“Arsenic & Old Lace” entertains young and old alike
Boys soccer finishes second in region, gets home playoff game
see review on page 11
25 apr 2017
-story on page 8 www.nstimes.org
volume 9 issue 8
WELL SAID “Everyone has a place at NS. Whatever you like, it’s here.” –Catherine Carney on why she enjoys teaching at NS.
UPCOMING EVENTS Tuesday, Apr 25 Girls Golf @ Skyline Mountain Resort Baseball Juab @ NS (DH) 3:00 pm-7:00 pm Wednesday, Apr 26 Softball Manti @ NS 3:30 pm-6:30 pm Spring Choir Concert (Auditorium) 7:00 pm-9:00 pm Thursday, Apr 27 Boys Tennis Richfield @ NS 3:00 pm-6:00 pm Softball Wasatch @ NS 3:30 pm-6:30 pm
BY THE NUMBERS
49 Percent of juniors who met the English ACT benchmark
Beloved coach, teacher to retire
Christensen grew up in North Ogden as part of a family passionate about sports. She attended Weber High School where she was heavily involved in athletics. Throughout high school Christensen was affectionately known as BY AVERY B RIGGS “The Bash”, taken from her maiden name of Bashford, beSharon Christensen knew cause of her ability to jump a she was destined to become seemingly four feet in the air a Physical Education (P.E.) and spike a volleyball down teacher when, as a junior high her opponents’ throats. student herself, she taught the Christensen continued to seventh and eighth grade P.E. be a three-sport athlete at classes. The regular P.E. teachSnow College, playing volleyer had to take an extended ball, basketball, and softball. leave of absence, so the prinChristensen’s plans for attendcipal asked Christensen if she ing Weber State University on would fill in instead of attenda softball scholarship changed ing her own ninth grade classwhen the softball program es. Needless to say, she agreed. was cancelled, so she accepted “I just think it’s importhe invitation to play volleytant to promote a healthy ball for Weber State instead. lifestyle,” Christensen said. “I After graduating from hope something kids will reWeber State, Christensen alize is it’s really not all about photo provided by SharoN ChriSteNSeN coached volleyball as the asthe sports. It’s about fitness and Four of the state championship winning teams Sharon sistant coach for one year at having a healthy lifestyle, and Christensen coached at NS. Christensen plans to retire and Weber High before moving to it’s about wellness and adopting However, after approxi- move to St. George at the end See Coach, page 2 that as your lifestyle.” mately three decades at NS, of the school year.
After 29 years at NS, coach Sharon Christensen will retire at the end of the year.
Sterling Scholars do best ever at region competition BY
15 Number of NS drama students who received straight superiors at state
4 Age at which Catherine Carney began dancing
10 Number of students who placed at the Sterling Scholar competition
CONTENTS Features................5 Sports...................8 Arts......................11 Crossword...........12
A DDIE A NDERSON
Several weeks ago, the Sterling Scholars from NS performed better than any other school with ten out of fifteen students placing. With four winners and six runners-up, this makes this year the highest number NS has ever had. They competed on Mar. 21 against thirteen other schools around central Utah in their specific categories. “We weren’t really surprised because the group is so awesome,” Sterling Scholar advisor Jori Turpin said. “[The students] set the bar really
high.” The winners for NS were Ethan Ostraff (Visual Arts), Nicole Day (Business and Marketing), Makenzy Palmer (World Languages), and Jennifer Boekweg (Speech and Debate). The runners-up included Dustin Angerhofer (Math), Lydia Madsen (General), Abraham Bunting (Music), Melanie Beck (Dance), Avery Briggs (English and Literature), and Mayra Patino (Family and Consumer Science). “We have dramatically increased the number of winners and runners-up,” Sterling
After years of planning, greenhouse construction finally a go A LEX B. L ARSEN
ting delayed, until now. A recent confirmation was given, With the school year rap- so Nexus Greenhouse Systems idly coming to a close, the will construct the greenhouse projects revolving around the for a cost of $80,000. school will continue as always. The greenhouse will be 24 Throughout the past years, feet by 40 feet and will be atNS has made many efforts to tached to the south end of the get a school greenhouse built. welding shop in the new secWith many complications and See Greenhouse, page 3 setbacks, the project kept getBY
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NS timeS
On Mar. 21, the NS Sterling Scholars competed at region. Ten students placed out of the fifteen who competed, which is the highest amount of students who have placed in NS history.
Scholar advisor Ben Cox said. past five years, which is crazy.” “More than half of our students NS competes with rural have placed on average in the See Scholars, page 2
Drama students succeed at state BY
LUCY A NDERSON
On Apr. 7-8, at Cedar High School in Cedar City, Utah, Donnivan Kubota placed third overall in the Humorous Monologue category at the state drama competition. Fifteen of his NS peers obtained straight superiors. “They did really well,” said NS drama teacher Alex Bar-
low, “especially because some of the schools we’re up against are really big schools.” The drama department got seventh place out of seventeen schools that competed. Barlow believes that is because the department doesn’t have as many students competing in the contest as other schools they
See Drama, page 2
2 news Coach, continued from page 1 NS, where she was the head volleyball coach for twentyone years. Coming from a state championship winning high school with the number one program in the state to a school with one of the worst programs in the state was a big change for Christensen. She immediately saw a big difference in how little the kids knew and their lack of exposure to the sport and worked to change that. “I don’t feel that [difference] now, I really don’t,” Christensen said. “Plus we offer everything that a big school offers. Coming from a big school you were basically part of one thing, and that’s not the way it is here.” Kali Blackham, who played volleyball while in high school and coached for Christensen after graduation, has always considered Christensen
her mentor. “She’s a great teacher. She’s a great example and she’s someone that I just look up to,” Blackham said. “She was always there and willing to help me if I had any questions or any problems.” Twenty-eight years ago, Christensen also started the softball program at NS, coached it for seven consecutive years and is heading the program again this year. As the head basketball coach for nine years, track coach for two, golf coach for five, and the athletic director for the past fifteen years, Christensen has certainly had the ability to influence hundreds of student-athletes. “When you’re working with the kids, you’re working at becoming skilled at that sport, and you’re focusing on learning to win and learning
to form your skills to the best of your ability,” Christensen said. “But the real things you take away are life lessons that help you be dedicated, that help you learn that you can do hard things. You learn discipline, you’re employable, and they’re skills kids can use the rest of their lives.” Cheryl Hadley, who has worked with Christensen for twenty-four years, has developed a close relationship with her. So close, in fact, that for years the two have been able to convince students that they are sisters. “We kind of are close like sisters,” Christensen said. “I am the big sister.” Even though they didn’t know it at the time, for years Hadley followed Christensen from school to school just a few years behind. First, Christensen went to Snow Col-
Scholars, continued from page 1 schools around central Utah that are all close in size. “To have that kind of success against schools that are comparable with us is really gratifying,” Cox said. “Especially schools that have had a better history and a better academic track record than we’ve had.” The Sterling Scholar Program is a system for awarding academic scholarships and was created by The Deseret News in 1972 to recognize and honor students in a variety of categories. The winners in the program receive a 1000-dollar scholarship, and
nearly all colleges in the state offer additional scholarships. Runners-up also earn scholarships to many schools with an additional $500 scholarship. “I think that being involved in Sterling Scholar is very rewarding,” Palmer said. “Aside from winning, it also really helped me in preparing for college and with other scholarship opportunities.” Sterling Scholars are expected to create a portfolio outlining the different projects and activities that they participated in. This process can be time consuming and stressful. “The portfolio was a lot of work,”
Drama, continued from page 1 were contending against. The drama department has grown each of the past three years. More and more students are joining drama and achieving the experience they need to progress as actors. “I think we had about twice the kids as we had last year,” Barlow said. “The year before I got here I think they only took about five kids.” Barlow helped the students prepare by coaching the teams, working on acts and having peers help each other to succeed. “[Barlow] really pushed me with memorization and trying new things,” Kubota said. Kubota earned his thirdplace medal with a lot of hard
work and dedication. “I think it really shows that I’m practicing and doing a great job,” Kubota said. Kubota competed in the Humorous Monologue competition. During his preparation, he was faced with the challenge of making a not-sofunny monologue funny. “I was thinking there had to be some way and one way I decided to do it was ‘alright I have to give it a voice,’” Kubota said. “So I give it a Shrek and then I gave Donkey.” Kubota knew that the monologue needed a voice, but the Shrek and Donkey voices just didn’t quite fit. “I was listening to the radio,” Kubota said. “And this really black stereotypical preacher came on, and I was
Ostraff said. “You have to take a lot of initiative to get your own projects done and be involved.” Sterling Scholars actively participate in various service opportunities in schools and throughout their communities. “To me, it helps students get involved in meaningful ways,” Cox said. “That’s where I think it’s most valuable for everyone, for the students and the people who they serve.” Many Sterling Scholars would agree that being a part of the program is beneficial, regardless of placing.
like ‘That’s it!’” Even though Kubota spent a lot of time and effort on his monologue, he still didn’t expect the outcome. “There was like, super many people there and I was expecting to at least get a medal, but I got third,” Kubota said. “I was super surprised.” Sophomore Bethany Lamb performed well receiving a straight superior for her monologue. Lamb didn’t know what exactly to expect going into the competition. “At region, they praised us for some of the things we did,” Lamb said. “Then at state, they kind of hit the things that we thought we did good on and that the judges from region said we did good on.” Lamb wasn’t the only one
Your hometown grocer 1050 South State Street Mt. Pleasant, UT
lege, and so did Hadley. Then Christensen headed to Weber State, as did Hadley. Christensen completed her student teaching at Weber High, and Hadley did too. The two met when they both came to NS, but the pattern doesn’t end there. Christensen was head basketball coach, and Hadley became head coach after she stepped down. Christensen is the current athletic director, and Hadley will take over next year. Hadley believes Christensen has had a positive impact on all she’s taught and coached. “She has a passion for doing what is best for students and doing all she can to help students-athletes have a good, positive experience at North Sanpete,” Hadley said. With all that she has experienced, Christensen feels
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sure she’s grown the most, from learning how to get things done, working with all types of people, and motivating kids. She also hopes she’s been able to leave a positive impact on NS. “I’ve always strived to make things better at North Sanpete,” Christensen said. “I hope that I’ve done that, that I’ve made things better overall so that North Sanpete realizes that they are just as good as anyone else. Kids will continue to do well and achieve here.” Although she may not miss the work involved with upkeep of the fields or the various buildings, Christensen will miss the many friendships she’s created over the years. It’s certain her absence will be noticed at NS as well.
“Even if I hadn’t won, it still would’ve been helpful for me,” Palmer said. “For sure it wouldn’t have been wasted time.” Briggs agrees with Palmer that the program is helpful to anyone involved and sees that winning isn’t everything. “Even if you didn’t win or didn’t place in Sterling Scholar, you still need to understand that you’re super awesome either way,” Briggs said. “Sterling Scholar doesn’t need to be a defining moment in your life.”
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NS FaCebook page
NS drama students head to the state competition. At state, fifteen students received straight superiors.
who felt the judges were different with their expectations. Barlow knows that the judging can be subjective, but he believes the experience is all worth it for his students. “They go for the educa-
tional experience, and they go to grow as people and as actors,” Barlow said. “I think we definitely succeeded in that front.”
3
news Greenhouse, continued from 1
tion of the school. The greenhouse will include a number of growing tables, a climate controlling system that will allow for year round functionality, and endless opportunities. Because the greenhouse will primarily be used for agricultural classes, Kevin Allen, teacher of many agricultural classes, will be in charge of the usage of the greenhouse. “There’s a lot of options with the greenhouse, we have plant and soil and we have biology,” Allen said, “There’s been other classes to show some interest.” With this new project, the agricultural classes will be able to experiment with growing plants, mutating plants, and overall enhance their knowledge of the process to keep a plant alive. “We’ll try and keep it as productive as we can,” Allen said, “We’ll do some seed germination and then it’ll also give us an opportunity in the spring for some plants.” While Allen is unsure what plants will be grown, he has had some idea for their uses outside of the
greenhouse. “We’ll probably market a little bit of it, bring in some income to kind of offset the greenhouse,” Allen said. “There is a program, From School to Table, where we’ll actually grow some food plants out here, lettuce, tomatoes, and things like that, that we will actually be able to put into the kitchen and students can eat.” The greenhouse has a lot of potential, but Allen feels it is best to keep reality at the top of his list. “In order to keep a greenhouse up and going, there’s a lot of hours,” Allen said. Allen also believes that although he is likely going to be very involved with everything going on inside the greenhouse, he wants to ensure that students are the main contributors to the project. “We’ll try and keep the students involved as much as possible. It’s their projects and they’re going to have ownership in it,” Allen said. A blueprint of the greenhouse that will be built to the south of the welding shop.
Four NS seniors receive prestigious scholarships for college NICOLE BURTON
he was accepted as a Presidential AmbassaIt’s the time of year dor to Southern Utah when seniors are ceUniversity. menting their post-high Gavin Cox first school plans. Seniors heard of becoming an Dustin Angerhofer, Ambassador while atGavin Cox, Abraham tending the Governor’s Bunting, and Blade Cox Honor Academy last have all received prestisummer. There he was gious scholarships. introduced to one of his counselors who was an Ambassador for SUU. “He’s super outgoing and super funny,” Gavin Cox said. “We just kind of connected. We’re still really good friends even though he’s a few years older than me. I wanted to do what he was.” Dustin Angerhofer The application Angerhofer was a reprocess began with a cent participant and first submission of a video place winner of the anin which Gavin Cox exnual, region-wide math plained who he was and competition Snow Colwhy he wanted to be lege hosts. This was his an Ambassador. Of the second year participatclose to 250 videos subing, so he knew what to mitted, 150 applicants expect and how to prewere invited to a leaderpare. ship week where they “I looked at the prewere interviewed by varvious tests and did those ious clubs. at home,” Angerhofer “There’s a ton of said. “I just went through different clubs looking the problems to get a feel for people they want to for how hard it was going join,” Gavin Cox said. to be and to get the tim“The Presidential Aming down.” bassadors is one of them. Gavin Cox However, this pracIt’s kind of the most tice didn’t help him win Gavin Cox was also prestigious one so it’s overnight. Angerhofer the recipient of a presti- the one you want to do.” spent three months pre- gious scholarship when Of those 150 applicants, twelve were selected to be Presidential Ambassadors, one of whom was Gavin Cox. The scholarship provides half tuition for four years on top of the full tuition 33 N Main Street scholarship Gavin Cox Spring City, UT already received. (435) 462-7484 To maintain this award for four years, an Ambassador has various jobs at the college. “As an ambassador, we host Red Riots, which is when the kids that are interested in SUU come down for the weekend Support Local and we do fun stuff,” Buy Local Gavin Cox said. “They Fast track stay at the ambassador’s Supports NS houses for the weekend. BY
vious to the competition studying for the twohour, forty-question test. This extended exposure to the problems he would face on the test helped him earn an 86 out of 160 points possible and get first place. By winning, Angerhofer qualified for a state competition, but he isn’t sure if he will be attending. He also received the first place prize. “I got a [full-ride to Snow] and I won a Kindle, some graphing software, and a t-shirt,” Angerhofer said. With his recent win, Angerhofer has advice for those looking to compete in future years. “Look at the test from years past,” Angerhofer said. “Solve problems and puzzles. Just do math.
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Fast Track
We also go around to high schools four times a year and recruit kids to come to SUU.” Gavin Cox will be attending SUU as an Ambassador after a two-year deferment to serve an LDS mission to Mozambique. Along with Angerhofer and Gavin Cox, Bunting has received an exclusive scholarship to the University of Utah. He is also deferring that scholarship to serve an LDS mission to Canada.
Abraham Bunting Bunting was the recipient of the Eccles Scholarship from the University of Utah Honors College. The scholarship covers eight semesters of tuition, housing, and additional money for food and books. Out of all those who apply, only a small fraction receive this scholarship every year. “There are 30 students per year in this program because it’s not just, ‘Hey, here’s some money because we like you,’ it’s also, ‘Hey, we like you, so we’re going to give you money to do this program,’” Bunting said. The Eccles Scholarship allows students to pursue any major as long as they complete additional coursework through the honors college. Originally, Bunting wasn’t planning on attending the University of Utah because they hadn’t offered him a large enough scholar-
ship to cover his expenses, but the Eccles Scholarship changed that. “I got an email from one of the guys at the honors college saying that the scholarship was due the next day and that I should fill it out if I hadn’t already because it’s lots of money,” Bunting said. “I decided that I may as well look into this. … I figured I had nothing to lose.” After spending three hours researching and writing an essay on the Wells Fargo scandal and acquiring a letter of recommendation the next day, Bunting applied and was contacted later about interviewing in Salt Lake. “I drove like three or four hours to do a 15-minute interview and they said they’d contact me in the next couple of days,” Bunting said. “I got an email the next day saying ‘you got the scholarship, we’re going to give you lots of money, and it’ll be a good time.’”
Blade Cox Blade Cox will also be attending the University of Utah with full tuition, but his scholarship comes from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. After applying to many naval colleges across the country, Blade Cox eventually found the ROTC scholarship for the University of Utah. “I didn’t really know what ROTC was but when I looked into it I
saw that there was a huge opportunity for unused scholarships,” Blade Cox said. The scholarship Blade Cox received through the ROTC allows him to live the life of a normal college student but gives him the opportunity to graduate as an Officer. Along with attending regular classes, Blade Cox will be required to attend physical training (PT) every other morning and a once-a-month drill where he will learn the basics taught in boot camp. He will also have to pass a physical test every semester. “They have us do these extra things because officers are so well renowned, academically and physically,” Blade Cox said. During the summer break from classes, training doesn’t stop as the Navy will send him on trips where he can be immersed in a military atmosphere. After Blade Cox has completed his junior year of college he will travel to Quantico, Virginia for formal officer training. While the scholarship and opportunity to advance his rank quickly are advantages, that isn’t the main reason Blade Cox decided to enlist in the Navy and apply for the ROTC scholarship. Instead, he was inspired by his love of munitions and water and his uncle who serves in the Navy. “The first time I met him I was pretty old because he moved around a lot because of the military,” Blade Cox said. “But he carried himself very well, very professionally. I wanted to present myself in that way.”
4 news NS focuses on increasing number of students who reach ACT benchmarks BY
A BIGAIL C LAWSON
Each year at NS, the school increases the amount of preparation students receive for the ACT, the three-hour long college entrance exam. Recently the focus at NS shifted from improving students’ scores all around to increasing the number of students who meet the benchmark for College and Career Readiness. This shift is due to the change in the school improvement plan and its new goal to improve the number of students who meet benchmark. The benchmarks are given for each of the four sections on the ACT test; English at 18, with reading and mathematics at 22, and science at 23. The benchmarks are set by ACT, and are determined by “the level of achievement required for students to have 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing firstyear college courses,” according to ACT’s website. The 2016-17 graduating class at NS had 13 percent of its students meet all four benchmarks. 38 percent met the English standards, 26 percent met mathematics, 29 percent met reading, and 21 percent met science. With these benchmarks in mind, NS hopes to be able to better focus on and see individual students making progress toward being college and career ready and by doing so, see an
increase in students who meet the benchmark. “When you focus on an overall number, you sometimes lose track of individual students, and it’s also a harder number to control,” said NS counselor Ben Cox, “but by focusing our efforts on those kids who are trying to bump up to college and career ready, we think we’ll see a better result for individual students, and overall, I think it will help.” By focusing on more individual students and those who meet benchmark instead of trying to improve the average class wide score, NS is looking at those students who try and who want to achieve the benchmark, making it a fairer outlook. “I think it’s a far fairer assessment to look at the benchmarks because it’s only looking at the kids who...are really interested in the ACT, who are reaching the benchmark,” said Nan Ault, principal at NS. “What I hope to do as a school is to increase that. For us to know whether we are actually improving as a school and that we’re really helping kids get ready for their future, that’s where we can look, where it’s a little more fair.” Changing their focus and goals to the benchmarks does not mean NS has stopped trying to improve the average score. NS continues to prepare students in many ways, including through the required College Prep class, and, starting this year, paying for sophomores to take the ACT.
A chart showing the benchmark for each section of the ACT, and the percent of NS juniors who met the benchmark compared to the state average.
“What we want [the sophomores] to do is have an experience with the test...before they actually take that junior ACT test,” Ault said. “We want them to feel confident about doing it as many times as they need to; we want them to feel confident going into the test as a junior and that is the reason for the ACT prep.” Research shows that students who take the ACT prior to their junior year do better than those who do not, which is why NS is opening the option to pay for sophomores’ testing. By having the option for sophomores to take the test before their junior year, and preparing juniors more extensively for the ACT, NS is still pushing towards a positive shift in ACT scores. Raising the school average is important because NS sits significantly below the state averages in both composite and section scores. NS falls short of the state average composite score by 1.4 points, and the deficit in the section scores are as follows: 2.0 points below the state English average, 0.9 be-
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low mathematics, and 1.2 below for both reading and science. Last year’s scores are fairly normal for NS; the school is typically one to one and a half points below the state average for mathematics, reading, and science, and two points below average for English. Though NS students are more behind in their English average than another section, according to ACT standards, more NS students are collegeready in their English ability than any of the other sections. Ten percent more students met the English benchmark than any other category. This stark contrast is due to how the benchmarks are set. The English benchmark is set at 18, which is four or five fewer points than the benchmark set for the other sections. While the school’s average sits about the same from year to year, there is a wide margin between scores for individual students, and between the number of high scoring students from class to class. The class of 2017 has nine students with a 30+ score, while the class
of 2016 had only one student who achieved a thirty. This is a strange contrast when both classes receive the same schooling. “We want to know why some classes do so much better than others because they essentially go through the same system, but they are getting very different scores,” Cox said. “It may be partly due more to the competitive nature of the class and their desire to push each other to learn and succeed. This is more about the student who’s involved than about the process and the system that’s in place. We have a system in place to help students but there’s still a lot who don’t take advantage of it, but when they push each other that’s when it tends to really make a difference.” This reflects on why the school is focusing on the benchmarks and those students who want to do well on the ACT. They see the importance of it because not all students push themselves to do their best on it. Other times it may take students taking the test once to see how valuable it can be.
“The ACT is certainly something that we hope [the students] do well at, but I think you kind of have to roll through every class and every class will do differently,” Ault said. “Maybe because of the junior ACT scores and composites that some of the juniors take it again and do very well. I hope that they’re encouraged to; it gives them a chance to get started, they still have more opportunities to take it and hopefully they do...because sometimes once is not enough.” With the change to focus on the benchmarks, NS hopes to see those students who want to achieve college and career readiness be able to reach their goal. “If you really want to get in there and jump in and play the game with us we want to see it,” Ault said. “We want to celebrate with you and we think it’s great. Everybody has the right to choose how they want to approach this...We just want everybody to have a really great chance of getting where they want to go.”
5
features 25 apr 17
English teacher brings unique experiences to classroom by Carli Johansen It’s hard for us to imagine our teachers’ lives before they entered the classroom. The idea of them actually doing something other than grading papers is something we often choose not to ponder, which makes Catherine Carney’s passion for dance even more surprising. Although this English teacher has put her tutu in the closet, there was a time when Carney’s entire life revolved around dance. “When I was 3, I watched the New York City Ballet perform, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Carney said. Carney danced for 16 years, from the age of 4 to 20. In the beginning, there were no classes offered to someone so young, so Carney danced with 7-year-olds. “I was dancing every day,” Carney said. “I spent about 15-20 hours a week [in the studio].” However her dancing career was cut short when high school ended. “I was good, but not good enough,” Carney said. Along with dance, reading has always been a passion of Carney’s. Books were her childhood. Her parents instilled a love of reading in her from a young age. “I’ve always been surrounded by books,” Carney said. Carney has always been a firm believer of the idea “the more you read, the more you know.” “I love to get lost in books,” Carney said. However, Carney was no reading prodigy in the beginning, in fact, she could not read at all until more than halfway through first grade. Everyone thought that she was “dumb” but the problem wasn’t that she didn’t understand, but that she couldn’t see. “I was in the stupid group; I knew I was in the stupid group,” Carney said. “And it was very frustrating.” No one, not even Carney herself, knew that she couldn’t see until she got an eye checkup. Though the glasses were annoying, Carney loved the new world it brought
photo by Carli Johansen
Carney teaches a sophomore English class. Carney's twenty five years of teaching experience leaves her with many memories. Carney reflects on her life experiences and past hobbies with students.
into sight. “I loved that I could be a part of the same world as my parents and family,” Carney said. “I had always wanted to be a part of that ‘club’.” However, Carney’s rocky start was apparently not hereditary, seeing as her daughter Deirdre shot out the of the gate running. Deirdre is Carney’s pride and joy; she was a brainiac since day one. In middle school math class, one girl had told the teacher, “If Deirdre doesn’t get it, how could we?” Yes, she was that girl. Now Deirdre is grown up and going to college at Harvard Law, and just like her mother, has become a intelligent woman. Apparently brains run in the family. Deirdre is at one of the top colleges in the nation, and Carney is cramming her knowledge into the brains of a bunch of unruly high school students. “At NS, everyone has a place here,” Carney said. “Whatever you like, it’s here.” Although not all the memories
Mt. Pleasant Branch 210 S State Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647 (435) 462-2457
from here have been fond ones. Being a high school teacher doesn’t come without its rough patches, putting a bunch of angsty teenagers in one building can, unsurprisingly, make for some good stories. For example, having two boys fight over a desk. We all know how annoying it is when someone steals your unofficial seat, however one senior reacted less than gracefully when this happened to him. “He yanked him out of his desk, threw him against the cabinets and started to choke him,” Carney said. Carney being about average height, determined that she herself could not break up the fight, so she called in, now retired, science teacher, Ed Staker for help. Staker managed to drag the two boys by their collars to the office. Then there was the incident with the firecrackers. A student decided it was a good idea to set off some firecrackers in the middle of Carney’s teaching. “He wasn’t even suspended,” Car-
ney said. “He was back the next day.” Being a teacher means that not every student is going to love you. However, one student was once especially angry at Carney, to the point of throwing scissors. . . at her face. For the most part, the students at NS have enjoyed Carney and her class. “She is very understanding, especially when you are sucky at life,” sophomore Lucy Quinn said. Students enjoy her unique teaching style and excitement for the subject. “In Mrs. Carney’s class, you are put in an environment unlike any other,” sophomore River Dillman said. “[You are put in] an environment in which learning is a right, not an obligation.” Carney loves watching her pupils grow as well. “As much as seniors frustrate me, I love to see them grow up,” Carney said. While Carney’s 25 years in the classroom have been anything but smooth sailing, overall, her experience at NS has been a positive one.
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features
6
New librarian brings unique life and love of reading to NS BY
M EGAN A LDRIDGE
Kandy Beebe, NS’s newest staff member chuckles as she thinks of what she was like in high school. Growing up, Beebe never liked to read books; she read only when she had to. Being forced to read books by teachers made her not like reading much. She continued to not enjoy reading until she was a sophomore, when a friend of hers approached her with a book recommendation. While Beebe does not remember what the title of the book was, she remembered how the book made her feel. “I read it and I was like ‘Oh, I didn’t know that I liked to read,' but it just changed my point of view because it was something that I was picking, and not something that someone else was picking for me,” Beebe said. She has loved books ever since. In high school, Bee-
be would have been voted class clown. Beebe was also a cheerleader and on the drill team every year except her freshman year. She was on the student council as well. “I was a good student but I was kinda here just to be here and have a good time,” Beebe said. She graduated in the class of 1989. Gary Temple, Beebe’s high school librarian was an influential person in her life. She was his librarian aid. Temple helped Beebe make good decisions and was a great sounding board to the students of the school. He tried his hardest to lead all students, including Beebe, in better directions. “If I could say anything to him, I would just tell him thanks for listening,” Beebe said. Beebe has, in turn, been following his example by listening to the other students here. Beebe loves all of the different people and students that she gets to
work with. “The hardest part of my job is hearing the stories of difficult things in the lives of other people, and it really just breaks my heart,” Beebe said. However, she is able to look at this through a fairly optimistic point of view. “It’s amazing the things that people walk through,” Beebe said. “It either makes them a better person or it teaches them something in someway. Sometimes it doesn’t make them a better person, but I would say in most cases that people are really resilient to the things that they’ve been handed in this life.” As a librarian, Beebe has a duty to take care of the books and help fix the iPads as well as taking care of the computers. She works 11:00-3:30 Tuesday-Friday. Beebe works hard in the library and in every job she has had before. Beebe has found herself wearing many different hats in her
life. She has worked in the turkey plant, as a construction worker, a secretary, a motel maid, and a waitress. While none of these jobs were exactly her favorite, she did enjoy being a secretary. Beebe likes organizing things, which she is also able to do as a librarian. She moved on from being a secretary because she wanted something that was different, something with more human interaction. Another part of her job is ordering the books for the library. She does this mainly through looking at magazines that are sent to the library and looking online at books that are recommended for teenagers. They also use a book recommendation box that the students can drop their recommendations in. “It’s probably about half and half, we don’t get as many recommendations as we would like because when someone
wants a book, they want it right now, not eight weeks from now,” Beebe said. Beebe’s favorite book changes frequently, but currently, her favorite book is “The Dry Grass Of August” by Anna Jean Mayhew, a book about a young girl dealing with racism in the civil rights movement. If there was anything that she could change about the library, she would want more kids
to come into the library. She hears about juniors and seniors who graduate being in the library only a couple of times. She thinks that it is really just a great place for kids to come and talk with their friends. “I love this job, I like working with the kids. I’ve worked in some jobs before where you have to work outside where it is cold or muddy, and I like it here. I work under very pleasant work conditions.”
photo provided by Kandy Beebe
Librarian Kandy Beebe relaxes at her home. Beebe enjoys being the newest NS librarian.
Teachers reveal hidden hobbies, talents, and pastimes
photo by Carli Johansen
Kolby "Digger" Henrie demonstrates his bowling ability. Henrie bowls in a league, with an average score of 158. BY
M AYZIE TALBOT
“What are your hobbies?” Everyone can remember a time when they played those inane, get-to-know-you games, and as your mind went blank, you wish you had one cool hobby. Everybody else always seem to put you to shame, and you want to pick up some kind of hobby. Well, you might want to ask the teachers of NS because several of them have unique pastimes.
In college, French and English teacher Jori Turpin learned to juggle. “My friend was really good at juggling and I’m really competitive so it bothered me that she could do it and I couldn’t so I wanted to learn how,” Turpin said. Turpin and her roommate would stay up late learning new juggling tricks and creating routines instead of doing homework like “good children.” With nothing else to
do, they performed their juggling act in a couple of local talent shows. All of Turpin’s performances were set to the song, “Womanizer” by Britney Spears. Whenever Turpin hears the song she gets nostalgic for the ‘good ol’ days’. “When we were getting our act together, one time we practiced for three days straight. From bending over and picking up the balls repeatedly, our hamstrings were so sore,” Turpin said. Turpin laughed about it, because she and her roommate were both college athletes and getting sore from juggling seemed pretty pathetic. Every high school has a band or two, like it or not, but teacher bands are uncommon. Ben Cox, Barrett Hilton, Dax Higgins, along with Kenny Cox and Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox created a band about seven years ago called
“Upside”. Ben Cox and Higgins had gotten together to play guitar a few times, and then Cox decided they might as well start playing for real. Cox asked his brother to play bass and they had a few practices to see what they could do. “Then they talked to their cousin Kenny and he got involved. So we had this four person band for about two years and then we picked up Barrett Hilton. He plays a mean keyboard and we needed him,” Higgins said. Close to the band’s creation, they were playing a car show when Higgins had an embarrassing moment. “I only had one guitar and we were in the middle of a song that was heavy on a guitar part and one of my important strings broke. I tried to get through the song, but I was mean eyeballing Mr. Cox, like ‘just end it, just end it, just
end it,’” Higgins said. Something good did come of that debacle. Higgins didn’t want to have an embarrassing moment like that again so he talked to his wife and was able to buy more guitars. World class jugglers and teacher bands are one thing, but a teacher in a bowling league is quite another. Science teacher, Kolby "Digger" Henrie started bowling when he was a “wee lad” and joined an adult bowling league two years ago. Henrie's point average per game is about 158. When Henrie was in high school, he and his buddies would go bowling. They had a rule that if you got a gutter ball you had to drop your pants for the next throw. “We got the idea from golfing,” Henrie said. “If you hit and don’t get your ball past the women’s tees, you have to drop your pants on the next tee box to hit.”
Spring City soda shop closes only seven month after it opens business by Christian Sanchez
Soda Fountain was a little building in the middle of a little town with big dreams. Soda Fountain opened up in mid-September, but it closed seven months later. The inside of this little building was unique; it had an old-fashioned diner look. Despite its name, it wasn’t much known for their sodas, but more for their ice cream and food. They served sandwiches and wraps, along with old fashioned candies and sodas. Their biggest product was almost certainly the swirl freezes. They were
basically a root beer float with a soda of your choosing. Another thing they were known for were their specialty drinks. They were unique and had names like “Turtle Beach” and “Bahama Mama.” The store wasn’t like most of the other soda places that are around Sanpete County, such as Fizz or Sip It. Rather, they took the same approach as Biggie’s, including both a walk-in or drive-up option. When such a nice store shuts down only seven months after it opens, there are naturally many questions about the reason for the closure.
“When we opened up, we did pretty well, but then the winter came around and people stopped coming because we wouldn’t sell so much,” said one of the employees, who prefers not to be named. “Our boss was scared that he wasn’t going to be able to make the payment even after the manager offered some great ideas to bring in customers. He calls me on Friday and tells me that he closed up, no more details, and that was the end of it.” Jamie Thompson, the manager of the store, offered additional insight on the fate of the store. “The guy who owns it is from
up north in Salt Lake and he owns a bunch of other businesses,” Thompson said, “and he decided he just didn’t want this one anymore. He decided it was too much for him and he closed it.” Though the store itself didn’t do so well, the manager thought that the greatest thing in the store was not only food but her team she had working there with her. “All the employees we had there made it great!” Thompson said. “It was only great because of them.”
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sports 21 mar 17
Boys soccer gains traction for state tournament Canyon View at home, we played decent, but we didn’t play well,” senior Kelton Christenson said. “If we play well we can beat any team in the region.” Continuing to improve, the team went on to win their next three games against Carbon, Juab, and Richfield. “I changed the formation from past years and definitely tried something new,” head coach Julio Tapia said. “Their chemistry has grown quite a bit from where we started.” However, the mental aspect of any sport photo by Makenzy Palmer can make or break a Carlos Navarro dribbles the ball down the field in the game against Carbon last Friday. game, even if the skill is The boys won 3-0 and are coming up on the state tournament. B Y M AKENZY PALMER improvement and plan ing together,” freshman region game against there. The team suffered to go far in the upcom- Luis Rodriguez said. Canyon View. The game another loss in Canyon Although the NS ing state tournament. After losing all of ended with a narrow View, losing their chance boys soccer team had a “At first we struggled their preseason games, overtime win for Can- at a region title. “The biggest issue rough start to the sea- because we weren’t talk- the team started to con- yon View, 3-2. son, they have seen vast ing and we weren’t play- nect during their first “When we played we had was nerves. Everybody was very ner-
vous, the pressure was too high and we couldn’t adjust,” Tapia said. “That mental part of the game definitely hurt us and we couldn’t recover.” Despite this loss, they are working hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again. “I’m very happy with their progress and there’s more to come here in the next two weeks,” Tapia said. The boys went on to win against Richfield and Carbon again, and have finished second in region, which gives them a home game going into the state tournament. “When we connect passes well, we control the middle and other teams can’t keep up with us,” senior Justin Bowles said. “It just depends on if we show up and play the game we know we can.”
Softball continues to improve, work hard as season progresses BY
CARLOS NAVARRO
The NS softball season is in full swing. The team has a winning record, 3-2, and are working hard to prepare for the state tournament. They are optimistic about their chances in both region and state competition. According to junior Alexis Hammond, the team has the potential to end at the top of the region. “I think that we can place second,” Hammond said. “Our biggest competition is Juab.” Hammond is a junior at NS and has been playing softball most of her life, when not com-
1050 S State Mt. Pleasant, UT (435) 462-3388
peting with the high school she is in a club team to play year-round. Hammond has been varsity all three years while playing at the high school and plays second and third bases. She lives for the sport and loves to see when everybody is playing well but doesn’t plan on playing for the team next year. “It hasn’t been my best season but I haven’t been given the opportunity to prove myself, I think I will continue on the club team.” Hammond said. Laynie Gillins is also a junior at NS that has been on varsity since freshman year. Gillins
plays first base and has enjoyed most of the season so far. “I think I’ve done a bit better last year but I still have some time to change that and improve for the couple of weeks that we have left.” Gillins said. If the girls make it to the state tournament, they will participate in a weeks long, double elimination tournament to determine the state champion. “I think we can get pretty far if we work together,” Hammond said. Earlier in the season, the team traveled down south to a St. George tournament where they
photo by Carlos Navarro
The softball team warms up at the complex. The Lady Hawks currently have a winning record of 3-2.
got off to a good start. While they competed with many of the teams from different regions
throughout Utah, the team got a taste for what the state tournament might look like.
Although they lost the majority of their games, the team was grateful for the additional practice.
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NS Tennis team in position to take first in region BY
H ANNAH O STR AFF
The NS boys tennis team is halfway through their region play, and they are tied for first place with a 6-0 record so far. They even defeated their biggest competition, Canyon View, 3-2. With the second match against Canyon View coming today, Tues., April 25, the team members are gearing up for the match. “We have the capability; we just need to bring our A-game to the court,” said assistant coach Sterling Whipple. The team has been bringing their A-game the last few matches, including the last game against Richfield where they won 5-0. “We all did some great things at the match, and it worked out for us this time,” said senior Benjamin Palmer. The team needs to keep playing their best to be able to take the region title at the end of the season. This includes working on consistency and being more aggressive out on the court, but according to senior Ryker Ericksen, tennis is also part mental strength. “If we keep pushing ourselves, and believe that we can win, we will win,” Ericksen said. Ericksen believes that if the team believes in themselves and prepares, they will be able to beat Canyon View at the next match. “I’m going to work on keeping mentally strong, and I’m going to focus on my consistency and serves,” Palmer said. Although the team is undefeated in region matches, there have been challenges in the varsity team, especially among the doubles players. Second doubles player senior Brendan Blackham was gone for a whole week and ended up missing
photo by Hannah Ostraff
Russell Madsen prepares for a volley in last week’s game against Carbon. The team has an undefeated record and in a strong position to take region. This week they play Canyon View and Richfield.
three matches. This has created a problem for his partner Tanner Morley, also a senior, but Morley and Blackham are working on preparing for the upcoming games. “We need to stay focused, and hit 75 percent power on our shots and place the ball, instead of hitting as hard as we can every hit,” Blackham said. If the team does well at the region tournament, they are placed in a better seeding for the state tournament, but if they don’t perform well, they are seeded against the top players in the state for 3A. “We need to do good at region in order to start off with a chance at state,” Blackham said. “We have the potential to do really well at region, but we have
been known to choke under pressure.” The boys on the team have been working really hard to get ready for the upcoming matches and region tournament by spending at minimum 2 hours on the court 5 days a week. They also have been rehashing the basics and fundamentals of the sport. “Every time I enter the season I have to relearn the basics, and settle back down and do what I’ve trained my body to do,” Blackham said. The coaches have been emphasizing the basics and consistency throughout the season so far and are going to continue working on it until the end of the season. On Apr. 20 the team played Carbon in less than ideal circumstances.
The boys had to mop and squeegee off the courts, and the matches were stopped in the middle of sets so the rain could pass, but another storm hit a few minutes after they started playing again. Head coach Matt Braithwaite made the decision to call the matches. Two of the five varsity matches were not able to finish the second sets. They will have to meet another day to finish the matches. Braithwaite is optimistic for the rest of the region season, and he is proud of how the boys will continue to play individually and as a team. “They’ve been playing good and will hopefully continue to work hard and play good,” Braithwaite said.
Jazz tie playoff series 2-2 after Rudy’s return K ALEB C OX
starting center Rudy Gobert went down with a knee injury. The Utah Jazz are finally The Jazz were still able to pull back in the playoffs for the off the win due to last second first time since 2012, and have heroics by Joe Johnson. The won their first playoff game final score was 97-95. since 2010. Game two went to the The series with the Los Clippers, 99-91. They took adAngeles Clippers is currently vantage of Gobert’s absence, tied 2-2 as they head back to dominated the first quarLA for game five. ter and maintained the lead Game one began with a throughout the game. major setback for Utah. Only The next game marked the 17 seconds into the game, return of playoff basketball in BY
Salt Lake City. Utah seemed to thrive off of the crowd’s energy for the majority of game three. Clippers’ starting power forward Blake Griffin went out at halftime with a toe injury. He will not play for the rest of the playoffs. LA was still able to pull off a comeback led by point gaurd Chris Paul, and took a 2-1 lead on the series. Down in a best of seven series, game four was a must win for Utah. Gobert was cleared
photo plugged from the series of tubes known as the interwebs
Utah Jazz forward Derrick Favors dunks during the opening game of the NBA playoffs.
to play again only eight days after spraining his knee. The Jazz were able to tie the series despite starting small forward Gordon Hayward leaving the game with food poisoning. Game four is tonight at 8:30. Utah has been going through a rebuilding process, and they are finally starting to see results. This all started with the hiring of General Manager Dennis Lindsey. Many players have shown great improvement from seasons past, most notably Hayward and Gobert. Hayward was named to the West AllStar team and is averaging career highs in nearly every category. Gobert seemed to be the only Jazzman who could avoid injury all season. He played in 81 out of the total 82 regular season games. Because of this, he was able to prove that he could lead the team. As a potential Defensive Player of the Year, he averaged a double-double with points and rebounds, as well as a leaguehigh 2.6 blocks. A large part of this big turnaround for the Jazz were the acquisitions they made
during the offseason. George Hill (PG), Boris Diaw (PF), and Joe Johnson (SF) have all filled their needed roles this season. Utah has had a season plagued with injuries, especially with starters. Despite these setbacks, they finished with a 51-31 record and the fifth seed in the West. Head coach Quin Snyder, in his third season with the Jazz, has been key to Utah’s recent successes. He found a solid rotation that allowed role players to help fill the spots of the injured starters. Towards the end of the season, Utah was locked in a tough battle with the Los Angeles Clippers for the fourth seed. Though they ended up with the same record, LA had won the season series 3-1, giving them homecourt advantage in the upcoming playoff series. This did not deter Utah, however, as they finally had a fully healthy roster headed into the playoffs, barring backup point guard Raul Neto’s left ankle sprain, who has since recovered.
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Track team continues to drop time in events BY
E MI PALMER
This year’s team is looking to do well at region and going forward to state by balancing fun and dedication as they reach the midpoint of the season. Head coach Scott Butler says he is excited to see each individual get better and reach their potential. “I like to see where they started at the beginning of the season and see how they’ve improved,” Butler said. As the season has progressed, Butler has seen improvements in the team as a whole and individually. He believes their hard work and dedication is paying off. They have been placing well in recent meets. Parker Hightower, a junior, placed first in the 100-meter at the Temple View Qualifier, in Manti; Linzy Flinders, a sophomore, placed third in the 400-meter. Flinders feels like this year’s team is better than the recent years. “We are a lot more dedicated and
are taking it more seriously this year,” Flinders says. Even though this year is better, senior Jordan Hope wishes more students came out for track. “I feel like if we had a lot more people come out we could be better,” Hope said. “This goes for all sports.” Despite this, Hope thinks this year’s team works hard, and he personally wants to make it to state in the open 100 and 200. He knows if they continue to work hard they can easily place at state in the Medley relay and 4x1 relay, like they have done in years past. Senior, Nicole Day is also hoping to have a good season, in the years before she has run the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, however this year she ran the 800-meter, and did very well. “The plan is to drop about eight seconds in the next few weeks, and to beat out the girls who have run miles and miles,” Day said.
photo provided by Nicole Day
Natalie Day runs the 100 meter at Juab last Friday. The track team has a meet this Tuesday at Manti.
Butler hopes to place well at region and hopefully go onto state. Along with individuals placing well, he also hopes that the relays will do well. He is happy about this year’s team, and loves
to watch them get better throughout the season. Overall, this year’s season for the NS track team seems to be doing good, and well on their way to accomplishing their goals for the season.
Baseball team struggles, but stays optimistic for remainder of season
photo by Abraham Bunting
Shawn Taylor pitches in the game against Carbon on Friday. They have struggled in the last few games but continues to improve. BY
M AK ADE TALBOT
The NS baseball team got off to a rocky start in region this past week. After winning four preseason games, they’ve lost all five region games, including three against Canyon View and two against Carbon. Head Coach Dan Christensen is tasked with leading his team
through a high level region this year. “We started off okay; we won some games, but this is a tough region,” Christensen said. “We’ve had a little turmoil in the program here in the past week, but we’re moving past it.” After only one week into region and with the losses against Canyon View, moving up to first place is going to take
some work. “I would assume we’re in last place right now, since we haven’t won any games,” said Christensen. Despite the lack of wins and the team’s current place, the players feel better than ever this year. Wyatt Black is a junior at NS, and is a varsity starter for the team. “I think the team is doing a lot better than
past years, because we’re actually a team now,” Black said. “We still kind of mess around at practice and we have fun, but when it’s game time, it’s game time, and we want to win.” Black has been playing baseball since he was seven years old. He has had a varsity position since freshmen year, and he’s lettered every year. “I feel like I’m more a part of the team, and I feel like I try a lot harder compared to past years,” Black said. “I’m more developed.” A team comes together when they have a leader, and Christensen has been the leader the team needed this year. “He spends a lot of time with us. He sacrifices a lot of his personal time and money to make our club better,” Black said. “I mean, if you think about it, he has a job and a family, and he’s sacrificing every single day to be with us and try
to build up this club.” Tanner Madsen, a junior at NS, has the same respect for Coach Christensen. “He’s a good coach,” Madsen said. “He really expects a lot out of us, and he’s there to help us with our personal stuff too.” Madsen has played baseball all three years so far, and this is his first season playing varsity. “It’s not that different. I’ve played with the same people since freshmen year, so I know my team,” Madsen said. The big difference comes from the practice facilities. Two years ago, the school started working to make a baseball field at the softball complex near the high school, and it’s been a work in progress for a long time. It was completed this year, and the baseball players are happy with the outcome. “It’s really nice having a new field and ev-
erything,” Madsen said. “We have a better facility up there; we have bathrooms and water we can get too easier.” The new field is not the only change the team has made since last season. NS teacher Andre Rainey has come onto the team as an assistant coach. “I really like coaching. The boys are fun and we have a good time,” Rainey said. “It’s a give and take as far as the teasing goes.” For his first year of coaching and with a small team, Rainey is impressed with the outcome. “I think we’re doing pretty good. There’s some frustrations with close games that we’ve lost at the end, but overall the boys are competing a lot harder,” Rainey said. “From what I’ve been told, [compared to past seasons] they’re really finishing things, and so things are going well.”
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11
arts 25 apr 17
‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ demonstrates talent of NS actors
photo by
AbrAhAm bunting
Grant Morris, nicholas honey, and the BoekweG sisters perforM in the production of “arsenic and old lace.” the play showed froM thursday throuGh saturday, and it was a quality production. BY
A BR AHAM BUNTING
Twenty-four murders, a gallon of elderberry wine, and several months’ preparation put the production “Arsenic and Old Lace” on the NS stage last week, and the result was a genuinely funny and well-acted comedy. It demonstrated, once again, the talent of both director Alex Barlow and the cast performing on stage. Jennifer and Jessica Boekweg play Abby and Martha Brewster, and the sisters convincingly portray the quaint, oblivious
insanity of the two elderly Brewster sisters. However, it took them a while to hit their stride. The beginning of the play was difficult to follow as the audience adapted to the strident, energetic Brewsters. After about ten minutes, though, the lines slowed down, the acting became more natural, and the Boekwegs found their roles. Once they did, the pair shone on stage. The play takes place exclusively in the Brewsters’ home, where they live with their nephew, Teddy.
Teddy, played by Donnivan Kubota, is also insane; he believes himself to be President Theodore Roosevelt. Kubota brought energy and humor to his role; his recurring reenactment of Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan hill, and his descent to the basement to dig the Panama Canal never failed to bring an audience laugh. Unfortunately, like the Boekwegs, Kubota also struggled to be understood early in the play. This struggle, though, may have been by design. Some of the actors struggled to assume
accents that left their lines sometimes feeling stiff. This was one of the few areas that could stand to be improved, and the stilted New York and German accents were occasional reminders that the actors are still in high school. Early in the play, the Brewsters’ home is visited by another nephew, Mortimer Brewster, played by Nicholas Honey, and his girlfriend turned fiancee, Elaine Harper, played by Lucy Quinn. When Mortimer discovers a dead body in the window seat,
he assumes his brother Teddy murdered someone under a delusion. When he confronts his aunts about it, wanting to put Teddy in a facility, they confess to poisoning the gentlemen, along with eleven others, with elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine, and cyanide. Honey and Quinn were both strong actors in the performance. Both were clearly heard and understood, and both filled their roles well. Quinn especially demonstrated a maturity that was impressive; she was at times suggestive and at other times dramatic. Honey was also impressive; his confusion and frustration was convincing and rarely over the top. The pair played a couple nicely. As the play progresses, the audience discovers that the Brewster sisters are not the only two murderers in the family when the third brother, Jonathan Brewster, played by Jonathan Fletcher, and his accomplice, Doctor Einstein, played by Aidan Anderson, show up at the house with yet another dead body that the other Brewsters are then forced to deal with. Fletcher and Anderson also did well in their roles. Fletcher’s comic malevolence fit the mood of the play nicely, avoiding dark content while also keeping the ‘bad guy’ role.
His acting was complemented masterfully by Anderson, who played the frustrated and mistreated sidekick. Anderson’s threestooges-like humor provided a contrast to Fletcher’s role, and made the audience laugh often. Although Anderson’s German accent was far from perfect, he was nearly always understood, and he made yet another strong addition to the cast. The other characters in the production were also well acted. Though at times the acting was excessive, the overall quality was impressive indeed. Actors included Kelsen Spencer, Chris Holbrook, Benjamin Barlow, Salem Kimball, Grand Morris, and Kate Mudrow. They served to round out a quality production. In addition to the quality performance of the actors on stage, the set itself was impressive and welldesigned. Both the set and the props were detailed and gave the play a professional feel. Unlike many high school plays, the set added to the play, rather than just being present. In conjunction with the light and sound crews, the play was done well at every level. Though “Arsenic and Old Lace” is no longer showing, it, along with previous plays, sets a high bar for future productions.
Breath of the Wild is exciting new addition to Zelda franchise BY
SALEM K IMBALL
The newest addition to Nintendo’s hit adventure franchise “The Legend of Zelda” was released under the title “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” This new title promised to take the series back to its open world, non-linear roots without losing any of the previous iconic tropes that Zelda fans have come to love. The game has been out for a month now and has been critically acclaimed by many, but just like any game it is bound to have its weak points. At the beginning of the game the first thing that players will look at and critique is the graphics. Cell-shaded graphics have been a semi-staple in the Zelda series for many a year now and have returned in Breath of the Wild, and they look gorgeous. Although it may not be realistic looking, the world gives off the vibes of a watercolor painting with vibrant colors that are absolutely breathtaking. If you have ever played
through a Zelda game before then what you will realize is that they are mostly linear. Not Breath of the Wild, however. As previously stated, the purpose of Breath of the Wild was to bring the series back to square one and focus on an open air non-linear experience, which the game is able to pull off gracefully. One of the unfortunate things that comes with an open air experience is that the story is going to suffer. Stories are linear told with one event leading the next, but with an open world game where anything can happen in any order it doesn’t allow the story to give the same urgent, connected feel that past Zelda games had. In a sense, being out in the world more doesn’t allow you to connect the world as much. Many of the gameplay features from past titles reappear such as Z targeting the third person perspective. Breath of the Wild includes many features new to the Zelda series, some of which may seem silly. For example, Breath of the Wild is the first Zelda game in which the protagonist (Link)
is able to jump. All past titles have implemented an auto jump feature, but Breath of the Wild has a physical jump button that can be used at any time. Other than the fact that Link is now able to jump, the biggest influence on the gameplay is a little thing called a “Sheikah Slate.” In Game the Sheikah Slate allows you to use special abilities called Runes that you gain from fulfilling specific tasks. These runes in turn allow you to manipulate the environment around you in multiple ways. Multiple ways such as being able to stop time, drag around metal objects, create ice pillars from nearby water, and pull remote bombs from thin air. Nintendo has been promising to return to the roots of the Zelda series for years now and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild finally makes good on that promise. As a gamer and Zelda fan myself Breath of the Wild was a joy to play through. However, there are many aspects in the game that may be nit picks but bothered me all the same. The four main dungeons of the game are all the same,
even if the dungeon mechanic is incredible. All four of the dungeon bosses also look and can be easily beaten in the same way. In terms of story Breath of the Wild is nothing special, many of the characters are bland as are many of the dungeons and puzzles, but the real thing that sets Breath of the Wild apart is the world. Nintendo set out to make a world that players could explore for hours on end and still be discovering new things after weeks of playing, and they succeeded. Breath of the Wild, I dare
say is one of, if not the best game ever made. The legend of Zelda series had already revolutionized the adventure genre of gaming with the Nintendo 64’s Ocarina of Time, and the series has now revolutionize the open world experience by doing things that no other game has ever attempted. That is why Breath of the Wild earns a solid 9.5 out of 10 in my book, and I strongly suggest to anyone who owns a WiiU or Nintendo Switch to go out and play this game if they haven’t yet, because you will not regret your decision.
Screenshot from the new Zelda game, Breath of the Wild. The game came out in March with the Nintendo Switch.
arts
12
Addie’s General Knowledge Trivia B Y A DDIE A NDERSON
Heard in the
Halls “Stop contaminating my Pinterest with your carrot juice.” “His face is the circle of life.” “Did you just compare me to your muffin? Chalk wise?” “Why is the baby chicken hatching on a cow?” “Every man has to be a mother at some point.” “Pants are overrated.” “I don’t like to eat donuts in public.” “My mom is kicking my butt in pool.”
Across
4. The medical term for the knee cap 6. Fe stands for this element 9. The cross between a lion and a tiger and is bred for its skills in magic 11. The dragon’s name in The Hobbit 14. This element has the symbol K 15. Santa’s reindeer that comes last alphabetically 16. A group of crows 17. In One Thousand and One Nights, this man met with forty thieves 22. Mohs scale classifies this substance as the softest 23. Bellatrix is from this series 25. The nationality of the French queen Marie Antoinette, who said, “Let them eat cake!” 27. The color of Spock’s blood 28. The goddess of love and beauty 29. A National Hockey League game has this number of periods 31. The comic book company that comic book company that cre ated The Avengers, Spider-Man, and the X-men 32. This colony became the first U.S. state 34. Mark Twain’s real name 36. The center of a Blow-Pop 37. A top hat, thimble, shoe, and battleship are all characters for this game 38. In ‘mi casa es su casa’, casa is referred to this 39. First national park in Utah
Down 1. He left One Direction in 2015 and is a total loser 2. The most vocal (and cute) whale 3. This old testament prophet was fed by ravens 5. This vegetable is supposed to be good for your eyes 7. The longest bone in the human body 8. The smallest bone in the human body, the stapes, is located here 10. Country pop star named Eilleen Regina Edwards 11. A group of bears 12. Chandler’s last name on Friends and also a variety of cherries 13. If you checked the time on Big Ben, you’d be in this country 16. At age 5, he wrote Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 18. Hayao Miyazaki’s oscar winning film 19. Casablanca is located in this country 20. This holiday song is the top selling single of all time 21. Benny, Agnetha, Björn, and Anni-Frid are members of this Swedish band 22. The star sign Gemini is represented by 24. The scale is used to measure earthquakes 26. A typical human body has this many pairs of ribs 28. A gnu is a type of this animal 30. This company advertised its products as ‘Fingerlickin’ good 33. The birthstone of October and the national gem of Australia 35. The maiden name of astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s mother
“They killed a dang lot of stones with that bird.” “If you were a math athiest you wouldn’t believe in heck so you wouldn’t know that’s what math is.”
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