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Just horsing around BILLINGS WEST HIGH SCHOOL
2201 ST. JOHN’S AVENUE
BILLINGS, MT 59102
Liz Lockie excells in equestrian world K y r a N el s o n
Features Editor
West High freshman Liz Lockie has celebrated tremendous success in the equestrian world. Lockie has been riding for almost four years and participated in a variety of competitions. In the two years Lockie has been showing, she has won four championship positions
and eight championship reserve positions. Lockie competes in two events: hunters and jumpers. Hunters try to get the horse around the course as carefully as possible with as few mistakes as possible. Jumpers try to complete the course as quickly as possible without knocking down any jumps. In 2008, Lockie obtained several hunter titles, including
a second place finish and two third place finishes. To follow up her success in 2009, Lockie took first in a 2’9” hunter. The victory was significant to her because she was competing against people who had been riding and showing longer than she has been alive. Lockie also maintained her first place title in 2’6” hunter from the previous year and took second in a 2’3” hunter. “I was told I would never be where I am today, yet I am,” Lockie commented. Lockie bought her horse RedMan, a Dutch warmblood, from her parents. “Right now, I could not ask for anything more from [Redman],” Lockie stated. “He has been here for me through thick and thin.” Two coaches, Jenny Carbonari and Damian Gardner, help Lockie attain her success. Lockie was also coached by Liz Brown when she moved to Montana. Lockie has had the chance to meet a number of interesting people through her riding career. Among these notable persons are David and Karen O’Connor, cross country riders who went to the Olympics. Also, she had the opportunity to meet Amy Tyron, who will be in the 2010 World Equine Games.
In March, Lockie plans to go to Palm Spring to see a show and meet noted equestrian George Morris. Morris is the youngest rider to win the Mclays. Lockie says the best thing about riding is the friendships. “You make so many friends in the horse world,” Lockie shares. “The bonds between riders and their horses are amazing,” Locke adds. “When they are in the ring, they become one.” Lockie looks forward to her future riding career. She plans to spend the summer in Canada, and possibly Colorado. The Chronicle of the Horse, a national magazine, will be featuring Lockie and RedMan in an upcoming issue. “This is a dream I wish to do well in,” Lockie states. “This is the one thing I can do that people will not judge me because of. I have respect in the horse world.” Lockie feels that riding has taught her to work to leap obstacles, not only on the track, but in life. “Never let anyone tell you you cannot do something,” Lockie advises. “Because someday, you may just prove them wrong.”
Lockie and RedMan jump an obstacle in order to complete a course. The pair has found success in two events, jumpers and hunters. Her recent achievements have earned Lockie respect in the equestrian world.
Billings West High School 2201 St. John's Avenue Billings, MT 59102
Issue 5
A Look Inside This Issue
Physics classes apply lessons in a competition page 9
Meet the olympians page 10
West students paint Master Lube mural page13
submitted photo
KODIAK
Volume 50
Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Billings, MT Permit #88
Lockie and her horse, RedMan proudly display ribbons won in various competitions. Lockie and her horse have a close bond and work together as a team. After many great adventures together, they look forward to an exciting career in a future that holds a world of opportunities.
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NEWS
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FEATURES
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ARTS
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SPORTS
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OPINION
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NEWS
GOP mulls strategy over high court pick James Oliphant
Tribune Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — President Obama is not the only person facing a critical decision regarding his next choice for the Supreme Court. Senate Republicans are, too. No one expects the GOP to simply rubber-stamp Obama’s nominee, but the degree of its response could have implications in the November midterm elections and beyond. This time, Republicans have a weapon they lacked last year, when Sonia Sotomayor was tapped for the court. They have enough votes conceivably to mount a filibuster and block the nominee outright. But they’ll have to decide whether to use the weapon now or wait for another day down the road, when the Supreme Court stakes may even be higher. For both sides, Justice John Paul Stevens’ retirement announcement arrived at an inconvenient time. Neither
especially wants an ideological battle based on divisive social issues like gun control or abortion rights with an election ahead. Republicans, emboldened by the moribund economy and public opposition to the health care overhaul, are looking ahead to this year’s congressional races with an eye toward regaining control of Congress. Democrats are focused on selling a consumer-friendly message to voters centered on health care and financial regulatory reform, portraying themselves as the party of middle-class centrists. “The best strategy for the GOP will depend on what Obama does,” said John Geer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University. “Obama has an interesting political decision to make.” The White House will, of course, largely shape the nature of the contest by the nominee it selects. A more moderate pick, such as federal appellate judge Merrick Garland, a former prosecutor from Washington, could defuse a potential powder keg before its ever lit. A more lefttilting one, such as law professor Pamela Karlan of Stanford University or Diane Wood, a federal appeals court judge in Chicago — could detonate it. (One person the nominee apparently won’t be is Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton. The White House on Monday rejected speculation that Clinton is being considered.) Once the decision is made, it will be the GOP’s turn to craft a response. And this year, because of Sen. Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts, the Republicans now have 41 votes in the Senate, allowing it to potentially filibuster and prevent a floor vote on a nominee. Senators initially are treading cautiously — not ruling out a filibuster, but neither suggesting one is likely. Speaking Monday on NBC’s “Today” show, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said a moderate judge could be confirmed “in a relatively short period of time.“ But if the White House chooses an “activist judge” as Hatch termed it — “we ought to do everything in our power to defeat that person.” Still, the GOP wants to avoid a fight over social issues — which often become the focus of Supreme Court confirmation hearings. In fact, the Stevens vacancy was barely mentioned in a gathering of high-profile Republicans over the weekend in New Orleans. “If (Obama) picks a moderate, then they should stick to the anti-big government themes that seem to be working. But if the president picks a liberal, then they are going to have to change direction and go after social issues,” Geer said. “The base would not stand for anything less.” That has risks. A fight over social issues could alienate the moderates the party is courting, he said. A filibuster has risks of its own. It has never been successfully used to stonewall a Supreme Court nominee. Republicans historically have been critical of employing it, going so far as to threaten to shut down the Senate five years
ago over Democratic obstruction of Bush administration federal appeals court nominees. At that time some Senate Republicans advocated the so-called “nuclear option” — doing away with the ability to filibuster judicial nominees altogether. But party leaders are wary of reinforcing the image of the GOP as “the party of no.” And in any event, a replacement for Stevens would not alter the court’s 5-4, conservative-toliberal balance. Ironically, if the GOP does decide to filibuster Obama’s choice, it will likely point to the president himself as justification. In 2006, then-Sen. Obama joined in a failed Democratic effort to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito, over concerns the nominee was too deferential to executive power. Obama did so even as he criticized the strategy as “the wrong way of going about it.” “President Obama himself attempted to filibuster Justice Alito, who now sits on the Supreme Court,” Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Senate Republican whip, said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “So if the president isn’t going to take it off the table, I’m not going to take it off the table.” Sarah Binder, an expert on the filibuster from George Washington University, said that she expects Republicans to force Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to find that 60th vote to ward off a filibuster regardless of the nominee’s ideology — meaning there could be at least one dramatic vote this summer. “I am not sure why they would give Obama or Reid an easy pass,” Binder said. “With these kinds of nominees, Republicans like putting senators on the record.”
Climate change still a hot button issue Pros and cons of both sides closely examined Morgan W oods
sophomore staffwriter
According to dictionary.com, the definition of climate change is a periodic modification of Earth’s climate brought about as a result of changes in the atmosphere as well as interactions between the atmosphere and various other geologic, chemical, biological and geographic factors within the Earth system. Currently, climate change is said to be synonymous with global warming. Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s air and oceans. The existence and cause of global warming is a very controversial topic. Many people believe global warming is caused by human activities and others who believe it is not
even real. People who believe in global warming often claim human activities have added to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They conclude these gases have altered the composition of the atmosphere, causing ice caps to melt and sea levels to rise, modifying the pattern of precipitation and expanding subtropical deserts. Under this theory, the Arctic and other regions would be affected with the continuing retreat of glaciers, sea ice and the extinction of many species of animals. A study reported in National Geographic News found that by the year 2050, one fourth of the world’s plant and vertebrate animal species will be extinct. The report stated, “The ecologically-rich hot spots include South Africa’s
Cape Floristic Region, the Caribbean Basin and the tropical regions of the Andes Mountains. These territories compose only a small fraction of the planet’s land area but contain large numbers of Earth’s flora and fauna.” The study’s worst-case scenario predicts a doubling of present carbon dioxide levels (as predicted by many climatologists) and rising temperatures that could potentially eliminate 56,000 plant and 3,700 animal species in the 25 hot spot regions. Opponents who do not believe human activity causes global warming affirm that climate change is a natural process. They conclude that about 800 years before rises in carbon dioxide levels, the earth was going through warm periods. The earth has reached higher temperatures in the past
than it is currently experiencing. Additionally, opponents assert carbon dioxide levels have also been higher in the past. The American Policy Roundtable [APR] is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization. According to the APR, temperatures during the Medieval Warm Period (roughly 800 to 1200 A.D.), which allowed the Vikings to settle on presently inhospitable Greenland, were higher than even the worst-case scenario reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC]. The period from about 5000-3000 B.C., known as the “climatic optimum,” was even warmer and marked “a time when mankind began to build its first civilizations,” observed James Plummer and Frances B. Smith in a study for Consumer
Alert. Plummer and Smith went on to say, “There is good reason to believe that a warmer climate would have a similar effect on the health and welfare of our own far more advanced and adaptable civilization today.” Scientists have studied satellite readings of the Earth’s lower troposphere temperature and have found that it has not warmed since they started readings 23 years ago. Even though the issue is not resolved, both the believers and non-believers in climate change can work together to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Every person should continue to invest in atmospheric research to monitor the levels of greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere and to study the temperature of the Earth’s troposphere.
Unified by hatred of Obama, GOP still searches for challenger NEWS
Steven Thomma
McClatchy Newspapers
NEW ORLEANS — Southern Republicans wrapped up a three-day meeting in New Orleans on Saturday unified in fervent opposition to President Barack Obama, but wide open at this early stage about whom they want to challenge him in 2012. Party activists at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference cheered potential presidential candidates such as Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty, as well as absentee Mitt Romney. But they also readily volunteered objections to the same names: Gingrich has personal baggage, Palin’s too inexperienced, Romney pushed Obama-like health care while governor of Massachusetts and Pawlenty lacks charisma. Given those commonly heard objections among rankand-file party workers, it appears that no potential Republican candidate can yet claim to be the heir apparent and the race could be wide open. Take Palin, the former Alaska governor who headlined the recent convention of tea party activists. She gave an impassioned speech to the Republicans, denouncing Obama’s foreign policy and domestic agenda, particularly his energy policies. She favors more oil and gas drilling along U.S. coasts. She has said she may run. “I’m for Palin,” said Vance Martin, a Republican volunteer from Oklahoma City. “She has
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authenticity; she’s a strong constitutionalist, and a fighter. She takes a hit and keeps on going.” Others also said they liked her, but said her work as a small town mayor and her half-term as governor were not enough experience to lead the p a r t y ’s c h a r g e a g a i n s t Obama, even if he also had s c a n t experience b e f o r e winning the presidency. “ S h e ’s great. But she lacks the experience,” said Elmer Flucht of Maumelle, Ark., in a comment heard several t i m e s S a t u r d a y. “She’s a heck of a lot better than the clown that’s in there now, but she needs more experience.” “A great rah-rah gal,” said Bonnie Re of Boca Raton, Fla. “But I don’t think she’s presidential. She’s not worldly. She doesn’t have a business sense. She needs more vetting, more experience.” Romney also had fans and detractors. “He’s a true statesman,”
said Re. “He’s a brilliant businessman. Our country needs a businessman, especially right now.” But Romney in one way has the opposite problem as Palin — too much experience in his one term as governor, particularly his
experience enacting a health care plan with a mandate that people get insurance that some Republicans find uncomfortably similar to the Obama plan they hate. “He really hurt himself with the health care,” said Flucht’s wife, Mozella. Martin of Oklahoma City
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had this critique of Romney: “He has a very clear grasp of economic issues. If we were the nominee, I’d support him. But I don’t think he can win the nomination because of health care. He’s the one who first pushed it in Massachusetts. That will be an albatross around his neck.” Romney did not appear at the gathering, saying a book tour kept him away. Gingrich, the former House speaker, used his speech to tear into Obama as the leader of “a secular, socialist machine.” He said he would decide next year whether to run. “I hope he does run,” said Elmer Flucht. “He’s so knowledgeable. He has great experience. He has the ability to articulate them. He makes a lot of sense.” Several attendees lauded Gingrich for his intellect and his skills as a speaker. But several also questioned whether he could win. “I like everything he says. He made a lot of good points we can use to elect candidates,” said Judy Smith of Montgomery, Texas. “But Newt can’t win. He
has a lot of baggage. The way he left his first wife. Then the way he left the second wife.” Pawlenty, the second term governor of Minnesota, did not attend the conference, but spoke via videotape. Said Smith: “He doesn’t have the charisma.” In a non-scientific straw poll, about 1,800 attendees at the conference split their votes among a broad number of potential candidates. The results included: Romney, 24 percent with 439 votes; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, 24 percent with 438 votes; Palin, 18 percent with 330 votes; Gingrich, 18 percent with 321 votes; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 4 percent; Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, 3 percent each; former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum, 2 percent; and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, 1 percent. As attendees lined up to vote in the conference straw poll, one possible presidential candidate urged the party not to pay any attention to that contest until after the 2010 congressional elections, which he said required their focus. “I hope no one here spends one whiff thinking about the 2012 election,” said Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. “Don’t get distracted by 2012. ... Don’t take your eye off the ball.” Barbour also urged the conservatives not to tear themselves apart between tea party activists and Republicans. “We cannot let ourselves be torn apart by the idea of purity,” he said.
reporter: “When I went back home to check, I found my house too had collapsed and my mother was killed.” “It is very difficult to save people with our bare hands,” Shi Huajie told the Chinese television station. As night fell, many of the Tibetans had fled the town and retreated to tents in the mountains, returning to a nomadic lifestyle they had given up years before. “People are sleeping in the mountains. They don’t want to go back to their houses which are made of mud,” said a 24-year-old student from Yushu, reached by telephone in Xining. The student, who did not wish her name to be used, said most of the victims were
Tibetans, many of them older people who were still at home or sleeping when the earthquake hit. “It was a very destructive earthquake,” the student said. “We have never had such a strong one in Yushu.” People’s Liberation Army troops garrisoned in Yushu secured banks, oil depots and caches of weapons and explosives shortly after the quake, CCTV reported, but there were no reports of looting or ethnic tension. As with the Sichuan earthquake, the Chinese military looks likely to take a major role in the rescue work. The Air Force had ordered 1,500 airborne troops and 100 parachutists to assist in the quake zone.
7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes China 400 dead and more than 8,000 injured Barbara Demick Los Angeles Times
BEIJING — Chinese authorities raced against time, distance and wind in a remote corner of the Tibetan plateau as they tried to rescue victims from a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 400 people and injured more than 8,000 others. The earthquake struck Wednesday morning in one of the most inaccessible reaches of China, Qinghai province’s Yushu county. The 100,000 people in the area are mostly Tibetan, many of them making their living herding yaks and sheep. Houses of mud and wooden beams gave way almost immediately when the tremor struck at 7:49 a.m. in the county
seat of Jiegu. A series of aftershocks collapsed schools built of concrete and a pagoda in the main park. The school collapses evoked painful memories of the Sichuan province earthquake of 2008 in which, by the official count, 5,335 children were crushed to death in their classrooms. “Buildings in our school were all toppled, and five pupils have died,” a teacher surnamed Chang at the Yushu Primary School, a boarding school with about 1,000 students, told the Xinhua news service. “Morning sessions did not begin when the quake happened. Some pupils ran out of dorms alive, and those who had not escaped in time were buried.” At a vocational school,
troops sought to rescue 20 teachers and students still buried. Logistical difficulties frustrated rescue crews. Phones lines and electricity were out and strong winds swept the plateau. Nearly 12,000 feet in elevation, Yushu is a full day’s drive from the nearest major airport, in the provincial capital of Xining. A small airport nearby that opened last summer lacks fuel pumps and lost power and communications equipment in the quake. “What we need most is teams with special skills for earthquake rescue, because we’re mostly digging ourselves right now,” Pubu Cairen, head of the county’s emergency response, told CCTV in a telephone interview. Restraining the emotion in his voice, he told the television
FEATURES
Beloved head coach earns high distinction
Middleton earns diamond status P at Bush
Arts Editor
This past season, the Billings West High Forensics team reached several milestones, including crowning new state champions in DUO Interpreatation, qualifying a public forum team for nationals, taking third place at Kalispell and getting many members into finals for the first time ever. Perhaps the most impressive feat may have been achieved by a team member who did not compete even once. Drama teacher, German teacher and head forensics coach Melinda Middleton, more affectionately known as Queen, has been coaching West High Speech and Debate for 11 years and earned her first diamond with the help of her fellow coaches and the entire team this season. Competitors receive points every time they participate in an event, with better scores receiving more points. Coaches
earn one tenth of a point for every point earned by the competiors they coach. A diamond is an honor bestowed upon coaches who gain 1,500 points over their entire career. For each
season to the head coach. “I would not have achieved the diamond status without the other coaches. They all gave me their points this year so it would happen. They didn’t even ask my
“It’s because of Queen that we accomplished so much. She deserves a diamond more than anyone,” commented junior Krista Bailey. additional 1,500 points, coaches receive another diamond. This year, knowing how close Middleton was to achieving this accolade, the other coaches agreed to give all the points they earned this
permission! They just went ahead and did it. They are that kind of generous and caring people. I love these guys! With the help of the team, they accomplished what I couldn’t have done on my own,” declared Middleton. Earning a diamond is one of the most monumental achievements open to a coach. “Getting a diamond means that maybe, perhaps, I finally know a little about what I’m doing, but there is still so much to learn,” Middleton said some-what seriously. Despite the prestige that accompanies this distinction, earning a diamond was not Middleton’s proudest moment as a coach. “[What makes me the proudest] would have to have been those coaching moments when a kid turns ‘I can’t do this’ into ‘I did it!’ I can see the new confidence in their eyes and the lightness in their steps as they go forward to receive their awards,” Middleton said. To go along with the diamond the National Forensics League awarded Middleton, the other three coaches pooled their money together to buy her a real diamond. They presented their gift at the end of season banquet held on March 1. “Queen does a massive amount of work above and beyond what the rest of us do,” stated former West High
debater and current coach Dan Johnson. “She manages all student paper work, works with the district to make sure we have places to stay, registers all of us for tournaments, handles a lot of student issues and does a 150 millions of other things I probably don’t know about.” Middleton and her fellow coaches were not the only ones to be proud of her diamond; the entire forensics team was delighted by her accomplishment. “It’s a good representation of our team,” proclaimed junior Erin Kusek. “If we have a coach succeed, it shows that we can succeed also.” “It’s because of Queen that we accomplished so much. She deserves a diamond more than anyone,” commented junior Krista Bailey. In many ways, the whole team banding together to help the head coach achieve this distinction shows exactly what the Speech and Debate team is all about: family. “The West team is not just a collection of speechies and debaters, we’re a family, and this whole experience is indicative of what any one of us would do for another member of the team,” explained speech coach Stephen Macartney. “Coaches were willing to put their own points aside to be able to give the Queen a welldeserved honor. The team members wanted to do well, not just for personal glory, but to be able to earn points for the Queen. The whole experience brought us closer together,” Macartney continued. “I think that Queen, Macartney, and Fred are excellent community builders,” stated Johnson. “They are a lot more about kids having fun and learning than being successful, and I think that attracts kids and makes for a much better philosophy for a team. Their amazing philosophy and personalities are what drew me back to helping with forensics.” “Without all our fabulous students, there would be no diamond,” concluded Middleton. “If they didn’t inspire me, I’d be history.”
Melinda Middleton, also known as Queen was honored this year by the National Forensics League. Since she began coaching the West forensics team, she has been accumulating points, this year receiving the distinction of diamond status. Team members and other coaches all worked together this year to help her acheive this honor. In addition to the honor awarded her by the National Forensics League, the three other team coaches presented her with a real diamond. photo by Pat Bush
Academic club wraps- up the year
FEATURES
Kyra Nelson
Features Editor
Hit that buzzer! West High’s Science and Academic Club competed in two different competitions this year. First of these two competitions was the Yellowstone Academic Bowl. This year’s bowl was hosted by Skyview High School. West brought two teams and extra members for an alternate team to the bowl. After being read a question, competitors would try to be the first to buzz in and answer. Correct answers received points, and, at the varsity level, incorrect answers lost points. The bowl quizzed students over a wide variety of topics, including literature, history, math, current events, science and geography. Junior Alex Stacy, a member of the junior varsity team,
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commented, “The Academic Bowl provided a one-of-a-kind experience where kids of similar aspirations met and competed in a competitive, but at the same time- friendly, atmosphere.” Each team competed in five preliminary rounds before moving on to the elimination rounds. After preliminaries, the top nine teams in each division were then split into three rounds with three teams each. The winning team from each round advanced to the final round. West High’s varsity team and alternate members (who filled in for Huntley Project) made it to the elimination round of the top nine teams. Seniors Michael Silvernagel, Nicole Ficek, Christie McIver, Kyra Nelson and junior Ryan Marcotte competed as West’s varsity team and advanced to the final round. The team had a rough start in
their final round, quickly falling behind Skyview and Frenchtown. In the second round though they made a comeback, tying with Frenchtown for second place. With a correct answer to the tie-breaker question, West was able to claim the second place title. Next up was the Science Bowl. Much like the Academic Bowl, students buzzed in to answer questions. This time, however, all the questions were about science and math. Other differences included the fact that rounds only had two teams each and that no points were deducted for incorrect answers. After preliminary rounds, the West varsity team was undefeated. McIver shared, “My favorite part of the bowl was the sudden death question we won one of our rounds on. That’s about as crazy
as science bowl gets!” After lunch, the varsity team advanced to elimination rounds. They made it through two of these rounds before being eliminated. Team members appreciate the club as being one of the few extracurricular activities for students specifically interested in
scholastic and academic pursuits. Team captain senior Michael Silvernagel shared, “[The club] is one of the few places where people appreciate my random knowledge. It’s been a really fun experience!”
hours without a special note from a dean. At the beginning of this school year, a pilot policy started: students were able to use phones between classes, at lunch,
before and after school or when allowed by teachers for educational purposes. According to the Freshman Academy staff, students are abusing this policy. However, only a few students are using their cell phones when they are not allowed, ruining it for those who follow the policy. Some of the students use the excuse that they did not know this policy applied to the Academy as well, claiming thought it only applied at West. Students at the Freshman Academy are using their phones during class, and many have been caught texting by teachers. “Students are not supposed to be using their phones during
class. There are a few kids who are abusing this policy more than others,” commented Academy attendance office clerk Maureen Cicero. Students who are caught using their phones may get detentions, and each step of discipline increases in consequences. The first violation is a warning, and the second violation is a detention. The third violation consequence is determined on an individual basis. The exact same rules apply to students using MP3 players, cameras or any other electronic devices. Students are only allowed to use them during class with the administration or teachers’ authorization.
“I think it would not be too cool if people texted so much in class or when they could not so that the policy was taken away. I like [the new policy] and hope we can still have this rule,” freshman McKenzie Poulson explained. Many students would not be pleased if the privileage was taken away. “The cell phone policy is one of my favorite rules here at West. I find it great we are even allowed to use them. Back in middle school, we were not even allowed to have one in your pockets. Now, we can use them sometimes, “mentioned freshman Keisha Stensby.
percent started smoking when they were in their teens. Smoking tops the list of the cause of the most premature deaths and disease in every country throughout the world. Smoking can cause very serious illnesses such as lung cancer and heart disease. More than five million children living today will die prematurely because of the decisions they make when they are in their adolescent years. “People who smoke shouldn’t smoke,” said freshman Nathan Bradley. “If I were friends with a person who smoked, I would try to get them help, even if they didn’t want it.” Roughly six million teens in the United States today smoke despite their knowledge that smoking is addictive and harmful to their bodies. “[Smokers] disgust me. I
hate them with the burning, firey pit of my soul,” says freshman Geneva Copland. “I don’t want to be with people who smell like an ashtray. They actually smell like doom.” Statistics show that more than 434,000 Americans die from smoking-related diseases each year. Sophomore Macy Hobart said, “[Smoking] is gross and stupid. You’re going to hurt your lungs for the rest of your life.” Although she is a nonsmoker, Hobart recommends, “Get a counselor or doctor as soon as possible to help save your life.” “Try to find something healthy to replace the bad habit of smoking,” said Maio.
Members of the Science Club celebrate a fun tournament. Several of the varsity members display medals won at the Academic Bowl held at Skyview. photo by Kyra Nelson
West’s pilot electronic device policy under review again Kaydee Oldham
freshman staffwriter
In past years at West High, students were not allowed to use cell phones at all during school
BNC hosts 2010 Prom Macy Schwindt
freshman staffwritter
This year’s Prom, West at 50: Blast from the Past was held at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center on Saturday, March 20. There was a huge turnout this year at Prom, especially when compared to Prom 2009. With 527 students, the Convention Center was full. The winners of West at 50: Blast from the Past Queen and King were seniors Marlene Holm and Bryce Pedersen. Holm is a foreign exchange student from Denmark. “I thought it was awesome!” said Holm. “A girl came up to me and told me that winning Prom is the best American thing you can do; I felt honored.” Pedersen said, “I was more
than honored; I was ecstatic, and I dedicated my win to the WULFPACK and my amazing queen!” BNC member freshman Jordan Salo explained his Saturday night at Prom. He worked at the drinks bar. “Prom was an awesome event, and I cannot wait until I am a junior to actually go and dance,” said Salo. “Towards the end of prom, I was fortunate enough to hang out with Caleb Hamilton and Sam Copeland, and we all danced around everybody and acted all cool,” Salo said. Salo along with fellow BNC member freshman Tara Lam and Ken Burke, BNC advisor and Prom Coordinator, stayed and cleaned up for almost 90 minutes after Prom.
In their gowns and tuxedos, students spent Prom night dancing the night away to fun upbeat tunes and romantic slow songs. This year’s prom was hosted by BNC. submitted photo
Smoking concerns students and teachers M a d i M ill e r
freshman staffwriter Every day, 3,000 children risk their lives by smoking their first cigarette. Although only five percent of high school student smokers say they will still be smoking in 10 years, 75 percent of these smokers are still smoking seven to nine years later. Smoking has become very popular over the past generation. Most of the students at West High who do smoke do not know the statistics or the medical harm they are doing to their bodies. “Well, I don’t think that you can make them do something they [smokers] don’t want to, but I am deeply concerned for their health,” said English teacher Linda Maio. Of all adult smokers, 90
Hawaii greets foriegn exchange students FEATURES
M arlene Holm
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a long time. They all came from different countries and corners of America, but one thing they Aloha Hawaii!! all had in common was being an “Aloha” is the Hawaiian exchange student with the word which means hello, organization YFU – Youth For goodbye and love. Understanding, wanting to have Saturday, February 6, a fun time in Hawaii. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Two Danish exchange Hawaiian time, 36 exchange students from Billings West students from all over the world High went on this trip, seniors Maria Ellyton and Marlene Holm. Ellyton said, “When I first arrived, my first thought was, ‘I am never leaving this place again.’ I just knew it was gonna be awesome.” The trip to Hawaii was one of many the exchange students from around the country could choose. Almost all of the e x c h a n g e organizations offer trips for their students Exchange students from around the world gathered in Hawaii. West had two to go on with the exchange students attend. Danish exchange students Maria Ellyton and Marlene special Belo USA Holm spent a week at the island paradise with other exchange students. submitted photo organization, which senior staffwriter
said, “ALOHA HAWAII”, including one from Sweden, two from China, Thailand and Japan, three from Brazil and Norway, four from Switzerland, five from Denmark, seven from Finland and ten from Germany. All foreign exchange students arrived at the Honolulu airport ready and excited for a vacation they had all been anticipating for
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provides trips to the exchange student at great prices. There are trips to the east coast, the west coast, Florida, California, New York, Washington DC and, of course, Hawaii. “I picked Hawaii because it probably wouldn’t be a place I would go to from Denmark and because Hawaii sounded like paradise. I had to go there, and it turned out it was,” commented Ellyton. The 36 exchange students lived in a luxurious hotel on Waikiki beach. Through the week, they had a fully-planned schedule of the greatest mix of things there are to do in Hawaii. Ellyton had a really hard time picking what was the most awesome thing they did. Maybe climbing a volcano, seeing Pearl Harbor, snorkeling with the most beautiful fish and sea turtles, surfing or watching a Hawaiian fire dance show. In the end, though, she picked the day some of them went kayaking to a desert island. “It was the warmest weather; we were 14 who went.
It was awesome because on the way we saw sea turtles, and we could just jump into the nicest warm water if we needed a break. The island was just amazing, and it felt like a dream, like I was really living life. We had lunch on the beach of this island, looking out over the blue water that went on forever and right above a sky as blue, with only the bright sun breaking it,” said Ellyton. The best thing of the whole trip, though, was meeting all the other exchange students. Ellyton thought it was really exciting to hear about the others countries and cultures, and right from the beginning there was this bond among them all. After seven days, on Saturday Feb.13, it was then time to say goodbye. “It was so sad; many were crying, and we stayed up all night from Friday to Saturday because no one wanted to miss the last time with each other. It had been a vacation I’ll always remember,” concluded Ellyton.
bridge competition, the school booth and possibly the maglev. Each student will compete in four or five events. Preparation for these events has taken both class time and time after school. The school booth is a showcase of the school’s program. Examples of the components of a school’s booth include the CO2 cars, bridges and images of the Tech Ed classes and club. Schools across Montana attend, but West High is the
only School District 2 high school that does. Billings middle schools that compete include Riverside, Will James and Castle Rock. Advisor Jeff Meide, stated, “This [year] might be an experience builder.” Last year, West High competitors took home five gold medals and one silver. This year, competitors have positive but mixed expectations. Masearcher said, “We have a strong team this year, and
Tech students anticipate TSA state competition E m i l y S am p l e
sophomore staffwriter
Every Thursday after school, Technology Student Association [TSA] meets. On April 19 and 20, TSA State will take place at the Metra. Those attending are the Tech Ed Club and some of the
students from the Tech Ed class. Senior TSA president Tevin Francis, freshman Vice President Taylor Clark, freshman Publicist Mary Maseacher and freshman members Kevin Martin, Jacob Welch and Kelsey Nicholson are all confirmed to attend.
Members of the Tech Ed Club prepare for the upcoming state competition, where students from across Montana will try their skills in a variety of events. sub,itted photo
A large majority of last year’s team graduated, and freshmen replaced them. Only one senior is going to this year’s competition with the rest being freshmen. Nicholson said, “A lot [of students] have been in [TSA] in the past year, so we have experience,” explaining that some freshmen competed for their school while in middle school. Some of the events which will be offered at TSA state include Carbon Dioxide [CO2] powered cars, pop bottle rockets, paper rockets, design and problem solving, architecture and structure, pimp my mower, high mileage cars, magnetic levitation [maglev], the school booth and others. In total, TSA State features nearly two dozen events. The events in which West High will compete in include CO2 powered cars, pop bottle rockets, paper rockets, the
Trading Cards ready for another year
FEATURES
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Students look forward to encouraging children Sally Weinand junior staffwriter
“If I were not a trading card, I’ll tell you what I’d be...” Many West High students heard this song while in elementary school. In trading cards, a program open to juniors and seniors, students travel to elementary schools to teach kids the importance of remaining drug and alcohol free. “We go to elementary schools, and we try to positively influence[the kids]to stay drug and alcohol free so they can
become trading cards when they grow up, too!” explained junior Jessika Reinker. Reinker also explains her joy for being a trading card. “I like being a trading card because I get to see all of the elementary kids that look up to trading cards, and I get to hang out with kids that go to my old school.” Similar to Reinker, several of the trading cards at West hope to make an impression on elementary students to not only remain drug free, but also to create an inspiration in these kids to become trading cards in the future.
Several of the trading card students this year admired their trading card mentors when they were in grade school. Students are excited to begin their quest to positively influence kids. Junior Ben McLaws explained, “So far it seems like it is going to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait to go spend time with elementary kids and sing to them.” When students are chosen to be trading cards, they are also told that they must give a quote or motto that they live by that explains why they are drug free.
“It is fun to interact with kids. My quote is, ‘be yourself and live life to the fullest and do not let drugs and alcohol ruin your life,’” explains junior Karin Raschow. Quotes are also intended to be motivational or explain the morals or codes that the trading card students live by. Senior Nicole Ficek explains, “When choosing a motto, I tried to select something that spoke for my own goals: ‘Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.’” Overall, trading cards feel a
sense of fulfillment from spending time with these young kids. Junior Karissa Ketterling states, “I like being a member because we get to promote a good message to kids in elementary schools.” So far this year the trading card students have been working to prepare for their first school visits. Students have printed their cards and are planning who will be going to each specific schools and what events these mentors will be doing at that school.
because they wanted to see how the Kyrgyzstan students’ opinions differed from American students’ opinions. Genocide teacher Rob Stanton commented, “It’s a great opportunity for our kids to discuss and talk about a sensitive topic like genocide.” The students are talking by using Skype, a software application that allows users to make calls and/or conference calls over the internet. After Skyping, the students have the option of blogging one another using a format much like FaceBook. The class is hoping to
continue Skyping for the rest of the year. The genocide class took a trip to Washington, D.C. at the end of February. They talked to the students from Kyrgyzstan a few days before they left and once during the trip. Students shared their experiences at the National Mall, meeting with Senator Max Baucus, the Holocaust Museum and every other experience they had in America’s Capitol. In D.C., the State Department requested the Genocide class to talk to them about the Skyping. The State Department wanted to know
why the students are doing this and what they have learned from the conversations. The West High students also got the chance to talk to a class from Skyview while on their trip. The students from Kyrgyzstan speak English very well, and this was good because the West students could not speak Russian, the official language in Kyrgyzstan. The students compared their histories and found many similarities and differences. They commented on the differences and similarities and shared their views on them.
Senior Austin Gee voiced, “It was interesting recognizing that people in a country as far away as Kyrgyzstan have similar views on genocide.” One of the most surprising things the Kyrgyzstan students said about American History was that the French and Indian War was genocide. Setu Tusi, a senior and a member of the Genocide class, commented, “I believe [Skyping with the students] was educational, learning about their views on Genocide and seeing the differences and similarities between theirs and ours.”
homework. But for senior Cody Bender, January 31, was not a relaxing day. While playing one of his Madden games, his heart started racing to the point where it felt like it would explode, and he started sweating. Bender thought, “I need to go to the hospital. This isn’t right.” So his mother took him to the emergency room. While there, Bender coded, his heart entered into an unstable rhythm that generated no pulse; he was a d m i n i s t e r e d cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] and shocked with a cardiac defibrillator. This event is known as sudden cardiac death. This is different from a heart attack
due to the lack of blocked arteries, but both disorders can lead to death. After doctors ran tests, it was discovered that Bender has a congenital heart defect known as Wolf-Parkinson-White Syndrome [WPW]. This nongenetic defect has been present since his heart formed in his prenatal development. According to Dr. Scott Sample, an interventional cardiologist at Billings Clinic, WPW is a rhythm disorder of the heart where an extra beat can cause a rapid heart rate due to the presence of an extra pathway of rhythm-conducting tissue. The conduction system of the heart is made up of specialized muscle fibers capable of conducting tiny electrical impulses that generate
the heart rhythm. The normal sequence of heart rhythm conduction originates in the right atrium in a region called the sinus node. The fibers in the two atria spread out and cover the top chambers of the heart. The fibers then come together in the middle of the heart in an area called the atrialventricular [AV] node. Conduction briefly slows and then speeds up in the node and exits through a common pathway called the bundle of His. The bundle of His then separates into the right and left bundles which further separate into fibers that conduct the heartbeat into the ventricular chambers on the bottom of the heart. WPW has an accessory pathway that bypasses the AV node and allows for the rapid, and sometimes lifethreatening rhythms develop. Sample said, “WPW is one of the most common disorders of heart rhythm in children, teens and young adults.” Bender has suffered from rapid heart rate his whole life,
even while participating in sports like baseball, bowling, arm wrestling and even participating as a student athletic trainer. He simply never knew it. Bender believes, “If something is wrong with your heart, get it checked. It could just be heartburn, but it could also be a heart attack.” Common signs of heart trouble include irregular heart beats, chest pain, shortness of breath, pain in the neck, arms, and back, passing out spells and sudden cardiac death. For Bender, doctors performed a procedure where they inserted a catheter to his heart and burned the excess fibers, eliminating the extra pathway. After shocking his atrium to attempt to recreate the irregular rhythm, and not creating it, doctors have declared that Bender has been cured of his defect. Health teacher Don Gleason says, “Heart problems can happen in young people. You never know if you have something like this [...] young people die too; Cody almost did. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Genocide classes receive exciting opportunities M o rg a n W o o d s
sophomore staffwriter
According to the MerriamWebster dictionary, the definition of genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political or cultural group. West High School offers a social studies elective for seniors that studies genocide. Students taking this course have started talking to students from Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked and mountainous country located in Central Asia. The Genocide class decided to start this communication
West High student suffers from sudden cardiac death E m i l y Sa m p l e
sophomore staffwriter
On Sunday evenings many spend their time relaxing or scrambling to finish their
Dropping Out: Not the easy route
FEATURES
Emily Sample
sophomore staffwriter
President Barrack Obama wants Congress to approve $900 million in grants designed to help keep 1.2 million employed people in school. Those people are typically ages 16 to 19; their primary job should be school. Some students, however, opt to drop out to work full time. This national issue has not failed to affect School District 2. This year, roughly 130 students have dropped out of Billings high schools. About one-third of those came from West High. The majority of these students are 16 or 17; 18 yearolds rarely drop out. The very first goal of any administration is to convince students who are contemplating dropping out of school to continue their education in the public school system. As a result, our counselors and deans are attempting to create a method that may be “out of the box.” This method depends upon each students’ situation. If students decide against staying in school, the administration hopes that students will decide to earn their
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General Education Degree [GED], to attend camps to prepare them for the GED test or to attend a trade school. The GED, or General Educational Development, can be received locally either through the Tumbleweed program or Adult Education at the Lincoln Center, and the teachers at the center offer classes and the test, which cannot be taken until one
“That it’s an easy way out is a misconception. There’s nothing easy about it.”
is 17 years of age. While many believe that the GED is an easy way out, this is not always the case. According to counselor Kim Petersen, “The GED is very difficult; a lot of preparation is needed to get ready; you can’t sit until 17. That it’s an easy way out is a misconception. There’s nothing easy about it.” Another alternative is attending camps such as the Montana Youth Challenge, which
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is offered twice a year in January and July in Dillon. This program takes five and a half months to complete. The National Guard operates it, but Youth Challenge actually has no connection to the military. Each participant is given a mentor that works with them for one year after they have completed the course, and the students must create a life plan. The final schooling alternative is a trade school like Job Corps in Anaconda. These students learn specific career and job skills and will earn their GED or diploma. After they have finished, they are able to directly enter into a career. Our staff recognizes that many drop out with the intention of continuing their education later. But most often, students never finish the process, and the administration wishes for all to avoid that. Super seniors, those who need to return for a fifth year to graduate, are not often granted that opportunity. Assistant principal Jeril Hehn stated, “It’s not our practice to give another year.” The fifth year is often granted only to those who failed classes during their freshmen and sophomore years only to improve
and get back on track during their junior and senior years. The staff wishes to inform students considering dropping out that they most likely will not earn as much money as those with a high school diploma, that they will have a harder time competing with others who do have a diploma and that once a student drops, they are not allowed to return. The drop outs’ peers
disapprove of the choice. Sophomore Ellen Studebaker believes, “The least they can do is go through school to get a better chance at pursuing goals in life.” Dean Gordon Klasna says, “We, as a district, need a way to engage kids, with something to keep them all involved, and unfortunately we don’t.”
that students will have more options and hopefully want to remain active after high school. I think the students will really appreciate the different choices they will have.” Blomquist also said that she hoped for increased student participation. The impact on the teachers will not be known until
all the classes are up and running. The amount of credits required for gym or health will not change, however. Now, students who like to take gym will be able to have a larger variety of class choices. Freshman Mary Mosbacher said, “I think it’s a good thing
because it gives us more of a choice and an opportunity to be able to take a medical sports class if we wanted and more leisure time so we are able to take more electives and a gym class in a different grade rather than right away.”
West to offer new P.E. options next school year V ic k ie C o n tr e r a z freshman staffwriter
Gym class will never be the same! The upcoming school year of 2010-2011 P.E. will give more options available to students. Classes being offered now include activities for freshman and sophomores, low impact fitness for every grade, health careers exploration using technology and fitness and conditioning for sophomores and older. Juniors and seniors can take community fitness, sports medicine, advanced activities, lifetime skills or introduction to officiating and coaching youth sports. Low Impact Fitness is for students with physical limitations, and it is a simpler class in which the activities are not as vigorous. In Health Careers Exploration, students will learn about all the different health career options and what their jobs entail. Activities is similar to the current gym this year; organized games will be played. The district added more options because they wanted more opportunities for students and to allow the freshmen
different electives. P.E./Health teachers and administration for all three of the high schools in the district joined together to decide to make these changes. Health teacher and head of the Health Department Don Gleason stated, “New options are good for students and teachers alike.” Gleason also stated that one of the concerns he has is that there will be too much health to be taught at the freshman level only. He would not change anything, but gym space will be a concern. Several classes already share the gym at the same time, and there is only so much space available. Gleason said that he was hopeful that all of the different activity and gym options will increase the participation among students. Health teacher Krista Blomquist said, “I really like
Putting the equations to the test
FEATURES
Tawni Palin Copy Editor
What would someone say if they were told that they were to build their own boat and race it? Well this is exactly what physics teacher Maureen Ladd had her class do. “The requirements were that it had to hold at least two people, it had to float on the water, and the maximum size that the bottom could be was five square
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feet,” Ladd stated. Other requirements were that it is constructed out of cardboard, as much as the team wanted, and duck tape was supplied by Ladd. The boat needed a visible name on both sides and also needed a flag, then wrapped in plastic. The race was two laps down and back in the MSU-BOlympic pool. The teams could design their boat any way they wanted to as long as they stuck to the
Two students row their boat across the pool, hoping that their cardboard vessel would beat the others. submitted photo
requirements and had fun. “The lesson,” Ladd explained, “was on Archimede’s principle.” The race was conducted at the Montana State University of Billings pool on March 2. The winners were seniors Jon Karell, Cody Lux, Shandon Reay and Sarah Rittenhouse. All four won the prize of 45 points extra credit points for the class. “My favorite part of the experience was making the boat and flag more girly,” Rittenhouse exclaimed. “I was the only girl, so I had fun putting hearts on it and things like that.” “The competition was fun,” Rittenhouse continued, “I was freaking out at the boys as they were going along.” Junior Brandon Case and his crew also said that they had fun, too. Case’s boat design was a rectangular box. “It was actually floating really well, and we came very close to winning, but it suddenly just died,” Case laughed. “It, out of nowhere, just gave up and sank.”
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Some boats fail to live up to expectations, instead capsizing and sending students swimming. submitted photo
“I learned how easy it is to make things float and how a boat works,” Case explained. Acrhimede was a Greek mathematician, physicist and inventor who discovered that when an object is immersed in a fluid, it is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. The buoyant force on a body is
always upward of opposite gravity. When an object is immersed in the water, the object will feel lighter. Buoyancy is caused by fluid pressure that keeps things afloat. It also depends on the density of both the fluid and the object. Buoyancy is equal to weight of displaced fluid.
who had anything negative to say about Paxinos. She quit her job as a legal assistant shortly after she filed the complaint in December. As a result of the complaint, an investigation was established. The investigation deemed that nothing happened, but Paxinos should still be disciplined. The Billings Gazette tried to publish a report about the situation, but at the time the, official’s name would not be given. February 2, the Billings Gazette filed a freedom of information lawsuit to obtain the official’s name and release it to the public. The hearing was in front of District Judge Susan Watters.
Paxinos’ name was subsequently announced to the public. People have had a mixed response to the complaints and the city’s attempt to keep it under wraps. Freshman Beth Uthaug said, “I think it’s wrong. I think he should be punished for what he said.” Uthaug went on to say that even if Paxinos did not commit the crime, trying to cover it up was wrong. “He should be expulsed from his profession because that’s vile,” commented freshman Miriam Jaworski. Paxinos reportedly plans to run for elections again after his term is over.
County Attorney Dennis Paxinos falls under accusations Vickie Contreraz freshman staffwriter
In the past few months, Montana has seen an interesting event happen in its state government offices. Even more interesting is the fact that, for a time, the persons
involved would not be announced to the public. Yellowstone County Attorney Dennis Paxinos was accused of harassment and sexual assault in his office by a former employee. The initial complaint was filed near the end of last year by Stacie Mulbeier, the wife of
Education: A n Insider’s Perspective
Join the Sceince Seminar Class for an educational afternoon. This year’s symposium is open to the public and will feature discussion on learning and education.
Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Deputy David Mulbeier. Mrs. Mulbeier started working for Paxinos as a receptionist in 2001 and was quickly promoted to legal assistant in about three years. Mrs. Mulbeier claimed Paxinos had been harassing her for nearly nine years verbally and through email, expanding the actual physical assault happened after an office party in 2003. Paxinos said what happened was consensual; but in the end, nothing inappropriate happened; the situation was stopped before it got out of hand. In fact, the entire office denied seeing anything inappropriate or offensive, and Mrs. Mulbeier was the only one
Saturday, May 20 at 4:00 P.M. Been Skipping Boys? Talk to the Dean! Oringinally printed December 1967
Mr. John Greenleaf has switched from paint brushes to absent slips as he assumes the role of Dean of Boys at BWHS. Mr. John Greenleaf replaced Mr. Robert Gorton as the boys’ advisor . Before becoming the Dean of Boys, Mr. Greenleaf taught art here at West High for five years. The duties of the Dean of boys are numerous, but his chief concern is that of boys’ attendance. It is up to Mr. Greenleaf to determine which boys are absent and why. Boys who skip classes are a major problem. It is up to him to
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decide on the validity of the absentees’ excuse. During the first few weeks of school, the sophomores comprise the majority of the skippers. They seem to feel that being in high school is a reason they can break the rules without fear of penalty. Juniors and seniors also skip, but the ones who can’t seem to devise plans for not getting caught are the sophomores. One excuse for a sophomore boy was: My brother has an eye appointment so I have to drive, because my mother doesn’t have a driver’s license. This excuse would have been fine, except a quick look at the records proved that he had no brothers or sisters. In fact, he didn’t even have a driver’s license!
Boys seeking information on the draft may contract Mr. Greenleaf. He can inform any interested boy about the draft and various branches of the service. Mr. Greenleaf holds a military appointment in the Selective Service. Attendance is not the only thing which concerns the Dean of Boys. He is also in charge of the boys who become ill at school and assorted odd jobs designated by the administration. Remember, boys, Mr. Greenleaf is not an ogre whose main objective is to foil the fun of cutting classes, but a man who does his best to help boys understand that they must accept full responsibility for their actions.
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Medalists Of a list of 2632 athletes from 82 countries, the Winter Olympics, there was bound to be a few historymakers in the bunch. As a whole, the United States team created an amazing piece of history. US athletes joined together to grab the most medals in any winter Olympics. 37 medals in all, comprised of nine gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze medals, came home to the USA. They unseated Germany as the medal leader, who claimed the most medals at the Olympics over the last 16 years. The US won six medals on day six of the Games, breaking the record for most medals in one day, breaking the old record of five. Among the athletes that made their own Olympics history include alpine skier Bode Miller, short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, the men’s Nordic Combined ski team and men’s four-man bobsled team. Bode Miller Born in New Hampshire in a house with no indoor plumbing or electricity, Miller, his brother Chelone and his sisters Kyla and Wren spent the majority of free time outdoors. By the time Miller was eight, he was already skiing or snowboarding nearly every winter day. At 13, he moved to Maine to enroll in Carrabassett Valley Academy, with the primary intent of becoming a ski racer. By the age of 18, he earned a place on the U.S. Ski Team, placing third in the slalom at the 1996 U.S. National Championships, earning Miller his coveted team in one of the best skiing teams in the world. After a disappointing showing in the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy, pressures to redeem himself in all his entered events grew. Downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and super-combined events waited in Vancouver to push Miller. Miller became the most decorated winter Olympic skier in the history of the sport. With five medals in all (one gold, three silver, one bronze), he became the winningest skier of any country. Apolo Anton Ohno Ohno became interested in short track at age 12 while watching the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Despite his late start, it took Ohno only two years to become the best short-track skater in the United States. At 14, Ohno claimed his first overall title at the U.S. Championships, becoming the youngest national champion ever. After failing to make the 1998 Olympic team, Ohno, who was then 15, had to decide whether to continue skating. Ohno’s father Yuki feared Ohno would make a rash decision after the disappointment at ’98 Trials and took his son to a secluded cottage three hours northwest of Seattle. With no distractions, Ohno passed the time by taking long runs in the woods. It was during one of his runs, when he stopped and sat on a rock in the pouring rain, that he realized he wanted to continue skating. Ohno qualified for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah and rose to the top of the analysts’ charts. He claimed his eighth Olympic medal in Vancouver, breaking speed skater Bonnie Blair’s record for the most career winter medals by a U.S. Winter Olympian. Ohno has at least one medal in each of the Olympic distances: gold in the 500 meters, silver and two bronzes in the 1000m, gold and silver in the 1500m and bronze in the 5000m relay. Ohno has won every national title since 2001, earning his 10th consecutive win in September 2009, and has 12 overall national titles. Men’s Nordic Combined team Since the initiation of Nordic Combined in the Olympic Games of 1924 in Chamonix, France, the US team never claimed a medal of any color in the event. It all changed this year. February 14 brought the first US medal in the individual ten kilometer event. Johnny Spillane placed second in the first Nordic event, winning a silver medal and breaking the drought for the US team. It seemed the rest of the United States Nordic Combined team took notice… and inspiration. Feb. 23 brought the second medal, silver, in the 4X5 kilometer relay. Brett Camerota, Todd Lodwick, Spillane, and Bill Demong placed second behind the Austrian team. Feb. 25, the last event, individual once again, was concluded. But not before the US team made more medal history. Gold and silver medals came back to the US with Demong and Spillane taking the top two places. Four-man Bobsled team Steve Holcomb, Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curt Tomasevicz made up the US bobsled team racing their sled, “Night Train,” at the 2010 Olympic Games. Holcomb, the leader and driver of his sled, grew up in the snowy mountains of Park City, Utah. Holcomb was involved alpine ski racing at a young age, about 10 years before trying out for the national bobsled team. In 2000, he started practicing as a bobsled driver, and after failing to make the Olympic team in 2002, he decided to transition to driving full time. Holcomb was a forerunner at the Salt Lake Games, but the pressure was too much. He exited the 2002 Games more humble, but filled with a passion to improve his skills. Torino’s Winter Olympics in 2006 brought another shot at the gold for Holcomb, but once again was eluded of the top of the podium. One part of the Torino disappointment came from a degenerative eye disease called keratoconus, in which the cornea of the eye protrudes outward. Holcomb underwent an experimental surgery to correct his vision from 20-500 to the normal level of 20-20. His vision completely returned, but the sudden change from being legally blind to being able to see normally was too much to absorb right away. To remedy the issue, Holcomb scratched the lenses in his goggles to blur his racing vision. He was used to racing the course by feeling his way down, not seeing it. Olsen, the “second man” pusher for Night Train, grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He was involved in high school football as a tight end and quarterback, and continued his football career in the Air Force until he underwent surgery for jumper’s knee. Olsen became interested in bobsled in 2007 after his mom, Kim, heard about the sport on the radio. Olsen enrolled in bobsled camps where he gained attention from the US Bobsled and Skeleton Association. He linked up with Holcomb as a member of the four-man sled. Together, they took the Night Train to victory during the 2008-09 sled season. Steve Mesler, born in New York State, graduated from the University of Florida in 2000, where the scholarship decathlete earned a degree in exercise and sport science. However, Mesler was not ready to let go of his athletic career just yet. He reached out to the U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton Federation and attended bobsled tryouts in San Diego in June 2001. Mesler made his national team debut during the 2001-02 season and was named as an alternate for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. His true Olympic debut came in Torino, where he finished seventh in Todd Hays’ four-man sled. Upon the conclusion of the 2006 Games and four seasons with Hays, Mesler moved to Holcomb’s four-man squad. Mesler occupies the third slot, as it requires a bit of finesse when managing the balance and the speed of the sled. Mesler, who is the team’s fastest member, keeps this in control as he enters the sled after pushing from the start. Curt Tomasevicz, the brakeman for the Night Train, grew up in Shelby, Nebraska with his parents and younger brother Jon. He played football at the University of Nebraska, and gained a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. The first time Tomasevicz saw a bobsled was the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He wasn’t convinced it was a professional sport, but his friend Amanda suggested he try it. Tomasevicz was instantly taken with the danger and thrill the sport provided. He made his Olympic debut in 2006 in Torino as a member of Holcomb’s sled team. 2010 brought another great chance for the US team to claim gold. With the team at the starting gate for the last run, Night Train sat in the grooves of the track, ready to set off with a gold medal in their reach. The Night Train crossed the finish line at the bottom of the Whistler Sliding Center track, and the US team and spectators held their breath in anticipation of the official time to flash on the board. It took 51.19 seconds for the sled to maneuver the track. Celebration and pandemonium rang throughout the center. The US team was .45 seconds ahead of their closest competition, Canada. For the racers, however, it was even more momentous. Their first place win marked the first time since the 1948 Winter Olympic Games held in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
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Nodar Kumaritashvili The death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili on February 12, the day before the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, cast a darkened mood over those involved in the celebration. Kumaritashvili, who had recently celebrated his 21 birthday, headed up to the top of the Whistler Sliding Center’s dangerous track for a practice run the day before the Olympics began. Whistler’s luge track, considered one of the fastest and most dangerous in the world, had seen its fair share of crashes in the days preceding the Olympics’ events, including luge, skeleton and bobsled races. Turn 13, the notoriously named “50-50” turn by American bobsledder Steve Holcomb, claimed the title of greatest upset turn of the 2010 Olympic run for all the disciplines racing at Whistler. For Kumaritashvili, 50-50 would begin the fatal blow to his sliding career. It was reported Kumaritashvili exited turn 15 too late and could not compensate for the error in time to enter the last turn. He took the final turn, 16, going over 90 miles per hour. He lost control of his luge sled and went flying over one of the newly added safety walls and crashed into an unprotected steel support beam. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge commented on the accident, saying, “I have no words to describe how we feel. The tragedy is something we will not forget, that goes without saying.” Complaints about the track had been filing into the IOC previous to the incidents that led to Kumaritashvili’s death. Minor adjustments were made in the previous years, but after the accident, extreme measures were taken into account to make the track safer for all athletes. A 12 foot retaining wall was erected at the exit of the last turn, exposed steel poles were wrapped in thick padding, ice was shaved down and both the men’s and women’s starting areas were moved down the track making for slower speeds throughout the track. Kumaritashvili is the first Olympic athlete to die at the Winter Olympics in training since 1992 and the first slider to die in a practice event at the Winter Olympics since Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypeski of Great Britain, who was killed at the 1964 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria. It was also luge’s first fatality at any event since Dec. 10, 1975 when an Italian luger was killed. Kumaritashvili was buried in his hometown of Bakuriani, Georgia on Feb. 20, 2010. On March 10, 2010, the International Luge Federation (FIL) announced that it had made a €10,000 (almost $14,000) donation to the Kumaritashvili family at the request of the Georgian Luge Federation in an effort to rebuild the Kumaritashvili family house.
Montanan Olympians Montana boasted two athletes who played a part in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Byron Wilson and Heather McPhie represented the great state of Montana in alpine skiing. McPhie, a Bozeman born skier, took up the event of women’s freestyle moguls. She has boasted a breakout 2009-10 season thus far. Of the seven World Cup events in which she competed, she registered top-five finishes at five of them and reached the podium at the final three. Jan. 14, she tied 2006 Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Heil of Canada for first place at a World Cup in Deer Valley, Utah. She ranks second in the World Cup moguls standings behind Heil and entered the 2010 Vancouver Games as the top-ranked American in women’s moguls. McPhie qualified for the final run of the moguls event in third place behind Heil and American Hannah Kearney, but had a disappointing final run. She crashed on one of the jump landings, pushing her in the 18 position after the last run of the day. Despite her disappointing finish, McPhie was supportive of Kearney, who won gold, with Heil taking silver and fellow American Shannon Bahrke sneaking through for bronze. Kearney was appreciative of McPhie, a longtime friend and teammate. “She’s a really supportive teammate,” Kearney said of McPhie. “You genuinely feel that if she can’t do well, she wants you to be up there. That’s why our team’s so strong right now, because we’re that supportive of each other. I feel for her because I’ve been there.” Fellow Montanan athlete Wilson is from Butte. He competed in the men’s moguls skiing event. Born on April 7, 1988, Wilson and his younger brother Brian wasted little time in becoming little snow monsters, spending the majority of their time outside on the ski hills. 2009 brought a major boost to his career, taking part in the World Cup event. The 21-year-old had not qualified for the event, but received the opportunity to represent the US team after fellow teammate Landon Gardner suffered an injury. He took on a greater challenging for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, but earned a spot on the US team. Wilson qualified in the third position after the first day of competition and set himself up to have a chance at a medal run. After his last run, he was on top of the leader board. With only two people left to ski, Wilson was guaranteed a medal; which color would be determined by the last remaining competitors Alexandre Bilodeau from Canada claimed the first Canadian gold on home soil and Australia’s Dale Beeg-Smith claimed the silver, leaving Wilson finishing with the bronze medal.
Stories by Jenna Hennings
ARTS
Billings West High Orchestra’s tune up for another concert Petersen conducts his second to last concert Sally Weinand junior staffwriter
A wide variety of music was played at the Billings West High School’s Winter Orchestra Concert which was directed by Mike Peterson. This concert took place on February 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the West High Auditorium. The concert began with Chamber Orchestra performing “Farondole” from L’Arlesienne Suite No. 2 by George Bizet. Freshman violist Natasha Halstvedt explained, “I think that ‘Farondole’ was the most challenging song played by the Concert Orchestra because of all of the syncopated rhythms.” Following “Farondole,” the Concert Orchestra performed
“Wood Splitter Fanfare” which ended in a flurry of chords to take the song to an intense, driving conclusion. Next, the orchestra performed “Bella’s Lullaby” from the now popular franchise Twilight which was then followed with “Overlords” by Sean O’ Loughlin. Next came the piece “Midnight Rain” by Susan H. Day. Halstvedt commented, “My favorite song was ‘Midnight Rain’ because it is so majestic!” The orchestra concluded their portion of the concert with “Black Diamond” by Robert Longfield. This song opened with dynamic lines which were then followed by an energetic theme
that surrounds a lyrical middle theme. Next, the Philharmonic Orchestra joined the stage and performed “Slumdog Millionaire” from the criticallyacclaimed movie Slumdog Millionaire. “‘Slumdog’ was my favorite song because it is really energetic, upbeat and fun to play!” explained freshman violinist Melissa Patek. During this song, junior Mick O’Leary played a sitar, a traditional Indian instrument. Junior violinist Crystal Weise explained, “I liked playing with the other orchestra because it is nice when you put two different groups together and play together with such power.” The rest of the concert
Petersen conducts the orchestra during his second to last concert at Billings West High
was performed by Philharmonic Orchestra. They began with “Symphony No. 5” in C minor, Opus 67 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Senior violinist Joe Epely commented, “‘Beethoven’s 5th’ was the hardest song because everybody knows it so it is hard to play it in a way that sets us apart or distinguishes us from other groups.” The next song performed was “Lion City” which is based on the country Singapore. Senior violinist Susan Bullock traveled to Singapore this summer and explained the meaning of the song, “The merlion is the symbol of Singapore. It is a mystical creature; half lion, half mermaid. It walks on land as a lion during the day and swims in the ocean as a mermaid at night.” The next song performed was “Batti Batti” by Mozart. For this song, soprano vocalist senior Rachel Nielson performed an aria. Next, the selection for the concert was “Russian Sailors Dance” by Reinhold Gilere. To end the concert, Philharmonic performed “Gladiator.” Weise explained, “‘Gladiator’ was my favorite because we all get so into what we are playing and just get excited, there is always such emotion when everyone plays together!”
System of a Down frontman releases new solo album Serj Tankian delivers in his new live CD/DVD, Elect the Dead Symphony Pat Bush
Arts Editor
Ever since Grammy awardwinning alt-metal band System of a Down went on hiatus in 2006, all four members have been busy with their current projects. Bassist Shavo Odajion started a rap group with Wu-Tang Clan member RZA that they call Achozen. Guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan formed Scars on Broadway, an experimental rock band. Their self-titled debut album was released in summer, 2008. Front man Serj Tankian, however, has been the most successful since the temporary split. He wrote, produced and recorded his solo debut album, Elect the Dead, which was released in 2007. Now, Tankian is back with his first live CD/DVD, Elect the Dead Symphony. New Zealand’s Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra contacted Tankian about the possibility
of him joining them in concert on March 16, 2009. Tankian, who had already planned on using an orchestra in his next album, jumped at the chance. “I’ve never performed with an orchestra before, so when they contacted me I’m like, ‘An orchestra? I’d love to do that!’” stated Tankian. Along with the help of John Psathas, Tankian rearranged 14 of his original songs to be played by a 75-piece orchestra and Tankian’s guitarist Dan Monti. “The music is, you know, rock based, so we sort of married them together, and it’s fantastic,” said the APO conductor Hamish McKeich. Many musical critics were confused by Tankian’s decision to perform with a full orchestra, even though Metallica’s S&M debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200 in 1999; after all, heavy metal and symphonic music do not exactly go hand in hand with each other. The concert, however, was a rousing success. Tankian and the Auckland Philharmonic
Orchestra sounded like they had been playing together for years. Tankian’s operatic style of singing beautifully matched the melodic music played by the orchestra. Songs from Tankian’s debut album include such favorites as “Empty Walls,” “Money” and “Honking Antelope.” Also included in this performance are songs off of the Elect the Dead bonus disk such as “Blue” and “Falling Stars.” “The Charade,” previously released as “Charades” on Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1, and “Gate 21,” a song that he had never performed, made their way onto the set list as well. The included DVD shows the performance in its entirety. It is easy to see how much Tankian enjoyed this particular performance while viewing the concert. While he is less active than he is in most performances, his face is lit up in a way that his fans have not seen since the first time he headlined Ozzfest with System. “This is one of the most
amazing concerts that I’ve ever been a part of in my whole life,” said Tankian. Tankian has already released plans to tour Europe and perform with more orchestras whenever he gets the chance. The Charade, Tankian’s next
solo album, is due out later this year. Fans of Tankian’s music and fans of Tankian himself will not be able to help but enjoy this one of a kind experience.
Local high schools compete in artistic showdown.
ARTS
Vickie Contreraz freshman staffwriter
The “War of the Walls” returns to Billings’ high schools. Drive by any of the local MasterLubes in Billings and see a mural representing one of the city high schools on its side. The paintings, showing a school’s colors, mascot or slogan are designed by students. Each of the murals represents the school’s spirit and are a good way for students to showcase their art work. The murals are repainted every year by the graduating class. The competition for which school can create the best mural is among West, Senior, Skyview and Central High Schools. Laurel
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also paints a mural at the car wash on Broadwater and 8th. For West, the MasterLube on King Ave. & 24th St. West and West’s Bear Bash committee are teaming up to decorate the mural and raise money for Bear Bash. People can vote on which school’s mural they like the best on the KTVQ website. A traveling trophy is awarded to the winning school. Flyers were put up around the school and potential mural creators were instructed to go to the activities office to gain information, where they received a piece of paper explaining mural requirements and other necessary information like entry information and people to call with ques-
The above mural was painted for the 2008-2009 school year’s competition.
tions. This year’s mural artists will be Chase Vinger and Becca Zabawa West’s mural is supposed to be done by May 1 and can be created at any point between when they found out and that day. “I think [the murals] are pretty cool. I like looking at them as we drive by,” stated freshman art student Tasia Nelson. The competition for which
Arts Without Boundaries brings new artist to West Violinist Tracy Silverman performs for West High Orchestra students Andrew Eagle
freshman staffwriter
Recently, West High’s orchestras had the great opportunity to visit with electric jazz violinist Tracy Silverman. Orchestra director Mike Peterson stated, “Tracy Silverman is just a master artist whose enthusiasm for music is evident by how he is able to captivate students’ attention.” Silverman came to West on February 8 and 9 as part of a program called Arts Without Boundaries {AWB}. This means that he played for the orchestra classes and taught them. This program was created by Phil Aaberg, a Montana born
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pianist and composer, who works to support school arts, whether it is music or the fine arts. AWB has sent a few other artists to West as well, such as violinist Darol Anger and Ugandan music specialist Kinobe, who both came to the music classes at West and demonstrated their skills. Darol Anger has been featured in many recordings and movie soundtracks. He has helped revolutionize the modern string band with his involvement in many groups including Republic of Strings and the Turtle Island String Quartet. Kinobe practices Ugandan music, a mix of fable, song, dance, drumming and poetry. He draws from his childhood to bring music to children of all age groups. The support this program brought Billings’ schools has been very helpful, not only for the students at West, but for students from all over Billings. These students get to have a workshop with the artist and then get to play at concerts with the same guest artists who taught them.
These concerts are free for the community so that everyone in Billings can share the music. Another program that Arts Without Boundaries has started is a mentoring program in which high school students go to elementary schools and teach younger kids about music and offer them a great start into the world of music. They have an after-school master class program, which is designed to enhance school classes with specialty lessons from true master artists. These lessons are run with the help of both teachers and students. AWB also runs a loaned instrument program; they give higher-quality instruments to schools as loan instruments instead of the usual lower-quality most schools are forced to use. Allowing students access to these instruments will allow them to sound much better at concerts and during class. This program is a non-profit, and therefore needs a lot of community support to keep running its many helpful and informational programs.
design would be chosen was open to seniors only. The deadline for entries was March 1. The winner will have to get together the supplies and the people to paint. Zabawa and Vinger also win $100 as a prize. Competitors put their art on a regular piece of paper and transfer it to the wall of the MasterLube. Winning the contest would be a great way for artists to
display their art for the whole town to see. Nelson commented, “[It] would be cool to represent our school!” Students say that it is neat to see artwork that their friends created, and that they like how it is open for all seniors. Freshman Lila Hamburg simply said, “I like the murals!”
Tracy Silverman (left) jams with Mike Petersen (right) in fron of Petersen’s orchestra classes
West High students work together to create stories Creative Writing Club holds steady Kaydee Oldham
f
staffwriter
Would someone be interested in a club that students get to write, eat and hang out with people? If so, West High’s Creative Writing Club is the club for them. The Creative Writing Club meets at the Barnes and Noble Book Store Café on Wednesday afternoons. Linda Maio is the advisor, and West students of all ages are welcome to come on in and join. The club began meetings in September and is still pressing forward. It has been going on for a few years. It is never too late to start writing with Maio and her students. Members of Creative Writing Club get together to read, write and analyze poetry. One activity that the members do is find any book they have never heard of at Barnes and Noble Bookstore Sellers, and then without reading the back of the book, try to write a poem or a two-page story about the title. The club’s members get about five minutes to find a book then write their piece of work. Next, the students share with one another about what their poem or
story is about. “It is so much fun, and it is really crazy. We get to eat, hangout, be with friends and have fun. Everyone is also co-president, and Maio is awesome,” senior Kasha Tutu said. There are many people who are involved with Creative Writing Club, and members come and go. It is never too late to join, and the students involved are very welcoming. “I love to read and write because Maio makes it fun. It is so cool that we get to eat coffee and get to explore books. We get to share our work with one another and get to share our work and eat! I love this club and look forward to Wednesdays after school to be with Maio and my friends,” sophomore Luke Bomar mentioned. There are other activities that the club does together, including games, poetry readings, book discussions and many more. “Most of our work is posted on the website as well and anyone can read it. It is pretty cool,” Tutu added. The website is www.MaiosReadAndFeedAtomi cGrind.net and is updated often. Just talk to Maio and start being with the club.
Venture Theatre’s high school improv perfoms again
ARTS
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The Funky Bunch creates an entirely original show in front of another audience T a w n i Pa l i n Copy Editor
They truly are a Funky Bunch. Venture Theatre’s high school improv troupe, The Funky Bunch, had a showing on February 18, 2010. This troupe is made up of nine high school students from across town.
Five of them are from West High, including seniors Pat Bush and Colin McRae, juniors Alex Bush and Krista Bailey and freshman Andy Eagle. The troupe decides on games and receives suggestions from the audience to create each show. This show is sort of a Whose Line is it Anyway? but a lot better. They are completely
audience friendly and interact with the audience member as if they were the only ones there. The audience for the show ranged from family to friends. Sophomore Lexi Eagle, who saw the show, exclaimed, “It is lots of fun watching your peers and family!” Alex Bush has been in the troupe for three years and enjoys every minute of it. He
Alice returns to Wonderland
Johnny Depp and and Mia Waskowaska star in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland Macy Schwindt
freshman staffwritter
Alice in Wonderland finally made it back to movie theaters on March 5. It is directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Mia Wasikowska as Alice, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. The movie is based on the two books Alice’s Adventures in Wonder and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. “Mr. Burton has done his best work with contemporary stories,” says New York Times writer Manohla Dargis. “Whatever his inspiration, he has tackled this
new story with his customary mix of torpor and frenzy.” The New York Times also said that Tim Burton was the best choice to direct Alice in Wonderland because his source of imagination was especially present in the 3-D movie. In the movie, Alice returns to Wonderland by accident, only to discover that the Queen of Hearts has taken over. Alice goes on an adventure to explore the magical world of Wonderland after she meets the friends she had met her first time there. The Queen of Hearts is portrayed with a big head, symbolizing a massive ego. She has enslaved the inhabitants
of Wonderland. Another symbolic message in the movie is when Alice eats cake and it makes her big, symbolizing she is expanding her mind. This movie centers on imagination, taking a lot of fantasy and make-believe and turning it into a movie. Tim Burton has chosen the right actors to be in this movie, and they all fit perfectly into each character they portray in the movie. To read more about Alice in Wonderland, visit a library or local book store and look for Alice’s Adventure in Wonder and Through the Looking Glass. On March 6, the day after it opened in theaters, the movie grossed a total of $41 million dollars. On March 8, two days after the first news, the total has raised to $116.1 million dollars.
said that his funny facial expressions come naturally when it comes to his acting. “The thing I like about it is that I can be myself and not worry about staying in character,” Bush commented. McRae has been a member of the troupe for over three years. He has done both scripted shows and improvised shows before. “Scripts and improv are two totally different things. Because of this, there is really no way I could chose which one I like better,” McRae proclaimed. Funky Bunch’s advisor Chas Llewellyn was one of the five original Funky Bunch members with Jason Harris; better known as Hot 101.9’s Big J and a couple others. They started the group about 10 years
ago when they were in high school. Funky Bunch is all around is a great family show. Most people would not believe just how clever these students really are. Humor is what they do best, and their audiences would agree; they are able to take the simplest catorgory and turn into a scene that someone wouldn’t see everyday. “They are truly amazing,” commented sophomore Jessica Esplin. “They deserve a bigger crowd than they get.” Funky Bunch has more performance dates set on April 24 and May 14, all starting at 8:00 p.m. So mark your calendars for the laugh of a lifetime.
Alice Sebold’s beloved novel hits theaters
ARTS
M acy Sch windt
freshman staffwritter
The novel The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold tells the story of 14-year-old Susie Salmon who was murdered by her quiet, sneaky neighbor Mr. George Harvey on December 6, 1973 in a cornfield on her way home from school. Susie attended school and got good grades; she had a boyfriend named Ray Singh and a close family that loved her in every way a family could love a daughter. However, on that tragic day, it all came to an end. She didn’t know why it happened to her because she didn’t see it coming. When she arrived in heaven the day she was murdered, she expected it to be perfect like everybody dreams of it to being, but everybody has their own perfect heaven. After her death, the family had problems and started to break apart. Susie spent her time in heaven watching her family grow apart and continue living without her. Her father spent his time after Susie died trying to solve her murder case; he suspected Harvey.
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Mr. Harvey was unemployed and did not interact or talk to the other neighbors. One day, Jack went to go talk to him, and they set up a tent up outside of his house in his backyard. Jack was asking him questions about Susie’s death, asking Harvey if he had any information. Jack knew it was Mr. Harvey; he was positive and didn’t doubt it. He then made a phone call to Detective Len Fenerman, who immediately picked up the case. Lindsey, Susie’s sister, had some problems, but eventually got over Susie’s death and told herself to move on, live her life to the fullest but to never forget about her sister. She broke into Mr. Harvey’s house to find evidence to help her father’s case. She had no luck at first, and then she found a clue about her sister’s case. It was a sketch of the cornfield the day she was murdered. It showed where he murdered her and where he was standing. Her father was proud of Lindsey, and he knew that everybody believed him now; everyone except the Detective Fenerman. Susie’s mother Abigail
couldn’t get over Susie’s death. Susie was all she could think about, all day, all night, 24/7. Abigail was alone and could not talk to other people about her problems. A couple of years after the murder, she packed up a few things and flew to California and left her husband, daughter and 4- year-old son Buckley. Buckley is a sweet little boy who everybody adored, especially Susie. Buckley was still young and could not figure out what was going on with his family. Eight years has past since Susie’s death and six years since her mother left the family. Yet, the family still wonders what will happen to them in the future and if things will turn out better than they all expected. Will they catch Mr. Harvey? Will Abigail come back? Will they find Susie’s body? What happens at the end? You can find out if you get the book The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold at the library or at your local book store. I encourage you to read this book because it tells a story about real life situations that happen everywhere in America. Plus, it shows the characters’
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opinions of Susie and of life as they continue to go on without her. If you lost someone you loved in the past or just recently, you can understand what this family is going through, and you can relate to them, too. Over all, this boo, in my opinion, is a 4 ½ star rating out of 5.
I liked that it viewed other characters opinion in the situation that they are dealing with. Also I liked on how the author brought out each character’s expressions and feelings. If you enjoy mystery and life relating books, then I highly recommend that you read this book and see the movie after reading it.
SPORTS
State Basketball tournament comes to Billings to meet at the Metra A rundown of the events surrounding the tournament Chelsea Anderson, Jessica Ettleman, Trent Dugger Copy Editors
This year, state basketball was held in the Rimrock Auto Arena at Metra Park. AA teams from around Montana battled it out for a state title March 11 through 13. Kicking off the tournament in game 1 was a CMR victory against Flathead. CMR obliterated Flathead 62-37. Game 2 was held shortly after CMR’s first victory, where Missoula Sentinnel defeated Billings Skyview 6541, sending Sentinnel out to battle CMR for a place in the championship game. Game 3 was Helena Capital versus Billings’ own Senior High. Helena squeezed by with a 59-52 win in overtime. In Game 4, Billings West narrowly defeated Glacier (Kalispell) 53-50, sending West on to the playoffs against Helena Capital. CMR clobbered Sentinnel
in the playoffs 70-49, taking them to the championship match against West, who defeated Capital the night before 68-56. The championship match was held on Saturday March 13, and packed the Rimrock Auto Arena. “I honestly didn’t think we’d make it as far as we did,” senior starter Chase Vinger admitted. “It was great that we got to play in the ‘ship.” West High students crammed into staircases two hours before the championship match, just to guarantee a seat in the student section that evening. The students sat waiting while Senior High and Helena Capital fought for the third place standing. By the time the final game rolled around, students, parents and spectators alike were filled with anticipation: West and CMR had played twice during the basketball season, both walking away with one victory and one loss. West suffered a hard loss.
Girls Basketball ends the season extremely strong
Girls basketball heads to the Metra for the tournament awaiting them ready to fight
C h e l s e a A n de r so n , J e s s i c a E t t l em a n , T re n t D u g ge r Copy Editors
As the 2010 Montana High School State AA Basketball Tournament rolled into Billings there were plenty of hopefuls. On the girls’ side of the tournament only one Billings team was present. The West High Golden Lady Bears, having defeated the Billings Senior High Broncs in the first playoff game, held a seat in the tournam e n t . The Lady Bears entered the tournament with the worst record on the bracket, but came out to be the true Cinderella story. Although the team had been to the tournament before this year was Randy Chase’s first year as head coach. The team was lead by seniors Cassie Langstraat, Jessica Sharbono, Jessica Johnson, Stephanie Petersen, Mikensi Romersa, and Kacie Hutton. Langstraat commented, “I was very pleased we were able to beat Senior High and just make the tournament.” Crossing the threshold with a losing record of nine and twelve, the Lady Bears had to
bring their ‘A’ game. The first game was rough. Helena Capital showed up ready to play, and won by eleven points, the final score reading 62 to 53. Being placed into the consolation bracket was an eye-opener for the Lady B e a r s . West would face yet another Helena team on the second day of the tournaments. Helena High would be knocked out of the tournament by the Lady Bears with a 57 to 43 w i n . At this point the Bears would have two more games to complete the tournament, and bring home some hardware. First year head coach Randy Chase told his girls that only two teams would win on the final day of the tournament, and one of them was going to be the Bears. Taking a marginal ten point victory over Butte high, the Lady Bears would play a final game for a chance at third place with a 63 to 53 win. Missoula Sentinnel also battled the Lady Bears, but Sentinnel was not able to gain control of the game, and the Lady Bears held a lead through out the majority of the game. West High walked off
with a third place victory. Langstraat scored the final three points solidifying a Golden Bear win of 42 to 39. Her comments supporting the entirety of the season stated state was the best. “Making a huge run at state and taking home the hardware we deserver was the best part of the whole season.” “I was very pleased with what we were able to accomplish,” stated senior Jessica Sharbono.
She shoots she scores.A Lady Bear goes in for a basket at the tournament. submitted photo
Losing by 30 points in a 71-41 domination by CMR. “We had a good run,” stated starting senior Jacob Hellyer. “Second place is respectable, but first would have been better.” Coach Doug Robison was upset with the loss, but still pleased with the overall season. “CMR had an outstanding team. They were talented, they were bigger than us at every position, and in the championship game, they shot the ball very well. Josh Huestis is probably the most athletic and talented post player we have faced in a long time. They were simply better than us that night,” Robison divulged. Girls The tournament was kicked off with Butte High girls winning against Missoula Sentinel girls 43-32 on Thursday March 11. Later in the day Bozeman High would beat Missoula Big Sky with the final score being 41-27.
Bozeman would move on to play Butte in the second round. The third game was CMR Great Falls versus Helena High, CMR would move on to the second round with a win 54-39. Concluding the first day, Billings West High girls would play Helena Capital and Capital would move onto the second round with a win of 6253. Day two began with Butte up against Bozeman with Bozeman moving on to the final round winning 57-43. CMR beat Capital 5146 taking them to the championship game against Bozeman. Sentinnel and West would face off in the final round of the consolation bracket, overall West took third place, with a 42-39 win. In a close match up against CMR and Bozeman, CMR was un able to pull off winning both championship games, instead Bozeman came out on top with a 39-33 win.
The boys season Chelsea Anderson, Trent Dugger and Jessica Ettleman Copy Editors
For the first time since 1959 there is a strong likelihood of a State Title rematch. The Billings West High Golden Bears entered the 2010 State AA basketball tournament with a first round bye. Losing only two games in the regular season against Bozeman High and CMR Great Falls West was the number one s e e d . West High’s first game against Glacier High would be the teams’ first match against each other, ever. During the regular season Glacier and West do not play each other do to the distance. As there first time playing each other West was favored, but the results prove the Wolf Pack put up a good fight. West boys’ won 53 to 50 in the last few seconds, giving them a place in the second round against Helena Capital. “I thought it was great to be able to play in the ‘ship,’ states senior varsity player Chase Vinger, “I didn’t think at the beginning of the season that we would even have a shot at even going to state let alone placing s e c o n d . ” The second day was not as close of a game, West came out alive and ready to put up some p o i n t s . Their defensive game was ten times better than that of the first night, and the Boys won 68
to
56. This win placed the West High Boys in a Championship rematch against CMR. Losing against CMR was tough, but also not a huge let d o w n . “We had a good overall season and second is respectable, even though first would have been better,” senior varsity player Jake Hellyer states, “it was a good run!” This year was Hellyer’s third year playing in the championship. The Bears had a fantastic season and was never expected to do as well as they did. Head coach Doug Robison states, “I was extremely impressed with the overall season. We lost eight seniors the previous season, and returned very little in terms of varsity playing experience.”
Number 45 of the Golden Bear Basketball team shoots a basket at the State tournament. submitted photo
JV Winter sports wrap- up
SPORTS
Tawni Palin Copy Editor
The winter season has come to an end with West players putting their hearts into it. Now it is time to wrap up the memories and bring in the spring season with a fresh slate. Boys Basketball The basketball season the JV Bears ended this year undefeated, 19-0. The last two wins were against both the CMR Rustlers, 69-55, and Great Falls Bison, 77-40. They ended with a great record. The sophomore Bears won both of their games against CMR, 75-35, and Great Falls, 7535.
The freshman Bears won their game against CMR, 67-37, and against Great Falls, 52-32. Girls Basketball The freshmen Lady Bears finished their season with a win against CMR Lady Rustlers, 4030, and a loss against Great Falls Lady Bison, 40-46. The sophomore Lady Bears also ended the season with both a loss and a win. They lost against the Lady Rustlers, 28-37, but won in their game against Great Falls, 56-31. The JV Lady Bears ended with two losses to both CMR and Great Falls. The score against CMR was 50-58, and the score was 39-50 against Great Falls.
Sub - Varsity Corner
Spring sports up and running again Tawni Palin Copy Editor
Winter season is coming to an end, and spring is racing here. Track The spring sports season started on March 15, and this year’s track and field team is excited to be up and running. Literally. Rob Stanton his resumed his role as head coach this year, he has a plethora of coaches that help him out in their events. Stanton is heading up the relay teams. Tom Heckathorn is coaching shotput and discus. Jackie Coryell is in charge of javelin for the throwing events. Dan West and Lauren Wright head the distance events. Scott Palin is the pole vaulting coach. Matt Mcgowan heads the high jump. Mike Patrick is the coaches the long jump and triple jump. Students compete in seventeen events, and the whole coaching staff is anxious to get the year going. Softball Head softball coach Ed Kriskovich is also ready to get his season started. With a winning season last year of 17 wins to 10 losses, he is ready to have another great season. Jody McIlvain is he coach for the JV 1 team, and he is excited about this season with the many prospects he has this year.
“We have a lot of great freshmen that are going to play this year,” McIlvain commented. “So I think we will have a good year.” Losing the majority of his players every year, he is the one that get to experience the new talent first hand. JV record last year was 126. The official first day of practice was March 18. Boys Tennis Jeff Henckel is the boys coach for Tennis this season. Last year the Golden Bears finished were first in divisionals and third in State. There are fourteen boys who have come out for tennis this year. Henkel lost seven seniors last year, so he has a fairly new team. “I predict that this season is going to be a fun one,” Henckle said. Girls Tennis Dick Collum is the Lady Bears Tennis coach. He also had fourteen girls come out to play this year, including a couple of really strong singles players. “This team has been the strongest team for the last three years,” Collum said, “and this year is no different.” They did not place at in State last year, but the team is anticipating a place in state this year with the talent they have. “I think we are going to hurt someone this year,” Collum said.
Intramural Bowling is hitting the lanes APRIL 2O1O
A couple of students from West that bowl on leagues are freshman Damon Winslow; sophomores Tanner Boehm, Kristen Marshall and Cordell Bird; junior Marc Contreras and seniors Brittany Abraham, Christa Bigelow, Logan Shawand Joey Lucara. Bigelow said, “[I’ve been bowling] since 7th grade.”
Joey Lucara holds his bowling ball while at Intramural Bowling at Sunset Bowl. photo by Katie Patish
Katie Parish
sophomore staffwriter
Most people are not aware of all the activities that West High students do. One activity that some students do is bowling. A lot of kids in Billings are on a bowling league at either Sunset or Fireside Lanes.
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Shaw and Marshall both have been bowling for three years. Bigelow explained, “I’ve done pretty good; one year I got first in singles division.” Shaw commented, “[I bowl because] it’s fun.” Marshall explained, “It’s enjoyable and a good way to get out.” Bowlers in the youth leagues can bowl from ages 10 to 20. The leagues are governed by United States Bowling League, and each bowler has a membership which allows the bowler be in the league, city tournaments and state tournaments. Once a year, there is a city tournament called USBC Youth Tournament.
A youth bowler does not get money if he does well in a tournament; instead, he gets scholarship money for anything he wants to do in college. Fireside Lanes has one Thursday league shift and two Saturday morning shifts for youth leagues. Most bowlers have their own equipment, but if they do not have their own, they can use the bowling alley’s equipment for free. Bowling starts in September and ends in March. There are about 280 bowlers in Billings and the surrounding towns. Coach Mike Shea of Fireside Bowling Alley explained his thought on why kids bowl, “Some [of it] is social, you can talk to friends even if they are on other teams. It’s a sport that anyone can do, does not have a tryout process, but at the same time there are challenges.” Coach Myron Wilson of Fireside Bowling Alley said, “Bowling is an individual and team sport. We’ve had some really good bowlers [that have done well] both state and nationwide.
skiing from when we arrived at Red Lodge at 9:30 a.m., just after opening, until 3:45 p.m., just before closing. “The knee-deep powder in Headwaters was awesome,” claimed Josh Cohen about some of the conditions on the mountain. But most of the resort had some strange conditions. Some runs that got direct sunlight melted until any snow in the sun was extremely sticky, so as people hit the sunlight, they would slow down abruptly, sometimes with comedic falls as a result. Some other events that
occurred included a moose sighting by Jacob Kvilhaug who proclaimed, “The ski trip was great, but the moose scared me.” Some groups also found a pass-time in having snowball fights on the sides of slopes, as well as going through the terrain park. Most people however, stuck to skiing and boarding. Red Lodge has a wide selection of runs that the students could choose from, beginner or “green” runs, intermediate or “blue” runs and expert “blacks”; lastly the most difficult runs on the mountain are “doubleblacks.”
Students set out to hit the slopes for a day Andrew Eagle
freshman staffwriter
Recently, the West High freshman and sophomore health classes took a trip to Red Lodge Ski Mountain Resort. “It was a great experience to go up and hang out with friends on the slopes,“ stated freshman Kean Haunt about the trip. Early in the morning March 18, many students climbed onto three buses to go up to Red Lodge. Then, everyone geared up and got on the lifts to start the day with a lesson suited to their levels, whether beginner, intermediate or expert, Red Lodge Mountain had lessons fit for everyone. After the lessons were done, everybody took off for runs all over the mountain, which thankfully included Cole Creek which is opened rarely but was open during the trip. The cost of the trip with the school was discounted and was a great deal when compared to the price of going to Red Lodge on your own. The students got discounts on rentals, tickets and lessons. The entire day was spent
March Madness has come and gone leaving many feelings behind
SPORTS
APRIL 2O1O
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Lingering feelings of anger, sorrow and great joy are left behind at the end of the tournament Andrew Eagle
freshman staffwriter
Basketball fans from all over are getting excited for March Madness. This single month is one of the most vigorous challenges a college basketball team faces. Selection Sunday, the beginning of March Madness, takes place on March 14 and the opening rounds begin March 16, kickng off a month long test of skill and determination. These games lead up to the final four games held April 3 through April 5. The opening game was between Pine Bluff and Wincroft, with Pine Bluff winning. This means that Pine Bluff had the chance to compete in the rest of March Madness, which starts with 64 teams, and was eventually worked down all the way to the Final Four. During the semifinals, the Final Four played against each other. The Duke Blue Devils played the West Virginia Mountaineers, and the Butler
Bulldogs faced off against the Michigan State Spartans. The Devils beat the Mountaineers 78-57 and it was dubbed “the best game they’ve played this season,” by the announcers. Butler barely beat the Spartans, with a final score of 52-50. This means that the fifth ranking team of the Western Conference, Butler, played the rank one team of the Eastern Conference, Duke, for the championship game. The entire first half of the championship was fairly even with both teams staying very close in score, and the half ended with Duke ahead with a score of 33-32. Both teams played extremely well, with scores within a four point range of each other for nearly the entire game. With 49 seconds left, Butler scored again, leaving them trailing only by one point. But Duke won with a final score of 61-59. This game was named “one of the best championship games ever played,” by one of the announcers. Helping them on their way to victory
A picture of the champions sporting their new Trophy, t-shirts and Hats.
was Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who coached the US Olympic Basketball team for the Beijing Olympics. Their victory this year makes them the national cham-
pions for the fourth time out of eight championship games that the Devils have played in. In fact, Kyle Singler, one of the players for the Blue Devils, was named the Final Four’s
submitted photo
Most Outstanding Player. That game closed off this year’s March Madness, but plans are already being made for next year’s competition.
The cheerleading squad is no longer just for the girls anymore
West follows Skyview in adding male cheerleaders Marlene Holm
senior staffwriter If Skyview can have guy cheerleaders, then so can West. Justin Cabrera says, “We came up with the idea after we saw the Skyview man cheerleaders, and we were six who just kind of came up with the idea together. First to make a bit fun of Skyview’s man cheerleaders, but also to show Skyview that they weren’t the only one who could do it; we could do it too.” No one remembers when West had male cheerleaders last, so when the six senior boys from West, including Reed Pueringer, Davis Origer, Riley Hart, Adam Zwemke, Justin Cabrera and Josh Monson came up with the idea and decided to do guy cheerleading, they were the first at West in many, many years. Before the boys started their
cheer season, some of the preparations Pueringer, Cabrera and Origer mention for this season’s guy cheerleading are things like stair laps, push-ups and really hard workouts during the off season. Then they were pretty much ready; the only thing they were missing was a uniform, which fast became black t-shirts with the yellow print “cheer squad” on the front and “cheer hard or die tryin’” on the back, put together with jeans. The guys were finally ready for a season that lasted through two “hard, intensive practices” and two games, with “excellent cheer form the cheer squad,” as Pueringer describes it. Origer stated that the Bears won both games because of “The great cheering from the ‘cheer squad’.” The guy’s first cheer was
when the boy’s basketball team played against Skyview. It was a great game; the guys outside the court were rocking with their cheer, and so were the players on the court. Origer, Pueringer, Hart, Zwemke, Cabrera and Monson’s second and last cheer went well, they did a great job helping the cheerleaders fly high and get some great jumps at the game where the Bear’s basketball team beat Central. Pueringer said, “I had a great season; I did it because I thought it would be fun, and it was fun.” Origer and Cabrera agree that it has been a great season. Origer says, “I think it was a fun way to end my senior year, and I believe I am soon gonna get a letter offering me a full ride college education cheering […], from the Dallas Cowboy coaches,” adds Cabrera.
The boys wish to thank the girl cheerleaders and say it is an
experience that they will always remember.
OPINION
Is video game violence a myth or is it accurate?
Students speaks out against the rumor surrounding violence in video games Andrew Eagle
freshman staffwriter
There are many myths connected with video game violence, namely that bloodshed in video games causes aggression in life and that video gaming is socially isolating are just a two of the most common. People who say these things are unintelligent. Almost 60 percent of frequent gamers play with friends, whether locally or online. More and more games are being released that are made for multiplayer gaming, and even those that are not multiplayer are played socially most of the time, with one person playing and one person giving advice or just talking to the person playing. A study done about video games by Henry Jenkins, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and
At an Earthquake refugee camp the inhabitants were given video games to play to entertain themselves. The games also were there to try and distract them from their current situation. (Above) A group watches a young boy play a video game at the camp.The group has suffered the loss of their homes due to an earthquake submitted photo
T h e P h i l ad e l ph i a I n q u i re r As America inches closer to a decade of war, the cost increasingly is being questioned. People who years ago might have feared being called unpatriotic are lambasting the trillion dollars spent since 9/11. A group called the National Priorities Project has a popular Web site that keeps a running tally of the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It even breaks down the cost per city and suggests what could have been purchased in a year with that tax money. Philadelphians’ share of
federal tax money spent on the wars, for example, is calculated at $3.8 billion since 2001. For that amount, 933,498 people could receive health care for a year, says NPP; 59,912 elementary-schoolteachers could be paid; 38,415 affordable-housing units provided; or 262,188 scholarships awarded. Matt Ryan, the mayor of Binghamton, N.Y., population 47,000, was so impressed with the numbers for his town that he plans to attach a digital costof-war counter to the facade of City Hall. By September, Binghamton taxpayers will have contributed $138 million to fund the wars. Ryan says the country’s
Talmadge Wright, a sociologist, found that “two players may be fighting to death on screen and growing closer as friends offscreen.” Although video games have been linked to violence in some narrow studies, these studies are inconclusive and show only very slight correlation between gaming and violence. These studies are done simply by showing pictures that are violent in nature and out of context and are done in laboratories, which are far different from the usual environments in which any video game is played. It is true that young offenders, and even people who have committed school shootings, have been known to play video games, but so do 90 percent of our nation’s males and 40 percent of its females. That means that the vast majority of people who play video games do not commit acts that are considered antisocial. In fact, the United States Surgeon General actually stated that a much more probable reason for acts like school shootings is a bad home environment as well as mental instability. Many people blame video game violence for influencing children to be more aggressive
A fairly common scene from very popular video games. Recent video games have taken a turn towardsdepicting times of war. Some believe that this is a cause of violence among children who play the games often.However video games are now commonly played by everyone and more studies are being conducted to see if there ismerit to the claims of a relation to violence. submitted photo
as teens, but studies found that 83 percent of purchases of more violent, M- rated, games for children under the age of 17 were made either by parents or with parental knowledge. Even more convincing are the less technologically advanced countries in places like
Asia and Africa, where children have no access to video games or violent media but still end up fighting in civil wars that kill thousands. Perhaps video games are not the cause of violence in youth?
Price of war too high The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday April 13 2010
priorities are “skewed,” and some mayors of larger cities, including Chicago’s Richard Daley and Boston’s Thomas Menino, have lately been leveling the same criticism. It’s not as if all that federal tax money would be redirected to America’s cities were it not for the war, but their point is well taken. Nearly a quarter of Binghamton’s residents have incomes below the poverty line, so it’s understandable that their mayor would want the federal government to pay it more attention. From another perspective, while struggling Americans should get the help they need, the poor economy amid the
wars has forced cities to tailor their spending more carefully. While some, including Philadelphia, still cast longing eyes at the tax well, others are finding innovations to cut costs without gutting services. Budget pressures felt from the White House to Binghamton City Hall should keep President Obama glued to his war plans. It will take a major setback for him to abandon his timetable to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by August and remove all U.S. forces by December 2011. But any cost savings may be offset by troop increases in Afghanistan. The costs so far have led U.S. Rep. David Obey, D-Wis.,
chairman of the Appropriations Committee, to propose a war tax. A similar bill in 2007, with proceeds dedicated to the fighting in Iraq, had only seven co-sponsors. But 19 have signed on to Obey’s new bill, which would direct war-tax revenue to the Afghanistan theater. Obey says a graduated surtax would cost a family earning $50,000 annually only $50. But that’s the wrong calculation. He should consider that the mayors objecting to war spending are mirroring their constituents’ desire to see more tax dollars spent otherwise. The nation is becoming war-weary.
Cheerleaders Uniforms, should the skirts follow the dress code?
OPINION
APRIL 2O1O
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Two students opinions on this controvercial issue The ex- cheerleader arguing The freshman arguing for the enforcement against enforcement of the of the dress code for the cheerleading dress code squad’s uniforms female students who are not in a Jessica Ettleman Copy Editor
Are they provocative or is it just a uniform? In my opinion it is just another part of the uniform. The short skirts are just a uniform. Cheerleaders already have a reputation for being somewhat promiscuous, but that reputation has labeled them forever. While the skirts are short, the cheerleaders wear spandex shorts under them. The skirts have to fit around the waist and go up to the belly button. The skirts need to be short so cheerleaders can easily do stunts, jumps and kicks. As a former cheerleader, I understand the need for the short length. They cannot do a toe touch in a skirt that goes past their fingertips. The short skirts are a necessity. Dress codes, while necessary in a school, are not for uniforms. The dress code for
uniform should be stricter because girls who want to have skirts that are as short as the cheerleaders are not wearing them for the extra-curricular activities. In any case, a girl who is not a cheerleader but still wearing a short skirt is trying to show off her “assets” more than anything; however the cheerleaders are required to wear them. For the people who think that is not okay for the cheerleader’s skirts to be that short, a challenge for you. Why don’t you try going out there, kicking, jumping and flipping in a long skirt and then report back to the head coach and tell her how easy it is? Cheerleaders are required to wear skirts that short, and if you have a problem with it, then don’t look. If you have that big of problem with skirts that short, the solution is simple, don’t wear a short skirt.
T e s sa F e n d l e y
freshman staffwriter
Some people might say it is just a uniform; others say it’s offensive and against policy. It is true that all students in our school do not exactly follow the dress code policy that is set for us, but this is understandable. There are too many students and too few staff members to enforce the rules for this to be possible. We can, however, control the uniforms of our school’s cheerleaders. Our cheerleaders are supposed to represent our school during game days, and part of our school is trying to keep our students from publicly offending people with their outfits; cheerleading outfits have an alarming tendency to show off way too much. Their
skirts barely cover their person. We all recognize that cheerleaders need the short skirts when they are performing, but it is unnecessary for the cheerleaders to wear them around campus during the school day with no leggings or pants to cover the appropriate amount of leg. They are told to wear spandex or leggings under their skirts, but some of the cheerleaders choose to ignore this rule and just wear the skirt; the consequence of this tends to be staff members looking the other way. It is also quite convenient that this happens to be overlooked while the average student’s attire gets criticized daily when it is less offensive than the cheerleaders’ uniform. Our students find the showy outfits offensive and
degrading, and so should the cheerleaders. They shouldn’t want to walk around school showing their anatomy. Junior Hannah Swanson said, “If girls get in trouble for wearing short skirts, cheerleaders shouldn’t be encouraged to wear them. Either their skirts need to be longer, or we should change the dress code.” We like our students to look respectful and be a good influence on other students. This issue is only going to make maintaining our good appearance even harder than it is. Our students, staff and cheerleaders need to pay more attention to upholding our set dress code policy and making our school look wellmannered. It is an issue that is concerning to our students and staff and needs to be addressed promptly.
KODIAK
BILLINGS WEST HIGH SCHOOL
2201 ST. JOHN’S AVENUE
BILLINGS, MT 59102
ARTS EDITOR
ADVISER
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PRINCIPAL
NEWS EDITOR
STAFF WRITERS
Pat Bush
Kyra Nelson
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The Billings West High Kodiak is an open forum for student expression that aims to publish information suitable for West High students of all ages. This comic was submitted to the Kodiak by Kody Kreutzer. He also submitted the Game Nerds comicn that appeared in the last issue but an error was made and whe was not credited as the creator.
Letters to the editor must be signed; the Editorial Board reserves the right to edit letters for length, accuracy and repetition. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service