Issue 6 by The Lance

THE

LANCE

8701 Pacific St. Omaha, NE 68114

MARCH 1, 2018

*IN-DEPTH Check out the sexual misconduct In-Depth on pages 6-14

VOLUME 62 ISSUE 6

WESTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

RADIATION LEGISLATION Westside alumnus pushes for tanning regulations CA UT

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NICK P R O T Z M A N the outer layer of the skin.

skin cancer, where the cancer cells are only in

A&E EDITOR

During show choir and cheerleading season, there’s no doubt that the pressure is on. With the feeling of hundreds of eyes resting on the performers, one can’t blame them for wanting to maintain a good appearance. Whether it is one’s skin or hair, many have insecurities about their features and want to do something to hide it. Westside graduate Paige Grogan was no different. Grogan first started using tanning beds towards the end of her eighth grade year, when she was 14 years old. At the time, she was involved with cheerleading, show choir and dance. “As young women and boys, it’s hard for us to accept who we are,” Grogan said. “[Tanning] made me feel more comfortable about myself because it covered up my insecurities.” Since she was under 16, which is the age required to use tanning beds without parental consent, her mother had to give permission for her to go. This continued until she became of legal age and started going by herself. This previous summer, Grogan’s mom noticed a mole on Grogan’s left leg. Although she was slightly concerned about it, they didn’t think anything of it. Before Grogan left to go to college, she went to a dermatologist and got the mole removed so it could be examined. Three weeks later, her mom picked her up from college in Kansas bearing bad news. Grogan was informed that she had melanoma in situ. Melanoma in situ is a very early form of

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Since melanoma spreads, Grogan’s doctor had to make a large incision in her leg in order to remove everything beneath where the mole was. Her leg was numbed with anesthesia so they could painlessly remove the cells and then was stitched up afterwards. “I’m very lucky to have a doctor who is a family friend who got me in the next day,” Grogan said. “It was a very scary process.”

“[Tanning] made me feel more comfortable about myself because it covered up my insecurities.” Alumnus Paige Grogan

Although there is no way to confirm what the melanoma came from, Grogan’s doctor, David Watts, said he had suspicions that tanning beds played a big part. According to the American Cancer Society, indoor tanning use before the age of 35 increases melanoma risk by 59 percent. They estimate that over 410,000 cases of skin cancer in the U.S. may be at-

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tributable to indoor tanning, 6,200 of which are cases of melanoma. According to Grogan, Watts said he was seeing more and more cases of this happening to kids under 18 and was already planning on taking action. He is part of a group pushing the bill LB838 forward, which would prohibit anyone from using tanning beds until they are 18 years old. “I know a lot of parents feel they’d be taking away their right to allow their children to do something they want to do,” Scott Grogan, athletic director at Westside High School and father of Paige Grogan, said. “But even with a parent’s consent, no one’s immune to getting something like this.” Paige’s input was a key part of convincing senators to get on board with the bill, giving a real life perspective of the damage tanning beds can cause to a person. A few weeks later, the bill was moved on to legislation, where Paige testified in front of stage legislature. “I told them my story to convince them and show them that this is something that’s going to affect me for the rest of my life and affects a lot of other people,” Paige said. “That was my part, to share my story and show that no one else should have to go through what I went through.” Sixteen other states already have this regulation in effect, so it is only a matter of time for Nebraska to pass the bill. “Tanning can be an addiction for people and I don’t think they realize how bad it can be for you,” Paige said. “I’ve definitely learned my lesson and I’ve tried to teach other people to not make the same mistake I did.”

Graphic by Sam Cohen

NEWS

SNAIL MAIL Colleges continue to send paper mail despite online alternatives TH EO J A N S E N

SPORTS EDITOR

It’s a mailman’s worst nightmare. Throughout their last two years of high school, students around the country receive numerous messages from colleges in their mailboxes and their email. Ranging from information magazines to Frisbees, the amount and variety of correspondence can be overwhelming. Guidance counselor Vicki Londer said she believes that the snail mail colleges send out is outdated. “Kids now get everything online,” Londer said. “They’re using Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook or just googling the college website. We get a ton of mail from colleges too, and we literally just put it in the trash.” Sophomore Tyler Williams said he has been getting a large amount of mail ever since taking the PSAT. “[I get mail from] three to five individual colleges almost every day,” Williams said. Londer said she believes that colleges might send out mail based on tradition instead of return on investment. “I don’t think colleges see a big return about the mailings they mail out,” Londer said. “I think they just do it because they have always done that.” Despite what students may like to think, receiving mail from colleges does not mean you will get in or even that the college is interested in you. “Colleges buy lists from ACT, SAT, PSAT, Pre ACT,” Londer said. “A lot of kids think that because you get the mail, that means they want you. They don’t even know who you are, they just bought your name off a list.”

However, there still is hope to get on a college’s radar, Londer said. You can take action to get colleges to notice you. “It’s called demonstrated interest,” Londer said. “Take a visit on campus, follow them up for an interview thanking them for the visit, ask questions, stuff like that.” Williams said he quickly became disenchanted with the mailings universities were sending. “At first it’s exciting, like, ‘Oh, I’m getting mail from colleges,’” Williams said. “Then it’s, like, I just keep getting it every day, and it’s, like, they’re not interested in me.” Even though getting mail may not mean the college wants you, Londer said there are still things to look out for. “I would definitely just keep the information from the schools you are interested in,” Londer said. “Do they have the major that you want? Do they have opportunities that you want outside of class? Sororities? Fraternities? Just sort through the stuff. You are going to get a lot of junk, so throw that stuff away.” According to Londer, the mail students get from colleges will also have useful contact information, so keep that. Londer said that despite the amount of physical mail students are receiving, schools are trying to implement more technology in the recruitment process. “A lot of schools now are doing videos and you can Skype with them,” Londer said. “Most things are done using technology and not paper.” Londer also said that some of the most effective college marketing strategies involve technology, such as a video from Iowa State where they reveal a student’s acceptance through a

CNN broadcast. Creative mail, both electronic and physical, can give colleges an advantage by helping the school stand out. Williams backed up Londer’s belief about technology. He said he has started thinking about college not because of receiving mail, but through a website called RaiseMe, where students can earn scholarships to specific schools based on things they already do. “I started learning more about colleges on [RaiseMe],” Williams said. “I did actually find a college I was looking forward to go to, which is the University of Wisconsin-Madison.”

Graphic by Theo Jansen

“DISAPPOINTING” Foreign language teachers react to Millard middle school cuts NICHOLAS V I N C E N T I N I NEWS EDITOR

Question: When you heard about Millard cutting their French and German programs in their middle schools, how did you react? SP: Sarah Percival- World Language Department Chair and French Teacher AJ: Anne Johnson - French Teacher MR: Melissa Roth - German Teacher AH: Amber Hollenbeck - German Teacher SP: My first word, and probably the word that sums it up for me, is just disappointment. I taught in Millard for two years at a middle school and I [am disappointed] in this decision and especially in the manner in which it was not communicated. I’m a resident of Millard and I’ll be having a daughter who will be going to a school, and I’ll have to be honest and say that I don’t know if she’ll be going to a Millard school.

Graphic by Meredith Matz

AH: I came to Westside from a middle school in Millard and it is incredibly disappointing to learn the news that they’re cutting those French and German programs in the middle schools there, especially [after] seeing with my own eyes that their German program in my school was overflowing. My classes were filled to the limit and there were students who still wanted to get in after caps were put on the classes, so I know for sure that is not for a lack of interest in the languages. It’s just budget and politics I guess, and it’s very disappointing but also not entirely surprising after having been there.

MR: My initial reaction was the same as what has been stated already: disappointment. I would agree, living in Millard. I am a resident of Millard school district, and I feel this was not communicated clearly that the French and German programs would be cut. I think from past years, knowing that language programs have been, for lack of a better word, they have been cutting the number of hours. I think [we] might have been … aware of [this] but as far as a stakeholder, this was not communicated at all. I also have been debating ... about whether or not to keep our student ... in Millard or actually send them to Westside. One, because I teach here, and two, because they have the middle school experience still with world languages. They wouldn’t just have to take Spanish, they would be exposed to multiple languages, so that’s one thing. AJ: Having taught in Millard for eleven years, I was actually privy to some of these conversations before they came before the board. These were conversations that were being had among the upper level administration and the world language teachers three years ago when I was still in Millard, so this is not new. I wasn’t surprised unfortunately, but yes I would concur with all my colleagues. It’s highly disappointing that it has come to this, especially from a district who touts a world class education guaranteed to all of their students. It’s in their mission statement as a district, and it’s also really surprising and upsetting that a district of that size would make these sorts of blanket cuts to two robust and well-numbered languages at the high school level. So to decimate their feeders at the middle school level is really upsetting.

NEWS

PARK FOR PARAGUAY Spanish National Honors Society fundraises for the Toba-Qom MAX F R O S T the Toba-Qom community via Skype. They

Society connected with people involved with

STAFF WRITER

In early February, there were some very creative paper flowers sprouting up around school. The Spanish National Honors Society sold these flowers for $2 for a good cause. In the southern part of Paraguay, the Toba-Qom people live with many disadvantages. “[The Toba-Qom] live in a community where they have no parks,” Spanish instructor Maria Olvera, who’s in charge of the Spanish National Honors Society, said. “They have the land, but they don’t have any money, so we decided to help them and raise money for a soccer field.” The Spanish National Honors Society has done projects like this for years, and has connections with many organizations in Spanish-speaking countries. This year, they reached out to a new foundation, Fundación Paraguaya, that helps poorer communities find a way out of poverty. Olvera and the rest of the Spanish National Honors Society saw an opportunity. “We liked what they were doing, but didn’t know how to help,” Olvera said. Although there was no way to help the economic system directly, the foundation introduced the Spanish National Honors Society to the idea of building a park for a community that couldn’t afford it. The Spanish National Honors

found that many of the Toba-Qom work in construction. “The workers said that they always want to have something that is recreational since there is no park there,” Olvera said. The fundraising that Spanish National Honors Society is doing for the town in Paraguay will leave a lasting impact on that community. The new park will provide an escape for the kids and adults suffering from poverty there. Not only will the fundraiser impact the kids in Paraguay, it has also impacted the members of the Spanish National Honors Society. “It brings me great joy and I’m proud of all the money we’ve made fundraising,” senior Ayi Folly said. “These kids are going to love this new soccer field.” Folly, along with all of the Spanish National Honors Society, put in a lot of work to help out this community in Paraguay. Folly especially has a special connection to the situation in Paraguay. “Growing up in Togo, soccer is a big thing,” Folly said. “So I can understand the kids’ frustration and I can definitely imagine the joy they will feel from receiving this gift of a nice soccer field.” Since starting this project, the Spanish Na-

GIVING GARMENTS

tional Honors Society has thought of many ways to help that community with several different fundraisers. On top of the flowers that were sold in early February, they also are going to raffle off a wireless speaker. The Spanish National Honors Society is cleaning a park with Keep Omaha Beautiful as well for additional funds. Even though it’s early March now, there’s still time to help build the park in Paraguay. Students can donate during spring sports at the concession stands and can buy a raffle ticket for the Bose speaker. So far, the Spanish National Honors Society has made over $350 with the flowers alone and has a goal of at least $600 overall.

Spanish instructor Maria Olvera organizes flowers made by Spanish National Honors Society members. Photo by Sam Cohen

Clothing Closet gives new clothes to students in need around district REES E P I K E house.”

nating. I get emails. People just drop it at my

COPY EDITOR

The Clothing Closet’s mission is “to serve district families by providing them with clothing free of charge,” according to the district website. Just over 18 months old, this organization serves students of all ages all over the district. The Closet is run by the Volunteer Council, which is an organization made up of parent volunteers, two from every school in the district. Aside from the Coat and Clothing Closets, the Volunteer Council organizes and runs Battle of the Books and Career Day at Westside Middle School, along with other projects. In September of 2016, the organization received an $800 grant from the Westside Foundation to start the Clothing Closet. According to Amy Brown, the Clothing and Coat Closet Chair for the Volunteer Council, social workers and counselors advocated for an extension to the Coat Closet because they had students who needed more than just coats. The Volunteer Council then started the Clothing Closet. “I think the school counselors were seeing that there was a need beyond the coats,” Brown said. The organization relies on social workers and counselors to provide students with information about the Closet. “Teachers are kind of on the forefront of all of our lives,” Brown said. “A teacher will know, probably before your parents sometimes, if you’re upset, if your clothes are dirty, if ... you’re going through things in life. So, a teacher will reach out to a counselor, or maybe you’re already on the counselor’s radar, and they’ll find you and bring you to the Clothing Closet.” The parent volunteers do not usually meet families or students who shop there. The Closet is located in a district-owned home, but the address is private. Brown said the district wanted to maintain students’ and families’ privacy. “The parent volunteers do kind of the front end,” Brown said. “We get the clothes from different people, [such as] neighbors who are do-

While some students directly visit the Clothing Closet, others are given clothes at school. Brown said she puts together packages of clothes based on what counselors tell her is needed, and then drops the packages off at the different schools. The Clothing Closet has clothes in sizes ranging from size 5 T to adult, so they can try to help students at all the schools. Brown said the organization tries to fill students’ immediate clothing needs, when families are going through tough times. Because the Clothing Closet is so new, Brown said they are still working on some organizational aspects. “What’s kind of fun about this is that it is just very grassroots,” Brown said. “[It’s] small. [There’s] not a lot of red tape.” This means the organization can connect with families on a more personal level, even though the system is anonymous. The Clothing Closet is really a way for Westside families to help other Westside families. The organization occasionally receives so many donations that there is nowhere to put the clothes, and there aren’t enough volunteers with enough time to go through everything immediately. To help with this, the Clothing Closet partnered with Student Council. “This year, Student Council really wanted to get more involved in our community,” senior Hailey Tierra, vice president of Student Council, said. They also wanted to have a connection with Westside, according to sophomore Morgan Mumford, a member of Student Council. “Anything that hits home with Westside we really want to focus on,” Mumford said. “We can see the difference actually within our schools.” They reached out to Brandi Petersen, communications director for the district, who put them in contact with Brown. Now, Student Council members volunteer at the Clothing Closet to help with organizational aspects. They have volunteered at the closet three times this year and Tierra said they hope to come back more often. On their outings to the Clothing Closet, Tierra said

they helped to sort out clothes and put everything on racks and in shelves, as well as various other odd jobs. “We’re just trying to do what we can for them,” Tierra said. Tierra said she hopes to spread more information about the Clothing Closet. Because it is so new, many students aren’t aware of it. Mumford said she was unaware the Clothing Closet existed before she volunteered there for Student Council. “I thought it was really eye-opening because I never knew we had this through Westside,” Mumford said. Brown said the partnership with Student Council is beneficial for all who are involved. Getting more people involved is extremely helpful in order to accomplish tasks quicker. “You always hear those phrases, like, ‘Oh, teamwork is better,’” Brown said. “Well it is, believe me. When you’re staring at 50 bags of clothes, [there is] power in numbers.” Overall, Brown said the spirit of teamwork speaks to the heart of the Clothing Closet’s mission of helping students. “I just want kids to be able to go to school and feel good about themselves, whether they’re eight and their pants are too short, or they don’t have any shirts left because you just grow so much when you’re little,” Brown said.

T-shirts hang in the Clothing Closet, which provides clothes for students in need. Photo courtesy of Amy Brown

NEWS

PARK FOR PARAGUAY Spanish National Honors Society fundraises for the Toba-Qom MAX F R O S T the Toba-Qom community via Skype. They

Society connected with people involved with

STAFF WRITER

GIVING GARMENTS

Spanish instructor Maria Olvera organizes flowers made by Spanish National Honors Society members. Photo by Sam Cohen

Clothing Closet gives new clothes to students in need around district REES E P I K E house.”

nating. I get emails. People just drop it at my

COPY EDITOR

T-shirts hang in the Clothing Closet, which provides clothes for students in need. Photo courtesy of Amy Brown

OPINION

Surveillance must balance security with privacy The world students live in now is very different from the one their parents and grandparents lived in, and with it comes new challenges and responsibilities. One of these is monitoring the web. At Westside, the computers given to students are monitored MARYAM AKRAMOVA as well. Is it really a OPINION EDITOR bad thing? As with many things, it’s a slippery slope. However, it hasn’t become prison-like at Westside. What Westside High School is doing in regards to computer monitoring is good for our student body in regards to security, but it must be careful not to overstep bounds in the name of safety. The school follows Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) laws in regards to computer monitoring. CIPA’s goal is to make sure schools are certified when it comes to internet safety and that certain policies must be in place in regards to what students can access. Schools must filter pictures of obscene material, child pornography and other things that could be harmful to minors. Michael Sanchez, the IT manager at the high school, said that if the school wasn’t CIPA compliant, they wouldn’t receive funding. “CIPA allows us to get funding, but we can’t allow anything that’s damaging to a child’s mind,” Sanchez said. The school also blocks other content, like games. Sanchez said this is to keep students on track. Most of the monitoring the school does is because they are following CIPA’s regulations, and what CIPA asks of them isn’t unreasonable. While computer monitoring can feel like a violation of privacy, it’s more of a matter of keeping students on track with school. It’s not unreasonable for our school to do so, because at the end of the day, they want their students to learn and succeed. It is helpful to know how the process works because anything shrouded in mystery seems to be distrustful. The school has access to the web history, but also to computer screens if necessary. “We can’t see your screens,” Sanchez said. “It’s just history.” “We do have software that allows us to monitor screens if we need to, but it’s not something we do a lot.” Security is also an issue facing our country today. With the recent mass shootings, perhaps monitoring the perpetrator’s social media could’ve helped prevent the tragedy. Monitoring computer history allows the school to check in on students in a quick and efficient way. Though it seems that for the sake of security we are sacrificing our privacy, in some cases it’s better to give up privacy to be safe. However, this should be moderated because we should not give up all freedoms for the sake of security. Computer monitoring isn’t just at schools; it happens everywhere. According to the Society For Human Resource Management, 66 percent of 304 surveyed employers monitored computer usage of their employees. In the same survey, they also found that 30 percent of employers have terminated workers because of computer surveillance. Experiencing surveillance now helps students understand there are consequences for their actions online, especially if they misuse a tool that is entrusted to them. It prepares students for the real world, where things that they do matter. It’s easy to hide behind a screen, because it feels as if one is separated from their actions. The type of person someone chooses to be online is just as important as the person they are in the real world, and computer surveillance reminds everyone of that. Computers are a tool, and tools require some time to learn. Surveillance, at least at a school level, is necessary to keep students on track and safe. The world is changing, and we have to change with it.

Graphics by Virginia Jansen and John Maier

PHONY COMMUNICATION

Phone use is a negative influence on teens

The overuse of cell phones is detrimental to teen’s development and well-being. Teens today lack proper communicative skills required for normal functioning in society. This is due largely to the fact that much of teens’ communication is on their phone and online, not face-to-face. The Collaborative to Advance Social and Emotional Learning, also known as the CASEL project, funded by the U.S. LAUREN ENGLISH Department of Education, STAFF WRITER stated that social and emotional learning are a key to promoting better mental health. These skills improve mental health. Better mental health will in turn reduce drug use and violence. Removing phones from school would be both mentally and physically beneficial to students, teachers and the community. Mental health is very important, especially to developing teens. Cyberbullying will decrease without the overuse of social media in schools. Cyberbullying causes low self-esteem, more school absences, physical illness, stress, depression and anxiety in teens. The National Institute of Health and the Cyberbullying Research Center reported that victims of cyberbullying are more likely to have low self-esteem, depression and suicidal thoughts. Just as important is the physical health of teens. Excessive phone use is harmful to your eyes. Everyone knows you shouldn’t stare at the sun, but what about your phone? Your eyes and head don’t just hurt from squinting at the small screen. It isn’t common knowledge that blue light, from the sun, is the same as the light in LED and fluorescent sources of light that is in your phones, tablets and TVs. This statement is from the leading volunteer eye health and safety organization, Prevent Blindness. The Prevent Blindness organization is supported by the National Health Council and the National Eye Health Education program. It isn’t as noticeable, because it is on a smaller scale. This is crucial, especially to children, whose eyes absorb more blue light than those of an adult. Eye strain also causes headaches in some cases. Neck pain has also been linked to smartphones. According to the website Spine Health, “Premature spine degeneration is occurring in people younger than in previous years.” This is because your neck is bent downward for long periods of time. Chiropractor, Jason Crist reported, “ The repeated downward head motions caused by cell phones cause many serious health issues. These include neck, back and shoulder pain, headaches, tension, temporomandibular

joint syndrome (TMJ), pinched nerves, spinal degeneration and misalignment.’ The CDC also stated that teens ages 16 to 19 have the most car accidents. Hypothetically, if teens learn and practice control with their cell phones at school, they will be able to do so in other aspects of their life, such as driving. In theory, removing phones will decrease the risk of car wrecks caused by distracted driving. Banning cell phones will improve school and its environment in many ways. News 8 of Connecticut, reported that Seymour High School in Connecticut is seeing improvements in students’ communication with each other. Students said they are getting more done now and their grades are better than prior to the cell phone ban. The cons of having phones in schools clearly outway any pros. Phones are bad for students’ physical and mental health and development. An in-class survey, conducted in English instructor Nathan Moseley’s sophomore Honors English class, concluded that most students agreed with the notion that phones make our lives worse, not better. But many of them would be reluctant to support a phone ban. “A lot of it comes down to the addictive factor of smartphones, you know, if you’re addicted to a substance, right, you can cognitively agree that it’s wrong and bad for you, but at the same time say I just can’t give it up,” Moseley said. “There are benefits to it [smart phone use] as well. So I think there’s that part of it too. Despite this, Moseley doesn’t believe a phone ban is the right move. He instead supports more restrictions on smartphones. Moseley’s phone grid puts restrictions on phones. In essence, it prohibits the use of phones in class. When students walk into class, they place their phone on a desk with a grid next to his desk. You can see it, and you know it’s safe. “Several years ago, when more and more kids were getting smartphones, I just saw them more and more wanting to reach in their pocket and check the phone,” Moseley said. “And I was tired of [it for] selfish reasons. I was tired of fighting them in that. So I just made this table up front. I said, when you come in and you put your phone on the table, I won’t touch it. It’ll stay up there. You can see it from your seat. From a classroom management standpoint, it is way easier.” Are students more productive when they do this? “Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean even if you’re not looking at your phone, [even] if you have it in your pocket and you get a notification, your mind goes to what is going on,” Moseley said. “What you’re missing.” He agrees that phones are a distraction. And what do the kids think? “Most kids after the first time or so get used to it and they kind of enjoy it.” I believe the same thing would happen if we removed phones or at least implemented more restrictions such as Mr. Moseley’s phone grid.

IN-DEPTH

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT IN-DEPTH In the past few months, more and more victims of sexual misconduct have come forward with their stories. This is following a rise in the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, which have placed this issue in the national spotlight. As a publication with a wide audience of young people, we believe it is important to discuss the topic of sexual misconduct in order to become

part of the solution. The goal of this in-depth is to educate readers, as well as to illuminate an issue through the stories and statistics of victims. As an in-depth team, we stand with the victims of sexual misconduct and hope to empower our audience and let their voices be heard. -The Editorial Board

DEFINING DISCRIMINATION Districts works to protect school environment R E E S E P I K E , MERED ITH M A T Z remain anonymous. All staff at Westside High Omaha World-Herald, the school found out about COPY EDITOR, NEWS EDITOR

More than 150 women testified against Larry Nassar, the former doctor for the U.S. Olympic and Michigan State gymnastics teams, in his week-long trial. Nassar was accused of multiple sex crimes and sentenced to between 40 and 175 years in prison. The trial was extremely emotional for all the victims involved. Any of the people who were sexually harassed by Nassar were allowed to speak during his trial to receive closure for themselves and for justice. According to the New York Times, when giving the sentence, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar, “I just signed your death warrant.” Due to his age, Nassar will likely die in prison. Aquilina’s statement was controversial, with some arguing that her comments weren’t professional. With the recent #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, systemic sexual harassment and abuse in many fields has been revealed. More than ever, conversations are being held about how to deal with the effects of harassment, help survivors and move forward. Due to sexual harassment being brought into focus, it is important to understand the school’s policies on the subject. Westside school board policy number 2213 states, “The district strictly prohibits all forms of harassment on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability and any other protected class.” Sex discrimination and sexual harassment are also prohibited in the state of Nebraska. Westside schools have an overarching definition on harassment for the district, included in both the student and staff handbooks. According to the Unlawful Harassment School Board Policy, “Harassment is a form of discrimination, and includes unwelcome verbal, non-verbal, written (including electronic), graphic or physical conduct relating to a person’s protected class that is sufficiently serious to deny, interfere with or limit a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from an educational program or work program or activity.” Administrators said they hope this definition is clear enough to help foster a safe and respectful environment. “We want our students to feel comfortable and safe enough that if they have any concern at all, they can come right to us because they know we’re going to get the bottom of it and make it a priority,” Westside communications director Brandi Petersen said. According to Petersen, if students have a con-

cern, they can talk to any employee as well as

old female student. According to a report by the

School are considered to be mandatory reporters, whether they teachers, food services workers or administrators. This means that if a staff member hears about any sort of sexual harassment, abuse, neglect, self harm or sexual assault, they are required by law to report it, anonymously or not, to the school. Students, as well as employees, can also file a complaint themselves. The form for this is located on the district website. There are two Title IX coordinators in the district: Enid Schonewise and Alan Bone. Schonewise deals mainly with staff concerns, while Bone focuses on students. Title IX is defined as a “federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational institutions, activities and programs that receive financial assistance.” Schools are required to have policies set in place under Title IX, which include various categories like sexual harassment, bullying, sexual violence and assault. Title IX helps to give schools an effective and efficient way of dealing with sex discrimination complaints and issues. Westside, along with every school across the nation, is required to investigate and determine as quickly as possible what happened in sexual harassment situations, as well as what to do to solve the problem. Schools are also responsible for addressing the effects of harassment. At Westside, there are also programs in place for victims of sexual abuse or harassment. The district has a partnership with Children’s Hospital, which means students can talk to counselors there. According to Principal Jay Opperman, Westside has various connections with people and services to help both the victim and the school when these situations arise. However, employees of the district are not required to have official training to prevent sexual harassment. Administrators said they hope the policies detailed in the handbooks are clear enough to communicate acceptable behavior. According to Petersen, this topic is also brought up during staff development days. “[Sexual harassment] is certainly something [staff] talk about all the time,” Petersen said. “We just had professional development for all of our teachers ... Those are the types of things that, when there’s a current issue, we want to stay proactive and on top of it no matter what the issue may be.” A recent sexual harassment issue occured in December. An assistant principal at Millard South was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-

the accusation through the mother of the student. A journal kept by the student was found by her parents with details about her relationship with the assistant principal. The school was notified and the assistant principal was arrested and sent to Douglas County Jail. He was charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault on a child. The minimum sentence for this is 15 years in prison. In a similar situation in 2015, a teacher at Millard North was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old female student. The teacher was sentenced to 32 to 60 years in prison and must serve at least 17 years before he is eligible for parole. Punishments for sexual harassment vary depending on what school, district and state the crime occurs in. The punishment also relies on what truly happened between the people involved in the situation. “I wouldn’t sit here and say that for any consequence on any discipline [punishment] is consistent,” Opperman said. When a complaint or concern is received, it eventually goes to Schonewise and Bone. From there, they determine what to do on a case-by-case basis, according to Petersen. They consider who the complaint involves and how to investigate the situation. If something happens off-campus, the consequences are different. Typically, the school can intervene only if the events are affecting the school environment, but they still offer services for victims. To ensure that a culture of respect is maintained, the district revamped their policies on sexual harassment two years ago. According to Petersen, Allison McGill, the district’s legal coordinator, looked at the policies to see if they were up to date and protecting students and staff as best as possible. Policies are the same throughout the different schools in the district. Petersen said that the school has not had to deal with many situations involving sexual harassment, but if they do, they are prepared. “If and when they do come up, we’re ready to tackle them, but there’s no Mad Libs formula that you can follow,” Petersen said. Overall, Petersen stressed the district’s zero tolerance for both sex discrimination and sexual harassment. “I think the bottom line is clear,” Petersen said. “Everyone should be treated with respect.” Story originally published Feb. 2, 2018

IN-DEPTH

PERPETUATING CULTURE Attitudes of gender inequality encourage sexual misconduct M AD IGAN B R O D S K Y in these behaviors because of this pressure that so-

that contributes to the idea that men are engaging

EDITOR IN CHIEF, WIRED

Throughout history, gender roles have been perpetuated by mass media, home lessons and the continuation of situations that exploit gender inequalities and abuses of power. Young boys are told “man up” at the same time that adolescent girls are pressured to be simultaneously sexual and innocent. While there has been a push in recent years to destroy gender roles determined by society, according to Sarah Eliason, Prevention and Education manager for the Women’s Center for Advancement, it is these attitudes and teachings that make it possible for sexual assault to occur with minimal consequences. “There’s been a big focus recently on men and how we are socializing them to feel like this is what they have to do, as well as what is their right to do,” Eliason said. “[Boys] are taught that they have to prove their manliness by being sexually active, by proving that they can ‘get laid.’ All of

ciety puts on them of what it means to be a man.” According to Dr. Karen Falconer Al-Hindi, professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), an imbalance of power that can create situations where sexual assault is bound to occur. Abuses of power are prevalent in many different facets of society, but it is when those who are assigned more power within the gender system take advantage of their upper hand that they are able to mistreat those with less power. “Perpetrators and predators will often sexually abuse others for a couple of reasons,” Al-Hindi said. “But it’s important to reiterate that it’s not about the sex. We just have to keep saying that it’s about power, not sex, at the same time that we support survivors. The devastation of the experience largely has to do with the place of sex in our society.” Al-Hindi and Eliason said that they agree that

there are multiple ways to address this issue. In Eliason’s role as a preventionist, she uses a social ecological model that designates different solutions that could be implemented in all levels of society, starting with the individual and expanding to society as a whole. “We really can’t focus on one thing and expect it to change all of society,” Eliason said. “We have to do all of it. A lot of it starts with youth, with teaching men that they don’t have to act tough to be manly. They don’t have to engage in physical violence that proves themselves.” However, Eliason said she attributes a lack of information for young people as an equally large source of the problem. According to her, the definitions of consent, coercion and sexual assault are not adequately taught to youth and when they are, are often misunderstood. “It’s a multilevel thing,” Eliason said. “Certainly addressing masculinity and men is part of it, but I think we need to address everyone, as well as changing our expectations and our understandings of what sexual assault is and how to stop it.”

Graphics by Ramya Iyer

STUDENTS ASKED: What examples have you seen of a gender imbalance at school? INSTRUCTORS ASKED: How do you try to combat gender imbalance in the classroom? What do you think is the key to ending a culture of gender imbalances?

Middle School

High School

Student: Benjamin Kutler - 8th Grader “I’ve noticed that many male PE teachers tend to favor their male students, whether that’s through grades, or picking them as examples, or just completely ignoring the females in the class. [It makes me feel] almost sad that some of the PE teachers are so ignorant to the rest of the class.”

Student: Tatenda Chivero - Junior “Sometimes in math classes, usually the boys are called on a lot. I feel like that [is a part of] guys dominating the conversation regarding math and science and engineering. In one of the science classes I am in right now, there are five girls in the entire class. You can feel that it is male-dominated. Sometimes in those STEM classes, where girls don’t have much of a voice, I feel like it contributes to later on when they [don’t] say much.”

Instructor: Zohra Sahak - Social Studies Instructor “Sometimes we have situations where I make all the girls vote on something that affects boys, and the boys just sit there and they’re like, ‘Why don’t I get to vote?’ and then we talk about it. Because of the grade level that I teach, I have to have it at their level. I try to bring it into smaller group activities and include it in a way that they would understand or just make them think, ‘That’s not right.’”

Instructor: Nathan Moseley - English Instructor “There are not usually many boys in honors literature, so in English classes, my main goal is really to try and encourage the boys to be more active in English class … there’s a stereotype that it’s predominantly men that go into [math and science] fields, so there’s a push to try and get girls to be more involved in [those]. I try and do the opposite in English.”

College Student: Nata Ward - Engineering major at UNO “Engineering is super male-dominated. It’s hard to be friends with any girls because there’s few options ... I definitely talk [way] less than any boy in my classes. I also talk quieter and never shout answers out … I just feel like it’s better not to call attention to myself as one of the few girls, and if I make a mistake I’m [stuck-up], whereas a guy is just giving it his best shot.” Professor: Dr. Karen Falconer Al-Hindi: Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at UNO “One change that I have noticed over time that I think is a very positive change [is that] no one is alone in the room with a person where there is a big imbalance of power. A lot of nonprofit organizations that serve children and families [are] making sure that they don’t have an adult alone with a child. That type of thing is very proactive.”

IN-DEPTH

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT STATISTICS Graphics by Meghan Maynard and Georgia Wimmer

67% of

75%

workplace sexual of harassment victims

experienced retaliation when they spoke up about their case

WOMEN

81% of

MEN

DIDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T REPORT SEXUAL ASSAULT

PERCENTAGE OF COUNTRIES THAT HAVE PASSED LAWS ON...

64% SEXUAL HARASSMENT

61% DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

27% MARITAL RAPE

1 IN 5 WOMEN WILL BE RAPED AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE

LESS THAN 40% OF WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL VIOLENCE HAVE SOUGHT OUT ANY SORT OF HELP

Statistics provided by Vox, RAINN, National Sexual Violence Resource Center, United Nations Statistics Division, and National Sexual Violence Resource Center

IN-DEPTH

RELATIONSHIP REFORM Students reflects on consequences of negative relationship AL EX V A N D E N B E R G form.”

me and contacting me on every social media plat-

FEATURE EDITOR

A big part of high school culture is building friendships and dating. Unfortunately, issues can come with developing relationships, one of which being the potential for sexual misconduct. According to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, every 98 seconds another person experiences sexual assault. People between the ages of 12 and 34 are more susceptible to experiencing sexual violence, but women aged 16 to 19 are at the highest risk. Westside student Grace* is someone who has firsthand experience with sexual misconduct. Grace began going out with her boyfriend during freshman year and ended the relationship at the beginning of her senior year. She said that, with time, the misconduct became more prevalent within the relationship. “It was really good at first,” Grace said. “It was really fun and he was a great person, but about six months into it, I noticed the nice things stopped happening and it turned into a blunt, unhappy relationship.” Her boyfriend began to criticize her for everyday things, such as what she wore or who she spent time with. “A few months later, it became a verbal thing,” Grace said. “[My boyfriend] would call me ‘stupid’ and ‘whore’ and he would try to mentally break me down. Being disciplined [for] doing normal things made me not want to do them anymore.” With time, Grace said the verbal manipulation turned into sexual manipulation. “It got to a point where I felt like I was being used for my body,” Grace said. “To me it was, ‘Oh, I love this person. I should do this for them.’ It was something I wanted to do, but I felt like I was only being used for [sexual purposes] and I shouldn’t feel that way in a relationship with someone who says they love me.” For over a year, Grace’s boyfriend continued to manipulate her, both physically and emotionally, which took a toll on Grace’s mental health. “Junior year, I just became numb,” Grace said. “I didn’t feel the pain he was causing me because I chose to ignore it. Eventually, I decided to just do what I wanted, but I just let the bad things keep happening. At that point, I was just like, ‘I can’t feel it, I don’t care’ and that caused a really low self-esteem issue. I accepted that I was going to let myself get treated like this so I could keep doing what I wanted to do and because I cared for him and truly loved him.” Grace said she felt trapped in the relationship until the summer between her junior and senior year. “During the summer, [my boyfriend] and his family went on vacation, so I went two weeks without seeing him,” Grace said. “In those two weeks, I was working at my job and I really loved [my coworkers]. I was out enjoying myself and he didn’t really know what I was doing. It was weird. I was actually having fun with life and not getting in trouble for small things and I realized that maybe that relationship wasn’t something that I wanted.” By the beginning of the school year, Grace ended the relationship, but doing so came with many struggles. “I had fully committed to not talking to him,” Grace said. “I blocked him and did whatever was necessary because that was the only way I could separate myself from him. I ended up being stalked when I was going out to dinner with my friends. The relationship itself was a rollercoaster. The breakup was even worse because of him stalking

With everything that’s happened in regards to her relationship, Grace said she learned many lessons in detecting unhealthy relationships and she wants to help others who are dealing with the same situation. “A red flag would definitely be when their happiness is being put over yours,” Grace said. “There were many nights I would compromise my happiness just to make him happy. Another thing to watch for is [derogatory] language. If it’s a word that you know you shouldn’t be called, then there’s something obviously wrong. If and when you start t o be-

come numb to the situation, it becomes a constant thing where you make excuses to justify what they’re doing like ‘Oh, it’s just a bad day, it’ll be better tomorrow.’ It shouldn’t be like that.” Grace also said that talking to people about her situation was difficult, but it really helped her make her decisions and realize the severity of what was going on. “There would be times where I would have a ton of my friends sitting around me and they’d keep telling me that I needed to be done with the relationship and I’d just cry,” Grace said. “Sometimes my mom and I would get into huge arguments because she didn’t want me to be treated so poorly, but that’s just how the relationship was happening and I wanted to keep trying to make it better. I spent [a long time] trying to make sure everything was okay, but then again, it took my mind and heart a long time to realize that what was happening was wrong.” By being able to recognize various warning signs of a toxic relationship, Grace said she’s been able to easily remove herself from these situations. “Since the end of my relationship, I’ve developed a ton of relationships, both friends and dating-wise,” Grace said. “Once you realize how

you’re supposed to be treated, it’s definitely very eye-opening, but very difficult. There’s been times where I’ve become interested in a guy, but I don’t pursue it because I’m really guarded. I think it’s a good thing that I’ve become more conscious of things because I know how I want to be treated in a relationship and I’ve taken that into my friendships as well. I know all of the red flags, so I’ve made a lot of positive relationships and friendships in the last year or so.” Grace said she agrees with the ideas behind both the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements and she believes it’s important to raise awareness. “I definitely think it’s a great thing t h a t

peop l e are starting to speak up,” Grace said. “The reason why I did this interview is because I want other people, whether you’re dating or just friends, to know that they shouldn’t be treated poorly. I just want this to maybe resonate in someone’s head and help them realize that something’s going on when it shouldn’t be.” After removing this negativity from her life, Grace is more content with herself and her current relationships. “I’m still not fully healed or whatever because I have my own personal issues which play into things, but I’m definitely growing and I’ve been having a lot of fun since then,” Grace said. “I still have more progress to make and I have things that will stick with me forever, but I do know how I want to be treated and that’s really important.”

*Grace is a psuedonym for a student who wished to remain anonymous

Graphic by Ramya Iyer

IN-DEPTH

HOUR TO EMPOWER Recent social movements strive for equality between genders sexual assault in her work since #Me Too became

EMMA MILLER, MALIA BATTAFARANO more publicized throughout the media. She said she PHOTO EDITOR, MANAGING EDITOR

A sea of people crowded downtown Omaha on Jan. 20. Men decked themselves out in every shade of pink; women chanted at the top of their lungs; children brandished political signs above their heads. And together, they marched. According to the Omaha World-Herald, about 8,000 people gathered for the 2018 Omaha Women’s March, “March on the Polls,” similar to others across the nation that weekend that focused on empowering women and encouraging political action. According to EliteDaily.com, it was one of 486 marches participated in by 1.5 million people. The event in Omaha was run by Andrea Talbot, who also works at the Women’s Center for Advancement as a victim advocate. To encourage community involvement after the march, Talbot invited protesters to local businesses for talks on various political issues, including sexual assault. Talbot did not organize the march last year, but she said recent events and prejudice have encouraged her to take more political action. “[Biased systems have] just become such a pressing issue, and then with the 2016 election and the year that we had last year in 2017, it’s just more apparent to me than ever that I can’t stand idly by and let things like that happen,” Talbot said. According to Talbot, the march was an overall success. “We had a lot of really positive feedback [about the march] and we’re starting to build momentum for next year already,” Talbot said. Sophomore Lily Castellan was sick this year and could not attend the march, but she went last year and said she was inspired by the diversity of the people that rallied together. “It was really powerful to see people of all genders and ages, colors, religions, come together to support the cause,” Castellan said. Castellan said that the speeches made at the march last year also had a great impact on her. “Some of [the speeches] made me cry,” Castellan said. “It just makes you feel [strongly] about the cause, more than you already do.” The Women’s March is one of many current movements aimed at empowering women. These include “Time’s Up” and #MeToo, which was founded by Tarana Burke. According to its website, #MeToo is a movement focused on allowing people to speak out and have a platform to tell their stories of sexual assault and/or harassment. The movement is aimed at changing the stigma surrounding sexual assault and victim shaming and is getting attention throughout the U.S. Similarly, the Time’s Up Movement has been pushing for an end to harassment and assault, especially in the workplace, according to the Time’s Up Now website. The movements have been amplified due to celebrities wearing specific attire to several award shows, such as black to the Oscars and white roses to the Grammys. “I think #MeToo is really critical,” Talbot said. “It empowered a lot of victims to speak out, some for the very first time and say, ‘You know, you’re not alone. It happened to me too.’ There’s a lot of power in community, and when so many people are willing to speak up and say it’s a problem, we can’t just ignore it. It’s a real problem. Believe women and believe, you know it’s not just women, believe victims.” Talbot said she has seen an increase in reports of

has seen a particular uptick in cases where it is unclear if the situation could be classified as sexual assault. This is similar to the “Grace” story published by the website Babe.net concerning actor, comedian and filmmaker Aziz Ansari. Ultimately, she said the movement is forcing us to define what sexual assault truly is. “[The #MeToo Movement is] fundamentally changing our concept of what sexual assault means,” Talbot said. “It isn’t a stranger in the bushes who jumps out and attacks you. I mean, that’s a thing, but the vast majority of sexual assault and sexual violence occurs in the context of a lot of inherent sexism, a lot of internalized patriarchy and things like that that people have come to expect of women and what women have been trained to expect in situations … where they don’t feel like they have the power to do anything or they’re not even sure if it was wrong, even though it felt wrong.” Talbot said she thinks that society’s outlook on sexual assault is evolving with the movement as well, giving more respect to victims. “I think we’re starting to lose a lot of the stigma and the shame that were inappropriately assigned to the victim,” Talbot said. “Society isn’t saying, ‘Oh, well you shouldn’t have been wearing that,’ or, ‘You shouldn’t have had that beer,’ or, ‘You shouldn’t have been out at night,’ and I think we’re really recognizing [that] from a legal standpoint. I work with the police a lot at my position at work and I see the police treating victims with respect and recognizing that it doesn’t matter if they were drinking. No means no, yes means yes, and there’s really no equivocation there.” Talbot said she hopes that in the future, the current push to empower women will pay off and people will not have to face the same barriers they do today. “I have daughters, I have sons and I’m really interested in them having a good world to grow up in and countries that respect others and respect people’s human rights and treat everyone equally,” Talbot said. Although she said she thinks it might be hard for kids to handle the current climate around sexual assault, junior Lizzy Watkins said she also thinks that it will bring about necessary change. “I think it would be kind of difficult to grow up in a society where there is so much heat surrounding [sexual assault],” Watkins said. “But I also think that if we can raise girls to understand that it’s not acceptable, then maybe we can start to eradicate the problem.” Social studies instructor Amy Studts agreed that the culture around sexual assault is changing for the better. “I think this is a great time for girls to grow up in society,” Studts said. “You have females running for president and that never really happened in the past. I have two young daughters that are six and seven years old, and I want them to feel empowered as women growing up and not feel like they have to stay silent, like they can do anything. And if something were to ever occur, [I hope] that they’d be able to stand up for themselves and speak up and say something without fear or retribution.” Senior Taylar Galvin said the current movements

“People are tired. Women are tired. We’re tired of not being listened to. We’re tired of being dismissed as if feminism is a dirty word, and it’s not.” Andrea Talbot, Women’s March Lead Organizer

have made her hopeful for the future. “[Women and men are] both capable of so many things,” Galvin said. “Motivation is what can bring us to be equal … I think [it would be] so awesome if we could come together and be able to share what life is like from another perspective.” Talbot said that people are ready for this change to come about. “People are tired,” Talbot said. “Women are tired. We’re tired of not being listened to. We’re tired of being dismissed as if feminism is a dirty word, and it’s not. Feminism stands for true equality between everyone of all race[s], all gender[s], all sexual orientation[s], all ethnicit[ies], all immigration status[es] and it really is [all those things]. It advocates for everyone.”

Below, a woman voices her support for feminism through a sign at the 2018 Omaha Women’s March on Jan. 20. Bottom, a teen uses a Vine reference to voice her support for equal pay for women. Photos by Aayushi Chaudhary

IN-DEPTH

11 Below, Westside Middle School eighth graders Natalie and Josephine Gettman pose for a photo at the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s March. Left, a crowd demonstrates beliefs with signs. Photos by Aayushi Chaudhary

Middle Left, a boy expresses opposition toward President Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposed border wall. Left, a woman uses Harry Potter reference to encourage others to stand up against Trump. Above: Protesters march in downtown Omaha. Photos by Aayushi Chaudhary and Julia Steiner

IN-DEPTH

BETWEEN THE LINES English class curriculum addresses sexual misconduct VIRGIN IA J A N S E N

FEATURE EDITOR

Sexual assault has recently become a main focus in the media, but it has always been a widely known issue. At the same time, many people rarely discuss it because it is considered by some to be a sensitive topic. Because of this, many teenagers aren’t as aware of sexual assault and how to deal with it if faced with it themselves. One way to educate students on sexual assault is to read about it. Many books include references and examples of sexual assault or harassment. At Westside, some English classes spend time reading books covering topics such as rape or abuse. Sarah Schoenrock is an English 2 Honors instructor. In English 2 Honors they read To Kill a Mockingbird, which is a novel published in 1960 that won the Pulitzer prize. At its core, the book focuses on sexual assault. “In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayella Ewell accuses Tom Robinson of raping her, and he is an African American man,” Schoenrock said. In the book, there are many themes that are also visible today in terms of sexual assault and its aftermath and whether the assault truly happened or not. One prevalent theme is false accusations, shown with an alleged rape. “[Tom Robinson] was falsely accused, but in that time period the chance[s] of him getting a [fair] trial were slim to none,” Schoenrock said. “Atticus Finch took on the role of his lawyer to defend him and presented the facts … in the courtroom. It was clear that he didn’t commit the crime, but he was convicted anyway.” One thing students can learn from this book is how much life has changed from the time To Kill a Mockingbird was written until now. Another class at Westside where a book showing sexual assault is read is AP Literature. This class is taught by English instructor Scott Gealy. “In AP Lit, we read a novel called The Bluest Eye, which has kind of at its core a sexual assault,” Gealy said. In The Bluest Eye, Pecola, the main character, is raped multiple times by her father. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 70 percent of rapes are committed by someone known to the victim. This book illustrates that fact. Deanna Bahl teaches English 2 (primarily sophomores) and also comes across the topic of sexual assault in her class. In it they read a book called Bite of the Mango, an autobiographical story of the life of Mariatu Kamara. Kamara is

a survivor of the civil war in Sierra Leone and is currently a United Nations Children’s Fund representative. “[Sexual assault] is mentioned quite a bit in Bite of the Mango,” Bahl said. “Mariatu, [the main character], was raped by a man that she was supposed to marry before they were actually married.” According to the RAINN, 25 percent of rapes are commited by a f o r m e r o r current spouse,

girlfriend or boyfriend, just like what happens in this book. Sexual assault is considered by some people to be a difficult topic. For this reason, it can be hard to include these topics in a high school class. Gealy said he finds it best to make sure students are prepared for what they will read. “I think the first thing that we did, or that I tend to do before we read the novel, is just kind of prepare students to understand that there is some content in the novel that’s really difficult,” Gealy said. “[We try to introduce] the content that is violent or otherwise features some level of abuse.” Bahl said she uses a similar strategy in terms of introducing students to the content. “We just kind of prepare kids in advance that this is a topic that is going to happen in the particular book, so that they can kind of expect it,” Bahl said. “There’s really not a lot of prep in terms of how to deal or anything like that with

It’s time to put your best face forward.

Barbara Wimmer Rodan + Fields Independent Consultant bwimmer.myrandf.com 360-213-9418

it. It’s more about just knowing that it’s coming, that this is what you might find, just so kids are aware, so it’s not abrupt and they aren’t surprised by it.” Even though the topic of sexual assault could be considered the only thing to pay attention to in a novel, some teachers look further into how the sexual assault fits into the rest of the book. “[We] look at the entire context of the piece,” Gealy said. “[We] look at who the author was, what the time period was, what the circumstances were and really think about how that particular incident serves the larger purpose of the text.” Gealy said he finds it important to make it clear to his students why something is included in the piece of literature. “If there is some sense of violence or sexual abuse, how does that fit into the larger idea or experience that the author wants the reader to have?” Gealy said. “[We make sure it’s clear] that it’s not just gratuitous, like for the sake of the act itself.” Schoenrock also said she finds it important to look at the text as a whole instead of just focusing on one single part. “In To Kill a Mockingbird, we just talked about the inference that was made that she had been sexually assaulted by her dad and we mainly addressed that,” Schoenrock said. “There are so many other topics in To Kill a Mockingbird that are seemingly more at the forefront … and so we bring it up in terms of the inference about her dad. But the focus is more that he is falsely accused … that she accused someone of rape that didn’t do it and injustice in general.” With sexual assault being a sensitive topic, some parents may not want students to read books involving this topic at school. “I’ve spoken with a number of parents over the years and written letters in defense of … a few different books,” Gealy said. “There’ve only been a couple occasions when a parent ultimately chose for that student not to read the book. It has happened, although it’s been relatively rare.” Bahl said she has not gotten many concerns from parents based on sexual assault in books, but she also is prepared to deal with it if concerns arise. “Very rarely have I ever encountered a parent that said, ‘Well, because of the rape scene I would prefer my student not read this,’” Bahl said. “Usually there are other issues involved. But of course, if there were, I would absolutely understand and then we would make alternate arrangements of what a student could read that would be more appropriate. [The book] would also hit the same indicators that we’re looking for in terms of what we’re trying to teach.”

Graphic by Virginia Jansen

IN-DEPTH

COMING OUT AGAINST SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

Opinions: Controversy arises over sexual assault allegations L AU REN K U G L E R

JANE GLAZER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, WIRED

STAFF WRITER, WIRED

According to the National Opinion Research Center for Public Affairs, sexual misconduct is “viewed by both men and women as a pervasive problem in American society. It is one that occurs all too regularly with serious repercussions.” One of the main problems in our world today is the lack of knowledge about the amount of false claims of sexual assault there really are. According to The Home Office research study, an estimated four percent of sexual misconduct allegations are false. False allegations may not seem worth paying attention to, but they can be life-ruining for both the accuser and the innocent person being accused. Even when the claims are false, the people that are wrongly accused have to aggressively defend themselves in order to avoid conviction. Coming out about sexual misconduct is becoming more prevalent, especially in Hollywood. Women today feel empowered to speak out. The movement #MeToo is a main cause of people feeling empowered to speak out. According to metoomvmt.org, “The #MeToo Movement has built a community of survivors from all walks of life.” People feel stronger than they ever have before, because they know they have a community that will be there for them and support them. Because people feel empowered to speak out, more inaccurate claims are emerging. English instructor Stephanie Heitmann agreed. “Unfortunately, every false allegation makes it that much harder for people who have been harmed and abused to get justice, because I feel like every fake story adds cracks to all the real stories because it makes people skeptical. I feel like it makes it harder for victims to come forward who actually have been abused when people make up stories just to get publicity or whatever their reasoning might be.” Punishments for sexual assault vary depending on the issue. Sexual misconduct is often considered a misdemeanor and may result in jail time, probation or fines. When sexual misconduct is charged as a result of an abuse of authority, a defendant may lose his or her job. Sexual misconduct, depending on severity, can be a felony, which leads to a minimum of 20 years in prison along with fines. Years in prison does a number on a person, but going to prison without doing anything can hurt a person emotionally, mentally and physically. According to Brett A. Podolsky, an attorney who experts in false allegations, there are many types of false allegations that include: someone close to the defendant, soon-to-be-ex-spouse using sexual misconduct for power, teenagers who are angry at their parents or step parents, children who are confused by outside information or tricked into believing a story, children and minors who are looking for attention and adults or minors who are looking for revenge or who want to ruin someone’s reputation. Other times a person may falsely report sexual misconduct in the hope of getting needed medical care or psychiatric medication. No one should ever feel that falsely accusing someone of sexual misconduct will work out in the end. It only ends up hurting both parties.

“It is important to honor a culture of truth.” English Instructor Molly Spisak

Since October of 2017, as several victims and predators of sexual assault came forward, more and more allegations of sexual assault have surfaced. As the amount of allegations have increased, so has the skepticism about the allegations. For several reasons, skepticism about reports of sexual assault is something as a society we need to move away from. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), the range of falsely reported sexual allegations is between two to eight percent. So skeptics, that means that 92 percent to 98 percent of the assaults one may be doubting or suspicious of have happened. False allegation reports may also be grouped with other types of reported sexual violence. These acts are often logged as “unfounded” or “no crime,” and are typically reported by a bystander. These situations are not false allegations, but as it can be difficult to differentiate them from false allegations, they may appear to be. Secondly our culture often doesn’t question the legitimacy of reported acts of other crimes, such as stealing. As sexual assault is a crime, and we don’t doubt other types of crime, sexual misconduct shouldn’t be treated any differently. As a society, we should work to view sexual misconduct as an inexcusable, undoubted crime. Sexual assault is an uncomfortable thing for many to discuss. It can be embarrassing, deteriorating and hard for people to come to terms with. If someone has built the courage to take action on mistreatment they have received, respect them. Those suffering from the trauma of sexual assault are often facing mental instability. According to the McGill Journal of Medicine, sexual assault is the most common cause of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in women. Treating PTSD can help the victim decrease their PTSD symptoms, as well as regain a sense of self control. On the contrary, not believing, or discounting, some of those who share their story can worsen their mental state. English teacher Molly Spisak said she agrees. She said she believes that in order for progress in society, we need to create a culture where reports of sexual misconduct are validated. “It is important to honor a culture of truth,” Spisak said. “We have to validate people’s stories because if we’re going to have a shift in the culture, we have to begin to vocalize why and how it’s wrong, and if people stay silent there will never be a culture shift. By speaking the stories and continuing to educate people, [we] will continue to shift the culture, and then that’s how change happens.” Although more and more reports of sexual allegations have been made, the gravity of each allegation should not be any less. It is important and inspiring that women now feel they have a voice and a safe platform to come forward with reports of sexual misconduct. Denying or discrediting any allegation is belittling to all women who have come forward in this time of empowerment. Graphics by Jane Knudsen

IN-DEPTH

SILENT VICTIMS Stigma leads to fewer men reporting cases of sexual harassment MIN A T E S T O L I N be identified as sexual harassment by men than comfortable speak COPY EDITOR

According to the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, one in four females and one in six males will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Although sexual assault is commonly recognized as a female issue, a large number of males are still affected, but male victims don’t report it as often. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center details that only 47 percent of sexual assaults are reported and only one in 25 reported assaults are against a man. Jenny Heineman, instructor of sociology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), said she believes that the greatest source of stigma around male victims is the patriarchy. “Men are trained to think of themselves as powerful and unbreakable,” Heineman said. “Acting otherwise is often devalued as ‘sissy’ behavior. Think about it. It’s way cooler for a young girl to be a ‘tomboy’ than for a young boy to be a ‘sissy.’” Sam Ammons, associate professor in sociology at UNO, also touched on sexuality and masculinity. “[Male victims] could worry that others see them as ‘less of a man,’” Ammons said. “[For example], ‘If you were a more powerful man, that would never have happened to you.’ If another man harassed them, there could be concerns that somehow they were ‘asking for it’ and must be gay.” Recently, the Barna Group, a research company, asked more than 1,000 Americans what constitutes sexual harassment and found that most behaviors,

such as touching and groping, were less likely to

gender

women. Heineman said that these results could be the effect of a societal issue. “Men have been trained to fetishize sexual violence,” Heineman said. “That’s why they are usually the perpetrators of it, and it’s also why they don’t often see themselves as victims of it. Until we as a society can address the specific ways that men are taught to glorify sexual violence, [it] will continue.” Ammons explained that the stigma around men also specifically stems from homophobia. “If a man is harassed by another man though, he may be more likely to shrug off or deny that harassment is happening because of worries about sexuality,” Ammons said. “It can be easier to write off the situation as ‘guys being guys’ than have a conversation about same-sex attraction.” Though the stigma around male victims is perpetuated by the media, recent movements such as #MeToo and Time’s Up have inspired celebrities and non-celebrities alike to come out as victims of sexual assault. According to Ammons, while the reality of being a male victim may be confusing and tough, being able to talk about one’s situation is becoming easier. “The U.S. Military is a great example of this,” Ammons said. “Over the last decade, they have examined their reporting structures and worked on changing military culture and policies. The latest Department of Defense report from 2017 showed increased reporting of harassment and assault, and they attribute this to their efforts.” As for how society can help victims of all

about sexual violence, Heinem a n said s h e

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hopes that t h e world w i l l begin to move towards equality. “To me, one small piece of equity looks like valuing femininity,” Heineman said. “I believe men are shamed from speaking [up] because doing so makes them appear or feel emasculated. But even the concept of emasculation is rooted in a profound cultural hatred of femininity. If we want men to feel more comfortable talking about their experiences in the world, we have to first stop hating femininity.”

Graphic by Mina Testolin

FEATURE

SHARE THE CARE Believe It or Not I Care club aims to improves school morale ANGE LIN A P A T T A V I N A what they do inspired her, and she knew that it had to about the club. She said the origins of the club and

S TAFF WRITER

From fishing club to Future Business Leaders of America, Westside is home to many clubs. Believe It or Not I Care, also known as B.I.O.N.I.C. club, is a nationwide club whose goal is to help make students feel welcomed, safe and like they always have a friend. According to club sponsor and counselor Lauri Cunningham, members put together activities to make students feel welcome, empower bystanders and reach out to those who have experienced tragedy. “Some activities that the club has already done was the ‘10/10 I care day’ in homeroom, where each student received a card that they gave to someone they cared about,” Cunningham said. “We also work to sell suckers after school for $1 to whoever wants one.” Cunningham said that once a month, the club has a new student breakfast where they give newer students some tips and a school survival kit containing a binder, paper and pencils to help get them through their first month. Freshman AnnaLeesa Telford went to one of the new student breakfasts. “I met and got to know the people in the B.I.O.N.I.C. club and another four or five other new students,” Telford said. “[We got] a binder with a pencil and notepads and a list of a bunch of other clubs you can join. [From that] I joined the Thespian Society, which is an acting group that they have at the school. I’m glad [I went].” The club has several different teams that each have a different role. The ones that are now active are: birthday team, new student team, illness team and loss team. The other teams — intergenerational team and school tragedy team — are in the planning stages. Cunningham said she hopes to have them all up and running soon. “Each team helps to do something different at Westside to ensure the community is getting the help they need,” Cunningham said. “The birthday team tries to send out a birthday card with a piece of gum attached to each student on their birthday, and the illness team will help to tutor students on their own time who have missed a few days of school.” When Cunningham went to an American School Counseling Association conference in July of 2017, she said she watched a presentation given by students

happen at Westside. “There are over 900 affiliation clubs or teams in the whole nation, and there are some that are even international,” Cunningham said. “It’s kind of a cool club to belong to I think, because everyone within those clubs is trying to promote a caring environment in the school.” As this is Westside’s first year having the club, there are only about 17 members, but they will accept anyone at any time if they decide they want to join. All students have to do is email Cunningham about joining. Cunningham said a bonus for their members is that they get service hours, because the club is all about service to other people. She said that there are a few members that come to every meeting and event. One of them is senior Kelsie Watson. “I saw Mrs. Cunningham on Club Fair Day, and she is one of my favorite people, so I went over to see what the club was about,” Watson said. “I decided to sign up and after the first meeting I liked [the club] even more. After that, I signed up to become a team leader.” Every activity that the club does is also done across the nation. The work the members do is determined by a pre-set platform, but the school’s members choose the small details that they want to do. Watson said that this club could really take off and become a bigger thing eventually. “I hope that the [club’s impact and member count] will increase more,” Watson said. “I wish that I could’ve started on it my freshman year, or offered it my freshman year, because I feel like it would’ve been bigger now. It’s really important too because we learn a lot of stuff in B.I.O.N.I.C., like how a smile a day can really help somebody, or if you just say, ‘Hi,’ to somebody even. We’re all different and we have to embrace the difference in others. So I think it’s a club that should stay around forever.” Cunningham and Watson both said the club is a good place for anyone who cares about other people. Their goal is to reach out to the people that need them. Watson said she hates to hear and see people who think that nobody cares about them, because someone does. She said she hopes to bring diversity to the table, because everyone is different.

PAIR OF TEARS

“I know what it’s like to be left out, to not be so popular, always [to be] in the background, to be talked about,” Watson said. “Due to this, I can help relate to people more on a personal level. I want to turn the school around and help it become a more positive and not so negative place.” Cunningham said she agrees with Watson in the sense that B.I.O.N.I.C. club is a club for everybody, even if they don’t have the experience of loneliness, because it helps people to open their eyes and see what’s right in front of them and be diverse. “I don’t care if you’re popular, unpopular, a different race,” Watson said. “Let’s just all stick together and make something good out of it. I want people to know that I care about them, and that’s all. I’m here to help anyone who thinks they don’t have anyone who [cares] about them or thinks they can’t make it through the next day. Me being in this club means that they have somebody that cares about them and that they have somebody to call.”

B.I.O.N.I.C. Club members Adrianna Gower, Abby Carlson and Corine Tourek sell lollipops after school to raise money for the club. Photo courtesy of Lauri Cunningham

Two Westside girls varsity basketball players suffer from torn ACLs JOHN M A I E R

STAFF WRITER

Sophomore Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor and Junior Ryley Nolin record statistics and watch the game on the sideline due to their injuries at the Omaha North game. Photo by Emma Miller

This season, two players on the girls varsity basketball team suffered anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries: junior Ryley Nolin and sophomore Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor. They are both sidelined until next season due to ACL tears. On Jan. 21, Nolin suffered her injury during an offseason soccer workout, and she has had successful surgery to repair her ACL. According to Nolin, the trainers originally thought that her injury was minor. “I went to the trainers and they thought it was just an MCL [medial collateral ligament] tweak,” Nolin said. “I started shooting before I knew I tore it because I thought I was going to be back [playing].” McGinnis-Taylor tore her ACL on Jan. 13 in a home game against Grand Island. “I was on the ground trying to get a jump ball and someone sat on top of my leg,” McGinnis-Taylor said. “Then it bent back and it popped.” Head coach Steve Clark said he believes that the team has done a great job rallying around Nolin and McGinnis-Taylor and that their teammates have embraced their new roles. “One of our beliefs is that [in] everything we do, we are better together,” Clark said. “It was tough at first. We weren’t sure what was going to happen, but we spent a lot of time talking about how it was an opportunity for others to step up and handle adversity and everyone I think has been great. Everyone has

stepped into a new role.” McGinnis-Taylor said she believes that the healing process is difficult. “It’s been hard to deal with mentally and physically,” McGinnis-Taylor said. “I’ve been doing things to strengthen [my ACL] again.” Nolin said she hopes to become a leader once she is able to return. Not only does this injury affect her basketball season, but she will also have to forgo her junior soccer season. “Being a senior next year, I really want to lead the team and use [this injury] as a learning experience,” Nolin said. “Next year, my mentality will be so much different, and I’ll be ready to work harder.” McGinnis-Taylor said that the team has been very supportive throughout the healing process. “They’ve been really good about it,” McGinnis-Taylor said. “When it first happened, they came and visited and had lunch and gave me gifts.” Nolin said she has received lots of positive energy throughout the healing process. “Everyone’s telling me I’m going to be stronger after and it’s hard to believe [right] now, but I’m starting to believe in it,” Nolin said. Clark said he believes that although they can’t play, Nolin and McGinnis-Taylor are still contributing to the success of the team. “I think [McGinnis-Taylor] and [Nolin] have been great about coming to practice [and] supporting the team,” Clark said. “They take some stats on the bench. They still have a role on the team.”

SPORTS

TOP OF HIS CLASS

Sophomore varsity basketball player receives top ranking in Nebraska M E GH AN M A Y N A R D and make me the best player I can be.”

yet. They just had my back throughout it and try

STAFF WRITER

Sophomore Jadin Booth has played basketball for as long as he can remember. All of his hard work and dedication is starting to pay off. Booth was ranked No. 1 for boys basketball in the 2020 class in Nebraska. This new ranking has brought him more recognition with both coaches and other players. “People are starting to know me, so they deny me the whole game and try to get me out of the game,” Booth said. “It definitely makes things harder in games, but I like it.” Although competitors have made the game harder for Booth, he said he hasn’t backed down. “I just let them try to get into my head,” Booth said. “I just let it be. I don’t try to pay attention to those [comments]. They can say what they want. I just play my game and let the game do the talking.” No matter what, Booth said his teammates have been encouraging and supported him towards this rank. “My teammates were very supportive of [the rank],” Booth said. “They were actually the first people to tell me since I hadn’t found out

Varsity boys basketball coach Jim Simons said Booth’s work ethic was strong and he was excited for him. “I was excited for him,” Simons said. “It’s exciting to get appreciated for the work that Jadin put in and the success he has had. The positive recognition is great.” Simons said the work Booth has put in to get to this point in his career shows. “The biggest thing with Jadin is to show how much work he has put in, no matter what we are doing, in season or offseason, he will put time in on his own to grow as a player,” Simons said. “He has gotten a lot stronger over the summer and he is a great example of what happens when you have a passion for something and you work on it.” Along with his teammates and coach, Booth’s family members said they were thrilled to see him receive this ranking. “My family was really happy, but they still told me to keep working and don’t be satisfied,” Booth said. Simons said he has a similar track for the rest of Booth’s career. “Jadin is pretty grounded and levelheaded so

“It puts a target on you... there will be kids who want that same recogntion.”

Varsity Basketball Coach Jim Simons

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that ranking is a nice honor, but it doesn’t automatically, at the beginning of the game, give him ten points,” Simons said. “It’s something that he earned and I think he will continue to keep himself in this position.” Simons said he understands that other teams and players will try to get into Booth’s head. “I think it’s important for him to remember it’s only the opinion of a few people,” Simons said. “It puts a target on you. Although it’s a nice honor to have people plan games around you, there will be kids who want that same recognition. They will try and prove to him they can do the things he has done.”

Sophomore Jadin Booth stares down a competitor while taking the ball down the court at a home basketball game against Omaha North. Photo by Emma Miller

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SPORTS

WINTER SPORTS WRAP-UP

BOYS BASKETBALL During Jim Simons’ first year as the head boys varsity basketball coach, the Warriors went 10-12 in the regular season, winning four more games than the previous year. This earned them a three seed in the district tournament, which pitted them against two seed Millard North. After a win against Millard North, they went on to face Bellevue West in the District Championship but came up short. Behind leading scorers Jadin Booth and Chase Thompson, the Warriors averaged 65.5 points per game throughout the year, but were unable to draw a wildcard for the state tournament.

Left, Senior Jaden Kohls approaches the net against Omaha North. Right, sophomore PJ Ngambi passes to a teamate. Photos by Emma Miller

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Left, varsity girls basketball celebrates a Metros victory against Millard South. Right, senior Quinn Weidemann passes to a teamate in an offensive move. Photos by Olivia Washburn and Emma Miller

BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING Two years ago, the boys swim and dive team finished 23rd at state, last year fifth and this year, second. With the help of senior transfer Jon Gouger, the team’s leading scorer, the boys team won Metros, ending Creighton Prep’s ten year Metro win streak. In the state meet that took place from Feb. 22 through 24, freshman diver Koby Bretz placed second, and the swim team finished second as well, behind Creighton Prep.

Left, senior Liz Luddy competes at Metros. Right, sophomore Eva Collins (right) comes off a turn at practice. Photos by Alex Estopare and Emma Miller

WRESTLING After losing seniors and state champions Darlondo Hill and Josh Jansa last year, Westside sent five wrestlers to state this year. Sophomores Jeromy and Trey Nielsen made it back to state, along with junior Nolan Miller-Johnston. Freshman Cade Haberman and junior Matt Onken made it for the first time. Miller-Johnston was the only one of these five to advance to the quarterfinals in the tournament.

This winter, the girls team constructed an impressive resume consisting of a record of 23-3, a second place finish in their bracket at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona, a Metro Championship and District Championship. Despite the injuries of two key players, Ryley Nolin and Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor, the girls beat Omaha Northwest in the District Championship and will return to the state tournament as a two seed after missing out last year. The state tournament will take place from March 1 to March 3 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. The results will be on Westside Wired.

Left, senior Jon Gouger prepares for his event, the 200 free. Right, junior Paul Schmidt swims the 100 breast. Photos by Alex Estopare

GIRLS SWIMMING AND DIVING With a relatively young group this year, the girls swim team was able to find success this season. With the help of junior Laina Bayles and freshmen Logan Kuehne and Malia Snow, the girls team placed sixth in the state tournament this year after placing twelfth last year. The girls team came in third in this year’s Metro meet and looks to improve upon this season’s success next year.

Sophomore Joe Hamze (left) and freshman Will Cubrich (right) wrestle opponents on Jan. 25. Photos by Taylor Weis Blurbs by Ryan Adkins

SPORTS

“FREE” TIME Athlete works to manage sports, schoolwork and a social life W IL L C O H E N to most high schoolers, and it is often the thing

A social life is something that is very important

STAFF WRITER

Trying to manage school, sports, and a social life is a difficult battle for many high schoolers who also participate in sports, but it is one that must be fought on a daily basis. With only 24 hours in a day and nearly ten hours spent at school and practice, trying to fit ample rest, study and relaxation into one night is a challenge for all high school athletes. “Our basketball practices are usually two hours long and we play around one to two games a week,” sophomore varsity boys basketball player Cal Weidemann said. With practices lasting for two hours, Weidemann gets home from school at 6:30 or 8:30 depending on if he has early or late practice. Arriving home so late makes completing homework a challenge. “I usually give myself 30 minutes to relax before I begin working on my homework,” Weidemann said. “Whatever homework or assignments that I can’t get done that night, I’ll try to wake up early enough to get it done in the morning. That can be a struggle sometimes with morning workouts as well, so then I’ll just have to get them done during open mods throughout the day.” With athletes lacking adequate sleep due to limited time to complete homework, long school days and tiring practices, an average week can be a vicious cycle that leaves student athletes stuck in an endless dilemma of prioritization.

that is most affected by a sport. With practices six days a week, often times many athletes are not able to spend time with friends because of their extremely tight schedules. “There have been many times throughout my life where sports have affected my social life,” Weidemann said. “There were times where my friends would want to hang out on a Friday night, but I wouldn’t be able to go because I had a practice or game the next morning.” While Weidemann said sports often affect his time to hang out with friends, he said he believes that sports are worthwhile in the end. “I’ve met a lot of great friends that I’ve played with or against throughout the years, and I’m still great friends with today, and I have sports to thank for that,” Weidemann said. Because of this constant week to week schedule, Weidemann said he and other athletes are often left wishing that they just had more time. “Having more hours throughout the day would be a great thing, but it’s not like we can make the earth spin any slower,” Weidemann said. Because of a sport, these athletes lose out on time to complete homework, hang out with friends and take time for much needed rest and relaxation. While everyday life becomes far more challenging, for athletes like Weidemann, the time, effort and exhaustion is far outweighed by the memories he has made doing what he loves.

“It’s not like we can make the earth spin any slower.”

Sophomore Cal Weidemann

Sophomore Cal Weidemann shoots a free throw at a home basketball game. Photo by Emma Miller

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A&E

DOGFIGHT

Warrior Theatre hopes to impact audience by performing new musical young child or I was a bratty teacher’s pet, but

ABBY S C H R E I B E R [Rose] is actually a pretty normal twenty-yearSTAFF WRITER

As the 1960s U.S. Marines say goodbye to chili fries and apple pies from the stage, the audience can say hello to Eddie Birdlace and Rose Fenny, the centers of the musical “Dogfight.” The new Warrior Theatre production tells the story of the awkward and forced relationship between the two leads in a pre-Vietnam War San Francisco. The show is based on the traditions of soldiers at the time, who would throw a dance to find the ugliest date in hopes of winning money, also known as a dogfight. Senior Sam DeVries stars as Eddie Birdlace, the Marine who brings Rose Fenny to a dogfight. This is DeVries’ first role in Warrior Theatre. “[Joining Warrior Theatre] has been pretty stressful,” DeVries said. “I know I have to put in a lot of work to get to the same level that some of the guys are on.” Despite Eddie Birdlace’s involvement in the dogfights, DeVries said he believes that the audience can see a difference in his attitude throughout the show. “He starts as a Marine who wants to be the big man, but that starts to change as he starts to meet new people before he gets shipped off to war,” DeVries said. Senior Maddy Stark plays the role of Rose Fenny, a fragile and isolated twenty-year-old. Stark previously played the role of Ginger in “Zombie Prom” and Bielke in “Fiddler on the Roof.” “This is a really big role for me,” Stark said. “The other roles I’ve played were either a very

old.” “Dogfight” was written by the same composers as “La La Land,” “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Greatest Showman.” This was one of the factors that helped Director Jeremy Stoll make the decision to bring this production to Westside. “The music was the first really big thing that drew me to it,” Stoll said. “The music is amazing, but also I think the message is really good for students at Westside. We decided to do this for our audience.” Although the show takes place in the 1960s, it shines a light on many modern-day issues related to gender inequalities and beauty standards. Stoll said he hopes the message of “Dogfight” will have a strong impact on the teens in the audience. “I want [young men] to see what the mindsets of these sort of naïve, uneducated young men and the way that they treat others,” Stoll said. “It’s self-destructive as well as destructive toward other people.” Both the cast and the crew said they hope the production will spark a conversation amongst the audience. “The mean guys and the fragile girls, we see that everywhere, all of the time,” Stark said. “That’s a lot of what this musical is about and I think it’s important people take that away.” The show will premiere on March 8 at 7 p.m. and continue on March 9 at 7 p.m. and 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available on Feb. 23 for donors and March 2 for the public, costing $12 for adults and $7 for students.

Seniors Sam DeVries and Maddy Stark practice their performance together on stage. Photo by Ryan Alger

HOROSCOPES Horoscopes by Kaelyn Mettler

Aries 21 March-19 April

Taurus 20 April-20 May

Graphics by Vinny Nelson

Gemini 21 May-20 June

Aries, you have lots of confidence which is a good thing, but don’t let it get to your head. Your sign looks high and low for competition, and when you can’t find it, you take it out on yourself. This month, focus on things that make you really happy. Instead of hanging out inside and settling for the weekend, do what you want! Today: Enjoy a night with old friends.

You’ve been so focused recently that you can afford to take time off this month. Doing nothing every once in a while is good for your body and mind. You should bounce back so quickly and happily that you decide to make this quiet time a regular part of your month. Today: Clean out your backpack.

Be prepared for people in your life to be overwhelmed with emotion with the new moon this month. This month your world might seem to get bigger and give you more room to move and breathe. It might be time to finally start something important that you’ve been putting off. Today: Do your homework before you go out.

Cancer 21 June-22 July

Leo 23 July-22 August

Virgo 23 August-22 September

Someone close needs to talk to you, but you might not have the time or the emotional wherewithal to deal with their issues at the moment. It’s always more thoughtful to be direct instead of avoiding conversation, or pretending you missed their messages. Improve your karma quite a bit by not leaving them hanging. Today: Call a family member you haven’t talked to recently.

During this month your relationships will begin to change, including some endings, but it’s good to get a breath of fresh air every once in a while. Don’t be aggressive, as this can only lead to arguments and getting yourself into more trouble. You can ignore all of these problems and work on yourself. Today: Switch up your lunch.

This month you may hear some unexpected information that’s come out and will change things up in your life. For some, this might evoke a new wave of creativity and help you to understand more about your surroundings. Make sure to keep space in your life for the things you love. Today: Do something kind for a stranger.

Libra 23 September-22 October

Scorpio 23 October-21 November

Sagittarius 22 November-21 December

Your diplomatic strides are leading you to success because of how driven you are, but watch out for others who might try to distract you from your victories. Libra has to be careful when interacting with other people, or they may suddenly realize that they might be surrounded by the wrong people. Your passion to help others sometimes interferes with helping yourself. Today: Buy yourself new clothes online.

The new moon this month could evoke some relationship problems, specifically in the family sector. Use your admirable intelligence to come up with a smart resolution to these issues. Your love chart is sure to light up towards the end of this month, so keep your heart on your sleeve! Today: Cook a family member dinner.

With this month having two full moons, rest up after a possibly hyper March 1, and brace yourself for a busy March 28. The new moon on March 15 will keep you hopping with friends and fun close to home. This month, don’t let anything throw you off your game. You have things under control. Today: Draw something.

Capricorn 22 December-19 January

Aquarius 20 January-18 February

Pisces 19 February-20 March

The full moon this month calls for romance. But don’t worry if you cant find a date, your work-oriented qualities will also come to use as you get new opportunities. Expect an increase in money. Today: Write in a journal.

No matter what this month throws your way, you should keep a clear mind. This morning, you may come across in such a way that people see you as stronger and less vulnerable than you are actually feel. Although it’s temporary, it simply requires some readjustment as you take a moment to look backward before going forward. Today: Begin a new hobby to improve yourself

Feelings are high and hearts are full as the month begins and ends. The new moon is a precious, private time for you, even if you’re busier than usual. Save time and energy to reflect on what is happening to and around you and what it all really means to you. On March 21, Venus conjoins Neptune in Pisces for possibly the most romantic, dreamy day of the year. Don’t float away. Today: Direct message that special someone.

A&E

WHO’S HEADLINING? With the winter months coming to an end and spring ahead, there are a lot of new and exciting things to do. In the month of March, there are a lot of indoor concerts going on in Nebraska. From country stars to popular rappers, there is a concert for everyone. B RO O K L YN J A M E S

STAFF WRITER

P!nk:

Date- March 6 Location- Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln Ticket prices- between $100 and $500 Information- P!nk is a pop singer and seen as a spunky and outgoing artist. She has been successful in the past and is known for hit songs such as “What About Us” and “Just Give Me A Reason.”

Lecrae:

Date- March 16 Location- Sokol Auditorium, Omaha Tickets- ranging between $29 and $158 Information- Lecrae is an American Christian hip hop artist and songwriter. His music has gotten more popular recently. Some of his songs include, “I’ll Find You” and “Blessings.”

Graphics by Julia Steiner

Miranda Lambert:

Date- March 8 Location- Centurylink Center, Omaha Ticket prices- between $40 and $80 Information- Lambert is a country singer who has won multiple Grammys. She is known for her songs such as “Mama’s Broken Heart” and “Tin Man.”

Lorde:

Date- March 24 Location- Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln Tickets- between $40 and $100 Information- Lorde is a singer and songwriter who has also won multiple Grammys. She has gotten very popular all over the world, being from New Zealand. She is very well known for her hit songs “Royals,” “Team,” and recently, “Green Light.”

Quinn XCII:

Date- March 13 Location- The Waiting Room Lounge Tickets- General Admission which are $66 Information- Quinn XCII is a singer and songwriter who brings pop, hiphop, reggae and electronic dance music (EDM) into his music. He’s known best for his songs “Another Day in Paradise” and “Native Tongue.”

A$ap Ferg (with Denzel Curry and IDK):

Date- March 31 Location- Sokol Auditorium, Omaha Tickets- range between $29 and $35 Information- A$asp Ferg is a hip hop and rap singer. He has become well known and has been releasing new music recently. He’s known best for his recent hit “Plain Jane” and other songs such as “Work REMIX” and “Shabba.” He’ll be in concert with Denzel Curry, who sings the song “Ultimate,” and also the rapper IDK.