Statesman November

Statesman L

i n c o L n

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i g H

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c H o o L

SIOUX FALLS, SD

N ovember 2017

v ol . 52, N o . 2

TABLE OF FEATURES

OPINIONS

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LHS WELCOMES HURRICANE MARIA SURVIVOR AND FAMILY

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SIT OR STAND: THE CHOICE IS YOURS

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LHS SOPHOMORE SAVES MOTHER’S LIFE: PROVES IMPORTANCE OF FIRST AID EDUCATION

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HOLLOW PATRIOTISM: MY NEW FRIEND THE ISSUE WITH RETOUCHING ADS THE CAPITALIZATION PANDEMIC

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SPREADING THE TRUTH ABOUT FAKE NEWS” ON THE GRAM

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IT’S NOT IGNORANCE, IT’S EMPATHY 21ST CENTURY THANKSGIVING

10 11

OH THE PLACES WE HAVE BEEN SILENT OBLITERATION: FROM LHS TO LOCAL SUCCESS WHERE’S MURPHY: WALDO STYLE

IN EVERY ISSUE ON THE COVER

13 18 27 29 30

ENGAGE WORTH IT

BY THE NUMBER’S STANDING PAT MEET THE VARSITY

16 Students at LHS share their perspectives on hot button topics

Look for the Statesman online at lhsstatesman.com Print issues can be found on issuu.com Follow the Statesman on Twitter, Instagram and SnapChat @lhsstatesman

Photo Credits: 1. Photo of silent obliteration Provided by silent obliteration 2. Photo of lhs staff by Katie Kroeze 3. Photo of lhs sKyzone staff by riley rasmussen; PiCtured: violet denhode, hannah meyer, dimitri haan, Kim breider and PiPer KurtenbaCh 4. Photo of girls Cross Country team by sara sudbeCK

CONTENTS ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

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SOMETHING’S BREWING

27

22

ARE YOU NAUGHTY OR NICE?

END OF CROSS COUNTRY SEASON: MORE TITLES WON, MEMORIES MADE, FRIENDSHIPS CREATED

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NO SHAVE NOVEMBER: STATESMEN EDITION

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A LOOK AHEAD; LHS BOYS BASKETBALL SIDELINE CHEER: MORE THAN JUST A SPORT

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SKYZONE VS. AIRMASTER

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‘THE THRILL OF IT ALL’ HAS ALL THE FEELS BEAUTY SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR EVERYONE

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WINTER FASHION

Statesman

The Statesman’s purpose is to inform and entertain with an honest and accurate approach. The opinions of students, staff members and faculty are expressed in a tasteful manner. The Statesman is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and is a winner of the George H. Gallup award for “…distinctive achievements in scholastic journalism.” The Statesman was awarded a Pacemaker in 2007 and was nominated for the 2012-2013 year. The editors and adviser take responsibility for the content of the Statesman.

Editors- in-Chief: Lucy Dekkenga and Gage Gramlick

Photographers: Anna Dekkenga and Riley Rasmussen

News Editors: Ellie Lamberty and Emily Whitney

Feature Editor: Jack Fehrs

OP/ED Editor: Summer Ericson

Entertainment Editor: Abbie Griffin

Sports Editor: Oliver Lockwood-Powell

Meet the Varsity: Ellie Lamberty and Emily Whitney

Staff Writers: Lily Becker, Jenna Becker, Caiden Capaldo, Chloe Crissman, Lillian D., Landon DeBoer, Taylor Ericson, Molly Faris, Kate Fehrs, Hannah Hansen, Somer Luitjens, Hunter Merkley, Katie Osmundson, Brita Quello, Timothy Stolp, Lauren Teller, Cathleen Weng Adviser: Katie Kroeze

4

FEATURE

LHS welcomes hurricane Maria survivor and family

by Summer ericSon

As the death toll in Puerto Rico rises from the recent catastrophic hurricane Maria, many Puerto Rican citizens have fled the country in hopes of avoiding the current horrific conditions. LHS freshman, Francisco Vizcarrondo, and his family are a part of the many who have escaped Puerto Rico amidst its struggling state.

“We moved here because of the hurricane,” said Vizcarrondo. “There is currently no power there. There are people without homes, food and water. There are countless deaths and it just keeps getting worse.”

The storm hit Puerto Rico on Sept.

20, 2017. Since then, many Puerto Rican citizens have been left without access to clean water, electricity and other necessary resources, causing widespread destruction to the country. According to The Atlantic, the hurricane was nearly a five on the scale that categorizes hurricanes from one to five, depending on their sustained wind speed.

Vizcarrondo experienced the hurricane first-hand. His family was in their home when it happened.

“It was very scary during the hurricane,” said Vizcarrondo. “There were loud noises and we were sure that the windows were going to break in our house. Luckily, they didn’t, but there was still water coming in from everywhere around us.”

Luckily, the Vizcarrondo family owns a house in Sioux Falls and was able to find safety from the conditions in their home country.

“We just bought airline tickets and decided to leave; it was very abrupt,” said Vizcarrondo. “My whole family came here; I’m one of six siblings. My grandma, father and sister left to go back to Puerto Rico, and my dad is trying to fix up our house.”

Although it may take a while for the overall state of Puerto Rico to improve, Vizcarrondo and his family plan to return once some improvement has been made to their home.

“We are staying until the end of the semester,” said Vizcarrondo. “We’ll stay here until the power is back on and everything is fixed at home.”

Many others have found themselves escaping the effects of hurricane Maria.

Many of them are Vizcarrondo’s own friends.

“I have friends who had to move to Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Nevada because of the hurricane,” said Vizcarrondo.

Although he is thankful that he was able to find safety in Sioux Falls, Vizcarrondo misses his home and life in Puerto Rico. He hopes that people can help support the country, so it can find the relief it needs.

“I’m excited to go home and see my friends and, of course, my cats,” said Vizcarrondo. “I really miss my friends and everything that I did in Puerto Rico. I want everyone to know that [it’s important] to help Puerto Rico during this time of hardship.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE

Devastation follows after hurricane Maria tears through Puerto Rico. Just in Puerto Rico alone, 51 people died. Two deaths were caused by aftereffects from contaminated water and animal urine, according to CBS News.

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FEATURE

PHOTO CREATED BY ANNA DEKKENGA

To donate and support Puerto Rico in this time of need, contact UNICEF at its website, www.unicefusa.org/donate/support.

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FEATURE

LHS sophomore saves mother’s life: Proves importance of first aid education

BY LILLIAN

D.

At first glance, LHS sophomore Garret Masters is simply a very involved student.

He participates in robotics, plays cello in orchestra, sings in choir and plays guitar in band.

With little noticeable signs, Masters’ mother had a genetic heart illness which was not discovered until the day she was taken to the emergency room. The day his mother became ill, Masters was the only one able to help, with his sister asleep and father at work.

Noticing that she lost consciousness, he first checked for signs of choking, which were not present. Masters called 911 and started CPR right after away. Emergency services said cardiac arrest occurred.

Thankfully,Masters’ mother

was out of the hospital in a few days and was transferred to the heart hospital and stayed there for less than a week. The following week after that, she was able to work from home.

There was a moment when the life of another person was in his hands. Finding the right balance between panic and action was the only way to keep his mother alive and do what was necessary.

“It’s really scary looking over and seeing your mother unconscious,” said Masters. “There’s a moment of panic because you don’t know what’s happening. So I snapped out of it after a second and dialed 911, and they walked me through everything.”

Doctors diagnosed her with a genetic problem. Her

PHOTO BY MOLLY FARIS

Sophomore, Garret Masters proved to be a hero in a crucial moment.

diagnosis was Left Ventricular Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy (LVNC).

“What it means is one of the pieces of your heart, like when you’re developing inside of your mother, your heart starts out more spongy and porous,” said Masters.

“When you have (LVNC) part of your heart stays that way.”

Thankfully, the recovery process was fairly quick leaving little signs of her illness present. She was able to go to a work conference and continue on with her life.

“She is healthy as ever now,” said Masters. “I guess there were some of the general signs and general fatigue. Like she says, ‘what mom doesn’t feel tired all the time?’”

After the incident looking back, Masters wishes for him-

self and others to be more prepared both to get help to arrive and offering immediate action.

“I’d actually want to get certified for CPR,” said Masters. “All I knew was from Boy Scout camp, which was enough. One thing I think everyone should know is beyond CPR is actually dialing 911. It’s like you don’t really want to because thinking about it psychologically, it’d be like admitting something terrible just happened.”

According to cpr.heart.org, you should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 200 compressions per minute.

The beat of “Stayin’ Alive” is a perfect match for this.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FACEBOOK

Jennifer Gerrietts-Masters, Garret Masters’ mother.

FEATURE

7

Spreading the truth about fake news BY

ABBIE GRIFFIN

“Oh my gosh, the Statesman is such fake news.” I think I have heard this from at least 10 different students from all different grades at LHS. But do they really know what fake news means?

Fake news is defined as a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that is published with the intention to mislead and damage a person or group with financial, personal or political gain in mind. It is also a term that has been used by U.S. president Donald Trump and has gained popularity in the 2016 presidential election. According to Politifact, Trump is so moved with the phrase that he has said ‘fake news’ at least 153 different times in speeches, interviews, on Twitter and in news conferences.

If someone were to define fake news as falsified content, then 2016 was the year fake news came into existence. On

social media, inaccurate stories and falsified reports ran rampant on sites like Twitter and Facebook and then later appeared as the hit searches on Google. This included stories, videos, voice segments, skits, written pieces and conspiracy theories. Anybody who is nobody could write anything, and many would believe it.

If people are to write fake news, then how does this interfere with the U.S. constitution first amendment rights? What the first amendment actually does is help distinguish the difference between newsworthy writing and what is hurting the reputation of others. When someone says a piece of writing or journalism is fake news, it focuses on the idea that though they may not agree with them, they also give no concrete evidence to counter them.

A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center suggests

that 23 percent of U.S. adults have shared fake news, knowingly or unknowingly, with friends and family. After knowing this fact, it is likely to say that many Americans do not know the difference between fact and fiction. Though Americans started to recognize the difference between fake news and true, factual news, they continue to spread it based on biased and skewed thoughts towards people, parties and events.

Overall, the past two years have lead to the skyrocket of the use of fake news and the spread of fake news. People have lost credibility and others have had their reputations ruined. Fake news has been read by families all over the U.S. and spread through every social media sight. The media and journalists need to work on telling the truth to help reverse the effects of fake news over the past two years.

On the

BY

CHLOE CRISSMAN

LHS’ most liked Instagram posts.

Senior, Sydney Siegel

Sophomore, Caelyn Taylor

Senior, Michaela Mohr

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLICE USE

THIS IS HOW WE DO SPORTS.™

Ordinary sports coverage?

Not in this house.

On the field or on the air, it’s all about teamwork. Midco Sports Network® commits to the game – bringing you dedicated local and regional sports action on TV, online and on your smartphone. That means you always get the best seat in the house ... and this year we’re upping our game with even more live sports coverage.

Check live game schedules and more at MidcoSN.com.

MidcoSN.com

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Oh the places we have been

FEATURE

brita Quello LHS consists of 1,924 students and each student has their own special stories that have been made all around the world; including all seven continents, and 91 countries. by

PHOTO BY STATESMAN STAFF

USA : All 50 states (over 100 stickers) Canada: 9 stickers Greenland: 1 sticker Iceland: 1 sticker Mexico: 27 stickers Bahamas: 6 stickers Cayman Island: 5 stickers Dominican Republic: 3 stickers Venezuela: 1 sticker Brazil: 4 stickers Argentina: 1 sticker Svalbard: 1 sticker Russia: 8 stickers Norway: 1 sticker Denmark: 1 sticker Sweden: 2 stickers Finland: 1 sticker United Kingdom: 4 stickers Ireland: 2 stickers Lithuania: 1 sticker Poland: 4 stickers Estonia: 1 sticker Germany: 8 stickers France: 3 stickers Spain: 2 stickers Ukraine: 4 stickers Romania: 4 stickers Czechia: 2 stickers Switzerland: 2 stickers Croatia: 5 stickers Italy: 11 stickers

Greece: 5 stickers Georgia: 1 sticker Israel: 1 sticker Uzbekistan: 1 sticker Egypt: 4 stickers Qatar: 1 sticker Saudi Arabia: 1 sticker United Arab Emirates: 1 sticker Tajikistan: 1 sticker Libya: 1 sticker Western Sahara: 1 sticker Mauritania: 2 stickers Niger: 1 sticker Sudan: 1 sticker Eritrea: 1 sticker Yemen: 1 sticker Liberia: 6 stickers Sierra Leone: 1 sticker Ghana: 3 stickers Nigeria: 2 stickers Cameroon: 2 stickers Ethiopia: 4 stickers Somalia: 3 stickers Democratic Republic of the Congo: 1 sticker Tanzania: 3 stickers Zambia: 1 sticker Malawi: 1 sticker Namibia: 1 sticker Mozambique: 1 sticker Zimbabwe: 2 stickers

Botswana: 1 sticker South Africa: 2 stickers Madagascar: 1 sticker Antarctica: 3 stickers Australia: 6 stickers New Zealand: 4 stickers Guam: 1 sticker Philippines: 2 stickers Japan: 4 stickers South Korea: 1 sticker China: 8 stickers Vietnam: 4 stickers Thailand: 2 stickers Malaysia: 2 stickers India: 52 stickers Nepal: 12 stickers Myanmar: 3 stickers Bangladesh: 6 stickers French Polynesia: 1 stickers Bahamas: 3 stickers Puerto Rico: 2 stickers British Virgin Islands: 2 stickers Haiti: 1 sticker Jamaica: 2 stickers Turks and Caicos Islands: 2 stickers Belize: 3 stickers Guatemala: 8 stickers El Salvador: 3 stickers Honduras: 3 stickers Costa Rica: 4 stickers

FEATURE

11

WHERE’S MURPHY?

by lily becker Peek at the photo below and try to find murphy. If you do, make sure to take a photo and tweet @lhsstatesman with the #wheresmurphy for a chance to win a prize.

PHOTO CREATED BY LILY BECKER

Silent Obliteration: from LHS to local success by

HannaH Hansen

It is not that often you find a group of local musicians who have the talent and ambition to write, produce and perform their own music. Silent Obliteration, a band in Sioux Falls, created by former LHS students, continues to draw an enormous fan base as they define themselves in the process.

Adam Awadallah, Riley Hoben, Stanley Milgram and Justin Moe all contribute to the hiphop sound Silent Obliteration produces. While Awadallah and Milgram first formed the band in 2010, Hoben and Moe later joined - and they have been creating music ever since.

“We started making music when we were in middle school, so when we released material it was literally the voices of our younger selves at such a dynamic time in our lives,” said Milgram.

“We played our first show in 2012 following our first release a bunch of songs we recorded in my basement off a Guitar Hero

PHOTO BY HANNAH HANSEN

Justin Moe and the rest of Silent Obliteration perform live earlier this year.

mic - and instantly fell in love.”

Inspired by their day-to-day actions and the material they see in the world around them, Silent Obliteration strives to produce a sound their listeners can relate to with the help of their producer, Dr. Alien.

“The unique capability of music to open a closed mind leaves no room to question its value to humankind,” said Moe. “As individuals with varying backgrounds coming together to seize the opportunity, we be-

came living proof that circumstance will only victimize those who let it.”

Aside from popular streaming apps, such as Bandcamp and SoundCloud, LHS students can catch Silent Obliteration tearing up the stage at popular hot spots around Sioux Falls.

“We play at a lot of local venues in town, our favorite being Total Drag,” said Milgram. “High schoolers seem to resonate with the moods and feelings in the songs, and always seem to have

the most fun at the shows.”

In addition to Silent Obliteration’s innovative lyrical style, the most rewarding aspect of creating music for the world stems from its effect on the band members themselves.

“Any manifestation of positive energy by the listener as a result of our self-expression is enough to dedicate my entire life to the art form,” said Moe. “It didn’t take long for us to realize we were in each others’ lives for a reason.”

Silent Obliteration’s future is secured by their bond as a band. All of its members hold a special ingredient to the sound they produce, and the band is more than ready to see what is in store for them.

“We all have our own unique and individual view of how we’d like Silent Obliteration to end up,” said Milgram. “However, we all agree on one thing - that we have enough talent, skill and music to blow up all over the world.”

12

Sit down to stand up

G aGe G raMliCK , editor - in - CHief I am living the American dream.

No, I do not aspire to live in an oversized house protected by a white-picket fence. But I am living the American dream. The American dream is not, and never was, about economic prosperity; rather, the American dream is to dream- to imagine a world better than ours.

Similarly, it is the American spirit of resilience, ingenuity and community that drives us to actualize our dreams.

Somewhat idealistically, I believe that most students at LHS and beyond share a dream: Genuine equality for all, acknowledged by the law, law enforcement and society.

Sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance is our way of advancing towards this lofty, complex and necessary goal. Let me be clear, the Pledge is not the problem; we are. What follows is not meant to diminish the value of the Pledge and the consequent nationalism it incites.

The Pledge is powerful, and so is silence when pride is expected.

The impact of sitting is profound; through this non-violent, minimally disruptive action, we shine a blindingly clear light on the discrepancies that exist in the U.S. and its legal process. Sitting shatters the status quo- some see this as an indignity, but this is not the case when the status quo is the countless deaths of innocent black men. Of course, black

by

men are not the only people being mistreated, and it is important to fight for all oppressed; however, black men, in particular, are being shot daily and often wrongfully.

According to the American Journal of Public Health, black men are three times more likely to die from legal intervention than white men.

Regardless of whether this is due to bigotry, socioeconomic-crime correlations or a combination thereof, lives are being lost. This is why we sit: To bring awareness to the indif-

OP/ED

quiet. They see mature poise directed into a concentrated message: Stop killing black men.

Unfortunately, they also see a lack of gratitude for our heroes. My grandfather enlisted in the army at the age of 17. He recently died at the age of 67 from diseases associated with his service; despite his decades of pain- physical and mental- he considered himself one of the lucky.

His brother, my father’s and my namesake, died in Vietnam. He was 22. Yet, my actions are often perceived as disrespectful or as a lack of appreciation for my countrymen and countrywomen who fought for me.

This is not my intention. Rather, I sit to ensure our soldiers didn’t die in vain; it is my responsibility to use the liberties my great-uncle died for and my grandfather dared to live for- the right to dream and to actualize dreams- to destroy hate. It is my inheritance to fight, on a significantly less perilous level, as my grandfather and his brother did.

Sitting is not disrespectful to those who lost their lives defending us; sitting is a testament to their lives and their sacrifices. Sitting to bring attention to injustice is the pinnacle of patriotism.

It’s always a great day to be a Patriot, so sit down to stand up.

EnGage ference shown towards the lives of black men; we sit to stand up.

As a white man, I find it is far too easy to stand- to turn a blind eye to injustice. The inhumane deaths of black men simply don’t affect me.

But they do. Inhumanity is not a black, brown or white problem; inhumanity is a human problem. And I am human.

So, I sit. The effect of sitting isn’t in the action itself, but in the eyes of the people who see me sit. They see dissent from unspoken rules, bold yet

Welcome to the second installment of EnGage, a column. The goal of EnGage is to

entertain, inspire and educate: To engage. Often, the stories will be satirical. However, they will occasionally be serious, as the above is. Pay attention to the disclaimers, and, as always, please do not sue the Statesman. Thank you.

OP/ED

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Committed to America: Participating in the Pledge by

Caiden Capaldo, staff writer

“Every great change in America has come about because people on different sides of the political spectrum desire the same goal: A prosperous and supportive America.”

America is facing great tensions. Many would argue that capitalism threatens to tear down the most miniscule of salaries, immigrants have been all but shunned out of the country and America is involved in unnecessary conflicts. In addition to all of this, Donald Trump is our president, and his approach threatens to deepen the rift between communities even further around these issues. If one was not already upset with the state of our country, then they are as apathetic as anyone could be.

If you are as infuriated with these problems as I am, then I

applaud you for caring. As citizens of the U.S., we should be disturbed by the political and social disorders society is facing.

Our overwrought hearts show that we care for this country; we want it to succeed; we want to see a change. Citizens should be coming together to make this change, and that is why it is important to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Those who do not participate in the Pledge of Allegiance and do so to show their discontentment as a form of peaceable protesting should rethink their actions. Their form of protest sends more of a divisive mes-

sage than one of fellowship.

That is what the Pledge of Allegiance is for: To stand and show your unwavering support to America’s ability to reach her full potential. It is not a submission to ideals we do not support.

If you take a look at what the Pledge actually is, you will find that it is an oath that states we are willing to obligate ourselves to the ideals of this country. This obligation does not by any means instruct us to fight strictly on the battlefield. It instead calls us to be active citizens building positive advances in our communities.

Every great change in America has come about because people on different sides of the political spectrum desire the same goal: A prosperous and supportive America.

You see, America is not just a location or place on the

globe. It is an idea that was formed by the minds of people who wanted to see a change in the world. The very people who created America were so distraught by the way that the rest of the world was running, they attempted to create a country that could be managed differently: By the people and for the people. America is the accumulation of its people, and it is only as reputable as we make it.

If you are a person that believes these statements, then I advocate that you stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to show your support for the changing of America for the better. The very country that is in such upheaval, is the same country that we as citizens should desire to make great. There is no greater way to show this desire than to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

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Hollow patriotism: my new friend

Katie OsmundsOn, staff Writer

While Veterans day may have already happened this year, the ideas behind the holiday should not be limited to just one day, especially now with the growing gap between the public and the military. One of the effects of this rise of hollow patriotism, is a valueless, insignificant and empty love and respect for those who sacrifice for one’s country. It is a phenomenon that deserves the attention of Americans of all ages.

There are many areas that hollow patriotism is prevalent in, but one of the most common, yet unknown, areas is with patriotic shows at sporting events. I am not talking at

all about kneeling for the anthem rather, the sports teams that are putting on seemingly generous shows of patriotism. A report released by Senators Jeff Flake and John McCain says that the US Department of Defense has paid the NFL using US tax dollars, $6,800,000 in a span of four years for patriotic moments at football games. This means that many of the patriotic shows you see at sporting events are not to honor the people who have served and lost their lives for our country, but to make more money for the teams. There are also many companies that sponsor the salutes.

“It allows of the callous interpretation that the ceremonies are merely advertising draped in the flag, that the soldiers and veterans on the field are being used as much as they are being honored,” states an article by the Washington Post.

Honoring soldiers is an important part of our society and as fewer and fewer Americans know someone who has served or is serving, it becomes a practice that is more important than ever. It is time for our attitude towards honoring those who

OP/ED

have served to change from sponsored acts or half hearted statements like “thank you for serving” into an effort to be more genuinely committed to our veterans and active soldiers. This would involve pushing for companies and associations to salute our veterans without compensation and to approach thanking veterans with a genuine thankfulness.

Finally, we need to interact more with soldiers and veterans so we will see them as people that we know and have personal relationships with. This can be completed in many ways: Volunteering at your local VA, creating care packages for soldiers overseas or joining the Local Veterans Assistance program. The sacrifices that are made by soldiers are worth more than one holiday. They deserve thanks throughout the whole year.

“Honoring soldiers is an important part of our society and as fewer and fewer Americans know someone who has served or is serving, it becomes a practice that is more important than ever.”

The issue with retouching ads The capitalization pandemic

by CatHleen Weng, staff Writer

Walk into any checkout aisle of any grocery store and you’ll find the aisles lined with glossy magazine covers, featuring retouched models who are too ethereal to be real. They have no blemishes, no imperfections.

Photoshop has been used to turn celebrities into thinner, airbrushed versions of themselves far too many times to count.

Anything about the people you see in fashion magazines could be artificial, from their hair color to their entire body.

This isn’t a new development or a new argument. The use of photoshop in magazines and on social media has been a debated topic dating back to as early as 2011.

With the attention this issue has received, change should have been a guarantee. After all, Aerie stopped using photoshop in their ads and sales went up 32 percent. Getty Images, the world’s largest stock photo

agency, also announced in September that they would no longer accept images in which the person had been thinned artificially. However, they added that images with changes of hair color, erasure of blemishes and other smaller scale retouches would still be allowed.

Yet, it’s not enough. The media sets beauty standards for all of its consumers, and those beauty standards being unreachable can grate down on anyone’s self-esteem. In addition, looking at a picture of themselves and realizing that they’ve been changed is probably a slap in the face to any celebrity or model; it’s like the company is telling you you’re not pretty enough.

We’re taking steps forward, but they’re very tiny steps. This is an issue that has spanned years; you’d think we would have at least started labelling which pictures are photoshopped or not.

Unfortunately, the media doesn’t always listen to its consumers.

by HannaH Hansen, staff Writer do you think this was a mistake? Did I purposely not capitalize the first letter of this article?

Maybe I just simply forgot one of the major fundamental skills of writing, or maybe I am just conforming with society’s habit influenced by today’s popular grammatical error.

As far back as I can remember, teachers drilled into our minds the simple, yet highly essential rule - capitalization. Somewhere in the digital footprint of technology, a popular teenager did the unspeakable - they started their Instagram caption with a lowercase letter. Oh, the horror.

On any social media platform, it is hard for me to ignore the constant captions that begin with this infamous lowercase letter. Capitals were our friends - why must we abandon them now? Today, society is so concerned with the way their social profile will impact their popularity, they are discarding

their intelligence in hopes it will boost their reputation. By complying with the majority of people on social media, some believe they will ‘fit in’ amongst a wave of followers through a tiny screen - but does it really make a difference?

It seems as though no one wants to speak about this silent pop culture trend, but I know I am not alone in noticing it. Maybe those who follow this terrible grammatical movement hope that by not speaking of it, they are not actually taking part in it.

I understand some may just like the look of a lowercase letter to start off their captions or posts, but there are also those who only do it to follow the influential, popular side of society.

Whatever the motivation, there is no denying that this once small grammatical trend has evolved into something we cannot escape from - something that will define our generation for years to come.

OP/ED

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by timOtHy

It’s not ignorance, it’s empathy

stOlp, staff Writer

Trump, hurricanes and North Korea dominate the daily news cycle with new horrifying details every hour. I decided I just don’t care.

Well, it’s not that I don’t care, but I had to choose not to dwell on it. The news media has a tendency to amp up the viciousness of each story. It can make it seem like the world is ending with all the repetitively depressing stories, but in reality, it is not. Thus, around the end of last school year, I decided I wanted to quit paying attention to the endless coverage of hate, political strife and violence that caused me to feel so furious and hopeless. I had had enough of rattling off curse words

or bickering with my parents about new headlines and what each would mean for the country.

For a time I seemed to be experiencing anxious withdrawals, worried that Trump had caused another media frenzy by his actions or a natural disaster struck another developing nation and I was the least aware person. All the biased discussion panels on the crumbling disarray of the government and the heart-wrenching pieces on human tragedy only added another voice in the pool of confusion that I was swallowed up in in a “post-truth,”“fake news,” state.

The root of the issue is at the heart of journalism itself: to sell stories of human interest. When ratings go down, publishers or broadcasters have to strike back with a story that will grab attention. The industry that almost died out with the information age has found its way back with a wormhole of stories that exaggerate any detail possible. Ironically, as a student journalist I probably shouldn’t be complaining about how despicable journalism can be.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

As time went on, it became less and less of a struggle to find concern with blurbs of sensationalized truths; I wasn’t as fearful to be missing out. As I slowly worked news back into my life, I noticed my newfound ability to pick and choose what information I took in or rather how I took it in.

Recognizing bias and other factors of each story help me to get the facts without the fluff that once led me astray.

My anxious mind settles into a bit of ease more often now when I view articles about the next terrible thing to happen on this planet. Even though North Korea might strike the next time Trump tweets about how North Korea is causing hurricanes, I find comfort in the fact that this news will not control me.

“The root of the issue is at the heart of journalism itself: to sell stories of human interest.”

A 21st century Thanksgiving by landOn

debOer, staff Writer

I plop down on my leather recliner after devouring my second helping of food, telling myself that I will not start on a third. Inevitably, I will, but for now I will enjoy the antics of my family. It’s Thanksgiving Day. My uncle and aunt show up promptly one and a half hours late with their four children who will never speak a word while we are around them. Somehow, they have boyfriends and girlfriends.

We question if they are real and joke around by saying things like, “If you have a boyfriend, aren’t you supposed to talk

to him?” We play games with each other to see how many of them we can get to talk. If we can get two out of the four of them to talk, it’s a success.

A cat whizzes by, running down the stairs taking a sharp right turn into the “man cave.” As I walk downstairs to get the three different flavors of turkey that my other uncle has so deliciously prepared, I see a pile of about 30 cats huddled together on top of the air hockey table. This is only about half of the cats that they own.

“...I see a pile of about 30 cats huddled together on top of the air hockey table.”

I then head back upstairs to eat yet another large portion of food with my family. When I wrap up eating, my cousin brings out a game of “Trivial Pursuit 2000s.” He is the absolute king

at this game. I swear that he has played it at least 75 times and memorized all of the questions.

I distance myself from the rest of the family as I go to lounge on the large leather sofa in the basement to watch some Thanksgiving Day football on TV. My favorite team, the Detroit Lions, is on, so I hide away so that nobody bothers me while I intensely analyze the Lions’ mistakes. I do this until the game is over, and I then rejoin my family just before it is time to leave.

Thanksgiving is a significant holiday because there is a lot of delicious food to eat. No, I’m just kidding; I enjoy being around my family whom I don’t often get to see, and having time to spend with them. Although they have their quirks and are much different than I am, they are still my family. I’m positive that our ancestors would all be proud of the way that we celebrate our special Thanksgiving Day.

of 100

185

The Statesman polled students to figure out the perspecitves of students at LHS. This is what was found.

80

Which political group do you follow?

Percent of students polled

60 41.3%

40

31.3%

27.4%

20 0

Democratic

Republican

Do you support the LGBTQ+ community?

Independent

Do you think marijuana should be legal?

No 46.3%

27.9%

72.1% Yes 53.6% No

Yes

Do you agree with U.S. immigrations laws?

Percentage of students polled

100

Should employers pay men and women equal?

91.4%

50

8.6%

No 56%

Should there be an increase in gun control laws?

0

Yes

No

Should transgenders be able to serve in the U.S. military?

64.7%

No 19% 50

Yes 81%

35.3%

0

Yes

No

Do you think states should be able to display the confederate flag?

Yes 33.3%

No 66.7%

Do you think minimum wage should be raised?

100

Percentage of students polled

Percentage of students polled

100

Yes 44%

72.3%

50

27.7%

0

Yes

No

SPREAD BY LUCY DEKKENGA

Cheese Curd Statesbuds: Edition

BY LAUREN TELLER AND JENNA

BECKER Cheese curds are a midwestern staple. They provide a soft breading on the outside with a nice, silky piece of cheese blanketed inside your mouth with a bundle of goodness. Sadly, not all curds are equal; It can be hard to find the truly great ones. Luckily, we have tested three curd spots to determine which one is the most worth it.

A regular for $3.49 or a large for $5.99 Culver’s has many locations around Sioux Falls, but the nearest to LHS is on Minnesota Ave. Its atmosphere was welcoming with polite service, but still has the fast food feel great for open lunch. The prices are comparable to the other fast food restaurants around town, but we could argue that customers will get more bang for their buck here. The curds themselves were golden brown and delicious. The batter was crunchy and the cheese was not greasy but could have been more gooey. Another fun perk was playing curd roulette, or guessing between the two types of wisconsin cheese you get with each curd. Every one we bit into was a surprise!

A regular for $3.39 or a large for $5.99 Dairy Queen can be found all around Sioux Falls, but the closest to LHS is on Minnesota Ave. It has a fast food vibe, and the service was friendly and quick. The price for a large serving of cheese curds was the same as Culver’s, but the portions were much smaller. After we ordered, our curds came out fast and hot. The batter was soft, but had no crunch and a heavy amount of grease. The cheese had a nice stretch but it had a rubbery texture. Overall, the price was not worth the small portions and greasy taste.

One size for $8.50 The Diner was the last stop on our cheesy quest and was the most expensive of the three. It is located on Phillips Ave, a far drive from LHS. It had a hometown vibe with ‘50s era decorations and upbeat music. The service was kind and patient, and the food was served quickly. The curds were made fresh, different from the two fast food choices. Their batter was soft and buttery, but not greasy, and the cheese was creamy and not too heavy. One improvement could be the portion size, as we expected the appetizer to feed more than two or three people. Overall, the Diner has great tasting curds for too high of a price.

Most worth it?

With all three locations considered, we found that The Diner was the most worth it. The curds were the best in breading and stretch appeal. The service was the best, considering that it was a sit-down restaurant. However, for a quick bite, such as open lunch, we recommend Culver´s. Culver’s prices were perfect for the amount and quality of curd we received, and the service was very kind and everyone had a smile on their faces. Also, its proximity to LHS gives students plenty of time to enjoy their food.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN TELLER AND JENNA BECKER

IT’S YOUR

MOVE

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MAKE YOUR MOVE TO THE LARGEST ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICIAN TEAM IN THE REGION — AVERA ORTHOPEDICS.

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’s g n i th ng e i m w So Bre

The locally owned, mother-daughter, Dunn Brothers, has a very casual and calm feeling when walking into it. The cute designs on the wall and pop music they play make it a great and appealing place to grab a coffee with a friend.

Going with the basic caramel frappé was definitely not a disappointment. This drink was not like any other caramel frappé I had tried in the past. It had a perfect blend of espresso and caramel syrup, making it a smooth and creamy treat hard not to love. Dunn Bros Coffee is definitely a new favorite place of mine, and I cannot wait to go back and try more of their fan-favorites.

There is nothing that says “fall” more than a delicious blend of pumpkin pie, spiced white mocha, dark blend coffee and caramel syrup.

I was not quite sure what to expect adding pumpkin pie to my coffee, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

The drink comes iced and hot, so it is perfect to match with whatever the weather is or whatever you may be feeling. This would be the perfect drink for anyone with a sweet tooth.

After awhile, it does get a little too sweet for me, but I would definitely go back to get it again.

I have never been to a place as unique as Coffea. The jazz music and antique furniture really makes the place have a creative and calm feel to it. It would be the perfect place to go to get some work done or just to sit down and have a coffee. The caramel latte was very cute, as it was topped off with a little leaf on top, creating a fall feel.

The coffee itself was not bad, but it was a little strong for my liking.

Although it was not my type of coffee place, I was still impressed by the atmosphere. It was a very delightful store with very strong coffee.

BY

SOMER LUITJENS

Are you NAUGHTY or NICE? BY

KATE FEHRS

If you answer 4 or more “blue,” then you are nice!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON? Spending time with your family

DO YOU OPEN YOUR HOLIDAY PRESENTS TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS, THEN RE-WRAP IT?

No

Yes

HAVE YOU EVER RE-GIFTED A HOLIDAY PRESENT YOU HAVE RECEIVED?

Yes

WHAT HOLIDAY DO YOU ENJOY MORE?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY SONG?

“Jingle Bells”

“Santa Baby”

“Charlie Brown Christmas”

No

NAUGHTY

HAVE YOU EVER LIED AND SAID YOU LIKE YOUR PRESENTS AND YOU REALLY DO NOT?

Yes

Chirstmas

Receiving

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY MOVIE?

“Home Alone”

NICE

Opening up presents

DO YOU ENJOY RECEIVING OR GIVING GIFTS MORE? Halloween Giving

No

If you answer 4 or more “red,” then you are naughty!

ENTERTAINMENT

23

NO SHAVE NOVEMBER: STATESM EDITION

N

BY JACK FEHRS AND OLIVER LOCKWOOD-POWELL Jack and Oliver, or J n’ O Go took on the No Shave November challenge this month. These are the results and how they felt each week.

Jack

Oliver

As I start my journey, I have no idea on how far I will last.

Maybe days, maybe weeks. One thing is for sure, I am not ready for what is to come.

I decided to give myself a head start and haven’t shaved since October 21st.

There is clearly a large tranformation from my last picture. My jawline is just itching of victory, and I cannot wait to see my end results.

Uhhhhh.... Hello?

The third picture hit me like a bus. I am just a few days away from growing my first full-grown beard, and I am not ready to take on that reality.

Will it woo the ladies, or will it repel them?

Just bought some sort of cream online, hopefully this works.

Who was I kidding? I knew this would turn out the way I wanted it to. From daily lucky strokes of my ginormous forest of a chin to the wooing of women across the city, it has been a marvelous journey with my partner in crime, Jack.

Who would have guessed it? This is one of the greatest achievements of my young adult life. #ComebackKid

Photos by Riley Rasmussen

Stay tuned to the Statesman for the next J n’ O GO!

24

Sky Zone

ENTERTAINMENT

S V

Air Madness by

anna DekkenGa anD riLey rasmUssen

Sky Zone Sky Zone is located on Solberg Avenue in Sioux Falls. Although Skyzone has cheaper prices for jumping than Air Madness, overall it is not very entertaining. Sky Zone has different areas jumpers can spend their time in such as a dodgeball court, dunking station, regular jumping area and foam pit jump. Starting jumping time at Sky Zone can be fun as jumpers try all the different areas.

However, once a jumper spends some time at each of the areas they become bored and start thinking of possibilities to kill time until their jumping time is up. However, the areas at Sky Zone was padded safely and rules were enforced to make sure jumping was safe. The workers and staff at Sky Zone are very helpful and eďŹƒcient.

Workers provide good supervision and the staff is able to make sure jumpers are staying safe while having fun at the same time. Overall, Sky Zone is not worth the money.

Air Madness

Air Madness is located on Industrial Road in Harrisburg. The prices at Air Madness are more expensive than Sky Zone, but it is worth the few extra dollars. Air Madness has different areas where jumpers are able to spend their jumping time at. These areas include the bull pen, zero gravity main court, king of the beam, ninja course, laser maze, the face off wall, extreme foam pit, little air, ultimate dodgeball and airtime dunk court. Air Madness features more areas than Sky Zone does which makes Air Madness more entertaining and fun for everyone. Also, Air Madness has a special area just for little kids. This can be helpful because it can reduce the chances of little kids being knocked over or bumped into by older kids. However, Air Madness has just been built which leads to some areas not fully protected so jumpers have to be careful, advice from Anna Dekkenga. Also, in some areas, there is no supervision which could be dangerous. Overall, Air Madness is worth the money and time.

PHOTOS BY RILEY RASMUSSEN

ENTERTAINMENT

by LiLy

25

becker A soft tone, magnificent voice and ten passionate songs are what makes album “The Thrill Of It All”

by Sam Smith fabulous. The storytelling and harsh reality mixed together caused fangirl’s jaws to drop, especially the broken hearted ones.

The stunning romance that turned into an ugly breakup earlier in Smiths life had created a strong, beautiful and devastating album.

Besides the point, “The Thrill Of It All” is Smiths comeback album after years of not knowing where his charming voice went, but now he is back and ready to show the world what he’s got.

Although, life does happen and with life comes dramatic seasons and drastic changes which are noticeable if compared his photos

‘The Thrill of it All’ has all the feels

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE

Sam Smith’s new album “The Thrill of It All” was released on November 3. Rolling Stones gave it four out of five stars.

from this album to last. Not only did he change his look but he changed from a taken upbeat artist to a dark and lonely songwriter. This recent album is one of Smith’s most personal and heartfelt albums with songs such as “HIM,” “Burning” and “One Last Song” that pours all of the emotions Smith is feeling. It really created a better understanding for

fans to understand the hard times he goes through such as being gay, getting out of a relationship and dealing with his weight. Except for everything that happened makes the album that much better. It is sad, powerful, romantic and hopeful.

Now, this album is also for listeners who enjoy contemporary, jazz and anything with

a slow rhythm. The songs involve sorrow piano melodies and are decked out with choral arrangements making the songs breathtaking. “The Thrill Of It All” is the type of album that you could play on repeat while doing homework, a long drive or simply falling asleep.

Many would highly recommend this album if they enjoy sappy heartbreak music or if they can relate to Smith. With that, Smith definitely captures a specific group of people such as those dealing with coming out, beliefs in religion or having the “perfect” body figure. Thankfully, Smith has not disappointed the music industry so far with his 12 million sold copies of “In the Lonely Hour,” and with this amazing release, many will not be surprised to see him make it to the top again.

Beauty subscriptions for everyone

chLoe crissman If you follow anyone on Instagram who recently was a member on either the Bachelor or Bachelorette, you would see post after post about online beauty boxes. So… let’s review a few. by

For girls

Ipsy - A $10 a month service that sends you five beauty and makeup samples each month AND a bag. Ipsy is known for being one of the best online beauty subscriptions due to the fact that in each monthly package one could receive over $40 in beauty products and each item is full size, not sample size.

For boys

Sorry guys, you got kind of stiffed with the whole beauty box saga. However there is a Birchbox for men full of shaving creams, cologne and razors, if that suits your fancy.

Boxycharm - A close second to Ipsy, is a $21 a month package with over $100 worth of makeup. All products are full size but you do not receive hair products.

Yuzen - According to Cosmopolitan magazine, this beauty box is a must. It is basically a spa in a package. Ranging from items like face/body scrubs to cleansing lotion and oils, this box features all natural/ingredient conservative items perfect for any skin type. Plus, the packaging is gorgeous.

Birchbox - This $10 a month beauty subscription is one of the “OG” beauty boxes. It is fairly basic as far as items inside but once again, the packaging is to die for.

Julep - A $24.99 a month service features makeup and beauty products with a twist. Every 20th of each month a subscriber would receive not only their original beauty box but also two full nail polishes.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GOOGLE PUBLIC USE

26

ENTERTAINMENT

Winter fashions: how to stay warm and also look fashionable BY

SUMMER ERICSON

As winter approaches, many find themselves questioning an outfit that will keep them warm, but also fashionable at the same time. Here are a few ideas for a cozy yet stylish outfit.

Cozy sweaters:

Sweaters are a must for winter, and any clothing item that can look cute and provide warmth from the South Dakota weather at the same time is even better. This sweater from Lot 2029, a boutique in Sioux Falls, gives a cozy feeling and look and is perfect for a cold day.

Casual shirts:

With a big, bulky sweater, a plain t-shirt or tank top will pull together the whole look.

Jeans:

Corduroy pants, sold on Urban Outfitters, are a perfect pant for the winter.

The trendy flared-bottom of the pants will pair with any boot.

Boots:

Sold at Lot 2029, these boots make any outfit unique with their flashy velvet look, and will also protect from the 10 inches of snow Sioux Falls is likely to PHOTOS BY SUMMER ERICSON

Sports NOVEMBER 2017

LHS STATESMAN

of cross country season: By the Numbers End more titles won, memories made, friendships created

BY LUCY

12

9

LHS volleyball games won

Days until boys LHS basketball tip-off

3 1st

Senior girls on the LHS volleyball team

Place finish by Jack Elliott in XC meet

UPCOMING EVENTS Monday, Dec. 4

Wrestling Invitational @Home 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 19

Boys Basketball @ WHS @Home 5:30 p.m. and 7p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 21

Girls Basketball @ OGHS @OGHS 4 p.m. and 7p.m.

DEKKENGA Holding 15 boys state champion titles and two girls state champion titles, the LHS cross country team has always had a legacy of excellence. Out of the program came Division I athletes, intelligent coaches and students who not only learn to be good runners, but also good people. This season has been no different.

Multiple overall wins led up to the state meet with both boys’and girls teams placing second, an individual boys state title by junior Jack Elliott and an overall LHS first place win. These titles did not come easy though and a lot of preparation was required.

“We put in a lot of miles over the summer so we could start out on a strong note,”said senior Courtney Klatt.“We basically overloaded the beginning of the season and then tapered the last few weeks to make sure we peaked at state.”

This hard work was led by leaders who tried their hardest inside and outside of practice for the betterment of the team.

“I progressed over the season by committing myself to running throughout the entire summer and making sure I would be ready for races,”said Elliott.“I not only pushed myself with mileage and fast paced workouts, I pushed my teammates as well.”

However, as everyone knows, sometimes no matter how much time and effort is put in, the outcome does not always go as planned.

For Klatt, this meant a rough start at the beginning of the season after coming off of her most successful year during the 2016 cross country season, where she was an individual girls state

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SARA SUDBECK

LHS girls XC team placed first at the Sioux City invitational. Senior Coutrney Klatt placed second overall.

champion. For Elliott, though, this meant something else.

“The hardest part of the season for me was when I thought I was ‘peaked,’”said Elliott.“There were a couple races and weeks in the middle of the season where I hadn’t ran too well. I wanted to almost just settle in and not work as hard as I did but I knew if I didn’t keep my foot on the gas pedal I would get passed up.”

Although there were some hard races and rough patches, each runner made it to their end goal and began a mindset to prepare for their next season.

“My best moment was at the state meet when I finished first,” said Elliott.“That gives me even more confidence going into track season, which after XC is completely done, I’ll come back sometime in December to prepare for,”said Elliott.

But while Elliott is preparing for the 2018 high school season, other cross country runners will be moving to something completely different: College.

Klatt will be running at Xavier University next year.

“Next year will be a big transition from high school to college, which is pretty intimidating,” said Klatt.“I’ll start a completely different training program over the summer.”

As Klatt and the other seniors leave high school, the rest of the team agrees they will all be missed.

“The things I’m going to miss most are the seniors on the team and what they brought for our team this year,”said Elliott. +“The senior guys on this team definitely helped all of us in our workouts and races to run well.”

After such a successful season, because of wins and memories made, ending the 2017 cross country will be hard for not only the underclassmen, but the seniors as well.

“The hardest part of the season was State just because it was my last race with some of my teammates and we definitely shared some tears together,”said Klatt.“It was such a great group of girls and boys and I’m so thankful I got to spend my last season with them.”

28

A look ahead for the Pats: LHS boys basketball BY

HUNTER MERKLEY

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DILLON BARROW

Dillion Barrow, guard, is one of the returning varsity players for the team.

With the 2017-18 high school basketball season tipping off in a month, let us take a look at how the Patriots will match up against their competition when they enter the season as a favorite to win the State AA Championship.

The Patriots are bringing back a solid rotation of players including returning seniors Dillon Barrow, Christophe Bwanya, Alex Glanzer, Diang Gatluak and Victor Gamies. In addition to this impressive line up, you can look forward to possible stand out performances from juniors Jared Jaros and Nate Brecht.

The sophomore class hopes to finish the year with another City Championship. And the freshman class are rumored to be a force to be reckoned with. With strengths in every grade, the future of LHS basketball looks promising.

The basketball program is led by veteran coach Jeff Halseth. Halseth is in his 25th year of coaching at LHS and is gearing up for his 7th year as head boys basketball coach. He hopes to secure

his third state championship in the past four years. Like Coach Halseth, Scott Embry has a great record when it comes to coaching hoops.

Coach Embry has been a boys varsity assistant for 14 years and will be approaching his 23rd year coaching basketball at LHS. Sophomores will be led by Eric Rice who has held that position for 8 years and coached basketball at LHS for 12 years. Jared Jansen is in his 7th year coaching basketball at LHS all of which have been with the freshman team.

Glanzer will be a key component for Patriot success this year. He is willing to do whatever the team needs in order to get the “W.” In Glanzer’s opinion, “The key to winning games is playing good defense and turning that into offense,” said Glanzer.

SPORTS

Glanzer is excited to have the state championship games back in the great city of Sioux Falls, which allows the Patriot fan section to be full. Glanzer has set his goal on cutting down the nets with his team as the state champions.

With a strong post presence from Gamies, an allaround impressive athlete in the lanky Gatluak, defensive specialist Glanzer, handle professor Barrow and knock down jump shooter Bwanya the offense and defense will be a force to reckoned with.

There is a great presence of senior leadership this year and it shows at open gyms.

Hopefully, their hard work and discipline in the offseason carry over into a successful year.

Sideline cheer: More than just a sport

CAIDEN CAPALDO Cheerleaders: a staple of the American high school experience. From doing amazing stunts to creating fun memories, there is no doubt that cheer has been an important part of school to any Lincoln Crazie. However, many have yet to find out what goes on behind the scenes with the LHS cheer teams.

Cheering is not nearly as easy as it looks. Leading a crowd can be brutal for those courageous enough to take on the task. Students can come up with some pretty harsh words for the opposing side, and it is up to the cheerleaders to steer them away from such words.

“Whenever the crowd yells [an unsportsmanlike] cheer, we’re always supposed to do a cheer like ‘P-A-T-S’ to try to quiet them down,” said junior Allie Masloski. “Those are the BY

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LHS CHEER INSTAGRAM

Last year’s LHS basketball sideline cheer cheered the team towards 3rd place at the State basketball tournament.

worst cheers because they’re always so awkward and the crowd doesn’t follow along with us. It is just a requirement to show that we are not bad sportsmen.”

Cheerleading also has many negative connotations

to it, like the stereotype of the dim-witted blonde. Junior Skyla Rumpza is very passionate about destroying such stereotypes. She believes that cheerleading is just as much of a sport as any other, and cheerleaders put in an

equivalent amount of work, if not more than others, to their activity. Because of this, it is a relief to know that cheerleading is very entertaining for Rumpza as well.

Regardless of the challenges and victories of the cheer teams, many can agree on at least one thing: our school would not be the same without them. Instead of giving cheerleaders a hard time, perhaps it is time to thank them for bringing school spirit to LHS’ sporting events. Instead of giving the Murphy anxiety, perhaps everyone can exhibit true Patriot pride by showing good sportsmanship.

“Fans! [clap] You know you should! [clap] Yell it loud like a Patriot would [clap],” said sophomore Ellie O’Connor.

“Yell ‘Go! [clap] Lincoln!’ [clap] Yell ‘Go! [clap] Lincoln!”

SPORTS

29

Standing Pat

From East to West: new NBA format

BY OLIVER LOCKWOOD-POWELL , SPORTS EDITOR

Starting all the way back in 1891, the NBA has been a must-watch sport that has captured the hearts of many sports fans. From basic layups to the All-star game, there is always something new that the sport can offer.

Introduced in late September, the National Basketball Association announced it is undergoing a structural change in format for the NBA All-Star game. Rather than having teams compete East vs. West, the commissioner, Adam Silver, has decided on team captains picking their own All-Stars, mainly due to the unfair bal-

ance of elite players in the West. However, I do like the idea because it will allow the team captains to show who they prefer to play with and who their so called “friends” are. Alongside this, I find it interesting on how they will decide captains.

Will it be by popular vote, commissioners’ decision, jersey sales or something else?

Along with the NBA All-Star change, there are rumors spreading about how the playoffs could be changed as well. With the majority of superstars in the West, many think that there could be a new playoff regime. This will solely be

based on regular season performance, not how the team stands in the East or the West. From top to bottom it would be the best of the 16 teams to make the playoffs against the worst of the 16.

With an abundance of overall talent leaning towards the Western side of the NBA, the main focal point of these two transitions is to mainly level the playing field. With the changes, I imagine that the playoffs will become more entertaining and virtually more acceptable to watch, rather than having the Cavs get a cake-walk to the NBA finals every year. As well

as eliminating the easy pathway for the few good teams in the East, it will also put more pressure on the powerhouse teams such as the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets, the Minnesota Timberwolves and a few more.

Overall, what is to come out of this will be good for the game of basketball as well as viewership. Without there being any more blowout All-Star games or so called “cakewalks” to the championship, hopefully, there will be many more surprises and game time thrillers around the league, spanning all the way from the East to the West.

30

MEET THE

BAND Nate Ganter, 12

Tim White, 12

Austin Meyer, 12

Jenna Christensen, 12

Taryn Helgeson, 12

Abbie Mollison, 12

Favorite holiday movie: “Elf ” Best gift you have ever received: My accoustic guitar Favorite winter activity: Sitting next to a fireplace with some warm hot chocolate

Favorite holiday movie: “Shrek the Halls” Best gift you have ever received: A firm handshake from Mr. C Favorite winter activity: Listening to music

Favorite holiday movie: “Bridesmaids” Best gift you have ever received: Custody of Jenna’s child development baby Favorite winter activity: Pushing Taryn off the podium

Favorite holiday movie: “The Santa Clause” Best gift you have ever received: Glass chalk from Austin’s dad Favorite winter activity: Writing on Austin’s car with Glass chalk

Favorite holiday movie: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” Best gift you have ever received: Chocolate from Austin’s dad Favorite winter activity: Christmas decorating

ORCHESTRA Ben Wentzel, 12

Favorite holiday movie: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” Best gift you have ever received: A didgeridoo Favorite winter activity: Staying warm

Gillian Hilscher, 11

Favorite holiday movie: “Elf ” Best gift you have ever received: Tickets to “Hamilton” Favorite winter activity: Listening to holiday music 24/7

Favorite holiday movie: “Tom and Jerry Christmas Special” Best gift you have ever received: The gift of life (thanks mom) Favorite winter activity: Skating on my frozen tears from AP Calc

Abbey Falconer, 12

Favorite holiday movie: “The Polar Express” Best gift you have ever received: (Some) sanity Favorite winter activity: Sleeping (It can be enjoyed any season)

Annika Graber, 11

Favorite holiday movie: “Elf ” Best gift you have ever received: Fuzzy PJs Favorite winter activity: Drinking hot cocoa

Elizabeth Jerstad, 9

Favorite holiday movie: “Christmas Vacation” Best gift you have ever received: Getting to spend three weeks in Michigan for a summer arts camp Favorite winter activity: Going tubing with friends

E VARSITY

31

STUDENT COUNCIL

Meredith Benson, 12

Savannah Heeren, 12

Lucy Dekkenga, 12

Sam Mendel, 12

Riley Fawcett, 12

Jack Fehrs, 12

Favorite holiday movie: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Best gift you have ever received: Infant’s gas relief Favorite winter activity: Walking all the way to admin doors in -40° weather :/ Favorite holiday movie: Whatever Clint Cheeseman wants to watch Best gift you have ever received: Clint Cheeseman Favorite winter activity: Hanging out with Clint Cheeseman

Maddie Paul, 12 Favorite holiday movie: “The Polar Express” Best gift you have ever received: A puppy! Or my life I guess Favorite winter activity: Taking my husky on a walk because she loves the snow

Kjerstin Aspaas, 12

Favorite holiday movie: “Elf ” because I too put syrup on my spaghetti Best gift you have ever received: A trip to Disney World Favorite winter activity: “Spreading Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear!”

Favorite holiday movie: “Home Alone” Best gift you have ever received: A hug from Linda Conrad Favorite winter activity: Getting hot chocolate after ice skating

Favorite holiday movie: “Elf ” Best gift you have ever received: My Nintendo Gameboy Favorite winter activity: Winning Hi-Y championships

CHOIR

Anna Robinson, 12 Favorite holiday movie: “Elf ” Best gift you have ever received: Opportunities Favorite winter activity: Challenging social norms

Noah Kutter, 12

Favorite holiday movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life” Best gift you have ever received: My grandpa’s letterman sweater Favorite winter activity: Chamber choir sing-outs

Favorite holiday movie: “The Polar Express” Best gift you have ever received: A trip to Disney World Favorite winter activity: Watching the “Smispons” Hi-Y team Favorite holiday movie: “Blades of Glory” Best gift you have ever received: Minecraft Favorite winter activity: Shreddin gnar

Alannah Rien, 12 Favorite holiday movie: “Elf ” Best gift you have ever received: A hand knitted hat made by Graham Ferguson Favorite winter activity: Avoiding snow or watching TV

Sam Falk, 12

Favorite holiday movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life” Best gift you have ever received: My classic Casio watch Favorite winter activity: Shivering