Voice
The
Senior Memories Page 11-14
Gretna High School • 11335 South 204th Street • Gretna, NE 68028 • Volume IX • Issue VI• May 2011
submitted photo
Making a Difference The money made at the GHS fundraiser was donated to a school in Africa where few have shoes.
photos by Lauren Sawyer
ONE
DAY
OUT
WITH
SHOES
Kennedy Healy Feature/In-Depth Editor
On Apr. 5, 2011, people across the nation went without shoes to raise awareness for those less fortunate who do not own shoes. The day was inspired by the company TOMS shoes because their motto is that for every pair of shoes sold, TOMS will give one to a child in need. This year, GHS decided to have its very own day without shoes. Because of timing, GHS was not able to have its on the national day. Instead, on Friday, Apr. 8 students wore socks periods one through three. In order to do this, students were required to pay $1 during lunch and wear a sticker. Ellen Emanuel ‘11 presented the idea to Principal, Mr. Roger Miller because she thought the cause was important and should be stressed in schools. “I thought it was a really good idea and it was important for people to understand how important little things like shoes are to underdeveloped countries,” Emanuel said. She had help from many different people. The first to volunteer were her sisters, Nicole ‘13 and LaRee Emanuel ‘14, along with Trace Mannewitz ‘14, Olivia Gahan ‘11 and Elise Gahan’13. “There were a lot of people really excited about it and willing to help,” Emanuel said.
Mr. Miller wanted to make sure the day was taken seriously among students. He presented the idea of charging $1 to participate. “I thought it was a pretty good cause, but I also wanted her [Emanuel] and the students to take some ownership of this,” Miller said. “Instead of kids just running around with no shoes I thought it was important that if kids wanted to do this, they pay a dollar.” The fundraiser raised over $150 and they decided to give the money to a school in Machame, Tanzania which is near eastern Africa. Volunteer Aimee Zuniga, a sophomore at UNO explained the need in the area. The school is less than 10 years old and highly stresses education. Shoes are required for the children to attend school. Daily, Zuniga witnessed children walking awkwardly as they try to keep crumbling flip flops- all they can afford- on their feet by scrunching their toes. Most children’s limited resources force them to use flip flops so worn that holes have developed. Other shoes were used and donated from people like us. GHS’ contribution has made Zuniga hopeful for the children’s health and happiness. “I can’t express how grateful I am that you guys chose this school that I adore,” Zuniga said. “It’s really just a blessing.”
2
Gretna Celebrates 125 Years Ashley Zajac Arts and Entertainment Editor
Buy a Yearbook!
Before it’s too LATE! Bring $55 to Room 400
The fla g that w pole on Mc as rem kenna S oved in 195 t. 0.
First bank established by Hancock Second grain elevator built by Mr. O’Connor First and only flourmill built by Mr. Vanderheiden,
1886 1890 1900
An addition to the west side of the school opened and doubled the size of the school Trees and shrubs were planted in the park.
1910 1920
Gretna Public Library was built
aduating The gr 1901. class of
1930 Flagpole on McKenna St. was put up
1940 First Gretna Days Celebration Gretna Elementary School opens
1950 Bowling Alley and Lounge were built
es
Hey Dragons!
First business buildings built by the McKenna Brothers CH Trekel built first saloon (this is now JP Fleck and Sons)
The gr class of aduating 1 sisted o 901 conf only 7 students.
m l ga bal e. ket tsid bas ou All e held r we
“Go Gretna it’s ya birthday, we ‘re going to party like it’s ya birthday!” The time has come and Gretna is getting ready for one of the biggest celebrations the city has ever had. 2011 marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of Gretna in 1886. A town site was surveyed and plotted by The Lincoln Land Company only a year later and the village was officially incorporated July The first school af ter co 10, 1898. The town soon became known tion in 1888. nstrucas Gretna after Scotland’s Gretna Green, which happens to be the hometown of German was taught until the earliest settlers. As the city expanded, businessWWI then it was discontines built, families came and went and ued. history deepened further into the years passing by. Just recently in the past ten years the town has developed in more ways than one. “The town has had a population increase of 88% in the last 10 years,” Mayor Mrs. Sally McGuire said. “We have also had a steady growth in commercial developments.” One hundred twenty-five years is more than a mile marker and a committee of citizens are going out of the way to make it special by creating a group of activities for the celebration. Events The first schoo have been planned out for each month l bus. of 2011. Celebrations include planting trees for Arbor Day in April and activi- First schoolhouse was ties held by The Gretna Downtown Asa framed building sociation May 14th possibly involving performances by the Show Choir, Dance with one large room. Clubs and more. In June, there will be Total enrollment was tours of historical sites in Gretna and a 230 people. 5K run/walk will be held with the help of the Park Committee. Gretna’s annual summer celebration of Gretna Days will be held in July including a giant birthday cake for the anniversary and a day full of multiple “throw back” games organized by the Gretna Chambers for citizens to get involved. Events continue through the year to December.
news may 2011
1960
Gretna Middle School opens
1970 asB . 32 19 ships A n s las mpio C ha te Sta ball C ket The Junior-Senior banquet was held in a classroom at the high school. It was later held at a downtown hall, such as Hughes Hall, and became known as the JuniorSenior Prom.
Cone Corner Opens
Janette Roy, Owner of Cone Corner, retires and shuts down business
1980 1990
Squire John Thomas Elementary built 50th Anniversary of Gretna Days, Gretna Drug relocates, Wal Mart built off of Hwy 370
2000 2011
news may 2011
3
Class
The Causes and Effects of The Road Kelsey Charrlin News Editor Driving home from a late night babysitting job, anxious to arrive home after the long night of watching screaming kids, the driver is in a rush to get home and get some rest. Not noticing how fast she is traveling, she sees the flashing lights that blink in the rear-view mirror. Her heart starts to skip a beat; her hands start to sweat. This is driver’s first time being pulled over. Caught off guard, Bri Silence ‘12 wasn’t asked the expected question, “Do you know how fast you where going Ma’am?” but instead, “Have you been drinking tonight?” Her voice trembled to reply “No”. “I was scared, I didn’t know what to do,” Silence said. “The cop came up to my window and asked me if I had been drinking. I told him no, I was just babysitting. He didn’t believe me and thought I had been at a party. He made
me countdown from 69-42 and made me blow to see my alcohol level, but it was 0.0.” For many drivers, being pulled over for the first time can be nerve racking and costly. Especially if the sheriff assumes that the driver is under-the-influence. Many drivers may not have even realize that there was a change in speed or think the violation was no big deal because, they were just “keeping up with the flow of traffic”. “I didn’t notice there was a speed drop. I usually do not speed ,” Morgan Gragert ‘12 said. “I was angry because my mom and I were fighting. I was thinking, ‘Oh great.’ I knew I was getting a ticket.” According to Nebraska’s DMV, speeding tickets are issued because risk of death or serious injury doubles for every 10 miles you are traveling over the posted speed limit. There are many
options that the officer will tell the individual to consider when he/she is pulled over. The officer may suggest that the driver pays off the speeding ticket that can range from around $50 to $300 including going to a court hearing and losing points of your record and addition to an increase in your insurance. Or he/ she will suggest the driver attends a stop class from around six to eight hours depending on how fast the driver was going. This class requires a similar fee to going to court, although most driver favor the option over having points taken off his/her license and having their premium on their insurance go up. Gragert viewed the possible option as, “Why would I pay $110 for
STOP class when I could pay $123 to not waste eight hours of my life.” Taking a drivers education course is a way to reduce points off a drivers record. This course eliminates two points from the drivers record. Drivers can take this class through one of the various DMX certified third-party course providers throughout the state. Drivers can only attend the class once every five years and if you haven’t reached up to twelve points. The class teaches basic driving rules that can be compared to a drivers ed course that many drivers take before they receive their license. “We go this booklet and they just taught us that we needed to stop at stop signs, stop lights and not to speed,” Silence said. The test was easy and we could use the booklet for it. I didn’t listen, didn’t use the booklet and passed the test easily.” But at the end, stop class can be easily avoided by following the rules of the road. “I still speed, but if there are cops around I don’t. I’m just more observant,” Silence said. “But in the long run, getting the ticket, stop class, all that is not worth it; so I strongly suggest to stick to the laws of the road.”
Important Facts Taking a drivers education course can eliminate two points from his/her driving record. Drivers can only attend the class if they haven’t reached up to twelve points. The class teaches important basic driving rules. Getting a ticket can increase a drivers’ insurance premiums. A stop class can range from around six to eight hours. Photo by Kelsey Charrlin
news 4 may 2011 Volunteering Reaches For New Level Q A
How will you be involved?
Ashley Zajac throughout Gretna and Omaha. Arts and Entertainment Editor Teens Who Care will be an open club for GHS students who are interested in volunteering to the community. The group will organize fundraisers for charity and travel to different organizations across the area such as The Open Door Mission, to help out. Suhr hopes to have the club completed and ready to go by first semester of the 20112012 school year. With more information below, Suhr and Mr. Roger Miller better explain with answers for The Voice.
Q A
How will you be involved?
Mrs. Suhr
“I’ll be a liasion or a connection who will be able to contact organizations to see how we can help them organize and get involved.”
Q A
What exactly will the group do?
“We want to do what we can to help the local and metropolitan areas. This can give the students an insight to the opportunities they have to make a difference by branching out. I’m already taking students down to the Open Door Mission. We’ve been doing that for a couple of months.”
Q A
Who will be involved?
“Mostly students, Mr. Miller is also collaborating to get the group started, we need to set down over summer to get everything written up. It’s nice to know there’s support from the administration behind this.”
Q A Q A
What made you decide to create Teens Who Care? “I think there’s a need for a connection, an adult connection, to the community to get our kids to volunteer and benefits.”
How does one get involved?
Anyone who contacts me can join. We need to start with one organization [Open Door Mission] and spread to others from there. Students need to prepare to be committed. The last thing I want is to have 100 students come say they want to be involved and then only have two show up to volunteer. I want students to be serious about this.”
Q A
How did students react to the Open Door Mission? “The reaction was really good. It was an eye opening experience that helped them better understand what it’s like to be homeless and how hard it is.”
“I won’t be involved as much as Mrs. Suhr. I’ll oversee and be informed with the projects and make sure it is safe for our students and to figure out transportation.”
Mr. Miller
“Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on earth.” - Muhammed Ali This simple thought coming from the mind of this famous boxer is just one of the inspirations behind the work that others do to get involved in the world. Only a few years ago did English teacher, Mrs. Stephanie Suhr, begin the process of creating a group to donate time and effort into volunteer projects
Q A
How do you feel about TWC? What was your reaction?
“I think sometimes those kids who volunteer don’t get recognized as much. I think the volunteer feelings are contagious to others. It’s the right thing to do, helping out others.”
Q A
How do you want TWC to develop?
“I want it to develop slowly so we get the chance to figure out places to volunteer and see the interest that is present. It will take a few years to be complete. Mrs. Suhr needs to guide the kids to organizations and hopefully they will be calling her asking TWC to come help.”
Q A Q A Q A
Will students need to donate more than time? “It’s basically just time. We don’t want to start a group where kids need to throw in money right off the bat, just one about time. That’s hard though because kids are so busy now-a-days.” How do you think or expect students to respond? “I hope they will respond rather favorably. We have a lot of students who want to volunteer. I’m happy Mrs. Suhr is trying to take this on.”
Why is TWC good for GHS? “They will hopefully encourage other teens to get involved with volunteering.”
Recycle Your Paper Ashley Josoff Staff Writer Now, GHS students can recycle newspapers in English teacher Mrs. Gretchen Baijnauth’s or history teacher Mr. Jake Wolf’s classroom. This project is for Master Gardner’s. It has been going on for a couple of years, but GHS recently started participating a few
months ago. “The newspapers will be put in rows in the vegetable garden,” former GHS teacher Mrs. Joan Marotz said. “The newspapers are good for keeping the weeds down.” The normal recycling program at GHS doesn’t accept newspapers, so this program gives students the opportunity to put their papers to good use instead of just throwing
Bring to Room 400
5
news may 2011
Students Volunteer to Make a Difference Nicole Swanson Staff Writer
Church Attire Students picked out Sunday clothes for Haiti.
The destruction in Haiti is far from a memory. Over a year ago, a massive earthquake caused damage and loss to the already poor people of Haiti. This summer, several GHS students are opening their hearts to the people of Haiti by lending a hand to help restore what was lost. “Though the world does not feel the aftershocks anymore, the small country of Haiti is still hurting,” Brian Pruch, Journey church Youth Leader said. “Journey feels that Haiti is in need of help, so our goal is to send 40 individuals there this year to aid those who are suffering.” Nine GHS students are going to Haiti this summer. Dillon Drapal ‘13, Malorie Drapal ‘12, Elaine Kramer ‘12, Shelby Rust ‘12, and Lauren Frink ‘12 will be serving in Haiti in late May while Jentry Merriman ‘12, Katie Cooley ‘12, Angie Kauffman ‘12, and Kaitlin Pearson ‘13 will be in Haiti at the end of June.
“We will be doing many children’s activities such as Vacation Bible School, sports ministry and helping students learn English,” Merriman said. “Also, we will be serving at an orphanage, spending time with the kids and showing them the love of Jesus Christ.” While there, they will be working with the children and helping families recover after all the damage from the earthquake. While not all the work will be glamorous, they are still eager to aid the people through a tough time. “In Haiti, we are going to be helping with construction, working at feeding stations and ministering,” M. Drapal said. In order to go on a mission trip, planning starts really early. They have to get shots before the trip to help prevent any diseases like Malaria that are common in poor countries.The missionaries have already begun fundraising for this trip by sending out 50 prayer letters to friends, families and possible donors to ask for money or prayers to help keep the youth on the trip safe. “They gave us an outline of what we should mention and then it was fairly simple,” Kauffman said. “But it was still stressful sending the letters because they had to be out by a certain day.” Even through the shots, fundraising and packing, all the youth involved in the trip are very excited. They cannot wait to land in Haiti. “I’m really excited to be around the Haitians and see how their culture is different and get to be with the kids,” Cooley said. “I’m super excited to go on this trip, we have an amazing group of kids going and it’ll be an awesome experience.” Any GHS student who would like to help can donate money to the cause to help all the youth earn enough money for this summer’s trip. If any students are interested in donating money they can contact any of the youth going on the trip or donate online at www. journeychurchne.org. Even if a student can’t donate money, the youth would love if they were kept in prayers too.
Exploring Options Students Lauren Frink ‘12 and Shelby Rust ‘12 shop at Goodwill for clothes they will wear in Haiti.
The Cost of Fitting In The students check out their purchases
at Goodwill. The Pair collected over a week’s worth of clothing to fit in with Haiti’s culture.
The Color Counts While shopping for clothes to wear in Haiti,
the pair have to avoid the colors red and blue, which represent gang affiliation in Haiti. Photos by Nicole Swanson
6 Let’s Add Some Spice How Did You Feel When
opinion and editorial may 2011
The Staff’s Opinion Telepathy isn’t needed to know what’s on many of GHS students’ minds: vacation. Fourth quarter is when students hear “don’t give up!” speeches from teachers and parents alike because while we’re supposed to be “finishing the year strong” academically, warming weather is beckoning our thoughts right out the window. After surviving three quarters‘ worth of balancing studies with entertainment, it seems only natural that students are ready to de-stress and turn in their textbooks. So it’s time for GHS to do something different; it’s time to bring more excitement into the classroom. The staff of The Voice believes that a second spirit week for prom, such as the one held for homecoming, would help boost enthusiasm for what’s happening inside classroom walls. If a second spirit week were added, students could become more excited about showing off one last costume and planning for this event would keep minds off of thoughts of something like a senior skip day.
This event has the potential to help beyond reeling in fantasies of upcoming vacations; it would also bring underclassmen into the experience of prom. Just because the actual dance is hosted for the junior-senior class, doesn’t mean that freshman and sophomores would be left out of the spirit week. Even there, the benefits do not end. Students may be wishing for summer to come sooner because they’re upset that friends will be leaving to visit family, the beach or college. So providing this activity would be a perfect time to realize that memories can be made now. Students don’t need to be so worried about catching one more movie with friends before they leave if school can be a time for productive learning, a little festivity and a few extra smiles. So why should GHS add another event to the calendar? It’s true that it may seem a daunting task as students and faculty are busy, but when it’s as simple as selecting five themes, posting the choices and then pulling out quirky clothes from the back of the closet. So why not?
You Heard Osama Bin Laden Was Killed?
Due to the March issue of The Voice, Mrs. Kari Bulgrin, Media Specialist, has received several comments on the Library Latte Brief about how the library raised $10 from the event.
“The war is over.” Nick Haberer ‘14
“I was very glad that we killed our number one terrorist.” Madison Miller ‘13
“I felt jubilant after I heard the news.” Tim Grundmayer ‘13
Do You Think Bin Ladens’ Picture Should be Published? “Yes, he doesn’t deserve any privacy.” Tim Stoletnberg ‘12
Library Latte Correction Nicole Swanson Staff Writer
“I was annoyed because I was asleep and everybody kept texting me.” Abby Allgood ‘11
“It’s not a fundraiser.” Bulgrin said. “I was just happy to break even on the costs.” Bulgrin is glad to put on the event each year for students to enjoy and doesn’t worry about the money and plans to continue it for years to come.
“Yes, because it would be interesting to see what he looked like dead.” Maddie Shepard ‘13
“Yes, because he had it coming for him and he deservs it.” Miss Jennifer Flynn “Yes, because we should have the right to know who we killed.” Alex Hurd ‘13
The Voice Editor-in-Chief: Lauren Sawyer Photo Editor and Sports Editor: Lexi Busch Features and In Depth Editor: Kennedy Healy Arts and Entertainment Editor: Ashley Zajac News Editor: Kelsey Charrlin Opinion and Editorial Editor: Chelsea Pote Artist: Carissa Burkart
Staff Writers: Hannah Applegate Jena Burns Faith Cotton Anna Elbracht Ashley Josoff Michaela Kotera Randi Matulka Gabriella Montemarano Trey Russell Nicole Swanson Amanda Thamm Mary Yager
Photographer:
Advisor: Gretchen BaijnKristen Rozmiarek auth
The Voice is a monthly publication sponsored by Gretna High School, with Mrs. Gretchen Baijnauth as the advisor. The office of The Voice is located in room 400. Reader response is welcome. Any student, faculty or staff member wishing to contribute materials will need to submit a letter to the editor within deadline restrictions; however, final publication is at the discretion of the staff. Letters should be
less than 400 words and signed. Editorials are solely the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Voice staff or Gretna High School. Advertising will not be accepted for all products or for any services that are illegal for minors to possess or utilize. Advertisers wishing to reserve publication space may call GHS’ office at (402-)332-3936 or email gbaijnauth@gretnadragons.org.
7
opinion and editorial may 2011
Would a Late Start For GHS be Beneficial?
Ashley Zajac Arts and Entertainment Editor 6:00 am... *Alarm blares...Snooze button* 7:40 am... *roll out of bed* “Ahh crud!” We’ve all experienced this incident in which you acquire superhuman powers to get yourself dressed and on time for that last bell at 8:10. But what would it be like if we didn’t have to arrive to class until an hour later? This is one of the most controversial topics out there. Late starts for high school students seem to concern others. Some are against teenagers sleeping in longer because of that well known reputation our generation has acquired about being lazy waifs who do nothing but party all night. This may be true in some situations, but I believe having a late start is healthier for our student population. According to ABC News, teenagers who are allowed to sleep in for a late start have lower odds of having car crash injuries or death. The National Sleep Foundation has stated in studies that drowsiness and falling asleep at the wheel cause more than 100,000 car crashes every year. Due to the extra hour or two of sleep, teens are more alert and focused on the road. In the summer of 1976, the National Sleep Foundation ran a study on a group of students enrolled at Stanford University testing their abilities of adjusting to waking up earlier. The University of Minnesota ran the same study years later in 1996. Due to the early wake-up call, students were unable to go to sleep earlier and soon developed symptoms close to that of narcoleptic disease.
Unlike adults, teenager sleep cycles are fixed on a certain pattern and difficult to change with a new schedule. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers are in the deepest part of their sleep cycles during the dawn hours and that most teens sleep from around 11pm to 8am. When teenagers hit puberty, the indicators of the circadian rhythms such as the sleep-wake cycle, hormone secretion and melatonin levels start and end later than before. So when students rise early for class, their cycles are disturbed. If GHS moved classes to an hour later, students would be more awake and ready to learn, making their performance and grades improve. The National Sleep Foundation also states that students would also have less absences due to decrease in illness from extra sleep and better moods as well. With this proposal, another argument comes about with the issue of sports practices and extra-curricular activities that students partake in. Due to the schedule changes, practices would be later than normal but it is still possible. All fields have lights for evening games so why don’t we use them for evening practices as well or possibly have practice in the gym. The later schedule would also decrease the hours in which students work at an after school job. I have noticed at times in which my work hours are minimum, I have had more time for other priorities such as homework and family time. With less hours for work and a late start, students will become more involved in the everyday life. Teens with the option of a late start will in the end take more advantage of the education being presented to them and put in more effort to achieve. If GHS adjusted the bell schedule, students will benefit from the change in the long run by being allowed to slip into their sleep cycle. Performances and attendance would only be a few improvements due to the late start. For more solutions to getting the most out of that extra hour, see below.
Secret Ways To A Good Night’s Rest 1. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. Caffeine and nicotine can delay sleep, and alcohol may interrupt sleep later. 2. Exercise regularly, at least three hours before bedtime. A workout after that time may actually keep you awake because your body has not had a chance to cool down. 3. Don’t use your bed for anything other than sleep. Your bed should be associated with sleep. 4. Don’t nap during the day, since it affects your ability to sleep at night. 5. Consider your sleep environment. Make it as pleasant, comfortable, dark and quiet as you can. 6. Establish a regular, bedtime routine that will allow you to unwind and send a “signal” to your brain that it’s time to sleep. Avoiding exposure to bright light before bedtime. 7. If you can’t go to sleep after 30 minutes, get up. Remember: Try to clear your mind; don’t use this time to solve your daily problems. Source: National Sleep Foundation
Art by Carissa Burkart
8
Principal’s Corner
opinion and editorial may 2011 Thumbs Up
Do the security security cameras really work? Because I heard they don’t. Emily Zapotocny ‘12
“My car horn worked for the second time since I’ve had it.” Maggie Hobbs ‘11
Yes, there is a camera in Mr. Miller’s Office. If people can wear shorts, why can’t I have holes in my jeans? Natalie Miller ‘11 It’s a matter of “drawing the line” and students would get upset if they had a hole that wasn’t appropriate and another student’s hole was.
“I went to Mexico for spring break.” Media Specialist Mrs. Kari Bulgrin
“We went to Cornhusker Boys and Girls Country Government.” Courtney Ballard ‘12, Shelby Rust ‘12, Lauren Frink ‘12, and Bridger Schwasinger 12
Why do we have core classes? Trace Mannewitz ‘14 Core classes are ment to prepare students for the ACT and college. Why can’t we text in school? Kyle Gurbacki ‘13 If texting were allowed, students could cheat and text others answers to a test or assignment.
New Methods: Good or Bad? New Technology Could Put Test at Risk Kelsey Charrlin News Editor
As the teachers pass out extra pieces of scratch paper and number two pencils the chattering begins to stop. The teacher passes out test booklets and answer sheets and begins to explain the instructions for this test- the Nebraska State Assessment. This month, I, along with many other students across the state have taken a series of standardized bubble tests in math and science. Throughout the years, we have taken numerous bubble assessments for NESA, we have just recently begun to stray against bubble letter testing and have moved more into the electronic era. We have started taking tests online and using the ‘Clickers,’ like in social studies, to submit our answers. Statewide, students completed an online test in English along with reading. We used clickers on our History portion of our standardized test. It’s a wonder to think that what happens
if our bubble test gets lost? Now my worry is: what happens if the sever crashes or all of GHS’ computers shutdown right as students are nearing the final portion of their test? Will we have to rewrite all the words that are left deleted or retake the test? Is it really fair for the state to risk our scores by having electronic testing just because it remains convenient and a time saver for teachers? I realize that old-fashioned paper and pencil test may be lost as well, but the difference is: if paper tests are lost, they can be found but technology glitches erase information forever. Many questions remain in my head while taking these set of serious state tests, designed to determine how well teachers convey their subject material and how well students receive the curriculum. The methods on how we take NeSA that determine how much the state gives our district should be better protected.
“Boys soccer beat Skutt.” Tim Stoltenberg ‘12
Thumbs Down “Science is really hard.” Jamie Schuetz ‘14
“We need a better network so it doesn’t crash so much.” Garrick Gordon ‘13
“Bad spray tans.” Ryan Horst ‘11
“I ran out of hair gel one morning.” Tyler Ortleib ‘11
features may 2011
Summer Bucket List “Going to WisconDells. It sounds dumb, but I love water parks.” -Vice Principal, Mr. Todd Mueller
9
facebook teenagers’ favorite pastime could be causing depression
“Snowboard.” -Amanda Everhart ‘14
“Owl listening and swim in the ocean.” -Caleb Koch ‘13
“Butterfly catching.” -Jamie Schuetz ‘14
“Join the summer Omaha Ultimate Faith Cotton Frisby League which Staff Writer stands for Soul and run Almost everyone’s favorite place two triathalons and to be at the end of the day is Facebook. half a marathon.” People recap the day, post new pictures and statuses of the night, and chat their -Mr. Pat Ribar best friends even though they saw them an hour ago. It’s the 21st century’s favorite addiction. According to VentureBeat, “Facebook’s global user numbers have boomed from around 40 million monthly unique visitors in April 2007 to 115 million unique monthly users this past April, with 62 million new users coming from outside the US.” But maybe the excessive Facebook use is a bad thing. Studies have shown the children that are diagnosed with depression should be kept away or have monitored Facebook usage hours. “With
photo by Faith Cotton
in-your-face friends' tallies, status updates and photos of happy-looking people having great times, Facebook pages can make some students feel even worse if they think they don't measure up,” according to NPR (National Public Radio). “In-your-face-tallies” refers to how each person’s Facebook page displays the amount of friends or family members a person has listed. It also has been proven that excessive Internet use leads to depression because the user is not interacting with people in person, going outside or having any other personal contact. Because of this rising problem, parents and pediatricians are talking about monitoring Internet use. Since teens use the Internet so often for anything from homework to social networking, it would be difficult to monitor use.
10
features may 2011
Inkedat GHS?
Who is
As a very desired 18th birthday present, tattoos have many wondering if enduring the pain is worth the end result. Toughing out the sharp needle is a main point that some are skeptical about. To three students at GHS however, the feeling of being uncomfortable was worth much more than Anna Elbracht what they received with the completion of their personal work of body art. Staff Writer
Shelby
Sunderman
After walking in and out of the tattoo parlor multiple times before mustering up enough courage, Shelby Sunderman was still nervous but excited. At 18 years old, she was finally the legal age to get body art without parental permission. The tattoo artist who spent 45 minutes on Sunderman’s tattoo looked just right for his job. He knew just how to treat his customers as well. “He had tattoos everywhere,” Sunderman said. “But he was really nice and gave me a discount.” To get the tattoo on her shoulder blade, Sunderman laid on her stomach. For almost an hour, she endured the pain that is often accompanied with new body art. “It hurt a lot, so much that I was tearing up,” Sunderman said. With the completion of the work of art, Sunderman was very pleased with the result. “Dare to be different” was tattooed on her shoulder blade the way she wanted it. The design had meaning then and is still of the utmost importance to her. “I just think a lot of people like to be the same, and I just like to be different,” Sunderman said.
Sarah
Riddle
For the first time she set foot in a tattoo parlor, her heart was racing. The nerves were kicking in as she sat down in the chair and awaited the work of art to be permanently etched onto her body. At Fast Lane Tattoo in Tucson, Arizona, 18 year old Sarah Riddle was ready to receive the tattoo that she had long been waiting for. The artist, with many visible piercings and ear gauges began to set to work. Riddle decided to get a question mark tattoo behind her ear. “It represents my family and my name,” Riddle said. “Since my last name is Riddle, it just makes sense.” The design mimicked the design of her brothers’ question mark tattoos, only with a more feminine touch. The five minute procedure was almost painless, with just a tickle as the question mark slowly became visible on her body. Riddle has no regrets about getting the tattoo. In fact, she has plans to have a design of three flowers; a daisy, dandelion and sunflower inked onto her shoulder blade. After getting a tattoo however, Riddle had a small amount of advice to offer. “Think about the tattoo before you get it,” Riddle said. “Think ‘this is going to stick with me forever’.”
Anthony
Hardies
As the movie “The Other Guys” played noticeably loud in the background, Anthony Hardies tried to focus his attention to the television. He kept his breathing even while trying to put up with the intense pain that he was experiencing. With each small amount of ink being drawn onto his skin, Hardies managed to never let his nerves get the best of him. At Dr. Jack’s Ink Emporium on his 18th birthday, Hardies received a tattoo of a cross on his rib cage. The design was created and sketched out by his cousin Kelsey Jackson, a freshman at GHS. For two and a half hours, the artist drew the cross on Hardies. After the body art was finally completed and the pain from shading color inside the tattoo had subsided, Hardies thought how being uncomfortable for a couple hours was totally worth it. Hardies was so impressed with the work that he plans on getting more tattoos including a half sleeve going up his arm.
Reminder: The practices shown/described on this page do not reflect the views of The Voice and/or GHS. Tattoos may cause health complications.
in-depth may 2011
Seniors
11
class of 2011
submitted photo
They’ve had 12 years of challenges, 12 years of triumphs, 12 years of laughs and even some tears in those 12 years. And now, each moment survived has earned the class of 2011 the title of senior. Here, they reflect on joyful memories and share advice on how to overcome the times that might not be so enjoyable.
12
13
Goodbye Gretna Cole Spurgeon Colorado School of Mines Football
3 students are joining U.S. forces 35 are undecided
Sam Soupir Minnesota State - Mankato Track “I’m running there, the team was very nice and I look good in purple. It’s a good school.”
Now & Then
Ethan Bock ‘11
in-depth may 2011
Chlesea Schaffer ‘11
1 moving to OR 8 will be attending school in SD
3 will move to MN
110 students are staying in NE
7 will be in IA
re m
2a
1 in IL
to ng ovi
4 are moving to CO
CA
5 graduates will be living in KS
Tyler Ortlieb University of Souix Falls (South Dakota) Soccer
6 students are going to MO
Tyler Gilman ‘11
1 is going to live in OK
Kory Hurtz California Polytechnic State University Engineering Major “It’s a great school and it is on the coast.”
Jessica Tarsikes ‘11
1 is l in FL
Justin Bennett Embrey Riddle Aeronautical University Astronautical Engineering “I like it because it is a small specialized school so I would get a lot of one on one time with professors.”
o cho gs
din
Jenna DeRosa University of Kansas Business Major “My sister went there, and I like it. I’m going to go to the bouncin’ basketball games. I love the electric atmosphere of the University. I Want to be a Jay hawk.”
n atte
Nicole Andrews Midland (Nebraska) Softball
Kelsey Braesch Northwest Missouri State Biology Major “I wanted to go there because it’s far enough away but not to far. It’s so pretty there.”
submitted photos
14
Words of Wisdom “Impossible is nothing. Follow your dreams. I love you all.” - Nolan Schmid
in-depth may 2011 The class of 2011 would like to “go out with a bang”, but before they graduate, they offer some inspiring words to live by. These students have four years of wisdom-filled advice to share with underclassmen. Here is what some of the 2011 GHS seniors want to say before they leave our hallowed halls...
“Just remember that you’re never going to see some of these people again, so cherish them and respect them.”
“Be chill. Be fly. Cherish “First off, more than hugging the memories.” in the hallway is weird. Don’t do it, especially outside of - Sam Stoltenberg classrooms. High school is too short to worry about senseless drama, so enjoy it while you can. If you’ve got it flaunt it, Gretna ya know you want it.”
- Kelsey Braesch “Peace.” - Emily Winkle “Definitely don’t procrastinate, and do your daily warm-ups in Mrs. Omar’s class because they actually pertain to your daily grade. Just have fun. It’s high school; you only get four years of it.”
“Enjoy it. It goes by fast.” - Sarah Warren
- Zach Omar “Respect the upperclassmen.” “Get involved in random things because it turns out they are the most fun.” - Brooke Martin - Abby Allgood “Have fun, and don’t get stressed. Don’t let it get to you.”
- Josh Roberts
Memories
- Leonard Horseman
Senior year is filled with memories that will last a lifetime. Some are funny, others embarrassing, but they are all made with people who will be remembered forever. Here are a few senior memories from the class of 2011.
“After an ice storm, we (Sarah Warren, Jenna DeRosa, Abby Allgood, and Olivia Larsen) were driving on my road and as we were going up a hill, Jenna was going quite fast, and we started to slide. We saw a white car, which ended up being Cody Lindley’s on the side of the road. He had already slid off the road into a pile of rocks and took out two pine trees. Jenna cranked the wheel and we did a complete 180 and landed inches from Cody’s car. We took a minute to stop and comprehend what happened then everyone got out minus Jenna. We told her to ease on the accelerator as we pushed on the car. Our feet were slipping on the ground and Jenna floored it. You could smell burning rubber. We slowly inched up the hill and hopped in. She then gunned it and we ended up going nowhere, so we had to push the car up the hill.” -Sam Soupir ‘11
“I’m gonna miss hanging out with friends the most. I’ll miss the bonfires that the truckers had. They were always a good time.” -Brandon Abels ‘11
“My favorite thing from high school was when Sarah Riddle moved to Gretna because she’s my best friend in the whole world.” -Alyssa Stahr ‘11
“My favorite memory was probably cross country season. I loved the people, even though it was my first time running ever. I just felt like part of the group. What I’ll miss most about GHS is most definitely the people and the crazy, crazy school spirit. But of course I’ll miss art and yearbook as well.” -June Bringslid ‘11
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submitted photo
“Before I turned my Explorer in at the impound lot for $150, we (Kory Hurtz, Colton Motsinger, Cody Lindley, Zach Huber, Tanner Miller, Nolan Schmid, Tyler Novak, and Cole Spurgeon) destroyed it by kicking basketballs at it. Kory ended up breaking the mirror. Then we all climbed on it and took pictures until Mrs. Gilman (Tylers’s mom) put a stop to it.” -Tyler Gilman ‘11
features may 2011
15
Unsung Ashley Claims Top Rank Hero Randy Matulka Staff Writer
Kelsey Charrlin News Editor
Some may call her “the lady up front that checks out our lunches”, other may say “the secretary in the office that makes the best home baked goods”. With a smile on her face, she’s ready to greet students that pass her way. GHS secretary, Mrs. Nancy Turpen has been a Gretna dragon since 1986 and has loved every second of it. Turpen said “Gretna was an answer to a prayer to find a job that fits”, and she has been here ever since.
“It’s going to be hard to replace her if and when she retires,” Counselor Mrs. Anita O’Neil said. Turpen starts her day at 7:30 a.m where she checks in the substitute teachers and types up bulletins and teachers and coaches of students who are absent. Later on she works on attendance and makes numerous of phone calls to find out why absent students aren’t at school. Then she gets to her favorite part of the day: “Lunch”. Many wonder how Turpen memorizes every seven-hundred students’ name in the school and rarely forgets it. “It takes me probably about two to six weeks to learn the freshman’s names, and if they don’t eat lunch then I’m clueless,” Turpen said. The GHS staff always admires Turpen for her cheerful spirit and her positive attitude. “She knows every students name and keeps students going at lunch with a happy smile and a greeting each day, and deals with the computer glitches,” guidance counselor Mrs. Anita O’Neil said. “She helps teachers and staff become more efficient in their work.” Whether it’s helping a student in the office or checking students out in the lunch-line, Turpen looks forward to seeing students’ smiling faces every day. “You kids keep me feeling young, I like you guys,” Turpen said.
Amelia Ashley ‘14 sat with her clarinet on her lap, practicing scales getting ready for “the challenge.” A challenge occurs when any band member challenges another band member to play a piece of music chosen from the concert band. Each player has one minute to look the music over. Once the minute is over, each player plays the music “blindly”, meaning the judges cannot see who is playing. And the band directors, Mrs. Chris Tucker or Mr. Alex Wimmer, choose which player sounds better. Ashley won the challenge against another clarinet player, David Beran ‘14. “I have absolutely no hard feelings towards Amelia,” Beran said. “She is a tremendously talented musician.” Winning the challenge for first chair
is no surprise for Ashley. Ashley has been playing Clarinet for three years and has loved every minute of it. “She’s a very hard worker,” Wimmer said. “She practices a lot and is well prepared.” In order to keep the honor of first chair, one must win every challenge one is asked to do. But Ashley is loving every minute of leading her bandmates. “I’m proud of being first chair because it shows how much hard work can really pay off,” Ashley said. For the rest of the school year, Beran will be staying out of the spotlight and enjoying second chair. “I love being second chair because I don’t have to lead sectionals,” Beran said. Ashley is proud to have made her way to first chair through hard practices and improvements.
Panic at the Pool Jena Burns Staff Writer As a child, many find themselves dreaming of being a hero. Whether they are imagining themselves as a firefighter or Superman, few experience having someone’s life in his/her hands. This experience came to Kadin Eilers ‘14 on an unexpected summer day about two years ago. Eilers and his friends were spending a hot day at the Gretna Public Pool when they noticed the small figure near the bottom. The boys thought the child was just messing around so they continued to swim. It was moments later when they realized that the young boy was still there. Noticing that something was really wrong, Eilers was standing right beside where the child was so he dived down to save him and carried him out while another friend called 911 and the life guards worked to revive him. Eilers explained that it took a few moments to realize what was actually happening, because he couldn’t believe it was actually happening then. But, when reality set in he quickly went in to action. “I tapped him with my foot a few times,” Eilers said. “When I saw he wasn’t moving, I pulled him out.” Jacob Blank ‘14 was one of Eilers’
friends that witnessed the event. He explained that it was nerve-racking when he saw Eilers carrying the boy out of the water. “His face was blue,” said Blank. “I thougt he was dead at first.” As the life guards performed CPR on the young boy another GHS student, Peyton DeBord ‘14, proceeded to call 911. The child was soon air lifted by helicopter to Creighton Medical Center, where he was taken care of and soon returned. After the child was taken to Creighton, the police asked Eilers a series of questions about what had happened. When they were done, he went home. About a month later Eilers received an award from the state of Nebraska for saving his life.
Kain Eilers ‘14
16
arts and entertainment may 2011
What’s Upcoming Events For May 2011 Your Beanery? “Chocolate Cream, it’s kind of like a chocolate shake for the morning..” Abby Allgood ‘11
“High Maintenance, it has chocolate drizzle and whip cream.” Allie Roxburgh ‘13
“Skinny vanilla latte with whip cream.” Mandi Wagner ‘12
“Chai Latte because it’s a burst of flavor in my mouth.” Lexi Snell ‘14
Seniors Last Day!!
A & E Briefs Gretna Committee Plans For Rock Out The Gretna days Battle of the Bands will be held Sat. July 16, 2011 and currently includes the bands: Midlife Boy, Take Me to Vegas, The Other North and Gill Gunderson and friends. Students who would like to play at the event may call Emily Fink at (402) 332-0592.
17 Speech Team Raises Bar For Following Years arts and entertainment may 2011
2010-2011 Season Wrap-Up Lauren Sawyer Editor-In-Chief
With a full team of competitors, GHS’ speech team was a force to be reckoned with this season. The team took the top title of champions at the conference tournament at Platteview and missed first place by only 2 points at the district tournament at Waverly. Even with some disappointment, the meet won’t soon be forgotten as Courtney Everhart ‘13 took a district championship medal home. Certainly others have won first place on the team, but the case of Everhart was unique as she beat varsity senior speech students as a novice competitor (meaning, it was her first year to compete). “Courtney didn’t really know what speech team was all about...”English Teacher Mrs. Jennifer Long said. “She was very brave in deciding to take a leap and compete on the speech team, really having no idea what she was getting herself into.” Humbly, Everhart had never boasted that she was going to win after giving her speech in the finals round, only saying it went well because she was able to work in the line: “taxes- to cut,
Joking around leaves competitors, Elise Gahan ‘13 and Nolan Schmid ‘11, in a
good mood for competition. Gahan competed in Informative and Schmid in OID. or not to cut.” Then adding, “Believe me, in extemp, that’s funny.” Extemp or
Extemporaneous speaking can be seen as dull to some as its topics center around
current issues in society; however, the preparation is much more involved. “... She chose to compete in the most difficult and competitive event available: extemporaneous speaking, which requires competitors to write a different speech every time they perform, with only 30 or 60 minutes of preparation to research, write and rehearse before performing,” Long said. “From the very first tournament, Courtney has excelled at this challenge, taking right up to a district championship.” After mastering writing speeches with nothing more than one side of a 4X6 note card for backup if a point was forgotten, Everhart felt she was prepared for the district tournament. But beating a senior rival, however, was totally unexpected. “I was literally so overcome with emotion,” Everhart said. “It was really awesome, and I probably wouldn’t have gotten there without the support of everybody.” Everhart was pleased with her performance at the state tournament in Kearney despite missing a chance for a medal, and plans to perform in extemp and persuasive next year.
The GHS speech team competed in the B-3 District Tournament in Waverly March 14th. Results from Districts and State 2011. DISTRICT MEDALISTS:
STATE QUALIFIERS:
Malorie Drapal- 4th place Informative Speaking
Courtney Everhart- 1st place Extemporaneous Speaking
Claire Fogle- 4th place Humorous Prose
Taylor White- 1st place Poetry Interpretation
Shane Nevius- 4th place Serious Prose
Timothy Stoltenberg- 1st place Entertainment Speaking
Morgan Agagah- 4th place Poetry Interpretation Other District competitors included:
Elise Gahan- 1st place Informative Speaking
Samantha Mullen- Humorous Prose Dean Detten- Extemporaneous Speaking Luke Beran and David Beran- Duet Acting Kiley Grandstaff and Shelby RustDuet Acting
Lauren Sawyer 2nd- place Persuasive Speaking
STATE MEDALISTS: Kennedy Healy Persuasive- 1st
Gabriella Montemarano- 2nd place Serious Prose
Taylor White Poetry- 1st
Nolan Schmid, Kelton Terry, Emily Zapotocny, Claire Fogle, Jenni Davis2nd place Oral Interpretation of Drama
Nolan Schmid, Kelton Terry, Emily Zapotocny, Claire Fogle, Jenni Davis- 2nd place Oral Interpretation of Drama Timothy Stoltenberg, Zach Omar and Gabriella Montemarano3rd place Oral Interpretation of Drama
Timothy Stoltenberg, Zach Omar and Gabriella Montemarano- 1st place Oral Interpretation of Drama Kennedy Healy- 3rd place Persuasive Speaking Katie Cooley- 3rd place Entertainment Speaking Submitted Photo
18 GHS Spring Fashion 2011
arts and entertainment may 2011 Tail Hem Dresses
Ashley Zajac Arts and Entertainment Editor
Crackle Nail Polish
- Shattered nail look - Free of DBP and Toluene - Styles - Lightning Bold = white - Black Mesh = black - Cracked Concrete = gray - Crushed Candy = teal - Broken Hearted = pink - Fault Line = purple - Directions - Apply regular polish to nails - Let dry - Apply crackle polish. Let dry - Seal with any top coat - China Glaze - Price = $9
Sally Hansen Nail Strips
- Wal Mart - $10 for one pack - By Sally Hanson - Patterns - Lace - Flowers - Shapes - Solids - Sparkly
“They’re awesome! It’s just a strip of nail polish that you file down. They’re long lasting, easy to put on and you don’t need to wait for them to dry either. Then you file them off.” Erin Miller ‘13
CamelBak
- Free of chemicals such as BPA - Some have a filter built into straw - Price from $11 to $30 - Double walled insulation to keep drinks hot and cold - No sweat - Easy sip
“I had it done at Concept Salon for fun. It is unique and you can have around three different colors.” Leana Mathews ‘13
-Known as a shirttail hem and high low hem - allows one to wear short dress/skirt without revealing too much of the backside - Covers yet still exposes - Hem fills the void between a mini and a midi - Usually cut short on the sides with long tail in the back
Students Poll In On What’s Hot & What’s Not Sweater Vests
Sundresses
- With every pair you purchase, TOMS donates one pair of new shoes to a child in need. - As of September 2010, TOMS has given over one million pairs of new shoes to children in need through Giving Partners around the world. - Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk of disease and injury.
Hair Feathers
Button-Ups
Toms Shoes
V-Necks
Rainboots
- Around $50-$55 dollars without shipping [shipping = approx. $12] *Information from TOMS website
“They’re super comfortable and they have really cool style patterns. It feels like you’re wearing slippers. Also, there’s multiple styles that will match anyone’s style.” Shane Nevius ‘12
“They’re convenient and keep your water cold. They have a little handle so you could attach it to something if you really wanted to.” Callie Emig ‘13 Photo by: Lauren Sawyer
19 Students Advance To Next Level of Competition arts and entertainment may 2011
Art Classes Display Work At Conference Art Jena Burns Staff Writer Several students attended Conference Art at Elkhorn South. Fifteen students from GHS put their artwork on display for all the other schools April 4 through 6. When at Conference Art, the students took part in several different activities such as a demonstration on glass blowing and blacksmith and pottery classes. Getting chosen for Conference Art depends on what class the student is in. Typically, the upper-level art classes are chosen for art forms such as painting, advanced art and 3-D design II. “Ultimately, Mr. Moore and I make the final decision,” art teacher Mrs. Amy Oliver said. At Conference Art, students had the freedom to walk around and look at different works of art and booths.
“I had fun walking around the different shops and seeing the different art pieces. There was one video Sarah Warren and I watched about 20 times,” Chelsea Luedtke ‘11 said. “We were in a trance from it, I don’t know why it was only five seconds repeated over and over again.” For some this wasn’t a new experience. Sarah Warren ‘11 went to conference art last year. “I liked the glass blowing,” Warren said. “It was cool to see an ordinary scrap of glass get turned into something beautiful.” Warren also explains that she loved the pottery class because it was easy to take a pile of mud and turn it into a new creation. The opportunities were helpful for many such as Warren who plans to be an elementary school teacher when she grows up and thinks that any form of art would be great to do with them.
Contestants included Kelsy O’Neil, Kate Tompkins, Chelsea Luedkte, Jenna Hannibal, Teresa Fibich, Kaylee Hintz, Cassandra Kastens, Petra Vanderweijden, Ethan Lottman, Colin Vipond, Emma Blank, Jessica Tarsikes, Julie Dimitroff, Victoria Sorrentino, and Sarah Warren. Submitted Photo
GHS Students Graced With Presence Of Slam Poet Matt Mason Hosts Lunchtime Presentation Nicole Swanson Staff Writer “Just let me love you like Han Solo, reckless and moody and you won’t be sure if you can count on me until I save your galaxy, every time baby.” By just the first line of the poetry titled Make Star Love not Star Wars students were fully engaged in Poet Matt Mason’s performance. Mason, an Omaha native who has been highly successful with Slam Poetry, visited GHS on Monday Apr. 4. All juniors attended to listen to Mason perform some of his more famous slam poems to prepare students for the NeSA English/ Reading test by helping students appreciate English and poetry. Slam poetry is a competition where a poet performs an original piece of poetry to an audience who is the judge. Throughout the performance, students were encouraged to get involved by cheering out when they liked what they heard; Mason’s poems got several laughs and cheers during the lunch.
Matt Mason presents one of his own scripts from his latest published book. Mason has won two Nebraska Book Awards for Poetry and Anthology. Photo by Nicole Swanson
“Poetry Slams phrase poems to make a little more sense through the use of rhymes,” Mason said. “It also makes poetry readings a little less boring for everyone.” Mrs. Kari Bulgrin, Media Specialist, and Mrs. Georgia Tucker, HAL teacher, talked to the Humanities council, a Neb. group who works to improve local communities, to organize this event. The Humanities council agreed to pay for half of the cost to have Mason come to GHS, while GHS paid the rest. The overall reaction by students was positive. Many who hadn’t even heard of Slam Poetry before, discovered that poetry doesn’t have to be boring, and that, in fact, with a little rhythm, poetry can turn into something fun for all people. “I didn’t think it’d be interesting at first, but after he read a few of his poems, it was actually pretty awesome,” Bri Silence ‘12 said. “The style was different than regular poetry, but that’s what made it sweet.”
20
sports may 2011
One Mistake Drops Dragon’s Number One Spot Lexi Busch Sports Editor/Photograher They walk up to the plate and take their first bat. They stand on the mound and pitch their first pitch. They stand in the outfield and wait to catch their first fly ball. The Gretna baseball team continued to play their first 6 games like it was their very first. They were beating some teams by 12 runs and breezing through all their games. Due to the high energy and hard work on the field, the baseball team ranked number one in class B, number 10 in the whole state and were the only team that was undefeated. This was something that has never happened in the history of Gretna baseball. “It was a blessing and a curse at the same,” Jed Derr ‘11 said. “It was awesome being number one but then every team will do whatever it takes to bring you down because you’re the best.” It made the town of Gretna and the baseball team very proud to finally be number one.
It was a great accomplishment but it also brought on immense pressure. Every game the Dragons played had no room for error because the other teams would take every opportunity to beat Gretna. “Every game we will see the teams best pitcher and they will play their best game just because they want to take down one of the top teams,” Anthony Hardies ‘11 said. Their time as number one lasted through six games. They put everything into each of those games knowing that the other team would also be putting all they had into the games. When it came to the seventh game, it was time to play Elkhorn. Their ace pitcher Caleb Wallingford made Gretna a little more nervous than normal. Despite their efforts, Gretna lost the game 5 to 3. Losing their first game was hard enough, but when the rankings came out the next day they saw they had dropped to second place after losing only one game. “It is so competitive with the top teams; a win or a loss could bring you up or
down.” Derr said. Most would think losing that game would bring these boys down, but instead they took a different approach to the first lose. “It didn’t bring us down it made us a stronger team,” Spencer Mowinkel ‘11 said. “We would rather lose early in the season than later, now all we need to do is work our way back up.” The baseball team has proven that they know they can be the best. They work great as a team even after a loss. “We have nine leading seniors to carry the team through thick and thin,” Hardies ‘11 said. “Being number two did not bring our team down. We know we have the potential to be number one again.”
Ian Grisby ‘11
photo by Lexi Busch
The Girls Soccer Team Battles Through Weather Lauren Sawyer Editor-in-Chief Sleeping bags line the bleachers to keep spectators warm. One boy keeps a cup of hot chocolate close to his mouth and takes continuous sips. Breath lingers frozen in the air. A mom wears a winter coat over another fleece jacket and covers her legs up with a blanket. Between the whipping winds and spectator’s chattering teeth, it would be hard to tell that they were at GHS to watch a spring sport. Despite the cold, however, the varsity girls soccer team didn’t disappoint their supporters on Mon. Apr. 18 with a 6-0 win over Platteview. The season has been challenging for the Lady Dragons due to persistent weather troubles, but optimism and support from events like a team bonding sleepover have helped keep spirits high. “We can’t control the field, the refs, the competition or the weather, but we can control our mindset,” coach Mr. George Behney said. Ever since practice, temperatures
Going for the ball Emily Roll ‘13 crowds the ball and tries to rush to the goal. photo by Kristen Rozmiarek p
have remained frigid. However, this helped players learn the practice of “mind over matter” early on, Behney said. When snow flakes started to flutter down at the game played against Elkhorn, players admit those moments make soccer seem less enjoyable. “I think that game should have been canceled,” Halley Samuelson ‘11 said.
Other conditions the girls have played in include 30 mile an hour wind, rain and one game was even shortened due to lightning. Activities Director John Heckenlively said that official reasons to cancel games include severe weather such as lightning 0-12 miles from the field and adverse playing conditions such as standing water which causes fields to be slick. Games have continued through unfavorable conditions this year so that the girls soccer team can have as much playing time as possible, Heckenlively said. “It’s a tough situation because we want them to get in as many games as possible but yet we have to keep it safe,” Heckenlively said. “That’s the fine line we walk.” Certainly the boys soccer team has had weather issues as well, but one advantage the girls have is a new coach to help them keep improving despite the weather. Hillary Stover, 2008 graduate, returned to fulfill her dream of coaching and has been well received by players. “Hillary is not intimidated by the job,” Jessica Tarsikes ‘11 said. “She jumps
right in, in her quirky crazy, awesome way and explains the situation well enough that we get a picture in our minds of what she wants.” Stover was excited to have an opportunity to return to GHS so soon and have her feedback be respected by all team members. Both coaches have been impressed with the team’s unending effort. Coach Behney said that he is happy there hasn’t been a decrease in motivation due to the weather which could be discouraging. “The girls come to practice every day and are ready to strap on their boots and get to work,” Behney said. Combating the cold isn’t entirely a matter of attitude, however. Sometimes, extra layers of clothes are needed. Except, an addition of Under Armour to the official uniform is not a likely possibility, Heckenlively said. But the girls are encouraged to dress warm if clothes remain under NSAA guidelines (see page 23 for guidelines). Samuelson shared what she believes is key to the team’s success, “We just bundle up and don’t stop moving. Then the cold doesn’t affect us.”
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sports may 2011
New Goals, New Dreams and a Whole New Team Hannah Applegate Staff Writer
Meeko Spainhower ‘12
Boys
On your mark, get set, go! Josh Roberts’11 takes off from the blocks as he starts the 400 race for the Gretna Dragons. Roberts has the pressure on him to have a great start and to get the Dragons ahead in the beginning of the race. “Josh is first because he is the fastest and the best at getting out of the blocks,” Spencer Daly ‘12 said. Of course Roberts isn’t the only important member of the team. The other three boys that help make up the team include Daly, Meeko Spainhower ‘12, and Spencer Lachnit ‘11. These boys are setting new goals that they are determined to reach this year. “The goal is to beat the school record,” Daly said. “Which I believe was set in ‘72.” Beating the school record is not the only big goal they want to reach. The other goal is going to take practice and good running times at conference and districts.
“We want to make it to state and place high at it,” Spencer Lachnit ‘11 said. The boys are working hard and according to Lachnit, everybody who ran this last year is back, but they are stronger and faster. Lachnit also says he likes the team this year. “We’re pretty thuggin’ I’d say.” Lachnit said. Of course every team has something they can always improve on. Some are just little items. “We need to work on being more consistent with our times,” Lachnit said. Other changes could change the time they are running in. The team needs everything to run smoothly in order to do well. “Hand offs are definitely something we could practice and get better at,” Daly said. Not everybody would want to be one of these four boys though. The pressure of the race becomes to much for some, but for others that is what makes the race so great. “I like it because it is an adrenaline rush,” Daly said. “There is some pressure because it is the last race and it can sometimes determine the outcomes for your team at the end of the meet.” The 400 team also has the responsibility of practicing anything they need to by themselves. The 4X4 is one of the relays that does not have a specific coach. It is up to the runners to tell one of the head coaches if they need to work on it. This is just one of the challenges they face, but always seem to overcome.
Mary Janovich ‘14
Girls
Setting up the blocks so they’re just right, Chandelle Davidson ‘13 stretches and jumps to get ready to start of the race for the girls. The girl’s 4X4 team is having an excellent season this year with a time of 4:15. This is only 4 seconds behind our school record time, which is 4:11. The GHS girl’s team is made up of three other girls. They are Hayley Ramono ‘11, Kendall Hendrix ‘12 and Mary Janovich ‘14. Hendrix says this order is the reason they have made such good times. “We have Chandelle as our strong leader who gets us ahead,” Hendrix said. “Then Hayley and I keep a steady pace and Mary finishes.” With only four seconds standing between them and the school record, the girls have been working on perfecting the skills they believe need to be better. “We need to work on our endurance,” Janovich ‘14 said.
Hendrix said they need to work on running faster, but they mostly just need to work on the race at practice more. Even though they say they need to work on some of the running and hand off areas, Hendrix says that this team is way stronger than the team last year. It is not just that fact that they are stronger this year, but they bond of the team helps them to do well too. “I love the team because all the girls are great,” Hendrix said. “We work together really well and we’re all really close. We say a prayer together before we run.” The girls all get along and for Hendrix and Janovich, this is the race they look forward to at a meet. Even though it is the last race, for them it is worth waiting for. “The 4X4 is my favorite race and it’s just a fun race to run in,” Janovich said. “Also, I love being the anchor because if we aren’t in first, I like catching the people who are.” The girls have two goals in mindto make it to state and to beat the school record. Hendrix and Janovich said they have strong runners and they know they can beat the record because the entire team will do whatever it takes to reach that goal. Also, with the fact that they don’t have a coach of their own they hold all of the responsibility to find time to practice with each other. Even without a coach, they have still managed to hold a solid consistency with time. The girls know what they want, and aren’t going to let anybody or anything get in their way. “Go big or go home, that’s what I say,” Hendrix said.
22 Trey Ruessell Staff Writer
From a National Championship to not being able to know whether or not you will even have a chance to defend that title next year; it’s an almost unheard of situation which the UNO wrestlers are currently being put through. Less than a week after winning the National Championship in Division II, UNO announced that it would be cutting the wrestling team as well as the football team. The reason for the cut is said to be because of the budget issues and so that the other athletic programs such as basketball can make the jump to Division I athletics, where the Mav’s hockey team is at. This allows the school more athletic scholarships as well as more money to be put to athletics. The football team has gone in the last five years, which is quite impressive at any level. The Mavs just added a big screen and a scoreboard to their football field, but that won’t be needed next year, neither will the new additions to the
sports may 2011
The Fall of UNO team. “The incoming freshman will have to find a new place to play football, “ former Mavs defensive backs coach Nate Neuhas said. “If they signed a letter of intent they will be released from UNO so they can sign with someone else.” The decision was so swift it caught everyone off guard. Rallies were held to try and save the two athletic programs but they did not change anything. “I did not see this coming,” said Neuhas, “ I don’t think anybody really did.” The cut not only left the freshmen out on the street, but it also left the UNO football players and wrestlers without a way to compete. It’s hard to imagine the situations the juniors are in, imagine attending school for 3 years and playing sports only to find out that you would not be able to play the game you grew to love. “Some athletes will stay at UNO, finish their education and no longer play football,” said Neuhas. “ The athletes that want to continue playing college football will transfer to another institution. Most of the athletes that want to continue their career in college football have commited to new schools. There are still a few kids with decisions to make.”
The basketball team is the main team making the jump to Division I. They will be joining the Big Sky conference to compete against teams with the likes of Portland State and Weber State. It could be argued that both the wrestling and football teams could have competed at that level also. nd wrestling program into national prominence. You now have coaches that are unemployed and coaching jobs are not real easy to come by. It will be kids to transfer and start all over again. It could be argued that both the wrestling and football teams could have competed at that level also. Many people worked extremely hard to get the football and wrestling program into national prominence. You now have coaches that are unemployed and coaching jobs are not real easy to come by. It will be kids to transfer and start all over again. “The UNO football program had great coaches and great players. I have no doubt that the football program would have continued to recruit top notch student-athletes
and would have been very successful at the Division I level,” Nuehas said. It will be a day remembered for years and not for the right answers. The football and wrestling team both had a good fan base, especially for being Division II. “Its a sad day for UNO athletics.” Nuehas said. “To see two programs with such tradition come to an end is tragic. All lot of people put A LOT of work into building the football program and wrestling program into national prominence. You now have coaches that are unemployed and coaching jobs are not real easy to come by. It will be tough for kids to transfer and start all over again.”
Helping the Team, One Step at a Time Hannah Applegate Staff Writer Being a manager to some may be a joke, but to others it is an important job. I know when I had to manage some of the basketball games that I needed to make sure I was doing it right. Of course I did not manage every game, just when one of the others was going to be gone, but I learned quickly just how important managing can be. I had to hand waters to the players, make sure their bottles were always filled and when a timeout was called, my first job was to make sure coach Mr. Brad Feeken had his white board. I enjoyed doing it for the team because I love to watch basketball and I was there anyway to cheer on my brother. Though it sometimes turned out to be a stressful job it did not stop me
from coming back. I have also been a track manager for most of the season. My job is to make sure the coaches have everything they need and if they need help keeping times or length I am the girl they go to. Coaches are occupied because they are busy making sure the players are ready to play, so managers are there to do the little jobs that they do not normally have time to do before a game. Managing is an important job to those who do it and to the coaches. Allison Kessler ‘14 has stepped up as a freshman this year to learn the ways of managing. Allison Kessler is one of the many people who has volunteered to be a manager. The team she chose to help is the boys soccer team. Most people, like Allison, have a reason of why they choose the sport to mangae that they do.
“I chose to help with soccer because I stopped playing this year, but I still wanted to be involved with the sport,” Kessler ‘14 said. She is one of the many managers for the team though. So when it comes to games she has a specific job. “I take stats,” Kessler said. “That’s basically all I do because I was the first one who knew how to keep them.” Allison said that unless she has a conflict she gets to go to every game and every practice. She says she has been to most of the games, but with the musical she hasn’t made it to many of the practices. Though she has many conflicts she still enjoys the time she is there. “I’d have to say I like being a manager because it’s fun to watch the games and what is going on on the field,” Kessler said.
Helping out Seniors Danielle Spurgeon
‘11 and Chelsea Luedtke ‘11 “It may not seem like a big responsibility but a lot more goes into it then people think, but I enjoy being a part of the team” Spurgeon said. photo by Lexi Busch
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sports may 2011 Grossoehmig Jumps Over Every Hurtle to Reach Success Lauren Sawyer Editor-in-Chief Where am I... and why is my horse’s bridle in my hand? It was just another day at the barn competing with her horse “My Pride” at an invitational until Kailey Grossoehmig ‘12 approached a jump wrong. Then, instead of breezing over it, like she and her six-foot friend normally had done, Grossoehmig ran head-first into a wooden jump standard. She was still holding on to the bridle while flying off her horses’ back, and despite having numerous, tightened straps, it still came right off due to the immense momentum. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault,” Grossoehmig said. “It just happened.” After being knocked out, she woke up to discover that her helmet was severely crushed, something not easily accomplished because riding helmets are made with impactresistant resin. Grossoehmig said
that this proved a helmet is a piece of equipment that certainly cannot be forgotten because it saved her life. Even more amazing, was that her horse did not crush her in the fall. The reason for this, Grossoehmig believes, stems back to when she first entered her barn just outside of Gretna, where she was introduced to My Pride for the first time. That moment, however, wasn’t wonderful either because she was definitely scared. “He was so big and I wasn’t very sure about riding him, but my trainer had picked him for me and thought it would be okay,” Grossoehmig said. And practice did prove challenging as he was a nervous horse, but as lessons went on, the horse became easier to ride and the jumps were carried out with greater ease. Grossoehmig even worked up to jumping nearly four feet. “I think that because we had been together for so long, he made sure not to fall on me,” Grossoehmig said. “Horses
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have really close bonds with their riders.” After suffering a severe concussion that lasted three weeks, Grossoehmig wasn’t able to ride until four weeks after the accident. However, she has been very fortunate compared to her friends who ride horses because they have suffered many more accidents. Determined to improve, Grossoehmig
practiced jumping hurdles without reigns, which forces the rider improve balance and control over jumps because leg muscles are strengthened when there’s nothing to hold on to. Now she has returned to her regular riding style and schedule. While she may not wish to become a professional English style horse back rider, Grossoehming said that she won’t stop loving it, and when troubles come, it’s just a matter of being brave enough to get back on the horse.
Spring Sports Dress Code Update To participate in track, many uniform and clothing rules must be followed. Some rules apply just at practice while others are regulated by the National Federation Track and Field Uniform/Jewelry Rules (NFHS). No matter what athletes perform best in, their competition attire must fit all the requirements of the NFHS.
Anna Elbract Staff Writer Bobby Pins - Bobby pins and other hair clips are allowed to be worn by athletes competing at meets. This rule has been changed from last year when those certain hair accessories were not permitted at all. Bobby pins, barrettes, and hair clips must be two inches or less and only be used for ‘controlling a competitor’s hair’, as opposed to being used for decoration, according to the NFHS. No Cutoffs - Revealing cutoff shirts are not allowed in practice at GHS. The
cutoffs must not show undergarments or an excess of skin. This is a Gretna track team rule that was newly put into effect this year. Students are mainly displeased with the recently added rule. “I think that the cut off rule is dumb because people still wear them anyway, and they are not a distraction,” Amanda Thamm ‘13 said. Relay Matching - All members of the relay team must sport matching uniforms and under armour attire. The color of the undergarment is not required to be the same length, but it must be the same solid color for all relay participants.
Logos - One logo is all that may be visible on the athlete’s clothing. For example, if there is more than one Under Armour sign showing, that does not allow the participant to compete. The logo that is visible however, must be 2 ¼ inches wide or less. Pre-Wrap - The popular foam underwrap used under athletic tape is a common sight seen worn in female athletes’ hair. Pre-wrap, as many refer to it, can be used in track to hold back hair as long as it serves only that purpose. Just like a typical headband, pre-wrap is allowed to measure two inches or less.
Jewelry - For most athletes, the rule that is most difficult to follow is the disallowance of jewelry. In track meets, certain jewelry is not allowed to be worn by the athletes. “I think it’s not fair that we can’t wear jewelry,” said Meeko Spainhower ‘12. “I want to wear my wiz band and my rosary.” The only piece that may be adorned is a religious cross or other medal. If the religious cross is still on the individual at the time of the competition, it is required to be taped to the body.
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photo story may 2011
Ecology Extends from the Classroom into the Environment
Classic teaching methods with textbooks, charts and lectures are certainly useful; however, black and white, 2D pictures of fish and plants made on the GHS copy machine aren’t a perfect learning tool. Therefore, college biology traditionally ventures to Schramm park each year to gain an in-depth view of aquatic animals like fish and turtles and plants like trees and native grasses. Prepping for the Day
Stowing his lunch, Kory Hurtz ‘11 completes the first task of the day. Lunch, as well as the rest of the field trip, had to be cut short this year so the bus could pick up students on time.
A Test of Knowledge Working together, Kelsy O’Neill ‘11, Ian Grigsby ‘11 and Robert Schram-Martin ‘11 show the sixth period biology class each fish so they can practice naming them. For the first time, the field trip was held in the spring because of the transition to two semester-long sessions of biology.
A Special Find Making sure everyone could see, science teacher Mr.
George Behney described the wild celery he discovered. While on the nature hike, students were responsible for naming the types of trees practiced in class and for a lab that demonstrates how the temperature of an area 1000s of years ago can be determined by studying fossils.
A Prized Catch Happy with her
fish, Kelsy O’Neill ‘11 displays her carp. Fish were caught by seining with a net the length of the pond.
Reaching for Safety Abandoning seining, Kiley
Grandstaff ‘11 maneuvers over to Becca Gunderson ‘11 to avoid slipping after her chest waders malfunctioned. “I was terrified that I would fall face first into the water!” Grandstaff said. photos by Lauren Sawyer