Lance Issue 5

January 31, 2014

INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL

Check out the Lance’s coverage of the season, and an exclusive Q&A with seniors Nick Castan and Aaron Murray, on page 13.

THE 8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114

Volume 58 Issue 5

lance

SOCIAL MEDIA AND #TEACHERS

Instructors bridge generational gap with tweets, Vines

By PHOEBE PLACZEK NEWS EDITOR Students pull out their phones as soon as the bell rings, immediately clicking on the Twitter application. Scrolling through their news feeds, they see a tweet that catches their eye.

“Logs and Exponents. I hope you’re working on your Precalc game tonight,” math instructor Shaun McMahon tweeted.

Two students favorite the tweet. Others keep scrolling and find another tweet from their science teacher.

“Sample question. What would be on the right side of the equation if you reversed reaction 25? Include kcals,” Honors Chemistry instructor Mike Fauss tweeted.

Most students hesitate to answer.

Tweeting back is optional, according to Fauss. The tweet gets two retweets and two favorites, along with one reply from a student.

Fauss sees social media as a way to instantly communicate with his students, which is why he encourages them to post questions about chemistry.

“I don’t know if it has a place educationally, but I know it’s something that kids use and social media is huge, and to bring kids into education is to try to find something that they’re into,” Fauss said.

He tweets practice questions for students to answer but also posts about his family. He asks his students to follow him but does not follow them back.

“Some kids are very inappropriate and say some things about other people and other teachers and it’s mean and horrible, so I tell them I won’t follow them because that puts us both in a bad spot,” Fauss said.

This is the first semester Fauss has used Twitter. He said stu-

dents found his account after following math instructor Shaun McMahon.

McMahon had a Twitter account before any of his students knew about it. Students found his account and pushed him to use it with the class.

McMahon said he has gained a better rapport with his students through Twitter and hopes it will give them more motivation to do their homework.

Senior Jordan Wheeler and sophomore Levi Devries follow Fauss and McMahon on Twitter, and like connecting with them through social networking.

“I think it’s a good thing because it allows you to have that good student-teacher interaction, and with that relationship it allows them to interact with kids outside of school, which is important for high school teachers,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler thinks it’s professional for teachers to use Twitter if they use it appropriately. Devries thinks it is professional for teachers to have an account for their classroom that is separate from their personal account.

“It’s great because it establishes a connection between teachers and students,” Devries said. “A ton of students use social networking, so teachers are more in the loop.”

Devries said McMahon always tweets something funny before a Pre-Calculus test, which motivates him to do better in the class.

“Twitter is kind of a way to communicate with students at a different place, and I have intentions of trying some things educationally through there,” McMahon said.

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Twitter is kind of a way to communicate with students at a different pace.

Shaun MCMAHON MATH INSTRucTOR

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Shawn Mcmahon @ShaunM_Too Logs and Exponents. I hope you’re working on your Precalc game tonight

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Small quiz today... No surprise just like the review! Good luck my little chemist

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PREP DRUG TESTING Westside keeps school, drug testing separate

BY Emma johanningsmeier EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Creighton Prep recently made the news when it announced that in the fall, it will implement mandatory drug testing for all its students.

That made some Westside students wonder: could Westside do the same thing?

In a word, no.

“Creighton Prep, as a private school, is going considerably further with it than we can, and whether that will be a good thing or a bad thing, only time will tell,” Assistant Principal Tony Weers said.

As a public school, Westside High School cannot legally require drug testing for its student body as a whole. The Supreme Court has ruled that public schools can only require drug testing for student athletes and those participating in other competitive extracurricular activities.

So how is it that Westside has a drug testing program in place?

Westside is able to have this program because participation is voluntary. Every household with a child at Westside High School or Westside Middle School receives a mailing at the beginning of the year with information

about the district’s Random Drug Testing program.

Parents can sign their children up if they wish and mail the form in to the ABC building; under the space for student signatures on the form is the word “optional.”

Weers, who is responsible for managing the program, said some students are in the program because their parents signed them up, some are in it because being signed up is a requirement to get a pass to leave the building during the day, and some are in it because they want to steer clear of drugs. Weers himself sees the drug testing program as something kids can use to help them avoid doing drugs.

“If I’m in a situation where I show up at someone’s house on a Friday night and someone’s got a bag of marijuana and it’s starting to get passed around, it becomes a safe way to say, ‘I’m in the Random Drug Testing program’...some of that peer pressure is displaced to the parents or the school, and the end result is the student made a healthy decision,” Weers said.

According to Weers, 904 students in grades 7-12 are

signed up this year. Every month, Alegent, the company Westside pays to run its testing, picks 100 names completely at random. The only information Weers receives from Alegent is general data about how many students have been tested. He doesn’t know who any of the students are unless their parents call to ask him about the testing.

If a student’s name is chosen, he or she receives a notice in the mail with information about going to a facility and getting tested.

However, even if a student gets a letter, he or she is not required to go to the drug test. The student and his or her parents don’t even have to notify anyone; nothing happens if a student doesn’t show up. continued on page 2

Alegent Health Bergan Mercy

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2 Jan. 31, 2014

News

A SECOND CHANCE

Artist returns to school, newly refocused

By Connor Flairty News Editor In life, second chances are limited. Some view giving second chances as undeserved and unnecessary. What many forget is that we are all human and to succeed sometimes a person needs another chance.

But here at WHS there are second chances.

Sometimes a second chance is just what someone needs, and at the Westside High School Career Center, the district’s alternative school, that is exactly what is given to students.

“The concept behind this school is for students who don’t do well with modular scheduling,” counselor Mike McCann said. “For these students it provides a change in scenery and a chance to build off of success.”

This chance of success is what many teachers believe is needed for these students.

The Career Center couldn’t be further from a punishment. Different kids have different styles of learning, and for some, all they need is support.

“Here at the Career Center we have a very great support system,” Career Center principal Maria Neesman said. “The teachers we have here don’t care what the student’s history is. They simply just want to help them, no matter what.”

In some cases the Career Center route is not permanent. Often students spend some time at the career center and then return after hard work. This was the case for senior Edita Dornan who spent last semester at the Career Center and is now back at the highschool. In Dornan’s case, administration figured out that the Career Center did its job and she was ready to come back to the regular school.

“We saw passion in Edita,” McCann said. “She

was very driven, especially with her art.”

While Dornan is a very talented student, Neesman believes that the Career Center helped her uncover it.

“Edita is a very talented girl,” Neesman said.

“She simply needed time to refocus.”

With the Career Center not offering art courses, Dornan was left to do art from home, without guidance from a teacher.

“Sometimes it was hard,” Dornan said. “I got stuck sometimes and I didn’t know what to do.”

However, getting out of the Career Center was not an easy feat. Dornan had to work very hard to get to the main campus.

“Every student has to go through an approval team, they weigh the options and many wondered because Edita struggled quite a bit last year,” Neesman said. “She really worked hard, though and earned her way out to pursue an art career.”

However, with help from both McCann and Neesman, Dornan got the approval, and she is now back in the main building, taking art classes, pursuing her passion, and even thinking of turning her art into a career.

“I go down to Hot Shops and work with an artist down there. I really enjoy it,” Dornan said. “I’d like to someday make it a living and earn some money.

I’d really like to combine art and service, possibly go into art therapy.”

Neesman sees a lot in Dornan’s future with art.

“I see her being very successful and famous in that world,” said Neesman. “Hopefully we will see her involved in a lot of art exhibits in the future.”

While some think the Career Center is a dead end, Dornan proves that wrong. With a bright future in art Dornan shows that the Career Center is not an end for students but a new beginning.

Senior Edita Dornan poses with one of her paintings. Dornan recently returned to Westside from the Career Center, and is focusing on her art. Photo by Camile Messerley

DRUG TESTING: Schools differ in approaches continued from page 1

“Families can and do choose to decline the test, for whatever reason,” Weers said. “I’ve always believed that parents and families should have the ultimate authority on whether the student participates in something like this, not the school.”

The feature of the program Weers sees parents taking advantage of most is the fact that they can bring their children to one of the drug testing sites at any time and have them tested at no cost.

Whenever a student is drug tested, only his or her parent or guardian receives the results of the test, by telephone and by mail. Weers doesn’t get the results, and neither does chemical dependency counselor Susan Schlegel. Students are never disciplined for testing positive, and are never required to meet with Schlegel because of a drug test. Weers said the only time students are required to work with her is if they are involved in an alcohol- or drug-related incident at school or at a school event.

In contrast, if a Prep student tests positive, his guidance counselor will be notified and will meet with the student and a parent. After 90 days, the student or his parents will have to pay $60 for a second drug test. If it’s positive again, the student will have to submit to a “chemical dependency screening” at an outside agency and follow any recommendations. The Athletic Director and Assistant Principal will get the test result, and the student will be suspended from competition and leadership in co-curricular activities until he takes another drug test 90 days later and tests negative. A third positive means dismissal from the school.

While Creighton Prep’s future drug testing program will use hair follicle testing, Westside’s program uses urinalysis. The two types of testing pick up alcohol and many of the same illicit drugs: marijuana, PCPs, amphetamines, cocaine and opiates. (Westside’s program also includes LSD and mushrooms added at random.)

The main difference between the tests is how far back they can test for drug use. Alcohol, amphetamines, opiates and mushrooms are only detectable in urine for less than a week after use, according to the New Health Guide.

Cannabis can stay anywhere from a few days to over two months, depending on how heavy a person’s use is; cocaine can last for up to a month. PCP usually lasts less than a week but can last longer with heavy use. LSD lasts less than 24 hours. However, a hair test can detect use of any of those drugs in the past 90 days. Prep’s hair testing will pick up alcohol if a student had seven or more drinks in a month.

According to Principal Maryanne Ricketts, the cost of the program comes out to between $10,000 and $15,000 a year. That includes the testing as well as student evaluations, which are like counseling. (They are not required based on the results of drug tests.)

Weers said he has gotten some negative feedback from parents in the past about Westside’s Random Drug Testing program — some people think the testing is invasive — but their concerns are usually easily resolved.

“In my experience, when I talk to someone and explain, ‘This is confidential,’ families almost always feel better about it,” Weers said. “I remind them it’s the choice of the family. If you really disagree, you don’t have to participate.”

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IF YOU REALLY DISAGREE, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PARTICIPATE. TONY WEERS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

SOCIAL MEDIA: Teachers experiment with educational use continued from page 1

McMahon said he won’t post anything that will embarrass himself or the person reading it. He will follow some of his students as long as they guarantee to not post anything inappropriate.

“I think if they see that I’m following them, that makes them think what they put on there and it protects them,” McMahon said.

McMahon said Westside teachers have been making an extra effort this semester to learn the technology students use.

59 percent of schools say their students use social networking for educational purposes, according to the website Social Media Today.

Journalism instructor Jerred Zegelis said he likes Twitter because of its professional applications. He likes following journalism stories and breaking news on Twitter.

Zegelis thinks it would be unprofessional to not use Twitter in a journalism classroom.

“I think that students have enjoyed the concept but have been hesitant to fully engage,” Zegelis said. “I want them

to engage with each other and to reach sources and other journalists.”

Zegelis made a Twitter account called “WHS Media Teachers” for his Mass Communication and Photojournalism classes that he shares with broadcast advisor Matt Rasgorshek. He posts questions and encourages students to tweet back answers.

Vine, an application that allows users to create looping videos for a maximum of six and a half seconds, is also trending in the learning environment. Math instructor Kevin Koch has his students create Vines that review PreCalculus material. Koch created a Vine account and gave his students the login information so they don’t have to have personal accounts. Koch hopes the Vines will help the whole junior class to prepare for the NeSA test.

“I’m excited to see what they come up with,” Koch said.

“It’s an effort to do something different, make it a little more fun for them and an additional resource to anyone in Pre-Calculus.”

Koch said he gave students permission slips for their parents to sign for the Vine account. He plans to assign a

weekly Vine project to his students. Koch said he will do this in future years as well, if it’s a success.

“A speaker [author and speaker Will Richardson] came before winter break and talked about how different the world of education is for kids today with all of these amazing resources which they don’t use to their fullest extent,” Koch said. “This got me thinking about things I could do to hopefully help kids learn and hopefully make it more fun.”

Richardson spoke during a teacher in-service to promote using technology in K-12 classes. He is the author of the book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Richardson is the owner and sole operator of Connective Learning, LLC, where he consults with individuals, schools, and districts.

McMahon said Richardson made him realize how important is it for teachers to use social media.

“I think that he might be right, and if he is right I want to make sure that I have the tools I need to be able to accept that change and to be able to thrive in that environment,” McMahon said.

Jan. 31, 2014 3 News College Possible expands options for low-income students

By EMMA JOHANNINGSMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF For students in the best of circumstances, with the most informed parents, applying to college is incredibly complicated and time-consuming.

Signing up for and taking the ACT or SAT, researching college options, figuring out how to submit applications, writing personal essays, gathering letters of recommendation, getting transcripts sent out, having a parent fill out lengthy financial aid forms...it’s a formidable task.

Just try figuring it all out if you’re the first person in your family to apply to college.

It’s no surprise low-income students, many of whose parents did not attend college, find the process especially intimidating and confusing.

For low-income students at Westside, though, it’s getting much easier.

This year, Westside has entered into a relationship with an organization called College Possible, whose mission is to enable promising students from low-income families to attend college and be successful there. College Possible is still a young organization, but it gets results: an astounding 98 percent of its students go to college.

Ellen Sundermeier, a college coach and the organization’s representative at Westside, is currently working with 35 juniors. Her job is to ensure these students will be ready to apply to four-year colleges next year. That includes teaching them how to navigate college websites, working with them on test preparation, and helping them with their resumés and college essays.

“These are students that are really, really driven, and just have such passion for the things they are involved in, and getting the chance to work with them and see that they do have the potential and the drive to succeed in college makes it really worth it,” Sundermeier said.

To be eligible for College Possible this year, students had to have a GPA of 2.0 or higher, and their families had to fall in a certain income range, which Sundermeier said is confidential.

“Basically, the range that we go for are the students who have a good chance of doing well in college but maybe don’t have the resources to get there, unless they have us as an extra help,” Sundermeier said. “It’s the students who maybe have a great GPA but aren’t really able to succeed on the ACT because they can’t afford to pay for expensive test preparation or something like that.”

Last spring, all the sophomores who fit the GPA and income range — about 120 in all — had letters sent to their parents and were invited to come speak to a College Possible representative.

When junior Courtney Perquin got the invitation last year, she decided to check it out.

Her number-one motivation, she said, was making her mom happy. After having a child at a young age, her mom didn’t have the opportunity to go to college when she was younger.

“She’s in college right now,” Perquin said. “But besides that, not even my grandma or my dad, or

Above: Juniors Kyro Iskandr and Courtney Perquin attend a College Possible session after school Tuesday, Jan. 21. The sessions are currently devoted to ACT preparation. Right: College Possible coach Ellen Sundermeier runs through the math section of an ACT prep book. Sundermeier, who graduated from UNL last year, is working with 35 Westside juniors. Photos by Sarah Lemke anybody in my family, really, has even graduated high school, so [for me] to be the first person to graduate college, or even go to college in general, is kind of a big deal, and [my mom] wants me to be something — be better. I think every parent wants their kids to be better than what they did.”

By the time Perquin finished the application process and found out she got in, she knew College Possible was something she wanted to be involved in.

“I knew I would definitely need the help,” Perquin said. “Especially as far as financial-wise goes, I needed a little bit of help there. So after I met the coaches and they were both super nice, I was like, ‘This is definitely what I want to do.’”

The most helpful thing about College Possible, Perquin said, has been the ACT preparation.

Twice a week, each student in College Possible attends a two-hour after-school session run by Sundermeier; the content will change over the year, but right now, the sessions are about test prep.

Three different groups meet at different times, so students get plenty of attention. On some Saturday mornings, they come to school and take practice ACT tests.

“When we get our results back, every single time, every [student’s] grades always increase, each ACT that we do,” Perquin said. “So far we’ve done four, and then we have the official one in April.”

In the fall, the juniors in College Possible had the opportunity to visit a number of colleges in the area on the weekends. Later in the spring, when the weather is nicer, they’ll visit more campuses.

“I [used to think] that college was really scary, but after the college visits and everything, you kind of realize it’s just like a bigger high school,” Perquin said.

The current juniors will be required to apply

for at least one summer enrichment program at a college or university. Next year, when they’re seniors, they’ll get help identifying colleges to apply to, and a coach will guide them through the application process, including financial aid forms and scholarships.

“I think a lot of students have it in their head that it’s not really possible for them to go to school, because seeing those sticker prices of colleges where they’re so expensive — it’s really scary,” Sundermeier said. “A lot of them don’t realize that there are grants and scholarships and loans that we can work on. We’re making sure that they are able to do that and overcome the things that might seem most scary at first.”

A major consideration in Westside’s decision to partner with College Possible was the fact that someone from the organization continues working with students once they’re in college.

“That was the key piece in the decision to bring College Possible in — that follow-up piece they do once the students get onto the college campus,” guidance counselor Melissa Hansen said. “Because a lot of times once they get there they have even more questions than they did when they were in high school, and they don’t know where to go, or they get told ‘no’ and they kind of give up.”

Soon, College Possible will start recruiting students from the current sophomore class, for next year. Hansen encouraged any students who are interested to contact her. She said she envisions College Possible being part of Westside for years to come.

“This program is definitely helping those students access the American dream of going to college,” Hansen said.

The

FACTS

Source: Collegepossible.org

8 Percentage of lowincome students who graduate from college by age 24; for students in the top income quartile, the figure is 73%

98 Percentage of College Possible students who go to college

5 How many times more likely a College Possible student is to graduate from college, compared to lowincome peers

Westside explores ways for students to earn college credit

By Elise Tucker Staff Writer When you think of college, some of the perks that come to mind may be meeting new people, getting a dorm room and having fun classes. But what if high school students could get half of an Associate’s degree without going to college? That’s what a group of 20 teachers are trying to implement here at Westside.

Guidance counselor Melissa Hansen said the degree is only an idea, but it would be a great option in the future.

“Students would be able to take college courses here at Westside,” Hansen said. “The courses would mostly be in the medical field, such as Health Sciences.”

The possibility of this happening is slim right now, but Westside already has some classes that offer college credits or Dual Enrollment.

“Many of the health and computer classes do offer Dual Enrollment,” Hansen said. “The Career Academy also lets students go out of the school to watch and experience their chosen career path.”

Assistant Superintendent Mark Weichel said a grant could be given to Westside to help begin the Associate’s program. Weichel has already talked with 20 staff members about the idea of offering a degree.

“The idea has great potential, because we could possibly get a grant to go towards the project,”

Weichel said.

Weichel and the group also discussed how Westside could add more college credits.

“We talked about how it could help the students generate more credits in high school,” Weichel said. “Dual Enrollment can help students achieve the goal of having to take fewer classes in college.”

The group of high school staff members has not yet proposed the idea to the school board, but plans on doing so once there has been more planning related to developing the program.

The group is working with Nebraska colleges such as University of Nebraska-Omaha and UNL to see if they could come here or have students go to their campuses, but there have been challenges in the planning as far as making the program fit students’ needs.

Westside also has seniors participating in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s High School Alliance program. Students in the program attend classes at Westside in the morning and health-related classes at UNMC in the afternoon.

“We have many barriers that we need to get through,” Hansen said. “Some people are traditional and say students should stay here on campus. That is just one of the hurdles we must face.”

Hansen said plans for other programs are also underway.

“We are working on a program of study with the Nebraska Methodist Health College where students can take anatomy and other health-related

courses over there,” Hansen said. “We are going to focus on new programs of study first, then go into more career fields.”

Hansen’s main goal is to provide opportunities to students, and thinks offering different approaches to education enhances the individual learning experience.

“I would like to see students grow and for them to stay engaged in their education,” Hansen said.

“I also want students to get a head start, because college is so expensive. If there is any way we can reduce the cost for students and their families, it’s a good thing to do.”

Graphic by Sarah Lemke

4 Jan. 31, 2014 the

Opinion

lance

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Editorial

Westside drug testing policy a pain, but fair

The April 12 issue of last year’s Lance included a guest column by then-senior Gabe Levin under the headline “Drug Testing: School Policy Ineffective and Invasive.” In the column, Levin argued that Westside’s Random Drug Testing program is an unnecessary intrusion into personal privacy and doesn’t effectively discourage drug use.

Levin’s opinion was valid, and he made some good points. The general gist of his argument resonates with many high schoolers: the majority of us find the idea of having our urine analyzed in a lab strange and awkward, and would rather not get drug tested, whether or not we’ve done anything illicit. That’s only natural.

That said, we believe that upon closer inspection, Westside’s drug testing program is incredibly reasonable, especially in light of Creighton Prep’s new program, which will be mandatory for Prep students and will make use of hair follicle testing.

It’s easy to be afraid of something like Westside’s drug testing program if you don’t know how it works, but when you look at the facts, it’s not that scary after all, especially for one reason: if you’re signed up (which you don’t have to be), and your name gets drawn and you get a letter about drug testing, you don’t actually have to go. That’s right — no one will track you down, and the only people who might care if you don’t go are your parents.

For a variety of reasons, some parents are fine with their kids not being drug tested.

Others, obviously, do want their kids to go if they get chosen. Some actually take their children to the testing site even if they haven’t been chosen.

That’s frustrating for many high schoolers, but think of it – in how many areas of life do adolescents have to submit to their parents’ wishes? Many of us obey the curfews set by our parents, do chores our parents ask us to do, and allow our parents’ opinions to guide decisions ranging from what activities we participate in to where we go to college — whether we like it or not. It’s part of being a teenager.

Drug testing, whatever else it is, is just one more thing our parents can make us submit to. The fact that only a student’s parents get the results of a drug test only reinforces the leniency of Westside’s drug testing program:

What do you think of

prep’s mandatory drug testing?

I think it’s unnecessary I think it’s good if it’s and it invades privacy. parent approved, but random drug tests are Bridget bertsch not okay. freshman ataya kellogg sophomore

even though your parents get the results (and for a lot of students, a positive result could be disastrous), the school never gets any results, and neither does anyone from law enforcement. The only personal privacy issue, then, is that your parents get the results – but that’s hardly a privacy issue at all.

Is it a violation of your privacy when your parents get your report card each semester?

Some complain that it’s unfair students have to be signed up for random drug testing in order to get a junior or senior pass. However, we don’t see anything wrong with this. Any way you look at it, no one has the right to take advantage of open campus privileges in order to get high — and the drug testing requirement is the logical if perfunctory way to ensure the school isn’t inadvertently supporting this activity.

Lastly, we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that a lot of high schoolers know how to cheat a urine drug test. Without going into detail, let’s just say people have their ways. One of the most Big Brother-esque aspects of Prep’s new drug testing program is that it uses hair testing — a type of drug test that’s much harder to hoodwink.

That’s not to mention the fact that 1.5 inches of hair can be used to detect drug and alcohol use up to 90 days back (longer pieces of hair can actually be used to detect use further back, but the industry standard is to test only 1.5 inches.) People make mistakes. Should a teenager be punished for a one-time thing that happened two months ago? Of course not. At Westside, we don’t have to worry about that — there are virtually no drugs that can be detected that far back through urine tests.

Does drug testing work? A 2003 University of Michigan study found that students in schools that drug test aren’t less likely to do drugs than their peers in schools without testing, but you could easily take either side in the debate over whether schools should test their students. It’s possible Westside’s program is a waste, but if it is, it’s a waste the school is perfectly within its rights to make. That’s not the issue at stake.

The issue is whether Westside’s program is ethical, and if you ask us, the answer to that question is yes. The Random Drug Testing program, like fire drills in winter and final exams, is something we might find unpleasant, but nevertheless just have to live with.

No, it should only be applied to those who seem suspicious.

I think if the issue keeps getting worse it’s completely necessary.

ALBERTO ESPOSITO

Max rennels

junior

senior

Jan. 31, 2014 5

Opinion MARGINALIZED LGBT movement ignores trans issues

Brandon Teena began publicly identifying as a man in high school.

He changed his name and began wearing men’s clothes, despite the school’s restrictive dress code. He bound his breasts and began dating women.

Lia hagen For many in Westside, copy editor this scenario is difficult to imagine. Brandon Teena was the awkward kid in class, known to his classmates as Teena Renae Brandon. He had been attending class with them for his entire life, and he’d always been known as a woman. Even though there are trans students at Westside, it’s still hard to think of our friends or family telling us that they are a gender other than the one we associate with them. We can’t imagine having to change their pronouns or begin using a different name to describe those we’ve known our whole lives.

It was hard for Teena, too. After he was expelled from his school for rowdy behavior, he moved to Hunboldt, Nebraska. It was there that Marvin Thomas and Tom Nissen, two men Teena considered to be his friends, first assaulted him when they discovered that he had been designated female at birth (DFAB). When Teena went to the police, he was treated so horribly by the sheriff that the deputy left the station in disgust.

The police failed to act, and Teena was murdered less than a week later.

This brutal act sparked protests across the nation. It brought the issue of trans rights into the forefront of the nation’s consciousness, inspiring the Oscar-winning film Boys Don’t Cry. As the 20th anniversary of Teena’s death approached a month ago, many remembered Teena’s life and death. Nebraska’s media outlets and citizens, unfortunately, were rarely among them.

The Lincoln Journal Star seemed interested in adequately covering the event, interviewing Teena’s mother. The Omaha World-Herald, on the other hand, only gave Teena a small blip in the “This Day in History” section. In fact, this incredibly significant event is rarely reported on by Nebraska’s largest newspaper. One story about the murderers, written in 2011, drew nationwide criticism for misgendering Teena.

Despite this criticism, the Herald never changed the pronouns to male, instead replacing them with Teena’s name.

This lack of media attention is, unfortunately, yet another example of an incredibly wide-reaching problem. Trans* issues have been shoved aside for decades in more than just Nebraska. In fact, I believe it’s one of the cardinal sins of the LGBT movement.

For those still unaware, LGBT stands for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.” Unfortunately, the mainstream gay movement seems to have latched onto the L and G at the expense of their siblings in arms. Activists like Dan Savage (creator of the It Gets Better Project) and Lady Gaga are praised as champions of queer rights even as they use slurs like “tranny,” and their focus on same-sex marriage completely ignores trans issues.

Here at Westside, even the best of us can be unwelcoming or even just ignorant about trans issues. Dozens of students at our school would proudly declare that they “love gay people” but have no idea what the T in the acronym stands for.

This isn’t necessarily any individual’s fault, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. It can easily be argued that trans people face the most discrimination of any LGBT subgroup. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the rate of attempted suicide for trans individuals is 41%. In the same study, 25% of participants reported abusing substances in order to handle the discrimination and dysphoria they experience.

Even in comparison to the LGBT community’s high rates of discrimination, this is shocking.

The fact that issues like this are still ignored is unacceptable, and it’s time for everyone to make that clear. In the wake of the 20th anniversary of Teena’s death, it’s important to reconsider the way we think of the LGBT movement. It’s time the movement once again broadened its focus to face all of its problems, instead of just the easierto-solve ones.

GLOBAL WARMING

Illustration by Doug Flakes

Politicos obscure real issue, stifle progress

As students across the nation prepared to come back to school for a new semester, they were met with something unexpected: the rare day off because of the cold. Frigid temperatures left even the toughest of citizens shivering as lows hit -30ºF in the United States and the notorious polar vortex hovered over America.

While most citizens stayed indoors Connor Flairty trying to keep warm, a cooled-down News Editor debate was revived and brought back to national attention.

Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe, who has been well known for his disbelief in global warming, actually called the idea of climate change “laughable” on Jan. 6 when he talked about extremely cold temperatures across the nation. The senator and apparent expert in science explained that this “global warming thing” is simply a quest for power schemed up by the United Nations and liberals.

What Senator Inhofe didn’t account for was the fact that his own state had suffered a scorching summer and severe droughts most of the year, an issue one would think a senator would pay attention to, rather than a scientific debate.

Despite the recent cold weather, many still believe climate change is a major issue. Scientists use facts to back up their argument, as they point out record high temperatures in 2013.

Australia is currently experiencing one of the hottest summers ever, with temperatures reaching 125ºF in the continent.

Science instructor Angela Bergman believes that climate change is and should be treated as a major issue.

“You could say that due to the polar vortex, global warming doesn’t exist, but then you would also have to say that a day like Jan. 16 this year, which had a high of 63ºF, proves that it does exist,” Bergman said. “To say that this cold weather affects the entirety of our climate is like saying failing one test means you flunk the class.”

Unlike Inhofe, Bergman actually has knowledge on the subject: she has a range of science degrees where she dealt a lot with climate studies.

Instead of listening to qualified individuals many of us choose to listen to reason and intelligence from “professionals.” Who is more professional than Donald Trump? Trump proves having money solidifies you as a voice that should be respected by the scientific community. The wealthy individual voiced his opinion as professionally as possible on New Year’s Day, through Twitter.

“This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has

got to stop. Our planet’s freezing,” Trump tweeted. The man who built his fortune and fame through investing, real estate development and hosting a reality TV show clearly must have picked up scientific knowledge somewhere along the way.

Without a doubt, Trump should win a Nobel Prize for his innovative views in science and peace. In all seriousness, though, I’m completely kidding.

However one has to think just because Trump has money and power does not mean he should have any weight in this kind of matter. This is like saying just because someone is older, he or she is smarter in every single way. Trump is out of his league and might want to think of leaving this debate to actual scientists.

Scientists respond to climate change deniers with statistics dating back decades which suggest that the world is warming at a radical and alarming rate due to our carbon emissions.

One week of low temperatures cannot offset this well-developed theory. Yet people like Trump think we should continue to being “true Americans” filling the Earth’s atmosphere with greenhouse gases.

While we’re at it, what we should do is offset the horrible cold air of the polar vortex by fighting it with hot air. To combat the lowering temperatures, why not start pumping as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as we can? People as a whole might as well band together to fight the dropping temperatures.

Why shouldn’t factories be allowed to continue dumping toxic waste into rivers? Having a Full-size Hummer might as well be a requirement to be an American, and instead of lighting log fires to stay warm, why not light old rubber tires?

Rush Limbaugh put his colleague’s opinions all together with a cherry on top earlier, in August 2013.

“If you believe in God, intellectually you cannot believe in man-made global warming,” Limbaugh said.

According to Limbaugh, God condones carbon dioxide destroying his planet. So with that, it’s your choice, America: religion or science? You apparently can’t have both.

Of course I’m nothing near a scientist, I’m just some high school journalist in Nebraska. My science authority is nonexistent but from my perspective I do find it hard to believe in an opinion from a guy like Inhofe or Trump who has no more authority then I do. People like them are simply in it for the politics and more than likely the money. This is the future of our world we’re talking about, so people why don’t we listen to the people whose passion is to investigate these types of issues, the scientists. They’re the men and women dedicating their lives to learning more about this mystery of a planet we live on. All in all, let’s leave this issue out of politics and give it to the people who actually know what they’re talking about.

PowerGrade A+

To all the teachers and coaches who have won awards recently. Westside has an incredible collection of dedicated professionals, and their hard work is one of the main reasons for Westside’s success. We appreciate everything they do.

C

To the Grammys. As annoying as #kendrickgotrobbed is getting, Kendrick really did get robbed, and even Macklemore admitted as much. However, the Lance feels that Daft Punk didn’t just get lucky with their five victories.

F

To Flappy Bird. If teachers have noticed an increase in expletives muttered under students’ breaths, it is most likely due to the rise in popularity of the application Flappy Bird. We hope our collective obsession with it dies as quickly as we do after the fourth pipe.

6 Jan. 31, 2014

Feature

THE LITTLE THINGS

Westside teacher learns lesson through daughter

By Libby Seline STAFF WRITER “Old MacDonald had a farm. E-I-E-I-O. And on this farm he had a…”

As these words are sung, Jessa Jurgens pauses and listens to each word being sung by her parents, Kyle Jurgens and Westside instructor Stephanie Jurgens. A smile grows on Jessa’s face. Each animal noise makes this 7-month-old baby laugh and giggle and kick her feet. Her mood brightens.

Jessa was born with a rare genetic disorder called Meckel-Gruber Syndrome on June 7, 2013.

This is the result of a gene mutation in one of eight possible genes that, according to Genetics Home Reference, could result in cysts on the kidneys, an opening in the back of the skull, and extra fingers or toes.

Jessa does not have any extra digits. However, she has cysts on her kidneys and was born with a gap in the back of her skull where part of her brain protruded until surgery was performed.

The cause of this protrusion was the neural tube. As a baby grows, this layer of cells forms the brain and the spinal cord, but in Meckel-Gruber Syndrome, the neural tube does not form completely as the baby is developing. This can lead to health problems that may cause the baby to only live for a few hours after birth.

“None of the doctors we have seen have dealt with a patient with this syndrome,” Stephanie said. “Patients with this syndrome aren’t supposed to survive.”

After seven months, Jessa is alive and doing well. There is a possibility she is blind due to her genetic disorder, but nobody knows for sure.

Doctors have said that her eyes seem to be functioning as they should, but she shows a lack of responsiveness to anything put in front of her. This could mean she has cortical blindness, which is when the brain and the eyes are not communicating properly. Tests will be performed on Jessa’s eyes in June to determine whether or not she is actually blind. Nonetheless, she is very sensitive to sound and touch.

“If she ever starts to cry or get fussy we just start singing,” Stephanie said. “Automatically, she will just stop and listen and start smiling and giggling.”

Jessa is a very happy baby. She does not yet have the strength to sit up, and she is not yet playing with toys due to developmental delays, but she is eating without a feeding tube. In the past, she has had complications with her respiratory system, but these symptoms have improved and she is currently breathing well.

“Besides her developmental delays there is nothing that I would say she struggles with,” Stephanie said. “She’s just different and we have to handle her differently than other 7-month-old babies.”

‘‘

Both Stephanie and Kyle are remaining positive as they raise their child. Jessa brings joy to their lives and has strengthened their faith. Stephanie believes Jessa was put on this Earth for a reason and said she is grateful for the time she spends with her daughter.

Stephanie said she has learned not to take even the littlest moments for granted.

She cherishes every walk she takes with her daughter and smiles as she holds Jessa in her arms. Jessa has impacted many people, even some she has not met. People are touched by her story and have prayed for her health. Jessa brings joy to the lives of her parents daily.

“She just reminds me of an angel because when I think of an angel I think of innocence and purity and beauty, and I think she is just all of those things,” Stephanie said. “I’d give up anything for her if I knew she could have a healthy, happy life.”

‘‘

Patients with this syndrome aren’t supposed to survive.

Stephanie Jurgens Westside Instructor

Family Enrichment, Inc. A center for mental health in a challenging world

Top: Health instructor Stephanie Jurgens hugs her infant daughter Jessa Friday, Jan. 24. Jessa is now 7 months old. Photo by Sarah Lemke Above: Jessa Jurgens rests in NICU with her enlarged skull wrapped in gauze. Jessa was born with Meckel-Gruber Syndrome, but is now doing well. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Jurgens

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Feature

STAYING LATE

Students work minimum-wage jobs at school

By Abby COen—Taylor Staff Writer Through the average teenagers eyes, the thought of spending more time at school than what is necessary is repulsive. Westside teens spend an astounding seven hours at school, so why would some choose to spend even more time after the final bell in the hallways? Maybe they’re getting paid.

With jobs varying from working in the chemistry lab to working in the main office, there are various “hidden” jobs throughout the building, which seem “hidden” because there are so few. Sophomore Savana Nawojski has a job in the main office and believes working there is a better experience than working at a business, such as a movie theater or a grocery store.

“You’re already familiar with how everything works, so that’s a difference [opposed to a business],” Nawojski said. “Also, I’m working at a desk instead of working somewhere else where I’d be cleaning the bathrooms.”

For someone who is interested in a job in the business field, a job like Nawojski’s is perfect. She learns valuable skills working in this environment.

“You learn how to do things like make copies and how to post mail,” Nawojski said. “I don’t necessarily want to work in an office scene, but being 15 years old, it’s a really good starting point.”

But it’s not all work and no play for Nawojski.

She said the employees in the office are a lot of fun and like to play practical jokes on each other.

“It’s a really entertaining job,” Nawojski said.

“People say an office job is boring but I think it’s hilarious. On my first day of work, I answered my first phone call and it was someone breathing really hard, but it was actually Connie Schieber, the secretary.”

Senior Terry Edwards, an assistant in the chemistry lab, agrees, and thinks having a job at school is a good starting point for young adults.

“I think [working at school] really cool because most of the time you can’t get a job until you’re 16-years-old, but you can go there whenever you want,” Edwards said. “I think it’s a really good opportunity and it looks good on other job applications, especially because it could be four years of straight work.”

While having these jobs can be an excellent opportunity and a lot of fun, finding one can be somewhat difficult. The number of student employees is slim.

There are currently four people working in the chem lab. Also, there are sometimes aides needed in the biology or physics classes, as well.

While the average teenager would not want to spend extra time at school voluntarily, these teens think it’s a good opportunity, and good work for minimum wage.

Edwards, being a graduating seniro, also added that anyone interested in replacing two graduating seniors in the chem lab next year should talk to chemistry instructor Mike Fauss in the science department.

‘‘

‘‘

i’m working at a desk instead of working somehwere else where i’d be cleaning the bathrooms Savana nawojski office assistant

Top: Senior Terry Edwards cleans a pipette in the chemistry room during work Friday, Jan. 24.

Edwards and others help out most every day after school from 3:30-5:30.

Left: Edwards stands near materials used to fire off rockets. Photos by Jakob Phillips

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Feature

AMERICANISM controversial committee HELPS SHAPE curriculum In a behind-closed-doors meeting Nov. 18, 2013, a small committee of Westside teachers, school board members and an Assistant Superintendent met in advance of that evening’s school board meeting. Their agenda was outlined more than half a decade earlier

by Nebraska Statute 79-724, passed just as the Cold War was reaching its peak, in order to establish “An informed, loyal, just, and patriotic citizenry.” The law has been revised several times since then (most recently in 2011) often stirring significant controversy.

The meeting itself is not of the sort that would seem controversial. The Americanism Committee, as it’s known, has been meeting for decades, and the district’s K-12 social studies curriculum is well established. This annual meeting is almost a formality, satisfying the state requirement that the district continue to do what it would already be doing — as it has done for years. Apart from this one meeting a year, there’s little need for the committee’s members to concern themselves with its requirements simply because they’re already meeting them. But the controversy doesn’t come from Westside. Its opponents are concerned that by seeking to instill a certain set of values, schools are being forced to indoctrinate students into a belief system they might not otherwise have shared, or should at least be allowed to come to on their own.

Although Westside social studies department head and committee member Bob Brousek believes his department does well to balance the need for objectivity with the state laws, he is still conscious of the need to maintain it.

“One of the things that I do every year is I talk about how our World History curriculum, our U.S. History curriculum and our government curriculum covers [American Ideals] and how we go about teaching those time periods and those concepts,” Brousek said.

In many ways this controversy is emblematic of wider a dilemma for modern democracy.

The principle of freedom of thought is central to the modern concept of democracy, and similar rights are guaranteed under the Constitution. However, that freedom includes the right of an individual to hold beliefs in opposition to the very institutions that guarantee their right to hold them. Even on this smaller

scale, however this presents educators with a moral dilemma.

Brousek himself is an avid believer in the principles of American democracy, even keeping small pocket versions of the United States Constitution at his desk for students to reference. But he acknowledges that even when teaching the Constitution, he sees a need for objectivity, citing the difficulty of teaching about this time period and the Constitution while framing it in neutral way rather than simply telling students it was a positive achievement for the country.

Ensuring as little bias as possible makes it into the classroom can be particularly difficult when dealing with concepts that are widely unpopular in the United States. How topics such as fascism and communism are handled in the social studies classroom is a particular area of focus in the law, with a section citing the need to makes students aware of “the dangers and fallacies of Nazism, communism, and similar ideologies.” Brousek admits it’s difficult to maintain ones neutrality when dealing with such issues.

“I can’t see an American educator, here in this school or anywhere else in the country, standing up [to promote communism or fascism], or even supporting a colleague doing that,” Brousek said. “But at the same time, one finds it difficult, as a social studies educator, to get our students to understand various interpretations and points of view.”

The law’s focus on demonizing such already unpopular ideologies is perhaps indicative of its Cold War roots.

“As you can probably already assume, those laws were written at a time — primarily in the 1950s — when there was a concern about making sure that American values were being taught, and still today the law is on the books and we are bound by that law to ensure that those principles and concepts remain in our curriculum,” Brousek said.

With the challenges the law was designed to meet so far in the past, many wonder whether the law is still relevant to the modern world.

“I think that Nebraskans — or at least a significant percentage of those Nebraskans — feel that those concepts and ideals and values still need to be taught,” Brousek said. “So therefore the Americanism Committee is still relevant, to assure that segment of the population that these things are still being main-

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tained in the curriculum.”

It’s a stoic approach to the controversy.

Teachers in public schools are essentially public servants, and therefore must execute the will of the public they serve. They may not necessarily agree that the values promoted by the Americanism Committee need to be taught — even if they agree with those values — but legally, and in a way morally, they are compelled to teach them, simply because the public they serve deems it necessary.

This largely echoes the district’s thinking on the issue, according to Assistant Superintendant Mark Weichel.

“This is out of Rule 10 by the state of Nebraska, that we’re required to cover these things in our curriculum, and due to that requirement it definitely has a home in our social studies curriculum, and so we make sure that we comply with rule 10 and make sure that that’s a part of what we teach at all the different grade levelst” Weichel said.

Essentially, the district recognizes that the public supports teaching these values as part of its curriculum, and rather than taking a side in the controversy, simply maintains its commitment to the state’s guidelines on the topic. But this leaves Teachers with the responsibility of balancing these competing interests themselves.

“I try — and I think all my colleagues try— to consciously be aware of your own bias, or your own personal interpretation, to make sure that we get students to understand the skill, specifically in history, of interpreting and at least seeing different interpretations of history,” Brousek said.

Weichel, however, is confident in the abilities of the teachers to meet these requirements.

“This is a really good program developed by a lot of good people so that this curriculum is in place,” Weichel said. “A lot of good people set up this curriculum to make sure that we follow those rules and laws.”

CRA CRAZE Z

E

By TOm Schueneman MANAGING EDITOR

Graphic by Allie Laing

8 Jan. 31, 2014

WESTSIDE’S ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE CHECK OUT THIS MONTH’S ISSUE ON WESTSIDE WIRED

bump in the night issue

Jan. 31, 2014 9

FEature

COUNTRY GIRL AT HEART

Farm life teaches math instructor life skills

By Jace Wieseler A&E Editor When typical high school students come home from school, some grab a snack to eat, some do their chores, some maybe take a nap and some start their homework.

When Westside math instructor Beth Peitzmeier came home from school while she was in high school, her responsibilities were a little different.

“I would have to carry buckets of feed to the pigs and make sure they were still alive,” Peitzmeier said. “[My sisters and I] would have to grind the feed ourselves, along with spraying out the hog barns to make sure they were sanitary.”

Peitzmeier spent her whole life up until her high school graduation living on a farm about an hour and a half away from Omaha, in West Point, NE. By the age of 8, Peitzmeier was already driving heavy machinery such as tractors.

“We weren’t very safe on our farm and we had a lot of accidents,” Peitzmeier said. “I’ve chopped my foot with a hoe, got ran over by a pig and got bucked by cows.”

Despite her dangerous experiences on the farm, Peitzmeier managed to make it out alive, and attended the College of Saint Mary, studying occupational therapy.

“I knew I didn’t want to be a farmer,” Peitzmeier said. “[The reason I went to the College of Saint Mary] had nothing to do with the farm, but I wanted to be close enough to make it home in a day. That was the best fit for me.”

Once she left the farm, she realized the importance it held for her. Whenever she made it back home on the weekends, she appreciated the time she spent there more.

“Going home is a lot more fun now because my dad doesn’t yell at me as much,” Peitzmeier Csaid. “My dad yelled at us a lot, and one time he

was yelling at my sister so bad that his dentures fell out into the hog poop. He rinsed them off and stuck them back in and continued to yell at her.

Now he’s just glad [my sisters and I] are there to help.”

One of Peitzmeier’s sisters, Sara Nichols, 34, also left the farm to live in the city after high school. She too admits that once she left it, she realized what a good place the farm had been.

“When you’re young you want to get away from the farm, but after you leave you realize it was a good place to grow up,” Nichols said. “You realize all the things that you learned from it once you left. I always want to go back.”

Some of the things Peitzmeier and Nichols learned on the farm are life skills needed in the working field, such as work ethic, time management, and the value of money.

“I also learned I need to enjoy the little things in life,” Peitzmeier said. “Like showing pigs—that kind of stuff was fun to me.”

Peitzmeier started showing pigs at the county fair at a young age.

“I won every time,” Peitzmeier said. “I got senior showmanship so I couldn’t show anymore.

And I even got called a boy by the judge because my hair was so short.”

With Peitzmeier’s whole family showing pigs, it was always healthy competition to beat each other.

“I was better at showing pigs than she was,” Nichols joked.

In spite of the hard work and dedication life on the farm required, the two still love going back.

“Going back, you appreciate [the farm] and you [understand] the value of what that farm brought to you,” Nichols said.

Although Peitzmeier is living in the city, teaching math to high school students and enjoying the conveniences of urban life, she still considers herJself to be a true “farm girl”Fat heart.

B

Top: Beth Peitzmeier (left) shows her pig at a county fair when she was younger.

She competed every year growing up and won numerous times, receiving senior showmanship for her skills. Left: Peitzmeier (left) feeds the pigs on the farm. She had to do that chore and others every day after school.

Photos courtesy of Beth Peitzmeier

61 C J 43 F B H H E D 2 B A 6 H D 4 H G D A 4 C D K A G 3 F B C G 6 J C 5 C J F 4 J E B 51 F B H 4 A H B 6 D 6 H D 2 A 4 D K A G 5 C G E G 65 C C J 3 47 F B H J J E F 5 D B K B H D 8 A G H D 4 4 C D K A J 5 A C G E G J C 9 B C J F 5 4 J H E F B 5 D F B K A B H 0 A G H H G D 6 5 C D K A 5 A G G 41 F B H J E C 1 F C J 7 5 J 3 F 5 F 3 B B 42 A G C D K H 2 H E 8 5 D 4 A J 5 3 A 3 G E F G 4 D B C K H 59 F D 4 35 F B H J C K A J 4 G E B 60 5 F B C J E 36 A G C D H 4 D J K A H G D 6 37 F B C K A J 4 H G E D 31 F B H 7 F B C J 38 A G 4 C D 2 J K A 3 F G E 8 A G H 39 B C J 4 H 3 E F 3 D B 36 A G C D K 9 F H 4 D 4 C K F J 5 D0 G 37D F B H J B EB H 3 D A K C B H 8 B J 5 H 5 4H DA KG C 3 E C D F J 54 DA G C 38 AK G B A E A H G J6 9 G B D C F C 4 J1 H K A J 5C5 JF B H 3J9 FE D F G EB H 3 F K 2 A C B 0 B J H A 5H 37 F B 4H1 F G C J E B 5H6 DA G C 4D0 K A 2D2J A G 5C1 D F KG G E C 38 A G 42 A B H D9 A K G 5C7 JF B H J J 33 DF KB H 23 F B E F 2 2 G 39D FE 3 F B C 3J0 AE B 5H8 DA G 3C4 JA EG C 2D4 A G 5H D K 4 0 K 4 JA G H 3D1 FK G 5C9 JF 3H5 DF KB H 2J5 F B C J E C 4 J 4 E B C J2 6H0 D 3C6 JA EG C 2D6 A G H D KB H D K E H5 DF G 4 A 3 B J A C G H B J C G D 7 F 6 G 3H7 DF KB C F 3 K 2 B H B D6 3H1 F B H J FE B 4C 7 JA G C 3 J4 F B G 8 A 3 3C8 JA E G A 2 C G J7 32 A G C 2D2 AK G 4H 8 DF B H 3 5 A B F 9 FE F H9 D 3 3 B 2 A C J 4 H 3 3 J K G E D 3 A F 6 3 D F 8 G 2 B 3 DA G C 3 0 K A C J 4 DA G H 2D4 AK B 4H9 DF E C 3 J J9 F 7 3 B F C 3 H G J 3 D 5C0 J K 5 A B C F G 2 J H B C 40 D H A B 6 17 F B H J H G A 2 D G 9 F B C J A G 2 7 18 A G C F 2 J 0 A G H D 15 F B H 3 8 19 F 2 D 1 F B C J 16 A G C 3 J 20 2 A G H D 17 F B H J J H 3 D H G 3 F B C 18 A G C D C D 3 J F G B C 19 F B J H 34 A D F 2 A B 2 0 H G Follow John on Twitter @JBTestPrep.com Become a JBTP A 2 D 8 A G 35 Friend on Facebook.

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10 Jan. 31, 2014

Sports

COMING HOME

Alumni return to support senior wrestlers

By James Buckley Sports writer As the wrestlers step onto the upper mats of the wrestling room, they pass a big Westside “W” painted on the wall. Around it are the words “Become a Warrior.” The message is daily motivation for the wrestlers to do better, but underneath is something much more motivational.

Along the bottom of the wall is advice from the alumni that have come through and been in their shoes.

Zach Adler, class of 2011, wrote, “Shake the weight.” Jon Baumann, class of 2011, wrote, “Let go.” Trent Goodman, class of 2007, wrote, “Do Work.”

After reading what those alumni have to offer, the seniors will now get to see the authors of these quotes at the Senior and Alumni meet, tonight.

On this night, Westside wrestling alumni come back to be recognized along with the seniors, and then go to the bench, like they’re all still on the team.

Tonight will mark the fifth year the varsity wrestling team has brought together wrestlers from different generations.

The event began at the beginning of head coach Mike Jernigan’s tenure, and was a way for the seniors to go out with a party.

“We just thought it was a great idea to get the wrestlers of the past that the kids have heard stories about and get an opportunity to interact with those guys,” Jernigan said.

Not surprisingly, alumni keep coming back because of it.

“We usually get about 35 to 40 ex-wrestlers to come back and see where the program’s at,” assistant coach and Westside graduate Reed Weber said. “Most of the alumni sit behind the bench and interact, because wrestling is one big

family, and any Westside wrestler is a part of the brotherhood.”

Though not all senior wrestlers have gotten a chance to compete yet this season, the bond between seniors on the team is always strong.

Tonight is their night to come together as a class for the last time.

“Even if I have seniors that don’t wrestle on varsity, we try to get them a match that night,” Jernigan said. “In the past we’ve gotten close to every senior having a match on Senior Night.”

The last part of Senior and Alumni night is the new coach “hired” for the night. Starting last year, Jernigan introduced the practice of having an honorary coach to help cheer on the players and learn about the behind-the-scenes preparation leading up to the meet.

Last year, the honorary coach was Superintendent Blane McCann.

“Senior night’s always a little bit sad, because for the seniors it might be their last night they wrestle on their home mat,” McCann said.”But all in all it was a celebration.

He said if he could do it again, he would be excited for the opportunity.”

“Absolutely — I’d do it with any of the sports,” McCann said. “It’s a fun deal.”

This year, the honorary coach will be KB Building Services president DJ Rezac. Rezac is a Westside graduate from the class of 1989, but the reason for picking him goes beyond that.

“Since DJ has been more than gracious financially, I just thought it was a good year to have him,” Jernigan said. “He’s a huge baseball sponsor, helps out with football, and I think he needs to be recognized for that.”

Even though Senior and Alumni night is a going-away party for the seniors, make no mistake. Tonight, they are ready to wrestle better

‘‘

‘‘

SEnior night’s always a little bit sad, because for the seniors it might be their last night they wrestle on their home mat. But all in all it was a celebration BLANE MCCANN SUPERINTENDENT

than ever.

“When you have nights like this, you want to wrestle your best because you have those guys [the alumni] you want to impress,” Jernigan said.

When the matches are over and the mats are rolled up, most of the seniors will be done wrestling for good.

They will be gone for a while, but next year and beyond, they will be able to come back and see their new brothers in the same spot.

Graphic illustration

by Doug Flakes

NO COACH, NO PROBLEM

Seniors motivate team with fun workouts

By Jakob Phillips staff photographer

Sophomores Mariah Tessin and Monica Siegel play “Killer” for soccer conditioning in the north hallway Friday, Jan 24. In the game, seniors chase underclassmen, and when caught, underclassmen are taken to “jail” until they are tagged out by another teammate. Photo by Estella Fox

Motivation is a funny thing. Pride, success, competition and even revenge can all play their parts. Ask some girls soccer players, and their motivation is the state championship. Their drive to succeed, chemistry and leadership are on display in the hallways every Friday after school.

Members of the team call this conditioning session “Friday Fun-Day.” It takes place throughout preseason as an incentive for players to show up to practice on Friday by allowing them to take it a little easier than they would during the week.

It works well, particularly with older players; many of the younger players, keen to demonstrate their ability, are already enthusiastic about practice — even on Fridays.

“I can tell that players show up earlier because they’re excited to get started,” varsity player junior Mary Novoa said.

Many junior varsity players show up with the same enthusiasm and motivation to do their best as might be expected on a normal day of practice, in order to prove their commitment. If there is a lack of effort when coaches aren’t present, senior soccer player Kelsey Koski doesn’t see it.

“There are people who still want to prove themselves to the varsity players,” Koski said.

Because coaches aren’t there, it would seem logical for the practices to be less challenging. But on Friday Fun-Days, the varsity soccer players take on the role of coach. Girls head soccer coach Nathan Moseley believes his varsity girls show exceptional leadership during the practices.

“Knowing these leaders, I don’t think they would let anyone slack off, because their goal is to win the state championship,” Moseley said.

Moseley also thinks these practices thoroughly help the players bond and communicate, which is especially important in soccer.

“With other sports, the coach is more involved in the play-by-play basis,” Moseley said. “Soccer is much more team-led.”

Jan. 31, 2014 11

Sports

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Basketball player gets once-in-a-lifetime chance Putting up good numbers this season for the Warriors Bridgeman would bring a post presence to team USA. Bridgeman averages 7.8 rebounds, Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Maya Moore, .8 blocks and 1.8 steals a game. Bridgeman is also Sue Bird, Candace Parker. These are some of the an efficient offensive player, averaging 13.6 points greatest players ever to play the game of basket- per game on 61 percent shoting this season.

Bridgeman’s choice to play for her country is ball. All eventually took their talents from the professional court, to the international stage, a more difficult choice then it would be for most.

A promising college basketball career is Bridgeplaying for Team USA. This opportunity isn’t limited to professionals. man’s other option. She will have to choose due to scheduling conflicts.

Westside Junior Jay BridgeUniversities such as man has been scouted to play Princeton, San Diego, for the United States girl’s basWyoming and Ohio are ketball youth Under-17 team, currently recruiting her. and follow in the footstep’s of “The games will be these basketball legends. taking place in the sum“I played summer basketmer of 2015, which will ball for the Lincoln Shooting be the same time that Stars, we were a top-10 team in my college basketball cathe nation and scouts came to reer could be beginning,” some of my tournaments and Bridgeman said. “If sumpicked me to be a member of mer workouts for college the team,” Bridgeman said. conflict with USA basIn 2015 the team will travel JAY BRIDGEMAN ketball, I’ll have to make around the world, competing Varsity basketball player a choice.” against teams from other naThe choice will eventions. The first against Austually come down to two tralia. Games will be played in pools, with nations divided into four pools. Round major factors, money and college basketball. The Robin style is used for determining games in the USA Basketball team travels all over the world and pools. In 2012 Team USA Played against South the costs are expensive, although Bridgeman’s deKorea, Canada, Italy, Belgium, Mali, Australia, cision will have to wait, her choice will come down to her schedule for college basketball.

Canada, and Spain.

Either way Bridgeman is anticipating what her Bridgeman will be joining a team with a history of success: in the 2012 season it went 8-0 and beat decision will bring.

“I am completely humbled and excited about teams by an average of 35 points. Bridgeman, a center, hopes her contributions will help continue this amazing opportunity,” Bridgeman said. “I think the decision will come down to what offers I the team’s winning ways.

“I am a hard worker and very competitive,” get from colleges and how it would affect my college career.”

Bridgeman said. “I just love to play the game.”

BY JACK COHEN SPORTS WRITER

‘‘

‘‘

I think the decision will come down to what offers I get from colleges and how it will affect my college career.

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Basketball player junior Jay Bridgeman scores on a fast break during basketball practice with fellow varsity teammates in the activity gym Friday, Jan 24. Photo

by Jakob Phillips

12 Jan. 31, 2014

AWARD-WINNING

Sports

Westside coaches honored for successful season

By Aren Rendell Editor-in-chief

Graphic by Estella Fox

Down 27-14 to Papillion-La Vista South heading into the fourth quarter, the Westside varsity football team needed a spark as it desperately tried to avoid its second loss in two weeks. Senior Drew Fitzmorris, a starter and one of the captains of the team this past season, said the team was “kind of in a downward spiral.” That’s when head coach Brett Froendt delivered a message to his team.

“At the start of the fourth quarter he brought the whole team in and just kind of told us what we had to play for, and just kind of rallied the troops, and it got kind of emotional and it got us going,” Fitzmorris said.

The team went on to win the game, scoring four unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat Papillion-La Vista South 42-27 on Friday, Oct. 25.

Froendt, who is in his sixth year as head varsity football coach, was recently named the Metro Football Coaches Association’s Tom Jaworski Head Coach of the Year award winner. In addition, assistant football coach Craig Secora was a co-recipient of the Jerry Ball Memorial Award for assistant coaches. “[The awards] just show that other people feel how we feel,” Westside Athletic Director Tom Kerkman said. “We’ve [been] fortunate to have great coaches who do a great job...not only coaching football, but teaching kids life and those type of things.”

In light of the football team’s recent success, making it to the state championship, Froendt was modest about the award.

“I think it’s just a lot of pride in the fact that I have assistant coaches and a football team that made me look good this year, to be honest with you,” Froendt said.

Froendt did, however, acknowledge the contributions of the coaching staff as a whole.

“I believe we beat teams that were more talented than us, and I think we got further than teams that were more talented than us,” Froendt said. “I think that had to do with the coaching staff getting the kids to work hard, getting them to focus.”

Secora, who said he’s thankful to be a part of Froendt’s staff and for the things he has learned

from the coach, said Froendt brings to the football program a remarkable knowledge of the game and ability to identify his team’s strengths and weaknesses. He said that, among other things, is what sets Froendt apart and makes him deserving of the Coach of the Year award.

“He does a great job of analyzing the things that he thinks we need to work on,” Secora said.

“We could be doing something very, very well and he’s still going to analyze it and make [it] even better.”

As for Secora’s own award, the offensive coordinator is as humble as Froendt.

“It’s nice my name’s on it, but it should say ‘Westside Assistant Coaching Staff,’ as opposed to Craig Secora,” Secora said.

Froendt praised Secora for helping create and implement a new offensive system and for making those changes successful. The system, which was put in place at the beginning of the 2012 school,

involves the no-huddle offense. It was put in place with the intention of speeding up the offense to wear down opposing defenses.

“He’s been very instrumental in bringing our offense to a new level,” Froendt said.

Fitzmorris said the awards for both coaches are well deserved, and said the coaches were integral to the team’s success. “[The coaches bring] stupendous leadership,” Fitzmorris said. “It obviously comes from more than just the coaches. It has to come from players, as well. But without the coaches to kind of provide the backbone for the team, and the team rules, and making sure those rules stay consistent for the leaders of the team to help follow, we’d be lost.”

In addition to the awards won by the coaches in this story, head varsity tennis coach Kim Gradoville was nominated for National Tennis Coach of the Year. Visit westsidewired.org for more information on her nomination.

Varsity football head coach Brett Froendt talks to players during the football team’s game against Fremont Thursday, Sept. 19. The team beat Fremont 42-10 to move to 4-0 for the season. The Warriors went on to lose to Omaha North in the state championship. Photo by Danylo Serednytsky

sUnday MONDAY NO NFL

SUPER BOWL

SCHOOL XLVIII ?

Opinion

Super Bowl Monday should be a national holiday

By TIM Graves Sports EDITOR For many Americans, the Super Bowl is a time to hang out with family, eat awesome food and watch football. To me, this sounds a lot like other holidays that we get the day off for.

Many people have Super Bowl traditions they participate in year in and year out. Mine include nachos, salsa and watching the game with my friends. One thing that could make the traditions better would getting school off the next day.

Nearly 108 million people watched the Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens last year. That’s over one third of the population of the United States. In comparison, only 50 million people watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, it shares a surprising number of features with the Super Bowl. Both days involve football games being played, and the game between the Cowboys and Raiders was the most watched TV program this fall, just as the Super Bowl is the most watched TV program of the year.

Just like Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl serves

as a time for families to get together and hang out.

Assistant football coach Shawn Blevins agrees.

“Any time you get together with friends and family to feast, maybe you should just get the next day off,” Blevins said.

Another big part of both, Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl is the food. Both are huge feasts, and my family for one, eats most of the same food.

(Yes, we have nachos and salsa on Thanksgiving.) Thanksgiving is obviously more important to American culture, but the similarities are there.

But the difference between Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl is that we get the next day off. I realize food is not a good reason by itself but, I think if we got the day after the Super Bowl off, it would be a benefit for all.

A large number of Americans are already taking the day off. The day after the Super Bowl is one of the least productive days of the year. According to the Business Times, 1.5 million Americans called in sick to their jobs, and another 4.4 million were late to work. A study from Kronos Inc. shows Americans who show up will be less productive.

Blevins also makes a good point about other sports. He says if we have the day after the Super Bowl off, what about other sports championships?

Everyone does not watch the Super Bowl, and some people don’t even like sports, would it be fair to those people. I think it would be fair to have just the day after the Super Bowl off? Other championships have more than one game involved in deciding a winner. The Super Bowl is one game that decides it all.

Another reason having the day after the Super Bowl off is justified is that football is also the most popular sport in America. In a recent Harris Interactive poll, 34% of the U.S. population said professional football was their favorite sport.

Baseball was second, with only 16% of the vote.

Football is also the most watched sport on TV; In 2011 football games compiled nine of the top ten most watched events on TV. The only other event to show up on the list was the Academy Awards, which came in at ninth.

I realize not everyone watches the Super Bowl, but not everyone celebrates federal holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas either. Not everyone has to celebrate every federal holiday.

The day after the Super Bowl would be great addition to the list of federal holidays on the calendar. It makes complete sense, and needs to be changed.

The

FACTS 34 Percentage of the U.S population who said professional football was their favorite sport

108 Number, in millions of people, who watched the Super Bowl last year

Jan. 31, 2014 13

Sports

INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL Students go all-out for annual tournament

By KELLIE WASIKOWSKI MANAGING EDITOR On Monday evenings during the months of January and February, the gyms at Westside can be found occupied by basketball hopefuls wanting to showcase their skills.

The boys and girls intramural basketball leagues are sponsored each year by the varsity boys basketball team. Each intramural team must pay $50 to register their team to play, and the money goes to paying the referees.

Senior Michael Herrmann explains what the varsity boy basketball players do in order to keep intramurals running smoothly.

“We referee the games and keep track of the score,” Herrmann said. “We basically just try to keep everyone under control.”

Herrmann also thinks that intramurals is an opportunity for students to participate in basketball without trying out for a team.

“Intramurals is a good activity because it gives people who aren’t as good at basketball a chance to play and show off their skills,” Herrmann said.

The varsity boy’s basketball team also organizes the game schedule each week for intramurals, and they all participate in running the games to make sure they occur on time.

Although intramurals is not a school-sanctioned sport, there is still competition among the different teams in the league. At the end of the intramural season, a tournament is held for all of the teams with winning records to determine who are the best intramural teams.

Photo by Estella Fox

Q&A WITH INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL STARS Seniors Nick Castan and Aaron Murray have been playing intramurals with the same team since sophomore year. The team, called Wonderbread, has won two games in two years, but they are hoping to be the Intramural basketball champions this year. Wonderbread is currently 0-2.

Q: Why did you decide to participate in intramural basketball?

AM: You’re talking to me real so I’m going to give you a straight-line answer. Tradition runs deep in this school. We see it on the football field and on the basketball court, and that’s what I love, so I want to be a part of that.

NC: We’ve always had a team, and it’s only Westside tradition. Westside wouldn’t be the same without our team.

Q: Has your team practiced at all for the upcoming season?

AM: It’s not about practicing; it’s about mentally visualizing success. After each game we ask ourselves what we want to do for the next game.

We want to win. But we don’t really have a strategy, we just show up.

NC: Some of the better players have shot hoops at Nate [Selby]’s house.

Seniors Nate Selby and Drew Fitzmorris wrestle for the ball Monday, Jan. 27 in the main gym during intramural basketball. Photo by Estella Fox

Q: What is your record so far?

AM: Kellie, I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no calculus teacher. When you start adding and subtracting like that, numbers get messy and there’s no real way of knowing. What’s not divisible though is this team — we’re strong.

Top: Senior Emily Glazer and sophomore Claire Hofmann laugh after falling. Left: Sophomore Kate Hughes passes to her teammate. Photos by Sarah Lemke Above: (from left) Juniors Andrew Koch, Ariel Larios, Carter Ruff and Tom Kutilek cheer on Team Watanabe. Photo by Estella Fox

Q: Are there any injuries on the team that have hindered your playing abilities so far?

AM: Personally, I’m coming off an injury from skiing; I bruised my foot about three weeks ago. I still don’t have the leap I used to. Also, we lost an impact player recently — Shareef [Salfity] — from a devastating leg injury. We hope to see him back on the court soon — hopefully it doesn’t last all season.

Q: How is the team chemistry?

NC: There’s turmoil on the team with Will Gigantelli. He didn’t bring fruit snacks, he was late for coaching, and he retweeted an opposing team’s tweet.

AM: I took AP Chemistry, okay? I know my chemistry, and this team’s got chemistry.

Q: Does your team dress up for intramurals?

AM: I wore a Hawaiian shirt the first game.

Much like a peacock’s feathers*, it intimidates the opposing team.

NC: Our team shirts haven’t arrived yet, but we still have more swag than the rest of the teams.

Q: How do you expect your season to go?

AM: Like a fine wine, we get better with age.

Once we hopefully get Shareef back, there will be no stopping us.

NC: I expect multiple victories with a positive outlook and our good skill. Good looks help a lot too. *Aaron realizes the peacock’s feathers are for mating purposes.

Above: Junior Maura Ramsey guards sophomore Haley Foral as Foral tries to pass the ball. Left: Senior Lauren Griffin converses with her teammates before their second game.

Photos by Estella Fox

14 Jan. 31, 2014

ARts & entertainment

A&E MAGA-ZINE

2013 Westside graduate starts local publication

By Estella fox MANAGING EDITOR

Fresh out of high school, 2013 Westside graduate Skylar Harris became an intern at the local newspaper The Reader. However, the job wasn’t everything she expected it to be.

Harris thought The Reader had a surface-level coverage of the entertainment scene in Omaha.

Although Harris was disappointed with her overall experience there, she was able to hone her writing skills. After a few short months, she decided to branch off and create her own publication. She is currently in the process of making the first issue of her zine, titled Pavement Print.

A zine is a small publication including original content, and typically circulates less than 1,000 copies. Creating zines is perfect for aspiring journalists like Harris because they are cheap to print and currently in high demand. Harris plans to cover local entertainment in a different way than The Reader does.

“It will cover interesting topics in entertainment and news,” Harris said. “I’m going to try to cover things that the local person living in Omaha isn’t going to hear about, instead of the recycled garbage we see on the front page every day.”

There will also be a wide variety of music incorporated into Pavement Print. “[It will have] what’s good in music,” Harris said. “Not just what’s good and new. It could be new, old, in between— just to spark that conversation.”

Harris has big plans for Pavement Print.

Although it will be hard to get started, she envisions a future for it that will extend beyond Omaha.

“I want it to become a sustainable newspaper and a sustainable business,” Harris said. “I’m planning on breaking even on the first issue, and then from there it will grow and gain publicity, revenue, an audience and reach.”

The hardest part for Harris so far has been finding viable content. She struggled to find people who are as passionate about an alternative Omaha publication as she is.

“For the first issue, I was going to create all the content myself, and then I realized what a giant pain in the [butt] that is,” Harris said. “But I am recruiting people who want to write and love to write. When I wrote for The Reader as an intern, I loved it because I cared about what I was writing.”

While Pavement Print is just getting started, Harris plans to produce less frequently to keep the content high-quality.

“There isn’t a big enough scene in Omaha just to focus on Omaha and do a weekly publication, so I will be publishing bi-monthly,” Harris said.

Harris started as a staff writer on the Lance, Harris worked her way up to being Arts & Entertainment Editor in the 2012-13 school year. She attributes some of her foundation and pursuit to the journalism department.

“I honestly think Westside journalism is the best gateway to real journalism because it pre-

‘‘

‘‘

I’m going to try to cover things that the local person living in omaha isn’t going to hear about.

SkyLAR Harris 2013 graduate

UPCOMING SHOWS > The Expendables / The Waiting Lounge / February 3 > Luke Bryan / CenturyLink / February 8

pared me a lot for The Reader,” Harris said. “I just jumped into this internship. I learned what sounds professional, what looks professional and [I was able to] meet other young journalism enthusiasts. It’s an amazing opportunity.”

Westside graduate Skylar Harris talks about her experiences working for The Reader and starting a “zine.” Photo by Estella Fox

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Jan. 31, 2014 15

ARts & Entertainment

CLARK & COMPANY

Westside triplets perform locally, release first album

By GRACE FOGLAND FEATURE EDITOR

There’s a faint buzz in the Pizza Shoppe. Junior Sophie Clark adjusts the microphone to the right height and pulls the bench closer to the keyboard.

Her brother Simon twirls the drumsticks between his fingers while her other brother, Cooper, fiddles with the strings on his upright bass. Sophie clears her throat, and the crowd quiets to hear her welcome them to the release party of the band’s new album, The Three of Swords. Simon clicks his drumsticks in the air to count them off, and the trio begins their first song of the evening, “The Messenger.”

The triplets formed their band, Clark & Company, this past summer. Before that musical group, the siblings started playing in a hard rock band called Strange Antics about a year ago when they were sophomores. They broke up over musical differences.

“We wanted something softer,” Sophie said.

“Strange Antics wasn’t the right band for us to have that kind of sound.”

Although the trio identifies Clark & Company as soft rock, it is a mixture of blues, jazz, and swing.

The songs that they write and perform are distinct in their own way, but all have a similar style that connects them. Sophie writes the lyrics, and Cooper and Simon add their instruments.

“This band is very different than what we were used to playing with Strange Antics,” Simon said.

“I switched from [playing the drums with] sticks to brushes to get that softer sound.”

As opposed to a rock band, where the parts are normally covered by a huge sound, Clark and Company doesn’t have a loud instrument to hide behind. It’s composed of the piano, bass, and drums.

“We’re really exposed musically,” Sophie said.

“We must be in tune with each other to have the

right sound, and perfect our parts to understand how they intertwine with everybody else’s.”

Clark & Company’s debut album, The Three of Swords, comes from an ancient tarot card that has multiple meanings, similar to the personalities of the siblings. It features 13 original songs.

“The Three of Swords card itself represents kind of the depressing aspects of life,” Sophie said. “But to me and my brothers, it represents the deeper meaning and the complexity these lyrics of the songs on the album have.”

The siblings started working on the CD in October, and recorded a couple songs each month.

They went to OnTrack studios, where the owner, Johnny Ray Gomez, recorded and produced them.

Then, it was a long process of elimination and compromising on which songs to include on the album.

“It took a while, but I’m really happy with the result,” Cooper said. “I’m really proud of how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time.”

The Three of Swords isn’t available on iTunes because the band wanted people to connect with the whole album, and not just purchase one or two songs off it. It’s available for $10 from any of the three Clarks.

“We worked really hard on the whole layout of the physical album itself,” Simon said. “Without it, people don’t know the lyrics or the deeper meaning behind each song. We want people to find the art within our music.”

The triplets still have the occasional argument or fight over their music, but their relationship has ultimately grown stronger throughout the whole experience of working together.

“Not only have Sophie, Cooper and Simon grown exponentially as musicians these past few years, their sibling relationship has been cemented through their roles as bandmates,” their mom, Melanie Clark, said. “There is a deep friendship and respect that I doubt most siblings ever experience. As their mother, I sincerely hope it lasts.”

Above: (left to right) Junior Cooper Clark, producer Tim Kasl and lead singer junior Sophie Clark perform live at The Pizza Shoppe Friday, Jan 17. Left: Sophie Clark sings one of the songs off her band’s new album, The Three of Swords. She wrote all the songs on the album.

Photos by Estella Fox

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16 Jan. 31, 2014

Arts & entertainment

CREATIVE WAYS TO ASK A DATE TO WINTER FORMAL

By Nata Ward & Grace Fogland Feature EDITORs Take lessons from Romeo when asking a guy to Winter Formal this year. How can your crush say no when you are standing outside his window, comparing him to the sun? If that’s too theatrical for you, we have done the dirty work to provide you with some creative alter-

natives. Paris-themed Winter Formal is Feb. 16, meaning you only have 16 days to come up with a plan to claim your guy. Keep your date in mind when thinking of ways to ask him out. What are his interests? What activities is he involved in? Is he going to be won over by something simple and heartfelt, or would he appreciate it more if you went all out? We’ve asked around, thought of some ideas on our own and ended up with these ways to ask a date to Winter Formal.

People Most Cheesy Artsy (Channel your inner Picasso)

Minimal Effort

Most Painful

1. Most obvious: food. A way to a guy’s (well, anybody’s) heart is through the stomach. You can’t go wrong with donuts or cookies — just make sure he’s not allergic first. Extra points if it’s homemade.

2. Make a banner or a poster that asks the question. Show it somewhere you know he’ll see it, like by the side of a road he drives on frequently, or at his house.

3. Ask in front of a large group. It’s a little risky because you run the risk of being humiliated in front of your peers if he says no, but it’s a sweet gesture to show everybody he’s yours.

4. Go to Build-a-Bear. Pick out the fluffiest, cutest animal you can find and pay the extra money to record your voice asking your date to the dance. Tots adorbs.

1. Simply ask him to the dance. Pro: You don’t have to plan in advance. You can just ask when it feels right. Con: It’s unoriginal and he might not appreciate the lack of effort on your part.

2. Leave a letter in his locker. It’s the way of choice for many people, so we recommend putting something special and heartfelt in it that makes it unique.

3. Use a balloon with a note tied to the end of it and make sure you attach a heavy object to the bottom. If it floats away, it will carry your dreams along with it.

4. Get down on one knee and ask him in the middle of the hallway. It’s not a marriage proposal, so don’t bring a ring, but your future date will appreciate your bravery. (Also fits with Most Cheesy.)

1. Throw something at him with the words “Winter Formal?” written on it.

Painful and awkward for obvious reasons.

You don’t want him to have a black eye if you have bad aim.

2. Take something of his and keep it until he agrees to go to Winter Formal. It seems cute, but you don’t want to have to tell people you blackmailed your date to go to Winter Formal.

3. Decorate his car. Actually, many people do this method, but remember, anything you put on the car, he’s going to have to take off. Particularly in the case of sticky notes or paint.

4. TP his house. What in the world are you hoping to accomplish? This angers everyone involved.

(Sometimes cliché works)

1. Gather a group of people together and have them hold up signs with the question spelled out on them. Prerequisite: have friends.

2. Design and host a scavenger hunt for your intended date and wait at the finish line to ask him out.

3. For Hunger Games fans: Get a bowl.

Write ‘May the odds be ever in your favor’ on the front of it and tear up multiple strips of paper. Write your name on every single strip so there’s a 100% chance of him accepting. Tell him to select his tribute for Winter Formal.

4. If you have a great voice (or a healthy dose of moxie), record a song for him using Quicktime or Garageband. It’s romantic, sweet, and shows confidence.

This is the first in a series of cartoons by senior Doug Flakes, the Lance’s new cartoonist.

(Quick but boring)

(These shouldn’t be repeated)