MHS Courier February 2021

THE

COURIER 905 8th Ave. NW, Mandan, ND - Volume 29, Issue 4- February 2021

Check out some cute Valentine’s Day cut outs for that special person this season.

Page 18

Read all about you and your friends zodiac signs and their meanings.

Page 10

February 2021

From The Editor...

I am not one for New Year’s Resolutions, but I hope to change my perception on the way I live my life in 2021.

Focusing on my path after high school has given me motivation and hope for what it has to hold.

I have been in the process of enlisting in the North Dakota Army National Guard, which has been exciting and nerve racking at the same time.

The second semester is in full swing with classes back to full time, which has been physically and mentally exhausting. After grinding for a month, I am finally starting to get into a solid routine.

Unfortunately, we have lost two staff members, Daden Dolajak and Nathan Stramer this semester. The Courier wishes them the best of luck, and we will miss cracking jokes with them during class.

On the bright side, we have a new member joining the Courier staff. Welcoming Ariana González to the staff has been exciting to say the least. She is a talented, young writer with high hopes for her future.

Our focus this issue has been to keep the articles and designs on the bright side due to our stressful end of 2020.

For Valentine’s Day, we have an opinion piece about loving yourself for who you are and the reoccurring Fix From Fix love story edition. We hope you all enjoy and happy Valentine’s Day.

Table Of Contents

Page 2.....................Letter From The Editor Page 3.......................Analyzing Alcoholism Page 4-5........................Love Yourself First Page 6.................Braves Crossing Spotlight Page 7............................................Calendar Page 8......................................Zodiac Signs Page 9...........................Influential Heroines Page 10............................................Flipside Page 11..................................Club Spotlight Page 12-13.......................The Fix From Fix Page 14...........................Courier Graduates Page 15...............................Love That Lasts Page 16....................Career Advice Column Page 17...A Perspective On Homeschooling Page 18..........................Valentine Cut Outs Page 19................................Advertisements Page 20.................................Sport Spotlight Page 21..................Undercover Productions Page 22-23..........................Sports Roundup Page 24.....................Athlete Of The Month Juniors Mckayla Lindbo and Sophia Anderson value each other and their friendship. Take a look at the best friends edition of The Flipside.

Page 10

Opinion 02

Photo by Scout Hurley

Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-In-Chief

Courier Staff and Editorial Policy Kelsie Hildebrand......................................Editor-In-Chief Scout Hurley..............................Assistant Editor-In-Chief Feature Editor Aspen Jewkes.............................................Opinion Editor Ryan Ulrich...................................................Sports Editor Co-News Editor McCartney Fix.........................................Co-News Editor Leah Emineth..........................................General Reporter Ariana González.....................................General Reporter 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.

February 2021

Analyzing Alchoholism And the marketing that enables it — McCartney Fix, Co-News Editor

Photo sourced by Creative Commons

The ads are as ubiquitous as the product they sell. Do you want a break from the trials and tribulations of life, the daily stresses that come with a life lead with responsibilities? How about a beer, perhaps a glass of wine or a fist of whiskey?

This allure of a reprieve from life’s struggles entrapped my loved ones and more than 3 million other individuals per year, and yet still, alcohol is advertised not as a powerful social lubricant to be enjoyed in moderation, but an essential aspect of social gatherings and an integral part of stress relief.

It is sold to mothers as a way of quelling the financial woes of having a child, to then again be rediscovered after the birth of a second. This is the trap that befell a loved one of mine, who after years of sobriety, fell victim to the incessant campaigns ensuring her that the only side effect of the occasional drink would be a fun night, and an unfortunate morning.

Consequently, every stressful ordeal or unfortunate event was paired with a drink, it became less of an amplifier of enjoyability and more a mask for sadness, numbing her to the reality of life.

She was forced to confront it instead in the headrung morning.

This experience is not unique, alcohol is the only advertised solution that fails to cure ailments and often ends up creating more of them; and therein lies the issue, the advertisement. We all like to assume we are not vulnerable to a solid marketing campaign but alcohol proves how untrue that is. Every year, like clockwork, we see on Super bowl Sunday or any other major televised event, Budweiser, Coors, and more take a crack at appealing to the largest audience possible. They dream of creating curious customers, who quickly become consumers, and in far too many cases, addicts.

“I saw it like so many others,” Jeff, now a recovering alcoholic of 2 years said. “I would see it on TV or in a movie, and the curiosity

got the best of me.”

Social media has only exacerbated such issues, with targeted advertising and key words pushing forth advertisements to those most vulnerable. Those barely grasping to sobriety, trying desperately to avoid another ad, are left with nowhere to hide, even on those platforms they may have used to reach out, they were left feeling isolated.

“It was my first earnest attempt at getting clean,” Jen, an addict in a habitual state of relapse said. “I would try scrolling through my Facebook feed to reach out to a sponsor and boom, there it was, a bottle, or a liquor store ad, I could not escape” That final cut tie, that isolation, in which one’s primary sanctuary is made home to that which they hope to avoid, is what truly makes one an alcoholic.

“It is not exclusively the drinking,” Jen said. “But the illusion of there being no escape.”

At every step of one’s progression, from them simply being made curious through the prominence of product placement, to them integrating it into their life, to their first exhibiting concerning behaviors, to them fully isolating themselves, is abetted by the prominence of ads.

Liquor is sold as liquid relief, or nothing with severe effects, or as relatively harmless any number of things, but those afflicted with it or affected by its abuse know that not to be the case. They know of homes broken, families torn apart, and marriages ruined by alcoholism, they know of thousands of lives ended and millions more ruined yearly by a product advertised on our televisions alongside sofas and cars. Alcoholism is a disease, and yet we as a society have allowed it to be sold as a cure.

Opinion 03

#nofilter #rawbeauty LOVE #loveyourself #nofilter YOURSELF #rawbeauty FIRST #loveyourself #nofilter #rawbeauty #loveyourself #nofilter #rawbeauty #loveyourself #nofilter #rawbeauty #loveyourself #nofilter #rawbeauty #loveyourself #nofilter #rawbeauty #loveyourself #nofilter February 2021

— Aspen Jewkes, Opinion Editor

Loving yourself may seem like a simple thing, but in reality many people do not truly love themselves. In a poll taken by students at Mandan High School, 83% of students have at least one thing that they do not like about themselves.

I sent out this poll intending to discuss body image, but people's responses opened the door to much more than appearance. Self-love includes more than just one's body. You have to love your brain; you have to love your ideas; you have to believe in yourself; you have to have confidence, and most of all, you have to find love for things that people can not see as well as the things they can see.

People are dissatisfied with how their body appears, whether that is their complexion, smile, laugh, height, ect.

Throughout history, women were supposed to be petite in order to be seen as beautiful, and men were supposed to be muscular in order to be seen as handsome. That has never been the case.

Although my words may not change how you see yourself, it is important to understand that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.

All I ever wanted growing up was to be a size zero with a tiny waist, which caused me to have such a poor body image that I began to struggle with an eating disorder for many years. Over the years, I have learned that nourishing my body and being physically active has helped me to accept and love my body.

Eating disorders are very hard to overcome because it is truly a mental game. While it may seem like you will never accept how you see yourself, eventually you will find love for everything you see on the outside as well as on the inside.

In a world consumed by social media, it has taught us to be dissatisfied with what we see. We only see bits and pieces of people's lives that they want to put out, instead of their day-to-day routine. When we see a picture that we do not like, what do we do? We scroll on to the next and next without being completely satisfied with what we are looking at.

Our lives are consumed by social media with images that are most of the time unrealistic, which in reality, sets us up for seeing ourselves poorly. Waiting for that next like or comment on your post from your peers is something that we should not rely on to make us feel as if we are more beautiful.

Relying on someone to make you feel beautiful is something that needs to stop. Finding your confidence in who you are and what you look like is something that can only be done by you.

We need to stop caring about what others believe to be seen as beautiful. In reality, we create our own happiness and our own unique beauty, but looks are just one factor. At the end of the day, we are left with only ourselves.

Stop trying to please or satisfy the world around you and start embracing the things that make you stand out from others. Whether you are a size zero or forty two, you are beautiful in your own way whether you see it or not.

Sophomore Trinn Nybakken (1), sophomore Susana Kojin (2), freshman Ryder Piehl (3), sophomore Mya Sheldon (4), ssophomore Andrew Helvig (5), freshman Lucas Bieri (6) and freshman Rustin Medenwald (7) are pictured to the right.

All Photos by Kelsie Hildebrand

Opinion 04

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Opinion 05

February 2021

Braves Crossing Staff Learns The Tools Of The Trade — Ariana González, General Reporter joined to explore the way the marketing world works and how Getting hands on experience and being a part of the marketing things are done. process proves to be a helpful opportunity for students who want “You get to learn more about the business side of things,” Johnto follow a marketing career path, but it is not offered at all high schools. For Mandan High School students, one of these opportu- son said. “You also get to put into practice what you have been taught.” nities is the Braves Crossing school store.

Another student who is a part of the school store staff is senior The Mandan High School school store offers an inside look at Blake Kilen, who enjoyed the marketing classes and decided to what the marketing world is like by putting into practice skills continue on that path. like selling items, creating items and designing items like school “I just liked the class for the 3 years that I was here so I took merchandise and items with Mandan High School logos. the school store class,” Kilen said.

“They take the skills that they learn in marketing and apply Senior Ryan Ulrich decided he wanted to be a part of the them into a real world setting,” Mr. Fry said. “That basically reschool store staff after watching the upperclassmen work on it volves around the use of Mandan High School and the logos and during his freshman year. everything else that we do.”

“I took this class because over the years I enjoyed marketing The Braves Crossing school store sells a large variety of classes so I wanted to continue that with the school store,” Ulrich products. They sell everything from shirts to water bottles. The said.

“And watching some of the older kids working on it made it two products that have been the most popular at the moment seem like something I wanted to do my senior year, so that is why include one which has become a part of everyone’s life during I decided to take it.”

COVID-19.

For students who are interested in or planning to go into a “Definitely the face masks, and water,” senior Braden Ressler marketing career path, the Braves Crossing school store is a great said, a student who is a member of the Braves Crossing school opportunity to gain experience and to learn more. store staff.

However, the best-selling product is not always determined by how many items are sold.

“I would say it kinda depends on what you are talking about, if you are talking quantity of items, it is gonna be water,” Mr. Fry said. “We sell flavored water.

Volume-wise, I would probably say the hockey jerseys.”

As the Braves Crossing school store staff walks the marketing path, the school store also proves itself to be a great opportunity to explore specific elements of marketing that have peaked their interest, such as management.

One of these students is Braden Ressler, who is interested in the marketing career path.

“I have an interest in working management, just thought it would be a fun class as well,” Photo by Ariana González Ressler said. “This is just kinda the path I wanna take and this Pictured from left to right are junior Kendall Blair, senior Alexas Johnson, senior class could help me later on.”

Blake Kilen, senior Ryan Ulrich, senior Braden Ressler and senior Paige Ressler.

Alexas Johnson, a student These six students are the faces behind the Braves Crossing school store. who is a part of the school store,

News 06

February 2021

Courier Calendar February-March 2021 Sports:

— Ryan Ulrich, Sports and News Editor

FCA:

Boys’ Basketball:

Every Friday @7:30 am

Feb. 19, Century @ Home 7:30 pm Mar. 4-6, Regionals @ Bismarck Event Center Mar. 11-13, State @ Bismarck Event Center

DECA:

Mar. 14-15, State Conference

Girls’ Basketball:

Feb. 16, Bismarck @ Home 7:30 pm Feb. 18, Century @ Home 7:30 pm Mar. 4-6, Regionals @ Bismarck Event Center

Student Council:

Feb. 10, Scholarship Fundraiser

Mar. 11-13, State @ Bismarck Event Center

Other:

Boys’ Hockey:

Feb. 18-20, Regionals @ Minot Feb. 25-27, State @ Grand Forks

Girls’ Hockey:

Feb. 12, Fargo Davies @ Home 7:00 pm Feb. 25-27, State @ Grand Forks

Clubs:

Photo by Aspen Jewkes

Senior Jayce Lowman pulling up for three against Jamestown.

Mar. 2, All juniors take the ACT Test Mar. 10th, Eligible sophomores, juniors and seniors receive information on applying for membership in the National Honor Society Mar. 24th, National Honor Society Applications Due

Wrestling:

Feb. 13, Regionals @ Jamestown Feb. 18-20, State @ Fargo

Boys’ Swimming:

Feb. 12, Williston @ Home 5:00 pm Feb. 13, Invitational @ Home 11:00 am Feb. 27, Regionals @ BSC Aquatic & Wellness Center Mar. 5-6, State @ BSC Aquatic & Wellness Center

Gymnastics:

Feb. 19, Regionals @ Dickinson Feb. 26-27, State @ Jamestown Photo by Kelsie Hildebrand

Senior Sydney Gustavsson looking to get past Legacy’s deffense.

News 07

February 2021

Zodiac Signs

The personality traits behind your astrology sign.

— Aspen Jewkes, Opinion Editor All information sourced from astrology-zodiac-signs.com

Aries: March 21st to April 19th Symbol- Ram Strengths- Courageous, determined, confident, optimistic, honest and passionate Weaknesses- Impatient, moody, short-tempered, impulsive and aggressive Likes- Comfortable clothes and leadership roles

Leo: July 23rd- August 22nd Symbol- Lion Strengths- Creative, passionate, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful and humorous Weaknesses- Arrogant, stubborn, self-centered, lazy and inflexible Likes- Theater, being admired, bright colors and fun with friends

Aquarius: January 20th- February 18th Symbol-Water Bearer Strengths- original, independent and humanitarian Weaknesses- Runs from emotional expression, temperamental, uncompromising and aloof Likes- Fun with friend, helping others, fighting for causes, intellectual conversation and a good listener

Taurus: April 20th to May 20th Symbol- Bull Strengths- Reliable, patient, practical, devoted, responsible and stable Weaknesses- Stubborn, possessive and uncompromising Likes- Gardening, cooking music, romance and high quality clothes

Virgo: August 23rd- September 22nd Symbol- Maiden Strengths- Loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking and practical Weaknesses- Shyness, overly critical of self and others and all work and no play Likes- Animals, healthy food and books

Sagittarius: November 23rdDecember 22nd Symbol- Archer Strengths- Generous, idealistic and great sense of humor Weaknesses- Promises more than can deliver, very impatient and will say anything no matter how undiplomatic Likes- Freedom, travel, philosophy and being outdoors

Gemini: May 21st to June 21st Symbol- Twin Strengths- Gentle, affectionate, curious, ability to learn quickly and exchange ideas Weakness- Nervous, inconsistent and indecisive Likes- Music, books, magazines and chats with nearly anyone

Libra: September 23rd- October 22nd Symbol- Scales Strengths- Cooperative,diplomatic, gracious, fair-minded and social Weaknesses- Indecisive, avoids confrontations, will carry a grudge and self-pity Likes- Harmony, gentleness and sharing with others

Capricorn: December 22ndJanuary 19th Symbol- Sea-Goat Strengths- Responsible, disciplined, self-control and good managers Weaknesses- Know-it-all, unforgiving, condescending and expecting the worst Likes- Family, tradition, music and understated status

Cancer: June 21st- July 22nd Symbol- Crab Element- Cardinal Strengths- Highly imaginative, loyal, emotional, sympathetic and persuasive Weaknesses- Moody, pessimistic, suspicious and insecure Likes- Art, home-based hobbies and relaxing near or in water

Scorpio- October 23rd- November 22nd Symbol- Scorpion Scorpio Strengths- Resourceful, brave, passionate, stubborn and a true friend Scorpio Weaknesses- Distrusting, jealous, secretive and violent Scorpio Likes- Truth, facts, being right, longtime friends, teasing and a grand passion

Pisces: February 19th- March 20th Symbol- Fish Strengths- Compassionate, artistic, intuitive, gentle, wise and musical Weaknesses- Fearful, overly trusting, sad, desire to escape reality and can be a victim or a martyr Likes- Sleeping and music

Feature 08

February 2021

THE HEROINES

That Influence Members Of Our Community — Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief

The idea behind this article was to spotlight the strong women in Senior Timothy Duran Senior Timothy Duran is inspired to go through life with no the world. Heroines can be found in literature, movies, and music, regrets because of his grandmother. She is in her eighties with ten but they do not get enough recognition for their achievements in children. raising families, becoming political figures or educating the next “She is still looking out for all of her children,” Duran said. generation.

“She would not eat at times so that her kids could eat, and she would sleep on the living room floor in order for her kids to have places to sleep.”

She lives in Colorado now with one of her children making it a woman admired or idealized for her hard for Duran to see her. Duran sees her once or twice a year, but that does not stop him from looking up to her. courage, outstanding achievements, or “I admire her for her perseverance through hard times,” Duran noble qualities. said. “She inspires me to persevere, she shows that life will always get better and she shows me there is no reason to have regrets.”

Sophomore CarolAnn Rose Sophomore CarolAnn Rose looks up to her mother for being so Senior Elizabeth Allan open and welcoming with everyone. Rose and her mother are very Senior Elizabeth Allan aspires to be a politician like her role much alike, that they both keep to themselves because they do not model, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. AOC is a U.S. Representative want to upset the people around them. for New York representing the Bronx, Queens and Rikers Island “She always tells me that if you want something you have to be since 2018. The congresswomen went to school at Boston open about it and make goals,” Rose said. “She is willing to be University. there with you and walk you through it if you ask her.”

“She fights for what she believes in, which is equality for all Rose’s mother inspires Rose to be an ear for people when there and making the planet more green,” Allan said. “AOC inspires me is not much to do in the situation, and let people know that she is to fight for everybody and make sure everybody’s needs are met there and willing to help. when I am a politician.”

“In middle school, she would always say I have a heart of gold,” AOC was the youngest person ever to be elected to congress Rose said. “You never know when the last day you have with her at the age of 29 years old. While working a job to fund her is, so you have to cherish every moment.” campaign, she was fighting for a spot on congress, and she did not accept money from the government instead she accepted funding Mr. Loren Nieuwsma from the people and organizations.

Mr. Loren Nieuwsma’s maternal grandmother is 97 years old and still kicking it. Her spunky personality and immense care for Mrs. Kathleen Moch her loved ones has shown all through her life.

“As a Catholic, one must pick a Saint name as guide during “The thing that makes her my role model is what she has been Confirmation that you get called. Now, most young girls pick through, and she always just keeps trudging, and she is still very sharp and healthy,” Nieuwsma said. “She has been through all of Mary or Anne or Ruth, but I picked Joan of Arc,” Moch said. her children getting divorced, the death of her husband almost 30 “Around the mid 1400s she led the French in battle. She did burn at the stake, but heck! What a warrior, which is what I am. I am a years ago and raising her neighbors kids.” warrior. I love a strong woman, and always have.”

She has no fear of saying what is on her mind, which is where Nieuwsma’s “sassiness” comes from. She says to her grandson “you have to get married because I am going to be dead soon, and Senior Jordan Neutman I am trying to stay alive for you.”

Senior Jordan Neutman admires Mrs. Keri Hess’ kindness and Nieuwsma’s maternal grandmother has taken all the openness with her students. Hess is the fine arts and vocal music complicated circumstances in her life with a grain of salt, making teacher at Mandan High School. her the rock of their family. Being a steady participant in the “Last year when I was going through some really rough stuff, church, no one ever had anything bad to say about her. she was there for me even more than my family,” Neutman said.

“She shows me that kindness is key to it all, and that being kind “She inspires me to be a better person in general.” to other people is really what matters in this world, because you Hess interacts with all of her students by asking everyone do not know the impact that you are having,” Nieuwsma said. about their day and being a voice through this school year to the “She did not have to take her neighbors in and use the last of her administration. social security to buy groceries, but she was always there for us.”

“She is so open and cool about everything, making her a really easy person to talk to,” Neutman said.

her·o·ine

Feature 09

February 2021

The The Flipside Flipside Best Friends Edition How did you meet?

Do you fight alot?

Janessa Dillmann

“Soccer.”

“Yes.”

“When she peed her pants.”

Isabelle Holle

“And school.”

“But they are not bad fights, it is just funny fights.”

“My birthday.”

Alexis Ritzman

“6th grade Band class!”

“I do not think we have ever had a fight.”

“When we almost crashed into a light pole.”

Shaydin Ell

“6th grade Band.”

“Yeah, I do not think we have.”

“4th of July was definitely my favorite!”

Seth Arenz

“Playing baseball when we were 11.”

“We argue about sports all the time.”

“Watching him get whipped off a jet ski.”

Aaron Grubb

“Baseball when we were 11.”

Taylen Thomas

“Summer MAC.”

“Never.”

“When we went on the riverboat together.”

Aspen Jewkes

“Yup, Summer MAC.”

“I do not think I have ever had a fight with him.”

“Yeah, we were off by ourselves the whole time.”

Laura Novak

“At school.”

“Only over punctuation.”

“Our TV interview for National Grammar Day.”

Seth Peterson

“We met at school.”

“Yeah, we only fight over punctuation.”

“When we did our interview for National Grammar Day.”

— Ariana González, General Reporter

“Only when he is delusional about the NBA.”

Noobs of the Month Has high school been going Freshman the way you expected Makenna Burchinal so far?

“In a way. I thought it would be a lot scarier and more intimidating.”

Who is your Valentine?

“My best friends, of course.”

Feature 10

What is your favorite memory of each other?

Freshman

Emmanuel Dolo

“Winning our first Fortnite game together.”

All photos by Ariana González

Has high school been going the way you expected so far?

“I am genuinely disappointed, it is not how envisioned it, but it is pretty okay.”

Who is your Valentine?

“Not taking part in this but if I did it would probably be Nicki Minaj.”

February 2021

Art Club Is Getting Back Into The Groove Of Things J — Scout Hurley, Assistant Editor-in-Chief

oining clubs within the school is a great way to get involved, spend time with like-minded people and stay productive. For students who would like to strengthen their artistic skills and gain new connections, art club is the perfect place.

The art club at Mandan High School is run by John Gieser who teaches Art 1, 2, 3, and 4. Gieser’s goal is to provide an environment where students can create and feel comfortable regardless of their reputation. The dedication of several of his students shows that he has achieved this goal.

“It is mostly just a place for like-minded individuals who do not fit in anywhere else, and because of COVID-19 it is not necessarily structured at the moment,” Art Club Instructor John Gieser said.

As of right now art club is not fully up and running because of the hybrid schedule and COVID-19. This being said, Gieser hopes to have it back in full motion in the next few months. Students still stop by for an unofficial art club, anywhere from 3 to 13 students stop by to work on anything they want.

“Last year and the years prior, we had very dedicated members, who were consistent with it,” Gieser said. “I tried to keep it a little bit more structured before, but now with people floating around in here, I just want to get more people involved in the club.”

When art club was running regularly, they would meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays until about 6:00pm.

Students could work on projects for art club or just work on a personal project. Some days Gieser would give a structured project for them to work on for art club specifically.

If you are interested in joining the art club, keep an eye out for announcements about it in your school email or around the school.

Each photo shows a glimpse of some of the creativity currently going on in the art room.

All photos by Scout Hurley

Feature 11

February 2021

The Valentine Fix From Fix A round up and review of some star crossed classics.

— McCartney Fix, Co-News Editor

“Casablanca” Dir. Michael Curtiz

Photo sourced from Alternate Movie Posters

A gorgeous, black and white alternative poster depicting the final gazed shared between the lovers

Feature 12

It is strange to think about Casablanca in any way other than saying, “duh, it is Casablanca”. Often films accumulate such an impact on popular culture, and find such success in scholarship and academia, that talking about them as ‘movies’ is weird!

But yes, Casablanca continues to be one of the best, no matter its enormous popularity and influence.

It is a ravishing studio-backlot wartime romance that practically leaps off the screen with the help of Bogart’s existential pain rendered physical and Bergman’s angelic close-ups.

If this movie were made today, it would be a plodding 2 hours and twenty minutes of clumsy set-up and obvious screenwriting.

Casablanca was initially not intended to be a critically renowned masterwork to which all future romances were compared, it was a contractually obligated studio piece, in the vein of any other dime a dozen tragic romance the early post silent era of cinema pumped out.

In the hands of Michael Curtiz, however, its simple premise is made truly transformative, playing brilliantly off of the deceptive simplicity of its premise.

A man loves and then loses a woman, becoming an emotional recluse until she re-enters his life, years later, fates intertwined on a scale broader now than a simple romance; it would be laughably cliche if its tantalizing promise wasn’t so expertly executed upon.

For a film of its day, the script remains tight, only occasionally falling victim to the retrospective parodies of its most iconic turns of phrase. 78 years of riffing on “here is looking at you kid” and “we will always have Paris” makes it difficult not to roll one’s eyes upon hearing them, particularly with how much they are used throughout the film, but when deployed tactfully, and with their fullest emotional weight, Curtiz lands a gut punch.

The conclusion, when experienced blind, is a treat, one of the finest conclusory sequences ever put to film, the reels bleed with emotion as Bogart and Bergman put a tortured face to the poetry they perform, left only with questions of what could have been, and those fateful memories of Paris.

February 2021

“The Notebook” Dir. Nick Cassavetes

Photo sourced from Pintrest

“Brokeback Mountain” Dir. Ang Lee

Photo sourced from Pinterest

An alternative poster for the 2004 romance,starring Ryan Gosling

An alternative poster for the 2005 depicting the beautiful landscape

The Notebook seems to attract a lot of negative attention, predominantly from people who wish to be seen publicly bashing romantic films for the purpose of their own image. The Internet does not care if you like romantic films or not. Films are much like music, you watch whatever suits you due to the way it makes you feel.

I was in conflict over watching this as I had read the book several times and it is one of my favorites. I think Nick Cassavetes did an amazing job of directing this as having read the book, and I can see that it would not have been an easy transition into film.

The story is captivating from the onset. Both main characters are very loveable, and as their story and lives unfold you begin to know them more and more.

The locations and scenery are amazing, a perfect match for the source material, Nicholas Sparks was done proud here.

Gosling and McAdams punch up the depth of the screenplays material, lending it a weight and angst few if any other performers could eek out.

To be able to so shamelessly praise the technical aspects of a schlocky romance advertised on the back of its lead stars’ eminent attractiveness was an unexpected, if welcome, surprise.

Its cinematography is solid throughout, providing a cinematic playground for the actors to frolic through, while providing ample opportunities for attractive people to be attractive.

Our initial obsession with such a film may have been surface level and vapid, but the product itself avoids such pitfalls, while providing a needed reminder that even pretty people lose lovers.

There’s a palpable, tragic loneliness, permeating from every facet of Ang Lee’s impeccable portrait of repressed love and sexuality in an un-accepting world, “Brokeback Mountain”.

The deceptively simple tale of two homosexual men who find solace in each others conversation and intimacy only when periodically returning to the titular mountain acts as much more than a simple love story.

Even in its most intimate, explosive moments, there still seems to be a longing shared between our two lovers Jack and Ennis, as if they both believe their romance, truer than any they have experience with the opposite sex, to be wrong. Those urges are still felt and succumbed to every time, as put so poignantly by Jack, “I don’t know how to quit you”.

He wants a quiet domestic life, often speaking of a blissful ranching existence, a fanciful anecdote of what could be. Every time, however, Ennis is reminded of the harsh reality of life when remembering a gay couple murdered by his hometowns local folk.

Such trauma, permeating his life, haunts him bitterly, leaving him a repressed husk living a lie and subsisting on memories, after his wife leaves him and any attempt at a fresh start is swiftly dashed.

When Ennis receives the call that Jack had died he visits Jack’s childhood home and finds in it those two old pieces of his clothing stained with blood, and bitter memories of those gay lovers from his hometown. Was Jack met with the same fate, as a momentary flash may lead us to believe, or is it only Ennis imagining it in the way his father “made sure me and my brother saw it.”..

Feature 13

February 2021

Graduated Courier Staff Share Their Experiences Maiya Fleck ‘18

— Leah Emineth, General Reporter

Maiya Fleck was a general reporter for The Courier from 2017 , up until 2018 when she graduated.

“I thought it would be a fun elective, that would teach me a lot of skills I could use in other parts of my education and hobbies,” Fleck said.

While on staff, Maiya enjoyed writing and taking pictures for her fashion articles.

Fleck moved to Missoula, Montana to attend the University of Montana to pursue her major in broadcast journalism and minor in multimedia. After graduating in 2022, Fleck plans on pursuing her career in broadcast journalism.

“I learned how to work with a team to produce a product on deadline, connect with people, tell their story and use technology most people do not get to use,” Fleck said.

Journalism gives many people opportunities to learn real world skills and gain friendships that will last forever.

“I liked the relationships I formed with my peers and the knowledge I gained of AP style, photography and graphic design,” Fleck said.

Brenna Hammer ‘18

Brenna Hammer joined The Courier in 2016 as a sophomore. She continued to be on staff throughout her junior year as a Feature Editor then her senior year she was an Editor in Chief.

“I remember getting pulled out of class one day by some of the staff members and they had asked if I was interested in joining, so I decided to give it a shot,” Hammer said.

Being part of The Courier is a really good way of getting involved with the school without being the center of attention.

“I got to write an article on teen suicide that I was super proud of and it was very heavy, so I got mixed results which I expected,” Hammer said.

Since high school, Hammer has been studying at the University of Mary for athletic training as her bachelors degree, and got her four year degree done in three years. She then plans on going to grad school at Duke University.

“I made so many good friends through The Courier, and I still talk to most of them to this day,” Hammer said.

Along with life long friendships, The Courier helps people gain many life long skills.

“Things like interviewing, being able to write and knowing what to leave out is super important and helpful for interviews and applications,” Hammer said.

Journalism gives students the opportunity to gain experience that can be used in the outside world.

“Journalism takes a lot of work and it is not easy, but you build so many friendships and learn so many good skills,” Hammer said.

Owen Piehl ‘19

Owen Piehl was a part of The Courier in 2017 to 2019. He was a general reporter his first year, then he moved on to become Sports and News Editor his junior year. During his senior year, he was the Editor In Chief.

Piehl also wrote an editorial piece each issue called the real Piehl where he would give his insight on a wide range of topics.

“I was always proud of the real piehl but sometimes it’s hard to keep ideas rolling but I did it for two years so it felt good,” Piehl said.

When it comes to being on The Courier, there is more to it than just writing articles before a deadline. As a staff, everyone grows together and becomes very close.

“The best part of being on The Courier was the relationships that were made,” Piehl said. “My memories of late night layouts, class time hijinks and the trip to San Francisco will stick with me forever.”

Since his graduation Piehl has used his courier experience to get an internship at the Bismarck Tribune. He then moved to Fargo where he attends NDSU and is majoring in strategic communications.

“I plan on graduating from NDSU with no debt, buying a Volkswagen van and driving around the US for a year or two,” Piehl said. “After that, I would like to start an independent media marketing company.”

Journalism gives insight into a lot of life skills that can be used forever, not just in a high school and college setting.

“Journalism taught me how to think critically and understand the different sides of every story, which is vital in the world right now,” Piehl said. t is important to take risks in life and to be open to different ideas and opinions.

“Life is too short to not explore the things you are interested in,” Piehl said. “OP out!”

Photo submitted by Brenna Hammer

Feature 14

Brenna Hammer will attend Duke University this fall for physical therapy.

February 2021

Love That Lasts A few of MHS’s longest married staff give a road map of their relationships — McCartney Fix, Co-News Editor According to research conducted by the University of Florida, the average length of a high school relationship is between 5 months and a year. Only 2 percent of high school relationships end in marriage. After exiting high school, the average relationship length balloons to more than a year and a half, yet a majority still fail to result in marriage, so how did some of our longest married staff members spark up a romance, and keep the flame lit?

Firstly, they understood that introductions were a pivotal piece of the puzzle when hoping to woo their potential partner. They made certain they always anchored themselves with the common knowledge that there are no second first impressions. Because of this, the first foot they put forward was representative of them as a whole. This principle was expertly displayed by Mr. John Bauman who never for a second, pretended to be anything other than all business, all the time.

“I was impressed by his professionalism,” Mrs. Sarah Bauman said. “He seemed like the type of person I would like to get to know.”

They also remembered that the cliche romantic backdrops are cliche for a reason, they work. Look no further than Mrs. Barbara Quintus, who made her play at a school dance, John Travolta would be proud.

“We were at a cowboy dance in college,” Mrs. Quintus said. “And my friends told me to go ask him because he was too shy to ask me” The staff was then able to temporarily congratulate themselves on securing a first date, but that didn’t answer the eternal question, what to do for a first date?

The Baumans opted for the classic dinner and a movie approach, which allowed for the perfect amount of conversation and quiet enjoyment of the other’s company in a theater setting.

“Dinner and a movie was our first date,” Mrs. Bauman said. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding to be precise, a classic” The theme that ran through the first date question was striking a balance between opportunities for natural conversation, and moments in which you can gauge the interests of, and learn more about, the other person.

The more you know about the other person the easier it makes the next phase of the relationship, and the more naturally it allows the first date to unfurl. From there it was smooth sailing for our prospective love birds.

“It was really pretty early” Mr. Bauman said. “Probably within a week.”

That was uniquely agreed upon by all, they knew early, and there was little hesitation when it came to popping the question.

“Probably about 6 months later, I just sorta knew, and saw no reason to wait.”

Advice Column:

“Don’t be afraid to listen.”

-Mr. Bauman

“Keep no secrets.”

-Mrs. Bauman

“Vacations, truly a lot of

vacations, tiny getaways.”

-Mr. Quintus

“Find a shared hobby, something to share.”

-Mrs. Quintus

Feature 15

January 2021

Professionals Share Their Insight With Students Interested In Pursuing Similar Career Paths — Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief In this issue of students seeking career advice from professionals, psychology and graphic design are featured by two MHS seniors and two college graduates who have followed their dreams. Senior Livia Obrigewitch and Dr. Nicole Cross-Hillman will share about the path to a career in psychology. Senior Karley Cermak and Bismarck business owner Chelly Ontis share about graphic design dreams.

Senior Livia Obrigewitch has a passion for neuroscience which covers brain functions, behavior and the nervous system.

“I recently figured out that psychology is what I want to do for my career, because I always knew I wanted to do something in the medical field,” Obrigewitch said. “I want to go into psychology, because I am really interested in how the brain works and how it affects different people and their actions.”

She hopes to find a job revolving around psychology and behavior analysis research after attending the University of North Dakota, and like many teenagers who grew up in North Dakota, she would love to go out of North Dakota for her career.

“After I graduate high school, I will major in biology with a minor in psychology at UND,” Obrigewitch said. “In order to be able to do Research Psychology, which is what I ultimately want to do, I will need my PhD in psychology.”

Doctor Nicole Cross-Hillman is a licensed psychologist who discovered her path back in high school during psychology class sophomore year. She continued on to take an AP psychology class as a senior, which opened her eyes to different careers and opportunities.

“At first, it was the ‘sensational’ things such as, Freud, dream analysis, lobotomy with Phineas Gage and other abnormal psych topics,” Cross-Hillman said. “I have always enjoyed helping others, and the notion of what it means to ‘help others’ has continued, and will continue, to evolve throughout my career.”

Cross-Hillman specializes in child psychology at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities for four years before applying and getting accepted into graduate school. Cross-Hillman’s goal was to earn her Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology.

“I really did not spend much time considering career paths other than a Psychologist,” Cross-Hillman said. “I enjoyed being around, learning about and working with children and adolescents.”

She continued on for two years after completing the work for her Master’s Degree, which included an Assessment Practicum (Psychological Testing) and a Therapy Practicum. A year long internship and “Post Doc,” which is gathering hours of supervised practice, was also required.

“As a psychologist, I am trained to do psychological testing as well as mental health therapy, which provides a variety in my dayto-day work,” Cross-Hillman said. “It is certainly a commitment, but worth it, if it is something you really want to do.”

Feature 16

Senior Karley Cermak has recently changed her path to graphic design due to her love for canvas work, such as banners or posters.

“That is what I have been doing for a long time because it is fun to design,” Cermak said. “If someone needed a banner or poster for something, I would be their go to person for designs like that.”

Cermak’s plan right now is to attend the University of North Dakota and earn her bachelor’s degree in graphic design in hopes to stay in North Dakota for family. After college, she plans to pick up odd jobs here and there to get a feel of the environment.

“If a smaller business needs something whipped up, I would probably start by doing that,” Cermak said. “I do not expect to start working for a big company right out of college, but one of my top tier goals is to be self employed and do things for different events, such as weddings.”

Owner of Elegant Designs in Bismarck, Chelly Ontis, is a graphic design professional who found her path back in high school while watching a sitcom on televisions called Who’s The Boss featuring a lady who worked for an advertising agency. Ontis went to her school counselor’s office and told her about her newfound passion.

“We did some research and found the program at Bismarck State College and Moorhead,” Ontis said. “ I completed the two-year technical at BSC, and honestly, most of the things I learned were on the job.”

After college, Ontis moved from a print shop to an advertising agency at a local furniture store before losing that job and realizing her next step.

“I decided I did not want to spend the rest of my days putting out everybody else’s designs,” Ontis said. “I started to work for clients that I knew from the print shop that had reached out to me, and 23 years later from word of mouth I am my own boss.”

When Ontis first started, the internet was not as evolved as it is today, so a majority of the work she did was print, such as magazines.

“I think what really helped sustain my business all these years was I did not plan to do it, but I ended up in a situation where the customers I had were regulars,” Ontis said. “I ended up with a ton of clients, and I help with conferences and conventions and do designs such as, printed material, staging sets, posters, et cetera.”

Ontis is grateful for her time at the print shop and furniture store, because it taught her how to become her own boss. Jumping into things can lead to one’s own failure instead of taking things one step at a time.

“I do not think I would have gotten to where I was if it was not for the years working in the print shop,” Ontis said. “If you have that creative eye, there are so many things out there between web and print.”

February 2021

Wyatt Hermanson Shares His Perspectives on Homeschooling and Public School — Leah Emineth, General Reporter

Wyatt Hermanson, a junior at Mandan High School has not had education credit.”

When a person is home schooled, they do not have to worry the typical elementary and middle school experience. Hermanson started school at home, and continued on with his homeschooling about homework like one may have to in high school.

“My least favorite part of high school is definitely the up until he was a freshman when he decided to go to a public homework school. because “My mom sometimes finished school it can be at home in high excessive, but school, along I love being with my two able to see older siblings, so my friends I decided to be and teachers,” home schooled as Hermanson well,” Hermanson said. said.

With home Hermanson schooling, it joined the middle is very easy school track team to learn at and football team, one’s own which gave him pace to fully the chance to understanding meet some of his the materials. classmates.

This is not “I remember always the case being out in with public public with my school because parents who Photo by Leah Emineth it is not one on would run into Hermanson enjoys attending public school because of the opportunities it givesone teaching. their friends “My seventh from high him to meet new friends grade year I school, and was a year behind in science but i was taking pre algebra, so it I always felt like I was never going to get those experiences,” really just depends on you and your understanding,” Hermanson Hermanson said. said.

In public school, we are used to being in class by 8:22 AM, but In public school, we are accustom to a lot of things that home being home schooled left time for more hours of sleep and a more schooled people have never experienced, like the games we laid back schedule. played in elementary school, or the lunch food we like or dislike.

“I would wake up at 11, stay in pajamas and I was able to be “When I was home schooled I was always given the impression done right when I got my work done, so sometimes I would get that public school is stressful and super hard, but when I got here done at 12,” Hermanson said. it felt like it was only stressful if a person makes it stressful,” Every day is different when it comes to home schooling Hermanson said. “ Overall, I think public school was the best because there is no set time to be done with school for the day. A option for me because I was already friends with so many people typical school day could last from one hour to ten hours. from the school and I am happy with the decision I made.”

“I used to hangout with a group of home schooled kids every Tuesday and Thursday,” Hermanson said. “We would get together and do activities because we technically needed a physical

Feature 17

February 2021

Be My Valentine?

Cut Out A Valentine, For Your Valentine!

— Scout Hurley, Assistant Editor-in-Chief

Everything is better with you...

We will be friends ‘til we are old and senile.

Happy Valentines Day, cutie!

Feature 18

Check out the MHS Courier website here!

Thank you to this issue’s sponsors Burning Desires and Capital City Construction

February 2021 1.

Sports

Spotlight Boys’ varsity basketball working hard for tournament season.

— Aspen Jewkes, Opinion Editor

2.

The Mandan High School Varsity Boys’ Basketball team are half way through their 2020-2021 season. Head Coach Brandon Schafer has been pushing his team each and every day in order to see the best results in games.

With the season being more than halfway over, Schafer has high hopes for the end of the season.

“We are sitting in the middle of the league right now, so I am hoping we can finish in the top four in the regular season,” Schafer said. “I am hoping we can set ourselves up for a good seed in the WDA tournament, and then hopefully qualify for the state tournament.”

With COVID-19 still affecting our day-to-day life, the boys basketball team has taken many precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“The kids have to wear their masks in the locker room, on the bench, on busses and at practice when we are not able to socially distance ourselves, but as soon as they are playing in drills, they do not have to wear them,” Schafer said. “We keep hand sanitizer in the med kit, which the boys use quite often.”

As many of the seniors on the boys basketball team have not gotten a chance to start yet this season or get any special recognition for it being their last year affected by COVID-19, at a game against Watford City, Head Coach Brandon Schafer decided to start the players who have not yet done so.

“We are starting all of the seniors that have not had a chance to start yet, and there will be a senior night against Century later in the season,” Schafer said.

While the season will be coming to an end sooner than later, the team still has many opportunities to improve in order to achieve their end goal.

“I just want to see them continue to improve, but ultimately our end goal is to get to the state tournament to have a chance at winning the state title,” Schafer said.

1. Senior, Tyler Thilmony driving to the basket.

2. Senior, Jayce Lowman jumping for the tip off.

Sports 20

All photos by Aspen Jewkes

February 2021

Undercover Productions Providing Access To Events For All — Ryan Ulrich, Sports and News Editor

Having a busy schedule or not being able to get tickets may be reasons as to why one may not be able to attend sporting events.

However, one local Mandan resident looks to make sure those who are not able to be at the games can still watch them.

Jerry Zachmeier is the man who created and runs Undercover Productions, which is an online streaming channel that streams local Mandan High sporting events. Undercover Productions has been around for a while, and its start would be a big reason for its growth over time.

“I had a buddy on the hockey board who had got sent down to Texas for training, and asked if there was a way that he could watch the games through a camera, or if someone could stream it through a phone,” Zachmeier said. “At the time I had a camera and hooked it up to a laptop to give it a try and that is what got me started.”

Zachmeier has been doing Undercover Productions for many years, but he does his work for free. Instead of money, Zachmeier finds a different value in continuing Undercover Productions year after year.

“I love sports and high school activities,” Zachmeier said. “I have always wanted to stream so that people who can not always be here can watch events, but at the same time it has also turned into a possibility that coaches from colleges can see these events so that allows opportunities for these kids.”

Besides experiencing the love of the game and giving opportunities for kids, doing Undercover Productions also provides Zachmeier with an opportunity to get plenty of feedback from those who tune into his streams. This is something that Zachmeier always looks forward to seeing.

“I was streaming the other day, and somebody sent a message saying thank you from Texas, thank you from Arizona, and from overseas in the military,” Zachmeier said. “That is definitely what it is all about.”

With COVID-19 impacting attendance at events throughout the current school year, the work for Undercover Productions would be giving a different atmosphere as a result. However, this would be something Zachmeier would realize and look to adjust towards when streaming.

“A huge change would definitely be not having a lot of people in the stands to create that home crowd atmosphere, which creates a huge impact,” Zachmeier said. “Even for me as someone who is streaming, I still get into the moment and excitement of the game and I try to make that happen across the camera for everyone who has to sit at home.”

Though Undercover Productions has been through some changes over the years, one thing that still has stayed the same is that it is still solo-runned by Zachmeier. While this may create some problems with being able to cover all events, this year has provided Zachmeier a little leeway with not being able to hit every single event.

“I am only one person, so I can only be there every so often and I do have a life outside of work and streaming, so there are still so many events that go on unstreamed,” Zachmeier said. “This year we have had the luxury of along with my streaming service there is BEK, the camera in the gym, the hockey club that just put a camera at Starion, and Midco so having more cameras helps.”

The demand for live-streamed events this year is something that would be quite noticeable for Zachmeier when looking back on the history of Undercover Productions.

“I have definitely seen a bigger demand for my work,” Zachmeier said. “If you look at my subscription rate, I ended last year with 1,000 subscribers, but in the past ninety days alone, I have increased that amount by fifty percent.”

While Zachmeier has seen success from Undercover Productions, there are still some ways in which Zachmeier would be interested in growing his channel. Some of these ways could help get students involved in the streaming game.

“I would like to see more interaction with incorporating some sort of media and bringing on students to help out,” Zachmeier said. “I do not have anybody that does commentating, so it would be cool to bring on some kids that would go into that coursework and get credit for helping assist me.”

Scan this QR-Code to check out Undercover Production’s channel on Youtube

Sports 21

Boys’ Basketball

February 2021

Currently the boys basketball team is in 5th place in the WDA.but it is very close between the top 6 teams. “ The top 6 teams are very close in standings, so it is very tight and positioning changes almost every game,” boys basketball coach Brandon Schafer said.

This year they hope to get back to the state tournament and give themselves a chance at a state title “We want to be playing our best basketball going into the WDA tournament so We must continue to improve each day in practice and finish the regular season strong,” Schafer said.

The boys are in the second half of the regular season and are sitting at 8-5 with 7 games left to play.

“We have lost some tough games or haven’t played our best in stretches of some games, but those are things we are working on improving.” Schafer said, “We need to eliminate our stretches where we turn the ball over and don’t execute on both ends of the floor.

Photo taken by Ryan Ulrich Senior Jayce Lowman has been one of the top scorers in the conference and state. He averages around 22 points per game.

He is leading the conference in 3 point field goals and is making almost four 3 pointers a game.

“We have a high ceiling, and our best basketball is ahead of us yet. This group of young men is very enjoyable to work with each day”, Schafer said.

Senior Tytus Bachmeier (Right) going head on against TMCHS opponent.

Sports

— Leah Emineth, General Reporter

Girls’ Hockey Before the season the girls hockey team was polled to be seventh and they are currently in fifth.

“This year our goal is to be seated at at least fifth going into state and then place at state,” senior breanna helbling said.

The pandemic has been a setback for many sports including girls hockey team which has a smaller team than usual.

“We have been doing well this year, by being been in every game we play and pulling off the wins we need,” helbling said.

Sports 22

Wrestling With the current ranking system for wrestling four teams are ranked within the WDA and mandan is not in the top four.

“My goal this season is to continuously see improvement and comradery amongst the wrestlers,” Head coach Tyler Steinwand said, “ we have a younger squad that will be competing against tough WDA competition, so continuous improvement is key for long term development.”

The wrestling team has had many setbacks due to covid their first practice was November 9th. “ we started with a great atmosphere but unfortunately we had some athletes who lost their drive to compete and ended up quitting the team,” Steinwand said.

“Tytus bachmeier has been outstanding as only one of Tytus’s opponents have survived being pinned in the first period, and that opponent was quickly pinned in the beginning of the second period byTytus.”, Steinwand said. “Tytus has a great chance of being a state champion this year.”

“To all the wrestlers and other athletes that read this article; when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Those who stay tough during this unfamiliar year will reap the rewards in the future.” steinwand said.

February 2021

Boys’ Swim

Last year the boys swim and dive team finished 3rd in WDA and 5th at state. This year the boys swim and dive team has big plans which include qualifying as many athletes as possible for state and keeping the same team finishes as last year. “ We had a number of athletes not come out for the team this year which has created a challenging situation for our relays.” Head swim coach Claudia Schoellkopf said.

The team has been working hard and stepping up to the challenges while continuing to have great time cuts and score increases.

“Ryan Bergman, Eric LaFleur, Riley Poppe, and Wyatt Hermanson are four of our big scorers, but there are a number of additional athletes that are having a great season so far,” Schoellkopf said.

The team is off to a great start and hope for more successes later on in their season.

Photo submitted by Wyatt Hermanson

Junior Wyatt Hermanson hurdles off the board in preparation of a dive.

Roundup

Girls’ Basketball Currently the girls basketball team is sitting in the sixth spot in the WDA standings.

Their goal this year is to finish top four in WDA and get to the state tournament and finish in top five.

“We have to improve on the defensive end of the ball, currently we are giving up 70 points per game and we need to get that down to around 50 points per game to reach our goals.” Head basketball coach Shaun Henderson said.

This year will be Hendersons first year as the head coach of varsity and prior to that he was the assistant coach for varsity. “ Anytime a new coach comes in it is a big change for everyone in the program and learning the system has been a setback.” henderson said. “ Another setback we have had early was our tough schedule we had our first six games on the road and played three top five teams in that time. We have also played five games against teams in the top five through our first 12 games.” henderson said Right now the girls basketball team is 6-6.

“Every game someone stands out and over the second half of the season it is going to be a focus of ours to start getting everyone to have their good nights on the same nights”, Henderson said. “We feel if we keep improving we can play good basketball at the right time of the season.

Boys’ Hockey This year the boys hockey teams goal for the season and the past years has always been to make it to state.

“All of us have been working extremely hard to make it happen and want to succeed,” junior Parker Anderson said.

With COVID-19 the team wasn’t allowed to practice or play games until December seventh.

“At the start of the season we all had to get used to playing with all the new guys and practicing with them but we’ve been progressing a lot since the start and it’s very visible,” Anderson said.

Sports 23

February 2021

Athlete of the Month

Jaxon Duttenhefer Senior

— Scout Hurley, Assistant Editor-in-Chief

What has been your best team memory?

“Beating the Fargo Davies in the playoffs.”

What has been your biggest achievement throughout your high school athletic career?

“My biggest achievement was being a 4-time-All-Conference Lineman.”

If you could think of one person who has helped you along your journey, who would it be and why?

“My dad because he has always pushed me to be my best.”

Photo submitted by Jaxon Duttenhefer

Ryan Bergman Senior What has been your best team memory?

“Winning the 400 relay at state.”

What has been your biggest achievement throughout your high school athletic career?

“Qualifying for state in seventh grade.”

If you could think of one person who has helped you along your journey, who would it be and why?

“My dad because he has motivated me the most.”

Photo submitted by Ryan Bergman

Livia Obrigewitch Senior What has been your best team memory?

“The collection of memories from practices when we get off topic and decide to do back flips.”

What has been your biggest achievement throughout your high school athletic career?

“Winning state jazz and taking 2nd in kick my sophomore year.”

If you could think of one person who has helped you along your journey, who would it be and why?

“My mom for being the president of our booster club and helping me stay motivated.”

Photo submitted by Livia Obrigewitch

Mckayla Lindbo Junior What has been your best team memory?

“The team meal before the state meet, because always have a good pasta dinner, watch movies and bond.”

What has been your biggest achievement throughout your high school athletic career?

“Placing higher every year at the state meet and making the all state and all-conference teams.”

If you could think of one person who has helped you along your journey, who would it be and why?

“My coach Claudia Schoellkopf because she is always there for me when I was having a bad meet.”

Photo submitted by Mckayla Lindbo

Sports 24