November 2021

November 2021

THE FALL PLAY Learn about this year’s fall play: “Strange Days at Summer Camp” | page 3

SHORT STORY OF THE MONTH A new installment of the Messenger featuring creative works by students | page 6

SEARCH RETREAT Learn about one of North Dakota’s best Catholic youth camps | page 9

St. Mary’s Central High School | 5802 Ridgeland Dr. Bismarck, ND 58503

November 2021

LETTER FROM THE MESSENGER Dear SMCHS Student Body, I would like to welcome you to the November edition of the Messenger. A student newspaper is so important to a healthy school. It gives students the chance to work together as classmates on something that goes well beyond a mere gradebook. It forms connections by encouraging a writer to interview someone they have never met before or by letting a student get to know the author of an article a bit better even though they’ve only ever waved at each other. I encourage you to grab a friend and enjoy the culmination of all the hard work our staff has put into the Messenger!

John Schaff Senior Writer

OUR EDITORS TEAGAN BAUER Editor-in-Chief

JULIANNA LENGOWSKI Entertainment Editor

ALEXYS HUGHES Feature Editor

FIONA KELLY Religion Editor

MARGARET KATHOL Opinion Editor

MAJA DOJS Layout Editor

EVA RYKOWSKY Activities Editor

BELLA SLETTELAND Co-Layout Editor

OUR MISSION Here at Messenger, we love to see the groups of people huddled around our paper, the proud smile when students read articles about themselves, and the slight laughs as students make fun of our bad attempts at jokes. Our mission at the Messenger is to produce a quality newsletter that provides insight into SMCHS by featuring our own students and their accomplishments and goals.

ON THE COVER Some of the cast of this fall’s play giving a sneak peak of their characters.

CONTACT US Instagram: SMMessenger Email: smmessenger@locstudents.org

READ IT ONLINE

OUR WRITERS Makenzie Mills Hannah Koch Soraida Pichardo

1

Kerstin Hilzendeger Rose Kelly Eva Krebsbach

Emily Storick John Schaff Eli Davis

https://issuu.com/smmessenger

Table of Contents

QOTM

Question of the Month

5

Pages

Pro-Life News and Issues

Catch up on new developments in the Pro-Life movement and make conversation with others about this current event.

6

Short Story of the Month

I volunteered at a halloween house and ran the games.

- Ethan Zich

I teach kindergarten for faith formation and that is always interesting.

- Madison Beckler

What’s the most interesting service hour you’ve done?

Enjoy the newest feature of the Messenger! Read short stories, poems, or other creative works written by SM students and submit works of your own to Messenger staff. We hope you enjoy John Schaff’s short story and that you write stories of your own!

8

Movie Reviews

Two block busters just hit the big screen! Read about how our writers reacted.

9

SEARCH Ministries

Learn about one of North Dakota’s best Catholic youth camps, Search, in the beautiful Medora Badlands.

I volunteer at my parish regularly.

- John Paul Tamisiea

Interviews by Bella Sletteland

Concessions at the pumpkin patch.

- Jordan Jacobson

10

Senior Spotlight

Peek into something special one of our seniors is doing.

2

FEATURE

NEW PLAY NEW DIRECTOR

NEW STAGE

The SMCHS Fall Play

Important Information and Exclusive Interview

By Bella Sletteland and Margaret Kathol

Summer Camp Summary

The SMCHS Theatre Department is proud to present its fall play for this year. This year’s production is a comedy called “Strange Days at Summer Camp” by Marty Matthews. Strange Days at Summer Camp is a parody of summer camp movies and features a quippy veteran camper named Billy (played by Eva Rykowsky) who is attending his 12th summer camp at Camp Iwantmymum. His fellow campers include a hypochondriac, a spoiled rich kid, a juvenile delinquent, and many other hilarious characters.

Billy and his crew go face to face with two dim-witted imposter camp counselors, Ricki and Scar, to try prevent Camp Iwantmymum from falling into the hands of the unscrupulous businessman, Leyland Irving III (played

by Nate Letteer).

If you enjoyed the previous fall play, Under the Big Top, you will love Strange Days at Summer Camp. It’s a parody filledwithslapstickhumor,summercampstereotypes,and outlandish plots. This year’s play is directed by Emilie Voeller, a new director in SMCHS theatre, and she is thrilled to be working with this year’s cast. So make sure and put the performances (November 19-20th at 7pm or the 21st at The play will take advantage of the whole 2pm) on your calendar and invite friends and family to come auditorium, allowing the cast to interact with the and enjoy the play in our own William J. Schmidt audience and create an exciting, immersive Auditorium. experience.

3

The Gift of a New Stage

Thisisthefirstyearthefallplayhasbeenabletoperform on our school stage. Last fall, due to the pandemic, the play was cancelledandthefirstopportunitytoactonthebigbeautiful stage was lost. This year, not only is there a performance on the stage, but the cast has also had the blessing to practice on the stage. In previous years, when the play was performed in the University of Mary auditorium, the only time students were able to practice on stage was during the week right before the show.

Now the cast can practice on the stage multiple times a week and get a better feel for what performing feels like. New actors have the chance to learn how to project their voices in an auditorium, learn blocking on stage, and develop their acting skills by using the whole auditorium as their stage. The chance topracticeonthestagesooftenallowsforgrowthinconfidence and stage presence.

The auditorium also has an excellent lighting system, sound system, and rigging backstage that allows for lots of creativity in performances. There is much more room for audience members to attend performances and it is much more accessible in the high school than it was at UMary. The William MESSENGER: Why did you choose Strange Days at Summer J. Schmidt Auditorium will allow the SMCHS theatre program Camp for the play this year? to grow and will provide many new opportunities for student MISS VOELLER: I wanted to do something fun this year as actors and actresses. itisthefirstplaythatwillbedoneinthenewaudit

An Interview with Our Wonderful New Director

Covid shut down last year’s production. Also, because there was not a play last year, I didn’t know what group of kids I would have come audition, so I wanted a show with a bigger ensemble cast, which this one provides! I am really glad I picked it as it has been so much fun!

M: Isthisyourfirsttimedirectingaplay?Ifnot,whicho ones have you directed?

V: Yes,thisismyfirsttimedirecting!

M: Any fun stories to share about this year’s play production?

V: There’s a scene where Bella and Olivia have to jump through a window. We were practicing in my classroom and Olivia really committed to the role and jumped and rolled to thefloorandgotahugetearinthekneeofherpants.

M: What sort of person is going to love this show?

V: I think there is something in this show for everyone. It is very nostalgic for people who have attended summer camps in the past. It has humor that I think kids and adults will enjoy. It hasaction,alittlebitofkarate,shing, fi anobstacle so much more!

M: How long have you been in theater?

V: I started acting when I was 10 with Shade Tree Players and then continued acting in high school. Once I was in college, I stepped into the technical side of theater as I pursued my theater minor.

M: Who in the show is most like their character?

V: Fiona Kelly as the Narrator. I can’t really explain it. People just need to come see it!

4

OPINION Pro-Life News and Issues:

The Heartbeat Bill

| Fiona Kelly

Recent developments in Texas laws have been hailed by many members of the pro-life movement to be steps in the right direction towards protecting the rights of the unborn. However, many are concerned about the feasibility of the legislation, and its real-life implications.

Senate Bill 8 places a ban on abortions in the state of Texas after a fetal heartbeat is detected, and states that,

“Anyperson,otherthananofficeroremployeeofastateorlocalgovernmentalent state, may bring a civil action against any person who:

(1) Performs or induces an abortion in violation of this subchapter;

(2) Knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise, if the abortiion is performed or induced in violation of this subchapter, regardless of whether the person knew or should have known that the abortion would be performed or induced in violation of this subchapter; or

(3) Intends to engage in the conduct described by Subdivision (1) or (2).”

SB 8 goes on to say that this “civil action” described above they see nothing inherently wrong with their actions. In willresultinafineofnolessthan$10,forevery order for abortion to truly no longer be a reality in our lives, abortion performed in violation of this act. For context, abortion must not be made illegal, but unthinkable. fetal heartbeats are detected on average approximately six Another concern centers around the monetary aspect. weeks into the pregnancy. Many abortions occur after this Offering what can be boiled down to an award for turning point. in those complicit in an abortion creates an atmosphere of This has been hailed by many as the advent of greater informants and mistrust. Luckily, the bill does protect the political and legal support for the pro-life movement. Upon women themselves from being prosecuted, but the firstinspection,itdoesratherseemthatway.Surely, specifications “aiding for and abetting” are unfortunately making abortion illegal and putting real consequences into broad. Number three (3) in particular appears problematic. place will dissuade women from turning to abortion, right?

Prosecuting based on “intent” rather than actions is unjust.

The concern, however, is that illegalizing abortion will As human beings, we can only judge actions. dolittleintermsoffightingagainstit.Intheyears Preemptive before retaliation ought not to be condoned by the abortion was legal, thousands of abortions were performed government, and certainly not by the Church. illegally, and many women died as a result. It does not Senate Bill 8 has the right intentions, and is clearly in logically follow that laws alone prevent a person from actsupport of the rights of the unborn, but its execution and ing in a certain way. As a much less serious example: terms are terribly poor. jay-walking is illegal, yet many continue to do it, because 5

ENTERTAINMENT

Short Story of the Month

The Forest Lights

By: John Schaff

It was a dreary fall evening as I trudged through the forest. The well that I had left it behind when I stormed out of the house. trees were covered in brown and yellow leaves, and the earth I was lost. was coated in them. It had begun to rain shortly after I had set Unsure what else to do, I began wandering aimlessly. When out, chilling me to the bone. I was tempted to turn back, but by would Louise begin to realize something was wrong, I the time it had become unpleasant, I was far enough along that I wondered? decided there was no point.

The gray sky grew darker, and my panic grew closer to despair. I Besides, I needed to clear my head. My cases had me running do not know how long I had been wandering when something off in circles, and the tension between Louise and me was only in the distance caught my eye. I had imagined it, surely, but for a growing. I had had no idea how irritable pregnant women could second I thought I’d seen a soft point of light. I watched to see if be until, well, Louise became pregnant. Of course, I had been it would appear again, and it did, but again just beyond my view. somewhat irritable myself.

Everyonehasexperiencedsuchathing,whentheytryt Losing my footing, I stumbled. I threw out my hands and was something that seems to disappear the moment they look directly abletostopmyselffromlandingfacefirstinthemud.Righting at it. This was different, however, for, somehow, the light seemed myself, I was distressed to see that my jeans were now covered to be deliberately taunting me. in muck. Trying to wipe the leaves and slime from my hands, Was the cold making me delirious? I didn’t think cold would accomplishing very little, I then tried to brush off my pants, do that to you. But there it was again. Then again. Then again. I accomplishing about as much. stopped seeking it, instead staring straight ahead.

With no small amount of irritation, I then sought the In the darkness, the light appeared, gently outlining the leaves it obstacle that had placed itself in my way. A tree root jutted from hovered by. It was an eerie yet mystical sight, both vivid and the ground at an ugly angle. There was no such root on my unreal at the same time. Slowly, I became aware that another path, I thought with a start. Somehow, while trudging along and light was to my left. As I waited, several more sprung into musing,Ihadwanderedastray.HowcouldInowfindmyway existence. As they did, a soft blue glow began to permeate the air home? around me.

Turning back, I attempted to retrace my steps. I did not quite I realized the cold was no longer bitter. It was still there, but know what direction I had come from, however, and so I could it had become an exciting chill, a sip of iced tea, a cool breeze not know which direction to go forward. I followed what looked blowing off the ocean, a crisp morning stroll… to be the most natural path. Before long I tripped twice more and I was sure I was dead. I recognized that I was being somewhat determined that I was hopelessly lost. Panic began to set in, and dramatic, but death seemed the only logical explanation. Which I reached instinctively for my phone, even though I knew fully 6

was confusing, for everything seemed undeniably alive. A breeze swept through the branches, and a startled laugh wwescaped my lips. The lights, by now there were many of them, danced with the leaves, swooping and swaying.

I felt something brush through my hair, then past my cheek then over the tip of my ear. I dutifully refrained from lookin at the light shining just above my brow.

Asnowflakelandingonyourskin.Adropofraininacool spring shower. The warm press of my wife’s lips upon my forehead. A soft ray of sunshine on a cloudless day. A leaf gently sweeping against your face. All of these things wrapped up into a single instant could only begin to descri the sensation that burst over my face as the light touched I could not be sure if the chiming of the tiny bells had alwa accompanied the breeze, but I swear it truly was laughter.

Mischievous, joyful, childlike, almost dangerous laughter.

The lights whizzed around me.

I laughed.

Thedamburst,andthefloodwatersroaredfourtha laughed and laughed and laughed. The lights seemed to lik this. As I spun around like a child in the rain or on a grassy field,laughingalltheway,theyonlybecamewilder.Int flurryofmotion,IthoughtIsawseveralhoveringexpe in front of me. When they seemed to shoot forward a foot took a hesitant step forward. There was that strange tinkli laughter again. The lights repeated this motion, and I began tofollowwithmoreconfidence.

Sometimes one of the lights would return to the swirl, and sometimes one would leave the dance to join those leading me, but there were always several of them just ahead of me I recognized a tree. Or rather, I thought I did. Then a large rock. They were leading me back the way from which I had come.

I was on the path again.

A blinding light cut through those leading me. There was a short sob, and then Louise’s arms were wrapped tightly around me. To this day, I hold this tender moment with the same fondness as those moments leading up to it. I hold it with even more fondness, in fact, for the strange lights were likely some sort of a hallucination produced by panic and th cold.

Louise is the only soul to whom I have dared breathe a word about what happened to me, and she is just baffledasI.

Since then, Louise has given birth to a happy, healthy young boy we named Blaze. Louise likes to point out that I laugh more. I’m not sure if it’s true, but she would knowbetterthanIwould.:estillfight,butnotasmu andIfindthatwhenacaseisbecomingtoomuchforme,a walk helps me refresh my mind and get a new perspective things.

I’m still not sure what happened to me that night, but I can’t quite shake the tingling feeling in the back of my mind every time I go into the woods. And sometimes, when wewalkthroughthemtogether,%la]ewill - becomeu plainablyexcitedandpointintotheair,andIswe the soft chime of bells in the wind.

7

Photocredit:AloraGriffith

Movie Review: Eternals | Bella Sletteland

Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao, is the latest addition to the MCU Phase 4 lineup. Eternals follows 10 powerful, immortal beings who have been tasked with secretly protecting Earth from dangerousDeviants.Thisfilmtakesonthedifficult - taskofdevelop ing 10 dramatically different characters and a foreign plot within two and a half hours. Despite the number and diversity of characters, Zhao is able to juggle their individual stories, but leaves viewers wanting more.

Fans might avoid going to see Eternals after seeing its score of 48%onRottenTomatoes,whichisthelowestaMarvelmoviehas ever scored, but the movie is still entertaining. The 10 Eternals were fun and emotional, the actors had great chemistry on screen, and the plot structure of Eternals is a breath of fresh air from Marvel, but it feels rushed. What Eternals scores in character points, it loses in the amountofexpositionthatispackedintojustonefilm.Itdragsthe plot at most points of the movie and takes away from the beautiful visuals being presented to the audience. The biggest downfall of Eternals is that so much is attempted in so little time.

It’s still a good movie, and seeing it on the big screen with submersivesounddefinitelyimprovesthequalityofviewing.

Since Marvel has released massive amounts of content in such ashortamountoftime,it’stobeexpectedthatsomefilmswillfall flat.Ifthestudiocontinuestoshelloutsuperheromoviesandtv showsatthisrate,expectmorefilmslikeEternals.Entertainingand new but not necessarily brilliant.

Movie Review: Dune | Eli Davis

ReleasedjustintimeforHalloween,Duneisthebiggests tohittheatersthisyear.Reminiscentofothericonics Dune offers familiar tropes as well as new and exciting aspects that keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Dune features Paul Atreides, played by Timothee Chalamet, as a young, but extremely gifted boy who must travel to dangerous new planets to ensure the survivalofhispeople.Thefilmisfulloficonicactorsandac such as Zendaya (Chani), Jason Momoa (Duncan Idaho), Oscar Isaac (Leto Atreides), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), and of courseTimotheeChalamet(PaulAtreides)The . filmfeelslik breathoffreshairthatisfillingtheaterseatsforwhat firsttimesincethestartofthepandemic.Dunegivesarea people to continue going to the theater and gives hope for a resurgenceincinemainoursociety.RatedPG-13,thefilmreceived83% onRottenTomatoesandhasalreadymadeawhopping$23millio withinitsfirstweekintheaters.

8

RELIGION SEARCH

A weekend retreat that will change your life | John Schaff

SEARCH for Christian Maturity is a weekend retreat that takes placenationwideandwasfirstintroducedintoNorthDakotain 1970. The program is designed to bring young people closer to Jesus, and to allow them to experience Him in a new, intimate way. Although there are adult leaders, such as Dean Johns, each retreat has a student director as well as many young men and women who volunteer their time in order to help share the passionate love they have for Jesus Christ.

Justover50yearsago,thefirstSEARCHretreatwasheldin NorthDakota.DeanJohsfirstbeganhisministrywithSEARCH in 1988 when he volunteered as a young man, and it was nearly six years ago that he took over the position of Program Coordinator. The last few years have been hard on the program, andDeanreflectedduringhisinterviewthatthemostdifficult fact was that years of leaders were lost in the interim. Many of the young people who could have served to support and grow SEARCH completed high school and moved on while the program was operating at a low capacity on account of the pandemic. When SEARCH returned, it had lost much of its mothem as their faith life grows. “It’s about knowing that person,” mentum and energy, Dean explained, but the youth were excited Dean said. “They gotta be a part of our family.” Typically stuto be back, and it quickly returned to nearly normal. Each year dent directors are in their sophomore year of college. Not only therearefiveretreatsforallhighschoolandcollege students is the weekend abovetheageoffifteen.Deanencouragesthosewhoareyounger run by a young man or woman of God, but the majoritywith of thehim, talks given each retreat are by youth who come thanfifteenwhilestillinhighschooltocallandvisit to the retreats themselves.

The planning meetings for a weekend and in most scenarios he will be able to allow them to attend so sometimes go as long as three hours as the team tries to decide long as they wish to. There is also one leadership weekend each who should give which talks.

Ultimately, they choose people year for returning searchers who wish to grow as leaders both for whom they think the Holy Spirit is calling to share what they future retreats but more importantly as warriors of Christ in any have to offer. and all settings.

The next SEARCH retreat will be November 19th through the The SEARCH retreats are coordinated by Dean Johs, but each 21stwho andplans will be led by Michaela Fischer, a student at NDSU. For ofthefiveregularweekendshaveastudentdirector those interested in attending, register online at searchinmedora. and runs the retreat. Each weekend has a theme that the director wix.com/search.

Dean Johs can be reached at 701-471-3403, and chooses, and stemming from that theme they choose a song for the search offi cecanbecontactedat701-248. the weekend, make a banner, and choose a Bible verse. Dean “What attracts me to SEARCH,” said Dean, “is to see young has a list of potential student directors who come regularly to people meeting Jesus in a personal way.”

SEARCH weekends, and he keeps an eye on them, watching

9

20 22

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT An inside look into some of the outside careers of our seniors.

20 22

JOHN SCHAFF | THEATRE MESSENGER: What would you say is your favorite

part of Saint Mary’s so far?

JOHN SCHAFF: It’s gotta be the chocolate milk.

No, It’s a new experience to be around the same people every single day, day in and day out. Ya know sharing, the same experiences with them and the same classes so that’s really cool and one of the main reasons I decided to come, just for the fellowship.

M: What are your plans for after you graduate High

School?

J: Nothing’s nailed down for sure but my current plan is to go to the University of Mary. As far as majors, I’m planning on double majoring in criminal justice, English, ummm, politics, or philosophy. A combination of those four voices. I haven’t quite decided yet. But from there my plan is law school.

So I want a combination of majors that would be helpful for that.

M: What’s your favorite thing about being in the

play?

J: About this play, the roles are a little bit challenging because it’s easy to play over the top characters but this particular character is a little bit cold at times. Not necessarily mean but it’s not super energetic. So it’s a little bit hard to do that in a way that is compelling and realistic. It’s also nice to be around the same people that I share some classes with or see in the hallways. That’s a new experience usually in previous theatre. There are some people I only know through theatre so that’s kinda cool. For theatre in general what I really enjoy is just walking onto the stage and becoming somebody new. I put my life behind and not worry about any of my challenges and all I have to focus on is the character I’m becoming and their challenges and their mannerism and their goals. All that. It’s becoming someone entirely new and telling their story. That’s one of my favorite things in the entire world is telling stories.

M: Are there any details about the play that you can release to the public?

J: It’s the 19th, 20th and 21st. The play is sort of like a spoof, it’s a summer camp play where you have the typical line of the story where the bad guy is trying to take over the camp and the kids band together to take him down and you have the typical characters too. What is interesting is that there is a control character. Billy’s main character has been to twelve different summer camps so he knows everything that is going down. Obviously there are twists and turns. The bad guy is the unscrupulous businessman whose grand scheme is to buy out the camp and destroy it and use the land. It’s a fun spoof that makes fun of all of these typical summer camp themes.

Interview by Eli Davis

10