Volume 65, Issue 5 FEBRUARY 28, 2020
Fairbury High School 1501 9th Street Fairbury, NE 68352 Non-Profit Organization Permit #64
www.fhsxray.com
COMMUNITY FOOD DRIVE PAGE 3
IN-SCHOOL JEFF MARKET Page 6
BASEBALL PREPARATION PAGE 7
1.25.19
2 Opinion/Editorial
Layout by: DeZaire Bishop
It’s okay A crowd divided cannot stand to say ‘no’ W editorial
I
think it’s pretty obvious that I’m a people-pleaser, and I’m eager to help people whenever they ask. The problem with that - I’m also extremely busy. This year especially, I’ve struggled to make time to enjoy my senior year. It seems like I always have a hundred things on my to dolist, and making time to do things I love and enjoy gets pushed to the side. This is my last year at home to spend quality time with my friends and family, but I’m constantly working on something or at literal work. Then when I get home I’m too tired or stressed to want to do anything exciting. Don’t get me wrong, I love being involved in sports, organizations, taking challenging classes and working. However, there’s a point where too much is just too much. I hit that point this year. It’s not that senior year has been the worst year of my life so far, because trust me, it hasn’t. I’ve made a lot of amazing memories that I will never forget, even in activities that have stressed me out. I just think I’d be in a better headspace if I would’ve put less on my plate for the year. If you’re an underclassmen reading this, please take my advice and make time for fun your senior year. Swap a dual credit class for an open or a study hall. Chances are you’ll have more energy to put into your other classes. Let your friend be President of an organization and just help them as a regular member when need be. Time really does go by fast and senior year is stressful enough with choosing a college, filling out scholarships and getting ready for graduation. One of my big goals for this last semester is to spend more quality time with loved ones and to make time to pursue some of my personal passions. I’m starting to accept the fact that I need to delegate work in organizations more and sometimes I just need to say “no” as much as it might pain me to do so. I’m still taking dual credit courses, but they’re classes that I’m actually interested in. I also threw in an open period and a peer tutor. I refuse to let this last semester of senior year turn into the first semester of senior year which I have fittingly named “THE mental breakdown.” I’ve only got a few months left, so I better make them count.
hen attending sporting events in the past, fans were more than likely saw the band next to the student section. This is not the case for basketball games anymore. Students and staff opinions vary but the move has left the student section splintered. The Blazer staff believes the administration should have left the band where it was. We believe that moving the band to the east side of the gym causes more issues than it resolves. It takes away from the fans seating and also takes away spots from individuals who are handicapped and prefer not to walk in front of the crowd and would rather sit close to the door. Splitting up the band and the student section also makes it more difficult to keep students engaged and cheering during the game. When it comes to breaks between quarters, it is hard
for the cheerleaders to communicate whether the band is playing or if they are doing a cheer. The Blazer understands that it was a distraction when the band had to exit in front of the crowd during a game, but in past years they have been able to exit through the south door by the girls locker room. Another solution to this distraction is that the band could exit only at timeout or quarter breaks. Ultimately, the games are for the students and having them engaged and cheering on their classmates. With the students split, it has diminished the enthusiasm of the crowd and its ability to help motivate the Jeffs.
THE BLAZER STAFF Assistant editor brynn novotny Business Managers Alex buxton ericka kroEker
Reporters TAYLOR GUSTAFSON Dezaire bishop haidyn carstens hannah knigge alex buxton ericka kroeker jane culp
Sports Editor CARSON YORK
Cover brynn novotny
Editor-in-Chief Josephine blatny
Adviser JED MARTIN
ADVERTISERS The faculty and students of Fairbury High School and District #8 shall not be liable for damages caused by typographical errors in advertisements beyond the amount of paid space occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred.
Athletes of the Month The Athletes of the month will be selected based on: academics, performance on and off the court, and attitude/personality in any ongoing Fairbury High School sport. Senior Spotlight The Senior Spotlight will be chosen randomly each month, or selected by the Editor-in-Chief. Columns/Editorials Columns are the opinion of the individual writer, not the staff of The Blazer. Editorials are the opinion of the editorial staff.
It is the policy of Fairbury Public Schools and its Career and Technical Education Programs not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability or age in its activities and programs, including employment policies and practices.
1501 9TH STReet (402) 729-6116
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Layout by: Jane Culp
NHS Helps Food Drive Jane Culp Reporter
On every third Thursday of the month, Fairbury Public Schools students get a call about coming to a free food drive. The National Honors Society frequently volunteers to help out with this food drive. Alongside NHS, Patty Smith and the Fairbury Foundation are also very helpful to the drive. “I feel this is an underutilized, free service. Many more families could benefit from the free food,” math teacher, Julie Petersen said. Anyone with family attending FPS can drop by for some free food. The drive starts at six and ends at seven and is held in a large garage on the southwest corner 3rd and F. People are usually lined up before the opening and gone by 6:20. It’s an easy, free process to help put some food on the table. All you have to do is sign in with a parent and student name, and they will provide you with a plastic bag to collect your items in. There are six tables with signs indicating how much of some-thing you may take. “I’m really grateful for it. Adds some variety to the table but also all the food groups too,” Noelani Cervantes '22 said. There are all kinds of foods available such as meat, fruits, vegetables, grains, vouchers for dairy products, and even desserts! Many more people could benefit from this program. So next time you get a call advertising the local food drive, encourage people or even your own family to try it out.
2.28.20
News 3
Speech brings home hardware from Beatrice Taylor Gustafson
atrice meet,” Mr. Leibel said. Nine students were able to place within the top 6 in their individual categories. Two For the first time since 2004, the speech participants came home with first place medteam brought home als. Those students ina Sweepstakes trocluded juniors Jasmine phy. Snyder and Jadyn RasThere are curmussen. rently 14 speech Snyder placed first members involved in entertainment and in speech this year. Rasmussen in persuaThe speech team is sive. Freshman Trenton coached by Mr. AarRuhnke also placed in on Leibel. the persuasive speech This will be Mr. category and received Leibel’s fifth year second place. coaching the speech Students put in team. The team travmany hours and time eled to Beatrice to outside of school to compete on Feb. 1 make these competiagainst eight other tions possible. Accordteams. ing to Mr. Leibel parAll 14 students ticipants are required competed in the to practice for at least meet, all of which half an hour each week. did well resulting Many students in second place as a practice much more team, fourth in OID than that, spending (Oral interpretahours after school and tion of drama) and in their free time to helped contribute to work towards their the Sweepstakes trogoals. phy. “Since my freshSince this is the Speech coach Aaron Leibel proudly displays the team’s first time since 2004 Sweepstakes trophy from Beatrice. This is the first Sweepstakes man year the members for Mr. Leibel since he took over as speech coach in 2015. of the speech team that that the speech team trophy The speech team competes at districts March 14 at Raymondare now juniors promhas brought home a Central High School. Photo by Ericka Kroeker ised Leibel they were Sweepstakes Trophy, going to get him a troit is also Mr. Leibel’s phy” Hailie Nicholson first trophy he has won as the Fairbury speech ‘21 said. coach. “Finally, getting to follow through with “I felt we had a good chance based on how practices had gone the previous two weeks, that promise and get him his first trophy while and we really brought our A game for the Be- coaching us is an indescribable feeling.”
Reporter
4 In-Depth
2.28.20
Layout by: Jos
Volunteering at fun night allows students to help the younger kids enjoy fun night like they used to Josephine Blatny Editor-in-Chief
The past few years, PTA has asked students to help run games and the ticket booth at the February Fun Night. Students signed up for volunteer hours or just to have fun with the younger kids. Working the games helped bring back memories of their own fun nights as kids, and they are happy to help the younger generations have just as good of a time. “I decided to help on my own because community service is important,” Ellie Livingston ‘23 said. “It brought back a lot of memories, and it makes you realize how fast time goes.” Similar to Livingston, Abigail Judd ‘21 decided to volunteer on her own accord. She has
helped with the duck pond the last few years. She loves seeing all of the kids running around and having “the time of their lives.” “I have photo booth pictures of Taryn Arnold ‘21 and I from fifth or sixth grade,” Judd said. “Also, my mom used to be in charge of Fun Night when she was the President of PTA, so I was always one of the last kids to leave.” Seniors Lauren Patton and Casey Nimmich signed up together last year to get community service hours for a class. They helped with a newer game called Pig Race where the kids would pick a pig and race them to the finish line. Even though the girls initially signed up for community service hours, they ended up enjoying it for an even more important reason, the kids.
“I remember Fun Night being really fun as a kid,” Patton said. “I’m glad I got to go help make it as fun for those kids as it was for me.” PTA will be continuing the tradition of having older kids help run games at the fundraiser. Like last year, Fun Night will be held at the Fairgrounds rather than the 47 Gym where it has been held in previous years. The date is set for Friday, March 27 from 6 to 8:30 at night. “There are many benefits of the older kids helping out,” PTA Member Andrea Bleich said. “They are great to have there because they bring a different energy than having just the adults there. The younger kids love interacting with the older kids. And I think the older kids love interacting with the young kids.”
sephine Blatny
2.28.20
In-Depth 5
As the annual family fun night approaches, students revisit old memories ERICKA Kroeker REPORTER
Family Fun Night is a good way to have fun and take a break from the struggle of school. You can go with your family and friends and play lots of games to win prizes! Not only do you leave with prizes but also, with memories. As a kid, many can agree this was the one day a year they looked forward to. Senior Cora Deboer specifically looked forward to the rubber duck booth. She said she would play that game over and over again. Deboer went to Family Fun Night all of her elementary years plus a few more. “It was a night we looked forward to at that age,” Deboer said, “We played everything we could with the number of tickets we had.” Deboer’s favorite booth was the Cake Walk because she competed in it so many times that it increased her chances of winning. Sophomore Karly McCord said her favorite memory was participating in the cake walk and throwing rings to try and win a pop with her friends. McCord went to this event every year up until about 4th or 5th grade. She would hang out with what-
ever friends she could find there, or her mom. Together, they would try and win as much pop as they could from the ring toss. Andrew Novotny ‘21 specifically remembers the pop bottle ring toss. “I would try to get them to stay on the pop bottles, then see how many I could get before I ran out of tickets,” Novotny said. Novotny went to Family Fun Night in the 5th and 6th grade. Novotny’s favorite booth was the football toss. “That was my favorite because I’d always challenge my brother,” Novotny said. Sophomore Rorik Blatny enjoyed hanging out with his friends and playing all of the games they had available. Overall his favorite booth was the pop bottle ring toss because he could at least win one usually. He participated in Family Fun Night for a few years and would meet up with people there. So many incredible memories were made at this three hour, annual Family Fun Night. It might not seem like the longest time, but it truly is the highlight of a kid's year.
6 School
2.28.20
Layout by: Alex Buxton
Jeffs’ Market offers schoolwide assistance The Jeff Market offers students and staff a place to donate supplies that they don’t need, but others might. Science teacher Dr. Emily Winter was the brains behind the budding project. Since its debut in December, the Jeff Market has grown immensely. “The teachers set up a Holiday Shop at Christmastime,” Dr. Winter said. “We thought that it had a positive impact for our students, so we wanted to do something to continue our giving. I just want our students to know that people care about them. I wondered if our students needed things that they didn’t have.” It started out as a no-cost Christmas gift store for students to find gifts to give to their family and friends. Since then, it has become much more than that. Dr. Winter loved the idea of giving gifts so much, she decided to create the “Jeff Market” with the help of the schools staff, and students. Energizers (Mrs. Emily Steinhoff) has offered a ton of help along the way. Dr. Winters Teachers Aide, Page Nippert ‘21 has also offered assistance. “Though I am now a second period Haidyn Carstens Reporter
Teacher Aide for Dr. Winter I still occasionally help with collecting, somewhat sorting and putting the items on the shelf,” Nippert said. “The items typically include various hygiene products like shampoo, soap, deodorant, hand sanitizer, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Other items on the shelf include lotion, feminine products, certain snacks, socks, shoes, a bookbag and practically anything else you can see on the shelf display.”
From snacks to toiletries, there are many donations that can be accepted. Since opening, the Jeff Shop has received an abundance of deodorant and toothpaste, which are both useful items that will always be welcomed. However, there are certain items that cannot be accepted. Dr. Winter can’t accept anything that isn’t allowed in the building. “So, what we did is we made a competition to collect hygiene products, so that the kids in our school can have access to these products that they don’t normally have access to at home.” Shelby Klaumann ‘21 said. The Energizers held a donation drive, which offered donations to put out onto the shelves of the Jeff Market. Whether the shop is successful is something that is hard to determine, because according to Dr. Winter, many students just grab what they need and go. “As long as students know where to go if they need something,” Dr. Winter said. “Students can always talk to me or email me if they are needing something that they don’t see on the shelves, and I will do what I can to get it.”
The challenges and advantages of becoming a parent When you become a parent, the things you used to prioritize prior to having a child change dramastically. Instead of worrying about your schedule for that night you are now worrying about how your child’s schedule will change due to your schedule. Many faculty members at our school have children and even if it is hard to balance work and a child, it also rises many advantages Business teacher Mrs. Melissa Dux has had two children. Her first child was born in the summer, so she didn’t take off many days. But her second child, however, was born in March, causing her to miss the 4th quarter. When she first found out the news she told the administration and immediately began finding a long term substitute, Mrs. Gina Grizzle, to finish the year. Math teacher Mrs. Julie Petersen has been a parent ever since her first child back in 2004. Both of her maternity leaves were at the beginning of the school year. She was in close contact with Ericka Kroeker Reporter
both of her long term substitutes and met with them weekly to make sure her students were learning to the best of their ability. While it might seem like having a child could cause many struggles, it mostly helps them become better teachers! “Having a child changed my perspective about teaching and learning,” Dux said. “I began to really think about how I would want my own child to be a learner in my classroom.” Becoming a parent changes the perspective of the teacher and their ways of teaching. “Becoming a parent has helped me become an even better teacher,” Petersen said. “I observe more viewpoints now.” Not only does having children increase the responsibility of teachers and their teaching techniques, but it also creates happiness in their lives. “While there will always be challenges to finding a work-life balance when you have a family, my daughters provide a great deal of joy and meaningful experiences to my homelife,” Dux said. “They add to my sense of purpose and fulfillment in life.”
Layout by: Haidyn Carstens
2.28.20
Feature 7
3 strikes and a lot of money DeZaire Bishop REporter
Introducing baseball as an extracurricular activity has brought conflicts to both the school and the players.. Baseball requires lots of preparation time. Preparing for baseball can be expensive. Not just for the school, but for the players. There are several different items players must have in order to participate in this sport. “Putting a team on the field is not cheap. There are some other purchases to make as well like paying for transportation and umpires that figure into the equation,” Athletic Director Mr. David Davis said. “Considering everything that has to be done for the team, it will be more than any other sport would cost.” Things needed to be purchased are things like uniforms, bats, helmets, catcher’s gear, field maintenance, coaches, and pay officials.
Fairbury Clinic Plymouth Clinic Burkley Fitness Center Sports Medicine & Rehab Services
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2200 H Street Fairbury, NE 402.729.3351
Volume 64, Issue 1 September 28, 2018 Layout BY: Carson York
Thankful for a new oppurtunity for myself and school The biggest downfall when moving back to Fairbury from Lincoln in my mind was the high school not having a spring baseball team. This year will be the first time I will get the opportunity to play school ball. Some may say we don’t have the numbers for this due to it being a Class B sport but anything is possible. Baseball is my favorite sport, so I am beyond thankful for the addition of the sport. The preparation for this upcoming season has been difficult thus far
due to lack of practice equipment and space. Practicing at the armory just isn’t enough space to do many drills or even warm up and play catch. Players who plan to play this season attend open gyms a few times a week, at least the ones who are able to due to winter sports still going on. The biggest piece of equipment I believe the baseball program lacks is an indoor batting cage. A place to be able to hit from a live pitcher or even just a batting practice thrown from a teammate or coach would help out tremendously. I know it is the first year so everything is still in the pro-
cess, but a batting cage would be very helpful in my opinion. On a positive note, many of my teammates and I are beyond excited for a chance to get to play baseball for our school. I personally have wanted baseball at our school since I was a freshman. I will only get one year, but one year is better than nothing. I am glad my class gets to begin something that could potentially become great at FHS. There could be a lot more college baseball oppurtunities from this due to more exposure and more playing time.
Firmanik takes one last shot at State
Lierman’s example admired by teammates
Senior Seth Firmanik has racked up 42-3 record this season going into State. Adding onto his historical highschool career reocord of 122-24 for an 83.5 winning percentage. Firmanik finished runner up at the district tournament in Bennington Feb. 14-15, losing to the number one ranked wrestler in his weight class. Firmanik goes into the state tournament rated third at the 195lb weight class. His plan going into the state tournament will be “Taking it one match at a time, giving it 100 percent of my effort and just seeing what happens.” He will chase a state title February in Omaha at the CHI Health Center but fell short. Firmanik finished his senior year with a 45-4 record, a silver medalist and a threetime medalist at state.
Alex Buxton
Carson York sports -editor
At the age of eight, junior Mikwena Lierman started swimming for the Fairbury Wavebreakers. She started in the league when her older sister Mikasa joined in order to stay active and enjoyed it so her parents signed her and her younger sister up the next year. She enjoyed swimming so much, she started doing it in the winter as well. Lierman swims in multiple events and holds two school records in the 100 butterfly and the 50 free. Her time in the 50 free instantly qualified her for state with a time of “It’s the shortest event so it’s the easiest and it is my best event by far,” Lierman said. While it’s no secret that Lierman is extremely skilled in the water, the ability doesn’t come without hard work as noticed by her teammates. Lierman’s hard work doesn’t just apply to her. “She’s constantly pushing herself to make the intervals during our sets.” Josi Mans ‘21 said. “Her self motivation is contagious on the team… she’s definitely someone to look up to at practices.” Business Manager