Northwest high school graNd islaNd, Nebraska JaNurary 2022 Vol. 59 issue 4 ChoirShow EMILY KRUPICKA BUISNESSPAGEMANAGER3Members od eSports prepare for state on Nov, 30th. Northwest drifts into the winter season with ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ Read about how the Show Choir cast and crew are preparing for theirseason.upcoming OstediekRachel New ResolutionsYear’s PAGES 8 Students plan for New theResolutionsYear’sforupcomingnewyear. PAGE 4 Senoir detailsOstediekRachelsharesabouthowshegotintothehobbyofmakingsweaters. TrainersAthletic PAGE 5 Northwest train ers share their point of veiw on the behind the scenes of sports. Photo courtesy of Mikala Vokes As the Northwest eSports team begins winter competitions, they stay on track to continue their record of success.This year, the team will be playing “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.” The new addition came about when coaches identified a prolonged vacancy be tween seasons. CONTINUED ON PG. 6-7 Viking Saga
Emily Krupicka distriBution
January Issue OPINION02
CONTENTMASONORGINIZER
stAff
Emma Smith BusinEss
Emelia Richling
MAnAgEr
With meansall.meaningtoner,aroundholidaysthecorpeopletendforgetthetrueofitForsome,itspending
time with loved ones, but, for others, it is a day to deal with the family.Forbig companies, like Amazon, Walmart and Target, it means bringing in the money. Companies only are thinking about how they can monopolize the holidays by making people think they need material things. With most people spend ing money on Amazon’s services with delivered to your door, it’s no wonder why people do all of their holiday shopping online. In 2017, 50% of the online re tail sales were through Amazon. States, Logical So think about how many more orders in the past years they chave gotten. With COVID-19 still being around, some may not want to leave their homes and risk the possibility of getting sick, mak ing Amazon a perfect service for them. People may think they are getting deals and the option of the gifts coming to customers doors, but, in all actuality, they are fueling the fire of Amazon’s unsafe working conditions. Last year, people lost their jobs around the U.S. due to bussiness losing money with everything shutting down. Am azon saw this as a perfect time to capitalize on rising unemploy ment rates.Many people started working at Amazon to keep a roof over their heads or make some extra money. Employ ees started sharing the terri ble working conditions. The company only gives few or no bathroom breaks. They are also timed so that they don’t take too long of a Theybreak.are allways given unreachable goals and they are forced to work in unsafe work ing conditions. If they stop take a break for too long, managers would get alerted and employees are only able to get three strikes before they are be fired. Target and Walmart are also expecting a large payout this year with some pepole going to these companies, due to the easy accessibility of these places. Within the past year, these com panies have adapted to the pan demic with having more online services, where you can order online and pick it up in-store or have it loaded into your car. The major thing is, that these places do Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Some have experienced or witnessed people punching each other for a lim ited edition toy that is on sale or that hot, new item of the year. With most peo ple seeing the holidays as a reason to find deals on presents. but the real question is, where did the morals of the holidays go? The main reason holidays were made was to celebrate a part of religion, come together and party or be with family, not worry about buying people gifts. It’s more important that pepole are able to spend time with family. Let’s face it, in 10 or 20 years, are you really going to remember that great aunt Sue gave you an RC car or that you got a really cool doctor Barbie doll from your uncle Jerry? Most people are more likely to remem ber that one time your cousin spilled juice on the family rug. Sometimes we need not to worry about pleasing people through gifts, especially during the year that families are finally able to come together since the pandemic. Only 22% of families experienced last Christmas to gether, in a articule by Statista. Instead of trying to im press your grandma with some new gadget to help open her cans, make a pie together or spend time with her. You can also spend time with that one friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Remember, this holiday is not about the coolest product be ing your gift, this year, is about being with one another.
Kiera Avila
corporate company’s paradise
PuBliC Wiseman
ContEnt orgAnizErs
MAnAgEr
SOPHIA
Viking Saga Northwest High School 2710 N. North Rd. Grand Island, NE 68803 www.ginorthwest.org308.385.6394
Kirsten Gilliland
AssistAnt Editor
The Viking Saga is the official student publication of Northwest High School in Grand Island, Nebraska. It is printed by the Grand Island Independent eight times (monthly) throughout the school year. The paper is a member of the Nebraska High School Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association. Outside submissions, suggestions, or letters to the editor are welcome and encouraged. They may be brought to room 332 or emailed to Ms. Gilliland at kgilliland@ginorthwest.org. Any and all submissions must be signed to be considered for publication, and the editor reserves the right to edit or print any submissions.
The A
Holidays:
rElAtions Trinity Brewer EvEnt CoordinAtor Audrey
Editor-in-ChiEf
Sophia TreasureMasonMason Schyler Packer AdvisEr
“There’s a lot about emotions told through the movie ‘Inside Out,’” Vyhlidal said. “It kind of centers around the different emo tions that we feel as we navigate through life.”
If you have ever been to Stuhr Muse um, you know that not everything remains the same. The old stiff outfits combined with the musty smell may remind you just how old the buildings are, painting a picture of time and age. Talking with your grandparents, you hear about war, prosperity and change. It leaves a person wondering: What was Christ mas like years ago? What has changed? What remains the Originallysame?Christmas was celebrated by groups of people in social gatherings. It wasn't until the 19 century that Christmas became more personal and more familial, according to an article by Bridgetown and Taunton College, a university in Bridgewater, England. Christ mas was typically celebrated in the town square, usually by the townspeople as one big collective family. Christmas was viewed more as a group holiday for friends, families, and strangers, something everyone could partici pate in.After World War II, Christmas became less of a personal holiday and more of the modernized comericalized version with heavy advertising and high prices. Stores started selling Christmas decorations and having Christmas deals Radios and TV channels started playing Christmas music, and peo ple started doing door to door caroling. After WWII, Christmas was a uniting holiday that, while more monetized, gave people something to celebrate.Astime progressed into a more digital world, advertising only became more preva lent. Christmas became more commercialized. Advertising online and easy access to Christ mas gifts and decorations only made the holi day increasingly less personal. Christmas has become more about companies making money and less about the quality time with family. Christmas has changed a lot since it’s time during the 19th Century with Group Practices, to World War II where the holiday became more commercialized to our modern day where Christmas is about making money.
From beginning to end, the show is in tricately staged, but, as in any activity, putting all the pieces together can be challenging. “Whenever you have such a large group of people, there will be frustration and stress because they care so much about it,” Vyhlidal said. “I'm proud of how well the students are handlingForit."the past several months, students have been preparing every day during class and regularly at practices. However, with the fall musical and choir concerts mixed in with their preparations, students are excited to put the focus on show choir during the winter. “I have been looking forward to this show since the summer,” said senior Brendan Burt. “[Since I am a senior], I’ll be doing everything for the last time.”
EMMA SMITH ASSISTANT EDITOR
January Issue NEWS 03Show choir prepares for upcoming season
While the 14KG show is more energiz ing, the BV show has a deeper, heavier mes sage. Vyhlidal shares a special connection to the performance because he pieced together the songs, planned the choreography and se lected costumes almost completely alone.
Christmas past and present RICHLING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF As the varsity and junior varsity show choirs prepare to take the stage in January, the many hours spent in preparation will be brought under bright stage lights for a total time of 25 Fromminutes.thefirst step on stage until the last prop has been moved, 14 Karat Gold and Bella Voce, the varsity and junior varsity re spectively, have the opportunity to communi cate with the audience a meaningful message. Since the summer, 14KG has been pre paring their show that details the turbulence of life and communicates a powerful message about understanding one's limits. “It really is just about taking a break from everything, from your phone or from being in school,” said director Jeff Vyhlidal. “There’s so many times when we just need to get away from it all. This show is significantly more uplifting and fun than those in the past.”
For many students, this show is also special because it relays the depths of human emotions, from happiness to anger. “It’s going to be really cool because we will have different people and soloists playing the roles of characters from the movie,” said senior Lisa Fruehling. “I’m very excited about how we’re going to do this year.”
ELLA LORENZ/Viking Media Carlli Sellers, Jamie Singer, Amber Muhlbach, Alayna Wattier and Sohpia Campbell go over choreography during a show choir practice.
EMELIA
The first performance will be on Jan. 2 during Premiere Night, and they will compete until Nationals in April, a prestigious honor they qualified for based on their performance from the past season.
Source: mas-past-present-3/https://stuhrmuseum.org/event/christ
Photo courtesy of Audrey Wiseman
Photo courtesy ofOstdiekRachel Senior Rachel Ostdiek cro chets a Christmas present for a friend while wearing a sweater she created. EMELIA RICHLING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
FEATURE04 January Issue
The time spent crocheting sweaters is tiring for Ostdiek, but she finds the process to be worth the effort. From selecting yarn to finding patterns, the beginning steps are often creative. When it comes to crocheting panels and determining necessary amounts of farbic, these steps are far more technical. “It takes a couple weeks to make it,” Ostdiek said. “Usually, I will make the back and the front panel first. Then, I do the sleeves in a circle, so I don’t have to make a front and back panel for that. Then, I will crochet the collars and cuffs before stitching it all together.”Fornow, Ostdiek hasn’t sold any of her crochet pieces because she enjoys a hobby where she doesn't have to wor ry about the stress of a deadline. However, she looks forward to sharing her creative talents with others through presents. This year, in Os tdiek's workshop, the usual painting supplies will be accompanied by crochet hooks and wood en door signs will sit next to sweaters. "I'm excited for what I'm going to be able to create in the future because I love what I do."
Sophia Mason's instagram account.
Jobs was interested in technology before he started Apple, similar to how Mason was interested in knitting before beginning their vocation.To attract attention to their business, Mason decided to call it “Sophia Stitches.” “I called [my business] Sophia Stitches because I do things [other than knitting], like embroidery and cross-stitch,” Mason said. “My brother helped me design the logo, and I'm very grateful for that.” Mason’s prices vary based on the com plexity of the pieces customers request. These include scarves, pillows and koozies. “A normal scarf is going to cost around $20,” Mason said. “If you want a fluffier scarf or [one] longer than 3 feet, you're going to have to pay an extra $5 or more.” It usually takes Mason two or three weeks to complete a project, although there are factors that can affect this, such as the amount of time available outside of speech and esports.Mason’s most recent project was an order of several scarves for esports to con gratulate them on making it to state. One of the members who received a scarf was senior Lennon“[ThePfenning.scarf] is very nice, and I love the quality,” Pfenning said. “I highly recommend getting Tosomething.”`13orderfromMason, direct message @_.sophiastitches._ on Instagram or call or text (402) 744-0026.
Sophie Stitches: Small business venture
On any day of the week, senior Rachel Ostiek’s home has tables strewn with wood and painting supplies, and, in her latest crea tive exploration, there are also bundles of yarn and half-finished crochet panels. During her freshman year of high school, Ostdiek started a business, Fab Front Door, painting door signs. With some extra time on her hands during senior year, she picked up a crochet hook and began to explore a new way to be imaginative, from creating blankets to sweaters. “I was raised with my mom always doing crafts at home,” Ostdiek said. “Whenev er we were bored, we would scrapbook or do something creative. If she was working on a few pages, I would do a few pages, and we love doing something creative together.”
Classmates have seen junior Sophia Mason knitting in spare time, but not many know that Mason may be working on a com mission for their small knitting business.
AUDREY WISEMAN EVENT COORDINATOR
Mason began knitting three years ago, at age 13, and enjoys it because it is simple and keeps the hands busy. Mason first became inspired to knit because of their aunt. Sadly, that aunt passed away due to cancer in Decem ber of 2020, but Mason continues to knit in her honor by using materials she left behind. “[Knitting] makes me feel more con nected to her, but [it’s] also fun,” Mason said. Mason later realized they could make money from this hobby and began to pursue knitting for profit. “I decided to turn knitting into a busi ness because I thought about how entrepre neurs get into [their] businesses,” Mason said, citing industrial successes, like Steve Jobs, as inspiration.
Although her mother was the first person to truly inspire her creativity, Ostdiek learned to knit and crochet from classes she took at Stuhr Museum. “Ever since I was probably nine or 10, I will just go on spurts of wanting to knit and crochet all the time,” Ostdiek said. “When I picked up the crochet hooks this time, it felt different. In the past, I have made blankets, but now I knew I wanted to make sweaters and try something new.”
Ostdiek explores her creativity through crochet
If you want to prepare for an exciting career, Central Community College is a great place to start. Check out the career and technical education courses that we offer and ask about diploma and degree programs.
On a day in early October, a collection of students attended a live streaming confer ence to further their knowledge of creating en gaging content and working with new equip ment, but they walked away with a real-world opportunity to challenge their skills.
The winter sports trainers are involved with boys and girls basketball and wrestling on a daily basis. When it comes to what sport trainers train for, it is mostly a personal pref Whileerence.some trainers find both sports exciting, Shafer is thrilled for wrestling training be cause it is her favorite sport to help with after training last year. “If you understand wrestling, it is a lot more interesting to watch,” Shafer said. “There’s a lot more action than in football, where it’s a lot of ‘stop and go’.”
Students partner with Pump & Pantry to create commercials EMELIA RICHING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The students from Hinkel’s Digital Media 2 class split into a couple of groups to make separate commercials. “We were comfortable with critiquing each other,” said junior Keyara Caspar. “It defi nitely made the final product better.”
alsoitalthataeventsattimeandsocialongroupsmercialsThepaper.”comforbothareavailablePump&Pantry’smediapagesairduringhalfandtimeoutsvariousathleticthroughStriv,streamingservicemanyoftheDigMedia2studentsarein.“It’scool knowing that other people will get to see our product because we worked really hard on it,” Caspar said. “What we have done is amazing, and I look forward to the other projects we will get to do in this class.” As some may know, student athletic trainers are the backbone of many sports at Northwest, helping athletes overcome injury and stayForhydrated.allthree seasons there are around six trainers under the supervision of head athletic trainer Mike Peterson. In the fall, the most common sport that trainers work with is football. They rarely help with other sports because they don’t in clude as many people and need less help with what they do on a daily basis. “For the football season almost every day consists of getting the athletes water and making sure the practice fields are ready,” said sophomore Kielea Shafer.
During the conference, advertising specialists from Pump & Pantry approached media teacher Matt Hinkel and participating students with the idea of filming commercials as a way to showcase their talents to a broader audience and gain valuable experience. “When our group was approached with the idea of it, I was excited because I love vid eo editing and producing,” said senior Dany ka Galvan. “I just had a lot of ideas running through my head about what we could do.”
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The process took nearly five weeks to complete, from scripting the commercial to editing the clips. “We recorded [the video] in one day,” Galvan said. “We started piecing the clips to gether and recreating noises in the studio. In the video, we play a game of Tic-TacToe, so we made the sounds where I pull out the
While wrestling may be interesting to watch, trainers also have to pay attention and be ready to help an athlete when the time comes. “Every day is pretty different, but it’s mostly waiting for someone to bleed, covering skin infection or covering cuts or scrapes,” said sophomore Alyx Beck. Trainers stay busy all throughout the year helping with summer activities and cleaning the training room in between sea sons. In the summer there is something called training camp where schools from around the area come together and practice things like wrapping ankles and making ice bags. This helps trainers become confident and learn how important training is to athletes in different sports. “My Grandpa was a trainer here at Northwest and I’ve always liked the idea of doing something he loved,” said Shafer. “Train ing is one of the best ways at Northwest to be involved with sports doing something I enjoy.”
January Issue FEATURE 05 KIERA AVILA DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
The new addition came about when coaches identified a prolonged vacancy between seasons.
On Nov. 9, Senior Isaiah Balcom practices “StarCraft II” before the “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” season begins.
SCHYLER PACKER/VIKING MEDIA
“[“Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” is] a racing game played on the Nintendo Switch,” said senior Logan Placke. “There are certain items you can use to hinder your opponents into placing lower on the board, but the goal is to get first.”
In Oct. 2021, a graphic lists the top five most streamed esports tournaments in that month. The 2021 World Championship takes the number one spot, with over 3.5 million viewers tuning in on Oct. 30.
As the Northwest eSports team begins winter competitions, they stay on track to continue their record of success. This year, the team will be playing “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.”
NintendoSource: MOLLY PRICE/VIKING MEDIA
“My favorite part of competing is playing the games and meeting new people,” Zeman said. “[“Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”] is a fun new addition and something different for us to play this year.”
Source: Nintendo Source: escharts.com
Junior Brett Visnaw, senior Tyler Carlin, junior Andrew Burnham, junior Jackson Bough and senior Aden Metteer practice competing against each other after school.
BY EMILY KRUPICKA BUSINESS MANAGER
Source: Nintendo
January Issue NEWS06 January Issue NEWS 07
MOLLY PRICE/VIKING MEDIA
“There was a day when everyone played against different people to see how they stood up,” Hinkel said. “Then, they were ranked based on their performance, and two teams were chosen.”
Esports — also known as electronic sports — is a video game competition involving individuals or teams that face each other in popular games, with competitions often streamed online. Although it may seem like just a fun hobby, competing in esports requires incredible skill, especially to become an advanced player. “It’s pretty competitive for sure,” said esports coach Matt Hinkel. “When we play our weekly competitions, we randomly match up with other players, and when we get to tournaments and play offs, it’s the best versus the worst on the brackets. Then it trick les down to the top four teams.”
What is esports? Just like professional athletics, the world of esports is an industry with solid financialAccordingpower. to a 2020 article by Forbes, the esports industry has already exceeded the $1 billion mark, and reve nues are expected to soar exponentially within the next decade. At just 28-years-old, Danish player Johan Sundstein has already acquired over $7 million from competitions, with a sin gle tournament accounting for a little over $3 million of his earnings, according to statistics from Esports Earnings, a website providing current gamers’ profits.
Although still in the early stages of their “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” season, the NW eSports team has confidence they’ll cross the finish line with success.
Esports players compete in a preliminary “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” round that determines who qualifies for a spot on the NW team.
With only four members chosen to compete in Mario Kart at a time, vying for a spot on the team was a race in itself.
Some players — like senior Tyler Zeman — have competed in esports throughout all four years of high school, strengthening their strategies and tightening their techniques.
Northwest drifts into the winter season with “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”
While high gains like Sundstein’s are reserved for top players, pro-gamer under contract can expect to earn around $4,000 to $5,000 a month, not includ ing the thousands of dollars at stake for streaming and competitions. An analysis by research company Insider Intelligence also suggests that, within the next couple years, the esports audience is expected to grow to 84 mil lion viewers in the U.S. alone, placing its viewership above the NBA and MLB and slightly below the NFL. Globally, it’s estimated there’s an au dience of approximately 450 million view ers, with 57% coming from the Asia-Pacif ic region.In terms of origin, the first official esports competition was held at Stanford University in 1972 when over 10,000 par ticipants gathered to play a championship game of “Space Invaders” and 50 million people watched online. The sport gained momentum in the 2000s when the World Cyber Games and Electronic Sports World Cup (now Esports World Convention) were introduced, two of the major championship games.
Source: https://one.bidpal.net/gracegala/wel come
with Don Richmond Are you a fan of music? How about live music? This year at the Upper Room Brewery in Kearney, live musician Don Richmond will be singing his biggest hits as patrons party into the new year. Those under 21 years of age are welcome to come and enjoy the New Year with entertainment and family.
Black and White Bash The Black and White Bash is a foodie party in Kearney. Tickets cost $100 per per son but it comes with an all you can eat prime rib and crab leg buffet, photo booth, count down and music by the Lost Wax Band from KansasTheCity.event also offers hotel rooms in cluded with ticket purchases of $299 or more if you’re looking for an outing with the whole Concertfamily.
EMMA SMITH ASSISTANT EDITOR
TREASURE MASON CONTENT ORGANIZER
Vikings row toward 2022!
2022 is right around the corner and it’s getting about to the time where people have the chance to start working on their new years reolutions. Instead of looking at celeberties resolutions, come and take a closer look at Northwest students’ resolu tions. Though the year was pretty ab normal like the last one, some students are still creating resolutions. Seniors are wanting to pick a college and their career pathways. But students can’t graduate without passing their classes. “To gradu ate. Seriously just graduate.” Said Senior Emma Smith, Emma is aiming to finish the year out strong so she can finish high school get to college. Graduating and find ing a job is something that students are fighting to accomplish But, even though some students want to work on their grades and their future but some have other things in mind. “My new year resolution is to focus on my relationship with God more and be the happiest of my self and become the happiest version of myself” said fresh man Emma Harb. Similarly, Junior Calvin Phan said that he wants to just be a better person overall. Seventy-four percent of all the students who submitted their respons es said that they could complete their goal for the year. Hopefully, NW students can go into 2023 knowing that they achieved their resolution in 2022. Photo Courtesy Grace Walden Students work on a group assignment together.
Wild about GRACE The Wild about GRACE Gala is an event hosted by the GRACE Cancer Founda tion to raise money to help support cancer patients and their families. The event includes: dinner, countdown to the new year and dance competition.Thedance competition is a fundraising event where four couples enter with the goal to help raise funds for the GRACE foundation. A page (https://one.bidpal.net/gracegala/wel come) is up where people can donate five dol lars to vote for their favorite couple. The pairs include two familiar names at Northwest, coach Brandon Harrington and choir teacher Jeff Vyhlidal, who will be dancing with their wives. Tickets for the event cost $125 each or $1,250 for a table of 10 and can be purchased Out and About New Years on the voting website. Them UkeThemBoysUke Boys is a band featuring primarily ukuleles and sometimes other string instruments, such as guitars and basses. They had been on a month-long tour starting back in November in Lincoln and ending this new year in Grand Island. The group has traveled around Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. Them Uke Boys will be performing at Kinkaid er Brewing for their grand finale, playing some of their biggest hits and jamming out with their fans. If you like dancing and ukulele mu sic, check out this event.
January Issue NEWS08
January Issue REVIEW 09
AUDREY WISEMAN EVENT COORDINATOR
How bad is Buddy the Elf’s breakfast spaghetti?
Every Christmas season, my family and I sit in the living room and watch some of our favorite Christmas movies, including clas sics such as “Elf.” I remember cringing every time that awful spaghetti scene came on, with that horrendous mound of pasta topped with enough sugar to put a cavity in a fake tooth. The way Buddy just picks up the whole thing with his hands and eats it makes me shudder. But just how bad is this pasta really? I decided to see for myself. The recipe I used called for spaghetti, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, marshmallows, candy corn, jelly beans, M&Ms, sprinkles and chocolate Pop-Tarts. Thankfully, not a single recipe online called for spaghetti sauce. The only thing more upsetting than the fact that I put this in my mouth is that it wasn’t that bad. I went into this expecting to need a barf bag next to me while I ate this stuff, but that was not to be. I sat there eating it, knowing that this dish defied everything I knew about culinary arts. That knowledge is so much worse a fate than eating it and it tasting … well, Imaginebad.yourself in my place. You take the first bite, anxiously awaiting the nausea you know will surely come, but all you taste is chocolate. Then jelly beans and maple syrup and candy corn and marshmallows, and your tastebuds erupt with joy. But then you notice the noodles, whose texture feels like worms squirming in your mouth. You need this feel ing out, so you reach for a second bite, expect ing it to be like the first, and immediately get assaulted by the flavor of salty noodles shoddi ly covered up by jelly beans. One thing I took note of during this experience was that this dish is entirely de pendent on ratio. The center, which held more concentrated layers of sweetness, tasted like a lovely chocolate shake with jelly beans on top. The outsides, however, which were sparser, forced me back into the realization that this is still spaghetti, no matter how much sugar was piled atop it. All in all, this dish was a journey, filled with ups and downs, hardships and tri umphs, and in the end, I was left questioning everything I thought I knew about the world. This breakfast spaghetti from a family Christ mas movie shouldn’t cause me to have an existential crisis, but here I am writing this. I walked into this experience a Wiseman, but walked out a wiser man. As for the moral of this story, you realitytobeticularthiswantBut,newalwaysshouldtrythings.ifyoutoeatpardish,preparedquestionabit.
Photo courtesy of Mandy Wiseman Buddy the elf’s breakfast spaghetti, topped with several sweets.
January Issue ADS10
What’re you looking forward to this year? “Experiencing my senior prom!” Your proudest accomplishment? “How successful my business, Fab Front Door, has been over the last four years.” Will you take a post-graduation trip? “My family and I are taking a trip to Hawaii after graduation!”
Student Spotlight
One place you want to travel to but probably never will? “The Great Barrier Reef, Australia.”
Rachel Ostdiek, 12 Who do you look up to? “I have always looked up to my older sister so much! I feel like it’s a rite of passage as a younger sister to want to be exactly like your older sister, and I never grew out of it!”
Favorite vacation you’ve been on? “Niagara Falls, New York.” Where do you want to live in the future? “Colorado or Utah.”
Isaiah Esquivel, 11 Colder or warmer weather? “Warmer.” Where do you want to travel? “Hawaii.”
Favorite vacation you’ve been on? “Las Vegas.” Where do you want to live in the future? “Somewhere that’s not too big but not too small.”
One place you want to travel to but probably never will? “Australia.”
Mya Eriksen, 12 Who do you look up to? “My mom inspires me to stay healthy and fit and work hard at my job and love my family.”
What’re you looking forward to this year? “Graduating high school and having a graduation party and the ceremony.” Your proudest accomplishment? “Completing four years of cross country. I honestly thought I wasn’t going to make it.” Will you take a post-graduation trip? “My whole family and I are planning on it. I want to go somewhere warm and on the beach.”
Caidyn DeLosh, 12 Who do you look up to? “I look up to my dad.”
Jimmie Bradley, 10 Colder or warmer weather? “Warmer.” Where do you want to travel? “Hawaii.”
SCHYLER PACKER NEWSPAPER STAFFER January Issue SPOTLIGHT 11
Favorite vacation you’ve been on? “Down to Mexico.” Where do you want to live in the future? “Texas, Arizona or Nebraska.”
One place you want to travel to but probably never will? “Florida.”
Emma Harb, 9 Colder or warmer weather? “Warmer weather.” Where do you want to travel? “Africa.”
What’re you looking forward to this year? “I’m looking forward to having a more open schedule.” Your proudest accomplishment? “I was very proud to be able to be a boat crew leader this football season.” Will you take a post-graduation trip? “No.”
Hastings College Why Hastings? - 2021 Viking Saga.indd 1 9/15/21 4:04 PM October ADS12
Go Somewhere Your transition from college to a career begins your first semester. Every class, internship, research study and extracurricular activity adds to your experience. You’ll become your best self, ready to go somewhere. We Invest in You
Accountability We provide all required textbooks plus an iPad and Apple Pencil. Yes, this saves you $1,000 a year (or more). But, more importantly, when everyone has the tools they need, there’s more accountability, fewer excuses and more success.
Stress Less Our block schedule. It’s a difference maker that lets you take just one or two classes at a time. Focus more intently. Absorb more information. The result? Students report less stress. And professors? They see improved performance.
Intentional Experience Every student takes a travel course, including the opportunity to study abroad — and we cover the costs! These intentional travel experiences push you out of your comfort zone. The growth…it’s transformational.
Want to learn more? Schedule your in-person or virtual visit today! SCAN HERE why whyHastings?
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Our students are amazing — they earn at least $12,000 in scholarships. But most receive $15,000-20,000, making our premier education an affordable option. Will you earn more?
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