Trojan Times - New Prague Area Schools

Trojan Times
New Prague High School
221 Twelfth Street Northeast, New Prague, Minnesota 56071
952-758-1200 www.npaschools.org
Vol. 20 No. 2
December 17, 2015
Trojan athletes sign letters of intent
by Sara Schoenbauer
On Wednesday, November 11, seven Trojan athletes signed their National Letters of Intent: track/cross country runner, Tasha Bennett
(Concordia University - St.
Paul); track/cross country runner, Maria Berg (University of
Minnesota-Duluth);
golfer,
Taylor Ledwein (Bradley University); wrestler, Nick Knutson (North Dakota State University); wrestler, Griffin Parriott (Purdue University); basketball player, Austin Greenwalt (Morningside College);
and basketball player, Lucas
Walford (Augustana University).
Ledwein‘s sports career
highlights include winning the
team state title as an eighth
grader and winning the state
individual title last year. Her
favorite memories throughout
her golf career here at NPHS
are shooting 66 at a tournament in Red Wing and defeating the top five people in the
state.
―The highlight of my
sports career was going to state
and having the opportunity to
play under the lights at ‗The
Barn,‘‖ stated Greenwalt.
Berg holds multiple
records including being a cross
country state qualifier (grades
10, 11, and 12) and track state
qualifier (grades 10 and 11) in
the 800m and 4x800m.
Among Bennett‘s top
achievements are running a
2:27 at sections and making it
into finals. Another of her favorite moments was when her
4x800m relay team broke the
school record with a time of
9:33 and qualified to go to
state. Bennett is currently
ranked number six on the Trojan Top 10 All-Time 800m
Runners.
A couple of Walford‘s
favorite memories were the
section final game and going to
state. ―A personal achievement
of mine was getting allconference,‖ he added.
Knutson‘s
wrestling
career highlights include going
to state individually, placing
fifth at the Christmas tournament, and participating at the
Cheesehead Invite. He also
enjoyed winning sections and
placing fourth at the state team
tournament, as well as beating
Scott West freshman and junior year.
The signings took place
after school in the commons
area, where players celebrated
with their coaches and families. The coaches spoke briefly
of the experience with their
players throughout the years.
Girls track coach Johnny Josephson stated, ―[Maria]
is leaving with four track and
field records, four state appearances, and multiple conference
appearances.‖ He commented
on Bennett as well: ―I have
been fortunate to have Tasha in
class since sixth grade. It's going to be fun to watch her
grow. She's got the drive and
enthusiasm.‖ Girls cross country coach Shawn Brandt added,
―Not only is [Tasha] a great
athlete, but she brings a lot to
the team with her enthusiasm
and personality.‖
Girls‘ golf coach Dan
Holgate (Ledwein‘s coach of
thirteen years) ―had the privilege of watching [Taylor] on
the golf course since third
grade.‖
Wrestling coach Greg
Tikalsky stated, ―Nick & Griffin are here together for a reason. They have been practice
partners together for a long
time. Both of these guys have
talent. We're very fortunate to
have two D1 wrestlers in our
area.‖
After listening to their
coaches speak, the players
each thanked their friends and
families for their support.
Walford and Greenwalt
both agreed college basketball
will offer a significantly greater challenge. ―In college basketball, everyone is very strong
and quick, so I'll have to work
on my game and improve so
that I can compete early at the
college level,‖ said Walford.
Greenwalt included, ―College
basketball is a lot more fastpaced than high school. The
practices are also a lot more
taxing on the body, so I will
have to prepare for that.‖
Many of the players
received letters upon their acceptance. Berg commented on
choosing her school: ―I asked
myself, ‗If I weren‘t an athlete,
where would I ultimately want
to be?‘ For me it was Duluth,
and UMD CC/Track is a topnotch DII program.‖
In the words of Brandt,
these accomplishments ―don‘t
just take talent. It takes dedication and commitment.‖
EDITORIAL/OPINION
Page 2
December 17, 2015
We work just as hard
by Alex Wagner
Chances are, if the title of
this article said something about
the arts, you would only be reading
it if you were one of the dedicated
few who actually understood what
went into performing in a show or
writing an article for the Trojan
Times. Some would say I‘m
fighting a losing battle trying to
convince anyone that anything
could be as important or as necessary as sports. I mean no disrespect
to sports; however, we put in a
great deal of time and effort, and
just as much talent is required of
us. Weak attempts to ―draw attention‖ to plays or other activities go
virtually unnoticed as soon as we
have yet another pepfest for a
sports team or even a single game.
Don‘t get me wrong; I
love sports. I‘ve been watching
baseball practically since I was
born, but no matter how much I
appreciate it, I still cannot see past
the unfairness of it all. I have never had a real chance to say my
piece about this, so here it is: Since
my freshman year, I have been
hearing snarky comments about
theatre. These comments mainly
come from athletic guys who have
no idea what really goes into a
show. I understand you practice
every day. But so do we. We wait
up all night in agony for a cast list
to go up. Once that list goes up, we
immediately start rehearsing every
night in and outside of rehearsal,
by ourselves or with each other.
We rehearse Mondays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays, and sometimes Fridays
and Sundays. We come early to
deal with costumes, choreography,
or mic checks, and we stay late to
eagerly hear about the things we
did wrong so the rehearsal is improved, if only a little, the following night. Every free minute we
have is dedicated to our current
show—a show that we will only
put on ―for real‖ a few times. And
we are more than happy about every single one of these things because we love it. There isn‘t anything else we would rather be doing with our time. But after so
much effort and time goes into a
single activity, it is extremely difficult to hear a comment putting
down theatre—especially the guys
in theatre.
I also find it rather sad and
unnecessary that one of the only
things the cast of the musical could
talk about opening weekend was
how we should not expect a large
crowd the first night of the show
because there were basketball and
hockey games going on at the
same time. By now, we‘ve come to
expect things like this. We will
never be as important as athletics,
even though we practice just as
many real life skills as athletes do.
We can speak, sing, and even act
ridiculous in front of a crowd
when we need to. Nothing is accomplished behind the scenes unless every single person in the cast
becomes a unit and works together. It is not possible for a theatre
production to happen if any one
member of the cast or crew is focused only on his or her own success. We will be able to sing and
act, in some capacity, for the rest
of our lives. We practice poise and
professionalism each and every
time we take that stage. Unless you
can make a living playing a professional sport, you can‘t do it forever. Yet, your games are still more
important than our shows.
If you‘re still reading at
this point, I thank you. As this is
my third year involved with Trojan Times, I know exactly what
goes into getting this to the printer
in time. I also know that only a
few conscientious students read it.
After coming up with story ideas
for each issue, writers are assigned
their topics. They must interview
several students or even staff
members to complete their articles.
Editors then edit these stories and
fit them to each page. This can
take hours. When the paper is distributed, I watch as people grab
one and flip straight to the back
page, or don‘t grab one at all. But
we still continue to take our jobs
seriously in the hopes that at least
a few people may get something
out of each issue.
People involved in any
aspect of the arts will tell you that
we do it for you. We want to entertain; we want people to have
something interesting to read or
something fun to watch. I only
wish we could make as big of an
impact as a football game. So,
please. After you‘ve had fun at
those sports games every Friday
night, change it up and come see
the One Act or Spring Play when
you get a chance.
‘Tis the season
by Julia Bartusek
As we all know, Christmas is
quickly approaching. In fact, the
countdown began on December 26
last year because frankly we just
cannot get enough of the peppermint
-flavored, red-cupped, warm and
joyous holiday season. Decorations
started being displayed before Halloween—Christmas music being
played around the same time—and
chatter of ―The Ultimate Christmas
List‖ followed shortly after. I am no
Grinch when it comes to Christmas,
but I do wonder, "What is the hurry?
What is the purpose? And what on
Earth happened to getting excited
for Thanksgiving?" Now, I do love
the Christmas season, but it seems
in our society today, the whole purpose of the holiday season has nearly lost its meaning.
Example one: how do we ring in
the ―Christmas Season‖? The day
after a holiday set aside for giving
thanks, shoppers go out and buy
more as if what they were thankful
for less than 24 hours ago is not
enough anymore. Too many
Thanksgiving dinner conversations
have turned into ―pre-gaming‖ for
the largest shopping day of the year,
which includes paging through
newspapers, magazines, and searching for the biggest deals that can be
found. Even worse, Black Friday is
now seeping into Thanksgiving. In a
couple of years, will we even have
Thanksgiving dinners anymore, or
will they be spent in lines at
Walmart? It seems now just when
the pumpkin pie is being cut, the
topic of Christmas lists surfaces,
although probably not for the first
time. Is this really the proper way to
welcome the holiday season?
Now, you would think after
spending a day of shopping, the
worrying over presents would be
complete, but nope. The days leading up to December 25 are filled
with stress over where to get the
tree, setting up the tree, decorating,
baking, which movie to watch,
which album to listen to, what to
make, where to go, what to wear,
what to give, wrapping presents,
what to expect in the wrapped presents, and piles of other things that
are just extra on top of the actual
purpose of the season. As a society,
we let these extra amenities take
over our lives, and pretty soon the
entire meaning of the season is
gone. Our time is spent planning,
worrying, and buying rather than
properly preparing for the holiday. I
am very appreciative of the work
my loved ones put into planning the
special holiday, but why must it
become such a stressor instead of an
enjoyable task?
I find it quite disturbing that
signs, cards, and Facebook cover
photos now have to read, ―Jesus is
the reason for the season‖ just to
remind people who celebrate Christmas why this time is so cherished
and anticipated with each year.
Across the globe, this day and season brings families and friends together to celebrate, but it seems the
reason for coming together now is to
rip apart wrapping paper to reveal
the gifts people ―need.‖
I clearly remember as a child
waiting anxiously for Christmas
catalogs to come, grabbing a purple
marker, and circling anything and
everything that looked somewhat
interesting to put on my Christmas
list, and now I cringe every time I
see commercials on TV featuring
the ―biggest deals.‖ This season of
joy has turned into a season of greed
and one big commercialist competition filled with red and green everything, crazy light displays, and desperate jingles to get the most customers. All of this is so superficial,
ultimately defeating the purpose of
the season. As a society, we have
started to use the phrase, ―I want‖
more than asking, ―What can I
give?‖ We are nearly all guilty of it,
including myself.
It is time we rekindle the original
love and joy this season brings, no
matter whether it‘s Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa: Forget about
the gifts, the food, and the decorations. Focus on the people around
you, put your phone away at gatherings, talk to that cousin you have
nothing in common with, play a
board game with your grandparents,
laugh until you cry at your uncle‘s
jokes, give your aunts plenty of
hugs, make a snowman, go sledding
with your younger neighbors, sing
carols (even if you aren‘t a ―singer‖)
with your friends, and anything else
your heart desires. Let the little kid
inside of you shine through. When
the presents, food, and decorations
do come, be genuinely thankful. Be
thankful for not only those things,
but for the blessing of family,
friends, and your own health. My
final challenge for us all is to hopefully restore the meaning of Christmas with one (or more) random acts
of kindness. Pay for a stranger‘s
coffee or meal, shovel a random
driveway, write a note to someone
who needs it, smile at everyone you
see, hold the door open when it is
freezing outside, help those in need,
and give what you can. A simple
random act of kindness can change
someone‘s life and increase your
own happiness; it‘s a win-win! Never underestimate the power of one
small action, because it can truly go
so far.
I wish all of you the happiest holiday season filled with love,
joy, excitement, and true meaning.
NEWS
December 17, 2015
Page 3
Meet the Trojans
by Tyler Dye
On Friday, November 13, the
New Prague boys‘ basketball team
held an event called Meet the Trojans
in the high school gym. This event
featured a scrimmage, dunk contest,
three point competition, two person
shooting competition, and finally, a
chance to win $250. The point of this
event was to showcase the team‘s
skills and also have a fun night where
the community could come out and
have fun.
Meet the Trojans was a huge
success. Families, students, and other
members of the community showed
up to support the Trojans and have a
fun night filled with basketball, music, and prizes. Even Mr. Schimenz
got in on the action, taking on the
persona of ―DJ Schim Schim.‖
Coach Bryce Tesdahl has
seen a similar event in the past: ―I
came up with the idea thanks to my
college basketball playing and coaching experience. Most colleges and
universities around the country do a
midnight madness, and I wanted to
bring the same event to New Prague.
Meet the Trojans is a great way to
start the year to promote NP basketball to the NP community.¨
Before the event, junior
Zach Hanson was looking forward to the dunk
contest. ¨I have the rim
grazer dunk package on
2k, so I hope fans will
like it. I might be bringing my Grand Prix in and
dunking over it like
Blake Griffin.¨
Lucas Walford, a
senior who has committed to Augustana University to play basketball,
was excited for the
scrimmage.
¨Austin
Greenwalt is my biggest
challenger. He has been
practicing all week.‖ He
was asked to make a
prediction about the scrimmage and
said, ―Whatever team I am on will
win. It should be a really fun game,
and the whole team is looking forward to it.¨
Walford won the dunk contest, although it is still surrounded
with controversy because Zach Hanson did not get his second dunk.
Even Coach Tesdahl and Coach
Theisen slammed one down.
Junior Andrew Schmitz took
the three point challenge crown, beating Coach Tesdahl in the final round,
and he was pretty excited. Schmitz
said, ¨It felt great to come out on top.
I was pretty nervous going up against
Coach Tesdahl in the final round, but
it turned out better than I expected. I
can‘t wait for next year‘s showcase.¨
Senior Alex Torp almost
won the $250 grand prize but made
the half court shot a couple seconds
too late.
Self-described super fan,
junior Jeremy Skie, said about the
night, ―I thought the actual scrimmage was awesome; it gave me a
preview for the season ahead and got
me hyped.¨
The night ended with an
invitation from Coach Tesdahl for the
young kids in the stands to come
down on the court and shoot around
with the team for twenty minutes.
Some participants were
asked how the event can improve for
next season. Junior and varsity player, Tylar Lindell, said, ¨Make the
dunk contest more formal. Each
dunker should at least get two dunks
(Smoochie Hanson).¨
Tesdahl added, ¨As long as I
am the head coach at New Prague
High School, Meet the Trojans will
be a yearly event. We'll add some
minor changes, but the format will
stay consistent. My goal is to make it
bigger and better every year. The
support from our community, students, and sponsors was incredible.‖
How did you find out...
by Alex Wagner and Sydney Rezac
―I cried when I told my mom that
I didn‘t think Santa was real. She
confirmed my suspicions.‖ -Sara
Schoenbauer, 12
―The third graders on the playground told me. I was in denial. I
asked my mom three years later, and
she told me.‖ -Aimee Illka, 9
―I found out on Easter because I
was having an egg hunt at my uncle‘s
house, and my grandpa said something about hiding the eggs. This ruined Santa, too.‖ -Emily Transburg,
11
―My sister Katelyn came up to me
when I was five and said, ‗Santa‘s not
real, so what do you want to get Mom
and Dad for Christmas?‘‖ -Sophie
O‘Neill, 11
―He‘s real. What are you talking
about?‖ -Alex Torp, 12
―I was at St. Wence, and everyone
was talking about Santa being real. I
thought he was. I asked my parents,
and my brother said, ‗Should I tell
him?‘‖ -Evan Kivi, 9
―I became a mature man and
asked my mom last year if he was
real.‖ -Michael Knoer, 12
―My brother told me when he
showed me the presents under the
tree. I noticed the wrapping paper was
the same.‖ -Kate Hentges, 11
―I noticed that Santa‘s wrapping
paper and handwriting was the same
as my mom‘s, so I asked my sister,
and she told me.‖ -Taylor Pexa, 9
―My cousin pulled the beard off
of Santa at a Christmas party. I
cried.‖ -Sami Witt, 12
―Deductive reasoning.‖
-Matt
Schoenbauer, 12
―I always left out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. On
Christmas Eve when I was in 6th
grade, I got worried that Santa would
run out of cookies. I left my room to
replenish them and saw my dad eating the cookies and writing a letter
from Santa.‖ -James Ryburn, 12
―My parents had the same wrapping paper as Santa.‖ -Brent Gunkle,
10
―I found presents in my parents‘
closet labeled ‗Santa.‘‖
Alyssa Rhoten, 11
―When I was nine, I asked my dad
to give me the birds and the bees talk.
He explained the process and added,
‗Also, Santa isn‘t real.‘‖
-Tyler
Manning, 12
―We had a serious sit down meeting where my parents told me everything at once. I told all the kids in my
class.‖ -Leah Rezac, 10
―On Christmas Day, Santa came
into my house like he did every year,
but this time his beard fell off. It was
my dad.‖ -Taylor Hustad, 11
―What are you talking about? Santa‘s real.‖ -Josie DeGeest, 11
Sophomore Cody Gladysz decorates
NPHS’s Christmas tree
Girls’ Hockey: Lexi Kreutzian (Sports Spotlight from page 6)
by Izak Jirik
Senior Lexi Kreutzian has
been playing hockey since the fifth
grade and has never stopped loving
the sport.
Before every game, Kreutzian
partakes in a pre-game ritual with her
teammates. First, the team goes to
Subway, then they go to Carly Madigan‘s house to watch Miracle. Once
the girls arrive at the arena, they turn
on motivational music and tape up
their sticks. The team warms up, conducts passing and stickhandling
drills, gear up, and listens to a speech.
According to junior Carly Madigan, Kreutzian is ―very positive and
very motivational.‖
When Kreutzian was asked to
share the most embarrassing moment
of her hockey career, she responded
confidently, ―I don‘t embarrass myself!‖ On the contrary, Madigan stated, ―There are too many to mention!‖
Kreutzian‘s favorite teacher is Mr.
Tikalsky. He teaches her favorite
class, world history. She commented,
―He has a really good relationship
with all his students, he cares, and he
tells great stories.‖
Kreutzian is actively involved in
track, concert choir, PROUD, National Honor Society, and the homecom-
ing committee.
After high school, Kreutzian
plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls or the University
of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She would
like to major in speech pathology and
possibly continue her hockey career
in college.
She concluded with some advice
to other high school students: ―Don‘t
change anything! Stay who you are
because it has worked for you so far.‖
FEATURE
Page 4
December 17, 2015
So, what is FCA... by Alexis Solheid
While walking through the halls
of New Prague High School, you
have likely encountered a poster for
FCA at some point. But most of you
probably have no idea what this
group is or what it does. Luckily for
you, that is about to change!
Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, known by its members as
FCA, is an organization that spans
over nearly 13,000 schools in 47
countries. Our New Prague chapter
of the organization was founded two
years ago, and this year's leadership
includes students Alexis Solheid and
James Ryburn along with football
coach, Andy Kardoes, and NPHS
math teacher, Mr. John Schimenz.
They say that the group continues to
grow with every passing year; however, due to a lack of students who
are informed on the group, it is having trouble getting off of the ground
and gaining student support. FCA is
always seeking new members, and
hopefully this article will give you
the needed information to decide
whether or not you want to give it a
try.
FCA is an organization for
ALL students at NPHS regardless of
grade, level of athleticism, or religious affiliation. While many members are actively involved in schoolsponsored sports, you do NOT need
to participate in a sport to be involved in the group. Similarly, FCA
is not affiliated with any one religion, nor does it endorse any single
form of religion. Students of any
faith or even of no faith at all are
welcome to join for a meeting to see
if they are interested. FCA is an organization that is special in that it is
for any and every student who desires to be involved.
Another thing that distinguishes FCA from many other
groups is that it is almost entirely
student led. While it has adult advisors, most of the meetings are
planned and run by students. The
students organize the activities, give
the talks, and lead group discussions.
This makes the meetings more personal and gives students a chance to
be as involved or inactive as they
would like to be in the group. This
student leadership also forces students to work together, which creates
a close family-like atmosphere within the group. Senior member Matt
Rossi commented, ―FCA is an awesome group where you get to meet
awesome people who have the same
morals and values as you.‖
A typical FCA meeting
starts out with announcements, a
prayer, and then some sort of game
or activity to get everyone in the
mindset for the meeting. After this,
one or two students give a talk and
lead a group discussion. These talks
usually center around a Bible verse
or religious event in the world, and
the discussions that follow are always very thought provoking. It is
important to note that these messages
are not pushy about faith, and they
most definitely do not feel like going
to church or being forced to pray.
While FCA is a faith-based group,
faith is discussed in such a way that
it is connected to both sports and real
life. No one is ever forced to believe
in things with which they are uncomfortable. Following the message,
members always have some kind of
food (if nothing has sounded interesting to you so far, you should at least
come for the free food, right?) which
is followed by a closing prayer and
another activity.
Meetings are held bimonthly on Monday nights and attendance at all meetings is not mandatory. This makes the group very
flexible for members and makes it
easy for students to fit FCA into their
schedules without feeling overwhelmed. Along with meetings, FCA
also puts on a few larger ―kick-off‖
events each year. In the past, these
have included fun activities such as
going to Sky Zone or playing laser
tag or and ultimate Frisbee.
FCA is a chance for busy
students to set an hour or two aside
to reconnect with their faith. It‘s an
opportunity to relax and escape from
the stresses of school and sports, all
while making new friends and
strengthening your relationship with
God. Most of all, FCA meetings are
fun! (They really are, I promise!) I
have yet to meet someone who has
attended FCA and not enjoyed it,
which says a lot about the dynamic
of the group. Senior Ali Holden said
it best when she commented, ―FCA
is a really cool group of people who
all love three things: sports, Jesus,
and having fun! For me, going every
other Monday for just an hour and a
half really helps me to get through
everything I have going on in my
life. It helps to remind you what
things are truly important in life.‖
…and what about Solo Ensemble? by Skylar Whitcomb
prove their performance skills
and understanding of different
pieces of musical literature in
a friendly environment.
Many of our talented students participate in this festival each year. Senior Jacob
Hurt has participated in Solo
Ensemble for four years,
earning a total of three excellent ratings and four superior
ratings. This year he is preparing three pieces: a solo, a
duet, and a larger ensemble.
Over his three years of participation, Hurt has learned different techniques for imKatie McGannon plays her clarinet
provement and received helpMany people not involved ful feedback from the judges. His
in either band or choir are not famil- goals for this year are to earn Superiiar with a very large, important event or ratings on all of his pieces and also
that takes place each year called Solo receive a Best of Site. Best of Site is
Ensemble. Solo Ensemble is a musi- the highest honor that one can recal festival sponsored by the Minne- ceive at Solo Ensemble. This award
sota State High School League. It is given to the student or group that
takes place in the month of January, had the best performance a judge has
and any student in band or choir has heard throughout the day. Hurt advisthe opportunity to prepare up to three es this year‘s freshmen to ―just jump
pieces of music to perform in front of in because it is a huge learning expea judge; students in both band and rience. You learn how to use your
choir have the opportunity to prepare own voice in conjunction with othup to six pieces. Students have the ers.‖
option to perform in small groups,
Band senior and clarinetist,
jazz ensembles, duets, or solos with Julia Hertaus, is preparing a solo,
piano accompaniment. The judges quartet, and quintet. Her goal for this
listen to each performance and give year is to earn Superior ratings. The
the students feedback on a rubric that advice she has for all musical studetermines whether a performance dents is, ―Just do it! It is extremely
will earn a Superior, Excellent, stressful at times but very rewarding
Good, or Fair rating. Events run in 10 in the end.‖
-minute intervals between 8 a.m. to 4
The judges at this festival
p.m. at Lakeville South High School. are required to have at least three
The purpose for Solo Ensemble is to years of teaching or directing experiencourage students to continue study- ence, a positive attitude, and a vocabing music while helping them to im- ulary that allows them to clearly ex-
press their feelings and descriptions least one Superior Rating. Choir parof the music. In addition to these ticipants earned 41 Superiors, 32
requirements, they must also register, Excellents, and 2 Best of Sites last
pass an on-line test and attend a clin- year alone. According to Uttech, the
ic to become certified. All of these best part of this festival even is ―the
requirements are of great benefit to growth I see in many of the students
the student participants since they who put in a lot of hours to perform
will be receiving feedback from other to the best of their ability. For stuindividuals that are passionate and dents to gain confidence in their
have found success in the field of voices and performing abilities. I
music.
think that is the best reward.‖
For band director, Mr. ThorThorstad added, ―Students
stad, and choir director, Mr. Uttech, often find that preparing a solo helps
Solo Ensemble is a very busy time. them learn new techniques on their
They are in charge of helping stu- instrument and encourages them to
dents to choose a song that fits their improve their tone and technique.
playing abilities and goals. Uttech This process also improves each stuexplained, ―I pick out around 100 dent's level of confidence and teaches
songs for students to start preparing them to deal with nerves. These skills
for this contest.‖ Thorstad and Uttech often transfer to giving presentations
are also in charge of helping students and leading groups in collaborative
prepare, coordinating transportation, work.‖
and arranging the piano accompanists
Support your friends at this
for each student. Uttech accompanies year‘s festival on January 23!
one third of the choir participants
while retired high school
music teachers Rita Sapp
and Donna James accompany the other two thirds.
On the day of Solo
Ensemble, our musical directors are very busy. Thorstad
explained, ―I spend the day
visiting as many performance sites as possible, directing the jazz ensemble,
and tracking scores as they
get posted throughout the
day.‖
NPHS students typically do very well at this
competition each year. Approximately 50-60 band students participated last year,
Will Colling plays the trumpet
and most of them received at
It is the policy of the New Prague Board of Education that the Trojan Times is the official, school-sponsored publication of New Prague
High School. The contents reflect the opinions of the writers and are not the official position of the administration, teachers, staff, or students.
Editors: Julia Bartusek, Grace Kamish, Sara Schoenbauer, Anna Smisek, Alexis Solheid, Alex Wagner (head editor), and Skylar Whitcomb
Advisor: Ms. Dara Bishop
FEATURE
December 17, 2015
Page 5
#pseo by Julia Bartusek
With every new school year
comes a new heated topic, and
this year brought the ―#pseo‖ debate. Amidst the arguments many
facts and opinions have been revealed, and for some this can
make a very important decision
even more difficult. Whether you
are trying to decide between going PSEO, staying at New Prague
High School, or you are just confused with the entire PSEO system, this article is for you.
There are 66 students who
currently go PSEO at NPHS. Out
of the 66 students, 48 attend Normandale Community College. 34
of the PSEO students who attend
Normandale are full-time, and the
remaining 14 are part time. The
other 18 students who are not
enrolled at Normandale attend
Minnesota State University Mankato, Inver Hills Community
College, University of Minnesota
- Twin Cities, Concordia College
in St. Paul, Dakota County Technical College, South Central
Technical College in Faribault,
Gustavus Adolphus College, or
Northwestern College. Of these
18 students, 16 of them are full
time. Contrary to popular belief,
there are no requirements by
NPHS to be eligible to go PSEO;
in fact, it is illegal for a high
school to establish standards that
have to be met in order to go
PSEO. Whether a student is qualified to go PSEO is entirely dependent on the college the student
wishes to attend. The administration at NPHS cannot deny a student; only the college can. Each
college has a set of requirements
and deadlines potential students
have to meet in order to go
PSEO.
However, going PSEO comes
with a hefty price, not for the student, but for NPHS. A credit at
Normandale per student costs
NPHS $225, and a check of
$126,675 was just recently written to Normandale by New Prague Area Schools. This only covers the first semester. It also
does not include the other 18
PSEO students at other colleges.
The increasing number of students going PSEO results in less
money the school can spend on
CIS and AP classes. In fact, CIS
and AP classes cost the school
less and benefit more students
because these classes are bought
as a whole, not per student. Principal Mr. Lonnie Seifert noted,
―The more money we spend on
PSEO students, the less money
we have left to offer classes here
and pay for other things in the
school.‖ If the number of students
choosing PSEO and the cost keep
going up, it could eventually result in letting staff members go
because they would simply run
out of kids to teach. This situation
may not be far away; in the 20132014 school year about 36 stu-
dents were PSEO. That amount
has nearly doubled in a slim two
years. If the number of students
choosing to go PSEO over NPHS
keeps increasing at the rate it currently is, the school could potentially be in big trouble.
Haylee Prochaska works on her
Normandale homework.
―I see the PSEO system fitting
two types of students,‖ Seifert
explained. ―One, those who cannot get the college-level classes
they need, and two, those who
have a total disconnection with
high school.‖ With so many
choosing to go PSEO, it has become a worry that students are
not taking the decision seriously
enough. NPHS does offer a selection of college classes; a student
has the opportunity to earn a minimum of a year and half of college credits without leaving the
high school, an alternative that
costs the school much less money. Mr. Tikalsky, a social studies
teacher, ―Personally, my advice
would be to stay at NPHS. We
offer quite a few CIS classes now
and hopefully more in the future.
If we didn‘t offer them I‘d say go,
but we do offer them. Also, the
social environment is so important.‖ In fact, the three most
common classes taken at Normandale for PSEO students are
freshman composition, college
algebra, and sociology. NPHS
offers CIS Composition through
the University of Minnesota; AP
Statistics and AP Calculus; and
CIS Psychology through the University of Minnesota — as well as
a regular Sociology course.
A large concern with students going PSEO is them missing out on the high school experience. Even though it can be hard
at times, high school is necessary
to a student‘s growth as a person
socially, mentally, and emotionally. Seifert has a concern that
many students are not mature
enough to be in a classroom with
22-year-olds. Some students think
they are ready to move on and go
PSEO but then end up failing
classes and risk not graduating in
time. He also noted that students
seem to be in such a hurry to get
on with their life and may regret
it in their future. Students who go
PSEO miss out on everyday occurrences in school such as the
chemical spill, flash mobs, pep
fests, and other exciting events.
PSEO students, specifically fulltime students, are simply not in
the high school as often as other
students; this greatly affects student involvement and can affect
peer relationships. Justin Gregor,
senior, stated, ―I stayed at New
Prague because I could easily
fulfill my educational needs. I
also didn't want to miss out on
my senior year when I have eight
years of college ahead of me.‖ He
also advised, ―If you want to go
PSEO, go for it. Nobody's stopping you. But, before that, think
about everything you would miss.
6 a.m. calc reviews, homecoming
week, powderpuff hype, Halloween costumes, and the list goes
on. Everyone's case is different. If
you dislike the high school and
need to get away, go. But, for me,
it would have negatively impacted my college application anywhere. Nearly every school I
looked at frowns upon leaving
your school unless you go to a
prestigious university during high
school.‖
Another concern is the
ability of credits being transferred. In the high school, many
college classes are taught through
the University of MinnesotaTwin Cities, Southwest Minnesota State University, and Minnesota State University - Mankato, all
of which have a higher likelihood
of being transferred than credits
from Normandale. Whether credits will transfer or not is entirely
up to the college you wish to attend, and it is highly advised to
make sure your credits will transfer before choosing to go PSEO.
Jacob Hurt attends Normandale
part time.
So, why do students
choose the PSEO route? A student going PSEO has the potential of earning an associate‘s degree at the same time they earn
their high school diploma. Even if
they do not earn a degree, there is
the possibility that the credits will
transfer, which can save money
for the student and family. If a
student uses the PSEO system
correctly, it can truly save them
money and time spent in college.
Nick Bennett is a senior
at NPHS and a full-time PSEO
student at Normandale Community College. He stated that saving
money was his first reason to
choose to go PSEO along with
being able to earn both high
school and college credits and to
take classes not provided by the
high school. Bennett also says he
enjoys being taught at a higher
level and having more independence. He visits the high school
two to four times a month, maybe
more if he wants to talk to old
teachers. However, this freedom
to come in and out of the school
so freely will be changed next
year.
Currently, PSEO students
can come and go as they wish, as
long as they are in class when
they need to be, but this is the last
year this will be possible. Starting
next year, PSEO students will
only be allowed in the school
building when they are scheduled
to be. For example, if a student
has periods one, two, three, and
four at the high school, that is
when they are allowed in the
school building. Once fifth period
starts, that student is now at Normandale (for example) and will
not be allowed in the building
since he or she is not technically
a NPHS student at that time. The
new rule will also apply to students taking online PSEO courses. This rule is very common
among other districts. It is a supervision issue, along with a safety concern for the other students.
Full-time PSEO students will not
be allowed in the building unless
it is for a mandatory event, for
example, a class meeting, sport,
or another reasonable event. Seifert stated, ―We don‘t let other
people just come in. The same
thing goes for PSEO students —
when you are not a student, you
won't be allowed in the building.‖
A frustration administration faces is the line of communication between PSEO students
and the rest of the school. Seifert
described how he often gets messages, asking, ―Why wasn‘t I told
that?‖ He continued to explain it
is a student‘s duty to check e-mail
and school website for announcements. He added, ―If you say you
are ready to be a college student,
it has to apply to all aspects.‖
It is evident there are
many factors that go into choosing between PSEO and remaining
a full-time student at NPHS, but
what it comes down to is what is
best for you. Seifert concluded,
―Take a look at what NPHS has
to offer, and make an educated
decision. Don‘t just go.‖
Page 6
SPORTS SPOTLIGHTS
Boys’ Basketball: Justin Gregor
by Maria Berg
This year, senior Justin Gregor
enters his final Trojan season as a
nine-year veteran. He started playing
basketball in fourth grade with the
traveling team, and since then has
earned varsity status at the high
school level. His pre-game rituals
include eating Subway and turning
his socks so the Nike swoosh faces
forward. Gregor‘s all-time favorite
memory is when the team defeated
Red Wing in the section finals and
punched their ticket to the state tournament last season. Other memories
include morning practices with the
team and blocking Goy Kang freshman year.
Senior Lucas Walford commented on Gregor‘s work ethic, ―He‘s the
best shooter on the team, a really
smart player, and a good teammate.‖
Gregor returned the compliment
to Walford: ―I look up to Lucas because he doesn‘t back down from
anyone. I also look up to Austin
Greenwalt because he is always intense and has a motor that never
quits.‖
In addition to basketball,
Gregor competes in cross country,
track, and is a National Honor Society member. He maintains an impressive resume in hopes of attending
Stanford University. He plans to
double major in mathematics and
human biology to pursue a career in
orthopedic surgery.
Mr. Dorner is Gregor‘s
favorite teacher because of ―Thirsty
Thursdays‖ in BC Calculus. However, his favorite class is PAA Biology
because he enjoys the labs.
As the basketball season
gets rolling, keep an eye out for
number thirty. Gregor does not plan
to pursue basketball in college, so
he‘s giving it his all this season.
When March approaches, Gregor
will have no regrets and plans to
leave it all on the court!
Girls’ Basketball: Abby Milinkovich
by Emma Busch
Senior athlete Abby Milinkovich
has been playing varsity basketball
for two years and is looking forward
to her final year on the NPHS girls‘
basketball team.
Milinkovich‘s favorite memory is
dancing in the locker room with her
teammates before games. She could
not pick a teammate she looks up to
the most; she respects all of them.
―They are very fun and awesome
people to be around,‖ she said.
Coach Ron Gunderson commented, ―Abby is one of the hardest working players we have ever had. She
brings an intensity that the other
players can emulate on the court, and
has a great attitude every day. She
truly has the best interest of the team
foremost in her mind. Most importantly, Abby has an altruistic
mentality that is, unfortunately, uncommon today. She cares deeply
about those in need and takes action
to help others. I enjoy each day with
Abby. Her career with us has gone by
very quickly, and I will miss her
when she is gone.‖
In addition to basketball, Milinkovich participates in cross country, track and field, National Honor
Society, Special Olympics, and is a
member of the Roundbank Junior
Board of Directors.
Milinkovich‘s favorite teacher at
the high school is Mr. Decker: ―He is
a very thorough, fun, and encouraging teacher.‖ Her favorite class is
Human Anatomy and Physiology.
Milinkovich does not plan on
continuing any of her sports after
high school. She will continue her
education at the University of Nebraska-Omaha to study physical education, with a concentration in exercise science.
Boys’ Hockey: Dylan O’Conner
by Alex Wagner
Senior Dylan O‘Conner has
been playing hockey for twelve
years. He will primarily be starting
varsity this year, and he is looking
forward to the season. Commenting
on his pre-game rituals, O‘Conner
said, ―Music‘s a big one, and a couple minutes of silence by myself to
get prepared.‖ His favorite memory
throughout his hockey career has
been playing in the UMD game for
the past two seasons because of the
time spent with the team.
O‘Conner looks up to Kyle
Skaja, but he enjoys time with all of
his teammates. ―My favorite parts of
the team are the bus rides and locker
rooms together because it‘s always
really funny.‖
In addition to hockey,
O‘Conner has also been playing
baseball since he was six years old,
and has been involved with STARS
tutoring for the past year. As far as
his future goes, O‘Conner is looking
at attending college at either Iowa
State University, University of St.
Thomas, or University of MinnesotaTwin Cities. He wishes to study business and then go to law school to
become a lawyer. He eventually
wants to become a law professor.
O‘Conner‘s favorite class
has been psychology with Mr. Hop-
ke, and he also currently enjoys multicultural literature. ―My favorite
teacher is Ms. Bishop because she‘s
really energetic.‖
O‘Conner also wished to
share his nicknames and how he got
them. ―My nicknames are O‘C, Terminator, Shako, and sadly, Biffenator. Coach Lonke called me O‘C.
Ben Witt called me Terminator freshman year, and it stuck. I got Shako in
eighth grade because I used to play
for Shakopee, and I got Biffenator
when I slipped running to get pizza.‖
Coach Bowe concluded, ―We
love the passion and determination
that the Terminator brings!‖
Gymnastics: Kenzie Redding
by Grace Lockhart
Senior Kenzie Redding has
been a gymnast since the age of
three. She is on the varsity gymnastics team, with specialty on beam.
Her main focus has been on gymnastics and learning how to grow as a
competitor. ―Coach Shetka and
Coach Amundson have helped me
get to where I am today,‖ Redding
stated.
Redding commented on
who she looks up to on her team. ―I
look up to Kaylynn Solheid. Although she is younger than me, she is
a hard worker, and I respect that.‖
Redding has accumulated many
memories from the sport, but one of
her favorites was ―when Brianna
Ellanson was on bars, and they collapsed.‖ One of her favorite rituals is
forming a huddle before meets. Redding also stated that she loves being
able to meet a lot of friends through
gymnastics.
Although gymnastics has
been a large part of her life, Redding
expressed that she does not see it in
her future. ―I plan on joining the Navy right after high school,‖ she explained.
Redding‘s favorite class is
Teen Issues. She especially enjoyed
this class because ―it was a lot of fun,
and you learn about important stuff
you will take with you in life,‖ she
said. Her favorite teacher is Ms.
Bishop. ―She is a very good speaker.
You can tell she loves what she‘s
doing,‖ Redding said.
Redding‘s life motto for
both her sport and her everyday life
is ―Do what you love, and love what
you do.‖
December 17, 2015
SPORTS SPOTLIGHTS
Page 7
Wrestling: Brady O’Neill
by Liz Weiers
Every winter, a group of
skilled athletes eats as little as possible. They put on tight singlets and
take down anyone who stands in the
way. This may seem crazy, but it‘s
all part of wrestling. In addition to
playing football and baseball, senior
Brady O‘Neill has been a wrestler
for fourteen years. He is expected to
wrestle for the Trojans at 132 or 138
pounds this season.
Before a meet, the team meets in
the wrestling room. There, they
warm up, listen to music, and mentally prepare to take on opponents.
While O‘Neill brings good technical
skills to the team, he admires Nick
Knutson for his work ethic and leadership. ―He‘s a fun guy to be
around,‖ O‘Neill said.
Mr. Edberg is O‘Neill‘s favorite
teacher because he has taught him a
lot and is a good person. ―He‘s a big
wrestling fan, too,‖ O‘Neill added.
Foods is his favorite class. ―I like to
eat food,‖ he explained, which can
make cutting weight difficult.
Coach Tikalsky has guided
O‘Neill since his freshman year and
has seen him grow in confidence.
This has led him to score more
points, improve his technique, and
increase his strength. ―Brady is a
fighter,‖ Coach Tikalsky said. ―He‘s
a guy that will give you one hundred
percent, and you know you can
match him up against anybody.‖
O‘Neill‘s favorite memories reflect his competitive nature. He enjoyed going to state as a freshman
and beating his Scott West opponent
last year. After high school, he plans
on attending a technical school or
four-year college, although nothing
is solidified. While his future may be
unclear, it is definite that he will
spend this winter as a valuable member of the Trojan wrestling team.
Dance: Maggie Yetzer
by Abby Vivant
Senior Maggie Yetzer has been a
dancer for twelve years, and as her
last season of dance team approaches, she is one of the three seniors
taking on the leadership role of being
a captain.
Although Yetzer is a captain
and a senior, she looks up to another
fellow captain, Ali Holden. Yetzer
stated, ―Ali‘s a good role model and
leader for everyone on the team, no
matter what age.‖ When Yetzer commented on her favorite memory of
dance team, she simply stated,
―Caitlyn Reger and anything she‘s
done…That‘s all I need.‖
A fellow teammate and
friend of Yetzer, Emma Iverson,
started on dance team the same year
as Yetzer. Iverson remarked on their
first encounter with each other. She
remembers not talking to each other
at all; she thought of Yetzer as
―really intense.‖ After she got to
know Yetzer, Iverson discovered that
she was really fun and outgoing.
Iverson, who now refers to Yetzer as
―Grandma,‖ said Yetzer ―likes to get
things done, but at the same time she
keeps it fun.‖
Even though dance team is
a big part of Yetzer‘s life, her other
activities involve student council,
cashiering at Coborn‘s, and, of
course, ―more dance.‖ Aside from
dancing for the dance team, she also
dances at Ovations in New Prague.
Here at NPHS, Yetzer stated that her favorite teacher is social
studies teacher Mr. Schoenecker, due
to his many Kahoot games and the
selection of answers he uses. However, her favorite class this year is AP
calculus with Mr. Dorner.
Yetzer has recently been
accepted to University of MinnesotaTwin Cities and plans to study biological sciences.
Grace Kamish has been best
friends with Yetzer since kindergarten and knows her better than anyone. Kamish stated, ―On dance team
Maggie gets everyone‘s attention
with her humor and constant energy.‖ Kamish said Yetzer is a role
model for everyone on the team:
―She is relaxed and not uptight, and
she brings positive vibes to everything we do on the team.‖
Cheer: Lauren Hargreaves
by Shannon O’Rourke
Lauren Hargreaves is a junior on the varsity basketball cheerleading squad, and she absolutely
loves it!
Why be a cheerleader? Hargreaves said that her favorite part is
bonding with her cheer teammates
over the course of the season and
cheering for all the athletes. Although with a great group of talented
athletes like the basketball team, the
cheerleaders‘ job becomes that much
more enjoyable.
Hargreaves has accumulat-
ed many memories over the years,
but she shared that her favorite
memory from cheerleading last year
was, ―when Emily Wagner deliberately told us to NOT pick up the
basketball before the game, so none
of us did. Then Ben Buthe looked
me straight in the eye, and in an angry tone said, ‗Just pick it up.‘ From
then on, we called him Ben ‗Pick It
Up‘ Buthe.‖
Another of the great memories Hargreaves shared was from
freshman year when she and Brianna
Arnold would give nicknames to the
cute guys on the team, but only the
cute ones.
Sure, NPHS doesn‘t have a
competitive cheer team, but we do
have a very dedicated team of cheerleaders that is here solely to motivate
and cheer on our sports teams. They
also entertain at pepfests, including
stunts and choreography.
Hargreaves looks forward
to a fantastic season of making even
more memories.
Floor Hockey: Charlie Zeilinger
by Lauren Hargreaves
Now that the winter sports
season is in full swing, New Prague‘s talented athletes are working
their hardest to get better and better
each day. One of the athletes that is
showing complete dedication is
Charlie Zeilinger in his sport of floor
hockey. He has been playing floor
hockey for about two years and has
loved every second of it. Not only is
Zeilinger very skilled in floor hockey, but he is also into mountain biking.
A memory that sticks out to
Zeilinger is being on the same team
as Matthew Schoenbauer, who graduated last year. He explained how
great of a player he was and how
much he looked up to Schoenbauer.
Zeilinger also conveyed that
his absolute favorite class is woodworking. He loves working with all
of the power tools and learning about
so many different materials. ―We get
to learn a lot of stuff from Mr.
Plaisance,‖ he explained. Zeilinger
added that his favorite teacher is Mr.
Edberg because he really admires
him. He said that Edberg is tough,
hard-working, and motivating: ―He
just makes you want to get after it,
every single day.‖
Zeilinger isn‘t sure exactly
what he would like to do in the future, but he commented, ―I think it
would be pretty cool to be a welder.‖
Zeilinger‘s immense dedication to the floor hockey team has
not gone unnoticed. Coach Michelle
Kriha explained how motivated he is
and how wonderful it is to have
Zeilinger on the team. ―He comes to
practice and gives 100% every day,
from the beginning of practice to the
end.‖ His efforts every practice definitely have been paying off in his
position as a goalie. Kriha continued,
―Charlie has been a vital part of our
state tournament trips and has helped
lead us to a championship.‖ Her favorite memory involving Zeilinger
was how many saves he made as a
goalie in the 2013-14 state tournament championship game.
As Zeilinger is taking on
this new season, he is confident he
will get better and better, and he is
excited to see what lies ahead for
him.
December 17, 2015
Page 8
VARIETY
December 17, 2015
What is the funniest off-topic teacher story you have ever heard?
by Maggie O’Neill and Emily Roiger
―Mr. Jasperson has eight brothers, and when they
were little, they all shared one room. One night they
were screwing around, wrestling and stuff, when
they were supposed to be in bed. After two warnings from their dad, the third time he came in and
‗just cleaned house, banging our heads, throwing us
against walls...when he left, we were all scattered
around the room, silently sniffling and whimpering
from the beating.‘‖ -Brady O‘Neill, 12
―One time Mr. Jasperson started talking about
Lucky Charms and how the oats are so pointless; he
just wanted the marshmallows, so he asked us if
you could find a box of just marshmallows. We
spent 20 minutes in class trying to find a box of
them.‖ -Annie Schoenbauer, 10
―Mr. Sayler said he once saw a statue (that had nothing to do with science), and he rambled on for 20
minutes about how much it looked like a molecule.‖
-James Ryburn, 12
―Mrs. Bishop was telling us about a book, Global
Babies, that she was reading to her daughter. Her
daughter was especially interested in all the ethnic
accessories the babies wore. The day after she read
the book, her daughter put a bunch of barrettes in her
hair, waved them around, and said she was a ‗global
baby.‘‖ -Matt Schoenbauer, 12
―In calculus with Mr. Dorner we do story plot problems to
construct the most efficient way to make a can. One day we
solved a problem and figured out a can of soda is not very
efficient, so he called a soda company during class and told
them that their cans weren‘t efficient and that they should
think of the calculus behind it to make it better...the company hung up.‖ -Maizie Deihl, 11
―We were watching a digestive video with Mr. Thorp, and
the guy on the video picked up a piece of unidentifiable food and ate it. So Thorp said, ‗I don‘t
know what he‘s eating, but big boy likes it!‘‖
-Jake Connolly, 10
―Mr. Sayler was cleaning out a shed and found a
two-gallon water bucket that had a dead rat in it.
Now whenever we use those buckets, he says it
has a heartbeat because the dead rat‘s ghost is still
inside of it.‖ -Sami Witt, 12
―Mrs. Bishop once revealed the art of eating cereal: pour it into a large bowl (she sometimes uses a
mixing bowl), add milk, then tip the bowl so most
of the cereal isn‘t in the milk. Then, gradually
move the dry cereal into the milk. It keeps the
cereal from getting too soggy.‖ -Julia
Bartusek, 12
―Mr. Bowe once told our class that when he
was in college, his apartment didn‘t pay for
the garbage guy, so they piled it up throughout
the week. The night before the garbage truck
came, they would all run around putting their
garbage in other people‘s trash cans.‖ -Lexi
Kreutzian, 12
―Mrs. Scharpen explained that in high school
she was playing basketball, and it was her first
time on varsity. She went up for a layup, hit
her head on the door behind the basket, and
got a concussion.‖ -Tyler Thoresen, 10
―Mr. Decker told us about duck hunting with
his buddies. They were all shooting at a duck in the
middle of a pond and finally realized it was a decoy.‖
-Nathan Simon, 12
―Mr. Tikalsky told us about a time he was on a train
with his family, and they had the whole car to themselves, but all the toilets were clogged, and the tank
happened to be right under their train car, so it smelled
nasty the entire ride.‖ -Lexi Breisler, 12
―Mr. Dorner suggested that instead of having a whole bunch of
buses go to Hutchinson or somewhere for track, they should
have the meets at home and have the officials drive a Prius to
each place to time the events. For motivation they could have a
rail around the track with a picture of the state record holder
going around the track, and the runners would try to catch it.‖
-Megan Vikla, 11
―Mr. Kneeland was talking about ‗yellow journalism,‘ and he
went on a rant. He got on the topic of today‘s journalism, then
he got into bad stuff happening in Europe and Asia, and then
he got into Cambodian farmers with bamboo shoes.‖ -Andrew
Scheiber, 11
―Mr. Kneeland was talking to our class about how
cowboys were big when he was a kid. He said he‘d
dress up like a cowboy and wanted to be a cowboy
when he grew up.‖ -Ali-Jae Nicolai, 10
―Mrs. Schuette was telling us about when she went to
the Harry Potter premiere and stood in line for hours
dressed up. She watched 20 minutes of it and then fell
asleep because it was so boring...she was enraged.‖
-Allison Roiger, 9
―One time Mr. Bowe showed us a video about
‗Aspire,‘ a stomach pump that drains food from your
stomach before you can digest it.‖ -Megan Giesen, 11
―Mr. Johnson told us about how he ate Malt-O-Meal during a
presentation about monomials.‖ -Taylor Hustad, 11
―Mr. Schimenz does cartwheels and push-ups during class.‖
-Carly Simon, 9
―Mr. Bowe told us a story about how his wife got hit in the face
with a hockey puck.‖ -Jirina Flicek, 12
―Mr. Decker always tells us stories about how he met his wife,
and nobody knows which one is the actual truth.‖
-Katelyn Fiedler, 12
―Mr. Dorner‘s dinghy [small boat] story.‖ -Jacob
Washa, 11
―Mr. Jasperson always tells us stories about his kids.
‗One is a trouble-maker, and one is an angel.‘‖ -Lexi
Johnson, 11
―Mr. Kneeland spent our work day showing us a
video about cell phone banking in Kenya.‖ -Brad
Simon, 11
―Mr. Bowe watches the construction workers out the
window and impersonates what he thinks they‘re saying.‖ -Ashley Shimek, 11
―After the state hockey tournament, Mr. Bowe showed us ‗All
Hockey Hair Team‘ videos.‖ -Allie Tupy, 11
―Mr. Jasperson told our class about how his son doesn‘t brush
his teeth.‖ -Austin Anderson, 9
―Mr. Tikalsky talked about his cabin renovations for 20 minutes
during a lesson about amendments.‖ -Allison Roiger, 9
―Mr. Danner always talks about his ‗music choice of the day.‘‖
-Ellen Popple, 9
―Mr. Dorner said people with small hands would die by process of natural selection because if things were built in the
most efficient way, only people with big hands would survive.‖ -Amanda Bjerke, 12
―Mrs. Scharpen and her brother were at someone‘s house for
Christmas, and the hosts were talking about how the neighbor‘s cat was always over in their yard. So Scharpen and her
brother hid behind a bush with a paintball gun, waiting for
the cat. When they saw it, they shot it a bunch of times, and it
limped away.‖ –Destiny Theilmann, 11