Issue 1

THE 8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 Volume 61 Issue 1

September 23, 2016

ANCE

* FEATURE Powderbuff and Powderpuff photo spread on pages 14-15.

WAVING GOODBYE

School terminates hall supervisor, students react

MADIGAN BRODSKY & DEJA MOSS MEDIA COORDINATOR & WIRED STAFF WRITER

On Tuesday, Sept. 6, hall supervisor Waverly Jones received a call to report to the main office at the end of his shift.

After confirming that he produced and posted videos of himself and students on YouTube on “company time,” Jones said he was told by principal Jay Opperman and assistant principal Trudi Nolin that because of his “unprofessional” behavior he was “not a role model” in compliance with page five of the WHS staff handbook. At that point, he said he was informed that he was being terminated.

While Opperman can confirm that Jones is no longer employed by Westside Community Schools, he is unable to provide any further information about the exact reason or reasons for Jones’ termination.

“Although I cannot comment on a specific employment issue, there is a process in place whenever events occur that could jeopardize an employee’s work status,” Opperman said. “A review is done that considers past performance, current performance, and the nature of the situation being investigated. We do not make employment decisions lightly. We take into consideration all the facts, and we talk to the staff member and discuss our concerns and give him or her the opportunity to provide us with information from his/her point of view. Westside Community Schools strives to

maintain staff with the highest level of professionalism.”

Jones — a father, coach and two-year district employee — said that his previous videos received no attention from administration and that he was never given a warning about the possible consequences of these actions.

“If I did something wrong, I can deal with that,” Jones said. “But just to get rid of me, and terminate me, and say [that] I’m unprofessional and not a role model, that’s when you’ve messed up. That’s what really ticked me off. I was hurt. I felt betrayed.”

A familiar face to all, Jones was able to console and connect with many students on a deep, personal level and he said he believes that the lessons he taught influenced their lives in a positive way.

“If there’s ten kids and I can reach one of you, I did my job,” Jones said. “But there was 2,000 kids in here, and I feel like I reached half of them.

I even had kids at the Career Center who were like, ‘I should’ve listened to Waverly, what he told me to do.’”

Junior DeVante Hartin has known Jones since before he was in middle school when Jones taught him to play football. However, it wasn’t until Hartin entered high school, the same year that Jones began supervising, that their personal connection truly began.

“He’s a person you’ll remember all your life,” Hartin said. “Down the road, when you’re sitting in bed, listening to your grandchildren… you’ll

remember that one person that taught you morals in life, that stuck with you all the way through.”

Before being terminated, Jones said he was working four jobs, including his hall supervisor position at Westside. He said that his WHS job was “never about the money,” and that he instead valued the impact he felt that he left on the students he was able to reach.

“I get off my one job at either three, four, five or six, I’m taking a break and I’m coming inside here,” Jones said. “I could’ve stayed at home. I could’ve slept. I could have been a PTA dad with my own kids. But no, I came for somebody else cause that’s just the person in me. I love kids, I love to be around kids, I’m a big kid myself.”

Students displayed gratitude and appreciation during Jones’ employment, and even more so after his termination. Sophomores Jazmine Rockwell and Lior Nicholson originally created a paper petition on Wednesday, Sept. 7, when they received news from a friend that Jones had been terminated.

“I decided that I wanted to start the petition because Wave is a good guy,” Rockwell said. “He pretty much inspired half of the school. He was really there for people. He wanted to talk to kids [and] make sure they’re okay.”

On Friday, Rockwell said she confirmed with assistant principal Trudi Nolin that Jones had in fact been terminated. Rockwell then said she Story continues onto page 2

Westside High School hall supervisors, Linda Seals, Waverly Jones, and Jake Pederson monitor the front entrance on Monday, Feb. 23, 2015. Photo by Mitch Francis.

2

NEWS

CONT.: Former employee inspired students informed Nolin about the now online petition she created. With 250 signatures and more coming in, she plans on taking the petition back to Nolin once 500 to 1,000 signatures have been compiled.

R o c k well said she then plans to present it to school b o a r d m e m bers at the ABC building.

“With that pet i t i o n right there, it showed me that I was loved, I still am loved and I [made] an impact,” Jones said. “That means a lot to me, and I wish that Westside can look at that and be like, ‘Man, we need more positive people like that inside this school. We need people like

that to reach our kids, we need somebody that’s not afraid to get their hands dirty.”

Jones says that he isn’t going to let his termination “change who he is” and plans to stay in contact with the students he was closest with.

“Because We s t s i d e let me go, I don’t want y’all to walk around with your head down,” Jones said. “I don’t want y’all to walk around with an attitude. I don’t want y’all to be like that. I want y’all to stay positive and be like ‘You know what, Waverly was in here, he helped my head right, he told me what to do, he made me be respectful to y’all, and I’m gonna do it.’”

WAVERLY JONES

FORMER HALL SUPERVISOR

“Because Westside let me go, I don’t want y’all to walk around with your head down... I wan’t y’all to to stay positive..”

New School, New Problems

New building creates new issues for Oakdale

N I CH O LAS V I N C E N T I N I of 2018. Oakdale is the first of three elementaSTAFF WRITER

Cody Meyerson, a fourth grader, will always remember the good times he had at Oakdale Elementary School. Things like performing gymnastics routines on the stage for the school at school the talent show, and banging the drums in the music room that had stood for over 150 years on top of a hill are things he will never forget. While these memories will stay with Cody forever, the building in which they occurred in no longer exists.

“It was a good school,” Cody said. “I’ll always remember it.”

This summer, Oakdale was decommissioned and demolished in order to construct a new building, which is expected to be completed in spring

ry schools to be remodeled over the next several years. During these renovations the school’s students and staff will temporarily move to the old Valley View Middle School, which is now known as the high school’s West Campus. West Campus was remodeled last year and over the summer in order to make it more suitable for elementary school students.

As some might expect, students have been struggling more than usual to adjust to their new surroundings. Rebecca Kratky, a sixth grade teacher at Oakdale, has seen firsthand how difficult it can be for her students.

“Typically in sixth grade we do spend time teaching procedures and expectations that first day, but we don’t have to focus so much on where the bathrooms are or where the cafeteria is. Everything was completely new so we had to take a lot of time to go over procedures and expecta-

CODY MEYERSON 4TH GRADE

“It was a good school. I’ll always remember it.”

tions,” Kratky said.

Oakdale has also implemented new security measures that are used more at the beginning and end of the day in order to keep parents out of the building. There is now a semicircle of cones outside of every entrance approximately 10 feet away from the school that only students and staff can pass through during pickoff and dropoff times. This security measure was put in place by the new principal, Glen Jagels. Some parents were upset they are longer able to walk their kids to their classroom, while others, such as Jenny Meyerson mother of Cody Meyerson, thinks this extra line of caution is a good one.

“I think it fosters more independence for the kids that they go in by themselves,” Jenny said.

Another concern for some parents was that the alternative school is also located in the basement of the West Campus. To combat this fear, the school put in place a monitor to make sure the kids in that attended the alternative school stayed downstairs and didn’t have access to the ground floor where the elementary school is temporarily being held.

“I know a lot of people were bothered by it, but I think that any parent would be satisfied [now],” Jenny said.

Fourth grader Cody Meyerson sits on the stairs overlooking his old basketball court. Photo by Taylor Baca

NEWS

3

Where a warrior meal comes from Westside recieves lunch items from local farms in the Midwest SOPH IE K N I G H T Frozen items are stored for a longer time simply STAFF WRITER

Not many people sit down at lunch and think about where the food we at school comes from and what it takes to get it on the tray. In the words of freshman Eleanor Dodge, “I’d rather not think about it.”

With more than five options for lunch each day, different food items are supplied from a variety of local and national locations. The majority of foods and drinks, such as Westside Water and chicken nuggets, are supplied by Sysco Inc., a food marketing and distribution company located in Lincoln.

In addition to Westside Water and Chicken nuggets, main items Westside receives from Sysco are french fries, chicken strips, and paper goods.

Orders to Westside vendors are placed and received two to three times a week to almost every food v e n d o r.

T h o s e orders are then sent to the Central Meal Kitchen building here in Omaha, where the food is then distributes the food within all of District 66.

The food Westside receives from Sysco is stored in large walk-in coolers inside the courtyard and is kept there for a week at the most.

because they are frozen and will not perish as fast as a regular refrigerated items.

Because Westside orders from Sysco, food comes from all around the United States. However, the fresh food we see inside the courtyard and Cafe Express are supplied from many farms in Nebraska and Iowa.

“We really believe it is important to buy from those local vendors,” said Westside High School’s Cafeteria manager Craig Cannon.

These fresh food items are supplied from a variety of local midwest farms such as Morris Family Orchard, Clinch Produce and Lone Tree Foods.

“Things like apples and our big sandwich tomatoes are from Nebraska,” said Carrie Eidsness, a Westside kitchen assistant. “Other things like kale, zucchini, cantaloupe and watermelon are from [other] local places.”

With over 1,200 lunches served each day students never see leftovers inside Cafe Express.

“We follow the strict food service protocol.

Food can be maintained for four hours before you have to throw it away” Eidsness said.

Westside Nutrition Services staff said that value their students and remind themselves of the importance of serving healthy meals every day.

“The most important aspect of my job is to make sure that no kid goes hungry” cafeteria worker Rose Kent said.

CRAIG CANNON

”We really believe it is important to buy from these local vendors.”

The cafeteria prepares for another wave of students. Photo by Lili Fogland

BRIEFLY

TitleSparking For BriefNew OneInterests

Positive Title For BriefInfluences Two

Most of the students at Westside High School left the middle school before a new concept called SPARK time (Students Participating and Actively Reflecting Knowledge) was introduced in the 2015-2016 school year. SPARK time, as told by current freshman Adam McGauvran, is implemented “to learn new things about school and responsibilities.”

The new alternative to homeroom was moved to third period, instead of at the end of the day and is now 20 minutes long.

SPARK’s purpose, according to the Westside Middle School student handbook, is to teach, reinforce, and build character as a middle school student working together with our classroom community.

McGauvran talked about his experience and said, “What I did in SPARK time last year was watch videos and learn new things.”

If you were a fan of the old homeroom, this might not sound ideal compared to having 40 minutes of time at the end of the day, but McGauvran said student response was pretty positive.

“I really thought SPARK time was okay, and some people that I knew liked Spark,” he said.

Though homeroom, and the middle school in general, might not be exactly the same anymore, the new SPARK program seems to have changed the middle school for the better.

This school year, students may have noticed signs that say “Westside High School Behavioral Expectations. The signs are part of a program called PBIS, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.

PBIS is a positive approach to establishing the behavioral support and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional and academic success. PBIS is relatively new to Westside, but this is the first year that it is recognized thanks to the new rules signs.

The rules are enforced throughout the building, with signs not only in hallways but, classrooms as well. Students are being taught about the rules throughout the first semester by their homeroom advisors. The administration has helped bring in and enforce the new rules according to Assistant Principal Trudi Nolin.

“We surveyed staff members to get overall behavior needs in the building and if they were willing to support and implement a new process or system,” Nolin said.

“All certified and classified staff members have been involved in the implementation of PBIS in the building,” Nolin said. Westside High School is currently in the beginning stages of implementing the PBIS rules and is in the process of collecting data about behaviors and locations to help with the support.

Despite the lack of an evident change right now, Nolin and other administrators remain hopeful for the future of the program.

“We certainly have heard from many schools that have implemented PBIS that it really makes a difference in students and staff and overall culture in the building,” Nolin said.

BRIEFS BY AARON NORTON

4

NEWS

Upcoming Events September 23-25: Lauritzen Gardens Antique & Garden October 1: Music City Hit-Makers Show Time: 7:30-9:30pm Time: 9am-5pm Admission: $32-$40 Admission: $10 Location: 2700 College Road, Council Bluffs, IA 51503 Location: Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE 68108 October 1: Girls Varsity & JV at Lincoln Northeast September 24-25: ARTsarben October 3: Girls Varsity Golf Districts at TBA Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm Admission: Free October 3: Boys Varsity & JV Tennis vs Papillion-La Vista th Location: Aksarben Village, 2232 S 64 Street, Omaha, NE October 4: Girls Varsity & JV Volleyball vs Bellevue East September 24: Homecoming Dance

October 5: End of Quarter 1

September 24: Papio South Marching Band Contest at October 5-6: Boys Varsity Tennis Metro Tournament at Papillion-La Vista South High School Koch Tennis Center September 24: Varsity Cross Country at Kansas October 6-7: Intersession University October 6-7: Girls Varsity Softball District Tournament at September 25-26: Girls Basketball Skill Clinic TBA September 26: Gavin DeGraw and Andy Grammer Live in Concert Time: Concert starts at 7pm Admission: 35+ Location: Sumtur Ampitheater, 11691 S 108th Street, Papillion, NE 68046

October 6: Boys & Girls Varsity Cross Country Metro Conference Meet at Walnut Creek October 7: Varsity & Freshman Band Performance October 7: Boys Varsity Football vs Lincoln North Star

September 26: Girls Varsity Golf Invite at Platteview October 8: Bellevue East Marching Contest at Bellevue Country Club East September 26: Boys Varsity Tennis at Creighton Prep

October 8: Girls Varsity Volleyball at Lincoln High

September 26: Boys & Girls Varsity Cross Country at October 8: Boys Basketball Shooting Camp Kearney Country Club October 10-11: Girls Varsity Golf State Tournament at September 27: Cinemateca Film Series Norfolk Country Club Time: 7pm Admission: $4.50-$9 October 11: Girls Varsity & JV Volleyball at Papillion-La Location: Film Streams, 1340 Mike Fahey Street, Omaha, Vista South NE 68102 October 12-16: Cabaret September 27: Girls Varsity Golf Metro Tournament at Time: Starts 7:30pm Elmwood Gould Course Admission: $30+ Orpheum Theater, 409 S 16th Street, Omaha, NE 68102 September 27: Girls Varsity Softball vs Omaha South at Westside October 13-14: Girls Varsity Softball State Tournament at Hastings Softball Complex September 29: Boys & Girls Varsity Cross Country Millard West Invite at Walnut Grove Park October 13-14: Boys Varsity Tennis State Tournament at Koch Tennis Center September 29: Boys Varsity & JV Tennis vs Bellevue East October 13: Boys Varsity Football at Bellevue West September 29: Girls Varsity & JV Volleyball at Lincoln North Star October 14-15: Girls Varsity Volleyball Westside Invite September 29: Girls Varsity & JV Softball vs Omaha Burke October 15: Elkhorn Marching Band Invitational at Elkhorn High School September 30: Student Photo Retake Day Events compiled by Cynthia France

NEWS

5

The LANCE The Lance is a school-sponsored publication of Westside High School, Westside Community Schools, 8701 Pacific St., Omaha, NE 68144. The Lance office is located in room 251. Phone: (402) 343-2650. The Lance is an in-house publication.

The paper is distributed every month to all students, except in vacation periods. Subscription rates to others are $25 prepaid. The Lance is printed by White Wolf Web, in Sheldon, IA. Advertising rates are available upon request. The Lance editorial staff reserves the right to edit all ads for clarity and grammatical errors.

The editorial staff reserves the right not to publish any ads that are libelous or that contain non-factual information.

The Lance editorial staff also reserves the right to nullify contracts at any time without prior notification. The Lance also refuses ads that promote activities illegal to a majority of the student readership.

Reader response is welcomed in the form of letters to the editor.

Letters should be less than 300 words, signed by the author and sent to room 251. Names may be withheld upon special request. Lance editors will decide whether to honor such requests.

The Lance editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and grammatical errors. The editorial staff also reserves the right to not publish any letters that are libelous or that contain non-factual information.

The Lance is a member of the Nebraska High School Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Quill & Scroll Society.

The Lance staff recognizes that the administration of Westside Community Schools controls the curriculum and, thus, sets the parameters of the production process of school publications. The Lance staff also recognizes its own responsibilities to inform, enlighten and entertain its readers in a way that reflects high standards of journalism, morals and ethics.

Editors-in-Chief Celena Shepherd, Libby Seline; Managing Editors Jim Schueneman, Sam Cohen; Media Coordinator Madigan Brodsky; Design Editor Bella Radler; Copy Editor Emma Korengel; News Editor Steven Simon; Opionion Editor Alex Bergin; Sports Editors Trevor Mumford, Nolan Tracy; Arts and Entertainment Editor April Van Unen; Staff Writers Ryan Adkins, Maryam Akramova, Malia Battafarano, Destinry Howard, Theo Jansen, Sophie Knight, Tristan Newman, Aaron Norton, Nicole Petersen, Reese Pike, Julia Steiner, Nick Vincentini; Photographers Taylor Baca, Lili Fogland; Adviser Timothy Kaldahl, Jerred Zegelis.

Graphic by Emma Korengel

Editorial

New PBIS policy is unecessary, babies students The Positive Behavior Intervention System, also known as PBIS, is a system in place at Westside High School which aims to reinforce good behavior. In theory, approaching students in this manner is supposed to increase good behavior and decrease poor behavior. While this new policy was probably created with good intentions, it may cause students to feel belittled.

Teachers expect students to act mature. The new methods to implement positive behavior in our schools feel childish as they promote positive behavior poorly.

In high school, students are finally learning how to be an adult — how to be responsible for yourself.

Some people are starting careers in high school, yet here we are with a reinforcement system fit for little kids. In many places throughout our school, there are posters to promote responsible and respectful behavior.

Complete with small pictures, and fun fonts, these posters remind us of lessons we’ve been learning since we started school. However, we’ve grown up. It’s time to stop with the cutesy elementary school techniques. We even take time out of our homeroom to study these skills of safety, responsibility and respect. The repetition

“However, we’ve grown up. It’s time to stop with the cutesy elementary school techniques....the repetition of these concepts makes students feel as if the teachers’ think we are immature.” of these concepts makes students feel as if the teacher’s think we are immature. Even the signs seem to talk down to us.

This process should start in middle school.

Warrior Voice

Westside Middle School has recently introduced a program called Spark Time where students are encouraged to watch anti-bullying videos in homeroom. However, like high school students, they are also transitioning to adulthood. However, this treatment does not motivate kids to behave positively or learn how to treat people in the real world.

Especially at Westside, we strive to prepare our students for the real world in many ways. We have mock elections, modular scheduling, DECA, a student run journalism team and more. We are pushed to be as responsible as grown adults, but we are not treated or talked to as such. In the real world, you won’t have posters everywhere telling you how to walk, talk and act. In our high school, this hardly seems necessary either.

The best way to communicate with young people is by talking to them. When you lecture, you lose us because we feel misunderstood. When you involve us in the system of our own punishment or responsibility, you are empowering us to make our own decisions the correct way. We need to be prepared for life and ready to take on our own challenges, and with systems that treat us like children, we can’t do that.

What are good ways to enforce postivie behavior?

JOE GRAVES, Freshman

“Negative reinforcement [because positive reinforcement is] not working.”

Jackson hanus, sophomore

Ethan Sternberg, junior

“The key to support is to “We should reward good encourage having fun at grades [and] reward not this school and to have re- going to the dean.” lationships with teachers and students.”

Anna Knutson, Senior

“People need to learn what they can’t and can control, [and behavior would be] more positive if there was less pressure from teachers and homework.”

6

OPINION

EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY To Have Homework...

T RISTAN N E W M A N STAFF WRITER

You won’t see me asking for homework, that’s a fact. Except in this case. While we all have to experience the excruciating pain of completing a nightly assignment at some point in time, it benefits us all, from elementary to college students. While I don’t approve of everything teachers decide to assign, the topic of homework is truly something real and serious.

In a better world, I would like to imagine that teachers are sane enough to as sign homework to their students including kindergarteners, because of it’s educational value. The behavioral value in homework is extremely important and kids learn from homework from a young age.

I say this due to a new decision made by individual teachers throughout the nation in primary schools (kindergarten through third grade).

Many teachers decided to stop formally assigning homework because of the claim that no research supports homework’s benefits for kindergarteners. The entire spiel of homework in kindergarten isn’t for their educational benefit, although it of course involves that.

Loveland Elementary kindergarten teacher, Michaela Bolander states, “Homework is really pretty simple in Kindergarten. I give my students worksheets about counting how many clocks they have in their house... Nothing too hard. It isn’t

“One of the reasons kindergarteners receive homework today is becase they need to get into the habit of doing work. If their educators fail to provise them with a proper work ethic in the early years of development, they aren’t well equipped in later elementary. ”

the content of the homework, it’s what they take away from the homework’s experience.”

The teamwork experience and exercise such as walking throughout their home with their parent counting clocks is good for social interaction with others.

Reading is probably the most important homework assignment, something agreed upon by amongst educators.

“I won’t be assigning my kids homework because I know that reading is so important in the entire kindergarten curriculum. I’m not taking that from them.”

The benefits of reading are real, many teachers say they can even tell does and does not read at home. Reading shapes a student’s learning experience.

One of the reasons kindergarteners receive homework today is because they need to get into the habit of doing work. If their educators fail to provide them with a proper work ethic in the early years of development, they aren’t well equipped in later elementary.

I can say for myself, homework has benefited me. Although I hated doing homework then and still hate doing it now, it helped shape me into a better student. There’s too much of a solid work ethic deriving from it. I surely can say as a kindergartener that got their homework done, it helped me get future assignments done later. Homework, whether we like it or not, makes sense. Just look at the facts.

To Not Have Homework MARYMAM A K RA M OVA STAFF WRITER

Homework is something we are all familiar with, maybe too familiar. Now more than ever, kindergarteners have to start getting used to having homework. After a recent letter sent home by a second grade teacher to parents in Northern Texas, a split between teachers began. One side is for more homework and more teaching; the other is for more creative, play and free time. I believe that kindergarteners shouldn’t have homework.

One reason all students are having more homework is because teachers feel that they benefit from homework because it shows a child’s progress. While children are learning time management and repetition skills, I do not believe that the benefits are worth it.

In fact, according to a CNN interview with child psychologist Donaldson-Pressman, the best way for children to learn is through creative play, and unfortunately, creative play around school has been decreasing. According to The Atlantic, schools have been focusing on rigorous learning and little to even no recess. Creative play, or hands on play, benefits all types of learners. Most people fall under three categories kinesthetic, auditory or visual. Creative learning touches briefly on each of these ways of learning, making it the best options for most children. Kindergarteners are five to six years of age. Just like all students, they are energetic and creative play helps them release this energy and enjoy what they are doing. Kindergarten is a time to explore, make friends and learn about things that interest you. Kindergarten should not be the new first or even second grade based on the amount of homework given.

Another problem that kindergarteners face when doing homework is that they aren’t able to do it. Many children could come to kindergarten not knowing how to read. Yet they are expected to be able to do their homework. They haven’t even been taught the skill necessary to complete it. Homework is for practice or to improve on a skill already learned. If the point of homework is lost, then why make the children do the homework?

Homework not only loses its value, but also its target group. The child’s homework becomes the parent’s homework instead. The adults have to read the instructions and perhaps help out with the homework. It is not worth it to give out homework if the students are not technically doing it.

Homework has become busywork for many. Practice is good but doing certain things over and over again doesn’t really help the student learn. It just makes them bored. When you’re bored, you lose your interest in the subject. That could lead to some disliking homework and choosing not to do it, which could lead others to simply not pay attention to school because they keep on spacing off.

Homework is important, but it’s not as important as creativity, happiness and a child’s

mental and physical state. Children deserve to live their lives to the fullest before expectations, grades and other worries come crashing down on them. They should get exercise by running around with their friends. They should meet new people and make connections with them. They should be out living their lives. Teachers and educators and parents should let the children be children first and students next.

OPINION

7

To Have Required Classes...

JUL IA S T E I N E R STAFF WRITER

There’s a reason mandatory classes are mandatory. It’s not just the state of Nebraska, which determines the class requirements, trying to give kids something to do. Education officials make the courses compulsory so students can learn information that will benefit them in most areas of work. Classes that teach us how to live a healthy lifestyle and how to deal with finances may not be a person’s first choice but will provide essential content. The required classes are also supposed to prepare teens for college and their future occupations.

The same goes for students that aren’t college bound. The courses can guide them throughout life and in fields that don’t depend on a university education.

Guidance counselor Kathy Toner estimates that only 25 percent of freshmen know what job they want to pursue. That percentage grows as the students do.

However, it must be taken into account that with experience, peoples’ understanding of what they strive for can change.

“We encourage [students] to still try new things because [they’re] still developing and still [their] interests will change,” Toner said.

So while students have courses they are made to take, they are not limited to them, and are welcome to explore. The goal is to give high schoolers exposure so they can begin to narrow down their options for a career.

It’s not all about y o u r job either.

B u t t h e n w h y go to school?

T h e answer is plain a n d simple — to learn.

If a stud e n t realizes w h a t career path he or she wants to take, all of his or her classes don’t need to be geared towards that subject. The re- q u i r e d courses compel you to take a wider range of courses. They shape high schoolers into more well-rounded people, who possess knowledge about more than just one topic of central interest.

Let’s say a student does determine the job they’ll strive for. They can cater all of their electives towards the subject. But the student may discover that it’s not the right field for them, which isn’t so uncommon. Even college kids change their career paths.

“Nationwide, about 80 percent of students change their major at least once.” Katy Wessel, the Assistant Career Director of UNO, said.

If that’s the case, imagine how many times younger students change their minds. Fortunately, we can still utilize the basis of knowledge derived from our core classes. Even if we end up heading in a completely different direction, we’ll still possess information from core classes to guide us.

Core courses and electives alike may spark interest in topics students had no previous inclination towards. If a student decided that he or she was going to take all art-related classes, they may never discover that their true passion lies in science.

Compulsory subjects prevent students from deciding which career path they want to follow before they get exposed to other areas of potential interest.

Let’s face it. As students, we’re all a little lost, so we might as well allow required classes help navigate us through our education.

KATHY TONER

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

“We enourage [students] to still try new things because [they’re] still developing and still [their] interests will change.”

To Not Have Required Classes...

M AL IA BAT TA FA RA N O STAFF WRITER

Adolescents hate being told what to do. Just hearing the words “have to” causes us to form a bad connotation with the given subject. So it’s not surprising that required classes are widely disliked. It’s just our teenage negativity, right? Maybe not.

The general rationale for the reasonability of the requirements is that they follow what is required for college. This may be true, but what about those who are not interested in college? According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2015, 69.2 percent of the students who graduated from high school enrolled in college. That leaves 30.8 percent of students in classes that potentially have no interest for them. I don’t find that reasonable.

We are told that these students, however, will use the skills in their future job.

With all the time we spend on these subjects, you’d think we would. Yet, according to Live Science, a survey revealed that for over 75 percent of workers the hardest math used in their job is fractions. In other words, most of us wouldn’t be severely disadvantaged in our future work if we had stopped taking math in seventh grade.

Even for those who plan on attending college, the threeyear math requirement isn’t really necessary. For students who don’t have further education in mind, there is even less of a likelihood that they will have a math-oriented job.

Furthermore, these requirements are based on semesters, not level. For students above grade level this is especially upsetting. They are forced into taking difficult courses that they may have no interest in. It’s quantity over quality. For me, that’s never been what education is about.

General knowledge: reading, writing, addition and subtraction, of course, are needed

for everyday life. Yet we take it too far. Many courses, like math and English, add significantly to our workload, shooting stress levels up. Those trying to avoid being overbooked then have to cut down on the exploration of their interests. Stu-

“... these requirements are based on semesters, not level. For students above grade level this is especially upsetting. They are forced into taking difficult courses that they may have no interest in. It’s quanitity over quality. For me, that’s never been what education is about.”” dents who are unwilling to give up their electives try to fit in as many of them as possible. This, on top of required classes, makes for an overloaded schedule. With that much more to do, they have less time for homework from each class. This can result in lower grades. So, even as we’re being “prepared for our future,” we’re gaining poor sleep habits and a bad grade record, both of which could result in nasty consequences.

Even if they don’t serve much of a purpose in our future life, required classes are said to make us more well rounded. They often have the opposite result. The heavy workload causes people to quit clubs, sports and extracurricular activities that help them to develop different aspects of their personality and learn in a different way.

Furthermore, these classes are geared toward more mainstream jobs, focussing in on math, English, history and science, while careers in areas like the arts are neglected.

This leaves students interested in those areas struggling to make time for the corresponding courses.

Students choose certain electives because they want to take them. We enjoy being in the classes we pick. But more required classes mean fewer electives. Fewer electives mean less happiness. Despite the school’s desire for us to go to college, to succeed and to be balanced, its greatest aim should be to help its students lead lives of joy. Required courses do not serve this goal.

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FEATURE

“HE’S STILL THERE”

Freshman starts recovery process after life changing brain injury LIBBY S E L I N E EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Freshman Gavin Christiansen’s fingers fiddle with the Xbox remote control Friday, Aug 5. He and his friends gathered at freshman Tyler Dovel’s house and were playing Guitar Hero. After over an hour of playing, the group was still not tired. Gavin was his normal self, full of energy and laughter.

In the moment, Gavin snaps a picture of himself and his buddies. His bright blue eyes stare straight into the camera and his blonde hair stands straight up on the top of his head. A small smirk appears on his face. His friends smile goofily and their arms are wrapped around each other. Gavin captions the photo “goals” and uploads it to his snapchat story.

Gavin marches upstairs to go to the bathroom.

After a couple minutes, freshman Jacob Vincentini notices Gavin still isn’t back.

Someone knocks on the bathroom door to see if Gavin is in there.

No response.

They opened the door to find Gavin’s body across the tile floor. Unconscious. Unresponsive.

Dovel’s parents called 911 and started CPR. *** Gavin’s father, Brian Christiansen, drives from Council Bluffs to Children’s Hospital in ten minutes. He said he knew he needed to “get here as as soon as possible,” but nobody told him what happened to his son.

“Did he take something?”

“Did someone slip him something?”

“Did he fall?”

Brian runs into the hospital with his heart pounding furiously. He finds his wife, Sarah Christiansen, “hugging the life” out of their 10 year-old daughter, Lexi Christiansen. They arebawling. At the sight of them, the first assumption Brian made was that his once healthy 14 year-old son was dead.

“What the f**k happened?” Brian yelled.

“Where is he?”

Doctors told him that Gavin had blood in his lungs and stomach, but they still don’t know what happened. They lead the family to Gavin.

There’s a breathing tube in Gavin’s mouth and a doctor pumping a bag so Gavin could breathe.

His black and white Under Armour shirt had been ripped off his body. It was his favorite shirt.

A doctor announces the results of the CAT scan; there was blood on Gavin’s brain. He needs to be transported to University of Nebraska Medical Center Within five minutes, Gavin is lying in a gurney ready to be transported to UNMC. Upon arrival, he is rushed into surgery.

“Wait!” Sarah shouts. “Can I at least give my son a kiss?”

The paramedics stop the gurney, and Sarah leans down to give her son a kiss. Then the paramedics continued to wheel Gavin down the hallway leaving Sarah and Brian feeling helpless.

“Why does this got to happen to him?” Brian said upon reflection of the event. “The kid ain’t never done nothing wrong in his life but get good grades. He’s the best freaking kid I’ve ever met in my life, and now he’s laying in a hospital bed fighting for his life.” ***

Hours passed by, but it felt like minutes to Brian. Time was a blur.

Several tubes are sticking out of Gavin’s head and body to keep him alive. Sarah and Brian don’t understand. Days ago he was playing football in preparation for the season. A week ago he was on a family vacation. How did their son’s world fall apart in a matter of minutes?

The doctors don’t know. They would still need a couple days to find out. They only knew Gavin came within minutes of dying.

Gavin stayed in the hospital for days. Nobody left his side for 48 hours.

He didn’t wake up.

He didn’t move.

No words came from his mouth.

After those two days, doctors announced that Gavin had developed pneumonia, and they recommended he be put in a medically induced coma.

Time stood still in those two weeks.

Sarah and Brian can’t listen to the radio.

They can’t watch TV. The only time they go home is to take a shower, and that only took an hour of their day.

The rest of time is spent watching their son’s monitor and occasionally sleeping.

Two weeks later, the doctors eased Gavin off the drugs that put him in a coma. He was awake, but his battle is just beginning. *** It is hard for Gavin to sleep through the night.

His body can’t handle it.

His heart rate would shoot up.

He was sweating constantly.

His bright blue eyes would pop open and then close just as fast.

His body craves the drugs that were used to induce his coma and not receiving them makes Gavin miserable. Every once in awhile, Sarah watches him silently cry to himself.

Doctors slowly ease Gavin off the drug, and after a couple of days he became less addicted but more exhausted. His brain needed to heal so he mostly slept.

Doctors walk in and out of his room to monitor him. They still can’t say what caused the bleeding, but have told the family that Gavin technically had a stroke.

Doctors suspect Gavin has a rare genetic disorder called arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which would have caused the arteries in Gavin’s brain to weaken. Any evidence of AVM would have been destroyed during the stroke. So, although there is no evidence to prove Gavin had an AVM, the doctors looked through Gavin’s brain to find other causes for a stroke but did not find any other plausible signs.

However, Gavin’s brain needed to go through an intense healing process. He needed to have surgeries adjusting the amount of spinal fluid in his brain. Additionally, his motor skills and been severely affected by the incident. It became difficult for him to form words or walk.

Gavin is aware, though.

He remembers the night he was hanging out with his friends. He remembers the headache he got while he was in the bathroom. And then he remembers waking up in a hospital with his family by his side.

He understands the doctors and his family.

However, they don’t understand him. He can’t

talk. “[He’s] screaming on the inside,” Sarah said.

“Nobody can understand [him].”

As Sarah says this, Gavin nods.

With the help of different communication tools, communicating became easier. Every day a physical therapist walks into the room at UNMC. Gavin dreads it.

For the first five minutes of therapy, Gavin needs to be held down.

His arms flail in the air and he pulls his bed sheets over his head. His parents worry about Gavin unplugging his tubes attached to him and struggled to help him.

He eventually gets up and his therapist helps him walk.

He shuffles along the hallway, and with help from others, he would be walking. Therapy only lasted 10 minutes, and as soon as his time ended, he eased back into his bed and slept.

Before he went to bed he looked for his small plush football that his sister won for him. He squeezes it in his hand and makes sure his phone is in his pockets.

Occasionally, he looks through his phone and reads texts people sent him.

Knowing this, Brian texted him the night of Sept 7.

Good night bud love u Gavin replied.

Love u Brian smiled and calls his wife to make sure Gavin was the one actually texting. He was. This only reassured Brian that Gavin was doing better.

“He’s still alive,” Brian said upon reflection.

“And he’s in there. We know our 14 year-old boy is in there. We just gotta get him out.” *** Gavin was transferred to the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln on Sept 8. As Brian likes to say, Gavin is out of the “danger zone,” meaning the hospital is strictly for therapy. It should be his home until Oct 27 when doctors estimate Gavin can leave. He will not be fully recovered by this point, and doctors say the process could be anywhere between six months to a year.

In the meantime, Gavin rests and does different therapy exercises.

On Sunday, Sept 18, Gavin sits in his chair surrounded by his parents and visitors. His favorite football team, the San Francisco 49ers, are playing. Gavin watches the screen intently.

The room is filled with his parents interacting with visitors making conversations about football and Gavin’s progress. Ten days ago, he could barely hold up his head. Today he was tired but still smiling.

Gavin interrupts the conversation and points at the screen to get Brian to watch the game. The whole room stares at the screen and rallies around the team.

“Wanna switch blankets, bubba?” Sarah asks.

Gavin nods. His red Husker blanket is exchanged for a gold and black “Niners” blanket.

At the end of the day, Gavin and his family remember the Husker prayer. Just like the Huskers, Gavin strives for success. That prayer?

“Day by day. We get better and better. A team that can’t be beat won’t be beat.” *Profane language is used in the content of this story

Above left: Freshman Gavin Christiansen poses for his football picture.

Christiansen loves football and his favorite team is the San Francisco 49ers.

Above Middle: Gavin Christiansen and sister Lexi Christiansen pose for their family photo.

Above Right: Brian, Sarah, Gavin and Lexi Christiansen pose for a photo outside of UNMC. The family is hosting a spaghetti feed for Gavin on Oct 8 from 4-7 p.m. Photos courtesy of Sarah and Brian Christiansen

SPORTS

9

Moving to success

Westside alumnus attains international rugby success, plays well ST EV EN S IMON NEWS EDITOR

Looking at your childhood home one last time, hugging friends goodbye and not knowing when you’ll see them again or seeing your extended family wave goodbye as you walk out onto the tarmac are very emotional and life changing experiences. Hanco Germishuys experienced all of these things when he was only 15 years old. Moving halfway across the world would turn most of our lives upside down, but Germishuys made the transition from South Africa to America with ease and kept his rugby dreams intact.

Germishuys began his rugby career in South Africa at the age of six and the sport has been his passion and his pastime ever since. The Germishuys family all lived in South Africa with the exception of Hanco Germishuys’ uncle, who had been living in America for 25 years and started his own roofing business. His uncle presented Jaco Germishuys, Hanco Germishuys’ father, with an opportunity to work with him in the Omaha based business, 10 Men Roofing.

Jaco Germishuys took the job and decided he wanted to move his family to America. In 2011, Hanco agreed to make the move on one condition.

He told his father, “I’ll only come to America if you can find me a place to play rugby.”

Germishuys’ father found him the Westside Rugby Club and at the age of 15 Hanco made the move to America.

The

“The hardest part of coming to America was leaving my friends and family behind,” Hanco said.

Most of his family still lives in South Africa, but despite this difficulty Hanco wasn’t all that intimidated when faced with moving to America.

“I had visited my grandma in America before I moved here,” said Hanco. “I knew how to speak English decently but I had to learn how to read and write.”

Because Hanco knew how to speak the language and was able to make friends through rugby and football he thought adapting to America was fun.

The ease Hanco had in getting comfortable in America is evident through his success in rugby. Almost immediately after he was settled, Hanco started playing rugby and also football at Westside.

A former football coach of Hanco’s, Craig Secora said, “Hanco’s work ethic was fantastic, he knew there was an end goal in rugby after high school football so he never stopped working.”

Due to his skill in rugby and his work ethic, he was selected to be a part of the Nebraska State Rugby team and then the USA U16 team, USA U18 team. After graduating from Westside High School in 2014, Hanco continued his rugby career and is currently a member of the USA Men’s National Rugby Team. He now plays on a pro rugby team, the Denver Stampede, and travels to numerous countries around the world with the USA Men’s National Team and may even play Europe-

Shield

HANCO GERMISHUYS Westside alum “How many people get to go out on the field and play for their country?”

2016

2017

Buy the yearbook today

an rugby in the future.

In Hanco’s eyes, there are advantages to living in both America and South Africa.

“In America, everything is cleaner, bigger and better,” he said.

Though he holds America in very high regard, Hanco said he does miss elements of South African life including the culture and food.

While he is a South African native, Hanco Germishuys considers America his home.

“My favorite part of playing for the national team is playing for my country.” said Germishuys. “How many people get to go out on the field and play for their country?”

Hanco also said he would like to play seven versus seven rugby at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

KORT A. IGEL D.D.S., M.S.

buytheyearbook.com/westsidehighschool 10801 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68154

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Hanco Germishuys fends off a defender in a rugby match Photo courtesy of Hanco Germishuys

10

SPORTS

SCHOOL A closer look into Westside school spirit

Roaring crowds and an overwhelming feeling of school pride are staples of Westside Football games. Their attendance is one of the most impressive displays of school spirit. The high attendance there brings the lower popularity of other sports into perspective. There are some sports very few people attend all year. We surveyed the school to find the extent of this and why it happens.

Graphics by Jim Schueneman

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Rate your school spirit during winter Rate your school spirit during spring How many varsity football games do How many varsity (boys or girls) you go to? basketball games do you go to?

31.1%

31.1%

12.6% 10% 12.2% 3%

8.7%

Every game

15.9%

Most games

13.3%

Some games

16.3%

Very few games

45.8%

I have never been

Most games Some games Very few games I have never been Only the Prep Game

91%

Football

8%

Girls Cross Country

Which school sporting events do you attend?

6%

Boys Cross Country

21%

Volleyball

1%

Girls Golf

4%

Boys Tennis

11%

Softball

7%

Wrestling

32%

Girls Basketabll

46%

Boys Basketabll

12%

Boys Swimming & Diving

14%

Girls Swimming & Diving

4%

Girls Tennis

3%

Boys Golf

18%

Track & Field

24%

Baseball

23%

Boys Soccer

Girls Soccer

14%

Every game

SPORTS

11

SPIRIT

Statistics based on survey of 500 students

The Return of Rollside PRide

Why the student section should improve spirit.

TREVOR M U M FO R D disparity in turnout at sporting events and gave SPORTS EDITOR

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Rate your school spirit during fall

Q’s

During what season do you have the most school spirit?

Why do you say that?

Do you think most people would have the same answer?

When do you think the school as a whole has the most school spirit?

When I think of school spirit, I think of my freshman year, or as I call it, the year of Jack and Jack. This senior class dominated sporting events and pushed school enthusiasm to an absolute high. Since the class of 2014, I’ve slowly started to see school spirit fade. The students participating in themes and cheering loud has reduced drastically. My question is why? We are the Westside Warriors! We don’t just accept the average and live in the safe zone. We go all out and make other schools fear stepping on our turf!

The survey shows the troubling statistic of how after football, the spirit for other sports drastically declines. The second highest attended sport is men’s basketball, which gets about half the attendance that football does. As a student at this great high school, this stat should make you burn inside. It’s understandable that it’s hard to get 400 plus kids in a basketball gym, but we can still increase numbers. It’s unfair to think that one sport is better than the other, so if that means cramming kids wall to wall for a basketball game, then it’s just something that’ll need to happen. Also, let’s support all the other sports too, like wrestling and swimming . The lesservisited events never see a student section and are ones that could benefit the most from a student section. This is why it’s important to distribute the spirit all around, all year long.

Students in the survey understood the

suggestions on how to fix it. First and foremost, everyone needs to get involved. Red Shield, our student section club, is lead by seniors, including myself. I understand that upperclassmen can be intimidating, but every single person has a purpose when they are cheering. No class is better than the other and all are vital to a great student section. In addition to everyone participating, everyone needs to get rowdy.

People in the student section need to be getting loud and hype during the cheers. This doesn’t mean that you can’t talk to or hangout with your friends during games, but the whole purpose of a chant is to make it as loud as possible in order to empower our players. They can’t hear if only a few people chant while the others ignore it. Originality is important to a great student section.

This means seeing a sea of red during redout or a tropical island party during the hawaiian theme.

Originality is what makes the student section unique and is something each person can put their own twist on. If we have a special swagger in the student section, then it will carry onto our team’s performance and show everyone why Westside is the bestside.

There are many things that the school can do to equally distribute and push for more spirit. I want my memories from high school to be some of the best in my life. That includes screaming till my voice is nothing but a desolate squeak and smiling ear to ear at the end of each roaring chant. Let’s not let time slip by. Let’s have some pride warriors. We all bleed red. #Rollside.

Jake Kroeger

Roshan Sapkota

Miya Leonard

Reilly Jorgenson

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

“Probably football”

“During football season.”

“Football season.”

“Probably football and soccer season.”

“Because a lot of people go to the football games.”

“Because I play football and I like the atmosphere.”

“Yeah I think [most people would].”

“Most people like football.”

“Because we get back to school and it’s the first season and everyone gets excited and that makes it more exciting.”

“Football games are just hype, and I love watching our team play. I’m a soccer player so I love watching us do well and go far.”

“During football season.”

“I think during football season.”

“Yeah I think most people show up to those games.”

“Football season and homecoming week.”

Interviews conducted by Sam Cohen

“Yeah, there’s a lot of love for football and soccer but I think football, basketball and soccer are the top three.”

“Football because we have the most [full] student section.”

12

Sports

Tackling inexperience

Football team starts well despite early speculation

On offense, lone returning starter Colton Sev-

into the year,” Plautz said. “I mean, I was a little

inexperience on the line has been the key cause of a very poor ability to run the ball so far this season. Although the rushing has progressively improved, it is evident work is still in store for the young line.

Also on offense, the quarterback spot was left vacant after losing two-year starter Mitchell Hagan. The team had a tough choice, between new Northwest transfer senior Cory Meyers and junior Dylan Plautz.

Meyers, boasts two years of varsity experience, having started at quarterback since his sophomore season at Northwest. However, Meyers is considered extremely athletic and is more of a dual threat quarterback, which does not exactly fit the

didn’t quite know what to expect, but I was confident in our team and coaches.”

Meyers, despite a positon change, has emerged as one of Plautz’s main targets at wide receiver.

Not only does Westside lack experience on the field, but they also have had to adapt to multiple coaching changes this past offseason. Most notably former wide receivers and defensive backs coach, Rick McKeever decided to retire from coaching after decades of doing so at Westside.

Another key departure was head offensive line coach Shawn Blevins, who accepted a teaching and coaching position at Papillion-La Vista.

These holes needed to be filled, and Westside looked in-house for people to step up.

Both spots were filled by coaches of lower levels at the high school. Brett Williams, former JV line coach and current teacher at Oakdale Elementary has assumed Blevin’s position. Brad Metzler, a teacher at the high school who had previously coached on the freshmen football staff, took the role of wide receiver’s coach at the varsity level. “[Both] of those guys have been awesome and they have embraced all the roles I have thrown at them in terms of demands,” Froendt said.

“Primarily though, they have worked their tails off.”

After a tough 38-3 blowout loss to historic rival Creighton Prep in week one, things didn’t look good for the team. But in the two weeks following the Prep defeat, Westside bounced back to beat both Millard South and Omaha South by a combined margin of 81.

After a close win against district foe Omaha Northwest last Thursday night, Westside sits at a solid (3-1), and is only one district win away from clinching a playoff spot. Despite early speculation and concerns, Westside looks to continue it’s recent winning ways tonight in the homecoming game against Omaha Central at Phelps Field.

NOLA N T RACY erance is the anchor of the offensive line. This nervous going into the first game just because I SPORTS EDITOR

In football, experience is undoubtedly one of the biggest factors in a team’s success. Typically, Westside has a good mix of both inexperienced underclassmen and veteran juniors or seniors.

This year however, that is far from the case.

Last season, Westside had one of the most experienced teams in Nebraska. Only a handful of juniors started, and only a few more than that saw decent field time. This was seen as a good situation as the team was able to make a run to the playoffs, with one of the most talented senior classes in some time. But after losing essentially the entire starting eleven on both sides of the ball, Westside had their work cut out for them this year.

“Obviously a lot of players needed to learn new positions over the offseason because we do have a lot of inexperience,” Head coach Brett Froendt said. “It was really just a matter of getting the new guys ready to play.”

Coming into the season, Westside sat sixth in class A according the Omaha World-Herald, other top ten teams including the Millard schools, Omaha North, Central and Burke. Each of these schools had at least five returning starters on both side of the ball, whereas Westside had only five in total, four of which play defense.

The lone returning defensive back, senior Bennett Hellman, spent all of last season at safety.

However, Hellman has since made the transition to a defensive line and outside backer role.

“It was a necessary move considering I was able to gain 20 pounds from lifting this offseason,” Hellman said.

With any type of position change comes a lot of work and learning, and Hellman recognizes that.

“It’s a completely different game being on the line, every play you can count on hitting somebody,” Hellman said. “I love the physicality, but I still have a lot of improvement to make.”

DYLAN PLAUTZ JUNIOR

“...I was a little nervous going into the first game just because I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I was confident in our team and coaches.”

style of offense that Westside has operated with in years past.

On the other hand, Plautz came into this year having no varsity experience, playing at the junior varsity level last season. Having been in the Westside program since he was young, Plautz is an excellent pocket passer and is familiar with the offense.

Through the first games of this season, Plautz has taken a majority of the snaps at quarterback, and he ranks among the top quarterbacks in the state in terms of passing yards according to Max Preps.

“I didn’t really have any big concerns coming

Seniors Cory Meyers and Bennett Hellman celebrate a safety against Omaha South. Photo by Olivia Washburn

SPORTS

13

GIRL GOT GAME

Freshman girl plays football on all male team

GEORGIA WIMMER STAFF WRITER

In a room full of slamming red locker doors, excited conversation and anxious footsteps, one girl with a bag of ice on her wrist and taped ankles stands apart from the rest.

Usually, shoulder pads and a football jersey aren’t a common sight in the girls’ locker room, but because of freshman football player Madison Hinderliter, they soon will be.

Previously involved in boxing, softball and basketball, Hinderliter began playing football because she wanted to try something new.

She first asked to play for a club football team in middle school called the Eagles, but the coach wouldn’t let her join because she was a girl.

“I went to one of their football practices and my mom asked if I could join the team and they told me no,” Hinderliter said. “But that made me want to do it even more. It pushed me to go further in football.”

With a new found drive to prove herself and her skills, Hinderliter entered the Westside football program, where she was now the first girl to become a part of the team in thirteen years.

Hinderliter said her first ever Westside middle school football practice was difficult because of the conditioning, but also encouraging.

“I have a few friends on the team and they told me that I should try playing and I should stick with playing football” Hinderliter said.

Fast forward to freshman year, and it is now Hinderliter’s second year of playing football for Westside. She plays on the freshman team and to

her coach, Otis Seals, she is no different to the rest of the boys on the team.

“She’s a football player, and she’s not a whole lot different than the rest of the football players,” Seals said. “They all work hard and, especially being on the defensive line, they use their hands a lot, they get bruises, they get cuts, and she’s very willing to get in there and do the dirty work just like the boys are.”

Although Hinderliter is just like on of the guys, this season there are some new additions to the team, most of who are new to the concept of having a girl on the team. Although their opinion about Hinderliter’s role on the team can be obvious, she just responds with confidence.

“Some guys that are new this year think it’s wrong for a girl to be on the team,” Hinderliter said. “They tell me that I’m not [worthy] to be on the team and I just tell them ‘are you afraid that I’ll take your spot?’”

Hinderliter’s confidence is noticed amongst the girls in the locker room that experience her pregame and postgame attitude. They are inspired by her role in playing a sport that is traditionally an all boy’s sport.

“I love how [the girls tell] me that I’m playing for them, which I am” Hinderliter said.

Ultimately, Hinderliter said she is simply playing a sport that she enjoys while sending a positive message to the people in her school, on her team, and even just in the locker room.

One tackle at a time, Hinderliter is proving to her team, and to her school that girls can do things just as hard as boys can.

RAISE YOUR SCORE

Freshman Madison Hinderliter poses on Phelps Field after practice on Friday, Sept. 16. Photo by Lilian Fogland

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14

SPORTS

TOUGH, BUFF AND POWDERPUFF

Seniors strive for success against junior class

Above: Seniors (left to right) Austin St. Amant, Seth Norton and Mason Snover watch as the final game between seniors and juniors plays out. Photo by Libby Seline Left: Junior Nick Lamb gets pumped after his team scores. Photo

by Olivia Washburn Below: Juniors Logan Eickhoff and Parker Holzworth root for their team from the sideline.

Photo by Olivia Washburn

Middle above: Griffin Trude and teammates cheer out of excitement. Photo by Biruk Tewodros Above: Senior Alex Belgrade rejoices as the seniors win powderbuff. Photo by Biruk Tewedros

SPORTS

15 CE L E N A S H E P H E R D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Senior Julia Barger runs the ball to score while junior players try to pull her flag. Photo by Lindsey Schultz

Middle left: Coach Dylan Plautz talks to the junior girls that he had coached for about a month. Photo by Biruk Tewodros Middle right: Junior Ian George participates in the halftime show, against rival senior team. Photo by Biruk Tewodros Right: Seniors Audrey McCann and Samara Hoeft cheer for their teammates on the sideline. The senior girls won powderpuff 8-0.

Photo by Abby Lang Above: Senior Mason Snover performs his solo in the 2016 halftime show. Photo by Lindsey Schultz

Wednesday, Sept.14, several junior and senior boys volleyball teams fought hard for a win, all in the name of Powderbuff. The chants of both junior and senior student sections echoed in the gym.. The senior team, called “Deer Gang,” with coaches Emily Newton, Emma Dirks and Brooke Radicia were ultimately victorious against opposing junior team, “Team Sestsy.”

During Powderpuff on Monday, Sept. 19, students and staff members packed the bleachers to watch rival junior and senior girls teams play ball. Paint smeared faces lined the football field, not a smile in sight as the game began. Senior Julia Barger scored a touchdown during the first quarter. Seniors won the game in a shut out, 8-0, against the juniors.

A twitter poll was created by Westside Wired to determine whether the seniors or juniors won the dance.

1,680 peole voted, with the Juniors winning by two percent. An NFL Colts Coverage twitter account with almost 22,000 followers quoted the tweet and said “vote juniors” and reports of fake twitter accounts being created were made. Due to the skewed results of the poll, there was a tie-breaker decision made Wednesday Sept.

21, by administration. They determined that the senior dance won, meaning there was in fact a “ senior sweep”.

However, the real winner of the annual Powderbuff and Powderpuff games is the Omaha Food Bank. Hosted by Westside DECA, both events collected canned food to donate. According to business instructor Sarah Schau, this year the amount of non-perishables received tripled compared to last year.

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A&E

HOROSCOPES Horoscopes by April Van Unen

Aries 21 mar – 19 apr You may have to make a difficult decision here soon. This decision may dictate how a relationship or event goes for you.

Think through every option in depth. Don’t make a hasty decision. Decide based on what you want, not others. Today: treat yourself to something nice.

Cancer 22 jun – 23 jul Your mood swings may be in full gear lately. You may have noticed yourself over reacting to the smallest details. It would be best to relax and not focus on the little things. Think about the big picture before reacting. Today: kick back and watch TV.

Libra 23 sept – 22 oct

Graphics by Bella Radler

Taurus 20 apr – 20 may Your friends are going to need you soon. They may count on you to get them out of a sticky situation they got themselves in to. Deciding to help them is completely your decision, but it might sway your relationship in a different direction.

Today: text somebody new.

Leo 24 jul – 23 aug Be more open minded to people’s ideas, especially on a group project. You may think that your ideas are the best, but if you listen to others you may like what you hear. This may even help you come up with ways to improve your own idea. Today: spend time practicing a hobby of yours.

Gemini 21 may – 21 jun You may be experiencing new romantic feelings soon. You should closely evaluate your new feelings before deciding on any actions. Thinking first will help keep you away from being indecisive. Today: show your affection with a thoughtful gift or message.

Virgo 24 aug – 22 sept Try to come out of your shell a bit during an upcoming weekend. If you’re invited out with friends, you should join. Your shyness may stifle future connections so it’s good to start practicing now. Today: go out with friends.

Scorpio 23 oct – 22 nov

Sagittarius 23 nov – 20 dec

You often avoid confrontation, which is usually good. Coming up soon a situation may appear which calls for you to get involved. Use your communication skills to resolve the issue peacefully. Today: share your thoughts with others.

Most people see you as a true friend. Don’t let your own personal issues with distrust cloud your vision. The people around you will be looking to you for comfort and a shoulder to lean on. Even if you feel weary about them, let them open up to you. You may learn something new. Today: ask somebody new for advice.

You are a very giving person, others like that a lot about you. Be cautious and make sure you are not giving too much to the wrong people. Trust your true friends’ opinions, they can help you identify the fake friends in your life.

Don’t let these fake friends use you for your generosity.

Today: spend time in the outdoors.

Capricorn 22 dec – 20 jan

Aquarius 21 jan – 19 feb

Pisces 20 feb – 20 mar

Someone in a higher up position has noticed how responsible you are. Your ability to be trustworthy is drawing attention and it could work out in your favor. If you talk to the right people you could be moving up either in your social circle, your class rank, or your job. Maybe even all 3. Today: think about your goals for the future.

You may be feeling restless from the summer and ready for fall. Fall will be a lot less hectic for you, so you can begin to be more progressive. Center your focus on completing something you’ve waned to do for a while. Today: make a to-do list.

You may need to utilize your compassionate nature soon. A friend or family member may come to you needing advice and understanding. Use a clear mind to hear them out without judgment. They will rely on your honest opinion. Today: clear your mind of negativity.

CRA ZE out february 16 check it out on westside wired!

right across the street from Westside High School!

A&E

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Movie Reviews Story by April Van Unen

Hush The Netflix original movie “Hush” takes the cake for best Netflix made horror film in my book. Directed by Mike Flanagan, this is a horror masterpiece. If you’re a diehard horror fan, this movie is great because of its plausibility. Although the main character, Sarah, is a mute and deaf woman who lives alone in the woods, her backstory provides the details needed to understand her reasons for moving out there. She also keeps in contact with family and has people who check up on her daily, making the situation not as far fetched as you may think.

The plot is driven by fact that it is quiet, which means it doesn’t rely on jump scares or intense music for the horror.

The horror of the film relies solely on the plot. The horror kicks off when Sarah’s friend and closest neighbor runs to

Sarah’s house for her aid because a serial killer is following her, but because of Sarah’s disability she can’t hear her friend knocking at the front door or screaming. This movie doesn’t use tacky horror film tricks, like jump scares, as a crutch.

The movie also doesn’t use a “dumb” main character ploy, the kind that makes people angry and shout at the screen.

Sarah is very smart and uses her wit throughout the movie to avoid her attacker, who wear a white mask over his face. It’s tastefully suspenseful as she tries to make weapons out of household objects that she uses to retaliate against the man in the mask.

Flanagan’s “Hush” is very reserved and brilliantly done.

Although it’s only 82 minutes and a mostly silent film, Flanagan uses tricks to keep the audience engaged. He prioritizes suspense to keep the audience guessing about the end. The movie doesn’t exclude gore, using just enough to keep it realistic and still to appeal gore-fanatic. He even leaves a few tricks for the final scenes to increase the intensity and leave viewers thinking.

To Kill a mockingbird Classic speaks to today’s events as play REES E P I K E STAFF WRITER

Every year, students around the country, including those here at Westside, read To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee’s book has made a lasting impact on many lives. It has been translated into more than forty languages and adapted into a movie and a play. The play is currently showing at the Omaha Community Playhouse until Sept 18. I saw the play on Sept 3. It was a Saturday night and the theater was full. To Kill a Mockingbird has been very successful at the Playhouse. The rest of the performances are sold out. I asked the director of the show, Ablan Roblin, why To Kill a Mockingbird has endured for such a long time and become a classic.

“It’s a great introduction to our history. Having Scout as a protagonist is great for kids. Without Scout, it’s not as strong a story. [To Kill a Mockingbird] Is really a coming of age story. It’s not for any one age,” Roblin said. “Scout has to figure out a nasty environment and a really ugly truth. You understand the coming of age story, and there is a pull back and a link to understanding from a kid to adult.”

If you haven’t read the book, To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of a trial set in a fictional town in Alabama in the 1930s. A black man, Tom Robinson, is falsely accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. It is narrated by Scout Finch, who is seven at the time of the trial.

The play condenses the novel into a thought-provoking evening of theatre.

The cast was outstanding. There were many

moments when the actors paused and there was complete silence in the theater. However, there were times that the energy of the show fell flat right at the moment it should have peaked.

The play also frequently uses the n-word. It feels jarring, but necessary.

“We didn’t want to sanitize the language.

Sanitizing the language makes more comfortable a situation that should be very uncomfortable,” said Roblin. The decision to leave the language and have the actors really use the word with intent portrays the true ugliness of the time. It also made me reflect on the fact that that ugliness has not gone away.

To Kill a Mockingbird was staged in the Howard Drew Theater at the Playhouse, not on the Mainstage. The smaller theater allowed for an intimacy you can’t get with bigger shows. It also set the actors right in the middle of the audience.

It felt as if I were there with them.

“We pulled sounds and feelings from being in the South. You have to create an illusion.

When the lights go down, you’re submerged in a book,” Roblin said. The set definitely worked for me. It gave the show a sense that the town is a “tired old town” and has been around for a long time. The sound design worked too. The addition of recordings of cicadas and grasshoppers felt so natural, I didn’t realize they were piping the sound in until halfway through the opening scene. A lightning and thunder sequence was startling and unexpected. The sounds added to the show for the most part and weren’t distracting.

Overall, To Kill a Mockingbird was a very good show. I would be happy to see it again.

Above: Thomas Becker, speaks to the court as Atticus Finch during the play To Kill A Mockingbird. Left: Chloe Irwin and Thomas Becker interact with each other on stage as Atticus and Scout Finch. Photos courtesy Robertson Photography

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Little Women

Exceptional actors perform well in school play D EST I NY H OWA R D huge role in the story. Watching a family overSTAFF WRITER

Westside High School’s production of “Little Women” brought lots of laughter, joy and a full house. This play tells the lighthearted story of the wife and four daughters of a man away.

It beautifully put together and did the classic story by author Louisa May Alcott. There was a mixture of funny, serious and romantic scenes that would keep any audience member engaged and entertained.

“Our goal in doing this has been to make people feel good and give them a sense of humanity,” cast member Grace Johannigsmeier said.

Looking back humanity definitely played a

come their conflicts both internal and external was something that made it easy to connect with the characters. This triggered numerous emotional reactions that came and went with each passing scene.

Although the beginning was a bit slow due to a significant amount talking that took place, this was necessary to develop the story line.

The first act does a great job of setting the atmosphere for the rest of the play and overall makes the story easy to follow.

The on-stage chemistry between the cast was quickly detected as the lines flowed smoothly and naturally.

The cast also did a great job of character development. With every passing scene gained was a better understanding of each personality. The cast’s portrayal was so exceptional that it felt as if the characters were specifically made for the person playing the role. The best thing about the

GRACE Johanningsmeier

Junior

play was that there was lots of humor incorporated. Lines that were meant to be funny earned lots of laughter. The humorous scenes of the play were delivered well and made for a more enjoyable experience.

From the the first line of the play all the way down to the last, every aspect of this play came together to create a great show. The production of “Little Women” is certainly one to remember.

Sophmore Kjersti Swanson peforms alone on stage in Little Women. Photo

by Chloe Fowler

“Our goal in doing this has been to make people feel good and give them a sense of humanity.”

Freshman Hannah Kate and sophmore Kjersti Swanson sit on a couch on the set. Photo by Chloe Fowler

Senior Audrey McMullen comforts her castmate in a scene from the play. Photo

by Chloe Fowler

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Sausage Party: The Return

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Released movie does not surprise after early script leak E MMA KO R E N G E L spent.

COPY EDITOR

I’m not sure why I did this. I really, really have no idea what I was expecting to magically improve since I read Sausage Party’s leaked script.

However, I held on to that semi-misguided hope.

Enough to decide to watch the real, finished product.

Well, it certainly was a thing. Where do I begin?

Firstly, there are indeed differences between the 2012/13 script and the 2016 film. This isn’t really surprising in the world of filmmaking. People edit things in post, changes get made along the way. It’s normal. However, I didn’t expect some of them to be so drastic. With what we were shown in the trailers, it seemed as though very little was cut from the script. But hey, we’re all wrong sometimes. One of the most noticeable edits is the alteration of the main villain as a whole. The feminine hygiene object, in the script, was written like a conniving Bond villain, complete with minions and melodramatic dialogue. In the finished project, he’s nearly unrecognizable, making a complete 360 to a rude, jocky type with little respect for others. (Thus making him share his personality with his name) He also, at one point in the original script, had rat minions to help him. These rats are long gone in the finished movie. This is a brilliant improvement as this means the graphic scenes with the rats were removed, a favor to humanity, as I read things involving rats no girl should ever have to read.

Another noticeable change is the streamlining of the plot by cutting scenes and characters. The biggest example of this is El Guaco, who in the script, was a secondary villain who made puns and ran a dictatorship over the Mexican aisle. In the film, his role completely disappeared, making the feminine hygiene product the main villain (other than the humans). This actually greatly improves the flow of the plot, whereas before the scenes within the Mexican aisle felt more like a detour from the plot. He does still show up, however, in the cantina scene, to be kicked in the nether-regions and loudly exclaim his only line “Right in my guacin’ ****!” Truly, dialogue well

But how could I forget the biggest alteration?

The biggest, most obvious, terrible alteration I pray every night to forget. The… “party” scene, which I can’t legally describe here, has been relocated to the aftermath of the climax battle as opposed to before. No longer is it just the 5 original cast members, it’s the entire store. In loud, horrifying, big-screen, HD, Dolby-Surround-Sound glory. It’s only there for about 2 minutes but that’s still too long. In interviews, Seth Rogen admitted to it originally being 8 minutes. The movie is roughly 90 minutes, which means about 1/11 of the movie would have been devoted to this singular scene.

I am eternally grateful this didn’t come to pass.

I can never erase the things I’ve seen from my mind.

Aside from that, it’s still pretty much the same script. Lavash doesn’t die. A couple of lines are cut or changed, but when you cut down to the bones, it’s pretty much the same movie.

Speaking of the movie, how does it fare by itself? Well, there are two saving graces that make it all semi-bearable. The animation, and the music. The music is done by Disney legend Alan Menken, composer of basically every song in The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and more. You read that right. The movie opens up with his token big, sweeping, Disney-esque opening musical number, (think “Little Town”) complete with Nazi sauerkraut and Seth Rogen making a half-hearted attempt to sing. (This was also in the original script but with much duller lyrics and obviously not animated) It’s surprisingly catchy and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t at least hum it once since seeing the film.

The animation is TERRIFIC for the movie’s twenty two million dollar budget, a pittance in the world of animated movies. Everything is well-shaded, fluid, and has great cartoony motions. (Although Brenda, who is the bun played

by Kristen Wiig, tends to look a little dead-eyed when she’s not the focus of a shot.) There are jokes throughout the film that would have fallen flat without the help of the gestures made by a great animation crew. This level of quality was accomplished, in part, because those at the stu-

T h e 2016

2017

dio animating the film were basically blackmailed into working overtime for less than they were due, under stressful conditions. (Several animators came out about the project in response to an interview with the head of it’s animation on the website Cartoon Brew) Said conditions caused an upwards of 30 people working on the project to leave and have their names removed from the credits regardless of how much they did for the film. So yeah. That blows.

In the end, is Sausage Party good? Debatable. It’s not my type of humor, and I obviously found it terribly gross and crass. It also felt a little eerily close to middle-school grade comedy with it’s swear-placement and if you told me a 12 year old who just learned language stronger than “frick” wrote the screenplay I would believe you wholeheartedly. However, if gross and crass is your thing, then this’ll float your boat just fine.

The visuals are fun, the voicework ranges from acceptable (Seth Rogen cough cough) to great, and even I got a few laughs now and then. It’s a fine, if somewhat immature, timekiller and it’s unfortunate with how much it made that those involved didn’t always receive credit. Although that’s another rant for another time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to go cry in a dark closet for two hours in hopes of wiping away the horrors of what I’ve seen.

S h i e l d Buy the yearbook today

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HOCO PROPOSALS THEO JA N S E N STAFF WRITER

Homecoming is one of the most enjoyable times of the year for many high schoolers.

Asking people to the dance has become a major affair, with people trying to outdo friends and

impress dates. Here are some of the most creative ways people at Westside High School posed the big question. These are responses from a school wide survey and they have been edited to fit the newspaper format.

Evan Dondlinger, 10

Olivia Robino, 12

“[Max Goldberg asked me with] a toast with sparkling apple juice,” Robino said.

Kayla Jackson, 11

“I wrote a poster [to Anthony Watts from Thomas Jefferson High School] that said ‘I would wrestle my way home to you.

Homecoming?’” Jackson said.

Marie Powers, 10

“I asked Emily Bauer with a sign that said, ‘I was you hoping you’d fall for this and go out with me so I don’t look like a little boy at homecoming,’” Dondlinger said.

Tyler Banark, 11

“I took [Sarai Johnson] over to Village Grinder and had her get something,” Banark said. “Before this, I gave the cashier a bear. When we were paying, the cashier pulls out a bear and says ‘That purchase comes with a free bear’ On the bear the tag said ‘I couldn’t bear to go to HOCO without you.”

Peter Rasmussen, 10

“[Henry Johnson] had my manager call me and get me to come to work,” Powers said.

“When I got there, he was holding a huge poster.”

“I wrote to [Teagan Sevening from Bennington] who plays softball on a softball ‘let me throw you a pitch, HOCO yes or no,’” Rasmussen said.

Hannah-Kate Kinney, 9

Jonathan Snover, 9

“[Seth Forsberg] gave me a poster when we were hanging out at another friend’s house” Kinney said. “The poster said ‘I know your (keep note he used the wrong you’re! But I still said yes anyways) amazing at show choir, so will you show me some moves at HC?’”

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“I made a sign that said ‘Out of all the (I put a bag of Swedish fish here) in the sea,’ and then said ‘will you go to homecoming with me [to Abi Krueger, a sophomore at Ralston High School],’” Snover said.