S The Stampede
Stampede -- 9.21.17
WHAT’S INSIDE
C. M. Russell High School Great Falls, MT September 21, 2017 Vol. 53 Issue 1 www.rustlernews.com
4 How the construction will affect CMR’s student body
An open forum for student expression since 1965
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A look into the new football season and school traditions
Drama department preps for Homecoming and a show
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TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
OPINION
5 -- Clara’s column, fire troubles
Features
6-7 -- Rustler sports traditions 8 -- Hibbert’s new class, Dart returns 9 -- Foreign exchange students, student tutoring
The Stampede
2017-2018 Staff editor-in-chief Mackenzie George editorial board Emily Cappis Clara McClain Quincy Schmechel online editor Gabrielle Pope photo editor Julia Gremaux photographer Sophie Aron
staff writers Grace Carr McKenzie Connell Callan Garner Chloe Geary Sophie Kluge Maygie Li Austin McIntosh Gauthier Paget JJ Slater Quinn Soltesz Holly Spragg Kaylebb Stahmer
adviser Beth Britton principal Kerry Parsons
Cover photo by Sophie Aron. On Sept. 13, CMR shovels hit the dirt in the groundbreaking ceremony that marked the start of construction of the new multipurpose facility.
10 -- Wonder Woman, bucket list books, IT movie
myStampede #WHEREIREAD 11
SPORTS
11 -- Quincy’s column, smoke affecting athletes, sports briefs
In the hustle and bustle of construction, sophomore McKenzie Connell kicks back on a CAT outside the fieldhouse on Sept. 19.
BACK PAGE
Each month, CMR students have the opportunity to be featured in the Stampede. It’s easy! Show us where you read YOUR Stampede by taking the latest issue to your favorite place around Great Falls (or some other exotic location). Snap a photo and direct message it to @RustlerNews on Twitter. We’ll pick our favorite and include it here each month.
12 -- Crosstown soccer kicks off on new Memorial Stadium turf
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EDITORIAL POLICY The Stampede -- produced by journalism classes at C.M. Russell High School -- is a public forum for all voices on campus. These voices include the students, parents, faculty and the community at large. The opinions and views in this publication are not necessarily those of the Stampede staff, the student body, CMR employees or the school administration. The Stampede strives to cover the news accurately and fairly; however, when a mistake is made, a correction will be printed in the following issue. All writers are responsible for the content of their articles. Editors will edit all copy to be free of plagiarism and libel, and all writers will double-check their facts before publication. Letters to the editor and guest essays are welcome. Letters are limited to 200 words, and essays 350 words. All
Editor-in-Chief
The Stampede staff strives to produce a publication that is relevant to the CMR student body while maintaining journalistic standards. We help to provide a free exchange of ideas and establish a student voice in the school community.
ENTERTAINMENT
MackenzieGeorge
C. M. Russell High School Great Falls, MT September 21, 2017 Vol. 53 Issue 1 www.rustlernews.com
3 -- Emily’s column, Ayana Gray, Key Club, Rustler Beginnings, loss of teachers 4 -- Construction begins
submissions must be signed and include a phone number so authenticity can be verified. The editors and/or adviser reserve the right to edit all letters for grammar and spelling as well as content that may include profanity, be libelous, obscene or not meet general editorial guidelines. Anonymous letters are not accepted. Submissions can be dropped off in room 326 or e-mailed to: stampede@gfps. k12.mt.us. The Stampede maintains membership in the National Scholastic Press Association, the Montana Journalism Education Association, the Journalism Education Association and Quill and Scroll. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/KRT Campus High School Newspaper Service.
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As time speeds by, nostalgia levels hit a new high My mom, sister, a family friend, and I took a trip to California this summer to look at colleges. We rented a car and drove everywhere: Santa Cruz, Palo Alto, Davis, Sacramento. That meant a lot of time spent in the car, and a lot of time to talk. Our friend is Seattle-based, very smart, outspoken. She’s had a tough year in more than one aspect of her life. But we were coming off a day at the beach. We’d soaked up the sun, ran in the waves, and eaten greasy food from the boardwalk. It had been a good day. In the car, the conversation was light -- at first. We talked about college and an impending trip to Seattle. Gradually, though, the conversation grew heavier to the point of discomfort. It became clear that rather than enjoy our road trip, she preferred to rehash issues that were relevant months ago. She was reliving the past, asking unanswerable questions, and forgetting to appreciate where we were now. I’ve been guilty of this, of course. Haven’t we all? I catch myself in a moment of happiness and am suddenly thrust into another memory. Instead of celebrating what I have, I try to go back to what used to be. It’s a surefire way to miss out on the current experience and lose even more time. There are only eight meets in our cross country season.
But they used to terrify me. Once Wednesday rolled around, I started mentally preparing for those three miles, looming still three days away. I can’t fathom how many fun high school experiences I have taken for granted worrying about something that would last less than half an hour. There are few places I’d rather be in the fall than at CMR. I can’t picture a better spot on Friday nights than under Memorial Stadium’s lights with my friends. Homecoming week fills me with a sense of pride that I have yet to find anywhere else. Why would I spend time worrying about something as trivial as running when I have opportunities like these? The race, after all, is just 20 minutes of the entire cross country experience. By focusing on the challenge of the run, the light-hearted memories of pasta parties, team bonding, popsicle runs, and water balloon fights were clouded with worry. But this season, I found myself anticipating our meets with excitement. It brightened the other aspects of the sport as well. This year, I’ve made a promise to myself. I will not focus on the “lasts” of senior year. I won’t worry about the fact that soon I won’t be in the student section anymore. Instead, I will do my best to enjoy my final go-around at this school. There are times to look ahead to the future, and there are moments when it is OK to remember the past, but senior year is a time to enjoy the present.
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September 21, 2017 rustlernews.com
Teacher loss affects students’ schedules
NEWS BRIEFS
Key Club gets new advisor by Grace Carr, staff writer CMR Key Club will continue thanks to business teacher Jessica Goosen, who has officially taken over as the club’s advisor. Goosen says one of her students brought it to her attention that the club was looking for an advisor. “I have a BPA student who was worried about the future of the club, and she kept encouraging me to lead it,” she said. Goosen volunteered to be the next advisor of Key Club, following in the footsteps of CMR physics teacher Mike Lathrop. “I’m looking forward to working and getting out there,” she said. Goosen is still learning about the club and her main duties as its
advisor. She is excited to volunteer and support the community. “I noticed the club numbers have been low, and I would like to bring them back up,” she said. “I want to build on what Lathrop did.” One of Goosen’s main goals for the club this year is to keep the club running and thriving. The Key Club members are known to run concessions at sporting events, feed the float building volunteers, and volunteer for other community events. Goosen, who has been at CMR since 2008, is also the advisor of BPA and the CMR business department leader. For information on how to get involved, see Goosen in room 231.
At the start of the 2017-2018 school year, freshmen were not the only students who arrived at school while the sun was still rising. On Aug. 30, all students at CMR were required to arrive at 8:05 a.m., marking the end of Rustler Beginnings, which began in 2010. In previous years, sophomores, juniors and seniors were not required to come to school until noon. The tradition ended this year when a problem was raised with the school bus drivers. According to Assistant Principal Paul Soldano, it “was a stress” on the bus drivers to make two separate trips in order to bring kids to school at two different times. “We were to told to work with the bus company,” he said. They came up with a plan to remove Rustler Beginnings and instead have all students arrive
together. This had an effect on some freshmen. “I don’t think it was a big deal,” said CMR freshman, Jayme Ingalls. “But I know a lot of freshmen were intimidated by the upperclassmen.” The freshman class did not have the opportunity to tour the building by themselves. “I didn’t feel like we got a very good orientation,” she said. “The tours were short and there was a lot of talking.” Great Falls High School did not remove Bison Beginnings, according to Principal Heather Hoyer. “We continued to do Bison Beginnings because we did away with teams,” she said. “We wanted a way to have freshmen feel safe and welcome before 1400 students hit the hallway.”
Editorial Board
Rustler Beginnings comes to an end
Emily Cappis
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by Sophie Kluge and Chloe Geary, staff writers time due to improper scheduling,” Lowry said. C. M. Russell High School is home to more than The main thing that she l has noticed is having 1,400 students. With a school this big, it takes a many more classes at capacity. lot of teachers to instruct the kids inside. Due to “This year, we have no more art workshop last year’s budget cuts, the school experienced a seats, a lot of financial tech classes are full. Nearly total loss of 7.5 full-time teaching positions. That every senior English class in the morning is full. has impacted the school in many ways, including There are more classes of 30 kids than I think an increase in class size, decrease in available we ever had, which will obviously impact the elective classes, and more scheduling issues for instruction and the learning environment,” Lowry the counseling department. said. A new face to CMR, Not only is it difficult to get Ashley Koch, is the into classes because they’re scheduling clerk in the full, it’s also been a challenge counseling department. She to schedule students into all the began her job in May. classes they’re interested in. “Some of the classes “There are more classes we have definitely seen are only able to offer during a changes due to the loss of singular period. This causes teachers we experienced students to have to choose one last year. The ones that I’ve Sarah Sylva mixes paints for her water color class over another. That really noticed a particular amount painting in Art Workshop on Friday, Sept. 15. limits their ability to experience of change are the fine arts Photo by Chloe Geary. all the classes and subjects that departments. Art Workshop 1-2, Culinary Arts, they were hoping to,” Lowry said. those are the types of classes that are more likely Single period classes are becoming a problem to be at capacity,” she said. for students, as well. Senior Natalie Carr knows When a class is “at capacity,” it means that what it feels like to have to choose between it most likely has 30 students in it. The capacity classes in her schedule. rates change in some business classes, where “I’ve had a few problems with scheduling. Two capacity is 24, or some shop classes, which can extracurriculars offered one period a day, during have only 18 students at a time. the same period. I understand that’s just the way “The counselors keep on top of everything the system works, though. And I’ve had to come surrounding individual scheduling issues. They in every year during the day in the summer to really help with making sure students have all the change my schedule,” Carr said. classes that they need. The counselors are great Carr also resorted to taking Financial Tech at what they do,” Koch said. online because of scheduling issues. Counseling Department Leader Brenda Lowry “I’ve been trying to get into financial tech has also seen an impact in the school with the since sophomore year. Because I didn’t get put in loss of teachers. sophomore or junior year I decided to just take the “As a counseling department, I think that class online. That wasn’t the best. I had to pay for everyone has noticed a change in the availability it, and I had to work around deadlines. But it was of classes. The options for class changes is less better than being stuck in a class of juniors and than we, as a school, have become accustomed sophomores for a whole semester,” she said. to,” Lowry said. Overall the scheduling for this year has been Even though class size has increased, Lowry more difficult than the school is used to due to the says that the ability for students to graduate on loss of teachers. time has not been affected. “There has been an impact. However, “We are still able to get students the classes everybody banded together to help out, to make they need for graduation. We have not experienced schedules and classes continue at a high quality,” scenarios where kids are unable to graduate on Koch said.
Senior editor advises freshmen to get involved at CMR I remember my first day of high school like it seriously was yesterday. I was completely and utterly terrified, ready to call my mom to come get me at any moment. I walked in the door, and almost immediately was called a “freshie” multiple times. The five-minute passing period was almost useless as it took me at least 10 to find my next class, and try not to make a fool of myself meandering through the hallway. I used to scream at friends passing in the hallway just to say hi, something I now regret deeply. This was my daily routine for about the first month and a half then eventually I wasn’t lost anymore, and I stopped yelling at my friends in passing. I got a little taller so I no longer looked so small, yet now as a senior I look more like a freshman than I did three years ago.
The point of this column is to assure you all that it gets easier. It may seem hard to believe now in your first semester, but the scared feeling in your stomach that you may feel today will go away with time. High school is truly such a small part of your life -- in a few years this won’t really matter. So my advice to all incoming freshmen is to enjoy the Friday night lights, spirit wars with Great Falls High School, and school activities, including drama and music performances, various athletic competitions, and the many clubs CMR has to offer. Show school spirit every opportunity you have and every chance to “drop in low” during prom. High school is the part of life which you go through phases, friends, relationships, and everything in between.
The four years between high school and graduation is the time for growing up and discovering yourself. Let yourself be discovered! One regret I have while I was in high school was being someone who people wanted me to be, instead of who I wanted to be. I let people decide who I was, and I wish I didn’t allow people to control me like that the last three years. My last piece of advice for incoming Rustlers is to surround yourself with people who make you happy and support you as much as humanly possible. As a student who will be leaving a lot sooner than I want to think about, I wish all new students the best. I hope you enjoy your time at CMR and learn a lot the next four years because they go by faster than you can imagine.
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September 21, 2017 rustlernews.com
News
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Coach’s corner
Students & staff acclimate to construction
by Gabrielle Pope, online editor CMR teacher and basketball coach Brian Crosby describes the construction going on around the school as a necessary evil. “For about a year of displacement, what we are going to get, between the STEM building and the added gym space, they are going to be well worth it,” Crosby said. He compared the construction CMR is undergoing to a remodeling of a house. “I can live with it, yeah it stinks walking through mud and things like that, but it also is what it is,” Crosby said. “People that have ever lived through a remodel of their home probably know exactly what we’re getting into.” He said that the noise of the construction right below his room was more distracting at the beginning of the year when the windows were all open because it was hotter outside, but he said that himself along with the classes get used to it after a few minutes and it becomes “white noise” in a classroom setting. “It distracted me a couple times. I was like oooh what’s that, that’s a loud machine, and poke my head out the window; but it’s like that all the time. Especially for me, I don’t concentrate very well sometimes,” Crosby said. He knows that there are inconveniences with parking by the gym and the mud and things like that, but Crosby thinks that this time next year, we won’t remember the minute disruptions we have to go through this year and that we will just be excited to have new buildings on our campus. As a basketball coach, it is reassuring for Crosby to know that when the new gym is done, that his players won’t have to do excess traveling for practices because of the lack of gym space on one campus. “It will be really nice for our kids for a couple of reasons. One I’ve always thought it was a danger to bus our kids to West. And kids will drive themselves if they don’t want to ride the bus. I get it, people drive places, but between basketball and track we have our kids driving all around town at a busy time of day when they really don’t need to be; they could be here. It’s one less potential accident, which is my biggest thing. And this way there’s no disruption to West Elementary either; with our kids coming in after school, there’s just a lot of headaches with that,”
Crosby said. Junior Megumi Belcher thinks that the construction in general can just be a headache. “It’s more just an inconveniences. I mean I know where they’re coming from. It is just kind of hard to get around,” Belcher said. And when she says “hard to get around” she means literally difficult to get around. Megumi used to spend her 30-minute lunch walking to the Sam’s Club to grab herself a quick lunch before going back to class. With the construction directly in the path to get to Sam’s Club from CMR, she would either have to walk around it all or just find another place to eat lunch. And that’s exactly what she did. “They probably could’ve provided a way through it, so you wouldn’t have to drive all the way around it,” she said. “Really it is just an irritation, so I’ve resulted in eating school lunches instead.” “Honestly, I’m not personally benefiting from any of the new building so I’m kind of more excited for it all to be over with, but I understand where everyone else is coming from,” Belcher said.
On Aug. 28, construction continued at CMR while students were on summer vacation. Photo by Beth Britton.
by Austin McIntosh, staff writer With all the construction underway, one building may fix many of Aaron Jensen’s problems. The multipurpose facility is going to provide adequate practice space for Jensen and his wrestling team. “I think it’s gonna be a huge step forward,” Jensen said. Jensen said that now every athlete will be able to participate in practice because of all the space to hold the mats. With the new gym being built, teams like volleyball and basketball that are played indoors are going to have more room to practice without interfering with other sports.
Currently, the wrestling team practices in the overcrowded gym. According to Jensen, wrestling kids have had to practice on the balcony, which can cause safety issues or even injuries. Jensen went on to thank the community who came through and voted to pass the bond. Jensen, who teaches US History has coached the wrestling team at CMR for 10 years and continues to coach with pride, and hopes that this will be the career he has for the rest of his life.
One Groundbreaking Day
Kerry Parsons, Mackenzie George, Jayson Ingalls, and Nico Sanchez. Photo by Sophie Aron.
by Holly Spragg, staff writer On Sept. 13, CMR witnessed the start of something that has been in the making for many years -- the new multipurpose building is finally being started. The gym was filled with the music of the pep band, and teachers in matching T-shirts lined the bleachers. next to community leaders and guests. The FCS department provided those in attendance with snacks such as cupcakes and lemonade. Principal Kerry Parsons called the gathering to order to start this new addition to the school. Superintendent of Great Falls Public Schools Tammy Lacey thanked many people and expressed her excitement for the new facility. “I am downright giddy,” Lacey said, adding that she is a CMR graduate and is excited to see the improvements to her alma mater She spoke about the efforts
of the people who participated in “Yes for Great Falls Kids” while the bond was still being debated. Lacey also thanked companies that had the courage to publicly support the school bond. Some of these agencies were the Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and the Great Falls Tribune editorial board. Other members of the community that had a great deal to do with the bond joined CMR for the groundbreaking Jan Cahill, the GFPS board chair was there along with assistant superintendent of secondary schools Tom Moore and assistant superintendant for K-6 Ruth Uecker. Tables were lined with green and gold hardhats that were given to individuals who took part in the first shoveling of dirt. Student Body president Nico Sanchez, was in the front of the line to start the dig. “I hope that in this new building people will take advantage of it,” said Sanchez about what he hopes comes from this new addition to CMR. He wants more room for the students to reach their full potential. “Go Rustlers!” was all Sanchez said to bring the afternoon to a close.
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FIRE Los Angeles Times/MCT
THE SITUATION
by McKenzie Connell, staff writer Over the course of this year’s fire season, one million acres have burned (KRTV.com), including buildings and national park property. The Sperry Chalet in Glacier National Park was lost on Aug. 31. Due to the drought that more than half of Montana is in, the fires have continued. The smoke levels across Montana have fluctuated throughout the season. Great Falls has had moderate smoke coverage, with a few “red” days in between. With the incoming storms and cool weather that winter brings, the mountains can receive enough snow to stop the fires and help those who fight them. Thanks to the the storms that came in on Sept. 14, the mountain passes have received snow. The estimated cost of this year’s fire damage in Montana is $21 million (KRTV.com). The total amount of acreage surpassed the record set in 2012.
Clara McClain
Editorial Board
Fires raged Sept. 2, at Seeley Lake. Photo by Mackenzie George.
September 21, 2017 rustlernews.com
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FLOOD Sun Sentinel/MCT
MEDIA COVERAGE NATURAL DISASTERS’ EFFECT
by Quinn Soltesz, staff writer Montanans are not used to seeing their state’s issues flash across the screen while they watch the national news. Occasionally something like a 5.8 magnitude earthquake or a political candidate body slamming a reporter grasps the nation’s attention for a few hours. While those things are somewhat important to Montanans, they pale in comparison to the tragic amount of damage that forest fires have done to the Treasure State this summer. This year’s fire season has been one of the worst on record, and is only just starting to slow down. Having already burned the amount of land equal to roughly the size of Rhode Island, many Montanans are wondering why our state’s dire situation has not been covered more by the national news. While I am concerned for the well-being of our state, I do not particularly care how much screen time we get. With hurricanes wreaking havoc in major cities and a constantly chaotic political climate, it makes sense that our state of only one million people would not be the center of the country’s attention. Media coverage is important for informing the public of a pressing concern. If that concern is something that directly affects them, then they will pay attention. If that concern is hundreds of miles away trapped in the middle of a state that is only known for being “cold,” then it doesn’t matter how much attention the media gives it. People simply won’t care. More coverage from national news networks will not improve our forest’s condition -only our government can do that.
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Selling of livestock due to insufficient grazing land 141 large, active fires over the summer consumed more than 1,103,252 across the Northwestern states • Extreme property damage to agricultural land, fencing, and hundreds of structures, including Sperry Chalet • Over $141 million worth of damage, $54 million of which was in Montana • Unhealthy and hazardous air quality throughout the state • Evacuations • 2 deaths of firefighters • Loss of wildlife and increased wildlife migration • 15 of Montana’s 56 counties under fire restrictions and in a state of crisis by Quincy Schmechel, editorial board
flood • • • •
Loss of animal and human life Loss of homes Loss of property like cars and boats Floods are the most expensive natural disasters (www.cheifscientist.com) • Can kill crop growth • No public transportation • High chance for waterborne sickness • Loss of electricity • From past experiences, the government’s response has been inadequate • To help rebuild parts of Texas alone, it will cost taxpayers around the country a total of $180bn (www.theguardian) • As of Aug. 28, more than 33,000 people were out of homes and in need of shelters (www.theguardian.com) • Could take 10 years to recover in Texas by Sophie Kluge, staff writer
Senior finds answers through the myth of Sisyphus We are all Sisyphus (the wisest human in Greek mythology who was cursed to push a boulder up a hill everyday for eternity) in that we are all tasked with completing the insurmountable each day, and are expected to do this for the rest of the foreseeable future. Each level of human existence can be related to the boulder Sisyphus must push up a hill, only for it to roll back down, forcing the process to begin again. Elementary school is the first boulder we encounter in the journey of human life in the United States. Every week we push that boulder up a little further than we did the week before and sometimes we slip and end up pushing harder than our classmates, resentment already building up in our naive minds. This is the first time I realized that life truly isn’t fair. I was breezing through elementary school with no worries and no real challenges, but I watched some of my classmates struggle to understand concepts that I felt I’d known my entire life. Then we manage to push the elementary boulder over the peak of the mountain only to find a bigger, slightly heavier-looking boulder sitting at the bottom of another mountain. And so we put our shoulders to this rock and go some more. But this mountain as a peak that we push the rock over as well. Except now there is a larger boulder sitting and the bottom of a steeper incline and it all seems pointless. Still we shoulder the weight and do what the government has deemed
necessary for us to be meaningful members of society. By the time senior year rolls around, it feels like we can see an end to this fruitless shoving. Until we realize that the summer after high school is only another small reprieve before another boulder is presented before us. This time it’s just in college and we’re working for a degree that will make the endless task of pushing another rock up the hills of life a little easier until, eventually the inevitable takes over and like everyone before and after us, we die. Now this can seem useless, but the one thing about being human is that we can choose how we look at life. I can’t avoid death, but I can choose to live my life happily until the day I eventually meet my maker. Once you choose to be happy, nothing can take that away from you. Yes I’ll have bad days and yes, sometimes the endless Sisyphean effort will feel pointless, but the great thing about life is realizing that you have a choice to how you react to it and no one and nothing can take that away from you. Push on: find things that make pushing that boulder worth it. Buy a dog so pushing becomes the reason you can provide for your tiny furry friend. Find something in this world that you can continue to push for. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it makes you happy. It can be internal or external, but it has to work. We are all Sisyphus, but like Sisyphus we can be happy in spite of our curse.
S Features
September 21, 2017 rustlernews.com
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Parambi leads students on the path to success, as others did for her “Gail is a great kid,” Davis said. “She’s in charge.” Meetings commence on Sept. 25 after school until around 4:30. The group plans to meet on Mondays. “As it expands, [we’d like to] get upperclassmen to help more. I do think it has the potential to help more than just freshmen,” Parambi said. Parambi is certainly qualified to assist others. Although she is just entering her second year at CMR, she is taking AP U.S. History, a class generally reserved for juniors. Parambi has already completed Honors Human Bio, Intro to Health Occupations, and Biology 1-2. She is on the honors track for math and English. But she’s quick to say that the other student tutors are just as prepared. “[They’ve] taken the honors math and English classes. A couple of them are in AP Bio right now,” Parambi said. “These kids are just really hard workers. “They’re very good teachers. Going through freshman year, I turned to them for advice a lot...I thought it might be a good idea to pass that down.”
Gray studies over the summer at Boston’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Clara McClain, editorial board Just days after summer break started for the CMR student body, senior Ayana Gray was on a plane headed for an intense six weeks of college instruction. She spent six weeks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Boston campus taking the physics, calculus 2, humanities, computer science, and bio chemistry courses with 73 other students from across the United States and one student from Mexico. “I had to go through a very intense application process in order to get in,” Gray said. She took this opportunity to look more closely at the campus and the academics offered at MIT to decide if she wants to apply to attend the university next fall. “[I fell] in love with the idea of college and freedom and being surrounded by students your own age 24/7. It made me realize all that MIT has to offer,” she said. Gray’s top three college choices; MIT, Harvard, and Boston University, are all in the BostonCambridge area, which she also fell in love with during her six weeks there. Traveling to Boston and just hanging out on campus with all the friends she made in her time there, was one of her favorite pastimes. “I’m too broke for the world, but they had some great stuff,” Gray said of shopping in Boston instead of Great Falls. As well as wandering the streets of Boston, the group traveled up to Maine for a day, where
Senior Ayana Gray spent six weeks at MIT’s campus in Boston over her summer break. She was there from June 10-July 21. taking part in an academic camp. Photo courtesy of Ayana Gray.
they spent time on the beach. “It was super fun, like they had an amusement park on the beach,” she said. In preparation for college, Gray is enrolled in an online mathematics course through MIT. Gray said she is looking forward to her life after high school, especially now that she has some experience living on her own in a dorm under her belt.
Science teacher Chris Hibbert lectures the Honors Chemistry class on Sept.12. Photos by Sophie Aron.
Chris Hibbert brings new flair to tough chemistry classes
by Emily Cappis, editorial board and Kaylebb Stahmer, staff writer Former chemistry teacher Karen Spencer might have retired from the science department last spring, but still is there for Chris Hibbert -- for advice and comic relief. “I text her everyday,” Hibbert said. This year, Hibbert is teaching the AP, Inorganic, and Organic chemistry courses. “My life has always been science,” he said. Hibbert is in his 12th year of teaching at CMR, to apply for his new position. “I had to show that I was qualified to teach [Chem] with my degree,” he said. Hibbert stepped down from teaching chemistry years ago to teach biology and geology. As need for three biology teachers dropped and need for another chemistry teacher occurred, Hibbert stepped up. He went back to teaching general chem, along with geology, last year. He is aware of the big shoes he has to fill. “I have a slightly different take on things [than Karen Spencer],” he said. Hibbert is excited for chance to teach something he hasn’t done since college. “I am looking forward to electrochemistry,” he said. Hibbert and Spencer may be different teachers, but there is no question about their passion for science. “Chemistry and higher level thinking, is one of the things I love, and am truly passionate about,” Hibbert said.
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My life has always been about
SCIENCE. Higher level thinking is one of the things I
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by Mackenzie George, editor-in-chief Gail Parambi remembers help from upperclassmen easing the transition from middle to high school. Despite being only a sophomore, Parambi is already starting to pay back the favor. Her new student-tutoring program kicks off on Sept. 25. “Going into high school...it can be an unfamiliar experience,” Parambi said. “I think that being able to interact with older kids and having those kids there made it easier for me to go through my first year. Just having a few people you can go to or just talk to about high school experiences I think could be really helpful for a lot of incoming freshmen.” Parambi enlisted the help of several friends, including sophomores Regan Bishop, Quinn Soltesz, and Andi Newbrough. They will work out of Jon Davis’ room, 319. Davis plans to supervise the group. “He’s being awesome with sort of overseeing the whole thing. It’s been wonderful to have his help,” Parambi said. Davis has no qualms about Parambi’s plan.
LOVE.
year
5 pm Monday - Friday 4 pm Saturday - Sunday
first impressions from gauthier paget
Located in Black Eagle 1800 Smelter Ave. 761-0300
BYOD
Bathe your own dog LLC
Doing nice things for others since 1965! For more information on the club, visit advisor Jessica Goosen in room 230.
If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities, this is the club for you!
Meets on Mondays in room 230 @ after school.
1100 Smelter Ave. NE 453-9963 Open Mon - Sat 9 am - 6 pm Sun 10 am - 4 pm
Boarding available
Montana is mostly really big and empty; it is a change from where I lived. In Montana we can see animals much easier, and for me I love the photography. It’s really cool. Why am I here? To learn the language and also to discover a new country and a new culture. I love my first impression of this new country, and I hope to have a lot of adventures. If you would like to be an exchange student, feel free to ask me any questions! I was not very good with English when I arrived, and I think it’s gotten better now.
spain
aizkorreta
When I arrived in Great Falls, I told myself “I’m here for 10 months, yes 10 months, very far from my family, my house, my country,” but my life is perfect if not for the language. I love my family. They are very nice and very open-minded, and I love that. We do a lot of things. Last weekend we went to a beautiful lake to tube, and it was really fun and so “sicccckkkk!” What I think about Great Falls, Montana, or the United States ? I love it. It’s really different from France.
daniel watkinson sweden
juan garcia mexico
For a few new students at CMR, attending an American high school has been an entirely new experience. This year at CMR, five junior exchange students are joining the Rustler family. The exchange students this year are Juan Carlos Garcia from Mexico, Daniel Watkinson from Sweden, Gauthier Paget from France, Vitor Rossato from Brazil and Celia Aizkorreta from Spain. Many plan to participate in extracurricular activities such as football, pep band and cross country. By the time their 10 months in the United States come to an end, they are hoping to improve their English and form friendships that will last a lifetime. If you’d like to read a first-person perspective about what it’s really like to study in another country, continue reading to find out what Gauthier Paget thinks so far about his time in Big Sky Country.
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by Sophie Aron, staff writer
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September 21, 2017 rustlernews.com
Features
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September 21, 2017 rustlernews.com
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DRAMATIC RUSTLERS 2017-2018
Wonder Woman
A superfan speaks out
by Clara McClain, editorial board The Wonder Woman movie that was released to theaters on June 2, 2017 has created a superfan out of me. I went to see the movie five separate times while it was playing at the AMC theater this summer. Obviously, I might be a little bit biased about the quality of the movie, but other than some cheesy lines that one must be prepared for in a superhero movie, I can’t find a fault within in this masterpiece. Gal Gadot brought Diana Prince to life in such a believable way that I’m not sure I’ll be able to see her as anyone else when she eventually branches out of the DC Comics cinematic universe. Diana Prince was the first female superhero to have her own movie since 2005. Elektra is such a niche movie however, that almost no one even knows what it is. So really, the last memorable “superhero” movie was 2004’s “Catwoman” played by Halle Berry, but I don’t think I would label Catwoman a superhero. Now millions of young girls have Wonder Woman to look up to like so many boys look up to SpiderMan or Batman. Never underestimate the power that female representation can have on the outlooks of young girls.
First production to hit stage Dec. 7
by McKenzie Connell, staff writer The CMR Drama Department’s first production of the 2017-2018 school year is the 1960’s thriller “Wait Until Dark.” “I’ve been waiting three or four years for the right people...we’re going to put on a lot of fun,” said department director Chris Evans. The play, which opened for the first time on Broadway in 1966 and was made into a film starring Audrey Hepburn in 1967, follows the adventure of a blind woman who is caught in a cat and mouse game with three bad guys. It is family friendly, while still similar to an Alfred Hitchcock film. It will keep the audience on the edge of their seats with the intense Photo by Laney Nedrow. suspense.
by Quinn Soltesz, staff writer Stagecraft is the often forgotten part of the drama department, always working behind the scenes to create the beautiful backdrops for the actors to perform in front of. In the photo above, sophomore Bailee McMaster works to create the backdrop for the coronation ceremony during Homecoming week. The tradition of the drama department helping plan Homecoming is being continued this year with the theme of superheroes. Some
BUCKET LIST
of the heroes featured in the backdrop have had movies come out this year, including Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Spiderman. Drama Assistant Lesli Evans said they are about 75 percent of the way done, and are “fine tuning” what they have already made for coronation. Homecoming is a big challenge for anyone in charge of it, and the drama department has had eight to 10 students working on the backdrop since mid-July.
Movie “IT” inspires red balloons in Great Falls
books
PENDERGAST SERIES
A thriller in a book. An FBI agent who deals with the odd cases, and only picks the ones he wants. He strolls onto crime scenes without much credibility, due to his mysterious background. Each book is brutal, with a twisted ending to finish. Don’t pick favorite characters, because by the end more than half have died or gone missing. Anyone looking for a good series that keeps going should try Pendergast.
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AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
This iconic classic is a book meant to be read again and again. Taking a trip around the world on a bet with the enigmatic English gentleman Phileas Fogg and his hot-blooded French servant, Passepartout, is exciting and provides readers with a good idea of what life was like at the end of the 19th Century. The legendary wager of going around the world in 80 days is one that provides dynamic characters, an exciting plot, and a nail-biting ending.
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LUNAR CHRONICLES
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Fairy tales with a bit of cyborg thrown in, explains the thrilling novel series of Lunar Chronicles. Each book is a must read, dealing with awesome fights and romance. The series revolves around the character Cinder, who is an orphan with a stepmother and sisters. It sounds familiar because each book takes a fairy tale and turns it into a dystopian story. It follows her around as she finds her purpose and, hopefully, her love.
THE DA VINCI CODE
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Taking a journey through the art history of Europe has never been more interesting and exciting than in Dan Brown’s #1 worldwide bestseller. By following the thrilling journey of Harvard professor Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu around ancient cathedrals and enlightening museums, readers uncover a conspiracy that dates back thousands of years. All of these secrets are hidden in the works of one of the most famous artists in history. by McKenzie Connell and Quinn Soltesz, staff writers
by Maygie Li and Julia Gremaux, staff writers There’s a new scare going around town that takes “IT” the movie to a whole other level. “IT” is a scary movie classic revamped with new hype that gets viewers super excited. The movie circles around a group of kids, that is haunted by the terrifying clown known as Pennywise. “[The red balloons] played a role of announcing when and where the clown has been.” said senior Andrea Lane, who had viewed the thriller with a couple of her friends. The movie was released Sept. 8 and word got around quickly. Just around the corner from CMR there was a red balloon tied to a sewer grate, and the scare was going around. The school has yet to find out who pulled the prank. “I saw [the red balloons] around town. It made me laugh that people went to all that work just for a movie,” Lane said. Last year this movie created a huge stir when clowns began to appear and cause chaos in towns,
including Great Falls. Unlike the scary reality of clowns roaming the town, the movie wasn’t as scary to senior Echo Sundstrom. It wasn’t the scariest thing I’ve seen, but that’s mainly because jump scares don’t work on me, which is what most of the horror comes from. The rest of it comes from body horror, and I’ll admit some of the monsters are pretty gruesome,” Sundstrom said. Sundstrom wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the comical horror of “IT.” “It overall was a really well played movie! It had the perfect balance of comedy and scariness,” said senior Michelle Li. She enjoyed the tension of the horror film as the jump scares created a creepy tone throughout the movie. “IT” had great reviews and people loved the prank playing off the comedy in the movie. Many students hope the pranks will continue as they are fun to spot around the town and the school.
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September 21, 2017 rustlernews.com
SPORTS UPDATE Football
Volleyball
“The season has been really exciting! (so far!) We have a great new head coach and a good group of girls. All of us get along very well, and I think that reflects on the court.”- Aubrey Wasson 8-26 vs. Glacier 17-25, 25-23,25-20,25-19 - Glacier 8-26 vs. Flathead 25-15, 25-18, 25-13 - Flathead 9-2 vs. Big Sky 25-11, 25-22, 25-18 -Big Sky 9-15: vs. Billings West 25-14,25-13, 25-21- West 9-16: vs. Billings Senior 25-22, 25-19, 25-11 -Senior
“Our defense is looking to be our back bone this year, while our offense looks to find a way to be consistant.”- Tony Walter 8-25: vs. Helena High 27-28 Helena High 9-1: at Glacier 21-14 C.M.R 9-8: vs. Missoula Big Sky 29-22 C.M.R 9-15: at Billings Senior 16- 36 Billings Senior Next game: CMR vs. Missoula Hellgate at Memorial Stadium kick off at 7 p.m.
Cross Country ‘My season is going pretty good so far! I liked the Bozeman the most so far.”- Russell Gagne
9-9: Bozeman Boys team score: 216 The CMR boys finished 6th Girls team score: 211 The CMR girls finished 6th 9-15: Great Falls Invite Girls team score: 198 Mackenzie Dean finished first of the girls in 15th place with 20:45.17 Boys team score: 133 Cooper West finished first of the boys in 5th place with 17:15.65
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-- Emily Cappis, Editorial Board
Golf “Golf is going good. It’s been a lot of fun this year! I’ve shot some of the best scores, and I am really excited for state.”- Blair Hebnes 9-1: Butte Invite Boys: 617, 7th place 9-8: Helena Invite Boys: 569 Tucker Pietrykowski:152, Tucker Thomas:138, Ben Kaul:142 Girls: Blair Hebnes:182 9-13: Kalispell Invite Boys: 300 Blair Hebnes-96, Bailee Pottratz- 105 9-18: City Meet Boys: 4-1 CMR Girls: 3-0 GFH
Runners persevere through smoke
“[The smoke] cut practice a little short some days which affected our game because we need that extra time to prepare, but it has also given us more time for film and to recover from the week before.” “Some of my teammates have had some trouble breathing in the smoke.”
Quincy Schmechel
Editorial Board
- wide receiver Kellen Hartman
by Mackenzie George, editor-in-chief Forest fires that raged throughout the summer did not just affect families in Seeley and Lincoln. Smoke from the fires blanketed Great Falls, hampering local athletes as they practiced during the summer months. Sophomore MacKenzie Dean, a standout cross country runner, said while she did not notice the smoke right off the bat, it grew worse as summer running progressed. “I noticed my throat would be dryer than usual, and it would be harder to take in deep breaths,” Dean said. She used to have exercise-induced asthma, but the condition is much better-controlled now. This isn’t the case for all of her teammates. “There are a couple of people with breathing problems on the team who I could see were bothered by the smoke,” Dean said. “[The coaches] would advise us that if it was bothering us to turn around.”
To ensure the athletes’ safety, head coach Nathan Gregier and assistant coaches Branch Brady and Jolyn Johnson held practice earlier in the mornings to avoid the smoke. On particularly bad days, the team ran stairs inside. “[Cross country is] not a sport that you can get by without putting in the work,” Gregier said. “We had to be very cognitive of when it was OK to be pushing the kids and when we needed to back off because of the smoke conditions.” Gregier checked the air quality every day before practice to decide whether the team should run inside or out. “If it was considered unhealthy, then we would come up with something alternative or less stressful,” Gregier said. “Overall, I was really happy with the effort the kids put in despite the difficult training conditions.”
Journalism offers opportunities to appreciate athletes
If you had told me as a sophomore new to the Stampede that writing sports pieces would be my favorite thing to do, I would’ve laughed. It’s not that I don’t like sports, or that I don’t admire the sports department at CMR and the impact they have on people; quite the opposite, in fact. It’s that I wouldn’t have known how to approach people about these things, much less capture their importance in a piece. However, as my years as an amateur reporter have progressed, I’ve come to love sports reporting and the intricacies it comes with. CMR is home to a myriad of fantastic and inspirational athletes, many of whom I’ve come to know through both my own involvement in teams and through my experience in journalism. Getting to meet the people involved in sports -- the awesome coaching staff, the kids who make it possible, and the fans, supporters, parents, trainers, and photographers that one may see at the games -- has come to be one of the experiences I cherish most as my last year at CMR comes to fruition. Coaches like Brian Crosby, who teaches video production, English, and coaches girl’s basketball, has never failed to make a student laugh with his eclectic music taste and witty comments. Track coach and history teacher extraordinaire Burke Allen is not only one of the most incredible teachers one could be blessed to have, but also one of the most compassionate. These coaches care about their
students and their athletes, and the best part is that they’re only a few of many. Kids like senior Garrett Bloemendaal, an offensive lineman for the football team, exemplify the ideal student athlete by being not only a fantastic player, but also a committed student who never takes the easy way out and a kind person. Similarly, junior Jillian Painter, a captain of the Wranglers, is someone i’m not only proud to call captain of a team I belong to, but am proud to call a friend. She is always the first to express an opinion, help someone out, and try to make everyone happy while pushing them to be better. Then there are parents who come to support their kids, who put in hours of hard work by paying for sports, driving kids to and from practices or games, and generally backing the athletes they love. Students like Courtney Flickner or Akasia Denton show up unceasingly and can give you every play-by-play if you’re late getting into the bleachers, and they’re always coming up with chants, cheers, and commentary for the games. Then there’s TK and Pat O’Connel, CMR’s faithful trainer and photographer, respectively, who never fail to protect our Rustlers and show everyone how great they are. These are few among a million reasons I love not only to be a part of CMR’s sports and an avid advocate, but also being a reporter who’s able to shed the light on these things. There’s nothing comparable to Rustler Pride, or to the rush being a Rowdy Rustler gives.
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September 21, 2017 rustlernews.com
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Stremcha proves to be a strong scorer, leader for CMR
Both Rustler squads beat the Bison on Sept. 5 on fresh turf. Photos by Gauthier Paget.
Pyette family contributes both on and off the field
by Mackenzie George, editor-in-chief Willie Pyette may be the head girls soccer coach, but his role on Sept. 5 was not limited to coaching. It was thanks to Pyette and his wife, Melissa, that the soccer teams were able to play at Memorial Stadium. The couple recently made a generous donation to allow the turf to be painted with soccer lines and thus enjoyed by soccer fans as well as football fans. “Memorial Stadium is a great venue to watch all types of sports,” Willie said. “We both thought it would be great for soccer to be played under the lights in Memorial on the new Power Soccer Field.” The field was named for one of the couple’s two power line construction companies. Willie said they are looking forward to many more exciting crosstown games on the fresh turf. “It was a thrill for the coaches, players, and fans,” Willie said of the first crosstown of the season, in which both CMR teams secured victories. The new atmosphere certainly had something to do with that. Willie Pyette is in his third year as head coach for CMR soccer.
by Mackenzie George, editor-in-chief Not only is the brand-new turf good for soccer players, but it’s helpful for the spectators, too. Senior Braden Stremcha said that this year’s first crosstown crowd on Sept. 5 was “a lot better” than matchups held at Siebel Soccer Park. “It was the first game played on the turf, so even people that don’t really have people on the team still came to watch and see what it was all about, which was pretty cool,” Stremcha said. That bigger crowd got to watch Stremcha lead scoring with two goals, helping CMR demolish Great Falls High 6-1. “Everyone just played well and we really put the team together,” Stremcha said. “It was crosstown of course, so that made it ten times better.” It is the boys’ only win thus far this season. “We’re just looking to win games because we’ve come off two losing seasons,” Stremcha said. “We have the potential to do [well] this year. Try to make it to state for sure -- that’s a huge goal.” Fans can expect to watch more soccer on the turf this year thanks to Willie and Melissa Pyette’s generous donation to Memorial Stadium. Stremcha said there are definite advantages that come with playing on the turf. “The ball rolls better,” he explained. “The only thing is that the turf is kind of bouncy, and if you fall down, it hurts. But besides that, it’s way better than playing on grass. The atmosphere makes it a lot easier to get hyped up and get in the game.”
NEW TURF REJUVENATES CMR SOCCER
Sophomore sets sights on strong second season
by Callan Garner, staff writer Dedicated soccer player Aspen Lucero has played since she was four. After competing with the same girls for so many years, Lucero has grown to love the team. Its atmosphere and the connection she has with the other players allows for a sport that brings excitement and a drive to always play better, she said. Lucero, a sophomore, is no stranger to the varsity team. ”I played freshman year as well and so I’m used to it,” she said. “The girls are really nice and I’ve known some of them since I was 5.” Lucero said that the girls on the team allow for more fun and a better team connection. On Sept. 5, Lucero played on the new turf against Great Falls High. The Rustlers won 1-0. Playing on the artificial turf, Lucero said she by Mackenzie George, editor-in-chief had to adapt to a new style of playing; One thing the boys soccer team has going for them, senior the passing was faster, the ball bounced Bridger Brady said, is experience. more, making it hard to connect passes. “We have seven returning seniors this year, along with some Yet it did not hinder their performance underclassmen who have also played varsity,” Brady said. terribly because CMR girls still took the Brady, one of the team’s two captains, thinks the team looks win. By the end of the game, the girls stronger than last year’s squad. got together and took a team photo “We’re expecting to actually make it to state,” he said. in front of the new sign. “[Head coach Kumal Lacasse has] been experimenting with “That was my favorite part of different formations and positions for players so we can be the most the game.” successful.” As captain, Brady took on new responsibilities that he had not shouldered his previous years on varsity. “Being a leader on and off the pitch. Showing up on time and being ready to work hard,” Brady explained. “Keeping everyone motivated and the intensity high so that we have a beneficial practice, and talking during the game so that we work together as a team.”
Experienced Rustlers seeking shot at state