September 25, 2015 - Johnson

Enrollment: 328
Volume:28 Issue: 1
Friday, 25th
The
Eagle
We got 99 fonts
But Comic Sans Ain’t One
What’s
Inside?
The Male Version of Mrs. Kelsay
J-B under new leadership
2
J-B Alum
in the E.R.
3
Editorial
Kudos to
J-B fans
4
Three & out
J-B vs Lewiston
5
Finding the
right groove
6
Rosetta-
Stone Review
By Krista Riley
With Johnson-Brock hiring the third principal in
three years, none of the students knew what to
expect. Would he be funny or serious, easygoing or
a workaholic, laid back or strict?
And new Principal Mr. Lucus Dalinghaus didn’t
know what to expect either, although he said he had
only heard good things about J-B. “It’s been great,”
he stated.
At first, Mr. Dalinghaus may seem a bit
intimidating, standing in the halls with his arms
crossed and his expression untelling. But in talking
to him, he proves to be exceedingly welcoming. He
emphasized that one of the most important things
he learned is about connecting with the students
and faculty. “It’s important to build relationships
and show that you care,” he said although he
admitted he’s having a hard time getting to know
everyone’s names.
Even at a young age, Mr. Dalinghaus knew he
wanted a career in education. Out at his home in
Baileyville, Kansas, he was probably singing along
to Garth Brooks CDs or pretending to be a teacher.
He would line one of his notebooks and write down
fake grades in it. Junior year of high school he still
planned to be a teacher but thought he would enjoy
having more flexibility and being responsible for
more students, so he added principal to his career
goal.
Above all, he values student learning. His
previous work as a business teacher, an assistant
principal, and a principal has taught him the basic
in’s and out’s of education. He also knows the
coaching side, as he led his boys’ basketball team to
state three times and a Kansas championship in
2013. He described himself as a very calm coach,
so all his clipboards survived intact.
Much to the disappointment of many Nebraska
fans, he said there’s “not a chance” he will become
a Husker. After further consideration, he said, "I
will be a Husker fan before I will be a KU fan, but
it will take some time.”
Although he’s not a Big Red fan yet, he is
already a big fan of J-B. It’s common to see him
cheering on the athletes at football and volleyball
games. For him, these events are a time to be with
his family. Mr. Dalinghaus regularly attends his
kid’s games and brings his family along with him to
school activities. As of now, he’s spending most
weekends in the car driving somewhere. They still
own their home in Seneca, Kansas, so he slips back
there to keep up with the mowing.
His first impression of Johnson-Brock was that
of excellence, whether it be in the classroom or the
activities. He has also admired the commitment
of the staff. “Teachers are here all the time,” he
said. And he’s working on implementing a lot of
new ideas to improve the school, like the eWalk,
where he and his Ipad travel to various classrooms
and chart the type of learning taking place.
This kind of behavior may seem similar to
another principal J-B used to have: Mrs. Kelsay.
Not only are they both hands-on people, but both
seem to have strong organizational skills. Mrs.
Kelsay was known for her heels clicking down the
hall. Students often heard her before they saw her.
No such luck with Mr. Dalinghaus. He seems to
appear out of nowhere, and he’s always standing
right there. “I think several times when he entered
my room I was looking the other way. I looked up
and was surprised, but it has always been a nice
surprise,” said junior high instructor Karen Wolken.
That stealthy approach is something J-B students
can continue to expect as the former K-State
Wildcat is intent on examining what’s going on in
the classrooms. Although, if you do get in trouble
in the next few weeks, he still might not know
who’s name to write down.
Interview questions that didn’t make the cut:


What happened to your hair?
 Trump or Bernie?
What’s your blood type?

What’s your social security number?


What’s your mother’s maiden name?
What’s your ipad passcode?
Page 2
Feature
September 2015
2013 JB Alum
Shane Colby battles back after life-threatening experience
By Josh Andersen
You wouldn’t guess it by looking at him, in his red Chevy shirt
and cargo shorts, with his laid-back attitude and devil-may-care
approach to life, but just nine months ago Shane Colby was lying
in a hospital bed, clinging to life with a hole in his stomach and
his intestine stitched to his abdomen.
“Christmas was kind of put on a hold,” Colby explained with a
laugh. Colby, a 2013 graduate of Johnson-Brock, was, for no obvious reason, malnourished, his body not receiving any of the vital
nutrients it needed.. Of course, he was unaware of that at the time.
Back then, he was just a regular student, attending SCC for a
Computer Aided Drafting and Design program. He enjoyed playing video games with his friends and spent much of his time focused on his studies.
Shane’s experience seems like something out of a medical
drama. One minute he was fine, except for subtle weight loss. He
felt no pain, but occasionally threw up. But all of it
reached a tipping point when he went home for
Christmas break with his family.
Shane was in the shower when he suddenly
fainted. Immediately, his family recognized something was very wrong. Not long after he arrived at
the Nemaha County Hospital he began having small
seizures and his temperature spiked. He was life
flighted to Bryan-West in Lincoln in critical condition.
Shane spent days in the ICU where IV’s dripped
nutrients he needed. Once his strength increased,
doctors inserted a camera down his throat to search
for the source of his malnutrition and seizures. After the exploratory, the problem was obvious. Shane had developed a severe ulcer in the lower regions of his stomach, which kept him from receiving the vital nutrients he required.
“After that, the doctors began working on a game plan,” Shane
explained, “They were going to take the ulcer out and a small bit
of intestine with it, and if that failed, they were going to have to
take a third of my stomach.”
Luckily for Shane, the first option worked, but he was far from
out of the woods. Just over a week later, Shane was rushed into
emergency surgery. The feeding tube the doctors had injected into
his stomach became a blockage, which, like the ulcer before it,
obstructed his system. Surgeons removed three feet of his bowel
and performed an ileostomy. In an ileostomy, a small hole is made
in the patient's stomach. The intestine is then cut just past where
the blockage ends, and the blocked end is stitched to the outside of
the patient's body. All bowel produced is then drained into a small
bag. For a week afterwards, Shane lay unconscious in the ICU,
losing strength, weight, and muscle mass.
But an ileostomy wouldn’t be the only hole in Shane’s stomach. Soon, a fistula, a hole leading from the outer layer of the skin
to the stomach, developed. A second bag was attached to the fistula in order to catch whatever leaked out of there.
“The bags had to be changed every three or four days,” Shane
explained, “It got to the point where I learned to do it by myself.”
Shane had to learn a lot in those days. He learned about ileoscopies and fistulas, about picc-lines inserted into his veins, about
feeding tubes up his nose. But the biggest thing he had to learn
was to walk with a walker.
“It’s frustrating,” said Colby, “You know you knew how to
walk, but you’re just not able to do it.” It was two weeks before he
could walk without the aid of his walker, and a full three weeks
before he was allowed to eat a restricted diet, but he still needed
the feeding tube for nutrition as he had lost nearly a third of his
body weight and hovered around 100 pounds. It would be a full
four months before Shane would be allowed to go home. And it
was a long four months.
“They had to come and wake me up every four hours to check
vitals and make sure I was okay,” Colby remembered, “They
would take blood and make sure everything was
running smoothly. It’s hard to sleep in a hospital
when you’re recovering, which is what your body
needs.”
Shane spent the sleepless hours just passing
time. He’d read books, play video games, watch
TV. Anything to pass the hours of tedious anticipation, just waiting for a good change. Finally,
April first came, and Shane was allowed to leave
the hospital.
Obviously there were some provisions. His
parents put a hospital bed in the living room for
him, and a nurse or doctor from Auburn would
come check on him every couple of days and change his ileoscopy
and fistula bags. He wasn’t allowed to leave his house except for
the occasional trip back to Bryan-West, to the point where he
missed the benefit in his own honor.
The first week of June the bags were ready to come off. Shane
headed back to Bryan-West for his final surgery. Both bags were
removed, his intestines returned to their normal places, and all
holes sewed up. On June 17, after nearly a full six months of surgeries and recovering, Shane’s life was finally back to normal, for
the most part.
That red Chevy shirt of his now covers scars. Big, red, jagged
scars that cover his entire abdomen, going every which way. The
experience has changed the soft-spoken alumni. “I’m more laid
back now,” he explained, “I always kind of was, but now I’ve
learned to take it easy and just enjoy things.” Six months of life
was stolen from him, but he’s not letting that change him. He
plans to return to finish out the two year Computer Aided program
at SECC. But for now, he’s content just to enjoy the simple pleasures, like walking to school for this interview, something he won’t
take for granted for a very long time.
“ You know
you knew how
to walk, but
you’re just not
able to do it.”
-Shane Colby
Page 4
September 2015
Volleyball
Three & Out
Eagles volleyball team gets a win on the road
By Terra Newman
Johnson-Brock overpowered the Lewiston Tigers
Tuesday night in a three set victory: 25-6, 25-13, 2516.
J-B played a steady game and let Lewiston make
their own errors, “Most of the time they couldn’t even
get the ball over the net, but when they did we made
sure we were there,” said middle hitter Emerson
Carbajal.
The D-1 No.5 Eagles were always in control.
Senior Makayla Damme served 16 in a row to set the
tempo for the game. The Tigers struggled with missed
serves, bad passes, and hits that didn’t make it over
the net. “From the beginning of the game I knew it
would be pretty quick,” stated Junior Kacie Hahn.
When the Eagles had a chance to make a kill, they
took advantage of the situation. Lewiston’s defense
was helpless against J-B’s strong front row. “Their
blockers weren’t reading our arms, so we were able to
hit anywhere,” stated Freshman Fallon Stutheit. The
gaping holes on the Tiger side of the net grew bigger
because of ineffective blocks.
Coach Stutheit was able to clear the bench early.
Most of the varsity girls had a chance to play part of
the game. The victory was a confidence booster
which the Eagles needed after a disappointing
MUDECAS tournament. The Eagles will need to
carry over their momentum into the Freeman game.
“Playing that game was the most fun we had all year
on the court,” said Kacie.
For the Love of the Game
J-B acquires new volleyball coaches
By Kacie Hahn
“If you pass the ball tight to the net like that,
those middles on the other side are going to be
licking their chops,” said Tasa Armknecht, one of
the new J-B assistant coaches. With the 2015 season
up and running, new Head Coach Tera Stutheit and
Assistant Coaches Rachel Rippe and Tasa
Armknecht have already began to buckle down and
check goals off the list. “We work hard everyday in
practice to build a strong confident team that’s
cohesive and relies on the strengths of all its
members,” Coach Stutheit said. “I believe every
player makes a difference to the team.”
As experienced players and coaches, the new staff
brings lots of ideas to the court. “I’ve been around
volleyball my whole life,” said Tasa, who played as
a middle and outside hitter for Nebraska Wesleyan
University. “playing and understanding it from a
player’s view, and maybe seeing things they [the
girls] might not have seen yet in their careers.”
Compared to high school, the speed of the game
changes in college. “Making sure the girls are doing
quick plays is very important,” said Rachel, who
played middle hitter at Peru State College and made
it as far as districts in her years at J-B.
New drills are also being incorporated into
practices to make them a fun learning experience.
Repeating those drills daily aids in the development
of the same skills, according to Tasa. As the season
progresses, the coaches are ready to take on
challenges that come their way. “They are a talented
group and I’m super excited to see where we are
headed,” said Stutheit.
Come support your Lady
Eagles!
September 29th as they take on the
Diller-Odell Griffins!
Conestoga Tournament the 3rd!
The battle of the Eagles and Panthers October 6th!
Page 5
September 2015
Football
Finding the Right Groove
Eagles fight back after a wake up call
By: Kacie Hahn
Going up against No. 7 Exeter-Milligan on their
home turf proved to be a tough battle for the Eagle
football team. After remaining scoreless in the first
half, the Eagles fought back to put points on the board.
But it wasn’t enough to top the Timberwolves in a 2846 loss. “ We came out with the wrong mindset,” said
Junior Wyatt Nickels.
Down 24-0, the boys received a wake up call after
a fiery speech from Coach Nick Krenk at halftime.
Eagle fans saw a whole new team emerge on the field
at the start of the third quarter. Junior Jaxson Balm
raced through the Timberwolves’ defense and ran the
ball in for a touchdown, topping it off with the twopoint conversion. He threw his hands in the air to get
the crowd standing on their feet. Balm led the team
with a total of 101 receiving yards.
Junior Devon Clark had his fair share of attention.
He led the team in rushing for 58 yards and punted for
137 yards before going down injured on the field with
what appeared to be a serious ankle high injury.
Coaches tended to Clark while quarterback Trey
Stutheit carried the team, adding three touchdowns to
the board and narrowing the margin to 10.
Freshman Cole Fossenbarger also stepped up on
the line and contributed 8 solo tackles to the Eagles’
defense. “I really thought we were going to come
back and win,” said Clark, who wasn’t able to return
to the field.
Towards the end of the fourth quarter, the Eagles
lost momentum and allowed the Timberwolves three
more scores. “We needed to come out to a faster start
and play stronger,” said Coach Tim Newman. The
Eagles will take on Sacred Heart tonight.
FBLA Tailgate Supper
Serving from 6-8 tonight at the field
$6.00 for choice of grilled hamburger, polish dog or hot dog, chips, dessert and drink
Tonight’s
Scouting
Report
FCSH Irish
Record: 2-1
D2 #3 (LJS)
Key Players:
QB– Bailey Witt
Tackle-Bryant Jorn
What to expect
Option offense
and
3-3 Stack
defense
Worth Every Penny
How much does the football program cost the school?
By: Josh Andersen
If you were to go down to the football field right now,
you would see many things. You would see the field, bright
green with crisp lines. You would see players from peewee to varsity running plays. But you couldn’t help but also
notice the new additions to the stadium. The new press box
with the Eagle logo on the front, and the new, bright lights
that make the stadium glow like a Christmas tree any given
Friday night, Or perhaps you would notice the new
bleachers, just beyond the southern end zone. And, if you
were looking at these new lights and the and the new press
box and the new bleachers, you may wonder, like many,
how much did all of this cost the school? And is it worth it?
The lights alone cost $99,000, which seems like an
astronomical price, until you figure in all the factors. The
system the field had been running on was over 40 years old,
and was consistently inconsistent. This new system will
save electricity, and it has a 25 year warranty, which covers
everything from lightbulbs to poles, should they take any
damage.
The materials for the press box cost around $3000, but
JBAC and Booster Club donations reduced district cost to
$500. All labor involved was done by volunteers, at no
expense to the school.
However, all of this begs the question, was it worth it?
According to several J-B Football players, it was way past
time for it. “We were just due for an upgrade,” said junior
Quarterback Trey Stutheit.
“And if you look in the gym, they’ve got a brand new
court,” junior Jaxson Balm piled on.
Whether a football fan or not, one cannot deny the power
of a legacy. Johnson-Brock, although they’ve never won a
state championship, loves its football team. For better or for
worse, excellence in football is a time-honored tradition,
just as much as the school name or Homecoming Bonfires.
It’s part of the identity of the school, and it is much more
than a sport. It’s about connecting with other schools, about
showing pride and power, about pouring passion and
energy into one event and watching the magic happen.
It has been proven, time and time again, that extracurricular activities are good for students, and football is no
exception. It builds bridges between schools, forces
students to think about how their grades affect their team,
and builds character.
The cost is high, but at the end of the day, the school
wouldn’t be the same without football, and many students
would suffer if it wasn’t around. And, if the first three
games are any indicator, the football team is looking
forward to a pretty great year. At the end of the day, what
matters is that Johnson-Brock keeps a legacy alive, and
that’s worth every dollar invested in those new, bright
lights.
Page 6
Are Computers trying to pull you into
the Matrix? Here are
some warning signs:









Your computer verbally threatens you.
Words that don’t
make sense randomly refrigerator
appear in your sentences.
Your fingers get
stuck to the keyboard.
Your computer
whispers to you
while you sleep.
Keanu Reeves
begins visiting you
nightly.
A man approaches
you with a red pill
and a blue pill.
You begin to
actually understand
math.
If you randomly
become fluent in
Binary, it may be
time to call the IT
Department.
01001001 01101101
00100000 01100001
01101100 01110010
01100101 01100001
01100100
Short Takes
“I’m not tall enough for
roller coaster rides…”
Makayla Damme
“I can’t buy long skirts.
Short skirts are long
for me.”
Mrs. Howe
“I can go places no one
else can.”
Ryan Mostek
“I have to take big
strides to keep up with
everyone.”
Adessa Harney
September 2015
Opinion
The Age of Robots is Upon Us
The new Middlebury Spanish program
By: Josh Andersen
Technology has always been a driving force here at
Johnson-Brock. Every year, grants are written for new
laptops, I-Pads, Smart Boards, and more. And for
years, one of the classes most dependent on
technology has been the Spanish classes. The teacher,
Mrs. Salberg, has to video chat with classes in
between her own schedule at Sterling. Although
beneficial, this comes with its own host of problems.
There’s only so much flexibility that Mrs. Salberg has
with her multi-school schedule. This often leads to
students having to pick and choose between Spanish, a
course that looks good on college transcripts, and
electives which may actually involve the thing they’re
looking to do in their future. This year, the problem
was recognized, and a solution was brought forth. If
students couldn’t work the normal Spanish into their
class schedule, they would use the Middlebury
Interactive Learning program, which offers a quick
and easy way to learn another language, instead of
attending the scheduled class periods with Mrs.
Salberg. But is it an effective program? Is learning
affected by the absence a human teacher?
Third period class in the new Spanish program
starts with students logging in to the Middlebury
Interactive Learning Program, which, much like their
email accounts, requires a set username and a
password given to them by Mrs. Richardson, who
watches over the classes during third period. Each
student then reviews the previous day’s lesson before
continuing. Recurring assignments include things like
a print-off vocabulary sheet, a vocabulary matching
activity, and a speaking lab, in which students repeat
the Spanish words with the given inflection. Each of
these activities is paired with a lesson, which students
can progress through in about 15 minutes, meaning
they can get through several in a class period.
After completing all the lessons for a unit, students
take a simple test. One portion is the writing section,
in which they write to a “pen-pal” in regards to what
they have done, using the new vocabulary they
learned. After that is a simple speaking test, which
mirrors the speaking lab they did in their lessons.
There are five students in the program: one
sophomore, three juniors, and a senior, all of whom
had other classes preventing them from taking the
regular Spanish program curriculum. They all enjoy
perks such as instant grading on all assignments, the
ability to review and see what they got wrong, and
since grades can’t be pushed through until the end of
the semester, there is no chance any of them can be on
the down-list in Spanish.
The class is not without its difficulties. The
speaking lab can be frustrating if the speaker’s
inflection is off. Often the readers on the program can
go too quick, making it hard to understand what
they’re saying. The readers speak with a sort of twang,
making it hard to keep up with the accent. And, with
no presence of an actual Spanish teacher, questions
about assignments often have to be Googled, or
worked out independently.
So, are we in any danger of the machines rising
against us? Will computers soon roam the streets,
assimilating humans to their pseudo-Matrix? Are
teachers on the way out, the robots on the way in?
Short answer: no. Although more convenient for
instant response, the Middlebury Program is merely an
option for students who can’t fit Spanish into their
schedules. Spanish is not a required class beyond
Spanish 1, and no one is likely to choose the
Middlebury program over an elective. So, no need to
sweat. Mrs. Salberg’s job is safe…. For now….
The Short End of the Stick
By: Kacie Hahn
A couple days ago I found myself googling the
perks of being short. Out of a list of 27 reasons, only
a few pertained to me. I may not be 4’ 11” or 5’ 3”,
but in the Hahn family, my 5 foot 6 and a half (on a
good day) figure has literally stuck me with the short
end of the stick.
“Let’s stick her on a Laffy Taffy stretcher and see
how much taller we can make her.” Thanks dad, I’m
feeling the love. “Ha! My shoulders are even past
your head!” Sorry big brother, shorter people live
longer..HA!
What happened to me? I was the giant in
elementary, a head taller than everyone else. Now I’m
the elbow rest for my 6’ 2” buddy-since-birth, Trey.
As a 5th grader, Ty was the first one in the Hahn
family to pass me up. He used to be the one stealing
old basketball shorts out of my drawers, now I’m the
one taking everything from sweats to shirts. Even my
sister, who is still in elementary, has grown out of my
sizes. My hand me downs used to be passed on to her,
but now it’s vice versa, and glitter and pink are
definitely not my kind of style.
But being the shortest in a family of redwoods
isn’t always so bad. I’m still allowed to stand on the
counter when reaching the cup on the top shelf
deemed impossible, and I won’t have to worry about
wearing high-waters when there’s no more clean
pants in the closet.