MHS Courier October 2020

THE

COURIER 905 8th Ave. NW, Mandan, ND - Volume 29, Issue 1- October 2020

Read about the effects COVID-19 has had on our community and what everyone can do to stay sane and healthy.

Pages 15-17 Check out what the 2020 Election candidates are fighting for this November.

Page 6

From The Editor...

Long time, no see! Welcome to the 2020-21 Courier, and I am so excited to announce that I, Kelsie Hildebrand, am the Editor-in-Chief during this peculiar school year. We lost some talented staff members to the wonders of adulthood, but you may recognize that the remaining staff is back and better than ever from last year’s abrupt end.

Our new editorial staff consists of Scout Hurley, Aspen Jewkes, McCartney Fix and Ryan Ulrich who are full of passion, and our general reporters include Daden Dolajak, Leah Emineth and Nathan Stramer all with tremendous hope for this year and the next.

This year we hope to shed some light during the pandemic and wildfires by creating pieces that are fun and exciting to read while also discussing the issues that have made this year one for the books.

Our priority is giving the student body a clean, well-rounded paper to read. This issue includes our sex education curriculum, microplastics and the war against drugs. The staff and I worked hard to prepare an outstanding first issue, and I am ecstatic for eveyone to read it. As Alfredo Linguini from Ratatouille would say, let’s do this thing!

Table Of Contents

Page 2........................Letter From The Editor Page 3...................................Social Injustices Page 4..................................................Sex Ed Page 5...........................Pros Of Social Media Page 6.......................................2020 Election Page 7......................The Microplastics Issues Page 8-9..............2020 Environmental Recap Page 10.....................The Anti-Narcotics War Page 11.............................................Calendar Page 12..............................................Flipside Page 13....................................Club Spotlight Page 14.............The Future of MHS Students Page 15-17.................COVID-19 Breakdown Page 18-19........................Successful Alumni Page 20.........................Legalizing Marijuana Page 21.................................Sports Spotlight Page 22-23............................Sports Roundup Page 24........................Athlete Of The Month

Senior Taylor Dean poses in order to represent what our society is like nowadays. Take a look on Pages 15-17 to find out the true benefits of wearing masks.

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Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-In-Chief

Courier Staff and Editorial Policy Kelsie Hildebrand...........................................Editor-In-Chief Scout Hurley....................................Assistant Editor-In-Chief Feature Editor Aspen Jewkes..................................................Opinion Editor McCartney Fix.............................................Co-Sports Editor Co-News Editor Ryan Ulrich..................................................Co-Sports Editor Co-News Editor Daden Dolajak.............................................General Reporter Leah Emineth................................................General Reporter Nathan Stramer.............................................General Reporter The Courier is a news/feature magazine that is published throughout the school year. As an open forum for student expression, all content online and in print is decided and moderated by student editors.

The staff welcomes letters, articles, submissions, of any student, faculty, or community interest.

Submissions may be turned into the Courier, room 221, and by message to mhscourier@gmail.com. All submissions must be signed by the author if they are to be published and subject to editing if space is restricted.

The Courier strives to be objective in its news coverage.

Columns and letters reflect only the opinions of the writers, not those of the Courier staff, administration, teachers, or student body. Editorials that are not signed reflect the consensus of the staff.

The Courier is funded entirely through advertising sales.

Contact the Courier at mhscourier@gmail.com if interested in advertising.

Photo by Kelsie Hildebrand

October 2020

Opinion

THE

SOCIAL INJUSTICES

DESTROYING AMERICA TODAY The battle between race, gender, sexuality, etc. has gone on for long enough. Social movements such as Black Lives Matter, Feminist movements, LGBTQ social movements, Indigenous peoples movements, Asian American movements and many more have been created to fight for their causes against society.

Over the past five months, riots, shootings and the press have spiraled out of control. Destroying a car dealership or burning a Target does not aid in achieving justice against “police brutality” or “systemic racism.” The government may have its faults, but previously stated social movements and countermovements, Blue Lives Matter which challenges Black Lives Matter creating an inadequate comparison between a profession and a human race, seem to be destroying communities across the country hoping to “make a difference.” Instead, people involved in said social movements should look to reform the government by coming together as one. The founding fathers stated in the second paragraph of The Declaration Of Independence “that all men are created equal,” but we seem to have forgotten what our country wanted for its future.

Speaking of the future, it would be an understatement to say that our kids will one day learn about inequality in the year of 2020.

Remarks about how Martin Luther King Jr. would be disappointed in how today’s society is handling racism and equality have been made across multiple platforms, but it took non-peaceful protesting in order to bring attention to the social injustices in America today.

George Floyd was suffocated by a Minneapolis police officer in May. Jacob Blake was shot several times in the back by a Kenosha police officer. Breonna Taylor was shot by a Louisville police officer during a botched raid on her apartment. Tamarris Bohannon was shot in the head while responding to a dispatch about shots being fired in a nearby park. Linden Cameron was shot by a Salt Lake City police officer after responding to the mother’s 911 call for mental help. Perhaps the biggest villain of the issue may be the media.

The press did wrong by reporting on multiple extremely touchy issues within the past five months very subjectively. The general public should become educated on the facts of said issues spamming the internet before reacting solely based on emotional ties to ideas and theories. The press has become a faceless, insensitive source that the people are becoming too involved with.

There is not a single solution to the continuous issue of social injustices among our society today, only recommendations and ideas.

Every U.S. citizen deserves to be able to walk down the street, sleep soundly in their home and work a job without constant terror, for it is not fair to profile all cops as racist killers just like it is not fair to profile all black men as child abandoning, shady muggers.

This article is the opinion of The Courier staff.

Opinion

Luiza Conceicao Larson (11), Olin Halstengard (12), Aspen Jewkes (12), Bailey Dammous (12), Nicole Wu (12), Harleigh Walthar (12), McKayla Limbo (11), Reese Baker (12), Daisha Hale (12) and Diego Arce (9) are pictured from back to front and left to right laughing and talking with peers.

Photo by Kelsie Hildebrand

October 2020

03

Sex education

can be a particularly awkward subject, especially when its a discussion between student and teacher. However, this is not a reason for students to be denied essential information on the topic.

My experience with Mandan High School’s sex education has been lacking, to say the least. The content I have been taught on the matter has consisted of the importance of abstinence and many scare tactics that make students feel bad or dirty when they want to explore their many other options.

According to the CDC, 43% of high schools and 18% of middle schools teach key CDC topics for sex education.

Without proper sex education in school, students can and usually will obtain a lot of false information on the subject from their peers and the Internet.

While pornography is not always harmful, in most cases it is generally degrading and shows hostile sexism.

Photo taken by Nathan Stramer

Sex Education in High Schools

The importance of proper sex education in high schools.

Bylines for 2020-2021 School Year — Scout Hurley, Assistant Editor-in-Chief

There are many components to proper sex education.

The CDC recommends a few things such as, the course being taught by qualified staff, relevant and engaging topics of discussion, addressing needs of Please copy and paste these and place them on your pages either on the top of your page LGBTQ+ students andinmore. black/white depending on page color. Use them tastfully, and ask us ifAbstinence you need help. is a valuable thing to know about and teaching it in sex education courses is necessary. This being said, believing all students will remain abstinent Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief — Scout Hurley, Assistant Editor-in-Chief during all of high school is an unrealistic expectation.

This is why it is important to teach students how to have a healthy sex life if they choose to.

According to the CDC, the average age to lose your virginity is 17.1 years old, which means that most students will have had sex at least one time before they have left high school.

This is why students need to know how to avoid STI’s and unwanted pregnancies if they do chose to have sex. I hope that in the years to come students Daden Dolajak, General Reporter — Ryan Ulrich, Sports and News Editor will be provided with resources and tools to have a safe and healthy sex life.

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October 2020

Opinion

Social Media Today

Social media is evolving in the world around us, and we need to learn how to evolve with it. — Leah Emineth, General Reporter

When it comes to parenting, social media is usually the last thing a parent wants to introduce their children to.

Social media has its flaws, but there is a correct way to use social media and an incorrect way.

Parents are so focused on keeping technology away from their kids, but social media has become a significant part of how we as humans live our day to day life.

As someone who uses social media on a daily basis I understand why some parents may be worried. It is inevitable to shelter children from the use of social media because as time goes on it is only becoming a stronger platform for communication.

According to StaySafeOnline.org, the best way to stay safe is to be cautious about how much personal information one shares on social media, and to always be honest when one is feeling uncomfortable.

Social media is evolving in the world, which makes it nearly impossible to neglect it. Schools have even began using forms of social media, which makes it very important to have some background knowledge on how to properly and safely use social media.

Social media has become the new normal for this generation, so it is necessary to teach kids how to properly use social media instead of treating it as some sort of horrible thing.

There are always going to be people on the internet that do not have good intentions but refusing to let ones child learn the good from bad will only end in a more unsafe social media environment because they will not know what to look for.

People need to be taught about what actions to take when they are introduced to a bad situation online. Some actions one can take would include blocking, removing, or reporting the person making them feel uncomfortable.

It is important to teach children how to be safe, while still giving them the freedom to explore.

Social media may have its ups and downs, but there is one thing that holds true no matter what.

Social media brings people together from all over the world. It is so amazing to be able to see how other people live, and to see their views on things In times like these, it is important now, more than ever to be able to reach out to people who are going through the same things as we are.

The world is evolving whether we like it or not.

Opinion

Graph sourced from creative commons

October 2020

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Decision 20 2020 20

A Buildup To The Election

Donald Trump has re-secured his nomination on the 2020 republican presidential ticket.The incumbent president experienced a rocky, and turmoil fueled first four years that saw Joe Biden has officially accepted the the world face an unprecedented pandemic Democratic Party’s nomination for the while the country at large coped with issues of presidency. systemic racism and police brutality.

After a hard fought campaign that saw the The aforementioned factors, compounded former Vice President stumble out of the with the President’s divisive rhetoric, and caucus gate with decisive losses in New poor voter outreach in minority communities Hampshire, Vermont, and Nevada, Biden have resulted in subpar polling numbers. orchestrated a masterful Super Tuesday turn Trump currently trails his democratic around bolstered by a coalition of fellow challenger, Joe Biden, by a relatively moderates dropping out of the race and significant margin. Trump, however, seems endorsing him. unfazed by the hit he’s taken in the polls. He’s The veteran senator from Delaware optingto run a plea rich campaign, heavy on delivered his acceptance speech on the harsh, opponent centered attacks, similar to final night of the Democratic National that of his 2016 effort, which saw him upset Convention, making an impassioned plea the heavily favored Hillary Clinton. for the unification of America in the face These closely held and heavily campaigned of heightened racial tensions and economic upon promises and vitriolic attacks came instability. through with force, as the sitting president “It’s time for us, for We the People, to Photo sourced from creativecommons.org implored voters to envision a Biden lead come together.” said Biden. “For make no America.

President Trump and Vice mistake. United we can, and will, overcome President Pence discussing agenda. “Joe Biden is not a savior of America’s soul,” this season of darkness in America.”

Trump said. “He is the destroyer of America’s The speech kept in tone with an evening jobs and, if given the chance, he will be the designed to pitch Biden as a political moderate destroyer of American greatness.” with experience reaching over the aisle, an In the same convention that saw Donald alternative to the harsly partisan Trump Trump deliver a characteristically fiery administration. speech aimed at his opponents, much to Kamala Harris has officially been selected the delight of those in attendance, Mike as Joe Biden’s vice president for the 2020 Pence, his running mate, delivered a election.The US Senator and former speech so opposite in both content and Attorney General for California entered cadence one may well have assumed they into the Democratic primary race as a harsh shared no connection. Pence cultivated his critic of the former VP, before softening her particular image much in the same way tone as it became clear her candidacy was Trump did, through the way he carries on the out and out, and Biden’s was on the himself. While Trump speaks with a nonup and up. existent filter, choosing to present himself Analysts became particularly keen on as an honest, everyman type, Pence Harris as a vice presidential possibility represents the perfectly groomed, clean when Biden announced his intention to Photo sourced from creativecommons.org shaven conservative he’s so clearly tasked select a woman of color as his running mate. Former Vice President Joe Biden, with attracting. This isolated dichotomy Her acceptance of the nomination marks an and running mate Kamala Harris has created a fine tuned republican ticket, impressive number of firsts in the history lacking in racial diversity and bipartisan discussing agenda. of the two party politics, as she becomes carry, but with just enough inner party the first woman and person of color to find diversity to appeal to all prospective her name on the ballot of either of the major republican voters. parties.

— Ryan Ulrich, Sports and News Editor — McCartney Fix, Co-Sports and Co-News Editor

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October 2020

News

Microplastics Becoming A Big Problem Photo by Kate Ter Haar

A look at how microplastics are affecting human health, and the rising number of pollutants in our environment.

— Daden Dolajak, General Reporter

Microplastics have been an ongoing issue in our water and food for years. So what happens when you ingest food, and water with plastic in it? It gets in your organs.

According to the Washington Post, it is confirmed that in a year the average American will consume on average 74,000 microplastic particles. Microplastics showed up in 100% of human organ samples in a scientific study.

This is a rather new discovery so it is hard to say exactly how it can affect humans, but it is known that there are toxic chemicals in plastics.

This has been affecting our environment and wildlife for decades, so it would be ignorant to believe they would not directly affect us as well.

BPA is a chemical in plastics that can interfere with hormone activity. According to the FDA, BPA will have little effect on the overall health of most people.

That does not mean that consuming plastic is safe; for some people it can cause metabolic disease, birth defects and other health problems.

Microplastics are incredibly small; they are 1 to 100 micrometers in length at that size, some microplastics have the capability to enter your bloodstream and they can even enter cells. Other microplastics can be quite large, and can even bees seen with the naked eye.

Microplastics are everywhere around us, and they have gotten into every crevice of our environment. It is in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.

News

Microplastics and pollution in general will become a vary serious issue that will need to be dealt with.

So what can we do to stop the spread of microplastics?

To start off, studies show that people who use plastic more frequently will obviously consume more microplastics, so we should cut down use of plastics.

One can also support bans on waste dumps, plastic use and recycling. Reycling is a great way to cut down on wase in general, we should be helping our enviroment more now than ever.

October 2020

Photo sourced from creative commons

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2020 Enviromental Recap

A recap on what the earth has been up to during quarantine — Leah Emineth, General Reporter

Throughout 2020 there have been numerous environmental events. Many of these environmental things people do not know about. With the coronavirus being the main topic for many news channels, there is little to no awareness about what has actually been going on.

Australian Bush Fires The Australian bushfires started in June 2019 and lasted until May 2020.

According to disasterhilanthropy.org, “more than 46 million acres of land and about 3,500 homes were burned, thousands of other buildings were lost and 34 people died.”

These fires caused historic levels of drought and large amounts of ash that polluted the air. There was about about 800,000 animals reported dead due to the fires.

The Insurance Council estimated bush fire losses were about $1.3 billion US dollars. Smoke from the fires began to spread around the globe and left many places filled with dark skies and unhealthy breathing conditions.

Photo sourced from creative commons

Locust swarms in East Africa Locust swarms have been destroying farmland in East African countries such as Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Starting in December 2019, Kenya has seen its worst locust swarms in 70 years. The swarms likely started due to extreme weather events.

The swarms usually have between 40 to 80 million locusts, and they can cover a square third of a mile to 100 or more square miles.

The locusts are causing a threat to food security, because they eat the crops and flatten farm land. According to The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, “desert locusts can pose a threat to the livelihoods of about 10% of the world’s population.”

Photo sourced from creative commons

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October 2020

News

Snow in Antarctica turns Green Snow in Antarctica has begun turning green due to climate change and a boom in algae. Research done by The Journal Nature Communications explains that warming temperatures and melting snow in the continent is helping in the formation of algae blooms.

The algae is expanding at a fast rate, and the green snow can be visible from space .

The algae thrives in temperatures just above freezing. The antarctic peninsula is one of the fastest warming places on earth.

The average annual temperature has increased by 37.5 degrees fahrenheit since the industrial revolution.

Photo sourced from creative commons

Forest Fires in The United States Many western areas of the United States have been affected by forest fires in 2020. California, Arizona, Washington, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada are only a few states being affected.

74 fires have burned 3.7 million acres of land, which is about 1 million acres more than the 10 year average. Evacuation orders in the west coast are still in place.

According to NIFC, there have already been 43,995 fires this year with a total of 7,104,837 acres burned. The smoke from the fires have made their way into neighboring states causing the sun to appear red, and overall creating a scent of fire and smokey conditions.

Photo sourced from creative commons

Volcano Eruption in the Philipines On January 12, 2020, Taal volcano in the Philippines began spewing lava, ash and gases into the air. The volcano has not erupted in 43 years.

Taal volcano has a history of deadly explosions and is known as one of the more active and explosive volcanos. There were 50 earthquakes detected in the same region as Taal volcano.

The eruption caused a mass evacuation of almost 300,000 people.

There were 39 fatalities most of which were due to people refusing to evacuate. The volcano has erupted a total of 34 times since 1572.

Photo sourced from creative commons

News

October 2020

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The Anti-Narcotic War

A legacy of failure: reevulating the war on drugs 40 years later

— McCartney Fix, Co-Sports and Co-News Editor

There are arguably no two names more synonymous with America's war on drugs then those of the 36th and 40th presidents respectively, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Nixon, for signing into the law of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a statute responsible for enacting the 5 schedule system in which each individual substance that was previously regulated under federal law is placed into one of 5 classifications. The passing of the CSA as well as the Press Conference held on June 17, 1971 in which President Nixon proclaimed America's substance abuse issue to be “public enemy number one,” are often held up by pundits as the beginnings of America’s war on drugs.

President Regan expanded the baseline policies Nixon introduced with his primary focus being shifted towards the passing of legislation which severely increased the penalties for nonviolent drug offenders. Almost immediately, the consequences of America’s harsher drug policies were felt in the yearly incarceration rate, which ballooned to 247 people per 100,000 by the end of Reagan's second term and has grown exponentially since then.

These statistics viewed with 40 years of hindsight paint a bleak of dishonest portrait of the issue, entirely devoid of necessary historical context. In 1969, when Nixon entered the Oval Office, America at large was coping with a heroin epidemic that had ravaged much of Washington D.C. By the time Nixon made his now infamous “public enemy number one” speech in 1971 the overdose rate of heroin addicts was at 74% according to deamuseum.org.

Throughout much of President Reagan's two terms, America was ravaged by a crack cocaine epidemic which saw between 4.2 and 5.8 million individuals admit to routinely snorting cocaine and/or smoking crack. Throughout both of their terms, President Nixon and Reagan were confronted with large scale drug epidemics, but in their individual searches for solutions each created more problems.

The option neither man explored was that of rehabilitation. In what would come to be known as a costly lapse in judgment, Nixon opted to criminalize drug use while Regan doubled down on the notion that it should be a prosecutable offense. As our knowledge of addiction has grown, it is becoming more and more clear that punishing addicts not only stifles their recovery, but leads to considerably more repeat offenders. America could have possibly saved billions of dollars and spared millions from jail time if it had embraced the more humane alternative. Instead, they opted to make criminals of victims.

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October 2020

Photo from creativecommons.org

Design by Scout Hurley

News

Courier Calendar October 2020-November 2020 — Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief

Clubs:

DECA

Oct 12, DECA Fall Convention (Virtual) Oct 19-26, Trick or Treat for Canned Goods (Activities to be determined)

Sports:

Volleyball

Oct 13, St. Mary’s @ Home 7:00 pm Oct 15, Century @ Century 7:00 pm Oct 16, Turtle Mountain Community @ Turtle Mountain 7:00 pm Oct 20, Dickinson @ Dickinson 8:00 pm Oct 21, Legacy @ Home 7:00 pm Oct 27, Minot @ Minot 7:30 pm Oct 30, Watford @ Watford 7:00 pm Oct 31, Williston @ Williston 2:30 pm Nov 3, Jamestown @ Home 7:00 pm Nov 5, Regionals @ Home 7:00 pm Nov 12, Regionals @ Watford TBD

Theatre

Photo by Aspen Jewkes

Senior Kate Kesler tips the ball over the net during volleyball match against Minot.

Girls’ Cross Country

Oct 10, Regionals @ McDowell Dam Park 1:00 pm Oct 24, State @ Jamestown TBD

Boys’ Cross Country

Oct 10, Regionals @ McDowell Dam Park 1:00 pm Oct 24, State @ Jamestown TBD

Tennis

Oct 8-10, State @ Grand Forks TBD

Soccer

Oct 8-10, State @ Fargo TBD

Football

Oct 9, Legacy @ Home 7:00 pm Oct 16, Williston @ Williston 7:00 pm Oct 21, Jamestown @ Home 7:00 pm Oct 30, Quarter Finals TBD Nov 6, Semi Finals TBD

Latin

Oct 24, Online National Convention Oct 29, Halloween party

Other:

Counseling Office

Oct 14, PSAT Test October 19, College Application Day (Periods 3, 4, 5B, 6, and 7) Registration is open to any interested senior.

Seniors can apply to ONE North Dakota college for free at this event. Registration begins Monday, October 12th in the counseling office.

Oct 12, Registration for College Application Day begins in the counseling office Oct 20, College Application Day (Periods 3, 4, 5B, 6, and 7) Registration is open to any interested senior. Seniors can apply to ONE North Dakota college for free at this event. Oct 21, College Application Day (Periods 6 and 7) Registration is open to any interested senior. Seniors can apply to ONE North Dakota college for free at this event.

Oct 27, SAT test Oct 29, PreACT test Oct 30, PreACT test Photo by Kelsie Hildebrand

Girls’ Swim/Dive

Junior McKayla Limbo executes a dive hoping for a perfect score in dual against Century.

News

October 2020

Oct 8, Dickinson @ West River Community Center 5:00 pm Oct 10, Century @ BSC Aquatic & Wellness Center 11:00 am Oct 16, Duals @ Home 5:00 pm Oct 17, Invitational @ Home 10:30 am Nov 7, Regionals @ Williston TBD

Oct 16-17, Fall Play 7:00 pm (contact Mrs. Quintus for more details) Oct 18, Fall Play 2:00 pm (contact Mrs. Quintus for more details)

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MADI JUST

Feature Editor

— Ryan Ulrich, Sports and News Editor What do you do when you are home What scares you What type of person are alone and hear you in a horror movie? the most? footsteps?

Freshman “The naive one.”

“Wonder who’s there.”

“Loosing my phone.”

Sophia Felderman

Sophomore Anton Kozojed

Junior Morgan Sheldon

“Bees.”

“Heights and nail files.”

“All kinds of birds.”

Teacher Kathleen Moch

“Politics.”

Senior Eric Lafluer

Which seniors do you look up to in high school and why?

“I look up to Eric Lafluer.

He’s a smart strong man that has his life together.”

Nick Allan

What really gives you the creeps?

“Christmas trees in the dark.”

What are some of your nicknames?

“Some of my nicknames include Simp, Thicky Nicky, and Hairless Cat.”

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“The one that lives.”

“The one that saves herself.”

“The dumb one that somehow survives.”

“The one to wonder why there is ten chainsaws lying around.”

Noobs of the Month

“Think it’s my sister”

“Send my cat to go see what it was”

“I move houses.”

“I make Trevor get up and I go in the basement.”

What are some of your nicknames?

“Most people call me Kelbs.”

If you had to chose a movie title for your life story what would it be?

“Diary of a stressed out freshman.”

In comparison to other students, how big do you think your backpack is?

“Bigger than my brother’s ego.”

Kelbi Pritchett

All photos by Ryan Ulrich

Feature

October 2020

w

Photo submitted by Thomas Power

Student Council Spotlight — Scout Hurley, Assistant Editor-in-Chief

An inside look at Student Council’s unending dedication and hard work.

Feature

Mandan High School has a plethora of clubs and extracurriculars.

One of these many clubs is Student council, where students can find connections, opportunities, and friendships.

Student council is a club at Mandan High School where students volunteer to do fundraisers and help organize events. The club meets about once a month to discuss and plan these events.

Many events that student council hosts can often go unseen.

They organize and host several of Mandan’s largest events, some of which are being canceled or postponed this year due to COVID-19.

They do hope to do a “mock” homecoming week this year, for they are not able to do pep rallies or large gatherings. There are also several other fundraisers and events planned for this year.

“Student Council has a lot to do with activities around the school! We plan homecoming each year along with the activities in homecoming week, but most people don’t realize all the community work we do like city clean up days or food drives.” co-president of Student council Thomas Power said.

Student Council is a great way to get involved and give back to your community. They do several fundraisers throughout the year, but homecoming is the biggest event that they host.

Each class at the high school has one student representative for their grade. Thomas Power is the senior student class president.

Power applied for student council his freshman year and has been in it ever since.

Earning a leadership position requires not only the admiration of your peers but the respect of faculty and staff as votes play a pivotal role in deciding representatives, but the fellow representatives also take into account someone’s previous contributions to the council.

Student council is a truly wonderful organization for students looking to express creativity while honing leadership skills, and developing strong intercommunity ties and friendships.

If you are interested in being a part of Student Council feel free to contact Mrs.Bouche in room 216!

October 2020

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The Future Of Mandan High Students

Professionals share their stories with students looking into their fields of work — Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief

Senior Shayla Newgard

“Over the last few years, I have been involved in a volunteer based program run through the police department. This program has made my respect for service members grow immensely. However, I have also realized I do not want to be a police officer, detective, lab scientist, ect. I love learning about the laws and charges, and I have always been good at arguing and getting my point across which has made me realize I want to be an attorney. I do not want to defend people I know should be put in prison, but I know I will have to work up to be a prosecuting attorney and take cases I may not want to. I think I have known that going into criminal justice/ law/political science has been something that I have wanted to do for a few years. I plan to attend BSC before I go to UND and law school. My post college plans are not fully decided, however I hope to intern at a law firm while I am finishing law school. I want to stay in ND, but depending on my family I would be willing to move.”

Attorney Meggi Ihland

“I began my undergraduate career at UND in the pre-physical therapy program. I came out of high school not knowing what I wanted to do, and I thought that may be an interesting career path. After my first semester, I realized biology and the medical sciences were not for me. I later took an interest in my American Government class and ended up switching my major to political science. That switch was the catalyst for me picking up criminal justice classes. I do not have any lawyers in my family, so the thought came completely organically. When it came to researching the job of an attorney, I realized that a successful attorney is a semi-expert in many areas outside of the law. I thought this would be the perfect career for a life-long learner. Being an attorney is a lot of work.

The amount of work and type of work will vary greatly, though, depending on the type of law you practice and whether you work private or for the State. I do mostly plaintiff work, which means I represent the injured or aggrieved person. With private practice comes working long hours and often working weekends. My job specifically involves a lot of writing, research, and public speaking.

Mentally, it can be exhausting, but if you love it, it is the best job. I completed 8 years of school total (5 years undergrad and 3 years law school). If an individual still has student loans, that is highly dependent on their specific financial situation and the law school he or she attended. Comparatively, the University of North Dakota School of Law, my Alma Mater, is reasonably priced and you still obtain a fantastic legal education. I knew a lot of law schools looked for that star GPA, so I made sure to have a very well-rounded resume to compensate. I ended up doing well in law school, I think because the subject matter really spoke to me. When you find what you love, it is much easier to study. I think my path was exactly as it was supposed to be. I encourage everyone to be open to new experiences and to change.”

Senior Isaiah Jasmann

“I have wanted to be a pastor since I was in the seventh grade. The church has helped me out in so many different ways, and some of the pastors there have impacted me tremendously. I want to help out others the way Evangel helped me. I plan on going to SEU online through a program at my Church called Midwest Leadership Center (MLC). Through that I will be doing online school and an internship in the course I choose (Youth Ministry). I’m excited to see what my future has in hold for me!”

Pastor Josh Skjoldal

“I did not know that I wanted to be a pastor until after I graduated from college at NDSU. My vocation was going one direction and my heart and passion were going another direction, so I did an internship at a local church and ministry opportunities kept coming up after that. There are different levels of pastoral education, so it can vary to some degree. I graduated from NDSU, but then completed 27 classes to become an ordained pastor in our denomination. I also have a Masters in Organizational Leadership, but that is not a requirement for being a pastor. We are in the middle of a major expansion project, so the biggest steps coming up for the church will be opening the new auditorium, lobby, and the coffee shop (Joyhouse Coffee). My biggest projects recently have been raising up a leadership team and establishing a new two-year vision plan, plus taking on a new leadership position in our network of churches and joining a couple of new boards. I would encourage you to sit down with someone and ask questions, start serving at your church or do a church internship. At Evangel, we have a program called the Midwest Leadership Center (MLC) which gives students both handson ministry experience and college credits through Southeastern University. I would have liked to know how expensive it was going to be! In all seriousness, I would have liked to know that it is okay to figure it out along the way. The most important thing is to end up doing what you actually want to be doing, instead of just sticking it out and staying committed to a career path that you do not really enjoy. Give yourself the grace to figure it out.”

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A Breakdown On The Ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic DO’S

• Two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric • Fits snug against nose and sides of one’s face • Wash or sanitize hands before and after use • Wash face covers frequently

DO NOT’S

• Purchase hard to breathe fabrics, such as vinyl • Exhalation valves or vents embedded in mask • Use N95 respirators or surgical masks • Put a mask on kids under two years old • Wear a standard scarf or bandana

The Benefits and Science Behind Wearing Masks Learning how to protect yourself during this pandemic — Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief

When COVID-19 was first discovered last year, the virus was unknown to man how it effects people's bodies. Scientists have worked hard to get a grasp on the Global Pandemic and are tryng to find a cure. In the meantime, health professionals recommend wearing masks to protect others.

The CDC (Centers of Disease Control) recommends “you wear masks in public settings around people who do not live in your household and when you can not stay 6 feet away from others.”

There are mask requirements in big companies, small businesses, restaurants, schools and offices all across the country ever since the country shut down in March and “reopened” this summer. According to the CDC, “the mask helps prevent a person who is sick from spreading the virus to others and helps keep respiratory droplets contained from reaching other people.”

Scientists have discovered that it is very common for carriers to be asymptomatic as well as pre-symptomatic, which means not showing signs of COVID-19 up to 14 days after contracting the virus. Studies upon studies have been conducted that have resulted in evidence that shows masks in fact protect the spread of COVID-19.

“One category of evidence comes from laboratory studies of respiratory droplets and the ability of various masks to block them in experiments using high-speed videos finding that hundreds of droplets ranging from 20 to 500 micrometers were generated when saying a simple phrase, but that nearly all these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered by a damp washcloth,” according to a research article, “Still Confused About Masks,” conducted by UCSF (University of CaliforniaSan Francisco).

According to The Conversation “Asymptomatic cases range from 18% to over 80% because estimates are still unclear.” It is impossible to determine whether certain people walking down the street are carrying COVID-19, which makes wearing a mask beneficial if everyone is abiding by the new protocols.

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October 2020

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A Possible Vaccine for COVID-19

The steps the FDA is taking to stop the spread of COVID-19 — Nathan Stramer, General Reporter

Creating a vaccine for a deadly disease is a very lengthy process.

“Drug development is sometimes described as a pipeline with compounds moving from early laboratory development to laboratory and animal testing to clinical trials in people,” Shawn Radcliffe said in his article “Here’s Exactly Where We Are with Vaccines and Treatments for COVID-19.”

A vaccine would take at least a few months if not longer to create.

Photo taken from Creative Commons “The drug is given to a small number of healthy people, and people with a disease to look for side effects to figure out the best dose,” Radcliffe said.

Scientists are moving as fast as they possibly can to figure out a working vaccine, or treatment for COVID-19.

According to the New York Times article, Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker, “Researchers are testing 40 vaccines in clinical trials on humans, and at least 92 preclinical vaccines are under active investigation on animals.” “An EUA allows doctors to use these drugs to treat people with COVID-19 even before the medications have gone through the formal FDA approval process.”

This could potentially be dangerous and cause side effects in clinical trial patients.

According to the FDA “All drugs have risks, and there may be additional risks when chloroquine phosphate or hydroxychloroquine sulfate are used for COVID-19. Risks associated with these drugs include serious heart rhythm problems, low blood sugar, anemia, worsening of seizures, neurology (brain) problems and retina (layer of eye tissue) damage that can cause vision problems.

The good outweighs the bad with a potential early release of a vaccine.

According to the FDA, “Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for investigational convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to fight COVID-19.”

“Based on scientific evidence available, the FDA concluded its decision may be effective in treating COVID-19, and that the known and potential benefits of the product outweigh the potential risks of the product.”

Making Sure One’s Mental Health Is Strong During This Time of Unknown Tips and tricks to help reduce one’s stress and anxiety — Aspen Jewkes, Opinion Editor The Global Pandemic has not only affected people’s physical health, but also their mental health. As COVID-19 cases increased, so did the depression rates. There are various factors that contributed to the increase of depression rates during COVID-19.

According to the Massachusetts General Hospital, “trauma from widespread disease, grief over losses of life, fear of getting sick, unprecedented physical distancing, financial concerns, loss of community and reduced access to caregivers” have all contributed to the depression rates increasing.

Not knowing what could happen next has caused many people to have an abundant amount of stress and anxiety along with fear about the unknown.

Ways According to the CDC, “fear and anxiety about a new disease and what could happen can be to Keep One’s overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.” “Public health actions, such as Mental Health Strong social distancing, can make people feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety.”

- Take deep breaths, stretch, Whether you are an introverted person, or an extroverted person, isolation can be hard for or meditate everyone. Quarantining can make people feel very closed off from the world, which makes it - Try to eat healthy well-balanced hard to stay positive during times of distress. meals “It was very hard for me to stay positive during quarantine, but I was able to find things that - Exercise regularly brought me joy and I had to give myself incentives in order to keep myself busy,” Junior Natalie - Get plenty of sleep Haroldson said.

- Make time to It is very important to find different ways to cope with stressful situations, so that your mental unwind health can stay strong.

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October 2020

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Quarantining During COVID-19 Ways to help one stay busy during quarantine — Aspen Jewkes, Opinion Editor Ways Many of us have spent several weeks quarantining this past year. After a few days, the to Stay Busy boredom starts to set in, and one may drive themself crazy.

During Quarantine: Quarantining can be very isolating, which can make people feel sad and alone. It is - Go on a walk important to keep oneself busy during times like these.

- Go on a bike ride According to the CDC, “one has to stay home for fourteen days after one’s last contact - Read a book with someone with COVID-19.”

- Do yoga Two weeks can be a lot to handle without leaving the house, because one might feel - Make breakfast, lunch and like they have already done everything possible. dinner According to the Department of Health, - Go on a drive “one may go on bike rides, walks, and hikes as long as one is by themselves.”

While it is important to make sure one is getting physical activity, it is also important to keep one’s mind busy.

According to Psychology Today, “It is important to focus on what one can control by limiting ones media intake and setting personal sceduele and goals.”

The important thing to keep in mind while quarentining is that it will not last forever.

Graphics made by Aspen Jewkes

The 2020 Election In North Dakota

Voting laws in North Dakota gives its residents multiple opportunities to be involved — Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief The 2020 election is one of many events to be drastically affected by the coronavirus.

The people are worried about how they will vote and when all the votes will be tallied.

Whoever wins the 2020 election will be taking on a boatload of responsibilities including the pandemic shutting down the country, social tension and economical and environmental issues.

Populated areas are struggling with how voting will go down, unlike North Dakota.

There is not a voter registration requirement as there is in every other state, and North Dakota also allows for no excuse absentee voting, which means any voter can request a Photo taken by Kelsie Hildebrand mail ballot without providing an excuse and early voting in many precincts.

“I think there should be no real concerns in North Dakota over voting opportunities, however, in other states voting is going to be more complicated,” Social Studies Teacher Kurt Miller said. “People need to be prepared for the election results not being finalized on election night like we are accustomed too.”

For in-person voting one can assume there will be mask requirements, social distancing and sanitation stations come November. People have accustomed to these protocols resulting in many midwestern states following a similar strategy as North Dakota with in-person voting and no excuse absentee voting.

“I think voting in person on election day will have similar precautions to the “new normal,” therefore, I agree with the laws of North Dakota that allow for no excuse absentee voting, early voting, and in-person voting,” Miller said. “I believe voting should be done in a manner that provides the easiest pathway to this very important democratic responsibility for each citizen.”

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October 2020

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Successful Photo submitted by Steven Nardello

Steven Nardello

These Mandan High School graduates went off to start their own successful businesses.

Tricia Arenz

Owner/Operator of Nardello’s Class of ‘12

Owner/Operator of Once Upon a Child Class of ‘92

What made you decide to follow the path that you did?

“The path I chose sparked from multiple avenues. First being that I come from a background of business owners and the idea of doing that always intrigued me. I always liked the idea of being my own boss and setting my own schedule. Also, I love to cook and have always had a passion for food.”

What is your favorite part of your job?

“I have a lot of aspects in my career that I love and without this job I would not be able to do. First off, the staff alone is absolutely incredible. I love working with them and they make my job so much fun! Also, the customers I meet and get to make food for. I have some of the best customers in the area and they are so supportive.”

What do you wish you would’ve known when you were in High School?

“I would honestly say that it is not what I wish I would have known. For me it is what I should have done. I missed out on a lot of opportunities at Mandan High that I wish I would have been a part of. Mandan offers a lot to help with your future and career choices but, unfortunately I was young and dumb.”

What has been the hardest part of opening your business?

“The hardest part for me at the time was my age. I was 19 years old when I opened Nardello’s. When it came to working with professionals or talking with banks it became a challenge to get over that hump of me being so young. They saw me as this kid with a big dream and no experience. I completely understand why they saw it that way but later, soon realized differently. It is now 7 years into owning this establishment and I think I did that!”

Anything else to add?

“I would like to add that I am truly grateful for the chance to do this with Mandan High Courier. I would love to thank Mandan High and its staff for everything they have done for me in my past and present. I would encourage everyone to follow their dreams and goals. Never let anyone tell you, you can’t do something and do not let them get in your way!“

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What made you decide to follow the path that you did?

“I saw a need for a children's resale store in Bismarck, and really felt like owning and running a store like this would be a good fit for me.”

How did Mandan High School help you get there, if at all?

“MHS prepared me well for college. I didn't struggle at all in college, and I give credit to MHS and its teachers for a lot of that.”

Did you go to college/what was your major?

“I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a masters degree in Industrial/Organizational psychology.”

Do you enjoy your job?

“I love my job and rarely have a day that I don't want to be at my store. However, I have a good store manager who runs the day to day and that allows me to have a lot of flexibility which is nice.”

What has been your biggest setback?

“There was a time shortly after the store opened when it was struggling and working capital (cash for the business) was low.”

Did you always know what you wanted to be?

“I always thought I would be a counselor of some type. I never really imagined I would own my own business.”

What do you want students at Mandan High School to know about you or your business ?

“I want everyone to know that you can buy "gently used" and it can still be really nice stuff. We are not a thrift store and have pretty high standards for what we buy and sell.”

Do you consider yourself successful?

“My store's sales have increased year over year since we opened 15 years ago, so the store is definitely a success. I am part of that success, but many others have contributed.

October 2020

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Alumni

— Scout Hurley, Assistant Editor-in-Chief

Chelsey Smith Owner/Operator of Chelsy Smith Cosmetics Class of ‘08

What made you decide to follow the path that you did?

“I’ve always loved being on stage and playing with makeup.

After graduating I went to school for theater and cosmetology.

Once I got married and started a family I wanted to be able to have my own career that I didn’t have to physically go into work for and be my own boss. I started being a traveling makeup artist on the weekends and joined an online makeup company. After our recent move to California I wanted something finally that was completely my own. Now I get to play with makeup and perform on a different type of stage, Facebook live, all while selling wigs and lashes online. Never did I think my love for these 2 things would combine quite in this way.”

Photo submitted by Sampson Hurley

Sampson Hurley Owner/Operator of Black Sheep Tattoo Class of ‘08

How has Mandan High School helped you get there, if at all?

What made you decide to follow the path that you did?

What is your favorite part of your job?

“My dad, not only artistically but financially and emotionally. Also my wife and siblings., they all put so much time into helping me open and run this place.”

“I was voted Most Likely to be Famous and did all of the high schools musicals and plays, along with speech. I would like to think I lived up to my yearbook title, just in a different way. 11k followers on Instagram and Facebook has become my audience. I attribute my ease in public speaking to my theater and speech background which MHS.”

“I guess I was naturally drawn to art my whole life because my dad is an artist, so I grew up copying a lot of his drawings. Until I acquired my own style.”

“When it comes specifically to my wig and lash business, I love being able to make people feel beautiful and give them confidence. With my influencing, I absolutely love creating specific looks. One of my looks was featured on Best Disney Halloween Makeup on the online publication Insider, so basically all of my dreams came true at that moment.”

What do you wish you would’ve been told in High School?

What do you wish you would’ve known when you were in High School?

“I wish I would have known to trust in my path. In high school it’s hard to imagine all of those moments are leading you and teaching you to be the person you will end up being.

But try and live in those moments and trust in them. Also, there’s a HUGE world out there, don’t be afraid to get out there and explore it.”

What has been the hardest part of opening your business?

“The most difficult part about starting my own business has been understanding that I’m going to fail, A LOT. It is just trusting that I am at least failing forward. I’ve really had to teach myself to give myself some grace. I’m very much solo in this business and when you’re doing it all mistakes will be made but it’s about learning from them and trying to never repeat them.”

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Who has been your biggest supporter?

“I wish someone would have told me to be more decisive, and not pursue too many things. Like to pursue one thing avidly instead of a bunch of things a little bit.”

What was the hardest part of opening your own business?

“The hardest part for me was the actual process of opening this place. It’s also a lot more stress and a lot more responsibility.”

How did Mandan High School help you get there, if at all?

‘‘Mandan High School was a major building block for my future. I learned a lot from experiences and education to help push me in that direction. Though I would like to say most importantly, some of the teachers had helped with that direction. They helped me see things in myself and importantly life, to help push me in certain directions. Most of which was advice or being outstanding figures to look up to. Still to date, I talk with a handful of them and have grown my relationships since.’’

October 2020

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The Effects of Marijuana

A look at our state marijuana laws and the effects of marijuana legalization.

— Daden Dolajak, General Reporter According to the CDC, “marijuana is the most used illegal drug users. in the United States with 37.6 million users in the past year.”

North Dakota voters rejected a marijuana legalization ballot but The legalization of medical marijuana have done a lot to help they will try for it again in 2020. North Dakota was the 25th state people by giving them a chance to treat To decriminalize marijuana. medical issues that they deal with.

Supporters of legalization argue that In North Dakota we have marijuana it eliminates the harms of marijuana decriminalization which means for first prohibition: the hundreds of thousands time offenders of possession there is no of arrests around the US, the racial criminal record prison or jail time for disparities behind those arrests, and most cases of possession . the billions of dollars that flow from A good reason marijuana is legalized the black market for illicit marijuana to for medicinal purposes is that it can drug cartels that then use the money for help chemotherapy patients through violent operations around the world. their treatment; treating the patients All of this, legalization advocates say, nausea and vomiting. It also can treat will outweigh any of the potential peoples insomnia and pains caused downsides such as increased cannabis from nerve damage. use.

According to the CDC, smoking Opponents, meanwhile, claim marijuana in any form can be harmful that legalization will enable a huge to lung tissue and can cause scarring marijuana industry that will market and damage to small blood vessels. the drug irresponsibly. They point to Being high all the time can have some America’s experiences with the alcohol Graphic by Daden Dolajak irreversible effect on ones mental and tobacco industries in particular, state. CDC said Marijuana specifically which have built their financial empires targets the part of the brain responsible for memory learning, in large part on some of the heaviest consumers of their products. attention, decision making, coordination emotions and reaction This could result in far more people using pot, even if it leads to time. negative health consequences.

Marijuana abuse affects developing brains more than fully Locally we have gained ground on the legalization of marijuana. developed brains. Also affecting heavy users more than moderate We now have a local dispensary in Bismarck. This facility is there for the distribution of legal medicinal marijuana.

This facility is helping a lot of people on their journey to treating different issues they may have.

With dispensaries selling legal marijuana people have a better safer way to access the drug.

Dispensaries will result in a great rise in the number of users around the nation.

This is the vary reason opposers decide they do not want to fully legalize marijuana.

Over time more studies will be available to show the affects of marijuana.

Photo sourced from creative commons

Protesting rally takes place to fight the prohibition of marijuana in Canada.

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October 2020

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Senior Aspen Jewkes swims the butterfly to round out her high school career.

Sophmore Josey Jackson flys through the water against BHS and Legacy.

Sports Spotlight: Girls’ Swim and Dive — Kelsie Hildebrand, Editor-in-Chief

Junior McKayla Limbo flips and tucks off the diving boards during meet against Century.

The girls’ swim and dive team strives to achieve their goals and implements better ways to stay fit and healthy. With a new head coach, the girls are working hard raising the standards for meets and competitions. Schoellkopf, being a diving coach, works hard to be involved on the swimming side whenever possible, which comes with becoming Head Coach.

“We are trying some new drills to work on dive execution,” Head Coach Claudia Schoellkopf said. “In swimming, we are working on some different focuses with heart rate and intensity.”

The 2020 season consists of many new seventh, eighth and ninth graders and a core leadership group consisting of nine returning state competitors.

“The team is very young with a lot of new swimmers, but we do have a lot of talent,” Junior Captain Abby Lembcke said. “The biggest goal for the team this year is to keep our team healthy and in the pool.”

Although the coronavirus has drastically changed the way one lives from day to day, people are trying to figure out what guidelines and precautions need to be taken in order to keep everyone safe.

It has been a process working out practices for all sports this fall season. Swim and dive has uncomfortable yet necessary protocols including masks and social distancing.

“This year we have had to assign lanes for athletes to stay there, and we have split athletes by their training groups and only go to the weight room once a week.” Schoellkopf said. “This season is going to be all about rolling with the punches (known as COVID) and working on overcoming challenges.”

Contamination of spectators and athletes with the virus are of the highest importance. Parents, grandparents and peers of studentathletes were hoping to be able to attend the girls’ meets, but unfortunately, there is limited seating available.

“Currently each athlete gets two admissions for each home meet, and one admission for another meets in Bismarck,” Schoellkopf said. “There are no spectators for meets with more than two teams, so we will need to live stream those events.”

Schoellkopf, with a lot on her plate, encourages her studentathletes everyday to work smarter, not harder.

“On the athletic side, we have some big goals for the team at WDA and State,” Schoellkopf said. “Our biggest goal is to always be a part of making Mandan Student Athletes better people.”

Junior Natalie Haroldson is first up in her relay swimming the backstroke.

All photos taken by Kelsie Hildebrand

Sports

October 2020

Junior Sydnee VanderVleit dives gracefully hoping to score high during meet against Century.

Sophmore Brooklyn Leingang swims the breastroke during her relay with her peers.

Junior Abby Lembcke glides through the water during her relay earing first place.

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Sports Roundup — Ryan Ulrich, Sports and News Editor

Girls’ Swim and Dive

The Girls Swim and Dive season would already be an interesting one, as it is the first year for new Head Coach Claudia Schoellkopf. However, the mindset of this season for both the new coach, and team is clear.

“As a new head coach, I am looking to grow the team and transition with some of the changes we are implementing in regards to practices,” Schoellkopf said. “We have a very young squad this year, which will mature and grow as we move through the season.”

This young squad will surely show promise this year as they continue to grow. However, that has not stopped them from already making a good impression on their new head coach.

“The team has really impressed me and the coaching staff in the pool, and in the weight room,” Schoellkopf said. “We had really good times and scores at the opening meet in Williston, so I hope we can build on those, and grow our state team from last year.”

Photo by Nathan Stramer

Photo by Ryan Ulrich

Senior Treys Tietz running past the defense for a big gain.

Senior Keaton Pritchett hitting a solid forehand.

Volleyball

Boys’ Tennis

The girls have started off their season strong, which has brought plenty to look forward to. The promise that the team shows, shines in more than just the stat sheet.

“I really like how well we mesh together, and everyone is very competitive and better yet selfless,” Head Coach Anna Folk said. “All our players excel at many different areas.”

What is key for the Braves are their returning varsity players from last year. This could help fuel an already promising start, to a bright finish for the team.

“We have quite a few varsity returners with lots of experience; Taylor Leingang leading in kills, Sydney Gustavsson in assists, and Piper Harris in digs, but so far we have had three matches, and there has been someone to step up each match,” Folk said.

“We have a really strong passing/defensive core, and we have been serving very tough the last few matches, so if we control those aspects of the game, our offense will really take off.”

With losing only two varsity players from last year, the Braves have plenty to build off of. This experience will help the team with achieving their big goals for this season.

“I think we learned a lot about several players towards the end of the season that will help us target specific weaknesses to improve on.” Head Coach Paul Christian said. “We want to continue to improve each day, and qualify for state as a team, for the first time in seven years.”

With this experience, the Braves have set themselves up with a promising start to the season. One that allows the team to always be able to compete hard on game days.

“I’ve been pleased with the performance of the team this far, as we have had some doubles teams really click, which has given us a chance to win every match so far,” Christian said. “We have several styles of players, which can be very helpful when trying to match up with the other teams.”

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October 2020

Sports

Girls’ Golf

Last year the Girls’ Golf team had a disappointing end to their season.

However, this has provided the team with plenty of motivation for the season.

“By not making it to the state tournament last year, we had a very disappointing end of the season,” Head Coach Dean Johs said.

This motivation to improve has seemed to pay off for the Braves. However, this success has paid off for both the team, and some individual golfers.

“So far we have been very successful finishing fourth, third, second, and second in our first four tournaments,” Johs said.

“Our top three have a shot at being all conference (top 10 in conference), and so far Anna Huettl is seventh, Aysia Mettler is tenth, and Deona Roehrich is thirteenth.”

Girls’ Cross Country

Last year the Girls Cross Country team finished 10th in state.

“Last season we had two seniors who were great leaders and role models for the rest of the team, and I can’t wait to see how our young team fills those roles this season,” Head Coach Hillary Feist said.

“Thanks to the previous role models, they are all hard workers who support each other and motivate each other to always do their best.”

With any young team comes the time to grow and develop. However, having that great leadership from last year’s seniors have put this team on the right track to improve.

“Our team has started the season off great,” Feist said. “All members of the team have improved their season time at least once and most of them twice, which means they have improved every meet so far.”

Photo by Leah Emineth

Photo by Aspen Jewkes

Senior Olivia Leingang getting ready to serve.

Dance

Last season the Braves had a quite young team. However, this youth has provided the team with plenty to build off of for this season.

“Near the end of last season, we placed in all four categories at Legacy’s invite,” Senior Allie Fleck said. “We didn’t lose any seniors, so we hope to build on that.”

However with this year being impacted by COVID-19, it has brought many changes for the team’s season. These changes are something that the team will have to adapt.

“With all the uncertainty, just being able to go to competitions will be a win,” Fleck said. “Corona has pushed us back, and not being able to have our first performance be Homecoming was hard.”

Sports

Football

Coming into this season, the Braves have lost a few key members from last season’s team. However, the team still has plenty of good from last season to build off of.

“Last year’s team helped to build the foundationally reality that if you play for each other as a team, success will follow,” Head Coach Todd Sheldon said. “The entire offensive line is all seniors, and have provided great leadership and drive.”

Having this strong foundation has allowed this team to have some success early on in the season. However, the mindset and what the team looks to lean on for the rest of the season is clear.

“The greatest strength of the team is the senior class, and we will go far as they will to us,” Sheldon said. “We have to prepare everyday with a level of energy that allows us to not only succeed, but also to thrive.”

Freshman Anna Huettl getting ready to hit her drive.

Boys’ Cross Country

This season the Braves are looking towards improving every day. This mindset helps the team to look at how to finish the season.

“I’d say the main goal right now is to get everyone prepared for state,” Junior Raine Skjod said. “The work we have put in so far really shows how hard we have been working to get ready for state.”

In order to make state, it takes more than just work. However, some other parts of the team will be crucial for postseason time.

“Even though we are a small team, we are doing the best at giving it our all,” Skjod said.

“This team may be small, but I feel like we are all a family.”

October 2020

Soccer

This season the Braves have a young team. This makes it clear for the Braves on what they have to focus on.

“One of the biggest takeaways for our team would definitely be improving our young players,” Senior Austin Horn said.

While this may be a young team, the Braves still have had some struggles during this season. However, these struggles have not derailed the mindset for the end of the season.

“We have had to face a lot of injuries and some people have been quarantined,” Horn said. “We are still looking everyday and get better as a team in order to keep improving.”

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Athlete of the Month — Ryan Ulrich, Sports and News Editor

Garret Schaefbauer What is your pre-game meal?

“Don’t eat, built different.”

What are your goals for this season?

“Make it to the State Championship.”

Who is your biggest role model?

“Skyler Bossert” Who is the team hype man?

“James is always pretty hype.”

Photo by Nathen Stramer

Senior Garret Schaefbauer running hard for the Braves.

Taylor Leingang

What is your pre-game meal?

“Celery and apple slices with peanut butter and a Gatorade Zero.”

What are your goals for this season?

“Finish top four in WDA, and make it back to state.”

What is your pump up song?

“WAP-Cardi B” What is your favorite saying?

“Let’r Buck”

Photo by Aspen Jewkes

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Senior Taylor Leingang making a play for the Braves.

October 2020

Sports