Common Sense Volume 19 Issue 1 September 21, 2018 by Millard South Common Sense Newspaper

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

September 21, 2018

Volume 19 Issue 1

Harvey heralds celebration for drama “While it was a little challenging to be so unstable, that was the most fun part. To be able to scream, cry and hit people with my purse was just so fun.” -Chloe Peterson Right: Photo by Logan Foote. Top: Photo by Kimmy Jordan Bottom: Photo by Kimmy Jordan

Isabel Kimminau News Editor This year the drama department got to celebrate a great moment with its very own Robyn Baker: Baker’s 125th show at Millard South. Not only was this Baker’s 125th show, but it was the show that kicked off the 20182019 drama season. The first show of the season - Harvey, a play about a man whose best friend is an invisible six-foot tall rabbit and how his family and those around him view this strange duo- took the stage on Sept. 8 and 9. The show was a Patriot Player show, meaning that the cast were solely veteran drama members, who auditioned last May. The troupe rehearsed in July and August. “It’s a really great classic show that kids aren’t familiar with and they can rediscover - but parents and grandpar-

ents love it because of the classic movie,” says drama teacher Robyn Baker, “and so it’s a really great kind of feel good show to kind of kick off the school year.” But, even with the show only available to veteran drama members, not everything was smooth sailing. “Our rehearsals were wobbly, but we practiced a lot after school. A lot of it was independent though - what I do to memorize lines is I record myself saying my lines and then I listen to them over and over,” says senior Luke Peters, who starred as Elwood P. Dowd. Peters continues, “It was really hard at first to do a show where my co-star was invisible. Eventually Mrs. Baker made Cole Snook sit and ‘be’ Harvey to make it easier later on to pretend someone else was there.” This isn’t to say that Harvey wasn’t a great and memorable show. “The other guys were really cool, we’d talk a lot in

the locker room and they’d give me suggestions and stuff. We’d also sing a lot and that helped me get into that happy character mindset for Elwood,” Peters comments, “I knew Elwood was a prideful, confident guy so I danced backstage to keep myself energized and always kept a smile to get into character.” Even with such a memorable show, Baker stayed out of the limelight. “We brought cake the closing night of the show, and everybody got birthday cake. We just kind of celebrated with the cast and crew - it was

really fun,” says Baker. “We did at the end of the last show give Baker a $100 gift card to Starbucks - it will probably last about a week or two,” says Peters, “I was hoping we’d celebrate more in different ways, but Baker talked a lot with the audience and that was fun, but I hope we do more for her in the future.” Peters finishes, “I suggest to any freshmen who are thinking about drama - do it. I thought about drama until the almost the end of junior year, but you just need to start because the sooner you do the sooner you’ll be happy with it. It’ll be a bit uncomfortable at first - that’s how it was for me - but as you go it just gets more and more fun. And that goes for any club.” The next production the drama department is putting on is Willy Wonka, which will perform Nov. 9-11.

Geerts converts from Mustang to Patriot Hailey Bos Staff Secretary

Mr. Geerts is the new assistant principal this year. He started his education career teaching 8th grade US History at Lewis and Clark Middle School in OPS. Five years ago, he moved to Millard North where he taught psychology and philosophy in the IB program. Shifting from teacher to assistant principal, Geerts is most excited to interact with more staff and students than ever before. “Everyday, getting to meet a couple new students is what makes it so much fun, as a teacher you get that everyday, as a principal its harder but you get to talk to even more students.” Geerts says the major difference between North and South is that South has such a welcoming, family friendly atmo-

sphere. “There really isn’t a whole lot of difference, the students are the same. You have great groups at both and they interact the same.” Since coming to Millard South, he has been the most surprised about how many people have come up to him and started telling him about the impact Millard South has made on them, regardless if they were an Indian or a Patriot. “I think the thing that stands out for me is just the family atmosphere. Every single person has come up to me, welcomed me and offered to help. Maybe that just comes from being the new person but I feel it is genuine.” Geerts admits that red really brings out his eyes and is a better color than blue, but is resistant to say that Millard South is a better school than Millard North. Mr.

Geerts’ experiences at Millard South include the following: he has only been lost in the building sixteen times, he has discovered that the classroom numbers don’t make sense, the change in the crispito recipe was disappointing for him, and his interactions with students have been amazing. Geerts said one of his favorite experiences was the pep rally. Geerts is a Patriot Perk subscriber and looks forward “It was the coolest pep rally I to his coffee every morning. Photo by Hailey Bos have ever been to. I got to stand up at sons ages 2, 8, and 10. He loves history and the top and just take it in. And when they did the “We are... Millard South” chant trivia and one of the only two people who I had goose bumps.” Geerts said. “It was the has ever beaten him in the history portion of Trivial Pursuit was Mr. Kintzle. He loves first time I was like ‘this is cool, I’m proud the outdoors and coaching his sons in a vato be a Patriot.’” riety of sports. He is extremely excited to be Getting to know Mr. Geerts, you will here and is a great addition to the Millard find out that his wife is a Spanish teacher at “THE” Central Middle School. He has three South family.

art by Tori Barkus

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School hallways overflow with students.

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Band competes in their first competition, the Wildcat Classic. Photo by Cale Goodman.

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Singers prepare their music for their performance with Patriot Tennis team prepares for top 5 win at State. the Omaha Symphony. Photo by Ruthie Hale. Photo by Garrett Carbullido

News 9 • 21 • 2018

Laptop chargers spark concern Kristin Kaipust Editor-in-Chief

Two laptop chargers nearly caught fire in the school building late August. In the past few years, there has been report of four chargers with wires that have sparked, but this year, two happened in the same day. “Luckily, the teachers saw it and unplugged it before any damage occurred,” Technology Facilitator, Jay Hutfles said. Exposed wires (when there is exposed metal in the wire) can spark and, if not unplugged, start a fire. “What we’ve seen so far is that they have been damaged near the power brick,” Hutfles said.

Leaving a charger loose in a backpack can damage it. The ends get squished or bent under books and folders. This wears them down and exposes the wire. Storing chargers in a separate pocket, like the one built into the school issued laptop bag, can prevent them from breaking. When wire is exposed it is very important to stop using the charger. Replacing them in the tech office costs $10 with insurance and $48 without. The damaged chargers are sent to the school’s technology recycling bin. From there they are sent to a tech recycling program This student’s bare wire causes a safety hazard. Chargers with exposed wires can where usable parts are reclaimed. spark and catch on fire. Photo by Dani Swanson

Sex Trafficking: A problem close to home Alexis Gamble Staff Reporter

There’s no light way to put thissex trafficking is an epidemic that is blowing up into new proportions. It has been around for years, but now it’s happening everywhere and it’s getting worse. At this point, everyone has seen the warnings and heard awful stories about people coming up to your car and stalking you. Some of these are so terrifying, you don’t want to believe it’s happening in your town; in reality, it’s happening right down the street. A hot spot for this type of activity is on L street in the Target and Walmart parking lots. People will come up to you and ask for directions or help with their car- this is where they trap most people. Now, I’m not saying to avoid this area altogether, just be extra cautious when leaving the store and going to your car. My mom and I both experienced this. We were in the Target parking lot when a woman came up to our car and asked if we could help her get some gas. My mom carefully examined her actions and body language and politely declined. The woman cussed under her breath as she

walked away to a van with two other men in it and drove away. My mom reported them to the store and we carefully went back to our car. The point is, this could happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Young women are the main target of sex trafficking. Whether they are on walks or just going to their cars after work, there could be someone watching. It is so scary to think that walking with our groceries to our cars is now a potentially dangerous situation that could get us kidnapped and killed. Protection against ending up in these horrible situations could include carrying pepper spray wherever you’re going. If you don’t have pepper spray, walk with your car keys in between your fingers, this could easily become a weapon if needed. A lot of times, teens and young adults get into their car and immediately get on their phones without locking their doors. This is what a lot of sex traffickers look forthey can easily get in the passenger side and point a gun at your head. So, as soon as you get in your car, lock the doors, buckle up, and drive away.

Another thing to be cautious of are the cars right next to yours, especially the driver’s side. If you are walking to your car alone, and you see someone in the car next to you on your driver’s side (sitting in the passenger seat of their car), this could be a potential sex trafficker. It’s recommended that if you see this, you get a store clerk or someone nearby to walk you to your car. It’s better to be safe than sorry. This world that we live in is dangerous and there are so many scary things happening; you never know what situation you could accidentally put yourself in. It is a sad reality that we have to be warned to watch what we do, even if it’s just walking to our own cars in our own neighborhoods. So always be careful and always pay attention to your surroundings- you never know who’s watching you. If you see something suspicious, don’t hesitate to tell someone, it could save a life.

Go Somewhere!

FULL SEMESTER

block schedule

New block scheduling means you’ll take just one or two classes at a time. This model allows you focus more intently on each class, and allows faculty to have more time to devote to every student in each class — and more fully invest in your success. The schedule also creates more time for job shadowing, research, internships, travel and other unique academic experiences. As part of this, our outstanding professors are reimagining new core classes for first-year students. The core will help you get off to a great start in college and set you up to excel in key areas.

iPad Pro + Apple Pencil When you arrive to campus we’ll set you up with an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil — and provide any support you may need to know how to best incorporate these technology tools into your studies. A bonus: They’re yours to keep when you graduate. We know a lot of learning happens outside the classroom — and we’ve built a connected campus with supercharged WiFi (indoors and out) and Apple TVs in every classroom. Why the Pencil? Combined with apps we’ll provide and teach you to use, Apple Pencil lets you take notes, sketch and do all the things that drive learning.

Study abroad experience During your second year at Hastings College, you’ll spend a two-week block studying away from campus — likely in Paris. We believe so strongly in the transformational experience of studying away from campus that we’ll cover the costs! We’re making this commitment thanks to individuals who love Hastings College and share this belief. No gimmicks or fake scholarships. Your second year at Hastings? You’ll have the opportunity to spend part of it abroad.

Period.

HASTINGS.EDU/VISIT

News 9 • 21 • 2018

Bursting at the seams MacKenzie Wolken Social Media Editor

As any student from Millard South would say, our halls are packed. The student population is now 2,413. The freshman class this year is the largest Millard South has ever seen, holding 659 students. Getting to class on time is a difficult journey that everyone has to go through. The slow-walking students, groups standing in clumps, and people walking the wrong direction on the opposite side of the hallway drive this school wild. The hallway next to the main gym (Main Street) is only to be used for one way traffic, and the traffic heading towards the 100s and the 200s must go through the gym. “The hallways are a constant fight every single day. Definitely, this is one thing I don’t look forward too,” junior Madison Marshall said. When Millard North was growing to capacity, they built a connecting hallway between the two sides of their building. “The situation South is facing is the one Millard North faced. Everyone is coming down to the first floor,” assistant principal Matt Geerts said. “It [the connecting hallway] does make a big difference,” he said. Passing periods were reduced last year from 7 minutes to 6 as part of the building’s initiative to reduce tardiness and encourage students to move more quickly from class to class. Millard North’s passing periods are 6 minutes as well. Millard West, also on a block schedule, has 8 minute passing periods. The cafeteria has seen an impact with the increased enrollment, too. More tables were set up behind the half wall near the printer kiosk, for example. “I think it’s always busy in the cafeteria,” senior Grace McAlister said. “I think all the food is really good. There are lines at the things that everything likes best, if you wait- you’ll have an easier time getting food,” she said. The number of lunch periods has not increased with enrollment. There are 5 different lunches every day that start at roughly 11:30 and run until about 1:40. With more students eating lunch, the custodial staff has seen an increased workload from cleaning the additional tables and taking out trash more frequently. “I think with more people, more people to feed, the trash has really been an issue this year,” said custodian and lunch lady Lynn Saathoff Even before entering the building, students have seen the impact of increased enrollment in the drop off and parking lot. “My parents bring me early in the morning, because they don’t want to be late to work. They pick me up at 3:45 because they wait later after school gets out so they don’t have to wait in the traffic,” freshman Damiana Curtis said. And even with any building expansion to accommodate more students, it’s unlikely that the parking lots nearest to the building will be made any larger. “We have to accept that there will never be any more parking lot spaces,” security guard Dan Twarling said. Office secretaries, too, are seeing some increase in their workload. “We are roughly 25 percent busier here in the office compared to last year,” secretary Debbie Roche said. Though there are more students here, she said she has not noticed an increase in students coming down for discipline. “On average we see the same handful of kids down here,” Roche said. The opening pep rally was the first evidence of just how many more kids there are this year. The last students into the gym were directed to just take seats on the floor. “It was crazy,” junior Maddie Royal said. “I remember my freshman year there were a lot of people in my grade and I never thought about how many kids were in the actual school. It’s insane,” she said.

Principal Heidi Weaver supervises main street before school. Photo by Josh Ferdico.

The Quest Center, CenturyLink Center, CHI Health Center? Jacob Haas Asst. Sports Editor

CenturyLink was outbid for the naming rights to Omaha’s Largest event center. On June 21, it came out that CHI Health bought the naming rights to what was previously known as the CenturyLink Center. According to reports, CHI Health made a 23.6 million dollar deal over the next 20 years. Omaha’s largest venue for events officially became the CHI Health Center on September 1st and the rebranding of the venue began on September 5th. Although the only change being made is the name, it will take time for the people of Omaha to adjust to this recent change. The new name may cause some confusion at first, too, just like when the Quest Center became the CenturyLink Center shortly after the merging of the two companies. Now, just 7 short years later the venue is going under another name change. The Quest Center, as it was originally called, was constructed in 2003 and has been the site of many events from concerts to athletic competitions and more. It has become an iconic building in Omaha that has both history and is making history. There are also some major events coming such as Alan Jackson making a stop on his Honky Tonk highway tour in September. In December, popular musical artists Justin Timberlake and Travis Scott will both be making stops at the CHI Health Center on their respective

tours. Creighton basketball will be starting soon, too, so the new CHI Health Center is going to have quite the schedule of events in the coming months. Even though the name change should not make too much of a difference, the non profit company has been met with some criticisms over their recent purchase. CHI Health is a non profit healthcare organization that is based in the Catholic faith and headquartered in Omaha. They support several hospitals in the city of Omaha such as Lakeside Hospital and Creighton University Medical Center. Some people feel as if this money could have gone toward a better cause rather than an expensive advertisement on a building. CHI Health’s reasoning for this recent purchase, however, is that they are in a market where people can choose to take their health care to other places so they need to advertise in order to compete with other healthcare companies. This is just another showing of how much money there is to be made in the world of medicine, to the point where even a non-profit organization can afford a 23.6 million dollar deal over the next 20 years. Weather or not this was a smart investment is up for debate. No matter what the consensus is, there is no way of changing it, so now Omaha’s biggest event center is going to be known as the CHI Health Center for the next 20 years. This is the start of a new chapter for the storied event center here in the city of Omaha.

Features 9 • 21 • 2018

Al-PACK-a for the best trip of your life Halle Benson Assistant Entertainment Editor

Save the date! This year’s National Alpaca Farm Day is coming up on September 29th and 30th at the Alpacas of the Heartland LLC in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. Back in July 2007, Sheri and Mike Jacoby met their very first alpaca and instantly fell in love with the animal. After tons of research, they bought their first alpaca 4 months later and began the Alpacas of the Heartland LLC. Together, they have full time jobs raising and breeding their alpacas to be sold to other farms and they run a boutique full of products made from alpaca fur. The 30 minute drive out to Fort Calhoun, Nebraska is all worth it. Not only do you get to see alpacas, but you can pet and feed them. The workers there provide carrots to feed to the alpacas and they teach the proper way to pet the alpacas so everyone can enjoy them in a safe way. Since National Alpaca Farm Day is such a special day for alpaca farmers, Alpacas of the Heartland is offering free admission! They also

Marching band season ignites with fiery show

take donations to help them raise money for food and grooming materials for their alpacas. They sell yarn, stuffed animals, socks, and more all made from alpaca wool, too, at Sheri’s Alpaca Boutique. Alpacas of the Heartland LLC is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 29th and September 30th in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. For more information about the Alpacas of the Heartland LLC, just go to www.alpacasoftheheartland.com or find them on Facebook as Alpacas of the Heartland LLC.

Baby Spice the alpaca eats his meal of grass and hay. Alpacas also enjoy snacking on carrots. Photo by Halle Benson

Life, death, fire & rebirth

Deniece Radford Assistant Opinions Editor

On Saturday, September 15th, the Millard South Band had their first competition right at home. The 9th annual Wildcat competition started for the band at 8am and ended at 10pm. They got 6th place out of the 16 bands that competed. “The first competition is a good measurement and allows us to make minor corrections to what we already have on the field and confirm the need to add more material visually and musically,” said Darren Myers, head band director. Lauren Milbourn, the new assistant band direct added, “We definitely set the bar high. I think the improvement that happened from prelims to finals was so crucial and vital to setting a sense of dedication for the rest of the season because we improved in such a short amount of time and I hope we step it up from there.” This was Milbourn’s first competition as a director. “It was a lot of fun, it’s definitely interesting to be on the other side, I’ve done several competitions as a performer but having to put out the fires and take care of administrative duties was different. It was a lot of fun to see the band perform and see how much work was put in over the day.” The band is getting ready to head to Clarinda, Iowa on Saturday, September 29th for their second competition of the season. At this competition they will parade and march their show, both of which count into the overall score and placement. The Millard South marching band is excited for the upcoming competitions, and plan to improve themselves along the way.

The flute section of the marching band plays movement one of their show called Phoenix Rising. Photo by Cale Goodman. Sophomore Rachel Reynolds-East spins her flag during her routine at a football game. They performed the same routine at the Wildcat Classic. Photo by Cale Goodman.

Features 9 • 21 • 2018

s i h t e r a Here . . . s ' e u s s i

Maddie Rynes Editor-in-chief

PETS OF THE MONTH

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Want to feature your pet in our next issue? DM @MSHSCommonSense on Twitter or contact a member of our staff!

From Private to Public School Deniece Radford Assistant Opinions Editor

Freshman year can be daunting for many. The shift from middle school to high school can take some getting used to, but if you’re coming into a public high school for the first time, not knowing much of anyone, it may be even more so. This is what junior Edith Hickman is experiencing. She attended Central Middle School but then transferred to a private school for her first two years of high school. “I went to a private homeschool called the Roberts Academy. It was a Montessori structured education, basically it was an individualized learning system that let students work at their own pace. It was really independent so outside of quick lessons we had up to four hours a day for free work time,” Hickman said Montessori is a system of education for young children that seeks to develop natural interests and activities rather than use formal teaching methods. You can imagine how different sitting in a class would be. There may end up being many struggles that anyone would face when coming into a public high school. “Honestly, this is weird, but one of the biggest struggles I had was discovering which high school stereotypes were real or not. I went in there expecting to hate all my teachers, get piles of homework everyday, and experience so many awful stereotypes. But, to be honest, I don’t hate any of my teachers.” It may seem weird to many of us that someone may believe in these stereotypes, but if we were to just start going to public school with little experience with how it really works, we would think the same. This isn’t Hickman’s first experience with Millard South, though. Her freshman year she was in the marching band but left right after band ended to attend her school, and, yes, she is taking band now as well. “Freshman year wasn’t that bad, I only missed a class or so back at school. It was rewarding to be able to go to band even though I had the long commute from there to my other school. It was hard when the district stopped letting me go to band because that cut me off from the school and all of my friends there.” Some people aren’t a big fan of our school, and they’re fine to have their own opinions, but Hickman was extremely excited to be able to go to school here. “I wanted to go to South since I was a freshman because I wanted a nice, structured school environment, and my previous school wasn’t giving that to me. My parents let me and my sister go this year because she got into the early college program and my mom wasn’t able to continue paying my school tuition on her own,” Hickman said. “To be honest it felt like I was cut off from the rest of the world for two years, I never met anybody new and my whole school was only 15 students.” Edith Hickman now plans to finish out her High School career at South and is very happy to do so.

Opinion 9 • 21 • 2018

Plastic is a school problem too

Elena Garcia Tapia Asst. Online Editor

Ahh, plastic. One of mankind’s greatest inventions that eventually came back to bite us on the butt. Nowadays it’s nearly impossible to be completely plastic free, I even bet there’s at least five items in your backpack made entirely of plastic. By now, most of us are aware of how this substance has caused almost irreversible damage to the environment. We always see images of animals that have choked to death on plastic or videos of them begging to be freed from it’s evil grip. So what has the world decided to do about this? Well, we’ve banned straws of course! Okay, okay, I know that we can all go on forever about the straw ban, but I think that as students, we should start on our own level and advocate for the banning of plastic in our schools. As much as it makes my heart ache, I have accepted the

fact that for many events and supplies, our schools have no choice but to opt for plastic items. But the one thing that we can certainly change is the amount of unnecessary items passed out to the student body. Since my freshman year, I have dedicated a large portion of my time to school clubs. I have always loved serving the community, but I have also hated the amount of items we pass out that just go to waste. School supplies, key chains, thumb bands, bottles, and bracelets are just a few items that I have seen litter the floor 10 minutes after a club has gifted them to the student body. Then, after everything has been given away, all of the extras are left in the back of a closet to do nothing else but collect dust. C’mon, its 2018, why are we still giving a bunch of high schoolers useless little trinkets?

I know that I have no control over what a club sponsor decides to do, so I can only encourage you to speak up. The next time you attend a club meeting and someone decides it would be a good idea to hand out rubbery bracelets, ask them, “Is it really necessary?” Look for bracelets made of cotton strings or key chains made of engraved wood instead. In the classroom, tell your buddy to throw their soda bottle into the little blue bin instead of the giant grey trash can. In your everyday life, shop with reusable bags, check what items can be recycled, and maybe consider investing in objects such as a reusable bottle, a bamboo toothbrush, or metal straws. I know some of these solutions might sound silly, but remember that the choices we make today will affect our world and its future.

Required texting app Out of state tuition price limits collaboration makes it more difficult to leave home for college Put simply, college hunting feels into a brick wall when they informed the like a constant uphill battle. Appalling visitors of their scholarship programs. tuition costs, narrow acceptance rates, and Their highest available amount to out-ofdownright cramped dorms pile on top of state students based on GPA and ACT was what is already a difficult task: leaving the $6,000 of $50,000 annual tuition. That’s nest for the very first time. Most seniors 12%, leaving the student $176,000 of will agree that the tuition to cover application and over four years. visiting process is How could I stressful and expossibly attend hausting. But what CU Boulder makes this process with these all the worse is the tuition costs even steeper hill versus the much that is out-of-state cheaper Univertuition. sity of Nebraska Many public schools that schools that lie outwere in my side of Nebraska backyard? I felt have two different like my wings tuition costs- inwere being state tuition and crushed by a out-of-state tuition. giant boulder of The latter is typiprospective stucally much more dent debt. Why expensive, by about would I ever 133% on average go out-of-state in 2015 in the US. when the odds That means it’s over were stacked so double the cost of against me? Cassady Alberico in-state tuition if However, there Staff Reporter you’re coming from is a catch. Many afar. DOUBLE. private univerThis varies from sities, based school to school, but it is nearly universal on their nature, will not charge differing that out-of-state is pricier. This is mainly tuitions based on residency. Even more because public universities receive federal schools will not change their scholarship funding to run their schools and allocate qualifications on the same factor. It was more money to students from their home because of this realization that I began to state. explore more and more private universi The reason for the difference is ties outside of Nebraska, because while understandable, but what baffles me is their tuitions were still ridiculously high, that the price difference extends into their scholarships were much more genermerit-based scholarships. Some colleges ous. I feel more welcome at these instituwill offer larger amounts of money to tions because of this difference in price their 30+ ACT in-state students versus and will more than likely be attending an out-of-staters, on top of the differences out-of-state college in my future. in original tuition cost. To be frank: this Many students agree that colleges in simultaneously boils my blood and breaks the US have numerous problems, most my heart. Attempting to explore new of them financial. These issues needs to places for your college years is made more be addressed heading into the future or difficult by these price differences. a ceiling will be reached. For a college This summer I went on a college visit education, $200,000 is too much. Those road trip across most of the Midwest. At 2 to 6 years should be about exploring the University of Colorado-Boulder, after yourself and new things, and the in versus being very impressed with the tour and out tuition gap limits that growth. the staff, I felt like I had walked straight

Over the summer, Millard Public your school email is allowed, but I Schools implemented a new profesdon’t know any student that regularly sional boundaries policy between uses their emails and/or checks them. teachers and students. It prohibits Teachers in a hour roughly get around teachers and students from privately 15 emails and nothing against teachers texting, along with not allowing teachbecause I totally get it, but it’s easy for ers to give students gifts. Teachers are your email to get lost amongst all the to be penalized and possibly termiother emails they recieve. It’s just not a nated if they break any of the policy quick way to communicate. guidelines. Before school started, I understand, to a point, where teachers had meetings to be trained administration is coming from. I do on the do’s and the don’ts of the new feel that some boundaries needed to be policy. They placed, but not to were trained this extent. I have to use the new also heard that Remind app for if a teacher is in messaging with their room alone students, and with a student, those messages the door needs to are archived for be propped and the administraanother teacher tion to see if needs to be aware need be. of it and/or in the A week into room with them. the school year, I think that is reit has already ally overboard. If created probsomeone is going lems for me. For in to get extra Student Counhelp, some need cil, we use the complete silence GroupMe app to be able to work, to communicate and when people with all of our are having conmembers and versations in the advisors. The hallway, it would GroupMe app be very hard not Allison Kirkebak allows everyone to to hear them. Also, Sports Editor see what everyone if a student goes to a says and allows evteacher to talk about eryone to respond. Now, since the new problems that are going on in their policy has been placed, we can no lonlife or something that has happened ger use the GroupMe app because it is that day, they should be able to have not monitored. It is truly inconvenient, that privacy and not have people know because the student members can still about their life story. use it to talk, but our advisors are not I think this is just a real inconveallowed to be on there. In my experinience to many clubs, activities, and ence, the Remind app does not only let students at Millard. It did not have to you see what other people type and/ be so extreme to the point where it’s a or respond to the sponsor’s message. A challenge for people to communicate. small group of nine or fewer can, how- Students and advisors have a life outever, see individual responses within side of the classroom and the school the group chat, but I’ve yet to see that buildings. Sometimes it doesn’t work used. With groups larger than nine, to meet up and have a group meeting only the creator of the message can see about things. It’s a lot easier to be able responses and then must message the to message each other and collaborate, whole group again with the resolution especially if it’s just a quick problem or to the question or problem. Remind is question that needs to be resolved in a good for reminders for a test you might timely manner. And with the Remind have or homework, but it is not good app or email, it’s unheard of that things or useful for clubs and activities to get done quickly. use effectively. Also, emailing through

Opinion 9 • 21 • 2018

Staff Editorial: #BeKind momentum growing When we all got back to school this fall, #BeKind was everywhere. T-shirts , posters, and even a billboard were adorned with the district’s new motto. Although some students have taken to using the phrase as a joke much like last year’s “Walk and Talk”, the motto has become infused into every aspect of student life at MSHS. Thanks to our hardworking student council, rally towels in class colors with #BeKind printed on them were given to all students. Even though on the surface level, this may be a bit of a meme, the message can be seen making a difference throughout our school. The world could always use more kindness. If we continue to implement #BeKind into our daily lives as students of Millard South High School, we will all benefit. A safer, more inclusive school environment where all students feel accepted and valued is the end goal, and this is the first step. Millard is taking a huge leap forward for the benefit of its students and staff. The overall climate of our school is improving, and this can only ensure that every student and staff member counts themselves as members of our Patriot family. If we continue to take our district’s new motto to heart, we can make real change in our district and our community.

art by Sean Burton

Rocky Mountain mishap teaches perseverance mountains. Planning the excursion was one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. Then you just hope that all of your effort pays off and the pieces fall in place when needed. We drove for almost three hours; all the while not being able to move our limbs because of the tight quarters created by our supplies. We had two camping groups that would split up once we arrived. The parents would take their hiking backpacks and march into the maze of trails that lead into rugged terrain ahead, while us teenagers got to keep the car along with a spacious four person tent. We felt as if we had drawn the longer straw in terms of the “battle” for better gear between the two groups. Cale Goodman When we arrived to our lake of Staff Reporter choice, we stepped out of the car at our campsite. We all took a moment to realize how isolated we were from society with mountains surrounding us on all sides. Craning our necks, the four of Over the summer, my three friends us surveyed the ridges above. We then deand I went on a camping trip in the cided to stretch our legs and explore. We mountains of Colorado. We were all very were now at an altitude of 10,000 feet and excited to begin the trip and get out into there was a noticeable difference in the the wilderness. After making a run to the air from when we first embarked. Hiking store, we felt prepared to embark for the

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 5G computers, Adobe InDesign CS6 Adobe Photoshop CS6, and Microsoft Word 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.

became harder. Your breathing is labored, and your muscles fatigue at a faster rate than at lower altitudes. We began to scale the steep trails that littered the hillsides. Eventually, our pace began to slow, and one of us wasn’t looking too well. His lips were turning purple, his eyes couldn’t seem to focus, and all he wanted to do was “take a break”. After the three of us (who were feeling fine) got a good laugh in on his symptoms, we realized the severity of the situation- he was experiencing altitude sickness. It felt as if we were on the rock face of Mt. Everest and needed to get back down to base camp. After a tedious descent, we reached our camp. Once we started unpacking, we quickly realized that something was very wrong. Where was all of our food? Our pots, pans, utensils, plates, and other items we thought we had brought along? They were missing. This realization was crushing. The consensus among us was that the trip had to be cut short due to the absence of most of our necessary supplies. After completing an inventory, we were left with only non perishable foods and a single

Editors-in-Chief Kristin Kaipust Maddie Rynes Photo Chiefs Isabel Robb Maggie Huson

tea kettle. We came to the realization that we would have to live off chips and our limited supply of smores for the next few days, but at least we didn’t have to worry about running out of water. The question of what happened with our food still remained. After pointing fingers at each other it turned out that nobody took responsibility for packing our food. All of the fresh fruits, and hardy meals remained at home over a hundred miles away. We had only focused on ourselves while preparing for the trip instead of thinking of the good of the group. With three full days ahead of us, we decided to stick it out instead of immediately giving up on the first day. Even without bug spray, sunscreen, most of our food, and one person missing a sleeping bag, it was one of the best weekends with my friends I’ve ever had. After accepting your situation and realizing that you can’t change it, the best thing to do is to embrace it and do what you can to make your time enjoyable. We came back into town with countless bug bites, sunburns, and a lack of nutrition. Despite all the downsides on the trip, it felt as if we had won.

Entertainment Editor Sadie Brower Asst. Entertainment Editor Halle Benson

News Editor Isabel Kimminau

Buisness Managers Maggie Reimers Nickol Kreutzian

Asst. News Editor Carson O’Connor

Online Editor Ruthanne Hale

Sports Editors Allison Kirkebak Carina Covington

Asst. Online Editor Elena Garcia Tapia

Asst. Sports Editor Jacob Haas

Social Media Editors Makenzie Morford MacKenzie Wolken

Opinions Editor Lindsey Assman

Cartoonists Sean Burton Tori Barkus

Asst. Opinions Editor Deniece Radford

Chief Copy Editor Myranda Carbullido

Staff Secretaries Lexie Pleiss Hailey Bos Social Event Coordinators Danielle Swanson Kayla Andrews Staff Reporters Cassady Alberico Logan Foote Alexis Gamble Cale Goodman Jordan Hatch Alex Kopf Natalie Schamp Jack Towne Garrett Carbullido Natalie Fedde Cameron Merritt Adviser Christine Kaldahl

Entertainment 9 • 21 • 2018

Astroworld: Album of The year Carson O’Connor Asst. News Editor

Astroworld was released only three months ago, but Travis Scott must have had a vision for this project at least two years ago, considering he announced the title of the project on May 17th, 2016. “It might be the best music that I made. I have two records on the album that are like, man, they are the best. They tore down ‘AstroWorld’ to build more apartment space. That’s what it’s going to sound like, like taking an amusement park away from kids. We want it back,” Scott told Complex back in September 2017. Predictably, the hype leading up to this release was enormous. It was hard to meet the towering expectations of his fans, but Scott delivered on all of his promises and went places, musically, few people could have anticipated. He received assistance from musical savants such as Tame Impala, Thundercat and James Blake in addition to superstars like Drake and Frank Ocean.

Guests are interwoven into the album seamlessly, and new artists seem to add an endearing quirk to every song on the tracklist. Through it all, Scott shows his versatility and gives the album a distinct personality. He continued developing into a more eclectic and daring artist, but different sounds being employed doesn’t undermine the unity. You won’t find an abundance of deep lyrical content or dexteric rhyme patterns on

Astroworld, but no one familiar with Scott would expect that. He brings a lot to the table that top lyricists don’t. I got to see Travis Scott perform on July 29th at the Pepsi Center as he opened for Kendrick Lamar, and it was an unhinged performance that reached its climax when Travis swung from a demonic bird while his raps were almost drowned out by screams. The upcoming Astroworld tour promises

to deliver an even more delirious atmosphere. “I’m never doing a tour with chairs again,” Travis once told the Rolling Stone before a show with Kendrick. More than a rapper, Travis Scott is a performer. His on stage antics regularly lead to viral videos whether he’s leaping into a mosh pit of fans or waving a microphone stand above his head barbarically. He once performed the same song 15 times in a row (securing the world record) to an adoring crowd that reacted as if they were hearing it for the first time. Who knows what will happen now that Scott has his own headlining tour and a momentous album to back it up. Travis has hinted at the possibility of bringing a full amusement park experience on the road. He’ll make a stop in Omaha on December 10th, and tickets are already selling quickly. I expect to see plenty of Millard South students that just can’t spend enough time in Astroworld.

Hottman Sisters are on “Fire” Maggie Huson Photo Chief

Hey all you music fans! Need a new indie pop fix? I have the perfect band for you, the Hottman Sisters. The trio has been on the music scene since 2015 and since then they have traveled nationwide. They have opened for Belle and Sebastian, Lorde, hip-hop duo Run the Jewels, and many others. The trio consists of Jessica Hottman (vocals and guitar), Heather Hottman (vocals and synth), and Ed Getzlaff (drums). They have returned to their hometown of Omaha where they plan to kick off their national tour on September 28 through October 19, starting in Nebraska, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and ending in California. The Hottman Sisters are a sister-led pop band from Omaha, Nebraska, centered around tight harmonies. Music has always been integral to the sisters, Heather Hottman and Jessica Hottman. The sisters feel that singing is an in-

nate part of who they are, a language they have always been familiar with. Both sisters grew up listening to ‘90’s pop music and boy bands, but also spent time singing four-part harmonies alongside their mother and younger sister. They led music in church on Sundays, performed at a variety of local events, and spent countless hours jamming and writing music in the basement of their house. All of these components helped to develop their stage presence and musical skills. After both sisters graduated from college, they knew they were ready to start developing a new, sister-oriented, musical project. Jessica had spent many hours in college writing music and dreaming up the vision behind The Hottman Sisters. “We both knew we wanted to pursue music in some way. It has always been a part of our lives and who we are

and the way people perceive us.” ~Jessica Hottman The Hottman Sisters have spent the last year touring nationally and playing in large festivals such as SXSW and Maha Music Festival. The Hottman Sisters recently finished recording an EP that is scheduled to be released in 2018. This release of music will push their band into new territory, with a more pop-based sound, catchy hooks, and music that can easily be danced to in a live setting.

And join us for these special interest visit events: Dia de Visita en Español Saturday, Sep. 22 Discover Doane: Homecoming Saturday, Oct. 6 Music Day Wednesday, Oct. 10

where it really does

pay to visit.

Future Teacher Day Tuesday, Oct. 30 Tiger Sleepovers Sunday, Nov. 4 - Monday, Nov. 5 or Sunday Nov. 11 - Monday, Nov. 12

Visit Doane during your senior year of high school, enroll, and receive our $4,000 visit grant.

Theatre Day Monday, Nov. 19

That’s $1,000 per year for four years— just for making a personal campus visit!

STEM Day Thursday, Dec. 6

Visit doane.edu/visit or call 402.826.6767 to schedule a personal visit or sign-up for a Visit Day event. Can’t make it to campus? Check us out online at doane.edu/virtual-tour.

Entertainment 9 • 21 • 2018

“Singers” sing with the symphony

Natalie Fedde Staff Reporter

Millard South’s varsity choir, Singers, has just begun rehearsals for their performance with the Omaha Symphony. Singers is coming together with choirs from Fremont, Omaha Central, Blair, Papillion, and Bellevue West to perform the oratorio Elijah by Felix Mendelsshon. Elijah is usually about three and a half hours long, but this performance has been cut to two hours due to the lack of time the choirs have to prepare. Singers rehearses during class every B day, and they also have rehearsals with the other choirs outside of school. “It’s a huge commitment, but it’s totally worth it,” said Singers member junior Nikki Seikman about the rigorous rehearsal schedule. Singers have five rehearsals at the Holland Center

and each is hours long. According to Seikman, if a member of Singers misses one of the rehearsals, that member is no longer allowed to participate in the performance. Those that are participating work hard every rehearsal to make sure they are prepared in time. Singers director Jason Stevens said Singers learn approximately on choral arrangement every practice. “It’s expecting a lot out of our students, but they are just going for it,” says Stevens. Millard South Singers will be performing with the Omaha Symphony on November 11 at the Holland Performing Arts Center. Tickets cost anywhere between $19 - $72 and can be bought on the Omaha Symphony website. Order them now to get the best seats!

Altos Lydia Godina and Maggie Reimers read a new piece of music from “Elijah” for the first time under the direction of Amy Wesely in preparation for their performance with the Omaha Symphony on Nov. 11. Photo by Ruthie Hale

Grande’s music gets sweeter Tori Barkus Staff Reporter

The queen herself, Ariana Grande, has released yet another album and it is fantastic. On August 17th, she blessed with world with her fourth studio album entitled Sweetener. Consisting of 15 tracks, 3 of which were singles, it’s 47 minutes of pure enjoyment. Her sound on this album is reminiscent of her older work (not including Dangerous Woman), having a softer sound. However, there is a little bit more of an upbeat rhythm to most of her songs, some of which focus heavily on the beat that carries them. Grande’s vocals are exquisite as always, effortlessly hitting whistle tones and lower notes. A fair amount of these songs featured on her newest album have more of a poetic feel to them, which, to me, means that she’s speaking more while keeping in time with the rhythm, but it wouldn’t be something that could be considered rap or hip-hop.

Her lead single, no tears left to cry, was something that left me amazed. It was so different from her older work, but so predictable in a way. Maybe predictable isn’t quite the right word, but it really felt like you could almost tell what direction she was going

with her music even before she dropped this single - but maybe that was because of the tweets she had posted to her twitter in excitement. One of her other singles, God is a Woman, was a bit on the controversial side, angering some people who don’t particularly like hearing about God being a woman. However, the song is incredible. It’s

catchy and easily gets stuck in your head. Track 3, the light is coming, features Nicki Minaj. This track wasn’t as well received among some, but I think it fits the theme of her album. It’s clearly more written for radio, but it’s still a good song, just as catchy as her other singles. However, on the Billboard charts, this song only charted at #23, when God is a Woman peaked at #8 and no tears left to cry peaked at #4. Overall, Sweetener peaked at #3. In conclusion, I really enjoy this album. It was worth the wait between now and the release of Dangerous Woman in 2016. The album feels like her, it fits her personality and her branding well and the sound is very on trend. Despite some of the tracks being created for radio play, she did such a good job on this album, and it should be recognized that she was more vulnerable, raw, on this album compared to her previous releases that seemed to be more bubblegum. It was a nice insight to who Grande really is and it was fascinating getting to hear just how willing she was to share that with the world.

The Nun answers prayers for better horror films

Lexie Pleiss When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in RomaStaff Reporter nia takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together, they uncover the orders unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith. They confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun. It is a spin-off of The Conjuring 2, so if you liked that movie and if you love supernatural or horror movies, this is definitely something you should go see. The nun is not just a “scary” movie with cliche jump scares and disturbing images, it also has a very interesting plot which is a refresher from the last couple horror movies I have been to. The movie is pretty long running at 1 hour and 36 minutes, but Corin Hardy does a great job with keeping the viewer interested with twist and turns throughout the entire movie. Another thing I admire about this movie is the creativity. They have lots of new ways of having jump scares (that definitely made me jump) and very cool yet creepy imagery. Even though this film is pretty long to sit through, it is a must-see for supernatural and horror movie lovers should go see. With a great story line and really creepy scenes that will make you jump out of your seat. I would definitely see this a second time.

Christopher Robin- A return to childhood Brianna Strudthoff Intro to Journalism We all know about the Hundred Acre Woods, but what happened to them once dear young Christopher Robin grew up? The new film Christopher Robin was lovable and hit home to my childhood. While bringing back all the reasons we fell in love with Winnie the Pooh

it also used some humor that everyone who grew up can relate to. The movie starred Ewan Mcguire (known for playing Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars episode 1) as grown up Christopher Robin and along side as his wife Evelyn Robin, who was played by Hayley Atwell (known for her role as Peggy Carter in the Marvel universe) And of course the animals Winnie the Pooh and Tigger was played by the original voice Jim Cummings(also plays Ray in the Princess and the Frog, and many voices of cartoon characters in Disney shows) The director of the film was Marc Forster who also directed Finding Neverland and World War Z. The movie opened up with young Christopher Robin attending his going away party in the Hundred Acre Woods with the whole gang there. Christopher Robin was sent off to boarding school where he grew up and eventually forgot about Pooh and the rest. Christopher returns to the movie in his mid-thirties with his wife and daughter of age 9. He now works for a luggage company and has a big task at hand to find a way to make the suitcases cheaper in production or he will have to fire someone. This leads him to putting his family second and his wife and daughter leave to his childhood home for the weekend One day Winnie the Pooh woke up and couldn’t find any of his friends. In a desperate time he walked threw

the door Christopher Robin always arrived from to find Christopher. Pooh doesn’t end up at the childhood house but in the city of London where Christopher is. Mr. Robin soon finds Pooh in the park by himself. Pooh convinces Robin to return home and help look for their friends. Christopher soon gave in to the bear and went back to the Hundred Acre Woods, but he still had to finish all of his numbers and presentation for work. This leads to the adventures in the movie. The story was well told and gave off many life lessons and values. Some of the humor in the movie wasn’t meant for little kids to understand. Like some of Eeyore’s comments were very humorous but would not have been to the younger audience. In the story it shows how our perspective has changed since we were younger. There was one scene when Christopher jumped into the stream expecting it to be as deep as it was when he was younger to only have it come below his knees. The story of the movie was entertaining to children but had a lot of older people being able to relate to the character Christopher Robin. Although it may seem just like a kid’s movie, it was so much more. If you grew up loving Winnie the Pooh, this movie is a must see. This light hearted, humorous movie was not a let down to my childhood memories of Winnie the Pooh.

Sports 9 • 21 • 2018

Patriot Volleyball spikes competition with ease in opening games of season Alex Kopf Staff Reporter to 3 sets was very close in all 3 sets. Set 1: MS 25 M 20 Set 2: MS 21 M 25 Set 3: The #8 ranked Patriots are making MS: 25 M 23. It was an all around team a splash to start this season with a strong performance with highlights from Junior senior class and a very talented underPaige Fixemer who recorded 12 kills and classmen group. The team recently swept Senior Kelsey Olsen with 11 kills. FixOmaha North in their second league emer also led the team in blocks alongmatch of the year. They now are #1 in side Junior Maggie Madej with 4. their district and look to maintain that “I feel like we have a good shot at position throughout the season. state if we bond together as a team more The team is now on a two game and work towards win streak I feel like we have a good shot that goal together,” after defeating Bellevue East at state if we bond together as Fixemer said. Fixalso added that at home and a team more and work towards emer the team’s biggest then Omaha that goal together. improvement is their North away. “Diverse offense, They are an which really keeps impressive 5-3 –Junior Paige Fixemer the ball moving to on the season, different areas of the with their only court.” losses coming On Sept. 11 in their game against to Skutt Catholic and the Millard North Bellevue West, freshman setter Makayla Mustangs, both matches coming to three Fleming set the single match record for sets. most ace assists with 59. The Patriots won When Varsity Coach Poppleton kept the thought on the season short and sweet the match in a thrilling 5 sets. Coach Poppleton said that she was with one word “EPIC.” Coach Poppleton most impressed with the team’s growth in is now in her 4th season as varsity head the offseason. The Patriots look to concoach and now entering her 9th year as tinue their dominance with the strength part of the Patriot program. of their schedule coming with games in The Patriot team got their momencluding Omaha Westside, Bellevue West tum rolling after an astonishing win over and Elkhorn South. the Marian Crusaders who they hadn’t beat in 15 years. The match which went

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Junior Maggie Madej tips the ball over against Bellevue West. The Patriots went on to win this match 3-2. Photo by Logan Foote

Millard South football makes Creighton Prep fumble all four games Allison Kirkebak Sports Editor

The football games between the MilJr. Jays 36-0. lard South Patriots and Creighton Prep Jr. “The teams performance was the Jays are always great games to watch. The best I have seen in the 18 years I have past few years the Jr. Jays have been a hard been the Reserve Coach,” said head team to beat for Patriots, but this year, it’s a coach Shaun Tevis. “From the opendifferent story. ing kickoff until the clock reached “We haven’t played Prep’s varsity in a all zeros in the 4th quarter, it was all few years but their JV/Reserve and Freshbusiness. It’s been a while since the men programs are usually very good,” said Reserve team has beat Prep and this head varsity football coach Andy Means, group wasn’t going to stop until that “winning the games against them is a great changed. They played to win every way for our program to start the season.” play.” The Patriots JV team was the first to The Reserve team has many face off against the Jr. Jays. The Patriots had sophomores that play on JV and Vara tough battle, but sity, so for the got the job done From the opening kickoff until game against beating them 16Jr. Jays, the the clock reached all zeros in the 7. numbers for the the 4th quarter, it was all busi- Reserve team “I was ness extremely proud was down. of how the play “That ers executed our being said, –Reserve Head Coach game plan on some positions Shaun Tevis both sides of the don’t have very ball,” said head many backups. coach Jeff Purcell. “They showed a sense of Sophomore, Kutty George played toughness we have been looking for at the many roles in our win against Prep,” JV level for the past few years.” said Tevis, “George is a receiver and Purcell continued and exclaimed linebacker, but against prep he also that the JV athletes have stepped up to the played Defensive End, Kicker, and on plate more and more each year. Overall the the Offensive Line.” level of play has increased year after year The Patriot Freshmen A team and is developing the future of the varsity game was no different. Freshman running back Gage Mack runs the ball in the game against Elkhorn South with the final program. The Freshmen A Patriots folscore of 21- 12. “In the Prep game I would say our lowed in the Reserve teams footsteps “He rarely comes off the field and had half would win the game. Our guys came defense as a whole had an impressive show- and shutout the Jr Jays 35-0. Assistant a really nice game,” said Renken. out fired up!” ing and on the Offensive side, Harding (our coach Brett Kelly told the team that as The Patriot Freshman B team was McDonald is on his second year of QB) looked really good in his first game long as he has been coaching, he has never the last to play the Jr. Jays, and they kept teaching and coaching and really motivated running the offense after playing WR as a beaten Prep, which made the team feel the winning streak alive. The Freshman B the teams in everything that they do acfreshman,” said Purcell, even better. Patriots beat the Jr. Jays 24-6. cording to Renken and Grant. “I’m proud of the team and we need to play “After the game the boys were “The B team stayed together through “Coach McDonald has done a great at that level of intensity week in and week pumped, and their performance was solid,” out the whole game, ” said head coach Paul job of providing leadership and modeling out in order to continue on our path of said head coach Tyler Renken, the football Grant, what intensity looks like for our players!” Millard South’s rise to the top again.” class 2022, has a bright future if they decide “We were only winning 8-6 at half, exclaimed Grant. Following the JV’s great win, the Pato work hard and play for one another.” coach John McDonald told them whomtriot Reserve team was up next to face off Freshman Phillip Mekna has been a ever came with more intensity in the 2nd against the Jr. Jays. The Patriots shutout the lead by example type of guy for the team.

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Sports 9 • 21 • 2018

High school football gets ‘classy’ Jack Towne Staff Reporter This fall, be on the lookout for four new teams on the competition fields of Nebraska high school athletics. With the NSAA issuing new guidelines for their class system, any school with 425 or more boys enrolled will make up Class A. The old standard of total enrollment, rather than the enrollment of boys, allowed Gretna, Elkhorn, Elkhorn South, and Columbus to remain in Class B. No more, as they will be joining the top echelons of football in Nebraska following the rules switch. With 32 teams already leaving Class A feeling a bit crowded, all indications point to the expansion continuing. There are plans for a 3rd Elkhorn high school, a 7th Lincoln high school, a 3rd Papillion high school, and 2 new Omaha Public Schools high schools. All of these would almost certainly be big enough for Class A. That means within the next 10 years or so there will be 5 new teams in Class A. What impact will this have on competition, especial-

ly down the stretch looking at the playoffs? With a 16 team playoff in Class A football, 32 teams will fight harder than ever to make it in. Conversely, with only 23 teams in Class B and the same tournament structure, there could be some (2-7) or (3-6) teams that sneak in, perhaps setting up some early round blowouts. All of the new teams in Class A had quite a bit of success in Class B. Elkhorn South in their short eight years of existence, managed to win 2 football state championships, led by running back Moses Bryant who will be walking on for the Nebraska Cornhuskers this year. They went (10-2) last year and made it the state semifinals, losing to the eventual state champions. Elkhorn has not only had success in Class B, going (6-5) and making it to the state quarterfinals, Junior Chase Perchal carries the ball against Gretna’s Jackson Alexander. The but they moved up to Class A in Patriots won 27-0 in their home opener. Photo by Logan Foote 2009 and had success. Going 9-3, they made it to the Class A playoff semifinal, losing to the eventual (1-2), respectively. state champions, the Millard South You might ask, as fans of Class A football, what Patriots. Gretna went (11-1) last year making it to the should you expect in coming years? Expect new and Class B semifinal, and Columbus went (7-3) with a quarexciting matchups and rivalries to form, for a lot of new terfinals appearance. faces to come to Class A, and maybe a few old ones to So, with impressive records in both Class B and, for leave. Football in Nebraska has been in need of major resome, Class A football, how will they fare in the 2018 alignments for a long time, and now that it’s here, expect season? So far, results have been mixed. Elkhorn South has started the season with 3 wins, beating rival Elkhorn, the main beneficiary to be yourselves, the fans, who will experience improved competitiveness across the board. Millard North, and Lincoln North Star in convincing fashion. On the other hand, the Gretna Dragons, following an (11-1) season in Class B, have started the season with 3 losses. Elkhorn and Columbus have started the season (2-1) and

Tennis is “love”-ing the new season

Carina Covington Sports Editor

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The varsity tennis team is turnPatriots won 6-3 over Omaha Central. ing heads and taking names as they With outstanding performances from conquer the season with the best all the varsity squad. around team Millard South has seen in Millard South took home more the last 20 years. Although the season hardware in the Fremont and Lincoln is still young, the team is setting big Southwest Invite. Jonathan and Ethan goals for a top 5 finish in the state tour- Warner took home a first place medal nament. in doubles. At their first two invites, the boys “I set the expectations high but brought home 8 individual medals, a the players set the bar even higher. 2nd place, and 3rd place team overall They keep exceeding their expectations finish. Senior Camand raising eron Crump finished the bar in third place in sinthemselves.” gles at Papio South Coach and placed second in Rodensingles at the Lincoln berger said Northeast Invite. about this Ian Haakinson took year’s team. second place finishes Millard in singles in both South’s sucinvites. cess carried “The key is through keeping a next point into the mentality,” HaakinMillard son said. Haakinson North inviis currently playing tational. his fourth and final The team season for the Patriclaimed ots. another 3rd As for doubles, place overall Senior Dylan Devries prepares to return Ethan and Jonathan finish. a serve from Papillion LaVista’s Matthew Warner took fifth Ethan and Targy. Photo by Garrett Carbullido place in the first Jonathan invite. They improved over the next Warner lost a heartbreaking doubles week and took third place in their next match 9-7 to claim the second place invite. Ryan Carey and Dylan Devries medal. Ian Haakinson took home the took a third place finish in the Papio third place finish in singles. South invite. “Every week we all practice and “Our biggest advantage is that we work hard to improve. We are always outwork our opponents. Anyone that shooting for that first place finish.” comes to a match can see that. Our Haakinson said. players leave it all on the court every time.” Head coach Rodenberger said about the success his team is having. In the first dual of the season, the

Sports 9 • 21 • 2018

Senior Ethan Warner hits a ball in his match against Papillion LaVista’s Jackson Slizinski on Sept. 6th. Photo by Garrett Carbullido

Junior Kali Herbolsheimer and the varsity girl’s golf team placed third in last week’s Omaha South invite. Photo by Logan Foote

Junior Roni Foote celebrates after scoring against Lincoln Pius X. The Patriots won 14-1 in three innings on Aug. 22. Photo by Logan Foote

Senior Josh Arends runs at the Millard South invite while teammates senior Lyla Zornic and junior Hannah Denson cheer him on. Photo by Cameron Merritt

Senior Kelsey Olson eyes the ball as it flies over the net. The Patriots beat Bellevue West 3-2 on Sept. 11, which was also Olson’s birthday. Photo by Logan Foote

Softball earns 600th win Carina Covington Sports Editor

The Patriot softball team has a new magic number: 600. They recently celebrated their 600th win in program history at Millard South. Not only did the girls hit the 600th win, but they also took claim of the Westside tournament championship plaque for the third year in a row. The 200th, 400th, and 600th program wins have all occurred at the Westside Invite. The countdown of total wins began in 1993 when the first year of sanctioned high school softball began in Nebraska. Now, the Patriots have accomplished the remarkable milestone of 600 program wins in 26 years.

The softball program achieved their 200th program win in 2001 after winning the Westside Invite with the former head coach Chuck Burney. Steve Kerkman has been the head coach of Millard South for the last 17 years. He has been apart of the 300th, 400th, 500th, and 600th programs wins. Kerkman also coached his way past former head softball coach Chuck Burney after getting his 204th win. “Coach speak says let’s go get win 601,” Kerkman said about the next goal for the The varsity softball team celebrates their Championship win at the Westside Invite against Linsoftball team. coln North Star with a final score of 5-3. This game also marked the Patriots 600th game win. Photo by Josh Ferdico