The Courier 905 8th Ave. NW, Mandan, ND - Volume 28, Issue 1- October 2019
HOMECOMING WEEK A wrap up of Homecoming week with pictures and quesitons answered by royalty. Pages 19-21
UPDATED COURIER ARTICLES An update on past courier articles with a new twist. Pages 20-21.
From The Editors...
Welcome to our first issue of The Courier as Co Editors-in-Chiefs. We hope this year brings well written and well rounded content. It has been a long road to get here, but man are we thankful. We plan on getting into some hard hitting issues while still providing you guys with some light entertainment. We have worked really hard to keep cohesion, clean designs and professionalism at the top of our priority list. Although we may lack in numbers, we make up for it with our extremely talented staff. Our news and feature editor Madi Just is a huge help when it comes to keeping everyone on track and our returning general reporter Anne Kesler is not only a queen when it comes to homecoming, but when it comes to boosting moral as well. Kelsie Hildebrand, Mayson Sheldon, Ryan Ulrich and Aspen Jewkes are our new experts at meeting deadlines and writing way Courtney Entzi and Liberty Hurley, Co Editors-in-Chief, more words than they need, and we are so excited to see where they can help us take the paper. If you took the time to read this, then you know how passionate we are about The Courier. We hope you enjoy our fall issue which includes the history of Halloween, new businesses and social changes just to name a few.
Contents
Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6-7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page14-17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20-21 Page 22-23 Page 24-25 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30-31
Letter from the Editors Staff Editorial
The Bell Social Change In Mandan’s Culture New Businesses in Mandan Calendar Next Step Ghosting Club Spotlight Should College Be Free? New Teachers
Liberty Hurley...........................................Co-Editor-In-Chief Opinion Editor Courtney Entzi...........................................Co-Editor-In-Chief Sports Editor Madi Just..............................................................News Editor Feature Editor Anne Kesler..................................................General Reporter Aspen Jewkes...............................................General Reporter Kelsie Hildebrand.........................................General Reporter Ryan Ulrich...................................................General Reporter Mayson Sheldon...........................................General Reporter
Halloween Flipside Homcoming Flipside Homecoming Pictures An Update on Past Courier Issues Q and A with Ashley Patrick AOTM Sports Spotlight Esports Sports Roundup
There have been many homecoming traditions over the years, however, they are not limited to Powderpuff football as pictured on the cover. Pages 19- 21.
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Courier Staff and Editorial Policy
The Courier is a news/feature magazine that is published throughout the school year. As an open forum for student expression, all content online and in print is decided and moderated by student editors. The staff welcomes letters, articles, submissions, of any student, faculty, or community interest. Submissions may be turned into the Courier, room 221, and by message to mhscourier@gmail.com. All submissions must be signed by the author if they are to be published and subject to editing if space is restricted. The Courier strives to be objective in its news coverage. Columns and letters reflect only the opinions of the writers, not those of the Courier staff, administration, teachers, or student body. Editorials that are not signed reflect the consensus of the staff. The Courier is funded entirely through advertising sales. Contact the Courier at mhscourier@gmail.com if interested in advertising.
Photo by Courtney Entzi
October 2019
Opinion
Mandan’s Not So Reputable Reputation
There was a claim made during the class meetings stating that Mandan is known for having the worst drug problem, worst racism problem and the worst bullying problem in the area. In more layman’s terms, that Mandan High School has a bad reputation. Is this a fair statement? When you compare Mandan to a school like Century, you lose the fact that Bismarck has a way bigger population that Mandan does, making it easier to split up the demographics into different areas of the city. Mandan on the other hand has every single high schooler in the same school, giving us this ‘small town feel’ in a big town setting. This ‘small town feel’ does a lot of good things for Mandan. Even during away games like state basketball, it gives us this amazing student section that always manages to rival the biggest schools in the state. It also gives our school a lot of cool traditions like the senior send off. Our ‘small town feel’ also means that everyone in this school knows everything about everyone else. Whether that be the fight that lasted three seconds in the back parking lot or the freshman that just got a minor for drinking. Knowing so much negative things about other students leads to gossip, bullying, teasing and overall just creates this cloud that follows Mandan students around wherever we go, especially during events at other schools. “At least we aren’t from Mandan” is echoed across schools all over the state, even appearing on signs in other schools’ student sections. It’s time Mandan students say enough is enough. There are issues that Mandan students need to fix, especially when it comes to issues like bullying and racism and the overall culture of the school, but one major step to fixing that is how we hold ourselves as a student body. Talk about your school with pride. Having pride as a student body is more than going all out on Homecoming days or going to sporting events, it is also making a conscious effort to watch what you say and do and to stand up against things that you know are wrong. When students make the choice to better their school and to stand up to things that are wrong, not only are they changing the atmosphere of Mandan High School, but they are exercising pride in our school and, in turn, bettering our reputation.
This article is the opinion of The Courier staff. Photo by Liberty Hurley
Opinion
October 2019
03
Bell The
For those of you reading this that have gone through your years of high school unscathed by the fear of big decisions and last goodbyes that creeps up on you early on through your senior year, I have only one word of advice; get ready. As a senior, it’s weird for me to think about the classes I once stressed over during freshman year, people I have met and forgotten, the people I have met and forced myself to forget and basically anything that I once saw as significant in my early years of high school. The bonds that may have once seemed incredibly significant in high school (whether they be with best friends, math assignments, teachers or peers you don't know the name of) are tricky elements that have a very short half life because let’s be honest; chances are you will talk to very few people from high school seventeen years from now and remember no stressful tests after you graduate. Sadly all those little memories (good or bad) play a part in the dreadful thought of having to grow up and think about the “real” stuff, and just because they won't matter in the long run, it doesn't mean it hurts less now. It is important to know what is worth stressing about right now and what is okay to stress about later. That all brings me to the message of this article and to brighten the spirits of the disheartened upper and lower classmen who have come to the realization that the future is one piece of paper away; in each box is one of the few things that actually matter in high school. I hope you read and consider them thoughtfully because soon it will be very relavent. After you read about what really matters, I challenge you to consider what I've said and do something about it, learn to accept your faults and change for the better, think about those old friends you miss and take a step outside of your self constructed box and go see what’s out there. Everyone deserves a second chance, so don't waste the little time you have left in high school. Make a difference within yourself. It’s not too late to start a change, so how will you have changed by the end of the year?
How are people going to remember you? 20 years from now when classmates that you haven’t thought about in years look back at your picture in their yearbook, what are they going to say about you? Are they going to say you were the kid who laughed at the disabled kids in school, the kid who introduced themselves to every new person, the kid who would freak out if they got an A- on one test or the kid who changed who they were to impress the people they were around? In the long run, the mean kids can turn their life around and become saints and the nice kids can become bitter, but most of your peers wont get to see that transformation. So, in an effort to think about the future, is the person you are right now the person you are okay with people remembering?
What is the next new thing you are going to do? School can get tedious especially when you do the same thing every day with little to no change in your schedule. I’ve had days where I get home and realize that I did not do anything productive or something that I was truly satisfied by. Living life in a mundane circle of disappointment is sad and to fix it, new things must be done. When I say new I don’t necessarily mean go skydiving or build a mountain bike, I mean take a new route home or try a new style for a day. Do anything that makes you feel alive and stops you from getting into a toxic circle of repetition. You deserve that adrenaline.
What are the bonds you need to mend before high school ends? Some bonds don’t need to be mended, and forcing yourself to forget about people is something that comes along with growing up (or so I have heard from my mom). However, there may be some friends that you either really miss and don’t know how to tell them or there is something inside you telling you that that bond needs to be mended. If either of those is the case, I’d say listen to your gut. Maybe take the time to check in on that best friend from middle school who you drifted apart from or that girl from your science class that you once got into a dumb argument with. Sometimes it can be hard to put your ego aside and make the first move at mending a bond, but all it takes is a few simple words.
— Liberty Hurley, Co Editor-in-Chief
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October 2019
Opinion
Social Change In Mandan’s Culture An inside look on the progression of modern day societal issues
— Kelsie Hildebrand, General Reporter Today’s society has been demoralized by social media, swearing, money and drugs. These issues have finally come to the publics attention, and people now ask the questions of how did things go wrong and how can they be corrected? Swearing is not only more prevalent among high schoolers, but it is reaching the fifth grader and middle schooler generation. Kids no longer care who hears them because it is considered cool. “You had that filter, like when you get around your grandma, but it’s definitely not there anymore,” Breid said. “It’s a daily thing here.” Social media has a broad spectrum of issues like catfishing, stalking, cyberbullying and trying to present an image of yourself that is not true. Again, the problem has been making its way down the line as time passes. “With all these different platforms, it becomes a problem for some kids,” Mandan Middle School Principal Ryan Leingang said. “It’s the need to always be connected with everyone all the time which can be good and bad.” The first amendment in The Bill Of Rights says that the people of the United States have freedom of speech or of the press. Posting something on social media can be considered free speech, but sometimes that is not the case. “I think there’s a misconception where I can say anything I want online and there’s no repercussions of it which is completely wrong,” Breid said. “What if I go online and say I’m going to bring a gun to school, you think that’s still free speech?” It gets worse as you get younger with hate group messages that fifth grade girls are making about other girls. This is the new normal that society has accepted. “Now that it’s become more portable, kids can say and do what they want with their phones,” Roosevelt Elementary Principal
Wade Meschke said. “I think with social media and media in general we see a lot of people that aren’t nice to each other.” Along with swearing and misconceptions among social media, money and drugs takes a toll on many highschoolers. Marijuana has been around for quite some time, but younger kids are not only smoking but now testing out new drugs. Prescription pills are becoming very popular and methamphetamine is in the high schools now.
email to someone at the Braves Center that says ‘handle with care Jimmy Johnson’ for example,” Breid said. “They don’t get told why the police were there because we are trying to prevent if that kid is going to become an issue and start causing trouble.” Money is also an issue because everything is going up in price but wages have not had any significant change. “We are a schoolwide Title 1 school, meaning that we have enough poverty here to get extra money from the federal government,” Meschke said. “Our community really steps up for our kids and sometimes to the point where we don’t know where to put all these things.” Ones background is defined greatly by money but also past traumas, living conditions and support systems. The person sitting next to you has a life of their own, and it is very different from yours. “You should be acting like everyone else is a utopian way to say how it should be,” Leingang said. “Everyone has a life that has happened before you come through those doors.” Change is a hard thing to pursue because everyone needs to be on board. Expect a big shift the next couple years. “We want to start doing presentations to teachers and teaching staff at the schools,” Breid said. “Hopefully out of this we can change the culture.” All these problems in the community ultimately falls back on the oldest generations, and you classify that as the highschooler generation or the parents, actions needs to be made. “It’s neat to see high school kids doing things like this [school activities,]” Leingang said. “As much as everyone’s afraid of middle school kids, they look up to you high school kids and what you do.”
“Hopefully out of this we can change the culture.” “We are pulling sixth graders out for smoking weed and pushing into your opiate pills,” Breid said. “It’s not as common, but there is a handful of times where it’s methamphetamine and a couple years ago we got cocaine.” For some kids that have been exposed to cmplications early on in their life, dealing drugs is an easy out. “Everyone thinks dealing drugs is an easy way to make money, but in the long run, it’s not because eventually you are going to get caught,” Breid said. “I know of a couple kids at the high school that are at risk for that exact thing money wise.” A plan has been set in place to reduce the drug problem or at least stop it from growing. Handle With Care is a program between the police department and the mandan school district to protect kids that struggle with abuse and violence at home. “Anytime the law enforcement is involved with a family whether it be there for domestic at their house or death of a family member, the police department sends an
Photo by Kelsie Hildebrand
Opinion
October 2019
05
New to Town: Balancing Goat Coffee Co. — Anne Kesler, General Reporter “We have really fun, new things that Mandan and Bismarck has A goat herder was out with his goats one day when he noticed that they were eating these little red berries off of the bushes nearby. not seen before,” said Shmidt. The Balancing Goat Coffee Co. isn’t going to be the typical A short while later, the man noticed that his goats were full of energy, running in circles, bouncing everywhere and could not be coffee shop everyone is familiar with. Infrared yoga classes will be offered with heaters installed in the walls instead of blowing controlled. During this time, around the 16th century, the monks were the directly on someone, aiding in the elimination of dry heat, and medicinal people. The man came to the monks with the mysterious blacklights will also be installed for activities such as neon, tribal body painting classes. berries in hand and asked The ladies plan to have them what they were, and their own freshly roasted why they are making his beans and roast the coffee goats act as if they were themselves along with being kicked in the rear. some fruity smoothies for The monks thought the all those out there who man was out of his mind aren’t big coffee drinkers. and dismissed the whole Not only will there be ordeal by throwing the coffee and smoothies, berries into the fire. Soon but a variety of different enough the berries started whole food selections to to burn and produced an satisfy every need one aroma that was quickly could have. Salads, soups brought to the monks and sandwiches will be attention. freshly made and even ice So the monks investigated cream and freshly baked the mysterious berries and pastries. experimented with them “Everything will be by simply putting them made fresh how you want in water and from this it, when you want it,” combination is how coffee came to be, basically Photo sourced from unplashed.com says Schmidt. As of now, the business making goats the inventors Balancing Goat Coffee Co. is almost here. Freshly roasted is under construction, of coffee. coffee will be available to every costumer all the time. but they hope to be Balancing Goat Coffee November is the expected opening date for the new business. completely done and have Co. is a new business that all their equipment by derives off of the goat and the middle of October. coffee origin and will be hitting the town of Mandan sooner than you think with an estimated During this time, they will also be looking for new hires to work opening in November of 2019. Karen Schmidt and Don Hagger, as soon as possible. Find them on the Balancing Goat Coffee Co. Facebook and the business owners of Balancing Goat Coffee Co., are trying to Instagram page. introduce something new to the small town atmosphere.
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October 2019
News
New to Town: Copper Dog — Courtney Entzi, Co Editor-in-Chief Copper Dog is one of the new additions to the restaurant scene the business and hope to continue to provide the community with on main street and mandan. The waffle house/Coffee bar features new services. One newly opened addition is the gym. Parents can variety of baseball themed waffles and coffee beverages along sign their children up for gymnastics and the owners are planning with italian sodas. The cafe is very welcoming and the owners are to provide other classes as well, such as yoga, cheerleading and a making that aspect a priority. gladiator class. “Copper Dog is a waffle and coffee store, and we made it so it “The store is still evolving and some of the purposes are still would feel ‘homey’,” Owner Cathy Ehlis said. “We wanted it to evolving,” Randy Ehlis said. “We really have three teers in our be somewhere where people could just come, relax and hangout.” business, the waffle shop, the gym, which has been really well The owners of Copper Dog, Randy and Cathy Ehlis and Mike and received, and the party room.” Briteny Kennedy, wants to provide The owners are also working on to be a new experience to Bismarck/ creating a high school friendly Mandan consumers. environment and make students “We wanted to make something feel comfortable and welcome. unique,” Owner Randy Ehlis said. “We are working on trying “We wanted to make a place that to market ourselves as a place people come and it would just be an where you can come and spend experience, not just someplace to time, and use this as a study place get coffee and waffles, something or a place to hang out.” Randy memorable.” Ehlis said. “We want to provide The owners hope they can provide a safe environment so that they a service that benefits the community. [students] can come and not feel Copper Dog, named after the family pressure to do some of the things dog, has a lot of family ties that the that are out there when your in owners hope is a welcoming site to high school” new customers and that the family The owners are open to feel carries over into their service. suggestions from the public and “It is a local place where you talk to invite them in to just hang out. with your friends, do homework, eat, It is important to the owners that stay for hours or just come in and get the public knows that they are waffle.” Employee Kaden Felch said. welcome. “I help people with ordering at the “You do not have to order till so I get a chance to connect with anything, just come in, enjoy customers and ask them how their yourself and make yourself food is and just be friendly.” Photo by Courtney Entzi at home,” Cathy Ehlis said. Felch wants people to know that they “We want you to come and be Copper Dog offerers a wide variety of waffles. comfortable.” are welcome and that Copper Dog is Above is a personalized waffle with chocolate, more than just a business. Copper Dog is open all week strawberries and whipped cream. “Just come in even if your not hungry from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is come in, and if you are hungry waffles inviting to any waffle lover. The are a great option to eat, but you can just come in and hangout” have a large selection of waffles and beverages along with a few Felch said. seasonal items that are available. Copper Dog has free wifi, a TV The owners are continuing to work on expanding and improving and lots of seating room for all types of customers.
News
October 2019
07
Courier Calendar October-November 2019 — Aspen Jewkes, General Reporter
Sports:
Clubs:
Cross Country: Oct. 26, State @ Minot
FCA: Breakfast every Friday @ 7:30 room 121
Football: Oct. 16, @ Home Nov. 15, State @ Fargodome Boys’ Soccer: Oct. 10- 12, State @ Home
TSA: Oct. 7- 11 is TSA week Photo by Mayson Sheldon
Mandan Cheerleaders create a fun atmosphere for the student section at a variety of sporting events.
Play: “Clue” Oct. 11- 12, performing @ 7 pm in auditorium Oct. 13, performing @ 2 pm in auditorium
Girls’ Swimming/ Dive: Oct. 15, @ Home Oct. 25, @ Home Oct. 26, @ Home Nov. 9, WDA @ Bismarck Nov. 15- 16, State @ Bismarck Boys’ Tennis: Oct. 10-12, State @ Grand Forks Volleyball: Oct. 24, @ Home Oct. 25, @ Home Nov. 5, @ Home Nov. 21- 23, State @ Fargo
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Student Council: Oct. 21 and Oct. 28, Trick or Treating for Canned Goods@ 6- 8
Photo by Kelsie Hildebrand
Senior James Larson passes the ball to a teamate in order to score a goal.
Band: Oct. 15, Fall Jazz NIght @ 7:30 pm Oct. 16, Pep Band Football @ 6:15 pm Nov. 1, Pep Band Football Playoffs Nov. 5, Concert @ 7 pm Nov. 25, CB III and 8th, @ 7:30 pm
October 2019
Choir Concert: Oct. 9, performing @ 5 pm in auditorium Oct. 28, performing @ 6 and 7:30 pm in the auditorium Oct. 29, performing @ 6 and 7:30 pm in auditorium Other: Oct. 26, AP English Study Session @ LHS Nov. 2, AP Math Study Session @ LHS Nov. 27, ASVAB Test Juniors
News
Photo by Liberty Hurley
N E X T S T E P
The new program hoping to give students a better chance to succeed — Madi Just, Feature and News Editor
News
High school can be a hard transition. The school is huge, there are a ton of new and older students and the course work and classes can be a lot tougher. The transition can be even harder if a student is coming to the high school after coming back from an institution or if they struggle in a classroom setting. The school, in an effort to help these students and give them the best chance to learn, created the Next Step program. “The idea was that if a student wanted to go to one or two classes a day they could, but they could go to Next Step and take classes in the Next Step environment which might be unique and at their own pace.” Assistant Superintendent Jeff Fastnacht said. The idea of Next Step was implemented this year and was brought forward by the Youth Correctional Center as a way to give students transitioning to the High School again an easier time. “They had kids transitioning, in essence from juvenile incarceration,” Fastnacht said. “They’re going back to high school and they need to get comfortable again and learn how to be in high school,” As of right now the program is still open to students who have not been to a juvenile program. “We have nothing written down formally,” Fastnacht said. “If we had a kid coming out of a treatment facility like the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch....they would be a good candidate for Next Step. It could also be a kid whose not successful in the classroom and they have high anxiety or anger issues, they could be a candidate for Next Step.” The name in and of itself means, ‘the next step toward your recovery.’ “We use the name Next Step purposely because it can either be your next step in or your next step out.” Fastnacht said. “We are hoping to alleviate that step where you have to go to incarceration.” The program will be run in both the High School and the Middle School. As of right now, there are no plans to move Next Step down to the elementary school level. “However I could see this program in elementary schools,” Fastnacht said. “We have elementary students who need time with a counselor and need some additional resources. It would take some work, but it could be done in some form.” The Next Step program will be run out of a few classrooms in the Braves Center to give students their own space. “It’s close enough to the high school for them to engage with the high school, but they’re a little farther away and have their own space.” Fastnacht said. Unlike the Brave Center Academy, Next Step also gives students a chance to be apart of the ‘normal’ high school life and culture along with the specialized resources that are offered. “The idea of Next Step is to do school in a way that you still could engage with the regular that you’re in, but then avail yourself to the resources of Next Step at the same time,” Fastnacht said. “It’s also designed to be a transitioning spot so when you need special services or support Next Step could offer that to you.” One of Next Steps resources is group therapy sessions. “If students need to work and talk through some issues, they will have some time set aside to do that,” Fastnacht said. The students will also have closer contact with their teachers, more available staff and a social worker that is dedicated to them. The hope is that, with these new resources, more students will have a chance to succeed.
October 2019
09
Ghosting:
A modern day lack of communication — Aspen Jewkes, General Reporter
Imagine being in a close and comforable relationship. person genuinely cared about them it could cause them to think Blindsided one day, goodmorning and goodnight texts are no a million different things in their head: Are they mad? Are they longer sending. You have come to the realization that the person lying? There are many other things that run through people’s you were once so happy with ghosted you. heads when they don’t know what’s going on. Ghosting can be defined as when someone intentionally stops According to Psycology Today, “Ghosting is the ultimate use talking to someone without telling them why. An example of of the silent treatment, a tactic that has often been viewed by ghosting could be when someone completely stops talking to mental health professionals as a form of emotional cruelty.” another person because they do Everyone has been through the not have any interest anymore. silent treatment because someone Ghosting has become really has gotten mad, but if the person big suddenly because of how who was mad would confront the much teens use social media to other person, it would most likely communicate with each other. resolve the issue faster than just Instead of having face to face avoiding it all together. interactions, people would “Staying connected to others is rather just send a picture saying so important to our survival that something. our brain has evolved to have a A lot of the time people do social monitoring system that not want to seem rude, so scans the environment for cues Have they abruptly stop talking to so that we know how to respond Not someone because they think in social situations,” according to that the other person will handle Psychology Today. Have it better. Although people may When people do not communicate think that it does not hurt the how they are feeling with another other person, most of the time person, it can cause bigger issues it does. not only for the relationship, but “It hurt me before, but more also for the person’s self esteem. so because I would have rather Ghosting is not just in just been told how they felt,” relationships with someone that Out of 133 MHS students 70% have been Junior Avery Boehm said. they are interested in, it’s also ghosted and 30% have not. Studies have shown that just with peers or friends. If someone being completely cut off hurts meets one time and they are on more than just being told the all of that person’s social media truth. According to The New accounts,they are most likely York Times, “Social rejection of any kind activates the same ghost friends. pain pathways in the brain as physical pain, meaning there’s a According to Psycology Today, “The important thing to biological link between rejection and pain.” remember is that when someone ghosts you, it says nothing Some people have no idea how to react to ghosting becaus if the about you or your worthiness for love and everything about the person doing the ghosting.”
Have you Been Ghosted? 30%
70%
10
October 2019
Feature
Club Spotlight: Leadership — Anne Kesler, General Reporter
A look into Mandan High School’s Leadership Club and their goals.
Leadership can take on many forms but one of the most important take place during school days because of the different activities the members are apart of that conflict with after school hours. aspects of being a leader is getting people to follow them. Variety is what the leadership club is striving for currently and When one thinks of a leader, a dominant, outgoing, loud, bossy for the future. It is important that the club has students that are all personality comes to mind, however that is not always the case. apart of different things like soccer, tennis, theater, choir, band, Leadership is more about how someone treats others and major etc. characteristics may include humility, empathy, vision, courage, “We have football players, baseball players, band kids, we have strategic planning and focus. everybody,” Moch said. “Anybody can be chosen.” “Leadership isn’t all Leadership meets about leading,” senior with kids from leadership member elementary and Adam Moch said. “It’s middle schools to about getting to know one check in on how they another and becoming are doing. If the kids good friends with other need a little help when people.” socializing with their The leadership club at peers or are maybe Mandan High provides having trouble with opportunities for its managing their school members to develop work, leadership leadership skills. They students visit the do this by taking part schools and mentor in events that instill them to try and get leadership traits like them back on the right kindness, empathy and track. listening in students of “Mentoring the kids all ages. is pretty fun because Photo submitted by Tori Grey In order to be apart of this they all look up to club, a teacher or coach Leadership does many different activities for the community ranging you,” Moch said. must nominate a student from a supply drive for the Children’s Advocacy Center to taking one Although most of their in their freshman year of the physical education classes to the park events include going of high school for their to the elementary hard work, outstanding schools and middle achievements, how well school, the leadership club reaches out to all ages and reminds they treat others and their good grades. Six names are drawn from them to respect one another. Getting people together that typically a hat, 3 girls and 3 boys, to determine the next set of leadership are stereotyped to not talk to one another is a big goal in leadership. members. “Some of the stuff we do kind of brings grades closer together,” There are currently 24 students in leadership with an even number senior leadership member Karamea Miller said. of girls and boys. Freshmen get a chance to meet their peers that The members within the club practice what they teach. Students have already been apart of leadership during high school as a sort learn how to communicate with others and feel more comfortable of welcoming ceremony, and if they stick to it, what they will be expressing their opinion with others. doing when the next set of freshman students are in their shoes. “I’m not afraid to share my opinion with people now,” said The club tries to get together at least once every other week to Miller. “I talk more, and talk to other people I normally wouldn’t discuss upcoming events and different ideas that would help reach talk to.” out to others and encourage them to do their best. Meetings usually
Feature
October 2019
11
Should College Be Free?
Students at Mandan High School discuss their views about “free” college. — Kelsie Hildebrand, General Reporter Junior Taylor Dean NO- “I believe students should continue to have to pay tuition for college.
There’s simply no such thing as “free college.” Everything comes with a cost, including education. Take a look at our public-school systems, they’re considered free however, the Government and community is still paying for it. If we had college be the same way as our public-school systems, our taxes would skyrocket since the professors and employees would still need to be paid somehow. Another factor to consider is, if many people earn college degrees, the value of the degree becomes water downed. Resulting in many college graduates becoming unemployed regardless of their qualifications.”
YES- “A common thing in the US is people wanting to attend college, but Junior Ashley Mindt it’s very expensive and you accumulate a lot of debt if you attend. If college were free, a majority of high schoolers will be encouraged to attend without the worry of debt to weigh them down after they try to pursue their career post college. It may also help students obtain money rather than lose it and reduce the amount of stress from daily homework. A lot of people might think that if college is free, everyone must be required to attend. I think if college is free it should be a choice to go not obligated by the government to attend. Another area of concern people have for the outcome of college being free is how do employees get paid? The way that they would get paid is by state taxes that the population provides and in grants that are given to the college as private entities. The only con of this outcome is that each state would have higher taxes due to the colleges and universities. Free college isn’t an unachievable idea, there are many countries in the world that provide free college at a decent education level or higher like Finland, France, Germany, Denmark and Greece, to name a few. By providing a list of examples this can prove that some countries have a stable economy where college can be free for the public. In conclusion I think providing free college isn’t the worst idea. You can help people who want to achieve their dream job without having to worry about going into debt for the rest of their life.”
Senior Yna Jasmann
NO- “The costs of going to college have ultimately increased over the years. Some may argue that if college was free, more students would pursue it; while others may argue that free college isn’t really free because someone has to pay for it. If going to college was free, our taxes would increase. The phrase “Free College” does attract students and it might even motivate them to apply, however, a college education might be taken less seriously. As a result, graduation numbers might decrease, or the people who do graduate might not be as well prepared for the workforce. In addition, if college was free, students might end up not having good budgeting skills since they didn’t have to worry about managing their money. On the other hand, I think that college should be affordable enough for anyone to pursue it and not get weighed down by debt after they graduate. After all, a nation’s future relies on education, for it is one of the nation’s strongest instruments in reducing poverty and improving growth and stability.” Chart Title
38.3% voted no
61.7% voted yes
392 studaents voted on whether or not college should be free Yes
12
No
YES- “In today’s society to really be successful, Senior Trinity Duran people need to have more than a high school diploma. Education is the key that unlocks the door of opportunity, yet the rising tuition costs are putting college so far out of reach for so many hard working people. Free college is beneficial to everyone. If college becomes free in the United States, we would have way more doctors, nurses, engineers and people who would give anything for their dream career. So, if we want to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to reach their full potential and contribute to the success of our country, we need to make sure that higher education is more affordable and more accessible for more students. It’s that simple.” Photos by Kelsie Hildebrand October 2019
Feature
New Teachers on the Block: Get to Know the New Staff — Ryan Ulrich, General Reporter
Mr. Sailer
Math
What were your first impressions of Mandan? “I enjoyed it. I love the message the administration and teachers are trying to spread. I was also blown away by some of my students and their intelligence that I’ve seen in my classes.” What got you into teaching? “It was something I really just kind of fell into. Math was the subject that I always liked/ enjoyed. At the beginning I didn’t plan on being a teacher, but it was something that just ended up happening.” What are some things you like to do in your freet ime? “If I do have any free time, I’m a gym rat. My free time right now is being taken up by preparing for a little one to come around. I have also picked up my guitar again for the first time in awhile so I’m a little rusty, but I need to get back into it.”
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Mrs. Rowles
Math and Science
What were your first impressions of Mandan? “I loved Mandan. The staff here have been amazing, and so far my classes have been awesome and all my students have been great.” What got you into teaching? “I started out in the health field in my junior year. I decided to switch because I knew I liked working with that science aspect, but I really enjoy working with young adults and kids so I knew this was something I wanted to do for my whole life.” What are some things you like to do in your free time? “Well I have a year and a half old daughter and I’m married, so I love to spend time with my daughter. I love to play outside with her and take her to the park.”
Mrs. Jackson
Mr. Nieuwsma
English
English
What were your first impressions of Mandan? “As a teacher, I love it. I love the mission statement that we’re trying to get kids ready for college and careers.”
What were your first impressions of Mandan? “The kids are talkative but very nice and respectful. I’ve known Mandan for a very long time though as a Speech Coach.”
What got you into teaching? “A couple teachers here actually got my into teaching including Mrs. Brannan and Mrs. Saur who recently retired. They really inspired my to teach and to teach English.” What are some things you like to do in your free time? “Obviously I like to read because I’m an English teacher. I also play sand volleyball and tennis in the summer, and in the winter I hang out and play video games (Gears 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2).”
October 2019
What got you into teaching? “Every major that I was kind of thinking about kind of fell through, so I got down to it and realized I wanted to be a teacher. I thought I would be good at it so I went through all the teaching options and I ended on English teaching.” What are some things you like to do in your free time? “I love to work out, and play video games. When I have a lot of free time, I like to write books for fun and in the past I’ve talked to editors but haven’t really gotten anywhere with that.”
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All graphics by Courtney Entzi
October 2019
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The Origin of Halloween It’s all about wearing the scariest costume, eating the tastiest candy and attending the spookiest events such as running through haunted houses or even going to the theaters to watch a horror movie. The monsters, the jack-o-lanterns and the creepy crawly critters all scream one of the most famous holidays of the year: Halloween. While most Americans glorify Halloween for its costume and candy nature, Halloween actually used to have a whole different meaning behind it. Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic Festival known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Samhain was a time for the Celts to celebrate the new year which, 2000 years ago in some parts of Europe, landed on November 1. November 1 marked the end of summer and the beginning of harvest for the cold, dark winter months that lay ahead of them. It was believed that the night before the new year allowed the portal between worlds to become weakened and the spirits of the once living were able to return to Earth. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. The festival involved big bonfires where folk dressed up in animal skin costumes and gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic gods and goddesses. The people beleived that sacrificing to the spirits made it easier for Druids to make predictions about the future. After all the rituals had been completed, they reignighted their fires to protect them during the long winter months. Pope Gregory III later designated November 1 as Alholowmesse, more commonly known as All Saints’ Day, which was celebrated similarly to Samhain, but was based more on Christian values that had spread into Celtic lands. All Saints’ Day was also referred to as All-hallows or All-hallowmas allowing the night before to eventually be called All-Hallowseve and, the more familiar name today, Halloween.
— Anne Kesler, General Reporter
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October 2019
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16%
Dangers of Halloweeen Candy
Top 10 Halloween Candies
— Mayson Sheldon, General Reporter
Halloween is a holiday that revolves around candy and trick Candy, candy, candy, candy. Candy is what really or treating for kids of all ages, but dangers associated with these makes Halloween as popular as it is along with all the two activities are causing parents to be more cautious around spooky, scary ghosts and gouls of course. the holiday. A poll was sent out to all of the Mandan High students “There were razor blades found over in Bismarck, and in my to figure out what exactly is the best candy? Here are home area in Minnesota, they found drugs inside candy,” School those results: Resource Officer Michael Breid said. With these dangerous items being found in candy, parents are going out of their way to protect what their children are eating. “I look to see if wrappers look like they’ve been tampered with, if the seals are loose,” Math teacher Stacy Fitterer said. “Some voted Reeses voted KitKat voted Skittles people will do homemade popcorn balls and such, I throw those Peanut Butter 2nd as their 3rd favorite Cups as their out immediately.” favorite favorite On the unfortunate chance that a dangerous item is found in a piece of Halloween candy, the Mandan Police will do as much as they can to help. “If a dangerous item is found, report it to the police, that’s the only way we can track where it’s from,” Breid said. Along with the Halloween candy, the way children go about voted Snickers voted Twix collecting it also poses dangers parents strive to protect their 5th favorite 4th favorite children from. “When they go with their friends they have to have their phones with them,” Science teacher Ciera Kroh said. “They have to stay — Anne Kesler, General Reporter as a group. They’re not allowed to wander off alone. We have to know their route.” Going up to the door to say the famous words can even become dangerous because of predatorial indivduals. “I tell my kids if somebody invites them into their house, kindly decline,” Fitterer said. The police department is aware of the scary stories in the news about the dangers associated with trick or treating. “Tell your parents where you’re trick or treating, always trick or treat with friends, always bring a flashlight, don’t eat your candy until your parents look at it, be safe crossing roads and make sure you’re not tripping over your costume,” Breid said. As our society has shifted, we as children and parents have had to adjust to what we consider to be a “safe” Halloween.
29%
25%
16%
17%
13%
How To Guide: Costumes — Courtney Entzi, Co Editor-in-Chief
Picking a costume can be difficult for anyone. Halloween means rushing to find a costume so you do not have hear the question ‘What are you going to be?’ or even worse, not having an answer.
Personal Interests Pick a costume that relates to your personal interests. If you like a certain movie, dressing up as your favorite character is a great way to create a costume that is personal to you.
Pinterest or any other social networking site is a great way to find inspiration.
DIY
Grab a sheet and cut out some eye holes. If you are looking for a fast costume to go to a last minute event, your closet is a great place to find a costume. Jerseys can become professional athletes and a pair of overalls matched with a flannel can easily become a scarecrow.
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October 2019
Feature
Behind the Scenes at the Haunted Fort — Mayson Sheldon, General Reporter
Everybody likes to be scared, especially around Halloween time, and Mandan’s favorite spooky attraction, the Haunted Fort, is coming back this October. “Getting to scare people is always fun,” four-year scare actor and senior Olivia Mieras said. “Everybody reacts differently in those situations. Some people absolutely love that sort of stuff and the adrenaline, but other people hate it and they’re freaking out the whole time.” There’s more that goes on behind the scenes at the Haunted Fort than most people realize. “All paid employees help with set up,” Mieras said. “We usually have 3 days set aside so in total it takes around 15 hours to set up all 3 houses.” Being able to work with new found friends makes the spooky attraction much less terrifying. “It’s a lot of fun and you get to meet a lot of really cool people,” Mieras said. Along with making new friends, getting disguised as a scary character is a lot easier than one would imagine. “We don’t do our own makeup,” scare-actor and senior Taelee Duttenhefer said. “They provide a makeup artist to do it, and they have a bunch of outfits already picked out.” But getting transformed into somebody’s worst nightmare is not a task that is carried out quickly. “It depends on how many people are in line, so it could take up to an hour, two hours to get ready,” Haylee Johnson, three-year scare actor and senior said. Being a scare actor is not the only job the Haunted Fort has to offer. “Even if you don’t necessarily want to be a scare actor there’s a lot of other areas you can volunteer to be a part of,” Mieras said. “You can work in the tent, concession stand, sell shirts, security, selling tickets, help do wardrobe, hair and makeup. There’s a lot more than just acting.” The Haunted Fort is a seasonal tradition for many and with as much time and effort goes into the houses, it will hopfully be fully appreciated for years to come.
The Custer House is one of the houses at the Haunted Fort and is rumored to actually be haunted.
Photo submitted by Olivia Mieras
Fall Flavors
— Courtney Entzi, Co Editor-in-Chief
With fall in full swing it is not a shock that pumpkin spice coffee, pumpkin cookies and, my personal favorite pumpkin pie are the go-to snack for any fall loving friend. I decided to make it my personal mission to find the best fall themed snacks money can buy.
Pumpkin Pie
Perkins pumpkin pie, where do I begin? This tasty dessert may be available all year round but it is never more popular then it is right now. Every year my family purchases one of these pies during the fall season and it is one of my favorite traditions. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but this is a pie I can get behind. The fillings texture is smooth and creamy, and the pumpkin flavor is just right. The crust is just okay, it is not sweet enough for my taste, but when paired with the sweet filling and whipped cream on top, it is the perfect combination. Overall I would give this tasty treat a 7/10, and I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a good pie without the hassle.
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin cookies seem to be everyone’s unsaid favorite thing about the season. For me, every cookie brings back memories of trips to the pumpkin patch with my family or on school trips with all my friends. Now if I’m being honest, pumpkin cookies are a little dry. I think for me the hype around pumpkin cookies is the fact that are a seasonal food, and when you do not get to eat something for a whole year, it tastes pretty dang good when you do. The cookies soft texture and sweet filling is the perfect combination, but what I really love is the memories that come with every cookie. With all that said, Pumpkin cookies earn a solid 9/10 from me.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Pumpkin spice latte, this seasonal beverage is supposedly a staple of teenage girls, but this teenage girl is not a fan. I love coffee and if it did not cost me an arm and a leg I would probably get an iced coffee every day. That being said, I am not a huge fan of the pumpkin spice flavor. I found the drink to be very bland and lacking of any really flavor. With the drink not living up to its standards I give it a 5/10 and I recommend just sticking to your usual coffee order.
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October 2019
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The Flipside Freshman Adrian Sougstad
MADI JUST
Feature Editor
— Liberty Hurley, Co Editor-in-Chief
You are home alone and Who is your favorite horror hear footsteps in your Do you believe house, what do you do? in ghosts? monster? “Frankenstein.”
Sophomore “Ursula from the Little Izzie mermaid.” Joyce
Junior Taylen Thomas
“The boogie man.”
“The Grinch.”
Teacher Lucia Shelley
“A werewolf.”
Senior Philip Purvis
Which seniors do you look up to in high school and why? “Jaden Yeager because he’s in band and I’m in band, and he’s really good. ” What really gives you the creeps? “Stalkers I guess.”
Bret Hoffman
What are some of your nicknames “Bert. It was something I came up with in the seventh grade, and it just caught on.”
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“Stay in my room and lock my door.”
“I start crying.”
“Go find the footsteps.”
“Run towards the footsteps.”
“Kind of.”
“Yes.”
“No. I think they’re funny, but I don’t blieve in them.”
“Yes. My toothbrush turned on by itself one time.”
“No. I fear the living ones. “I will grab the broom Those are the ones that can be as a weapon, and I will mean or hurtful, but the dead attack the intruder.” ones are dead so no big deal.”
Noobs of the Month
What are some of your nicknames? “People call me Bre.” What really gives you the creeps? “Clowns. I hate them.” In comparison to other students, how big do you think your backpack is? “I’d say it’s normal. I don’t think I’m carrying too much in it.”
Breanna Radke
All photos by Liberty Hurley
Feature
October 2019
The Flipside Homecoming Edition — Liberty Hurley, Co Editor-in-Chief
Kambree Jahner & Parker Zander Alonna Allickson & Parker Matthiesen Kelby Rinas & Austin Frey
Parker: “Kambree would.”
Parker: “Minnie Mouse.”
Kambree: “Definitely Parker.”
Kambree: “Donald Duck.”
If you and your partner would arm-wrestle, who would win?
Which cartoon character would your partner be?
Alonna: “That mouse from Tom and Jerry” Parker: “Tweety Bird.”
Kelby: “Patrick Star.” Austin: “Sandy Cheeks.”
Lakyn Darras & Aaron Riopelle
Lakyn: “Ferb from Phineas and Ferb.” Aaron: “Jake the Monkey.”
Anne Kesler & Cole Graner
Alonna: “Definitely Parker. Hes got some big muscles.” Parker: “Definitely me.”
Kelby: “Austin.” Austin: “Kelby.”
Lakyn: “Me.” Aaron: “Lakyn.”
Cole: “It might be me. IDK”
Cole: “Bridgette from Total Drama Island.”
Anne: “Cole.”
Anne: “Geoff from total Drama Island.”
What is our favorite thing about your partner? Kambree: “The way he Jay Walks.” Parker: “Her Tik Toks @Jahner_kambree.”
Alonna: “My favorite thing about him is that he’s my boyfriend.” Parker: “She is very cautious about getting things done while I procrastinate.”
Kelby: “His funny personality.” Austin: “Her extraordinarily nice personality.”
Lakyn: “His Tik Tok skills.” Aaron: “The triple scoop.”
Anne: “His corn.” Cole: “Her Jamaican crab accent.”
All photos by Liberty Hurley
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October 2019
Homecom i ng W eek Mad ness
— Lib
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Band Captain Avery Bohem leads the marching band on to the field for pre-game.
October 2019
ll lleyba the vo ame. s t i h ball g ingang ivia Le oming volley l O r o Juni mec the ho during
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Photo by Liberty Hurley
Phot
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Mays
Park e secon r Matthie s ds af ter b en and K eing e crow lby Rina s ned r oyalt y. Photo by Aspen
Seniors Dane Carlson and Parker Zander (left to right) go all out for Western v. Rocker.
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Senior Levo n Schultz rock s on during Weste rn v. Rocker.
October 2019
Photo
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The K achin their h as stop to p os alftime perfor e before mance .
heldon
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An Update on Past Courier Issues Popular articles that have been brought to a new perspective
The Scoop On Straws
— Anne Kesler, General Reporter
Plastic straws killing sea turtles is a huge problem when talking about pollution in the oceans and the preservation of marine life. Metal straws of various colors that were made to attract the eyes of potential buyers have now been sold in stores and online worldwide to help “save the turtles.” The advertisement of the straw crisis has been plastered all over social media platforms and websites to aid in the message to convert to metal straw usage. “I have limited my usage on straws to help the environment and the future of the ecosystem,” senior Dontae Maloney said. Take a step back for a minute and think about how many plastic products there are that are also going into the oceans and harming the fish. Why just focus on straws? The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] says the containers and packaging category has the most plastic tonnage, yet reducing how many straws one uses is the only action that has been taken to reduce the ocean’s plastic consumption. “Now that I know this, I think I’ll limit plastic products,” junior Kylie Weiland said. “Things like reusable water bottles are a really easy swap.” In order to save Earth’s oceans, people need to take bigger steps if they want most marine life to remain existing within their lifetimes. There are different, easy ways to conserve plastic usage at home or within the environment. Recycling is one of the top ways to keep the environment cleansed. “I didn’t realize how much damage was done by throwing out plastics and other reusable items,” senior Janie Berger said.“I think recycling should be something everyone should consider.”
— Mayson Sheldon, General Reporter
Girls’ Bathroom Now Open
The concrete failure in the girl’s locker room and bathroom was partially repaired this summer. “We had architects and engineers come in and test the concrete,” Business Manager for Mandan High School Ryan Lagasse said. “They tore out all of the concrete that had failed and areas beyond that. They went back in and replaced the support structure, which is a metal sheet that they put underneath it, and they poured new concrete over top and put new drains in.” Although the renovation was successful, this $55,000 project will not be the last time Mandan High will need some upgrading. “The heating and electrical systems are at the end of their useful life, so we either need to do some major replacement or we have to think of some other solutions,” Lagasse said. “All of the mechanical systems are going to be a major issue that we will be facing soon.” There was, however, a positive to the concrete failure. “If there’s a silver lining to the problems we had in the bathroom and locker room is that it caused us to bring in architectural firms to give us estimates of what it would cost to bring the building up to date and what long rage fixes would be,” Mandan School Board Member Bob Klemisch said. Everything is entirely usable now besides one set of showers in the girl’s locker room. “The showers aren’t necessary for what we needed in the building,” Lagasse said. “The restroom we needed.” The road to updating our school may be long and costly or quickly stopped in its tracks. “We’re going to have to spend a lot of money in the next 2 to 10 years to update our high school and I think our community has to make a decision whether they want to invest in a 60-year-old building or start new,” Superintendent Mike Bitz said.
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October 2019
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Page 10 December 2018 Runnings
Page 7 March 2018 Money Drama
Page 3 Febuary 2019 Straws
Money Drama In Highschool
Page 10 Febuary 2019 Girls’ Bathroom
— Kelsie Hildebrand, General Reporter
High schoolers have a jam-packed schedule from playing sports, having a social life and dealing with family problems. One thing that many teenagers cut out of those responsibilities is working a part-time job. “I stay up till midnight doing my homework every night,” junior Kate Kesler said. “My mom thinks having a job during the school year is too much to handle sometimes especially junior year because it’s so hard.” There are worries that come with having and not having a job. For Kesler, she would always have to take off for sports, but now she also worries about paying for food and necessities. “I just get upset because I feel like I’m taking from my parents,” Kesler said. Working a job is not the only way to make money, so side hustles like babysitting and selling clothes have become very popular. Although money is nice, having a job is also great for the experience and knowledge gained. “I think having a job is helping you for your future and your future job,” Kesler said. “I’d like to have one just for the experience, but I don’t have enough time.”
— Ryan Ulrich, General Reporter
Grand Opening of Runnings
Runnings is a family-owned general merchandise retailer with a wide variety of home and farm supplies and outdoor recreational equipment. Runnings was previously located on Memorial Highway but has now moved onto Main Street after purchasing the old Central Market and Thrifty White buildings. Runnings has been in the community for over 15 years. It has not only provided many positive things such as those interested in agriculture, but also a sense of comfort for those near by. “We bring a majority of the agriculture-related merchandise to the community,” junior and Runnings employee April Barnhardt said. “We also love to help those who come into our store and are interested in our products.” Besides helping our community, Runnings provides high schoolers looking for a job in a positive work environment. “Working here is definitely quite an experience,” Barnhardt said. “An average workday here is almost never the same.” Once Runnings opened the new store in Mandan, it presented some employees with new changes to adapt to. “I honestly thought I was going to get lost,” Barnhardt said. The new store has also given some Runnings customers a shopping experience that has brought plenty of new changes. “I think the new store is definitely quite nice,” junior Brandon Moser said. “There were definitely some changes to adapt to, but they were all good changes.” Even though Runnings has many benefits, plenty of high schoolers have not gotten a chance to see it. “You should shop at Runnings because it’s convenient,” Moser said. “It allows you to buy many things that can provide you with plenty of uses throughout your life.”
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October 23
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Q & A Ashley Patrick, Thrifted Influencer
Can you tell me about your clothing page, why did it start up? “Well I love business and finance. I actually plan on going to school for business, so I figured it was straight up my alley and a good way to save up for college besides my part time job. And you know last year in the fall/winter it was common for girls to clean out their closet and make instagram pages and post their own clothes. I love thrifting and I said why not try to do it with thrifted clothes. I knew it was a thing, I had seen other pages that have done it with thrifted things and I said I should try it on my own and see how it does.” How did you get your name out there? “I would message popular pages with more followers and ask them if they wanted to do a shoutout for shoutout, so I would screenshot their profiles and put it on my story and they would do the same for mine. But now I actually charge for mine which is funny. I’ve made probably one hundred dollars just from taking a screenshot and posting it on my story. I would screenshot their profile to see their screenshot before and after and it was a couple hundred more [followers].” Do you like running your page? “I love it. I can essentially pick when I want to work, so if I’m busy, I just won’t post for awhile. I love going thrifting.” How do you go thrifting? “I do a combo of thrift stores and garage sales. I took advantage of the garage sales this summer. You can find sales all over bis-man then. As for thrift stores, shopping on discount days saves me a lot of money. There’s a few stores that are 50% off certain days, so I make sure to go then. When I go, I usually look for hoodies, t-shirts, sweaters and anything name brand. I’ve been doing this for 6 months so I’m pretty good at knowing what’ll sell and what won’t. Also when I go out of town I make sure to stop at thrift stores. I’m driving to western Montana this fall and of course I’ll be stopping along the way.” How do you decide what is and what is not good stuff? “Just things that I would wear I guess. I obviously buy and post what I think is going to sell, so like sweatshirts, t-shirts do pretty good and obviously name brand stuff like Patagonia and Champion. I found so many Champions sweatshirts. I went to a garage sale and there were three or four of them for like $2 and I sold them for $40.”
@allthingsblessed_ — Liberty Hurley, Co Editor-in-Chief
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October 2019
Feature
Continued...
What is the best sale you have ever done? “I went garage saling, and I got a USA Olympic windbreaker. I paid a dollar for it, and I think I got $80 or $90 for it. So that was my biggest thing ever.”
How do bids work? “A lot of my things sell for my BIN [buy it now] price, so when I post, I will say ‘starting bid $10 or BIN $30’ and the BIN includes shipping. So if someone doesn’t want to wait, because I do 24 hours for my bids, they can DM and say ‘Hey I commented BIN on your post’ and that way the item is theirs right away. How many people contact you a day? “I don’t know about a day, but I can see my profile visits and I think it’s like four or five thousand visits a week. And obviously If I don’t post, it’ll go down.” Are you happy with how big it has gotten? “Oh yeah. I’m hoping it gets even bigger because I started it in April. That's four or five months, and in that short period of time, I already have so many followers. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like in a year. I started the same thing a year ago in the summer of 2018, but it did not do good. I wasn’t selling things and I probably had like 500 followers, so I just gave up. So it’s a good thing I started it back up again.”
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How have people reacted to it? “People around the high school come up to me and are like ‘you have a thrifting page. I can’t believe it. That’s crazy good for you.’ My mom loves it. She’ll ask me over the summer ‘Hey Ashley want to garage saling and she likes finding stuff for me.” What do you do with the money you make? “I actually save all the money I make through @allthingsblessed_. I’ve put about half in stocks and the other half has gone towards college. When I spend money it’s out of my paycheck from Starbucks.” Do you want to continue it past graduation? “I plan on going to college in Missoula at the University of Montana, and I just don’t know. I don’t think I’ll be able to do it as often as I do now, but it is nice because it is always there and if I find stuff, I’ll post it or if I come home for Christmas I can do a lot there. I plan to continue it but just not as frequently as I post now. Is there anything you want the students to know about your page? “I know a couple of my friends have wanted to do it, so go for it. It’s fun, you can turn it into a fun activity, so if you have the idea in your head, go for it.”
October 2019
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Follow The MHS Courier Follow our instagram for original news, photos, and videos along with updates on The Courier and Mandan High School.
Thank you to this issue’s sponsor:
@mhscourier
Athletes of the Month August — Mayson Sheldon, General Reporter
Austin Frey What is your pre-game meal? “PB&J.” What is your pump up song? “Shout out the devil.” What is your favorite saying? “Did you hear about the restaraunt on the moon?” Who is the team hype man? “Barnfart” Photo by Mayson Sheldon
Senior Austin Frey running for a touchdown at the homecoming game.
Lakyn Darras What is your pre-game meal? “Number 1 (The Pepe) from Jimmy Johns and a sprite.” What are your goals for this season? “Beat century and make it to state.” Who is the “team mom”? “Me.” What is your favorite saying? “Don’t run away from challenges run over them.” Photo by Liberty Hurly
Senior Lakyn Darras has led the Mandan volleyball team as senior captain.
Sports
October 2019
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Sports Spotlight Mandan Football: Building for More
in rushing (684 yards), and two receivers and a tight end who were all top ten in the WDA in receiving in Elijah Kline (1,704 yards), The Braves have a lot of eyes on them coming into this season. Aaron Riopelle (385 yards), and Blake Arenz (303 yards), have Last season the Braves finished the football season with a 6-4 been a huge help in the success of the Braves. record and the third best conference record in the WDA (4The Braves also have plenty of talent on the defensive side 2),but ended up losing in of the ball as well, however, the quarterfinal round of the whole team knows it is the state tournament. important to not get caught up Even though last season with expectations. did not end exactly how “It’s the product you put on the team had in mind, the the field that matters,” Carlson season provided many said. “The only thing that important things to build matters is the wins and losses.” off of. When it comes to unifying “Last year we made as a team, it is important to state which is a big build chemistry and have good accomplishment for us, leadership. For the Braves, and we haven’t done it in a this is something that is valued while,” Quarterback Dane heavily. Carlson said. “This year “Being a good support group we’re just trying to build off is a big team strength,” Senior that and win some games Captain Danek Vega said. at state and hopefully get “When people go down, a lot of an opportunity to compete us are there and ready to help for a state championship.” pick them back up.” Many of the team’s key Having plenty of talent on both players are returning from the offensive and defensive last season. This allows the Photo by Mayson Sheldon sides of the ball, the Braves team to have a stable foundation Coach Sheldon talking to Quarterback Dane Carlson have a lot of buildup for the to build off of as well. 2019 season as they were voted prior to the offense taking the field. “We’ve created some stability in a poll as being the second best in both the offensive and team in the state. However there defensive line,” Head Coach Todd Sheldon said. “That’s a really are important things that must be worked on daily in order to not big plus for any football team to have.” get caught in the buildup. Although many key members from last season have returned, “I think there’s no ceiling to what we can do,” Sheldon said. there are still those who have not really played on the varsity “However, we have to do the little things right and pay attention level much or at all. However, the advice for those that are to the details in daily practices and in games.” inexperienced is simple. With all the buildup and returning talent, there is plenty to be “My biggest advice for those kids is honestly just to watch,” excited about for the upcoming season. However, one group of Sheldon said. “Watch your teammates, which kids are successful, people in particular is what is viewed at the most exciting for and which kids perform on a daily basis. Those are the kids you Coach Sheldon. want to follow.” “I am most excited for the seniors,” Sheldon said. “I think as On the offensive side of the ball the Braves returning a group they have probably put in more time and effort than any quarterback Dane Carlson who was second in the WDA in group we’ve seen in the last decade.” passing (1,583 yards), Austin Frey who was fourth in the WDA
— Ryan Ulrich, General Reporter
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October 2019
Sports
Photo by Madi Just
A New Game to Play
The new and controversial sport coming to Mandan this year. — Madi Just, Feature and News Editor
Over the past few years, gaming has taken the world by storm. What started out as a simple activity a student could do in their own home has turned into this huge gaming culture with everything from specialized gaming equipment to gaming themed t-shirts This new wave of gaming comes new ways to play, including competitions on both the national and international level. Until recently, these competitions have been almost entirely individual and done on the person’s own time. Now, schools have started to implement eSports teams to bring gaming to the high school level as a competition sport. One of these new teams was established this year at Mandan High School. “The main reason we were really interested in it and the main reason we presented it to Dr. Bitz was because it would give more students a chance to be in an activity,” Athletic Director Mark Weist said. The school has been contemplating an eSports team for a few years now because colleges like the University of Jamestown have been giving away various scholarships for students who participate in eSports. The school decided to invest in Esports after they surveyed the students last year and got back some encouraging results. “We had about 175 students in that poll say that they would be interested in participating in eSports team.” Athletic
Sports
Director Mark Wiest said. The players will play Rocket League and League of Legends, both of which were chosen by the state and PlayVS which is the gaming system the school is using. “They are two of the most common games played across the United States,” Weist said. The students are not just joining because of the games chosen, many of them want to be a part of a new and growing program. “I may not be as interested in these particular games but, it’s going to expand and I would like to be apart of it.” sophomore Cameron Schlauch said. There are currently 14 other school districts, both class A and class B, with eSports teams in North Dakota, but it is not an official sport in the state. “By next year if I had to guess it will be a state sanctioned sport,” Weist said. While other districts wait to join, eSports players will compete against both class A and class B schools. They will not have to travel for games because the school has set up a special gaming room in the Braves Center, making it easier for them to connect Online. The gaming room is specially equipped with PCs gaming consoles for the players and is located in the Braves Center. “You go into the office and there’s actual gaming chairs,” Junior MeKyna Welden October 2019
said. “It’s so cool. It’s like one of my dreams.” The eSports team will get the unique chance to compete entirely in their own gaming room because they can connect to all of the other teams Online. “We are using a PlayVS gaming system ,” eSports Coach Stephen Kessler said. “So if we are playing Dickinson, they will fire up their PlayVS as well and our servers will communicate so we can compete.” Since it has been announced, the eSports team has faced a lot of criticism from both students and the community, but Kessler is confident students are still going to come out for the team. “I think right now this first group of kids will be smaller because it’s truly in its beta form,” Kessler said. “But once we have everything down, I think a lot more people will be joining.” The school and the players both agree that, in the end, this new activity will help students more than it will hurt them. “You can interact more with people who are into the same things as you,” Walden said. “It’s better at school because you can talk to other people face to face instead of being at home and not interacting with anyone.” The eSports season starts in mid-October. If any student would like more information on the team, contact Stephen Kessler.
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Sports Roundup — Courtney Entzi, Co Editor-in-Chief
Girls’ Golf The girls’ golf team is facing a few setbacks this year. After losing some key athletes, 15 to be exact, they are facing a tough year. “We are in a rebuilding year. After finishing 4th place the past 3 yearr at State, we lost 6 of our top 7 players to graduation and additional loss of 9 other golfers to various reasons,” Head Coach Dean Johs said. “So coming into the season we set a goal just to get back into the State Tournament.” Junior Deona Roriech will be a key asset to the team and a few other players will be following right behind her. “After losing 15 golfers, our numbers are still at 21 which still makes us one of the largest programs in the state, just very young,” Johs said. “So far Sophomore Aysia Mettler and 8th grader Anna Huettl have really stepped up and are maturing into fine golfers.”
Below: Senior James larson passes the ball to a team mate as opposing team approaches in game against Legacy. Photo by Kelsie Hildebrand
Photo by Liberty Hurley
Above: Junior Kate Kesler goes up for the hit in tough game against Legacy.
Volleyball
The volleyball team has started out the season on a strong note by beating some tough competitors, and they are looking to keep that energy flowing. “We started the season with a lot of wins already,” Head Coach Anna Folk said. “So if we can keep pushing ourselves to be better everytime we step on the court, our end of the year goals [high regional and state placement] will be that much more attainable” The girls’ were voted third in the WDA and have high expectations as the season continues. “We've set the bar pretty high the past few years as far as post-season play, I think this year is no different,” Folk said. “However our main focus needs to be on getting ourselves better each week, so that when tournament play starts we are playing our best ball.”
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Boys’ Tennis
The boys’ tennis team would like to place fifth this season and the team hopes their depth as a team will get them their. “We are moving up,” Head Coach Paul Christen said. “”We have guys that are putting time in and our depth will e a strength.” With a lot of returning players the team is able to step up their practices which they hope will help them be successful in reaching their goals for the season. October 2019
Boys’ Soccer
The Braves have taken a loss of some key players from last year due to graduation. Senior captain Parker Matthiesen said the team is working on adapting to this new change. “The setbacks we have had this year have been mostly physical,” Matthiesen said. “We are definitely lacking height and physicality compared to last year.” The team would like to make it back to state this year, and Matthiesen believes that is something that is well within reach.
Sports
Football
Girls’ Cross Country
Coming off of last season’s success the boys’ football team is hoping to keep that motivation flowing into this year. “Our team goals this season are what you’d expect from any driven team,” Senior Captain Danek Vega said. “That is to run the table and win the state title. Period.” The tight knit team is working very hard to achieve these goals. “We focus and go our hardest everyday in practices and weights which is at 6:30 [a.m.] two days a week.” The team has been preparing for the tough competition they are facing this year in the WDA, but they have also been working on preparing for other types of competition. “Our biggest competition is ourselves,” Vega said. “We are very talented, and if we don’t believe in what we are doing everyday, then we are only restraining ourselves.” For more information see page 28 for a feature on the football team.
Coming into the season ranked 5th in the state after last years season, the girls’ cross country team is hoping to place higher this year. “We finished last season placing fifth in the state, we are hoping to place at least fifth again but are our true goal is to place fourth,” Head Coach Hilary Fiest said. With intense preparation and the fact that seven of last years team of eight is returning this season the girls feel confident in their abilities to meet their goals. “State this year is in Minot, a course that contains a great hill for the athletes to run twice during the race,” Fiest said. “We are preparing by including hills in more of our long runs and by running a hill workout every other week. The girls are also very determined to make these goals come true and are great about encouraging each other and competing with one another to help each other do their best.”
Below: Freshman Brady Helbling goes in for the serve in match against Bismarck Photo by Kelsie Hildebrand.
Photo by Mayson Sheldon
Below: Junior Jayce Lowman warms up during the homecoming game.
Girls’ Swim and Dive The girls’ swim and dive team has big goals set for the season. They hope to place top three at WDA and top five and state this year, and are working hard to make these goals a reality. “We are working hard in practice making the most of every yard, every weight lifted, every turn and start,” Head Coach Ralph Manley said. “[All of these things] make a difference in our future plan of performance along with every jump dive and flip for our divers.” The team lost a couple of key athletes from graduation and a few other variables but are hopeful they will be able to reach their goals.
Sports
Boys’ Cross Country The boys’ cross country team has faced some
challenging schedule issues with meets being continually cancelled due to weather. “We’ve gone through several meets being cancelled which really results in not racing.” senior Brayden Johnson said. The boys’ are still hoping to have some success this year and Johnson says fifth place would be a good achievement. Johnson himself, ranked 17, is hoping to place in the top 15 at this years state meet. “[We will achieve these goals by] running twice a day, putting in more miles and going harder every practice to be the best.” Johnson said. October 2019
Kachinas
The dance team is excited to get back into competition off of last years successful season. With 11 dancers on the team they are hoping to place again this year at state. “We want to place at state and learn our dances to the best of our abilities,” junior captain Allie Fleck said. The team's main goals are to grow together as a team and push each other to be better than the year before. Fleck is hoping her team can be even more successful than last year in competitions and has a strong belief in the team's capabilities.
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