C ommon Sense Millard South High School • 14905 Q St. • Omaha, Neb., 68137
December 18, 2020
Volume 21 Issue 3
UpLifts Music
f lat but performances feel
Halle Benson Co-Editor In Chief December is one of the busiest months for the Millard South Music Department. Almost every week, there would be a different group using the stage to practice and present for their families and friends. Sadly, with the new COVID-19 procedures, things had to change for these activities in order to perform their concerts. “It’s virtually impossible to duplicate the music ensemble experience remotely. The way it feels to play music with other people all in the same room together is something that can’t be artificially engineered,” orchestra director Brittany Rom said. Everyone in the music department has run into their own problems with their students when practicing. All choir classes had to be moved into the auditorium to ensure social distancing, and both band and choir had to spread out in their rooms. Overall, trying to be in sync with remote students is one of the hardest things teachers deal with. “Singing in the auditorium all spread out when the singers can’t hear each other and we can’t hear them just makes for a really hard process to prepare music,” choir director Jason Stevens said. A big part of music is listening to each other when singing or playing an instrument. With the students being socially distant, it has become a lot harder for them to process the music they are working on. “It’s hard to be confident when you don’t have anyone to stick by you. The music department is supposed to be like family, but it’s harder to connect when wearing masks and staying far away from each other,” senior Jen Riedl said. There are some specific COVID procedures when it comes to singing and making music. Choir students are not allowed to sing for more than 30 minutes at a time. Band students can play for a certain amount of time before needing to stop to let the ventilation flow through the room. All students in the band also wear special masks to enable safe playing in the classroom.
Taliyah Winn safely plays the flute during band class. Photo by K.J Ellison
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The music department is supposed to be like family, but it’s harder to connect when wearing masks and staying far away.
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– Senior Jen Riedl
Orchestra students practice for their virtual concert. Photo by Carah Jones
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Millard South introduces political party clubs.
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“As long as we can still make music, we are still moving in the right direction,” Rom said. One of the biggest concerns for the music department is finances. There are a lot of different ways these groups make money throughout the year, but with COVID being a huge problem, funding has been limited. Fortunately, the orchestra department has been eligible to do their annual coffee sales fundraiser. The choir department has asked people who stream their upcoming concert for donations to help cover the costs for streaming their performance. The band department hasn’t done a fundraiser yet, but is expecting to do their Amazon Smile fundraiser very soon. “As for fundraising, besides what I’m physically charging people, like our usual band fees at the beginning of the semester, we’re not bringing in any money at
Commen Sense Staff tastes test holiday cookies.
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Junior Ondrey Valentine rehearses with the tenors in Singers. Photo by Olivia Palmer
this point,” director of bands Darren Myers said. The group performances this year are all pre recorded and will be put on a streaming platform for families and friends to enjoy. Olivia Palmer, K.J Ellison, Natalie Fedde, and Lauren Rayner contributed to the story.
New Netflix Christmas show puts audiences in the holiday spirit.
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Girls Varisty Basketball prepares for their new season.
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She’s on a RO Courtney Stroebele Staff Reporter other game; the team with the most points wins. To score points in a derby, the jammer must pass through the opposing Tabitha Busse, a junior at Millard team’s blockers and each blocker is worth South, is currently on the Omaha Junior one point. You can end in a tie but it is Roller Derby. very rare and unlikely because the points Being part of the roller derby is being get too high. Some games both teams can part of a rapid-fast and thrilling environend up with more than 200 points. Busse ment. In a game there are two teams vers- points out that, “games are two 30 minute ing each other on a track. There are five halves. Each half has a series of ‘jams’ players on the track at a time from each which is the time for actual game play. team, a jammer, Between each three blockers, jam the teams The sport is super fast-paced and a pivot. The can switch out and exciting, and it is really jammer scores the players and get points, and you on track within entertaining to watch and to can tell who the 15 seconds.” play. jammer is because There is a lead they have a star on jammer in their cap helmet. the jams and –Tabitha Busse The three blockit is whoever ers goal is to try scored the first and stop the other point. team’s jammer from scoring points. The “The jams can end early if the lead pivot is more of a utility player, they are jammer taps their hips and they can end able to block the other team’s jammer, the jam session before the two minutes and can switch places with their team’s are up. The reason the lead jammer might jammer to score points. The pivot is discall a jam early is to prevent the other tinguishable by the stripe that is on their team from scoring any more points,” Busse cap helmet. Busse mainly plays a blocker said. trying to increase her jammer skills. Busse Busse says that, “I got into roller derby says that, “for the jammer and pivot to because I came across a game on TV. I switch positions the jammer must take thought it looked cool and interesting and off their cap and pass it to the pivot. The I wanted to try it. I checked if we had any cap cannot be tossed or touch the floor, teams in Omaha and there was one so I otherwise the pass is considered to be joined.” incomplete.” Busse joined because it peaked her Roller derby might not be a very interest on TV, but her other teammates popular sport, but it is a lot like other joined for different reasons. To be a sucsports. Winning a derby is just like every cessful roller derby player you must attain
News 12 • 18 • 2020
Junior Tabitha Busse jams around the roller-rink
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Patriot Pets
Abby is a blind dog who is super fun and enerjetic that also loves barking at squirrels and going on car rides. Belongs to Haley Dougherty
Rocky loves to be
outside and knows
many tricks such as roll over, high five, and, of course, sit.
Belongs to Paige Woods
By Paige Winchester. Want to see your pet here? Email pwinchester180@millardps.org
art by Keely King
Busse poses with her team after an exciting game. Photo courtesy of Busse.
the skills of having the ability to pay attention and communication skills. “You need to know where everyone is on the track and what other players are trying to do. You also need to be able to communicate with other teammates about what is going on,” Busse said. Busse says she likes everything about roller derby. “It is a lot of fun to play games,” she said. “The sport is super-fast paced and exciting, and it is really entertaining to
watch and to play.” Some people might consider roller derby players to be intimidating, Busse says but she says the stereotype is wrong. “The people who play derby are the best. Everyone is laid back and very nice people to be around.” Busse said she thinks roller derby is not a popular sport because it is confusing to understand, but only because it is not as well known as other sports.
Companies invest in Covid Sam Tews Staff Reporter Covid 19 has altered what “normal” is, changing many aspects of our daily lives and since we’ve been living with it for about a year now, that new normal has settled in. Businesses have used that new normal as a way to capitalize on the virus, with companies selling things that they wouldn’t have just a year ago; such as when General Motors manufactured ventilators or the many clothing brands that now produce masks. Plus, the 2020 holiday season is upon us and you’re bound to see products related to covid along with various holiday merchandise. The commercialization of covid really took off when the pandemic first hit, causing many companies to rethink their business. Leading them to retool their production lines in order to make products for aiding the fight against the virus. Prominent examples of this could include auto manufacturers General Motors and Ford dedicating parts of their assembly line to the production of ventilators and respirators, which greatly helped hospitals treating more serious cases of covid. While companies that had previously produced masks ramped up production, many clothing and fabric brands were also going through great effort to make millions of masks for the public. Fashion brand Reformation alone made 5 million masks for the Los Angeles area. Even some alcoholic beverage companies used their distilleries to produce hand sanitizer. After the pandemic slightly died down at the middle of the year, most of the companies previously mentioned no longer needed to assist in the manufacture of covid relief products as the businesses that had manufactured those products before 2020 were able to take over again. Since then, other businesses have hopped on the bandwagon and are finding their own ways to make a profit off of the virus. Many other fashion brands that had previously not produced masks now make them. Creating a whole new category in fashion of “designer masks”, which could set you back anywhere
from 20-40 bucks. It’s not just high end fashion brands that are now making masks however, many other brands that we see everyday; such as under armour, old navy, and adidas stated mask production. So now if you go into basically any place that sells clothes, you’re gonna find masks too. It’s no wonder the face mask industry was projected to grow to a 7 billion dollar industry back when the pandemic first hit. Many other industries have seen increased business. Delivery services and remote work/ communication software are among the most successful. Hungry but don’t wanna go out cause of Covid? Just order it from a service like Grubhub or Doordash. And if you haven’t heard of Zoom then you’ve probably been living under a rock for a while now. With at least 100 million people using Zoom on a daily basis, it has become one of the most popular video communication apps; in fact, the amount of daily users sometimes spikes to as high as 300 million. Due to this massive influx of new users, the company raised their projected revenue from their $623 million estimate to a whopping 2.4 billion dollars in revenue through January 2021. While Covid’s commercialization has helped many industries thrive this year, others haven’t been so lucky in their attempts to adapt to our new normal. The cinema industry is one that was hit hard by the pandemic and is still struggling. Do you remember the last movie you watched in a theater? I know I don’t. The theater that I went to the most even closed for good fairly recently. The company that the theater belonged to, AMC theaters, has been facing many financial issues since the beginning of the pandemic; and they were one of the most successful cinema companies by number of screens. They are still struggling to get customers to come back. Many other theaters across the United States have been plagued by this problem and studios opting to send new releases straight to streaming services definitely isn’t helping.
News 12• 18 • 2020
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There’s more than one Patriot party Lane Howard Online Editor
schools,” said Benjamin Jackson. “Millard South 2020 has been a turbulent year politically, and was the only school without one.” it was no different at Millard South. In addition to a Jackson said that he started the club this debates about the global pandemic, mass protests, and year partially because it was an election year. a major election, He also said that it was this year also feaimportant to have a place We want to start organizing comtured the foundfor people with like-minded munity service events we can work ing of two new political views to discuss on with High School Democrats and safely. clubs at Millard South: the Young “We really just have a make a safer space for republican Republicans and safer space for high schoolhigh-schoolers. the High School ers who are Republican, but Democrats. they can’t really share their “I was the views in school because –Sophomore Benjamin Jackson first one to start they get maligned from the club. I got other people and they get an email from - not really bullying - but a friend at West they get looked down upon who said ‘You for their views,” Jackson should start one,’ so I went up to the party office and said. “We want to have that safe space so we can High School Democrats. Photo from @hsda_mshs on instagram. they had college kids that helped start up clubs at high all come together and be like ‘Hey, you’re not dumb, we have the same thoughts ters, different people that are running, raising money on these things.’” The High School Democrats were also and awareness,” said Brooks. “So basically what we do is we have our meetlooking for a place to share their views ings, we come in, we talk politics and have fun times,” with others without judgement. They said Jackson. “We want to start organizing commualso cited growing tension over the past nity service events we can work with the High School year. Democrats on.” This potential bipartisan cooperation is “A lot of it had to do with how things generally unseen in our current political climate, espeboiled up, a lot of tension started over cially during such a big election year. the summer with Black Lives Matter Neither club said the election has changed their plans protests and immigration getting bad, for the rest of the year. “There’s always political topics a lot of things hit the point where like, to talk about,” said Jackson. we thought that we should get involved Both the High School Democrats and the Young somehow,” said Allie Brooks, financial Republicans are holding meetings for those who want director for the High School Democrats. to discuss politics with like-minded people. Both clubs have started meetings “A lot of people have criticized the fact that it is a polititwice a month, and both have different cal thing, like ‘We shouldn’t bring politics into schools,’” goals. “We fundraise and raise awareness for said Brooks. “We are the future generation and we are the ones who are going to have to vote.” different political issues like Black Lives High School Republicans. Photo by Cadence Russel. Matter, immigration - the detention cen-
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Opinion 12 • 18 • 2020
Staff Editorial:
A 10-point grading scale would be the Christmas gift students need For more than 20 years, Millard Public Schools has graded their students utilizing the 7-point scale. This system determines grades using seven percentage points for each letter grade; 93-100% for a 1, 85-92% for a 2, so on and so forth. While the 7-point scale has been in use by the district for as long as anyone can remember, Millard could benefit from switching to a 10-point scale. The 10-point scale is functionally identical to the 7-point scale, but instead of seven percentage points for each letter grade, there are ten. This would implement as: 90-100% for a 1, 80-89% for a 2, and most importantly, a 60-69% for a 4. Instead of the current 69% needed to get a passing grade, students would be able to pass their classes with a 60%. Millard has discussed implementing the 10-point scale in the past but no art by Keely King changes have ever been made. Considering the current circumstances and also the inherent benefits, now is the time for Millard to reopen talks about possibly making the transition. One of the primary reasons Millard should switch to the 10-point scale is for uniformity with higher education. Almost all universities grade off the 10-point scale. With the level of emphasis Millard puts on preparing its students for college, it seems strange that the district doesn’t grade with the same structure as universities. In addition, it seems backwards that high school and middle school students in Millard have a more strict grading standard than university students.
It’s not just universities that are using the 10-point scale, however. The Lincoln, Papillion-La Vista, and Westside districts all use a 10-point grading system. Millard gives their students a competitive disadvantage when applying for college by using the 7-point scale. For students at the districts currently using the 10-point scale, it’s easier to get 1s than for Millard students. This means it is easier for students from Lincoln, Papillion, and Westside to maintain a 4.0 GPA, giving them advantages over Millard students in acquiring scholarships. A common criticism leveled against the 10-point scale is that it would lower the standards of academic performance because it is easier to pass classes. However, Papillion and Westside have consistently performed similarly to Millard on statewide tests and received the same District Classification rating of Great from the Nebraska Department of Education. This shows that the 10-point scale doesn’t lower the standard for education. The 10-point scale would be a good system to introduce at any time, but now more than ever it would be a good idea to implement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students (especially remote learners) are falling behind in their classes. Unlike the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year however, there won’t be a bailout. There’s no option for pass-fail and many of last semester’s forgiving grading policies are gone. Students will be given a letter grade with no negotiations, and the district might not like what they see when the final grades roll in. Introducing the 10-point scale could be just what students need to make it into passing territory or jump to the letter grade they want.
Re 'tales' of a wage working teen I’ve officially been working in retail since August, and I can firmly say that I won’t miss it once I’m gone. I can easily say that I’ve dealt with more frustration and miscommunication over the past four months than I have during my entire high school career. I’ve been misinformed, talked down to, and dealt with some of the most infuriating customers one can possibly imagine. But most of the problems I have had stem from the same source, management. I can say with 100 percent confidence that working in retail is pure torment if your manager isn’t good at the one thing they’re supposed to do, managing. I first noticed that things were wrong at the beginning when I began working. I had gone through some orientation on a computer and watched four hours of videos that only succeeded in confusing me more than actually helpAlex Tippets Staff Secretary ing me. When I finally finished all of that, I was
sent to the floor for the first time. That was where the fun began. I met my two supervisors; they were actually pretty chill and understanding, but that didn’t make them good teachers. I was taught how to read some numbers on a label, and then I was unleashed on my own with no further tips or directions. It didn’t go well. By the end of my first shift I was tired, frustrated with myself, and sweaty. For the first month or two, all the learning I did, I learned from doing something incorrectly. “You put partial stock in over-stock? Management won’t like that. You followed the schedule app and have been taking meals? Sorry that’s not how it works. You only get lunches when working 6+ hours.” Needless to say, I was extremely frustrated and embarrassed for quite awhile. During that time I finally met my manager. He’s the reason I almost decided to quit my job after only two months. My manager, let’s call him Pete, was hard to read. I couldn’t tell if he was strict, if he was nice, or if he was just awkward. I’m still not exactly sure, but what I do know now is that I’m glad he isn’t my manager anymore. Pete had a way of making me feel stupid when I did something wrong. While my supervisors were relatively understanding and made sure to explain things to me, Pete would chide me as if I was a child. My biggest pet peeve in the world is being patronized/being talked down to, and Pete had it down to an art form. It made going up and asking him questions or asking what to do next my biggest fear. I would draw out my tasks as long as I could so that I wouldn’t have to interact with him. It didn’t help that he was mostly in charge since one of my supervisors changed departments around a month in,
and my other supervisor is getting married soon so he’s not around a ton. I was miserable. It also didn’t help that I was being scheduled almost every day of the week. It eventually got to the point where I was scheduled to work 33 hours in a single week. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. When I went up to Pete and said I needed to change my availability, he seemed skeptical like I was trying to get out of pulling my own weight. He didn’t say anything so I then explained how I can’t go to school full time and work 33 hours in a week. Even he seemed surprised I was scheduled the whole week and took a shift off for me. He also changed my availability and I finally had a manageable schedule where I could earn money and get school work done (even though it took three weeks to go into effect). After I began working normally again, I learned that Pete was no longer my manager; he had switched to only working when the store needed him. I was ecstatic. My department has a new team lead who is pretty cool, and the black friday rush has finally subsided. Things are better lately, but they still aren’t perfect. My back has been giving me some problems. I will stand up and immediately keel over because I moved wrong. Then there’s the fact that most of the workers that I had gotten used to working with have left in the last month. Now I have to adjust to an entirely new environment all over again. I’m currently job searching in my free time, and I hope I can find a new job sometime soon that pays well, because in my opinion- retail stinks.
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Opinion 12 • 18 • 2020
Two can be as bad as one
I didn’t vote. Many would consider me lucky for having my 18th birthday not long before what many considered the most important election the United States has had in a long time, but I think otherwise. This election brought a lot more stress than hope regarding the future. Both candidates had pretty defining flaws that made both seem unsuitable to represent the United States and its people. The media is critical of every tiny mistake made by both the current president and the president-elect. Influential news stations almost always have some sort of party affiliation that immediately makes them a biased source of information regarding political coverage. It’s hard to determine which information is important and which is blown well out of proportion and exaggerated greatly to meet the goal of convincing me that one candidate is better than the other. There was a time when elections were focused on the future plans of each political party rather than the small mistakes the candidates themselves made in the past. The current political climate is incredibly negative. Both Biden and Trump have been discredited to the point that I don’t want to vote for either. When neither candidate seems appealing, what other options are there? Believe it or not, there are more than two political parties. Two other parties were options on the 2020 primary ballot. The Libertarian party and the Green party both had candidates on the ballot, Gary Johnson and Howie Hawkins respec-
tively. Libertarians believe every individual has the right to control her or his body. The Green party is a self-proclaimed “eco-socialist” party focused highly on environmental concerns such as global warming. The number of political parties is far greater than just those four: Democrat, Green, Libertarian, and Republican. Some other parties include Reform, Socialist, Natural Law, and Constitution parties. Each and every one is different comparatively on their stances on some of the pressing issues of the times. Oftentimes, three of the many minor political parties are listed on the ballot and a space for both the president and vice president is provided for you to write out names of quite literally any person you care to vote for. There are a lot of options but anyone you ask would tell you that choosing anything other than the Democratic or Republican candidates is a waste of a vote. This almost universally accepted idea has kept our government generally bipartisan even though both parties may not be reflective of the current ideology of the majority. It is so highly encouraged that many individuals will vote blindly because they feel pressured into voting. Extensive research is required nowadays because you have to find both Democratic and Republican coverage of events. You have to compare the perspectives and decide which or what specific details feel more trustworthy. Perspectives on political events and actions must be compared and sifted through to find the truth be-
hind the influential motives of each party. Nobody should vote on a whim. Overall, take the media’s information with a grain of salt. Political motives have seeped into and infested our once trustworthy news and entertainment outlets. While the Democratic and Republican parties get a majority of the votes, don’t let that discourage you from expressing support and voting for a lesser known 3rd party that better suits your morals. Future elections for me will require extensive research that I may not have the time for. While every vote counts, I will not cast a ballot with a choice I’m questioning. It’s not my civil duty to cast an uneducated vote. Cadence Russell Staff Reporter
My life as a quaran 'teen'
I won't 'mask' you again
From the beginning of the semester to now there have been many positive cases and many people going into quarantine, however, I have managed to stay away from any positive test and have been assigned a mandatory quarantine. Is there a trick to it? Ever since the virus has started there have been precautions my family and I have taken to keep us all safe from the virus. Ever since the lockdown happened all the way back in March of the beginning of 2020 we had started to wear masks and sanitize often. We immediately started ordering groceries online and picking them up via curbside pickup and only ever got fast food through drive through and took it home. There weren't very many places I went during the lockdown, I did online school and hangout with people in either groups of 2 or 3. And that was what my whole summer looked like. Then comes around August when school is starting back up again; I wasn't sure if I was ready to come back to school in person but in the end I made the decision to be in person learning. And since we did the 50/50 for the first 2 weeks of school, I then knew I absolutely could not learn online and I had to be in person. This is also when my marching season here at Millard South started, we still had our season even though all of our competitions were canceled; we had masks on when we were close enough together and when we were successfully socially distanced we were allowed to take them off and play our music. As the cases got worse I started
COVID-19 cases in Omaha have been on a consistent increase, and, not only is this fact extremely dangerous, but it also calls for regulations in order to slow the spread. Students and teachers were warned in August about how masks will be required in all Millard buildings, and there have also been mandates set in Douglas county. In the beginning of first semester Millard South was very good at enforcing the mask requirements. Students were consistently wearing their masks in the hallway and were aware of when it was appropriate to take off their masks. In recent weeks, not only I, but other students have noticed a massive incline in the amount of students who are not wearing masks the correct way. Not only students, but also teachers who are not wearing the appropriate masks, and not correcting students who are not wearing them. I truly believe that students should be allowed and be supported to correct other students and staff who are not wearing their masks correctly. In order to ‘slow the spread’ of COVID-19, there needs to be more drastic measures set in place to ensure that people in the building are wearing their masks. One of my ideas is that teachers should be allowed to hand out consequences to those who are not wearing their masks, through handing out detention slips, giving out extra assignments, or even hosting a required COVID-19 lesson night. Treating it like a detention, students would be required to attend a lecture about COVID-19 and its negative effects,
being more careful; I always kept my mask on and worn properly throughout the school day. I used hand sanitizer and washed my hands every chance I could get. To prevent yourself from getting the virus you have to put in the effort to stop the spread. And I never go out in crowds, if I decide to hangout with friends there's never more than 3 people in the group If you want to prevent yourself from having to quarantine or from getting the virus at all you just have to follow all of the safety protocols that are provided, don't go out in public too much, and don't go to parties with 100 plus people in them, go in small gatherings and always wear a mask.
Paige Winchester Staff Reporter
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.
Editors-in-Chief Halle Benson Natalie Fedde Features Editor Hailee Wakefield Sports Editor Ally Seevers Opinions Editor Joni Beauchamp
Entertainment Editor Carah Jones
symptoms, the way it is spread, etc. Another idea is that students should be welcomed to correct their teachers and other adults in the buildings who are not wearing masks. Adults should be especially aware of the dangers of COVID-19 transmission, and there are no excuses for not wearing your mask during class. Remember to attempt to avoid crowded areas, closed spaces, and close-contact settings. It takes all of us to beat COVID, so I beg you, please do your part.
Hailee Wakefield Features Editor
Staff Cartoonists Keely King KJ Ellison
Staff Secretary Alex Tippets
InDepth Editor KJ Ellison
Chief Headline Writer Alex Tippets
Online Editor Lane Howard
Staff Reporters Cadence Russell Lauren Rayner Sam Tews Courtney Stroeble Joey Kaipust Paige Winchester
Business Manager Olivia Palmer
Adviser Christine Kaldahl
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Features 12 • 18 • 2020
How the cookies
crumbled
During the holiday season, there are many desserts that are very popular, and arguably the most popular holiday season dessert is cookies. Whether they are homemade from your grandma, or store bought from the shelves, cookies are a household favorite for many families during the holiday season. However, there’s a question that plagues the world: Which holiday cookie reigns superior to them all? The Common Sense team decided to take on this question head on and taste test 6 of the arguably most popular cookie flavors of the holiday season to try and score on a ten point scale. The cookie flavors that we decided on were as follows: sugar, ginger, chocolate krinkle, peanut butter drops, chocolate mint chip, and spritz. On a 1-to-10 scale, we rated the cookies based on personal opinions and tastes. After processing the scoring, we discovered that the least favorite cookie of the bunch was the spritz cookie with a score of 2.9 out of ten. They were, unsurprisingly, made by Mrs. Kaldahl herself. The rankings then continued from lowest to highest was sugar with a score of 5.5, chocolate mint chip with a score of 5.6, ginger with a score of 5.9, peanut butter drops with a score of 6.5, then the highest ranked cookie was the chocolate crinkle cookie with a score of 6.6 out of 10. “My favorite flavor is chocolate, so when I took a bite of the chocolate crinkle cookie, it was like heaven” exclaimed sophomore Ally Seevers. In addition to scoring holiday cookies, the Common Sense staff also decorated sugar cookies to get into the holiday spirit. With many beautiful and creative designs and decorations, it was obvious that holiday cookies really bring the spirit into a room, no matter what flavor they are. The Common Sense Staff would like to give a big special thanks to Shandy’s Bakery for providing all of the amazing cookies for our story and our paper!
chocolate mint chip
chocolate krinkle
ginger sugar peanut butter drop spritz
Features 12 • 18• 2020
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art by Keely King
Halle Benson Co-Editor in Chief
Remembering 2020
As everyone is aware, 2020 is the wackiest year ever. So many things happened this year, some good and some bad, but have no fear, this year is almost over. There are still a couple weeks left in the year, and once this year is over, hopefully things should get better. Since it is December, it would be a good time to do a review of everything that has happened this year. Not everything from this year will be highlighted in this article, only the events that were talked about the most will be brought up. The year starts off with January! Everyone in the United States is celebrating a new year with new goals and new memories. Within the first week, there have rumors of World War III being thrown around all over the internet. Following those rumors, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry give their official announcement to take a “step back” from the royal family. Then, at the end of the month, the news reports that both Kobe
and Gianna Bryant died in a helicopter crash. A terrible start to the new year. In February, bushfires began to intensify in Australia, covering hundreds of thousands of acres. Then, New York City officially shut down Broadway and many of the touring shows due to concerns of the virus. On the bright side, the Superbowl took place and the Kansas City Chiefs won for the first time in years. At this point, coronavirus cases were slowly rising in the United States, but it wasn’t until March (more specifically March 13) when the whole country went into lockdown. People lost their jobs, schools moved to virtual learning, and hand sanitizer and toilet paper was becoming almost impossible to find at stores. At the very start of April, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry officially leave the royal family to live a somewhat normal life with their son. That news passes quickly once the Netflix Original Documentary Series, Tiger King, gains popularity and becomes one of the most talked about subjects this year. By the end of the month, the United States
pases over one million positive COVID-19 cases. The events of 2020 are quiet for a while in May, until a man named George Floyd is killed in police custody in Minnesota. This sparks the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement to bring attention to how unfairly black people are treated all over the world (and especially in America). Towards the end of June, the World Health Organization reports over 10 million COVID-19 cases in the world, continuing to warn people to wear a mask in public and stay safe. In July, the first reports of the murder hornets appeared in the state of Washington. Murder hornets haven’t been talked much since July, but they are contuining to be active in different places around the United States. More wildfires appear in August, except this time in California. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in fear of getting caught in the flames. The end of August brings the whole world great sadness with Chadwick Boseman’s death. Most people
know him as the Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but was a huge advocate for racial equality. The month of September didn’t get any better with the death of the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. By this time in the year, politics became a hot topic for people to talk about. The election was coming up and our top two candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, were meeting for a live debate throughout the months of September and October. After the first live debate, Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and was sent to the hospital, but made a quick recovery. The actual election day finally arrived in November, and the results of the 2020 election call Joe Biden to be the next president of the United States of America. It is now December and the year is coming to an end. While this year was a mess, there is still hope for next year to be better, but let’s not jinx it.
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Entertainment 12 • 18 • 2020
Netflix ‘Mank’s history
Mank is a lavish yet tedious tribute to classic Hollywood Lauren Rayner Staff Reporter
In a year of mainly mediocre films, getting a new project from the mighty, bleak David Fincher gave me an extreme amount of excitement. After 6 years, Fincher returned to create a dramatic, black and white, inspiring new flick, telling the story of 1930s Hollywood through the drunken screenwriter, Herman J. Mankiewicz, set to write 1941 classic film Citizen Kane. If there’s a movie likely to be in Oscars contention, Mank has deemed itself worthy of it. Although a bit slow and melodramatic at times, Mank certainly picks itself up in the second half of the movie, proving itself to be a semi-compelling and enlightening tale, despite its flaws. Unsurprisingly, the film was technically stunning in so many different ways. The overall aesthetic of the movie put me in a 1930s daze, along with the incredible, famous Fincher cinematography. Parts were filmed so meticulously, and the atmosphere of the entire movie felt so hearty and real. The score was excellent, and the production design was top notch. Mank has a gentle, tedious narrative that is simply a tribute to Citizen Kane. It isn’t fair to say the movie lacked substance, but it didn’t connect with me as much as other Fincher films had in the past. It doesn’t make the same strides Citizen Kane did, which as a result made it feel flat and often lifeless. Without much tension interlaced between scenes, Mank feels a bit half-baked or at least didn’t catch my attention
span. The acting was very realistic and enjoyable, with a great performance from Gary Oldman, and an even more incredible performance from Amanda Seyfried. When Seyfried appeared on screen, she instantly grabbed my
attention, as her performance and character were delightful. Playing Marion Davies was her greatest achievement so far, as she has proven herself to be an amazing actress since Mean Girls and Mamma Mia. Lily Collins also had a heartwarming, sensible performance that made the movie worthwhile. Like I mentioned before, although I think the technicalities of the film were fantastic, the film falls short in its screenplay and general structure. The film is filled to the brim with flashback scenes, which I wouldn’t have a prob-
lem with if they didn’t feel out of place and boring. Events in the past and the present seem to be poorly connected. A lot of the pacing feels off, as some parts seem to take their time building and brewing, while others go past in the blink of an eye before you even realize it. The concept of the movie had a lot more potential, showing an interesting piece of film history, but still didn’t shine in its narrative. The movie is nostalgic and sharp on its exterior, but weaker under the dazzling layers of precision and beautiful cinematography. The film feels like a love letter, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it does a wonderful job in my eyes capturing the essence of old Hollywood and its troublesome people. It’s a passion project that reunited people with one of their beloved directors and provided a story for old film devotees that can never get enough of smart retellings. Cinephiles who have a deep appreciation for this time period, or specifically Citizen Kane, would most likely have a field day with Mank, but for the general public, it may feel disjointed and sleepy. Although it is worthy of some praise for elements of the film, I just found it very difficult to form any emotional connection with the movie at all. Some scenes captivated me, making me feel spellbound, but others had me disinterested and waiting for the movie to carry along. I see people either loving or hating Mank, depending on the individual’s love for the era the movie is based on. With a superb aesthetic, but mundane feel, Mank is frankly a stagnant motion picture that I wish I liked more.
Dash-ing through My Epic the snow to a Lily- Obsession good show K.J Ellison In Depth Editor
Natalie Fedde Co-Editors in Chief ‘Tis the season which means holiday movies galore are premiering. This year, however, some holiday tv shows are taking the spotlight of favorite classics. Dash and Lily, a holiday romantic comedy series for teens, premiered on Nov. 10 on Netflix starring Austin Abrams and Midori Francis. As Netflix holiday projects tend to have mixed reviews, I was skeptical going in, but Dash and Lily is more than worth the watch. Dash and Lily is set in New York City right before Christmas and follows two teenagers with opposite views of the holiday. Lily loves Christmas but is devastated to find out her family will not be home this year. Dash is an old-fashioned scrooge but is looking forward to spending Christmas alone this year. The two cross paths by way of a notebook where they write to each other and challenge each other to try things they have never done. While Dash and Lily have never met in real life, they find themselves growing as people because of each other. Very quickly, this show became a new holiday favorite of mine. It has a premise that has never been done before and combines characters that aren’t often showcased in mainstream media. Lily is a quirky kid who loves making her own clothes and reading and caroling and never makes friends her own age despite being a very friendly person. Her quirky personality type isn’t the
typical love interest, giving representation to girls other than your standard rom-com lead. Dash and Lily takes the audience on an adventure, teaching people of all ages to break out of their comfort zone. While the main characters are teenagers, characters of all ages learn that living is about experiences. This brings a new sense of spirit to Christmastime and a lesson we’re not used to seeing. Traditional Christmas movies tend to guilt audiences into feeling bad for being upset around Christmastime, inspiring people to embrace family and be grateful for what they have. Dash and Lily flips this idea around by adding active energy into the themes it wants audiences to take away. It pushes audiences to enjoy the holidays in an unusual way and explore themselves and their passions. These ideas enhance the traditional view of the Christmas spirit by encouraging joy and excitement without repressing or feeling guilty for less positive feelings. With intriguing characters, a never-seenbefore plot premise, and a magical holiday vibe, Dash and Lily is the perfect tv show to get audiences into the Christmas spirit. It is unpredictable, taking the audience along on new adventures and letting the audience grow with the characters. Whether watching alone in bed or gathering with friends and family, Dash and Lily is a great show to watch for the holidays.
It was the beginning of the second quarter. I wasn’t used to being at school with everyone just yet, and I was finally free of the burden that was the ACT the seniors had to take a year late. I was looking for something to play on my brand new phone I had gotten for my birthday, something to waste my time now that I wasn’t so stressed out. I was on YouTube watching gaming videos when I saw an ad for a game I had never seen before. Epic Seven. A turn based RPG that had many anime characters that you could collect. At least that was the premise I got from the ad. It intrigued me, so I promptly downloaded the game. The downloading process took about 15 minutes. It didn’t bother me too much though, I just had to busy myself with something else to do. Loading up the game was cool. The sound design and music in this game is great! You’re immediately given cut scenes, where the game tells you your name is Ras, a person who was created by the world’s goddess. You are the Heir of the Covenant, the protector of the world Orbis, fighting against the evil Archdemon. The story is a little difficult to follow at times, but I was able to gather that the last time the Archdemon was reincarnated, Ras was badly injured, and did not reawaken to fight the Archdemon again until 20 years after it had already been
defeated a second time. This makes people in Orbis lose their faith in Ras and the goddess because he wasn’t there to protect them when the Archdemon came back. This leads to Ras making new friends, and vowing to earn the people’s trust again, all while evil plans are arising to bring back the Archdemon once and for all. This is only the first chapter! There are two more chapters, both with a little more than 10 individual world’s to traverse. Then there’s a prologue that takes place after the first chapter’s events, which is what I am currently working through. Story mode options are what I usually like to play with games, but there are other options for people as well. There are side stories that are changed every few weeks or so, and the developers give incentives for people to play those side stories, like material to summon new characters or material to level up your own characters. It was a little dawning at first, being thrusted into a completely new game where it seemed like legitimate pros were constantly leveling up. But I think the developers handled the competitiveness fantastically, since there are people like me who like to play the game for it’s story. I haven’t stopped playing every day for a little more than 3 months. This is definitely a game I’m going to keep playing for a long time.
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Entertainment 12 • 18 • 2020
Kai-pop sensation EXO star debuts his solo album KAI
Debuting in the K-pop group EXO in 2011, Kai has since found himself constantly in the spotlight as EXO’s most popular member in terms of engagement and followers. Debuting in SuperM in 2019 and sub groups of EXO, Kai has established himself as a multi talented artist, which has ushered him to the point of finally releasing his solo debut in late November of 2020. Many of his bandmates, such as Baekhyun and Sehun, have already released solo works, which made Kai’s solo work even more anticipated, possibly to see if it could or would live up to his success in EXO. Opening the album and being the only song with a music video, ‘Mmmh’ opens the album as a slow song that introduces the more sensual, R&B inspired concept that the album seems to stick to in general. ‘Mmmh’ is about becoming so obsessed or being so madly in love with someone that you would let them destroy you. You appreciate the person more as art, or somewhat ethereal, praising and loving them at their worst and your worst. ‘Nothing On Me’ is much more upbeat than ‘Mmmh,’ which is reminiscent of many of EXO’s earlier works which tend to be a mixture of a more pop inspired beat with R&B or hip-hop inspired lyrics. The song’s content is much more basic than ‘Mmmh’, or is closer in lyrical content to that of what you would hear
on the radio in the West. ‘Nothing On Me’ is reminiscent of many party songs from the late 2010’s, such as songs from artists such as Zayn or The Weeknd. Much like ‘Mmmh,’ ‘Amnesia’ is about being so in love with someone you only want to think about them, or making them the most important thing in your life as a whole. It could also be interpreted as needing them by your side at all times, or never being able to let them go. Imagining loving someone so much that you would like to forget everything from before you had them in your life. The overall vibe of this song is very euphoric and immersive as the song creates a very calming atmosphere.
Cool Beans
‘Reason’ is a very hip-hop inspired track compared to the others, being much more upbeat with a sound that feels like it’s meant to be played at a party or on the radio late at night. The song is about being at a party and with the person that’s described in the other songs and wanting to make some sort of great escape and spend time alone instead. ‘Ride Or Die’ creates a blissful atmosphere in which Kai sings about his partner and how committed he is to them. He speaks directly to this person, assuring them that they’re “ride or die,” or that they’ll always be together, no matter what obstacles they face. This track is very reminiscent of artists such as SZA, or even The Weeknds most recent projects. Finishing out the album and drawing some inspiration from chill-out hip-hop, ‘Hello Stranger’ is about meeting someone for the first time and having an overwhelming feeling of deja vu, or already having met this person before. Kai describes this feeling of being drawn to this person, yet wanting to make sure they feel the same way before he commits. This album in general is one of the most well crafted K-pop albums of 2020, and maybe one of the best in recent years, especially for a solo album. His first ever solo project has truly amazed many K-pop fans and has risen to the top of Itunes charts around the world.
Howlin’ Hounds helps Omaha stay awake Hailee Wakefield Features Editor
Down the street of the Durham Museum and around the block from the Orpheum theatre lies a small coffee shop by the name of Howlin’ Hounds. According to their website, Howlin’ Hounds used to be known as the Diamond Bar on 16th, and before COVID-19 they regularly held events and other meetings inside of the building. The building itself has been kept in the family, and was previously owned by Greg Sechser’s parents, and is currently being used by Sechser himself. An advocate for the improvement of the city of Omaha, Sechser participates in local politics and is very passionate about educating the younger generations about taking steps to make Omaha the best place it can possibly be. He is currently petitioning to have Jim Cavanaugh added to the ballot for mayor of Omaha in the election of 2021. Sechser and his coffee shop gave me heavy Great Gatsby vibes. A very eloquent man, we had a wonderful discussion about the city of Omaha and also his coffee. Not to mention, Sechser used nicknames that reminded me of Gatsby’s “old sport.” The building had lots of exposed brick and a large bar located immedi-
Graphic by Keely King
Joni Beauchamp Staff Reporter
ately inside, the ceilings were embellished in gold tile, and local art was hung on almost every wall. A large mural painted by Gerard Pefung adorned the back room wall near a small bookshelf and sitting area. Sechser and his espresso machine were behind the bar, and the feeling of ordering was very intimate in comparison to the usual commercial coffee shop. Sechser’s coffee place created an environment that felt safe and very neutral. When I visited, there were a lot of regulars who came in and out and Greg knew every single one of their names. I had originally sat at a counter a little further away from the main bar and closer to the entrance because at first I was almost intimidated by the regulars, but Sechser welcomed myself and my family with a smile and immediately made us feel very welcomed. “Coffee creates a community unlike any other,” Secher said. Small businesses are extremely important to Omaha, and COVID-19 is the biggest threat to them. Businesses everywhere are being forced to shut down due to the lack of money coming in and out. Now is the most important time to buy small and avoid big corporations. The coffee is very fairly priced. The beans he uses originates from Gimme! Coffee. A distributor located in Ithaca and Trumansburg, New York. They use sustainable and ethical practices to ensure everyone who has participated in the production of the product is getting what they earned, especially the farmers. The production of ethical beans has been a hot topic in the coffee conversation for a while. There Photos by Greg Sesher are lots of issues with the farmers of the beans being severely underpaid and the middle man ruining their a cold brew with a splash of cream and a little bit of profits. According to their website, Gimme! Coffee says, his homemade vanilla syrup. The brew was rich and “Gimme! Coffee has been a leader in the evolution of smooth unlike some coldbrews which are quite strong the third wave and the specialty coffee industry, and and bitter. The homemade vanilla made it rise to the we’re constantly keeping our eyes on the horizon. We next level of greatness, it was perfectly sweet enough earned Roast Magazine’s Macro Roaster of the Year without overdoing it. award in 2013 in recognition of our commitment to “I keep it pretty simple,” said Sechser when I asked quality and sustainability.“ him about what he makes in house. Vanilla and cara The menu that Greg has displayed on the wall was mel are obviously the two flavors that any coffee shop very simple and straight to the point. He offers a varineeds to carry, and the fact that they are made by Greg ety of products, including: bagged, whole bean coffee, himself is just another reason to visit. Sechser cares pour overs, cold brew, lattes, french press coffees, a about his product and about his business, and you are wide range of teas, and so much more. guaranteed a fantastic cup of coffee no matter what Although I am not a hot coffee person, Greg’s time, no matter what weather, and no matter what lattes looked magnificent and the smell of the espresmood you are in. so beans he used was wonderful. I instead opted for
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Sports 12 • 18 • 2020
Get’cha head in the game Ally Seevers Sports Editor
try to get the job done,” Olsen said. Not only did Millard South lose two incredible starters in Krull and Horan, but they also lost their As the previously #3 ranked Millard team leaders. South Girls Basketball team kicks off its “As a group, we’ve had five or 2020-21 season, the team will be drastisix kids step up,” Meyers said. “They cally different from last year after graduat- all look like they want to slide into ing over half of the squad, including D1 a bigger role, helping us in scoring, recruits Maddie Krull and Jayme Horan. and being a leader. So, again, I’m “We’ll be really young this year, but optimistic about the number of we will still have a lot of talent with kids kids stepping up to fill the void.” coming back,” head coach Bryce Meyers These girls have been doing said. “So we’ll be really young, but I am everything in their power to be the very optimistic as to how it will be this top-ranked team once again. year. We’re excited for the opportunity.” “It was a rough start…, but it “It’s going to be a big change, but I’m has gotten a lot better,” Olsen said. excited to see all the younger players from “We’re finally starting to play as a last year step up,” junior Megan Belt said. team, which is always good. It’ll be Left behind are the “Fab Five:” Cora exciting to see all the hard work Olsen, Mya Babbitt, Khloe Lemon, Juliana that we’ve been putting in pay off.” Jones, and Miranda Kelly. These now “I think we’ve been working sophomore stars plan to bring the team to really hard and preparing and getvictory along with Belt. ting ready for games. Just trying to “It’s going to be a lot different,” Olsen pick up where the seniors left off said. “It already is, but I’m still confident last year,” Belt said. in the team that we have and all of the Added to the roster, freshplayers that are on the team,” she said. “I men Olivia Lodu and Bree Urban, have no doubt in my mind that we are still sophomore and transfer, Lexi Fixgoing to play as hard as we can and still enbiner, junior Sydney Youngclaus, and the very special senior, Caitlyn Lessig. “I would say the Sophomores Lexi Finkenbiner and Mya Babbitt trap the Norfolk player from passing game [against Norfolk] went pretty well, consid- the ball. The Patriots won their first home game of the season 63 - 21. Photo by Hannah Doornink ering we won by like 40 points,” Lessig said. “I feel like we definitely need to learn how to share the “Our goal this year ball more, especially since we is just to win a bunch of lost so many seniors that really games, play hard, and learn carried our team, so we have to if we do lose,” Belt said. “Just figure out who will really step learn what we can do better up and be leaders for our team, for the next game.” but other than that, we played “Our main goal: just to pretty well as a team.” try to get back to the state As Lessig said, the team championship and finish it looked pretty good against all,” Olsen said. Norfolk, considering it was only –sophomore Cora Olsen Sophomore Juliana Jones pressures the ball their second game of the new against Norfolk. Photo by Hannah Doornink season.
“Our main goal: just to try to get back to the state championship and finish it all.
”
Patriots make it to the end zone Ally Seevers Sports Editor
to go out any other way. Although we lost the last game, “The Westside game: it didn’t turn out the way we we played very well as a team and a lot of guys stepped hoped, but we played our butts off,” Hinrichs said.” We up that we needed to step up, and they did an amazing played very good, I mean, there were a few questionable job.” calls, but that was probably the best game I and the team As the 2020 football season comes to a close, the team The most memorable moment from the season was have ever played. It was just hands down good football,” celebrates their wins and reflects on their losses in hopes by far, beating Millard West not once, but he said. of taking home the state championship title next season. twice in one season after losing to the After losing “I thought the season went really well considering all Wildcats at every “Q” Street battle for way to Westside in the of the COVID changes and adversity,” assistant coach TJ too long. semifials two years Martin said. “We won the battle for Millard, beating Mil Junior Christain Nash said, “My favorin a row, the Class lard West twice, and played a very difficult schedule.” ite game was probably the Millard West of 2022 seniors “It went very well,” senior Tate Hinrichs said. “I think game during the regular season because are determined to that we played very well as a team. Although we didn’t it was the first time we had beat Millard bring home the make it to the state championship like we all hoped we West in almost 7 years, so it was just a restate championwould, it was a very solid season, and I wouldn’t want it ally good game to be a part of.” ship title next The team had season. an incredible season, “After falling being ranked 3rd in short the last two –Head Coach Andrew Means Class A with an 8-2 reyears, we just need cord to end the season. to work a little bit Coach Martin harder then we was very impressed with this year’s have been doing to make that final push that we have team saying, “We had a ton of great of- been unable to do the past two years,” Gassaway said. fensive plays with talent like T.J. Urban, Along with working extra hard, Nash said they plan Antrell Taylor, and Gage Stenger this to work on the incoming junior class, “making sure they year, but I was especially impressed by are ready for the next level.” the way our offensive line played all Coach Martin said, “motivation is certainly not an year.” Unfortunately, the issue,” and as you can tell, these boys have their heart set season ended in the semifinals, looson that trophy, and it seems as though they will be bringing in a nail-biter against the number ing it home where it belongs. one ranked Westside Warriors. “My favorite thing about this season was the team “I think we did the big things coming together, not only the hard work to be successgood, but we just needed to focus on ful on the field, but their dedication to making sure we some of the smaller things,” junior Jake played all of our games by following the COVID protoGassaway said. “I think that’s what got cols,” head coach, Andrew Means said. “It showed a lot us. If we would have worked more on of maturity on their part. They did a great job and the some of those smaller things, then we seniors were great role models for our underclassmen. Junior Christian Nash crushes the Millard West defense to score a Millard South would have had it. ” The future is bright and I am very proud of them.” touchdown. Photo by Anna Hutfless
“My favorite thing
about this season was the team coming together.
”
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Sports 12• 18 • 2020
Meet the Ath’elite’: Scott Robertson the state tournament,” Robertson said. “I think the key to overcoming any struggle though is by having the right perspective and attitude; if you always find Athlete: Scott Robertson, Class of something to be grateful for, you will get 2021 more out of each experience.” Team: Varsity Wrestling His favorite things aboutWrestling: “probably scrapping in the “I didn’t really start getting serious practice room and getting better.” about wrestling until 4th grade,” RobertThe Millard South Program: “You can son said. “I started because a local club tell that everyone there wants you to be coach asked my dad to help with their successful and that they all love what club, so I would go along. So I guess I they do.” kind of just started wrestling one day.” “I think I have lots of mentors for lots He said, “In high school, I wrestled of different reasons,” Robertson said. We my freshman and sophomore year for have a really good team, and all of my Bear River High School’s varsity team in teammates have admirable characterUtah. Here at Millard South, I’ve wrestled istics that I wish I had more of,” he said. on the varsity Robertson said the team both years teammates that he now. I’ve also looks up to include wrestled for two Caleb Coyle, Connor bigger clubs: “I think the hardest part Knopick, Connor Sanderson WresHoy, Nolan Olafson, about wrestling is that tling Academy Antrell Taylor, Tyler nothing is guaranteed. out in Utah and Antroniak, and Joel MWC Wrestling You can run the miles, Adams. Academy here in lift at the gym, eat right, Robertson Omaha.” continued on about and put in all the extra Scott his teammates, saypreparation, but that Robertson is a ing, “I love how they varsity wrestler doesn’t give you the are always looking here at Milout for you and win. You still have to go lard South, but trying to help you out there and fight for only since his reach your goals. it.” junior year. His And I love all of the freshman and memories they have sophomore year, given me.” –senior Scott Robertson he was living “My favorite all the way in memory is probably Utah. Making this one time on an the move out to overnight stay at a Omaha was not the easiest, but Roberttournament,” Robertson said. “My teamson adapted very quickly. mate and I went outside the hotel and “I’ve had a couple of struggles tried to catch whip cream in our mouths during my career, like moving to a new while two seniors sprayed the can outschool right before my junior year, or last side the window.” year when I had a chin infection that led to me being medically disqualified from Weight Class: 152 Ally Seevers Sports Editor
“
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Senior Scott Robertson performs a naval ride to defeat his competition. Photo courtesy of Scott Robertson
In order for wrestlers to stay in their
weight class, they go on special diets to keep them from gaining or losing too much weight. This means that you may not get to eat very much for a week or two, making the wrestling lifestyle pretty tough. “I have a lot of help staying on my diet,” Robertson said. “My family is pretty supportive and they do what they can, so we don’t have a ton of junk food in the house to begin with. But the main thing is that you have to want it; if you don’t have a purpose behind your actions, and in this case, your diet, then it’s easy to give in.” To stay in shape, Scott says he just tries to “stay busy.” “I get some kind of workout in in the morning, whether it’s
a run, lifting, or wrestling, then there’s practice after school, and then I usually go to the gym after that to get some more work in.” While he is committed to the sport, he has yet to commit to a college or university. He said he is “waiting for the right school to reach out to him.” “I just want to say that I’m grateful for the opportunity that I have to be on such an amazing team and to have had such great teammates who help look out for me,” said Robertson. “And I want the coaches to know I’m grateful for all they have done to help me. They have helped me become the best competitor and overall person that I can be.” Read more Meet the Ath’elite features such as TJ Urban and Jackie Morrisey on the Common Sense web site at http://wearemillardsouth.com
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Entertainment 12• 18 •2020 Art by K.J Ellison Puzzles by Carah Jones
Winter 2020 H J S E A C N X T P A N X H A H OO WT I C NO T C E O R A
2020 Crossword
D S F G H E G G N O G I F G I
R H L L E D J E A F C L E K K K R H P K B ZWR Z R I Q T B K L X D A Y D K H B R E Z Z A
Y D Q M F K E R R R S S L A R
B C H I NG H S C U NO DO A GW T L MU J E R E N Z E A I P X D C D X U V T K S V D Y Q
GINGERBREAD
BLIZZARD
SNOWFLAKES
HOLIDAYS
FIREWOOD
REINDEER
HOTCOCOA
SLEDDING
WINTER
BREAK
SANTA
SNOWMEN
EGGNOG
COAT
ICE
Puzzle and crossword answers can be found at: wearemillardsouth.com
V T G X B S I Y I G O C E QN H E F E I D S I DO X N RWG V O E K Q R WW G L E F O P J I L O L P N A DD J D K HO L E E B C I E S L G E R Y L B L
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