Snow Week Snap Shot

The BridgesA Valley City High School Publication - Valley City, North Dakota, 58072 Volume 81, Issue 6February 28, 2017

Arts &Entertainment

Page 8

MonthlyFeaturesPages 3-5

SportsPage 9 & 10

RememberingDavid

Page 11

OpinionsPage 2

by Rebecca MontecuolloSnow week was February 6-11, and the week started off with col-

lege day, the annual Powder Buff game, and coronation that night. At coronation it was finally revealed who would be king and queen. Cole McGough was crowned Snowball king and Maren Horner was crowned Snowball queen.

At the Powder Buff game, the juniors beat the seniors and even battled the teachers, winning one match against the staff. On Tues-day students competed to be the most invisible by dressing up in their favorite camouflage outfits. Wednesday began with students wearing comfortable, baggy clothes for oversize day. On Thursday people wore double the denim. Although there were some fashioni-stas who just couldn’t bring themselves to double up that denim. Friday was the usual Blue and White day so everybody could come together and show their Hi-Liner school spirit.

After a fun week of dressing up, the Snowball dance was held Saturday in the cafeteria. The student council decided to have a Sadie Hawkins dance where girls asked their favorite guys to the dance. (more photos on page 11) Pictured are the VCHS Snowball Royalty: (Left to Right) Kallie Brandt, Justin Manson, Queen Maren Horner, King

Cole McGough, Taylor Johnson, Quinn Bjornson. (Photo courtesy of Dutton’s Valley Gallery)

VCHS GYMNASTS 4-PEAT AS EDC CHAMPIONS take 3rd At state

Team Photo Front Row: MaKayla Gordon, Olivia Olson, Michaela Thibert, Jocey Kriewald. Back Row: Coach Fisher, Britta Roehich, Grace Anderson, Han-nah Sorensen, Taylor Johnson, Coach S. Fisher. Team Photo courtesy of Dutton’s Valley Galley.Left: Taylor Johnson 2017 ND Senior Gymnast. VCHS gymnasts perform at the Youth Sports Complex - Olivia Olson, Britta Roehrich, Michaela Thibert(photos submitted by M. Bratrud and K. Olson).

by Annie FitzellThe Valley City gymnastics team has claimed the

EDC championship once again. The team conquered, with a combined score of 146.42, for the fourth year in a row. Multiple VCHS gymnasts were chosen for this year’s EDC. Taylor Johnson, Michaela Thibert, Hannah Sorensen, Jocey Kriewald, and Grace Ander-son were all selected, and Taylor Johnson was named the individual all around champion with the overall first place in beam, vault, and bars. Michaela Thib-ert won the EDC floor championship. Suzanna Fisher won the EDC Coach of the year, and Taylor Johnson was given the title of the EDC Outstanding Senior Athlete. Johnson said in regards to this title, “It feels amazing! I’m so honored to be nominated for it! It’s been an amazing year for both my teammates and I, and I couldn’t be more proud of how this season has turned out for us.”

On February 24 the Hi-Liners headed west to Dick-inson to compete in the state tournament. They fin-ished third as a team on Friday. The individual com-petition continued on Saturday with senior Taylor Johnson recording a second place finish on beam, and being named the 2017 ND Senior Gymnast. Other finishes included Michaela Thibert 4th All-Around with a 3rd on bars, 7th on vault, 9th on beam and 12th on floor; Jocey Kriewald 15th All-Around, and 8th on vault; Grace Anderson 11th on vault; Hannah Sorensen 12th on bars; Olivia Olson 12th on beam.

(701)845-0483 ex. 2

Editor-in-Chief: Annie FitzellNews Editor: To be determinedOpinion Editor: Annie FitzellMonthly Feature: To be determinedSpecial Feature Editor: To be determined Feature Editor: To be determinedArts & Entertainment Editors: Trierre SmithCartoonists: Libby Borg, Annie FitzellSports Editor: Sam JensonAdvisor: Eydie WagarStaff: Annie Fitzell, Sam Jenson, Anthony Capistran, Rebecca Montec-uollo, Trierre Smith, Dalon Allen,Katie Clark, Libby Borg, Matt Brandvold, Brelynnn Komrosky, Mackenzie Leroux, Rose Marcellus, Cole McGough, David Opdahl.

The Bridges is published monthly during the school year by VCHS journalism students at 460 Central Avenue N, Valley City, ND 58072. The

opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of the student body, the faculty, administration or the school board. The Bridges will accept advertisements if they are not considered libelous, obscene or do not promote

the use or sale of illegal goods or services.

460 Central Avenue NorthValley City, North Dakota 58072

email: Bridges.Newspaper@k12.nd.us

Letters to the EditorLetters to the editor are encouraged, but the Bridges staff reserves

the right to edit letters for length and content. Please refer such correspondance to the address or email address above.

The Bridges

2 OpinionFebruary 28, 2017

The Bridges

The Bridges Editorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Slant

June 16, 2015 was a fateful day indeed. Donald Trump rode down the infamous golden escala-tor in his even more infamous Trump Tower to announce his bid for the presidency. In his speech he outlined many things he would plan to do should he be elected, possibly the most memorable among these being the Mexico Wall. “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border,” he claimed. “And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”

The people did indeed mark his words. Over the next 19 months, crowds cheered and hollered, often chanting “Build that wall!” at rallies en masse. Donald Trump is now President Donald Trump, meaning he will now be pressured into making good on one of the biggest promises of his campaign.

So how will he accomplish this astronomical feat? For one thing, President Trump has repeat-edly claimed that Mexico would pay for the wall. However, President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico has repeatedly declared that the the Mexican government would not pay for the wall in any way, shape, or form.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell estimated that the wall would cost anywhere be-tween $12–$15 billion. On January 25 President Trump signed an Executive Order to “secure the southern border of the United States through the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border.” The order does not specify how the wall will be financed.

The Current BorderIn 2006, President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act into law. Over the next few years fencing

would be implemented along the Mexico–U.S. border. As of January 2009 the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that it had more than 580 miles of barriers in place (the total length of the border is 1,954 miles long). The barriers consist of relatively short fences that are connected by ‘virtual fencing’ (motion detectors).

Here’s my on ConstitutionalCarry

by Sam JensonRecently the North Dakota House passed the ‘constitutional carry’ gun bill. The law states that any

qualified person can carry a concealed firearm without a permit. To become a ‘qualified’ carrier, all someone has to have is a valid North Dakota drivers license for over at least a year, (and be able to attain a class 2 concealed carry license with today’s laws)?

For this bill to become law, it still has to be passed by the State Senate. According to an article writ-ten by John Hageman in the Fargo Forum, there was very little discussion regarding the ‘constitutional carry’ bill. The fact that there was very little debate on this bill concerns me. At no point did someone decide to stand up and question the insanity of this bill? No elected representative stood up and ques-tioned why we are reforming our gun legislation when North Dakota isn’t struggling with gun violence all that much in comparison to other states in America.

So the North Dakota House decides to let any qualified man or woman be able to conceal a deadly weapon with them at all times. For what? To try and fix an issue that isn’t really a problem in our state, the state legislature has decided to let every qualified man or woman walk the streets protect them-selves and protect others? This bill will only create more gun violence. The more guns flowing freely on the streets will not create a safer environment for civilians. Thinking that this bill will make people safer is just pure lunacy. It is proven that states with more gun regulation see less gun violence per capita than states with very little gun regulation. Here’s to hoping that our state senate has the common sense to shoot down this bill.

In My Judgment...by Mackenzie LerouxEver since his Inauguration on

January 20, 2017, Donald Trump has been receiving the wrath of many as he announces some of his new plans. One of his first acts as president involved his Immigra-tion Ban. Seven (majority-Muslim) countries, such as Syria and Iraq, have been involved in Trump’s new decision; which bans all im-migration from these countries to the United States. The thought of

not having illegal immigrants in the US is an ideal thought, but the reality is that it would be almost impossible to find a way to do that without deporting people who already have a life here.

Due to this new act, many foreign students and workers have been stranded in their home countries with no way to resume their lives in America. This is not only unfortunate for them, but for their family members, and their schooling/jobs.

A law passed in 1952 states that the president has the ability to “suspend the entry of any class of aliens” which can cause harm to the United States. This law has been the reason that the immigration ban has not yet been able to be repealed. Although Donald Trump has the power to keep different ethnicities out of our country for now, he needs to decide what is the best decision for the United States. Since we have checks and balances in our federal system, the judicial system will consider the constitutionality of Trump’s ban based on their interpretation of the 1952 law.

by Annie FitzellOn February 13, public speaker Tony Hoffman

came to Valley City High School and gave one of the most powerful speeches many of the students and staff have ever heard. Hoffman’s story was so eye-opening, it inspired a voice inside students to speak up and say, “I don’t ever want to be the guy holding the microphone.” But, just like Hoffman, that is a very real possibility for any of us.

“One decision can affect the rest of your lives.” If we aren’t careful with the choices we are given, many of us could easily end up walking through that one-way door which changes our lives forever. That door for Hoffman was drugs. After throwing away his talents and ambitions for his addiction, Hoff-man began a long road of losing himself. He hustled drugs and became an entirely different person. Even his parents eventually cut him out of their lives.

In 2004, Hoffman was arrested for a home-invasion armed robbery of a friend’s mom for prescription drugs, and he faced 17 years in prison. However, he received a second chance when he was merely placed on probation. Hoffman’s life did not improve. He relapsed and ended up homeless. Three years later, he violated his probation and went to prison for the next two years.

This prison time was good for Hoffman’s addiction. While other inmates found ways to get drugs and alcohol, Hoffman decided to stay clean. He wrote his family, who refused to visit him, claiming he was going to change and become a better person. Though his parents didn’t believe him at first, they finally visited him. After about ten years of drugs controlling Hoffman’s every move, he was finally on the road to getting clean. He even endured a painful surgery without the use of pain medication because he was afraid of relapsing. Every day was a challenge for him, and today he is still haunted by the memories.

Throughout the years, Hoffman has known many more drug-addicts who have died from overdose than who have recovered. It’s much harder to get clean and stay clean than most people believe, and that is many people’s downfall. Someone can’t try a drug once and then “get off whenever he or she wants.” Once people walk through that door, they can’t walk back out, and they have to fight tooth and nail just to stay alive another day.

After Hoffman got clean, he decided to take up BMX racing, which was one of his natural talents as a kid. He became a pro BMX racer, and today he even coaches BMX. Hoffman clawed his way out of the pit as he wit-nessed those around him falling even deeper. Think your choices through adamantly, and have a good attitude. It really can affect your entire life.

Don’t be the guy with the mic. . .

by Brelynn Komrosky The feast of Lupercalia. Does this ring any bells in your head? It

should; it is known today as Valentine’s Day, so drop the nonsense that card companies made this day up. I bet they praise Juno for the money they make on it however . In Ancient Roman days Juno, was celebrated on February 14 to honor the Goddess of women and marriage. The fol-lowing day is the Feast of Lupercalia. It’s a fertility festival. This festi-val is for Romulus and Remus.

The custom was that young boys would draw out names of the girls from a jar, then the usually strictly separated boys and girls would be together for the rest of the festival. Normally the matched pair would fall in love and eventually marry. Eventually the custom was done away with because it was not Christian and the custom relied on luck.

Another big part of how the Valentine’s Day we know and love came about today was because of a priest named St. Valentine. After Emperor Claudius II took away marriages to help people join the army. Secretly Valentine married people any way. Leading to him being badly beaten and eventually on February 14, 270 AD he was executed. Although there is another story that he fell in love with a guard’s daughter and that is why he was put to death.

This is why so many other people exchange valentines and celebrate love. People started the tradition in honor of St.Valentine, who became a saint after his death.

He was after all a big romantic, so this was a perfect way to remember him. So “ From your Valentine” - St. Valentine enjoy the day he gave you and cherish loved ones and show you care.

Stvalentinesday.org is the site where I found all the information about this popular saint.

Will you be my Valentine?

3Monthly FeatureThe Bridges

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February 28, 2017

Reviews with . . . Brelynn

What’s your favorite event?Serious prose

Favorite artist/musician?Original cast of Hamilton

Favorite movie/play?Hamilton the musical

Favorite song/piece of art?Wait for it... Hamilton the mu-sical

Who’s your favorite team-mate?Erik Johnson

Artist of the Month

Abby SlyterSpeech

Athlete of the Month

Jonathon LangerWrestling

Favorite professional athlete? Preston Laymon

Favorite sport other than the one you are currently in?Football

What motivates you to do your sport?Being better than the year before

Powerade or Gatorade and fla-vor?Gatorade: Green Apple

Do you have any pre-game ritu-als? Listen to Monster by Skillet

Athlete of the Month

Taylor JohnsonGymnastics

Favorite professional athlete?Shawn Johnson

Favorite sport other than the one you are currently in?Track

What motivates you to do your sport?My teammates and the excite-ment when the team does well

Powerade or Gatorade and fla-vor?Powerade: Blue Powered Zero

Do you have any pre-game ritu-als?listening to music

VCHS Athletes and Artists

by Brelynn KomroskyEver have a craving for some

authentic Mexican food? Well Annie Fitzell and I did last Satur-day. So we went to the new Mexi-can restaurant Maria Maria, right here in Valley City (located at the old Kenny’s Restaurant).Overall I would give it an 8 out of 10. When you first walk in the atmosphere of the place is wonderful. The color scheme was light colors like yel-low, blue, green, and white with a splash of orange and red here or there. Hanging from the ceiling there were two or three colorful metal birds, which I thought added a lot to the feel of the place. The atmosphere and decor of the res-taurant I would give a 10 out of 10 no problem.

When we first walked in, we were confused whether to sit down or wait to be seated. After we found a seat the waitress was quick to give us our menus and take our orders. The menu had a mix of American food, like sandwiches and fries, and what seemed to be pretty authen-tic (to a non-ethnic girl) Mexican foods.

While waiting for our food, we got tortilla chips and spicy salsa. It was so good. I would say the chips and salsa was better than Paradiso’s.

Annie got her meal first, and I re-ceived mine a while after hers. The food was pretty good. I ate Hawai-ian fajitas, which came on a steam-ing black plate. It had chicken, pine-apple, green peppers, and onions. It was also,I think, suppose to come

with a tortilla, Annie got a chicken enchilada which she said was good ,though she really likes the chicken fajitas , but it was all tasty.

Service, I would say, needed improvement. There was only one waitress in a busy room full of hungry customers. Even with her friendliness, she could not tend to everyone’s needs simultaneously. My only suggestion would be to have a sign saying, wait to be seat-ed or seat yourself to avoid confu-sion. Also, maybe have more than one waitress once your restaurant grows.

I would recommend Maria Ma-ria. The place looks good . They have good food, and they have nice workers. Annie and I had a good time and a nice meal.

by Cole McGoughby Katie ClarkWhat are the odds of getting sick? The odds seem pretty high for me.

Every year, it seems, I max out on my sick days. This year was the worst. After the first of January, I got sick with a generic cold. I made a quick recovery, only to find out two weeks later I was sick again with a high fever. That kept me out of school for three days. Of course by then I was struggling to get through the end of the semester.

When the new semester began I was determined to stay healthy. But what do you know? I got sick once again with a nasty ear infection that left me without hearing in one ear for several weeks. After several trips to the doctor, and being told repeatedly I had a viral infection, I used every ounce of my 18-year-old-adult-self-advocacy skills, and insisted that I be given antibiotics. After two days on antibiotics, I finally felt some relief, and after a week and a half, I was 100% better.

According to attendanceworks.org: An estimated 5 to 7.5 million U.S. students miss nearly a month of school each year. Chronic health issues are the number one reason for student absences.

Missing 10 percent of the school year, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month.

Getting sick is a problem for students. If sick students continue to go to school, the risk of infecting others is increased. If sick students stay home, learning is affected.

In Valley City, the school district’s response is to limit students to 20 ab-sences per year. Nearly every year of high school, I have received a warn-ing letter reminding me that I may have to repeat the year if I reach my 20 day maximum. This policy might reduce absences, but does not address the issue of chronic sickness. A better approach might be for Valley City Public Schools to work closely with local health care officials to determine strategies to prevent the spread of illnesses such as colds and flu, and to devise a plan on how to effectively support students who are caught in a cycle of repeatedly being sick.

A lot of triggers are known to make people sick: lack of sleep, high stress level, and not washing hands. In winter time, especially, it is impor-tant to keep a good germ-free profile. My tip to you is get at least eight hours of sleep, don’t over stress about something, and always wash your hands. If you’re feeling sick, don’t push yourself. You want to be able to make a full recovery, and we all need to limit the days that we miss school.

4 Monthly FeatureFebruary 28, 2017

The Bridges

by Trierre SmithWe all hope this warmer weather

doesn’t leave us. Some of us don’t even wear jackets anymore. But it is North Dakota, the winters here are long.

I usually report on a current fashion trend or what to wear. In this article I want to report on what not to wear. The fashion can fly around here, but not somewhere else. I am not here to offend someone. I want everyone to be confident in what they wear, but I am just writing my opinion on what is “in” and what is not “in”.

Since there are a lot of country kids in Valley City, I would like to address that cowboy boots do not go with sweatpants. Never has that combo been a trend.

Something that really bugs me is when people do not know how to match. Stripes and polka dots do not go together. Crazy pattern leg-gings and designed shirts do not go together either, not just patterns but colors as well. Black and blue do not go together.

For guys, coming to schools with dirty clothes from welding isn’t attractive or sanitary at all. Shouldn’t there be an outfit to wear at Votech?

On a positive note a good/bad trend for girls is glitter for the part of your hair. Many different types of colors are available. In our area you can purchase them at Forever 21.

Polo shirts for guys are a hit. They have always been a good brand and are even classier for Snowball, or any dance.

Another brand of clothing for men is Carhartt. It is used for as working apparel, but I am talking about the fashion part of it. The shirts and beanies are really in fashion for winter. The long sleeve shirts for guys are becoming popular as more and more celebrities are wearing them.

by Annie FitzellWith everybody now-a-days texting away on their technological de-

vices, many people forget how to hold a real life conversation without the use of their thumbs. With so many people struggling to stay social, there are a few tips to help you get back out there and actually talk.

1. Act Confident. Even if you’re not actually confident, acting the part can make a world of difference. People who seem like they know what they’re doing can take the nerve off the other person and conver-sation easier. Also, pretending to be confident, can, in turn, make you actually feel more confident.

2. Ask questions. Asking questions should be a two way street, meaning both you and the other person should make an effort to get to know each other better. Try to avoid questions with yes or no an-swers; ask questions which require elaboration. Instead of “Do you like sunsets?” ask, “What do you find to be most beautiful about sun-sets?” After they give their answer, you can ask them more questions involving their response, and you can even give your own input to the question. There is never a lack of questions. Think you know everything about a person and have ran out of questions to ask? Get random! Would You Rather questions can really help you get a better understanding of someone’s personality.

3. Add your input. The entire pressure of the conversation shouldn’t fall entirely on one person. Make sure you add adequate input (i.e. stories, etc), and listen when it is the other person’s turn to talk. Don’t make everything about yourself. Everyone loves talking about himself or herself, so in order for both par-ties to enjoy the conversation, both have to be willing to listen and let the other person talk.

4. Don’t force it. If you’re feeling extremely pressured, and the other person isn’t contributing anything to the conversation, then don’t force it. You should be enjoying yourself, not hating every moment. That being said, give it a chance. Practicing is good, and disregarding every conversation isn’t healthy.

5. Be you. Don’t try and change into someone else. Just be yourself, and if they don’t like you for you, then you’re talking to the wrong person. Find people who accept you to spend your time with so you don’t end up wasting your breath pretending to be someone you’re not.

Annie’s Top 5 Advice Tips. . . .

Trierre’sFashion Corner

Remembering the Good Old Days. . . neighbor near him gave up his quarter, so Ralph’s father’s cousin came and started to homestead the land. There was nothing there but coyotes and they lived in their shack. They built a shack on the quarter line, and slept in the same room, but on their own side of the line. One day Ralph’s dad was making sauerkraut with his cousin and they were chopping up cabbage. When they got done, they set it on the porch because they had other things to do, so the neighbor’s cow, came and ate all of it.

The nearest town, Vanhook, was 20 miles away from the homestead. When Garrison Dam flooded out most of the area, Vanhook and San-ish were both flooded out so they made a new town, and named it

by Rebecca MontecuolloJane Winge was born on January

8, 1926 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsyl-vania. Every day she walked two miles to grade school and as she got older she walked four miles to Junior High. In High School she rode a trolley for the three and a half miles to school. On her way back to the trolley after school, she went by a bakery and since she would most often have two cents she could buy a donut.

One of the things she remem-bers from grade school was when you went to go get your shots, there were about twenty people at a time, and she remembers the guy in front of her stiffened up and leaned up against her and it was like a domino effect and ev-eryone fell down.

In Junior High she was a cheer-leader. She remembers the colors were red and white and she wore saddle shoes. In High School, they went up highway thirty in the trolley, but one time they had to close everything down because of snow, so to get to school they had to put their thumb out to get a ride. Lucky for Jane the people

that gave her a ride were people that she knew.

Jane worked on the NDSU off -campus faculty full time, she said it was off campus because she was in departments where they would write material and newspaper ar-ticles. She started working on her doctorate and needed two languag-es. She chose French and Computer Science. Then she went to Florida on a sebatical, or a paid vacation to work on her doctorate, and she got to see her good friend, Ralph, and he proposed to her there. They got married in Florida while Jean was working on her doctorate at Florida State. Ralph and Jane got married on March 1, 1974.

Ralph was born and raised in western North Dakota, on August 25, 1925. His father homesteaded the area that he grew up on before they were flooded out by Garri-son Dam. His father homesteaded the land around 1912. When they opened up that area to homestead-ers. His father had to live on the area for a certain amount of time and then he would get to keep it. Each person got one quarter. The

New Town. They wanted to com-bine the names and name it Vanish but that didn’t go over very well. Ralph was there when the grinder came through to make the main street for the town.

They lived there until Garrison Dam flooded them out and they moved 300 miles to Litchville. Ralph went to NDSU for college and was a temparary Speaker of the House for the North Dakota Legis-lature for about 20 years. He was

a member of the State and Federal government commitee and natural reasources. He was there when oil was descovered in North Dakota back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. He was also part of the transportation commitee and was good friends with the governor at the time.

I am so privilaged to get to know Jane and Ralph and I hope I get to learn even more about them in the future.

....for having a conversation!

Fuel-Up February Happeningsby Mackenzie LerouxFuel Up To Play 60 has been

very busy preparing to be a vari-ous events. National Cheese Lover’s Day was held on January 20, in which members handed out cheese sticks to all students and staff in the morning. The next week, they handed out frozen Go-Gurts to celebrate National Yo-gurt day and encourage students to eat more yogurt.

With the Superbowl, Fuel Up to Play 60 put on an NFL day. Many VCHS students show-cased their favorite football teams, and the best dressed were: Preston Nyugen, Hannah Lok-ken, and Mrs. Vanbruggen, who were awarded with Dairy Queen treats. The winners of the ‘clos-

est game score prediction’ was a tie between Jackson Mulder and Carmela Stangeland. They both guessed 35-28 which resulted in a coin toss to decide the tie, where Jackson won and received a signed football helmet.

On Thursday, February 9, VCHS students Kennadee Joris-sen and Abby Slyter, hosted the event ‘Empowering a Positive You’ for their DECA campaign. It focuses on the body image issues that are seen among many young girls and women today. The Se-nior High students of Fuel Up served smoothies for all of the at-tendees. Also on Thursday night, the younger members of the Fuel Up team helped Washington stu-dents become more active in

fun and entertaining ways.

The team ended their month with a trip to ‘AgCoun-try’ to speak to the dairy farmers about the importance of their dairy and how it plays a vital role in the young lives of today.

In March, Macy Schlaht is due to make a special ap-pearance to the Sioux Falls “2017 Central Plains Dairy Expo” where they will air the commercial made by Macy and other ambassadors while she was in Iowa last sum-mer.

VCHS Fuel-Up NFL pride participants. (photo by E. Wagar)

by Brelynn KomroskyAs kids we all remember amazing summers eating ice cream, riding

bike, going to the swimming pool, going to the lake, summer camp, etc. It gave us a break from sitting in a classroom and gave us free-dom. As teens it let us cruise around town, hang out, go camping, go shopping, spend nights laughing all night with your best friend, and gave us something to look forward to. We need this break to recharge and just be kids. Not to mention the stress we face during the school year, if it weren’t for summer, some of us probably would have just given up. So how would you feel about year round school?

You may be thinking, you’ve got to be joking. Well sadly, I’m not. There have been schools who have adopted this year round school al-ready. All these schools are also usually on different schedules, which can lead to problems. Basically it works like this: class for two or three months then a one to three week break and repeat.

Why change to year round school? Sure you learn more in year round schools, when other kids are enjoying summer, but they actu-ally seem to learn less than the other kids during the rest of the school year, according to Paul Von Hippel, the author of the study and re-search statistician in sociology at Ohio State.

Also according to ConnectUsFund.org these frequent breaks are disruptive. Those who struggle to find good child care, which is a lot of parents, have to deal with this wacky schedule and find somebody to watch their kids. Otherwise parents might have to take time off work because their kids are on a two week break before they’re back in school for months. Also who wants to be cramped in school when the weather is beautiful! Kids will be longingly looking out classroom windows wishing they had the old school system back. No more sum-mer camp. Swimming all summer? Nope you might get a week or so of good weather before you’re back in school. Also planning family reunions and vacations would be nearly impossible with all the par-ents’ and kids’ different schedules, not to mention we know teachers love summer just as much as kids do.

The teachers also need summer to be able to hold themselves back from blowing up dealing with wild, unruly, snotty, and occasionally quiet students daily. Do we really want burn-out teachers?

Year round school may not have the “summer slide” (you need a review of what you learned last year) but traditional school starts off slow and gets kids in the school swing again with review and the list of the class-room rules at the beginning of the year. Sure they might for-got a little bit. They lose a little bit of knowledge momentarily, but their childhood fun is in-tact. This “Year- round -school” does seem very good on paper but that’s as far as it goes. We should stick to the old system until we get an idea that helps expand knowledge and is in the best interest of kids wants and needs, not just academic scores.

Corner of Second and MainValley City

February 28, 2017

5Monthly FeaturesThe Bridges

‘Sup, former teachers?

The Burning Question...Is ‘year round school’ a good idea for students?

Every month, the staff of Bridges will be asking a question regarding debatable topics. Although several people may have varying views on the opinions expressed in this series of articles, it it not the intent of the Bridges staff to offend or anger any individuals. It is not our

intention to disregard or diminish any activity, sport, or topic. We hope to accurately represent the opinions expressed by our student body, and use this column as a place where opinions can be expressed freely and where questions can be answered respectfully. Which is obviously needed given the present political climate in our country. Let’s agree to disagree.

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by Rose MarcellusWhen most people think of year-round schools, they think its a crime to keep students in school

for a long amount of time. The truth is year-round schools are not bad at all, 46 states have imple-mented year-round schools and they have substantial student achievement.

For example schools in Wake County, NC have year-round education and that is all these stu-dents know. There are also significant results in year-round schooling. In West Carrollton School District in Dayton, Ohio, students in the sixth grade were studied. Those who attended year-round schools were reportedly testing higher in math and reading subjects.

One reason schools switch to year-round schooling is because it is proven year-round education has lowered retention rates especially for disadvantage students who have a hard time with learn-ing. They spend less time reviewing material from the previous year since students don’t encounter the “summer slide.”

They continue the pace of education for their students, even though they don’t have summer vaca-tion for three months like traditional schools. Most follow schedules or calender plans. Multi-track-ing is one type of schedule year-round schools use. Basically students and teachers are split up in four groups, then three group of students and teachers are in school while the fourth group has 15 -20 days off. Other schools operate on a single track. Everyone is in school at the same time and are out at the same time also. T h e s e facts illus-trate year-r o u n d s c h o o l s are a ben-efit to stu-dents, and not a bad thing at all.

Rose says. . . Brelynn says. . .

by Libby Borg This month’s past staff member

is Jennifer Lambrecht Rustad, past VCHS guidance counselor. Tell us a bit about your new job?

I started this school year as an elementary counselor for Morris Area Elementary School in Mor-ris, MN. Just recently I was moved up to the high school, and now I’m working with students 7-12 at the high school in Morris, MN. I LOVED working with the elemen-tary students but I am excited to be back in a high school. My favorite part of my job is getting to know the students but it makes me miss the students at VCHS. Where do you live?

I live on a farm in the middle of nowhere! The town I’m clos-

est too is called Clontarf (popula-tion 161 people). For people that don’t know the area (like me before I moved out here) I live about 45 minutes south of Alexandria, MN.Have you gone on any interest-ing trips since you have moved away?

No, we haven’t had much time to travel. I’m learning that being mar-ried to a farmer doesn’t allow for much travel.

Do you have any pets? Yes!!! I still have my cat Pickles.

We also have a six year old black lab named Jasper and we just got a golden retriever puppy named Murphy in October. We also have about 10 outdoor farm cats that I have tamed since moving out there. What do you miss most about

VCHS? I miss the staff I worked with and

all the students I also actually miss setting up for prom and homecom-ing dances because it gave me time outside of school to really get to know some of the students.How’s married life?

Married life is great! So you are having a BABY?!?!

YES!!! We actually recently found out we are having a boy and we are so excited for a little farm boy! I’m due June 15th!What do you do for fun in your free time?

Now that I live out in Minnesota there is a lake about every couple miles from my house so I spend a lot of time on the lake in the sum-mer and ice fishing in the winter.

We are starting calving this month so I’m excited to spend free time with some cute baby calves! I also try to make it back to Grand Forks to see my parents. When are you going to come back and visit us?

I’m hoping soon!! I plan on be-ing there for prom and graduation! Mr. & Mrs. Rustad

6 Special Feature

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In case you were wondering about. . . . water?by Anthony Capistran Do you know what is in the water you drink? Either

at the water fountain or even inside your water bottle?All water contains a substance called pH which tells

whether how hard or soft your water is. But how can water be considered too soft or hard you might ask? Well let me expalin, if water contains a pH level lower then 7, it is considered acidic. If the water contains a higher level then 7, it is considered basic. The normal range for “good” water is between 6.5 and 8.5 which rates your water as decently efficient.

I did some research with some lab equipment to test some different types of water and I come up with this information:

Water Fountain by Beilke’s room - pH 9Water Fountain by Horner’s room - pH 9Wagar’s House - pH 8Bottled Water:Nature’s Crystal Springs - pH 6Dasani - pH 5Smart - pH 7

Photo Left: Anthony Capistran tests various water samples for pH levels.

Local veteran brings WWII to life by Annie FitzellOn February 9, Vietnam Era veteran Al Schuldt visited Valley City High

School history students with his impressive variety of Japanese wartime materials. With intriguing stories, Schuldt showed off the various weap-ons they used and how they evolved over the course of the war. Students learned the difference and change in effectiveness of numerous types of swords and guns. He also explained in a humorous manner what certain things were used for, such as particular ear plugs which keep bugs out of ears and mittens meant for protection against mosquitoes in the jungle. Schuldt mentioned the different types of clothing and medals generals earned, and what life in the jungle was like.

Overall, Schuldt’s visit was very educational, and he managed to keep the lecture interesting enough so the students were on the edge of their seats waiting to hear about the next intriguing item. After all was said and done, everyone was allowed to touch and hold the materials and weapons brought. It brought a very realistic view to the students’ mind of what World War II was actually like.

Presidents’ Day or VACA?by Rebecca MontecuolloWhen most people think of Presidents’ Day they think of a day off of

school. Although this is a very true statement it means so much more. Ac-cording to History.com it was established in 1885 in recognition of George Washington and many knew it as “Washington’s Birthday.” Traditionally Presidents’ Day is on February 22, Washington’s official birthday. It has been changed to the third Monday in February, because of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971, in an effort to make more three-day week-ends for American workers. Today Presidents’ Day is celebrated to cel-ebrate all presidents and what they have done for our country.

Hubbub participation lacking. . .by Annie FitzellAs part of the Hi-Liner Hubbub, the school participated in the H-

game. An H with each student’s name was placed randomly on lockers. Everyone was encouraged to find their name and put the H on their locker. The first grade with all their names on their lockers was to win. No one was allowed to move any name except their own, and no one was permitted to give hints to people as to where their name was. In order for this team-building game to work, everyone needed to partici-pate. However, no one was declared a winner. Though all classes did exceptionally well, no particular grade collected all the names in order to obtain the winning title. Let’s join together to be successful with the next Hi-Liner Hubbub!

February 28, 2017

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All In the Family Sibling Rivalry

Sam Schlotman and Joci Jorissen (photo by T. Smith)

by Trierre SmithWho gets in the most trouble?Joci: Her Sam: MeWho is the favorite?Joci: MeSam: Me or maybe JociWho has the most friends?Joci: SamSam: MeeeWho is more spoiled?Joci: (laughs) MeSam: HerWhat do you guys like about each other?Joci: NothingSam: Nothing (hitting) but I guess she drives me everywhereWho is the most positive?Joci: *silent* Probably SamSam: ProbablyOne thing that annoys you about each other?Joci: She steals my clothesSam: Umm shes annoying Joci: you’re so rude

Who gets away with the most?Joci: SamSam: SamWho is the funniest?Joci: ME!Sam: No you’re not.The smartest?Joci: *silent*Sam: Probably her

Zombie Night coming to VCHS

by Katie ClarkValley City Junior High play is on the move! They are currently rehears-

ing to perform their next musical Zombie Night. Directors Chelsey Jensen and Jacob Olson have been working hard to help each individual get into character. High school mentors have been helping with the choreography and singing. The seventh and eighth graders have been working diligently for the past month and a half and are eager to perform. The performances for Zombie Night are March 16, 17, and 18 at 7:30 each night. Tickets can be purchased at parent teacher conferences on March 2 and 6, by calling the junior high office, or at the door.

Get Your Lab Coat on. . . It’s time for Science Olympiad

by Trierre SmithThe Science Olympiad season is here. Sheila Anderson is the one

to go to if you’re interested in joining. They had their meeting on Thursday February 16. Practices have started, but not that many students joined this year. You still have time to join even if you are in other activities. The practices are flexible. The most common time for the practices are morning, afternoon, and evenings.

Worried about not knowing what to do? The preparation and studying can also be done outside of practice. Preparing for the competition is the goal.

Some students don’t understand what is Science Olympiad? The competition can include written tests, but in others it can include assembling a robot called Robot Arm.

Don’t think incorrectly about Science Olympiad. It is not just studying a book and taking tests like class is. It is all hand-on expe-rience while covering all categories of science, such as engineering and technology.

On March 30, the regional competition is held at Valley City State University. State is held at North Dakota State University on April 22. The teams can qualify for nationals that will be in Dayton, Ohio at Wright State University on May 19-20.

Empowering a Positive Youby Rose MarcellusOn Febuary 9, Valley City DECA hosted an Empower-

ing a Postive You event in the HAC lobby. At the event the guest speaker was Kristin Petersen. She talked about why girls need to keep a positive body image and why that is important. They also talked about ways young girls can influ-ence others in a positive way. Fuel Up to Play was there to provide smoothies. Find your boots guys & gals. . .

It’s ND Wintershow timeby Anthony CapistranWe’re coming close to a time of greasy food, kettle corn popcorn, and

rodeos with silly clowns. The Winter Show is starting up back in Valley City March 4 - March 11, bringing in fans from all around.

The Winter Show isn’t all about cowboys, clowns, and bulls, but it also provides a great deal of North Dakota agriculture information for people of all ages.

More fun will be provided then expected by new comers, with petting zoos, livestock shows, tractor pulls, and even a stage that holds all kinds of talent.

The Winter Show started back in 1937 making the Winter Show 80 years old this year.

With all kinds of events happening like the rodeo, concert featuring Blackhawk, 32 Below, and Eric Paslay you’ll want to get your tickets early becuase it’s Winter Show season.

8 Arts & EntertainmentFebruary 28, 2017

The Bridges

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songs that I’m sure you haven’t heard yet.

Here’s a list: Rap/hip-hop:iSPY- Kyle ft. Lil YatchyNo Options- Post MaloneLook at me- XXXtentacionChanged me-Luke ChristopherGood Drank- 2 Chainez ft. GucciManeSelfish- PNB ROCKSneakin- Drake ft. 21 savageMisunderstood- PNB ROCKRNB/Alternative:Im good- 11:11Came Thru- Torey LanezCome and see me- Partynextdoor ft. DrakeMake it work- Majid JordanLosing control- RussWhenever- RussLocation- KhalidReasons- KhalidElectric- Alina Baraz ft. KhalidLet me explain- Bryson TillerWait- August AlsinaWait for you- Daniel CaesarBoomerang- Russ

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HuntMy Old Man- Zac Brown

BandBeliever-Imagine Dragons Every time I hear that song-Blake SheltonDo you still love me- Ryan AdamsWe Went to the Beach- Little Big TownStar Of The Show-Thomas RhettKill A Word- Eric ChurchThe Fighter- Keith UrbanA Girl Like You- Easton

CorbinSober Saturday- Chris YoungOlivia Mae- Brett YoungBack On The Wagon- Brett

YoungShe Don’t Love You- Eric

PasleyJust good music (IMO):Without you- Spooky BlackChanged me- Anthony RussoLets pretend We’re Numb-

PoetryFood for the SoulXXXtentacionI’m a stone- River TIBERReady- Spooky Black FT.

Bobby RapsMake Daddy Proud- Black-

BearGet you good- Roy WoodsJealousy- Roy WoodsDrama- Roy WoodsDown Girl- Roy WoodsSee me fall- Ro RansomBenefits- Che2am- CheFall- CheFool Wit It- Supa BweKehlanis Freestyle- PartynextdoorValley Girls- BlackbearSet You Free- Bryson TillerHotel Andrea- BlackBearHalfway Love- ELHAEBack Then- PNB ROCKEnd Of Time- ELHAEFingertips-Ryan O’ShaughnessyEvergreen-Ryan O’ShaughnessyNo Name-

by Dalon Allen January started the year off

pretty dry. With a few albums and singles dropping like the Culture by the Migos and two songs off of Ed Sheerans album “Divide” which he plans to re-lease March 3. In February, the drought continued with no huge projects set to release. There’s a possibility of Drake releasing “More Life,” but the date has changed multiple times and con-tinues to get pushed back. Just recently Big Sean released “I Decided” which was evicerated by the critic and user reviews.

If you’re a fan of rock, Ryan Adams’ “Prisoner” might be the album for you. It brings back the classic 80’s rock vibe and the voice of Ryan Adams tops it off. Critics and user reviews say it’s a 9/10 album, and I even gave it a listen myself. It’s a pretty good album. Even though no new mu-sic will really be coming out this month there are still plenty of

Libby’s Logical Lunacy by Libby Borg

February by Rebecca Montecuollo

by Rose MarcellusDear light skin, you radiate sunlight, every room you enter brightens up Dear black, you are just as beautiful, you bring class and elegance not evilnessDear afro, keep hope alive, wear the pick in your back pocket and carry on with your walkDear “culture music” who made you? why do you make up a general popula-tion?Dear February, you forget you are more than Valen-tine’s Day and President’s DayDear history books, it seems like you talk about one ear and show fragments of oth-ersDear statistics, you put us in a group and belittle our worth. Not all fathers leave a home or brothers ends up in a jail cell and 16-year-old sister has another human calling her momma. Our mommas breaking their backs trying to give us a good life.Dear past, can you tell a dif-ference? We need to know the reason why there isn’t much change. You have to tell us what we need to learn from you because we clearly have no clue.Dear future, will you please tell me there are brighter days ahead of us. Should we just hope things will get bet-ter or complain while worse things happen?Dear girl, remember where you came from, know who you are even if you’re still finding that out stay true. You are part of a beauti-ful culture no one will take from you.Dear boy, you will be mis-taken and feared, but they will not break your grounds which you were created on.Dear generation, pick your-self up, walk a little higher. No you are not boastful but supporting your heritage, you are next in line of the greatest be the change.-Dear

February 28, 2017

9 SportsThe Bridges

Take a Lap

Sam Jenson

by Sam JensonAs of late, Minnesota sports

fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about. None of the major profes-sional league teams (NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL) based in Min-nesota have had a legit shot at a championship since Brett Favre led the Vikings to NFC champi-onship game in 2010. Now that Cleveland has ended their cham-pionship drought, Minneapolis/St. Paul is now the metro area with three or more professional teams to go the longest amount of time without seeing a cham-pionship. The last time a profes-sional sports team from Minne-sota won a chamionship was in 1991 when the Twins defeated the Atlanta Braves.

Since 1991, there has been nothing but heartache and tears for Minnesota sports fans. The Timberwolves had a few good years during the Garnett era, but not one Finals appearance. The Twins have made plenty of play-off appearances since 91, but no titles. The Vikings have been to a few conference championships in the 21 century, but no Super

Bowl appeances since the 70’s. The Wild have made the playoffs plenty since 91, but not one Stanley Cup. The question that all Minne-sota sports’ fans are asking, is who is going to be the team to end the drought?

The Timberwolves have a talent-ed young team, but the likelihood of them winning a championship in the near future is slim to none. The Twins had an abismal season last year, but baseball is a funny game. I could see the Twins being the team to end the drought, they have a decent amount of young talent along with a good manager. Maybe not this next season or the season after that, but the Twins will be a competetive team in the near future. The Vikings looked like they had the makings of a champi-onship team when they started out 5-0 last year, but finished the season 8-8 and missed the playoffs. They

obviously had the talent to make a Super Bowl run, but injuries de-railed the Vikings’ season. If the Vikes can stay healthy, I expect them to be a Super Bowl favorite next year. The Wild are doing re-ally well this season, and are look-ing like a Stanley Cup team. They are currently the best team in the West, and it’s no fluke. The Wild have one of the best goalies in the league, four solid lines up front, and two quality pairs of defense-men. My prediction is that the Wild are going to be the team to end the drought, and other teams will follow suit shortly after.

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Girls’ Blue Jay Hockeyby Mackenzie LerouxThe Bluejay girls were met in Jamestown by Minot on January 27,

where they lost a tough game 6-0. That Saturday, the game against Wil-liston was a close game until the Coyotes took the lead in the third period and won 2-1. Jamestown traveled to Mandan for their last away game and were ahead for the first two periods. They fell behind in the third as Man-dan scored two goals, and the Jays were not able to come back, leading to another 2-1 loss. On February 10, the girls played Dickinson where they broke their losing streak and beat the Midgets 4-1. On Thursday, the Bluejays hosted their senior night to honor their four seniors: Jade Schafer, Haley Hillstrom, Elly Milender and Haley Schnaidt. The game was played against Devils Lake, and the Bluejays were down 2-0 going into the third. With less than 5 minutes left of the game, a senior from Jamestown scored a goal changing the atmosphere of the arena. The team scored three goals that period, winning the game, and every senior had a goal or an assist. The last game was held on February 16, Jamestown played West Fargo and ended their season with a 5-0 loss.

Boys’ Hockeyby Sam JensonThe Jamestown Blue Jays boys’

hockey team’s season has come to an end. They finished the year with a 8-8 record in the WDA, and a 9-14 overall record. The Jays went into the WDA tournament as the five seed hoping to finish in the top four in the tournament to advance to the state tournament.

The Blue Jays dropped the cru-cial first game to the Dickinson Midgets by a score of 6-2. After the first period, the Jays were tied with the Midgets 2-2. A four goal second period propelled Dickinson to the semifinals and sent James-town to the consolation bracket. Jamestown was put into a loser out game against Williston for a chance to make it to a state-qualifier game. The Blue Jays fell to the Coyotes of Williston 3-2 to put an end to their season. The Jays were plagued by penalties against Williston, the Jays spent more than 30 minutes of the game in the penalty box. Junior Bryce Nelson said, “We can’t win games when we’re in the box.”

by Cole McGoughWrestling season has come to an end, along with it the brutal

practices and starvation. In order to make it to the state tournament the guys had to place at regionals. Ten wrestlers qualified for state at this tournament. Parker Larson took 1st at 126, Jaden Oestern took 2nd at 220, Cade Powers took 8th at 195, Jake Tangen took 4th at 182, Sage Kvien took 6th at 170, Logan Erlandson took 2nd at 160, David Peterson took 4th at 152, Jonathon Langer took 2nd at 145, Jonah Shuldheisz took 7th at 113, Austin Rogelstad took 8th at 106. The wrestlers had a pretty good season advancing to the state tournament as a team.

The state tournament was held in Fargo, ND at the Fargodome. Their record throughout the season ranked the Hi-Liners the four seed from the east. This put them against the number one seed from the West, Minot. They ended up losing the dual 66-9. This loss put them against the number two seed from the East, Fargo Davies. They lost the dual 58-24.

As far as the individual tournament went: Jake Tangen placed 8th at 182, Jonathon Langer placed 6th at 145, David Peterson placed 6th at 152, Logan Erlandson placed 6th at 160, and Parker Larson placed 3rd at 126. Those who also received Academic All-State Honors were David Peterson, Austin Rogelstad, Jonah Schuldheisz, and Jaden Oestern.

Wrestling

Girls Basketballby Dalon AllenThe month of Febuary has

not been so hot for Valley City Girls’ Basketball. Coming off some tough losses, the girls still battle hard and look foward to continuing the season by trying to get a win in their EDC play in game.

Here are the scores from their recent games:Fargo South @ Valley CityLoss 60-54GFC @ Valley CityLoss 71-63

Devils lake @ Valley CityLoss 61-82Valley City @ DaviesLoss 51-72North Fargo @ Valley CityLoss 44-58Valley City @ Devils lakeLoss 67-75Valley City @ West FargoLoss 55-86WF Sheyenne @ Valley CityLoss 62-74Wapheton @ Valley City Loss 45-65

RODRIGUEZ SINKS HIS 1000TH POINT

Nate Rodriguez (photo by Duttons Valley Gallery)

On Thursday, February 24, history was marked in the Hi-Liner Activity Center (a.k.a. HAC) when the Fargo South Bruins came to Valley City for the final regular season boys’ basketball game.

About midway through the first half, Nate Rodriguez scored the final 13 points that he needed to reach the career 1000 point mark. Rodriguez joins an exclsuive club at VCHS who have achieved this marker.

Jeff Boschee with 1994Justin Anderson with 1241Justin Thornton with 1109

10 SportsFebruary 28, 2017

The Bridges

National Signing Day at VCHS

by Cole McGoughOver 70,800 people attended one

of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Super Bowl LI was one for the books. It was a battle between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions, Atlanta Falcons and the American Football Confer-ence (AFC) champions, New Eng-land Patriots.

The game consisted of the Fal-cons completely dominating the first half 21-3. However the Patri-ots found a way to come back in the second half and tie the game at 28. The game went into overtime; the Patriots got the ball first, drove down the field and scored, becom-ing Super Bowl LI champions.

The game was held in Houston, Texas at NRG Stadium. Lady Gaga performed many of her greatest hits during the half-time show. This was the first Super Bowl to ever enter overtime. Tom Brady made history by winning his fifth Super Bowl. Along with Brady, Coach Bill Belichick also won his fifth, all of which were with Brady. Brady also won his fourth Super Bowl MVP award. The Patriots have won the

Tyler Jacobson, Drew Jacobson, Darla Jacobson, VCHS Coach Roeh-rich, and VCSU Coach McCulloch. (photo by E. Wagar)

Ron Manson, Justin Manson, Heather Manson, and VCHS Coach Roeh-rich. (photo by E. Wagar)

National Signing Day took place on February 1, 2017. Three VCHS football players have committed to play in the area. Levi Nix and Drew Jacobson will don the cardinal red for the Valley City State University Vikings. Justin Manson has opted to suit up for the University of Jamestown Jimmies, and Maren Gullickson will be heading north to serve up some volleyball at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake.

Levi Nix, Mike Nix, VCHS Coach Roehrich, and VCSU Coach McCulloch.(photo by M. Bratrud)Teri Gullickson, Coach Taylor, Maren Gullickson, and Chad Gullickson.

(photo by M. Bratrud)

by Matt BrandvoldThe trophy that is played for in

the Super Bowl is the Lombardi Trophy named after Vince Lombar-di who won the first Super Bowl.

Superbowl I took place on Jan. 15, 1967 in Los Angeles, Califor-nia. The NFL (National Football League) Champions Green Bay Packers met the AFL (American Football League) Champions Kan-sas City Chiefs. The Packers won by a jolting 25 points. The Pack-ers were coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi who led the Pack-ers to five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowl titles.

The Kansas City Chiefs were

Super Bowl LI is historicalmost conference championships; however, the Pittsburgh Steelers still hold the most Super Bowl wins with six. The Falcons remain at zero Super Bowls victories. Their team is full of very young, incredible tal-ent, and the future for the Falcons is still very bright. Many historical moments were made in Super Bowl LI. It won’t be forgotten.

...more history

in the AFL. The AFL had been a league for seven years during the ‘66 season and was going to join the NFL after the 1969 season. The league consisted of ten teams the Houston Oilers, New York Titans (Jets), Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Texans (Kansas City Chiefs), Den-ver Broncos, San Diego Chargers, Maimi Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Boston Patriots, and the Oakland Raiders.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the most Super Bowl wins in NFL his-tory with six wins, but are tied with the Cowboys for most apperances with eight. The Bills, and Vikings have been to four Super Bowls and have never won one. The Browns, Texans, Lions, and Jaguars have never made it to the Superbowl.

The first indoor Super Bowl was 1978 between the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos. The Cow-boys won 27-10. Last year Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are the oldest players (39) to win a Super Bowl, while Jamal Lewis was the youngest at 21. With his last win in Super Bowl 51 Tom Brady has the most rings with five and his coach Bill Belichick is the only coach with five.

One of the key factors in watch-ing the Super Bowl is not the game but rather the commercials. Commercials during the game in 1962 cost $42,000 for 30 seconds of fame. In 2016 a 30 second commercial cost was around $4.5 to more than $5 million dollars. VCHS has one of its own Super Bowl commercial stars in Levi Nix, who was in a Sanford Health com-mercial in 2010.

Battle of the Beards

Word in the halls is that these two instructors both think they sport the best beard. We’ll let you decide VCHS. If you’d like to vote for the best beard, drop by Mrs. Wagar’s classroom, Room 103 and cast your vote March 6-10. We’ll announce the voting results in the March Bridges.

Hi-LinerBoys’ Basketball

by Matt BrandvoldFargo South came to Valley

for the final regular season game of the year. The Bruins and Hi-Liners were battling back and forth. The Bruins pulled away though by a score of 78-71.

The boys traveled to Grand Forks on Tuesday, Feb. 21 to take on the Grand Forks Central Knights. The Hi-Liners were in control most of the night leading at halftime 28-19, but the second half was a different story with Central battling back to beat the Hi-Liners 61-53.

Valley City traveled to Devils Lake to face a Firebird team that they lost to on the 10th. It was the same story in Devils Lake on Saturday the Hi-liners lost by the score of 71-59.

The number one team came to town on Thursday Feb. 16 and let the Hi-liners have it. Davies led the whole game and finished by the score of 89-54.

The Liners traveled to Fargo North to attempt revenge for the Jan 16 loss. The Hi-Liners still couldn’t get it done as they fell to the Spartans by the score of 71-60.

Devils Lake came to the City of Bridges to take on the Hi-Lin-ers. The Hi-Liners struggled to get it in the hoop. The Firebirds led the whole game ending the game with a final score of 71-60.

On Feb. 8 the team traveled to West Fargo. The Hi-Liners played a hard fought matchup but fell hard to the Packers 102-78.

The Hi-Liner boys basketball team played West Fargo Shey-ene on Fiday Feb 3 in the HAC. The Hi-Liners had a tough night falling to the Mustangs 90-64.

11 This & That

February 28, 2017

The Bridges

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Remembering David

David and his soccer team.

David and his softball team.

David and Sam Ihry leading the entrance of the girls’ basketball team.

David and Superintendent Johnson

Once A Hi-Liner, Always a Hi-LinerOn January 30, Valley City High School was notified that David Lynch, a freshman, had passed away at Mercy Hospi-tal. His memorial took place on February 2 at 7:00 in the theater, where over two hundred and fifty people came to celebrate David’s life. The service included having a microphone passed around to anyone who wanted to share how David touched their lives.

Mackenzie Leroux, who coached David, shared this mem-ory, “On the first day of softball,

basketball, and swimming teams. He was the goalie for his Special Olympics team, which took home 2nd place at the state tournament. He will be remembered for his con-stant smiles, and love of hugs.

His soccer coach, Tyler Gus-tafson, remembers the fun he had while playing his sports, “I was blessed to meet David through Spe-cial Olympics Soccer. Together we shared many memories and those memories I will cherish forever.

One memory that sticks out in my mind about David is the night at State Soccer. After the first day of games there is a dance that night, and David and everybody else on the team was very excited about

it. David danced the whole time we were there and he was just so happy. By the end of the night David was covered in sweat, and it was impossible to wipe the smile off his face.”

everyone left after it was over and as I picked up all of the equipment, I noticed that David was walking around the field picking up balls. I told him I could do it and that he could leave, but he just shook his head and carried every ball over to the shack. As I locked it up, he told me goodbye and to have a good day, and for the rest of the sum-mer, David did not let me clean up alone.”

David was a very lively stu-dent who loved playing sports and showed talent in his softball, soccer

Jr. High qualifies five for All Stateby Matt BrandvoldJunior High All State Choir was held Febuary 1-3. VCHS had five participants.

Jonathan Redfearn, Elizabeth Gazeley, Sydney Nelson, Talia Germann, and Haley Dalgliesh were all honored.

This is not an easy process. Each contestent has to learn and record a two minute ART solo and sing “America” accapela in that recording. The recordings are sent to the North Dakota American Choir Directors Association and they judge the con-testants. There were 700 auditions sent in from 54 schools and they choose the best sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. There are 90 students chosen from the 700 that are put into a 100 piece mixed choir, and a 90 piece women’s choir. The participants are sent to Fargo to join the other selections to sing at NDSU on Feb. 3 and 4 with a guest conductor to sing in a Show Case Concert and were featured in a Gala Concert.

Jr. High All State Choir Participants from VCHS: Front(L-R) Haley Dalgliesh, Elizabeth Gazeley, Jonathan Redfearn, Sydney Nelson, Talia Germann. Back: VCHS Choir Director Sheila Zinke. (photo submitted)

12 This & ThatFebruary 28, 2017

The Bridges

by Libby Borg The Valley City speech team is

continuing the season with success. The team traveled to Fargo South

High School on Saturday, February 18th. Out of fourteen teams, Valley City took first in the team sweep-stakes with a score of 125 points. Tied for second place were West Fargo and West Fargo Sheyenne. Individual results: Radio Broadcasting: 7th: Eliza Johnson Poetry: 3rd: Rose Marcellus Top Novice: Lily KiefertSpeech to Persuade: 2nd: Abby Slyter4th: Sharon Michael5th: Jacob Berntson6th: Rebecca MontecuolloHumorous Duo: 2nd: Erik Johnson and Mikey Meester6th: Elizabeth Gazelely and Katy Meester Dramatic Interpretation: 1st place: Rose Marcellus 3rd place: Maggie Oberlander Superior Speaker: Abby Slyter Speech to Entertain: 7th: Rebecca Montecuollo 8th: Katy MeesterEPR: 2nd: Abby Slyter 4th: Maggie OberlanderImpromptu Speaking: 6th: Erik Johnson Serious Duo: 3rd: Maggie Oberlander and Eliza Johnson 5th: Mikey Meester and Abby Slyter 6th: Dylan Quick and Olivia Slyter Humorous Interpretation: 6th: Maggie Oberlander8th: Dylan QuickSpeech to Inform:3rd: Erik Johnson 8th: Jacob Berntson Serious Interpretation: 1st: Abby Slyter 3rd: Mikey Meester 6th: Monisha Terry

On Friday, February 17th, the team traveled to West Fargo High School. VCHS won the team sweepstakes with a score of 137 points followed by West Fargo Sheyenne with 82 points and Dev-il’s Lake with 78 points. In individual results: Humorous Duo: 4th: Mikey Meester and Erik John-son Serious Interpretation:1st: Abby Slyter- qualified for state 2nd: Mikey Meester EPR: 4th: Eliza Johnson8th: Maggie OberlanderSpeech to Entertain: 4th: Rachel Borg6th: Rebecca Montecuollo7th: Katy MeesterDramatic Interpretation: 1st: Rose Marcellus- qualified for state4th: Monisha Terry 6th: Maggie Oberlander Top Novice: Lily Kiefert Serious Duo: 2nd: Mikey Meester and Abby Slyter 5th: Eliza Johnson and Maggie Oberlander 6th: Dylan Quick and Olivia Slyter Top Novice: Tucker Schonert and Madi KlaboRadio Broadcasting:3rd: Eliza JohnsonSpeech to Persuade: 1st: Jacob Berntson- qualified for state5th: Rose Marcellus 8th: Rebecca Montecuollo Extemp:

8th: Sharon MichaelImpromptu: 3rd: Abby SlyterSpeech to Inform: 2nd: Jacob Berntson 3rd: Erik Johnson Poetry: 1st: Rose Marcellus- qualified for state

The team traveled to Mandan High School on Saturday, Febru-ary 11.

In team sweepstakes, VCHS placed first with 150 points, fol-lowed by Dickinson with 75 points, and Jamestown with 72 points. Individual results:Serious Interpretation: 1st: Abby Slyter- qualified for State5th: David Opdahl Superior Speaker: Mikey MeesterTop Novice: Katy Meester Humorous Interpretation: Superior Speaker: Eliza Johnson Dramatic Interpretation: 1st : Rose Marcellus- State quali-fied 2nd : Maggie Oberlander 5th: Monesha Terry Top Novice: Lilly Kiefert Speech to Persuade: 2nd: Libby Borg 5th : Jacob Berntson EPR: 2nd: Abby Slyter 4th: Maggie Oberlander Poetry Interpretation: 1st: Rose Marcellus-qualified for State with perfect scores 5th: Tanaya LeifsonSerious Duo: 1st: David Opdahl and Tanaya Lei-fson 2nd: Mikey Meester and Abby Slyter 3rd: Maggie Oberlander and Eliza Johnson Extemp:5th: Libby Borg Superior Speaker: Sharon Michael Speech to Entertain:4th: Rachel Borg 7th: Katy Meester Storytelling: Top Novice: Elizabeth Gazelely Speech to Inform: 1st: Erik Johnson- State Qualified 5th: Jacob Berntson Humerous Duo:1st place: Mikey Meester and Erik Johnson 5th: David Opdahl and Jack Jordan Superior Speakers: Katy Meester and Elizabeth GazelelySuperior Speakers:Rachel and Lib-by Borg Top Novices: Dylan Quick and Luke Plagens Impromptu Speaking: 3rd: Erik Johnson 4th: Tanaya Leifson

On Saturday, February 4, the team traveled to Devils Lake. Of the 15 teams in attendance, Valley

City took first place in the team sweepstakes with a score of 180 points. Second place was Rugby with 70 points closely followed by Jamestown with 64 points. In individual results: Humorous Duo: 1st: Mikey Meester and Erik John-son- State qualified3rd: Rachel and Libby Borg 4th: Jack Jordan and David Opdahl 5th: Sophie Boe and Olivia Slyter Serious Duo: 1st: Mikey Meester and Abby Slyter 6th: Maggie Oberlander and Eliza Johnson Top Novice: Tucker Schonert and Madi Klabo Speech to Persuade: 2nd: Libby Borg- qualified for state with A/B Split 4th: Jacob Berntson 6th: Rebecca Montecuollo Speech to Entertain: 6th: Rebecca Montecuollo 7th: Dylan Quick Top Novice: Katy Meester Serious Interpretation: 1st: Abbey Slyter-qualified for state 2nd: Mikey Meester 4th: David Opdahl Impromptu Speaking: 2nd: Erik Johnson – qualified for State with A/B split 5th: Abby Slyter Speech to inform: 3rd: Erik Johnson 4th: Jacob Berntson Dramatic: 1st: Rose Marcellus- qualified for State3rd: Maggie Oberlander 7th: Abby Slyter Radio Broadcasting: 4th: Eliza Johnson Extemp: 2nd: Libby Borg- qualified for State with A/B split Humorous Interpretation: 3rd: Maggie Oberlander Storytelling: 4th: Mikey Meester Top Novice: Dylan Quick EPR: 1st: Abby Slyter-qualified for State 7th: Maggie Oberlander 8th: Shyenne Gwilliams Poetry: 1st: Rose Marcellus-qualified for State 4th: Tanaya Leifson 7th: Morgan Jenner Top Novice: Olivia Slyter

On Saturday, January 28 the team traveled to North Sargent High School for their second meet of the year. The team did very well, placing second out of 15 teams in the team sweepstakes with a score of 131 points. Enderlin-Maple Valley won the sweepstake with a score of 195 points.

In individual scores: Poetry: 2nd: Rose Marcellus Humorous Duo: 2nd: Mikey Meester and Erik John-son, qualified for State with A/B split 6th: Libby and Rachel Borg 8th: Olivia Slyter and Sophia BoeSerious Interpretation: Top Novice-Olivia SlyterSerious Duo: 2nd: Mikey Meester and Abby Slyter, qualified for State with A/B split. 8th: Maggie Oberlander and Eliza JohnsonDramatic Interpretation: 1st: Rose Marcellus 3rd: Abby Slyter 8th: Maggie Oberlander Speech to Entertain: 1st: Rachel Borg, qualified for State.3rd: Rebecca Montecuollo Top Novice: Dylan Quick Impromptu Speaking: 2nd: Erik Johnson, qualified for State with A/B split 4th: Abby Slyter Storytelling: 5th: Mikey Meester EPR: 2nd: Abby Slyter 4th: Maggie Oberlander

VCHS Speech Team at Fargo South.

VCHS Speechletes hope to repeat as EDC Champsby Brelynn KomroskyMy dreams are caught by the dream catcher in the sky.Far too out of my reach to un-tangle them.Nightmares it lets by.My dream catcher in the sky.Dreams where I can fly,are left to die.My dream catcher in the sky.Dreaming is a lie.Do you know how I can tell?Because all my dreams so far have fell.My dream catcher in the sky.I want to chase dreams on a unicorn’s back, but that just wouldn’t be fact.What I lack, my dream catcher in the sky, is an inner gleam.I’m not a princess going to be saved.Is there a yellow brick road paved?I need something to follow. Dream catcher in the sky.Quick before pity I wallow.How do I fix my dream catcher in shambles?My hopes and wants I gamble.Dream catcher in the sky?Maybe I could fly.Sure maybe only in dreams, But a great man did so too.So I have a dream, That just could be. Dream catcher in the sky.If a dream or so perish. Many more there is to cherish.

POETRY

by Annie FitzellDeath is slowly impending on everyone, or not so slowly. Any one of us

could be gone tomorrow with the snap of a finger. That begs the question of what happens after we bite the dust? Everyone has pondered this at one time or another. Do we just cease to exist? Do we continue to go on living in another world? What? The clock that ticks towards the inevitable day can make people afraid of what waits for them on the other side. Here are some possibilities to consider.

1. Nothing. Try to remember back to before you were born. Nothing is there. The same applies after death. Your soul doesn’t go anywhere. You just stop thinking and feeling.

2. Heaven and Hell. Most people are familiar with the perception of Heaven and Hell. Doing good things and being a good person in general will guarantee you a ticket to the pearly gates where you will spend for-ever in paradise. If you have been a generally bad person, however, you go to Hell for an eternity of suffering and torture.

3. Heaven, no Hell. Some people believe Hell doesn’t really exist. If you’re meant to go to Heaven, you go to Heaven. If you aren’t, you’re merely dead forever.

4. Angels. When we die, we don’t just spend all of eternity happy in Heaven. We are also transformed into angels so we can watch over those still living.

5. Rapture. With the second coming of Jesus, believers both dead and alive (the dead are resurrected) are lifted from the Earth and sent to God while any non-believers must remain on Earth.

6. Reincarnation. We have lived before and we will live again. When we die, only our bodies die. However, our souls are reborn into a different body. Some believe if you led your previous life as a good person you will be reincarnated as a person once again. However, if your previous life was full of hatred and bad deeds, you will return as something unfavor-able such as a beetle. Other people believe everyone is reincarnated as a person, but, in this life, they will be the victim of their past crimes. If they had once murdered someone, then they are to be murdered.

What do you think?

Different after-death beliefs

Speech to Inform: 5th: Sharon Michael 8th: Jacob Berntson Program of Oral Interpretation (POI): 2nd: Maggie Oberlander Extemp: 3rd: Libby Borg: 8th: Sharon Michael Speech to Persuade: 2nd: Sharon Michael, qualifying for state with A/B split 4th: Rose Marcellus 5th: Erik Johnson

13 This & That

February 28, 2017

The Bridges

by David OpdahlOn February 21, 2017, President Trump—mustering all of his show-

biz fanfare that he honed during his Apprentice years—announced that he would nominate Neil Gorsuch to fill the final seat in the supreme court. The only thing that seemed to be missing from his announcement was a drum-roll. But what does all this mean? What does this nomi-nation foretell for the future? First let’s look at why the seat was vacant.

In 1986, President Rea-gan nominated Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court. After nearly thirty years of service, Judge Scalia passed away on February 13, 2016. When a position in the Supreme Court is left vacant, it is the President’s job to fill that seat with a nominee, which the Senate must then approve with a 60-vote majority. On March 16, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the Court. However, Senate Republicans, under the leadership of Sen-ate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, announced that they would hold, “no hearings, no votes, no actions whatsoever,” arguing that, because it was an election year, the next president should be allowed to select the next Supreme Court nominee. Since 1900, the Senate has voted on eight SCOTUS nominees in an election year. Six were approved and two were rejected, but never in the history of the United States has a party refused to hold hearings for a nominee. Garland’s nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the arrival of the new Congress. This left Democrats furious and in shock. Senator McConnell played a bold move, and it may have paid off ‘big-league’.

The fight is far from over. Judge Gorsuch needs 60 senatorial votes to be approved to the Court. The current numbers are 52 Republicans to 48 Democrats. Assuming that all Republicans vote for Gorsuch’s nomination, they will still need a minimum of eight Democratic votes, something that will be very hard to get after the stinging move from the previous year.

Now let’s look at who Gorsuch is.Neil McGill Gorsuch, 49, born in Denver, Colorado, has been described

as an intellectual, his writings as “charming, witty, and clever.” He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University, his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, and Doctor of Philosophy from University College, Oxford. At Harvard, Gorsuch and President Obama were classmates. Gor-such was nominated by President George W. Bush on May 10, 2006 for the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, one of eleven other judges that preside over the states of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma. If approved, Gorsuch would be one of the most conservative judges on the Court.

trump nominates Gorsuchby David OpdahlOn Wednesday, February 15, several VCHS students loaded onto two buses to head to Fargo for a day of judg-

ment. Eleven groups went to play songs that they had rehearsed for hours on end, hoping to learn a thing or two from the judges. The rankings go as follows from worst to best: Non Rating (NR), 3, 2, 1, Region Star (RS), and State Star (SS). These are the results for the groups and the songs that they performed.Brass Ensemble (Senior); Breana Buringrud, Jacob Sand, David Opdahl, Jack Jordan, Tiffany Schneider, and Erik Johnson; “Sourwood Mountain”; SS.Clarinet Duet; Eliza Johnson and Rachel Couture; “King William’s March”; RS.Flute Ensemble; Tanaya Leifson, Megan Roswick, Christina Sayler, Samantha Nelson, Makayla Nehlich, Au-rora Faucett, Makaelyn Lorenz, and Brooke Ask; “Ashokan Farewell”; 1.Trumpet Quartet; Allysen Mathias, Austin Rogelstad, Max Kupitz, and Cara VanBruggen; “Intrada and Inter-mezzo”; 1.Mixed Woodwind Duet; Tanaya Leifson and Ashton Schonert; “Overture to The Magic Flute”; 2.Brass Ensemble (Varsity); Hale Kringlie, Blake Hagen, Nick Pfeifer, Nick Dilts, Alyssa Hatcher, Nathan El-dridge, Braylen Bruns, and David Peterson; “Passamezzo Brillante”; 1.Saxophone Trio; Christian Hanson, Lexi Nelson, and Erin Anderson, accompanied by Erik Johnson; “Triad”; 2.Saxophone Quintet A; Presley Curtis, Lexi Triebold, Bennet Rogelstad, Alexa Klein, Trevan Pfennig, and So-phie Boe; “Pizza Party”; 1.Saxophone Quintet B; Lexi Ondracek, Mackenzie Leroux, Jenessa Noeske, Hannah Dockter, and Angela Lar-son; “Marche Militaire”; 2.Saxophone Quartet; Taylor Johnson, Lexi Ondracek, Jenessa Noeske, and Angela Larson; “Irish Suite”; RS.Trombone Duet; Heather Fischer and Ethan Jenner; “Intrada”; 2.

VCHS Small Group Contest Ensembles Serenade the Judges

Snow week snaps

Annie’s Antics by Annie Fitzell