C
Courier
905 8th Ave. NW, Mandan, ND Volume 31, Issue 2- November 2021
November 2021
From The Editor...
Hello Mandan High School students! Welcome to the second issue of the Courier. We are super excited to share this issue with you guys, especially since we have some very strong articles. Some of my favorites are are the North Dakota comic on page 8 and 9 and also the news piece about the bus driver shortage on page 3. The opinion piece on the new SEL course on page 15 also shares a very interesting perspective. I could not be more proud of my staff for how hard they have worked this issue. I am so excited to see what else they create in the months to come. With this being said I really hope you all enjoy this issue. If you have any strong opinions anout anything written in this issue feel free to write a response and it could possibly be published in the next issue. Scout Hurley, Editor-In-Chief
Courier Staff and Editorial Policy
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to reach out to us! Instagram: @mhscourier
E-mail: mhscourier@gmail.com Pictured on front is one of the many pieces of art in the art room. This specific piece was done by Lamya Evans.
Opinion 02
Scout Hurley.......................................Editor-In-Chief Ariana González ...............Assistant Editor-In-Chief Feature Editor Leah Emineth.....................................Opinion Editor McCartney Fix........................................News Editor Shaydin Ell....................................................Reporter Jasmine Patera...............................................Reporter Nathan Stramer..............................................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.
November 2021
Harlow’s has a Hard Time Hiring Harlow’s is struggling to find bus drivers and students across Mandan and the country have been feeling the impact. — Leah Emineth, Opinion Editor This year Mandan has seen a Jurassic decline in bus school bus drivers. This has been causing major issues with Students trying to get school on time. Many kids have had to switch drivers or buses and have had to sit on the bus for excessive amounts of time. Not only is Mandan experiencing a shortage but so is all of North Dakota and many other places in the nation. In terms of this nation wide bus shortage according to pewtrusts. org, “Bus routes [across the nation] have been shortened or extended, drivers are working longer hours, and in some cases administrators, mechanics and even teachers are climbing behind the wheel.” The lack of drivers may cause kids to be left with no options of getting to school which could lead to more online learning and time out of school for the kids. The lack of bus drivers have had massive effects on students and drivers alike. “It has cost us a couple thousand dollars, a lot of stress on our drivers, stress on the school district, and it has been overworking,” transportation manager of Harlow’s Cody Aksamit said, “ I have multiple buses that have had to combine routes because there are not enough bodies so it is combining two routes into one.” In a survey done by students who ride the bus, a few say that they have had to sit three to a seat or that the behavior of kids this year is out of hand which is only part of the major issue.
“There can be safety issues if there’s too many students on the bus because of capacity issues due to the combined routes,” Aksamit said, “We have also seen a massive increase in student management and behavior problems.” Cameras on the buses have shown that physical altercations and bad behavior have been much more prominent this year than in previous years. Another reason for the lack of bus drivers is that most bus drivers are already retired and with higher health risks many drivers have decided not to come back. “We spend thousands of dollars when it comes to advertising and marketing, interior training and we have restructured our entire pay program for all of our employees, we have increased sign-on bonuses and referral programs and pay packages.” Aksamit said. With all of these added benefits the hope is that more bus drivers will apply for the job. “In our industry this has been a nationwide problem for years, it’s not just a pandemic issue,” Aksamit said, “ there has always been kind of a stigma within our industry that has caused a shortage this year. It has just impacted a lot harder.” With the current stigma around bus drivers and covid it has made it very difficult to find people to drive buses. This added stress to the school, students, and drivers is making it difficult for students to learn as effective as possible.
If you know anyone who would be interested in a bus driver position use the following info to get started! Phone number: 701-712-2260 Website: harlowsschoolbus.com Address: 4200 Memorial Highway News 03
November 2021
Sports
Calendar
Football --------------State Finals 11-12-21 TBA TBA Girls’ Swim/Dive @ Bismarck ----------------------------State 11-12 TBA State 11-13 TBA
Volleyball ----------------------------State West Region @ Watford City 11-13 Away TBA State@ Bismarck 11-18 Away TBA State @ Bismarck 11-20 TBA Boys’ Basketball @ MHS Gym -----------------------------Mandan vs Bismarck 12-07 7:30pm Mandan vs St. Mary’s 12-17 7:30pm
Photo by Ariana González
Sophomore, Aliya Hilfer warms up for the meet at the Mandan Braves Center.
Girls’ Basketball @ MHS Gym ------------------------------Mandan vs Bismarck 12-07-2021 Home 5:45pm Mandan vs St. Mary’s 12-17 5:45pm Gymnastics @ Starion Sports Complex --------------------------------Mandan Meet 12-17 5:30pm Boys’ Hockey @ Starion Sports Complex --------------------------------Mandan vs Legacy 12-02 7:30 Mandan vs Century 12-14 7:30 Girls’ Hockey @ Starion Sports Complex ----------------------------------Mandan vs Fargo North 11-23 7:00pm Mandan vs Dickinson 11-30 7:00pm Mandan vs West Fargo 12-04 2:00pm Mandan vs Devils Lake 12-10 7:00pm Mandan vs Grand Forks 12-11 1:00pm Boys’ Swim/Dive ---------------------------------------*Jamestown (Dual) 12-10 Home 5:00pm Wrestling @ MMS Gym ----------------------------------------*Century/Legacy 12-02 4:30pm *Mandan Lion’s Tourney 12-03 2:30pm *Mandan Lion’s Tourney 12-03 9:00
News 04
Photo by Shaydin Ell
Mandan Braves jumping up hoping to get a Block on Watford City.
Clubs and other
Four Directions Club Events: 11-12 Indian Taco Sale for Teachers and Staff 11-16 Turkey Bingo at MMS-Students and Families welcome to attend. 11-18 Lunch and Meeting 11-24 Thanksgiving Meal. 5pm 12-2 Christmas Store for MMS Students--MHS will run. 12-9 Christmas Tree and Native American Ornament craft-Lunch Meeting. 12-16 Christmas Movie Night and Hot Chocolate Bar-Evening Latin Club: 11-18 Movie Night @ Portable
Choir: 12-13 Concert MHS Auditorium 6:00 12-13 Concert MHS Auditorium 7:30 FFA: 11-18 Meeting in room V-150 11-18 Fruit and other sales due Other: 11-25 No School (Thanksgiving) 11-26 No School (Thanksgiving) 11-29 Senior graduation announcements due 11-29 Josten’s will be at the school (2nd Period 9:15am-10.03am) 12-11 Snoball Dance 12-20 Semester Tests 12-21 Semester Tests 12-22 Semester Tests 12-23 Christmas Break 1-3 School Resumes
DECA:
November 2021
Getting Down to Business
— Nathan Stramer, General Reporter
This is DECA, otherwise known as the Distributive Education Clubs of America. It is a nationwide association for marketing students and others that wish to better their leadership and management skills. DECA does many activities and is a club that is highly involved in both in school, and out of school extracurricular activities. In late October, for example, they did a couple of food drives to get food to those in need. “We really appreciate doing the food drives and a lot of the other clubs involved do too,” DECA President Ashton Haas said. DECA goes to houses around town in late October and collects canned goods from willing households. Afterwards, they donate all of the non-expired goods to charities around town. “We also do the canned food drive in order to help AID Inc. with their non perishables,” DECA Officer Bridger Ell said. Another thing that DECA tries to do is teach kids involved about basic marketing and business owning. “DECA teaches you a variety of skills involving business management, retail, business ownership, and even accounting,” Haas said. There are even State events just like a sport or other extra curricular activities. “DECA is qualifying for State this year in Denver, people can either qualify by going through the different roleplays or doing an online virtual business roleplay,” Ell said. In past years, DECA has always valued their competitive side, but one of the things they hold higher in standards than anything else is giving back to the community.
Photo by Nathan Stramer
DECA runs the Braves Crossing store over in the Braves Center, on the right is Mr. Fry, the advisor of DECA, and the second to the right is Camden Reimers “We really value helping out our community by doing food drives and other fundraisers to make the world a little better,” DECA Officer Kaden Hepker said. DECA had a slight decline in members due to covid over the recent years. Events were canceled and they were not able to do any of the things they would normally do over the years. “COVID made it so we could not do a lot of things, so we are excited to get things done this year,” said Haas DECA does not really mean one specific thing. It is an opportunity to open your mind to a business world, or a management world, really whatever you want to get out of it is up to you. “DECA is really a club in which the opportunity is in the eyes of the beholder,” DECA advisor Don Fry said. There are many different options for what to do in DECA, and it is an inviting place for people to relax and learn real world skills.
Feature 05
November 2021
The Exotic Pets that Live in Mandan
— Jasmine Patera, Reporter
While most everyone loves cute animals, only a select few have a rarer type of pet than a cat or dog. At Mandan High, the exotic pets students have vary a wide range, from aquatic creatures to fluffy farm animals. “It’s unique,” freshman Megan LaFleur said. “[Exotic pets are] fun to talk about.” Additionally, people buy exotic pets simply because they or a family member have an interest in that type of animal. For example, Kaden Hepker, the owner of a bearded dragon named Rango, has always been “fascinated” by reptiles. “It’s usually passion that leads to someone buying an exotic pet,” Hepker said. “People will also often do it out of curiosity.” For Hepker, Rango was a good pet to have because of Hepker’s interest in reptiles. However, bearded dragons take a lot of work because their habitats do not match the climate in North Dakota, among other things. “It was just a perfect match for me,” Hepker said. “They require a lot of work but their personalities pay for it ten times over.” Similarly, another student at MHS got an exotic pet because of a family member’s interest. Senior Dawson Holle owns a “miniature fainting goat” named Cody, who was a gift to Holle’s father- now, Cody enjoys activities that are not usually experienced by the average goat. “When we first got him, we brought him up to our friend’s cabin,” Holle said. “So instead of a dog on a boat, we had a goat on a boat.” While the water may not be the natural setting for the goat, there are exotic animals at MHS that do enjoy that environment. LaFleur owns four aquatic snails, who live comfortably in her fish tank. “I started a fish tank this summer and needed a bottom feeder,” LaFleur said. “I have four fish with them too.” Regardless of the rarity of the pets people own, it is important to remember that all pets do require a lot of care. Please do not purchase a living animal just because it is cute.
Feature 06
Photo submitted by Megan LaFleur
Thor, a mystery snail, rests on the bottom of his enclosure.
Photo submitted by Dawson Holle
Miniature fainting goat Cody enjoys the snow.
1.
November 2021
2.
Art Showcase — Scout Hurley, Editor-in-Chief
There are things going room at the are just a few pieces.
a lot of great on in the art moment, here of the finished
1-Emma Martel 2-Emma Kautzman 3-Aiyana NoisyHawk 4-Bailey Helm 5-Kajanjan Grady 6-Zoey Junker
3.
All photos by Scout Hurley
4.
6. 5.
Feature 07
November 2021
ND’s Where to Be — Scout Hurley, Editor-in-Chief
Comic 08
— Nathan Stramer, General Reporter
November 2021
And What to See
Comic 09
November 2021
The Big 3 : Battle of the Half-Ton Ford:
General Motors:
Ford
Chevy
2021 Silverado 1500
2021 F-150 $29,290 base price destination charge Holds 26.0 gallons
plus
$1,695
$29,300 base price
Holds 24.0 gallons
0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds
0-60 in 5.5 seconds
250 to 450 horsepower
277 to 420 horsepower
265 to 570 lbs ft of torque
305 to 460 lbs ft of torque
5,000 to 11,300 lbs towing capacity
7,200 to 9,700 lbs towing capacity
Roadside assistance 5 years/60,000 miles
Roadside assistance 5 years/60,000 miles
Driving ranges from 25 mpg to 26 mpg
Driving ranges from 23 mpg to 33 mpg
New hybrid powertrain options
Multi Camera trailering system (15 cameras inside and behind your trailer)
“It’s been in my family since I was little. It gets us everywhere and when I worked on the farm with my grandpa, when I was younger, it always helped us.” -MHS Student
“Most of the trucks are reliable and have a good engine, my favorite Chevy truck is the Chevy Silverado 1500 cause it’s pretty versatile and you can do a lot with one.” - MHS Student
Photo and graphics by Shaydin Ell
Feature 10
November 2021
Chrysler:
Ram
RAM 1500 $32,795 base price plus $1,695 destination charge
Holds 33.0 gallons 0-60 in 3.9 seconds 260 to 702 horsepower 410 to 650 lbs ft of torque 6,150 to 8,290 lbs towing capacity
Roadside assistance 5 years/unlimited miles Driving ranges from 23 mpg to 33 mpg Can choose between V6 and V8 engine with a 48-volt hybrid system
“In my opinion RAM has a bigger electronic improved in the area of luxury on the interior as well as a much stronger navigational system overall.” - MHS Student Pictured above are 5 of the many brands of trucks in the school parking lot. Owners being junior Nick Hoffman (Nissan), junior Kenneth Hagen (Ford), junior Dalton Fleck (Chevy), junior Colton Egli (Ram), senior Bradley Dolajak (GMC). — Shaydin Ell, Reporter
The battle of the truck brands has been on going on for over 100 years. Horace Elgin Dodge and John Francis Dodge founded Dodge in 1914. Dodge who joined with Chrysler in 1928, created Dodge Ram in the 80s. Ram split from Dodge in 2009 so both brands could focus on different things. Chevrolet, named after Buick race car driver Louis Chevrolet, was founded by William Durant Ram in 1911 who originally founded General Motors. He was fired at GM because of indebtedness, made Chevrolet, and Chevy joined back with GM. Last but not least, Ford, founded by Henry Ford in 1903. He created what is considered Ford the first pickup truck in 1917 with the model TT, with Chevrolet right behind in 1918 with model 490. With the rival in mind, and the progressiveness of each company The following models will be compared: 2021 Ram 1500, 2021 Ford F-150, and 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500.
Preferences According to the school: Ram
21.8%
Chevy
35.8%
Ford
42.5%
Students 193 students responded, Chevy won overall. Ram
Chevy
23.1% 23.1%
Ford
53.8%
Teachers 13 teachers responded, Ford won overall. Ram Chevy Ford
Feature 11
November 2021
The Favorites of the Fix From Fix A review of some of my most favorite films for my birth month. — McCartney Fix, News Editor
“First Reformed” Dir. Paul Schrader
Photo sourced from Alternate Movie Posters
“Will god forgive us for destroying his creation.”
Feature 12
Perhaps our misery is repentance, absolution for the suffering we’ve inflicted upon others, or maybe we are merely victims of life’s indiscriminate cruelty. Such is the driving philosophy of first reformed, that palpably cruel understanding of humanity and its shortcomings which wars with our inability to ever honestly better ourselves. Perhaps life’s suffering is our attempt at absolution for that which we inflicted upon God’s creation, or perhaps this is merely a byproduct of his creation. This question underpins the whole of Schaefer’s opus, the finest technical, and most contemplative artistic statement of his career. It’s heart is its strength, and it’s openness reveals stark, depressive, barren rumination. Its observations don’t so much cut as they eat away, they are as slow acting and corrosive as the cancer eating away at the cells of Toller’s being. The cells of a man attempting to exercise those demons which haunt his past, stain his present and cast a stark shadow over his near non-existent. There is noble purity contained with evasive exterior of our hallowed Reverend, as revealed through his numerous interactions, he was once a military chaplain, husband, and father, his life spiraled into its harrowing reality upon the death of his son in Iraq, whom was encouraged to enlist by Toller. His marriage couldn’t take the strain, leading to his divocrce. The state in which we find him is sparse in its amenities, he drinks, he preaches to an anemic congregation of faithful followers, and takes on guided tours small audiences, representative of his church’s hobbled status as an itinerary-stuffing tourist attraction. Hawke carries the weight of 1000 stars on his back, looking at any moment as if he may dissipate into dust under the strain of his predicament. His devotion only grows proportionately to his suffering, as if his suffering only confirms the reputable wrath of his god as he knows him. Will God forgive us for destroying his creation? Will God reward us for our corrective measures? You may find existential dread in these unanswerable questions, the Reverend, however, finds an affirmation of his faith, his ultimate companion as he enters into the unknown. Will the gates greet him, would you really feel more comforted knowing?
November 2021
“Shame”
“The Elephant Man”
Dir. Steve McQueen
Dir. David Lynch
Photo sourced from Pinterest
“If I left, I would never hear from you again.”
“We are not bad people, we just come from a bad place” Those words muttered by a manic Carey Mulligan moments before her attempted suicide underpin the whole of Steve McQueens sophomore directorial effort, “Shame” while raising the question most pertinent to its philosophy. How long can one shift the blame onto a bad hand before we begin to question whether it is their fault for playing in the manner they do? McQueen asks this question of his captive audience through the harrowingly isolating portrait of addiction he paints, one in which those in the throws of it spiral deeper, into a soul wrenching, yet ultimately self fulfilling cycle of equal parts self hatred and self absorption, invariably leading his afflicted soul right back into merciful hands of his vice. For Brandon, this vice is sex, and the short leash on which it has him is illustrated early, through a scene in which the IT guy of his company grills him on the gratuitous loads of hardcore porn found on his computer, a deeply shameful Brandon relents that it was likely an intern and speaks of it no further, thusly illustrating the primary conceit of Brandons relationship with sex, hes deeply shameful, and clearly resentful of it, but unwilling, or perhaps unable to severe the addiction at its root. It is an unavoidable compulsion, stripped of all pleasure and left a barren husk of mere necessity for Brandon, with it he is miserable, yet without it he is nothing. Perhaps that is the purest tragedy of Shame, that it promises no growth from Brandon and provides no solace to its audience, only a window from which to watch the proceedings or perhaps a mirror with which to reflect upon yourself.
Photo sourced from Pinterest
“My life is full because I know I am loved”
Does it reflect more poorly on me as a critic, or an audience member that I can I at once identify the simple sentimentality of David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man” whilst falling entirely for it? Lynch’s a-typical portrait of John Merrick, the man who’s titular disfigurements result in his being paraded around by the seedy underbelly of London prior to his rescue by Dr. Treves, is as measured as it is intentional. Deliberately un-alienated in the very human picture of Merrick it paints, a stark contrast to the horrific key struck with Lynch’s prior portrayal of the disfigured in Eraserhead, humility informes this film’s every movement. Whether you find merit enough in this picture for it to contend with Lynch’s other masterworks likely depends on your stomach for sentimentality, an adjective which has long since provided ammunition for the film’s harshest detractors. Roger Ebert infamously derided the film as sensationalist in its portrayals. However, I found Lynch’s empathy to be earned, earnestly secured by a brilliant turn from John Hurt, and never overbearing in its heavy handedness. The brilliant simplicity of the filmmaking on display here evokes honest, genuine emotions like few if any of Lynch’s other works. A sequence near the end of the film is deserving of special note, as the phrase “my friend” is uttered by four different characters, each afforded a different connotation. This simple bit of screenwriting, uncharacteristically graceful and patient, moved me. There is true poetry and honest decency in these frames which, I have learned, are not binary.
Feature 13
November 2021
The Flipside Siblings Edition Who’s the favorite?
— Ariana González, General Reporter
Lily Giggee
What do you hate about each other?
“He is too sarcastic “Dominic.” and does not answer my dumb questions.”
Dominic Giggee
“Probably me.”
Giahna Eilers
“Georgia is definitely the favorite.”
What is your funniest childhood memory of your sibling?
“I was walking down the steps, I went to grab the railing and I broke it, so we had to put it back together.”
“She asks a lot of questions.”
“She kept asking me questions so I kept answering in the most sarcastic way possible.”
“I hate that Giahna sings literally all of the time.”
“Our parents put duct tape down the middle of the car seats and we had to stay on our own sides.”
Photo submitted by Lily Giggee
Georgia Eilers Photo submitted by Georgia Eilers
“Giahna’s the “I hate how crabby favorite, I think she gets in the she gets babied.” mornings.”
Luiza “I hate that Natalie “Luiza is our Conceicao dad’s favorite.” is obsessed with anime.” Larson Natalie “I hate that Luiza is “Natalie is our Conceicao mom’s favorite.” lthe rudest person to me in the morning.” Larson
“Probably when she jumped off a swing and broke her foot.”
“Natalie puking after riding Expedition Everest in Disney World.” “When Luiza threw sand in someone’s eyes in preschool.”
Photo submitted by Luiza Conceicao Larson
Photo submitted by Cash Raygo
How many siblings do you have?
Cash Raygo
“I think it’s me.”
Fabian Raygo
“I’m mom’s favorite.”
“I don’t like how he is a perfectionist.” “Nothing really.”
Teachers of the Month
“2 siblings.” What is your sibling's name? “Lathan & Jayce.” Who’s the favorite? “Jayce.”
Math - Miranda Lowman
Feature 14
Photos by Ariana González
“When we went pig wrestling.” “Tubing, because we always would get scared and laugh at each other.”
Math - Julia Peterson How many siblings do you have? “I have 4 siblings, 2 older brothers a younger brother and a younger sister.” What is your sibling's name? “Josh, John, Joey, and Janene.” Who’s the favorite? “It depends on who is hurt at the moment or who has been gone the longest from home and is now the prodigal son.”
November 2021
— Ariana González, Assistant Editor-in-Chief With the addition of SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) in our school curriculum, the reactions between students and staff seem to be mixed. While some think it is enjoyable as well as necessary, others disagree. Principal Mark Andresen states that SEL was established as a district to address concerns about student mental health and personal issues that continue to show up. “Change will be seen at the personal level as we, the school, continue to provide students resources and mentorship through relationships with adults and peers within the school so they have more skills as they deal with the challenges of life,” Andresen said. Some of the comments and statements being made state some of the concepts being taught during SEL should be common sense or should be things that are taught at home, not school. One student in particular, Junior Taylor Adamski, personally enjoys SEL due to its drawn attention to topics we generally ignore. “It gives us an opportunity to really pay attention to stuff we generally say we do not have time for,” Adamski said. Adamski believes that SEL is necessary for most people, stating that most people do not spend enough time thinking about their mental health. “We do not take time out of our day to pay attention to that stuff,” Adamski said. “SEL forces us to actually look at how we communicate and how we think of ourselves. They also give homework, so we technically have to.” After a survey was sent out asking students what their opinions on SEL are, 84.4% of the surveyors stated that SEL has not been helpful to them so far. However, Adamski disagrees. “I have learned that you need to pay a lot more attention to yourself before you can attempt to help others,” Adamski said. “If you are in a bad place yourself, you should take care of that before you can try and help other people with their problems.” On the other hand, junior Maggie Mork feels a strong dislike for SEL. “I really do not like it,” Mork said. “It feels like we are not learning how to really take care of ourselves.” Mork is not the only one that feels that way. 75.5% of the students who took the survey said that they do not enjoy SEL. On a personal note, I think that the concept of SEL is great. A class that focuses on teaching students leadership skills, how to establish healthy relationships and managing emotions sounds like the type of class students refer to when saying they would rather learn things they will use in the real world. However, like a large group of students at the school, I do think that “Habitudes” the program’s execution could be a lot better.
Students Share Their Opinions On SEL
Photo by Ariana González
is a 4 part program designed to teach student valuable lessons.
Opinion 15
November 2021
Bodily Autonomy Goes Both Ways Hypocrisy within politics has never been uncommon, both parties included, most people that I have interacted with do not align themselves completely with a specific party. However, when speaking generally, there are two specific views in which I have noticed an immense amount of hypocrisy. I believe the government should have no say in what anyone does with their own body. The government should not be able to force you to do anything with your personal body that you do not want to do, even if it is putting someone else’s body on the line. While getting vaccinated could potentially save a human life, the US government should not be able to force its citizens to use their bodies to protect other citizens. If a person wants to get vaccinated in hopes of protecting others that should be their personal medical choice. A lot of left-leaning individuals believe in bodily autonomy and the right to choose what you do with your body, until it comes to getting vaccinated. Suddenly it becomes okay for the government to force people to alter their body in a way that they do not want to, in fear of losing their job or even worse. On the same note this goes both ways, a woman should not be required to provide her body as an incubator if she does not please. While the fact is that carrying out a pregnancy could save a potential human life, the government should not be able to say that she has to put her own personal life on the line for another human. Politically right leaning individuals often use the argument “it’s not your body” while they are technically correct about this, this argument is not valid in terms of bodily autonomy. If the baby is relying on the mother for life, the woman should not be required
to protect its life. If there is someone in need of immediate medical attention, you are not required to assist them. While morally it is probably something most people would consider wrong The government should not be able to force someone to use their body to protect another body, even if it seems selfish or cruel. The fact is that it is their personal body, meaning it is nobody’s choice but their own. When it comes to private businesses they should get to say what they require of their employees and customers. As with the human body, the government has no right to encroach upon a private corporation’s autonomy.
— Scout Hurley, Editor-in-Chief
Photo taken by Scout Hurley
The term “My body, my choice,” should be applied in all situations. Not only when it comes to abortions.
Opinion 16
November 2021
The Parasocial Phenomenon is a Problem
— Jasmine Patera, Reporter
Parasocial relationships, while they have existed in societies for a long time, have been warped with the creation of the internet. There is no longer a sense of personal privacy online; people’s lives are posted on the internet for the world to see. When people are exposed to other people’s lives, they can develop a ‘fake’ relationship with that person, known as a parasocial relationship. These relationships can range in a variety of ways, from following a person on social media to keeping up with their actions. The growth of online spaces means most everyone has had an experience with a parasocial relationship throughout their life. While parasocial relationships are not inherently toxic, being wary about who you look up to is important to staying safe from their more dangerous aspects. In terms of celebrities, parasocial relationships can lead to obsession and a lack of respect for boundaries. They open the doorway to grooming and unhealthy community interactions, because the celebrity has a power dynamic over their fans through their platform. Fans can also pose a danger to their idols through parasocial relations. When people depend on an idol for interaction, they feel they “deserve” to know everything about that idol, thus destroying a person’s right to privacy with no remorse for their actions. According to the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, parasocial relations became particularly heightened due to social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Without the social contact that people were used to, they turned to online personas as a placeholder, meaning the issues with parasocial relationships have only become more apparent.
With phones at everyone’s fingertips, parasocial relationships have become a way of life.
Now that there are not the same distancing guidelines as the beginning of the pandemic, people should choose to once again prioritize their in-person relationships rather than their online ones. Idolizing celebrities and online influencers opens the door to too many harmful things to ever be worth it. This is not to say that people should never consume online media. Rather, people should understand that there is another person behind the screen, with the same flaws and imperfections regardless of the face they show online, and deserving of the same right to privacy as yourself.
Design made by Jasmine Patera
Opinion 17
November 2021
Photo by Scout Hurley
When adolescents witness gruesome content, often times they want to show their friends because it is so shocking.
Children Are Being
Grow Up Too Fast Forced To
M
ost children born after the year 2000 have had complete access to the Internet before they even reached middle school. This has been a normal thing to us, but looking back on the things that we were exposed to at such a young age, we have come to realize it is far from normal. Heavy gore is just one example of the types of R rated content that we were exposed to at an alarmingly young age. Going on random websites and surfing the Internet for fun was a common activity, until it turned into seeing someone die for the first time. Whether it was a fake scene or a real one, (which some were) the feelings of confusion and fear are still valid. “My first experience with death and grief wasn’t even personal, it was through a screen, as a video of someone bleeding out played right in front of my eyes. I was 8. Junior Courier staff member Ariana González says.
Opinion 18
The impact that this type of content has on youth is extreme and permanent. When you are exposed to death and other intense content without the maturity and comprehension skills to process it, the gore stops bothering you. “I can’t empathize with people who experience tragedies, and gruesome things elicit no reaction from me.” Senior Courier staff member Jasmine Patera says. “It has gotten better but it hurts me to think that children are still going through this.” Children aren’t only being desensitized to physical pain and gore. The amount of exposure to pornography is also negatively affecting todays youth. This issue is just as if not more significant, the easy access to porn sites is very concerning. Children can make one wrong click and end up on a site that they are not ready to see. Not only does exposure to these sites cause people to be desensitized to graphic content, but it also creates an extremely unhealthy relationship wit sex. When your only experience with sex is videos of women being degraded and hurt, you develop the idea that everyone wants that, which can lead to very unsafe situations “As a child I was heavily desensitized to those more unscrupulous elements of the world through the Internet, and furthermore, my perspective had been so perverted that I found myself proud of my strong stomach, unaware of the innocence of mine ripped from the roots.”Senior staff member Mac Fix Says Since there is almost no way to get every single one of these websites down, and some adults still want to access them. Either parents need to better control their children’s Internet access or they need to have conversations about understanding this content early on.
November 2021
Braves Spike Again The Braves volleyball team has really been working hard this year. With the loss of 6 seniors on the varsity team, they had to really step up their game. The games won so far were against Turtle Mountain, Dickinson, Williston, Watford City, St. Mary’s, Minot, and Legacy (game 2). The games we lost so far were against BHS, Jamestown, Legacy (game 1), Century (game 1 and 2), Jamestown (game 1 and 2). “I think the most challenging thing this season so far would just be finishing plays. We do very very well having long plays and keeping the ball going for a while but it seems that most times when we end up losing that,” said Junior Haley Keller. Haley loves the fact that the team has become a family. She said that the team works hard and well together. “My favorite part about being on this team is how big of a family we have become,” Haley said. Callie Schnell, a Counselor at Mandan High School and at the Mandan Middle School, is one of the assistant coaches on the team. She talked about how every player has their quirks. “I’m from Jamestown so I think it was 3rd grade [when she started playing volleyball] and then I played all of the way through highschool and I continued my career at the University of Mary,” said Schnell. Schnell mentioned the many seniors on the team. One of these seniors includes Natalie Conceicao-Larson. “Piper is the Queen of [the] back row, she’s amazing,” said outside hitter Natalie Conceicao-Larson. One problem the girls face, according to Natalie, is getting inside their heads when they start to lose points. That is one of the things she said they need to improve on. “I know that all of us put our all into the game and everyone wants to be there and do better for themselves and the team,” ConceicaoLarson said. — Shaydin Ell, Reporter
Senior Jordan Toman spikes the ball over the net to score a point.
Senior and Libero Piper Harris bumps the volleyball to the setter Emily Toman.
Photos by Shaydin Ell
Senior Luiza Conceicao-Larson serves the ball to Watford City.
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November 2021
SPORTS — Leah Emineth, Opinion Editor
VOLLEYBALL
“Every team has been very competitive this year and the skill sets are very similar across the board. We have been changing up some positions in order to get ready for WDA.”- Senior Emily Toman
BOYS’ TENNIS
“We have had a pretty good year. We worked pretty hard and almost beat Minot. It was definitely a building year for the team.”- Senior Jaden Arenz
GIRLS’ GOLF
GIRLS’ SWIM
“We started this season with ten plus more people than last season. We have almost doubled the amount of state qualifiers from last year. We have gotten really good at hyping each other up before meets, races, and dives and I think that really helps us overall.”Senior Natalie Haroldson
BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY “Several of our teammates have had injuries throughout the season but our team has also really grown in numbers as well as developmentally. Everyone has been doing really well and we took thirteenth at state.”- Senior Raine Skjod
“We took second at WDA this year and we were seven strokes away from first. Anna Huttel took first and I [Aysia] took second losing by one stroke.”- Senior Aysia Mettler
Photo by Shaydin Ell Photo submitted by Aysia Mettler
Senior Aysia Mettler helped lead her team to a second place finish at WDA.
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Senior Emily Toman Bumps the ball as her teammates run to hit the ball over the net.
November 2021
ROUNDUP GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY “The season went really well. We had a girl and boy from the team both get to be Athlete of the Month. Our team is also way bigger which is really helpful. It was really hot this season so that was a major struggle, and it was also difficult at WDA when it was really cold.”- Senior Alyssa Schafer
BOYS’ SOCCER
“Everyone has been putting in their effort to push the team forward and compete at the same level as other schools. As a team we had to overcome struggles like different skill levels, as well as different school times because half of our team was from St. Marys and just overall working on playing together as a team.”- Junior Ratmir Spac
Photo by Shaydin Ell
Senior Turner Locken leads his team during one of their games this season. They finished the season in the playoffs losing to Shanley.
FOOTBALL
“We have been doing much better than the whole state thought we would do. We have been working on our offense which has allowed us to become the number one offense in the state.”- Senior Turner Locken
GIRLS’ DIVE
“We have two meets left and from the diving side everyone is doing 11 dives which is amazing because we have two new divers. There were a lot of new personal records this season, and bringing all the energy we can to meets.”- Senior Mckayla Lindbo
Photo by Ariana González
Senior Mckayla Lindbo gets ready to enter the water during one of her dives at competition.
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November 2021
September Athlete of the Month
— McCartney Fix, News Editor
Senior Aysia Mettler
What is your pre-game tradition? “We always pray as a team, which I usually lead.” Who is your biggest supporter? “My parents and grandpa are definitely my biggest supporters.” What were your goals for this season? “My goals were to have fun and do my best, both of which I accomplished.” Photo submitted by Aysia Mettler
Junior Karsyn Jablonski What is your pre-game tradition?
“Eat a pack of sweet tart pops.” Who is your biggest supporter?
“Definitely my dad, Jon.”
What are your goals for this season?
Photo submitted by Karsyn Jablonski
“Our goal was definitely to get as close to state as we could.”
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