College-career week educates students By the Numbers:
36
Number of years that Mr. Staker has been teaching.
6
Number of students running for most preferred man.
1-1
Ratio of TOMs bought and TOMs given away.
2.91 Average GPA of the senior class
Contents News.....................1 Features................5 Sports...................9 A & E.................12 Crossword..........15
BY ALLYSON CHRISTIANSEN As we continue on through our school year, many NS students are getting closer and closer to going to college and starting a career. It is because of this that our school counselors dedicated a whole week to college and career preparedness. This week wasn’t just dedicated to juniors and seniors. “We’re trying to get students thinking beyond graduation,” said O’Dee Hansen, counselor. “We want students to extend their education.” During advisory, students were given the opportunity to write down any questions they had for our counselors. Students were also able to go around and pick up “scholarships” from teachers. These scholarships offered things from extracredit points to cake. This benefitted students by helping them understand the process of scholarships. Throughout the week, teachers and students were able to support their favorite colleges. During class, teachers answered questions and talked about the importance of graduation and going to college. “I feel that College and Career Week went great,” said VP, Nan Ault. “It was the first year that we did it, and there will be more years to come. We will find new ways to make that week better. There are always adjustments to be made.” “What we don’t realize is that our teachers are great tools,” said Hansen. “Our faculty is a great source to all the different colleges.” Another thing we don’t realize is that our peers also help us through the journey of choosing your college and future career. “I plan on going to SUU or Dixie with Rhett Bird,” said Aaron Lee, senior. “We are also planning on going into the same profession.” Counselors also prepared posters for
photo by Allyson Christiansen
Matthew Briggs, a DWR officer, teaches students about his job during the recent career fair at NS. More than 35 careers were represented in the fair.
students to share their future plans. “The purpose of having the ‘What Are You Doing After High School?’ posters is so that students who don’t know what profession they’re going to go into can get ideas from their peers,” said Hansen. “This will hopefully spark up their imagination and get them thinking about their career.” Another event to help with college and career selection was an assembly with a representative from monster.com. Shaun Cain gave a presentation to the juniors and seniors. He originally planned on using many videos during his presentation, however, with the power outage, that wasn’t possible. Juniors and seniors were given different presentations. “For the juniors the presentation was based more on college selection,” said Hansen. “But for seniors he focused more on career selection.” The presentation also included giving students “winning” characteristics to help them throughout the rest of their life. Some of these characteristics were communication, leaderships, logic, and effort. Another first this year, NS hosted a career fair. By doing this students were able to talk to and get advice from representa-
tives of different professions. There were more than 35 careers represented, from cosmetologist to radiologist to lawyer. “The career fair was cool and interesting,” said Shelby Rasmussen, sophomore. “It gave me a different perspective on what I want to do for a career.” “The career fair did fairly well,” said Hansen. “I wish that we could have had more representatives for careers. Other than that, I thought it went better than planned.” The success of College and Career Readiness Week depended on participation. Being that this was the first time an entire week was used to prepare students for college, there were a few bumps. After a while, however, the counselors are expecting and hoping that students will take advantage of it. “College and Career Readiness Week really helped me understand the background of careers,” said Rasmussen. “It also helped me get a better plan for college.” “I really appreciate the participation of the teachers,” said Hansen. “It really made a difference that they made it a point to have discussions about college.”
2
Alumni donate money, school chooses to build lockers BY
DUSTIN ALLRED
If anyone were to walk around NS high school, he would be able to see many things that the school is in need of. Many of these needs are costly, and because of the expense the school cannot afford to get these things taken care of. But now because of the North Sanpete Alumni Foundation (NSAF), changes that will better our school may be coming down the pipeline a lot faster than they normally would. The process of creating the NSAF was started by a group of concerned NS residents and alumni who saw a need at the school and wanted to make a difference. “I guess this all got started a few years ago when a few of us were sitting at a football game,” said Jeff Walker, chair of the NSAF. “We could see a lot of different things that the school needed help in, and we thought that as alumni, the best thing that we could do is to start an alumni foundation and start soliciting funds from the alumni that have graduated from NS.” This is the first year that the foundation has been able to actively start soliciting funds for the school. But even in that short amount of time, the foundations impact can already be seen at NS. The football team’s new locker room was funded by the alumni foundation. It’s a great example of how the alumni foundation saw a need and then stepped up to help. “The locker room started as my project,” said Sharon Christensen, athletic director at NS. “Then as we got it going, others hopped on and made it much better than we had originally planned for it.” The NSAF provided the funding for the new locker room and Kyle Anderson oversaw the construction as a part of his Eagle Scout project. “We just felt like the new coach could use some extra help,” said Dennis Slack, vice chair of the alumni foundation. “We felt that if we could get some contributions from some interested people and alumni, we could do something to help his team.” The administration at NS has certainly seen the impact of the alumni foundation, and they appreciate the community
support at the high school. “There was a big push to get things done, and they certainly saw a great need,” said Nan Ault, vice principal at NS. “You had all of these alumni and parents coming together to try to make sure things happened.” Athletics are certainly not the only place that the foundation is looking to help. They have already made donations to the drama and music departments and they want to be able to help in all areas of the school. “We’re not just looking to help with the athletics,” said Slack. “We want help anywhere we can.” “We’re just here to help the students.” The foundation is made up of members from all over NS. Walker feels that their success so far is due largely to the group of people they have helping. “We’ve tried to get a few people from each community to be a part of the foundation so that we are well rounded and
also get people who are interested in all of the different areas of sports and academics.” “Because of the group of people we have, everybody felt that this was something worthwhile.” The foundation set a goal of soliciting fifty-thousand dollars this year to help the school. To reach this goal, the foundation is going to start a mailing campaign to more aggressively seek donations. “We came up with a letter which we will be sending out to alumni,” said Walker. “[In this letter] we listed what our goals and values were in trying to help North Sanpete become the best that they can be.” The foundation members know that this is not the first time that donations have been made to NS, but they feel that their contributions will build on what others have done. “We realize that there have been a lot of individuals who have contributed a lot of money over the years, and we wanted
to make sure that we weren’t stepping on toes,” said Walker. “We’re on board to help and assist in what they’ve been doing over the years and try to add to that.” The foundation hopes that if they can get their message out into the public, and receive some publicity, the alumni foundation can become a steadfast asset to the high school. “If we can just get people to see what we are doing, we feel that this will be very successful and that this will be something that will be ongoing and will be here for years to come,” Now as the foundation tries to improve NS, they are appreciative to everyone who has given them support. They hope that they can make the alumni foundation a permanent fixture that will be beneficial to students at NS. “We appreciate all the support that everyone has given to us up to this point,” said Walker.
These new lockers were purchased using money recieved from the North Sanpete Alumni Foundation.
photo by Dustin Allred
3
Preference dance brings competition BY
MAREN ANDERSEN
This week, six senior boys are vying for the title of “Most Preferred Man.” The week of Preference is always a busy and exciting time for many students. In order to receive more votes, the six boys were each voted on some physical aspects of themselves. So far, they have been voted on best eyes and best “guns.” They will also be voted on best smile and best abs. All the members of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) have been in charge of Preference for a long time. FCCLA used to be called FHA, which stands for Future Homemakers of America. Since women are generally known for being homemakers, the members of FHA decided it was time to switch it up a bit, and have the men do some homemaking for a change. At the beginning of the week, the six boys were required to make cupcakes to sell at lunch during school. The boys will also have to take home a simulation baby from the child development room for the night. On Friday, there will be an assembly during flex. A video will be shown,
and winners for best eyes, best guns, best smile, and best abs will be announced. The six boys will also find out who did the best with the simulation babies they had to take home. The winner for this year’s Most Preferred Man will be revealed at the dance. Preference is usually a successful, and good money-making dance, since many students like to get involved. “We usually get a really good attendance for Preference,” said Auralee Brooks, FCCLA advisor. “It’s the first date dance, it’s girls’ choice, and the girls get really excited to dress up.” FCCLA puts a lot of work and effort into making Preference possible, but many of the members say it’s fun and worth it in the end. “It’s the 2nd biggest dance of the year, and it takes a lot of work,” said Lynsie Clark, FCCLA president, “but once everything’s ready to go, I can just dance and have fun.” The theme for Preference this year is “Alice in Wonderland.” The dance will be on Saturday from 8-11:00 p.m. The cost is $8 for couples, and $5 for singles. Read more stories online at --
www.nstimes.us
I should be voted “Most Preferred Man”
Because....
Caden Birch
Kyle Seely
Kole Christiansen
“I‛m tall, dark, and handsome.”
“I‛m freaking awesome at everything.”
“I‛m really nice.”
Tanner Spaulding
Cameron Sego
Rhett Bird
“I‛m an intergalactic god.”
“I‛m charming and nice and actually talk to other girls.”
“I can play the guitar and sing.”
photos by Elizabeth Peel
School newspaper adds webpage as avenue for distributing news BY TYLER GLAD NS Times, the schools student run newspaper, is now online. There were many reasons that contributed to the creation of this site. “I think accessibility is the most relevant reason,” said Ben Cox, the journalism advisor. Cox talks about journalism students who, while living away from Sanpete, have been looking for ways to read the newspaper that they used to work on. The website is a remedy to this problem, as well as problems that the journalism themselves faced. “[The website] has benefits for the class,” Cox said, “We can actually print
more stories online than we can with the print edition. Every page we put in the paper costs money. Online we can put everything.” Students have shown positive opinions about the online news. Tanner Spaulding, a senior at NS, said, “I think its fancy. Makes me feel sophisticated being in this hoity-toity school who’s newspaper is on the internet.” Student who have heard the news usually express these kinds of responses, although their favorite positive is the ability to access the site anywhere. “It’s sweet,” said Anderson Workman, a freshman at NS, “now I can look it up at home.”
Students who learn about he site are usually impressed, but most of the student body hasn’t received any news about the site. Jacob Chapman, a sophomore at NS, is in charge of the creation of the website. “We use Wordpress to run the site,” Chapman said, “Its an open source publication platform.” This means that Wordpress is a program specially designed to assist in the creation of a fully functional interactive site. Chapman was put in charge of this project by Cox, who chose him because of what he had heard about his skills. “He knows so much more than I do,” Cox siad, “He is self motivated. I just turn
him loose.” Chapman enjoys making the site and works on it during much of his free time. Chapman will be here for the next few years, so Cox is hoping to see the site evolve over time. “I hope that we can get some interactive features such as opinion polls,” said Cox. Although the progress is expected to be slow, it is coming. NS Times going online is a branch of the newspaper, but the journalism staff did consider going completely over to a web based paper. “There was an adverse reaction,” said Cox, “the biggest problem would be losing readers.” Despite the cost, the NS Times will be printing every month.
4
Religious holidays, people taking offense BY
DUSTIN ALLRED
The holiday season is right around the corner. It’s a wonderful time for most people, with cheer abounding. As we near Christmas, everywhere you go, the phrase “Merry Christmas” seems to float through the air as people all around you give and receive that greeting. Or will it? I was channel surfing on my TV the other night and I came across a news story associated with Christmas. I was taken aback when before the story even started, the anchorman prefaced the story by saying that the story contains material related to Christmas, and the station hopes not to offend anyone with the stories content. I couldn’t believe it. I was so shocked that I almost didn’t hear what the actual
story was actually about. What in the world has society come to? Now we can’t even talk about Christmas without having to worry about offending people? It just doesn’t sit right with me. If the press has to worry about offending people by mentioning Christmas, how long is it going to take before normal citizens can’t mention Christmas without the fear of offending. Now are we going to have to worry about being sued by someone for giving them a friendly merry Christmas? What ever happened to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and even freedom of the press? What if a teacher wisher their students a merry Christmas? Is that just going to be a Supreme Court case waiting to hap-
pen? How long is it going to take before Christmas décor is made illegal at schools because it becomes an issue with separation of church and state? Don’t get me wrong, I am in full support the idea that people shouldn’t have to have a religion or an idea thrust upon them, but in a much larger sense, people shouldn’t have what they say restricted because someone else doesn’t agree with what they are saying. Furthermore, even if we put religion aside, Christmas is a national holiday. To a certain extent, there isn’t much difference talking about Christmas and talking about the Fourth of July. It’s crazy to me, worrying about the simple things that may offend. Maybe the answer is to start celebrating every single
holiday to the fullest, religious or not. We could have parties for Columbus Day, Kwanzaa, and even the summer solstice. Let’s start with Hanukah. You bring the minorah and I’ll bring the dreidel.
NS times staff Editor-in-Chief Dustin Allred Managing Editors Tyler Glad Alex Sorensen Layout Specialist Levi Stum Web-Page Design Jacob Chapman News Allyson Christiansen, editor Maren Andersen Tiffany Christensen Deborah Peel Tyler Glad
Features Elizabeth Peel, editor Kaylee Holgreen Alex Sorensen Helen Hatfield A&E Kaytie Nielsen, editor Matt Workman Andrew Fryer Annie Cook Kayla Nielsen Sports Mandy Peckham, editor Austin Hadley Kenzie Nunley Cassi Davis Georgie Ivie
SMILE
Brian
Sorensen
Dentistry
Call (435) 462-2491
Get on the
Fast Trak Stop by Fast Trak Conventience store for gas, goodies, drinks, and a car wash
90 N State St.
(435) 462-3002
6
Voice
of
the
Mighty
Hawks
Teacher changes lives of many students, past and present By Elizabeth Peel When Ed Staker graduated with is degree in biology, he had never considered being a teacher. He thought his teaching certificate might be a good thing to have. Now, as a result of that decision, he is one of the most wellknown teachers at NS. The interest that he has in science was sparked by his interest in the world around him. “I’m just interested in life,” Staker said. “Things that affect life, and that’s science.” Staker’s love for life and science has given him a desire to share that love with others. His favorite thing about teaching at NS is being able to teach students from his own town. He is now able to teach children of his classmates and even children of former students. “My favorite part of teaching is seeing students get their minds opened to things they’d never thought about and to possibilities that they can do in their future,” Staker said. Many examples of student success roam the halls of NS. O’Dee Hansen and Melanie Lee, along with more than a dozen other staff members, are former students of Staker. Lee loved the way that he taught and his enthusiasm for the lessons. Now as a coworker she views him as a good friend. According to Lee, Staker is still very much the same as he was when she was a student at NS. “He hasn’t [changed],” Lee said. “He still wears his bow tie, and he still has his sense of humor.” Current students agree with Lee.
Photo by Elizabeth Peel
Ed Staker teaches his 1A chemistry class how to write and balance chemical equations with his right-handed marker.
“He’s very enthusiastic and tries to make it interesting,” said Taletta Robinett, junior. “He’s a good teacher.” Her favorite part of his class is when he makes random jokes. Madison Clawson, freshman, is in Staker’s biology class. Her favorite part of his class is that he is able to make it interesting even though it should be boring. “He’s funny and uses weird voices, so it’s fun,” Clawson said. Hansen said that much of what makes Staker a good teacher are the expectations that he places on students. “He expects students to study for tests,” Hansen said. Many graduated students have come back to Hansen and told him that the chemistry class that they took in high school from Staker was harder than their college-level chemistry class. Hansen said Staker’s love for
the subject and for teaching made him interesting as a teacher. “Since he loved it, it made it easier for me to be interested,” Hansen said. Now Hansen believes that Staker is a great example to the other teachers of what a good educator looks like. He believes that Staker has a lot of wisdom about education and offers a good perspective to the rest of the teachers at NS. According to Staker, his success as a teacher has come from his many years of experience. He has been able to learn the tricks of what does and what doesn’t work to help students learn and succeed. Though Staker has seen his share of success, he also realizes that teaching is not all wonderful and easy. He believes that there are two major negatives that come with teaching.
its construction. He was the assistant basketball coach for five years, and helped with football for a short time. His heavy involvement is a carry over from his childhood. In high school Staker participated in football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. He had the lead role in the musical “Brigadoon” which set a precedent for future musicals. As a senior he was an SBO, a graduation speaker. and the recipient of an S-award At Snow College, Staker played with the tennis team and was the sophomore vice president. Staker’s love for biology has carried over into his personal life. He grows nine different types of berries and six varieties of grapes, some of which his students are able to enjoy during class when they are in season. He estimates that he grows about thirty different varieties of apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries. “I like to grow things,” Staker said. “So if I think it has a chance of growing here, I try to grow it.” He enjoys experimenting with exotic fruits such as Japanese SEE “STAKER ” PAGE 7
He does not like “seeing kids with great potential sit there and do nothing.” “The other thing I hate is all the political and administrative nonsense that keeps creeping into teaching,” Staker said. Aside from being a teacher at NS, Staker is the junior class advisor, is in charge of the homecoming parade, is the science department chair, and has been the MC for many assemblies. Staker was the head baseball coach for many years. In fact, the baseball field here at NS was named Photo provided by Ed Staker after Staker be- Photo taken by Staker in Yellowstone. One cause he was of Staker’s hobbies is photographing wildlife, specifically bears. instrumental in
7
TOMS are changing the world one pair of shoes at a time
Picture taken from austinpost.com
Picture by Helen Hatfield
NS students and people all around the world support the cause that TOMS has created.
Staker, continued from page 6 plums and Asian pears. Staker not only reaches for the unknown with his garden, but also with his photography. Each summer he travels to Yellowstone to get his “bear fix.” On the walls of his classroom he has dozens of pictures of wildlife that he has taken on these trips. Staker has had multiple close encounters with bears over the years. Once, while walking at night he was charged by a bear. On another occasion, he saw a grizzly bear charge a group of people near him, because it wanted to cross the road where they were standing. As soon as they moved out of the way, the bear walked across the road where they had been.
This summer he was at the Power Plant above Mt. Pleasant and found himself about ten yards away from a bear. “We just stared at each other,” Staker said. “It didn’t move and I didn’t move. So finally I slowly backed away, my doggie and I, and as soon as I started to move it started to move.” Staker ended up running into the same bear four other times over the course of the day. Staker lives in Mt. Pleasant with his wife, two daughters, and their dog, which also happens to be a girl. He is surrounded by women. “We are very happy,” Staker said.
“We spend a lot of time together as a family, and we all like it that way.” Staker and his family enjoy living in Sanpete and having a country life. They enjoy spending time participating in outdoor activities. “I love it here and I love the mountains,” Staker said, speaking of living in Mt. Pleasant. “I’m sure I could adapt to living in the city, but I’d much rather live in the country where there is room to wiggle.” Although the life he currently has is one that he never planned on, Staker says that he has no regrets. Given the opportunity, he would not change any of the decisions that he made in the past. He is pleased with the life that he has lead.
“There has always been a tradition of hunting in my family”
The Deer Hunt
“Hunting has given me an appreciation for the outdoors”
Senior Aaron Lee won The Big Buck Contest, sponsored by the NS times, by sending in a picture of a deer he shot. It was a 4-point with a 26-inch spread that he killed on October 23.
r o f k o “I lo
e t i o t ward
” r a e y very
Deer hunt brings excitement, memories to many students By Alex Sorensen
“I like to sho
ot stuff”
Photos provided by Alex Sorensen
In the fall, many significant things happen. The air turns cold and brisk, the leaves become a colorful mosaic along the mountainside, and one of the most important events for Sanpeters occurs-- the deer hunt. Those three words alone are enough to spark excitement across Sanpete County, and send camo-clad hunters rushing into the mountains in pursuit of a big buck. Obtaining a prize is not the solitary characteristic of what the essence of the deer hunt is all about though. Instead, it is a blend of many separate aspects of it that come together to form the hunt that we all know. The location is one of the many important elements of the hunt. Most hunters agree that being out in nature is one of their favorite things about hunting. “It’s fun to get out and be in the mountains,” said Brookelyn Allan, a senior at NS. Being in the mountains is not the only thing that makes hunting fun, but the company that the hunter spends time with as well. Many NS students often go hunting with their family, and occasionally their friends. “I love being with my family,” said Aaron Lee, another senior at NS. “I go hunting with them more than I do with my friends on the deer hunt.” Participating in the deer hunt as a family every fall is a
tradition for most. For some, it has long been a part of their lives. “There has always been a tradition of hunting in my family,” Allan said. “I’ve been going with my dad since I was little.” A tradition of hunting together as a family allows for valuable time to be spent together, which in turn builds strong family relationships. It also allows for life lessons to be taught that might not be gained elsewhere. “Hunting has given me an appreciation for the outdoors and I get to know my family better,” said Lee. Deer hunting also allows for many memories to be made. The memory of killing the first deer, for example, is one that will always be remembered by the hunter. Lee was hunting with his dad and brother in Idaho when he shot his first deer. He and his dad were on a ridge, with his brother sitting on the other side of the bowl they were watching, and waited for a deer. “Just as the sun was setting, my dad spotted a buck that looked pretty big,” Lee said. Both shot at the deer, with Lee missing the first time and his dad hitting it. This hardly phased the deer, however. “It was still going as if nothing had happened, so I shot it the second time and dropped the deer right there,” Lee said. “It turned out to be a 24 inch
four point.” Stories such as Lee’s are as special and unique as each of the hunters. Participating in the deer hunt gives them a sense of freedom and individuality as they create their own memories, develop their own hunting techniques, and begin to find out just what it is they like about hunting. For those like Lee, who has killed a total of six deer, seeing a big buck and getting it is one of the best parts of the hunt for them. “My favorite part is just getting out and tracking the deer, and then having that feeling of being superior when you get one,” said Kyle Hatch, a junior at NS. For others, it is simply a matter of just being able to use a firearm. “I like to shoot stuff,” said Jake Bailey, a junior at NS. No matter what aspect of the deer hunt is their favorite, every hunter has been influenced by it. For some it is just a seemingly small thing, like being in the mountains close to nature. For others, it has become a very defining characteristic of their lives. “It’s become a big part of my life,” said Brendon Anderson, a junior at NS. “I look forward to it every year.” The deer hunt eventually ends, just as all things do. The memories made, lessons learned, and impact it has on the hunters, however, live on forever.
10
NS girls basketball will rely on experience with new region
photo by Dustin Allred
Alex Sorensen dribbles around a screen at a girls’ basketball practice. She is one of four seniors that are returning to the team this season. Their first game is on Nov. 22 against the Union Cougars. BY
AUSTIN HADLEY
Winter is on the way again and that means its time for another season of Ladyhawks basketball. This season will be the first basketball season in the new region 12 and the second season under coach Tyler Schlappi.The Ladyhawks prepared for the
season by attending two team camps in two weeks through the summer. Despite missing some of their older players the ladyhawks won two of their four games at Utah Valley University, and three of their five games a Weber State the next weekend. The Ladyhawks have three returning
starters with seniors Alex Sorensen, Paige Francks, and sophomore Taylor Gordon. The Lady Hawks will also have two returning seniors in addition to Sorensen and Francks, Shelby Jorgensen and Candace Odom after losing five seniors from last season. Coach Schlappi believes that this returning experience will pay off this year. “I expect us to be successful and to compete,” said Schlappi, who wants to set his expectations higher this season after finishing 5-15 last year and placing fifth in region 12. The Ladyhawks averaged 39 points per game, but gave up 52 points per game on average. The players are optimistic as well. “Were not the most experienced team in the state, but we work hard and have some talent.” Said Sorensen. “When we get it put together as a team I think we’ll do really well.” Said Jorgensen During the offseason the region changed. The Ladyhawks are still in region 12, but some of the schools in the region left but others joined. Those that left the region include Manti, Richfield, and last years 3A girls basketball champs, Emery.
Spanish Fork, Payson, and Carbon joined the region. Carbon was member of the old region 8 with North Sanpete, and the teams have played each other ever since. Carbon also took third in the state tournament last year. North Sanpete played Carbon at a camp this summer and lost by one in a very close game. Spanish Fork has also played North Sanpete in the past. “The new region will be tough but nothing we can’t handle.” Said Jorgensen Another change starting this basketball season is same site same night. This is when both the girls and boys basketball teams will play their region games against the same team, at the same school, and on the same night. The girls JV and the boys freshman sophomore games at 3:30, the boys JV and the girls Varsity is at 5:15, followed by the boys varsity and the girls freshman sophomore at 7:00. The region games will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays. This will only by for region games. The Ladyhawks open the season with a home game against the Union Cougars who finished 14-7 last year, on November 22. Region play for the hawks starts January 10 at home against Delta who finished 19-3 last year.
NS spiriteers face many challenges with the new region and young members BY
KENZIE NUNLEY
Every year can be hectic with people joining drill team, but also with the seniors leaving. . Freshmen make up most of the team, and with thirteen freshmen in a 29-member squad it can be a little overwhelming for them to learn and pick up technique “I think it can be a little overwhelming for the freshman, because of the dedication it takes,” said Coach Alisa Cheney, “It’s a true test.” To be a part of the NS drill
team, you have to maintain a 2.0 GPA and no F’s. You also have to have dance experience. The Spiriteers practice every morning at 6 a.m. and put in fifteen hours of practice a week. They practice their technique and also critique the dances they have learned so far. “The team this year is very determined and are willing to learn anything I throw at them,” said Cheney, “if we keep working hard we’ll be ready for region.” Region this year will be held at Juab High School, on January
25. “Trying to get us to dance as one can be tough because there are so many of us,” said senior Mykelin Christensen, “but if we work hard we will be ready for region.” Each year region is always a little different, depending on the competition, new coaches, and how many seniors left the year before. The drill team this year will dance in the new region, against bigger schools, some of the same ones as last year are included. SEE “DRILL TEAM” PAGE 11
photo by Alisa Cheney
Drill team members preforming the dance they learned at Stadium of Fire, for a home football game. The spiriteers will be dancing at the first boys’ basketball game on Nov. 23.
11
Boys basketball hopes to have another winning season
photo by Dustin Allred
Jake Orton pulls up for a shot during a boy’s basketball practice. The NS boys’ basketball team prepares for the new season. They are under the direction of the new head coach Cris Hoopes. BY
MANDY PECKHAM
The basketball team for 2011 has a lot to live up to. Last year for the 2010 season, the boys took region for the first time in 27 years. That would seem like a lot of pressure to put on the team this year and on the new head
coach, but they are confident they will do just as well. “I think we will do just as good or even better,” said senior Kyle Seely. New head coach Chris Hoopes agrees with Seely. “We have an extreme amount of potential to do well,” said Hoopes. “It will all depend on how players interact with each other and to coaching. We’re extremely excited and want to be region champs again.” Not only does the team have the pressure of last years’ success on their shoulders, they also have a tough new region to deal with. According to Seely, Spanish Fork High and Payson High will be tough teams. “I think it will be a challenge but there isn’t a team we can’t beat,” said Seely. Senior Caden Birch agrees with Seely but adds experience into the equation. “We had a lot of good experience last year,” said Birch. “I think we can ride some of that momentum and have another successful year, even with the tougher teams in our region this year.” Other than the new challenging region, more changes have been made to the team this year, a new head coach. Hoopes assumed the head coach position, and the boys
DRILL TEAM, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 Spiriteers haven’t been to any competitions to see what the other schools have to offer. So they are preparing for region by having practice every morning, and two double days a week. They sometimes have practice on Saturdays, when experienced dance instructors will come watch and help critique their dances. “I haven’t seen any of the other school’s dance this year, so everything is still unexpected of who has a strong team and who will win,” said Cheney. This year the team is doing a character routine for region instead of a kick routine like they did last year, which is one of three of the required dances for region. The other two are military and dance. “I feel like we can do really well on all of our dances this year because we are really buckling down and focusing on critiquing them,” said senior Aubrey Blackham “I don’t want any of my girls going into competition expecting to lose and not to give it 110%. We all go with a good attitude determined to have fun, no matter the outcome,” said Cheney. Allstate this year was held at Juab
High School on November 1st. It is a competition. Three girls from each school get to compete in for a chance to be on the allstate team. Cali Anderson, Nicole Fredrickson, and Jadie Langford competed in it. “No one from North Sanpete has been chosen for a long time,” said junior Cali Anderson, “but it’s worth a shot.” “ I attended last year,” said Christensen, “It wasn’t my thing, you have to be a fast learner and you have to be able to be put on the spot.” To take part in allstate you had to have good grades, and lots of dance experience. Usually coaches will pick three girls that are going to compete. When you attend the auditions for allstate you learn a 45-second dance, that’s about 10-15 counts of eight. After you learn the dance you then perform it with 3 other girls from different schools. “You work very hard at the auditions and it defiantly shows how good of a dancer you are,” said sophomore Jadie Langford, “ its talent, hard work, dedication, and most off all confidence.”
are confident in his guidance. “I think he’ll do great as the new coach,” said Birch. “He knows what he’s talking about and he has gotten a lot of experience playing. Hoopes has an idea that he wants to start with the team. “I want it to be a tradition to be in the state tournament every year,” said Hoopes. “We should be one of those teams that everyone is scared to play.” The big changes this year have not dampened the teams’ spirit. To compete with lasts years’ success, they team feels like they have some strengths that will help lead them to do just as well. “We’ve got players for every position,” said Birch. “Senior wise, we are pretty deep and experienced. We’ve also got some good subs that can back up the starters. “We have size and strength,” said Hoopes. “We also have a lot of experienced players returning from last year. With the season opener approaching fast, we will soon find out if the NS boys’ basketball team will meet with everyone’s high expectations. The team’s first game will be against Gunnison on Nov. 23 at home.
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NS wrestling team prepares for challenges, changes in upcoming season BY
CASSI DAVIS
The NS wrestling team is facing some new challenges this year, for example, their weight division has gone up, now instead of it being 112 it is now 113 and 103 has moved up to 106. Another change this year is the new region. NS will be facing new teams and different competition. “The region this year will be tough,” coach Tanner Cowan said. “They brought Payson and Spanish Fork into our region which will be difficult, but we will do our best and battle.” Senior Clancy Johnson said, “This year with the new region we definitely will be challenged but we will rise to the challenge.” Johnson is very excited for this year and says that this year should be a good year for him. As for the new weight division Johnson says it should be easier to make weight. Unfortunately, it’s going to be more difficult for the smaller boys on the team to make the weight. Instead of focusing more on losing weight they’ll have to work harder to gain the weight necessary for their division. Coach Cowan explained that they bumped up the
weight division for health reasons. It was unhealthy how much weight the players had to lose in order to make it into their right weight division. “Mostly it will benefit us because here at North Sanpete we have a lot of bigger boys so it’ll be easier for them to make weight,” Cowan said. Coach Cowan thinks that this year, the team’s biggest rival will be Juab. “We are just as good as Juab, we beat them last year and I’m sure if we stay focused we can beat them this year also,” said Cowan, “They only thing we really need to work on this year is staying mentally tough and learning the new system. We also need to work on extending our matches.” Based on last year’s success Cowan is planning on working harder at getting his players to finish the matches. He explains that they do tough at the beginning of their matches but towards the end they start losing it. So his strategy this year is to focus more one finishing the whole match. This year NS wrestling is looking forward to facing the new region and weight division and will not let anything stand in their way of victory.
photo by Kenzie Nunley
NS wrestling coach Tanner Cowan instruct two of his wrestlers in a recent practice. The wrestling team is looking forward to facing the new challenges that come with the new region. Their first match will be on Dec. 2
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Music students perform better than others in studies and at NS By Kaytie Nielson Music has an enormous influence on those who listen to it. The sudden changes in rhythm, notes, and words can affect how we feel and ponder things. We know the great effects that listening to music can have on us, but have we ever realized how actually being the musician or vocalist can affect what goes on in our minds? Scientists from The Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California, have done studies on music and the brain. They have taken research on music that make up three broad areas; the relationship of music and language; musical rhythm and the construction of perception; and temporal dynamics of brain activity during auditory perception. These tell about how each different part of music can affect the function of the brain. Other scientists have uncovered the first real evidence that
playing music can considerably enhance the brain and sharpen hearing for all kinds of sounds, including speech. Tim Kidder, music director at NS, talks of the Mozart effect. “Music forces us to use parts of the brain that help us to perform better,” said Kidder. According to the neuroscientists, experience with music appears to help with many other things in life, eventually coming to activities like hearing different tones in people’s voices. They believe music triggers activity in the cerebral cortex, where higher brain functions such as reasoning, thought and language are put. The brainstem is thought to be unchangeable and not involved in the complex processes linked with music. This shows us how malleable to experience the brainstem actually is. They think music engages higher level functions in the cortex that actually tune the brainstem.
But there is a lot of information that still needs investigation. We still have many questions that need answering about this accusation. Looking at overall GPA/ ACT scores for Band (consisting of Concert, Jazz, and Percussion) and Choir, versus the scores for the senior class, those involved in music have scored noticeably higher. Band has an average ACT of 21.3, and Choir 21.4, three points higher than the average senior score of 18.4. GPA also has a noticeable margin of difference. Students in band have an average 3.29, choir is at 3.24, while the senior class average is only 2.91. Edward Staker, a science teacher at NS, believes that music can and does make you smarter. He believes it helps with memorization. In his Chemistry class he uses music to help his students memorize information they need to pass the class. He says it is very effective.
Staker believes that there is a definite connection between music and the brain. Kidder also says that it practices focusing and that it gives us relaxation and personal benefits, which can change depending on the genre. When Kidder is sad, he will listen to sad or angry music and it makes him feel better. It all depends on what type you listen to. “More complicated music challenges us mentally and leads to greater cognitive growth and expansion,” said Kidder. This growth and expansion allows for the musician to progress to more complicated music, starting the circle over, and over, etc. “Music also teaches perseverance, if at first you don’t succeed, you’re probably a musician,” said Kidder. Kidder also states that very sequential rhythm, notes, tone, and higher levels of music develop well-rounded people. A qual-
ity like understanding math can be enhanced through music. Cheryl Hadley, a math teacher at NS, believes that the most well-rounded kids in our school are some of the top students. She recognizes that when you gain study habits, like practicing, you are less stressed and can balance your time, which can have a big effect on grades. O’Dee Hansen, a counselor at NS, has similar feelings to Hadley’s. He believes that if you are involved in more than just school, such as extra-ciricular activities, that students have more expectancy that allows study habits and forces you to be organized. Hansen feels that being involved stimulates the mind, and helps individuals focus. His two boys are in piano. He says that it has improved their grades, especially reading, and effected their desire to learn.
Choir limits number of students, prepares for Christmas concert By Kayla Nielson Choir has undergone a lot of changes this year. Choir teacher Carissa Hilton has decided to limit the number of students who could sing in her competition choir. She’s decided to limit because it’s harder to work with big groups like in the past so it drained her energy. It was especially difficult since she’s going to school too. “It was kind of hard, but I limited choir by keeping the students that were serious,” Hilton said. “They also had to be motivated and committed to choir.” She hopes to gain more unity with
in her group by making the changes that she did. “My students get pulled in too many directions,” said Hilton. She expects them to be focused on main things that will help them grow as singers. It’s difficult for high school students to be so committed sometimes because of all the other extra- curricular activities. Hilton thinks her students are well prepared for the first concert of the year. “My competition choir is in a great spot and they have a lot of potential to be a great group,” said Hilton. “We practice every A day when we
have her class for the whole hour and a half, then on top of that we practice during flex on A days, and for two to three hours the night before the concert,” said Taylor Purcell. The audience can expect a good preview for what they’re doing as a music department, and what they should look forward to at their Christmas concert. Choir will be performing on November 17th at the high school in the auditorium at 6:00 p.m. They will be singing five songs, which include: Jabberwocky, We Remember, and The Star Spangled Banner. They also selected these songs to add to the Veteran’s Day program on the 11th.
Photo provided by Amanda Johansen
NS students practicing for their All-State Choir performance.
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‘Fiddler’ provides laughs, reflection in NS musical By Annie Cook This year, the NS drama department performed the classic musical ‘The Fiddler on the Roof ’. The performance was directed by Tanya Roundy, and dances were choreographed by Emilee Clements, sophomore. The story takes place in the small Photo by Annie Cook Russian town of An- Senior Tanner Spaulding (right) performs as Tevye in the atevka where Tevye, classic musical, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’. father of five daughgrowing out a full beard, and has not cut his ters, tries to keep Jewish tradition alive hair for the part. He said the only effect it while the world is rapidly changing before has had on his life is that “girls don’t love me his eyes. While the music, dancing, and hu- anymore.” mor keep the play mostly lighthearted, it In preparation for the part, Spaulding will “make the audience think, and hopeful- has done many things. “I learned to use my ly, reflect on their own lives,” Roundy said. body language, and speak in a deep, fatherly The roles were well cast, placing the voice,” said Spaulding. “Also, I traveled to most experienced actors as leads, and the the peak of Mt. Everest. There, I sung. And less experienced as supporting roles. when the sound reverberated, I knew I was Long before he even saw the play, Mat- to be Tevye.” thew Workman said he knew Colton Purcell He is most excited for closing night bewould do a great job. “In the plays I’ve seen cause he thinks the cast usually does their him in, he has always been extremely active best the last time they perform, and he enand committed.” Purcell played the part of joys all the handshakes and compliments the Rabbi, and though it was a smaller part, afterward. did not fail to impress. Aside from the excellent acting and I had three favorite characters. Golde, singing, the sets very accurately portrayed played by Alinnea Barker, senior, was per- Anatevka without having to be extravagant. fectly cast and performed. Her immersion The Star of David, a symbol of the Jewish in the character, obvious knowledge of the religion, was displayed on the curtain before script, and amazing singing voice made her and after the show, as well as on the pocket become Golde. of one of the dresses. This sent a message Yente, played by Jessica Lee, senior, to the audience of the commitment of the added so much humor to the play. She re- faithful Jews of Anatevka to their religion ally knew how to grab the audience’s atten- and tradition. tion and make them laugh. Also, her accent The costumes were realistic for the made her stand out. time and lifestyle of the people. The makeAnd of course, Tevye, played by Tan- up added realism to the play. ner Spaulding, senior, was the best actor of Spaulding said the freshmen and other the night. He sang in almost every number, new actors are catching on very well. “And mostly solo, and fully understood the char- us seniors, because of our great directors, acter he was playing. are continuing to progress up and away into For several months, Spaulding has been the wild blue yonder.”
By Andrew Fryer
SKYLINE PHARMACY Come in for gifts gifts, books books, and LDS products Overall, I liked this play very much, and many people say it’s the best that they have seen. Roundy says she hopes the audience recognizes all the hard work that has gone into putting on this production because the students have
progressed amazingly and beyond expectation. “They all work so well together and you can see their personalities and confidence coming out when they perform.” said Roundy.
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Thanksgiving Crossword By Mandy Peckham and Helen Hatfield
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Halls
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-- If this was a fair fight and/or I was wearing a cup, you would have no chance at all!
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Heard
-- Golf is the most fun you can have without taking your clothes off.
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-- No, I donʼt like this! It hurts my armpits! -- Does anybody know why there is a taffy on his butt seat?
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-- Atta boy! Oh, youʼre a girl!?
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-- Iʼm illiterate and I read Chinese. 31
-- It was the butt that was trying to get close to your head! 32
-- If I was wearing her pants…well it would be tight.
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Across The sound that turkeys, and some 4th graders make The cause of Moroni's reputation Indian that taught white people how to fish and grow corn Squirrels favorite snack Homemade, carved out of trees by Indians, ridden in Commonly used, ceramic or glass receptacle "Sewing" the ground Adjective describing an awesome taste Indian word for corn Giant boat on which the pilgrims traveled Irregularly shaped weaved basket Crusty Dessert made from common fruits grown on trees (2 Words) Delicious holiday in November Involved in the first Thanksgiving (white) Spruced up apple juice Small folded piece of soft paper, usually white Canned maroon gelatin (2 Words) List of ingredients
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Down Thick egg concoction (2 Words) Takes place in NY involving mini floats and big Balloons (3 Words) Mixture of veggies and moist bread White, nippy substance that sometimes falls in November Tall cups with large mouths Invention that we use to cook certain foods Season after summer People related to you First town in the New World 11th month in Spanish Word that means "Party" Pads, Jerseys, Sweaty Individuals Tan dessert (2 Words) Feeling of Thankfulness Decorative item placed on the middle of the table A warm, fuzzy item of clothing one wears on the torso Involved in the first Thanksgiving (tan) Country in which we reside
-- I like to call up American cowboys and love ʻem up a little. (said in a British Accent) -- Could Halloween ever be on Friday the 13th? -- Iʼm caucasianally awesome. The FCCLA is excited to announce the theme for this year’s Preference Dance as:
Wonderland To be held on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. in the NSH Commons
Single $5.00 & Couple $8.00
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Must add any qualifying CentraCom High Speed Internet Service and phone service (where available) with Expanded Basic or Digital Advantage Cable TV package to get Cable TV service Free for the first six months. Requires 24 month service contract on approved credit. After promotion period, customer must maintain all services, without modification, for remainder of 24-month contract at then current prices. New customers will also receive free installation, OAC. Not available in all areas, at least not yet. Offer good until 1/31/2012. Call for details.