March 10, 2021 rustlernews.com
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GREGIER: THE WORLD IS NOT DOOMED! WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE Renewable energy has seen a record-setting level of deployment in 2020 during the pandemic as coal consumption dwindled, figures from an independent report released Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021 show. Transportation emissions are expected to jump as the country gets the virus under control.
by Taylor Willmarth, editor
Nathan Gregier, a biology teacher at C. M. Russell High School, believes that the initial debate about whether climate change is occurring has long been put to rest. “I have never liked the term ‘global warming’ because I feel that it is misleading.” he said. Gregier prefers the term “global climate change.” “The scientific community overwhelmingly understands that the Earth’s climate is changing,” he said. “Has the Earth been hotter or closer at different times in history? Of course it has.” Gregier claims that the issue isn’t that the climate is changing. The issue is the rate of change. “It impacts biodiversity and ecosystem stability,” he said. “There will be cascading effects in which we cannot predict all of the potential outcomes.” Gregier said that the major controversy is about the importance and imminence of getting climate change under control. Scientists are urging people to find alternative sources of energy as fossil fuels contribute a massive amount to the rate of climate change. “[Switching to alternative energy sources] means a lot of people and industries will have to change as well,” he said. “That is where politics comes in. Different countries, political parties, and special interest groups all have different ideas on what we should do.” The teacher said that there is not a lot one person can do to slow the rate of climate change because there are more than
(Dreamstime/TNS) Photo courtesy of MCT Campus.
7 billion people on Earth. The only way to make real change is for everyone to shift. “The momentum to turn the ship around is too great if we are all left to make personal choices,” he said. “If we don’t see instant gratification, people tend to give up.” Gregier said the Paris Climate Agreement and other climate summits have been attempts to come to a worldwide consensus. However, the pushback has been stark. “In Montana, we have oil and coal reserves. People are worried that if those go away [they] will lose their livelihoods,” he said. Gregier believes that the money and jobs in these industries would shift and evolve into something new. “The money that is spent on procuring fossil fuels can be used to build new forms of alternative resources,” he said. “The money and resources just need to be shifted in a different direction.”
REVIEW:CMR BRINGS AN ARTISTIC NEW MEANING TO SCHOOL SPIRIT by David Miller, staff writer CMR excels at one unique aspect specifically when it comes to school spirit: minimalism. This artistic approach never fails to raise interest in unsuspecting individuals. The sparsity of students embracing school spirit draws attention to few, if any, students. This sparks intrigue but doesn’t at all overwhelm the onlooker, a delicate balance. The thought of CMR’s school spirit never fails to bring enjoyment to students. The simple mention of CMR having school spirit draws smiles and even laughter from some students, who clearly have such fond, intimate, personal memories that when told that CMR has school spirit, they simply say, “it doesn’t” in an attempt to maintain the magic of the experiences. The school spirit of CMR embraces one
aspect of the school and does it well. It doesn’t dare tread into other territories and risk ruining its good name. When it comes to sports, the whole school is up to date. The pep assemblies clearly devoted to athletic achievement provide an excellent and much needed juxtaposition to the frequent minimalism. Victories, the names of senior athletes, and the ever predominant green and gold leap at students. Their praise is clearly conveyed to students in ways reminiscent of A Clockwork Orange. Don’t fret, however. If you wish to know more about the other achievements, most assemblies display a simplistic and clear slideshow briefly informing the student body. My favorite part of the school’s spirit is CMR’s magnum opus, the wonderfully monotone, ritualistic chant performed by the student body, titled “The Rustle Hustle.” It is brilliant in form and perfectly executed in a style slow enough for no student to lose time. It twists and turns expectations when
the slow claps are made in front of and behind the student, following the twice said titular phrase “Rustle Hustle.” If you wish to experience the school spirit of C. M. Russell High School, prepare yourself for an artistic and modern approach to the typical idea of school spirit. You’ll feel refreshed and delighted in the simplistic break from what is normally expected with loud crowds bragging about their school’s excellence.
Photo by Taylor Willmarth
