2020-21 NS Times 7th Edition

Boys soccer celebrates earlyseason victories -- see story page 8

Drama prepares for full in-person audience opening night for musical

-- see story page 11

23 March 2021 www.nstimes.org Volume 13 Issue 7

Voice of the North Sanpete Hawks

WELL SAID “While I don’t want to sit and pretend that I have my future perfectly figured out now, I can at least say that I have a plan. I at least have a script now, instead of having to completely improvise.”

Teachers, students discuss importance of tradition in rural communities

-- Senior Kaje Nielsen on Sterling Scholar experience

BY THE NUMBERS

1st

Place orange chicken took in NS Times March Madness

81%

Percentage of NS students that say they use Disney+

10

by

AUDREy INGLIsh

Over the course of the past year, teachers, students, parents and grandparents have watched helplessly as a deadly virus transformed their careers and educations. But there’s one thing community members have fought to preserve: tradition.

Especially in rural areas, tradition plays a constant role in fostering the

connection between members of a community. The values of past generations impact aspects of everyday life at NS, from extravagant events like junior prom to seemingly mundane protocols like the dress code policy.

“I think [tradition] is firmly rooted in rural school districts and rural communities,” NS principal Christy Straatman said. “I think when something exists for so long, people hold on to it.”

Tradition often means something different to each member of a community.

For Straatman, the value of tradition can be found in the student interactions that take place outside of class time.

“When I think of traditions, I’m thinking of the things that the student body does,” Straatman said. “It’s the assemblies, it’s the dances, it’s the things see Connection, page 3

Drama takes first at region Admin discuss potential changes to dress code policy

Number of goals senior Brady Jacobson has scored in 4 games

60%

Percent of students that take a grab bag at least once a week

NS EVENTS Wednesday, Mar 24 Baseball @ Murray 3:30pm-7:00pm Boys Soccer Manti @ NS 3:30pm-7:00pm Thursday, Mar 25 Girls Golf @ Juab All Day

photo provided by Sarah Anderson

NS Drama takes first place at the region drama competition, placing higher than Manti for the first time in years. This year, the competition was hosted at NS on the 19th and 20th of March.

Senior takes first at Sterling Scholar competition

see Sterling Scholar, page 2

see Dress Code, page 2

Baseball @ Juab 3:30pm-7:00pm

CONTENTS

Opinion..................4 Features.................5 Sports....................8 Arts......................11 Crossword...........12

The Sterling Scholars for the 2020-2021 school year were Shalyce Cook, Dance; Harrison Cook, Mathematics; Kaylee Anderson, English; Adam Cox, Social Science; Elizabeth Madsen, General Studies; Kaje Nielsen, Computer Technology; Azlyn Freeman, FACS; Jared Strait, Science; Eneli Silva, Foreign Language; Spencer Olson, Music; Maren Bench, Drama; and Rance Christensen, Trade and Technical Education. by

bRADLEy PoWER

At the recent Sterling Scholar competition, NS had four runners-up and one winner. In the competition, each participating senior competes in one of

KAyLEE ANDERsoN

15 categories with other schools from the central Utah region for the chance at $2,000 of scholarship money.

The four runners-up were: Harrison Cook in Mathematics, Adam Cox

Friday, Mar 26 Track @ Delta All Day

Softball @ Juab 3:30pm-7:30pm

by

Many trends have walked the halls at NS, but few have continued to push the dress code policy like the current ones. That paired with the newness of the administration and secretaries has made enforcing the dress code difficult to manage.

“I think part of it is because we are all new,” said attendance secretary Tori Hansen.

“The kids think that since we are new, they can push their limits and see what they can get away with.”

With the dress code being one of many responsibilities for the administration, the teachers also carry the responsibility of enforcing the policy. However, addressing dress code violations can put the teachers in unfavorable situations.

“I think it is being enforced as much as it can,” said English teacher Landon Bailey. “It’s hard because the administration has so much to worry about so they can’t catch every single dress code violation. I know a lot of teachers don’t really want to get involved with it because it could be awkward as a male addressing a dress code violation on a female. I had that happen a couple years ago where a girl was wearing very low cut shirts, and I didn’t want to address it. I had one of the female teachers that was walk-

Boys Tennis @ Maeser Prep 3:30pm-7:30pm

Boys Soccer ALA @ NS 3:30pm-7:00pm

A recent NS Times survey shows 85% of students in favor of changing the dress code policy to allow for hats.

News

2

Dress Code, continued from page 1 ing by come grab her and she came in quarter, we have actually started makand did it. It just felt weird.” ing them call home.”

There have been some changes to While some students are punprocedure and policy with the dress ished with a call home for a change code in recent years to make address- of clothes after repeated offenses, for ing the violations less uncomfortable other students, there is no punishment for all involved. given.

“Some of the wording in the dis- “There wasn’t any [consequence],” trict policy was changed on how to said Hunter Price of being dress-coded measure length of shorts or skirts,” said for wearing shorts that were too short. assistant superintendent O’Dee Han- “I left and rolled my shorts down.” sen. “That procedure on how to check If students continue to test the for that used to be to have them kneel limits, they may receive harsher conseand we took that out completely. That quences. was a concern so that was something “It’s going to get to the point where that changed.” we have clothes on hand they can put Religion is just one of many things on from the office if they want to conthat shape how we view what is right, tinually break the dress code,” said wrong or appropriate. In a community Tori Hansen. “We’ll have some real with a predominant religion, religious ugly pants that they can put on that we principles can influence the district will get to next year so they can learn. policies that are made.

We just feel like we have given them “I definitely think that when you lots of chances so now we need to kind look at who your stakeholders are, of crack down.” you have stakeholders like parents and The desires of the students also community members that have certain have some influence on what the policy beliefs that guide the way they vote, is. act, invest and how they interact,” said “[Students] do have a good say, Hansen. “To say that it doesn’t guide but they do not have the final say,” said it would be wrong. If you have people O’Dee Hansen. “Students have great that believe a certain way, and there’s a ideas and they are part of the school vast majority of them, then that leads system. We survey students all the time to policies, laws and things to fit that. because their input and their point of The LDS religion is practiced and view is important.”

I’m sure that guides a lot of people’s However, some students feel that decision making, values and what they they should have more of a say in the think is right and wrong.” dress code policies that are made.

Regardless of where the policies “[Dress code] shouldn’t be decided originate from, students like to push by the older generations,” said Price. the boundaries. Some students are giv- “I think that they don’t really care as en many warnings and still choose to much as we do. They care enough to continue to break the dress code. One dress code us, but not to change it.” of the most prominent rules broken in Many students would be on board the school is that no hats can be worn with a change in dress code, while in the building. those who enforce it are on the fence “We usually just take the hat if it about it. gets to be repeated,” said Tori Han- “Hats is another story, but the sen. “We keep them until the end of dress code, I am good with,” said Tori the day and they can get it after school. Hansen. “I think the dress code is pretWith the clothing we usually just try to ty standard. We have actually looked give warnings not to wear them again into it this year, and in all 3A schools or wear something under them. This in the state, we are pretty much spot on

photo by Kaylee Anderson

A group of students wear hats as they use the vending machines in the high school’s commons area.

with everybody else as far as what they allow and don’t allow. If the policy is in place that there are no hats, we need to enforce the no hats. If we want to let them wear hats, then we need to change the policy. The problem with the hats is half the people enforce it and half of the people don’t.”

Other people think we are holding onto traditions and ways of thinking in regards to the dress code.

“I go back and forth on that one because I get it,” said Bailey. “It is like the old school tradition of showing respect, but who cares anymore? It also has always been the argument that we need to be able to see your face, but now we all have to wear masks.

For some kids if they are here and the biggest problem we have with them is whether or not they are wearing a hat, we are doing pretty good. A lot of the kids we are dealing with wearing hats have way more issues than just wearing a hat. The fact that they are in class is a win.”

Dress code violations between boys and girls and boys can be treated differently.

“I think as a society we view certain things as being worse,” said Bailey.

“We view a boy wearing a hat, which is

a dress code violation, as not as bad as a girl wearing a super low shirt. They are both violations, and I don’t know why we view one as worse, maybe it is because we view things differently with girls and guys. We shouldn’t, but we do.”

Students have also noticed a difference in the consequences that boys and girls face when they violate the dress code.

“Some boys wear super short shorts and we can’t even wear holes in pants that high and they get away with it,” said Gracie Anderson.

What ultimately makes the dress code hard to enforce is the fact that not every student with violations is seen.

“The thing is we don’t see all five hundred kids every single day so kids get away with stuff because we can’t see it,” said Tori Hansen.“The boys and the short shorts are a lot easier to hide so I think they do get away with it a little more.”

Students and teachers feel that whatever the policy is enforcing it needs to be consistent.

“It needs to be fair both ways,” said Price. “It’s not fair when guys get to wear stuff that girls can’t.”

Government funds provide grab-bags for students in need by

Josh Cox

Every day in the teachers’ lounge, brown paper bags cover every square inch of available counter surface on six large tables.

The school grab bags are filled with food to the brim, just waiting for kids to come and get them. COVID has thrown a wrench in many things.

For some students, one of those things is their ability to eat three meals a day.

So, the NS lunch ladies fill hundreds of grab bags every week for the students who may need them.

“It’s a lot of work,” said lunch lady Melanie Smith. “But we try to make it good for the kids.”

Their hard work is paying off, as about 60 percent of students take a bag once a week. In a recent NS times survey, 10 percent of the student body

indicate that they take a grab bag every day, 21 percent indicate that they take one a couple times a week, 29 percent say that they take about one each week, and 40 percent indicate that they take no grab bag at all.

The administration is pleased with the amount of grab bags taken, but there are a lot of kids that need them that still don’t take them.

“I think it’s great,” said assistant principal Natalie Stansfield. “I wish we had more students [come and get the grab bags] because I know there is a need.”

Although there definitely is a need, a lot of the kids that take the grab bags just don’t need the food. So, the grab bags end up getting thrown in the trash.

“I know for a fact a lot of kids throw those away,” said freshman Benjamin

Thompson, “and that is just wasteful.

It’s food—something somebody could use, somebody could eat.”

One of the reasons why this is happening is because of the quality of the food inside the grab bags. A lot of the students who don’t need the food don’t want to eat it because there’s better things that they could snack on.

But the lunch ladies don’t just give you the “bad stuff ” because they want to.

There is a reason they put the foods no one likes in there: government regulation.

“We have to give out certain fruits and certain vegetables,” said lunch lady Melanie Smith. “I think a lot of kids don’t realize that, or don’t know that.”

With kids, it’s hard to get what they like, but the lunch ladies try to give the kids what they want.

“I wish there was a better solution,” said Stansfield. “But I love the take-home bags on Thursdays, because I know the kids who get them appreciate them.”

The majority of the school doesn’t know what to do with the Thursday grab bags. But, there is a reason the school gives them out to everyone and not just kids that need them.

“I think they blend now,” Stansfield said. “With everyone having a Thursday grab bag, they don’t feel like they stand out.”

But even with everyone taking the grab bags, there are actually still a lot more. So, if you’re in need, don’t be afraid to come get the extra grab bags.

“If you need any of these grab bags,” Stansfield said, “come and get them. They are available for you.”

Sterling Scholar, continued from page 1 in Social Science, Rance Christensen in Trade and Technical Education, and Eneli Silva in Foreign Language. Runners up receive a $500 scholarship.

In addition, Kaje Nielsen placed first in Computer Technology.

“It was a truly moving experience,” Nielsen said. “I’m just disappointed that others from our school couldn’t feel the same. At least we still got some runners-ups though.”

To compete as a Sterling Scholar, a student must put in mountains of effort. They must create from scratch a portfolio detailing their accomplishments, qualities, and abilities pertaining to their category.

This includes at least five short essays along with images of their service and work in that category.

“I’ve done a lot of service and been in a lot of leadership roles throughout my life,” Cox said, “and those are some of the things you need in order to succeed as a Sterling Scholar… I was very proud of myself. As a school, though, I was disappointed; I thought we had some amazing kids that, unfortunately, didn’t place.”

Each student submits their complete portfolio to a panel of judges who score the document, and

then they travel to Richfield, where they are interviewed individually and their final scores are compiled.

“We take our cream of the crop kids at the high school,” Turpin said. “They kind of create a really close network, those Sterling Scholars together, because they will do service projects together and make some friendships.”

Those friendships, along with the portfolio and experience itself, make participation in the program worth it to the students that participate.

“It’s a program that gives you an opportunity to show how you’re exceptional,” Cox said, “and gain money for college too. You can really show off what makes you unique.”

As seniors, the Sterling Scholars can utilize what they have learned and gained from competing directly in their upcoming adult endeavors.

“Your portfolio is essentially you explaining who you are,” Nielsen said. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t know who I was, but I found that as I was answering those questions for the judges, I was really answering them for myself. While I don’t want to sit and pretend that I have my future perfectly figured out

now, I can at least say that I have a plan. I at least have a script now, instead of having to completely improvise.”

The Sterling Scholar program offers much, but it also requires work and effort to attain excellence.

“When I was in high school, I was super focused on sports,” Turpin said, “and I didn’t even know what Sterling Scholar was… I’ve just been super, super, super blown away with these kids. I always felt like I was really involved in high school, and working with these kids, I’m realizing that I wasn’t at all.

It gives me hope for the future.”

Becoming a Sterling Scholar is a worthy goal, and something that more students should consider, as the opportunities gained can far outweigh the commitments made.

“The Sterling Scholar program is not a prestigious, stingy, eccentrics club,” Nielsen said. “They’re not guarding their scholarship money like British soldiers or ninjas. They’re more like a friendly old man trying to find somebody to give his money to before he dies. Sterling Scholar is waiting for you to come and collect your award. You’ve just got to be the first one in line.”

News

3

Freshmen place in region speech and debate by

MAREN bENCh

At the Region Speech and Debate tournament, freshman Aubrie Stiglich and Julian Stavros represented NS high school. Stiglich took third in the Congressional debate event and Starvos took fifth in the Lincoln Douglas event.

“I was really proud of them. I thought they did well,” said Speech and Debate teacher Alex Bailey.

This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the competition took place online. For the speech events, the students submitted a video of their speech. The debate events, on the other hand, were held live through a platform similar to Zoom. The awards ceremony was then held via Zoom.

“It wasn’t super stressful,” said freshman Aubrie Stiglich. “I mean it was stressful, obviously, because I was competing, but the people there were friendly and nice and made it easier.

They really helped out a lot and it was good.”

Stiglich competed in a debate category called Congressional. For this category, the participants prepare speeches based on different topics, then state whether they agree or disagree and give their speech.

“For this kind of debate, I definitely have to do a lot more research,” Stiglich said. “I have to write a speech and try to persuade the other people that I’m talking to to agree with me,

so I have to figure out a lot about the topic.”

The bills or resolutions the com-

bate,” said freshman Julian Stavros.

“It’s one-on-one, so I’m only going up against another person. You prepare speeches beforehand, and then you give speeches, and then there’s a rebuttal after the speeches.”

For Lincoln Douglas, there is a negative and affirmative side to the argument. Each person shares their side and then they debate each other.

“Lincoln Douglas is more difficult,” Bailey said. “Just because it is

Freshmen Julian Stavros (top) and Aubrie Stiglich (right).

petitors debate on can range from prescribing opioids to animal abuse.

“For Region, one of the topics I did was a bill to train police officers to handle mental health crises better, and I did a resolution to lower the president’s pardon power,” Stiglich said. “It’s been fun. Definitely a big learning experience because I haven’t ever done it before, but I think I’m starting to get better and I really enjoy doing it.”

For Julian Stavros, Lincoln-Douglas is a little bit different from Stiglich’s category.

“It’s a really formal type of de-

a one-on-one event and it requires more out of the individual in terms of really defending their argument.”

Similar to Congressional, Lincoln Douglas contains different topics that the students debate upon.

“One of my favorite topics that we debated on was [whether] the United States ought to ban lethal au-

tonomous weapons, which basically means weapons with AI,” Stavros said.

Despite being freshmen and having no prior experience with Speech and Debate, both Stiglich and Stavros have excelled and done well at their competitions. Both of them agree that they will be continuing in Speech and Debate and have thoroughly enjoyed their experiences.

“I like competing,” Stiglich said.

“It’s really fun to write the essays and go and tell them to the other people.

I know I’m not doing much, but I feel like I’m making a difference, I guess.

Even though it’s just a competition.”

According to Bailey, Speech and Debate helps to pull kids out of their comfort zones and help them see things in a different light. They are able to educate themselves on topics and learn from their mistakes. In the end, Bailey hopes that by participating in the program, students can develop a mindset centered on growth.

“You have to go into it knowing, ‘okay I maybe don’t know everything, I’m not always going to be perfect at everything, but I can always improve in some way,’” Bailey said. “[It’s] being willing to take risks, whether that’s speaking in front of someone for the first time. Realizing there’s that chance that you might fail or maybe not do as well as you hoped and just learning from that instead of getting discouraged.”

Connection, continued from page 1 that we do to help make a connection outside of the classroom.”

When asked about traditions at NS, junior prom and graduation instantly spring to mind for many community members.

“The two biggest traditions we have are junior prom and graduation. Those are old,” said language arts teacher Catherine Carney. “[Prom] goes all the way back to at least the 1950s.”

Of her 29 years teaching at NS, Carney spent 13 years participating in the planning and execution of junior prom. Having witnessed the event’s persistence throughout her career, she sees the value in respecting school traditions, even if it means making sacrifices.

“As much as junior prom interrupts education, and I would never have said this 29 years ago,” Carney said, “I think it’s an important part of our education that we’re also respecting traditions, that we’re taking the time out of education to do this other thing that we think is just as important.”

Watching generations come and go has shown teachers that tradition isn’t just about the fun of planning community activities: It’s also about honoring those that came before you.

“Traditions, of course, are a way for parents and grandparents to stay connected to the school,” said history teacher Tyler Bailey. “A lot of them do that through athletics, through drama, and even our Sterling Scholar programs.”

Having attended NS for four years as a student and taught at the school for an additional 14 years,

Bailey has watched schoolwide traditions change over time. These changes range from a recent lack of sophomore dances to noticeable adjustments to prom and graduation.

“They used to sing ‘Now is the Hour’ at graduation, and they don’t anymore,” Bailey said. “They also used to have a choir that would sing the junior prom song...They haven’t done that for years.”

Though seemingly inconsequential, even small changes to events like prom and graduation affect community members outside of the student body.

“Prom changed in the sense that under the head adviser before, we had to have a live band,” Carney said. “Just that change caused consternation in the community. And one year, kids wanted only one night [of prom]--that backfired.”

Not only can these changes upset community members, but altering tradition can interfere with a generation’s values on a larger scale.

“We lose a connection to our family past,” Carney said of moving away from tradition. “It’s like there isn’t a shared conversation when you don’t have that connection. I think even in traditions that are in families, when a person passes away or they get too old to be able to do something, those family traditions go away and you lose that connection as well.”

Although most people from Sanpete don’t think twice about them, traditions like promenade often look different from an outsider’s perspective.

Junior Ella Christensen began attending NS this year, and despite being new to many traditions, she

understands how important they are to the community.

“The whole promenade thing is still a weird concept to me,” Christensen said. “But I don’t necessarily think that we should let that go, because I think it’s such a big part of the community here.”

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, changes are being made to schoolwide traditions much more frequently than they normally would be. Teachers like Carney have noticed a lack of connection in the community as a result.

“I think that not being able to cheer on teams is a big thing,” Carney said. “There hasn’t been the camaraderie. And the fact that we’re wearing masks, that we only see half of someone’s face...then it’s much harder to communicate.”

With the date of prom being pushed to April and the potential of graduation to be held outside, community members have been forced to face the possibility of losing or changing some traditions.

However, some feel that it is important to recognize all that has been done to preserve tradition amid the global crisis.

“It was a big deal to move the date of junior prom,” Bailey said. “But the reason they did that is to hold onto traditions. Last summer, they still did the drive-by graduation to try to hold on to that. I think it would affect [our connection] if we had to all-out cancel, and a lot of people have put in a lot of work so that we didn’t ever have to cancel a lot of that.”

Teachers express concern regarding recent stimulus bill by

MARy JoNEs

Recently, a 1.9 trillion dollar stimulus bill was approved by the U.S. President Joe Biden. It follows a financial stimulus that came last year as a result of economic hardships caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. The bill was created as an effort to keep money circulating through the economy amid government shutdowns.

“Money is the blood of this country, and just like the blood in the human body, it must circulate,” said NS teacher Sterling Whipple. “What do we call it when the blood of a human stops circulating? We call that a heart attack, and the person dies.”

According to Whipple, the economy, like the human body, needs circulation in or-

der to survive. If money stops circulating, the economy dies.

However, as the government spends and sends out money beyond what it can afford and falls into debt, the initial problem, though pushed down the road, increases.

“We currently have twenty-eight trillion dollars of debt as a country, and you can see how quickly it is currently rising,” Whipple said. “Somebody is going to call in that debt someday. Somebody.

And if we owe that money to China, to Russia, to hundreds of other countries or dozens of other countries...it is pushing the problem further down the road.”

In the U.S., the amount of money in circulation is constantly growing. As the amount of money is increased, the rate

of inflation on the dollar is likely to increase. Increased inflation brought about by the stimulus money is something that seems, to whatever extent, likely to NS teacher Auralee Brooks.

“Worst case scenario, our country has no money, there’s no value at all in our dollar, and we’re taking wheelbarrows full of money to buy bread,” Brooks said. “I would hope that we don’t go to that extent, but to pay it back is going to take clear into my grandchildren’s lifetime.”

Sending out this amount of money to everyone is something that Brooks sees as irresponsible. She recognizes that some people need financial help, but a lot of people don’t.

As the government sends out money, their funds have come,

or will come, from taxes paid by the people.

“There’s no such thing as governmental money. Every dollar that the government ever spends on anything, whether its national security, home defense, welfare, building roads, anything—it’s all taxpayer’s money,” Whipple said.

In history, democracies have taken money from the rich in order to provide for the needs of the poor. Eventually, the government runs out of money to take. This is what NS teacher Tyler Bailey believes caused all of these democracies to fail.

“All democracies have failed,” said NS teacher Tyler Bailey. “ Governments start to take from the rich to give to everybody else. If you take all

the money from the rich, now you’ve made everybody equal.

The government starts to pay for everything for everybody; now the government is in charge of everything. You no longer have a democracy, you have socialism.”

According to Bailey, the mentality brought in by having the government take care of every need is more damaging than is the initial action of sending out the stimulus that is, in some cases, needed.

Brooks sees something similar.

“We’re going to [become] a nation of people who just want everything handed to them,” Brooks said. “As long as it will get certain people voted in, they will keep giving out the handouts. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Opinion

Voice of the North Sanpete Hawks

March 23, 2021 www.nstimes.org

5

Social constructionism: the glue of society

by

AThENA DE GRoFF

One morning I woke up at 3 a.m with the realization that my entire life has been a lie.

The entire money system, the calendar year, countries, and even the words you’re reading right now are not all a part of objective reality––they only exist because we as a society agree that they are real and have value. This idea that humans create things in order to form our own societal reality is called social constructionism.

One common example of social construction is money. We carry little green papers in our pocket and have fake money in bank accounts, all because as a society we have decided that money is valuable. The whole money system is built upon shared, accepted constructs.

Written and spoken language are also social constructions. They only exist because, at some point, we made them up and assigned enough value to them, enabling them to exist for as long as they have.

This means that, realistically, swear words are just as “bad” as other words.

However, this does not mean that you

can go around swearing left and right in a positive way. Over time certain words have developed a negative connotation that isn’t automatically revoked just because it’s a social construct.

It’s the same thing with phrases; if you go around saying, “That was a piece of pie,” “Murder two pigs with one rock,” and “Punch the straw,” people will have no idea what you’re talking about. Over time, social constructions gain validity, especially things like phrases, sayings, and words.

So although anything you make up is theoretically just as accurate as any dictionary or societal definition, it will likely cause confusion.

Non-social constructs usually go hand in hand with social constructs.

For example, set mealtimes and having three meals a day, are social constructs––but the actual food is not.

Movies are social constructs, but the data and signals that make them work are not.

Social constructs are also liable to change over time. One example of this is gender norms. For instance, young boys wore dresses until the early 20th century, and pink was seen as a color associated with masculinity. Any sort of “norm” is usually a social construct and is also more likely to change over time.

Certain things are more difficult to ascertain whether they are social constructs than others. Social Constructionism is a fluid theory more than it is a fact, and people often have differing opinions on what is or what isn’t a social construct. Race, religion, and math are a few of the more debated topics.

I have spent hours a day thinking about what is a social construct and what is not. While I believe it is essential to realize the concept of social con-

structionism, it shouldn’t define how you live your life or what you believe.

Spending too much time worrying about what is real could make you a famous philosopher––or, more likely, it could turn you into an emotional wreck.

One thing I know to not be a social construct is nature, which is very real and would exist without society choosing that it should. Human emotions are also real regardless of societal agreement.

I think that some of the most valuable things in life are these non-social constructs. I love to be out in nature or inside taking care of my plants. Authentic connection with other humans is also important.

I also find so much joy in social constructs. Reading a good book, listening to music, participating in sports,

and so many more valuable things are social constructs. It is important to choose a healthy balance––appreciating the legitimate parts of life and not getting caught up in society’s values while still participating in these social constructs.

In reality, most of our life is fake; it is based on ideas that we as a society decided to place value on. The shared beliefs and “constructs” of a society, no matter how unreal, give life so much more meaning, validity, and purpose.

Because of social constructs, we can communicate with each other, we can expand our knowledge, and we can become better individuals and citizens in general. Social constructs are like the glue that holds groups of people together. Although they are confusing––and at times very irksome––without them life would fall apart.

Features

Voice of the North Sanpete Hawks

23 March 2021 www.nstimes.org

5

“It fits the definition of a perfect JoB:”

A closer look at NS’s new office employees BY

MICHELLE LEE

In a year full of change and transition, we also have gained two new secretaries and a new attendance officer. After several months of working at their job, they have found a way to make it all run smoothly for the others and the rest of the school.

Our two alumni, Mandy Orton and Jane Anderson are the new part time secretaries at NS. Orton and Anderson each work about a 22-23 hour work week. Anderson comes in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for half a day, while Orton comes in on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a full day, and the other half of Fridays. Our attendance officer, Tori Hansen, works everyday, for roughly 6 hours a week.

Mandy Orton Mandy Orton is the new part time secretary at NS. After attending NS through her high school years, Orton grew to love the school. A few years after her class graduation, she decided that she wanted to return to the school.

Only a few months before the new school year, Orton moved back to Sanpete, had a week old baby, signed a contract to build a house, and then got laid off from her previous job. This was hard on both herself and her husband.

“We said that unless the perfect job came up, I would stay home for a while and take care of our baby,” Orton said. “Then this job came up and I was like, ‘That fits the defi nition of a perfect job.’”

Orton loves what she does.

She loves interacting with people, especially the students. Throughout her own high school career, the secretaries made a huge impact on her, especially Brenda Aagard. Those experiences gave Orton the desire to make an impact on a students life, and being a secretary seems like a really good way to do so.

Everyone struggles at some point in their life, whether it’s just one day or a longer period of time.

Orton realizes this and treats those she comes in contact with accordingly.

“I always think, ‘Well

photos by Michelle Lee and Siri Huntington

Attendance officer Tori Hansen (left), Secretary Mandy Orton (top right), and Secretary Jane Anderson (bottom right) at work in the high school’s front office.

you’ve had bad days too,’” Orton said. “I don’t know what’s happened in their day. It would be easy for me to snap back at all the people that snap at me, but I just think they’re having a hard time.”

Jane Anderson Jane Anderson is the second part time secretary and an alumni at NS. Being an office aid for most of her senior year, she grew to love the job of a secretary and knew that’s where she wanted to be.

“I love everything that that job represents,” said Anderson, “and that’s why I really wanted to take it in the fi rst place, because I absolutely loved the office when I was a student.”

As a TA in the office, Anderson gained a super close friendship with the secretaries and they made a huge influence on her life.

All she wants is to return that favor to another student.

“Maybe that friendship is what helps get them through a hard day,” said Anderson. “[Melanie] was like my best friend my senior year, and I just want to be able to offer that to some other kid.”

Since Anderson only works roughly 22 hours per week at the high school, she has other jobs to fi ll

her time.

One of those jobs is working in the Snow College Registrar’s office. Working in the two jobs brings out a different opportunity that Anderson wouldn’t have otherwise, which the high school students benefit from.

“Kids come into the office at the high school needing stuff for Snow and I can help them,” said Anderson.

Anderson loves to stay busy and always needs something to do to keep her hands moving. Working as much as she does brings a form of satisfaction into her life.

“I am the happiest and I function the best when I’m super busy,” Anderson said.

Tori Hansen Tori Hansen is the new attendance officer at NS. She has worked with the district in Fountain Green for many years prior to her new position at the high school.

Hansen has always loved the high school aged kids.

“The kids are my favorite part,” said Hansen.

Hansen does a pretty good

job at keeping her home life and her work life separate. However, there are still days where going home doesn’t take everything from school away.

“Depending on what we had to do with some kids,” said Hansen, “sometimes I take that home, and sometimes I take that personal.”

Hansen’s responsibility at work is to keep kids in class and to make sure they behave the rules.

She doesn’t want her job to be getting kids in trouble—that is her least favorite part about the position she is in.

“I don’t like being the bad guy,” said Hansen. “I don’t like having to punish kids. I don’t like getting them in trouble. I don’t like having to be the one that has to be hard on them, but we have to be.”

Someone has to take on these roles of this position, and although it isn’t Hansen’s favorite thing to do, she will do it to the extent she has to.

“I just wish kids would all be good so I didn’t have to be the bad guy,” said Hansen. “I just want to help the kids and when I think that we’re not helping them, then I have a hard time with that.”

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6

NS students rank their favorite meals in the ultimate school lunch showdown

Recent surveys show negative impacts of COVID-19 on students’ mental health BY

MARLEE CROZIER

Months of covid restrictions, remote learning, less time with friends, and the canceling of sports and other activities have hit many students like a rock wall. That wall has most heavily struck students’mentally, with seventy-seven percent of NS students in a recent survey responding that the pandemic has influenced their mental health in some way. “[It felt like] I fell in a hole and broke my ankle,” said Haven Caldwell, sophomore.

Many students have felt this way as their entire lives have been changing, including one of the most crucial parts of a teen’s world: their social life. “[The pandemic] has just really stressed me out and sometimes you can’t go see people, but I need to see people, otherwise I will go crazy,” Caldwell said.

Several students didn’t even realize how much social interaction with friends and peers played a role in their lives until covid.

“I am a social person, which I didn’t know until the quarantine started,” senior Ben Anderson said, “I need to be able to talk to people. I need to be able to be with friends, and covid stopped that and has made it difficult.”

Numerous other aspects of the pandemic aside from social restrictions have shaken the mental health of students. One in three Americans know someone who has died or been hospitalized due to COVID. Experiencing someone passing away or becoming severely ill causes anxiety for students.

“I don’t go places often because I’m scared of bringing germs home to my mother,” said Keerah Cook, junior. “My grandma died and my great-grandpa died [of COVID].”

Six percent of students who took the survey stated that the potential of giving the virus to someone significantly impacts their mental health.

“There became this additional pressure that if you go get sick, you could make [a loved one] sick,” said Heather Allred, NS counselor. “There is this new worry of ‘am I going to get someone that I care about sick? Am I going to kill them?’”

Worries like these have had a huge impact on mental health, in addition to the prominence of masks and controversy surrounding them.

“Sometimes, if you aren’t wearing a mask, people will judge you for that. Then other times, people will judge you for wearing a mask,” said Austin Hadley, NS teacher and coach, “The mental side of it for me is how to not be judged by the company I’m in for my decision to wear a mask or not wear a mask.’’

In addition to masks, other policies have been put into play so students can get back out on the court or the stage. Although they have proved helpful in limiting the virus’s spread, they have added stress. “[COVID policies for extracurricular activities] are frustrating and an added level of stress because you don’t want to be the one to test positive and wipe out your whole team for two weeks,” Hadley said. “It puts kids in a tough spot where their team is depending on them.”

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While the restrictions have added stress, most students are learning to cope with it as they get to come back to activities that they love.

“The play is happening, and I see all of those guys who were kinda bummed out last year and now they are excited,” Allred said. “Even though they have to test and do that kind of stuff, they are just happy to be back doing kind of normal things.”

Not only are students enduring COVID related struggles, but some are also finding the pandemic to be a unique opportunity for a mental health outlet.

“Honestly, I think before the pandemic, [my mental health] was worse because I was bottling my emotions,” Anderson said, “but now that the pandemic is here, I can act out just a little bit and blame it on COVID wreaking havoc on my crazy teenage hormones.”

All in all, the pandemic has stirred positive and negative impacts on student mental health as it has sprung constant change, fear, restrictions on their lives at home and at school.

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Sports

Voice of the North Sanpete Hawks

23 March 2021

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8

Boys soccer celebrates victorious start to season

photo by Siri Huntington

Sophomore Beau Jacobsen dribbles the ball in a recent game against Union. NS won 2-1. by

Adelhiede Johansen

Last season being canceled was a setback, but boys soccer is already off to a great start. They started off last season with a winning record of 5-1 and have begun this season with a 2-2 record.

“The other day against Union we owned the first half, and the passes were amazing,” said head coach Steave Solen. “We had it on their half almost the whole game, and we had shot after shot after shot.”

The boys soccer team started off this season with an amazing win against Union.

They were able to show their hard work and with the help

of their top strikers, Brady Jacobsen, Aaron Figuero, Dante Lowe, they pulled in a win.

“I feel like the team’s going to be really good, especially since we have so many seniors playing,” said senior Clayton Lewis.

Although they lost many key players from last year, the younger players have really stepped up and shown a lot of potential.

“I think that if we keep on making good decisions on defense and all the way up the field that we’ll keep hitting hard and winning games,” said Lewis.

One great thing about this soccer team is the amazing attitudes that everyone

has. Focusing on the positive can be hard, especially when you lose a game.

The boys’ last game against Juab was really intense. It was a cold day which made things even more difficult, but that didn’t stop them from giving it their all. The score was tied 2-2 and they went into overtime. Juab barely pulled through with a lucky shot that ended the game.

“I think we lost because we didn’t quite want it as much as they did. They amped up their energy in that last ten minutes to bring themselves in a goal,” said Lewis.

After a difficult and close

game, the boys were able to analyze what they did wrong to come back stronger next time.

“I think we’ve been in our heads a lot today and that’s what killed us,” said junior Macos Cisneros.

Playing soccer can take a hard toll on players mentally, but with the support of teammates, they are able to pull through.

“I feel really good about my teammates this year because we are all really close and always enjoy our time together,” Lewis said. “We all have a really close bond which makes the team even better and stronger throughout the year.”

This season’s soccer team has already grown great friendships together which will be incredibly beneficial for the season to come. Developing friendships within the team will make playing more enjoyable and proficient.

They hope that in the season to come that their friendships can lead to something they’ve never done before.

“NS boys soccer has never won a playoff game and that’s always our goal is to win that first state game--so we really want to go to that second round,” said coach Solen.

State is their main goal and they really want this year to be the first that they win a playoff game.

“I think we can go all the way. It’s gonna be hard, but if we put in the work and try our best, I think we can get there,” said Cinseros.

It won’t be easy to take state, but with the help of each other and hard work, this team can do it.

“We have a lot of young talent, but there are a lot of bad habits that I have to get them over — it’s gonna be a lot of practice but I think overall as a group we can still have a winning season and compete with a lot of teams,” said coach Solen.

He acknowledges that they aren’t perfect, but he knows that they are a hardworking and tough team. He sees that they are capable of great things and is excited for the season to come.

Softball team fights adversity with persistent mindset by

Abby Bench

As NS softball team’s season begins, their motto, When it’s the hardest (W.I.T.H.), captures the spirit of the team and reflects the experiences they’ve been through.

A year ago, when COVID first started, many athletes that play a spring sport lost their season. The softball team played only two games before everything was shut down.

“We didn’t ever really anticipate the whole season being canceled,” said head coach Landon Bailey. “The initial shock wasn’t that bad and that was in the middle of March. And then by the middle of April, it was kind of getting to the point that if they don’t do something we’re never going to have a season.”

Having such a short season was hard on everyone. Each girl, whether they were a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior was upset by the cancellation of the season and lost a year of playing. It was especially hard on the seniors.

“That was so bad for those that had to miss out on their senior season,” said Bailey. “It was definitely hard because it’s something you work for for a really long time and getting it taken away was pretty rough on them.”

Not only did losing a season affect them last year, but it’s changed this year as well. The girls on the team this

year are less experienced then they might have been in years past. Out of the 26 girls on the team, about 17 play varsity. For most of the varsity girls it’s only their first or second year on the team. Missing out on all the practices and games means the girls don’t know as much and haven’t played as often.

“We only have a few players who have actually played at the varsity level so if those younger girls play like they’re capable of, then we can still be really good and still be really competitive,” said Bailey. “We may kinda struggle early in the season but hopefully by middle to the end of the season, once these girls figure stuff out, I think we’ll be pretty tough.”

Luckily, both the girls and the coaches are able to look on the positive side. They’ve gained new appreciation for the things they do have.

They’re grateful for every moment that they can play and be together this season.

“Although losing that season was really frustrating, it’s taught me that you can’t take anything in life for granted,” said senior and main pitcher Gracie Christiansen. “Once something that you think will always be there gets taken away, it makes you realize how important to you it really is.”

Being appreciative and enjoying every moment is something the softball team knows is important. Both the girls and coaches agree that hav-

ing a good attitude matters.

“Oh, definitely—attitude is everything. That’s the way it is in life,” said Bailey. “Things happen and sometimes you don’t play as well as you wanted to or things don’t go your way, but if you have a bad attitude you’re not going to be good. It’s that way with anything.”

Having a good attitude when you play makes it a more enjoyable experience for everyone. It’s just as important to have fun and enjoy playing as it is to work hard. The coaches remind them to enjoy what they’re doing while still doing their best.

“They work hard and they know how to have fun, which is good because that’s a super important part of

all this. That’s why we play, to have fun,” said Bailey.

Sometimes it can be hard to give it your all and enjoy everything. Softball isn’t always easy. When it isn’t easy, that’s when it’s the most important to keep going. That’s what their team motto means: the players need to keep fighting, especially when it’s hard.

“When it’s the hardest—that’s something we talk about just to remind them that we have to fight through the hard times and fight the difficult things,” said Bailey. “It’s easy to be good when things are easy.”

The softball team keeps this in mind as they continue through their season and improve both individually and as a team.

photo by Audrey Inglish

Senior Graciee Christiansen tags out a runner at third in recent home game against Lehi. NS won 12-10.

Sports

9

E-sports to become a state-sanctioned sport by

Carson Hadley

Although not considered a traditional sport, competitive video gaming, or esports, has been gaining popularity in the US over the past several years.

Now NS has got in on the trend, forming their own competitive esports team that meets every Monday and Wednesday after school.

“When I was in school, the computer lab had Warcraft and Starcraft on it,” said esports assistant advisor Cheyne Christensen, “and I remember before wrestling practices, our coach would come down and we all played a bunch of Starcraft games and it was honestly a lot of fun to interact with all sorts of different people. You had athletes and you had people who were down there just to play games, and it was super fun to just watch all these different personalities come together.”

When Christensen came back to NS as a teacher, he wanted to get an esports program going.

“I remember talking to [Superintendent Nan Ault], wanting to get something like that started,” Christensen said. “And she just said to get with [IT specialist Tasmin Valko], and so Taz got re-ignited to get it going again.”

Valko took on the task of organizing the esports team and became the club’s advisor.

“We go through the high school es-

ports league, that’s who we go through, that is where the students compete,” Valko said. “So they sign up for their game. I have a couple of chess students, “SuperSmash students,” “Valorant,” and “Rocket League.””

Students who want to get involved in the NS esports team must first get a parent’s signature and pay their fees.

Then they can make an account on highschoolesportsleague.com, the website that is used to organize matches.

“What they do is they sign up for an account there, we have passes— they’re called Battle Passes—and I can issue them to the students once they go through making their profile,” Valko said. “Then they get their matches set through there, we have nothing to do with it.”

The matchmaking is based on time zones, so the students are playing against competitors from throughout the intermountain west. In the matchmaking process, students are paired up against each other based on console, game, and skill level. The program keeps track of each student’s win-loss record, and that will be used to arrange a tournament at the end of the season.

“Now, through another partner that we have, which is sieutah.org, they set up a tournament that the kids will be participating in for “Smash” and “Rocket League” in April, and they’ll be playing in state,” Valko said.

While there are other games avail-

Boys tennis wins first match of season

photo by Carson Hadley

Students particpate in the competitive esports club. Within the next two years, esports will be a sanctioned, state-supported sport.

able to play through the esports league, the NS esports team is mainly competing in “Super Smash Bros” and “Rocket League” right now.

And while right now esports is just a competitive club, the USHAA is in the process of making it a sanctioned, state-supported sport.

“In about two years, it will be a sanctioned sport, but it has to go through a two-year process,” Valko said.

But even though it isn’t an official sport, students still love just getting together and playing video games.

“For now, it’s more of just like we meet up, we practice, we play against each other,” said freshman Lucas Schoppe.

Basesball knocks out two early wins

photo by Carson Hadley

Kayson Erickson wins 6-1, 6-2 in second singles match against Union High School. NS boys tennis finishes with a team win 4-1.

For Christensen though, it’s about helping students make social connections through video games.

“I think video games are not a very social activity, and so anytime that we can bring kids that are gonna go home and play video games anyways, bring them together in an environment that’s safe and they can see all the different kids that have the same interests as well,” Christensen said, “and then kind of make those connections to where you see people in the halls and they can talk about, ‘Oh man, remember what we did yesterday, that was super fun.’

Just trying to make connections, trying to make video games as social as possible.”

photo by Siri Huntington

Camron Smith pitches in a home game against Millard High School, finishing with a score of 16-6.

Student managers contribute to team organization by

Siri Huntington

Over the last several years many sports programs at NS have implemented student managers to help the team by doing numerous tasks, such as setting up equipment as well as making sure equipment is acceptable, getting water for the team, and taking stats or running the clock at games. While the service that student managers do is extremely appreciated, it is often overlooked. “[The managers] have been really good at going above and beyond and making it a better experience for the kids,” said head football coach Rhett Bird. “And that’s really what they do. They just keep us organized and on our toes and keep things flowing the way they should. Anytime that I can give more of my time to an athlete, then of course we are going to be better off in the end.”

While keeping the team organized and running smoothly, managers also provide a set of hands for many different tasks.

“I think they are helpful. We always want to have kids involved, so I think it helps them and it benefits us as well because it’s another set of hands to help us with tasks and stuff,” said head volleyball coach Rickie Stewart.

Besides giving the coaches more time for the players and keeping the team organized, both of which benefit the program itself, the managers are able to be involved and learn something new.

“Anything to get somebody involved in something that they normally wouldn’t be involved in I think is a benefit. The more student involvement we have the better,” Stewart said. “I don’t think it is a bad thing to give kids opportunities to learn things they normally wouldn’t have learned and to be part

of something or feel ownership over something is important.”

Besides getting to learn another skill, student managers are also able to become friends with their peers.

“I get to know more people around the school.

It also expands my ability to do something else,” said boys tennis manager Alexis Hansen.

While managing a sport can let a student learn something new, it can also provide them with a new perspective of a sport.

“I like being able to do something other than my sport and it just gives me a view of what other people have to go through in their sports,” Hansen said.

Another one of the benefits of managing is being able to be right there in the moment with the players.

“It’s definitely a different experience because being in the student section was really fun but being on the sidelines is a whole [different thing]. You can see everything,” said football manager Isabelle Mitchell.

While student managers are able to gain a lot from their managing experience, many people don’t recognize just how much the students are doing for their friends.

“They are there providing a service for their friends and that’s a big deal to me,” said head tennis coach Matt Braithwaite. “Anytime you have somebody your own age who is willing to serve you, that’s a big deal so I think you need to remember that they don’t have to be here. They could obviously be doing whatever they want, so the fact that they have chosen that, to me that’s important.”

While many coaches are appreciative of man-

agers, they have to be careful when approving students to manage.

“They can either be really useful and really helpful, or they can be just a waste and just another person to worry about,” said head softball coach Landon Bailey. “I think it just depends on the person. I think being careful and choosing your managers as a coach is very important. It can’t just be anybody. They have responsibilities that they need to do and they need to take care of. I think if they do those things they can be very useful and very helpful but I also think it can go the other way.”

Though it may be a toss of the coin of whether or not a student is a good manager, the majority of coaches at NS have had good experiences and productively utilize their managers. “[Managers] are awesome. I think that every coach in the school should have a manager because... it keeps things flowing, practice runs better, it gets kids involved in the school,” Bird said. “I think that we should as coaches do a better job of reaching out to kids that we know are interested in sports or maybe don’t make the team.”

by Siri Huntington

Girl soccer managers Lydia Ence (Left) and Adelhiede Johansen (Right) clean up equipment after a soccer game.

Sports 10 Talented senior signs as preferred walk-on for BYU football team by

cAden clAWson

Not many people jumped off of a truck onto sheep and rode them as a kid, but that’s exactly what Cole Mickel, who recently signed with BYU football, did.

Mickel attributes his strong work ethic to growing up on a ranch and raising sheep.

“If I’m not doing football, I’m doing something with the ranch and stuff, and so it’s taught me to not just sit around,” Mickel said.

“There’s always something to be done, that’s why I’m not one that’ll just sit inside. And I think that’s because of having the career that my family has.”

Raising sheep has given Mickel other qualities that served him well on and off the football field.

“With sheep, you know, it’s hard work,” said Rhett Bird, NS head football coach.

“You’re dedicated to it, and that’s what we got out of Cole for four years when he was here. I know with sheep, too, you don’t take any days off. You gotta feed them ev-

ery day. And that was Cole’s mentality throughout the last four years. No days off. He put every ounce of effort into who he became.”

Mickel’s hard work paid off when he obtained a full ride scholarship to SUU. However, after some thought, he declined the offer and instead chose to go to BYU as a preferred walk-on after some thought. His family is excited with his choice.

“I love that he’ll take that chance,” said Matt Mickel, Cole’s father. “There is no guarantee at BYU and he was guaranteed down there (SUU), so it took a lot of courage to pull that trigger.”

Mickel has a goal, though: to be on scholarship by his sophomore season. And he knows how to obtain his goal.

“I’m always watching like different people who started out as preferred walk-ons and stuff and what it’s taken for them to get there,” Mickel said. “And honestly, it’s just got to be your only focus and it’s gotta be the only thing that you want. And hard work is honestly it. You‘ve gotta prove to the coaches and everybody

photo provided by Cole Mickel

Senior Cole Mickel oversees a herd of sheep on the mountain.

photo by Carson Hadley

Cole Mickel (center) stands with parents Matt Mickel (left) and Brenda Mickel (right) after signing with BYU.

up there that you’re the hardest worker on the team and that’s what’s going to get you a scholarship.”

His family and his team at NS believe that it is possible for him to obtain his goal, and that he will do well at the college level.

“I’ve got all the faith in the world in Cole,” Matt said.

“And I know he can accomplish anything he wants to so I fully envision him being a starter eventually and maybe not the first year because it takes time, but I fully see him being a big part of that team.”

Although it won’t happen overnight, having to start over and work his way up on a team doesn’t bother Mickel much.

“I was a big part of the team, and obviously now I’m starting at the bottom again,” Mickel said. “That kind of scares me a little bit, but I’m

not too worried about it, just because I feel like I know how to work hard enough that I can get back to the top again.

That’s honestly what kind of excites me.”

But he is more than just a hard worker. He has several qualities that will help him at BYU and BYU’s football program. One of these is his leadership.

“He was a great example on and off the football field,” Bird said. “And he wasn’t scared to call anyone out. He

made sure he held everyone accountable and that’s what a good leader does.”

Mickel will switch positions when he goes to play for BYU. He’ll switch from outside linebacker, which he played in high school, to D-end.

Mickel plans to attend BYU after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and will begin his freshman season in 2024.

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Arts

Voice of the North Sanpete Hawks

23 March 2021 www.nstimes.org

11

Musical cast, crew prepare for full in-person audiences

photo by Hope Shelley

The musical this year will be “Beauty and the Beast,” starring Kylee Davis as Belle (right). The cast and crew expect full in-person audiences to attend showings on April 7-10.

BY

HOPE SHELLEY

With Utah’s recent change to moderate on the COVID transmission index, NS will now be allowed to have full in-person audiences for the school musical next month.

The musical, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” will be held April 7-10 at 7 p.m. each night and will have a matinee on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

COVID has been a constant struggle for the musical this year. Everyone involved has been trying to find ways to make the experience as close to the same as it’s always been. One way they are doing this is by selling in person tickets just like they’ve done in years past.

Another thing they are hoping to do to get around COVID is a streaming of the performance.

Once the shows are over, they will open up a streamed version. There will not be any live streaming of the shows.

“We will be filming it, then once it’s filmed and edited, we will stream it and let people pay to see the streaming. But there will not be an online zoom,” said Alex Barlow, the director of the musical.

This is one of the biggest shows NS has done and

requires a lot of work.

“It is a huge show technical wise,” Barlow said.

“I think it is actually the biggest musical we have done technical-wise, in terms of costumes, sets, and special effects.”

The musical takes up so much time for everyone involved. Members of the cast and crew have had to find a balance between the musical and other aspects of their personal lives.

“I do have a lot of other things going on in my life such as school and work, and all it takes is just some organization and dedication,” said Kylee Davis, who plays Belle. “Just planning stuff to make sure you have time for each and every thing.”

The students have been putting in a lot of hours and they are very excited to perform. They are getting to the point where everything is starting to come together.

“The students are what make the show,” said Sarah Anderson, the musical’s choreographer.

“They put in all of the work, and when you see them put in the work day after day after day, it can be a little discouraging for them because they don’t see the finished product. But as an adult watching them, I think it’s great to watch their eyes open as they start to see the magic happen.”

There are about 35 students in the cast and a few on tech crew, so all together, there are about 4550 students involved in the musical.

“Once they get out there and start performing, it’s theirs,” Anderson said. “It’s no longer in my hands or in Mr. Barlow’s hands—it’s theirs, and you can see that exuberance in their faces when they start performing in front of an audience.”

There are many helping hands and creative minds involved in the musical. Some of the students have taken on the responsibility of making the costumes. Although it has been challenging, they find it fun to do something so unique.

“I think the hardest part was probably learning about how to work with appliances that maybe wouldn’t be originally in costumes,” said Shayley Fausett, who plays Mrs. Potts. “For instance, with the Wardrobe and Mrs. Potts, we made them out of PEX pipe and chicken wire. It took a lot of trial and error to get to that place.”

The musical “Beauty and the Beast” is a great show for people of all ages. It has a very important message that everyone part of the musical feels is worth sharing. They are also very happy to perform such a loved musical with so many deep messages within it.

“I like the story within the story,” said Anderson. “I really like the idea that you can’t look on what the outside is, you have to look on what your heart is. I actually really appreciate it. Even with that aspect, Beauty goes into her situation with a lot of prejudice and even she has to soften her heart in order to see the beauty within the Beast.”

Cast members believe that it will be easy for the audience to connect with the story and that they will be able to see parts of themselves in the characters they are watching on stage.

“I think it’s easy to connect with the characters,” Fausett said. “I think that’s what makes a good show—when you go and see it and you’re like, ‘Wow that resonated within me. I connect with this character. I connected with the show. I loved it.’ It’s good when somebody leaves with an emotional response, and I think “Beauty and the Beast” will give somebody an emotional response to remember.”

The cast and crew can’t wait to bring it to life and they hope to see everyone who can attend there.

“It’s going to be a really magical musical that I think people of all ages will love,” Barlow said.

NSTimes survey shows students’ preferred streaming services BY

JESSICA BLACKHAM

“Star Wars,” “The Office,” and even “The Wizard of Oz” are among the millions of tv shows and movies made readily available to us through streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus, or Amazon Prime.

With just a simple touch of a button, we can obtain access to watch all of our favorite shows and movies anytime and anywhere.

In the most recent NS Times survey, 79 percent of students reported that they use Netflix, while 81 percent of students also reported using Disney Plus.

“In my family, we use lots of types of streaming services,” said junior Brooke Johansen. “We all use Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, and Youtube TV. We kind of have a lot, but honestly, we use them all.”

Like Johansen and her family, it is not uncommon for families to be subscribed to multiple streaming services if financially possible.

Nevertheless, it can be challenging to choose a favorite among all the different choices.

According to the survey, Netflix and Disney Plus are neck and neck when it comes down to the ultimate favorite among NS students. Netflix is in the lead with 38 percent, and Disney Plus sits

at 34 percent. In third place, Amazon Prime doesn’t even come close, with only 8 percent.

“Disney Plus is my favorite,” said freshman Payton Hendry. “I feel like Disney Plus has the most tv shows to pick from, and it’s easy to use.”

Disney Plus is known to have many classics that many teens grew up watching. Sophomore Kallie Spencer also favors Disney Plus, but enjoys watching Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for some variety.

“Netflix often has more mature options,” Spencer said. “But Disney Plus has the more family-friendly options that I like.”

Netflix dealt with a little bit of controversy over some of its not so “family-friendly” or appropriate show choices within the past year. Despite this, many students still choose to use Netflix to continue watching their favorite shows.

Along with the controversy, to compensate for all of the content it’s been losing to new streaming services like NBC’s Peacock TV, Netflix has begun to produce its very own original movies and series.

“I feel like Netflix is losing a lot of its good shows, like “Friends” or ‘The Office,’” Johansen said, “but they are making some new good shows like ‘Outer Banks.’ Like when they did cancel

845 So. Highway 89 Mt. Pleasant, UT

34%

13% Other

8% 7%

38% A recent NS survey depicts the percentage of students subscribed to each type of streaming service.

“Friends,” I kind of stopped watching Netflix, but now “Outer Banks” is coming out with season two soon, so I’ll probably start watching more Netflix again when it comes out.”

Luckily, there are many streaming services out there, and there is something to satisfy students’ diverse tastes at NS.

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“If I’m being honest,” Hendry said.

“I feel like it’s good to have so many options in streaming services because there’s always going to be something for everyone to pick from. People can just pick what they like best, and everyone doesn’t have to watch the same thing, and I like that.”

Arts

12

Country Singers BY

JARED STR AIT

Heard in the

Halls -“There have been times when I’ve considered selling my children.”

-“When I think of sexy I think of Caden holding a sippy cup.”

-“Do you want a fanny pack full of lotion?”

-“Cogsworth the twerking clock.”

-“The enchiladas are coming.”

-“There’s a time and place to be an idiot.”

-“I will hug all the moose, and if they bite my head off, that’s okay!”

-“If I start stress eating M&Ms don’t judge me.”

-“You’re cat’s kind of emo.”

-“That’s not a death scream, that’s a maniacal scream.”

-“Angela Lansbury is a teapot and a serial killer.”

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