The Voice March 2019

Salerno

THE

3

Legacie

7

Dungeons

8

Oreos

12

VOICE

NEWEST SAFE SPACE, AFFINITY GROUP

Club to Focus on Students’ of Color Experiences in the Hallways

By Zane Mrozla-Mindrup STAFF WRITER

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Comfortable Outlet Kyoko Richardson (21) is a sophomore who moved to Gretna last year. “It would help give students of color have a place where other people can come and relate,” Richardson said. She helped to make the group a reality. Photo by Zane Mrozla-Mindrup

Represent Minority Isabel Mancilla feels that the group is needed at GHS. “A group like this is important in the sense that our school is predominantly white, and students of color aren’t really around,” Isabel Mancilla (20) said.

The group is set to meet regularly. Photo by Zane MrozlaMindrup

here is a new group at Gretna High School that focuses on racial identities and the situations around it. While it has yet to become a club, the group has held meetings and has begun the process of becoming an official club.

“I haven’t become fully immersed in the group yet,” junior Isabel Mancilla said. “From what I understand though, the Students of Color Council is an organization who meet together and discuss topics relevant to the lives of students of color.”

One interesting aspect of this organization is that for the time being, it is specifically open to students of color at GHS. The chief reason behind this, according to one of the group’s creators, sophomore Kyoko Richardson, is that there are a lot of places for all students to congregate, but few set aside specifically for students of color to discuss their shared struggles.

“It is a group designed to be a support system in an area that has less culture and diversity than other schools,” Richardson said. “It is a safe place for security and understanding.”

Since the group is not yet an official club, they do not hold regular meetings.

However, some issues that they have discussed in the past include daily living in a largely white community and the issue of microaggressions. These are brief, daily outbursts of racism that can be harder to spot and where the person being insulted over time.

“We will be covering multiple topics,” junior Ajani “AJ” Rivers said. “We will talk about the school hiring more teachers of color, microaggressions, racism in the curriculum/classroom, parents, profiling, and stereotypes.”

The teacher that has taken the lead in this club has been journalism advisor Mrs. Gretchen Baijnauth. She decided to take it on because she wanted to create a safe haven for students of color-- a place help empower students to become their own selfadvocates.

“Mrs. Baijnauth is a strong-willed, strong-minded independent woman,” Richardson said “Mrs. B will fight for us.

I think that she is the only person in the school that will truly sacrifice for us, and protect us.”

Mrs. Baijnauth founded the group with the urging of her students. She is actively assisting the students with the task of forming an official club.

“My goal with this group was to build a safe place for students of color to retreat to and regroup while processing and dealing with the daily stress of overt and covert campus racism,” Mrs. Baijnauth said.

The students forming the group have many goals, including settling on a specific club name. They hope to be able to bring in speakers and grow into a panel which can speak to teachers about students of color.

This panel and the club also aims to speak to younger students at the elementary schools.

These goals are currently being explored by the group. Any students interested in more information on the group should talk to Mrs. Baijnauth in Room 623.

Spread Awareness Other creators wish to help others. “We want to talk about things that need to be talked about- spark conversations and spread awareness.” Ajani Rivers (20) said.

These conversations allow minorities to share their opinions and discuss experiences. Submitted photo

SOPHOMORE ACCUPLACER SCORE CHANGE Benchmarks, Tests Adjusted; More Students Allowed into Classes

By Eliese Simon STAFF WRITER

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n February 22, tenth and eleventh graders received an e-mail concerning the Accuplacer scoring. After the counselors got the scores back, they noticed that the average score was below the requirements. So, they took it to director of curriculum Dr. Rex Anderson to see if it was okay to talk to Metro about lowing the score. After consulting them they decided that they would change the required score for duel credit classes (DC).

“We first had to ask our admin person if he thought we could lower it... Dr. Anderson indicated that we would need to talk to Metro about it,” guidance counselor Dr. Melissa Hansen said. “So we had to call and talk to the Dean… at Metro, to discuss if we could reduce it and then also in the meantime we were also talking to our teachers about what they thought.

They got to see all the scores of all the student that took it and based on students performance in class and things like that, the teachers felt comfortable and confident that if we lowered the score to 255 that would be an accurate score for students to be successful in the dual credit class.”

DC classes are classes that students can take to get credits for both high school and college at a low cost. These classes require a test called the Accuplacer for student placement. The scores a student receive an indicator of student success in college

classes.

“The reading test is to help us know what reading level students read at, and in order to be successful in a college class, students need to read at a little higher grade level, essentially,” Dr. Hansen said. “So that is basically what it is doing-- it is telling us whether students read at a level that they will be successful in the college class.”

Sophomore Rylie Johnson took the test and was two points away from hitting the Accuplacer cutoff. These two points stood in the way between her and the DC classes she wanted to take. However, Johnson received an email that stated the score had been lowered. As a result, she was excited for the opportunity to take more challenging classes.

“I was sitting in Ms. Brisco’s class with Kailee Stones, and we were watching a movie, and I got an email that came across from my dad,” Johnson said. “It said they had changed the scores, and we immediately started partying in our chairs very silently, and we were overwhelmed with joy because we were just super excited because we both thought we did a little bit better than what we had done. So, just really overwhelmed with happiness and joy because it was like a second chance.”

Every year, Metro comes to the school and administers the Accuplacer to assist people who have not taken the ACT and want to enroll in the dual credit classes.

The confusion this year was due to a

new test causing the benchmark score to change. “...The confusion this year was the test kinda changed,” guidance counselor Mr. Curt Mace said. “All (of) the sudden it was like the next-gen Accuplacer, and the score was different, and we found that out, like, the day of. Then we looked at all of our scores and thought wow, our average is below that line, and a good number of students did not get that score. So we

kinda looked at our scores, and we had our teachers here look at them, we had people at Metro look at them, and we kinda just ended up coming up with a different number.”

Due to the new test scores being different from other years there was confusion about people not passing. From now on there will be communication between them and Metro to make the process smoother.

Qualification Scores This year, the scores were lowered so that more students could be in Dual Credit classes. “Metro had a new version of the Accuplacer, and with that new version came new scores that students need to achieve in order to be placed in dual credit classes,” Dr. Hansen said. This sheet of paper shows the accuplacer reading and ACT scores needed for each course.

2 News

MARCH 2019

Volume 5 Issue 6

TESTING KNOWLEDGE

Quiz Bowl Answers Questions

By Mary Matya COPY EDITOR

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Quiz Bowl Action During a round, questions are asked by reader. “Well it depends- for example, when you hear math come from the reader’s mouth, three members of your team will probably sigh and put down their pencil,” Maya Burns (20) said. The captain sits closest to the timer so he or she can hear the question.

Photo by Ella Weaver

Quiz Multitaskers Quiz Bowl can be a relaxed, fun activity. “My favorite part would be if you have good people on your team, it’s really fun,” Alaric Schiltz (20) said. People typically eat their lunch while answering questions. Photo by Ella Weaver

nswering a question in under ten seconds may seem scary, but in Quiz Bowl that is normal. It is an extracurricular offered at GHS, where participants must answer a variety in under ten seconds correctly in order to win points for their teams.

“It is a competition of schools made up of four people on each team,” Quiz Bowl coach Mr. Rick Arch said. “They’re read random academic questions and need to be the first one to buzz in with the correct answer.”

Some students involved in Quiz Bowl got their start in middle school. Others simply showed up at practice in high school to see what it is all about.

“I was very much into it in middle school,” junior Alaric Schiltz said. “Once I got to high school, I found out when and where practices were.”

Many of the students involved in Quiz Bowl have their own strengths when it comes to the topics. They might know all about a particular subject.

“I’m good at biology,” junior Maya Burns said. “Pretty fast at scientific notation, relatively okay at history, and I’m also able to answer a fair number of literature questions.”

To prepare for a match, students go to practices held during lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are other ways to prepare for a match as well.

“Just reading anything,” Schiltz said.

“Watching the show “Jeopardy!” is a big help because it’s the same thing (as Quiz Bowl).”

The questions at matches can seem random. However, not all of the questions are good ones. Some of the questions can

seem obscure or include difficult math. .....“Well it depends; for example, when you hear math come from the reader’s mouth, three members of your team will probably sigh and put down their pencil,” Burns said.

“Geography and obscure Russian composers always seem to come up for some reason.”

The advanced team had their first matches of the semester on Mar. 1 and 3. Even though they did not place at either competition, they have fun at their competitions. However, sometimes a reader might not accept the answer a team gives. The answer might be technically correct or is phrased differently.

“There are times when you can challenge a question,” Mr. Arch said. “Either their answer is wrong or the answer we gave is synonymous with the correct answer.”

Teammates certainly help the Quiz Bowl experience. A captain challenges questions, but everyone has equal opportunity to answer.

“My favorite part would be if you have good people on your team, it’s really fun,” Schiltz said. “You can collaborate with your friends and stuff, and also it’s a good competition if you win or lose.”

If students are interested in Quiz Bowl, members suggest going to practices to understand what is expected of team members. It is very accepting of anyone who is interested.

“Practices are during lunch on Tuesday/ Thursday,” Burns said. “Honestly, just show up, give it a shot and see if you like it.”

The team is ready to get into their spring semester of matches. At Nebraska Wesleyan, the advanced B Team placed second. The novice A and B teams placed first and second respectively in their division. The novice teams have three competitions left, and practice still takes place every Tuesday and Thursday in Mr. Arch’s room.

PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING APRIL ACT

Juniors Ready for Statewide Testing

By Gavin Struve STAFF WRITER

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fter a Nebraska Department of Education policy change in 2016, juniors throughout the state began to take the ACT instead of NeSA as their 11th grade performance assessment. For Nebraska’s nearly one hundred thousand juniors, test prep has begun for April 2, ACT test day.

“I am dreading the coming ACT,” junior Aidan Furley said. “There is a lot of studying that goes into it for me.”

Guidance counselor Ms. Carole Carraher has been part of the teaching staff of GHS’s ACT prep class for approximately a decade.

“Our kids who really invest in the class can drastically improve their ACT test scores,” Ms. Carraher said. “Through learning who they are as a test taker, learning strategies on how to tackle the test and becoming more familiar with how the test works, students become more comfortable and confident when taking the test.”

Guidance counselor Mr. Curt Mace has administered the ACT at Gretna for the last several years, but he will not proctor a test this year because his daughter, a junior, will be taking the test. In his stead is fellow guidance counselor Dr. Melissa Hansen.

“I will be organizing the rooms, schedules, and materials as the site supervisor this year,” Dr. Hansen said.

“It may be a little stressful, but I have experience as the site supervisor for the two-week AP Exam and have proctored the ACT before.”

The counselors stress the importance of preparing for the test to maximize results.

They feel the courses at GHS along with the prep class can help students most

adequately prepare.

“First and foremost, the prep class sets aside forty hours of preparation time for students to practice ACT content,” Ms. Carraher said. “It also gives them a lot of tips and strategies, covers the timing and stress of the test, is conveniently held at our school, and costs less than half of similar ACT prep classes.”

There are several other prep classes offered in the area. They all give students valuable tips and build a base of study time that many students may struggle with scheduling on their own.

“I am taking John Baylor Test Prep in the summer,” Furley said. “So I will be focusing more on the June ACT as I will be far better prepared. This test will at least help gauge where I am at.”

The state-mandated ACT for juniors is the only time students are required to take that test. However, this does not stop students from choosing to take the assessment several times before and after the April test date.

“I took the ACT this past June and October,” junior Kaylee Moore said. “I will probably be taking it again after this coming test to continue improving.”

For some, test taking comes naturally, but others struggle with the pressure of a standardized test. Senior Benjamin Schaefer, who scored a 35 during his junior ACT, did not face this problem.

“I did not study at all,” Schaefer said.

“But I knew I would do well on the test.

It is important to stay relaxed and focused because getting nervous and secondguessing yourself will make you do poorly.”

While the ACT does hold a decent amount of weight for colleges and scholarships, it is simply another standardized test. If juniors are nervous, it is important they know there are several more opportunities to take the test and improve.

ACT Posters GHS counselors have created a board of both A.C.T. and college preparation materials. “I will be organizing the rooms, schedules, and materials as the site supervisor this year,” counselor Dr. Hansen said. The counselors also organized materials such as test dates and preparation tips. Photo by Ella Weaver Test Time The A.C.T. is offered at multiple dates throughout the year. “I took the ACT this past June and October,” junior Kaylee Moore said. Students have the opportunity to retake the test outside of school if they are unhappy with their April 2 score.

Photo by Ella Weaver

MARCH 2019

Volume 5 Issue 6

SKYHAWK RETURNS TO NEST

News

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Beloved Teacher Continues Journey

By Casey Downing STAFF WRITER

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panish instructor Mrs. Lisa Salerno has held class in Gretna for two years and in that time has impacted many students. Her time at GHS has taught her many things and Mrs. Salerno has certainly left her mark on the program as well.

“I have become such a better teacher because of the way things are done at Gretna,” Mrs. Salerno said. “We teach foreign language in a way that students enjoy so much more than the way I taught before. And because of the accountability policy, I have learned not to let kids give up on whatever we are working on, to keep encouraging them to master the material instead of moving on with a big gap in their understanding.”

Mrs. Salerno is known in the halls of GHS for being one of the most caring and compassionate people in the building. She has impacted the lives of many students. One of these students is senior Hannah Schmidt.

“She is the most kind, caring, humble Spanish teacher I have ever met,” Schmidt said. “She is very welcoming and that made her class very enjoyable for me.”

Mrs. Salerno wants to give thanks not only for the students, but to her fellow teachers. She believes that having great coworkers has been one of the most meaningful experiences she has had over the last two years.

“There’s very little that I won’t miss,” Mrs. Salerno said. “My department is so great, and I admire so many of the people I teach with. The kids are awesome, too. I want to thank Mr.

Miller for being such a great principal.

It’s a great school. People here really care about the students they teach.”

Going the extra mile is something that many students enjoy about Mrs. Salerno. Students were unafraid to ask for help in her classroom because they knew she would go above and beyond to help them.

“In the time that I have known Mrs. Salerno, she has enlightened me to the Spanish culture,” senior Aaron Peterson said. “She makes Spanish an exciting course. I’m never afraid to ask for help and I can count on her adjusting stuff to help the students. She will be missed by all of the students she taught here.”

Working individually with students to help them succeed is something that Mrs. Salerno goes out of her way to do. She believes that this is what makes her a better teacher and allows her to get to know the kids that she is teaching.

“I have loved teaching such a wide variety of learners,” Mrs. Salerno said.

“Sometimes it makes me feel more successful to help one student who is struggling to figure something out than a whole class of kids who catch on easily. I have loved getting to know some of my students really well.

My life will always be a little better because of them.”

Students who had Mrs. Salerno in the past and students who were instructed by her for the first time this year can agree. She has left her mark on the GHS foreign language program and has set students up for future success in whatever they pursue. Students and faculty alike wish Mrs. Salerno luck in the future and give her a bittersweet farewell.

Enriching Students Smiling with a Día de Muertos statue, Mrs. Salerno tries to mix the culture she teaches into life. “In the time that I have known Mrs. Salerno she has enlightened me to the Spanish culture,” Aaron Peterson (19) said. Doing so allows her to teach topics, such as Dia de Muertos, with an enriched significance. Submitted photo

Teaching Diligently Spanish instructor Mrs. Lisa Salerno presents to her class the Spanish notes for the day. “I will be sad to see her leave,” Peterson said. “She shaped a big part of my high school career.”

Salerno departs the school with many other students sad to see her go. Photo by Casey Downing

GRETNA’S FEBRUARY BLIZZARD

Drivers Still Sliding Weeks After Record Snowfalls

By Anissa Lemons STAFF WRITER

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Rising Banks Snow banks reach over three feet from the blizzard well over a week later. “My neighborhood is still messy,” Nhu Hoang (20) said. Snow piled by the roadsides. Photo by Anissa Lemons

Ice Accumulates Packed snow and ice is difficult to get rid of. “There are still chunks of ice and snow in my neighborhood.” Jaileigh Sorgenfrei (20) said.

The winter weather still left slippery patches around neighborhoods well after the blizzard. Photo by Anissa Lemons

n Saturday, Feb. 23, a snow emergency was declared after the rumored blizzard came straight for Gretna and its surrounding cities and towns. The blizzard brought freezing rain, high winds up to 45 miles per hour and snow ranging from seven to nine inches. The snow plow drivers were in for a messy treat after the weekend’s seemingly never-ending storm.

The ice and snow packed streets were sure to give some students issues on their commute to school and home. While some were too scared to even touch the streets, others expressed their feelings about driving through the snow and ice.

“I almost crashed into a pole,” junior Nhu Hoang said. “I did not like it at all.”

The blizzard brought out a mix of emotions for those affected. Though the snow and ice did grant students with a snow day, students were quick to express their feelings of annoyance and displeasure for the storm all over social media and in person.

“There were excessive amounts of snow, and it needs to be gone,” junior Jaileigh Sorgenfrei said. “I’m tired of it. It’s hard to clean up. But I’m glad we had that one day off.”

Everyone has a different commute to school, but for the students that live outside of Gretna, the drive may have seemed extremely intimidating. Some students even experienced delays or longer commute times because of the blizzard.

“My usual drive is 8 to 10 minutes,” Hoang said. “But because of the blizzard, it was about 15 to 16 minutes.”

On Saturday, Feb. 23, I-80 was closed from Gretna all the way to Grand Island.

The extreme amounts of snow and ice that accumulated on the streets of Gretna slowed down and even stopped some students from getting around during the storm.

“I had to travel from my friend’s house,” Sorgenfrei said. “I took my time, but I did hit some ice and snow.”

Over a week later, side roads and neighborhoods still were not being cleaned and cleared out. While driving through, there are many signs of packed snow and ice. Some snowbanks reach as high as three feet. The snow banks are the result of the homeowners of each neighborhood who shoveled and snow-blowed the many inches of snow that coated their driveways and sidewalks.

“Our neighborhood is rough,” Hoang said. “The roads still haven’t been cleared.

It’s just really messy.”

According to the news, the blizzard brought “life-threatening” conditions.

Many car crashes were reported during the weekend of the storm. Drivers were intimidated by the icy roads and snow packed curbs, even a week after the big blizzard. Police officers around the county were out all day Saturday, Feb. 23, patrolling the roads.

“I prepared my patrol car and made sure my cold weather gear was handy,” resource officer Deputy Dale LaSonde said. “I assist road patrol, looking for cars in the ditches,

I do things like that.”

Driving on the roads after a blizzard can be intimidating, but as long as drivers are prepared and drive cautiously then the commute will be a breeze. While turning corners, drivers are urged to take them extremely slow. Looking both ways before going through a traffic light is needed because in some cases cars are not always able to stop, so be cautious about a possible car sliding through. While there is snow on the neighborhood roads, try to park in the driveway of a house if possible so snowplows can get through safely and get the roads cleared as quickly as possible.

“Try to stay off the roads,” Deputy LaSonde said. “But if you have to leave, make sure you have a plan. Let someone know when you’re leaving and where you’re going. Make sure to have emergency supplies handy.”

Snow plow drivers were still struggling to get all of the roads cleaned up from the storm up to two weeks later. City workers could be seen outside all day and all night trying to salt the roads and get all of the ice off of the streets.

“I would want to thank them (snowplow drivers) for working such long shifts,” Sorgenfrei said. “For taking time away from their families to get our roads cleaned.”

Though the blizzard is over, the city is still feeling the effects of it, well over a week later. With spring just around the corner, citizens of Gretna have something much warmer to look forward to. As the snow and ice melt, the heaviness felt by many from the storm will soon be lifted off of everyone’s shoulders.

4 OpEd

MARCH 2019

Volume 5 Issue 6

PRESIDENTIAL LEGACY

Reagan, Bush Assisted in Death Count By: Ella Weaver EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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he best actor in 2019, according to the Oscars, was Rami Malek. He won Best Actor for portraying Freddie Mercury in the biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” In his acceptance speech, Malek said, “We made a film about a gay man, an immigrant, who lived his life unapologetically himself.” The Oscar-winning movie ends with screencaps detailing the final details of Mercury’s life.

He died on Nov. 24, 1991, of AIDS-related illnesses. In a hopeful last note, the movie ends with a lovely message about Jim Beach, Brian May and Roger Taylor founding the Mercury Phoenix Trust in Mercury’s honor to battle HIV/AIDS. This final moment is set to hopeful music with a positive message: people are still fighting the good fight! Unfortunately, this positivity captures neither the full impact nor the full scope of the crisis that continues to this day.

The AIDS crisis publically reached the attention of the Reagan presidency in 1982 when a journalist named Lester Kinsolving asked if President Ronald Reagan was tracking the spread of AIDS, or “gay cancer.”

The press secretary laughed. Reagan only uttered the word “AIDS” three years later in 1985, after over 12,000 Americans had died.

His press corps and press secretary continued to make homophobic jokes and laugh until Reagan’s announcement. This announcement only came after nearly 23,000 had died. In 1987, still under Reagan’s administration, the first drug to treat AIDS was approved.

AZT neither cured nor prevented anything, and the recommended amount was a toxic overdose that ultimately $10,000 per year.

The government seemed to give no response to the growing number of dead Americans.

Activists with ACT UP, an activist group dedicated to ending the AIDS crisis, protested to fund more research and provoke any response from the government.

Reagan’s vice president and successor, President George H.W. Bush, was remembered

by AIDS activists after his death as having “a bad legacy of leadership,” according to former National Gay and Lesbian Task Force leader Urvashi Vaid in an interview with the New York Times.

President George W. Bush began PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which currently allows 14 million around the world to go onto treatment. Bush, of course, did take steps to act on the AIDS crisis.

Doing more than Reagan, Bush made the discrimination of HIV/AIDS patients illegal with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

He also signed the Ryan White Care Act, the largest federally-funded program helping HIV/ AIDS patients. However, by the end of his term when Bill Clinton became president, AIDS was the number one killer of men aged 25-44 in America, according to a 1993 CDC report.

Some activists point to Bush’s attitude toward

the LGBT community as a reason why. Safe-sex pamphlets were not allowed to mention gay sex, which is a primary spreader of HIV. Bush also ignored the National Commission on AIDS’ recommendations on both sexual educated and needle exchange. Bush also recommended that the disease could be controlled through personal behavior and that he would tell his grandchild that he was “not normal” if he was gay.

Today, the situation remains morbid.

According to statistics from the US government, 1.1 million Americans currently live with HIVand 1 out of 7 has no idea. HIV is not a blind killer- 53% of the newly infected in 2015 were in the southern United States. African-Americans and Hispanic/Latinos were the most affected races, and gay and bisexual men were the mostaffected demographic in 2015. These statistics are blamed on the stigma and prejudice facing these communities. Young people around high school age were most likely to be unaware of their condition. Similarly to the 53% of new infections occurring in the south, half of the 15,807 HIV/AIDS deaths in 2016 were in the southern United States.

Worldwide, according to an NBC News report, 37 million people live with HIV. In 2017, the World Health Organization reported that 940,000 people had died due to HIV/AIDS. AIDS has killed 35 million since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, and 700,000 of those deaths were Americans. This great number of deaths cannot be blamed solely on one person; however, two men must be remembered for the contributions to AIDS’ death count. These two men are Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

Both presidents served roles of inactivity.

Reagan actively ignored the AIDS crisis. His lack of comments created a lack of urgency surrounding the crisis. He set a role model for others to follow: one that failed to create action and failed to have compassion. By contrast, Bush did have some action. Still, his activism did not begin to cover the epidemic striking America.

His lack of support for the LGBT community contributed to the stigma of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Today, the stigma of HIV/AIDS continues.

The CDC runs a program called “Let’s Stop HIV Together” and states that “HIV stigma and discrimination affect the emotional well-being and mental health of people with HIV.” Stigma and discrimination include blaming HIV/AIDS patients disease on their behavior, not supporting funding for research and treatment and avoiding or socially excluding someone for their behavior.

These behaviors and beliefs actively harm Americans and contribute to a lack of testing, treatment and understanding of the disease.

These behaviors and beliefs are remnants of the Reagan and Bush administrations.

Today, Americans and more worldwide continue to die from HIV/AIDS. The blame for this cannot be rested on one person alone; however, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans were helped by the inactivity and prejudice of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush. These men should be remembered not only for their presidencies, but for the epidemic they helped prolong.

Art by Abby Leasure

REBOOTED FILMS

Adapted Movies Limit Creativity By: Abby Leasure CARTOONIST

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isney’s fantastic new scheme is to do nineteen different liveaction adaptations of famous movies. Some of these we have seen already, and for those unaware: there is much, much more where that is coming from.

These remakes show more than a backhanded disrespect for animation as a medium. They also show a general lack of creativity. Disney is not the only corporation following this trend, though. Most movies out these days are reboots, remakes and sequels. While watching a reimagination of one’s favorite old movie can be interesting on occasion, the increasing trend of recycled content is not only annoying, but a point of concern.

Usually, the goal of making movies is to convey a unique, interesting story with the mediums available. This is what keeps customers coming and what makes people want to go to the theaters rather than wait until a movie pops up on a streaming site.

Unfortunately, it seems that nowadays the goal has shifted from this to simply profit. This profit does not come from new and creative ideas but rather the “safer” route of selecting movies, books, comics and video games that are already popular and turning them into yet another movie.

The main problem with this is that there is hardly any new content out there, especially coming from major companies. The problem has lessened a bit, but that still makes newer content a rarity. While adaptations and remakes require a certain amount of creativity, the sheer amount of these types of films show a dwindling creativity in movie

companies. This is no doubt directly tied to the pursuit of wealth valued over the original intent of the job.

Now, this is movie-making we are discussing here. To make new and creative movies is not exactly something that will entirely change the face of the Earth, but analyzing this problem is still important. One thing I have learned from looking into this subject is that the endless pursuit of profit kills creativity. As I mentioned earlier, choosing these adaptations is often considered a safer route. To simply recycle older media and hope that the previous successes will repeat is often more appealing than picking a bolder, newer concept that may not be received well with audiences. Also, media that has already been popular will already have an audience, though perhaps a bored one. Rather than having to sell an entirely new concept, all movie-makers need to do is put the title on the screen.

However, it is no secret that going to movies is becoming less popular nowadays.

Perhaps it is this problem contributing to the fear of creating new movies—yet the lack of creativity is also one of the causes of all this.

Enduring pricy foods, crowded restrooms and crying babies all for a rehash of a movie made just a few years ago may not seem worth it to some consumers.

What will most likely happen is that movie companies will eventually realize that fresher concepts make more money or receive better reviews. Then, this growing trend will cease, returning reboots and liveaction-and-CGI adaptations to their previous spot as a nice rarity. When that will occur, if ever, is difficult to tell, so, for now, we must see this play out.

Art by Abby Leasure

The

n e e e c i r G vof: Staf

By: Delany Jepsen STAFF WRITER

By: Eliese Simon STAFF WRITER

By: Ella Weaver EDITOR-INCHIEF

By: Brie Goday

STAFF WRITER

By: Jessica McKee NEWS/FEATURE EDITOR

By: Abby Leasure CARTOONIST

By: Isabel Mancilla CARTOONIST/ COPY EDITOR

By: Gavin Struve STAFF WRITER

By: Lauren Eurich A&E/OPED EDITOR

By: Anissa Lemons STAFF WRITER

COPY EDITOR

By: Zane MrozlaMindrup

By: Kalei Renner

By:Casey Downing

By: Mary Matya

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

5 Feature MARCH 2019 [Unsung||Heroes]

Volume 5 Issue 6

Meet the Legacie of the Activities Office

By Jessica McKee News/Feature Editor

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or 25 years, Mrs. Eunice Legacie has worked in the school’s activities office.

From her desk, she organizes the school’s sporting events, clubs and extracurricular activities. Without her, games would not be scheduled, concessions would not be staffed and sports rosters would not be arranged.

“The fact that they always run smoothly and they’re always well prepared,” Mr. Chad Jepsen said. “We take pride in the fact that we do a good job of running the activities that we have here at Gretna. Mrs. Legacie is the reason why that happens.”

Mrs. Legacie moved to Gretna after her husband finished graduate school in Oregon. For them, Gretna provided a nice, small-town feel that preserved a mid-west feel of life.

“My husband took his undergrad in North Dakota, and then we moved to

Oregon where my husband graduated from the optometry program,” Mrs. Legacie said. “We decided to settle in the Omaha area because it’s not as cold as North Dakota, but it still has the same quality of life.”

After working at Gretna Elementary for four or five years, she began to work in the activities office at the middle school. At the time, Gretna was small enough that the elementary school held 1st-6th grade students and the middle school held 7th-12th grade. The small class sizes that allowed her to create a stronger connection with the students.

As the city has grown, this is something she misses.

“When we came here, you knew everyone,” Mrs. Legacie said. “But with the growth in our city, you lose that personal connection.”

Even though class sizes have grown, Mrs. Legacie says that her favorite part of working is getting to know the kids.

She has worked with many teacher’s assistants and enjoys creating bonds with the students she meets.

“I really enjoy getting to know the kids,” Mrs. Legacie said. “Gretna has so many good kids, and I’ve had a lot of great TA’s.”

Over the years, Mrs. Legacie has trained all four of the school’s administrators. Each has worked under her as an activities director and has learned much from her example.

“All four administrators here, Mr. Miller, Mr. Mueller, Mr. Heckenlively and myself were all AD’s at one time and

Meet Mrs. Legacie The activities director secretary of our school works behind the scenes to manage sporting and extracurricular events. “From the people who take your tickets at the gate, to the people that might run a clock, or keep a book, or concessions, PA announcer, all those various official to support an event-- all those people that are involved in making that activity successful, Mrs. Legacie has a hand in,” Mr. Heckinlively said. Her work, from organizing football games to buying banquet napkins, has played a key role in our school. Photo by Jessica McKee

she trained all of us,” Mr. Jepsen said.

Through working with Mrs. Legacie, assistant principal Mr. John Heckenlively has noticed characteristics that set her apart from others. To him, her attitude towards the work is something that sets her apart.

“She wants no attention for it and wants nothing in return,” Mr. Heckenlively said. “I‘ve never heard her complain about her job, not once. She is definitely in this for all of the right reasons. I think that’s pretty rare in this day and age.”

Outside of school, Mrs. Legacie is married and has two daughters, as well as four grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys cross-stitching, hanging out with her friends and spending time with family.

“I have a daughter named Eve, who is 35 and has two kids,” Mrs. Legacie said.

“She works as a buyer for Buckle. I have another daughter named Alice who is 37. She has a boy and a girl and lives in Shelton, NE. In two years, I hope to retire

and move to Shelton to live closer to my kids.”

Over the years, Mrs. Legacie has also developed a hobby in puzzle making. In fact, she has gotten her grandchildren interested in the activity and has preserved their creations in her home. Whenever they visit, they can enjoy the puzzles that hang in their second bedrooms.

“I have rooms in my house set up for my grandkids when they visit,” Mrs. Legacie said. “Their puzzles are glued up on their bedroom walls.”

During the school day and with her family, Mrs. Legacie has created special connections with the people she meets. For her, being the activities director secretary is a rewarding job that introduces her to new faces and allows her to serve others. Today, each of the administrators remembers her fondly and sees her as a light to the students and staff of GHS.

STUDENTS INVOLVED IN OPPORTUNITIES Individuals Take Government, Political Future Into Their Own Hands

By Delany Jepsen STAFF WRITER

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Girls State Cassandra VanOveren (19) had the opportunity to attend Girls State last summer.

“I like meeting new people, and it sounded like a different opportunity than anything else you would normally do,” VanOeveren said. This year, juniors had the same opportunity to apply for a spot in Girls and Boys State, which will take place this summer. Photo by Delany Jepsen

very year, a handful of students are selected to attend the Girls/ Boys state event at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The opportunity is available to students who have finished their junior year and meet certain qualifications. Such qualifications include having a 3.5 GPA and being in the top 35 percent of your class. Six boys and six girls will be selected and then will go through an interview process with the Girls Auxiliary and American Legion, where one to two students will be selected to attend.

The event takes place at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Students stay in the dorms and attend lessons where they learn about different roles in the government.

This would be an opportunity for students who are interested in government jobs or legal positions.

“You go and you are put into a town and given a certain party-- there are two parties-- and you run for government positions,” senior Jed Merriman said.

Students from all across the state attend the event. Once students are selected, they must attend for the whole week.

“It’s a college atmosphere where you get to meet girls from all over the state,” senior Cassandra VanOeveren said. “You get to meet a lot of different people who have a different perspective than you. You get to do a lot of different activities, they bring in speakers and you get to tour the capital.”

The Girls/Boys state event started in 1937. Students from GHS have been attending since it began. Each student has a different reason for wanting to be involved.

“My older sister had gone when she was my age, so I knew about it from that,” VanOeveren said. “When the email was sent out saying that I qualified, I knew my sister went to this and said it was interesting, so I went to the meeting and it sounded like fun. I like meeting new people and it sounded like a different opportunity than anything else you would normally do.”

Many students who attend are still in contact with the friends they make. With social media, this makes staying in touch even easier.

“I wanted to do it because I had a lot of friends who have done it in the past, my dad did it, and it sounded like something that interested me,” Merriman said.

While at this event, students get to meet and work with students from all over the state. They also room with a student from a different part of the state in order to meet new people.

“It takes you a couple of hours to realize that everybody else is in the same boat and that they don’t know anyone else either,” VanOeveren said. “You quickly bond together.”

The Girls/Boys state event is sponsored by the Girls Auxiliary and the American Legion. They sponsor the students and pay for them to attend.

“I have not found one student since I have been here that has gone and did not like it,” principal Mr. Roger Miller said. “It is a long week, it is a fun week about government, but it is more about building relationships with people across the state.”

This year’s week-long Girls/Boys state event will take place on June 2 through the 8th. Representing GHS are juniors Bradley Sullivan, Trystan Nord, Emily Schultz, and Kylie Lenz.

6 InDepth

MARCH 2019

Volume 5 Issue 6

GHS TRAVELS Students, Staff Explore the World

Virtuous Volunteering On Vacation

Altruists Help Others and Communities, Sometimes Unsuccessfully; How?

By Brie Goday STAFF REPORTER

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cross the world, children starve to death, women die in childbirth, and the poor live without houses.

Kindhearted volunteers use their own time and money to travel and help the unfortunate through voluntourism.

Voluntourism can include everyone from students to adults traveling to other nations to build houses, help for poverty-stricken areas or help communities get over natural disasters.

“Voluntourism is when you go and help a community with things they want done,” Spanish instructor Mrs. Melissa Ryan said.

“You have to be really careful and work in a community. Especially a community that is underdeveloped and poverished.”

The Spanish department provides students with the opportunity to travel to Spanishspeaking countries and volunteer. The teachers have taken six trips to different Spanish-speaking countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, etc. These trips open students’ eyes to some of the situations in other countries that might be overlooked. It allows students to travel but also help others in the process.

“EF Tours tells us how we can help, so they set us up with the community, and people who work for EF Tours make connections with the community members that need help,” Spanish instructor Ms. Shea Granger said. “The me to we company assigns us jobs and teaches the students how to complete the jobs.”

Before entering new communities, rules are laid down to make sure everything goes smoothly. For one, students are not allowed to bring gifts to children in different countries.

Next, students must have permission to take photos with or of someone. Also, before students can take photos with anyone from the community, they must get to know them first.

These rules help students get to know others

while being respectful to them.

“When you go and work in a community, you want to ask the community what they want done,” Mrs. Ryan said. “It is never good to go into a community and think you know what that community needs, and so we work with a group called Me to We. They organize our projects and they work year round with these communities, to help improve the lives of the people in these communities.”

After each trip, teachers are able to tell the positive impact it had on students.

Volunteering and traveling open students’ eyes to the issues other countries and communities have. However, it also gives them a new perspective on things they might not have before the trip.

“It kinda sparks a passion in some kids to want to help people and want to learn about other cultures,” Ms. Granger said. “So I think it’s a big part of learning and growing, especially at the high school age.”

The next place students will have the opportunity to travel to is the Dominican Republic. The next enrollment to join that trip is over, but GHS still plans to help many other countries in the upcoming years. Students who are interested in taking the next trip should wait until the Spanish teachers’ next enrollment announcement for information.

“It’s important that we learn people’s stories when we go on this trip, and the students are really good at getting involved with the kids and the community members,” Mrs. Ryan said. “Students get to use their language skills in real ways outside of the classroom so their confidence grows.”

Even though there are many people who think voluntourism does good, it can also have dangerous effects for some communities.

Students at GHS who go to different countries always have a goal to be respectful and learn new things. Sometimes while traveling, however, people can forget the purpose of volunteering in other countries.

Concrete Relations Students were able to travel to Spanish-speaking countries and help out communities in need. “In Equador, we helped pour the foundation for a dining hall,” Spanish instructor Ms. Shea Granger said.

“So we took wheel barrows of gravel and mud and wheeled it to help pour foundation for the dining hall.” This volunteering was coordinated through EF Educational Tours. Submitted Photo

“What we basically say is that it IS possible to have a positive impact in volunteering,” co-author of “Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad” Claire Bennett said. ”But that it is not as easy as a lot of the companies that are marketing such experiences make out - it requires a lot of learning BEFORE the service.”

There are many ways for students to volunteer responsibly. The organization Maestral International helps people learn about the many problems with voluntourism that many overlooks. Masteral is now the largest child protection consultant agency.

They provide experts all over the world to work with governments to help prevent exploitation, abuses, and violence against children.

Storied Past GHS has been going on these trips for multiple years now. “My first service trip was Peru, 2015,” Spanish instructor Mrs. Melissa Ryan said. Some students are returning from past trips.

Submitted Photo

“A lot of what we’re trying to do is to take decades of international instruments that try to promote the rights of kids,” president of Maestral International Mr. Philip Goldman said. “Like the convention of the rights of the child and so forth that call on governments to do this. But, we take a different angle-we think the rights are very important for governments to support. But we also think that children who are protected from the violence... are more likely to attend school and do better in school.”

Before traveling to a country to volunteer, it is necessary to research on the community and the companies that are working with. As an individual, a student is able to help out by bringing skills or when volunteering. He or she may also do online research through reliable companies about the community they are helping.

“There are a number of international volunteer companies that are making to improve their policies and practices, and a big element of is the community demand,” Mr. Goldman said. “Is there a real and genuine desire by the community that you’re visiting that you be there and that they own the project?

That it’s a project that is really benefiting the community and the children there?”

Maintaining Progress Students are able to track the progress the progress of the project they helped with. “They gives us a website called ‘Me to We’ and where we actually purchase like choclate bars and braclets that come with little codes on them,” Spanish instructor Ms. Shea Granger said. This way, students can maintain relationships with the communities they help. Submitted Photo

Mr. Goldman believes that voluntourism does not always meet the needs of children.

Volunteers may feel as though they have helped others, but a short volunteer trip can be harmful. This is unfortunate to him because volunteers have good hearts and want to help.

Orphanages can be run corruptly and cause harm to children if mismanaged.

“What often happens is that we send wellmeaning individuals to these countries, but they don’t they have the knowledge or the context about where they are going,” Mr. Goldman said. “They go to an orphanage and they pick up babies and shed some tears over those kids, giving them some clothing and maybe some toys-- but not really understanding the broader context of what is that orphanage. Why is there? Who’s supporting it?”

If students are interested in more information about traveling responsibly and spreading awareness about voluntourism, “Faith to Action Initiative” and “Rethink Orphanages” are to resources students can use to learn more about voluntourism. Volunteering is meant to help humanity; if it is done responsibly, that is possible.

Group Work “We worked on a project that was already being worked on,” Spanish instructor Mrs. Melissa Ryan said. “That was helping apply foundation for a dinning room and bathrooms.But then, another grup comes in and picks up where we left off.” This allows progress to continually be made on projects. Submitted Photo

Volume 5 Issue 6

MARCH 2019

InDepth

7

On a Mission (Trip)-to U.S., Beyond

Church of Latter-Day Saints Members Travel Name of Spreading Religion

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By Mary Matya COPY EDITOR

he Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints sends its members on mission trips. The age to go on mission trips in the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints is 18 for men and 19 for women.

Missionaries who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints do not get to choose where they go. They send in an application, and church leaders decide where they go.

“I did not choose,” GHS graduate Noah Petty said. “We file out paperwork stating we will go anywhere the Lord asks us to go. It is sent to Salt Lake, and our church leaders assign us to an area anywhere in the world.”

There are prep classes that prospective missionaries can attend to be ready no

matter where they are sent. There is also the Missionary Training Center where missionaries can go for six weeks.

“I’m in a prep class right now,” junior Gene Mannewitz said. “It’s put on by our church. There are also college classes at BYU (Brigham Young University) that are mission prep classes.”

While going on a mission trip, there are several things that missionaries must do. These things they must do are assigned to them.

There is a schedule that most missionaries follow while they are on the mission, though this can differ with different locations.

“Mainly we wake up and exercise for 30 mins, then prepare for the day, then do three hours of scripture study and language study,” Petty said. “I was assigned to speak in Haitian Creole. Then, we head out for the day and proselyte in the area. I am currently... in

Coming Together These are the missionaries serving the Miami area. “My scriptures are probably the most helpful thing,” Noah Petty said. The missionaries come from different backgrounds, but they help everyone who needs it. Submitted Photo

Waiting Game Max Mannewitz’s mission is in Pennslyvania until he gets his visa to go to Madagascar. “My responsibilities as a missionary are to help people come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel and to serve my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Mannewitz said. He has been on his mission for two months. Submitted Photo

Miami, so we usually go to Little Haiti and talk to everyone we see about the gospel.

We also offer service to see if we can help anyone-- it can be anything from cleaning dishes to yard work, etc.”

There are many things that missionaries find they like about their mission trip.

These things can range from learning a new language and culture.

“Serving in any way is also my favorite thing,” Petty said. “My favorite part is that in my mission call, I was asked to speak Haitian Creole so getting to speak another language all day is so awesome and allows me to learn about a whole new culture as well.”

However, there are things that missionaries find they dislike about their mission trip. It could be that people do not want to hear the message they are giving.

“My least favorite part about my mission is when people decide they are not interested in our message,” GHS graduate Max Mannewitz said. “It’s sad to me because I know that they are missing out on many great and important truths, like eternal families, which bring me joy. I know they could feel that happiness too through this Gospel, but for some reason, they choose not to take part in it at this time.”

If students may be going on a mission trip in the near future, there is advice from former missionaries. Some of the advice could be related to where a missionary is going or whether students are scared in general of leaving for two years without seeing anyone familiar.

“My advice for anyone who is thinking about serving a mission is just do it,” Petty said. “It will change your life. It makes you so thankful for what you have. I never realized how blessed I was until now, when I am living in a completely different place. It also helps you develop a love for all people, and it’s a special opportunity to only focus on the needs of others.”

Mission trips may seem scary, but students are not sent out unprepared. They know what duty they are taking on, and they learn new things about the world.

Caribbean Coincidence Visi t ing the Good Life Counselor Crosses Paths with Student

Travelers Come for Food, Sights, More

By Delany Jepsen STAFF WRITER

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uidance Counselor Ms. Carole Carraher escaped the Nebraskan cold and ventured to the Dominican Republic.

Her vacation lasted from Feb. 4 through the 11. During the trip, she wanted to attain her open water scuba diving certification. While she was there, she ran into a few familiar faces.

“All of a sudden, I heard somebody say- I know that voice anywhere-- ‘Carole Carraher’,” Ms. Carraher said. “ And when I looked up, it was one of my former students.

Her name was Kate Simmons back when I taught her. She is Randy Koke’s mother.”

Randy is a freshman at GHS. What a coincidence that a Gretna connection was made in the Dominican Republic at a scuba lesson. The Koke family was also going to earn their scuba diving certificates.

“Without our even knowing, the Kokes and I were at the same resort,” Ms. Carraher said. “Randy and I were going to go Scuba Diving together. One day we dived thirty feet under and the other day we dived twenty feet down.”

Ms. Carraher received her Scuba Diving

Depths Below Diving is an experience full of pressure. “One day, we dived thirty feet under and the other day we dived twenty feet down,” guidance counselor Ms. Carole Carraher said. Taking courses is helpful when learning to dive. Submitted Photo

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Small World Despite it being off-season, the two still managed to travel to the same resort. “All of a sudden I heard somebody say, I know that voice anywhere, Carole Carraher,” guidance counselor Ms. Carraher said. The likelihood of this happening is small. Submitted Photo

certification, so she can now scuba dive for the rest of her life anywhere in the world without an instructor. People never know who they will run into when they are abroad, so pay attention.

Art by Ella Weaver

By Kalei Renner STAFF WRITER

n the Omaha metropolis, there are a variety of family-friendly activities. Whether this is traveling downtown or taking an adventure to the zoo, Omaha residents are quick to show off their city to out-of-towners. According to USA Today in 2017, The Henry Doorly Zoo is considered the second best zoo in the world.

This zoo features the largest cat complex in North America; “Kingdoms of the Night” is the world’s largest nocturnal exhibit and indoor swamp; the “Lied Jungle” is one of the world’s largest indoor rainforests and the Desert Dome is one of the world’s largest indoor deserts as well as the largest glazed geodesic dome in the world.

“The aquarium is one of my favorite exhibits,” freshman Reese Jaeger said. “I love how the zoo is able to offer exhibits for almost every kind of animal.”

Along with the Henry Doorly Zoo, the Old Market is a popular area in the streets of Omaha that features a variety of art galleries, shops and restaurants. For instance, M’s Pub is considered to be a popular restaurant right outside of the Old Market. This restaurant is well-known for its modern atmosphere and its delicious food.

Some of their food includes black bean cakes, crab cakes and warm duck.

“My family and I love going to the Old

Market,” freshman Hailey Wojtas said. “We love to walk around and look at the antiques and artwork.”

Once fall arrives, thousands of Omaha residents and tourists gather at Gretna location Vala’s Pumpkin Patch. Vala’s is not just a pumpkin patch, but also a place where one can gorge on crispy potato chips, shoot apples at gigantic targets and hop onto humongous slides while wrapped in scratchy potato sacks.

“Since my cousins come from smaller towns in Nebraska, they don’t normally get to explore locations like Valas,” Jaeger said. “So whenever we are able to come here, we enjoy exploring the corn maze, playing on the gigantic slides and munching on some caramel apples.”

Zorinsky Lake offers a variety of different water activities that can bring friends and family closer together. These activities include cycling, fishing and sailing. Along with that, Zorinsky Lake contains structures such as playgrounds, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, running trails and picnic areas.

“I really love coming to Zorinsky Lake in the summer,” sophomore Aidan Muhle said. “Being able to have a blast with my friends and family here makes it all worthwhile.”

Although Nebraska is known for farming corn, tourists are sure to be surprised when they come to town and see the Henry Doorly Zoo, Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Zorinsky Lake, the Old Market and other fun-filled destinations.

Volume 5 Issue 6

MARCH 2019

Feature

8

WELL-KNOWN GRETNA FAMILY’S LEGACY

Zeleny Members Share What It Is Like to Be a Big Group in a Small Town

By Lauren Eurich A & E Editor

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here are many families in Gretna that have a lot of family members. One of those families is the Zeleny family, with approximately 40 family members in Gretna. Zeleny is a name that is very wellknown in the hallways. There are several Zeleny family members in Gretna that see their cousins, brothers, and sisters every day. Senior Julia Zeleny has a class with one of her cousins, junior Kate Zeleny.

“Most of my cousins are in Gretna,” senior Julia Zeleny said. “We have one family in Wahoo and one family in Iowa.

I do have a class with my cousin Kate. We are lab partners in College Bio.” With so many family members, it is not unusual to be put in the same class as one of your siblings or cousins. It can hold some pressure on standing up to expectations that run in the family.

“Yes, I do feel some sort of pressure at school,” J. Zeleny said. “I only have one sibling but my cousins are really smart and have definitely left a good imprint on this school. I feel like I have to work up to that expectation.”

One of her cousins, K. Zeleny, loves being in the same classes as her family members. Seeing a familiar face in the classroom every day is a great bonus to having a bigger family.

“I actually am in College Bio with my cousin Julia right now,” K. Zeleny said. “We help each other with preparing for tests, and we have a lot of the same schedule outside of school too. It is more helpful having a lot of family members at

school because more teachers know me and it is not as intimidating.”

A big family can be helpful and useful, especially in public environments.

Substitute teacher Mrs. Chryssi Zeleny, for example, never feels alone when subbing at Gretna because of so many family members that are less than a minute away.

“We don’t need to find a lot of friends to socialize, as there is always a family function going on somewhere or someplace,” Mrs. Zeleny said. “There is never a dull moment, that’s for sure. From sporting events to dance competitions to birthday parties to cabin Sundays to holidays to vacations together...we are together often and therefore that’s the best parts of being in a big family. It’s a lot of the reason I sub, we have to give gifts often.”

Mrs. Zeleny, being a well-known

Zeleny in the Gretna area substitutes quite often and sees her family members multiple times a day. There are many Zelenys spread out in different grades.

“I pretty much see family every time I sub, and quite often, they’re in the class in which I’m subbing,” substitute teacher Mrs. Zeleny said. “We are everywhere. I think we have pre-school to 12th grade covered. When one Zeleny exits the high school, one enters the high school.

For example, Julia and Ryan (Fuzzy) will graduate this year, but next year you get (Mallory & Molly) who will be a freshman.

Although it is nice having many family members close by, it is nice to get away and take some time to experience different cultures. Mrs. Zeleny and her husband took a life-changing trip to Cuba and met their tour guide who has a much different

Close Family Having family in school means having friends is class. “It is helpful and fun having built-in best friends in school,” Kate Zeleny (20) said. “You always have someone to trust and have a shoulder to lean on.” Cousins Julia and Kate are only one year apart in GHS. Submitted photo

New Cultures “We were so appreciative and thankful for everything,” substitute teacher Mrs. Zeleny said. “We wanted to experience their culture. We explained that we are ‘MidWesterners,’ and we’re known for that.” At the end of the tour, we handed them clothes, shoes, beef jerky, etc. and most if not everyone in our group handed him $100-$150. a piece in tips.”

Submitted photo

family than hers.

“To be quite honest, it was lifechanging,” Mrs. Zeleny said. “We told our guide about our huge family, and he told us about why he is not! For example, his wife and him are deciding against having kids and not because he doesn’t want them. He explained that it’s harder to live out your dream of leaving Cuba if you have a child involved. It brought me to flowing tears! He exposed a lot of truth about life in Cuba. We ALL need to be thankful for our freedom.”

Many places and cultures have different sizes of families. Some families may not have very many family members.

Although some people do not have such a big family like the Zeleny’s, it is important that people do not take their family for granted and to enjoy the time you have with them, whether it be short or long.

FANTASY IN REALITY Comeback of Roleplaying Classic

By Casey Downing STAFF WRITER

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Art by Isabel Mancilla

Controlling Fate Weiss commands the game and opposition for the players. “I play Dungeons and Dragons because the game brings imagination as close to reality as possible, leading to a rollercoaster of hilarity and even stress when played with others who feel the same,” Weiss said. Spending time with friends is the main reason many people play these types of RPGs. Photo by Casey Downing

iving into the world of childlike imagination doesn’t require a time machine or a nostalgic reflection on the past. The only thing that it requires is the ability to think outside the box and to do so on the grandest of scales.

“D&D is a game unlike any other because it can be whatever you want it to be,” junior Gavin Skoumal said.

Dungeons and Dragons is a decades old classic roleplaying game, an RPG, that sets itself apart from all the others. D&D is an open game. This means that as long as a player can imagine something it can most likely be done within the confines of the game. Senior Chase Pederson is a proponent for this kind of gameplay and is happy that Dungeons and Dragons is styled to allow him to dream up whatever he desires.

“You can do anything you want, but you have to roll for it,” Pederson said. “I play D&D because it allows you to immerse yourself in your imagination. Some games have limitations on what you can do whereas in D&D you can do whatever you want.”

Doing whatever a player wants may be an oversimplification. There are restrictions within the game. These restrictions come in the form of the Dungeon Master, or DM. The DM of Peterson’s group is senior Carson Weiss. The other players of the group refer to Weiss as ‘god’ because of the power he has over their journey throughout the game.

“The Dungeon Master of a group is the one who leads the story, combat, and controls all of the other characters that players do not,” Weiss said. “Which is everyone and everything else. I’m the pompous merchant whose store you emptied out of irritation, ..., the not-all-that-

bright ogre who tried to smack and crush you with a tree, and even the giant frog you attempted to hold a conversation with in the middle of a subterranean lake. All of these things have happened. There is a lot more to it, but bottom line, my role as a Dungeon Master is to make the game the most fun it can be for everyone.”

Dungeons and Dragons was originally released in 1974 and caught fire immediately. Since then, it has mainly been on the back burner, but with many dedicated fans still playing regularly.

However, the RPG has made a comeback.

Within the halls of GHS there are several groups of players that cover every grade.

Seniors Benjamin Schaefer and Marin Bartman have their own group, and they both cherish the connections that they have made within the group.

“I like hanging out with the people in the group, they’re fun,” Schaefer said. “It’s a more group-oriented RPG. I have made new friends playing, and it is something to do with my free time.”

Many of these groups spend hours each week playing and have found enjoyment in doing so. Such a big time commitment may seem like a waste but Bartman thinks that it is worth it.

“We put in a good bit of time,” Bartman said. “But we enjoy it. D&D is the cooler adult version of playing make believe as a kid.”

Treasure hoards guarded by dragons, giants flying castles through the skies and swashbuckling the high seas are all commonplace in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, and the game itself is becoming commonplace around the halls of GHS. D&D is from the past but is will also continue into the future with the revived interest from the younger generations.

Volume 5 Issue 6

MARCH 2019

Sports

9

PRACTICE MAKES A PERFECT RUN

2019 Track Practice Begins Despite Problematic Weather

By Gabriella Goday STAFF WRITER

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Cole Gaythe (20)

Photo by Jacey Hammer

ith the start of the track season, the real work begins. Students prepare for competition after the joining Class A. “Track and field is a sport that is about personal fulfillment and also about community,” coach Mr. Bryce Brunswig said. “Everyone can get better at whichever track event they are doing if they put in the time and effort. There also is a great community of coaches and teammates that are pushing and encouraging you along the way to be the best you can.

It is great to see people have success that they didn’t think was possible. “ Now that track conditioning has ended, more students have begun to join track practice. Practice is important for students to improve their skills and learn about what they want to do in track.

“My favorite track exercise is long runs,” junior Bradley Sullivan said. “We get to go out with a

group of people and run for a long time.

They’re really low key and a lot of fun!“ Past runners welcome beginners and help them adjust to the track schedule.

Throwers practice every day before school from 6 a.m. to around 7, then in the afternoon from 3:45 p.m. until approximately 5:30. Coaches encourage students to do at-home exercises to help them improve their track performance.

“Track practice has become timeconsuming,” sophomore McKenzi Gunsolly said. “It’s cramped from being inside with the other groups, long distance and sprints.”

Since the track season began, students have been forced to practice inside due to weather conditions. Students have put in their best effort to make the most of the situation but still struggle with space.

“Running outside is always better than running inside,” Sullivan said. “The inside practices were not bad, but it is always more fun to be outside with the team.”

Even though students are eager to go outdoors to practice they are also very excited about being a part of track. This is the first year that track is a part of Class A. Students are excited to work harder and show the other schools what they are capable of. Athletes prepared for their first track meet on March 15, at Nebraska Wesleyan.

“I look forward to the big meets at the end of the season when the team can

show all the hard work we’ve put in,” junior Kellen McLaughlin said.

Students all have different motivations for joinring the track team. Some are even continuing their track experience from middle school.

“It’s fun to do with friends, and wanted to do a sport every season,” freshman Jenna Marshall said.

BEST SHOES TO run with

Photo by Hannah Fee

Stretching Out Students make the most of their situation and continue to work hard. “Well, we have to be a little creative with what we do for practice since we are limited by being inside,” Coach Bryce Brunswig said. Morning practices are created due to throwers not being able to practice outside.

The track team is a good place to make friends while being a part of an individual sport. Teammates can easily become friends.

“My favorite part would have to be meeting a lot of new people and making new friends, including upperclassmen,” freshman Taylor Kirlin said.

Track is an individual sport, but one’s performance affects the team as a whole.

Though winning and losing is never the main goal, learning and improving yourself is.

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Photo by Hannah Fee

Saucony Triumph ISO 5

Photo by Hannah Fee

Growing Pains This is one of the first years GHS is a part of Class A. “We are currently working on getting fit for the season and getting ready for the events that our student-athletes will be competing in.” Coach Bryce Brunswig said. Track is a spring sport.

Running Adaptations Due to bad weather, students are stuck indoors for practice. “We have been running the hallways and in the gym,” Coach Bryce Brunswig said. “On days that are somewhat warm, like above 20 degrees, we will bundle up and go outside to run.” The snow has impacted track athletes.

runningshoesguru

OUT(HAND)STANDING MOVES

Gymnasts Participate in Sport Outside of School

By Eliese Simon STAFF WRITER

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tarting at a young age, gymnastics has made an appearance in some people’s lives. Through years of participation, some gymnasts have been taught skills they could use in life. Freshman Hannah McClung’s passion for gymnastics started at a young age. Her parents enrolled her at 18 months in her first class at “Mommy and Me”. McClung has been involved in gymnastics for 14 years through Omaha Gymnastics Academy. She also participated in other sports before she fell in love with gymnastics.

“Well, my parents put me in it a long time ago,” McClung said. “Then I was doing other sports like softball and soccer, and then I just kinda fell in love with gymnastics, so I began to quit all my other sports and focus on being at the gym.”

Like McClung, freshman Hunter Matulka’s mom enrolled her in her first gymnastics class when she was three to see if it was a sport for her. Matulka has trained for 12 years at Nebraska Gold Gymnastics. Similar to other sports missing school and the amount of practice are some of the hard things Matulka and the other gymnast have to face. She has had to travel to many different places for competitions.

“I travel all around the country for competitions, such as Florida and California,

and have qualified to regionals and westerns in 2018,” Matulka said.

Participating in Gymnastics has taught Matulka different skills like discipline and dedication. She is striving to meet her goal to continue doing it as she gets older.

“My goal is to do gymnastics in college,” Matulka said. “Gymnastics has taught me dedication and discipline.”

Along with Matulka, sophomore Ella Quandt thinks gymnastics requires both dedication and commitment. Due to mental blocks, she thinks the sport requires

Lifelong Gymnast Hunter Matulka (22) stands with her teammates. “My goal is to do gymnastics in college,” Matulka said. “Gymnastics has taught me dedication and discipline.” She has done gymnastics for 12 years.

commitment and is more difficult.

“I think it is commitment because it is a very hard mental sport because it is really difficult to get over mental blocks and all the things going inside your head -- the fear and stuff like that,” Quandt said. “Other sports have that too, but I think gymnastics is the most difficult because of all the things you have to think about.”

Quandt started gymnastics when she was four at Cahoys Gymnastics. Through gymnastics, she had met some of her closest friends who have helped her push through the hard times she faced, such as not getting a skill. Other issues she experienced was the challenge of it being an out of school sport, and the struggle of telling teachers that she was leaving.

“It is hard because when you tell them you are leaving, they will be like, ‘Why?’” Quandt said. “It is really hard to get your homework done because our practices are so long.”

When she was young, Quandt liked to do forward rolls on the couch, and her mom did not want her to get hurt, so she signed her up for gymnastics classes. Gymnastics takes up most of Quandt’s time due to practices.

“We have practices five days a week for four ½ hours,” Quandt said. “So it is really hard to get everything done in the day because you go to school then go straight to gymnastics, and then I usually don’t get home until around 9:30, then I have to eat

dinner and do homework. So I don’t really have much of a social life.”

Gymnastics has been important and been in there lives since a young age for various people. From mothers participating in gymnastics to jumping around on the couch, their involvement in gymnastics has given them something meaningful in their life.

10 Sports

MARCH 2019

Volume 5 Issue 6

UPLIFTING SPIRITS, WEIGHTS ALIKE

Powerlifting Team Participates in State Competition

By Gavin Struve STAFF WRITER

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Committed to Improvement In order to contend at state, the lifters usually need to spend hours a day in the weight room. “I usually lift around 2 hours a day at practice,” William Mankhey (21) said. “I was able to significantly improve my squats and deadlift this season.” Photo by Kalei Renner

he powerlifting team traveled to the State competition on March 2. The Dragons powerlifting squad brought 15 to the state meet for the first year competing in Class A. “Overall, state went pretty well,” powerlifting coach Mr. Brendan Raybourn said. “It was kind of an eye opener going to the Class A meet, the competition was tougher and the pace was a lot faster, which kind of affected the kids.”

Despite the jump to class A, five dragons placed in the top five in their respective weight classes. This group included junior Timothy “TJ” Huber, who lifted on his

own after a runner-up showing at State wrestling just weeks before. TJ was not the only Huber competing. His brothers, senior Tanner Huber and sophomore Michael Huber, were also a part of the team.

“State went pretty well for me,” senior Tanner Huber said. “I got second and lifted a grand total of 1,300 pounds through my three lifts, which was definitely not a bad way to go out.”

Accompanying the Huber brothers were several newcomers and younger lifters. This is a group Mr. Raybourn seems optimistic about.

“This was my first year of high school powerlifting,” sophomore Will Mankhey said. “I gained a decent amount of

Sitting Out The season do not always go as one expectssometimes, injuries get inbetween a competitor and competing. This is something Tanner Huber (19) knows all too well. “This is my fourth year of powerlifting,” Huber said. “But my sophomore year I broke my back, so I was just a cheerleader.” Huber returned for his senior year and placed well at state. Photo by Hannah Fee

Photo by Kalei Renner

Working Together Will Mankhey (21) practices his lifting skills with teammates.”This was my first year of high school powerlifting,” Mankhey said. Powerlifting is a combination of a team and individual sport.

strength and improved my technique considerably.”

With just two competitions the whole year, the Peru State meet and State competition at Omaha South, it is a sharp learning curve without much room for error. However, the practice time from late October to early March provided a decent amount of time for development.

“I was really happy with the season as a whole,” Mr. Raybourn said. “We had a lot of young kids who improved and did well, and we have a good team to build off of next year.”

State competition is not based on team scores but between individual participants.

This type of competition means that GHS powerlifters can compete against one another in the same weight class. The lifters rely on each other for support, but at the end of the day, they are competing for themselves.

“My individual season was pretty smooth,” Tanner said. “No mishaps or major injuries really, and that is all we really ask for. We just want everyone to be safe and happy while competitively working to make their bodies stronger and healthier.”

In Mr. Raybourn’s ninth season, he managed 24 lifters at practices, 15 of whom traveled to competitions. With hard work comes results, and the team experienced both this season.

HANDSPRINGING INTO FUTURE PLANS Cheerleaders Hold Various College Objectives, Goals

By Anissa Lemons STAFF WRITER

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enior cheerleaders have a decision to make regarding their cheer future. The main question being: Will they be continuing to cheer in college, or will this be the end of their career? For some, high school cheer is something done for fun, and once high school is over, cheer is over. For others, cheering in high school is just the beginning, and college cheer is the main goal.

Cheerleading consists of the performance of organized chanting, cheering and dancing. In recent years, the GHS cheer team has been moved up to the class A resulting in the expansion of the cheer program. Now that GHS has moved up a division due to the rapidly growing population, things for the future of cheer is changing.

“We’ve changed a lot in the past three years,” cheer coach Mrs. Sarah Chagnon said. “We now cheer for home and away games, perform and compete. We hope to add traveling performances too!”

Though anyone can certainly try out for cheer, it takes a special athlete to be a

successful cheerleader. Seniors who have been cheering with GHS for their whole high school career have experienced what it takes to be a successful and wellrespected cheerleader. The cheer coaches want those who are planning to try out for cheer to know that it takes a special athlete to become a cheerleader.

Prospective cheerleaders need year-round commitment and enthusiasm.

Cheerleaders meet roughly three times a week to practice.

“Tryouts were a weeklong thing,” senior Nicole McCoy said. “We had to go to clinics, we learned the fight song, crowd cheers, and dances all throughout the week. We also did a mock tryout on Thursday, they just walked us through what the real thing would be like. On Friday, we did actual tryouts, then you just wait for the email to see if you got in.”

Cheerleaders on the GHS cheer team have different plans for their futures for cheer. For the girls that want to continue in college, they look forward to having the same experience they did in high school. All

Cheering Together Alayne Heisler (21), Leah Clarke (21) and Lauren Zych (19) cheer for GHS at the football game against Pius X. “Cheer is a lot of fun,” Nicole McCoy (19) said. The cheerleaders operate as a team and learn routines together.

of the cheerleaders can agree that joining the cheer team gained them exposure in many different ways.

“I had such a good experience in high school,” senior Lauren Zych said.

“Meeting new people and being a part of all of the activities and

School Spirit Lauren Zych (19) cheers for GHS at thefootball game against Millard South. “I love being a part of all of the games.” Lauren Zych said. The cheerleaders cheer at both home and away games for numerous sports.

games. I also want to be a part of that in college-- Husker football, basketball and volleyball games.”

Though head cheer coach, Mrs. Chagnon encourages her cheerleaders to continue cheerleading in college, some of her girls are choosing to stray away from cheer once they head off to college. For those, they plan to focus on something other than cheer in their near future.

“I think it has a big time requirement and restriction,” McCoy said. “It was easy in high school. But you are the face of the college, they are more strict and it would be hard to make most teams.”

Even with some of the girls choosing to cheer and college and some deciding to put an end to their cheer careers, all of them encourage those who are thinking about trying out for GHS cheerleading to do so, just make sure to go in with confidence, enthusiasm and spirit. The seniors are finishing their year strong and deciding one by one where their future leads them.

Volume 5 Issue 6

MARCH 2019

A&E

11

FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF- A CLASSIC

Beloved Movie is Enjoyable for Fans of Drama, Comedy; Something for All By: Kalei Renner STAFF WRITER

By: Zane Mrozla-Mindrup STAFF WRITER

pon watching “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” I noticed some drastic similarities and differences between this movie and the movies that I enjoy watching. I prefer dramatic movies. that are serious stories with settings or life situations that portray realistic characters in conflict with either themselves, others, or forces of nature. A dramatic film shows us human beings at their best, their worst and everything in-between. Ferris Bueller ties into this description.

At the beginning of this movie, Ferris was “sick” in bed. It was not until I saw the way he acted like a child when I realized he was faking his illness all along. Of course, since this was a teen comedy, his parents followed through with his game plan. Once his parents left the house, Ferris looked at the camera with a mischevious smile and broke the fourth wall. Little did I know that Ferris was about to embark on the adventure of his life.

Of course, since Ferris faked being sick, there were some consequences.

Throughout this movie, Ferris overcame a variety of different obstacles and challenges.

His principal being the largest challenge.

For instance, Mr. Rooney snuck into Ferris’ house, tried contacting his mother about his attendance record and spied on Ferris to try and catch him in all of his delinquent acts. If it was not for Mr. Rooney trying to sabotage Ferris’ high school career, Ferris just m Once Ferris’ parents left the house, Ferris was able to get his girlfriend Sloane out of school with the excuse of her grandmother’s death. This moment was one of the many moments Ferris almost got caught by Mr. Roony. Along with that, Ferris snuck over to his best friend, Cameron’s, house. Once all three of them were finally together, they decided to take Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari to Chicago. Together, they had the time of their life exploring, eating and joyriding across town.

As Ferris, Cameron and Sloane were about to depart from their trip, a series of events occurred that changed the whole outcome of the movie. Even though I am not going to spoil what happened to Ferris, Sloane and Cameron, I can say that when Cameron crashed his dad’s Ferrari, I rolled with laughter.

This was the moment where my perspective on teen comedies changed completely.

Even though teen comedies are not really my thing, this movie was so hilarious that I am honestly looking forward to watching more films like this one. Most of the teen comedies I watch are extremely cheesy and boring, but this one seemed to surpass these judgments.

Not only did it create an atmosphere that I was extremely familiar with, but many of the things that occurred in this movie relate to what I experience in life. For instance, this movie’s setting is based around a high school.

Since I am a high schooler, a majority of the events that occurred in this film relate to what I have to deal with in school as well.

t is the day that every high school senior dreams of: skipping school on a beautiful spring day to hang out with your best friends. But a day in paradise turns into a jaunt to evade the stuffy, joy-hating principal who does not quite buy the far-flung sick day excuse. This 1986 film starring Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck and Jeffery Jones is a fun-filled comedy for families with older children as it holds a PG-13 rating.

When the movie opened with a seemingly desperately sick young man lying on a bed, I developed a level of empathy towards him. However, as the movie continues and I realized the cunning ways of Ferris Bueller, I lost the empathy and saw a kid having the time of his life. From his skillful lying to spring his friends from school and wild escapades in the city of Chicago to the emotional conclusion of the film with his friend Cameron I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

That fact surprised me mainly because while my favorite genres of film are comedy and history. There is also a breed of these two involving comedy based in or around history and world events. This is demonstrated regularly on Saturday Nigh Live, in Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 classic The Great Dictator, and in Adam Mckay’s 2018 Oscar winner Vice.

While Ferris Bueller’s Day Off did differ from the kind of film I usually enjoy as it was literally set in a fictional Illinois town and had more low-brow, slapstick comedy based in huge stunts and physical comedy. It was still comedy and though the outrageous comedy was not my usual cup of tea I was still able to enjoy this film especially the iconic last quote from Ferris himself: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Ultimately I enjoyed his movie very much it has a unique cast of characters that mesh very well with each other on screen.

It gives the viewer many comedic moments but also touches on deep, very important issues. I give this movie four out of five stars as I believe that in some elements of the film more work could have gone in and that some comedic moments that were overplayed.

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Art by Emma Mayer Photo by André Natta

12 A&E

MARCH 2019

Volume 5 Issue 6

A staff OREO REVIEW New Oreo Flavors Appear on Grocery Shelves- How do They Stack Up?

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abisco is a company that makes Oreo’s. Over the years, the company has created many new and innovative flavors. I am an Oreo fan and have been known to eat a package in one sitting. I was intrigued by this flavor and decided to try it.

In the first bite, I noticed how crunchy the cookie was and how creamy the filling was. It did not taste like a carrot cake for me. Instead, I felt a connection to pumpkin pie, especially with the cinnamon.

Overall, I enjoyed the carrot cake Oreo and would eat it again. I would also recommend it to my peers. I could see older people enjoying it more than younger kids who may be picky eaters. This Oreo gets 4/5 stars.

Carrot Cake Delany Jepsen

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he lemon Oreo cookie was a pile of garbage. This flavor of Oreo was meant to taste like the classic lemon sawdust cookies you might find in the waiting area of a pharmacy which you eat while Grandma filled her prescription. The lemon frosting on the cookie wasn’t half-bad at first, but its aftertaste felt like someone was pouring sulfuric acid down your throat. The worst part of this monstrosity had to be the outer cookie part of the Oreo. The texture of the cookie was soft and disturbingly moist for a freshly opened bag of Oreos. The cookie was virtually tasteless, but a hint of stale graham cracker could be detected. I believe the main focus of the cookie was to magnify the powerful taste of the lemon frosting at its center. Overall, I give this cookie a two out of ten because of its painful frosting and damp cookies. It only receives a two because there are technically worse things that you could eat. I would recommend this crime against humanity to anyone who enjoys stepping on LEGO bricks or watching the little buffering percentage thing stall during their Netflix show.

LEMON Zane MrozlaMindrup

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he fudge-covered Oreo is aptly named because the Oreo is covered in fudge. The fudge on the Oreo does not seem to melt easily and holds its shape. Underneath the fudge is a normal Oreo. The fudge is extremely chocolatey, and it is the first thing I taste when I took a bite. It coats the Oreo nicely, and the shell is thick even around the whole Oreo. The only problem I have is that I cannot buy fudge covered mint Oreos because I dislike having the fudge covering a normal Oreo. I would not go out of my way to buy this Oreo because they were not as good as I thought they would be.

FUDGE Mary Matya

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s soon as I heard the term “Most-Stuf Oreo” I knew I was in for a major stomachache. Yet from this feeble beginning, things only get worse. Even the description of this cookie is enough to make me nauseous. The difference between the Most Stuf Oreo and the Megastuff Oreo is that former has literally twice the icing. Two times an already excessive amount of icing! After one bite, my taste buds were absolutely assaulted with the overpowering, sugary flavor of too much icing. The rest of the icing, horrendously disproportionate to the chocolate, was immediately squished out from the cookie and onto my hands. And having so much of this icing provides a clear sense of how powdery the icing is. The icing has the sort of texture that leads one to wonder what exactly the ingredients are and whether one should even know. The only thing keeping me eating the rest of the cookie was a desire to provide an accurate review. I am not a particularly healthy person when it comes to my diet, and once even resorted to Girl Scout Cookies as a second breakfast, yet eating this monstrosity gave me the sudden urge to go out and buy a salad, or at the very least have a very long drink of water. I still shudder to think of the horrendous food I tragically subjected myself to. It was the unhappiest I have ever, ever been while eating a cookie of any variety.

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MOST STUF

he Spring Oreo was a festive surprise but still at its heart a classic Oreo. I will admit that before I first tasted this cookie I was skeptical but I shoved it into my face because I had just eaten a lemon Oreo and was eager to get that taste out of my mouth. The purple frosting, while it does help to draw you to the cookie by adding a fun vibrant color into the largely white frosting world of Oreos, can be a bit offputting as usually when food turns purple, you decide it might be time to clean the fridge. The flavor of the frosting sticks to time-honored Oreo tradition, tasting just the same as the regular frosting. The cookie tasted just the same as any other Oreo cookie which seeks to magnify the taste of the frosting and adding a hint of chocolate. The cookie also had a fun Easter egg-shape which helps to add to the spring-time theme of the Oreo. Another advantage was that the shape didn’t break as easily as your typical Oreo. Overall I give this cookie a six out of ten because it adds a fun twist to a classic snack. I would recommend this cookie to anyone seeking to bribe a small child into the car on Easter morning.

MINT W Anissa Lemons

Abby Leasure

SPRING Zane Mrozla-Mindrup

alking around the grocery store, everytime I would pass the cookie aisle, I always noticed the shortage of the “Mint Oreo.” Going into the taste testing, I thought that the mint would remind me of toothpaste, and that it wasn’t going to be a cookie that I would choose to eat in my free time. But after taking a bite, I realized it was something much different. The mint was very calm and not too sweet. Paired with the chocolate cookie, I was reminded of the taste of mint and chip ice cream. The one thing I was not a fan of is that the amount of creme in the mint oreos is equivalent to the amount of creme in the “Double Stuf” oreos. If the creme was cut in half and pressed between the cookies, I would enjoy the cookies even more and go out of my way to buy them any time I went to the store.