CMR Stampede - April 2019

april 18, 2019

IN DEPTH THE STAMPEDE an open forum for student expression

an insight on TEEN PARENTHOOD Read more on page 18

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Grace Carr

Editor pays tribute to Notre Dame cathedral

The Stampede

C. M. Russell High School Great Falls, MT April 18, 2019 Vol. 54 Issue 6 www.rustlernews.com Instagram: rustler_news Twitter: rustlernews

Paris, France suffered a great loss on Monday, April 15 as the Notre Dame cathedral became engulfed in flames. The accidental fire destroyed the roof and iconic spire which left three holes in the vaulted ceiling.

Thankfully, the building’s two main towers and stone structure avoided collapsing amid the destruction.

I visited this magnificent cathedral during the summer of 2018.

Although my time at Notre Dame was limited due to some intense food poisoning recovery, I am thankful for the time I did have.

Notre Dame had a beautiful infrastructure with intricate stained glass and architecture. After sitting in the pews for nearly an hour, I still was not ready to leave. It seemed like no matter which direction I turned, there was something new and fascinating to see.

So when my grandmother texted me the news, my heart sunk.

“I am so grateful [you] were able to sit in this historical building with these artifacts that are now gone,” my grandmother said.

It took several hours for me to process the loss of such an important and monumental structure. I scrolled through more than 100 photos in

an attempt to assure myself it was only a minor fire. Yet all I saw was a chunk of the roof squashing the same pews I once sat in.

I immediately began wishing I could have spent more time enjoying and appreciating the building while I was there.

However, restoration is already in progress. $670 million was raised in only 24 hours and the process is expected to take about a decade.

“This building has been through the French Revolution, the Huguenots and two world wars. I have no doubt it will rise again,” one historian said.

Construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 and was completed in 1345. This beautiful structure was home to some of the most important moments in France’s history. Henry VI of England was crowned in 1431 and Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned emperor of France in 1804 inside the cathedral.

I hope that one day the cathedral will be restored to its former glory so individuals around the world will be able to experience the beauty of Notre Dame once again.

2018-2019 Staff Editors

Editor-in-chief Grace Carr News/Opinion Sophie Kluge Features/Entertainment Quinn Soltesz Sports Gabrielle Pope Photo/Design Nancy Beston Online Holly Spragg Adviser Beth Britton Principal Kerry Parsons

Staff

Callan Garner Jackson Howell Jayla Mitchell Kaylebb Stahmer Maggie Petersen Hannah Pospisil Katie Mygland Madison McKenzie Kerrigan Edwards Malcolm Contreras Taylor Willmarth Elinor VanGilder Gloria Baldevia Paige McCorkle Lily Dinh

Table of Contents

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.

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

Brianna Schulte and Thomas Crenshaw spend time with their daughter. They are both teen parents. Schulte is still attending school and Crenshaw is an active member of the military.

Photos by Nancy Beston. 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 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 Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Journalism Education Association and Quill and Scroll.

Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/KRT Campus High School Newspaper Service.

02 03 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20

Table of Contents Grace’s Column Advertisements Fundraising Thrifting Pro-choice vs. Pro-life The Music of Great Falls A love for Writing Stampede Tries...

Second Admendment Rights Teenage Parenthood Sports update

Cover Photo: 20-year-old Thomas Fred Crenshaw holds his 7-month-old daughter, Allison Maye Crenshaw. He had just returned from a several week leave for the military, and his daughter was thrilled to see him. Brianna Schulte is the mother of young Allison. She is 17 years old and attends Paris Gibson Education Center. “Being a parent isn’t easy, but it’s worth everything,” Schulte said. Photo by Nancy Beston.

Part y $70 April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com

3

Yearbook Release

Books still for sale!

Buy one before they are all gone!

New location 1525 3rd. St. NW

“It’s CMR journalism’s go-to lunch for when we want to celebrate. The food is spectacular, and the service is even better.” - The Stampede

Also located at 1800 10th Ave. S.

Contact us at (406)761-2727

April 18, 2019

4 rustlernews.com

SCHOOL FUNDRAISING: CMR club advisors, members reflect on efforts to raise funds and give back to community

by Quinn Soltesz, features/entertainment editor When any student first enters into high school, they are constantly told to get involved by everyone they meet. One way in which many students get involved is through clubs. These organizations provide amazing outlets for teenagers to explore their interests -- whether it be business, farming, or the arts. What many do not realize, however, is that it takes a lot of time and money to keep the clubs of CMR afloat.

“One hundred percent of funds come from fundraising; we only exist because of fundraising,” said Jessica Goosen, head advisor for Business Professionals of America and Key Club.

The same can be said for every extracurricular club at CMR. Unlike classes, clubs are given no funding from the district; this situation is why clubs must dedicate large amounts of their time to procuring funds from somewhere else.

“I probably spend 20 percent of my time on finances. The kids probably spend close to 10 percent,” Future Farmers of America advisor Jodi Koterba said.

Twenty percent of an organization’s time is on the low end of time allotment for fundraising. In other clubs, it can be much higher, and often with less-than-desired results.

BPA Vice President Cameron McCarthy was not satisfied with the money brought in from past

events, but he said he is optimistic about future endeavors as the team prepares for nationals.

“Turnout has not always been amazing, but we are hoping to get good results,” the senior said.

Despite the fact that most clubs use all of their fundraised money to do their regular events, some go above and beyond.

“We try to conduct several community service projects each year,” Koterba said.

CMR’s FFA chapter sponsors an event to teach people about where their food comes from, as well as growing produce to donate to the food pantry at CMR. Two years ago, the club donated about 500 pounds of produce. Koterba sees the club community as a positive learning experience for FFA. As well as giving back, Koterba sees the financials of fundraising as a benefit for her kids.

“I think it’s important for kids to learn the whole budgeting aspect and cash flow. I insist that we run positive net worth. The kids cannot spend money that does not exist,” she said.

As the advisor, Koterba involves her students in the entire financial process of the club’s fundraisers. Club Treasurer sophomore Kelsie Tadlock prepares monthly balance sheets and verifies Koterba’s own financials. This process has kept the FFA chapter running efficiently.

Koterba sums up her experience, and the experience that all clubs have fundraising, as this: “Not only does it cost money to run a business, but to run life it costs money.”

CLUBS

Students pick up fruit for the winter music fundraiser. Track and field athletes discuss their goals for the gold card fundraiser. Both programs do these annual fundraisers to bring in extra money to fund their activities. Photos by Aspen Lucero, Gloria Baldevia and Quinn Soltesz.

Student musicians alleviate their financial struggle by finding new ways to bring in money

by Jayla Mitchell, staff writer Knocking on doors not only makes for a good joke, but it is something kids from the music department do every year during their fruit fundraiser.

Each fall, kids go door-to-door asking the people of Great Falls to help raise money for their school programs.

During this fundraiser, students from the music programs at Great Falls High and CMR sell fruit within and around the city. The fundraiser not only consists of fruit, but meat and cheese packages, candies, and coffee as well.

As a trumpet player in both the Symphonic Band and the Russtones, junior Michael Mickolio understands the importance of the annual fundraiser.

“Because of the little funding we get each year, [most of our money] comes from selling band fruit,” he said.

Like many of the music programs, this is the only fundraiser the band gets, so they have to make the most of it.

“The school doesn’t have very many instruments for kids to rent, and if they don’t have enough money to buy their own instrument, then they can’t play the instrument they want,” Mickolio said. “There’s not a single tuba that’s good enough and in good enough condition to play a concert.”

It can be annoying playing on an instrument that is not quality because “you can’t have as much fun in music when you’re frustrated about all the technical problems of the instrument,” he added.

Mickolio compares it to getting new cleats in soccer or new jerseys in football. Without each of those things, the player would not look, feel, of perform as well as they could.

However, the more money the band makes, the more they can do within the program.

“If everyone sells their [$800] quota, then we can get some things we want,” Mickolio said.

This includes paying for the annual spring tour. In the past, the band has taken trips out of state to places like Salt Lake City. This year, the band is traveling to Missoula.

Like Mickolio, senior Bayley Ginnaty is well versed in what fundraising can do. As one of the top sellers in Chamber Orchestra, she has a lot of experience.

“It’s a wonderful fundraising opportunity for the orchestra department and all of the music departments.

It gets us out into the community and selling, and we’re selling great products and it’s a really wonderful experience,” Ginnaty said.

The only downside to the fundraiser, she said, is that all of the music programs at Great Falls High are doing it at the same time, making it harder to earn as much money.

“We all work our butts off trying to sell fruit. So many of us meet our goals to cover our own expenses in the program, and so many of us go above and beyond in selling our goal in order to help come up with some extra funds for the orchestra department, but it can be really tricky when we’re splitting the fundraiser with such a big group of people,” she said.

The fundraiser is an important part of the music department because it pays for sheet music, activities, and other miscellaneous expenses. “[Of] the money that you raise, a percentage of that goes back to the orchestra program and is used to help pay for the bus fare, for any of the tickets we buy, or any other activities that take place on [our annual tour],” Ginnaty said. “There is rarely any extra money that goes straight to the program.”

If they did have extra funds, the orchestra program would use them to repair things they already have, including worn out instruments.

“We have a wonderful orchestra director, Steve Olson,

here that does great things for the program and does a wonderful job of keeping kids encouraged and excited,” Ginnaty said. “But I don’t think it’s greedy to want to be able to fix the things we already have to make things run smoothly.”

The first thing she would personally like to see fixed are the instruments.

“We keep a set of cellos and basses at the school and the instruments are so beat up. Most of the cellos have holes or cracks, or have been scraped on or indented in, and our cello [players] really need the opportunity to be playing on better quality instruments,” she said.

By repairing the instruments or getting higher quality ones, Ginnaty believes the orchestra program would expand since kids would see obvious improvement.

In order to reach these goals, the orchestra program has started an orchestra council.

As acting president, Ginnaty runs the weekly meetings and ensures what needs to be done is getting done.

“One of our biggest things on our to-do list right now is starting a Friday morning fundraiser,” she said.

Although they are waiting for the paperwork to be processed, the council would like to be selling some sort of breakfast food and juice. The goal is to “have extra funds in order to not only repair our instruments but hopefully purchase things that make playing an instrument easier,” Ginnaty said. “I think it is a wonderful thing for a ton of different reasons. It’s a great way for us to really connect with each other.”

MUSIC

A NECESSARY EVIL Athletes hold various fundraisers to improve the quality of their sport

SPORTS

by Jayla Mitchell, staff writer Throughout each school year, everyone in the community is guaranteed to be visited by a CMR student involved in football, soccer, track, and other various sports. These students work to make money for their teams in order to purchase clean jerseys, nice cleats, and new equipment. These are all items that teams look forward to earning when fundraising.

For the football team, that means selling $350 worth of gold cards as well as truck raffle tickets. Due to the amount of money they make, the teams are able to purchase and revamp many items. “[This year] we got the new SpeedFlex helmets, kind of concussion-proof helmets,” junior Keegan Barnes said. Although that is wonderful for the football team, Barnes has his own opinion on the matter.

“I don’t know if you would consider them necessities rather than privileges to have,” he said.

Along with the football team, soccer also does its fair share of fundraising.

By charging for parking at the Montana State Fair, the soccer team raises

enough money to pay for a variety of things.

“We use it for traveling, buses, rooms, new equipment, balls, cones, jerseys, and uniforms,” junior Moses Roque said. “[Without the fundraising] we wouldn’t have uniforms, probably, or just very old, worn uniforms,” he said. “If the team went without these items, they probably wouldn’t do as well in games.”

Like both football and soccer, track uses funds for equipment and jerseys.

Because of their success in selling gold cards, the track team was recently able to get new jerseys and bags, junior MacKenzie Dean said.

Acquisitions extend further than just jerseys, though. Since the track team consists of many individual activities, it is important that each is taken into account when thinking about team purchases.

“It’s not just about runners--they have a lot of equipment that they need. A lot of things that go into it are some of the shoes, they also do the pole vault, the javelin,” Dean said. “With the fundraising, it really helps to bring those different aspects of track together in order to do better.”

Drama plans fundraisers and showcases their skills in Laika. FFA holds their Boots and Bowties Gala. At the gala, a silent and live auction was held. Amiya Williams sells tickets for the BPA club’s spaghetti dinner fundraiser. Photos by Nancy Beston and Katie Mygland.

Drama works hard for money

by Quinn Soltesz, feautres/entertainment editor Inventive acting, opulent setpieces, and crowd-pleasing plays are all things that describe the drama department at CMR. These things are crucial for any production, and for the department to function at all, however, they are not free.

“We couldn’t perform to the best of our ability without [the items we buy from fundraising],” said junior Kepatrick Thomas, a member of CMR drama for three years.

Like every other group at C. M. Russell High School, the drama department has to work extra to purchase the supplies that are necessary for their projects. While drama’s fundraising is not out of the ordinary, their dependence on it is.

“The money raised is going towards new lights, props, microphones, materials for props, trying to get a new sound system, stuff like that,” Thomas said.

Another thing drama’s fundraising goes towards are the actual scripts used for the productions. Unless the department writes its own plays, it has to pay royalties on someone else’s.

This extra cost is not offset by the school, but comes partly from fundraised money, Thomas said.

“We’re glad that our school is expanding, but we would feel better if some of the money was also put towards the drama program itself instead of us having to fundraise it all on our own,” he said.

Despite this added expense and hurdle for the drama department, Thomas is optimistic about the group’s future, and he is appreciative of the support they receive.

“As a drama department, we do work hard, and we appreciate what the school does.”

DRAMA

This graphic is a representation of the amount of funding allocated to various CMR programs. Some programs, like football, are given large amounts of money because of their team size and travel costs.

In order to supplement a lack of funding, many programs conduct a variety of fundraisers throughout the year. These fundraisers include gold cards, fruit sales, caramels, etc.

Information provided by GFPS District Office.

April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com

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Selling DOS:

Secrets

Sell early!

Business often slows down the longer you wait.

“You have to hit it really hard at the beginning before everybody else sells.”

-Bailey Reeves

Go to businesses!

It is a great way to get in touch with more people.

“Go to businesses and places that have large amounts of people coming in often.”

-Jasmin Wyman

Be enthusiastic!

Your energy rubs off on the buyer.

“Make sure you’re really passionate about the cause that you’re fundraising for.”

- Bailey Reeves

Talk to parents’ friends!

This is how many students make most of their profit.

“Talk to your parent’s friends, have them take some of your flyers to their work, and try to sell them to people there too.”

-Jasmin Wyman

DON’TS:

Don’t go with friends.

It will take more work to make a profit.

“You don’t make as much money because you have to split the houses and it doesn’t work out.”

-Jasmin Wyman

Don’t get discouraged.

It is not always easy, but it’s necessary.

“Not everyone is going to want to support it, but you just have to keep going and think about all the people you have sold to and how it benefits your program.”

-Bailey Reeves

April 18, 2019

6 rustlernews.com The

ultimate guide to

WATCH OUT WATCH OUT WATCH for these commonOUT mistakes Not doing a thorough inspection

I know some people find it disgusting to try on unclean clothes, but having them on for 45 seconds to be sure it fits properly is important. People often find stains or other mishaps wrong with the clothing when they try it on, too.

Make sure you complete a thorough check of anything you may purchase. Sweat stains are basically impossible to get out, so check those armpits. Also be sure to check for any holes, missing buttons, and the zipper. If the shirt if $4 and you have to buy new buttons for it, it isn’t that big of a steal.

Only shopping for clothes

Thrift stores have a variety of things. Most stores have a large interior decoration or knick knack section. Sometimes you can find cute items for your room or your house so keep your eyes open!

Rushing

Thrift stores tend to cluster together in areas with high traffic and low rent. Make a day of visiting all of the shops in an area. Since each of the major charities receive items from different donors, each store will have a slightly different kind of stock, so go on a grand tour and take it all in.

Thrift Shopping

by Kerrigan Edwards, staff writer It’s a Friday night, the time where most high schoolers go out and have fun with friends. But we robbed a few students of this fabulous opportunity and gave them another. Starting with sophomore Taylor Willmarth, we began our process at the Salvation Army.

At first, our last-minute model was regretting agreeing to posing for pictures with us. After a few minutes and many goofy photos, however, Wilmarth was having fun.

“I enjoy thrifting. I think it is a fun way to get my hands on funny little things and neat clothes,” Willmarth said.

Our next stop was Goodwill. Soon after arriving, we were joined by our other two models.

“I had fun, and I will definitely go again. With friends of course, because they make everything better,” freshman Megan McGaugh said. We filled an entire cart with various articles of clothing, and before long we had a camera filled with stunning photos.

“It was a good time to explore my style and go outside of my comfort zone,” freshman Tenaya Gaines said.

4:32 PM

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Rustler Experience

“In order to find good items, I typically go in early on a Saturday morning--before everything is picked over. However, it all depends on when they put out new items. Most of the time, you have to just be there at the right time and place.

Another thing that makes a successful thrifting trip is sales.

Knowing where to look also helps find the best treasures, as some things are often overlooked or are misplaced. However, sometimes the key to a successful haul is just luck.”

Thrifting

Grace Hansen, 9

“I enjoy thrifting because there is so much amazing vintage stuff that hasn’t been in production for years that no one else has and can take your style to the next level.”

Justin Freeny, 11 “So sales are important. Oftentimes there are announcements on what days they are having sales. The Salvation Army has a sign that projects their sale events that you can see from the road, and stores like Goodwill have colored tags that are 50 percent off and rotate each week.”

Lexis Snider, 11

weird finds

FOLLOW 1,240 FOLLOWERS

Trey Behling, 12

“When I go thrift shopping, I take my time to find the one.

You just know when you find the perfect article of clothing to add to your collection. It’s like finding true love. It takes a while, but it’s worth it. I thrift because there are some clothes that you’ll never be able to find anywhere else. Especially when some are homemade and authentic. It’s special.”

&

Nancy Kerrigan’s

BY NANCY.BESTON

SHUFFLE PLAY Available Offline

Salvation Army $4

Semi-charmed Life Third Eye Blind

Goodwill $2

Salvation Army $1

Third Eye Blind

Pocketful of Sunshine Natasha Bedingfield

Pocketfull of Sunshine

I Want It That Way Backstreet Boys

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The Album

All Star

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Goodwill $4 Salvation Army $4

&

Tips Tricks

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Shirt

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Goodwill $3

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from the

Pros Shirt

Goodwill $7

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Salvation Army $6

April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com

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Sweater Free

Shirt

Goodwill $5

Goodwill $5

Belt

Fudruck $3

Shorts

Pants

Philippines $3

Goodwill $15

Skirt

Belt

Goodwill $2

Goodwill $3

Pants

Fashion Runway $21

Shoes

Van’s Website $60

Shoes

Amazon $70 “One thing to remember when going thrifting is that everything, and I mean everything you see has potential. You can use it however you want to use it; cut it, dye it, and make it your own. If you go to Goodwill watch out for the color of the week. That week means cheaper clothes and don’t be afraid to try something new that you’ve never seen. Thrift shopping is perfect for finding new things you never thought you would find.”

Tyler Mullins, 12

When where & what

Shopping gurus of the

Famous Footwear $40 “Make sure to consider the quality if it’s worth the price. Just because it’s cute doesn’t mean it can last long. remember people have used it before.

Also be sure to look carefully because there are some hidden gems in the store.”

Liela Ilagan, 10

“Be patient. You may not find what you are looking for immediately and it might take some digging. It’s also a great time to try something outside of your comfort zone.”

Tenaya Gaines, 9

When should you buy? Where should you buy?

Know the specials. Many thrift stores run different kinds of specials, often offering discounts of 50 percent, 70 percent, or even more off their regular daily prices. Stores often have weekly sales, so be sure to keep checking in. Tag sales are super helpful in dropping the prices of items. Reminder: just because something is on sale doesn’t mean you need to purchase it.

by Kerrigan Edwards, staff writer Over the years, shopping in Great Falls has become harder. If you are looking for something specific nowadays, you have to leave town and go to a larger city. With the Internet being prevalent in society we are more prone to find these things online and have them shipped to us.

However, instead of paying large sums of money for the trendy things we are aiming to find, give local thrift stores a chance.

Rylee Mitchell is a junior who thrifts about twice a month.

“People don’t go thrifting because you can order those kinds of things online,” Mitchell said “I like to look for flannels, shirts, and jeans. All of these things are super easy to

ife

Shoes

Some thrift stores are run for profit and are less beneficial to the community so do your research.

Goodwill Industries is a non-profit that exists in order to help people with disabilities and disadvantages. Salvation Army offers shelter, food, job training, and spiritual guidance to the poor. St. Vincent de Paul helps through visits to hospitals, and homes.

“Find what you want, and just wear it. Saving money is cool. You don’t have to go far to save a lot of money.”

Peyton Baker, 12

What should you buy?

You can technically buy anything you want. A lot of items at thrift stores are cheap so therefore one wants to buy more items. To whittle down your purchases before hitting the cash register, ask yourself a few key questions to decide whether you are making the best buying decisions for yourself. “Do I own a similar piece already?” “Can I wear this immediately, or do I need to wait for a special event?” “Is this something I would actually wear or just wish I could wear?” Remember, honesty is the best policy — especially to your wallet!

find and they don’t cost a lot.” do they sell clothing, but also small trinkets, Seamus Jennings is a senior who aims furniture, and even old suitcases. for a vintage vibe with his clothing. When Anyone can modify all of the items they shifting through the various racks, Jennings’ buy to fit themselves the way they want them eye can easily be caught by old t-shirts and to. Mitchell says that she enjoys turning occasionally, a pair jeans into shorts as a way to take denim of jeans. Some of his favorite things have likes and make “I like to look for flannels, she been found at stores it into something shirts, and jeans. All of brand new in its own like these. “One time my dad and I went Sometimes, these things are super way. and bought these 70s the things we love leisure suits.” This is easy to find, and they most are from proof that you can backgrounds we don’t cost a lot.” don’t understand. find anything you could ever imagine at

-Seamus Jennings But, it is because of thrift stores. Not only the way you have

modified it that makes them special just for you.

Jennings says that he would recommend making rounds through different thrift stores, his favorite being Salvation Army. He goes 1-2 times a month and goes earlier in the week, before all of the good clothing has been sifted through and picked out.

The main goal of thrifting is to find clothes you want or need for a price you like. It is important to give everything a fair chance because articles of clothing that seem inconspicuous now can be turned into statement pieces. By following simple steps and having patience, you are able to add to your wardrobe while not breaking the bank.

April 18, 2019

8 rustlernews.com

Taking center stage...

ABORTION And why the act came to be so controversial

What pro choice means to

PATRICK TOMLINSON

Photo: wikimedia commons/cc

Photo: wikimedia commons/cc

by Madison McKenzie, staff writer

Patrick Tomlinson is a science fiction author and comedian who talks about social and political issues. Writing for many major platforms such as The Hill and the New York Times, Tomlinson got his major start on the topic when he wrote a string of tweets that involved a burning clinic full of embryos and a live baby. He asked the nation whom they would save first if there is going to be a fire inside a clinic: the embryos or the live baby. With this controversial scenario, he challenges prolife advocates in the country to try and deny the obvious answer to the situation. The tweets went viral and many people responded with their own questions, both accepting and rebuking the post.

What does being pro-choice mean to you?

“To me, pro-choice means everyone gets to make a choice based on their own beliefs and situations. Pro-choice means the right to decide whether you are healthy and well enough to have a baby, and for some it can put them in danger both financially and physically.”

Why are you not a pro-lifer? Why don’t you agree with their stances?

“I don’t agree with pro-life only because they are taking away the right for a woman to have a choice. I don’t believe in killing babies in a womb, but giving

people a choice in a free nation is something I don’t believe that we should take away.”

Can you give me rundown of the scenario you wrote that went viral?

Photo: wikimedia commons/cc

Pro-choice movers around the country believe that the “The scenario goes as follows: You are in decision for abortion depends on the woman’s voice a burning fertility clinic. How you got there and stand. doesn’t matter, but upon escaping, you come across a room with a single live baby crying, and a container full of a thousand embryos.

Which do you save? This stops the pro-life argument because if you choose the baby, you are killing a thousand embryos which, if your Photo: wikimedia commons/cc argument is correct at saying embryos are

by Holly Spragg, online editor it. Texas, one of the states considering the equal to humans, you are not proving such. If Pro-Choice is believing it is the woman’s Fetal Heartbeat bill, had a law proposed about you choose the embryos...you are lying.” choice to have an abortion. There is a making abortion a crime punishable by the controversy about Pro-Choice being Pro- death penalty. Physicians and mothers who Do you believe that there is a “gray Abortion, but supporters will quickly shut the were involved in an abortion could be charged area” between the two sides of abortion? theory down. Pro-Abortion focuses on the with assault or homicide.

“While I am pro-choice, I do believe procedure itself and Pro-Choice centers in When the proposition went public, the Proin a gray area that overlaps the two, on the act of choosing. While the movement Choice side pointed out a critical flaw: How is because I am an example of one. I focused on Pro-Abortion at the beginning, it the Pro-Life movement going to kill someone would never want to abort a baby, was quickly changed to Pro-Choice to make the while remaining Pro Life? The bill was quickly but if someone told me that they are central idea about freedom more prevalent. shut down but not before social media users suggesting the idea, I wouldn’t stop An outrage has swept over the media, social could get their say and raising awareness of the them from making that decision. It is media playing a heavy part in publicising strictness for abortion bills. their life and I don’t want to take that away from them.”

The Right to Choose An introduction to Pro-Choice

pro ICE CHO

In 2015, 86% of unmarried women accounted for all abortions.

86%

The abortion rate of women with Medicaid coverage is three times as high as that of other women.

3

times

April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com

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Millions

NUMBER OF REPORTED ABORTIONS IN THE U.S.

Photo: Flickr/CC

1.5

1,297,606

699,202

1.0 0.5 1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2012

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

What Pro Life means to

CYNDI BAKER

Photo: wikipedia/CC

Photo: wikipedia/CC

Photo: wikipedia/CC

A display of people in different states promote the prollife movemnt which emphasizes the importance of a human life from conception until death.

Pro-life’s Purpose

A prelude to the movement that started the controversy action Jan. 1, 2020.

by Holly Spragg, online editor When it comes to the Pro-Life side of things, the basis of the belief is that life begins at conception and abortion should not happen. There are loopholes in that statement, including making an adjustment for certain circumstances, the needs to get an abortion, the age limit, and requirement.

Laws have been passed to help settle the issue of abortion, and the most recent one is known as the “Fetal Heartbeat” bill. It would outlaw abortions once a heartbeat can be detected. According to CBS News, there are five states that have signed the bill, which will take

25% of abortions are for the reason a mother is not yet ready for a child.

Movements have been organized to help push Pro-Life into the public eye, from national candlelight vigils for the unborn to the protesters outside of Planned Parenthood.

They have also tried to implement certain requirements before, during and after a clinical visit. According to CNBC, “Women’s Right to Know” has been used to explain that a woman needs to be informed about the particular situation that concerns them. It requires specific information to be given to the patient and a waiting or “reflection” period after the initial meeting between the doctor and patient.

25%

40% of minors having an abortion report that neither of their parents knew about the abortion.

by Gloria Baldevia, staff writer After the Roe vs. Wade case was institutionalized in 1973, numerous non-profit pro-life organizations were established around the country including the local movement, Right to Life Great Falls. Its mission is to educate people about the humanity of the unborn child and to create a culture that values and protects the dignity of all life.

Right to Life Great Falls advocate Cyndi Baker, who has been involved in the movement for 32 years, defined pro-life as “respect for life from conception to natural death.”

In an article published by the Los Angeles Times in 1993, 22,000 babies are abandoned by their mothers in hospitals every year in the United States. According to Baker, a 28-year early childhood educator, the organization aims to reduce this number through raising awareness by placing ads in high school newspapers and sponsoring booths at the annual Montana State Fair.

“We also speak to various organizations about the issue and provide resources to those researching the issue,” she said.

According to Baker, one common and widely accepted misconception of the movement is that they are interested only in children in the womb. However, this is not the idea that the organization promotes.

“Many organizations have been started to help women and children after birth that include clothes and supplies, job training, parenting classes, childcare and more,” she said.

For the advocate, her stand on the matter is as firm as it gets. A culture of respect for both the unborn and born is what she wants to see change in society.

In a recent study conducted in May 2018, the number of pro-life advocates in the country is equal to those arguing for prochoice. Baker does not only see abortion as an end to a person’s life but also a slippery slope that might cause more significant problems in the future.

“It is not a procedure without risk or complications, and for an abortion to be ‘successful,’ another human being must die,” she said.

pro LIFE

40% Statistics: abort73.com

April 18, 2019 12 rustlernews.com

Living to Love Language

The writers of C. M. Russell High School share their passion for the written word

by Maggie Petersen, staff writer “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” These were the words of journalist and author Ernest Hemingway. What this esoteric sentence conveys can only be understood by those who share his passion for writing. Many Rustlers know exactly what Hemingway meant.

“I’m not much of a talker. I’ve just always [...] been fascinated by dramatic storytelling.

It’s something I really enjoy, and it makes me happy,” sophomore Reighanna Miller said.

Most people consider writing to be boring, yet their experience with it is often limited to the work required of them in school. Miller started writing outside of school hours at a young age and has developed a passion for it over the years.

Senior Saber Garza, on the other hand, fell in love with the art just recently.

“I’ve come up with ideas for years now and I’ve had an original story that I’ve been working on for like 9-10 years, but I’ve never written part of it. The only time that I’ve actually [written] it fully out, and I’m trying to, has been these past few months.”

Both Miller and Garza find therapeutic and exciting qualities in the written word despite using different forms of the craft.

“Most of the time, I write poetry. It’s just always something going on in my head. I always think of little poems to write,” Miller said. Poetry is usually based on emotion and structure. Though it can contain story elements, it is more focused on stimulating the imagination than building a plotline.

Narrative writing flexes completely different writing muscles.

“I try to write at least 2000 words a day,” Garza said. Constantly working on a short story, she posts on a couple of online writing sites such as Wattpad or Archive of Our Own, and she does her best to hold herself to a strict schedule of writing, editing, and updating. “[It] normally goes a week and a half of word vomiting, which is basically just without editing or anything like that, and then about three days of editing for each chapter,” Garza explained.

The writing process varies from person to person. Some write with outlines, some don’t, some edit throughout, some save it for the end, some write character-oriented stories, and some write plot centered stories. Part of the appeal of writing is that it offers an open forum of self-expression without rules or even set guidelines. Creativity governs each project, and there is no right or wrong way to go about it.

“I’m basically always writing [poems].

I have a notebook at home that I keep all of them in,” Miller said. She describes taking inspiration from all sorts of things around her including music, books, and nature. Each one can trigger ideas for a character, plot, or even aesthetic to try writing. It’s not always fun and games, however.

“The hardest part is trying to make sense, letting the readers actually connect the dots for themselves and not basically feeding them the solutions to the problems,” Garza said. Crafting story plotlines is a reliably complicated process including character development, subplots, and world-building, all while keeping it interesting for the reader.

In almost every book you’ve read, the author has probably agonized over thousands of details to create that finished product. Miller, on the other hand, struggles with another area, especially when it comes to story writing.

“So the hardest part for me is definitely finishing a story that I write because I’m just always so inspired by a lot of things. [...] I’ll come up with a story idea and I’ll plot it all out. I’ll write half of it and then I get a new idea,” she said. A long attention span is not a prerequisite for being a writer. Story writing can take from months to years. Committing to a project often has a greater effect on the writer’s life than one might imagine. However, many committed writers will insist it’s worth it.

“I write for personal pleasure and because it’s a good stress reliever to just get away from all my life problems and stresses that are in the real world, and be able to just focus on something that’s internally good and that I have control over,” Garza said. Creating a world from the ground up is not something many people can say they’ve done. Just as your favorite movie or book might give you a rush or a sense of belonging, writing magnifies these euphoric moments tenfold.

Writing is often a journey of self-discovery as well as a way to better understand the world.

When thoughts are allowed to run unfiltered by criteria or fear of judgment, the writer can achieve a greater level of self-awareness and calm by expressing themselves.

Self-expression is a common word to be thrown around in artistic fields, so much so, many people have lost its original meaning.

It is not limited to colorful hair dye or stiletto heels matched with sweats. Rather it is an action taken to communicate who we are as people. And what is writing if not communication?

In the wise words of Anne Frank: “I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”

Reighanna Miller, 10 There once was a girl in a yellow striped sweater Who ran from the restrictions of reality And chased the unknown.

Exhaustion didn’t know her name; Adrenaline was her addiction And the wind her friend.

The sun-kissed hair upon her head Bounced softly with every stride she took Away from what she despised most.

How could she step away From those who whispered her fate Among the trees?

The sharpness of her wild gaze Pierced the darkness, Looking for what called her forward.

Her hand was grasped by a sudden cold And she stopped.

Her eyes became wide with earnest expectation, But dared not to turn around.

She didn’t need to, For she knew what it was.

She was the girl in the yellow striped sweater Who was not meant to die with a hand in hers, But was destined to perish in the embrace of the stars.

Art leads to an escape for some students

Devin Jez enjoys both writing and the visual arts. In this photo, he expresses the constant flow of ideas in an artist’s brain. However they choose to express it is where the individuality of each creator bleeds through their work. Art by Devin Jez.

April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com

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An underappreciated form of therapy Saber Garza, 12 Closing off a chapter is always hard. of our lives.

There are consequences to how we finish each part the hope of another chapter.

However, the ending of each chapter leaves us with are to the ending of a book. comp never will That is why the ending of a chapter g of that story.

When a book finishes, it becomes the official endin n unchanged. remai s alway will book that of end the No matter what, Don’t be afraid of it. don’t shrink away.

When it comes to be your time to finish this book, It’ll be sad. Your heart will break.

Be strong. Another adventure awaits you.

“Everything I Could Never Say”

by Maggie Petersen, staff writer The truth of my existence is an ocean held back by my lips which are joined only by stretching seams that groan under the weight of infinite introspection. The span of my being stretches like the warmth of the sun to shelter my numerous loved ones.

My words are flightless birds condemned to stress every syllable in the hopes of reaching someone’s heart, in hopes to part seas, in hopes of finalities. My fingertips extend to scrape away the frost from my window, which obstructs the view of my sister in her eternal summer. She is far away, in a distance that now defines me.

The words tumble from my mouth and shatter upon impact of your ears. I am to pull off the moon landing while standing on the edge of the universe. My struggle to express myself is like a roar echoing through a canyon in hopes of reaching the depths of the ocean. My language is separate from history and reality, yet I persist in sending signals in hopes someone might know that, even from far away in a borderless brain, a person is dependent upon the happiness of those they strive to touch. Why can’t I speak like the rest do? Why do eyes glaze at the music I try to play? Does the validity of my words depend on if they are understood? I wish to speak as other people do. Yet my language is something I hold dear.

by Lily Dinh, staff writer Senior Taylor Mee finds writing to be more than just an exercise with pen and paper. It goes beyond the bounds of entertainment and pierces into our psyche.

“It’s a lot better than just talking to someone. You’re sharing imagination; you’re sharing something you think is special in a way,” Mee said.

Writing is something meaningful to Mee because she is not the type of person who knows how to fluently demonstrate her feelings to others. It is one of the things she enjoys doing in her free time and, although she may not be an avid writer, she likes storytelling and the therapeutic qualities of writing.

English teacher Ryan Anderson also supports the beneficial nature of writing for pleasure.

“It allows you to collect your thoughts and get them down on paper and sometimes that’s cathartic,” Anderson said.

Many people find writing to be a stress-reliever and an outlet for letting go of bottled-up emotions.

People who struggle with self-expression convey their thoughts through poems, stories, or just casual writing.

Others take pleasure in the feeling of empowerment from creating a universe of their own. The process of

actualizing one’s imagination through writing is an aspect junior Peter Wilder values.

“I like being able to develop new worlds. I like being able to design new things and create new ideas from my writing,” Wilder said.

Writing is not only a form of self-expression, but it is also known for easing one’s mind. Studies done

by Courtney Ackerman, a graduate of the positive organizational psychology and evaluation program at Claremont Graduate University, show that scribbling down negative thoughts or feelings helps people process and figure out ways to manage them. These steps aid in relieving stress and/or anxiety, and are more than what meets the eye.

Students who may not like or have confidence in their writing have the freedom to express whatever their hearts may desire. Although skills and vocabulary may differ from student to student, writing is something anyone can do, and more specifically, therapeutic writing.

“Everybody’s stuff is their own [...] your voice is your voice. [The students] realize that ‘hey, my voice is also valid’,” Anderson said.

Words can break through to someone

In this piece, Jez illustrates the effect words can have on people. Whether reproachful or comforting, language allows us to breach the borders between individuals and understand our fellow man on a profound level. Developing language skills is a priceless use of time. Art by Devin Jez.

April 18, 2019

14 rustlernews.com

Visiting the Beehive resident Ed Maierle explains his life experiences. on April 6 at The Beehive. Photos by Beth Britton.

Friends reminisce on past experiences

Fran Hardesty and Ed Maierle, both 97 years old, are Beehive residents who led lives that were as eventful as memory filled. With both growing up in a completely different era than today, the sharing of their experiences make their lives much more interesting.

Hardesty was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and attended an all-girls high school. She graduated in 1940 and didn’t attend college but went right to work at a small elevator repair company. Hardesty was the only girl in the office, and she loved it.

“I was my own boss,” she said. In 1944, she married her husband and together they had two sons. They later moved to Montana because their house was broken into, but to her that was no problem.

“People would say, ‘Why are you moving to Montana?’”

Hardesty said. “I’d say ‘Have you been there?’”

Unlike her, Maierle was born and raised in East Helena.

He graduated from high school in 1941 and went right to work for the Smelter in Helena. One thing he recalls about his childhood is his love for the things that gave him joy.

“I love to dance. I did a lot of dancing,” Maierle said.

He played football and basketball for East Helena High and later became one of the top sellers of insurance in the nation.

He also fought in World War II and calls himself a “Pearl Harbor Avenger.” He enlisted as soon as he heard news of the bombing, and was shipped out as soon as possible. “Because I’m a man, I was 18, that’s what you’re supposed to do,” he said. However, once he arrived on the island, he met someone who changed his life.

“When I got to the receiving station to get to war, I met my sister I had never met before,” Maierle said. His sister’s husband got him a job with his outfit as a propeller specialist for a B24 bomber. He said that he owes his life to his sister, and she is the reason he is here today.

Like Maierle, Hardesty’s brother and husband fought in the war. Her husband was gone for three years in the Caribbean while her brother was sent to Guam. Maierle said that being enlisted was one of the most memorable things he has ever done, while Hardesty said that hearing about D-Day stuck with her forever.

“The war was over and the men were coming home,” she said. Growing up in a time where so much was happening in the nation shaped their views on life, but Hardesty thinks it changed for the better.

“Uncle Sam has pretty well taken care of us,” she said.

Maierle later married and had five daughters and two sons, all born in Helena. Both lived eventful lives with memories that have stuck with them for 97 years.

- by Sophie Kluge

e v i Beeh

Stampede tries... visiting the older generation at local Beehive homes

Beehive residents Bob Gardner and Marion Nelson Russell reminisce about the past on April 6 Great Falls. Photos by Beth Britton.

Texas native finds love at local dance in 1949

When San Antonio, Tex., native Bob Gardner decided to attend a USO dance in Great Falls in 1949, little did he know a stroke of luck would bring him face to face with Tootsie, a Black Eagle woman who would be his wife for more than 65 years.

Gardner, a U.S. Air Force veteran who today lives at a local BeeHive home, moved to Great Falls in 1949 to work as an aircraft electrician.

“I liked it here, and that’s why I stayed here,” he said. “I like the people, and it’s sort of a laid back place. It reminded me of where I had lived.”

But what he liked more than anything was Tootsie, who was working for the FBI in Washington, D.C. when he met her at the dance that was being held in her honor as she visited her Montana hometown. She was the “queen” of the dance, and “she drew my name out of the hat to be the king,” Gardner said.

When she returned to the East Coast, they corresponded, and Gardner wrote,” Why don’t you just come home and we’ll get married? Well, she was on the first flight home.”

Garder and Tootsie, who dies a few months ago, raised three children together.

- by Beth Britton

Nursing teacher recalls childhood on Flathead Lake As Marion Nelson Russell flips through a small book that chronicles her life, she smiles as she recalls the good times growing up on Finley Point in Polson. Flathead Lake was the backdrop of her childhood after she moved from San Diego with her family at the age of three.

It was the height of the Great Depression, and her father worked in the field of concrete housing.

After graduating from Polson High School, Russell moved to Bozeman, where she studied nursing.

“I worked my way through, and in five years earned my degree,” she said, adding that she pursued her passion for music by being a violinist in the MSU Symphony.

She said she worked as a nurse, but in part because of the shortage of nurses following World War II, she decided to change directions and teach others in the field of nursing.

She taught both in Bozeman and Great Falls.

- by Beth Britton

April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com

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Retirement community residents offer insight into the past

Beehive residents Duke Stanley (left), Bobbie (middle), and Elsie (right) share personal stories with reporter Gabrielle Pope on April 6. Photo by Beth Britton.

Duke Stanley lived a life unlike a lot of ours. He attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in the country space around Cascade. Without any organized sports or clubs, the sports that were played were male dominated. Girls his age had to be at home helping their parents or playing with other girlfriends -- they didn’t play sports or do a man’s job. Duke worked for most of his life, he lived on a farm so he helped his father farm when he was still going through school, but after school he joined the Air National Guard to be an aircraft mechanic. He continued his education with some college after he joined the Guard so he could “run some things.” He worked through his life and then got married and had kids at an older age than most other couples during that time, at the age of 26. Unlike most people his age, he didn’t have to go to war because of his job with the National Guard, which allowed him to live the life he does.

Elsie wasn’t from originally from Montana but was brought here from Seattle by her husband, whom she married a year after she was done with high school. She says the difference between how things are now compared to how

Montana skies shape lasting memories

Starting and finishing their lives under the Montana skies, Lee Frost and Doris Gould recount the stories that have shaped them into the amazing people they are today.

Born in one of the most beautiful spots in Montana, the Bitterroot Valley, Frost has many memories around the state that shaped him into the man he is today. Remembering the times he has worked for his grandfather, Frost found those times to be some of his favorites.

He is a people person, and working with his grandfather allowed him to be just that.

“I like people. I like talking to people and I like listening to people,” Frost said.

He enjoyed just simply working. After 35 years of service to Trident, a cement plant, Frost likes to think the time spent on the job allowed him to get to know everyone and everyone know him. “[Everyone] depended on me to keep them going,” he said.

Throughout his life, Frost kept in touch with everyone, and he still tries to today. So does Doris Gould.

Gould moved around quite a bit,

but she still liked to keep in touch with everyone. After meeting her husband on a blind date in college, the two moved to Texas for 15 years.

“15 winters,” Gould says.

The south allowed her to visit her daughter, who lived in Mesa, Arizona.

“The lunch and dinner were so cheap.”

With all of these benefis, Gould found her favorite place to live in the heart of Texas. Yet with all of her memories from the Big Sky State, they couldn’t resist moving back up, although they kept a house down south just in case.

Once back in Montana, Gould remembers one of her favorite memories was boating on the lake with her children.

They went for eight hours continuously and her and her husband “Still couldn’t tire those children out.”

- by Callan Garner

they used to be comes down to respect.

“People nowadays don’t respect their elders or their friends, or even themselves,” she said. Elsie welcomed five kids with her husband of 69 years. “I meant what I said in my vows,” she said. Elsie didn’t continue her education after high school because she says that a lot of the good jobs didn’t need a college education. She was married and taking care of her children, so her husband was the one bringing home the money while she held the fort down at home.

Bobbie has lived in Montana her whole life. She went to a small school but didn’t end up graduating because she got married to a military man at the age of 16, just before he got drafted for the Korean War. She has been married for 65 years and has two children. She worked as a Montana Power girl and as a telephone operator as well as an analytical clerk.

Once she retired she moved with her husband to her cabin in the mountains, where she kept up on gardening and her yardwork.

- by Gabrielle Pope

Mathematics educator calls the Beehive home Grenda Tinsley was born during the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma, and got her education in Colorado while her dad moved around. He served during World War II until retiring, and she got married in Arizona after earning her degree in mathematics education. One summer, her husband worked with a group of trained men to hunt uranium in Arizona, and she explains the trip with a smile.

“We spent a rather interesting summer there,” Tinsley said, pointing to her relations with the government, their vehicles, and the Native Americans.

“If you were driving down one of the major highways or any place in there and there was an Indian sitting on the side of the road, you better darn well pick that Indian up and take them wherever they wanted to go, cause you were in a government vehicle,” Tinsley said, laughing.

After her husband grew tired of extracting uranium, they moved back to Montana, had four children, and Tinsley pursued her passion for teaching. She taught in many different schools, but got her major teaching start when she was hired as one of the first teachers at North Middle School.

She joined the Math Teacher’s Association for the district, which fed into the state. With hard work, she became a state representative and met President Ronald Reagan.

“In the east room of the Capital, they gave out

Beehive resident Grenda Tinsley proudly displays her family photos and mementos on April 6 while talking to reporter Madison McKenzie.

awards throughout the whole thing, and each state had a representative there,” she said. “I was representing Montana. He came around and shook hands with every teacher that was there.”

Since then, she has retired and has stayed in the Beehive with a smile.

- by Madison McKenzie

Residents help junior look forward to growing up

Reporter Kaylebb Stahmer shares some laughs with Beehive residents Mary and Teri.

When I went to Beehive homes, I don’t think I realized going in how friendly the people I’d meet would be. As all the residents came out to say hello, they seemed extremely nice and open to talk about their stories. I struggle to talk to the few elderly people I personally know, but the folks here seemed open to talking.

I was ready to do a simple interview on someone, but as I listened to Teri and Mary, it evolved into a conversation I rather enjoyed. I frequently forgot I was there to write a piece and had to hastily jot

down notes when I did.

Teri is around 90, but is still extremely young at heart. We talked about her second husband, and how she made a living by making jewelry while she lived near a sapphire mine. One of the most memorable things she did was divorce her first husband, and she had a chance to meet her sister’s daughter thanks to Ancestry. It made me wonder what I would remember about life when I will be her age.

Mary didn’t talk much, but she struck

me as a kind and funny person. She often interrupted to tell me ‘You’re beautiful’ or jokingly ‘Grrrrr’, and talked about her children. That’s what she remembered about life -- her children.

She didn’t seem to care about much else.

After talking to them, it made me have a more positive outlook on life and becoming an adult. I was always afraid of growing up, but now I’m slightly eager to make memories, just like Teri and Mary - by Kaylebb Stahmer did.

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April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.” The Dalai Lama

“How many more colleges, classrooms, movie theaters, houses of faith, shopping malls, street corners?” Selena Gomez

“The Second Amendment of our Bill of Rights is my Concealed Weapons Permit, period.” Ted Nugent

local psyche at CMR

by Elinor VanGilder, staff writer “That could never happen to us.” That’s the general thought that seems to spread whenever another school shooting hits the news. “Not in our community, not in our school.”

The effects of school shootings stretch far past local communities, affecting the psyche of students and teachers nationwide.

“My cousin was in a school shooting,” freshman Arrianna Vance said. “It wasn’t fun to think about [her] being in that situation, even though I’m not very close to her.”

“When I hear about a shooting it breaks my heart that innocent people -- innocent children -- woke up one morning to go to school where they are supposed to be safe, and out of nowhere, with no warning, they are killed,” CMR parent Amy Permann said.

As much as the nation would like to view school shootings as scarcities, they tend to be far more prevalent than most would like to consider. Since 2010, there have been 91 school shootings in the United States, according to the Washington Post. Those events include the Sandy Hook shooting of 2012 and the 2018 Parkland shooting, which helped to spark a movement of awareness towards not only guns, but also mental illness. Although it’s important not to demonize these illnesses, it is just as important to consider the hardships faced by those experiencing them.

“I just hope our school is open enough about mental health issues so that if someone is feeling down they can go talk to someone instead of taking their anger out on others,” senior Lorin Tingey said.

The Great Falls Public School District, and CMR in particular, has worked with students in the past to help demolish the stigma surrounding mental health and to create an environment in which those struggling have a positive outlet through their teachers and counselors.

“I trust [my teachers] to know how to handle a situation, and to protect as many kids as possible,” Tingey said, a statement that seems to resonate throughout the school. Many students are at school just as often as they are at home, and the respect that they show towards their teachers often grows on into trust and reliance.

Despite this, there is still a wary feeling among many Rustlers.

“Every once in a while someone’s got to think ‘well, what if this lockdown isn’t a drill?’” junior Zach Carmean said. With many students, it’s not a case of being scared of attending school, but rather the fear of the threat that something may happen. “[School shootings] affect how I treat my kids,” Permann said. “I want to be sure they are happy and healthy, and I want to be sure that I am there for them when things are good and when things are bad. I want to be sure they know they aren’t alone and they can always ask for help.”

Despite her parents’ slightly stricter handling, freshman Heaven Hilbig said that she, too, has felt this fear.

“It affects what I’m allowed to go do. My parents always have to know where I’m at.

They always have to know what’s going on because they’re afraid of what might happen while I’m somewhere or what somebody else might do when I’m somewhere,” Hilbig said. “It’s kind of scary […] to think about what could happen to my little brother in elementary school when I’m not there for him.”

These fears don’t stop CMR students from attending their classes, however, even if they act more cautiously.

“I just go to school every day like I’ve always done,” Carmean said. “I’ve noticed a lot of teachers [will] try to ‘spice’ up the classroom a little bit, and try to make it more fun and enjoyable for the students.”

In many classes, teachers have implemented certain forms of defense if CMR ever finds itself in the case of a school shooter. German teacher Anne Bulger has worked to create a quick and sturdy way for students to blockade the door during lockdowns. This technique spread first throughout the language department before making its way to the other departments throughout the building. Although it may seem time-consuming to some, Bulger has stated that during the lockdown on April 1, the process took a minute and a half.

With the help of teachers and support from peers, many have come to see CMR as a safe school.

“I think we’re all a big family,” Hilbig said.

School shootings

Guns in our schools National shootings affect

Every pinpoint represents a school shooting since 2010. Size represents severity.

These were chosen at our discretion based off of motive.

What CMR has done to keep kids safe

by Kaylebb Stahmer, staff writer Security concerns are a serious issue in today’s schools, with shootings becoming a more common occurrence every year. Great Falls Public Schools (GFPS) pays special attention to this issue and tries to keep up with the times by making the policies in the city’s schools more effective. Collective discussions involving staff of schools are a common way they try and accomplish just that. “[Tweaking policies is] what we do every single year when we get together as a group. Not just the SRO’s but also the folks from the district office building. There are folks from every single one of our schools that are kind of their safety coordinators,” CMR’s School Resource Officer Detective Nick Taylor said. “We get together every single year, multiple times each year and have these conversations because it’s an everchanging set of protocols.”

A policy recently implemented by GFPS limits the number of entry points schools have.

After the change, CMR had five entry points they had to track, compared to 56 entry points before the policy, Taylor said. They did this by locking a majority of the doors, leaving only the necessary entrances unlocked.

Another way GFPS keeps its schools secure is making sure staff are well-equipped with the skills necessary to respond to certain situations.

In recent years, a training course on what to do

in an emergency when there is an armed intruder has been made available. Notwithstanding that the course has been made optional due to health concerns, the turnout rate has been high. About 600 teachers have completed the training in the last three years, according to Taylor.

“Staff members are allowed to participate in scenarios where we talk about the different options of running, locking your doors, lockdown type of stuff, and fighting in case an intruder does get into a classroom,” Taylor said.

They learn an array of skills ranging from how to apply a tourniquet to how to disarm someone if they have a gun.

Stacy Dolderer is one such teacher who has taken the course. She recalls the experience and the things she did vividly.

“It sticks in your brain the smell of gunpowder and actually having to wrestle a gun from an intruder,” she said. “We were able to get this big rifle away from an officer in a protective suit, and we were all beating him up and they had blown the whistle for us to stop. All of us were so in the moment that we didn’t hear the whistle blow and kept going.”

After taking the course, Dolderer considers herself much more confident in her ability to cope with such situations. She recommends such a course for anyone who hasn’t taken them yet because “it’s really worth it.”

April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com “We do not need guns and bombs to bring peace. We need love and compassion.”

Mother Teresa

“The question isn’t whether we ‘need’ guns.

It’s whether the government should have a monopoly on force.” Ann Coulter

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“In America, people with pre-existing mental health issues have access to firearms but not healthcare.” Oliver Markus Malloy

Guns and their history

by Jackson Howell, staff writer President has the authority in certain situations to “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to federalize the National Guard. the security of a free State, the right of the people President Dwight D. Eisenhower federalized to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” -- the Arkansas National Guard in 1957 to ensure Second Amendment, Bill of Rights. the safety of the Little Rock Nine, a group of black Most people can recite the latter part of the students trying to gain the right to attend high amendment, but not the former. It is important school. that we take into account this When a government, first part and what it means. whether it is state or federal, For example, there are selfabuses its power for a negative proclaimed citizens’ militia effect towards its people, a groups in this nation that well-regulated militia will be claim they are what the first called in to fix the situation. part of the amendment refers When this amendment was to. They are in fact wrong; the added to the Constitution in militia referenced here has been 1791, skirmishes with Native adapted to be the individual Americans were common, states’ national guard. along with hunting being the For example, the Montana main source of protein at the Jackson Howell time.

Air and Army National Guard can be called upon by the The second part of the governor to address anything from wildfires to amendment refers to citizens’ right to keep and emergency situations like a tyrannical government. bear arms. This part is important, but it is the The majority of citizens in America do not only section that gets any attention. Knowing the understand the difference between the federal extent of the law is the key to following it and armed forces and the states’ National Guards. The understanding one’s rights as a citizen.

Knowing the extent of the law is the key to following it and understanding one’s rights as a citizen.

by Jackson Howell, staff writer The firearm was preceded by a weapon called the fire lance that was developed in 10th century China. All modern guns are distant relations of this very primitive model. Everything from there forward could be argued to be an advancement.

The modern gun is something like an AR-15 or a standard issue service pistol that you would commonly see on a police officer. It seems as though there is a deteriorating view of guns in our society and with it, a growing fear of them.

Since Dec. 17, 1771, the right to keep and bear arms has been an essential right endowed to us in the U.S. Constitution. Ever since, the United States has been on the forefront of the world in terms of violence with these things that we are meant to have the right to keep and bear.

In November 1840, the first documented school shooting took place. A law professor was fatally shot by one of his students. At the

Explaining the evolution

A conundrum of understanding

time, revolvers along with pinfire cartridges were being used. In 1892, automatic handguns were developed and the modern style of the handgun was born. In 1914, World War I broke out with the use of new weaponry such as shotguns with a smaller bore designed for close trench warfare. There was also a slew of other advancements that wouldn’t be classified as involving firearms, such as chemical weapons, flame throwers, and anti-personnel vehicles.

During World War II, more advancements to the firearm came when the Germans pioneered the first modern assault rifle, capable of firing in a fully automatic mode.

The timeline skips a few years to 1999, when 15 students and faculty members were fatally shot at Columbine High School in Colorado.

There were 21 other gunfire-related, non-fatal injuries. This event was carried out via the use of fully automatic small arms.

The evolution of firearms

Photo: Max Pixel/CC

December 17, 1791 The Second Amendment is added to the Constitution.

Common firearms were muskets and flintlock pistols.

November 12, 1840 The first school shooting, a law professor was shot fatally by his student.

Pin fire cartridges and revolvers were a common thing.

Photo: Wikimedia/CC

1861-1865 The American Civil War, both muzzle loading and breech loaded rifles are being used also the gatling gun is developed during this period

1892 Automatic handguns are developed, and the first one is produced in 1893 with a separate magazine in the grip.

Photo: Wikimedia/CC

Photo: Wikimedia/CC

1939 WWII starts and ravages Europe, with new advances in automatic firearms ravaging the western front of this war.

1968 Colt M16 assault rifle first issued to American soldiers in Vietnam. This rifle is the ancestor to most of the current ones in service for the U.S.

1995 Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Model 29. This is one of the most power handguns ever made, aside from the Israeli Desert Eagle.

1998 A 13- and 11-year-old student shoot and kill 5 teachers and students and wound 10 others.

April 18, 2019 18 rustlernews.com

Teen parenting: Mastering the art of multi-tasking Young parents in the community learn to balance raising a baby, school, work

by Hannah Pospisil, staff writer The stress of finances, housing, and support are too much for most high school kids trying to get by, but add a baby into the mix and the stress can become overwhelming.

Just ask Hartlynn Burnside, a 17-year-old mother of her six-month-old baby Kotah. She is one teen parent happy to share her perspective.

Because of the pregnancy, Burnside’s life was completely changed-- but in a positive way. She had practically dropped out of school by her sophomore year, and she was not in her best place in life. However, after she found out that she was pregnant, her life changed for the better immediately. She got a job, went back to school later in the pregnancy, and is close to graduating.

“Life has gotten a little bit difficult. It’s just being able to juggle a whole lot. I’ve learned to multi-task a whole lot better now that I’ve had him,” Burnside said.

Burnside and Kotah have a daily routine: “We wake up, we eat, we come to daycare, he plays with little kids every day, and then we go home and we kind of just hang out until I have to work,” she said.

Burnside does not do this on her own because she has two support systems. One is at home, and the other is at her school, Paris Gibson Education Center.

Paris provides an astounding amount of support to teen parents, including a daycare that takes care of the children while their parents are at school and parenting seminars that are run by Deidra Haffner.

The seminars also provide a way for parents to earn diapers, hygiene products, and toys from a parenting resource office in Paris.

Another teen mother, 17-year-old Brianna Schulte, opens up about her experience as a young parent.

“It’s not about you anymore. You think you want to travel the world and stuff, but once you get pregnant you have to take her with you. It’s just not a get-upand-go kind of thing anymore. You have to think about the little one, too,” Schulte said.

She also has a support system -- her fiancé and the

daycare system that Paris has in place for students.

Schulte, like any other parent, runs into obstacles with her baby.

“She wakes up in the middle of the night, you get like four to five hours of sleep, but you just go with it,” she said.

Despite the sleepless nights and busy schedule, Schulte balances all of her responsibilities well.

Having a baby as a teenager does put a halt to some future plans.

“I take her everywhere with me so it’s not like you can get up and just leave whenever you want anymore.

You got to pack her diaper bag and things like that.

It’s just being an adult now and taking on life,” Schulte said.

18-year-old Kassidy Gates-Yost has a 3-month-old son named Jaxon.

“After pregnancy, it was all about the baby -- that’s it, that was all we ever worried about,” Gates-Yost said.

After she had her baby, everything changed for her and her boyfriend, Trevor. Instead of hopping into the car and leaving, they had to put in a car seat and bring the baby along, which is just one example of the steps added to everyday activities. It was a huge life adjustment.

Not only does Gates-Yost work, but she attends college online, as well as juggling life with a newborn baby..

“My mom is my biggest support person, other than Trevor, both of them have been really amazing -- my support system is very, very fortunate, but I know other people don’t have that big of a [support system],” she said. “They’re not as lucky as I am, but people can’t be afraid of asking for help, because if you ask for help you’re more than likely going to get help.”

The city offers many resources for parents.

“Great Falls actually has so many opportunities for low income, or just early child development, and just everything,” Gates-Yost said. “If you just apply yourself to being a mom, you know, like the stress, you put it to a limit.”

Top: 9-month-old Chloe Gobert naps in the baby room at Paris Gibson Education Center.

Photo by Grace Carr. Bottom left: Kassidy Gates-Yost holds 3-month-old son Jaxon at work. Gates-Yost works at JCCS accounting and is currently going to online school. Photo provided by Gates-Yost. Bottom right: Brianna Schulte holds 7-month-old daughter Allison Maye Crenshaw. Photo by Nancy Beston.

Students gain parenting skills in child development class

by Katie Mygland, staff writer It takes a lot of work to care for a child, and CMR’s child development class helps with not only knowing how to care for a child, but also with getting prepared for careers that revolve around children.

Sophomore Brie Wobick encourages that students should take the class.

“They should take it so they know more about having children and how to take care of a baby,” Wobick said.

The goal of the class is aimed to better understanding children and how they grow and develop.

Child development teacher Teri Forde explains why students sign up.

“They learn a lot about the development of children from birth to their primary years in school,” Forde said. “I want them to understand kids by learning about them in all the areas of development and character: their physical development, their cognitive development, their social development, and mental development. [It could be] related to a career someday, or [it could

be] related to their own lifestyle, or their own parenting ways.

Children give their parents a hard time, the baby will do the same.”

The skills that students learn in the class go further than they think, and they can use those skills throughout their lives. It’s something that never goes away.

“I think a lot of the kids that take the class are planning a career that would revolve around children whether it’s professionally or medical education there is just a whole area out there political [eviornment and they are the future of the country] that revolves around children too that they are interested in,” Forde said. “I always call them my child advocates. They are just interested in kids, but I do have a lot of students interested in education for kidsmost of them elementary kids - and of course pediatrics, labor, and delivery.”

Despite the fact that there are no boys taking the class this year, Forde said boys have participated in previous years.

Wobick said she liked the class, but the worst part is taking the real care baby home and caring for it.

“Everybody reacts in their own way. Some of them truly say

they don’t wake up when the baby starts crying,” Forde said. “Other ones are up at the second it cries. Some love it and beg to do it again because they did so poorly the first time. I think they are excited to do it. It is somewhat realistic,” she said.

Although student reactions vary, Forde believes many enjoy the class.

“I think they like the class,” Forde said. “We bring some kids in.

We do hands-on projects. I treat them like high school kids some days and read to them too as little kids. I kind of try to shake it up a little bit. What I teach, it pertains to their lives whether it’s physically, career-wise or family.”

Caring for a child comes with great responsibility.

According to health and PE teacher Amanda Ferderer, it costs roughly $700 for a parent to pay for daycare for one child or up to $2,000 for two kids per month.

“It’s a big responsibility. That is the main point I’m trying to get across is responsibility. You [have] to be prepared for it. It’s not about you anymore: it’s about your child. In fact, you are at the bottom of the list,” Forde said.

April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com

Paris provides resources to young parents

O

by Grace Carr, editor-in-chief nly 53 percent of women in their 20s who first became mothers when they were teenagers completed a traditional high school degree, according to a January 2018 report released by the nonprofit research organization Child Trends.

Raising a child while attending high school is not an easy task. Thankfully, young parents in the Great Falls community have access to resources provided by Paris Gibson Education Center and the Young Parents Education Center (YPEC) to make the experience a little less complicated.

“Teen parents at Paris, Great Falls High, CMR, or Adult Education program can access our YPEC for daycare and for education,” Paris Principal Drew Uecker said. “What YPEC does is connect our young parents to those other resources through the state or the federal government in order to help them.”

The YPEC is a nonprofit located at Paris, but it is not fully funded by the school. Funding comes from grant writing for child care scholarships so young parents do not have to pay if they do not get assistance from the state.

WIC (social services organization in Great Falls), food stamps, reduced childcare, diapers, and formula are just a few of the resources young parents can obtain through this program.

The community also generously donates a lot of supplies to Paris or to YPEC, and they are funneled to teens right away.

“As far as subsidized child care, we are the only option,” Uecker said. “There really isn’t any other solid option for them to be in school or to be able to get the education they need.”

Paris has Alluvion healthcare and a clinic located in the building that operates three days a week. The company works with the students to ensure parents have ways to pay for healthcare for their child and provides services to help the family in any way they can. Nurses check the babies often and offer vitamin supplements if needed.

However, the educational aspect provided is also very important. Young parents learn the dos and don’ts when it comes to taking care of the health of themselves and their children.

“The most important resource though is the education component they get through YPEC,” Uecker said. “[Teen

Coby Rivenes, age 1 1/2, plays in the toddler room at Paris Gibson Education Center on March 18, 2019. Teen parents can receive a flexible education through the YPEC program at Paris. Photo by Grace Carr.

parents] have Paris to support them with more of a flexible schedule for their schooling. Kids that are in YPEC have a much higher graduation rate than if they did not utilize YPEC.”

70 60 50

64%

40 30 20

20%

14%

10

up 25

&

4 -2 20

9 -1 16

&

un de

r

2%

15

Percentage of parents enrolled

Ages of parents enrolled in the Young parents Education Center (YPEC) during the 2017-2018 school year

Ages of parents enrolled

Students can learn parenting skills and self-help skills for themselves in addition to their regular education.

“I would say a good half of our mothers, when they had that baby, their school output increases dramatically and they do much, much better because they want something better for their kid,” Uecker said.

YPEC director Shandy Petersen and family support specialist Deidra Haffner work from the Paris location to assist teen parents in learning how to take care of their children and adjust to their new responsibilities.

“I’m the director,” Petersen said. “I manage the whole program, [...] do all the grant writing, and I’m helping with insurance.”

Haffner works with teen parents to educate them on a needbased system. If a student is pregnant, they are taught prenatal and newborn skills. If a mom is about to graduate, Haffner focuses on topics that parents will experience once they leave the facility.

“Some days you’ll have to do potty-training, and some days you’ll have to manage behavior,” she said.

On Thursdays, Haffner and Petersen host “It’s Tough to be a Teen Mom,” a group session with young parents. Group normally consists of breakfast, listening to a guest speaker, and doing a craft.

“It’s just kind of a place where everyone can gather, get to know each other, and learn more about each other,” Petersen said.

The two YPEC educators also receive calls from community members who need parenting education. Sometimes they arrange a time to meet with Haffner because she is certified to teach Circle of Security; a form of bonding and attachment class that makes it easier to understand a child’s emotional needs.

“We serve any parent,” Haffner said. “You don’t have to be a teen to get services from us. Any parent that comes or calls, we will help [them] the best that we can.”

Overall, the Young Parent Education Center and other resources offered at Paris provide a great place for teen parents and community members to earn their education and learn parenting skills. The school is a friendly and close-knit environment that offers flexible schedules for all those who enroll.

6

314

community referrals were made to young parents.

3

families received h o u s i n g scholarships fromYPEC.

19

100%

of young parents who completed their Post-test demonstrated an increase in parenting skills and knowledge of positive parenting practices.

young parents received valuable instruction in Circle of Security.

72

individuals assisted by YPEC in 2017-2018.

From 2017-2018 school year Profile & Accomplishments of YPEC.

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COACHES

Meet the

April 18, 2019 rustlernews.com

Softball Update: Start of the Season

by Sophie Kluge, news/opinion editor Softball season is in full swing, and coach Lindsey Gustafson is ready for another year of practices and games. Despite being indoors for some practices due to the weather, she said that the team is doing well and off to a great start.

“The girls are doing great and have great attitudes. I’m excited to see how the season will go,” Gustafson said. Although the Mar. 30 Jamboree got canceled due to weather, Gustafson said she hopes to see two things from their first game.

“Our pitchers need to throw well, and we need to be able to hit behind them and play good defense,” she said.

As of April 15, the team’s record is 5-2 and their conference record is 2-0, making it a good start runners to the season. One thing

Girls track distance taking off from the start line at Memorial Stadium on April 13.

Photo by Alex Madsen.

Varsity softball team playing against Flathead High School on April 6. Photos by Beth Britton.

Girls and boys tennis team playing Helena on April 6. Photos

by Raiden Kruckenberg.

Tennis Coaches

&

Val Scheevel Bryon Boyd

by Sophie Kluge, news/opinion editor CMR tennis is welcoming two new coaches to the court this spring as Val Schveel and Byron Boyd, both CMR graduates and lifelong friends, are continuing their 20-plus years of coaching at CMR. “We are really happy to be back at CMR,” Boyd, the boys’ coach and assistant girls’ coach, said.

Boyd, who blew his knee out four years ago and had to stop coaching while he recovered, said he loves watching the kids and the team grow.

“Their attitudes are so positive and they’re so enthusiastic and the effort level is so great,” he said.

Schveel, who spent her time outside of Montana coaching in Seattle, shares Boyd’s excitement and eagerness to get the season started.

“We love seeing people love tennis, who love to improve,” she said. Schveel, who is the one who heard about the tennis positions opening, told Boyd about the opportunity.

“When I found out there was an opening, I thought it would be fun to apply and come back to CMR,” she said. For them, being good coaches goes way back. Alan Nelson, who was their tennis coach and biology teacher in high school, made their love for tennis grow, showing them insight on what type of coaches they aspired to be.

Both coaches agree that there would be no one else they would want by their side this season.

As the season progresses, the two of them have multiple goals in mind.

“Aside from improvement, of course our goal would be to have kids qualify for state. We want to be as competitive as we can be, so we would love to see some players do well in divisionals and qualify for state,” Schveel said. Boyd agrees, saying that because the tournament is in “our backyard” this year, that he wants good representation at the games.

Both coaches are looking forward to being back to coaching, especially from their alma mater. “I am really excited to be back coaching,” Boyd said.

20

Gustafson hopes to accomplish during the season is to place at the state tournament.

“We made it to state last year, and that was good, but our goal should be to place,” Gustafson said. She thinks they have a good chance to place if they continue to grow and get better, but even though this is one thing she hopes to accomplish, there is one overarching achievement she has in mind for the team.

“I just want the kids to have fun and to grow together as a family,” she said. Gustafson hopes that the girls view the team as more than that, a comradery between everyone. She said that she hopes that when the season is over, they’ll be able to look back and think of everyone as a family rather than a team.

Head Track Coach Burke Allen

by Gabrielle Pope, sports editor Recently, teacher, coach and father Burke Allen took on a new responsibility as head coach of CMR’s track and field team, following previous head coach Mike Henneberg.

Allen is on his 17th year of coaching. His first 10 years were spent as an assistant and the last six years as a coordinator. Earning the title of head coach has come with more responsibilities than before. He is now responsible for travel arrangements, paperwork, filling rosters to assure eligibility, making sure fines are paid, gear is checked in and out, among other things.

“There is a lot going on when you have 140 kids or so going out for track,” Allen said. With such a busy schedule, he emphasizes the importance of having a good team to support him both in the sport and at home.

“All the other coaches are fantastic; they also do a lot of work to make sure the program can be successful, and I just try to oversee all of that and make sure that it is all moving in the correct direction,” he said.

Allen says that balancing teaching, coaching and being a good husband and father can sometimes be difficult, but prioritizing is important.

“My number one job will always be my family and they do make some sacrifices this time of year because I am gone a lot,” Allen said. “They are willing to do that and are super supportive of my decision to be a coach.”

Allen says that if there can’t be much quantity of time spent with his family he will make sure that the quality of time is good.

In addition to performing his coaching responsibilities, Allen emphasizes the importance of remaining consistent and giving the best education possible in his classroom. “That can make for long days,” he added.

“You always have your priorities, but you have to try to balance and make sure you are fulfilling all obligations and you are not leaving anything out,” he said.

Allen spent his high school years at CMR on the track and field team that he is now coaching. He said there will be a huge dynamic change with the addition of the newly constructed practice facility, which allows the whole team to practice at one place.

“We haven’t really been able to do that in decades. We always have to split our team up; we have kids go over to the stadium to sprint, hurdle and jump. The throwers are over here and the distance runners are all around town,” he said.

This physical barrier of being seperated can cause the team to feel divided in their events.

But with the addition, Allen hopes that barrier can be broken.

“We have been so divided it has been tough to develop a team feel, and that is what I am excited about. To start something different and having it feel more like a team than it has in the past and that will help us be more successful in coming years. I want to shift the culture.”