’s Day, it always seems to find a way into my heart (no pun intended). Ever since I was a little it was my favorite holiday. Maybe it was the candy, or all the love that was floating around, but it always managed to leave me with a cheesey smile on my face.

It’s just another excuse to eat candy! Who wouldn’t love Valentine’s Day? -senior Robin Gowen

Raves

35

| opinion |

ChocolateHearts column | Sydney Harvey

Stuck in the gooey filled center of love

J

ust another day, except this one is filled with pink and red hearts, chocolate heart-shaped candy, paper cutouts of Cupid, and romance in the air. A day not much celebrated by myself and other countless single people alike around the world.

The only thing I ever really enjoyed about Valentine’s Day was back in elementary school, where my classmates and I made different shaped boxes to occupy our candy goodies and the little folded pieces of paper with the cliche phrases of “Be Mine” and “U are 2 cute.” We’d pass them around to each and every person in the room. When these cards of affection were given to a special someone (before there was text-messaging) passing notes was the only transportation of secret information, and this was a sure way to get a crush notified.

Because of this, at the end of the day, I couldn’t wait to get home and find that certain someone’s valentine. Though it was quite childish back then, I felt like I actually had a valentine to call my own.

Except throughout the years I learned that Valentine’s Day no longer consisted of kids passing around little folded rectangles to each other but rather, more geared towards the love we know and grow into as adults. Unlike everyone else over the years, I spent most of Feburary 14ths without a valentine. Thererfore I began to despise Valentine’s Day for what it truly was; a silly excuse for love.

Although just recently, I began to disregard that feeling and realized that just because I don’t have a valentine on Valentine’s Day, doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the wonderful day of love. Just like a piece of chocolate candy, Valentine’s Day may be gooey like the caramel center, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the candy as a whole.

Valentine’s Day comes and goes every year and while many still disapprove of the adoration of young couples everywhere, I will finally be one of the romantics enjoying some nice chocolates and smelling the roses.

36

In a Pickle W

hen I was a kid, I remember how watching Rugrats was something my mom was never particularly fond of, namely, because of Angelica’s “sass.”

So recently, when my mom kept saying “no” to something I kept asking for, and when she finally told me to ask my dad, I retaliated with “No! If one parent says no to something, then you can’t ask the other for it! Angelica did that on Rugrats and got in trouble.” I scoffed, “And you thought she was a bad influence on me.”

It turns out that the muchloved show from my childhood taught me a lot of other things that still come in handy today.

Remember the episode where Angelica’s parents told her they were going to have a baby?

(Angelica seems to be the one I learned the most lessons from.)

And then she had that terrifying nightmare that started with her parents forgetting her, and her baby brother eating her?

Lessons: A) baby siblings don’t actually eat you, but more importantly, B) your parents could never forget you, and C) having younger siblings, although they can drive you absolutely insane, is a blessing.

The second lesson is something I am well aware of (and I suppose the first one, too, since I’ve never been eaten) since I have three younger siblings.

Rugrats also taught me not to be practical all the time, as well as to be appropriately realistic.

| opinion |

And out again column | Marissa Sipes In the episode when the Pickles’ TV breaks, the babies start pretending to have their own shows. Sometimes, we need to allow imagination to trump reality. And it’s always better to go out and live your own life rather than watching someone else pretend to live out theirs on the supposedly glorious, so-called reality TV. Rather than “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” go out for coffee and keep up with your friends.

One last lesson, learned from (guess who?) Angelica. This was actually one of her few shining moments. When the babies’ new friend, Josh, turns out to be a worse bully than Angelica,

she fights back for the babies, declaring that only she can pick on them. Okay, so maybe that dulls the heartfelt moment a bit, but it’s still shinier than most.

The lesson here is to not only stand up for family and loved ones, but to stand up for the things that you care about.

I t ’s m y l i f e profile | Brent Weber

photo | Ryan Haas

Junior Alex Quintane tells about his love of football What is your most favorite thing in the world and why?

“Sports. [It’s the] relationships you have with the coaches and players.”

What is your favorite sport and why?

“Football, I love the emotion of the game.”

What is your favorite fooball team and why?

“Buccaneers, I fell in love with them when they first won the Super Bowl.”

What is your favorite memory of the football season?

“Beating Minot in the state semi-final.”

What is your favorite part of Century High School?

“The pride we have as a school.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“Coach or teacher. The relationship I have had with my coach because he is like the father figure I have never had.”

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Careers Start in High School Brooke Steffes CHS Class of 1994

When Brooke graduated from Century, she wasn’t ready for more school. She wanted to start working. So she did — and it was an office-support class she took at CHS that helped guide her into her career. Brooke works in the Human Resources Department at Montana-Dakota Utilities in Bismarck, where she helps our employees maximize their benefit plans and career-development goals.

Your future starts in school. We look forward to meeting again.

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