January Issue

S tatesman L i n c o l n

H i g h

S i o u x Fa l l s , S D

January 25, 2016

S c h o o l

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” -Abraham Lincoln

Vol. 50, No. 3

Diversity levels rise in the Sioux Falls School District Curriculum changes to come in english classes

BY LIZETTE WRIGHT In schools, businesses, workplaces and media, various cultures contribute to the community. This is no exception in Sioux Falls, or even at LHS. Sioux Falls has become increasingly diverse over the years. According to Keloland, Sioux Falls is currently 30.4 percent diverse and continues to grow by about one to two percent each year. USA Today’s stats on the likelihood of two students being different races paint the picture of the rising diversity in LHS. The percentage increased from 23 percent in 2001 to 41 percent in 2011.

The numbers from the poll pertaining to the diversity of LHS are a wonder today, but librarian Mary Peters testifies her account of the rising diversity here at LHS. “You do see a lot of different cultures coming through Lincoln. Maybe I see more because I just see kids come through the library,” said Peters. “I think authors have written more diverse books just because they know more teens are coming through this way and they’re written in a way that you can understand their cultures.”

Due to the evolving diversity levels in Sioux Falls, the School District has proposed to alter the English curriculum to include more diverse literature. At this point teachers are discussing the possible changes that could take place in the near future. Along with Peters, LHS American Literature teacher, Ashley Griese, is well aware of the possible curriculum change.

“At this point, I’m doing a curriculum study,” said Griese. “So what that means is that we are looking at what we teach, when we teach it and what the standards are.

And one of the conversations that we’ve had in American Literature and literature

classes in general is what are we teaching in terms of who the authors are, and are we teaching for diverse learners? Are we teaching contemporary vs. modern things? So it’s all just a conversation at this point.”

While the majority of teachers

PHOTOS BY MIKAELA NEUBAUER

agree on the necessity of the curriculum change, their definitions of what it entails seems to differ.

“From what I understand and from what they asked us to do they’re trying to add diverse literature into some of the classes,”

said Peters. “Not everything, but just to give students a little more perspective on different cultures.”

Books such as “The Grapes of Wrath,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Of Mice and Men” and “Jane Eyre” are a few of the ones from the high school curriculum that are studied in today’s English classes. While these books are full of content that is beneficial to students some argue that they are lacking in certain aspects.

“If you look at American Literature for example, the majority of what we teach is coming from white men,” said Griese. “The goal is to establish how we can include text from all races and ethnicities.”

The benefits of this curriculum change are not limited to only one certain section of students, but are intended to be beneficial to all, so everyone will be able to relate and better understand the topics.

“It’s hard to say what’s going to go and what’s going to stay. We definitely need to make a change,” said Griese. “I think the majority of us agree with that. The diversity element is important, but kids struggle with identifying with this older stuff, and what’s the point in teaching literature if you’re not reading it? Really, literature is about the read.

When all is said and done you have to be reading it.”

With the diversity level of LHS at 24.7 percent, according to the Sioux Falls School District, and quickly climbing, Sioux Falls and LHS are progressing with an abundance of different cultures. The Sioux Falls School District is attempting to change along with the rising diversity with the intention that it will benefit each and every student.

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NEWS

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

New lockdown procedures implemented at LHS

By Lucy Dekkenga Following the Nation Safety protocols, LHS staff was informed of a new lockdown procedure on Tuesday, Nov. 24. The drill has not completely changed but there were new procedures added. Now, staff is able to have a more natural response to a dangerous situation.

One of the additions to the lockdown procedure will be protection of the students. Another is running out of the building if able.

“It’s really not new; there’s just a few more things that have been added to what we do,” said Principal Val Fox. “Pretty much all of us are going to be doing the lockdown the same way we have always been doing it.”

Adding to the traditional lockdown procedures known by students, there is a chance they could run out of the building as an extra step for safety. This follows a more natural response of most people which would be running from danger.

“The only thing that’s been added and changed a little bit is if you were in a position where you heard shots fired, for example, if you were right here in the office and something was going on, you might not necessar-

ily just hide and lock the door but you might run,” said Fox. “If you were outside in a PE class and you heard something was going on, you would not run back inside the building to hide, you would run away. It’s something you would normally do.”

The second part to what has been added to the new procedure is defending the students and staff. However, this does not mean fighting, it simply means protecting oneself if put in a dangerous situation.

“Defend yourself. That’s the next step,” said Fox. “Not fight back but distract and defend. We are certainly not encouraging anyone to start fighting but to protect. It’s more of a natural instinct. It’s trying more to protect than just to shut the door and lock it.

This gives you more permission to do what you naturally would have done. It’s a natural instinct that we’re actually carrying out and saying it’s okay to do.”

Going back to the traditional way however, being behind a locked door is still very safe and one of the safest precautions to take.

There is only one instance of an intruder actually breaking into a classroom, according to the Sioux Falls Police and Safety Manage-

ment. This shows that it is sometimes safer to stay put in the room and lock the door.

“It’s still reinforcing what we are doing,” said Fox. “The best thing ever is just to keep a door locked because what we have found is that intruders are not going to try to get through a locked door. So 99 percent of the time, that’s the best thing to do.”

All of the new procedures prove that LHS staff members are prepared and ready for anything. However, it is always important for the students to react as well. If they see anything or hear anything, they need to say something to an adult so the situation can be handled.

“You never know anymore but you always need to say something,” said Fox. “I think you’re as prepared as you can be. There’s always going to be something weird that happens where you go ‘Oh my gosh what should we do about that?’ I really do believe that we are ready to take care of anything that could be thrown at us. I feel really confident in the staff being prepared and I think we are very safe and between the teachers and all of the procedures, we don’t even have minimum types of things, we have much more.”

By Swetha Saravanan On the surface, the terrorist groups originating from the Middle East may seem like they are the same people committing acts of terror under different names. Yet, there is a distinction between all of these groups in terms of their goals and the approach they take in gaining support and executing attacks. It is important to understand the claims that these groups are making and the difference in their actions and their religious affiliations. This recognition helps avoid ignorance, especially among the Islamic community.

In history, Muslims were divided after the death of the prophet Mohammed. Sunnis believed that Abu Bakr, a friend of Mohammed should be the next leader of Islam.

However, Shiites thought that the prophet wanted his cousin and son-in-law, Ali as the successor of his leadership. The division was established as the Sunnis won the majority and their victory was further reinforced after Ali was killed by the Sunni’s troops. Today, over 80 percent of Muslims are Sunnis and this rift continues to cause internal conflict among the followers of Islam.

ISIS is described as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. It is a Wahhabi/Salafi jihadist extremist militant group. Al-Qaida is also a Wahhabi/Salafi jihadist group started by Osama bin Laden as a global movement and has a longterm goal of creating an Islamic caliphate. A caliphate is a type of Islamic government, and the leader of the Muslim community is known as the caliph. Members who follow Wahhabism are known as Wahhabis or Salafis. Wahhabism is a sect of Sunni Islam. Adherents of the religious movement are considered ‘ultra-conservative’ and ‘orthodox.’ Jihad is the religious duty of Muslims to preserve the religion. It is said to have different meanings, but more commonly as a spiritual struggle and a struggle against the enemies of Islam which may embody violence or nonviolence. In ancient culture, jihad was militarized for the safekeeping of civilians.

After bin Laden passed, al-Qaida has been deteriorating. Instead, the more brutal youth took over in the ‘war against the west’ in the form of ISIS. ISIS wants to set up an Islamic caliphate faster and their attacks have been more frequent. The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan and

deals primarily in the interests of that country alone, unlike the others who wage wars against other countries.

In Syria, there were numerous rebel groups aided with the support of al-Qaida; ISIS began to fight against these rebel groups. AlQaida and ISIS are opponents. Al-Qaida and the Taliban follow similar principles of Sharia Law (legal system of Islam). Their ‘friendship’ crumbled because the Taliban, initially supporting al-Qaida, felt exploited by them. Essentially, the terrorist organizations are against one another.

Today, there are people who perform acts of terror in the name of Islam. Islam and the Quran in and of themselves do not promote terrorism. There is a debate in the true meaning of jihad and most of the terrorist organizations interpret it as acts of violence. An act of terror takes no form in religion; it is merely a cruel deed done by those who are ruthless. In simple terms, all of the terrorist groups have the goal of creating terror. The difference lies in the level of terror they wish to cause, who they want to terrorize and the leaders who have various approaches to cause the terrorism.

The serious crisis in terrorist organizations like ISIS

Statesman

The Statesman is a student newspaper created at Lincoln High School, Sioux Falls Public Schools, 2900 S. Cliff Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57105. The Statesman office is located in room A400. The phone number is 605-367-7998.

The Statesman’s purpose is to inform and entertain with an honest and accurate approach. The opinions of students, staff members and faculty are expressed in a tasteful manner. The Statesman is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and is a winner of the George H. Gallup award for “…distinctive achievements in scholastic journalism.” The Statesman was awarded a Pacemaker in 2007 and was nominated for the 2012-2013 year. The editors and adviser take responsibility for the content of the Statesman.

Follow the Statesman on Twitter and Instagram with the handle @lhsstatesman.

Editors-in-Chief: Madison Rost and

Mikaela Neubauer

News Editor: Swetha Saravanan Feature Editor: Erin Daugherty Opinion Editor: Sydney Sweeter Sports Editor: Kade Walker Entertainment Editor: Joe Hiatt Meet the Varsity: Bella Thome and Ali-

sha Auen

Social Media Coordinator: Alisha

Auen

Photographer: Maddy Hackett Staff Members: Maddi Barness, Anna Boyens, Anna Brecht, Julia Breukelman, Lucy Dekkenga, Madison Landon, Megan Landon, Morgan Matzen, Izzie Osorio, Sydney Rosinsky, Lizette Wright Adviser: Katie Kroeze

NEWS

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

3

Washington Pavilion program receives prestigious award

By Mikaela NeuBauer The Washington Pavilion is known for outstanding programs, performances, exhibits and more, but recently the Pavilion received recognition for a program that many may not know about. Earlier this winter, the Action Arts and Science Program (AASP) at the Washington Pavilion was awarded the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award given by the President’s Council for Arts and Humanities. LHS senior, Juvyan (JuJu) Abobakr, who was involved in the program when she was in middle school, was chosen to represent the Pavilion at the White House on Nov. 17.

“When I was in the program, they would come a couple times a week and I would look forward to it,” said Abobakr. “Because I was in the program, later on I started volunteering at the Pavilion, and I started working there as a science interactor in the science department.

They thought I would be a great representation because I work there, volunteered there and used to be in the program.”

Abobakr was accompanied by Director of the Washington Pavilion Community Learning Center, RoseAnn Hofland. Hofland has been working with AASP and other programs for the

seven years that she has been at the Pavilion.

The program, that once visited only five sites at elementary and middle schools, now reaches over 20 sites and impacts nearly 500 students a week. Hofland has had the chance to watch students like Abobakr grow as they are exposed to the wonders of arts and science.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ROSEANN HOFLAND

Senior Juvyan Abobakr and RoseAnn Hofland stand with the First Lady.

“When JuJu was working with us, she was new to the country and she didn’t speak a whole lot of English, but she was a very gifted artist,” said Hofland. “She was just a wonderful example of how, through reaching into the community, we can broaden their horizons in the arts and set them up for success.”

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Hofland and Abobakr went to Washington, D.C. with 11 other programs that were awarded. AASP is the first nominee in South Dakota to break the top 50, let alone to receive the prestigious award.

“We went there for four days and we had a lot of time on our hands to visit all of the sights,” said Abobakr. “On the last day we were there we went to the White House and they gave us a tour. It didn’t feel real until the day was over. I got to meet all of these people from cool places all over the country.”

During the ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama lauded the impact that the arts have on communities across the country, even calling out Abobakr and the AASP. “When Juvyan arrived in South Dakota from Turkey four years ago, she didn’t speak a word of English,” said Obama. “She couldn’t even spell her name. But when she attended the Washington Pavilion program, she got involved with the arts and now she’s chattin’ up a storm!”

Abobakr has grown immensely in the years since she has been in the U.S. She is currently involved in Oral Interp, Math National Honor Society, Dakota Academy of Performing Arts,

Taylor Swift Club, is a leader of the Gay Straight Alliance and also recently got her U.S. Citizenship. Through her involvement in AASP she has found herself and discovered her passion for both arts and sciences.

“The program teaches you about both sides of your brain and helps you express yourself and find who you are,” said Abobakr. “I did that and now I am planning on going into math and theatre, which ties back to the arts and sciences. If it wasn’t for the program, I think I would have just considered myself an artist, but through the program I learned that I can do both.”

Despite the media attention surrounding the award, not as many students are taking advantage of the AASP because they are unaware that it exists. The Pavilion will be hosting a fundraiser on Feb. 21 to raise awareness for their educational programs and to talk about the NAHYP award.

“I don‘t think that many people know the scope of what we do in the community,” said Hofland. “This is one of the few opportunities these students get to explore arts and science.

They are learning through exploration and we are empowering them.”

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Thanks for the adventure, now go make a new one!

Gigi Schwan’s adventure: pardon my French

Eli Crain’s adventure: studying in Spain

BY LIZETTE WRIGHT As Americans, we often succumb to the rush of life that constantly surrounds us. Given that most of us have lived in America our whole lives, we often forget to notice the little ways in life that subliminally make up what it means to live here in America, whether it be the time we go out for coffee or the way we perceive the new people that we meet. For LHS graduate Georgianna (Gigi) Schwan, this all changed when she left the U.S. to study in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

After graduating a year early, Schwan made the decision to study abroad in France due to the fact that she had been taking French for three years and had traveled to France before and admired the culture. After moving there, she quickly took notice and adapted to the new way of life.

“French culture is very different. Obviously the language is a factor, but I do almost everything differently here than I would in America,” said Schwan. “I know what is socially acceptable and what is not. There are certain times to eat and certain times to have coffee. A dinner party can start at eight and go until one in the morning.”

Of the many things Schwan learned from her experience, learning to cherish the people and their way of life inevitably came with the rest.

“I love how honest people are here,” said Schwan. “It’s why they have the stereotype of being outspoken and harsh, but it is not that at all.

If they don’t like something you do, they will tell you no matter how personal or “mean” it may seem. But the same goes for something they love about you. If a French person really admires you, you will without a doubt know and be very flattered. Compliments really mean something here.”

Absorbing the culture is only part of her experience. Gaining insight on perceptions was another part of Schwan’s journey and something everyone can learn from her experience.

“The French stereotype is that people here are cold and unwelcoming especially to foreigners, which isn’t untrue, just misunderstood,” said Schwan. “In France, friendship and even civility is much more earned than given like it is in America; there’s a little bit of a prove-yourself period.

The language is confusing, difficult and mindnumbing, but I fell in love with it all the same.”

BY MADDI BARNESS The summer before senior year, as LHS students began to prepare for their last year of high school, senior Eli Crain was busy preparing to spend a year abroad in Spain.

After completing the rigorous steps of an essay, a parent letter, teacher recommendation, transcripts, a survey about herself and two rounds of interviews, Crain left for Spain on Aug. 31 and will return home in the middle of July.

“I decided I wanted to spend a year abroad as a sophomore, or at least have the option to, so I started taking an extra online class or two each semester to complete all my credits early,” said Crain. “I started the actual application process in September of my junior year.”

Along with adjusting to being away from her friends and family, Crain has had to adjust to a new lifestyle in Spain as well.

“I have school until 2:30 and then I go home and eat lunch-we also have dinner around 10 p.m. and we almost always eat together,” said Crain. “Because the houses are so small, we rarely hang out at home. We almost always go out to

a restaurant or to a ‘bajera’ which is like a little apartment groups of friends rent out so they have a place to get together.”

Although the experience has exposed Crain to a new culture, there have been challenges with living over 4,000 miles away.

“The hardest part about being away is missing out on my senior year, missing my friends and family, and of course making friends when you have absolutely no clue what they are saying about 50 percent of the time-at least during the first month,” said Crain. “I also thought it would be a lot more difficult to adjust to living with a new family, but they really treat me like a daughter. I also expected to be a lot more homesick than I actually am.”

Despite the challenges, Crain is enjoying her time in Spain and has had countless unique experiences that she will remember well past high school.

“I’ve gotten to see incredible monuments, festivals, try new foods and meet people from all over the world that I would otherwise never have gotten to meet,” said Crain.

BY ERIN DAUGHERTY Bergholz-Rehbrücke, Germany is approximately 4,607 miles away from Sioux Falls. The distance alone would be enough to deter many from living in such a far off land. The other aspect that would put many students off from living in a foreign country would be the language barrier.

However, neither communication, nor distance restrained LHS graduate Lillie Dennis from making such a large decision to study abroad for her last year of high school in Germany.

There were other pressures included in her decision to study abroad, including the fact that she is not using any program with her travels.

“I’m here independently,” said Dennis. “That means that I found a host family and applied for a student visa myself. Although I’m missing a lot of securities, I don’t have any rules to follow and can stay as long as I want.”

Another pressure of living in another country is living with complete strangers, but it has been easy for Dennis to become comfortable with them when she is surrounded by such a tight-knit community.

“I’m staying in a village called Bergholz-Rehbrücke,” said Dennis. “It’s on the border of Potsdam, the sister city of Sioux Falls. It’s small, but it’s only a 20 minute train ride from Berlin, the

German capital. The people here are extremely friendly and the entire community is tightlyknit.”

Although the language aspect can be a tough barrier to pass, Dennis has been practicing German for many years, so it did not take her long to adapt.

Through being fully immersed in a culture and their language, Dennis has come to value the intricate details that every language holds.

“The stereotype is that German is a difficult language both to learn and to speak,” said Dennis. “This is absolutely true, but sometimes, the words that they use are just downright funny.

For example, the German word for ‘light bulb’ is ‘Glühbirne,’ or ‘glow pear,’ and the word for ‘vacuum’ is ‘Staubsauger,’ or ‘dust sucker.’ It’s also funny how long some of the words are--if I want to crack an egg at breakfast, I have to ask for the ‘Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher.’”

Dennis, over time, has gotten first-hand experiences with the advantages that come with knowing a second language fluently.

“Even though it can be challenging, I absolutely love that my German has gotten good enough that I can discuss with native speakers and understand what I hear in class and on the news,” said Dennis.

Lillie Dennis’ adventure: daring to dive into a new German culture

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ELI CRAIN AND GIGI SCHWAN

The LHS school store sells snacks and drinks speedily

BY JULIA BREUKELMAN

The LHS school store is always found packed with students buying snacks and drinks before school, during lunch and sometimes after school, but what are they buying? Michael Jones did some digging for The Statesman and found the most popular items in the school store. He also found how many are bought on average per week since the beginning of the school year.

5 Cobalt Gum, $1.50 each Bottled Water, $0.83 each Cheez-Its Reduced Fat, $0.50 each Cookies, $0.25 each

$30 per week $133.33 per week $97 per week $498.75 per week PHOTO CREATED BY MIKAELA NEUBAUER

By AnnA Boyens

LHS’ Furry Friends

Which LHS teacher are you most like?

BY SYDNEY SWEETER

WOULD YOU RATHER READ A BOOK OR DO A MATH PROBLEM? READ

MATH

WOULD YOU RATHER PAINT YOUR HOUSE RED OR BLUE?

CHOCOLATE

WOULD YOU RATHER EAT CHOCOLATE OR LAFFY TAFFY?

BLUE

RED

LAFFY TAFFY

WOULD YOU RATHER DRINK POWERADE OR GATORADE?

WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE NEAR THE BEACH OR MOUNTAINS?

SUMMER

WOULD YOU RATHER EAT AT MCDONALD’S OR BURGER KING?

MCDONALD’S

WOULD YOU RATHER DRINK COKE OR PEPSI?

IPHONE

COKE

D E S E RT

PEPSI

AND

DO YOU PREFER SUMMER OR WINTER? WINTER

BURGER KING

WOULD YOU RATHER USE AN IPHONE OR ANDROID?

E

POWERADE

BEACH

MOUNTAINS

GATORAD

ROID

WOULD YOU RATHER BIKE OR WALK?

WOULD YOU RATHER LIVE IN THE DESERT OR IN A TUNDRA? TUNDRA

WALK

BIKE

WOULD YOU RATHER SHOP AT WALMART OR TARGET?

WOULD YOU RATHER TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD OR AROUND THE COUNTRY? WORLD

TARGET

JOSH SMITH HEAD OF SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

WALMART

KIM MAASS HEAD OF SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT

SARA KLAWONN HEAD OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

COUNTRY

MARY COYNE HEAD OF MATH DEPARTMENT

OPINION

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A letter to the editors: Native American mascots are not OK

By Mato Standing Soldier, Senior

In the December issue of the Statesman, I found a discomforting quote in a staff written article in the Opinion section. The article was about whether or not Native American sports mascots are offensive to the race they’re named after. I found no fault in this article, until the closing paragraph, which concluded that these mascots and logos are permissible if they “promote the Native nations,” that they base their name off of.

“Scientific studies prove these mascots lower the selfesteem of tribal children.”

I strongly disagree. Why? Well, first let’s explain where these “honorable”

names originated.

“Redskins,” the name for the Washington D.C. NFL team, is a slander towards Native Americans, and as offensive as any racial slur directed towards another group of people. Many organizations that advocate for the abolition of Native American logos and mascots avoid even saying the word, referring to it as the R-word. The Rword dates back to when bounties were promised for the execution of Native Americans. Their scalps, cleaned of any “red skin” (blood), were brought back by the bounty hunters for proof of execution.

While the R-word is one of the more grotesque names used by sports teams, a name like the Cleveland Indians, or Florida State Seminoles, is just as offensive. Although these names are not racial slurs, American Indians have been oppressed for hundreds of years,

and to us, it feels like these mascots are making a mockery of our pain and struggle. Naming a team the Cleveland Indians is equivalent to naming a team the Chicago Negroes.

“These names mock Native Americans. They remind us of the past, when our land was stolen and we were killed for profit” Now, some think that using these names for modern day sports teams is a way to honor and recognize Native culture. Since sports teams wish to portray themselves as strong, resilient warriors, it’s only fitting to name themselves after one of America’s toughest combatants, right?

Wrong. These names mock Native

Americans. They remind us of the past, when our land was stolen and we were killed for profit. It reminds us that we were once considered inferior, and enemies of America. While the team owners may intend no harm, the effects on Native Americans are extremely damaging. Scientific studies prove these mascots lower the selfesteem of tribal children.

I cannot let my classmates think that these names in anyway honor Native culture. Native American logos and mascots remind me that my ancestors were once called “savages” who needed to be exterminated for the betterment of America. Because Indian mascots put us in a historical box and continue to harm our children, I believe they must be abolished.

With all due respect, Mato Standing Soldier

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STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

Mikaela’s Musings

OP/ED

“Snow” time for complaining about snow days this winter

By MikaeLa neuBauer, editor-in-Chief

PHOTO BY KAMIE WITTEROCK

Dear LHS Students, It is time to accept that you live in South Dakota. It is winter. It will snow. A lot. While 14 inches of snow is ridiculous to those outside of the Midwest, it isn’t strange to see here in Sioux Falls. Students shouldn’t be surprised when school is not called off due to a blanket of snow.

The first snow at the end of November hit like a ton of bricks and there were more than enough complaints about the winter weather. While students couldn’t hashtag “Thanks Pam” anymore, they were still begging for an early dismissal. Unfortunately that isn’t how the school district works. Many factors play into a cancellation, such as temperature, wind chill, road conditions as well as advice from the National Weather Service, the Sioux Falls Street Department and bus drivers. However, snowy conditions are not the cause of cancellation. Usually if temperatures are below -35 degrees, school will be called off for a cold day, but even then the call is questionable.

Students do not always comprehend how many people are affected when school is called off. Twenty-three thousand students are left without a place to be all day or a midday meal. Sure, we high schoolers can fend for ourselves, but what happens when you leave elementary school children without school?

Most parents work and many kids have no place to be when it is cold and snowy out.

On days like this, the School District believes that students will be better taken care of on snow days if they are at school rather than alone at home or out on the roads.

“Sometimes the safest place for kids to be is at a school,” said Jim Holbeck, the Harrisburg school district superintendent in early 2015.

No matter what the decision, the School District is attacked from all sides. If they don’t call school off, students heckle the superintendent on social media and parents worry about safety. If they do call off school, working parents have no clue what to do with their kids and those who don’t get the message are angry as well. The School District cares about the well-being of the students.

They aren’t new at this. They know when it is best to have kids in school and they know when they should have them stay home.

“I truly want what’s best for the kids in terms of their safety,” said Brian Maher, Sioux Falls School District superintendent, in an article in the Argus Leader.

While students may dream of a day without homework and lounging with a cup of cocoa, imagine a day even later in June where students will be taking semester tests, wishing that the snow day had never happened.

If there are more than two snow days, school will overflow into the next week, placing finals after graduation. Let me just say that my fellow seniors will be wholly unhappy if that happens. It isn’t worth it to miss a day of school just to add it onto the end of the year when students are itching to be out of the hallways of LHS. I don’t deny rooting on Mother Nature so that I don’t have to take the next Stats test, but the constant whining is unbearable. Groaning that every other surrounding school got called off is not going to change anything.

School isn’t the first place anyone wants to be during a snowy day, but when the weather is relatively painless, students should trudge through and drive slowly rather than grumble about how unfair our School District is.

-Mikaela

friend or another familiar person is going to go there too, but that is not always the case when deciding to go to school somewhere else. This unfamiliarity can either make or break a college experience. No one knows who you were in high school, so it can be a great way to meet new people with similar interests and to create friendships you would be unable to if you stayed in a state where you know everyone. For some people, just the idea of going to a place where they do not know anyone is unbearable. They like the relationships they formed in high school and want to keep it that way because they fear the idea of having to start over in a new place.

college in state may not have the major you want to pursue, there is a very good chance a college somewhere else will have that major. Some schools specialize in specific things such as engineering or medicine, and to go to a renowned program in that field would, in most cases, mean going somewhere outside of South Dakota. The bigger the school, the more options there are, and unfortunately for students in South Dakota, our colleges and universities are not as big as some around the country.

smaller religious school with 2,000 students and a smaller student-teacher ratio in a more personal environment, another may choose a university with 50,000 students and all classes of large lecture halls and a less personal learning experience.

Even though going out-of-state to college can be an exciting decision and a time of new social interactions, it can be a lot more expensive than staying in state. Without scholarships and financial aid, it can be out of reach for many. They can also be more challenging to get into academically. While SDSU has an acceptance rate of about 92 percent, schools such as Northwestern University and Vanderbilt have acceptance rates of just 13 percent.

Because the acceptance rate is so low, earning a scholarship to out-of-state schools can be very difficult, making it impossible for some people to go out-of-state.

Whether it be in state with old friends or out-of-state with new friends, having a good college experience is very important. While there are some negatives to going away for college, the benefits exceed them. As long as you are at the college you want to be at, it should be some of the best years of your life.

Why going out-of-state for college is beneficial for many

By Madison Landon, staff Writer Choosing the right college is one of the most important decisions in a person’s life. As well as being a tremendous time of growth, college is supposed to be a fun experience with new people. Thinking about going away to a school in a town where you know no one can be scary for some people, but for others that is part of the fun. While there are many benefits of staying in-state for college, there are just as many for going out-of-state.

College is a time where students start to become independent from their parents and start thinking about what kind of life they want to have when they are older. Going to a college out-of-state can be helpful in this growing process, because parents cannot do everything for them like they could if the student was close to home. They have to learn how to manage time, money, school and other responsibilities. On the other hand, being far away from parents can be a bad thing because of the fact they cannot do everything for them. If someone has grown up their whole life being catered to and served, it can be a very hard transition.

Going to a college in state, chances are, a

“Going to a college out-of-state can be helpful in this growing process, because parents cannot do everything for them like they could if the student was close to home.”

Another advantage of attending college out-of-state is the variety of majors. While a

“While a college in state may not have the major you want to pursue, there is a very good chance a college somewhere else will have that major.”

In South Dakota, there are a limited number of options for types of colleges, but around the country there are so many options it may be hard to choose just one. Big deciding factors can include size, type, religious affiliation, location, athletic and music programs. While one person may prefer a

OP/ED

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

11

Our sins of the past are crawling on our backs as global warming begins to catch up

By izzie oSorio, Staff Writer With the Paris Climate Change Conference finishing after a week of deliberation, the leaders of the world have arrived at a general consensus - immediate action is necessary to combat the impending impacts of climate change.

According to The Washington Post, many lead scientists of the world insist that action be taken now to avoid the disastrous effects of climate change. That leaves us with the ever so popular question: What should be done about climate change?

“The evidence is irrefutable - In the past 200 years, the world has been warming at an alarming rate and the time to act is now.”

First are the facts. Global warming is most definitely real. For anyone who doubts this, take this into consideration. An in-depth analy-

sis released by John Cook, a climate scientist, compiled a large sample of global climate change literature released over a 20 year period.

After thorough analysis, Cook found 99.7 percent of agreement among climatologists that climate change is most definitely real and has been caused by humans. Even if you don’t accept Cook’s evidence, do a simple search on Google. The evidence is irrefutable - In the past 200 years, the world has been warming at an alarming rate and the time to act is now.

The impacts are also extremely concerning. Many sources including The Guardian, The Week, TIMES and Al Jazeera conclude that global warming will induce disastrous consequences. It starts with the melting of the polar ice caps which then triggers a significant rise in the ocean level. The rise in the ocean level would be detrimental, as it would completely inundate coastal cities. This, in turn, causes mass migrations, panic, death and not to mention absolute destruction of ecosystems. It also just so happens that the world economic trading hubs are right on the edges of most countries, meaning

that they too would be flooded. This then has the capacity to completely cripple the world economy. So far the impacts don’t seem lovely - and I’m not even half way through the effects.

What’s even more worrying is that these effects could be seen as soon as 5 years.

minutes at the end of the day reflecting on all that had happened that day, and write about three things that we were grateful for. I am so glad I took the assignment seriously. When we finished it after three weeks, I went out and bought a journal so I could keep writing about my days.

was going right in my life, even on the worst days, I would still have a generally positive attitude. It showed in my thoughts and in my actions. I found it easier to get out of bed in the morning because I knew I had a great day ahead of me. When I would get stressed, I knew I could at least soothe myself by thinking about a few things that made me happy or that were going right. It was like I held the keys to the prison that was my mind.

I was in charge. I could not be stopped.

I had finally found myself. I discovered my passions and my interests, such as social justice, live music, volunteering and painting. I stood up for my beliefs. I started to listen to better music and went to more shows. One show in particular that really changed my mindset was Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Their charisma and psychedelic positivity onstage rubbed off on me, and I was flying high for a long time after that. I volunteered on the weekends.

I took time to paint and tried to get more people to buy my art. I felt like my best self for the first time in my life.

When I figured out who I was, I found out that I cared more deeply for other people. I would no longer find other’s faults, instead I

“There are little things that each and everyone of us can do every day to help alleviate the stress that is put on the environment.”

Thankfully there are two main solutions to global warming. First is self-accountability.

There are little things that each and every one of us can do every day to help alleviate the stress that is put on the environment. Carpooling, recycling, turning off lights - you know the drill.

If you think there is a barrier to doing these

simple tasks, ask yourself a couple questions.

“Am I truly not able to do this or am I just being lazy?” and “Is suffering through the impacts of global warming worth not doing this now?”.

The answer should be enough to garner you the right decision. Remember that the survival and the safety of the public take precedence over personal apathy.

Of course, individual action alone is not going to stop global warming. This means that the second course of action is to urge congress to pass climate change legislation. Bills and resolutions that ought to be passed would be those pertaining to carbon reduction through taxing and pricing, oil fracking and oil restrictions, incentives and subsidies for renewable energy, etc. Since America is the global hegemon, one of the most influential world leaders, this action will spill over to other countries and can aid in trying to reach effective climate reform.

Ultimately, global warming is incontestably real and the effects are frankly horrifying, but, there are routes that can be taken to prevent the impacts from ever happening.

The healing powers of reflection and positive psychology

By Morgan Matzen, Staff Writer “I hate everyone.” People have this tendency to weigh themselves down with negativity as a defense against daily situations that don’t go their way, such as awkward social encounters, work stress, difficulty at school… but this cynicism gets old. It doesn’t do any good and doesn’t grow into anything productive or useful. It just sits under the skin, boils blood and festers. Negativity and misanthropy are wastes of time and energy.

Personally, I used to live outside of life’s moments, analyzing everything that happened around me instead of really being present. When I would talk to people, I sometimes got really tense and tried to focus on their flaws. This did nothing for my wellbeing but make me hate everything in life. It was like a dark cloud always hung over my head, following me and only me.

In Psych 1, I learned about positive psychology. Psychologist Martin Seligman’s most famous theory states that it only takes 15 minutes of positive reflection on your day, every day, to make you a more positive person. Of course I thought it was a hoax and it would never work for me, but it was a class assignment. We all had to spend 15

“Negativity and misanthropy are wastes of time and energy.”

Journaling and positive thinking has changed my life. Some people might find it cliché and adolescent to keep a “diary,” but it does a lot of good and works wonders on the soul. Writing has helped me to become more in touch with my thoughts, and translating those thoughts into words on paper helped me find myself. It is also a good way to capture my youth, and when I’m old and gray, I’ll have these journals to reminisce on.

Once I started writing more about all that

would see their good side and praise them for it. I felt more compassionate, more willing to forgive and forget. I made up with a lot of people who had done me wrong in the past, and somehow, we became closer.

“It will take some soulsearching and some serious self-evaluation, but soon enough, you will find yourself. Start off positively.”

It will take some soul-searching and some serious self-evaluation, but soon enough, you will find yourself. Start off positively.

Try to think of at least one good thing you have going for you in life. Do this as often as possible and watch your world change. You may fall back, but after that, you can only go up from below. Your smile will be brighter, you will see the world in new ways and you will notice everyone’s good side and be able to look over their “faults.” You will find what you love, what you are passionate about, and above all, you will find out who you are.

12

OP/ED

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

America’s immigration situation in the 21st century

By IzzIe OsOrIO, staff WrIter In 2011, the rebellion against Syria’s totalitarian government began. The battle between the State and its people quickly evolved into one of mass warfare. While most of the casualties belong to those of the rebels, there is another victim - the innocent bystanders. The result has been more than 200,000 innocent deaths of civilians as a result of the rebels and drone strikes.

In an effort to try to avoid an untimely demise, citizens of Syria are fleeing by the millions and are trying to seek refuge in other countries such as Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming amount of refugees, countries such as these are refusing to take them.

“While most of the casualties belong to those of the rebels, there is another victim - the innocent bystander.”

President Barack Obama has pledged to receive 10,000 Syrian refugees, but due to the steadily increasing amount of ISIS attacks, many politicians are opposed to resettling the asylum seekers here. The question then remains, is the refusal to accept Syrian refugees justified?

Personally, I answer with a most emphatic no.

The three main voices of the disapproval to accept Syrian refugees stand as Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Chris Christie. What’s most perplexing about the opposition is that they are only adamant in refusing Muslim Syrian refugees. Cruz, for example, is vehement in professing his beliefs that only Christian Syrian refugees ought to be accepted and the Muslim Syrian refugees ought to be rejected. Christie and Trump share the same sentiment in saying that Muslim Syrian refugees should be rejected also. Senators and Governors across 31 states in America share the same thought process to some degree that Muslim Syrian refugees should not be brought into America. Their reasoning?

Muslims are much more dangerous than Christians since the terror group ISIS subscribes to the Islamic religion. It’s an assumption that is

very deeply rooted in religious discrimination and thus so is wrong.

There are two reasons why the refusal to accept Syrian Refugees, specifically Muslim refugees, should be rejected. The first is very obvious - ISIS and Islam are not related. Yes, while ISIS claims to be a group dedicated to Islam, the very basis of their organization goes against the principles of that religion. Those who are Islamic are not supposed to terrorize or kill those who are not soldiers in war, only kill in self-defense and spread a principle of peace - all of which ISIS has explicitly violated. Since ISIS clearly goes against the basis of Islam, they cannot be representative of the Muslim community, thus all assumptions that the Muslim Syrian refugees would be inherently violent are false. Since that assumption has been clarified, any further opposition to accepting Syrian refugees, regardless of religion, would be extremely ignorant, harmful and irresponsible. The Syrian citizens are facing the risk of death on a day-to-day basis due to terrorism or careless air strikes and while Congress deliberates whether we should accept them or not, they face another day of hell. To

remain dormant in the midst of this crisis is to directly send the Syrians to their death - it is disgusting, to say the very least.

and scatters it across the globe for the world to see, opening the most vulnerable parts of their minds in order to convey a message to the viewer. Not many realize how taxing the creative process is to the creator, instead they view the artist as being lazy when they talk about the trouble they see in their profession. Expression comes at a cost of sanity for some, which is why artists deserve the utmost respect for what they do.

In a study headed by the world renowned Swedish Medical University, Karolinska Institutet, it was found that people holding jobs in creative fields such as authors, photographers and dancers are overrepresented in the population of the mentally ill. Specifically, writers are 121 percent more likely to suffer from the condition compared to the average citizen and are nearly 50 percent more likely to commit suicide then the average citizen, which just goes to show how taxing it is to create.

Famously, authors such as Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson committed suicide both due to forms of depression that were reflected in their respective works. Poet Edgar Allen Poe is known for his dark mood

and voice in his writing, but did that tone come from a place of creativity or a tortured mind? Would Poe have been able to cast such a gloomy atmosphere in his writing if not for his depression?

been able to leave the legacy they did were not pushed by overwhelming mental illnesses? Though not all high achievers are plagued with mental illness, it cannot be ignored that the creativity needed to produce change is often fueled by a troubled mind.

A main reason that mental health is being studied more today than ever before is due to the plight of several famous people which has brought increased awareness to the cost of creativity.

If one is to think about it, creativity and madness are not that far away from each other, both involve making something out of nothing, and both involve inputting immense amounts of emotion and effort into something that might not pan out. Art is best when it is used as a weapon but not a war; in other words, it is best used to reflect emotion, but not the cost of the emotion.

Artists travel across the country opening up their heart for the world to see, often showing the worst and best parts of them for public entertainment with little sympathy. People must see the sacrifice artists make in order to truly understand the cost of creativity.

“To remain dormant in the midst of this crisis is to directly send the Syrians to their death - it is disgusting, to say the very least.”

In order to solve this issue, the answer is pretty simple - we educate the public. The public, as well as politicians, are rooted in the idea that ISIS and Islam are synonymous. Out of fear and ignorance, it breeds an environment of deceit in which harmful assumptions are made. If we educate the uneducated on how ISIS and Islam are not related, and that the Syrians are facing imminent death every moment, they will be much more receptive to receiving these refugees and thus will be the result. If we have the capacity to receive them, and we do, we ought to at the very least should resettle the Syrian refugees in America to aid in avoiding their deaths.

The meaning of art, mental illness and the cost of creativity

By Kade WalKer, spOrts edItOr In elementary school art classes, many kids come to know the story of Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh and his lost ear. The story goes that due to a deep depression, he cut off his own ear and later painted his wounds in a fittingly titled painting called, “SelfPortrait with Bandaged Ear.” While arriving around 125 years late to the point, psychologists now say that van Gogh’s overwhelmingly beautiful art may have been linked to his crippling mental illnesses. People often don’t appreciate the pain and hard work it takes for artists to create art.

“Expression comes at a cost of sanity for some, which is why artists deserve the utmost respect for what they do.”

Artists often speak of sacrificing and struggling for their art, which is not something most people understand. An artist often cuts out the best part of themselves

“If one is to think about it, creativity and madness are not that far away from each other, both involve making something out of nothing, and both involve inputting immense amounts of emotion and effort into something that might not pan out.”

Beyond art, high risers are often also mentally troubled. Abraham Lincoln suffered from a “medical melancholy” that would be classified as depression today. Albert Einstein suffered from schizophrenic symptoms and his son was later diagnosed with depression. Charles Darwin struggled with anxiety and depression for parts of his career. Would these great humans have

OP/ED

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

13

Caitlyn Jenner: Find a new face for the transgender community

By SwetHa Saravanan, newS editor

Let me just begin by acknowledging that my stance is based on a third-party perspective. Do I face the struggles that transgender males and females do? No. But, do I support the LGBTQ community and recognize a poor influence when I see one? Yes. On the surface, Caitlyn Jenner seemed like a breakthrough to the transgender community. She is someone who held great power and fame to help spread awareness of the issues that current transgender people frequently encounter. She has a new show called “I am Cait,” and speaks out about her own journey. Jenner is a strong female who has been through a lot. What is confusing extends deeper than her perceived outlook. Transgenders deserve a better role model.

In recent interviews, Jenner describes herself as a full-fledged conservative and believes in traditional values. Her conservatism reaches her viewpoints even in the LGBTQ community, which she is a part of. As a member of the LGBTQ community, she contradicts the objectives of the society as a whole. Jenner is a public icon who is one representation of the transgender community.

Her beliefs carry more weight as a result of her privilege.

On Ellen she stated, “‘I’m a traditionalist.

I’m older than most people in the audience.

I kind of like tradition, and it’s always been a man and a woman. I’m thinking, ‘I don’t quite get it,’” Jenner explains her thought on same-sex marriage.

“Sexual orientation is a personal identity similar to how someone identifies with a gender or no gender at all...”

Another controversial episode occurred in Jenner’s Time magazine interview. “‘I think it’s much easier for a transwoman or a transman who authentically kind of looks and plays the role... I think it puts people at ease. If you’re out there and, to be honest with you, if you look like a man in a dress, it makes people uncomfortable,’” said Jenner. “‘So the first thing I can do is try to present myself well.’”

“Trying to apply oneself to how society expects one to be will not bring a favorable reception. On the other hand, there are more ways to bring Numerous people do not ‘get’ transgender about change and openmindpeople either. Sexual orientation is a personal edness with education...” identity similar to how someone identifies with a gender or no gender at all. Her ideas are hypocritical. She asks for the acceptance of others but fails to accept members of another misunderstood community. Jenner communicating a homophobic message is not the ideal way for her to welcome differences or to spread tolerance in any society.

Jenner has all of the resources to transition with a safe medical procedure. There are countless transgender people who do not have the same financial capacity nor the necessary assistance to move forward. Regardless, people should not have to feel insecure

from dressing a certain way. Style is a form of expression to voice individuality. If a male wants to wear what is considered ‘feminine’ it should be okay because it makes the attired person happy. The world should be beyond the gender binary that it has established.

Colors or mannerisms do not define a gender. Trying to apply oneself to how society expects one to be will not bring a favorable reception. On the other hand, there are more ways to bring about change and open-mindedness with education.

As a role model and a leader, Jenner is very biased and hypocritical. Her background allows her to influence an international audience. Therefore, those who look up to her and do not know much about the transgendered receive a false idea of the community.

People of her stature generally do not have impartial or ignorant beliefs. They battle intolerance with tolerance of other communities. People have differences and no matter what they are, there is a place to welcome everyone. The end goal is to find a place for the transgendered too. There should be a new face for the beautiful members of the transgender community.

Heroes are the ones remembered, but legends never die

By Joe Hiatt, entertainment editor

Jerry Rice, Robert De Niro and The Beatles, they all started off as rookies, but to this day they are still considered some of the greatest at what they did. They all started their careers and showed signs of greatness before the age of 30. Who today are the young upand-comers who are showing a lot of greatness in their craft? Who will my generation’s kids look up to?

“In the sports world there are many great and amazingly talented young athletes such as Cam Newton, Ronda Rousey and Kevin Durant.”

In the sports world there are many great and amazingly talented young athletes such as Cam Newton, Ronda Rousey and Kevin Du-

rant, just to name a few. But the guy worth talking about is point guard for the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry. At the age of 27, Curry is already a legend. He led his team to an NBA Championship last year and earned himself the 2015 MVP. Curry is only getting better each and every year. This year he is averaging 32.4 points a game and has his team off to the best start ever to a season in NBA history. If Curry keeps all this up, which I know he will, he has got himself a comfortable spot in the NBA Hall of Fame.

Actor Michael B. Jordan started his career at the age of 14 when he got a job on the hit TV show “The Wire.” From his first job until now, he has always found a way to steal the screen. But it wasn’t until 2013 when he was in the film “Fruitvale Station” where he had audiences captivated. In “Fruitvale Station” Jordan plays the real life person Oscar Grant, who was killed by police in downtown San Francisco at the age of 22 on New Year’s Eve. In preparation for the role, Jordan met

and developed strong relationships with the family and friends of the real Oscar Grant.

“Fruitvale Station” is a powerful movie driven by an amazing performance by Jordan. The 28-year-old actor took on a new role in 2015 in one of the most classic film franchises ever.

Jordan plays the lead in “Creed,” the seventh film in the “Rocky” series. Jordan plays Adonis Creed, the long lost son of Apollo Creed, the famous boxer and competitor, trainer and friend of Rocky Balboa. Jordan has a strong future ahead of him. He has become one of my favorites just in the last few years and I am excited to see what the next couple decades hold for this great actor.

Singer Adele blessed our eardrums for the first time when she was just 19 and then again when she was 21 and yet again just this year as a 25-year-old. Adele has one of the most powerful and soulful voices of our generation.

With only three albums, “19,” “21” and “25,” she has left us so satisfied and eager to hear more. Adele’s album “21” won her a total of

six Grammys. Adele is young and so talented, she has an amazing future ahead of her. She is going to be an artist that will never be forgotten.

When it comes to thinking about these three great people a quote from one of my fa-

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STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT

Tarantino’s eighth film, ‘The Hateful Eight,’ is nothing to hate

By Morgan Matzen Quentin Tarantino’s eighth cinematic endeavor, “The Hateful Eight,” follows the Tarantino formula as a wintry western in the style of his most recent film “Django Unchained,” and a ‘whodunit’ similar to his 1992 film, “Reservoir Dogs.” Through themes of vengeance and justice, motives are concealed, but true identities are soon revealed.

Beating a blizzard in a stagecoach on the way to Red Rock, WY, is bounty hunter John Ruth, the ‘Hangman,’ played by Kurt Russell. Ruth has chained himself to his prisoner, fugitive Daisy Domergue, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. They reluctantly pick up two stranded men on their journey to Red Rock where Domergue is to be hung and where Ruth will collect his bounty. Samuel L. Jackson, a Tarantino frequent flyer, plays Major Marquis Warren, a famous bounty hunter who fought as a union soldier in the recent Civil War. Ruth and Warren form an unlikely alliance as bounty hunters, and Warren joins their party. They come across Chris Mannix, played by a very animated Walton Goggins, who claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock.

The intensity of the blizzard forces the group to stay the night at cozy Minnie’s Haberdashery, where they meet the rest of the eight men of their

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Quetin Tarantino’s newest film, “The Hateful Eight”, received an 8.1 rating on IMDb.

hateful breed: Bob, the Mexican man, played by Demián Bichir, who claims that he is watching the place while Minnie visits family; the charismatic Oswaldo Mobray, played by Tim Roth; the cow puncher Joe Gage, played by Michael Madsen, and the old man, Confederate General Sandy Smithers, played by Bruce Dern.

This film lives up to director Tarantino’s signature formula: incisive and at times, humorous character dialogue, a theme of vengeance, violence,

minority struggles, monologues, and an homage to the way film has been shot in the past.

“The Hateful Eight” was shot with antique film lenses and is being projected at select theatres in 70mm Ultra Panavision, which means that the film produced is wider and more detailed. This old-timey format allows for clearer shots. It is easy to see every pore and wrinkle on the eight’s faces as well as faraway mountain landscapes.

The plot of this film is very thick, with so many

main character backstories and a lot of introduction to get through. In order to make sense of the background information on each of the hateful eight, the story moves as slowly as molasses for its nearly three hour run time. The amount of backstory and introduction takes roughly an hour to get through, but it is brilliant writing on Tarantino’s part and it helps to justify some of the character’s motives.

This film is not for the faint of heart. The violence in several scenes is best described as a fastpaced blood bath. There is a lot of gory imagery; for instance, a person’s head is completely blown off in one gunslinging moment. There are a few very loud and unexpected gunshots that are just as frightening as a jumpscare in a horror movie.

As with any Tarantino film, there is a glib use of swear words about every 20 seconds, as well as racial slurs. There is one violent sexual scene that lasts only about a minute.

With as much violence and offensive language as this film has, “The Hateful Eight” gets an ‘R’ rating. Critics of the film will not like its length or pacing, or the sheer amount of violence that takes place. Yet, this film will be praised by fans of Tarantino’s work, people who enjoy suspense, western film lovers and fans of action.

Moe’s Southwest Grill brings a unique taste to Tex-Mex cuisine

By Megan Landon Moe’s Southwest Grill made its appearance in Sioux Falls, SD on Thursday, Oct. 29 this past fall and so far has been a hit with youth and adults alike. It has been given good reviews for its quality, friendly service and environment. Labeled “Mexican and Tex-Mex Cuisine,” Moe’s hits the spot with tasty food, special deals and low prices.

Moe’s has many advantages such as deals like “Moe’s Monday,” where anyone who buys a burrito can make it into a meal for just $5.75. Another great deal is that they serve free chips and salsa with every meal, and customers can buy a cup of warm queso as well. Moe’s has a variety of different burritos, salads, bowls, quesadillas and other tex-mex foods that cannot be found at restaurants like Qdoba or Chipotle. Stacks are a special trademarked meal that only they serve, where two crispy and crunchy shells filled with steak, chicken, pork, beef or tofu are wrapped in a tortilla, and then pico de gallo, cheese, beans and any other vegetable or ingredients that a customer wants can be added. The taste of the food at Moe’s is much milder than other tex-mex restaurants with its juicy pico de gallo and meat.

Another positive attribute of Moe’s is that they

PHOTO BY MADDY HACKETT

New Mexican restaurant, Moe’s, is located on 41st and Western and is a convenient place for students at LHS to eat for open lunch.

have relatively large portion sizes, along with a good serving of chips and salsa, meanwhile still keeping it as healthy as possible. All ingredients

at Moe’s are prepared fresh daily, and individually they are either all-natural or grain-fed. Moe’s is a part of the “Food Mission” where they also have

gluten-free and vegetarian options for anyone who requests them.

The greatest disadvantage of Moe’s is that it is in a location that is inconvenient. Many businesses have been unsuccessful in the strip mall on Western Ave and 41st St. by RedRossa because it is hard to take a left turn into the tiny parking lot during lunch hour, or any other time for that matter. For students at LHS, it is close to the school and takes less than five minutes to reach, but getting into the parking lot is the problem.

Also, even though it has tasty food, it is not quite as impressive as Qdoba. The two restaurants come close in comparison, but Qdoba is more expensive but has better flavored queso and more options of salsa, and Moe’s is cheaper but has only two kinds of salsa.

Overall, the quality of the food served at Moe’s is not much different from other restaurants of its kind, but the cheap prices set it apart. High school students should be much more willing to fork out $7 or $8 for a meal than over $10 at Qdoba even if it means sacrificing quality. Everyone should give Moe’s Southwest Grill a chance and try it because it is a nice place to eat lunch if anyone is interested in trying something new.

ENTERTAINMENT

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

17

“The list is an absolute good. The list is life.” -Itzhak Stern ‘Schindler’s List’

BY JOE HIATT Two candles are lit as a Jewish family celebrates the beginning of the Sabbath, the candles continue to burn as the wax gets shorter, the color and the mood of the film gets darker, the candle burns out and with it the color of the film, our fear of what is to come begins.

One can read every book about the Holocaust and be a total expert on the history of it, but that person will never understand the true meaning of what the Holocaust was.

Steven Spielberg's film “Schindler’s List” gets closer to the truth and especially the horror of the Holocaust better than any book or movie ever could. “Schindler’s List” is a story about a man by the name of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who played an important role in the Holocaust.

Schindler is a con man, a member of the Nazi party, a businessman and a womanizer but in spite of it all, he is a hero. We first meet Schindler at a nightclub where he is trying to win over the respect of a high-ranking Nazi official so he can secure a contract; he does so with ease. With the signed contract in hand, Schindler will open a factory. There he will make shells for bombs with a Jewish workforce for the German army. Schindler was

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOE HIATT

not required to pay the Jews, which allowed him to maximize his profit. Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), a Jewish accountant, was hired by Schindler to recruit the Jewish workforce.

Stern finds many Jewish workers for Schindler.

Workers at the factory are considered “essential” - meaning they are saved from being taken to death camps. Stern uses this power simply to save people, hiring people that the Nazis would deem worthless. Schindler starts out feeling indifferent to the treatment of Jews; he sees them only as a way to make money. But as he gets to know the people he has hired, his view starts to

change. Fear is contagious, but courage is too.

Stern is a man that shows a lot of courage in the face of the overwhelming evil of the Holocaust. Stern’s courage brings out the morals of Schindler. It gives him the courage to save Jews; he simply cannot stand and watch people he knows be sent to their death.

“Schindler’s List” has two main characters, both are who they are because of the role they play in the war, one being Schindler and the other being Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes who plays Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies), a sadistic murdering psychopath. Goeth rep-

resents the sickening evil of the Nazi party.

There are many similarities between Goeth and Schindler such as greed and self-centeredness but unlike Schindler, Goeth shows no sign of goodness.

“Schindler’s List” is shot in black and white to emphasize the grittiness of World War II era and to highlight key elements of other scenes.

Schindler witnesses a little girl in a red coat from atop a hill as does the audience because her coat is the only color we see. She walks around as if invisible, as if she is floating amongst the crowd unnoticed by the Nazis. Her red coat symbolizes innocence, innocence of the Jewish people that died in the Holocaust, but it also signifies the blood on the Nazi’s hands.

This movie is not easy to watch. It is very graphic and violent, but I think it is very important to watch because the best way to not repeat something like the Holocaust again is to learn about it. Learn about the courage of Schindler; the courage that would go on to save more than 1,200 Jewish people. I have watched this movie four times now and each time I have viewed it, I think about myself and if I would have the courage like Schindler did, even in the face of overwhelming evil.

From the charts to the halls: the most popular songs

BY JULIA BREUKELMAN AND SYDNEY ROSINSKY

18

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT

New film ‘Joy,’ brings moderate joy to the theaters

By Erin DaughErty Take an amazing director David O. Russell, who created the Oscar-driven movies “American Hustle” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” Add that to an amazing cast, including Russell’s goto stars of Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro, combine one inspiring storyline and the outcome is a good movie.

Not a great movie, not an amazing movie, but a good movie. The movie “Joy” seemed to have audience members leaving the theater thinking the movie was satisfactory, nothing more or less.

“Joy” starts with the confusing opening of a made-up soap opera show. The actual story settles in after that, a true story about a housewife named Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence) who looks at her life one day and does not like what she sees; a dysfunctional family, a broken marriage and a disappointing job at an airport.

Her mother Terry (Virginia Madsen) spends her days hidden away in her room watching the infamous soap operas that add comic relief and confusion throughout the movie. While her father Rudy (Robert De Niro) flops from one unsuccessful relationship to the next, her

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence), a divorced mother of two, strives to create a new invention to help support her family.

husband, Tony (Édgar Ramirez), while kind, is also a bum, living in Joy’s basement, attempting to become a famous singer by performing at nightclubs.

Joy knows what she must do in order to get her life back on track. One day while trying to clean up a mess involving broken glass she has an epiphany; to invent a new kind of mop.

Movie watchers feel compassion towards the friends who help Joy’s dream along the way.

Childhood friend Jackie (Dascha Polanco) stands by her side no matter what and Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper), helps Joy along the way when it seems nobody else will.

IMDb rated Joy with 6.6/10 stars, while Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of only 57 percent, or a rating of 6.2/10 stars. The movie had great promise, but instead of having an incredible outcome, viewers were left with a movie that had its ups and downs. Some moments had the audience gasping at different conversations and laughing out loud at the comical situations that the characters got themselves into, but the movie also includes points where the audience was left wondering why they had decided to put in certain scenes, since it only seemed to confuse watchers.

All in all, people should give the movie a try. While it may not pass the bar into becoming one the most critically acclaimed movies of all time, it is an inspiring story with scenes and dialogue that fills viewers with a range of emotions. One thing is for certain; although it may just seem to be a movie about a woman and her mop, it turns out to be so much more.

The startling truths of ‘Concussion’ hit football lovers hard

By anna BoyEns Based on the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, an American immigrant from Nigeria and forensic neuropathologist, “Concussion” follows his discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, better known as CTE. Director and writer Peter Landesman takes on a serious and disclosed topic, the occurrence of brain trauma in football, particularly professional. “Concussion” captures the disturbing facts of hard hits that football lovers look forward to watching every Sunday and tune into ESPN to relive.

The film opens with former Pittsburgh Steeler center, Mike Webster’s (David Morse) game footage while his speech at a conference is playing in the background.

Switching to present time, the film finds Webster living in his car suffering from many symptoms of dementia. Not long after he is found, Webster commits suicide. The death of Webster leaves the entire city of Pittsburgh in disbelief. Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) is given the task of examining Webster’s body after his shocking death. After further examination and expensive tests,

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Baldwin and Smith star in “Concussion” as they work to uncover the truth of what playing football can do to an athlete.

Dr. Omalu concurs that there is more to this death than what the tests are showing.

Dr. Omalu befriends Dr. Julian Bailes (Alec

Baldwin), a former Steelers team doctor, to help him figure out what killed Webster. Dr. Omalu believes that Webster’s death was re-

lated to football, and he sets out to prove it.

Smith’s performance as Dr. Bennet Omalu is nothing shy of outstanding. His ability to capture not only the Nigerian accent of Dr. Omalu but also his body language and facial expressions, takes the movie to a whole new level. Smith has been nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance and a few other nominations have occurred as well.

“Concussion” strives to tell the truth, the truth of what hard hits are doing to our beloved football players’ brains. The struggles of telling the truth when the whole country is against you, minus the select few who believe in science, are easily seen. It is not far-fetched. Landesman’s film has in, some ways, demonized the NFL as their reaction to the discovery made by Dr. Omalu is not what a mother whose son plays football everyday would want to see. For sports fans, especially those who devote their weekends and some Mondays and Thursdays to football, athletes and those interested in science, this movie is worth the watch.

Bieber fever in 2010 vs. Bieber fever in 2016

BY ANNA BRECHT For Justin Bieber, YouTube was his claim to fame. Videos of a little boy showing off his voice kept appearing online, and people all over began to wonder who this singing sensation was.

Finally he came out with his first album in 2009, “My World,” which was followed by a second album in 2010, “My World 2.0.” It is no question that the “Bieber Fever” was real in 2010, but it may not have been as intense as it is now, in 2016.

Bieber’s new album, “Purpose,” has been off the charts, literally. This album opened with the worldwide number one single “What Do You Mean,” released on August 28, over a month before he debuted his album. The early release of the single “What Do You Mean” made people all over the world highly anticipating “Purpose,” set out to be released

on November 13. Along with each year of Bieber’s stardom came a different hairstyle.

Being only 15 when the young star’s first album came out, Bieber reached fame at an early age. His debut album was nominated for a Juno Award for Pop Album of the Year. Bieber’s second album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. His fan base grew rapidly, and continued to rise with each album and song that he released. By 2010, girls, and even some boys were crazy about Bieber and his music, and these fans have been called “Beliebers” since then. Fans waited outside the doors of his concerts days at a time. At one of Bieber’s first tours, an 18-year-old couple waited outside for three days and three nights and were even willing to miss their high school prom for the opportunity. This showed

that his “Beliebers” were not just limited to pre-teenage girls. As the name “Justin Bieber” was becoming more well-known around the world, a documentary “Never Say Never” was released in 2011 to show Bieber’s rise through fame, and fans went crazy over it. Needless to say, the Bieber Fever was evident and growing throughout the beginning of his career. Bieber’s third album “Believe” was released in 2012, and caused almost as much madness as the “My World” album series.

Bieber was said to have gone off track for about three years, while he did not produce any albums from 2012-2014. A series of events from 2013-2014 caused fans and people to believe he was headed in the wrong direction. A video was taken of him peeing in a bucket, and he was taken to jail for a day in 2014 for drag racing. But it was not long before

his faith got him back on the right path in life. Including a song about God in his album, Bieber shows how He has helped him through a tough time in life.

His album “Purpose” has been a hit all over the world since it has been released over a month ago. It debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 522,000 copies in its first week of release. After his three year break, this album was highly anticipated to be unbelievable, and he did not disappoint. Fans went crazy when it was released, and the Bieber Fever was officially back, at an all-time high. Impressing “Beliebers” and others with his new music, people have been obsessing over all of Bieber’s new tracks on his album. The Bieber fever has grown and gotten crazier since the teenage days of Bieber, and it does not look like it will end anytime soon.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE

20

ENTERTAINMENT

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

The “Superman”

“Gangnam Style”

The “Nae Nae” The “Dab”

The “Whip”

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Sports LHS STATESMAN

JANUARY 25, 2016

By the Numbers

93

POINTS

THE GIRLS

BASKETBALL TEAM SCORED AGAINST

BY LUCY DEKKENGA

EDEN PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL

INCHES TALL SENIOR

79

BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER

TOMMY JEN-

SEN SPANS

13

DAYS UNTIL THE 50TH ANNUAL SUPERBOWL IS PLAYED

6th

MAN: THE STUDENT SECTION WHICH GIVES THE

LHS

BASKETBALL TEAMS A ADVANTAGE

Upcoming Events Tuesday, January 26th Girls basketball vs BVHS @ LHS 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, January 26th

Boys Basketball vs Sioux City south @ Sioux City 7;30 p.m.

Thursday, January 28th Wrestling Triangular @ LHS 5:00 p.m.

Q: How long is the season?

A: “From October to late March or early April,” said Sophomore Riley Sullivan.

Q: How many hours do you put in each week for practice?

A: “We practice at least four times a week and practices are an hour and a half long,” said Sullivan. “That's not including games which are normally Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”

Q: Who are your team rivals?

A: “We don’t like Pierre, Rapid and especially Brookings,” said Sullivan. “Brookings is by far our biggest rival.”

Q: How far do you travel?

A: “We can travel all the way to

Rapid in a season,” said Sullivan. “Sometimes we go out of the state and play in Edina, MN or Omaha, NE.”

Q: How is indoor soccer different than outdoor soccer?

A: “Indoor and outdoor soccer vary greatly,” said sophomore Isaac Woods. “You play in smaller areas than you do outdoors and play 4v4 with a keeper instead of 10v10 with a keeper. When you’re playing indoors, a great player consists of ball control and smart plays, but outdoors a great player is smart, fast and strong.”

Q: What do you do for practices and games?

A: “We go out to the field house twice a week to practice and play on gym floor,” said Sophomore Tianna Neuharth.

Q: How many hours do you put in each week?

A: “Every single week varies on what we put into practices,” said Woods. “Sometimes we have two or three [practices] and other times we just have one, but each practice is around two hours.”

Q: How long is the season?

A: “The season is usually from about August to May but now with the new rink we have the opportunity to skate year-round,” said Junior Natalie Richardson.

Q: How many hours do you put in each week/what do you do to practice?

A: “I skate about four or five hours a week and coach about two more on top of that,” said Richardson. “I practice jumps that I am trying to land and also programs for upcoming shows or competitions.”

Q: What do you wear when you perform and practice?

A: “When we perform we wear skating dresses, the more sparkles the better, and tights,” said Richardson.

“When we practice we wear skating pants and athletic wear.”

22

SPORTS

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

Standing Patriette

Why fans should look forward to March Madness

BY MEGAN LANDON, STAFF WRITER As the college football season came to an end and winter has arrived for good, NCAA Division One basketball is back in full swing.

Although we are sad to see the football season end, fans of college basketball can’t wait for March to come around so they can support their teams during March Madness. As the season progresses, it will be exciting to see which teams come out on top heading into the last stretch of the season.

There is always parity in Division One college basketball, and this season has been no exception. The frontrunners early in the season came as no surprise: Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Kansas and Michigan State, among others, consistently ranked in the top 10 on the AP Poll in the beginning of the long season. These veteran NCAA Tournament teams competed difficult schedules early, some contending for

the Champion’s Classic, Battle for Atlantis and the Maui Invitational to jumpstart the season. After that, the elite teams all played difficult non-conference schedules, leading up to even harder conference games in the major conferences, like the Big Ten, ACC, SEC and Big 12.

Conference play is always tough because teams know one another so much better due to going head-to-head several times in a single season and is by far the most intense part of the season to

watch. Anyone can beat anyone. As teams head past the middle of the season and into the finish line, conference tournaments will play a big part in who makes the NCAA Tournament and who doesn’t.

The seed that a team receives actually does make a difference in whether they can make a run in the national tournament or not. The higher seed a team is, the easier path to the Final Four they have because they play lower seeded teams. For example, last year the No. 1

seed, Kentucky played No. 16 Hampton, giving them a lighter load heading into the more competitive stages of the tournament.

Fans of college basketball need to tune into the season as soon and as much as possible because there is so much knowledge to gain heading into March. Although it is still a couple months away, both elite and hopeful teams are fighting for that national tournament bid. March Madness is truly madness.

Upsets are the norm, especially No. 5 seeds vs.

No. 12 seeds. Some teams seem as though they are made for March, and others buckle under the pressure. Basketball fans should follow the men’s basketball season intently because it is impossible to know who could be a Cinderella story or get knocked out early come March.

We are all anxiously waiting.

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SPORTS

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

LHS’ ATHLETIC SUPERHEROES

23

BY KADE WALKER

Tucker Hall as Thor

The Norse God of thunder is known for welding his hammer “Mjolnir” with his immense strength, being one of the most loved heroes in all of comics, and also for his incredible hair. Likewise, junior Tucker Hall is known for displaying great strength both on and off the football field, as well as being a student with great character and incredible hair. Thor happens to have an evil brother named Loki, who has been a frequent antagonist in “The Avenger” movies. Hall also happens to have a brother that graduated from LHS’ inner-city rival, WHS, so you could pretty much say it is the same thing.

Corey Fichter As The Hulk

There must be a reason why nobody has seen junior Corey Fichter and The Incredible Hulk in the same room. The Hulk is known for being one of the strongest superheroes in all of comic books, and the tank of the avengers. Fichter is known for dealing out punishment on the football field and on the wrestling mat, and stands to be one of the strongest athlete’s pound for pound among LHS students. Moral of the story is, do not make Fichter angry, you will not like him when he is angry.

Nolan Burchill as Captain America

Captain America is known to have gained superhero strength through a military experiment that allowed him to throw his iconic red, white and blue shield at insane speeds. However, University of Minnesota recruit senior Nolan Burchill is not the result of military experiments, but the result of summers upon summers perfecting his craft of pitching on top of the mound. The leader of “The Avengers” is known also for his enhanced recovery speed, which is a talent Burchill displayed during the 2014 football season when he beat the recovery time table to help the Pats take a state title.

Izzy Vanveldhuizen as Black Widow

Black Widow is known for her world class athletic ability that is prominent in every task the super hero partakes in. Izzy VanVeldhuizen is a three sport senior athlete and a force to be reckoned with on a majority of LHS girls’ sports team. The Augustana women’s basketball commit has held significant roles on the LHS girls’ volleyball, basketball and track teams during her four years at LHS. She seems to be similar to Black widow because they are both very versatile.

PHOTOS BY MADDY HACKETT

24

SPORTS

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

Alabama beats Clemson and wins fourth championship in seven years

BY MADISON LANDON

On Monday, Jan. 11, the College Football Playoff championship game took place in Glendale, AZ. It was the game every college football fan had been waiting for all season, and it proved to be a good one. Clemson fought Alabama hard all the way into the fourth quarter, but Alabama proved to be a task Clemson could not handle in the end. While both teams enjoyed huge amounts of success during the season, only one team could be on top in the end, and that team was Alabama, ending Clemson’s undefeated season.

From the beginning of the first quarter it proved to be an entertaining game, with Alabama and Clemson each trading empty possessions from solid defensive stops. However, on the next drive, Alabama received the punt, and went on a 59-yard drive in 55 seconds to put the Crimson Tide up 7-0 on Clemson early in the quarter. It should come as no

shock that the touchdown came from Heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry. Following the Alabama touchdown, Clemson answered right away, walking 54 yards down the field to tie the game at 7 apiece on a touchdown from Deshaun Watson to Hunter Renfrow. Through the first quarter, whatever Alabama did, Clemson did too.

Solid defensive stops by Clemson forced Alabama to punt again to begin the second quarter. However, with 11:58 left in the second quarter, Alabama took advantage of an interception by Eddie Jackson at Clemson’s 42-yard line and a facemask penalty to power Henry into the endzone to tie the game up at 14. Going into halftime, Clemson had a chance at a field goal, but it was blocked and both teams ended even at 14-14.

Beginning the second half, Clemson went three-andout which led to Alabama going down the field en route to a 3 play, 64-

yard drive that ended with a pass touchdown from Jake Coker to O.J. Howard to put the Tide up 21-14 early in the third quarter. The next time down the field, after dropping the ball in the endzone on third down, Clemson kicked a field goal to pull the score to 21-17.

On their next drive, Clemson scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 60-yard drive to put the Tigers in the lead 24-21, which would be the score going into the fourth quarter, and the last time Clemson would lead.

In an action packed fourth quarter, Alabama started out with the ball and game-tying field goal to make the game 24-24. Fans could tell the momentum was starting to shift in Alabama’s favor when they followed their field goal by recovering their own onside kick at the 50 yard line to set up a touchdown and go up 31-24 on Clemson. Another

notable play in the fourth quarter for Alabama was when Kenyan Drake returned Clemson’s kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown to put Alabama up 38-27 with 7:37 left in the game.

Clemson was not done yet, as they went down the field to score a TD, but failed at a two-point conversion with the score 38-33. Alabama scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown when Henry scored again make the score 45-33. In the final seconds of the game, Clemson scored with 12 seconds left to make the final score 45-40.

In the end, Alabama came out on top for one of the greatest runs in college football history, claiming its fourth title in just seven years under coach Nick Saban. Solid performances from Derrick Henry, who lead the team with three touchdowns on 158 rushing yards and 36 carries, and Jake Coker, who finished the game 16/25 for 335 yards and two touchdowns, propelled Alabama to a win over Deshaun Watson and the No. 1 Clemson Tigers.

PHOTOS BY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

LHS gymnastics and wrestling teams work towards state title

BY MADDI BARNESS During an intense game, many athletes look to each other on the court or on the field for support. However, gymnasts and wrestlers have the challenge of competing alone while earning points for their team. Although the two sports do not have as many supporters at meets compared to others, the LHS gymnastics and wrestling teams have some of the most talented and dedicated athletes in the school.

Gymnastics includes four different events; vault, uneven bars, floor and beam; however, each gymnast does not have to compete on every event. LHS senior Samara Green has been on the gymnastics team all four years of high school and competes on both bars and floor.

“One of my favorite parts of gymnastics is being able to compete with all my friends and have them by my side,” said Green. “And just the adrenaline rush it gives you.”

Green, along with the other girls on the team, practices every day after school to reach her goal of making it to state.

“The most challenging part is getting over your fear of a skill because there’s obviously parts that are scary, but you have to find a way to overcome your fears and conquer them,” said Green.

In order to get to state in February, LHS

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SAMARA GREEN AND COREY FICHTER

LHS senior Samara Green and junior Corey Fichter hope to lead their teams to a state title in February. The next wrestling meet will be held at LHS on Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. and the next gymnastics meet will be at WHS on Jan. 30 at 11 a.m.

coach of 16 years, Les Frederick, pushes the girls each day to achieve their goals and become stronger athletes.

“Practice consists of warming up, stretching and getting ready for routines at each practice,” said Frederick. “And we do have our share of fun.”

Although most people have a pretty good idea of what gymnastics consists of, one of the more complicated parts of the sport is the scoring.

“Each event the girls try to start their rou-

tines at a 10 point value. 10.0 is the highest score you can get. By doing high level skills in the routine gets their score closer to that,” said Frederick. “The judges score them on how well they do their routine and deduct points from their skills not done perfectly.”

Along with gymnastics, wrestling is in the midst of their season, and head coach Mark Ernster works with the athletes every day to prepare them for each meet. LHS wrestler Corey Fichter has been wrestling for over 14 years, and like Green, hopes to perform well at state.

However, like every sport, wrestling comes with obstacles. The wrestlers have to make sure they fall in the correct weight class.

“It’s challenging losing weight,” said Fichter.

“The process starts by running every morning, then I eat very little during that day. Then I go to practice and if I am still over after I put on about three layers of clothes and run for another two hours.”

Similar to gymnastics, the score system of wrestling can get complicated because there are many things that the athletes can do to either gain or lose points.

“Takedowns are worth two points,” said Ernster. “Near falls, that’s when you expose an opponent on their back, that’s either worth two or three points. A reversal is worth two points and if you lose control that’s one point. And there are also penalty points.”

The team can also earn points depending on how many points each wrestler beats their opponent by.

“The best thing you can do team-wise is get a pin,” said Ernster. “If you pin your opponent you get six team points.”

With only around a month left until state for both sports, the athletes will continue to work hard in hopes that they will end their season with a win.

SPORTS

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

25

LHS team managers: managing schoolwork, time and sports teams

By Sydney RoSinSky Not only do players, coaches and trainers contribute to the time and work put into high school sports, but team managers play a big role as well. Most sports at LHS have a team manager that -helps the coaches and players throughout their season. There are many jobs and responsibilities that come along with managing such as: putting in extra time before and after school, keeping statistics, tending to the needs of the coaches and players and of course looking good while doing so.

During this season of winter sports, the varsity girls basketball team manager is ready to start off the season. Jaida Cooper, a freshman at LHS, decided to take on the tasks and responsibilities of being a team manager.

“I really love basketball and since my knees were bad I thought I should take that opportunity to manage the team,” said Cooper.

Cooper played in middle school and was more than willing to put in her time after school for the sport. It also helps that her sophomore sister, Jasmyne Cooper, is starting her second season being a part of the girls basketball program.

“I enjoy putting in my time after school because I get to be closer to my sister and

PHOTO BY MADDY HACKETT

Alexis Rost, along with the other team managers, goes to the wrestling meets to keep stats. They also help out at practice.

I get to go to every game so when she gets frustrated I can be there to support and calm her,” said Cooper.

Cooper is there for every practice and game. During the practices, she spends her time running the score board or helping fill water bottles up before the games and prac-

tices for the players. This is her first year as manager and is expecting to continue her duties of helping out the team for upcoming seasons.

Boys wrestling is another winter sport that is ready for the season with two sophomore team managers to help the team along the

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way. Alexis Rost and Hannah Rients are starting their second season managing the wrestling team. Their jobs consist of keeping stats at the meets and recording all of the matches, as well as being at school whenever the wrestlers have meets or practices.

“I enjoy taking stats for the team and helping out the coaches and players,” said Rost.

Rients enjoys the atmosphere of being at the meets and the opportunity to meet new people.

“One of my favorite things about being team manager for wrestling is meeting new people, including other team managers,” said Rients.

The two girls spend around an hour and a half at school after class gets out every day in order to fulfill their duties as team managers. They feel this extra time is worth it because they enjoy the sport and everything that comes along with managing the team.

Team managers play a big role in the sports that they have chosen to manage. They spend just as much extra time before or after school as the players do and are expected to be at every game. The coaches and players are all grateful for the time and effort the managers put into helping the team.

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STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

Ethan Weber, 12

BOYS BASKETBALL

Pregame ritual: Helping Daniel with his Pre-Calc homework, Go Yotes!

Good luck charm: Knowing Nolan has no game, Go Yotes!

If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Helping Mason and Mato with their vines, Go Yotes!

Tommy Jensen, 12 Pregame ritual: Admire Evan Hieber’s hair Good luck charm: Using heat packs without covers If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Just chilling.... in Cedar Rapids

Kaleb Dobbs, 11 Pregame ritual: Play some Black Ops with the lads Good luck charm: I get a snapchat from the Pink Crayon If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Lee and I would be somewhere in Vermillion

Brooke Luitjens, 11

Pregame ritual: Painting my nails Good luck charm: Black nail polish If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Full time assistant coaching Lincoln’s own Hi-Y team, “The Raging Gamecocks”

Pregame ritual: Talking to Dan about his problems Good luck charm: BVHS If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Taking a trip with Jake and Aidan

Evan Hieber, 12 Pregame ritual: Locker room jam session with Tommy J. Good luck charm: Burke Nielsen If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Skydiving

Nolan Burchill, 12 Pregame ritual? Talking to Ethan Weber about Valley City State University Good luck charm: Daniel’s game with the ladies If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Playing baseball and beating Daniel and Ethan in Black Ops 3, like I do now

Carson Coulter, 11

Pregame ritual: I have to put on my left sock, then right, then left shoe, then right. Always.

Good luck charm: Game Day snap from Griffin If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Freeing Jake and Stan from their girlfriends

Eric Looby, 11

Dillon Barrow, 10

Pregame ritual: Stroking Ben Schilling’s beard Good luck charm: Yes If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Lifting, unlike Xavier

Pregame ritual: Bein’ pretty with the pretty boy squad Good luck charm: Is it just me or does Caleb Belai look like Cleveland Brown?

If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Baking cookies with Natalie Breukelman

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Izzy VanVeldhuizen, 12 Pregame ritual: Watching Evan Hieber’s alley-oop dunk on repeat Good luck charm: Jill Ricke’s new ACL If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Binge-watching criminal minds

Lee Ransom, 12

MEET THE

Anna Brecht, 11

Pregame ritual: I have Sydney slap my face Good luck charm: Listening to Justin Bieber before my games If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Stalking JB

Jill Ricke, 12

Pregame ritual: Listening to the boy’s warm-up CD Good luck charm: Evan Hieber’s biceps If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Practicing my interp piece to hopefully make the team

Allie Schreiver, 12

Pregame ritual: Putting Kool Aid in my water bottle Good luck charm: Coach’s vest If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Watching “Band of Brothers” and making model airplanes

Sydney Rosinsky, 11

Pregame ritual: Talking about the glory days w/ Big Game Barry Good luck charm: When Maggie pees her pants If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Trying to figure out the Elma & Lee situation…

VARSITY

STATESMAN | January 25, 2016

Chris Larson, 12

ORAL INTERP

Malia Lukomski, 11

Pregame ritual: Coffee pot Mac ‘N Cheese Good luck charm: Al’s Oasis If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? I don’t know as long as Curtis doesn’t copy me

Pregame ritual: Warm-ups with the team and then listening to Simon and Garfunkel Good luck charm: A silver horseshoe in the pocket of my suit If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Sleeping

Annie Boyum, 12

Curtis Mollison, 12

Pregame ritual: Listening to Taylor Swift...I have an Interp playlist Good luck charm: I always have a bobby pin in my suit jacket pocket If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Netflix and sleeping

Ryan Wellman, 12

Pregame ritual: Anxiety Good luck charm: Simon’s approval nod If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Whatever Chris is doing

DEBATE

Andrew Nehlich, 12

Pregame ritual: This isn’t a game Good luck charm: Gabe If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? What sport am I in? I thought this was for debate?

Emma Heckel, 12

Pregame ritual: I don’t have one...I’m too busy getting taped Good luck charm: Izek Nelson If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Coaching powerlifting

Pregame ritual: Listening to Lil Picky’s classic male pregame Good luck charm: Da beard If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Debates not a sport-that’s the end of Cross Ex

GYMNASTICS Baylee Tordsen, 12

Pregame ritual: Listening to Justin Bieber Good luck charm: A hairnet If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Watching “One Tree Hill”

WRESTLING Dalton Roach, 12

Corey Fichter, 11

Pregame ritual: Eat Good luck charm: Music If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Powerlifting

27

Juvyan Abobakr, 12 Pregame ritual: Daily dose of Drake Good luck charm: A shot of pixie sticks before every round If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Crying

Sara Telahun, 12

Pregame ritual: Overthrowing the bourgeoisie and seizing all means of production Good luck charm: @Zach_Shaw_ If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Arson

Nick Nash, 12

Pregame ritual: Speed reading the Quran Good luck charm: Dakota Folkerts laugh/cry If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Having a social life

Samara Green, 12

Pregame ritual: Watching the video of Baylee falling off beam Good luck charm: Logi Bear Kliewer If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Sitting with Logan on her beanbag eating fries and drinking slushies

Pregame ritual: Loosening myself up before a match, stretching and listening to music Good luck charm: I don’t believe in luck; if I win, I did something right, if I lose, I did it wrong If you were not in this sport, what would you be doing? Winter conditioning

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