Issue 9

THE 8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 Volume 61 Issue 9

May 19, 2017

ANCE

* Sports Check out the sports competing at state on page 8-9.

building blocks

Westside Middle School affected by renovations

JULIA STEINER, MALIA BATTAFARANO a more flexible space, they sought to make the tha Manhart. “We just set it aside. Teachers Middle school stuDESIGNER-IN-CHIEF, MANAGING EDITOR

Innovation has recently been a crucial part of Westside’s identity. With the latest technology, modular scheduling and personalized learning, Westside is always looking toward the future.

The new middle school renovations are just as cutting edge. Bright colors, natural light, large common areas and garage doors are all new components of the Westside classrooms. These new aspects give the building the appearance of exactly what it is: a school geared towards progress.

The renovation project began in 2015, when taxpayers of the District 66 community voted to create a bond for the district to renovate its schools.

According to Westside Middle School Principal Russ Olsen, the bond was between $78 and 79 million. This money was split between the schools in need of renovation, with about $11 million going toward renovating Westside Middle School.

“We are very fortunate and very lucky that the district residents are so supportive of education that they allowed us to do [the renovations],” Olsen said.

Since the bond was created, a team has been working to decide exactly what renovations needed to be done for the middle school. They called upon a group of teachers, administrators, parents and students to give their ideas. All parties collaborated with architects to develop the ideal plan for the middle school. Combining the teaching needs of the adults as well as the kids’ desire for

Saunders Cohen

whole environment more conducive to learning. “[The building] didn’t quite meet the needs of what we wanted to get accomplished,” Olsen said.

When the building was constructed in the 1960s, it was designed to be departmentalized, meaning all subjects were grouped together. The school’s population has also grown significantly. It wasn’t built for its current population of nearly 1,000 students.

“We drastically needed more space because we’re scrunched into this building,” said seventh grade science teacher Lisa Martin.

The middle school is going through some big changes, including the relocation of several areas such as the library. The most significant modification is the physical regrouping of eight “teams.”

For years, students have been sorted into different blocks where all of the core subject teachers are the same. In the past, classrooms were organized by subject. Now, the teams are together, each with their own section of the school represented by their team color and mascot. This new arrangement will allow them to become cohesive units.

This construction is still underway, and not all of the teams have relocated yet. The target end date is June 2018, although the project is ahead of schedule.

The work can be noisy, but the construction company tries to do their loudest work outside of school hours.

“Well, there’s a lot of noise, but that doesn’t really bother us,” said seventh grader Saman-

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

close their doors. It’s not that big of a deal.”

The results of the construction have drawn more attention than the noise.

“I like the color scheme and how they have the team names on the walls,” said eighth grader Nevaeh Dahr.

Teachers have also noticed this change in student outlook.

“I feel like people in general are more enlightened,” Martin said. “They feel like they’re in a better environment, which I think leads to more positivity and people doing better in general.”

The new layout was also designed to improve traffic flow. Students’ classes and lockers are closer together, increasing convenience. It has also strengthened relationships within teams (with both students and teachers) and allowed them to create their own little communities.

“We are definitely closer as a group of four core teachers, personally, than we were when we were at different parts of the building,” said eighth grade Language Arts teacher John Horton. “I now spend my time in the hallways speaking to team teachers, not the other eighth grade Language Arts teachers, and that’s building a tighter community here amongst the teachers on the team.”

Horton said that the proximity also makes it easier for teachers to work together and sort out problems students are having in the team. He also thinks that the community feel has had a positive impact on student learning.

dent walks through the hallways during renovations. Photo

by Julia Steiner

Story continued on page 2

2

NEWS

cont.: system change impacts students

“It has to do with the way middle school theory says that adolescents learn best,” Horton said. “Part of that is [being] on a team where they’re known individually. It’s easier to get to know kids individually when you’re working with people who have the same kids.”

The teams cause students to spend a lot of time with the same people. While some students say it ensures stronger student-to-student relationships, others believe the division from other teams is negative.

“I think [the separation] is a bad thing because we don’t get to see a lot of the kids we used to be able to,” said eighth grader Barrett Mooney.

Other students, however, disagreed and said that knowing their classmates better has allowed them to feel more comfortable helping each other out with schoolwork and collaborating.

“Community is important to share ideas, to work together towards a common goal,” eighth grader Abby Carlson said.

Student-to-student relationships are improving as well as student-to-teacher.

“It’s more like a family thing since we’re all closer,” said seventh grade math teacher Abigail Burk. “I think [middle schoolers] need to feel like they belong somewhere, so the [team] is like a home base.”

This middle school concept has been developed and implemented in countless schools across the country.

“There’s no secret,” Olsen said. “When people are more comfortable in their surroundings they are going to be more productive.”

Over the last year, three other schools from three different districts have come to observe the work that Westside Middle School is doing and get ideas. To Olsen, this is the greatest compliment the school could receive.

“To be able to win the respect of your peers in other school districts and have them come learn from you says a heck of a lot about what we’re doing,” Olsen said.

Left, WMS students walk the newly renovated halls.

Right, Eighth grade Language Arts teacher John Horton supervises his class.

Photos by Julia Steiner

command refresh

District to save money by renewing computer lease deal N I CH O LAS V I N C E N T I N I Boyce said. “I guess this is good if you have NEWS EDITOR

The 2017-2018 school year will be kicked off with new computers for students and staff throughout the district. The refresh is coming early to help save the district money.

“By getting the computers early we’re saving about $300,000,” said Westside High School and West Campus IT Manager Michael Sanchez.

We s t s i d e has been trying to slim down the budget because of its current financial situation. This refresh is one of those ways to save money. The reset was originally scheduled for the 2018-2019 school year.

Students are having mixed reactions to the news about the computer upgrade. Sophomore Catherine Boyce said she doesn’t see the point in getting the same computers again.

“My computer’s battery is trash, and I know a lot of other people have battery issues too,”

computer problems, but if your computer is good you’re just getting the same model again.”

Art teacher Erin Lunsford is concerned that her new computer will have less storage than the one she has now.

“For me as an art teacher, I’m not really looking forward to having less hard drive space than what I have now,” Lunsford said.

Lunsford also said she questions the necessity of the One-to-One technology initiative being implemented with elementary school students because of the d i s t r i c t ’s current financial problems.

“I don’t know how necessary it is for elementary kids to have iPads,” Lunsford said. “My kids go to Elkhorn and they don’t have iPads but an increase in students, so I don’t think the One-to-One is as attractive to parents as some people think it is.”

Although students and staff may re-

ERIN LUNSFORD

ART TEACHER

“...I’m not really looking forward to having less hard drive space than what I do now.”

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

main wary of this refresh, they seem to both agree that it’s worth it so save money.

“I guess if it saves money, it’s worth it,” Boyce said.

The district will sell the current computers to help raise more money. Student laptops will sell for $360 and will go for sale to the public starting in June.

Graphic by Theo Jansen

EDITORIAL

3

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, Cindy France, Destinry Howard, Theo Jansen, Sophie Knight, Tristan Newman, Aaron Norton, Nicole Petersen, Reese Pike, Julia Steiner, Nick Vincentini, Georgia Wimmer; Photographers Taylor Baca, Lili Fogland; Advisers Timothy Kaldahl, Jerred Zegelis.

TEAM

S

HIG

H

OL O H SC Graphic by Malia Battafarano

Editorial

Middle School philosophy wouldn’t work at WHS Westside Middle School is revolutionizing learning by changing their building.

If one were to walk into WMS, they would find it much changed from the year before. What hasn’t changed is the team system set up. The team system is when students are placed together into 125 students that share their common core classes with the same teachers. These teams provide a closer community between the students and their teachers. The new setup in the middle school allows teams to be even closer because they are in their own sections in the building. It’s beneficial to the students, teachers and administration.

However, this set-up would never work at the high school.

Westside High School is well-known for it’s modular scheduling and the freedom students are given through it. Sectioning off students would probably never be compatible with the modular scheduling because of the complexities of it. It takes a lot of mixing and matching to fit all the classes a student wants to take into their schedule. If we were to integrate the team system, scheduling would be all the harder.

The size of the high school is to be considered as well. The team system is set up to break students up by grade and break the grade up into smaller sizes. In our high school, which has 2000+ students, there would be so many different divisions and smaller sections.

Our building wasn’t designed to host different teams either. Our classes are mainly centered around their IMCs, for example math classes being near the math IMC for teacher and student convenience. We would never be able

to set up the team system to coordinate with the building size and the its layout.

One thing missing from the team system is the sense of kinship between the grades. At WHS some classes have students from many grade levels, such as journalism and the arts. The importance of the sense of togetherness between the grades creates its own type of community. One where new students bring in new ideas while the older ones are role models. We would lose great experiences, memories and lessons with the upperclassmen if the team system was to be implemented in our school.

At the core of, that middle school is not high school. The goals and missions are different. “The mission of Westside Middle School, as an exemplary model of early adolescent education, is to provide a quality, success-oriented program for our students through a caring school/family/ community partnership,” as stated on their website. This directly reflects the team system. They are building the students up and teaching them a sense of community and how you can learn with others.

High school, on the other hand, is about exploring your own path in life and how your role fits into society. At high school we students have to learn independence and responsibility. “Westside’s Mission is to ensure that all students reach for their potential, compete successfully in a changing world, and demonstrate respect for themselves, others, and their environment,” as stated on their website.

High school is here to build independence and to learn through role models and the team system wouldn’t allow that.

Warrior Voice

Do you think the team format from the middle school would work at WHS?

Jayden Delts, Freshman

“It wouldn’t work because that’s too many people in a class, it could start problems.”

Saunders Cohen

Tony Testolin, Sophomore

“No I think that’d be awful. I enjoy moving around, it’s a lot better that way.”

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

julia romero, Junior

“I feel like there’s too many people, you shouldn’t split kids up because it’d be difficult for some to make friends”

Jaylen Knight, Junior

I don’t think it would benefit the high school because middle school is a changing time to learn the modular scheduling.”

4

OPINION

Student council voting format made voters elect their friends, not the hardest workers A few weeks ago, you probably received an email regarding our student council representatives for next year. They asked you to vote for ten current student council members to best represent our class for next year. They gave no ALEX GOLDSTEIN context as to what STAFF WRITER each representative has accomplished this year on student council, turning it into a popularity contest. Because of this, students were forced to vote for who they knew rather than students who would best represent their class. The voting system could easily be a much better and accurate vote, but students who really work hard in student council might not even be on it because they aren’t as well liked or known as other people. Students voted on might not be as determined to work for our school than people who worked hard this whole year and weren’t voted on to student council.

This is very unfair to the people who worked hard for our school on student council and the students who slacked off are likely to do the same next year.

Student council is an important part of our school and this format of a voting system isn’t a very smart idea because it naturally forces students to vote for who they know, not who is the best candidate. In the future, there could be consequences of this such as misrepresentation of student ideas and interest, lazily planned school events and poor fundraising events.

Alex Vandenberg, a student who was cut short from this year’s student council because of the vote, feels like it could have been a much better voting process, “Overall it was very messy,” Vandenberg said. She said she felt that there could have been better options to make it a better experience for all the candidates involved, “If they let all the candidates campaign for themselves, I feel like it would have been more fair and rewarding for the students who made it,” Vandenberg said.

Possible solutions for the flawed voting system could include interviews with each of the students showing their goals for the next year they’d be on the council, then showing these interviews to the voters, making it so the students should make a more precise decision for their representatives. Also, we make it so teachers vote or recommend people onto the board so they could pick out more hardworking students that are more deserving to be on the council.

The exact same voting system was used last year and this problem could keep repeating if we continue to use this voting system in the future. It’s not fair if some members who worked harder than others don’t get on because they weren’t popular enough to be voted by the student body. If the voting system was changed we could be confident that every person in our student council is willing to work for our school, but with the current vote we can’t be sure that everybody is dedicated to working for Westside’s student council.

We deserve a better voting system for people who deserve to get onto student council.

Saunders Cohen

??

Graphic by Jim Schueneman Graphic by Julia Steiner

Fire Fight

The impact of government officials being fired On Tuesday, May 9, Director of the FBI James Comey was fired.

This comes as the third of some major dismissals within the White House Administration. The first, Sally Yates, was dismissed a few days after Trump’s inauguration, allegedly for failing to support the travel ban on seven middle-eastern countries. About a month later, Preet Bahara was also disEMMA KORENGEL missed, this time for failure to resign his contract to stay in his STAFF WRITER current position. Now, James Comey is also gone, most people believing from not dismissing the rumors of the Administration having ties with Russia.

But why is this happening? What could it mean?

What does it say about the Administration in firing these specific people?

It’s hard to avoid the elephant in the room when talking about these firings, in part because all three of these workers were tied in some way to the FBI investigation of Trump and his close advisors after prompts of supposed “Russian ties.”

However, I cannot make this clear enough: Currently, we do not have sufficient evidence to confirm any ties within the administration to Russia or any Russian officials. At the time of writing this, the investigation has not received the extra funding Comey requested to push it further, which means the case could be closed soon if nothing of further interest is found.

Just because these three were involved doesn’t mean we can go jumping to conclusions without any evidence to back it up.

One possible explanation is the sheer scale of the investigation itself. Because this is obviously a serious FBI operation, many people from many branches are involved in coordinating and funding the search. As

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

such, it wouldn’t be surprising if these people were only involved in the outskirt jobs of the operation and weren’t key players as some assume. Unfortunately, it’s hard to dismiss the fact that Comey was obviously the head of the FBI. But, as stated, it very well could be because Comey did not close the investigation as he was prompted to do.

Another option is that there is behind-the-scenes conflicts of interest within the administration like funding that could point to why these people are being fired. We were not issued any briefing on the specifics of why Comey was fired currently, so it’s likely that we will not be given any underlying conclusion of what happened between him and Trump to spur such a drastic move. We do know there’s clearly some tension between the two, with Trump having called the latter a “showboat”. So, it’s a possibility similar arguments caused the expulsion of Yates and Bahara.

Again, this is all speculation. We can’t, and don’t, know the fine inner workings of Comey and Trump’s relationship. But one can assume with Trump’s generally cold attitude to him that something happened to prompt a switch between his post-election admiration of Comey and today’s shaky relationship.

Lastly, there’s a hearing set in place for the current (replacement) head of the FBI, and Comey is set to come forward with more details on the case thanks to court-issued subpoenas (release orders) for case details. Without this hearing, we don’t know all sides of the story. Are there ties with Russia? Who was responsible for Comey’s removal?

What will Comey release thanks to court prompts? Nobody’s talking, everything’s under wraps, and people are getting axed off faster the further this goes on. This isn’t good for any president, but with already split approval ratings, the last thing anybody needs is an increasingly-tangled web of misleading mysteries. So, let’s sit by and wait as we look for any enlightening information on this case, and pray nobody important gets hauled off in the meantime.

“It’s hard to avoid

the elephant in the room when talking about these firings, in part because all three of these workers were tied in some way to the FBI investigation of Trump...”

OPINION

5

SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS

PRO:

TR ISTAN N E W M A N tem to take place. I am not a stranger to a challengSTAFF WRITER

Summer is within sight and the final days of the school year are now commencing. While the stress of final exams is approaching rather quickly, another stress factor for many students, as well as myself, is catching us by surprise. I am talking of course, a b o u t summer assignments.

For some students, a summer assignment may seem like the perfect buzzkill for your summer. But the fact of the matter is we need them just about as much as we loathe them.

I have just recently collected my third summer assignment since starting high school at Westside.

Speaking from experience, summer assignments are usually reserved for classes that are going to be the absolute bane of one’s life. There’s a reason for this though. It separates students to show the teacher who can handle the class. This is why teachers will drop you from the class if you do not complete it. It only makes sense to allow this sys-

ing class. Oftentimes, I see someone who can no longer take the pressure of the class and by the end of the year, they’re burnt out. This system works for the betterment of the student’s next school year.

One of the most infamous summer assignments at Westside is AP US History. This class also contains a summer assignment for a very specific reason: intensity.

Some say the class m o v e s quickly and requires a strong work ethic while others say it was easy and just another social studies class. The overall purpose of the assignment which jumps students right into content while also letting others know what they’re in for is a good thing. When students sign up for a difficult class and come in unprepared for it, they are set up to fail. Summer assignments are the first line of defense for a student oblivious to what an AP or honors class requires.

Where do I start then? My opinion is, unless you are very bright, you should not ex-

TRISTAN NEWMAN STAFF WRITER

“Summer assignments are the first line of defense for a student oblivious to what an AP or honors class requires.”

pect to take four Advanced Placement classes for the first time with a packed schedule of 45 mods or more and believe you will have a phenomenal GPA. Start with one or two AP classes to gauge yourself for the next year and figure out where you stand because one very bad semester, can seriously affect cumulative GPA. I dislike summer assignments as much as the next person and would much rather save any work for August. I know that without them though, difficult classes hit many like a brick wall. But I will be doing my summer assignment because I am ready for next year and you should be too. Even if you feel uneasy about a summer assignment you might have just received or will receive shortly, do whatever is going to allow you to succeed. Whether that means you need to clear out your afternoons or rethink what classes you will be taking is up to you.

Graphic by Reese Pike and Theo Jansen

vious school year that will show a student’s ability more accurately than a summer assignment.

In order to register for an honors course, you have to earn a certain grade on your previous course and be recommended to take it. From this, teachers should already be able to see that those students have the ability to take the course.

Being recommended should be proof enough that students are qualified to take the course.

If teachers wanted to get a sense on the ability levels of incoming students, talking to previous teachers and looking at previous samples of students’ work is the most effective way to do so. Having students read and write additional essays and do other projects will take lots of time on both the student’s side and the teacher’s side. When there is so much examples of a student’s work from the previous year, giving students yet another assignment is completely useless, and is just busywork, if that.

Frankly, summer assignments are just a waste of time for both students and teachers. It would benefit both parties summer assignments were completely eliminated.

Graphic by Sam Cohen

CON:

CYN T HI A F RA N C E said. “They just rush it, [especially] if they do it at STAFF WRITER

Summer is a time for students to take a break, relax and have some fun. Unless you’re taking an honors class next fall, that is. If you’re one of those people, I’m sorry. I, too, do not want to suffer through the agony of reading countless books and wasting my free time writing numerous essays for a class that I’m not even taking yet.

Everyone deserves a break, so why, during our summer break, do we get assigned even more school-related things to do? It’s completely impractical.

Summer assignments and students mix together about as well as oil and water.

For one, students don’t focus on doing the assignment as much. Since it’s summer, they tend to spend their time doing other things and aim to complete the assignment in the shortest amount of time possible. This doesn’t exactly result in the best quality results, nor in work that accurately reflects a student’s ability. In that sense, assigning work over the summer does absolutely no good and just wastes students’ free time.

FreshmanAlexis Rowland firmly believes in this.

“I feel like people just want to get it over with [so they can] have fun or go to the pool,” Rowland

the end because they have school the next day.”

Like Rowland said, many students choose to save the assignment for later and subsequently forget about it all together. Then, they’ll either be forced to stay up late on the last couple days of break trying to finish it all, or turn the assignment in late. In this way, summer assignments encourage procrastination and contribute to decreases in student productivity. Students tend to have a bad attitude towards summer assignments. Since summer break is a break from school, students think that they are supposed to be spent doing non school-rel a t e d things.

“I think summer is supposed to be a break from school,” Rowland said.

“If you’re a procrastinator like I am, having to worry about a summer assignment while you’re on break is not okay because you shouldn’t be doing school while you’re out of school.”

Some people may say that summer assignments allow teachers to gauge a student’s comprehension and ability level and as well as to prove that you can, in fact, produce a work that makes sense. However, this doesn’t make any sense at all. There are plenty of work samples that teachers can look at from the many that were made the pre-

CINDY FRANCE

STAFF WRITER

“...summer assignments encourage procrastination and contribute to decreases in student productivity.”

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

6

graduating and growing

FEATURE

Seniors in Assisted Learning to move into transition program GEO RG I A W I M M E R needs. They’ll do different activities like make MANAGING EDITOR

Every year caps are thrown, smiles are shared and tears are shed at graduation. Excitement and nervousness ramp up as seniors say goodbye to the past four years and look towards their future.

After high school, seniors must part ways to go to college, join the workforce or, for the students in Assisted Learning, continue on their path with Westside’s Yo u n g A d u l t Transition program.

“After [the students in Assisted Learning have] been here for four years, typically they will participate in graduation with their same-aged peers and will cross the stage, but instead of getting a diploma they will get what’s called a certificate of transition and they will go out to our transition program, which is based out of an apartment that we rent in the community,” head of Assisted Learning Kari Wilson said.

After high school, the students in this program will go out to the apartment during the day and work on different academic, prevocational and daily living skills based on their individual

a list to go to the grocery store with and then fix a lunch for themselves. Although Westside’s transition program is unique in that it rents its own apartment, much of the student’s learning and growth happens outside of the rented space.

“Aside from the apartment, [the transition students] also have a wide variety of vocational and recreational job sites that they go to,” Wilson said. “For example, they go and they help clean the dog kennels [at Bark Av e n u e ] and then they get an opportunity to kind of play with some of the puppies and stuff like that.”

The students also work at Marshalls folding clothes or go to libraries and churches to do a variety of organizing and cleaning tasks. In addition to these vocational activities, a partnership with Children’s Hospital, called Project Search, allows transition students to intern based on their interests or abilities. Wilson believes it’s a good way to give the kids a taste of being an adult and it prepares them for the next step in their life.

“I think it’s huge for those kids because when

KARI WILSON

HEAD OF ASSISTED LEARNING

“... it’s amazing to see not just academic growth but their maturity and their self confidence as well.”

they are finished with that program that’s going to be their real world and life experiences, and as much preparation as we can give them for that as possible is important,” Wilson said.

Every year, Wilson said that she hopes the graduating seniors will continue to grow like they did at the high school.

“I get to hang out with [the students] for four years and it’s amazing to see not just academic growth but their maturity and their self confidence as well,” Wilson said. “I’m excited for them to get out and see what the future has to offer for them, try different things, find what interests them and what makes them happy, and they can go out and live a long productive life.”

An Assisted Learning participant exits a shopping exercise at HyVee. Photo courtesy of Kari Wilson.

ENGINEERING A NEW FUture

Freshman finds confidence through activities M A RYA M A K RA M OVA has excelled in the activities he has been OPINION EDITOR

Freshman Lukas DeGraw plays the violin. Photo by Maryam Akramova

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

Freshman Lukas DeGraw is a modern day Renaissance man. He participates in science club, club CAPS, which is a program that funds students to build and design projects, runs in cross country and plays violin. DeGraw wouldn’t be where he is today without overcoming restrictions and learning important lessons from them.

DeGraw wasn’t able to participate in as many activities because he said he had an environment that placed restriction on his activities, but the environment has changed since then and has allowed him to flourish.

DeGraw’s limitation on activities he enjoyed ended up having unforeseen consequences.

“I think the restrictions made me into a hardcore introvert,” DeGraw said. “I kinda lost a group of friends because of it.”

DeGraw has been adjusting to less boundaries and being able to participate in what he wanted.

“I haven’t completely overcome [the result of the restrictions] yet. I recently have been getting to a point where I can socialize more and balance school and activities,” DeGraw said.

DeGraw, with newfound confidence, has learned to move on. He has found solace in running and focusing on cross country, he said.

“I have a lot more self esteem and I feel like I can achieve more than I could previously,” DeGraw said.

Fortunately, DeGraw has not only overcome the restrictions placed on him but

in. He placed fourth in the state with freshman Mazin Mohammad for astronomy at the Science Olympiad hosted at Lincoln.

DeGraw also hopes to get into Youth Symphony, which is the top orchestra for Omaha Area Youth Orchestra (OAYO), for violin.

He previously was in Youth Philharmonic, which is the second highest orchestra. Being in this OAYO has helped DeGraw in the school orchestra, where he is in the first violin section where he is fourth chair, meaning he is the fourth best violinist in orchestra.

So, DeGraw, as a freshman, is very goal oriented because he has been able to juggle between activities and schoolwork, and he knows what he wants to do in life. He has a method to help break down his projects.

“The way I stay to goals is usually just start off with small ones first and have really big goals written down in a place to remind myself of them often,” DeGraw said.

He also participates in the club CAPS, building interesting things such as a metal furnace. He also has gotten into engineering and 3-D printing.

DeGraw has decided to focus on engineering as his future career and the activities he participates have helped him figure out what he wants to do.

“My pursuits are straight on engineering, as a future career […] CAPS and science club have really helped on that [learning more about engineering],” DeGraw said.

DeGraw is looking forward to the future and pursuing his passions.

“I am able to live happier,” DeGraw said.

SPORTS

7

TOOK A BREAK

Junior deals with season-stalling foot injury RYAN A D K I N S broke his toe again. His second break kept SPORTS COORDINATOR

Over the course of last summer, the football team met up for offseason workouts several times a week. The extra practice time was supposed to help players prepare for the upcoming season, and it did for the most part.

However, during a receiving drill in July, junior Marty Lenhart suffered a season-ending injury.

When Lenhart went up to catch the ball during a drill, he came down on his foot wrong. Lenhart’s toe broke, and he was put in a boot for three months.

“It was a slow recovery,” Lenhart said. “It was something that was hard to get through.”

The broken toe caused Lenhart to miss his junior season of football. He spent plenty of time on the practice field and sideline cheering his teammates on last year.

When Lenhart recovered from his injury, he began playing basketball with his friends.

At one of his YMCA team practices, Lenhart

him from participating in offseason baseball workouts and it even sidelined him for the first couple games of the baseball season.

Without the chance to better develop at the offseason workouts, Lenhart was at a disadvantage when he was able to finally return to the field. Despite having to recover from a broken toe, Lenhart was able to secure a spot on the varsity roster and has been a vital part of the team.

T h i s year, Lenhart has had a big pitching role on the team.

Heading into state, he is 4-2 with one save in ten appearances. Lenhart also boasts a 1.73 earned run average and has recorded 24 strikeouts in his 36.1 innings pitched.

Not only is Lenhart playing a big role in the pitching rotation, but Head Coach Bob Greco says that Lenhart is a leader on the team.

Lenhart is always doing what coaches ask and is always trying to pick up his teammates.

While his foot has not had a big impact on his pitching, it has changed the way he plays.

BOB GRECO

VARSITY BASEBALL COACH

“[The injury] has made him appreciate [playing sports] more.”

RAISE YOUR SCORE

Other tasks, like running and hitting, have become a bit more difficult. The broken toe has also had an effect on his mentality Greco said. “[The injury] has made him appreciate [playing sports] more,” Greco said.

Greco believes having the injury has helped Lenhart appreciate being able to play more. Lenhart has been able to come back from his injury this year to have a strong junior season.

Junior Marty Lenhart cheers on his teammates from the dugout. Photo by Meghan Wahl.

Preparing Warriors for the ACT and SAT for over 16 years...

Helping Schools & Families Create College Graduates With Minimal Debt JohnBaylorPrep.com

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

John Baylor Prep

@JB_Prep

8

SPORTS

SPring sports success

Varsity spring sports enjoy NSAA state runs NO LA N T RACY ASSOCIATE EDITOR

As the school year comes to a close, spring sport varsity athletes have no time to rest with their respective state tournaments either in play, coming up, or already completed. After long seasons for each of the six spring sports (baseball, soccer, boys golf, girls tennis and track and field), it all comes down to performing on the highest of levels. After a very successful season, Head Coach John Brian and the boys soccer team went into the state tournament as the number one seed.

The team made a run to the state title match, but ended as runner-ups, as they fell short to rival Creighton Prep in overtime, 1-0. The girls soccer team could not find the same success, and lost in their first round matchup against Millard West. The baseball team opened their state tournament in a not so ideal fashion as they were mercy ruled by Millard West but then bounced back in the first two games of the losers bracket, defeating Millard North and number one overall seed Lincoln Southeast. Three qualifiers from the girls tennis team, Stephanie Lund and Kate Alston (doubles) and Elisabeth Sadler (singles) will compete at the end of the week at the Koch Tennis Center in the state tournament. As district runner-ups the boys golf team qualified for state in Norfolk, next Tuesday and Wednesday. Mike Hickey and Grant Jabenis were also individual qualifiers. The state track meet begins today at Omaha Burke. Seventeen Warriors qualified for the meet, four boys and 13 girls.

Above, junior Sam Mormino moves to disposses in the midfield. Left, sophomore Joe Stegman launches a pitch.

Photos by Biruk Tewodros and Olivia Washburn

Left, junior Mike Hickey approaches the green from a difficult lie. Right, freshman Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor high jumps at the Titans Classic.

Photos by Olivia Washburn

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

SPORTS

9 Far left, Senior Ryan O’Neal competes in the Titans Classic, an annual track meet at Papio-South. O’Neal will compete at the state track meet as the wildcard in the 400m event. Left, Senior Ande Bilyeu prepares to return a ball with a forehandswing. Below, Junior Marty Lenhart, sophomore Sam Parsonage and junior Bronson Hosey celebrate at the end of an inning against Lincoln Northeast.

The Warriors won 6-1. Photos by Olivia Washburn

Above, coach John Brian addresses the boys varsity soccer team during their state final against Creighton Prep.

The boys later lost to Prep 1-0. Right, sophomore Sylvia Fehr challenges a Millard North player in the girls varsity soccer game against Millard North. The girls later lost 3-2.

Photos by Kjersti Swanson and Meghan Wahl

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

10

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BOOMER RADIO: OMAHA'S HOME FOR CUBS BASEBALL

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

HOROSCOPES

11

HOROSCOPES

Horoscopes by Kaelyn Mettler

Graphics by Bella Radler

Aries 21 march – 19 april

Taurus 20 april – 20 may

Gemini 21 may – 21 june

With the moon in Libra this month you may feel highly empathetic. Planet Venus will be making your partners a lot more sensitive as well. You’re likely to find a love interest in these next few weeks, since you’ll have all of the summer to be social. Today: Paint a picture.

Lately someone at school has been really annoying. It’s time to tell them before the summer. This doesn’t necessarily need to be rude, but remind people they don’t need to be your friend.

Taurus can’t hang out with people they don’t actually get along with. Today: Plan out your summer.

You had a mental health peak over the past month or so, which means you are in the perfect state to begin new challenging projects. You are a fantastic leader, so consider a group project such as a magazine or collaborative art. You are such a creative sign and it makes you very interesting. Use your communication skills to expand your horizons this summer. Today: Reach out to someone on social media.

Cancer 22 june – 23 july

Leo 24 july – 23 aug

Virgo 24 aug – 22 sept

On May 28 your two ruling planets Mars and Saturn face off, causing some changes in your life.

You may face some drama, however, you should think very carefully before acting in situations like this. Although you will be getting more challenges in the future, you will be praised for how well you’ve ended the year. Today: Buy something cool online.

Your work ethic has been lacking because you’ve felt very unmotivated. Work hard these next few weeks, it will pay off greatly. Try to strengthen relationships between you and your peers. If you channel your trait of dedication during the month, you’ll find things are much easier. Today: Buy your friends coffee.

When you get a romantic idea in your head, it can be hard to get it out. The sun moves into Gemini on May 20, which makes your love life blossom. Remember that you can’t judge a book by its cover, so give everyone a chance this summer. Today: Do something nice for a stranger.

Libra 23 sept – 22 oct

Scorpio 23 oct – 22 nov

Sagittarius 23 nov – 20 dec

Libra, you typically keep things to yourself. This month your challenge will be to tell others what’s on your mind. You always want to calm the waters, not begin a storm. It’s a great time to introduce new friends to your old ones. Today: Go get a new pair of shoes.

This summer will be really bad for your love life.

Something you did within the past year will come back to haunt you. Remember that even if someone isn’t the love of your life, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with them. This weekend will be the perfect time to use your charm and get what you want. Today: Go out tonight.

Since you’re a fire sign ruled by Jupiter, you have a tendency to be dramatic. When you’re explaining things you’re very passionate and at times you may exaggerate. Although this isn’t always a bad thing, you should try your hardest to think before you speak. Sometimes you can speak too quickly, and although you don’t have bad intentions, you may hurt someone’s feelings. Try to use your voice to inspire others.

Today: Give a stranger a compliment.

Capricorn 22 dec – 20 jan

Aquarius 21 jan – 19 feb

Pisces 20 feb – 20 march

Being known as a very emotional sign isn’t always a bad thing. Lately your love life hasn’t really been thriving like it should be. Start showing those emotions to prove that you’re just about as heartfelt as they come. Today: Confess your love to that special someone.

You may have been feeling restless lately, so make sure to take time to relax and maybe begin some meditation. Sports can also boost your energy with the combination of eating well. Speaking of food, you should try a healthy Mexican food dish to kick start your metabolism and cure your hunger. Today: Buy a new book.

This year has been a lot for you, but stay strong. Before you know it you’ll have a wonderful job, full bank account and great relationships. Remember that success stays forever, so work hard now and it will all pay off later. Use your confidence and feeling of prestige to make your financial and work decisions. Today: Check out a library around your house.

right across the street from Westside High School!

C RA ZE the heartland issue

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time

12

A&E XII III

Service Learning

Hours

IX VI

XII IX III VI

Service learning hours are a graduation requirement and a good way to help the community, but it can be hard to find the right place for you. Since there is no school, summer is one of the best times to get many hours. The following organizations are all places that need volunteers and have activities that can appeal to everyone.

Story by Theo Jansen and Reese Pike.

Kaneko

Kaneko is a non-profit organization dedicated to the arts. It was founded by artist Jun Kaneko, whose artwork can be seen in many places around town, including at the zoo. Kaneko’s goal is to foster creativity by focusing on four main areas: performance, innovation, ideas and design.

As a volunteer, you can help with events, programming, and administrative activities.

Radio Talking Book Services Radio Talking Book Services is a radio station designed for listeners with disabilities that prevent them from reading printed material. The station broadcasts many different publications, from the newspaper to grocery ads. They may be looking for volunteers with large amounts of time available, but regardless of your schedule you can contact them to see what you can do.

Keep omaha beautiful

Keep Omaha Beautiful focuses on the environment. They are dedicated to “litter reduction, community beautification and education on recycling and environmental stewardship in the Omaha area.” They cover many different areas, sponsoring park clean-ups, water pollution prevention programs and recycling programs, most of which require volunteers.

The intercultural senior center The Intercultural Senior Center is dedicated to helping elderly people of many different backgrounds. They offer many programs for seniors, from yoga to language classes. School groups can help with their “Lunch Squad,” which helps serve lunch for an hour, or individuals can help with the center’s many programs.

Open door mission The Open Door Mission is a Christian organization that serves the homeless. They rely on volunteers to help organize events, provide clothing and serve food. For some volunteering activities, you need to complete a short orientation and tour, but there are other opportunities that don’t require an orientation.

AllPlay AllPlay is an organization that gives people with disabilities an opportunity to play sports. Their Miracle Baseball League needs many volunteers to run smoothly. Possible jobs include being a buddy or assisting a player. A more general job is a Game Day volunteer. A Game Day volunteer could mean many roles, including an announcer, greeter and many more.

Fontenelle Forest Fontenelle Forest is a nature preserve located in Bellevue. It requires a lot of upkeep. If you are older than 18 you can have a variety of jobs, including baking apple pies for sale in the gift shop. If you are younger than 16 you can be a Teen Naturalist Trainee.

Public Libraries Public libraries are institutions that positively influence many members of the community.

There are locations all around the city. Some common jobs include shelving books and helping with events. A knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System would be very helpful. You must submit an application in order to volunteer.

Omaha summer arts festival The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is a yearly event that celebrates visual and musical art. They are in need of many volunteers working in jobs such as helping with the Children’s Fair or working in the Artist’s Lounge. This year the event runs from June 9 to 11. All you have to do is sign up for these jobs on signup.com.

Saunders Cohen

Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:20:02 AM Central Daylight Time