Issue 2 by The Lance

October 10, 2014 sports Check out page 13 for the story of a volleyball player out for the season.

THE 8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 Volume 59 Issue 2

LANCE

POWDERBUFF

Photo by Sarah Lemke

Senior team serves up tough competition LIBBY SELINE

COPY EDITOR

continued on page 2

NEWS seniors win

continued from page 1 Though they did lose to the returning champions, the team was able to win one out of three sets. The sets were out of 15 points, so whoever was able to “[It surprised me] how well the other senior team did [because they] hadn’t practiced before,” audience member senior Sydney Hawekotte said. “They did really well and stood up with the team that had practiced.” It was that team, made up of the returning champions, who won the tournament against the juniors this year. Team member, senior Isaiah Peerman, thought the other senior team made a “[The other senior team] were valiant warriors against us,” Peerman said. “They were a great opposition. Congratulations on a well, hard-fought game.” Returning champions along with members from the audience thought the junior team that played against the seniors did well too. “I wasn’t expecting [the juniors] to be that good,” audience member junior Lilla Lovas said. “I thought it [was] going to be way less organized, but they actually were playing a real volleyball game, and I was really surprised by that.” Although Slosburg also thinks the junior team was talented, he is proud of the senior team and their accomplishments. He had hoped a senior team would win the tournament. “I would say [to the winning senior team] great

Above: Seniors run on to the volleyball court after team “Big Defense” takes the win against the junior team “Toon Squad.” “Big Defense” won 25-21. Right: Seniors Tyler Schneiderman, Jacob Andrews, and Robert Wiseman mess around on the court during the preliminary senior vs senior game. Photos by Sarah Lemke

the #seniorsweep.” “It’s a great event that should be continued on as a tradition for Westside for many years to come,” Peerman said. “Because even though juniors [and] seniors are pitied against each other, it still brings us together as one big school.”

Cornhusker Driving School A Classroom Behind The Wheel Driver Safety Class only $375 cornhuskerdriving.com cornhuskerdriving.org For information call:

Pat at 402.320.5998, or Jan at 402.813.0001

NEWS

Above: Bailey Beightol, painted by volunteer Marisa Burlingame under a tent at the Buddy Walk Oct. 4. More than drome reside in the US. Left: Shaylie Andrew,

the Buddy Walk. One in syndrome. Photos by Sarah Lemke

Above: Natalie Mendoza, 4, gives a kiss to the HETRA pony, Stormy, Oct. 4 at the Buddy Walk in Turner ciety. Right: Mahinda Melton, and his friend Blake, Photos by Sarah Lemke

BUDDY WALK

Event raises awareness for Down syndrome CONNOR FLAIRTY NEWS EDITOR

Once a year, as the leaves begin to turn and the air becomes crisp and cool, individuals with Down syndrome and their families gather for the fundraiser called the Buddy Walk. This fundraiser aims to raise awareness about Down syndrome. For the kids, however, it’s more than a simple walk. It’s a day where they can bond with others facing similar challenges, and alhough the temperatures are cool, excitement “The mission is to promote inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome,” said Anne Mancini, Executive Director of Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands. While the Buddy Walk has now transformed into quite the festival in its 13th year, this growth took a whie. It was developed over multiple years. “It was made up of only a handful of families in the beginning, doing walks at local parks,” Mancini said. “Over the years, as more money was raised and more volunteers came out, it grew into the event it is today.” The walk attracted over 3,000 people last Saturday, the most the event has ever seen. “Our families have done a great job reaching and really spreading out awareness of our cause,” Mancini said.

“We’re just very fortunate in the past few years that we’ve been very visible to the public.” For Westside father Jim Burns, the Buddy Walk’s success is personal. His 18-year-old daughter, Jamie Burns, has Down syndrome. “It’s a great place for families with children with Down syndrome,” Burns said. “It brings everyone together that has these challenges to provide information to these families.” For Burns’ family vided a great support group. “When Jamie was born, there really was no group to talk to,” Burns said. “There were no resources. You felt like you were on your own... [The Buddy Walk is] really helping families with Down syndrome through their challenges and helping these kids feel more inclusive.” However the family connection is not the only accom-

plishment of the Buddy Walk. Last year, the walk received over $100,000 in donations. This money is being used for many things, from educating people to a scholarship program to teach individuals with Down syndrome to live on their own. “We use the money for education, advocacy and support,” Mancini said. “All of those things are covered by the fundraising.” The Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands plans to keep all of the funds raised in the community. “93 percent of the funds raised stays right here to support the locally run programs,” said Mancini. FATHER So while the Buddy Walk is sometimes lost among the hundreds of other fundraiser walks, make no mistake. To individuals like Burns, the Buddy Walk is more then a simple three hour event. It provides him with support and resources. And with numbers increasing every year, the Buddy Walk plans to continue to help families like his for many years.

It brings everyone together that has these challenges. JIM BURN S

NEWS

District adopts more personalized learning ESTELLA Fo x

Editor-in-chiEF Personalized learning.

t h E facts -

said.

dissertation on it.

engaging.

1.13 The influence of feedback, given by the teacher

1.00 The influence of instructional quality, given by the student

Effect size measures the greatest influence something has on student learning. An effect size of 1.0 means it has a very large effect size, improving the rate of learning by 50 percent. This study was done by professor John Hattie.

OPINION THE

Lance

The Lance is a school-sponsored publication of Westside High School, Westside Com-

The paper is distributed every month to all students, except The Lance is printed by White Advertising rates are availto edit all ads for clarity and publish any ads that are libelous or that contain non-factual also reserves the right to nullify contracts at any time without refuses ads that promote activities illegal to a majority of the Reader response is welcomed in the form of letters to

Names may be withheld upon will decide whether to honor

Graphic by Sarah Lemke

Students should be active in community was established by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month, was an excellent opportunity to spread aware-

dent protest mentioned in this editorial led to massive changes throughout

serves the right to edit letters for the right to not publish any letters that are libelous or that The Lance is a member of the Nebraska High School Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Quill & Scroll nizes that the administration of Westside Community Schools controls the curriculum and, thus, sets the parameters of the production process of school

Astin, Bayer and Bisconti found that protests made students more openActivists were more involved in their academic careers and in extracollege students staged sit-ins, protests and occasionally rioted in the multinational movement against rape culture, has been popularized by peo-

recognizes its own responsibilities to inform, enlighten and entertain its readers in a way Editors-in-Chief Estella Fox, Nata Ward; Managing Editors Grace Fogland, Jace Wieseler; Copy Editors Lia Hagen, Libby Seline; Design Editor Allie Laing; Business Manager Jakob Phillips; News Editors Connor Flairty; Opinion Editor Sarah Hermann; Sports Editor James Buckley; Arts & Entertainment Editor Elise Tucker; Writers Alexis Bergin, Connor Castleman, Nicole Degand, Kayla Kyle, Celena Shepherd, Connor Tucker, Eva Wetzel;

Buddy Walk operate absent the voice of many high schoolers in our com-

Here at Westside, we see a lack of student involvement in politics every -

Designers Casey Arritt, Audrey McCann; Photo Editors Mitch Francis, Sarah Lemke; Photo ordinator Aren Rendell; Adviser

WARRIOR VOICE Should students take an active role in their communities?

hall supervIsOr

FreshmaN

JuNIOr

seNIOr

“Yes, because it gives students a voice.”

“Yes, because we are the future.”

“Yes, it helps us “Students should be learn more, and [it] is because they reprea good experience.” sent Westside.”

HANK NOvak

ONA rush

MAREN sTONe

DARYL Bu N N INg

OPINION

6 Tattoos and permanent tions are seriment, aren’t for teenagers As a 12-year-old, I wanted to draw the book cover of “Twilight” on anything and everything I saw, including my skin. As a 13-yearold, I wanted to have “Belieber” written on my wrist in cursive with a little but-

ALEXIS B E R GIN STAFF WRITER

As a 14-year-old, I decided that maybe some lyrics by my favorite bands would be a nice decoration for my arm. Now, as

Graphic by Casey Arritt

BAD MATH

More homework leads to less learning Wednesday night. After a seven-hour school day, a thirtyminute medical club meeting, two-and-a-half-hours of practice and an hour-and-a-half of youth

myself making designs from book quotes and drawing them around my ankles. Each time I got an idea, I thought I would want it forever, but looking back now, I see I would have regretted every one. Every day, I hear teenagers talking about permanently altering their body with tattoos. Not just small, meaningful doodles, but big, full body tattoos. One 12-year-old even said they their body. This is ridiculous. Teenagers should not even begin to think about permanently altering our body. That can wait until we’re adults who have been on our own for a while. Right now we’re just too eager to cover up our bodies with ink. As teenagers, we’re just learning how to function as adults in this society. Young adults learn, grow and change a lot. Our interests, obsessions, surroundings and even the people they’re a 20-year-old, they’re not the same person they were at age 12, 14, 16 or even 18. With so much change happening, doing something permanent to the body seems unnecessary and almost silly. By law, we shouldn’t be able to alter our body in such a permanent way until we are 20 teenagers. It’s also when we become independent, functioning adults in society. Most people have, as a 20-year-old, lived as adults on their own, and they have been given time to get used to their freedoms. The decision to alter the body will no longer be a knee-jerk reaction, but a thoughtful decision. We will have time to mature past the high school stage of our lives. The law in Nebraska says you need to be 18-years-old to get a tattoo on your own. This is still too young. When we turn 18, adulthood is thrust upon us with all of these new freedoms take advantage of those freedoms. Sometimes we don’t understand that this form of self-expression will last until we die. Most of us have 70 or 80 years ahead of us. We have no idea what our life will be like or what the environment will be in the future. Getting a tattoo when you’re young can lead to regret and embarrassment when you’re holder older age. We need to realize the weight of modifying our bodies so permanently at such a young age. The girl who adores One Direction may not always want their song lyrics on her body. The back just yet. Just as 15-year-old me doesn’t need to be getting Albus Dumbledore quotes on her ankles. This fad of getting tattoos is getting out of hand. Your body is your canvas. With your whole life ahead of you, don’t limit the space left on it.

minute I walk through the door, the list of the things I have to do have to accomplish my nightly goal of spending time with my family, eating dinner and taking a shower. Once I have my list completed, I stop to catch my breath. It’s already 9:30 p.m. You’d think it would be time for bed, but in TAYLOR SCHENDT reality, I’m just sitting down for STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER a grueling two-hour homework session. It will inevitably end with some sort of anxiety attack and crawling into bed anywhere between 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. As students, we’re focused on what we have to do in order to be successful after school. We’re pressured to prepare ourselves for college and a career. This includes getting good grades, participating in extra-curricular activities, testing and being a part of the student body. Then we need to have a social life and create friendships. Modern high school has turned into year of high school, it’s a daily struggle to maintain all these aspects of teenage life, get enough sleep and still manage to get through all of my homework every night. The Lance recently surveyed 180 Westside students and found that over 80% report spending two or more hours of homework on each school night. This means the average Westside student spends at least nine hours of their day on something school related, not including any other activities we are told will “look good” on our college applications. Having this much extra work was once viewed as a positive, but research shows the opposite is true. According to research from Stanford University conducted in California, students who spend too much time (two to three hours) on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance and even alienation from society. Giving us more homework will only make these problems worse. The more homework we receive, the better chance of stress and health problems overtaking our lives.

Sleep deprivation has been known to lead to illness and stress. According to the Sleep Foundation, it’s recommended that teenagers get eight to nine-and-a-half hours to function at their best. With early morning classes and late nights of homenear these numbers. Sleep deprivation can cause many health issues and also can cause another distraction for students in class: the distraction of trying to keep themselves awake. It’s crazy to think that homework — something viewed as much damage. Our teenage years should be some of the best, but the homework load may just be enough to damage the exsome initiative and make a change. In some countries, such as Finland, no homework policies have been instituted. The results are quite intriguing. An 50 minutes of homework a night, where as in Finland it’s rare to have homework even into teenage years. Finland has an overall higher average of high school graduates and more of its students that will go on to college than the United States. It seems like some U.S. schools are starting to take the hint. On Sept. 8, Today reported on a few schools that have taken the opportunity and made the homework cut. Among these schools included the VanDamme Academy in California and this type of education is to allow families to enjoy stress-free evenings, which in return will give them more quality time together. The schools believe that learning should take place at school and not be taken home with the student. This said, there is absolutely no reason to stress us out with piles of homework if we can be successful without it. So as a sophomore girl who is stressing out about every little thing in her life, I have to ask: why don’t we give this unorthodox education system a try? Being a high school student isn’t the same thing as it was when our parents were in class, and we need to adjust to these changes. If this means taking a homework cut, you won’t find many students that will argue. Not only will it save kids time, but will also save teachers some serious grading hours. Cutting back homework could be the step we need to take to improve our education system. We need to do everything possible to ensure a better education for our students. For our schooling system to excel, we need to make a change.

PowerGrade A+

To Westside’s sports teams. We were nervous after last year’s talented senior class left, but it’s clear now that we’re doing great. The better cross country and

be. Will it be done before the season is over? We can only hope.

To the strict food rules. Not being able to bring food out of the cafeteria without a note from a teacher is infuriating. Students who are too busy to eat in the courtyard obviously don’t have time to run to class for permission slips.

OPINION

MINIMUM

WAGE

TO RAISE...

As our current governmental and economic system stands, there’s no question that Nebraskans need to vote to increase the state minimum wage at the polls Nov. 4. The only question is how high it should go. The main opposition to raising the minimum wage comes from champions of the “free market.” But saying raising the minimum wage in the ism. If you believe America is the world’s shining example of capitalism, you are misled. We live in a nation of subsidies, regulations and government services, which are not free market ideas. Trying peg into a round hole. I don’t think a free market system with little governmental regulation is bad. I all of our problems, but my point here is simple: we need to make the best out of the system we have. Here are the facts about the minimum

What we have is an eroded monument that once was the pride of America. The middle class is dying, and the poor are struggling. below the poverty line for a family of two. Bolstering the Nebraska minimum wage is a step in the right direction for middle class and poor Americans. Increasing the minimum wage is a sensible step to protecting our middle

Increasing the minimum wage is a sensible step to protecting our middle class.

the heart of the United States, the middle class, is shrinking. According to a New York Times report, it’s no longer the wealthiest in the world. The same is holding true for America’s poor. The immediate reaction would be, “Economic times are bad.” However, America’s economy is growing around the same rate as its international counterparts. The truth of the matter is this: the richest Americans are taking home a

sensible step to improving America as a Instead of attacking policies that are simply building on and

AREN RE NDE L L

MEDIA COORDINATOR

to the minimum wage increase need to identify the real problem: corporate greed. If Americans are so worried about the minimum wage hike “attacking small businesses,” they need to buy from small businesses instead of giants that drive small businesses out of existence with price wars.

the type of government that runs your country and real-

OR NOT TO RAISE... economy and for anyone who supports the free market. Students who are newly employed and are paid by the minimum wage may feel like they deserve a raise. They may not seek a raise through hard work and a strong relationship with their employers, but by a law that will raise the wage for them. This is the lazy solution for an employee to make more money. In his State of the Union raising the federal minimum wage

CONNOR T U C K E R STAFF WRITER

a higher minimum wage. This allow Nebraskans to vote yes or no to raising the minimum wage. If enough people vote in support of raising the state wage, employers will be required to have their

Employers will be less inclined to hire new workers, especially ones who have never been hired before and have very little experience. Big corporations and franchises might still hire an inexperienced teenagbig to fail”. However, many small businesses’ might miss out as they pay

Due to the minimum wage, unskilled workers will risk losing their jobs overtime.

hour. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployed. With an increase of the state minimum

wage, unskilled workers risk will be losing their Let’s say I’m a manager at a local business. I hire teenagers and those who are unskilled due to raising the minimum wages. studies department and teacher, believes the minimum wage would force many who would work less for the minimum wage to be hired only by the raised amount. The cost of living would go to get by. Not only will this create unemployment, it will

Everything you buy will lose its value until it is useless. Prices will eventually skyrocket. If raising the minimum wage is supposed to prevent growing income

why we shouldn’t raise it all. And if you even hire someone and pay him or her lower than the minimum wage, it is illegal, even if this was a voluntary agreement between both parties. This is wrong. Though it might not be something that can be accomplished overnight, we need to eliminate the minimum wage completely.

OPINION

8 Adults invalidate teen experience People are always telling me what will happen when I enter the “real world.” I’m still confused about what that means. As far as I can tell, the real world is some hellish space only accessible to people over 30. There, we’re all slaves to the tax man and the eight hour work day. Everything is expensive and LIA H A G E N dreary. When you’re COPY EDITOR there, all you do is pay taxes and wait to die. It exists in a world of lectures, of silly lessons designed by people who are convinced they know best. These myths were formed to teach us something someone else thought we needed to know, ways to get their point across. In other words, it’s the adult world’s most creative way to invalidate your feelings. Example: you think juggling seven hours of school, four hours of homework, a social life, and eight hours of sleep is hard? Just wait until you get into the real world. There, no one will hold your hand. It’s a quick take down, a one-stop shop for shutting down teenagers. Once you’ve heard it, you can’t complain or vent any longer. For some suddenly don’t count. We’re under 18, and so we can’t possibly understand adversity. Yes, it’s true that I don’t pay taxes or work with having a mortgage or employment. Having to make rent every month must be nearly as stressful as raising a bunch of ungrateful kids. I may not have experienced these issues, but I’m capable of sympathizing. I’m capable of taking to extend the same courtesy to me. Being a teenager doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly entered an alternate realm of reality. I may not doesn’t mean I don’t experience similar emotional ones. Teenagers today are dealing with more than any generation before us. We have to work harder than ever to get into incredibly expensive colleges, where we accumulate thousands in debt. After we’re done, we have to worry about getting a job in an economy our grandparents ruined. That’s not even mentioning the new pressures introduced by social media. No longer can teens with socializing. If you’re bullied, you’re bullied 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you have drama with your friends, you have no safe haven. These pressures just didn’t exist when our parents were kids, and, in all honesty, they don’t exist in the so-called ‘real world’ either. According to the American Psychology Association, the average teenager is more stressed than their parents. That’s right. If you’re in high school, you’re dealing with more trouble than most people in the workforce. You’re just not getting paid for it. We are living in a world that was not built for us. Our parents and grandparents have shaped it according to their own whims, with no thoughts the environmental harms, the destroyed economy And yet they have the nerve to criticize our generation. They feel the need to tell us that the six AP classes we feel forced to take aren’t really that hard. They think they deserve to warn us about the real world. Here’s a little life tip. If you follow this well, it’ll serve you for as long as you are a teenager. Every time someone tries to invalidate your feelings this way, walk away. It doesn’t matter what they say or even if they’re in the middle of saying it. Teacher, parent, stranger on the street — remove yourself from the situation. Just walk away. Walk away because they don’t bother to consider your point of view. Walk away because they clearly don’t care enough about your feelings to listen to you. Don’t explain yourself, don’t tell them why. Just leave. Trust me: they’re not worth your time.

GOD HATES SOLDIERS

FREE SPEECH Our country prides itself on letting people have their own opinions. It is something we are automatically granted, no matter who you are. Whatever the opinion, no matter how unpopular your perspective, you can’t legally be prosecuted for it. America was created by those who had unpopular beliefs, for people who have unpopular beliefs. Personally, I think we still have the right, as American citizens, to speak what we believe. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. The right to free speech doesn’t give you the right to acceptance. I hate the idea that we ESTELLA FOX have to inherently respect other EDITOR-IN-CHIEF peoples’ opinions, no matter what. Yes, I understand that eryone has their own beliefs. Does that mean that they deserve my respect? No. I’m not arguing that you shouldn’t respect anyone’s opinions. It’s not even arguing that you shouldn’t respect opinions you disagree with. I think everyone you deem worthy should be talked to with politeness. Even if you don’t think someone’s right about something, if they’re kind to you, you should be kind to them. We should not, however, have to respect opinions that are

Graphic by Estella Fox

of your free speech extends as far as you can extend your arms. Once it’s outside of your personal bubble, it’s everyone’s business. And as far as I’m concerned, if you have an opinion that hurts anyone else’s, you don’t have respect for their opinion. It isn’t fair for you to demand respect, but still put down other people. That’s why it’s so ridiculous to me that so many hate groups call upon their right to free speech in an attempt to stamp criticism. These are groups like the Westboro Baptist Church. Whatever twisted belief they have, it is their belief and they have the right to have it. I do not, however, believe they have the right to hold up posters saying “God hates America” in front of grieving family members. I don’t believe they have the right to yell hateful slurs at peaceful LGBTQ events. They are advocating to take away other peoples’ rights, and they are being completely disrespectful and crossing the line drawn around freedom of speech. I have a baseline amount of respect for everyone, no matter what. It doesn’t matter who they are, where they come from or what age they are. I do understand that people were raised in

It isn’t fair for you to demand respect, but still put down other people.

If your opinion is harming other people, then it doesn’t just

have a problem when those values hurt another person or are attempting to take away someone’s fundamental right. I’ve met many people with opinions I don’t agree with, respect other people, don’t expect me to respect you. And if you’ve got a problem with that, well... free speech, man.

WHAT IT TAKES TO GET a homecoming date Graphic by Sarah Lemke

FEATURE

Student is recovering from death of boyfriend NATA

WAR D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Freshman Kassie Tighe wanted to break things. Replaceable things, things that wouldn’t shatter. Kassie wanted to take the eggs out of the fridge. She wanted to kick tires, throw food, scream a lot. She asked her mother. Her mother changed the subject. “You forgot to let me break things today,” Kassie told her mother. “Maybe tomorrow,” her mother said. Kassie wanted to break things, but she didn’t expect it to change anything. She didn’t expect throwing eggs would bring 16-year-old Jonathon Paulsen back to life. “Breaking things gets you nowhere, especially when somebody dies,” Kassie said. Kassie tried not to think too much about Bryan sophomore Jonathon Paulsen, who died after asphyxiating during a seizure this summer. She tried not to think about his shaggy brown hair, fair skin or tendency to laugh. She tried not to think about Kassie had met Jonathon the previous year at a graduation cookout. He was playing catch with a football, and she asked him if she could borrow it. Then she threw it at him. He asked her out over text, and the next day, Kassie went with his family to the zoo. He bought Jonathon always wore his Mountain Dew hat and black sunglasses. One time, he thought he lost his hat so Kassie went out and bought him a new one. Kassie knew about his seizures but, like his parents and his doctors, didn’t know about the epilepsy. “[His parents] had every test run, but they always came back with nothing wrong,” Kassie said. “He did have seizures, but people thought it was [caused by] lack of sleep. He would stay up later playing videogames.” Many days were spent playing videogames while they dated. Jonathon would play, and Kassie would watch. Kassie would talk to his parents to pass the

time. She knew her way around his house: to the fridge for a snack, to the balcony for some fresh air. She didn’t mind it, however, explaining “sometimes she liked to walk, and sometimes she liked to watch people walk by.” over text, to take a break in their relationship. They didn’t talk after that. Kassie saw Jonathon at the Walmart where he worked, but she didn’t say hi. She was afraid he wouldn’t want to talk to her. Kassie realized she missed him. Then, one day, the phone rang. Jonathon was laying on the couch. He was going to play video games. Jonathon turned on the Xbox. His parents thought that he laid down to go to sleep. Jonathon had a seizure. He asphyxiated. He didn’t wake up. She put all his things in a drawer in her bedroom. The turtle he bought her at the zoo, the new Mountain Dew hat and the other things of his scattered around her house. She can’t open that drawer. For a week, her parents stayed up until 4 a.m. with Kassie. “My parents would force me to talk about it,” Kassie said. “They said, ‘You’re not going to get over it unless you talk about it.’” “more open-minded about everything.” She had no preference for any movie they watched and didn’t care what they had for dinner.

command. My mom would actually have to pick out my clothes.” She would get frustrated about little things, especially when people told her they were sorry. Everyone told her they were sorry. The people at the funeral, her sisters who didn’t know how else to help her cope, family friends. her to move on.

“You’re never fully broken up with someone who you still care about,” Kassie said. Even after they stopped dating, Kassie still felt connected to Jonathon and his family, and they ther was not there, so it was Jonathon’s father, ket. to fall…but nobody would drop me.” Jonathon’s forehead. Kassie told him she loved him. Kassie Tighe wanted to break things, but she got into the car. She went home. touched.

Preparing Warriors for the ACT and SAT for 14 years! Helping Schools & Families Create College Graduates With Minimal Debt JohnBaylorPrep.com

Freshman Kassie Tighe goes through the last of her boyfriend’s things she has saved in her home Sept. 26. Tighe holds one of the fueneral pamplets she saved from his service this past summer. Photo by Sarah Lemke

FEATURE

TRAVEL MANIA 1.

2. 3.

5. 12.

10.

8. 9.

15. 14.

13.

11. 20. 19.

18.

17.

22. 21.

16.

24.

25.

26. .

27. .

29.

23. 30.

28.

COUNTRIES VISITED 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

United States Canada Mexico Panama Columbia Spain

7. Morocco 8. France 9. UK (England, Whales, Scottland) 10. Germany 11. Luxenbourg 12. Ireland

13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Belgium Netherlands Austria Malta Czech Republic Estonia

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

Latvia Italy Poland Sweden Finland Lithuania

25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Greece Vatican City Russia Turkey Denmark Portugal

Instructor takes traveling to a new level JACE WIESELER MANAGING EDITOR Social studies instructor Diana Schergin is a people watcher. She sits in public squares and observes. In Italy, she saw a woman, breastfeeding her baby, smoking a cigarette and talking on her telephone. She watched a family of four speed past on the back of a scooter. In Panama, she saw a bus transporting civilians and tourists around the city. The Red Devil bus resembles an average school of any tourist. In Turkey, she watched many others watch the sunrise from a hot air balloon 1,000 feet in the air. In Denmark, she can see her future husband sitting at an airport terminal, ignorant of their future together. She travels countless hours to watch. It’s what she prefers to do on vacations. But in Diana’s house, she and her husband holidays, a term used in Europe, which they use to refer to running and seeing as much as you can physically see in a given time period. The running began while Diana was in college. Growing up in a small town and going to a small college, she had no desire to go overseas. There was a class trip to Italy, and her college professor was convinced she had to go. “It was pretty much like he forced me on the plane,” Diana said. Once she got there, she was in complete awe. ence. and to walk down the street and see it,” Diana really crazy to see the history come alive.” Once she started traveling, she couldn’t stop. Diana has since traveled to 30 countries and 31 U.S. states, mostly with Andrej.

Diana and Andrej met at an airport terminal teaching, she went on a tour of Russia, and Andrej happened to be her tour director. They kept in contact after the trip, and that year they began to travel together. Diana and Andrej became engaged 10 months later in Ireland. Now they have two kids, Ella and Mia, who are being raised to speak both German and English. Diana speaks primarily English to their daughters, and Andrej speaks primarily German to them. They also aspire to take them to Latin America or South America to learn Spanish. German was important to Andrej because of his Austrian background, and Spanish was important to them because of the prevalence of the language in the United States. “[Speaking multiple languages] will open up a lot of opportunities to hold a conversation to other cultures,” Diana said. Their children haven’t done much traveling since they are only three and one, but Diana and when they get older. sively” isn’t a term they use lightly. In one day in Hawaii, Diana and Andrej went a museum and a national park. That night, they light to guide them. “It’s kind of an interesting dynamic of our relationship because he just cannot stand to see a stone unturned,” Diana said. But it’s not just Andrej that can’t stand to see a stone unturned. One summer, Diana left the day after school got out and didn’t return until the day after school started. Now that Diana has kids, however, her typical vacation time is only two weeks long. While Diana recommends traveling to anyone who is capable, she does have some suggestions

for those planning vacations. “Before going anywhere, you should acquaint yourself with the cultural customs or laws of the place you’re going,” Diana said. “There’s a pretty prevailing image of Americans of not being knowledgeable and [not] always [being] sensitive to other cultures.” Diana has learned many things about traveling one going on a vacation. “[Traveling] really changes your perspective to than where you’re at,” Diana said. “I think it’s imgain appreciation and understanding [of the] differences and also similarities between the values of people.”

Social studies instructor Diana Schergin poses in front of Terracotta pots in Crete. Diana has been traveling for eight years and countries. Photo courtesy of Diana Schergin

SPORTS

BUFF IS TOUGH LIA HA GEN

COPY EDITOR As surely as the leaves are changing, fall sports fever is taking hold. We all know the allure of football games, where many students enjoy their Friday nights. For some of us, fall also means sports like cross country and golf. For others, however, it Westside as spirit week or pep rallies. Students wait in line for hours, attend multiple practices, and work their hardest for a chance to compete in front of everyone interested. And there are a lot of interested students. DECA members and the general student body alike turned out in droves to participate and watch as upperclassmen ruthlessly battled each other.

Left: Senior Sydney Holzworth, a coach for team “Big Defense”, gives some direction and critiques train team “Big Defense”. Above: Senior Robert Wiseman Photos by Sarah Lemke

Above: Senior Andrew Koch, a timeout during the game against “Big Defense.” “Big Defense” beat “Team Right: a time out. Photos by Sarah Lemke

SPORTS

INELIGIBLE JACK CO HE N

work ethic all the same. “The whole team’s my motivation,” Muganyizi said. “You don’t just show up, work hard to make

through excruciating practices. These long, hot workouts are physically draining, but knowing they have a light at the end of the tunnel makes it all worth it. Every Friday night, they get to play football underneath the bright lights of the stadium. Each player pulls on their jersey, straps up

[play], just drop the team and quit. Most guys would do that, but I just want to be with the team. It’s a big family to me, and it has been since I came to Westside.” Muganyizi is the only player at Westside who has ever had do this.

SPORTS WRITER

Every player except one. If one were to look down at the sideline at a Warriors football game, they would see one player in just his jersey and shorts. S e n i o r Christian Muganyizi transferred to Westside this year from Omaha North. He came to Westside because he wanted

Froendt said. “It takes a very unique individual to do that, because football is a lot of work and a lot hit and run, and do everything the team does, but without the reward takes a pretty special person. We’ve never had anyone do that, especially a new student to come

You don’t...work hard to make the team and then just quit.

school. It shows the football program means a lot to him.” Other players on the team are recognizing Muglearning enanyizi’s devotion. SENIOR virmoment Kevin Williams “At Westknows the hard side, I really work put in by his felt like the teammate. teachers cared, and all of the students were wel“I feel for him,” Williams said. “It’s his senior coming to me.” said Muganyizi. season, and he can’t play, [even though] he’s out there working and hitting with us. He’s as [much] August, he didn’t decide what he wanted to do for a part of the team as any of our starters.” extracurricular activities right away. Recently, in the JV game against Creighton “When I came here, I didn’t decide to play football until the second week of school,” Muganyizi said. “About a week after that, the coaches told me in a JV game. Muganyizi was able to get in for the I was ineligible to play because of an NSAA trans- second half of the game and play live downs for fer deadline. I’m on basically a 90 day suspension the team he works so hard for. from all sports.” All transfer students wanting to play sports, special exception agreed on by the Creighton must accept their option by May 1. Muganyizi accepted his option after the May 1 deadline, which Muganyizi would be ineligible to play in these is past the NSAA eligbility mandate. Due to Mug- games, but they adapted to his unique circumanyizi’s lack of knowledge of this and late choice stances. to play football, he can’t play in any competitive “It’s great we were able to get Christian in for games for Westside. That doesn’t stop him from the game,” Froendt said. “Hopefully we can do practicing. Muganyizi is able to practice with the this again, but we will just have to take it game by varsity team. game with no guarantees.” “I can go to team dinners and other activities like that,” Muganyizi said. “Even though I can’t worth it for Muganyizi. He may not have the play, I still want to go out and be with the team.” reward of suiting up on a Friday night, but the Having to practice daily with no reward can support of his teammates makes that a little bit better.

CHRISTIAN MUGANYIZI

Top: Senior Christian Muganyizi talks with

West Aug. 29. The Warriors the Thunderbirds. Left: Senior Christian Muganyizi watches a recent Jake Schweigart, Nick Trude and Jake Fauglid Aug. 29. Muganyizi has recently been able Photos by Sarah Lemke

CONNOR CAST L E MA N

STAFF WRITER

Freshman Jonas Turman had a problem.

His shoulder was dislocated. “I was stupid,” Turman said. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was. I was looking back to see where the guy behind me was, and that’s when I Turman wasn’t going to let a dislocated shoulpopped his shoulder back into place and got back on his bike. “It has happened before,” Turman said. “If know how I would have been able to get up and As fast as Turman could, he got on his bike and lard West sophomore Gerrit Groenendyk, the second place competitor, had gained ground on him. Their pedals, tires and bodies scraped against

Photo by Estella Fox

ever,” Turman said. “Plus, he was a year older than me.” As he trains to compete with the other bikers in the state, Turman cycles the Omaha trail. He loves the fact that you can bike on the trails for what “seems like forever.” Turman said. Turman tries to bike around 10 miles three or four times a week, especially in cycling season. “To race at a high level, you have to have train and have experience, Turman said. “I was unsure sidering I had no experience racing. All I had was my experience on the Omaha trail, but this race was on grass.” Turman was helped a great deal by his experience with biking the Omaha trail and the coaching from his father, who created the cycling club people get involved. meet with a time of thirty-seven minutes and thirty nine seconds in a 14 mile race. -

Although Groenendyk edged out Turman to take the win, Turman wasn’t disappointed.

mal thing for me.”

SPORTS

STILL PART OF THE TEAM

Injury sidelines player, doesn’t sideline spirit -

CELENA S HE PHE R D FEATURE EDITOR

As soon as senior Morgan Zabel landed her great source of solace and encouragement during amount of sharp stinging pains I was getting,” Za-

jury, but cheered her up with words of wisdom

physical therapist, which lead her to an MRI three ing how excited they were to watch me play this season and how they wanted me to play for them

that she had stress fractures on the left and right

undecided, but for now, she cheers on the side-

low because I knew I wasn’t going to get to play matter of months, she wonders if it’s realistic to with no hard feelings from her and her teammates handle any obstacle thrown at her, and she knows

Above: Senior Morgan Zabel keeps the score for a scrimmage game against varsity and junior varsity volleyball during practice Oct. 2 in the gym. Zabel looks to be completely healed by December. Left: Zabel cheers on her teammates during the Millard West game Tuesday, Sept. 23. Photos by Sarah Lemke and Jakob Phillips

It was emotional, not being able to play her sethis the most miserable couple months of my life, or I can go out, try to accomplish something and

“It’s hard [watching from the sidelines], but

Nails Spa Village Located in Countryside Village 402-321-2802

Call or text to make an appointment today!

Pedicure & Manicure Combo shellac manicure $24 Acrylic full-set $ 24

$ 32

A&E

SPIEL NIGHT

Unique cafe serves a sweet victory for teens AREN R E N D E L L

been to other board game cafes in the United

MEDIA COORDINATOR

his vision of promoting an open space to try some-

You’ve probably experienced sweet victory and bitter defeat after a competition. Now, you can actually taste each while playing a board game at a recently-opened board game cafe called Spielbound. Spielbound, located just south of Midtown Crossing on 32nd and Harney, opened Sept. 22.

atypical in the best way possible. While your avcount. games, most coming from CEO and co-founder Kaleb Michaud’s personal collection. The people in this cafe spend their time playing these games

Spielbound also sets itself apart from most cafes by staying open late. It stays open until 10 p.m. on school nights except Monday, when it is only open in the morning, and until midnight on about Spielbound is its teen friendliness, as the point of the cafe is to introduce everyone to board games. The founders actually chose the location to be in proximity to colleges and high schools to be more accessible to teens. Michaud said teenagers are often the group least interested in playing board games because they are busy with other social interactions, but he said playing board games has a number of positive that aren’t often done in our classrooms, and I have teachers or professors who can vouch for

As far as the mind-your-own-business attitude, A few other journalism students and I went to

anybody else.” to Apples to Apples, as it has you select two nouns end night, as most places shut their doors before

separate times. On the third occasion, a person

it give you a place to go, it will also give you something to do. Whether you consider yourself a board game

table and, to our delight, he proved to be an excellent player. Having a friendly environment was part of Michaud’s vision in creating Spielbound. He had

years, Spielbound’s game collection will give you something to enjoy. All of the board games are ily games for a more casual, fun experience with

friends to strategy games for a more serious night of gaming. what responsible for me and many other people and One Night Ultimate Werewolf for a party game. A day pass to play games at Spielbound costs

Top: A view of Spielbound from Harney street. Left: A look at the board game collection of over 1,100. Right: The drink bar, which serves drinks named with games in mind. Photos by Sarah Lemke

a spiel, which means game in German.

FALL ALBUMS

New albums hitting the shelves this fall 747 Deluxe by Lady Antebellum Sept. 30

ELISE TUCKER A&E EDITOR

Houses of the Holy Deluxe by Led Zepplin Oct. 27 When it comes to country music,

From the 1900’s to the 21st century, -

ing in both music and fans. The band released the new album and my favorite vibe to it. People can relate to the song in some way or another because of the writes. Some of their other songs that

up. The band will release two new albums, the remastered versions of the are coming out on the same day, which is a big deal for fans. The albums also include remixes of the popular songs such -

which really suits them as a band. With base will continue to grow and maybe you could be a part of that too.

1989 by Taylor Swift Oct. 27

No Sound Without Silence by The Script Sept. 12 Taylor Swift is the name that everyone

The Script is one of the more popu-

Swift has made many country albums, but now her newest album is all pop. It

world. The band’s new album is the latest addition to this band’s collection,

charts. The catchy single has been turned into many parodies on YouTube. Some of

but now they are writing inspirational

from the country scene to join the pop album, she sounds young, but now she has a structure in her voice that she didn’t have when she was 15. Swift is one of the most diverse artists, and fans wish

about empowerment and believing in yourself, which many teens can relate to now. Some of their other songs that show music can really bring you up when you feel down about yourself and that’s what all music should really do. The Script will forever be lifting people’s spirit.

A&E

15 Photo by Kirsten McCormack

concert previews Oct. 10: Ingrid Michaelson at Sokol Auditorium

Oct. 26: Dirty Heads at Sokol Auditorium

Oct. 20: Dum Dum Girls at the Waiting Room

Oct. 30: Bennie and the Gents at the Waiting Room

Oct. 25: Zombie Ball at the Waiting Room

Nov. 6: Slipknot at the Century Link Center

A&E

Haunted

houses

KAYLA KYLE

STAFF WRITER

omaha scary Acres

Nightmare on q Street -

Shadowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge

Photos by Taylor Schendt