2016 GHS Voice Issue 3

THE VOICE

December 2016

THE VOICE TV

6 ALL- STATE STUDENTS 15 UNMC STUDENTS

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE ELECTS DONALD TRUMP AS THE 45th PRESIDENT

STUDENTS SHARE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THE NEW PRESIDENT ELECT AND THEIR FIRST TIME VOTING

by Amanda Minckler

I

n the early morning of Nov. 9 2016, Mr. Donald Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States. The results of the election were not what some GHS students had expected from what they had seen and heard in the news leading up to Nov. 8. Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton actually won the popular vote, but Mr. Trump took the title by gaining the 290 electoral college votes, 20 more than he needed to win.

“I thought Hillary was going to win because she was leading in the polls and I thought people would be turned off by his comments,” first time voter and senior Ben Rhodes said. “It turned out that was not the case.”

Not the case indeed, but even with her loss, the election was still historic because it was the first time a woman was on the ballot for president. People started to see how wrong the polls were when results started to flow in, and no matter how disappointing that was to some, the title of President does deserve respect.

“It [the election outcome] was very surprising,” Rhodes said. “I was a little upset because of what he has said in the past. But I think now that he has won we have to give him a chance to see what he does.”

Giving President Elect a chance may be hard for some, but for others they believed that he

1st

speech delivered entirely in Spanish (vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine)

deserved a chance even before his election was announced. Supporters of Mr. Trump believed that America needed to start fresh.

“I thought we’d give Trump a chance as he’s never been in government before,” first time voter and senior Mila Serefko said. “He has no favors that he has to offer anyone in government, so he can start with a clean slate and I thought that was important this year: just wanting a clean slate.”

Supporters were tired of the cookie cutter politicians and promises they made. They were ready for a change in pace in the White House.

“I love that we got someone who is not bought or paid for in office.” first time voter and senior Kade Spainhower said. “I love that we have some who is actually an American and not a globalist.”

Aside from all the political talk there is another aspect of the election that is not much talked about: first time voters at GHS. Some seniors were able to put in their two cents about who they wanted running their country these next four years.

“I was nervous because I had no idea what I was doing,” first time voter and senior Katie Stukenholtz. “The ballot place was nothing like the TV shows portrayed it. I had never really paid attention to politics until now and I still did not know who the judges were.”

It was a proud yet confusing moment for

1st female to

manage a successful presidential campaign 1st president who 1st president to star in a Pizza Hut commercial

oldest

Carter Doering (18) poses with president-elect Donald Trump. Doering was a strong supporter of Trump all through his campaign.

Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally for her campaign. Clinton seemed to be ahead in the polls before election night, but ended up losing the electoral college

2nd female

to run for presidential office

hasn’t served in the military or a government office

1st president

to be a part of the WWE Hall of Fame

2nd foreign

President at inauguration

born first lady

1st female to

be nominated for President by a major party

the seniors who were able to exercise their right to vote after waiting a long 18 years. Now that election day is long passed, it is time to sit back and see what President Trump has to offer America to make it great again.

1st spouse of a

President to run for President

1st President married more than twice

1st President to have owned a football team

2 December 2016

Volume 3 Issue 3

News

STUDENTS ARE GETTING AN EXTRA TEST FOR SUCCESS

JUNIORS AND GRADES TO COME ARE GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE ACT.

T

by Emily Acker

he ACT. When hearing this short, three letter word many high school student across the country cringe. Between the fact that it is a four hour test with more questions than minutes, it also can get extremely pricey when taking it multiple times until you get the score that you want. For the first year ever, every student that lives in Nebraska and is graduating in the year 2018 is required by law to take the ACT. Some people are very fond of the idea, but others do not think it is worth it.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea because when we do testing in school, no one ever takes their time or works hard so it might be a waste of money and time for us to spend four hours on.” junior, McKinley Meadows said.

On the other hand, many juniors are grateful they have an extra opportunity to take the ACT. Even students in lower grades are excited to be able to take it in the upcoming years.

“I think having the ACT for free is a great thing,” sophomore Skylar Conrad said. “It allows for everyone to take the test, and although it can be stressful, it’s a great opportunity for all students.”

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU TAKEN THE ACT? information taken from 42 people 1 book = approximately 4 people

2016 JUNIOR DANCE CAMP

GHS DANCE TEAM ANNUAL FUNDRAISER

by Layne Staley

Performance Time The thrird graders performed a dance to “Thriller” by Michael Jackson with the assistance of camp helper, McKinley Meadows (18). submitted photo

Preschool Fun Anna Pick (18) teaches the preschoolers a dance to the song “Monster Mash.” submitted photo

Trick or Treat Taylor Wendlandt (17) and Cassidy Svec (19) taught a dance about candy to the kindergarteners. submitted photo

Not only does it affect the juniors, but some seniors feel very strongly about this topic.

“I’ve taken it seven times and might take the December one,” senior Abby Kessler said. “I think it stinks the juniors get an extra free practice because I think we should’ve been doing that for a while now. I do not think GHS helped me prepare for the ACT.” Teachers at GHS have been working hard to help juniors succeed at taking the ACT this year. Among changing the curriculum, they were asked to take a shorted version of the test.

“When I took the ACT in my junior year of high school, I think I was much more successful than I would be now.” English teacher Mrs. Jennifer Long said. “The biggest factor is that I haven’t had a math or science class in 20 years, but as a student I had math and science every day. Those sections required me to pull up some deep, deep, memories from classes I haven’t thought about for decades! It was also very difficult for me to sit still this time. I developed a lot of empathy for what students go through.”

Even though there are still kinks to the plan, it is set

Study Time Abby Kessler is working to keep her grades up. She and many of her fellow classmates have taken the ACT multiple times and are still looking to expand their knowledge.

that all Juniors in high school are taking the ACT this April. This decision has created opportunities for students to get extra practice if they plan on attending college.

52%

31%

10%

7%

1-2 times

3-4 times

5-6 times

6+ times

Spanish Biology U.S. History Chemistry English

O

U.S. History Chemistry Spanish

ver the past few years, the GHS dance team has hosted a camp that allows children from preschool through fifth grade to experience learning a dance and performing it with the high school dancers in front of family and friends.

Although it is a great opportunity for the kids, it is also a way for the girls on the team to make money for their travel costs. The Junior Dance Camp is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the team. With over 120 kids registered this year, everything had to be well-thought out and perfected in order for them to have a successful camp.

“I’ve had lots of girls tell me they’ve always gone to the camp with hopes of being on the team someday,” dance team coach Missy Cobb said. “With there only being one high school in Gretna and one dance camp a year, it’s really something they look forward to.”

This year the camp was held on Oct. 29. The dance team came up with a Halloween theme to go along with the holiday festivities. The parents decorated the cafeteria with skeletons, pumpkins and “spiderwebs,” and the girls came up with dances to Halloween songs such as “Monster Mash” and “Witch Doctor.” The camp was jam-packed with fun activities for the kids from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. They were able to play games, make crafts, eat pizza, come up with chants and dance, of course.

“Junior Dance Camp is dance team’s biggest fundraiser of the year,” senior Taylor Wendlandt said. “We fundraise so we can go to regionals in Minnesota and nationals in Florida.”

The team works long and hard to make the camp run as smoothly as possible. Because of their success, they have made anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 in the past few years. This is essential to the dance team because they need to raise enough money to be able to pay to go to all of their competitions. The two most expensive competitions are regionals at Mall of America in Minnesota and nationals in Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It will cost around $3,000 for the entire team to attend regionals and $10,000 for nationals. The Junior Dance Camp covers a large amount of the cost, but not all of it. The team made a lower amount from the camp this year than expected because the date changed and it was on a Saturday instead of at a basketball game. The girls have also worked at

English

Biology

Valas, worked concessions, sold cookies and popcorn and worked at Gretna Days to bring in more money as well. They will continue to fundraise throughout the year with concessions at games.

“Nationals is a huge step for the team, and a huge accomplishment,” sophomore Skylar Conrad said. “I love dancing with my team and I’m excited to hit the floor with them at Nationals.”

The dance team is excited to make the trip to Florida in February. They have been working hard the past few months and will continue to do so for future competitions. The team has their first competition on Dec. 11 at UNO, regionals on Jan. 7, nationals on Feb. 4 and 5, and state on Feb. 17. The Junior Dance Camp has been a fun and efficient way to help the dance team achieve their goals. The girls are grateful to all the kids who came to the camp and everyone who helped contribute to making their dream of going to nationals come true.

Dance Team Schedule: UNO Dance Competition where: UNO when: Dec. 11

Regionals

Where: Mall Of America When: Jan. 6

Nationals

Where: Disney World When: Feb. 2

State

Where: Grand Island When: Feb. 16

Volume 3 Issue 3

News

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

December 2016

3

PEOPLE AROUND THE COMMUNITY PACK BOXES TO HELP LESS FORTUNATE KIDS

by Mckenzie Pavelka

A

s we enter the holiday season, people all around the world get more and more excited to see their friends and family at gatherings and to give and receive gifts. Adults and students recently helped out at an event called Operation Christmas Child. This event was held at Thomas Elementary School on Sunday Nov. 13.

Operation Christmas Child is a program of the Samaritan’s Purse International Relief Organization. They want to give gifts to children all over the world, especially those who will not be receiving any this year. Each box represents the gift we all receive at Christmas, which is the gift of Jesus. Every kid who receives a shoebox also receives the chance to hear the truth of Jesus or why he came to our world. The boxes consist of a clothing item, a toy, school supplies and hygiene items. These boxes are most likely going to end up in third world countries where children do not typically get these, but some go to places in America. For more fortunate people around the community, this event was truly inspiring.

“It is amazing feeling to know that a little kid that uses rocks for toys will be getting a box full of gifts from us,” sophomore Dakota Larsen said. “Each box I packed, I got more excited because that is one more person that I am helping out.”

Mr. Brian Pruch is a leader at Gretna Campus Life and is one of the main people that helped make this event possible. He first heard of OCC as a six year old when he helped out with his church. This is the second year that he has done it with Campus Life.

“My favorite part about being a part of an event like this is the idea that kids all over the world get impacted from our small town in the middle of America,” Mr. Pruch said.

VOTE FOR THE FIELDS SALES TAX RAISE IN THE AIR

by Ben Bickel

More Fields Local High School kids playing on one of the soccer fields in Gretna. This field is at the Capehart Fields off of Capehart Rd. submitted photo

Well Used Younger kids taking the field at Capehart, one of Gretna Soccer Club’s newest field complexes. It’s the third field complex that has gone up for soccer in Gretna. submitted photo

This event was a celebration filled with people around the community wanting to make a difference in a stranger’s life. Materials for the packages were gathered by people in the community donating small items. These people spent two hours packing a total of 517 shoeboxes to be sent all over the world.

“My ultimate hope is that people will lower themselves and think of others,” Mr. Pruch said. “If everyone in our world did that, then this place would look very different.”

Kids all around the world this year are excited for the holidays and gifts, and because of this organization, kids that usually do not get the chance to receive gifts will be satisfied with not only a physical gift, but a gift from God.

Letters of Love Members of the community gather around to write letters to the kids recieving their gitfts. The letters tell more about the sender than the fit. The letter also includes info about them in case they want to continue communicating.

S

ports is a very big part of the culture in Gretna. Gretna is expanding so much that another middle school is being added. They are adding another elementary school to the district. Many of the kids in Gretna play sports. With all the growing and expanding happening, Gretna is on a shortage of fields to use for soccer and baseball. The issue is whether or not the city of Gretna will vote to raise sales tax and build more fields.

In Gretna, there are three soccer field complexes and two baseball field complexes. The baseball fields are located in North Park and at the high school. The soccer fields are Leo Royal, Capehart and the Gretna Sports Complex. With the flow of new kids coming in, many of them are signing up for sports. The problem is, with so many kids and only a limited amount of fields, fields are being torn up and are not able to be used as the season continues. As for baseball, there simply just are not enough fields in Gretna for softball and baseball games.

So, what the board of baseball and the soccer club want is more fields to be built at Capehart. But, there is a problem with more fields being built: taxes.

The sales taxes on building the fields will go up, and people who may be older or do not have kids may not want to pay for other kids to have the better opportunities to play the sport because it is going to cost more money on their part.

President of the Gretna Soccer Club, Mr. Bret Bickel, has seen this problem start to grow and is going to vote for more fields.

“There’s a shortage of fields for baseball and softball, for soccer we need to enhance the fields and the facility we already have,” Mr. Bickel said. “Being partners with the baseball program, we want to help them because they really don’t have any fields in Gretna.”

The baseball and softball teams in Gretna have limited fields and more often than not will have to play out of town or slip in a game on one of the few fields Gretna has.

There is another issue to the problem that the sports clubs already face. Will people vote for an increase on sales tax?

“People would be against it because they do not like tax increases and make due with what we have,” Mr.

Boxes of Happiness The finished product is stacked waiting to be loaded on a truck to then be processed and sent to children around the world.

People around Gretna packed 517 boxes at the Operation Christmas Child packing party this year.

Working for Christmas Spirit Students make boxes for people to fill and send to kids across the world.The boxes are filled with clothes, toys, school supplies, and hgiene items. Most things they rcieve are not available where they are.

Bickel said. “But what people may not realize is most of it would come from the Outlet Mall and not all of Gretna goes and shops there. Travellers, and people from Omaha come out there too.”

The issue was voted on Election Day, and after the voting was finished, as much as we needed these softball, baseball, and soccer fields, the vote for the raise of sales tax was rejected and voted down. 53% of the vote was against raising the sales tax half a cent. So as much as these fields were needed, there will not be more fields built in the city of Gretna.

More Fields NeededThere’s only three places in Gretna to play soccer.

“With the growth we are undergoing in the soccer club and in Gretna, soon we’re going to need more.” said Bret Bickel. submitted photo

Gretna Sports Complex Some of the fields up at the Gretna Sports Complex. The Sports Complex has many soccer fields but many of them are only used for micro soccer now. Micro soccer is for young kids between ages 6-8 to play soccer.

4 December 2016

News

Enthrallig Endeavors For a span of 25 hours, freshmen were enveloped with religiou knowledge and obstacles, each discovered with a profound purpose. With hesitance, sleeping bags and toiletries made their way into the cabins to make way for a successful retreat. Without Rev. Michael Grewe, Mr. Shane Fagan, and all the freshmen of St. Patrick’s Church and their parents, this weekend could not have been fathomed. Each “retreated” took personal findings and revelations with them home, now one step further in becoming adults in the eyes of the Church. photos Jessica Blum

FALL RETREAT; A LEAP OF FAITH INTO YOUNG ADULTHOOD FRESHMAN ‘RETREAT’ FROM ROUTINE FOR CONFIRMATION IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

A

By Jessica

s the first weekend in November marks countless events for many

people, freshmen of Saint Patrick’s Church in Gretna journeyed to the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center for their Confirmation retreat.

This event was an obligation for freshmen members of the church on their path to becoming “adults” in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Hauling sleeping bags, towels, bibles, watches, journals, pillows, toiletries and outdoor clothes, the retreat would not have been as successful without the open minds of the Confirmation class.

Shane Fagan, the Religious Education director of Saint Patrick’s Church for 12 years, has produced this experience for 11 years. He creates the activities, the timed, accurate schedules, the arrangements for speeches and Mass and enough supplies for his plan of action to run smoothly. He completes this feat annually, while reaching new knowledge and growth in his faith alongside every boy and girl about to transform into man and woman.

“I wanted to teach or work for the church,” Fagan said.

“Another kid told me on a retreat that I needed to share my work with the church. Every year I get something different out of this retreat, whether it’s helping the freshmen develop their faith, being outside or getting away for something different.”

Confirmation is a process in the Catholic Church in which the class is asked to complete service projects for the elderly, family and parish, choose a saint for the ceremony in which it is displayed on the front of their robes as they are blessed in the name of that saint by Archbishop Lucas, attend this Confirmation retreat and interview with Father Michael Grewe around Christmas break. The ultimate goal for each member is to accomplish all of these actions by the time of the ceremony in about three months.

Jamie Schmidt ventured into the wilderness with all of her service projects completed, her saint chosen and thoughts about her interview with Fr. Gewe. Her middle name, Anne, was the inspiration in her choice to follow Saint Anne on her journey of faith.

“My Grandma Schmidt is my Confirmation sponsor,”

freshmen Schmidt said. “She is super religious, she talks about her faith a lot and she loves to take us to different churches in countries when we go traveling. My meeting with Father scares me even though no one can fail, pass or be denied of getting Confirmed.”

Retreaters became one with nature on another level, encompassing the mind and its functions for the weekend.

Schools such as Elkhorn South, Papillion South and Millard West met Gretna in this transformative time.

Morgan McDonnell placed a lot of her heart and trust into the retreat leaders to make this weekend special by standing out.

“At the beginning it was hard to feel at home, but I had a common interest among the others in God, and that made it easier for me to connect since I was from Millard West,” freshman McDonnell said. “It was a great experience for me to connect with my peers and God. My relationship with God changed; I had just been going through the motions in church, but now, I’m really connected. It helps everyone through the ups and downs, there and through everything.”

The Confirmation class came in with expectations beyond belief. As they went in one door and out the other, they left with a certain outlook to be set forth into the world around them.

“I thought the retreat was going to be filled with adoration, the Gospels of the Bible, and large prayer groups,” freshmen Dawson Radik said.

The end is near; retreat, check. From here on out, the loose ends will conjoin, interviews will be conducted, and the ceremony will commence. After the weekend came to an end, the minds were once again opened to unlimited possibilities.

Volume 3 Issue 3

CRAZY SALE=CRAZY HOURS

STUDENTS WHO WORKED BLACK FRIDAY

By Emily Acker

T

o many people, Black Friday is a time to go out and find deals on things they have been wanting for themselves, or gifts for the holiday season. But this year, many GHS students are being forced to work crazy hours on Black Friday. For many of these students, this year will be their first time working on this busy day.

“I have never worked Black Fridays before,” junior Carter West said. “But everyone is required to work Black Friday’s at Old Navy,” According to a study done by Washington Post, in 2015 alone, about 151 million people went shopping over Black Friday weekend.

“I am not nervous because I am good at what I do,” West said . “So I’m confident I will be fine.”

To other students who have had a job for a longer time, it is not their first time working on Black Friday.

“I did last year so no, I am not worried about working because in my experience, it is far from Auntie Anne’s busiest day of the year,” senior Levi Williams said. “We are open until one in the morning. I will work until then and close but I have yet to receive my schedule on when I go in.”

So this year if you go out on Black Friday, keep in mind your fellow classmates who are required to work this busy shopping day.

Black Friday Workers: Many students at GHS have to work on Black Friday. Junior Carter West is one of these students. He is folding clothes at his job at Old Navy. photo by Emily Acker

Volume 3 Issue 3

December 2016

News

TAKING TIME OUTDOORS

5

GETTING AWAY FROM TECHNOLOGY

by Mara Hjermstad

J

unior year is perceived to be the hardest of all the years in high school. With starting college classes and beginning to prepare for college, it is good to unplug and take some time in nature.

That is what English instructor Mrs. Jennifer Long had in mind when she and the other English instructors came up with this field trip. This trip is for junior students in the College preparation class of American Literature.

“We have a unit that we study in the early romantics of American Literature called transcendentalism,” Mrs. Long said. “The Transcendentalists writers believed that nature was a very powerful force and that if you would spend time away from material good and just in natural things then you could discover truths about yourself.”

The American Literature students have been studying Thoreau, one of many Transcendentalist writers. They are studying him because he lived in cabin at Walden pond for two years, taking time outdoors to write.

“One of the reasons we take the kids on the writing marathon is so that they can spend some time immersed in that nature and do some stream of consciousness type writing,” Mrs. Long said.

They went to Schramm Park and were broken into groups of twenty and each group went with an instructor.

They walked around and talked about what they observed then when they saw a spot that looked nice they stopped and wrote. Each student would move away from one another and write for twenty minutes. They first filled out a formal journal that activated their senses, then did some journaling on their own.

“Last year, I read about a project that a teacher in Ralston was doing called the Almanac Project,” Mrs. Long said. “I thought it would be a really cool idea and do a Gretna Almanac and chronicle some of those things, not only the natural world but also dynamics of the community, social justice issues in our community, and celebrations of our community.”

This whole idea came from a teacher in Ralston.

Now Mrs. Long is expanding it into our community.

Getting outdoors and clearing the mind can be thought provoking, causing a more active brain. Getting away from technology can grow the brain which in turn makes for a more intellectual person.

“I learned how I best write, because it gave me a chance to explore different things and just do whatever I wanted instead of the teachers telling me what I can and cannot do,” Naomi Reeves said. “Also, being in the exciting environment really got my brain thinking and my creativity flowing. Overall, it was very good to get some experience out of the classroom.”

Mrs. Long chose to take the junior students to Schramm Park because she thought it was a beautiful place with inspiring nature. Another reason she picked this spot is because many students did not know there was a Schramm Park or that it was in close proximity with the school.

BENEFITS OF CREATIVE WRITING

Writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events has been found to result

in improvements in both physical and psychological health, in non-clinical and clinical populations.

In the expressive writing paradigm, participants are asked to write about such events for 15–20 minutes on 3–5

Creative writing dispels the awe of literature and

occasions. Those who do so generally have significantly

better physical and psychological outcomes compared with those who write

creates active learners; develops critical readers; furthers student under-standing of literary criticism;

deeper commitment to excellence; and motivates class bonding and dismantles the classroom inspires

hierarchy.

-The Value of Creative Writing Assignments in English Literature Courses

by Veronica J. Austen

“The writer is by nature a dreamer - a conscious dreamer.” - Carson McCullers

“I write only because there is a voice within me that will not be still.” - Sylvia Plath

In an exercise called ‘The Zoning Committee’, college students created the fictional Israeli-American town of Beit Shemesh, located in northern Michigan.

Qualitative data collection methods consisting of semistructured group interviews, observation and text analysis of story drafts showed that the writing project gave students an opportunity to explore significant issues about the Jewish community and their personal lives as manifested in themes and motifs in their fiction. In addition to the social and intrapersonal benefits, the project was beneficial

to language proficiency development: it increased confidence and classroom morale, required strategy use, improved writing level and honed listening and speaking skills.

Developing foreign language skills, competence and identity through a collaborative creative writing project

by Avital Feuer

“A true piece of writing is a dangerous thing, it can change your life.” - Tobias Wolff

about neutral topics.

Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing

by Karen A. Baikie, Kay Wilhelm

“You can’t use up creativity.

The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou

We qualitatively examined themes covered in a creative writing elective de-

signed to enhance pre-clinical medical students’ writing, observation, and reflection skills relative to experiences in their medi-

cal education... Qualitative analysis demonstrated

students’ role confusion, developing a professional identity, medicine as a calling, physician privilege and power, humanizing the teacher, the limits of medicine, death and dying, anticipating future challenges, and identification with the patient. the presence of nine themes:

Becoming a doctor: fostering humane caregivers through creative writing by David Hatem Emily Ferrara

6 December 2016

News

Volume 3 Issue 3

GRETNA HIGH SCHOOL BAND AND CHOIR MEMBERS ARE BREAKING A RECORD MORE GRETNA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING IN ALL-STATE MUSIC ENSEMBLES THIS YEAR THAN EVER BEFORE

by Katie Stukenholtz

R

ecords have officially been broken. A total of 25 GHS students have made a Nebraska Music Educators Association All-State Music Ensemble this year. There are five students that made the choir with one alternate, six students in the orchestra, and 12 students in the band with one alternate. Quite a bit of time and effort went into preparing for their auditions.

There is a lot of work that has to go into auditions if you want to be considered,” sophomore Kayla Martin said. “We got music back in June and it takes a lot of practice time to familiarize yourself with the music and be comfortable playing it with all the different components.”

All-State is a highly selective group. It can be difficult and sometimes even impossible to get in. In previous

years, junior Arden Fechtmeister has auditioned and not gotten in, but this year she did.

“I wanted to participate for as long as I’ve been in band,” Fechtmeister said. “All-State is like this golden title you strive for. It means you’re good enough to make it in this super selective group.”

The All-State process has changed ever so slightly since last year. The auditions have changed from getting a 30 minute time slot to where they only get a single chance to record it. Another difference this year is that freshmen are now allowed to audition, and four GHS freshmen made it.

“When I heard that they were allowing freshmen in this year, I was a little frustrated that they decided to do that my sophomore year,” Martin said. “However, I know

Practicing her music, Kayla Martin (19) has been very anxious for All-State. This is her first year participating and she was able to successfully make it into the band. “The music, of course, is more challenging than something we see in concert band, but it truly becomes more difficult when you don’t put aside time to practice the music,” Martin (19) said. photo by Katie Stukenholtz

The chorus takes only the top singers in Nebraska. There is a total of 440 students from across the state. GHS has five students who made the chorus. submitted photo

there is so much talent hidden within the freshman class that can definitely help improve the music so I am glad that they made the decision.”

All-State is not just a place for the gifted musicians to show off. It is also a place for them to improve and strengthen their skills.

“I wanted to be in All-State because of what the experience gives me. I went to All-State in eighth grade and that was a blast,” Martin said. “All of the honor bands I have attended challenge me as a player and increase my abilities. I come out of them having learned a little bit more, and I expect the same thing to come from All-State.”

Those students involved in All-State have put in extra work. The rehearsals and performances were Nov. 16-18 in Lincoln.

Putting his heart into it, Dayton Linhardt (19) was overly eager for the oppurtunity to play on the All-State stage.

Despite this being his first year auditioning, Linhardt (19) made it into Ochestra which is the top instrumental group.

He was proud of how the final comcert sounded.

One of the two alternates this year, Trey Switzer (17) practices his baritone.

The outcome of the auditions were a little dissapointing to him. However, Switzer still loves to play music. photo by Katie Stukenholtz

The band stands at 155 members strong and GHS students make up 12 of those spots. The music they play is much more difficult than normal concert band music. Those involved had to rigorously prepare for the auditions and the concert. submitted photo

FORMER GHS STUDENT NOW REPRESENTATIVE OF GRETNA AFTER SUCCESSFUL RUN IN THE FIRST ELECTION LOGAN HERRING WAS ABLE TO VOTE IN HE WAS ELECTED AS A GRETNA CITY COUNCIL MEMBER

by Sophie Anderson

T

here are approximately 1,126 students that walk through the doors of GHS every day.

There is no way of knowing the capabilities and future belonging to each of these students. The possibilities are endless. For some, they will continue to bring pride and help their hometown of Gretna. Others will move and attempt to do the same for a different town. A former GHS student has been elected on Gretna City Council.

Many people feel a responsibility to help our country and that is especially visible with the upcoming election both nationwide and citywide. To most, this means voting, but for Logan Herring, he saw it as his duty to run for City Council office.

He is very excited for this opportunity to help and serve the Gretna community. While this is important to him, he does not envision a political career for himself.

“I don’t really like the idea of people having ‘careers’

in politics,” Herring said.

His vision for his future is to teach kids; however, for the time being he is working to help our town having been elected in the City Council office.

“I’m really looking forward to represent the great people I’ve met around Gretna,” Herring said. “These next four years are really important for Gretna because the city hit 5,000 in population which means that the state will soon reclassify us as First Class which changes a lot about how the city government works. So being able to get involved in that process and making sure that Gretna keeps growing and prospering would be exciting.”

To many people this would seem like a daunting task and something we would never imagine for ourselves.

It seems difficult and trying with hard work required daily. For Herring, it is a challenge that he has accepted graciously only with the intent to help make our community a successful place.

“Unless it’s alcohol, don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too young to do something,” Herring said. “I’m at least three decades younger than the average City Councilor, and I could either get caught up thinking that I’m too inexperienced or I can recognize that I’ll bring a brand new perspective to City Hall. It’s all about perspective, and if you want to run for public office, or start your own business, or write a book, just do it. With new technology and the internet, it’s never been easier to get involved at all ages, so my advice is to not let that opportunity pass while you’re so young.”

He also mentioned the importance of staying busy and meeting new people. These are only a few things that will ultimately aid in success later in life. Logan Herring is only one example of the greatness and ability each student in every school has to change their community on a small or large scale, no matter what anybody else has to say about it .

Opinion

Volume 3 Issue 3

November 2016

WHAT AM I THANKFUL FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

7

THIS TIME OF YEAR IS IMPORTANT TO REFLECT ON THE NECESSITY OF FAMILY

By Olivia Kahler

T

he holidays used to be a time for family gatherings, love and gratefulness for one another; however, it is easy for students to be distracted by the mountains of presents under the tree or school vacation.

Family is easily forgotten, but it is important that every once in awhile, we remember the true reasons for the holiday season.

I have always been extremely close to my family. As a child, I never grew up with a babysitter. My mother worked all day to support us while I stayed home with my grandmother. She would sit on the floor with me and play all day. My parents divorced when I was young, and although some people may see that as a tragedy, I do not. Both my parents are still involved in my life, and it was because of their divorce that I was able to grow so close to my grandmother.

This holiday season, it is important that we all take some time to reflect on everything that our family members have done for us. For me, that means remembering all the fun times I have had with my family and how much it meant to them. For example, every Thanksgiving we make a chocolate cake even though we had just feasted on a huge dinner. Every once in awhile my grandfather’s birthday falls on Thanksgiving, so we celebrate it

on his favorite day of the year with his favorite food. Then we would put up our tree and gaze at it for the rest of the night.

Many of us seniors will be leaving for college soon. Most people are so quick to move out, ready to start their own lives as a young adults away from their parents. I think that people have forgotten that we have needed our parents for so long, and when college comes, that will not magically disappear.

I have looked at colleges all over the country. I was caught up in the anticipation of moving out and being independent that I pushed aside the fact that I still need my family, my mom especially. She cooks for me, provides for me and she is always there if I need advice. When I leave for college, I know that I will still need her even though I would like to believe that I will be completely fine on my own. She’s been there for me my entire life; I will still need her even when I live as an independent.

My mother has been my rock for almost eighteen years, and even though I will be leaving home soon, she will always be there for me. However, it is important to realize that our parents will not be right by our side, so we should take advantage of the time we are given with them now to let them know they are appreciated.

Flashback: Olivia Kahler and her mom, Holly took family photos from a Lincoln photographer in 2002. “My mom has always been my best friend, even now I still look up to her like I did when I was little.”Photo submitted by Olivia Kahler

G N I TH

O T E VER Y N E D A E R I S H U RT I N G S S R E A G D HY GR A

W T H E I M P O R T A NC E

F

OF

rom the time that we start kindergarten, students are praised in how well they do in school. This praise may have good intention, but it can turn rotten quickly. In some cases, the student starts to believe that their grades determine their self worth because of how much praise they have gotten in the past. Once that belief is placed in their mind, anxiety or depression can start to rise due to their inability to get the grades that they could in past years. They do not take into account that they are now taking higher level classes, and the grades they are getting still deserve praise and do not lower their self worth. Our society needs to move away from placing such a high importance on good grades and set a higher importance on other, more important values.

Learning should be a good experience for students, not stress inducing. Our culture has turned school away from learning and more toward getting good grades. Stress put on grades is so great that students will throw away their morals just to get a good grade. A study done by University of California, Berkeley shows that 95 percent of high school juniors and seniors say they have cheated on a test. 95 percent. Now, this does not mean that 95 percent of high school juniors and seniors were too lazy to study so they needed to cheat on the test. There are a few cases where that is true, but there are the students who studied hard to get the grade on the test. Even though they studied, they felt the need to cheat just, so they could get a better grade. Is it really worth it? Society is pushing students so hard that they feel the need to throw away good morals just to get that A. This is getting to be too much. Grades are not important enough to teach a student that it is “okay” to cheat on a test. Learning has turned into a bad experience for students. According to the same study, the number of teenagers treated for depression has doubled in the past five years. Nothing is worth that. Not a 4.0. Not a 35 ACT score. Nothing. Mental health should come above all else and in this day and age it does not, and I think that is the biggest mistake of our generation. We are allowed to be depressed. We

US

BY AMANDA MINCKLER are allowed to feel as if we cannot go to school because of the crippling anxiety or depression that it gives us. We are not being whiny teenagers, we are trying to tell you what the pressure of grades is doing to us. Help us. Tell us that it is okay to get a B every once in awhile, because it is.

There are multiple ways to fix this continuing problem in our society. One way is to assure the kids that whatever number or letter their grade is does not determine how good of a person they are. Who they are as a person is dictated by much more than grades. Being a genuinely good person is greatly more important than a good report card because when students focus on good grades they lose other aspects of life. Helping others and helping the world will cause a person to have more happiness than an A ever could. The happiness given by an A is a fake one. It will not last because after seeing that A, the stress of maintaining that grade rises again and the happiness is gone. Impacting someone’s life in a positive way will give teenagers true happiness. We need to switch our values from getting stand out grades to impacting the world in a positive place because students are told that if their grades are “bad” then they cannot change the world. That could not be any more wrong. The grade does not determine how much of a heart a person has. A person with “amazing” grades could go on to hurt the world while another student with “bad” grades could move on and change the world in a positive way.

The world today needs to stop labeling students by their grades because they have no impact on what we can accomplish in this life. If we have enough heart and grit, we can do anything we set our minds to and that is what needs to be taught in school.

Society’s pressure on good grades is only hurting students. It is causing a depression epidemic to take over students all round the country. We must shift our focus onto other values, so the depression and anxiety of students is lifted. The way to fix this issue is to tell us that our value is not given by a grade because with our heart and grit we will go on to change the world no matter what our GPA says about us.

8 December 2016

Opinion

Volume 3 Issue 3

THE LASTING EFFECTS OF THE TRUMP ELECTION ON MARGINALIZED CITIZENS IN THE US WHY THE 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS NOT A REASON TO CELEBRATE FOR SOME UNITED STATES CITIZENS

By Amanda Minckler

O

n Nov. 9 2016 Donald Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States of America. The election of Trump was reason to celebrate for some, but what the people celebrating this victory must realize is this election was also reason to cry for some. Before pushing their feelings to the side by saying that it is not necessary for them to be so depressed about our next president, take a moment to look at life through someone else’s perspective. For some this election was the American people telling them that we do not care about them or their well being. Some women felt they were told that it is acceptable for them to be objectified and treated poorly by men because the man who is running our country has spoken about sexual assaulting women and multiple women have accused him of sexual assault. If you do not believe that this is true then maybe this will change your mind. A girl at our school was at a gas station the morning after Trump was

elected, and she heard a group of men say derogatory terms towards her. She responded saying “excuse me?” and the men responded with “Little lady didn’t you hear Trump is president now.” Some actually believe the victory of Donald Trump is now giving men the ability to verbally assault women and believe they have a valid reason behind it. That is no reason for women to celebrate.

Latinos, African Americans and Muslim Americans were basically told that it is acceptable to be racist and call them rapists. Closer to home, since Trump’s election some students at Gretna High School have been told they will now be deported. I believe the hatred is alive and well and we should stop it. Many Americans are now scared for their safety and their future in their own country. Please step back and be compassionate to the people whose lives may appear more difficult because of the next President of the United States. I think we should help stop the hatred that has been directed towards all minorities because this

hatred will not “Make America Great Again.” It will only divide us more than we already are and we cannot afford that. I believe we must stand together to rise above the hate.

Show minority groups that America still cares for them. To the Women who feel that their lives are now less than men: You matter and you will rise above the sexism plaguing the country. To the members of the LGBT+ community who were once comfortable in their own skin and now their closet door is closed and bolted up: You are loved and supported by many. To Latinos and African Americans: You are still welcome in America. To Muslim Americans: Our country was founded on religious freedom, you are welcome here. The Voice Staff asks the student body of GHS to be stronger and rise above the hate and live up to the statement that every man is created equal. The sun will shine tomorrow and the chaos will settle. The future is bright because love conquers hate and always will. No matter who is President.

REALITY CHECK FOR GHS

TAKING A STEP BACK FROM THE MOVIES

T

By Jacey Hammer

he fact that I was new to Gretna makes it so much harder to be a part of a “clique.”

Cliques that are portrayed in movies are much different than they are in real life.

There is no Regina George from Mean Girls in our school.

There is not a group of girls that has a list of rules and guidelines that you must follow in order to be in that friend group.

Although when Cady first got to her new school, she was almost immediately invited to join the popular group.

I can relate to that because when I first moved to Gretna I was a part of a friend group that most teenage girls want to be in. I was in that group for a month or two. Eventually, I met other people and was no longer in that group. I still think of these girls as friends but not as good of friends that we once were. I do not think the popular cliques in our school are mean in any way, but it is just a coincidence that a similar scenario happens to a majority of new kids.

I am not going to lie, sometimes there are people that tell others not to join a certain club or activity because it would be considered weird. For example, Cady wants to join the mathletes, but Regina tells her she should not join. I always find other people judging others over simple things like this. I know that sometimes people will judge others for studying for a test.

It is a huge deal if someone moves lunch tables in Mean Girls. It is the same way in Gretna. The person who switched tables acts as if it is no big deal. But in reality, they know that everyone is talking about it. In the movie, when Cady first moved to Regina’s lunch table, it was talked about by almost everyone.

In the movie A Cinderella Story, the main character, Sam, has been emailing the star of the football team, Austin, anonymously for weeks. Austin is dating the head of the cheerleading squad, and Sam is not relatively close to their social status. Sam feels as if she has no chance with Austin because his current girlfriend refers to her as ‘diner girl.’ Sam works at her deceased dad’s diner, and the jocks and cheerleaders made a habit of making fun of her.

It is interesting how much this relates to our school. I have heard countless amounts of people saying “no, you cannot date him because he is a nerd,” or “I would never have a chance with a guy like him.” It is almost crazy how much these situations compare.

I feel that this is mainly judgment. Personally, I think that social statuses do not matter. We are all different people, and it should not matter who we are friends with.

Popular or not, we all have so many unique qualities about us that make us who we are. A label should not define us.

Not too far to go: The south Pointe Plaza here in Getna is home to many food places such as Jimmy John’s Sandwich shop and Runza. These places are located exactly 1.6 miles from GHS which is approximately a ten minute walk. They serve a variety of sandwiches to the public at moderate prices that high schooling would be able to purchase. Photo by Mara Hjermstead

SHOULD AN OPEN CAMPUS BE OFFERED AT GRETNA

STUDENTS OF GHS WANT MORE OPTIONS TO BE OFFERED TO EAT FOR LUNCH

By Mara Hjermstead

S

chool lunch can be a considered not an option for some students in high school when the cafeteria workers have so many people to feed it is all about quantity not quality. If students had the option to leave and get their own food or stay and eat the school food most people would perfer to leave. What if you could leave the school and go get your own food? Many schools have this option. GHS, however, does not. Personally, I think open campus would be cool, especially with Runza and Jimmy John’s so close to campus. They are both within a two mile range that we could go there, pick up some lunch, and still make it back in time for class. Enticing as the greasy food may be, I think I would add a few extra pounds to my body. If I had the option of open campus I might end up getting Runza or Jimmy John’s or McDonald’s, but most of the time I would eat at my house. I do not know how many other students would do that, but going to the fast food places grows the economy in Gretna.

I think open campus should be for all grades, but at the very least the seniors should have the option. I would like to have open campus because I would get a choice on what I want to eat. They give us a “choice” here at school, but we only get to decide between a few different options. They give us the two main options which are

very controversional to some students and their tastes, and in addition to that, they have a salad bar and sandwich option. The salad bar is okay but the sandwiches are not the best. They had little fillings and served on wheat bread which is something I do not particularly like. If we had open campus and I wanted a sandwich, I could drive 1.6 miles and pick one up from Jimmy John’s. With Jimmy John’s and Runza and all other fast food places, you have the option to make it a meal with a drink and a side. At GHS we have a main dish that is limited and a dinky juice box is offered and a side dish that usually no one likes. I usually leave lunch still hungry or have to purchase extra food just to fill me up. Most days I bring a snack to school for seventh hour because the school lunch does not last me through the day. In addition to that, the lunchroom is overcrowded, so we have to squeeze just to fit everyone at a table. Being elbow to elbow with someone makes it hard to eat or even enjoy the food. Although, at school you cannot really enjoy the food anyway, no matter how much space you put in between people. Open campus would free up some sitting space in the cafeteria for the students who stay. If we had open campus, students would have endless possibilities on what to eat. I would would greatly appreciate having open campus and I think other students would feel the same. I vote yes on open campus at GHS.

Volume 3 Issue 3

PASSION FOR FASHION

EXPRESSING INDIVIDUALITY ON FRIDAY

E

by Abbie Wesely

xpressing creativity and uniqueness can sometimes be challenging for a high school student; however, a group of girls at GHS has started a way to do just that. Fashion Friday, started by junior Eryka Theodosis, originated in order to create expression of individuality within the halls of the high school. Juniors Eryka Theodosis, Emelia Rau, Hannah Morrison and Iliana Huetson, as well as sophomore Cecily Jones and freshman Kristin Ralston participate in this event.

“When Eryka Theodosis proposed the idea to us group of girls we were all ecstatic,” Jones said. “We thought it would be a fun way to make it through the year and express our individuality.”

Fashion Friday occurred to Theodosis over the summer when she got the idea from another girl in college. When Theodosis saw her pictures, she started coming up with ideas and got really excited. She then began organizing a group to participate with her.“Eryka messaged us all during the summer asking if we wanted to start coordinating outfits and I think we were all instantly on board,” Morrison said. “We started passing ideas around and by the time the school year started up we started dressing up. I believe that we will be doing it all year and I know that I would love to.” The girls that started Fashion Friday sparked interest in other students to join. Ralston decided to join the group recently because the girls were enjoying themselves so much.“The reason I decided to join was because when I saw the pictures, the girls looked like they were having so much fun expressing themselves through clothing,” Kristin Ralston said.The girls have done five Fashion Fridays so far. Together they decide on themes to match each other at school in a creative way. From 90’s grunge to fall colors, they all bring a new perspective to fashion. On Halloween, they chose “witching hour” as the theme.

“The first one was a black and white theme,” Jones said. “We wanted to start things off easy and simple. The

9

December 2016

Feature second was ‘hippie’, that one was really fun. We all wore loose baggy clothing. The third was a grunge rocker type of theme. Everyone broke out their flannels and leather jackets and boots. The fourth one was a fall theme. We all share a similar love for all things fall. We were missing Iliana in that one because the prior day she had injured her ankle and was unable to do it. That was a bummer.”

Fashion Friday gives the girls an excuse to dress up.

They do it with a whole bunch of unique girls that always come up with something extraordinary to wear.

“I enjoy knowing that I can dress up however I want and my girls will be right there with me,” Huetson said.

“I’m a little shy, especially with fashion sometimes but when I have someone to dress up with it makes me feel more confident and comfortable. Also we all bring our own style to the theme which I think is really cool. Every girl shows their individuality within one theme.”

Fashion Friday gives the girls a creative outlet to get through the school year. It makes them excited for the end of the week and relieves stress.“It gives me something to look forward to during the week,” Huetson said. “No matter what stress I have during the week I know that on Fridays I will get to dress up with my favorite group of girls.”Other students are curious about Fashion Friday. Numerous people have complimented the girls individually and as a group when they are all together.

“I’ve gotten lots of questions from people asking when/what our next Fashion Friday is,” Theodosis said.

“I think it’s so cool that there are people looking forward to it.”

Social media is how the girls remember memories of Fashion Friday. They do not want to forget the happiness and experiences that they share with each other, and it is something that they can always look back on.

“I post the pictures because a lot of people are interested in seeing what we wore that week,” Huetson said. “It’s something I can look back on and always remember about high school.”

Occasionally, as one would expect, there are downsides to dressing up. It takes extra patience and commitment to wake up early and put in a lot of effort. Overall, the stress is worth it.

“I always stress too much about what to wear and if

Theme: Hippie

Theme: Fall

Peace, love, and fashion Posing for the camera, the girls show off their hippie style. This was the second Fashion Friday that the girls planned.

“Dressing up makes me feel confident and excited,” junior Eryka Theodosis said.

Submitted photo

Dressing for the season Missing Illiana, the other girls express their love for fall. They wore their stylish sweaters and scarves in celebration of the changing season. “I love Fashion Friday because I really enjoy dressing up and expression myself through the clothes I wear,” junior Hannah Morrison said.

Submitted photo

Fashion throwback Breaking out the flannels, the girls rocked the 90’s grunge theme for the day.

The Fashion Friday group members looked forward to expressing their bold side with the dark clothing tones. “I enjoy knowing that I can dress up however I want and my girls will be right there with me,” junior Illiana Huetson said. Submitted photo

Spooky style Adding freshman Kristen Ralston to the group, now there are currently six members of Fashion Friday. The girls expressed “Witching Hour” on Halloween. “If you don’t feel inspired by the way you dress, then you’re doing it wrong,” freshman Kristin Ralston said. photo by Abbie Wesely

,

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Th em e:

Bl ac k

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W hi te

or M h na an es , H on au J R ily ia ec el C m d , E an on is ts os ue d H eo a Th an a Ili ryk E

Theme: 90’s grunge

it’ll fit with the other girls,” Jones said. “But I’ve come to realize that I’m not suppose to look like the other girls.

The whole point of this is to express our personality. The theme is simply there for us to take and put in a way we see fit.”

The girls claim that dressing up is almost considered therapeutic because they always feel better after putting in time for themselves. It makes their day better and they agree that it is worth the extra effort.

“I think it matters in specific cases,” Jones said.

“For school, not necessarily. But for some people, their appearance is how they express themselves, how they can be themselves without being ashamed. And if looking good everyday all day makes you happy, then yeah. It’s definitely important.”

Fashion Friday pushes the girls out of their comfort zone. They choose to dress up and express themselves for a day instead of wearing sweatpants. It breaks the routine and motivates them throughout the day to feel good about themselves.

“It’s so worth it to put in the effort,” Huetson said.

“Mainly I do it to impress myself. If I can get up an hour early on a Friday after a long week of school, I get so pleased and proud of myself. And it’s so worth it because of the compliments I usually get.”

Originally the girls started this as just a fun little thing with friends. But it is a much bigger deal than that.

Expressing themselves at GHS is a way to show other girls how to be confident in their own skin and that it does not matter what people wear.

“Dressing up can be seen as childish or immature,” Jones said. “Fashion Friday gives us the chance to be a kid again and explore every outlet of creativity. Honestly, I wish the whole school could do this with us. I feel that it just gives you a sense of pride in what you can conjure up and this group of girls is absolutely perfect for it. They’re all so imaginative and open to anything, I’m very grateful they asked me to be in the group.”

Though the Fashion Friday group started just this year, they will continue to dress up all year long and be a lasting legacy of GHS. The girls will share their passion for fashion as they promote individuality and creativity in themselves and others.

Theme: Witching Hour

10December 2016 NEW TWIST ON LIVESTOCK SENIOR SWITCHES IT UP WITH ALPACAS

I

by Amanda Minckler

n the suburban town of Gretna, livestock animals are nothing new to the citizens; however junior Reegan Salverson and her family have put an unfamiliar twist to the animals of Gretna: Alpacas.

“We got them [the alpacas] this summer in July. I have never had livestock before,” Salverson said. “I have honestly never had any pets other than fish before.”

Fish to alpacas is a big jump when it comes to owning pets; however, there is good reasoning behind the gap of animals.

“We had just moved out of town and my dad wanted livestock, but he did not want cows because my family and I had never really worked with any livestock before so we did not want anything that could really hurt us,” Salverson said. “He found them on Craig’s List and thought it would be really cool.”

Any Gretna citizen would know that alpacas are not exactly native to Nebraska or any state near. Alpacas are normally kept in herds in the heights of the Andes Mountains in countries such as Peru and Ecuador. The state of Nebraska climate is slightly different from their natural climate, so there is a process of caring for them when the weather gets a little too hot.

“They are mountainous creatures so the summers can be a little warmer for them than what their native climate is like but the winter is not a problem for them,” Salverson said. “We just have to sheer their fleece in the spring and then they are fine.”

Most livestock buck or try to hurt a person in other ways when they are angry, but alpacas show the owners in a different way when they are angry or irritated.

“When they get very irritated they spit,” Salverson said. “They are very possessive of their food. Also, they will spit if they are just mad for some reason.”

Spitting may not be glamorous but it is much safer than a bull with horns. Being possessive over food can cause issue not only between the owner and the animal but between the animals themselves.

“Most of the time they get along unless they are fighting over their food,” Salverson said. “We have one that is just ornery and fights over her food most of the time.”

Because Salverson had nothing but a fish before the alpaca came along, it took some time for her to learn about their new pets. Her dad, however, had experience with

FIFTH TIME’S A CHARM

SOCCER PLAYER BREAKS ARM YET AGAIN

S

by Olivia Kahler

enior Claire Figi recently broke her arm for the fifth time in her life. She seems a tad unlucky when it comes to sports injuries, but she does not let the setback bring her down. She intends to head to college and pursue a career in the medical field.

“My injuries have led to me being interested in a career in the medical field,” Figi said.

Claire wants to be a doctor when she is older. Although she is a soccer star at GHS, she does not plan on carrying that through to college. Instead, she will focus on her studies full time.

“Having been injured so many times (not just breaking bones) was one of the factors I considered when I was deciding on whether or not I wanted to continue to play soccer in college,” Figi said.

She has suffered her fair share of injuries during her soccer career. Continuing the sport in college may just seem like an invitation for more injuries to occur.

The injury Figi has now is nothing major. For the first couple days of her injury, she did not have a cast, as she was not able to visit the doctor. Even so, Figi said she knew that the bone was broken and not just a major sprain.

Figi said she knew right away that it was broken and not just a sprain; she did not need to wait for a professional to tell her.

“I will be out for a little over a week but should be back a few days after I get a hard cast put on,” Figi said.

Figi is not going to completely stop playing soccer.

She will continue this season with her cast on.

“It makes it a little bit more difficult to do everyday things like writing and showering,” Figi said. “But I’m

Feature

Volume 3 Issue 3

livestock before this.

“My dad grew up on a farm,” Salverson said. “My dad and his brothers all worked with beef. So for him it was not as much of a learning experience but for the rest of us it was and still is a big learning experience.”

Having to learn how to take care of an animal is not an easy task. Thankfully for Salverson, the alpacas do not take much work to take care of in the long run.

“They are low maintenance animals,” Salverson said.

“Basically we put them out in the pasture, we feed them minerals that they would get in their original habitat. In the winter we feed them grass bales.”

Even though they are low maintenance in caring for them, the alpacas are still a cause for excitement sometimes. Especially when one alpaca was able to find its way out of the pasture.

“The gate on the fence has the little u-shaped latch that just slides down over the post and that is totally sufficient to keep them in,” Salverson said. “However, one of our alpaca likes to scratch her nose. The chain link on the fence is sturdy so she was rubbing her face against it and hit the latch open. Slowly but surely she kept rubbing on it and opened the gate and found that there is a different grass outside of the pasture. She wandered out and because they are herd animals they followed each other until they were all out in our front yard. Thankfully they did not make it very far.”

Most animals would take this opportunity to make a break for it and go far. Salverson’s alpacas did not, and she

believes she knows why.

“Some people say they are smart, and yet I am not sure they are that smart,” Salverson said. “They are curious creatures, so if you go up to the fence they will wander towards you to figure out what you are. This also means if there is a predator next to the fence or in the pasture, they will wander up to it to see what it is. Their defense at that point is to lay down. That does not seem very smart to me.”

So, they are not smart due to their defense tactics and their curiosity. They do have another aspect running for them however: they are much nicer than llamas.

“Alpacas are nice, llamas are not. Llamas are normally kept as a guard animal. So some people who own alpacas also own a llama and put it into the pasture it will protect the alpaca from so any predator that is in the pasture. The llama can kick the predator dead. You don’t get as close to a llama as you do an alpaca.”

Salverson is able to pet her alpacas and lead them around on a halter, so they are the better animal when it comes to being close to them. This would allow Salverson to show them in 4H. “Right now we are not showing them,” Salverson said. “My hope is to be able to show one of them next year in 4H.” Salverson and her family have put a new twist on livestock in Gretna. They currently have three pregnant alpacas that are due in March or April, so the alpaca population of Nebraska will continue to grow.

Easy care Reegan Salverson (18) feeds her alpaca. They need to be fed minerals since they cannot lick the rocks to get the minerals. Alpacas are fairly low maintenance, but caused excitement when they managed to escape from their pasture.

Growing herd Alpaca are usually moutainous creatures, so the summer weather is a bit of an adjusmtment for them. Salverson currently has four alpacas with more on the way. She plans to show them in 4-H next year after the three pregnant alpacas give birth.

still able to play soccer with a cast.”

Figi certainly will not let the injury set her back.

She has good relationships with her coaches and college coaches are understanding as well.

“I have not committed because I don’t plan on playing,” Figi said. “But from talking to coaches in the past, it’s not a huge deal as long as you play with the injury or they get to see you play at some point in time.”

Figi is no stranger to sports injuries and is pretty equiped on how to deal with them by now. The broken arm she has now definitely will not set her back in her soccer playing or keep her from reaching her goals in the future with college and a career.

Play on Figi did not let her injuries stop her from playing the sport she loves. She has to wrap her cast in one inch of foam so she could continue playing soccer. After breaking her arm five times, she is used to working around her injuries. Submitted photo

Breaking free Figi finally removed her cast after one of the breaks. Her uncle took part in the very exciting moment. After experiencing this four times already, she will get to do it once more after her latest break. Submitted photo

Laugh it up Figi snapped a picture with her friends at her freshman year homecoming. She wrapped in cast in ribbon for the occasion. She did not let anyone sign it until after the event. Submitted photo

Volume 3 Issue 3

NEW TECH LEADS TO WINS STUDENT’S APP AIDS THE ACDEC TEAM

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by Cassandra Kostal

ith the 2016-17 Academic Decathlon competition season underway, participating students and their instructors are looking for ways to effectively prepare themselves for each competition. The new High Ability Learner (HAL) instructor and AcDec coach, Mr. Jason Larson, was looking to do just that.

He presented his students with the goal at the beginning of the school year: create a new, efficient way to study before competitions. It was sophomore and veteran AcDec team member Ella Weaver who came up with the idea to create an app for the team to use.

“Everyone uses their phone,” Weaver said. “I’m always on my phone and I just figured I might as well have something productive on it.”

This year’s AcDec theme is World War II. Within the main topic, each AcDec student selects one or two subtopics that they focus on and become exceptionally knowledgeable of throughout the season. For Weaver, her interests drew her to focus to the topic of art. She created her app around the theme of art and the art history of the World War II era, condensing pages upon pages of information into the most basic ideas to create an easier, faster way to study. Weaver created the app through Appy Pie, a mobile app creator that allows anyone to create their own app, free of charge.

“It’s published, but Appy Pie only publishes it on it’s website, so it’s not even available on the app store,” Weaver said. “I have to send you a link and then you follow the link and download it onto your phone, so pretty much only teammates can download it at this point.”

Feature

December 2016

Procrastinating ever so slightly, Weaver managed to create the app, appropriately titled Gretna WWII Art, in a matter of days. While the actual process of creating the app was easy enough, the hardest part for Weaver was sifting through the piles of paper filled with information that were initially provided by the United States Academic Decathlon. None of the information is her own, she is simply condensing everything into a more student-friendly format.

“It’s an easy process, it’s just so much busy work,” Weaver said. “I have to look at 180 pages and try to paraphrase it all. It was easy creating the app it was just so mind-numbingly boring.”

The logistics of the app are simple. From the main page, AcDec students using the app can access all of the art topic pages: History/Fundamentals, World War II Propaganda, European Art, U.S.A. Abstract Expressionism, and WWII Memorials.

Weaver is hopeful that the app will effectively prepare her and her other art focused teammates prior to their competitions. By paraphrasing all of the important information and organizing it into an easy-to-use format, users of the app can scroll the main page, open up the subtopic pages, and quickly review the basics.

“It’s really overwhelming to look at almost 180 plus pages right before a competition,” Weaver said. “I’m taking 180 pages down into a couple main ideas of what we should study.”

With plans to use her new app throughout the year, Weaver is prepared for the competitions. The effectiveness of her study tool was put to the test Saturday, Nov. 8, at the first competition of the season. The app ended up being extremely effective, helping junior Harrison Kallman to medal in the art category. Before using the app, Kallman had never studied any of the art material. Competitions will continue throughout the winter months and the state competition will be held in the spring.

A proven success To create the app, Weaver had to take 180 pages of material and condense all of the information down into brief summaries. The app only covers the category of art and art history during World War II. AcDec team member Harrison Kallman (18) used the app already this year to medal in the art category. Photo by Cassandra Kostal

11

Taking the initiative Acting on an assignment issued by AcDec instructor Mr. Jason Larson, Ella Weaver (19) created an AcDec app. “Everyone uses their phone,” Weaver said. “I’m always on my phone and I just figured I might as well have something productive on it.” Weaver created the app as a way to help her teammates study. Photo by Cassandra Kostal

Aiming for efficiency When creating the app, Ella Weaver used the website Appy Pie. The app covers the AcDec topic for this year, World War II and all of its categories. The team uses Weaver’s app as a way to review quickly and efficiently before competitions. Photo by Cassandra Kostal

A LOOK AT THE SUCCESS OF THE 2016 QUIZ BOWL TEAM CHECKING IN ON HOW THE TEAM HAS BEEN PLACING IN COMPETITIONS THIS YEAR

by McKenzie Pavelka

E

Quick reflexes Members of the quiz bowl team keep their hands on the buzzers as instructor Mr. Jason Larson reads through a list of questions.

Jordyn Kuzel’s (19) buzzer lights up as she responds quickly to the question. During competitons, the question goes to whoever buzzes in first. If they answer the question incorrectly, someone from the other team is able to buzz in and answer. Photo by McKenzie Pavelka

Intense concentration During a practice, members of the quiz bowl team prepare to buzz in and answer the question that has just been read aloud.

The team meets every Monday and Thursday, before and after school, to prepare for upcoming competitions. Practices are open to whoever is able to attend that day. Photo by McKenzie Pavelka

veryone has hobbies that they enjoy doing, whether it is sports, art or reading books. At GHS there are many clubs, sports teams and extracurricular activities open to anyone.

One special group is quiz bowl. In quiz bowl, students answer a wide range of academic questions, from history and math to science and literature. They also have to have quick reflexes and a good memory because they only have about 10 seconds to answer. Some students like sophomore Jordyn Kuzel have been involved in quiz bowl since their first opportunity.

“The middle school HAL (High Ability Learners) teacher at the middle school, Rhonda Sparks first introduced me,” Kuzel said. “This is my fourth year.”

Students practice twice a week before and after school in Mr. Jason Larson’s office, room 607. Practices usually consist of simply answering trivia questions in a competition format. The team competes quite a bit over the year. Before meets, quiz bowl has to prepare usually by going to practices, reading articles and paying attention in classes at school.

“We go to many different competitions throughout the year. In short, two teams of four play against each other. A moderator asks questions from many different categories and the first person to buzz in gets the chance to answer,” instructor Jason Larson said. “If they get it right the team scores 10 points and has the chance to answer a bonus

question worth 5 points. If they get it wrong, the other team has the chance to steal the question and earn the 10 points. It goes on like that for 15 minutes or until they run out of questions. The team with the highest score moves on.”

Mr. Larson is a first year teacher at GHS. Previously he was a science teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs and at Millard West. He has been teaching for the past 17 years.

Like all other teams, quiz bowl sets goals for themselves and for the team in general. For some people, their goal for the year is to letter, and for others it is to make it to the National Competition in Washington, DC next summer. Mr. Larson also has goals for his student and the team itself.

“I want them to have a safe space to be themselves and be able to show off their academic prowess in a friendly and competitive environment,” Mr. Larson said. “I want them to have a place to show what they know outside of the regular classroom.”

Quiz bowl is open to anyone wanting to join. Practices are Mondays and Thursdays before and after school.

Teams that go to competitions are then chosen by how many practices a student shows up for, the number of questions the get correct at practice, and availability to make it to competitions on a regular basis.

Volume 3 Issue 3 12December 2016 InDepth STUDENTS PURSUE LOVE OF MUSIC OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

GRACE GIEBLER

A PASSION FOR SINGING THE BLUES

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by Cassandra Kostal

t all began with a mini CD player and a Norah Jones track. That was how sophomore Grace Giebler first developed a love of music, a passion that has landed her roles singing in three separate blues bands at the age of fifteen.

“When I was little my family was very musical,” Giebler said. “My parents grew up singing and playing instruments and so my brother and sister also played instruments. It kind of influenced me to pick up the piano and all those instruments. During holidays my family would come together and sing and that’s a tradition we would do every holiday.”

Swayed by her family, Giebler developed a love and appreciation for music at an early age. It was when her older siblings were given ipods that things began to change. Too young to have her own electronics, Giebler was given a mini CD player and two discs, Norah Jones and the soundtrack for “The Lion King”.

“I would always listen to Norah Jones because she’s my favorite artist right now, well she has been my favorite artist,” Giebler said. “That kind of influenced me to start loving music, to start listening to it more, start singing it more, start playing it more.”

Even with all of the inspiration and support she was receiving from her family, Giebler remained shy about singing in front of other people. Finding safety and security singing inside her shower and her closet, Giebler continued to gain influence from Norah Jones and other female artists such as Amy Winehouse and Sara Bareilles.

Developing the skill that has become her life’s passion, Giebler was able to evolve her voice to where it started to become more noticeable to those around her.

“I would sing at school and I’d get solos and stuff like that and my parents would come and they’d be like ‘She can actually sing. What the heck? How come I don’t know?’,” said Giebler.

Despite shying away from her ability to sing, Giebler has her parents to thank for her current situation. After discovering their daughter’s hidden talent, the Gieblers decided to host a backyard party, inviting a band that their neighbor played guitar for to play at the event. The band was a part of Omaha’s BluesEd program and Grace’s parents made her be the opening act.

“I sang two songs and everyone was like ‘Wow, she can really sing’,” Giebler said. “The director was there from BluesEd and she said I should tryout and I tried out and I made it.”

BluesEd is a program in Omaha that mentors musically talented kids between the ages of 12 and 18 in their effort to keep blues music alive. All musicians interested in BluesEd must audition and from there they are placed into a band that is the best fit for them. They are then mentored by well known musicians from the Omaha area who help the young artist perfect their crafts and assist in moving them up to the performance level.

After passing the auditions, Giebler was placed with her first band, a group called Us & Them at the age of thirteen. Along with performing all around Omaha, her band was chosen to travel to Memphis, Tennessee for the International Blues Challenge. After a year, Giebler wanted to start working more with acoustics, but needed someone to work with her. She began asking around within the BluesEd community and eventually came in contact with a guitar player from the BluesEd band called Dilemma named Logan. From there, the blues duo of Grace & Logan was created.

“I love acoustics music and just the whole vibe of it, it’s just free and let loose and you can really just connect with the audience while you’re singing and performing that way,” Giebler said. “I asked around if there was anyone that would like to do acoustics with me and my director introduced me to Logan and that’s kind of how we started and we’ve been playing for over a year now.”

Keeping busy, Giebler joined her third blues group, a band called The Workingman’s Band, only two months ago. With the rest of the band consisting of BluesEd alumni, they are already preparing to compete again at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Before they could pack their bags, they had to first win the Nebraska Blues Contest where they were up against three of the top blues bands in the state. The finals performance was held on Sunday, Nov. 6. Unfortunately, The Workingman’s

Band did not walk away with the top prize.

Along with competing at the International Blues Challenge, Giebler has performed with her bands all across the Omaha metro area. She has sung in establishments such as Jazz on the Green, the Centurylink Center, The Waiting Room, The Slowdown, 21st Saloon, Playing With Fire, The Ozone, and Patriarch Distillers.

“It depends on the time of year, but on average I’d say I perform maybe two to three times a week,” Giebler said. “Most people just don’t know what I do, they don’t understand how much of a time commitment it is, but when you really love something like that you’re going to put all your effort into it, right? That’s what I do, that’s what I love, so I put all my energy into it.”

Going back, Giebler remembers her most memorable performance occurred during an open jam at the 21st Saloon. Prior to all of her performances, she grew tired of saying the typical “check, check” while testing her microphone, and would sing “Blackbird” by Nina Simone instead as her sound check song. Due to the briefness of the sound checks, she was never able to finish the song until the open jam, where she was finally able to share the song with an audience.

“I was up there and I was singing it and the words are very meaningful and very powerful and I started to cry because it’s a tough song and it shows a lot of strength and you shouldn’t be afraid to show your emotion on the stage,” Giebler said. “The whole room was silent and it’s very hard to silence a room when you’re performing and singing and that moment was just remarkable and made me feel free and that’s my pinpoint moment.”

With singing being her life’s passion, Giebler has been working on writing and recording some of her own music, along with performing in her bands. She has plans to launch her own music website soon, where people will be able to purchase the music that she has created herself.

“About a year ago I got really serious into music, I realized that I could take this to the next level,” Giebler said. “It’s a lot of hard work, it’s a lot of time and a lot of effort to get to the next level, so I’ve been really just cramming out writing my own music and coming out with melodies. I had a lot of people that helped me even produce and collaborate with me. All my musicians that play with me, they’re all in the works of helping me mold who I want to be in the future.”

Along with all of the help and support that she receives from her friends that are also in the music industry, Giebler knows that none of her successes would have been possible without the support of her family. Still only fifteen, she has relied on them throughout the entire journey and they have never let her down.

“I’ve worked a lot on just writing music and polishing it and getting a final product so that I can share my music with others and that takes help from others also,” Giebler said. “I would not be where I am without my parents. I can’t drive yet, so my parents are so sweet to drive me to all my places and I’m out and about almost every single night and they’re so willing to take me to practices, and my gigs.”

Looking into the future, Giebler plans to continue singing throughout high school and beyond, following the path and hoping to make it. She wants music to be her full time job, though it would not even seem like a job to her.

She hopes to continue playing and writing music, growing in herself and in the music as she pursues her passion.

“The thing about music is that you can get a message across and you can show your feelings and you can show your love just by singing a couple words and some notes,” Giebler said. “That’s what I think I love most about it.”

An acoustic duo Giebler performs with Logan Hawkins in their duet group Grace & Logan. Giebler wanted to form a duet as a way to express her love for acoustics. Giebler and Hawkins are both involved in separate BluesEd bands and began working together after meeting through mutual friends in the program. Submitted photo

In the spotlight Giebler closes her eyes as she pours her heart into a song. The sophomore has been singing with blues bands since she was thirteen. She is currently a part of three different bands: Us & Them, The Workingman’s Band and Grace & Logan. Submitted photo

Since the beginning Giebler joined Us & Them, her first band, at the age of thirteen. The band is a part of BluesEd, a program in Omaha that is dedicated to keeping the blues alive. The band has played all around Omaha as well as in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Submitted photo

BluesEd pride Giebler poses with her latest group, The Workingman’s Band. All of the members of the band are BluesEd alumni. The band recently competed in the Nebraska Blues Contest for a chance to play at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Unfortunately, they were not named as the winners of the contest. Submitted photo

Volume 3 Issue 3

InDepth

December 2016

13

MUSIC SAVVY JUNIORS COLLABORATE TO PRODUCE THEIR OWN ORIGINAL MIX TAPE

INSTRUMENTALS AND VOCALS

VOCALS AND LYRICS

roducing music is a complex process and is no easy feat. There are beats, rhythms, harmonies and a million other details that have to mesh perfectly together for a song to sound just right. The smallest infractions can lead to a song’s failure. Although producing music is a dizzying adventure, not only pros like Jay-Z can create music.

Junior Tyler Harpenau has experience in creating his own music with his friends. Of course, he did not go straight from singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as a preschooler to making music. There were necessary steps in between.

“It all started when I got my first guitar,” Harpenau said. “I started writing songs, like every kid did. Then finally I got a computer and the first thing I did when I got it was I got on Garageband and I started making music.”

It was not always smooth sailing for Harpenau with Garageband. It took years of playing around with different sounds. He is currently working on a project with junior Landon Watson. They are creating a mix tape using Garageband.

“So I started making music and thought ‘this is awesome,’ but it was always awful,” Harpenau said. “But this time I’m a junior, Landon’s a junior, and we kind of know what we’re doing.”

Harpenau’s experience and talent with instruments and singing help him with being his own producer. Having people throughout his life to encourage him and motivate him have been a big factor in getting him to where he is today.

“Ever since I was younger I’d sing all the time and I sounded like a girl,” Harpenau said. “But mostly it was Mr. John Balcer. He was the reason I actually started singing.

He really helped me out, and he’s a great guy.”

Mr. Balcer is the music teacher at Palisades Elementary, where Harpenau attended from second grade through fifth grade. Mr. Balcer had a huge impact on Harpenau’s musical career.

“I brought in a song one time that I wrote, and it was the worst song in the world, I swear, and he was like ‘This is so good!’” Harpenau said. “And it just pushed me and I kept going and I started playing the guitar and picked up some piano.”

Mr. Balcer led Harpenau to where he is now, which is making a mix tape with his best friend. They got the idea randomly one night while hanging out in Harpenau’s basement.

“We originally had the idea of something just funny,” Harpenau said. “We got our ideas from a whole bunch of comedians and a whole bunch of artists and we just mashed them all together.”

After the original idea, they had to figure out what the mix tape would be about. They put their creative minds together to imagine something unique and funny.

“We had this idea that we were going to sing an intro song that would introduce the mix tape,” Harpenau said.

“Then after that, we were going to sing a song about a girl, and it would be a nice slow song about a girl, then at the end of the song we realize the girl is an alien and also a guy. After that we were going to have a song called ‘Alien’ where we fight the alien guy and there were going to be gunshots, then halfway through our mix tape we realized that this is the worst idea ever.”

They both contribute equal amounts to the mix tape, with Watson doing vocals and lyrics and Harpenau doing instrumentals and vocals; however, the two do not always agree on ideas. They sometimes disagree on what sounds nice and what works well.

“The way we work is amazing. We’re best friends and he gets on my nerves a lot, obviously, and we have so many different opinions,” Harpenau said. “We have two sets of ears on this music, which really helps.”

Harpenau and Watson’s project is a work in progress.

They are constantly fixing details and adding new bits and pieces. Harpenau predicted they would have a final product ready by the end of the year.

hen watching any performances by GHS’ show choirs, choirs or musicals, the vocal talent is visible. One of these outstanding performers is Landon Watson. He has been singing since he was around eight and began performing on stage in middle school through the middle school show choir, and he is still present in any performance by the show choir, choir and musical. He is part of the Revolution Show Choir, Advanced Choir and was part of the past two musicals and intends to be part of the upcoming two as well.

“I started singing on stage in middle school, me and my friend were going to join show choir and then he chickened out and I was stuck doing it,” Watson said.

From there, he continued show choir and singing through the school. On top of that, he began to sing outside of school by creating a pop mix tape with Tyler Harpenau.

“We started out two years ago with this big idea that we were going to make this mix tape, but we realized it was terrible so we started over,” Watson said. “So we basically would’ve had the whole thing done a year ago, if we hadn’t written a horrible song about aliens.”

Their mix tape is still in the process of being recorded.

They have approximately four to eight songs on the mix tape now; they keep going back and re-recording many of them.

“I’m the more hip hop kind of guy,” Watson said. “I try to input more hip hop and rap ideas and Tyler’s more the guitar and keyboard guy. We kind of counter-balance each other.”

For both of them, they do this mostly for fun. They enjoy hanging out and making music because it is something they both love.

“We start out with a joke and work around that,” Watson said. “We try to find the main focus or main lyric and then it inspires us to do the rest. We split into groups.

Tyler on music and me on lyrics and we’ll slowly work it out.”

For Watson, this is a source of fun and a hobby. He does not wish to pursue it in the future because it is difficult and often does not hold well as a career; however, he does not plan on giving it up as his hobby and is continually inspired to do what he loves.

P

W

by jadyn anderson

For another story on a student musician, see A&E page 23

Rocking duet Since they both developed a passion for making music, juniors Tyler Harpenau (guitar) and Landon Watson (drums) have been working together to create new sounds. They are currently collaborating on a mix tape they are making using Garageband. At the moment, Watson and Harpenau have between four and eight songs on the tape, though they keep re-recording some of the songs.

by sophie anderson

Creativity put to work Creativity is one of Harpenau’s defining characteristics and it is obvious in his theatrical and musical background.

With this project, Harpenau can finally use that creativity to make something amazing that he can share with the world. Harpenau is able to express his creativity through his singing and guitar playing.

Putting in hours Harpenau often stays up late and makes sure to squeeze in time for the mix tape, regardless of his busy schedule. Despite their busy schedules, Watson and Harpenau rehearse often. As partners in this musical endeavor, they hold each other accountable for working on the project.

Strumming to the Beat Not only does Watson contribute to the writing of the songs, he plays the guitar with Tyler Harpeneau. They have been working on the mix tape for quite a while and continue to go back to improve songs. He enjoys making music with one of his best friends.

Keeping the Beat Alive Landon Watson often plays drums opposite Tyler Harpeneau when writing and recording songs. He doesn’t plan on continuing music as a career, but plans on the continuation of it as his hobby. He also continues to perform through the school in the show choir, choir and musicals.

14December 2016

Feature

Volume 3 Issue 3

CREATIVE CLASSROOMS

DECORATIONS RELFECT TEACHERS’ STYLES

by Kiersey Bush

MR. WHITE’S ROOM

MRS. HUTTMAN’S ROOM

“My students are already going to be exposed to English content, so I used my classroom for them to get to know me right away. I love English and literature, but I also love film and television.”

-Mr. Patrick White

SRTA GRANGER’S ROOM

“I decorated it cute because I wanted to make a good first impression on my students and I wanted them to feel comfortable and at home in my classroom.”

-Srta. Shea Granger

“I like to show student work, I like them to come in and be able to see their own work on the wall. It’s kind of crazy, which is an aspect of my personality that comes out in class sometimes, too.”

-Mrs. Theresa Huttmann

MRS. LONG’S ROOM

“Well, I wanted to find a balance between having a welcoming, creative environment and a classroom so overly decorated you can’t focus at all.”

-Mrs. Jennifer Long

Volume 3 Issue 3

GRETNA GETS MEDICAL

Feature

December 2016

15

igh schoolers from Millard to Council Bluffs and all the way out to our home, Gretna, make the voyage to the UNMC campus on 42nd St. every Monday through Thursday to attend their High School Alliance program.

Seniors Gabby Moore, Bailey Troudt, Ca’Ryn Christensen and Morgan Daffer are involved in this program. It was created for kids who want to further their knowledge in medicine because they intend to have careers in the “I know I’m pursuing a career in medicine,” Moore said. “So I figured it would be a really good.”

However, this program is so much more than just classes. The High School Alliance program is a way for students with like interests to make connections to professionals in the medical field and with other students sharing the same common goal: to make the world a better place through medicine.

“This program means the world to me,” senior Morgan Daffer said. “Not only have I fallen head over heels in love with the world of medicine I met some of my best friends through the program. The program has given me so much it is truly remarkable and education wise I have been exposed to so much more than a typical high schooler.”

The four students involved in this program from GHS

all leave the school after third hour every day and change into their required uniforms, khakis and a UNMC issued Polo, and head down to the campus. This semester Daffer is focusing on cancer studies as it is her second year at UNMC while Christensen, Moore and Troudt are taking 1-2 classes per semester. Classes take place Monday through Thursday. Three to four times a semester the students get to shadow a professional in the medical field.

Moore and Troudt are both taking Pathology, a class that helps students learn material and apply it to real life situations, and Biomedical Research, a class full of experiments and studying DNA. “In Pathology we do a lot of cool activities like blood typing and phlebotomy,” Troudt said. “We also learned how to suture and we get to go to the morgue sometimes, too.”

According to the girls, the shadowing is one of the best parts of the program. They get to spend most of a Friday afternoon with a medical professional in their field. They get to fill out request forms on the types of people they would prefer to shadow so a portion of the program is completely customized to each student.

“I got to shadow a head and neck surgeon this semester,” Moore said. “I scrubbed in and got to stand in the OR [Operating Room] and watch the entire thing up close. It was really awesome because primarily what I want to do is surgery.”

Moore hopes to be a plastic surgeon one day, but in order to do so she has to train in general surgery before she declares a specific field. Getting to watch surgery of any kind is beneficial to her education in the long run.

All in all, the UNMC High School Alliance program is an amazing way for teenagers to get ahead in their journey down the medical career path and we are sure to see it grow in the years to come.

“I cannot express in words how helpful this program has been to my future,” Christensen said. “I have matured a massive amount and have grown in so many ways as a person and as a student. My future that was once a thing I dreamed about is slowly but surely becoming something that can be a reality for me.”

High hopes It was another day lab in the lab for Ca’Ryn Christensen as she focused on the task at hand. Christensen feels that her future has become much more clear thanks to the High School Alliance Program. It is her first year taking classes through the UNMC program.

Getting started As they prepare for their first day with the High School Alliance Program, Moore and Troudt pose for a photo together. Both seniors are taking pathology where they learn material and are able to apply it to real life situations.

It is the first year that both of them have been involved with the program.

Hands-on Practicing her phlebotomy skills, senior Gabby Moore gets handson experience in her pathology class at UNMC. Properly inserting needles is something they practice a lot, as it is an important skill that is required to be a doctor. Moore hopes to one day become a plastic surgeon.

STUDENTS PURSUE CAREERS IN MEDICINE

H

by Kiersey Bush

Back again Posing in front of the famous stethoscope, Morgan Daffer (17) shows off her certificate of graduation. After completing her first year at UNMC Daffer was excited to begin cancer studies. Daffer returned to UNMC this year for another year of studies.

BLACK FRIDAY EXPERIENCES “I was peppered sprayed in the back parking lot of K-Mart.”

-A.J. Cotton (17)

“My little cousin saw a midget for the first time on Black Friday and freaked out. We had to take her home.”

-Abby Furley (17)

“A lady stole my blender. It broke when I stole it back.”

-Carson Combs (17)

“I was at the Best Buy in Village Pointe and I was getting a DVD player, but someone ripped it out of my hands. Then my friend ripped it back out of their hands and elbowed them in the face. We got accused of stealing. We didn’t get the DVD player.”

-Tristan Duin (20)

“I saw two ladies in Wal-Mart fight and tear each other’s hair out.”

-Nick Newstrom (17)

“I was going to grab a toaster when an old man grabbed it from my hands. I pushed the old man over and he hurled the toaster in the air. I caught the toaster as he hit the ground hard. He stayed on the ground and I ran without looking back. It makes great toast!”

-Dylan Ellis (17)

“When I was really young my mom took us to Toys R Us. This old lady ran me over with the cart and knocked me over, then backed up and went in. I was lying on the ground crying.”

-Carissa Wilson (17)

16December 2016 TWO COMPANIONS COMMIT TOGETHER AS GREAT TEAMMATES

SENIORS FINALIZE THEIR ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC CAREERS BY SIGNING

BY BROOKE SMITH

Sports

Volume 3 Issue 3

Connected Comfort Coming off the coaster of thrills from last year’s state title, preparing for this upcoming season and signing for Morningside College is all manageable for Imig (17). The connection between Gretna and Morningside is prominent for him and was a significant factor in his decision. Imig could not feel stronger about this college and anticipates next season. photo by Brooke Smith

The Time is Now With the chance to go through the motions of a practice at Morningside College, Imig (17) and Brown (17) had never been more sure of their decision.

They verybally committed to the coach after that practice, and the rest is history. A couple more Dragons now have a solid future planned out ahead of them. submitted photo

O

n Thursday, Nov. 3, seniors Trey Brown and Zach Imig signed their letter of intent to play basketball at Morningside College. The private liberal arts college located in Sioux City, IA offered both of the varsity players full tuition scholarships along with the chance to play alongside a familiar face.

“Playing together has always been an idea, but I don’t think it was ever addressed until we started narrowing down the colleges,” Brown said. “It is a great feeling knowing that I get to play with my best friend for another four years. We work well on the court together and I am excited to see what the future holds for us.”

Brown and Imig both had visited several other colleges and received numerous offers. Yet, Morningside’s basketball program and coaching staff seemed to captivate the two boys because of the similarities that it shared with the GHS boys basketball system.

“There is a great connection between Morningside and Gretna,” Imig said. “Morningside’s style is a great fit for us because it compares really well to our Gretna system, which will make the transition into our college game easier. Defense is very important along with a free flowing offense. I anticipate to catch on quickly and am excited about the opportunity. Also, I loved the comfort from the coaches and teammates. Everyone seems like a family.”

While considering their options and deciding on where to continue their future athletic and academic education, the boys consulted with each other and their families. They felt comfortable with the private college’s location because it was close enough to be able to come back yet far enough away from home.

“When picking Morningside there were pros and cons,” Brown said. “So we had to decide the better fit. Sitting down and talking with my mom about the best fit for me was what really helped finalize my decision. Also me having the opportunity to play right away was a factor.”

The weekend before officially signing to become a Morningside Mustang, Brown and Imig explored the campus and participated in a routine practice. Following the practice, the two teammates verbally committed to Coach Sykes of the Morningside boys basketball team.

“The last time Trey and I went on campus,” Imig said, “we decided it was the best fit for us because it would allow us to contribute right away and also play alongside each other. Morningside also has a great atmosphere to meet new people and explore college life, every time I step on campus it feels like home to me.”

Now that the two GHS varsity starters have officially committed, they no longer feel stress or anxiety about any more college decisions. Brown and Imig feel prepared and excited to enjoy their senior year and their final high school basketball season together before continuing on to the college level.

“It feels reassuring to be able to play alongside him at the next level,” Imig said. “We work really well together and I am excited to see what the next level will bring.”

Compete On This Level 2015 was the year of the Dragon.

The GHS varsity boys basketball team placed every distraction and worry on a back burner, and placed their eyes on the prize. Imig (17) and Brown (17) felt numerous emotions as they held their medals. After having each other’s back for so long through every up and down, college will be an amazing opportunity for them to succeed. submitted photo

The Next Chapter Brown’s parents, the Morningside basketball coaches, and the GHS boys basketball coaches all look on as he signs that very final document. Brown (17) has placed his all within this hoop-oriented sport, and it is paying off. Brown (17) also will look to start immediately for Morningside next year. photo by Brooke Smith

Volume 3 Issue 3

CHANGE

Sports

17

December 2016

WHY MAKE THIS BIG DECISION?

BY COLIN KITSON

J

unior Easton Meadows played varsity basketball as a sophomore, but now he has made the decision to quit the sport for good. Meadows plans to focus on crossfit. Meadows was a key player to the varsity basketball team last year until an injury mid-season left him unable to play for the rest of the season.

Meadows has been doing crossfit for four months now. He did not get into it as a competitive activity until two months ago.

“I have been doing crossfit for four months, I got into crossfit seriously two months ago,” Meadows said.

Meadows found himself not loving the game of basketball. He loved crossfit more. His original plan was to do crossfit to help him become stronger and in better shape for basketball.

“In July I did not love playing basketball anymore,” Meadows said. “one inspired me to do crossfit, I just did crossfit to help with basketball.”

Crossfit has been gaining more and more people over the years. Crossfit is an intense exercise activity that can benefit in many ways. Crossfit helps people become more conditioned. It makes the body to be in great shape and be very fit. It pushes the body to places it has not been pushed before. Meadows knew the decision to quit basketball from crossfit would be easy to say to his parents, as they are very supportive.

“Yes my family supports my decision, my family is very involved in crossfit as well as I am and they know

that I am pretty good so they like that I do it,” Meadows said.

Meadows likes many things about crossfit. He has a lot of favorite parts about crossfit but he does have one favorite.

“My favorite part is I love doing different stuff every day and being able to push my body more than you would think it would go,” Meadows said.

Crossfit is unique because it can benefit a person in many different ways. The human body can be more healthy in many ways. Meadows has noticed changes in muscle mass and he has got more muscle tone to his body.

“Crossfit benefits you way more than basketball does, you are working every muscle in a good way and always doing things right,” Meadows said.

Meadows doing crossfit because of the adrenaline he gets from it. He is also happy with the outcome after a workout.

“The adrenaline that you get before a workout is great and the feeling you get after a workout, when you know that you have pushed yourself as hard as you can,” Meadows said.

Crossfit is Meadows’ favorite activity to do. It works every muscle in the body and it is different compared to just lifting weights because it does not just focus on one muscle. Meadows is happy and proud of himself for getting into crossfit and he will not be stopping any time

Ea sto nM ead

ow s

NEVER A MINUTE TO WASTE WHEN RACING AGAINST TIME CROSS COUNTRY STATE CHAMPION RUNS TO SCHOOL AFTER CAR BREAKS DOWN

T

BY BROOKE SMITH

All You Need to Do is RUN Mazie’s car, Tank, shows off her passion for running by displaying cross-country stickers. There is no mistaking this car for anyone except Larsen (18). Although the 2001 Toyota Sequoia has some issues, the breakdown provides funny stories and unique memories. Larsen (18) looks to have less problems with her car in the future, but she now knows she is prepared to take on any situation. photo by Mazie Larsen

he week following her all-class state title at the state cross country meet, GHS junior Mazie Larsen ironically had to run to school.

The day started out like any other: she woke up, got ready and hopped in her 2001 green Toyota Sequoia named Tank to begin her drive to school.

“I named my car Tank,” Larsen said, “because the only thing that can destroy it is itself.”

The drive was going smoothly until suddenly the steering wheel started to uncontrollably shake. Barely and definitely not safe to drive, Mazie decided to attempt to make it to Mike’s Auto Repair Shop in downtown Gretna to drop off her car.

“I couldn’t control the car anymore,” Larsen said. “I decided I wasn’t going to make it home, so I drove to the car place so they could fix it, but everyone was already at school and I had no other way to get there besides running.”

Larsen arrived at the car shop with only minutes until school started. Upon arrival, she realized that the repair shop did not open until after eight a.m.

“I slipped a note in their door with my keys attached and then left,” Larsen said. “If I had the chance to make it to first period, I had to go.”

Larsen left the auto shop with her backpack on and books in hand and began her run to school. The trek from downtown Gretna to GHS was approximately a mile and a half, a distance much shorter than what Larsen was used to running during cross country season. During season, Larsen runs the 5k, which estimates out to be just over three miles.

On her run to school, Larsen tried to time herself, thinking that it could count toward her daily fifty minutes of running every day. Unfortunately there was a mishap with her watch, so she could not gauge the amount of time it took her to run to school appropriately. Larsen ended up arriving at GHS two minutes late, but upon explanation of the series of events that transpired that morning, she was excused.

“The only other time that I was ever late to school

was in seventh grade,” Larsen said. “Someone had let our horses out, so we had to find each horse, catch them, and walk them back home one at a time.”

From her two cross country state titles, it is clear that being on time is a significant part of Larsen’s personality.

While her car was being repaired, Larsen rode the bus to school the next few days, dreading the experience, yet successfully being on time.

“I was tallest person on the bus by two feet,” Larsen said. “I wish I would’ve ran to school on those days too.”

Simulating Her Scare Mazie Larsen (18) jokingly recreates her experience of running to school, backpack and all, in the hallways of GHS. Larsen was named the girls cross-country all class state champion, making her a state champion two years in a row. Her love for running made her experience ironic. photo by Brooke Smith

18December 2016

Sports

Volume 3 Issue 3

A TRACK ATHLETE IN TRAINING FOR THE SPRING SEASON ONE SENIOR SHARES HIS PERSPECTIVE AND STORY ABOUT HIS FINAL TRACK SEA-

T

BY JACEY HAMMER

rack and Field is an important individual sport to the athletes that participate.

Senior Drew Farrell first went out for track his freshman year. It took a while for him to fall in love with track.

“I did not fall in love with it until districts of my freshman year,” Farrell said. “I mainly did it to stay in shape for football, but I quit football during the middle of the season sophomore year.”

Farrell was the alternative for the four by four relay his freshman year. One of the seniors on the team got hurt, so he got the opportunity to run. The team got first in districts that year, but the team did not place in state.

“It felt like I was on top of the world,” Farrell said.

There is something that stands out about senior year. Some things are difficult to let go of, especially a sport. Farrell has put so much time and effort into track throughout the past four years.

“It is very surreal. Track has been an everyday thing for me the past four years of my life, and it is going to be hard to see it end this year,” Farrell said.

“I have put so much time and effort into it, and it is the last time I can show it.”

Farrell started participating in cross country his junior year to help prepare himself for the upcoming track season. The extra running helps with getting in

shape when spring sports come around.

“Cross country helps keep me active through the off season, and it helps me build a great base that is needed for pre-season conditioning,” Farrell said.

“That way I can go into the season one step ahead of the competition.”

Cross country is not the way Farrell is training himself for his last track season. Farrell runs every day to make sure he reaches his mile marks. He also lifts every day to help build muscle.

“I am setting new goals for myself,” Farrell said.

“I am constantly pushing myself to get better.”

Farrell has competed in the 400 meter dash and the four by four relay since his freshman year. Coach Mr. Spencer Stednitz wants to move Farrell up to the 800 meter dash to see how he does.

“It is exciting to see where my training will take me,” Farrell said. “And if I will be up for the challenge.”

It is hard to move onto a new season without reflecting back on the athlete’s previous performances.

Farrell is proud of his performances during the 2016 season, but he knows that he can do better.

“I was happy with how I competed last season.

I know there is definitely room for improvement,” Farrell said. “This is my last year, so I want to leave everything out on the track.”

Passing On the Tradition Running with close friends makes the sport even more worth it. These three individuals, Laura Heath (17), Ashley Husing (17), and Drew Farrell (17), took a photo very similar to this during their junior year, which was also their first cross country season running together.

Pride and Recognition All the hard work and dedication put into the 2016b track season is finally being recognized as the team travels to the state meet. This is the moment every athlete looks forward to. photo by

photo by Trysten Whitted

Ashley Hall

Volume 3 Issue 3

BASKETBALL SEASON IS UNDERWAY FOR PLAYERS

Sports

19

December 2016

IS ANOTHER STATE TITLE IN FUTURE?

B

BY BEN BICKEL

ack to back? The question continues to revolve around the heads of the returning state champs. Will the GHS boys basketball team go back to the Pinnacle Bank Arena and win another state trophy? The road back to Lincoln has already started.

GHS senior Tynan Duin is a returning starter as he heads into his final season as a Dragon. For him and the rest of the team, the road back to the playoffs has already begun. Conditioning started earlier this month and is preparing the players for the season, but the real conditioning does not start until the regular season hits.

“It gets way harder, like going from the YMCA league to the NBA Finals,” Duin said.

The boys team started practicing the first week of Nov. to start preparing for the long road ahead of them. The Dragons kick off their season against Bennington on Dec. 9. Basketball season is one of the longest sports seasons in the state, lasting four months starting in Dec. and ending in the state tournament in the beginning of March. Teams returning this year to challenge GHS include Elkhorn South, Aurora, and the team that the boys defeated last year in the state title: Scottsbluff.

Another returning state champion, senior Trey Brown, who started last year for the basketball team is ready to get back to the Pinnacle Bank arena this season.

“I’d say it’d be really special to win something like that again my senior year,” Brown said. “I’m also just really looking forward to spending my last basketball season with my friends.”

The boys went 27-1 last season in their championship campaign to beat Scottsbluff in the state final. Their only loss was Skutt Catholic, which did not mean anything to the boys as they went on to beat the Skyhawks in the semifinals of the state tournament.

“To win state again would be great, getting to go out on top is pretty special. But I feel like it would mean much more to our community and school to get another,” Duin said.

The outlook for the season is the same as last season.

To take everything game by game and to work up to the final game of the season, the state championship, where their goal remains the same as last year: win it all or go home trying.

Cannot Stop, Will Not Stop GHS basketball players go one-on-one, preparing for this year’s season. A little pushing, shoving and stealing never hurt anyone on the basketball court. It is a wonder what the Dragons do with one title, and now the door is open to the road to round two. photo by Ben Bickel

Up and In Players play a pick up game to simulate game-like situations. Between weight training and practice, players need to eat, breathe and dream basketball. Every guy on the team has the passion, heart and mental capacity to balance these and their academic careers. photo by Ben Bickel

“To win state again would be great, getting to go out on top is prety special. But I feel like it would mean much more to our community and school to get another. The plan to win it all is to chase and stay hungry,” Ty Duin (17) said.

“Teams like Aurora, Scottsbluff, York and Elkhorn South are looking to be our major opponents this year.

I am looking forward to spending my last season playing alongside my friends,” Trey Brown (17) said.

Morning Madness Zach Imig (17) lays the basketball in off the dribble. The players are cleaning up their jumpshot as much as they can before the start of the new season. For now, most practices are taking place in the morning to get as many players to attend as possible. photo by Ben Bickel

20 December 2016

Sports

photo by Jamisha Robey

photo by Jamisha Robey

photo by Jamisha Robey

photo by Jamisha Robey

Volume 3 Issue 3

photo by Jamisha Robey

photo by Jamisha Robey

IT IS ALWAYS A GREAT DAY TO BE A DRAGON

photo by Jamisha Robey

photo by Jamisha Robey

As one season draws to a close, the next step is to look forward to the next and begin preparation. Body, mind, soul. For seniors, this is not the case. That was the last hurrah, the last hope of a championship. They put in their all, all out there on the field. The Gretna Dragons played Skutt Catholic Skyhawks in the semifinals of the 2016 season. Through frigid temperatures and a heated rival, the game was not over within the first quarter, or the first half. In the third and fourth quarters, Skutt pulled away as they outscored Gretna 17-7. The effort and passion was not reflected on the scoreboard as the Dragons went on to lose the game 30-20. Under Coach Shrader, the GHS football team finished with a record of 9-3. The only losses of the season were against the top rated teams in Class B, Elkhorn South and Skutt. These two teams went on to play in the Class B championship at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

As a final goodbye and appreciation for our senior football players, the student section of GHS chanted, THANK YOU SENIORS, leaving a lasting memory behind.

photo by Jamisha Robey

photo by Jamisha Robey

PAGE BY JESSICA BLUM

photo by Amanda Minckler

Coach Brandon lead our varsity Gretna Dragons volleyball team to the semifinals against the Northwest Vikings. Gretna was seeded at the number two spot, while Northwest was the third seed. Many farewells and wishes were our last words to the team before they journeyed to the Pinnacle Bank Arena. Fans were split as the volleyball team played the same day as the football team did, both bringing home losses in the end. The Gretna Dragons fell two sets to three to the Northwest Vikings. The Vikings made their statement early, taking the first set. The Dragons finally rallied back by winning both the second and third sets only to fall once again to the Vikings in sets four and five. No Dragon could leave unsatisfied with the way the girls played, and all they had to accomplish to come this far. We gladly welcomed each of the girls as they came back home, supporting them through the end in every Dragon way we know possible.

photo by Brooke Smith

DRAGONS FLY, DRAGONS SOAR, EVERYONE HEAR OUR ROAR

photo by Amanda Minckler

photo by Brooke Smith

Volume 3 Issue 3

A&E

December

21

Picture Perfect The Revolution show choir boys pose for a fake picture incorporated in one of their numbers. Lamountain has a blast at practice with his friends.

Photo by Jadyn Anderson

MUSIC PRODUCTIONS STATED BY THOMAS LAMOUNTAIN A Musically Diverse Guy LaMountain is involved in various theatre activities, such as One Act, show choir, and musical. He got into theater after growing up watching his sister involved in all the same things.

Photo by Jadyn Anderson

The Sass Master LaMountain practices getting in character for a jazzy swing choir number. This year’s showchoir show involves extensive amounts of acting in order to pull it off.

Photo by Jadyn Anderson

LAMOUNTAIN HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN MUSIC PRODUCTIONS FOR OVER HALF HIS LIFE

By Colin Kitson

M

usic productions are done by a handful people who are in musical. Music productions are plays or shows with music in it. Thomas LaMountain is one of those few students. He has been performing in music productions for a long time, and he enjoys doing them.

“I have been doing music productions since I was about six,” sophomore Thomas LaMountain said.

LaMountain does not do music productions all year round; he does them during the school year. The productions are done before or after school, but he receives some help at school from teachers.

“When it’s musical season I usually spend every day but Wednesday after school practicing. The drama and music teachers help with the music production and the speech teachers do a little,” LaMountain said.

The music productions he does are done sometimes alone and sometimes as a group. He enjoys doing the music productions with friends more than doing them alone. People do not help him much when he does them alone because he does not need the help.

“I like to do music productions with friends most of the time, I feel like it brings me closer to people and makes friends,” LaMountain said.

LaMountain had a strong knowledge about what music productions were about and how they worked before he

actually started doing them. He got a better understanding of the productions from his sister.

“My sister always did musicals and theater activities and I was in awe of it,” LaMountain said.

LaMountain had to get into the music productions on his own. His sister talked to him about it and showed him the ropes, but he had teach himself how to make one.

“No one really taught me. I just grew up watching my sister do it and her talking to me about it so I just kind of picked it up,” LaMountain said.

He spends a great deal of time on music productions.

He goes in after school every week day besides Wednesday during musical season.

“I would say I spend about 12 hours a week practicing after school,” LaMountain said.

LaMountain has a favorite and a least favorite when it comes to the music productions. He likes to do different performances with the productions.

“My favorite part about music production is just the acting and the different characters you get to become while doing it. I also love the environment you’re in and the friends you get to make. I don’t always like the long practices. That is the only down side,” LaMountain said.

He has gained many friends from the productions. He will continue to do these music productions because it is what he enjoys doing.

MASON JUDGES ANOTHER BOOK FROM THE LIBRARY BY ITS COVER STAFF WRITER CRITIQUES “A BEAUTIFUL DARK” BY JOCELYN DAVIES THIS MONTH

BY MASON HJERMSTAD

D

iamond in the rough is the most suitable phrase I would use to describe A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies.

I checked out this book from our beloved library during the first week of school. The cover was bland with a girl in a white dress leaning into the wind and a stormy background. It gave off a melodramatic, “woe is me” vibe that did not interest me a whole lot at the time. However, after reading the description, I decided it was worth it to check it out and give it a try. After school that day, I grabbed the book along with my things and headed out to my car, throwing everything in the back. That is where the book stayed for the next two months.

This past week, while trying to decide what book to review, this novel tugged at my memory. So, when I went home sick one day, I decided to take it in with me. I laid in bed and cracked it open fighting my exhaustion and I stayed that way for the next several hours. I could not stop reading no matter how tired I was. I was appalled at how long I had left this book to sit in the back of my car without reading a single word. In no time at all I finished this dark and twisting tale of yet another teen struggling with the stress of everyday life, although hers was a little more complicated.

With a reading level of 4.3, this book was a pretty simple read, but the story itself was very intriguing. This book follows the main character Skye who has just had her seventeenth birthday and is just trying to make it through the rest of high school. When two enigmatic strangers show up at her birthday bash and start a full out brawl causing more than a little chaos, Skye’s life flips upside down. With all of these changes, she cannot piece together

what is going on and she will have to count on these two new guys to explain it to her. I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was fairly well written for the most part, but the compelling story made up for the lack of complex writing.

Every once in awhile, even the most avid readers need a softer, less complicated story to immerse themselves in.

With this in mind, this story pulled at my heart and played with my emotions with just the right amount. My anxiety levels rose and fell along with the characters and I felt as though I was living in Skye’s shoes, learning and making these tough decisions right along side of her. Some parts caused a small pause in the reading experience, but it was nice to have places where you felt comfortable to stop for a while and take a break, but were still excited to come back and start reading again. I connected well with this book as I also recently turned seventeen and am trying to make it to the end of senior year. I enjoyed that the author helped foster that connection by not allowing the character to forget about her mundane human responsibilities even though they seemed irrelevant by her newfound struggles.

As a senior, she is dealing with the challenges of finding a college and keeping her grades up just like the rest of us.

However she also has the hardship of being the catalyst for the world of a higher order.

Overall, I highly suggest venturing to our very own library and checking out this book. If you like to build a connection with a novel and its characters while reading, this is the one for you. As far as the cover goes, I let its blandness discourage me, causing it to sit for far too long without the pleasure of being read. Next time, I will not be so quick to judge because I just might find another diamond in the rough. It would also be nice to not have another dollar and fifty cent book fine.

Photo by Mason Hjermstad

22 Volume 3 Issue 3

December

Getting into Character Going over her lines, Emelia Rau gets into character. This year’s One Act was called “An Amazing Grace. It took time for those involved to prepare for the auditions.

Photo by Katie Stukenholtz

A LOOK INTO THE NERVES OF GHS DURING SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUDITIONS THE JITTERY FEELINGS AND SWEATY PALM S THAT ACCOMPANY STUDENTS DURING THEIR AUDITIONS FOR BAND AND THEATER

H

By Katie Stukenholtz eart thumping and head pounding, the feelings of having to do an audition are like none other. Many people have to face auditions for a number of various activities. Some examples of auditions that students at GHS have faced are band, one act and musical. Sophomore Sarah Ference has auditioned for all three of these activities. She has found a way of practicing that works for her.

“I prepare for auditions like it’s the actual audition,” Ference said. “I tell myself that it’s the only chance I got.”

One of the things that makes auditions so terrifying is that there is only one shot. If there is a mistake made, it cannot be undone. These mistakes can easily go to the head and make it even scarier than it was before. It is not just making mistakes that makes it scary but pretty much the whole process. Despite this, people still find themselves having to audition and they should feel pleased

with themselves for having done so.

“I want to be anywhere but there at that moment, but I usually feel happy and proud of myself,” Ference said.

To feel the most confident when the time comes to audition, it is best to be prepared. This usually means practicing ahead of time. Not practicing can mean not getting the part or being placed lower than what was hoped for. No matter what the audition is, it truly comes down to how well the audition is prepared for.

“I honestly just hope I don’t mess up and I also tell myself I’ve prepared for it,” Ference said.

There is no changing the act that auditions are stressful.

Senior Anna Allen has participated in band for the past four years and that means she has had to do a handful of auditions. Even though she is always prepared, she still gets stressed when comes time for an audition.

“I have a mini panic attack,” Allen said. “As I play I try to focus on playing all the correct notes and rhythms

but I mainly try to convince myself that I’m just practicing by myself. When I actually audition I literally am about to come to tears, that’s how stressed I am.”

Recently Allen has auditioned for different Drum Corps International, DCI, groups to be a member of their color guard. These groups only take the best of the best, so there is plenty of extra practice to be done before hand.

“I’ve been working on the basics and youtubing difficult tosses to try to broaden my abilities,” Allen said.

“For these auditions I’ll be focusing on my facials and hand placements and to hopefully make a good impression on the judges.”

Often times people dislike auditions, and for very good reasons too. However, this does not change the fact that auditions are necessary. They are for best deciding who deserves the part or chair placement. It will always be smoother if one takes the time to be prepared for it.

Practice Makes Perfect Practicing her part, Praise Bothwell displayed her acting skills. Auditions for One Act can be a frightening time. Bothwell was anxious to find out what part she would receive. Photo by Katie Stukenholtz

Working Hard Auditions take practice, there is no doubt about it. Michelle Weber and Reilly Woodward are hard at work. In Band, one has to audition to become section leader for marching band and also audition for chair placement in concert band. Both Weber and Woodward were section leaders, and they are in Wind Ensemble. Photo by Katie Stukenholtz

Striking a Pose Matt Goblirsch shows the rest of the cast his costume for the production. Just like everyone else, Goblirsch had to audition to get become a part of the One Act cast. Photo by Katie Stukenholtz

Volume 3 Issue 3

A&E

December 2016

POPULAR APP IS GETTING AXED IN UPCOMING MONTHS VINE WILL NO LONGER EXIST AS WE KNOW IT; ONLINE VERSION STILL ACCESSIBLE

BY JESSICA BLUM

M

illions of people have joined the company Vine, as users and employees, that began and became popular just after it launched in January 2013; all the while, on Oct. 27, 2016, this social media community announced the termination of its videosharing app. “Viners” have dedicated much of the past three years of their lives disbursing, creating, laughing and supporting for this free app, owned by Twitter. It was an app for people to gather and create videos that lasted six seconds or less; however, according to Casey Newton on The Verge as of June 21, 2016, users held the power to share videos longer than that amount of time, with a six second cover. Within this social platform, media could be made, shared, or “revined” on each personal account a person was able to produce. Jamin Blum, an avid Vine user, was not shocked by the news, but he will miss the opportunity to get a good laugh.

“It was entertaining, it made a lot of people famous because they were funny on it, it showed sports clips that were cool and it entertained millions around the world,” freshmen Jamin Blum said.

Speckled into the mix of social media, this application has made inventive leaps that Generations Y and Z have grasped and been associated with. Having one conversation with parents nowadays about Vine will lead them into the jungle world, not toward technology and apps. This social media platform was personally accepted into these generations, and that magic is now being stripped from the community of “viners.” Multiple categories existed to narrow down the colossal amount of “vines” that are within the application in the “Search” tab on Vine, including Comedy, Anime, OMG, Gaming, The Zone, K-Pop, Music, The Drop, Sports, Animals, Weird, Chill, Dance, Scary, Vine Magic, Cars, Food, DIY, TV & News, Art and Places. Comedians shined as they took the stage to new levels on Vine, providing a satisfying laugh throughout the daily routine.

Vine was originally put into motion to capture

short moments in our life, hence the reason the clips were only six seconds long. These six second videos with the capability to loop endlessly sparked a creative challenge within Vine users. According to Aja Romano with Vox, several conclusions as to why Vine is shutting down come from changing company goals, the cease in advancement to additional Vine users and the simple reason that many of the “Viners” grew up faster than the app itself did. The most popular accounts had been known for deleting their accounts and the stoppage of posting on the app. A lot of users have kicked Vine out of their daily rounds of social media, including junior Hunter Reeves.

“It’s kind of sad to see Vine shutting down, but I don’t really think it will affect me because I haven’t used it in a long time,” Reeves said.

The exact date of the Vine app shutting down is a mystery to this day. Claims have been issued that nothing will happen to the “vines” as of now, but it will be discontinued in the coming months by Twitter. Users are required to download their wanted content from the website if not already in their possession. Vine has also come out to say ideas like “we value your experience with this app, so the website will remain open, for it is important to revisit the brilliant creations that have been made over the years.” Notifications will be sent before either the app or website are altered.

“I’ll be sad to see Vine go because there were a lot of funny people that I’m not sure I’ll be able to see again,” Blum said. “I used Vine a lot when I first got the app. I ended up not using it much later on, but I would still look at people’s profiles.”

With competitors such as YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, Vine was finding a hard time standing out from the rest and owning its name. As Vine winds down its operations, Twitter has said that they will clear the blurred lines in the coming months to explain the news in detail.

From rapid layoffs to the shutting down of Vine, there is no telling what the unseen Twitter will sneakily unfold next.

Photo by Jessica Blum

New Harry Potter vs The Original

ANOTHER HARRY POTTER BOOK OR ANOTHER FANDOM?

FANS REACT TO NEW THE INSTALLMENT OF THE SERIES WRITTEN BY J.K. ROWLING

BY LAYNE STALEY

T

Photo by Layne Staley

housands of fans jumped for joy when they heard about a new installment to the world of Harry Potter. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was released this summer on July 31 (Harry Potter’s birthday). It is a continuation of the previous books by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. The story picks right back up where the seventh left off, nineteen years later as Harry is sending his son Albus off to Hogwarts for the first time. The book follows Albus on his journey through school and his constant struggle as the son of “the boy who lived.” Albus is cast into Slytherin house, much to his dismay. There, he befriends the son of his father’s former enemy. Albus is not very good at school; he is always getting into trouble, and nobody wants to be his friend. He hates Hogwarts and his father because he feels Harry is disappointed in him for who has become.

Eventually Albus cannot take the pressure any longer and does something drastic to get his father’s attention. A mysterious plot unfolds, relationships are tested and lives are lost as Albus tries to undo his mistakes.

The Harry Potter series is a beloved collection of books and movies filled with adventure, comedy and mystery, so everyone assumed the next story would be just as good. This was simply not the case. Many fans, myself included, were disappointed when the news came out that the next book was actually a script for a play. Although I was annoyed, I tried to keep an open mind when I began reading the book. It fell short of my expectations. The characters were all the same; however, they did not act or talk like they did in the other books. For example, Hermione Granger is smart, but not nearly as witty and boastful as she normally is. Ron Weasley was obviously meant to be the comic relief in the production, but this made him more annoying than funny because his stupidity was not very believable. The plot was also confusing and not thought out as well as the other books. Most of

Originals are better As good as originals the events were predictable; I had the ending figured out halfway through. Many events in the plot were also abrupt and had little description. One part that was hard to follow was the time travel, which happens often throughout the book. The transitions among the time periods and worlds do not explain things very well. When I was reading the book, I was expecting J.K. Rowling’s beautifully-worded descriptions with excellent detail and thoughtfulness.

I feel as though Rowling had little to do with the actual writing. It seemed the other authors wrote the script, then put Rowling’s name on the cover to get more readers and sell more books. On the bright side, the book was a very quick read, so it did not take too long to get through the cringe-worthy plot and writing.

Although Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was a let down, I would still recommend it to fans of the series.

It is a good idea to read the eighth book and find out what happens next; however, people should go into it with low expectations so there is no disappointment.

24 November

A&E

Volume 3 Issue 3

A I P O T O ZO

BY ABBIE WESLEY

Z Photo by Abbie Wesley

ootopia is a G-rated movie that was released in March of 2016. The main characters are Nick Wilde, a fox, and Lt. Judy Hopps, a bunny.

Zootopia features a collection of animals that live harmoniously in a grand city. The main theme is that a person can be anything they want to be. Though Judy Hopps is only a small bunny, she is determined to show the town that she has what it takes to be a police officer that can protect the community. The film is mainly directed toward the younger generation, but there is a stronger message portrayed that people of all ages can learn from.

Some members of The Voice staff share their opinions of the movie.

Photo by Abbie Wesley

Bunnies, foxes and sheep, oh my! Zootopia is an adorable cartoon with a targeted audience of children but a deeper message for adults. I loved this movie because of its witty dialogue, colorful animation and bubbly soundtrack.

Most of it was cheesy, but sometimes cheesy can be good. I liked that the message is clear to the viewer that no matter how high of a reach your goals might seem to you, you have the power to reach them with hard work and dedication. Some parts did go a little long but overall I thought it captured the audience’s attention long enough to pull you into the excitement of the story. I would rate this movie an 8 out of 10 and recommend this movie for a fun family movie night or just a relaxing Sunday evening.

Zootopia is a fantastic movie that allows children to enter into a world of talking animals. Despite its classification as a kids film, it provides entertainment for all ages. The focus of the movie is a bunny named Judy. This character has had to fight her whole life to achieve her dream of becoming a member of the Zootopia Police Department.

Judy sees herself as a progressive thinker and believes that she see everyone as equals. She finds out that she may not be as progressive as she thinks when she discovers a case of predators going savage. She eventually finds the flaws within herself and solves that case. There is plenty for both young and old viewers to learn from this movie.

BY MASON HJERMSTAD

BY KATIE STUKENHOLTZ

Photo by Abbie Wesley

The movie Zootopia is a great movie that would be enjoyed by all ages. Jason Bateman plays the role of Nick Wilde and Ginnifer Goodwin plays the role of Lt. Judy Hopps. I enjoyed this movie and I would rate it four and a half out of five stars; Zootopia would be a great movie for all ages because it has a meaningful message that could be interpreted in so many unique ways.

BY JACEY HAMMER

Photo by Abbie Wesley

Photo by Abbie Wesley

Zootopia is a cartoon that is appropriate for families and children of all ages. Overall I would rate the movie four out of five stars. I liked the lesson that it taught and it was entertaining, but I did think it was fairly predictable. There were interesting twists in the plot but many things I saw coming. The movie is cute and features many familiar voices like Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman and Shakira.

I think the movie is entertaining and funny, but it also teaches valuable lessons to any little kid that may view it.

BY OLIVIA KAHLER

The main character Judy Hopps becomes the first bunny on the police force. To prove she is more than just a “dumb bunny,” she must solve a mystery with the sly fox, Nicholas Wilde. Defying the stereotypes of “predator and prey,” the two work together for a common goal. Zootopia is a cheesy movie, but it is filled with many adorable characters perfect for an audience with younger children.

I found the movie rather boring and would personally not recommend it to anyone over the age of seven.

Photo by Abbie Wesley

BY LAYNE STALEY