Common Sense Volume 21 Issue 5 March 12, 2021

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

March 12, 2021

Volume 21 Issue 5

Two upsets lead to district boys title Ally Seevers Sports Editor

History was made on Monday, Mar. 1st as the #3 seed Millard South boys beat out the #1 Papillion LaVista in the A6 District game, punching their ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 2018.

“Winning districts, it was one of the happiest moments of my life,” senior Blake Stenger said. “I’m just happy for all my teammates, the coaches. Just knowing that we were able to do it and have the chance to go to state, it’s just the best feeling.”

“It’s just an unbelievable experience,” said senior Michael Harding. ”Not very many teams get to do it, and The varsity boys basketball team celebrates their first district win in three years, moving onto the state championship for the me, as a senior, it’s just a great way to just start the finfirst time since 2018. Photo by Ally Seevers. ish.”

The Patriots are now on a four-game winning and down by one point, Blake Stenger went up for the ing to state, and being one of the last 8 teams playing, it’s streak, with the last three over top 10 teams, bringing layup, giving the Patriots the lead and the district title. pretty incredible,” junior Gage Stenger said. their overall record to 11-11.

“I just knew that we couldn’t lose,” he said. “We just

“It means a lot to me,” sophomore Lance Rucker said.

Head coach Tim Leuschen said, “It’s one of the greatcouldn’t end the season like that, especially it being my “I’ve never gone to state, and doing it as a sophomore is est feelings you can have as a coach, especially when no senior year and knowing how hard we worked this seareally exciting.” one else expects that you can get it done, and it’s a credit son. Once the layup was in and the buzzer was going off,

In the opening game this Tuesday, the Patriots will to our players that stayed with it. It’s wasn’t always an at first, I don’t think it hit me that we won, but once it did, play the #1 seed Millard North. easy season; things didn’t always go right, but our guys it was the best feeling in the entire world.”

After leading the Mustangs 18 to 11 after the first just kept recommitting, and that just makes it even more

“When we were down, we took the timeout cause quarter the last time these two teams played together, special with some of the adversity that we faced this we had the ball underneath [the hoop]. We drew up an Coach Leuschen said, “It makes us understand that we year.” in-bounds play that had a couple of options, and if none can compete with them, that we have a blueprint for suc They have of those options were cess against Millard North.” definitely recomopen, then Blake was

This team has put so much blood, sweat, and tears mitted, beating kind of the safety,” said into their season, and we are really excited to see all of both Lincoln Coach Leuschen. “So that work come into play this Tuesday.

Northeast and at that point, Blake

As Harding said, “everyone who can come should Papillion La-Vista had to make a play. come,” so we hope to see you all there! to win the district We got the ball in and championship afBlake kind of ter losing to both just made a teams earlier in play. It makes the season. you look a lot

“It felt great, smarter as a beating both coach when teams,” sophothe players more Brock Murstep up and taugh said. “We make the were ahead of plays.” both teams in the This marks the fourth quarter first Millard previously, but South apthen ended up pearance at The Patriot girls losing, so going the boys state finished their seainto districts, we tournament son, losing 70-64, were really happy in the state semisince 2018, where we were at finals to Fremont being the first and to have the in a nail-biter on time the team opportunity to March 5. They beat Senior Blake Stenger goes up for the layup in the final minutes of the district will play at play both teams the Lincoln East game. The 6 foot senior averaged 6.8 points per game this season. Photo by Pinnacle Bank Spartans, 61-52, in again.”

Carly Barkus.

Arena. the quarterfinals.

The Patriots “This is big Photos by Ally led the Monarchs most of the game, giving up the lead for me and the team, especially after the way we Seevers. with 32 seconds left in the game, but with 8 seconds left started the season. Just being able to finish, go-

Page 3

Millard South Show Choir has its first performance of the season. Photo by Carah Jones

Page 4-5

Nebraska proposes a bill requiring the national motto to be displayed in every classroom. Art by Keely King

Pages 8-9

Marvel debuts WandaVision, a new television show in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Page 12

Sophomore Aiden Robertson celebrates his win.

Photo by Haley Dougherty

News/Features 3 • 12 • 2021

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A s’Midge of joy Classes with Ms. Bass become more comforting with a new therapy dog Paige Winchester News Editor

There has been a new therapy dog to enter Millard South high school, well, not officially anyway. Our english language arts teacher Ms. Bass has come up with a new way to keep her students, happy, motivated, and ready to go when that bell rings and her name is Midge.

“So I brought Midge in the classroom because I’ve just noticed the decline in students’ mental health and their participation overall,” said Bass.

Midge is a licensed therapy dog that comes to school with Ms. Bass every Monday.

As Bass reports she has seen an overall more positive space in her classroom whenever Midge comes to visit and it also feels like a welcoming area to be in too. In the classroom you can feel stressed and overwhelmed by any homework you have in other classes to an after school practice

or maybe not understand the current material fully and Midge is there to help you feel more calm and more motivated overall.

“I feel like when Midge is in the classroom the mood is just a lot lighter than it usually is and it kinda encourages me to like get my work done on time,”. Said Lily Bolinger

“ Midge provides a lot of positivity in a world that’s not always the most positive.

–Jackie Bass

Students themselves have explained that they feel a lot happier and relaxed when Midge is in the classroom and she lifts the mood a lot on every moody Monday. When Midge is around they feel a lot less tense and they feel like they can relax and take a moment for themselves whenever Midge is in the classroom.

“You can just kinda feel the whole class is a little more settled and calm, just a lot of positivity in an environment that’s not always the most positive right now,”. Said Bass.

As the world we live in today a lot of people can get easily stressed with school, work, after school activities, family life, issues with covid and so much more. As Midge is in the classroom all of those worries seem to go away just for a few minutes or the whole 90 minutes of need be and that is perfectly fine because sometimes you need to take those few minutes to relax your brain and that is exactly what Midge is here to do.

“Midge loves it, she actually just got set up with the student council for the new staff, they always do a welcome thing for us so she got a welcome but by the end of the day she’s pretty tired.

She’s tuckered out and she sleeps and she snores at night so I think she might be more tired than the kids but definitely overall a super positive experience and I’ve loved having her,”. said Bass

Patriot Pets

By Paige Winchester.

Want to see your pet here?

Email pwinchester180@millardps.org art by Keely King

”

Freshman Devin Danoff meets Midge during speech class. Students like Danoff have been visiting Ms. Bass’s room frequently since Midge arrived. Photo by Rakeem Ballard

GameStocks How the internet crashed the stock market Josh Andrews Staff Reporter

Infographic by Sam Tews

One thing 2021 has taught us is that the systems we’ve grown accustomed to aren’t as solid as they appear. Towards the beginning of this month a bunch of internet junkies on reddit drove that idea home when they bankrupted a multi-billion dollar Wall Street hedge fund. There has to be something shady going on there, right? Not at all, they were just playing the stock game, and they got lucky.

To better explain how any of this even happened, there’s a practice in the stock market called “shorting,, where you essentially bet on something to fail. The hedge fund Melvin Capital decided to go all in on shorting video game retail company Gamestop, which had been bleeding profits on an average of -5.32% as of last October. When Gamestop would inevitably go under, Melvin Capital would reap millions in profit.

Now the people over at r/ wallstreetbets, many of whom were avid gamers, didn’t like that, so they decided to fight back within the system, buying large amounts of gamestop stocks- which was easy to do given how much prices had plummeted. Overnight, the stock went through the roof and Melvin Capital conversely lost everything.

But as usual with the economy,

peaks never last, and the dropoff is steep.

“Everyone was panic buying” senior Zachary Mitera said. “I sold mine off for minimal loss, 30 dollars. I was up 400 at one point.” He wasn’t alone.

Many people less experienced in the world of stocks had to cut their losses as soon as the market corrected itself. They weren’t the only ones cutting losses however, as investors behind the scenes were forced to block off further stock exchange on the popular app Robin Hood before the redditors could set their sights on any other shorted businesses.

One could argue that this move was unethical, but at the end of the day the house usually comes out on top. Money wasn’t everything though.

For many it was just as much about making a statement as it was a getrich-quick scheme.

“It wasn’t necessarily the smartest move,” business teacher Lynn Hill said.

“But as people become more savvy in the technology of the markets, I hope we see more of this.”

News/Features 3• 12 • 2021

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The show (choir) must go on Natalie Fedde Co-Editor In Chief

After a turbulent start, Millard South show choirs were finally able to show off their hard work at the annual Millard South Show Choir Premiere on Jan. 30.

While members were thrilled to be able to perform in person, changes made due

Junior Jessica Keitges mouths the words to her solo recording. Stage One members danced around her, creating the illusion of a real solo. Photo by Carah Jones

to Covid-19 took a toll on their spirits.

“We’ll do most of our singing in the auditorium,” junior Ondrey Valentine said. “Then we’ll go to the blackbox or a hallway to dance. We got the okay to sing and dance at the same time, but we have to be six feet apart which isn’t feasible on stage, so we haven’t done that much. Not being able to sing and dance at the same time has made show choir more difficult. Learning the choreography is hard because usually, I sync the dance moves to the words I am singing.

Dancing along to vocal tracks makes it less cohesive,” he said.

“We are performing to pre-recorded tracks of the students singing,” director Amy Wesley said. “We’re going to be doing the ballads live because they can be spaced six feet apart in those formations and that can be done safely.” This means that for all but one song of the set, the show choirs can not sing live.

The reason for this comes down to the science of COVID-19.

“With COVID, there has been science-backed research on the dangers of spreading aerosols,” Wesley said.

“Obviously, with music, we spread a lot of extra aerosols around as we’re singing.

Within the curricular choirs, there are a lot of restrictions to make sure we’re doing the safest thing for everybody, such as singing six feet apart, only singing for a certain amount of time to let the air turn over, you know, many difficult things. With show choir, we also add the element of dancing, and it’s intense dancing, so it’s just an added bunch of aerosols on top of the singing,” she said.

South on Stage dances their hearts out to a Pick Yourself Up/Get Back Up Again mashup.

Despite not being able to sing, the performers picked the audience up with their energy.

Photo by Carah Jones

This heightened risk of spreading COVIDdivides the combination of singing and dancing that makes show choir what it is and has affected many students’ perception of the activity. Stage One member and freshman Avery Hlivko has never experienced high school show choir at its fullest.

“I think it (show choir) hasn’t met my expectations in some areas, but it’s exceeded my expectations in others,” Hlivko said. “We’re all a big family but we aren’t able to have the full performance experience,” she said.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to perform again and getting more opportunities and getting the full experience of show choir,” said Kaylie Giplin, a first year member of Stage One.

However, the changes have hit returning members especially hard.

“The feeling of preparing for a competition, not the competition aspect itself, but we work a lot better when we are preparing for competition season

rather than just to show people,” Valentine said.

Similar to sports, show choir members are allowed four family members at each performance, but unlike sports, students are not able to purchase tickets.

“The students were a large part of the hype feeling from an audience, so when we had Premier with just parents it felt like there was a lot less energy because the students are the ones who understand how it feels,” said Valentine.

“Despite adversity, we can continue to go on to do great things, and our show choirs are doing amazing things this year,” Wesley said. “The kids still push really hard, and they still try to do their absolute best. We should always strive to be better. It’s not all about the trophy, it’s about the performance,” she said.

“I love to sing, and I love people to hear me sing,” Valentine said. “It’s not something I do just for the competitions.

I really enjoy show choir and the people there,” he said.

A sad state of foreign affairs Covid-19 officially cancels World Language Week Joseph Kaipust Copy Editor

Students missed out on tres leche, arts and crafts, and boulle this year as foreign language teachers were forced to cancel the annual World Language Week.

World Language Week has long been a staple of foreign language programs at Millard South. It runs every year and aims to heighten student’s cultural understanding.

The decision to cancel World Language Week was a hard decision to make for language teachers. “We were upset, but we realized it was the best for teachers and students,” Spanish teacher Juventina Sloter said. The general consensus reached among language teachers was that while important, with COVID restric-

tions it was best to cancel the annual event.

“With all the people shuffling rooms it just wasn’t practical,” French teacher Terri Wright said.

For students, the reaction to World Language Week is very much the same. “It was kind of sad to see it cancelled because it is always pretty fun,” junior Ben Bartholow said.

While they were not crushed, students were disappointed to see World Language Week go.

“I think I’ll miss getting to see other languages than the one I’m learning,” Bartholow said.

One of the purposes of World Language Week has always been to encourage enrollment in Spanish, French, and German classes. With its cancellation, concerns have been raised that Foreign Language enrollment might drop. “It’s quite possible that enrollment might have dropped,” Wright said. Teachers aren’t by any means abandoning all hope for Cultural craft projects are offered to French students in place of regular enrollment, however. “I doubt many World Language Week celebrations. Juniors Alexis Kruger and Paris people sign up for language classes Johnson chose to make Mardis Gras inspired masks. Photo by Natalie Fedde just because of World Language Week,” Wright said. While World Language Week does encourage students to enroll the Spanish, French, and German languages, foreign in language classes, teachers feel fairly confident language classes also aim to teach students about the that students are still going to sign up for Spancultures of each respective language’s speakers. ish, French, and German classes at normal rates

“It has always been a very big cultural infusion,” for reasons like college requirements. “Especially Sloter said. World Language Week serves as a centerat upper levels, I don’t think missing world lanpiece for the cultural wing of foreign language teachguage week will hurt enrollment too bad,” Sloter ing: allowing students to try different ethnic foods, said. make crafts, and play games from other countries. “It is Probably the biggest thing teachers and kind of sad, because it just means less things students Seniors Rylee Sauer and Grayson Brummer work on assignments students lose from the cancellation of world lanknow about another culture,” Wright said. during AP Spanish. Students have almost mastered the language but guage is cultural learning. Along with teaching are deprived of culture. Photo by Natalie Fedde

Opinion 3 • 12 • 2021

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Staff Editorial:

One nation but not one God

LB36 crosses the line with the intertwining of church and state

A new legislative bill was introduced in Nebraska in January of this year by Sen. Erdman that would require public schools to display the United States national motto ‘In God We Trust’ in every classroom.

Schools would be required to display the motto clearly, and in legible English in each classroom, or in a place where each student would be able to visibly see and read it every day. If schools were to refuse, or to not follow through with this if this bill were enacted, the Attorney General would be enabled to intervene.

Requiring this signage seems to be a violation of the separation between church and state.

This separation of church and state has existed in American politics since the beginning, in which the Founding Fathers began their attempt at creating a safe foundation for the future that didn’t necessarily create room for a theocracy. Although many Americans today identify as Christians and most, if not almost all, identified as Christians during the late 18th century, it’s still quite insensitive to assume that those who aren’t Christians are not powerful or important. Acknowledging some statistics in Ne-

braska, and according to the Pew Research Center, the majority of the Nebraska population is Christian, with a 75 percent majority, but the other 25 percent isn’t insignificant. Thousands of people in the state of Nebraska are not Christian, and they deserve the same respect as the majority, as do their children who would be especially affected by this.

Religious language exists in many important American songs and sayings, such as the national motto or the Pledge of Allegiance which has been required in public schools since the early 20th century, but the phrase “under God” was not added until June 14, 1954. Implemented by President Eisenhower, the phrase “under God” was created by Rev. George Docherty, who argued that, “To omit the words ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance is to omit the definitive factor in the American way of life.” he was quoted in The Washington Post in their article ‘The gripping sermon that got ‘under God’ added to the Pledge of Allegiance on Flag Day by Rachel Siegel, in which they explain the creation of the Pledge and Flag Day. The choice to add “under God” has been somewhat controversial in the past

art by Keely King

decade since he not only directly leaves out American atheists, but also directly claims that “If you deny the Christian ethic, you fall short of the American ideal of life.” which bluntly states his intent of expressing America as a Christian nation rather than the very mixed state that it is.

Maybe rather than displaying the national motto, which seems problematic, it would actually be beneficial to change the motto and maybe even other American symbols such as the Pledge.

Progress in American society is something that we should strive for, and although we should always be able to look to the past for guidance, we should also look to the future, and that includes being more inclusive.

art by K.J Ellison

The truth about SAD

Mental health is a common struggle for many teens across the country. Everyone has their own struggles that they get through on the daily and deal with in their own ways. My personal, and recent, struggle is seasonal depression.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or more commonly known as seasonal depression or SAD, is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons, specifically winter time. It is most notably caused by the hours of the day being cut short and there being fewer hours of daylight. According to kidshealth.org, almost six out of every 100 teens suffer from seasonal depression.

While many people know me to be a bubbly and excited person, my energy becomes drained when winter hits, and it becomes difficult to get out of bed, make actual social plans or have genuine motivation. With Covid-19 and the pandemic happening on top of that, the challenges have become even more overwhelming.

The thing that stinks about seasonal

Struggling through the pandemic with seasonal depression

depression is that I actually do want to do things. I want to see my friends.

I want to care about my school work.

I want to have genuine motivation. It is just so physically draining to do so.

Feeling hopeless and drained is such an upsetting feeling, so I have searched for solutions and ways to cope during these months and the feelings I am experiencing.

Finding ways to cope with seasonal depression has made it a lot easier to deal with it and keep it in check. I love watching t.v. shows like Criminal Minds or America's Next Top Model. I also find joy in reading books and baking when I am able to. Finding an activity that I enjoy to do when feeling mentally low is such a nice thing to fall back on.

In addition to doing hobbies on my own, I have to make sure I maintain my relationships with family and friends and not close off the people around me.

Putting in the effort to connect with others may be hard, but forcing myself

to do so allows me to break my shell of no motivation and isolation. I have to remind myself that closing myself off from the people I love will inevitably hurt me more than help me in the long run.

Even if it’s hard, I have to consciously find the positives throughout my day and see those moments that inspire me. Finding something to keep going and stay inspired while also being open about my feelings with my friends and family keeps me going and helps push me through the tough months.

For people that don't struggle with seasonal depression, but know someone that struggles with seasonal depression, or even depression in general, please be understanding. We do want to hang out with you and text you back, but sometimes it just takes too much, mentally, to do so. Make sure to still check in on your friends, but don't be too overbearing. A simple “I’m here for you” or “I care about you” can be just enough for someone, but also be prepared if they need to sit

down and spill all those feelings to you.

Being there for us is amazing and greatly appreciated.

Olivia Palmer Business Manager

Opinion 3 • 12• 2021

5

What I've bean missing The woes of living a decaffeinated life

Coffee is a staple part of the day for many people. Some people love coffee and can’t go without their morning cup. They sip it slowly, enjoying the rich flavor of whatever they order. Some people cannot stand the taste of it. They compare the taste of it to water mixed with dirt and turn their nose up at the sight of it. Whatever your stance on it, I could only take your word for what coffee is like. That’s because in my 18 years of life, I have never once drunk a cup of coffee.

You’re probably wondering what’s stopping me from just going out and buying a cup right now instead of writing this article? The simple answer- religious obligations, but the whole story is a lot more complicated than Alex Tippets that.

Chief Headline Writer

I was born and raised as a

member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or the Mormon Church). There are many standards and traditions that some outside of the church would find strange, but are completely normal within Mormon communities. Some of these standards are very similar to other Christian denominations. It’s taboo to have sexual relations before marriage, stealing is bad, murder is evil. Your average Christian values.

Then there are the things that when you share, people raise an eyebrow. For one, members are forbidden from drinking any sort of alcohol or substance that can impair the mind or body (like tobacco). Then when it comes to relationships, passionate kissing is also something that is condemned outside of marriage in addition to sex. Then there is the fact that on Sunday it’s typically frowned upon to go out and do things unless absolutely necessary. Going for a walk and other solitary exercises are exceptions, but going out and spending money, hanging out with friends, or working on the sabbath is something leaders ask members to steer away from.

One of the other big things the church asks its members to refrain from is partaking of “hot drinks.”

That phrase can be a little confusing to some. This doesn’t mean I can’t have a hot cup of something, but refers to a group drinks that encircles things such as green tea/matcha, black tea, iced tea, and of course, coffee.

Growing up, I never found it hard to follow any of these rules. It was how I was raised, and I knew

little else outside of my family life and school.

But as I got older, I began to see just how difart by Keely King ferent my life is to some of my peers. It baffles me that people actually go to the counter and can order coffee without feeling they're breaking some sort of rule, after all I’d been raised to believe that coffee and tea were things to never be ingested.

Sometimes, the rules make me feel disconnected from my friends. I’ve lost count of the times I was unable to do something like attend a birthday party or play outside with my friends because it was a Sunday, or the times I’ve had to vote against where my friends want to go because I wouldn’t be able to have anything on the menu. On one hand, it solidifies my ties with my family and their beliefs, but on the other hand, it alienates me in a way from those my age.

Sometimes I’m tempted to make my friends take me to Starbucks and let me order the most coffee-like drink they have, but I have never had the resolve to do so.

To others, drinking coffee is something that’s commonplace and not worthy of any note whatsoever. But to me, it’s like a point of no return. I know I’m not allowed to, and to do it anyway would be betrayal of all the things that had been taught to me since birth. The issue is, I can’t decide if that’s good or bad.

It's Time to Face the Music

Sia's movie is bad autistic representation

Popstar Sia has recently released a new movie titled "Music" about a titular character named Music who is a nonverbal autistic girl. The movie was nominated for two Golden Globes awards, but many people with autistism have expressed severe criticisms of the film.

Notably, the character of Music is played by a neurotypical actress named Maddie Ziegler. Many people in the ASD community have spoken out against this choice to cast an actress without autism to play the role. Actual autistic representation has been hard to come by in Hollywood, and it hurts the community to see such a big star not include an autistic actress in the film.

Sia has defended her casting choice, claiming she wasn’t being ableist and only wanted to work with her frequent collaborator Maddie Ziegler. Sia said she tried working with an autistic actress at first, but said the actress found the experience “unpleasant and stressful.” Many people with ASD may require different accommodations to make the workplace environment comfortable. If Sia was making a movie about autistic people, she should have been able to do the research and put in the effort to help an autistic actress feel comfortable and safe on her set.

Critics from the ASD community also have concerns with the content of the film. The movie features

the character Music “stimming” - movements or vocal sounds to regulate her senses. This is a trait common in people with ASD, but critics see this as a caricature of actual autistic people. Maddie Ziegler also portrays the character with exaggerated facial expressions that some see as making fun of people with autism.

The movie features scenes of flashing strobe lighting and intense colors which can set off autistic viewers’ sensory overload - overwhelming the viewer with visual, auditory, or other sensory information. This also could trigger seizures in those with epilepsy, which is a condition common in those with ASD. The movie includes multiple scenes of physical restraint during an autistic character’s meltdown - a complete loss of behavioral control as a result of overstimulation. Physical restraint is a heavily problematic and dangerous method of control used against autistic people, and it should not be portrayed positively. Restraint is often lethal and has led to countless deaths in people with ASD.

It is not impossible to create a film about autistic people with good representation and casting actual autistic actors. The Pixar short film Loop released last year and tells a story about a young boy and nonverbal autistic girl at a summer camp. This movie features a nonverbal autistic voice actress playing the character of Renee. The film crew realized that recording in a studio

would not be a good environment for actress Madison Bandy, so they accommodated her by recording in her home.

Lane Howard

People with Online Editor ASD have it hard enough in the film industry worrying about their lack of representation. No film by a famous musician should purport to be a positive portrayal for autistic people while actually causing them great harm. A movie that fails at its goals of representation so hard should not be nominated for Golden Globe awards and should not be watched or supported.

Instead, look to actually good autism representation such as Loop on Disney+.

C ommon 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 News Editor Paige Winchester Features Editor Sydney Mejia Sports Editor Ally Seevers Opinions Editor Joni Beauchamp

Entertainment Editor Carah Jones

Chief Headline Writer Alex Tippets

InDepth Editor KJ Ellison

Staff Cartoonists Keely King KJ Ellison

Online Editor Lane Howard Business Manager Olivia Palmer

Staff Reporters Lauren Rayner Sam Tews Josh Andrews

Copy Editor Joseph Kaipust

Adviser Christine Kaldahl

Focus 3 • 12 • 2021

6 art by Olivia Palmer

Freetime

long a g n i t Get only

gs with siblin rah Jones Senior Ca

sharing is harder and fighting is usually worse

siblings fighting one minute and best friends the next

small groups of friends can function like siblings for only children

siblings friends are great additions, but are definitely not like having siblings

unless your friends are available, you have to do a lot of activites alone

ing with grown t c a r u e t only

more connected and comfortable around grown ups

siblings

siblings you have many options of people to spend your free time with

ps

only

in

Friendship

only

harder to interact with older adults generational divide

Senior Olivia Palmer, only child

Life Skills (Chores) only depend on the parents or guardians in you life to teach you life skills

siblings siblings can assist more in the process of learning life skills

Focus 3 • 12• 2021

7

Meet the Martins

Taking Patriot family to a whole new level KJ Ellison InDepth Editor

art by Keely King

Family life can often be chaotic. Everyone has to be everywhere all at once for their own activities, arguments are always bound to happen, and sometimes you don’t always see eye to eye with each other.

Junior Ellie Martin, the daughter of the Martins, says she can sometimes find it awkward to see her parents in the hallway during passing periods.

“When my dad and I pass each other in the hall we put our hands over our faces and pretend to not know each other (jokingly, of course). My mom likes to shout my name if she sees me walking down the hall, which I never know how to react to, along with the students who witness it happening.”

Mr. Martin teaches AP U.S. History and U.S. Government and coaches football. He usually sees his daughter around while she’s moving from class to class.

“I love seeing her [Ellie] around all the time...I definitely think there are probably some moments that kids have at school that’s a little weird to have dad in the hallway, too. I think it’s more awkward for her than it is for dad,” he commented.

Mr. Martin clarifies that although he wouldn’t want to work at a different school as a teacher, he’d like Ellie to have a different experience at school where her parents are not present.

“I think that would be interesting...to see what she would be like without her mom and dad in the building. Certainly we’ll see that when she goes to college. But otherwise no, I have no regrets about her being here.”

The transportation everyone takes however is just a smidge concerning for the environment. All the Martins take their own car to and from school and work.

“I actually love it, aside from the effect it has on the environment. My dad usually has football practice or weightlifting after school until 5, my mom usually stays and works until 4, and on days I have work, I have to be out of the parking lot by 3:20 to make it on time,” Ellie said.

With all the different schedules, it’s understandable why the Martins have to drive separately from each other. For English 11 and Global Perspectives

teacher, as well as a sponsor for the Diversity Club and Diversity Council, Sarah Martin expressed how happy she was to have her family in the same place where she does work, even with all the crazy car schedules.

She explained that the experience of having her daughter in the same area can challenge her comfort zone every once in a while, “but all in all-- I love having Ellie here... I truly believe we have the absolute best student body, I work with my best friend (shout-out to Mrs. Adams!) I love having my husband in the same building, and it’s great to live in the attendance area in which I work and not just because of the ease of transportation. Being raised in a small town, I really appreciate the sense of community it creates,” she said.

When asked if she’d like to work in a different school, Mrs. Martin was quick to say she wouldn’t change anything for

Our forever family

the world. “Why wouldn’t I want my daughter to be part of a school for which I have such a love? I can’t imagine a better place in which to teach, nor a better place in which Ellie could get her high school education,” Mrs. Martin said.

TJ, Brynn, Ellie, and Sarah Martin visit the Grand Canyon. The family spends school days and vacation days together. Photo courtesy of Sarah Martin

Halle Benson Co-Editor in Chief

On the outside, Grayson Brummer’s family looks like the average American family, but when you get to know her, the Brummer family is anything but average. Grayson Brummer, a senior at Millard South, and her younger brother were both adopted when they were babies. Her parents always knew they wanted to adopt since her mom couldn’t have children.

“I was born in Bogāta, Colombia, and was adopted at just three months old on Nov. 12, 2003,” Brummer said.

For the first three years of Grayson’s life, she lived in Sioux Falls, SD, with her parents before moving to Kearney and later on Omaha.

While living in Kearney, her parents decided to adopt their second child.

“We started fostering Max (brother) when I was seven years old, then he was officially adopted on March 28, 2009. We call our adopSenior Grayson Brummer visits Platt River State Park with her family. tion days ‘Family Day’ to represent the day we They decided to spend the day enjoying the weather and having a became a family,” Brummer said. picnic. Photo courtesy of Grayson Brummer

The Brummer family celebrates Family

Follow us on Twitter @mshscommonsense on Instagram @commonsensenp and check out our website at wearemillardsouth.com

Day every year with fun activities and games. Even for their birthdays, the Brummers go out and do fun activities as a family to celebrate the four of them being a family.

“My family loves doing activities together,” Brummer said. “One year, we went boating, which was such a fun experience for us,” she recalled.

Grayson said her Colombian heritage has always had a special place in her family’s heart. They especially love incorporating Latin American food into their dinners like empanadas and tamales.

One day in the future, Grayson said she plans to return to Colombia to visit her home country. She is working on getting her official passport, which has been a little difficult due to COVID-19 and not being able to technically travel anywhere for the past several months.

“We still have to get my passport figured out, but I don’t plan on finding my birth family,” Brummer said.

“I just want to visit my birth country,” she said.

Entertainment 3 • 12 • 2021

8

Weezer’s new album is a breath of fresh air Lauren Rayner Staff Reporter

It isn’t hard to say that being a Weezer fan is difficult, with recent mediocre releases, (2017’s Pacific Daydream and 2019’s sickly-sweet Black Album), and a rollercoaster of ups and downs throughout the past 29 years the band has been making music (which is hard to believe!)

But finding out Jake Sinclair, producer of 2016’s White Album, which is often regarded by fans as one of the band’s best releases since their 1990s output, was returning to work on Weezer’s next album had me practically bursting with glee. I was actually feeling optimistic about a Weezer release, and I am proud to say that my expectations were met with their latest release, OK Human.

In typical Weezer fashion, OK Human was announced to be in the works in early 2019, even before their last release, The Black Album, which undeniably built a lot of anticipation for die-hard Weezer fans. Hearing speculation of an “open and airy sound” and the project being pianobased with orchestral instrumentation was undoubtedly intriguing, considering the band’s notorious sunny, powerchord-heavy sound. Although plenty of other fans and I might have expected another happy-go-lucky power-pop soaked return to form from the band, a sound that Jake Sinclair successfully pulled off the White Album, we instead received almost the exact opposite of that. We were pleasantly surprised with an engrossing, emotional, chamber-pop record that tapped into frontman Rivers Cuomo’s psyche during a difficult, isolated time in the world.

Luckily, this time around, the band reportedly wasn’t worried about commercial potential, and Rivers instead wanted to sing from his heart, especially about his relatable anxieties and feelings of isolation during the scary and confusing time we are living in. OK Human is very much vulnerable, and, according to frontman Rivers Cuomo, “it very much

a day in the life of [himself ], but from a very private place.” I think a lot of the time people want to shake Rivers and tell him that writing about his feelings is okay and very much appreciated, which he is still understandably reluctant to write about a lot of the time given his experiences with critics in the past, but OK Human

strings that were recorded at Abbey Road and dips of xylophone infused into the song. All My Favorite Songs made perfect sense as a single choice as the track delightfully encapsulates the listener and brings them into the world Rivers is singing about.

After some upbeat cuts, the listener

ended up being beautifully touching and is a perfect example that instead of the band focusing on what would appease a mainstream audience, taking some time to focus on the music pays off.”

The album starts off with the track All My Favorite Songs, the first and only single released for OK Human. Right off the bat, you get a lick of the melancholy vibe that will carry on throughout the album, with the introduction of stunning

is taken on a trip to the truly gorgeous song that is Numbers. Numbers is genuinely one of the most heart-wrenching songs on the project and has already gained a cult following among fans. The chorus of Numbers soars beyond any words. If you are a bit skeptical of the album, I think Numbers is the perfect place to start. The strings are really highlighted in this song, especially at the ending. The track is basically perfect in not only its

emotionality and self-reflection but its musicality and is a must-listen for a taste of this era for the band.

Following some more cute songs detailing escapism and romance, we get the song Screens. Lyrically, I am not a huge fan of the drawn-out and overexpressed message from older generations about “kids these days being addicted to technology” but it is almost forgiven by the groovy, building chorus I can’t get enough of. This song may come off a bit irksome in what it’s trying to say but is a solid tune nonetheless.

OK Human shows a mature, sophisticated side of Weezer, and is a project I haven’t stopped coming back to. From more heartbreaking, melodic tracks like Bird With a Broken Wing, to optimistic, piano-driven tracks like Here Comes The Rain, the record does a fantastic job of both allowing the listener to do some introspection, and uplifting and comforting them. If you have your qualms or still hold a grudge against Weezer, I would encourage you to give OK Human a try.

You might be pleasantly surprised like I ended up being. I think the uncertainties of Weezer are what makes the band so endearing, and if the band’s next release ends up being a miss, at least we have this sweet, explorative triumph of an album to dwell on until we get something good again.

At the perfect length of about 30 minutes, OK Human does a beautiful job connecting each song to one another with not only the instrumentation but the relatable themes of fear, loneliness, and sadness, and how music is a powerful tool that has managed to help the band and millions of people during times of alienation. I would consider it one of the band’s best in a long time, and although I might be nervous for the future due to the unpredictability of Weezer, I am confident that this is a solid listen for fans of old Weezer and fans of the group’s contemporary releases.

Recrafting a connection How Minecraft dug its way back into my heart Halle Benson Co-Editor in Chief

Being a senior in high school has been a wild ride this year. There has been a pandemic going on, our year is messed up, and we’ve had to apply to colleges without actually knowing what the campus looks like. Yet, I never thought, as a senior in high school, I would be rejoining the Minecraft fandom.

Let’s rewind for a second. When I discovered YouTube in middle school, I ended up watching a variety of different YouTubers, but mostly Minecraft YouTubers.

Some of my favorite people I watched as a preteen consisted of StampyLongNose, Aphmau, SkyDoesMinecraft, and DanTDM. When I entered high school, I stopped watching a lot of these people as I was no longer into watching Minecraft on YouTube. Their content wasn’t something I enjoyed anymore, and I moved onto other content creators on the website who drew more to my attention.

Now, four years have gone by and I was hearing about the uprise of some man named Dream. I tried so hard not to go down the rabbit hole of Minecraft YouTube, so very hard. It wasn’t until I was constantly getting videos on TikTok about the Dream SMP (a popular multiplayer server ran by Dream), and being told by my friend from the United Kingdom to start watching their videos when my Minecraft obsession came back.

I am in no way complaining about being sucked back into the community of Minecraft YouTubers and Twitch Streamers. It’s actually really interesting to see the differences between the people I watched in middle school compared to the people I’m watching now. For

one, the whole Dream SMP group curses a whole lot more than any of the YouTubers I watched when I was younger, but that could be because I watched a lot of “child friendly” creators.

Another thing that really surprised me about the Minecraft community is how young everyone is on the Dream SMP. As a middle schooler, everyone that I watched were adults and at least over the age of 21.

There are at least four people on the Dream SMP that are younger than me, two 19 year olds, and almost everyone else is in their early 20s. It honestly blew my mind when I learned that.

A lot of the recent Minecraft content that I watch is very storyline based and located on Twitch, a website that lets creators go live and stream games). In the Dream SMP, almost everyone participates in a script and plotline to keep viewers entertained. There have been multiple wars, many explosions that destroyed a nation (on multiple different occasions), and a whole lot of small storylines that follow around certain characters.

Out of everyone that I have watched over the last couple of months, my favorite Minecraft players have been GeorgeNotFound, KarlJacobs, and Tubbo. George hangs out with the “Dream Team”, the original group that started the Dream SMP, which consists of Dream, GeorgeNotFound, and Sapnap. Their group extends a bit to the “Feral Boys”, adding on KarlJacobs and Quackity to their chaotic group. My other favorite Minecrat player is Tubbo, who is not as chaotic as the Feral Boys, but just as fun to watch. His videos and streams are a lot more chill and laid back, which can be really nice when you don’t want to watch something storyline heavy or crazy.

When it comes to watching these Twitch streams live, it is usually a hit or miss. It is most common for English Minecraft players to go live in the evening for them, but midday for us. I’m usually stuck at school when the notification goes off for their streams, which is very frustrating when it is something I’m looking forward to.

(Yes, I know I can go back and watch the video later, but I really enjoy watching the streams live.) Luckily, it is easier to watch the American Minecraft players since they all go live in the evenings after school and activities are done for the day.

If you want to give the Dream SMP storyline a chance, I would suggest searching up Blueberry TV and watching the playlist labeled “Dream SMP Binge Watching Order”. That playlist should hopefully help you watch everything from The Disc War, L’Manberg, TommyInnit’s Exile, and the many other storylines that are weaved into the Minecraft videos. There is a lot to take in with these videos, and the plot doesn’t even stop there! Dream SMP members stream almost every day, either hanging out on the server or adding to the plot line to move the story along.

Rejoining the Minecraft fandom was one of the last things I planned to do as a senior in high school. If I’m being honest, though, I don’t regret spending countless hours watching people run around a Minecraft server. It has brought me tons of enjoyment these last couple of months, which is something I definitely needed after being so stressed from school, the pandemic, and applying to colleges.

Entertainment 3 • 12 • 2021

9

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Carah Jones Entertainment Editor

gr a

Get cranked: The correct order of Star Wars

ic

by 7. Episode III - Revenge of the Sith S They threw away Padmé’s entire character just for the a m Tew s sake of plotline. She deserved better than a lame death. My Padmé wouldn’t have sat around being sad and powerless just because she’s pregnant, my Padmé would have stayed alive for Luke and Leia. However, Hayden Christensen with long hair was my childhood crush, so thank him for this one not being any lower.

1. Rogue One You get extremely well developed characters in a short amount of time coupled with a well developed storyline that perfectly connects to and gives insight into important plot points mentioned in the original trilogy.

2. Episode IV - A New Hope It’s the start of one of the longest running and most famous movie franchises in film history, and our lives wouldn’t be the same without this to start it all out. Luke is such a softie owo

8. Solo: A Star Wars Story Getting to see the storyline behind Han was really interesting. Seeing Woody Harrelson in space was a trip. The highlight of this movie was definitely Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian. Anytime he was on screen, I was happy.

9. Episode I - The Phantom Menace There are several things that make this movie great: Liam Neeson being a danger on set for being classically trained in sword fighting, Ewan McGregor making sound effects during lightsaber battles, and Keira Knightley as Natalie Portman. Jar Jar Binks? No thanks. The weird sort of flirting between Padmé and Anakin? No thanks. Obiwan Kenobi? Blessed.

3. Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back Hoth is the most beautiful place to kill Imperial troops. Lol remember that time Leia kissed her twin brother Luke before they knew they were twins?

4. Episode VI - Return of the Jedi A great end to a great story. I was obsessed with Han and Leia’s storyline and their hilarious banter kept me going all throughout the original trilogy.

5. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga “wHy DiD yOu PuT a ViDeOgAmE oN tHe LiSt, CaRaH?” Because I can. This game was played by the Best of the Best, also known as my brothers, but they never let me play, because I was seven.

10. Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker You may be wondering why this movie isn’t lower on the list, and I’ll tell you why! Ben Solo… In a sweater. I’m kidding! No I’m not.

Truly, I hate that they thought bringing back Palpatine as the Big Bad Baddie Behind The Curtain was a good idea. All I really wanted was backstory to Snoke. Why is he so tall and deformed and musty looking? I guess I’ll never know. smh.

6. Episode VII - The Force Awakens The introduction of Rey in this movie was spectacular. Poe’s immediate connection with Finn was so endearing. The plot twist of Kylo killing Han was well-done, and Rey’s presenting of Anakin’s lightsaber to Luke at the end was such an enticing cliffhanger.

11. Episode VIII - The Last Jedi I just… am incredibly disappointed with how much of a throw-away this movie was. Kylo will never obtain anything close to Zuko’s God-tier redemption arc, but I’m okay with it, because he’s trying to figure it out!

But this movie! It just doesn’t do it for me. Doesn’t bring me much-- if any-- satisfaction. You mean to tell me that Luke (our sweet petty summer child) just fades away into dust after taunting his nephew? Sounds just like him, but it could have been better.

12. Episode II - Attack of the Clones I feel no emotional connection to this movie outside of Obi-wan Kenobi.

A Wanda-ful addition to the MCU

WandaVision surprises but succeeds in pleasing its audience

Sydney Mejia Features Editor

WandaVision made its debut on Disney+ on January 15 and since then, Marvel fans have been going crazy over the show. There is a lot to take in with this show as it is a very different entry into the Marvel Cin-

ematic Universe (MCU). Marvel has been awfully quiet lately with not much new content coming out, so this is a big deal.

It is important to have some background of the MCU before watching Wandavision. If not, you won’t quite understand some of the big surprises and little easter eggs throughout the series. So if you are interested in this particular show, make sure to become familiar with the Marvel movies and know a little bit about the comics too. This will help in having the full understanding of what is going on and making sure you have the ability to enjoy every bit of it.

The show opens up as your typical 1950s sitcom with your average newlywed couple...well, you might think so. While Wanda Maximoff and her husband Vision seem like the perfectly normal couple next door, it becomes obvious that they are having some difficulty trying to hide their powers from the outside world of Westview. The first three episodes of the series were a little strange to viewers, including myself. It isn’t until episode four where we really get to see what is going on behind the scenes of this not so typical sitcom, that we can understand what Marvel is trying to go for.

While I was watching the show, I was experiencing a whole whirlwind of emotions about what was going on. Like previously mentioned, there is a lot of confusion within the first three episodes since we aren’t given any context about the sitcom and it is like you are watching another show. But Marvel did an amazing job about adding context into all the episodes following the first few. They found the perfect balance between the reality aspect of the show and the sitcom. The plot on both ends of the story is extremely well done and it is really interesting how it is all unravels as the series

goes on.

Each episode is supposed to pay homage to shows of different decades, which I think is one of the best characteristics of the show. The first episode references shows such as I Love Lucy and Leave it to Beaver and later episodes referencing others such as Full House and Malcolm in the Middle. I especially enjoyed how it made a smooth transition to more modern shows like The Office and Modern Family. These references are something that makes the show unique as it brings together the action of any other Marvel movie or show and the humor and joy from the classic sitcoms that many have enjoyed before. There are also little commercial breaks in these episodes which again, correspond with a specific decade. This is just another little touch that really makes this show true to what it is.

If there was anything that I could critique about the show, it would be that it was a little too predictable as it went on. Especially with a big reveal in the most recent episode, many fans had already suspected that it was going to happen. But what matters most is that the execution of it was astounding, and even though I may have seen it coming, I still gasped in awe.

When I first started watching WandaVision, it was definitely not what I would normally expect from Marvel. But once the show really got rolling, I was into it right away and every Friday you could find me on the couch watching the newest episode.

Overall, this is definitely one of the shows at the top of my list of recommendations. It is unlike anything that I have seen before, especially from Marvel, and I am really looking forward to seeing what else is in store for future episodes.

10

Streak Snapped

Sports 3 • 12 • 2021

Elkhorn South ends JV boys basketball team’s 11-game streak

so we knew it was going to be difficult not to lose,” junior Bradon Cannon said.

While they are no longer undefeated, this team has not let the losses ruin their season.

Ally Seevers

“I think actually Sports Editor losing a game and how we responded to

73-54. Nineteen points in an away game vs. Elkhorn it was probably one South snapped the JV boys basketball team’s 11-game of the best things,” winning streak.

Crain said. “Just being

“It definitely meant a lot,” junior Jackson Crain said. able to overcome that “Being undefeated for so long, I think that it really helped adversity–I think it our confidence playing so highly at the beginning of the shows a lot.” year,” he said.

Cannon said that

While continuing the streak was exciting, it wasn’t he is most proud of the only factor motivating the team to play well. how hard the team

“Being undefeated was certainly nice,” Coach Tim has worked. “From Locum said. “If you are a competitor, nobody likes to lose, the effort we put into but just winning games on the scoreboard isn’t our only practices to how well goal on the JV team,” he said. “We hope that every player and hard we play at also makes progress to becoming a full-time varsity Junior Jackson Crain takes the ball down the court in the game against Omaha Bryan our games, we’ve player along the way, and each week we look to take gotten to where we are High School. The Patriots won, 71 to 31; their first win after the streak ended. Photo by steps towards accomplishing that goal. That said, we do because of it,” he said. Zander Vasquez. strive to win each time we take the court, and this group a reliance on one or two players to win the game or score

Though the loss to has beaten some very strong JV teams to this point. We points -- our strength is that anybody and everybody can Elkhorn South was a defining game of the season, earlier are very proud of that.” be successful by playing together,” he said, “but I would victories were certainly notable.

Unfortunately, the winning streak came to an end, certainly recognize the juniors on the team [Jackson

“I think the thing that but the loss I’m most proud of is probably Crain, Bradon Cannon, John Wilson, and Cole Renken], taught them who have led with their effort, actions, and dedication to how we came back against other lessons. us being as good as we are. I love coaching all of them.”

Lincoln High,” Renken said. “It

“It means a

This team may not have gone the whole season showed what we really could lot to be undeundefeated, but they have certainly become one of the do.” feated,” junior greatest JV

In this Cole Renken teams in the hisgame, after said. “It shows tory of Millard halftime, the team how good we South. was down, 34 to could be at some “I have really 26, and trailing point, but then loved coaching the Links 48-42 on the losing this particular going into the side, it shows team, primarily fourth quarter, that we can lose because they but as Renken to anyone and play egoless said, they came we have to be basketball,” back to win, 66 to ready to play Locum said.”

55. and give our Everybody

“We have best.” contributes, - junior Bradon Cannon a very collective

“It felt good and everybody effort this season, to be undefeated sacrifices for the and everyone has for most of the same goals -- to contributed to our season. It got us execute at a high level and compete to win. Not every success,” Locum said. “Everypretty excited, body plays, everybody scores, team of players is willing to do that, and I have enjoyed but we knew this year immensely due to this group buying into that everybody rebounds, everywe play a pretty Brayden Hodges, a sophomore, drives the ball to the hoop. Photo by philosophy.” body moves the ball, and evtough schedule, Zander Vasquez. erybody defends. There is not

“

From the effort we put into practices to how well and we play at our games, we’ve gotten to where we are because of it.

”

Meet the Ath’elite’: Paola Kangni-Soupke Ally Seevers Sports Editor

Athlete: Paola Kangni-Soupke, Class of 2021 Team: Varsity Cheer

“I have been on the cheer team for three years, since my sophomore year,” Kangni-Soukpe said. “I started cheer because I have always been interested in it, and honestly, I just wanted to meet new people.”

While Paola has only been cheerleading for three years, for most of that time, she has been on the varsity cheer team, leading the Patriot Powerhouse during sporting events and prep rallies, and giving off the needed energy to win.

“At some of the games, the energy goes over the top and I get so invested at the games. When there’s actually a student section that cheers, then the games are so much fun. Everyone gets so invested and it shows school spirit.”

However, getting to be at the varsity level, and so quickly, came with its challenges for the senior.

“A struggle that I had to overcome was trying to point my toes when I jump,” Paola said. “I would practice on pointing my toes when we would stretch, and now they’ve improved a lot since my sophomore year, but I’d say the hardest thing would be the amount of reps we do. The ‘lucky’ number is 25, so it’s 25 reps of almost everything, which is a lot.”

But Paola has been able to push through due to her strive for excellence along with the help of her teammates.

She said, “I keep myself motivated by wanting to do the best that I can when I perform or even just practice. Also, the laughs that we have during practice remind me that we care for each other during a tough practice.”

“My favorite thing about the team would be how we all get along,” Kangni-Soupke said. “We’ve really gotten out of having a lot of cliques, so we’re just one big happy family.”

Since Kangni-Soupke is a senior, this means that this is her last year on the cheer team, making this cheer season an extra special one.

“My favorite memory would Senior Paola Kangni-Soupke holds up the ‘M’ as she performs the team’s cheer at halftime. Paola and the team placed first in Non-Tumbling A during te 2020 season. probably be the Millard West Photo by Carly Barkus.

Showcase,” said Paola. “We all had so much energy, so it made it really [Burrus].” “It’s so funny when she jumps.” fun.”

The joy and happiness that Kangni-Soupe gets as a cheerleader is the reason she is a cheerleader.

Favorite Element of Cheer: Tumbling

“I honestly love being apart of this team so much.

We have so many funny moments and laughs,” Paola said.

Paola said her favorite thing about cheer would “I will never forget my time on the team.” probably be “the amount of times we scare [coach] Shari

Sports 3• 12 • 2021

11

Squad of Sisters

Female wrestlers Jacobson and Albertson take the mat by storm Ally Seevers Sports Editor

Wrestling, as a sport, has one of the highest injury rates. Within a split second, your life, as you know it, could change due to a wrong move, or even the right one, in a match. Because of this, wrestling is commonly a male sport, but that hasn’t kept girls from the mat.

Sophomores Jada Albertson and Jenah Jacobson have been two leaders in the movement to sanction girls wrestling as they have both wrestled as a Patriot this winter season.

Jacobson said that when she learned about the opportunity to wrestle, she thought it was cool.

“I thought it was just a boy’s sport,” Jacobson said.

“Being one of the only female wrestlers, I’m proud of myself for actually going through with it and finishing the season,” she said.

As for Albertson, she has grown up watching wrestling, as her brother, Zane Albertson, wrestled for Millard South up until graduating last year.

“My brother has been wrestling since he was maybe 7,” Albertson said. “I decided to as well, because I

Jenah Jacobson, a sophomore, wrestles and wins by decision. Jacobson actually started wrestling because of a bet. Photo courtesy of @PatriotsWrestle .

thought it would be fun,” she said.

While this year was the first year wrestling for both girls, they have had an incredible season.

“The season has been going great,” coach Tyler Renken said. “While they are inexperienced, they are getting better every day.

They maintained good attitudes and worked hard. The girls overcame the challenges of being inexperienced and wrestled some really physical matches.”

Both Jacobson and Albertson overcame many obstacles, including mainly wrestling boys due to the sheer lack of female Sophomore Jada Albertson wrestles in a match against Schuyler. Jada lost this match but won in wrestlers. a third period pin against West Point Beemer. Photo courtesy of @PatriotsWrestle .

“We mainly

“It’s kind of like a thing where you feel like you are wrestle boys beon your own because you’re not with your team, it’s just cause there aren’t a lot of girls who wrestle,” Albertson said. “Usually, the boys aren’t very disrespectful. As long you on the mat,” Albertson said. “It’s almost kind of like a battle in a way, but it makes you stronger.” as they’re nice, it doesn’t bother me.”

“Being on the team, especially with Jada, it’s just a

One incredible step in the movement though was great feeling,” Jacobson said. “I feel more confident in having two all-girls wrestling tournaments. what I do with her at my side.”

“They have competed in two all-girls varsity tour As the girls’ first season comes to a close, they naments [as well as] in reserve/JV matches and tournaproved to many that they were able to wrestle. ments,” Renken said.

“Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean anything,”

Another challenge the girls faced was having the Albertson said. “Yes, it is harder sometimes, but just confidence to even compete, but both Albertson and means that I have to put in more effort.”

Jacobson said they found the confidence they needed to walk out onto the mat.

Sports 3• 12 •2021

12

A tri-umphant return The ‘band of brothers’ bring home the state title for the third year in a row

Junior Antrell Taylor pins down his opponent. Photo by Josh Ferdico

Ally Seevers Sports Editor

“The lights, the crowd, the noise,” said senior Scott Robertson, “when you get into the tunnel and start getting ready to warm up, it’s all a little nerveracking. It makes your stomach start to move, then when they call your name, the light shines in on you and you run out, just put one foot in front of the other, and then it all goes away. It’s just you and your opponent. There are a couple of lapses where you notice the massive cameras filming you, but besides that, it’s just you, there on the mat, wrestling for the gold.”

On Thursday, Feb. 18, the #1 ranked Millard South wrestling team won the NSAA Class A Wrestling tournament for the. Third. Year. In a row.

“State went well for the team,” senior and 126 gold medalist, Connor Knopick, said. “While not everyone wanted the outcome they got, everyone still contributed to our big win.”

While the team won the championship without a doubt, they had something bigger in mind.

“I think with this team, we have a chance to break the Class A record and State record for most points scored in a tournament,” said head coach, Nathan Olson, going into state. “Grand Island has the record for Class A at 250. 2 and a half

points and then Omaha Skutt has the allclass record at 256. So I feel like with our depth, our fourteen wrestlers, our guys that are going to be state medalists, I feel like we have a good chance of breaking that record.”

Unfortunately, they were unable to complete this goal, scoring 220.5 points, but they still won, beating the runner-up, North Platte, by 84 and a half points.

“I think state went really well,” junior and 145 bronze medalist, Tyler Antoniak, said. “We had a lot of guys that had a lot of good upsets. I don’t think we finished quite like we wanted to, but we did really good.”

Despite not scoring a new pointrecord, this team has had an incredible season, ranking in the top 50 high school wrestling teams in the nation.

“We’re ranked like 13th in the nation,” said senior JJ Latenser. “It’s a big accomplishment. I think we’re the highestranked team to ever come through Nebraska, so it feels pretty good.”

Coach Olson said, “I think it’s awesome for the kids and the school. It’s just a testament to the kids and all the work they put in during the season and even out of the season. I know how they do their rankings; they look at off-season stuff too, so our kids are going out and competing every chance that they get.”

At the top of the roster, leading the Patriots, are seniors Knopick and Caleb Coyle. Both are committed to Division 1

schools and have guided the team to 3 know kind of the expectations of what state titles. we’re doing and what they’re supposed

“I feel like they started this whole to do. I think sometimes, for guys going trend of Division 1 athletes. Caleb [Coyle] for the first time, they kind of get nervous and Conor [Knopick] were both freshmen with the bright lights and all the people, started and now they’re both going to but I feel like we have a pretty composed Division 1,” Olson said. “I think their work team. A team that’s been there before ethic and their leadership have helped and have wrestled in some big tournathe other wrestlers on the team step up ments.” and push each other to get to their level.”

“I was obviously a little nervous, but

132 silver medalist, sophomore Aidit was really exciting,” freshman Miles en Robertson, said he’s “grateful to have Anderson said. “I just didn’t want to let them [the seniors].” “A lot of their insights myself down, and while I did not do my have helped me become the wrestler I best this year, I will definitely be back am today.” next year.”

These seniors, as well as the rest of

As Anderson said, these Patriots will the team, have definitely made walking be back next year, ready to defend their out onto the mat and winning look easy. state title once again.

“When you walk out onto the mat,

“I am really looking forward to with the bright lights on you and the watching these young guys grow in the announcers yelling your name, there are sport,” said Olson. “I would like them so many emotions that come and go in to take a bigger leadership role in the such a short amount of time,” sophomore future. They can either lead by example and 138 gold medalist, Joel Adams, said. or vocally. Our young guys take wrestling “When the spotlight was above me, I seriously and treat it like a full-time job. looked up and saw myself above on the I have no doubt that they will reach the big screen and thought, ‘This is where pinnacle of high school wrestling someI want to be. I deserve to be here.’ As I time very soon.” jogged and looked to the sides of me, there were so many fans, and it felt nerveracking. The people that were cheering for me, I never wanted to let them down, and I told myself that I wouldn’t. Stepping onto the mat, waiting for my opponent, I felt happiness, nerves, anger, adrenaline, and excitement all at once. And when the first whistle blew and I looked at my opponent, as soon as I touched him and made contact, all of those feelings went away. I felt cool, calm, and collected with the intent to win.”

Coach Olson is very confident in this team and what they can do, Senior Scott Robertson takes down his opponent. Robertson saying, “We have a lot plans to attend University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Photo by Haley of guys who have been Dougherty to state before, so they

Senior Caleb Coyle, an Oregon State commit, wrestles in the state tournament.

Coyle was one of the four Millard South individual state champions, wrestling in weight class 120. Photo by Josh Ferdico Infographic by Sam Tews Freshman Miles Anderson takes control over his opponent. Photo by Haley Dougherty

Sophomore Joel Adams celebrates his first place win. Photo by Haley Dougherty