Roughrider Roundup October 2021

ROUGHRIDER roundup October 2021

The Rider Roundup

Class Advisor

The Roosevelt Roundup is publishied by the newspaper staff of Theodore Roosevelt High School and exists to serve as an open forum for students, staff, adminastration and community.

Nicole Crawford

All state and federal laws regarding the publication of stuent material shall apply, and the rider roundup will not publish materials which also fall under the guidelines as established by the Des Moines Public School System, and are deemed libelous, obscene or material and substantial disruption to normal classroom activaties.

The veiws expressed are not those of the Des Moines Public school faculty, staff or adminastration.

All articles are researched, writen, edited and designed by the staff, and are the result of editorial decisions made by the entire staff.

Any student, faculty, staff or community member can contribute materials within the deadline restrictions, however, final publication is at restrictions; however, fianl publication is at the discretion of the staff and must be 255 words or lesser length and signed; letter may be edited for length, grammar, spelling etc. Every attempt will be made to verify the authenticity of the auther, and no anonymous letters will be published.

Advertising will be accepted for all products or services that are legal for minors tp possess or unitize. Establishments wishing to reserve space should email advisor Nicole Crawford _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Follow us on social media at...

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nicolecrawford@dmschools.org

Editor-in-chief Willem Lindstrom

Assistant Editors Colin Murphy Jack Harrington Abigail Henry

Staff

Benjamin Cayetano Christian Guerro Levi Hankenson Zarai Hernandez-Hernandez Maia Kissell Andrew Knapp Bianca Lennon Amalle Mantay Isabella Martinez-Conrad Ziggy Page Mays Perlowski Kimberlin Rosas Josie Schauls Julia Stewart Neicy Walker

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Worst CANDIES

By Zarai Hernandez and Staff

Beggars’ Night, a evening full of hard decisions to make. Not knowing whether if to get a Snickers or Skittles.

Seeing a bowl full of different types of candies can be overwhelming to figure out what candies to get. If the bowl is left out on the porch, then kids take the bowl and stuff their bags leaving out the candy they don’t like.

What are the worst candies to get? The list below is based on the opinion of students going from best Halloween candies to worst.

1 Snickers

4 M & Ms

7

Twix

2 Kit Kat

5 Reeses Cups

8

Candy Corn

3 Skittles

6

Sour Patch Kids

B

9 Dots

Fun Facts ~ The most hated (but loved) candy corn, was originally called chicken feed ~ In 2019 3.3 million pounds of Skittles were bought for Halloween

~ Japan has more than 350 different flavors of Kit Kats.

~ Over 44,440 Tootsie Rolls are made per minute.

~ The two M’s in M&M’s stand for Mars and ~ Every eight hours 2.2 Murrie which are the last names of the two billion M&M’s are made. guys that invented them

The

Hall Of Costumes

By Jack Harrington and staff

Costumes, was the theme of Roosevelts final football game this year. Juniors Ava Drummond, Anna Jackson and Ke’Ayla Madison all dressed up as Stitch from the movie “Lilo and STitch”.

Halloween Party! An annonymous partier along with Juniors Lily Raker, Maya Lint, Ren Meninga and Liv Lichti all Roosevelt students at the time were having a fun time in someones basement.

Going for a little scarier costumes, Juniors Lucia Randazo and Megan Helsov hanging out on Halloween taking picture outside int heir costumes.

All kinds of different costumes here. Packers football player Grace Smith, Wiches Nora Laporte and Genevieve Kempf, Harper Delury as something, Amelia Wirt as a devil and Peyton Schlueter as maybe an alien. Fun times.

The self proclaimed best costume of the year, Juniors Lily Anderson dressed as Carter Grear and Carter Grear dressed as Lilly Anderson. What a consept.

THRS! Roosevelts Superfams dressed up even more for the final game, one seems to be a fireman and one is Batman. All kinds of fun.

Somebody has to be watching out for everyone else at the game. Juniors Annie Phillips, Sydney Baratta, Katy Grimes and Maia Clark all dressed as lifegaurds.

Boys and Girls Cross Country

By Kimberlin Rosas and Staff

Go the distance. Personal

best. School records. Roosevelt Cross Country is leading the way this year. Cross Country is so much more then sweating, runners compete in many different distance runs with many different people.

Running all those miles and to still have the energy to run more shows endurance. Cross country has been around for many years and still hasn’t been recognized for how amazing of a sport it is.

Cross country season starts in August and ends in October with the State Meet. The meets are once a week and practices usually last two hours long.

Many student athletes prepare for a race differently.

When asked about how to prepare for a race, sophomore, Elena Gentry gave her routine

on what she does before a race.

“I drink a lot of Pedialyte, and I try to do yoga the day of and stretch.” Gentry said.

The student athletes have been doing an excellent job, they have ran long miles, worked hard, and practiced many hours. The team has been so helpful around the community and continue to do an amazing job. They have done several community services and people are so grateful for the help. Jacob Kaemmer, coach for girls’ cross country, was asked about the community services they do.

“We have done two and will do one more before the end of the season. Meals for the Heartland collected

GO BOYS XC! Boys cross country running at Pickard Park. Got 5th place.

used running shoes for recycling and will help at an aid station in the upcoming Des Moines Marathon” Mr. Kaemmer said.

Sara Schwendinger is the coach for the boys cross country team.

“This year’s theme for our boys’ program is “Do Extraordinary Work”.

We have challenged each boy to find ways to be extraordinary in their athletic performances, practices, preparation outside of practice but most importantly as teammates.

Our team is more than just a team, it is a family. The encouragement and support for each other this season has truly been exceptional.

The boys believe that the key to success is for all team members to feel valued and that know they contribute to the success of the team.

We have seen significant

Run! Girls cross country practicing.

Girls XC going to State!

Community service. Boys XC volunteers to pick up trash after their pratice at TRHS. improvements from top to bottom and can truly say this is a result of this team mentality.

In addition, I have received numerous compliments from community members as well as opposing team parents about our boys’ positive behavior out on runs as well as their support and encouragement of each other at meets. At the end of the day, it is character and compassion that matters most above any time or place run and we applaud our boys for being outstanding in their representation of Roosevelt, themselves, and their families out in the community.” said Schwendinger.

Cross country is an amazing sport to join, and many people do not acknowledge this. As Schwendinger said, “Our team is more than just a team, it is a family.”

Run ahead.

Girl’s XC racing to the end.

(Picture to the left)

Cross country will make sure that the new incomers are welcomed with warm embraces “I think Cross Country is a fun sport and I don’t know if it gets recognized enough. It’s a lot of fun and anybody can do it if they’re up to it.” Sophomore, Will Beaumont said.

Roosevelt Cross Country has had an amazing season. The girl’s cross country has won the Urbandale Invite, Bobcat Invite, Heartland Classic Invite, and Indianola Invite.

The boy’s cross country ranked 3rd place at the Valley Invite.

Sohile Sidddiqi (freshmen), John Symeonidis (senior), Owen Marett, (freshmen) have had personal records at Fort Dodge on the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course on October 7th. Cross country has done an incredible job and more people should join.

Win! Boys XC racing against East. Roosevelt starting off the race strong.

Cultural Appropriaton &

H

alloween is right around the corner and the biggest thing people do is dress up as their favorite people, characters, animals, and even food.

There are so many things to dress up as and yet people choose to dress up as an indigenous person, or put on a sombrero and cape, or kimono. These things are a part of people’s culture and can be sacred to them. Cultural coswtumes should not be considered out of respect.

This “western headband” is a perfect example of cultural appropriation, one of the biggest examples is people mocking indigenous culture by wearing things like this. This “Bohemian princes” costume is also cultural appropriation because the French would call Romani people “bohemian” and at the time it was a slur.

By Josie Schauls and Staff

You have the freedom to wear what you want but keep in mind that you can potentially be hurting other people in the process. There are so many choices and characters to be for Halloween. If people want to stop this problem, choose not to buy them, choose not to support the stores that sell them, and even try to make your own costume and go to the thrift store and you can get it for a cheaper price.

“As an indigenous person I feel that appropriating other cultures through “It’s not acceptable no matter costumes is very offensive what day it is. Halloween is not to other people’s cultures. an excuse to make fun of anothNative people have gone er culture.” said Tiara Young.

Below is a Cleopatra through a genocide and costume. Cleopatra for people who aren’t was actually greek native to dress up as native person is and not egyptian. She was also a prinwrong and disrespectful” said Junior cess so these were the outfits she wore.

Cain Samountry.

Cultural appropriation is when someone is stealing somthing from ones culture “An example of cultural appropriation thats sacred to them or their religion/ is people wearing native American culture. costumes and I feel like that’s disgusting.

I don’t think it’s okay for a white person to dress up as a non-white character because they’re not of that culture.” said Junior Olivia Gipson.

“I actually have an example from today, so I was in gym class, and someone was talking about getting box braids that’s like appropriating and even as a joke it’s not funny.” said Gipson.

“It’s not acceptable no matter what day it is. Halloween is not an excuse to make fun of another culture.” said Tiara Young.

Sexualization Of Costumes

O

ctober is fun because people get to dress up as anything they want for Halloween. Even women can dress in what they choose.

Are women’s Halloween costumes only sexualized because of the person looking at them, or are they simply just existing while others are sexualizing them? It is also the media and trends that lead to women’s decisions in costumes for Halloween.

“This year I think I’m going to go as a slasher for Halloween, maybe the scream killer. I think especially in the last few years a lot of costumes I’ve gone as have been sexualized when really I just wanted to be cute”. said junior Lily Vande.

“Honestly, I think when you reach a certain age you should wear whatever you want as long as its not hurting anyone else, I also think people overly sexualize certain costumes because of tropes we see in media and it’s hard to get out of that mindset for a lot of people.” said Vande.

“On one hand I feel like I follow that feminist view of like people are only sexualized if the person looking at them is sexualizing them, but on the other hand I do think it’s become this trend that like girls especially seem to fall into in high school and college it’s just what you do, to dress up as a bunny with like hardly any clothes.” said teacher Leigha Philips.

“I think in my years as a adult and teacher clothing as a whole has gotten more sexualized meaning that like you see more skin and cleavage and it’s a lot more acceptable, which nothing against, so I think naturally costumes have followed suit because of the ways clothing trends and the movement to let women be and dress how they want.” said Philips.

The sexualization of women’s costumes is not their fault and seems to be trends, media, and people who sexualize them.

“I went as Carrie white freshman year and definitely heard comments when I was taking photos, the costume was literally a bloody dress.” said junior Lily Vande.

Above is a google image of an adult costume of a “teacher’s pet” below is another adult costume of little red riding hood found at Spirit Halloween.

Summoning The Dead W

hen the jack-o-lantern started talking to me I tossed my head behind my shoulder, jaw open wide. The jarring, molding vegetable was still, but something inside of me knew that voice to belong to the pumpkin.

“Crap” I whispered to myself I didn’t think the spell would actually work, I was just playing around! I guess I am in too deep now. I went inside and rummaged around the kitchen for the large butchers knife and mutilated the pumpkin. Yes, it was my first successful spell but also my first monster, I couldn’t get too attached. I hopped on my bike and went to Nikki’s house.

“I did it” I said before she even opened the door fully.

Nikki looked confused “What?” She knew exactly what I meant.

“I did it, I made a pumpkin talk.”

“Danielle, what? Why on earth would you do that? Stop messing around it’s not worth it.”

Written By Emily Krone, Desighned By, Mays Perowski “Now that I know I can do it, I am going to talk to dad, I need to know what happened” After I said that, Nikki shut up. She knew I had a gift but was displeased I wanted to use it. She shut the door on me. It’s fine though, I don’t need her, I can do this on my own.

I made my way to the cemetery where dad was buried and got to work. Just as mother taught me, I used the stinking chickens blood I gathered days ago, crushed my homegrown herbs, arranged the salt and crystals and waited and….nothing.

I continued waiting, and nothing.

I must have fallen asleep next to his grave because next thing I knew it was pitch black and five faint figures stood around me.

Five, thats the number of people that died that night.

I did it, I summoned the dead.

V

an Meter, Iowa, seems to be a normal suburban town West of Des Moines, but it conceals a forgotten secret.

It was first spotted in 1903 by implement dealer U.G. Griffith, who claimed he had seen a monster. The so called “Van Meter Visitor” was described by all witnesses to be “a half human, half animal with enormous, smooth bat wings” according to the Des Moines Register.

Strangely, it was also described to have a blinding light that issued from a horn on the top of its head. The town of Van Meter was so horrified by the repeated appearance of the creature that they gathered all their firearms and waited where they believed the creature lived.

“Presently the noise opened up again, as though Satan and a regiment of imps were coming forth for battle,” J.L. Platt Jr., observer of the Visitor, said on Oct. 3, 1903, according to an article in the Des Moines Daily News.

town, with a small close-knit community. Mining was a big part of Iowa’s economy in the 1900’s, according to Paul Sams, History and Government teacher at Roosevelt.

About Van Meter

“In fact, sink holes will open up on the East side of Des Moines every once in a while, due to all the shafts from the past,” said Sams.

Kayla Kernan is a resident of Van Meter. She has lived there for four years and knows the tale of the Visitor. She wanted to share some information about the small town.

So, could the Van Meter Visitor be real? At first, it appears unlikely, but the abandoned mineshafts would provide an ideal place for the Visitor to hide all this time.

“Van meter is a small town with about 1,200 residents,” said Kernan, “We only have one gas station and one restaurant, so there’s not much to choose from.”

What makes the tale even more credible is that these sightings were reported by respected members of the community, who would not have risked their reputation unless they saw such a creature. So it is up to you to decide if the Van Meter Visitor is a tall tale, or a terrifying truth.

“Before I actually moved to Van meter, probably about eight years ago. My fiancée’s uncle was a police officer who got the keys to the gate to go and tour the coal mine where the Van Meter Visitor supposedly lived. It was really cool but creepy.”

The Van Meter Visitor was then seen descending into the mineshaft with a smaller version of itself and was never seen again.

Horror in the skies! The Van Meter Visitor swoops down in Georgia Billingsley’s piece. She is a student in Roosevelt’s Graphic Design Class.

Van Meter was a small mining

Iowa's Local Legend:

The Van Meter Visitor

By Levi Hankenson, staff

OR HAUNTED JUST A

By Abby Henry, Julia Stuart, and Staff

HOUSE

It’s that time of the season... time for a good scare scare!! As the weather gets cooler, the air starts to crisp, and the nights grow longer, the spookier things get.

Every Friday people of all ages line the streets to enter the so called Haunted houses and scare parks. Waiting hours in long lines as your adrenaline starts to rise, finally it’s your turn as you step into the haunted house only to see a silly clown waving their jazz hands at you.

“I really paid $30 for this?”, you start to think as you make your way through the so called haunted house. Leaving in udder disappointment, completely unsatified with the so called “terror” you expirencied.

Trails of Terror

“Worst best experience of my life at this scare park!” said Danielle Brodersen. The scare park is located 8717 w. 122nd Street North Mingo, IA 50168.

“I can’t believe you get all this for just $15.” said Sophmore, Blythe Kettlesen. Trails of Terror opens at 7:30 am for the family feature. Kids anywhere from two to six can come and enjoy the friendly halloween “scare” park, but as the clock hits 8:00pm this scare park no longer becaomes family friendly. As groups of excited teenagers and young adults start to line up just outside the trails to purchase their tickets to exprience the terrifing Trails of Terror.

“I come here every year with my family and I really love it because of the diversity it offers. I allows “Hiya, Georgie! Aren’t you goona say hello?” me to do fun halloween activites with my family as well as get a good scare in with my friends.”

Stopped in your tracks as two clowns approach said Claire Heatherington, student at Iowa University. you ready to show you a scary good time!

This “house” is 100% Haunted Haunted!!

Slaughterhouse

Run run as fast you can... a bloodied worker at the slaughterhouse jump scares people as they find their way through the scary attraction. People start to run in fear through the mazed house as the giant man chases them. “I found it fun, never knowing whats behind every corner. Wondering if it’s your friends behind you or you’re just hoping it’s your friend.” said Sophmore, Ellie Chungath.

“I was absolutly terrified!”. said Kettlesen who went to the scare attraction to see how scary it really was, and had found that she had completly underestimated the haunted house.

“I didn;t even make it into the building I was so terrified in line. This guy slid up behind me with these metal claws and I lost it. I got so scared that I went back to the car.”, says Kettlesen.

Norah Nidey a Sophmore at Roosevelt High School had attended the Slaughterhouse as well and had quite the experience.

“In the moment I was terriefied, but overall I loved it. The line was a bit of a pain, but worth the expirence in my opinion.” says Nidey.

This house is definitely Haunted!

Location: 500 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309 Price: $25-30 depending on age order tickets online at http:// slaughterhousedm.com

Worlds most haunted houses

DementedFX Some of the scariest haunted houses may be based

on real stories or inspired by myth, but none are as obsessed with horror stories as DementedFX. By taking part, you become the hero of your own horror movie in an experience complete with Hollywood-quality sets, props, sound design and interactive video elements.

There are two games to choose from: Bio Med Corp is a story-driven haunted house set in a medical laboratory that just unleashed the apocalypse. It’s your job to break into the lab and rescue the only scientist who can cure humanity.

Or if you’d rather face off against some horrifically realistic-looking zombies, you can go on a sensory adventure into the apocalyptic wasteland in Meat Tank.

Funny, weird, and scary. Clowns at Linn’s Haunted House can be all of the above.

Mckamey Manor What the majority of the population would

Linn’s Haunted House “Not worth your money!”, said junior Lauren Hall. Lauren Hall and her group of friends decided they wanted to go to a haunted house one friday night. “ It was decently priced and not that far away. That’s mainly why we choose this one.” says sophmore Ruby Patterson. “The only thing that scared me was the gorilla.” said Sophmore, Olivia Seeman. This haunted house is great for elementary kids who think they’re to ready for scary Halloweens, but if you’re looking for something haunted this house isn’t it.

If you’re not into scary haunted houses and just something fun to do this ia definitely the place for you! You can find is at 3805 6th Ave Des Moines, IA 50313. Entrance fee will cost you $20 and expect to spend up to 20 minutes making your way through the attraction.

consider a torture chamber rather than a haunted house, McKamey Manor is by far the scariest “haunted house” there is. It began in San Diego, and now has locations in Alabama and Tennessee, and not one person has made it through without asking for it to be over.

The 30-page waiver you need to sign in order to participate gives Russ McKamey and his “team” the ok to shock you, submerge you in water, and even give you unwanted dental work, along with other disturbing things we’ll save you from reading.

Tulsa Hex House This haunted house recreates a disturbing

true story from the 1940s, in which a woman named Carolann Smith manipulated two young women into living in her basement, handing over their all their money, and doing her bidding all under the guise of Smith’s “new religion”.

Tulsa Hex House plunges you into an alternate reality set in Smith’s corrupted house. You’ll make your way through flickering haunted hallways and eerie ghostly rooms, explore gruesome sets and interact with actors who’ll reach out and touch you in a creepy experience that descends into a full-on nightmare.

Sleepy Hollow “It was fun , but it will never be my first pick” said Junior at Waukee High School, Sami Eltjes.

This scare park can be found at 4551 Dean Ave, Des Moines, IA 50317 and tickets can be purchased on site or online at the price of $30.

“I love taking my kids here every year because it’s something we can do as a family. I would get the VIP passes, but they are $45 each for the kids and $48 each for myself and my husband.” says Amy Spellman.

Sleepy Hollow is a great family freindly haunted “house house““ to visit of you and you’re family are looking for some halloween fun!

Lost Souls Alley

Like a terrifying mix between a haunted house and an escape room, Lost Souls Alley dumps you in a house filled with some of your deepest, darkest fears. You’ll have to overcome them (or at least escape them) if you want to make it out.

There are four different experiences to choose from depending on what kind of thrill you’re after, each with varying ratings for pain, fear and fun. The Pink Version is the least intense and most fun, while the Red Version is 100 percent pain, fear, and exactly zero fun.

If you’re brave enough to pick the Red Version, the website warns that

the actors will “attempt to ‘break’ the participant”.

“Oh, yes... They float, Georgie... They float... and when you’re down here with me... YOU FLOAT TOO!” This clown is no Peenywise, thank god. Plus you get a free ballon!

Your Guide to Des Moin

This is your geographic log of all the Halloween and Beggar’s Night Des Moines and the surrounding areas this spooky season. With act

nes’ Halloween Attractions

attractions found throughout Des Moines. Use this map to navigate tivities going on at and around Roosevelt there is plenty of fun for all

By Andrew Knapp and Staff

Scary Storys I

didn’t believe in ghosts until I became one. I was walking down to the grocery store one night, desperately needing some breakfast for tomorrow morning.

Going up the sidewalk I saw another person walking down towards me. I could only see their outline illuminated by the light, as they had ragged black robes covering their entire body with a hood covering their face. It looked like someone was trying to cosplay the grim reaper, as if he had popped out of a work of fiction. The scariest part was that it worked, it looked natural, as if the strands of torn robe hanging off of them had been cut in an actual fight. It felt like the real specter of death was walking towards me.

I stayed silent and pretended not to notice them, as if I was on autopilot and not paying detailed attention to my surroundings. Still, I could hear my heartbeat pound louder and louder as they got closer and closer.

Even when they were only a few feet away, I still couldn’t see their face under their dark hood. My footsteps got shaky, and I felt like I needed to move my hands in some natural way, but I just kept going. Then, when we were right next to each other, they passed right by me. I took in a deep breath and tried to make my sigh of relief come out not so heavily. I kept walking hoping I would never have to think about this encounter again, until I heard a loud bang.

Although I initially thought it was a gunshot, the sound didn’t quite match what I had heard on TV. It sounded far away, like a distant explosion even though

Written By Blake Dykstra, Desighned by Mays Perlowski I could tell it happened right behind me. I expected some sort of pain to come coursing through my body, but I felt nothing, not even the air on my skin.

All I could do was turn around, to see the hooded figure holding a gun pointed straight at me. A gun even darker than his robes, so black it seemed like a silhouette rather than an object. A black smoke was rising not just from the barrel, but the entire weapon, curving around his gloved hand.

I stood still for a moment, wondering what just happened, before hearing a thud. Looking down, I saw, my body hit the pavement, a small hole straight through my chest, and a face frozen mid-transition from relief to shock. I looked down at my hands, they weren’t pale white or gone entirely, but they were transparent. I could see my body straight through them, lying there with blood starting to flow down into the cracks. I looked back at the grim reaper, only to see him standing with his back to me, gun nowhere in sight. He started to walk away, almost as if nothing had happened, before stopping to say,

“I’ll be in touch.”

By Christian Guerrero and staff

Scary Tales Of Roosevelt And Beyond O

ver the years in Roosevelt, ghost sightings have become more and more common. A few staff members who work inside this building have multiple ghost sightings and experiences with ghosts.

One of the few is Mr. Hope who had a scary experience only two summers ago.

“I’ve worked here over 20 years now and I work weekends and nights sometimes when all the lights go off, and its creepy in the building at night, but two summers ago I was here in the evening, I had my sister up here because we had to do a zoom call so we needed to use our computers here, and we were in this meeting and it was dark outside and my sister walked to the end of the hallway and she was texting on her phone because she is a realtor, so she looked up to the front of the building all the way down the

Boo! The Bed Sheet ghost costume was made by directors and illustrators in the 19th century to help illustrate to viewers deceased characters from alive characters.

hallway and she saw a ghost walk straight across the hallway from one side to the other. The figure had no legs, and it was a male. She came back and was like I just saw a ghost and she had goosebumps and she was kind of emotional and freaked out. The next week I’m in the building and I asked Paul our custodian, “you guys ever see ghosts?” And he said oh yeah, all the time. And I asked him well what did it look like? And he goes a guy where you can only see the top half of his body and he doesn’t have any legs. That’s a very specific detail that you wouldn’t just think someone else would copy” said Teacher Mr. Hope

the bathroom through the mirror, but I turned around and nobody was in the bathroom, it kind of creeped me out, but now every time I have to use the bathroom that is all I can think about.” said Junior Guled Abdi.

Let this be a lesson always watch your back you never know what could be following you.

Fun Facts - Dogs and Cats can see and sense ghosts - Ghosts are not sleeping they are always roaming around - You are more likely to see a ghost in the nightime - Ghosts of a child below the age of one are considered angels - Ghosts want to be noticed

Another scary ghost story comes from a student.

Dont look back! Roosevelt High School was built was founded in 1923 and had its grand opening in 1924. In Roosevelt’s first year it held 1,282 students.

“I was using the bathroom and I started washing my hands and I saw a person run across

Dont get to close. FLying ghosts can follow you around for years without you having any clue about it.

The Cutest Pumpkins in the Patch

By Isabella M and staff.

R Qwen, Chandler, and Crosby Philips pose with funny faces with their funny pumpkins on their front porch. They all carved and painted these pumpkins with their family!

Luca and Azul Martinez posing with their dad, Amner Martinez, as dead little red riding hood, big bad wolf, and darth vador. Every year they dress up together as a family.

‘How do you make a vampire say HAHA? You put a hot burger in his mouth!”

-Crosby

in costumes because it is so hilarious!” Martinez says while laughing. “ A costume I don’t like is when people dress up as cats because everyone does that!” Martinez said.

emember when you were eight and at the end of the night you brought back a bag full of Another little kid feeling candy feeling accomplished the spooky spirit is Crosby yet tired because of the hard Philips. He’s six and is also work and dedication? I do. Ms. Philips son. “My favorite Halloween is an exciting time part of Halloween is carving pumpkins, not the candy.” especially for little ones!

There’s no better way to get Anyone remember there go into the Halloween spirit than to cheesy trick or treating remembering your adolescent joke? Crosby does! “How spooky season memories. do you make a vampire say Chandler Philips is the four- HaHaHa? You put a hot year-old daughter of English burger in his mouth!” Philip’s teacher Ms. Philips here at said while chuckling.

Roosevelt. With her sweet Azul and Luca Martinez high-pitched voice “decorating have one joke that they both and dressing up are my favorite use for trick or treating that part of Halloween” Chandler works every time. “We have Philips said. Most little kids one joke… we got it from a favorite Halloween costume video because we didn’t know is spider-man or Elsa. “Willy what to say.” The Martinez’s Wonka!” Philips said with said while laughing. “I remember saying this joke excitement was hers. for trick or treating and I Azul Martinez is a 10-year- was so nervous.” “What’s a old fifth grader that goes to vampires least favorite room…

Moulton Elementary and is a a LIVING room!” They both said while laughing with a bit part of Girls on the Run. “I like dressing up because you of embarrassment. can have a new identity, like you can’t dress up as a serial Though everyone has a experience killer every day!” Martinez different said. “I want to try something with Halloween, we all scary, like having cuts and experience it the same blood on my face! Because I’ve as well. Everyone can never tried to do something remember going door to scary.” Azul Martinez said with door for candy, carving excitement. pumpkins, dressing up or Luca Martinez is also a 10-yearold fifth grader at Moulton as well and is Azul Martinez’s fraternal twin! “I don’t like dressing up because I don’t like being something I’m not.”

Luca Martinez said. Luca Martinez isn’t quite feeling the spirit yet. “I rate Halloween a 3.2 out of 5” Martinez said.

“My favorite Halloween highlight is to see dogs dressed

even just seeing spooky houses decorated.

“I hope I find a costume in time, and everyone else!”

Azul Martinez said. “ I hope everyone has a fun time for Halloween!” Luca Martinez said wrapping up the interview.

Blood Curdling Legends Of Vampires

K T

here once was a man who liked to take walks at night. He preferred the night, as it was quiet and peaceful, it made it easier to relieve stress. One day he decided to go hunting, he lived far away from the nearest city and was in dire need of nourishment. He moved quietly through the forest until he heard something walking by, he had found his prey. He leapt at the unsuspecting person and covered the poor person’s mouth to mask their loud screams, then he bit into their neck. It was a slow and painful death, having their blood drained. The man did not wish for his target to suffer, he simply was doing this to survive, it was nothing personal. The prey slowly lost consciousness and felt the embrace of death. Until he woke up, like it was all just a bad dream, the man who had drank his blood was nowhere to be found. The victim did not care, for they felt thirsty. They wanted blood.

By Ben Cayetano and staff Vampires started out as an explanation for horrifying yet commonplace events in medieval periods, such as widespread diseases or corpses reportedly being tampered with. With less information regarding biology or medical treatment, people began to think that evil beings were at work. The more people believed in vampires, the more likely they were to classify unknown occurrences as evidence of vampires. Initially, they were not known as “vampires” but thought of as demons, while still sharing the trait of drinking blood.

People even dug up and staked corpses they thought to be vampires.

The vampires that most people may be familiar with are vampires like Count Dracula. Vampires who not only drink blood but can turn victims into vampires themselves or zombies that act as mindless servants for their parent vampire.

Some can turn into an animal (usually a bat) and are known to be weak to sunlight, they may also have hypnosis abilities and are usually immortal. Aside from these, the abilities that modern vampires have are limitless, although they usually always share the trait of drinking blood, other abilities may be reworked, or they could even forgo them entirely. Some shoot lasers out of their eyes, some have animals, some use magic, some have claws, and some are just really good at counting.

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Now, for the million-dollar question, are vampires real? The short answer is... uh, NO. People would’ve noticed if there were creatures drinking people’s blood and turning everyone else into one.

The long answer is maybe, but not in the way of “super evil monster that drinks blood and turns into a bat”, but people who drink blood do exist. While consuming high amounts of iron (which blood has a lot of) is bullying our digestive systems, consuming small amounts of blood can be okay. Why would anyone do this? Apparently certain medical conditions have symptoms that can be temporarily relieved by ingesting blood, and they take blood from willing donors. This may go without saying, but “vampires” are pretty normal people, they just happen to need to consume blood.

Vampires are kind of like Pokémon, they’re all called the same thing and share some common traits, but they can be very different from one another. Hopefully this was able to teach some readers more about vampires and help people become aware that vampires are more than just gothic old guys in big mansions. People don’t have to do a traditional vampire for Halloween, one can be unique and still be recognizable as a vampire.

Perhaps one could try a character who is known for being a vampire from modern media.

RIDERS TAKE THEIR MUSIC TO THE SKYS

By Ziggy Page

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he Roosevelt Marching Band has become a staple of Friday night lights in the Des Moines district and has shown itself to be the powerhouse of the music scene in the area.

As the band has grown over the years there has been a considerable amount of development on the competitive side of the marching season.

The band attends between three and five marching competitions a season,

the biggest three being Valley fest, State Marching Competition, and Now the Waukee Night show which is six hours after the State competition and brings in some of the biggest competitive bands all over the Midwest including the likes of Irondale out of Minnesota, and several other B.O.A (Bands of America) organizations.

The Band is a group that is built off tradition and a growing culture that is based around band camp in early August. The earliest students arrive a week before the main camp to pursue percussion camp which is a weeklong congregation starting at

The drumline is the main focus of the stand cheers through the first and second quarter of our football games, Mason Garner, Ryan Stein, and Walker Lozier are pictured here.

eight in the morning and running until three in the afternoon. The main camp runs on the same timeline for two weeks; the first being filled with basics of marching and refreshers, this is where the band holds marching Olympics, a competition of merit and marching skill that is held between the sections.

The week is wrapped up by a band wide picnic at Colby Park that is filled with mediocre student grilling and ultimate frisbee. The second week is all about spirit. All types of costumes come and go as the band practices in the 90-degree heat.

This second week ends with a volleyball tournament which is the highlight of the year apart from the final competition. The last three seasons have been won by team “Fresh as Heck” which was the band’s first threepeat, but with the age out of those students, a gap opened for a new “super team” of homies called Sax Appeal who went undefeated through prelims and despite being down Nine to Three in the final came back to win on a 10 ace run followed by a defensive clinic by Junior Matthew Bonner and Senior Keagan Davis to make game point followed

by one more Ace to seal the deal.

The band took the field for the first time at Roosevelt’s first home football game which was a 47-0 win over East high. Director Treg Marcellus chose to shed the formal uniforms as it was a hotter evening, the band’s first run always tends to be on the rough side as they chose to play just their first song to lock in the Marching aspect.

By the end of the year, the band always has a wellpolished show that has been good enough to beat bands as large as Urbandale, the band looks to take down some of the largest names in the state as they came as close as two points from beating Southeast Polk in the past two seasons. The band will first drive to Pella for the First night show of the year where they placed third in 4a followed by Valley fest and then State the Following two weeks.

Nathan Prehm, Tenor Saxaphone player lines up with the trombones to play the classic “Go Big R”

Brekafst massacre Written By Zakariyya Muhammad.

Desighned By Mays Perlowski.

“G

ood morning, everyone” he says, reluctantly while walking into the dining room.

Nobody responds, the silence echoes like a scream in an empty stadium. “Oh really? The silent treatment? I don’t see how I deserve that.”

He walks to the dining room table, visibly irritated. “Well, I still made you all breakfast, even if you won’t speak to me.” He angrily turns and goes back into the kitchen. Whistling to ‘twinkle twinkle little star’. He grabs 4 plates, one for each person; and piles on more food than one person can eat. Half of it was undercooked, the other half burnt. He yells into the dining room.

“I don’t think what I did was that bad, it’s just discipline, it’s not like you died.” After stacking food onto the plates, he puts all four plates onto a tray. It’s wider than his body and can barely fit in the doorway, but he makes it work. His mood clearly changing as soon as he walks into the dining room.

He looks around at his family sitting at the table. “don’t be shy, grab your plate, eat something.” No response. Nobody moves a muscle.

“I said, EAT!” he screams, louder than he ever has before. Slamming the tray onto the table.

Breaking down in tears, he takes a step back, wiping the tears from his face. “Sorry, it’s just been a long week” He looks each and everyone one of his family members in the eyes before sitting their plates in front of them.

They sit lifeless in the dining room chairs, covered in blood. The knives still plunged into their bodies. The smell of death lingers in the room. “Come on, eat something” he says, this time much calmer. He gestures to the plates filled with pancakes, sausages, egg, and strawberries. The smell of fresh food almost covers the stench of the rotting flesh. “I promise you’ll feel better if you eat” he says before patting the head of his son. His lifeless head flopping to the side, blood pouring out of the corner of his mouth. “Oh god, you’re so dramatic.” He says, exasperated. “I guess I got to find something to prop you up with” He turns around and exits the room, he begins to whistle ‘twinkle twinkle little star’ while cheerily skipping through the house.

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ate at night, in a dark room lit only by candles, a group of 13-year-olds play a game called Oujia. They ask it a list of questions. Are they summoning spirits or just staring themselves? The Oujia board and all the myths….

The Oujia board was created and named in Baltimore, Maryland in the 1890. The Oujia bord has letters A-Z and numbers 0-9 and a “yes’’ and ‘’no’’ sign on either side along with “hello’’ and ‘’goodbye’’. People often say the Oujia board is a dangerous

By

Amalle Mantay staff

game because there are stones of boards bursting into flames.

Heidly Savage has played the Oujia board and believes in spirits. Savage said in her interview. ‘’ Yes, I believe in spirits because I feel like everyone has a soul and there’s things that work in the universe that we don’t see’’, Said Savage.

Sophomore Alexis Dunlap has actually played the Oujia board but does not believe in spirits or the game.

“I am a Christian I only believe in one spirit which is the holy spirt, I played the game as a joke at my cousins

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and house it was a slumber party, but the game is not how it seems on the internet it is not true’’. Said Dunlap.

Junior Dahaba Lula has never played the Oujia board but would love to play it. Said Lula. ‘’ I have spoke to spirits before so I know they exist, I also her noises at my house sometimes at night and if I had the chance to talk to a spirit I would talk to my loved ones’’. Said Lula.

The Oujia board gets blamed for a lot of scary stones, but is it for real- see for yourself ….

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Scavanger Hunt!

Directions: Look throughout the stories and find the items listed below.