THE GEYSER
December 21, 2018
Volume 103 Issue 2
Happy Holidays! From: The To:
Geyser Staff
you
Park High School
2 What’s Inside
Pg. 3
What’s up with Fortnite
Pg. 6-7
Morning traffic woes
December 21, 2018
Pg. 4
Pg. 5
Pg. 11
Holiday traditions and hot gifts
Entertainment year in review
Wrestling
Pg. 10
Pg. 11
Final exams
A la carte issues
Girls Basketball
Pg. 8
Happy Hour at Mustang
Tuesday through Friday 5-9pm 1/2 off appetizers (oysters not included)
New winter dinner menu
Check out our website at www.mustangfreshfood.com
page 3 Opinion
December 21, 2018
The genius of Fortnite hooks players of all ages
IN MY OPINION LUKAS RIDGEWAY A video game called Fortnite has become increasingly popular over the last year. The game, which is free, was released in July of 2017, and has become one of the most widely played games for all ages. The game’s appealing cartoonish graphics and intense gameplay has attracted people of all ages, especially for younger kids.
The concept of the game is simple. You start the game with 100 other players. Shortly, the players are loaded up on a bus, and dropped off onto an island loaded with weapons. The objective of the game is to kill the other players on the island and be the last one standing. As the match rages on, a deadly storm engulfs the island, and forces the players to a smaller play area, which is used so the players are rounded up closer to each other when enough of the population has been taken out. Personally, I think that the idea of Fortnite is genius. The matches, usually lasting up to 1520 minutes makes it easy for the player to play again and again, without the stress of having to dedicate large amounts of time in the game. Usually, the person
playing will die, due to the fact that they have to survive against 100 others, but every once in a while, they may win a game. When that player wins, they feel the adrenaline in their bodies, and a sense of relief, which becomes addicting. Fortnite has young kids playing hooked. Although the game could arguably be one of the best ever created by hooking in its players, it makes me sad realizing that a lot of young kids are stuck inside addicted to a video game. I have special love and hate for Fortnite. Since the game is free, I think that it helps a lot of people who don’t have as much money to be able to play something. But, I also believe that the game is like a drug. A lot of kids these days would rather stay inside playing Fortnite, instead of doing some kind of activity.
Play station controller that many Fortnite players use to battle each other in the multi-player game.
When is the best time to listen to Christmas music? All I want for Christmas is... for othto like Christmas music as much as me Due to my love for Christmas music, this is an easy topic to discuss. I’ve never really been a fan of waiting until December 1st to listen to the songs. My absolute favorite songs would have to be “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber, “Last Christmas” by Taylor Swift, and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. Christmas songs are a reminder of family, happiness and giving. Also, I think it gives a welcoming facers
tor and reassurance that the weather is okay to change. Right around the time that the weather starts to change I feel like everyone goes to the thought that the next best holiday to come is Christmas. Snowflakes, snowmen, fireplaces, and even frostbite have all been put into songs that are very popular to listen to and enjoy. With having to drive on the roads, why not try to cheer yourself up by listening to the holiday classics that make everything better since you know all the famous lyrics. I also think part of being into Christmas songs is having the Christmas spirit. Since corporations take advantage of the holiday, they have Black Friday or other sale days that don’t even start in December. This grows a lot of opinions on when gifts should be bought and if they are just deciding to sell just too early. Because corporations have turned the holidays into a shopping event, people grow a strong dislike towards the traditional themes including the songs. My brother is opposed to the thought of listening to the music. When asked, he claims that
The album cover to Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas” album.
“more people are annoyed with it constantly being on the radio and it gets old super-fast”. From his statement, he gives a lot of points as of why people are biased towards the songs. When I was younger, my favorite part of Christmas was seeing what Santa Claus brought me for gifts. The sound of music playing in the background, knowing that its portraying the IN MY OPINION thought of Santa Claus BRYLEA BEYE coming to town bases a lot of emotions of why Christmas music is beneficial in the growing up stage. Overall, Christmas will forever be my favorite holiday and knowing that Christmas music is part of it.
4 Holidays
December 21, 2018
Holiday traditions and festive visions ANGEL SHERDAHL LEINEE SMITH Geyser staff writer
photo by Megan Sarrazin
Every family has their own holiday traditions, whether it is spending time with family or always going on a trip for Christmas. A couple students do not have a tradition except they switch which parents they are with for the holidays. Ryleah Floyd drives around drinking hot chocolate and looking at Christmas lights. Officer Williams usually has to work on Christmas, so it’s a good year when he doesn’t have to work. Ten-
nent celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah. She celebrates Christmas because her family is Christian, and she celebrates Hanukkah for her son since he celebrates it with his dad’s family. Food is a big part of the holiday season. Every family has that one food that they eat every year on either Christmas or Christmas Eve. Of course, most people eat ham, ribs, or even both with mashed potatoes and gravy, but there are many other people that eat food from a different country. Ryleah Floyd eats lefse because it’s a family tradition. Kate Reid makes Christmas cookies on Christmas eve every year. Ag-
riculture teacher Shane Stender said he eats whatever sounds good that night, whether it’s pizza or tacos. World language teacher, Miya Tennant makes Latke for her son, which is a fried potato cake. Almost everyone exchanges gifts on Christmas morning in the US, and some children are allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve, which are usually pajamas. We have a foreign exchange student from Germany, Kristina Berners, that celebrates Christmas different from us. She puts up her Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, and they open gifts the same day too. Josh Roth has a tradition of watching “The Christmas Story”.
Guidance Counselor Ardis Steinmetz reads “The Night before Christmas” every Christmas Eve. Christmas is many people’s favorite holiday. They get to spend time with their family that they may not get to see very often, they open presents, eat good food, and do their Christmas traditions. Most people love spending time with their family and think that it is the most important part of Christmas. “I feel connected with my grandparents when I make the holiday foods” said Steinmetz. Other people like opening their presents and eating their Christmas food.
Adam Matthias wants cash
Adrianna Castro wants a phone
Denie Hampson wants a laptop
Bray Holmes wants make up
Ryan Marchant wants a watch
Wyatt Saile wants airpods
Shania Johnson wants a car
Jamison Geyer wants a comic book
Asher Petrulis wants skiis
What do you want for x-mas?
MADDIE COON Geyser staff writer
This time of year, it seems the biggest topic of discussion is what everyone is hoping to open on Christmas day. With many companies releasing new products just in time for the holidays, there are many new toys and tech products teens are desiring. But what exactly do students at Park High want for Christmas? After taking a poll of a variety of 40 PHS students, it was obvious that teens are most into the latest and greatest in the tech world. With Apple releasing their new products in September, such as the iPhone XS, iPad, Mac Book and Apple Watch, everyone wants to be up to date. When asking a senior why they are interested in new tech products, like a Mac Book, she said she want it so she can take it to college with them, but also finish out high school with it. Others that told me that they wanted the new iPhone XS said they were hoping to get it because they were due for an upgrade, or simply were wanting to have the latest and greatest. Another popular item that girls were interested in was makeup. Much like other companies, many makeup brands drop new products for the holiday, a
lot of which are holiday themed. These are very popular, and often sell out on black Friday. The Too Faced Under the Christmas Tree palette was amongst the popular makeup items, selling out in a lot of stores nationwide. One PHS student told me she was interested in products like these because it is something you can only get for a limited time. By far, the most popular item that students of all ages wanted was money or gift cards to various places. The reason behind this was because many people are picky about what they want. By getting money, they can get exactly what they want, and avoid the awkwardness of returning a gift from a family member. Even though Christmas isn’t all about the gifts, PHS students are very excided to know what they will be opening on the morning of December 25. 9 most desired gifts according to poll Money iPhone XS Mac Book Makeup Apple Watch Apple Air Pods Car Books Sporting goods
photos by Maddie Coon
December 21, 2018
Page 3 Entertainment
This was it, Chief: 2k18 hype A look back on the year
Can
BY BUDDY MURPHY, MEGAN SARRAZIN, AND LILY DE YOUNG Geyser Staff Writers course, Kayne West made it viral this year
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2018 was full of headlines, blockbusters, buzzer beaters, fire albums and everything from A to Z. Good and bad, happy and sad, expected and shocking, it really has been one heck of a rollercoaster. We kicked off the year with the winter Olympics and are ending it without a Star Wars movie. From “Avengers Infinity War” to Plaid Shirt guy, this year has been packed full of viral happenings. According to Ranker.com “Avengers: Infinity War” is the most viral thing of this year and the least is Beyoncé getting bit at a New Year’s Eve party. To say the least this year has been crazy. At the beginning of the year everyone was talking about the Winter Olympics and the royal wedding. And who doesn’t remember the child immigrants being separated from their parents, fiasco involving President Trump. There were however some viral things this you may have forgot happened this year, like Net Neutrality, “Laurel or Yanny?”, the creepy Alexa laugh, Melania Trump’s Jacket, or even Taylor Swift’s speaking about politics in tweets. And of
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by releasing two albums and doing a proTrump speech on “Saturday Night Live”. Additionally, the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry occurred in May of this year as well as the called off marriage of Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande. Other events were the march for our lives movement following multiple shootings throughout the country and Elon Musk launching one of his Tesla cars into space Lights, camera, fashion! This past year brought on a bunch of new trends such as waist and shoulder bags and the recurring trend of hype beast clothing brands such as Supreme, Bape, and Anti Social Social Club. Pastels and bold prints also made a reappearance in the spring with pinks and sea foams as well as checkerboard and camouflage. Towards the fall, flannels and buffalo checks were popular as were more powerful statement colors such as oranges and hot pinks were in. This was one heck of a year from weddings to space cars and we should expect nothing less for 2019. Happy New Year Rangers!
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is br ead This year’s crazy movies f o O e m @ t ’ n o D
BY BUDDY MURPHY Geyser Staff Writer
2018 was a fantastic year for the movie theater. Besides January, every month this year made at least $117 dollars with its highest grossing movie. The very least made by a month’s top grossing movie was $67.3 Million in January, with the latest installment of the Insidious series. The most made came in the next month with $700 Million made by Marvel’s Black Panther. 2018 left many Marvel fans with a full stomach with a heaping of movies, two of which were
VERY filling. Infinity war and Black Panther were more than just your classic cinema pieces. They were crucial pieces to an extensively followed Avengers series. Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good. This year also brought some major nostalgia to the theater as well. With the much anticipated sequel to the Incredibles and Tyler, The Creators twist on The Grinch, more young adults flocked the theaters than young children.
Our top 10 albums of 2018 BY BUDDY MURPHY AND LILY DE YOUNG Geyser Staff Writer
Od
All I want for Christmas is music reviews! With the year coming to an end it is time to reflect on the hits of 2018. Without further ado, here are Buddy and Lily’s top ten albums of 2018 (in no particular order): LILY’S FAVORITE FIVE ALBUMS 1) ‘Pray for the Wicked’ by Panic! at the Disco. With tons of top 10 songs including “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”, “Hey Look Ma I Made It”, and “High Hopes” this may be their most successful album yet. 2) “beerbongs & bentleys” by Post Malone will make you feel like a Rockstar with countless star-studded collabs such as Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage,Ty Dolla $ign, and G-Eazy.After the success of his 2016 album Stoney and this year’s b&b, it looks like the 23-year-old can only go up from here. 3) Car Seat Headrest changed the game with their re-released version of 2011’s album Twin Fantasy (Mirror-To-Mirror) as Twin Fantasy (Face-To-Face) this year with all new re-recorded everything reimaging lead singer Will Toledo’s 18-year-old recordings with fresh vocals and crisp guitar and drums. 4)‘Golden Hour’ by Kacey Musgraves perfectly encapsulates the long lonely summer months in a way that makes you feel like dancing and stargazing at the same time. 5) Waterparks made waves with their second studio album ‘Entertainment’ that brings the late ‘90’s pop punk scene back to life in a new polished way. BUDDY’S FAVORITE 5 ALBUMS 1) ONEPOINTFIVE by Amine This album has a little bit of everything on it. If you’re looking for an absolute banger, REEL IT IN has you covered. If you’re looking for something on the chill side, DR. WHOEVER will keep you in a mood. 2) Swimming by Mac Miller This album is Mac Miller’s last before he passed away. I instantly fell in love with this album after the very first song. It sets a kind of chill mood every time anyone listens to it. It’s just a really easy album to fall in love with. 3) Milky Way by Bas Although Bas is somewhat of a lesser known rapper, his album released in late August doesn’t have a single song I don’t enjoy on it. Tribe featuring J. Cole is one of my favorite feel good songs of the year, and Boca Raton featuring A$AP Ferg is one of my favorite overall songs of the year. 4) Scorpion by Drake Would this even be a list if this album wasn’t here? I would say most of the adolescents across the United States would say that this was the best album of 2018. With songs like “Nonstop,” “Emotionless,” “God’s Plan,” “I’m upset,” “Mob Ties,” “Nice For What,” and “In My Feelings.” I mean, tell me that’s not hot. 5) Culture 2 by Migos Ok ok, I know. “That came out last year dude.” False. Culture 2 came out 26 days into the new year. It may seem a little outdated, but remember the days of turnin’ up to “Stir Fry” in the car and struttin’ past Mr.Gannon while Quavo says he walks around with his chain loose down the hall? That was this year. I mean, “Walk It Talk It” is my music video of the year by far. But what about “ASTROWORLD” or “?” or “Kamikaze” or “DUMMY BOY” or “Redemption” ? Listen, 2018 was an absolute bonfire for music. All of the listed albums above were other ones I considered. I think it really would of been easier if I did top 10, but for the purposes of space, I’m doing five, so get mad.
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Transportation
Pages 6-7
December 21, 2018
Tips for safe driving
How we roll: poll shows variety of ways Rangers get to school JASPER SCHUERR Geyser Staff Writer There are 444 people that attend school at Park High School. All of them usually get to school on time, but no one really asks, ‘how do they do it?’ The answer may be surprising. To answer this, the Geyser staff conducted a survey. 90 answered the call (20 freshmen, 17 sophomores 31 juniors and 22 seniors). Of the people surveyed, around 38 drive, 32 get rides, seven ride the bus, ten walk and three ride bikes. The Geyser did manage to get some hard facts from the bus barn as to how many people ride the bus. 43 to 83 high schoolers, most of which are freshman, then sophomores, with juniors and seniors with the least. Most people in the school drive. Most people from within city limits, but some drivers have to commute many miles to get to school on time. One of these people is Jesse Fabian. Fabian lives on the Wineglass about 15 miles from the school. Half
18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
round peoDon’t drive a arking. They ple parallel p . e their mind might chang
that distance is gravel roads. Usually the roads aren’t too bad. It’s just a typical gravel road. The problems come when snow and ice start to coat the road. When the gravel roads get icy, it gets much more difficult to safely navigate the roads. It gets especially slippery and dangerous when a layer of dry snow falls over a layer of ice. The snow will slide much easier than the rubber of tires and can act like a lubricant for an already slippery surface. Fabian described an incident where he forgot to turn on four-wheel drive on his pickup, slipped on the road, and did a full 360 before he was able to regain control of the car. “Four-wheel drive is essential” Fabian stated after recounting the incident. The survey showed most juniors and seniors drove themselves to school, and most freshmen and sophomores got rides. Very few people ride bikes or walk, and only slightly more ride the bus.
Be awa re conditi of changing r ons oad
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Yield to pe ople on the right at an unco ntrolled sto p
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Turn on your hazard lights in a white out es
Shift to manual. Most automatic cars can do this, and lower gears give you more control.
Senior Get a ride Driving
Trains cause trouble in morning commute
Driver’s ed brings the classroom to the road tion classes, it costs about $200. For some students, it may be difficult to find the money to attend the course. The course teaches students For many teenagers, getto be responsible drivers and furting a driver’s license is associthers driving skills. Attending and ated with freedom. The driver’s passing the driver’s ed course can education course is a route that result in a reduced insurance preseveral students take to get one mium. According to an insurance step closer to this goal. According to the transportation director agent, they assume that you are Jerry Heitman, between 80 and a competent, safe driver. It also 100 students apply for driver’s ed, shows a level of responsibility and but only 60 students are accepted. commitment to getting your drivDriver’s ed is a month-long er’s license if you went through course that occurs during the sum- the driver’s ed course. For severmer months when school is no lon- al students, the opportunity to get ger in session. The course is a time cheaper insurance motivates them commitment which can be an issue to take the course. Park High senior, for students. Some students travel Courtney Huff, expressed that she or work during the summer months, attended driver’s ed in order to remaking it difficult for them to attend. ceive a discounted insurance price. Enrolling in driver’s ed gives To enroll in driver’s educa-
EDEN KIRK Geyser Staff Writer
Be careful on bridges an d shaded areas. They tend to be mo re icy.
New drivers to hit the roads; it’s a slippery learning curve
Junior Walk
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Turn o ff cruis e contr on icy ol roads
Don’t d
Photo by: Dana Baskett
Sophomore
f you w tires i o n s t e G rd them can affo
Don’t slam on your breaks, tap them
TERRAN SPEAKE Geyser Staff Writer
Freshmen
Slow d own in b
ADRIANNA CASTRO Geyser Staff Writer students the opportunity to receive their license at an earlier age. Students can take the driver’s ed course at as young as fourteen and a half and get their full license at the age of fifteen. In this course, students receive their driving permit which requires them to obtain 50 hours of driving with a licensed adult. Once students receive their permit, there is a mandatory sixmonth waiting period before they are eligible to get their license. Due to the driver’s ed course occurring in the summer, most students do not get their driver’s license until the winter months. This can be extremely dangerous for newly licensed drivers to be driving in unpredictable weather conditions. Accidents are more likely to occur for new divers especially if the road conditions are not ideal.
Trains are causing endless issues in Livingston. Whether you’re headed to school or work there’s always something that will stop you from reaching your destination on time. Attendance secretary Melissa Cahoon estimates that on an average, eight to ten students are late to school each day because of trains. Madison Bartz, a junior at Park High School who lives on the north side, has struggled many times with making it to school on time because of trains. “Trains screw everything up because everybody is impatient and must go through the underpass,” Bartz said. “You could still be waiting for several minutes just waiting because of the light. If somebody is trying to turn left, one person will get through. I’ve been late about three times last year because of the underpass,” she said. Last year Bartz went to Youth Legislature where she proposed a bill that trains should be “unable to pass from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. just so the work and school flow doesn’t cause a traffic jam,” she explained. Other solutions Bartz mentioned included making the traffic lights last longer, and inventing an app that shows when trains come through town. Jim Lewis, Montana Rail Link’s, (MRL), Chief Sales & Marketing and Information Officer, said “there is no possible way of trains holding off from 7:30 to 9:30 as there is no set schedule for the trains. It all depends on when the shipper gets the prod-
uct sent out and if MRL is on time to the shipper’s destination. “ It’s not just Park High students that are affected by this issue, but many people in the community have complained about the 5th street crossing. According the Transportation Study Update done for the city of Livingston and published in September 2017, traffic volume has increased 60 percent since 2001 at the junction of 5th and Park. The Livingston City Commission has made it a priority to address transportation and growth issues on the north side of town. Melissa Nootz, the newest commission member, said in a phone interview that the 5th street crossing is particularly important to her. One of the biggest obstacles to improving traffic flow is the ongoing debate over where to build a second underpass and how to pay for it. With recent approvals of new north side housing developments, the issue is rapidly coming to a head. “Budget is a big constraint because we’re not a very big town. I always wonder why Livingston hasn’t considered a crossing that has nothing to do with cars because it’s much less expensive,” Nootz said. She mentioned other towns where crossings accommodate foot and bike traffic better. Nootz mentioned that she encourages high school students to come to city commission meetings when there are topics being discussed that they have opinions on. She wants to hear what the non-voting members of our community think.
The month of December never fails to bring excitement and festivities of Christmas, but it also carries in a load of sophomores into the DMV to get their license. They have been patiently waiting for six months for this taste of freedom, but are they prepared to be driving by themselves on icy winter roads? Wendy Murray-Allen, a Livingston Motor Vehicle Division worker, says “We like drivers to be in total control of their vehicle and if in the event they hit an icy patch, they should be comfortable with their skill level to handle that.” Contrary to the wishes of Murray-Allen, Tae Kryzsko, a Park High sophomore who is receiving her license in December, claims she isn’t confident enough to be driving on icy roads. “There’s no really good way to help prepare drivers for the ice and snow, unless you experience it yourself,” says Kryzsko. Since Kryzsko hasn’t had any experience with these hazardous roads, she thinks that driver’s education should be offered in the spring instead of the start of sum-
mer. “It’s really convenient that way [to have it in the spring] because a lot of people plan trips over the summer. If you get it [driver’s education] in spring, you would get your license at the beginning of October, which is a dry time.” Murray-Allen’s statement about drivers being confident enough to drive on icy roads may not apply to Kryzsko, but it does to one sophomore, Gage Wood. He is also receiving his license this month and exudes an overwhelming confidence in his ability to drive on winter roads. He feels that driver’s education is offered at an appropriate time and that the summer provides ample time to practice driving. No matter the timing of driver’s education, there is no substitute for experience. Every teen might not be ready for the road. But one thing is certain, teens are not ready for the same level of driving responsibility as adults. According to the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration), teens have a higher rate of fatal crashes due to lack of maturity behind the wheel. The NHTSA also says distractions and an inability to accurately gauge driving conditions compound
themselves to create high-risk driving conditions for new drivers. Some newly licensed drivers at PHS are also challenged with the task of driving on an interstate (I-90) in wintry road conditions to get to school. According to the USDOT (United States Department of Transportation), 24 percent of weather-related accidents occur on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement. The USDOT also reports an average of 1,836 deaths and 136,309 injuries per year because of icy roads. The icy road fatality count is 3.6 times higher than the total deaths from all other weather-related threats combined (i.e. flood, lightning, tornado, hurricane, and heat). Also, ice, including black ice, takes the driver by surprise because of its invisibility on the road surface. Altogether, newly licensed drivers at PHS need to be prepared for the threatening winter roads that lie ahead of them. Statistics prove that icy roads are one of the biggest hazards when driving. Livingston has many adverse weather conditions which makes becoming a new driver here a challenge.
Page 8
December 21, 2018
Graduation is closer than it appears PEYTON MURPHY Geyser Staff Writer For many students, it seems that high school lasts forever, and they can’t wait to get out into the real world. Well for some students at park high, that reality is closer than others. This year we have a handful of seniors who are graduating early, including Brianna Watt and Lincoln Jeffery. Brianna Watt is senior at park high who is eager to get out into the world and enter the work force. Watt has had an untraditional high school experience. Her junior year she spent an entire semester participating in a traveling school for girls where they hiked through jungles and mountains all while going through their regular school courses. They also participated in a home stay where she stayed in a home with a mother and seven siblings. She fought through cases of food poisoning harsh weather but was determined to continue. She re-
turned to Park and finished her second semester here at home. Watt said, “I want to work early so I can get more money for college. I have all of my credits, so I believe this is a better use of my time.” She has recently applied to the local establishment, Neptune’s Brewery. Although some who plan to work right after graduation and end up not searching for any work, Watt is determined to find a job suitable for her and earn as much as possible. “I believe I will follow through with this because I need the money for college,” she said. Watt has her sights set on the Rocky Mountain School of Photography to further her education once she has the necessary funds to do so. Next Lincoln Jeffery has a different spin on reasoning behind an early graduation. Jeffery has two reasons behind his early graduation. Jeffery said: “I really don’t like the cold weather here. I just want to go someplace warm.”. In order to achieve his dream of living somewhere warmer Jeffery is taking his talents wherever his
Park high senior Brianna Watt plans to graduate early to work. Photo by Peyton Murphy
congregation, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, decides to send him. Jeffery, unlike many early graduates, is heading out early in order to start his two year long religious mission, but he is still waiting on a
Park high senior Lincoln Jeffery plans to graduate early to go on a mission.
response as to where he will be sent but this information will hopefully find its way to him soon. On this mission Jeffery will be teaching the gospel and helping locals through charity work. Both graduates are ex-
Photo by Peyton Murphy
cited and eager to meet their future. And before you know it, the class of 2019 will be following shortly behind them to also face their futures.
Stressed over semester finals?
Kaitlyn Roberts Takes a test for Accounting.
Photo by Jamison Geyer
JAMISON GEYER Geyser Staff Writer
One of the newest things freshmen experience in high school is final exams. Coming out of eighth grade and into the world of high school, you thought
it was scary enough. When you have a big exam for each of your classes that covers the entire semester, it can be terrifying. If you are afraid of failing, here are some tips from Park High students who have been successful with their semester exams. Most of the students interviewed said that their first final exam was scary, and they were very nervous, although a small number said their first final exam was not scary at all. The interviewed students, Matt Netley, Madison Montoya, Milena Voyich, and Jaia Wagman said when they study, they focus each day on the next day’s test. For example, if you have math first period and English second period you would study for those finals the day before the tests. A big tip from the students is that if you practice studying for unit tests throughout the
semester, it is easier to study for the final. You learn how to study, and as the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” “It is better to be over prepared than under prepared,” said Wagman. A common suggestion is to stay calm and focus. If you focus on the stress of the test, you don’t focus on the test itself. Try to ignore the fact that it’s a test and think of it as any other test in any other class. Milena Voyich said, “Don’t freak out.” Being organized also makes studying easier. Voyich said she keeps her notes and study guides in a binder to make sure she has everything she needs in one place. She even creates her own study guide for each test. Some students have superstitions or rituals to help them on their final. Several students said they use the same pencil to take the test as they used when writing
notes and studying. As weird as some of you may think it is shown to help students on the exams. On the day of the test, some students will have a certain dress code for themselves. For example, Voyich will dress nicely and formal to take the test. Montoya, on the other hand, will dress comfortably so when she takes the test, she is not too hot or cold. Biology teacher Randy Mogen said he prepares his classes by giving the students a review of the semester. He starts by going over what students don’t know and helping them through it, “the earlier the better,” he said. He urges students to ask for help. The students have also said that if you take advantage of the services that help you study then you have a higher chance of passing it. One thing everyone should do on a final exam is to try your best.
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December 21, 2018
Page 10 Features
December 21, 2018
Ala Carte popularity leads to long lines
Photo by Lyndsey Baker
Principal Scalia stands alongside students in the Ala Carte line recently.
DANA BASKETT Geyser Staff Writer The 35-minute crunch; the most hectic time of the day. People go flying out the doors and to their cars, others rush to grab their books to cram study. Then there’s the ala carte line. They wait. While the school has a perfectly well-prepped and diligently made lunch waiting to go, many students choose to wait in a usually longer line for the same thing they had yesterday, a bag of chips, grape Uncrustable, and two Peace teas, or something like that. But why is that? What makes the long lines worth the wait for many kids? Carla Jones, the woman in charge, says that she’s been running the carte for about nine years now after working at the 49er. She inherit-
ed it during the remodel, so originally, she was by the dish drop on fold out tables. Then it moved to the hut it has now, and that always been Jones’ spot. She credits its success to her personality saying it’s, “Because I’m a weirdo.” In addition, she takes the responsibility of being the first-person kids see in the morning, and she chooses to be happy regardless of the mood she’s in. “I don’t know what goes on at home with those kids and regardless of how I feel in the mornings I feel I should be a positive (person).” “Plus, I want them to eat. They’re more likely to come and eat if I’m friendly.” It’s no secret kids wait a long time for Ala Carte, but Jones has no idea why. “Food isn’t that darn good,” she says. She might have an explanation for the type of crowd she gets though. “A lot of them are the freshmen because they can’t leave campus.” While she gets a fair amount of each grade every day, the freshman are the people who show up consistently. Teagan Killorn, a senior, worked with the kitchen staff for a semester last year, and she noted the long lines, “It goes fast in the booth but probably not for the lines,” she says. The line method has left some people bitter feeling like children who need to be watched over, but Killorn believes, “It looks silly, but it’s a really good idea, I feel. I’ve been in the Ala Carte line before too and it’s annoying when people budge.” The normal kitchen, despite shorter lines, stay very busy. Killorn reflected on her time there washing dishes, “We do everybody’s dishes and cook everybody’s meals and sometimes were understaffed.” Because the school oversees food for the whole district, when people are sick in other kitchens, our staff go to lend a hand. There is a possibility of opening the other side of the hut, but Jones knows that they only have one computer, and it could be hard to get another. Killorn worries that the line to Ala Carte and the normal lunch line would get mixed up. Actually, Ala Carte’s success is very important because “The more I sell over here, the more it helps the main kitchen with keeping the prices down.” she says. This helps kids on reduced lunch keep that price affordable. Deciding what is cooked at Ala Carte every day is up to Jones and Jones alone, but by the time the morning rush is done, she often doesn’t know what to make for lunch. “That’s why sometimes you see a little question marks up there in the morning because I’m like uhhh...” Killorn says that sometimes, despite what Jones makes, “Some people every day, you know their orders.” She also thinks, “Sometimes the Ala Carte has more (things that) interests people’s preference more, I think people like options.”
Is it worth it to have your wisdom teeth removed?
LYDIA COLMEY Geyser Staff Writer
Wisdom teeth, are they full of common sense? Do you lose some intelligence when you lose your teeth? Nah. But, if you’re not careful, it can be crowding all your teeth and can cause pain. In your mature age, your teeth usually come in. That is why they are called wisdom teeth. They could cause a bunch of pain and infection, damage to other teeth. Many kids get their wisdom removed teeth during high school often over breaks, including the upcoming Christmas break. The main reason why all of them removed their wisdom teeth was because of crowding. After the surgery, you must flush your teeth out well in the holes because you can get bad breath, but most importantly so you don’t get infections in your mouth. Hailey Shammel, a junior in high school said, “I had to get my wisdom teeth out because it helped my locked jaw and the root of my tooth could hit a nerve which could screw up my face.” Does it hurt to get your wisdom teeth out? Most people say yes, but Azalea Vance and Shammel said it did not hurt them. It’s very rare that it didn’t hurt them, because when you get them out, it causes swelling and pain. Then it takes time to heal. It can take a month or so to have the scabs go away in your mouth but can take many more months for the holes to go away. Bjorn Mattsson said he had multiple pieces of tooth fragments come out of the bottom holes, so it hurt more when he got his wisdom teeth out. After recovering from oral surgery, you’re a little loopy because you are on conscious sedation, a gas that makes you sedated and not hurt as bad when you wake up. “I felt like a full-on chipmunk,” was Sylvie Schoenen’s first thought when she first woke up. There are many funny stories that happen when you wake up from conscious sedation. Mattson explained his experience when he woke up after getting his wisdom teeth out. “When I first woke up everything just looked cool, so I told the nurse that. I then
Azalea Vance posted this picture to her Snapchat right after she had her wisdom teeth removed. shook my head, she was like stop doing that bloods going everywhere. I of course stopped.” Some people, like Matthew Jacobsen said, “I have wisdom teeth grown in without any trouble.” Jacobsen has three wisdom teeth in and one final one coming in. The wisdom teeth are not causing any apparent damage; however, he might get them removed anyway. Some people are very lucky and are born with no wisdom teeth. Zoe Glen and Alex Quihuis are some of the few lucky minority who were born without wisdom teeth. According to LifeScience.com, 10-25 percent of the population are born without wisdom teeth.
Page 11 Sports
December 21
Boys varsity capitalizes on team chemistry
ready see their chemistry translating from games to spending time together during free time. He The Park High Rangers basketball team opened said, “It is just as important on and off the court.” Not only does the boys team have a “great setheir 2018-19 regular season in a game against the nior group,” there are 40 players between the freshHavre Blue Ponies on Friday, Dec. 14, and had a man, JV, and varsity teams. There are lots of new playspectacular 72-60 win. The previous week they travers and lots of returning players from previous years. eled to Billings Central and beat them 51-30, then After the game on Friday, Glaus said that the JV boys turned around and went to Hardin where they faced are “really good at sharing the ball” and said they all a tough 45-91 loss against the Bulldogs. Their first give a ton of effort in practice and in game. After the game started right here in Livingston with a 60-47 JV’s first win on Friday, Nov. 30 Glaus said he saw win over the Miles City Cowboys on Friday, Nov. 30. a lot of talent on the team that could make something After their first game, the Rangers said that great. He added that this year they are gifted with their winning start helped them move forward. height that they haven’t had in the past. Sage McSenior Morgan Rosberg spoke on their first Minn, a 6-4 junior, transferred last year. Glaus jokinggame, “This game really got us all going. It defily noted that he “Isn’t used to coaching guys over six nitely got us ready for this upcoming week.” foot,” so this will be a pleasant change for the year. One thing the boys have been credited for is The junior varsity found great success against having incredible chemistry and trust. Coach Layne the Cowboys as well, winning their first game. That Glausmentioned the trust amongst the team, and said same weekend, they had another win over the Bullthey “have each other’s backs on and off the court.” dogs. Glaus said he is very excited to see what they There are seven returning seniors this year, can do from here out. He was very pleased with whom Glaus credits for having “great chemistry and their play during their first game and said, “This is trust” in each other, and he thinks they will bring just scraping off the top of what they’re capable of.” a lot to the table this year. Glaus said he can al-
GIBSON ERICKSON Geyser Staff Writer
Photo by Gibson Erickson
Boys Varsity huddles during break at half time, Dec. 8.
Girls Varsity plans to make a comeback this year
Floyd has some tough goals set for the team in the 2018 season. She would Tis’ the season! As Park High hoops like to make state. Another goal she assis starting up for boys and girls, let’s pires to achieve along with the rest of the dive into how it’s going so far for the team is to win more than lose. Although Lady Rangers start to the season. Varsity the team’s expectations are high for Floyd, starter Ryleah Floyd said the season has her personal goals might be even higher. started on a high note. She feels that al- Floyd would like to help the team defenthough the team struggled last year, there sively, which she couldn’t do last year is a stronger bond on this year’s team. after being sidelined from a knee injury. On the offensive side she said she That started to show as they won their would like to make 85 percent of her free first game against Miles City Cowgirls. throws. There are challenges Floyd and
SHANE CORNELL Geyser Staff Writer
the team face, besides her individually coming back from a rough knee injury and trying to get back into shape. Positivity and success of these 2018 Lady Rangers could be coming from the new coach Megan Burns. She has very high hopes and expectations for the season. A big goal she has for the team is playing with H.E.A.R.T. which stands for hard work, expectation, attitude, respect, and trust, which she says “Will be a huge part of how we practice, play and conduct ourselves as a team.”
The team is young compared to last year. The Lady Rangers lost three of four seniors, welcoming Babcox back as she is only returning senior, who according to Coach Burns, “Will be an essential part of our team on the court and off the court as she is one of our main leaders.” After a season of ups and downs for the Lady Rangers last year, they will be on the rise. They seem to be growing as a program more and focusing on making a run at divisionals and state in February.
Veteran wrestlers as well as newcomers kick off season with top finishes across divisions excited to have assistant Matt Stott at his side this year to help the Rangers achieve success this season. This will be Stott’s first The Park High Ranger year assisting the Rangers, but wrestling team kicked off their he is a four-time Montana state season on Dec. 1 at home with finalist. The Rangers also have nine teams competing. Shane a young team consisting of nine Gibson and Cade Gubler wrestled freshmen, but they are accompawell, taking first, and Aden Rognied by a couple veterans, includge finished second. Overall, the ing Rogge and Gibson who are Rangers took sixth place on Satexpected to achieve a lot this seaurday and hope to keep the moson. Both talented wrestlers have mentum going for the rest of the high chances to place at State, and season. More recently, the Rangcoach Hahn believes, “If Shane ers competed in a tournament in Gibson wrestles well, then he is Great Falls on Dec. 15. Gibson as good as anyone in the state.” took third in his division and GuHahn is very excited for the bler took second in his division. Rangers to start competing with Coach Ben Hahn is very
MCLEOD VERSLAND Geyser Staff Writer
other schools and has some expectations for his team. Since the team consists mostly of young wrestlers, Hahn looks forward to these younger wrestlers gaining experience and just having fun while competing. He also believes that the veteran wrestlers will do well from the beginning of the season. Hahn hopes the Rangers will compete as a team and win many dual matches, especially against Belgrade and Billings Central. The Rangers next match will be on Jan. 4 in Bozeman. The post season will be taking place during February and the veteran wrestlers are excited to hopefully take their talent to State.
Photo by Eden Kirk
Coach Hahn advises Aden Rogge between matches during the December home meet.
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December 21, 2018