Track and Field Variety

CMR track athletes warm-up and compete in various events. Photos by Isabel Foley. As a freshman, Hunter Goad has thrown himself into the events of javelin and discus. Currently, Goad competes exclusively in javelin, until he expands his practice in discus. The thrower joined track along with many of his friends, which has heightened his team aspect. Goad HUNTER GOAD is spending his time this year improving his form, which he says is hard for him to figure out. Ever since 7th grade, sophomore Aliyah Yassin has spent her time in track competing in the events of long jump and javelin. A track season can be tough on athletes, but staying in shape YASSIN and in good health is important. “I try to H go to the gym and lift. I make sure that I eat right and drink water,” Yassin said. There is always room for improvement, and Yassin recognizes that ALIYA she wishes to improve on her long jump strategy through her steps. In his senior year, Anthony Rodden is working diligently to both prove his hard work and acknowledge his teammates when they show their own progress. R o d d e n looks at the positive side of disappointment. “If you have a bad meet then you have a bad ONY RODDEN

meet. You always Hcan PR from that and get better,” Rodden said. “You never want to focus on the bad things. When you focus ANT on the bad things it starts to go downhill.”

TRACK & FIELD TRACK & FIELD

by Kerrigan Edwards, editor in chief

“I have b e e n doing track since my freshman year so technically this is my second year o f track,” says Christain Buhler, a junior competing in events such as the 100 meter, the 200 meter, the 1 by 4 relay, the 4 by 4 relay, and pole vaulting. To prepare for his events, Buhler spends his time at the gym. “I do bodybuilding so I focus on that before track season comes around and then when track is closer I start doing more power related workouts,” Buhler said. “I have been doing track since my freshman LER year so H technically this is my second year of track,” says Christain Buhler, a junior competing in events such as the 100 meter, the 200 meter, the 1 by 4 relay, the 4 by 4 relay, and pole vaulting. To prepare for his events, Buhler spends his time at the gym. “I do bodybuilding so I focus on that before RISTIAN BU

track season comes H around and then when track is closer I start C doing more power related workouts,” Buhler said. Ava Mckamey spends her in-season time preparing herself extensively to compete in the 200, short relay, and the 100. Through squats, box jumps, and deadlifts, the junior is building her stamina. Self care throughout the season remains important to Mckamey. “I ice my legs every AVA MCKAMEY night and eat a lot more protein and fiber,” she said. “I carbo load the night before a track meet, and then I eat a lot of bananas and banana smoothies the day of the meet.” Benjamin Skaer, a high jumper, is committing himself to track his junior year and developing stronger relationships with his coaches, and fellow teammates. “You get a real sense of family in our program, Skaer said. The jumper makes note of how practice and meets become more enjoyable because of this unified team element. Skaer BENJAMIN SKAER keeps himself healthy by stretching, and is working on adapting to obstacles that may face him.

JARACZESKI: “WE HAVE TO SHOW A WILLINGNESS TO INVEST IN OURSELVES”

by Taylor Willmarth, editor Senior Luke Jaraczeski was on a trip to Southern California when he saw an extensive network of bike lanes and pathways far superior to those in his hometown. “I thought it was pretty cool that you could bike and walk right from your house to a coffee shop, grocery store, school or park with ease,” Jaraczeski said. “From there, I couldn’t help but learn all about zoning codes, and how city planners rebuild urban cores and the opportunity they have to create economic growth through targeted public investments.” Jaraczeski, who will attend Montana State University in Bozeman to study civil engineering, is interested in a career in planning because he wants to have an impact on the efficiency and efficacy of societal infrastructure. “City planners decide where new housing or commercial buildings go. They design roads, intersections, and pathways to help connect people to businesses,” he said. “A poorly planned city is spread out and difficult to navigate. A well planned city offers multiple ways to get around, beit by car, bike, or on foot, and is efficient at the same time.” Jaraceski said that city planners face many challenges, such as the impacts of climate change, the ongoing housing affordability crisis, and the increasing traffic congestion in cities nationwide.He believes that Great Falls needs drastic change to become more appealing to young people, and that the community needs to be more welcoming to change. “School and park bonds and other large projects always run into intense headwinds from people in our community,” he said. “For example, the city is currently on track to build a new recreation center, and immediately people were against the building of the facility. Much of this has to do with misinformation that is spread on the internet from unreliable sources with a large following locally.” Jaraczeski also believes that community leaders need to be willing to take more risks on projects and be willing to drive change. He supports the idea of improving and updating downtown Great Falls, which he believes will end up boosting local business in the area. Jaraczeski attends city commission meetings to learn about changes that are coming to the community, and to share his ideas with local leaders. He has a special interest in the development of more bike lanes because of the substantial impact he believes they would have on the community. “Bike lanes are very cheap and easy to install on roadways, and they have many benefits such as slowing traffic, reducing accidents and pollution, and extending the life of roads,” he said. “Adding bike lanes would help show that we value health, and they would place a continued emphasis on the importance of the River’s Edge Trail in our community.”

Photo courtesy of Luke Jaraczeski. Young people need to reset constituent focus from national to local politics

by Taylor Willmarth, editor At the nation’s founding following the American War of Independence, the However, decisions made in Helena, Bismarck, Cheyenne, and other widespread sentiment regarding a strong central government was hostile. state capitals are equally important and deserve abundant attention. The ability for a government to become a black hole of power was fresh in With the disappearance of local newspapers and the increasing number of the minds of young leaders, and they were determined to avoid any form news deserts nationwide, coverage of city halls across the country is in a of autocracy. downward spiral. The Constitution was penned to allot only select powers It’s essential to the success of our country that to the federal government, and reserve most decisions of impact to be decided locally. Yet, as history has marched “Young people this dangerous trend is reversed, and young people are uniquely positioned to address this issue. Our on, once very independent and unique states have grown should support generation has not only the ability to support candidates increasingly closer. As a result, the power of the national government has grown exponentially and focus nationwide local journalists and legislation that emphasize the importance of local politics, but to be the very candidates driving the has centered on those in positions of federal power. with a passion for change. This situation is grave as local and state leaders govern many of the day-to-day aspects of our lives. in-depth coverage Young people should support local journalists with a passion for in-depth coverage of local issues. We can Mayors, commissioners, and state legislators are equally of local issues.” demand a public education in our state that teaches accountable to the people as representatives in the national students about the inner workings of local government government, yet they go largely unchecked by their and informs them about the ways they can get involved. constituents today. This issue is equidistant from both political parties, and it will require A key reason for the lack of constituent focus on local government is that bipartisan support to make change. Above all, it requires passionate young the media focus is largely geared toward the national government. Large people to educate their peers, and leaders from older generations to nurture national media firms are financially equipped to deliver high quality and an accountable political environment that is more true to the vision of the engaging coverage of events occurring in Washington. founders of this country.

Hub Insurance under construction between Park Drive South and River Drive South, across from Broadwater Bay. Photo by Justin Bollich.

17 Electric City

BENEFIS WOMENS HEALTHCARE

STUDENTS SHARE THEIR WISHES FOR GREAT FALLS

by Justin Bollich, staff writer Students have very mixed opinions on the appeal of Great Falls to younger people with most being mixed or negative. CMR student Ruthann Stinar said, “[I like Great Falls] because it’s very small and easy to get around, [but] there’s not a lot of stuff to do.” However, student Colt Lalonde said, “Great Falls is a small town, with not much to do, unless you’re someone who likes the outdoors a lot, a very outdoorsy person. But besides that we have very little to do socially, unless you get creative.” However a few seem to enjoy living here, and while some didn’t have much negative to say, most did want some improvements made. “I think if we added a little more recreation [Great Falls] could be [more appealing,]” said Catherine Giammateo, and Victoria Ocana said, “[Great falls is appealing] because we have a lot of hometown businesses, like farmers and stuff.” While many of the students say Great Falls isn’t very appealing for younger people, some said it is appealing to other ages. Flynn Fuller said, “I would probably say it’s more appealing for older people, like the workforce. It’s not really appealing for young people because there isn’t much to do here, but for the workforce it definitely is.” Many students enjoy the downtown area of Great Falls. Cathrine said, “I really enjoy downtown, especially the music stores, and I like going to bookstores,” Ruthann said, “I like going downtown, and I also like going up to the airport and just looking out on the city.” Others talked about the relatively small size of the city, mentioning the ease of navigation. Colt said, “I think the [best] part of Great Falls is it’s not packed. You try to go someplace and it’s not as busy, as some of those other cities, where you have to wait in traffic. It’s easy to get places [in Great Falls] and it’s kind of quiet.” Others still, enjoy the various businesses we have around town. Flynn said, “There is the bowling alley, there isn’t much, but there is a few things here and there, and we do have a coldstone.” There were also a range of ideas on how the city could be improved from the students, many talked about businesses they want to see in Great Falls. “I think [we need] something that brings young people into the city, not just the workforce.” Flynn said, and Ruthann said, “[I think] if we had more teen friendly areas, like arcades or laser tag places, then it would be a lot easier to hang out with people.” TOWN PUMP CAR WASH ON 10TH AVE S

Various buildings under construction shown above and below. Photos by Justin Bollich. Downtown murals show floral patterns and other designs. Photos by Stacy Bollich.

WORKING ON A MURAL

ANNABELLE MORSE

PEYTON PREMO

ALANA CAMP Beginning journalists create pages for publication in INTRODUCTION

Introduction to Journalism is a class offered mainly to freshmen and sophomores who want to get involved with The Stampede Newspaper or The Russellog Yearbook later in their high school career. Students learn to use and operate design software, conduct research and interviews, and produce a quality product in a timely manner. They also study journalistic history and are encouraged to keep up with local, state, and national news. Beth Britton, who advises the yearbook and newspaper classes, also teaches the course. She encourages students to be aware of what is happening in their classes, and to always be listening for potential stories. “There is so much going on at CMR that we miss,” Britton said. “There is really no excuse for it because journalism students are all over the building everyday. There is so much that needs to be heard.” Melody Lake, 9, says that she has enjoyed learning about how to incorporate colors into her work and determine which color combinations fit together best. “My favorite project was when we designed pages about national parks,” she said. “I got to learn about the park and how to incorporate nature and its colors into a theme.” Ireland Osentowski, 9, has enjoyed becoming less dependent on instructor assistance as the year progresses. “I’ve enjoyed being able to be independent and show my skills in writing and editing.”

MORGAN LAMEY

CHAYSE SEABURG

AALIYAH THORNTON TO JOURNALISM

by Taylor Willmarth, editor

IRELAND OSENTOWSKI KAYDI TAYLOR

MELODY LAKE AIYANA GUERTTMAN

KEIRA RICHARDS JACK SPARKS

THE STAFF PREPARES FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE 2021 RUSSELLOG YEARBOOK

by Ireland Osentowski, Morgan Lamey, and Melody Lake, intro students While the year progresses towards its end, with that becomes the publication of the Russellog 2021 yearbook. The staff has been working their hardest to make the school yearbook be a good experience for all of the students of C.M. Russell highschool. Not only did the staff create a yearbook, they also created relationships and memories to last a lifetime. “Being able to create something that you and other students will have for the rest of their life really allows me to use my creativity to my best ability,” Taylor Kolsh, a Russellog staff member, said. “I’m really excited to distribute the fi nal product and put a smile on students’ faces,” Business Manager Kaetlyn Zuris said. Madi George, editor-in-chief, said she loved making the theme and templates for the book this year. The three of them have all made close relationships with each other,

and people in their classes. They enjoy being together and working while having the ability to create something from scratch. Beth Britton, the yearbook teacher, has been a great support during completion and publication of the book. Though they are having fun with what they are doing, they are learning skills that can be used throughout life. Time management, confi dence in what they do, public speaking, and staying consistent to a theme teaches the staff responsibility. “Keep an eye out for the 2021 yearbook and what is to come,” said business manager Katelyn Zuris.

Yearbook EIC Madi George and staff fi nalize pages for the 2021 spring supplement. Photo by Melody Lake.

The serious life of CMR’s SRO

by Morgan Lamey, intro student When it comes to handing out tickets to high school students, School Resource Offi cer Nick Taylor said he only has to on average three times a month. He said that the main tickets he gives to teenagers involve disorderly conduct for fi ghts and drug offenses; other tickets that he sees often are runaway and traffi c tickets. A lot of kids approach Taylor with problems from inside and outside of school, and he said that the outside of school cases are the most diffi cult because they sometimes involve sexual harassment, rape, and homicide. Perhaps the hardest one, which Taylor said is actually a noncriminal offense, is teenage suicide. Taylor spoke about how working with teens is better and easier than working with adults. “Teenagers in general are moldable,” he said. “Kids take life lessons more seriously.” Taylor said that adults usually go to jail then continue to go back and make the same mistakes, while kids will go once and try to learn from it and not make the mistake again. He said he tries his hardest to not take kids into custody because he wants to give them a chance to learn from their mistakes before it goes that far. If you could get the Have you ever been vaccine, would you? We asked the freshman tested for COVID?

No Yes Honors English classes via No Yes 43% 57% Google form, their thoughts 38% 62% on Covid-19 vaccine.

by Ireland Osentowski, intro student

As Covid-19 vaccines are opening up for older teenagers, it becomes necessary to question whether we should get it or not. Introduction to Journalism student Ireland Osentowski asked fi fty-six freshman honors english students about the vaccine and if they have been tested. Overall, the results were fairly even, but more people decided that they want the vaccine. A majority of the students have been tested as well, and everyone knows someone who has been vaccinated. There were different opinions on whether or not to get it as well. “I’m young, [healthy, and] I’ve been around a lot of people who’ve had it, and I’m still alive. If I have to take it just to participate in sports and stuff then I will,” Annalie Young said. “Otherwise, I’m not getting tested and I’m not getting the vaccine.” On the contrary, other students said that protecting vulnerable people is the priority. “It’s my responsibility as a young, healthy teen to get the vaccine so I can protect those with compromised immune systems or pre-existing conditions,” Julian Cantu said. When vaccinations become available for younger students, it is important to research what is best for themselves.

Tokyo Olympic Changes

in the eyes of an athlete

by Melody Lake, intro student As most people know due to the Coronavirus pandemic the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games were postponed to 2021. Lots of people includeing myself are interested in the changes that might affect the olympic athletes. The Tokyo 2021 Olympics have been scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8, and with that comes some COVID-19. While athletes aren’t being required to get the vaccine there are other protocols that the athletes are required to follow such as prevalent testing, less spectators and no international visitors to spectate. Masks and social distancing will also be enforced. As an athlete and a person, I understand these protocols are there to protect and ensure the safety and health of the athletes and people, but some protocols are sad for me to think about. The Olympics are not allowing international spectators and fans. This means that no families of the international athletes will be allowed to watch. I know for me to compete to my best ability I have to have a good audience to motivate me to do my best. With fewer spectators this means less hype other than the energy you can make for yourself. All I can hope for is that this year the athletes will be able to do their best in Tokyo and continue to train hard as they have for the past year even through a pandemic.