By Afton Johnson and Brennan Ensz

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Herter Music Center

On Wednesday, April 18, the West Central chorus and band went to Harrisburg to perform in a contest. Band director Danny Eye stated what the contest really is. “It is where you go perform for three very old, boring judges and they tell you what you need to work on.” Both groups received very high ratings. The choir obtained two superiors and one excellent. Superior is the highest rating one can get with excellent being second best. The judges suggested that they work on their pitch and resonance, which is being more lively and sounding more musical with the piece. “Choir performed very well and the judges really liked us. The band played better than they did on Tuesday in the concert,” said junior Donovan Minor.

Eye was not as pleased. “I thought we played very well, but I think we should’ve gotten a superior rating. As for improvements, we need to work on balance and blend. We have a lot of higher pitched instruments and we need more lower pitched instruments. We also need to work on having everyone eligible to compete.” All in all, both groups did very well and are taking in the advice of the judges and using it to prepare for next year.

By Afton Johnson and Brennan Ensz

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Winthrop High School

A new year, a new group of students eligible for National Honor Society. For those who don’t know what NHS is, “It’s a national organization that serves to honor students who excel in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service and character,” stated West Central NHS adviser Sherry Knutson. Juniors and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.5 are offered a chance to be in NHS. The number of students eligible this year is at a record high of 43 students. Out of the 43 students, 33 took on the challenge and handed in the paperwork detailing their efforts in leadership, service and character, eight of whom are seniors. Sixteen seniors were inducted into NHS last year as juniors, so they do not need to apply again.

Once the applicants have handed in their applications, the applications go through a rating process. These applications contain lists of the service activities they have performed throughout their high school years. Teachers and staff members who have had a working relationship with the student within the last three years will judge their applications and cast their vote for each specific student. “Students are rated on their accomplishments in leadership, character and service by the high school faculty,” Knutson stated. Knutson will then review the ratings of each student and bring the ratings to a five-teacher committee to review every rating. In the end, all applicants will receive a letter that states whether they were accepted this year.

Now the students accepted in NHS continue to work hard for their community. “We perform two service projects each year, one just before Christmas and one at the end of the school year. The service projects involve raising money for someone in need,” said Knutson about the community work involved with NHS. Students who tried for NHS this year will receive the results at the end of this week.

By Brooklyn Ketcham and Brennan Ensz

Trojan Tribune Staff

Photo Courtesy of Tracy Ketcham

While Friday the 13th tends to be perceived as a day of bad luck, the Lady Trojans were ready to take on the challenge by playing the Harrisburg Tigers. After losing their first game to Harrisburg 69-62, the Lady Trojans were prepared to face their rivals. The Trojans knew it was a big game for them; they needed a win to stay in the hunt for a conference title. The Trojans began the game with a 10-0 run, but the Tigers fought back to a close halftime score of 24-20, with the Trojans still on top.

After halftime, both teams were ready to battle again. The Tigers were on top almost the whole second half. Madison Kuehl surprised the Tigers when she hit a big three pointer to get the Trojans rolling again with 43 seconds left of the game. This put the Trojans ahead 41-39. The Tigers responded well though, hitting a baseline jumper with just 16 seconds to play. Allie Macdonald, for the Trojans, raced the ball down the court with a pass to Brennan Ensz. Wide open, Ensz nailed the game-winning shot with just 5 seconds left. The Tigers had one more attempt, but the shot fell short, leaving the Trojans with a 43-41 victory. Macdonald finished with 10 points, and Kuehl finished with nine points.

The 6-2 Lady Trojans will host the Dell Rapids Quarriers on January 17, and they will travel to Milbank on January 21.