News Binder

RELIGION IN-DEPTH Westside takes a look at how faith affects students at our school on pages 9-12.

8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 Volume 60 Issue 3

November 20, 2015

THE AFTERMATH

Robbery at smoothie shop affects employees, business

LI BBY S E L I N E

MANAGING EDITOR Sophomore Kaylee Navarrette couldn’t sleep.

She tried watching Netflix and listening to music to calm herself, but thoughts of the incident kept her awake.

She and junior Erin Kruger had been working Tuesday, Oct. 20 when a man with a gun walked into Smoothie King and demanded they give him the business’ money. Throughout the night, Navarrette thought of this man.

She remembered his blue sweatshirt.

His gray hair.

And the sunglasses that covered his eyes.

“The whole moment of him pulling the gun on me really close to my body...it was just that replaying [in my mind,]” Navarrette said.

Her coworker Kruger also was affected by the attack. The two days following the incident, she questioned her safety.

“The day after, I was paranoid,” Kruger said.

“I don’t even know why, because it was just a random [robbery] and he wasn’t even out to get me and Kaylee, but it was just affecting me psychologically…[I was thinking,] ‘What if an intruder comes to the house?’ [I was having] random thoughts like that.”

Navarrette and Kruger handled the situation

well, but were initially shocked by the events that took place. Since the robbery, both Kruger and Navarrette quit their jobs at Smoothie King.

“I was just freaked out like I don’t even want to [work there],” Navarrette said. “I worked there for five days [after the incident] and every single day I worked there, I worked until close…The first night [after the robbery,] I was obviously really freaked out…I would just always think about it.”

Navarrette says she has been more relaxed since the days after the incident. Neither of them have spoken to a therapist about the experience, but have found ways to cope on their own. However, some effects remain.

“I will always be really aware of my surroundings,” Navarrette said. “[The experience taught] me to be more aware of what’s going on.”

Kruger has found a way to laugh about the robbery. She will joke about it with friends occasionally and question why the robber decided to attack a smoothie shop. However, Kruger does feel she has been changed as a leader because of the incident. Kruger was leading the shift that night and was the one who opened the register and gave the man the money.

“I realized how much capacity I had for being brave and for being calm under high stress situations,” Kruger said. “I was calm when it was happening. I didn’t say anything or cry. I tried to be as

calm as possible, and I think that helped us [deal with the robbery]...[Because of that experience,] I’m probably more willing now to take charge of certain things.”

Smoothie King has been working with the police to discover who robbed the shop, but the police have yet to find any new information about the robber. The business has decided to make some changes because of the attack. For one, the management decided to close the lobby of the shop at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. and take cash out of the cash register more frequently during the day. They’ve also decided to have all employees undergo training with the police in case another robbery happens again.

“I think that [these changes are] essential for any business [and] especially one with younger kids working,” general manager Alyssa Trautman said.

Despite the incident, Trautman believes the environment at Smoothie King is still the same as it used to be.

Overall, Smoothie King and its former employees have recovered and readjusted since the robbery.

“I was brave,” Navarrette said. “The situation could’ve gone a lot worse, but me and Erin handled it really well. [It’s] not good that it happened, [but] good [that] we handled it and we’re okay.”

Staff members Claire Nelson and Ava Bowman await the next crowd of customers at the Smoothie King on 90th and Center, Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Photo by Madigan Brodsky

THE 8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 Volume 61 Issue 3

November 18, 2016

ANCE

* FEATURE Check out the sports featured on pages 14-15

TEACHING HOPE Middle school instructor battles kidney disease

L I B BY S E L I N E & DA NA C OX than 30 percent function in both of her kidneys.

volleyball and teach and thought her exhaustion was because of the amount of activities she was EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF LANCE & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF WIRED involved in. During her physical in March Four days of the week, Westside 2016, Widdowson’s doctors bemiddle school PE instructor Virgie Widcame worried. They soon disdowson comes home and watches blood covered she was at stage six of filter out of her body. the disease, which was chronic WESTSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR She reclines in her brown leathkidney failure, and needed to er chair and wraps her body in a polka discuss treatment plans. dot blanket. She cleans the catheter in “I remember going home and her chest and hooks it up to a dialysis just crying because this is a semachine. The blood leaves her body, rious life change,” Widdowson but she feels nothing. After a couple of said. “It changes your day-toseconds, her eyelids become heavy, but day things, your outlook things, with the help of her “dialysis buddy” she how I react to people, what I eat usually stays awake so she can work or and what I do...It’s a big time have a conversation. commitment, too.”

Thirty minutes later she checks her Within a month, Widdowson blood work. This process is repeated evhad a surgery scheduled to install ery 30 minutes for the next four hours a fistula on her left arm, which so her blood can be properly cleaned so would help a vein pump clean she can live. oxygenated blood to WiddowWiddowson suffers from a genetic son’s heart and assist her in didisease called IgA nephropathy. Accordalysis, a process that would filter ing to the Mayo Clinic, over time, this distoxins in her blood. However, ease prevents the kidneys from eliminating waste at all; I felt nothing.” this fistula failed. Doctors attempted to add a fisfrom a person’s blood. Although she was born Nine years later in November 2015, Widdow- tula again, but this surgery also failed. In June, with this disease, she didn’t realize she had it son began to feel “crappy” and had the symptoms Story continued on page 2. until 2006 when doctors discovered she had less of a cold. She continued to coach basketball, “[Upon diagnosis] I didn’t think anything of [the disease],” Widdowson said. “I didn’t feel bad

VIRGIE WIDDOWSON

“I remember going home and just crying because this is a serious life change. ...it’s a big time commitment, too.”

Instructor Virgie Widdowson leads the kids in an activity during PE class on Wednesday, Nov 16.

Photo by Taylor Baca

2

NEWS

CONT.: Instructor’s life changes upon diagnosis Left: Instructor Virgie Widdowson coaches the Westside Volleyball team during a game. Photo courtesy of Jaime Robinson. Right Instructor Virgie Widdowson attends a benefit for her in her hometown. Photo courtesy of Virgie Widdowson.

doctors decided to give Widdowson another fistula in her arm and also insert a catheter. tired,” Widdowson said. “Doctors say, ‘how are you working everyday?’ [and] I say ‘I Although the catheter had a higher chance of infection, the doctors determined Widdow- don’t know; I just go. I would go crazy [if I didn’t teach. Teaching] is the normalcy in son needed to start dialysis soon. my life right now.”

Two days after her third surgery, WidOne of the hardest parts of this disease for Widdowdowson started dialysis. After months son is accepting help. Widdowson considers herself to passed by, doctors also determined that be a giver, but being the giver she is makes it hard for her WESTSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR Widdowson’s fistula was working very to accept the same kind of help from others. She finds it well. However, Widdowson learned how hard to accept because she feels like she can never repay to do dialysis on her own though a caththem for what they have done for her throughout this eter and usually only completes dialysis long journey. through her fistula with a nurse present.

“I finally started accepting other people’s help, but “I’ve learned more about my blood and before people would say ‘Oh what can I do?’ and I stuff...more than you should ever know,” would just tell them oh no it’s okay I got it,” Widdowson Widdowson said as she laughed. “My dad’s said. “[But I realized] they are struggling too because like ‘you could heal a country now because they want to help you, but there is nothing else they can of [how much you know about blood].’” do now [that I am on dialysis].”

Widdowson believes she is more “in Widdowson is currently on the donor list and is waittune” with her body and knows how to ing for a kidney. People cannot help her medically, but keep her body healthy. However, physical she does appreciate the support she has received from activity is a part of Widdowson’s job. Acpeople. tions such as walking up the hill from the “Everyone has done a lot to help me, and I’m like middle school track to the gym is hard for ‘how do I repay them?’” Widdowson said. her and she has to be mindful of her fistula Her supporters are thankful for Widdowson. She teaches them positivity and admire her strength. in her left arm. She is often tired, but de“I am amazed by her perseverance and her positive attitude,” Westside Middle spite her illness, Widdowson still teaches.

“Physically, there are days you feel good and days you feel crappy, but you have to School math instructor Vicki Tomlinson said. “I think she is amazing, and I pray a keep pushing on...and sometimes I can’t make it to things because I’m so physically kidney is in the near future for her.”

VIRGIE WIDDOWSON

“Doctors say ‘how are you working everday?’ [and] I say ‘I don’t know; I just go....I would go crazy if I didn’t teach. ”

See story above

THE 8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 Volume 61 Issue 5

February 3, 2017

ANCE

* FEATURE Check out the diversity in-depth on pages 5-16

PICTURE PERFECT

Westside alumnus makes impact through social media

LIBBY S E L I N E picture of it to put in on social media. She always EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alumnus Emma Krenzer sat alone in Nebraska Wesleyan’s art room in the early hours of the morning on Monday, Jan 23. She was down on all fours. She squeezed paint onto her hands and rubbed them together so she could leave marks on her canvas: a naked picture of one of her friends.

Her fingers left streaks of color on the photo creating unique patterns. She’d stand up. Look at it and study what she did.

“Do what feels right,” she thought to herself.

Swirls of faded paint along with green and blue handprints. She punched the canvas with her paint stained hands.

As the night went on, her dark brown eyes would start to close, but the excitement of her artwork kept her awake. Every time she touched the painting a deep sense of intimacy burst inside of her.

“I was really tired, but also really excited and empowered, too,” Krenzer said. “Just thinking about making a statement through art…I thought this was one of my more powerful statement pieces.”

The next day the painting was due for her class Drawing 2. She hung up her painting and took a

did this.

By the end of class, her tweet had 1,000 retweets. By the end of the day, she had 25,000.

“I noticed it was getting a lot of attention… and I started to freak out a little because it was out of my hands,” Krenzer said. “At the same time [the attention] was so exciting to see that so many people liked my work and thought it was important enough to share it.”

On Wednesday, Jan 11, Krenzer had been assigned to create a map for a class. She had always been fascinated with the significance of the human body, so she decided to create a map of human touch.

Krenzer began creating the painting with the idea of showing touches from loved ones, but after attending the Women’s March in D.C., Krenzer had a different idea.

“I was inspired by all the signs I saw at the march and the people coming together,” Krenzer said. “The solidarity and those empowering messages of women and bringing to light issues that are a lot of times kept private.”

The event influenced her to bring attention to rape culture and objectification of women.

She decided to do this by adding red paint to her painting and labeling the place as where “someone I told no” touched.

The artwork touched a many people including

strangers. Krenzer claims many people reached out to via social media.

“A lot of people have come forward and told me stories of their own sexual assault,” Krenzer said. “They say you know, ‘I don’t talk about this, but your piece made me want to talk about this…’ The fact that people are opening up to me about that is amazing, but [hearing their stories] is kinda scary because all of these people have their own story and I want to honor that and validate that the best I can.”

Her former teacher, Westside art instructor Liz Dittrick is very proud of Krenzer’s accomplishments.

“I think that the climate our culture is in right now, I think this was a good response to things and made people [about] things in a different way,” Dittrick said. “I [also] think it’s really fun to see students’ work being recognized at the level hers is. It’s [also] really encouraging for students here to see what their work can do now and in the future.”

Krenzer is very pleased people were impacted by her piece.

“It feels so great to know that so many people found something that I made to be powerful and important and also healing for them,” Krenzer said. “Just the fact that it prompted them to talk about these awful things that happened to them and not be silenced is really cool.”

Left: Alumnus Emma Krenzer poses for a photo at the Women’s March in D.C. on Saturday, Jan 21. Right: Alumnus Emma Krenzer’s painting sits on display during her class at Nebraska Wesleyan on Monday, Jan 23. Krenzer will be selling this photo to people and donating part of the profits to charity. Photos courtesy of Emma Krenzer