Download pdf - The Tiger Cub: First Issue September

volume 102 issue 1September 29, 2011

www.myhighschooljournalism.org

hastings senior high school1100 W 14th streethastings, nebraska 68901 tigerth

e cubWhat’s Happening?

Mark August 2013 on the calendar. That’s the expected date for the first classes to be held in the new science wing. “I am so excited about the new equipment, and finally some air conditioning,” Sophomore Shane Schultz said. Science teachers are counting down the days as well. “I’m very excited for the students of Hastings High, and feel privileged as a teacher to have some say in how it is de-signed,” science teacher Rod Tickle said. Construction began on the wing, which will feature seven classrooms, earlier this month. Principal Jay Opperman said the addition will benefit the students in many ways. “Students will be working in new quality lab facilities that will be safer, it will be easier for teachers to do more labs with students, and students will get a better science experience,” Opperman said. According to Tickle the rooms will be comparable in size to room 14, the room he is in now. The rooms will be “as fine of science rooms as any in the state” he said. “All the rooms will be vented outdoors to cut down on odor,” Tickle said. He added that desks will be tables with two students per table. Three of the rooms will be designed for life science classes while four of the rooms are for physical science classes.

“Students will have rooms set up so each kid can see, hear, and participate equally. Currently this is not the case,” Tickle said. From a science teacher’s standpoint, the new science wing is a welcome addition. “As a teacher, I look forward to a room that is well designed. We will have the best setup for audio and video possibly. White boards are everywhere, kids will love these rooms. It should be even better than the Middle School. Air quality will be vastly improved to,” Tickle said. Construction on the wing, which will be between Mrs. Da-vidson’s room on the north end of the building, and the tennis courts, should not disrupt student parking. It will however cause some staff parking to be rearranged. Opperman said aside from some noise issues and a long walk to the tennis courts, students and staff likely wouldn’t be inconvenienced. The science wing is part of an overall school improvement project, which according to Opperman must be complete by 2013. Part of that project which was underway when school began is the air conditioning of the North and South gyms. In addition the remainder of the building is scheduled to be air-conditioned. There will be new windows installed, fire safety updates will be made, and likely, if there are funds left new lockers.

Students take spirit week to another level by participating in the tie-dye theme at Friday night football game. See pg. 2 and pg. 8 for more school spirit.

taylorphoto

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October 1stHarvest of Harmony

Varsity VB Tournament @ Scotus

Varsity SB Tournament @ North Platte

Varsity Tennis @ Scottsbluff/Gering

October 4thDrama Club MeetingVarsity Golf Districts

Varsity Tennis @ YorkVarsity VB vs. North-

west High School

October 3rdOne Act Auditions

October 6thSchool Picture RetakesVarsity SB DistrictsVarsity VB @ Aurora

October 8th

KC Renaissance

Band ~ Tri-City Marching Clinic

October 10thVarsity Golf State Meet

October 11thDebate ~ Public Forum Unit Final TestVarsity Golf State MeetOctober 12th

PSAT Test

Debate ~ Public Forum Unit Final Test

Varsity SB State Tour-nament

October 13th

Varsity XC Districts @ OgallalaVarsity SB State Tournament

Varsity Tennis State Meet

Varsity VB @ Columbus

October 7thOne Act AuditionsVarsity SB Districts

Varsity XC GNAC Tour-nament @ North Platte

Varsity FB @ York

October 14thVarsity FB vs. Aurora

Varsity SB State Tournament

Varsity Tennis State Meet

October 15thBand ~ OMI @ BurkeCity VB TournamentNMEA All-State Band & Vocal Auditions

October 16thCity VB Tournament

October 17thFall Journalism ClinicChamber Choir ConcertOctober 18th

Varsity VB @ Cozad

October 21st

No School

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Play PerformanceVarsity XC State Meet

Varstiy FB @ Northwest

October 22ndNSBA Marching @ OmahaACT Test

October 23rdPlay Performance October 26th

EXPLORE, PLAN, and College Tours

October 27thFall Vocal Concert

October 28thVarsity FB State Playoffs

October 29thDebate ~ Pre-Season

Mock Tournament

October 20th

Play Performance

Varsity VB Hastings/Lex/Norfolk TriangularLast Day of First Quarter

On August 28, 2011 a Missouri law went into effect which states that “teachers cannot have a nonwork-related website that can in anyway have exclusive access with past, present or future students.” Depending on how this is interpreted, this law can also ban teachers from having Facebook accounts at all.The “Facebook law,” notes that teacher-student contact on Facebook or any other social media is forbidden. However, teachers can set up fan pages that are open to the public.Several HHS teachers are active on Facebook. English teacher Cathy Davis has a group for the Tiger Cub, drama teacher Katie Schultz has a group for the drama club, English teacher Delta Farjardo has a debate group and many other teachers have formed groups. Most teachers have personal accounts and school only accounts. They are all strict about not add-ing students unless it is work related. Schultz has a work-related account that she uses to com-municate with her students. “I go where my kids already are. It is just so much easier because they are always on Facebook anyways,” Schultz said. The “Facebook law” is said to be created for the students safety, to protect them from sexual harassment, and for other safety concerns. Schultz also sees both sides. “I get why they have the law. I

am all for anything that keeps my kids safe but I also feel that it might have gone too far,” Schultz said.Fajardo has the same situation as Schultz because she also has two different accounts, Farjardo pointed out that the hasting public schools website, www.hastingspublicschools.org has a link so that students can see what teachers are planning for the next week. Students can also send teachers’ messages through the link.

Some staff members wonder if the law is realistic. “I don’t think that it’s realistic in this day of age to limit that type of technology,” Principal Jay Opperman said. Some students agree. “I think it’s dumb, I don’t think you should be able to tell someone who they can and can’t be friends with,” senior Kelli Poplau said. Poplau said Facebook is so much more than just a social tool. “It’s not fair because

everyone has different situations and this can affect many people in lots of different ways,” Poplau said. With growing technology, the Internet and related safety will continue to be a concern for school officials. At HPS teachers are encouraged to keep Facebook pages neutral with students as long as they are currently enrolled at HHS.

Teachers De-Friend Students

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Spiffy Science Spacewyattdavis

reportertrent

photo courtesy ofkelly

September 29, 20112 spot light

Tigah SwagStand and yell your battle cry

kelseyco-editor

christensen

Have you caught it yet? “Tigah swag” is quickly becoming an epidemic here at HHS...an epidemic of school pride that is. The student section has picked up this new theme of “Tigah swag” for the fall season and it is starting to reach all corners of the school. “I can’t wait to see our student section grow even bigger as the season goes on,” senior Luke Fan-ning said. As we get closer to football playoffs it is important to look back and see what the Tiger football program has accomplished thus far this season. They began this season with a win against Schulyer 56-0. This was a great way to start off the season and roll into the following Friday’s game against Adams Central. “Practice was very focused and locked in the week before the AC game,” senior Patrick Opper-man said. “ The intensity was good because we were all pumped to play AC.” Coach Rick Ripperger spoke a little more about what practice was like the week leading up to the big game. “I think the guys were real anxious, some of them would’ve rather played the game on Monday,” Ripperger said. The HHS student body played a major role in the hype for the game. “Everyone was expecting us to win and had a lot of confidence in us so we really didn’t want to let our student body down,” Opperman said. The school atmosphere was definitely affected by the game that Friday. “Our kids may have been a little bit too hyped up,” Ripperger said. He says this because on the fateful Friday, September 2, our Hastings High Tigers fell to the Adam Central Patriots 13-3. “As a coaching staff, we had a rough time putting our finger on why the mistakes that were made happened because they were very crucial. Maybe we lost focus,” Ripperger said. Though the Tigers did not come out with a victory that night, the coaching staff and coaches still had a positive outlook on what was to come for the rest of the season. “No one wanted to lose to AC but after our post-game talk we know that we can learn and take things from the loss to make ourselves better. Each week we grow as a team,” Opperman said. “If you sit and dwell about the past, you will go nowhere,” Ripperger added. Coach Ripperger and his staff did some thinking about the game and came up with a saying they feel will better the team. “When you make a mistake, do the next thing right,” Ripperger said. The following week HHS football was faced with the challenge of the Holdrege Dusters. The week leading up to this game was also filled with spirit and hype because it was the Tigers’ Homecoming game. “I believe that we are slowly changing the culture of our school,” Opperman said. “People are tak-ing more of an interest in what we are doing on the field and in other activities at HHS.” The student section has been very different since past years. Not only is there more focus on the field from the players, but also from fans in the section. This was shown both at the AC game and the Homecoming game against the Dusters. “The atmosphere was intense because you could hear the crowd and you know the school is be-hind you,” Opperman said after the Holdrege game. After a big win against the Holdrege Dusters the Tigers moved to 2-1 on the season. “We have a philosophy in our program: wins and losses are over with by Monday,” Ripperger said. That being said, the boys went back to work on Monday, putting their record behind them to focus on their next opponent, the Seward Bluejays. Though the football team may be moving forward with their season, our student body is continuing to reminisce in our past successes. “I got completely wrapped up in the moment,” senior Lauren Bliss said. “The coolest part of the (Holdrege) game was when the team came over to the student section after they won and sang the school fight song with us.” It is not only the students who feel the culture of HHS is changing for the better. “I think that off the field you can really see the school changing, kids are more invlolved and excited about activities here,” Ripperger said. “But on the field I think we need to be more confident we will pull out the win. We need to power through adversity with a positive mind set in all sports,” As a student body, it is our job to continue the good work that has been shown both on and off the field. Though there is always room for improvement, a couple more students at the game or a few extra minutes at practice, as a whole we are changing the atmosphere here at HHS. It is something that each and everyone of you should be proud of. “Tigah Swag.”

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September 29, 20113 sports

Words can’t describe the craziness that happened- this off-season in professional football. First of all, there almost wasn’t a season because the NFL and the NFL Players’ Association couldn’t agree on a bargain deal. This caused all players, coaches, and staff to not be able to use the teams’ facilities or trainers. Players still worked out to stay fit and ahead of the game, but many said that it really took away team unity and working on plays together. Once everything was fixed with the NFL and the NFLPA, they ended the lockout and teams could finally meet and get ready for the season. During training camp ten players tore their Achilles tendon. The average Achilles tears in one NFL season is eight. Another thing that happened after the lockout: free agency frenzy and many trades. The Eagles got Ronnie Brown, Nnamdi Asomugha, Vince Young, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in this off-season. People now refer to the Eagles as the Dream Team. The Patriots added Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth to help on both sides of the ball. With all this happening it really messed with fantasy football everywhere across the country. The NFL season looks like it’s going to be crazy with a bunch of old faces in new places. My first prediction for this year is the Eagles will have the best defense in the league with their new acquisitions. Another prediction is the Lions will have the best D-Line in the league because of Ndamukong Suh and the rookie Nick Fairley from the Auburn Tigers. Now on offense the Green Bay Packers are going to do great because they won the Super Bowl, but that’s not the only reason. When they won they had a lot of injuries including their explosive running back Ryan Grant who is coming back along with other key players. The Indianapolis Colts this season are not going to do well, according to an ESPN analyst, because Peyton Manning had neck surgery and the recovery process is going very slow. So now the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts announced that Kerry Collins (a free agent QB that was on the Tennessee Titans) will start the Colts season opener. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar company with millions of fans across the world. It is one of the most successful businesses in the nation. This year the NFL is going to be one of the best years because everybody just wants to see some football after waiting for so long!

Head injuries. Ten years ago, even three years ago, they weren’t taken very seriously. But times have changed. “I don’t believe they knew as much about it as they do today from when I was a kid. They wouldn’t even keep us out of the next practice,” assistant football coach Kirk Ortegren said. Times have changed due to recent studies on head injuries and how they will affect teens later in life. According to Athletic Trainer Lindsey Ansbach, MSEd/ATC, an international committee met in Zurich, Switzerland in 2008 and released a consensus statement on concussion in sports. This statement includes informa-tion on adolescent concussion and the long-term effects on children. As a result, schools are beginning to set policies that are more strict regarding their athletes and these injuries. “Our policy at HHS reflects a responsibility to protect our student-athletes from further injury,” Ansbach said. At Hastings High a student-athlete showing signs of a concus-sion must begin a week-long progression process. This might include sitting out of practice and games, and a slow return to action on the field or court. It might also include clearance from a family doctor. “I think it is the right thing to do; the health of our athletes has to be the first priority,” Ortegren said. “The type of injuries that can occur are too serious to be lenient.” Even though a head injury might mean a star player sits the bench for ten days, coaches think it’s best to be cautious. “None of it is really difficult to us. (Head football) Coach Rick Ripperger makes it clear that we always take precautions to avoid concussions and never play or practice an athlete that shows any of the signs,” Ortegren said. At Hastings High pretty much any athlete in any sport who gets hit in the head can expect the same treatment. “Eventually, it will apply to all student-athletes in Nebraska. At HHS we have been enforcing stricter return to play rules for the past three years,” Ansbach said. While the progression process may frustrate athletes, those who have studied head injuries feel one can never be too safe. “Now so much more is known about the increased risk you have of serious complications if you come back to soon that they are being extremely cautious about returning these athletes to competition,” Ortegren said. The Nebraska state legislature has passed LB260 which para-phrased says that a young athlete be removed from participa-tion and not allowed to return to play without written permission of a licensed health care professional in the event of concussion. At lease nine states have adopted similar legislation.

“Sitting, Waiting, Wishing”

christensenkevinstaff writer

wyattdavisstaff writer HHS cheerleaders are revving it up this year, trying brand new stunts to get the crowd going. On top of their usual stunts, they are

doing new moves such as elevators and cradles. Elevators are full standing stunts, and cradles are where one girl is thrown in the air and caught. Senior Abby Meredith says the stunts aren’t that life threatening and no one has gotten hurt so far. “The stunts really aren’t that dangerous, because when we throw one girl in the air there’s three others to catch her,” Meredith said. Amanda Tolen, the cheerleading coach for the last seven years, believes the girls are doing well so far. “The girls are looking really good. We have it so girls who are being thrown can also be a base. We have a really strong group,” Tolen said. The girls learned their new stunts at a camp they attended this summer. They had instructors teaching them and won camp champi-ons. However there are some stunts the cheerleaders can’t do. They can’t throw the girls from shoulder height because it is too danger-ous, but they are still doing small throws. The cheerleaders are still staying busy this year. “We have so much going on this year. We’re doing fundraising to go to the Orlando Capitol One Bowl, and of course in February we have state competition,” Tolen said. “The student section has been awesome this year and we encourage everyone to come to our fundraisers to support the cheerleaders.” Keep a watchful eye and open ears for information on the cheerleaders to help support them.

Bring It On Lexi VanBoeningstaff writer

Ready, set, fore! Choir teacher Tim Canady is get-ting into the swing of coaching the girls’ golf team. “I’ve really enjoyed coaching. I have a great group of girls,” Canady said. “The season has been good. We got 2nd place at our 1st meet and all the girls medaled,” Canady added. Canady says that coaching golf makes for long days but so far he has really enjoyed his first year. “He’s really helped us improve,” sophomore Sydney Landell said. “He’s taught us a lot about etiquette and the rules.” Juggling both teaching and coaching can be hard but Canady says it’s not so bad. “It doesn’t really take away any time from my choirs,” Canady said He has several goals this year. He wants the girls to have more fun and to continue improving. Canady really wants the girls to enjoy the game. “I like golf because it’s competing against yourself,” Canady said. Senior Julia Warrick sees Canady both in the choir room and on the golf course. “I’ve liked having Ca-nady as a coach. He’s not as laid back though and keeps us longer,” Warrick said. Warrick says she feels the team is closer this year and they get along a lot better. Overall the girls seem to like having Canady as the girls’ coach and are enjoying their season.

La, la, la, La, la, la, GolfVanBoening

staff writerLexi

The Tiger Cub EditorialIt has come to our attention that several teachers of Hastings High School have an issue with a specific type of water bottle that has recently been found in the hands of many students. The colored, yet translucent bottles, manufactured by the sports outfitter CamelBak, are seen frequently in our hallways much to the chagrin of the staff. They are colored water bottles that are still see through. The argument that we have heard from teachers and administration is that the bottles are not “clear” which is the rule that is in the student handbook. We argue, however, that you can see the liquid in the CamelBak bottles, even though they are colored. As the newspaper staff, we see that this school rule is a valid one, considering that our school does not want students to be drinking liquids other than water in the building. Without any other reason for the rule of bottles to needing to be “clear,” we believe that the pros for bringing water bottles to school outweigh the negative risks of bringing translucent bottles to school. One of the main reasons we believe students at HHS should be allowed to carry these types of water bottles is because of health reasons. The extremely popular new water bottle made by the Camel company is said to increase a person’s water intake. This should be reason enough for students to be able to carry these water bottles. As we all know, water consumption is extremely important for people of all ages, but especially for high school students who are prone to sharing sicknesses because of the close quarters in our classrooms and hallways. Having the ability to hydrate ourselves without having to use a pass to the drinking fountain is very important to a teenager’s health. It is also just plain healthy. A generous intake of water is key to the active lifestyles our government is pushing to embed in schools. Students are not guaranteed that their passes will even get them out of the classroom for a drink. Another belief we have as a staff is the argument of why teachers are allowed to have coffee mugs and other non-clear items to hold their coffee, water, etc. Yes, we know that they are teachers. What makes that okay for them to have the ability to hydrate themselves during class with whatever drinking holder they please? Students are not given that option. There are some students whose families cannot afford to go out and buy a durable clear water bottle for their student to use. Many kids use water bottles they win from events and other activities as their main source of hydration, and by banning those water bottles you are keeping them for maximum hydration and health. Not to mention what bringing clear water bottles into our school does for our planet. The majority of clear water bottles that people use in the United States are plastic water bottles that are not generally reused. In recent Camel Company studies, if a workplace switches from disposable water bottles to reusable water bottles it would diminish two million tons of disposable water bottles in our country’s landfills. Imagine what that would be like if we had that happen here at HHS? We might ACTUALLY be the greenest city in America. With all that being said, it is our belief that we should allow translucent, colored water bottles in the hallways of HHS.

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jordanallenphoto

Are You Ready for Some Football?

September 29, 20114 featureLeaving his family to join ours, Michel Sturm left his hometown Kiel, Germany to be a foreign exchange student here in little old Hastings, NE. He is trying something that he has never done before by marching in the Hastings High band, and he loves every minute of it. Sturm started band the second day of school so he missed all of band camp, but that didn’t keep him from jumping in with both feet and becoming part of the band at HHS. “It’s been awesome to have Michel in band. He is an eager, talented person and he did a great job just jumping into everything,” band direc-tor Erin Beave said. Sturm has been playing the saxophone for 2 years. “I love the saxophone. I played it in my hometown and I wanted to continue that even though I’m not there. We also don’t have marching in Germany and I have a lot of fun doing it,” Sturm said. Other band members have enjoyed having him involved. “Michel is really easy to work with. He is a good kid, he knows his stuff and he catches on to things very quickly. I really enjoy working with

him,” senior Joe Matticks, saxophone section leader, said. Not only does Sturm do band but he is also involved in cross-country. Back home he does soccer, swimming/diving, scuba diving, and white water rafting.

“I do cross country because in Germany we run for soccer so it’s kinda the same, and I like doing stuff in the water,” Sturm said. While doing all of this he still sticks to his studies. “Math is hard to understand just cause there is lots of steps to follow and there is lots of homework in American History and writing,” Sturm said. However, Sturm is still enjoying his time here. “I really like the atmosphere and I like working with lots of people and I’m looking forward to all the band trips,” Sturm said. This hard-working, talented guy is only here for one year. He is striving to make the most of his once-in-a-lifetime American experience.

Jugglers, jousts, and jesters, oh my! Other than being a random alliteration with the letter “j”, what do these things have in common? They can all be found in the Renaissance time period, and students won’t need a time machine to see them. The English department is making this century leaping opportunity available to our seniors with the Kansas City Renais-sance Fair. “I’d say it’s been a few years since we’ve gone,” said English teacher Loretta Tebbe of the trip. The first year about 40 students attended, but the attendance was lower the second time around. Tebbe encourages students to take advantage of this opportunity. “It would be a good cultural experi-ence for everyone- it takes you back to a time period most haven’t studied,” she says. These fairs are no small undertaking. They happen all throughout the country and try to recreate the time period for the public to enjoy. The particular fair the seniors will attend goes on each weekend from Labor Day to Columbus Day in Kansas City, Kansas. Not only do the Renaissance fairs pop up in local areas, some even tour around the US, making twio week stints in each place. The seniors and teachers who attend this year will get to experi-ence all variety of renaissance wonders. All sorts of performers, like singers, dancers, jugglers, and others in period costume are part of the fair every year and add all sorts of medieval merri-ment to the day. Famous (and infamous) Renaissance characters, ranging from fictional to factual also make appear-ances. English teacher Carla Hedstrom, who has been a chaperone to this trip in the past, mentioned that students can spot anybody from “ Henry the 8th to Robin Hood”. A favorite of Mrs.Tebbe’s fair experience was being asked to meet a dashing young gentleman (one of the re-enactors) at the wedding dance that ends each night. “I got to dance at the end of the night while wearing my Renaissance garb with one of the characters. They make a big circle and everybody can dance,”she said. What else can the Renaissance fair offer seniors? “It fits in really well with the curriculum, “ says Tebbe. “We read Canterbury Tales and the poem Beowulf, which are both in this time period or a little earlier. The fair re-ally gives students a feel for the culture of the time.” “ It’s a great opportunity for kids, and going with the school makes it more affordable and probably safer than all those teen drivers driving out to Kansas City by themselves.” The Renaissance Fair is a chance for a fun Saturday students shouldn’t let pass them by!

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HHS band or bust

A new school year brings new students and new teach-ers. Among these new teachers is science teacher, Comron Yazdgerdi. Yazdgerdi teaches physical science, human anatomy, and physiology. Yazdgerdi was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He went to college for pre med but then decided that his true passion was teaching. “I love helping others and making an impact on them. Being a teacher allows me to not only help my students but build a relationship with them,” Yazdgerdi said. Last year Yazdgerdi taught in Grand Island at Cedar Hallow middle school. “I taught 6th grade earth science, 7th grade life sci-ence and 8th grade physical science at Cedar Hallow,” Yazdgerdi said. Living in Hastings and making the commute to Grand Island for work everyday soon became too much, espe-cially with gas money. “When I found out that there was a job opening at Hastings High I was very excited,” Yazdgerdi said. Yazdgerdi is involved in/the leader for FCA (Fellowship of Christian athletes), youth for Christ, campus crusade and Revive at Hastings College. “God is one of the most important things in my life,” Yazdgerdi said. Many students who play tennis may already know Yazdgerdi. Yazdgerdi coaches tennis at Hastings College and helps coach at Hastings High. “The best part about coaching is when you have an athlete come back years later and tell you that you really made and impact on their life. That’s the best feeling ever,” Yazdgerdi said. Yazdgerdi enjoys traveling and doing anything that involves being outdoors. “I’m a very active person. I’m never home and when I am I have guests over,” he said. Yazdgerdi believes that God brought him here and he is very thankful. “If you don’t know me feel free to stop by and say hi. I love meeting new people,” Yazdgerdi said. The student body is very happy to have Mr. Yazgerdi as one of the new additions to HHS.

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He has molded the budding tennis careers of hundreds of young men and women over his years as a tennis coach. And on August 29, Roger Sunderman was on his way to the Big Apple to be recognized for his No-Cut Policy. Sunderman was nominated by the United States Ten-nis Association (USTA) to receive an award for believ-ing in the no cut policy. The no cut policy allows every student who desires to play a chance to play. “I don’t think the no cut policy is for every sport, but it works for tennis because it’s a sport for a lifetime. It’s about teaching the right skills so you can have fun and still be playing when you’re my age,” Sunderman said. Sunderman was one of nine finalists nominated for the award. The results will be disclosed in January. Although Hurricane Irene hit during his stay, a part of the weekend included a day at the U.S. Open national professional tennis tournament. “Seeing the tennis open up close and not just on T.V. was a once in a lifetime experience and meeting other coaches and learning new drills for my players was great too,” Sunderman said. Sunderman’s players aren’t at all suprised by the honor. “I think he is a good choice because he really is a good coach. He has put a lot of time and effort into tennis,” senior Gianna Long said. “The best thing about him as a coach is that no matter where you are on the ladder, he cares about your improvement. He is always willing to help you get better.” Boy’s team player, senior Kayd Welke, agrees the honor is well-deserved. “Coach would be great for it, he’s a great person and likes to have fun so he makes practicing and learn-ing the game a lot easier,” Welke said. Sunderman appreciates the sentiment from his play-ers, but believes he is just doing his job. “The best part about being nominated was being able to be recognized for doing what I love to do,” Sunderman said. “Even if he doesn’t win, we are all proud of him for being one of the finalists,” Welke said.

TheYazExperience


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New teacher bios

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New School Nurse: Jenni BauerHigh School Attended: Roseland High SchoolMrs. Bauer’s favorite 80’s movie is Foot-loose.

New Front Office Secretary: Heidi SmithHigh School Attended: Hast-ings HighFavorite holiday tradition? “I enjoy Christmas Eve with my family.”

New Teacher: Adam Skrdla (pronounced: Skudler)Teaching: Drafting, metals, woods, construc-tionHigh School Attended: Atkinson West HoltIf he had a pet turtle, he would name him Frank.

New Teacher: Julie RossTeaching: AA English, Functional Reading, Lifestyles & CareersHigh School Attended: Lincoln Northeast High SchoolMrs. Ross believes the purpose of a platypus is: “To teach us to acknowl-edge our differences, adapt to new situations, and live respectfully with others.”

New Teacher: Nathan MuellerTeaching: Spanish I & IIHigh School At-tended: Columbus High School – “Go Discoverers!!”When he was little he wanted to be “center fielder for the Kansas City Royals. I mean, if they draft me next year, it’s adios to Hastings High.”

New Teacher: Lacritia SpanelTeaching: Learning lab, English 11 and English 10High School Attended: Blue Hill High SchoolShe has “carrots, grapes, milk, Diet Dr. Pepper and yogurt” in her refrigerator right now.

New Teacher: Lisa NelsonTeaching: Learning labHigh School Attended: North-Loup Scotia High SchoolWhat color are her socks? “NONE. I hate socks.”

New Teacher: Celia LuthTeaching: Spanish I & IIHigh School Attended: Ravenna High SchoolWhat animal would she choose to be? “A tiger, of course! I was born the year of the Tiger. Guess I’m in the right place!”

New teacher: John ShaferTeaching:Physical Science, and BiologyHigh School At-tended: GibbonThe theme song to Mr. Shafer’s life would be “The Dance” by Garth Brooks

September 29, 20115 feature

Walking into the school cafeteria this year, one will (hopefully) notice some changes. A prominent salad bar stands in the middle of the room. In addition, diners in the lunchroom use

real dishes this year. As made obvious by the transformation in the room, the school has picked up a new service to provide nourishment for its students. Both principal Jay Opperman and food service-coordinator Suellen Troudt said the main reason for the change was to improve the quality of the food; it would be better for the students. The salad bar was created as a new way for students to enjoy lunchtime. For Opperman, “healthy food is a key to helping out students during school.” Troudt agrees, adding “the fresh fruit and hot breakfast can give energy to the students to keep them alert and focused during school.” Opperman has his favorites. “I enjoy the fruit and vegetables,” Opperman said. The fresh fruit and vegetables are absolutely no cost for the students. The salad bar is very helpful to the juniors and seniors who make a quick stop in the cafeteria. Instead of having to remain at the cafeteria, they can just take the food somewhere else for the rest of the period. “The food is better with the fresh fruit and the quality of the food has improved,” sophomore Diana Chavez said. Every other Friday the school gets pizza from Godfathers Pizza. Chavez says she enjoys the pizza. However some of the students do not notice a difference in the food. Freshmen Sam Roth, Philip Pedroza, Zach Merill, and Carlos Carmona aren’t too thrilled about the food, but they do enjoy the Godfathers Pizza every Friday. Overall there are some improvements that seem to make the food better, but there are some ways that the food seemed to have never changed at all. “The food is okay cause I don’t think it will get any better,” said Carmona.

Local school officials were pleased with how the students performed on the Nebraska State Accountability student tests, also known as NeSA. For Hastings, the district saw students’ proficiency in reading increase from 60 percent to 71 percent in the last year, which made them improve more than anyone in the state on average. Over the past years teachers have been encouraging students to read more. “Pleasure reading will help you read more,” said reading specialist Nikki Gengenbach. Pleasure reading allows students to read what they are interested in reading. “Concentrating on reading with the curriculum will help students read,” English teacher Dave Witt said. In the several English classes teachers are starting to add books that students might enjoy to the books they read throughout the year. Books such as The Hunger Games have been added to the list for the freshman and some sophomores to read in English. “Keep-ing the balance from old books and modern books should be needed in order for students to understand what they’re reading,” Witt said. Reading speed software has also been added. “The EyeQ program is a great way to pick up speed in reading,” Gengenbach said. With EyeQ, students have to go through various eye exercises to improve speed as they read through passages. “The only way to get better at reading is to keep reading, make sometime during the way to read,” Gengenbach said. “Doing vocabulary, going on FreeRice.com is a good way to learn vocabulary and reading to young kids can all help students read better,” Witt said. However increasing reading speed is not the only way to help improve the reading scores to an even higher average. Classes such as science and social studies are now add-ing more reading to the curriculum. Gengenbach was very pleased about the scores. She said it showed improvement to help students the next time the reading test comes along. “Being a good reader not only helps reading be easier, but it also helps teachers put students into classes and how much more you need to improve to go into college,” Gen-genbach said. Gengenbach gave high consideration to the daily SSR and to science and social studies to encourage students to enjoy reading. “The hot breakfast and water that is available at the cafeteria can give energy into students to stay focused on reading,” Gengenbach said. Another encouragement Gengen-bach said was the motivational assembly they will be having can get the students excited for the reading tests, along with the gift cards that they give away to the students. Teach-ers have also made an impact on students reading more. They share the books they think students would be interested in reading. “Being a good reader is a very good thing because you’re going to need it in the future to help you out,” Gengenbach said.

As an eighth grader, a student is faced with many decisions while choosing the classes he or she want to take during freshman year. With a wide variety of exploratory classes to take at Hastings High School a student may feel a bit overwhelmed when faced with the task of choosing what language class to take. There are three language choices here at HHS: French, German, and Spanish. All three languages have a four-year pro-gram. Each program teaches the culture, the spelling, and the pronunciation of words in that specific language. With all that’s involved with these language classes one can see what a difficult choice it is on a new student. Some incoming students believe it is the right path to take Spanish as a foreign lan-guage. “It is more useful and it is fun,” freshman Cory King said. King says he believes Spanish is the right path for students at HHS. “There are a lot of Spanish speaking people in our area,” King said. When choosing a language as an incoming freshman, it is important to choose the language he or she plans to stick with. In King’s case that is Spanish. “I am going to take it all four years and maybe in college,” King said. Another factor in taking a foreign language is where the school trip will take place. This upcoming year, the Spanish classes are taking a trip to Costa Rica. “It sounds like fun, but it will probably cost a lot,” King said. Some freshmen still ask themselves the question, “Why take my language over the other two?” “It seems more interesting than the other languages,” King said. Ms. Celia Luth, new Spanish teacher here at HHS, speaks out about why she believes taking a foreign language is important. “So they get started out on the language so they can go from Spanish I to Spanish IV and through college. Also, I wish they started teaching languages earlier like in elemen-tary. The younger the better.” Reasons for picking a language have a large range of answers. This can be from how interesting it is than the other languages to if students find it more useful and fun. Freshman Laura McCarthy found that French class was the right language path for her. “I took French cause my dad told me to,” McCarthy said. When picking a language, some people choose the language because of influences by family members, as in Laura’s case. Freshman Gage Haack said that German class was the right language path for him. “I want to go to Germany someday and I find it fascinating how Germans say differ-ent things and pronounce different things,” Haack said. Primarily Mr. Patrick Vogel teaches German. His freshman students have a wide vari-ety of answers to why they felt German was the right language for them. “I have German heritage and in 5th grade they told us that we could take German and it sounded interesting,” said Gage As a freshman it is very important on which language one takes because that deci-sion could affect his or her life in a big way. These three freshmen each had reasons on why they choose their language and if they like their language or not. Upcoming fresh-man can learn from these helpful insights.R

ead to a

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“Pictures on television, in newspapers, and on the internet don’t even begin to show how widespread the devastation was. The house we (the Athletics baseball team) worked on was in one of the hardest hit neighborhoods,” Cori Dreher, A’s 14s head coach said. Joplin, Missouri was hit by one of the worst tornados in US history since 1947. It touched down on May 22, 2011 at 5:34 p.m. with winds of 200 miles per hour. Nearly 120 people were either injured or killed, several of those people, along with many more became homeless within an hour according to usatoday.com and abcnews.com. Such a treasured season with much joy and relaxation can turn so destructive within moments. Summer. It’s a word many teens crave to finally be able to say. Summer is a time to relax and be with friends, go to the water park, on vacation, visit family and so on. What if said vacation or family time, although some might enjoy not seeing family, was spent not only playing a baseball tournament for charity, but also give a family their life back. The A’s baseball team did just that: gave a family its life back. “We worked at a house for just about three hours. We cleaned up the yard, nailed electrical wires to the wall, and even put flooring down. We then got to end the experience with a charity baseball tournament,” freshman Tyler Musgrave said. About 40 boys made the trip from Hastings, along with several coaches and parents. The group also took a rental truck filled with donations from Hastings residents. They delivered those donations to a church in Baxter Springs, Kansas, to be distributed to tornado victims. “The town was in rubble and there were trees pulled from the ground. I felt sorry for the people who had lost their homes,” freshman Treu Anderson said. The A’s sponsor, Dr. Barry Bohlen, got the team in touch with a group called Operation Blessing, and that is how they became involved with the entire project. The team went into the project knowing that they would help rebuild a house belonging to a single father with four kids. The father had a heart condition, which limited the amount of work that he was able to do. “You could stand and look as far as you could see and everything was just destroyed or completely gone. Two of the most haunting memories were seeing the hospital and the high school. Both buildings appeared similar to our buildings here, so it really left you thinking about how lucky we are,” Dreher said. Just think, Kansas is in close proximity to Hastings, and that tornado could have hit here and done the exact same thing to this city. The A’s baseball team did a very honorable thing by going and helping that father as well as participating in a charity baseball tournament.

A’s pitch winning service in Joplin

A’s players help cut boards to rebuild a home destroyed by the Joplin tornadoes in May. The team packed supplies and headed south in July to help where they could as part of a team service project.

jordanallenreporter

Yearbooks on sale now!

Order in room 224, 211, or from

any yearbook staff member! Hurry!!

Only through Jan. 31, 2012!!!

Grabbing some ice cream, Jordan Frink finishes up her trip through the lunch line. Students have been exposed to a number of changes this year in the lunch program, including unlimited fruits and vegetables.jordanallen

photographer

tylermusgravephoto

September 29, 20116 entertainment

Students would probably assume the extra-curricular activity that involves the most commitment is sports. Yet others would disagree. Sports do involve a lot of time outside of school, but being in a production put on by the Hastings High drama department might take the top spot. “Being involved in a production takes a lot of work,” Hastings High drama teacher Katie Schultz said. “What most people don’t realize is the amount of effort put in by students. Besides the set design, and the directing, students do everything. That includes all of the acting, putting up the set, working the soundboard, lights props and many more jobs.” To top that off many students involved need to stay hours everyday after school for rehearsals, and may even have to come on the weekends for tech runs and extra rehearsals. All this work is done for three performances. “What I enjoy about theatre is the atmosphere, the creativity, the people involved and the excitement of performing. It is definitely worth all of the work, because, that’s what makes it fun! It isn’t really work when it’s something you love and enjoy,” sophomore Joe Prickett said. This year’s fall production, “To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday” is about a family consisting of a father and a daughter, who lost the mother. It is set at a beach house on and the days around Gillian’s (the mother) birthday and the anniversary of her death; she died on her birth-day. When Gillian’s sister and brother-in-law come they bring a surprise blind date for David (the father), at a very bad time. Bringing the date brings up many memories for the family, good and bad, and set the scene for a very good play.

“What I like most about this play is that it shows a very real family dealing with a very real crisis, and not only does it show the good side of Gillian but also the slightly selfish side,” Schultz said. Performance dates are Thursday, October 20, Friday, October 21, and Sunday, Octo-ber 23.

To HHS on Oct. 20th

matthewkruegerreporter

With the stepping down of who was once known as C.E.O. of Apple, Steve Jobs, Apple could be see-ing some changes in their future success. Apple’s success in today’s technological world is thanks to Jobs’ intuitive and informative decisions and ideas as Chief Executive Officer of Apple. Jobs provided many ideas and extraordinary decisions for the de-velopment of products. No one really knows why Jobs decided to suddenly step down from his position. Jobs has had multiple issues with his liver along with other health problems which is probably the reason for his sudden resigna-tion as C.E.O. Jobs released a letter to the Apple board of direc-tors saying, “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.” Jobs wasn’t just the C.E.O, he was also Co-Founder of the booming business that originated out of a garage. Jobs is not leaving Apple for good. “I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee,” Jobs said in his letter. Apple inc. is the second largest growing business in the United States. Apple will be losing an incredible C.E.O and it will affect them on developing amazing new products like the iPad, depending on how the new C.E.O, Tim Cook, performs. Cook was previously Apple’s Chief Operating Of-ficer. Jobs released a statement to the Board of Direc-tors in August stating, “I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.” Jobs believes that Apple will still be a success even after he leaves.

“I saw the autumn leaves peel up off the street; take wing on the balmy breeze and sweep you off your feet...” And so begins the latest album from musical genius Owl City. If you don’t know who Owl City is, I would advise you remove the rock that comprises your home and take a listen. Owl City is solely made up of 25-year-old Adam Young, and All Things Bright and Beautiful is his 3rd full-length album. The opening track, “The Real World,” which I quoted above, is an amazing look into what the next 45 minutes will entail. Young covers almost every electronic subgenre imaginable, from synthpop to indietronica to Ronald Reagan. Yes, the 40th President of the United States makes an appearance. Well, not him, but his State of the Union speech, which is placed on a track titled “January 28, 1986,” which just so happens to be the date of the Challenger disaster. The sensitive yet eternally optimistic tone of this song spreads itself throughout the entire album. See, Adam Young is one of the most cheerful artists in the music industry, and when he creates amazing tracks such as the ones on the album, you can’t help but be infected by the happy virus that is his attitude. Young isn’t just happy, though, he’s got some serious talent to back it up. On “Angels,” my personal favorite track, rather than sticking to the wispy, cotton-candy-like tone of voice he always uses, Adam goes all Susan Boyle and BELTS out the hook. It makes for the greatest track on the CD. However, the most popular song to come out of ATBaB is “Alligator Sky,” a song featuring Californian rapper Shawn Chrystopher. But that’s not all. There are- count ‘em- FOUR versions of this song. The standard one with Chrystopher, one with no rap at all, one with B.o.B., and get this- for the Outkast fans, there’s an official version featuring Big Boi. Check them all out; they all deliver a strong and unique experience. And that really goes for the album in its entirety- All Things Bright and Beautiful is like a puzzle. The pieces are all different, yet they come together perfectly to make something dazzlingly Bright. (and Beautiful.)

5 Hoots for Owl City

This summer marked the end of what some would call a series that changed a generation. Well, if by some you mean the major Harry Potter nerds who toughed it out from the first days of Hogwarts all the way through to the final battle of Harry and Voldemort. The rest of you are most likely wondering what all the hype is about as you sit through lengthy movies where kids in graduation robes shoot fireballs from twigs. So, what exactly got so many hooked? According to junior Tyler Ripperger, he was initially hooked by the movies (of course, before they got too incredibly confusing if you hadn’t read your spark notes). He watched the first two before starting up the series, but said the books are “ most definitely” better. Ripperger is not the only Potter fan at HHS. “My mom read me the first one when I was a first grader, and then I read them year by year- Harry and I sorta grew up together. I even cried when I turned 11 and didn’t find that Hogwarts letter in the mail,” junior Grace Rempp said. Even so, the books are still monsters- the lon-gest a killer 766 pages. Ripperger stuck with it, “I suppose I always liked her writing style, she always left cliffhangers at the ends of chapters,” he said. Rempp’s answer was a little less about Rowl-ing’s writing ability. “I did it for bragging rights!” she said. Before Harry flew into the nerd scene on his Firebolt, what was the big thing? English teacher David Witt mentioned the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars, and even further back, Star Trek. “There were too many confusing names and places for me to really get into them,” he said of the famous Rings trilogy. These stories have stuck around through the generations and are still popular, but Harry’s legacy & the future of the series is now a bigger mystery than the next chapter of the series. Will the legacy left behind by the wizarding world continue? “Yes, I’ve reread them all like 12 times, my kids will be forced to read them... I don’t care if they hate reading, they’ll read Harry Potter,” Rempp said. “It will still be popular- our generation will read to our kids, and it will stay around for a long time,” Ripperger agreed. Will there ever be a series to top Harry Potter? Our resident Harry fans aren’t so sure there will be. “Anything’s possible, I guess you can never say never.” Ripperger said. “No, I don’t think anything ever will- Harry Potter changed lives! Well, I’m joking. But still,” said Rempp.

Hocus PoPotter


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Movie Theatres have a lot of choices. What movie to see? Who to go with? What snacks? Now a whole new choice is rising above all, 3D or non-3D. The Tiger Cub polled 10 students on whether they preferred 3D or non 3D movies. Four out of 10 of them said that they preferred 3D movies over non-3D movies. Teachers were more vocal, with only two out of 10 saying they preferred 3D over a conventional movie. “If I could pick between 3D or non 3D I would pick 3D. I think that the effects on 3D movies are really amazing,” freshman Eric Garcia said. Not all students feel the same way, saying 3D is overrated. “They can get annoying at times, especially if you pay the extra money to see the movie in 3D, and they don’t even have that great of effects,” senior Liz Sullivan said. Theater employees find a simple pattern among movie-goers. “More people will go to 3D movies if the movie seems like it will have good effects in 3D. Otherwise it really just depends,” Rivoli employee, junior Adam Heyen said. One downside to going to a 3D movie is the 20 percent increase in the price of the ticket. “The rise in the price comes because it costs quite a bit more to film a movie in 3D than it does to normally film a movie, the rise also goes to pay for the 3D glasses,” Heyen said. Though 3D technology seems very advanced, according to beembee.com, the first demonstration of 3D technolo-gy in a movie was in New York, New York, in the year 1915 at the Astor Theatre. The first movie to encourage the use of 3D polarizing glasses was the Italian, “Nozze Vagabonde” in 1936. The highest grossing 3D movie in its opening weekend was “Alice in Wonderland” in 2009 making $116.1 million in three days. Regardless of the technology, movie-goers will attend if they want to see it. What it comes down to is the prefer-ence of the customer.

shanesamuelsononline editor

jordanallen & shanesamuelsongraphic

alt Shanectrl

SENIORS!!!!Don’t forget your senior yearbook photos are due

December 23!!!!You need a photo release EVEN IF A FAMILY

MEMBER TOOK YOUR PICTURES!! Turn them in to Mrs. Davis room 224 or Jordan Allen!

Thanks!

September 29, 20117 opinion

Do you remember the days of Full House when the Olsen twins were still in diapers? Or When Steve Erkel was the guy who made us all laugh? Those were the days when families could sit down and watch TV together. ABC Family offered shows that would entertain the kids and still manage to amuse the parents. Alas, all things change. ABC Family is no exception. Nowadays shows such as Secret Life of the American Teenager, The Lying Game, and Pretty Little Liars are on the air. Secret Life of the American Teenager, starring Shailene Woodley as Amy, is a show about the sex and scandals in a group of teenagers. It all starts when Amy gets pregnant after spending the night with Ricky at band camp. The story unfolds as she tries to have a boyfriend who is not the father, her parents and friends find out she is pregnant, and as crazy as it seems she realizes that her life cannot be the same. Now on their fourth season, if you have not been keeping up with the drama, here are a few things you have missed: teen marriage, divorce, another pregnancy, and your classic girl drama. In this show there are not the daily lessons where Danny Tanner sits you down to explain why something is wrong or right. n one of the more recent episodes, one night changes everything for a majority of the group. A good half of the cast sleeps with a person of the opposite gender whom they have never “been with” before. One girl sleeps with her best friend’s boyfriend and someone else sleeps with one of the popular (wink wink) girls. The really interesting thing about this show is the parental influence on the teenagers’ lives, or lack there of. These teens do not have consequences for getting pregnant and getting caught up in all of the drama. Not one of the parents follows through in punishments or having any type of role model behavior. In fact, the parents are a part of the drama themselves. From cheating to acting worse than their sixteen year old daughters, the parents have just as much growing up to do. It is therefore no surprise when the parents are okay with their teenagers getting married and offering to buy them a house to make their lives more comfortable. It glorifies teenage mother-hood and barely shows the reality of it. Looking farther back, there is an episode on Full House that comes near this topic. DJ goes to a party where many of the teens are making out. Instead of avoiding an awkward conversation or buying her something, Danny Tanner sits his daughter down to discuss what is and what is not appropriate. This is when the teenage years start, it is important to know what is right and what is wrong, and how you can protect yourself from unwanted surprises. A commercial at the end of each episode telling parents to talk to their kids and kids to not be embarrassed to ask their parents or adults in their lives questions is not the answer that will do the trick. Perhaps done with good intentions, it is usually the thing we teens make a mockery of. It would be better to show this teaching actually occur in the plot. Despite bad acting, overused plots, and dumb characters, people are still addicted to these shows. They tend to suck people in and give the “I just have to know what happens” effect. This show is one of the soap operas of our generation. It seems like society is trying to make kids grow up even faster than they already are. Looking back at the cartoons and TV shows I grew up with, I feel sad for the generations to come. They will not get to enjoy Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens, Doug, Dextor’s Laboratory, Boy Meets World, or Rugrats. TV was at the top of its game when I was growing up. Even the corniest of moments taught a lesson. There was value and real humor in these old TV shows. I fear that with shows like Secret Life of an American Teenager and all of the reality shows, these will just be the beginning. Hopefully TV will decide to bring the corny and quirky back, leaving scandalous and ridiculous behind.

The Family Station?

With the exception of the English teachers and a few over-enthusiastic students, no one really gets excited about grammar. It’s really not that fun of a subject. You don’t see any movies playing at the cinema with grammar being the central plotline. There aren’t any songs playing on the radio about subject-verb agreement and where to correctly place commas. Nonetheless, grammar is still an important part of everyone’s life. Here’s where we come in! As graduates of Mr. Witt’s grueling, grammar-filled English 11 Honors class, we feel competent enough to pass our knowledge onto you. We are here to help you get over your hatred of grammar! We might not completely change your mind, but at least we can teach you a few rules that just might come in handy. This month’s grammar lesson is......(drum roll please).........THAT vs. WHICH This may not seem like an essential part of grammar, but knowing the difference can help you impress potential employers or even a future spouse. Speaking of essential, the difference between THAT and WHICH is that the word THAT introduces essential clauses in a sentence. Notice how we used THAT in the preceding sentence to introduce the essential clause. Whereas WHICH is used to introduce nonessential clauses. Now you may be thinking, “What are essential clauses and nones-sential clauses?” An essential clause is part of the sentence that cannot be taken out while the sentence still makes sense. A nonessential clause is the exact opposite. A helpful clue to decipher between these two is the use of commas. Commas will almost always surround a nonessential clause, but never an essential clause. We could go on forever about the differences between THAT and WHICH but we know you guys have already got the gist of it! One thing we recommend is cutting this article out to hang on your refrigerator or even clip onto your computer for when you write important essays and other documents. Look forward to next month’s Tiger Cub issue for another lesson in grammar!

Gram Slam

Transformers! Harry Potter! A less than amazing Pixar sequel! If you’re like me, this summer you spent at least a smidge of your time

at the movies. And while the three above were certainly the biggest of the summer, everyone has a different idea about which were the

best. This year had one of the biggest movie crops in recent memory. Of course, part of it was made up of, uh, Smurfs and Green Lanterns,

but there was definitely a lot more good than... less than good. Here are some of the best. The summer got off to an amazing start thanks to a certain bearded Avenger. That’s right, Thor made his first trip into live action movies, and it really (snicker) HAMMERED home how great a superhero movie could be. Next came the return of a beloved pirate- Captain Crun- oh, wait, wrong pirate. Jack Sparrow leapt onto the screen with a fourth installment in the acclaimed Pirates of the Caribbean series, which ironically, was not rated ARRRRRR. Soon after came X-Men: First Class, a prequel to the X Men trilogy which told the story of the founder of the XMen, Professor X, and the persisting villain throughout the series, Magneto. Sadly, Wolverine only appears in a cameo, so it may be a bit hard to sink your claws into this one. And here is where I would write about Green Lantern, but this article is about good movies. Sorry DC, but in this case green did not mean go. Now here is the black sheep of the year- Cars 2. While Cars 2 was an OKAY movie, it was probably the weakest of all of Pixar’s movies. The sequel to the already iffy original put story in the backseat (lol puns) and put the focus on action. Lightning McQueen, the main character of the original movie also slipped to last place be-hind Larry the Cable Guy’s Mater. All in all, still not a bad movie. I’d make some more car puns, but I’m already too TIREd. (sorry.) At the end of June, the robots in disguise took the stage with a third movie, Dark of the Moon. When I saw this movie, it turned my brain to mush (not that it wasn’t already, but whatever.) By the end of the movie, the story doesn’t even matter anymore, you just wanna see robots hit each other in the head. (Rock Em Sock Em Robots, anyone?) Still a pretty awesome movie, as long as you don’t mind the replacement of Megan Fox with a blonde. Oh hey, I didn’t end that last summary with a pun, did I? Well, let me atone for my mistake by starting this movie with one: This movie was WANDerful. Yes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 took the world by storm and still stands as the biggest movie of the summer. If you, like myself, don’t follow the story of The Boy Who Lived very closely, this is the second part of the final Harry Potter movie where Harry finally attempts to end his archenemy Voldemort, who is gross. Speaking of gross, this record breaking film made $1,294,935,432. Wow. Finally, Hollywood went ape for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a prequel to the series that showed how those darn dirty apes got so smart. Starring James Franco and Andy Serkis, RotPotA grossed enough to make it the fourth highest-grossing August opening ever. (insert monkey pun here) This is where I would put the conclusion but I’m too tired and hungry to do it right now. Possibly insert a graphic showing students’ favorite movies, etc.

Summer Flicks Review


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A new school year brings many new things, one being new... frustrations! Waling the halls of Hastings Senior High has proved to be extremely difficult this year due to the constant congestion in the main hallways. Luckily, I am here to help. After a month of attempting to maneuver the halls at no avail, I decided that something needed to be done. So, instead of waiting for the masses of people to realize that we all have a shared goal, to get to class, I thought I would kindly jot down a few instructions for those still confused.

How to [successfully] walk down the hallway: Step one: Before you begin moving down the hallway, have

a destination in mind. Think about how long it will take you to get to that class, the most convenient route, and the likeliness that the teacher in your next class will actually count you tardy. Step two: begin moving to your class, stopping only to obtain necessary sup-plies from your locker and/or get a drink of water from the drinking fountain. Step three: Once your have arrived at your class, enter the classroom. Sit down in your seat and patiently wait for class to begin.

Yes boys and girls, it is as simple as one, two, three. Now I realize that some of you are shaking your heads at me asking what kind of robot school I am envisioning. I assure you, I am not forgetting the many things that could go wrong with the three step process. I will address such concerns below. Obstacle one: My ex-[boyfriend][girlfriend][best friend] or person that I abso-lutely cannot stand walks down that hallway at exactly the same time I do and I don’t want to look at them because it makes me feel like an awkward turtle. The solution to this is simple: trial and error. What is that saying? “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”? Those words apply here. If you take the most convenient way and you encounter one of those uncomfortable sightings, you try something different the next day. If that doesn’t work, you try something different the next day. Or, sometimes, it is all in the timing. Try power walking to your class, or looking straight ahead, making eye contact with nobody. If it bothers you that much, you’ll figure it out. Obstacle two: I need to have a conversation with my best friend about what we’re wearing for the game tonight because the theme is toga and I don’t even know what a toga looks like or how my bed sheet will help me. Aha, my favorite! If you decide that you need to have a conversation in the hallway, which many of us do, you have several options. The first is to talk as you walk down the hallway together, both of you traveling at a sensible pace and not holding up the entire line. The last part of that is important because, let’s be honest, not everyone is interested in what you’re saying. The second solution, though not recommended, is to pull away to the side of the hallway and have your conversation there. This can be risky because you may end up being a roadblock. Should this option be chosen, those involved should take special care to be sure that they are all the way on the side of the hallway to avoid being run down by those attempting to reach their class. Option three, the least risky option, is to tell your friend that you will talk to them later because it is not a life or death matter. This is only to be used when it is not a life or death matter, of course. Obstacle three: I just received a very important text message from someone very important telling me something very important! Now, I am going to let you all in on a secret. After you arrive to your class and have stopped moving down the hallway, your text message will still be there. I know...shocking! Texting and waling is much like texting and driving, except that you can hear the people yelling at you to move. If you are a master at it and could walk a tightrope while texting your mom about dinner, then be my guest. But if you are clearly holding up the hallway, just put the phone away. Really, everyone will be happier. Those being the three biggest obstacles I could see, I will finish up with a few hallway rules to live by. One, be courteous of other students, they may be fur-ther across the school than you are. Two, if someone is asking you to move out of their way or saying excuse me, they would like to get through, please move. Three, if you bump into someone, say you’re sorry. We’re big kids, we know how to use our manners. Four, the lobby area on any of the three floors is still part of the hallway, all rules apply. It is unnecessary to cease movement at that spot. And five, the most important, there is absolutely no reason for you to stop in the middle of the stairs unless you have A) dropped your books, or B) fallen. Other than those two reasons, just don’t do it. Hopefully this has been of some help to those who still have not mastered the art of the hallway. It’s as simple as three steps folks. Just keep moving.

torih

allora

n co-e

ditor

haileyhemenw

ayco-editor

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torihalloran & emilyzyssetcolumn

September 29, 20118 photo essay

Spirit Week!Tuesday Sept. 6-Tie-Dye Day

Wednesday Sept. 7-Extreme Weather Day

Thursday Sept. 8-Twin Day

left: Sophomores Liz Opperman, Sydney Landell, and Rachel Thompsen enjoy their lunch, sporting Tie-Dye T-shirts.

Seniors Lauren Bartunek, Valerie Frazier, and Ale Avila participate in Extreme Weather Day.

Senior Seana Lewis and sophomore Mor-gan Krueger are twins for Twin Day.

Tiger football players show their pride on game day for the Home-coming game vs. the Hold-rege Dusters. Tiger Pride was shown with orange and black throughout school that day.

Friday Sept.9- Tiger Pride Day

jordanallenphoto

Tiger Cub Policy and Staff The Tiger Cub is the only official stu-dent newspaper of Hastings Senior High School. The Tiger Cub publishes a eight page paper monthly printed at the Hast-ings Tribune. Subscriptions cost $15 an-nually. The Tiger Cub is advised by Cathy Davis. If you would like to order a subscrip-tion to The Tiger Cub, please call 402-461-7568, or e-mail us at [email protected]. Letters to the editor are welcome. They may be e-mailed in, mailed to Hast-ings Senior High School, or dropped off at room 224. The Tiger Cub- 1100 W. 14th St. Hastings, NE 68901

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