The Voice Gretna High School • 11335 South 204th Street • Gretna, NE 68028 Volume VII • Issue II • November 2008
Photo By Matthew Horan
GHS students give blood Page 12
Football season wraps up Page 14
Remembering our veterans Pages 7-9
news 2 school November 2008
Flour Power:
Students learn responsibility from a sack of flour By Lindsey Detten Staff Writer What’s the size of a large newborn, dressed up cute, and with the ability to be baked into a cake when you’re done with it? A flour baby of course! These ten pound sacks were roaming the halls of Gretna High School last month, causing groans and sighs and even the occasional “Can I hold it?” to be heard throughout the building. For psychology class, the juniors and seniors were on a mission: to successfully take care of a flour sack baby for an entire week. The students were discussing child development, and Mrs. Craig, the psychology teacher, decided that a great way for them to understand parenting was to experience it hands-on . . . with a bag of flour. “It’s neat to watch kids open up on their ideas of parenting, and it helps them understand their parents’ point of view,” Craig said. Abandoning a baby is never a good idea, especially when it’s a sack of flour sitting in the kitchen by the cookie recipes. The baby had to be with the students at all times during the day without causing distractions. The students were allowed to use a babysitter, but they were required to
keep a babysitting log each time they did. Each little flour baby was also required to have some type of disease, such as hydrocephalous, hyperglycemia, down syndrome, etc. in order to teach students about having a child with an illness. Junior Liz Grigsby has advice for future psychology students. “Be sure to choose a disease you actually know, because it makes writing the one page report about it easier,” Grigsby said. Speaking of making things easier, a lot of students came up with creative ways to meet the challenges they faced with their babies. Babies were carried in boxes, covered in tape to prevent holes, and dressed in diapers to stop flour leaks, just to name a few. Still, some babies were just plain unlucky . . . and their parent was unlucky right along with them. Junior Ashley Miles and her baby “Naomi” hit a tough spot when Naomi was stolen from the band room during marching band practice. Then, as chance would have it, a few hours after the baby was found unharmed, Ashley got shoved from behind. The baby flew through the air and burst open when it hit the floor. Flour exploded everywhere. Sadly, Miles said the janitor swept it up before she could have a funeral for it.
Students had mixed emotions on this unique project. “It’s a waste of time,” senior Dillon Andrews said. “I forgot my baby everywhere.” “I think it’s good for teens to understand what it takes to be in charge of a baby, but it’s really annoying to carry it around,” junior Chelsea Dart said. Instant failure? If the baby “died,” students were required to write a report and redo the project the following week. Miles was one of those unfortunate few. “As long as you take responsibility, follow the rules, and show that you care about your ‘baby,’ it’s an easy grade,” Craig said. The best part of having a sack of flour at the end of the project? Baking it.
thinks that there are a lot of differences between the classes. “I would say the main difference between the two classes is the material and the pace we move at,” said Ms. Suhr. Mr. Burgett who also teaches both a sophomore CP science class and a regular sophomore science class, outlines the difference between CP and regular classes. “The main difference is the details that we go into we go into more depth with the CP, but the classes have the same concepts,” said Mr. Burgett. These college prep classes are designed to prepare the students for what it will be like in college where
they will have to be more independent on their work. “At least that’s the hope, but I think that it does prepare students for college with being more independent and more outside work to be done on your own,” said Mr. Burgett. The college prep class does expect students to be more independent with their work and they may have more homework outside of class to do. Sophomore Taylor Gruttemeyer took a CP science class her freshman year and a regular science class her sophomore year. “The CP moves a lot faster and the tests are longer and harder,” Gruttemeyer said.
Senior Kayla Schmidt is showing off her powder baby.
College prep versus regular By Lexi Busch Photographer Whether you’re just entering high school for the first time or you’re going into your last year here, the classes you choose are always important. It can be a tough decision not knowing if you should take the regular classes or the college prep classes. You don’t quite know if you’re capable of the college prep classes or if it would be too easy to for you in the regular classes. Ms. Suhr, who teaches both a sophomore college prep English class and a regular sophomore English class,
Students had to: • Email Mrs. Craig at 2 A.M. one • • •
night because the baby was supposedly “awake.” Pay babysitter fees of some sort (loose change, bribes, and high fives did nicely). Keep baby with them at all times unless with a babysitter. The flour baby has to be in good condition by end of project.
Photos by Lindsey Detten
Senior Jennifer Gotrick took care of her flour baby for Mrs. Craig’s psychology class. Even though the CP class can be more difficult, both teachers and students agreed that it is worth some of the extra work that comes along with taking the cp classes. “ Yeah I thought it was worth taking the CP class because it taught me more than the regular did,” Gruttemeyer said. “ Yes I think the CP class is worth taking and I think it really does prepare you for college classes,” said Mrs. Suhr. “I think it is definitely worth taking the CP class if the students have any intentions of going to college,” said Mr. Burgett.
Off limits:
school news 3 November 2008
New restrictive gates go up to protect everyone
FINES
By Lauren Sawyer Staff Writer
Trespassing: $50 plus a $44 court fee
Vandalism: up to $500 or 6 Where were you last Friday night, from approximately 8pm to midnight? What about Saturday night? If you were hanging out in the parking lot behind Gretna High School, you’re wanted. GHS administrators, along with Deputy Lance Schickert, have implemented a new rule saying that no student shall be allowed in the back parking lot from 10:30 pm to 5:30 am. Even though this rule exists, it won’t work on its own. Honestly, what teenager lives by the motto: “rules exist to be followed?” Virtually none. Because of that, gates have been added to block people from getting access to the lot. “One thing that happens, is that large numbers of kids have been congregating in the back parking lot, because it’s somewhat isolated,” activities director Mr. Mueller said. “They’re leaving trash, and doing things that they shouldn’t.” The gates seem to be essential in school safety, but GHS students don’t necessarily think so. “I think they’re unnecessary, because if we had supervision of the parking lot at night, we wouldn’t have this problem,” junior Amy Nowaczyk said. According to Mr. Mueller, that is precisely one of the reasons that the gates have been added; because the back parking lot wasn’t being patrolled often enough to keep the situation under control. Students, of course, could just drive around the gates, but the administrators have taken measures to stop that before it starts. Therefore there are cameras watching for the cars that will drive around, and cars in the back will be recorded. Then they will be watched for return visits, with the hopes of identifying drivers. Now that the gates are being regularly locked, they should start weeding out cars that don’t need to be there, which helps in identifying trouble makers.
months in jail, damages over $1,500 equal a felony Disturbing the Peace: up to the judge Littering: $50 with a $44 court fee Damaging the gates: damages over $1,500 equal a felony WITH alcohol Minor in possession: up to a judge
Public consumption alcohol: up to a judge
of
Alcohol on school property: up to a judge and school officials
Photo by Faith Cotton
Photo by Lexi Busch
Entering the high school parking lot, students will see this sign by the gates telling the students when they will be locked. The students are not allowed behind gates from 10:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
“We have to keep some of that activity out of there, such as students who weren’t treating the property with respect,” principal Mr. Eledge said. For the students who still believe they can get away with sneaking back there after hours, there will be consequences for doing so. According to Deputy Lance Schickert, students will be fined for trespassing, which will cost $50 plus a $44 court fee and vandalism, for tearing up the grass as they drive around the barricades, which can cost up to $500 or earn the offender up to 6 months in jail because it’s considered criminal mischief. There’s also an assortment of other things they can be charged with such as disturbing the peace and the fine is up to a judge, littering which comes with a fine of $50 and a $44 court fee.
Now if the students sneak back there and are caught drinking alcohol, they will be charged with being a minor in possession of alcohol, public consumption of alcohol, and for having alcohol on school property. The consequences will be left up to a judge for each of those three violations. The last result is probably the worst. If the law-breaking students damage the gates, it could very easily result in a charge for a felony. Superintendent Dr. Riley said that each gate cost about $2,500. So if the damage done requires that they be replaced it will be a felony charge because it only takes damages over $1,500 to count as a felony. “I think that it’s dumb that they lock the gates, because a lot of people leave their cars back there,” senior Ryan Reuter said.
As students pull into the parking lot these gates are at both entrances of the high school.
It is an inconvenience, but students are not even supposed to leave their cars back there now. Now that the entire student body is notified of the new restrictions, no one should be parking back there and then leaving his or her car in the lot, Mr. Mueller said. However, teachers and coaches should soon have keys to get through the gates. Right now, teachers are the only ones who seem like they’re trying to be optimistic about the situation. “It’s something that can be worked around, if it’s what’s best for the school,” biology teacher Mrs. Childs said. And then there are people, such as history teacher Mr. Swanson, who think it’s a good idea. “I do what the administrators tell me to, because they are wonderful people. They wouldn’t do anything that wouldn’t be helpful.”
4 editorial November 2008
Safe Haven law has flaws By Faith Cotton Photographer
By Rachel Leaply
u o y
e e r ag
e Do with th
NO
w
a l n e v a Safe H
in Nebraska?
YES 75% 25%
Poll based off of 100 random students answers.
A 12 year old boy from Atlanta, Georgia was dropped off by his mother at a Lincoln Hospital. On January 8th, 2007 the state of Nebraska adopted the Safe Haven Law. This law allows parents to drop off their children at any Nebraska Hospital or police station without penalty by law. There isn’t an age limit on this law. People are dropping off their kids from newborns to 17 years of age. People from all over the country have been dropping off their children at hospitals all over Nebraska because they cannot take care of them anymore. 22 children from 14 Nebraska families have been left by parents or gaurdians wishing to use the Safe Haven Law. But in some cases, people have been dropping off their “troubled adolescents because they arent getting the help they need,” according to a recent Omaha WorldHerald article. One man who was overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for his children brought 9 of his children to an Omaha hospital. The man’s wife had died two years ago and he had recently lost his job. This wasn’t the best solution. The man could have looked into different options before resorting to the Safe
Haven law. The problem with this is that kids over the age of 5 are becoming traumatized by their parents actions. I think kids will get the idea that their parents don’t want or love them anymore. This can lead to problems in their futures. Some children can get the idea that it is okay for them to be violent because they didn’t have someone there to guide them while they grew up. Nebraska should not allow people to drop off their children of all ages. The Nebraska Legislature is working to have the law changed from dropping newborns to 3 day olds only. But what about all of the other children that have been left before this law is passed? It shouldn’t matter if these kids are too hard to handle or have a mental illness. Parents and guardians should look into different alternatives before the Safe Haven law. Other alternatives that people could look into would be talking to other family members about taking care of their children. If their children are troubled they could look into special schools such as Boys Town. One more option could be the parents themselves looking for help. In order for this law to change a special session in the legislature needs to be called since the legislature is presently adjourned. I think this should be done, and, as soon as possible. Children shouldn’t be left traumatized because their parents cannot handle them anymore.
The Voice News Staff 2008 Cornhusker Award Winner
Editor-in-Chief........................Liz Stratman Photographer...........................Lexi Busch Photographer...........................Faith Cotton Sports Editor...........................Anthony Jourdan Entertainment Editor.............Natalie Doering Staff Writers: Danielle Spurgeon Lauren Sawyer Taylor Bradish Advisor......................................Jamie Hestermann
Contributors: Morgan Agagah Abby Allgood Hannah Applegate Kelsey Braesch Ashley Brugmann Kelsey Charrlin Ethan Dawes Lindsey Detten Lynn Fibich Jennifer Goforth Kennedy Healy
Kendall Hendrix Matt Horan Brittany Jeary McKenna Kerr Alexa Long Jordan Meadows Courtney Murcek Tori Paulsen Payton Samuelson Becca Schollaert Arielle Sichta
Eric Smith Zenaida Smith Jessica Tejral Kelsie Troudt Mandi Wagner Hollie Walker Katie Whitted Ashley Zajac
The Voice is a monthly publication sponsored by Gretna High School, 11335 South 204th Street, Gretna, NE 68028. The office of The Voice is located in sponsor Jamie Hestermann’s room, room 400. The phone number is (402)332-3936. Reader response is welcome in the form of suggestions and ideas. They can be dropped off in room 400 at any time. Editorials are solely the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Voice staff or Gretna High School.
editorial
November 2008
Nebraska’s win over Kansas foreshadows a stronger Husker future By Liz Stratman Editor-in-chief
With another sellout at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 8, the Huskers pulled a 45-35 victory over the Jayhawks. On this cold and windy day, Nebraska gained their 6th win of the season, making them bowl eligible. The Nebraska-Kansas game proved not only to be exciting, but also crucial to Nebraska’s future in football. This was the final chance for Nebraska to beat a team they weren’t necessarily “supposed to beat.” Excellent performances from sophomore runningback Roy Helu Jr. and junior defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh helped Nebraska score 21 fourth-quarter points. Helu rushed for 78 yards, scored one touchdown, and finished the game with 115 yards rushing and eight catches. With less than six minutes remaining, Suh made a touchdown in the fourth quarter when he lined up at fullback and caught a pass for a two-yard touchdown, putting Nebraska up by 10. From the outcome of this game, Kansas fell into a second-place tie with Nebraska in the Big 12 North Division standings. Nebraska preserved their 20th straight home win over Kansas, a 40year home winning streak dating back to 1968. Huskers are now guaranteed to a winning home record for the 40th consecutive season. Improving to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the conference, Nebraska secured bowl eligibility for the 38th time in the past 40 years. So what awaits Nebraska football in the years to come? I believe that because head coach Bo Pelini has already helped the Huskers so much in his first year with Nebraska, it seems as if we could be headed to a championship in the
next three years. He has motivated the players so they stay strong and never give up or let their performance slip. One of the first things Pelini did upon accepting the job at Nebraska was to try to reconnect with in-state high school coaches and make it clear that walk-ons would be a big part of Husker football again. After the win against Kansas, Pelini talked highly of quarterback Joe Ganz who was injured in the 2nd quarter but remained in the game. “Joe’s a man, a leader,” Pelini said in a press conference after the Nebraska-Kansas game. “I can’t say enough about Joe Ganz. That’s just who he is. You’d have to scrape him off the field to get him out of there. He’s been doing it week after week. He’s made so many plays for us. The guy’s a big-time player.” Pelini is proud of the team’s players but says they still have more work to do. “It’s not about me,” Pelini said. “It’s about the kids on this football team and we needed this. They’ve been working so hard. They were heartbroken after what happened last weekend. I just wanted it for them. We’re not done yet. We have a lot of work to do this year. We all know that. I’m just happy for the kids on that team.” I think from the attitude of Nebraska’s coach, it speaks highly about the amount of potential and quality of performance in Husker players. Pelini showed he does care about the players of the team and the success of Nebraska football in the long run by his behavior during the Nebraska-Kansas game. Not only did he commend his team’s good work, but he didn’t completely “lose his cool” in comparison to previous games; he stayed rather calm and collected. My hopes are high in thinking Nebraska football can once again be restored to the glory days. With the win over Kansas, Nebraska secured bowl eligibility and seems to be headed in the right direction under Pelini.
5
Turn off the tunes and tune into what really matters By Natalie Doering Entertainment Editor
My life is a never ending movie. I have my problems, good parts and hopefully some day a happy ending. But I also have one crucial thing that every movie has. A soundtrack. Here comes the Sun, by the Beatles. Standing outside the Fire. I Walk the Line. Everywhere I go there’s a song playing in my head, describing my life. But what happens when that music is gone? I went without music for a few days, seeing how the world looked without my comfort of music to fall back on to. My journey was full of trials and trying moments, but somehow I made it. My first day without my I-pod went mediocre. I laced up my tennis shoes and got ready for gym knowing that my music wouldn’t be joining me on my trek of a 12 minute jog. And somehow, that was okay with me. For a short time. As I made my way to the gym, I became a little nervous. How was I going to do the jog without my music? I took a deep sigh and headed in to the gym. As my nervous thoughts entered my brain, the clock started. Suddenly, my friends came up, all talking at once, and by the time they had all shared their stories and laughs, the clock had buzzed and I couldn’t believe it. I realized I didn’t need my Ipod during gym, the comfort of friends worked just fine. The third day realization set in. I was sitting in Geometry, waiting for the time when she would say to pull out our book and if we wished, our music. I most certainly always obliged, because who turns down a chance to listen to an
I-pod during school? But it was during this time, as I reached in my pocket of my bag, that I soon remembered where my I-pod was and who wasn’t going to be listening to it. As I looked longingly around the room I noticed a few other kids didn’t have theirs either. If they could do it why couldn’t I? I settled down into my assignment and came to the conclusion that I finished sooner than I normally do. I didn’t have to keep re-reading the problem over and over again, because I was whispering some lyrics to myself. I realized I didn’t need my I-pod during Geometry. Good ‘ole concentration worked much better. My last and final day was tougher than most. I shocked myself when I couldn’t remember the lyrics to “Disturbia” the morning of. I thoroughly missed my I-pod then. I usually pop in an earbud when I’m getting ready, but obviously this AM I did not. I solemnly trudged downstairs, running into my brother on the way down, and actually said good morning to him. And when the time came to leave for school, instead of turning up the tunes, I talked to my dad. I realized I didn’t need my I-pod during the morning, my family was way better. As my experiment came to a close, I soon made the inference that I didn’t need my I-pod. I had been telling myself a lie. All I needed was some good friends, a little concentration, my wonderful family, and I would get along just fine. So the next time you find that you became addicted to something, I challenge you to take a break from it for a few days. You’ll be surprised at what good things come out of it.
6 features November 2008
When babysitting
goes bad By Lauren Sawyer Staff Writer
Usually babysitting is a remarkably easy way to earn a little extra cash. You get an all access pass to the snack pantry, and the children generally behave, making the night infinitely better. There aren’t any deductions in your paycheck because of federal taxes, and you have nobody telling you how to act because you’re the one doing the telling. But then there are other times when it’s a living nightmare. Sometimes the children just aren’t used to being told what to do.
“Babysitting is fun, but she was hard to control,” said senior Jordan Drake about one girl she watches. The children don’t learn to behave quickly, either. Also, if there is more than one child, WATCH OUT. They act as miniature cults together, forming vicious plots and concocting evil plans to run you out of their house. (Well, as vicious and evil as little children can be.) “The kids kept shooting Nerf bullets at me, and threw a full cup of water at me, just because I asked them to brush their teeth. Then they kept telling me that they hated me,” sophomore Cindy Sedlacek recalls. Sedlacek had to deal with the children for an extra three hours because their parents were late coming home. They didn’t pay her well, either. “Let’s just say, I never babysat for them again.” The children don’t necessarily have to be “bad” for jobs to go haywire. Jobs can also take a turn for the worse when the kids are klutzes. “She was just sitting on her couch then she slid off and hit her head on the edge of the table, and it started to bleed,” senior Jordan Drake said. Drake did the responsible thing, and took the girl to her mom and got the cut cleaned up. The little girl ended up being perfectly fine. Other times babysitting is insanely stressful when dealing with many children at once, in a strange, unfamiliar house. The result: the babysitter’s attention is divided into too many directions, and bad things happen. “I was making them lunch, and I put the fries on the top rack of the oven. Then pretty soon I smelled smoke, and the smoke detectors went off. The kids started screaming,” senior Maddy Muholland said. “Flames were shooting out of the oven, but after I opened it, they went out.”
When the mother of the children got home, she thought it was funny, and started laughing. In the end, the fire department never had to come, and Muholland did continue to babysit for them. Looking back on the whole thing, Muholland said, “It was fun, until then.”
“The kids started screaming. Flames were shooting out of the oven...” -Maddy Muholland How to make the kids happy •Bring something new with you for the children to do, such as a puzzle or movie. (Avoid movies with bad words and scary scenes.) •Go on a “field trip”. Go for a walk around the block, which gets some energy out of the kiddos too. Or go to the local library, the kids will have tons of fun, and their parents will be excited they’re practicing reading. •Make bed time fun too. Bring a new book to read to them, and make sure the children know the only time they can see it, is after they’ve crawled into bed. It makes it easier on you when the kids are happy to go to sleep, too.
What’s
Revolting? By Faith Cotton Photographer
“Ew!”
“Gross!”
“Nasty!”
“Sick!”
“That’s just disgusting!”
Words and phrases commonly used when people are, well, grossed out. Sometimes people can’t control themselves when they are disturbed. It isn’t all that are rare to see someone freak out over a spider. Or make a scene when something doesn’t smell very good. “I think mayonnaise and yogurt are disgusting because of the texture,” said Psychology teacher Mrs. Craig. “Feet are just disgusting!” said senior Lauren Baker. “Seaweed touching me when I swim in the ocean is really gross,” said PE teacher Ms. Flynn. Those are probably common things that gross people out. But sometimes dislikes can be really out there. “It’s really gross when kids eat food off the floor,” said Graphic Design teacher Mr. Moore. “Throwing up is really gross. It would be cool if we could never have to worry about throwing up,” said sophomore Kelsey Braesch. Those are some things that gross people out, that aren’t known widely. “People picking their noses in public is kind of gross,” said junior Brett Gross.
in-depth 7 November 2008 “I don’t know the words to describe it. It’s bad. It’s not glamorous like in the movies. It’s dirty, it’s mean, it’s ugly, it’s brutal.”
WAR RIES O T S
-Mr. Brandon, war veteran
Pictured from left: Mr. Ham, Mr. Oliver, Deputy Lance Schickert.
GHS veterans share their experiences By Kennedy Healy Staff Writer Hundreds of people filled the Lancaster event center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, friends and neighbors lined the building, holding American flags. It was September 8, 2006 and he was finally coming home from Al Assad Air Base in Northern Iraq. This was the first time his family would have him in 14 months. The units pulled up to the welcome home ceremony in buses. “The sight of him was right up there with seeing our daughters for the first time… it was very overwhelming,”
said Mrs. Oliver, the art teacher. This feeling has been felt across America numerous times as loved ones return home from war. In fact, there are three war veterans working at Gretna High School. Mr. Brandon and Deputy Lance Schickert both were in the First Gulf War, also known as Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Mr. Ham served in the current Iraq war. Mrs. Oliver’s husband, a teacher at the middle school, also served in the current Iraq war. Leaving was hard not only on the soldiers, but on their families. Mrs. Oliver was devastated when she heard her husband would be leaving for Iraq. “At first I was in shock. Then I got angry. I wasn’t angry for long,” said Mrs. Oliver. “Next came acceptance,
let’s get through this.”
Training and Tents
It all started with training. Mr. Brandon, a member of the Air Force, trained for a year and a half all around the country, learning about camp systems and chemical weapons. Deputy Lance, also in the Air Force, trained around the U.S. learning to parachute, use weapons and explosives, and even scuba dive. Mr. Ham, who was in the Army, trained for one month in Kansas and then for two weeks in Kuwait. The soldiers slept in tents with no running water. Mr. Brandon’s unit finally moved into barracks later in the war. Mr. Ham described his living conditions with only three words: “very, very hot.”
“We called it tent city,” said Deputy Lance. “There was no air conditioning and it was very rough living conditions, we slept on the floor … the lucky guy got the cot.” Free time didn’t come around much in the war, but when it did, Mr. Ham chose to exercise. “Whenever I had free time I would go get some exercise. It really helped to lower stress, which I had a lot of,” he said. Soldiers would also pass time by listening to music, writing letters, playing sports, and reading books. Mr. Ham and Mr. Brandon remain in touch with some of the friends they made during the war through email. All three said they were very
See Veterans on page 8
in-depth 9 November 2008
8 in-depth November 2008
Deported into the deep blue sea By Liz Stratman Editor-in-Chief Days pass without sunrise or sunset. The only view of the sky is through a periscope. There are no windows to peer through the cloudy sea water. Passengers are onboard for a relatively smooth ride, unless the waves turn violent. Before entering his teaching career, math and science teacher Mr. Johnson, was deployed on three different submarines. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Greenling from 1988-1991, the U.S.S. Helena from 1994-1997, and the U.S.S. Memphis from 1999-2001. The deployments for each weren’t as long as
Military Service at a Glance Veterans
the years he was assigned to the subs. The U.S.S. Greenling was home ported out of Connecticut. Deployments went to the Mediterranean Sea, around South America, and the North Atlantic. Mr. Johnson was a reactor controls assistant, communications officer, main propulsion assistant, and weapons Officer. Working as both the engineer and weapons officer, Mr. Johnson spent some time on the U.S.S. Helena. Deployments were to the West Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. The homeport was out of Hawaii at Pearl Harbor. “The deployments were the most work,” Mr. Johnson said. “You prepared for these for months. In hindsight, they were the most fun.”
Mr. Brandon- Air Force War: First Gulf War Mission: To help Kuwait which was being invaded by Iraq Stationed: Riyadha and Dhahran (Saudi Arabian cities) Year: 1990-91 Age: 19-20
Mr. Johnson says in the six months out at sea, submariners can try to plan and prepare, but usually something breaks unexpectedly and they don’t have the right tools to fix it. So they must figure out how to make the equipment. “Deployments were generally once you’d leave homeport, you’d be out for six months, mostly at sea,” Mr. Johnson said. On the U.S.S. Memphis, Mr. Johnson says he was the executive officer (XO). “Like a mom and dad, when anything would go wrong, it’d be my fault,” Mr. Johnson said. “I’d try to second guess all the things that could go wrong.” Being the XO, Mr. Johnson was second in command to his “excellent
Deputy Lance SchickertAir Force War: First Gulf War Mission: To help Kuwait which was being invaded by Iraq Stationed: Jedda, Saudi Arabia Year: 1990-91 Age: 21-22
Mr. Johnson stands beside the U.S.S. Memphis in this photo from a November 2000 issue of a German newspaper.
captain.” The deployments on the U.S.S. Memphis went to the North Atlantic. His stay on the Helena and the first half of the time on the Memphis proved to be the best times.
Mr. Ham- Army War: Current Iraq war Mission: “Operation Iraqi Freedom” Stationed: Camp Taji (10 miles north of Baghdad) Year: 2004-05 Age: 27-28
(Continued from page 7)
close with the other soldiers in their units. “Those guys become like family,” Mr. Ham said. “We were always together.” While the men developed a family at war, they were missing their family back home and communication wasn’t the best. Mr. Brandon and Deputy Lance both wrote letters home because at the time there was no e-mail. “There was no e-mail or Internet. We were lucky to get to call home maybe once a month,” said Mr. Brandon. The mail was very slow and it could take two weeks to send a letter. Deputy Lance said that the Saudi Arabian government checked everything that came through. Mr. Ham would wait in line for three hours to have twenty minutes of time on the phone with his wife and daughter. He left when she was only 10 days old and missed her first year. Mrs. Oliver raised her two children alone for 14 months but stayed strong through it all. Her daughters Mackenzie and Kassidy were very young. Mackenzie was 9 when Mr. Oliver left,
and Kassidy was only 3. “Nights and holidays were really tough for them,” said Mrs. Oliver. Being the only parent there to discipline was tough for Mrs. Oliver also. Sometimes during arguments the tears would come and her girls would say things like, “I wish dad was here.” “I look back now and I think how did our girls and I get through it?” said Mrs. Oliver. “When it was going on, our philosophy was to take it day by day.” But the soldiers stayed tough through the separation. They not only missed their families, but they missed their every day American life and culture as well.
Culture Clash
All people involved with the military experience different cultures. Deputy Lance experienced many different customs, including women being forced to dress in long clothing that covered them from head to toe. He also witnessed people praying multiple times a day and even some beheadings. Mr. Brandon worked mostly with Muslims and the British. “It was interesting to interact
with the cultures of Islam and England,” said Mr. Brandon. Mr. Ham remembers and describes the Iraqis as being very stubborn and set in their ways. “They do not like to compromise. They like to argue,” Mr. Ham said. It may have been frustrating to interact with the different cultures but there were tasks far worse that they had to overcome, such as not having an every day routine. Mr. Ham’s missions were changed at the “spur of the moment” and he would eat and sleep whenever he had the chance. The hardest part for him was when other soldiers were wounded. “We ran missions around the clock,” said Mr. Ham. Mr. Brandon’s schedules varied as well. He was part of the crew that rode in the Air Force planes. After 12 hours of flight he would finally get to take a mandatory 24 hour break from flying. When things were really busy they didn’t always get that break. His hardest task was finding scud missiles, which the Iraqi military fired into Saudi Arabia. They were
conventional explosives that were hidden throughout Iraq. Finding them was very important, he said. Deputy Lance’s every day routine varied also. Filling sand bags, checking weapons, keeping security of his base and flying out for weapons as needed were a few of his every day tasks. “I was always scared and always on the lookout,” he said. The veterans were of course awarded for their duties. Deputy Lance received the Bronze Star and the Campaign Ribbon. Mr. Brandon received a National Defense Medal and a South West Asia Service Medal. When Mr. Ham was aked what awards he received he had a tough time remembering. “I wasn’t ever big on awards, that’s not why we were there,” he said. No matter what awards a soldier receives war is war. “War is very…. I don’t know the words to describe it. It’s bad. It’s not glamorous like in the movies it’s dirty, it’s mean, it’s ugly, it’s brutal.” Mr. Brandon said as he looked at his desk as if he is somewhere far away remembering the horrible things he went through, “I wouldn’t want to do it again.”
Marine in the Making: GHS grad goes to boot camp By Natalie Doering Entertainment Editor
The recruit takes off his mask gasping for air but the gas still invades his lungs. He prays that when the 30 seconds are up there will be some oxygen left for him to breathe. Suddenly there’s a quick movement next to him as one of his fellow comrades makes a run for the door but is thrown against the wall when a drill instructor catches sight of his plan to escape. The recruit is Private E1 Jahn Kuiper, member of the United States Marine Corps. The place is San Diego, California. The purpose? Boot camp. Private Kuiper is a 2008 graduate of Gretna High School and last year decided to join the Marines. He recently finished 3 months of boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Kuiper said that one of the first times he felt like he was going to die was when he did the exercise of taking off his mask and breathing in a gas. “It was like suffocating, on fire, no oxygen, everything burns and your mind spazzes,” he said. Marine life is tough. Boot camp on average lasts about three months, if recruits behave themselves or don’t get hurt. Kuiper heard about one recruit who broke his leg repeatedly and had to stay for nine months. He also knew a few recruits who had to repeat training again because of disciplinary actions taken against them. “It’s always tough. We constantly have a drill instructor at all times, making sure we’re moving,” Kuiper said. And move they do. The Marines participate in Incentive Training, or IT, one of the many other drills that keep them busy. This type of training is one of the tools Drill Instructors use to instill discipline and motivation. “It’s physically and mentally draining.” Kuiper said. Kuiper goes on to further explain how difficult ITs truly are. “You’re constantly changing positions,” he said. “Before you do IT’s you have to empty your pockets. Then, after you’re done, you go to put on your gear. But they tell you that you haven’t done it fast enough, and make you put on the gear again and do ITs again.” The whole process is repeated time and time again. In addition, they have physical training that they do. This includes running, crunches, and pullups one day, and on the opposite day, they may have obstacle and bayonet courses, and most interestingly enough, an activity they call Pugil Sticks, which is a form of bayonet training. “We basically beat each other up with sticks,” Kuiper explains. The second time Private Kuiper said he felt like
he actually was going to die was when he was when he went on a two mile hike with 115 pounds of equipment on him. He was carrying sleeping gear, a sleeping mat, a shovel, MRE’s, which are ready to eat meals, and a flat jacket. He normally wears the flat jacket, which stops bullets. This was one of many hikes, each increasing in distance. First was the 3 mile, than the 5, 8, and finally the Reaper Hike. It was slight incline for 4 miles, an intense incline for .5 of a mile, and 5 miles downhill. “It was the most physically draining hike of my life, and it climaxed my emotions I had built up during boot camp,” he said. Each platoon competed in events that would eventually give the winning platoon the title of honor platoon. To be the winning platoon they had to have the least amount of failures. “It’s not about who’s the strongest, but who’s the weakest,” he said. They participated in an initial drill, then came the physical fitness test, which was a three mile run. Finally, each platoon was tested on how many crunches and sit-up pulls could be done in two minutes, rifle range and a final drill. Jahns’ platoon came in close second. But one must not think all this hard work of physical training came without any fun. Private Kuiper said that they pulled quite a few pranks on each other. They did the usual tie the boots together, and would put foot powder in people’s pillows. Sometimes they would put camo paint on sweatbands and watch people walk around with black lines
on their heads, unbeknownst to the victims. Another time that made Private Kuiper laugh was when the drill instructors made them put on a fashion show with all their “civilian clothes” that they had turned in at the beginning of boot camp. He says it was funny because some guys had lost so much weight and their clothes didn’t fit them at all. Another fond memory of Kuipers’ is meeting new people, and making new friends. “I made friends with a lot of guys but I especially made friends with a guy from Minden, Nebraska,” Kuiper said. “We were the only guys in our platoon from Nebraska.” Even though they were constantly moving, he says that Sundays the recruits were off until 12 ‘o’ clock to write letters and other important things. But in the end, Private Jahn Kuiper says that he’s proud to be a Marine. “After going through all that hard work and feeling like you were so close to death at times, it was extremely rewarding to know you have been through the world’s toughest training and to be one of the elite soldiers, Kuiper said. “I’m proud to know that I’m part of the same mold that created heroes that died in WWII, Korean War, Vietnam war, Gulf war, Iraq and Afghanistan.”
“It’s not about who’s the strongest; it’s about who’s the weakest.”
-Jahn Kuiper, 2008 GHS grad
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10 entertainment November 2008
Do you By Natalie Doering Entertainment Editor
The shot opens up with a baby sitting in a high chair, hair messy, face covered in some sort of goop we assume is baby food. A word is said by the dad in a language we can’t understand, and the baby dissolves into giggles. This act continues for the next two minutes, and each time the child continues to produce that same ringing laugh. This seems like something that would happen in a home video, but probably not something you would find on, let’s say, YouTube, for the whole world to see. Correct? Wrong. The video described above, titled “hahaha” is one of the most popular videos on YouTube, and at the time of this article, has been watched by viewers over 64 million times. That’s hard to fathom considering there are only 1,774,541 people living in Nebraska. But, wildly enough, this isn’t one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. The most viewed video to date is, The Evolution of Dance, with over 102 million views. When students were asked how many hits they thought the most popular video had received, most were off by a long shot. “I think 8 million,” senior Jordan Drake said. Junior Brett Gross was a little closer…if you could say that.
“20 bazillion,” he said. However, no matter how many hits a video has recieved, students all have their favorites. Drake’s favorite video, about a cat running into a wall has only recieved 84 thousand hits, while Gross’s favorite, “Harry Potter Puppet Pals” has received over 53 million hits. “[I like] ‘Harry Potter Puppet Pals’ because Nevil is a squash.” Gross says. Not in Drake’s book. “It was annoying,” she said, referring to the Puppet Pals video. But can anyone become a “YouTube star”? These days it seems so. All you need is a video camera and something funny. For instance, teenager Lucas Cruikshank of Columbus, Nebraska is getting paid (by YouTube) to make his widely popular video series “Fred” because it became so popular. It’s said that last year he pulled in $14,000 from merchandise etc. , according to imbd.com. Chris Crocker became popular by submitting a video titled “Britney’s biggest fan” and went on to rant and rave how people should, “Just leave Britney [Spears] alone!” Crocker now has landed a development deal to make his own TV show. “I haven’t posted any videos, because they’re
not worthy of being on YouTube.” Gross said. Unfortunately, some people just don’t have the same views as Gross does. There is one video up where a women counts to ten. No more, no less. But like their (YouTube) slogan says, “Broadcast yourself.” Both Drake and Gross say they go to YouTube.com once every few months. But no matter how many times you get on YouTube you can always find something to make you laugh, smack your head or learn something new.
Top 5 Songs
Tanner Smith comments on his YouTube video, titled “Wrestling Broken Foot” In which he walks off a broken foot after finishing a wrestling match. Do you know how many hits it has recieved? 1,300 Why did you make this video? Out of Boredom Do you plan on making any more videos? Yeah. If I do anything sweet in the future.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Jessica Remaly, Sophomore Black and Gold by Sam Sparro Just Dance by Lady Gaga Slide- Goo Goo Dolls Dance Inside- All American Rejects Love Me Tender- Elvis Presley
Should the age of R-rated movies be lowered? Students share thoughts By Liz Stratman Editor-in-chief The tall, dark-haired man grabs the bag of money and sprints out of the bank. He seems to have escaped the security guards keeping watch over the building. But, he’s not so quick to think he’s made it out with the prize. Four cop cars race after the robber when he grabs an innocent pedestrian off the street and holds a knife to her throat. A message runs across the screen saying the film is Rated R. Is 17 an appropriate age to be allowed to see rated R movies? While some students may argue that the age should be lowered, others believe 17 is a good age. “Half the fun is sneaking in,” junior Emily Lawry said. Though sophomore Jed Derr says he does occasionally sneak into R rated movies, he would like to see the age lowered. He says he sneaks in about once every two weeks. “It’s just a movie, it’s not a big deal,” Derr said. “I think anybody should be able to see any movie they want.” Sophomore Evan Praseuth says the age should be lowered because it'd create less sneaking in since teens are just going to continue sneaking in regardless of the age set. “Someone buys a ticket a n d opens t h e back
Emily Lawry
doors to let other people in,” Derr said. When asked how she sneaks in, Lawry said it's easy. “You just buy tickets to a different movie at the same time then walk in.” Praseuth and sophomore Lindsay Hanson say they've also bought a different movie ticket and just walked in. But Hanson shares a more risky way to get into a rated R movie. "We took old movie tickets and showed them to the person at the gate and just walked into the rated R movie," Hanson said. She says she wasn't scared at all, and everything went smoothly. Some movies students have snuck into have proven to be stupid, therefore, a waste of time. “In 'The Happening,' plants made people kill each other,” Derr said. Lawry thought "Quarantine" was stupid. She said she bought a ticket for "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" and just walked into "Quarantine". “At first I thought it was super scary and I was all freaked out and jumpy, but now thinking about it, it was pretty dumb and dramatic,” Lawry said. So what makes a rated R movie different from a PG-13 movie? “Rated R movies are more graphic with language," Derr said. Lawry says all scary movies are scary to her, so an R rated scary movie isn't much different. Though after viewing "Saw V," she believes it was rated R for being graphic and really gory.
entertainment 11 November 2008
“I went to the movie, ‘Step Brothers,’ and I didn’t have money, so I went under one of the chains and walked into the movie. When someone walked in and asked for my ticket, I said I threw it away.” -Ty Blackstun, Junior
“We bought a ticket for another movie and just walked into the rated R one.” -Brooke Martin, sophomore
R stands for Restricted which could be for sexual content, nudity, violence drug reference, or language. According to Filmrating. com, this rating system went into effect in 1968. Some R rated movies out now are: - The Changleing -Step-Brothers -Role Models -Saw V -Body of Lies -Pride and Glory -RocknRolla
Pushing yourself to the limits By Taylor Bradish Staff Writer
Renee Zellweger had to gain a bunch of weight for “The Bridget Jones Diary.” Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen all have been accused of going way too far under a healthy weight for movies, and apperances. How far would you go to make money? Junior Nikki Hotovy, said “I would probably do anything for money, including, not eating.” Sophomore Ashley Smith said, “I would do anything for money except something that could jeprodize my life.” But is putting your health in danger really as important as making some spending money? Some actors take it way too far, in their minds, they’re trying to better their careers. Smith said, “Some celebrities are way to crazy!” For example, Heath Ledger. News, rumors, and speculation are starting to emerge from his tragic death. Ledger once said in an interview back in November, that playing the part of the joker left him both mentally and physically drained. Being so stressed took it’s toll on Ledgers abilitiy to sleep through the night, in an interview Ledger once said “Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night this week.” Ledger died from an accidental overdose of intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine. Ledger died on January 22 in his apartment in lower Manhattan.
photo story 12 November 2008 Senior Kristen Goldensten listens to the nurse about some of the side effects that could happen. After the students were done giving blood, stayed on the bus to eat a snack.
Junior Jillan Bilyeu sits and waits right after she gets her blood drawn. Students had to go on a van to get their blood drawn.
Junior R.J. Sexton gets ready to watch the nurse draw his blood. A lot of GHS students gave blood this year to help other people that needed it.
Sophomore Colin Vipond and senior Fabian Runz help at the blood drive. GHS students wait to get their blood drawn.
Photos by Lexi Busch
Give Blood Give Life By Danielle Spurgeon Staff Writer
The nurse ties the rubber tourniquet around the arm of a Gretna High School student, finding the big healthy vein to jab. As the vein starts to rise to the skin, she starts rubbing the orange colored disinfectant on the arm in circular motion, sterilizing the area she is about to poke. Moments before the needle touches the skin, the student thinks, “Is it too late to walk away, do I have to follow through with this?” Each year the Gretna Student Council holds an American Red Cross Blood Drive and students donate their blood. They hold a blood drive to help build up the supply in the local blood banks. In order to donate blood, students have to weigh at least 16 years
old and weigh at least 110 pounds. If students have had any surgeries, or have been out of the country in the last year they have to wait until the next year to give blood. Also, if they have been sick or unhealthy, have bad veins, any recent piercings, or a STD they are not allowed to give blood. “Each time you donate two cups or one pint, which is equivalent to two milk cartons at lunch,” said Mrs. O’Neill, head of the student council blood drive. The blood drive started at 8 in the morning and was supposed to end at 2 in the afternoon. The lines to give blood were longer than anticipated and some students gave blood until about 3 o’clock. Student council members worked all day checking people in, making sure they read the guidelines
carefully, and that they were up to giving blood that day. The main reason students give blood are to help people out that need it more than they do at the time. Senior Justine Ward and junior Kevin Yager both gave blood to the American Red Cross. “I gave blood ‘cause I’m a giving person and I think I have enough of it,” Yager said. Of course getting poked with a needle and giving a pint of blood is going to be kind of scary. First you think, is it going to hurt? How much blood is in a pint? Where is it all going to go? Those are some thoughts that run through your head as the anxiety rises, waiting to be the next one called. “I was just trying to keep in mind that it was going to help someone in need, instead of me being scared
about it,” Ward said. As names are called, students’ faces turned pale as they get closer and closer in line. But according to some, it wasn’t as bad as they thought. “It didn’t hurt that bad, but the thought of blood coming out of my body just freaked me out,” Ward said. It’s not always a perfect process. At times people were poked several times in order to find the proper vein. “They missed my vein and it looked like I had a bouncy ball in my arm from the bruises,” Yager said. Although this was for a good cause, it wasn’t the best way to spend the day. It was an uncomfortable situation. “The worst part was looking down at the pint of my own blood,” Ward said.
fun 13 November 2008
Style File Jordyn Frazier, Senior
What item/trend are you ready to retire? Birkenstocks. What article of clothing do you spend the most on? Jeans.
Car-of-the Month
Most coveted item? My grandma’s earrings. First clothing piece that you really adored? When I was little I had socks with ruffles and beads on them. I just loved them!
Kevin Yager, Junior
What is the model of your car? 1986 Cadillac Fleetwood.
-Taylor Bradish
What’s the most frequent place you drive to besides school? Village Pointe.
Frazier models her Abercrombie & Fitch sweater, Buckle jeans, and Old Navy flip-flops.
What’s in the trunk and on the floor of your car? In the trunk I have a coat, a basketball, ball pump, extra shoes, a jack, and spare tire and the floor. It’s actually pretty clean right now.
Q&A
Brett Friesen, Junior
If you were a car what would you be and why? A GTO because it was the first muscle car.
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What is your favorite cartoon? Popeye.
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When you were little, who was your favorite superhero/villain? Venom. What would your family say you are like first thing in the morning? Quiet and Tired. -Payton Samuelson
What radio station do you listen to the most? 93.3 Chelsea Luedtke, Sophomore What gives you the creeps? When guys wear eyeliner.
Most embarrassing thing to happen to you? I broke my ankle on a slip and slide at Zach Omar’s. If you were a car what would you be and why? A slug bug because they’re small, cute and I have one. Would you rather eat five rotten slices of cheese or lick a dirty toilet? Five rotten pieces of cheese -Taylor Bradish
What is your dream car? Dodge Viper, because it’s amazing. -Lexi Busch, Photographer
Do you know someone who should be featured in the Car of the Month? Drop off your suggestions in Mrs. Hestermann’s room!
14 sports November 2008
Athlete of the Month By Anthony Jourdan Sports Editor
Athlete of the Month for the month of November is senior Trent Miller. Miller led the football team in passing with 856 yards and only has thrown four interceptions out of 110 passing attempts. He has led by tacking on 368 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground. On the defensive side he has stepped up with 51 tackles, 10 assisted and two interceptions. Miller helped his team achieve a 5-5 record and a berth in the playoffs. Miller says he feels honored to get be named Athlete of the Month. “I feel lucky to be named Athlete of the Month,” Miller said. “It could have gone to anyone on the football team.” To find Athlete of the Month ,The Voice asked 50 random students who they thought should be named Athlete of the Month.
l! l a yb
le l o V
Sophomore -Photos by Faith Cotton Emma Huls ey jumps up fo r a block. The Volleyball te am finished the season with a 8-20 reco rd.
ready n gets o t t u S tton Jaclyn ll. Su Senior the volleyba niors on e se to spik of the two e n o . s wa year m this the tea
In the Spotlight: Sophomore Sam Soupir By Anthony Jourdan Sports Editor
“Wing May Cha Cha.” Translation? “Don’t run slow. When sophomore cross country runner Sam Soupir hears it, she takes it to heart. Soupir is one fast runner and she has proved that by never finishing below third place at any one of her regular season meets. She finished in seventh place at the state meet. Coach O’Neill says Soupir is a great runner. “Sam is a dedicated and ferocious competitor who works extremely hard to be able to compete at a top level,” O’Neill said. Mr. O’Neill also said that Soupir helped the team out in a tremendous way this season. “In cross country you score the
Sam’s Season
2nd Place 15:53
Clarinda Meet
Plattsmouth 2nd Place 16:05 Invitational
top four runners by their finishing place, so with Sam finishing first or second at every meet in the regular season helped out tremendously,” O’Neill said. “Sam, also with her work ethic, pushed others to work hard in practice. The average cross country race takes 15 or more minutes to run. With all that strenuous running, Soupir says that things cross her mind like “Is the other girl tired?” Or she’ll think about where she is going to take the other girl, meaning when is she going to speed up or slow down. When asked about the race and how she handles keeping up her pace she had this to say. “You know I’m tired, but I ran this far I might as well finish,” she said. “And when I see my friends and family I get really pumped.” Soupir participated with the Corn-
husker Flyers over the summer, which she said had intense work-outs that kept her above her game. “The coach would always say, ‘I’m not here to support you I’m here to make you run’.” Junior Spencer Strong says that Soupir is a very good teammate. “She is obviously a very hard worker, and she always cheers on other people,” Strong said. “She is a very humble person.” She says that her mother has always been there to encourage her and cheer her on even though she doesn’t do her greatest some of the times. “She always makes me feel like I can win,” Soupir said. The cross country team this year had its ups and down this season, but qualified three runners, including Brett Friesen, Katie Allen, and Soupir. Those
North Bend 1st Place 15:41 Invitational 1st Place 15:15
Sam Soupir runs at one of her cross country meets. runners finished the season out strong at the state meet with Friesen finishing 55th, Allen finishing 41st, and Soupir with a strong 7th place finish. Soupir said she always tried to pump her team up even when she knew the chance were slim to win, they just wanted to have fun. “I just wanted us to get along as a team and cheer each other on the best we could.”
Boys Town Invitatonal 1st Place 15:21
Blair Invitational 2nd Place 15:35 UNK Invitational 2nd Place 14:36
Districts
7th 15:34
Platteview 1st Place 15:32 State Meet Invitiational
sports
Everything but the Score
November 2008
By Taylor Bradish Staff Writer The 2008-2009 girls softball team didn’t do as well as they would have liked too. But winning isn’t everything. Here’s what is. Dancing in the vans on the way back home from away games. It’s everyone getting thrown in Kelsey Bernady’s pool at a team dinner. It’s starting new traditions such as going to Quizno’s before every home game. This season was an unforgetable one for the girls, no matter how many wins and losses they had. Here is everything but the score.
Omaha Skutt: “It was my first home game at Gretna!.”
-Senior, Shauna Tietze
Norris: “Norris got delayed because of lighting, and then we got beat.” -Freshman Meghan Dennis
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Omaha Duchesne: “These kids were throwing a ball around, and they threw it into the game, Nicole Andrews had a base hit and if we scored, we would of tied the game. They called a dead ball because of the ball that had gotten thrown into the game. Nicole had to re-bat and she got struck out,” said Hanna Blum.
Auburn: The girls first win.
Westside: “The best thing that happened was that it got rained out, don’t let Mr. Moore get a hold of this.”
Photos by Lauren Baker
-Senior, Shauna Tietze
Golf Team Strokes Their Way to State By Anthony Jourdan Sports Editor With a new coach and a bigger goal the girls golf, team looked to take advantage of experience from the seniors to help them succeed. Entering the season with new coach Mark Jones, the team had its eyes on the prize: a trip to state. The Dragons golf team considered this season a huge success by capping it off with a third place finish at the state golf meet. “Our biggest success this year was making it to state as a team,” Hawk said. “And definitely placing third as a team.” “The team did very well this year,” Coach Jones said. “They should be very proud of what they accomplished.” The girls entered the season by finishing second at the Gretna Invitational and never looked back. They never finished below fifth at any tournament and never lost a dual.
When asked if it was hard to transition into a new coach senior Cari Hawk said not at all. “No it wasn’t hard because we still did the same routine this year in practice as we did last.” The girls finished out the season with a strong note finishing 1st at Districts and sending all five of their golfers to state. “Our biggest win this year would have to be at districts,” Hawk said. “It was our first major tournament we won as a team this year.” Senior Kristen Goldenstein led the way at state by finishing third by golfing a 164, followed by Hawk 8th with a 174, sophomore Abby Allgood 206, junior Riley Schafer 217, and senior Tiffany Strilka 223. Coach Jones said the seniors were very good leaders this year on the team. “All three of the seniors did very well this year,” Jones said. “Riley Schafer and Abby Allgood also improved and did very well.”
-Photo by Liz Stratman
Sophomore Abby Allgood and seniors Tiffany Strilka, Kristen Goldenstein, and Cari Hawk pose for a picture before the state golf meet. The girls had a strong season by capping it off with a spot in the state tounrament.
story 16 photo november 2008
Joe Menousek, Adam Schmit, Tina Martinez, and Sam Montemerano pose happily with their favorite flavor of cotton candy.
Zach Omar and Jennifer Gotrik serve and total up a customer’s snow cone.
This big white barn was a part of Vala’s beautiful scenary. It was located right across from the pig races and served barbeque food.
From GHS students to Vala’s employees By Arielle Sichta Staff Writer
Emily Hill punches in the total for a hungry customer at Pirates Cove.
Photos By Faith Cotton
If you stroll through the entrance of Vala’s Pumpkin Patch today it might look a little like a ghost town. Three weeks ago was completely opposite. Halloween festivities filled every square inch of the park, and so did Gretna students. Every year Vala’s employs about 400 people, many of them being students from Gretna High School. Why did so many teenagers work there? Many saw it as a good way to earn some extra money before the holiday season and some just loved being there. “I’d spend all my time out there anyways so why not work there?” senior Stacie Weakland said. Weakland is working at Vala’s for the second time. Like many, her jobs vary day-to-day between places such as The Depot Dog and the coffee shack. The only difference? Weakland does every task dressed as Snow White.
“It’s cool because a lot of little kids look up to me and freak out but I have this like, sick, nasty bow that like takes over my head.” she said. One might think that the crowds would be tougher to manage than the costumes. “The crowds aren’t so bad but sometimes I can never get across the bridge to go to the bathroom and people always want pictures, even on my breaks.” Junior Sara Gentzler disagrees. “I get so mad when there’s big crowds because then we have to work longer.” Gentzler works in Pork Chop Annie’s, a little shop that serves grilled food. “I like that where I work is outdoors so it doesn’t feel like I’m trapped, but if it’s cold outside everyone has to like, huddle around the grill.” Gentzler said. But with so many recognizable faces, Gentzler said “It’s nice to see I’m not the only one who’s missing out on other stuff.” For both students, the
good outweighs the bad. “The people there are hilarious, especially the old ones.” Weakland said. Unlike Gentzler, Weakland is keeping her other job as a child-wrangler at Kid’s Round-up in addition to working at Vala’s. “It’s not that difficult to have two jobs, I just don’t get a lot of ‘me’ time,” she said. Students aren’t the only ones who join in the festive fun. Business teacher Mrs. Potter has been working at Vala’s for the past four years. “It’s very relaxing after a long day at school.” Mrs. Potter said. Potter, like Weakland, moves around to various places. Her favorite? “The Train. I sell train tickets and it has a roof, a chair, and a heater for when it’s cold,” Potter said. “My second favorite would be the fudgery because I like the cheesy popcorn.” At the end of the day, no matter where you’re stationed, most feel like Gentzler does about working there. “It’s just the Gretna thing to do.”