March issue by LHS Statesman

S tatesman L i n c o l n

H i g h

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

March 16, 2017

S c h o o l

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

Vol. 51, No. 4

Humans of lHs centerspread

teacHer doppelgangers Page 4

women’s marcH Page 15

lHs student-atHlete commits page 24

PHOTOS BY RILEY RASMUSSEN

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FEATURE 1.

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

First of all, some parts of these shows and films are just unrealistic. As fun as it might be to break into song in the middle of the school day and have school flash mob sort events, it just does not make sense. Also, in “Glee,” all of the cheerleaders, or Cheerios, are required to wear their cheer uniform all day, every day to school, and obviously this does not actually happen in real life because that would be extremely uncomfortable and weird. LHS sophomore Amy Dow was especially influenced by the depiction that these shows created of high school.

“I thought high school was going to be just like the movies, with the mean group of girls and your average ‘jocks,’” said Dow. “‘Mean Girls’ definitely influenced my ideas of what high school was going to be the most. ‘High School Musical’ of course gave me an idea also, but I knew having dance parties during the middle of the day wasn’t realistic, sadly.”

In high school, teenagers go into it thinking that it is going to be the cool and popular kids versus the rest of the school, but honestly, it really is not like that at all. Yes, there are students who are more well-known than others, but for the most part, students of all sorts of backgrounds get along. There is not any sort of bullying such as pushing kids into lockers and throwing paper airplanes at each other such as in movies like “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” LHS senior Allison Kayl also had false ideas going into high school about the type of people that she would be attending school with based on the TV shows that she watched.

High school expectations versus reality: What school is really like By Megan Landon

Almost everyone has either watched or heard about movies and TV shows like “Mean Girls,” “High School Musical” and “Glee.” These forms of entertainment, though interesting, brought about huge misconceptions for what high school is truly like. While it may seem intimidating at first to be a freshman in high school, it is easy to see right away that there are extreme differences between the expectations for high school, and the reality of it.

“I thought high school was going to be very cliquey with a lot of pressure to do things I wouldn’t necessarily want to do,” said Kayl. “Everyone is really accepting and it’s easy to find friends with similar interests. I haven’t found many people who believe they’re superior to others, which is nice.”

“I enjoy high school,” said Kayl. “I get to spend time with a lot of friends who I don’t normally spend time with outside of class and get to learn interesting things that will actually be useful to me in the future.”

Although high school may not be as fun as it seems in “High School Musical,” that in no way means that it is not a good experience. At times, it is boring, but a similarity between expectations and reality are the levels of school spirit and pride, as well as the relationships that students form in their four years. Overall, students get to meet new people and develop long-lasting friendships all while participating in activities through their school.

In the end, high school is a something that everyone should look forward to, despite their preconceptions of what it might be like. One fact that is for sure is that the expectations of high school are many times much more extreme than what they are in reality, but it is a great way for students to meet new people, learn new things and participate in new, exciting activities outside of their comfort zones.

PHOTO BY KARLI SOYLAND

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

Teacher Doppelgangers

FEATURE

By Sydney RoSinSky

Dave Meyers; Counselor & Vladimir Putin; Russian President

Brian Kocer; Math & J.K. Simmons; Actor

Martha Stai; English & Ellie Kemper; Actress

Danyelle Brown; Math & Mrs. Incredible; “The Incredibles”

Becky Thomas; Counselor & Wyldstyle; “The Lego Movie”

Steven Ortmeier; Science & Greg Kinnear; Actor

Steven Blankenship; Social Studies & Lex Luthor; Supervillain

Lance Luitjens; Vice Principal & Mark Schlereth; Sports analyst

Valerie Fox; Principal & Nicole Kidman; Actress

Amy Eckart; English & Jane Kangaroo; “Horton Hears a Who” PHOTOS BY KARLI SOYLAND AND PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE AND STAFF

FEATURE Tumblr

Lance Luitjens- You can mix match people’s faces and bodies Kim Maass- A way to find gymnastic camps for your kids Mary Coyne- It has something to deal with gymnastics, and how you move your body.

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

What do teachers think the following apps are for and why do students use them? By ELLiE LaMBErty

Musical.ly

Kim Maass- Gives you the opportunity to harmonize with others Pat- Sharing new and unknown songs Mary Coyne- It allows you to sing karaoke

Josh Smith- All your friends can get together and communicate and you can actually see and hear them. Kim Maass- An interior decorating site Pat- Sharing photos of recent parties Mary Coyne- An app like the show Big Brother. You can use it to spy in on other people.

GroupMe

VSCO

Josh Smith- It’s like a video disco where you can show your experiences from a dance. Lance Luitjens- An app that you can take videos and it makes them into virtual reality Mary Coyne- An app that you can cook with associated with the brand Crisco.

Houseparty

Tumblr

GroupMe

musical.ly

Houseparty

VSCO PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE

Josh Smith- A social interactive group where one person can say something to the whole group and see it and respond. Lance Luitjens- An app that you group together social friends, and it uses single pictures and merges them into one group photo. Kim Maass- Similar to Groupon, it’s a coupon site.

Is our generation addicted to cell phones?

By Madison Landon Everybody has had that slight moment of panic when they realize they cannot find their cell phone, only to be followed by a sigh of relief when they find it sitting next to them. In today’s society, cell phones are the norm. It is not unusual to see people talking on the phone, texting, snapchatting or looking at Twitter or Instagram everywhere they go. Whether it be at home, at a restaurant, at the mall or at school, it seems that no one can put their cell phones down for more than a couple minutes. Is this just a trend because of technological advancements, or is our generation actually addicted to cell phones? When social studies department head Kim Maass started teaching more than 30 years ago, there were no cell phones. Today, since so many students carry cell phones at school, she has had to find ways to make sure they do not come out during class.

PHOTO BY BAYLIE EMBRY

Students in the LHS hallway often use passing time to catch up on the latest from their friends on their phones.

“Honestly, I try to finish up my class period a little early so people can be on their cell phone,” said Maass. “My experience has been that everyone cooperates a little more if they know they get some cell phone time at the end of classes.” For Maass, there may be some benefits of cell phone use in the classroom, but there are also unfavorable aspects that take away

from learning. “The positive is we never pose a question and then have to wait for the answer because somebody can look it up,” said Maass. “The negative is that I have students sometimes who don’t take notes and just take pictures of the notes, and that doesn’t work because when you take notes, you are listening and deciding what to keep. You are making

decisions and interacting with the information. Just taking a picture of it, why bother?” Maass believes the reason this generation is so addicted to cell phones is the instant gratification the user gets from either receiving a text or getting a like on Instagram or Twitter. And in a world where likes and followers are everything, getting that small sense of justification drives people to live and die by their cell phones. It is a broader issue than students just being addicted to cell phones. There are students in every class that use Chromebooks to pull up tabs that they are not supposed to instead of doing something more productive. Students who pull up videos on YouTube and play games at inappropriate times devalue the educational use of them. Overall, our generation is addicted to technology and having knowledge at our fingertips, and it seems there is no going back.

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

Ain’t no passion for new fashion

By Molly McIntyre

You have probably seen me at school, and like Kevin Malone from “The Office”, not a lot of people consider me a sharp dresser. I am always wearing jeans with a band shirt and some colorful Converse. I do not find the appeal of waking up at 6:30 a.m. to try to do my hair or some other weird girly stuff. Anyway, I have spent time wondering if my style suited me, so I went to try some new styles. Remember in middle school when the mall was the coolest place to be? You and your posse would wander around for hours doing the craziest things. You would get some food and see how many stores you could be kicked out of. There was no real reason to be there. You just wanted to spend your weekend with your closest friends. Now, in high school, when you go to the mall you get what you need and get out of there. You do not spend your time meandering around from store to store and you belittle the kids who run around and misplace items. When did our perception of

Before

the mall change? We used to be the weird kids who would get caramel corn and try to reach the back of Buckle without being talked to. We would try on clothes we knew we were not going to buy, and we did not care what anyone thought. Trying to regain our youth, we spent the day at the mall in search of a new style, but we could not help goofing off along the way. Gage and I set out on an expedition to try and to get a new outfit and see if we could redefine whom we are. As a senior in high school, you are mostly set in stone. You know who your friends are and what you like. There might be few minor adjustments here and there, but there is not a ton about you that changes. If you are not comfortable with yourself at this point, I am not sure what to tell you. We tried to venture into Hot Topic, PacSun and American Eagle and none of them were really able to suit us. Gage did look pretty sexy in some PacSun attire, but I found myself disgusted with myself no matter which outfit I attempted to put on.

Trying to redefine my style was a waste of a couple hours. At the end of the day, there is no one better to be than yourself. I am who I am, and I do not intend on changing, unless it is into Gage’s clothes.

FEATURE 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 20122013 year. The editors and adviser take responsibility for the content of the Statesman. Follow the Statesman on Twitter and Instagram with the handle @lhsstatesman and “like” the LHS Statesman Facebook page. Editors-in-Chief: Lizette Wright & Lucy Dekkenga News Editor: Madison Landon Feature Editor: Julia Breukelman Opinion Editor: Sydney Rosinsky

After

Sports Editor: Megan Landon Entertainment Editor: Anna Brecht Social Media Coordinator: Sydney Rosinsky Meet the Varsity: Maddi Barness & Anna Boyens Photographers: Baylie Embry & Karli Soyland Design Team: Sidney Brower, Lucy Dekkenga, Baylie Embry, Jack Fehrs, Gage Gramlick, Madison Landon, Riley Rasmussen, Karli Soyland & Lizette Wright Staff Members: Sidney Brower, Jamie Brunken, Summer Ericson, Jack Fehrs, Gage Gramlick, Abbie Griffin, Tanner Hauck, Ellie Lamberty, Oliver Lockwood-Powell, Molly McIntyre, Riley Rasmussen, Emily Whitney and Glory Yount Adviser: Katie Kroeze

PHOTOS BY GLORY YOUNT, GAGE GRAMLICK AND MOLLY MCINTYRE

FEATURE

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

things of LHS

PHOTOS AND STORY BY BAYLIE EMBRY AND KARLI SOYLAND

The hallway the powerlifting team uses when they say they are “lifting.”

The theater department performed an actual murder scene in the backstage sink area.

In case it gets too hot while you’re open mouth kissing under the stairs…

Look! Gymnasts actually can spell!

This midget-sized door is an attempt to hide all the disturbing things found in the boy’s locker room.

The closet that Aukerman has yet to come out of.

Cookies aren’t the only good thing the school store sells…

Bathroom conversations BY ABBIE GRIFFIN

When roaming through the halls of LHS, you may overhear conversations and stories from fellow students. However, when one enters the bathrooms, it seem to be a totally different world with a totally different language. Written on the bathroom stalls and walls are different ways students choose to express themselves.

Others choose to express their ideas and how they feel about school. This student in particular shares their feelings about their least favorite class. Sorry, Mr. Jansen. Some students like to share what they are doing because they know everyone else cares. When others come into the stalls, they like to leave some comments about how they feel about the situation.

Artwork is even created in these stalls. Time that could be spent learning in class is spent perfecting creative works of magic.

PHOTOS BY BAYLIE EMBRY AND KARLI SOYLAND

FEATURE LHS rifle range not a secret? Well shoot! STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

“This is a lot cheaper and allows us to compete much more. We also do shoulder to shoulder matches where we travel to cities such as Humboldt and Pierre to actually do competitions.” There are always risks when entering into an environment where injuries could occur. The Marksmanship Team is not an exception and takes

many precautions to confirm the utmost safety at all times. LHS has a specified Range Safety Officer (RSO) with the students during practicing and training hours. All JROTC members are also required to learn and pass with 100 percent on the safety program to become certified nationally. This must all be completed before having permission to enter the range. The instructors and JROTC program also take multiple efforts to keep the entire rifle range a safe and secure area inside our school building. Everything downstairs is tightly locked and kept out of harm’s way. In addition, an air rifle is completely different from a normal rifle and does not cause damage to the property. LHS should feel entirely safe and have no worries regarding the range. To many, learning of the occupancy of a rifle range in our school is completely new information. “The only people who really know about the range are the JROTC students,” said Major Campbell. “If you are not a participant or have friends in JROTC you most likely would have never heard about it. It is not really a secret; it just is not something students have not heard about.”

and ear-piece holed up in a tiny happen, but usually we will receive room somewhere in the school con- a report of a problem.” If there is a report, the officers stantly monitoring the cameras. In can pull footage fact, the security from servers at LHS footage is only where it is stored checked when and view it on their there has been computers. an incident in “I’ve gone back the halls. and watched foot“We watch the age from a couple of cameras when we months before,” said have reports of a Draeger. problem,” said Another conOfficer Bob cern of the more D r a e g e r, paranoid stuLHS redents is whether source ofthe school is ficer. “Howrespecting their ever, the other day PHOTO BY KARLI SOYLAND privacy. However, I did have an instance where I took a look and caught Draeger reassures that the student’s somebody doing something against privacy is being respected. “Students, I can guarantee you the rules. So [monitoring live] does

that as you move about the building, we aren’t watching you,” said Draeger. “If there is a problem, then we get on and watch, but if you are just sitting there hanging out, we don’t care. We don’t watch it. We don’t care what girl you’re talking to under the stairwell.” Obviously, the security cameras have not been used to spy on students, but rather catch culprits and bring them to justice. “The cameras are great for security and for resolving theft issues and for finding out who was the instigator in fights,” said Draeger. The cameras have helped solve countless crimes and will continue to as long as they are in service. They are not used for stalking kids throughout the halls but rather a great tool that can be used if the circumstances call for it.

By Sidney Brower

Most students think they know the LHS building ordinarily well, but do they really? Our school is filled with different activities or clubs that many students have never heard about, let alone seen. A prime example is the rifle range located in the basement of our school. This may be surprising to hear especially because the rifle range was built and is actively used as of two years ago. It was constructed to assist the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) in their air rifle training and competitions. The only people allowed inside the range are the certified JROTC students and their instructors. They take advantage of the range and put it into constant use throughout the school year. “It is used Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after school,” said Major Campbell, the Marksmanship Team leader. “Almost every day except Friday.” The rifle range has many useful purposes in aiding the JROTC program. Not only is the range used for training, but competitions as well. With continual practices, the LHS Marksmanship Team are increasing

PHOTOS BY MAJOR CAMPBELL

their abilities daily. This training allows them to reach a high enough level to compete all over the state and sometimes further. The Marksmanship Team takes the entire benefit of having a range and uses it to compete as often as possible. “We shoot our targets down at our range and then mail them into competitions,” said Major Campbell.

Eyes in the sky: LHS security cameras

By Jack FehrS

They watch you in the halls. They breathe down your neck as you go from class to class. They are the security cameras. The ominous, black half-spheres loom over hall goer’s heads and stare back if given a sidelong glance. Students cannot help but come up with loads of questions about the system. They ask, “Is there someone who monitors the cameras constantly?” “How often does staff really check the footage?” and “Where do all of the captured videos end up?” These are all interesting questions that have never been answered, until now. Despite what some may think, the school is not monitoring students throughout the halls all hours of the day. There is not someone with black sunglasses, a black suit

FEATURE

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

Webpage Design

A class that is just as hands on as an art class, Wood Tech or Welding is a virtual course known as Web Page Design. The course triggers the left side of the brain like most electives do for only a semester. Despite it being a computer class, it allows students to be creative. Web Page Design is mostly project-based which creates more time for students to really become familiar with all of the software basics and the more tricky parts of the software. “Students have full creative control over their projects,” said Web Page Design teacher Janet Kolb. “They take on the role of designing a website for a client. They design all aspects of a business website, from page layout, images, fonts, colors, the only parameter is the text that they are provided for the website, and the design is uniquely theirs.” The skills learned in this class are skills for an ever-expanding career path. Students experienced with different software might have a leg up than someone without that skill. Computers are not going away and this class prepares students for that. “This class teaches real-world skills,” said Kolb. “The software used in this class is actually used by small web development companies, and the skills are applicable to other software applications. Many students believe that they have to know how to program to create a website, and that is not true, it helps, but most software do the programming for you.”

3D Design

Many students at LHS seem to have a deep passion for anything artistic whether that is theatrical, musical or physical art. Although the bowels of lower E-wing are not all that inviting, numerous students would prefer to spend their whole day creating, learning and evolving their skills. Other than Exploring Visual Arts, most of the art classes are forgotten. A class that will teach new skills as well as create projects to utilize is 3D Design and Construction. “3D Design and Construction is a sculpture and ceramics course,” said art teacher Travis Hinton. “Students will learn how to apply many art techniques to create sculptures ranging from paper, metal, wood, plaster and clay. The majority of the class will focus on ceramics and ceramic building techniques including hand built and wheel thrown pottery.” Whether art is the student’s career path or just a hobby, every student will leave the course with new knowledge that is applicable to not just art. “The students will gain an educated knowledge of the process of making art,” said Hinton. “The class gives the students the opportunity to use creative problem solving skills that can also be applied to other disciplines in life and careers.”

E-WING CLASSES By Julia Breukelman

Welding

Cutting metal and fusing it back together seems like an elective class for seniors to take when they are all out of options; however, in reality, the class is much more than an easy break from the core classes. The students taking Welding learn how to safely use the many machines and create multiple different kinds of joints while working at their own pace. Many steps have to be taken by the welders before welding can begin each class period. Welding is a dangerous task so Welding teacher Ryan Kortemeyer takes all the necessary precautions each day to make sure the environment is a safe one to work in. “Pretty much the welding students routine is when they come in they put on their safety glasses first,” said Kortemeyer. “We have to make sure the lights are on. The ventilation system has to be on. When we weld, it produces gasses and fumes and we can’t breathe that in. We would suffocate if we didn’t have that ventilation.” Welding is all about practicing the process, therefore the class is very project oriented. The students taking this class get to spend the whole period practicing and perfecting their set task. “This is a hands-on class so it has creative and critical thinking where you have to think outside of the box,” said Kortemeyer. “You can read about it in the books and all that stuff but you have to come out here and actually apply it. It helps you to read through the stuff and memorize the information. Then you actually apply it, and then you have to work through your struggles.”

Wood Tech

Learning is always a benefit of going to class and getting your work done, but Wood Tech is double winning when students learn craftsmanship and also get to actually utilize the projects the students make. This semester long class introduces students of any grade how to safely use the machines to build beautiful works of art including a box, a paper towel holder, a napkin holder and cutting board or pizza tray. “We learn how to use all the machines as safe as possible,” said Wood Tech teacher Robert Darkow. “I usually give a project that will use one or two machines. Then once the students turn that project in, we start the next one and use some different machines. By the time they’re done they have stuff to take home and they’ve used all the machines safely.” Although the projects that come from this class look like masterpieces, the class is much simpler than it may be perceived as. There’s a lot to learn but the class walks the students through the process step by step. “Most people think of shop a different way than they think of an art class, when in fact you can’t just stick wood together, you have to lay it out and look at the colors and decide which ways the grains run and what looks the best. But this kind of thing nobody does anymore, and it’s unfortunate, because you don’t need a lot of equipment, you just need a little time.”

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

OP/ED

#let’s talk about politics: social media and the political world

By Summer ericSon, Staff Writer Twitter is the home of memes, embarrassing videos and virtually anything funny. Anyone who has an account knows that when something goes viral, nearly everyone on Twitter will see it. This isn’t surprising considering there are 974 million existing accounts to this day. However, another topic has taken Twitter by storm: #politics. The millennial age is using their social media expertise to tweet about important topics, such as the presidency of Donald Trump. With Trump’s every move comes a wave of opinionated, sometimes bigoted tweets. The immigration ban caused thousands to tweet their opinion, and the defunding of Planned Parenthood also left many deranged tweeters to express themselves. Many people have a problem with this. “I don’t want to see tweets about politics. I’m just trying to find more Rain Drop, Drop Top memes,” said the

young boy completely unaware of how America is currently changing. *If you don’t know what the Rain Drop, Drop Top memes are, you’re probably old.

By megan Landon, SportS editor Being an identical twin now for 18 long years has definitely been both a blessing and a curse. Not to be overly cliché, but having a twin sister is like having a best friend and sister in one - someone who I can count on when it really matters. Although being a twin can be rough at times, the worst part about it is the stereotypical misconceptions that people have about twins, as if we are some sort of rare and exotic species that no one will ever be able to fully understand. First of all, many people simply don’t understand the difference between identical and fraternal twins. Yes, my identical twin sister and I look very similar, but that doesn’t mean that all twins who look alike are identical, and vice

versa. Identical and fraternal refers to the genetic makeup of twins, not looks. Personally, I know several sets of twins who look even more alike than me and Madison, yet they are fraternal. I have gotten into several arguments with people about whether or not my sister and I are truly identical if she has allergies that I don’t or we don’t get sick at the same time. How does that even make sense?

“The millenial age is using their social media expertise to tweet about important topics.”

Tweeting about politics actually opens the door for discussion and is a way of democracy. No matter what your stand-point is, there will be other people tweeting in opposition or supporting you. Twitter is heaven for an opinionated person like me. Going to Twitter to see the stances and different ideas about politics is extremely relieving. I say relieving, because growing up in South Dakota doesn’t give me much of an outlet for my liberal opinions and views. If you scrolled through my Twitter, 90 percent of the tweets

would be about Trump’s policies and/or other politics. I have probably gotten a few unfollows from annoyed, un-opinionated or opposed people, but that does not bother me at all. Having an opinion, especially as a woman in today’s society, is extremely important to me. However, I also appreciate that there are people opposed to my opinions. I don’t like it, but that is what democracy is. Hoping for everyone to agree with your views is very unrealistic. We’ve come to a day and age where our president is tweeting about his every move. Although I personally think his tweets show his immaturity, the fact that the president of the U.S. has used Twitter as a way to communicate politics gives us a perfectly good reason to do so as well. It keeps citizens informed, allowing change to happen. Twitter can also be full of fake news and misleading topics. Just like teachers taught us in elementary school, not everything you

find on the Internet is real. Do your research before retweeting something that might be completely untrue, and save yourself from the embarrassment. Some sources that could be considered credible are extremely conservative or liberal.

are really Madison and she is Megan?” Well, I sure feel like a Megan and there is nothing that I can do to change that now, sorry. “If I pinch your sister, can you feel it?” No, I cannot feel it. If I pinch you, can your dog feel it? “Which of you is better at sports?” My sister and I have mastered the answer to questions like this by now, claiming that we are just “better at different things.” We are just like anyone and their regular older or younger sibling, sometimes we excel in different areas. Having a twin is a special bond, and while many times it is frustrating and may seem inconvenient, there is nothing else like it. We are just like typical siblings, but there is something about being a twin that makes us unique. Honestly, it is pretty weird for me to stop and think about how there is

someone else in this world that is literally me, but most of the time it is just normal, everyday life.

“Social media has become an outlet for discussion about social problems and society’s grievances with the world.” Social media has become an outlet for discussion about social problems and society’s grievances with the world. There are people that dislike the content that has consumed Twitter, but in reality, it’s important and is another way to inform vulnerable teens like us about what is currently going on. Our technologically based millennial age has broadened the horizons for the topic of politics, and is benefitting Twitter users every day.

The misconception of being an indentical twin

“Although being a twin can be rough at times, the worst part about it is the stereotypical misconceptions”

After 18 years of twindom, I have been asked just about everything there is to ask a twin. “What if you and your twin were switched at birth and you

“...we do indeed see you doing double takes as we walk by - every single time.” Last but not least, I would just like to say that, no; we are not going to marry identical twins just so that our kids will be genetically the same. No, we are not the exact same person despite having the same DNA and yes, I have been asked how my parents tell us apart a million times, a million and one, to be exact. Oh, and we do indeed see you doing double takes as we walk by - every single time.

OP/ED

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

Researched evidence that the marching band is a cult By Glory yount, Staff Writer

observing the mystical marches performed, as our sunburnt friends masterfully stomped “They love, yet around endlessly to a routine that simultaneously, I never seemed to understand. hate marching In fact, there were many asband with every pects I never seemed to underfiber of their stand about band. The first and being.” perhaps the most alarming was the notion that each band kid seems to live in a constant state A few years ago, almost every of misery. Their entire existence single one of my friends were in revolves around practice and marching band. I spent countless competitions, exhaustion oversummer days before sophomore coming them like the plague. Eat, year sitting in the bleachers of sleep and breathe band. There’s a Howard Wood Field wasting time special sort of hatred each band underneath the blistering sun kid harbors towards the activwith the handful of us that weren’t ity; a hatred that even I, an outin marching band. We were antic- sider, developed as well. All of my ipating the brief window of time friends for the entire season were in which our enslaved friends constantly booked up, barely any were temporarily released from room squeezed into their schedthe clutches of the all-consuming ules for them to even sleep. On band camp, because it was the the contrary, each band kid is only opportunity we had to see helplessly devoted to not only the them. We were merely outsiders activity, but the unbreakable bond

with their fellow bandmates. Life outside of band is mostly nonexistent, their dedication truly admirable in an unnerving sort of way. They love, yet simultaneously, hate marching band with every fiber of their being. “These outstanding characteristics have lead me to an unmistakable conclusion: marching band is a cult[...]”

However, quitting for most is not even an option. In fact, they actively recruit their friends constantly, whether or not their friends even play an instrument. They’ll talk you into being a hole filler, promising that you’ll love it, before shoving a 10 page packet written in some sort of hieroglyphics that somehow translates into the marching patterns, into your sad and unforgiving arms. Band

kids are ruthless. These outstanding characteristics have lead me to an unmistakable conclusion: marching band is a cult, brainwashing drained and lifeless students, sucking up their will to live. 24/7, band. Band comes before and even in place of friends and family. Band kids are constantly trying to recruit their friends, although they’ve fallen too deep into the black hole of championships and exhaustion to even think straight. Life outside of band is nearly unimaginable for most band kids. However, some manage to escape. The same friends from sophomore year have all broken their ties with the bandom, except for one of my friends that still drums for Hades’ most successful cult. Most that manage to escape the trenches don’t regret leaving, they only regret the tedious hours spent underneath the hot sun, memorizing patterns.

The unconstitutional controversy of citizenship in American Samoa

By aBBie Griffin, Staff Writer The United States of America. Land of the free. Home of the brave. A place where people come to gain freedoms and rights others wish they had. A place where people are given unalienable rights, like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness by the Declaration of Independence. Yet, in the American territory of Samoa, U.S. citizenship is not granted at birth. In the other four unincorporated territories of the U.S., you automatically become a citizen if you are born there. However, this has not stopped many Samoans from trying to gain citizenship. A nonprofit advocacy organization called “We the People Project” has started to help people in Samoa America gain citizenship through the U.S. Supreme Court. American Samoans born on U.S. soil are considered U.S. Nationals, which are not U.S. citizens, but are people who are born in or have ties

with outlying possessions of the U.S. This irrational idea came about back in 1901 when the U.S. Supreme Court debated the insular cases. These cases determined the status of full constitutional U.S. rights to territories, like Samoa.

“In the U.S., we have constitutional rights and freedoms and everyone, no matter where they are from, deserves to partake in theirs.”

People from Samoa America are still able to sign up for the draft and fight for a country they are not technically citizens of. By not being citizens of the U.S., Samoans are not able to hold public office, nor do they have the right to vote. Yet, in the Supreme Court case of Tuaua v. United States, many Samoans looked to the 14th amendment, which was

adopted after the civil war, which declares, “All persons born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” However, the Supreme Court denied certiorari, meaning they would not hear the case. American Samoa has been a part of the U.S. for over 100 years and they have some of the highest rates of military, yet they are required to naturalize in order to be citizens. The people of the other four territories: Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are given citizenship at birth, but not Samoa Americans. “The longer-term impact will be felt not just among all of the U.S. territories, but also overseas as courts grapple with similar questions over how the Constitution protects citizens and noncitizens in foreign countries,” said CNN contributor, Steve Vladeck. If people of the U.S. and of

the territories were to notice the injustice being brought upon the people of the territory of American Samoa, we could make a difference. This little island is about 6,130 miles from our small and measly state of South Dakota, yet I still take offense to this debate over citizenship that should be guaranteed in the first place. “The United States of America. Land of the free. Home of the brave. A place where people come to gain freedoms and rights others wish they had.”

If the Supreme Court could see citizenship is a constitutional right and not just a measly congressional prerogative, then everyone included in this nation could have the rights they deserve. In the U.S., we have constitutional rights and freedoms and everyone, no matter where they are from, deserves to partake in theirs.

OP/ED

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

The question on class size: does it really matter?

by jamie brunken,

staff writer Imagine being in a classroom with 30 other students. It’s hot, it’s loud and there are no open seats to be found. Now, imagine being in a class with half as many students. The room isn’t cramped and the space is a much better environment for learning. The question of class size has been a topic of debate, and many think having smaller classes can have positive impacts on students.

“With having less students in each class, the teachers can develop relationships with each child and give them more one-on-one interaction and help them achieve their goals.”

Ever since elementary school, I remember most of my classes being fairly large, having at least 25 other students. This can be fun, don’t get me wrong, because that means you have 25 other friends

in your class, but there is only one teacher for each of those students. With having almost 30 kids in a classroom, it can be extremely difficult for the teachers to help everyone with their questions and help them succeed. Teachers already have special accommodations they make for students with special needs or those who use different approaches to learning, but having a smaller class size could be even more helpful and beneficial for these reasons. Instead of 25 other classmates, which makes it hard for each student to get the assistance they need, there could be 15 students, making it much easier for the teacher to help the students and give the kids more one-on-one time. With the smaller class sizes, teachers can get to know each student on a more personal level and it allows them to work with the students to develop their learning skills and help them be as successful as possible. In this aspect, I agree that having smaller class

sizes provides some value. Since there aren’t as many students, the teacher can get to know me more, learn my strengths and weaknesses and help me develop and improve my learning.

“Teachers already have special accommodations they make for students with special needs or those who use different approaches to learning, but having a smaller class size could be even more helpful and beneficial for these reasons.”

Researchers, such as Associate Professor Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach at Northwestern University, largely agree that smaller class sizes are associated with positive benefits such as higher graduation rates, improved grades, better test scores and less dropouts. Although a smaller class size has its perks, there can also be some setbacks that could make it hard to achieve. If schools wanted to have smaller class sizes, there would then need to be more classrooms, and with more classrooms

comes an increased need for more teachers who need to be paid. So, the smaller the classes, the greater the demand for teachers. This could get somewhat expensive for schools, thus making it somewhat difficult to implement. Even though it would cost more, I believe the positive impacts would outweigh the additional costs. With having less students in each class, the teachers can develop relationships with each child and give them more one-on-one interaction and help them achieve their goals. To make this happen, schools would have to create more classes for each grade, thus hiring more teachers and expanding their budget. The educators could also benefit from training and administrative support on the matter. With everyone working together, students can grow in school and develop critical and influential skills that they can take with them into their future careers.

Stirring the pot: time to defy spoon gender norms

by gage gramlick, staff writer I love to spoon. I spoon everything; stuffed animals, your mom, life-sized cut outs of Simon Cowel, literal spoons, small elephants... You name it, I spoon it. Yet, there is a prominent stigma attached to being the small spoon. In a heterosexual relationship, the male is expected to be the big spoon and the woman is expected to be the little spoon. To this, I say ‘go suck a fork; small spooning is for everyone.’

“Yet, there is a prominent stigma attached to being the small spoon.” Before we can live in a world where men can be small spoons without fear of social prosecution, however, we must first learn to ac-

cept ourselves. I first realized my affinity for being held when I was an infant. Eight weeks after I was born, my mother picked me up for the first time. I quite liked not being left on the street to die. Ever since then, I have enjoyed the sensation of being held. If you feel the same way, don’t fear. Statistics provided by the AFF (Alternative Facts Foundation) reveal that most men are, at the very least, small-spoon curious. Once we find ourselves, we can find our big spoon… and happiness. Of course, there is an even larger stigma attached to women who want to be the big spoon. They are called names like “progressive person,” “feminist” and worst of all “confident.” The world has oppressed women for millennia, so let’s defy the world. Be a freaking ladle, if that’s what you want to be. Women can spoon anything, regardless of size. So spoon for the moon, ladies. To further obliterate the gender

relation between spoon sizes, we must understand why the correlation exists. It all began in ancient Sioux Falls, known at the time as Sue Fills. George Washington (not the president, the spoon inventor) was inventing a contraption to more effectively transfer liquid from bowl to mouth. He experimented with a myriad of methods; eyelash extensions that used the kinetic energy from blinking to lift the soup to the mouth, chopsticks and duct tape. He even invented a machine that used electricity to power an engine that transferred the broth to the pie hole. Interestingly, Bill Gates is often considered the father of electricity; however, Washington is the true inventor. Unfortunately, he did not realize the versatility of his invention. He only wanted to eat soup. So 4,000 years later, Gates stole the show. Nevertheless, Washington’s inventions all failed… that is, until one fateful night. Washington was a loser; he

was a 37-year-old living with his parents. One night, as he crawled into his parent’s bed to sleep with them, he noticed the manner in which they were holding each other. And BAM! The spoon was born. However, of course, his dad was the big spoon and his mom was the little and BAM! Gender spoon norms were also born. It is time this double standard ends. A man being the small spoon does not hurt anyone. Similarly, a women being the big spoon does not hurt anyone either (save the church). So, let’s end this injustice. Because the world is our silverware drawer and we all need to fit together, despite our differences. Disclaimer: This is merely for fun. The intention of this story is to create some lighthearted humor for students at LHS.

OP/ED

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

Accelerated classes: Are they worth all the work?

By ElliE lamBErty, staff writEr

...in the end as they show colleges and teachers that you want to learn and are capable of going the extra mile.”

I still remember signing up for freshmen classes in eighth grade and how eager I was to take the hardest classes so that I would learn the most. That quickly changed. Within the first couple of days, I chose to drop accelerated English and Journalism because I thought I would have too much on my plate. I did this again sophomore year with accelerated English II and accelerated Chemistry. Both times, I regretted my decision. I knew in the back of my head that I should just suffer through, but I did not listen and I talked about it with other people and hearing their “horror” stories reaffirmed my decisions.

Looking back, I wish I would have sucked it up and taken the classes. Accelerated classes are worth the work in the end as they show colleges and teachers that you want to learn and are capable of going the extra mile. Although at LHS, our accelerated classes do not carry “weight” in our GPA’s, when colleges see them they make a difference. Every college I have talked to, toured or even just looked at online says that while they pay attention to your GPA they also look at the rigor of your courses. One applicant that took all accelerated and AP classes might have 3.8, while another that only took regular classes has a 4.0. Colleges generally prefer the student with a 3.8 because they can see that this student wanted to know the extra material. Getting into college is competitive enough, so being a step ahead of others is always valuable. Colleges accept those they believe will be able to excel in

their programs so they can continue on with their prestigious reputations. Personally, I wish I would have taken those accelerated classes my freshman and sophomore year because my dream college could be choosing between me and other applicants who did those classes, and I will not stand out in front of them. Accelerated classes prepare you better for college and life after college. The more you grow, the more apparent it becomes that you need to be independent in all retrospects, and accelerated classes can help speed up that process. Collegeboard. com says that taking accelerated classes “lets you know what to expect during the next phase of your educational journey and help you build the confidence to succeed.” Accelerated classes usually have a more hands off approach, and teachers want students to interpret everything they can by themselves. Teachers are still extremely helpful when needed, but they

try to help you to learn on your own at a faster pace. They teach you the basics and then give you material that help you use those basics to further expand what you know.

“The more you grow, the more apparent it becomes that you need to be independent in all retrospects, and accelerated classes can help speed up that process.”

Accelerated classes make a big difference after high school even though in high school they can be disregarded and discredited. In the long-run it is worth it to take all the accelerated classes you can so that you can get as much out of the material as possible. Taking these classes makes you look like a better student, and even if you do not have the best GPA, it will be obvious you tried and wanted to become a better student.

Patriot Views

Do you think accelerated classes are beneficial? Why or why not?

“Yes, because it allows you to learn things faster, which will prepare you for college courses.” -Nyah Thaemert, 9

“Yes, because they give a more in-depth and detailed perspective about the subject and components of the class.” -Jude Veerman, 10

“Yes, I feel that if you challenge yourself through harder courses. It is beneficial for your future and college.” -Christophe Bwanya, 11

“Yes, because it prepares students for further education.” -Madison Lather, 12

OP/ED

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

Reschedule: SFSD should change back school calendar

By Madison Landon, News Editor For the 2015-16 school year, the city of Sioux Falls voted to change the school start date from the middle of August to after Labor Day. Many people with younger students in the school district voted on this to keep their summers longer by allowing more time at the lake or more time for summer activities, but it hurts high schoolers more than it benefits them. One of the drawbacks to the school calendar change was for fall sports. Living in South Dakota, the weather can be really unpredictable in the fall, so no matter when school started, all the fall sports still had events start around early August. Since the school calendar pushed the spring release date to June, fall athletes only had around two months to relax rather than the three that the other students get. Also, since the first soccer and

football games took place before the school year even started, student support at these games was very low. “[...] national testing dates for AP classes are set dates in May that everyone has to take them on, so students in these classes lose about a month of learning.”

Another issue with the school year starting later is that semester tests take place after break is over. As a senior with senioritis kicking in, it was already hard to focus right before Christmas break, but the idea that I had to come back and relearn everything I had forgotten over the break was the worst. It was much easier my freshman year to come back from break relaxed, refreshed and ready to start the new semester. Another issue involving semester tests is that they take place in June, when

there are camps that students have to miss out on. Last year I had friends who decided to miss their semester tests and reschedule them in order to attend Girls and Boys State camps at USD. However, I had too many semester tests that I couldn’t afford to miss, so I had to miss out on a good educational experience. While some teachers like the school year as it is now, some of them will agree that it is much harder for students taking AP classes. This is an issue because national testing dates for AP classes are set dates in May that everyone has to take them on, so students in these classes lose about a month of learning. Since AP classes are advanced, there is more course content that the teachers now have to fit into a shorter time period. Not to mention that after we take our AP tests in May, we don’t have much to do for the last month except sit around and make

posters, watch movies or play Tetris on our Chromebooks. This is different from regular classes, non-AP classes, because these students still have to study for and take semester tests. Although it won’t affect me personally in the future because I’m a senior and will have graduated, I definitely think the school district should change back the school calendar. However, this time, I think the school year should start halfway between the old start date, which was around August 14th, and Labor Day weekend. That way, if they start about two weeks before Labor Day, it would be easier to fit semester tests in before the break. Also, fall sports games would be during the school year rather than before, and AP classes would have about two weeks extra to prepare for the AP tests. It would be a perfect compromise of the old calendar and the current one.

OP/ED

STATESMAN |March 16, 2017

The problem with night showers: gross and unsanitary

By Tanner Hauck, STaff WriTer In my recent years, I have developed an appreciation for hygiene. I brush my teeth, I clip my fingernails, I put deodorant on and I shower. Most of these tasks are fairly simple one would think, however it is not so.

“Rivaled by bad breath, body odor is one of the biggest turn offs in any relationship, hence showers are important.”

Some people in their twisted and corrupt minds think that it is sanitary to shower at night. As a hormonal high schooler surrounded by other hormonal high schoolers, I think it’s safe to speak for everyone in say-

ing that showering is an important part of our daily lives. Rivaled by bad breath, body odor is one of the biggest turn offs in any relationship, hence showers are important. Now let me clarify, we are talking about showering, bathing is a completely different subject for another day. Side note: If you regularly bathe just know that you are essentially soaking in a giant tub of your dead skin, body oils and any other grime that comes into contact with your skin over the course of a day, how cleansing! Back to showering, this is just me on record stating that showering at any time of day is preferred to the lack of a shower. However, I think it’s important to settle the age-old debate between night showers and morning showers. I am personally a morning showerer and feel very strongly about the subject, but I will

recognize the points of my opponent, the night showerer. They are … and … that pretty much concludes the list. Showering at night is disgusting. Beds are gross, we eat in them, we release bodily oils during our sleep and do other personal business.

the fact that nearly every student has friends that attend another school and Spinsters provides a time and place to have fun with these friends and spend time with them all at once. Despite the tension that happens throughout the year at various sporting events, or the common beef on Twitter, all schools are able to join together for a night of dancing and fun.

the boy rather than the usual boys asking girls custom. This tradition was started in 1928 and named after a comic strip character, Sadie Hawkins. The name has obviously evolved since then and is now called Spinsters. I really can’t decide if this adds stress or takes it away because there are arguments that go both ways. Being asked by a guy takes away the pressure from coming up with a cheesy poster, but it is also difficult to figure out who is going to ask you and if you’re satisfied with it. On the contrast, girls asking guys has its issues too because most girls tend to choose dibs several months before the dance in attempt to grab the hottest guy before he is taken. Not fair. Dances are always more strenuous for the girl no matter if they are the person asking or not. Finding the perfect dress, shoes, makeup and hairdo is

“I am not unreasonable, if you participate in a physically demanding activity that causes sweat, please do shower at night. But, might I suggest to shower again in the morning just to get extra sparkly clean?” My point is that no matter when you shower, your bed is going to be gross. Why would you shower at night just to crawl into the filth trap and then go out into public the next morning without washing it all off? Sure, the bed of

a morning showerer might be slightly grosser (sheets can be regularly washed) but they are able to wash off prior to venturing into public. In addition to being overall cleaner, showering in the morning results in a better hair day. Morning showering prepares you to go about your day and can even wake you up in the morning! I am not unreasonable; if you participate in a physically demanding activity that causes sweat, please do shower at night. But, might I suggest to shower again in the morning just to get extra sparkly clean? I think the debate is fairly one sided, morning showering is the better and cleaner option. Don’t take my word for it, smell your neighbor, do they smell good, like a sweet blend of vanilla and cinnamon? Morning showerer. Do they reek of stale food and crusted sweat? Night showerer.

Spinsters: dancing with our rivals

By emily WHiTney, STaff WriTer March comes along with tons of excitement based on the fact that spring and warmer weather are approaching. In the high school world however, the most important March event is easily Spinsters. Maybe I just say this because I am basic and I live for dances, but I truly believe everybody else would agree because it is a strong contender for best dance of the year. Here in Sioux Falls there is not an abundance of activities for high schoolers to attend which makes dances extra special. There are two unique aspects of Spinsters that become strong reasoning for the establishment of best school dance. The first is the fact that all Sioux Falls schools are involved and the location is the District, not a school campus. This is important because of

“There are two unique aspects of Spinsters that are reasons for the establishment of best school dance.”

Finding a date for the dance is done differently for Spinsters as well. It differs from winter formal and other dances based on the fact that girls have to ask

enough to make a girl go crazy in the weeks before. In addition, girls tend to take control of the plans for afterwards as well, adding to the overall list of the tricky planning. As a girl, I think we can all agree that it is totally worth it and it is important to enjoy every minute. We only have four Spinsters to attend throughout our high school careers. “The location of the dance at the District and the combination of all school attendance is easily the recipe for the best dance of the year.”

In the end, Spinsters results in the setting for a perfect night filled with a large variety of friends, dancing and fun. The location of the dance at the District and the combination of all school attendance is easily the recipe for the best dance of the year.

“I’m from Samalia, one of the countries that Donald Trump banned. It’s kinda sad though and I feel bad for some people. I was born there and raised in a place in east Africa. Then I came here in 2012 in June. I was 12. My first language is Samali. I know Arabic, English and Somali. My mom knows Italian so I kind of want to learn, but it is really hard so I don’t try sometimes. I think I am safe here at the moment. I’m just trying to get a good education and help my mom out. I have two little brothers and help her out because she has been through a lot. My mom works, she works part-time at HyVee and I also work with her. My grandma is in Africa, my uncle is in Sweden and a couple of my aunts are in Africa and Europe. I am proud to be an American and I play soccer. I listen to any kind of music but not country. I like any music as long as it is good music.” -Ayanleh Hassan

Humans

“[I’m] figuring out what I’m going to do next year. Like if I’m going to college or taking a year off. Probably just figuring out that I need to do what I want to do, not what my parents want me to do: go to school right away, go somewhere close, and I don’t know if I want to go right away or take a year off and work and travel. I definitely don’t want to stay close but they are like ‘No stay here.’ I don’t know where yet, but probably like sports medicine type of stuff, not exactly sure yet though. I kind of want to do something in that general area like since I was little and originally I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon but that’s a lot of school. Mostly because I have had to see a lot of orthopedic doctors like for visits.” -Logan Kliewer

Ayanleh Hassan, 11

By Gage Gramlick, Riley Ra

Inspired by Humans of N a compilation of faces and st highlight the narrative and p faces that roam LHS. Every pa of LHS encourages the explor time defined by apathy, human ference. Know yo

Khadija and Fatma Wando, 12

“We came here in late 2007, August 15, 2007 to be exact. Before we came here, we thought America was so cool and so amazing. And for some reason, we thought that everybody had a pool in the backyard.” -Khadija Wando “Yeah we thought that everyone was living large and they had everything.” -Fatma Wando “We came here in 2007 and the war started in 2011, but we always knew the war was going to happen. So we were trying to prepare to get out of there as fast as we could. When we came here, my mom told us that it gave us the opportunities to achieve whatever you want in life. We see that happening every day.” “It’s very divided (American attitudes towards immigrants) in the end of it all, in our own way we all think we’re Americans, but at the same time there is this fear that’s going on that our rights may be compromised with all of these people coming through. There’s just this fear and when you have so much fear it create blindness. So when these immigrants and when these refugees come in and settle down, most people think that they’re going to come in and take away their rights and compromise their rights, but in truth. That’s not really what’s happening. They’re living in terrorism and complete war zone. Knowing this personally and going through this personally, we can vouch for them. They want to be safe. “We learn about all of the sad things in the news and you think that all the people who voted for Trump are irrational. But, in reality, they just have a lot of fear. What I hope is that people realize that we are all human.” -Khadija Wando

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Logan Kiewer, 12

“I miss the studio. I play a lot of instruments. I play piano, drum-set, guitar. I play anything percussion. In Philly, I used to make beats for my uncles to rap to. When I moved here, my dad never had a studio, so it’s kind of hard.” -Sam Shar Shar lives in Sioux Falls and in Philadelphia. He alternates school years in each city. “Listen to me on SoundCloud.” -Sam Shar

Sam Shar, 9

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Women’s March: LHS student witnesses history By Jamie Brunken

On Jan. 21, more than three million people took to the streets as protests erupted across the country, making it the largest one-day protest to ever take place in U.S. history. The day after Trump’s inauguration, women’s marches broke out around the globe, sending a message that their rights are not up for grabs. LHS senior Callie Burris was among those crowds, standing up for the rights everyone deserves. “We flew into D.C. on Thursday night after semester tests and then left on Sunday,” said Burris. “There was a rally that started at about 10 a.m. and went until three p.m.. The meeting place was near the capitol building but I didn’t know where the stage was because people took up at least ten blocks of space. The march was supposed to start at one but because there was so many people there were some logistical issues, but I think I was marching for about an hour.” Most people never get to say

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE Thousands of people gather in the streets at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.

they were a part of history, but that is not the case for Burris. Being a part of the largest protest in history is something she will never forget. “It was very inspiring,” said Burris. “The speakers were magnificent and had some really great things to say. Since there was so many people

there wasn’t really a march route, so it was just tons of people flooding downtown D.C. and there were people cheering from the nearby buildings. It was so moving.” Among the millions of people who participated in the marches, each one had a different reason on

why they were there. Whether it was to stand up for their beliefs or bring awareness to a wide range of topics, everyone marched for a reason. “I marched because I felt personally compelled to,” said Burris. “I felt like if I was going to be afraid of people’s rights being taken away then I might as well do something about it instead of just being afraid and doing nothing.” The marches that made history were just the beginning of a campaign that hopes to unify millions around different issues. Burris hopes these marches set the stage for even greater things to be accomplished. “I think even if the marches didn’t have an impact on government, they at least had an impact on how society views how we deal with our government,” said Burris. “The organizers of the marches have other things planned for the future, so hopefully this can coalesce into something very effective.”

Spinsters: an event that will be out of this world BY ELLIE LAMBERTY

Another school dance is approaching, but boys do not have to stress to find and ask their date this time. Spinsters, the annual girls-ask-the-guys dance, will be on March 25 from 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Each year the girls on the Spinsters committee chose a theme for the dance. Last year, the theme was Great Gatsby and this year it is space. The posters advertising the dance will be all around LHS and they will be full of galaxy themes, NASA themes and everything space. The dance will still be having the same spacey atmosphere. Spinsters is a lot of fun and different from the other dances considering it is open for all schools. OGHS, LHS, WHS,

Colin Brison (11) and Emily Hall (10)

Owen Jenkins (9) and Sydney Huber (9)

RHS and for the first year New Tech is allowed to come to the dance. Five girls and five boys are nominated from each school for Spinsters royalty. From LHS the five girls nominated were: Maddi Barness, Sydney Rosinsky, Maggie Stock, Sydney Johnson and Kya Brings Plenty. The five boys nominated were: Tanner Hauck, George Mickelson, Tucker Hall, Kaleb Dobbs and Stan Larson. Tickets will be sold starting on March 15. For a couple, the tickets are $30 and a

single ticket costs $20. Most girls try to find a fun, cute or new way to ask their date and for those that do, there is an Instagram and Twitter contest. Add #spinsters2017 to any pictures you post and make sure you are not a private account to be eligible for the free tickets. Whoever comes up with the best idea of asking their date wins free tickets. The contest ends March 15, so get asking! Spinsters may seem as if it is just another school dance, but the meaning behind it is

Charlotte Goodhope (10), Zach Hanson (10), Nate Brecht (10) and Tessa Browen (10)

Lexi Hochstein (10) and Ross Alvine (11)

much more significant. Junior and senior girls from each high school that are on the Spinsters committee are expected to find a couple of people willing to donate, but these people are not just donating to the dance. The profits made from the donations all go to programs held by Embe. These programs, basketball, volleyball, swimming and girls on the run, just to name a couple, are open to those who cannot afford the fees to join. This is where the donations come in; those who donate are really giving an opportunity to a kid who cannot afford to play whatever sport they want to. Last year, the Spinsters committee raised $22,200 for these programs, and this year Spinsters is hoping to raise $23,000.

Peyton Johnson (9) and Dylan Hanson(9)

Jack Meyers (11) and Britten Blount (11) PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

South Dakota: not just for country music anymore

By Molly McIntyre If you were to ask a New Yorker to picture what South Dakota was like, they would probably tell you we are just a bunch of inbred, butter churning, country music-loving hicks. They are completely wrong. We would much rather drive our buffalo to school than churn butter, thank you very much. Jokes aside, South Dakota is evolving. Well, to be technical only Sioux Falls and Vermillion are (sorry Brookings, I do not really want to go to college and study dairy.) One major key to South Dakota’s evolutionary success is the variety in the music scene. We are finally able to get more music acts than country bands. I am sorry, but I am really tired of Florida Georgia Line playing at the PREMIER Center. I do not have a big green tractor nor do I have feelings for my cousin, please keep the trend going and send some good music here. Two recent concerts

PHOTOS BY MOLLY MCINTYRE

Twenty One Pilots and T-Pain performed in Sioux Falls and Vermillion which introduced these areas to various genres of music.

have shown that we are progressing into a different music scene. On Feb. 4, 2017, Twenty One Pilots played at the PREMIER Center. TOP became a radio wonder in 2016 with hits from their album “Blurryface.” “Stressed out,” “Ride” and “Heathens” topped

charts all summer long and more fans became a part of the few, the proud and the emotional. When they announced they were playing in Sioux Falls for the second time, the first time was at the District in Oct. of 2015, tickets sold fast. General admission sold out in less

than an hour and all of the other seats went fast after them. When the concert came, fans waited in tents for two or more days where the weather did not hit above 20 degrees. On Feb. 11, T-Pain played at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. T-Pain is most famous for hits he released in 2005 such as “Buy U a Drank,” “Up Down” and “Bartender.” Although there was not as much hype for T-Pain as there was for TOP, many of students at USD attended as well as students from other schools and from LHS. Unfortunately, there are not too many exciting concerts coming near us for a while. Grouplove was supposed to be playing at the district on Mar. 29, but they were forced to cancel tour dates due to their singer getting sick. Unless you are excited to see Florida Georgia Line play again on Apr. 20, you are going to have to wait to see what bands come here next.

Music festivals: a way to cure summer boredom

By Sydney roSInSky 2017 looks like a promising year for both musical festivals and concerts. Many artists that dropped albums in the preceding year recently released tour dates that continue throughout the summer. Any high school student looking to drop some bands on seeing these artists perform live should take a look at the lineup for this summer. Starting with solo artist’s concerts, Lil’ Chano, a.k.a Chance the Rapper, a.k.a Chancelor Bennett, recently announced his tour dates for his Grammy-winning album “Coloring Book.” His tour kicks off in San Diego, CA on April, 24. Chance offers packages that include playing him in rock-paper-scissors, or taking a picture with the Chicago-born kid and having him tweet it. These packages come at an extra price, but are definitely worth it. Another solo artist that recently released his tour dates is J. Cole. The G.O.A.T of rap music. His album “4 Your Eyez Only” is Cole’s

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE

Chance the Rapper is one of the many artists that have released their tour dates for the upcoming spring and summer.

fourth album, and tour dates start June 1 and continue throughout the summer. Cole will be coming to places as close as St. Paul, MN and Kansas City, MO. This album came almost as a surprise to fans due to the fact that last October he announced that it was his “last show, for a very long time.” Clearly, the double-platinum, no-feature rapper found that he just could not stay away from the music industry for

too long. As far as music festivals go, there are plenty around the country that one can attend. One of the popular festivals that is not too far from here is Soundset. The lineup this year features artists such as Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert. This outdoor concert will be taking place Sunday, May 28 in St. Paul, MN at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Another festival is one that may

be a little on the spendy side, but is one of the most famous festivals to take place: Coachella. This year, big names such as Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce and many more will be in attendance. Coachella starts April 14 and takes place in Indio, CA at the Empire Polo Club. Not only are there famous artists performing on stage, there will also be many in the crowd. People such as Justin Bieber and Kendall Jenner have been known to go to this famous festival. So, if anyone can sauce up the money in their bank account, this festival would be totally worth it. With all of these festivals and concerts, there are many ways to cure your summer boredoms. I am sure there will be even more announcements of festivals and even tours because so many artists are dropping albums as of lately. Anyone looking to travel around the country and listen to some good music should check out some of these events.

ENTERTAINMENT

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

This is how we roll: the best sushi in Sioux Falls

By Summer ericSon

Oshima Oshima is a casual, small sushi restaurant located downtown on 10th street. I had never been to Oshima before, but I kept an open mind because of the good word I had heard from multiple people. Their sushi menu featured a large array of specialty sushi and simpler ones like the original California Roll as well. I typically enjoy a good spicy tuna roll, but I stepped out of my comfort zone and ordered the Elvis Roll. This roll really was not only the king of rock, but the king of sushi as well. The ingredients included everything I love in sushi: crab, avocado, shrimp tempura, salmon, tuna and shrimp. I underestimated the speed of the chef. Before I knew it, the sushi was sitting in front of me. I was very impressed by this, considering the place was pretty busy. My first bite of sushi was tasty. The ingredients complimented each other well, and I could tell that all of the ingredients were definitely fresh. I give Oshima Sushi a four out of five for its exceptional service and tasty food.

Tokyo 26 Tokyo 26 is located on the east side of Sioux Falls and is owned by Tokyo. The venue is a very casual, seat yourself restaurant. Tokyo 26 attracted me the most out of all the sushi restaurants, because of its buy two get one roll free special (only attainable Monday through Thursday from one-five). Tokyo 26 had a tremendously large menu. I decided to go with the Black Hills roll. This roll contains snow crab, shrimp tempura, cucumber and wrap soy paper. It was the most eye-catching sushi of all the sushi places I tried. This sushi was by far my favorite. I waited for less than 10 minutes for my sushi, and the service was great. That, along with the fact that the sushi was delicious and it was cheap in price, gives me the reason to give Tokyo 26 a four and a half out of five. I would advise everyone to try it.

Sushi Masa Sushi Masa, from what I had heard before I went, was supposed to be the best sushi in town. It is located downtown which makes for some competition with Oshima sushi. I decided to go on a Tuesday night, which I guess was not a good time to go because we waited for over an hour and did not end up eating there. That gave me some irritating feelings towards Sushi Masa. I decided to give it a second try and go despite my grievances. The venue is very small, but that is what gives it its unique feel. I decided to give the spicy tuna a try. After a long wait, my sushi arrived. The Spicy Tuna rolls were perfectly arranged and delicious. The taste was great, but I could not get away from the fact that the service was not. It took longer to get my food than all of the other restaurants had, which was off-putting. I would rate Sushi Masa a three and a half out of five for its delicious sushi, but mediocre service.

Crave Crave is located downtown and is a sit down restaurant on the more formal side of the sushi restaurants. I went on a Saturday, so it was pretty busy. Although it was busy, there was not a wait and we were seated right away. The atmosphere is very cozy despite how big the restaurant is. I decided to try the Crunchy Shrimp Tempura roll. This roll consists of crunchy shrimp tempura, avocado, spicy mayo and sweet sauce. When the sushi arrived, I was extremely caught off guard by how big the rolls were. I almost thought I was going to have to eat the sushi like a rookie and cut it in half. After my first bite, all I could say was “yum.” I could tell that all of the ingredients were fresh, which is essential for sushi. Crave satisfied my taste buds, and I will definitely have a “crave” for their sushi again. I would rate Crave a five out of five for its sushi and great service.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Fads from elementary school By Riley Rasmussen

As we get older and older we change, and so do the trends. As a kid, different trends were present making kids have a want for the same popular item as their friends and classmates. Racing to school the next morning with the new item was always very exciting, so kids could show off to their friends. Although these trends were very exciting to us as kids, they now remain memories in our hearts.

photos provided by google public use

Childhood stars: Where are they now? By Jamie BRunken

Tia and Tamera “Sister, Sister” Most people know Tia and Tamera Mowry from the TV series “Sister, Sister” and movies “Twitches” and “Twitches Two.” Now, 23 years later, both sisters have stepped away from Hollywood and have done many different projects. Tia’s newest project includes starting her own cooking series on the cooking channel called “Tia Mowry at Home” and Tamera created her own talk show called “The Real.”

Brenda Song ”Suite Life of Zack and Cody” Brenda Song is most known for her role-playing the rich and somewhat flighty London Tipton on “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” Song also starred in “Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior,” a Disney Channel Original Movie. Since her time on Disney Channel, Song has continued acting in various shows such as “Scandal” and “New Girl.”

Jamie Lynn Spears “Zoey 101” Jamie Lynn Spears got her start as Zoey Brooks on the Nickelodeon show “Zoey 101,” which followed Zoey and her friends as they attended school at PCA. Now, Spears has transitioned from the acting world to the music scene, where she released her first single “How Could I Want More” and an EP entitled “The Journey” in 2014.

Nathan Kress ”iCarly” Nathan Kress, who is best known as Freddie Benson from the Nickelodeon show “iCarly” has grown up a lot, and by that, I mean he got attractive. After “iCarly” ended in 2012, Kress starred in his first major movie entitled “Into the Storm,” which premiered in 2014. Kress also recently got married to fellow actress London Elise Moore in November 2015.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen ”Full House” Remember cute little Michelle Tanner from the ever so popular sitcom “Full House?” Well, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the twin sisters who played the lovable Michelle Tanner, are now 30-years-old. The Olsen Twins have starred in various shows and movies after “Full House” ended, but now they are focusing on their careers in the fashion industry. photos provided by google public use

ENTERTAINMENT

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

Spot the difference: St.

Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Day edition

Can you spot all 8 differences with Pat in the office? by sidney brower

PHOTOS BY BAYLIE EMBRY

Hidden Treasure Word Search

CHARM GREEN LEPRECHAUN MARCH SAINT CLOVER IRISH LUCKY

POTOFGOLD SHAMROCK COINS JIG MAGIC RAINBOW TRADITION CheCk yourself before you wreCk yourself Visit lhsstAtesMAN.CoM for ANswers

Sports MARCH 16, 2017

LHS STATESMAN

Colleges Cole DeBerg MSU-MANKATO

Ben Schilling MSU-MOORHEAD

Kennedi Keller NDSU

Kaleb Dobbs

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Anezka Szabo

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

LHS student-athlete commits BY OLIVER LOCKWOOD-POWELL

Who was the person you mostly looked up to as an athlete?

DeBerg- Randy Moss Schilling- Josh Sitton, not only because he is one of the best guards in the game, but his hair and beard are just magnificent. Keller- I have never had a favorite athlete because I do not like to watch professional soccer because it is boring to watch for me. Dobbs- The athletes I looked up to are Roger Federer, Connor McGregor and Isaiah Thomas. Szabo- I look up to my dad. He walked on to play basketball at Augie and ended up having a career overseas and in the NBA. He shows me that hard work pays off. Klitzke- Mo Farrah because of his drive, determination and sacrifices it has taken him to get to where he is today. Luitjens- My dad is someone I have always looked up to, especially when it comes to basketball. Brecht- I looked up to my sister mostly, because she always played basketball and she always worked super hard at whatever she did.

What other colleges were looking at you?

Henry Klitzke

AUGUSTANA UNIVERISTY

Brooke Luitjens NORTHERN STATE

Anna Brecht

WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY

UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday-Saturday, Mar. 16-18

State Basketball Tournaments @ Rapid City Civic Center

Monday, Mar. 20

Dan Lennon Varsity Track Meet 12 p.m. @ USD Dakota Dome

Saturday, Mar. 25

Track Varsity Invitational 12 p.m. @ SDSU Indoor Facility

DeBerg- NDSU, USD, Augie, UND, MSU Moorhead, Northern Schilling- Minot St, Augustana, USF, SMSU, Duane, DWU, DSU, Yale, a lot of D2 offers and NAIA schools as well Keller- Loyola University (Illinois), USF, Augustana Dobbs- Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Arizona and Louisville Szabo- I was looking at Ohio State, University of Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State. Klitzke- Minnesota Moorhead, Drake, University of Colorado- Colorado Springs and a few others Luitjens- Augustana, Moorhead, USF, School of Mines, NDSU, University of Idaho Brecht- I was looking at UNO, because it wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been cool to play with my sister again, also SDSU and USD, but I decided I wanted to go outof-state for college and create my own path.

Did you play any other sports?

DeBerg- Track and hockey Schilling- I played basketball and soccer as a kid. I also threw shotput and discus, along with baseball through middle school. I currently powerlift. Keller- Up until age 8 I was a gymnast, then I quit to do cheer but my dad talked me into doing soccer and it has just been soccer ever since. Dobbs- Yes, I played football, baseball, soccer, cross country and I still play basketball, too. Szabo- I played basketball up until I was in the 8th grade. I also high jump and triple jump on the track team. Klitzke- Football and soccer in elementary and middle school and also played basketball until freshman year. Luitjens- I used to run cross country and track. Brecht- I played soccer all the way up to high school, and then I chose to focus on basketball in high school. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY LHS ATHLETES

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

SPORTS

NBA jerseys get a facelift: advertisments coming in 2017 by tanner hauck

The basketball industry is always changing, and the latest adjustment will be the addition of advertisement patches on NBA jerseys. The change will go into effect in the 2017-2018 season. The project was approved last year by commissioner Adam Silver, but just recently picked up traction, as the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers became the first to sign advertisement deals. The addition of advertisement patches to NBA jerseys comes after the announcement that Nike will become the new official NBA sponsor after adidas opted to not renew its contract after an 11-year partnership. Unlike adidas, Nike will choose to have its logo displayed on the jerseys of 29 of the 30 teams. The one remaining team, the Charlotte Hornets will most likely sport the logo of their owner Michael Jordan, whose company is a subsidiary of Nike Incorporated. This change in sponsorship played a large role in the decision to add

photo provided by google public use

Mock jerseys sporting their new advertisment patches.

advertisement patches. The advertising space comes in the form of a 2½-by-2½-inch patch stitched into the left breast of the jersey. Three have already signed agreements. The Philadelphia 76ers were at the forefront signing a contract with StubHub. Since then the Boston Celtics have come to an agreement with General Electric and the Sacramento Kings have sealed the deal with Blue Diamond

Almonds. With three teams signing contracts before the 2016-2017 season has concluded, it is expected that many more teams follow the trend over the summer. As far as pricing, most teams are listing the space for between five and $10 million annually, however super teams like the Golden State Warriors are requesting $15 million and upwards annually for the spot.

The program did not come without opposition. Many teams such as the Houston Rockets were not in favor of the arrangement. Problems could arise as far as TV sponsors and their ties or individual players who have advertisement deals with competing companies. These problems have not been fully worked out but are expected to be solved before the start of the 2017-2018 season. Another issue that was highly debated was if the patches would appear on the retail jerseys. Many fans were upset, but their concerns were subdued when the NBA announced that the advertisement logos would not appear on the retail jerseys unless requested by the team. The world of professional sports is growing and transforming in new and different ways. The NBA has experienced numerous changes in the way it is watched and the way it is played over the past few years, and the addition of advertisement patches is just another drop in the ocean.

Boys and girls basketball season overview

by Jack Fehrs The varsity boys basketball finished with nine wins and 10 losses this year. The team was led by seniors Carson Coulter, Simon Higgason, Andrew Tverberg and Kaleb Dobbs. Juniors Alex Glanzer, Christophe Bwanya, Dillon Barrow and Diang Gatluak also contributed significantly to the team’s season. The Varsity squadron beat their rivals, WHS, twice during the regular season as well as once during districts. The LHS varsity team also won the district championship against Harrisburg. LHS’ top scorer and rebounder of the season was Diang Gatluak, and Dillon Barrow led the team in assists and steals. The varsity boys hope to enter the state tournament in Rapid City with a full head of steam and continue on their successes in the recent games. The wins against HHS and WHS have undoubtedly invigorated hopes of a state title

among the varsity team. The team will travel to the state tournament on the March 16. Junior varsity also had a very successful season going 13-6 in the regular season. The other boy’s basketball squads, freshman A, freshman B and the sophomores, all took home the hardware this year, each winning their respective city tournament. The Junior varsity team did not have a city tourna-

PHOTOS BY BAYLIE EMBRY

ment. The varsity girls finished their regular season with a winning record of 14-9. Seniors Anna Brecht, Karli Soyland, Baylie Embry, Sydney Rosinsky and Brooke Luitjens brought experience to the team this year as seniors and helped lead the team to a winning record. Junior Courtney Klatt along with sophomores Sydnaya Dunn and Jayda Hallman, also helped the team to

victory. This season, Brecht reached a major milestone by breaking the previous all-time scoring record of 1,340 points, a 31-year-old record. The girl’s varsity team fought hard in Districts against BVHS, WHS and RHS; however, they did not advance to the state tournament. The Lady Pats will undoubtedly get better in the off season, especially with the young talent they have on their team. The sophomore team went 11-2 and placed second in the city tournament. The freshman team also had an excellent season, going 20-0 and bringing the city tournament trophy home to LHS. The JV squad also finished with a winning record of 10-9. Overall, both the boys’ and girls’ had great seasons that they should be proud of. From hard fought wins against rivals and broken records, to district championships, these past two seasons have had it all.

SPORTS

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

LHS baseball prepares for their upcoming season

By Madison Landon Last year, the LHS baseball team ended their season with a record of 15-2. The Patriots were handed both of their losses by the Brookings Bobcats, with their final loss coming in the State Championship. Despite losing eight seniors to graduation, including pitcher Nolan Burchill to the University of Minnesota, pitcher Isaac Rubendall to Wayne State College and catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell to Central Michigan University, the Pats hope to make another run at a state title. The season is coming up quickly as the baseball team had their first indoor practice on Feb. 13. The nine seniors, as well as some younger players on the team, hope to continue to build off what the team did last year. Their expectations for the season are very high.

“Our expectations are just to try to keep the success going and push for another state appearance,” said senior first baseman Joe Sudbeck. LHS has a tradition of success in all sports, baseball included. This success is in part due to all the work the players put in during the off-season when they are not a part of LHS baseball. Not all of the athletes play for the same travel team in the summer, so it makes the high school season even more fun. “Most of the kids on the team play for a different team in the summer and also do all of their off season training with that program,” said Sudbeck. “Getting to play with kids from teams you may consider a rival during the summer is a good part.” Filling the spots of eight seniors can be a daunting task

AnnA’s

for a team in any sport, but the Pats still have a handful of talented players that hope to contribute this spring, some of whom were starters last season. Returning this season are seniors Cayden Veland, George Mickelson, Stan Larson, Corey Fichter and Joe Sudbeck and underclassman Nate Brecht. “I believe that many of our fielders will have to step up this year,” said senior second baseman George Mickelson. “We have three returning infielders and two returning outfielders. In order to win, these players will have to take a leading role to the younger kids.” Make sure to come out to Harmodon baseball fields and support the Patriot baseball teams this spring as they work towards a state title.

mArch mAdness picks

The LHS baseball team prepares for tryouts.

photos by oliver lockwood-powell

Sophomore, Daulton Vanderloo, practices infielding.

SPORTS

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

Three Pats participate in State Wrestling 2017

By eMiLy Whitney The 2017 State Wrestling Meet offered plenty of excitement as South Dakota’s best grapplers drew large crowds to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center where both the Class A and B meets were held. The LHS team had three athletes that qualified to compete leading the way to the Patriots finish of 20th place. Corey Fichter (220) As a senior with a 40-5 record, Fichter became the leader of his teammates. Going in as the third seed, he made his way to the semifinals where he was defeated by RC Central. Following the loss, Fichter kept fighting through the next round of wrestle backs in order to gain his spot in the 3rd/4th place match. He defeated Huron and ended his career with a 3rd place finish, the highest finish on the LHS team adding 18 team points. “He had a great season,” said LHS

PHOTO BY LUCY DEKKENGA AND EMILY WHITNEY

Fichter finishes 3rd in the state tournament by defeating Huron.

wrestling coach Mark Ernster. “We are all really going to miss him.” Jayden Meyerink (132) Entering the tournament with tough matches ahead, Meyerink was able to keep a positive attitude which kept him going. After losing in the first round to Watertown, he was able to win his next match by a pin against West Central at one minute

and 28 seconds. In the second round of the consolation bracket, Meyerink lost to Harrisburg, which wrapped up his 2017 season at LHS and added three points towards the LHS team standing. “He had a tough go this season, coming into the tournament he had to face three of the top four guys so coming in here and winning a match

is a step in the right direction,” said Ernster. Beau Beavers (106) Beavers is the youngest (and smallest) of the group as an eighthgrader. He did not let that stop him as he placed 8th overall in the tournament. He fought his way through the tough competitors in his bracket and ignored the fact that he was not seeded. After losing his first match, Beavers stepped up and won the next two against Douglas and Pierre, both of which were pins. This series of wins placed Beavers in the third consolation round where he lost by decision. He then moved to the 7th/8th place match where he lost by decision to Yankton and ended up with a solid and well-deserved 8th place. “Beau being an eighth grader and coming in here unseeded, not getting a lot of respect, earned his place this year and he’s got four more years ahead of him,” said Ernster.

Standing Patriette

One-and-dones are bad for college basketball Nowadays, it has become increasingly common for college basketball fans of major conference teams to experience the pain of losing their star freshman to the NBA draft after one lone year on campus. These athletes are commonly referred to as “one-and-dones,” and they are known to play an integral role for their college teams while having a high ceiling of potential to play in the NBA. It should be encouraged for athletes to stay for more than one year and develop their game further. Some schools are more wellknown than others for recruiting one-and-done type players, specifically the University of Kentucky. Head coach John Calipari is notorious for going out and finding the biggest, longest and most highly developed players physically. It’s misconceived that everyone now has to recruit one-and-dones just to stay on the court with them. Yes, Kentucky is known to be very talented, but this season they al-

By Megan Landon, SportS editor ready have five losses. This shows in the NBA with the Minnesota that it isn’t impossible to compete Timberwolves, he has averaged against Kentucky like many peo- over 20 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. ple believe. What hurts the one-and-done Another reason that athletes should stay in college until their reputation is the guys who aren’t junior or senior seasons is that ready to play in the NBA, but they are putting their teams at they go after their freshman year a disadvantage by leaving early. anyways. A player that comes to The team usually revolves around mind is Michigan State’s Deyonta that one-and-done player, and Davis, who averaged barely over when he leaves after his freshman seven points per game in college, season, the team is left without but still went into the draft. Now, a major impact player. It is diffi- instead of playing all the time for cult for teams to develop chem- his school, he is in the NBA Distry amongst all of the players League for the Memphis Grizzlies throughout the years if some of since he wasn’t playing at all in the NBA. He would have been a huge them don’t stay for long enough. That being said, there are some benefit for the Spartans to have truly talented players that don’t this season with his size, and he necessarily need the extra years of would have gotten to work on his college basketball to propel them game as the key big guy for Michito the next level. Former UK play- gan State. Something that no one really er Karl-Anthony Towns is a prime example of a player that was ready thinks about is how leaving colto go into the NBA. He was the lege will affect the athlete’s educafirst overall pick in the 2015 NBA tion. If anything happens to them draft and in his first two seasons in the NBA or they don’t pan out,

then they can go back to school, yet aren’t allowed eligibility to play any longer. This can be difficult considering how hard it is for someone who is older to make a decision to go back to school and finish their education, as well as how expensive college is now. It is definitely a huge risk to leave school not knowing what the final outcome will be. In the end, when it comes time for freshman to declare for the NBA draft, they need to think about whether they can benefit further by staying in school. If not, then by all means they should go into the NBA, but there are only a select few of these highcaliber athletes. For the sake of both the athletes and the fans, star freshman players should consider staying in school. The NBA will still be there when they are juniors and seniors, and on top of that, they will be more well-rounded athletes.

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017 28 SPORTS THE ZUMBA BOIZ GET DOWN AND BOOGIE By Oliver lOckwOOd-POwell and Jack Fehrs

On Feb. 16, we, Jack Fehrs and Oliver Lockwood-Powell, headed to Great Life to experience a Zumba class first-hand. Initially, we were nervous not knowing what was going to happen next, but as time flew by, we settled in and got our boogie on. Throughout the course, there were many dance moves and positions that seemed impossible for non-flexible males, such as ourselves, however, we were able to conquer the tasks at hand and show the veterans that we were there to dance. A various amount of dance moves consisted of shaking your hips, doing your dips, and spinning around like money ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sh*t. Also, straight up twerking. Whilst twirling around on the dance floor, the temperature was nothing short of heartbreaking. At the Great Life facility, they set the temperature high enough that the average person could probably break a sweat just walking into the room. It was basically the gateway to hell. The music on the overhead speakers was upbeat, funky and also in Spanish. The lyrics could not be understood, but the beat was what congregated the whole community of dancers together. Towards the end of the session, the music changed to more recognizable tunes that we had heard before, and then we were really able to bust a move. No matter what kind of music we were getting jiggy with some squats, twerks and hip locomotion. With the room located above the weight lifting area and basketball court with large windows, people were able to peek through windows and see that we were breaking it down. As we explored new dance moves, we were not able to really accomplish every position that was provided; however, we took it more as a learning experience. We did not get frustrated with each other or the instructor, but decided it was best to realize that we were not the most experienced in the room. Looking around in the scorching hot box, we felt threatened by all of the old-timers. Moms of all ages, oversized grandmothers and athletic teenagers all got the best of us that night, showing us that we were nothing more than the dirt on their boots. The inner us was expressed that night of Feb. 16. So much so, that the instructor herself came up to us and told us young lads, that we had done a dandy job. Not only did she share her thoughts on our dance moves, in addition, she provided us with a boost of confidence to further our Zumba game into the future.

DA BOIZ IN ACTION

PHOTOS BY LUCY DEKKENGA

SPORTS

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

My challenging life as a basketball

By AnnA Brecht I am thrown around every day, tossed in the air for lengths at a time. Typically, one would not think I would be scared of heights, but I am. Every time I go up, I know I will be bounced right back down on the hardwood floor. The thought of being slammed down continuously is something to be afraid of. There are dozens of people in the stands, and out of all of us on the rack, they choose me. I know I may be the roundest, best looking one out there, but they pick me off the rack every time. All I can do is sit there in hopes of not being the chosen one, but time after time, they pick me. So, once again I take the court, dreading the next hour and a half of what seems like abuse. The person wearing black

and white stripes walks me to the middle of the court and throws me as high as he can into the air. The whistles b l ow and it is go

time. Tipped to one side, I begin to be bounced repeatedly, and the pain starts coming. One of my least favorite components about my job is when I get shot up and bounce

off the rim several times in a row. Therefore, my least favorite people are the ones that shoot me up a n d

miss. It is very difficult not to pick favorites, so the ones that swish me through the net most of the time are my favorite kind. Finally, the first quarter break

comes, and I get to be held for a minute or so. The halftime break is much better, 10 minutes of sitting down and resting, not having to be slammed against the wood floor. After my break, it is all downhill. One more half of the game, one more half of being hurled, pushed and hit from all sides. After half time, the game starts up again, and this time all that I feel on my skin is dripping sweat. It is bothersome because not one personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands are dry. I constantly feel like I am drowning in salty liquid. When the final whistle blows, the crowds start piling out and the gym begins to get quiet. I am set back down on the rack, hoping with all of my might not to be picked up again the next day. PHOTO PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE

MEET TH

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

THEATER

Drexton Trantina, 12 Tyra Lake, 12 Biggest fear: CLOWNS!!! If my life were a movie, it would be called: “The Life and Times of Tyra Lake” Childhood ambition: Living on the moon... there’s no wars there!

Biggest fear: Waking up and it’s the first day of freshman year again If my life were a movie, it would be called: “A Series of Over Dramatic Events” Childhood ambition: Study animals

Richard Dennis, 11 Biggest fear: Cockroaches, they’re the worst If my life were a movie, it would be called: “Sleepless in Sioux Falls” Childhood ambition: To live on the moon

Ella Olsen, 10 Biggest fear: One of the stage lights dropping on my head If my life were a movie, it would be called: “The Life and Times of Tyra Lake: Part 2” Childhood ambition: To be an actress, author and an astronaut all at the same time

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

Daniel Gertner, 12

Sofia Haan, 12

Biggest fear: Fear itself. And polio If my life were a movie, it would be called: “Ken Burns: The Roosevelts” Childhood ambition: To become the 32nd President of the United States

Ethan Lambert, 12

Mandy Neff, 12

Biggest fear: Not being able to see Eric Feng every day next year If my life were a movie, it would be called: “Gek City” Childhood ambition: To be the VP of National Honor Soceity, obviously

Biggest fear: Washing my hands If my life were a movie, it would be called: “300” Childhood ambition: Brushing my teeth

PATRIOT PRIDE

Biggest fear: Spiders If my life were a movie, it would be called: “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo” Childhood ambition: Become an astronaut

Harley Robinson, 9

Biggest fear: Failure and embarrassment If my life were a movie, it would be called: “The Goofy Movie” Childhood ambition: Back in elementary I wanted to be a singer but in about 6th I set my heart on being a police officer

Landon DeBoer, 9 Biggest fear: Not fulfilling my childhood ambition of being like Cole DeVos If my life were a movie, it would be called: “A Childhood Ambition: To Be Like Cole DeVos” Childhood ambition: To be like Cole DeVos

HE VARSITY

STATESMAN | March 16, 2017

DECA

Jack VanVeldhuizen, 12

Ethan Kilbride, 12

Biggest fear: Having a kid poop in the pool #guardlife If my life were a movie, it would be called: “The Secret Life of a Thumb” Childhood ambition: Aye Madison Landon what’s up

Biggest fear: Bugs, I hate bugs If my life were a movie, it would be called: “Anxiety” Childhood ambition: I’ve always wanted to be an actor

YEARBOOK Lydia Hooker, 12 Biggest fear: Learning how to drive because that means I’ll have to stop being chauffeured by my friends and family If my life were a movie, it would be called: “The Life of a Hooker” Childhood ambition: Marry Johnny Depp

Mya VonBank, 11

Kobe Veland, 11 Biggest fear: Not being able to meet Sia face to face If my life were a movie, it would be called: “The Tall Kid that Probably Plays Basketball Because of his Name But He Doesn’t” Childhood ambition: Be a lonely hermit that lives in the McDonald’s playpla -ce

Biggest fear: Not passing AP Physics If my life were a movie, it would be called: “High School Musical” Childhood ambition: Be a mermaid

STUDENT ATHLETIC TRAINERS Karli Soyland, 12 Biggest fear: Kroeze If my life were a movie, it would be called: “iKarl” Childhood ambition: D-Teamer

Kendra Strande, 12

Logan Kliewer, 12

Biggest fear: Leaving my sis Alexis at football alone next year If my life were a movie, it would be called: “Keeping Up with Kendra Kay” Childhood ambition: To get lost in the jungle

Featured in next issue: Track and Field, Baseball, Girls Golf and Boys Tennis

Biggest fear: White boys If my life were a movie, it would be called: “A Series of Unfortunate Events” Childhood ambition: To also get lost in the jungle

180 fields of study

BROOKINGS named

2015

SAFEST college town in the US

Student-tofaculty ratio

18/1

dining locations

200+

student organizations

Students from every state and 70 different countries

Residence Halls &

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12,500+ total enrollment