Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Chelsea Sandahl

The time has arrived once again for West Central High School students to start fundraising for their chance of a lifetime trip to Washington, DC, in the spring of 2013. Every two years, juniors and seniors from West Central take part in a program called Close Up. Founded in 1971, Close Up is a nonprofit organization that educates and inspires young people to become informed and engaged citizens. “This is an organization set up in Washington, DC, that helps students better understand how our government works. Close Up also allows students to see many of the memorials in Washington in a more educational fashion. Another major role of Close Up is that it introduces students from one part of the country and their views on politics to others and their views,” explains West Central Close Up supervisor Wade Tirrel.

Teenagers and supervisors from all over the country come to Washington, DC, for this special event. “Our students and teachers are a diverse group – coming from every state and territory and several other countries. They hail from a variety of ethnic, cultural, racial and economic backgrounds. This diversity greatly enhances the learning that takes place on our programs,” stated Timothy S. Davis, Close Up President. Many past students that have gone on the trip would agree with Davis. “It is a good learning experience, and I still stay in touch with the people I met there,” West Central graduate Chelsea Sandahl explained.

Students get the chance to participate in discussions, see many important monuments, and meet important officials on their trip. Many students who have gone in the past say some of their highlights include visiting Arlington National Cemetery and watching the Changing of the Guard. Other students enjoyed going to the United States Capitol to meet South Dakota’s political representatives.

Along with the many thrills of traveling come the nerves and emotions. “I am not so sure about flying because I have never flown before. I am also nervous about my roommate because you could get a grumpy one from a different state!” exclaimed junior Krista Edberg, who will be attending the trip in April 2013.

Many fundraisers will be completed in the future for students to raise money for their trip. The students plan on working concessions at athletic events, hosting waffle feeds and car washes, and setting up food stands for Jamboree Days to help reach their financial goals. Things such as a haunted house and STI discount cards have been beneficial so far in helping students to raise their amount. “If students decide to make the commitment to go, they will never look back and regret it; much of what Close Up allows people to do in Washington, DC, can never be duplicated,” Tirrel stated.

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo by Brandon Pennock

Taking two weeks off from school would sound good to any student. Junior Brandon Pennock had that opportunity and took it. State Representative Bob Deelstra contacted Pennock and told him he should sign up to become a Legislative page. “I didn’t even know what that was, so I checked into and it sounded pretty fun. I filled out an application,” said Pennock. Requirements for being a page consist of being among the top of your class and having your principal sign off saying you are responsible. “The program is actually meant for seniors, but I got around that,” said Pennock.

A Legislative page is a student who goes to the Capitol in Pierre and helps and observes the legislators. Some of the pages’ duties include sorting through bills and journals, making copies and delivering mail. “We also got them coffee, water and whatever else they wanted,” explained Pennock. 

Pennock really enjoyed his experience in Pierre and would definitely do it again. “There were 22 other pages from across South Dakota. I made a lot of new friends and I got to see what the Capitol is like. For my birthday, I had supper at the Governor’s Mansion. That was pretty sweet.”

The pages got paid $50 a day, but he also had to pay $25 a day to his host family. There were two days he didn’t get paid when session was canceled for Former Governor Bill Janklow’s funeral.

“Next year I plan to apply again. Hopefully they will let me, because I had a real good time. I strongly recommend this program to all students. You don’t even have to be interested in politics. It’s a good experience.”

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of Marges

When you think of Valentine’s Day do you think of a day of love or a day of feast? One of the various legends of St. Valentine’s Day is a day of feast in honor of a priest named St. Valentine. This priest was disliked by the Roman emperor, Claudius II. Claudius II did not approve of young men being married. He believed these men would make better soldiers than husbands. St. Valentine did not agree with Claudius II’s law, and he continued to secretly marry young men and women. He was eventually arrested and put to death on February 14, 270. Pope Gelasius thought it was necessary to honor St. Valentine for his religious effort, so the next year they celebrated a feast day called Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day did not become associated with love until the 14th century when  famous poet Chaucer wrote a poem for a royal engagement in England. He linked the royal engagement to the feast day of St. Valentine’s Day. From then on the day was a celebration to show your love for someone. Four centuries later, homemade cards and gift giving became very popular in England. It wasn’t until the 1850s that Ester Howland started mass producing cards, which sparked the trend of gift giving in the United States.

While getting chocolates or heart-shaped crafts are the normal gift on Valentine’s Day, freshman Sara Waldner said her best Valentine’s gift was a spy kit from Lauren Dolly. Although it is a time of gifts, it’s also a time to share with a special someone or other loved ones. Freshman Jacoby Odegaard says he’ll be spending his Valentine’s Day with his grandmother, while junior Afton Johnson says she’ll be with her boyfriend, Cole Jorgensen. No matter who you spend it with, Valentine’s Day is a day to show someone you care.

Since Valentine’s Day is such a controversial topic, you either like it or you don’t. In a poll taken recently at West Central High School, 30 percent of boys said they liked Valentine’s Day, while only 28 percent of girls said they like it. On the other end, 19 percent of boys, along with 23 percent of girls, said they don’t like Valentine’s Day.

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of the Rapid City Journal

In his January 10 State of the State presentation to the people of South Dakota, Governor Dennis Daugaard outlined his vision for the future of pubic education. In it, he spoke of his belief in targeting resources to reward students and teachers who show dedication to academic improvement.

“My plan provides bonuses for the best, while continuing support to all teachers’ regular salaries, to provide rewards for inspiring success in our students,” Daugaard stated during his speech. His plan will provide salary bonuses for the top 20 percent of teachers, as well as bonuses for math and science educators. The plan comes with a 2.3 percent increase in state aid to education after cuts were made to the program in last year’s budget.

To support his plan, Daugaard cited state spending statistics that reach back 40 years. Since 1971, South Dakota student enrollment has fallen 28.5 percent, yet the number of teachers in the state has increased by 10 percent. Per pupil spending has also steadily increased by 2.3 percent since that time, but South Dakota students, who used to be among the top students in the nation, are falling behind their neighbors. In 2003 South Dakota’s fourth grade reading scores were surpassed by only four other states, and today, 20 states are ahead of us.

These numbers constitute a time-tested truth about the relationship between money and education; higher per pupil spending does not necessarily lead to a higher quality education. Nonetheless, the Sioux Falls School district has come out against the governor’s proposal, with Board Vice President Doug Morrison saying, “We’re defending ourselves against something we shouldn’t have to defend ourselves against, and that’s a little disappointing.”

In a January 30 meeting of the senior editorial members of the Tribune staff, the board decided that the values of the Sioux Falls School district do not reflect our own, and we are proud to endorse the governor’s education proposal. It will be a policy of fiscal soundness, responsibility and incentive, and we appreciate the state’s plan to reward teachers who demonstrate academic improvement. The decision to endorse was not entirely unanimous due to one dissenting vote, but the board overwhelmingly agreed with the governor’s goals and concurred with his historical evidence.

A spirit of competition can only lead to an improvement in our teaching system, and with that spirit, we will once again reclaim our position as a state with a leading educational institution.

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo by Dustin Ortman

On Monday, January 30, the band wowed a captivated audience in the auditorium with a concert that displayed the versatile talent of the young musicians. The free show brought in friends and family from the community who thoroughly enjoyed the show, especially a piece called “The Great Locomotive Chase.”

“The one that sounded like a train was the best–it really made me see a train,” said senior fan Dusty Kleba. Sophomore Libby Goertel also gave the performance praise, saying, “It made me happy to see my boyfriend playing the guitar. He’s really good at it.” Kleba agreed with her wholeheartedly.

Director Danny Eye was pleased with his students and says he’s keeping his eyes on the future. “Wow, the mic system was really ghetto. I thought it was a really great concert with a lot of different styles of music, and now we’re looking forward to starting new music for contest and spring concert.”

The Augie Jazz Festival will be held March 6, and All-State Band members will gather in Brookings on March 23 and 24.

The 46th annual Super Bowl will kick off at 6:30 EST on Feb. 5. The much anticipated matchup between the two talented franchises is expected to come down to the wire. For the New England Patriots, this is a revenge bowl, as they will try to get back at the New York Giants, who defeated them in the 2008 Super Bowl. While Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are chasing their fourth Super Bowl ring together, Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin are looking to win their second. Going into the playoffs as the number four seed, the Giants knocked off the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots went into the playoffs as the number one seed. They crushed the Denver Broncos and then topped the Baltimore Ravens by three.

While New York wasn’t a favorite coming into the playoffs, the franchise played solid ball and took advantage of the opportunities they were given. The regular season didn’t go exactly as planned, but nevertheless, they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in week 17 to win the division and come into the playoffs strong. Though their regular season record was a lousy 9-7, the Giants knew that with the talent their team consisted of, they were capable of beating anyone. Team leaders offensively during the regular season were Eli Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw and Victor Cruz. Manning threw for 4,933 yards and 29 touchdowns, finishing with a quarterback rating of 92.9. Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 659 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging about 3.9 yards per carry. Victor Cruz had 82 receptions for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the Giants were led by Antrel Rolle, who had 96 tackles and Jason Pierre-Paul, who had 16.5 sacks.

New England was definitely a favorite coming into the playoffs. As a number one seed, many NFL fans and analysts expected them to go deep into the playoffs. The Patriots have questionably the best offensive unit in the league, but as an old saying goes: ‘defense wins championships.’ This is an obvious weakness to the franchise, but in the playoffs, their defense has played exceptionally well. In the regular season the franchise went 13-3 and won their division by a large margin. Offensive leaders for the Patriots during the regular season included Tom Brady, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Wes Welker. Brady passed for 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 105.6. Green-Ellis led the Patriots in rushing yards with 667 yards and 11 touchdowns. Welker had 122 receptions for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns. Defensively, the leaders for the Patriots were Jerod Mayo and Andre Carter. Mayo had 88 tackles, and Carter had 10 sacks.

There are some key players to watch in the Super Bowl for both teams. For the Giants, they are their quarterback Eli Manning, and their receivers, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.  New York has three exceptional pass rushers up front as well: Justin Tuck, Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora.  New England’s key players to watch are the quarterback, Tom Brady, and the two tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.  The Patriots also have two key receivers: Wes Welker and Deion Branch. Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo are two players to keep an eye out for on the defensive side of the ball.

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of moviefanatic.com

This movie takes place in the World War II time period. It is based on the real life Tuskegee Airmen of the American Air Force. The film focus’ on the discrimination against African American fighter pilots in the American Air force. The African American fighters were thought to be inferior in intelligence and resourcefulness to whites. That they were physically unfit for duty and couldn’t control themselves in the face of danger. The movie more than proves that false.

It is a tale of sacrifice that the Tuskegee airmen endured to help to take down the Third Reich in the second World War. Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as Major Emmanuelle Stance, the man on the airbase in charge of keeping his airmen inspired and ready for battle. Terrence Howard also stars as Colonel A.J Ballard who finally gets his African American fighting force their first mission.

This inspiring movie is filled with quotes that will get the viewer ready to fly a plane against the Nazis Air force, but we found this quote the most inspiring: “We count our victories by the bombers we get to their targets, by the husbands we return to their wives, by the fathers we give back to their children. To the last plane, to the last bullet, to the last minute, to the last man, we fight! We fight!” by Colonel A.J Ballard. This is more than just an action flick though, it is a story about proving yourself and taking full advantage of the opportunities you receive. We recommend this movie to anyone who likes adventure, but also enjoys a strong story.

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Allie MacDonald

Senior Allie Macdonald is involved in several sports at West Central, including soccer, basketball and track. Her favorite memories in soccer include winning the state title two years in a row. She will be attending Northern State University next year and plans on studying Accounting or Elementary Special Education. Macdonald’s goals are to start on Northern’s soccer team and score 10 goals as a freshman. Competing in sports has taught Allie that playing to the best of her ability will not only benefit her, but also her team. It has also taught her how to be a team leader. Through sports, she has acquired a hard-working attitude and confidence. When asked who her sports heroes are, she says, “A pro that has inspired me is Mia Hamm. Since I was eight years old, I wanted to be just like her and go to North Carolina and then play for a professional team just like Mia.” The advice she gives to other athletes is to always remember that abilities you have, were given to you by God. She also encourages athletes to “play for God’s glory and not for the pride of yourself or anyone else.” A very inspirational Bible verse that she uses to help her is “You can do all things through Him who gives you strength.”