THE
MHSC
Mandan High School, 905 8th Ave. NW, Mandan, ND
nardello’s review page 4
URIER •
Volume 22, Issue 2 • November 2013
mysteria theater pages 10-11
adilene benitez page 17
Halloween dance is a spook-tacular success
colton Justice
- Feature Editor After almost being canceled, the 2013 Halloween Dance was a success, and was the first many current students have attended. The previous dance during the 2011 school year didn’t have as much of a turn out as this year’s dance. Sophomore Madelyn Jablonski, a member of Student Council for two years had an idea to start a Halloween dance for the 2013-2014 school year. “I think it’d be fun, just ‘cause we talked about it, and more kids like the dances,” Jablonski said. The dance was held Nov. 1 in the MHS gymnasium from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. Jablonski and the other members of Student Council had to get permission for the dance from administration. “We had to go through a few people
the teachers that were chaperoning voted actually. We had to talk to Lorell on the student with [Jungling], we had the best costume. to get a DJ, we had 10 students were to call security, and picked for the we had to talk to final judging, but the principals a few only the top three times,” said Jablonski. won prizes. Senior “[Student Council] Ben Wanner took did a really good job. first place winning I think we could’ve $20, senior Elyssa got more people out, Bickford took second but yeah they did a place winning $10, good job,” said junior and junior Mikaela Jacob Dillmann. Photo by Colton Justice Herberg took third Students were Mikaela Herberg, Ben Wanner and Elyssa place winning $5. able to wear their Bickford show their winnings from the “It was pretty Halloween costumes, costume contest. swell,” Herberg but they had to be said about being school appropriate. announced a winner of the contest. A costume contest was held where
New allergen policy effective for 2013-2014 school year kaitlyn SCHELSKE
- Editor-In-Chief
For the new 2013-2014 school year, a new allergen policy was approved and passed in July by the Mandan Public School Board of Education for the entire district. The intent of the new policy is for protection of severely allergic students and to provide guidelines on how to respond to an allergic reaction. “Basically the allergen policy is a set of guidelines and protocol to help protect students who have severe allergic reactions,” said Assistant Superintendent Jeffery Lind. “It’s to help us to provide as a school knowledge about kids that have allergies and how to respond to an allergic reaction.” Although there have been policies
before, there hasn’t been one as comprehensive as this. Not only has the policy just affected students and teachers, but the entire district with its new regulations. “I think the biggest impact is a lot of training with all the staff with teachers, bus drivers, custodians, and bringing in awareness of the policy,” said Lind. “Probably the biggest challenge is to make sure everyone is aware of the policy and what their responsibilities is.” Not all of the students may have felt the impact of the new policy, but the foreign language students and teachers have. Before, foreign food days were allowed and students could bring in their homemade food dishes. Now with the policy, there are no food days allowed in any classes. “That would probably be a local high
school issue,” said Lind. “It’s not specifically in the policy that says we ban foreign food days.” Since it was not specified in the policy that foreign food days would be banned, it was turned to the high school to decide on the outcome of the food days. “The building decided as a whole not to put ourselves under liability for these occasions. If something were to happen, do we want to be liable as a district, building, administrator or teacher?” said Principle Mark Andresen. “The answer for teachers and administrators was no.” Although the policy may be implemented now, changes or revisions in it may occur in the future if needed. For the complete handbook, go to http://www.mandan.k12.nd.us/.
Opinion
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What’s Inside Editorial/Opinion
Independent Studies..................................3 Upperclassmen.............................................3 Nardello’s Review.......................................4 Recipe..............................................................4
News Club Roundup..............................................5 Funny News...................................................5 News Roundup..............................................6
Red Ribbon Week.......................................7
Student Life Tanner Lind....................................................8
Centerspread: Mysteria Theater...10-11
Grand vs Carmike......................................13 Noobs............................................................14
Mandan Diner............................................15 Locks of Love..............................................16
Sports
Employees need more notice
Living in a small town in a small state means news travels fast. Whether it’s about who had a kid, what’s being built where, or how much the price of gas is across town, the community is usually in the know about changes happening around them. TGI Friday’s, being the exception, recently shut down without warning for “business reasons”, leaving its workers without a job and without an income. A law should be created to prohibit such actions from happening, allowing workers at least a month’s notice for a factory/company shut down. Now, the government has already created such a law, which they call WARN, or the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification. The catch is this law only protects companies with over a 100 people. The staff, their families, and the community are entitled to a 60 calendar day warning. TGI Friday’s, obviously not a bustling franchise, had fewer than 100 employees and as a result, was shut down without forewarning in the middle of October. Ask anyone and they will say North Dakota is doing fine for jobs. Being number one in the country for lowest unemployment is a pride of North Dakota, but if these smaller companies continue to shutdown
Kaitlyn Schelske..........................Editor-In-Chief Sports Editor Hannah Schlosser...........Asst. Editor-In-Chief Opinion Editor Sarah Kovash....................................Ad Manager News Editor Colton Justice...............................Feature Editor Hannah Sagaser........................................Adviser
Sports Roundup........................................18
Fall Sports Team Success.......................19
without warning with the government’s approval, that title could be lost. It shouldn’t matter if it’s nine people or nine hundred - layoffs affect everyone no matter what the economy of their state is at. The oil boom in the western North Dakota grows more each day. With the growth in oil activity comes a growth in workers and valuable, higher paying jobs. Reliable jobs could soon be difficult to replace. The oil boom has also made housing difficult to find at lower prices. The cost of living is rising, posing as another risk of job loss. A nonexistent income can leave families with minimal food, clothing, or even running water needed for everyday life. It will leave them strapped for cash and possibly without a job for months on end. For families or even individuals living paycheck to paycheck, a crisis, such as this layoff, could be tragic. Proposing a law, or even just updating WARN, to stop circumstances like TGI Friday’s closing wouldn’t be challenging and should be addressed. After all, it’s only a hundred people, right? A law this simple and easy to act upon would benefit many and have an impact larger than most have realized.
Courier Staff and Editorial Policy
Adilene Benitez..........................................17 September Athletes of the Month.....18
MHS Courier
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 let-
ters, 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.
Opinion
November
3
Independent Studies should be allowed kaitlyn SCHELSKE
- Editor-In-Chief
Staff Photo
The smell of fall is in the air. The leaves are changing, and it is getting slightly colder compared to the recent summer. A new school year is beginning, and many people are excited to return, mainly to see their friends. But this year is different than other years. Some students will not be able to be in some classes because of the schedule does not allow independent studies. An independent study is defined as one or a few students taking a class during the same time as a different class in the
same room. Many students need to take independent studies to continue in the classes they want to take, and were allowed to in previous years. But this year no independent studies were allowed. Some of the reasons that independent studies were taken away was to get students to explore the other classes the school has to offer and to expand future career opportunities. It is agreeable that students should aim to take many different classes. But say a student has been in a foreign language or CTE class for three out of the four years and intends to take that major in college. There are only certain periods that the class is offered, and the class can not be fitted into their schedule. For this problem, independent studies help students. By taking them away, it could potentially hurt students when they go to college. Another reason was the contract issue with the teachers who gave independent
studies. Instead of just taking them away, when the teacher’s contracts are suppose to be renewed, try and work with the teachers to attempt to have independent studies worked into the contract. If it works, it works; if it does not, it is better than not trying. By not allowing independent studies has negatively affected students at MHS. Numerous students have been unable to continue in their foreign language or CTE classes, and therefore are required to take different classes. While taking different classes is not so bad, it may not be the class that is interesting and helpful to the student for their future endeavours. While independent studies do have their ups and down, the good outweighs the bad. Overall, the students should be allowed to decide what classes they want to take, and independent studies should be allowed.
Underclassmen aren’t as bad as they seem
sarah KOVASH - News Editor
Staff Photo
Walking down the halls, how many times have you heard the words “Freshmen are annoying?” That’s something that we upperclassmen have almost all said. But why? As much as we may hate to admit it, we were all freshmen once, and we were nervous too. It’s something most of my fellow classmates went through and are thankful to get out of, but it happens to us all. So my question still stands, why do we dislike underclassmen so much? Most juniors and seniors have expressed
their feelings for freshmen which usually includes the age gap of a 14 year old freshman, versus an 18 year old senior. With four extra years of experience I would hope seniors are more mature than their “inferiors.” Sadly this is not always true. I will admit I was never a fan of the grades below me before I got to know them. However, since I am now in a sophomore required class elective for me, I have realized they are not as terrible as we may think they are. My class consists of many sophomores who I consider to be more mature than I thought they were. I will say that some aren’t as mature as I would hope, but overall they are better than I thought. I can very easily say going to my sophomore-run class is the highlight of my day, not because I love learning about Modern History (sorry Miss Hanson), but because of my classmates. From time to time underclassmen do get on my nerves because they’re walking on
the wrong side of the hallway or they’re being too loud. But, it’s a new experience for them. How can we expect them to “understand” high school and it’s many rules when it’s something new to them? It’s a whole new experience for freshmen that definitely takes some time to get used to. Let’s give them a chance to learn the ways of high school without ridicule from upperclassmen. However, underclassmen need to learn the rules pretty quickly to keep up with the fast-paced high school. It’s a lot to learn, but we’re already a quarter of the way through the school year. It’s time to take the initiative and put more effort into trying to adapt. Overall high school is a cooperative effort which requires patience from the upperclassmen and adaptation from the underclassmen. With work from both sides, we can come together as one large, maybe abnormal, but happy “family.”
Opinion/Review
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hannah SCHLOSSER
Nardello’s is a filling experience
- Asst. Editor-In-Chief
This may be pretty cheesy, but Nardello’s is a slice of perfection. Pun intended. All joking aside, though, Nardello’s is as good as it gets pizza-wise. The family owned and operated pizza parlor in northwest Bismarck is giving everyone a full stomach and a smile when they walk out the doors. Since summer 2013, Mandan High School graduate Steven Nardello Jr. and family have been serving up New York Style pizza, Philly cheese steaks, and Sicilian hoagies. Though I didn’t try a bit of everything, I was more than pleased with the pizza and the overall atmosphere. From the moment customers walk in they
hannah SCHLOSSER
- Asst. Editor-In-Chief
can smell, see and hear this joint screaming “New York, New York!” Now, I’ve never been there, but this is what I had in mind. Nardello’s definitely takes you back to the old style pizzeria where it all started. Though modernized, the joint captures your attention with pictures of Italians, New Yorkers, and mobsters alike on the walls. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin serenade the place as order numbers are being called and your taste buds are beginning to water. Initially not knowing what to expect, I was surprised at how big the portions were when I received my food. One slice was practically as big as my face. With larger portions comes larger prices, but in this case, not by much. Purchasing a small fountain drink and a slice of pizza
Tatertot Hotdish
Anyone that’s looking for a quick and easy dinner, this is it. It feeds around 6-10 servings and only takes about an hour to make. So, if it’s your turn to cook, and frozen pizzas just won’t cut it this time, try Tatertot Hotdish. It will make you look like a chef in 10 little steps.
Ingredients:
• 2 cans - cream of chicken or mushroom soup • 2 lbs ground beef
MHS Courier
• seasoning salt
• 1 pkg of frozen mixed veggies (about 1 lbs) • 1 1/4 pkg of frozen tatertots • pack of sliced American cheese
Photo Credit Flickr.com
gets a person a filling lunch for under $5 just another bit to win me over. By the first bite, I was sold. I was convinced that this was the most amazing and filling pizza I’ve had in a long while. Nardello’s has what it takes to overcome the reigning champs, A&B, for the title of ‘Best Pizza’ in Bismarck’s “Best of the best” next year. They have my vote.
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees 2. Brown the meat *Here you can add a bit of seasoning salt and onions if your prefer 3. Once browned, place in a 9x13 pan 4. Add the layer of mixed veggies straight from the freezer and smooth out over beef 5. Add a can of cream of chicken/cream of mushroom soup, but do not dilute! 6. Now it’s time to add the cheese! Place a full layer (preferably presliced American cheese) and be sure not to leave any gaps! 7. This is my favorite: You can either throw a bunch on top, or lay them down evenly across the whole dish 8. Once finished, cook your hotdish for around 45 minutes and check 9. Let it cool! No matter how bad you’d like to dig in, the cheese gets pretty hot! 10. Enjoy!
News
November
Club Roundup
CTE Department
FCA is welcoming all students to attend their weekly Friday meetings to see what SADD, FCCLA, FBLA and DECA FCA is about. Meetings are every Friday at 6 participated in the Trick or Treat for canned a.m. and 7 a.m. in room 121. goods on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and Monday, For weeks with no school on Fridays they Oct. 28. Together the groups collected over will meet on Wednesdays at their regularly 1700 nonperishable items to donate to the scheduled times. local food pantry. All students currently enrolled in a CTE class were invited to attend Camp Grassik on October 7.
Junior and Senior classes
Photo by D’Aulan Bussman
Students in SADD, FCCLA, FBLA and DECA pose for a picture before trick or treating for canned goods on October 28.
Seniors, the Jostens representative will be at MHS on Monday, Dec. 2 to discuss graduation orders. Seniors who have an English class will meet with them during that period. Seniors who do not have an English class must stop by the auditorium during a free period. Juniors, decorating for Snoball begins Monday, Dec. 2. All juniors are encouraged to help decorate after school for the dance which will be on Saturday, Dec. 14.
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Foreign Languages
French Club went to Papa’s Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, Oct. 19. They plan to have a “Pitch Perfect” movie night with French subtitles Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. Spanish Club decorated pumpkins on Oct. 7. Their next meeting is Nov. 18 where they will celebrate the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) with the possibility of a food day. Latin Club had a Halloween party and movie night on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
Photo submitted
Students show off two of the pumpkins they decorated for Spanish Club.
We’re not making this up!
“Poopetrator” on the loose
Yale University students and staff search to find the culprit in charge of soiling students’ laundry. The alleged soiler has been blamed on four different accounts of using human feces in driers to ruin the clothing. Around the campus, students have been asked to keep watch over any laundry being washed and never leave their clothing unattended.
abcnews.go.com
Chinese boy “pregnant” with twin
For nearly two years, Xiao Feng had carried his undeveloped twin brother in his stomach. An eight-inch fetus was surgically removed when Feng was taken to the hospital for breathing problems. The fetus supported a fully formed spine and limbs complete with fingers and toes.
huffingtonpost.com
“Unbeliebable” Plastic Surgery
A Justin Bieber fanatic from Los Angeles supposedly spent nearly his whole life savings on plastic surgery to look like Bieber himself. Toby Sheldon, 33, used around $100,000 across a five year span reshaping his face. dailymail.co.uk
“Shocking” race
A Texan man claims to have been hit by lightning twice in a row. During an off-road race just north of Dallas, Casey Wagner, 31, was struck by lightning once while standing under a tree, fell to his knees, and was struck yet again. A nearby nurse treated him on site, but Wagner was told the tingly feeling wouldn’t go away for a week or so. Wagner claims he will attend church more because God kept him alive that day. kirotv.com
Beauty or Beast?
Curtic Hutchings, a 55 year old cross dresser wearing a pink dress and makeup, was arrested for public indecency at an Illinois high school dance. After students noticed a strange person in a vehicle in the parking lot, authorities were called. Cops deemed he had no necessary reason to be on school grounds, and had items used for “lewd conduct”.
huffingtonpost.com
Hamster wheel, anyone? Recently, a Brooklyn man posted an ad on Craigslist offering a human-sized hamster wheel. “I will not have this in my house any longer,” read the ad. As a plus, he is throwing in about 50 pounds of shredded newspaper to go along with it.
nydailynews.com
News
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MHS Courier
What’s happening around the nation Government Shutdown
The federal government shutdown on Oct. 1 lasted until Oct. 17, and forced every non-essential federal government building to close down. The shutdown will cost the United States economy more than several billion dollars, which doesn’t compare to our national debt of over 17 trillion dollars. Also, the shutdown cost over 250,000 workers their jobs.
Spark Middle School shooting
On Monday, Oct. 22, a student at Sparks Middle School in Reno, Nevada shot three people, wounding two of them and killing the other one, before shooting himself. One of the victims was 45 year old Math teacher, Michael Landsberry, who was killed trying to talk the student into putting the gun.
Our classes include FACS I, Independent Living, Family Living and Parenting that help you develop skills to live without the help of your parents.
Other courses such as Clothing & Textiles, Early Childcare, Nutrition & Foods and Housing introduce the subject matter and any career opportunities related to these interests.
New Jersey legalizes same-sex marriage
On Oct. 18, New Jersey became the fourteenth state to legalize gay marriage, allowing couples to start marrying on Oct. 21. Beth Asaro and Joanne Schailey became the first couple to be married in New Jersey on Oct. 21, the minute after midnight.
Massachusetts teacher stabbed
Fourteen year old student Philip Chism stabbed and killed 24 year old Math teacher Colleen Ritzer in a high school bathroom on Oct. 24. After stabbing her, Chism took Ritzer’s body and dumped it in the woods behind the campus. A judge ordered Chism to be held without bail on a murder charge at an arraignment hearing in adult court.
We are Mrs. Grenz, Mrs. Otos & Mrs. Rinas and we LOVE what we teach!
Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year from the Family & Consumer Sciences department at MHS! Have a great rest of the semester and maybe we’ll see you in the spring!
Many of our courses offer lots hands on activities like creating food, cake decorating, sewing your own clothing items and interactive child care activities to use during job shadowing.
If you’re looking for an elective to round out your schedule keep us in mind. You may find you have talents you never knew existed!
LAX Airport shooting
A shooting in the Los Angeles airport Nov. 1 left TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez dead. The shooter, 23 year old Paul Ciancia, was also shot and had been taken to the UCLA Medical Center. Questions have risen about the mental health of Ciancia and his actions prior to the shooting. Since the shooting, TSA agents have been cracking down on airport safety once again since the 2001 terrorist attack.
Black Friday sales start early
On Thanksgiving Day, many stores will be starting their Black Friday sales at 8 p.m. this year. Several of the smaller stores in the Kirkwood Mall in Bismarck will be opening as well, along with bigger department stores such as J.C. Penney, Herberger’s, and Kohl’s.
Cappuccino On Collins 105 Collins Ave Mandan, ND 58554 (701) 667-1979 Mon-Fri: 6:30-3:00, Sat: 7:30-1:30
November
News
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Students get involved in Red Ribbon Week sarah KOVASH - News Editor The goal is for Red Ribbon Week to serve as a vehicle for individuals to make a commitment to drug prevention and education. Since the campaign started in 1980, over 80 million people have participated in Red Ribbon Week each year. Mandan High students have been actively on the list for more than five years. As the years progress, MHS tries to participate more and more. This year counselor Alyssa Caya, along with volunteers from the National Honor Society, had multiple contests, posters to sign and dress-up days for students to participate in starting Friday, Oct. 11, to Wednesday, Oct. 16. Prior to the start of Red Ribbon Week, teachers were asked to participate with their second hour class in a door decorating contest. They could choose any of the predetermined themes or create their own to decorate the outside of their classroom door. The door was to be completed by Friday, Oct. 11 in order for it to be up for all of Red Ribbon Week.
Friday, October 11
Friday’s dress-up theme was “Wear Red, Stay Ahead, Live Drug Free.” Students and staff were encouraged to wear red clothing.
Friday was also the kickoff to the Instagram contest where students were to take pictures in their dress-up clothes under the hashtag “drugfreemhs.” A pledge banner was available for students to sign stating they vow to be drug free. “The goal of the sign is to help hold students accountable for their decisions and hope they make good, knowledgeable and healthy choices,” Caya said.
Wednesday, October 16
The final theme of the week was “Be Brave, Be Drug Free” which encouraged students and staff to dress in black and white or Mandan Braves clothing. The door decorating contest was judged on Wednesday Oct. 16 by five National Honor Society members. They unanimously voted for History Teacher Megan Hanson’s door. Hanson’s theme revolved around Joao Monday, Chevalier, the October 14 Photo submitted foreign exchange Monday’s dress- Megan Hanson poses with her second hour student from Brazil. up day theme class and their winning door. The writing on was “Show your their door was written in Portuguese and Character, Say No to Drugs.” translated on the bottom. Students and staff wore a costume of The door said, “Isn’t he aDOORable? Be their favorite character from a TV show, like Joao and be drug free!” movie or novel. The door had numerous pictures of Tuesday, October 15 Chevalier, christmas lights in the shape of Tuesday students and staff followed the a ribbon and a signed red ribbon on the theme “Be Bright, Live Drug Free.” They window. wore neon clothes and were asked to Hanson and her second hour class still participate in the ongoing Instagram received a donuts and orange juice party contest. on Monday, Oct. 21 for their win.
Student Life
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MHS Courier
A student’s life of creating art colton Justice
- Feature Editor
Tree of Atlas
“This piece never had a set beginning idea. It just changed as the creating process went on. I thought about putting many different things on the tree, but after some thinking I came up with the shapes that you see now. “
The Missing Forest “The concept of the forest in this piece can make people wonder what is truly going on. I was thinking about making a scene that could be absolutely anywhere, but with the thought that it hadn’t been discovered by man. I then decided to add a figure walking away into the forest which could be a man or could not be, and by putting the figure in it opens the mind up to an endless amount of questions.”
Lind poses for a picture for his website
For senior Tanner Lind, art is not a passion, but rather something he was born to do. Lind has been interested in art since he was in preschool and was taken under the wing of his current mentor, Terry Jelsing, during fifth grade and still continues to be. “An art competition [that] I was able to go to Washington D.C. to compete in is what really got me started,” Lind said. He has always enjoyed painting, drawing and much more. Lind was lucky enough to grow up in a community that supported the arts and was able to work under professional artists. Anyone who has seen Lind’s art can tell his style is different from other artists, and this style is what sets him apart from other artists his age. “I have developed a style over the years and it is loosely based on the surrealist movement. I like to incorporate abstract objects into my art,” said Lind. “I like to make my viewers ask themselves questions about the art. You are creating something for people to see. I want peoples’ brains to be racked.” Lind will be going to college and majoring in Fine Arts and Fine Art Education, though he does not know where he will be attending yet. Lind also has a website, tannerlind1.wix.com/artist, and a Facebook page that he uses to get his name and art work out there.
Worlds Eye View “I wanted this piece to make the mind wander and try its hardest to create connections between the two types of images even if they can’t.”
Evolution #1 “I was messing with the idea of mixing nature and abstract objects which came out as this. While I was working on it I realized that maybe it was what a plant species may look like in the far future so I continued working with the idea and created #2 and #3.” *All photos from tannerlind1.wix.com/artist
November
Student Life
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colton Justice
- Feature Editor
MYSTER IA THEA TER & O PRODU .N.E CTIONS PRESEN TS
There aren’t many students at Mandan High that can say they are in a band outside of school, but one who can is Erik Velasquez. At 16, sophomore Erik Velasquez’s passion for the arts has driven him to indulge in music and become lead guitarist of National Debt, a local band that showcases their talent at gigs around Mandan and Bismarck. Velasquez has played guitar for almost two years now, is a percussionist in Concert Band 1 at Mandan High School and to top it all off, writes original songs. But he was looking for something more. Ironically, a friend of his told him National Debt was looking for a lead guitarist. Thinking to himself ‘Hey, that’s me!’, he decided to give it a shot. Auditions were simple. He tried out, and was
K d a xn id w
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Erik Velasquez debates what to play next on the guitar.
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Photo by Colton Justice
chosen over the other guitarists competing for the spot. Other members of the band include Jordaxn Kidwell who plays rhythm guitar, Rachel Praus who plays bass guitar, and Sawyer Bennett who plays drums. Not only is Velasquez part of a band, but he also juggles school and work in his schedule. “It’s more difficult planning around work [than school] actually,” said Velasquez. Velasquez has ben playing in National Debt since last June, though the band has been around since before he joined. “My favorite thing about playing is writing music,” he said. “It’s like a way to express your emotions and how you feel, to get rid of emotions but still be artistic about it.” Velasquez also said his favorite thing about performing is being able to show people his band’s music. Like anyone else, National Debt receives feedback, both positive and negative, but uses this feedback to better their music instead of tear them down.
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My favorite thing about playing in the band is how us four kids can make such good music just by sitting in a room together.
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Writing songs together, calling each other names, hanging out, and just especially the sense of family that we all possess. I feel completely comfortable around everyone in the band, and that’s something that’s irreplaceable, with any people.
The members of National Debt lounge
hannah SCHLOSSER
- Asst. Editor-In-Chief
wn o s ’ n a d n k Ma c r a m s i B bt e D l a n o Nati
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Music is a very powerful force. A simple series of chords and intervals can create human emotion. By being in a band, it helps us to become more intellectual because “normal people” don’t necessarily think about these things.
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I like being in a band because writing music is my coping method through most stress I have in life. Music is my therapy, and my band is my therapist.
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Mysteria Theater a w y er Be n n
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Photo by Colton Justice
around on a couch before their gig.
The old Mysteria Theater on Main Street in Mandan is just that - old. But what you will find inside is quite contradictory. The building itself has been around for decades, but the musicians inside and manager have not. At 16 years old, Bismarck High School junior Sawyer Bennett leases the theater to manage Organized Noise Entertainment, or O.N.E., and raised the money himself to buy O.N.E. “Technically I haven’t really been able to own my business cause I’m not 18, even though it is my business,” Bennett said. “Everything is in my dad’s name even though it’s my business.” Mysteria Theater used to be called Little Chicago Nightclub before Bennett and his dad leased it for O.N.E. Mysteria is a place for new, young bands to get their names out to the public. “Pretty much anyone in high school is able to play here, because everywhere else is pretty much a bar so you have
Photo by Colton Justice
Sawyer Bennett plays his drums at the Mysteria Theater. to be 21 or older to play there. So we actually encourage high school students to come out and play here,” said Bennett. “At times it can be difficult to manage and go through school, but I don’t see how it would be any more difficult than having a ‘regular’ high school job.” The theater is not just a place for young bands to play their music though. More well known bands such as TigerLily have played here, along with bands from out of state such as Kottonmouth Kings. “The bands from outside of the state think this place is really cool. They always say how nice it is and enjoy playing here,” said Bennett. O.N.E. works with 701 Live, a company thats helps promote Mysteria Theater as a venue and brings in bands to play there.
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Student Life
MHS Courier
Student Life
November
NE O T I ADM s: e
Pric
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$7 Child
“You can get into the rater R movies without being carded.”
-Neda Ricker, 11
“[Workers] are nicer at the Carmike.”
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With two theaters competing in Bismarck / Mandan, there are many factors to compare when deciding upon a date spot. Whether it be the service, the popcorn, or the quality of movie and sound itself, here are a few pros of both the Carmike 8 Cinemas and Grand 15 Theaters.
-Tallysa Carufel, 9
“Not too expensive.” -Jacob Dillmann, 11
• More chances to discount items (e.g. popcorn, movie tickets) • If you purchase a Carmike bucket, refills only cost $3.50 • Cheaper ticket prices overall • 8 different screens • More family oriented
”I’d say the Grand is a solid 6. Like, on a scale of 1-6.” -Jeremiah Peterson, 12 “The Grand is definitely nicer because it’s bigger.” -Bailee Walker, 9 “The Grand’s popcorn always tastes super fresh and not too buttery.” -Joey Mason, 11
ADMIT Price
ONE
s:
Adult Child
$9.50
$7.25
• Bigger, more comfortable chairs • Pharoah’s Theater • Wider variety of movies due to more screens • Higher quality picture and sound • Combos • 18 different screens • “Best Date Spot” • Themed Decor
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Student Life
MHS Courier
Noobs of the month
Freshman Hailey Van Beek
How big is your freshman pack? “Big enough to block the doorway at lunch.”
Photo by Hannah Schlosser
How does it feel to be a noob? “Fantastic.”
What’s your most embarrassing moment so far? “Walking in to the wrong classroom.” As a noob, what’s your biggest fear? “Tripping up the steps.” Do you have any nicknames? Or have you created any yourself? “Beeks, or Beekster.”
Freshman Luke Peterson
How big is your freshman pack? “Big enough to hold everything in my locker.”
How does it feel to be a noob? “Pretty awesome.”
Photo by Hannah Schlosser
What’s your most embarrassing moment so far? “Having my backpack get stuck on the handrail for the staircase.” As a noob what’s your biggest fear? “Getting tripped and falling in an upperclassmen hallway.” Do you have any nicknames? Or have you created any yourself? “Not that I know of and no.”
*Each month the Courier will feature one or two freshmen to be the noob(s) of the month. Noobs are chosen at random each issue.
November
Student Life
15
Soda fountain brings blast from the past hannah SCHLOSSER
by Mr. Clark, calling it Clark Drugs. school students weren’t able to experience the traditional soda fountain. Even in Every couple of years, the building came under new ownership and management this generation, the soda fountain was brought back until renaming it Along with Duke Ellington, flapper to resemble to Mandan Drug in dresses and a television set that took five “There’s a lot of memories made, something 1906. minutes to warm up, one might think a but there’s a lot of memories anyone of all Around 75 years soda fountain is a thing of the past, but later, “Rusty” ages can enjoy. thanks to Dave and Susan Leingang, the brought back” Susan said Kruger bought the past is now a reality. there are building and his Mandan Diner and Drug on Main plenty of diners in Bismarck/Mandan such wife, Debbie, started “Lindy Sue’s Candies”. Street in Mandan was recently renovated as Rockin’ 50s and Kroll’s, but what sets transforming the old building into a thirties The building has lain dormant since 2006 until the Leingangs the soda fountain apart from the rest is its style diner. atmosphere. The workers, some of which started up the diner After both attend MHS, have fun on the job and enjoy in January. retiring from the relaxed feel. When they the military, “It’s got a family atmosphere and it’s just renovated, Susan Dave and Susan a fun place to hang out,” said junior Adam said the entire place settled down Hartman. had to be redone in Mandan Whether it’s a first time or the twentieth which meant all where Dave time visiting, customers feel at home and new flooring, tables, grew up. Susan, there’s always a story to tell. chairs, and decor. from Texas, has “There’s a lot of memories made, but “Everybody said, relatives visit there’s a lot of memories brought back,” ’Do the fifties with frequently. She said Susan Leingang. “People come in here the black and white used this as and have a good time. A lot of the older tile,’ and I said ‘No, her incentive Photo by Hannah Schlosser folks come in here and sit right down at the the original soda to start and Mandan Diner and Soda Fountain customers fountain was in the soda fountain and reminisce about what the said the diner had the last time they ate here years ago.” was the perfect enjoy an afternoon snack while owner Susan thirties,’ so we went Leingang cleans the counter. back as close to that The soda fountain is making new stories opportunity to since January, but the history will never be era as we could get,” act on. forgotten. said Susan Leingang. The building was originally built in 1883 Until then, younger generations and high and opened as a drug store two years later - Asst. Editor-In-Chief
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Student Life
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MHS Courier
Landon gives to Locks of Love
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hannah SCHLOSSER
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- Asst. Editor-In-Chief
t’s always said that it’s better to give than to “When I was in Fargo, I was mistaken for a womget, but in junior Landon Felch’s case, he had an,” Felch said. “This was before I started wearing done both. He had gotten - a haircut, while he my hair in a ponytail, so it was understandable.” had given - his hair, that is, to the Locks of Love He goes on to say they all got a good laugh Foundation. about it, which definitely helps counteract the Locks of Love is a nonprofit organization based negativity. out of Florida aimed to helping children who have suffered, or are suffering a medical disease that You could say a weight was lifted off causes them to lose hair, either long term or perof my shoulders. manently. The organization collects donations of hair locks to make into prosthetic hair pieces which give these sick children a sense of t a whopping nine normalcy. inches, Felch’s hair had Felch is just one out of the numermeasured among some ous submissions that are received of the longest for males at weekly. MHS, but it was not quite long Landon’s motivation for donating enough. To donate, salons ask is simple, but it’s one that hits home for a minimum of ten inches. for many. Two years ago during his Felch said for around two freshman year, Landon’s mother had years he had been working been diagnosed with breast cancer. towards his goal. After that, only After seeing the hair loss affect her Photo by a couple of weeks were needed personally, he vowed to grow out his Landon Felch before he could fulfill the ten hair. Felch sports his long hair in a tuxedo inch minimum required for do“I’m doing it in support for her,” nating. before a choir concert. Felch said. After completing the full ten Only then did Felch get the idea to inches, he finished the donatake it one step further and donate his hair towards tion process through Regis in the Kirkwood Mall. the life changing foundation that will help children A few hours before receiving the haircut, Felch was struggling a similar battle his mother had. nervous, relieved, and grateful at the same time nervous for getting it cut, relieved to have his short hair back, and grateful to have donated. “You could say a weight was lifted off of my shoulI do get a lot of attention, not all of ders,” Felch said. it is positive. Felch is looking forward to growing out his hair once again, but keeping it long, maybe for good this time. As for his mother, she is happy and ince beginning to grow out his hair, Felch healthy and has been cancer free for about a year. has received numerous reactions and criticism regarding its length, but he doesn’t let the negative comments affect his attitude towards the situation his mother was dealt. “I do get a lot of attention, not all of it is positive,” said Felch. “I just enjoy my long hair. Over the months, Landon’s ‘locks’ have brought in a couple good stories, too.
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November
Sports From a couch potato to a State competitor
kaitlyn SCHELSKE
- Editor-In-Chief
17
How one girl became a running star
qualified for State. first or second and have qualified For a majority of people, running is a By the time fall rolled around the for State,” said Benitez. chore. Many people would rather sit back, next year, Benitez was too busy to For other athletes, working hard relax, and watch some TV instead of doing try out for Cross Country. Spring to place in a meet comes with a a lap around the block. Up until two years came and she tried out for Track lot of drive. Many find motivation ago, that is what senior Adilene Benitez did again, this time participating in the from the want to win at a meet or before moving to Mandan. mile and two mile. the reward of qualifying for State. Moving all the way from Concord, Cali“When I first found out I was put In Benitez’s case, her motivation is fornia to Mandan, North Dakota is a pretty in the two mile the following year simple. big difference. Being a new kid in school, I was worried,” said Benitez. “But “I don’t really have a lot of motivaBenitez wanted to make friends and deCoach Girard said to just do my tion, I just run to run,” said Benitez. cided to do so by trying out for Track. Little best so I did. It was raining the first From first running the mile in Track did she or anyone else know how good she time I ran it but I still did pretty and winning to qualifying for State would turn out to be. well.” Photo by in the two mile her second year and “Well the first season of Track was to make Although she didn’t qualify for D’Aulan Bussman finally to placing 17th in State Cross friends,” said Benitez. “I didn’t know I would the mile that year, she excelled in Country, Benitez has come far in her turn out to be that good.” the two mile and again advanced to Benitez running career of only two years. By saying “that good”, Benitez meant her State. running in the From just sitting on the couch to very first meet trying out for the one mile Finally this year Benitez tried out Mandan and getting under six minutes. For the dura- for Cross Country and has so far Kiwanis Classic. making it all the way to State in her first year, Benitez has given everytion of her first year in Track, she continued met success yet again. one a run for the money. to finish under six minutes and eventually “[Already] this season I’ve come in either
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Sports Roundup
Boys’ Soccer
The Boys’ Soccer team concluded this season with a 1-14 record. The Braves went in as the 5th seed in the West Region Tournament but it was cancelled due to snow. Junior Jacob Dillmann and sophomore Colyn Haugen were also nominated to the All-West Region Team.
Girls’ Volleyball The Girls’ Volleyball team completed their season with a 2-11 record. The Braves will be going to play at West Region in Jamestown on November 14-16.
Boys’ Football Boys’ Football finished their season with a 1-9 record. In their second to last game, the Braves held off Grand Forks Central to win their first game 14 to 12.
MHS Courier Sports September Athletes of the Month
Girls’ Golf
“In the month of Sept, Kayla was the team’s leading scorer with a 90 average over the last six tournaments. That stat put her in 6th place regionally for that time period. In the six tournaments Photo Submitted in September, she Senior Kayla broke into the top ten Helbling four times. Her scores were a direct result of a renewed commitment to work hard on her game and her positive and competitive attitude was the sparks that started our team’s turn around. Kayla’s accomplishments earned her both WDA All-Conference and All West Regional Individual Awards. What a phenomenal month it has been for Kayla, and because of that for our Girls Golf Team,” said Coach Dean Johs.
Boys’ Tennis
“During the final three weeks of the regular season, he had a 4-2 record in singles and 5-1 record in doubles. The highlight of those nine wins was a huge comeback win against Photo Minot that led to Submitted a 5-4 team victory Senior Brandon which clinched the Schaner #2 seed going into the West Region Team tournament. Going into the Individual Tournament of the West Region, Brandon was the #3 seeded singles player. In the semis, he defeated a Minot player whom he had never defeated before. Brandon was the tournament’s runner up and earned All-Conference honors. The 2nd place finish by Brandon was the highest by a Braves singles player since 1977,” said Coach Paul Christen.
Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams ended their season by competing in WDA and State. The Boys’ placed 5th in WDA and 11th at State while the Girls’ placed 4th and 6th.
Boys’ Swimming and Diving
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Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball
504 West Main Street Mandan, ND 58554
Captain’s Practice for the upcoming 2013-2014 season of Boys’ Swimming and Diving will be held weekdays from 4-5 p.m. at the Braves Center.
Parent meetings for Girls’ Basketball will be held on November 12 and for Boys’ Basketball on November 19, both at 7:00 p.m. in the Mandan High School Cafeteria.
Phone: 701-663-9885
thefreshplace.com
November
Sports
19
three sports teams meet success
Swimming and diving, tennis and golf have exceptional seasons
kaitlyn SCHELSKE
- Editor-In-Chief
Girls’ Golf For the Girls’ Golf team this year, the beginning of their season began with a rocky start. They travelled out of town to play at five invitationals, and did not place in the top three for those tournaments. But when the Century Invitational rolled around, a spark in the team was ignited, and it turned around the rest of the season. “They played very well. They went from 6th or 7th place to 3rd place [at the Century Invite],” said Head Coach Dean Johs. “We shot our best score we’ve ever shot since I’ve been a coach.” From there, the Girls continued to prosper, taking a 4th place win in the Williston Invitational to playing on their home turf and taking 1st place out of eight teams. “We came back and played our own course and won the tournament. We had never won a tournament in over 12 years,” said Johs. The Girls then advanced to the West Region tournament and also met success with 3rd place and finished their season at State. With this season tucked under their belt, the Girls can continue to improve for the coming years. Although some key players will be graduating this year, there are players who are ready to step into their shoes. “It’ll be hard to replace two All-Conference players, but we’ll see what we can do,” said Johs. “Maybe KayCee Schulz or Megan Broeckel. It’ll be tough but we’ll see.“
Boys’ tennis
In Boys’ Tennis, the team started off in the beginning of their season with wins. As the season progressed, the team won some, but also lost as well. After the regular season had ended, with the highlight of it being defeating Minot, the Braves than could advance to the West Region. “We ended the season with a 10-5 record,” said Head Coach Paul Christen. “We were 7-2 during the regular season and had the #2 seed going into the West Region tournament.” At West Region, the Braves as a team continued to excel through the quarter and semifinals all the way to the championship, only than to lose 2-3 to Century. “Despite the loss, all seven players on the team played well in the match against Century,” said Christen. “Unfortunately, we came up short but I was happy for the guys because they played their best tennis that day.” Although the team lost as a whole, the individuals tournament fared better. “The doubles team of Ben Wanner and Erik Porter placed 2nd and singles players Brandon Schaner and Alex Wanek placed 2nd and 7th, respectively,” said Christen. “All four of them qualified for State and Ben, Erik, and Brandon earned All-Conference honors.” After finishing up West Region with 2nd place, the team continued to State, and placed 6th.
Girls’ Swimming and Diving
For the Girls’ Swimming and Diving team, their season so far has included eight wins to four losses as a team. One of the most notable in contributing to the team are the senior swimmers. “We have a great senior class leading the way this season,” said Head Coach Ralph Manley. “[We have] strong swimmers such as Ashley Doll, Rachel Ford and McKenzie Martin.” Although seniors may be leading the way for Swimming, one sophomore has been leading the way for Girls’ Diving. “For Diving we have a strong core that returned and Chantell Mindt has been leading the group,” said Manley. “We had some new faces in the Diving team and they are fitting right in by pushing and challenging the veterans.” With the season winding down, the Braves are preparing for the upcoming WDA and State. With 13 girls already qualified for State, the team has high hopes for a successful outcome. “I think Minot might be tough to beat but we have been in the mix with the other teams so far this season,” said Manley. “For State the Girls would like to finish in the top 6.” The Girls will travel to Jamestown on Nov. 9 to compete at WDA and on Nov. 15-16 in Grand Forks for State.
THE kaitlyn SCHELSKE
- Editor-In-Chief
Why do people say “heads up” when you should duck?
Freshman McKenna Quintus
Sophomore Dane Clarys
Junior Andrew Sheetz
Senior Taylor Jung
English Teacher Seth Peterson
“When your head is up, you can make a proper duck.”
“Because we are that way.”
“Because science.”
“So you can be aware of what’s about to hit you in the head.”
“Because it’s a colloquialism.”
“It would stay green.”
“Rainbow because it won’t know what color to turn.”
“A light shade of green with a mixture of orange.”
“I think invisible because it does what it wants!”
“Crayola.”
“I’d call that a cat pile. So no.”
“A bunch of cats at my house is called a nuisance so it should be called a nuisance pile.”
“A pile o’catz.”
“Well, since it’s cats, I think it’s qualified as a cat pile... can that be a thing?”
“No, it’s a cat-achresis.”
If you put a chameleon in a room full of mirrors, what color would it turn? If a bunch of cats jump on top of each other, is it still called a dog pile?
FLIP
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