The VoiceGretna High School • 11335 South 204th Street • Gretna, NE 68028

Volume VI • Issue I • October 2007

Inside... Returning Starters Page 12

Halloween Pages 8-9

Show Choir Pages 2-3

Photo by Anthony Jourdan

School NewsOctober 2007 Page 2

Evolution. Change over time. The traditional show choir takes a new twist. Vocal music teacher Mr. Ribar says musical groups needed another option to perform. “It gives them experience,” Ribar said. Freshman Ellen Emanuel made Evolution this year. She says she hasn’t had much experience with show choir. “In middle school we did show choir, but it was mostly singing, and not much dancing,” Emanuel said. Emanuel says she enjoys singing and dancing. “I like it [the dancing],” Emanuel said, “I think it’s kind of hard to remember, but it’s a lot of fun.” Sophomore Becca Randone also likes the songs and dances. “At the beginning it was [hard], but it got easier as you learned it,” Randone said. Over the summer Evolution had four camp days where they learned most of the show. Ribar plans to take the group to about three or four competitions. He picked songs with a few solo opportunities. The songs are “Dust in the Wind,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “One Night Only,” “I’m a Believer,” and “Show Me the Way.” “We touched on four songs, and they’re working hard to complete them,” Ribar said. Both girls liked having camp days. “I think it really helped us practice the dance,” Ran-done said. Randone says she got closer to people in the group at camp. “It was fun,” Emanuel said, “ It made it easier to learn the dances than it would have been to learn them in the morning.” Evolution practices Tuesday and Friday mornings at 7 am and Monday nights at 7 pm. “We get enough practice, but if people don’t show up we have to go back and review everything,” Randone said. Emanuel agrees with Randone and says there are some conflicts with morning practice times. “I think we probably do [have enough practice time],” Emanuel said, “It’s on the same days as band though so some people miss it, but I think it’s probably fine.” So what is the difference between Evolution and Revolution? “Very little difference, they’re a show choir made up of entirely women,” Ribar said, ”They have costumes like the other group, but no costume change, no men, and they’re younger. “

New women’s music group evolves

Photos By Anthony Jourdan

By Liz StratmanDesign Editor

Dancing to Dust in the Wind, the new women’s show choir prepares for their first concert.

During an evening practice the show choir girls dance to “I’m a Believer.”

Kelsi Kuhn works on her final pose in “I’m a Be-liever.”

Tina Martinez and Chelsea Schaffer prac-tice performing their third number.

School NewsPage 3 October 2007

Mr. Hoffman, P.E.

Q: How do you like it here at Gretna so far?A: It’s been a very good first three weeks.

Q: Are you helping out with any extra-curricular activities?A: Boy’s basketball.

Q: What was your favorite sub-ject when you were our age?A: Math. -Demi Duin

Mr. Bertelsen, Science

Q: How do you like Gretna so far?A: Love it.

Q: What brought you to Gretna ?A: The quality of the people and the students.

Q: Where did you teach before?A: At UNO and Ralston High School.

-Chelsea Vorland

Mr.Hammond, Math

Q: How do you like Gretna so far?A: Gretna is great. I love the fact that it’s a small town feel even though it’s around a big city.

Q: What brought you to Gretna?A: My wife is originally from Bellevue so we wanted to stay around Omaha.

Q: Are you helping with any extra curricular activities?A: I’m coaching 7th grade boys bas-ketball.

-Hilary Stover

Ms. Ritter,Math

Q: How do you like it at Gretna so far?A: I love Gretna. The staff and administration is re-ally supportive and easy to work with. The students are fun to teach and bright students.

Q: What brought you to Gretna?A: The location and size of Gretna is what I was looking for. And the phi-losophy of the school district matched my own.

Q: Where did you teach before and do you do extra curricular stuff?A: I did my student teaching in Ben-ninington. I also am coaching volley-ball this fall.

-Riley Haug

Ms.Willman, History

Q: How do you like it here at Gretna so far?A: I love it here. The kids are motivated to work and the staff is very encouraging!

Q: What made you want to come to Gretna?A: I heard good things about the school district and felt a strong bond between the administration.

Q: If you could teach any other subject, what would it be?A:World History because I think WWII is interesting.

-Faith Cotton

Mr. Wimmer, Band

Q: Do you like Gretna so far?A: Yes, I went to Gretna for High School and I learned a good understanding of Gretna’s philosophy. They also share the same philosophy I do on educa-tion. It’s also a big town, but it has that small town feel.

Q: What brought you to Gretna?A: Ever since I was in High School I have always wanted to come back and teach in Gretna. Last April I inter-viewed and was offered another job, but when I heard that Mark [Irvin] was leaving, I moved fast and was lucky to land an early interview. Now I’m here!

Q: What are some things you do in your spare time?A: I like to practice, run, bike, spend-ing time with my family and friends, and play NCAA Football on my X-Box.

-Natalie Doering

Miss Flynn,P.E.

Q: How do you like Gretna so far?A: I like it a lot. The town is very nice and everyone is very wel-coming.

Q: What brought you to Gretna?A: My dad saw the ad in the newspa-per for the opening for a PE job. I took it right away.

Q: Are you helping out with any extracurricular activities?A: I’m doing girl’s G-club, girl’s ten-nis, and freshmen girl’s basketball.

-Natalie Miller

Meet our new

By Jess Crawford Staff Writer

Security cameras were installed this past summer to keep the school a safe place for the students and staff, school officials said. “It makes it easier to watch the school and keep the school safer,” Mr. Eledge said. They are located in the main hallways, exits, and park-ing lots. “They allow me to see who is doing what and where,” Mr. Eledge said Mr. Eledge, Mr. Miller, Deputy Lance, and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office are all watching the cameras. The cameras are on 24/ 7, all year around. “The cameras are on all the time, because they send the info/data to a computer,” Deputy Lance said. Guidance Counselor Ms. Carraher said the cameras are a “reflection of our growth.” “They’re to keep our school and school grounds saf-er, but what’s going to keep our school safe is honest students and teachers,” she said. “They’re just here to keep our school safe thats all,” Junior Madison Danker said. When asked about how he felt about having cameras in the building, junior Michael McCoy said, “At first they looked weird, but now I don’t really think about them at all.” Danker agreed. “Yeah, at first I felt like I was being watched, but now they don’t really bother me,” Danker said.

School installs security cameras

Teachers

EditorialOctober 2007 Page 4

“It’s not you, it’s me.” “I’m sorry, this just isn’t work-ing out.” “I don’t have time for a rela-tionship right now.” Ouch. Whether it happens in a movie, or happens in real life, girls are going to hear one of these lines in their life. No-body wants to hear it, but it happens, and there’s not a lot you can do to stop it. Dealing with break-ups and all the emotions that go along with them isn’t always easy. Sadness. Anger. Frustration. While others mask the feelings, coping with these emotions can be difficult for some. It’s usually better to just let it all out. Your boyfriend just called you and told you he didn’t want a girlfriend right now. The first stage, crying. The boy hangs up and you are sitting there like a bawling fool, shaking profusely, and replaying the conversation in your head. Just keep crying. I always say it’s better to let it all out and be done with the tears, rather than hold them all inside. Another emotion that arrives after you’ve cried a river of tears, is an-ger. The first thing you want to do is get revenge on him for breaking your

heart. Don’t follow in the footsteps of Carrie Underwood, girls! It won’t even be worth it to try to make him jealous when you really aren’t over him in the first place. Let him do his thing and you do your thing. You two are prob-ably better off apart. Frustration. Why did he do this? Did I do something wrong? Was I not good enough for him? There’s nothing wrong with you. You were good enough for him. And the reason-ing behind his decision, does it really matter? Being frustrated doesn’t help out the situation, it only makes you more sad and depressed. Accepting the fact he’s moved on is frustrating too, but you’ve just got to get through it. Break-ups aren’t easy to deal with, in fact, they’re nearly impossible. You’ll be bettter off without him any-ways. Keep yourself busy with other activities and friends and you will make it through the journey, one day at a time.

How to survivebreak-ups

Editor-in Chief........................Christie BerglundIn-depth Editor........................Amber GreserPhotographer...........................Anthony JourdanDesign Editor...........................Liz Stratman Design Editor...........................Britt HanniganAdvertising Manager...............Laura CejkaStaff Writers:

Cassi Milroy Brit Stock Taylor Bradish Jess Crawford Kelcie Pinkes

Contributors:Nicole Andrews Riley HaugAlexis Busch Troy HooverFaith Cotton Jahn KuiperNatalie Doering Meghan McMahonDamara Duin Natalie MillerMorgan Mumby Alyssa StahrHilary Stover Tiffany StrilkaChelsea Vorland

Advisor.............................................Jamie Hestermann

The Voice is a monthly publication spon-sored by Gretna High School, 11335 South 204th Street, Gretna, NE 68028. The office of The Voice is located in sponsor Jamie Hestermann’s room, room 400. The phone number is (402)332-3936. Reader response is welcome in the form of suggestions and ideas. They can be dropped off in room 400 at any time. Editorials are solely the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Voice staff or Gretna High School.

The Voice News Staff

Cartoon by Andi Daly

Cartoon by Mary Kalisek

By Brit StockStaff Writer

Editorial Page 5 October 2007

On any given day I could be driving my tiny Jetta and minding my own business. My driving would be, not perfect, but pretty adequate. As I drive down the highway a speeding car will almost always, without fail, begin to tailgate me. When these people appear, it doesn’t matter how fast I’m going or whether or not they have the ability to pass me. They are always there to ag-gravate me. To the drivers out there . . . why do you do this? It’s not like I’m putter-ing down the road at 30 miles per hour in a 55 per hour zone; in fact I’m going five miles over the legal speed limit. Tailgating tends to get drasti-cally worse when the sun goes down. It’s around this time that all I can see is a pair of bright lights beaming through my back window. This is not exactly helpful when I’m driving. Want to know what genuinely aggravates me? It’s when the car in

front of me is going slow and I still get tailgated. Can’t you see that I can’t go any faster? Come on now. Why are drivers in such a hur-ry? I could understand if someone is rushing to the hospital, but most likely this isn’t the case. What makes you become so infuriated? Even if a person makes a mistake, I bet you’ve done it too. We’re all human. Where’s the love? I have personally witnessed someone as sweet as Snow White turn into a maniac on the road once their hands grab the steering wheel. Are people releasing anger as they drive? Probably. Next time why don’t we all try and use a little patience?

Eating healthy and exercis-ing regularly are second nature to me. I don’t know how people can fill their bodies with foods, like chips or candy, that can potentially hurt them. If there are other options, why not eat some-thing that will benefit your health? It just amazes me how un-healthy our society is. I can almost guar-antee no one likes being overweight or out of shape. So I don’t understand why people eat fattening foods and sit around instead of exercise. Is it stress that triggers unhealthy eating? That, I can’t answer. With so many food options, you’d think people would learn how to make healthy choices. Why do teens still eat unhealthily? I have three pos-sible explanations. One, fast food is cheap and

convenient. I’m sure almost everyone’s gone to Taco Bell be-fore. “Open ‘till 2 am or later.” It can fulfill your late night crav-ings. But eating this late cannot be good for you. Just be-cause it’s cheap, and it’s there, doesn’t mean there aren’t other options. If you really are hungry that late at night, at least eat something healthier. The eating habits you devel-op in your teenage years are likely to stick with you throughout your life. If you have a faster metabolism now and think you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want, you may be in for a rude awakening as you get older. My second theory on why

By Christie BerglundEditor-in-Chief

By Liz StratmanDesign Editor

A little effort will go a long waypeople eat so unhealthy is because they don’t know what healthy foods are. I know there are people

who would love to stay fit but just don’t know where to begin. Well, I think a good way to start is to watch your calorie intake and cut back on eating really greasy and fatty foods. People probably don’t real-ize how little decisions such as, choos-ing skim milk over 2% can really affect your fat or calorie intake. If you cut back in the slightest ways it can make all the difference. For me, checking the back of the yogurt for the calorie count is almost automatic.

I also tend to stay away from fast food because it’s so greasy and fattening. Exercise is also a key factor in staying healthy. You don’t have to ex-ercise excessively, but exercising regu-larly is very beneficial. I don’t think it really matters how you choose to exercise, it’s more of just a personal preference. For me, I’m constantly dancing. That’s how I stay in shape. I also think running is really good for you. It’s not only a good form of exercise, but it helps to make me less stressed about everything. Being conscious of what you eat can definitely help. If you think and make logical decisions before eating, you’re probably making pretty healthy choices. Just a little exercise is all it takes.

“A film making class,” Sophomore Jay Scherbring.

“Home EC,”Senior Jaclyn Lange.

“A class where you can learn how to take care of

sport injuries.” Junior Katie Hurd.

“A car shop class,” Freshman Jacob Hill.

What class should be added at GHS?

What’s your opinion?On the Road:why all the rage?

By Brit StockStaff Writer “Class! Whose paper is this? I can’t seem to read the handwriting…” Your style of writing can sometimes describe your personality. Some write neatly; others write sloppily. Typically, boys write messy, while the girls tend to have the neat, artistic touch. Still, there are a few girls who scribble, and boys who write neater than could ever be imagined. Jordyn Frazier, a junior, learned to write when she was about three or four years old. Logan Anderson, also a junior, learned at the age of five. “My handwriting is really neat,” Frazier said, “even some teachers and kids compliment the neat-ness.” Anderson, on the other hand, doesn’t have the greatest handwriting. The reason behind this? He doesn’t have a care in the world. “Teachers sometimes tell me my handwrit-ing is too sloppy,” he said.

October 2007 Page 6Features

By Britt HanniganDesign Editor Sports, grades, friends, clubs . . . and a boy-friend or girlfriend? Making time for everything can be very stressful. So, which one should you put first? That depends on whom you ask. “I don’t think it should be really serious be-cause it’s only high school,” Homan said. “I think your friends should come first because they’re going to be with you longer than a girl most of the time.” Senior Trent Tibbs likes to put his friends first, like Homan. “I think that friends should come before my girlfriend,” Tibbs said. However, you could ask a girl’s opinion and you’ll get a slightly different answer. “... You push your friends away more to make time for [him] because you barely see [him] as it is,” Junior Taylor Haug said. Not only do you have to make time for both your friends and your relationship, there are also all your other school activities. “Yeah it’s hard because you have to play sports, and work and talk to them,” Tibbs said. Haug also agrees that it’s hard and that sports get in the way. “If you play sports, you won’t have time for each other,” Haug said. And let’s not forget about making time for your school work. “I guess sometimes my grades aren’t as good because I spend more time with her,” Homan said.

Relationships require time

Handwriting: Neat or Sloppy?

Frazier’s mom taught her how to write. Her early writings consisted of random letters and plenty of times of writing her name. Taught by a teacher, Anderson learned how to write his A’s and Z’s, but doesn’t remember how he practiced the skill. “I love writing, especially random letters and things that look cool,” Frazier said with a laugh. Books may inspire some people to write, but for Frazier it’s a different story. “I don’t like reading at all, I just like my handwriting. I hope thats not being cocky or anything...?” Handwriting varies from person to person. E v e r y b o d y ’ s handwriting is unique, it describes them, and possibly what kind of person they are. Do you know what your handwriting says about you?

“I think your friends should come first because theyʼre going to be with you longer than a girl, most of the time.”

-Jeff Homan

Photos by Brit Stock

Anderson admits that he doesn’t have the best handwriting. He says he learned to write when he was five years old.

October 2007 Page 7Style

Q: What celebrity do you base your style off of? A: It doesn`t matter who it is, if it`s something cute then I`ll like it.

Q: If you had $40 to spend at one store, where would you spend it, and what would you spend it on?A: I would probably spend it at Pac Sun. I would buy a t-shirt.

Q: What article/accsessory could you not live without?A: Rings.

Q: You’re late for school and you have three minutes to do your make-up. What do you put on?A: Eyeliner and Mascara.

Q: Where do you get most of your clothes? A: Buckle, Board Riders, and Pac Sun.

Style FileBy Laura CejkaAdvertising Manager How many times have you walked into a store and headed straight toward the mannequin in the latest striped polo and kha-ki shorts? Do you shop at the most expensive stores? While you might think your shopping habits are hard to break, here are some tips to help you get more bang for your buck. W h e n first walking into a store, the mar-keting experts place the newest clothes toward the front. Don’t fall for this trap. Start at the back of the store where all the sale items are and work your way to the front. Finding trea-sures in the picked over racks can be time consuming, but the money you save makes it worthwhile. “You can’t ever go bargain shopping looking for something. You just happen upon it,” said Stacie Weakland, a junior and an experienced bargain shop-per. Try to break away from the hottest stores at the mall. Swap them temporarily for Thrift World or Plato’s Closet where you can find gently used name brand clothes. These are always great places to snag vintage finds that no one else will have. Senior Holly Talburt and Stacie Weakland tell of their bargain hunting experiences. “I bought a pair of ballet flats that I got from Charlotte Russe for $6 and my prom dress from last year I got at Dillards for $14,” Talburt said. “I recently went to Thrift World and liked it a lot. I usually spend $10 on dresses and skirts,” Weak-land said. “Then I might get leggings and a shirt to go under the dress. You can usually find some good sales on jewelry at Target or Gordman’s.” Besides location, there are other tricks to save money. Stores are bound to have sales, so sign up with your favorite shop’s e-mailing list or look in the Sun-day newspaper. You’ll find out just when those new pair of jeans are in your price range. Have you ever bought winter clothes in spring? If you have, this is a fantastic strategy. Buying sweaters and swimsuits at the end of the season can save loads of money. Items may be more picked over, but if you put in the time, you can find some great items.

More bang for your buck

You don’t have to completely give up buying the latest trends at the hottest stores, but exchanging new for used or sale items every once in a while will save you more money than you’ll be able to manage. Plus, if you’re the type of person who loves to be different and show off you’re unique style, then thrift shopping is probably a bet-ter fit than going to a name brand store. “A person who is unique in what they wear is forced to shop for exactly what fits their style as opposed to buying something at Hollister simply because it’s name brand,” Talburt said.

Excited about her latest pur-chase, Weakland poses for a picture. She can’t wait to wear her 97-cent dress from Old Navy.Rachel Leaply, 11th

Talburt doesn’t buy clothes just for the name brands. She likes having a unique style.

-Taylor Bradish

Photos by Laura Cejika

Photo by Taylor Bradish

October 2007 Page 8Center Page 9 October 2007Center

From as far back as a child can remember, trick or treating has always been expected during Halloween. Little kids eagerly anticipate dressing up as princesses and super heroes. They dream about the oodles of candy they’ll collect. According to the web site The-HolidaySpot.com, 93 percent of chil-dren go out every Halloween to accumu-late heaps of candy. The question is, why do stu-dents continue to trick or treat once they’ve outgrown their costumes and entered high school? Sophomore Derek Stites is one of many who still like to participate in the tradition. Stites said he trick or treats for the concept of free candy. “To get candy, and candy is really good, it’s free and I don’t have to buy any,” Stites said. Besides the freedom of not hav-ing your parents stand at the end of the driveway, has anything changed from elementary to high school? Stites says it has. “I don’t dress up as much as I did when I was little,” Stites said. “I looked forward to putting on a costume and now I just put paint on my face.” Stites is unashamed of his con-tinued trick or treating. “We walk around my block because they have huge bowls of candy and they’ll usually give us the whole bowl,” Stites said. Sophomore Jillian Bilyeu also trick or treats with a group of her friends, but doesn’t plan on continuing this year. “One of my friends is having a Halloween party and we’ve finally real-ized we’ve gotten too old for [trick or

Trick-or-treating: How old isBy Christie BerglundEditor-in-Chief

The trick-or-treat, dress up as your favorite cartoon character, super hero, evil villain, masked murderer days are over, for some of us. For others, the Hallow-een season is not just about kids and candy. It’s about glazing on tons of fake blood and gory makeup to bring down a reign of terror on unsuspecting victims. Some do it to children on the street; others volunteer in haunted houses, becoming part of the halloween scene. Junior Ashley Heesacker volunteered last year at Twisted Nightmare, a haunted house located above a country club in Ralston. “I applied on Myspace,” Heesacker said. “It’s a very fun environment to be around.” Heesacker was made up as a zombie, complete with a gouged out eye. “Makeup was the most interesting, to see everyone change and become totally different,” Heesacker said. Heesacker went to school during the day, and was sprayed down with air-brush paint at night. “It was funny to see how scared some people were by the time they got to ’the alley’ where I was in the middle,” Heesacker said. “One time, some girls came in. They had this over exaggerated scream, like we were going to kill them.”

GHS students vote: halloween candy top 101. Reeses / Reeses Pieces2. Snickers 5. Kit Kat 8. Suckers

3. Twix 6. Butterfinger 9. Twizzlers

4. Candy Corn 7. Smarties / Sweet Tarts 10. Raisins

Are you afraid

of the dark?By Taylor BradishStaff Writer

treating],” Bilyeu said. “We might trick or treat, but probably not.” One of Bilyeu’s favorite Hallow-een memories took place last year. “I was on crutches because I hurt my foot and my friends thought it would be funny to push me in a wheel chair, but it didn’t work because people were going crazy [pushing me],” Bilyeu said. “So I had crutches the rest of the night.” Bilyeu said that she doesn’t like it when her neighbors are stingy about the type of candy they hand out. “There was a mean neighbor that was totally rich and they gave us these little red apple things,” Bilyeu said. Bilyeu loves free candy and would eat it “forever” if it wasn’t bad for her, but what do adults say to her when she goes from door to door?

“One person, said ‘aren’t you a little too old for this’ and we said, ‘yeah, but we still like the candy,’” Bilyeu said. The aspect of Halloween in itself is intriguing to Bilyeu. “There is just something fun about the night,” Bilyeu said. “The cos-tumes, the candy. I don’t know. It’s just something to do.” Unlike some of the students at Gretna, senior Brae Blackburn stopped trick or treating long ago. “Because I think that you should leave trick or treating to the little kids because they still like to dress up and they look forward to doing it,” Blackburn said. Blackburn offers a suggestion for a trick or treating alternative: “You should go to Halloween parties and dress up instead of being on the streets with the kids.”

Jill Bilyeu and some of her friends dressed for trick-or-treating

The backbone of a haunted

Senior Ashley Heesacker as a haunted house zombie.

By Amber GreserIn-Depth Editor

Senior Brett Kudrna gets into the Halloween spirit.

It`s October and you can`t go to the pool anymore. So where do teenagers find themselves hanging out on the weekends? Haunted Houses. What exactly draws teens to haunted houses? “I`m constantly in search of a place to make me scared,” senior Corey Bremer said. “I`m an adrenaline junkie.” Bremer experienced an adrenaline rush one time at Scary Acres. “My shirt caught on fire while I was standing next to the fire pit,” he said. Casey Kelly, a sophomore, made a memory she will never forget at Scary Acres. “I remember when Audrey Petrovich tripped over her own shoe in the haunted house, and we fell and I was holding onto a guy I didn`t even know, and he was really sweaty.” Like Kelly, junior Joey Nissen also had a good time. One time at Scary Acres he said he “turned around and ac-cidentally hit one of the scary monsters and knocked him down.” So what really makes a good haunted house? According to Nissen and Bremer, the strobe lights, com-plete darkness, and people jumping out at you is a must for haunted houses. But for Kelly the sound effects really add to the houses. “The music really really freaks me out,” she said. But not everyone enjoys haunted houses. Kelly only goes because everybody else goes. As teens get older you can expect them to stop going to the pumpkin patch and start going to haunted houses, but Kelly still goes to the pumpkin patch for the food. A

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senior Christie Berglund

senior Laura Cejka

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Entertainment October 2007 Page 10

What’s On Your I-pod?1. Hey There Delilah-Plain White Tʼs2. Stronger-Kanye West3. Peanut Butter Jelly Time-Family Guy4. If Youʼre Reading This-Tim McGraw5. Teardrops On My Guitar-Taylor Swift

Kelsie Musil, Sophomore

Pushing DaisiesIf you could bring someone back from the dead would you? In Pushing Daisies, Ned can touch stuff with his hands and bring it to life. Even human beings will come to life.In the first episode he brings back an old friend that was killed mysteriously. He tries to find out who killed her. Pushing Daisies airs on ABC, on Wednesdays at 8/7 central.

New Fall Shows

Private PracticeDo you love Greyʼs Anatomy? In Private Practice Addison reunites with her friends from medical school. In a doctors office she meets a doctor that she may fall in love with. Will she fall in love? Private Practice airs on ABC, on Wednes-days at 9/8 central.

Journey Man Do you like mystery or drama shows? In Journey Man, Dan is a San Fran-cisco newspaper reporter that travels through time and begins to change lives. In the very first episode he has a fiancé and starts to struggle with his family and job. See how he struggles. Journey Man airs on NBC, on Mondays at 10/9 central.

Bionic WomanDo you watch shows with death? Well in Bionic Woman Jamie didnʼt think that life could get any worse. She gets in a devastating car accident that sends her almost to deaths door. In the first episode she has to perform an operation. Do you think she will make it through the operation? Bionic Woman airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 9/8 central.

What fall show are you most looking forward to and why?

Ashley Larrick Sophomore

Greyʼs Anatomy“It is the only show I would watchItʼs part of life and I like what goes on in it”.

Jenna Lachnit Junior

Pushing Daisies“It looks good.He can touch things and they will come to life.”

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Kevin Yager, Sophomore

1. Ay Bay Bay-Hurricane Chris

2. Rehab-Amy Winehouse

3. Big Girls Donʼt Cry-Fergie

4. Beautiful Girls-Sean Kingston

5. Free Bird-Lynyrd Skynyrd Photo Courtesy of TV.Yahoo.Com

Photo Courtesy of KateWalshFans.com

Photo Courtesy of Swarheit.Blogspot.com

Photo Courtesy of NyMag.com

Top Five SongsTo Take Off TheRadio With...

By Kelcie Pinkes

EntertainmentOctober 2007 Page 11

Out Of This CountryKayla Kivett’s journey to ItalyBy Cassi MilroyStaff Writer For most students, summer 2007 was the usual - working and hanging out at a few sporadic parties. For junior Kayla Kivett, it was out of this country. The twelve hour flight with a seven hour time difference to Italy was described by Kivett with one word - “AMAZING!” Kivett and her family spent nine days and eight nights visiting her brother Matt studying in the country. Her brother rode a train from Germany to go see them in Italy so he could show them around. “He was like our tour guide for the trip because he had already seen everything, and since he knew where everything was we didn’t get lost and were able to get more done in a day,” Kivett said. They took in sights in Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Venice. The fam-ily visited the Vatican, and went to the Colosseum and Spanish Steps of Trevi Fountain. In Rome, expensive designer stores lined the streets along with the randomly placed knock off stands. Designer stores include Guess, Dior, Chanel, and many others. Florence had little shops where Kivett’s family could bargain with shop owners. Riding the gondolas through the Great Canal in Venice was one of her favorite parts of the trip. “After we rode them, I felt like I was still on water for like two days,” Kivett said. Another one of Kivett’s favorite places was St. Mark’s Square in Flor-ence. The square is covered in pigeons and corn is sold so people can feed them. “We all stood there with corn in our hands and the pigeons just fly up and land on you. I had three on each of my arms at once,” Kivett said. “It was so weird, but fun. And the lady next to us put corn on her head so she had these pigeons walking on her head.” With all the differences between the U.S. and Europe, she pointed out that there was no air conditioning, they drive crazy, most people live in the apartments, and the most obvious - speaking Italian. She also pointed out their way to get around in Europe was a little differ-ent. With everything being so close to where they stayed, Kivett’s family walked most places. If it was too far to walk from their hotel, then they resorted to taxis, buses, and trains to get to other cities. If she were to go back again she would learn the language a little more, even though most people do speak English. Her favorite souvenir that she will remember her trip by is her jacket that says Italia.

This years educational tour of Europe is to England, Ireland, Whales, and Scotland. The host, English and Speech teacher Mrs. Ockander, plans to show students London, Sussex, Dublin, Rydal Mount Blarney Castle and other castles, and many other things. “I like to share sights with students to see their eyes open to other cultures and places,” Ockander said. Ockander holds meeings in her home every six to eight weeks to teach students that are going how to travel and about countries they are going to. The trip this year costs $3290 and lasts 14 days. Stu-dents can register with Mrs. Ockander up until the end of the year.

Trips With Mrs. Ockander

Here, in St. Mark’s Square in Florence, Italy, Kayla Kivett is covered in bunches of crazy pigeons.

Kivett enjoyed her trip to Italy along with her fam-ily. They are seen here sitting on a gondola on the Great Canal.

Standing in front of a beautiful, Italian scene, Kivett shows off her favorite souve-nir.

By Anthony JourdanPhoto Editor The key word is leadership. It is one of the big-gest roles played on this year’s football team. Losing 20 players from last year, this team will look for leadership to rebuild on what is left: “the returning starters.” “I’m going to try my hardest to be a big role mod-el for the younger kids. Showing them how to play the positions I play and hopefully it will help them out,” senior running back and cornerback Scott Novak said. The team has many players that contributed to last year’s team. Some of the players include Mark Mintken (offensive line, defensive line) Dan Janovich (fullback, middle linebacker), Brandon Hubert (wide receiver, cor-nerback), Joey Timmerman (fullback, punter), Ryan Boyer (wide receiver, linebacker), Matt Edwards (tight end, de-fensive line), Jake Dietrich (offensive line) and Brennan Stessman (offensive line). When asked some positives about losing so many players from last year this is what junior offensive lineman and middle linebacker Jake Hu-ber had to say. “We lost so many key players, but people have stepped up to make us better as a team,” Huber said. To senior quarterback Ryan Schuetz, not much has changed. “It is always staying positive and working hard in practices and games,” Schuetz said. Some of these returning players have learned from the people that stepped up before them. Now they have to start over again with fresh talent and a new coach. “It’s different but in a good way, learning new things every day about the new players, and working hard with them is really fun,” Novak said. Leadership is one thing that Novak says is a big deal. “It affects the new starters a lot, helping them out and helping them play better football is a big thing” Schuetz said being a vocal leader is key. “I mostly try to lead by example, but I’ve had to work on being a more vocal leader,” Schuetz said. “I try

SportsOctober 2007 Page 12

Senior players test their leadership

Senior Scott Novak runs the ball against Mt. Michael.

to always stay positive with everyone.” For some players leadership comes on and off the field. “I just try and do my best on the field, and keep eligable in the classroom,” Huber said. When asked the ups and downs of being a return-ing starter Novak said it is rough on him. “The ups are that you have experience and ev-erybody is looks up to you, and downs are, that since ev-

eryone looks up to you, if you do bad, it’s hard on you,” Novak said. With losing so many players, this team is facing a tough schedule and the challenges have impacted how the players think this team will do. “We’re definitely playing a different style this year,” Schuetz said. “But like coach always says, we need to do the two things we can control: effort and te-chinque.”

Photos by Anthony Jourdan

Page 13 October 2007Sports

By Brittany HanniganDesign Editor

Almost done... almost there... I’m gonna die... Where’s my music? You might listen to music when you run, but the cross country team is not allowed to listen to anything dur-ing practice or meets, so now what do they do? “Well during prac-tice I think about what’s going on dur-ing the day and some-times I say my Spanish ABC’s,” Soph-omore Sara Gentzler said. “Sometimes you have to make up your own pump up music.” Sophomore Laura Glendenning has her own thoughts. “I don’t really have one specific thing I think about while running, besides the usual ‘charge this hill’ or ‘keep going’ kind of thing... Sometimes I get songs stuck in my head. The rhythm keeps me go-ing.” Even though they can’t listen to music when they practice and race, they listen to music on the

way to the meets. “I definitely listen to music on the way as well as while walking the course before a race to get me focused and pumped for the run.” Glendenning said. Gentzler said that she listens to feel good songs or pump up songs. “...If it’s a long bus ride then I’ll listen to some slow songs to get relaxed,” Gentzler said. Their thoughts also change a lot from the be-ginning to the end. “At first they’ll be kind of upbeat, and then they go downhill at the end I just wanna be done,” Gentzler said. Glendenning thinks differently. “At the beginning it’s more of a pace your-self, pick it up each mile, by the end it’s you’re almost done, sprint to the end, beat your time.” No one really knows why runners aren’t allowed to listen to music when they practice but Gentzler seems to have an idea. “Because you don’t get to listen to music at meets so if you practice with it you’ll get used to it,” she said. At practice their course is about a half mile but they usually do it for about an hour. Senior Lee Henning says that the thing that keeps him going during the course is knowing that it’s his senior year. “I think about how it’s my last time running and it’ll make me a better wrestler.” Henning said. Glendenning also thinks positively. “A lot of what keeps me going is actually what goes on before the race.” Glendenning said. “I think about the course of the race. I’ve got to think posi-tively about every part of it so I don’t psych myself out before hand. Another big part of what keeps me going is [teammate] Katie Allen, she’s always push-ing me to run harder than I think I can and it’s just great to be around.”

What goes through runners’ minds?

Adrenaline starts pumping as the varsity girl runners anxioi-usly wait for the starting gun shot. They placed 2nd at the North Bend Meet.

Time Out! The girl’s vol-leyball team gathers in a team huddle to hear what’s good and what’s not doing so great during the game.

Kicking to the finish is Senior, Lee Henning at the North Bend meet. He placed 4th to con-tribute to the boy’s overall 4th place finish.

Setting up to smack the volleyball are Jac-lyn Sutton and Taylor Haug.

Volleyball photos by Anthony Jourdan

Cross County Photos By Laura Cejka

ride up like crazy. Sure, they’ve found a solution for that, AKA the sticky spray, but I highly doubted wres-tlers would ever use such a feminine product, unless of course they were female. There had to be some-thing else. I decided to investigate.

I asked one of the wrestlers, whose name is Mark Mintken, what it felt like to wear the suits of spandex. Apparently, they’re extremely uncomfort-able, and people stare at you a lot. This information did not answer my question. So I went where any other person would go to obtain information on a completely random topic: the Internet. According to http://www.customjersey.com, there is a rubber gripper in the thigh area to

SportsFebruary 2008 Page 14

By Lexi BuschStaff Writer Have you ever been at a wrestling meet and watched a wrestler get stretched out as far as hu-manly possible? Or, a wrestler with his legs going in different directions? Then you have probably seen the Guillotine or the Banana Split. Senior Mark Mintken, freshmen Josh Rob-erts and Joey Roxburgh all agreed that the Guillotine is the most painful and dreadful move to be in. They said it takes about 15 seconds for a wrestler to be put into the Guillotine and once you’re in one it’s very hard to get out of it. “It hurts the most,” Mintken said. Roberts also agrees with Mintken. “Its very painful,” Roberts said. “It pulls on your arm really hard,” Roxburgh said. Roxburgh thinks that the Banana Split is one of his favorite wrestling moves. “It’s just fun to put someone in one” Joey Roxburgh said. It seems like that Banana Split is no where near as painful as the Guillotine, but when watching this move, it still looks like it puts the wrestler in a very painful situation. “It hurts pretty bad when the other guy is stretching your legs out as far as he can,” Roxburgh said. Both wrestling moves sound like they leave a werstler sore and uncomfortable. “Wrestling moves hurt but it’s worth it,” Roxburgh said.

Wrestlers share most painful moves

Double Leg

Guillotine

Single Leg

Banana SplitHead Throw

To be quite frank, I don’t understand wres-tling at all. I know there’s a ton of different weight classes, there’s no athletic equipment involved, and I am pretty sure the object of the game is to sit on your opponent and twist his arm out of socket until he sur-renders. So out of curiosity, I went to one of Gretna’s very own wrestling matches to see if I could figure out the rules of the sport. Of course, the first thing I noticed when I walked through those gym doors were those curve hugging uniforms. They leave very little to the imagination, and in my opinion are downright disgusting. I am sure there is some aerodynamic formula that gives these uniforms a reason to be so snug, but I still felt awkward staring at these poor boys as they performed these compromising wres-tling moves. As I watched in amazement, I also noticed something very peculiar. The wrestlers’ uniforms didn’t ride up like they probably should have. If you look at any gymnast, you will see that their leotards, which are very similar to the uniforms of a wrestler,

When awkward spandex suits attackprevent the nylon from slipping, so it stays in place. I thought that was pretty amazing, so I did some more research. Most wrestling uniforms are made from ei-ther spandex or nylon, so they stretch like crazy. Obviously, this makes them easier to move in, or no one would wear them. These materials also soak up whatever sweat may secrete during a match, so you won’t be soaked in gross bodily fluids by the end of the day. These uniforms are very durable, and really are easier to compete in than basketball shorts and a T-shirt. But if you ask any wrestler what his opinion is on his uniform, the majority will say they absolute-ly hate them and wish they didn’t have to wear them. Some people won’t even go out for wrestling because of them. So all in all, I went to a wrestling match to learn more about the sport, and I still don’t under-stand how the scoring goes or what the moves are called. I just have a very thorough understanding when it comes to the uniforms.

By Jasmyn KrugerStaff Writer

Photos by Anthony Jourdan

Demonstrating some of wrestling’s most excru-ciating moves are senior Mark Mintken and ju-nior Ryne Osowski.

Page 15 February 2008Sports

By Anthony JourdanPhoto Editor The Dragons have the ball. The pass comes in to Miller. Miller passes it to Crockett, Crockett looks for the shot. It’s not there. He dumps it off to Jones, Jones to Arp and Arp lays it in for two. Height is always a key advantage in basket-ball and that is what the Dragons basketball team has this year. The teams height has played to their advan-tage in their plays this year, according to 6 foot junior Trent Miller. “I think it can be a very large factor. I think it helps when Bryce, Dwight, and Kyle are all over.” Miller said. “Offensively and defensively their height helps us,” 6’4 junior Dwight Jones says height affects the way they plan their games. “The height is a good thing, so we can pound it inside when we aren’t doing well, we always have good players inside,” Jones said. 6’7 senior Bryce Arp says having the taller team doesn’t mean they are the better team. “There are many factors in basketball: speed, skills, etc. And many teams are good even without height, but don’t get me wrong, height helps out quite a bit,” Arp said. With height all over the court there are some ups and downs to always having the bigger and taller team. “Defensively, the height forces other teams to adjust their shot because they must shoot over the

big guys. They also get some great rebounds,” Miller said. “The only down is that sometimes they aren’t the fastest.” “We work it around and score inside better as a team,” Jones said. “And with having taller guys than the other team, it is hard having to guard them around the perimeter.” But there are times when the Dragons are the short ones on the court and they say being shorter is a lot tougher. “Were always worried about getting blocked, so usually we use an up and under move and it is in-timidating to other teams,” Jones said. “When playing against players that are taller than me, I know I have to work harder to create my shot, and to always pump fake when I’m in the lane,” Miller said. When asked what the biggest advantage that the Dragons have over any other team, this is what Miller and Arp had to say. “Our biggest advantage that we have is that we play as a team and for each other,” Arp said. “We have some depth, and we also have a lot of players with varsity experience,” Miller said. “Also height. Having Dwight, Bryce and Kyle is like having trees in the lane.”

Boys b-ball team reaches great heights

girls improve. Weight lifting, shooting free throws, and attending team bonding events are expected of the girls outside of school. “Outside of practice the girls are also expect-ed to be good leaders and role models for people in the school and in our community,” Skrdla said. The girls enjoy spending time together in and out of practice. “The girls are fun to hang out with and team dinners are the best ever,” Senior Carissa Gregory said. “We also get along really well.” Junior Kristen Goldenstein agrees that the best part of being on the team is that she gets to

By Cassi MilroyStaff Writer The last bell rings to release students for the day. Most run out to their cars, but for the members of the girls basketball team, it’s off to the locker room in preparation for their two hour practice. Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 the team starts their practice by stretching, jump roping, and fast breaking. Then the rest of practice is different each day depending on what needs to be worked on including offense, defense, and shooting. At 7:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays the girls come in to shoot 25 free throws before school. Mr. Skrdla says the practices are helping the

Day in the life

of the girls basketball team

hang out with the girls. On game days the girls listen to music or read quotes, and Mr. Skrdla talks to them to help them fo-cus before the game. The girls commented on how the season is going so far. “Our season is going good, we keep improv-ing every week,” Goldenstein said. Gregory agrees. “We’re doing really good. We started the season out with a few difficult games but improved greatly.” “I am very pleased by how well this season is going. We’re doing well, especially after Christmas,” Skrdla said. Skrdla explains why he enjoys being their coach. “This group has been goal driven since the be-ginning, easy to work with, and fun to coach,” Skrdla said. “We have a good bond and I enjoy watching the players as they grow on and off the court.”

6’7 Senior Bryce Arp looks for his shot. Arp’s height has played a big advantage on defense this year for the Dragons.

SportsOctober 2007 Page 14

Time Out...with Karissa AndersonBy Taylor Bradish

From a cheerleading uniform to a cute skirt, collared shirt, and pink clubs, tees, balls, and a glove, senior Karissa Anderson doesn`t seem to have a problem juggling being captain of the cheerleading squad, and being on the golf team. The Voice took a time out with Ander-son and here’s what she had to say about the 2007-2008 golf team. How did you decide to golf? “I have been golfing since I was really young, so I decided to go out my freshman year and it was fun.” How old were you when you start-ed playing golf? “Seven or eight.” What`s the hardest thing about golf? “My short game, chipping, and put-ting.” Did someone influence you to play golf? “My parents play, so we would go golf-ing as a family.” What`s your best score? “I wouldn`t know. I keep score at school, but not out of school.” So, do you play golf out of season? “Yeah, probably once or twice a week, I go with friends and with my family. I play a lot of golf.”

Senior Tara Smith swings her iron at the Tiburon Meet on Thursday, September 20. Smith scored a 53 against Roncalli.

Bailey Hendrix, sophomore, pitches the ball to Waverly.

Top photo: Brittney Andersen, sophomore, gets ready to run at the home game against Waverly on September 11. Gretna won against Waverly 4-1.

Left photo: Junior Hanna Blum waits for the ball to be pitched to her.

Dragons Softball 13-12

Chelsea Kardell, senior, chips the ball at the Tiburon Meet. Kardell got a 45 at LaVista Falls.

Golf photos by Taylor Bradish.

Softball photos by Anthony Jourdan

November 2007 Page 15

Would you like to see your car or a friend’s car in next month’s issue?

Drop by Mrs. Hestermann’s room and let us know!

Q & ACar-of-the Month By Laura Cejka Advertising Manager

Nick Link, Senior

What kind of car do you have?A 1977 International Harvester Scout 2

What is the inside like?There are bucket seats in the front. It’s pretty clean except for when I go mudding, it gets pretty muddy inside. The gauges don’t work on it so I’ve gotten four speeding tickets.

Where did you get your car?My neighbor down the street got it on Ebay then sold me his old one. I would joke about how I would never buy a car like that then I ended up buying it.

When did you get your car?A year ago this month.

Why did you pick the car you did?It’s different. No one else in Gretna has it. It’s also has 4-wheel drive, which is good, espe-cially in Nebraska.

What is your dream car?1st generation Hummer or a Saleen McLaren F1 GTR.

Any special details to your car that you want to brag about?The exhaust! If you hear something really loud coming from three miles away, it’s probably me coming down the highway. My dad and me have been working on it. We lifted it, put big-ger shackles on it, painted the wheels, put in a cd player, re-carpeted the hard top, added an electronic choke for winter and we’re painting the hardtop white. It weighs 4 tons.

Name 3 things in the back of your car.Gas can, since the gage for the gas tank doesn’t work, a folding chair that I got from post prom, and a baseball glove. I keep it pretty clean. I don’t live in my car like other people do.

Mark Mintken, Senior

Q Your house is burning down, all the people and pets are outside, you have time to run back and save one thing, what would you grab?A. My X-Box 360.

Q.If you could have two front row tickets to any concert, who would you go see?

A. Lil Wayne.

Q.If you could play a one on one game against any NBA player, who would you play against?A. Rick Smits.

Brittany Olson, Junior

Q. If you could enter a race horse in the Kentucky derby, what would you name your horse?A. Sally Sunshine.

Q. If you could have two front row tickets to any concert, who would you go see?

A. Led Zeppelin, if they were still together.

Q. If you could play a one on one game against any NBA player, who would it be?A. Michael Jordan.

Jack Griffey, Freshman

Q: What`s your favorite number-one through nine- and why?A: 4 cause it’s my all-time favorite quarterback`s number.

Q: What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child? A: 27

Q. What fear do you most want to be rid of forever? A. Death.

-Jess Crawford

Jordan Kracht, Sophomore

Q: What`s your favorite number-one through nine- and why?A: 3, I was 3 when my little sister was born

Q: What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?A.22

Q. What fear do you most want to be rid of forever?A. Not being happy and not having a family when I`m older.

-Jess Crawford

In the Hallways

Photo by Laura Cejka

October 2007 Page 15In the Hallways

Jesse Merriman, Junior

Q: If you could be anyone in the world who would you be? Why?A: Zac Efron because he’s so cute.

Q: What song best describes you? Why?A: I’m too sexy. Isn’t it obvious?

Tyler Novak, Freshman

Q: What is the one food that you just can’t live with out?Why?A: Cheese because I couldn’t eat a burger without it.

Q: If you could be in one grade again what one would it be and why?A: Preschool because you get snack time and nap time. -Lexi Busch

Daina Keehn, Sophomore

Q: If you could change any-thing at all to an elevator ride to make it more inter-esting, what would you do and why?A: A Crazy Dazy Sprinkler Sys-tem and Andes Mints; every-body loves Crazy Dazy sprinkler systems and Andes mints are delightful.

Q: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” What food would you change that to and why?A: Watermelon! It’s one of God’s greatest gifts.

Car-of-the MonthBy Laura CejkaAdvertising Manager

Jason Sudrla, junior

What kind of car do you have?A white 1996 Chrysler Sebring JXI. It has leather bucket seats in the front and back.

What is the inside like?Pretty clean because if I put the top down everything will blow out.

Where did you get your car?A private owner in Gretna

When did you get your car?Last year for an early birthday present since I needed it for school.

Why did you pick your car?It wasn’t as common as a mustang, but it was still sporty and luxurious.

What is your dream car?A Jaguar D-type. The coolest car ever.

Any special details to your car that you want to brag about?I got some pretty sweet new rims and it’s a convertible. It’s the nicest style of the Chrysler Sebrings you can get

Name 3 things in the back seat of your carsoccer ball, soccer shoes, and a box of Cheez- its.

Would you like to see your car or a friend’s car

in next month’s issue?Drop by

Mrs. Hestermann’s room and let us know!

Q & A

P hotos By Laura Cejka

-Jahn Kuiper

-Alyssa Stahr

October 2007 Page 16Photo Story

Youʼve got

Pumping up the crowd seniors, Allyssa Cirian and McKenzie Shep-pard, junior Kylie Hamel and seniors Jesse Manzitto and Ty-ler Johnson cheer on the Dragons.

Senior Troy Hoover and junior Brian Harmon are pleased with the score as Gretna rolled over Mt. Michael 28-7. Showing their spirit, seniors Jesse Manzitto and Mick

Crockett pose for the camera.

With approval junior Ben Barna and senior Allyssa Cirian give a thumbs up. The spirit theme that night was a black out.