The Lance: Issue 4 2020

THE

LANC E

THE DECADE IN REVIEW

RIDING INTO THE FUTURE

PAGE 15

READ MORE ABOUT SOPHOMORE AVERY WHITE S SNOWMOBILING VENTURES AND GoPro SPONSORSHIP ON PAGE 22

‘

Feb. 10, 2020

Westside High School

Volume 64 Issue 4

COVER BY JULIA STEINER - DESIGN BY ABBY SCHREIBER COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF AVERY WHITE

eDITORS-IN-CHIEF Maryam Akramova Malia Battafarano Julia Steiner Isabella Tyler

managing eDITORS Virginia Jansen Angelina Pattavina

design eDITOR Abby Schreiber

copy eDITOR Reese Pike

graphics eDITOR Angela Li

photo eDITOR Ella Kirkpatrick

news eDITOR Luke Steiner

opinion eDITOR Faith Rice

in-depth eDITOR Eleanor Dodge

feature eDITOR Emma Miller

a&E eDITOR Jane Knudsen

graphic artists Delaney Davis Nathan Evans Kenzie Harden Parker LeFebvre Sage Wein

business manager Charlotte Miller

staff writers Emma Allen Drew Cota Izzy Dodge Brooklyn James Meghan Maynard

guest contributors Caleb De La Cruz Theo Jansen Meredith Matz Ainsley Meyerson Nathanael Monjarez Macias Emma Rieser

instagram, twitter & facebook

contributors

02 - INFO

@westsidewired youtube warrior tv

table of contents

PAGE 3 news PAGE 12 opinion PAGE 14 editorial PAGE 15 in-depth PAGE 22 feature PAGE 25 sports PAGE 26 a&E

design by jane knudsen - graphics by kenzie harden

tight five

NEWS - 03

BY EMMA MILLER THE TOP FIVE CURRENT NEWS STORIES CORONAVIRUS

impeachment

australia

kobe

earthquake

Originating in Wuhan, China, the Coronavirus epidemic has spread to many Asian countries, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. Additionally, there have been confirmed Coronavirus cases in the United States, Australia, France, Germany, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and other countries. The highly contagious disease has become deadly, killing 490 people with 24,324 confirmed cases in mainland China and others globally. The virus originated from animals. It is closely related to both SARS and MERS, other highly contagious diseases. All U.S. travelers to Wuhan, China, are being rerouted to return through one of five U.S. airports and are being screened for symptoms of the disease upon arrival. Additionally, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending that all non-essential travel to China be avoided. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing and upper respiratory inflammation. In older or immunocompromised people, this can lead to pneumonia or more serious illnesses.

On Jan. 15, the House of Representatives, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, submitted two articles of impeachment to the Senate. They charged President Donald Trump with abuse of office and obstructing Congress. These articles stem from a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Trump appeared to ask Ukraine to look into a political rival, Joe Biden, and his family in return for military aid. These allegations came to light through an anonymous complaint filed in August by a U.S. government official. It took about a month for the articles of impeachment to reach the Senate, due to a holdout from Speaker Nancy Pelosi over Senate trial rules.

On Friday, Jan. 31, the Republicanled Senate rejected the calling of any witnesses with a 51-49 majority vote.

Most senators voted along party lines, with Republian senators Mitt Romney (Utah) and Susan Collins (Maine) voting in favor of witnesses.

Bushfires have been raging throughout Australia for months, beginning in September of 2019, as intense heat and drought have provided the right conditions for it to spread rapidly. The fires have ruined thousands of homes and taken the lives of 27 people. Additionally, the fires have had devastating impacts on wildlife, killing roughly 25,000 koalas and destroying more than 27 million acres of land. The full impact of the fires is yet to be seen, as many are still blazing, but an estimated total of one billion animals have perished thus far. Due to the large scope of the blazes, American firefighters have traveled to help aid the Australian people. Recently, three American crew members died when their air tanker crashed. Due to recent heavy rainfall, the scope of the fires has been reduced, but they are still being fought today. Additionally, many fundraising efforts have occurred to help fund aid for the wildlife affected.

In the early afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 26, a private helicopter carrying nine people crashed into a mountainside in Calabasas, California, killing all on board. It was later determined that the helicopter was carrying basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, Junior College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, daughter Alyssa, assistant coach Christina Mauser, pilot Ara Zobayan and Sarah and Paton Chester.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), but the weather is thought to have been a factor, as foggy conditions were reported.

The helicopter was on its way to a basketball tournament where Gianna and her teammates were set to compete in a game at the Thousand Oaks location of Bryant’s Mamba Academy.

The helicopter was a Sikorsky S-76 model and had been used by Bryant since he started playing in the NBA as a faster mode of transportation.

An extremely powerful earthquake struck in the Caribbean between Cuba, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The quake was measured as having a 7.7 magnitude, and its effects were felt in Cuba, Jamaica and Miami, Florida. There was a brief tsunami warning issued, but due to the earthquake producing sideways movement on the fault of Earth’s tectonic plates, the tsunami risk was later moved to low. While some businesses were evacuated in Miami due to shaking, there were no reported injuries.

Information according to BBC, WebMD, ABC News, Newsweek, Business Insider

04 - NEWS

GRAPHIC BY LUKE STEINER - DESIGN BY ABBY SCHREIBER

ipad proposal WESTSIDE CONSIDERS NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

BY REESE PIKE

M

ore than 6,000 new devices. Four million dollars over the next four years. A new iPad, keyboard case and Logitech crayon for every student in the district. These are all components of a possible proposal to switch from laptops to iPads in the coming school year. Put together by district Director of Technology Paul Lindgren and Coordinator of Technology Integration Matt Lee, this new plan is called Westside Complete.

According to Lindgren, iPads have the capacity to change students’ lives at school and at home.

“Westside Complete means these devices can really apply to helping you in all aspects of your life,” Lindgren said.

Instead of the 11” MacBook Air high school students currently have, they would receive a 10.5” iPad Air with 256 GB of storage. This is twice the amount of storage the laptops have now. Middle school students would get the same, and elementary students would receive a 10.2” iPad with 32 GB of storage. Staff members would have a 12.9” iPad Pro with 256 GB of storage. In addition to the iPads, students in grades 3-12 would have a keyboard case, and all students would be provided with a Logitech crayon.

According to Lee, the Logitech crayon is a stylus and has very similar capabilities to an Apple Pencil, which staff members would receive. Staff would also be able to keep the laptops that they currently have as a transitional device.

While this is one possibility for what technology will look like in the district next year, Superintendent Mike Lucas said the district is investigating other options at this point in time.

“No decisions have been made, and we’re really trying to take all the next month-and-a-half to try to figure out and compare and contrast a bunch of different options as to what would be best moving forward, both academically and financially,” Lucas said.

Some other possibilities could be switching to Chromebooks, moving to iPads for only students, staying with laptops at the high school and moving to iPads at the middle school or sticking with the current type of device students at different grade levels have now. However, the idea to switch all students and staff to iPads was presented to the school board at a meeting on Jan. 20.

Switching to iPads would be a change for the district.

However, they have been in classrooms for several years.

While high school students first got laptops 16 years ago,

iPads were introduced to the elementary schools in 2014. That was the first year the district went one to one with technology. Lindgren and Lee both said that the iPad’s capabilities have changed greatly in that time.

“We’re at that point now where we see, ‘Okay, [iPads] have matured enough where [they can] ... do almost everything that you are used to, plus all the extra stuff,’” Lindgren said.

“That’s where we’re coming from. We’ve looked at this technology for a long, long, long, long time. Now, we think it’s time for it to be the device that can really do what you guys need it to do.”

Some of these new capabilities include being able to open multiple apps at one time, a filing system similar to that found on a MacBook, a professional-level camera and a wide variety of apps. Swift Playgrounds is one app Lee said he was excited for students to see. It focuses on coding and teaching users the Swift programming language. It’s not available on Mac, so classes have not been able to use it before.

“You can program augmented reality experiences,” Lee said. “Through code on the iPad, you can make stuff appear on tables in front of you and interact with those in the real world.”

The apps the iPads will have include Photoshop, iMovie (which now has greenscreen capabilities), Microsoft Office products, Notability, Explain Everything and some other Adobe apps. Notability is an app that can be used for taking notes in combination with the Logitech crayon.

Students can also annotate documents, draw and add audio files to notes with the app.

While there are new possibilities for applications with the iPads, changes will need to occur for many classes if the proposal is accepted. Xcode, which is currently used by computer science classes, is not available on iPad. Another area that would be greatly affected by a change like this is the art department. Art instructor Liz Hough said classes like Photography, Graphic Design and Digital Art would be most affected.

“For my classes for the AP Drawing and 2D, the kids would have to switch to programs [that are] different from what they use now,” Hough said. “They would be using Affinity or Procreate. A lot of students do like those two programs … However, not using programs like Photoshop and Illustrator aren’t going to prepare them as much for college and what programs they would be using in college.

Same thing goes for our photography and our graphic

DESIGN BY ABBY SCHREIBER abilities to monitor student activity on iPads. Using Jamf School Teacher, teachers would be able to see students’ screens and restrict app access.

“The switch to iPads can allow us to deploy some new tools that give teachers increased flexibility with being able to ... view the screens of what students are doing in real time [and] be able to restrict specific apps or the specific scope of what students are working on,” Lee said. “It’s going to give them increased control.”

Parents will have similar capabilities at home through Jamf Parent. They could restrict apps, control internet access and create custom rules. Lucas said that he anticipates this being a beneficial tool for parents.

“I think it’s a safe play, especially for some of our students in third through eighth grade that are becoming familiar with social media and different things that you can do on the internet,” Lucas said. “It’s just another way that we can try and help families promote digital citizenship and those types of things.”

“

We’ ve looked at this technology for a long, long, long, long time.

Now we think it’ s time for it to be the device that can really do what you guys need it to do.

-Director of Technology Paul Lindgren

“

design classes.”

Even though Photoshop is available on the iPad, it is a simplified version, according to Hough. It’s usable, but there would be challenges in learning new materials.

“If you speak to any professional photographer, they’re going to tell you that an iPad is a really great companion and something for on the go,” Hough said. “But, no photographer is going to use an iPad and the Photoshop program on it as their sole technology device. Same thing with a graphic designer.”

While there might be difficulties with these programs, having tablets with a stylus will also provide new opportunities for the department. Hough said she thinks there are a number of benefits to the iPads. Whatever is decided, students and staff will have to learn to work with what they have.

“I think there are a lot of reasons that [iPads] would be good for the majority of students, actually,” Hough said. “I think there are a small group of students and a small group of classes where computers may still be the best route and maybe, I might even dare to say, essential … I think it’s just adapting to a new format, which is difficult. There’s good and bad.”

Not all students are excited by the potential switch.

Sophomore Isaac Persky started a petition against using iPads on Jan. 29, and as of Feb. 4, it had more than a hundred signatures. Persky said his main reason for opposing the potential change was due to damage costs.

“I feel like they’re more prone to breaking,” Persky said.

“I feel like that could hurt disadvantaged students who can’t afford to repair the iPad if they break or buy a new pencil if they lose it or it gets stolen.”

Aside from paying for repairs, Persky said he was worried that having to learn how new technology works would add unneeded stress for students.

“Especially for people who are going into their junior or senior year, and they’re already taking hard classes and have used their computers for the past four plus years, having to get used to using an iPad just adds to the stress of already starting new classes next year,” Persky said. “I also just feel like they’re rushing the process along. They should do more research and maybe wait for a few more years down the line when they’re for sure that this could work.”

Persky presented his petition to the school board at their meeting on Feb. 3. Whatever happens, he said that he wanted everyone involved to really think through the situation.

“I just want to say that you should just think about this fully,” Persky said. “The reason that we’re doing this [petition] isn’t just because we’re stubborn and we don’t want change. It’s actually because we care about students and we don’t want this to be a hassle, to be a burden, to cause more stress than we all already have. We appreciate that we get technology anyways, whether it is an iPad or a computer, but in the end of the day, if we don’t have to downgrade to iPads, why would we? If we can get something better, why would we settle for less?”

Aside from learning how to use a different device, students would have to adjust to teachers having increased

NEWS - 05

The district uses a lease system to buy technology.

These leases typically last three to four years. The district is currently in the third year of the lease with the laptops.

Switching to iPads next year would mean cutting the laptop lease a year short and refreshing early. The last technology lease cost $4.1 million. The iPads are projected to cost approximately $4.5 million, resulting in an average of $1.1 to $1.2 million per year. According to Lindgren, this cost is essentially the same as before.

“Really, we’re kind of limited in the devices that are available to us,” Lindgren said. “If we wanted laptops with modern processors that weren’t basically the same as the processors on these, it would be way more costly.”

Aside from cost, one potential reason for a switch in technology would be that the current model of MacBook that students have is not manufactured by Apple anymore.

This means that if a student’s laptop is broken beyond repair, the district has to purchase a used device. This can be more

difficult because Tech Support has no way of knowing what has been on that device in the past.

“We expect our enrollment to be a little higher next year than it is today, and we won’t be able to get those same machines for any new students that join us next year as what we have now,” Lucas said. “We’re kind of caught between a rock and a hard spot with the student machines. That’s why we’re proceeding with some urgency.”

In order to finance the iPads, laptops would be sold. As of now, the district has not decided whether the laptops would be sold to community members or to another market. Staff laptops would not be sold. Teachers and other staff members would keep their MacBooks throughout the next lease, but Lindgren and Lee said they don’t anticipate holding onto the laptops after that. They said they hoped teachers would be able to transition after that time.

“We’ve found that staff aren’t as comfortable with the iPad right now,” Lee said. “They have a few things that they do as part of their teaching that aren’t available on the iPad, and so as a transition device, they’re going to keep their computers and actually have both devices to work from for this next round of refresh.”

As this change would be a large financial commitment for the district, the school board will need to vote on it. Lindgren and Lee first presented their ideas to the board on Jan. 20.

According to Lucas, the district will compile student, staff and parent feedback throughout February and receive a formal proposal in March. The board will then vote on that proposal. It is possible that the final decision will look very different from what is laid out in Westside Complete. Lucas said that there has been somewhat of a missed connection throughout the process.

“I’ve seen miscommunication be an issue with this process,” Lucas said. “Somehow, somewhere along the way, pandemonium set in because people thought the decision was already made. That’s been frustrating and disappointing from my point of view because we’ve been pretty diligent and transparent in trying to get a lot of feedback from students and staff.”

Lucas also stressed that the board is considering many factors before they make their final decision.

“Any proposal that we move forward with will be what we think is best for our students as far as the technology skills that we feel they need to be exposed to and have access to as they leave high school,” Lucas said.

While there may be changes next year, students will still be part of a one to one school. Lucas said he wanted to remind students to be appreciative of the technological opportunities they have, regardless of what the board decides.

“What Westside has technology-wise, and not only in machinery and hardware and software, but in usage and how it’s ingrained throughout the curriculum, is amazing,” Lucas said. “We are so fortunate to have what we have, and it’s really immersed throughout our curriculum at the K-12 grade level … I don’t think a lot of people ... truly appreciate all that we have. I think CONTINUED ON PAGE 06

06 - NEWS

INFOGRAPHIC AND DESIGN BY ABBY SCHREIBER

if it’s l l you know, it’s pretty easy to take for granted. When you work with other places that don’t have what we have, boy, you see how lucky we are.”

Westside students can expect a decision on technology for the upcoming school year sometime in March. In the

CONTINUED: IPAD PROPOSAL a

meantime, Lee and Lindgren will be visiting the elementary buildings, middle school and high school to get more feedback. If parents are interested in giving input, Lucas said the district has sent out surveys they can fill out. Once a proposal has been formed, members of the community can also provide feedback at board meetings. Overall, Lucas said he wanted students and staff to feel that those involved

in this change have their best interests at heart.

“We just want people to know that, like everything we do, we’re trying to be transparent,” Lucas said. “We’re trying to get input from others. We’re trying to set up our students and staff for continued success with the best technology we can afford. We’re excited to see how this plays out over the next two months.”

students would receive... middle & high school students

10.5”inch ipad air 256GB of storage keyboard case included

logitech crayon elementary school students

10.2”inch ipad air

32GB of storage keyboard case included for grades 3-6

teachers would receive...

12.9”inch ipad pro 256gb of storage

Apple pencil teachers would also keep their current macbooks

07 - News

graphic by Sage Wein - design by Luke Steiner

WESTGATE TEACHER ARRESTED SIXTH GRADE TEACHER CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

o

BY Theo Jansen and Meredith Matz

n Tuesday, Jan. 7, Westgate Elementary sixth grade teacher Michael Reilly was arrested on nine counts, six of which were for child pornography. The others were for unlawful intrusion. These situations did not involve Westside students. According to the Omaha World-Herald, a woman called the police after finding videos of underage girls undressing and showering on Reilly’s phone.

Reilly was immediately placed on administrative leave. Then, after Westside administration was notified of his arrest on Jan. 7, Westside called its crisis team that day. Kathy McGill, lead counselor in the Westside school district who is based at Hillside, contacted fellow counselors and psychologists to secure an emotional support team to be at Westgate Elementary School on Jan. 8, the morning after Reilly’s arrest.

“With a group that included counselors, social

workers and the school psychologist, we talked and listened to staff and students and connected with parents as well,” McGill said. “One goal is to maintain routine as much as possible to provide security and stability while acknowledging the event and listening. We spoke to each sixth grade classroom directly, spent time with them throughout the day and provided a space and counseling support for any student that wanted to talk more about their feelings in a more private setting.”

Parents of Westgate students and the Westside district were notified of the arrest before it was announced on Jan. 8 to the public.

According to Brandi Paul, the director of Communications and Engagement at Westside, there was a special room set up at Westgate the first day of school after Reilly’s arrest. It was intended for any students or staff members who needed to talk or share emotions.

There was also a school resource officer at Westgate for two days in the morning and after dismissal for parents to ask questions and feel a sense of security for their children.

“They started [the day after the arrest] by talking to the sixth grade classes, saying, ‘We want you to come talk to us,’” Paul said. “We want to be open about this.

We always want our students to feel comfortable in school and know they can talk to a trusted adult.”

Along with this, there was a special meeting held for the teachers at Westgate. Mike Lucas, superintendent of Westside and Robert Aranda, director of Student Services, reminded staff members that if they were struggling with the news, there was a large support system as well as counseling opportunities available for them.

Westgate Instructional Coach Sandy Morrow was the immediate shortterm substitute teacher directly after the arrest. The long-term substitute teacher is now

Vashti Mears. Mears has been a teacher for more than ten years, including guest teaching within Westside Community Schools.

“We appreciate the way that our Human Resources Department and the Westgate leadership and staff handled the unfortunate situation,” Lucas said in an email. “We are glad to have a highly qualified long-term sub in the classroom for the rest of the year with some additional supports.”

According to Paul, teachers at Westgate have been receiving cards and emails from parents saying that they trust and believe in the Westside district, and there is no place that they would rather have their kids be.

Depending on what happens next with Reilly’s case, the district cannot comment on future circumstances with Reilly due to staff member confidentiality. However, Paul said that if the school board takes action, Westside families, and Westgate families in particular, will be updated immediately.

“You know, we have that hashtag We are Westside, and this was a situation, as horrible as it is, where we really banded together to support our students and our staff members as best we could,” Paul said.

graphic And design by Luke Steiner

08 - News

Loveland LISTINGS

LUXURY DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT SET TO BE BUILT IN LOVELAND NEIGHBORHOOD

BY LUKE STEINER

A

cross the street from Westside High School on Pacific Street sits a construction site for a new luxury housing development, to be named Loveland Estates. Starting last October, seven homes on the south side of Pacific Street started to be torn down to make way for an 18-home gated community planned to be completed within the next couple of years.

The property is co-owned by President of Standard Nutrition Bill Dyer in partnership with Chip James of Lockwood Development and Bloomfield Custom Homes. The development is being represented by the real estate company Key Group, owned by Kelly Kontz and brokered by Berkshire Hathway. According to Kontz, Dyer has been collecting ownership over the homes on Pacific for years with plans of the development in mind.

“It’s been years in the making, trying to figure out what would be best suited in there, acquiring the properties as they became available,” Kontz said. “[Dyer] met with several different developers and went through several different ideas as far as what could or would be best in there.”

According to Kontz, Lockwood Development and Bloomfield are mainly developing the project. Habitat for Humanity Restore is also involved in the project, with a partnership from Johnson Deconstruction, owned

by Jack Henry.

Habitat for Humanity’s involvement is in the deconstruction of the homes that are at the build site before the development starts. According to Molly

Toberer, the Restore Deconstruction Program Associate at Habitat for Humanity Restore, they’re involved in the removal of hardware from homes and remodels that will be demolished or redone in order to reuse and resell materials.

“We are working with Lockwood, and with the demolition company, I saw what was there,” Henry said. “I knew that there was a lot of potential for this deconstruction program, so I invited Molly. Again, I’m not the one who gets to make the decision. She is, but I kind of know what would be interesting to her.”

According to Henry, Lockwood Developers told Johnson Deconstruction that they were going to tear down the seven houses and build 18 townhomes, and that they would be available to be soft stripped for deconstruction.

“Soft stripping is when we take out all of the contents, [things like] all of the cupboards, all the vanities, doors, windows, electric panels [and] light fixtures, and then we send those all to Habitat [for Humanity],” Henry said.

The materials from homes are then shipped to the Habitat for Humanity resource centers, which are stores with appliances and hardware which people can buy inexpensively and use for home renovations. There is also a guide for what the program can remove from the homes during the deconstruction. This is decided by the homeowners, developers and Toberer.

In October of 2019, Toberer and Henry did a walk-

through of the homes before the development started and said they felt the homes were suitable for the deconstruction program. According to Toberer, Phase One of the deconstruction was completed, in which they removed the internal hardware from the homes, and Phase Two, in which they will start removing things like windows and doors, will be completed after the final fence goes up around the properties. She said the timeline is to ensure that people can’t break into the homes before there is a fence around them. For Phase One of the deconstruction, Johnson Deconstruction completed the work house by house. Henry said the project required a larger team and took longer than most.

“This is a bit of an anomaly, this project, because usually we go into a residence and we’re there for a day or two,” Henry said.

The deconstruction projects are funded through the Nebraska Environmental Trust, including the Johnson Deconstruction team’s that actually work on homes like Loveland Estates.

While plans for the development are already in place, there is still work to be done for the deconstruction and demolition portion. According to Toberer, the timeline of the demolition will be dependent on many things.

“Everything affects our schedule: the weather, the fencing, everybody’s schedule,” Toberer said. “It’s all about production. It should be done by March.”

Once the deconstruction of the homes is finalized, they will be completely demolished, making room for

09 - News

design by Luke Steiner the new Loveland Estates.

“The way that it works is that there’s going to be 18 individual homes, so the homeowners would then own their lot and their land that it’s in,” Kontz said. “So, as it’s sold off, each homeowner will own their home, but they’ll be within the same subdivision, and it’s going to be fenced all the way around, so all of the homes [are] in an HOA, homeowners’ association. That will take care of snow, lawn, common area maintenance, probably window washing and other options.

It’s going to be a luxury living development, so it’s meant for busy people, snowbirds and definitely families.“ Kontz also added that there was discussion of a concierge service in the development, a service which would keep track of and provide amenities for residents, but there hasn’t yet been a final decision.

The development will not only be focusing on the new neighborhood itself but will affect surrounding areas.

“What’s nice for the community, and especially for the school, is that they’re going to be having a large common area between the street and where the new sidewalk will be, so it will be a lot safer for pedestrians and hopefully open up the corridor for traffic so you can have more visibility,” Kontz said. “They’re going to take the sidewalk way off the street, and then there’s going to be trees and then a border privacy fence, so it’ll be contained. What’s nice is with it being an HOA, there’s only going to be one lawn or .snow service, one trash service and only one company doing all of that, so you don’t have to worry about . different big, huge garbage trucks trying to go in and out and everything. ” According to Kontz, within the development there are plans for eight houses on the south side of the development and ten on the north side. The sizes of the homes will have a standard, but according to Kontz, they will have customizability options with input from the homeowner.

The foot plan is set for each home to have around a 2,100 to 2,200 square-foot main floor with generally a three or more car garage at each home.

“It’s a semi-custom to custom neighborhood, so [the homeowner] will be able to pick and make selections and make a custom home,” Kontz said. “But, the whole neighborhood will have a really nice, upgraded look and feel to it.”

According to Kontz, the homes will begin to go on presale after the next planning meeting. After buyers purchase their home, they will be able to begin customizing and designing it. Then, when the roads and main infrastructures are in place, Lockwood and Bloomfield will be able to start the actual development of the homes.

Since the homes are customizable, Kontz said the homes can really be for anyone, from busy families to young entrepreneurs.

“District 66 has such a great following of people who love the convenience and that are used to coming over here to Countryside,” Kontz said. “They just want this corridor.

There’s kind of a rumor going on that it’s just a 55 and up [development]. It’s not the case. So, families could definitely live in there.”

As the development is meant to be luxury, Kontz said that the prices are still up for debate but are currently most likely to start at $800,000.

“Location definitely has a factor in [what makes the development luxury], but what makes it a luxury living neighborhood [is] the amount of amenities that [homeowners] get included with their home plus the level of build [of the homes],” Kontz said. “This basically fills up a void in the marketplace with the ability to still have that luxury, free-standing home, but probably at a smaller scale than what they’re currently in. But then, it also suits the family that just really wants to be in this area, and land is so hard to get, and so that’s been one of the options is that they can build in there as well and have their custom place.”

As far as how much people can customize their homes before the project is finished, Kontz said there will be an architectural review committee to decide what homeowners can and can’t do to their homes. There will be some standard things like open backyards and more traditional luxury style homes. The homes are set to have luxury looks with quality materials like real wood and stone.

The builders are also keeping conscious of the landscaping and will be implementing trees and plants into the estates. With different starting points of how big houses can be, there will be a diversity of homes in the estates.

“Basically what we’re going to determine is what the footprint of the house will be, and [buyers] just need to decide what lot fits their home,” Kontz said. “On the Pacific side, there’ll be a range that can fit on that lot. On the estate side, they could fit a pretty good footprint over there ... You can do a lot over on the estate lots. The Pacific ones will be still custom, but the footprint will be a little smaller. But honestly, that’s been one of the requests that people want.

They want a really nicely built, manageable home as far as square footage. You’ll see elevators, you’ll see some other luxury amenities in there, big pantries, real wood floors, not engineered, solid iron high-end quality doors. So it’ll be really nice.”

“District 66 has such a great

“

following of people who love the convienence and that are used to coming over here to countryside. They just want this corridor.

-Owner of the Key Group Kelly Kontz

There is still debate on how the HOA will be run and organized, including deciding who will be hired for services such as landscaping and regulations for homeowners.

According to Kontz, there has been positive feedback from community members. She said she sees a lot of excitement for the project.

“Most of the time it’s been just questions, but [with] people who have lived in the area for a long time, the only real pushback, I think, is that they were disappointed that homes were going to be torn down, but I think once they see the project completed or what it’s going to do for safety, traffic and just the community in general … I think they’ll be happy at the level that it’s being done,” Kontz said. “But, as far as any true pushback, we really haven’t had any because it’s so well thought-out and designed. It didn’t go to the city council or anything until it was ready to be there [with] planning and zoning and all of that. It’s been a pretty smooth process, and I think honestly people around it have been very excited.”

There have also been a lot of prospective buyers calling who are placed on a first come, first served list for the homes.

“Once we get the final flat, we will reach [out] to those who have already contacted us and let them know basically the schedule of when things will be released so they will be able to come in and meet with us and if they’re interested, select a lot, and we will have a process for that and what that all includes,” Kontz said.

According to Kontz, buyers will pick their homesite and then go into designing their home with help from others, like Kontz. She also added that if they wanted to lock in the spot, they would have to actually start building within the timeframe the contractors have in place.

“So, [we] will require a deposit and probably a close on the homesite and then go into planning so we can get it all bid and then take care of what they want,” Kontz said. “So, we will help them through all of that. We’ll hold their hand. Our group is taking the phone calls.

The Key Group is taking the calls, so there will be a process to it.”

There has also been diversity in callers with questions about buying homes and what Loveland Estates will really be.

“It’s wonderful to see, honestly,” Kontz said. “ We ’ v e had young business professionals, w e ’ v e had the empty-nester, we’ve had that midrange of teenage [and] kids’ families … just all over the board. It’s really exciting to get those calls and find out who’s really interested in being right there. It’s not been one demographic that’s been consistent throughout the whole thing.”

10 - NEWS

PHOTO BY HILLSIDE STAFF

DESIGN BY NATHAN EVANS

SMALL BODY, BIG HEART ‘

HILLSIDE KINDERGARTENERS DONATE DIAPERS TO OPEN DOOR MISSION S S TORY B Y ANGEL INA PATTAVINA ANNUAL DIAPER DRIVE

F

or the past four years, Hillside Elementary School’s kindergarten class has participated in Open Door Mission’s annual Diaper Drive as part of their own Be Kind movement, in which they do activities to demonstrate kindness each month. In this year’s Diaper Drive, from Dec. 3 to Dec. 14 they were able to collect 4,494 diapers to add to Open Door Mission’s goal of one million in total. The three kindergarten instructors, Jill Foster, Stephanie Barker and Crystal Shirkey, took over the Diaper Drive when instructor Kim Young, who started the program, left Hillside.

Foster said the teachers also heard about the idea on the radio station 96.1, and they already knew it was with the Open Door Mission. Due to this and Young’s involvement in years past, they decided to take on what was once an allschool activity and apply it strictly to the kindergarteners.

Despite the students being young, Barker said the kids are still making a big change through the Diaper Drive.

“They’re so young and have such big hearts,” Barker said. “They’re ready to help anyway they can. Last year, due to all the flooding, along with the diaper drive, we did a toy drive. So, those went hand in hand just to help kids in the community.”

At the beginning of the Diaper Drive, Foster, Barker and Shirkey asked a director from Open Door Mission to come talk to the students about what the Diaper Drive means. During this presentation, Foster and Barker said the director tried to explain the purpose of the drive in a way that the kindergarteners could understand. She explained that some people do not have some of the necessities that the students might, and the Diaper Drive would help to provide just one item that many families need.

Having an Open Door Mission representative come in and speak got the students to see how their donations could make a difference in their communities, according to Foster. They took this information home, along with emails and newsletters from each instructor, and then the diapers started to come in.

“Some years are better than others, and it just depends on your classroom,” Foster said. “Some years we’ve had almost a donation from every single kid and some years not. But we never peg them out and say, ‘You didn’t bring diapers.’ We just say, ‘Look at how many diapers we have.’”

In the first year of doing the Diaper Drive, Hillside kindergarteners raised between 2,000 and 3,000 diapers.

Last year, they raised nearly 7,000 diapers, according to

Foster.

In an attempt to bring in more donations from the students, Barker, Foster and Shirkey said they decided to make the Diaper Drive into a competition between the three classrooms. With each box or package of diapers that came in from students, the instructors added up the total amount of individual diapers and shared it with the class. The goal in doing this was to get the students to bring in more diapers so their class could be in the lead.

Barker said she had a few students come up to her occasionally to tell her that they had more diapers than one of the other classes. Making it into a competition helped to bring together the students to improve Hillside kindergarteners pose with the diapers they collected. Photo courtesy of the Hillside staff. their community.

“I mean, they know that we are all in it together, and we’re on. She has had parents ask about the Diaper Drive and providing for kids in need and families in need, but it’s even start stocking up on diapers when they go on sale, so just fun to get involved,” Barker said. “I did have one kid they’re ready to go for the drive. ask, ‘What do we get for winning?’ My assistant said the To close up their Diaper Drive each year, all the kids that we are helping get the prize.” students wear a shirt that the instructors make for their Other than the Diaper Drive, the kindergarteners do Be Kind day each month. They all gather in one room other activities each month in honor of Be Kind. Barker and take a photo with all the diapers they gathered. Then, said some of the activities include donating to the food each student grabs a package and loads it in the car. These pantry down the street, holding a toy drive or doing diapers are taken to an Open Door Mission donation spot something kind for staff members or classmates. to be put in a warehouse for a future date when they are “We started [Be Kind activities] about three years ago,” needed.

Foster said. “In kindergarten, we had decided we were Barker said her overall goal is that the students will going to work on being kind, so every month we would take the feeling of helping their community with them in do something kind, whether it was towards ourselves or their future. towards our school ... We would just pick something.”

“I’d thought about this years ago,” Barker said. “I Barker said it’s not just about collecting items like sent a letter to moms and dads saying, ‘We can learn diapers, it’s about helping to improve the kids as students how to read or we can learn how to write or do math, but and members of their community. They do these other what the world really needs is kindness and acceptance.’ activities because it’s not always easy for each family to They’re going to learn to read sometimes, and of course donate something, so doing these separate activities gives we will still do our academics, but just to have a big heart, everyone the chance to participate, according to Foster. compassion and empathy for people, that I think is what Barker said doing the Diaper Drive each year has would make kindergarten important.” helped the parents get an idea of when it will be going

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12 - OPINION

GRAPHIC BY ABBY SCHREIBER - DESIGN BY ISABELLA TYLER

HEARTBREAKING HOLIDAY

BY AINSLEY MEYERSON

VALENTINE’S DAY IS UNNECESSARY AND WASTEFUL

W

alking down the street during the beginning of February, you will most likely come across dozens of windows displaying teddy bears, boxes of chocolate, red roses and countless other symbols of the worst holiday for your mental health, your wallet and the environment. You guessed it: Valentine’s Day. Due to Valentine’s Day being detrimental to the environment, the unnecessary expenses and the lack of a positive portrayal of self-love, Valentine’s Day is a holiday that needs to be celebrated more consciously.

Although Valentine’s can be a joyful day for some, most often those in relationships, it’s important to practice self-love and spread positivity on this holiday. A lot of loneliness stems from this holiday and its advertising for couples. People that are not in relationships tend to feel worse than usual about themselves on this particular day and can be more prone to suicide. For example, the Jacksonville Suicide Hotline in Florida reported that they receive about 140 calls per month, but in 2018, they accepted 144 calls on Valentine’s Day alone. Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to create negative self-esteem and mental health issues. Though it may be hard to treat yourself properly on a day mainly commercialized for couples, it is just as important to love yourself as you would a significant other. Some ways to do this are to practice being mindful and keeping stressful activities out of your daily routines.

Making sure you are giving yourself positive self-talk is just as important as caring for a significant other, if not more.

Not only are Valentine’s Day gifts cliché, they also are unnecessarily expensive. Many people will spend extremely large sums of money on gifts in

order to prove their love, and stores take advantage of these consumers by drastically raising their prices.

According to WalletHub, the average person will spend about $146.84 on Valentine’s Day, and the prices of gifts can increase by over 100 percent.

Not only is the holiday expensive, it is extremely wasteful.

According to Verus Carbon Neutral, an organization that specializes in the measurement and reduction of energy use and environmental impact, over 145 million Valentine’s Day cards travel from shelves straight to landfills. According to Oxfam International, a nonprofit organization that

works to alleviate poverty, 34 million tons of mine waste are produced from Valentine’s Day solely on the manufacturing of gold that is commonly gifted as jewelry for the holiday. Many environmentalists use this holiday as a time to spread the word on the dangers of gold production. Earthworks, a nonprofit dedicated to the research of sustainable resources, says that “to produce enough gold for one single ring, 20 tons of rock and soil are dislodged and discarded.”

Earthworks also explained that the removal and transfer of rock poisons marine life, stops the flow of rivers and streams and can cause chemical reactions that produce acids which leak into home drainage systems. Because of these hazards, the frequency of gold jewelry gifted during Valentine’s Day is an extreme risk to our environment.

Some ways that lovers can help to eliminate the waste produced on Valentine’s Day is to create recyclable cards out of materials found around the house. There are also many websites available, such as hallmarkecards.com and jibjab.com, that allow Valentine’s participants to make cards online. People should also be aware of the amount of plastic they are purchasing and be careful not to buy excessive amounts of single-use disposables.

Valentine’s Day is an unnecessary holiday that makes people feel bad about themselves and harms our environment in the process. Instead of buying somebody gifts because of obligation, people should be buying gifts because they want to. When February 14 rolls around, take your significant other, or even just yourself, and spend the day taking care of your mental health. And hey, buy yourself a sweet box of chocolates — just not in that plastic container.

GRAPHIC AND DESIGN BY ISABELLA TYLER

OPINION - 13

NO TIME FOR TARDIES

BY DREW COTA

A

t the start of the second semester, Westside High School enforced a new tardy policy that was not known by many students. Instead of teachers being able to decide the consequences for a student who is late to class, there is now a new school-wide policy that applies to everyone. While it does improve the policy on tardies by giving more structure for teachers and students, the new policy still isn’t effective enough to convince students to go to class on time.

Last semester, students could show up late to the same class multiple times and receive minimal consequences, which were decided by the teacher. This semester, the new rules give structure to the policy and allow students to know how tardies will be handled. According to Principal Jay Opperman, it seems that the new rules don’t differ much from last semester.

“In the past there was no set practice that we said [students] had to do,” Opperman said. “Some teachers did something very similar to what we’re doing [now], but other teachers had different approaches. We’re just having a consistent practice with how we deal with a student who struggles to be on time. At the third tardy in the class, it’s going to be a teacher-managed consequence, which would probably include a phone call home as part of that. Then, at the sixth [tardy], the teacher has a choice. If they still want to deal with it, that’s fine.”

The new policy establishes what consequences will be given if a student is late to class, which helps bring attention to the issue before it gets out of hand. This way it can hopefully be worked out between the student, teachers and the parents.

However, not everyone believes that a call home on the third tardy is necessary. Freshman Marty Mormino said he believes the call home should be saved until the student is consistently late to their classes.

“I think it’s a bit of a stretch to call home for the third tardy, especially because they are just starting class and you aren’t missing anything,” Mormino said. “I would make it so on the third [tardy] it wouldn’t be a call home.

You would just have to stay after class, sort of like a detention. I don’t think they need to directly call the parents for being late by a [few] minutes. I’ve been late to classes where the teachers don’t count the tardy because I

NEW TARDY POLICY IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

didn’t really miss anything that was vital to the class.”

Students who believe missing the beginning of the class isn’t a big deal is one of the main issues with being late to class. The teachers giving the students no consequence is the other. It leads to students believing that the beginning of the class isn’t important, so if they are late, it won’t matter. This was another one of the main reasons for the new policy according to Opperman. He said that the beginning of a class can be essential because it sets the focus for what’s happening that day.

“Being on time takes multiple things,” Opperman said.

“It depends on our teachers starting class right away and showing that the start of class is important. [We] want to encourage the start of class because this is where you learn what’s going on, what the focus is for the day and getting all students in the room.”

Since this was the focus when deciding what the new policy should be, being late to class for the first time only results in a warning from the teacher to be on time. This allows teachers to explain to the student why exactly the start of class is important and is an improvement instead of just giving the student a detention.

While the idea of enforcing a new tardy policy came from the staff, some teachers said they did not have a problem with how things were. Other teachers, such as math instructor Christine Goetz, said they thought a new policy for being late was past due, and it was time that Westside High School became more strict about students being on time to class.

“Most schools have a tardy policy like this,” Goetz said. “It [was] time Westside had one too. There were no guidelines for handling tardies, so it was up to each individual teacher. This will give [teachers] a little more consistency across the building, and students will be getting more out of the class.”

Although the new policy may appeal to some students and staff, most are used to the way things were before this new policy. For some people, it might be a wake-up call. The policy brings structure to each class and lets students know how tardies will be handled. It could still be improved from what it is, but overall the new tardy policy is a step in the right direction.

1st tardy - REMINDER FROM TEACHER TO BE ON TIME 2nd tardy - WARNING THAT NEXT TARDY WILL INCLUDE COMMUNICATION HOME AND CONSEQUENCE AT TEACHER LEVEL 3rd tardy COMMUNICATION HOME AND CONSEQUENCE AT TEACHER LEVEL 4th/5th tardy TEACHER DISCRETION OF COMMUNICATION/ CONSEQUENCE 6th tardy - TURNED OVER TO DEAN FOR CONSEQUENCE

14 - EDITORIAL GRAPHIC BY JULIA STEINER - DESIGN BY MALIA BATTAFARANO The Lance is a school-sponsored publication of Westside High School, Westside Community Schools, 8701 Pacific St., Omaha, NE 68144. The Lance office is located in room 251. Phone: (402) 343-2650. The Lance is an in-house publication.

The paper is distributed every month to all students, except in vacation periods. Subscription rates to others are $30 prepaid. The Lance is printed by White Wolf Web in Sheldon, IA. Advertising rates are available upon request. The Lance editorial staff reserves the right to edit all ads for clarity and grammatical errors. The editorial staff reserves the right not to publish any ads that are libelous or that contain nonfactual information.

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

Reader response is welcomed in the form of letters to the editor. Letters should be less than 300 words, signed by the author and sent to room 251. Names may be withheld upon special request.

Lance editors will decide whether to honor such requests.

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

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

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

Editors-in-Chief Maryam Akramova, Malia Battafarano, Julia Steiner, Isabella Tyler; Managing Editors Virginia Jansen, Angelina Pattavina; Design Editor Abby Schreiber; Photo Editor Ella Kirkpatrick; Graphics Editor Angela Li; Copy Editor Reese Pike; News Editor Luke Steiner; Opinion Editor Faith Rice; In-Depth Editor Eleanor Dodge; Feature Editor Emma Miller; Arts and Entertainment Editor Jane Knudsen; Business Manager Charlotte Miller; Staff Writers Emma Allen, Will Christiansen, Drew Cota, Izzy Dodge, Brooklyn James, Auguste Kuehne; Graphic Artists Parker LeFebvre, Sage Wein, Kenzie Harden, Meghan Maynard, Delaney Davis; Designer Nathan Evans; Advisers Timothy Kaldahl, Jerred Zegelis.

EDITORIAL: COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN LACKING SURROUNDING NEW TECHNOLOGY

R

umors about the prospect of replacing laptops with iPads have been circulating through the school for several weeks now. Some are fervently against the prospect of the new technology, and others are open to it. Yet with the utter lack of communication on the issue, many are simply confused, especially in thinking that the decision has already been made. In fact, iPad replacement is not even a formal proposal yet, and any decisions made will be voted upon in March.

In August, Superintendent Mike Lucas released a document with his goals for the year, including to “communicate at a high level with school staff” and “help the BOE [Board of Education] continue to communicate and engage even more with stakeholders.” Similarly, on Sept. 3, the Board of Education presented an entire slideshow focused on their communication goals. However, with the iPad confusion, those communication goals have not been met.

For a school district that is working on improving communication, the lack of engagement during this iPad situation is disheartening to see. We — as a community of teachers, students and staff — deserve better from the district leadership.

Lucas acknowledged the confusion in an interview.

“I’ve seen miscommunication be an issue with this process,” Lucas said. “Somehow, somewhere along the way, pandemonium set in because people thought the decision was already made. That’s been frustrating and disappointing from my point of view because we’ve been pretty diligent and transparent in trying to get a lot of feedback from students and staff. I don’t know where the disconnect was, but like I said, it’s been frustrating.”

Lucas also stated that there hasn’t been much community involvement in the conversation so far because there is still work to be done evaluating various aspects of the potential transition, like cost. While this is understandable, it’s unclear which students and staff were actually given the opportunity to contribute their feedback that Lucas referenced. Perhaps these opportunities could have been better communicated as well. The heart of the issue is not just about the iPads, but about the feeling of being left in the dark and the confusion that followed.

There are several established groups that the board could have reached out to about the iPad replacement prospect. There’s the Student Advisory Council (SAC) which was established this fall specifically to represent student interests to the Board of Education; eMerge, which is made up of teachers invested in being leaders in technology and the Westside Education Association, who represents staff interests. None of these were adequately utilized to limit the confusion that occurred at the Jan. 20 board meeting.

According to SAC member and junior Camille Beaulieu, the board did not approach SAC about the prospect of iPads at all before the board meeting on Jan. 20.

“I don’t think they intentionally kept us in the dark, but we weren’t given any direct information,” Beaulieu said. “I only learned about it

through the rumors going around the school.”

A switch to iPads, for better or worse, would greatly affect students at school and at home. Many students use their school devices for both curricular and extracurricular projects, and we are often more familiar with the technology than adults in the community. Our unique perspective and insight deserves to be heard, and the perfect avenue for sharing that is through SAC. The school board should have utilized an opportunity that not only would have lessened confusion but also furthered their own goal of communication. By neglecting to notify SAC of the potential changes, the board caused unnecessary confusion and made students feel their opinions were devalued in the process.

Staff were also largely blindsided by the potential changes. Although eMerge was approached by Director of Technology Paul Lindgren and Coordinator of Technology Integration and Digital Content Matt Lee on Jan. 9, that was just 11 days before the Jan. 20 board meeting, giving them little time to process a prospect which, according to an interview with Lindgren, had been under consideration for “a long, long, long, long, time.” Hillside Elementary art instructor Teresa Matthews made an excellent point on behalf of WEA about the role of staff members in this process.

“When teachers are given the opportunity to embrace innovation, they design learning experiences that last forever,” Matthews said during public comment at the board meeting. “With that being said, WEA recommends giving all teachers and staff in every building the opportunity to try the new proposed iPads and to have time to reflect and process how an iPadonly option would impact their teaching. WEA requests that the district gather and find new feedback from all K-12 staff — teachers and staff — before a decision is made that impacts all Westside students.”

Instructors and staff members play an essential role in this process, as they will have to adapt their curriculum to accommodate any new devices that may be adopted. However, discovering the scope of the change isn’t something they can do in one day. It takes time to investigate new technology, become comfortable with it and assess its benefits and drawbacks. Yet the board decision is only a month away, giving staff members little opportunity to do that.

Lucas said in the Jan. 20 board meeting, “Things have to be rolled out off to a great start, or this is a disaster. An absolute Titanic waiting to happen.”

Whether or not replacing laptops with iPads is ultimately beneficial, communication on the issue is vital. But the district leadership’s boat hasn’t quite sunk yet. We may only have a month before the board decision, but that just makes it all the more pressing for leadership to reach out further to committees like SAC, eMerge and WEA and garner the opinion of students, staff and other members of the district. It is only through collaboration, inclusion and clear communication that the board can make the most beneficial decision.

DESIGN BY ELEANOR DODGE

#throwback

by Meghan maynard

IN-DEPTH - 15

‘S 2020, AND WITH A NEW DECADE COMES THE END OF AN ERA FOR MANY HIGH SCHOOLERS. IN THIS ISSUE OF IT THE LANCE, OUR IN-DEPTH AIMS TO LOOK BACK AT THE PAST DECADE. A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE 2010, AND ‘ THROWBACK PHOTOS SHOW JUST HOW MUCH WE‘ THESE SENIORS VE CHANGED IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. Photos courtesy of featured students.

ASHTON TRAVIS

ELLA WEDERGREN

SOPHIE NUTSCH Graphics and blurbs for the timeline were created by Angela Li, Jane Knudsen, Delaney Davis, Parker LeFebvre, Sage Wein and Eleanor Dodge

2010

The Haitian earthquake killed an estimated 230,000 people. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 and affected Cuba, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas.

HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE JANUARY 12

APRIL 20

JONATHAN SNOVER

ELNORA BRINSON APRIL 29

BP OIL SPILL The BP Oil Spill took place in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. To this day, it’s the biggest oil spill to occur. The spill caused 11 casualties and extreme destruction to the environment.

WikiLeaks, an organization that publishes news leaks, released confidential information about countries including the United States, Russia and France.

WIKILEAKS

REBECKA HOLMSTROM

2011

ROYAL WEDDING

Prince William married Kate Middleton, making her the Duchess of Cambridge.

MAY 02

BIN LADEN ASSASSINATION Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda who coordinated the Sept. 11 attacks, was assassasinated by U.S. forces in Pakistan.

After a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the Japanese coastline, a tsunami struck Japan, causing Fukushima’s Nuclear Power Plant to experience a cooling system failure and release radioactive material.

FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI MARCH 11

16 - in-depth

GRAPHICS BY SAGE WEIN - DESIGN BY JANE KNUDSEN

wrap-up

BREAKING DOWN THE MUSIC OF THE DECADE

BY JANE KNUDSEN The 2010s were a decade of innovation. It was a decade of incredible technological advancements and changes within the methods of communication.There may be no better method to snapshot the mood of a certain time than through music. Its impact is undeniable. In honor of the 2010s, The Lance would like to present the songs of the decade, chosen based on their cultural impact and position in the charts for their respective years.

3. super rich kids frank ocean Frank Ocean has always been adept at delivering his emotions

1. Baby - Justin Bieber 2. someone like you It’s undeniable that this song was divisive upon its Breakups were talked about in release. Bieber came into a climate in which he was lauded a specific way in the late 2000s. - adele or hated, and “Baby” was the proof. Despite public opinion, there’s no doubt that it had a hold over the year.

4. royals - lorde Lorde was a special case because she burst into the music scene seemingly out of nowhere. She didn’t have much money or fame to her name, and she was only 16 years old. Even then, she put out a song that was mature in its themes and had a unique, refreshing sound.

7. sorry - beyoncÉ

The scandal that occurred between Jay-Z and Beyoncé shocked the world, and the album that Beyoncé released afterward gave closure. “Sorry” was incredible because it was a breakup song that communicated sadness and confidence. Nothing else could have portrayed her feelings better.

10. juice - lizzo

Singers weren’t afraid of anger in their music.

“Someone Like You” noted a different kind of catharsis which reveled in sadness. It was something new but still familiar.

in a meaningful way. With “Super Rich Kids,” he delivered on the premise of the lethargy that comes with wealth. It’s a topic rarely explored in music, but it still struck a chord.

5. anaconda nicki minaj“Anaconda” was

6. can’t feel my face It’s difficult for a -decade’s theculture weeknd to become defined until midway

controversial upon its release. It got people talking.

It had a particular sound that was special to the 2010s. Furthermore, it gave Minaj a different image from the one she had developed early in the decade.

She went from bubbly to assertive.

through, when the mood of the decade has had time to set.

“Can’t Feel My Face” was evidence of that. It reflected the public perspective on contemporary partying and romance perfectly. The song felt languid and hedonistic, which was just right.

8. boogie brockhampton

9. this is america childish gambino

Brockhampton came into the music scene and totally revitalized the idea of a boy band. “BOOGIE” set the tone for the group wonderfully. It was high-energy and showcased the talents of some of the band’s most versatile members, such as Kevin Abstract and JOBA.

Anyone can accept that the 2010s were a time of great political tension, and “This is America” reflected that. It served as a means to address America’s politics and put forth a video full of subliminal messaging and themes.

Gambino proved himself to have his finger on the pulse of American thought.

Lizzo was a breakout artist like no other. She embraced herself and said what she wanted to through a mix of proud lyrics and a retro sound that fit right into the current musical climate. “Juice” is a self-love anthem in which Lizzo applauds herself and encourages the audience to applaud themselves. It ties up the decade with the important idea of improving yourself.

2012

DECEMBER 21

MARCH 5

APRIL 15

END OF THE WORLD?

KONY 2012

BOSTON MARATHON

According to the Mayan calendar, the world was set to end. However, when the clock struck 12:00 that night, many people found they still had to go to work the next morning.

Barack Obama, a Democrat, was reelected with 51.1% of the popular vote and 62.7% of the electoral vote. He ran against Republican Mitt Romney with a campaign focused on domestic issues.

Kony 2012 was a short documentary film that criticized Ugandan leader Joseph Kony for his use of child soldiers but received backlash for some of its false information.

OBAMA RE-ELECTION

NOVEMBER 6

2013

FEBRUARY 26 A terrorist attack occurred involving two bombs going off #BLACKLIVESMATTER close to the Boston Marathon finish The Black Lives Matter line. Three were killed and over 260 movement was sparked with people were injured. a simple hashtag by three women — Alicia Garza, Oscar award-winning animated Patrisse Cullors and movie “Frozen” was about two Opal Tometi — in sisters, Elsa and Anna, and response to the Elsa’s struggle with her magical shooting of Trayvon ice powers. The movie features Martin. the famous song “Let It Go.”

FROZEN

NOVEMBER 27

infographics and design by eleanor dodge

a decade of school shootings

BY CHARLOTTE MILLER

in-depth - 17

incidents per state

Statistics and definitions are from the K-12 School Shooting Database

110 100

ACTIVE SHOOTER

90 80 70 60

an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.

50 40 30 20 10 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

incidents per year FEBRUARY

EBOLA

2014

SCHOOL SHOOTING INCIDENT JUNE 26

RISE OF ISIS

The outbreak started in ISIS, an Islamic terrorist group, was southeastern Guinea and founded in 1999 but rose to power in eventually reached the United 2014. ISIS controlled 34,000 square miles in States with 11 people treated Syria and Iraq. They are known to use social here. In the end, there were more media and other modern tools as propaganda than 28,000 cases reported and to recruit new members. more than 11,000 deaths.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was an international flight scheduled to fly from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport. The aircraft disappeared near Vietnam and was never located.

FLIGHT 370 MARCH 8

each and every instance a gun is brandished, fired or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time of day or day of week.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE In a 5-4 decision on the Obergefell v. Hodges

2015

case, the Supreme court declared marriage a fundamental right regardless of gender under the 14th Amendment. This decision officially legalized same-sex marriage.

The dress was a viral photograph that sparked friendly debate across the globe and left people wondering, “Black and blue or white and gold?” (It’s black and blue.)

THE DRESS FEBRUARY 26

ISIS executed 5 terrorist attacks in Paris, France that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds. These attacks were both shootings and bombings.

PARIS ATTACKS NOVEMBER 13

18 - in-depth

design and photos by Izzy dodge

BY Izzy dodge 2020 Resolutions STUDENTS AND STAFF SHARE THEIR NEW YEAR’ S RESOLUTION

ANDREW FALK JUNIOR “My New Year’s resolution is to volunteer more in my community. I want to give back. I really just want to help people, and I thought this would be the best way of doing it. I would really like to volunteer at the Humane Society and at an old folks’ home.”

KATHY KNUST EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT “My New Year’s resolution is to be nicer to all the students here at Westside High School. I have to remember that every student coming up to me is probably asking a question for the first time and doesn’t know that I’ve answered it since I’ve been here. I recently realized that with me being in my advanced age that I need to be kind, because at times I can find myself getting upset and losing patience. That’s not the way to be a good role model for the students.”

JUNE 23

NOVEMBER 2

BREXIT A public vote was held to decide whether or not the

2016 OCTOBER

CUBS VICTORY The Chicago Cubs won the

United Kingdom should remain in the European union. This issue has caused a division of opinions all World Series for the first time over the world, but the vote to leave the EU ultimately after 108 years of trying and won.

The clown scares were all trying. a hoax. However, many Donald Trump was elected as the people across the world 45th President of the United States. were in fear and obsessed with hunting down each and every one of them.

NOVEMBER 8

CLOWN SCARE

TRUMP ELECTED

ELLA WEDERGREN SENIOR “My New Year’s resolution is to drink more water to stay hydrated and to keep my immune system up. I want to stay healthy, and I know it helps with basketball to keep me awake and not as tired. I now always have my CamelBak water bottle with me every day and refill it until I drink one-and-a-half bottles a day.”

GREG WOODIN ASSOCIATE CHOIR DIRECTOR “My New Year’s resolution is to read one book every month. I am trying to expand my knowledge and trying to find the fun in reading again. I always love it when I am reading a good book, and then when I am done reading it, I wish I could just keep reading. I have already bought all the books. This will hopefully keep me motivated. I have already made the financial commitment, so if I don’t read them it is just a waste of money.”

AUGUST 11

CHARLOTTESVILLE RIOT A Unite the Right rally led by white nationalist groups turned violent when a car crash caused by James Alex Fields Jr. left three people dead.

2017

The total solar eclipse stretched from coast to coast of the United States for the first time in 99 years. It was visible from Oregon to South Carolina.

SOLAR ECLIPSE

AUGUST 21

NATURAL DISASTERS In August and September Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria all touched down in the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S., devastating thousands. In October, 71,499 wildfires broke out in California as well.

design and photos by Izzy dodge

19 - In-depth

MARIAH RIOS FRESHMAN “My New Year’s resolution is to study more and do my homework on time and well done. I really want to do well in school and get good grades. I believe that starts with studying hard and completing my homework. Doing well in school will lead to a bright future. I am now trying to not procrastinate homework and study for a test.”

DAVIS CLOUSE STUDENT TEACHER “My New Year’s resolution is to finish my undergrad [degree] without any problems. I started school in 2016 at UNO, and I want to finish school and become a high school teacher. I plan to work hard, and when I have people come to observe me and grade me, I just want to make sure I get really good grades.”

Anson Haney SOPHOMORE “My New Year’s resolution is to go to the gym more, work out and to make myself better. I would like to be in shape so that I can live a long life. If there are some days when I don’t want to go to the gym, I will have to motivate myself to work out because I want to improve myself in all the activities I do. I just want to be someone who does great things.” APRIL 10

Parker HArrell SOPHOMORE “My New Year’s resolution is to improve in track. I want to jump higher and run faster. I chose this as my resolution because track is my main sport and my passion. To achieve this, I will work harder.”

SEPTEMBER 4

KAVANAUGH HEARING

JULY 26

2018

company Facebook had been selling its information to third parties without the consent of its users.

During Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing, allegations of sexual assault were brought forward by Christine Blasey Ford, accelerating the #MeToo movement.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married.

ROYAL WEDDING 2.0 MAY 19

FACEBOOK DOWNFALL It was revealed that the

JACOB CAFFEY SENIOR “My New Year’s resolution is to play soccer in college. I love to play soccer, and I’ve been playing all my life. This year I’ve been really interested in it. I am pushing myself to play against harder teams and travel a lot.”

2019

MARCH 15

DECEMBER 18

BLACK HOLE PHOTOGRAPHED

This is the first piece of evidence created to show that black holes exist. The photo was taken by the Event The first large march involved more than one Horizon Telescope (EHT). million protesters who rallied against the extradition bill.

The demonstrations later get violent against protestors and police.

HONG KONG PROTEST

CHASE MARTIN STUDENT TEACHER “My New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier and to exercise. This is something I got away from last year. I got into a lazy rut of getting off work and grabbing Little Caesars or something fast, then going home and sitting down and watching TV. I already sit enough at school. I need to be more active when I get home. That starts with a good diet. Now, when I get the urge to get Little Caesars or other fast food, instead I will just take a right and head to Bakers or Hy-Vee. Also, my wife will push me. She will be my strength if I ever get weak.”

TRUMP IMPEACHMENT

President Trump stood trial for impeachment after it was revealed that he had potentially withheld military aid from Ukraine in exchange for investigation into a political opponent.

YouTube channels PewDiePie and T-Series battled to see who would reach 100 million subscribers first, with corporation T-Series winning in the end.

100 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS MAY 29/AUGUST 25

20 - IN-DEPTH

GRAPHICS AND DESIGN BY ANGELA LI

‘10

PRINTS & PATTERNs

The main style that came out of 2010 was the print style.

Any type of clothing that was covered in leopard print, geometric shapes or snakeskin qualified. Forever 21 and H&M were not shy in using these patterns on all of their clothes, from jackets to pants.

‘13

‘11

NEON

Neon and anything colorful took over 2011. The general fashion this year was chaotic. None of the outfits really matched. It was more about being the brightest outfit in the room. This took form with many tunic dresses, scarves and fedoras.

Pants are what 2012 was all about.

It’s not just that everyone was wearing pants, but they were full of patterns.

Although, there were some ugly patterns put on the pants. This look turned to professional and casual with fullon suits a n d collars being a statement everyone was wearing.

‘12 STATEMENT PANTS

Decade dress THE BEST AND WORST TRENDS OF THE 2010s‘

BY MEGHAN MAYNARD

BRANDWEAR

‘14

In 2013, everyone became brandobsessed. People turned to only wearing outfits because of the brand, such as Versace or Givenchy. This went for classic logos, slogans or symbols that were wellknown.

OVERALLS

This year started the overall frenzy. At one point, I think everyone was buying or wanting to buy a pair of overalls.

From the original full pant overalls to ones with shorts or in dress form, they seemed very versatile. Many people kept them casual, while some dressed them up for events.

2015 was a weird trends included Most choker bad, but we wear the most blinged T h e y element of look.

It taken from like most from the

year. One of the choker necklaces. necklaces aren’t all chose to thickest or out chokers. became an our everyday was a trend the ‘90s, trends 2010s.

‘15

CHOKER NECKLACES

‘16

CROCS All Crocs never let a kid, Another Jibbitz. attach people personal

should be burned! My mom me own a pair when I was and I understand why now. part of the Crocs trend is Jibbitz are little icons that to the Crocs’ holes. Many add them to show their expressions in their shoes.

Trends compiled from Buzzfeed, Vogue, Us, Glamour, Redbook, Seventeen, and WhoWhatWear.

We have all turned to wearing workout clothes on a daily basis. From leggings to tennis shoes, we wear workout clothes more in public than to actually work out in. This style took over the world because of its comfortable fit and flexibility.

You are able to do anything in athletic wear, so it works in many situations.

‘17

ATHLEISURE

‘18

TINY SUNGLASSES

‘19

Tiny sunglasses were a complete OVERSIZED transformation from the early 2000s, CLOTHING when big sunglasses were in. Today, we are sizing them down and using Oversized sunglasses more for fashion clothing has and looks than for blocking come and gone for the sun. This trend is many decades. It was very fashionable but originally worn in pre-World impractical.

War times as a sign of wealth.

Now, it has become a style we see a lot of recently, especially in our media with celebrities. Oversized clothing mostly takes the form of shirts and sweatshirts, but it can appear with jeans too. We now wear similar styles to the original jeans with distressed, highrise and baggy styles.

DESIGN BY ISABELLA TYLER - PHOTO BY ASHLEY ROSENTHAL

FEATURE - 21

a sharp helper EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT CONNECTS WITH STUDENTS

W

hether it’s a hug, elbow bump or high five, former Westside student Billy Sharp makes sure he greets each preschool student in Underwood Hills’ early education program every day. Through a transition program for young adults with special needs, a job opportunity as an educational assistant was provided to Sharp to transition into life beyond high school.

According to Jeanette Lengemann, the Special Services coordinator for Early Childhood, some of these jobs in the program may include working at bowling alleys or movie theaters. At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, Underwood received Sharp as a new addition to their team.

Lengemann said Sharp was placed at Underwood based on the input of his former educational assistant.

“The adults who come with them, the [educational assistant] from the high school, know the kids really well,” Lengemann said. “They can decide. Some kids don’t want to be around little kids or scrape the plates or whatever. So, they know what they want or don’t want to do.”

Sharp works in the classrooms of instructors Kate Staples and Kayla Nuemann. When Sharp and the other students in the program get to the school, they help out by preparing lunch, cleaning up and doing other activities or jobs in the classrooms.

Sharp has taken on other tasks, such as rubbing students’ backs to try and get them to sleep or greeting students in the mornings.

“When the students arrive, they do a greeting with me, and the very first day that [Sharp] was here, he wanted to do the greeting,” Staples said. “I noticed that he was so excited, so I said, ‘Hey, why don’t you just do this with me?’ Now he’s the one that does it with all the students.”

Sharp works closely with both Staples and Neumann in their classrooms. He works hands-on with each student in order to improve their day.

“It’s great, and I like it [at Underwood],” Sharp said. “Ms. Kate has been really nice.”

Since Sharp has been at Underwood, he has connected with the students and has quickly gained a place in their hearts. Part of the reason Sharp connects well to the students is due to his daily interactions with them by playing games or singing songs.

According to Lengemann, Sharp is just like one of the kids himself.

“It’s a win-win for everybody,” Lengemann said. “[Sharp’s] always really happy and fantastic. He is really sincere, and the kids can feel that. They’ll be doing a song, and he’s right in there singing along.”

BY ANGELINA PATTAVINA With some of the students needing special services, it has helped having Sharp in the classroom, according to Lengemann, because he has Down Syndrome, so he can connect with the kids in that way. “[Sharp] just wanted to be with the kids, so we put him in [the classroom],” Lengemann said. “There’s a little boy with Down Syndrome, and he goes, ‘Oh my god! You look just like me.’ We all thought it was so cool and fun to watch him.”

Sharp has helped a lot of kids come out of their shells due to his outgoing personality, according to Staples.

“A lot of my students who are usually really shy and don’t interact with their peers were just drawn to him,” Staples said. “It’s been so neat to see students who are usually a bit more quiet look forward to Billy coming.”

Nuemann said that Sharp has become invested in

his position at Underwood. He has a routine that he follows each day. Lengemann said that sometimes they have to tell Sharp to calm down a bit due to how invested he gets.

“When he leaves for the day and the kids don’t say goodbye to him, he gives them a reminder by saying, ‘Okay kids, Mr. Bill is leaving now, say bye,’” Nuemann said.

Sharp has made an impact beyond the students.

Parents ask about Sharp because their students go home and tell them about him. He has become a role model to the younger kids, according to Staples.

“Parents of students with Down Syndrome think, ‘This is something that our kids can look up to,’” Lengemann said. “When they’re first diagnosed, they don’t know what the future will bring. But, when they see kids actively involved, then it gives them new hope and excitement to look forward to the future.”

Educational assistant Billy Sharp works on an activity with a student.

22 - FEATURE

HEADSHOT BY ELLA KIRKPATRICK - DESIGN BY JULIA STEINER

FINDING freedom SNOWMOBILING SOPHOMORE DOES PRODUCT TESTING, RUNS GUIDING TOURS, HAS SPONSORSHIPS

w

hen asked what snowmobiling was like, sophomore Avery White said he didn’t know how to describe it.

“It’s a sense of freedom,” White said. “It’s an adrenaline rush. Sometimes there’s a lot of snow, and you feel like you’re jet skiing because it’s so light.”

BY JULIA STEINER

White has been snowmobiling since he was two and said he has grown his passion for it into “kind of a job.” He does product testing for snowmobile parts companies (some of which he is a brand ambassador for) is sponsored by several companies and runs his own guided tours.

“My dad gave me my first snowmobile, and it kind of progressed from there,” White said. “I got addicted. I’m still addicted. My dad took my out to the mountains for the first time when I was seven, and I started learning how to ride out there. It’s a totally different style of riding than back home.”

Sophomore Chase Kroeger said he’s been friends with White since kindergarten, and White often tells him funny stories about his snowmobiling. “[He talks about it] at least once every two days,” Kroeger said. “He likes to bring it up a lot, and I think it’s interesting.”

When he was 12, White started racing and hillclimbing, but said he found backcountry riding his favorite. As White describes it, backcountry riding is “just riding through a bunch of trees really fast.”

Today, White snowmobiles in several places around the country, typically in the Snowy Range Mountains west of Laramie, Wyoming or in Park City, Utah.

“I don’t know what I would be doing right now if I didn’t have snowmobiling,” White said.

Last winter, White began conducting guided tours independently and since starting has done almost twenty over breaks and weekends. There are usually two to four clients with him on a tour, who are mostly adults and advanced riders. He charges around $1000 for a three day full trip. If a client wants to rent a sled, it’s about $350 more per day. All of the sleds he rents out are his own new sleds. The tours usually last from Friday through Monday or Thursday through Sunday. At night, White and his clients stay in cabins around the area. He said clients find him through his Instagram, @awhite_outdoors.

“People just DM me for tours, so we will set them up, set up a week, make sure my calendar fits and we will be out there and ready,” White said.

“The first day, I introduce techniques to riding, so how to side hill, have Sophomore Avery White stands with two of his sleds in the brake control and throttle control,” White said. “The second day, I take Snowy Range Mountains in Wyoming this winter. them into terrain to see how good they are, see if they are as good as they

SNOWMOBILE PHOTOS COURTESY OF AVERY WHITE DESIGN BY JULIA STEINER said they were and the third day we really push them to get out of their comfort zone and get out on really steep terrain.”

White said he learned about guiding under professional snowmobiler Chris Burandt. Burandt was a gold medalist in ESPN’s Winter X Games in 2007 for freestyle snowmobiling, and White met him at a trade show called Hay Days Grass Drags in Northfield, Minnesota.

“I met Chris Burandt, he’s like the number one snowmobiler in the world at this point right now, at a snowmobile expo,” White said. “He basically taught me the ways. I went and rode with him for a season, and he basically taught me how to be a good guide.”

White said he started his business because of his love of riding.

“I just like showing people the mountains,” White said.

“I mean, mountain riding is not easy. It’s not safe in any way, but you can make it safer and a lot more fun knowing the right technique and having someone that knows what to do with you.”

Last year, White received avalanche safety, CPR and search and rescue training for extra safety precautions.

“The more you know about safety, the safer you are,” White said.

According to White, the hardest thing about giving the guided tours is getting stuck. This is when the track, the rubber part of the snowmobile that propels the ride through the snow, digs too deep and stops the sled from moving.

“People get stuck all of the time,” White said. “Everybody gets stuck. I get stuck. But if you’ve never ridden the mountains, you get stuck a lot more.”

White explained that ideally, there is a six- to ten-foot base of snow on the mountain with powder on top from recent storms. He said that more snow usually means less damage because it protects the sled from rocks and other obstacles. Damage is something White said he is accustomed to, as fixing parts is also a big part of his job.

“When you try to push people’s limits, they are usually going to fail at some point, and failure results in broken parts,” White said. “So, most guided trips, I’m up until 2:30 in the morning in the trailer, fixing people’s sleds.”

White said experience with broken equipment is what taught him how to repair things.

“I’ve totalled two sleds and have ripped a lot of skis off,” White said. “Skis and spindles and A-arms are probably the most common thing to break, and I can probably get a whole front end replaced in about ten minutes now just because I’ve done it so much.”

“

White doesn’t have an official business yet because he can’t technically own a guiding service at his age, but he said he hopes to one day have his own large service.

“I want to create a big business, [and] hopefully, in the next ten years, have a big guiding service [with] a couple employees and lots of sleds,” White said.

For now, he continues working on his tours and said he doesn’t have an issue with being a minor guiding adults.

“Nobody views me as a kid as long as I can better them and make them better riders,” White said. “They just view me as their guide. I make pretty good friends quick, so all of the guys I meet and go ride with, they’re usually pretty ready for what’s going to come ... If they really want an adult, they would just find another guide.”

Instagram is also part of White’s job. A scroll through his account reveals more than 100 snowmobile-related posts: photos of his sleds, mountain views and videos of his rides.

It’s this activity that has allowed White to get sponsored by snowmobile companies like Zollinger Racing Products and ZBroz Racing that make after-market snowmobile equipment.

“I will test free products and sell products for them, and in return I get exposure into the industry,” White said. “Exposure is more than money to me.”

White said that when he sells products, he does it through Instagram, Facebook Marketplace or just through people he knows. White is also an ambassador for High Performance Sports (HPS), which specializes in high performance snowmobile exhaust systems. Izac Hilam, president of HPS, said White is a “jack of all trades.”

“Along with posting with our products and helping us grow our social media accounts, which we just started not too long ago, he’s also working on product development,” Hilam said. “So, we are letting him test all of our new products, and he tells us what he thinks about them, and we will add adjustments to the final product.”

Hilam said White officially joined their team last March.

He’s their only ambassador at HPS who is under 18.

“Avery’s a great kid,” Hilam said. “He’s respectful. He’s probably the most mature 15-year-old I’ve ever worked with. Most of them are annoying, but he’s very professional.

I mean, he’ll kick my ass on a sled every day.”

Right now, White is using some of the free and discounted products he’s received from various companies to build a custom sled. His plan is to display the sled at the Hay Days Grass Drags expo that will take place in September.

“It’s got graphics kits, lightweight parts, turbos, about every after-market part you can think of,” White said in

[White will] kick my ass on a sled every day.

-Izac hilam, president of high performance sports

FEATURE - 23

This is a photo of one of White’s sleds, taken in the Snowy Range Mountains in Wyoming this winter. regards to his custom build. “It’s just going to be a cool sled. It’s going to be my daily driver.”

To pay for the build, White had to reach out to many companies for help.

“I emailed upwards of twenty companies to support our build with either discounts or free products, and a lot of companies emailed me back and are going to support me,” White said. “Most companies are super nice about it, and they love supporting younger people who are going to push the next generation of snowmobiling.”

While White reaches out to many companies on his own, he said sometimes they reach out to him because of his activity on Instagram. GoPro, the action camera company, sent him an application to be a sponsor through an Instagram direct message. White filled out the application and waited.

“For GoPro, I got a call, and it was a big deal because I had turned in my application, like, four months beforehand,” White said. “I thought I was overlooked. But I got one call one day and was asked to open my email, and they had sent me an email with some paperwork on it and that was a big one.”

White described why he loved snowmobiling with a smile.

“It’s freedom,” White said. “There is no limit to what you can do with a snowmobile. You can always push yourself. You can’t go wrong. It’s an adrenaline rush, and I’m addicted anyways, so I’ve got to keep doing it.”

“

24 - SPORTS

PHOTOS BY EMMA RIESER - DESIGN BY ANGELA LI

bloodline

HABERMAN FAMILY CONTINUES ATHLETIC LEGACY

BY NATHANAEL MONJAREZ MACIAS AND CALEB DE LA CRUZ

A

thletic success in the Haberman family isn’t something that is exclusive to junior Cade Haberman or sophomore Cole Haberman. Their father, Justin Haberman, a Westside physical education instructor, football and track and field coach has also made a name for himself when it comes to athletics.

“I grew up in a town called Beaumont, California,” Justin Haberman said. “It’s a small, middle class town out in California, right outside of the Palm Springs desert. [In] my upbringing, my folks were very middle class and blue collar. [They] taught me work ethics. I was a three-sport athlete in high school. I was an All-State defensive end.

My senior year, my head coach wanted to move me to linebacker. I ended up making All-State linebacker [and] fullback my senior year. I was named the Citrus Belt football player of the year. I was also a four-year letterman in track. As big as I was, I was super fast. I anchored our four by [four] relay team.”

Along with Justin Haberman’s natural talent for the sport of football, basketball and track, he said he didn’t limit himself when it came to sports, even trying out for ones he never played in his life.

“My sophomore year, I went out for soccer,” Justin Haberman said. “I never played soccer a day in my life. I made the varsity soccer team just because I was super fast.

They put me as a defensive back. By midseason, [during] the mid-season league meeting, they voted me out because I had too many red cards.”

Justin Haberman’s future of sports was looking bright with a chance to head to San Diego State. The only problem was a previous high school injury that he overlooked.

“Out of high school, I had some scholarship opportunities, but I had a lot of shoulder issues,” Justin Haberman said.

“I tore my shoulder up my senior year of football. I didn’t want to miss basketball season, so I played through basketball season with a shoulder injury. I went through track with a shoulder injury. It was to a point that I couldn’t lift my arm above my head without my shoulder dislocating. When I went down to San Diego State, I couldn’t pass the physical. I needed to have shoulder surgery. So, I went back to my high school.”

This small setback didn’t stop Justin Haberman from achieving his dream. He said he knew that there were other options to continue to play football.

“I went to a junior college called College of the Desert,” Justin Haberman said. “It’s in Palm Desert, California, an amazing school. Day three of football practice, I hit a kid and completely blew the shoulder out tearing everything connecting the shoulder and chest completely apart and had major shoulder surgery the next day. I sat out my whole first year of college. I was coming back from that and working out quite a bit, and in the spring I crushed my lower back bench-pressing 420 pounds.”

Even with both injuries, Justin Haberman recovered and sought to play Division One football at big name colleges.

“I had a tremendous junior college career, even received some scholarship opportunities,” Justin Haberman said. “[I] thought I was going to go to the University of Arizona, but the spring semester I messed around and messed up some classes I needed to graduate, which made me academically ineligible to play Division One football. The best option would be to go to a smaller school so I would pay attention better in class. Without even seeing anything or visiting, I picked Dana College [in Blair]. I came out here, played two years of college football at Dana College, had a great two years, made All-Conference both years [and] got Preseason All-American my senior year. Then I met my beautiful wife. I tell people all the time, the last thing my mom said to me was, ‘Don’t go out and meet some nice girl and get married and stay out in Nebraska.’ That’s exactly what I did.”

Justin Haberman’s journey to Nebraska, filled with trial, error, achievements and love, gave way to his career at Westside. Originally from Blair, the Haberman family’s move to Omaha and Westside was a choice every member had a voice in.

“Cade, our oldest kid, was going into the end of his eighth grade [year],” Justin Haberman said. “We [thought], ‘What are we going to do? Are we going to leave him in Blair or put him i n Westside?’ I really let him make that [decision]. It was a hard transition for Cade. Cade was the super athletic, real popular kid in Blair.

Left: Junior Cade Haberman looks on during a football game. Center: Wrestling coach Justin Haberman demonstrates a move. Right: Sophomore Cole Haberman competes during a wrestling match.

DESIGN BY ANGELA LI Coming into Westside as a freshman, he didn’t know anybody, and the hard part was, looking back, he didn’t hang out with any of the freshman kids because he was put on varsity football immediately. He never told us that it was hard for him, but now he looks back and will tell us it was a little tough. But he loved it.”

Junior Cade Haberman is set to break records. He most recently broke Westside wrestling’s 84th pin record and said he hopes to make a name for himself, not only for his glory and the legacy of his family name, but to set a higher standard for future Westside athletes.

“I want to leave a legacy here at Westside,” Cade Haberman said. “I don’t just want to be known as the kid who was a good athlete and played college football, I want people to remember me. I want teachers to remember me, I want students to remember me, I want to put my name on as many things as possible, and when I set records, I want them to be broken someday. That’s what they’re there for.”

Competitiveness is a trait the Haberman family is known for. While Cade Haberman is breaking records left and right, his younger brother, sophomore Cole Haberman, said he is focused on taking the spotlight away from him.

“I see myself as a state champion wrestler my junior year and senior year, and I’m really looking forward to beating all my brother’s wrestling records my senior year,” Cole Haberman said.

With junior Cade Haberman, sophomore Cole Haberman and future freshman Chloe Haberman, the Haberman name

SPORTS - 25 at Westside is gradually being made. Justin Haberman directed all the family’s athletic success to Westside’s coaching and teaching staff.

“The reason that [Cade’s] name is going to stay is we have tremendous coaches,” Justin Haberman said. “Coach Froendt, the head football coach, is a tremendous coach with the culture and stuff he does with the football team and how he develops football players. Coach Zahn, his defensive line coach [and] Coach Williams, his offensive line coach, they’re tremendous coaches, and that’s what helps. Here at Westside, we have tremendous teachers, but they’re also tremendous coaches.”

Cole Haberman said he agreed with his father and that, along with coaches here at the high school that helped with his success, there was one particular coach at the middle school who helped create the athlete he is today.

“In middle school, Coach Apfelbeck was a huge influence on me,” Cole Haberman said. “He knew how to challenge me and build my confidence as a wrestler and athlete, and all of the football and wrestling coaches at the high school have helped shaped me into the person I am today.”

When asked about what made him the great athlete he is, Cade Haberman thanked his childhood friend for growing his competitive spirit.

“I contribute a lot of my success to Dexter [Larsen] being my wrestling partner,” Cade Haberman said. “Growing up, he was always the better athlete of us two. He would kick the crap out of me during wrestling practice, and, of course,

I hated it, losing to my best friend every day, but looking back at it now it was the best thing that ever happened to me because I hate losing. I almost hate losing more than I love winning.”

Even in the heat of competition, Justin Haberman said that competitiveness among siblings shouldn’t be stressful or bring someone down, but rather it should make both people better.

“I want people to understand, life shouldn’t be a competition between siblings,” Justin Haberman said.

“Life should be a competition. Compete to push each other to be better, encourage. People always want to tear down, and I’ll tell you my boys will be the first to tell you, they don’t harp at each other. They don’t gripe at each other.

There’s too many people that want to tear people down. As a school, if we worked on building each other up instead of tearing people down, we’d make this a better place.”

In the end, all Justin Haberman said he cares about is how his children are perceived as people, not as athletes.

“When people think of Cade Haberman or Cole Haberman or yet Chloe [Haberman], what I hope they know is that they’re good kids, that they work hard, that they have a work ethic,” Justin Haberman said. “I just had a young lady interview me. [She asked], ‘Who makes the biggest impact in [your] life?’ My father instilled in me a hard working mentality. [I’m] not afraid to put in the grind, not afraid to stand alone and stand up for what’s right.”

26 - A&E

GRAPHICS AND DESIGN BY NATHAN EVANS

ALONE ON

Valentine’s?

26.9%

47.2%

v

STORY BY EMMA ALLEN

alentine’s Day is coming up quick, and

conducted by The Lance with 587 responses, 61 percent of students are single.

25.9% However, that doesn’t mean they are lonely.

Forty-seven percent of survey respondents reported that they don’t feel lonely on Do you ever get lonely on Valentine’s? Valentine’s Day, and 26.9 percent said they were lonely only sometimes. Instead of being Yes No Sometimes sad during this love-fest holiday, The Lance is here to recommend some ways to help you get through the day when it’s you, yourself and loneliness.

10.7%

61%

28.3% Are you in a relationship?

Yes

No

18.7%

It’s complicated

28.6%

28.6%

Tip Number 1:

Tip Number 3:

Tip Number 4:

Eat food that makes you happy. According to Health Instructor Brody Schmaderer, “food, in general, makes you feel good.”

Whenever we eat food, our body releases dopamine. While 50.1 percent of students said they usually eat what they normally eat on a normal day, other students that answered the survey said they eat things like candies and chocolates. Valentine’s Day gives you the perfect opportunity to indulge — if you ever feel lonely, sometimes just the tiniest amount of food can do wonders.

Just be you. Forty-two percent of students who answered the survey said they just follow their normal routine, and that’s totally okay. Don’t feel any pressure to buy into the holiday. If you don’t know how to spend Valentine’s Day, it’s completely okay to treat it as a normal day.

Treat yourself. In the survey, 28.6 percent of Westside students said they spend Valentine’s Day alone. Instead, they can watch movies, sleep or bake cookies or another treat.

Tip Number 2: B re a k fa s t

Spend time with people you love. Twentyfour percent of students said that during Valentine’s Day, they spend time with friends, and 28.6 percent said they spend time with family. Valentine’s Day doesn’t just need to be about romance. It can be a time to celebrate anyone in your life that you appreciate.

24%

Who do you spend Valentine’s Day with?

Family

Alone

ALONE AGAIN?

These statistics are from a Y

The Lance with 587 responses.

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graphic and design by jane knudsen

Dissecting Rom-Coms

a&e - 27

BY Jane Knudsen ’ Cliches we keep coming back to A heroine who’s able to wake up with perfect hair and makeup and still call herself a wreck. A meet-cute. A ‘liar revealed’ twist. Several misunderstandings.

A last-minute run to an airport. A resolution. These tropes, and several more, are ingredients that form romantic comedies, or ‘rom-coms,’ as they’re more generally known.

These works are nothing new. They appear as books, films, comics, even video games.

However, the tropes associated with rom-coms appear most recognizably in the more classic storytelling media: books and films. While popular year-round, rom-coms become most relevant during holidays like Valentine’s Day or other winter holidays. Any time of year when family and love is heavily emphasized presents the perfect opportunity for a rom-com to force its way into a consumer’s life.

The structure of a romantic story is a broad and well-known one. Romantic comedies function the same way, but changes are made to create a situation where comedy can occur naturally. This could be accomplished through changes in the environment, the supporting cast or mannerisms of the leads themselves. The ideas behind rom-coms have always been very broad, so it makes sense that the same tropes occur. If you’re given little direction as a storyteller, you’re bound to follow the habits of stories preceding yours. Some semantics of the tropes change to become relevant, but the sentiment behind them stays the same.

Shakespeare’s works, which function as some of the earliest and most clear examples of romantic comedies, focus in on misunderstandings and misconceptions, amplifying the absurdity to keep the romantic leads away from one another in a way that’s amusing and enthralling. However, why these stories are so captivating is a concept worth examining.

Romantic comedies, formulaic as they are, draw the public in because they all offer something different. As an example, two romantic comedies: “13 Going on 30,” released in 2004, and “Shallow Hal,” released in 2001. Before revealing the specific plots of these movies, it would be worthwhile to see what they have in common. The main character begins the movie in a somewhat unlikeable position. They’re self-possessed and materialistic.

They’re not horrible people, but they have very negative qualities. People around them act as moral compasses that they ignore. Then, something happens to them that requires them to view the world differently than they did before. They slowly become accustomed to the change and consider someone romantically who they would have not considered before. The audience sees them become better people. By the end of the movie, their normal perception of the world has returned, but they keep their improved mindset. The romantic leads end up together peacefully.

“13 Going on 30” is about a 13-year-old girl transported into the future to witness her successful adult life and learn how to mature. “Shallow Hal” is about a superficial man who is hypnotized into seeing everyone around them for their inner beauty. They’re wildly different movies with different methods of storytelling, but the structure and tropes found in both are deceptively similar. The same can be said for just about any rom-com. This is precisely why people are drawn to these movies.

There’s an opportunity to mix and match tropes you like and dislike in this genre that isn’t very present in other genres. If you like the bad boy love interest archetype in a movie but hate the love triangle plot, you can find what you love in several other movies told in a similar way, excluding what you hate. It goes along with the whole idea that every movie is

just the same seven movies being told differently, but on an even narrower scale.

It would be easy enough to say that the common tropes found in rom-coms are as recognizable as those found in action movies or standard comedies, but that wouldn’t be true. The thing about the romantic comedy as a genre is, while it is so broad, the tropes that recur are so distinct and specific that they become so much more notable and, therefore, easy to riff on. The easiest genre to compare it to would be Westerns. Westerns were very unique to the era in which they were released, and they served as a popular source of entertainment for decades. They’re movies that are instantly recognizable. An audience can look at the scenery, hear the musical cues, even look at the full name of the main character and realize immediately that the movie they’re watching is a Western.

The same goes for romantic comedies. While these movies function as sub-facets for several different genres, the similarities in the structure and storytelling for so many is astounding. Despite the fact that these genres stand out in comparison to others, they still read as formulaic when one dives into them on their own.

If rom-coms seem so similar to Westerns, why have they lasted so much longer than Westerns? The easiest answer would be timelessness and the evolution of ideas.

Westerns served their purpose for the time in which they thrived. Looking back through a contemporary lens, many classic Westerns do not hold up well at all, but their popularity and appeal make sense. But, as the greyness of morality was dissected in popular culture, the Westerns that so flagrantly ignored it no longer held respectability. Romcoms, however, were made to evolve. There’s a timelessness that comes with seeing a relationship develop. The way that these developments are presented is something that can hold up much better.

Romance, while definitely not appealing to everybody, is a multi-faceted thing that can seem interesting and desirable to a massive audience. Along with that, the evolution of comedy is an incredible thing to witness. When put together, the prosperity of the two is inevitable. As the nature of relationships change, the potential to tackle our perception of them through a comedic lens is huge. What’s even better is that the tropes evolve along with the plots while still keeping the same sentiment. In the past, a trope would have been that the leads couldn’t be together because one of the pair’s parents disapproved. That trope is still present in contemporary storylines, but it has changed. Parental disapproval changed to disapproval from friends or obligations from work. As our needs have changed, our stories have as well.

Even then, considering all of the reasoning behind the prosperity of rom-coms, the bottom line is that they’re still popular because they’re pleasant. They paint pictures of romance that seem wonderful and attainable. They’re stories that audiences can rely on for happy, hopeful endings. They open up debates and discussions. They’re hilarious when they fail and touching when they succeed. For decades behind us and decades to come, they’ve made people happy, and that’s something beyond analysis.

28 - A&E

PHOTOS BY BROOKLYN JAMES - DESIGN BY ISABELLA TYLER

Humans of westside WHAT DO YOU DO ON VALENTINE’S DAY? - BY BROOKLYN JAMES

ZACH LARODA, 10

MORGAN MUMFORD,12

JENNIFER MAIER, 11

TOMMY SULLIVAN, 12

“On Valentine’s Day, I am alone, so I cry. That’s literally it. I only cry.”

“Every year on Valentine’s Day, my mom decorates my room with heart cutouts and different Valentine’s Day decorations, and then she makes a little scavenger hunt with Valentine’s Day clues.”

“On Valentine’s Day, I just hang out with my family. We get chocolates and watch romantic movies together.”

“I’m going to take my dog and we’re going to go for a nice walk around the park, and it’s going to be a lovely evening. I’m going to have a lot of his favorite treats, and then after that, we are going to have a beautiful candle-lit dinner.”

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