C THE
OPINION 4 iPad Staff Editorial
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CENTERSPREAD Page to Screen 8-9
905 8th Ave. NW, Mandan, ND
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FEATURE David Knoll 13
Volume 24, Issue 2 • November 2015
Opinion
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Fine arts is an important part of life today. Part of the brain is mechanic and science oriented while the other part is art and creative oriented. Art is a way of expressing imagination and creative skill, which is something everyone has. Many schools around the United States don’t have creative art programs anymore though. If they do, classes like art, choir, and band are the first to be cut for budget needs. Our school has been extremely fortunate to have the arts programs we do, and students need to take advantage of them. The fine arts show you the benefits of practice and give you a sense of accomplishment when your
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Wolf tracks
*Photos submitted
The Courier
gabrielle WOLF
- Asst. Editor-in-Chief
performance or project is finished. Taking an art program will stimulate both sides of the brain. In art classes you need to be able to measure out how large to make canvases, and not just be able to draw. In band and choir classes you need to be able to read sheet music in order to do well. Everyone is capable of participating in fine arts programs if they would put in the time and effort to do them. Everyone has some sort of ability with art programs but many people never know because they don’t take the time to try a class.
When we were in elementary school we did art projects and went to music class every week, so why did it stop being a part of the curriculum when we got to high school? In my opinion everyone needs to try a fine arts classes because it is a good way of exposing yourself to new ideas and experiences.
Courier Staff and Editorial Policy
Trevor Murphy...................Editor-In-Chief Feature Editor Gabrielle Wolf......Assistant-Editor-In-Chief Opinion Editor Casey Beck..........................Sports Editor Kaelan Reedy........................News Editor Megan Fredericks...........General Reporter Hannah Sagaser...........................Adviser
Mandan’s Misused Money trevor -MURPHY Editor-in-Chief In the wonderful city of Mandan we have just about everything we need to be completely self-sufficient. We have nice people, a more or less functional government and a large income. In the last decade Mandan, and North Dakota, has had a large fluctuation in available funds, and while there hasn’t been a very apparent misuse of that money, there are a couple things worth talking about. Now, no one said that anyone is laundering money, or that the state is blowing it on anything, because there has been so much good done with the oil money and our taxes, like the renovations of roads and the new sports complex that’s going up. It would be worth the paper’s time to have a little chat about how these new purchases have been affecting the people, and their opinion on it. Ever since the end of last winter there have been roads getting torn up and redone on the North East side of Mandan,
and while it’s a very permanent solution to the temporary problem of a pothole in the road. The only problem with this is the inconvenience it poses to people that don’t live and work at home. A good example of this is junior Taylor Anderson’s situation. For weeks, some streets were torn up, but they were the fastest way for him to get from place to place. With the construction, however, it heavily increased transit time. In conclusion there’s no easy way to stop these inconveniences, but I think they should be brought to the people’s attention when these grants for such builds and improvements are being approved.
October cover photo by Casey Beck November cover photo by Trevor Murphy
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.
gabrielle WOLF
FLIP
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- Asst. Editor-in-Chief
Freshman Sierra Frank
Sophomore Lucas Geiger
If cats land on their feet, and butter bread lands butter side down, what would happen if buttered bread was tied on a cat?
“The cat will fall on its feet cause the butter bread doesn’t weigh anything.”
“The spinning motion could be a viable solution to the world’s energy crisis. It would work like a wind turbine. Only, more cost effective.”
If a bunch of cats jump on top of each other, is it still called a dog pile?
“Yeah, because a dog pile applies to anything, human dog pile or even a cat dog pile.”
“Yes, because it’s still a dog pile when humans do it.”
If you throw a cat out a car window, does it become kitty litter?
“Yep, anything you throw on the ground, on the streets is considered litter.”
“Depending on the speed, it becomes: A. roadkill, B. a skid mark, or C. a little mofluffy.”
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Do you have any nicknames? “Em”
How big is your freshman pack? “My backpack is normal size.”
What is your most embarrassing moment so far? “Answering these questions.”
Emily Tweten
Senior Brady Schock
Junior Kaylin Tomac
“The cat and bread would stay suspended in mid air until one gives in.”
”Infinitely spinning cats.”
“Sounds more like a cat fight to me.”
“Dogpile” “-Blue Mountain State”
“Yes, because dogs are so much better than cats. Hinga dinga durgen.”
“It becomes a dead kitty littered across the road.”
“According to North Dakota century code 36-21.02-02. this is legally called animal abuse.”
“I don’t know, but I am more concerned about your obsession with cats.”
Do you have any nicknames? “E, Little E”
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“A black hole would appear and end all existence as we know it.”
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How big is your freshman pack? “Pretty solid only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
What is your most embarrassing moment so far?
“Juniors or seniors telling me I look just like my brother.”
As a noob, what’s your biggest fear? As a noob, what’s your biggest “Tripping in the lunch room and spilling all fear? my food.”
French Teacher Jill Charlebois
Easton Andresen
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“Falling or tripping down the stairs.”
*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
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The Courier
Staff editorial: iPads iPads and us Getting iPads is a big deal within the school, and the Courier staff has many opinions on it. Most of the staff is very positive about receiving iPads next year. No one needs to worry about carrying large backpacks filled with textbooks, notebooks and other materials around the school everyday. The ability to use these new iPads will narrow down how many textbooks we need to carry home and make doing homework much easier. Instead of having to pull out smart phones, (which not everyone may have) to look up information, iPads will be an easy source of help for all students. These devices also have the ability to replace the laptops the school owns, so students won’t need to waste time getting them out of the computer on wheels stations. There are many things that can be done with the new iPads. Teachers could use the iPads to give tests, quizzes and even homework. This will greatly streamline the process of receiving and turning in assignments
Cartoon by Megan Fredericks
for both students and teachers. Having these online work options will make missing school for activities much less of a hassle for everyone. All the students will also be able to use the new Office 365 system to write essays and papers so teachers will have an easier time accessing students’ work. This will help bring every students’ work to the same level without having to discuss and argue about the differences between applications like Google Docs and Microsoft Word. We will all be able to access the new Office 365 from any computer at home if necessary through the school website. Some students, however, are wary about this new technology coming to Mandan and for some they are valid reasons. Many, including some on staff believe that the influx in internet traffic will greatly
slow and even stop the servers that the iPads are connected to. Others fear that they could be easily broken or even stolen. Some people just simply don’t want iPads and like the old way of doing things. The ability for the school to get iPads is something the school has never experienced. It will take some time getting used to, but in the long run this will be an interesting new transition for the school. Overall, getting iPads will be a good addition to Mandan High as a whole, even though it will take some time getting used to.
News
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ClubRoundUp 5
November & December
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CBIII + JazzII Concert Practice ACT
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Snoball
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Student Council Convention
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FCCLA + FBLA Drop ‘n Shop
Student Council Convention
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Attention: Please excuse any events that were left out of this issue’s calendar. To ensure this doesn’t happen again, send event dates to mhscourier@gmail.com. Thank you.
News
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The Courier
Queer-Straight Alliance offers safe place for students casey BECK
- Sports Editor
Mandan High School’s newest club, The Queer-Straight Alliance or QSA, plans to create a safe zone for the school’s LGBTQ Plus students. “First and foremost, it’s just a safe place for people to come to and be surrounded by people that accept them regardless of their gender or sexual identity.” said club founder, senior Kathrine Froehlich. The club was formed by Froelich with the support of seniors Emily Henderson, Megan Fredricks, Rebecca Helbling, and Ashlyn Quintus. The club was formed and will operate out of the need to maintain a safe environment for LGBTQ Plus students who may have nowhere else to go. These seniors went to art teacher John Geiser to help and advise them. “I was rather taken aback that they would be open with me about such a touchy subject,” said Geiser.
Every club and organization at Mandan High must have a mission statement to highlight their goals and the QSA’s clearly states what they are here for and how they want to help Mandan’s students. QSA’s mission statement reads: “A safe place for students of Mandan High School who identify as LGBTQ Plus or as a straight ally to talk about the issues queer youth face.” While this may be the first inclusive club to focus on these issues at Mandan High, it’s not the only one in the area. Bismarck High boasts a similar organization that was started in 2013 and Century High had the club in 2007, but it was quickly abandoned as interest in the club waned. The creation of Mandan’s QSA also comes on the wings of the recent and important decision of the Supreme Court that allowed and made gay marriage legal in every state in the nation. This verdict caused both positive and negative uproar throughout the nation. How
the club's creation and the verdict itself affects the school is yet to be seen. However, Froelich believes that the club will stay strong and wants to emphasize the good the club can do. “It’s not a bad thing. It’s actually a really really good thing, because there definitely hasn’t been a set space for this specific group of people to come to and feel good about themselves,” said Froelich. The young club has only held three meetings as of yet with around 10 members attending each. Membership is hoped to grow as word spreads and the inclusive message the club is trying to promote gets around. “I think number one is raising awareness of individuals of not only a different persuasion but, of a different background also,” said Geiser. Meetings are scheduled to be every other Monday in the art room after 8th period. If you have any questions talk to Senior Kathrine Froelich.
November
News
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FROM PAGE TO SCRE casey BECK
- Sports Editor
As the winter movie season starts to set in, it’s important to look at a kind of film that has taken over theaters around the world, the comic book movie. With no less than eight comic book movies coming out in 2016, it’s fair to say that the average moviegoer will be busy in the next year. However, it wasn’t too long ago that superhero and comic book movies were almost never made. This all changed in the the early 2000’s with “X-Men”, “SpiderMan”, and later on “Iron Man”. An important factor to look at when seeing these films is the companies that own and make them. While in the world of printed comic books there are only two main groups, DC and Marvel. While DC’s movies are all owned and made by Warner Bros, Marvel’s story with movies is much more complicated. Marvel’s characters are owned by three main companies who both fight and work together to bring everything from Captain America to Blade. 20th Century Fox owns the rights to the X-Men franchise and will be coming out with two films this year. The other two companies involved in bringing Marvel’s heroes to the screen are Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios/Disney. Sony previously made and owned all Spider-Man movies, but that changed recently. As of February 2015, the two companies struck a deal that will see a new Spider-Man join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also known as the MCU, and fight alongside Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man.
A look at the coming comic book mo Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 3 June 2016 In this June release, viewers will see the return of the heroes in a halfshell. This movie will be a sequel to the 2014 reboot that saw producer Michael Bay of the “Transformers” series take the helm. The turtle team will once again face off against the villainous Shredder, but will also see the introduction of the thugs Bebop and Rocksteady, two men mutated into a giant boar and rhino. The turtles won't be alone when they face these threats though, this film will also showcase the sports gear loving vigilante, Casey Jones. Not very much is known about this sequel yet, as most has been done in secret. Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice March 25, 2016 This DC film, as the title implies, will see a battle of titans between Batman and Superman and the beginning of the Justice League. This movie will be a sequel to 2013’s “Man of Steel” and will kick of the DC film universe that will eventually feature superheroes such as Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. The main plot of the film will follow Bruce Wayne, Batman, as he tries to take on Superman, who he sees as a threat to the human race. They will finally find middle ground and become allies, with Wonder Woman also joining the trio to form the Justice League. It is important to note that these films will be set in a different universe, as the popular CW shows “Arrow”, “The Flash”, and “Legends of Tomorrow”. This means viewers will be able to see their favorite DC heroes on both the big and small screen.
Dea Februar Fox begins the yea the merc’ with the film. For those unaw is, Wade Wilson forces soldier who stage four termin Canadian governm given superpower super strength and the experiments, h disfigured and scar This R-rated Deadpool through government test pr that gave wolverine claws, and show hi against those who The role of Dead actor Ryan Reynold the superhero ma Lantern”.
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adpool ry 12, 2016 ar with the film starring mouth in his own solo
ware of who Deadpool was an ex-special o was diagnosed with nal cancer. Through a ment program he was rs like regeneration, d speed. As a result of his body was horribly rred. adventure will follow h his origins in the rogram, the same one e his metal bones and is path to seek revenge ruined his life. dpool will be played by ds, who last picked up antle in 2011’s “Green
X-Men: Apocalypse 27 May 2016 The newest film in the X-men franchise, the oldest of the comic book movie series, will see one of the last movies for the mutant-powered team come out this spring. “X-Men: Apocalypse” will be set in the 1980’s and see a younger cast from the films in the previous films with the X-Men team made up of mainly high schoolers. This team of teenage mutants will have to face their most powerful threat yet, the ancient Apocalypse. This character was the first ever mutant in history and possesses immense power. In the comics this villain has both wiped out the entire X-Men team and taken over the world. In the film, this immortal villain will corrupt four of the X-men to do his bidding and transform them into the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse; Death, War, Famine, and Pestilence. In the comics, these horsemen have appeared as everyone from team leader Professor X to Wolverine to the mutant Angel. This film will be the last in the trilogy started by the 2011 film “X-Men: First Class”.
Captain America: Civil War 6 May 2016 The first Marvel movie of the year appears to be one of the biggest yet. Much like “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” moviegoers will see their favorite heroes square up against one another and duke it out. The two-hour film will show the divide in the Avengers after the previous film “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. From this schism, two camps will form one lead by Captain America and the other by Iron Man. The main conflict between these two will arise from the US government trying to control, regulate, and hold superheroes responsible for the damage they can bring. This movie will also see the debut of Spider-Man, played by actor Tom Holland, to the MCU. This version of the wall-crawler will be yet another reboot separate from the Sony’s two other series with the character. The movie will also see the new superhero Black Panther. This hero is also the king of the nation of Wakanda, which was seen in the last Avengers’ film. Also new to the MCU will be two supervillains, the revenge-seeking mercenary Crossbones and aristocrat Baron Helmut Zemo.
Suicide Squad 5 August 2016 One of the last comic book movies of 2016 will not follow a group of superheroes, but instead a team of villains. In the film, Arkham Asylum Prison is filled with some of the most vile characters to ever face the DC world, but a government program offers them lessened sentences to complete a certain task that is deemed too dangerous for anyone else. This team, the Suicide Squad, will be made up of characters such as, Deadshot, Enchantress, Katana, Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, Slipknot, El Diablo, and fan-favorite Harley Quinn. Notable actors to fill the evil shoes are Will Smith as Deadshot, and Margot Robbie as the psychotic Quinn. The movie will also feature a new version of the Joker played by Jared Leto. This will be a new take on the character, different than the highly praised Heath Ledger performance from “The Dark Knight”. This DC film will be set several years prior to “Superman V. Batman: Dawn of Justice” and will fill some of the holes in the story left by that film.
Onomatopoeia courtesy of cliparts.co
News
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The Courier
We’re Not Making This Up Dog Called Trigger Shoots Owner In The Foot Trigger the labrador retriever accidentally shot his owner, Allie Carter, in the foot while the two were out in the local fish and wildlife area. Carter, having never taken a hunter education course, laid her gun on the ground without the safety catch on. Trigger stepped on the gun, pressing the trigger. Carter received hospital treatment for her foot, but sustained no serious injury. Via news.sky.com
Witch Takes Warlock to Court Self-proclaimed witch priestess Lori Sforza sought a civil harassment order against former colleague warlock Christian Day. Day denied claims that he made demeaning comments about Sforza on Facebook or that he called her repeatedly late at night. Day believes that Sforza’s hostility is fueled by his own success in the witch community. The trial took place on October 28th, ending with the protective order being granted to Sforza. Via nbcnews.com
megan-FREDERICKS General Reporter
Woman Uses Medieval Fight Training and Sword to Stop Intruder Karren Dolley woke up to a man breaking into her home. She managed to corner the intruder in her bedroom before reaching for her gun in a drawer. Unable to find it, she instead grabbed her Japanese-style sword, called a ninjato. She used the sword to hold the intruder back while she called 911. Dolley kept the man at sword-point until police arrived.
Via time.com
Student Life
November
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I 10 : Would Save Matt Damon Again
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Venn Diagram of lost Damons
Set in our solar system.
Set in a galaxy far, far away. Mostly. Matt Damon is Cryogenically frozen.
Matt Damon must struggle to survive. Mostly a modern setting, Earth is totally fine.
Lots of Space adventures.
trevor MURPHY
kaelan REEDY
- Editor-in-Chief
Comparison Fred eri ck
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Throughout the films, it’s important to keep in mind the sheer amount of money and effort the world has spent on rescuing Matt Damon. In “The Martian,” they lose the poor man on Mars. The entire Ares crew has to make a space U-turn, resupply, fly a three and a half month trip back to Mars, pick up an airborne Damon, and make the three and a half month trip back to Earth. That’s not accounting for the complications that occur during the trip. In “Interstellar,” Matt Damon isn’t even in our solar system. Or our galaxy. Maybe, next time, we should just let him fend for himself. Reedy
Background by
The new blockbuster movie in theaters now is “The Martian.” The Martian is based off Andy Weir‘s bestseller book, with the same title. In both of these, the main character Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, goes on an expedition on Mars, and gets left behind after a storm hits. To not spoil anything, let’s just say that he has to figure out how to survive on the barren planet, and find a way to communicate to Earth that he’s still alive and then hopefully return home Overall the film followed the book very close, and well. They depict Watney just as bold and charismatic, which he owes his sanity to. The film has a serious “he could die at any second” vibe to it, but is almost constantly interrupted by Watney’s cheeky remarks.
- News Editor
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The Martian
Set in the future, Earth is dying.
NASA
Megan Fredricks
Interstellar 2014’s “Interstellar” is an epic science fiction film. In the film, the Earth is dying, and it’s up to former astronaut Joe Cooper (played by Matthew McConaughey) to save Humanity, and along the way, a stranded Matt Damon. That’s the plan, at least. Along the way, Cooper and his team of astronauts face a series of life-threatening and bizarre obstacles, illustrating the danger and wonder of space. Visually, the film is a masterpiece, with scientific accuracy as an important factor in the design. The music, composed by Hans Zimmer, is nothing short of fantastic, and the sound, while a bit loud at times, also adds to the intensity of actionpacked scenes. All in all, the movie was fantastic. It will appeal to casual action-movie fans, and especially sci-fi fans.
Feature
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The Courier
Poll reveals Mandan High’s sleep habits Junior class gets least amount of sleep
trevor -MURPHY Editor-in-Chief
When was the last time you got a complete and full night’s rest? This question is referencing the sleep that both your body and your mind needs to properly function. According to sleepfoundation.org, “Teens need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night to function best. Most teens do not get enough sleep…” One study found that only 15 percent reported sleeping eight and a half hours on school nights.” In a recent poll, it was observed that males are much more likely to get at least six hours of sleep a night; however, the poll also showed that juniors are the odd grade out. For whatever reason, students in grade 11 are the students that stay up for two thirds of their day. Without this sleep, students begin to feel fatigue and have a much shorter attention span. A study also published on sleepfoundation.org Tells how lack of sleep can cause anything from skin blemishes to behavioral intolerances. On top of all the distractions sleep deprivation can cause, students who said they had “pulled an all-nighter” say that they experienced an increase in energy even though they were bogged down. Others quite literally described the feeling as: “[it felt like] death himself paid me a visit.”
This effect can actually be addictive, causing more people to suffer from very real sleep disorders like sleep insomnia. Insomnia and general lack of sleep have similar effects, but insomnia is also linked to a list of social disorders and even death. Now, death is a very real possibility; however, it is very unlikely in the student age group. To apply this to the student body, here’s a rather common example. There is a test in AP History and for the sake of debate, Sally is really stressed out about this test, so she gathers all her resources and the night before the test she sits down and starts studying. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but before she knows it, it’s four o’clock in the morning and she still has to get up and take the test. The very limited amount of sleep that Sally would get is both going to help and be her demise.
That little bit of sleep is what will give her body a break, but it won’t be for the necessary length. This will make her drowsy and her body will still be in a half shut down half rebooting state. Being in this state is a very relatable position for most, and the cost is far greater than the gain she receives from studying all night long. According to testprep.about.com “If you try to study indefinitely for hours and hours, your brain will overload...” This means Sally will be spending more time trying to keep her focus or organize her thoughts than she will be passing the test. Another similar instance is the typical gamer. Someone who stays up the night before by “preparing” his or herself will be chancing the very same thing that Sally was, but in a more destructive way. An article posted on journals.lww.com said “...heavy gamers have less gray matter (the thinking part of the brain).” That means when Bob, for example, spent his night playing League of Legends or Halo V, he actually decreased his ability to think for himself. Now it’s not going to be a drastic change, but in a technical sense Bob is less likely to be able to pass his AP History test. So whether or not you feel like that test is going to be too difficult to pass without those extra hours of studying or you just want to finish that one last game, take caution. Your mind is being directly affected by making choices like Sally and Bob. Be wary that your health and ability to function at your fullest is at risk, and puts not only your mental health at risk, but others around you as well.
“Teens need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night to function best.”
Feature
November
gabrielle WOLF
- Asst. Editor-in-Chief
A look at Taekwondo
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competitions, participating in events he trains alongside other black belts and Junior David Knoll has worked like board breaking, pattern, weapons, and sparring. He also helps the junior all his life to get to where he is black belts below him. has even earned the title today. David has many goals Grand Champion at He has his second degree surrounding Taekwondo. many of them. black belt in Taekwondo and Someday he hopes to become When he isn’t he is striving to go up in belt competing, David a master and start his own David doing pattern with degrees. He is also trying to gym. Even with these goals trains at Roughrider junior black belts. gain a black belt in Hapkido. he has some fears. Academy in He started Taekwondo as a “My biggest fear is probably doing Mandan under Grandmaster way to pass time when he was Ted Fitzsimmons. Roughrider something wrong in front of a crowd of going through chemotherapy. Academy offers classes in people or my grand master,” Knoll said. After it ended he continued to In a few years he will have reached Taekwondo, Hapkido and go to Taekwondo and has done David his goal of becoming a master. After Kumdo. demonstrating a it ever since. high school he wants to start his own Before his class David helps kick for a junior “I found out I enjoyed it a lot black belt. teach the younger kids many gym where he will be able to teach other more than I thought I would,” skills they need to succeed. people what he knows. Knoll said. Since joining he has competed in multiple When he isn’t helping younger kids, All photos by Trevor Murphy
Sports
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The Courier
September Athletes of the Month
Senior Miranda Lowman Girls’ Volleyball
Girls’ volleyball coach Anna Folk had this to say about Lowman: “Miranda has had a great month of September for our volleyball program. She is a very special player for us, as our setter and middle blocker our offense and defense is based from her. Miranda leads a very talented group of hitters this year, getting them the ball on a very consistent basis night after night. On September 29th during our Minot match, she tallied her 1500th career assist. A feat that puts her as one of the best setters that has come through the Mandan program. Not only is her setting ability great, she has really picked up her defense the past few weeks leading our team in digs and blocks. As a calm, yet strong leader on and off the court, Miranda is looked up to by many of our younger athletes with great admiration and will come in early and stay late at practice just to help a fellow teammate out.” Just like with any successful sports team, the season didn’t come easy. Lowman recounts the struggles she and her team went through this year. “[We allowed] ourselves to get far behind and then [had] to dig ourselves out of that hole. We all realized how important it is to finish each point, maintain a good attitude, and keep our energy up throughout the whole game.” Knowing these things, losing to Century’s volleyball team proved to be difficult to forget. “They are a good team but the first game we proved we could stay with them and possibly beat them. The next two games we lost confidence and intensity. Century is a team that many would like to beat, this made it a tough game to come out on the
losing end when the first game showed so much promise.” When asked about the highlights of her season, Lowman referred to her accomplishment of reaching 1500 career assists. “It was humbling and exciting to achieve this with the team by my side,” Lowman said. A win that Lowman remembers most is the match against Legacy High School. She describes the match’s events: “They took the first game, we took the next two, they won the fourth, which made the fifth game a nail biter. With many ties throughout the last game, we managed to come out on top. The energy from the student section and fans was amazing! It was a two and a half hour long, intense game. We swung hard, weren’t scared, and played to win. The game ended with a block from Taylor Charvat.”
Juniors Connor Wieland & Tyler Tweten Boys’ Tennis
The tennis doubles partners were nominated by Coach Paul Christen. Christen had this to say about their season together: “Tyler and Connor were teamed up for the first time all season at the West Fargo Invite which every team in the state attends. They went in as the 6th seed at #1 doubles. They went 3-1 placing third, only losing in the semi-finals to the team who finished 2nd. During our last two regular season duals, Tyler and Connor went 1-1 together. At the West Region Team tournament, the
duo earned a third-set tiebreak win over a good Jamestown doubles team. In the West Region Individual tournament, Tyler and Connor went in as the 6th seed again. After a dominating 6-0, 6-0 win in the first round, they got revenge on the Williston team that defeated them in Fargo with a straight set win to qualify for state individually and a spot in the semi-finals. Tyler and Connor then defeated their semifinal opponent and lost in the championship match to the defending champions. For placing in the top five at the West Region tournament, they earned all-conference honors. Overall in the month of September, the team of Tyler Tweten and Connor Wieland went 8-3 with a 3rd place finish at the WF Invite and a runner-up finish at the West Region tournament.” Tweten and Wieland’s favorite moments of the season took place at the West Region Individual tournament, when they qualified for state and played in the championship game. “A lot of people don’t usually come to watch tennis, but at this match there was a large crowd which is really cool,” Wieland said. With this success, however, there was some struggle that the team went through during the season. The doubles partners reflect on the difficulties they faced this year: “It was hard to keep a level head sometimes,” Tweten said. “I think the main struggle this season was how our team matched up with other teams, and how we had to either win or lose a close match,” said Wieland. The two players agree that their most memorable win was the match against Williston’s #1 doubles players at WDA. “My partner Tyler and I beat the number three seeded Team, Williston, in WDA to reach the semifinals. This sticks for me because we came in as the six seed and beat them against the odds, knowing that we had lost to them before,” Wieland said. When asked if there was anything he’d like to add, Tweten simply stated, “I got Klud.”
Information and photos taken from www.mandan.k12.nd.us/activities/marclub.
Sports
November
15
Sports Roundup
casey BECK
- Sports Editor
Girls’ Volleyball
their best scores of the season F r e s h m a n P a y t o n Roehrich, and Juniors Meghan Broeckel and KayCee Schulz scored the best on the team with all reaching a low of 81. “So the future Photo by Casey Beck is very bright The Girl’s Volleyball team prepares for a and we are match against Legacy. excited about what our team advantage does will accomplish in the future,” Johs said.
The Girls’ Volleyball team has also had a stellar year finishing 4th in the WDA. The girls’ had a strong record in the WDA of 13-5 and 26-11 overall. It’s important to note that the team has the second highest home win ration in the WDA only losing two games at home, making their record 7-2, showing that a home court exist for the Braves. The last three out of four games for the girls before the WDA Quarterfinals were great victories. The girls went into the quarterfinals hopeful, but sadly lost to Jamestown. The Braves then moved on to a game against Dickinson, who they had beat two weeks before. The two teams battled until a final fifth match was played. Sadly, the final score of the game was two to three with the Braves behind in the end. Overall the Girls’ volleyball team had a great year and great WDA finish.
Girls’ Golf Due to errors published in the October Issue, a correct reissue and sincere apology is in order for the Girls’ Golf Team. The Girls’ had a great finish to the end of the year. “The season ended with a trip to State with a 6th Place finish there, which is the best finish for a Mandan Golf team in well over a decade”, said Girls’ Golf Coach Dean Johs. The girls also finished second place at the Century Open several week before. During that time the team started playing
Girls’ Swimming & Diving The Girls’ Swim and Dive team have had a strong 2015 season. The girls had a good tenth place finish at the state meet. The Braves also took third at the WDA Tournament, moving up one place from their fourth place finish in 2014. The team finished with an overall record of 5-3 in duals and took an average of 5th in tournaments throughout the state. The best meet for the girls this year was the Wiliston Invite where they scored a impressive total of 330 points. At WDA the Braves’ dive team was particular ready for a challenge taking some important places. The girls had a great state meet with top place seniors Sara Zachmeier and Chantel Mindt taking sixth and second, respectively, in diving. Notably, eighth grader Mayson Sheldon took 12th in the 100 meter breaststroke.
Boys’ Hockey The Boys’ hockey team is will be on the rise this year as they seek to improve on the 2014-2016 season. Last year, the boys got as far as the state quarterfinals, but unfortunatley lost to Grand Forks Central. However it is now time, for the team to not dwell on this, but to fix the problems at hand. While there are problems, the Braves also have some great solutions and some great players. One of the strongholds of the team last year was now Junior Sawyer Schmidt. This Mandan goalie had one of the best save records in the state at the end of the season. The 2015 Braves will also have a strong class of Seniors to pull from. These players to watch this season will be seniors Cole Garmin, Ryan Ermen, Jared Zittleman, Garret Murphy, and many, many others.
Girls’ Hockey Mandan’s Girls’ Hockey Team is looking to have on of their best year in recent memory. The girls finished 7th at state last with an even 9-9 conference record. “This year we will have a large senior class that has played lots of hockey so we are looking to move up in the state standings.” said Head Coach DeWitt Mack. Mandan will still have to contend with the numerous cities that combine their schools into one hockey team, such as Bismarck and Grand Forks. Mack wants his girls to ready to battle these teams and believes his team can do. “We should be able to hold our own but we are going to have to develop a mindset that we are going to work hard each day in practice and to get better every day,” Mack said. (All information for Sports Roundup is updated as of 16 November.)