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Video games and gamers at NSH See page 11
Your thoughts, your words:
“At my house, even Uno is to the death!” Business teacher and volleyball coach Rickie Stewart on her competitive nature.
Hawks
3rd-inning rallyy for N. Sevier leavess Hawks ut down but not out See page 7
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NEWS BRIEFS Shakespeare comes to Sanpete •The Utah Shakespearean Festival’s touring production of Romeo and Juliet will be presented at Gunnison Valley High School on Thursday March 20, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will be $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for students and seniors. The Utah Shakespearean Festival was the 2000 winner of the Tony Award for Best Regional Theatre—the highest award nationally for theatrical quality outside New York City. The touring company has abridged the tragic love story to a 90-minute show that will appeal to students. This performance is sponsored by the Casino Star Theatre Foundation, and all proceeds are directed toward restoration of this historic landmark.
PHOTO BY BEN COX
The staff of the NS Times poses for an early morning picture. The Times recently took second place in the Better High School Newspaper Contest, a statewide competition sponsored by the Utah Press Association involving nearly 30 newspapers from 1A-3A. According to contest organizer Dixie Brunner, selection committee members were impressed with the writing and stories the Times presented. “The writing is excellent,” Brunner said. “The paper is really impressive. We saw tons of newspapers, and you guys just kicked.” Brunner also said that the committee, which consisted of publishers and other journalistic professionals who critique newspapers on a regular basis, was especially impressed with the fact that the Times is in its first year of publication. The competition began eight years ago as an attempt to focus on younger journalists and to reward them for their efforts. North Sanpete placed second only to perennial newspaper power house Park City. As a reward, the Times will receive $250 along with a certificate. “The staff members have earned every bit of this award,” said Ben Cox, NS Times advisor. “After many hours after school and many late nights, it’s nice that they can be recognized for their efforts. With almost no outside help, we were able to produce something the school can be proud of; these students are amazing.”
Vice Principal is handed reins for 2008-2009 year BY REBEKAH LARSEN
CONTENTS News..............p. 1 Opinion.........p. 4 Features.........p. 5 Sports............p. 7 A & E............p. 10
At the end of the 2008 school year, North Sanpete students will see a ‘passing of the baton’ within the administration; Principal John Ericksen is retiring, and Vice Principal Jim Bowles will take his place. Jim Bowles has become a beloved fixture at North Sanpete High School in the few years he’s been patrolling the halls, good-naturedly bantering the student-body officers, herding reluctant students to class after the final bell, and guarding the commons at lunch against the frequent cuts in line. Students are enthusiastic about the change. Though North Sanpete will miss Ericksen, the student body is eager about the idea of Bowles, who is famous at the high school for his cowboy attire, taking the reins.
“I think it’s fantastic—I know Bowles is a great guy,” said Steven Johansen, a junior from Mt. Pleasant. Bowles is familiar with the area, people and post. He has lived in Mt. Pleasant for 12 years. He was born in Richfield, but grew up in Nephi, attending North Sanpete rival Juab High School. He then went on to receive his Bachelors in elementary education from Utah State University, and rounded out his education after a few intermittent years of classroom work with a Masters in administration from Brigham Young University. “I taught third, fourth and fifth grade at Fairview Elementary, and I was then appointed principal for one year,” said Bowles. Bowles then transferred to Moroni Elementary for about two years
See page 2, Bowles
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PHOTO BY REBEKAH LARSEN
Current Vice Principal Jim Bowles will take over North Sanpete High at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year as principal.
where he presided as principal, and then later came to North Sanpete to intern and develop a sense of the North Sanpete environment. He applied for the position of principal when Ericksen announced his retirement, and was picked at an executive meeting of the school board. “He’s been here for two and a half years now; he knows the system; he knows basically how to run the school; he knows a lot about how the different systems work ,” said Principal John Ericksen. “It ends up as kind of a natural thing, because if you bring in somebody who doesn’t know that, it takes almost a
year to learn the ropes.” Bowles is excited about the new responsibility—he’s worked his way up the district ladder with 28 years of experience—but he is also a little apprehensive about the transition. “It’s different being number two—I’ll have to put my foot down like Principal Ericksen does,” said Bowles. Bowles will assist the school board with the choosing of a new vice principal. “They will interview for that on the 24th and 25th and they will name a new vice principal— they will have a board meeting on the 26th and we will probably get who it is by the 27th,” said Principal Ericksen. “They open it up to the those within the district.” Bowles has already decided on a few goals for North Sanpete when he takes over. “I want to increase the graduation rate, and keep some of the things Ericksen has got going—the sportsmanship he’s built up, the drama program, the concurrent enrollment.” Bowles is also looking forward to seeing his last class from his elementary-school days graduate: the current juniors. “I think he will do an excellent job,” said Principal Ericksen. “He’s assimilated well—extremely well—into the secondary, meaning his background is all elementary until the last two years, and I think it’s overwhelmed him just a little. But he’s really bought into the secondary, and he loves the students, and he loves the faculty—he’ll do really well.”
Ednet benefits slashed BY JOHN ALLAN
The Associates degree program at North Sanpete is changing dramatically at the close of this year; students will have to pay more money and go to greater lengths to get the New Century scholarship. Students previously participated in concurrent enrollment classes across the street in hopes that by the time they graduated they would obtain a General Associates degree from Utah State University. Students would start taking the broadcasted classes their sophomore year and build up 60 credits by the time they graduated, simultaneously fulfilling the requirements to graduate from high school and earn a two-year degree. Not anymore. A change of administration at the University has resulted in a policy change regarding the credits students must earn. Students were required to complete 60 credit hours in order to obtain the degree, and that is still the case. However, USU now requires that 20 of those credit hours be specialized in a certain area of academic study. “It’s completely out of our hands,” said Christy Bird, the facilitator for the concurrent enrollment program at North Sanpete High. Bird is right; the decision to change concurrent enrollment requirements was made entirely by the college. The problem with USU’s changing the requirements is that this decision makes it impossible for the Ednet center to offer all the classes required to get the degree. “We just don’t have the facilities,” said Bird. “Can you imagine an anatomy class?” The good news is that the soon to be Utah Valley University also offers the Associates degree program. However, there are some difficulties. “It will require more effort by the students,” said Bird. UVU’s policies have not changed, but students did not previously obtain their degree through UVU. The Ednet center can offer most the necessary classes but not all. Approximately three classes would not be offered at the Ednet and would have to be taken on UVU’s campus in Orem. This would cost $700 per credit and a lengthy commute. Why the rush? The New Century Scholarship is the answer. This is a scholarship students in Utah can obtain by finishing their Associates before September of the year they graduate. It covers approximately 75% of tuition at most colleges in Utah including BYU and SUU. This is one of the main reasons students try to earn their Associates during high school. It is still possible for students to obtain an Associates degree while in high school, but it is more difficult. Either way, concurrent enrollment is a great opportunity for students. It can save the cost of about one year of college tuition if students take concurrent enrollment classes for a full two years; it can also prepare students for college-level courses.
Teacher benefits may not be up to statewide hope BY BRANDI PEAHL AND KRISTINE BUSBY
The Utah State Legislative Session came to a close after legislators discussed policies and issues that will influence state citizens in many different aspects of their lives, including education. Two of the major bills affecting the school were the Teacher Differentiated Pay and perpupil funding. The Teacher Differentiated Pay measure, passed by the legislature, gave a $1,700 raise to all teachers in the state, but it also gave the math and science educators approximately $3,000 more than all the other teachers. The supporting faculty in schools state-wide will not see any of that money. “It’s insanely unfair to benefit one group of teachers and not the others when the same amount of effort is put in,” said Kerry Coates, a custodian at North Sanpete. The custodians, secretaries and other supporting personnel do much of the work in the public education system. The custodians spend all day keeping the school in working condition. The secretaries have the job of dealing with the paper work of the school and much more. These are just some of the jobs covered by the supporting personnel.
“Why didn’t they use those funds in the WPU (Utah’s per-student funding unit) where everyone can use it?” said Kim Bailey, an English teacher at NS. Are these faculty members any less important than the teachers in the school? “The answer’s not no, it’s heck no,” said Jeff Ericksen, a health teacher at North Sanpete. The per-pupil funding measure will give a 2.5 percent increase for every student in the state schools. The money can be used to raise the pay of the supporting personnel but is not necessarily going to be used for that. The six percent cost of insurance increase this year is probably where the money will actually go. “It’s a massive letdown,” said Coates. Coates also feels that with the increase of insurance, school workers’ pay will not cover the cost of living. Bailey pointed out that the insurance increases every year but the pay does not, and when calculating the increase of insurance cost with the increase of pay, “you’re not any better off ”, according to Nan Ault, a librarian at North Sanpete. Governor Huntsman stated that education was an imperative issue going into the legislative session, but it was one of the last subjects addressed, and for not much time.
UTAH STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2008 RESULTS Passed Bills tBullying and Hazing: Names any form of the actions illegal. tParaeducator to Teacher Scholarship: Provides scholarships of up to $10,000 to paraeducators employed by school districts and charter schools who are pursuing a degree in teaching. tAdministration of Medication to Students Amendments: Modifies the role of school nurses in administering medication to students.
Rejected Bills tUtah Schools Seismic Hazard Inventory: Would have required a seismic evaluation of all public schools and the creation of a school seismic safety committee. tDisruption of School Activities: Evasion of law enforcement by entering onto school property would have been a class A misdemeanor. tSchool Fee Amendments: Would have prohibited course fees, certain charges for student supplies and textbook fees.
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Technology conference aimed at inspiring both teachers and students
Attendance polic y makeover New proposal may give certain allotment of absences to students who miss class
BY JEREMY ZABRISKIE
PHOTO BY BRITTANY CAMPBELL
For the third year in a row, students and educators statewide travel to Snow College and USUEphraim for a day of exploring various fields in both the math and science areas. Many Sanpete teachers have attended as well as presented their individualized teaching styles.
BY BRITTANY CAMPBELL
On April 18th, thirty teachers and up to forty high school students in Utah will be granted opportunities to explore and initiate change in the world of science, engineering and math. The third annual Technology in Math, Science and Engineering Instruction Conference (TMSEI) is funded through the collaboration of both the Snow College science division and Utah State University—Ephraim. This conference is geared toward both teachers and students. “The teacher-faculty conference is intended to increase collaborations between university faculty and high school teachers while improving math, science and engineering instruction,” said Todd Campbell, assistant professor for Utah State University and conference coordinator. “But the student conference is designed to expose and excite high school students about careers in the same fields.” Many high school teachers from the surrounding North and South Sanpete areas have been able to present along with university faculty from Utah State University, University of Utah, Snow College and Brigham Young University. Professor Michael H. Bartl of the department of chemistry at the University of Utah is scheduled to conduct a presentation about nanophotonic materials. According to Bartl these materials are based on the combination of nanotechnology and light. “This has become a fascinating research area over the last decade with the potential to revolutionize information technology,” said Bartl. “Interestingly, as we strive and struggle to develop these new type of materials in our laboratories, we find that nature utilizes nanophotonic concepts already for millions of years.” Bartl is just one of the many professors that have worked to develop a fun, instructional presentation. Along with the science, there are other incentives for students to attend. “They had good food—who doesn’t like food?” said Scott Bentley, a senior from Mt. Pleasant and former TMSEI participant. “But really, I liked the wolf-tracking session; it was different and exciting.” And that is exactly what TMSEI is all about—fun and excitement. This year neither will be in short supply; the conference has an all-day seminar that includes a catered lunch, a keynote speaker from Yale University and many door prizes. The conference is open to math and science teachers and upon their RSVP they are encouraged to bring up to two student participants. USU and Snow College are hopeful that they will be able to continue to host the TMSEI conference. “Our objective at the conference is to continually listen to the feedback from participants,” said Campbell. “We are working to make changes yearly based on this feedback to improve.” For more information or to have any questions answered, contact Todd Campbell at (435) 283-7409 or by email at todd.campbell@usu.edu.
Just when truants thought they were safe from legislative consequence, the North Sanpete school district has begun to devise a district attendance policy. The North Sanpete School District board has begun to lay the tentative framework for a new attendance policy, slated for implementation in the 2008-2009 school year, in response to the recent deletion of attendance guidelines previously used by many teachers at the high school. The first reading of this policy was conducted on Tuesday, March 11th, during the district board meeting. This new policy allots fifteen absences, per year, for a student. Throughout the year when a student reaches a certain number of absences, before the limit of fifteen, administrative truancy specialists will attempt to contact the student’s parents, in order to circumvent further absence. As defined by state law, an absence is a non-attendance at school for one school day or part of one school day. In order for an absence to be excused, it must meet a certain degree of validity, as outlined by state law. A valid absence is one that is reported by a parent or guardian, and is the result of illness, an important appointment, a family emergency, court appearances or death of a family member or close friend. Any other absence is considered truant. Truancy, as most would know from experience, is an absence without valid excuse. Under this new policy, a habitual truancy citation may be issued to an individual who has been absent, without excuse, for ten days or more, and has remained steadfastly defiant of efforts made by school authorities. In the case of high school students, if a parent fails to assist their student in attending school or forces them to stay home, corrective measures can be taken against the parents. In fact, parents can be charged with a class B misdemeanor if they keep their children out of school. This attendance hindrance is called educational neglect. Under this new policy, a student’s parents would be contacted after the student missed five days of school, if contact is deemed necessary by the principal. After the tenth absence, extensive measures must be taken to prove the student’s innocence, or to seek other options for mitigating the poor grades, as a result of absences, or options to improve attendance. Once a student reaches the 15th absence, the student may be referred to a juvenile court, and if the absenteeism continues, the perpetrator can be officially referred to the Sixth District Juvenile court. This court meeting would be recorded onto a court record, as opposed to the non-judicial former. This new policy also harbors a maleficent hatred toward tardiness. A tardy may only be excused by a parent or staff member, and teachers are “strongly encouraged to develop academic incentives for promptness as a deterrent for tardiness,” according to the district attendance policy statement. A student’s grade may be negatively impacted by the combination of absences, tardiness, and truancies. A total of 25 percent of a student’s grade can be lost for missing classes. Of course, this policy is in the developmental stages and is still unapproved, and therefore is subject to change. If any updates are made, further notifications will be supplied, or one can contact the District Office.
Counselors’ Corner •Current ACT Test and Registration Dates: April 12th...........Register by March 7th June 14th.............Register by May 9th •Scholarships for seniors are posted in the cabinet outside the counselors’ office. A $5000 scholarship application for Moroni residents is due on March 28th, at 2:00 p.m. •Seniors with credits being earned from alternate sources need to finish by May 1st to participate in the graduation ceremony. •To apply for financial aid, seniors should fill out an application at www.fafsa.ed.gov •Parent Teacher Conferences are on March 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and March 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
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NS Times Staff Editor-in-Chief Brittany Campbell ManagingEditor Rebekah Larsen Photography Editor Jeremy Zabriskie Advisor Ben Cox News Kristine Busby, editor Chad Mckay Brandi Peahl John Allan Features Nia Ricks Hilary Workman A&E Katie Carpenter, editor Sara LaFollette Caleb Rose Sports Scott Bentley, editor Chana Thompson Kim Draper Cheyenne Syme
HOW TO SUBMIT LETTERS
Email: news @nsanpete.org Or Give letters to Mr. Cox LETTER POLICY The NS Times welcomes letters on any topic. (Appropriateness will be determined by the editorial staff.) If published, work may be edited for length, grammar, accuracy and/or clarity. Letters must include writer’s full name and phone number, though only name will be published.
Our View Utah has continuously been number one, year after year, in a distinction that holds no pride for its residents. We have perpetually been the top state in the nation for the filing of bankruptcy, until the last report, when we dropped down to second place after Mississippi. In 2004, one in every 36.5 Utah families filed for bankruptcy, compared to the national average of one in every 72.8. That is a ridiculous comparison, and one must ask the question why. Why is Utah, and Sanpete in particular, so prone to insolvency? According to the ABI (American Bankruptcy Institute), the top five reasons for bankruptcy are botched credit and overused credit cards, job loss, inefficient financial planning, medical problems and divorce. All of these situations are experienced in Utah, but this state has some extra inducement for filing. Utah families are larger than average, they earn less when compared to the rest of the nation and many Utahns donate large portions of income to nonprofit organization, mainly for religious use. Despite these difficulties unique to Utah, most bankruptcies can be prevented by one simple practice: effective money management. It all comes down to realizing where your money goes and where it should go. Stay away from impulse shopping; never go to the store hungry, and take time to really think about purchases. Do you really need that jacked-up truck, or would a cheaper sedan work just as well for you? Try to limit spending on credit, and when you use your card, write down the amounts spent. Financial Literacy is a required course at North Sanpete, and for good reason. We as students need to learn about cash management, and how it can affect every aspect of life.
THE PUBLIC FORUM
Your comments, questions and letters are appreciated!
Lack of school spirit
Wrong region?
Restricted college classes
Vending machine measure
We need more school spirit. It is important to get people involved in school activities. I would love to see more people in the stands during the football games and basketball games. The school athletes would put more effort into their playing if they had more support--more fans cheering for them in the stands. It is embarrassing when North Sanpete has a home game and the opposing team has more fans show up.
It is extremely annoying when we have to play sports teams three times North Sanpete’s size on a weekly basis. I’m saying that we need to go back down to 2A. It’s unfair that there are teams our size or bigger playing against all of these tiny teams for the state title, while we are playing monstrous schools. It would be easy if we just went down to 2A. Sure, the other teams wouldn’t want it because we would dominate them. But at least it would be fair.
I think the sophomores should be allowed to take more college classes then just psychology. If we’re trying to graduate with an Associates degree from high school, we should be able to start earlier than our junior year. I think if we made more college classes available earlier, more people would be graduate with their Associates.
The school administrators think that the vending machines should be shut off when the halls are dirty. But does it really help? The students who really use the machines might care, but what about those who don’t use them? It doesn’t really affect those of us who don’t use them. If the machines were actually filled half of the time, more of us might use them more. If the administrators want to make an impact on the amount of garbage in the halls, they should try something else.
~Hannah Aldrige
~Nichole Gordon
CORRECTIONS
t DzF OBNF PG UIF TQSJOH QMBZ BU /PSUI 4BOQFUF XBT erroneously printed as In the Vain of Dudley Doright. Its real name is Darrel Can’t Do Better or Lucifer Hits Rock Bottom. t1SJODJQBM &SJDLTFO T OBNF XBT NJTTQFMMFE BT Erickson in the promenade article.
~Ryan Aagard
~Brittany McArthur
Main S Street treet Me ed dia Rent a movie tonight
$1.99
Movies for only Rent any time, day or night Look for the YELLOW boxes at:
Reserve movies online at www.msm.dvmatic.com
Fairview: 35 S. State St. Mt. Pleasant: 85 W. Main St. Moroni: 62 W. Main St.
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Former Caveman teaches NSH science STAFF SPOTLIGHT
PHOTO BY REBEKAH LARSEN
Dax Higgins, former American Fork Caveman, has been teaching at North Sanpete High for three years. He enjoys playing the guitar, figuring out puzzles and can often be found with his wife enjoying a Mexican meal.
BY HILARY WORKMAN
When the North Sanpete High School hired Dax Higgins, many didn’t realize that he came with his own entertainment. Recently in Higgins’ Earth Systems classes he preformed a “OneMan-Band” show. He simultaneously played the guitar and harmon-
ica for his students. Only recently has he added the harmonica to the act, but Higgins has been playing guitar for around five years. “My dad taught me a couple of chords and I learned Desperado by the Eagles,” said Higgins. According to Higgins, he learns music by ear, listening to music and figuring out how to play what he heard.
Higgins believes that the same trait that helped him learn guitar songs helped him get into science. “I’m kind of a science technogeek,” said Higgins. Higgins loves puzzles and figuring things out. He also thinks his dad encouraged his interest in science because they always went camping and enjoyed the outdoors. Higgins majored in biology at
Utah Valley State College. When he came to North Sanpete he finished his degree in Earth Systems in order to fill the North Sanpete need for the class. He hopes to some day teach physics, the science of motion. Higgins referred to teaching as “a delightful challenge”. Higgins said that everything seems worth it when he knows his students are learning what he is teaching or when they remember what they have been taught. Before Higgins came to North Sanpete, he attended American Fork High. While there, Higgins played the trombone in school band all four years of his high school career. While he was there, the marching band played in the Rose Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl and at Disneyland. According to Higgins, the AF band was probably the best in the nation or at least in the western states. Higgins was also involved in the track program in high school. “I didn’t like running and I wasn’t very strong, but I did the pole vault, which is too dangerous to do anymore,” said Higgins. Pole vaulting is a track event in which the competitors use a long, flexible pole to swing themselves up and over a very high crossbar. Higgins was also in a Japanese club
in high school and took two years of Japanese classes. After graduating from high school, Higgins originally wanted to work toward a pre-med degree. “After talking to doctors about the choice, I decided that the medical field wasn’t for me,” said Higgins. Having always enjoyed teaching others, he turned his head to a teaching career, and is now at North Sanpete. Despite a busy life as a teacher, Higgins takes time for himself. He spends any time with his wife he can, goes snowboarding with Odee Hansen, a North Sanpete guidance counselor, and plays the guitar with Ben Cox, a North Sanpete English teacher. Higgins and his wife can often be found at a Mexican restaurant, and they often go to the movies. But in the winter, Higgins frequently abandons his academic side and grabs his board to head to Fairview Canyon. Even with his many hobbies and talents, ten words seem to define the way in which Higgins lives his life. “Find a song you like and you can play it,” said Higgins.
Local business goes nonprofit after numerous services to the community BY NIA RICKS
Country Gardens is a restaurant/non-profit organization situated in the center of Fairview, where good food and community service are combined to make a unique dining experience. There is variety in the menu at Country Gardens, and the food comes quickly and well served. The selection is diverse, from pot roast to smothered chicken, and the standard Saturday crab nights are turning into quite the hit with the locals. The interior is very cozy and comfortable. The décor is, well, garden-style with bright curtains and lots of decorative plants and paintings. There is soothing music playing in the background, usually live performances from the locals. Every weekend David Heslington or Phil Alexander perform for the customers. Some of the waitresses and regular customers also perform at times. A group of families runs Country Gardens without pay. They all volunteer certain hours to work, and they are renting the building the restaurant inhabits. They started renting September 28, 2006. To stay in business they solicit donations from the community. Moroni Feed has given them 140 pounds of turkey, and David Blackham, who runs the local pharmacy, has cut them a good-sized check.
For the past two years, Country Gardens has served Christmas dinners to 50 families in the community for free. The restaurant owners usually get names of community members who would appreciate the free meal from local church leaders. The families get to pick anything off the menu, from appetizers to desserts. Then, after dinner, the young children are taken upstairs above the restaurant to pick out a toy to give away. The parents of the served families then go upstairs and pick out a couple of toys for their children. The restaurant also holds a live nativity every year around Christmas for two hours each night. For Thanksgiving, Country Gardens gives a complimentary dinner for families. Again, patrons get to choose anything they want off the menu. There are usually about 500 people that come for the free dinner every year. For Mother’s Day this year, Country Gardens is planning on hosting a free dinner and entertainment for the widows of Sanpete. Country Gardens has given to the community in a variety of ways, and not just on holidays. The restaurant catered for the military for one full week. The owners said it was really fun. They served breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant also gives donated school kits to the children of local school. In another example of altruistic community service,
PHOTO BY REBEKAH LARSEN
Country Gardens is a restaurant located in Fairview that will soon turn into a nonprofit organization.
Country Gardens arranged to have a steak dinner sent to a local family suffering from medical issues. In approximately two weeks, Country Gardens will turn into a nonprofit organization.
6 STUDENT OF THE MONTH
NSH Student enjoys both music and athletics
PHOTO BY REBEKAH LARSEN
Senior Katie Curtis is an avid pianist and has accompanied several small singing groups. Curtis has also been a great contributor to various NSH running programs, helping clinch several titles.
BY NIA RICKS
For senior Katie Curtis of Fairview, life is about getting it done and having fun in the process. Curtis is an avid runner and has been an active member of the track and cross-country teams from her freshman year through her senior year. She has helped bring the girls’ cross-country team to numerous region titles and has had several strong showings at the state meets. She likes running because it keeps her in shape and it makes her feel happy
for the rest of the day. She loves finishing a really hard workout and gaining the subsequent sense of accomplishment. Curtis also enjoys snowboarding and has been heading up to Skyline for years. She loves being up in the mountains, and she enjoys the adrenaline rush snowboarding gives. About two weeks ago Curtis went snowboarding with some friends at the ridge and off big jumps. “I love to be with my friends,” said Curtis. Curtis also loves doing things with her family. She loves being with them in the
outdoors, fishing and shooting her bow. She loves hanging out with both her friends and family and having barbeques. The Curtis family holds an annual fall potluck for friends, neighbors and family; they barbeque the traditional Sanpete turkey. Curtis’ favorite foods are consequently barbeque turkey, pink JellO and fettucini alfredo. Curtis enjoys music. She plays the piano and has accompanied several small singing groups in the community. Her favorite subject at North Sanpete is Humanities. “I like learning about music and composers,” said Curtis. Curtis enjoys high school. Her favorite teacher is Brother Hadley in the LDS seminary program because he’s funny and includes everyone. Curtis usually stays after class to talk with him. Curtis has kept her grades up over the years in spite of her rigorous academic schedule. She has maintained a 3.5 GPA at North Sanpete High school, but she still wants to push herself—one of her goals is to get better grades. Curtis is currently preparing to go to Snow College for two years, and then she hopes to go to Southern Utah University. Curtis plans to become a personal trainer because she likes working with people and making them feel healthy. Katie Curtis is a student who works hard to accomplish her goals, but she doesn’t forget to have a little bit of amusement along the way. Her appropriate advice to everyone is “be the best you can be and make yourself happy”.
New cooking club excites many future culinary artists BY REBEKAH LARSEN
After the North Sanpete chapter of National Honor Society held a school-wide cooking competition, a few participants talked up an idea over the sweeping and dirty dishes. Why not start a cooking club at the high school? The proposal was the brainchild of Caleb Rose, a sophomore from Moroni. Rose competed in the cooking contest and won second place overall with a many-layered mint-chocolate brownie recipe. He has always enjoyed cooking, especially baking. “I like to cook,” said Rose. “I like to bake a lot—bread and stuff.” The idea is nothing concrete, but Principal Ericksen has already given the okay for a pilot. The FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) chapter at North Sanpete will promote it at first, and if the student body shows enough interest, the cooking club could become an official organization.
“If it gets going, we’ll fill out the paperwork,” said Teresa Connelly, the FCCLA advisor and the Foods and Nutrition teacher at North Sanpete. “It’s open to others, probably with a fee.” Connelly already has a rough sketch of the new club’s purpose and activities. Once a month after school, members will meet to learn about the different aspects of cooking. “We’ll get together and make simple recipes,” said Connelly. Also, the FCCLA will invite local restaurateurs and culinary artists to come and speak. Members will also bring recipes to share with the rest of the club, and there has been tentative talk of selling baked items to the students and community. The club will probably hold more cooking contests. Right now, the proposal is still in the works, but the club will most likely start in April or May, just to “get a head start on next year” according to Connelly.
Recipe of the Month: Muddy Buddies
PHOTO BY REBEKAH LARSEN
Ingredients: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup peanut butter 6 cups of any brand of rice Chex cereal 1 cup powdered sugar Procedure: 1.) In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolare on high for one minute. Stir and heat an additional 30 seconds at high or until melted. 2.) Stir in peanut butter until mixed well. 3.) Gently stir in Chex cereal into chocolate-peanut butter mixture until well coated. 4.) Place powdered sugar in 2-gallon storage bag. Add coated cereal to sugar and close bag. Gently toss cereal mixture until well coated. *Makes about eight cups
NEWS BRIEFS
Multicultural Club • The North Sanpete Multicultural Club will be traveling to a conference on March 28th at Mountain View High School. Dr. Juan Hernandez, author of The New American Pioneers and a cabinet member to the President of the Mexican State of Guanajuato, has been named one of the most ‘influential’ Hispanics in the United States. The Multicultural Club will be attending the conference to hear Dr. Hernandez speak and to learn more about building respect for the many cultures in the world.
San Diego Preparations • The North Sanpete AP Biology class has
PHOTO BY BEN COX
Caleb Rose, a student who participated in the recent cooking contest held at North Sanpete, suggested starting a cooking club.
the countdown running on teacher Brad Bentley’s white board; April 15th is the day of departure. The fee is due on March 21st, and as students reluctantly dig deep into their pockets for the days of beach and sun, the AP exam also breathes down their necks.
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Rickie Stewart: Teacher, traveler, coach BY SCOTT BENTLEY
PHOTO BY LANCE FREEMAN
Rickie Stewart spikes the ball her junior year, contributing to a first place state championship finish. She was sought after by Marquette and Texas A&M for her brilliance on and off the court.
Nearly ten years have passed since the volleyball team has won a state championship, but the three-time first team All-State, Academic All-State and the 1998 3A MVP of that team has returned to North Sanpete High School. Rickie Stewart, the Financial Literacy and Marketing teacher and next year’s head volleyball coach, is arguably one of the greatest athletes North Sanpete has produced. “She was a great player,” said North Sanpete volleyball Head Coach Sharon Christensen. Christensen was Stewart’s coach for all four years of high school, and Stewart has been the assistant coach under Christensen while teaching at North Sanpete. Stewart played on a varsity level for coach Christensen during her sophomore, junior and senior years. She was a middle blocker during her freshman and sophomore years and an outside hitter during her last two years playing for North Sanpete. Stewart was awarded first team All-State for all three years that she was on the varsity roster. “She hated to lose,” said Christensen. “She was very competitive and wanted to be pushed all of the time.” Stewart also admits that she is very competitive. “My family is very competitive as well,” said Stewart. “At my house, even Uno is to the death!” Stewart and her teammates were able to win third place during her junior year in the state tournament. Because of this, and the great tournament finish that they achieved, the team started out the season
in a first place position. “I can remember during my senior year that our first home game was against Lehi,” said Stewart. “We were ranked first place in the state; we ended up losing the game. I can remember going into the locker room and crying. Then I got mad at myself for crying over a volleyball game and wanting to go out and play the game all over again.” Stewart and her teammates bucked up and didn’t drop a single game until the state tournament for the rest of the year. They eventually won the state tournament in Stewart’s senior year against Morgan, which had just moved up into 3A after Morgan had won seven straight 2A state championships. Stewart was awarded the 3A Most Valuable Player. She also played basketball in high school and was awarded Academic All-State for both basketball and volleyball because of her 4.0 GPA. After high school, Stewart went on to play volleyball at Salt Lake Community College ( SLCC) where her team ended up second in the nation during her years there. She also played basketball for SLCC. Stewart finished up her college athletic career at Utah State University. She hurt her shoulder doing the bench press during her junior year. She needed shoulder reconstruction and was supposed to be out of play for up to nine months, but she came back in just one month. She finished her senior year of college with a 3.99 GPA, and this was good enough to have her named Academic All-American. “I am a perfectionist,” said Stewart. “It drives my people, my hus
See page 9, Stewart
Two-out rally by N. Sevier in third inning downs Hawks BY CHANA T HOMPSON
It was the bottom of the third and runners were on second and third base. Tyler Daniels wound up to pitch and the batter hit a tworun single. After two more runs, Shaun Seely switched with Daniels as pitcher. With the score 4-0, Seely gave up one more run in the third before striking out the last batter in the inning. Seely settled down and with a good defense behind him, he pitched a shutout for the rest of the game. Seely got the first hit of the game and ran to first base in the second inning but the Hawks couldn’t capitalize on the situation. The next three batters got out. The Hawks didn’t generate much offense until the sixth inning when Lane Allen, junior from Mt. Pleasant, batted a single to reach first base after stealing second and being advanced two bases with hits from Daniels and Karl Bailey senior from Ft. Green. Allen scored the first and only run of the game for the Hawks. “It was an overall team effort,” said sophomore/freshman coach Ryan Mitchell from Fairview. “Everyone has to do their part; a single person doesn’t make a difference.” The sophomores lost on the same note with a score 11-3, but the Hawks held up their pride with the JV winning of 18-2. “We hit a lot better, especially in the JV
PHOTO BY CHANA T HOMPSON
Lane Allen, junior from Mt. Pleasant, scored the only run for the Hawks on Wednesday, March 12th. The Hawks played March 14th-15th in Gunnison.
game,” said Mitchell. “I think our biggest challenge is that we have been practicing in the gym and with machines, so it is our first human contact with pitchers and being out in the field.”
In the JV game, children in a nearby field were flying their kite that ended up hitting the North Sevier pitcher right as he was going to throw the ball. Despite the random kite abuse and cold
weather, the baseball team continues to work towards success. The baseball team went to a tournament in Gunnison last weekend, but results weren’t available at press time.
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Undefeated Hawk tennis team soars above Redmen The second set wasn’t as easy for the senior when his opponent’s game intensified and Bentley lost the second set in a close one 4-6. The set score was now evened up at 1-1, sending the match into a third and deciding set. This is where things became bittersweet for the Hawks. On the final point of the match, Bentley led the game 6-5. He approached the net and, on the winning backhand volley, his knee faltered. “Having our most experienced player out is a real blow to the team,” said Coach Jeff Ericksen. “We hope that it’s P S B just temporary and that Parker Earl, a junior from Mt. Pleasant, is a member of the first doubles team which easily won the St. George game, he can be back soon.” 6-3, 6-3. Second singles Josh Benson had a much Redmen. BY SCOTT BENTLEY Senior Scott Bentley played the first singles tougher first set, taking it to a tiebreak, but he The North Sanpete Hawks boys’ tennis match for the Hawks. Bentley had a quick was able to win the tiebreak easily 7-1. His second set followed in the same fashteam began their annual St. George tennis finish to his match, winning the first set easion as his tiebreak as he closed out the match trip with a stop at the home of the Cedar City ily 6-1. HOTO BY
COTT
to win 7-6, 6-2. Junior Michael Lewis played the third singles match. Lewis was able to win the match easily 6-3, 6-2. This meant that the team as a whole came away with the victory, improving their undefeated season record to 2-0. The Hawks now looked to their doubles teams to make the victory even sweeter. Brian Anderson and Parker Earl played first doubles. They too were able to win easily 6-3, 6-3. Second doubles came on next, looking to put away the Redmen all together. This duo was played by sophomore Tucker Morin and senior Jarryd Seely. Their first set started off slowly as they lost 2-6. But they pulled it together to win the next set 6-1 and eventually came away with the victory by winning the last set 7-5. The Hawks left Cedar City with a decisive 5-0 win, heading to the St. George tournament full steam ahead.
ENTLEY
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Stewart continued from page 7 band included, crazy! I have to have the pillows on our couch a certain way and I can’t go to sleep until the house is clean and the dishes are done.” After college, Stewart went on to work for IVA (Intermountain Volleyball Association) where she was involved in the finances and helped run tournaments. She helped coach many future olympians. Stewart also had a contract to play professionally for a team in Spain, but she ended up declining the offer from the team after she received a call from her ex-coach, Sharon Christensen. “A lot of people thought that I was crazy for coming home,” said Stewart. “I just wasn’t sure if I would still love volleyball when it became more of a job than I wanted it to be. My family was also so important to me. I don’t know if I could have been that far away from them.” So she took a large pay cut, got her teaching degree and took up the vacant business teacher position that was left by Anna Aagard. “I just knew that for some reason I had to come back,” said Stewart. Stewart has recenlty married and will now hold the head coach posi-
tion for the North Sanpete volleyball team in fall 2008. “I’ll have to work hard,” said Stewart. “I have big shoes to fill. But I have good girls and I am at a school where I know what it’s like to be a student, faculty member and coach at North Sanpete. I will have one of the best programs in state for traditon and success. Success isn’t a fluke.” Now that she is head coach, some of the volleyball players have been heard good-naturedly groaning about how hard Stewart is on conditioning and how intense it will be next year when she is head coach. “We are not going to get any better at volleyball by running,” said Stewart. “The only way to get good at volleyball is to play volleyball. But if we don’t pay attention to the details, we need to be reminded by running.” The fundamentals are a critical part of every sport, and Stewart is a firm believer of implementing this principle. “I am very detail oriented,” said Stewart. “Some of the best teams are the best because they are very good at the simple things like calling for the ball.”
So with all of her experience and obvious intelligence, Rickie Stewart will head the North Sanpete volleyball team next season, and hopefully many more to come.
Stewart has always been a big sports fan. She says that even though athletics aren’t all that there is to life, there are sports that do teach players some very serious les-
sons about life. “Some of the best things that ever happened to me were losing games,” said Stewart. “Even though I hated losing, it was still very good
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Voice
of
the
Mighty
Hawks
North Sanpete jazz band takes top honors at region instruction. Olmstead mentioned that, on average, she has practiced for 45 minutes every day for two months. Olmstead is confident in Kidder as a director, and has noticed the improvement of the band since under Kidder’s direction. “He [Kidder] is doing well because we’ve improved a whole bunch,” said Olmstead. Olmstead believes that a lot of the band’s overall improvement has come from Kidder’s focus on rhythms, dynamics, tempo and making sure the students “stick” together. Improved and victorious as the jazz band is, the shot at state competition didn’t come without its share of problems. During one of the performances, the AMP for the bass guitar had complications with projecting sound and could barely be heard. Kidder noticed the students were down on themselves; they were worried that the problem may have pushed their scores down. It was after listening to the other bands that Kidder saw their confidence rise. Other problems included eligibility. Keeping a certain grade point average is mandatory to participate in many, if not all, of the school’s activities. The band was grateful to Daniel Tullis, a junior from Spring City, who stepped in as second alto saxaphone a week before region after eligibility difficulties. The band also has an uncommon mix of members—the group is composed of mostly lowerclassmen. Kidder mentioned that most jazz bands on the high school level are made up mainly of seniors and few juniors. The North Sanpete jazz band currently has four seniors, three juniors and one freshman. The rest of the band members are sophomores. There are about 18 members total in the band. “It’s impressive that we’ve done as well as we have with only four seniors in the group,” said Kidder. Regardless of these problems, the band did exceptionally well overall, and considering the region scores, Olmstead and other band members are excited for state. “I think that we’ll beat Delta,” said Olmstead, referencing one of the top competitors for North Sanpete. “I think we’ll do really well.” The Jazz Band State Competition will take place on April 5, and, though details have not yet arrived, Kidder presumes it will take place in Park City.
PHOTO BY REBEKAH LARSEN
Current band director Tim Kidder leads the North Sanpete jazz band at an early morning practice. The group recently earned the highest ratings possible at the recent region competition at Juan Diego.
BY SARA LAFOLLETTE
Dedication, hard work and talent rewarded the members of North Sanpete’s jazz band when they took first place over-all at the Southern Region Jazz Band Competition. Members of the North Sanpete jazz band headed to Juan Diego High School on February 28th to compete against four other schools for the opportunity to participate in the State Jazz Band Competition. By the end of the day, victory was theirs. Straight “1’s,” (the highest score possible) and the judge’s unanimous vote to send them to state was awarded to North Sanpete’s jazz band.
“They are really dedicated kids,” said Tim Kidder, the current band director at North Sanpete. He is very accurate in his description. Savanna Olmstead, a senior from Spring City and a percussion player in the jazz band, adds that preparations include “running over” the songs regularly and Kidder’s strict critiquing. Early morning rehearsals, regular rehearsals during class and independent sectionals were common preparations for region, and now also for state. Sectionals, or when specific instrument sections practice together, were planned on the students’ own time—usually during lunch or after school. The trombones in particular hired a clinician, a Snow College student/tutor, to give them further
Book of the month Tamar reveals inner dynamics of WWII relationships BY CALEB ROSE
Title: Tamar Author: Mal Peet Genre: Drama Number of pages: 420 Rating: A Holland 1945 “The air shook; you could feel it. And the noise was unbelievable. It is probable that humans had never heard anything like it, since it was perhaps the sound of the planet giving birth to its mountains, of raw young continents grating together.” Tamar by Mal Peet is yet another novel from NS librarian Nan Ault’s recommendation list. This novel gives another award-
winning storyline. The time and place— England, 1995. Peet proceeds to flash back and forth between the present and Holland 1945. This novel follows the lives of two soldiers as they lived through World War II. Tamar and Dart (these were their code names) were finishing up their training for war at the Ashgrove House also known as the ST73. They were anxiously awaited to be taken to an airfield in East Anglia, put into the belly of an RAF bomber and flown across the North Sea to parachute into Nazi-occupied Germany. Tamar and Dart were best friends and together they experienced the struggles of war. Dart was given the position of a doctor—Dr. Lubbers. He was stationed at
the Mendlo Mental Asylum and worked from there. Tamar was given a farmer— Christian Boogart, who was stationed at the Maartnes Farm. As the months elapsed, their friendship was torn apart as the beautiful Marijke who grew between them. Marijke and Tamar were lovers. Jealously overpowered Dart. This book is excellent at meshing the present and the past into a suspenseful and sensational novel that thrills its readers. The historical outline of World War II is depicted in this novel and done in such a way as to receive the Carnegie Medal. This novel of espionage, passion, and betrayal was enjoyable and recommended for its unexpected, hidden secrets.
PHOTO BY REBEKAH LARSEN
Tamar, a teen drama by Mal Peet, is North Sanpete librarian Nan Ault’s pick for the book of the month.
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Let’s Talk Video Games
BY KATIE CARPENTER
When it comes to video games, our school is filled with a diverse love for almost every type of game out there. Whether it’s all about finding a new world, killing the enemy or becoming the next American Idol, our classmates have a passion for gaming.
Liz Larsen - Junior “I play whenever the guys invite me over.” Larsen has been playing video games regularly, since the begining of this year. She has been broadening her horizons by playing a lot of new and different games. Some of her favorites include Halo 3, Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero. She says she’s terrible with video games, but she still loves every minute of it. Larsen says she’s a big fan of the shooter-war games.
Nichelle Dowland Senior “I’ve been gaming ever since I could hold a controller.” Action/adventure games are Dowland’s favorite. She plays every day for about an hour. She doesn’t ever buy games, but plays the games her sister buys and borrows them from her friends. Dowland’s favorite console is a Play Station 2.
Alex Pate - Junior “When I get enough money I’m gonna buy a ton of games. They’re everywhere in my house.” Pate isn’t too into Xbox. Instead, she has a love for the classic Nintendo. Her favorite games are Final Fantasy, Tatics and Zelda. She’s been gaming for as long as she can remember. Pate’s favorite types are role playing and adventure games. She tries to play whenever possible.
Jason Strate - Teacher “I’d always piss people off ‘cause I’d tank them.” When Strate was first married, his wife bought him a Nintendo for Christmas. Ever since then, Strate’s been playing on a regular basis. He’s mostly into strategy games such as Generals and Command and Conquer as long as he’s not role playing. In college he took fourth place in a strategy/war type video game competition.
Cody Sanders - Junior “One time we played Austin Simons’ Halo 3 team and we doubled their score everytime. We thought we were going to lose, but we owned!” Sander’s favorite weapon in Halo 3 is the sniper rifle. He plays almost every day just for fun. He also enjoys the new music games being released like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution. Sanders spends about $300 a year on games and gaming equipment.
Parker Earl - Junior “Back in the day I used to play video games all the time, but then I realized there was more productive things to do.” Although Earl doesn’t play as much as he used to, his favorite game is Burn Out 3. His favorite types to play are car racing games. On average Earl plays about an hour a week. Play Station 3 is his preferred console.
NS students perform first melodrama BY BRITTANY CAMPBELL
The NSH drama department recently put on a classic melodrama entitled Darrell Can’t Do Better or Lucifer Hits Rock Bottom. Good versus evil, love and deceit, dramatic and that oh-so-happy ending were all right on cue. It was predictable— yes, and entertaining—maybe. The night started with the improvisation of the various members of the drama club. The said “dyslexic rendition” of Rendercilla was amusing for several minutes but the “messing around” continued far longer than was needed as an introduction to the melodrama-type acting. North Sanpete High’s first melodrama may have been a hit for the younger members of the audience but the attempts to draw laughter sometimes seemed forced. Perhaps, the play was meant for a younger audience? The girls beside me chuckled until their sides ached but for me an obligatory smile was pasted on my face. “It was definitely for elementary-age kids—lower caliber then what this high school should be doing,” said Michelle Honey former NSH speech and drama Sterling Scholar. “Overall it was good clean fun, but last year was great; they need to step it up.”
The cast did, however, strive to integrate the audience within their performance. Hand-painted signs were decorated to entice the parents and past drama students to embrace their once-dramatic selves. There was even a brief rehearsal of the “yeas” and “awes” before the commencement of the show. But unlike the audience, the cast has been working around the hurdles of the newly introduced genre for a while. This is the NSH drama department’s second performance under Roundy and as the year progressed so did the rehearsals and preformance preparations. The cast started practicing at the beginning of February. The Saturday morning nine to twelve practices can be mirrored to that of a typical drama class. Random pieces felt exaggerated and sometimes pushed too far, even for a melodrama. “The kids portrayed the acting by how much they enjoyed the play,” said Jenn ifer Noorlander junior from Indianola and former cast member. And this can be interpreted from many perspectives. This is the fourth reproduction of Roundy’s original dialogue. It was originally intended to be a stake play in Pocatello, Idaho. The project took Roundy seven years to complete. But a work is not com-
PHOTO BY KIM DRAPER
Erin Cowley, Brandi Jensen and Summer Spaulding perform on Thursday, March 13th and Friday, March 14th. This was the NSH drama department’s second production under the direction of Tanya Roundy.
plete without the ideal actors to bring any production to life. “I picked people from auditions who were the best at overacting and who are as silly as possible,” said Roundy. And though she may have done just this, a group of people were entertained but some of the most loyal local drama enthusiasts walked away a little confused.
Many of the lines of the production were made up as the actors saw fit—funny, but only for a second. For some, melodramas are the perfect way to enjoy a night on the town, but for others it may be just a little over the top— but that’s what a melodrama is right.
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R ENTE IN TO W
Do you know your TV shows?
THE COGNITIVE QUEST
BY SARA LAFOLLETTE AND HILARY WORKMAN
Game shows, sitcoms, soap operas, your classic favorites and more!
How well do you know NS High? Answer all the questions correctly and e-mail us your answers. The quiz is open to students and members of the community. We’ll select two students and one communtiy member to receive two free movie tickets! Just e-mail your answers, name and phone number to news@nsanpete.org. Freshman Level: When does the high school get out for summer vacation? Sophomore Level: Who were the Junior Prom King and Queen? Junior Level: What did they change the Sweethearts dance to? Senior Level: Where did Mr. Bowles teach before he came to NS High?
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