words of a feather The Official Student Newspaper of the Crete High School Cardinals Crete, Nebraska

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1 The Official Student Newspaper of the Crete High School Cardinals Crete, Nebraska Volume 4 Issue 3 Teens Passing Prescriptions as Much as Pot Jessialyn Holdcraft Copy Editor/Staff Coordinator Teens today are just as likely to open the medicine cabinet as they are to light up a joint as the number of new abusers of prescription drugs equals that of marijuana. Every day, 2500 teens use prescription drugs to get high. This startling statistic does not go unnoticed. After surveying 31 teachers, 77 percent of them said they worry about students using prescription drugs. I worry about students or athletes abusing prescription drugs, Alternative Education teacher Matthew Hoffman However, legitimate prescriptions are intended for use as long as the recommended allowance is followed. Even more unnerving is the idea of students selling prescription drugs. Unfortunately I am aware that we have a number of students who solicit medication from other students who are injured, Band Director Eric Fahrlander According to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than one in ten teens have abused prescription drugs in their lifetime. Of those teen prescription drug abusers, eight out of ten of them get the drugs from friends or relatives by stealing, buying or simply asking for the drugs as stated in a Partnership for a Drug-Free America s 2007 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study. One place to find prescription drugs is the medicine cabinet, right at home within arm s reach of a teen. Prescription painkillers, especially, can collect under the strain of serious injuries and surgeries leading to the packed cabinets. If parents would have something that s a longterm issue, so they would have refills on a regular basis, it s a matter of taking two or three pills a day at a time and they don t even notice, Principal Tim Conway That would be a concern. Riley*, a Crete student, has used, abused and sold prescription drugs. I ve used Oxycodone, Riley I used it because it makes my body feel good. Riley admits to using the prescription painkiller and reaping the conseprecription medicine has become widely abused by teenagers in recent years. More than one in ten teens are reported to quences. abuse prescription drugs in their lifetime. Students have found new, innovative ways to borrow or take another person s pre I have been sent scription or even non-prescription medication. to rehab for using drugs. If you do it No stranger to injury, having suffered mul- lowed to take prescription drugs, especially if once, you get that feeling, and you don t want tiple requiring four knee surgeries, a reattached it s a pain medicine, typically with that you it to stop, Riley It s addicting, and it finger injury, hand surgery, ankle repair, and get a refill, Conway Once we get past can ruin your life. shoulder surgery, Conway knows how serious day number five and the pain subsides then a Rehab was not a solution for this student. injuries can require prescriptions that can po- student would have some extra pills that they Riley continues to sell and abuse prescription tentially lead to abuse issues. may be able to sell or give away. drugs, but realizes that it is a problem. Anytime you have students who are al*name has been changed Words Includes Economic Turmoil Filters Teen Employment La Voz Hispana Section, pp 4-5 Words of a Feather Staff Reports In This Issue... The student population at Crete High represents multiple nationalities and languages and those students enrich the learning atmosphere in a variety of proven ways. As a result of that diversity, the Words of a Feather staff is collaborating with the Native Spanish Speakers III and IV class to help better represent the student body by including a double-page spread on pages four and five every further issue. La Voz Hispana, translated as The Hispanic Voice, is a section written by the Native Spanish Speakers III and IV classes, designed and edited by Marilyn Bolaños and Dulce Castañeda of the Crete High Journalism Staff. We decided to include the students who previously produced their own, smaller student newspaper (in the Native Speakers class) in the production and publication of the official school newspaper, Journalism Adviser Katie Wright Native Spanish Speakers Teacher Janet Eckerson was approached by Wright about combining the efforts of both classes to include elements of La Voz Hispana in Words of a Feather. The students and I are really pleased to be collaborating with the school newspaper, Eckerson It is great to have the voice of Spanish-speaking students included. Page 2: Contact Lenses Yield Eye-Catching Interest Senior Mikayla Casteel confers with Counselor Jeanne Stec about college options. Currently, some students are planning on taking general classes at a community college and then transferring to a university to finish with their minor or major in their area of expertise. Renzo Martel As 2009 started, a crisis was on the horizon. The stock market has dropped to it lowest point since the Great Depression. The most affected areas are those in the East and West Coasts and although the Midwest has not been affected as much, it has had its impact on teenagers. Page 4: Students Document Lives In and Out Teenagers everywhere have seen a need to cut down on expenses. The aim at becoming responsible may be intervened by the low amount of available jobs at this moment. Few months ago we used to go to restaurants in Lincoln every few weeks, and now we rarely go out anymore, only on special occasions because we cook more food and eat at home more often, Sophomore Lukas Renker As teens are rapidly becoming more independent, the need for jobs has highly increased. Pages 10: Cardinal Sports Start Winter Seasons The unemployment rate is increasing and with that, fewer jobs are now available to teens who are looking to save for their wants. Since the economic turmoil started it has been very difficult to find a job, Junior Francisco Alarcon Now I am not able to buy the things that I really want such as clothes. The turmoil has also had an effect on teenagers ability to choose colleges. According to The New York Times, student drop out rates from public universities have increased. I plan to go to SCC, also because it s cheaper and I don t know exactly what I want to do and right now I m really trying to focus on a high paying career so in the future I m not financially ruined, Senior Mikayla Casteel And that is why SCC is a good choice so that I can get my general classes and get started with something. The Obama administration is now trying to increase the amount of money that could be lent to college students by passing bills and making new laws. The economy has been trouble to those students in Crete who live below the poverty level. Some parents have even lost their jobs Sometimes when parents lose their job it can create a lot of stress in their families and kids, Counselor Karen Buchfinck said, which often times leads to kids having headaches and other mental issues on their minds. Many students affected by this go through stressful times because their families either do not have enough resources or they themselves can not obtain everything they would like. Our family is cutting back on many of the things that we use to have for granted, Junior Jimmy Nguyen Now sometimes we have to choose between one snack between my siblings and I, which often times makes us get into arguments, but I always win. Page 12: Facebook Mounts to State Patrol Concerns

2 Page 2 News Illegal Contacts Pose Risks to Students Words Staff Investigates Junior Nicole Reetz demonstrates the proper way to clean and place a contact. Many students are illegally buying non-prescribed contact lenses. This could cause permanent damage to the eyes. by Jessica Thatcher or physician that authorizes the dispensing of contact lenses to a patient and meets the requirements of section A visit to Total Image in the Gateway Mall in Lincoln to try to buy a pair of these attention-grabbing colored contacts did not go as planned. The employee working, Anthony, refused to have any pictures taken and argued that he was not illegally selling the contacts. Even after seeing chapter 69, he said that the contacts he s selling aren t prescription, therefore, aren t illegal. The truth is, prescription or non-prescription, a person cannot sell cosmetic contact lenses without a license in optometry, and Total Image did not have one. The prices of these eye catching contacts range anywhere between $40 and $150. The cost depends on where somebody goes to buy cosmetic contacts. I heard from a friend and we both bought a pair for $54 at Total Image in Lincoln, said Freshman Rosa Alarcon, who wears a non-corrective pair of blue cosmetic contact lenses. Alarcon also said that Total Image had colors like purple, hazel, green, orange and white. Another type of non-prescription contacts are for costume use. These lenses can be custom made, which means they are printed, not tinted like colored contacts; these can be bought at a store or online. Costume lenses have different patterns on them such as making eyes look bloodshot, or like cat eyes. Correction contacts and colored contacts are perfectly fine to wear every day as long as the user takes certain precautions to keep infections out of the eye. Dr. Sarah Zink, Optometrist of Pearle Vision Center in Lincoln said that as long as the contact user is well monitored and uses the cosmetic contacts as advised, there shouldn t be any problems; however, if the user misuses the contacts, long term damages, such as corneal ulcers that can cause a person to go blind, can occur. I went to my eye doctor and he told me about an online site I could go to so that I could buy my colored contacts, Freshman Johnny Beltran Although many non-fda-approved sites do not ask for a prescription, the online site that Beltran used did ask for his prescription. Sophomore Josefina Ortiz, unlike Alarcon, needs contacts to correct her vision. Ortiz has a prescribed pair of colored contacts from her eye doctor, Dr. Steven J. Lehr. It s important to care of your contacts so they don t get messed up, Ortiz Proper Guidelines to Care for Contacts At Home Whether or not a person has a prescription to wear contacts, they still need to know how to care for their cosmetic contact lenses. 1. Wash and rinse your hands thoroughly before touching eyes, especially before inserting or removing your lenses. For contact lens cleaning, use a good contact lens cleaner and store the lens in a contact lens case. 2. Do not sleep or swim while wearing your lenses. This greatly increases the chances of infection. Do not share your lenses with anyone. Start with the same eye for insertion and removal of the lenses. This prevents the spread of infection from one eye to the other. A near 75 million people are at risk today for corneal ulcers and scarred retinas due to the 3. Remove the lens. Rinse the lens with illegal use of cosmetic contacts. This includes sterile solution appropriate for your lenses. some Crete High students. This removes microbes and particulate matter from the lens. Many students can be seen wearing cosmetic contacts, both corrective and non-corrective, but one thing is certain. They are illegal to sell 4. Custom made contact are for occasional or buy over the counter or at a local store without a prescription, however, students are still use only, not every day wear. (Colored contacts are excluded from custom made contacts). getting away with it. In chapter 69 of the Nebraska Law it states that Comtact Lenses cannot be sold unless Following the guidelines for taking care of there is a written order bearing the original signature of an optometrist or physician or an oral contacts will greatly minimize the risk of future eye problems. electromagnetic order issued by an optometrist Overtesting Causes Test Anxiety by Will Veguilla The pencil shakes in his sweaty hands. His mind is chaotically filtering through a mass of incomprehensible thoughts. He is well-studied, but this test, like many others he has taken, is quickly overwhelming. He just cannot relax, so instead he vomits all over the test papers on his desk. This student is, of course, suffering from severe test anxiety, a condition which has become more evident as standardized tests reign over the educational system. Since the infamous implementation No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 in all public schools, standardized testing has become a part of everyday life for students. Millions of dollars are poured into these tests in order to rate and hold schools accountable for the education of its students in proportion to how high the test scores are. But are these tests really helping anything? When students were asked about how they felt about standardized tests, most responded with either violent apathy or stern dislike. Junior Race Krasser nicely expressed the opinions of fellow students who really did not care by slightly shrugging at the question before he wordlessly embarked on a quest to find something better to do. The truly favored answer within the student body, however, was a halfhearted They suck, which usually was followed by an influx of more vivid vocabulary, heavy sighs, and a reluctant acceptance of the realities of school life when it comes to the testing procedures. I am strongly against standardized testing, Senior Dale Potter said, having a more pronounced view on the matter. It doesn t allow teachers to teach the way they are supposed to. Among the teachers, these tests are met with decidedly mixed feelings. I think it limits creativity in the classroom, Social Studies teacher Greg Hobza It leads some teachers to only teach for the test, just regurgitated facts. Math teacher Dr. Doug Dolezal believes standard tests are not a true indicator of a student s knowledge. As soon as students learn it s not for a grade, they just draw in funny pictures, he One must also consider the number of students who get very nervous during tests and do not perform at their highest intellectual capability. Also of the math department, Jeremy Fries positively compares a standard test to a little cloud over your shoulder in regards to its accountability aspect, although he mentioned that his Algebra students miss out on almost two weeks of potential learning because of the extra tests he must administer. These concerns are shared by many across the nation. Although most agree it is a reasonably convenient way of holding schools accountable, critics argue that interactive learning and the variety of the curriculum are slowly being murdered by NCLB and its tests. Some even go as far as linking the act s concentration on such a narrow group of subjects and its neglect toward physical education to the rising level of childhood obesity. Also being put on the sidelines of the field that is our educational system are the arts and programs specifically designed for remarkably gifted students. As the internationally renowned Sir Ken Robinson put it,...we are educating people out of their creative capacities. But if these tests are doing more harm than good, are there any alternative and convenient methods of ensuring students are getting a proper education? Not according English teacher Mary Georgi, who understands the system may not be perfect, but figures it is about the best anyone can do at this point. So whether anyone likes it or not, standardized tests are here. And they re here to stay. Junior Nick Janssen is testing over the Islam video in World Studies with Mrs. Conway. Students have lately brought the issue of overtesting to teachers minds. Crete Awarded Bronze Level for Health Kathy Boyes, Jebb Hatch, Sandy Rosenboom, Chuck McGinnis, Jodi Erickson stand holding the Healthy Schools Program Bronze Level Award. Wellness Committee Awarded for Change in Healthy Choices by Amber Kress In a follow-up to last month s article regarding the health of school lunch choices, Crete seems to be coming out in the lead when it comes to health and wellness. The Crete wellness council was recently awarded the Healthy Schools Program Bronze Level Award. This award is an honor given to showcase and acknowledge schools that have created healthier school environments. Crete is the only school in the state of Nebraska that has won this award, given to schools who meet certain guidelines in areas such as foods, staff wellness, physical activity and health education. Crete received this award because of the improvement in the overall health of the school and its various programs. One aspect of the award is the increase of school fitness and use of the weight room before and after school. Physical Education teacher Chuck McGinnis helps staff with their exercise and weight lifting so that it fits their fitness goals and body type. This relates to this award because the curriculum meets the standards for this award said McGinnis. Another aspect was that the school signed a new beverage agreement meeting healthier generation beverage guidelines. Prices of beverages were adjusted so that water and 100 percent juice cost less than diet sodas. In September, the wellness council held a health event for staff during an in-service day. During this time, the Crete Area Medical Clinic lab drew blood to check for cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels. A Watch Your Numbers card was given to each participant so they could record and keep their information. After winning this award, one of the committee s new goals is try to move to the silver award by meeting more of the guidelines said Health teacher and committee Member Jebb Hatch.

3 Opinion Page 3 Veguilla Ponders Defeating the Economy Will, With a Hint of Lemon by Will Veguilla /Columnist Even our kitchen sink was repossessed by the bank, grumble many citizens who ve been stabbed by today s crap-faced economy. WHAT? I can t hear you because of this very loud helicopter I bought, is my typical response to these hapless individuals. I then laugh, put on my diamond-encrusted sweater, and order my Scandinavian pilot, who, incidentally, is a multi-award winning bikin model, to drop me off at a beach somewhere. I don t especially care where I can afford not to. See, this glorious economy which has contributed to the ruthless destruction of many lives has actually been like a rich, exploitable friend to me. As soon as the market began to show signs of spinning wildly into hell, I created several little recession-proof companies for myself. I ve been richer than Toucan Sam ever since. No, I don t really own a helicopter with a Scandinavian pilot. I was just being silly. Scandinavians, of course, cannot operate helicopters. But I do want to point out that even this seemingly hopeless economy, there are success stories. So stop whining, everyone. If you ever want to be able to use iphones like they are cheap pants, read on. While I was doing a bit of skip tracing some years ago, I stumbled upon a comprehensive list of businesses which are not only recessionproof but also recession-amped. These kinds of professions do doubly as well during an economic disaster, which makes them rather ideal. Number one on the humble list: dating services. This is just common sense, I think. When people lose their faith in money, they turn to the next best thing love. Although I believe love is simply a clever myth, it does not stop me from manipulating every last cent from its passionate pursuers. That s why I set up Any site can match a person through complex compatibility tests. My site, however, rates the profile picture of sad soul mate searchers on an elegantly designed Kitten-o-meter, with scores ranging from radioactive barn cat ugly to godlessly adorable. Users are then randomly matched within their respective niches. The initial fee is $600, and it only gets more expensive from there. You should try it sometime. The second and perhaps most fantastic option: fantasy dealerships. Oh yes, they actually exist. Dreamers come to these places to have their delusions be realized at a remarkably reasonable price. Which reminds me, do you want your fantasy to manifest itself into reality? Well, come on over to my backyard! We here at Château de Comté specialize in complete customer delight. Whether you dream of surfing storm clouds, battling interstellar librarians with automatic crossbows, winning Le Tour de France with a broken unicycle, or practically anything, we guarantee you won t be disappointed. Last on the list is a relatively unknown trade: professional moose therapy. For reasons which mystify moose-ologists around the world, moose seppuku-by-katana (ritualistic self-disembowelment by Japanese sword) has risen to an appalling statistic. Scientists suspect it may have something to do with the Delhi Blackout Crisis of 1997, but the evidence for this is, at the very most, entirely fictitious. Regardless of what the case may be, it ultimately means moose talk therapy is suddenly highly lucrative. Goodness knows something needs to be done before Canada is kayaking through moose gore. I know what you re thinking. Will, if people can make loads of money from analytically interpreting the behavioral phenomena of moose, why isn t everyone doing it? Well, there s a catch: Sarah Palin. Wherever there are moose, there are wolves, and you can bet this rogue ex-governor of Alaska and aerial wolf huntress will inevitably be hovering by with a gigantic sniper rifle, ready to kill. Chances are you ll get caught in the midst of bloody firefight during some point in your career. On the positive side, you might be mentioned in the paperback edition of her latest bestselling book as the possibly liberal-minded person who died from a bullet that unluckily ricocheted from the wolf s snarling teeth. And you thought your economic issues were insurmountable. Ha. Editorial Policy: The Crete High School Newspaper gladly accepts letters to the editor and news releases from students, faculty, administration, community residents and the. general public. We ask these submissions be of 300 words or less and contain the author s name, address, phone number and signature. All submissions will be verified in person and in writing. Our editorial staff withholds the right to refuse any letter, and/or parts of any letter and may return a letter for revision if it contains unprotected speech or errors that could hamper its meaning. Please submit letters to Mrs. Wright in room 412. Crete High School Journalism c/o Crete High School 1500 E. 15th Street Crete, NE Phone: (402) Editorial Staff: Layout/Design Editor: Jasmine Foster Copy Editor & Staff Coordinator: Jessalyn Holdcraft Sports/Photography Editor: Amanda Reetz Features Editor: Cheyenne Persing Business Manager: Nicole Reetz Circulation Manager: Christina Jackson s: Words Staff Divided Over Overtesting Over testing is an issue; however, the strength of the issue depends on who is asked. Half of us feel that testing is a natural part of the high school career, whereas the other half feel over tested. We re in high school. It s one big college prep course. It s not going to get any easier for those of us in our junior and senior years, and it s better for underclassmen to learn early so they re prepared. For those in AP classes, the tests are going to be longer and harder. Those students should expect more tests that are challenging. Otherwise don t take the AP classes. The Administration is required to give a number of tests each year. Something that we all agree on is how much we dislike standardized tests. It may be because we have to take them for the state, or it may be because we miss out on a great learning experience. Or neither. Spending the millions of dollars on tests just to have students write random answers is pointless. When students are told that the tests do not affect their grades, they don t try. Not only does that make the students look bad, it makes the teachers look like they don t teach us. It makes administrators ask themselves, Why did we hire this teacher? This whole hypothetical situation could have been avoided. How can standardized testing be a sure How can standardized testing be a sure way to gauge a student s knowledge when there are students who don t try on them? The students who actually do try on the tests are overshadowed by the failure of the many who don t. way to gauge a student s knowledge when there are students who don t try on them? The students who actually do try on the tests are overshadowed by the failure of the many that don t. Nobody loves taking tests, especially when there are several in one day. We know that there are certain guidelines the teachers must to follow, but is it too much to ask for a little leeway? What were asking is for the teachers to get together on one of those meetings where they play Wii or talk about the social aspects on the internet and talk about who is having a test which day. If it s not possible, maybe we could have two small tests or one larger test and one smaller test. These are just suggestions. Over testing is an issue, but not as big as the students are making it. True, we have a lot of tests, and it would help to have our tests more balanced; but we re used to it, or we should be by now. Not to mention, when college comes, test are going to fly at us from every different direction. What better way is there to prepare? We all agree that two, three, sometimes even four tests in one day is a little ridiculous, but testing is a natural part of life whether we like it or not. Quit complaining because that s not going to make things any easier. Dulce Castañeda Rachel Hoesche Amber Kress Renzo Martel Tanna Nitzel Taylor Reetz Haley Sowders Jessica Thatcher Will Veguilla Jake White Adviser: Mrs. Katie Wright Words of a Feather is the official monthly, student-produced publication by and for students in the journalism program at Crete High School in Crete, Nebraska. This paper has been established as a designated public forum for student journalists to inform and educate, and to act as a catalyst for thought and discussion. Content in Words of a Feather is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials, faculty or staff. The intent of this publication is to act as an agent to facilitate the learning of the principles of journalism, including writing, photography, design and editing.

4 Página 4 25 de noviembre del 2009 Palabras de una pluma La Voz Hispana Hispanos se Verán en la Pantalla Grande Siete Estudiantes Hispanos Serán Estrellas de un Documental Jonathan López Reportero Un documental que mostrará la vida de los estudiantes hispanos de Crete está siendo filmada por esfuerzo cooperativo entre el Ministerio de Educación de Nebraska junto con el Centro de las Américas. Siete estudiantes destacados de la preparatoria fueron elegidos para participar en el documental y serán filmados durante todo el año escolar. El documental tratará el tema de la disparidad entre la tasa de graduación de estudiantes hispanos y la tasa de graduación de sus compañeros anglo-americanos, es decir, blancos. - En Nebraska más de ochenta por ciento de estudiantes se gradúan de la preparatoria y eso enseña que todo va bien, pero de todos los estudiantes hispanos cincuenta y seis por ciento se están graduando- dijo Brent Meier, del Centro de las Américas. Un reporte de The Alliance for Excellent Education, una fundación que realiza investigaciones sobre el sistema de educación en EE.UU., encontró que en el año escolar del 2005 a 2006, 79% por ciento de todos los estudiantes se graduaron en Nebraska, pero sólo 51% por ciento de estudiantes hispanos se graduaron durante ese mismo año escolar. Cada cuarto del año escolar los estudiantes involucrados con el documental son entrevista- dos además de grabar a sí mismos durante sus actividades rutinas durante todo el año escolar. Durante el verano editarán el documental para estar listo para el próximo año escolar. Filman sus vidas dentro y fuera de clase. Según Brent Meier, Se completará en agosto y será enseñado en cines en nuestra área y también se podrá ver en el Internet. Siete estudiantes de la escuela preparatoria de Crete están involucrados en el documental. Son tres seniors, Maira Méndez, Sonia Orozco y Melisa Franco, tres juniors, Marco Ortiz, Francisco Padilla y Will Ve g u i l l a. También se incluye una sophomore, Dulce Castañeda. Sonia Orozco tiene dieciocho años de edad, ella vive con su esposo e hijo. Sonia está escogiendo universidades para continuar su educación, piensa estudiar para asistente de doctor en University of Nebraska Medical Center o UNMC. -Se siente raro participando en el documental porque no me gusta que me graben- comentó Sonia sobre su participación en el proyecto. - Yo me siento incómodo pero está bien porque no soy el único que está participandodijo junior Francisco Padilla Padilla planea seguir estudiando y buscar una carrera en el futuro. -Yo pienso que esto es especial porque no muchas personas tienen esta oportunidad- dijo Will Veguilla sobre el documental. Yo pienso que esto es especial porque no muchas personas tienen esta oportunidad -Junior Will Veguilla Senior, Maira Méndez, se graba contando sobre su día. -Creo que este es un proyecto único y para mi es una experiencia agradable porque tengo la oportunidad de demostrar mi vida. Los que están dirigiendo el proyecto son bien amables y relajados. Nos mandan mensajes de textos y nos dejan hacer tal y como somos. Clubes al Servicio de la Comunidad Raquel Pineda Reportera Más de 40 estudiantes se reunieron a varias partes de Crete el 31 de octubre para realizar servicio a la comunidad en que se juntó y llevó a la chatarrería basura que tenían los residentes de la ciudad, como lavadoras viejos, calentadores y muebles. La cantidad de estudiantes que participaron era más que nunca. En total había 63 personas que prestaron su ayuda ese día, entre ellos miembros de clubes escolares, administradores e incluso 12 profesores. Hubieron participantes del C-Club (Club de Honores), Prizm Club (Club Multicultural), FSA (Futuros Científicos de América), FBLA (Futuros Lideres de Negocios de América), FFA (Futuros Agricultores de América), y NHS (Sociedad Nacional de Honores). Para el desayuno miembros del C-Club trajeron quiche y bagels para que los estudiantes pudieran tener fuerzas para trabajar. Felipe López, junior, dijo -Me gustó porque la comida estaba bien buena y ayudamos en la comunidad. Scott Johnson, profesor y uno de los patrocinadores que organizó el evento, dijo -yo creo que habían dos metas que queríamos concentrarnos en este evento. Uno es para que los estudiantes tengan experiencia para seguir entrando en clubes y servicios. La segunda razón es porque queríamos ayudar a la gente que no tienen camionetas para tirar su basura o no pueden porque están minusválidos. Después de desayunar los estudiantes se reunieron a varias partes de Crete donde se necesitó recoger basura. Cada club se repartió en diferentes grupos para que se mezclaran con otros estudiantes. Kimberly Linares, freshman, dijo -Estuvimos ayudando muchas personas que no tienen tiempo para ir a tirar su basura en el depósito de chatarra, fue divertido en realidad. Las personas que tenían camiones tuvieron que ir donde había muebles grandes para ir a dejar al depósito de chatarra. Cada grupo tenía uno con ellos. Para comenzar tuvieron que escoger un paquete que contenía la dirección de la persona que necesita la ayuda y el tipo de basura que tenían las personas de la comunidad. - Fue bien divertido porque estuve con mis amigas recogiendo camas y ventanas- dijo Miriam Uribe, freshman, del trabajo que realizó esa mañana. Los grupos que terminaron primero volvieron a la secundaria para escoger otro paquete y volver a salir. Después de recoger toda la basura, los estudiantes lo llevaron al depósito de chatarra. Para unos estudiantes como Khanh Do, junior, lo más divertido del servicio fue tirar la basura. -Me gusto tirar la basura en el depósito de chatarra y que estuvieron muchas personas de los clubes dijo. Claro que después de tanto trabajo los estudiantes tenían hambre otra vez, por lo tanto volvieron a la escuela secundaria y comieron hamburguesas y perros calientes. Toda la basura que fue recogida ese día fue pagada por la ciudad, gracias a unas donaciones se pudo pagar el uso de la chatarrería. Se agradece a Tom Orada de la municipalidad que ayudó a organizar el evento. Al final del todo, el servicio tuvo gran éxito, según Johnson, recogiendo la basura en 50 casas. Es probable que sigan teniendo este evento con todos los clubes en los próximos años. Seniors Nate Parks y Micah Grote y el señor Wittstruck, profesor de agricultura en CHS, recogen un calefón para ir a dejar al basurero. Muchos estudiantes tomaron su tiempo temprano en la mañana para participar en limpiando basura de la ciudad. Los estudiantes están atentos escuchando lo que los entrenadores les están explicando sobre la nueva temporada de futbol. Juan Carlos, sophomore de la chaqutea blanca al fondo dice que piensa que si va a hacer una buena temporada ya que todos tienen una actitud positiva. Sobrarán Jugadores Carlos Escobar y Melissa Franco Reporteros Un número récord de estudiantes están interesados en jugar fútbol en la escuela secundaria de Crete para la próxima temporada. Se organizó la primera junta para estos estudiantes en septiembre y 58 estudiantes se presentaron. En esta reunión los entrenadores, Jay Quinn y Derek Spence, ambos profesores, explicaron a los interesados lo que tenían que hacer para poder formar parte del equipo. Para empezar, los estudiantes que tengan cuatro F s no podrán ingresar al equipo. Si un estudiante tiene dos F s es requerido a ir a Study Hall de martes a jueves para tratar de subir sus calificaciones. Study Hall es de 7:30am a 8:00am o de 3:30am a 4:00pm en la sala del señor Quinn. Según los entrenadores es para que los estudiantes consigan ayuda en tareas. - Les da 90 minutos de estudio extra a la semana,- dijo Quinn. -También ayuda y motiva a los estudiantes a que suban sus calificaciones. Edgar Lancerio, junior, asiste al Study Hall y dice que esta ayuda es buena porque le da más tiempo para hacer sus tareas. -Además, podermos hacer tareas con los amigos. La otra parte para formar parte del equipo es participar en acondicionamiento. Por las reglas de NSAA, los entrenadores no pueden obligar a los interesados a ir a acondicionamiento para que puedan ser parte del equipo, pero Quinn y Spence lo ofrecen. Le conviene al equipo que los jugadores se pongan en forma antes de la temporada. -En lugar de utilizar las primeras dos o tres semanas de práctica en acondicionamiento, las utilizaríamos para comenzar tocando el balón y comenzar de una vez- dijo Quinn. Los dos entrenadores esperan que 30 a 40 estudiantes puedan formar parte del equipo. -Pienso que el equipo de fútbol va estar en forma para cuando venga la primavera y creo que vamos a romper más récords este año- dijo Spence. El entrenador Quinn dijo que se siente muy optimista ya que muchos estudiantes de verdad están haciendo su mejor esfuerzo. Marlon Arita, y René Escobar, ambos juniors, han sido parte del equipo los últimos dos años. Según Arita, la cantidad de interesados en jugar fútbol es bueno porque - cada uno tiene su talento único, afuera y a dentro de la cancha. - Ya en el tiempo de primavera vamos a tratar de romper mas récords- dijo René Escobar. - En las temporadas anteriores no se ha podido llegar tan lejos debido a acondicionamiento y comunicación de los jugadores. -Al tener más estudiantes interesados en jugar fútbol hace más competencia entre unodijo Juan Carlos Bautista, sophomore, quien planea jugar fútbol por primera vez este año, ya que no había equipo en la escuela a que asistió el año pasado en Alabama. - Estoy muy emocionado en jugar porque el acondicionamiento me va a ayudar mucho en hacerme mejor jugador y ponerme en formadijo junior Bryan Guardado.

5 La Voz Hispana 25 de noviembre del 2009 Página 5 Palabras de una pluma Descubriendo los que tenemos en CHS Gerardo Saldaña Reportero Quieres Presentarte? Mi nombre es Roxana Domínguez y soy una sophmore. Mi familia es de El Salvador y yo nací en California. También tengo familia en California y Pensilvania. Tengo una hermana que es una junior y un hermano que va en el sexto grado. Ahorita la actividad en que estoy es Speech. También juego fútbol. Algo que me gusta hacer es dibujar ropa. Cómo comparas a California con Crete? En California es mejor porque no hace frío como aquí en Crete. Yo nací en Los Ángeles pero yo viví en el monte de California. Nomás que si hay bastante violencia. Por ejemplo, en las noches habían balaceras, y a veces había robos. Aunque California sea peligroso me gusta más que Crete. Explica lo que haces en Speech. Yo presento poemas en los torneos. Pienso que hago más o menos porque practico. Hago a veces chistes, es un tipo de evento y es muy divertido. Y para mí es divertido y fácil. Qué es lo que más te gusta hacer? A mí me gusta dibujar ropa a la moda. Me nació la idea desde los 11 años. Me gusta la alta moda y ver modelos por televisión. Quisiera ir a una unversidad de arte en California para empezar una carrera de dibujar modelos de ropa. Quiero que la ropa que haga salga en Nueva York o en un lugar así. Dos Estudiamtes Cuentan Sobre sus Vidas y Hacen a Todos Reír Una y Otra Vez Durante su Tiempo Libre Quieres presentarte? Mi nombre es Josué Hernández, yo nací en California. Mi papá es de El Salvador y mi mamá es de Guatemala. Yo llegué a Crete en febrero del Algo terrible que me ha pasado es que perdí a mi hermano en el año Empecé a tomar el mal camino en California, pero cuando llegué a Crete empecé a cambiar. Juegas fútbol? Si. A mí me gusta jugar fútbol. La única diferencia es que aquí en Crete es una sola temporada y en California es todo el año. Pero todo lo demás es igual, todos somos amigos y jugamos juntos. Algo que me ha pasado es que me quebré mi pie dos veces jugando fútbol. Es Crete muy diferente? Hay muchas diferencias. En California, hay más violencia que aquí en Crete. En California hay mucha gente robando, peleas y muertes. Es muy bonito California nomás que hay mucha violencia. Qué es lo que te hace interesante o differente a los demás? Todos vienen de un pueblo chiquito como Crete y yo vengo de una ciudad grande. También soy chistoso, tonto y trato de llevarme con todos los demás. La Están Viendo: Sortilegio Melisa Franco Reportera María José, una humilde vendedora de tiendas en Mérida es huérfana de madre, y la enfermedad de su padre la obliga a dejar sus estudios y trabajar para mantener a él y a su hermana menor. Su vida cambia con la aparición de Alex Lombardo, un hombre humilde que la ama y se casa con ella. Pero antes de casarse, Alex muere en un accidente y María José recibe su primer susto al enterarse que su esposo era millonario. El segundo susto que recibe María José es al descubrir que Alex en realidad se llama Bruno Albeniz y está vivo. Alex Lombardo era el hermanastro de Bruno y el jefe de las empresas familiares. Sin quererlo, María José ha sido parte de un plan que deja a Bruno dueño de la fortuna y de la esposa del difunto. El tercer y mayor susto es cuando aparece el verdadero Alex preguntándose quién es esta esposa a la cual él no recuerda. Qué pasará cuando el verdadero Alex descubra la reali- Aún Existe la Segregación Comentario Janneth López Reportera La segregación en la secundaria pública de Crete aún existe, aunque ya no es obligatoria como hace 70 años cuando la ley requería la separación de las razas minoritarias y los blancos. Ahora las razas pueden juntarse en las partes públicas, pero es como si hubiera una barrera que les impide convivir, porque aquí no todos se comunican unos con los otros. Al entrar a esta escuela, se nota la diferencia de razas. En el desayuno, al igual que en el almuerzo, en casi todas las mesas se sientan alumnos de la misma nacionalidad, pero en rara ocasión de razas diferentes. En ciertas clases donde el profesor o profesora deja que los estudiantes elijan su asiento, los hispanos están de un lado del salón y los blancos del otro. Durante el ritual pep rally que se realizó para homecoming, dos alumnos de cada grado y dos maestros fueron elegidos para competir en juegos y ganar puntos. La mayoría de los elegidos fueron blancos, sólo Gerardo Saldaña, representante de los hispanos, fue escogido para participar. Y eso que la escuela es como 40% hispano. No dad? Descúbralo en Univisión de lunes a viernes a las 8:00pm centro. Los estudiantes estan hablando de Sortilegio Me gusta la telenovela porque participa William Levy. Desde que comenzó la veo. Me parece interesante por la pareja, William Levy y Jacqueline Bracamonte que hacen bonita pareja. Nuestra Música Alejandro Sanz Paraíso exprés salió el 10 de noviembre Jenny Rivera La gran señora saldrá el 1 de diciembre Alejandro Fernández disco pop y ranchero viene el 8 de diciembre David Bisbal Sin mirar atrás álbum reciente Ednita Nazario Soy más reciente álbum sólo los blancos tienen que reconocer que hay más hispanos que quieren participar, sino que los hispanos tienen que hacer algo para ser reconocidos y poder participar. En los clubs que ofrece la escuela como FFA, FCA y Robotics, la mayoría de los miembros son blancos. Pero en Prizm club es diferente, la mayoría son hispanos y uno que otro blanco. En los deportes como el fútbol americano, wrestling, y básketbol, los jugadores son más blancos y menos hispanos. Pero, el equipo de Será intencional la discriminación o no se dan cuenta al escoger más blancos que hispanos? fútbol está lleno de hispanos y pocos blancos. En la noche de honores cada primavera los maestros eligen a los alumnos que son los más destacados de la clase, pero la mayoría de los estudiantes que reciben los honores son los blancos. Para Reírse Chistes y Adivinanzas Chistes: 1. Cuál es el objeto más gracioso que existe? - la escoba Por qué? -Porque siempre VA-RIENDO 2. Jaimito, Por qué llegas tan tarde? Por el rótulo en la calle. Cuál rótulo? El que dice: Escuela adelante, vaya despacio. Adivinanzas: 1. Hay una vaca, una gallina, y un caballo, todos tienen 14 meses. Quién tiene más meses? 2. Todo el mundo lo lleva, todo el mundo lo tiene porque a todos les dan uno en cuanto al mundo vienen. 3. Adivina quién soy: cuanto más lavo, más sucia voy. 4. Tengo patas y no ando, soy plana y no canto, se me apoyan para escribir y no te puedo hacer reír. Será intencional la discriminación o no se dan cuenta al escoger más blancos que hispanos? La barrera de idiomas en la escuela puede ser parte de la causa por la que los hispanos y blancos no se asocian tanto. Sin embargo, ésta no es la situación de todos los alumnos. La mayoría de los estudiantes hispanos sí hablan y comprenden bien el inglés. Hasta los que hace poco llegaron a los Estados Unidos pueden entender el inglés a cierto nivel. Y los blancos que estudian español podrían aprovechar la práctica. Todos los hispanos hablan con sus compañeros blancos en cierta ocasión, pero no son amigos. El problema no es sólo la discriminación de los blancos hacia los hispanos, sino también de los hispanos hacia los blancos. Si los hispanos no quieren ser discriminados por qué discriminan a los blancos? Hay que dar el primer paso y empezar por tratar a los demás como si fueran tus iguales y no inferiores. Empieza por hacer un amigo que no sea hispano, ayudará que seas tratado con igualdad y no inferioridad. Póliza de cartas al editor La Voz Hispana accepta gustosamente cartas al editor y noticias actuales de estudiantes, docentes, administración, residentes de la comunidad y público en general. Pedimos que estas cartas no consistan de más de 300 palabras y que incluyan el nombre del autor, dirección, número telefónico y firma original. Todo material entregado será verificado en persona y por escrito. Nuestro equipo editorial tiene el derecho de rechazar cualquier carta y/o partes de cualquier carta y podrá devolverla para revisión si contiene lenguaje inapropiado o errores que cambien el significado. Favor de enviar sus cartas a Sra. Eckerson en el salón 703. Respuestas: 1. La gallina porque tiene 14 meses y pico. 2. El nombre 3. El agua 4. La mesa La Voz Hispana Personal de La Voz Hispana c/o Escuela Secundaria de Crete 1500 E. 15th Street Crete, NE Teléfono: (402) Personal Editorial: Diseño, Redacción y Coordinación: Marilyn Bolaños Dulce Casteñeda Reporteros: Melisa Franco Carlos Escobar Raquel Pineda Gerardo Saldaña Janneth López Jonathan López Consejera: Mrs. Eckerson La Voz Hispana dentro de Words of a Feather es producida por la clase de español para hispanohablantes nivel III/IV de la secundaria de Crete. Esta sección de del periódico se ha diseñado como foro público para que estudiantes periodistas informen y eduquen, específicamente en español y procuren reflección y discusión en la comunidad. El contenido de La Voz Hispana se determina por la clase de hispanohablantes nivel III/IV, con el apoyo del personal de periodismo escolar, y el contenido no refleja la opinión del personal de la secundaria, únicamente de los estudiantes quienes lo crearon. El propósito de esta sección es publicar la escritura de estudiantes hispanos en una vía pública para facilitar el aprendizaje de los fundamentos de escritura y fotografía periodística. El diseño de esta sección se realizó por miembros del personal periodístico escolar en conjunto con la clase de español para hispano-

6 Page 6 Special Dealing With a Bond of Brothers Broken by Foggy Morning Jessalyn Holdcraft Copy Editor They were driving to school, and it was foggy. They were turning to go into school when a semi hit them, Senior Cody Wendelin said, explaining the accident that killed his two older brothers. Kirk, 17, and Brady, 13, died October 4 and 3 respectively, in When I was ten in fifth grade, I was at school recess, just playing and my uncle Dave, who I never see except for holidays, came. He got me out of recess, and my teacher was crying. I didn t know what was going on. Then we were going, driving, and he told me that Kirk and Brady were in an accident. I was just really shocked; I didn t know what to think. It has been seven years since the accident, but the family always remembers the two brothers. In our family, sometimes when something bad happens or we do something during Christmas, we talk about the memories and what we had done with them. The little moments help Cody remember his brothers every day. As I go through day by day stuff that happens with my friends, like just joking around, that stuff reminds me of them, or my PAL likes Legos a lot, and I remember building Legos with Kirk and Brady. Time can t heal everything, but it can make remembering easier. I m now getting to the point if I remember a story about them, I can tell it without think about it too much. Cody learned two important lessons that Oc- Kirk, 14, Brady, 10, Cody, 7, and Elizabeth, 4, Wendelin enjoy an afternoon out in South Dakota. Three years later, Kirk and Brady died in a car accident in tober day. First, if you re having a bad day and feel like taking it out on your mom or sister, remember not to because that could be the last time you see them. Second, I think it made me value life more instead of just going through life, it made me realize there s not always a next time, so make the most of what you can right now. After Loss of Brother, 20 Becomes Loneliest Number Amanda Reetz Photo Editor Brothers Nathan and Aaron Paulsen proudly show off their number 20 football jersey that they have both wore while particpanting in sports. In August of 2008 Nathan passed away due to a car accident on Highway 33. For Aaron Paulsen, losing his brother, Nathan, was one of the hardest things to deal with in his life. The hardest part is not being able to talk to him about different things and not being able to do things with him, Paulsen Remembering all the fun memories with his brother is the one thing he likes to look back and smile about. The last memory that I had with my brother was when we both went to Lincoln together and drove around for a while, Paulsen With the loss of a family member, the family has changed their routines a bit. We have changed our routines by taking counseling classes and just by remembering all the good memories with him, Paulsen Sports are a big thing in the Paulsen family, even when Aaron was younger he always wanted to wear his brother s jersey, number 20. Last year was kind of the hardest for me just knowing that he wasn t going to be there to watch me, Paulsen Aaron always intended to wear his brother s jersey. I have always wanted to wear his jersey since I was younger; it was just hard for me last year, but I love wearing number 20 just because it brings back good memories, Paulsen Rooming right across from each other, Aaron has had some days where it s hard for him to walk by his brothers old room. Sometimes if I am thinking about him, I remember him, but I just try to forget about it and just go on with my day, Paulsen The Paulsen s have taken some classes to mourn over the loss of Nathan. We went to a family counseling group that went over a family member s death and it seemed to help our family out, Aaron

7 Section Page 7 Sibling s Casualty Sisters Separated by City Park Cement Jasmine Foster Design/ Layout Editor Thinking the end of the year school picnic would be a time of enjoyment and epiphany, a tragedy was about to take place. On a day I thought would be a breath-taking last day of the sixth grade, my whole life was about to change in an instant. At Tuxedo Park, a celebration combining food, friends, water guns, and family was taking place. It was time for the annual water fight. My youngest sister Brooke, my mom, and I were sitting on the picnic tables eating our dinner. I had my water blaster stuck to my side, protecting it from all the devious kids. Alexa, my second youngest sister, came up to me. Jasmine, can I please use your water gun? She I grunted, rolled my eyes, and refused. Alexa frowned and walked away in disappointment. The fight had just begun. There were kids running at each yelling watch out for me. I decided I was too old to participate, so I watched the action from the picnic tables with my mom. During the fight, Alexa, Brooke, and a few of their friends decided to go into the nearby bathroom to fill up their water guns. They were all inside, ready to get back to the fight, when a cinder-block wall started to collapse. Alexa was behind this wall. The other children tried to help her out as the wall crashed down, but she had slipped on the cement floor, knocking her unconscious. The children came racing out of the bathroom screaming The wall fell, Alexa is hurt. As soon as my mom and I heard her name, we ran to the scene while an adult called 911. As we arrived at the hospital, praying the whole way there, we were forced to wait outside in the parking lot with my grandparents. About an hour later, we were told to go inside because my parents wanted to speak with us. The nurse guided us to the family consolation room which was my worst nightmare. Right then and there, I knew that my life was about to change forever. Girls, there have been some complications. They tired really hard to save her, my mom I knew my sister would now be gone forever. I knew that everything in my life had just come crashing down right before my eyes. Knowing my sister is not going to be here for the rest of my life is a hard concept to grasp. Going to therapy helped the healing process. Anyone who has had lost a sibling or family member should go to therapy or a psychologist for help. Sometimes it is hard to talk about my sister passing, but having friends around that I trust to talk to is a great way to let feelings out and say how you feel. Reporter Jasmine Foster (age five) poses for a picture with her little sister, Alexa Foster (age two), in Alexa passed away in an accident after a concrete block wall in a city park restroom collapsed on her. How to Help a Young Person Experiencing Grief Use terms died/dead/death rather than a phrase like passed away or taken from us. Give an honest explanation for the person s death, avoid clichés or easy answers. Straightforward, gentle use of the words helps a person confront the reality of death. Explain and accept that everyone has different reactions to death at different times. The reaction might not hit until the funeral or weeks later. Reassure the young person that his or her grief feelings are normal. There is no right way to react to a loss. Give permission to cry, or let them know it s OK not to cry if the person does not typically act this way. Permit or encourage the young person to talk about the person who has died. At the moment of loss, but especially after the funeral, this is a vital part of the healing process. Often we want to protect the person from the pain of the memories, but experiencing the pain is the first step of acceptance and of healing. Do not try to minimize the loss or take the pain away. Phrases like, Don t worry, it will be OK, He had a good life, or He is out of pain are not helpful. Grief is painful. There must be pain before there can be acceptance and healing. It is very difficult to do but most helpful to acknowledge the person s pain and permit him or her to live with it without trying to take it away or make it better. Encourage the young person to talk about their feelings. Encourage communication first in the family, but also be aware of other support people such as clergy, trusted adult friends or trusted peers. Listen. Listen to your heart. Listening to the feelings of the young person is most important. Listen through silences. Just being there, showing you care by listening is more important than knowing what to say or ever saying anything at all. Help the young person make decisions in regards to attending the funeral. The funeral can be a way to say good-bye. Often times it is better to attend and mourn with others, but abide by the young person s wish and express understanding if he or she chooses not to go.

8 Page 8 Activities Speech Invasion: The War on Speaking Sophomore Roxana Dominguez is awarded the seventh place Novice Poetry medal from the Lincoln East/Pius X Speech Meet on Saturday, November 21. FBLA Members by Christina Jackson Unique New York, Unique New York, Unique New York. Red leather, yellow letter. These are just some of the slithering tongue twisters the students in speech encounter For those who are in speech it s about gaining confidence, improving speaking skills and meeting others. There are eight returning members, ten new members, and a new assistant coach. I wanted to join to get confidence and I enjoy performing in front of people, Freshman Mason Roth said, a new member For other new members it s about expressing themselves. I wanted to express myself so I do poetry, Freshman Stormy Polfus Being one of the seniors still on the speech team, Senior Dale Potter has a way to make the new members feel welcome and want to stay in speech. I plan on giving them their space because if you push them too hard they might quit. I m there for support, Potter said, who is in his fourth year of competing. Potter plans on working harder than ever, putting more effort and time into it. Reaching a goal for some is as simple as improving speaking skills, not being nervous, and being the best speaker possible. Students can expect the following outcomes: a different level of comfort when speaking in front of a group of people, strategies from dealing with nerves, the ability to think on one s feet, and self-motivation, said Head Speech Coach Liz Boyle. Speech may be a little strict at times but it s also fun. For the kids involved meeting other people at speech meets and bonding with teammates is the best part. The best part of speech is being with your friends and having a good time, Sophomore Roxana Dominguez Others enjoy different aspects of speech. Going to speech meets and the warm ups said Freshman Kay Mensburg Spanish and ELL teacher Angie Wagoner is taking the place of Jay Quinn. Ms. Wagoner has a much different coaching style than Mr. Quinn did. She s ready for whatever we throw at her, Potter The speech team practices officially on Thursdays for about two to three hours. The students who are most competitive in speech are the ones who have the self-discipline to work on their own or with the coaches outside of regular practice times said Boyle. Speech meets are on Fridays and Saturdays. A typical Saturday speech meet includes gathering at the High School to get on the bus and leave at about 7am. Members who are presenting go over their speeches about thirty minutes before arriving at the meet. Then round one begins for the presenters. There are three rounds of the speech meets and presenters get ranked one through six based on performance in each round. Those who have good rankings go on to the final round. At the end of the day, the presenters come out with a smile on their face for doing well on their performances as they look forward to the pizza, school van rides, and the endless amusement of the tongue twisters. If you still want to join speech you can visit Ms. Boyle down at the middle school or at the high school before 4pm on Thursdays. Travel Nationwide Bus Trip Brings New Experience, Expertise. by Taylor Reetz The Crete Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members went to one of the three National Leadership Conferences. This conference switches locations each year, and this year the chosen destination for CHS chapter was Denver, Colorado. Eight students went on the trip, which is a few more than in years past. Usually, there are only five to six students who choose to attend the national conference. On this trip, we toured the Hammonds Candy Factory and the Broncos stadium. We also had a lot of free time on the trip so we got to go shopping. On Saturday is when the workshops really began, Junior Morgan Ramer The students left at around 1:30 p.m. on a Thursday and came back the following Sunday at around 8:30 a.m. They rode on a charter bus with students from Wilber, Tri-County, Friend, Centennial, Sandhills, Kearney, Sandy Creek, Wood River, and Syracuse. The bus ride was very long. I got my own seat so that was good for sleeping and we watched movies the whole time and got to meet new people from surrounding areas, Ramer The bus ride was very interesting. We watched movies and played cards a lot of the time, but the rest of the time we slept, Junior Nicole Reetz Once in Denver, members listened to speakers and had a leadership workshop. With the time they had free, they went shopping. The best part about the trip was meeting The best part about the trip was meeting new people, Junior Garrett Ebbers new people. Junior Garrett Ebbers The workshops there were probably my least favorite thing. Some were very interesting while others were not, Reetz At the confrence all the members split up and listened to different people talk about different things. Some went to confrences on leadership skills, communication skills, business skills, and others. The worst part of the bus ride was that, on the ride home on Saturday, we drove home in snow, Sponsor Jennifer Coe The FBLA members will report everything they learned from the confrence at the next meeting and hopefully use those skills in every day life. (From the left) Morgan Ramer, Marco Ortiz, Shelby Tachovsky, Kiana Ybarra, Nicole Reetz, Jackie McGinnis, and Garrett Ebbers excitedly pose while visiting Denver, Colorado, to hear people speak. Teens Outrageous Spending Habits by Dulce Castañeda Teens like money. Even more than liking it, though, they like spending it. The International Communications Research (IRA) has shown that over $150 billion dollars a year are put back into the economy by teens nationally. This money is usually spent on items such as clothing, food, and gas. I spend all my money on gas. It s too expensive, Junior Nicholas Youssef I usually buy energy drinks and then an occasional game, Freshman Preston McElravy Studies show that females ages 15 and 16 are more likely to spend their money on cosmetics and fashion products. My Uggs cost $150. I ve been wanting them for a while, so I just decided to buy them, Sophomore Natasha Kingston Statistics are now showing new research. Education Week, an Editorial Project in Communication, has recently taken a survey of teens ages 14 to 19 showing that more than 62 percent of teens say their top priority is saving money for college. This is an increase from 40 percent of adults who said their top priority was college when they were teens. The IRA has published that teens get their money through a variety of methods. The most common is getting it from adults as an allowance or as a gift. I get my money from my parents, Sophomore Colten Mach Findings have shown that more teenage girls get their money from their parents. About 87 percent versus 77 percent of boys use this method. Money isn t always obtained easily, though. Many teenagers try to hold down a job and balance schoolwork at the same time. I work at Isis Theater two or three times a week, Senior Daniel Young The China Youth Research Center has shown that the United States has the most high school students that have or have had part-time jobs. It is ranked number one out of the top four countries in the world with a whopping 74.4 percent of teens having a job. Japan proved to have 49.2 percent, and South Korea didn t fall far behind with 44.9 percent. However, only 36.6 percent of high school students worked part time in China. With this data, experts have proven that teens in the United States are more likely to spend more money on items that are not necessarily essential. Teens now have a higher probability of getting wrapped up in debt before getting to college. Adults are worried that teens are spending money unwisely and will soon cause American debt to increase even more. Experts agree that most teens gain their money management skills from their family. Without budget skills, teens are likely to face debt. More and more responsibility is landing on parents to teach these skills to their teens. My budget is $20 a week. My mom is teaching me how to budget my money, and I have a savings account for college and a car, Sophomore Meghan Shrewsbury Whatever the case, teens continue spending money either wisely or unwisely according to what they have learned about debt and money management. Some teenagers still go to extensive measures to get money. I ve pretty much lived off my change holder in my car for the past three weeks, Sophomore Jake Hollman

9 Senior Spotlight By Rachel Hoesche Jennifer Kleinweber Q: Do you plan on going to college, if so what college? A: Yes, UNL Q:What was your favorite class throughout your high school years? A: Any class Mrs. Boyes taught Q:What do you think your class will most be remembered for? A: Trying to break the rules Eric Brockway Q: Do you plan on going to college, if so what college? A: Yes, SCC in Milford Q:What was your favorite class throughout your high school years? A: Science classes Q:What do you think your class will most be remembered for? A: Their smarts Crescencia VanMeveren Q: Do you plan on going to college, if so what college? A: I do plan on going to college. I m going to SCC first though to get my prerequisites out of the way then to UNL. Q: What was your favorite class throughout your high school years? A: My favorite was English and German. I want to major in English, but I love learning German with Frau Schumacher. Q: What do you think your class will most be remembered for? A: I m not sure...maybe trying to break tradition last year with riding bikes to school. Maybe when we all promised no drama then utterly failed. Brandon Lempka Q: Do you plan on going to college? If so, what college? A: Yes. No idea where. Q:What was your favorite class throughout your high school years? A: World Studies. Mrs. Conway is hilarious. Q: What do you think your class will most be remembered for? A: I dunno. Cardinal Crossword Across 3. Students and teachers could be friends on what social network? 5. What new undertaking has Mr. Ludvik tackled on this year? 8. The Cardinal football team lost not once, but twice to this team. 13.One advantage the volleyball team would have next year is the amount of who were on the team this year. 14. This act started in 2001 instituting standarized tests in public schools. Down 1. The journalism staff is over the issue of over testing. 2. One thing that Coach Gillespie wants to improve for girls basketball this year is. 4. How many students went on the FBLA field trip? 5. Teens money is usually spent on, food and gas. 6. Teens are more likely to use what kind of drugs other than marijuana? 7. The exercise that Senior Cody Wendelin wants the wrestlers to do every day is. 9. The economic turmoil has affected students ability to choose what after high school? 10. There are how many new assistant coaches for the boys basketball team? 11.What must you do before touching your eyes when putting in contacts? 12. It is to sell cosmetic lenses without a license in optometry. by Rachel Hoesche Words of a Feather gladly accepts submissions for People page items, including questions of the month, senior spotlight questions, crossword questions and answers and items for the Cardinal Community Connection board. Students, Teachers and Administration are encouraged to submit items for the editorial staff to review and consider reporting, especially items not contained within the school calendar. Submissions should be given to any editor or Mrs. Wright in Room 412. Cardinal Community Connection by Haley Sowders Purchase your yearbook for $50 in the office High school finals are December 21st and 22nd T cel ree o D ebr f lig Cr ecem ation hts C ete ber on Ho enter Area 6. A no at M t t r a 5p ed he lov m ica l ed on e People Page 9 Novemeber 25, 2009 SAT regisrtation end on December 15th SAT Testin g will be held on January 23rd Breakfa on Dec st with Santa is 8:30amember 5th fro Come s to 10:30am. m upport FBLA re s a HOP p i R sh lat ollege r 1st o h e c r s tate C ecemb o j Ma yne S is D Wa dline dea Senior s need tw senior pictures o f the yea rbook s or t a by De c. 22 to ff room 412. Question of the Month By Jasmine Foster What is the best Thanksgiving food? Freshman Lejla Alic Mashed potatoes because my mom makes them different than regular potatoes because we are from Bosnia. Sophomore Jhonny Beltran Turkey, because it tastes like chicken. Wint e delie r coat dr ive. ver c oa elem entar ts to the Dece y before mber 1st AXA achie vm scholarship ents s$10,000 sc holarships to 52 stud ents. Read online Dec ember 15 Need your senior pictures taken? Contact Amanda Reetz for more information Profess io Withou nal-looking P o t the P rofessio rtraits... nal Pric e! 2 Dec. 2 Wed., y b e u 412! s are d Portrait Staff in Room r io n e S ok Yearbo to the Stop by room 412 if you have any questions. Junior Sonia Lopez Birria- spicey broth with goat meat. Its our traditional meal of the holidays. Senior Travis Hier Stuffing because my mom makes it the best. Full Time Substitute Teacher Kathy Koerner My Mother s homemade dressing. None of this out-of-thebox nonsense.

10 Page 10 Sports Grapplers Kick Off New Season Middle School Teacher Joins Coaching Staff Freshmen Tyler Winker and Nick Clement practice takedown drills during the first week of practice. The wrestling team s first competition is a dual on Dec. 3rd at Schuyler. Tanna Nitzel And the season begins. The wrestling team is eager to kick off the season. With the same amount of boys going out, the team hopes for the success they have earned over the past six years. First and foremost, the team expects to place higher at the state meet. Head Coach Matt Anderson said that there are some guys that have great potential to be competing in the final round at state. The Cardinals will be returning four state qualifiers, two of which medaled at the 2009 State Tournament. Sophomore Corey Kalkwarf placed sixth and Senior Taylor Phipps placed fifth. The wrestlers have been hitting the weight room and worked hard in the off-season by attending summer camps. Phipps and Junior Brock Sherman traveled to Florida in June to wrestle on Nebraska s National Dual Teams. It was a good learning experience; the competition was amazing, and I m glad I had the opportunity to go down there and wrestle, Phipps Two of the senior leaders, Phipps and I want to have the whole team do fifty pushups every practice for the entire year. I want to push everyone to their ability, Senior Cody Wendelin Not only must the wrestlers handle the hard practices daily, many have the challenge of losing weight. This involves eating light meals, cutting out the junk food, and working out. My favorite part about wrestling season is being able to eat after weigh-ins, Phipps Seeing the guys devolp over the years and getting better through out the season, Anderson said about his favorite part about coaching wrestling. The Cardinals first dual is on Dec. 3 against the Schuyler Warriors, in Schuyler. Sat., Dec. 5 they then travel to York for the first tournament of the season. Being in the best shape of my life and feeling that I can accomplish things on my own, Wendelin said is why wrestling is the best. Middle School Social Studies Teacher Aaron Wagoner has been named the new assistant wrestling coach. He wrestled for Clarinda High school in Clarinda, Iowa. He coached middle school wrestling in When the assistant job came open he decided he wanted a new challenge and to work with high school kids. I have high expectations for this season. I want it to be a successful year. Wagoner Wagoner is planning to do whatever is needed to help the team out this year. He is team oriented and is going to use that to create success. My favorite part about wrestling season is being able to eat after weigh-in -Senior Taylor Phipps Boys Basketball Adds to Coaching Staff Alex Rivas, want to lead by example and show everyone that they are great role models. Head Coach Matt Anderson is expecting the upperclassmen to take pride and ownership in their team and help everyone get better. Young Team Matures From 1-19 Season Doane Students Cameron Duba and Will Pope have joined the boys basketball coaching staff as assistants. Not pictured: Brad Anthony. With the love of the game, Social Studies teacher, Chris Whitwer, has decided to take the opportunity to coach the freshman boys Basketball team. Teaching players how to compete at their highest level is very fulfilling to me, he There was a need for a freshman coach and I decided to take the chance, He With the experience from coaching freshmen boys at Omaha Skutt Catholic, he held a record of 52-11, also with assisting with back to back state titles. He coach at Skutt for eight years. He also played basketball in high school as well has a league in Lincoln. With the season on its way, the boys started out on a tough note with the first day. Three boys, who will remain nameless, through-up. After the first day the conditioning came a lot easier, he Along with Whitwer assigned to the freshmen coach the Boys basketball team has seen some new changes with three new volunteer coaches, Brad Anthony, Cameron Duba, and Will Pope. All three have had their experience at Doane. Duba attended Crete and has played with Hobza as well has J.V. Coach Shawn Carr, and played basketball at Doane. Pope attended Chadron and has played with the Doane basketball team for two years. Anthony was the head coach at York as well as Ord. He attended Doane and there he also played four years of basketball. We will be able to get a lot more done in a shorter pie rod with all the extra help, Head Coach, Greg Hobza Junior Alex Moore and Ryne Reeves and Sophomore Kyle Frew do wall sits during the first week of practice.the boys basketball team will kick off their season at home against Lakeview. Nicole Reetz /Business Manager With the new season already in progress, the boys basketball team has taken many strides to progress toward where they want to be at this point in the season. The boys squad is led by two seniors. As a senior I know I have a lot of potential in this group of boys, Senior Luke Ruhlman Head Coach Greg Hobza has coached at Crete for ten years, eight of them being the head coach. Hobza helps us overcome adversity,.junior Aaron Paulsen Hobza has been working really hard to turn the corner and take the next step as a team, Junior Alex Moore Last year with a tough with the record of 1-19 was a definite growing season. The boys have matured a lot from last season, Hobza We have several boys with a lot of varsity minutes that will help us this year. With the team led by two seniors many underclassmen have this summer and with the camps we went to, Sophomore Mitchell Marvin Coming off with the football season, Hobza said that he has seen great things that they boys have done with football and hope it continues on the court. We will have a surprising team; we have to get mentally tough and win the close games, Hobza With the coaches and boys excited for this season, Hobza has met with four different coaches to see how they deal with the different situations. I try to get better each season. This year we will be athletic and talented, we will tear it up. Nough said, Sophomore Derek McGinnis This year we just clock in. put our hard hats on and go to work. This is a blue collar team, Junior Ryne Reeves The Cardinals will have their first home game on December 3 at 7:15 pm against the Lakeview Vikings. You have to play your best basketball in February, that is when it counts -Head Coach Greg Hobza stepped up to play their A game. You have to play your best basketball in February, that is when it really counts, Hobza We will be returning a lot of players we have got a lot better through out

11 Sports Page 11 Football Finishes Season 6-5 Juniors Jonathan Avelar, Ansel Whittle, Ryne Reeves and Sophmore Colten Mach defend against Omaha Skutt in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. The Skyhawks defeated the Cardinals By Amanda Reetz Photo Editor With the football season ending with a close loss, the Crete Cardinals ended with a record of 6-5 Being 1-4 after the first game, many people wrote us off saying it was a building year. That statement drew us closer together helping us win five in a row. I had the time of my life this season and I am proud to say I played for Crete High Football, Senior Luke Ruhlman With their regular season ending with a heartbreaking loss to state finalists Omaha Skutt, redemption was the focus of the seasonending loss. When we played them the first time we were 1-2 and not very confident. The next time we played them we were on a 5 game winning streak and we had a lot of confidence going in on the last game, Junior Ryne Reeves Someone who cheers on the Cardinals regardless of the record is Coach David Bish. He was always at the home games to support the Cardinals no matter what the condition was. I loved the random quotes Bish would say like she is hot or what are we doing Thursday for meal. I will also miss how polite and caring Bish was. Senior Austin Askamit With fourteen seniors this year, the under classmen thought the seniors did a good job leading this team. I thought the seniors did a good job this year. They would be the ones to get us pumped up and get us going before the games. We are going to miss them, Sophomore Derek McGinnis Beating Beatrice is one of Junior Brock Sherman s favorite memories. Being able to beat Beatrice was a great win for us and it felt great beating them big and not allowing them to score, Sherman My goals for next year are going to gain weight in the off-season and help take state for Crete, Junior Ansel Whittle Being a senior, Robbie Sattler has taken many skills away from Crete High football. I had to find other ways to help the team win since I didn t start at quarterback. I ran scout them for the defense in practice and also found myself on the kickoff them, Sattler the girls realize how good they are and could be we will be a vary dangerous team in Class B. However, there seems to be a different game plan in store for them this season. I would like to run more transitions this year and also press more to up the tempo and stay away from the half court games. We are very deep on bench so we should be able to wear down teams, hopefully, Gillespie Having a deep bench the team will be quick and will be a very surprising team. Many girls have steped up to play at their best. With their record last season it raises the bar for the goals set for the team. The obvious goals would be to win the Doane Holiday Tournament, win conference, win districts, and win state, but I will take a lot of hard work to get that done which all, I think, could be possible. The main goal though is to prepare the girls for life outside of basketball through the game, Gillespie The regular season starts out on Thursday, December 3 vs. Columbus Lakeview at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Cards will have the home court advantage to start the season. Senior Meredith Wahl and Sophomore Caroline Cote work on two-line passing in the first week of practice. The Cardinals come off of a 12-4 seaon last year and start their season Dec. 3 at home. Basketball Starts With High Hopes By Cheyenne Persing With four returning starters, five seniors to lead the team, and various talents throughout the grades, it looks like the girls basketball team is set for the season. Having five seniors is going to be a big part of any success that we have this year. I think that we have some good leaders in that class and a lot of experience, which helps out greatly, said Head Coach Marcus Gillespie. Also, I think we will have a strong core in the underclassmen but talent doesn t mean much without good work ethic. They will definitely help our depth on the bench which we have not had in the past. Last season the team went 12-4; this year s schedule isn t going to be any easier and no team becomes a good one until going through some struggle first. The hardest struggle the team will have to face is Seward and getting the girls to believe in themselves and that they can beat any given team on any given night, Gillespie We have a lack of confidence at times and once Head Coach Looks Back on Season By Jasmine Foster Freshman Kaitlin Bradley hits the ball against the Schuyler Warriors. The Cardinals lost the match in five sets 25-19, 23-25, 23-25, and Looking back on the 2009 season, Head Coach Jill Oltman had a lot of positive feelings. Everyone showed up to practice consistently and competed, Oltman They showed their support for each other at all times and never gave up. There were a lot of ups and downs of this season, as can be said for any sport, any season. Some positives for this season were that we improved each and every game and everyone showed their effort to their full potential, Oltmen said, The only negative I could think of was that we only had one returning varsity player, The record for this year was Compared to last year our record is lower, but we have had many new players and have tried our best, Oltman Having underclassmen was both an ad- vantage and disadvantage for the team as a whole. They all played well together and had great chemistry. Our one senior has great leadership and never gave up on the younger girls, said Oltman, referring to Amanda Reetz. We will miss our senior a lot. She has done a lot for us this year, said Oltman. Something to work on next year is being more consistent in all areas when we play on the court, Oltman This will make us a stronger team next year. Our main focus for next year is definitely tougher defense, being more aggressive, and attacking while at the net, Oltman We have a strong team coming back next year, and it has overall been a good year, Oltman We accomplished a lot of different goals even though our record didn t show that. This year, being inexperienced hurt us. Now that they have had the varsity experience they know what to expect, Oltman We now have a better feel of what it takes to compete at the varsity level.

12 Page 12 Features Facebook Frenzy Creates Safety Concerns Senior Sevleta Alic logs into her Facebook account. Sevleta is one of the many teenagers to use this site, which helps people stay connected with friends and promote business and other social networking relationships. by Jessalyn Holdcraft Copy Editor/Staff Coordinator It s not official until it s Facebook official, so officially no teachers want to be friends with their students on Facebook. A survey of 34 teachers revealed that most won t add students until after they have graduated, if at all. I never add current students. I add former students whom I am genuinely interested in remaining in contact, Spanish teacher Janet Eckerson I will not accept your friend request just because you were my student. An incident at Seward High School did not involve a teacher adding a student, rather a student creating a profile of the Principal, Chad Denker. There were two profiles created, one on Facebook and one on MySpace. The one on Facebook was out of control, Denker One female student brought in a print out of one of the statuses about sex which included her. She was upset that they would do that. They being the student(s) who created the profile. The students committed defamation of character which is a serious charge that may result in criminal and/or civil action. Essentially, one person falsely accuses another in some way that damages the other s character. In Denker s case, there were three main components of the defamatory profile: 1. Pornographic pictures 2. Posting fake statuses and wall posts claiming to have sex with girls from school 3. Sending fake messages ask ing or thanking the girls for sex. Through this ongoing investigation headed up by the Nebraska State Patrol, one student has admitted to creating the profile and was expelled. Others are being investigated. Denker wants this experience to be a lesson to everyone who may be on that or other sites. I want students to know just how this type of action affects people personally and professionally, Denker Today, anybody can create a profile about anybody. Fake Facebook profiles defaming anyone have the potential to become civil law suits with a charge of slander because it s in writing. A principal in Washington received 10 million dollars after a fake profile damaged his career. On a regular basis, Crete has its own issues with fighting over Facebook. Probably on a monthly basis we ll have our students come in saying this person is making comments to us by Facebook, Principal Tim Conway It becomes a school issue once it affects the students within our building. Even the world outside of school deals with social networking sites. According to careerbuilder.com, approximately 77 percent of employers use search engines to evaluate candidates, and about 35 percent of employers have actually eliminated a candidate based on information found on these sites. I wouldn t really have a problem with it because I don t have have anything damaging on my page, Junior Ali Schuerman I think that employers want people with a good reputation not someone who does or posts inappropriate things on facebook. The Internet limits the amount of privacy one has, though, sites such as Facebook provide certain safety measures such as a private profile option and limiting what can be seen to categories including friends only. I think they (people) make it (Facebook) less safe for themselves, Junior Nick Youssef If you are scared of creepers, then the obvious thing to do is to have the privacy settings on there. Facebook is on the world wide web, so caution should be exercised when posting anything on the site. Anything you say on Facebook, you say to the world, Eckerson Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Bernie Ludvik sustitute teaches student in Greg Hobza s Government and Economics class. by Cheyenne Persing Features Editor Family and community are two words Substitute Teacher Bernie Ludvik would use to describe Crete High School after teaching at the school since I feel like I have a connection with everybody here at the school. It s almost like a second family to me, Ludvik Ludvik worked at the high school as a seventh grade world studies teacher and the high school s modern problems teacher for 24 years before retiring. When I retired I wanted to try something new, but it was never the same because I missed it so much, Ludvik After all his of teaching, Ludvik has a ton of memories but not one is his absolute favorite. Every class is special and unique to me and for many different reasons. I will always remember the people here, he Ludvik has a definitely calling to be a teacher and relates to all the students he meets and teaches. He has had an impact on many students. I like being around young people and the best times of my life has been here meeting and teaching different grades, Ludvik Every day is a new challenge. I found out I communicate with kids better. Being with them keeps me young and involved. You can t fake caring about people. Ludvik began a new endeavor relating to something he s been involved in for years. This year will be his thirteenth time going to Washington D.C for the close-up program as the main sponsor. I really enjoy every aspect of politics, there s so much to see and do there and I really enjoy sharing it with the students and seeing how much the students change when they come back. In addition to teaching and sponsorship he also helped out with getting the Brady Wendelin Scholarship instituted. I retired a year after Kirk and Brady s accident. After it happened I worked with Brady s class to raise money for a scholarship in his honor, he Last year, Ludvik had extensive open-heart surgery in Austin Texas. It took him three weeks to recover rather than the six weeks usually required. When I had my surgery I received a lot of get well cards and many people kept in contact with me. I was really anxious to come back, Ludvik This is my home and where I want to be. My motivation to get better was being able to come back and work. Ludvik has since made a full recovery and came back in full force. He will be taking a group of students to Washington D.C. for Close-Up the week of March 28. Planning all this out and organizing it takes a lot of time. I really enjoy going and don t want to see the program die. A lot of adults don t understand how the government works and the concept of D.C, Ludvik It is full of fun things to see and do, people don t understand that Washington belongs to us. Our tax dollars pay for all of it. Fundraising is a big part of paying for this trip. The students going on this trip sold five hundred poinsettias, the most ever sold. The trip is really expensive; not many people can afford it, and it is my duty to help them raise as much money as they can. This year the students going have done a great job raising money so far. Substitute teacher Bernie Ludvik leads the students section in cheering the Go Big Red chant at a home football game. Ludvik, a teacher in the Crete Schools since 1979, has been retired since 2003, but came back to the school to substitute teach. He has recently taken on the head sponsorship of the Close-Up program, fundraising and organizing the trip with students.