Volume 67 • Issue 5 May 17, 2022
The Creation Of
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Fairbury High School 1501 9th Street Fairbury, NE 68352 Non-Profit Organization Permit #64
WWW. FHSXRAY. COM
Grading Changes PAGE 5
Bilingual Students PAGE 9
New Weight Room PAGE 11
2 Opinion/Editorial
5.17.22
Layout by: Trenton Ruhnke
I’m no good at goodbyes As we exit the doors for the last time, it is hard not to look back at the memories we have shared together. We have gone through late nights cramming tests, laughing so hard we couldn’t breath, and even our days back in JHigh crying about drama we don’t even remember now. Well seniors, this is it. Just a few more days and we’ll graduate and move on to our life outside of high school.
Right now, we are turning in our textbooks and taking a breath now that finals are over. But one question that fills our mind is ‘What’s next?’ Most of us will move on to get a degree and find ourselves somewhere else. For others they will buy a house, find a job, and create their own life. We will all grow apart, but the one thing that keeps us connected is Fairbury. Fairbury isn’t just our school or home town, it is our family. It is where we learned to ride a bike for the first time, where we found our first job, learned to drive, and maybe crashed a few times. It is where we met our first friends and spent nights worrying about insignificant things. Fairbury is more than a home, it is a family. This is where we grew and learned. We learned how to add, subtract, and
divide. I even remember in second grade, being held in for recess because I couldn’t tell the difference between there, their, and they’re. Or falling asleep in third grade when learning about measuring cups and having to watch a whole hour of my teacher pour water. I remember in my fifth grade reading class creating pillow forts in the back of the class and getting absolutely no work done. Or when I moved up to the high school for the first time and thought everyone looked so big. Most of us have been together since kindergarten. We have gone through the good and the bad together and learned life lessons in the classrooms. We have all complained to each other, and now, we are celebrating this accomplishment together. So as we leave the doors for the last time, I say see you later, because this isn’t really goodbye.
My last Blazer story It’s hard to believe that this is the last Blazer story I will ever write. When I first signed up for journalism, I had no idea what I was doing. I signed up because I received a letter in the mail saying that I should for the second year in a row and figured ‘why not?’, but I did not expect to make as many memories as I have. From work nights with sparklers and pizza to getting to know more about some
of my friend’s passions, this has been an amazing experience that I will never forget. I remember when I published my first story on the X-Ray and had to tell my sister all about it. I was so excited to know that I was writing something that other people, besides my English teacher, were going to be able to read. I couldn’t believe that I was able to tell others about what’s going on around the school and even the world around us. I feel like there are so many experiences that students don’t know much about and the publications department is able to spread the word. So being even a small part of it is amazing! I will miss working in the journalism department, but am happy to report that I am leaving it in good hands.
Layout by: Trenton Ruhnke
5.17.22
Opinion/Editorial 3
High school, what a great ride we had This beginning is tough to write so I’ll start with saying I want to say thank you to everyone who was a part of my high school life, the good people and bad people. These four years felt like a long time, yet hit me hard when graduation is just around the corner. There is so much I did and so much more I wished I would have done. It is too tough to say what my favorite activity in high school was, if it was Cross Country, Journalism or Spanish club. All I know is that those groups were my family. The memories I have in each are great and the people are even better. One of my favorite memories from Cross Country was when I almost got kicked out and gave EJ (Ethan Johnson ‘22) a concussion. We just finished a race in Hebron and my legs felt like jelly and I was trying to get a drink from my water bottle. As soon as I put the
bottle up to my lips EJ poked my leg with a pine needle, so I gripped my metal water bottle, raised my arm and yelled at him, “Ethan I swear to God!” I didn’t hit him, but it is something we would laugh at now. If there is anything I wished I would have done differently would be to try out more things. Join more clubs, go to more sports games, and hang out with friends more often. Journalism is something I never thought I would like to be in. I don’t like writing stories so joining Journalism is a strange class to pick, but honestly I picked it just to take pictures. So the only advice I would give to my classmates and all of the students in the school is to be spontaneous and get out of your comfort bubble, I wish I did. After living in Fairbury for over 18 years, I don’t know what to expect going on to college. I have known my classmates since pre-school, and leaving them is going to be difficult. All these friends who I made memories with and all of our jokes we made. Thank you FHS. Thank you teachers. Thank you classmates for the great ride we had.
Are there enough opportunities to stay or return to Fairbury? May 8, 2022 marked the day when the seniors graduated and how they would continue forward in their lives. They now have the decision to go straight into the workforce, or go to college to pursue a higher education, but one decision that The Blazer believes needs to be questioned is whether it is possible for graduates to return to Fairbury. This is not meant to be a writing to bash Fairbury, but to bring up the point that Fairbury has a limited amount of opportunities compared to other places. First of all, due to Fairbury being a small town, there are only a limited number of opportunities for the
Editorial
graduates to obtain. This may make it more difficult for graduates, who decide to stay in Fairbury instead of going off to a trade school or college, to find a job, as their options will be severely limited due to the size of Fairbury. If graduates decide to
head off to a trade school or college, then the ability to return to Fairbury after they graduate from further education may still cause some issues due to limited opportunities. Certain majors may not have an outlet of opportunities in Fairbury compared to other locations
where they may be more prominent. There is also the chance that the graduates from further education may not get much choice in where they go, as they may not get the ability to be picky where they have to go for work as they may have to go to the location of their first job opportunity, no matter the distance. Now, what actions can Fairbury take in order to open up more and new opportunities? Well, other than bringing in new businesses, which is an entirely different situation in itself, no ideas come to mind. But, we here at The Blazer agree that more opportunities must be created, in order to give our graduates ways to stay or return back to their hometown.
4 News
5.17.22
Layout by: Trenton Ruhnke
Four new managers dive into management at the public pool One new head throughout the day. manager, alumni “I’m excited to be in a new position RJ Suey, and three where I lead,” McCord said. “But assistant managers, alumni Keely nervous as well because I have to deal Schramm, Karly McCord ‘22, and Ericka with more adults than what I am used Kroeker ‘22 will be managing at the to.” public pool this summer. In order to become managers, all of them had to be certified lifeguards by the American Red Cross as well as obtain a pool operators certificate under the American Red Cross. “In order to become an assistant manager, I needed to have some sort of experience,” Schramm said. Whether it be in leadership or lifeguarding, though I believe The new pool opened for the first time back in 2019. A total lifeguarding was a very highly of $3.5 million was used to build the new pool. Photo by: Trenton Ruhnke recommended for the position.” As well as managing, the new managers will have various In order for the assistant managers to responsibilities; which include: checking get hired, they had to be interviewed by the chemical levels of the pool, being Suey in order for them to be evaluated. at the pool to open and close, as well “I thought becoming an assistant as count the money that was made manager was a great way to start
Trenton Ruhnke Editor-in-Chief
getting leadership experience for future endeavors,” Schramm said. “I really enjoyed working at the pool last year so I thought this was a super good fit.” Suey has originally been the assistant manager for some years before taking up the mantle of head manager after being an assistant manager last year with alumni Delainey Stewart being the head manager. “I think it will depend on how difficult the days will be,” McCord said. “I assume that they will go smoothly most of the time.” The pool is scheduled to open May 28 where the new managers will begin their work at the pool for the summer. “I’m super excited to be an assistant manager this year,” Schramm said. “I am excited to gain leadership and management skills as well as seeing all of my friends that I guarded with last year!”
Preliminary sheriff election concludes with Nicholas Georgi winning The sheriff election in Fairbury has reached the end of the preliminary round with Nicholas Georgi winning the most votes. Georgi had to compete against two others in the preliminaries, those two included: Cody Barry and Wilbur Young. “It’s hard to explain,” Ashton McCown ‘23 said. “But there was so much drama over three people. It was funny to see how much drama occurred.” All three of the candidates were Republicans with only Republicans only being able to Trenton Ruhnke Editor-in-Chief
One of the various signs scattered around town for the sheriff election. These signs were here to increase the recognition of the election. Photo by: Trenton Ruhnke
vote for the preliminary. “I haven’t been purposely involved,” McCown said. “But I have read through the posts on the Fairbury Area Neighborhood Watch.” Now Georgi will have to win the general election in order to become sheriff; which he will run unopposed due to there being no other candidates in different parties, unless someone new is written in. “There was a lot of drama about it,” teacher Mrs. Engle-Evans said. “It wasn’t a fantastic turnout for the election, but it wasn’t a bad one as well.”
Layout by: Elizabeth Kerwood
5.17.22
School 5
Grading scale sees future changes School Board chooses to adopt the ten-point grading system
Elizabeth Kerwood Assistant Editor
Starting in the fall of 2022, the current grading scale will be changed. Although this will be in effect in the coming years, student’s past grades will not be affected. All students would have opinions on changing the grading scale as it affects them all. Some could see it as a way to feel like they have accomplished more with the grades they will get while others may not see it affecting their grades very much. “I’m gonna work hard towards what I need to to get an A,” Ellie Livingston ‘23 said. “But it won‘t change too much for me.” Some students have had more years using the old grading scale so they may find this as a big change. Others have not had as many years experiencing it so they may not notice any big changes in their grades. “I’m excited for the grading scale to change,” Freshman Natalie Heidemann said. “I’m ready to have all A’s again.” Even with the college classes offered at FHS, not many changes will be seen to those classes as they already adhere to the ten-point grading scale that will be adopted next year. “Many teachers are already using the ten point grade scale if teaching college credit courses,” Principal Sean Molloy said. “Some teachers have also used a similar system in previous districts. I think this will make grading more cohesive for teachers and lead to more balance.” There will always be positives and negatives to any change made that will affect the school as a whole. For this change, it seems like there are more chances at succeeding in school than not. “I believe the new ten point grade scale will impact students positively,” Molloy said. “It will lead to scholarship opportunities, an easier transition to college and more alignment with some HS dual credit/SENCAP courses. I also believe it will positively impact extracurriculars and lessen student disengagement.”
Working around identifying crime scene evidence, Rorik Blatny ‘22 writes down notes while Libby Bault ‘24 takes pictures of the crime scene. This is the first year forensics class has been offered. “We have done cool labs like fingerprinting, handwriting comparisons, murder mystery and a blood splatter lab,” forensics teacher Dr. Winter said. Photo by: Makenzie Mills
Sophomores Brook Tatro and Sam Bedlan act out a script together for their OID (Oral Interpretation of Drama) speech in Miss Stara’s speech class. “It was a creative release,” Tatro said. “Speech is a good class because people can judge you but they can’t say anything about it and you can pick what you do your speeches on.” Photo by: Makenzie Mills
In Mrs. Petersen’s geometry class, students like Aspen Swanda ‘24 made foldables to help remember the different rules that congruent triangles follow. Photo by: Trenton Ruhnke
6 In-Depth
5.17.22
Layout by: Tre
Prom has been at the ‘47 gym for as long as people can remember. Carly Winter and Janet Beranek were both new prom sponsors who handled a majority of the work. This year, the junior class had the opportunity to vote on if they wanted to keep prom at the ‘47 gym or On the Bricks, in place of the Stagecoach Mall and the majority voted for the latter. “When we started talking about Prom this year, we thought, ‘Why not give the Juniors the choice?’” Carly Winter said. “So we left it up to them to vote between the old location of the ‘47 gym and the new location of On the Bricks, and Jorjia Shellhase Reporter
overwhelmingly the answer was On the Bricks!” Everyone enjoyed having a different and new location, and also having a different DJ than last year. Many people had very good reviews about the music and how the DJ was. “One of my favorite things about prom this year was the DJ and the music that was chosen,” Caleb Trimm ‘22 said. Students may have been worrying about finishing the building for prom due to it being done just days before prom. “On the Bricks was awesome to work with, Cody Moyer and his crew spent countless hours making sure that the space was ready for prom by April 2nd.”
Th e
Prom rolls out the red carpet to a new location
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Prom originates The setting up of post prom back to the 1800s, Post few as well.” having these wonderful but was held by prom One of the biggest experiences available takes preparations for post to our youth, because it colleges rather a lot of time, effort and prom is entertainment. provides a night of fun preparation. Parents of This year we had most of and enjoyment in a safe than high schools. juniors and seniors spend the usual entertainment atmosphere to all the Morgan Stewart Reporter
their nights chaperoning or serving food. The preparation for this event begins early in the school year. The prom committee starts off by picking a theme. The parents of the juniors are in charge of post prom. After they pick the theme they can begin to start getting supplies and decorations to go along with it. “Last year we picked the theme Fire and Ice,” Junior Parent Loni Schramm said. “Once we decided what we wanted to do we shopped for decorations and made a
which is a bouncy house, gaga ball, a basketball shooting game, and cornhole. Per request by several students a mechanical bull was added this year. To ride the bull you had to get a waiver signed by a parent. These waivers were handed out the weeks prior. “Parent involvement and volunteering is essential to the longevity of many programs, especially Post Prom,” parent Raven Gerths said. “As a parent, I understand the importance of
Juniors and Seniors. Post Prom is a time where the kids can come together, have fun, and make memories. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Having been on the Post Prom Committee in the past, we try very hard to bring in new and exciting games/activities to this event every year.” Of course we can’t forget about the food! Parents are also asked to provide food for sort of a “midnight snack.” A common post prom meal might include pizza, wings, Runzas, and fruit.
The 1950s introduced the idea of a prom king and queen
enton Ruhnke
ns of
5.17.22
P
In-Depth 7
Pre-prom meals get dished out
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Returning for the first time in several years, a pre-prom meal was offered for juniors, seniors, and their dates. The meal was held in order to help give students an option to have a pre-meal before the prom, as well as be able to socialize and spend time with others. “In years past there were pre-prom meals at the Elks Lodge,” Mrs. Anne Chappell said. “We thought it was a good idea to make a reservation for a meal before the dance for the students.” In order to be eligible for the pre-prom meal, the students needed to set up a reservation, with the reservation being in an Trenton Ruhnke Editor-in-Chief
email that was sent out on February 15. “I think it went really well,” Makena Schramm ‘23 said. “It was very organized, well decorated, and the food was great.” The cost of the meal was $15 per person and the meal included: prime pork roast or smothered chicken, twice baked potato casserole, green beans, a side salad, a dinner roll, as well as dessert. “I think it went well,” Mrs. Chappell said. “We had a great turn out, and the students I spoke to said they enjoyed it.” The pre-prom meal was held at the Elks Lodge and occurred on April 2 with the doors opening at 5:30
p.m. with the promenade occurring afterwards. “My favorite thing would probably be the food and the people that helped run it,” Schramm said. “I would like to thank them for what thy did and how well organized everything was.” There were a total of 53 students that set up reservations and attended the pre-prom meal, and due to the outcome of this pre-prom meal, another meal for next year is being considered and planned on. “I’m excited,” Mrs. Chappell said. ‘It was a great group of parents to work with and I think the kids really enjoyed it.”
Juniors commit to a prom committee
The 1940s mark the origins of proms occuring in high schools
All juniors have to select a committe they want to be a part of to help set up prom or help clean up prom. In September staff holds a meeting for all Juniors. During this meeting, staff will send out a survey of anyone who is willing to serve on a committee and also if they are interested in being the “chairman” of the committee. They are able to select three committees they are willing to be a part of and then staff assigned them one based on their responses. There are a total of five committees which are the decoration committee, the cleanup committee, the publicity committee and the Crowning and DJ/ Entertainment committees. “I enjoyed getting to work with the kids and hear their input about what they wanted out of their Prom. It was important to Mrs. Beranek and I let the kids make the decisions on decorations, crowns, DJ, etc. to make
Aloe Richie Reporter
sure they were happy with their own Prom,” prom co-sponsor Carly Winter said. Janet Beranek and Carly Winter just took on Prom for the first time this year so they were very new to it. “We may make some changes to the committees for next year just based on where the needs are. Mrs. Beranek has quite a bit of experience with Committees when it comes to student council,” Carly Winter said. w Students that were in the cleanup committee had to come in the next day to clean up because it was already too late for them to help cleanup. So, they just have a scheduled time to come in the next day to help clean up. “Most of the committees worked hard to be sure their tasks were complete. It is always enjoyable to see the finished product of their hard work which in this case was a successful prom,” prom co-sponsor Janet Beranek said.
8 Feature
5.17.22
Layout by: Morgan Stewart
From country roads they come
The pros and cons to country living morgan Stewart Reporter
There are various people at the school who live out in the country. Depending on how far you live out of town, there are some situations where you do not have time to go home in between events. This could include fridays where we get out of school at 2, but then sports practices aren’t until 3:30 or 3:45. Most people have their places they go to during times like that. “When I don’t have time to go home I go to my dad’s office,” Junior Bredon Runge said. “It has a couch and a shower that I can use while I’m waiting.” Some of the pros to living out of town are the views, it’s peacefulness, and more space. Everyone has their reasons for enjoying the country lifestyle. That includes even some of the teachers that work here. “I love living in the country!” Dr. Emily Winter said.”I am an introvert and I like the privacy and solitude. I like
how peaceful and serene it is being surrounded by fields. I’m still conveniently close enough to town to drive in and get something if I need to, but can escape back to the solitude of home at the end of the day.” Although there are many pros there are also many cons to living in the country. Some cons may be waking up early enough to allow time for the drive into town, having no close neighbors, and road issues with rough weather. “Some of the struggles of living out of town are if I forget something I usually just have to go without it or I have to have someone bring it to me,” Ava kroll ‘24 said. “I also spend a lot of money on gas, and it’s hard to hang out with people because of the distance.”
“I like how peaceful and serene itis being surrounded by fields.” -Dr. emily Winter
Layout by: AnnaMarie Bryan
5.17.22
Feature 9
Bilingual students explain their stuggles AnnaMarie bryan reporter
Being a bilingual student is a lot harder than some people might think. Some of these students had to learn a whole new language in only a year. Learning a language in that short period of time is very challenging for most people, especially children. These students had to learn English when they were anywhere from 3-6 years old. Children that young are just starting to learn their first language, let alone a second language at the same time. There were a lot of challenges for these students like not understanding anyone, not even their teachers. “One of the biggest challenges I faced was the fact that I didn’t know what was going on in class, I couldn’t read anything, I didn’t know how to ask for different things, and I couldn’t really ask for help,” Mariel Ramos ’22 said. “Learning a language is always hard, but if you learn it when you are younger you have a higher chance of learning it faster and easier.” Different people have different challenges. Learning a new language is hard no matter what, but people say that it is easier to learn a language when you are younger rather than when you are a teen or even an adult. “One of the biggest challenges that I faced was the fact that I couldn’t really get help since my parents didn’t speak English
back then. I had to teach myself a lot of things,” Perla Cuevas ‘22 said. “By first grade I could speak both fluent English and Spanish” A lot of these students’ parents didn’t speak English either so the students couldn’t practice it all day because they spoke Spanish to their families and at home. This makes it a lot more difficult to learn anything when you’re the only one in your family who is trying to learn and practice it.
“My favorite thing
about being bilingual is telling my friends how to say funny things in Spanish.”
-Salvador Chavez ‘23 “My parents did not know english. I had to do a lot of the learning myself which was extremely difficult. My sister and I were basically learning on our own when it came to being at home with homework and stuff,” Cueves ‘22 said. “We would have to translate for them whenever they needed it, which made me feel really good about myself as i was able to help out my parents confidently at such a young age”
When we get new students that don’t speak any English most of the time students and staff call upon some of the bilingual students to help. They help them transition into a new school and also help all of us understand what each other is saying. This helps the teachers so they can still teach while not having to worry if they know what they are saying or not understanding them. “When I was in 3rd grade I was asked to translate for a little girl who didn’t know any English at all. I would have to leave my classes to help her learn certain subjects. Sometimes I’d spend all day with her which I enjoyed,” Cuevas ‘22 said. “At the high school we have a few students who don’t speak as much English as well. If I ever see them struggling to comprehend what a teacher is saying or if I get asked to help translate I would be more than happy to help out.” Even though learning or even knowing two languages can be very difficult, a lot of people have a lot of fun with it. Like playing with their friends, or helping others. Most bilingual people love it and wouldn’t change a thing about being bilingual. “My favorite thing about being bilingual is telling my friends how to say funny things in Spanish,” Salvador Chavez ‘23 said. “I also like being able to watch movies and listen to music in both languages”
HOW OLDWhen WERE YOU you learned 5
6
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English
10 Entertainment
5.17.22
Layout by: Brant Gillham
‘The Batman’ - The best Batman movie yet!
“The Batman” - the newest DC film from Reporter Warner is finally out in theaters and on digital, and let me tell you, it’s worth the wait. Starring Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Jeffery Wright, Colin Farrell and Paul Deno, this movie screams masterpiece, the characters, the cinematography, the lighting, all of it is superb and on full display. Matt Reeves, the director, has done the unthinkable, and made Batman the best he ever could be! For this review, I will talk about many elements separately in their own section. This first section is for the story. The story is master-class in terms of plot and writing. It’s a detective noir story within a Batman movie, which makes sense, due to Batman being a well-known detective. Before I talk about Batman, I want to talk about Jeffery Wright’s character, Jim Gordan. His rendition of the commissioner is my favorite and felt like a real detective, no goofing around and getting to the point, which is very effective when doing characters in the field of justice. Speaking of justice, let’s talk about “The Batman”. Bruce Wayne in this movie is almost a recluse. Nobody sees him in public often, and he hides away in the shadows. Once the day ends, his mission begins. He stalks the streets, looking for thugs that are too stupid to see him coming. His footsteps alone strike fear into the criminals of Gotham. Each crook thinks that Batman is lurking in every alleyway, waiting to punish those who steal from the weak. Batman has never been this dark, nor gritty. His suit is riddled with chips from gunshots, dents from bats, and his body is covered in bruises from each beatdown. He is for sure my favorite rendition of the Caped Crusader, and for every caped crusader, there is always a foe that is bigger. The villain in this story, the Riddler, is a crazed killer. He is based on the Zodiac Killer in many ways, with his cryptic symbols Brant Gillham
made to throw off the cops. His outfit also resembles the Zodiac Killer, with a huge overcoat and military mask. His skin is wrapped in plastic, to prevent sweating and leaving evidence for the detectives. The first scene alone gave me goosebumps, being the killing of the mayor. The mayor is watching a recent debate for re-election. He moves to refill his glass, and the Riddler just stands there with his glasses glaring from the T.V. screen. It was a great introduction to the Riddler, but he does kind of fall flat during the final act. His antics during this movie are so unpredictable, and it makes for more surprises in the third act. Paul Deno did an excellent job as the Riddler. Most of the side characters in this story were also very riveting. Catwoman (Kravitz) is extremely well written, with her motive for stealing from the rich being well grounded. Other characters like The Penguin (Farrel) are very threatening and steal each scene they are usually in. There is one scene in particular that really got me excited, that being the Batmobile scene. The Penguin closes in on Catwoman, and then, the loud screech of the Batmobile cuts through the scene. Everyone looks in fear as it gets louder and louder, revving with ferocity. Bruce revs one more time, and then it’s on, and the movie gives us one of the best car chases in cinema, in my humble opinion. The atmosphere, cinematography and lighting in this film feels dark and grimy, which actually enhances the storytelling. The movie has only a handful of shots that are not in the dark of night and you mostly see Batman at night in this. The whole city is gritty, with rain and grime covering the surface of each surface. Gotham feels like the combination of all the big cities in America, but only their worst attributes. The music is also superb, with Micheal Giacchino making my new favorite soundtrack for any movie. Nirvana’s “Something in the Way,” is the only licensed song in this film, and it fits the mood
of this story perfectly, being a representation of Bruce Wayne, and his struggle with Gotham. The Batman is, dare I say, a masterpiece. No sugarcoating, no exaggerations, this is the movie I have been wanting to watch for a long time. I had so much fun watching this that I watched it five times, and the movie is 3 hours in length! I spent 15 hours of my life and spent $25 to watch this movie, and I don’t regret it. It’s dark, foreboding, brutal, vengeful, and most of all, magnificent. Matt Reeves and crew did such an amazing job on this film, and it deserves to be seen by everyone. I will be giving ‘The Batman’ an affirmative A+!
Cast & Crew
Robert Pattinson......................The Batman Zoë Kravitz................................Peggy Carter Jeffery Wright............................Jim Gordan Paul Deno.....................................The Riddler Colin Farrell..............................The Penguin John Turturro..................Carmine Falcone Peter Sarsgaard.........................D.A. Colson Andy Serkis.............................................Alfred Jayme Lawson.............................. Bella Reál Barry Keoghan...............................The Joker Gil Perez-Abraham.........Officer Martinez Peter McDonald...................................Kenzie Con O’Neill......................................Chief Bock Alex Ferns...................................Pete Savage Rupert Penry-Jones.........Mayor Mitchell
IMDB - 8.0 Metacritic - 72% RT - 87%
Gilly’s Grade
Layout by: Eliza Kroeker
5.17.22
Sports 11
New weight room provides new oppurtunities Weight Room Makeover Before and After BEFORE
AFTER
Eliza Kroeker Reporter
Recieving the opportunity to renovate the weight room with new equipment through private fundraising with the help from the booster club, the school completed it during the second semester of this school year. In order to get all the weights into the weight room the weight classes and shop worked together to get it done. Moving the equipment into the shop for when they paint the room, students help remove the equipment from the weight room. “It was really easy and only took a couple days,” Keilani Trimm ‘24 said. “We had to carry the equipment one by one out of the room but I am glad we could help get it started.” Hopefully utulizing the weight room to its fullest potential, the school hopes to increase the numbers of athletes and students in general that use the weight room to help improve their athletic performance. “I dont think that the new weight room changed anything for the students,” Fitness teacher Derek Garfield said. “I do see that some student have been more excited to use the new equipment though.” After receiving the new equipment students have shared their opinions on
how the weight room was renovated and not only how it has greatly improved but also how it could still be improved. “I think that the new weight room is really clean and nice to use and I like it alot,” Ethan Johnson ‘23 said. “I like how there is enough equipment for everyone to be doing something but I miss the metal plates that the old weight room use to have and the seats are very slick so they make me feel like I am going to fall off when I do exercises like military press and everything is over all uncomfortable but overtime that problem will be solved.” Using the new weight room to his advantage, Fitness Teacher Cobly Hamel started an after school program that is available to students who aren’t participating in a sport which allows them to use the weight room with workouts that Mr. Hamel created for the day. This allows students without knowledge or access to a gym the chance to increase their athletic abilities. Even after his coaching season ends, Hamel takes his coaching skills to the weight room. “Lifting is something I feel very passionate about and I though it was something that I could do to create more opportunities for students,” Hamel said. “I really enjoy working out myself and with student.”
PE teacher Cobly Hamel learns how to use the new bench and squat rack that was installed into the weight room. Photo by Ericka Kroeker
Volume 67 • Issue 5 May 17, 2022 Layout BY: Jackson Martin
BRIEFS Springs sports dominate student activities BOYS GOLF York -The York Invite was a windy day for golf with winds 25-35 miles per hour and gusts over 50 miles per hour. It later warmed up which made it a little easier to play. Jackson Martin shot a 50 on the front 9 and a 41 on the back nine leading the team with a total of 91. Martin was followed by Mikelangelo Hunt (103), Aidan Swanson (107), Ben Starr (117) and Connor Gerths (120). Fairbury - After the Crete Dual, the boys golf team hosted their home invite. Swanson and Gerths led the team with both shooting an 89. Jackson Martin struggled on the back nine, ending up with a 95. Starr finished with a 113 and Schoenrock with a 120. Beatrice - Next the Jeffs traveled to Beatrice for the Beatrice Invite. Martin finished one spot from placing with a 89. Gerths finished with a 101 and Swanson struggled to finish with a 108. Schoenrock ended with a 112 and Starr finished with a 120. Crete - In the last Invite in April the boys golf team traveled back to Crete for their invite. Martin led the team shooting an 85 good for a four-way tie for 12th. Gerths followed with a 98. Swanson finished with a 106, Starr with a 111 and Schoenrock with a 114. SNC - At the conference invite Gerths led the team with a 91 and one stroke back was Martin with a 92. Swanson, one stroke back from Martin, finished with a 93. Schoenrock shot a 98 and Starr with a 107. The team combined for a score of 374. Thayer - The final invite before districts was the Thayer Central invite, which was held in Fairbury. At this invite Martin led the team with an 88 and finished 5th. Swanson finished with a 94 and Gerths with a 96. Starr finished with a 103 and Schoenrock with a 123.
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Girls Track - Syracuse - Competing at the Syracuse meet Allison Davis starts it off by placing second in high jump followed by Cobie Cole placing sixth. Running in the hurdles Jami Mans placed third in the 100 hurdles and fifth in the 300 hurdles earning herself two medals. Competing in the two mile Mariel Ramos places fifth. Sam Starr PRs in the 400, which lands her in sixth place. Running in the 200 Hannah Robertson medals achieving fifth place. For the last event of the day Mikya Lierman and Mans compete in pole vault. Lierman places second place and Mans receives her third medal of the day placing fifth. Tri County - Starting the Tri County meet off with a PR, Allison Davis takes home the gold medal on high jump with a jump of five feet and Cobie Cole follows placing fourth. Hannah Robertson competes in long jump placing second. Earning two medals Regan Kapke placed fifth in long jump and second place in triple jump followed by Madison Ohlde in fourth place. Breaking the school record, Mikya Lierman sets the new record of 10’ 9” and wins first place in pole vault. Also competing in pole vault, Jami Mans took home the silver medal and Lily Davis received fifth place. Emily Huss placed fifth in Discuss bringing the team to their last events. Finishing up the Tri County meet Sam Starr takes third and Hannah Robertson places fourth in the 400. Conference - Earning the title of SNC Runner Up, Mikya starts the Lady Jeffs out placing third in pole vault followed by Jami Mans in fifth. Allison Davis competes in high jump landing in third place. Tying her PR, Hannah Robertson placed fourth in long jump. Earning her second medal, Robertson placed third in the 400. Competing in the hurdles Jami Mans earns gold in the 100 and fourth in the 300 hurdles and Emily Huss runs the 100 hurdles placing fourth and the 300 hurdles landing in third. Alissa York, Mariel Ramos and Lily Davis all run long distance. York placed second in the 3200 and Ramos followed in fifth. Davis placed third in the mile to finish up the meet. Districts - Competing at Districts for a spot at state, Jami Mans, Emily Huss, and Mikya Lierman made it to state. At The Start of the meet Lierman placed second in the pole vault with a vault of 10’ 4”. Qualifying in the 100 hurdles, Mans placed third
BASEBALL - Twin Rivers - In the teams matchup against Twin River, the baseball team won by a score of 8-0. The team finished with only 1 error which made a huge difference compared to the 9 errors in the previous game. Brendon Runge finished the game racking up 2 RBIs. Raymond Central - The baseball team then went on to play the Raymond Central Mustangs. In this matchup they were defeated 13-3. The baseball team didn’t score a run until the second to last inning. By that time though it was too late. Jakolbe Atkins scored one run along with obtaining one RBI. St. Paul/Palmer - In the baseball teams next game against the St. Paul/ Palmer Wildcats, the baseball team won by a score of 4-3. They scored the first run in the second inning and then 3 runs in the forth which would end up being enough to get the win. Plattsmouth - The team then went on to face the Plattsmouth Blue Devils. The baseball team lost 18-4 and ended the game with 6 errors. Ethan Smith finished the game with two hits, one of which was a double, and one RBI. Auburn - In the next game against the Auburn Bulldogs the baseball team came out on top winning by a score of 9-8. Jacob Martin finished the game with a batting average of 1.000 with two hits and a RBI. Martin also came in to pitch in the final inning and recorded a save. Hastings - In the baseball team’s matchup against the Hasting Tigers the baseball team was defeated 11-0 without recording a hit. The Tigers scored seven runs in the first two innings and it was to much for the baseball team. Districts - In the teams final game of the season they were defeated 2-0 by the Mount Michael Benedictine Knights. The baseball team played great defense but they were unable to make anything happen while batting.
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in her race. Emily Huss placed fifth in the 100 hurdles and qualified for state by an additional qualification. Ending the meet Hannah Robertson lands in sixth place in long jump. Boys track - Syracuse Starting off the Syracuse meet Jax Biehl put the Jeffs on the board receiving bronze in high jump and Devon Carel followed placing sixth. Earning his second medal Carel placed sixth in the 400 and after running a new PR in the 800 he collected his third medal of the day finishing in fourth. Finishing up the invite Alex Buxton places in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. Finishing third in the 110 and sixth in the 300. Tri County Jax Biehl gets the Jeffs on the board after receiving a Silver Medal in the High jump, Devon Carel followed placing fourth. Zane Grizzle starts off his day finishing in fourth place in long jump. Running in the hurdles Alex Buxton PRs in both his events finishing second in the 110 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles. Competing in the 100, Zane grizzle earns the gold medal and James Olds finishes in third place. Earning his second medal, Olds placed fifth in the 200. Receiving his first gold medal of the meet Carel wins the 400 and earning his third medal of the day he places second in the 800. Finishing up the Tri County meet the Jeffs leave with the Runner-Up trophy. Conference - Starting of the SNC track meet Devon Carel runs the 400 and placed second in his race. Alex Buxton competes in the 110 hurdles earning a bronze medal and the 300 hurdles placing fourth. Earning his second medal of the day Carel places third in the 800. Earning two medals Zane Grizzle competes in the 100 placing sixth and finishes in sixth in the 200. Running the 200 James Olds takes home the fifth place medal to finish up the SNC meet. Districts Starting off districts Devon Carel runs a season best and finishes 6th place in the 400. Carel qualified for State by receiving one of the wild card spots in the 400. Qualifying for the finals James Olds qualified for the 200 and long jump. Alex Buxton wins the 110 hurdles earning his way to state. Ending the District track meet with two state qualifiers the Jeffs consider it a success.