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Millard North High School

THE HOOFBEAT Volume 43 • Issue 3 • Dec. 12, 2023

TEXTILE TALES

SHIFTY ARITHMETIC

Student clothing carrying a message

Math structures at MN are changing

Page #17

Page #4

UNIFIED PERSPECTIVES Millard North’s Unified Education helps all students Pages 2-3

Photograph by AJ Shinco

2 • NEWS • Dec. 12, 2023

UNA CLASE MUY IMPORTANTE How Unified Spanish Class is directly benefiting students NATALIE HILL Lifestyle Editor

he bell rings, signaling the end of third period. Students fill the halls, slowly making their way toward their next classes, some more reluctant than others. However, for some students, fourth hour is something to look forward to, and they happily head for room 1113. MN proudly bears the title of being a Unified school, meaning certain sports and classes are open to both ACP (Alternate Curriculum Program) and General Education students alike. Spanish teacher Angela Lallman has taken on the role of teaching Unified Spanish, a class in which students from both the ACP and Gen. Ed. programs can come together to learn about the Spanish language and culture. “Because of my daughter, Olivia, who was born with Spina Bifida, and who she is, I just have a love for this very special, small, differently-abled world,” Lallman said. Unified Spanish class looks a bit different from the classes most students are familiar with. Each class period follows a similar routine featuring songs to help students learn and remember vocabulary. “Songs are good, and they help these students remember what we’ve learned, like the weather,” Lallman said. “We do a lot of crafts as well. For the weather unit, we painted the window, so we had an almost ‘stained glass’ window to look at the weather through.” Another fundamental aspect of the class’s curricu-

lum is its inclusivity. By making changes based on indi“Last year, there was a kid named Teddy, and the vidual students’ needs, Lallman can help to ensure that relationship I got to build with him was the coolest thing everyone is able to learn. I’ve ever experienced,” Mosser said. “He doesn’t know “We really differentiate [our teaching methods] be- sign language, but we became so close that he would do tween students. Some students are nonverbal, so they different things and I would know what he meant, like we have a talker that has some of the Spanish words pro- had our own language.” grammed onto it, so they can touch the button that says Students and teachers alike agree that Unified Span‘bien’, for example, and communicate that way,” Lall- ish is a rewarding experience. man said. “We’ve also learned to “It’s my favorite class,” do some easy signs, like for the Lallman said. “Just seeing the days of the week and some other Don’t be afraid to come joy on everyone’s faces as they things like that.” come together as a sort of Apart from making sure the up and chat with someone family and enjoying their time class is instructive and education- in a wheelchair, or someone together is such an amazing al for the participating students, with different abilities than thing to be a part of.” it’s important that it’s enjoyable These meaningful expeas well. Favorite activities include you, because when it comes riences don’t stop outside the birthday celebrations, and, for down to it, we’re all humans Unified classroom. Lallman junior Benny Clanton, watching and we all need a friend. urges all students to reach out and singing along to Disney movand seek connections with ies. others, whether they’re a part “[My favorite Frozen charac- ANGELA LALLMAN of the ACP program or Gen. ter is] Elsa,” Clanton said. Ed. Spanish Teacher One of the most notable “Just be kind to everyfeatures of Unified Spanish, and one,” Lallman said. “Don’t be other Unified classes, is how it brings together students afraid to come up and chat with someone in a wheelwho may not have had the chance to interact otherwise. chair, or someone with different abilities than you, beSenior Neal Mosser finds the connections he forms with cause when it comes down to it, we’re all humans and we his fellow students to be the most fulfilling part of the all need a friend.” class.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP: Mentorship Programs: Through participation in scholastic or community-based programs, you can support your local Unified Education systems and help spread the message and importance of inclusivity. Inclusive Community Events: Be it through taking part in adaptive sporting events, hosting sensory-sensitive movie and entertainment nights, visiting accesable art exhibits made by disabled artists, or many other nondiscriminatory events, Omaha is host to dozens of opportunities for collaboration and entertainment for all people. Educational Workshops: Learning to be inclusive and understanding of the importance of Unified Programs and education may be key in the way you help the community around you become more inclusive.

Classroom Collaboration:

Junior Kate Stevens works with freshman Bryce Everts on an art project. Unified Art is a class available for both General and Special education students. Photograph by Sarah Crotzer

Painting Prodigy:

Ari Lymous works on her art project in Unified Art class. For those with full schedules who still want to work with the Special Education department, Unified Bowling and Art programs are great extracurricular ways to help! Photograph by Sarah Crotzer

MNHSONLINE.COM • 3

BONDING THROUGH BOWLING

MN’s Unified Bowling Team has created a close-knit community MIRA MUKHERJEE Staff Writer

airs of red and green shoes are placed neatly along them in the hallway high the shelves, waiting expectantly to be picked up by eager fiving their teammates or hands. Across them lie the glistening lanes that have been sitting with them at lunch cleaned until the veneer is sparkling from a distance. where they used to sit by Technicolored lights line the edges of the lanes, reminis- themselves, and so that cent of an 80’s disco party. Crowds of people joke and kind of stuff makes all the work worth it.” laugh, teasing their The team’s opponents as they close connection step up to bowl. You can have a lot of has correlated Places like bowling alleys are great fun, work hard, and learn new with their success. Undefeated ways to socialize and things by living life, and being this season, the enjoy some friendly competition but, on the team just accelerates that 23 member team has taken back for the MN Unified process. the Millard Cup Bowling team, they after losing it to are so much more. Millard South last The MN Unified NATHANIEL GUST year. The team Bowling team was Co-Captain of the Bowling Team has now won the started eight years ago Millard Cup seven by the coach, teacher Tricia Rohde. Composed of general and special educa- times and has also been tion students, the team has provided a positive environ- State Runner Up twice. Pin Pinnacle: But these achievements The unified bowling team cheers as their victory is announced. The team ment for its members. ”We’ve had several students who the parents have are not the sole focus of placed first place in the Millard Cup. told me have no friends at school,” Rohde said. “But the team. Photograph by Tricia Rohde “We just want people then I see them making connections with somebody, I see who are wanting to make connections and wanting to tices is essential to successful meets but it does not always have fun and be a part of the team,” happen. “You will have a bad day eventually and what’s imRohde said. Putting emphasis on group portant is to move on from a bad game and just try your bonding and social skills over bowl- best,” freshman Makenzie Rohde said. As a new member of the team Rohde’s experience ing to win has allowed the team to has been an uplifting one. develop meaningful friendships. “It’s been very positive, we’re very upbeat and we “When I see people in Unified Bowling and I say ‘hi’ and see their just hype each other up,” Rohde said. The team’s tryouts are inclusive; anyone who wants faces light up, they make my face light up,” sophomore Nathaniel to join can become a member. The stress free circumstances of being included have contributed to the team’s Gust said. Gust is one of the three co-cap- dynamic. “The people are great, it’s kind of like a little family,” tains of the team and some of his responsibilities include leading stretch- Rohde said. The style of mentoring on Coach Rohde’s part has es at the beginning of practices and created an encouraging atmosphere and instilled importmeets and counting up strikes. “You can have a lot of fun, work ant life lessons. “In the end I don’t really care if we win or lose as hard, and learn new things by living life, and being on the team just ac- long as we’re holding our heads high, handling it like we’re supposed to, and being kind to the people we’re celerates that process,’’ Gust said. The team usually prac- playing against,” Rohde said. So the next time you venture to the local bowling tices once a week during the Player Prep: five week long bowling season, alley, remember that the game can create a lot more than Bowlers Miles Divis and Levi Herrin discuss while the rest of the team which runs from the middle of fun memories. It can build relationships and skills that bowls. Bowlers can discuss potential strategies and scores while waiting. October to the beginning of will last a lifetime. December. Doing well in pracPhotograph by Tricia Rohde

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MNHSONLINE.COM • 5

THE WAY TO NMEA

Singers pull together for an unforgettable performance GRACE EVERT Staff Writer

ew groups share a bond like that of the choir program. From long late-night rehearsals to taking the final bow at the end of a groundbreaking performance, the choir has been through thick and thin together. “I love learning the music and performing, but the best part is all the people who make it happen. Getting to make music with my friends is so fun, and I’m lucky to have the opportunity to do so,” senior Makenna Jolley said. Numerous choir members agree, saying they have found a family within the program. They have also learned invaluable lessons that can be used beyond music. “Choir has taught me a lot of patience and trusting the process and time it takes to make a piece of music sound amazing and come to life, while also allowing me to learn from my mistakes positively,” senior Davis Farley said. Jolley and Farley are a part of the Singers Varsity Choir and Infinity Show Choir group within the Millard North Choir program and recently sang in one of the biggest performances of the year at the Nebraska Music Educators Association (NMEA) convention. “Every year there is a conference called NMEA which hosts all music educators from across the state of Nebraska. Throughout the conference, different groups get to perform sets of music for audiences that consist of other students, educators, and the public,” Jolley said. The group was thrilled to have this opportunity, as not many high school choirs perform at this convention. “The NMEA performance is one of the highest honors a high school choir can achieve. As Mrs. Swain says, NMEA is also a crowning jewel for a choir director and our directors received a plaque acknowledging their outstanding dedication to music education,” Farley added. To be selected for this prestigious performance, the choir had to audition in the spring of last school year. “We submitted three different performance videos to be reviewed by a panel. Eventually, we were selected by the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Music Educators Association,” choir director Megan Swain said, who has directed the MN Choir program for nine years. However, selection was not the end of the road to this event, as there was a lot to do before the final performance. The arAll superior ratrangement required a memings at the 2022 orized set of complex musical District Music literature, a daunting task for Contest any singing group.

In addition, the timing of the MN choir program’s busy schedule made preparation increasingly complicated. “We were required to learn 15 different pieces of music in 3 months due to the timing of All State, All Millard, and the NMEA performance. These students rose to the challenge, but there were some grueling rehearsals where we were trying to learn 3 different pieces at the same time,” Swain said. Farley agreed, sharing that memorization added another layer to the advanced musical literature as the Singers Choir does not work with memorization-based skills as often as other techniques. “We worked on our roughly 30-minute set list in class, starting back in August. We did add a few study hall rehearsals so Mrs. Swain taught past class time into our study hall, which was optional but we all stayed,” Farley said. Through all their toil, the group found an amazing sense of accomplishment in preparing such technical music within a short period. “One of the highlights of preparing this literature was the performance itself. You could see the pride in the student’s faces after the completion of each piece. It was rewarding for both the students and the audience alike,” Swain said. The Singers Choir not only performed alongside a few other high school choirs but also various collegiate choirs and professional groups. The performance took place in St. Paul United Methodist Church, a beautiful building that echoed the angelic melPerformed at odies. the 2023 All “The day of the Millard Fesperformance was my tival birthday, so getting to

perform beautiful music in such a beautiful place was a fun gift,” Jolley said. After setbacks from COVID-19, the NMEA performance showcased the growth of the choir program in talent and numbers. “Our choir numbers went from 300 down to 240 during the pandemic. Building the program back to its former glory has been one of the greatest challenges I have faced. However, this year we have grown back to nearly the size we were in 2019/2020,” Swain said. At the end of the performance, the Singers Choir walked off the stage feeling proud and accomplished. The group received endless praise from the audience. “Walking off the stage, knowing we accomplished our goal as a choir was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I have great pride in the Singers Choir. They are inspiring and make me a better educator and I am so grateful to be their director,” Swain said. Needless to say, this hardworking choir reaped the rewards of their dedication at the conference, delivering a show worthy of a million standing ovations. They will surely continue to succeed for years to come.

Accomplished Achievements Singers fill the NMEA convention hall with their voices, sharpened by hours of practice and dedication. Photograph by Kristin Morgan

Selected to the perform at the 2023 NMEA conference

25 2023 Nebraska All State Chorus selectees

4 • Dec. 12, 2023

MATH-MORPHOSIS

MN’s long-standing math class structures shift dramatically next year ANUJ SINGH Opinions Editor

very year, fifth graders across the district undergo a trying rite of passage. What seems like just another standardized test can decide their future, influencing their classes, interests, and motivation. The Orleans-Hanna Prognosis Test, designed in 1988 by education psychologist Gerald S. Hanna, is taken by fifth graders across Millard Public Schools District, setting the path of their math journey for the rest of their K-12 education. However, with Millard North set to completely redesign its math curriculum starting next year, this set-in-stone approach to math for Millard students is set to change drastically. While the revamping will not touch any calculus courses, nearly all other math courses will experience a major adjustment in how they operate, along with differences in the course structures themselves. “In the past, students took two full years of algebra (Algebra I and Algebra II) with a year of geometry in between. To streamline this process, we will now be switching to a semester system,” Math Department Head Aaron Harding said. “Students will take a semester of algebra (Algebra I) and then a semester of geometry (Geometry I) and so on, until their senior year, when they will take Algebra 4 and Geometry 4.” Regarding the timing, Harding explains that the math curriculum cycle in Millard is set to align with state standard cycles to allow for easier adjustments. “Every subject has a cycle to rewrite its curriculum and [the district] times these changes in tandem with the new state standards. It’s a seven-year cycle, and the state just released their standards, so we can just go along with that,” Harding said. Besides these structural differences, there will also be a significant number of new courses added to the math department, including the new AP Precalculus course in place of regular and honors precalculus courses. “Besides adding the new AP Precalculus course, we have decided to add a large number of new math electives. These include a semester of trigonometry for students to take after completing college algebra as well as some new elective courses, including Math in the Arts, Discrete Math, Skilled and Technical Math, and Math for Life,” Harding said. These electives will add great variety to the math courses offered by MN, but they also serve a larger purpose.

Math in the Arts

Trigonometry

Math in Motion Look out for these new course offerings during registration January 2024

“When we saw the numbers on how many seniors were taking math classes, it was a little surprising how many chose not to take any. We added these electives with this [lack of interest in math from seniors] in mind, and we believe the new courses will make a positive impact on our enrollment numbers,” Harding said. But these developments will not only affect students. They also will have a considerable impact on both the material that teachers will have to cover as well as the way that they have to cover it. “I have never taught a basic probability and statistics class before. I plan to tailor concepts from [my] AP Statistics class to make them more approachable for all students. However, we will be using data analysis platforms like Excel and Google Sheets to help analyze data, unlike AP Stats which primarily uses graphing calculators,” math teacher Meghan Dovali said. Specifically, the new semester-long courses for algebra and geometry will be the first time math teachers will teach such short classes, so there will be challenges in planning. With these new big changes to the curriculum, Dovali believes that the most challenging area is the time it takes to create new lessons, resources, and assessments. She hopes that the math department will be able to secure publisher resources to save teachers the copious amount of work it would otherwise take to create content from scratch. Besides teachers, students also believe that this new curriculum will streamline and strengthen the math curriculum and will allow them to process information more in-depth. “I feel like this could be a good move as there are a lot of redundant topics that we cover multiple times throughout our schooling career. It’ll save time and make the process of learning new things quicker,” junior Sanjith Ananda Krishna, who took the current Algebra II class last year, said. However, Krishna also believes that the new curriculum, which aims to reduce the amount of time spent reviewing previous course material due to the increased proximity of content, might make it more difficult to hold onto concepts from previous courses. Overall, these advancements will lead to a strikingly different mathematics department in the upcoming school year, unlike anything it has ever gone through previously. Students will now have the ability to create their own math journeys, finally moving away from the rigid confines, like the Orleans-Hanna test, that once defined their paths.

Algebra 4: Prob and Stat

Discrete Math

Sports Math and Game Theory

NEWS BRIEFS

LOCAL NEWS Omaha police arrests 18-year-old for allegedly shooting and killing 17-yearold (Dec. 4) Jawara, beloved Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo giraffe, unexpectedly passes away (Nov. 30)

NATIONAL NEWS Former U.S. ambassador and diplomat arrested on charges of being an agent for Cuba since 1981(Dec. 4) Beyoncé’s concert film, ‘Renaissance’ shoots to No. 1 at the box office with $21 million debut (Dec. 3)

WORLD NEWS The U.S. and India plan to jointly launch a new Earth observation satellite early 2024 (Dec. 4) The Osprey CV-22, a U.S. military aircraft, crashes near the island of Yakushima, Japan (Nov. 29)

6 • Dec. 12, 2023

STEM-MING NEW OPPORTUNITIES Student-led Women in STEM club hosts in person STEM Fair KAI PAVLOVA Staff Writer

ustling crowds, excited voices, and the vibrating energy of young inquisitive minds fill the lecture halls. This year, for the first time, Millard North held an in-person STEM event: an interactive STEM Fair. On the night of Nov. 16, students discovered and explored careers in the field, met with professionals, engaged in fun and enriching activities, and overall expanded their horizons. Previously, this event has been held on Zoom and aimed at elementary school students to learn the basics of the STEM field. Instead, the Women in STEM club, led by science teacher Korian Pfeifer and four student leaders, sought to involve middle and high school students and turn the event into an opportunity to hear from scientists and STEM educators about what they do. “At this school, we have a lot of students whose parents are doctors, but those are careers we know about. We really wanted to get into the niche communities, so we have some research and development people, food science, and animal science people coming in,” Pfeifer said. Geri Simpson, a Research and Development Specialist at Conagra Brands discussed the opportunities open for students who want to make foods consumers love. The research of Chris Engsberg, a Ph.D. student, and Dr. Mukul Mukherjee, an associate professor at UNO, focuses on the neuroscience of human movement. Among other participants were: a radiologist and associate professor at UNMC, STEM educators at UNO, and a data center facility manager. Pfeifer’s student leaders include juniors Keertha-

na Vinod, Vaibhavi Kota, Mrittika Mukherjee, and Aarushi Volvoicar. “For the four of us on the leadership team to bring this from the ground up was difficult. A lot of it was done ourselves: outreach, publicizing, getting guest speakers, getting people to come,” Mukherjee said. Despite the challenges, the juniors enjoyed the process. “There was a lot of logistics that went into it, and that was definitely up my alley, planning and everything. It was really fun,” Mukherjee said. The terms of STEM (science, technology, engineer- Caution: Scientists at Work! ing, and math) are commonly thrown around to describe careers and subjects in each of these fields, but many Dr. Mukul Mukherjee, associate professor at UNO, and Ph.D. student Chris Engsburg predon’t know how all four work together. “You need one to do the other. None of them stand pare a presentation to show off to the STEM alone. You can’t do science without math, and math is fair attendees. In addition to being one of the nothing without science,” Pfeifer said. Some people believe that men should go into speakers in the fair, Dr. Mukherjee is junior STEM fields, not women. The club is trying to combat Mrittika Mukherjee’s, a student organizer of that idea and change how people perceive their capabil- the fair, dad. Like father, like daughter, they say. ities. Photograph by Kai Pavlova “I think it’s the idea that people think that we’re women and aren’t smart enough, aren’t capable enough, in high school, but then for some reason as soon as you get or can’t handle the hard work. Of course, that’s a really to college, it’s looked down upon. I’m not sure how to fix outdated idea, like we can be just as good as men, if not it, but we need to,” Pfeifer said. better, in many of these aspects,” Mukherjee said. Almost as if to prove these stereotypes wrong, the There’s also the idea of the “glass ceiling”, about night had a phenomenal turnout. All the weeks of diligent women in science and other lines of work. Defined by planning paid off. Oxford Languages, the “glass ceiling” is an unofficially “This is actually so much better than I thought it acknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, would’ve been. There’s so many people here and it’s runespecially affecting women and minorities. ning so smoothly and it’s organized. I’m so happy that all “There’s this phenomenon where once you get to four of us were able to stay conducted and organized and higher level classes, the number of women just drops off. work with each other and collaborate with other people. It It’s like we’re allowed to do science in higher-level classes was just a really fun experience,” Kota said.

Chemistry Starter Kit

Erlenmeyer Flask What’s the first thing you think of when you hear “chemistry”?

Pipettes Used to extract small amounts of liquid and is often measured in milliliters

Safety Goggles Safety first, kids! These bad boys protect your eyes from toxic chemicals and potentially dangerous materials

Beaker Convenient and common container used to hold solvents and solutions

OPINIONS • 7

ARRANGE THE CHANGE

How interactive lessons can be more beneficial to students rather than lectures THE HOOFBEAT STAFF EDITORIAL inter break means Christmas, snowball fights and gingerbread houses, movie marathons, and most notably to students all over the nation, Winter break. It is a time when students all over the United States can finally take a break from the long and exhausting hours of school allowing them to not worry about academics and extracurriculars constantly. Despite the happiness and satisfaction that comes along with winter break, it can leave teachers and administrators wondering whether or not their students will retain the knowledge that they lectured about the week before. But, are certain teaching methods more effective than others? Teaching styles vary from place to place all over the world, and the way one student learns a concept can greatly differ from the way another student learns. This leaves teachers in the role of deciding how they want their students to learn. As an individual, activities and interactive lessons have proven to be most effective as a whole, allowing me and my classmates to participate in each lecture in an exciting manner. Interactive learning methods such as group discus-

sions, hands-on activities, or even educational games can allow students to engage in lesson-based activities while at the same time retaining the true educational concept behind them. Scholastic talks about the importance of interactive learning, particularly on how it can sharpen the critical thinking skills of students which, in turn, helps develop their analytic reasoning skills. Incorporating more activities and group discussions allows students to connect with their classmates as well. Rather than taking notes from a slow yet confusing lecture, creating more interactive activities that tie into the subject matter allows students to get to know one another while also making it an educational experience at the same time. However, lecturing can also be an effective way for students to learn. While they may not be the most engaging, they can help successfully solidify the subject matter. Dartmouth College mentions that lecturing is an effective way to teach. For example, it can help neatly present information, model thought processes, provide context and help clarify any underlying questions. While lecturing may be a good approach when it comes to presentations and solidifying concepts, providing more interactive and hands-on activities can help students be more interested in what they are learning.

STUDENT SPEAK

DO INTERACTIVE, HANDS-ON LEARNING OR TRADITIONAL LECTURES HELP YOU LEARN BETTER?

ABHISHEK BOLLA JUNIOR

“Hands on, because you have a better feel of what you’re trying to learn or understand. Learning something on pencil and paper is not the same as doing it physically.”

According to the National Library of Medicine, a study was conducted to help identify if an online interactive platform such as Kahoot was beneficial. The results showed that those who engaged in the Kahoot tended to solidify their knowledge and current concepts much better. Whether it’s a simple experiment, group discussion, or even an online website such as Kahoot or Gimkit, students would be more interested in trying to win against their peers, but at the same time, allowing them to thoroughly answer questions while learning new concepts. Education Associates mentions how teachers who conduct hands-on learning activities can help their students outperform their peers by over 70% of a grade level in math and over 40% of a grade level in science. At the same time, creating these new forms of interactive learning can be time-consuming and strenuous to an already big pile of to-do’s for teachers. As a whole, the progress that interactive learning brings to classrooms proves to be much more effective than lengthy lectures. Both lectures and interactive learning can be beneficial in their own ways. Interactive learning provides students with the opportunity to solidify their knowledge and concepts that they are learning while also making it an enjoyable experience for them as well.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

“Interactive, if I can see what I’m doing then I have a better understanding of the concept I’m learning.” KENNEDY MCKNIGHT

SOPHOMORE

“It depends on the subject, but for the most part interactive lessons help more.”

ISAAC SCHADE

MARK BOPE

FRESHMAN

SENIOR

“As someone going into engineering, hands-on work is definitely very much like 50% part of it, I have to 3D model, I have to sketch out stuff, and that’s just something I can’t really learn from lectures.”

By Violet Bredenkamp

8 • Dec. 12, 2023

CULTURAL CLASH

Immigrant children face challenges in balancing cultural expectations with personal freedom

Maram’s Mindset

‘m sprinting down the court anticipating the ball to come in my direction, when my teammate effortlessly passes me the ball. The clock counts down — 3…2…1 — and suddenly, I hit the buzzer beater, the crowd erupting SUMANAS MARAM with excitement. Staff Writer This was a typical Saturday for me, just a kid enjoying the game of basketball. These games served as an escape from reality, allowing me to avoid the pressures of life. The court was my refuge, where I broke free from my stress. But I’ve crashed down from the courts I once thrived on by facing the harsh reality of my culture. The priorities my culture has on academics over the extensive commitment towards basketball made me focus on culturally-accepted tennis. It’s not just sports, though; this cultural conformity has seeped into every aspect of our lives. The pressure enforced among the younger generations has led to a decrease in personal expression and loss of freedom. For parents, it may seem like their expectations are coming from their hearts, but in reality, it’s their personal

values enforced upon them when they were children. Especially in immigrant populations, children are commonly expected to follow a journey already deciding their future and profession. Due to this, they are forced to abandon what brings them joy, swapping out their passion for what is culturally acceptable. And by taking away their freedom to pursue what they enjoy, we are not only causing significant mental health damage but are also diminishing entire cultures. As they transition to a new environment, the adaptations made by immigrant parents not only affect the cultural values of children but are also detrimental to the negative stigma towards mental health. But with mental health not being of primary concern in many countries around the world, the prevalent issues surrounding mental health are only becoming worse. As a matter of fact, according to a 2020 ThinkGlobalHealth article, children of Asian and Latino immigrants have significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Not only does this cultural conformity affect our health, but it also leads to the harmful lessening of minority cultures. In the media, my own culture is not represented enough. There are no major Indian pop stars, few Indian actors, and in general, significantly fewer children of immigrants who can write to express their cultures, and significantly fewer to compose traditional music. These ideas ultimately showcase the stereotypes

of many immigrants, diminishing their confidence from the opportunities that they have. This narrative, however, should not bring stories of despair, but rather stories of resilience. While the pressure of cultural conformity may weigh us down, we can still resist. First, one needs to make decisions for themselves. Do what excites you, not what others think. This leads to a reclamation of personal identity, and a better space for one to grow as a person. By balancing our challenged beliefs with cultural traditions and personal fulfillment, we can both embrace our cultures and improve our mental mindset. Second, it’s a collective struggle, so we can work together to defy stereotypes and create communities in which everyone is accepted. Shared experience, mutual understanding, and a sense of belonging can contribute towards the strength of these communities. They can be safe spaces where individuals can express themselves, without the fear of being judged. It’s clear — breaking free from cultural conformity proclaims us to pursue dreams, maintain personal well-being, and celebrate our heritage. It’s something that should be fought for in this world in which individuality can easily be lost. For me, I’ve been able to continue playing basketball in my free time to follow my passion, and if others do the same, they can also find the strength to pursue their interests too.

IN-DEPTH • 9

A Conflict in Context

Lebanon Syria

The history and local impact of the long-lasting Israel and Palestine conflict.

Mediterranean Sea

Gaza Strip

West Bank Jerusalem

Israel

Jordan

Egypt

Saudi Arabia Illustration by Renia Pipinos

10 • Dec 12, 2023

GLOBAL CONFLICT CREATES LOCAL UPSET Students impacted by Israeli-Palestinian conflict share perspectives CALLIE MENKE Sports Editor

On Oct. 7, a violent attack attracted glob-

al attention as the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza reached a new level of intensity. Social Studies teacher Matt Meyer has followed past tensions in an effort to stay knowledgeable about the ongoing conflicts that have led up to Oct. 7. Due to teaching AP World History, Theory of Knowledge and Honors Latin III, he understands students may come to him with questions. “In the context of the last 20 years, there’s been on and off conflict, on and off war and on and off activities between both sides, between Israel and between Hamas and then Oct. 7 happens. It draws this global attention back to what has been happening for years,” Meyer said. During the years of unrest and conflict that have existed in this area of the world, there has been a contentious history between Palestiniains and Israelis, with continuous friction between the two. “But it [past conflicts] was on a different scale. And so, on Oct. 7, Hamas broke through using bulldozers, through border fences, and from there, a number of militants of Hamas soldiers flooded into Israeli settlements that were close,” Meyer said. The attack led to further divide between Israel and Palestine. After the attacks the Israeli Defense Force was deployed. The IDF reacted by following their attack with airstrikes on Gaza. Seniors Doniven Polivka and Yara Omar have both been vocal on their perspectives regarding the ongoing conflict. “I am proudly Jewish. I spent time in Israel, I’ve studied in Israel and I’ve become close with many Israelis. Some of my friends are in the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), so this is very personal. That’s how I’m connected because it’s my culture,” Polivka said. While Polivka has ties to Israel, Omar has connections to Palestine. “I am connected to the events currently unfolding in Gaza through being human. Although I am a person of color, Muslim and culturally simi-

lar to the people of Palestine, I’m ultimately connected to this issue because I am human.” Omar said In these attacks Omar sees more than just violence. She sees injustice and oppression against her people. Similar to this, Polivka realizes how this impact is affecting the lives of Jewish people. “It has made me very aware of the global disregard for Jewish lives. It’s very scary. But I’m also seeing many communities come together to support Jewish people. And that is like the silver lining of all of this as people are supporting Jews and Israel. So it’s hard that there is so much trauma and tragedy, [but] it’s cool to see people join together,” Polivka said. Through social media and news there is a strong online coverage that allows widespread accessibility to information about Gaza and Israel. Based on all that she has seen from her perspective, Omar feels what has happened to Palestinians is genocide. It has taken a large toll on her mental health “It has been extremely painful,” Omar said. Polivka is hurt, too. He points out the dramatic rise in anti-semetic incidents in the USA. The Anti-Defamation League reported in October a 400% rise in such incidents. “It feels glaringly obvious that this war is not limited to Israel and Gaza,” Polivka said. Although the events taking place are some 6,000 miles away, the impact is tremendous on these students and many people around the world. The emotions of Omar and Polvika are evident from their statements. “There is a lot [of emotions] being it’s a war and all that. But the loss of life on both sides is very tough, makes me emotional, because there are both innocent people on both sides losing lives that don’t deserve to,” Polivka said. Both students agree that innocent lives are being lost. The death toll is rising daily. “What has made me feel most emotional is the videos and images of what Gaza looks like today, compared to what it previously looked like. Rather than dancing and socializing on the streets, people in Gaza today are out in the streets searching for their lost family and friends beneath pieces of large rubble from the bombings,” Omar said. The events are intense. Most high school students

Important Terms

are not fully informed. It’s difficult to understand the impact that a regional conflict has on the entire world. Omar and Polivka are examples of how someone far away from the conflict can be affected. Each has specific takeaways that they want the public to know. “I would like people to know that Judaism is a way of life in their religion,” Polivka said. “They are people that love and respect life. And you can see when Israel and Gaza were coexisting in its own fractured way, going up until Oct. 7. It wasn’t exactly perfect, but people were able to live their life. ” Omar feels strongly that others should be informed about the conflict and its history. “I would like people to know that every single one of their voices and actions matter during a time of severe media misrepresentation and propaganda. It is vitally important that the truth is known amongst people, it is important to make that post to educate your followers of what they’re not seeing. It’s important to not get wrapped up in the privileged lives we live and extend our empathy and full support to people who are being silently massacred in the 1000s,” Omar said. They also encourage others to speak up about what they believe. Both Polvika and Omar have actively researched and spoken about the topic, making connections to family and followers, all in an effort to share and inform. “The least we can do is spread awareness of their tragedies and do everything in our power to not support or fund companies that are enabling this genocide to occur. If you’ve ever wondered what you [would] do during slavery, the Holocaust or the civil rights movement, we’re doing it right now,” Omar said. Similarly, Polivka feels passionately about how Jewish people are affected. “There are only 15 million Jews in the world… And I honestly believe this war is not about land. It’s about fighting for the right to exist,” Polivka said. This is a global issue. It is important to educate yourself about this current event specifically because of the widespread impact that it has on people. History is happening. Consider your sources, look through multiple lenses, and whatever you do, be informed.

Nakba

An Arabic term which means “catastrophe” in English. A term for when many Palestinians were displaced from their homelands in 1948. Nation-State

Intifada

An Arabic term which means “shaking off” in English. In the context of the conflict, this term refers to a Palestinian civil uprising.

City-State

An independent state which runs under its own governnment.

Zionism

A movement founded by Theodor Herzl, with the goal of creating a Jewish national state in Palestine, due to the historical ties to the region. The historic region of land east of the Mediterranean Sea. It is currently separated into modern Israel and Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

Occupation

When a territory is under the military control of a different power. Israel occupies the Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

An international zone, which is considered a holy land and is home to holy sites for three religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

Palestine

A state in which citizens share a common nationality or culture. The state of Israel is a nation-state.

Sources: Britannica,The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Dutton Institute

MNHSONLINE.COM • 11

‘PLACE AND SPACE FOR EACH OTHER’S PAIN’ Tri-Faith initiative works to build bridges, especially amidst Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ISHANI KARKI Yearbook Editor-in-Chief

“

And”, it’s the word most familiar to an initiative focused on unity between communities. Realizing that there are always two perspectives to a story and that two experiences are not mutually exclusive is a recurring lesson for many at the Tri-Faith initiative. Located at 13136 Faith Plz, the Tri-Faith Center aims to bring harmony among the three Abrahamic religions by showcasing the beliefs and values corresponding to each religion. This mission stands true even when the bridges that have been built are tested with immense weight. Through the devastations occurring in Israel and Palestine, Tri-Faith recognizes the tragedies taking place between both the Jewish and Muslim communities. With so many members of Temple Israel and the American Muslim Institute (partners of Tri-Faith) working with each other on the day-to-day, grief can be seen throughout. “The thing we’re doing that’s most important [to support each other through the conflict] is holding place and space for each other’s pain. There’s a lot of grieving happening, and my goal is to help people hold more than one truth. It is possible that the Jewish people can be terrified about the calls for extermination of the Jewish people and it is equally unacceptable for any kind of ethnic cleansing or the same feelings of extermination of Palestinian people to be felt by Muslims globally,” executive director of Tri-Faith initiative Wendy Goldberg said. During such divisive times, many members of the community echo Goldberg’s message. Vice President and board member of the American Muslim Institute Hesham Basma empathizes with his peers but also his Jewish friends who are feeling the same whirlwind of emotions. “It’s a very difficult time for all of us. We just have to try to understand and try to go through the history. It [this conflict] did not really start on October 7th, it’s been a very long conflict. We try to find common ground so we can build on what we can [and] show everyone around us

ites in Jerusa S l ly

H Source: BBC News

we still can come together, we still can understand each The activities [fundraisers] that we’ve had so far were other and try to just be a role model [for] the people around very successful. The doctors, psychiatrists, and more told the world. It hurts on both sides, but we still can see the us ‘If you see any people are traumatized by this, please light at the end of the tunnel, and if people on both sides let us know how we can help.’ The community is coming are committed to peace, we will see peace,” Basma said. together and I’m very positive that the Jewish community Basma is far from the only religious figure at the center in the temple is coming together as well,” Basma said. Sharff affirms this message of a now tightthat sees this conflict as a complex issue that has conflicted pain and suffering in both communities. The senior Rab- er-knit community and shows the effects of bonding. “We’ve seen a lot of people really rally around Jubi of Temple Israel, Benjamin Sharff has been a part of the congregation for five months, and he sees clearly how daism because one of the unfortunate offshoots about important it is for the two communities to stick together this is you see a tremendous rise in anti-semitism. This is not to say people don’t have and console one another. He finds one the right to criticize the Israeof the best ways to do that is by creli government or go protest in ating a safe space for communication. There’s a lot of front of the consulate or the em“Most of the members of my bassy, that I think is a civic oblicommunity [Temple Israel] are proud grieving happening and it gation, but when you attack a supporters of the State of Israel, but is my goal to help people Jewish business [or] protest it doesn’t mean we’ve always been in front of a synagogue, that’s no proud supporters of the Israeli gov- hold more than one longer a civic protest, that’s anernment. We are all deeply pained truth. ti-Semitic acts. We have a long by the loss of innocent life, both on Wendy Goldberg 2,000-year-plus history of being the Israeli and Palestinian side. We vilified, so people are comfeel this overwhelming desire that we Executive Director of Tri-Faith ing here:one,because they have to try and solve everything going Initiative want to be able to be in a safe on to the detriment of our relationships with people who are next door. We don’t have to Jewish space, [and] two, because they want a space solve the problems of the geopolitical world, it is our where they can have a conversation about their diverresponsibility to work on our relationships with each gent opinions about what’s going on,” Sharff said. With their faith ever-growing, so does their deother and encourage people to continue to see the divinity in each of their fellow human beings,” Sharff said. sire to help others through these periods of need. Faith in a higher power when viewing such calam- Looking at the complexities of the situation from evities may have the tendency to weaken but in many ery angle, Tri-Faith is working towards building even cases, faith flourishes in ways never seen before. Both stronger bridges and reiterating the goal that started Sharff and Basma testify to the persistence of faith. it all, unity. As everybody thinks about how to form “Such turmoil will bring the people together, a lot unison, the word “and” reappears in mind, realizof community members are coming together in support. ing that there are two truths to a complicated affair.

“

”

1000 BCE

8000-1000

Canaan

Commonly referred to as The Land of Israel, Palestine, or The Promised Land

Capital: Jerusalem

Land known as Canaan.

931

1000

Israel-Palestine Conflict Timeline

Israelites, under King David, conquer the land, calling it The Land of Israel. Throughout history, it has been called many names.

BCE dates are approximations

King David’s son, King Solomon, dies and the land is split into two kingdoms.

Information updated as of 12/6/23

Sources: US News and World Report, Public

The Ottoman Empire falls. Britain gets control of the land. The British Mandate goes into place, in which Britain promised to establish a national homeland for the Jewish under the Balfour Declaration.

1923

Broadcasting Service, History on Maps

Timeline Key

Capital: Samaria

Conquest by Roman Empire leads to The Kingdom of Judah being renamed to Palestine.

Jerusalem Kingdom of Judah

63 BCE

1948

1516-1923 1897

1923 CE 1948 CE

The Oslo Accords The first Oslo Accord was peace agreement to end the First Intifada.

Ac c

2023

On October 7, Hamas surprise-attacks Israel, going through a security fence between Gaza and Israel. Missiles are shot into the area, hostages are taken, and civilians are shot.

1993

and Oslo

Israel

2021

The First Intifada An uprising against the Israeli government by Palestinians, as a result of Israeli settling and occupation of their designated land.

1987-1993

da tifa In

Gaza (occupied by Israel)

West Bank (occupied by Israel)

2018

1973

Firs t

Hamas splits from Palestinian authority and takes control of Gaza Strip. Israel puts Gaza under blockage. US President Donald Trump announces that Jerusalem will be recognized by the US as capital of Israel. Moves US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Violence and demonstrations break out as a response.

On Oct. 6, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack against Israel. Fighting continues until a cease-fire resolution is agreed to.

Evictions of Palestinians in East Jerusalem are mandated, leading to Hamas sending rockets into Israeli territory. Israel responds with airstikes. A ceasefire was reached 11 days later.

Israelian Defense Minister orders a “complete siege” of Gaza. This means cutting off food, medical supplies, and power from the area.

1995

d Oslo Acco con rds

West Bank (occupied by Jordan)

1967

The war results in Israel gaining control of territories previously control of other countries. These territories included the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai Peninsula.

Gaza (occupied by Egypt)

Hamas wins majority of seats in Palestinian parliamentary elections.

2007

Israel

1967 CE

2006

Tensions, including Egypt blockading an Israeli port and joining a mutual defense pact with Jordan, between Israel and neighbors results in an Israeli attack on Egyptian airforce.

Kippur W ar Yom

ond Intif ad

Arab State

Jewish State

e Sec

2000

Israeli future Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visits the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites, causing controversy which leads to The Second Intifada. More violent than the first, results in Israel withdrawing from Gaza.

Zionism is founded by Theodor Herzl, leading to thousands of Jews moving to the region from Europe.

1949

Palestine

The Ottoman Empire rules the land and much of the Middle East. The land is called Palestine.

Nakba means “Catastrophe”. Throughout the Arab-Israeli War, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are displaced, with many ending up in refugee camps.

1948

Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon invade territory in the former Palestinian designated areas. Israel wins the war, resulting in them gaining previously-Palestinian territory.

Six-Day War

1516 CE

Palestine

Israel declares itself as an independent state.

The Nakba

Kingdom of Israel

Islam spreads due to an Arab conquest. Jerusalem becomes the holy city for three religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

b-Israeli War Ara

636

The UN decides to split the region into two separate states, a Jewish one and an Arab one, with Jerusalem being an international zone.

1947

Zooming In on the 1900s

931 BCE

Kingdom of Israel

BCE

During the Holocaust, many Jews flee from Europe back to Palestine. This escalated tensions. Britain withrew from the region.

1933-1942

ord

8000-1000 BCE

12 • Dec 12, 2023

The Second Oslo Accords grants Palestine rights to rule themselves in Gaza Strip and West Bank.

A 7-day ceasefire began on November 24 and ended on December 1. During the ceasefire, over 300 hostages or prisoners were freed between the sides.

Fighting resumes, with airstrikes in Israel and Gaza. As effort to lessen casualties, Israel sends information about safe and unsafe locations using leaflets. Palestinians being displaced in high volumes. Every effort was made to compile factual and balanced information

OPINIONS • 13

FINAL FEVER

THE HOOFBEAT

Finals makeup days: How do we go about it?

Mia’s Message

ing ring. Your alarm goes off, 6:00 am sharp. You get up, ready to start your school day, only, to your dismay, it isn’t a school day. It is Jan. 3 and still winter break. Sighing, you reluctantly drag yourself out of bed, MIA CASTRO ready to take all seven of your finals News Editor within a seven-hour period. This has been a prevalent problem spurring frequent debate for students who often go out of town for the holidays or inconveniently attract sickness during the last days of the semester. These unfortunate individuals are faced with the disadvantage of the finals makeup schedule: depending on the year, January 3rd or 4th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., a schedule prepared to make you wish you would’ve stayed home while your family journeyed to a sandy, warm beach vacation destination. But, as students, it’s our responsibility to nourish and fortify our education, even when it becomes more of a challenge to do so. Finals schedules might be a hassle at the time you’re faced with them, but it’s much better than taking a slab out of your break to take your required assessments. I was faced with this challenge myself in 2021. Every year, my family and I visit family overseas. It’s a tradition we’ve had for as far as I can remember and something I look forward to from January to the next December. I only have an uncle and aunt who live in Nebraska with us, so this annual trip is a big deal as it’s the only time I see my extended family all year. This practice never posed a problem for me until freshman year. We try to leave as early as possible partly to spend the most time we can with our loved ones and partly because ticket prices skyrocket and availability lowers after the 18th. In my 9th grade year, I missed both finals days for a family vacation, leaving me to take on the concerning “one-day finals” schedule. Determined to keep my grades up, I packed all my school supplies and materials with me to work hard on the plane, during free time, or essentially any time I came

across the rare sight of internet access. I was stressed and worried the entire trip, wondering if I was going to remember every theorem I learned for my Geometry class, every vocabulary word for Honors English 9, and all of the terms for Biology for the semester. It was something I never wanted to repeat, so every year after that I begged and pleaded with my parents not to let me miss those finals days. It cut down on our travel days significantly, as the 20th and 21st, MN’s usual finals dates, are usually the last ones you can snag before the holiday rush. This left me wondering, why do we have these oneday finals schedules as makeup days? It seems to create issues for several groups who have to leave early or simply can’t make it these days for one reason or another. Why aren’t students allowed to take them early? According to school administrators, the reason why MN doesn’t allow early finals is to protect the integrity of the final, as teachers spend a lot of time developing the finals and prepping students for them. Although students usually try to avoid interfering with finals schedules, sometimes, like for junior Demaysia Townsell, it’s something out of their control. Townsell got COVID right before the end of the semester of her freshman year and had to come in the next year to take her finals. For other students, like me my freshman year, being present during finals isn’t possible because of a preplanned trip or excursion. But all around, school administration suggests students and parents plan out-of-school events away from finals dates. In this case, it’s advisable and necessary to plan ahead and communicate with parents to know if you’re heading out of town or have a commitment to something outside of school for these last few days of the semester. Additionally, if you’re present for at least the last week before break, you’ll gain the benefit of in-class material review and you won’t have to study over break. Circumstances like one-day finals and the factors that make us students participate in this day might be difficult to plan or anticipate, that is clear, but as students, it is on us to put our education first. When we are met with the option of gratefully utilizing teachers’ help and completing academic duties at the time they’re due, we should do so and learn to adapt to the consequences if not.

The Hoofbeat staff will publish six issues of the paper at Millard North High School (1010 South 144th Street, Omaha, NE). Type is set with the use of Macintosh and HP computers. Printing is done by White Wolf Printing, Sheldon IA. The Hoofbeat is a member of the Nebraska High School Press Association and JEA. The Hoofbeat exists for the express purpose of student information and learning. Advertising: Advertising will be sold at $7 per column inch or by special quarter, half, or full page rates. Information can be obtained by calling 402-715-1404. Responding to the Hoofbeat: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Room 1105 or sent to sacrotzer@mpsomaha.org. Names will be published. Letters must not contain attacks against an individual and may be edited for clarity.

THE STAFF Editor-in-Chief Teagan Lynch Front Page Editor Elias Pipinos News Editor Mia Castro Opinions Editor Anuj Singh In-Depth Editor Teagan Lynch Lifestyle Editor Natalie Hill Sports Editor Callie Menke Social Media Editor Cece Vlieger Adviser Sarah Crotzer Principal Aaron Bearinger

Cartoonist Violet Bredenkamp Photographers Kai Pavlova Cece Vlieger Staff Writers Grace Evert Sumanas Maram Mira Mukherjee Kai Pavlova Renia Pipinos Mahdis Riazikhah Sarah Robey Prisha Sabherwal Teja Sridher Matthew Um

Find us on... Twitter: @mnhoofbeat Instagram: @mnhs.hoofbeat Website: mnhsonline.com

14 • Dec. 12, 2023

LOVE SHOULDN’T BE PAINFUL Mahdis’s Mentality

Romanticized abuse in novels and movies targets teenage expectations of relationships

MAHDIS RIAZIKAH Staff Writer

close out of TikTok, feeling frustrated. People don’t understand the point of It Ends With Us. This book is more than a love triangle between Lily, the main character, Atlas, her first love, and Ryle, a neurosurgeon. This book is about Lily escaping the cycle of abuse from her

dad to her significant other. Often, teenagers read books where the love interest emotionally and physically abuses the main character, and the author excuses their behavior, claiming that it is love. An article from Kaneland Krier stated that romanticizing abuse starts when we are young. We are told when a boy or girl bothers you, it means they like you. Typical things we hear are “Boys will be boys,” “Tighten up, they didn’t mean it like that,” and “It was a joke.” The media does not help either. They make toxic relationships healthy. They give the audience an attractive love interest with new and exciting “tropes.” Teens start wanting the same kind of love as their favorite characters, ignoring the red flags. Colleen Hoover was inspired to write It Ends With Us by her mom’s experience with domestic violence. The problem is the book is marketed as romance. Ryle forced himself on her, pushed her down the stairs, manipulated her, and sent her to the hospi-

tal. That is not love. Booktuber Hannah [A Clockwork Reader] mentioned she was appalled that It Ends with Us was classified as romance. She described Hoover as problematic. A teacher dating a student, step-siblings sleeping with each other, and dating someone for five years who was responsible for the fire that caused you trauma is not abusive in Hoover’s eyes in her other books, but domestic violence is an abusive relationship. Hannah described Hoover as a hypocrite for calling It Ends With Us abuse when she romanticized abuse in her other books. When you read something toxic in a romanticized way, you will take that into your daily life if you don’t know how harmful the book is. In After, by Anna Todd, Hardin, a rebel and a player with a difficult past, manipulates and physically abuses Tessa, threatens her, controls her, and is possessive. This behavior is justifiable due to Hardin’s troubled past. Tessa isn’t any better; she slut-shames, is judgemental, and jealous. She considered slapping Hardin multiple times when he bothered her. In one instance, Tessa thought, “...he removes one hand from my wrists, but the other is large enough to

hold both. For a second, I think he might slap me.” Hardin also threatened her, saying, “Don’t say that. Don’t you dare try and leave me…I can easily find out where you are.” According to psychologist Dr. Sarah Davies, the author of Never Again: Moving On from Narcissistic Abuse and Other Toxic Relationships, “most of us find we replicate early childhood relationship dynamics in our adulthood. Usually, the kinds of relationships we have witnessed or experienced growing up are typically what we are drawn to as adults.” Hardin and Ryle are two guys with trauma, from Ryle accidentally killing his brother to Hardin growing up with an abusive and alcoholic dad. Some people with trauma become abusers because they develop defense mechanisms like violence, shouting, and other acts of volatile actions. Some due to mistrust in others, some have problems healing, justification, etc. as stated by Learning Mind. However, trauma is no excuse for abuse. Not all people who have trauma will become an abuser. It ultimately starts with you wanting power over your lover. If authors want to write romanticized abuse, that is fine. There is a trope called dark romance, perfect for that. But don’t market that book to teens. They are new to dating and still naive. Target it to adults who know the difference between fiction and reality. As an author, if you want to write a story about a character’s journey through abuse and how they heal, do it right; don’t market it as romance. If we start to acknowledge how media and literature romanticizing abuse is problematic to teens and try to make a difference, teens will be shown a healthy relationship.

LIFESTYLE • 15

TWINKLING BLISS

A radiant review of the best festive lights around Omaha

along with the enjoyment of the zoolightful animals. you won’t want to miss out on the festivities. Coming back closer to home, there are always neighIf the zoo isn’t your cup of cocoa, venture further to downtown Omaha where trees are engulfed with lights. bors ready to light up the night. Linden Estates with Bundling up in blankets as we enjoy the lights has to be its colossal housing and astounding lights will ensure one of my favorite holiday traditions. The fact that it’s you never get bored steering through the snowy lanes. Another neighborhood to peek at is the free will have your wallet smiling as much as you are. Hawthorne neighborhood. These delectable Most of the decor is located in the Old Market Entertainlights will quench your hunger for holiday spirment District, the best place to drive or walk and look at it. With houses covered from foundation to the thoughtful displays, as it lights up not only the trees roof in lights, you’re sure to be impressed. but our spirits. You also have the opportunity to ride A favorite choice of mine is the in a horse drawn carriage, cruising about downtown Regency neighborhood. With all the big and making the experience even more magical. houses and bold lighting, you surely won’t be Nearby, Midtown is another spot to ganbored. There are also many trails to travder at lights. With Christmas decorations As it el, and you will find lights on every path displayed in the windows, it’s a pretyou take. Additionally, the Regency Mall ty place to pass by. Whether you need gets colder, is not only a beautiful place to drive by to stop by a local shop, or just enjoy consider adding but also a great place to stop and shop, the scenery, you won’t be disappointan extra layer, as or even look at the wonderful decoraed as the lights illuminate your spirits. well as a hat and tions waiting to catch your eye inside. Another great place to stop by is If your spirits have not been lifted you may South Omaha, where lights are strung mittens. need to grab a hot chocolate to soothe your soul. up and people sing carols. It is a wonThis holiday season is always exciting, not because derful place to see more magnificent lights, which will make you feel warm and cozy as you of the physical gifts we receive but the time we take to apenjoy the shops and charm of the neighborhood. preciate the beauty all around us. With that said, I hope this If even that doesn’t suffice, Ralston is anoth- helps you find your own personal favorite holiday lights er beautiful area to explore. With the Ralston Gra- display to glue your eyes upon, realizing how lucky we are nary and main street itself decked out in lights, to have such a beautiful winter wonderland as a home.

NDLE

! UP

CECE VLIEGER Staff Writer s snow falls on our patience; with smooth hot chocolate brazing our lips, we slowly cruise around Omaha looking for the picture-perfect attraction that captivates everyone, leaving them in awe. With the holiday season approaching, everyone wants to find out where the perfect festive lights are. So you no longer have to face the danger of the wretched cold only to find subpar lights, here are the top attractions I found in our peaceful town during this holiday season. Starting with the best attraction that has lights that dance with the music: Werner Park is home to not only baseball, but also holiday fun. Santa’s Rock n Lights is a mile of fun-filled lights you get to drive through. With a purchase of a ticket (starting at $29.99, prices may vary) you can have a fun-filled night, complete with programmed Christmas songs on the display’s own radio station. With this, your family will form new memories at Werner Park, and stay warm during the frigid cold. If you are looking for attractions you can walk around in and even interact with, look no further. As we head downtown we stop at the zoo, where Zoolightful lights brighten up the area. Whether you purchase you and your family an igloo (starting at $250), build a gingerbread house in Gingerbread Village, or slide down their 120 foot long ice slide, you will find fun-filled memories,

COMFY AND COZY

If going out isn’t your thing, there are plenty of ways to get into the holiday spirit from the comfort of your own home.

Make festive cookies or hot chocolate and watch your favorite Christmas movie.

Listen to Christmas music. There are plenty of playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, or you can create your own!

Decorate gingerbread houses. It could be just for fun, or as a competition with your friends/family.

WRAPPING IT UP

A condensed list of the destinations mentioned above

- Werner Park’s Santa’s Rock’n Lights - Henry Doorly Zoo’s Zoolightful Lights - The Old Market - Midtown

- South Omaha

- Ralston - Linden Estates - Hawthorne - Regency All these locations offer holiday sights!

16 • Dec. 12, 2023

MIC’D UP MUSTANGS

Talented broadcasting crew covers sports on-air and on-line TEAGAN LYNCH Editor-In-Chief

nder the lights, athletes perform for the U fans in the stands. However, behind the lights, stands a crew that brings it all to the screen. With quick wit, technology skills beyond compare, and a bond to bring it all together, the five MN sportscast members bring game streams to life and ensure that no sport is left behind. The broadcasting group went live three years ago and has avoided dead air ever since. Senior Ian Kling leads the voices of the Mustangs as the Play-by-Play Commentator, followed by junior Luke Glasgow and junior Sharish Shapkota, the Color Commentators. “I am the Head Commentator so during the play I’m talking… I’m the main guy,” Kling said. “After play is over he [the Color Commentator] adds on or has stats that he [the Color Commentator] brings up, kind of the second guy.” The first behind-the-scenes member is the Technician, senior Paige Case. Case’s job is to switch from live feed to replays, as well as running the timer and, when at Buell Stadium, the light show. “I actually came up to do it by mistake. The new lights were at Buell Stadium so I volunteered to do that and, as I was doing that, Harding asked me if I wanted to do [broadcasting] also,” Case said. To round off the crew is Math Department

Head Aaron Harding, the Broadcast Club Leader. “I love getting to help students do what they love to do and may want to pursue a career in,” Harding said. “It is worth the time and effort to support our students.” Live-streamed sports include volleyball, wrestling, football, and basketball, with the latter two including commentary. Live streams can be accessed on the group’s Youtube: Millard North Live Streaming. The rest of the sports are covered on their Instagram account: mnhs_sportscast. “What I’m trying to do with my Instagram account, the Sportscast, is to cover all the sports that don’t get the main coverage,” Kling said. Between filming, following, and commentating, members are constantly adjusting to and learning about the sports they cover. “Things pop up,” Case said. “Sometimes there’s plays that I don’t know what’s going on or I’m not sure how long to set the replay or things like that.” Not only do students grow in their knowledge of sports, but they also grow in their knowledge of technology and broadcast roles. “My favorite part about working with students is seeing the growth from when they first start out to when they graduate. Usually, students have almost no experience with anything related to live broadcast and are very nervous to get started. But by the time they graduate their confidence has grown significantly and they love what they do,” Harding said. Despite not physically play-

ing the sports they cover, the broadcast team is actively engaged and involved in them. “I really like behind-the-scenes work, so I like kind of being a part of a sport but not actually being in it,” Case said. “So you learn some of the players and things like that.” The sportscast crew members are also involved in activities outside of broadcast, from theater to athletics. They work hard to balance these commitments. “It’s time-consuming. I finish my practice for wrestling and then I go and commentate a basketball game, so I won’t get home until nine [or] ten o’clock, so balancing that and school has been tough but not impossible,” Kling said. The earlier students start, the more time they have to develop their skills. “I would start as early as you can so you can learn everything you need to,” Harding said. “The difficult part is finding the time to train students adequately to get started and also finding room in everyone’s busy schedules.” The whole team works well together to bring sports to home viewers, but the commentators carry a special role in creating excitement and providing context. “[Some skills developed are] being able to talk smoothly under pressure, having to come up with what to say, when to say it; timing. Also working with other people, trying to create that banter between the two commentators that make the stream enjoyable to watch,” Kling said. Where action goes, the sportscast crew follows, impassioned and prepared to keep the Mustang population on the sports channel.

Poised and Professional: Lights, Camera, Action:

Sportscasters stop to take a selfie before going live. They are preparing for the football game versus Millard South. Photograph from mnhs_sportscast on Instagram

Student members of the sportscasting crew pose for a group photo in front of the Mustang Mural. From left to right, they are junior Sharish Shapkota, junior Luke Glasgow, senior Ian Kling, and senior Paige Case. Photograph contributed by Paige Case

Locked In:

Kling, Glasgow and Shapkota are hard at work making the sportscast a reality. They are working behind the scenes at the football game versus Papillion La Vista, the first game of the season. Photograph from mnhs_sportscast on Instagram

MNHSONLINE.COM • 17

FROM PASSION TO PROFIT Junior Desmond Dhaenens finds great success after launching his clothing brand PRISHA SABHERWAL Online Editor

n the dim light over his head, he sat hunched over his cluttered desk, lost in the sketches of his upcoming creative piece. The soft hum of his creativity blended with the silence of his bedroom as he crafted the threads of his vision into pixels. Each drawing represented something. With every click, he wasn’t just designing a shirt; he was weaving the fabric of his brand, stitching together dreams that would soon be worn by everyone. He was transferring his imagination into something tangible, creating a wearable masterpiece for all to see. During their high school years, students often seek opportunities to engage in creative hobbies that allow them to express themselves and develop their skills alongside academic studies. One such activity picked by students is running their own clothing brand. Junior Desmond Dhaenens started his brand Bandemic during the pandemic when there wasn’t anything for him to do. His love for design and drawing pulled him towards starting his own clothing brand. Now that he has started this journey, he feels it definitely takes a lot to manage, but determination helps him succeed. “It takes a lot of time during your day, you have to spend countless nights even getting good. You got to perfect your artwork. It’s just determination. If you want to make a brand, you have to stick to it and keep on grinding or it’s never going to come true,” Dhaenens said. Senior Jack Johnson has witnessed the efforts of his friend Dhaenens. He believes Dhaenens is embarking on something truly remarkable by starting his clothing brand.

Dhaenens isn’t the only student with a passion for fashion. Senior Nolan Smith creates humorous designs and sells them through his website:

“Just him putting in work for his brand is what makes him unique. I don’t really see a lot of high school kids making their own brands and stuff like that when they’re 16 or 17. So I just think it’s kind of impressive that he’s making this and doing it by himself,” Johnson said. The design process is challenging and takes a lot of time and effort. The process begins with a vision for the clothing piece, followed by brainstorming and sketching multiple ideas in a notebook or on an iPad. From these ideas, the best design is chosen. Once the design is sketched on the iPad, decisions on printing style and fabric are made. “Nowadays, there are more bland designs like one word on a T-shirt. I like to add a bunch of characters and just unique stuff,” Dhaenen said. Finally, everything is conveyed to the manufacturer to start the production process. Dhaenens’s manufacturer lives in Pakistan and his name is Muhammad. Dhaenens sends him his ideas and he makes all of the clothing come to life. Dhaenens believes that designs carry messages and that is what continues to inspire him. “Something that inspires my designs is the message that I am giving through my designs. I want people to wear my clothing for a reason,” Dhaenens said. Just recently, in October, he organized a brand celebration that more than 300 people attended. At this event, people got to dance, eat, and know each other. Everyone got to hear about the next upcoming brand designs. Everything was planned with great detail so that the audience could get the best experience. Among the many people who attended the event was senior Franklin White, who believes that the event was wonderfully organized.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

“There are not really a lot of people at Desmond’s age doing this type of work. Everyone from the Bandemic is very young. The event was very big and I hadn’t gone to such a big party before. It was a lot of fun and I am very proud of him, ” White said. Dhaenens currently gets customers from On Display: 20 different Junior Desmond Dhaenens’ latest states, howevdesign is laid out for potential cus- er, he doesn’t tomers to see. By posting his clothes wish to stop just on social media, Dhaenens gains here. “I have popularity as well as sales. some expanPhotograph contributed by sion plans. My Desmond Dhaenens hope for the future is to have buyers from all 50 states. I also would love to have the chance to promote my clothing at big events here in Nebraska. Lastly, I want the world to know my brand and know what we stand for,” Dhaenens said.

18 • SPORTS • Dec. 12, 2023

BEYOND THE RINK Navigating Academics and Athletics on Ice ELIAS PIPINOS Front-Page Editor

very run-of-the-mill, school-affiliated high school sport is met with leniency in assignments, the support of the student body, and triumph as their wins are announced to the school body. A majority of student-athletes can revel in this affiliation, seeing their glory make front pages, whether it be in the physical form of the school newspaper or the auditory forms of announcements, the school broadcast, and by word-of-mouth. The majority, though, is not the topic of this story; as a sport unaffiliated and often unfamiliar to the faculty, students, and staff at MN, hockey can easily be overlooked and misunderstood by those that are uninformed and unfamiliar. But why is this popular sport not affiliated with the school? Hockey is hosted and managed by the Omaha Junior Lancers for the majority of high school players and covers a large extent of not only the Omaha population but also as far as Fremont and even Lincoln. This begs the question: how does one stay afloat in school, and what does this disaffiliation mean for our players? “Teachers don’t really know what’s going on for us, and I always have to take the first step to ensure my absence is accounted for,” Senior Jackson Lundgren said. “They know why a football player’s absent, but teachers don’t know why I’m missing, so there isn’t as much leniency for missing work.” This is a story all too common for hockey players not only in the Junior Lancers but in high school hockey itself. Despite this, staff misunderstandings are only the beginning of hockey struggles in the academic setting. “I am at the rink 3 times a week, in the weight room for 2 days, and traveling for competitions very often, so if I wanted

to join school clubs, it’s out of the question,” Lundgren said. For others on the hockey team, this struggle rings true. Senior Davis Mardesen, who plays for the Junior Lancers as well, struggles to stay on the same page not only in school and in his classes, but in other sport experiences. “The independence of hockey being unaffiliated with the school can be difficult,” Mardesen said. “Scheduled times aren’t around school calendars, and it can be hard to play a school sport here because coaches don’t really understand the priori-

Stick, Glide, Score, Repeat:

You can hear his skates slice through the ice as he speeds down the rink. Senior, Jackson Lunderon, locks in as the puck flys around the ice. Photograph by Amber Badura

ties of out-of-school sports.” Despite this difficulty that ails the hockey players in the Junior Lancers, there are upsides that make the experience much more enjoyable for its players. “We have a long season that starts when football is starting up and ends after basketball ends as well,” Mar-

desen said. This lengthy sport season allows for dozens of games to be played and for the team to grow together not only in practices but but in competitions as well. Along with this long play time and the improvements, relationships, and experiences that come with it, hockey players can experience more outside of Nebraska. “We play two games every weekend, but we get the opportunity to travel the Midwest, going to cities like Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines as a team,” Mardesen said. “We even have players on our teams that travel to play with us.” This positive aspect of hockey isn’t the only plus side to this story. To the luck of our statewide hockey aficionados, the sport has taken ahold of the Cornhusker State and has grown massively since the 1990s, around which multiple different junior, collegiate, and club teams began to spring about in Nebraska, including the Omaha Junior Lancers. “I have definitely noticed an improvement in the school environment, and I hope to see more as we continue in our season,” Lundgren said. In comparison to the grip that football, basketball, and other major sports have on the Nebraska population, hockey may be overlooked for now, but with the various developments, traveling opportunities, and teams there are for the state, hockey is only growing in its impact in Nebraska. Despite the struggles of a sport making its place in an environment already riddled with diehard fans, hockey is making great strides and making a place for itself not only in Nebraska, but in the Millard community, too.

Upcoming Games In December 16

Jr. Lancers Varsity at Dubuque Devils Saturday, 7:00pm Dubuque Ice Arena, Dubuque, IA, USA

Dubuque Devils at Jr. Lancers Varsity Sunday, 11:00am, 1:00pm Dubuque Ice Arena, Dubuque, IA, USA

Jr. Lancers Varsity at Cedar Rapids Roughriders Friday, 7:00pm ImOn Ice, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

Jr. Lancers Varsity at Cedar Rapids Roughriders Saturday, 11:00am ImOn Ice, Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

MNHSONLINE.COM • 19

THE GOLDEN COMMUNITY How swimmers and divers help a fellow teammate in a time of need ARGYRENIA PIPINOS Staff Writer

that no one is alone in this process. During the annual pre-season meeting on Oct. 24, swim coach Andrew Cunningham suggested that every team member and hat is a found family? A place where people take parent write a note for Austin to lift her spirits. Over 60 care of each other, offer support and show uncondition- notes were sent to Austin’s house that day. “Receiving the cards made al love. For sophomore Emily Austin, that is the me feel very special and cared swim and dive team. about, especially because a lot On Monday, Aug. 28, Ausof the people who wrote cards tin had severe pain in her back didn’t really know me, but they causing her to go to urgent care. still wrote sweet messages and During this visit, they didn’t drew pictures,” Austin said. find anything abnormal but The swimmers and divers the pain persisted so off she announced that, just in time for went again. More tests, the state competition in Februimaging, and blood work ary, some of them will either were done before they fishave their heads or dye their nally found the cause. Aushair pink just to make Austin had a mass on her spine. tin laugh. For these athletes, “Honestly, the whole laughter and the joy shared process of going to urgent among teammates is the best care, waiting two days, and medicine coming back was very disap“A positive outlook in life, pointing to me and my famiin general, is really important ly,” Austin said and is the key to Emily’s speedy On Thursday, Sept. 7th, Letters Of Love: recovery, which won’t be hard for her biopsy came back and Emily Austin recieved over 60 letters and card her because she is always full of she was diagnosed with Ew- from her MN family. The swim and dive team laughter,” senior Alex Urbaski ing’s Sarcoma, a rare type of pulled together a team meeting dedicated to said. cancer affecting the inside making Austin feel special. Urbanski is shaving his hair of the bones and soft tissues for Austin to show her that she around the bones according to the Mayo Clinic. So far, Austin has had three rounds doesn’t have to be alone during this time and she has of chemotherapy and is going on strong with the help of someone to lean on. But it’s not just him she can lean on; she can lean on the shoulders of the swim and dive the swimming and dive team by her side. “The swim and dive team have made me feel like less team—a place where she can express her feelings and of an outsider and more like a true teammate and a part find comfort at all times. “Shaving my head wasn’t a decision I had to ponder of the family,” Austin said One principle the swim and dive team lives by is a lot about, I really care about Emily and wish her well

JOCK TALK Arnold Dang JUNIOR Wrestling

“Men’s volleyball, because it’s underrated and I think a lot of guys would join if we had it in the fall.”

in her recovery,” Urbanski said. Instead of dyeing their hair or shaving, the swimmers and divers will wear pink or gold suits. A pink suit represents cancer in general, and a gold suit represents bone cancer. “Being on our team means being a part of a family with unconditional love and support. No matter what we will always find a way to be there for anyone who needs it because that is what being in a family means to us swimmers and divers,” sophomore Arnav Gupta said. For Austin, it’s not about the type of support she receives but knowing that they are there for her in solidarity. “The swim and dive team has helped get me through my first rounds of chemo, everything from the card shower and care basket to them dying their hair and wearing pink or yellow suits, really made me feel like a part of the team,” Austin said. Cunningham and Raylie Hollingsworth, Abby Barry, and their moms organized a care basket for Austin, filled with various goodies including a gift card, coloring book, candy, a sweatshirt, and many more items. “The cards and the basket were so that Emily knew that if she ever needed anything she would know that the swim and dive team is here for her 24/7,” Cunningham said. With the love and support of the swim and dive team, everyone hopes for her speedy recovery. Austin is going on to her fourth round of chemotherapy and has been fighting with the help of her found family. “A place I found to lean on and feel the love and the support I needed was the swim and dive team. With everything they have done for me it has felt like I was a part of the family even though I was so far away,” Austin said. Even from afar a family can support one another, having a family whether it is a group of friends or teammates is a crucial part of life. A family is there no matter what is going on and will always be there to love and support you.

If You Could Add A Sport, Then What Sport Would You Add? Halenah Boell SENIOR Diving

Jeffrey Sookram JUNIOR Swim

“Gymnastics, because I did it growing up and it would be fun to compete in a high school.”

Emma Vander-Plats JUNIOR Basketball

“Men’s volleyball, because it’s a very entertaining sport and it would be so much fun.”

“Batminton, because it seems really fun to play and the competition would be good .”

20 • SPORTS • Dec. 12, 2023

WINNER WINNER TURKEY DINNER Athletic Training and Girls Soccer programs host annual fundraiser SARAH ROBEY Staff Writer

“G

60…, G, 60…, B, 12…, B, 12...” As you enter the Mustang center, numbers are chanted through the air as the anticipation rises. The tables are filled with people chatting, fiddling with their game chips, and watching their bingo cards closely, hoping to be the one to shout “BINGO.” As Thanksgiving gets closer and the holiday season is on the way, the girls soccer team and the athletic training programs are making their annual Turkey Bingo event a new fall tradition for Mustang family and friends. On Nov. 19th, the girls soccer and athletic training programs held their 2nd annual fundraiser event, Turkey Bingo. This fundraiser is held the Sunday before Thanksgiving and is an opportunity for family and friends to gather for an entertaining night of bingo. This game was not like any other bingo game, instead of winning an ordinary bingo prize, winners were given a whole turkey or ham round for Thanksgiving. “We have five special ham rounds and a turkey so when you win bingo, you win your Thanksgiving turkey,” athletic trainer Lisa Moore said. In addition to fun games of bingo, the fundraiser also included a bake sale. Volunteers including parents, students, and staff, pitched in to provide a variety of fall desserts such pumpkin pie, brownies, and snickerdoodles for guests to enjoy. “I love the bake sale because me and my parents always bake stuff, so that’s always fun,” junior Leah Mrsny said. On top of all that, several gift baskets were put together to raffle off as another part of the fundraiser. With tickets being sold at a dollar apiece, guests enjoyed a fun time exploring gift baskets with themes like golf, game night, and movie night. “We have one that is a cozy night in, with a soft blanket, slippers, hot chocolate, soup, face masks, and all that kind of stuff for a snowy night in,” Moore said.

The fundraiser was able to raise close to 3,800 dol- programs are hopeful that the Mustang community will lars to support the athletic training and girls soccer pro- return for more fun nights of turkey bingo. “With this being the second year we are hosting grams. With the upcoming season ahead, the proceeds turkey bingo, we are will be used to hoping that it is a assist with costs growing tradition for food, apparel, for both programs,” and events. head girls soccer “We split the coach James Abueg money between said. us and girls socThe programs cer. Ours is spealso hope to see cifically for our friendly faces from students in our past years come student program back to join in the so this is what will fun. buy their t-shirts “Our hope is and sweatshirts. that even when you Sometimes we are an alumni and will feed them you are back home before games for Thanksgiving when we have break, you still get long games and your family together. long road trips Everyone is starting and sometimes we B I N G O: will feed the coach- The room falls silent as anticipation grows in the crowd. Everyone sits to get back into town for Thanksgiving so es when we have in angy as they wait to hear their numbers called out. it’s perfect, you get an all day extrava- Photograph by Kurt Fredricks to go out to eat with ganza. This is kind your family, and then of all for that extra stuff that usually comes out of pocket and now we are the whole family comes and you play a little turkey bingo,” Moore said. just trying to find money for it,” Moore said. The programs enjoyed hosting an exciting night and As Turkey Bingo is open to all ages, this bingo game are looking forward to this becoming a yearly event. The was a great way for many families to spend a festive night together. With a friendly competition, all who attended bingo games, bake sale, and raffle baskets were a big hit among guests and will help provide for the new sports had a blast. “We have the most fun ever and there’s just so many seasons. Throughout the night, bingos were shouted and people that get so excited when they win a bingo, so it’s were awarded with turkeys and hams. In the next years of growing tradition, be sure to mark your calendars for fun to see that,” athletic trainer Emma Baumann said. With these last two fundraisers being a success, the next year’s Turkey Bingo.

Gobble Gobble The sweet smell of pumpkin fills the air as pies, cakes, and other sweet treats lure bingo players of all ages over to the dessert table. Many people signed up to bake for the bake sale.

Thousands of cards fill the entrance table as guests walk into the Mustang Center. Each card was checked in order to make sure there would be no repeats.

Along with being able to win a turkey and a ham, you can also win a specialized gift basket. #3 contains slippers, muiltiple mugs, a blanket, Nebraska Soup Lady soup, hot coca and tea bags as well as a candle