Common Sense Volume 23 Issue 4 February 14, 2023

Common Sense

Millard South High School • 14905 Q St. • Omaha, Neb., 68137

Champs Bowlers bring home first ever Metro title

Dylan Wiese Sports Editor

Success in bowling is not a new thing for junior Grayson Martin. He made the varsity bowling team as only a freshman, been named to the all tournament team at the Lincoln Pius Holiday Bowling tournament and even made it to state as both an individual and as a member of the team event after winning the district championship last season..

Now Grayson has added on to his career as he becomes the first ever Millard South bowler to ever be named as the Metro Conference Tournament Team Captain. This is awarded to the bowler with the highest individual score across sixteen schools who participated in the tournament. In his three games at the tournament, Martin bowled a 198, a 213, and an incredible 250 in the final game to edge out Anden Sutter of Millard West by 2 pins.

“Honestly, I never expected it,” Martin said. “It was a great feeling because we had never had anybody place that high and we have been going to it for three years now. It felt great for me personally, and then we had some great team scores as well that propelled us as a team,” he said. However, this accomplishment wasn’t just yesterday as it has been years in the making with lots of practice.

“It’s all about the drills,” Martin said. “At practice some people like to shoot their best game. Others like to practice their spare shots. I just start with some basic drills and then I practice shooting at the corner pins for spares. It’s all about spares because you’re not going to throw strikes every day. So, if you shoot your spares, you’re at least going to shoot a decent score,” he said.

Martin is only a junior and still has another year left of his Millard South bowling career and he says he still has one more big achievement to

get.

“I plan on making our way to winning the state championship,” Martin said.

Grayson was not the only one on the Patriots bowling team to get a big win at the tournament. Besides having the individual highest score, the Patriots also made their way through the tournament to defeat Omaha Benson in the tournament championship and win their first ever Metro Conference Tournament Championship.

“I expected us to be somewhere in the top four,” senior Matt Weyant said. “It definitely felt good to win because I was not expecting us to make it that far,” he said.

“Going into the day, I just wanted our boys to compete and do it as a team,” Head Coach Nathan Wragge said. “I knew we had the ability and talent but knew we had a better shot if we stuck together. We picked each other up when things were not going well and supported one another. This is what would have gave us the best shot and that is what I told them leading up to competition,” he said.

The title did not come easy for the Patriots as after the seeding games the Patriots wound up as the number two overall seed in the tournament. In the semifinals the Patriots had to face the defending tournament champions Papillion LaVista.

The Patriots fought hard though and defeated the Monarchs three games to one in a best of five series.

In the finals the Patriots would face their toughest opponent yet as they faced the Bulldogs of Burke High School who defeated the Patriots in a matchup earlier this year. Millard South looked impressive in the first game of the five game series as the Patriots defeated the Bulldogs 154136.

Both teams jumped their scores up in the second game but the Patriots once again came out on top as the Patriots came through with a 181-171 to jump to a two game lead.

In the decisive third game the Patriots started off on fire as they threw a strike in four out of the first five games and finished out strong to emerge in the third game 190-161.

This gave the Patriots the match and even more importantly the championship.

“I was ecstatic,” Weyant said. “We really haven’t had a big win this year and last year was kind of a letdown since we won districts but lost in the first round of the state tournament. So I think this year is a really good year for us to get back to that Millard South to where we can keep winning and hopefully win the state

title,” he said.

“Winning is always a great feeling,” Wragge said. “But watching the boys see their hard work pay off in the form of a championship is unmatched. We proved that we deserve to compete with the best but our work is not done yet,” he said.

Page 6-7

Page 10-11

Girls basketball, who has faced its most losses in a regular season since 2018-19 season, looks to make a run in the state tournament.

Photo by Ally Seevers

Page 8-9

Riley writes a big review, Why ‘Big’ is a Timeless Classic

Focus on technology including Ai and ChatGpt. Art by Ella Erickson

In a match against Creighton Prep, junior Grayson Martin executes a proper release on his shot. Martin bowled a 207 and a 243 at this dual. Photo by Ally Seevers.

Metro champs. Matt Weyant, Brayden Schmieding, Max Scheef, Grayson Martin, Brayden Nielsen, Neko Manna, Isaac Kirby. Photo courtesy of Nathan Wragge

At senior night, senior Matt Weyant throws his shot, earning a 191 and a 226 in his last regular season dual. Photo by Ally Seevers.

Stashing your stuff

Locker

Anna Gurciullo Staff Reporter

use nearly nonexistent in 2023

In nearly every movie about high school, there is always some scene of characters putting books in their locker or having the romantic scene over the lockers, but in reality, nothing ever happens along the lines of lockers.

It’s true that it might take quite a while for a student to happen upon one of the only 50 or so students who actively use one.

“We have tracked locker usage for several years now,” Principal Heidi Weaver said. “We have about two-to-three hundred students who request a locker out of 2000 lockers, but of that many, about 50 of them use it,” she said.

Sophomore Victoria Kreitler is one those few students who have and actually use a locker. Kreitler said that she uses her locker to put her lunch and winter coat in there every day.

Though she uses her locker, she said it’s not easy.

“Definitely isn’t efficient, especially when it’s on the other side of the school, and you can’t even get to your locker,” Kreitler said. “The only time you have to get to your locker is during the passing period but everybody is blocking the lockers,” she said

Sophomore Allison Eller says she doesn’t use a locker because there are so many people in the hallways that she can’t get to them and be comfortable getting all her stuff and not rushing.

“We don’t have time in the passing period to get in a locker especially if you need to use the bathroom,” she said.

As the student population continues to grow, the passing periods are getting more and more packed.

Removing lockers “would create more space in the hallways and that’s what’s really needed for kids to get around and that would lead to kids not being late as much and maybe extending the passing periods,” Eller said.

Many students would agree on Eller’s point of view, when it comes to the space being used more efficiently. Kreitler’s opinion is that “It would just be good just to leave the space open to have more room in the hallway for everybody to walk since it’s

always so crowded and no one uses the lockers.“ Sophomore Lauren Dill said removing lockers would, “create more common spaces for people to hang out in, like little nooks.”

Overall, students at Millard South think that there would be no harm in removing the lockers and that it would help out with traffic during passing periods, less people being tardy, etc. Therefore Principal Weaver is the judge on whether or not we can or should remove the lockers.

When asked about the locker situation, Mrs. Weaver said, “We have tracked locker usage for several years now, we have about two-to-three hundred students who request a locker out of 2000 lockers, but of that many, about 50 of them use it, and I think that has even gone down through the years.[If were to take the lockers out, there’s a possibility that the next trend would be back to everyone wanting a locker.”

Although taking out lockers would improve the amount of space at school, we would be stumped if everyone wanted to use lockers once again.]

If we get rid of them, the next trend, we would be back to everyone wanting lockers.”

Saying that some students would still be in need of lockers, without any lockers available to satisfy their need.

The newly added common spaces by the south door was an appealing feature for the school, with many believing the same could be done in other spaces that are currently occupied by lockers. This appeal hasn’t gone unwarranted

“We’re watching the South doors and the common space there,” Weaver said. “There have been lots of good things, but there have also been a few things that I think have been negative impacts that we need to work through before we would do something like that.”

According to Weaver, some students are using this new commons area as a way to skip class. Weaver and the rest of the administration plan to combat this by “sweeping” the area and plan to put up a sign stating the area is a “senior-only” sitting during the school day. That isn’t the only negative impact, though. According to Weaver, some students have been seen standing on and messing around with the furniture. This has led her to ask herself one big question: “Do we open up more places

for people to go that should be where they are supposed to be?”

Another obstacle in the way of more common spaces being added, is that some people question the school’s ability to even remove the lockers in the first place. When asked about this, Weaver said, “It’s possible,” but the ability to fund said projects is what truly stands in the way of future common spaces being added.

With “Less than fifty” people with lockers, one question truly arises: Are the lockers truly necessary? And if they aren’t, is there even a good enough reason to do anything about them.

Levy override vote coming soon to Millard schools

Alexa Leiting InDepth Editor

Every five years, the Millard Board of Education takes a vote that decides whether or not they will ask the community to

consider a continuation of the levy override. In 2023, the board has decided to ask our community to make a decision on the continuation on March 14.

The levy override is a voter approved property tax used to

stabilize funding staff and programs throughout the district as state aid has declined. In 2017, the Millard community approved a levy override for up to 9 cents despite the school district never using more than 4.07 cents of this tax.

However, the levy override is not the same as a bond, which would pay for renovation of our buildings. According to officials in the district, the preservation of this tax would provide an insurance of sorts in an uncertain economic future.

Below Bellevue, Millard has the second lowest levy in the Metro area. Per student the cost of Millard’s tax comes up to $11,053. The average of Metro schools is $12,933 and the statewide average is $14,495. The election will be conducted by mail. Ballots must be in the Election Commissioner’s Office by 5 p.m. on March 14.

To help push the district’s cause, Millard Citizens for Continued Excellence is a community-formed group that encourages people to vote in favor for the levy override. Community parent, Jen DeLay is a supporting member of this group.

Through an email interview, DeLay explained why she feels as though the tax is crucial.

“Levy override dollars pay for people and programs--which is super helpful as 80 percent of our MPS budget is our staff,” she said. “The levy is not a new tax. It has been doing good work for MPS for the last five years to breathe stability into our budgeting process,” she said.

“The vote is a re-authorization for our school board to continue using the levy override as a tool for the next five years into the future,” DeLay said.

Definitely isn’t efficient, especially when it’s on the other side of the school, and you can’t even get to your locker

-Victoria Kreitler, sophomore

Tori Kreiter, sophomore, stores her backpack and school supplies in her locker. Photo by Charleen Darra

Graphic by Anna Gurciullo

Senator seeks to lower costly insulin

April Reiss News Editor

Dustin Elliot, a junior at Millard South, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 5 years old. This diagnosis changed his life. Now, Dustin carries a small pouch filled with his diabetic supplies, including his life-saving prescription. This prescription is insulin.

Elliot and his parents and caregivers have been managing his diabetes everyday since his diagnosis.

“I was just laying at home and all of a sudden I started not feeling well and throwing up. They [his parents] called the doctor and the doctor told them to take me to the ER. When I got to the emergency room, the first thing they did was a finger prick to check to see what my blood sugar was. All it said was that it was above 600 but they wanted to know what the exact blood sugar number was so they took blood from my arm. My blood sugar was 1077.” recalled Elliot on the day of his diagnosis. Diabetes is currently incurable and is just as much a mental battle as a physical battle everyday.

“The constant mental battle of feeling like you’ve done everything you can with diabetes and it’s still not enough. The constant doctor’s trips when you feel like you’ve done a lot of work but there’s still more to improve. The constant knowledge that the disease is never going away.” Andrew Reiss said, a Millard South alumnus.

Reiss was diagnosed when he was 18 months old. His whole life that he can remember has revolved around his diabetes.

“I can never leave the house empty handed. I’m supposed to do 5 shots a day. I’ve taken 32,850 insulin shots in my life. And on no activity day, I check my blood sugar 6 times a day, which is 39,420 checks in my lifetime.” Reiss said.

Insulin is a way for people to treat their type 1 diabetes, the only downside is insulin prices are rising and have been rising for years.

Between the years 2002 and 2013, the price of insulin had almost tripled. But, Sen. Tom Briese is looking for a way to fix these prices in the state of Nebraska.

Briese introduced a bill to the legislature that limits the amount an insured person pays for prescription insulin drugs. This limit would be $100 for a 30-day supply of insulin. Currently, the cost ranges from around $175 to $300 per package in the US. A person, depending on their age and weight, might utilize more than one package a month.

Cost of insulin per month

“Insulin truly is a lifesaving drug for those afflicted with diabetes and we need to do what we can so that those afflicted can get what they need,” said Briese

Briese knows the struggles of the Nebraska people going through troubles of getting the insulin they need.

“I have a family member who is a type 1 diabetic… we have lived that experience with rising insulin costs,” Briese said.

The bill has a hearing scheduled for February 7th, 2023. Getting a good response from the legislative is an important part of

Parent involvement in school curriculum debated

Mason Steinhoff Staff Reporter

It seems as in this past year, we have all seen an increase in the topic of parents and schools clashing about curriculum being taught. An introduced bill in the Nebraska State Legislature brought up the idea, or issue some say, again, of materials that are instructed. In a quick summary, LB71 states the thought of changing provisions relating to parental involvement with learning materials in schools. This includes a parents’ or guardians’ access to testing information and curriculum.

A Millard Public Schools parent says there should be a need for parents, “to have input on what their kids are learning in school. Kids, parents, and teachers should all have input,” they said. They also added that former students should also have a voice for these decisions because they already know what is helping them succeed now because of the materials they were taught in classrooms.

Principal Weaver said she believes that Millard has a “good process” and good policies in place for parents who are worried about matters being instructed.

“I absolutely believe we should partner with parents,” she said. We should do this by “following state standards.” She also says that newly selected MPS Superintendent, John Schwartz, was really impressed, as he came into the position, by how neat the process Millard Public Schools has.

However, some school districts in the state have already gotten a head start or policies in action regarding parental participation. Here at Millard Public Schools, there is an alternative option to taking the Healthy Living course, which is a graduation requirement. Parents can excuse their child from units in the class. In the high school curriculum handbook for

Millard, it says that “Students excused from Healthy Living would register for one of the Human Resources courses and provide proof of CPR/ AED instruction within Millard Public Schools as a replacement.” It also explains that students being excused from the course will be required to take two Human Resource classes.

There is also a place where district members can go regarding the opportunities of reviewing materials. The Ron Witt Support Services will review these materials with you that staff have chosen to support the Millard education program. You can find this center on 13737 Industrial Road.

The English Department at Millard Public Schools has a process for picking texts for classrooms to read. Jan Dahlgaard, a Curriculum and Instruction Facilitator for English Language Arts here in Millard, said that “nearly every seven years, our teacher team brings forth potential texts.”

“The teams spend time ensuring we have a balance of themes, author diversity, publishing dates, etc.,” Dahlgaard said. Dahlgaard also explained that once the list gets smaller, at least two teachers read the books. The teachers then decide if the texts should still be considered and if they think that they should, community members and administrators look over them. Finally, a form is received which decides the final books.

Junior Hunter Kulper said he thinks parents should have no input on what their kids learn in school.

“This is a new generation and we shouldn’t be taught old generational/ useless things,” he said.

This piece of legislation was referred to by the Education Committee in the State Legislature on Jan. 9, and had a hearing on Jan. 31. The bill is still in committee.

getting this bill to law.

“Rising healthcare costs, rising prescription drug costs, including insulin is hammering everyday Nebraskans… this is one small step we can take to help those folks,” Briese said. Elliot now uses insulin to help treat his diabetes. The insulin bill would affect him and his family.

“I think it’s about time they did something about it [insulin prices] because the cost of diabetic supplies in general has been absolutely ridiculous… It makes it easier for me to get insulin,” Elliot said.

Bill would require all public school graduates to complete FAFSA

Hilary Lawson Distribution Manager

Sen. Vargas introduced the legislative bill, LB 201. The bill is titled, “Provide a high school graduation requirement relating to federal student aid.” If the bill is passed, nearly all students would be required to fill out the FAFSA, a government form that once completed, lets students know if they are eligible to receive financial state and school aid.

Lisa Olsen, a counselor at Millard South, explained that when completing the FAFSA, a student and their family would both have to work on it at the same time and upload their tax documents. Olsen also described the potential effects of the bill on the counseling department if it were to pass.

“We were aware at the beginning of this year that there was talk that we would do like some other states where it’s a graduation requirement, and that the state of Nebraska would decide it was a graduation requirement,” she said. “Really our concern was how to reach all those families and help them get it completed.” She added, “It’s time consuming to do, and can be confusing, and so that would be a challenge.”

She reasoned that by requiring students to fill out the FAFSA, students would be able to make informed decisions. Jurek also stated that filling out the FAFSA can lead to many “options and opportunities” for students.

Senior Tru Bilharz was among the students who filled out the form. She explained that she had to sign in and log into an account, and then had her dad complete a majority of the form.

“It took a night, so just like an hour, maybe two, it was a very short time,” Bilharz said. “It was pretty easy,” she said. “It was self explanatory, and if it wasn’t, then they had multiple help session things at this school, at websites online, even the FAFSA website had things to help you,” Bilharz said.

But in my opinion, why not fill it out? Because you

Bilharz mentioned that after filling out the FAFSA, it took about a week to get the results back. She also mentioned the bright side of completing the form.

Olsen further explained that each of the school counselors had almost 400 students on their caseload, with about a hundred of them being seniors.

“Maybe instead of us working with their social emotional needs or even some academic planning, we would be focused on helping them complete a government form,” she said.

Olsen mentioned that a woman from EducationQuest (a foundation that provides free college and financial aid planning) came in to help lead families through the process of completing the FAFSA form.

Joan Jurek, an EducationQuest Director of College Planning and Outreach Services, thought that the FAFSA requirement “could open up doors for [students] to go to college.”

Jurek explained that the #1 reason filling out the FAFSA may be a graduation requirement is because “oftentimes, students don’t consider college.” A reason for this is due to the costly price of many colleges.

“I know some friends who don’t benefit from it at all, and that’s the reason why they didn’t fill it out,” Bilharz said. “But in my opinion, why not fill it out? Because you never know what you could get from it.”

“Talking about completing the FAFSA is part of a senior interview that we do,” Olsen said.

She explained that if a student talked about going to a 2-year or 4-year college, she would talk about the FAFSA with them. If a student was interested in the military, but not sure of which branch they wanted to be a part of, then she would talk with them about recruiters. If a student wanted to go straight to a career, then she would talk to them about careers and career paths they’re looking at.

“There’s a good chunk of students that we’re going to talk about the FAFSA [with], and there are others that it just doesn’t meet their needs,” she said.

Currently, LB 201 is in the Education Committee and there was a hearing Feb. 13. It is unknown whether or not the bill will continue to advance, but it is known that the decision could be a difficult one for many.

Showing the contrast in price, the graph displays the current insulin cost, according to JDRF, versus the insulin costs proposed by LB142.

never know what you can get from it.

-Tru Bilharz, senior ”

What happens in Vegas stays permanent

When I was younger, I used to draw “tattoos” on myself with a Sharpie. This seemed like a good idea in my little brain because of all the inspirational people (teachers, my parents, my older siblings, etc) in my life. Unfortunately, once my parents noticed, my Sharpie “tattoos” were being wiped off with warm water and a washcloth.

I have always enjoyed the idea of a tattoo. As a younger kid, I liked the art aspect. Being able to have little drawings on myself forever seemed like the best idea. As I got older, I loved how meaningful tattoos could be.

When my brother turned 18, he decided he wanted a tattoo for his birthday. This sparked my interest immediately. After further research, I could get a tattoo with my brother, as long as my mom was there because I was underage. I was so excited. I had been planning tattoo ideas for years, just for fun and now I might be able to go through with those ideas.

The big day came, and I went with my mom and my brother to the tattoo shop. What I had failed to research was that some artists are particular. Even though I could get a tattoo with parental consent by law, some artists just don’t tattoo minors. The artist that did my brother’s tattoo didn’t tattoo minors. I was disappointed, even though I understood his reasoning.

English language learning unlocks a bilingual perspective

for me to keep up.

I’ve been speaking English now for more than nine years and I’ve gotten better, but it feels like the more I am into this American culture the farther I am from my primary culture. Even though speaking not only one but two languages can be a lifetime struggle, it can come with good surprises. For example, when I am really mad at someone and I want to take my anger out on them. I speak in Pingelapese because not a lot of people know how to speak Pingelapese.

AprilReiss News Editor

About a year later, this past December, my family and I went to Vegas. In Vegas, there is practically a tattoo shop on every corner. My family immediately decided Vegas was where they were going to get their next tattoo. My mom was open to letting me try and get a tattoo, but we weren’t sure how good my odds were of finding an artist. However, I got lucky.

After long research of tattoo artists in Vegas, I found an artist who did end up tattooing me. The tattoo process was pretty stressful actually. Because I was older and had more time to brainstorm since my last attempt, I already had a design picked out but there are always some concerns.

The only thing ever really holding me back from getting a tattoo was the pain. My brother and my mom have never really known how to describe the pain. “It doesn’t hurt, but it doesn’t feel good” is something my mom always said when I asked her how bad it hurts. Thankfully, my artist advised me where would be a good place for a first tattoo because it would hurt the least.

When I got to the shop, we almost immediately got started because I already knew what I wanted. And honestly, it really didn’t hurt. This probably has to do with the fact that I got the tattoo in a relatively painless place. The process was about 30 minutes and then I was done.

The tattoo I got is a meaningful quote in my life, and it doubles as a song lyric in one of my favorite songs. The quote reads “If you never bleed, you’re never gonna grow.” I got this tattoo because I think it is a good daily reminder and something good to live by.

My family is traveling back to Vegas this spring break. Something people don’t prepare you for is how addictive tattoos can be. Since I got my first tattoo, I’ve been planning my second piece of art. This is only the start of my tattoo journey.

Speaking another language is a huge bragging right on my part, especially since not a lot of people speak more than one language. Though even though it is cool to be bilingual, many hardships come along the way.

When I tell people that English is not my first language, they are surprised.Growing up, speaking my primary language, Pingelapese, a language spoken in the island of Federated States of Micronesia, was easy especially since that’s what I knew. I speak a language that not a lot of people know, only one percent of the world even know where Pingelapese is spoken. When I speak Pingelapese with my cousins and people overhear, they always ask, “ which language is that’’ or “What is that gibberish?” So it’s always nice to be speaking another language that not many people know so that they won’t suspect what I am saying.

As I aged, I started learning English, which was even harder for me because I was not so used to it. The first time I spoke English when I was seven, it was hard. I was nowhere near being able to speak it fluently until I practiced and practiced and finally got it down. It was hard since there was loads of information coming at me and it was difficult

On the other hand, being a bilingual student can also be challenging. It can be difficult to switch between languages, especially in school or at home, where one language may be preferred over another. Switching between languages can be confusing and difficult. It can be a struggle to achieve full literacy in both languages. I’ve been speaking one language over the other all the time. Now it’s been harder to even remember the other language.

I was seven years old when I came to the US. I was young and dumb, so I really didn’t understand that much. I was trying my hardest to keep up with the other students. Not only did I have to speak in English but I also had to write and read in English. My elementary school had enrolled me in ELL, a program where teachers help students whose first language is not English get to know the English grammar. While I was in that class, I still struggled with my English but my teachers told me that I was doing better than other students. Then, fifth grade came around and students in my ELL class were telling me that I was going to pass, but I didn’t believe that rumor because, to me, I was not doing that well, but that rumor turned out to be true and I left ELL. It felt nice to be leaving ELL, but I also felt that I needed more help and there was more to English than reading, writing, or speaking.

When speaking a sentence with friends or family, I switch between both languages and while switching, my mind is racing trying to find perfect words to put into the sentence.

When I finally figure out which word to use, the words that come out of my mouth turn into gibberish. Sometimes I can’t remember easy words even with simple words like shirt or pencil are hard to remember since in both languages they are different. The words don’t come at the right time, especially when speaking to my parents, I need to figure out which language to use. It’s like I want to use my primary language, Pingelapese but it’s just more difficult since I’ve been speaking English for half of my life now. It’s even harder when I am trying to translate expressions that aren’t used in other languages. I can’t speak both English and Pingelapese properly. I have to speak with hesitation. I always have to ask people, “how do you say this in English,” or “ how would you put this into a sentence.”

I am on my way to being trilingual now if I continue to practice German. I am still struggling with just two languages. Imagine if I add in one more. It’s going to be even harder to find which word to use or how do I say this without it sounding like that. It’s cool to speak many languages until you find out that you can’t talk right in either language. It takes a second or even a minute to find the right words. I know this word in Pingelapese, but I don’t know the same word in English. Talk about having a real struggle.

My perspective changes a lot when I am speaking in English vs. when I am speaking in Pingelapese. When I first started speaking English, it wasn’t just a new language that I was going to be learning for the rest of my life, but it felt like a whole other part of my brain just unlocked. It’s a whole new level of experiencing things outside my own perspective. In a weird way, when I am speaking in English I feel like a new person.

Not only did my perspective open up when I spoke another language but also my vocabulary started getting bigger. I think that is the problem with speaking another language, everything just expands because languages not only contain words but they contain thoughts and emotions.

The bills and laws of America have shaped the country we know today. However, how many of these bills and laws consider the effects they might have on minorities?

How many of them were enacted, keeping minorities in mind, and applying to them as well? Moving forward, Nebraska needs to make sure that all of its people are kept in mind and provided with the same treatment. In order to do this, a bill needs to be passed, securing minorities with the same opportunities as any other citizen of Nebraska.

The bill, LB54, describes that systematic racism is deeply rooted in the American Legisltion system. This form of racism goes deeper than obvious acts of discrimination.

Enacting a bill that provides racial impact statements for any future bill or law is needed. The legislation has a duty to reduce these unfairities in the criminal justice system, and identify bills or laws that may get rid of, or reduce those unfairities. This bill will also help see potential issues or gray areas regarding minorities.

NebraskaLegislature.gov, provides the description of the bill, LB54. This states: “Require the office of Legislative Research to prepare racial impact statements for legislative bills.”

Lets go into detail about what a racial

impact statement even is. According to richietorres.house.gov, racial impact statements are, “...assessments that help criminal justice policymakers determine whether pending bills, if enacted, are likely to create or exacerbate disparate outcomes among people of different races or ethnicities.” The enactment of a bill is when the bill becomes a law. So this LB54 bill, if enacted, will basically make it required to consider minorities

in any future passing of a bill. This means that any potential outcome for minorities, good or bad, needs to be acknowledged before a bill is passed. This detail is small, but mighty. A change like this one, is something we might not know we needed until it is passed. Nebraska will benefit from this bill. The next step, is this bill being distributed across the country. The people of America are all the same, and deserve to be recognized and treated as such. This bill doesn’t change anything. It just adds to the necessary steps of enacting a bill or law.

If the bill doesn’t apply to you, the bill doesn’t affect you. There are no issues with this. I believe that this Bill is something that Nebraska needs, and honestly, the rest of the country. Minorities need to be recognized as people too. Minorities have many obstacles, usually ignored and not specified in bills or laws passed in the past. Unlike the past, America now is more inclusive than ever. With that being said, considering minorities in laws, is a step in the right direction. Minorities can now be treated with respect and equality, with specifications in laws and bills allowing for equality and fair treatment.

Charleen Darra Photographer

Olivia Ellison SportsEditor

State legislature acknowledges both the past and future for minorities in new bill

Staff editorial:

On Jan. 31, a man fired several shots into the west Omaha Target. He carried with him an AR-15 and 13 loaded magazines.

That man was Joseph M. Jones, a schizophrenic 32 year old who was the only fatality of the shooting. He was shot dead by Omaha Police after he told them that he would kill them.

Around 250 people were in the store when he entered. At least one employee was a high school student, and several children were also in the store.

There have been 60 mass shootings that resulted in at least one injury or death in 2023, at the time of writing this. 190 teenagers have died in shootings alone this year.

We’re stuck in a cycle of violence, and as long as it continues, children, teenagers, and adults will continue to be targets. As long as shootings continue, the mental health of Americans will continue to deteriorate. And as long as mental health deteriorates, shootings will continue.

Teens today were not alive for the first mass shootings. The first one that comes to mind is the Col-

The whole world’s a target

umbine shooting, in which 15 people died. Last year was the controversial and tragic Uvalde shooting, where 19 elementary schoolers were murdered. This may just be a hunch, but it feels like it’s getting worse. More shootings and more deaths, and it’s all increasing exponentially.

Teachers who have been at MIllard South a long time will

sometimes get jittery during lockdowns; some will even tell you their story. Though our school has already endured a shooting, no school is truly immune to the risks. If a man can walk into a target with an AR-15, despite safety precautions, locked doors and security, what’s stopping someone from walking up to a school with a gun? He carried it in a brown cardboard box. People bring unmarked cardboard boxes up to schools all the time.

This isn’t political. Whether we ban guns or not, teenagers are at a far higher risk now. Did your parents practice lockdown drills? Did they have reinforced doors with bulletproof glass? We are coming of age in a brand new world, and it’s a dangerous one.

All that we’re saying is that shootings are not a hard thing to conceptualize. All it takes is one angry person. There’s plenty of angry people in this world. Students know that there’s a risk every time at school, no matter how small that risk might be. But it hadn’t quite sunk in yet that we’re no longer safe at work either. No place is untouched by gun violence. Now you’re a potential target wherever you go.

art by Shelby Neeley

Academic success lies with sufficient leisure time ‘And then they rested’

Growing up, I’ve always been somewhat of a try-hard in school. In middle school, I was on the distinguished honor roll many times and was one of the first ever Students of the Hexter in my grade. In high school, I earned an academic letter and gold medal at the same time, due to my freshman year GPA. I have also won Patriot Pride. To add on, in elementary school, I earned an award similar to Patriot Pride three times. But despite what some may consider academic success, I feel that there is an underlying issue with being a try-hard, or even just any high school student, that should not be ignored. Schools don’t improve the mental health of a majority of its students. They seem to worsen it instead.

After my freshman year concluded, I ended up being burnt out due to the amount of work that I had done. I could manage all of the homework of course, but at what cost? Freshman year resulted in me having a lack of motivation that endured throughout my sophomore year of high school, and even now in my junior year. In middle and elementary school, having the motivation to do homework assignments was seldom an issue. But in high school, it is frequently an issue, and I’m worried that this could be the case for many high school students now and in the future. At school, I feel that high expectations are set for students in an attempt to make their future a lot more successful — expectations such as having a high GPA, getting a good ACT score, and participating in extracurricular activities. These expectations can make a lot of sense to a person who views them broadly, but on closer inspection, it really does not make much sense at all.

I feel that many administrators fail to realize that a majority of

students don’t have the time to create much of a positive lifestyle for themselves when they spend most of their time trying to meet the expectations set on them. The school does promote wellness activities outside of school, but the administrators don’t realize that many students like me spend that time doing the large amounts of homework assigned to them, working at their jobs, and participating in extracurricular activities, all so they can stand out to college admission officers.

I think that one way to reduce this issue of being constantly mentally exhausted from school is to implement a time of leisure into a school day, week, or even month. This can help students regain their ability to focus and memorize, which can lead to improved class performance.

In my elementary school, recess was used as a way for students to let out their energy so they would be able to focus in class later. In my middle school, students were allowed to have a break time if they finished their lunch earlier. But in high school, where I feel that students are being worked harder, there is nothing. I am aware that life isn’t always going to be easy, but many students don’t have a choice on whether they want to be at school or not, which is why it is important to make them feel like

Common Sense

Common Sense is the official publication of Millard South High School 14905 Q Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. School district guidelines determine the suitability of advertising content. To place an ad or inquire about rates, call (402)-715-8363.

Common Sense is a monthly publication produced in Room 130. Common Sense uses desktop publishing hardware and software: Apple computers, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Google word processing software. Printing by White Wolf Web in Sheldon, Iowa.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. All letters must be signed with the student’s first and last name, grade, then submitted to Mrs. Kaldahl. Unsigned letters will not be published. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for grammar, length, and clarity. Letters of profane nature or other infractions of school or district policy will not be published.

Editor-in-Chief

Ally Seevers

Managing Editor

Lauren Rayner

Online Editor-In-Chief

Ben Jackson

News Editor

April Reiss

Sports Editors

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school provides them with benefits instead of mainly misery and stress.

I do believe that education is very important, but currently, I strongly feel that something should be done to make school more of a place that students, such as myself, are willing to attend. I don’t think anyone should ever feel as if they would rather be in a million other places when at school, but I unfortunately know too many students who feel this way. There should be a balance between work and leisure. If a more positive environment could be created at school, students would be more willing to learn and retain information that they could use for a lifetime.

More students may actually start wanting to be at school. Obviously, we could continue to do nothing about the issue, but I highly doubt that it will get better on its own. I am just one student out of a very large number of them, of course, but I do think that many other students can agree that our future lies in our youth. If there is nothing that helps students get through the academic process in high school, then there seems to be no point in trying. So many things about our school system stand in need of change.

Features Editor

Zoey Buthorne

InDepth Editor

Alexa Leiting

Opinions Editor

Shelby Neeley

Entertainment Editors Riley Palma

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Hilary Lawson

Staff Secretary & Social Event Coordinator

Zoey Buthorne

Staff Illustrators

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Alexa Amick

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Hilary Lawson

Charlene Darra

Anna Gurciullo

Mason Steinhoff

Jamison Hanway

Adviser

Christine Kaldahl

“ More students may actually start wanting to be at school.

-Hilary Lawson ”

Game Over

New tech policy shuts down student gaming on laptops

Ben Jackson Online Editor-in-Chief

When senior Will Cameron logged on to his computer first block on Jan. 20 to play Plants vs Zombies and listen to Spotify, he was greeted with, “This app has been blocked by your system administrator.”

“I was confused,” Cameron said. “I didn’t think that they were keeping an eye on it.”

What Cameron experienced was not unique to just his computer. Every computer in the district now blocks unapproved locally downloaded applications from opening.

Before the change, students were able to download games and other applications from their browser and play them on their district issued device.

“But once you had it downloaded, there wasn’t really much that they could do,” a sophomore who asked to be anonymous said.

This can be troublesome for the gamers among us as some gamers have relied on school computers for their gaming fix.

“I was playing a lot of locally downloaded games on my laptop because I didn’t have a computer at home,” anonymous said, “But now I have a computer in my house. So I’m

probably not going to miss it as much, but I am going to miss some of the games.”

The history of gaming on district issued devices has been a long game of cat and mouse. Initially, students used websites like Cool Math Games or MiniClip. Then, the district caught on and began to ban these game harboring sites. To get around this, students created Google Sites by themselves to stay under the radar. This worked for a while, but again, the district identified this loophole and closed it. With all of their website options wiped out, students resorted to downloading their games directly to their device. With the new change, this next evolution of gaming has been stopped, but there is still hope for students.

“I found a way around it,” our anonymous friend said, “It’s not locally downloaded games. It has to do with a very large game company and cloud gaming.”

If students believe that a blocked application should not be blocked, they can submit a helpdesk ticket with the application details for further evaluation. The full implications of this policy change are yet to be seen, but it’s clear that students who rely on locally installed games will be greatly impacted.

ContentKeeper keeps students locked out

restricted.

Shelby Neeley Opinions Editor

It’s happened to all of us. You google a question, click on the first link, and find your way blocked by the infamous ‘RESTRICTED’ sign.

Although it’s annoying being asked to put above the minimum amount of energy into research, it’s more inexplicable to never know why a website has been blocked.

A website can be blocked for many distinct reasons. Websites are filtered through ContentKeeper, which is Millard’s chosen web filter. ContentKeeper classifies websites as ‘managed’ or ‘unmanaged.”

‘Managed’ means that a website can be further classified as a certain type, while ‘unmanaged’ means that ContentKeeper can’t figure out what type of website it is.

‘Unmanaged’ websites are almost always blocked by ContentKeeper.

“To protect people, we by default tell CK to block websites that are not categorized yet,” said Dr. Kingston, the executive director of technology for Millard. “ [Although] There are processes in place for staff to open up websites for staff and students.”

Millard uses ContentKeeper due to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), an act passed in 2000 to protect children from exposure to harmful content, using internet discounts for schools as motivation for said schools to adopt the CIPA. Sites that are “obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors” are restricted on school internet. This is why unmanaged websites are blocked. The ContentKeeper can’t classify the website as non-obscene, so it’s automatically

ChatGPT:

The growing capabilities

Alexa Leiting InDepth Editor

Throughout the 300,000 year-old human existence, we have been progressing towards clearer and better written communication. From sumerian script to essays written in APA format, we have come a long way as writers of the world. But as of November 30th, 2022, competition was born into our pencil and paper playing field: Open AI’s writing-wonder, ChatGPT. In their own words OpenAI is an “AI research and deployment company with a mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.” The organization was founded in San Francisco in late 2015 by Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others. Today, the company as a whole is valued at $29 billion dollars.

When released as a prototype on the internet, ChatGPT was a major success with a whopping one million users in just the first week of becoming available for public use. The AI program was, and continues to be, a free application only requiring users to register an account. Before the sign up process is complete, ChatGPT produces a few disclaimers. It advises

ChatGPT in the classroom: friend or foe?

Ben Jackson Online Editor-in-Chief

“It is important to remember that just because a website is blocked doesn’t mean that it violates CIPA or was part of administrative action,” Dr. Kingston said. “Many times the real reason it is blocked is that CK doesn’t know how to classify the URL.”

Websites can be blocked manually as well. Teachers can request certain sites be blocked, usually a game or social media sites. Administrators will look over their request, check the site, and if the administration agrees, the website will be restricted for every student laptop. This process has claimed plenty of student favorites, usually game websites such as CoolMathGames.

Students have complicated opinions on websites being blocked.

As technology continues to advance, we are presented with new and exciting opportunities for learning and collaboration. One such tool that has recently been making waves in the education world is ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI. This powerful technology is capable of understanding and responding to natural language inputs in a human-like manner, and has the potential to revolutionize the way we communicate and access information.

ChatGPT has become so advanced that it can replicate human writing as well as copying writing styles. In fact, the entire first paragraph of this article was written by ChatGPT. This advancement in AI writing technology has raised questions about its use in the classroom, specifically if it should be used as an educational tool or if students should be made not to use it.

“It doesn’t teach you how to write,” social studies teacher Donald Osborne said. “Being able to write a coherent paragraph, at least some of which I teach in my class all the time, I think is a very important skill for everyone,” he said.

ChatGPT raises questions primarily for the English department, as a large portion of their classes feature student writing. With the drastic advancements teachers are worried about catching the use of AI.

“It’s hard for teachers because unlike a standard essay that [students] might copy, [chatGPT is] hard to catch,” English teacher Joanne Miller said.

users to not enter any

ing been written by an AI. The computer did not fare well either. Only one of the four total articles was identified as less than 50 percent human writing.

If teachers and computers can’t identify AI-writing then should ChatGPT even be allowed in schools? English teacher, Alex Kirkland, has spent hours experimenting with ChatGPT and has argued in favor of utilizing AI in the classroom.

“I think that to pretend that new resources are bad resources is a very unfortunate way of thinking,” Kirkland said. “I think that the idea of bringing anything new into the classroom can be scary, but it’s a resource that is available to people and will continue to be available to people outside of the classroom,” he said.

Nicholas Kintzle, a social studies teacher, agrees.

“I think it’s more of a tool than anything else,” Kintzle said. “For teachers to try [to stop ChatGPT] you’re just swimming upstream against it. It’s always gonna be there,” he said.

Senior Allison Kilzer has used ChatGPT to her advantage using it as a tool instead of a crutch.

then why not be allowed database.”

“Every other website is blocked, and it’s really annoying sometimes,” Neko Manna said. “I get why, because there’s some websites that really should be blocked, but [only] the bad websites! All of the good ones are also blocked, like Firefox! I don’t want [google] chrome taking all of my RAM, [dang] it!”

Identifying AI-generated writing can be a challenging task for both teachers and computer programs designed to detect it. To evaluate the accuracy of these methods, two paragraphs were given to two English teachers, two social studies teachers, and a computer program to attempt to identify what was written by an AI. Of the four teachers asked, only one correctly identified both articles as hav-

“I typically write up a good brief of what I want to say,” Kilzer said, “Then I use it to make my words sound better. And from there, I modify that just to make it sound more like me and what I want it to say.”

Some argue that using ChatGPT is very similar to the use of Grammarly and other educational tools.

“It’s just a resource, like how people use Grammarly to fix their grammar,” Kilzer said Kirkland elaborates that, “If it’s meeting the requirements of the rubric,

However, Grammarly students they would “There’s ing the “What do your With have had their classes nology. how exactly “Teachers And so ten essays,” high end Okay, say,” he On “Why because of the it inside As ogy continues, increase certainly of education.

ChatGPT:

sensitive information and that the machine is not intended to give advice. It also explains that the technology may generate misleading or incorrect information, produce biased content, and have limited knowledge of the world after 2021.The program is designed to imitate a conversional (almost human) format. Users first start by entering a simple or complex request for the bot ranging from producing a summary of a chapter of a book to writing a poem about the meaning of life. However, a key difference from other chatbot AI applications is that the service remembers previous prompts and information given to it in the same conversation. This factor gives the AI the opportunity to add specific details to its writing that other helper-programs on the internet

may not be able to offer. Although this provides a benefit, it is short lived with the chat being remebered by the program for only 24 hours. ChatGPT is becoming more and more intelligent with every user’s interaction. Its capabilities are then strengthened even more through company human AI trainers, working on the model by playing the roles of both a user and the chatbot itself. To prevent the AI system from producing offensive outputs, user’s requests are filtered through OpenAI’s company-wide moderation API. This dismisses potentially racist or sexist prompts. According to the BBC, ChatGPT is not allowed to “express political opinions or engage in political activism. The creators of the chatbot stated that ChatGPT “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.”

Although the program has limits to its ability to follow any human command, there is one issue that comes out on top: the daily cost of ChatGPT. Every day that the application is up and running, Open AI is faced with an $100,000 price tag. This adds up to a monthly expense of $3 million dollars. On December 5, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said, “We will have to monetize [ChatGPT] somehow at some point; the compute costs are eye watering.”

Despite the unsustainability of free membership and major running costs, the service provides almost anything the mind can imagine. Screenplays, governmental bills, cooking instructions, and song lyrics are all under the umbrella of possibilities that the AI system can produce. Some journalists claim the bot can even provide basic therapy. When testing the outputs of ChatGPT through an AI detector website frequently used by suspicious teachers, the results often detect the work to be human-written.

In an ever increasing technological functioning world, ChatGPT is only the beginning of an end; An end to the former paper and pencil playing field we are slowly losing sight off. In the opinion of OpenAI itself, there are positive and negative aspects to the machine, but the system will still stand strong with its innovative technology.

Art by Ella Erickson

why not be able to generate it? Why be able to do that, you know, you’re allowed to search in databases. This is a database.”

However, educational tools such as Grammarly and spell-check have allowed students to bypass some of the learning would have traditionally done.

“There’s still a lot to be said for knowthe skill yourself,” Osborne said, “What if your battery dies? How do you your work?”

With every new technology, teachers had to change the way they teach classes to work with that new technology. However, teachers are split on exactly to do that.

“Teachers have to adapt to that stuff. so maybe it leads to more handwritessays,” Kintzle said. “Maybe in some end high school classes, they’d say, you’re gonna hand write this eshe said.

On the other hand Kirkland argues, not be able to use the internet because you’ll have the internet outside classroom. You might as well have inside the classroom.”

the advancement of AI technolcontinues, these debates will only increase in size and scope. This will certainly be a recurring topic in a new age education.

Opinion by Zoey Buthorne Features Editor

As AI continues to be a growing topic in the news, it is no surprise that it is becoming a rising concern in schools as well. From the chatbots students use to write entire essays to the AI detectors teachers use to catch them, advanced AI is at the front of many people’s minds. However, it is interesting that among all the discussions about AI, many fail to realize or mention that AI is already heavily ingrained in education.

Spell check, for example, is not only used by most students but often not using it means losing points on an assignment or essay. As a horrible speller myself, I rely on spell check heavily in my day-to-day life and I don’t think twice about using it. As a student growing up in the digital age, it is a reflex for me to constantly be using spell check even before I am completely done writing. While I wouldn’t argue that the AI used in spell check is anywhere near the level of AI being used to write entire essays, it is still definitely a form of AI that does the work for us. Spell check, however, isn’t the only AI application I find myself turning to before I can feel that my writing is complete.

Grammarly is another huge example, and while it isn’t as widely used as spell check, I do know a fair number of people who swear by it, myself included. Grammarly does many of the same things as spell check but it goes a step further correcting not only spelling errors but also punctuation and grammar. At times Grammarly can even reorder entire sentences for you to make them more grammatically correct. I use Grammarly fairly often and

while I think that it is sometimes more annoying than helpful, at times, it definitely catches stuff that I wouldn’t have.

Right now, it may seem that chat bots and other more advanced versions of AI are never going to be accepted as the norm in education. Personally, I don’t think this is the case. In math class we use calculators for almost everything, and these devices do our work largely for us as long as we understand how to plug the numbers in. Photomath, while being notorious for helping kids cheat on their math homework, also teaches step by step how to complete the math problems. So, it has the potential to help kids depending on the way it is used. I believe that this is similar to chat bots. If used correctly, they have the potential to help more than hinder education. For example, students can ask chatbots to explain difficult concepts or to proofread their essays in a more advanced way.

This application of more advanced AI into education is probably not going to happen tomorrow. However, the use of this technology will probably become common practice fairly soon as education attempts to keep up with our growing technology – like how, after the invention of the calculator, math classes had to change their curriculum to better incorporate new technology. I believe that other classes will eventually do the same to incorporate chat bots – or at least find ways to use chatbots more as tools as less as deterrents to learning.

‘Puss in Boots’ leaves audience wishing for more

Zoey Buthorne Features Editor

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a perfect balance of comedy, cuteness, and an exciting plot, combined with a message that everyone can learn from.

Overall I recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. I truly think that it brings to the table something for every viewer. It is the third stand-alone Puss in Boots movie and the sixth movie in the Shrek universe. The movie was directed by Joel Crawford and released in theaters on December 21, 2022. It was an immediate success; in the first two weeks, box office sales reached more than 200 million dollars. And after watching the movie, it’s easy to see why.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish follows a fearful Puss in Boots as he realizes that he has used eight of his nine lives, leaving him with only one left. The “Big Bad Wolf” chasing after and trying to kill him isn’t helping his situation. This sends him into an identity crisis as his persona relies on him fearing nothing. When he learns about the wishing star, a magic star that grants any wish to one individual, he determines it is the only thing that can save him. The only issue is he is not the only one who wants the star. So he must race to the prize and along the way determine what is really important to him.

This film has a good message; it’s essential to live in the moment and make the most out of the life you have now. Also, Puss in Boots coming to terms with his own mortality is something I think all age groups can learn from. Along with a good message, the film explores many other themes well such as childhood trauma, trust issues, and how we define family. This movie made me laugh and cry and was overall a delightful film.

Another thing to add is the movie’s animation style is very unique compared to the other movies in the series. The more 3D fairy tale look of the movie made it exciting to watch and easy to see the amount of work put in by animators to make the movie come to life.

Why ‘Big’ is a Timeless Classic

Riley Palma Entertainment Editor

‘Big’ (1988) is a comedy directed by Penny Marshall, starring Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin, a young boy who magically transforms into a grown man overnight after making a wish on a strange machine called a ‘Zoltar’ at a carnival. Josh then has to navigate New York City and survive in the real world only with help from his 12 year old friend Billy.

This is my favorite movie of all time. I love everything about it. The performances are really great. The music is one of the biggest highlights of the movie for me. Conducted by Howard Shore, the score for this movie really helps set the tone. It is just so beautiful and exciting while also being sad and heart breaking at the same time.

Tom Hanks does an incredible job portraying a 12 year old stuck in an adult’s body. He really captures that childlike sense of wonder, fear, and joy. The way he speaks and how he forms sentences is spot on. He even has the right mannerisms down. There are many scenes where he runs and the way he does it is exactly like a child, with his arms flailing around and running across the street when he’s not supposed to. I truly believe it is a perfect performance.

The writing is also really well done. It is so brilliant and witty. For example, when he is being interviewed for a job at a toy company he says he went to school at GW which is a college, but Josh only knows his own school, George Washington Elementary. The man interviewing Josh says that his brother-in-law went there and asks Josh if he pledged, to which Josh responds with “Every morning.” I think this film is so funny.

The cast is great as well. Starring alongside Tom Hanks is Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, and John Heard. All of them together makes this film incredible. Each of them brings

something different to the movie. The characters in this movie have a lot of depth to them. The dynamic between Tom Hanks’ character and Robert Loggias’ character is well done. Robert’s character, Macmillan is CEO of a toy company that Josh becomes employed at. When they run into each other at a toy store Macmillan notices how childish Josh is. He sees this as a good thing because he can utilize it at work. Then comes the iconic piano scene. Josh and Macmillan play ‘Chopsticks’ on a giant piano on the ground in the toy store while a crowd slowly gathers. This scene is so magical and fun and encapsulates the wonder of this movie. Josh then gets a promotion as a toy tester. He gets paid well and all he has to do is play with toys. John Heard plays Paul, a jealous, egotistical man, which he does very well. He becomes infatuated with Josh Baskin and how he has a better position than him even though he’s only been there about a week.

Elizabeth Perkins plays Susan. Susan is dating Paul during the beginning of the movie, but during a company party Paul gets drunk and acts foolish. So, Susan leaves the party early with Josh. They then take a ride in a limo and even go to Josh’s apartment.

Josh’s apartment is really cool. Every kid’s dream. He’s got a vending machine, a trampoline, a pinball machine, a bunch of toys, and a bunk bed. They did a great job creating his room and getting it to look very appealing to all ages. Josh even has to celebrate his 13th birthday as an adult.

The way they show Josh becoming swept away with his new life is done very well. The transition from being a scared child to being a functioning adult happens so quickly, almost like his change from the beginning of the movie. They highlight how he is hard at work and now has a girlfriend. His life has changed so much that he forgot his old life when he was a kid. He then takes a trip to his neighborhood in a beautifully done montage which is one of my favorite parts of the movie. He walks by his house, his school as they take the yearbook photo without him, he sees two kids from his baseball team playing catch, then he

sees Cynthia Benson, The girl he liked before his life changed. The music in this montage pairs so well with the melancholy feeling of the scene, the music mixes sadness with hints of an almost nostalgic feeling.

Josh tries to tell Susan that he’s just a kid but she doesn’t believe him and passes it off as some joke. The next day his best friend Billy, played by Jared Rushton, runs into his office with the list of the location of the Zoltar machine. Josh is on a work call and won’t listen to Billy anymore. Billy hangs up the phone and Josh yells at him. Billy, in disbelief that his best friend is truly gone and has changed, yells back at Josh. The way the tone of this scene shifts so quickly is crazy to me. With just one action you go from upbeat to sad and upset. Josh is then reminded of who he is and what he has become. During a big meeting where he and Susan lead with their product, Josh leaves the room and rushes downstairs and out of the building. Someone in the meeting asks about the price of their product and questions if a kid would pay that much money.

Susan then realizes that he isn’t coming back when she says “I think a kid…”. She stops speaking halfway through her sentence and understands that Josh really is a kid. She rushes out of the building and just barely misses him on the street when he gets in a cab to go to the Zoltar machine. By the time Susan gets there he’s already made the wish. He comes clean to Susan and he tells her that he’s really 13. She is upset and realizes that she has made a mistake and that someone she cares for is going away indefinitely. With the beautiful score playing in the background she says goodbye and he walks into his house as she watches and he turns back into his 13 year old self. Then, with one last montage he reunites with his family, goes to school, and hangs out with Billy. This ending is so beautiful to me. It ties everything together very well and it’s very sweet. This movie is very nostalgic to me. I used to watch it at my grandma’s house when I was little. It reminds me of simpler times. I believe it is a perfect movie, and it’s my favorite.

Movie franchises put profits over quality storytelling

Alexa Amick Staff Reporter

Throughout current years, fans of various different franchises have taken notice to a substantial shift in the quality of content released from their favorite franchises. Going from, seemingly, taking over 5 years to make releasable content, content nowadays feels as if it’s being mass-produced in efforts to either make more money than the companies did before or to make more money in smaller amounts of time.

Enthusiasts have peculiarly observed this through box offices for newly released films, exceptionally so with the Marvel franchise. Sequel movies, as of late, haven’t been performing as well as their predecessors, whether or not that difference is large or minimal. Take Thor for example. The first two Thor movies released, Thor and Thor: The Dark World, are largely ignored by audiences as their stories seem repetitive and redundant, much like the Hulk movies. Instead, audiences focus their attention on the two newest Thors, Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder. Comparably, Thor: Ragnarok is one of the few movies of the franchise held in a positive regard by many fans, as seen in the 87% audience score and 93% Tomatometer score received on Rotten Tomatoes. Whereas, Thor: Love and Thunder, one of the more anticipated movies of phase four of the MCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, received only a 77% audience score and 64% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, falling short for many fans who had been excited for it.

However, a large portion of this change cannot be focused on the box office and movies alone. As of the recent years, more content has shifted away from movies to focus on smaller shows. And, although the reviews of them vary with mixed opinions, they can and have played an equally important role in the timeline of the MCU. Although, much like it can be argued with the movies, the shows have also represented the shift from quality content to

quantity.

“I lost more interest in the MCU as they began to release a bunch of shows all at once,” says senior Chloe Anderson, “especially because they shows seemingly wanted to increase engagement in a shorter amount of time.”

A rather large example of this is shown through one of the more popular shows, Loki. Loki revolves around the character, as the name obviously suggests, Loki and his adventures through a variety of universes. In particular, many fans were extremely excited for the show to release as Loki had always been a fanfavorite character, even though he was “killed off” on a regular basis. However, as quickly as the show was released, many fans rapidly became disappointed by it. The show was subjected to the basic cliches that bring many shows down: a character falling in love with someone who obviously isn’t good for them (and figuring whether they will or won’t end up together), a character suddenly

becoming good before once again becoming evil (i.e. anti-villain trope), and, ultimately, poor communication leading to the main conflict of the show, until the characters are forced to express their feelings. These cliches, and other elements of the show, lead fans to be disappointed in the film, feeling as if the characters personalities were disregarded to push a narrative that doesn’t work well with them. And, unfortunately so, this decharacterization is largely seen with many characters in the new era of Marvel: characters shifting from being interestingly throughout with well written stories to being flat characters that could be interpreted as background characters given the chance, as seen with Thor: Love and Thunder as well. Overall, this lines up with the shift from producing quality content to producing content that releases in a short amount of time. Writers and producers, along with other elements that make up their storytelling, spend less time developing characters in a manner that makes sense to instead focus on producing more bland stories in a short amount of time with minimal effort.

However, this switch does not apply to every movie or show released after a certain point. Much of the content released is still loved by fans because decent writing is actually put into it, such as Moon Knight. But, the simple fact of the matter though is that, even with quality content being released every so often, more of that content is still quantity-oriented, especially seen with producers releasing content no one particularly wanted or requested specifically.

It leaves the questions, “Will they ever revert back to more quality-based content?” And, unfortunately, as of late, it seems likely they will not. “[Personally,] I don’t think they’ll ever really focus on quality content over quantity content again because they’re more concerned with making profit nowadays,” Anderson expressed, “but there’s always a small possibility.”

‘The Last Of Us’ draws viewers in with vivid imagery, deeper storyline

Alexa Amick Staff Reporter

When it comes to video games being made into film adaptations, it has become a common occurrence for them to easily fall short in the eyes of the viewer, especially when the game has developed into a household name for many. Notably, this is seen in the Resident Evil franchise as the movies and TV series produced have been deemed as generally awful, whether that is due to the interesting plots they have deviated away from the original games or the rather odd visual effects they contain. These adaptions have resulted in a generally sour taste being left in audiences mouths, leaving them to simply roll their eyes when the next game franchise wants to take a chance at creating either a movie or a show. However, for the first time in quite an extended amount of time, a game has successfully made itself into a TV series adaptation.

The Last of Us, a game released in 2013 that follows a man, Joel, and a teenage girl, Ellie, in a post-apocalyptic zombie world, holds a special place in many people’s heart. With its heartbreaking storytelling and emotional ending, it has easily allowed players to speak of it fondly and look at it in a positive light, even 10 years later. It, the game, created a considerable impact on many people, raising their standards of what a game should look and feel like based off the storytelling and immensely developed characters The Last of Us delivered. Although, like many games, the possibility of a film adaptation was something that excited many people when it came to this game in particular, but many had given up the idea as it had not moved much farther than simply being an idea that was floating around. However, in March 2020, a group of people took the idea into their own hands, pitching the idea of a TV Show to HBO executives, who eventually approved of the show. Thus, The Last of Us show was born.

The first episode was released on January 15, 2023, and it was an immediate success with its audience. The episode, titled “When You’re Lost in the Darkness,” brought on an immediate sense of nostalgia for many viewers. It brought them back to their younger days when many can vividly remember playing the game in their basement with their siblings. Though, this adapta-

tion brought on a more real sense to the game: using more vivid imagery and going deeper into the story than what was seen in the original game. And compared to other game franchises, The Last of Us did this in a way that truly worked to enhance the story in a way that drew viewers in. Take the backstory of Joel and Sarah, Joel’s daughter, as an example. Within the game, the first sequences of it were incredibly fast paced, moving from showing Sarah giving Joel giving his birthday gift to suddenly showing them running from the mutated people after their truck had crashed not even two minutes later. The show takes this same basis but stretches it out to create a more detailed background. It goes into detail over the little things that make up the story, like how specifically Sarah, played by Nico Parker, managed to get Joel’s, played by Pedro Pascal, watch fixed, which results in a more intimate feeling between characters that the original may not have been able to give because of the technology at the time that prevented more advanced storytelling (i.e. facial animation that reflected more emotion, high quality environments for today’s standards, etc).

However, the show is not the exact same as the game. The adaptation adds and switches a few story lines, but not in a way that may make it any less better than the game itself. The game is originally set in 2013 before undergoing a 20-year jump to 2033, while the show starts off in 2003, then jumps to 2023 20-years later. The bigger change, notably, is in the virus that causes the people to become mutated. Originally, the virus, which creates the mutated people, is spread through spores that require people to wear gas masks, so they are not affected by the virus. This creates an easier connection with Ellie, which spoilers ahead for if you have yet to watch the show or play the game, as it allows it to be seen that Ellie is immune to the virus because she can breathe without a gas mask around it. In a twist from the game, the show takes on a different method of showing the virus, though much information is not given about it in the first episode. From appearance, the virus still appears to be a fungal virus, but instead of having airborne spores, it’s somehow transferred via tendrillike appendages.

Nevertheless, despite the differences between show and the game, the show has already proven itself a worthy predecessor

of the original game, even with the first episode alone. It has its twists that may be different from the original plot that weren’t exactly discussed here, but it still manages to pull through and create an enjoyable experience for, mainly, all viewers. Though, viewers can only get immersed in a new episode every Sunday, leaving them to dread what parts of the story may be shown next when the upcoming episode(s) is released.

Glass Onion: Bigger doesn’t mean better

Lauren Rayner Managing Editor

Detective Benoit Blanc has returned in his world-renowned detective fashion to solve another murder mystery– this time on a private Greek island sprawled with a tech billionaire and his crew of wealthy friends. The second whodunnit film in Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” mystery movie series has been released on Netflix after a short theatrical run of only a week, (which is truthfully disappointing because “Glass Onion” is the perfect movie to laugh along with others to in a theater), on a whole new level of extravagance with a larger budget and general grandiose in the film’s appearance.

Although “Glass Onion” is classified as a “Knives Out” movie, following the 2019 hit and growing classic, one doesn’t necessarily need to see “Knives Out” (2019), before seeing its sequel. The films are in completely different realms, with the only thing in common between them being Daniel Craig’s reprise of his detective role in an ensemble of rich socialities tangled in a murder mystery. A part of me almost wishes that “Glass Onion” didn’t have that “Knives Out Mystery” label attached to it, just because of how different the styles and atmospheres are between the two movies.

Plot wise, “Glass Onion’s” simple synopsis is all you need to know going into the film. The movie takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic, with detective Blanc attending tech company co-founder Miles Bron’s yacht party with his 5 friends. Disorder ensues among the party members eventually, and the mystery element of the film is introduced to the audience. You play along with Benoit Blanc to try and figure out who killed who and how, which was an expected experience for the movie, even if it takes a while to get there. “Knives Out” fans want that detailed, wellcrafted mystery, but had to sit through an exact hour of exposition to even sort of get to something interesting.

The more I think about “Glass Onion” the less I like it. It is hard to take the movie for its simple entertainment value when I get the sense it could have been a lot more compelling and something of actual substance. Before digging into the bad, there are still some commendable attributes to the film. It is hard for the movie to not be a little bit entertaining. Even with its faults, it is a guaranteed decent time. It isn’t surprising that the “Knives Out” train is one so many actors want to hop on. It is a fun franchise to be a part of. There are endless possibilities with different celebrity cameos that will work 99% of the time due to the very nature of a “Knives Out” mystery. Director Rian Johnson absolutely has a clean, always-alluring style that works wonder-

fully here. The camera angles used and the feel of the film is neat yet lively.

There are some great music choices from artists like David Bowie and The Beatles, as well as the score and “Glass Onion” theme, featuring the harpsichord. The harpsichord’s rattling plucks specifically give the movie a nostalgic, other-timely feel that it is desperately searching for. And a “Knives Out” mystery

switches it on its head into something entirely modern, appearing especially disconnected from the previous film. Even if that’s the point, it is too distracting to be enjoyable. Benoit Blanc has been through two different universes. Blanc taking on the mystery in “Glass Onion” feels out of character from what you assumed of him in the first film. “Knives Out” was more touching emotionally, and almost every character in the movie was captivating and unique. There are almost no stand-out performances in its 2022 counterpart, besides Daniel Craig, who was going to give it his all no matter what. With so much emphasis on Janelle Monae’s character, CEO Cassandra Brand, one of the party attendants, it is a shame she gave such an uninteresting performance. “Knives Out” has more intriguing world-building in its lofty mansion setting for its characters to dive into, compared to the played-out rich people yacht detour this film embarks on.

“Glass Onion” really doubled down on the comedy element this time around, sadly, because it often fell flat. A handful of pandemic jokes and pop culture references already felt stale. The film can’t even get away with being “silly on purpose” because it doesn’t have the humor or allure in its story to back it up. The genuine laughs really only came from Blanc’s character, an intelligent man adjusting to the modern world through playing “Among Us” on Zoom meetings in his bathtub. There was never enough Daniel Craig, who you could just sense from his performance was having a blast. Benoit Blanc as a character is simply the best and is the glue of anything “Knives Out” related.

The movie is a trying critique of upper-class snobs in the 2020s but to virtually no point. It is a tiresome rich-people satire that adds no meaningful commentary– or provides about as much of a meaningful message as you can get out of the topic. Rich actors acting environmentally and politically above other rich actors by criticizing the very problem they are a part of is a plaguing movie trend that isn’t as smart as it thinks it is.

would not be complete without its satisfying and iconic final half-hour unraveling the mayhem. “Glass Onion” undoubtedly has it covered.

Unfortunately, the film consistently feels hollow and poorly crafted. It feels strange for a sequel in a franchise to go in a completely different direction from its prior entity. “Knives Out” (2019) felt original, cozy, and timeless, while “Glass Onion”

Overall, “Glass Onion” is a decently fun time, while still clumsy. I know I should treat it like a separate body of work, but I can’t help but compare it to the first movie in the mystery anthology, a movie that at the time and to this day feels like a fresh, endlessly rewatchable crowd-pleaser that anyone from a child to grandparent would enjoy. You experience Rian Johnson’s playfulness behind the camera under the weight of an immense Netflix budget. I see “Glass Onion” aging poorly over time, or at the very least, becoming one of Hollywood’s half-baked, could-have-beenbetter sequels.

Diving into the new year

Millard South Swimming competes in 9th annual Millard South Invitational

Jamison Hanway Staff Reporter

Qualifying for state and nearly breaking some school records were the highlight of the Millard South Invitational held last month. This meet was one of the larger ones, hosting nine schools including Millard North, Millard West and Lincoln Southeast and more.

“We swam some really great best times and we almost broke some school records like at Lincoln Southeast,”

Coach Tara Goss said.

Many of the Swimmers in the Millard South Varsity team earned a spot on our state team this meet.

During the swim season, swimmers can achieve secondary and automatic times to qualify for our state’s team.

“They have been working hard all year, we are hoping to get a couple of other people qualified, maybe not with automatics but with the secondaries. Maybe get a couple more people up to our state team from our metro team. But overall they have been working very hard,” Goss said.

This meet was a very large success for Millard South, swimmers had set some personal records and even dropped some time in their races and relays.

“I think the meet went very well for a mid-season meet, coach Taylor Gilroy said. “The swimmers haven’t started tapering yet which is where we start to back off on our training but we had a lot of time drops or swimmers swam exactly where they should be swimming. So overall I think it went very well,” Gilroy said.

Some of the AquaPats had earned first place in their events, Parker Schmieding, Kindsey Joyce, Mia Augistine, and Addison Storms came in their relay and the Boys team consisting of Oscar Edwards, Mansion Zedina, Nikolas Keuser and Will Cameron came in third.

“I cleared my mind and dove off the blocks,” freshman Oscar Edwards said. “I really just went for it. I knew I was going to get it. I just had to go,” he said.

Many swimmers have qualified for secondary and automatic times. For our boys team, Nikolas Keuser, Mason Zadina, Oscar Edwards, and Will Cameron all have secondary or automatic times, they also have one for their relay team. Addison Storms, Mia Augustine, Parker Schmieding, and Kindsey Joyce all automatic times. There are many swimmers close to qualifying but with the help from their coaches and fellow teammates, they will succeed.

“The state team has been showing their leadership to the others very much,” Goss said, “which is very nice to see leadership come from them. Just hoping to break a few more school records.”

The members of the state team have helped out and really lead the other swimmers.

“I do a lot of leadership,” senior Nate Braun said, “like keeping the locker room down, and shutting up the of younger people. I also lead the chants form time to time, so it’s pretty cool,” he said.

Photo Story

Varsity Basketball vs. Millard North

The Patriots lost to the #3 Mustangs 57-48. Millard South will play the final home game of the season against Prep Feb. 17 at 7:15.

Patriots look to make run at state championship

Ally Seevers Editor-in-Chief

Millard South has always been the team to watch in Class A girls basketball, but after three straight years of falling short in the semifinals of the state tournament, the Patriots look to make history in their last shot at a state championship title.

The team got off to a smooth start, defeating Lincoln North Star 73-37 in the season opener, continuing on to a 5 and O start.

In their first big challenge of the season, Millard South faced returning 2x Class B state champions, Elkhorn North.

“There was a lot of pressure definitely built up before the game,” senior Khloe Lemon said. “We knew we had to come out and stay calm, and try to get the job done.”

In the game, the Patriots got off to a slow start, trailing Elkhorn North 17-11 after the first quarter. Shooting 46% from beyond the arch, the Wolves extended their lead to 13 after the 16 minutes of play.

“Going into halftime, we were down by 13,” Lemon said. “We knew we had to change things on the offensive at the defensive end, so when we came out of halftime, we really just did exactly that and cut the lead.”

The team rallied back in the second half, cutting the lead down to 9 points after the third. A layup from senior Cora Olsen in the final minute of regulation forced the Wolves into overtime.

As the clock counted down, Senior Mya Babbitt hit a stepback three from beyond the arch to earn the Patriots their first lead of the game with 3 minutes left in overtime.

“Being down by so much at half, hitting that 3 to give us our first lead of the game, it gave us a lot of energy,” Babbitt said. “It felt really good that we had a chance to come back and win.”

After a back-and-forth battle for the lead, with less than a minute left, the Patriots fouled Elkhorn North’s star shooter, junior Britt Prince, sending her to the line. Those two free throws sealed the deal for the Wolves, who closed out the Patriots 65 to 63.

“We were playing good as a team, but unfortunately did not get the job done,” Lemon said, “but I think that we made a good comeback and it showed our grit as a team.”

Coming off their first loss of the regular season, Millard South was seeded #1 in the Omaha Metro Conference Tournament. The Patriots cruised through the opening round, beating Omaha Westview 69-20, the defeating Gretna 69-49 and

Bellevue East 84-67 in the semifinals.

While the Patriots were seeded on top going into the championship game against Bellevue West, the Thunderbirds had the home court advantage. With a packed gym and high energy, the T-Birds got off to a hot start, leading the Patriots 2019 after the first quarter.

“We kept giving them open looks, and they kept hitting 15-footers,” Babbitt said. “We weren’t really sharing the ball and hitting our good shots that game, so it was hard for us when they were making everything.”

Bellevue West outscored the Patriots 20 to 13 in the final quarter to upset Millard South and take home the Metro Championship title.

The following week, the Patriots faced the T-Birds again at home during the annual Jam the Gym night, a game of redemption for Millard South.

“I felt like we had a lot more energy coming into the game knowing we lost the first game. It was a lot more hype,” Babbitt said. “We knew we had to come out strong to get a win.”

And that they did. The Patriots lead Bellevue West 34-27 at half. The teams combined for a total of 117 points in the second half, 68 in just the last 8 minutes, setting a new record for points scored in regulation time.

“When I came off the bench and hit the 3, it really got the momentum going and kind of flipped a switch for us, so it was really cool,” senior JJ Jones said.

The team shot 67% from the field, lead by Olsen, who scored 35 points and went 17 of 18 from the free throw line.

“Offensively, we shared it way better,” head coach Bryce Meyers said. “We were more aggressive getting to the basket and we didn’t settle for bad shots, so that was really nice to see.”

With the win, Millard South held on to their 55 home game winning streak, meaning that these girls have never lost on their home court.

“It’s awesome,” Meyers said. “It’s really hard to do. I mean, to win that many games in a row is something really, really difficult. We’re just taking it one day at a time and just taking care of business.”

As districts quickly approach, the team looks to continue their winning streak and stay on track for a state championship title.

“We just need to stay motivated and know that March is coming, and it’s coming fast,” Babbitt said.

Senior Nate Braun prepares to leap off the block at the Millard South invitational. Photo by Jamison Hanway.

Senior Cora Olsen fights for 2 in the game against Elkhorn North. The Patriots lost this game 65-63, moving to 5 and 1.

Photo by Ally Seevers.

Photos by Ally Seevers

Dominance is contagious

Patriots take home metro tournament title for both boys and girls

Ally Seevers Editor-in-Chief

11 state championship team titles, 7 state dual titles, and 50 individual state champions. A team that has hung up a state championship banner seven of the last eight years, Millard South has been a dominant force in Class A wrestling.

After losing Antrell Taylor and Tyler Antoniak, both state champions who now wrestle for Nebraska, the power of the Patriots was doubted. The team, while returning two state champions, was thought to be in a year of rebuilding.

“Losing Antrell and Tyler was hard,” junior Caeden Olin said. “They were really great mentors and two of the best wrestlers I know, but I think with the team we have now, because of their impact and leadership, we can succeed and possibly be even better.”

The Patriots proved their place on top in Class A, putting ten wrestlers in the finals at the 2023 Metro Conference Tournament and walking away with seven individual champions and their eighth title in the last nine years.

“It was a really good feeling to win this year,” sophomore Isaac Ekdahl said. “It felt really good to go out there and dominate Metros. We have worked hard every single day to get to where we are, so it feels really good that we are able to break some records this year.”

“To be a part of this team, especially as a freshman, it’s such a great experience,” freshman Kiernan Meink said. “Winning with the guys is something I’ll never forget.”

For senior Aiden Robertson, who is one of two seniors to have wrestled on the Metro team all four years, this conference team win is extra special.

“It’s really cool to win all four years,” he said. “It feels good to contribute to the dynasty.”

That dynasty the boys team has built over the last 20 years has passed on to the girls program. In just their second official season, the team won their first Metro Conference title.

“They [the boys team] are such an inspiration to look at,” sophomore Rowyn Wiltgen said. “Watching the guys, seeing

them wrestle at such a high level, it makes you want to push yourself harder and be the best you can be.”

With five girls in the finals, the team had three individual champions to beat out Papillion LaVista with 38 points for the team title.

“It means a lot,” sophomore Abbey Dannelly said. “I love the girls on my team. They are all so sweet and we all have a great time together, so it’s special to win with this group of girls.”

As the NSAA State Championship Tournament begins later this week, the girls look to live up to the legacy of the Millard

Little Miss Automatic

Senior breaks all time career scoring record

She has always had a talent for the game as she started playing when she was in third grade.

South name, qualifying 7 wrestlers for the tournament. “Winning Metros means a lot,” senior Jenah Jacobson said, “but it’s just the beginning for us. I am excited to see what we can do by the end of the season.”

State Championship finals will take place Sat, Feb. 18 at 3pm at the CHI Health Center.

Records are meant to be broken. That is a line that has commonly been used in sports for a long time. Recently, that idea came to Millard South as senior girls basketball player Mya Babbitt has broken the Millard South Girl’s Basketball career scoring record.

“It was really cool to accomplish something like that and to do it at a good school like this. It shows all the hours pay off, all the hours spent in the gym, it pays off,” Babbitt said.

In a game against Omaha Westview High School, Babbitt scored her 1,318th career point which put her over the mark and established a new record that she still has time to add on to.

This is after her other accomplishment of putting up 1,000 points just through her junior year. That is when she realized that this record would be possible.

“When I hit 1,000 points, it was kind of just the next goal. 1,000 points is a huge milestone, so to reach that in my junior year, it was the next step for me,” Babbitt said.

“Since a young age Mya has been able to just put the ball in the basket, she can shoot,” head girls basketball coach Bryce Meyers said. “She’s good from the foul lines and at getting to the rim. She’s just overall really smart and she’s always been able to score,” he said. With scoring so many points, opponents have put more attention on Babbitt to try and slow down her scoring. However, Babbitt adjusted her game and opposing defenses have still not been able to stop her.

“Recently, she’s been moving so much better without the ball,” Meyers said. “Teams will try to deny her and not let her catch it and try to completely take her out of the game. As she’s gotten older, she’s gotten a lot better at moving around and being hard to find. That is when she catches the ball and is open and it generally results in a basket,” he said.

Following this season, Babbitt plans to attend Kent State University to continue her basketball career. However, the season has not ended yet for Babbitt and the rest of the Patriots.

After a tough semifinal loss in last year’s state basketball tournament, the Patriots are hoping to break through with their first girl’s basketball state championship since 1996.

“We want to keep winning games and be competitive. We want to win a state championship,” Babbitt said.

The girl’s state basketball tournament, where Babbitt and the rest of the Patriots will look to win the state championship, will begin March 1 with the championship game being played March 4.

Dylan Wiese Sports Editor

She’s just overall really smart and has always been able to score

-Head Coach Bryce Meyers ”

Senior Mya Babbitt shoots a 3 in the game against Omaha Westview.

Photo by Ally Seevers

Junior Miles Anderson sets up for a takedown in the home dual against nationally ranked Liberty High School out of Missouri.

Photo by Ally Seevers.

“ It felt really good to go out there and dominate Metros.

-sophomore Isaac Ekdahl

”

Shari Burrus: Doing it her way for decades

Olivia Ellison Sports Editor

Coaching the Millard South Varsity cheer team since 1999, Shari Burrus has been a Millard South Patriot since before the mascot was a Patriot. Millard South Cheer is renowned for its cheerleading program. Winning a state championship 6 times, with 4 of those wins being in a row, from 20122015. It’s without a doubt that the common factor in these wins is its coach. Burrus is known for her dedication to the Millard South Cheer program, her undying perseverance, a person who puts family above all, and a person who drives others to their greatest potential. “I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.”

Her coaching career began when her daughter, Reagan Stotz, had a varsity cheer coach who had quit. The girls were in the middle of the season, with state coming up soon. The girls on the team had asked Stotz if her mom could step in and just watch the practice and make sure that they were on track, and just watch over them in general. There, Shari found a love for the job. She’s been coaching ever since.

Millard South is in the traditional nontumbling division of cheer. State is where all the cheer teams in the state of Nebraska get together and compete for first place. Millard South’s last win was in 2020, with Shari confident in another win for state 2023. “We’re ready to bring home another championship.” Shari’s coaching style is something that sets her apart from other coaches. Her coaching style is more of pushing others to essentially ‘coach her’. By having her team explain things and direct each other, they become more immersed, and they learn from themselves and each other. It makes them watch for things they may not have noticed before. It builds confidence in the girls. This is a style that won 6 state titles, and potentially 7. “I would say that when Shari

coached, she liked to stick to a schedule. I like[d] how she had stuff for us to work on each practice, and would sometimes let the older girls take control over practice.” former Millard South Varsity Cheerleader, Paola Kangni-Soukpe.

“I think what keeps me going is a lot of things. The biggest one is seeing girls tryout, and seeing the potential in those girls you know? And seeing them live up to that potential, sometimes even going above and beyond that, is just amazing.” This is one of the many things that keep Shari going. She also says that the relationships she forms with the girls,and the relationships they form with eachother, are another factor to her staying as a coach.

“I’m very protective of the girls, because I see them as my own. And it may seem like I’m being harsh on them, but honestly, I just know what they can do, and I want to push them to get to that point.” Shari continued to explain how one of the reasons why she’s still with Millard South, is because of the support of her family, and specifically her husband, Mark.

“I do want to say, y’know, I would not be where I am if it wasn’t for Mark. Mark is just great, he offers to help with rides to games, he helps organize my schedule with me, and overall is so supportive of everything that I do. He seriously is the best.” Her husband is one of her biggest supporters, with her family being another as well. Her daughter, Reagan, who was once on the cheer team, now has her own children who participate in Patriot Cheer/Dance Clinics. At

these clinics, kids can learn dances, cheers, and then perform at highschool varisty basketball games at the end of the night. With this activity being in their lives, they can get even closer to their grandma, all while being a pillar of support without even knowing it.

Shari also has a day job at the Hy-Vee Pharmacy off of Stony Brook Blvd, working full-time since COVID began. So how does she manage to plan and coach Varsity cheer, and then go to her day job, while balancing enough time for family? “Well, Mark and I meet at the beginning of the week, and talk about everything going on in that week. We help each other stay organized and of course, he always offers to help out.”

“One of the biggest things that keeps me going is seeing the girls who I

think of as my family, like my own daughters, walk off that mat at state with the knowledge that they did the best they could, and no regrets with the way they performed. I get chills every time I see that look. Winning is the icing on the cake, but seeing everyone happy with themselves is the best feeling.”

Throughout the interview with Shari, one thing that really stood out was how much she cares about the girls that she coaches.

After so many years of being a coach, Shari Burrus has proved to everyone that she is someone who sticks to aspirations, and continues to push people to fulfull their own.

“I love the girls, and the connections and confidence that they leave the team with. Every year, a girl with the potential I know she has, grows and learns beyond that, and every year, y’know, it makes me realize that that’s the reason why I’m doing this. I love seeing those

art by Ella Erickson Color, cut out, give to your Valentine

At an after-school practice, Varsity Cheer Coach Shari Burrus plays music for the team’s state routine.

Photo by Charleen Darra

Varsity cheer coach Shari Burrus directs her cheer team to a state title with a 3-hour long practice. She prepares the girls for state on Feburary 18th, in Grand Island. Photo by Charleen Darra

Seniors Neida Rodrigiez (left), Ella Helm (middle), and Allison Kilzer (right), take everlasting pictures with Varsity cheer coach Shari Burrus on senior night. Photo by Ally Seevers

art by Ella Erickson