Prom-Goers Enjoy Snow-Delayed Event

Parkston High School Trojan Parkston, SD parkston.k12.sd.us

5/15/2018 Issue 8 Tribune Prom-goers enjoy snow-delayed event by Deanna Luikens, Addison Bertram, & Keelie Konfrst Prom is always something to look forward to dur- had to find other dates because their original date had ing the final weeks of school: A full night of danc- other things scheduled for May 5. They had to rush ing and fun activities to get your mind off of stressful and find another date or go alone. That caused quite an schoolwork. Parkston prom was originally scheduled to upsetting throughout the students. Overall for future be on April 14, but had to be postponed to May 5, due to years we hope to have good weather the original day snowy weather. That caused an uproar with the students that prom is because of nail and hair appointment scheduling. Some scheduled. students had to switch hair and nail businesses due to P r o m , the schedul- when it was ing issue. The finally held, dress and tux was a great fee that people time, howev- are paying for er. The theme, rent would be “A Night In the City,” was Jenna Bialas gets a lift from friends Amber Harrison, Jayden Bormann, and higher due to Faith Rands. a longer hold well executed period. Some by the juniors and the decorations looked elegant. All inconveniences aside, this is surely going to be one Ryan Rip, Wes Baumiller, Brayden Leischner, and Rocky Berg are dressed students even and ready to hit the dance floor. prom to remember!

Monday, May 21 Tuesday, May 22 Wednesday, May 23

Blue 1, Normal Class Orange 1, FINAL TEST Blue 1, FINAL TEST

Blue 2 Normal Class SRB Blue 2, FINAL TEST

As soon as all tests are completed, Check-out begins in the following order: Blue 3, FINAL TEST Orange 3, FINAL TEST Juniors Sophomores Freshmen 8th grade 7th grade If you want to leave as soon as you check out, you must have a note (no phone calls) from your parents. Lunch will be served. The busses will leave just after 1:00, Blue 4, FINAL TEST Orange 4, FINAL TEST when school is officially over for the school year. Have a Great Summer! HOSA Students excel at leadership conference By Jenna Bialas The HOSA State Leadership Conference was held on April 5 & 6, in Sioux Falls. The conference started with an introduction speech and the announcement of the elected State officers. Then, the day went on with competitive events. Parkston HOSA had many members compete throughout the two days. The first night of the conference there was a pasta feed and the members listened to Holly Hoffman who was on the TV show Survivor. The next day started with more competitive events. That night, the closing ceremony involved the placers for Nationals getting their awards along with Scholarships. The students who placed first, second, and third will go on to the National Lead- 1st Place, Parliamentary Procedure teem; TJ Bigge, Kim Weber, Kyla Konfrst, Brady Albrecht, Nate ership Conference held in Dal- Boettcher, Jayden Bormann, Jadee Mattheis, and Kailee Schnabel. las, Texas, in June, 2018. The students from Parkston who qualified for nationals are as follows: 3rd place Community Awareness—Jenna Bialas, CC Neugebauer, Hannah Neugebau- er, and Tiah Holzbauer; 1st place 3rd Place, Outstanding HOSA Chapter, Kyla Konfrst and Tylee Neugebauer. Parliamentary Procedure—Kyla Konfrst, T.J. Bigge, Jayden Bor- mann, Nathan Boettcher, Kim Weber, Kailee Schnabel, Jadee Mattheis, and Brady Albrecht; 1st place Sports Medicine—Ellie Weidenbach; 1st place Clinical Spe- cialty—Jayden Bormann; 3rd Place Outstanding HOSA 3rd Place, Community Awareness; Jenna Bialzs, Tiah Holzbauer, 1st Place, Sports Medicine; Ellie Chapter,—Tylee Neugebauer and Kyla Konfrst. CC Neugebauer, and Hannah Neugebauer. Weidenbach. FFA wraps up year at State By Cordell Murtha & Brady Schoenfelder The FFA chapter wrapped up a successful year at state on April 15-17 on the campus of SDSU in Brook- ings. The members competed in everything from dairy cattle judging to floriculture. Most of our seniors got State degrees including Brady Albrecht, Tucker Bigge, Tanner Griebel, Jadee Mattheis, Brady Schoenfelder, Dawson Semmler, Jared Teide, Trenton Weber, and Jonah Zwinger. Trenton Weber also received the Ford scholarship and TJ Bigge got the Agriculture Educa- tion Scholarship. TJ Bigge was also elected State Sen- tinel. Individual Results: Erik Fuerniss, 1st Dairy Cattle Judging; Tanner Griebel, 4th Nursery Landscape; Tanner Griebel, 4th Nursery Landscape; Cordell Murtha, 5th Dairy Cattle Judging; Trenton Weber, 7th Nursery Landscape; Jadee Mattheis, 8th Livestock Judging; TJ Schmidt,10th Milk Quality; and Jared Tiede,10th Nursery Landscape. Team Results: Dairy Cattle Judging, 1st; Nursery Landscape, 2nd; Milk Quality and Products 4th. Ms. Howell takes year off to pursue National Guard opportunity Next year will look a little different at PHS the regular army as she advances her training. with the absence of one of our teachers. Ms. She will be stationed in Rock Island, Illinois, and Melody Howell will trade places for a year as she she will spend from August 1, 2018, until July 31, shifts from teacher to student as Capt. Howell. 2019, serving with regular army officers as she The year spent as an active duty officer will help takes several classes including Theater Sustain- position her for the next step in her Guard-career ment (as in theater of deployment, not drama…),; path, which will be promotion to Major. Promo- Support Operations; and an Equal Opportunity tions are more competitive than they used to be Advisor’s Course (to support and encouraged di- and more factors are considered in the promotion versity within the Guard). process. The overall goal is to broaden the skillset Ms. Howell was selected as a participant in of the selected participant, and bring those skills a nation-wide National Guard program designed back to the state operation, as well as offer more to deepen the skill set of National Guard officers. opportunity to the guard members who are fortu- Howell applied for the High Performing Lead- nate enough to earn a place in the program. Each er’s Program last January, an application process year, only 25 guard members are selected nation- which required a recommendation from the head wide, as so the competition is formidable. of the South Dakota National Guard, the Adjutant Ms. Howell plans to be back in the classroom General. She learned in March that she had been at PHS in the fall of 2019. accepted and will spend the next year serving in Kailee Schnabel recognized for Academic Excellence “Today we’re here to recognize the best and the brightest,” Governor Daugaard told Parkston senior Kailee Schnabel and other top seniors from across the state. Kailee attended the 28th annual Academic Excellence Recog- nition event April 23, 2018, in Pierre where the top 1% of students in the state were recognized for their academic performance. The Governor thanked the students for their academic ef- forts at the event sponsored by the Associated School Boards of South Dakota. Kailee holds her certificate recognizing her as one of the state’s top academic seniors. Ms. Howell participates in local activities like doing the Polar Plunge with her dog, Charlie. Sports Spring Baseball hits the field By Brayden Leischner On April 12, the Parkston Spring baseball team played Turner Hutchinson. The two teams kept battling back and forth the whole game, which led into extra innings. Parkston was down by two in the 8th inning. With 2 outs, a full count, and a runner on second base, Brady Albrecht hit Walk-off home run! The crowd went wild and Brady Albrecht was hyped up about the hit. Brady said, “I didn’t really know it was a home run until I rounded second base and I was excited.” The week before, Parkston played Wagner and beat them 2-0. The game wasn’t as exciting because there wasn’t very many runs scored in the game. Top: Brady Albrecht steps into a pitch. Above: Brady Schoenfleder and Sutton Hohn warm up as the Parkston team goes on defense. Girls Golf season paused by snow The girls golf season has had a slow start due to cold, wet, and snowy weather. The golfers have finally managed to take the links and have had a chance to show their skills.

Poor weather has made getting pictures of the team in action challenging. Even so, the girls have been having a good time working hard on their game as often as they have been able to take the links. Above, the JV team includes Kyla Konfrst, Tylee Neugebauer, Faith Oakley, Kayla Neugebauer, and Keelie Konfrst. Upper right: Kayla Neugebauer approaches a shot. Right: Kyla Konfrst checks out how close she has come to the hole. Track season keeping the kids busy

Stadium rebuild project proceeding

By Jenna Bialas The stadium is totally gone and the construction workers are working hard to build us a new one. This project was costly for the school, but will benefit them in the long run. The finish date isn’t for sure yet, but they’re hoping it will be done before football season starts next fall. The stadium and track are getting torn down because the track lanes are not wide enough to run on for track meets and there are cracks running through it. This means that the stadium will have to get pushed back and the track made wider.

What’s left of the old stadium is loaded up and hauled off. The new facility will be built this summer. Seniorsby Kyla Ganley Brady Schoenfelder Brady Schoenfelder was born August 12, 1999, in Mitchell, to parents Gary and Cindy Schoenfelder. He has two sisters, Brooklyn and Baylee. He plans to attend Mitchell Technical Institute for Animal Science. He would describe his senior year as “Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.” Brady’s favorite school tradition is the burning of the PHS. His favorite school lunch is chicken nuggets. He claims to have eaten 33 at one time. If he could take a cross-country trip he would start at his house and travel to all of the baseball and football stadiums. He would take his friends and family. His favorite school field trip was to the zoo. The coolest project that he had ever created was “THE MEAT LODGE” in General Business. Brady has participated in wrestling for three years and football for four years. He has also participated in FFA. He will always remember when Grant Nuebel started chanting “Build the Wall” in Mrs. Rylance’s class.

April Will “Don’t stress. Do your best. Forget the rest” April Will was born April 20, 2000, in Mitchell, to parents Barb and Mike Will. She has one older brother, Wesley. She plans to attend the University of South Dakota for Elementary Education. She would describe her senior year as “lazy, unmotivated, and carefree.” Her ad- vice to underclassmen is, “Nothing is the end of the world and don’t turn down nights with your friends.” April’s favorite school lunch is grilled cheese. If she could take a cross-country trip she would start in San Diego, California, and travel throughout the United States while seeing as many landmarks and states as possible, ending in Florida. She would take her best friends. Her favorite art project that she did was her Art I sketchbook. April’s favorite field trip was in 5th grade to Pierre because Brady got their Nintendo DS group chat taken away. She has participated in volleyball, golf, and softball for four years. She has also participated in NHS, FCCLA, FCA, and spring play. April’s favorite TV shows are; One Tree Hill, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Full House, and HGTV. She will always remember when the senior van broke down in the middle of an intersection and Tritt came to the rescue. In ten years April sees herself married, maybe starting a family, and working as a kindergarten teacher in a small, midwest town. Trenton Weber “Let your dreams stay big and your worries stay small.” -Rascal Flatts Trenton Weber was born February 13, 2000, in Mitchell, to parents Jason and Janelle Weber. He has three siblings; Whitney, Mariah, and Cale. Trenton plans to attend South Dakota State University for Animal Science. His favorite school lunch is meatball subs. His favorite TV show is That 70’s Show because of its groovy setting and hilarious char- acters. During his high school career Trenton has participated in Basketball, Football, Baseball, FFA, and NHS. Brayden Leischner Brayden Leischner was born November 6, 1999, in Mitchell, to parents Travis and Jen Leischner. He has two siblings, Rylan and Jaxon. Brayden is planning on attending South Dakota State University for construction management. His favorite school lunch is Cowboy Cavatini. His favorite TV show is Rick and Morty. The social media he uses the most is Fortnite. His favorite art/media project he ever created was his All About Me project his freshman year. Brayden has participated in track for one year, wrestling for one year, basketball for five years, and football for six years. He will always remember the time Brady Schoenfelder got pie in his face during Homecoming Week. In ten years Brayden sees himself owning his own asteroid mining company and making billions.

Amber Harrison “Never ever, ever, give up.” - Michael Scott Amber Harrison was born in 2000, in Montgomery, Alabama. Her father is Thomas Harrison, her mother is Jodi Blasius, and her stepdad is Nick Blasius. She has three siblings; Devlin, Zoey, and Rayna. Amber plans to attend South Dakota State University for Elementary Education. She is glad that her senior year is almost over. Her favorite school lunch is anything but cheese pizza. If she could take a cross-country road trip she would go to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. Her favorite class field trip was to the Washing- ton Pavillion because there were a lot of things to play with. Amber’s favorite art project she has made was her 30x40 inch portrait of Kennedy. She has participated in volleyball for five years, and was a basketball manager and did stats for three years. Amber has also participated in HOSA and FCCLA.

Kyla Konfrst “Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly...” -Cinderella (2015 Disney Movie) Kyla Konfrst was born January 9, 1999, to parents Shelley and FJ. She has three sisters; Keelie, Kenna, and Karlie. She plans to attend Mount Marty College for a double major in Business Administration and Mortuary Science. She would describe her senior year as ‘bittersweet, a kerfuffle, and magical’. The school tradition that means the most to Kyla is the Homecoming parade and the pep rally because alumni, students, and the community come together. If she could take a cross-country trip, she would start at the top of Mount Everest and end up in the Mariana Trench in a submarine with her cat Dexter. The social media app that she uses the most is Snapchat because she enjoys having a streak and sending selfies to her mom. Kyla has participated in Cheer for two years, dance for fourteen years, golf for one year, swim team for ten years, and hockey for five years. She has also participated in FCCLA, HOSA, FCA, NHS, and band. She will always remember the people that fill the school, starting a dance off at Homecoming, and making sandwiches at Subway. In ten years, Kyla hopes to own her own business and travel around the world with (who else?) her cat Dexter. Erik Fuerniss Erik Fuerniss was born May 20, 2000, in Parkston, to parents Sherman and Lori Fuerniss. He has one sibling, Tatianna. Erik plans to attend South Dakota State University for Animal Science. He would describe his senior year as “Busy. Fun. Procrastination”. His favorite school lunches are nachos and chicken nuggets. Erik’s favorite elementary field trip was to the Washington Pavillion in sixth grade. The TV show that he enjoys watching is NCIS because he enjoys watching detective shows. Erik has participated in cross country for six years and track for four years. He has also participated in FFA, NHS, FCA, and band. He will always remember going to state FFA his junior year and getting sixth place individually in dairy cattle and third place team. In ten years, Erik sees himself working on the family farm with his father.

Sam Kinneberg “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi Sam Kinneberg was born September 26, 1999, in Parkston, to parents Tony and Jayne Kinneberg. Sam has one sister, one sister-in-law, and two brothers. She plans to attend Augustana University to major in nursing with a minor in sign language. She would describe her senior year as quick, exciting, and memorable. The tradition that means the most to her is the burning of the PHS and the Homecom- ing parade. Her favorite school lunch is beef fingers. If Sam can go on a road trip she would start at the four corners and end in California. She would take her friends and family. The TV show that she watches the most is Criminal Minds because she enjoys crime shows. She has participated in basketball for three years, volleyball for three years, and softball for eleven years. Sam has also participated in FCCLA, band, choir, DCA, NHS, and Doo-Wop Acapella group. She will always remember the memories that she had made during her years at PHS. In ten years, Sam sees herself working as a nurse and possibly having a family.

Wesley Baumiller “Smile and laugh often” Wes Baumiller was born October 18, 1998, in Watertown, to parents Brad and Diane Baumiller. He has one brother, Aaron. He plans to attend Dakota Wesleyan University for the Lifequest program. His favorite school tradition is Homecoming games, especially tug of war. His favorite school lunch is chilli soup and cinnamon rolls. If Wes could take a cross-country trip he would take a train tour to the East coast with his family. The school field trip that he enjoyed the most was to the state Capitol and the science museum because he enjoyed getting to tour the Capitol and liked all of the hands-on activities in the museum. His favorite art project he has ever created was his canvas painting of a cow. His favorite TV show is Friends because it is funny. Wes has been a football manager for four years. He has also participated in FFA and 4-H. He has participated in Special Olympics for eleven years. During Special Olympics he has participated in Aquatics, Track and Field, Bowling, Basketball, Softball, and Weight Lifting. Wes will always remember being a part of the football team that won the state championship at the Dome. In ten years he sees himself living on his own, employed, and assisting in farming or sports. Jared Tiede “You can do anything if you try hard enough.” Jared Tiede was born March 29, 1999 in Parkston, to parents Cory and Leisa Tiede. He has one sibling. He plans to attend Mitchell Technical Institute for Animal Science. He would describe his senior year as going too fast. The tradition that means the most to him is FFA Week. Jared’s favorite school lunch is tater tot casserole. If he could take a cross country road trip, he would start in Parkston and end somewhere in the west. His favorite school field trip was to the Hansen Wheel and Wagon shop in third grade because it was very interesting to see all of the old wagons. His favorite art project he made was the skid loader he made out of clay. Jared has participated in FFA. He was also a first base coach for summer baseball one weekend.

Chloe Wegehaupt Chloe Wegehaupt was born June 1, 1999, in Mitchell, to parents Tom and Karlene Wege- haupt. She has three siblings, Abby, Henry, and Hannah. She plans to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology for Industrial Engineering. She would describe her senior year as going too fast. The school tradition that means the most to Chloe is Homecoming. Her favorite school lunch is chilli and cinnamon rolls. If she could take a cross-country trip, she would travel to the west coast with her family. Her favorite elementary field trip was to the butterfly house. Chloe has participated in Cross Country for five years, and Track for three years. She has also participated in FCCLA, HOSA, FCA, and NHS. Chloe will always remember the time TJ brought his puppy to band and later snuck it into study hall through the window.

Paige Semmler Paige Alecia Semmler was born May 4, 1999, in Parkston, to parents Tim and Barb Semmler. She has two siblings, Courtney and Tera. Paige plans to attend the University of South Dakota for Elementary Education. She says the her senior year is going by fast. The tradition that means the most to her is the Homecoming parade because of the sense of community that comes with it. Her favorite school lunch is nachos because she considers it a national holiday. Her favorite TV show is The Office. Her ad- vice to underclassmen is ‘If you can get through junior year, you can get through anything.” Paige has participated in track for two years, volleyball for four years, and basketball for five years. She has also participated in choir, spring play, NHS, and student council. She will always remember the memories that she made within the walls of PHS. In ten years, Paige sees herself a few years into her teaching career and maybe having a family started. Grant Nuebel “Just gotta send it.” Grant Nuebel was born March 15, 2000, in Mitchell, to parents Jill and Mike Nuebel. He has two siblings, Mya and Burke. Grant plans to attend University of Nebraska for Business Administration with a minor in political science. The school tradition that means the most to him is Homecoming. His favorite school lunch is chili crispitos. The coolest project that Grant has ever created was in General Business when he created ‘Gnuebs Good Time Jungle Club’. His favorite TV show is The Office because it is hilarious. The social media that he uses the most is Twitter. He has participated in baseball, soccer, basketball, wrestling, and flag football. He has also participated in FBLA and HOSA. He says he will always remember when Bigge broke the table at Homecoming. In ten years Grant sees himself at a sweet job with six kids.

Tulsa Janish Tulsa was born June 2, 1999, in Mitchell, to parents Stephanie and Jeremy Seppala. He has three brothers. Tulsa plans to attend Briar Cliff University for Athletic Training and Exercise Science. His favorite school lunch is cheese pizza. His favorite elementary field trip was to the zoo because he got to see all of the animals. His favorite art project he made was in fourth grade when he made a clay football player. His favorite TV show is The Office because it is funny. The social media app that he uses the most is Snapchat. Tulsa has participated in Football for nine years, Basketball for four years, and Track for seven years. He has also participated in HOSA. In ten years Tulsa sees himself helping other athletes as an athletic trainer and having a family.

Thanks for the Memories!