2015 GHS Voice November

Submitted Photo

voice

the

Softball wins state title Page 7

Show me the ropes Page 5

the season of sniffles Page 10

November 2015

giving back to the community pumpkin patch works with the make-a-wish foundation

Make A Wish A coin toss can be found outside the entrance to the corn maze to raise money. Photo by Layne Staley.

T

by: Mara Hjermstad-guest reporter

he 2015 corn maze at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch has joined forces with the non-profit organization, Make-A-Wish.

“The idea was not to make money off it, but to raise awareness for Make-A-Wish,” said Kathy Harlow, Manager of the food staff at Valas.

Make-A-Wish is a non-profit organization that assists children who have an illness by granting them one “wish,” which is where they ask the children if they could have one wish, what would it be. They would then pay for their wish to come true.

“We picked Make-A-Wish because one of our employee’s grandson was part of their foundation,” said Kyla Shaver, daughter of the owners of Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. “We know that it was a wonderful foundation.”

Every year, Vala’s Pumpkin Patch has a new and unique design for their maze. This year’s theme was based off of the Make-AWish logo due to the partnership.

“Each spring the Vala family has a meeting to decide on the theme for the maze design, said Jan Vala, owner of Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. “We had never done a maze with a non-profit organization and

2

november 2015

Mapping It Out People should be sure to take a picture before entering the maze. If not, they can enter at their own risk! Photo Layne Staley.

decided that is what we wanted to do this fall. We contacted our favorite non-profit organization, Make-A-Wish Nebraska, and they were very happy to partner with us.

We had our maze designer use the MakeA-Wish logo to use with the overall design.”

The maze is not the only thing on the farm that is helping raise money for MakeA-Wish this year.

“We have two places on the farm where people can donate $1 at the cash register: the Harvest Barn and Spencer’s Dugout.” said Vala. “People can put their name on a Make-A-Wish star and we hang those stars in the Harvest Barn for everyone to see.”

The partnership represents Vala’s Pumpkin Patch giving back to the community. They are also raising awareness for Make-A-Wish.

“It gives us an opportunity to spotlight the awesome job that Make-A-Wish does,” said Harlow.

Even though they are not granting wishes at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, they would still like to help the families in the program.

“Make-A-Wish Nebraska families were sent discount admission coupons,” said Vala “They receive $5.00 off on their admissions to Vala’s.”

news

The partnership this year has had an impact on the pumpkin patch and on the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Partnering again is not out of the picture for Valas and Make-A-Wish.

“Their people are so kind and easy to work with,” said Shaver. “They really do make wishes come true to Nebraska families. I wouldn’t be surprised if we partner with them again in the future, but we haven’t talked about it yet.”

Hopefully the effort Valas is putting forth and the contibution of generous visitors will help the Make-A-Wish organization to raise moeny. It is a good cause that people should think about donating to when visiting the pumpkin patch this season.

volume 2 issue 2

Dragons in the work place many ghs students find jobs with union pacific By: Kiersey Bush

I

n September of 2015, thirteen students from GHS applied for an internship with Union Pacific.

Not only were students from GHS offered the opportunity to apply, but all of Millard school district also.

“I applied because I thought it would be a good opportunity to get my name out there,” said Austin Hillman, senior. “I also think it will be fun because it will always be something different.”

After applying and going through an in-depth interview process, Hillman was notified that he had been chosen for one of the twenty internship positions. He feels prepared for this opportunity.

Out of the twenty positions available for this project, 65% of the spots were given to GHS applicants. Heidi Raess, one of the managers of the internship program, played a key role in choosing the students for the internship positions.

“I was impressed with the candidates poise, school involvement and leadership,” said Raess. “The candidates were well prepared and dressed to impress!“ Abby Brown, senior, was among the chosen applicants. She was inspired to apply because she felt it would be a good way to become a part of the STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) branch of Union Pacific.

“I’m excited to meet and work with the other interns,“ said Brown. “It will be a good experience, and I hope to learn a lot.“ Brown and Hillman in addition to the other interns were chosen because they displayed good leadership skills and were well experienced in technology. Both are qualities necessary for this job.

“They asked a lot of questions about my ability to problem solve,” said Hillman.

“It’s important to them that we be able to work through issues that may arise.”

At this job the students will be asked to work through problems other employees of Union Pacific might run into. They will be working as technical support and in human resource.

“There are multiple items that the students will be exposed to,” said Brandon Taylor, IT Sr. Manager. “Beginning with basic functions of each group and learning the support that we give our fellow UP employees. After that, multiple projects

volume 2 issue 2

UNION PACIFIC

Graphic by Kiersy Bush

have been identified and depending on each student, different projects will be assigned for them to complete.”

The leaders of this project at UP expect this year’s batch of interns to do very well with this program. It is the first year that this program will take place over a 12 month span of time as opposed to a single summer as they have done in years past.

news

“Our summer HS internship program has been successful in the past,” said Taylor.

“We would assume nothing less now that it is expanding to a program that will last year round.”

With the high expectations of the leaders at UP and the motivation of the student interns, this program is bound to succeed.

november 2015

3

Service club has new beginning a new director and more involved students make for a increased following Submitted Photo

Serving the community Kennedy Ayer kneels with Reggie Stednitz (left) and ties knots in a blanket. This year the Service Club and BASE room work together closely.

T

By: KAYLA CALVERT

he Service Club has a new leader this year and some new helpers as well. The new Service Club coordinator is also a teacher in the BASE room, and she has incorporated the special needs students into the activities of the club.

“I’m having the BASE room students help out too because I want kids to get to know them,” said Mrs. Ann Kramer, BASE room and Service Club instructor.

“It’s kind of to help them out, the students here, so they can be in a club as well.”

The Service Club is focused on including helping their community while also helping students within their own school. The BASE room students are just as eager as everyone else to assist those who need a helping hand. Emily Jaekel is one young lady who loves to do everything she can to help.

“I am one of the helpers,” said Jaekel.

“I help Mrs. Kramer and people at the nursing home.”

The service club has begun a new partnership with the Silver Ridge nursing home. BASE room students such as Jaekel will be going over to the nursing home to offer assistance to the residents there.

4

November 2015

“I was talking to a lady at the nursing home,” said Jaekel. “We can help at the nursing home by playing bingo.”

Mrs. Kramer and Jaekel have many other helpers who are a part of the Service Club. Approximately seventy-four high schoolers attended the first meeting of the year. A few students have really enjoyed making a difference through their involvement.

“Seeing people get so happy when we help, even in the smallest way, brings me to the realization that I am extremely fortunate,” said Callie Hawkins, senior. “I sometimes take advantage of that.”

Service Club stresses the importance to give selflessly of our talents and resources to those who are less fortunate.

Helping those in need is not something that should be forced.

“If you have a heart to serve I want you here, but if you’re here just to fill your resume I don’t want you here,” said Mrs. Kramer. “If your heart is in it, we’ll take you.”

Mrs. Kramer meets with the Service Club members during long homeroom to discuss the upcoming events that they will be helping with here in Gretna.

Feature

Callie Hawkins and Patrick Bates, seniors, begin tying knots on a blanket being made for service club

Serving the Community. From Left to right, Lexi Ansbach, Kelsie Radford, and Paul Bonn, senors, cut the blanket so it can be tied

volume 2 issue 2

Show me the ropes two generations of setting sail

Submitted Photo

T

he sport of sailing is not often considered to be a midwestern sport. However, Molly Anderson, senior, has spent the past eight years sailing competitively at her second home in Clear Lake, Iowa, and working her way into the nation’s top 30 sailors. Her father, Hank Anderson, who grew up near the family’s current cabin on the lake, handed down the passion for the sport to her.

“We would spend our summers at my grandma’s cabin,” said Anderson. “We wanted something to do, so my mom put us in sailing camp for a week. I fell in love with it and have been doing it ever since.”

The first move to set foot in the sailing community is to purchase a sailboat with no motor. Along with that is all of the gear that includes: sails, gear, a storage facility, and money to spend on traveling for competition.

The next step is to find someone to teach the art of sailing. Anderson spends her summers teaching kids the rules of competitive sailing as well as taking them to competitions outside of Iowa. Once the Abandon ship! After her boat capsized, Molly Anderson, senior, treads water as she waits for basic rules are explained, skill is ultimately the boat to upright at Clear Lake, Iowa. The green spinnaker was almost completly under water. determined by performance during the race.

“Usually you only practice in a smaller boat until you’re sixteen,” said Anderson.

“By that point you pretty much know everything you need to. Each race is so situational depending on the weather and wind speed, so it’s kind of hard to practice.”

Sailing races involve two people, with no motor. When the gun goes off, the racers must maneuver their way to a buoy a mile away while avoiding direct wind currents.

After going around the buoy, the boats put up their spinnakers.

“They’re basically huge sheets that catch the wind and make you go extremely fast,” said Anderson. “And they’re super colorful and pretty.”

After the first buoy, the sailors head for another buoy, another mile away. This is done a total of five times.

Anderson has been looking into college level sailing, and perhaps someday sail for the US team. If not, she wants to live by a lake with a yacht.

By: KAYLA CALVERT

Family competition. Molly Anderson, senior, and her Father, Hank Anderson race towards a buoy on a downwind, flying their spinnaker. After they manuver around the buoy, they race towards the finnish line.

volume 2 issue 2

Feature

Submitted Photo

November 2015

5

GHS Showcase Creative Writing

By: Hannah Morrison

Ink Poisoning

My skin is etched with empty scribbles that are told to harm me Painted with ink That alludes you to think That each line is thought provoking Yet each line is but a shallow pool that has taken place of Formally clean skin I used to believe in ink poisoning That blue and black venom would seep through my epidermis And cause health issues beyond my comprehension Though I still

Let you scrape

And drag your pen all over my arms Let your design Seemingly slip into my skull Seemingly drone out my courage But I didn’t need your help I had my my own pens And my own sketches to surpass your imagination Was simple I was faded and discolored Twisted and bent My only solstice was to drip my disparities on a page

Understand that I’ve grown

And your words have begun to lack toxicity Understand that ink fades

And renews to clean skin Understand that walls are put up just to be knocked down And sometimes a flood is meant to flow

Believe That there are bigger and better things to worry about than A small case of A misplacement of A ridiculous phase of What I used to know as Ink Poisoning

I put up walls I put up walls that protected me Put up walls to relieve me But not all walls are soundproof Not all walls can hide the traces of a flood A flood of ink Ink was my downfall My disparity that fled to a page All over my mind I used to believe in ink poisoning That blue and black venom would seep through my epidermis And cause me health issues beyond my comprehension But now I understand

6

November 2015

Feature

volume 2 issue 2

By: Anonymous

Bad Dreams are ghosts of our fears and worries haunting us while we sleep -Maria Snyder

I can’t sleep My room creaks with an empty hollowness Ghosts have taken residence in the confines of my closet and dresser My head is colder than my feet that dangle off the edge of my bed If I were to speak out aloud, and shatter the silence that has frozen over no one would answer These ghosts are quiet ones They only watch with empty eyes, breathing without life gliding silently on bloodless feet, orbiting near I can’t sleep They tiptoe towards my bed when I close my eyelids reaching out to brush my hair with pale fingertips My breath is harsh from the cold the chill is coming from inside my ribs, my lungs My bed is teetering on a mountain top I must climb to every night They wait for me at the peak Complacent waxy faces I can’t sleep neither can they as the sun becomes a sliver of orange on the horizon They shrink into the shadows like melting snow grinding their teeth and shivering My head grows fuzzy from the glow of dawn My muscles thaw as I wake I watch the sun float into the silver and lavender sky the quiet ghosts, are now silent wisps of wind gone without a whisper I can’t remember if I had dreamt I didn’t sleep

volume 2 issue 2

Feature

November 2015

7

fall favs by: katie stukenholtz

weather vala’s football clothes changing colors halloween hunting bonfires pumpkin spice # of students

sweater weather

Photo by Katie Stukenholtz

2

by: lauren foss

Taylor Dostal, junior, wearing the popular fall shade, maroon.

8

volume 2 issue 2

Submitted photo

There are many different aspects to the season of fall. The students of GHS find enjoyment in a wide array of activities. Whether it is the leaves changing colors or football, all are important parts of the season.

4

6

8

10

As the weather starts to change and the days grow colder bringing crisp and biting breezes, the fashion trends at Gretna High have begun to shift as well. The excitement of the new season has brought out styles that could be easily defined as comfy and warm, contributing to oversized sweaters and shirts, boots, and flannels. Darker colors such as maroon, black and army green can be seen splashed throughout the halls and in classrooms. Switching textures from thin and breezy to thicker and more substantial fabrics is also common. The fall season offers versatile styles that will have wearers prepared for a day at the pumpkin patch or a night around the fire.

Photos by Lauren Foss

Brendan Peterson, sophomore, wearing khaki pants, a popular trend for guys this fall.

Jayden Lindley, junior, wearing a stylish chambray button-up.

indepth

Austin Hillman, senior, seen well-suited to the fall with a flannel.

Miranda Hanson, sophomore, sporting a t-shirt dress with a sweater wrapped around the waist.

november 2015

pumpkin spice Fever by: kayla calvert

The arrival of autumn marks the beginning of the pumpkin spice season. The traditional pumpkin pie has evolved into a variety of products as companies try to be more innovative each year. From the pumpkin spice latte to pumpkin spice tortilla chips, the flavor has made its way into many areas of the food industry.

Photos by Kayla Calvert

a slice of heaven by: jamison karas

from d te c e l

blueberry

3%

l

ll

co po

The pleasant aroma of this decadent dessert cannot be escaped, and the mere sight of it is mouth watering. Pies have made their popular appearance this fall, but with so many flavors to choose from, it is often difficult to pick just one. Whether it is apple, pecan, pumpkin, blueberry, or cherry, one thing is for sure, every slice will leave you reaching for another.

54 ghs students

pumpkin 51%

9%

pecan

10%

apple 27%

cherry november 2015

indepth

volume 2 issue 2

9

the season of sniffles fall weather spells trouble for allergy victims

W

by: Olivia kahler

e all look forward to fall. It brings cool weather and colorful skies, but also unwanted allergies. They can be a problem for people throughout the whole year; however, allergies have a more powerful affect in the fall due to some aspects of nature that are brought along with the season.

Taylor Hamilton, junior, is a long time victim of year round allergies. She says they do not improve much in the fall.

“I get a stuffy nose and horrible cough,” said Hamilton. “I can pretty much never breathe out of my nose.”

80% are faced with fall allergies

The most common allergy trigger this time of year is ragweed. Its pollen is what causes the sneezing, itchy eyes and other symptoms. One plant can release about a billion grains of pollen.

Different kinds of mold also thrive in the fall, which can make people sick as well. They begin to grow in the spring but can last until the temperatures begin to freeze. According to Everyday Health, eighty percent of people suffer from fall allergies.

Many weeds also begin to grow around September and October. These plants have pollen that is either carried by the wind or insects. The breezy weather that comes with fall is a major contributor to the watery eyes and stuffy noses experienced at about this time.

“Allergies are our own bodies ‘overreaction’ to typically harmless substances,” said Mr. Burgett, science teacher. “Your body will release a chemical called ‘histamines’ to respond to these allergens.”

Allergies can be treated with over the counter medicines, containing antihistamines. Something as simple as washing your hands can also help prevent the effects of allergies.

Although the fall is a wonderful time of year, allergies are not something people look forward to. There are various ways to prevent them in order to enjoy the wonderful fall weather that many look forward to all year.

Breezy weather causes: watery eyes and stuffy

noses

#1 trigger for allergies is

ragweed

daylight savings time facts by: amanda minckler

It is that time of year where the leaves change, the clothes get cozier, and we get an extra hour of sleep. Here are a few quick facts about the reason for that hour of sleep.

Daylight savings time ends on November 1st

arizona and hawaii do not observe dls

10

november 2015

indepth

this time we “fall back” so we lose an hour

dls was extended to save energy

benjamin frankilin started the idea of dls

only seventy countries observe dls

volume 2 issue 2

remembering the 31st by: mike dart

Halloween, a time for spooks, scares, ghouls and freaks to shine. Halloween is the time of year when children and teenagers alike prowl the night in search of sugary sweets. There are many stories to be shared between friends and family including getting spooked by a scary monster to tripping over a costume while on the hunt for candy.

“Getting dressed is the best part of Halloween.”

-Savanna Snyder, junior

Submitted photos

“My worst memory is not being able to go trick or treating one year.”

-Carter West, sophomore

“A couple of years ago, I thought I lost my phone and looked for it the whole night.”

-Sarah Harder, junior

“Going to the Chargers Chief game with my dad.”

-Brendan Peterson, sophomore

“When I was in a lion costume, I put my foot under my couch and a mouse trap clamped on my foot.”

-Logan Davidson, freshman

volume 2 issue 2

“My best memory was walking up to a house thinking nobody was there and some guy popping out and scaring me.”

-Cannon ahrens, junior

“My friends, Hunter and Justin, were trick or treating when we saw teens that looked like they had BB guns so we ran away because they started chasing us.”

-Brady Netzel, sophomore

indepth

november 2015

11

Girls Golf in Full Swing Added Players creates stronger team

By Mason Hjermstad

T

his is the first time the golf team has had to cut in over four years. However, they did not have to cut as many as previously thought. Instead of reducing the team to sixteen, they were allowed to keep four more for a total of twenty girls.

“The course is being very generous in the fact that they are allowing us to keep more girls than the contract states,” said Mark Jones, Golf Coach. “I believe that they are doing their part in bettering more golfers. Allowing girls to come on allows them to be involved in something rather than being cut.”

With more girls permitted to play, several players that would not have otherwise had the opportunity to do well now have a shot; however, much more goes into it than playtime alone.

“I feel grateful that they’re allowing us

to have more players because I certainly don’t like to cut anyone,” said Coach Jones.

“A student a couple years ago who was cut her freshman year made it to the state tournament her senior year. Things like that are kind of eye opening to who’s going to put in the effort.”

With the cuts made and the season on its way, the girls are progressing. The coaches are seeing improvement from both new and old players.

“I think we are making progress and hopefully we’ll keep doing that.” said Gary Zessin, assistant Golf Coach. “I have appreciated how the girls have made good use of our practice time and that’s a big help to get better, also, for the season.”

Although these cuts had to be made, the team was grateful for the course’s generosity. As they continue, the coaches look forward to a successful season.

Fall Sports Statistics Cross-Country:

Big Wins: both teams were champions at the Platteview Invitational MVPS: Mazie Larsen and Nicole Martindale-medaled at every meet

Volleyball:

Record: 24-0 Big wins: The Dragons beat Millard West and Elkhorn South in the first tournament of the season

Football:

Record: 5 and 1-lost to Plattsmouth Big Wins: Norris-good comebac

Boy’s Tennis:

Records: 7-1 in team duals, four 1st place finishes in tournaments Big Wins: Fremont invitational: beat the top team in class B, beat top eight teams in class A MVPs: Jacob Weber-#1 singles, Matthias Mattley and Zach Weber#1 doubles

Softball:

Photo by Mason Hjermstad Eye on the ball Lindsey Johnson, Jamie Karas, and Sophie Anderson, sophomores, practice their swings.

12

november 2015

Sports

Record: 15-8 Big Wins: The girls won two tournaments and place second in another MVPs: ReAnn Schreiner, Alexa Sedlak, Lexi Burkhardt, Ady Watts

volume 2 issue 2

Prayers, Spirit, and eagerness

Dragons win state softball for the first time in history

F

By: Roy Thompson

or a team that has never won a state title, the first state championship victory is a huge event. The Dragon’s Softball team beat Elkhorn South 6-5 at the NSAA State Softball Championships, held October 14-16 in Hastings, NE., earning them the state championship. This year’s group of girls put in a massive amount of work to earn the state title.

“The practices we did in the summer may have been, if not, more important than the practices that we did during the school season,” said Brooke Smith, junior. “During the season we practiced what we had installed in the summer over and over again.”

The preparation for this season started in November 2014.

The girls used this opportunity to lock in the necessary skills that carried them to Hastings.

“We spent more time in June and July this year than we ever had so it’s not by accident that we had success,” said Head Coach, Bill Heard. “There is a lot of things that go into it when you have a moment like that [winning the state championship].”

The 2015 season held many high points for the team; however, there were several setbacks along the way. The girls suffered a midseason, five game losing streak that forced them to rethink their strategies.

“The losing streak turned out to be a good thing for us,” said Coach Heard. “We kind of had to bottom out and figure out which direction we were going to go with things and the kids rebounded from that like they should.”

Since the beginning of the softball program, Gretna has shown massive development in their performance. In recent years, the girls have not achieved the placings that they had hoped for and looked to improve this year.

“The team has continued to develop and always looked to improve on our fifth place finish last year,” said Olivia Leathers, sophomore. “ We knew we had to improve and worked hard to fix things as the season played out.”

This year’s championship was viewed with hungry eyes as October 14 rapidly approached. The tournament was no exception to the rest of the season, and it was not met without its fair share of challenges. The first game played was against none other than Elkhorn South. The Dragons suffered a tough 9-3 loss that set them back tremendously.

“I was disappointed in how we played the first game of the state tournament,” said Coach Heard. “We just didn’t play like we were capable of and how we bounced back from it, I mean, we just got hot at the right time. That’s just really all it was. We swung the bats well and the kids just didn’t want to be done playing-- they just kept competing.”

Their first loss at the tournament carried plenty of weight with the team. None of them wanted to accept defeat and they had to come to terms with what had happened and decide whether that would be the end of their season.

“Coach Heard told us in our huddle after the first loss at state that no matter what happened, he and the rest of the coaching staff would still love and be proud of us, but he was not going to let us end our season how we played that first game,” said Smith.

“The team decided to step up and be the competition, after all, we were chasing the gold-- not protecting it. Prayers, spirit, and the eagerness to make others proud kept us going.”

volume 2 issue 2

Victorius Jordan Foss, sophomore, has been playing on the team since her freshman year.

“... Prayers, spirit, and the eagerness to make others proud kept us going.”

The next day held new teams and several victories for the Dragons. In their games against Northwest and Hastings, they defeated their opponents by at least a three run lead placing them in the finals against Elkhorn South where they closed the tournament with a 6-5 win securing them the state title.

“Many of us have been lucky to play on many championship teams and win tournaments throughout our careers but anytime you can win one representing your school is always the greatest accomplishment,” said Leathers. “ Playing for Gretna has always been a goal for many of us and to do so and represent the school, well, is something that we can all be proud of as a team and as a school.”

Coach Heard was extremely proud of the team’s performance across the season and the state title only added to that. For him, their state championship is the most memorable moment of his coaching career.

“I think we just got more competitive as the year went; we figured out what our identity was,” said Coach Heard. “We’re a group of kids that just were not going to quit. They just didn’t have that in their DNA. That sort of lead to us becoming more comfortable as individuals and that takes the next step as a team.”

As a whole, this year’s defeats and abundant victories make the Dragon’s goal of becoming a force to be reckoned with a stark reality. Going from a team that has never won a state championship to a triumphant victory over a rival team that earned them a state title, The team looks forward to what the future holds for their softball program. Prayers, spirit and eagerness to make others proud carried the team from start to finish, for now they can finally say that all their hard work has just paid off.

Sports

november 2015

13

Boy’s Tennis Keeps Swinging

As the season comes to an end, Dragons continue to win

T

by Abbie Wesely

he Gretna High School boy’s tennis team has been increasingly successful this season.

In order to improve, the team has worked diligently on their tennis skills. During the two-hour practices after school, the boys conditioned and participated in many drills.

Determination has been the seed for success for the team, and many players loved the opportunity of competing at state.

“There have been big improvements from last year,” said Ben Rhodes, junior.

“The work put into becoming better has paid off, and we’ve been playing really well.”

Making progress has been the biggest goal of the GHS tennis team. As a result, they have become more aggressive and effective on the court. Staying focused during practice and match time seems

Photo by Abbie Wesely Waiting to Strike Matthias Mattley, junior, prepares to serve the ball to his opponent

14

November 2015

to have been helpful in the team’s improvement. Keeping a positive attitude and an open mind has benefitted the players and coaches alike. They have been encouraged by the results of these changes.

“The pressure of competition makes everyone better,” said Mr. Bret Kohles, head coach. “There has been more motivation to improve.”

Tennis has effects on the boys both on and off the court. The sport keeps them active and their schedules busy. They are always striving to become better during the season.

“Many players worked individually during the offseason to improve,” said Jacob Weber. “Last year we were pretty good, but this year we are much better.”

During the third year of the program, they achieved third place at the state tournament, and Jacob Weber, sophomore, got first in the one singles

Photo by Abbie Wesely Forward Motion Jacob Weber, sophomore, follows through while serving

Sports

division.

With all of the time spent together, the boys have become close friends and have bonded as a team. They like to spend time with each other and enjoy the bus rides together.

“My favorite part is the team bonding and jokes during practice,” said Matthias Mattley, junior. “We love to cheer each other on, and we have become super close teammates this year.”

It is likely that their improvement as a team will continue. With new players joining the team next year, the bond will continue to grow stronger.

“As a team, we are deeper than we ever have been,” said Coach Kohles. “It’s not about one person; if you’re going to do well as a team, it takes everyone to push each other to be better.”

With determination and teamwork, the boys are eager to make more progress next year.

Photo by Abbie Wesely Following Through Ryan Brace, sophomore, swings through a serve

volume 2 issue 2

A lasting impression Color Guard earns gretna’s first caption award

I

by Layne Staley

f anyone has been to a GHS home football game, they likely noticed the band’s halftime performance.

There are student playing instruments, choreography, props, and the “flag girls”. These girls are members of the Color Guard. Students have seen them perform, but not much is known about what goes into the practices, the technique, the routines, and competitions, or how much work goes into being a part of the team.

The Color Guard has many practices, and they are not easy. In an entire week, they will spend about 14 hours in order to learn, clean, and perfect their routines. They have practice Monday 8-9 am, Tuesday through Friday from 7-9, and also hold after school practices Monday 6-9, and Thursday 6-8.

“We stretch and warm up, then we run the routine and see what spots need to be fixed,” said Sara Luedders, senior. “After that, we go back and clean those parts with counts.”

The team has three songs they must rehearse. In these songs, they use six foot tall flags, rifles, and sabres (swords). To ensure the routine is clean, they use techniques to

have their hands in the correct direction and spot of the pole and also to make their flags spin in unison. Because of the amount of work, the members must be committed if they want to be a part of the team.

“There is a lot of practicing with it and tedious work,” said Taylor Riecken, senior, “but when you go out on that field to perform, it is the best feeling in the world to feel all the effort you put in shown to everybody.”

An important goal for the Color Guard this season was to receive a caption award for “Best Color Guard.” This goal was achieved at the LINKS competition. Other important goals include being uniform in routines and being able to improve at each competition. In order to do these thing, the members must be able to work well together. There are 10 members this year, and this makes it easy to disagree with the different personalities. The long nights and early mornings can wear them down, so it is crucial that the girls remain tolerant of one another. With the help of the new coach, Jessie Castellano, the team captains, Maddie Owen and Taylor Riecken, seniors, and Anna Allen, junior, the team will be

fighting for these goals together.

“My favorite part of Color Guard is getting to spend time with a lot of my friends,” said Luedders. “Working with them makes the large time commitment more enjoyable.”

All the work the girls put into the team has certainly been paying off. At the Papio South competition, the girls placed third.

They placed first at the LINKS competition.

They have five competitions for the season at Papio South, Capital City, LINKS, OMI, and State Band competitions. These all take place at local high schools and normally last an entire day.

“I would encourage anyone considering joining Color Guard to join because it is a lot of fun,” said Maddie Owen, senior. “We always welcome new members and you will get the experience of being on the more creative or visual side of a marching band show.”

The Color Guard members dedicate themselves to many hours of practices, forming good techniques and routines, and working together. This dedication will take them far and hopefully help them achieve their goals for this season.

Colorguard Terms To Know

Photo by Layne Staley Flying High (left-right) Taylor Riecken, senior, and Areden Fechtmeister, sophomore, swing their flag in time with the music.

volume 2 issue 2

sports

silk-the flag tab-top end of the pole sail-when the silk gets caught on the pole, making it harder to spin tab- where the silk meets the pole cheaters- guide points on the pole helicopter- when the flag spins over your head, parallel to the ground toaster/plane- area where you spin the flag drop spin- spinning the flag in front of you grabbing thumb up then down always grabbing under each hand november 2015

15

finding faith

building beliefs outside the church

By Kayla calvert

I

find myself sitting in church every Sunday, spacing out and trying to figure out how sitting in this room for an hour and listening to archaic language determines the morals of my life. There is nothing wrong with attending a church to worship the god of your choice; however, this does not call for criticism of my belief that a so-called, “good person”, is not always generated under a steeple.

Morals are shown by how we treat ourselves, others and the environment we live in. Working a retail job on Sundays has shown me that it is not uncommon

for a family to come straight from their holy place of “spreading good news to all”, to treating me as if I am not worthy of their time. That is poor demonstration of the life guidelines set by the Bible.

While this is not always the case, it goes to show that attending a church does not necessarily make someone genuine.

I have found myself on a spiritual level using deep thinking, or meditation.

I look back on my mistakes, and decide how to better myself and prevent them in the future. Focusing on forgiveness and my own experiences help me to understand how I need to treat others.

I embrace the lessons I have learned and act upon them to create a better future.

I dread walking into my church every Sunday. Feelings of judgement wave over me as I know what others would say if they knew the way I truly felt. Forcing me into church every Sunday only drives me further away, as I continue to feel myself detaching from the ancient teachings of my church. I am no longer afraid to embrace God in my own way. An hour of church on Sunday does not define who I am; life experiences have taught me more about how to live heartily than any form of ancient scripture ever will.

an outlook on religious perspectives •

Christianity

• • •

• • •

Jesus Christ is the son of God, and the savior.

After death, spend eternity in Heaven.

17.7% of Christians in the US attend church regularly.

Hinduism

Fate is determined by Karma, the moral worth of one’s actions.

Worship one God, who appears in many forms.

After death, everyone is reincarnated.

Worship at least once daily in home shrines or in a temple.

• •

• • • •

16

Judaism

Read scripture from the Torah.

Still awaiting the arrival of the Messiah.

Only eat Kosher foods and blood must be drained from all meat and poultry before eaten.

22% of US Jews describe themselves as having no religion and are not closely tied to a synagogue.

november 2015

op/ed

• •

Islam

Scripture is the Qur’an.

Follow the teachings of Muhammad, who was sent from God. Broken into three sections: Sunni, Sufi, and Shi’a Complete 5 prayers daily and congregational worship on Fridays.

volume 2 issue 2

a safe haven for all church is a place of unity

A

By Ethan harwell

ccording to the Hartford Institute of Religion Research, about 40 percent of Americans claim to attend church weekly, while only 20 percent belong to a church. Going to church has many benefits, even for people who are not very close to God. It is a good way to make friends and meet new people. It is just a fun way to spend your Sunday.

As previously mentioned, church is a great place to meet new people. I have only been attending this new church for a couple of months and I have made countless new friends of all ages and backgrounds. Church is just a common ground where one can socialize and have a good time. My pastor always says that not everyone that attends is religious, and although he would love for those people to find Jesus, he wants them to feel at home and surrounded by friends no matter what. He does an incredible job too. At my church, like most, love and care are stressed subjects, resulting in an atmosphere where there is little judgement between members.

One of the most compelling reasons for many attendees is the confidence boost that they experience from the service. The sermons are often extremely encouraging, and give a nice bump in one’s self esteem before you tackle Monday. As with many religions, part of Christianity is

emphasizing individual worth. My pastor always tells stories with the main point being that God loves us all. No matter what one looks like, mistakes one has made, and places one has been, each individual person is still valuable.

Church also gives attendees a “moral compass”. This is a significant reason for many churchgoers, even if they are non-

I

f you’re not having a good time at church, you’re going to the wrong one.

religious people. It helps one decide what is right and wrong. Things like drugs, violence, bullying and other harmful practices are discouraged because they are believed to be sins. Love, acceptance, and healthy habits are strongly encouraged. Not only this, but they are important aspects of being a good Christian. For young people who are easily persuaded, this can make a world of difference in their lives, where there is constant peer pressure to do illegal or immoral things. It reinforces upstanding behavior and gets them on a path to a happy healthy life, free from detrimental habits. Studies show that crime rates in

large cities are lower near churches. Often times, this is because the communities surrounding those churches are influenced by its respective church.

Another benefit for people who believe in God, or those considering religion, is help understanding the Bible.

The Bible is a collection of ancient stories, letters, writings and teachings that have been translated, rewritten, and taught in thousands of different ways around the world. In other words, Christianity can get confusing. Going to church, reading passages, and discussing topics that are hard to understand, really helps each individual find what it means to them. My pastor often reads passages and even translates them into more easily understandable syntax. He explains aspects of, and gives context to the stories. This helps me greatly with figuring out what is going on in all that mess. It allows me to form my own thoughts, and relate the teachings to my own life.

My pastor spoke a couple weeks ago about the different churches out there. He talked about the ones that may have lost sight of many of Jesus’ teachings. They have lost sight of love for fellow man, even if he is different. Churches can get “stuffy” and “rigid” in their teachings. He argues that church really is not supposed to be that way. If you’re not having a good time at church, you’re going to the wrong one.

Illustrated by Gabby Moore

volume 2 issue 2

op/ed

november 2015

17

Step 1

classic snack gone spooky a holiday take on an old time treat

‘T

by: lauren foss

Step 2

is the season of crisp nights around a bonfire, crimson and orange leaves drifting from trees; and, of course, the popular and famous flavors of pumpkin spice. Recently, I have noticed a major increase in the variety of foods proposing this famous fall staple as a flavor option, and I felt obligated to test a recipe that incorporated the comforting flavor. When I stumbled across an article advertising Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow, I was both intrigued and terrified to taint the classic snack with the spicy fall flavor. The recipe was similar to that of classic Puppy Chow, despite the addition of spices and the lack of peanut butter.

Ultimately, I found a recipe that was easy enough to meet my culinarily skill set and dug in.

The recipe called for common spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves that could be found in any cabinet, and the only ingredients I had to purchase were the white melting chocolate, the mellowcreme pumpkins, and the cinnamon flavored Chex cereal.

After acquiring the necessities, I began. I was prepared to get my hands moderately dirty, but I did not anticipate the mess that would plague the rest of my kitchen.

I began by dumping the entire box of cereal into a large glass mixing bowl.

Then, I dumped the 12 oz. bag of white

Step 3

18

November 2015

melting chocolate into a separate bowl and microwaved it in 15 second increments, stirring between nuking, until it was a smooth texture. When adding the required spices to the chocolate, mixing in a moderately close amount is always an option. Good estimation will speed up the process. After mixing the spices, I poured the concoction over the cereal and although the recipe called for careful and slow mixing to avoid broken Chex, I dug in with my hands, causing a majority of the pieces to wind up all over the counter and up to my elbows. For this process I suggest using an extremely large bowl and any utensil other than your hands. Using my boyfriend as my trusty assistant, we piled the mixture into a gallon zip top bag with confectioners sugar and cinnamon to be tossed around until fully coated. Once the bag was tossed and chucked around, coating the cereal mixture entirely, we dumped the product into a large bowl and added a mix of candy corn and mellowcreme pumpkins to finalize the treat.

The taste of the snack speaks for itself as I found my family making dents in the bowl as it sat on the kitchen counter.

The Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow to be comforting and sweet with the familiar components of puppy chow mixed with the soothing reminders of Thanksgiving and the fall season.

Final product

a&e

volume 2 issue 2

The heart of the arts Why the arts are so important to our school

T

By: katie stukenholtz

he world of creativity gets its start with the arts.They are more than just the typical painting and drawing; there are many parts such as music, both vocal and instrumental, dance, and theater.

These hobbies are a way for kids to freely express themselves.

“I feel the arts are important because it is an area where emotions can be free and expressed in what is done,” said Nick von Rentzell, junior. “It also exercises the mind and the soul because of music and identities that vary greatly throughout the music and roles to practice and make perfect.”

The arts not only allow for self expression, but they allow for an increase in brain power. While the arts are usually seen as a booster for creativity, they help with the logical aspect of the brain too.

“It is also great for the mind because it takes power to memorize music and lines and cues, which adds to stronger intelligence in school,” said von Rentzell.

Often times students will use these as a way to meet others with similar interests and talents. The arts are a great way for students to come out of their shells and let others know who they really are.

“Music and band have given me more friends and relationships,” said Michelle Weber, sophomore. “They let me express my love for something and not be judged.”

The arts are far more than just social affairs; they give students more confidence. Many people find that with expressive arts comes more determination.

“One of the benefits of participating in arts is gaining confidence in front of an audience and large groups of people,” said Mila Serefko, junior. “The arts take a lot of dedication and commitment.”

The importance of the arts cannot be stressed enough, without them school would not be the same.The students of GHS are eager when it comes to a chance to participate and are quite aware of the importance of these programs.

Fundamentals Miranda Hansen and Grace Wiseman, sophomores, are working on still life drawings of an apple in Drawing Fundamentals.

volume 2 issue 2

A&E

The arts: Drumline there are 7 students on drumline 1 tenor 2 snares 4 bass drums

Amanda Kwasniewski is concentrating on a sketch in Drawing Fundamentals

November 2015

19