the
Lance
SPORTS Varsity Soccer photo essay on pages 10-11
8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114 Volume 60 Issue 9
FREEZING THE SUMMER MELT
May 20, 2016
Counselors arrange program to help seniors
LIB BY S E L I N E EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The day after school ended senior Elizabeth Lawver had a 5 a.m. shift at her job. She describes herself as hardworking, to say the least, and always seems to be running around. She switches back and forth between her mom’s home and her dad’s home. She picks up her three brothers after school everyday. During the school year, she dedicates her time volunteering in the special education program at the high school. She describes her life to be nothing short of chaotic. On one of her last days of high school, Lawver was told to go see her guidance counselor Vicki Londer. Londer brought her into the conference room and gave her a laundry basket with a package on top. It was filled with all sorts of necessities for Lawver’s future including sheets, a toothbrush and laundry detergent. Feeling grateful, Lawver started to cry. “[The basket] means a lot; I was very thankful and appreciative,” Lawver said. “I had no idea what I was going up to see Londer for, and I think it was almost kind of an overwhelming feeling too because I had no idea what to do. I was just so shocked and amazed that I didn’t know how to
react to it.” Londer and college counselor Cindy Kostek created this project after attending a conference for college counselors. Here they learned more about the “summer melt”, which is a term for students who lose encouragement to attend college during the summer. “[Seniors] have those months when they don’t have anybody checking on them like we do at school,” Londer said. “So a lot of kids struggle, even though they might have a plan in May, to really follow through with that plan in August. If they don’t have that support system at home or people to encourage them they call it the summer melt where they just kind of fall off the map.” With this in mind, Londer and Kostek asked the Westside Foundation for a grant allowing them to create a project for students who are at risk of the summer melt. The foundation granted them $1300. “We don’t want [money] to be a barrier between them going to college, to be a reason why a kid can’t follow through with their dreams,” Londer said. “[So we created laundry baskets] and filled it with that kind of stuff that kids need to start their college experience because that stuff can be expensive. We thought if we can fill them with a laundry basket filled with goodies, that might help them bridge that gap between May and August.” On Thursday, May 7, Londer surprised eight
students by pulling them out of class to give them the baskets — some of whom, including Lawver, are the first to attend college in their families. All of them were recommended by counselors to be apart of this project. “That laundry basket was about $100, and that’s a lot of money for a lot of people,” Londer said. “Just knowing that was something they wouldn’t have to spend money on and just being so appreciative of it.” Lawver believes the basket gave her encouragement for college. She plans to attend college at UNO next fall, and although she is unsure of whether or not she will be staying in a dorm, she claims the items have already been useful. “My parents are divorced and so it’s like a constant back and forth of taking stuff,” Lawver said. “This actually provided a couple of things that made [the transition] easier. I think it’s beneficial even without dorming.” In the future, Londer hopes to continue this project. This project has not only been great for the kids, but has also impacted Londer herself. “We did [this project] because it’s something I’m passionate about and I thought it was a super cool project and we were able to get funded, which was amazing,” Londer said. “You forget that it truly makes that big of an impact. So when you step back and you think about what that did for a kid then you’re kind of like ‘that’s why I’m here.’”
Left: Senior Eizabeth Lawver stands with her laundry basket given to her by guidance couselor Vicki Londer. Top Right: Counselor Vicki Londer’s laundry basket is displayed in the conference room before being handed out to students. Photos courtesy of Vicki Londer Bottom Right: Counselor Vicki Londer poses in the guidance IMC Wednesday, May 18. Photo by Celena Shepherd
2
NEWS
Stuck on Stuco
Westside SAB becomes Student Council BEN JA M IN B R O D K E Y STAFF WRITER
Among the many changes facing Westside High School next year, the Student Advisory Board will become the new Westside Student Council in order to create some statewide similarity. “That c h a n g e was initiated by students,” said English instructor and SAB sponsor Chelsea Krebs. “ W h e n [SAB members] were going to leadership workshops throughout the school y e a r , every other group in Nebraska except two were called ‘student council.’” Having hundreds of student councils and three student advisory boards in Nebraska, all trying to do the same thing didn’t make sense to the leadership of Westside’s SAB. A traditional student advisory board in high schools usually includes a small group of students working as a focus group for administration. Past secretary, Stephanie Lund, mentioned a more traditional student advisory board will run alongside the new student council next year. Meanwhile
Westside’s SAB has been running like a student council over the last few years, planning different social and school spirit events. Krebs and the current officers of the SAB felt the term ‘student council’ is a better representation of the group. Although Krebs explains the change itself as “mild,” it affects the entire school. According to Krebs, the applicat i o n process to be a part of the new student council needed adjustments. At the end of the last school y e a r , Krebs a p proximated about 12 members of t h e SAB. She now estimates about 75 c u r rent members. The new application and election process will ensure there is a standard with the same amount of members per year. While the application process is longer than in years past, it is short in comparison to other schools. The new process involves 10 short answer and essay questions based on leadership and time management. The next step was teacher recommendation to test the applicants’ characters. Krebs mentioned she
“...Student Advisory Board needed a change and they are making one... To quote Maya Angelou, ‘If you don’t like something, change it...’”
wanted strong characters on the council. Of the 72 applications received by the officers and sponsors, those have been sorted and a ballot was sent out to the students Thursday, May 12, with the final list of members being announced 11pm that night. Once the ballots are counted, 10 members from each grade will compose the student council and from within they will elect leadership and officers. This election process has changed due to the membership trends over the last year, making sure students have a good personality, hold good time management skills and can bring strong ideas to the table. Krebs noted that Student Advisory Board needed a change and they are making one in the correct direction. To quote Maya Angelou, Krebs believes, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
Freshmen Hope Marvin, Katie Andersen and Alania Mann fill out the student council voting ballot sent by administration on Thursday, May 12. Photo by Lili Fogland
2016-2017 WHS Student Council Freshmen
Sophomores Juniors
Kaitlyn Avery Cole Clippinger Makenzie Harden Lauren Kruger Angela Li Lukes Loontjer John Maier Morgan Mumford Ella Paulson Anna Schaeufele Mackenzie Wies
Yousra Abdulrazig Madigan Brodsky Izzy Gunderson Michaela Gurnett Kaitlyn Ketelsen Neha Khalid Cameran Runge Tierney Schirmer Biruk Tewodros Gabi Wahl Meghan Wahl Mia Weisbach
Maddie Akers Catherine Cox Anna DeSordi Elisabeth Facer Ellie Hellman Rebecca Kisicki Stephanie Lund Katrina Mitchell Lily Parizek Jacque Platt Hailey Tierra Aliyah White
Seniors Kate Alston Ethan Beier Emma Boyd Tyler Clark Salik Ford Graham Guenette Christian Hanus Anna Knutson Lauren Mott Sabina Petersen Libby Seline
Congrats new members and good luck!
NEWS
3
Board on business
Q&A with new school board additions, Kris Karnes and Adam Yale
Q: How did each of you become involved in the Westside Community? How did you decide to run for the school board? KK: I got involved when the district was talking about doing some work on the facilities and I wanted to learn more about it. I got involved with the facilities task force and was involved in that process and figuring out the needs of the district. From that, I worked on getting the bond passed and then after that, stayed in contact with some people, and some people recommended running for the school board, and there were some issues that I’d seen that I wanted to work on a little bit. AY: I guess my first formal involvement was around that facilities piece as well, but public education has always been important to me and important to my wife. She’s a Westside grad and I graduated from Central way back when and was involved in Adam Yale a number of different things there. Public school issues have always been important. But I first got involved around the bond issue as well, about the financing and the sizing of the bond issue, and then once that went out to the voters, I got involved on that front a little bit too but not in the capacities that Kris did. That was sort of the initial involvement. Having children in the system [got me] interested in what was going on.
Q: What would be your “first order of business” on the board? AY: I think are a couple of really core things. The role of a board member is governance, not operations. Things at the board level right now that I think are very important are first and foremost, the budget and our budget deficit. I think we need to develop a plan for how we’re going to tackle the deficit and how we’re gonna a sustainable budget going forward. That’s number one. Number two, I think that your staff is the most important asset that you have. More important than your buildings, more important than just about anything else. Your staff is where you can make a difference. I want to make sure that we have the best staff we can possibly have, that they’re excited to come to work everyday, that we’re removing any barriers that might make that difficult, and that we’re developing all [of] those folks for the future. We have a long tradition of doing that, and I think it’s continued to be important to us. That’s a very high priority. The other thing is that Westside has always been very focused on excellence and novel ways of tackling educational challenges, and I’d like to see us continue to do those things. We have high expectations for our district, and I want to make sure that we maintain and raise them. KK: I had four things that I was focusing on during the campaign. The one obviously, that is most important to tackle first is the budget. I think that’s on everyone’s mind and trying to get that under control and developing a process so that people are aware of what the issues are, what are needs are, what our constraints are, and then the process by which we can solicit input on that so that people feel invested in the process and have a real say in helping us figure out what the priorities are for the district and how we can afford those things. I think that’s first and foremost. My other issues were finding, training, and retaining the best teachers possible. I think we do pretty good with the finding and the training, [but] it’s the retaining that I’m a little bit concerned about right now. I would like to focus a lot on why we have so many teachers leaving and what we can do from here. Some of that’s going to be natural and some of that is going to be a little discontent. My other issues were facilities management, [as] I’d like to see a better long term facilities management plan in place to make sure we are better maintaining our buildings over time, and not just the ones that are being significantly rebuilt and remodeled. The fourth thing is community engagement and making sure we’re doing a better job of engaging the community in our processes and that goes hand in hand with the budget discussions.
Q: What are your thoughts of the passing of LB1067 and the possible adjustment in property valuations? AY: I think all of those things happening in fairly short order are relatively positive developments. I guess from my role here, I’m not going to speak to those things, although I’m not entirely displeased that it happened. When you look at a school district, there are no easy cuts. Coming up with a process to say what’s important, what’s a priority, what we can allow to fall by the wayside. That will help us figure out a cost structure and a way to approach our cost structure. KK: I don’t think anybody likes to see a large, across the board tax increase, and there are certainly residents who are going to have a hard time affording that, and that’s tough, and I understand that, but it’s certainly beneficial to the school district right now, should it go through. I thought it was a little unusual that revenues weren’t sort of growing organically over time. I’m glad to see [that] the Common Levy went away, I think that’s great, but I do think that both of those things are kind of temporary fixes, and when our expenses are growing [by] $1.9 million a year just for salary and benefits, overtime we’re going to catch up to that pretty quickly. I think that unless we get our expenses under control, we can’t rely on those things that we can’t control. AY: The other thing to note is that we did a bond issue for the facilities, and that increase basically hasn’t kicked in yet for homeowners. No matter what happens,
they’re going to see their taxes go up, even if valuations are held flat. Now they’re going to get a 7 percent bump across the board, and people are going to be more vigilant overtime, or if we have to go back to voters over time to raise taxes, they could potentially be paying a lot more in tax somewhere down the line. I think that we need to be cognisant of that and we need to be respectful of it. I think one of the reasons the district has always worked is [because] we’ve provided great schools and folks have been willing to pay for it. But if one or the other side feels abused, that formula doesn’t hold anymore and we don’t want that to happen. KK: And the only thing that the school board can really control in that process is making sure that we are running as leanly and efficiently as possible, and that our expenses are under control to the extent that we can control them. I think we really need to closely examine that.
Q: What can the current freshman class, who are graduating in 2019, Kris Karnes expect to see changed by the time they leave Westside? KK: I don’t intend to get into the day to day operations of the district. There are certainly educators better trained than I am to address those needs and issues. I don’t have any agenda for a sweeping curriculum change at this point. Should something be brought to us we will examine it, but at this point, I would like to see more innovation, I would like to see… more programs for kids who aren’t going onto a four-year degree. But again, those are issues that are the [specialty] of the superintendent and the administrators, not necessarily [ours]. AY: I think we’d be really happy if that class of ‘19, if by the time they graduated, we weren’t having a discussion about budget cuts every year. I think I’d be really happy if we weren’t having regular discussions about teacher turnover. I think we’d be really happy if we were able to find ways to do all those things programming wise that have made us a very desirable place overtime. I think if we’re communicating well and we’ve got everybody pulling in the same direction that will be success. But I’m not sure that there’s any grand plan or any dramatic sweeping change other than we just have a well oiled machine and a community that’s really excited about what we have here.
Q: Many community members have expressed their belief that Westside is failing to retain the high standard that they are used to being recognized for, due to large numbers of teachers leaving and budget cuts. What is your response to this ideology? KK: I think there are a lot of really great things going on here that don’t get talked about as much. I think we need to make sure that the positive things are also stressed and related to people, and that goes back to that communications piece and really controlling the message and making sure that while we talk about budget things, there’s a lot of really wonderful things going on too, and not getting that lost in the shuffle. We’ve never been the highest paying district, I think that teachers have traditionally not come here just for the paycheck. Making sure that we keep morale high is important, and if there is an issue, which I’m not saying that there is, we figure out what it is and get a handle on it. I think that goes back to communication and making sure that we listen to input, we provide them a vehicle for giving that input. I would like to see more teacher discussion involvement in the budget process, and then really just communicating what’s going on with the budget, so that it’s not a guessing game for people, and it’s not breeding discontent and insecurity. When people come to work and they’re not sure if they’re going to have a job, that’s tough. I get it. I’d like to see a lot of that improved through communication. And we’re not the only district having budget issues, so I don’t think that’s representative of some systemic issue at Westside, and I’m not convinced yet that the teachers are leaving because some systemic discontent. I certainly intend to evaluate that and find out, but again, you hear a lot about what’s wrong. Let’s talk also about what’s going on that’s [not wrong]. It doesn’t discount what’s wrong, but let’s not lose sight of the good as well. AY: I think that every organization goes through challenging moments. This one is no different. And there are a whole bunch of reasons why this particular moment is a challenging moment, but I do think that there is a lot to celebrate. We will do this and we will do it together, and we’re going to pull in the same direction. I guess I would say we’re coming down the pike. We can go tackle those things and we can do it together, and we can do it in away where people are going to be heard and where we’re going to start knocking off some of these things that are really keeping us all awake at night. It just take a little bit of time, a little bit of effort, a little bit of focus, and again, I would hope by that class of 2019, and hopefully sooner, that we can look back and say ‘look, we’ve knocked a few of these things off,’ and we can move forward. There are a whole bunch of people who care passionately about this district and that care and concern and desire to see it succeed is going to outlive the challenges. KK: I really think that these budget issues are something where we can rally together and say, ‘we’ve got some decisions to make, this is not due to mismanagement or waste or anything like that.’ This is the hand we’ve been dealt. Let’s come together and focus on what it is that makes Westside special. Let’s move forward in the future on a positive note.
4
OPINION
Editorial
Involvement increases skills and improves attitudes We all complain about wanting more and more time to sleep, rest, and laze around. A teenager’s favorite pastime is usually eating or sleeping, or a tie in between. But in all reality that much free time spent on not doing anything, does nothing to help us in the long run. Students need to get up and going. Getting involved in the world is beneficial to mind, body, and soul of the youth in today’s world. When your mind is always focused on making yourself or something else better, then it can’t focus on the negatives in life. Getting involved helps students develop strong social skills. In this day and age everyone communicates through a screen. We text to talk, we comment emoji’s to show emotion, and we even find ways to share pictures and videos to express our experiences in life without actually choosing to share the experience. Kids are also learning earlier and earlier in life how to use IPads and IPhones. For those who are teens, we see that this constant tech use will cause teens to be even more antisocial than normal. For example, someone who is constantly texting and gaming and playing online, doesn’t spend a lot of time interacting with people in real life and starts to lose how to do so.
When we get involved, we are forced to talk to other people face-to-face. We have to start learning how people talk with their body or what people’s voice pitch or tone sounds like. This helps with things in the future like interviews, public speaking, and just getting along in life in general. If you can c0mmunicate well, you have a better chance of being successful in life. Getting involved also keeps your mind consistently going. Whether it’s school, with your friends, or on your own in the community, being involved with something is a really good way to keep the mind refreshed. If you are having to problem solve and work through real life situations, you are more likely to use those skills in school or work. For example, if you participate in a sport you have to keep yourself organized and healthy. You have to pay attention to what you eat, you have to schedule time to work out, you have to schedule your life and school around practices, and you still have to find ways to keep up with your life. This seems like an overwhelming feat, but if you learn how to balance that, in the future you’ll better understand how to juggle things in the future.
Getting involved with anything is also a vital part of keeping yourself mentally healthy. When you struggle with a mental illness, or maybe just have a problem with a consistent bad mood, it can be hard to participate in anything, let alone life itself. By getting involved, no matter how hard it is to start, your mind starts getting preoccupied by something positive that you’re accomplishing. You just stuck the landing to your first double pirouette? You feel proud of that. That is what keeps you busy. You love nature and go camping on the weekends? Your mind is occupied with how to set up a tent or with the river flowing past, not that one bad grade you got on a math test, or the insult someone threw your way. By being involved, you get the feeling that you are worth something; that being involved with something special to you made you special to yourself. When we learn how to involve ourselves with the world outside of our personal bubble, we begin to unconsciously gain skills and attitudes that benefit us for the rest of our lives. Keeping to ourselves may seem easier, but in the long run being able to healthily connect to the world will lead to a better future for yourself and the world at large.
Drawing by Sam Cohen
WARRIOR VOICE What activities are you involved in?
FRESHMAN
SOPHOMORE
JUNIOR
SOCIAL STUDIES INTRUCTOR
“I am involved in baseball, football, wrestling and show choir.”
“I’m involved in fashion club, was involved in step team earllier this year and I play guitar.”
“Show choir, BETA club, DECA, FCA, football,track and field, boy scouts, SNJ singers, heartland family services and SAB.”
“I coach football, basketball and baseball.”
N OA H W I N G
EMMA SCHMIDT
ZANE W A T A N A B E
O TI S S E A L S
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6
OPINION
Strike on Summer Movies
Will the superhero film trend end quickly? EM M AK O R E N G E L COPY EDITOR
Friday, May 6, Captain America: Civil War hits theaters. And, of course, it quickly grabs critical acclaim and box office success. No surprises there. Marvel’s been a well oiled machine since 2008 with their new interlinking universe of movies, and practically every one of them has been a goldmine nationally and overseas. But it wasn’t always this way. The early 2000s were a bad time for superhero movies. In fault partly to producers like Joel Schumacher, with his critically-panned, cheesy romp Batman and Robin, superhero films were decreasing in quality and becoming more of a genre for kids. This only continued as years went by. Superman 4. Daredevil. Catwoman. Fantastic Four. (Not to be confused with the also terrible Fant4stic.) All of them tried so hard, but failed spectacularly. Whatever the reason, it just seemed like audiences didn’t want superheroes anymore. This movie slump could have very well killed off comic book movies as a genre for ages, had it not been for one film. Spiderman. Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spiderman adaptation was a critical success and set box office records, passing $100 million in a single weekend. Spiderman was the film Marvel, and consequently other comic publishers, needed. It was the push that showed that audiences weren’t shunning superheros. They were shunning superheros done wrong. Thus, more and more comic films were churned out on both spectrums. X-Men and its numerous chronicles. Bat-
man Begins. Hulk, Spiderman 2, The Dark Knight. It finally seemed like you could turn a profit in the comic industry again. With Iron Man in 2008, Marvel began construction on what would later wind up a massive empire of movies and merchandising, ultimately culminating in 2012’s The Avengers. If you saw Avengers, which, given the $1.5 billion box office gross, you probably did; you’d know that it is a non-stop barrage of action from start to finish. Heck, you may even want to take a nap after it all. It’s that much of a sensual ordeal. That could have been the last hurrah. The icing on the cake, just ending it all at the pinnacle of battles and action. But Marvel wasn’t done yet. Thor: The Dark World. Iron Man 3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Again, we received another Avengers, this time, Age of Ultron. And it was… alright. But something felt wrong. There just wasn’t the hype of the first round of movies. But why? I’ll tell you why: Superhero movies are phasing out. I’m gonna get a lot of flack for saying this, but it’s the truth. Superhero movies are nothing more than another filmmaking flash-in-the-pan. With the constant, frequent production of these multimillion-dollar supernatural spectacles, audiences will grow tired of it all and the box office numbers will show it. It’s a natural cycle, the phases and trends of media. I’m not going to say it’ll happen tomorrow, heck, or even in the next decade. But Hollywood has always taken what’s profitable and beat it into the ground like a dead horse. Look, for example, at the 1950’s movie western. Westerns were “too big to fail”, producing iconic actors like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. Audiences flocked to westerns for the same reason superhero films attract
a crowd: the simple, action-filled heroic narrative. A gunslinging hero defending innocent civilians from the baddies with plenty of train robberies, explosions, derailments, kidnappings, etc. Westerns and Superhero movies might as well be twins in a different setting and time. Sure, we may not have a bustling wild west town that needs saving from bandits, but we have New York City that needs saving from aliens. We may not have Colt Revolvers, but we do have hammers smiting the wicked with lightning. The thing about westerns were that they were so overproduced, (just google a list of westerns and you’ll see that the 1950s has nearly too many to count, none of which are very distinctive) that people longed for something new, which came in the form of sci-fi films entering the space age. The Western shriveled and died, and the public’s boredom for it lingers on even today, with any attempts to restart the genre flopping. (Cough cough, Lone Ranger, Cough cough) Granted, Westerns were fairly cheap to produce, which meant less time in between productions. At least the impressive budget of these movies keeps them from being a one-a-week event. However, even now with superhero films, people express their longing for new content, and their lowered hype for any subsequent sequels. With Marvel and its buyer Disney truly banking on the survival of the superhero narrative, with movies planned all the way into the 2020’s, it’s important to realize that not everything lasts forever. I’m having to push myself to even work up the hype for seeing this new Captain America, so how can I be expected to care about yet another Spiderman reboot in 2017? Or 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War? Sure, die hard fans of the characters will show up, but I fear the general moviegoing public, including me, has had more than enough of these movies for now. Too much of a good thing is never good, and at its worst, it’ll ruin your enjoyment of whatever thing you’re receiving too much of. Marvel, DC, it’s time to take a breather. Slow it down and give us time to savor your film before shoving another flashy sequel or reboot in our face. You may be head over heels in money at the moment, but as the old saying goes: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
“...I fear the general moviegoing public, including me, has had more than enough...”
WARRIOR VOICE
Who’s your favorite superhero?
FRESHMAN
SOPHOMORE
SOPHOMORE
SOPHOMORE
“Frozone from The Incredibles. He’s got ice.”
“The Flash. He’s literally the best, he could beat Superman’s [butt].”
“Deadpool, all the way.”
“The Incredible Bulk. Not the Hulk, the Bulk.”
ETHAN KIRKPATRICK
GA RRET L A R S E N - B R O W N
NEI L N O V A K
DANI ELR E I N H A R D T
OPINION
7
Sequels take over summer movie lists SH A N N ON CHI NN
MANAGING EDITOR
Ah, summer. Finally, a break from the constant tests, homework and late-night cram sessions. With the last day of school so close we can almost taste it, Constant thoughts include trips to the pool, hang outs with friends, family vacations, and one of the classic staples of those school free months: summer movies. Summer is the time for action-thrillers, romances and many more movies to hit theatres and entice bored teenage eyes to go see. But, there is one type of movie that has slowly risen to summer blockbuster stardom, plaguing every movie list that comes out year after year after year: the sequel. If you take a scroll through any upcoming summer movie list, you’ll notice strange phenomena of summer movies having the number 2 or an extra title added on to the end of them. This, folks, is a sure fire sign you’ve got a sequel of your hands. Over 16 of the upcoming summer movies are sequels with no restraint on genre, franchise or age between releases. Marvel’s most recent Captain America: Civil War has been just the beginning of the summer’s wave of sequels. Seeing all of these types of movies, we’re left to wonder what caused summer movie lists to be the dumping ground for so many franchise growing films. Let’s take a look into what has made sequels so popular. It’s not like people don’t want to see them. How many of us can’t even count all the times we’ve heard, read, or seen the words, Finding Dory since the announcement of its release in 2013? With only about a month to go before the big release, the hype for Finding Dory is off the charts. Disney has always been a big believer in sequels, dishing out some of the most famous of its era. There was a time, however, that animated movie sequels were bound to the film purgatory of straight to VCR or DVD releases. Movies like Aladdin and Cinderella and even Beauty and the Beast were cursed
T E K
IT C
with a straight-to-DVD release. Producers were wary of putting these films on the big screen in fear that they wouldn’t do well in the box office. All of this changed when one intergalactic space man and toy cowboy came to the rescue. Toy Story 2 raked in over $485 million in box office sales, proving everyone wrong and changing the precedent for animated film sequels everywhere. Looking at films like Toy Story 3, Monsters University and yes, Finding Dory, we see an ever-growing theme in movie sequels, a little thing called “nostalgia”. It’s why a new Star Wars movie was created eleven years after Revenge of the Sith was released, it’s why Jurassic World was created years after the third installment of the Jurassic Park series, and it’s why even after the success of Toy Story 3 Disney is still planning yet another installment; nostalgia sells. We’ve seen this ideology reoccurring in recent years with big budget series being “reinvented” or rebooted, we’re seeing it this summer with the new all female Ghostbusters movie, and with Independence Day: Resurgence. These movies have time and time again proven to always be more than successful, and with Star Wars: The Force Awakens grossing in over $2.066 billion, you can’t say the formula doesn’t work. It’s no great mystery as to why these movies are always bringing people into the seats. People have had years to love and enjoy these movies, and even show them to their kids, so when a new edition or version comes out these original movie goers are bound to go see it to find out if it holds up to the original, and new fans who have only been exposed to the movie recently will of course want to see it as well. It’s a foolproof plan that keeps the money coming in and audience members happy, at least for now. But what about sequels that people aren’t asking for? Everyone looks forward to another addition to a well-loved film that appeals to large audiences, such as Finding Dory or The Conjuring, which is also releasing a sequel this summer, but did anyone really want to see another Ice Age movie? You may remember that 2002 film about a group of silly arctic creatures
adventures. This little movie was a moderate success, grossing $383.3 million at the box office, but did this warrant not one, not two, not three, but five sequels? Did people really enjoy the first that much? Ice Age: Collision Course isn’t the only movie coming out this summer despite a more substandard audience response to its previous films. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows is the continuation of the not very well received live-action incarnation of everyone’s favorite talking reptiles. The 2014 movie did not appeal to critics or most viewers, nor was it bad enough to rise to cult classic fame like movies such as Sharknado and its follow-ups The obvious answer for these film flubs is that Hollywood is lacking in original ideas, only putting out films that people have seen before, which guarantees seats being filled. Because of the sequel overload encompassing summer movie lists, many original movies are being sent to the back-burner of promotion, showing less trailers and previews for these movies and instead focusing all the attention on the plethora of sequels and remakes. Do yourself a favor and see one of these films this year. Kubo and the Two Strings, for example, is a breath-taking retelling of a Japanese fable; with beautiful animation and a refreshingly original step away away from Disney or DreamWorks animated films. This innovative and stunning looking film is bound to do only moderately successful in the wake of so many sequels, so see this film and support a more creative take on animation. The sequel has been around for decades, but seeing a summer such as this year’s leaves us wondering whether or not Hollywood really is lacking in ideas, or if they’re just being lazy. But, there’s no denying that as long as there’s a sequel out, there will be people to see them. The film industry has had years to perfect this formula, engineering movies that lack in originality and guarantees an easy summer of steady cash income. Whether you’re tired of sequels or not, there’s no stopping them anytime soon, with Hollywood announcing it’s currently working on over 165 movie sequels for the upcoming years. Next time you’re planning a summer hang out, refrain from succumbing to the same old Hollywood formula, and spend your money on more original content instead.
“Over 16 of the upcoming summer movies are sequels with no restraint on genre, franchise or age...”
WARRIOR VOICE
What summer movie are you most excited for?
FRESHMAN
JUNIOR
SOPHOMORE
SOPHOMORE
“Now You See Me 2.”
“Suicide Squad.”
“Alice Through the Looking Glass.”
“Finding Dory.”
M O L LY F OX
RICHI E P O R R A S
VALERI E C U E V A S
HANNAH J O H N S O N
8
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FEATURE
9
one last hoorah
a bit more radical than simply dressing out of uniform, a common “muck-up day” activity. “I think they are acceptable as long as they are harmless and don’t cause problems for the rest of the students.” said assistant principal Trudi Nolin in regards to the acceptability of senior pranks. S o m e pranks Nolin has witnessed in her career include blow up swimming pools put in the landing, teachers phones switched around in the IMC, and hill parking taken by the seniors. “I think they do it as sort of a last hoorah,” said Nolin, “I don’t think there is intention to cause harm.” While Nolin believes senior pranks are just a farewell to their school, she also thinks that the negative connotation that comes with the phrase ‘senior prank’ is developed from over-the-top pranks that can cause damage to the school or endangerment to other students. At Westside, if senior pranks do cause damage or cross the line, students may be barred from attending activities like the senior breakfast or graduation practice. If a mess is made then a student may have to clean it up or even put in a few hours of work to reconcile for actions taken. If damage is caused that costs the district money, a student will be required to compensate the school for these costs. Senior pranks are a tradition, in American and around the globe. A last hoorah after four years senior pranks can be fun and memorable or destructive and illicit punishment from administra-
A chicken in the ceiling? Speedo clad students sprinting through the halls? Yep. Apparently four years can make high school students do some pretty crazy things. ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Whether it is the work of a single person, a group, or the whole class, senior pranks can be quite entertaining and memorable. Seniors typically participate in senior pranks to let out frustrations from a long four years or in order to be remembered by future students. Oddly enough, a notable senior prank has not been executed at Westside High School since the swimmer ran around in speedos at the end of the 2013-2014 school year, when the current juniors were only freshman. In foreign countries, senior pranks exist and are actually much more prevalent than they are in the United States. In both Australia and the United Kingdom, senior pranks involving the entire senior class are commonplace and very rarely solicit any type of punishment from administration. Senior pranks in these countries and others around Europe are carried out on what are called “muck up days.” According to dictionary. com “muck-up days” occur before final exam days and are typically not a huge surprise. Sometimes teachers even join in on these pranks which may include dressing oddly or skipping classes. Here in the United States the senior prank is infamous and typically occurs without warning. Senior pranks in the United states also tend to be tion.
TR U D I N O L I N
“I think they do it as sort of a last hoorah.”
OL
NEWS EDITOR
SKO
ST E VEN S I M O N
SUX
An overview of senior pranks and their effects on the school
Graphic by Jim Schueneman
Expires 12/31/16
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SPORTS
kicking and Screaming
Impressive season ends with defeat in semis JI M SCH UE N E MA N
MANAGING EDITOR
This year, the boys varsity soccer team got off to a strong start, with multiple wins against well regarded teams. The squad, consisting of several sophomores, juniors and even a few freshmen, was exceptionally young, but seemed to work well. This winning start didn’t seem to stop, with the team beating Creighton Prep in the semifinals and Millard North in the finalss to win the Metro Cup. After qualifying for state, Westside beat Papillion-LaVista South 3-2 in overtime at home to progress to the quarterfinals. Here, the varsity team beat Kearney 1-0, finding them a well-earned spot in the state semifinals against Omaha South. The team, now plagued with injuries, went into the game playing an untested team. Several bookings seemed to change the flow of the game, stirring up both fans and players. Down at halftime, senior Sam Arnold was taken out of goal to be used in the midfield, being replaced by sophomore Griffin Trude. By full time, Westside had two players sent off, finishing with nine men on the field. The final score was 4-0 in favor of Omaha South, ending their season. Omaha South went on to beat Creighton Prep in the finals. Westside finished the overall season with an impressive 19-3 record, at one point maintaining the number one ranking in the state. Westside’s top goalscorer Jack Finocchiaro was able to net 19 goals in 13 starts. The team shows a lot of promise for years to come, with only 5 senior varsity players not returning next year.
Top: Sophomore Marvin Ramirez celebrates a goal. Above, team captains swarm the ref after a questionable call. Above left: Junior Hunter Kruse is brought down in midfield. Far left: Freshman Ethan Goldner possesses the ball in an attacking position. Left: Senior Joe Fehr reacts to conceding a goal in the semifinal. Photos by Dana Cox Hannah Bowes.
SPORTS
11 Left: Junior Aaron Noddle celebrates intensely with his teamates after a goal. Below: Senior Sam Arnold launches the ball forward from a goal kick. Far below: Sophomore Griffin Trude raises his gloves as he is acknowledged ahead of the state semifinals against Omaha South. Photos by Dana Cox and Hannah Bowes.
Left: Sophomore Peter Novoa moves back to provide a defensive tackle. Above: Junior Jack Finocchiaro moves goalwards and prepares for a strike. Photos by Madigan Brodsky and Dana Cox.
Far above: Coach John Brian prepares his team ahead of their semifinal game against Omaha South. Above: Senior Trenton Cooper attempts to dispossess in the wide area. Photos by Madigan Brodsky and Hannah Bowes.
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SPORTS
the year in sports
TR EVO R M U M F O R D
Boys cross country
Cross country had a triumphant season this year. They had top finishes in many key meets from junior Milo Greder who placed second at state. As a team, the big highlight was winning their their district. The team was very close throughout the season, bonding through things like team dinners and Saturday morning jogs. Senior Jakob Phillips has been a top runner on the team for the past three years. “One special part of my senior cross country season was being varsity captain to one of the fastest teams Westside has ever had,” Phillips said. “Not only that, but, also setting and achieving goals with the guys on the team was rewarding.”
Pictured: Senior Jakob Phillips
boys tennis
Girls cross country
Pictured: Junior Megan Alyga, Kaya Miller, Marta Hailu and freshman Milly Loo
Girls tennis Boys tennis came into their season with high expectation. They started off with three losses, but then went on to win the next five out of six dual matches. The team kept working its way up the ladder the whole season and finished third at the Metro Conference Tournament. Boys tennis ended the season with a seventh place finish at State. Junior Dillon Ketcham is a standout player on the team and placed 3rd at State for boys singles. “We had a winning record and bonded as a team,” Ketcham said on the season highlights. “Everyone pushed each other everyday.”
Pictured: Junior Dillion Ketcham
BOYS GOLF The girls golf team had a very successful season, competing tough in all of their invites. During the regular season, they placed in the top four of each invite they competed in. Their season came to a highpoint with a second place finish at Districts. A top performer was sophomore Alexis Rose, who placed second. This led them into the State meet, where they capped their season off with an impressive fifth place finish. Junior Sabina Peterson was on the golf team and has been playing golf for the last five years. “The biggest highlight is seeing everyone improve on their game throughout the season,”Peterson said.
BOyS BASKETBALL
Pictured: Seniors Payton Knott, PJ Nieto, AJ Nolin, Hunter Tessin and sophomore Mike Hickey
The boys golf team is very excited about how their season has been going. They had multiple highlights, one of which was when junior varsity placed first at the Millard South Invite. Also, it was a huge accomplishment when varsity placed third at the Creighton Prep Invite. At Metros, senior AJ Nolin placed first and tied the tournament record. They placed first in the tournament too, which is the first time since 1990. The team currently rated third in their district, so the chance of going to state is very bright. Senior Payton Knott has been apart of the golf team’s journey to the top since Freshman year. “We play with different people during practice to get to know everyone,” Knott said. “We all know each other now more personally and we hang out more.”
GIRLS BASKETBALL Many seniors made up this year’s basketball team, which made for an exciting season. Westside was in the Top Ten rankings in Class A for a large part of their season and played some great games. These included the dominating win against top ranked Norfolk and the nail biting game played against Omaha South. The South game served as a turning point for the Warriors, as even though they lost, it showed them they could compete with anyone. Senior Trae Meeks was a leader and starting point guard for the boys team. “A highlight was when Anthony Bratton dunked on Aguek Arop, from South High School, which showed we could play with them,” Meeks said.
Pictured: Senior Trae Meeks
Girls tennis is currently still competing, but has had an eventful season. At the Kearney Doubles invite, all the teams placed and number one doubles got third. Metros recently took place and had a number of girls place. Number one doubles, the team of junior Ashley Tyler and senior Lizzie Harwood, had an impressive third place finish. Harwood was a leader on the team and has succeeded in doubles throughout her high school career. “This has definitely been one of the most fun seasons,” Harwood said. “The team atmosphere has been very positive and supportive.”
Pictured: Senior Lizzie Harwood
GIRLS GOLF
Pictured: Julia Nelson
SPORTS EDITOR The girls Cross Country team did more with their season than they originally expected. They were supposed to get fourth in districts, but after some team bonding the night before the race, the girls placed second at the meet. Confidence in each individual runner, as well as in the team as a whole played a huge factor in their season. This allowed the girls to head to state, where they were able to showcase everything they’d worked so hard for. Junior Megan Algya was a varsity runner this year and placed seventh in districts. “The night before districts we all watched McFarland together and that gave us the push we needed to work as a team,” Algya said. “We knew which teams we had to go after the next day and that it would take a lot of hard work, but we pulled it off and ended up getting district runner-up, allowing us to make the trip to Kearney.”
Pictured: Sophomore Quinn Weidemann
The girls basketball season tenaciously went after their goals this season. Winning state last year was a huge accomplishment and the team knew they had to live up to expectation. With a team composed of a lot of new players, the girls played each game with the intent to reach their goal. They fought hard throughout the season, getting key wins like against the number one ranked Millard West. The team had a season record of 18-6. Sophomore Quinn Weidemann was one of the stars and led the team at point guard. “I would say a highlight would be going back to state again and getting to play at Pinnacle Bank Arena,” said Weidemann. “We accomplished a lot of individual goals and we’re super proud of how our season went.”
SPORTS
WRESTLING
13 The wrestling team had a 7-7 season, getting key wins against Millard West and Creighton Prep. Made up of some of the most athletic kids at Westside, the wrestling team put in lots of work. From earlier morning practices to sweat drenched workouts, the team did more than just what the schedule and record show. Junior Darlondo Hill has finished fourth in the 170 pound weight class the past two years. “The biggest highlight of the season was probably at either metro duals or Millard West duals,” Hill said. “Our team worked hard and supported each other during our matches and we even got to win a couple duals, even though we had a pretty young and inexperienced team.”
Track
Pictured: Senior Jake Radicia
Pictured: Junior Sam Madsen
BOYS SOCCER
GIRLS SOCCER
Pictured: Junior Hunter Kruse
SWIMMING
Pictured: Senior Elizabeth Amato-Hanner
Boys soccer went above and beyond throughout their season. The team is very young, being primarily made up of sophomore and juniors. As a squad, they won key tournaments and games. They beat top ranked Omaha South early on in season, as well as won the Metro Championship against Millard North. This earned them the credibility of being the number one ranked team in the state for regular season. They won their districts and obtained the third seed in the State Tournament. The team got all the way to the semifinals against South before an abundance of debateable yellow cards brought the end to their season. Junior Hunter Kruse was a part of the state runner-up team his Freshman year and currently holds the fastest hat trick, which was three goals in the first two minutes thirty-nine seconds of the game. “We have been getting better every game and progressed,”Kruse said. “We are now familiar with each others styles of play. Other than that we just all get along really well.” The swim team saw great success as the season went by. The team won the Warrior Invite meet, as well as finished top five at metros. The girls team was led by many talented seniors, such as senior Elizabeth Amato-Hanner. The girls team placed seventh at state and AmatoHanner won the 100 meter backstroke. The boys team excelled as well. They had many young swimmers, but that didn’t hold them back. The team placed twenty-third at state and junior Alexander Bayles got twelfth. Also, the 200 medley relay team got sixteenth. Senior Grace Porter was a varsity swimmer and is continuing her career at Augustana University. “It was a good season,” Porter said. “Doug knew how to train the team and he knew what was best for everyone. I didn’t swim my greatest but it was one of the best seasons of my high school swimming career.”
Track has had one of its best seasons in the last couple of years. The team has seen much success with sprinters like sophomore Jaylen Knight and senior Michael Merical. Also, the long distance team has competed very well in each meet. The 3200 meter boys relay is right at the verge of breaking the school record and the 1600 meter boys relay is also a top contender at State. The girls 3200 meter relay has also done exceedingly well. The state track meet starts May 20 and the warriors are sending athletes in both the boys 3200 and 1600 meter relay races, girls 3200 meter relay races, girls and boys 800 meter, boys 400 meter, girls high jump, and girls discuss. Junior Milo Greder is the top 1600 meter and 3200 meter runner in the state and is going to State in four events. “The most fun for me was how close we all got and how we did everything together to get better and make it to state,” Greder said. The girls soccer team had a season full of excitement and important wins. They competed with every team they played and forced teams like Marian and Millard West to fight hard for the victory. In the Marian game, the warriors came back from a 2-0 deficit to make it a close game. The girls also competed in the Kicks for Cure game, which donates money to breast cancer awareness and research. The team had a record of 11-6. Junior Katya Ward plays outside midfielder. “I think as a team we really bonded and proved that we are a team to watch even though we didn’t make it to state, but we still ranked fifth in Class A,” Ward said.
Pictured: Freshmen Elisabeth Nielsen and Sylvia Fehr
FOOTBALL
The football team saw lots of success throughout their season. One of the biggest highlights from the year was the 41-0 win against Creighton Prep. “When you shut out your rival school 41-0, it sets [the] tone for what kind of team we truly are,” senior Brian Timmons said. This win not only looked great on paper, but helped to intensify the great rivalry with Prep and strengthen the mentality of the team. The football team finished the season with an impressive 7-3 record.
Pictured: Senior Alex Lundquist
CONGRATS TO ALL VARSITY SPORTS ON A GREAT YEAR!
14
SPORTS
HEADED TO INJURY
Increasing concussion rates worry players N OLA N T R A C Y SPORTS EDITOR No sports come with guaranteed safety. There is always the potential risk of a sprained ankle, broken arm or a concussion. When most people think of a concussion, the first thing that comes to mind is football, and for a good reason. However, concussions are an issue in many other sports, with one being one you wouldn’t typically assume to be correlated with concussions; Soccer. Many studies are constantly being done on the effects of concussions; both instant effects and long-term effects. Symptoms right away can include, loss of conscience, nausea, poor balance and a headache. Typically, long-term effects are only seen in those whom have suffered from more than one concussion. According to a study, girls soccer has about a 33% concussion rate, meaning about one out of every three girls suffer from some type of concussion while playing soccer. As a result of the many head injuries in the game of soccer, U.S. Soccer’s governing body addressed the way youth should play the game. They proposed for heading to be removed from the game for children under the age of 10, and limited during games and practices for the ages between 11 and 13. The Westside girl’s varsity team has had their fair share of concussions. Head varsity coach Nathan Moseley has dealt with a decent number of players being diagnosed with concussions. “I would say about a dozen or so of players that I have coached have suffered from coaches,” Moseley said.
Obviously, when a player is diagnosed with a concussion, they are inactive for an amount of time. The NSAA (Nebraska School Activities Association), requires any player that shows signs of a potential concussion, be evaluated by an appropriate licensed healthcare provider. After a concussion is diagnosed, the player then must wait at least seven days before returning to play. However, if the given player has a past history of concussions, than it may result in a longer absence from the team. “I had one player who has had a long history of concussions and because of that, she decided not to come out this year, in order to stay safe,” Moseley said. As a result, the girl’s team does numerous things to help in the prevention of concussions, one of which being the manner of how they practice corner kicks. “I think that one of the biggest changes that I’ve made as a coach, it used to be that when we practiced corner kicks we would go over, over, and over again,” Moseley said. “Heading is obviously a main focus of corners, so it’s important to not do a lot in a row.” Another thing that isn’t thought about as often, is how much the technique can prevent injuries. “It’s important to show the correct form [when heading the ball],” Moseley said. “Because if you are heading [the ball] incorrectly, you’re more likely to suffer a head injury.” However, Moseley still disagrees with the proposals of banning heading in soccer outright. “A lot of people are pushing towards heading being outlawed,” Moseley said. “Heading is just apart of the game, and over time adjustments will be made to make our game safer.”
Graphic by Bella Radler
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Smiles start here.
A&E
15
HOROSCOPES Horoscopes by April Van Unen
Aries 21 mar – 19 apr Soon, you’ll be discovering your true role in a relationship. You may feel there is an imbalance of power when it comes to a final decision between the both of you. Even if you don’t like what you hear, try to hold a conversation with this person.
Cancer 22 jun – 23 jul Do not censor yourself or your emotions in the upcoming days. Let yourself find new inspirations and work to get over any roadblocks you have put in place for yourself.
Libra 23 sept – 22 oct You may be the only positive one in your friend group today. Don’t let other peoples’ moods get you down. Try to cheer them up but don’t be bothered by the few who are set on being in a bad mood.
Graphics by Casey Arritt
Taurus 20 apr – 20 may You may be put on the spot about an issue. Try not to speak without thinking about your response first so your emotions don’t cloud your judgment. Be mindful of keeping your reputation nice.
Leo 24 jul – 23 aug Use your compassion to strengthen personal connections. You will be rewarded with trust and adoration for your good deeds. Help convince your friends that anything is possible.
Scorpio 23 oct – 22 nov Have a conversation with someone you trust. Good advice can come in handy and prevent a future crisis. Keeping your situation bottled up will only increase your stress and make a problem seem worse than it is.
Gemini 21 may – 21 jun It is always important to say what you feel, even if what you feel goes against what someone you love feels. Conflict can be positive and constructive because it can balance energies. Starting a thought provoking conversation also shows people your intelligence.
Virgo 24 aug – 22 sept You may be confused or lost in thought today. If what’s tripping you up is something that you thought you knew so well, try refreshing your memory and stop going through day to day routines on autopilot.
Sagittarius 23 nov – 20 dec Changing up your attitude can be beneficial to you. You may feel yourself getting bored of the scenery around you. Fill your free time with new positive activities or people.
Capricorn 22 dec – 20 jan
Aquarius 21 jan – 19 feb
Pisces 20 feb – 20 mar
Listen to your gut about someone new in your life. Even if they are making bold moves to earn your attention, if your gut tells you something negative about them, you should follow it. Something’s can appear more positive than they actually are.
If you are looking for inspiration turn to movies, music, or art. By indulging yourself in these things, you will gain new energy and creativity. You can learn from these things as well and integrate those techniques into your own life.
Great days don’t come around very often so take advantage of the ones that do. When great days come around, make the most of them by being positive and doing positive activities. Any stress or burdens can wait for another day.
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in the Fun sun Q:
A&E
What’s something you’ve never done that you want to check off your bucket list this summer? Story by Celena Shepherd
Ryan O’Neal, 11 “Something that I’ve never done and want to check off my summer bucket list is skydiving because it’d be a cool experience, and not many people my age can say that they’ve done it.”
Now it’s your turn, create your bucket list! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Chloe Barger, 9 “I want to go scuba diving in Hawaii with my family because it looks fun.”
Bob Brousek, social studies instructor “I’d like to go see the nation’s capital [in] Washington D.C. to see all the museums and government buildings with my family or to make my desk cleaner than Mr. Fjell’s.”
Angela Mosier, math instructor “I would like to visit my homeland of Ireland with family and go find county Kerry where my ancestors are from.”
Khalil Khalil, 10 “I want to get in the habit of going to the gym every day and getting an hour of exercise.”
Graphics by Jim Schueneman and Bella Radler