Payton Leach

Ravan Kentzler

HOME OF THE MUSTANGSDoniphan West High School

402 East MainHighland, KS 66035

www.doniphanwest.org

Volume 7 Issue 3 March 15, 2011

Imagine this: you’re walking to go tothe vending machine because your mouthis watering for a caramel and chocolatefilled Snickers, but to your surprise youfind yourself stuck with a Nutri-Grain bar.Bye-bye 500 calories, hello 150.

According to Kansas PreK-12 WellnessPolicy Guidelines, schools are limitingcalories in vending machines and tryingto make the food in the vending machineshealthier for students.

The rules are being changed in manyschools and it isn’t just DWHS that ischanging the requirements in its vendingmachines.

Vended foods must be 200 calories orless, milk must be 360 calories or less,and soy and rice beverages must have lessthan 35% of weight from sugar. What thismeans is no more Snickers, Beef Jerky,Doritos, 3 Musketeers, Cookies, orCupcakes.

Now dropping from the vendingmachines are Whole Grain Pop-tarts, Chex Mix, Baked Lays,Salted Cashews, Salted Peanuts, Sun Chips, Cinnabons,and Nutri-Grain bars.

“I disagree on the changes. I don’t understand why theystill sell potato chips but not drinks anymore,” junior KatrinaMiller said.

My feelings on the changes of the vending machines areneutral. I agree because I know that it’s changing for a goodreason and that is so we can stay healthy. Students are

still allowed to go to Casey’s during lunch break so it justgives kids the opportunity to buy the goods that they can’tget from the vending machines anymore.

“The changes in the vending machines make me feel fatand like the school is trying to give me hints that I’m gettingbigger,” freshman Narissa Elrod said.

There are a lot of advantages to the changes and somemay think that there are a lot of disadvantages, but on thebright side it’s just helping people make healthier choices.

Good bye sugar high, Hello calorie low

Ever heard of talking withyour hands? Well, the AmericanSign Language class takes it to awhole new level. Taking place inthe IDL room, the 10 students inASL learn from teacher TerryHostin at the Kansas School forthe Deaf.

Beginning out the year inASL, the class started out bylearning the basic alphabet andthen got into some of the basicsigns. The class literally getshands on learning in the signlanguage. They learn from atextbook and also from Hostin bydoing various activities and games.

The interesting thing aboutsign language is in each countryof the world, each form of signlanguage is a different language,just like English is different fromother languages.

The class also got the chanceto interact with two deaf studentsfrom KSD who came to DWHS andate lunch with them. The classgot to know their stories and howthey became deaf.

Sometime in the spring, theASL class plans to go to KSD tomeet with other deaf students andinteract with them which willhelp the students get morepractice for their signing.

ASL is an interesting classand gives students the opportunityto talk to the deaf and also givesthem the chance to learn whatit’s like to communicate as a deafperson would everyday.

Kansas State, Washburn,Highland, Mid-America,Northwest, Citadel and manyother colleges are beingconsidered by the Class of 2011as their time to choose is uponthem.

There are many things toconsider when choosing a pathafter high school that fits. A bigthing to keep in mind is if theschool a person chooses wasfor them or because that iswhere friends will be attending.Everyone wants to knowsomeone where they go, but ifthat is the only reason forchoosing that school,rethinking the options may be

a good idea.“When choosing a college to

attend, choose one that’s rightfor you. Don’t go because youknow other people that aregoing there. You’ll make newfriends no matter where you go,so it’s best to branch out on yourown,” said Maggie Gilmore,class of 2010, who attendsKansas State.

Another key thing is classsizes. Do you want to attend aclass where the teacher knowsyour name or attend class in alecture hall with at least 100other students?

Missouri Western studentand class of 2010 graduate MaliaSisk said, “I like Mo.Westbecause the campus is fairly

small and the class sizes aresmall enough to get to knoweveryone and your professor.”

Try to pick a college that hasa good reputation for the field youare planning to go into. Beinghappy with the decision made isone of the most important thingsalso be sure you can get thedegree you want in good time.

Some people are okay withonly coming home a few times ayear, such as K-Stater GeoffreyHargis, class of 2010 who said,“I’ve only been back to DoniphanCounty three times and only onewas voluntary. If I had a choice,I wouldn’t ever go back.”

On the other hand, somepeople want to be home at leastonce a month. Being able to comehome may be a big factor in thedecision made. Be sure toconsider how far you are willingto move away from home beforemaking a final decision.

“It takes me an hour and ahalf to get home. I think it’sperfect. It’s far enough away, butI can also go home for a weekendwithout thinking the drive wastoo long,” said Alesha Miller,class of 2009, who attends BakerUniversity.

There are a few thingsneeded to look into whenconsidering a college. Mostpeople will probably want a carwhen they are away, so makesure they are allowed. Anotherquestion would be if you can livein an apartment, on or offcampus, or if you are to live inthe on-campus dormitories.

“I live in the Zeta Tau Alphasorority house and it takes meabout five minutes to walk toany building on campus,” Millersaid.

Before choosing a college,apply to any college that youwant to consider. Considereverything just to see what’s outthere.

“I applied to about six orseven colleges and decided thatthis was my best bet in theend,” said Lindsay Libel, 2010graduate that now attendsGraceland University.

Wait to see where you areaccepted, then discussscholarships they will give youand their financial aidprograms, anyone and everyoneare eligible to apply forscholarships of their choice.

Although money is alwaysan object when choosing acollege, there are many waysto help. There are manyscholarships that everyone canapply for. There are specificscholarships for the major youare going to go into, as well asones from high schoolaccomplishments. Even if youaren’t an honor roll student,still apply for many differentscholarships.

For high school students itis never too early to startconsidering different options.Even from when we are a littlekid,we had dreams about wherewe wanted to go

BreAnne Caudle

Seniors Taylor Martin and EmilyFrench, both students of signlanguage, sign to each other forpractice.

College paths helped by advice, visits, planning

The content of this studentpublication does not necessarilyrepresent the views of the schoolboard, the administration, thefaculty adviser, or the entirenewspaper staff, but has beenselected and determined by staffmembers.

Reporters and Photographers:senior Mackenzie Cunningham;junior Chelsea Miller;sophomores Kassiday Blevins,BreAnne Caudle, EmilyFranken, Ravan Kentzler,Gabby Speer; freshmen KyleighEdie & Payton LeachAdviser: Marla TaylorThe D. West Express ispublished by the Journalism Iclass of Doniphan West HighSchool, P.O. Box 308,Highland, KS 66035.www.doniphanwest.org

D. West Express Staff

see “College” page 3Senior Mackenzie Cunningham illustrates stressing over choosing acollege and everything that comes with it, even with all the magazinesand books counselor Karen Autem has to offer.

New DWHS trend:talking in sign language

Replacing Snickers, 3 Musketeers, and Paydays are the Oat bars, healthypeanuts,and Nutri Grain Bars all under 200 calories.

D-West Express

Emily Franken

Rachel Rush

March 15, 2011

“It’s a pillow”, it’s a pet,”it ’s a Pillow Pet”. Thesecuddly, softly stuffed, andeasily carried pets are littlefavorite stuffed animal pets forkids, even teenagers.

People from age three toteens are fans of theseamazing pets. They areextremely versatile; theseunique creatures are thestuffed animal version ofTransformers.

When parents first look atthem it just looks like a regularstuffed animal, but it’s actuallyis a pillow too. There are avariety of pillow pets: thecomfy panda, Zip Pity Zebra,Playful Penguin, MagicalUnicorn, Krissy Koala, SillyMonkey, Ms. Ladybug andmany more.

“I got my pillow pet(Eeyore) in Walt Disney and Iabsolutely love it even thoughit’s a little kid pillow,”sophomore Aisha Diveley said.

They come in two differentdimensions, 18” large and 11”

animals all around theirbedrooms and the house. So shewas determined she was makinga stuffed toy which was also ameaningful item.

According to the article“Pillow Pet Plush Toys,” shelater came up with the conceptthat became the best sellingproduct of 2009 and 2010.

For Christmas of 2009 all the

small, and they usually sell for$20.

“I got my pillow pet forChristmas and I love it!”freshman Madison Smith said.

The creator of the pillowpets is a mother of two fromSan Diego, California who hasmade thousands of little kidshappy. She was tired of herkids leaving their stuffed

stores were sold out. Becauseof this, she ended up makinga millionaire industry andpillow pets are being soldnationally.

In addition there arecomplementary items beingsold like blankets, backpacks,slippers, and also books. Theyare high quality, super soft andchenille.

Two weeks before Christmas the parking lot had somenew treads on its gravel. The treads belong to senior, TravisArnold’s new car; a rare, sporty, blue 1997 Honda Prélude SH(Super- Handling). A car like this is rare to find; however,Arnold came acrossed the Prélude by searching Craiglist adsfrom “Mighty Auto Sales in KC.” Arnold can now drive his owncar instead of his dad’s Dodge Durango.

Fearing the amount of miles on the car, the goodsoutweighed the bad and he chose to purchase the car. “It’sfast, has awesome handling, interior is nice, and the exteriorlooks cool,” Arnold said.

Although the car is sporty, Arnold has had a crash coursein maintaining a sports car. He has had the opportunity tocruise more than 500 miles with his brand new wheels. Afterpurchasing his car, Arnold found out the hard way that someof the engine parts were damaged because the previous ownersdid not change the oil as needed; as the stress of winterrolled around causing the parts to break.

The car was taken to Arnold’s cousin in Omaha, Neb. whois a master mechanic for Honda, and has plans to get theparts needed off of a junk Prélude.

“If you buy a Prélude, you have to check the oil every weekbecause they burn more oil than other cars. These types of

cars have high performance engines, so keeping the oil in themis crucial.” He said.

When he gets his new car back Omaha, Arnold has futureplans of putting a new shift knob on since the old knob is alittle too bland for his taste. When he gets the money, healso plans to replace the sound system and headlights. Untilthen, Arnold’s Prélude will continue to add style to our gravelparking lot.

During these long snowywinter months, most peoplearen’t thinking about flowers,but for the horticulturestudents, flowers seem to be theonly thing on their minds.Everything from makingcuttings, potting plants,watering, and identifyingplants is being done inpreparation for plant sales andFFA Super Day in the spring.

Earlier this year, thehorticulture students weregiven the task of growing plantsfrom cuttings. They did this bycutting the ends off of matureplants and planting the endsinto their own pots. Many of thenewly blooming plants in thegreenhouse come from cuttings.

In addition to plantingcuttings, horticulture studentshave been potting foliage andflowers that were ordered bythe horticulture teacher, ElmerSchmitz. Potting plants involvestransferring plants fromsmaller containers into largerones with fresh soil.

“The green house is quicklygreening up!” Schmitz said.

One of the most importantjobs of the horticulture class iswatering. “It’s messy but theoutcome is worth it,” juniorTyler Diveley said.

With plants and flowersalready thriving, thehorticulture students arestarting seeing the beautifulresults of hard work with theblooming of bright redgeraniums and hanging basketsfilled with a variety of colorfulflowers.

Although working in thegreenhouse has been a toppriority for the horticultureclass this semester, they havealso been hard at work gettingready for the spring Super Day.Super Day is a day when FFAstudents put their knowledgeinto good use. They take teststo compete with students fromschools in surrounding areas.

For the horticulture class,part of their test will includeplant identification. “It takes along time to memorize all thedifferent plants, but it’s fun tobe able to name them off whenI see them in nature….makesme feel smart,” junior MichelleJohnson said.

“It’s a Pillow” it’s a pet”, It’s a Pillow Pet “

Juniors Jessica Pickman andMichelle Johnson water andfertilize the plants in the aggreenhouse in preparation for theFFA plant sales.

Horticulture classhelps prepare fornice, green spring

Anxious for a new home is a friendlyred ladybug.

The soft, pink dolphin and the happy yellow bee are waitingon a shelfat East Hills Shopping Center for someone to come along and take themhome to love.

Arnold sports high maintenance Honda

Mackenzie Cunningham

Arnold getsready to drivehis new wheelsout of theparking lot afterhis long schoolday.

Photos earn recognition at Kansas Scholastic Press Association contest

1st place - SportsStephanie Scales

2nd place - AcademicsAshlie Witham

Honorable Mention - Student Life ~ Katherine RushSeventeen Doniphan West journalism students qualified for the KSPA state

journalism contest with their efforts at the 1A/2A regional contest on Feb. 24 atManhattan.

The results are as follows: A. Witham, 2nd place Academics Photo; L. Allen 3rd

place Advertising; G. Speer, HM advertising; Michelle Johnson HM Cutlines; R.Kentzler, HM Editorial Cartoon; M. Cunningham and Michelle Johnson, HMEditorial Writing; Witham, HM Feature Writing; E. French, HM Headlines; E.Franken & J. Pickman, HM Infographics; J. Pickman, HM News Writing; KassidayBlevins, 3rd Newspaper Design; B. Caudle, HM Newspaper Design; M. Ellis, 3rd

Newspaper Sports Writing; T. Gibson, 1st place Photo Illustration; S. Scales, 1st

Sports Photo; K. Rush, HM Student Life Photo; M. Ellis, 3rd Yearbook Layout; N.Boos, HM Yearbook Layout; H. Lackey, 1st place Yearbook Sports Writing; T.Gibson, 3rd place Yearbook Sports Writing.

The state journalism contest will be at the University of Kansas on May 7.

Spring Play Performance

April 15, 16, @ 7 p.m.April 15, 16, @ 7 p.m.April 15, 16, @ 7 p.m.April 15, 16, @ 7 p.m.April 15, 16, @ 7 p.m.& April 17 @ 2 p.m.& April 17 @ 2 p.m.& April 17 @ 2 p.m.& April 17 @ 2 p.m.& April 17 @ 2 p.m.

Name of play:

Yearbook“A positive play about

the humor,determination andcaring that exists in

every school.”

He loves the speed, handling, looks

March 15, 2011 D-West Express

Mackenzie Cunningham

35 thingsto do

beforeyou dieKassiday Blevins

Need to add a little fun toyour life? Try some ofthese:

1) Donate to a charity2) Laugh untilyou cry3)Watch a seriesof movies for 24hours4) Introduce

yourself to a stranger witha different name andpersonality5) Go skydiving6) Learn tosurf7) Givemoney to ahomelessperson8) Go parasailing9) Swim with dolphins10) Send a message in abottle11) Learn to ballroomdance12) Kiss underneath awaterfall13) Kiss underneath theEiffel Tower14) Sleep underthe stars (notent)15) Test drive anexpensive car16) Kiss in the rain/snow17) Adopt a star18) Attend Super Bowl19) Crowd surf at a rockconcert20) Write a song21) Say “I Love You” andmean it22) Donate blood23) Test drive an airplane24) Take a friend to church25) Go white water rafting26) Travel around the world

27) Ride in a hotair balloon28) Run amarathon29) Learn to playchess

30) Feed penguins31) Go deep sea fishing32) See a beach sunset33) Learn a foreignlanguage34) Travel to exotic places35) Swim with sharks

to college. Come junior year of highschool, you need to really startnarrowing down. During secondsemester of junior year is a very goodtime to start narrowing down the optionsand getting serious. Don’t wait too long,come your senior year it could begin tobe too late!

Being the school counselor, KarenAutem has seen the small, commonmistakes, but she has also seen the big,major ones. “The biggest mistakes I see

are seniors (and juniors) not takingadvantage of their college visit days,” shesaid.

In addition to getting Autem’s help,talk to friends who have recentlygraduated. Talking to someone that hasbeen through everything you are goingthrough may give you the best advice ofanyone.

Hargis’s advice is, “Get away fromhome [the county]. I’ve met so many newpeople and had tons of new experiencesand opportunities. I’ve now checked off‘Rush basketball court after beating a no.

1 team’ from my bucket list.”Seniors are allowed three excused

days to visit different colleges of theirchoice, and juniors are also given twoexcused days. This is a privilege that isgiven, but whether or not students takeup this opportunity is their owndecision.

“Go tour the campus! Most of all makesure you actually are in love with theschool,” Libel said.

Taking this opportunity to tourcampuses and meet with administrationscould really affect a final decision.

It’s Friday night and it’s time forthe half time performance. How canone tell? Well, all the little kids andcommunity members race find a spotto sit, and on special occasion thelights shut off, as everybody waits forthe spirit squad to start the show. Thetwo minute performance ends withthe crowd going wild.

The coach who brings all the 18 to21 performers together is KellyTwombly, who has been a coach forabout 10 years now. What isinteresting enough is Twombly has nothad formal dance training; she was ajunior high cheerleader, a ClassyLassie at Highland CommunityCollege, and a Classy Cat at KansasState University. Everything sheteaches the young women is what shehas learned throughout her years.

She became involved with thecheer program by becoming a juniorhigh cheer coach, and the next year acheer coach at the high school forHighland. When DWHS formed therewas a huge interest in cheerleading,

over 40 girls trying out. Because ofthe interest a new addition was addedto the spirit squad: the dance team.

“The girls worked hard and it hasnow become a new addition to oursquads,” Twombly said.

The girls learn differentchoreography throughout the year fordances and diddies; however,Twombly can’t take all the credit forthe moves. She incorporates teammembers, alumni, and otherresources for ideas to work with.There is also a camp in the summerfor squad to learn prepared dancesthat are changed to fit the group.Throughout the whole yearsophomore Emily Franken said,“’Walk it Out’ is my favorite dance.”

Songs also have notable wordsthat give ideas for dance moves andprops. The props can be anything fromcowboy hats to glow sticks.

As for the dances, the songdictates the style of choreography forthe girls to learn. Along with thesong, time determines the level ofdifficulty of the moves, the ability toincorporate all girls into one dance,and what the crowd will enjoy.

Another part of preparation thatTwombly focuses on is the costumesthe girls will perform in. Shesometimes asks the squad for ideas.Twombly said, “Many times, it will justhit me driving down the road or whileI’m cleaning house.”

Consequently the spirit squaddoesn’t have a lot of budget to workwith, so the costumes consist ofinexpensive items to purchasethemselves, what the girls all readyhave, or a creative mom with a goodidea.

When the moves, song, andcostume all fit together the girls areready to perform. “Normally, it isn’twhen they are ready enough. “Thefinal test is adding facial expressionsand having a good time with theperformance.”

Some high schools, but not ours,have competition squads for cheer anddance. They could be a lot of fun aswell as a lot of work, time, and money.The young women have so much goingon all ready; competition squads maynot be coming to this high school. Asfor our spirit squad, they will continueto dance, cheer, and please the crowd.

“College” from page 1

Ten years of excellence for coach, spirit squad

Top: Sophomore Alexis Simmons and freshman Narissa Elrod practicefor the “Walk it Out” dance.Far left: Kelly Twombly works with the dancers to make sure theladies are “ready enough.”Middle: Senior Ashlie Witham shows her facial expression during the“Walk it Out” performance.Above: The dance team practices after school to perfect their danceto Janet Jackson’s “Feedback.”Bottom Left: Seniors Taryn Gibson, Hannah Lackey, Ashlie Witham,and Emily French along with the rest of the dancers show theirsmiles after the “Fire Burnin’” dance during football season.Bottom Right: Sophomore BreAnn Caudle flies in the stunt assophomores Maggie Johnson and Aisha Diveley, and senior HannahLackey hold her up during the Troy basketball game.

March 15, 2011D-West Express

If you were a Pro Wrestler,what would your name be?

Nick JohnsonNick JohnsonNick JohnsonNick JohnsonNick JohnsonNikki BoosNikki BoosNikki BoosNikki BoosNikki Boos

ExpressYourself

Kyleigh Edie

TTTTTaaaaaylor Sulliylor Sulliylor Sulliylor Sulliylor Sullivvvvvan,an,an,an,an, 9 9 9 9 9

Rachel Rush

Landon Allen, 12 Landon Allen, 12 Landon Allen, 12 Landon Allen, 12 Landon Allen, 12

“Mr“Mr“Mr“Mr“Mr.F.F.F.F.Fantastic”antastic”antastic”antastic”antastic”

Chelsea Miller

Justin Bieber

Prom Dresses

Eos Chapstick

FloweryHeadbands

March Madness

Silly Bandz

Christina Aguilera 2011 Super Bowl Epic Fail

Snow!!!

Charlie Sheen being in jail and fired from Two and a Half Men

Borders closing down because of the economy

Did you know that plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into theocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year, according to thearticle “Recycling Benefits: The Many Reason Why.”

A lot of people don’t realize that recycling plays such a huge role in thewelfare of our environment and wildlife both now and in the future. Theconsequences of not recycling are enormously devastating for everyone.

There are many simple and easy ways to recycle at home and around thecommunity. Everyone can make a difference. If we want our world to be cleanand our resources abundant for generations to come, we must recycle.

There are countless positive effects of recycling; for instance, it cansave massive amounts of money. “Recycling Benefits” reports that New YorkCity leaders realized that a redesigned, well- organized recycling system couldactually save the city $20 million.

Recycling also saves energy. For example, the article “Why EveryoneShould Recycle” claims that recycling one pound of steel can save enoughenergy to run a 60-watt bulb for onewhole day. Additionally, recyclingincreases the amount of oxygenproducing and pollution reducingtrees. For each ton of paper recycled,17 trees are saved.

Recycling also generates jobs.About 1.1 million United States jobsare created thanks to recycling. It isextremely important that peoplerealize just how vital recycling is tothe well being of the environmentand even importantly humanity.

The consequences of notrecycling are extremely severe. If wedon’t begin doing our part inrecycling, we will soon be surrounded by our own filthy waste. In the article“The Effects of Not Recycling,” it says “The amount of trash that the UnitedStates produces has tripled in the past 50 years. At that rate, we will beproducing nearly a billion tons of trash a year by 2060.”

It is completely unnecessary for the United States population to producesuch large quantities of garbage. Also, by not recycling we are polluting ourair. When factories produce plastic, metal, and paper products, toxins arereleased into the atmosphere causing our air to become contaminated.According to “Why Everyone Should Recycle” if we were to recycle thosematerials, it would cut back tremendously on the amount of pollution beingdumped into our atmosphere. Our world is quickly deteriorating and if wedon’t take action now, not only will we see the terrible results of pollution,but so will future generations.

Recycling is such an easy and rewarding thing to do. Not only will youfeel good about doing it, but you will actually see results. Many people maythink that recycling takes too much time and requires a lot of effort. That iscompletely false. A common excuse for people not to recycle is that theirtrash company doesn’t pick up recycling. That may be true, but there aremany easy ways to recycle household items that don’t involve trash companies.

Recycling can be as simple as reusing plastic grocery bags or drinkingwater from the tap instead of from a plastic bottle. It is also believed thatone person can’t make a difference when it comes to recycling, but in realityone person can make a huge difference. “Why Everyone Should Recycle” reportsthat an average person in the U.S. produces around 1,600 lbs. of waste eachyear. If that trash was recycled, we could save around 1,100 lbs. of waste peryear--over half a ton per a person.

The environment’s condition rests in our hands. We must work hard tokeep our surroundings clean and keep our natural resources plentiful forfuture generations.

You need to take action and start doing your part in improving theenvironment. The simplest of actions such as using scratch paper to writenotes or take messages can and will make a difference.

Nic Nic Nic Nic Nick Sck Sck Sck Sck Schneiderhneiderhneiderhneiderhneider,,,,, 11 11 11 11 11

“Big Ber“Big Ber“Big Ber“Big Ber“Big Bertha”tha”tha”tha”tha”

“Big Daddy”“Big Daddy”“Big Daddy”“Big Daddy”“Big Daddy”

Just one person’s efforts make a differenceRecycling--a must to save the world

Piled up boxes of paper collected bythe Ag class to recycle.

For a recycling effort, freshman James Wallsremoves Christmas lights from the metal theyare wrapped around in Ag Fabrications Class.

A scrap metal recycling bin atschool.

“recycling one

pound of steel can

save enough energy

to run a 60-watt bulb

for one whole day”

November 23, 2010D-West Express

Hey “Pretty Little Liars”,It’s time to get the low-down on

“Pretty Little Liars” at DWHS, delvingdeep into the lives of SpencerHastings, Hanna Marin, Emily Fields,and Aria Montgomery of the hit ABCshow.

After their best frenemy AlisonDiLaurentis mysteriously disappears,the girls’ friendship falls apartcompletely. That is until one yearlater, when Alison’s body is found inthe confines of her own backyard.Soon afterwards they all begin gettingmysterious and sometimesthreatening messages from someonethey only know as “A”. They cometogether as friends once again to findout exactly who “A” is and what he/she wants from them, only to find outthat “A” knows all their dirty littlesecrets. Secrets that they all thoughtonly Alison knew, but “A” couldn’t beAlison because Alison is dead…or isshe?

Whether the girls’ secrets are asbad as shoplifting or stealing an oldersister’s boyfriend, these girls have alot to hide from the people ofRosewood.

As the plot thickens the girlsbegin to wonder if there was someonethat Ali told all their secrets to sonot only would she have dirt on them,but so would someone else. Not onlydoes “A” have dirt on them from thepast, but it seems like he/she iswatching their every move in thepresent. They begin to wonder ifAlison is still alive when an eeriemessage is sent to all their phonesthat says “A isn’t for Anonymous, it’sfor Alison. –A.”

The show continues as themessages become more and morefrequent, the girls become closer toeach other, and closer to discoveringwho “A” really is.

According to the article, “‘PrettyLittle Liars’ sets a new ratings recordfor winter premiere,” by Matt Carteron Jan. 3, 2011, the ratings for theshow brought in a series record of4.2 million viewers. Shockingly, theratings for “Liars” that Monday nightwere higher than any show on NBC,and they nearly equaled a rerun of“House” on Fox.

If these ratings are any indicationto the world of how popular the showis, then I think it means you and yourfriends should definitely turn on ABCFamily every Monday at 7 p.m. towatch the rest of the drama unfold.

Ratings also indicate that anygirls’ age group would enjoy watchingthis show, especially with theirfriends or family. When the show firstpremiered in the summer of 2010 itwas an immediate hit with ABCFamily’s audience, getting thenetwork the highest ratings for aseries it has ever had.

Xoxo -A

“Two can keep asecret, if one ofthem is dead”

Chelsea Miller

Gabby Speer

A thriller with action, suspense,that feeling of what’s going to happennext these are some of the feelingsyou might get when watching themovie “Inception.”

Cobb, played Leonardo DiCaprio,is a very skilled extractor; he goesinto people’s sub-conscious trying tosteal information from them whenthey are asleep. His job is highlyillegal and dangerous, and usually hedoesn’t get caught. That is until Saito,one of the men who he tried to extract

information from, catches him andoffers him a deal.

Cobb must insert an idea intosomeone’s mind which will thencause them to make differentdecisions in the real world: Inception.If he can do this he will finally get toquit running and go home to hisfamily.

“Inception” takes place in amodern time, but for most of themovie they are inside of people’sdreams. They go into layers of aperson’s subconscious, but theycannot go too far deep or it will seemthat they spend a life time in eternity.

Five minutes in the real world is anhour in the dream world and for everylayer they go down that timemultiplies.

“Inception” was nominated for fourGolden Globes, was given 9 out of 10stars, and is rated PG-13 for theviolence.

“Inception” was in theaters July16, 2010 and is now out on DVD.

I would definitely recommend thismovie; it ’s exciting to watch andmakes you think. If you like somethingthat has action, suspense, and alsovery confusing at times then“Inception” is the movie to watch.

DiCaprio’s thriller action movie‘Inception’goes inside the mind,

keeps viewers thinking

Justin Bieber movie --should viewers say ‘Never’ again?

Decked out in 3-D glasses and waiting for the Justin Biebermovie “Never Say Never” to begin are sophomore MaggieJohnson, senior Emily French, seniors Travis Arnold and LandonAllen. Acting bored in the background are junior Tyler Diveley,sophomore Jordan Sellers, and senior Josh Van Laar.

“I always liked Justin Bieber, but after the movie, Irealized how awesome he really is!!

~Ashlie Witham, 12

“It didn’t make me wanna pull my eyes out, but I wouldnot pay to see it again,”

~ Josh Van Laar, 12

“I felt like I lost a part of my manhood, and I wouldn’twatch it again--EVER.”

~ Landon Allen, 12

“I’ve always had the fever, but seeing the movie mademy temperature be hospital worthy! I appreciate him so

much more now, and I’m convinced that in my future,my last name will change to Bieber.”

~ Emily French, 12

“Bieber can dance, but he’s still a little goofy.”~ Nick Johnson, 12

“It didn’t make me want to cry, but I am a little jealousof his skill. I probably won’t see it again. . .there were

too many screaming girls!”~ Alaine Caudle, 12

“It was awesome! And I would see it twice a day forthe rest of my life and still be in love with him!”

~ Maggie Johnson, 10

March 15, 2011 D-West Express

March 15, 2011D-West Express

Celebrity Valentines

Allen Dorrell

Elizabeth Courtin

Austin Ricklefs

Abby Fee

Kyle Alfrey

Veronica Dickson

Nick Johnson

Katie Crandall

Megan Fox

Luke Bryan

Hayden Panettiere

Ryan Scheckler

Paris Hilton

Orlando Bloom

That Chick on theNew Milk Poster

Kurt from Glee

If you had the chance, who would be your Celebrity Valentine?

When I was in high school. . .

Chelsea Miller

Kyleigh Edie

February survey of 161 studentsFebruary survey of 161 studentsFebruary survey of 161 studentsFebruary survey of 161 studentsFebruary survey of 161 students

What these teachers had to say

Mr. Martin Mrs. Lock Mr. Heurtas Mrs. Parish

Payton Leachand BreAnne

Caudle

Random Fact of the DayThe “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” isThe “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” isThe “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” isThe “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” isThe “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” issaid to be the toughest tongue twister in thesaid to be the toughest tongue twister in thesaid to be the toughest tongue twister in thesaid to be the toughest tongue twister in thesaid to be the toughest tongue twister in the

English language.English language.English language.English language.English language.

March 15, 2011 D-West Express

Emily

Fra

nken

iphone apps provideinformation, entertainment

my favorite app is. . .

Doodle Jump~ Ruby Rhodd, 10

Tap Tap Revolution~ Terri Simmons, 11

Deer Hunter~ Skylar Crossland, 11

Talking Tom Cat~ Trevor Fee, 9

Have you ever thought about why people try to loseweight? Is it to become healthier? Is it to becomethinner? Or is it to make weight? That’s right for someDWHS athletes.

Throughout the December thru February season,most of the wrestlers had to be conscious to maintaintheir weight at a certain number in order to participatein a certain weight class.

Wrestlers might lose weight so they can be in aneasier bracket or if someonefrom their team is in thesame weight class, theyneed to move to a differentclass.

Coach Carl Swendsonsaid, “If two wrestlers haveequal technique andstamina, the wrestler that is stronger usually wins.”

The three state qualifiers sophomore Gabby Speerand juniors Aaron Halling and Austin Veach allcarefully managed their weight during this season.

Speer especially worked on maintaining her weightin preparation for sub-state. If she didn’t make herweight class of 130 pounds, she would not have beenable to compete at all.

Throughout the season Speer said her dietconsisted mostly of yogurt and green beans. “I couldn’twait until the season was over to eat mashed potatoes,”

she said.According to state guidelines, the maximum amount

that wrestlers can lose is up to 8 percent of their alphaweight, which is based on a weigh in at the start ofthe season. If a wrestler wants to lose more than that,he or she must have a doctor’s note.

Aaron Halling said that he dieted so he was able tostay in the 152 pound weight class. “In the morning,I’d have a cup of coffee with sugar,” he said. “Then Iate the school lunch without seconds. In the eveningI’d have ½ to one gallon of apple juice.”

Since the seasonended, Halling said he hasbeen eating all kinds offood. “Anything I can see.”

The coachesencourage an athlete todrop or gain weight; somemore than most, depending

if that wrestler is trying to lose or gain weight. If awrestler is in need of gaining or losing weight, a coachbasically highly encourages him or her to drop or puton the pounds.

Coach Swendson said he and coach Frank Speeradvised the wrestlers on ways to lose weight. Amongthese are to avoid junk food and pop, to eat six verysmall meals a day, and to start their diet early in theyear so they don’t have to lose a lot of weight at once.

He also added that the athletes are not to skip mealsor lose by dehydration.

Wrestlers closely monitor diets, scalesNikki Boos & staff

Sophomore Gabby Speer checks out her post-season weight.

“I couldn’t wait until the season wasover to eat mashed potatoes.”

Gabby Speer, sophomore

BreAnne Caudle & Kassiday Blevins

March 15, 2011D-West Express

Kyleigh Edie

coaches oll

Coaches inthe mix

Matt Ellis

Bailey Lanter

Carl Swendson

Troy Hoffman

Favorite

Sport in high

school

Greatest

Sports

Accomplishment

Basketball

Legends of theKnights- 1 oftop 30 playersin the 75 year

history

When I was ajunior we onlyhad one senior

on the team

Basketball

Our teamrecord was

72-6 in 3years

Basketball

Junior and senioryear went to thestate basketballtournament. I wasnamed All-stateteam both years

Payton Leach, BreAnne Caudle, and Kassiday Blevins

Fearless females take it to the matsOut of the many high school wrestlers in the state

of Kansas, 56 of them are female wrestlers. Two ofthose girls walk the halls of Doniphan West HighSchool, freshman, Elayne Clevenger and sophomore,Gabby Speer.

Some people may find it awkward that girls wouldbe on the mat in spandex performing Headlocks,Honeymooners, Kamikazes, and Japanese Wizards ontheir male opponents, but to Speer its part of hereveryday life.

“I started wrestling when I was five. Mainlybecause Tristan, my brother, and all my cousins didit, so I wanted to try, and it’s something I can sharewith my dad.” Speer said.

Clevenger, who has been wrestling for almost ayear, is one of the 19 freshmen girls wrestling in thestate of Kansas as opposed to Speer, who is one of the14 sophomore girls wrestling in the state of Kansas.Speer has been wrestling for 11 years.

“I started wrestling because my dad and I got intoit by watching it on TV and so when I came to D-West,I thought it would be sweet to be a girl wrestler”Clevenger said.

Since the girls wrestle, they have to drasticallywatch their diet, in order to keep a low weight class.Speer explained that keeping a lower weight class iseasier, because the guys in the lighter classes areusually younger and not as strong as the ones in heavierclasses.

“Sometimes you have to go on diets, sometimes youhave to starve a little, but not bumping up your weightis worth it,” Clevenger said.

“I pretty much watch everything I eat,” Speer said.“Some days you go hungry because you have to makeweight. But in the end it’s worth it. Because when youwin all those matches, you make finals.”

The seven guys on the team seem to accept thegirls just like one of the guys. “The boys might as wellbe my brothers, but since my dad is the coach, he is alittle harder on me.” said Speer.

“My Michigan coach would tell them to go easy onme, but it’s different here, I’m treated the same.” saidClevenger. In Kansas girls and boys wrestle againstone another. They are not separate competitions. Theonly different treatment is that the girls have separateweigh-ins.

Being a team member allows trust among each othereven it’s between guys and girls. “It’s just normal Idon’t find it awkward because I have been doing it forso long.” said Speer.

Clevenger feels mutual. “Sometimes, they can doweird moves.” said Clevenger. “I’m used to wrestlingaround with guys, so it might be weirder for them.”

Some people might think these girls would feelstereotyped as female wrestlers and the girls havedifferent opinions. “Some guys say that girl wrestlersare big and unattractive, when in reality, some of usaren’t.” said Clevenger.

“I don’t feel stereotyped, because I do other thingsthat girls do, like cheerleading, but wrestling is still abig part of my life,” Speer said.

Both girls agree that the advantage of being a femalewrestler is that they are way more flexible, but thedisadvantage is that the guys are a lot stronger. Butpractice makes perfect and these girls won’t letdisadvantages get in the way of their success.

Sophomore Gabby Speer was the only girlwrestler competing in the 1A, 2A, and 3Adivision on Febuary 25-26 and she went 0-2.

“It was a great experience and I hope to goback in my upcoming years as a wrestler inhigh school,” said Speer.

Aaron Halling, junior, went 0-2 at the statewrestling tournament. In the photo aboveHalling sprawls after his opponent tries toshoot on him.

Of the DWHS state qualifiers, junior AustinVeach made it farthest in his bracket by going2-2. In the photo below Veach gets ready tostart the second round of his second match atthe state tournament. He defeated hisopponent.

Triple Threat; Pin ‘em 2 Win ‘em

One of thegreatest

obstacles youhad to

overcome

My own selfconfidence

My dad was thecoach so dealing

with his criticismwas tough

My lack ofspeed andquickness

Did you haveany injuries?

No, I wasvery lucky

High anklesprain twodays before

state myjunior year!

My ankle. I onlyplayed 3 gamesmy senior year!

What was thehardest aboutyour sport?

The mentalpreparation wasvery challenging

Everyone neededto know theirrole or job on

the team

I had to comeready to work each

day. There wereothers wanting my

spot

What led youto coaching?Why do you

do it?

I love the game!I want everyone

to have theexperience I had

I love athletics.There is alot to

learn frombeing part of a

team!

I love helpingstudents in an

athleticenvironment!

Football

We beat Sabethaone of the top

ranked teams inthe state

I broke myankle

The 4-5 hourpractices

I like helpingathletes realize

their fullpotential

In the photo below Speer tries to keep her opponentfrom rolling while trying to pin him but time runs out.

Coming up in Sports

Monday, March 28 at Royal ValleyWednesday, March 30 at Oskaloosa

Friday, April 1 at TurnerTuesday, April 5 at Atchison

Friday, April 8 at Clay Center

Monday, March 28 at Royal ValleyWednesday, March 30 at Oskaloosa

Thursday, April 7 at WathenaFriday, April 8 at Clay Center

Tuesday, March 29 at Falls City (jv)Friday, April 1 at Elwood

Tuesday, April 5 Irish Relays (fr)Friday, April 8 at McLouth

Track& Field

Softball

Baseball