Shafer Higgins|Copy EditorBlood drives bring out the best in

people or so it would seem if one saw the enormous parti cipati on GFH garnered with the annual blood drive.

78 eligible donors showed up to donate to pati ents in our area in need of blood. Some have suff ered trauma related accidents such as vehicle collisions. Others have experienced batt les with cancer or have had transplants. Those suff ering from sickle cell disease or other blood disorders are helped too. The goal was 75 donors, which was met and exceeded by three. Many people’s only opti on is to receive

blood transfusions from donors. According to givelife2.com, blood is immediately put into receptacles to keep the blood at the proper temperature unti l it can be sent to a Red Cross laboratory to be tested for transmissible diseases.

Giving blood has proved very popular at GFH. When asked about the experience, junior Nicole Watson said “It was scary when I felt the blood coming out. But now I feel good that I donated to a good cause.”

But giving blood was not the only to parti cipate in the blood drive. Many students also volunteered to help out the

blood drawers by signing people and giving them apple juice and cookies to keep their blood sugar, and spirits, high.

“It’s a really good thing to do,” said junior Lauren Larance. “The parti cipati on was so high that we even had to turn people away, because many didn’t fi t the requirements of health one needs to give blood.” 91 people were registered. She was only one of many mini-philanthropists who decided to help out. “It was really fun to help out my friends,” said junior Coral Larson. “I can’t give blood, but I sti ll wanted to fi nd a way to help my community.”

Parti cipants were advised to drink a

few extra glasses of water or fl uids before and aft er they donated to replenish the fl uids they had lost and minimize dizziness. They were strongly advised to refrain from strenuous physical acti vity for 12 hours aft er giving blood.

Always a popular charitable event at GFH, the blood drive gleans much blood for those in poor health. It teaches students about sacrifi ce and giving and is greatly appreciated by the community at large. Aside from getti ng cookies and apples they also get another reward for giving blood: they can sit in the chairs pretending to be dizzy and get to skip class.

Where traditi on and innovati on meet

Volume 85, Issue 7May 13, 2010

2009 Columbia Scohlasti c Press Associati on Gold Medalist1900 2nd Ave. S.

Great Falls, MT 59405iniwa_gfps.k12.mt.usiNIWA

Ne

ws

More than 900 volunteers came out to help NeighborWorks clean up huge secti ons of the city during the 28th annual MApril clean up.

10 •••••••• SPORTS6-7 •••••••••• DPS

Feat

ure

Spo

rts

2 ••••••••• NEWSGreat Falls High School Theater Department puts creati ve twist on the classic Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s tale “Cinderella” with special eff ects and elaborate costumes.

Track and Field teams prepare for divisional and state competi ti ons in Butt e and Great Falls. Athletes vie for state slots in their individual events.

Shay Sommerfi eld|WriterTwo solar arrays are in the

process of being connected to Dan Wilkins’ applied physics room.

Students may not have heard about the solar panel project that has been going on in Applied Physics, Electricity and other classes, but before too long, the room will be off the electrical grid.

Instructor Dan Wilkins originally brainstormed the idea. Last summer he saw the satellite dish outside the main campus surrounded by chain link fence.It had no purpose. He thought it would be the perfect place to build a solar panel.

Solar panels work by fi rst, gathering energy from the sun’s rays. Electrons are knocked out of their orbit and absorbed into the panels. Next, the energy runs from the solar panels into a breaker box, and then, from the breaker box to a batt ery regulator, which makes sure that the batt eries do not get over charged. From the batt ery regulator it then goes to an inverter, which changes the electricity from direct current to alternati ng current. Last, the electricity goes from the inverter to whatever is being powered.

The solar energy is going to run 15 lab stati ons, a computer and a portable lab. Each lab stati on has a 12 volt DC outlet and a 120 volt AC outlet. Since all of Wilkins’ applied physics and electrical student’s lab stati ons will now be run on solar power, they will use the energy

on their labs and studying the solar power system as well. Depending on how effi cient the system is, Wilkins might hook up a line of lights to the panels.

Solar panels also known as solar cells were invented in 1883 by Charles Fritt s. However solar cells had energy conversion effi ciencies of less than one percent back then. Some current designs of solar panels can reach effi ciency of up to 42 percent.

Wilkin’s electrical classes are doing all the wiring for this

project and have even worked with the two master electricians in the school district. “It gets more complicated as you go along,” junior Taylor Reese said.

Applied physics classes have helped with calculati ng things like how much concrete would be needed, but many other classes have collaborated with Wilkens’ classes. Tracy Milton’s Bison Business drew a computerized image of the solar system outside; Wilkins used this to sell the project to the administrati on.

Pete Pace’s welding class welded steel fi ns on the bott oms of the pipes to keep it from spinning under wind loads. Don Ekert’s Preconstructi on classes built wooden forms to plum the pipe.

Kirk Matti ngly had students draft mechanical and electrical drawings which were submitt ed to the city and received the building and electrical permits.

Wilkins’ budget for this project is $28,000 which covers almost every cost and was acquired by a federal grant given to the school. This year saw a 60 percent increase in solar purchasing. Aft er the project is implemented, the classes will be studying how effi cient the system is and whether

or not it is cost eff ecti ve. Currently, solar panels

cost $2 a watt . Two or three years ago they cost $4 a watt , and 20 years ago they cost $27 a watt . It is esti mated that once the cost for solar panels drops to $1 a watt there will be tremendous growth

in solar panel installati ons. “GFH is one of the fi rst high

schools to have a solar system hooked up to it,” Wilkins said.

The demand for solar energy is greatly increasing and solar cells have gone from 19,838 shipments in 2000 to 524,252 shipments in 2008.

Currently, the world-wide demand for solar energy is greater than the supply.

Some companies are now uti lizing how easy solar energy is to get and are now making radios, fl ash lights, batt ery chargers and even outdoor cookers, cars and boats that run on solar power.

It is surprising that solar power has not been used a lot before with how easy it is to get.

Students replenish Red Cross blood bank

OBL DWIRED Building and groundskeepers Craig Nichols, Greg Ridgley and Dan Dammenwork diligently pouring concrete for the project. Students, sophomores Emily Boor and Brandon Bridges wire the electrical system for the panels with instructor Dan Wilkens advising his students in building a new source of energy for his class room. The panels should be completed by the end of the 2009-2010 school year. Photos By|Jordan Purinton and Matt Ehnes

O rive

Here Comes Sun

GFH is one of the fi rst high schools to have a

solar system hooked up to it.- Dan Wilkins

“

”

the Students provide energy for classroom via solar panels

May 13, 20102 Editors Shafer Higgins and Haley Mills News

• 2100 16th Avenue South • Great Falls, MT 59405 • 771-4300 • [800] 446-2698 • www.msugf.eduMSU-Great Falls College of Technology

to your career or collegeFor more information contact your Counselor

save time + money

CLEANING THE CITY Ty Yost from Malmstrom Air Force Base hefted a bed rail into the garbage truck that they brought along with them to Black Eagle. Volunteers took a break after picking up a hefty bag full of trash. Much trash, including this pepsi cup has been discarded the wrong way. Photos by|Courtney Skillman

Mapril CleanupCommunity comes together for city clean-upCourtney Skillman|Journalist

MApril clean-up would be Barney’s dream come true. The giant purple dinosaur might burst with pride to see the local 28 year tradition of city-wide spring cleaning carried out by the very children he taught to “clean up, clean up.”

MApril, a two weekend volunteer event, began on Saturday, April 24, 2010.

The litter pick-up derives its name from its dates, taking place on the last Saturday of April and the first Saturday of May.

Unfortunately, weather complications drove volunteers inside in early May and coordinators postponed the second day for a week while the bad weather passed through.

Individual people, in addition to businesses, churches, school groups, families, and boy/girl scouts, volunteered to donate their time on both dates. Roughly 540 citizens and about 400 military personnel called up Carrie Koppy, the leader of MApril for the past five years.

“If you call me and volunteer you have a lot of advantages,” Koppy said. “You get free trash bags, free pick up, a certificate, and, if you are in school, it can help towards your mandatory volunteer time.”

The offer includes trash collection by the Malstrom volunteers. Despite these incentives, many citizens saw the volunteers cleaning and

joined in without any rewards. The triangle between the off-ramp of the

highway going to the Marketplace desperately needed attention from the volunteers. On Saturday, a team went out and specifically cleaned the area.

“It is just so messy and all of the trash in there is just ridiculous,” Koppy said.

According to Koppy, people favor cleaning near the river because of the incredible view, but the amount of trash out there surprised them.

Malmstrom Air Base covered 90% of the 56 miles available to volunteers. In only that portion of Great Falls about 20 to 22 tons of litter was found. Over the years that number has steadily decreased, indicating a higher level of cleanliness in the city.

“Everyone is really excited about MApril,” Koppy said, “They are ready to bag it all up and clean our city.”

Each groups cleaned one mile of road per four people in their group. If the groups were big, but primarily younger kids, they tackled a smaller stretch of road.

“We don’t want to give them too big a spot to clean and have them hate it. We want them to come back.” Koppy said.

MApril brought nearly one thousand volunteers together to clean, bag garbage and fight pollution in their city.

news tidbits

Sculpture Garden

Jesse Whyte|JournalistAfter graduation, let the fun begin. The senior

all night party will take place in the Exhibition Hall at the ExpoPark. There will be many prizes up for grabs, including a car. Also, the numerous activities will keep the senior busy there will be no reason to sleep.

Senior All Night Party

Jessica Bracha|JournalistFor the first time in GFH’s history, three high school

students have earned certifcation with the American Welding Society. Ross Masters, Tyler Peterson, and Paul Nordwall each passed the professional welding test. “I’m so proud of them. They have exceeded the expectations of the course,” GFH welding instructor Pete Pace said.

Welding Trail Blazers

Mary Koppy|Journalist On Monday, May 4, 2010, the election officials

declared that the high school mill levy passed. It cleared by a margin of 53 percent to 43 percent, or 10,153 votes for compared to 8,728 votes against.

Although the levy will help to deter cost in the upcoming school years, several retiring teacher’s positions will not be filled in their absence.

Mill Levy Passes

Shandon Bilbrey|Journalist Next fall starts the beginning of the Sculpture Garden, an art garden for the students of Great Falls High. The Sculpture Garden will include permanent and rotating sculptures, outdoor classroom space, and benches created by industrial tech, and art classes. Student and staff to support the planning, and funding is necessary to create this garden.

CERTIFIED Paul Nordwall, Ross Masters and Tyler Peterson pose for a group photo. They are the first GFHS students to get certified. Photo by|Jessica Bracha

3The Iniwa“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” -Dr. Seuss

Leap

Incoming freshmen prepare for transitionMary Koppy and Jesse Whyte|Journalists

GFH has discovered new and creative ways to connect with its future underclassmen. Among the incredible sampling of extra and co-curricular activities offered for presentation at Leap Night, counselor visits to East Middle School and the reassurances of upperclassmen during freshmen orientation, incoming students need fear nothing.

Leap Night came about two years ago as a method of feeding middle school students into high school activities. It introduced Bison bound teens to the opportunities provided by the enormous variety of sports, electives and clubs.

Football, Bison Boosters, Performance Team and Journalism among other groups set up stations in South Campus to receive eighth graders and their parents.

“It helps to de-mystify GFH,” Small Learning Communities Grant Coordinator Anitra Hall said. Hall championed the first Leap Night event two years ago.

Each station included representatives from the group and faculty advisors who used a variety of visual aids to elucidate their activities’ contributions to involvement at GFH.

“It has given incoming students an opportunity to meet real students and ask questions,” said Hall.

The parents also benefit from Leap Night because it allows them to connect with students and experience the scope of activities available at GFH.

The GFH counselors also help the students prepare for the transition into high school by walking the gauntlet to East. They instruct the middle schoolers in the art of class scheduling, directing them toward courses that cater to their interests and academic aptitudes.

The ritual requires some preparation.“I meet with all of the middle school teachers to talk about

grade requirements, honors classes and the different levels of classes available,” GFH counselor Carrie Magers said.

“We also get the GFH counselors ready with course catalogues and sign-up sheets,” she said.

SCOPING FOR SHIRTS Tiffanie Bartel participates in Leap Night to help prepare eighth graders for their transition into high school. Teachers get involved to help their future students. Bison Boosters outline their program at this event. Photo by|Jessica Bracha

nlineOlassesCinto High Courses offered

via the internetRusty Kopeikin|Journalist

Online courses are becoming more and more popular throughout the U.S., and Great Falls is about to jump into this trend.

Currently, GFH does not offer any online courses, but there are classes that infuse online work into their classes.

Robert Truax created his own web site where students can find the power points from his lectures, class work and also look up interesting facts. But that is just an add-on to his biology classes.

Truax said, “I’m a nerd, so I made this web site for my students.” This web site has helped his students on a day-to- day basis.

Jan Mader also infuses the online trend into her Foundations of Science class by allowing her students to perform online virtual tests on topics such as rocks and minerals.

She had chosen to use this online project because it is easier for students to access and students have grown up with computers making it easy for her students to use and easy for her to grade. It has demonstrated that it works considering a lot of her students have shown a grade increase after participating in the online project.

One problem that became apparent was that some of her students seemed to consider the project as if it were a video game.

Mader said, “Because many of our students are video gamers, the online simulations are often more appealing to how a student learns.”

The online course, Montana Government, will be offered to GFH students, but it will not be its own site. Associate principal, Beth Gerhart said, “The offered online courses will be run-offs from the Moodle site.”

Moodle is a site run through the school district that allows students to access a Z-drive were students can save and pull up their work online.

Though a lot of students seem to struggle with Moodle, the idea should all work out to add a new twist for students interested in on-site learning.

GETTING THE TEAM READY Pat Bolton, Matt Krahe and Geoff Habel provide insight into the Bison football team. Upcoming freshmen can learn more about the team and the coaches, while getting to look around their new home. Photo by|Jessica Bracha

School

“ Freshman should take advantage of their opportunites now, so they don’t regret it later.

”–Julian Wichman

“ Going over your schedule was helpful and knowing where your classes are at.

”–Emily Hatler

The Best WokRestaurant

Come In, Take Out, or Drive Thru Available

1800 10th Ave. S.Great Falls, MT 59405

761-2727

“ We would like to see Leap Night to continue on.”Idea for Leap Night was brought to the high school by East

Middle School staff“Leap Night helps to demistify Great Falls High School. It

gives the students an opportunity to meet real high schools students and ask questions.”

Anitra Hall, Excel Grant Coordinator (DOUBLE CHECKKK)

Montana, aff ecti onately called the last best place by its residents, falls short, in acti ons and in words when it comes to encouraging its residents to invest in their ecological future.

In the “Great Falls Tribune,” 72 percent of people responding to a survey said Earth Day was a waste of ti me. The one day we could put aside to pick up litt er or use less water during showering is not worth menti oning, much less using to its fullest potenti al.

The most Montana residents seem to do is take out the garbage. Speaking of trash. Why

a r e

there no easily accessible alternati ves to garbage cans? All that residents can recycle is some certain plasti cs, so where does that leave everything else?

In Washington, local infrastructure uti lizes fi ve separate recycling bins: paper, newspaper, plasti c, cans and glass. These were picked up by the recycling man. The trash cans were maybe four feet tall and were never very full. Washington

classrooms had their own recycling bins. The program cost money, but it has all been worth it. They have prepared an enti re generati on to clean up the mess their predecessors have left behind.

In Montana, I have never met a more indiff erent place about working for an unsoiled future.

The trash cans could fi t an elephant, and there are no such things as recycling bins. My fi rst day at school, I asked for a bin to throw my scrap paper in, and instead, I was given the nickname hippie tree lover and laughed at. The one

place we have for any recycling, Pacifi c Steel, people fi nd too ti me consuming to deal with because of having to pack up their recycled items and drive there.

Where there is a cloud, there must be a silver lining. Wal-mart comes to the rescue with a couple of bins to throw stuff in so they can take it down to Helena once a week. But is that really the best we can do? Leave our eco future in the hands of a corporate giant?

MApril clean-up came and only one student showed up with the three kids she was baby sitti ng. So where will our wasteful ways direct us? Refuse dumped down the Missouri or putrefying in a landfi ll.

All because we refuse to color code our bins for one day of the year. Bett er yet, we refuse to pay the cost to recycle in schools and at home.

This is not about making another penny; this is about saving our homeland. Why not take a crazy chance to do something fantasti c for our community, something more than a domed court house.

Man up Montana. We need recycling. We need to educate students and encourage them to reuse materials rather than letti ng them decompose for the next thousand years. We need to invest ti me and heart to keep Montana the last best place.

4 Editor Tessa Millholin May 13, 2010Op-ed

[TheB y J o r d a n P u r i n t o n A new immigrati on law for

Arizona has been passed and has sparked great controversy in the state and around the nati on.

What the law entails is that local offi cials can check your papers at any point to make sure you are a U.S. citi zen. Being one of the strictest anti -immigrati on laws set into place, it has caused uproar of mixed emoti ons throughout the citi zens of America.

According to CBS, a local Arizonan man, Junior Perez said, “If I’m a citi zen or not, I’ll always be

Mexican.” It is apparent that this man feels extremely strong about this subject, as would I if I were in his situati on.

The state of Arizona has the fourth largest Mexican community and is growing rapidly, so picking out the potenti al culprits won’t be too hard.

According to Federati on for American Immigrati on Reform, approximately 500,000 illegal immigrants inhabit Arizona in 2008.

Government and legislature need to wake up and smell the coff ee.

This law is a breach of human rights, and is a very off ensive gesture to the foreign born citi zens of Arizona. A law such as this can‘t be passed, and not be expected to be received harshly.

Montana is a predominantly white state, with next to no minoriti es, so many of us can’t even picture the idea of being racially profi led. And this is why this is such an important issue.

We need to take the ti me to step into someone else’s shoes and think twice before passing illogical bills.

BOTTOM

editorial Earth Day and the community’s lack of support for enviromental concerns

Law

LINE

Immigration

Shay Sommerfi eld|JournalistRumor of an hour long lunch has been fl oati ng

the halls for some ti me now. It was also an essay opti on in for freshmen in honors English.

The main problems are a lack of food and seati ng in the cafeteria. People do not really realize is the school will not jump into this new idea. Dr. Fred Anderson told me that he wants to work out the glitches before they start hour lunch.

Another problem that has been brought up is that students will now have more of an opportunity to get into trouble, I disagree with that. We are in school for 6 hours and 40 minutes if you include the thirty minutes of lunch out. That means that students have 17 hours and 20 minutes outside of school to cause trouble, is adding one hour into the day really going to cause that much more trouble?

Besides, there are several benefi ts to an hour lunch. The program requires that you must have at least Cs to qualify to have hour lunch. If you

have Ds or Fs in any classes, the remaining 30 minutes are mandatory study hall.

Students will get the opportunity to work with the teachers to receive bett er grades; also the lunch idea is an incenti ve to get good grades in the fi rst place. When the hour lunch program was tried at a high school in Meridian, Idaho the Ds and Fs were reduced by 50 percent. When other schools have tried this they saw close to the same results usually reducing Ds and Fs by 40 to 50 percent.

At fi rst students tend to go out and eat more, but aft er a few weeks students start to stay at school and eat, and use the rest of lunch to work on homework or other assignments.

Many students don’t have a study hall during the day and are involved in extracurricular acti viti es that cause them to get home late and they do not have ti me to work on assignments or study for a test.

An hour long lunch could be a benefi t to all students and help improve grades school wide.

Arizona’s

owerHourOneHour lunch change instigates student controversy

P

5The Iniwa

Published approximately every three weeks, the Iniwa is the public forum for 1, 536 Great Falls High School student voices.

Contact information: 1900 2nd Ave. S., Great Falls, MT 59405. Phone: 406.268.6356. iniwa@gfps.k12.mt.us The journalism staff utilizes Adobe Creative Suite 3 to design and word process. The body font

is 10 point Calibri. The opinions and views in this publication are not necessarily those of administration, faculty,

INIWA staff or student body. The INIWA staff reserves the right to edit all submissions.The INIWA maintains membership in NSPA, CSPA, JEA and MJEA. The INIWA has been awarded

distinction as a National NSPA Pacemaker. In addition to being named the All-State Pacesetter from the University of Montana’s School of Journalism, the staff has also placed in Best of Show for general excellence from JEA, winning the 2008 Best of Show in St. Louis, MO. The INIWA was named a 2006 Silver Crown Winner as well as the 2008 Montana Pacesetter.

adviserLinda Ballew

principalDr. Fred Anderson

senior mentorsJesse WhyteMary KoppyDani Hertz

Zach MeddockMelissa HoracekMegan McDunn

sports editorDonovan Dennis

feature editorTrish Johnston

opinion editor Tessa Millhollin

entertainment editor

Kinzie Horton

front page editorSara Graybill

in cameraShiela Holt

photojournalistsAiliene CamachoJessica BrachaSeth SimonichGrey Osment

Shay SommerfieldJordan Purinton

S. Alting van GeusauCourtney Skillman

dps editorAmanda Monroe

cartoonistsJerimey FranksChris Cantalope

news editorsHaley Mills

Shafer Higgins

]Focusing on the real

criminals in the world like serial killers, child molesters, and hard drug dealers would make more sense than worrying about every person who crosses the border.

This also poses another question: Is our criminal system flawed? A person who is arrested for trafficking 1000KG of marijuana can get a minimum of 10 years in federal prison. That minimum is the same as the charge for murder.

How is the distribution of a plant equal to someone taking the life of another person?

I’m just splitting hairs here, but all is relevant to the topic at hand. We need to take into consideration moral values and the natural rights of the people, even if they’re not legal, they are still human.

When I say they, I’m talking about the illegal aliens.

They all come here basically for the same reason, to support their family, find work, and

discover opportunity not found in their home country.

It’s ethical to allow an equal opportunity like everyone else. Why should we kick out people from our land when the Native Americans welcomed us when we sought refugee from the British control?

The fact of the matter is that people need to be more considerate when choosing laws, especially one regarding a controversial topic such as immigration.

“

trish johnston andy ekbladissues

Language

Your turn to deliberate. Is the language at our school tooShiela Holt, 11

Andre Lugo, 10Christian Mu, 10

harsh?

atTeachers, staff and some students have begun

to complain about the foul language used in the hallways of GFH. It is also rumored that it has become very inappropriate. Faculty believes the way teens talk

now is crude, but has anyone attempted to put a halt to the problem? Many of the insulting words used have just become

part of our culture. We hear so called “expletives” in a variety of movies and music. These words have become acceptable on the cover of DVDs and CDs. Even the radio is allowing many different

swear words to remain uncensored in the songs they play. Have we grown more immature as a society? How do words hurt? Why do people regularly use words once restricted to most violent

tempers? What does this say about the younger generation? What does this say about language? Shakespeare phrases his works in such as way that he barely avoided incredible

controversy. Why is this offensive today?

Some people go overboard with

bad language in the way they speak. It's unnecessary. It doesn’t

bother me because there isn't anything I can do it about it. They can talk the way they want to.

Not all the time. It’s not racial; it's mainly just fooling around. It's their own opinion as to what is considered bad language or good language.

No, it's ridiculous how everyone is making language seem like such a big deal. People are

going to say what they want. If they’re restricted, they are going to

say what they want any ways.

If you take it too seriously,

then, it could be offensive. Language should be taken with a grain of

salt. It doesn’t bother me though.

movies & music

hallway

grown up around it

friends

We hear cussing everywhere, just because it stops in the hall doesn’t mean students are not going to hear swearing on tv, movies and music. It’s just part of entertainment now and people need to just deal with it.

Bad language happens, but it’s such a vulgar way to describe people. There are better ways to show emotion or express messages without bad language.

Schuyler Moulten, 10

When somebody says to one of their buddies, “Sup my lil’ b*tch,” and someone else is offended, even though nothing that was said was directed at them, who is really the one who needs to change?

If a person tells somebody to talk better in the hall, he or she is not changing them as a person. All they do is make them wait until they are out of the hall to start swearing again.

People all around the world learn to speak English, but everyone has different dialects and slang reflecting on who they are, where they are from and their circumstances.

Obscenities are something normal to hear in the hallway, but the behavior of people yelling out profanities lacks maturity.

Everyone has his or her own mind, and they also have their own mouths. I don’t believe just because they grow up around vulgarity they have to take part in using those words.

People can address each other in more appropriate ways, and everyone has his or her own name. They should not be called some degrading name.

school

“But if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” -George Orwell

7The Iniwa6 Editor Mandi Monroe May 13, 2010DPS

Andy Ekblad|JournalistActors and actresses live for the spotlight, but behind

every beam stands a light technician.They orchestrate many important elements of the

play including the lighti ng of the set. Alex Spranger, the manager of the lighti ng

department, says, “The lights create the mood, evil scenes are dark and happy scenes are bright. If I do my job wrong I can screw a lot of stuff up.”

Although many people seldom even noti ce the shift s in light, it aff ects everything.

The stage tech classes also design the sets for the play. The people assigned to this task are responsible for making all the props and diff erent parts of the set that help make the stage great.

“Building the stage for the shows is extremely important because we make the people who are acti ng look good,” said actor and “We are the unseen heroes of the show. We fi x things before they become a problem for the drama department,” said Myers.”

The man responsible of for building the more diffi cult props for the play is Dave Smalley. He says the students call him Super Dave because of the things he builds.

“My job can be hard, ti me consuming and fun all at the same ti me, but it is really sati sfying when it is done and we get to see it in acti on,” he said.

A lot of hard work goes into the play, from people in all departments but the show would not be possible without the diff erent props and designs that the stage tech kids have to make.

“Without us the actors would be on their own and they would have to keep track of all of their props and cues. They have enough to worry about with just memorizing their lines,” prop master Britt any Douglas.

“We are just as important to everybody else, without us it would be a bare stage,” said Joel Corda. The stage tech crew play a large role in every producti ons put on by the school.

Princess, Princess

Once Upon A Time...The Drama Department presents Roger Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella,’ thanks, in large part, to the collaborati on and hard work of talented stage and tech crews as well as actors, guest mentors and directors

dedicated to their on-stage craft .

Andy Ekblad|JournalistTheater audiences noti ce the lights, sounds and

actors lines. Less oft en, they think of the people behind the scenes, teaching the student how to perform the dances they design.

For this producti on the department hired a professional choreographer, Warren Freedman, from New York.

“I do this stuff every day and expect a lot from the people I work with, but my dancers sti ll enjoy it,” he said. Freedman has 20 years of experience in choreography and has also had jobs working on Broadway.

The audience appreciates each dance, but few att endees understand how much work goes into learning and designing the dances.

“It’s hard work, but it really pays off when it’s ti me for the show,” said Freedman.

“He is really a fun guy and it is nice to work with somebody who knows what he is doing and understands how to work with high school students. This isn’t his fi rst play here so he understands the way we feel,” actor Seth Simonitch said.

Although Freedman is a fun guy, he also pressures the students to be their best.

“He works us to limit,” Simonitch said. Actors and actresses in the play must be able to

dance along with acti ng and memorize lines.

Seth Simonich|Journalist“In the beginning, I was super shocked,” says Darcey Swanson, sixteen years old and a sophomore here at GFH, about her role as Cinderella in the upcoming play.“And it sti ll is crazy, I can’t believe it.” In her Great Falls High Theatre debut, Darcey landed the lead role of Cinderella; she originally read for the role of one of the step sisters and was only hoping for an ensemble role.

Her cast mates only have positi ve things to say about her as well.

“She’s gone beyond anyone’s expectati ons, and is a complete natural on stage.” Says senior Mitchel Wanke, who plays the prince in the play.

“And it’s great to see that.”“It’s really fun to work with someone who

appreciates their role and plays it so well. And she has an amazing voice,” freshman Kirsten Hanson, who is Grace, one of the stepsisters, said

“Its been great working with Darcey and watching her blossom as an actress.” senior Marquesa Asmusen said.

“Darcey is amazing, this is her fi rst show and she jumped in with an open mind.” Says Krysti na Theil, the director, “She is the perfect Cinderella”

Backstage Heroes

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION Ivan Bakly, one of the light technicians, concentrates on adjusti ng the lighti ng during a rehearsal. Although the tech crew sees litt le spotlight, they play a vital role before, during and aft er the producti ons. This is just some of the paper mache food made by the theater department for the play. The drama department created paper mache food for use during the play. All of the food came on stage during the village scene. In additi on to the colorful confecti ons, every cast member acted in this scene, playing roles such as cloth merchant, butcher and a cheese, fl ower or fruit salesman.Photos by|Jordan Purinton

Andy Ekblad|JournalistBackstage Heroes

Andy Ekblad|JournalistBackstage Heroes

Andy Ekblad|Journalist

GET INTO CHARACTER Senior Marquessa Asmussan works on her hair and make-up prior to stepping on stage. Asmussen, who played the queen, spent nearly half an hour preparing her character’s elaborate hairstyle. Photo by|Grey Osment

Princess, PrincessSeth Simonich|Journalist

Princess, Princess Just DanceAndy Ekblad|Journalist

Just Dance

Cinderella

PUMPKIN STUFFING Freshmen Charli Sullivan and Melissa Morgan stuff the wire skeleton of the pumpkin for ‘Cinderella.’ Morgan and Sullivan used crumpled newspapers to give the fake vegetable shape and then covered the wire outer layer for the pumpkin eff ect.. Photo by|Zach Meddock

7The Iniwa6 Editor Mandi Monroe May 13, 2010DPS

Once Upon A Time...The Drama Department presents Roger Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella,’ thanks, in large part, to the collaborati on and hard work of talented stage and tech crews as well as actors, guest mentors and directors

dedicated to their on-stage craft .Courtney Skillman|JournalistOne of the most important aspects of any dramati c

producti on sits not behind the scenes but front and center on the stage. Just beneath the actors’ feet sits the orchestra pit for Roger Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” play.

“It’s fantasti c music,” orchestra director Ruth Johnson said.

“The songs can change from smooth and beauti ful to upbeat prett y quickly.”

The book the students play from is 100 pages long, but even with all of those sheets the musicians feel confi dent, busy though they are with spring sports. The whole group consists of only 19 people, and instruments such as strings, winds, brass, percussion and piano play in this piece.

“The hardest thing for the students is the constant key changes. The music will probably change keys 15 ti mes on just one page, but I have really strong musicians,” Johnson said.

A single sheet of music can also contain whole notes, dott ed quarter notes, 16th notes, staccato, legato, and other notati on known only to band students.

The pit, named for its locati on just below the stage in a hollow area surrounded by raised sides, sits just at the foot of the stage. An extra platf orm stretches across in front of the pit, so the actors could dance and move about without falling onto the musicians.

“I would really like more people to be involved with the pit,” Johnson said. “It would make the music so much more harmonious.”

Trish Johnston|JournalistWhen it comes to stepping into character, Samantha

and Danielle Portwine know their stuff .The GFH freshmen twin sisters both found their

niche in the drama department, parti cularly in helping with costumes and make-up prior to shows.

Samantha helped with costuming and make-up in the last two GFH producti ons and came to “Cinderella” seasoned by those experiences.

“I want to be in Drama for the next three years, it’s such a fun experience.” Samantha exclaims.

Danielle, on the other hand, came to this play without her sister’s prior experience. So far, however, she has been enjoying herself.

“We love the craziness of the whole team, everyone works together very well,” both sisters said.

Originally most people worried the twins would work badly together, or not at all, given family diff erence and sibling rivalries, but the pair works effi ciently.

They do disagree on certain things, such as what the best part of their job is.

The best part, Samantha says, about doing the make-up would have to be making up the boys.

“I think it’s really cool how I can actually make a guy look really prett y,” Samantha said.

Danielle disagrees.“The best part for me would have to be seeing

everyone go from who they are to who they’re going to be. Seeing everyone in character is prett y sweet.”

In the end the girls cannot wait to watch everyone hit the stage.

Musical Chairs Fitting RoomTrish Johnston|Journalist

Fitting Room

YES, EVEN GUYS NEED TO WEAR MAKEUP Chase Sturdevant poses for the camera. Chase, a sixth grader at Chief Joe elementary school, plays a member of the ensemble. His older brother Jake is also highly involved in the theatre department. Chase is also the youngest member of the cast. Some of his roles in the play include being a mouse and doing ventriloquism. Dane Wright and Shay Sommerfi eld prepare for opening night by applying numerous amounts of makeup. This is an essenti al part of the producti on and while it may look like to much up front, it looks well balanced on the stage. Shay was in the ensemble and Dane’s role was a cloth merchant. Kirsten Hansen also applying make up to her face. Kirsten stars as one of the two step sisters in the play, both are very witt y and entertaining. Photos by|Jordan Purinton

ACT UP Cast members rehearse the marriage scene. Darcey Swanson sings “In My Own Litt le Corner” during dress rehearsal. Swanson played Cinderella in the Hammerstein version of the producti on. Cameo Cayer waits as Annie Hardt applies her make-up. Pianist Nick Spencer plays with the orchestra in the pit at Cinderella rehearsal. Spencer, not a GFH students, came in especially to play for the producti on. Photos by|Jordan Purinton,Grey Osment and Sheila Holt

Courtney Skillman|Journalist

Musical ChairsMusical Chairs

Cinderella

PUMPKIN STUFFING Freshmen Charli Sullivan and Melissa Morgan stuff the wire skeleton of the pumpkin for ‘Cinderella.’ Morgan and Sullivan used crumpled newspapers to give the fake vegetable shape and then covered the wire outer layer for the pumpkin eff ect.. Photo by|Zach Meddock

Journalism8 Editors Trish Johnston and Kinzie Horton May 13, 2010Feature

JournalismIt’s not just a class; it’s a job.ONE – The Basics

In the beginning there is much information one must understand about reporting and designing. Within the journalism room there are thousands books on both subjects. Tessa Millhollin flips through the books to find a design she can put on the pages. She also trys to find topics that would be cutting edge and interesting to cover.

THREE– Taking the Picture Being a photographer for the yearbook or newspaper is not an easy job. Taking pictures can get one yelled at or even hurt. There have been many times when photographers get hit with a basketball or a volleyball at different sporting events. None of the photographers have a problem with getting personal and they want to get the best shot. Sebastiaan Alting van Geusau, a foreign exchange student, found photography to be his forte. He enjoys the idea of creativity through a lens.

FIVE– Working Together When it comes to designing, writing, or selling ads, not just one person works on the project. Everyone works together on a page or idea. Without the great amount of teamwork things would turn into a stress-fest and deadlines would not be met. Jesse Whyte works with Haley Mills on designing a news page for the Iniwa. They both believe that working on the staff is interesting, but also very frustrating at the same time. The intro students are being helped by one or more senior staff members.

Have you ever picked up the Iniwa, or looked at an old volume of the Roundup? Have you ever wondered how much time, dedication, and skill is put into them?

Everyone on staff is separated into two groups, yearbook and newspaper. Within these groups there is a chain of command, starting with the Editor in Chief.

Each person has a set job or is skillful enough to complete multiple jobs. Everyone in journalism is required to make a deadline, which is the most

stressful part of the job. With much dedication and sweat the publications are finished on time. Journalism is not just a single class period, it’s an all day, every day kind of deal. People are working hard the entire time and the staff does not understand the concept of rest.

Journalism takes the majority of the staff’s free time and play time; usually they will graciously give up their sanity for the sake of the deadline. This is where journalism becomes a part of you. It’s not just a class, it’s a job.

Trish Johnston|Journalist

TWO– Getting the StoryWriting is not always the easiest part for any affiliation. There are numerous steps that one must go through to get the perfect story; such as creating interview questions, finding the interviewee, and putting it all together to make the final project. Andy Ekblad is one of the writers for the Iniwa and he enjoys writing in depth articles. Putting his opinion on a page or covering a sports story is what he loves the most. [Photo by Jordan Purinton]

FOUR– Creating GraphicsBoth newspaper and yearbook portray the artistic ability of creative students. Designing a cartoon that is either funny or political is not hard for Jerimey Franks. He enjoys drawing political cartoons for the newspaper. Even though drawing for the newspaper takes away the time he could be finishing his Anime Novel, he really enjoys having the his artwork is out there in the open, where his peers can enjoy it. He is not too worried about someone judging his abilities, he is just happy that he gets to draw.

–

Dani Hertz

“What don’t I like about journalism? Definitely not the mass confusion associated with deadline. I do like pizza. Every Thursday I get to have my least favorite thing with my favorite thing. I like that. I also like being able to express myself in a creative matter... Adobe CS3 yo; and most importantly, stay fly GFH!”

“I enjoy designing the pages and putting my semi-artstic ideas into the newspaper. Also, I like the way we cover issues in the community and keep the locals involved. Some topics we write about are really moving or helpful and other times it sparks controversy among students at GFH. Which is awesome!!!”

Jesse Whyte Mary Koppy

“I like feeling like I make a difference in my community. Some of the stories that we’ve covered have really touched people, and we’ve gotten some really positive feedback from people. Just knowing that I was part of a process that made their lives better made the last three years totally worth while.”

Senior staff answer the question:

Photos by Trish Johnston

What have you liked most about working as scholastic journalists?

Watson’

MOVIE

9The Iniwa“I’m not supposed to be within two hundred feet of a school... or Chuck E. Cheese.” -Alan, “The Hangover”

‘Elementary my dearSeth Simonich|Staff Writer

In 1890 London, Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. John Watson, are on the hunt for Lord Blackwood, who seems to have risen from the grave and brought the horrors and magic of hell with him.

Using deducti ve powers only the masterful detecti ve has, and a bit of brawn from the doctor, Holmes and Watson thwart Blackwood’s evil plot to murder the leaders of London and morph the known world into his own malevolent society.In this new movie, Robert Downey Jr. heads the brilliant cast as Holmes, the great detecti ve, and plays on more of Holmes’ socially awkward side. Jude Law portrays Dr. Watson a bit diff erent than the classic bumbling “anything for Holmes” stereotype, by openly complaining about Holmes’ awkward habits, such as testi ng anestheti cs on their dog and shooti ng holes in the walls of his room, but with a hint of sarcasm. Mark Strong played the role of Blackwood and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, the only character to outsmart

Holmes. Directed by Guy Ritchie, this new take on

the classic detecti ve and doctor tale includes friendly fi re between Holmes and Watson about Watson’s signifi cant other and his upcoming proposal.

Holmes’ att empts to create tension between the two which may seem a bit odd at fi rst, but once Holmes makes his fi rst deducti on, the movie takes off . Those who enjoy witt y dialogue, great special eff ects, amazing fi ght scenes, and thought provoking deducti ons would not want to miss this movie.The characters exhibited some classic traits and a lack of them as well. In ‘“The Hound of the Baskervilles,” Holmes is a sti ckler for personal hygiene, shaving every day even though he is staying in a primiti ve hut on a bog, but in the movie, he is constantly fl aunti ng stubble. Holmes is also an excellent fi ghter, which shows in the movie because he wins an underground fi ght club.“Sherlock Holmes” is defi nitely a must see, but see it twice, they talk fast and come to conclusions faster.

PJune 30, 2010 Bella once again fi nds herself surrounded by danger as Seatt le is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire conti nues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between Edward and Jacob. Returning for the third installment are Robert Patti nson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner as well as several other actors. Robert Patti nson has also appeared in “Harry Pott er: The Goblet of Fire”. Kristen Stewart has been in “The Cake Eaters”. Taylor Lautner has starred in “Sharkboy and Lavagirl”. Directi ng the fi lm is David Spade, who also directed “30 Days of Night. Photo purchased from Newscom.

June 11, 2010 When a 12-year-old from Detroit moves to China with his mother and incurs the wrath of the class bully at his new school, he makes an unlikely ally in the form of an aging maintenance man, Jackie Chan. Chan’s character is a kung fu master who teaches the boy (Jaden Smith) the secrets to self-defense. Jaden Smith has starred in “The Pursuit of Happiness” alongside his father, Will Smith. Jackie Chan has also been in fi lm “The Forbidden Kingdom”, among many other movies. The director is Harald Zwart who has also directed “The Pink Panther 2”. Photo purchased from Newscom.

July 23, 2010 A man with a remarkable talent for violence must fi ght to survive when he sets out on an extraordinary journey. The fi lm is set in 1000 A.D. Actors include Mads Mikkelson, Alexander Morton, and Maarten Stevenson. Mads Mikkelson works for the Danish fi lm industry. Another one of Alexander Morton’s movies is “Fable 2”. Maarten Stevenson is not known to be in any other movies. The director is Nicolas Winding Refn, who has also directed 2006’s “The Gambler”.

July 9, 2010 Maverick fi lmmaker Robert Rodriguez tackles producing duti es for a revamp of the Predator fi lm series with this 20th Century Fox/Troublemaker Studios producti on focusing on a human survival-adventure set on the Predator’s home planet. Kontroll’s Nimród Antal directs from a script by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, with Adrien Brody heading up an internati onal cast. Arian Brody has starred in The Pianist. Alice Braga has also been in “Redbelt”. Danny Trejo has also starred in “Batt le for Terra”. The director is Nimrod Antal, who also directed 2007’s “Vacancy”.

REVIEWS

The Karate Kid

Valhalla Rising

Predators

Eclipse

By: Courtney Skillman

Village Shoes454-3602

Holiday Village Mall

Famed detective hits DVD shelves in 2009 adaptation

Divided

10 Editor Donovan Dennis May 13, 2010Sports

inish Strong

RUN TO THE FINISH Zia Williams fi nishes the 1600m race at the Optomist Girls Invitati onal meet at Memorial Stadium. Photo by Zach Meddock.

Rusty Kopeikin | Staff WriterAnd the search begins... for the next

Bison football coach. Gregg Dart has chosen to step down from

the head football coach positi on to take on the head girls basketball coaching positi on.

Because Dart’s own children will soon att end GFH, he indicated it would become almost impossible for him to balance coaching football and supporti ng his children’s acti viti es. “The biggest reason I resigned football is my family,” Coach Dart

said. With his daughters playing soccer and basketball and his son playing soccer, Dart believes it would be diffi cult to keep both his families happy.

Switching to coach basketball was the best opti on because the schedule change allows more quality ti me with his children. Dart expects coaching girls basketball to be a litt le diff erent. In his esti mati on, he does not think it will be as intense as football, and there will be fewer players. “I played both sports in high school, so it’s not a big stretch

for me,” said Dart. Although many students had felt Dart’s

resignati on had been due to the slipping record of the senior football team, in reality, it has nothing to do with ability of the team and everything to do with family.

Junior Spencer Jenkins agreed. “He knows what he is doing, He always has the best intenti on for us and his family.”

GFH is sti ll looking for a new coach, but so far they do not know who will become the next head coach for the Bison.

Track teams train toward hometown state

CROSS THE FINISH LINE (From left to right) Lauren Smith starts the 100m race. Brianna Howse runs past the sidelines. Maddi Ecktenstein sprints past the female competi ti on. Maddie Stucker turns the corner to fi nish. All photos were taken at the Opti mist Club Girl’s Invitati onal Track Meet. The GFH Girls placed fi ft h while Helena High placed fi rst. Photos by Jessica Bracha.

SWING BATTER SWING Senior Kelsie Patt erson hits the pitch on May 7. This match up against CMR proved diffi cult because the Bison runs came too late. Photo by Tia Archer

Track teams train toward hometown stateTrack teams train toward hometown state

I really like track and with my dad being the head coach it makes me work even harder.

“

”BAILEY BRADY, 9

Move Along: Longtime head football coach Gregg Dart steps down to take on varsity girls basketball position

COACH THE TEAM Head football coach Gregg Dart watches his team at a football game this season. Dart resigned to coach Girls Basketball.

Copy By Donovan Dennis| Sports EditorAnd they’re running and running and

running all the way to the hometown crowd for this year’s track and fi eld state meet.

Although they batt led many canceled meets, the GFH track and fi eld fi nally had a meet this past weekend in Helena at Vigilante Stadium.

The girls earned a commanding victory over Helena Capital, 78–67, with two athletes taking top standing. Both sophomore Rachel Stewart and senior Mary Koppy won two events.

Although the boys did not fare as well against the Helena team’s depth, Jake Olson won the 100m and 200m and Dakota Kingfi sher earned a victory in the 400m. Ben Vaughan also won the 800m and the 1600m. Trevor Bolton claimed second in the 100 and 200 and Will Strauss took second in the 1,600 and

3,200. In the fi eld events, Mary Koppy is

searching for a school record as well as a state championship. She threw a near record-breaking shot for a career best of 38 feet, 7 1/2 inches and again won the disc with 114-6 at the GFH/Capital dual meet Saturday.

Mike Williams won both the triple jump and high jump adding to a fi rst place from Lee Perkins in the javelin.

Junior Dakotah, who is ranked third in the AA schools for his

200m sprint, is positi ve of a crosstown victory on Thursday. “It’s a defi nite win Thursday, no questi ons. We’ll have to watch David Wilson and Cody Irish though,” Kingfi sher said.

On the girl’s side of the track, fi nishers seem to be plenti ful, but predicti ons for the state meet are dismal. “The girls team isn’t quite a top team this year but

we are somewhere in the middle. There are a lot of girls out there who are hard workers and are out there doing their best,” freshman Bailey Brady said.

“We [GFH Boys] are going to be in the top six at state this year. We have a lot of guys that place high in their events,” junior sprinter Dakotah Kingfi sher.

Although the running team only scored one point at last years state meet, courtesy of now-junior Will Strauss. They have made strides of improvement during this year’s season.

“I know I’ve been train hard with Coaches Polk and Donisthorpe and had really good competi ti on to push me,” said Kingfi sher. Kingfi sher said, “We’re really more competi ti ve this year.

Our one point fi nish at state last year was ridiculous.”

Bison girls win CrosstownCopy By Melissa Horacek| Senior Mentor

Aft er a lackluster season, Bison Varsity Soft ball girls went away victorious against CMR, with a score of 5-4.

“It was a close game,” said senior center Kelsie Patt erson. “I think the whole game we had the confi dence that we were going to win because we were up the enti re ti me.”

The Lady Bison’s record was 1-9 entering into the game. “We showed more heart in the game than we did any others this year,” said junior fi rst baseman Tia Archer.

Aft er all was said and done, it was the Rustlers fi st conference loss of the season and the Lady Bison’s second win.

The game came down to the last inning, with Patt erson scoring the fi nal homerun. “It was really exciti ng to be able to get the hit in my last Cross-town game. Our adrenaline was pumping because it was Cross-town, so we were more into the game.”

Senior and short stop Kelsey McDaniel said “It was prett y amazing beati ng them for our last Cross-town.”

The Lady Bison will play Bozeman twice next Monday, the 17th.

Lady Bison Strike Back

11The Iniwa“Approach the game with no preset agendas and you’ll probably come away surprised at your overall eff orts.” -Phil Jackson

“Aaaaaahh.... I’m going to graduate and move on with my life!” Great, but don’t take a chance on screwing up your life by making a stupid

choice to drink. If you say to yourself, “Nothing will happen,” then go buy a lottery ticket and get rich because you can predict the future.

Some seniors will get arrested, crash and be crippled, maimed or killed because of a bad choice... Will it be you? THINK ABOUT IT!

And remember, real friends don’t let friends use. This message brought to you by the Cascade County DUI Task Force

TRAP THE BALL Sophomore midfi elder Zack Lacasse receives the ball during a game at the soccer park Saturday, May 8. The Electric City Thunderbolts won the game 3-1. Photo by Katherine Leonard

n GoalThunderbolts soccer resumes taking Great Falls by storm with indoor program

Don’t wear anything but the school colors or Coach Dodds will give you the sti nk eye.

2.

April Cahill

Just show up on ti me and have fun with it and wear your school colors during the matches.

1.Shawn Polk

The scoring does not make any mathemati cal sense so just don’t even try to understand it. Love…15...30...40...Deuce...Add! You just have to live with it.

3.

Molly Crum

Hit the ball as hard as you can every ti me and try to hit your opponent with the ball to show you’re the dominant alpha male.

5.

Karch Lockerby

Tennis is 90% mental game and 10% physical, so you cannot get mad; you have to defeat you opponent mentally not physically. Like Rocky

against the Russian, Eye of the Tiger.

7.

Blake Bedecs

G reat Falls High A8tips for your tennis game

DVANTAGE

SERVING Junior Shawn Polk serves the ball in a match at the CMR tennis courts. Polk has parti cipated in tennis since his freshman year. Photo by Zack Meddock

Always wear real shoes, because otherwise coach Aspinwall will get very angry.

4.

Rachel Gorsuch

Tennis is not a fast sport. Be pati ent.8.

Ellie Crum

Copy By Donovan Dennis|Sports Editor

Eat bananas. Before you play, aft er you play, and while you’re playing. Even if you’re not hungry, eat a few of them anyways

6.

Katie Cerotzke

Futböl’s popularity is on the rise in Montana and aiding its assault are the number one ranked U16 Thunderbolts. Last year, the Thunderbolts lost the state championship to Helena, but they are expecti ng bett er results this year. “We have a real good shot at state this year,” said GFH sophomore Zack Lacasse.

Unlike when these athletes play in high school soccer, the support from the community appears to be much lower during the club soccer season. “High school defi nitely has more support,” Lacasse said.

On the other hand, club soccer’s approach to a team atmosphere is drasti cally diff erent. “It’s really not hard playing with the kids I also play against, said sophomore goalkeeper Austi n Luckett .

Although the team, who remain the premier soccer team in the state have not seen an increase

in community support, they admit soccer’s popularity is one the rise. “I think because the Americans did so well in the qualifying rounds of the World Championship, people have begun to noti ce soccer more.

That and we added two new teams to Major League Soccer,” Lacasse said.

The Electric City Soccer Club, who is the overseeing body behind the Thunderbolts, nurtures young soccer enthusiasts of both genders from a young age. Through their Minibolts program, future high school teammates play together from very young ages. “I really enjoy club because we’ve been together longer,” Luckett said. “I’ve been playing since fi rst grade.”.

Looking forward to the club state tournament in three weeks, the team is expecti ng a win. They are the number one ranked team as of now and anti cipate the major competi ti on from Missoula and Billings. “I think the major competi ti on is the Missoula Strikers because we ti ed with them,” Luckett said. The Thunderbolts play two games in town every other week at the soccer park.

Issue 7 Page 11.indd 1 5/11/2010 3:17:11 PM

12 Editor Shiela Holt May 13, 2010In-Camera

Megan McDunn|Senior MentorCheck the lights. Check the

fuses. Check the horn, windows, mirrors and locks.

While at the Ford AAA Student Auto Skills competi ti on in Helena, my partner Ashley Betzel and I used this sort of system to Troubleshoot the issues with a 2010 Mercury Milan Premier, a car provided by Ford and AAA.

The competi ti on requires parti cipants to fi x “bugs” or problems intenti onally placed in a car in 90 minutes or less.

Troubleshooti ng can be one of the most rewarding and frustrati ng things when working on a car. For us, it is a great feeling when we are able to fi x the problem, but it can be very frustrati ng when we know the system the problem is in, but

can’t seem to fi nd which sensor or fuse is causing the problem.

The competi ti on was a great experience because it gave us a chance to show off our skills and knowledge of the automoti ve fi eld.

Many of the other competi tors were very reluctant at fi rst while we were at the competi ti on to see a team of girls competi ng against them, but once we started demonstrati ng our abiliti es in the competi ti on, a lot of people changed their opinions.

Out of the eight teams competi ng, we received the award for the highest combined writt en score, and while we in the hands-on porti on of the competi ti on, we were the fi rst team to successfully start our car.

Overall, we ended up fourth with the combinati on of our writt en and hands-on score. Unable to get our car to fi nal judging, we were left to rely on our writt en score. Only three cars actually made it to fi nal judging and received a score for the hands-on porti on of the contest.

It was a huge stride and a great honor for us to compete in the competi ti on. It allowed us, the future of the automoti ve world, to prove our skills as well as to experience what it is like to diagnose and repair problems as technicians would in an automoti ve repair shop.

Many students who competed in the competi ti on are planning on majoring in automoti ve technology, diesel technology or some fi eld

surrounding the automoti ve area. Being able to work with prominent companies such as Ford and AAA is very valuable to the parti cipants because it opens up new opportuniti es with diff erent colleges and companies that we may have never considered before.

To students exploring the possibiliti es of automoti ve careers, our advice to you is get involved in competi ti ons such as this one and Skills USA because it gets your name out there with dealers, instructors, shop owners and other aspiring technicians in the automoti ve fi eld. Even if you make mistakes or don’t win, the experiences and opportuniti es that come from these competi ti ons are worth the work and ti me you put in.

Girls can get dirty too

bu

tIt’s a man’s worldSenior girls show off their automotive expertise, score high in state competition