OCT 2020 | ISSUE 2
Follow us on Instagram @ghs_newspaper_club GHS NEWSPAPER
IN THIS ISSUE:
The Battle Between Halloween and COVID Page 02
Top 5 Scary Movies Page 03
Variety Show Treks On Pages 06-07
Students, School, and COVID Page 10
All-State Music Festival: Only the Best of the Best Pages 15-16
Fall Sports Wrap-Up Pages 18-21
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 01 THE BATTLE BETWEEN HALLOWEEN AND COVID
By: An Chi Nguyen
Halloween is rolling around, and this year’s holiday is going to look a bit different. With the pandemic still trekking on, it’s important to keep yourself safe during the spooky season. Taking precautions, like washing your hands and wearing masks, will ensure you stay healthy and well.
Many people are debating whether Halloween should be cancelled due to COVID-19. Corporations and businesses that rely on the holiday are hoping to keep the customs alive. Candy manufacturers, costume designers, and even the movie industry all look to Halloween as their big boom in business.
The cancellation of Halloween will also impact the kids that see the day as a joy. In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Gosh said, “I think completely taking away Halloween could be detrimental to some of the mental health issues that kids are facing right now.” Halloween is an outlet for kids to express their creativity and have some fun.
This Halloween, the Centers for Disease Control recommend trick-or-treating be minimized and controlled. Wearing masks, gloves, and bringing hand sanitizer is the safest way to still go out, as well as staying six feet apart from other goers and setting candy bags outside to grab quickly. Washing your hands before and after handling treats is always a good idea.
If trick-or-treating isn’t your jam, there are other activities you can do such as carving pumpkins. The guidelines of the CDC say pumpkin carving should be held outdoors if possible and should only be done with close friends and family.
Hosting a backyard movie night with close friends is also a great alternative to going out. One thing that should be avoided is parties, but if they’re held, hosting them outdoors with social distancing regulations is a must. Large crowds make it easier to spread COVID-19 and sharing the same air isn’t a benefit. If parties are held indoors, keeping steady ventilation by opening windows and doors will help lessen the potential spread.
It wasn’t anticipated that all of this would go down at the beginning of the decade, but even through tough times, we still must traverse onward. The pandemic might restrict some things, but it won’t hold our spirits back. Get out there and stay safe.
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 02 GHS NEWSPAPER | page 03 TOP FIVE SCARY MOVIES By: Lexi Anderson
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street really makes you want to sleep with one eye open. His incredibly creative concept of a killer that hunts you in your dreams turns the movie into a chilling mind game. It’s also super scary because hey, everyone has to sleep at some point, right? The combination of the visual appearance of Freddy Krueger, the music he chose to incorporate, and the production as a whole makes for a creepy movie.
Scream (1996) Scream is one of my favorite movies of all time, which is why I had to include it on this list. First of all, it’s a 90s movie, which I love. Though this movie is definitely scary, it’s one of Wes Craven’s more lighthearted films. Craven inserts a ton of comedic lines and clever references, while still staying true to the horror genre with just the right amount of thrilling scenes. With interesting characters and plenty of twists and turns, this movie will definitely make you scream.
Silence of the Lambs (1991) Some people would argue that Silence of the Lambs isn’t a horror movie, but I would definitely classify it as one. Though it’s not your typical slasher film, the psychological aspect of the movie makes it pretty terrifying. Having a mindless killer chase you around with a chainsaw is one thing, but this movie introduces Hannibal Lecter, a killer who’s actually incredibly intelligent. The movie is effective with the scare factor, but will also definitely make you think.
Halloween (1978) I love this movie. Because it set the bar for the slasher genre, it’s pretty simple but still really effective as a movie. It’s super cheesy at times, which honestly makes it entertaining in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely very thrilling at times, but some of the things that were meant to be creepy in the first place are honestly pretty funny to watch now like the music that plays whenever Jamie Lee Curtis’ character spots killer Micheal Myers. It’s still one of my favorites and because it’s such a classic, you definitely need to watch it if you haven’t already.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) I honestly don’t even know how to unpack this one because it’s just so good for so many reasons. First of all, the cinematography is disturbing and really puts you directly into the horrors of the movie, plus Marilyn Burns’ performance as Sally is strong and convincing. Because The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a fairly short film at 90 minutes, the movie doesn’t waste time. It’s pretty suspenseful from beginning to end. The killer, Leatherface, is super creepy and the fact his character is based on a real killer makes him even more terrifying. There’s such a fantastic mix of interesting things that get you to think balanced by traditional horror movie characteristics which makes it a well-rounded scary movie and earns it the #1 spot on this list. GHS NEWSPAPER | page 03 LALSAT SMTI NMUINTUE TCEO HSATLULMOEW IDEEEANS COSTUME IDEAS
By: Mina Funaba-O'Brien & Katie Sanow
Halloween is just around the corner. As we count down the final days to the widely celebrated holiday, it’s not uncommon for Halloween goers to hunt down easy, last minute costume ideas. Here is a list of fun, creative, and reasonably priced ensembles:
Video Game Character A SIM - Wear normal clothes or throw together a randomly wacky outfit - Create the green gem using construction paper, then attach it to a headband
Puns
Holy guacamole - Dress up as an angel and carry printouts of avocados (or real ones!)
Ceiling fan -Create signs that are cheering for the ceiling with phrases such as “Go ceiling!”
Cereal killer -Dress up as a killer and carry around a box of cereal (consider painting the box red)
Iconic Groups and Duos Alvin and the Chipmunks, Lilo and Stitch, Mean Girls, Mario and Luigi, Cher and Dionne, angel and devil, the Scooby-Doo gang, and M&Ms. - Wear colorful shirts associated with the characters (a fun addition would be socks in a matching color) -Find some paint and decorate the shirts in your desired pattern (m&m example: paint the m) - Find clothing pieces that are similar to the ones the characters wear (Mario example: wear a red shirt with blue overalls)
Bachelor/Bachelorette Extravagant clothing and roses are staples of these shows. - Dress up in a tux/suit or dress and carry roses, real or fake. (This could be a fun costume for a group too!)
*Continues on next page
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 04 Someone from a Brand Brawny Man - Wear a red flannel over a white shirt, along with a pair of blue jeans (Carry around a packaged roll of Brawny paper towels)
Mr. Clean - Wear a tight fitted white shirt, along with a pair of white pants (Carry around a sponge or a Mr. Clean cleaning product) Famous Person
Bill Nye the Science Guy - Wear a white button down shirt underneath a light blue collared shirt (in replacement of his light blue lab coat) - Top off the costume with any bow tie - Add science supplies such as goggles or beakers as unique additions
Movie Character
Charlie Brown Ghost - Cut a bunch of holes in a white bedsheet - Carry around a trick-or-treat receptacle filled with rocks
Charlie Brown Ghost, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" by Warner Bros
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 05 VARIETY SHOW TREKS ON
By: Sarah Lennon & Bethany VanDyk Writers
The bi-annual Gilbert High School Variety Show will be held on November 20. The show will feature almost twenty acts showcasing a variety of talents, including vocalists, musicians, and an original short film. As always, the teachers Mrs. Kaaren Rogers, Mr. Chris Johnson, and Mrs. Virginia Beecher have been working hard to make the show this year the best it can be, despite restrictions due to COVID-19.
Auditions for the variety show were held in early September. “We like students to be prepared, to have some sort of vision they can relate to us as far as what they want their overall act to look like…” said Rogers, “...and we look for the variety in ‘Variety.’” About the same number of students are hoping to be involved this year as in previous years. However, there will be no group opening number, which is traditionally the largest act of the show in which anyone can participate.
The opening number is just one aspect of the show that will be changed due to safety reasons. Instead of being performed live to an audience, the show will be live-streamed. According to Rogers, the original plan for putting together the show virtually was to pre- record each act, then put them together in video format and broadcast it. Due to copyright stipulations on some of the musical pieces, this will not be possible. To avoid this issue, the variety show will be live-streamed on YouTube.
Participants have spent weeks practicing their acts. Most of the practice is done on their own, but each act gets one official rehearsal a week, in person or online. Rogers and Beecher said they are delighted to work with students either way.
*Continues on next page
Photos by Debbie
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 06 Tech rehearsals, which started on October 27, are more intensive than the first few rehearsals. “Tech is always a challenge… We have never broadcast a live show before, so that has certain challenges. The better prepared the students are, the more we know what we need to do in order to be prepared for the tech part of the show,” Rogers said. So far, she says everything is on course for the performance.
The change in format creates new challenges in promoting the show. “We kind of got detached from the media and what was going on because everything just stopped all of a sudden, so as we’re phasing in activities, public events, and performances, people want to know about them but aren’t used to them being a part of their entertainment life…As we start to put these back in, we have to make the public really aware that this is what’s happening and they are invited to join us again.”
In spite of the many new challenges, everyone has adapted well to the new format. “Everything morphs and everything changes,” Rogers said.
“I think flexibility is a key to success no matter what you do in life. While we are all bound to tradition, the fact of the matter is that traditions can change, and we as human beings have to be willing to grow and expand our mind with the times… What we do as individuals not only affects us, but has the capacity to affect everybody around the world -- whether that’s positive or negative, it’s up to you.”
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 07 STUDENT ART SHOWCASE 1
"Gracie" This is a piece of my cat Gracie that I made for our scratch board unit in 2-D design. We were to create an image of an animal with the scratch board, and out of all of my pets I could draw, Gracie was the best choice, and she is pretty which is a plus. -Josilyn Leiding, 9th
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 08 1ST QUARTER RECAP
By: Connie Chen Writers The first quarter has officially come to an end here at Gilbert High School, and it is only fitting that we celebrate and look back on the successes of our school year so far. Thanks to our school administration, we were able to have successful and fun fall sports seasons. We also give a big thank you to our teachers and staff who work hard to keep their students safe and their spirits high.
Academically, things have run smoothly for both in-person and online students. Online students are able to interact with students in-school by joining Zoom meetings in the classroom. Bella Soriano, a remote GHS junior, said, “I definitely think it has been useful to incorporate Zoom meetings [...] it’s nice to interact with my teachers and peers.”
The PSAT took place on October 14 for sophomores and juniors. The test prepares students for the SAT should they choose to take it. The PSAT is also the National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test that decides which students qualify to be a National Merit Scholar. This is an achievement that is also recognized by the school. Homecoming, the week of September 28, was a fun week for students to show school spirit and have some fun. The theme this year was “Road Trip” and although there was not a dance, there were many other exciting events such as the sunrise celebrations for each class, the car smash (proceeds were donated to the Henry Owen Scholarship Fund), and a movie night on the football field Saturday night. Homecoming brought together the community. Claire Greiner, a junior at GHS, said “It’s been such a hard year so just having come together as a school was so fun!” The administration and student council worked hard to find ways to keep Homecoming week as fun as Photos possible while following COVID-19 guidelines this by year. Debbie
Even with all the exciting events that took place, many students could feel that it was different from previous years. “When I think of HOCO, I think of the dance. So just not having a dance felt very strange,” said Greiner. Although it was hard for students and especially seniors to miss out on a dance this year, everyone kept a great attitude and was very appreciative of the activities that did take place.
Overall, we can proudly say that we have overcome unforeseen obstacles that 2020 has thrown at us. The rest of the year will hopefully go just as smoothly. Thank you for doing your part in keeping our school safe and healthy.
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 09 STUDENTS, SCHOOL, AND COVID
By: Andy King Writers For the past several months, it has been very difficult for people from all walks of life. Students and teachers alike have seen many changes, such as having plexiglass barriers in the classrooms and lunch rooms, wearing masks when social distancing cannot be enforced, and even having a remote day every Wednesday to try to control the spread of COVID-19.
Sanjay Stanley, a Gilbert High School junior, who returned in-person said about the experience, “...you have to almost talk a little bit louder [...] I sort of like mutter a lot so people would have to ask me to say things again and again. It used to feel weird, but now it just doesn’t.”
David Harper, a GHS junior, said, “I started out remote [...]. And that requires you to be very self- directed and manage your time, which is not something that I am good at, or I even possess the capacity to do. So, being here and having people tell me what to do and where to go is very helpful.” Harper said it was difficult to get things done without having a schedule and how it was hard to stay self motivated.
Now that Harper has returned to school, he said, “Oh I’ve been loving it. It was kinda shocking at first. You go around, you see all of your friends, and you only see half of their faces, but you know, you get used to that stuff really, really fast, and I kinda forgot that people were even wearing a mask when I was talking to them.”
While masks have been a controversial topic during the pandemic, students seem to be doing well with wearing them. Students are given mask breaks outside to help. Stanley and Harper agreed that having a break throughout the day was nice, but that wearing masks is not as big of a deal as some people make it.
There seems to be an increase in homework both in-person (with only two class meetings per week) and online where everything is homework. Harper said it was hard to feel that the homework was completed because it felt like there was more to do.
When asked about how they would improve the school year, Harper said, “I really like the schedule.” Stanley said, “I’d agree with that. It works. It’s even better than what we had before, and god you just cannot beat that lunch and hour long study hall man, it’s great.”
One thing that they did not seem to like was that on the remote days they are given more homework to make up for lost time. Although neither Harper nor Stanley enjoy the homework, they feel sympathetic towards teachers.
Stanley said, “I just think it’s kinda unfair to teachers in the first place because you have this curriculum that you set up for an entire year, and then suddenly this virus just comes steamrolls the whole thing and you lose an entire day of instruction and you have to compound things into block days, twice a week.”
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 10 STUDENT ART SHOWCASE 2
"El Conejo" El Conejo means "the bunny" in Spanish. I found it rather fitting because it is my first year taking Spanish, and I've found I really enjoy it, but that naming it "the bunny" sounded rather professional. In lots of paintings the title ends up being exactly what it is, for example "the Girl with a Red Coat", so I though "El Conejo" would be the perfect name for my piece. This art piece was a part of the Scratch board project in a 2D Design class I am taking, and it turned out really good in my opinion. Scratch art can be pretty tricky considering that once you scratch away the paint, you can't undo anything. I chose a bunny because I felt like it would have the perfect amount of detail and be interesting to make. Overall, my art piece is something I am very proud of, and I can't wait to see how I progress as an artist in the next few years. -Sophie Chitty, 9th
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 11 PANDEMIC AND SCHOOL?
By: Oliver Dreyer
The coronavirus pandemic has created unique and challenging circumstances going into this school year, and the school administration has had to work diligently to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Before the year started, the school was required to create a “Return to Learn” plan outlining the school’s plans to ensure a safe school year would be possible. According to Gilbert High School Principal Vic Vanderpool, the district’s main goals were to support the emotional needs of the school community, set up the infrastructure for remote learning, ensure access to the A mask. resources for academic success, and create a safe environment in school. Teachers have also been forced to change their teaching style. “We have “There is no question that our mitigation spent a lot of time trying to get students policies are making a huge difference. to work collaboratively, and now working Wearing masks, regular cleaning, and in groups can create some headaches social distancing are helping to prevent and result in students having to the spread of COVID. Other schools in quarantine,” Vanderpool said. the area are not doing many of these things and are dealing with major Despite the negative aspects of the outbreaks within their schools, resulting situation, there are still some positives in closing their school and canceling coming from the school’s experience activities,” Vanderpool said. handling the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Vanderpool, “Much of the Throughout the first two months of mitigation is something that would be school, the administration faced many beneficial even after things return to unexpected challenges. “Schools were normal. An emphasis on more regular not designed for social distancing,” cleaning of the building and the regular Vanderpool said, “getting the building use of hand sanitizing would help cut set up so social distancing can be back on illness during cold and flu maximized has been a challenge.” season.”
*Continues on next page
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 12 The additional support for online learning could also prove useful in the future. “I like being able to move students to remote learning if something comes up and a student needs to be gone for an extended period of time due to health issues or a family emergency,” said Vanderpool. “It would also be nice if we could have students work from home on snow days and not have to make those days up, but I’m not sure the Iowa Department of Education is going to allow that to happen.”
Vanderpool had one final message to share with the student body:
“Please know that we are doing everything we can to ensure that we have on-site school. The worst thing that could happen is having a large COVID outbreak that causes us to have to close our school and everyone be moved to remote learning. Once that happens, we start to lose school activities and the opportunity to be together at school every day. Please take this situation seriously; wear your mask and make sure your mouth and nose are covered at school, avoid large group events outside of school where the virus can spread, use hand sanitizer. If we all do our part, we can ensure that our school will remain open and we get to enjoy this school year together.”
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 13 THE UNIVERSE HAS DECIDED, SOUR PATCH KIDS ARE THE BEST CANDY
By: Mariam Bastawros
When you’re watching a movie, the first snacks you reach for are Sour Patch Kids and popcorn right? If not, you need to rethink your choices.
Sour Patch Kids are the ultimate sweet treat to compliment any movie, TV show, or pure boredom. They provide just the right amount of sour before turning into one of the sweetest things ever created.
Their gummy characteristic makes them impossible to melt in your hands (unlike subpar chocolate sweets), and their ability of being the only candy to be both sour and sweet provides a uniqueness unattainable through any other candy product.
Sour Patch Kids are also super trendy. They’re 100% vegan and one of the most Instagrammable snacks out there. All the different flavors and options keep your feed guessing on what Sour Patch product will soon be showcased.
And don’t even get me started on how versatile Sour Patch Kids are!!! They can easily be placed in Rice Krispie treats or even better treats made with the official Sour Patch Kids Cereal. Trust me, it only makes it better.
So the next time you reach for a movie snack to accompany that popcorn, grab the Sour Patch Kids. They’ll be sour, sweet, gone.
TRIVIA QUESTION!! What country won the very first September Trivia: FIFA World CUP in 1930? What's the rarest M&M color? Answer: Brown *check out next month's issue for the answer!!!
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 14 ALL-STATE MUSIC FESTIVAL: ONLY THE BEST OF THE BEST
Writers By: Katie Sanow
The All-State Music Festival, November 19-21, is the highest honor a high school musician can earn. This fall, 20 of Gilbert High School’s most gifted students are hoping to confirm themselves among the top 1% in Iowa. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year will be drastically different.
Typically, the All-State Music Festival, sponsored by the Iowa High School Music Association, begins with a day of statewide in-person auditions in October with different portions of music played before a judge. Students practice for months beforehand, a year-round process for those who want a chance.
Band students play two to three etudes (short, technical pieces of music used to demonstrate skill), a solo, and four scales. Choir students audition either as soloists or in groups. They receive the music in July and then get cuts of it the morning of the audition. Students receive news of their success or failure the day of the audition. If they make it, students take home music to begin practicing.
The festival is held the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Thanksgiving. After a few days of ensemble preparation, there is a concert with the band, choral, and orchestral performances on Saturday. Gilbert choir director Kaaren Rogers said the experience “allows students to work on their musicality and also sing and work on a folder of music that is a little bit more advanced in technique and repertoire.”
This year, auditions were pre-recorded and due October 21. There are many restrictions put on the recordings in order to level the playing field. Band students must play all major scales, the chromatic scale, their etudes, and their solo. Choir students received their cuts weeks before the due date, but they must audition as soloists this year. There will be no performance this year, instead being selected will be merely honorary.
*Continues on next page IHSMA
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 15 However, this has not dampened the spirits of hopeful All-Staters. Addie Jobes, a senior band member, who has auditioned every year of high school and is yet to make it, said, “It’s been my goal all throughout high school, and it would be really cool to achieve [All-State] my senior year [...] putting all that work into it the past four years and not making it would be pretty disappointing so making it this year would make me feel better about not making it the past three years.”
Another senior, Ethan Wimmer, is auditioning for the second time as a choral member. This would be his first time earning this honor. He said “I’m auditioning this year because I enjoyed it so much last year. Unfortunately, this year there is not a performance so that kind of takes away the main exciting end goal but still at this point I feel like I’ve practiced very thoroughly and then if I do get in I get a certificate and a ‘My Child is an All-Stater’ bumper sticker. I mean that’s the end goal isn’t it?”
Mr. Tinder, the GHS band director says “Obviously the process has been quite different over the past year, but you try to do everything you can not to let the COVID affect your curriculum, and you still offer the same opportunities at some level at least, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The GHS community is sure to be cheering on these 20 gifted students in their efforts to be recognized among the best. Whether they make it or not, GHS is proud to have such talent underneath its roof. ALL-STATE HONOREES
Band: Aubrey Mizerak 11 Bassoon Kalyn Schmidt 9 Bassoon Ryan Hinderaker 12 Bb Clarinet Jonah White 9 Bb Clarinet James Marino 11 Bass Clarinet Choir: Danni Anderson 10 Alto Ben Siegel 12 Tenor Gwendolyn Stewart 12 Alto
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 16 STUDENT ART SHOWCASE 3
"Scratch Art Fish" My art piece is a scratch art. It means calming to me, I say that it is calming to me because I love fish and fishing. It is a very calming activity for me. It is designed this way to show off the scales on the fish. I wanted to show off the scales because I thought that they popped out of the art on the black scratch board. -Gretchen Gordon 9th
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 17 FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP
Cross Country By: Sophie Vanderpool
Nothing has been able to slow down the Gilbert Cross Country team this season. Coming off a high from their great run at the conference meet, hosted by Gilbert, the Tigers could not be more proud of their season so far.
“It was a super competitive, fast meet and everyone performed so well,” said Mary Thatcher, a senior, who has been a great leader for the Tigers and has The Girls Varsity XC Team after their State qualifying runs. improved drastically in the past four years. Gilbert girls also had Sophie Vanderpool, a junior, who ran first team all-conference with At the conference meet this tenth place at the Raccoon River Conference year, Abby McGuire, a meet this year with a time of 20:18. The sophomore, ran the race of her consistent efforts and hard work this season life. She finished 6th place in a has been a major contributing factor to the stacked conference, earning her Tiger’s success. The girls had a successful 1st team all-conference, and ran season sweeping the Humboldt meet and almost a minute faster than her placing 6th in a stacked conference. But the previous race this year at Iowa varsity team aren’t the only ones who had State on September 17 with a success this season, with the JV team winning time of 19:57. “It was a huge almost every single meet they competed at for step in the right direction for one of the best JV seasons the Gilbert girls the rest of our season,” Thatcher have ever seen. said.
*Continues on next page
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 18 e i b b e D
y b
s o t o h P Boys XC team right before the September 17th meet. The boys are also coming off of a great run at RRC with Sam Vanderpool, a senior, finishing ninth with a personal record of 17:07. “The team has really worked hard and have done a great job pushing each other all season and have even had fun while doing it which is something that’s great to see,” said Vanderpool, who also finished first team all-conference with William Wadsley, a sophomore, who finished 14th, bringing home second team all- conference for the Tigers.
“The great thing about Gilbert Cross Country is that everyone works hard, are great teammates, and all show really good leadership. I’m super proud of them and am excited to see what they do in the future,” Vanderpool said.
The Gilbert boys faced a tough challenge this year with only one returning athlete from last year’s state team, but the Tigers haven’t let that slow them down. They won the Humboldt meet by twelve points and beat a ranked team. This past week they placed fifth at the conference meet. The Tigers are only improving from here and with a hard work ethic and strong senior leadership, they have accomplished a lot this season.
On October 21, the Tigers took on Winterset for the state qualifier. Both the boys and the girls teams placed sixth overall. Sophie Vanderpool placed 10th as an individual and will be moving on to the state meet on October 30 at Fort Dodge.
The Tigers are super proud of the season they have had and created a great and positive team dynamic leaving a legacy they hope will continue for years to come.
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 19 Football By: Lexi Anderson & Halle Woodbeck
The Gilbert Football team has officially ended its season with a record of four wins and three losses. The team unfortunately lost to Mason City on October 16 but have an impressive season to look back on. With almost an entirely new coaching staff and unusual circumstances, the team handled all the curveballs thrown their way. Senior Trey e Hansen said, “Having new coaches is a little i b b bit different compared to other teams who e D
y
have had coaches for multiple years. So, I b
s o think it's going pretty well for what we were t o h
handed.” P
One of the main focuses of the coaches this year was preaching the idea of family. Hansen and fellow senior Ethan Vesey said this aspect contributed greatly to their success this season. “It applies a lot,” Vesey says, “...when we’re out there we’re playing together, it doesn’t just feel like we’re e i
playing as teammates, as strangers on the b b football field, you know. It’s bigger than e D
y b
that.” Hansen agrees saying that being a s o family “brings a whole other aspect to t o h football.” P
Aside from working as a family, Head Coach Graham Lundt said his biggest goal was to make the seniors’ last season count. “...one of the big focuses for the seniors, and I mean everybody else on the team too, was just to provide them with a special experience,” Lundt said. Though they may e not have gotten as far as they wanted, the i b b
team undoubtedly grew and played together e D
exceptionally. After a remarkable season, y b
s
the community is eager to see the team on o t o the field again next year. h P
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 20 Volleyball By: Lexi Anderson & Halle Woodbeck e i b b e D
y b
s o t o h P
With a big win on October 13, the Gilbert High School Volleyball team was named conference champions. The team beat Webster City in the Varsity Regional Semifinals on October 22. They will play Waverly-Shell Rock in the regional championship game on October 27 in Waverly. If they win, they will go on to play in the state tournament.
The team has had a fantastic season so far going undefeated and is excited heading into regionals. Going into the postseason, Taylor Grinley, senior player, said, “We’ve had a great season. I think we’ve had some great competition. We got good pairings and I think we’re ready for our regionals now.”
After winning the conference championship, the team had great momentum going into regionals. Head coach Stacy Johnson said, “I would say, right now, is just our mentality to stay positive and keep confident with our skills and knowing that we can beat some really good teams. We’re excited about our regional, so I think that helps build our confidence too.”
Playing during a pandemic, Johnson said the team had to adjust to the new norm. Following new rules such as taking breaks every 10-15 minutes and wearing masks on the bus has ensured their season’s continuity. “Really, it hasn't affected our schedule of the season, it’s just affected the things that we do in practice […], but I think now everybody’s pretty comfortable with it and it seems somewhat normal,” said Johnson.
With an interesting last season, the seniors are having a bittersweet look back at their experience the past four years. “I think it’s been such a blast and it’s crazy I’m a senior already,” said Grinley. “I love these girls and it’s so fun to play with all of them… spending four years together is awesome,” said senior Thea Rotto, who recently broke the school record in career kills. Rotto said the team has given her a great family, “I felt, as a freshman, I could walk into school and have a place.”
Both Rotto and Grinley say senior leadership has applied greatly to their success this season along with team chemistry. Grinley said, “...I think we just know what we need to do and we get it done.”
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 21 Iowa News SOCuT 2m020m | ISSaUEr 2y NEWS Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a total of 37 states have preemptively called off their Halloween activities this month, including Iowa with the cancellation of the NewBo and Czech Village Halloween Parade in Cedar Rapids.
In August, Iowa, along with several nearby states, was hit by a derecho storm. In Cedar Rapids, the winds blew at a record strength of 140 miles per hour. The total cost of these damages has recently been revealed to be 7.5 billion dollars, making it the most expensive storm America has seen since 1980. Many are expecting this cost to continue to increase.
On October 18, Des Moines received its first measurable snowfall of the year, between 1 to 1.8 inches depending on the area. The following day, the Des Moines area received weather alerts of snow squalls. The National Weather Service defines a snow squall as “an intense, short lived burst of heavy snowfall that leads to a quick reduction in visibilities and is often accompanied by gusty winds.” By the time the warning ended, Polk City reportedly had 9 inches of snow, Ankeny reported 8, and Des Moines had 1.2 inches. The Iowa State Patrol responded to a total of 31 weather related crashes during this time.
As of October 19, Iowa is currently averaging over 1000 new COVID-19 cases per day though deaths have been kept relatively low at about 8 to 9 deaths per day. This places Iowa at 24th place in the country in terms of deaths per capita. OCTOBER IN HEADLINES
1. Trump Gets COVID 2. Debate Commission Announces Mics Will be Turned Off 3. Nigerian Soldiers Open Fire on Protesters Opposing Police Brutality 4. Tax Fraud and Evasion Probe Launched Against Euro Pacific Bank 5. Justice Department and 11 States Sue Google in Biggest Antitrust Lawsuit in Decades
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 22 THE SIGNS AS CHARACTERS FROM HALLOWEEN MOVIES
Virgo (Aug 23 - Sept 22) Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19) Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)
JACK, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS NO FACE, SCREAM BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE Libra (Sept 23 - Oct 22) Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18) Gemini (May 21 - Jun 20) N O S L R A H C
. R M
R O F
S I
S I H T
AGGIE, HALLOWEENTOWN CHOWDER, MONSTER HOUSE SPOOKLEY, SPOOKLEY THE SQUARE PUMPKIN Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21) Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Cancer (Jun 21 - Jul 22)
CASPER, CASPER OOGIE BOOGIE, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS WINIFRED, HOCUS POCUS Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19) Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22)
CHARLIE BROWN GHOST, IT'S THE GREAT LOOMIS, HALLOWEEN HUBIE, HUBIE HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN By Mina Funaba-O'Brien
GHS NEWSPAPER | page 23