Page 8 & 9
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THE
MHS
WHAT’S INSIDE? Editorial/Opinion 2-4
Kat’s Chat News 5-7
Student Life 8-13
Sports 14-15
C
Page 12 Volume 21, Issue 1 October 2012
URIER
MHS vocational wing suffers costly water damage
Kaitlyn Schelske & Hannah Schlosser
Feature Editor & Op/Ed Editor
Mandan High School students received a call early Wednesday Oct. 10, morning regarding no school due to a water main break that flooded the vocational wing. Results from the break included $250,000 in repairs and cleanup, temporarily relocated classrooms, and rescheduling of MHS theater’s fall play, “While the Lights Were Out.” One of the main water lines to MHS had a hole about four inches wide, approximately the size of a fist. This caused around 125,000-150,000 gallons of water to flood the vocational classrooms of the school and the auditorium pit. “The cost to make repairs will run around $200,000-250,000.” said principal Mark Andresen. Most of the cost will be spent towards installing new sheetrock, carpet and tiles in the affected classrooms, sanitizing and restoring damage to the auditorium pit. Damage repairs will continue over the next several weeks according to Andresen. “Insurance will cover most of the cost and the district will pay for the fixing of the main.” said Andresen. While there is a threat about an outbreak of asbestos, a mineral harmful to
humans, the chances of it being released are relatively slim. “The school is safe as minimal issues or concerns exist as professional cleaners are taking care of issues,” said Andresen. The student performance for the fall play was officially cancelled, and general performances postponed for a later date. ”We’ve put a lot of hard work into it and everyone was really devastated when we heard of the possibility of it not happening,” said senior Beth Bennett. “But now we’re really pumped to go out and give it all we’ve got. It’ll be a good show.” Performances are now scheduled for Oct. 26th, 27th at 7:30 p.m. and the 28th at 2:30 p.m in the MHS Auditorium.
Two days after school was canceled because of the break, there was still water in the underground tunnels.
MHS Courier
Editorial
October, 2
Small staff is a big problem
Easy
Medium
Hard
From brainstorming article ideas to covering the latest ins and outs of Mandan High School, the Courier staff works really hard at keeping our school up-to-date. We give up much of our personal time to produce our paper and it’s only fair that the students appreciate what the Courier has to offer. But that’s not the case. Instead of receiving positive feedback we’d hoped for at the changes we made in the Homecoming Edition, we received criticism from some of the student body regarding its size, printing quality, too many words and not enough pictures. There’s only so much we can accomplish with a staff of six people. Compared to years past, where there have been 12 to 15 people, capable of producing a 32 page paper. Producing a good paper requires the dedication of its staff. As a staff member, we each report, interview, take pictures, peer edit, and design pages to produce the final product. We also sell advertisements to businesses which funds the paper. This year we just don’t have enough manpower to produce what MHS deserves in a paper. With such a small staff, writing and delivering the news to MHS can become
quite challenging to do, but with help, more is possible. MHS students can help to improve the paper simply by contribution. If some of the MHS students want to help improve and make the Courier less “lame,” we will be accepting work from freelance writers, which are writers who are not committed to the Courier but can write articles independently. For each paper, we will be featuring students’ work such as essays, stories and artwork. The Courier will accept student work and showcase it in our ‘Student Spotlight’ section. This will be a way students can add something different to the paper and be recognized. Another way to help out is by joining the Courier. If you’re interested, sign up for Journalism I. You may be interested if you like photography, writing, and knowing the facts first. Then, if journalism fits your liking, sign up for Journalism II, the Courier. With extra help, the Courier can produce more pages full of entertainment to satisfy our student body.
For more information about the Courier, see Ms. Sagaser in room 221, or contact us on Facebook.
Courier Staff and Editorial Policy Editor-in-Chief..................Kat Schmidt News Editor.......................Kaytlyn Fleck Sports Editor.....................Mariah Fredericks Features Editor..................Kaitlyn Schelske Design Editor....................Morgan Brinkman Editoral Editor...................Hannah Schlosser Adviser..............................Hannah Sagaser The Courier is a news/feature newspaper that is published throughout the school year. As an open forum for student expression, all content online and in print is decided and moderated by student editors. The staff welcomes letters, articles, submissions, of any student, faculty, or community interest. Submissions may be turned into the Courier, room 221, or by message to the Courier Facebook page. 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 any Courier representative if interested in advertising.
Editorial
MHS Courier
October, 3
RUNNING AMUCK Kaytlyn This summer I moved from a nice, cute unicorns-and-rainbows area of town to a trashy, sketchy neighborhood. Let’s just say I live in one of those neighborhoods that the children don’t have a playground so they play right smack dab in the middle of the street. I can’t even drive my car in our neighborhood over five miles an hour for fear of hitting someone. Even if you stop in front of them and wait for them to move, they just stand there and look at you like you’re crazy for driving your car in the middle of their “playground.” It makes me wonder “Where are their parents?” Obviously, right in the middle of the street with them because it has happened with the adults as well. Clearly stupidity runs in the family or should I say in the streets...
Morgan
Being a photographer has it’s perks. I can take pictures all the time and meet new people during shoots. It’s my favorite thing to do. But there’s one downfall. Lately I’ve been jokingly asked to take mostly nude pictures of my classmates with their friends. I accept that yes, this is funny, but it has gone too far. I do not take pictures like that, nor do I intend to. Please understand that continuing with an idea like that is just awkward for everyone. There’s a lot you can do with your digital camera and a timer.
Kat
This summer I made it my mission to make my horse, Scout, rideable. It sounds simple, but it takes a lot more then throwing a saddle on and a “giddy-up yeehaw!” After a few months of training I’m beginning to see a stubborn streak in him. He doesn’t always like to listen to me, so his way of making me leave him alone is to buck me off. Oh wait, let me correct myself, TRY to buck me off. Too bad he can’t just tell me to get off; seems like a “Kat” has got his tongue!
Mariah
Dear underclassmen, I am terribly sorry that I am so incapable of walking through the halls. As a senior, I should have mastered the art of hallway walkinglong ago. To that guy coming in the gym doors, and those two guys going out, I am sorry I made a weird serpentine split between you. To the girl that I ran backwards into, I occasionally walk backwards; my apologies. And finally, to the person whose shoulders I grabbed, I simply was trying to solve our awkward run-in by moving you myself and I am sorry if this seemed rude. The moral of the story is, if you see me walking down the hallway steer clear unless you need a helping of high school awkwardness. Happy Awk-tober everyone.
Hannah
Now that I’m 16, I’m almost an adult (not really). This brings on more maturity and more responsibility. Well, it’s supposed to at least. I still enjoy the things I once did when I was young and spry, though. Spongebob and Scooby Doo are definitely on my daily agenda. I love to color, and juice boxes are just as delicious as ever. I continue to wish for naptime and I even check under my bed for monsters at night. I’m positive I’m not the only one who’s this passionate about childhood awesomeness. So, to the old man giving me the stink-eye while I’m buying Play Doh - YOLO.
Schelske
DEER. They are everywhere. Standing in the middle of the road, surrounding my house, easily taunting me. Sometimes, they stand in the middle of the road going to my house, just staring me down! The only reason they are allowed to live on the premises surrounding my home is because it’s on state park land, and they’re protected. They somehow know that both my family and I are hunters and because they know that we hunt, they have now increased in numbers surrounding my house just to annoy me. But just to warn them, when November comes, all of their little friends who live in Bottineau will not be so lucky!
Editorial
MHS Courier
Kat’s Chat Kat Schmidt
Editor-in-Chief
Cowboys with cowboy hats, athletes with baseball bats, and everybody else with their little knick-knacks. Okay, I’m done with the poetry, but my point is we all have objects that describe who we are in high school. With the new yearbook picture rule, we can’t flaunt what makes us who we are; instead, we’re simply submitting our more sophisticated “mug-shots.” So what does the MHS “mug-shot” consist of? It is exactly this: a head-andshoulder shot with the face centered. No hats, hoods, sunglasses, other people, pets, vehicles, weapons, tobacco products, hands covering any part of face, fade or reflection effects, drawings, caricatures, inappropriate poses, or extreme close ups. Holy cow, is that a mouthful! All I see is a bunch of “You can’t do this and you can’t do that.” What’s next? Uniforms?
Kaytlyn Fleck
I’ve given this rule some thought. I understand why we can’t have weapons, tobacco products, sunglasses, other people, and vehicles in the picture because it puts more distance away from our faces. All of this is just my opinion, but in order to get to the bottom of this rule change I went straight to the source, Asst. Principal D’Aulan Bussman. She said the rule has been changing every year. The biggest reason for the policy constantly changing is because students in previous years took advantage of its leniency. She adjusted the policy by adding in pieces of policies from yearbooks in other schools. By putting this rule in place, it eliminates poor quality pictures and promotes pictures that show our faces. Bottom line, they just want to see our faces. I understand that, but our faces can still be seen even if there are hats or objects in the pictures. I think hats should be allowed as long as our faces are clear and visible. I am 99.99 percent positive that no guy with a receding hairline will want that to be seen; instead, they might want
October, 4 their fancy black cowboy hat which shows personality and covers up that used-to-be hairline! Because we’re not allowed to wear hats in school, they aren’t allowed in our senior pictures. But what about the pictures from school events where students are wearing hats? The rule contradicts itself. And as for students who already took their senior pictures and paid big bucks for them, the only solution offered by administration was to have Phyne Photography take their pictures accordingly for 10 dollars on Wednesday Oct. 24, 2012. After talking with Bussman, my opinion has changed, slightly. I see from a yearbook staff member’s point of view that it makes cropping pictures much simpler, but from a student’s point of view I feel as if it is stripping us from our identity. The leash has been tightened just a little bit too much. I say, if our faces are clearly visible and identifiable, senior pictures will be nice and the student body will be content.
School lunch changes not positive
News Editor
As we all know, the school district’s lunch policies have changed according to federal regulations. The new lunch has lower sodium levels and you are now required to take at least one serving of fruits or veggies. Changes in breads and grains were also put fourth. The change in school lunches came about after President Barack Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. I don’t eat lunch at the school often, but recently I chose to eat here. In my personal opinion, I don’t think the changes are as bad as they are made out to be, but I just think they are going to be difficult to implement. We are now required to take one fruit or vegetable and I am not a fan of that. I like certain fruits and absolutely despise certain vegetables, so if I don’t like any of the fruits or vegetables offered, I’m in trouble. I can take it just so that I won’t get in trouble, but I think its a
waste because I know I won’t eat it. Last week, I realized just how much the sodium levels had changed in the food since years past. I had a pizza slice, not because I wanted it, but because it was the
Tray of lasagna, corn, mixed fruit and chocolate milk. only thing left. I knew of the sodium level changes, so I was already worried. After a few bites, I began to have a very chalky taste in my mouth. The taste and texture of it was very unusual to me. Since I was hungry, I continued to eat but without a smile on my face. I didn’t
finish it, simply because I just couldn’t handle it anymore and I didn’t want to get sick. Before this, I hadn’t really noticed anything different pertaining to the sodium levels, but now I realize how big the change really is. We can’t blame the school for these changes though. They didn’t have a choice. The school was required by the USDA to make them. I believe the USDA had a good thought in mind when they made this decision. It’s very enforceable with elementary school kids because they obviously can’t leave the school for lunch, but with high school kids I think it is just going to lead them to eat unhealthier anyways. If a student doesn’t like the food offered here then their alternative option will be to go out to eat at, more than likely, a fast food restaurant. I think that the intent behind this plan was good, but unfortunately, I don’t think it is working.
MHS Courier
News
October, 5
October, 6 News Alternative school lives up to expectations
MHS Courier
Kaytlyn Fleck News Editor
This school year marked the start of the beginning of Mandan High School’s alternative school program. According to Superintendent Mike Bitz and Vice Perry Principal Just, the alternative school has been meeting the expectations that have been set for it. “Our expectation was to serve more students and we have,” said Bitz. The school year started off with 19 students enrolled, but now there are only 16. “Unfortunately, we have had to drop three students for various reasons. Some are out of their control, some it was more of a transfer, others were having trouble making it here,” said Just. Bitz also explained that last year at South Central High School the students ended the year with a total of 44 credits after 36 weeks. So far, the students at the alternative school have earned a total of seven credits. Just estimated that if the students keep going at this pace, they will get the amount of credits in 24 weeks that the South Central High School got in 36. Students meet with teachers Monday through Thursday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. to do their school work in the Brave Cen-
Junior Class We will be having our first meeting to discuss Snoball on October 28th at 7:00 AM in room G-76. ND State Assessment testing on Tuesday Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, 2012.
ACT Registration ACT testing registration deadline is Friday Nov. 2nd and a late fee will be required for students who register on Nov. 3-16, 2012 for the test which is to be held on Dec. 8, 2012
Musical
Auditons for this year’s Musical Bye Bye Birdie will be held Nov. 7 from 4-6 p.m. and on Nov. 8 from 6-8 p.m. Be prepared to sing! An accompanist will be provided.
ter. Students are taught using Odysseyware and are also given packets of work to do and are given tests afterwards. The program is very much an independent study with teachers there if the students need some help. Students in the program only work on a few classes at one time. To get into this program students have to go through an application process. Just said that to get in a student must have a willingness to graduate. Bitz and Just both explained that the students who are in this program are smart, but the regular school setting wasn’t right for them. “Most students do not drop out because they are not smart enough to graduate; they drop out because they are having difficulty balancing school, work, and their social lives,” said Bitz One of the biggest things Bitz and Just believe the alternative school will do for MHS is increase graduation rates. According to Bitz, our graduation rate over the last three years has varied between 79 and 84 percent which is just below the state average of 85 percent. Both Bitz and Just stated that the program is aimed at helping make it
News Roundup Senior Class There will be a meeting Nov. 26 and all seniors are to report to the Auditorium in the last 20 minutes of their English classes, if you do not have an English class you are to report to the Auditorium sometime between 1-8 period. You will be given your packet at the meeting and you will need to return it to Mrs. Saur by Dec. 2. Senior Annoucements: A group of seniors designed the pre-made senior announcements. If you wish to have them instead of your own designed announcment, these will be in the packets with the Jostens’ orders.
easier for the students enrolled in it to be successful. “We want every student to leave Mandan High School with a high school diploma,” said Bitz. Bitz stressed the importance of graduating to a person’s life. “For every kid that leaves with a high school diploma, we hope it will make a difference in their life and open doors for them and give them more options,” said Bitz. Prior to this year Mandan was the only Class A school that didn’t have an alternative school program. Instead, our district joined with the Bismarck Schools and sent those students to South Central High School. Unfortunately, in doing that we could only send a certain number of students to South Central High School. “Sending twelve students to South Central cost the district over $100,000,” said Just. “If these kids can work at the same or better pace over here without paying [as much] money it only makes sense,” said Just. For the future , the school district wants to investigate on what can be done with GED possibilites for students whom to a high school diploma is out of their reach.
Courier The MHS Courier will be attending the 2012 National NIPA convention in San Antonio, TX Nov. 15-18.
School Play
The school play, “While the Lights Were Out,” has been rescheduled, due to the water mane break, for this weekend starting with and opening show on Friday Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. There will also be shows on Saturday Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Oct. 28 at 2:30 p.m.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on Monday Nov. 5, 2012 from 5:30 p.m to 9 p.m and on Nov. 6, 2012 from 4 p.m to 7:30 p.m.
News
MHS Courier
October, 7
New elementary school for NW Mandan Morgan Brinkman
Design & Photo Editor
Mandan’s new Kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school bond passed Sept. 25. The new school will educate up to 300 students when finished in August of 2014. The proposed cost for the bond is set at $12.5 million but hopes are to build the school for less than the amount actually proposed. The school will have two classrooms for each grade and the option of expanding if needed, according to Superintendent Mike Bitz. The school will be located at the intersection of 37th Ave NW and Lewis Road on a 30 acre lot owned by the school. Six of the 30 acres will be sold to a developer so that lots can be developed and new homes can be built next to the school. The area was chosen because as many as 250 elementary students live in Kat Schmidt
the North West part of Mandan and there is open space to build. Those students that may be going a ways away to get to school would be able to have a school much closer to them.
Upper left: Lot for school. Lower right: Mandan Middle School. Bottom center: Seven Seas Hotel. Bitz said that people saw the need for a new school and is very appreciative
of the 78 percent majority vote. He said he didn’t expect the outcome. He also said that the community needs the school for couple different reasons. “The birth rates since 2005 have dramatically increased,” Bitz said. “Those kids are now first and second graders.” Also, the economy is growing enough in North Dakota that more people are moving here with their kids. The new school will offer 30 to 40 part-time and full-time jobs for teachers and staff members. To ensure the new school has the best advancements and structure, Bitz and a small group of administrators will be touring other new elementary schools in Bismarck and West Fargo to see what they can learn from the other schools’ mistakes and what works best. Bitz said he has a major goal in mind for the new school: “To design a school for now and the future.”
We’re not making this up!
Editor-in-Chief
Woman turned in for riding wild manatee A woman turned herself in to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for touching and riding a manatee in Fort De Soto Park in Penellas, Fla. The woman told police that she didn’t know it was against the law, according to the report. Although what she did was a second-degree misdemeanor, she was not arrested. usnews.nbcnews.com
Woman charged with DUI of hand sanitizer
A Connecticut woman fails sobriety test after drinking half a bottle of hand sanitizer. Middletown police stopped the woman after seeing her speed around a corner, spin out of control and almost hit another vehicle. Before the sobriety test she didn’t admit to any drinking, but her blood alcohol level of .1764 proved otherwise. nbcnewyork.com
Teen sells mother’s jewels for brothel visit
Mystery eyeball found on shore
A German teenager pawned his mother’s jewelry for 300 euros ($380) to pay for two trips to a brothel for himself and a friend, said German police. The jewelry was worth between 2,000 and 3,000 euros ($2,500-$3,800). The teenager’s mother is pressing theft charges against her son, according to police spokesman Ralf Minet.
A blue, softball sized eyeball washed up on Pompano Beach, Fla., north of Fort Lauderdale and was found on Oct 10. The blue eyeball may have come from a deep sea squid or a large swordfish, according to assistant professor Heather Bracken-Grissom at Florida International University in Miami. She says that squid eyes can be soccer ball sized and easily dislodge. news.yahoo.com
A man in Holland Township, Mich. is believed to have started the fire that demolished eight units and damaged two dozen other units at an apartment complex while using a propane torch to cook a squirrel for lunch. He was using the torch to burn the squirrel’s fur off when the deck of his third floor apartment caught on fire “That’s about as off-the-wall as it gets,” Plainfield Township Fire Chief David Peterson said. usnews.nbcnews.com
Bert Bowman, who owns a farm in Brooklyn Park, MInn., has planted pink pumpkins as a way of showing his support for Breast Cancer Awareness month. “There’s a lot of pumpkin farmers out there, but not a lot of pink ones,” Bouwman said. About 50 vegetable growers nationally were a part of the campaign. Farmers who bought the seeds had to sign a contract pledging to give 25 cents from every pink pumpkin to breast cancer research. upi.com
reuters.com Man cooking squirrel sparks fire
Farmer grows pink pumpkins
Kaytlyn Fleck & Morgan Brinkman
News Editor & Design/Photo Editor
Instructions to Voters:
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Presidental C
Mitt Romney
The 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate is former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney. Romney began his career in business and started an investment firm, Bain Capital, in 1984. He again showed his leadership by taking charge of the 2002 Olympics. According to mittromney.com, one of the big goals in Romney’s campaign is to restore 12 million jobs to the American people in his first term with his five point plan. Achieving energy independence for the U.S. is the first part of the plan. Secondly, to make it easier for Americans to gain skills and compete for jobs. Then to increase trade internationally by fixing issues of unfair trade practices. Next, is to cut the deficit and reduce the size of the government. Finally is to give small businesses more chance to succeed by reducing taxes, regulations, and protecting them from harmful labor union practices. Romney’s plan for healthcare primarily includes repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a plan that “controls cost and improves care.“
Gary Johnson http://www.garyjohnson2012.com
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Get the inside scoop on the 2012 elections
ta Candidates
Another competive part of the election, is the tion for the North Dakota U.S. Senate seat. The 2012 mocratic candidate for the senate is Heidi Heitkamp. kamp served as the North Dakota is the former state rney general. Heidi was also one of the chief negotiain the national settlement with tobacco companies. di passed a ballot referendum in 2008 that required more money to keep kids from using cigarettes and e her measure passed numbers for teen smoking in h Dakota have dropped, according to Heitkamp’s site.
Representative Rick Berg
Bring your patience hat! You may have to wait. To vote, bring an ID that has your current address and date of birth.
http://www.bergfornorthdakota.com
ndidate for the senate is ving as our senator in the n Washington D.C. Berg a House of Representad as majority leader and lans to lower taxes and cultural and natural releader, North Dakota exowth, including business new jobs.
North Dakota requires that you must be a US citizen, a ND resident, and have lived in your precinct for at least 30 days. When voting, use a black or blue inked pen and fill your ovals in completely.
Candidates
If you make a mistake, ask a voting official for a new ballot.
President Barack Obama http://www.whitehouse.gov
The 2012 Libertarian Presidential Candidate is New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson. Governor n is expected to play a major role as a potential candidate, but unlike past third party candidates, kely to pull votes from both Romney and Obama. ing to the www.dailercaller.com, recent polls put near six percent nationally, and up to ten percent wing state of Ohio. Key issues that Johnson supports are balancing dget in his first year, drawing down forces in the East, the legalizing marijuana, abolishing the tional Revenue Service, IRS, and implementing a mption tax. Johnson believes that Obamacare unconstitutional uld repeal the plan if elected. Johnson’s likability stems from his ability to get arties to work together during his two successms in New Mexico. He vetoed over 270 bills in his m, which was more than the other 49 governors ned. By the time he left office, he was able to turn e economy around, leaving office with over one dollar surplus.
Voting Tips
The 2012 Democratic Presidential Candidate is President Barack Obama. In 2004, Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate. During his time holding that office he did work with gun control and brought clarity to government by making it possible to track government spending online. Obama was then elected to the presidency in 2008. According to his website, during his term there were 31 straight months of job growth adding 5.2 million private sector jobs, including 459,000 manufacturing jobs. This has been the most growth since 1997. In his second term, he plans to double exports from the U.S and create four million jobs. He plans to eliminate tax breaks for companies that ship overseas and instead provide incentives for companies that create jobs in America. President Obama, if re-elected, also wants to make sure that all tax cuts for the middle class are made permanent. In his first term, President Obama has saved the average American $3,600 in taxes.
MHS Courier
Student Life
October, 10
MHS Courier
Student Spotlight is a chance to feature MHS students and their work. Whether it’s essay to poems to art work, the Courier is here to help your work to be recognized. Submissions can be emailed to mhscourier@gmail.com or contact a Courier staff member.
: The zombie apocalypse is a growing phenomenon around the world and it’s still a controversial topic in the classrooms of Mandan High School. During a recent survey of 131 MHS students, 49 percent said that they believe a zombie apocalypse will happen. When asked about strategies to survive, 78 percent of zombie apocalypse believers said they would prefer to be on the move rather than to stay in one spot. Senior Erron Collins said, “Zombies tend to travel in packs. If you’re stationary for any period of time, you’re allowing for an ambush.”
Student Life
Sophomore Leyton Kleinjan said, “Zombies are slow; you can outrun them. If you stay in one place, you’ll get cornered.” Most of the students, 90 percent, said they prefer to travel in a group rather than traveling alone. When they had to explain their reasoning, most students said they would be too afraid to travel alone. Sophomore Aleishea Larson said, “Companionship is vital. Loneliness will cause a person to go weak.” Another reason students prefer to travel in groups is to ensure their safety. Numerous students said that by traveling in a group, zombies will be less likely to attack. Senior Todd Keller said, “Groups are like wolf packs: numbers equal protection.” Some students said it’s easier to stay alive in a group because if the zombies attack, they could push/trip someone next to them causing the zombies to go after the fallen instead of themselves. Although the majority chose to travel in a group, a few MHS students said they prefer to travel alone. Sophomore Jared Walters said, “By traveling alone, I can move at my own pace and not be held up.” Senior Ashley Mormann said, “Someone traveling in the same group as me could turn into a zombie and start at-
October, 11
tacking all of us.” When asked to choose a weapon of their choice, the most common answers were machine guns, machetes, and 12 gauge shotguns. Many students mentioned quieter weapons that won’t draw attention to other zombies such as bats, axes, and sharp knives. The students who believe in the zombie apocalypse were asked to list any kind of movies, video games, etc. that influenced them to believe in zombies. The most common was Call of Duty and Resident Evil (video games), Zombieland and Dawn of the Dead (movies), and the television series on AMC called “The Walking Dead.” On the other hand, 51 percent said they do not believe in the zombie apocalypse. Most of these students said that zombies aren’t real and they never will be. Sophomore Hannah Jacobsen said, “There aren’t any facts to explain how an apocalypse is possible.” Many of the 51 percent also stated that believing in an event that will never happen is “stupid.” Sophomore Colton M. said, “A zombie apocalypse is a fictional event used for entertainment purposes only.”
MHS Courier
Kat Schmidt
Student Life
October, 12
Gross bodily functions play a vital role in keeping us alive
Editor-in-Chief
“B
eans, beans, the magical fruit! The more you eat, the more you toot!” Remember hearing that phrase? It can be funny, but it’s not entirely true; beans are not fruits, but what is true is that the more beans one eats, the more they will toot. Passing gas can be unpleasant, but the real truth is that some of the most unpleasant parts of our bodily functions are the most important. Gas, also known as flatulence, leaves the body in two ways: burping and flatus. According to the WebMD article “Gas (Flatus)-Topic Overview,” passing gas six to 20 times a day is normal. So what causes people to pass gas? Commonly, swallowed air can cause gas, whether it is burped up or passes through the digestive tract and released as flatus. According to the WebMD article “The Digestive System and Gas,” gas can be produced by the bacteria in the large intestine helping digest the food eaten. Gas can be prevented by changing eating and drinking habits. Eating healthier will keep flatulence levels to a minimum. The foods that efficiently make passing gas dangerously stinky, according to the KidzWorld article “The Science of Farting,” are cauliflower, eggs, and meat. But those are just a few of the culprits causing gas. Although these foods can cause gas, it is still important to eat them to get essential nutrients.
A person is bor n with about two to four million sweat glands. Sweating is an involuntary reaction, according to MD Wellness, like when it is hot outside, a person perspires. Sweating occurs for a number of reasons whether it’s to cool off, or in response to situations that cause nervousness, anger, embarrassment, or fear.
Sweat, also known as perspiration, is the body’s tactic of cooling itself. How much sweat a person produces depends on the amount of sweat glands present. On average, according to MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, a person is born with about two to four million sweat glands. About 500,000 of those are on our feet producing more than a pint a day on average according to the Discovery Fit & Health article “Why Do Feet Stink.”
too large for the lungs should get caught in the slimy mucus lining of the nose; it acts as a flypaper to stop any unwanted particles. It contains antibodies that help the body identify invaders like bacteria and viruses, enzymes that kill the invaders
It is healthy to have some... too much may be har mful. it traps. That is why when a person has a cold, they have a runny nose; more mucus is being produced to flush out those invaders. Mucus also acts as a moisturizer to keep underlying tissues from drying out. When this gooey lining dries out, it becomes what we know as “boogers.” Functioning a lot like mucus, earwax, also known as cerumen, lines and protects the ear canal. Unlike Shrek, who can pull out a candle of earwax and light it, ours is much different.
E
The sweat glands become fully active when puberty kicks in. Sweat glands begin to secrete chemicals that cause bacteria to grow, producing an odor. According to the article “Why Do Feet Stink,” the odor is actually from bacteria on the skin eating the sweat and excreting waste which has a strong smell to it. Speaking of smells, what better place to smell something than in the nose. In the nose is mucus, or in blunt terms, snot. According to the WebMD article “The Truth About Mucus,” we have mucus in our nose, mouth, throat, gastrointestinal tract, and the lungs. Our bodies have a lot of mucus, although sometimes we wish we had much less, but mucus plays an important role in the human body.
M
ucus is in the nose for the pro tection of the lungs. Any particles inhaled
arwax protects and moisturizes the ear canal, contains chemicals that fight off infections, and acts as a shield to prevent large particles from the outside world from reaching the eardrum according to the KidsHealth article “What’s Earwax.” Although it is healthy to have some earwax, too much can be harmful. Excess earwax can lead to a blockage which is where earwax gets pushed deeper into the ear canal by shoving and sticking narrow objects in the ear. According to the eMedicineHealth article “Earwax,” blockages affect about six percent of people and are the most common ear problems. Most if not all high schools students are not doctors, therefore it doesn’t take a doctor to know that flatulence, sweat, mucus, and earwax are gross. These bodily functions are everything but delightful, but they play a vital role in carrying out special bodily processes. Without these normal but raunchy parts of the body, life as we know it would not be possible.
Student Life
MHS Courier
October, 13
Does That Make Me Crazy? Kat Schmidt & Mariah Fredericks
Editor-in-Chief & Sports Editor
phobic in the little bathrooms. Does that make me crazy? ~Wheelchair Sympathiser
I still eat baby cereal. I love it and it is good tasting. I still secretly buy it. Does that make me crazy? ~Gerber Grubber
MARIAH: The fact that you only do this in school is a little crazy. If it were me, I would do it in public more. It’s a nice thought though!
MARIAH: Maybe it’s because baby food is completely repulsive to me but I find this a little crazy. Mushed up peas, pureed yams and carrots? Gross.
KAT: Yes, that makes you totally cray! It’s nice that you are thinking about the girls in wheelchairs, but that is completely backwards. It shouldn’t make a difference which stall you go in. No matter what, there’s still a toilet to use when duty calls.
KAT: Baby cereal is good. I don’t blame you for loving it, because I still secretly buy it too. Don’t worry, you’re not crazy!
I can’t go to the wheelchair bathroom in school just in case there’s someone who needs it, even when there are no girls in wheelchairs at school, but when I’m in public, I get claustro-
Flow of the Month
Senior Brady Zittleman 1) What is your technique? Depends on the day, actually. If I have time and no morning activities, I can use my special cap and allow the hair to dry completely underneath; that’s when she looks her best.
2) What benefits does “The Flow” offer?
Girls ask to touch the hair, “Oh it’s sooo soft!”, and just a confidence booster knowing that you have great hair.
3) Is it an efficient chic-magnet?
I don’t know, you tell me ;)
curing your craving with Skittles. I see no craziness here. KAT: If it makes you happy, go for it! Although, I do find it a bit odd that eating rainbow colored fruit roll-ups makes watching “The Wizard of Oz” enjoyable for you, but you are definitely not crazy!
It irritates me when I go to brush my teeth and I spit and it gets on my sweatshirt strings or hair. Does that make me crazy? ~Splashy Spitter
MARIAH: Splashy, NO one likes to get toothpaste spit on themselves. The only I like eating rainbow colored fruit way you’d be crazy is if you LIKED it.
roll-ups while I watch “The Wizard of Oz.” Does that make me crazy? ~Rainbow Wizard
MARIAH: Obviously the colors in The Wizard of Oz make you want to literally “taste the rainbow”; I’m just surprised you’re not
Noob of the Month
Freshman Jayden Krush 1) How big is your Freshman pack? The people I hang out with? About 7.
2) How does it feel to be a noob? It doesn’t feel so bad because none of the older kids treat you bad and I just go with the flow, I’m not one to attract attention.
3) What’s your most embarrassing moment so far?
Mistaking a guy with long hair as a girl in the bathroom.
KAT: I would be irritated too if that happened to me as often as it’s happening to you. Maybe next time try brushing your teeth BEFORE you get ready. so you don’t have embarrassing toothpaste marks all over! So don’t worry, you’re not crazy!
Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook by searching Courier! Keep up-to-date, browse through pictures, and let us know your opinion by following our Facebook page! Student submissions can also be entered simply by sending us a message or through email at mhscourier@gmail.com. Dr. Brad R. Roshau
1715 Burnt Boat Drive Bismarck, ND 58503 701-221-2600 “Promoting a better quality of life.” www.roshauwellness.com Family Health Constead Chiropractic Wellness Practitioner
Cappuccino On Collins 105 Collins Ave Mandan, ND 58554 (701) 667-1979 Hours: Mon-Fri: 6:15-3:00, Sat: 7:30-1:30
Sports
MHS Courier
October, 14
Top 10 : Awkward Athlete Moments
MAR Club Athletes of the Month
1.
August
Taking out an old lady or small child. 2. Shaking the ref’s fist when they attempt last minute to “pound it.” 3. Accidentally touching another player’s butt.
4.
September
Senior Sydney Sneed Girls’ Volleyball
Senior Kyler Vogel Boys’ Tennis
Thinking there are three seconds on the clock when there are 13 and chucking a half court shot.
5.
Picking a spandex wedgie in front of a crowd. 6. Faceplanting onto the ice after forgetting to take your skate guards off.
7. When your hand accidentally winds up in someone’s armpit. 8.
Stopping the game/match to tie your shoe.
Senior Tyler Sadowsky Boys’ Football
Junior Sydnie Mongeon Girls’ Golf
Attribution for all four photos: Phyne Photography
9. Getting left hanging on a high five. 10. Captain standoff handshake.
Sports Round Up Boys’ Soccer
Girls’ Swimming and Diving
The Mandan girls’ swim and dive team had their last home meet against Minot on Oct. 15. The Braves have two more competitions before the WDA tournament on Nov. 3.
Boys’ Football
The boys’ football team ended their season on a win after beating Dickinson 12-7 on Oct. 17. After being in a three-way tie with Jamestown and Dickinson the Braves fell short of a playoff appearance due to a point differential.
The boys’ soccer team finished out their season after hosting the WDA tournament Oct. 5. The team finished sixth in the tournament.
Cross Country
State Cross Country will be held Oct. 27 at Heart River Golf Course in Dickinson. The class A boys will run at 2:15 p.m and the class A girls will follow at 2:45 p.m.
Girls’ Golf
The girls’ golf team had a strong finish in their season. The team qualafied for state after placing fourth in the WDA tournament. At the state tournament they placed 10th which excelled beyond their 14th place ranking.
Girls’ Volleyball
The Braves are currently ranked 8th in the WDA conference and play Williston at home on Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m. Their final home game will be Oct. 30 against Jamestown followed by the WDA tournament Nov. 8-10 at Mandan.
Girls’ Soccer
All girls’ soccer players and prospective players meet in the back of the MHS library on Monday, Nov. 19. We will be discussing offseason training. If you are unable to attend contactto seniors Morgan Brinkman, Mariah Fredericks or Courtney Goetz.
MHS Courier Mariah Fredericks
Sports Editor
Sports Boys’ tennis holds strong
The Mandan boys’ tennis team finished off a strong season after their state appearance on Oct. 4, 2012. The season was successful with a 10-5 overall record, third place finish at WDA, and a fourth place finish at state. The Braves went into the state tournament with a third seed from their west region tournament finish. After many wins and loses in the opening and quarter final rounds, Mandan advanced to the third and fourth place match against Century. The singles players were seniors Kyler Vogel, Nathan Berger, and Jackson Wenstrom. Wenstrom and Berger secured wins giving Mandan the edge. The doubles teams, composed of juniors Ben Wanner and Brandon Schaner, as well as freshman Erik Porter and senior Austin Tweet, were defeated and Mandan repeated their fourth place performance from 2011. Leading up to their state appear-
ance, Mandan had many season accomplishments. One of the greatest was defeating Century 9-0, a feat which hasn’t been done since the 80’s. Another highlight of the season was a first place finish in the Minot Round Robin tournament. The team’s finish of fourth place at state and the fifth place finish from Vogel and Porter’s double team topped off the season. “This year’s season was very [suc-
“Overall, the past two seasons have been two of the best ever as far as a team finish goes.” cessful and comparable] to last year’s season. The dual portion was a success having 6 of our 7 players qualifying for state,” said senior Kyler Vogel. In the past two seasons, the tennis team has taken big steps in their program. “In 2011, we had our best finish ever at state [taking] third. In 2012, we took fourth for only the third time ever. So
October, 15
overall, the past two seasons have been two of the best ever as far as a team finish goes,” Coach Christen said. The doubles team of Kyler Vogel and Erik Porter finished fifth, the first state finish in over 20 years. With a considerable senior class graduating, the younger players will rise to take their place. “It’s definitely [going to] be a hard position to fill, especially with four of the top seven players being seniors, but I think if they work hard in the off season they have a good chance,” senior Jackson Wenstrom said. The younger players however are up for the challenge. When Wanner was asked if he thought the younger class could uphold the WDA and state appearances, he answered with confidence, “Yes I do. It will take a lot of work from every person though. We are not the only team losing team members either.”
Hannah Schlosser
Op/Ed Editor
Cole Pich Freshman
It is too hipster to be number one.
If the #2 pencil is so popular, why is it still #2?
Ethan Cermak Sophomore
Shayne Keller Junior
Daymon Glandt Senior
Mrs. Bryan Special Ed.
First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the treasure chest
‘Cause first is the worst, second is the best!
Two pencils are greater than one.
Because two is better than one.
s When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
Pickles.
Nothing. Cheese is an inanimate object.
Human.
Smile.
Cheese.
Why does an alarm clock go off when it actually turns on?
Because you want to turn it off.
It’s bipolar.
Because it lives in a parallel universe.
It’s angry because it has to wake up so it “goes off”.
What alarm clock?
If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?
Both because you’ve failed at failing.
Both. Go hard or go home, right?
You fail at failing.
Fail, becuase it was trying to fail in the first place.
Succeed of course.
If olive oil is made from squeezing olives, what is baby oil made from?
Unicorns and rainbows.
Baby drool.
Duh... Squeezing babies!
Concentrated baby Squeezing babies of sweat. course.