Kiwanis Program

The annual Kiwanis program took place on April 16, 2015 at the Chadron High School auditorium. At least twenty students from the freshman class through the senior class were recognized and called on stage to receive a certificate for outstanding grades in high school, and or taking part in the scholastics contest at Chadron State College. Each student recognized is considered an honor student. Several seniors were also recognized for the President’s Academic Excellence Award.

Just like the years previous, there was a guest speaker this year. Wayne Anderson spoke about his experience in the United States Navy, and now as the Chadron city manager. Anderson was a native Nebraskan, who traveled to 49 of the 50 states. He was honored to be able to speak in the Kiwanis program.

The President’s Academic Excellence Award requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, coupled with a standardized test score in the 90th percentile in either English or mathematics on a nationally recognized test. These students are: Sydney Blome, Alea Brierly, Brad Cerny, Shay Chamberlain, Jackson Dickerson, Alex Fritzler, Aaron Gaswick, Joshua Hill, Courtney Hudson, Lane Jersild, Keenan Johnson, Veronica Parish, Brittani Piontek, Alaina Riesen, Vonsinh Sayaloune, Trace Strotheide, Sara Tompkins, Alex Westerbuhr, and Taylor Wild.

The seniors recognized at the program for scholastics and good grades were: Sydney Blome, Jacob Bokelman, Alea Brierly, Brad Cerny, Shay Chamberlain, Jackson Dickerson, Nate Dodd, Alex Fritzler, Aaron Gaswick, Joshua Hill, Ashley Hills, Courtney Hudson, Lane Jersild, Keenan Johnson, Tatyana Leija, Ben Mullins, Veronica Parish, Makenzy Petty, Brittani Piontek, Alaina Riesen, Vonsinh Sayaloune, Trace Strotheide, Sara Tomkins, Alex Westerbuhr, Taylor Wild, and Jazlyn Wright.

The juniors recognized were: Joe Cattin, Murphy Churchill, Aly Crow, Toni Doescher, Jayden Garrett, Mikaela Hastings, Hannah Jamison, Allie Johnson, Marcus LaPorte, Clay Madsen, Emily Mills, Kiya Passero, Ellen Petersen, Shoilee Rahman, Simon Rischling, Brooke Roes, Seth Sloan, Andrew Smith, Jayden Stack, and Kane Wellnitz.

The sophomores recognized were: Mia Adams, Marquis Burwell, Jerhett Cattin, Julianne Dickerson, Chace Franey, Alison Gardner, Kaylee Garvin, Tamra Garvin, Michael Gieseler, Miya Hamaker, April Hardy, Corbin Johnson, Danielle Johnson, Colette Mahr, Spencer Margetts, John Mayo, Walt Mays, Jadyn McCartney, Alexandria Nobiling, Alyssa Noble, Sean O’Brien, Karley O’Donnell, Abigail Orton, Aries Ottesen, Kyla Parish, Ahlaura Pourier, Juan Ramos, Mallory Rhembrandt, Destiny Rhoden, Joe Ritzen, Brooks Roberts, Brendinh Sayaloune, Tameron Sayaloune, Emily Scarrow, Keegan Shuck, Cassie Sloan, Daniel Smith, Kaci Waugh, Greta Welch, and Kiana Wright.

The freshman recognized are: Coy Bila, Jared Burch, Zachary Carattini, JashwaAlan Cummings, Katarina Dodd, Dana Dunbar, Kylee Garrett, Teresa Gottwald, Hunter Hawk, Alpine Hickstein, Beau Jersild, Drew Jersild, MiaKayla Koerber, Cody Madsen, Joe Matt, Aubree Noble, Renee Redfern, Brayden Richardson, Sam Rischling, Mark Taylor, Logan Tiensvold, Megan Till, Binak Watak, Nathanael Watak, and Tomeing Watak.   

It is an honor for each student to be recognized at the Kiwanis program.

 

Do you use your electronics too much?

     As the world becomes more and more tech savvy many people find themselves buying more technology and using it on a day to day basis. Here at Chadron High the majority of students if not all of them have some sort of cellular device and an iPad. So while many of us are supposed to be doing class work or paying attention we find ourselves gaming and texting. For some students this does not affect their learning, but others can truly struggle.
     Jadyn McCartney, sophomore says, "I text in class sometimes, and it probably does distract me but I find myself doing it anyways."
     Dana Dunbar, freshman says, "I don't really think that using your phone and iPad during class is a bad thing. If people don't want to pay attention they can deal with being behind and not understanding, but it doesn't even affect some people."
     Willy Cogdill, senior says, "I game in class all the time, but I still get my stuff done."
     Although, it is not just school and class work that using electronics too much effects. It's your every day life. Many people communicate through texting and messaging, but the majority of those people rarely talk in person. They say things over texting and messaging that they would never say in person.
     Mr. Nelson, PE and World Geography teacher said, "Phones are inefficient because there are too many distractions that come with phones."
     Using technology during class instead of paying attention doesn't just affect the student. It also shows the teacher that you don't feel the need to listen to what they are saying or teaching. It's disrespectful.

Softball gains new assistant coaches

         The Chadron High softball team had a great career last year in the field. At districts they made it farther than any other team at Chadron for the last 9 years. 
         Unfortunately, an assistant coach Amy Schartz resigned due to personal reasons. The softball team just now received two new assistant coaches, Casey Polk and Kaite Borm. Casey Polk currently just ended her final year in college softball. She has played four years at CSC. Kaite Borm played a year at North Platte, and transferred to Chadron State but is not playing softball for CSC. 

       "Coaching is something that I have always wanted to do. Being able to pass down my knowledge and love for the game to someone else is a really great opportunity," said Coach Polk.

       Coach Polk played sixteen years as a catcher, and played at 3rd base once or twice. "I am excited to coach, because it's something I've always wanted to do. Now that I am done with softball I can still be around the game I love. I am so lucky that CHS has accepted me in the family." 

        Coach Borm played 14 years of softball and is excited to pass her intelligence on to the team. "I missed the game and when the coaching job opened up I saw an opportunity to be a part of the game again and make a difference." Borm is going to try her hardest to make this team even better than ;ast year. "Watching you girls grow and develop as players and better people, and sharing the joy of softball with all the girls is what I'm looking forward too most," said Borm. 

Dance team tryouts

     The Chadron High Dance Team will be holding dance auditions for this upcoming 2015-16 season. 
     They would like to welcome anyone interested to come out and join. This is open to girls in 8th-11th grade. The dances will be choreographed by past captain Mikaru Hirose. A 1-1:30 minute dance will be taught, in addition to the school song. 
     Auditions will be held Wednesday May 6th at 3:30-4:30, Thursday May 7th 3:30-4:30, Monday May 11th at 3:30-4:30, and final auditions are Tuesday May 12th at 3:45 in the high school gym. 
     Everyone is welcome to try out! The dance team can hold up to no more than 12 people. Put your dancing shoes on and give it a try. 
      There will also be short mandatory meeting for the girls who made the team on Wednesday May 13th at 3:30 in Mrs. Paopao's room.

Track

     The Chadron Cardinal track team traveled to Scottsbluff on Saturday April 18th to participate in the Alliance Invite. Some of the teams' individuals had some success. As a team, the Cardinals boys finished in third place with a total of 78 points. The Cardinal girls' team finished in fifth place with 18 points.

     Jackson Dickerson had another great performance. He finished first in the 100m dash, first in the 200m dash, and he was a part of the 4 by 100m relay team that finished second consisting of Brendinh Sayaloune, Naleka Sayaloune, and Curtis McMann. Jackson was also able to finish second in the long jump. 

     In addition, Brendinh Sayaloune finished in fourth while Naleka Sayaloune finished fifth in the 100 meter dash. Brendinh finished sixth in the 200 meter dash.
     The long distance runners had some success in their races. Hendrick Gajewski earned a sixth place finish in the 800. Freshman JashwaAlan Cummings earned sixth place in the mile. Liam Simon and Dexter Applegarth came away with a fixth and sixth place finish in the two mile, respectively.
     Marcus Fernandez was another stellar performer. Marc placed 5th in the 110 hurdles and 8th in the 300 hurdles. He also grabbed a third place in the triple jump.
     The 4 by 800 meter relay team consisting of Gajewski, Brayden Richardson, Nate Dodd, and Sam Rischling finished fifth.
     Tanner Kickland and Alex Fritzler had good perfromances in the shot put with a second and seventh place. Alex Fritzler also finished third in the discus. Joe Ritzen took seventh place in the pole vault.
     On the girls' side of the action, much of their success was individual medals. Freshman Kyler Behrends was able to capture a fifth place finish in the 200m and 400m dash. Kyla Parish received seventh in the 800m run.
     Julianne Dickerson and Murphy Churchill earned medals in the 1600m run, with third and seventh place finishes. Kyla Parish took seventh in the 800m run.
     In the 300m hurdles Dana Dunbar finished fifth. She was also a part of the 4 by 800 meter relay which finished third. The team consisted of Kyler Behrends, Greta Welch, Chandler Hageman, and Dana Dunbar.
     Finishing out the scoring, Ashley Hills threw herself a seventh place finish in the discus.
     The Cardinals hope to have a successful weekend. They will be traveling to Scottsbluff on Friday to participate in the Scottsbluff Twilight meet and will be hosting the Chadron invite on Saturday April, 25. Both the boys and girls team will be looking for some success.

District Music

     On Wednesday, April 22, District Music was held at  Chadron State College and the Chadron High School Auditorium. The event brought in many schools from around the Panhandle and students from Chadron High participated in performances by either the Cardinal Singers, the choir, or the band. Some students even had solos, either singing or playing an instrument. Families, both from Chadron and other nearby towns, gathered to watch the performances, which went on all day. Only three schools received all ones, the highest rating, including Chadron's Cardinal Singers, who sang a series of jazz songs.
     Alison Gardner, a member of the Cardinal Singers says, "I think we did excellently and that the experience helped our group with our performance skills."
     Abby Orton, a student who sang in the Chadron High School choir says, "Even though I believe that some students should be more committed to the choir, I think we did very well at district music."
      A member of the band, Bryce Hudson says, "The band has worked really hard to get to where we are, and I'm proud of how we did at district music." All together, Chadron High is proud of its success at district music on Wednesday.

Prom: The Guy's Perspective

       We all know that girls look forward to prom; some of them even spend months obsessing over dresses, hair and shoes in order to create the perfect night. But have you ever wondered what goes through a guy's mind when it comes prom? One of the most exciting nights of the year, especially in a small town, prom is a huge event in one's years of high school.
      Between all the drama and excitement as prom draws closer, Red Ink took the initiative to interview six guys: Alex Eisenbarth, Joe Ritzen, Lane Jersild, Harlie Kennel, Tyler Northdam (A.K.A. Brooks Roberts), and Willy Cogdill about their opinions on prom.
     One thing that always seems to require an enormous amount of effort and input is the theme for prom.  Students and the prom committee ask themselves: Should we recreate a night in Paris, opt for the go-to tropical theme, or do something crazy- like an Avatar theme?

       However, a majority of the guys said that the theme for prom doesn't matter. Willy and Tyler both agreed that prom is fun, "no matter what." Alex disagreed with stating, "The theme doesn't matter one bit." Lane elaborates on this, "The theme doesn't matter, because it's a super fun dance so I don't care."
      One thing that causes the most stress for girls is the perfect dress. But does this matter, or have any effect on what a guy thinks? According to Harlie, it does matter. "We don't want people wearing inappropriate dresses and looking like prostitutes," he said. Alex had little to give of an opinion, saying "I'm not gonna say anything, so I don't get in trouble." Lane was almost passive, stating "Nah, some dresses look bad but no one really cares." Overall, it seems that girls should continue getting dresses they like, as long as they look good.
     But what if guys could do prom anyway they wanted, and bypass all the the high maintenance of it all? Tyler apparently wouldn't change a thing because he "likes it how it is." Joe took the economical approach saying, "I'd want to go to free because I'm broke, plus I'd want to wear athletic shorts and t-shirts." Lane had a lot of suggestions, "There should be BETTER food! Free admission, guys can bring guys, and you can wear whatever you want. Turn up."
     In summary, it seems that guys do have opinion about prom after all.
     

UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival

     Wednesday, March 15, 2015, Cardinal Singers boarded the bus for the prestigious jazz festival put on by University of Northern Colorado and the city of Greeley, Colorado. Since Christmas, Cardinal Singers have been working on a set of jazz music consisting of: "The Pink Panther," "Seasons of Love," "It Don't Mean a Thing," a jazz arrangement of "Amazing Graze," and "Puttin' on the Ritz" from Young Frankenstein.
     On Thursday, the group arrived early at the event center to watch the Chadron State College Jazz Ensemble, and then performed to a panel of judges for fifteen minutes, and received critique for another fifteen minutes. Overall, both groups received great ratings and did very well.
     After the Cardinal Singer's performance, they were allowed to attend a circle singing class, and a microphone and tech class to learn about microphones and the control board that controls everything. In the circle singing class, Kerry Marsh taught the idea of circle singing for 45 minutes. What circle singing is, is a type of music Bobby McFarin derived for sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses to be able to sing completely different parts and words at the same time: Click here to see the Circle Singing. "The circle singing was very fun. It was a great learning experience for all of us, and I hope we can continue to use circle singing in our group," explained Emmy Mills.
     When the circle singing class was over, the cardinal singers went to the mic class that was taught by a worker of the famous group- The Pentatonix. The instructor had also worked with other groups, including Straight Note Chaser. In the mic class, the group learned how to work a sound board to make the quality of the sound better.
      Later in the day, the whole group ate at Olive Garden and enjoyed some down time before a circle singing concert.
     At the circle singing concert, the same instructor, Kerry Marsh, brought together multiple schools to sing together in a circle group. "It was nothing like I have ever done before, and it was interesting to hear all of the different singing styles. It was a great experience to get to interact with other schools," said Cassie Sloan.
     The director, Wendy Mahr, and the Cardinal Singers hope to return to the festival next year.

Pet Peeves

     What is your biggest pet peeve? Is it when people talk with food in their mouth? Or when people butt into your conversations without an invitation. Everyone has at least one pet peeve, and yes they are one of the most annoying things you ever deal with, said Destiny Rhoden, sophomore. It seems that everyone has different things that make them tick, but one pet peeve keeps occurring that annoys them most.
     Many people find that being told what to do, not once but over and over again is something that grinds their gears. Jadyn McCartney, sophomore, said that is one of her biggest peeves especially when it is coming from her mom.
     Willy Cogdill, senior, said, "My biggest pet peeve is when people use texting language in an every day conversation. 'Probs' and 'I'm dead' are the most annoying things someone could say to me." While talking to Willy, if you say something along those lines expect a sarcastic response.
     Mikki Hastings's biggest pet peeve hits closer to home. She can not stand when people leave the shampoo and conditioner bottles open in the shower.
     Cassie Sloan, sophomore said, "When people chew their gum really loudly it makes me cringe."
      As you can see, from chewing gum to shampoo bottles, almost everyone has a pet peeve.

Prom just around the corner

    As everybody knows prom is around the corner. On May, 2 Juniors and Seniors will be taking a date to Starlight Paradise for this year's prom. The tickets will cost 13 dollars, and they will be available at the office from April 20 to April 29. The grand-march will be at 6:30 and dinner will follow. After dinner, the dance will begin. The dance will go from nine to midnight.
      Following the dance is post prom. During post prom there is food from all different fast food places, and some type of entertainment. During this time, students can win many prizes, for example, a I-pad mini, a suitcase, a battery pack, a set of blue-tooth speakers, and a pair of beats.  
      The juniors have to pay class dues, which costs 20 dollars per junior. These will be due as soon as possible. Prom is a great high school experience for anybody.

Everyone needs donuts

Everyone likes donuts no matter what age they are. A little sugar in the morning never hurts anybody. There are thousands of different shapes and sizes of donuts and flavors to choose from. So how couldn't someone like donuts? There has got to be a donut that sparks their taste buds.

Donuts are really something you can use to instantly brighten your day in the morning and guide you to have a great day. Mrs. Paopao said that her favorite kind of donuts are maple long johns with cream filling.

Ms. Mack, our freshman English teacher, and many others love a donut that Daylight Donuts make, called a peanut butter cup. It seems that the peanut butter cup is very popular in Chadron, but then again, there are so many kinds of donuts that there is a variety of favorites.

Thank goodness for Daylight Donuts because a good percentage of Chadron people meet there to drink coffee and gnaw on a donut or two. Donuts truly makes the world go around.

Promposals

     As the years pass by, the common ways to ask your date to prom has become more and more extreme. "Promposals" of 2015 at Chadron High School have been very unique.

     The art of creating a huge promposal for your special someone has become huge. "Go big or go alone" is a common saying many people use to ensure a great promposal. Many times people would just ask using a note or in person with a simple answer of yes or no. Today it has came to the extreme of flying a banner with a plane or even painting "Prom?" on different buildings. Either way it can be very unique. 

     At Chadron High School, Cody Ray was one who had a unique idea. Cody brought a box of donuts to school and asked his date by writing inside of the box, "I donut know what to say, Prom?" 

     Matt Kerner was able to grab the attention of Alison Gardener by attending dinner with her and placing "Prom?" inside of a fortune cookie. Alison claims "I was not expecting it. It was really sweet."
     Vonsinh Sayaloune stood up on the tables in the commons, in front of a large portion of the school, and used Nike apparel to reel his date in. Vonsinh created a sign that said "Just Do It, Prom?" with a Nike tank top for his special date, Danielle Johnson. "I was very surprised, and honestly kind of embarrassed.""I had no idea this was coming," Danielle stated.
     Destiny Rhoden was asked by Jarrod Briggs to go to prom with a fish tank. Jarrod purchased a fish and fish tank while he wrote on it, "Out of all the fish in the sea will you go to prom with me?"
     Junior Kane Wellnitz asked his date by writing "Prom" on his chest at a wrestling dual. Kane surprised his date Alex Nobiling. "I never would have guessed this was going to take place," Alex said.
     As you can see the variety that kids come up with differ greatly. The extent many people go to so their date feels special is crazy. The art of this will more than likely become even more popular before it becomes less known. The term promposals has been created by high school students and it is likely many parents don't even know the meaning. Promposals are a great way to show your affection for somebody else as well as show your creativity.

Spring Play

     This month, the Chadron High students will be performing the play, "The Baker Street Irregulars." The play will be performaned on April 24th and 25th at 7pm and the 26th at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door. The play, a mystery and a comedy, can be enjoyed by all ages. 
     The story begins on the streets of London in 1897 and moves into the Wainwright Circus. With Sherlock Homles in the hospital, only a group of orphans known as the Irregulars can solve a murder in the circus. Despite their differences, the Irregulars must work together to save Sherlock Holmes and catch the culprit.
     Mrs. Lanphear, director, says, "One of the best things about the play is the characters and how strong and interesting they are. It's fun to watch the Iregulars bond throughout the play." The Iregulars include the decerning Wiggins (Walt Mays), lady-like Pheobe (Shay Chambelin), questioning Quinn (Cassie Sloan), proud salesman Finnegan (Kyle Baumann) and rough around the edges Alaska (Colette Mahr). Additional characters include giggly acrobats, silly clowns, and hard working animal trainers. There are also characters like Hawker (Chace Franey) who could sell ice cubes to Eskimos and the mystical gypsy, Zolda (Emily Blaylock).
     The Chadron High students have been working hard in practices. Alyssa Noble, playing Officer Pelham says, "Practices are fun, and I'm exited to portray a British Officer." 
     The cast consists of about twenty speaking parts and eight non-speaking parts. Joe Ritzen, a circus member with no lines says, "Practices are very energetic and get everyone ready to perform a great show. 
     Mrs. Lanphear, says, "We've had several practices where we've worked on foreign accents, which have been very productive. The students have fun playing roles of people from different countries." Every cast member has an accent, whether it be British, French, Cockney, Southern or Middle Eastern.

Cardinal Singers UNC Jazz Festival

     It is hard to believe that the school year will soon be over! The Singers have some wonderful performances planned in the next few weeks. The Chadron High Cardinal Singers will be joining Greely, Colorado's Jazz Competition on Thursday, April 16th. There, the singers will be critiqued by judges and get to connect and listen to many other groups, high schools, and colleges. After school on Wednesday, April 15, the Cardinal Singers will be on their way and will stay overnight in Colorado. The next day the singers will perform at 11:30 a.m. "The UNC Jazz Festival is a very large event! There will be many opportunities for the Singers to listen to other high school groups as well as college groups. There are also wonderful workshops to attend and concerts to see," said director Wendy Mahr.
     Another important date is April 22, where the singers will be competing against other schools around the Panhandle and getting critiqued by judges. On Thursday, April 30 is the Spring concert and Spaghetti Dinner Fund Raiser. "The Cardinal Singers will need to raise money to cover the cost of music and travel for the UNC Jazz Festival. We also need to have money in our account when the school year starts in the fall. That money is used to help cover the costs for competitions and music at the beginning of the year. I hope that having a fundraiser right before the concert will help us. The Singers will be helping with the dinner by serving and helping set up, states Mahr. The fundraiser will start at 5:15-6:30 p.m., while being followed by the 7:00 concert.
     For the month of April, the Cardinal Singers are very busy. Not to mention, they have another week of singing for graduation in May. Best of wishes to Wendy and the Cardinal Singer group.

Easter in Germany

     Easter is one of the most loved holidays in America, full of religious traditions and gatherings of friends and families. But did you know that in Germany, Easter is one of the most popular holidays also? In Germany, Easter marks new beginnings as it is intertwined with spring's gift of sunlight and growth after a cold winter.

      This year at Chadron High School, we have the privilege of having two foreign exchange students, Liam Simon and Hendrik Gajewski. Both hail from Germany, and have a firsthand experience with all the traditions celebrated in Germany for Easter.

      Although some families do not celebrate Easter Sunday in Germany, just as some do not here in the United States, Liam's family back home has specific reasons as to why they celebrate. "We celebrate Easter for my little brothers. They are excited for it, and it's a nice opportunity to be with my family,” said Liam.

     As for Hendrik, he simply states, "We celebrate Easter for Jesus." In Hendrik's life, Easter is also an affair for the entire family. As a family tradition, Hendrik says, "We all head over to my grandparents."

       Although in the United States it is ordinary for churches to be overflowing on Easter, Liam says, "It's not very common in Germany." What is common however is,"You get up early in the morning and your parents tell you that the Easter bunny was there over night, and he hid eggs and candy for you to find." Sound familiar?

     On the contrary, Hendrik's family back home does not celebrate with the classic search of colorful eggs and sweet treats. "We receive little presents," he says.

     As many know, food is a large component of what makes any holiday. In Germany, Liam said his family dines on pie and coffee, and usually some German pretzels. According to Hendrik, his family eats "whatever my grandma makes."

     However, this year, the foreign exchange students might get a different perspective on Easter as they celebrate in the United States. Although Liam is not sure what his host family is doing this year, he says, "I know that we are dying Easter eggs." And as for Hendrik, his host family is "going to church, and then having dinner."

Scholatics Day

     Friday, March 27, 2015, Chadron High School, and other high schools from around the area, participated in the Chadron State College Scholastics Day. Numerous tests from subjects such as business, science, health, and education, are administered by college professors, and a number of students, ranging from two to seventy, participate.
     The senior winners of each test are awarded with a full tuition scholarship from Chadron State College for one year. Students who place in the top three are awarded with a certificate of recognition, as well as a medal. The top 25% of students are recognized on the Chadron State College webpage.
     In the 2015 competition, Chadron High School had 31 students place in the top 25%, and 11 students place in the top three places in their tests. These students included: Walt Mays, Alea Brierly, Jackson Dickerson, Jayden Garrett (in two tests), Mikaela Hastings, Hunter Hawk, Joe Matt, Greg McCallum, Alexandria Nobiling, and Andrew Smith.
     Guidance counselor, Loni Watson, expressed her pride in her Chadron High students by saying,   "I am so very proud of the students that competed in the Scholastics Contest at Chadron State. We had 10 people place in the top three of their tests; that is incredible. Chadron High has a bunch of smarties!"