CMR Stampede February 2019 by CMR Stampede

Feb. 7, 2019

THE STAMPEDE

Vol. 54, Issue 4

an open forum for student expression

WHITE OPPRESSION FACE-OFF Page 07

ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF

2019 Page 16

MEET THE MANAGERS Page 18

LUKE JARACZESKI REPRESENTS

CMR SWIMMING COVER.indd 1

2/5/2019 6:22:52 PM

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Grace Carr

Editor responds to in-depth personality test

The Stampede

C. M. Russell High School Great Falls, MT February 7, 2019 Vol. 54 Issue 5 www.rustlernews.com Instagram: rustler_news Twitter: rustlernews

Several months ago, my fellow Leadership High School members and I were asked to take the MyersBriggs Type Indicator test. On Jan. 23, we received our shocking, yet completely realistic, results in the form of a threepage profile. The Myers-Briggs test is a self-response questionnaire that indicates different psychological preferences in how we perceive the world around us. My test labeled me an ISTP, which stands for introvert, sensing, thinking, and perceiving. To summarize, I am independent, quiet, pragmatic, bored easily, require physical activity, and should have a job with a great deal of change each day. Some of my favorite lines from the profile include “their aloofness may be seen as intentional coldness, especially when they don’t bother to explain their behavior” and I “have a particularly difficult problem with role identity and career fulfillment.” I felt like the blunter version of myself was looking me in the eye and describing all of my best and worst personality traits. To top it

all off, as I recited the results to my mom, she slammed her hand on the table and laughed hysterically. Simply translated, my mother completely agreed with a majority of the statements made about me. After this experience, I kept wondering why this was necessary and how it would help me throughout my life. The only answer I could think of was being able to understand why I acted the way I did in past situations. However, according to our instructor, the method behind the madness was that we would be more prepared for job interviews. It is easier to answer questions about your personality and work ethic when you can comprehend them yourself. Personally, I learned how to honestly respond when asked about my strengths and weaknesses, as well as what my motivation would be for applying to a specific job. This personality test made a lasting impression on me for both the bluntness and the reality in which it provided me. I learned more about my own characteristics and gained a better understanding of how others perceive me.

Table of Contents

2018-2019 Staff Editors

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

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

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 toc edited.indd 1

On Jan. 31, students from CMR and GFHS compete against one another for their crosstown tournament. The CMR boys and girls won the meet and overall were pretty happy with the results. 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.

02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Table of Contents Grace’s column Superintendent Finale Sophie’s Column Government shutdown Pep assembly Class Scheduling Foreign Exchange Editorial Depression Holly’s Column White Oppression Question chart Promising Professionals McKenzie’s Column Languages Film Festival Center: Religion Black History Month Stampede Tries... Thespian Festival Top Songs Quinn’s Column Phone Privacy Valentine’s Day Anticipated Movies

Lacrosse Super Bowl Anonymous letters are not accepted. Gabrielle’s Column Submissions can be dropped off in room 326 Meet the managers or e-mailed to: stampede@gfps.k12.mt.us. Spring sports preparation The Stampede maintains membership in State Swimming the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Basketball the National Scholastic Press Association, the Wrestling Journalism Education Association and Quill Backpage: Crosstown sports and Scroll. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/KRT Campus Cover Photo: Sophomore Luke Jaraczeski swims the breaststroke during the crosstown swim meet on Jan. High School Newspaper Service. 31. This is one of the only times the two teams compete against one another. Photo by Nancy Beston.

2/5/2019 6:53:35 PM

NEWS

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

Tom Moore named next Superintendent of Schools

Important changes to improve our multi-million dollar school district are near by Holly Spragg, online editor

On Thursday, Jan. 24, Tom Moore was hired by the school board to become the next Superintendent of Great Falls Public Schools. School administrators, teachers, and community members filled the audience, waiting to see what the decision would be. Many got up to speak on Moore’s behalf and to show their support for him. In the end, Moore -- who currently serves as the assistant superintendent for secondary schools -- was hired with 6-1 vote and a two-year contract. Moore will start on July 1.

Tom Moore has many goals and aspirations for the school system, students, and the community. He said he wants to raise the graduation rate of Great Falls students to get more people having a plan for their future. “I don’t feel like we have done the very best we can do until we have all of you graduating from high school with a diploma that matters to you,” he said. The national average is 85% of students graduating within four years, Great Falls has around 80% of students

graduating on time. Moore said he hopes to get the timely graduation rate to 90% To have a greater number of students graduating, support from family and the community to raise funds and help with other aspects of the school system is necessary. “I want to help people see the value in education and our schools,” Moore said. “I believe in our public schools.” He mentioned the important aspects of giving students outside experiences to make them excited about learning, no matter the age. “We have to educate the whole child [...] you can’t expect a first grade child to sit in a chair all day and expect them to gain something,” Moore said considering what to do to keep the young kids engaged. “This all takes money so it goes back to having adequate funding as well.” As kids get older, habits change and they are exposed to more things. Moore thinks if a student makes a mistake or gets into trouble, expulsion is not always the answer. “We can’t have that; it surely presents a safety issue,” he mentioned about why students get expelled,

whether it be for drugs, weapons, or violence. He also said that the kids who commit a crime are often held accountable by the police but also the school board as they are the ones who finalize the expulsion. “Expelling a 15- or 16-year-old kid and putting them on the street in Great Falls doesn’t do a whole lot of good,” Moore said. He said that taking a child out of school is not the best choice and can lead to more dangerous activities. Moore said there should be somewhere with more resources to help the students continue their education and form a plan. He stressed the fact that students need a plan for their future. Moore said he wants students to be excited and have control of their future. “They can succeed; instill hope for a future [they] will be in control of,” he said. He continued by encouraging students to take control of their education and to make it theirs. “Own your education. It is yours and you can do whatever you want with it.”

One vision one mission

“Every day I look at that,” Moore said as he pointed to a sign hanging at the front of his office. He said he references the poster to remind himself why he does what he does. It holds the message,“Vision: All kids are engaged in learning today...for life tomorrow. Mission:We successfully educate students to navigate the future.”

News/Opinion Editor

photos by Grace Carr

Moore talks with Junior Bailee McMaster about the play that took place throughout the school day on Thursday Jan. 31 . He attended the play and tries to make it to many other events around the community.

From biologist to administrator Moore moved to Great Falls in 2007 and has been an administrator of public schools for 20 years. Moore has been involved in public education for 38 years. When Moore was in college, he said he wasn’t planning on being where he is today. “I wanted to be a wildlife biologist,” Moore said. It wasn’t until his junior year of college that he changed his mind. He and other students had to make and prepare lessons to teach to all different age groups, and it sparked his interest. “It was fun to watch kids get excited,” Moore said. “I decided that maybe teaching was something I would enjoy.” Moore soon started student teaching in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He didn’t stray far from his early interest in biology as he was a biology and science teacher. Moore is involved in many

things here in Great Falls. He is on the Rescue Mission board and was once on the United Way board as well. He comes to many of the school and community events that take place to show support for all that is happening. “I like Great Falls. I love the community; I like being part of it,” Moore said. His son, Nathan Moore, graduated from CMR last year and started in the GFPS system in first grade. “It was a great place for him to grow up, go to school,” he said. His wife, Rhonda Moore, commonly known as Patrona, works at CMR as a Spanish teacher. Great Falls is his wife’s home town, and Moore has taken a liking to it as well. “It’s my home. I love it.”

Sophie Kluge

Editor reevaluates school dress code

No short skirts, no spaghetti strapped tank tops, and no shirts that display illegal activities or curse words. We all have the dress code rules ingrained into our minds due to it being taught to us over and over for years on end, yet some like to push the limits by wearing a Hooters shirt or a shirt with an alcohol logo on it. When I showed up to school wearing high-waisted jeans with a black, long sleeve crop top, I didn’t think that the dress code rules could be applied to me. My jeans went up high enough, the shirt showed no skin when I sat down nor did it show anything promiscuous. I walked into the office to get a paper signed and next thing I know I am getting sent home because my belly button was showing. Page3.indd 1

I understand that teachers and administrators have to enforce the rules and they can’t catch everyone wearing a crop top or a Bud Light shirt, but wearing a crop top that went a little above my belly button should be the least of everyones problems. I had to miss my first period that day, one of the hardest classes on my schedule, because some were uncomfortable with my outfit. When anyone gets sent home because of an outfit change, the school is telling them that how others perceive them is more important than their education. It’s different when it’s a shirt that may be offensive to others, perhaps it uses bad language or targets a specific group of people, but mine wasn’t. Mine was a shirt from Target that made me miss AP English and late to my second period.

When some girls get sent home because their outfit is too “scandolous” or distracting, we are teaching them that men are looking at them as objects. Women don’t dress to impress men, we dress to impress our friends and to like what we see when we walk past windows or mirrors; men liking what we wear is in the back of our minds. Schools have rules and they have to be enforced regardless of if we like them or not, but some rules are outdated and need to be changed. Dress coding is one of the least important aspects of high school. Kids know what to wear and what not to wear, there is no need to impose such a harsh rule where one’s education is put second to everyone else’s comfortability.

2/5/2019 7:31:40 PM

Q &A Feburary 7, 2019

Q&A

with

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

4 rustlernews.com

Callan Garner

How has the shutdown affected your family?

Many people don’t understand that the shutdown is actually a major thing for the people affected. My mom was out of work for more than three pay periods, stressing both her and my sister and I out. Not knowing when she would get paid, we had to restrict groceries, extra activities and more. In the beginning, it wasn’t as scary. My mom stayed level headed and understood that we just had to wait it out. But as the weeks continued, my mom obviously got more stressed. She considered applying for a second job just so we could pay for gas and more food. Luckily, she was able to go back to paid work before she actually had to, but the stress right up until the end was consuming. It is still on all of our minds due to the fact that there could still be another shutdown, but for now it is all ok and we are back to ‘normal’.

Are you worried for when this deal runs out and the possibility of another shutdown?

Personally, I am still worried. Because her job is so “dismissed” in the minds of the higher ups, I am afraid they can think nothing of it and allow for another detrimental shut down. However, my mom is not. She is taking the days as they come and just trying to save as much money as possible until there is absolute reassurance that she will not go into another period of furlough.

Who did your mom blame for the shutdown?

My mother honestly did not “blame” anyone for the shutdown. She was upset that others did not find her work as important as she did, and she was upset that there is such partisanship in government right now, but, overall she was just focused on herself and her colleagues getting through the stressful times.

What’s some information some people don’t realize?

For 35 days, hundreds of thousands of people were directly affected by the government shutdown. Government shutdowns happen when the first and second branches cannot successfully pass a spending bill for the fiscal year. This year the shutdown was 35 consecutive days long -- the longest in U.S. history.

Where does your mom work?

My mother-- Lindy Garner works at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. She is the mother of me and my younger sister freshman Jadan Garner.

Students show their spirit by Nancy Beston photo/ design editor

On Feb. 5, CMR held an assembly to raise spirit for the Tuesday night boys crosstown basketball game. Hundreds of kids came into the Thunder Dome and prepared to be dazzled. The pep band, directed by Chris Klocker, performed the National Anthem and kids stood up and honored their country. Afterwards the CMR Wranglers and the CMR cheerleaders performed and started getting the excitement flowing. This was followed by the CMR Drumline, which brought up the spirit. The assembly ended with kids having the opportunity to “pie” their favorite teachers. Photos by Nancy Beston.

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February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com Mattersburg, Austria

Changes in arriving foreign exhange students’ lives

you have finals end of semester, which we don’t ` have,” Hanbauer said. “If I could I would stay here forever in this school because my school in Austria is more difficult.” An aspect of any foreign exchange student’s life is the host family with whom they live. For Hanbauer, she is very appreciative of her nice host parents, who love to travel. She said she by Kaylebb Stahmer, staff writer considers them “the best host family I could Moving to a different school is already a big get.” deal if one is simply moving across town, but imagine it being all the way across the globe. That’s what CMR’s foreign exchange students have voluntarily done, and there’s a lot they Norden, Germany have to get used to. Corinne Hanbauer is one of these students. She’s from Mattersburg, Austria and arrived here just over a month ago, on Jan. 3. “A friend in my school in Austria did it and I said yeah, I wanted to do this too, so I signed in and on Jan. 3 I arrived here at Great Falls,” Hanbauer said. One of the things she has to adjust to is that Another aspect of being a foreign exchange her school in Austria is setup with 14 classes student is simply getting away, which is why for each student, with every other day going to Jasmin Grumme chose to get involved in this a different set of seven classes. program. “I think the school system in Austria is “It might sound a little bit stupid, but more difficult because we have to do more stuff I didn’t want to go to school anymore in and learn more, but here it’s different because Germany because it was horrible,” Grumme

Corinne

Hanbaue

Jasmin Grumme

Scheduling: All the info you need to know Credits

English

Num.

Math

3 Social Studies 3

Science 3 Health / PE 2 Fine Arts 1 CTE

1 Financial Tech 0.5

Electives 5.5 TOTAL 23 Page5.indd 1

by Lily Dinh, staff writer Students will be building their schedules for the next school year on Feb. 13. This date is earlier than usual due to the school’s staffing. C. M. Russell High staffs the building based on class requests of the students. This is so that when they are entered into the system, the school can decide how many teachers are needed for different courses. However, the counseling staff recommends that students not worry about this early scheduling. “It’s early for kids to make choices but we’re flexible enough that you can come in to your counselor and say, ‘I’ve changed my mind. I want to try this instead’,” said head counselor Brenda Lowry. Some requirements students, especially underclassmen, should take into consideration when looking at scheduling options are zero periods and online classes. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are required to have seven periods of accountability; therefore, taking one of these classes would allow an open period later in the day. The open period can be utilized as extra time to catch up on work or to work ahead, but underclassmen should also keep in mind that five classes need to be credit bearing. On the other hand, students may also fill the open period with a class. For this to happen, students may write an academic variance requesting to have eight periods. CMR High School has a wide variety of electives to select from. “We have business classes, we have computer coding classes, we’ve got our industrial technologies courses, our health occupations, our fine arts. Fill your day with classes. This might be your last chance to learn about something that you won’t have that opportunity down the road,” Lowry said.

said. “I wanted to go away and I like the U.S. so I decided to go here.” Since she’s moved here, living in a new country has caused a bit of culture shock. “Everything’s completely different; I don’t know why, but it’s a different country and it’s a different culture,” she said. Her experience at CMR has so far been positive, with many new classes -- like choir and cooking -- that aren’t offered at her German school. School sports also are different compared to her old school, in a good way. “I like it how you support your school activities in school,” she said. “Our sports are out of school in clubs. I think your way is better though, because it is more fun and it brings people together.” One thing Grumme struggles with with being a foreign exchange student is her lack of mobility. She doesn’t have a driver’s license here, and compared to her hometown, Great Falls is a large city. It’s not an option to just go to her friends’ houses because they live a distance away and her parents are busy working and unable to offer rides. “At home I can drive, ride with my bike or my parents, take a bus, but here it’s different,” she said. “We can start [driving] when we’re 16 and a half, and we have to drive until we’re 18

Ourense, Spain

Eugenia Paz Nunez with our parents [in Germany].” Eugenia Paz Nunez is another foreign exchange student who arrived recently, and this isn’t her first time moving from home to go to school. Paz Nunez, who is from Spain, went to a boarding school when she was 11 in England. She said it was an enjoyable experience so she chose to try something similar again. “About Great Falls and Montana in general, there’s like, nothing. I’m used to living in a city, not a huge city, but it’s really urban; I realized I really like that,” she said. “It’s fine here, but I definitely prefer Spain. Here, everything is really big.” Paz Nunez notes that in Great Falls she has to drive everywhere, but in Spain she walks or takes public transportation.

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OPINION

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

How

NOT to talk to someone with depression

by Nancy Beston, photo editor Having depression isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Depression can have many different effects on individuals-- it may cause one to have highs and lows, or maybe one has major depression. Some may have functional “good” days and others won’t. Depression isn’t a cookie-cutter term, so there are many different treatments for each and every individual who deals with the disorder. Some who are diagnosed describe depression as intrusive and transitive. Depression causes one to feel isolated and

overwhelmed with what they are facing, and they can also get quite frustrated with people’s response to their mental disorder. Some people understand the disorder, and others are unhelpful. The constant repetition of the same questions is exhausting for anyone -- especially someone with depression. For those wanting to support depressed people, these attitudes may seem well-meaning, but they are actually quite destructive. So here are some commonly asked questions that SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

Seriously? I’m sure it has occurred to no depressed person in the history of ever to “just cheer up” because being depressed is so fun and awesome. This seems to come with an implication that depressed people are to blame for their own mental illness; that if they just

tried harder, they wouldn’t be depressed anymore. It’s shaming and frustrating for people who are struggling with a really low mental state.

Why not just cheer up?

I thought you were fine now that you were on meds?

Ah yes my medication has cured all of my issues and I am all good now! Depression? Who? In reality, medications will help with depression, but they aren’t a magic cure. Depression is a mental health condition that can persist for life. Sometimes that means going

to therapy and remaining on meds for the rest of your life, and requires constantly adjusting your treatment as needed. There’s no cure for depression. Meds aren’t always reliable, and mental health conditions are variable over time.

So depression is just being really sad, right? No, not really. Depression is a mental health problem that can’t just be solved with ice cream and hugs. A lot of people will experience sadness throughout their life. Some may even face really intense prolonged states of sadness. The difference between being sad and depressed is complicated and hard to describe. People who may think that they

are depressed should seek counseling and help from a doctor. There is still, however, a definite difference between sadness and depression. Depression includes sadness but it also might be fatigue, suicidal thoughts or actions, the loss of motivation to complete daily tasks, appetite changes, along with many other symptoms.

Yes, I have tried drinking water. Yes, I have tried exercising. Yes, I have tried ‘self-care’ days. And yes, I have tried face masks with lavender in them. The problem is that depression isn’t just sadness, and it can’t be solved with normal everyday solutions or remedies. Depression is caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, and that can’t be solved with lemon water. People who have been diagnosed with depression have likely discussed many different treatments with their doctors. Those recommendations probably include

counseling. Other doctors might prescribe medication for people who need to bring their baseline mood up so that they can function. If medication doesn’t work then they have probably tried different psychiatric drugs to see if they are more effective. Trust me, people have tried. No, don’t tell people that your aunt’s husband’s sister-in-law’s daughter’s sister ran ten miles everyday and it cured her. Just don’t.

Have you tried …?

Online Editor

Washington Post Super Bowl commercial not worth the cost On Sunday, Feb. 3, 98.2 million families sat around their television and watched Super Bowl VIII, according to CBS. However, many were waiting patiently for the commercials, which are almost more famous than the football game itself. Of course, it is not a true live broadcast without a little controversy. The Washington Post produced a minute-long ad during the Super Bowl featuring historic clips and images meant to honor the role of journalists. The advertisement was narrated by Tom Hanks, who also played editor Ben Bradlee in the movie “The Post.” The commercial was seen as promoting the slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness” and was intended to signify the importance of reporting. However, it sparked disagreement among viewers and reporters alike. The advertisement was 60 seconds, meaning the Washington Post spent roughly $10 million on one commercial. Many found this FROM OUR purchase to be “a waste of money” or a “promotional advertisement.” Even OF some of the newspaper’s employees VIEW disputed over the commercial. Post reporter Sarah Kaplan gave her opinion via Twitter: “I’m really proud to work at a newspaper that does this vital work,” she said. “But maybe next $10 million could go toward better health benefits, parental leave, equal pay, and more jobs for reporters?” Reporter Fredrick Kunkle agreed, adding that the company “a) tried to take away health care insurance form part-time employees b) moved everyone toward riskier forms of health insurance.” For many years, The Post has made cuts to their funding in an effort to put their publication in a better position for the future. For example, in 2014 the Washington Post announced a new retirement plan for its employees. It lessened the amount of money retirees would receive and forced more responsibility onto the employees to find another method of retirement funding. Employees for the publication struggled with the idea that millions of dollars were being pooled into a one-minute advertisement, but their benefits were less than satisfactory. If a viewer is able to look past the cost of this advertisement, it is a well-produced, memorable tribute to journalists around the world. However, due to the steep price, this advertisement was not worth the money. It could have been placed online or used at a different televised event that did not cost nearly as much.

POINT

by Holly Spragg

Razor brand spurs reactions and perfect examples

Boys will be boys. How can one simple phrase be used to excuse behavior and encourage it? From the time we were young, this short sentence has been burned into our minds. This phrase is letting little boys believe toxic behavior is OK. But, oh well, boys will be boys, right? Toxic/fragile masculinity is a phrase used to explain why some men are the way they are. It is a fairly new concept -and a controversial one at that. Toxic and fragile masculinity is everywhere in daily life, and most don’t realize it or care to call it out. Nothing will take masculinity away from you, unless you let it. Even things like “Man Caves” are there to prove masculinity. Is having a separate room away from the entire family, filled with dead animals and packed with beer really necessary to feel like a man? This is not saying having a “man cave” is bad. Sometimes it is nice to have a room to yourself. But, if it is used to keep the women out or because the living room is too ‘girly,’ and you really need a Page6.indd 1

specific room to feel like a man, then it is not OK. So keep your room, personal space, den, whatever, but keep the ‘manliness’ out of it. Toxic Masculinity leads to many harmful things, suppression of emotion, resistance to help, and extreme violence. Boys and men can cry, and others can help them feel better. Suicide is one of the biggest killers of men. According to ASFP.org, for every 10 suicides that occur, seven of them are white males, and middle-aged white men have the highest rate of suicide. Check up on your friends, don’t just assume they are OK. The razor company “Gillette” released a commercial on Jan. 14 calling out toxic masculinity. It featured men looking in the mirror while allegations in part of the #MeToo movement were played in the background. The commercial showcased many things society considers masculine and normal, such as cat-calling. Whether people believe it or not, cat-calling is not something women enjoy. Have you ever seen a woman take it as a compliment? Don’t count the awkward “thanks you’s” and fast paced walking

away, because that is not a good response. Demeaning and harassing women to enhance your manliness is not productive. The backlash from this commercial was outstanding -- some positive and some negative. We saw a repeat of the Nike commercial supporting Colin Kaepernick. People destroyed their razors like they were their tennis shoes. Ruining items you have bought, already supporting the company, seems a little counterproductive. When the reaction to an ad calling out toxic, fragile masculinity and how men can be better is shamed an0d complained about, it is proving the ad’s purpose. Encouraging your male friends to be better, is not something people should get angry about. If you are angry about an ad telling you that you can be better, you are the intended audience. Boys will be boys, toxic masculinity, fragile masculinity, three different phrases, one central meaning. Do not let the young men of today believe harassing women, not showing emotion, fighting and violence is what being a ‘man’ is all about. Do not excuse awful and hurtful behavior because of a gender. 2/5/2019 6:38:42 PM

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

WHITE

OPPRESSION

Oppression is an epidemic sweeping through our nation much like the plague did in fourteenth-century Europe. Like any other disease, to treat and cure it we need to have an understanding of what it is and its impact. In recent years, there has been a more open debate about white oppression, and in the following opinion pieces, we work to expose both sides of the debate.

The issue: Letting the statistics speak for themselves by Jayla Mitchell, staff writer Oppression is systemic. It is an overwhelming amount of discrimination that is so persistent, it affects the structure of society and people’s livelihoods. While a large number Caucasians in the United States believe they are oppressed, they aren’t being held down by racism or discrimination like an oppressed person would be. I think what a lot of people get confused is what exactly constitutes racism, or more precisely, what does not. Calling out someone’s faults is not racist. Although it’s not always ideal for someone to point out another person’s flaws, when someone of a different race points them out, it doesn’t automatically make it racially motivated. Furthermore, minorities fighting for their rights is not them trying to put others down, but rather them trying to make the world see that they have worth and deserve to be seen without any preconceptions. I saw a lot of people and still see a lot of people who mistake slogans like “black lives matter” for things they are not. They interpret it as black lives are the only lives that matter instead of its true meaning: black lives matter, too. Like that, affirmative action is not oppression of white people, but equality for minorities. It’s giving them a chance in a society that doesn’t always want to give it to them. Before I get into statistics, I want to look at things that can’t always be represented by numbers, including representation in the media. In the past, representation of minorities on television or in magazines hasn’t been there. Most people came to idolize those with a pale complexion and straight hair. Although in recent years that has begun to change, the idea of what is beautiful is still centered around white ideals. This is shown through countless experiments with children and black and white baby dolls. Time and time again, the children choose the white baby doll as the “good” one and the black baby doll as the “bad” one. In this sense, white people are definitely not oppressed.

Q& A Page7.indd 1

Now getting into statistics, Caucasians very noticeably have an upper hand in wealth, education, and criminal justice. Just looking at income, it is clear that white families have an advantage. According to a 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances by the Federal Reserve, Caucasians make up only 77 percent of the population in the U.S. but hold 90 percent of the wealth. To put that in perspective, for every dollar a single white female takes home, a single woman of color will take home approximately 26 cents. In this sense, white people are not oppressed. It is also evident that Caucasians have an advantage in the learning environment. According to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, white students represent 43 percent of preschool enrollment, but only make up 26 percent of children receiving multiple out of school suspensions. White children are also expelled at a rate three times lower than that of black children. In this sense, white people are not oppressed. Not only is leniency apparent in education, but in the justice system as well. According to the “Demographic Differences in Sentencing” published in 2017 by the United States Sentencing Commission, Caucasians are less likely to be arrested and convicted than other races. If they are convicted, they are on average given shorter sentences for the same crimes (specifically 19.1 percent shorter than their black counterparts). In this sense, white people are not oppressed. Oppression messes with people mentally and sometimes physically. It’s a horrible institution and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, but I also can’t stand by when people claim they are oppressed instead of working toward equality for minorities. With that, I can confidently say that white people in the United States are not oppressed. If we can all accept that, then we can move on with our lives and focus on making the world a better place.

Q: What is the difference between oppression and suppression? A: Suppression is a more broad term meaning to keep something hidden or prevent from being revealed while oppression focuses more on keeping people down by unjust authority.

Statistics aren’t everything: Looking beyond the numbers

by Jackson Howell, staff writer Oppression means something different to everyone. Just like there is no clear way to define happiness, love, or joy. There isn’t a singular definition of oppression. Everyone experiences it differently, so there really can’t be a way to pin it down. My first example is an idea called “Intersectionality.” It is a relatively new idea that says a person’s opinions are only valid or important according to how many victim groups they belong to. For example, in the eyes of the those on the left of the political continuum, a straight white male conservative who advocates gun control holds less sway than a gay, black, female liberal. They are gay, so they are oppressed by the heterosexual community; they are black, so they are oppressed by the white community; and they are female, so they are oppressed by the “Patriarchy”; they are liberal, so the conservatives oppress them. Because of all these things, the more “oppressed” person’s opinion supposedly holds more sway. Therefore, the straight, white, male conservative’s opinion is being oppressed. That is what oppression is. When someone is not allowed to have an opinion, or they are, but that opinion is given little to no weight compared to that of others, it hurts our society. In a society where the rule of government is based on the will of the people, one person’s opinion should ever hold more sway. It is at that point that the system breaks down. The idea that one person’s opinion could be any more or less valid based on their appearance, rather than his or her education or expertise on a subject, is complete and utter garbage. This happens in reverse, where the more conservative end of the spectrum will oppress the ideas and opinions of the people who belong to more victim groups. Intersectionality shouldn’t happen forward or backward. The basis of intersectionality is oppression, and that cannot be. The second that a system of validating opinion is based on people’s opinions being worth more or less, the system no longer works. Anytime anyone is being oppressed, something is inherently wrong. No person or group of people should believe they are better than anyone else because of the color of their skin or any other adverse qualities.

COMMONLY MISUNDERSTOOD

TERMS

Prejudice: noun

Discrimination: noun

[pre-juh-dis] Internalized opinions about a group of people because of a specific characteristic.

[dis-krim-me-nay-shen] Acting on prejudice.

Oppression: noun

[uh-presh-en] 1. unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power 2. a sense of being weighed down in body or mind

Q: What causes people to have prejudice and discriminate?

Q: How does it affect people? What is the impact?

A: Some families bring their children up believing they are better than other people based on superficial qualities. It can be really difficult to change the way someone has been thinking for their entire lives, so the cycle often repeats itself.

A: Different people react differently to the same circumstances, but overall, oppression often affects most areas of a person’s life: employment, mental state, livelihoods, etc.

Q: What action is being taken? A: The government is continually evolving and creating policies intended to protect the people. These policies, however, are not always as successful as hoped.

2/5/2019 6:39:59 PM

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

If you could do anything What was your favorite moment of over the summer, what the first semester? would it be?

“Finally connecting with my yearbook team.”

QUESTION CHART

“I would go to Paris, because it is gorgeous! Tyler Mullins, 12

“Going to Football Crosstown.”

“I would travel to Arizona or Hawaii!” Emma Bray, 10

“Realizing that this is the time to start thinking about my future.”

“I would revisit all of places where I have lived.” Lily Groves, 10

“I love my English class, because I get to write my own story.”

“ I would love to go swimming or rock climbing!” Savannah McKenzie, 10

Layout and Design Editor

FEATURES

g als n i s i m Pro fession Pro

CMR BPA takes over regionals

by Sophie Kluge, news/opinion editor CMR’s club, Business Professionals of America, did exceptionally well at regionals on Jan. 21, with almost all members of the club taking first in their events. Cameron McCarthy and Samm Olson, two senior members of the club, made a lasting mark at one of their last BPA meets of the year. McCarthy qualified for state in all three of his events and also took the fundamental accounting test. For events, he participated in economic research, financial advisement, and marketing management human resources. McCarthy plays a pretty big role in the club, as well. “I’m the Vice President and this is also my second year in BPA,” he said. Even it being his second year, he went to Nationals last year and hopes to do the same this year. “That was pretty exciting and hopefully I can do it again,” he said. McCarthy really enjoys the real-life business aspect of the club and said it teaches you a lot about the different areas in business. Olson qualified for state with all her events but will only be doing financial advisement, payroll accounting, and presentation management because she can only participate in three events at state. Like McCarthy, she had to take a fundamentals of accounting test along with a payroll accounting test. Olson is also apart of DECA, another business club at CMR. These clubs prove helpful to her because she plans to double major in accounting and finance. For both McCarthy and Olson, BPA has been a helpful and overall great experience. “Every member of BPA is kind and supportive, I am so glad I joined,” Olson said. Not only is the experience great, but both members agree that the teacher really makes the club. “I am definitely going to miss the members and Goosen,” McCarthy said.

Senior Samm Olson and her fellow teammate Andi Newbrough pose with their awards they won from BPA regionals on Jan. 21. Olson qualified for Nationals in three events. Cameron McCarthy poses with his Financial Analyst Team. Photos provided by Jessica Goosen.

Mckenzie Connell

Editor emphasizes importance of honesty, communication

As I have looked back on my short time at CMR, with the past two and a half years gone before I could notice, I think about the more important things, such as “honesty”. And as I was having deep thoughts on it, I realized the brutal truth of lying. The only reason it works is because we as human beings assume that everyone is naturally good and take what people say as truth. Which is why I’ve decided to finally be honest to everyone else, and myself. I’ve taken what others tell me and what my doubt tells me, as truth. And I’ve realized, that is not how I should be living. Mental health is the new diabetes, an unseen epidemic that is spreading across the world. It can be affecting the person right next to you, the person reading this, or that one kid in your class that always does everything right. The point is, it can affect anyone. Including the person who wrote this article. This is not going to be a story of my life or what has happened in the past, rather a word of advice and a goodbye. In my few years of life as a human being I have lived around the world, met many people, and gone through as many trials as blessings. Page8.indd 1

I take them both equally and fairly, since you cannot have one without the other. This is only my more recent trial, and through it I’m learning more about myself and the people around me. What I have learned about myself however is what I am going to address. I have decided to leave the CMR Stampede staff as the layout editor, and begin working on my mental health. It isn’t as easy as dropping a class, but a flood has to start with a drop of water. In this process I will be arranging the rest of my school schedule and in all reality, my life. This starts with school and moves all the way to my relationships with people around me. I am so lucky to have such a good support system with my friends and family. I’d like to say a personal thank you to all the teachers that have been so understanding and cooperative. Thank you to the friends that help cover for me and pay more attention to my health than I do. And especially thank you to Ms. Britton, or “B” as we call her at the Stampede. I started my freshman year as a staff writer and with her help and all of the upperclassmen that led me through

that hectic year, I have been able to do what I love and show it to the student body of CMR. These past three years hold some of my favorite memories of high school. The “Late Nights”, staff Christmas parties, and trips to Missoula. I’ll never forget the broken van and driving back to Great Falls listening to Julia Gremaux (the photo editor at the time) sing about belly buttons. It got even better when Ms. B joined in. I’ve gained friendships from this class that I won’t lose through the passage of time, and these friends have assured me since the day they graduated that the nickname “Baby Mac” will always be stuck with me. Communication is key, it’s why I decided to write this column and it’s what we use as a people to spread education and good wishes. This is why honesty is so important, because all we can leave behind are the thoughts we express outloud. So a final thank you and goodbye to the Stampede staff and Ms. Britton, for all they have taught me.

2/5/2019 6:49:47 PM

9 Freshman Films with Paige LePard February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

Right: On Feb. 5, German teacher Anne Bulger converses with students using newly learned language skills. Photo by Beth Britton.

A: “It was after the Banff Film Festival, and we needed a fundraiser for the freshman class as well. So my friends and I just thought it would be something fun to do.”

Q: Who can participate?

LIFELONG

A: “Any students at CMR.”

Q: What kind of entries are you looking for?

LANGUAGES

Bulger: “Languages help you to problem solve.“

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A: “Where students can make their own short films and then submit them to the film festival. Then we will view them. And there will be a prize for the first, second and third place. And then people (the community) will be able to go view them as well.”

Q: How did you come up with the idea?

Above: French 3-4 student Amara Stalsberg studies a story-based assignment designed by Erica Davis.

by Taylor Willmarth, staff writer At C. M. Russell High School, there are four years of English classes required to graduate. However, there is no requirement to complete any foreign language classes. While it isn’t essential to venture into French, German, or Spanish, there are many worthwhile reasons to learn language skills. “Learning a language, however you learn it, enhances your memory skills and improves your brain power because you’re learning complex and new patterns,” German teacher Anne Bulger said. Bulger has been at CMR since the fall of 2000. Like her fellow language teachers, she uses a method of teaching that steps away from the textbook. “You don’t learn to speak through textbooks and worksheets. I never use the textbook exclusively. It is just another tool in the toolbox,” she said. The language classes focus on comprehensible input, or the ability to understand the meaning of statements even if one doesn’t know every word in them. Bulger says that these skills are critical on the road to becoming fluent. “Speaking the language is the hardest thing and the last thing you learn to do.” Bulger recommends taking classes in person rather than online. She values the verbal communication with someone who knows the language well. “Your listening skills improve; you don’t really have that online,” she said. “You have the opportunity to see a person who actually speaks the language fluently and can also communicate with [millions of] other people.” There are many benefits of studying a world language.

Q: What is the film festival?

“Learning a language, however you learn it, enhances your memory skills and improves your brain power because you’re learning complex and new patterns,” Bulger said. According to studies published in Frontiers in Psychology, an academic journal, young adults who are bilingual display significantly higher levels of concentration and attention than those who speak just one language. Bulger that it’s never too late to start. “At any age, it has been proven that it improves your ability to multitask. It helps you problem solve,” she said. She also noted that employers see value in hiring someone with language skills, regardless of the language. “It used to be just teacher or interpreter,” she said. “Now they are just looking for people who know more than one language, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, whatever.” Bulger added that taking any foreign language will even help students with their English courses. “Learning foreign languages in a class enhances your English proficiency because you learn to completely dissect your own language.” Sophomores Paige Bernardi and Amara Stalsberg are enrolled in French 3-4, and they agree that knowing a language other than English will be beneficial to their futures. “I would definitely take advantage of the oportuinity to study abroad,” Bernardi said. “I could really expand my knowledge during the experience overseas.” Stalsberg is greatful for the opportuinity to take language classes in high school. “It’s a lot easier to learn when someone is actually there to help you pronounce words,” she said.

A: “Something original; it can be skits, outdoor videos, and really anything. They will all be (screened) before viewing to make sure they are ok.”

Q: How long will it be overall?

A: “Depends on how many entries we have. But right now we are estimating about 30-45 minutes.”

Q: Where and how much will tickets cost? A: “We will be selling tickets at the door and they will be $5 each.”

Q: When is it?

A: “It is March 15th, and it is only showing on one night.”

by Callan Garner, staff writer 2/5/2019 6:41:53 PM

February 7, 2019 12 rustlernews.com

Art department celebrates Black History Month

101

Black History Important Facts When did it begin? 1976 Who established black history month? Carter G. Woodson What is this year’s theme? Black migrations Which countries celebrate Black History month? The United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom

Tess Jacobs and her art students celebrate Black History Month Feb. 4-5 during bell ringers in period 3. photos by Madison George and Nancy Beston.

by Kerrigan Edwards, staff writer For the entire month of February, art teacher Tess Jacobs is informing her impressionable students about some of the most influential African American artists of our time. After the bell rings, true work begins. Artists including Kara Walker, Kehinde Wiley, and Romare Bearden will be studied, and their style of art will be recreated. Jacobs intends on having her students experiment with different types of media to broaden their horizons. Art always has a meaning, so showing that purpose is very important to Jacobs especially. “Art is like life; it’s not always pretty,” Jacobs said. The cultural aspect of this assignment is displayed as mandatory for these students. The purpose of Black History month is to celebrate the people of our past who made our current lives great. To be specific, the artists who have projected such a meaningful message throughout the work deserve to be recognized and appreciated. Jacobs says she is most influenced by Kara Walker, an artist who she is very excited to share with her students. Walker is known for projecting the message

Page12.indd 1

of racism in the present. Even with her father as a professional painter, Walker is most known for her wall-sized paper cutouts of people. The work is meant to show a lot of information with having no words said at all. Walker is trying to display our huge problem of racism and social and economic inequalities through the art she creates. Another artist that Jacobs looks up to is Kehinde Wiley, who is an artist based directly out of New York City. While Walker seemingly stays connected to a monotone palette, Wiley is known to use overwhelming amounts of color. “I really like Obama’s portrait by Kehinde; it’s outside of the box compared to most,” Jacobs said. Romare Bearden is the third artist that Jacobs looks most forward to. His art is made to show a renaissance-like look to the world of black culture. He was flexible between different styles, and you can often see influences of fellow artists in his work. Black history month deserves more credit all around the United States. Whether you are into artistic activities or not, we should do more research regarding the people who made our lives easier and impacted us emotionally or mentally in the best way possible.

Fun Facts •

• • • •

Maya Angelou stopped celebrating her birthday after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and annually started sending flowers in honor of the day. Tice Davids (a runaway slave) was the first inspiration of the term “underground railroad.” Muhammad Ali never refused an autograph request in his lifetime. Scientist and Mathematician Benjamin Banneker is credited for helping with creating blueprints of the White House. W.E.B. Du Bois died one day before Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech.

2/5/2019 6:44:03 PM

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

Stampede tries...

Puppy therapy

Finals week is known as a week of chaos. Staff members of the Stampede decided to finish this dreaded week off with a positive experience. Members drove through rough, snowy roads to the Central Avenue West Veterinary Clinic. They waited in anticipation until they are invited to the back rooms. After washing hands before they having the oppurtunity to witness a heavenly experience. The staff was allowed back to see the main event. Soon after nine golden retriver puppies rushed down a hallway awaiting to be played with. The pups were full of energy and liked biting any loose items of clothing staff members had. They ran around, nibbled, and kissed everyone in site. Here is the Stampede’s experience with Puppy therapy.

“I may be deathly allergic to animals, but being surrounded by a ton of golden retriever puppies is a once-in-a-lifetime o p p u r t u n i t y .” Nancy Beston

“I don’t know how to descibe it. I was just in puppy heaven. It’s an undescribable experience when a puppy wants to sit on your lap and cuddle with you.” Jayla Mitchell

“I loved Dove so much. She looked into my soul and told me to take her home, but I couldn’t so we were both sad together.” Malcolm Contreras

“I couldn’t have ended finals week in a better way. I was surrounded by pure joy and happiness. #blessed.” Gabrielle Pope

“After a full week of finals and deadlines, cuddling with the baby goldens made me so happy and relaxed. Some day I plan to be known as that old lady with all the g o l d e n s .” Beth Britton

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“The chocolate names were very fitting as they were the sweetest of all.” Holly Spragg

“I really needed this after finals week. I almost stole one named C a d b u r y but they wouldn’t let me take him home.” Grace Carr

“I am really scared of holding dogs and dropping them, but I had a really great time meeting s o m e n e w f r i e n d s .” Quinn Soltesz

“All the dogs reminded me of my golden retriever Dudley, who recently passed away. It was a very theraputic experience that helped me move on and heal.” Kaylebb Stahmer

2/5/2019 6:44:37 PM

7, 2019 14 February rustlernews.com

Thespian Festival

by Elinor Vangilder, staff writer When it came time for senior Malcolm Contreras to begin writing his play, he turned to outerspace for inspiration. “There aren’t any plays set in space, so I decided to make my own,” Contreras said about his play Laika, which the CMR Senior Taylor Coon mourns the loss of her crewThespians performed in Missoula last mates as her role as Valerie in the play Laika on Jan. 30. Photo by Beth Britton. weekend. The annual Thespian Festival in Chris Evans Missoula took place on Feb. 1-2, with 16 “[The Thespian Festival] is a great opportunity for high schools from throughout the state kids to see...the [drama] world get bigger. [Laika] is participating. Each high school performed one of the most unique plays we’ve put on in a long a play of their choice. CMR is one of the time. It’s like a Shakespearean murder mystery set on five schools that chose to perform student Mars.” written plays. Taylor Coon Contreras has been working on Laika “Thespian Festival is an absolute hoot and a for more than 10 months. half. It’s such an amazing experience to be around “I wanted to give the feeling of floating tons of people who love the arts just as much as I in space with no one knowing you’re up do. As for the play, Malcolm [Contreras] has done there,” Contreras explained. an exceptional job. Between writing the play itself, He took inspiration from the Russian acting in it, [and] writing music bumpers...Malcolm space launch in 1957 that sent the first made Laika a true work of art. I am honored to be living creature up into space: a dog named part of such an [amazing] show.” Laika. “I’m happy about [Laika], because it Savannah Bateman stayed consistent from the beginning of “This will be my third year going [to Thespian writing it,” Contreras said. “The actors in Festival]...and every year just gets better and better. it are phenomenal.” It’s really cool...to be able to share something that As for Thespian Festival, “[It] is a so many people love: theater. It’s been so much fun customary thing for CMR to participate putting together this play, but also difficult. I have no in. [Since 2010] there’s only been one year doubt [that] we’ll blow everyone at the Festival out where we haven’t taken home an award. of the water.” But, honestly, it’s not about the awards. It’s Jacob Collins about giving the kids within the show an “The Thespian Festival is an amazing opportunity experience to kind of show off what we do for us to get a glimpse into the actors of the other as a department,” Contreras said. schools around the state. We get one weekend a year Jacob Collins won Best Actor and where so much talent and experience is concentrated Bearen Buckler won Best Death Scene. The [on] one single campus. [CMR drama] has always CMR Thespian Society also won Best Stage put on a quality performance [each year] and we Combat and Best Technical. want to prove ourselves again.”

Entertainment/Features Editor

ENTERTAINMENT

Songs to late night drive to by Malcolm Contreras, staff writer

“Arms Unfolding” - Dodie

Learning to forgive someone and love someone again can be extremely difficult and that’s what Dodie Clark explores in this song. The song, although acapella, has a large sound to it and fills up your heart with regret for experiences that could have been. The drone capella sound makes her vocals sound airy and adds a layer of isolation to the main theme of the lyrics. This song along with other songs in her discography are great songs to drive around to at night.

“Your Graduation” - Modern Baseball The last thing most of us want is to still be dwelling on high school experiences beyond high school, and that’s exactly what “Your Graduation” is. Emo in nature, this song starts off with the nasally vocals of Brendan Lukens and a mid heavy guitar riff ringing in the awkwardness of not moving on after High School. The lyrics focus on a guy who is still into a high school crush and finds himself having to watch the person they put so much energy and time into during the teen years, walk away.

“True Love Will Find You In The End” - Daniel Johnston Although this song is barely two minutes, the time ends up being two minutes of beauty. The simplistic guitar and crude vocals of Johnston add a rawness and an honesty to the track. “True Love Will Find You In the End” is a song Johnston sings directly to the listener and feels very personal. The song is done in a way that it sounds like a friend is telling you to not give up on finding “love” (whatever that may be), but also understand that your time for happiness will come eventually, no matter how sad about it you feel right now.

“Pristine” - Snail Mail “Pristine” can be defined as new and unspoiled, which perfectly describes the feeling portrayed in this song. “Pristine” starts off with a very steady guitar strum which eventually invites in a kick drum with the vocal line. The line ‘anyways’ is used multiple times throughout the song to convey how the vocalist is hurt by her love but wants to maintain the love that she has for her unrequited lover by pretending to not be hurt by the unreciprocated feelings. The last minute and a half of the song is her pleading that she can be whoever the unreciprocated lover wants them to be and in a way, her last plea to him to love her back.

Quinn Soltesz

Editor discusses the importance of critically acclaimed film

Some things just take you by surprise and demand your attention, no matter the consequences. Oftentimes these types of things lead to amazing experiences, and may help to grow a passion. I recently had one of these experiences, and I can safely say that I felt neither of those things. The serialized television thriller You, first released in 2018 on Lifetime to middling viewership and reviews, was recently bought and released by Netflix. The show came to the platform at the end of last year, and it has taken the Internet by storm. Netflix recently tweeted that the show was watched by 40 million people in its first four weeks. That number is insane in terms of viewership in a market that is increasingly cluttered. You deserves this attention, but not because it is an objectively good television show. After seeing all of the Internet hype about the show, I decided to embark on a journey to both watch You and read the book on which it is based. This was a truly harrowing experience. Before I get into my journey I would like to provide a disclaimer: You is not a show to watch with your parents, or a book to share with people who get uncomfortable easily. Both stories follow Joe, a lonely bookstore worker in New York City who becomes increasingly obsessed with a woman named Beck. Joe ingrains himself in Beck’s life by following her around, hacking her social media, Page14.indd 1

and “getting rid of ” her distractions. The show, in one word, is truly wild. I purchased the book a while back and had it on my all-too-large pile of “to reads.” When I saw that so many people I knew were discussing the television show, I thought that I would give it a read. The book, written by Caroline Kepnes, is told in the second person point of view. This unusual way of storytelling is eerie and contributes to the overall tone of the story. The rest of the book is a mess. The plot alternates from mediocre to outright bonkers in the span of a single page. I found this painful to read, and when it was coupled with the truly awful internal monologue of stalker Joe, it made it even worse. The television show was about the same level of insanity. The plot of both is relatively the same, with a few odd characters added into the TV show for more drama. The acting is a bit painful to watch, and the overall tone of the show doesn’t quite match up to the book. Even saying all of this, my experience was still memorable. You took over my life for some 10 days in mid-January, and I doubt it will ever let go. The story is gripping, and while I wouldn’t recommend it to the average reader, I have been forcing some of my friends to suffer as I did. This is because the story should be a shared experience, one that leaves you feeling crazed and with theories that can be discussed forever.

2/5/2019 6:45:57 PM

February 7, 2018 rustlernews.com

Developing an

by Hannah Pospisil, staff writer

ONLINE-AWARENESS SRO Nick Taylor shares information about online safety and privacy Q:

What issues do you see with high school kids on the Internet?

Do you think that access to social media is healthy for high school kids?

“The online conflict stuff is most common, and then sexting is a huge thing and those are typically the online issues that I’m seeing the most. And it’s --you name it what the reasons [are] for it -- whether it’s relationships, just anything, people blow things out of proportion. It’s very easy on a keyboard to type in things and be vicious and mean about it, so that’s usually when it gets to my level .”

“Yes and no. I feel like it’s healthy in the sense that it keeps people connected, and that’s a good thing in my opinion. But in my honest opinion, I don’t want to say that social media has dumbed-down society, but it has created a culture where we don’t have to be social, which is ironic because it’s called social media.”

How do teenage kids act on the Internet?

“Most kids, I think, handle it pretty well. Most of them are polite, [and] they use social media for good reasons. And I guess what I deal with personally, though, is usually when things get negative. So it’s anything from the sexting to the profane language and the online conflict and stuff like that. That’s that’s the sense that I’m dealing with usually.”

How do you go about handling any Internet misconduct?

“I’m a strong believer in progressive discipline, so you start just with that conversation about consequences and expectations, and hope that that’s the end of it.”

Do you think that social media exploits the privacy of its users?

“If you read the fine print of everything you agree to on your social media account, you’re basically selling yourself and your information to that company.”

Q: A:

How can one protect their privacy? “Just be cautious of what you put out there, and I stress and stress and stress that if there’s someone on your friends list that you don’t know, remove them.”

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isil

osp ah P

Hann o by t o h P

2/5/2019 6:46:53 PM

by Nancy Beston, photo/design editor and Quinn Sotlesz, features/entertainment editor

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

anticipated movies 2019

the most

1 2 3 4 Page16.indd 1

The Irishman

Netflix, unknown

“It’s directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. He’s like $100 million over budget. It’s the biggest budget gangster movie ever. They are CGI-ing [the actors’] faces to make them look like they’re in their 20s. It’s about an Irish immigrant in the mob who killed Jimmy Hoffa, so it’ll be awesome.”

Jeremy Comstock

The Goldfinch

Oct. 11

Gail Parambi, 11 Sept. 6 March 22

“The 2nd segment to Stephen King’s It. Recasting the kids (who were GREAT in Chapter 1) as adults has my interest and I definitely want to see how they take Pennywise down. Big fan of the book and Stephen King. Next, Jordan Peele (of Key and Peele fame) follows up his Oscar winning hit Get Out with his next one called Us. Peele knows how to scare people and the preview looks amazing and scary and fun.”

Chris Evans

Avengers: Endgame

April 26

“I am excited for Avengers: Endgame because I saw Avengers: Infinity War dressed as Spiderman. So, imagine how much that hurt when I walk out of theater and I was like “Uhh, Spiderman’s gone!” I didn’t know if he was coming back! Like I obviously thought he probably might, but then I heard about the promotional things for Spiderman: Far From Home. But the fact that they are making me wait a year to find out what happens next, I was not happy. Not at all.”

Bearen Buckler, 12

by Nancy Beston, photo/design editor

1. Do you have a boo (significant other)?

5. What would you give your boo?

2. What is your favorite Valentines Candy?

6. Did you buy any cards and why?

3. Do you want to do something romantic?

7. How often do you watch Netflix by yourself?

4. Do you want to get married someday?

8. When was your last date?

a. No, I don’t (nor do I want one) b. Yes, I do c. If you count my pet--yes. a. Lollipops b. Candy Hearts c. Chocolate

a. No, I just want to stay home b. Yes, of course! c. I guess a. No. Not at all. b. Yes, soon I hope. c. Yes, but not for awhile.

a. Nothing. b. Poems, chocolate, and a teddy bear c. Maybe chocolate?

a. No b. Yes! I have to tell my boo how much I love them c. Maybe to my best friend a. Everyday for multiple hours b. Maybe once a week with my significant other c. Weekly with my friends a. One year ago b. One week ago c. One month ago

Mostly A’s Mostly B’s Mostly C’s Go to the movies

“It’s based on the novel of the same name by Donna Tartt. It won a Pulitzer Prize, and I really love Donna Tartt’s books. It’s got Roger Deakins on cinematography, so it’s sure to be a gorgeous movie. I think they did a really good job with casting, and I hope that the tone of the book translates to the big screen.”

It Part 2 & Us

Valentine’s Day

What should you do on

Now you might see a bunch of couples out holding hands but don’t mind them. They have to share their popcorn and candy and can’t stuff their faces when they want to. You can do whatever you want. Buy that gallon of popcorn and drown it in butter.

Write love letters to each other

If you’ve never done it before, now’s the time to put in writing why your partner is so special to you. Tell them which of their qualities you most admire, how they make you feel, and why you fell in love with them. Get inspired by these famous love letters throughout history.

Binge Romcoms on Netflix

You might have a love interest in your life... or maybe you don’t and you are a romantic at heart. Enjoy watching Romcoms alone or with your friends. After your succesful binging session go and buy discounted chocolate on Feb. 15th.

The N’ Thing

We have the dresses you want!

Be flirty. Be fabulous. Be you. 415 S. Main -- Conrad 278-5408 Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 2/5/2019 6:47:21 PM

SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR Gabrielle Pope

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

Lacrosse team back in season

Where did all the pep go? Crosstown - the most exciting game of the season. It brings in the most people and draws the most attention. A sea of people come flooding through the doors all decked out in a mixture of green/gold and blue/white. Stands are filled court to ceiling with people all here for the same reason, to cheer on their team. Whether it be for CMR or GFH everyone is there to support someone, and to me that is the beauty in crosstown. Rivals or not we are all there fighting for the same cause. Our Rustler family banning together in support of those on the court. Toward the end of the fourth quarter with a close score during the crosstown game. Every second counts. There is no feeling like it, everyone in is on an adrenaline high with goosebumps going down their spine. Watching every move like a hawk, countering or encouraging every call that is made. Depending on whom it favors. Students prepare with crosstown pep assemblies appreciating and cheering on their athletes. Sometimes less enthusiastic than originally planned but most of the time they all show up to the game for support. We encourage students to come by planning fun themes and trying to hype the whole thing up but it doesn’t always work. Our governing seniors can’t force other students to participate in activities outside of school but we can model and encourage the behavior we wish for the underclassman to show. But seniors who preach the ethic they want everyone else to follow sometimes don’t follow it themselves for whatever reason they may have. Not saying that I am innocent in this because there are games that I don’t go to, but it takes more than just one person to make a change. There isn’t much that our senior class can do now to take back the lack of spirit in the previous games but we can always start. There is a lot of sitting back and hoping that other students show up to the games but we need someone front and center not afraid to look a little silly that can encourage everyone else to join in and feel comfortable. Some people may say that the reason that students don’t engage in the game is because they are stuck on their phones, or don’t wish to go because people no longer have to get out of their beds to be social thanks to snapchat, messaging, instagram and other social media outlets. But social media is not the only culprit here, it is the people holding the little devices that discourage them to go out and see their friends. Crosstown, pep assemblies, regular seasonal games, they are all at record low attendances with little importance placed on them by most of the people there. This becomes a problem when our athletes feed off of the energy that is in the crowd and when there is no crowd the athletes are lacking energy. So what happened to all the crazy boys bending the rules and making a statement at every game. Why did that spirit not get passed down? We grew in this high school seeing the people before us cheering their hearts out and going to every game. No matter if it was early on a Saturday morning or late on a Friday night they were there all decked out in green and gold ready to cheer on their Rustlers.

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Junior Hailey Lapier carries a lacrosse stick as she runs towards victory. Photos courtesy of Hailey Lapier.

by Gloria Baldevia, staff writer Many students believe that joining sports is one way to make their high school experience worthwhile. As each season roll out, students make sure that they at least get to experience it. However, not all sports sanctioned by the school appeal to the interest of every student body. One of these sports is lacrosse. Since 2013, CMR has attracted enthusiastic students who are interested in lacrosse Junior Hailey Lapier is one of these students. Lapier, who is part of the district’s lacrosse team, shared what she is looking forward to this year. “This year, we’re a little low on numbers, so I am looking forward to having a team and being able to play and the ability to run around the field and hit other people with sticks,” Lapier said. Despite the excitement Lapier feels on the field, her struggles on keeping up with the activity has also affected her academics. “It’s a little bit of a struggle. Our practice is usually from 5-7, so I try to get homework done before. Or if I can’t get it done before, I try to do it after,” she said.

Lapier said she would like to see it added to the list of school-sponsored sports. “It would be nice to have school funding. To have our school be supportive and our sports equipment be provided by the school,” Lapier said. “I think it’s a little bit of an insurance issue. Mainly for our sport because there’s too many concussions.” In addition, the fact that lacrosse is not sponsored by the school, the games that the players have to attend are not school-related absences, which Lapier said could also be one of the downfalls of playing the sport. “We play a lot Saturday, so we have to leave Friday nights or Fridays, and it’s not school-related because it is not a school sport,” she said. Like Lapier, boys lacrosse coach, Kyan Hallett shared that making lacrosse as a school-sanctioned team would greatly help the athletes financially. “Hopefully, they’ll be able to help support kids in equipments,” Hallett said. “That would help out a bit and make it a bit more affordable for the players.” Despite lacrosse not being a schoolsanctioned sport yet, Hallett shared what he loves about coaching the sport. “[I like] helping good players love the game and get better,” Hallett said. “I like seeing progress and when they get better.”

SUPER BOWL LIII Springs celebrates

annual NFL event

The New England Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3, in Super Bowl LIII on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Atlanta Journal-Constitution/MCT New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung (23) with the Vince Lombardi trophy after defeating the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3, in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019. Atlanta JournalConstitution/MCT

by Paige McCorkle, staff writer Senior Derick Spring watches the Super Bowl every year, but this year Spring was not so excited for the event. “The Super Bowl this year doesn’t mean that much to me because my team didn’t make it, but for a lot of other people it’s a big deal and a fun celebration,” Spring said. His favorite team, The Atlanta Falcons, didn’t make it to the championship game this year, but his spirits are still high for this worldwide event. “It’s the last game of the year, and it’s history in the making,” he said. The Super Bowl is a time for celebration for many and a time when family and friends can get together and reconnect. “It’s when a lot of my family can get together and spend the day eating and catching up,” Spring said. Not only is the game a big event for those who have a passion for football, but also for spectators nationwide. The Super Bowl is a big deal every year; traditions are made, and it is a time for happiness and fun, and Spring said this year his plans for the battle between the Patriots and the Rams included ordering wings. 2/5/2019 6:47:51 PM

February 7, 2019 18 rustlernews.com by Gabrielle Pope, sports editor

MEET THE MANAGERS

Everyone knows that coaches plan out plays and direct the team; they take charge and offer experience. Players run the court and drink out of their pre-filled water bottles, wrestlers practice on clean mats and pick out their size-sorted equipment. But little thought goes into who fills up the players water bottles, cleans the mats after practice, sorts the gear or keeps book. This is where the team managers step in. They play an essential role, each offering something a little different depending on the sport. Seniors Madison Hunter, Elena Fry, Cailynn Bartlett and Bethany Hight all work hard at making sure everything is in place for the boys basketball team. “There are a couple people who film the basketball games, and then our job is to take stats and keep book,” Fry said. “We run clock for the freshman games and fill water bottles sometimes.” Girls basketball managers senior Carly Cushman and junior Amiya Williams have a more intimate approach to managing. They complete the same My favorite part is getting to spend time with the “wrestling family” on trips. I ended up falling in love with it and have been managing since.

MORGAN HOLLAR

Behind the scene workers who make the magic happen

tasks like filling water, keeping book and running the clock. “Basically we just keep Crosby organized. On away games we order food or help with room assignments,” Cushman said. Not only are they there to make sure everything is in order, but they also provide a different sort of support for the girls. “We do a lot of random things during the games too, whether it be grabbing an inhaler or Chapstick, you never know. Just being there even if it is just for moral support. Making sure they know you are there for them is important,” Williams said. Cushman isn’t the only one having to keep her coaches organized. Senior Morgan Hollar also touches on keeping the wrestling coaches organized as one of her responsibilities. “We clean mats, pack the cooler before tournaments, help coaches get organized and make sure the medical kit along with other things the boys might need gets packed,” Hollar said. This job is not hers alone, however juniors Katie Walter, Kamree Bauman and Reagan Mikoloj and seniors Toran Bethany and I had class together, and she told me I should join them My favorite part is spending time and it would be fun, and I kind with the girls and making those of just wanted to get involved. All memories. the coaches are really cool, so that makes it really fun as well.

CARLY CUSHMAN

MADISON HUNTER

I played sports my whole life until middle school when I got some medical problems. If I ever had the chance to play I again I wanted to be with it. I wanted to be around all the girls I grew up playing with.

AMIYA WILLIAMS

Martin, Madison Bennyhoff also work as managers. Swimming manager senior Molly Christiaen and Junior Jared Matury also have some duties to uphold. “A typical day would be filling water bottles, taking attendance of JV and varsity practice for dryland and water practice. Not so much this year, but the past three years we had to put away all the equipment,” Christiaens said. Managers may have the most impactful jobs of all, they ease the stress of the players and the coaches by making sure everything is in order, so let’s appreciate the unsung heroes of the sports world.

Sophomore year all of my friends swam and they were all like ‘Oh my gosh, it is the greatest thing you gotta do it,’ but I can’t play sports because of some medical issues.

MOLLY CHRISTIAENS

Freshman year I was in Cislo’s class and he was talking about needing managers. Bethany and I were in the same class, and we decided to do it. We enjoyed it so we stuck with it.

ELENA FRY

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Senior Tristan Krum also is looking forward to the upcoming season on the courts. “I’m really looking forward to visiting and the overnight trips,” the doubles partner said. Krum has some major goals this season--getting better and beating last year’s goal. “I really want to go to state this year. We were really close last year, so it would be great if we could go,” he said. Due to the change in coaches, open gym dates have been up in the air, but both players are hopeful for the season with new faces. For both Dube and Krum, this season will be the last of their high school

BOYS BASKETBALL Carly Cushman Amiya Williams

Spring Sports: How the Rustler athletes prepare by Sophie Kluge, news/opinion editor With the end of winter upon us, Rustler athletes are preparing for the spring sport season. Softball, track, and tennis occupy students’ mind as the season gets closer. For varsity player Madi Moore, the upcoming softball season means more to her than previous years. “I really want to see our team strive,” said Moore, who see action both on the pitching mound and in the outfield. Even though the high school season has just started, Moore is preparing for her college softball career by mainly being pitcher because of her position on the college team. Like Moore, senior Teagan Taylor is looking forward to the start of her last season. “I’m excited to see how much we grow as a team,” Taylor said. Taylor is also a pitcher and outfielder, and she also is a 2nd baseman. Open gyms for softball started Jan. 2, and the players focus on things like batting and infield. “We are always working on new hitting drills to help our program,” Moore said. Along with the start of softball, Rustler athletes also are getting ready for the tennis season. Senior Ally Dube is looking forward to making it to state for her last year. Dube has played all four years, mainly playing doubles but changing it up this year by playing singles. Despite that switch, Dube has the same goals as previous years: being better than before. “I’m looking forward to pushing myself harder than before,” she said.

WRESTLING

Katie Walter Morgan Hollar Toran Martin Kamree Bauman Reagan Mikoloj

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Madison Hunter Cailynn Bartlett Bethany Height Elena Fry

SWIMMING

Molly Christiaens Jared Matury

Then sophomore Ally Dube gets ready for her next tennis match on Jan. 26, 2015. Dube has played tennis for CMR all four years and used to play club. Photo by Nancy Beston.

tennis career. “I’m not sure if I’m going to play for a club or anything, but I’m not really bummed because I play as more of a hobby,” Dube said. Krum agrees, saying he won’t play competitively but more as a stress-reliever. The last of the spring sports is track, and senior Tyler Baker is looking forward to his final season. He participates in the discus and javelin, and has competed in both events all four years. Although he does both events, he likes discus more due to personal reasons. “My dad threw the discus, so it’s kind of like a special bond we share, and I think that’s why I enjoy it so much,” Baker said. For track, open gyms focus on individual events, so for Baker, it’s all about form. “I’m wildly unathletic, so the discus allows me to dedicate my energy to form rather than athleticism like other events, and I think that’s why I like it so much” he said. Open gyms allot time to focus on drill work and conditioning, touching on all bases and events in the sport. For his last season, Baker hopes to do better than he’s ever done before by improving and throwing farther. No matter what spring sport the students are competing in, they all have one thing in common: picking up where they left off last year and exceeding all expectations.

2/5/2019 6:55:51 PM

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

Wrapping up the basketball, wrestling season

Swimmers compete to beat their times and earn a spot at state on Jan, 31 at the crosstown meet. Top left: Junior Jessica Byrne preparea to off the block. Left: Junior Shelby Banks dives into the water as her event begins. Above: SeniorJohn Shaw takes his mark. Photos by Nancy Beston.

Athletes swim their way to state CMR headed to Bozeman today by Katie Mygland, staff writer When senior John Shaw was a freshman, he chose to pursue the sport that he had begun years before. “It’s a lot of fun, and the people make the sport fun,” Shaw said. “It’s [great] to be in the water. [It’s the] best sport.” Shaw is one of 22 varsity athletes on the CMR swim team, and like his teammates he has specific reasons as to why he works so hard in the pool. One of those reasons is the people on the team, including the other swimmers and Coach Ed McNamee, who he called “awesome.” Shaw said he specializes in one particular stroke. “I like freestyle,” he said. “It’s the easiest, but it’s the best.” Despite the fact that Shaw has competed for CMR for four years, he admits that he still gets nervous. “I am a little bit,” he said about the upcoming state competition. “I have a feeling it’s going to be close.” Like Shaw, senior Madi Carroll is anxious about going to state. “Yes I am nervous about the state competition coming up. Our boys team swims so good this year,“ Carroll said. “Both CMR and Page19.indd 1

GFHS boys are probably the fastest like ever. It’s going to be fun watching them compete.” The swimmers have faced challenges they had to overcome. “Yeah, each time I get on the block just trying to beat my next time is a challenge,” freshman Brevyn Goosen said. Carroll’s challenge was medical one. “At the beginning of the season it was hard getting to it. I usually swim over the summer. It was hard for me because I had surgery,” Carroll said. “I got my tonsils taken out. It kind of ruined the season for me, and I was in the Sound of Music too so it was hard to focus on swimming and the Sound of Music. It was just hard, but those are the challenges I faced this season.” Carroll and her teammates specialize in different strokes. “I like breaststroke. It’s kind of funny when I first started. I couldn’t do it without getting disqualified, and now it’s my best stroke,” she said. Sophomore Raegan Osentowski, who has been on the team for two years, has her own preference. “I like freestyle and backstroke the best,” she said.

by Grace Carr, editor-in-chief State is fast approaching for the CMR boys wrestling team. “State defines what your season is about,” coach Aaron Jensen said. Last weekend on Feb. 2, the boys went to divisionals in Bozeman and 10 CMR wrestlers qualified for state. Five of whom placed in the top four in their weight class including Kai Stewart who took first at 145 pounds. State wrestling will take place on Feb. 8-9 in Billings and the team has been preparing for their biggest tournament of the year. “Practices have been shorter but more intense,” Jensen said. “We are watching film and are focused on doing what each kid needs to work on.” Overall, the season has been successful for the CMR wrestling team. “[It’s} gone pretty well competitively,” Jensen said. Senior Carter Carroll is one of the boys who has performed admirably throughout the season. “I consistently placed top three every weekend,” he said. His goal for divisionals was to qualify as many team members as possible, and he agrees with his coach that the wrestling team has produced excellent results. Carroll’s favorite memory this season was all the overnight trips with the rest of the team. The boys varsity basketball team is set for divisionals as they enter the latter half of the season.

“We are in the upper half of the league right now going into divisionals,” varsity coach John Cislo said. The team is doing well, considering the number of injuries the team has endeared. Kellen Hartman and Bryce Depping have knee injuries, Keegan Barnes and Brendan Lindseth have injured ankles, and Tucker Greenwell has been suffering from back issues. “We are very beat up,” Cislo said. “We’ve done really well for as much adversity as we’ve had.” Despite the setbacks, Cislo is confident in the team’s ability to move forward in the postseason. “When you win, you have confidence,” he said. “More confidence makes us better off going into the tournament.” Junior Peyton Peterson of the girls basketball team says they also have their eyes set on state. “My hopes for the rest of the season is for us to finish out strong and take home the state championship,” she said. This year, the team had only two seniors on varsity, and the rest were underclassmen. “Our season has been off and on,” she said. “We’re a young team, and I think that everyone is doing good and as a team we have really come together on and off the court.” Peterson has played basketball at CMR for three years. Her favorite memory is beating Butte in divisionals last year. The season is nearing its end, but the teams have their goals set high. The CMR wrestling team took on Great Falls High on Jan. 25 at crosstown in the fieldhouse. Ten students qualified at Divisionals on Feb. 2 for the state competition in Billings. Photo by Nancy Beston.

2/5/2019 6:48:53 PM

BACK PAGE

by Gabrielle Pope, sports editor Wrestling is more than just a physical sport, especially during the crosstown match. Senior Carter Carroll says that 90 percent of the sport is mental while just a mere 10 percent is physical. “If you lose the match in your head you already know you are going to lose,” Carroll said. “If you tell yourself that you are the biggest baddest dude out there it is going to be hard to beat you.” Carroll said with the help of coach Nick Budeski. Carter’s younger brother Calvin has similar thoughts about the preparation for the match. “We practice really hard that week, but the mental aspect plays a big role, too,” he said. “You can’t psych yourself out and you can’t think about the match too much or you will get stiff and stressed out and you won’t wrestle how you normally do.” Crosstown this year may have been upsetting looking from the outside, but senior Mike Brien had a different approach to it. “We wrestled hard; we just had some tough matches,” Brien said. Freshman Calvin Carroll agrees. “Even though our team was down by a lot, we still stuck together. We weren’t getting mad at each other. We kept that team chemistry,” he

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“Anything can happen in crosstown,” junior Keegan Barnes said. Crosstown is unpredictable for both teams. “You’ve played against them your whole high school career and a lot of times before high school. Really, anything can happen. It is just unreal,” he said. Most players can’t go in and play. They need preparation before the game. “There is a lot of

said. Carter touches on that by adding, “The effort was there individually across the board, but the results were just not in our favor.” This year was Calvin’s first crosstown wrestling match, and he was beyond impressed with the whole tournament. “It was really exciting. The atmosphere of being with your teammates and having a whole crowd of people cheering you on to win was super cool,” he said. Crosstown is a dual match, meaning there are only the two teams playing at once, whereas in other tournaments there are several mats all over with people wrestling individual matches at one time. “At other tournaments there are more matches going on at the same time, but at dual everyone is focusing on you,” Calvin said. He says that winning a match and really getting that crosstown crowd going made everything worth it.

S S

O R

Basketball players show X-town enthusiasm

Wrestlers push through the challenges of crosstown

Before every home meet both swim teams engage in one of their favorite traditions: the cheer. Seniors gather in the middle of the warmup pool and the rest of the teams form a ring around them. Both teams partake in cheers for either team. Photo by Nancy Beston.

February 7, 2019 rustlernews.com

by Gabrielle Pope, sports editor

mental preparation. You have to know there are going to be a lot of people in the gym. So you have to prepare for that situation and be able to play through it and not crack under the pressure or the noise,” Barnes said.

Swimming celebrates team, seniors

by Quinn Soltesz, features/entertainment editor Crosstown sports conjure up images of intense rivalry, bloodthirsty fans, and lots of focus on the outcome. This image rings true for most all school sports, but there is one exception. The annual swim meet that pits C. M Russell against Great Falls High is a time for coming together, friendly competition, and appreciating the teams’ seniors. “Swimming crosstown is extra special because it’s not ‘who beats who’ it’s more about friendship and competing against the people you consider your family,” CMR senior Karissa Birdsong said about the event. Although the results of the meet are far from the most important thing to them, both CMR teams beat out the Bison. The girls finished with a team score of 112 over the Bison’s 63. The boys similarly dominated with a score of 105 to 68. The four squads, all coached by Ed McNamee, spend almost none of their time fussing about the team scores. They instead spent the night of Thursday, Jan. 31 focusing on camaraderie and

Other players don’t really have to prepare all that much. “It’s just like every other game, yeah you want to beat them a little bit more because they are your rival, but it is basically the same,” senior Bryce Depping said. Crosstown has a different feel than most other seasonal games. “It is electric in there; there are so many people. Parents, fans, students -- it is just crazy in there,” Depping said. Senior Brendan Lindseth agrees that there is definitely a difference. “The whole game is just really tense. You are around all of those people, and it’s super loud. It’s really fun being in that atmosphere.” Lindseth said that crosstown didn’t go exactly as planned, but it has been a great learning opportunity for the boys. “Now that we know what it entails we can try to be more prepared this time,” he said. Senior JJ Slater from the girls varsity basketball team is confident that they can use last crosstown game to improve the game on Thursday. “Just because we are so young last crosstown was kind of a shock at first, and I think that is why we had so many turnovers, but I am hoping from our win on Saturday we can start getting a streak going,” she said. Positivity plays a big role in how the girls play. As a result of some of the negative attitudes a zero tolerance policy for negativity has been introduced, requiring the girls to do push ups when they have a negative attitude. “So it is nice we have been able to start training ourselves to be more positive, and have a next play mentality,” she said.

celebrating the seniors’ last meet at their home pool. Posters filled with pictures and notebooks for teammates to write well-wishing notes lined one end of the pool, and during a break in between events, the oldest members of the team walk across the “bulkhead” to the fanfare of the crowd. Junior Shelby Banks expressed her bittersweet feelings about the event. “I love all the seniors. I’ll definitely miss just how bonded that they were, and just how much they really look out for the underclassmen,” she said. Crosstown is the epitome of the teams’ mantra of “Four Teams One Family.” The meet starts with a collective cheer led by the seniors and ends with the boys 400 freestyle relay team trying to finish their race all at the same time. Birdsong explained how the meet reflects her beliefs about the sport. “I don’t think swimming should be all about the medals, and who’s better, and who’s faster, and who’s stronger. It should be about fun, loving your teammates, loving your coach, and loving

Each year the seniors from both the C. M. Russell High School and Great Falls High School swim teams decorate “memory boards” and display them on one end of the pool. During the swimmers’ breaks they can write thoughtful messages in notebooks for the seniors. Photo by Nancy Beston.

2/5/2019 6:57:14 PM