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

On November 6, 2012, there will be an election to either reinstate our current president, Barrack Obama, or assign a new President of the United States. From the Republican party, there are four remaining candidates.The two candidates in the lead are Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. The other two candidates are Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. The Democratic party has one candidate remaining, the current President of the United States: Barrack Obama.

All kids hear debates about politics in some form at home. It might be from the television, their parents, or on the Internet. Some people get very offended when it comes to politics, but most students don’t pay attention to politics. It’s always wise to be informed of how your government works and who is running it. Ask your friends and see how many even know who the candidates are. More than likely, most of them have no idea. Being involved in and informed of your government is very important when you get older. Would it be a smart decision to go out on Election Day and vote for someone you know nothing about?

There are some students who like to be informed and are ready to be a part of the election process. When a citizen turns 18, under normal circumstances, he/she has the right to vote. Senior Joe Schartz is voting for the candidate that presents the best plan for saving the economy. “The candidate I would choose right now is Mitt Romney because he wants to lower taxes,” Schartz says. “I expect that no one will want Obama to be president again.”

Should the self-ascribed “bipartisan” members of Congress, who have to this point opposed many of the potentially beneficial suggestions of the Democratic Party, ever decide to be truly thoughtful of these suggestions rather than constantly looking for ways to undermine the current administration, this country might actually see some progress.  Until our elected leaders can put aside their petty griping (on both sides, mind you) and power struggling, the backbone workers of this country are going to continue to struggle:  economically, socially, globally.  I long for a day when it doesn’t matter which corporate conglomerate paid my representative the most money for his/her campaign; and instead my representative takes into consideration what is best for the constituency (that’s us, the “Joe Schmoes” of America).  I also long for a day when America is about “red white and blue” rather than red or blue.

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Examiner

High school is stressful. At least for students who actually care about their grades. It’s surprising that we don’t all come out of it with gray hairs, with all the future planning we have to make. Sometimes it feels like we need to get everything figured out: college, a career, living situations, etc., before we even walk out the door with our diploma in hand. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like 24 hours in a day is long enough. However, one big stress-point for students, their GPA, might not be as essential as some may think.

Sure, grades are important. You can’t fail every class and expect to get into a top-notch school that will prepare you for your dream career. Maybe I’m wrong and you can. But let’s just say, for this article, that you can’t. However, you shouldn’t kill yourself over getting all A+’s and a 4.0 GPA. Most colleges don’t even count half the classes you take in your GPA. They strip it of all the electives and focus on the core classes: math, science, English and social sciences. Plus, they would prefer you take harder classes and get, heaven forbid, a B, rather than take classes a toddler could pass and get an A+.

I’m not saying grades don’t matter at all. I’m just saying that you need to be a well-rounded student. People skills, communication skills and experience are essential, too. If you want to have a job or go to a college badly enough, they will more than likely want you over the other guy with good grades who’s not willing to go the extra mile. You need to go the extra distance, do job shadows, go to beneficial camps, volunteer, intern, do whatever it takes to make yourself an asset to society. You’ll find that these things are much more important than a good grade and no social life or experience.

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of teacherpages.nhcs.net

High school is a time of decisions. It is the time of your life in which you begin to set yourself up for your adult life. You take classes that interest you, plan for your career in the work force, and decide if you’re going to continue your education beyond the 12^th grade. These decisions are stressful and leave most students unsure of themselves. However, if you follow a few simple tactics and tips, your stress meter might stay low.

First, market yourself well. Participate in activities that employers or colleges like to see on a resume’. Simply put, sell yourself. If you are going to buy something, you weigh out its advantages and disadvantages and make a decision based on those factors. Employers and admissions boards follow the same guidelines. They are essentially investing in you and will consider both your advantages and disadvantages before selecting you. Volunteer and work experience are huge. Good grades and a high ACT score will open lots of doors for you, but as the saying goes, experience is the best education. For this reason, don’t focus solely on getting high scholastic marks, but also on gaining experience. Volunteering, working and attending academic camps, such as Youth Business Adventure and Boys or Girls State, are a great way for you to market yourself. Remember, companies or colleges are investing in you; they want to see that you are capable of performing to their standards.

Second, consider the ‘what if’. Lots of times as students leave high school, they have a career goal and a plan of how they’re going to achieve that goal. However, many begin their life following that plan, but somewhere along that path ‘life’ happens. By saying “life happens,” I mean that you might meet someone special and want to settle down or something of that nature. Plainly, when “life happens” it means that an event took place which changes the path you have to follow to get to where you want to end up. If all your skills and worth are focused on one plan and then “life happens” and you’re forced to leave that path, what are you going to do then? Have a backup plan. What if your career goal is no longer in reach? What are you going to do then? It’s not something that needs to be thought upon heavily, but always consider the ‘what if’.

Third, experiment. When the school year began, I remember talking to many of my friends about their plans after high school. Quite a few of them thought they had an idea of what career they would like to have one day. Now, only five months later, a large portion of that group is wondering why they ever considered that career. For many of them, experiencing the job first hand changed their opinion of what it’s like to have that job. For this reason, I strongly recommend you to participate in a job shadow, internship or volunteer experience that would allow you to experience a job first hand. It is better to know that a career is not a fit for you before you start working toward that goal, than to invest years worth of time and figure out that it’s not for you.

If you follow these simple guidelines I believe you will accomplish your goals. Some of you may be thinking that these tips aren’t valid because you’re only in high school, but all of these tips have been given to me by other people, mostly teachers. In the end, if you really want to achieve something, and set your mind to it, you will be successful.

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 Kasma Magazine

Many movies nowadays have been based on popular books. The Hunger Games, which comes out in March, seems to be anticipated by people all over. Previous hits were Harry Potter, Twilight and The Help. Many people have their own opinions on which is better, the book versus the movie. “The books, definitely the books. They are way more in-depth. You can use your imagination to play out the book,” stated junior Brennan Ensz.

Compared to the movies, the Harry Potter book series received numerous awards, including, but not limited to, Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1998, The Booksellers Association, The Bookseller Author of the Year 1998, Newsweek Best Book of the Year 2007. The movies received just as much accreditation as the books. They received the Teen Choice Award–Choice Summer Movie: Action Adventure and numerous others.

The Twilight book series gained recognitions on a national level, but never received an actual award for the publications. However, the movie series won an MTV Movie Award, People’s Choice Award and a Teen Choice Award. The Help was on the New York Times bestseller list and won the Indies Choice Book Award. The movie was nominated for an Oscar, Won a Golden Globe, and was nominated for a People’s choice award. As for The Hunger Games, the book was on the New York Times bestseller list, the USA Today’s bestseller list, New York Times Notable Children’s Book of 2008 and many other accreditations.

About 64 percent of the people interviewed said they liked the book better than the movie. “The book leaves so much up to your imagination and you can picture the characters how you want to,” stated Heather Craig. Another 27 percent disagreed. “I like the movies better because I don’t have to read,” said senior Adam Hentges. The remaining nine percent said they were very excited to go see The Hunger Games when it comes to theaters. “I am extremely excited to see the movie; my whole family has read every book,” stated Pam Titus.

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Green Earth Bamboo

As teenagers go through high school, there are many factors in their lives that lead to stress and lack of sleep. This prevents students from performing at their best in the classroom and extracurricular activities. While the average teenager needs eight to nine hours of sleep a night, most students sleep only around six or seven hours. Students are forced to juggle school, sports and jobs–all while attempting to get an efficient amount of sleep.

Did you know oversleeping is the primary cause of missing school or being tardy? A lack of sleep causes students to become less focused in the classroom, and it is harder to concentrate on daily work and tests. Sleep recharges your internal battery and helps you to be successful and focus in school. Electronic devices and televisions can be a major distraction while trying to fall asleep. Putting phones and iPods away and turning the TV off 20 minutes before bedtime will help teens fall asleep faster and get more sleep. Over 30 percent of teenagers have two or more caffeinated drinks a day; caffeine causes both teens and adults to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. A lack of sleep affects concentration, memory, reaction time, and can even lead to depression.

As students mature and become more independent, they start wanting to make money and have extra cash to spend. Many teenagers work at fast food restaurants, clothing stores and daycares. It helps them to manage their money and learn how to spend it wisely. Some teenagers put their paycheck in a savings account, college fund, or use it for spending money. Although it is hard for students to balance a job with so many other factors in their life, having a job teaches teenagers lessons and puts some extra money in their pocket.

Along with trying to get a good amount of sleep, going to school and working, many teenagers are in after-school sports and activities. Sports usually take up anywhere from an hour to three hours of a student’s day. Along with time, many students have to wake up a few extra hours early to make it to practice, or they get home very late at night from a practice or game. This gives them less time to do homework, sleep and live their teenage life. Sports and other extracurricular activities are a great way to interact with friends and learn many life lessons, but they also take up a lot of time and often cause teenagers to lose sleep.

Although it is quite a challenge to manage all of the factors of a teenage life, many students learn to cope with the daily tasks and trials that come along. Teachers, coaches and bosses tend to be somewhat lenient because they know teenagers have a lot on their plate in high school. When it seems as though you want to give up at times, keep pushing; the more involved you are, the more it will reward you in the future!

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo courtesy of Matshots.com

Snow may not be in the air much this winter season, but there sure is success for the West Central girls basketball team. The Lady Trojans have a 10-2 record so far despite temporarily losing junior starter Hunter Matheiu and junior Brennan Ensz. Luckily, with all the other talent, the girls have been able to keep up with their opponents. Part of the success is coming from star players on the team, but a large portion can also be attributed to the leaders. Seniors Shelby Sieverding and Allie Macdonald take their role as seniors very well.

Sieverding is happy that she is finally a senior on the team. She believes that her role as a senior is to be a leader and keep the team free of drama. Sieverding shares, “I hope we keep improving and work hard every day in practice because we can always get better.” Once she leaves the team, she will miss the people in basketball and making new memories each day. Sieverding, for now, is planning to focus on school rather than let college track distract her.

Macdonald says, “It feels good to finally be the ‘top dogs’ of the team.” She has always felt like a leader but is glad that she’s finally at the top level. Macdonald expresses, “I believe the harder I work, the harder my teammates will work. I try to lead my team in a positive manner at all times. Also, I continue to encourage them even when everything isn’t going exactly right.” Her goal for the team is to make it to state this year. When the season comes to an end, she will miss the relationships she has made with the coaches, opponents and teammates. Once graduated, Macdonald is planning to play soccer at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

As the season comes and goes, the memories and friendships will always be there for these two senior basketball players, and their leadership might just bring the Lady Trojans further than ever expected.

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.