MHS Courier February 2015 by MHS Courier

THE

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Mandan High School, 905 8th Ave. NW, Mandan, ND

URIER •

Volume 23, Issue 4 • February 2015

OPINION Body standards page 4 CENTERSPREAD “9 to 5” pages 10-11 FEATURE Substitute teachers page 14 kaelan REEDY

Braves Den goes digital

- General Reporter Mandan High School is getting a completely new layout for the “Brave’s Den” school store, and it will be digital. The new Brave’s Den, which will be an online store, is nearly complete and set to release soon. It will contain MHS related clothing and accessories, including those of the DECA and MAR clubs. “DECA is combining with MAR Club to bring the students, as well as the community, an online school store,” said DECA President Jennifer Tokach. Past sale attempts have been small-scale. “Before, MAR Club was only selling items out of a closet and we were unable to sell our merchandise outside of the high school,” Tokach said. Items bought from the school store will be shipped out within seven days and will

be handled by DECA. It will serve as an alternative to buying them at the school or school events. “We wanted to provide another outlet for our products and their products. It’s just a convenient way to get Brave’s Den out there and also get more people to wear Mandan clothes,” Tokach said. Tokach alone has been in charge of planning and designing the website for 18 months. “The biggest challenge was building a partnership with MAR club. They’ve been really good to work with, but it takes awhile to form a partnership,” Tokach said. MAR Club is the Mandan Athletic and Recreation Club, which supports athletic activities and produces Braves related clothing and accessories. DECA, a program based around marketing and leadership, formed a business deal with

MAR Club, allowing DECA to sell and ship their products. “We designed our business model and signed a partnership with MAR Club in order to come up with the Brave’s Den Online,” said Marketing Education teacher Don Fry. The Braves Den online unifies the two clubs. “It takes all the products that MAR club has, and that DECA was selling, and merges them together,” Fry said. A school store is a common feature of many schools across the nation and while MHS didn’t officially have a school store, the Brave’s Den Online will serve as one. “One of the goals that we have is to come up with a school store setting, like other schools have, eventually,” Fry said. Ultimately, the online store will provide students with a simple and accessible way to buy school related goods, something which MHS has lacked.

elevator and the gym on the first floor. “My thought was right by the gym, so then it will be on the upper level, a lot of the kids come in that door,” said Becky Heinert Director of Nutrition Services. It’s possible that the kiosk will contain hot food items, but it will be trial and error to see what works. “If there is some way we can keep it hot and we have plug-ins we’re going to do it,” Heinert said. Increasing breakfast enrollment is another factor influencing the decision to have a kiosk installed. “Breakfast is usually the most important meal of the day as we all know,” Heinert said, “and I thought we can get you guys to at least eat a little bit of something by putting a kiosk in a different part of the building.” The kiosk will make breakfast available to

students so they don’t have to stop in the cafeteria before class. “It was all for the sole purpose of making sure that [students] get some breakfast early in the morning and to put [a food source] in a different part of the building to try to increase breakfast [enrollment],” Heinert said.

Breakfast kiosk to be placed on first floor

gabrielle WOLF

- General Reporter

A breakfast kiosk is being planned by the school and district administration. The kiosk will be added sometime in the spring. The kiosk is being installed to give students a chance to have breakfast if they are running late and can’t stop in the cafeteria. “To my knowledge we did receive a grant for the spring,” said Principal Mark Andresen. The grant was from the Midwest Dairy Council. Students will have the opportunity to get different varieties of food in between class periods from the kiosk. The lunch ladies will be in charge of the kiosk which will have a computer where a lunch password can be typed. Where the kiosk will be placed is yet to be determined. It may be placed near the

Above is a model of a proposed kiosk.

Opinion

Courier Staff

co-Editor-in-Chiefs............Mikaela Herberg Sarah Kovash Opinion Editor.....................Mikaela Herberg News Editor.................................Sarah Kovash Feature Editor...........................Colton Justice Ad Manager................................Sarah Kovash Photographer................Jade Charbonneaux General Reporters......................Zack Eckroth Trevor Murphy Carlie Borchers Gabby Wolf Colten Stoltz Casey Beck Kaelan Reedy Micayla Bitz Adviser....................................Hannah Sagaser

Editorial Policy

The Courier is a news/feature newspaper 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 or facebook. com/mhscourier. 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 and subscriptions. Contact the Courier at mhscourier@gmail. com if interested in advertising.

mikaela HERBERG

MHS Courier

Herb’s blurbs

- co-Editor-in-Chief

A melon that can’t get married is called a can’t-elope, and I can’t wait to tell you about some of my favorite Valentine’s Day puns. In case you didn’t notice, on Valentine’s Day flower prices rose to the occasion. This is why my favorite part of Valentine’s Day will always be the cheesy Valentine’s day cards that come with it. Whether it’s a dinosaur telling you you’re dino-mite, or Leonardo Dicaprio claiming that he wants you more than an Oscar, cards like this could bring a smile to anyone’s face. There are Valentine’s day “Pulling cards for every type a few strings of person. Every on cheesy Harry Potter fan hopefully received Valentine’s a card stating how Day cards. much someone aDumbledores them, or perhaps one with Harry casting a wingardium love’iosa spell upon them. No matter what type of card you gave this type of person, don’t forget to tell them they’re a keeper. There are even Valentine’s day cards for animal lovers. A girlfriend of a horse-lover hopefully told her boyfriend that he was her mane man, while her boyfriend told her how much she made his heart giddy up. If you love sheep I hope your crush asked, “Wool you be mine?” But if not, they truly aren’t meant for ewe. For all of the artistic people out there, I hope that your significant other made you a card stating how much they louvred you, or perhaps keeping with places in France the card said ‘Eiffel in love with you.’ If you love Drake and Josh as much as I do, I hope that your Valentine’s Day card stated that you were hotter than a peruvian puff pepper, or maybe it contained a heartfelt message from Josh Nichols stating that you are indeed the cooliest. If you love Mean Girls there’s a 30 percent chance you were already my valentine, but

if you weren’t I’ll be sure to send you a handwritten note stating how fetch you truly are. Friends aren’t the only ones that you can give Valentine’s cards to, so I hope you didn’t forget your teachers! Math teachers love to be told that they’re better than pi, and science teachers would love to know that you think of them periodically. When it comes to my all time favorite Valentine’s Day cards, nothing compares to the humor of Spongebob Squarepants. I hope that you received a card with Patrick Star declaring that he would love you even if you were so ugly that everyone died. Perhaps you received a card with Spongebob himself singing that the best time to wear a striped sweater is when he’s with you. If you watched Disney Channel as a preteen then I’m sure that That’s So Raven was one of your favorite shows. If this stereotype is true then I hope that you received a Valentine containing the Boys In Motion showing you their devotion. Perhaps you were more of a Hannah Montana fan. If this is the case then maybe a message from Oliver and Jackson claiming that you were the cheese to their jerky would mean a bit more to you. In case you’re like me and food is the most important thing in your life, then I hope you acquired a card from your crush that read, ‘Don’t go bacon my heart.’ In case you’re a vegetarian then maybe a simple card from a loved one stating that they donut hate you made your Valentine’s day special. However, whether you love guitars or not, do not fret, Valentine’s Day will be here again before you know it, with plenty of cards to share with those that you love most. It will never cease to amaze me how much Hallmark takes Valentine’s Day to heart.

The trevor MURPHY - General Reporter

Freshman Maiya Fleck

What disease did cured ham have?

“I can’t Google this during school.”

“Something very bizarre that takes a long time to make.”

“Maybe it was named before `egg’ was.”

Why is it called eggplant if there are no eggs in it?

Flip

What would be your last meal be if you were on death row?

side micayla BITZ

- General Reporter

“Really good cake and a large c(h)eese pizza from Dominoes. Yo(u) know, wash it down with (m)y f(a)vorite drink su(n)y D.”

“Lifesavers.”

“Oh, but there are. The universe is but an egg egged from a giant mothereggplant. Aren’t we all just eggplants? eggplanting?”

“Because English is stupid. There’s no egg in eggplant, no ham in hamburger, and no pine or apple in pineapple.”

“Swine flu, probably... or narcolepsy.”

“Some form of heart disease because ham can’t find love. It’s quite tragic.”

Junior Emily Henderson

Sophomore Alec Stork

“Hoof and mouth disease.”

“Hams do not get diseases. However, poorly cured ham may run a higher risk of giving you Trichinosis.”

Choir Teacher Keri Hess-Bolte

Senior Richard Senn

“It’s purple... don’t ask any other questions... it’s perfect.”

“Aubergino.”

“I never think of the future, it comes soon enough.” -Albert Einstein

“Appetizer would be chips and salsa, sushi. And Lindor Truffles for dessert.”

Noobs of the month

How big is your freshman pack?

Do you have any nicknames?

Do you have any nicknames? “Rika.”

“Smaller than some seniors’!”

What is your most embarrassing moment so far?

“Running into a senior and then looking at him straight in the eyes right after.”

Erika Morrell

As a noob, what’s your biggest fear?

“Skittles.”

“I don’t have a fresh pack, but size doesn’t matter.”

What is your most embarrassing moment so far? “Dropping my tray on the first day.”

As a noob, what’s your biggest fear?

“Having no fears because I’m FRESH!”

“Walking in front of Colin Schaeffer in the hallways.”

Keatyn Skytland

Each month the Courier will feature one male and one female freshmen to be the noobs of the month. Noobs are randomly chosen by staff.

Opinion

MHS Courier

Size fake to size real gabrielle WOLF

- General Reporter

Size zero waistlines, long, skinny legs and the perfect body shape are what models sell on the runway and in commercials instead of clothing or makeup. These are the “idealistic” portrayals of women, but what is an idealistic image? A woman that is so tiny that she is all skin and bones, or a woman that is a larger size and is healthy? The media has lost sight of what people should look like and it is causing major problems in society. The portrayal of models is not accurate to what women look like today. Computer designs are used to come up with airbrush techniques that can be used to make models look skinnier or tanner. The model’s eye color and hair color are also

changed using contacts, dyes or wigs. When the Ford modeling agency was ran by Eileen Ford the requirements were a 34 inch bust, a 24 inch waist and a 34 inch hip standard in order to model according to the LA Times. Images of models are also edited in Photoshop to make models look thinner in proportion to the rest of their bodies. These measurements and Photoshopped looks are not realistic today. They add unwanted pressure and they cause women to compare themselves to ads and people modeling on runways. The effects of models and “idealistics” like these are shocking. Women with perfectly healthy bodies acquire eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia. These eating disorders can be fatal and are often permanent. People’s self esteem can be lowered or completely depleted.

Women also buy diet pills and invest in exercise machines to lose weight when they are completely healthy. In order to deal with these perceptions of perfect women, changes are necessary. Changing the perception of women and their appearances on ads and on runways is essential to developing a new view on the media. It is not completely the media’s fault though. People need to stop buying into the media’s perception of how women are supposed to look, because women should look like themselves. They should not be made into a completely new person. It is time advertisements and modeling companies change their views on women and show how they truly look today. People should accept their bodies the way they are and not compare them to an ad or a runway model. Women need to be happy with their bodies and feel confident about themselves. If MHS works together we can change the perception of beauty.

US also pays at least $2.11 billion in direct medical care per year. In an estimate done by Business Insider, if smoking were to be completely eliminated in just the United States, Social Security would increase slightly. The slight increase in Social Security would be because more workers would live longer, but retire later in life than they do now. The monetary benefits of Social Security wouldn’t be sudden, it would be gradual. The increase would also be unlikely to be seen for a few good years since smoking would gradually decrease as Social Security would gradually increase. In addition to Social Security increasing, property values would increase. The more smoke from cigarettes that is in the ventilation systems, carpets and walls of a home, the less the home sells for.

But wait, there’s more! The savings don’t stop there. As a smoker, health insurance premiums are about 15-20 percent higher than those who don’t smoke. Take that and add it to about $1,500 saved per year from not purchasing cigarettes. While it is very unlikely that everyone in the United States will stop smoking, the more people that stop smoking, the less the United States will have to pay in direct medical care. We may not be able to completely eliminate smoking but the less people who choose to smoke will reduce future smoking rates and future medical care costs while increasing the value of their property and lowering their health insurance premiums. If we all work together, our generation can make a difference.

The generation that ends smoking

carlie BORCHERS

- General Reporter

The largest national youth smoking prevention campaign called truth® has been busy advertising that we are the generation that could end smoking. We might not be below a teen smoking rate of 10 percent but America is improving. As of the 2013 report from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States is currently at a teen smoking rate of 15.7 percent. That’s the lowest percentage in 22 years. One quarter of smokers will successfully quit smoking for at least six months. However, only 7 percent of all smokers will quit smoking forever. But reducing smoking rates to create a healthier society isn’t the only benefit in this plan to completely end smoking. According to www.rjrt.com, the United States accumulates about $14 billion per year off of cigarette taxes. Unfortunately the

News

February

Club Roundup

sarahKOVASH -co-Editor-in-Chief

National Honor Society

National Honor Society members will help out at the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament at Mandan Middle School on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. All National Honor Society applications are due to Mrs. Caya in the Counseling Office by Friday, March 20. No late applications will be accepted. The Induction Ceremony for all new members will be Monday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

FFA

FFA Week will be February 21-29. The theme this year is Go All Out. They will have different activities throughout the week including a pie social for teachers and Greenhand and Chapter Degree ceremonies. They will also have guessing jars in the Counseling Office for students and teachers to participate in.

Yearbook

Yearbook needs more members in order to produce the best yearbook possible. They meet Mondays from 3:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m, unless there is a scheduling conflict. They may also meet Wednesdays in order to meet deadlines. Please visit the Chieftain webpage for more information.

Mathletes

Mathletes competed in their first competition on February 3. They will compete at the Tri-College Math Contest on February 23 at Concordia College.

Spanish Club

FCCLA

FCCLA Week was from February 9 through February 13. Throughout FCCLA Week they worked hard on their Star Events which will be presented on February 25 at First Lutheran Church in Mandan. They also sold “heart attacks,” which were locker decorations with festive streamers and hearts saying “you got a heart attack.” On February 19, FCCLA plans to challenge Bismarck and Mandan fans at the basketball game during the second annual Miracle Minute. Last year the Braves raised nearly double the amount the Demons did. Their next meeting will be Monday, March 9 at 7 p.m. in room 119. They will attend the FCCLA State Convention at the Bismarck Ramkota Hotel on April 12-14.

Spanish Club members had an intercambio with native Spanish speakers at their last meeting. On Saturday, March 21 they will be visiting the new Hispanic Market in Bismarck, La Tejana. They will enjoy authentic Tex Mex (All information for Club Roundup is up to date quisine and chat with sisters Libby Vargas for the months of February-April, contingent and Elma Rodriguez, the owners of the upon the upcoming April Spoof Edition of the Courier. For more information, please contact new tienda. club advisers.)

Mrs. Grenz’s classroom Mrs. Rinas’ classroom Mrs. Otos’ classroom Mrs. Rinas’ Clothing & Textiles students made dresses out of toilet paper, newspaper and construction paper as an introduction to their fashions unit.

Mrs. Grenz’s Parenting classes made a bulletin board with children attempting to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

“My favorite thing about Parenting is being able to relate this subject to real life.” -Sophomore Hailey Fried

“I would definitely recommend taking it for anyone!” -Sophomore Lynn Duong

Mrs. Otos’ Housing & Living students used the elements of color and design in the French classroom to create an unforgettable atmosphere to learn the language. “It is exciting to learn about something that will benefit me in the future, when it comes to finding housing for myself.” -Senior Kaytlyn Bowers

FACS Classes

News

MHS Courier

Mandan transition to one to one curriculum

in libraries, or they’re in carts that we call be super aware of where COWS, computers on wheels, that can be students are on these iPads - General Reporter moved around.” because I don’t know if Since the dawn of time, schools have An iPad certainly isn’t something you can they’re necessarily going to been responsible for teaching students find at the dollar store, but the ultimate be on the same page I am.” the three fundamental subjects of reading, plan is to offer it to students free of charge, Technology isn’t perfect, writing and arithmetic. aside from an insurance policy and there is always However, a new skill has been thrown to cover any damaged, lost or the possibility of the into the mix: technology. It is important for “We’re stolen devices. internet crashing or a device schools to prepare students for their future, “You are entitled to a free not working properly. meeting and technology will play a huge role in any public education, and our “I worry about having a students career they choose to pursue. district firmly believes that. lesson planned, and then This is why the Mandan Public School where If this is a tool for learning, all of a sudden everything District hopes to adopt a one to one then we are going to offer they’re at in goes down and you curriculum within the next two to three it to [students] at no cost,” have to go with plan B,” years. This means that each school will have Andresen said. “That’s what their lives.” Schaefbauer said. a device available for every student to use our belief is, so that’s what Along with concerns at all times of the day. we’ve got to try to adhere to.” about misuse and “All students need to have the The general consensus among students is technical glitches, administrators opportunity to have and work with a that this could be a good change. are also worried about students one to one device, because that’s where “We already use iPads in my physics having a one to one device. our society is going,” said Principal Mark class. They have helped me learn with “I think it will be a large Andresen. “It’s an opportunity for students greater ease while also making me more responsibility for a student to learn how to correctly use devices for technologically savvy,” said junior Christian to have this kind of device in the real world and, also, to enhance their Cepek. their possession at all times, education within the classroom.” Of course, with great change also comes and understanding that with a It hasn’t been decided which device will great challenge. The list of potential privilege, comes a high level of be chosen, but there isn’t a shortage of problems associated with a one to one responsibility as well,” Lind said. options. curriculum is not a short one. All in all, switching to a one “All devices are considered “I’m very worried about to one curriculum is a huge whether it’s regular laptops, “If this is a tool students not using the devices change, but it is the way society maybe Google Chromebooks, for learning, appropriately,” said science teacher is moving. By instituting a one but iPads are the things we’ve Travis Coyle. “I know we can put all to one curriculum, the school is then we are looked at the most,” said kinds of safeguards and things in opening up a new world to its going to offer place, but kids get around them.” Assistant Superintendent Jeff students. Lind. “I would say that the iPad, it to students at Teachers are always on the “We’re meeting students where in our research, has the best look-out for inappropriate cell they're at in their lives.” Lind said. no cost.” usability features for what we phone use, but when a new device “We live in a technological think a one to one should look is added into the mix, teachers are world, and that is the reason like.” given a new title added to their job why you do it. We [want to] The school district already has access to description: babysitter. have the same resources a considerable number of devices, but they “It’s another element that’s brought into available to students that are spread out in different ways. the classroom. Now I’m not just lecturing, they already have outside of “We are not that far away from having but I have to be monitoring,” said English school.” one device per every student now,” Lind teacher Dori Schaefbauer. “Now I have to said. “They’re in computer labs, they’re

micayla BITZ

February

News

MHS Courier

Don’t sweat the flu season

Ways to prevent catching the flu and spreading it to others

carlie BORCHERS

with a tissue,” Keller said. If unable to wash hands properly, hand The winter season is here and with all the sanitizer is the next best thing that can be done. snow, ice and wind comes the flu season. Other ways that can help prevent Nobody enjoys being sick but when influenza include getting others catch the flu what can help prevent extra sleep and drinking catching the flu or spreading it? plenty of liquids to stay “If you suspect you have influenza or hydrated. But something have been diagnosed, stay away from not commonly known is others as much as possible to keep from that herbal tea can help infecting them,” said Health Careers too. Teacher Constance Keller. “Drinking tea on a daily Influenza is a contagious virus that basis is always a great attacks your respiratory system (nose, idea,” said owner of Steep throat and lungs). It is more commonly Me A Cup of Tea Jerry known as the “flu” but influenza doesn’t Hintz. ”It can help build cause you to vomit or have diarrhea like your immunity, is super the stomach flu. hydrating and can help The flu season usually begins in October with allergies.” and peaks in January or a few weeks later. Some common The recommended time to get a flu symptoms of influenza shot is in September since it usually takes such as fever, cough, body two weeks after the vaccination for the aches and a sore throat can all be made antibodies to develop in the body. more bearable with the help of different “The best time to get a flu shot is right herbs. when flu clinics open,” said Registered Licorice root and slippery elm bark help Nurse Samantha Leingang. “This will make with sore throats, eucalyptus helps with sure that they don’t run into a shortage of both fever and congestion and holy basil the vaccine later when most people go.” helps with body aches. Other than getting the flu shot, or nasal “Tea can taste like anything,” mist for those uncomfortable with Hintz said. “We can make it taste needles, there are other ways to help like a mocha from your favorite prevent catching the flu. coffee place, or peaches and From the time we are little, cream.” we are told to wash A person can still our hands before catch the flu even eating or after if multiple kinds touching things of preventative that could have measures are germs on them. taken. Washing hands If a person after coming into has flu like contact with used symptoms, the facial tissues and infected should the like can help The proper way to wash your hands is with go to the doctor prevent you from soap and water for at least 20 seconds. within the first catching the flu. 48 hours. The “If you must leave home, for example to doctor can prescribe an antiviral medication get medical care, wear a face mask if you like Tamiflu, which will reduce the time have one, or cover coughs and sneezes - General Reporter

influenza lasts by one and a half days. “After 48 hours of the onset of the flu there is no medical way to manage it,” Leingang said. Going to the doctor after 48 hours will be a trip wasted. At this point staying away from others who are healthy and staying hydrated is a must. The flu will usually last 7-14 days. However if a person has a weak immune system, influenza may last for up to a month. “A weak immune system can usually happen from chemotherapy, massive infections or HIV/AIDS,” Leingang said. At the very least, those who have influenza should stay at home to recover and prevent the spread of influenza. Those with influenza are contagious 24-72 hours after contracting the flu virus up to five days after you begin showing symptoms. People with cancer, asthma or even diabetes as well as pregnant women are also more likely to contract influenza. In addition, those over age 65 and under age two are highly susceptible to contracting influenza. “If people suspect they have influenza, they should see a healthcare provider,” Keller said.

February

News

Cast reflects on play zack ECKROTH

- General Reporter Lights shine bright but the stars shine even brighter. In “9 to 5” Mandan High School students put on a show to remember. Acting is quite the dedicating and time consuming activity and with this responsibility it makes it hard to find time for anything else, “I was super over scheduled with work, homework, music lessons, band, choir and many other activities,”said junior Shae Skager who played Violet Newstead. “When I found out I was going to be Judy in ‘9 to 5’ I was ecstatic,” said senior Kaslynn Westerman. “I couldn't wait for our first rehearsal to begin.” Even some of the actors who had never heard of the musical were excited for the event. “I had honestly never heard of it before, so I started watching the movie and listening to the music,” said Michael Bercier who played Franklin Hart Jr. Continuing on throughout the months of practice lead characters approached bumps along the way such as memorizing lines. “I had so many lines,” Skager said. “It took me until opening night to memorize them.” As one can guess a scripted play can also have its faults during opening nights, for an example actor junior Ashlyn Quintus performed her big solo as Doralee Rhodes without a microphone Saturday night. “My mic was reportedly low on batteries,” Quintus said. “Tech was scrambling to change its batteries, after what felt like two years of silence and darkness on stage, they started the scene and I did it with my mic off, solo and all.” Through thick and thin this cast is here to stay all agreeing this musical can be summed up in simply six words. “Sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot,” said senior Marissa Koppy, Mrs. Hart, quoting from the musical “9 to 5”.

behind the curtain. un behind the The Mandan High School’s performance of Dolly Parton’s musical “9 to 5” took the “9 to 5” sure to be MHS auditorium back in time to the 1980s,

showing the audience a comical side of the life of working class citizens from nine to five everyday. “I thought it was a great performance, people were wonderful and it was hard but it definitely became simpler as time went on,” said senior Michael Bercier. “In the end everyone’s talent made the show perfect.” Bercier played Franklin Hart Jr., the

Photo by Colton Justice

Hannah Jacobson surprised by Micheal Bercier

colton JUS

- Fea

CEO of Consolidated where the musical mostly takes place. Hart is know as a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” that attempts to hit on the women who work at Consolidated. Packed full of action and comedy such as Hart getting tied up, poisoned and shot, Violet Newstead, junior Shae Skager, stealing a dead body and the many suggestions from Margaret, senior Mikaela Herberg, to go out for drinks the musical was a great success among the students and staff and the cast. “I thought the singing and the acting was spectacular,” said alumna Katilyn Schelske. “The theater put on a wonderful show. It was definitely worth going to.” Quintus, Skager and Wester

stunning

There are many parts and groups of people that make a musical a musical. For example there is music which is performed by the pit orchestra, and there is the cast. The cast are the people that sing along to or rather literally sing above the music because they’re telling the story and the music is just helping them along. “The orchestra is just like an accompanist to the soloist or chorus on stage,” said pit orchestra director Shawn Boehm . Without this Photo by Zack Eckroth group of lesser

After hours of work the cast gathers for their last appearance.

The music

renown, misunderstood musicians the musical wouldn’t be a musical, but a bunch of actors singing on a stage. The pit supplies the music part of the performance to the play, which is the difference between a play and a musical. Granted it’s possible to put on a musical with a recording, but that really takes away from the experience. “Some of the smaller schools have musicals 1st Trumpeter Jackson with a recording, and it’s

nder the stage. a look e musical. Hart’s boss Mr. Tinsworthy, junior James Haaland, sends him to Bolivia where he rated 10 out of 10 ends up never coming back to bother the

STICE

ature Editor Roz Keith, senior Hannah Jacobson, is the only woman in the musical to not hate Hart, but only because she is in love with him. This anecdote provided the audience with many laughs, especially at the finish when it is revealed that Jacobson’s and Koppy’s character fall in love. “I loved the musical,” said senior Marissa Koppy who played Missy Hart. “The story line was hilarious plus the songs to go with it made it a blast.”Other key scenes in the musical were Judy Bernly, senior Kaslynn Westerman, and Doralee Rhodes, junior Ashlyn Quintus, tying up Hart and threatening to shoot him. In the end Photo by Zack Eckroth

rman draw the crowd in with their g performance.

c’s maker

not half as good,” said Boehm. A quick survey of students in other extracurricular activities than band showed, that many people had little to no clue what the pit orchestra even is. Answers ranged from “no idea,” to “people that don’t have lines in the play.” The pit is a small group of instrumentalists Photo by Colton Justice that plays literally Murphy playing in the pit. underneath the

girls again. All things said and done the musical wouldn’t have been possible without the time and effort that everyone put into it so the audience could enjoy it. “The musical lasts a long time but it feels special the last week. You realize all the hard work everyone has put in and the cast becomes comfortable with each other,” Jacobson said. “There’s this camaraderie that you don’t really get until you’re nearing the end. It’s awesome.”

Photo by Colton Justice

“It felt empowering to have that piece of metal,” Bercier said

performers above, and they play beneath them as not to distract the crowd from the musical happening alongside them. “Really the pit orchestra just an accompanist to the performer, which is why we play music in a hole in the ground in front of the stage,” Boehm said. The pit supplies more than just background music though, in order to keep things rolling the pit plays solos between scenes and occasionally when its just dialogue. Although the orchestra usually goes unheard, this years pit was much more pronounced due to a larger than average band.

Tech makes magic trevor MURPHY - General Reporter

Lights, camera, action; but what would a musical be without props or quick changes. The musical “9 to 5” was performed by MHS students and one-third of this performance is done by the technicians behind the stage. “Everyone does everything from moving props to doing hair and makeup on the day of the show,” said assistant stage manager Emily Henderson. The Tech creates and moves props on and off of stage to help scenes make sense as well as give life to the performance. In order to do this and to do it without being seen, they dress out in all black to hide because they aren’t suppose to be the main focus of scene changes, or dimly lit sections of the acts. The only thing they’re missing is capes to make them official unseen heroes. The musical could be performed without a tech, but all the extra responsibilities like prop and set making or scene changes would have to be done by characters. In the musical technicians had to do everything from moving beds to fixing make up. “The actor could’ve been able to portray the emotion and sing the music, but without the tech it wouldn’t be half as good,” said Nicole Miller The tech takes a huge portion of stress off the shoulders of the cast just by being there. However the hardest part to both of the assistant stage directors was dealing with all the different jobs they could be assigned at anytime, but to the stage manager, Nicole Miller, the most difficult part of “9 to 5” was scene changes and having everything coordinated and in the right spot. The audience had no complaints tech wise throughout their four performances and all went well for the size of the group they had. Likewise, through all performances the audience was healthily reactive and seemed to enjoy the overall performance.

Photo by Zack Eckroth

The technicians take a bow for their final showcase.

micayla BITZ

Feature

MHS Courier

Stressed for success

Understanding what stress is and how to cope

- General Reporter Tests, essays and projects, oh my! Certainly a forest of lions, tigers and bears cannot compare to the forests of homework assignments students have every night. Between all this homework, relationships with friends and family and concerns about what happens after high school, it is no wonder that students across the nation are currently experiencing stress levels far above the healthy limits. In fact, the latest stress survey from the American Psychological Association revealed that 27 percent of high school students experience ‘extreme stress’ during the school year, while only 13 percent reported this level of stress during the summer. Recent studies have also revealed that the average high school student has anxiety levels as high as a psychiatric patient in the 1950s. More locally, a survey of 90 MHS students revealed that 35.6 percent of students rated their average stress as an eight or higher on a scale of 1-10. “Time causes me the most stress because I’m so limited on it,” said senior Brydon Wanner. “I go to school, sports, work and then go home to sleep. Rinse, wash, repeat.” Of the students who participated in the survey, 61.7 percent classified school as the biggest cause of their stress. “School stresses me out the most because I want to perform well, so I can have a successful future,” said sophomore Samantha Power. Many students can identify the cause of their stress, but they don’t know exactly

what stress is. This can be a bit of a problem, because it is important to know what is making you feel that way so that you can fix the problem. “Stress is a feeling that we get when we feel like we’re not in control Emotions • Loss of anymore, or confidence we feel like we • Irritability • Depression have too much on our plate,” said counselor • Loss of appetite Alyssa Caya. “It • insomnia is a buildup of • restlessness emotions that can come out in a number of different ways.” To cope with stress, junior Christian Cepek said, “I play the trumpet for hours on end until I forget what I was stressed about.” Dr. Kristi Bitz, a psychology professor at the University of Mary and former school counselor, described this method of coping as a distraction. Distractions can be used to temporarily remove a person from the thing that is causing their stress. “The stress won’t disappear when you distract yourself from it, but sometimes taking a break from the stress can be helpful,” Dr. Bitz said. “If you remove yourself from the situation, you are allowing the emotions surrounding your stress to decrease, making the problem easier to manage.” Quite a few students listed crying as a method for stress coping. This may seem like an ineffective approach to coping with stress, but Dr, Bitz said that it has the

potential to be helpful. “I think it depends upon if you are able to have a good cry for 15 minutes and feel better afterward,” Dr. Bitz said. “If you don’t feel any better after you’ve cried, and you’re even more stressed because the time • Worrying that you spent • Impaired crying is time you judgement • Negativity could’ve spent working on the problem, then • Headaches it’s probably • Frequent not a very infections • Fatigue effective coping mechanism.” Of course, for every positive way to deal with stress, there are a thousand negative ones as well. “Negative ways to cope with stress might be if a student chooses alcohol or drugs to take away what’s going on, so they don’t have to deal with it,” Caya said. “They might choose to engage in other risky kinds of behaviors. They might choose to cut as a way to numb what’s going on. Coping with stress is different for everyone, and an approach that works great for one person might only make the problem worse for another. “I think it’s more a matter of finding out what works best for you and making a good evaluation of what methods you’ve tried and seem to work,” Dr. Bitz said. “Once you are able to recognize when you are feeling stress, you can make a conscious effort to employ the methods that work best for you.” In the end, there is only so much a person can do and knowing your limits can alleviate a lot of stress. It is great to push yourself, but it is also important to know what your breaking point is. “It is important to know that school is your number one priority, and that should come first,” Caya said.

Effects of STRESS on:

Behavior

Mind

Body

All graphics by Micayla Bitz

Student Life

February

mikaela HERBERG

Divorce alters the lives of teens

- co-Editor-in-Chief

When a marriage ends in divorce, one usually focuses their attention on the newly separated couple, pondering how they will go about their new, single lifestyles. But is focussing on the newly single individuals what one should really be focussing on? Perhaps one’s attention should be focussed more on the children that have also just undergone a lifechanging experience. According to apa.org, nearly 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce. This statistic also proves that nearly 50 percent of children will witness their parents separating. In fact, this source also states that over 50 percent of children born to married parents today will see their parents divorce before their 18th birthday. Divorce affects teenagers everywhere, and many students of Mandan High will easily agree that there is nothing easy about being a child of divorce. “Not having my parents physically together [is the hardest part]. It stinks seeing other people that have parents that are happily married, and them I’m just like yeah, my parents aren’t together,” said senior Kaslynn Westerman. There are many transitions that come with the divorce process. Perhaps the hardest transition that teenagers undergo is having to call two houses their home instead of one. Some individuals have set schedules as to when

they live with each of their parents, while others do not. “I see my parents in bursts because they let me choose who I stay with, but it’s usually whenever I get in an altercation with one and move my stuff to the others house,” said sophomore Trevor Murphy. “I see each of them every other week. I bring a bag in between houses every Sunday. They live about three miles apart,” said senior Adam Hartman. Some parents do not live so close together, however, in fact some live thousands of miles away. “I see my mom everyday because I live with her. I used to see my dad every other weekend when he lived in North Dakota, but now he lives in Florida, so I see him about three times a year,” said Westerman. Divorce not only affects people on a physical level, but also on an emotional level. According to mediate.com, boys tend to be more externally symptomatic after divorce than girls. Boys that have watched their parents divorce tend to act out their anger and frustration while girls tend to keep their feelings bottled up, causing many of them to become depressed. As a rule, girls of divorced parents tend to become more withdrawn and have a tendency to have higher anxiety levels than girls with parents that are still together. According to BMC Public Health, teenagers that witness their parents divorce before they are 15 have a higher chance of developing depression and anxiety than if their parents were to divorce when they were older. Divorce not only affects how children view their own lives, but also their outlook on the idea of love and relationships with other people. According to the “Journal of Family Psychology” children of divorced families stated that they have less confidence in their ability to maintain a healthy

“Everything happens for a reason...”

relationship and often fear getting involved in relationships. “I feel like love won’t always last and that divorce is an example of how change is the only constant in life,” said Murphy. While divorce is the result of a relationship not working out, many that have witnessed it happen have come out with some positive relationship advice of their own. “I’ve learned that you should try to work things out more,” said Westerman. “If you get into a fight about something stupid I think you should talk through it and not avoid it like my parents did.” Although divorce may seem like a purely negative subject, there is often a reason for it, that sometimes no one can explain. When it is happening, those that are experiencing it may feel that it is the worst possible thing that could occur, but after awhile they come to terms with it. “They were just two different people. I believe it was for the best because everything happens for a reason,” said Hartman. “It sucks to have your parents go through a divorce. The only advantage I can think of is that it matures you. It prepares you for the other hardships in life, and how to deal with them,” said senior Colton Justice.

Student Life Subs keep the ball rolling

MHS Courier

Mandan’s substitute teachers share some of their many experiences casey BECK

teach?’’ said substitute teacher because of the subs themselves. Ashleigh Beck. “I thought that Once, substitute teacher Kurt was a great idea.” Peterson went to sub at a school Substitute teachers, they can be seen Even a single day at high in Bismarck and for the first part as a ray of light in the day or just another school can produce some odd of the class only spoke Russian person students have to deal with at school. stories, but moving from class and acted as if he didn’t know It’s inevitable, everyday teachers are going to class and not knowing most English. Eventually, Peterson to miss school just like students, and subs of the people you work with spoke with a thick foreign accent, are brought in to fill the spot. can be even weirder. Yet that but the students were still Over the years subs have taught for is the job of these subs, who clueless. different reasons, have had some crazy “They all thought I was from stories and earned a permanent spot here over the years have gathered their fair share of weird, Russia. I mean school is supposed at Mandan. funny and to be fun, right?” Peterson said. Mandan High School even scary High schoolers may ask currently pulls from a stories. themselves why their teachers group of around 10 to “I once actually teach, but that question 15 substitute teachers, Photo submitted by Ashleigh s u b b e d may be even more important who must register with Beck [at an Substitute Ashleigh with subs. Some have taught the school before they elementary before, while others are looking start. They Beck with one of her s c h o o l ] for teaching jobs around the state. range from men and reasons for subbing, and I had So why do the retired teachers women of all ages. The her children a student continue to teach when they can reasons these people try and stab me with a be on a beach side resort taking in their teach varies almost pencil. I had to put him retirement? as much as any other in a creative hold,” Beck “I like to fill my work day with some jobs. factor. Whether retired, said. “That was scary, I I’ll go and work anywhere in Bismarcklooking for a job or just don’t know if I would Mandan,” said Peterson. to keep busy, all of the wanna go back there. “ The limited number of substitute teachers subs at MHS have a Although the stories here at Mandan have earned a spot here in Photo submitted by Kurt Peterson reason of their own. can be odd and even the family that is Mandan High, even if the “I was staying home Substitute teacher Kurt Peterson sometimes family is a little odd. We see theses people and my husband said shows off his colorful shirts and frightening, the stories can be funny almost every week and over the years get to ‘Why don’t you substitute humor to students know them. “All the staff here is very welcoming and I’ve found that the students are too. I’ve never had a bad class there,” Beck said. “I’ve subbed pretty much every subject and always had a good experience. It makes me wanna send my kids to MHS.” The few subs at Mandan have gotten to be a part of the faculty and the school as a whole. Subs may have one of the tougher jobs here in the district, but they do it to the best of their abilities. High school can be hard for students, but it can be even harder for teachers, especially substitutes. “The students that look at me like a human being and not just a sub. That impresses me every time,” Peterson said. - General Reporter

February

Student Life

February

Winter survival kits are a must have

sarahKOVASH -co-Editor-in-Chief

Flashlight with extra batteries

Water bottles

Winter jacket

By choosing to live in North Dakota, residents are often faced with unpredictable winters and sometimes springs. And come to think of it, summer and fall aren’t any better. The harsh reality behind living in a cold state like ND means that at almost all times people need to be prepared for the worst: a snow storm. Sometimes snow storms are a blessing in disguise when the opportunity comes to miss school or work, however if they happen while someone is driving, problems may arise. When it comes to dealing with the almost year-round winters, North Dakotans need to have a “Winter Survival Kit” in their vehicles, just in case they are ever to be stranded out in the middle of a blizzard.

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Student Life

February

A skateboarder’s passion turn into something else

colton JUSTICE

- Feature Editor

Whether on pavement, snow or a grass field junior Corey Peterson can be seen having the time of his life. Though not involved in any school activities Peterson has a few of his own that he pursues. During the winter Peterson can be found on his snowboard, while during the other seasons he can be found either on a skateboard or shooting paintballs. “I’ve been skateboarding for four years, snowboarding for three years and paintballing for two,” Peterson said. Peterson does consider skateboarding to be his favorite hobby of the three. “I’ve used skateboarding as something to do whenever something happens or when I’m mad or sad,” Peterson said. “I find it more freeing.” Peterson’s passion for skateboarding led him to doing something new and unique: designing and crafting custom skate decks. The custom decks are made by sanding the graphics off a board, stenciling or sketching a design onto it and using a bandsaw to cut the designs into the board and shape it. After that’s done, a new graphic can be put onto it. Then the board is polyurethaned to make it look new. The time it takes for this process can be from under one hour to over three hours. Once the new board is completely finished it can then be a wallhanger or used to skate with. “Skateboarding has been more of the core of my life than anything else,” Peterson said. “It’s more me.” Not only does he skate for fun but Peterson also skates in competitions. During

a competition in September Peterson took “I’ve never had anything that third place one day for an event, and second makes me as happy as skating the next day. “I love skating in competitions not does.” because I want to win but because they bring everyone in the skateboarding community together,” Peterson said. He also hosts a skating competition with Senior Dylan Kahl and fellow junior Zack Eckroth during June, called the Mandan Jam. Prizes are given out to the skaters who can “earn it”. These prizes include many things that a skateboarder can use: clothes, shoes, Photo by Philip Schultz skateboards, wheels and Peterson doing a front side air walk 180 other things. while skating in a Bismarck park.

Photos by Zack Eckroth

(Left) The first step in making a custom skate deck, Peterson is sanding off the previous graphic from an old skateboard. (Right) Peterson is cutting a design into one of the skate decks that he has sanded the previous graphic off of.

Sports

Girls Basketball

Sports Roundup colten STOLTZ

- General Reporter

MHS Courier

Wrestling

The Wrestling team has strung together The Girls Basketball team has been BECK three straight wins to improve to 6-9 in maintaining a strong casey - General Reporter duals, while they are currently ranked fifth in record at 11-6, and the WDA and state. ranked fifth in the WDA The boys currently have six state ranked Leading the way for the athletes; Ryan Zachmeier is ranked first in girls is Hannah Hanson, The Boy’s Hockey team has she is the leading scorer had a fairly successful year the 106 class, Brandon Zachmeier is second and rebounds,, averaging so far with a current record in the 132, Jason Moore is positioned third 10.06 points per game and of 11-8. This puts them at a at 152, Dale Spillman is ranked fourth in 160, 5.9 rebounds per game. WDA rank of fifth, and 1.5 and Isaak Berger is sixth at 113. The boys ended January strong with three Kennedy Harris and games back from fourth. wins in a very decisive manor Megan Zander join the The boys had a good run in The team fell short of qualifying for state team as the only eighth January winning six out of the graders on the team and nine games where four came duals after the lose to Minot dropped the have provided a spark off in a nice streak at the start of boys down to fifth The boys’ next tournament is State running the bench by consistently the month, and are looking to scoring points and getting take that momentum into the from February 19th- 21st rebounds. “Everyone has WDA and state tournaments. adjusted very well to the The team’s leading senior Photo by Jade Charbonneaux diversity and it is fun to see is Colton Murphy with a total their chemistry grow with Freshman Courtney Olson of nine goals, while Trever The Boys Swim team has placed third each practice and game.” looks for an open pass as Leingang leads the team with in four out of the five invites they have Head coach Abby Thomas she’s covered by a Century 13 assists, including a hat participated in and won three straight to said. defender. trick against Hazen-Beulah. improve to 3-3 in duals. 14 of the boys have The girls next game will be Sophomore goalie Sawyer qualified for state, with at least one boy in February 21 at home against St. Mary’s. Schmidt has an impressive save percentage every event. The team has three individual qualifiers of .906. The boys’ next game is the West Region and two relay teams ranked in the top ten The Boys’ Basketball team is currently Tournament in Minot running from the 19 of the state struggling with a record of 2-14 overall. They boys next meet will be WDA at to the 21. After a impressive overtime victory against Williston on the 28. Belcourt This puts the team at a WDA (All information for Sports Roundup is updated as of February 12, 2015. Any meets/games from standing of ninth. Outlooks are still hopeful February 13 - 18 are not included.) however. “We are always getting better and in the process of learning how to win.” said Head Coach Brandon Shafer. The boys will play Bismarck High at home on the 19

Boys Hockey

Boys Swimming & Diving

Boys Basketball

Girls Hockey

The girls’ Hockey team is currently standing at a record of 7-10, this ranks them seventh in the North Dakota League. The girls had a hard time in January only winning two of their six games that month. The girls have won two straight by significant margins of 5-1 and 7-3 respectively. Their next game is at Jamestown on the 21, while the State Tournament is 26 through the 28 at Fargo.

Sports

February

December Athletes of the Month Male Athletes Senior Aric Riopelle Boys’ Hockey Coach Matt Mullally nominated Aric and he said: “The captain scored seven points (3G-4A) in the Braves’ last four games, including a career-high three points in the Braves’ recent win over Dickinson. Riopelle, a two-year letterwinning defenseman, leads the team in minutes played and twice this season has received the team’s “hard hat” which is awarded to Mandan’s player of the game.

Senior Bryce Andresen Boys’ Basketball

Coach Brandon Schafer nominated Bryce and he said: “I would like to nominate Bryce Andresen for the December Athlete of the month. Bryce is one of the hardest workers on our basketball team and it has been seen by his coaches and teammates. Bryce was voted a team captain of the boys’ basketball team for this season by his teammates. He has been a tremendous leader for our team on and off the court. Bryce sets a great example to his teammates and the entire program by has incredible work ethic and the will to get better every day. As our starting point guard through eight games, Bryce has been very consistent. He leads our team in minutes played, 3 point

percentage, assists and he is second in total rebounds. In our eight games, Bryce has averaged 7 points per game, over 1 three per game shooting at 42%, 4.4 assists per game and 5.4 rebounds per game. Bryce comes to practice every day striving for himself and our team to get better. We are a better team because of his hard work and leadership qualities he shows every day.”

Female Athletes Junior Rebecca Helbling Girls’ Hockey

Coach Dewitt Mack nominated Rebecca and he said: “Rebecca has really stepped up her play this season as she had a great December for the girls’ hockey team. Rebecca had 11 points in December, 3 goals and 8 assists, which ties her for the lead on the team and the 14th overall scoring leader in the state. However, it is the intangibles that can’t be measured that makes Rebecca one of our team leaders. As an assistant captain, Rebecca encourages her teammates and leads by example. Her positive outlook naturally draws her teammates to her and her encouraging words makes them want to follow. She is also the hardest working player on the ice and along with her determination to give it her “all” every shift, sets the bar high and challenges her teammates to play to their best ability. On the ice, she makes everyone around her a better player, as is noted by her 8 assists (4th in the state) and by how she plays every shift like it may be her last. As a coach, you hope none of your athletes ever looks back with regret about how hard they played or if they could have been a

better teammate. Rebecca exemplifies what it means to compete, each and every day, and she is a great teammate. She won’t have any regrets.”

Junior Hannah Hanson Girls’ Basketball

Coach Abby Thomas nominated Hannah and she said: “Hannah has been an outstanding leader in girls’ basketball throughout the month of December. She has greatly helped jumpstart the girls’ basketball season. Hannah works extremely hard every day at practice and at games to make sure she is doing everything she can to make herself and her teammates better. Hannah’s leadership has been shown through her words and her actions. She is very vocal and always makes it a point to push herself and her teammates to be better through encouraging words and leading by example. She is a wonderful teammate that the younger girls can and should be looking up to as an example of what hard work, dedication, and leadership looks like. Hannah has had a great month of December statistically as well. In her 7 games during the month of December, Hannah averaged 11.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 blocked shots, and 1.6 steals per game. She also achieved a double-double in three of the first seven games of the season! Hannah is a phenomenal role-model on and off the floor, and her positive attitude gives the girls’ basketball team the push they want and need to become better and improve every day!” All information and photos were taken from www.mandan.k12.nd.us/activities/ marclub.