News Media Student Feature: Alexus Foster
By Morgan LeBeau Trojan Tribune staff Sophomore Alexus Foster is a News Media I student at West Central High School this year. While speaking with sophomore Alexus, she stated that she “joined News Media because it looked like fun.” Alexus is involved in a variety of sports, including softball, soccer, and track. She plays center field in softball and is a defender for the West Central soccer team. In track, Alexus participates in the long jump event. When Alexus has free time she spends time with her family, plays with her dog, plays sports, spends time with her friends, and sleeps. When asked about her biggest fear, Alexus told me that losing her family is by far her biggest fear. In Alexus’ family, she is the oldest child with a younger sister, Sam, 13, and a younger brother, Gavin, 3. She also has a dog named Luke. Alexus explained to me that her biggest role model in life is her mom because she is a strong woman. Alexus wanted to give some advice to the Freshman she explained that to academically succeed in high school you need to get good grades and to stay on top of your work. While talking to Alexus she told me that she likes “making Mrs. Schmidt mad because she just laughs about whatever I do and doesn’t get mad and talks about me to everyone.” While speaking with Alexus, she told that she is looking forward to the end of the school year to enjoy her summer vacation once again. When Alexus finishes high school she wants to go to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to become an elementary school teacher or the University of South Dakota for dental hygiene. This summer, Alexus’ enjoyed playing softball with her friends and teammates. Her favorite vacation was going to Arizona with her family. Alexus explained to me that her dream vacation would be going to the Bahamas and then going to Jamaica. A few fun facts about Alexus: her favorite class this year is Geometry with Mr. Sittig. Alexus’ favorite genre of music to listen to is country music. Her favorite NFL team is the Dallas Cowboys. Alexus prefers to wear sweatpants as much as possible. Her best friends are sophomore Lindsey Kapperman and sophomore Cheyanne Masterson. It Was the Best Time Ever By Meagan Canfield Trojan Tribune staff October 23, 2017 What comes to mind when you think of the best time ever? Is it when you got your first car? Or maybe it’s when you saw your favorite artist in concert? Well, that's mine. This past weekend I got to see the Kidz Bop kids in concert. Here’s how it went…. The concert took place at the Denny Sanford Premier Center on Sunday at 3:00pm. Inside, it wasn’t a normal event or concert, once you walk into the building, before you could go anywhere else, a line of metal detectors and security guards blocked your way, this was not one of the highlights. Once passed and up the stairs, you could really tell who the die-hards were. Children pulling their mothers behind them while the moms were carrying three buckets of popcorn, spilling mostly everything, were walking around in every single direction they could get through, possibly even upwards. With children in every crevice, it was extremely hard to move. Finally at the seats, I looked around and saw that there was more than enough room for everybody at the show, but there was quadruple the amount of kids running around. This concert was loud. Extremely loud. Think about putting your ear right next to a speaker as a drum solo is happening, the speaker is also at 120 decibels.Yes, it was that loud. Even when you thought that the screaming and high-pitched singing was over, they played one more song. My only chance at hearing again was when the Kidz Bop kids went to recess. This was also my only chance to purchase a t-shirt Finding the line was hard enough, but standing there for 20 minutes while hearing the rest of the show play out was even worse. The prices for merchandise weren’t that bad. A shirt was $25 and a hat was $20, but once you got to the things that not a lot of people want, prices got higher for some reason, half of a water bottle was $10 and three brightly colored bracelets were $15. In the end, the show didn’t turn out to be half as bad as I would’ve thought. They knew exactly how to keep kids entertained, while also keeping things going. Most of the music was within the past two years, or were original songs. Most of the time I was out of my seat and singing my heart out to the parents below. I may have had a little bit too much fun because as I was dancing, I whipped too hard and hit the person to my right in the head. Out of five, I would give this concert four stars. Not only was the concert louder than Five Finger Death Punch, but many of the parents gave my group a lot of judgemental looks for being the oldest kids there. Junior Jordan Traub-Jensen would say otherwise, stating that, “The only thing that was half way decent [about the concert] was looking at all of the annoyed parents.” Opening Night of “Dearly Departed” Coming Soon By Abbey Nielsen Trojan Tribune staff October 27, 2017 There is just one more week before opening night of the play and students are getting into character. Students are working hard to get lines memorized and bring costumes in. This years first play is called “Dearly Departed.” This play is about an old man who dies of stroke in the first scene. At his funeral his large family gets together and like all families they have their problems. When a big family that gets together crazy things will happen and in this hilarious show you will see just how crazy things can get. This my be a funeral be there are no tears. Well there are not tears about Daddy Bud dying he was a surlly man anyway. This hilarious story welcome you into the family but that means you know all their problems and see every rediculause thing that happens. Everything from a horrible town choir to ballet slippers on Daddy Bud and a very tragic chicken bucket will have you laughing out loud. Students play all kinds of characters from young to old. The show has everything from pregnant women to old people that are half dead. When asking around most of the cast told me that It was fun for them to become a character especially when that character is so different from themselves. They also said that when you really get into a character its like you become that person. I talked to freshmen Abby Fraas about what her favorite character of the show is and she said “My favorite character would be Suzzan, ” when I asked why she replied with, “ she is just so whine it funny to see how far she goes with it.” I also asked sophomore Taren Crawley these questions. “ I love Nadine see is pregnant and she already has a lot of kids.” she said. This show has one of the largest cast West Central's first school play has had. That cast is starting to use costumes and full props so the story is really coming together. Shows are on November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at 7pm. The Return to State By Alexus Foster Trojan Tribune staff October 4, 2017 The West Central girls soccer team is currently ranked number one. The first playoff game was Tuesday, September 26. The soccer team had a bye on that Tuesday game, meaning they were ranked higher so they didn't have to play. On Tuesday, September 26 the Vermillion Tanagers and the Sioux Falls Christian Chargers played the first playoff game. The winner of that game would play the West Central Trojans. The Tanagers pulled out a win and played the Trojans on Saturday, September 30. The Tanagers weren’t ready for the West Central Trojans. The Trojans toughed out a two-zero win. Senior Hailee Fischer has some input on the game, “Overall, we played very well as a team and overcame the windy and rainy conditions. We controlled what we could control and the results were in our favor because everybody fulfilled their role perfectly. Now we have to prepare for a big test versus St. Thomas More.” The West Central soccer team will play St. Thomas More in Aberdeen on Saturday, October 7 at 11 a.m. Come support the West Central soccer team as they try to earn another state title. They would really appreciate the support. Chasing Back to Back Titles By Alexus Foster Trojan Tribune staff October 4, 2017 The beginning of the softball season was a bit rough. At the beginning of the season the softball team played two tough teams right off the bat. The West Central softball team ended up losing to Pierre three to one and losing to the Vermillion Tanagers two to four. The next week they didn’t have games so they practiced very hard. Sunday, September 10 the West Central girls softball team annihilated both Madison and Baltic. After those two games the girls have really played as a team and hit the ball. Senior Emily Cain has something to say about the season, “so far this year softball has really gone well for the team, we are all hitting and working together. We are definitely planning to bring home another state title!” I was talking to sophomore Cheyanne Masterson she had something to say about the season also “I think the season has been going really well. We have made some major progress in the past weeks leading up to state. I think we have a good shot at making a good run at state. I think if we work together as a team we also have a very good shot at winning.” State softball will be on Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8. The first game is at 10 am at Sherman Park on Saturday, October 7. Be sure to come out and support the West Central Trojans softball team as they chase for back to back titles. The more support the better the outcome! Devastations Follow Hurricanes Taryn Cawley Trojan Tribune staff October 4, 2017 Following all of the Hurricanes, Irma, Harvey, and Maria, came devastation. Each of the Hurricanes left the destinations in ruins as it flooded streets, ruined homes and buildings, kill people and animals. It has also impacted many lives for the worse. Harvey was the first to hit the U.S. this season and the eighth named storm. Harvey left Texas with 40 inches of rain over a four day period, this left southern texas flooded. This been the first a major hurricane to make landfall since Wilma, in 2005. Harvey has displaced over 30,00 people, induced more than 17,000 rescues, and flooded around 100,000 homes in texas alone. Hurricane Irma was next to hit the United States, after it had hit the Caribbean Islands. Mrs. Marcell’s husband was gone for two weeks helping with Harvey clean up. Hurricane Ima hit Florida, and caused catastrophic damage, where it hit as a category 5 hurricane, Barbuda, Saint Barthelemy, Anguilla, Saint Martin, and the Virgin Islands. Irma has caused 204 deaths in the islands and Florida; one in Haiti, one in Anguilla, one in Barbados, three in Puerto Rico, three in Barbuda, Four on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten, four in the U.S. virgin Islands, four in British Virgin Islands, 10 in Cuba, 11 in French West Indies, 88 in the contiguous United States, and two unknown locations. The latest hurricane to hit the U.S. and U.S. territory was Hurricane Maria. When Maria hit Puerto Rico it was the strongest hurricane to hit since 1928. Maria caused many deaths. As of October 1st Hurricane Maria has caused 78 deaths; 2 in Guadalupe, 3 in Haiti, 5 in Dominican Republic, 30 in Dominica, 34 in Puerto Rico, 1 in the United States Virgin Islands, 3 contiguous United States. Insured losses are around $91 billion dollars. Maria has left many of the islands in ruins and cities demolished. The Red Cross has been taking donations for the hurricane’s damages. Hurricane relief uses donors money to provide food, shelter, comfort, and american families and individuals affected by the hurricanes. Donations help people recover in the challenge months and weeks ahead. If you would like to help the hurricane victims please donate at the Red Cross or a shelter. Egg Inc. is Egg-cellent Griffin Smith Trojan Tribune Staff October 4, 2017 Almost everyone in high school has a smart phone, and almost everyone plays games on their phones. If you have ever wanted to be a chicken farmer, the app Egg Inc. is the one for you. This app is very well in depth and teaches you the importance of starting over to produce stronger and better eggs. If you have ever been in a situation where you just needed a mental break from homework or you are just trying to pass the time, this game is good for you. Egg Inc. involves you either tapping or holding down a button to get more and more chickens, and with more chickens you get more eggs, and which eventually turns into more and more money. Egg Inc. shows the importance of marketing from a producer/consumer standpoint. This game gets you involved with the knowledge of chicken farming and deserves five stars for ratings. Egg Inc. was created by Auxbrain, Inc and currently has a 4.8 star review on the app store. It is ranked #10 for strategy games and is recommended for everyone ages four and up. They are a new company and Egg Inc. has been their standout game. They have made a lot of publicity on the app store with this game because it is one of the first games that doesn't throw notifications at you constantly. Also, you can play the game for free or you can use real money to buy golden eggs to help speed up the process for collecting more money. Egg Inc. is by far one of the best apps and mobile games that I have ever played, and I recommend the game to everyone. Ever since I have downloaded this game I have fallen in love and I now want to pursue a career in the egg selling/chicken farming field. This app has influenced my life inside and out. This has by far been the best decision to download the app. In my opinion, on a rating of five out of five, Egg Inc. definitely deserves a seven out of five because of its standout mechanics. A Week to Remember By Meagan Canfield Trojan Tribune Staff September 20, 2017 This is the week we’ve all been waiting for since last year. That’s right, it’s HOMECOMING, and it’s time to show some spirit, some holiday spirit. The lineup is as follows: Monday-- St. Patrick's Day, Tuesday-- Fourth of July, Wednesday-- Halloween, Thursday-- Christmas, and Friday-- School Spirit Day! Whether you’re trying to be Santa Claus or St. Patrick himself, you still have to show your face. Class wars also has it’s own new twist this year. They’ve kept all the classics like, musical chairs and chubby bunny, but they’ve also added some new games such as, Happy Camper (buy it now on iTunes), guys only volleyball, hungry hippo, and pterodactyl. They have even capped the amount of people per grade for tug-of-war to 20. And the final, most important part of Homecoming, to some, Post Hoco. They’ve gotten more creative with the activities and have added a few new things to help the night along. Spike ball, Snakes, and WII GAMES are just a few you can expect to play after the big game. Because this is going to be the party of the century for West Central, you do have to pay to get in so don’t forget your chain wallets or wadded up cash at home. Broadway, Here I Come! By Taryn Cawley Trojan Tribune Staff September 20, 2017 This year West Central students have been allowed to attend three Broadway musicals being performed at the Washington Pavilion. These three shows are “Motown,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” and “Chicago.” Each show has wonderfully choreographed dances and funny comedic scripts and lyrics. “Motown” is a musical based on the autobiography “To Be Loved” by Berry Gordy, about the Motown records, who stated many musical careers for colored people, all put into an exhilarating show. This musical features artist such as Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson. It received four nominations at the 67th Tony Awards. “A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder” is a story that changes every telling. The audience gets to choose who dies. A man who wants the inheritance goes on a mission to kill everyone in line before him so he can get the money. They won four Tony’s at the 69th Tony Awards. “Chicago” the #1 longest-running American musical in broadway history. “Chicago” is taken place is the mid-twenties in Chicago. This musical focuses on the lives of six women who committed murderous crimes, named the six “Merry Murderesses.” When asked about how she thinks how fun the broadway shows will be Mrs. Marcel stated, “ I am really excited that all of the shows this year are so diverse, “‘Motown,’ being a historical in the civil rights era, ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,’ being more of a comedic murder mystery, and ‘Chicago’ a Fosse dance show and a somewhat scandalous American classic.” To attend any of these shows please contact Mrs. Marcel. Please contact her at - ( [email protected] ) or stop by her room. Currently the theater program is working on the fall play, Dearly Departed, a comedic play about a redneck family coming together after the death of their father, Daddy Bud. This years cast and crew has 37 people. We practice mostly every day from 3:45 to 5:30 or 5:00. If you are interested in coming to the “Dearly Departed” the performances are November 2, 3, and 4 at 7PM. Defending State Champs By Alexus Foster Trojan Staff Tribune September 20, 2017 Trying to defend a title is never easy. Everybody is gunning after the title. They all want to be that team who gets all the glory. The Lady Trojans season opener was August 15 as they hosted Tea at home, Yankton Trails Soccer Complex. Tea was coming out hard as they were wanting the win because they got beat by WC in state soccer last year. At the end of their opener they toughed out a win of two-zero After they hosted Tea, they had a six-zero run against the teams they played. They didn’t let anyone score during that run. The last six games were shutouts. August 25-26 the soccer team made their way down to Rapid City to play Belle Fourche and St. Thomas More. They took the win against Belle Fourche Friday. On Saturday they had a very rough game against St. Thomas More. It was a very long, rough game. The Trojans won the game one to zero. Sophomore Kaylee Loof said, “ St. Thomas More was very rough, but we handled them pretty well. Just had to keep working together, which payed off in the end.” The Trojans took home two wins from Rapid City. When they got home from Rapid City they played Dakota Valley on August 29 at Yankton Trails. They ended the game short with a score of ten to zero. The girls were on a scoreless run and haven’t lost any of the six games they played. When they went down to Vermillion to play it was a different story. The girls played very hard against Vermillion but they couldn’t pull out a win. They ended up losing the game one to zero. When they played Garretson on September 5 at Yankton Trails, they let one score in. They beat Garretson and moved on to beat the next team on Friday. On Friday September 8 they went to Groton. They ended the game winning three to one. There is only four games till playoffs start. The first game for playoffs is September 26 and that is still to be determined. State soccer will be on October 7 in Aberdeen. The West Central soccer team would love to see you all come out and support. The more people there to support the better the outcome. Don’t be afraid to come out if the rules are confusing, it’s fun to watch a team win. Destination Imagination is the activity for everyone By Abbey Nielsen Trojan Tribune Staff September 20, 2017 Destination Imagination or DI is a team activity that uses creativity and thought to solve a challenge. Students can start DI in second grade and do it throughout college. In West Central, DI is a school year-long activity. Sign up sheets are in the office throughout September, and teams will be formed based on grade level in the beginning of October. New members are put on a team of two to seven people. That person, and their team members, will choose everything from their name to what challenge they will be doing. In regional competition, the team will present their main challenge, team choice elements, and take part in an instant challenge. The team’s score on each part will affect their final score and rank. The team choice elements have the smallest effect on the overall score. A team choice element is two things that the team choose to add to the main challenge that show off their skills. The team’s elements can be a costume, a dance, or anything else the team feels add to the challenge. Next is the instant challenge in effecting the challenge score. An instant challenge is when a team goes into a room without having any idea what they will be doing beforehand. In the room, the team will be given a challenge that needs to be solved. They normally have six minutes to solve the challenge and two minutes to present the solution to the judges. These instant challenges can be anything from presenting a story about a dream, to building a tower as tall as possible using only note cards. Lastly the most important part of the teams score is the main challenge. This challenge the team has months to prepare, and the team gets to choose which genre they would like to do. There are six challenges for the team to choose from. These challenges are Scientific, Fine Arts, Technical, Structural, Improve, and Service Learning. An example would be the Fine Arts challenge. The team has to write a skit using details provided and perform it in eight minutes. Another challenge is Structural. Structural is where the team has to build a structure out of specific materials, and then drop weights on it. This year teams will compete in Regionals in March, then if they get placed in first or second they will advance to State. If a team gets first at State, they will then advance to Globals. West Central DI hopes to see many new faces this school year and encourages everyone to join. |
Is it Really Worth It?
Taryn Cawley Trojan Tribune staff October 23, 2017 “Supernatural,” is this long T.V. series worth watching? Gives terrifying guilty pleasure is iffy for sensitive teenagers. This series is filled with paranormal activities, humor, and brotherly love. Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) and Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) work together to find their dad after he “went on a hunting trip,” and had not been home in a few days. Sam and Dean Winchester’s father, taught them about paranormal and evil beings, that live in back roads and dark corners of America. He raised them as soldiers, which Sam despised. After their father disappeared, they tried to follow his trail. Along the way they cross paths with these back roads and dark corners monsters, in a 67’ Chevy Impala hunting them down. Demons are lurking around every bush trying to corrupt souls and destroy the world, to make it a literal living hellfire. The Winchester brothers are the only humans standing between Earth and Hades. Sam and Dean are like heavens hitmen, dealing with grime and muck, so the angels do not have to mar themselves. Although this does not do much to impact the world. The brothers have to use every last bit of knowledge to talk to these mighty beings, and well sometimes straightening them out, not always in the nicest way. Along with the great storyline, “Supernatural” has near perfect graphics, special effects makeup, and wonderful acting skills. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki play these brother perfectly and portray the characters with quirky and flawless personalities. And others would also say so, considering there is 13 seasons of it, which is nearly an eternity in T.V. years. Over the years all of the actors have formed a close bond, and are now like family. I asked Lindsey Kapperman, sophomore, what she thinks of “Supernatural” and she said,”I like ‘Supernatural’ because, for one there is cute people in it,I also like it because it keeps me entertained, because these two guys hunt things like demons, ghosts, and other supernatural beings and things, it also follows a great story line. I also like how every episode is different and does not repeat the same things.” Get the Grades to Play Alexus Foster Trojan Tribune Staff October 23, 2017 Are you a student who is in a lot of activities, but does n’t think grades are very important? Well, getting good grades is actually very important. Many kids think that they need to focus on their school sports instead of making time to do homework. Homework is a key asset in being able to play school sports. Coaches want students who are dedicated in accomplishing stuff on and off the field, such as maintaining a good GPA. Teacher want you to succeed in school and in the sports or activities you play. They want all of their students to be able to understand what they are teaching so that they will be able to do well on the test or assignments they are given to do. When a student has a low grade while they are involved in an activity there is a very good chance that they won’t get to participate in practice or games. When a teacher notices that a student have a low grade or is getting close to being eligible they will help that student. No teacher wants a student ineligible for something. When a student is looking at their grades and notice they have an ineligible grade or is close, they need to make sure that they go talk to that teacher right away. When they make the time to go talk to that teacher, he or she will probably help you bring it up. The athletic director at West Central High School Craig Boyens has a little to say about eligibility, “We want to do everything we can to help students be eligible for the activity they are participating in. The last thing we want to happen is for the kids to have to sit out for grades. Therefore, we meet with the students and give them a heads up that they are close to being ineligible, hoping it will motivate them to whatever is necessary to improve their grade.” Everyone wants you to succeed and be able to participate in the sports or activities that the students like to do. Remember in order to play students have to get the grades. Volleyball Coming to an End Kinzie Meister Trojan Tribune staff October 4, 2017 With the volleyball season approaching its end, the girls are playing their hardest to be the best they can be. With a tournament tomorrow at Chester, the girls will play one game against Arlington. Let’s go ladies! Last night, the girls played McCook Central. We lost in five matches. The first set being 25-20, the second set 26-24, the third set 23-25, the fourth set 16-25, and the fifth set 5-15. Despite the loss, the girls played hard and had fun while doing so. Last nights game was also Pink Out night! It was great to see our West Central student body dressed in pink, and a special shout-out to Nick Stark, who wore a pink wig all throughout the game. Last week, the girls played three games. They played Madison on Monday, Canton on Tuesday, and Vermillion on Thursday. All away games, and the girls played their hardest and did great. They lost against the Madison Bulldogs in 5 sets, won against the Canton C-Hawks in 4 sets, and won against the Vermillion Tanagers in 3 sets. Way to bring home some wins ladies! Next week, the girls will play the Chester Flyers at Chester on Tuesday, the Mount. Vernon Warhawks on Thursday, and a conference tournament at Madison on Saturday. Then on Tuesday October 23rd, the girls will play one final game of the season, before regions, against the Tri-Valley Mustangs. Regions will start Tuesday October 31st. If we win that game, we’ll play again on Thursday November 2nd, and if we win that game we’ll play on Tuesday November 7th, and if we win that, we’ll go to state in Rapid City November 16th-18th. Make sure to come and support our girls so we can win big at state! I asked Head Coach Emily Bunkers what she looking forward to as the season wraps up. “I’m looking forward to seeing how we will finish up our year. The girls are finally starting to play as a team and play together. We are figuring out a line-up and I’m excited for the girls to display their top talent in the final days.” Next, I asked her who our biggest competitor of the season was. “Our biggest competitor is Sioux Falls Christian.” I couldn’t agree more. That was one tough game the girls played a few weeks back, but the girls played their hardest and played as a team, and that’s all that matters. News Media Student Feature: Abbey Nielsen By Morgan LeBeau Trojan Tribune staff October 4, 2017 Sophomore Abbey Nielsen is a News Media I student at West Central High School this year. While speaking with sophomore Abbey Nielsen, she explained to me that she “joined News Media to learn what goes on behind the scenes and to get better in front of the camera.” This year, Abbey is looking forward to going to the Destination Imagination (DI) State Tournament. She is currently starting her ninth year of DI. Drama is another extracurricular activity that Abbey is involved in, this year she is a Joy of Life Singer in the Fall Play, "Dearly Departed" directed by Mrs. Marcell. Abbey is also involved in dance at Ballerina Dance Studio. This winter Ballerina Dance Studio is presenting "The Wizard Of Oz" where Abbey plays multiple characters. She takes four different dance classes which include two ballet classes, one lyrical class, and one pointe class. When asked about what advice sophomore Abbey would give to the freshman, she stated, "Join a club." She continued to elaborate on that whatever club you decide to join, you need to find your group of friends. Another piece of advice she offered was to continue to do your homework and to stay on top of things. Abbey shared with me that her biggest role model is her life is her entire family. She explained to me that her her family has always been a huge support in her life. One quote that Abbey shared with me that has inspired her was spoken by Albert Einstein, "Logic gets you from A to Z. Imagination gets you everywhere.” A fun fact about Abbey is that she has chiroptophobia, the fear of bats. She explained that due to several experiences which she did not want to expand on. Abbey made sure to make it clear that she is afraid of bats, the animal. She explained that many times people think she means a baseball bat. Abbey is the oldest child in her family. She has two younger brothers, Wyatt, seventh grade, and Zachary, third grade. She has two pets a miniature schnauzer, Princess, and a cat, Boo Boo. Some of Abbey's hobbies include reading and dancing. Freshman Reflect on their Transition By Abbey Nielsen Trojan Tribune staff October 4, 2017 Midterm has come and gone and West Central students have been in school for 31 days. Every year the high school says goodbye to a group of students and hello to a new group. That means that every year a group of student must make the transition from middle school to high school. The transition from being kings of middle school to the bottom of the totem pole in high school can be hard for some students. Freshman have all kinds of difficulties from harder classes to, a new schedule, and dealing with upperclassmen. Students might feel overwhelmed or lost their first few weeks of high school. They need to adjust to teachers wanting assignments done a certain way and teaches that don’t believe in giving A’s. They must learn a new lunch schedule and special day like Tuesday and Fridays. We have all been there and had to deal with the difficulties of this transition. West Central students have the luck of already having been in the building for three years. That and the fact that our building is only one story can help with student not getting too lost. These things may help with the transition, but they do not get rid of the difficulties students have. Everyone adjusts at different speeds and has different ways of dealing with the change. One thing students can do to help adjust to the change is by joining a club or sport. Being part of a group of people that have the same interest as you can help a lot in high school. Being in a club or sport can help a student to meet new people and make new friends. It can also help the new freshmen to feel like they are part of the high school instead of them feeling like they are new or don't have a place. A club or sport can help students from all grades work together and support one another. When asked what is some advice students could give to help the Freshmen out on their first couple weeks of school most responded with “Be sure to keep up with your work.” The first few weeks of school can seem really easy so once lessons get passed the introductory sections and get harder it might catch some students off guard. It is supper important to take notes and do homework. Once you get behind, it can be hard to catch back up and your freshman grades can really affect your GPA. The first weeks of high school might be difficult, but once you figure out the schedule and what each of your teachers want freshman year is going to fly by. Deer Independence, Sup fam! You doin good? Me too. I knew youd ask that so thats why I added my response ya feel? So like the other day me and my parents were havin a chill talk together know what I mean? And so my mom was like “Brad you need to get a job” and my dad was all like “Yeah Brad get a job” and then I was all like “Woah why you gotta be like that fam?” and then she was like “Child just do it” and then I said “Like Shia LaBeouf?” and my mom man she doesnt know the cool talk now. The cool lingo fam. She didnt like that. So she kept yellin dad left a while ago. I won when I said “Yo bro yo. Just relax meighty. Ill do it and stuff just like calm down.” They didn’t like that answer so like I need a job and stuff and yeah man. Ive never had a job before man and I dont really know what to do Deer. I mean Im kinda a genius already and thats why I havent gotten a job yet but ye. I know everything already with the geniusness so I can do anything your want me to do. Your always right so help a brotha out and I guess like yea help me Deer Independence. Love, Darb P.S. My name isn’t Brad it’s Darb Dear Darb, First of all, I’m shocked that you had the nerve to write a letter to me with such poor grammar and spelling. Just because you can talk like that, doesn’t mean you should. Now on to your issue. Parents can definitely put extra and unnecessary stress on you. My advice would be to at least try looking for a job. If your parents see that you’re trying, they might not care if you actually end up getting a job. There are many opportunities out there for you, you just need to go out and find them. Try to find something that you’ll enjoy doing, which I have a lot of ideas based on how you write. You should also invest in some writing or English classes to make sure you understand what an application is saying to you, a speech class wouldn’t be bad to take either. Hope this helps, Imprudence (Not, Independence) West Central’s Latest Science Department Addition By Morgan LeBeau Trojan Tribune Staff September 20, 2017 Mrs. Burwitz is the latest addition to the science department at West Central. This is her first year teaching her own class, but she substituted in the Sioux Falls district for two years and last year she was a student teacher at Roosevelt. When I asked Mrs. Burwitz why she became a teacher, she explained to me that when she was at Purdue University she taught some organic chemistry labs. She was mainly at Purdue to do research on what causes Alzheimer's. She enjoyed both the research and teaching organic chemistry labs but realized that teaching was what she loved the most. Mrs. Burwitz told me that teaching gives her the opportunity to show kids how cool science truly is. Mrs. Burwitz is extremely excited for Quiz Bowl as she was on the Quiz Bowl team when she was in high school. Mrs. Burwitz wanted to come to West Central because she wanted to have the opportunity to teach at a smaller school district. She stated, “I like the idea that I can know an entire class.” Some major scientific role models that Mrs. Burwitz had as she was growing up include her father who was a high school chemistry teacher. She explained how her dad would test the experiments on their family first before he did them in the classroom. Another role model was Ms. Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus.” As well as, Bill Nye the Science Guy was in his prime when Mrs. Burwitz was growing up, so that was another major person that caused her to love science so much. And lastly, Marie Curie was a huge inspiration for Mrs. Burwitz, one of the many reasons is that Curie went to college when at that time most women were not. A few fun facts about Mrs. Burwitz is that she grew up in Vermillion, SD. She lived there from three months old to 22 years old. She majored in Chemistry at USD. Hiking and cross stitching are a few of her hobbies. Mrs. Burwitz has a gray, fluffy cat named Marie which is named after Marie Curie. We are excited to welcome Mrs. Burwitz to West Central. WCXC Competes at Augie Twilight & Nike Preview By Braden Peters Trojan Tribune Staff September 20,2017 On the date of September 1, 2017, the West Central Cross Country team competed in the Augustana Twilight Meet at the Yankton Trails Soccer Complex. The West Central varsity boys ended up getting 5th out of 23 teams. Derick Peters (12) finished 1st with a time of 15:08, Braden Peters (11) got 6th, Cater Ulrich (12) got 35th, Caden Ideker (11) got 52nd, Chase Otheim (12) got 167th, and Joseph Michaels (12) got 184th. When asked about the meet, Senior Sydney Holloway explained “the Augie Twilight meet was awesome and everyone had a good time and good race. The course ended up being 200 meters long, but everyone still ran amazing.” Sadly, no girls ran in the varsity race, but they did very well in the JV race. The first finisher for the girls was Shelby Sherard (9) with a place of 26th, Abbie Cain (9) got 31st, Kayli Blue (11) got 48th, Liz Johnson (7) got 49th, Sayda Rolfson (9) got 50th, Cosette Ulrich (10) got 57th, Abby Witt (11) got 118th, and finally, Ashley Hohn (12) got 158th. Last Saturday, the West Central Cross Country team competed and the Nike Heartland Preview Meet, once again at the Yankton Trails Soccer Complex. Unfortunately, the varsity boys do not have a team score due to a lost timing chip. Beside the unfortunate event, the varsity boys still ran really well. Senior Derick Peters discussed how he felt about the race, “I felt like crap, I didn't feel the most energetic going into the race and felt queasy. For the circumstances I was in, it was a positive result.” Senior Derick Peters got 1st, Junior Braden Peters got 3rd, Junior Caden Ideker got 32nd, Freshman Caleb Schulte ran his first varsity meet, but his timing chip was lost during the race, and Senior Joseph Michaels got 104th. Senior Carter Ulrich was taking the ACT and Senior Chase Otheim was at Air Guard drill, so they were unable to enjoy this amazing race. There was a quick rain shower during the race, but that didn’t stop the boys from finishing strong. Hurricanes Hit Hard By Griffin Smith Trojan Tribune Staff September 20, 2017 Recently, hurricanes have been terrorizing South-East Texas, and soon to be hitting Southern Florida and almost all of the Caribbean Islands. The hurricanes names of the hurricanes are Hurricane Harvey, Irma, and Jose. The last hurricane to hit the United States over a category three was Hurricane Wilma that hit in 2005. Both Hurricane Harvey and Irma were category four, they hit only 15 days apart. So far the death total of the two hurricanes is reaching above 70 and is still rising. Hurricanes are the worst storms on planet earth, category fives reaching over 160 mph. Hurricane waters rise over 15 feet within hours, making flash floods an impending doom. Flood waters can sweep a car of the ground only if the water is six inches deep, a foot of water can easily take a human away. Flood waters are more dangerous when they start to recede, since there is little to no current going to the water, it can easily grow bacteria and can cause mold and other diseases to spread extremely easily. Floods in Texas due to Harvey rose over 12 feet high, and people were told to stay out of the waters completely because alligators and sharks have been spotted swimming on freeways, and fire ant colonies are floating around like life savers. Hurricanes bring out the best and worst from people. Groups like the Red Cross have been donating money to the recovery of the two storms, and celebrities and millionaires have been donating and raising money as well. JJ Watt, a defensive end for the Houston Texans has raised over 10 millions dollars so far and wants to raise up to 17 million to help rebuild Texas and Florida. Sadly, people have been caught breaking into houses and retails stores looting TV’s and other items of value. People are the best when we unite, and get past our differences to help others in need. If you want to donate to the American Red Cross to help the survivors of the hurricanes, call 1-(800)-733-2767. Please pray for everyone to stay safe. Volleyball Approaches Middle of Season By Kinzie Meister Trojan Tribune Staff September Volleyball has a 5-3 record so far this school year. Winning against the Elk-Point Jefferson Huskies on Tuesday the 5th, the girls won in five matches, most of them being very close scores, and losing to the Sioux Falls Christian Chargers on Thursday the 7th, a tournament on Saturday the 9th, and a game tonight at Garretson High School. The scores for Saturdays tournaments are 1-2. Let’s hope we do better at our next on on Saturday the 23rd. In the tournament, the girls played the Lennox Orioles, the Tea Titans, and the Aberdeen Cavaliers, winning against the Orioles, and losing against the Titans and Cavaliers. The girls had fun and were always full of energy and spirit all throughout the day, keeping their heads held high. Head coach Emily Bunkers shares how she thinks the girls are playing this season stating “I believe the girls are playing alright so far. We have showcased bits and part of the great team we can be, but we need more consistency.” I totally agree with you coach. Next, coach stated some things that she thinks the girls could work on this year so far, “I believe the team could improve on a number of things. One main thing being the consistency of play with each other. If we can get that done, the rest of the mechanical things will fall into place.” Coach also stated, “I strongly believe that we can make another appearance at State this year if we come together and start all playing to our potential game after game.” Volleyball is doing great so far this season. So far, we’ve played Dells, Tea, BonHomme, Elk-Point Jefferson, and Sioux Falls Christian. We won against Dells in 4 matches, Tea in 5 matches, BonHomme in 3 matches, and Elk-Point Jefferson in 5 matches, and lost against Sioux Falls Christian in 3 matches.The girls also won against Lennox in the Saturday tournament in 2 matches, and lost against Aberdeen in 3 matches, and lost against Tea in 2 matches, but the girls have been playing their hardest, and that’s what we like to see here at West Central. |