Craze Issue Five: Exploration by Craze Magazine

CRA zE the exploration issue issue 5 Volume 5 march 2014

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 06

URBAN EXPLORING

movie reviews: the past

on tour with twinsmith

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART WAS

FROM THE STUDIO OF

THE COLLEGE APPLICATION GUIDE

LOUDER THAN A BOMB

omaha’s strangest delicacies

how to be alone

HARDCORE PARKOUR!

explore your city

best of the internet

STREET STYLE

mood music

coming out glitter and you

videogames: day z

SHOPPING WITH SCOUT

ASK A TEACHER

SURVIVING SCHOOL WITH DEPRESSION

whs photo contest: travel

BEHIND THE MUSIC

86 CALENDAR

a note from the editors... h, what a difference a month makes. We know that sounds cheesy, but sometimes you have the most fun when you’re rolling your eyes. Spring is a time full of cheese. The grass is greener, the air smells sweeter, and we’re all freaking tired of sitting in school all day. Spring fever, April showers, the Luck of the Irish; they’re all concepts we’re familiar with. But this issue isn’t about the clichés or the cheese. It’s about breaking away from it. This month, our staff grew together and became more sure of their roles in our publication. While we did this, the rest of the school was scrambling to finish tests and last minute projects before the quarter ended. Everything became so much more real this month. The weather is warmer. School is almost over. Craze is growing like a weed, both in staff size and page numbers. This month we also decided on our theme: exploration. We chose it because we realized something. We realized that it’s time to take advantage of these changes, time to make our lives more meaningful. We all enjoy the familiar and the cheesy, but spring fever and the Luck of the Irish won’t sustain us forever. We should all step outside our comfort zone so we can grow, so we can find even greater comfort somewhere else. Whether exploration for you means trying new things in Omaha or finding out how to be happy with yourself, we guarantee you’ll be glad you did it.

FACEBOOK

8-TRACKS

contributors to this issue

EDITORS 1 2 3 4

editor-in-chief EVA PHILLIPS MANAGING editor LIA HAGEN design editor ALLIE LAING photo editor ALLY STARK

STAFF 17

5 KIRSTEN MCCORMACK 6 ESTELLA FOX 7 SARAH LEMKE

8 CAMILE MESSERLEY 9 ABEGALE HEADLEE 10 JACOB LARSON 11 AUDREY MCCANN 12 CASEY ARRITT 13 MADDIE LOOK 14 JENNA HYNEK 15 LILLI MARVIN 16 TOM HUERTER 17 JAYLEE JOHNSON 18 GRACE WOLFE

in brief: MARCH

SO YOU DON’T LOOK DUMB AT DINNER PARTIES FACTS AND FIGURES TO KEEP YOU IN THE KNOW story by casey arritt, design by kirsten mccormack Despite losing a coach, Westside’s debate team has qualified for nationals.

The odds of getting a perfect March Madness bracket are 1 and 9.2 quintillion. Warren Buffet will give out

1 billion DOLLARS for the perfect bracket.

Westside votes Have you ever cheated on a test? yes - I have cheated

59 %

*According to Forbe’s Magazine

no - I haven’t ever cheated

GOOD MONTH BAD MONTH

The conflict in Ukraine.

“I only do this job because i love it, not to win prizes” - LEONARDO DECAPRIO

21 % i thought about it

20 %

The odds of finding a four leaf clover on your first try is

Said in response to winning no Oscars in the 2014 season.

10,000 to 1.

*according to interview with International Business Times

*According to Minitab

The Westside varsity boys basketball team made

“You can’t say i didn’t warn you. Now sit back relax & enjoy the show. #bangerztour” - Miley cyrus

Tweeted in response to complaints about the explicit content in her Bangerz tour.

439 out of 886 SHOTS ** for all the regular scheduled games

ALADDIN TEES

SCREEN PRINTING AND EMBROIDERY

Make Custom T-Shirts Online! ADDRESS 14931 Industrial Rd; Omaha, NE 68144;United States PHONE NUMBER 402-333-0498 WEBSITE http://stores.inksoft.com/Aladdin_Tees/Home

Snapshots-urban exploring

URBAN EXPLORING REIMAGINING YOUR CITY Story and photos by estella fox and kirsten mccormack, design by kirsten mccormack

y heart was pounding. I was six stories high, looking down at the ground below me. I could feel the rusting fire escape squeaking in the freezing cold wind. I knew what I had to do. I pulled out my phone and took a selfie. Laughing, four other staff members pulled out their phones as well. Climbing a fire escape at 11 p.m. doesn’t sound comfortable, especially in the middle of winter, but this was the most unforgettable moment of our urban exploring adventure. Throughout the day, we explored rundown buildings and other places that are usually over looked. We laughed at each other’s stupid jokes and had deep conversations about things we couldn’t explain to most people. By the end of the night, I had realized how great my friends were. If we hadn’t gone on this adventure together, I would have never bonded with them. While uncovering abandoned places, you never know what will come. Just as I discovered great friendships, I rediscovered my city. I found out things about my home that I never would have imagined. When I think of Omaha, the first thing that comes to mind is a comfortable, safe place to raise a family. It’s nice, but I never thought it was full of adventure. After exploring, I realized that I was wrong.

snapshots-urban exploring

Snapshots-urban exploring

feature-twinsmith

TWINSMITH story by estella fox, design by eva Phillips, photos by Sarah Lemke

OMAHA BAND EVOLVES WITH MUSIC SCENE We sat down on the couches backstage of they tour, they are often in close quarters. This the Slowdown. At first, I was nervous. This makes them more cohesive as a band. was my first time interviewing a band in “Family road trips are the best comparison person, and I didn’t know what they would [to] being on the road for two and a half weeks be like. We sat around a wooden table that in a van. [It’s] about as tight a space as you can looked like a large spool and were lit by a get,” Regner said. “I mean, you love it [and] few fluorescent lights above. It immediately you hate it. They become a part of you, just felt comfortable. They interviewed with ease like a family would, so you make it work.” and cracked jokes throughout. Interviewing Regner and lead singer Jordan Smith have Omaha-local band Twinsmith felt like I was known each other since high school, and having a conversation they started the band with some good friends Betsy Wells here in Going on the road around a coffee table. Omaha. They had a will really make This is what makes few line-up changes you appreciate what Twinsmith so appealing. and decided to form Their down-to-earth a different band, we have here nature and chemistry Twinsmith. They -Oliver Morgan shines through in their all wanted to keep music. evolving as a band to “We all have crazy different influences push their artistic limits and to have fun. Betsy and backgrounds musically, but we bring Wells was not the way to do that. it together in the band,” said Matt Regner, “I think we wanted to keep evolving as a who plays guitar and keys. “It’s just our band and try new things,” Smith said. “We like personalities and our friendship that allows the energy of playing live shows. When we us to make these compromises and create were Betsy Wells, we didn’t really get to feed sounds that [are] a combination of all of our off the crowd of people.” influences.” As they were evolving as a band, they didn’t It is with these compromises that they coin feel like Betsy Wells had the kind of style they their unique, self-described ‘surfer pop.’ When would like to play. 13

feature-twinsmith

“I know it was good for me because I joined Betsy Wells, and I learned maybe four of those songs,” said bass player Bill Sharp. “At practices we would rather work on new stuff than teach me all the old crap.” Now, under the new name Twinsmith, they are able to enjoy playing shows as much as the audience enjoys watching them. “There’s definitely an energy to work off of though,” said drummer Oliver Morgan. “I feel like with the way [it] is now, it works best when the crowd is giving you the fuel to feed off of and give it back to them.” Everyone in the band has been playing music from an early age. Their musical interests, however, were not limited to the instrument they played. After touring on both of the coasts, they have gotten perspective on how well the music scene in Omaha has kept up. “Going on the road will really make you appreciate what we have here,” Morgan said. “Everybody gets burned out, especially bands that haven’t gotten out of here yet. All they want to do [is] get out and experience it, but a week, two weeks in, it really reminds you of what a special thing we’ve got going on here. It’s not to be taken for granted, and we

need to remember that. We’re the ones who built it this way, and [...] it’s really rare actually — truly rare.” Every band member seemed passionate about the Omaha music scene. It is sometimes thought of as insignificant or even non-existent, but the view that these members have show that we have a lot to be grateful for. “I feel like we’re really fortunate to be in Omaha playing music,” Regner said. “I thought that every city, especially bigger cities, would have a really relevant music scene, but that’s not the case. You find out that [bigger cities don’t] mean better bands. You go to some cities and you’re like, ‘Wow, this is really sad. Nobody cares about music.’” The band members all chose to pursue music while in high school. This has given them insight on pursuing music as a career option. “We just want to have fun,” Regner said. “It’s not always a cakewalk. As hard as it can be at times, as broke as you can get, and as stressful as a low turn out can be in a weird city, it’s still so rewarding, even in it’s darkest moments. Just do what makes you happy. It’s a very bold path to take. Seriously pursuing music [is] hard [and] different, but if it’s what makes you happy, then go for it.” t 14

HANGING OUT WITH

TWINSMITH we asked Jordan smith to create a playlist of some of his favorite songs. here’s what he gave us.

1. WALK ON - NEIL YOUNG 2. COOKING UP SOMETHING GOOD - MAC DEMARCO 3. LUNA - BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB 4. KOKOMO - THE BEACH BOYS 5. I WILL DARE - THE REPLACEMENTS 6. WEIGHT - MIKAL CRONIN 7. TOECUTTER - THEE OH SEES 8. OPEN - RHYE 9. BLUE - THE JAYHAWKS 10. DON’T GO BACK TO ROCKVILLE - REM 15

art - from the studio of

FROM THE STUDIO OF:

PAYTON HURLBURT

story by sarah lemke, design by lia hagen

how did you get started with pottery? “I originally wanted to go into the drawing and painting classes, but those were all filled up when I wanted to join because I came late to the school. I had to pick a pottery class, and I didn’t know how much fun it would be. When I was in Pottery One, I loved it so much. I wanted to see what we were going to do next, and I was always ahead of the class.”

do your pieces follow any particular trends? “I’ve never tried to stick to one theme. I’ve tried to let myself do as many things as possible and keep my mind open to all the different things I could do with clay. [Their purposes have] been pretty equaled out: half of my stuff is sculptural, half of my stuff is functional. I’ve made vases, bowls, and cups. I’ve [also] made skulls and standing things.”

Have you won any awards for your pottery? “I’ve never entered a piece before because I don’t think of my pottery as being as good as I could make it. That sounds really stupid, [like the] ‘you need to improve yourself ’ artist mentality, but I really don’t think my things are as good as they could be.”

Have you ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN ART? “Oh, I’ve loved art my whole life. Even when I was little, I never drew with crayons. I drew with colored pencils. I was always professional and wanted my stuff to look good. My mom bought me my first painting kit. It was this really nice one. It was a big wooded box [with] oil, acrylics, water paints, pencils, and [...] oil pastels!”

who inspired your interest in art? “My great great grandma. I really did love her. She died at 102. She was the best artist of the family. She made incredible things. One time she made five elephants [...] made out of [what was] probably ceramic, and she painted them glittery. They looked like Indian elephants. They have intricate blankets on top of them, ornate headdresses, and they were piggy banks. They were about a half foot tall, and they were so gorgeous. I still have mine actually.”

is she the person you’re inspired by the most? “I think so, but my mom is the person who taught me the basics about painting, drawing, and coloring. She always tried to turn what I was doing into a better version of what I was doing.”

LOUDER THAN A BOMB WESTSIDE’S SLAM POETRY TEAM story and design by lia hagen The poetry featured in this issue is all written by members of Westside High School’s slam poetry team. The team will be competing at their annual competition, Louder than a Bomb Omaha, through March and April. If you’d like to support your school and listen to some awesome poetry from across the Metro, come see us at UNO on Wednesday, March 26 as well as at South Omaha MCC on Wednesday, April 12. Both events begin at 7:30. For more info about poetry events in the area, check out poetrymenu.com

DISCOVERY POEM BY pEYTON WELLS When I look in the reflection, I can hardly note a difference From the girl who stared back Just a year ago. Besides the slight hardening Of soft, trusting eyes, The face I sport now Is a carbon copy. So I tell myself this: What would I say To the face identical To mine, if I could? My visage stares back Awaiting my response With slight, pursed lips Hinting at a smile. And so I begin.

“Goddamn it, you idiot Wipe that grin off your face, Because you’re about to Be told a list of your downfall.” Her eyes go wide with Offense and slight horror, I’ve always been sensitive To raised voices. “Do you realize you’ve written Your own Series of Unfortunate Crap, illustrated by the idiocy of Peyton Wells? “How could you possibly Have known of the upcoming Pharmaceutical exploits To cure your thoughts of poison? “Did you ever guess You’d end up this way, A little too in love with the colossal shadow he casts?” I didn’t, as a matter of fact, Have an inkling to this onslaught, My younger self is distraught At the suggestion I’m not perfect. “You privileged primadonna, You call yourself a grown up While at the same time, you Can’t do your own laundry! “Remember that time At the corner gas station, Paying for your gas With a backward-faced card? “Like, how stupid are you? You microwave hotdogs, Are afraid of stove tops, And don’t know how to breathe. “Adults do their OWN stuff Like make their own sammiches, Cut their own steak, And break their own hearts.” She’s getting angry now, Apparently being accosted By a critical Peyton is An overwhelming experience. “You think you’re overwhelmed? Just wait until you

REALLY mess up, as you Stumble the whole way! “When you’ve pushed away Everyone that loves you With angsty ramblings That are really about nothing. “Nothing, that is, Except the monumental failure You’ve proven to be In the face of real life.” And so she smiled. “Congratulations, It appears you Know more than You like to let on. You silly, bitter girl, Why do you take out Your insecurities On a reflection? No, I’m not perfect, But you’re closer than You’ve ever known it; You’ve just got to look.”

LIVING IN SPANISH POEM BY ALLY GUENETTE When I was younger, I wish I knew Spanish. Then I would know that I was smart, because I thought in Spanish, instead of not at all. I would know I was beautiful, because the words coming out of my mouth were. And I would be humble, because I would understand others knew more than I did. I think that Spanish, would have made me a better person. I would have had to check my words more carefully, saying the things that I know, not the things that feel right. I think that Spanish, would have made me a belle, because I could not say much more than I love you and I understand.

I would be smart enough, to know I was hurting you and pretty enough, for you to put up with me for a little bit longer. Sometimes I wish I knew more than the Spanish colors when I was younger. Verde, Azul, Rojo, doesn’t seem like a very efficient way, to say you’re right, to say sometimes I don’t act like I love you as much as I should, to say you are important to me, to say I’m sorry. If I knew Spanish when I was younger, I would have let you be right, maybe a few times. Because when you know Spanish, even a little Spanish, its makes your world a little less English. See when you know Spanish, you start to think it. You replace a How are you?, with ¿Como estás? And it makes you notice all the people, that say Te amo and Yo entiendo, just a little bit different than you do. The world seems bigger, and you understand, just maybe, the world isn’t yours. When I learned Spanish, I realized I was smart, because I could learn to change. Change the way I think, or start to think. When I learned Spanish, I realized that I was beautiful, because I could say lovely things to lovely people, things that make them happy, things that make them feel you’re listening to them, and not just thinking about what you’re going to say things that make them feel like you’re actually, truly, madly in love with them. When I learned Spanish, I became humble. Because I learned that ser, isn’t always a regular verb. And because understanding others speaking Spanish, somehow made English a little bit easier to understand too.

opinion-breakups

HEARTBREAK PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST story by Jaylee johnson, design by Tom huerter

n middle school, I wasn’t the type of girl who had boyfriends. Of course I thought boys were cute, but I always thought relationships were stupid. I didn’t know why people would want to spend all day, every day, talking to one person or let them dictate how their day would go. I watched my friends suffer through countless relationships. It’s like they just wanted to feel wanted. No matter how bad their boyfriends would treat them, they still suffered because they “loved” him. I didn’t understand why girls were so caught up in boys until I entered high school.

It’s a simple story that began in March of freshman year. Picture a teen movie about a jock and a girl who sings, and there it is. While my relationship didn’t start like a typical relationship does, it was still enjoyable. He treated me well, and I had no reason to break up with him. I’ve spent so much of my life being unhappy. Whether it’s grades, drama, or not liking the way I look, I was constantly getting down on myself. It seemed that every time I thought I was happy, something would come and knock me down. I’d be right back where I started.This changed when I got

in a relationship. I felt like I was on top of the world and no one could bring me back down to Earth. When it ended, I realized that no one person could fix all of my issues. This was a big step for me. I usually don’t stand up for myself, but this time I did. It felt great. Shortly after the actual breakup, I realized what I had done. I was alone, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I’d had someone to talk to for 11 straight months, made a new best friend, and within a minute he was gone. I went against everything my middle school self had believed in, and I ended up by myself. I

had to accept that things weren’t how they were when we met. That began the coping process. I needed to find myself before I could be happy with anyone. I felt like I had lost track of myself by being so invested in someone, and I needed time alone to figure out what I wanted and needed in life. I realized that self discovery is one of the biggest things that can come from break ups. Falling in love with yourself is vital before you fall in love with another person. No matter how great your boyfriend or girlfriend is, if you aren’t happy with yourself or by yourself, the relationship isn’t going to work. Sometimes you need to be alone in order to find out who you really are and what you want out of life. Of course it’s not going to be easy to accept and adapt to right away, but in the long run it will make you happier. No matter who you’re letting go of, it is necessary to accept that it’s over. Grieving is acceptable, but dwelling on the fact that they’re gone is not. In any circumstance where someone leaves your life, there will be pain. It’s up to you to decide how you’re going to deal with it. I once knew a girl whose boyfriend treated her like crap, and she continued to stay with him. He could stab her in the neck or kiss her best friend, and she would still be with him. She didn’t want to accept the fact that the person she loved was treating her like this. Every time she would come to me for help, I told her to break up and let go. Of course, that’s the last thing she wanted to do, but it was time for her to decide to make the most of her life and stand up for herself.

I advise you to not be the couple who breaks up and gets back together two weeks later. From what I’ve seen, it’s a neverending cycle. Those types of relationships become toxic and leave the people even more broken than they would’ve been if they had ended it. Sometimes it’s necessary to swallow the fact that the person you love isn’t who you thought they were. Don’t wallow in the past. Holding onto the relationship keeps people from having a full recovery. Stop justifying the breakup with the “what-if ’s.” You can do this alone. You did it before you met your ex. Just because you’re single now doesn’t mean you’ll grow up to be a crazy cat lady. This is temporary, and your

Falling in love with yourself is vital before you fall in love with another person soulmate could be just around the corner. Face the future and realize how great life can be when you’re single. Now you can sit on your couch all day and watch Netflix or eat a whole bowl of ice cream just because. Still, being single doesn’t always mean being alone. Use your new found free time to focus on friendships that may have been ignored during your relationship. You’ll find that your friends are vital during the period of time that follows breakups. They can occupy you at school so you don’t have to look at your ex. I know firsthand how tempting it can be to go up and talk to your ex like things are

normal, but you have to realize it’s not the same relationship anymore. Take all of your friends’ advice. If it weren’t for my friends, I don’t think I would be so strong or have a positive attitude. The best type of friend is the one who will let you cry to them, but still make sure you’re not in a lousy mood all the time. If they’re true friends, they will be there in your time of need. Being single also provides opportunities to meet new people and connect with people you normally wouldn’t have when you were in a relationship. Take time to surround yourself with awesome people because this will help you find yourself and who you want to become. There are so many people in this world that care about you and love you. Many times, in controlling relationships, there are certain people your significant other doesn’t allow you to hang out with. Now you can do things for you and hang out with who you want. No one wakes up in the morning, decides to break off their relationship, and is totally okay with it. But like I said, being alone is completely okay. It allows us to move onto the next stage in our lives. Your boyfriend didn’t want you to cut your hair? Chop it off. You felt self conscious about the way you looked in your short shorts because he always commented on it? Wear those short shorts and embrace them. Ultimately, we decide our fate and how happy we are capable of being. You need to start doing things for yourself, not anyone else. You never really know where it could take you. In five months, you’ll look back and feel confident in how far you’ve come. t

FEATURE - EXPLORE YOUR CITY

EXPLORE YOUR CITY OMAHA’S BEST SPOTS story by audrey mccann, photos by grace wolfe, design by EVA PHILLIPS AND LIA HAGEN

hen I moved here, I was certainly concerned about spending summer afternoons running through cornfields. Luckily, that’s not the case. At first, I was completely blind to all of

the cool things going on in the city. What I found is that if you don’t spend all of your time moping about how boring Omaha is, you’ll find pretty awesome stuff to do, even if you are in the heartland. Still, it’s hard to

know where to start. Here at Craze, we decided it was time to show you our favorite spots around town. Maybe you’ll find, just like we did, that Omaha isn’t just for minivan driving mothers.

FEATURE - EXPLORE YOUR CITY

ALMOST MUSIC address: 6569 Maple St, Omaha, NE 68104 phone: 402-614-2883 web: www.facebook.com/almostmusicshop Among the newest shops in Benson, Almost Music is a cool combination record and book store. It’s an offshoot of Jackson Street Booksellers in the Old Market. The soft music playing out of the turntable that owner Brad Smith is always monitoring sets the ideal scene for any local music shop. This is what Smith takes most pride in. Smith is also proud of his location. Benson is full of small shops, and that’s why Smith is such a huge fan of the area. “I like small businesses because you get to know your

customers,” Smith said. “When you spend money in a small business, you’re helping send a kid to college, putting food on the table, or making a mortgage payment. It doesn’t go to some corporate CEO who’s buying a third vacation home. Yeah, I love small local businesses. [They] add character to a city.” There isn’t a cooler place in Omaha to pick up the latest EP from your favorite local band or get your dad a present from his glory days.

SHOP AROUND THE CORNER address: 801 S 16 ST., OMAHA, NE 58108 phone: 402-609-8046 web: www.facebook.com/ShopAroundOldMarket I pulled up to the plain exterior of the Imaginarium and pushed open the heavy doors to enter. Upon entering we were greeted by the salty tang of freshly popped popcorn and that delicious musty smell that goes in hand with vintage pieces. We immediately passed by the fluttering banner that read “Shop Around the Corner,” and struck up a conversation with co-owners Jessica Misegadis and Geri Hogan. They began discussing what they thought made their store special. “One of our biggest differences from other stores

is that, […] we have real vintage, not reproduction,” Misegadis said. “Our stuff is actually from the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s.” She couldn’t be more right. The vintage goodies that lined the clothes racks would have my crazy aunt and cool grandma reminisce. The Shop Around the Corner is one of the best vintage stores we’ve ever come upon in Omaha, which is quite the accomplishment. Stop in and Misegadis and Hogan will deck you out in last, last, last season’s styles.

FEATURE - EXPLORE YOUR CITY

HOT SHOPS address: 1301 Nicholas Street phone: 402-342-6452 web: www.hotshopsartcenter.com I never imagined that there could be more art within the walls of an old mattress factory than an actual museum. HotShops proved me wrong. The art center is the only place where artists can come together and learn from each other, inspire each other, and sell their work. This was the goal all along according to its coowner Tim Barry. “A lot of people don’t understand what art is,” said

Barry. “They think it’s about rendering a pretty picture to hang above the couch.” After exploring the brick walls and decorated doors of HotShops, we came to understand that more than ever. The art in HotShops is sure to help you discover your new muse. At the very least you’ll find a good Mother’s Day gift.

THE CORNER CREPERIE address: 1301 Nicholas Street phone: (402-955-9577 web: www.facebook.com/TheCornerCreperie I’ve often thought that there was nothing better than a late night jaunt to IHOP with your bestie. However, there is one tasty alternative: crepes. The Corner Creperie is the best spot in town for a sweet tooth fix or a savory meal. You can even get a quick shot of espresso. All of it is made using only the freshest locally grown ingredients.

“We try to keep it as simple as possible,” said Jonathan Davis, the chef responsible for the magical creations that are dished out over in Midtown. The environment was just right to for us to tuck into some high class hotcakes. They will leave you wishing you were about to spend a night in Paris.

FEATURE - EXPLORE YOUR CITY

MARRAKECH address: 504 N 33 ST., OMAHA, NE 68136 phone: 402-502-0739 web: marrakechgourmetomaha.com I think most of us are terrified of trying new foods. Exotic delicacies are not for the faint of heart, and personally, I’m partial to staying in and eating my mother’s spaghetti. But, as they say, there’s a first time for everything. When we walked into Marrakech, we were overwhelmed by the spicy aromas of the Moroccan cuisine. We spoke with co-owner Oussam Tejeheles and found that it was his goal to take sheltered eaters

like myself and to introduce them to the world of food. “Basically we’re here to bring another food culture to Omaha,” Tejeheles said. “Culture brings people together. I met so many people all over the world from my experience in food culture.” So, when looking for something a little more adventurous, try Marrakech. I think you’ll be satisfied with the delicious food and might be surprised at what you’re willing to try next.

DIXIE QUICKS address: 157 West Broadway, Council Bluffs, IA phone: 712-256-4140 website: www.dixiequicks.com Brunch is no longer just for grandparents and cutsie couples. I realized it was also for me when I stepped through the threshold of this combination diner, vintage store, and art gallery. I was greeted by the friendly wait staff instantly, and my nose was tickled by the sweet scents of pancakes and garlicky breakfast potatoes. The lively atmosphere of Dixie Quicks is exactly how co-owner Rob Gilmer likes it. Forks clinked against the bottom of empty plates, and a little girl with a pair of pigtails sat in the corner and battled two plastic dinosaurs. Her mom sliced up some fluffy pancakes that her son picked up between sticky fingers

and drenched in syrup. “I wanted to make sure kids could have the same type of fun I had when I was a kid,” Gilmer said. “You know we have dinosaurs everywhere.” Despite the kid friendly atmosphere, Gilmer has something for everyone. In the table next to Gilmer sat an older couple who had been going to Sunday brunch with each other since the day they were married. The angsty teen inside of you, on the other hand, will enjoy the unconventional decor. Whether you find your happiness in the art in the gallery or by slicing up soft fluffy pancakes, you’re sure to love Dixie Quicks. 31

Fashion-on the street 4

PLAID IS RAD

story by grace wolfe, photos by staff photographers, design by Abegale headlee and allie laing earing flannel and jeans was once exclusively reserved for lumberjacks and bikers, but it’s since been adapted to every day street style. As the season transitions from winter to spring, the students and teachers are breaking out their light jackets and beanies to welcome the weather. An easy look to style and wear, it’s no wonder the rustic look is in.

w 6

FEATURED: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 9

Elise Paulsen-9 paul o’deil-11 cameron thelander-11 charie payne-12 HADIAH KEWAII-10 madison hoy-10 NYCA-ANN GASKILL-9 jeremy stoll-teacher dillon butrous-10

guide - COMING OUT

A GUIDE TO COMING OUT

oming out is weird. It’s weird, and it’s hard, and there are about a million resources meant to help you and like one and a half that actually will. The act itself seems simple, but telling others that you’re a member of the LGBT community can be an emotionally taxing experience. Still, it’s an important one. Leaving the closet is all about discovering yourself, about knowing who you are and what you like. Many LGBT students spend their whole adolescence struggling to deal with their own feelings. In a way, coming out is admitting them. It’s about breaking out of the boundaries you’ve been assigned your whole life and being true to yourself instead. Personally, I would’ve liked my exit to be more of a victory march: full of parade floats, elephants, and lots and lots of glitter. As it is, for most of us it’s more of an awkward back and forth stumbling followed by a fall, finally ended with us crawling all the way across the finish line. With these methods, hopefully you’ll be able save yourself the difficulty. At the very least, you may be able to wedge some glitter in there.

story and design by LIA HAGEN

OPTION ONE: YOU KNOW, THE TALKING THING I know it seems cliché, and, well, that’s probably because it is. Every coming out story involves a tearful confessional scene. Where would LGBT media be if it didn’t insist on sitting its parents down on the couch and telling them they needed to talk? (Hint: No where). Still, there’s a reason things become cliché. It’s because it’s a tried and true method of doing things.

guide - coming out When I told my mom that I thought I was a want to rethink this tactic. lesbian, I had just broken up with my first boyfriend. Personally, I started by mentioning to my friends Now, I had no idea of what it meant to be a lesbian that I found girls charming or pretty. The more I at that time. My whole reasoning behind this new slipped these references in, the more suspicious and vision of myself was based on one crush on a girl. confused my friends grew. Still, I was pretty torn up about it. That day, I, as a When they finally gathered the courage to ask me, I confused Catholic school girl, cried my eyes out on laughed. Inside, I was breathing a sigh of relief. my day bed. My mom came in to ask me what was "Of course I'm bi! Did I never tell you?" wrong, and I poured out all of my feelings in a rush (Filthy, filthy lies). of word vomit. Though not everyone feels comfortable being as (This would be the talking thing all the movies are blatant as I was and waiting for someone to get the so fond of). message, there are other ways you can subtly get the And here’s the thing- it worked pretty well for me point across. with my mom. Think about just casually using the words "my Though it would be years before I actually girlfriend" or “my boyfriend” in conversation. understood my sexuality, that conversation with Abandon gender neutral pronouns (unless, of course, my mom made me feel a lot more comfortable your crush prefers those). If you’re trans*, say "we" with myself and my urges. It gave me a better when talking about LGBT rights or use any kind of understanding of what it even means to be queer. natural sounding inclusion techniques. Most importantly, it put my feelings out in the The key, above all, is to act completely normal. open and eliminated the Don't make your friends ‘shameful secret’ factor. feel stupid or excluded for coming out is All in all, I really needed not knowing. Just act so personal, and it. cool and out, they’ll think Don’t be deterred from it was no big deal in the there’s no one right this method just because first place. way to do it. it’s dramatic or whatever. There’s a pretty obvious It’s an oldie, but it’s a advantage to this strategy. goodie, especially when coming out to relatives If you treat your sexuality as just another normal, or people who may not be the most accepting. In every day part of you, other people will start to do fact, I’d recommend using this method for all of the the same. It’s a lot easier to wrap your mind around people closest to you. It may be awkward, but it will someone’s sexuality when it’s clear it’s not going to give you the chance for an open dialogue. change anything. If they think you’ve always been While you can’t always expect your experience to openly queer, they have nothing to worry about. No go as well as mine did, at least you’ll know it’s out in change, just new information in the equation. This is the open. Which brings me to my next option: especially handy for not-quite-homophobes, the sort of people who say they support marriage equality OPTION TWO: PRETEND YOU’VE BEEN OUT ALL but still get weirded out by the idea of a queer girl sleeping over at their house. ALONG Now, there is one other thing to take note of on this strategy. My friends were all liberals, and they took it When I first came out to my friends, I had an in stride. For some, it's not going to be so easy. extremely artful tactic titled "Never Actually Come If you expect to encounter homophobia along your Out." The whole thing was an elaborate ruse, a proverbial coming out process, you should consider some of the other options available to you. Whether it is a long, veil over their confused heads. I had switched to a serious talk or not coming out at all, you should find new school in seventh grade, and I therefore had the way that feels safest to you. the extreme advantage of having friends who didn't Then again... know every single little thing about me. Should you be cradle-to-grave-BFFs or, y’know, family, you may

OPTION THREE: GO BIG OR GO BIGGER

OPTION FOUR: DO WHATEVER YOU WANT

While a welcoming environment is obviously not the reality for many LGBT teens, the idea of coming out en masse is still appealing. It’s a rip-off-the-bandaid approach. It has the advantage of only making you come out once and the added bonus of being super awesome. This National Coming Out Day, a trans* friend of mine came out at large on Facebook. While he’d been going by a deliberately ambiguous name for years by this point, it wasn’t until the announcement that it all became clear for many of his friends. He was a guy, regardless of the gender he’d been assigned at birth, and he would like to be referred to as such. No more confusion, no more rumors. Everyone gets the same info, and they can draw their own conclusions from that. Again, this method has its drawbacks. It doesn’t make allowances for homophobes or others who you don’t want to know, and it’s very impersonal. For those reasons, it generally works best when paired with one or two other methods. Maybe have the long talk with your parents or your friends and make a Facebook post for everyone else. There’s any number of possible routes to take, including:

Come out, don’t come out. Experiment. Date girls and guys and everything in between, and then refuse to answer when people ask you about it. Give up on labels or pick a new one every week. We’re teenagers, that’s what we’re supposed to do! Personally, I still haven’t come out to my dad or anyone on his side of the family, and I don’t feel at all guilty about that. Coming out is a choice. If I don’t want someone to know my sexual orientation, it’s completely OK for me to just not tell them. You don’t owe anyone anything, let alone your secrets. You shouldn’t comply to a label just because people want you to. I went through four or five labels before I finally settled on pansexual, and I may go through four or five more before I’m through. Or maybe you like labels! Maybe you enjoy having a name and a face for your feelings. Whatever it is, you don’t have to be embarrassed. Coming out is personal, and there’s no one right way to do it. Mix and match. Alter. In fact, do none of the above for all I care. This is about you. So let it be. t

fashion-shopping with

REDUCE REUSE RESTYLE LOCAL STORE GIVES NEW LIFE TO OLD CLOTHES photos by kirsten mccormack and abegale headlee. design by abegale headlee, story by Lia Hagen

estled in the heart of Dundee is Scout Dry Goods and Trade, a locally owned consignment store. It boasts racks of clothing as adorable as its interior decorating and a Best Of Omaha award. Scout is all about repurposing, from their resold clothing to the scrap lumber used to make their flooring. They’re a Bring Your Own Bag Store owned and operated by selfdescribed “tree huggers.” For this issue, we asked these tree huggers to put together a few spring looks. Modeled by Westside students, these outfits are perfect inspiration for your next adventure. Scout is open every day of the week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you’re looking for your exploration outfits on the cheap, check out their Sunday dolla-holla Sales. Here you can find tons of cute clothes for $1 a piece, and everything left over goes to charity.

fashion-shopping with

PATRICK SAWYER, 11 What he’s wearing: Granite shirt-$9 ‘Be a Mav’ jacket-$16 SunglasseS-$18 HM pants-$18

SOLMARY ORTIZ, 12 What sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing: Stomp top-$12 Leggings-$6 Breeze shorts-$12 Bike ride shorts-$16 Sunglasses-$18

fashion-shopping with

BEN VOLBERDING, 10 What heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wearing: Dumb beach top-$9 Unluck jeans-$18 Totion vest-$18

GRACE YOHANNES, 9 What she’s wearing: Vintage hip clip-$6 Sunglasses-$18 Leather sandals-$24 Riding pants-$22

Juxt’d top-$12 Gold knecklace-$9 Bronze knecklace-$12

GUIDE - depression

SURVIVING SCHOOL WITH

DEPRESSION story and design by LIA HAGEN

y mornings begin with a groan, a refusal to get out of bed. They involve over ten alarms set over a period of an hour, all designed to force me to face the day. This is followed by a visit to the bathroom. It is here that I stare down my ‘ho, ho, ho’ holiday mug and avoid looking at my exhausted face in the mirror. It is here that I take my 20 mg dose of Celexa. For those unaware, Celexa is an antidepressant. It was not prescribed to me because I was sad or because I needed a few more fuzzy feelings in my life. It was given to me so that I could try to function like a normal human being. I’m assuming that if you’re reading this story, you have somehow been influenced by depression. You may have it too, or maybe you know someone who does. It’s possible that you’ve just seen it on TV and want to know more just in case. As such, I hardly feel the need to tell you just how much it sucks. It is not a matter of being upset. For me, it is a matter of fighting to breathe every moment. There is no time in my life when it is not pressing down on me, no way for me to forget about it. There are a lot of ways you can fight depression. You can (and should) see a therapist, or you can take medicine. You can do both. You can talk to friends or a guidance counselor. All of these things are important, but they’re not what I’m here to talk to you about. I do not know you or your problems; I cannot give you a catch all solution.

Because of this, this article isn’t about healing. It’s about finding your options. Everyone’s depression has side effects unique to them, and unfortunately, we can’t easily control that. The only thing we can do is look for ways to counteract them. No matter how hard the people around you try, there will always come a time where it is only you, your disease, and the mountains of homework sitting in front of you. In that moment, there is no time to fix all of your problems. There is only homework that must be finished, and school that must be dealt with. Unfortunately, you are the only one that can get yourself through it. You can’t allow yourself to languish in this aloneness. School is designed for you to pass, for you to succeed. Even if you no longer believe you are exceptional, you must believe you are enough. You are enough. You alone have lived through your years of school, through all of the problems that led to your depression in the first place. You have been breathing and eating and pushing yourself forward for your entire life. You are capable of doing it for another moment. In fact, failing to continue only means you’re failing yourself. Failing to do so means all of your hard work has been for naught, and you, you will not allow that to happen. You have the power to fight. You have the power to push back against the disease taking control of your mind. If anyone is going to win

GUIDE - DEPRESSION

this war, it will have to be you. It won’t be easy. It’s not as simple as just ‘getting over it’ or ‘pushing through.’ Believe me, I’d know. It’s a million small steps, a million microscopic victories. There’s no tried and true method for survival. There’s only a lot of suggestions, and whatever you find works for you. You should start by getting out of your room. Stay away from the places where you relax, watch TV, or sleep. It seems simplistic, but the change in atmosphere really can do wonders. It can also help to set up a set time to do your homework. Routine creates habits; habits make tasks that seem impossible now feel natural. Still, getting started is often the hardest part. There are not a lot recommendations I can give you for this. I still struggle with it myself. I just remind myself that it is never as hard as I think it is. I also set small, easily reachable goals. If I do the first two pages of an outline, that’s enough. This is good because it gets me back into the swing of doing homework. Generally, once I’ve done the first two pages, I’m over the biggest hump. I can continue on and do more. Write down your goals. Make checklists. Fill in your iCal. No matter what, find a way to keep your assignments organized. This will help you if you do fall behind, but it will also give you a feeling of satisfaction. Every time you check off a box, you will feel one step closer to better. I like to make my checklists as small and specific as possible. The slight jolts of happiness I get from checking something off is what makes me feel productive, what keeps me working. Personally, I also like to try and find someone to do homework with. The task feels so much less monumental this way; in fact, it almost feels normal. Sometimes it feels like there is nothing you can do to get caught up. Other times I swear I would rather die than finish even the simplest assignment. When I see someone else completing these tasks, it gives me hope. If they can do it, so can I. This is also where those of you not experiencing depression can help your friends.

If they’re up for it, try to set up study dates with them. Give positive feedback and make it clear that you are there for help. It’s true that not everyone needs or wants this, but I think it would surprise you how many people actually do. Speaking of study buddies, always go in for help. I know that it can be a terrifying prospect. I feel my stomach twist painfully with anxiety every time I stand outside an IMC or my Chemistry classroom. Often I sit in another IMC for over half the mod just trying to work up the courage to meet with them, and I have never been known as a meek person. Still, even though I know my teachers will be helpful, I’m always terrified that they will be angry with me or that they won’t understand. It has never happened that way. Teachers are human beings, and they understand that you are too. There’s a reason they wanted this job, and it’s not because of the pay. Most teachers want kids to succeed in their class. If you show that you do too and explain why you haven’t, they will almost always be there for you. You just need to take the first step. And you can. You can take the first step. I know it feels impossible. I know there are times when you would rather do anything else. I can’t claim to experience everything that you are experiencing, but I have been living with this long enough to have an idea. I’ve also been living with this long enough to know that failure is not inevitable. Even if the victories are small, they are still victories. You can get caught up. You can finish your homework. You can do anything you want to do. The most important thing to do is take a step back, look at yourself, and figure out what you need. Find your options. Try the tips I gave, or come up with some of your own. There will be a combination that will let you get this work done. Even if none of these tips work for you, even if you get nothing else out of this article, please, just remember this. You are enough. You are worth the effort. If anyone can fix your school problems, it’s you. t

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BEHIND THE MUSIC A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BANDS BEHIND OMAHA’S UPCOMING SHOWS STORY and design BY EVA PHILLIPS

find that the more I learn about a band, the more I appreciate their music. There’s something about hearing the stories or experiences behind their work that influenced them that allows us to connect with their work on a more personal level. We interviewed members of The Entrance Band and La Luz, two bands playing in Omaha this month. Get to know Guy Blakeslee from The Entrance Band and Shana Cleveland of La Luz and see them perform on March 19 at The Slowdown. The show is all ages, but if you’re under 18, make sure to get a notary signed by your parents.

MUSIC - BEHIND THE MUSIC

THE ENTRANCE B we talk to psychedelic rock band about dreams, sonic youth, and the internet

photo by Amanda Charchian

BAND Guy Blakeslee is the lead guitarist and founder of The Entrance Band. Based out of Los Angeles, the psychedelic rock band has released music through Tiger Style Records, Fat Possum Records, and Ecstatic Peace, as well through Blakeslee’s own record label, Entrance Records. See them play at The Slowdown Lounge on March 19th. What is your background with music? I’ve been playing guitar for about 20 years. I taught myself to play. The band that I’m in now, The Entrance Band, has been playing together for eight or nine years and we’re from all different parts of the world. We all met in Chicago where we all used to live, but we really started the band in California where we live now.

What influences your music? We all listen to lots of different music. Our drummer Derek is a record collector, so he has thousands of records. Paz, the bass player, was classically trained as a pianist and a violinist. She started playing and learning to read and write lyrics when she was 3. Then, I’ve been playing guitar since I was 9 or 10. [...] We listen to a lot of music from different parts of the world, and from different

time periods [...] It’s not a conscious [choice] to be influenced by anything in particular, but all kinds of things pop up.

How has your style changed? When I first started making albums [under the name] Entrance, before The Entrance Band, [...] YouTube didn’t exist yet, so if I had an idea, like ‘Oh, I wonder what psychedelic music from Thailand sounds like,’ I couldn’t just type that into the computer and hear it right away. If you were interested in a strange style of music, you would at least have to go to a record store and ask someone if they knew anything about it. I really think what the Internet has changed is people’s ability to expose themselves to [new music]. Now, basically all music that was ever recorded is now possible to listen to.

How was touring with wellknown groups like Stephen Malkmus and Sonic Youth? That was awesome. When I was in high school, I was really into Sonic Youth, and my dad would take me and some of my friends to see them play. We got to tour the United States opening for Sonic Youth. My dad came to the same place that he had taken us to see them when I was in ninth grade, and he saw me open for them. We’ve gotten to play a lot of really cool shows with artists that we really admire

What is your favorite part of touring? What I’ve learned from touring is that music really brings people together. If you’re going somewhere to play music, whether you’ve been there before or not, it’s a really great way to see the world because you’re welcome. [...] When we go

somewhere and there are a bunch of people there excited to hear us play, that’s really amazing: it’s the coolest thing imaginable. Even if there is [only] one person there that shows you around town or gives you a place to sleep, that’s a pretty special way to be able to visit places.

what was your favorite show you’ve played? We played this festival in Sardinia, which is off the coast of Italy. It is this island where people have this ancient religion, and people in the island live to be over 100 years old. It’s kind of like paradise and a land forgotten. There are still these ancient ruins on the side of the highway, and it definitely feels like a different world and a different time. We played [at] this festival there, and one of the shows was this totally ancient, deserted beach at night with a generator for electricity. You couldn’t see city lights or anything.

Who would you like to collaborate with the most? I have always been obsessed with Jimi Hendrix, and I had this dream one time [...] that we were talking to each other all night. He was telling me [...] that he knew he was dead, and he wanted to come back to say he wished he had known when he was alive that people loved him. He saw that people are listening to his music to this day and [was] basically telling me if you wanna be like me, be yourself. He was saying [...] you need to stay alive and keep making music and remember that people appreciate it. Don’t ever think that it’s meaningless [and] don’t imitate what he did by dying so young. I woke up, and it changed my life. I feel like I would jam with him. t

music - behind the music

LA LUZ WE TALK TO SEATTLE-BASED SURF BAND ABOUT LIFE ON TOUR, COLLABORATION, AND DANCING photo by Angel Ceballos

Shana Cleveland is the lead guitarist/vocalist from La Luz, a Seattle-based surf rock band signed to indie record label, Hardly Art Records. La Luz will be playing a show in Omaha on March 19th at The Slowdown. Tell us a little about the origin of La Luz? S: The band started a year and a half ago. I was playing in a different band with Maryanne, and I really wanted to be in a band incorporating the music I was listening to most often. [That] was early rock and roll and early soul music from the 50’s and 60’s. [It was] also a lot of West Coast garage music and stuff that Burger Records was putting out. I decided to start this new band and asked Maryanne if she wanted to join. Then we picked up Alice. We all knew each other from playing around the Seattle music scene.

If you could collaborate with any musician, who would it be? S:That is a really hard question. I feel like I wouldn’t want to collaborate with anyone that I really admire because it would be embarrassing. I don’t like covering songs that I love because if you already love the song, then what’s the point? You’re just going to make a subpar version of it. I saw you guys in Omaha a while back and loved ally the dancing. Can you talk a little bit about that? S: The show that we played in Omaha the first time was so awesome. It was actually one of our favorite shows on that tour because people were such good dancers, and somebody did the worm. It’s always a highlight when somebody does the worm. I don’t know how we get so into dancing. I think it’s [beacuase] we’re on stage all the 52

time, especially when we’re on tour. So if we get the audience to dance, it’s kind of like our own show. It’s nice to get people to break out of their selfconsciousness and decide to have a good time at a show. We try to encourage that. Do you like life on tour, or do you find it hard to get used to? S: I really like playing shows every night, but the hardest thing about tour is just everything else. You get on stage for one hour, and [everything else is just] leading up to that hour where you get to do what you’re on the road to do. The rest of the time, your’re vaguely uncomfortable. You’re either stuck in a van, sleeping on someone’s floor, or waiting at a bar forever. You can’t use your own bathroom

for a really long time, which just sucks. I love being on the road and getting to see other parts of the country, but it’s just a weird existence. How would you describe your sound? S: I’m pretty alright with any description that gets thrown at us. The ones that are annoying are [those that] start off with ‘all girl blahbdy blah,’ because it seems weird that that would be the first thing someone would mention about us. I think that surf moniker

is pretty accurate. I definitely listen to a lot of surf, and that influences the guitar sound a lot. so that makes sense. I think our record label has described it as ‘surf noire,’ and thats pretty accurate because people tend to think a lot of the record is kind of spooky. What do you have to deal with being an all girl band? S: I guess it’s just surprising to me that it’s still such a big deal to people. I mean, there have been all-girl bands since the beginning of music. It just seems so odd that

it’s still this big thing that people are still curious about. [Although sometimes] when you’re in a band that has women and men in it, the sound guys will come up and just talk to the guy in the band. He’ll never ask me directly how I want my sound to be. That was kind of annoying. So in a way it was like ‘yeah it’d be kind of cool to [have an all girl band] just so they’d have to talk to us. Nobody could secretly think it was the guys who were running the show. t

MOVIES - FILM STREAMS

(THE PAST)

‘

LE PASSE stORY BY ESTELLA FOX. DESIGN BY KIRSTEN MCCORMACK, photo by ally stark *rating according to imdb

On the first Monday of every month, Film Streams Theatre holds a free movie night for students. Film Streams is located on the corner of 14 St. and Mike Fahey Boulevard, right next to the Ameritrade field. It offers a variety of foreign and independent movies. If you are ever looking for something new, wait for next month’s student night and visit Film Streams with your school I.D. For our movie review we saw “The Past,” a French film directed by Asghar Farhadi.

Director: asghar farhadi Main characters: (Berenice bejo, tahar rahim, ali mosaffa release date: September 1, 2013 language: French ratings: 4/5

While watching Asghar Farhadi’s “The Past,” the viewer is forced to become a detective. Originally watching it through a normal lens, I quickly became confused and almost dismissed it for being hard to follow. As the movie progressed, however, I caught myself trying to be one step ahead of the main characters to predict what twist will happen next. That is all thanks to the mastermind Farhadi. The film is set in a town outside of Paris, mainly shot in an overgrown, beautiful house. Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) comes back to the house to stay for a few days and finalize a divorce with his wife

Marie (Berenice Bejo). At first, there is obviously a rift between the two of them, but all you can make out is that he moved out of France after their separation for several years. There are some definite residual feelings between them, as shown by the way she looks at him playing with the children in the house and the fact that she didn’t have him stay in a hotel. Marie is now desperately trying to move on by marrying Samir (Tahar Rahim), who runs a laundry across the street from where Marie lives. There is talk of how his current wife tried to commit suicide and is now in a coma, but it is left ambiguous for the majority of the movie. Ahmad and Marie never had children, but the oldest daughter Lucie (Pauline Burlet), a teenager, considered Ahmad more of her parent than her mother or Samir. She reveals that not only are the 55

couple expecting a child, but she hates anyone her mother chooses to marry because they are not Ahmad. The two other children living in the house are Lea (Jeanne Jestin) and Samir’s son, Fouad (Elyes Aguis), who are both toddlers. This is the set up for a raw, emotional storyline. I won’t ruin any spoilers, but through the movie, you learn twists that explain a lot of the way these characters interact. Each role is complex in their own right and every sub-story shows the beauty of the human character and the passion of love. It is easy to become engulfed in the storyline because each actor put on a remarkable performance. From Marie screaming at Ahmad in the kitchen to Fouad realizing his mother’s true fate in the metro, there is an intensity and realness that makes each relationship personal. t

PHOTO ESSAY - HOME

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART WAS photos by camile messerley, design by eva phillips

My mother grew up on a small farm in northwestern Iowa, so we spent a great deal of time there. On the trip there, there was not a lot to be seen from the road, but every so often there was something that caught my attention. At the base of a hill or nestled underneath a willow tree, there would be an abandoned building, broken down with no roof or boarded shut. These places used to be someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workplace, home, or refuge. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crazy to think that something that used to hold so much meaning and be so full of love is suddenly empty. The following photos depict all the ins and outs of these places, showing the remains left behind.

guide - college

fancy university

CONFUSED? SO WAS I. HOW I MADE SENSE OF THE NONSENSICAL COLLEGE APPPLICATION PROCESS story and design by eva phillips

t was a Saturday night during winter break. All my friends were going out to a concert, but I was at home, looking sadly at their Instagram pictures and painstakingly cranking out my fifth essay of the night. I had spent the last few weeks glued to my laptop. Wired on coffee, I felt frustrated, confused, and stressed out. I was working on the application for the school my sister attends, one of the top schools in country. It was also the most challenging application I had

encountered so far, requiring 12 supplemental essays. My parents insisted there was no pressure for me to apply, that I could go to school wherever I wanted. Yet I still felt the unspoken obligation to follow in my sister’s footsteps. It was what I thought my peers expected of me and my parents secretly wanted of me, and therefore, what I aimed to do. Halfway through the application, I broke down. The build up of stress, lack of sleep, and immense pressure to succeed collapsed on my 62

shoulders. Part of me was afraid of rejection, of putting myself out there to be judged and evaluated, but another part of me realized that I wasn’t doing what was right for me. I didn’t need to go to a top school in order to be successful. In fact, I felt that the competitive atmosphere and pressure at this school would hinder my success. My high school career has been dictated by homework and test scores, all meant to prepare me to get into a great school. I realized that I didn’t want to spend another

four years of my life under this type of stress. Coming to terms with this, I finished the application. I did my best, understanding that my best was good enough. I wasn’t going to let the pressure control my life anymore. If I receive a letter of rejection this March, I’m going to have to be okay with that. I continued to apply for a few other schools that I felt were a much better fit for me and now I have some great options to choose from. Searching for the right college can be stressful, but it should also be exciting. You’re almost an adult, ready to conquer the world independent of your parents. College is all about discovering who you are, what you’re interested in, and then pursuing it. Its about growing into yourself. You’ll try new things and meet new (hopefully rad) people. It’s also a vital part of growing up, which is why the decision of where to go should not be taken lightly. Make the choice that’s right for you, and that may be different from what was right for your siblings or parents. You may be a top student, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to apply to the Ivy Leagues. Or lets say you don’t have the most impressive grades. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim high and apply to your dream school. You are not your test scores, and most colleges realize that. Whether you’re a senior narrowing down your choices or a junior about to begin the search process, here are a few important questions to ask yourself when

deciding what is right for you. Hopefully finding these answers will help you make sense of this confusing process.

Should I even go to college? Ever since elementary school, we’ve been told that everything we do is meant to prepare us for one thing: college. Personally, I know college is the right next step in my life. I’m ready to move on and excited to further my education, but not everyone is. That’s totally alright. Don’t go to college to impress you parents or friends. If you’re going to devote four years of your life to something, you have to really want to do it. Maybe you don’t want to go to college. Maybe you want to go later. There are many alternative options, such as: taking a gap year, entering the work force, joining the military, or doing nothing at all. I have several friends who felt mentally burnt out after high school and took a year off to explore the world and develop themselves. One friend joined the peace corps, another spent a year volunteering in Israel, and one spent a year working and saving up money. They each made this decision because they knew going immediately into college would be hard on them. Maybe you know that you hate school and want to focus your attention on entering the work force or getting a job that doesn’t require a degree. Not going to college doesn’t make you a failure. We each have different goals, 63

personalities, and environments that we thrive in. It’s important to decide stay true to yours and do what will be the most beneficial for you.

How do I find the right school? If you do decide to go to college, this is the next, and perhaps the most stressful, step of the process. Do you want a small school or big school? Private or public? West Coast or East Coast? There are so many things to consider, but here are the three criteria I think are the most important. Location: Location played a large role in my decision-making process because I knew that getting out of Omaha was really important to me. My criteria were to be on the West Coast, closer to my sister, and in a city with a good music scene. But maybe you know that family is important to you, and you’d rather stay close to home. Maybe you want to be in a major city or somewhere warm weather. Every city has something different to offer and, unless you’re able to visit these places, the internet is the best resource for discovering what that is. Curriculum: You may love a school’s campus or the city that it’s in, but if it doesn’t have the curriculum you need, that should be a deal breaker. College is expensive–insanely expensive– so paying for an education that won’t help you in the future is a waste. Make sure the schools you

guide - college

you apply to have the majors you’re interested in, and if you don’t know what you want to study, then make sure you’re going somewhere with a lot of options. School Size: One thing I know about myself is that I don’t do well in crowded situations. I’ve never been one to be outgoing at big parties or in front of a lot of people. With this in mind, I decided that a smaller school, or at least a school with a small class size, was really important to me. Smaller classes allow for more discussion, a better sense of community, and make it easier to get to know people. The cons to a small school are that they often offer a smaller variety of majors. Bigger schools have more options, typically more of a greek life presence, and more sports–all of those can make campus really fun and lively. The cons are you’ll probably have huge class sizes and very little oneto-one communication with your professors.

Can I afford it? If you’ve decided you do

want to go to college, you need to think about how you’re going to go. I hate to admit it, but college is expensive. Like ridiculously, mind-blowingly expensive. Unfortunately, not all of us have hundreds of thousands of dollars just sitting in the bank. Colleges realize this. They aren’t scary, insensitive monsters trying to steal all of your money. There are real human beings behind the scenes whose job it is to help you out. You just need to make take advantage of it. It’s not uncommon for schools to give out merit-based and needbased scholarships, so make sure you research what each school has to offer. This is an important thing for underclassmen reading this to think about. The better you do in high school, the easier it will be to receive scholarships. If you’re in a tight spot, apply for as many as you can! It may be a pain to write out a bunch of essays, but it will be so worth it when you graduate debt-free. Your family’s financial situation is an important thing to consider. Private universities have an extremely high price tag, but paying for them isn’t

impossible! They are often more generous with financial need, but they hardly ever give merit-based scholarships. Some even claim to meet 100% of you family’s financial need. If you know your family can’t afford it, then state schools or community college are much better options. You could even get your general requirements out of the way at a community college and then transfer to a different school, saving your family a lot of money. In the end of the day, a degree is a degree, no matter where it’s from. So, live at home, eat ramen noodles every night, and collect all your coupons. That’s what every other college student does. Thinking about the future is stressful in nature and the college application process won’t make it any easier, but hopefully these tips will. Just remember, the feeling once you press submit on your last application or when you walk across the stage to receive your diploma will make all the stress worth it. You’ll be done, and ready to face the world. t

CHILL YOURSELF MUSIC FOR WHEN THE STRESS BECOMES TOO STRESSFUL

1. phantom Limb - The Shins 2. Killin The vibe - ducktails 3. donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t panic - coldplay 4. weird honey - elvis depressedly 5. cannons - youth lagoon 6. meet the frownies - twin sister 7. international waters - jeans wilder 8. candy girl - trailer trash tracys

ART.

LEADERS.

AT HOME.

MUSIC.

AUTO.

NEIGHBORHOODS.

BEAUTY.

NEW HOME BUSINESSES.

BEER, COCKTAILS & WINE.

NEWS.

BEFORE & AFTER.

NIGHTLIFE.

BEST OF B2B™.

NONPROFITS.

BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® .

NUTRITION.

BEST OF OMAHA™.

OMAHA’S BEST DOCTORS® .

BUSINESS PROFILES.

OPINION.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS.

PARENTING.

CHEFS.

PEOPLE.

COFFEE & TEA.

PEOPLE ON THE RISE.

DIY PROJECT.

PETS.

DOWNTOWN.

PLACES.

EDUCATION.

PREMIER WEALTH ADVISORS

ENTREPRENEURS.

Q&A SPOTLIGHT.

ETHICS.

RECREATION.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES.

RESTAURANTS.

FASHION.

RETIREMENT.

FINANCE & REAL ESTATE.

REVIEWS.

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GALAS.

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GALLERIES & MUSEUMS.

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HOME HAPPENINGS.

TEEN VOICES.

HOME IMPROVEMENT.

TOP DENTISTS.™

HOT PRODUCTS.

THEATRE.

IN THE OFFICE.

YOUNG HERO.

BUSINESS. ENTERTAINMENT. FAMILY. FOOD & DRINK. HEALTH. HOME. LIFESTYLE. STYLE.

the new

FEAR FACTOR OMAHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STRANGEST SPECIALITIES story and photos by lilli marvin, design by lia hagen

Taco Bell. Pizza Hut. Runza. In all of our hectic and crazy lives, we often default to the same old restaurants. We play it safe. As you explore yourself and Omaha, expand your food palette with these bizarre foods. Consider this your guide to eclectic, tasty foods found all over Omaha. Bon Appetit!

FOOD - FREAKY

JAZZ KITCHEN CRAZE’S PICKS: frog legs or ALLIGATOR BITES ADDRESS: 1421 Farnam St,, Omaha, NE 68102 HOURS: 11 A.M. TO 12 A.M., When you go out for a bite to eat, the majority of people will simply go for the food. Jazz Kitchen goes against the status quo and attracts people with both its the food and its musical environment. Live bands play, and jazz decor fills the restaurant. Jazz has casual Cajun food with items such as alligator bites and frog legs on the menu. Before you get hung up on the animal you’re eating, be sure to give it a try. They may be animals you aren’t used to munching on, but they really do taste like your everyday foods. With both the alligator bites and the frog legs, this is a situation where it honestly does “taste like chicken.” Between the musical decor, friendly people, and tasty food, Jazz Kitchen is definitely worth a try.

M’S PUB CRAZE’S PICKS: ESCARGOT ADDRESS: 422 S 11 St., Omaha, NE 68102 HOURS: 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. Next stop is M’s Pub, located in the Old Market. M’s Pub is an upscale twist on your classic pub. Welcoming faces are there to greet you as you walk in. In addition to your usual pub food, they have escargot, more commonly known as snails. My first guess is that not a lot of you have had snails. You may expect a green mess, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Beneath the bubbling layer of cheese sits six snails. I’ll admit, the snails look exactly like you would expect: rubbery and slimy. They’re definitely classified as weird. Still, if you are brave, dive in, and take the bite, you’ll find it is so worth it. Smothered in light, savory cheeses on top of M’s made-from-scratch rolls, they are some of the most divine snails in Omaha. Once you get past the rubbery texture, they have a delicious smoky taste. Whether it is for the scrumptious snails or the classy pub experience, swing by M’s Pub for a great treat.

FOOD - FREAKY

TAQUERIA EL REY CRAZE’S PICKS: TACOS DE MEJILLA ADDRESS: 5201 S 24 ST., omaha ne 68107 HOURS: 10 A.M. - 2 A.M. When most high schoolers think of Mexican food, they think of Taco Bell and its Americanized tacos, burritos, and enchiritos. Sure, this can be considered “Mexican” food, but it isn’t authentic. Taqueria el Rey, located in South Omaha, is a convenient “taqueria,” or Mexican restaurant specializing in tacos and some seriously unique dishes. In fact, it’s the epitome of an authentic Mexican restaurant. From the vendors selling their various DVD’s and Mexican candies to the posters advertising “Nacho Libre” style wrestling tournaments, the environment is that of an authentic Mexican experience. One of the dishes that represents Taqueria el Rey is Tacos de Mejilla, or cheek tacos. Mejilla, or cheek, generally comes from a cow, and it’s used commonly in many Spanish dishes. Before you turn up your nose, give the dish a chance. Even though cow cheek may not be your first choice, it’s a dish full of delicious flavors. When I first ordered the dish off the menu, I’ll admit I was hesitant. Cow cheek? Ehhh, how about not. However, as soon as the dish arrived, I knew I had made a good choice. I would never guess that this dish was a cheek. Beautifully presented and seasoned with fresh lettuce, vegetables, and house seasoning, these tacos are far better than anything you can find at Taco Bell.

BLUE SUSHI CRAZE’S PICKS: hamachi pop rocks and taki yaki tori ADDRESS: 416 s 12 st., omaha ne 68102 HOURS: 11 A.M. - 12 A.M. With constant flows of people, great music, and a great environment, Blue Sushi in downtown Omaha has been a hot spot for quality sushi since it opened. Blue is known throughout Omaha for their classic sushi, rolls, and sake, but there are a few overlooked items on the menu. As I sampled various items, I came across Hamachi Pop Rocks. At first I thought this couldn’t be the Pop Rocks that I had grown up with as a kid, but it turned out to be true. Pop Rocks in a dish? It certainly couldn’t work. Hamachi Pop Rocks is a sashimi-style dish. Sashimi consists of raw fish, often in a glaze with other various toppings.The fish is glazed in a sweet sauce, and then sprinkled with Pop Rocks. The Pop Rocks pop and zing with every bite you take. Another dish unique to Blue is Taki Yaki Tori, or miniature octopi skewered along with some crispy, toasted bread. For the best-tasting experience, try the two together. The bread and the smoky, rich octopus compliment each other nicely. Fantastic food, savory dishes, and a friendly environment are all a guarantee when you visit Blue.

feature-Parkour

E P R A O R C K D O R UR A H HOW TO BE HARDCORE Story by Maddie Look, Design by Casey Arritt, Photos by Abegale Headlee

y feet pounded against the ground as I looked up and locked onto my target. “I’m going to conquer this tree,” I thought to myself. My feet pushed off of the trunk as my hands flew blindly in the air in search of the lowest branch. I suddenly felt Casey, my partner in crime, push my legs up until I was successfully tethered to the shortest branch. Victory was mine. Parkour is making your way from point A to point B by doing sick moves that will blow minds. Junior Jonathan Rothe is an expert at making this look easy. We wanted to learn the art of the sport, and so we had Rothe give us a how-to, Parkour Edition. Rothe has a reputation for being the adventurous type that has followed him since childhood. He remembers jumping off of the playground equipment in elementary school. “I used to jump off of really tall stuff,” Rothe said, “ I don’t know why I started, but it was exhilarating.” Rothe met with us on a Saturday afternoon to teach us some of his parkour moves. We started with jumping

over a fence. Rothe went over with ease, leaving us dangling by our belt loops. We finally made our way over the fence and caught up to Rothe. There we found him halfway up a tree, daring us to follow. After a series of epic fails and awkward positions on the side of a tree, we had to settle for the first branch. Next on the agenda was scaling a pole, the hardest move on his list of challenges. We started by taking our shoes off to get a better grip. “Apply opposing forces to climb the pole to make it easier to climb up,” Rothe said. We did as Rothe instructed, and we made it pretty far up the pole. We struggled to find the strength to make it to all the way to the top. Unfortunately, we are not yet at an expert level and will be needing a few more lessons. Along with the basics, he also taught us an important lesson. “We are lucky to have these crazy bodies,” he said, “so use them.”

click here to see us parkour,

How To: parkour

what you need: Dirty Shoes

First aid kit

Old clothes

A spotter,((preferably attractive))

how to scale a pole Wrap hands around a pole Walk hands up while applying opposite forces with hands and feet Keep on walking until you reach the top Yell “I’m the King of the world!”

How To: Jump a fence Get a running start Grip the top of the fence Place feet inside of the fence’s holes Pull body up and place one foot on the top of the fence Climb over and try not to face plant

How To: climb a tree use primal instinct

feature-websites

BEST OF THE INTERNET OUR FAVORITE WEBSITES story by tom huerter and design by allie laing

Twitter, Instagram, Vine, and repeat. Does that sound like you? Then get out of your cyber rut and find out everything else the world wide web has to offer! Enjoy this list of some of Craze’s favorite websites. From entertainment to productivity, there’s sure to be something for you.

WHERECOOLTHINGSHAPPEN.COM

BROTIPS.COM

You may not be cool, but you can pretend to be by checking out these actually cool things. Find photo galleries of the coolest architecture, art, technology, and more.

This site is for the average bro who needs some advice, be it serious or comical. Check out daily bits of advice or search for something in particular.

VINEVSINSTGRAM.COM

FAMILIAR.COM

Can’t choose between Vine and Instagram? Well, use both and keep yourself entertained for hours! On this site, you will be presented with one Vine video and one Instagram video, and then you must vote for whichever one you think is best.

The perfect way to integrate photos of your loved ones into your daily life is familiar.com. Familiar turns the screen saver on all of your electronic devices into a slideshow of photos posted by your friends and family.

QELLO.COM

GEOGUESSR.COM

Obsess over your favorite artists with live performances and documentaries at Qello.com. Qello is the Netflix of music, with artists ranging from classic rock and roll to dubstep.

Channel your inner geographer to cure your midday boredom. Google’s street view will put you somewhere on earth, and then you must use clues to guess where you are.

EXPLORATION THROUGH MUSIC handpicked songs for any occassion story and design by allie laing

usic is a world within itself. It’s a personal language that we all understand. It’s the only thing that has the ability to get our minds off of all the madness life holds. For some reason, a mash up of notes and lyrics allow us to run away from the problems our lives contain, even if it’s just for a short time. For the three and a half minutes a song plays, the only thing that matters is how those lyrics connect to our thoughts. It’s as if when words fail, music can speak for us. It’s always there to understand how we feel and to make our thoughts crystal clear. Listening to a certain song can bring a rush of emotions through our bodies. After all, we all have that one song that ties us to a person we wish to forget or a time we strive to leave behind, but that’s the beauty of music. Whether a song makes you long for the warm sun in summer or a good long run, music manages to form emotional ties in a way that nothing or

no one else can. We all have that one song that makes us feel as if the lyrics were written just for us. It is the song you always blast in your car with the windows down or the song that helped you heal a broken heart. Music can open doors we never thought existed and close doors we wish to leave behind. Regardless of who you are, one of the best ways to get to know someone is through their music taste. The songs below are ones that hold a special meaning to both Eva and I. They range from our favorite song to sing in the shower to our study jams when cramming for tomorrow’s test. With these songs, we encourage you to broaden your musical horizons. Listen to them with the hope that they could becomes significant to you as well. Who knows, exploring your taste in music can help you to learn more about yourself than you thought was possible. t

music - meanings

Road trip Allie

eva

For people with my music taste, any song by Aer is bound to be amazing, but Floats My Boat is the perfect one for cruising around in my car. When the weather is warm and my windows are down, this song is definitely playing. No matter what season it is, Floats My Boat automatically brings memories of summer to mind with its mellow and reggae infused feel. Every Friday afternoon after school, I get into my car and immediately play Cooking Up Something Good by Mac Demarco on full blast. It’s my go to “feel good” song for reasons that will become immediately obvious when you listen to it. The catchy guitar riffs and suave vocals remind me of summer nights, driving around with the windows down.

heart break Allie

eva

There’s something about the sincere tone of Lewis Watson’s voice mixed with the strum of his guitar in Sink Or Swim that gives me a sense of relief every time I play it. Hours of playing this song on repeat have allowed me get past some of the hardest experiences I’ve had to face, including heartbreak. If you’re a sucker for good acoustic music, this song is a must. I’ve spent countless nights in my car, driving around late at night, listening to Werewolf by Fiona Apple on repeat. Fiona Apple is known for the intense emotion she pours into her lyrics, and this song expressed my feelings through more poetic words than I thought possible. She says “nothing’s wrong when a song ends in a minor key,” and that’s the conclusion I came to about my break up.

singing in the shower Allie

eva

I’m a strong believer that there is no such thing as a bad time for a little Justin Timberlake. Pusher Love Girl is one of those songs that makes you want to sing and dance, and there’s no better place to do this than in the shower. Maybe it’s the incredible collaboration of the band or just JT’s heavenly voice in general. Regardless, I can always count on this song to make bathing a little more enjoyable. I can’t sing. I don’t sing. But when Oslo in the Summertime by Of Montreal comes on, I can’t help but blurt out the ‘ba ba ba ba’s and dance around. Because of this weakness, I usually reserve it for when I’m in the shower and can sing and dance behind closed curtains. 76

when focusing Allie

eva

The only way for me to survive the chaos of high school is through music. It’s impossible for me to stay focused unless I have a good band playing, and Dave Matthew’s Band is as good as it gets. Where Are You Going is a song that is as close to perfection as you will find. The collaboration of guitar, piano, and drums with Dave Matthews allows me to sit down and block out all other thoughts. For me, studying is methodical and requires intense concentration… because there are usually a billion other things I’d rather be doing. In order to focus, I need to get into the zone and drown out the world around me. The simplicity and entrancing sounds of Smells Like Content by The Books help me do this.

motivational Allie

eva

Everyone has those days when they rely on music to put them in a better mood, and for me, John Mayer is the perfect artist to play. His song Wildfire has such a unique variety of instruments and the lyrics fit every situation perfectly. If you ever desperately need to cheer up or need some motivation, I can guarantee you that Wildfire will help you accomplish that. What’s more motivational than Beyonce telling you’re flawless? She’s powerful, independent, and empowering to young women. When I wake up in the morning, I just listen to Flawless by Beyonce and remind myself that “I woke up like this.”

down in the dumps Allie

eva

The first time I heard Dead In The Water, I immediately formed a connection with it. The music playing behind Ellie Goulding’s voice is so simple, but to me it is perfection. There are few songs that I can listen to where the lyrics directly speak to my emotions, but Dead In The Water is definitely one of them. Sometimes my teen angst builds up to the point that I just need to head bang and mosh by myself in my room, and I’m not embarrassed to admit that. When I’m stressed out by school or pissed off by my parents, I put my headphones in, play Gumbo by Nu Sensae, and let out all the anger. 77

entertainment- day z

THE ZOMBIE GAMES THE SURVIVAL GAME DAY Z AND THE STUDENTS WHO FIGHT IT story by Jenna hynek, design by Abegale headlee and allie laing

In a world where zombies roam freely, a teenage girl with hardly any video game experience and spontaneous personality fights for her life. She stepped into the game like a lost puppy but also has a determination to win. An expert on the basketball court but she can’t

find her way around a maze. Enters the world of “DayZ”, a virtual game where the best gamers come to test their survival skills in an apocalypse. It’s not recommended for amateur players but this “Bambi” (a young player as the true gamers call it) tries to see how far she will survive.

Q&A WITH AARON CASEY:

AARONTHECALLIPYGOUS question 1 What were your thoughts when you were first put into the Day Z world? When I first got the game and got into it, It was kind of overwhelming/nerve racking. You hear about the premise of the game and it leaves a lot to expectations. But while you are excited you also have this crazy feeling put on you that you could lose everything in the blink of an eye. In my case, once I reached the first set of buildings I could search,

It took me a half hour to go through them because I was being so cautious. As far as the sounds go, they do a good job of making an atmosphere in which you feel like you are going to be safe, ie. Birds chirping, ocean sounds. But then you hear little pops in the distance of people’s weapons, and the nice surroundings turn bad.

Question 2 What was the most intense moment you’ve had on Day Z? I was in the area of Chernogorsk, the biggest city in the game and in my opinion the most dangerous place to be besides the military base, and I saw these two guys. They were hassling a “Bambi” (What new players are referred to that generally have no clue what they are doing.) They handcuffed him and gave him rotten food to eat, so he got sick. He eventually died from being sick and the two dudes moved on. I would have been entirely horrified, but they all

seemed to be laughing and having a good time. Even the guy who was held captive thought the situation he was in was pretty funny. I would have intervened, but I didn’t have the gear to defend myself against the perpetrators. All in all I believe that it’s scenarios like this that make the game for me. It almost seems to be so far off from the original goal of the game. But that’s what’s great about the openness of dayz.

question 3 How has your game improved as you played? From a technical aspect Bohemia Interactive, the game developer, has done a lot to ensure a quality experience for the players. With each new patch comes awesome new survival gear, or patches to annoying glitches. I once was flung off a ladder to my death due to an in game bug. Nothing is more frustrating that when the game is the one taking

you out in an unfair way. As far as personal play style goes, I definitely am a lot more careful when I play. I don’t usually use the roads to navigate, I’m memorizing the names of the towns in Russian (Had to cheat a little for that one.), and I generally try to avoid people rather than interact with them. Can’t be too careful.

ENTERTAINMENT - DAY Z

JENNA’S JOURNAL

CRAZE MEMBER DOCUMENTS HER DAY-Z EXPERIENCE

HOUR ONE Hello, my name is Jenna Hynek, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was dropped off into some unknown location with no water and no shelter. Already hungry, I wondered how I’m supposed to live here. My heart to raced as I was faced with my first obstacle: walking. Why couldn’t I move forward? After several minutes of spinning

vigorously in circles, I finally found out that W means forward and S is backward. Accomplishment came over me, I strutted along the dirt path feeling like I owned it, then I felt more uneasy. I to moved along in the eerie world, birds were chirping and water was rippling and I wondered how long it was going to remain peaceful.

HOUR TWO For some reason I had this feeling someone is watching me. I began to jump at my own shadow. At this rate, I felt like a weak link, as I knew other people were probably watching me as I ran into trees and buildings yelling, “Wait, W? I thought it was X to go forward? Where am I even going?” I managed to get

composed then I saw it, in the distance, a hunched over zombie. I had heard they lurked around the game, but I hadn’t seen one yet. It looked harmless enough, a slow moving creature across the pasture. Naturally I decided to start a fight with it.

HOUR THREE I bolted towards this zombie, hands on the spacebar and virtual fists ready to take it down. I went in, gaining ground, and realized just as I approached how bad the decision was. The zombie was lot more menacing up close, but there was no going back. I took my first punch, I felt pretty good until I realized I completely missed. I came at it again, and this time

I made contact. With adrenaline flowing, I tried to take it out for good. Which made me turn around to an unexpected sight, the zombie was coming directly at me. My head was telling me to run, my virtual and physical body froze even though my physical self was in no danger at all. Who knew zombies could run?

HOUR FOUR I sprinted away, the zombie right on my tail. I was definitely not expecting reaction from the harmless thing I saw in the distance. I kept running, my hunger continued to nag me. All I could think about was how much I wanted a Big Mac, and being murdered by a psychotic creature didn’t even Wphase me. There was literally nothing in sight but open fields, the monster

gaining on me, I was running out of options quickly. Finally, I stumbled on a shed. The zombie, cut off from the waist down, was crawling towards me. It puzzled me for sure, I could feel the confusion on my face as I looked awkwardly around with my mouse to see the zombie tearing flesh out of my leg. Well, shoot..

HOUR FIVE I started to run again, my hunger was unbearable, my thirst was starting to kick in, and now felt the warm blood running down my leg. My health was dwindling, and I needed to recover fast before another zombie came along. I was trying my best to sprint through fields seeking some sort of shelter. I wandered

for minutes upon minutes, no other beings in sight. It began to sink in that no one was there to help me. I continued to sprint, my vision progressively getting more fogged before I finally dropped to the ground unconscious.

HOUR SIX I sat there looking at my black screen. “You’re unconscious”, a message read on the screen. I felt sadness over come me. The person who is a perfectionist finally found something she wasn’t immediately perfect at. I wanted to continue my journey in this virtual world, fight zombies, and perhaps most importantly, survive. I knew the game was going to be a challenge but I didn’t realize how

difficult it was actually going to be for me. My physical self was feeling stressed and on the verge of a mental breakdown, my virtual self was lying in a dangerous world waiting for me to try again. I clicked restart, the same determination was with me and I was going to win. Considering I already learned the most valuable rule: don’t mess with zombies.

THINGS I WANTED DURING THE GAME

THINGS I WANTED OUTSIDE THE GAME

-Water -boxing gloves -nike free runing shoes -Energy bar: perferably a clif bar -A bandaid

-A stress ball -real friends( -non virtual FOOd -A pony-tail holder -My glasses

ASK A TEACHER - SHEPHERD

ASK A TEACHER:

SHEPHERD STORY BY TOM HUERTEr, photo by estella fox, DESIGN BY Kirsten mccormack

Cross training students wait outside the activity gym until the energetic P.E instructor Sally Shepherd enters the room. “Come on over and find your spots,” Shepherd shouts. Her class has just begun. Her energetic personality

continues throughout the class. “If it’s not hurting, it’s not working!” Shepherd may be an expert on how to work on your abs, but she knows quite a lot about life, too. Students from all over the school submitted questions for Shepherd to answer for this issue’s “Ask a Teacher.”

Junior Maura Ramsey: “What is your biggest tip for surviving high school?”

Anonymous junior: “What is the best way to break up with someone?”

Shepherd: “The biggest tip is to put

Shepherd: “This is the hardest

everything in moderation. If you are doing things that are stressing you out, you shouldn’t be doing [them]. If you are taking seven AP classes and you’re [crying and] stressed […] it’s not good for you. Don’t be afraid to drop back. Make sure you make time to have fun in high school because this is the last time you have to have everything be easy and fun. It should be that way. Sophomore Krissy Hosman: “What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?”

Shepherd: “My dad taught me to let it go. Those are three simple words: “let it go,” but when you don’t hang on to the stuff that doesn’t matter, then life is going to be so much better. People hang on to things, and they get angry [and upset] about them […] If you just learn to let [go of things] that don’t matter, your life is going to be so much better. I live by that.” Anonymous senior: “What is the best personality trait you think someone can possess?”

Shepherd: “A sense of humor. If

you can find things to laugh about, including […] yourself, life is going to be so much easier. If you don’t have anything to laugh about and you can’t see the humor in situations, everything is always going to be sad. No matter how stressed you are, if you can find something to laugh about, it is going to be much better.”

way to do it, but [you should still] be honest. Don’t say things to hurt their feelings. Try to say it in a nice way. Don’t keep going back to them. That’s the hard part. When you go back to people, that’s bad, and when you lie about it, that’s even worse. Everybody can deal with the truth, but they hate being lied to.” Anonymous junior: “What is your advice on getting a boyfriend?”

Shepherd: “Be yourself, and be

open to talking to new people. If you just go off looks, […] you’re gonna miss out on a lot of great people. If you want to get a boyfriend, get out there, talk to people, get to know people, and just be who you are.” Anonymous freshman: “How can I feel more comfortable in my own skin?”

Shepherd: “First of all, accept

who you are. Everybody has their great parts, and everybody has their faults. You have to accept all of those things together. If you don’t accept your faults, then you’re never going to feel comfortable in your own skin. Hang out with people who can recognize your good parts and don’t always knock down the bad parts. Everybody has bad parts, but be with those people who celebrate your good parts. Don’t be around people who aren’t good for you and aren’t going to support who you are.”

Junior Samantha Allen: “What are your tips for walking in heels?”

Shepherd: “That’s easy. Take small

strides, and practice walking up on the balls of your feet, [almost] on your tip toes. If you practice walking that way, then it is going to be much easier. Everybody tries to walk normally when they are in heels, and you can’t do it.” Anonymous freshman: “What do you think is the best way to deal with bullies?”

Shepherd: “Don’t do it alone, and

don’t think it is going to get better if you ignore it because it won’t. You need to tell your friends, but most importantly you need to tell an adult. It’s ok to confront the bully. I know that is probably not what they will tell you to do, but I say confront the bully and tell them to leave you alone. Fight fire with fire if you have to. Don’t ignore it, and don’t be quiet about it. You have to speak up about bullies.” Anonymous sophomore: “What is your best tip for achieving your workout goals?”

Shepherd: “Just keep working at it,

even when it’s frustrating and […] tiring and you don’t feel like it. Find a partner, and just keep […] doing it. Set small goals of five or ten pounds. [Decide] to work out four days a week, and then maybe five days a week. Set small attainable goals and get a work out partner.”

snapshots-travel contest

#CRAZEMAG

WESTSIDE’S BEST TRAVEL PHOTOS

contest by audrey mccann, design by allie laing

CONTEST WINNER morgan dinkel

ben volberding minnesota

“We went to Minnesota on a family vacation, and my mom and I went down to the dock to talk and watch the sunset. Sunsets on water are always beautiful, but the mix of purple into the orange just made it so amazing that we wanted to capture it. Except sunsets all start to look the same after a while, so she told me to hop in the boat floating next to the dock (which was much more difficult than you might think) and she would take my photo in it. It goes without saying that the photos with flash turned out awful, but this one is perfect, at least to me. It's a reminder of how my mom always wants to make memories and spend time with me. It's the distinct outline of my favorite red cowboy boots. It's perfect to me because even though I'm in there, the photo is about the beauty you can find in the world that just is, without anyone messing with it. The world doesn't need a filter if you look at it with the right eyes.”

Nika Longe London

Morgan Dinkel Minnesota

kristin Udhus berlin

Patrick sawyer zuma beach

Events-Calendar

MARCH

APRIL

Story and design by Jaylee Johnson

Sunday omaha is no Paris or mexico, but don’t let it get you down. get out of your comfort zone and explore your city.

Tuesday

Monday

16.

17.

23.

18.

St. Patrick’s day

Jim Gaffigan @ Holland Performing Arts Center 7 p.m.,-10 p.m.

24..

25.

31.

Poseidon and the Sea At Joslyn Art Museum 1 p.m.

30.

April Fool’s Day St. Vincent @ Sokol auditorium 7 p.m.

Why? @ The waiting room 9 p.m.

8. Typhoon @ The Waiting Room 9 p.m.

Wednesday 19.

Thursday

Friday

20.

21.

22.

Sister Act @ Orpheum Theater 8 p.m.

Murder Mystery Dinner Show @ the Doubletree Hotel by Hilton 6 p.m.

27.

29.

National Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

Lady Antebellum @ Century Link Center 7 p.m.

Neutral milk hotel @ Sokol auditorium 9 p.m.

The Entrance Band and La Luz @ The Slowdown 9 p.m.

26.

Clay Vessels Class @ Joslyn Art Museum 10 a.m.

Warpaint @ the slowdown 9 p.m.

Saturday

10.

11.

National Siblings Day

12. An Evening on the Titanic @ The Apollon 7:30 p.m.

CRAZE PICKS

CRAZE FAVORITES Lupita Nyong’o’s acceptance speech at the Academy Awards

Westside’s own Clark & Co was a favorite this month

The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson.

Ellen Degeneres’s selfie along with many other movie stars ar the Academy Awards.

Justin Bieber’s Deposition

Lion’s Mane

Shuck’s Oysters

McFoster’s Natural Cafe

Poseidon exhibit at the Joslyn Art Museum

Across

down

2-these instincts are necessary for scaling a tree

1-vote between vines and instagrams on this website

5-spanish for cheek

3-the â&#x20AC;&#x153;netflix of musicâ&#x20AC;?

6-this is the new street style

4-meeting these are a perk of breakups

8-this candy is found in a raw sushi dish

7-scaling this is the hardest of challenges for Junior jonathan rothe

10-upstairs in this studio, the white walls are littered with paintings by the 70 artists who work in the 56 studios 11-the day jenna decided to fight a zombie 12-game developer of day-z

9-alligator bites and frog legs taste like this