Too Young Twilight Mania Tots in high heels? p.13 Series creates student epidemic p.7 THE PAWPRINT 200 North Center, Clay Center, NE 68933 CLAY CENTER PUBLIC SCHOOL 402.762.3231 December, Volume 5 Issue 5 Students find passion outdoors Enrollment decrease By: Jesse VonSpreckelsen would all be game to go sneak a flock game wardens, land managers, and Broddrick Dillon, Kyle Knight, and Staff Writer of snow geese in the spring or head even professional hunters. Some may Jordan Whitcomb. Garrett Calhoun, prompts When you think of an activity out at four in the morning in the fall even produce videos and television Ceirra Tompkin, Chad Veik, Jesse that a group of our students partici- to find that big buck. shows someday. VonSpreckelsen, and Ryan Yates pate in you will think of all the school It takes a little bit more than the This current trend of hunting is round out this posse of eleventh grade Board to sports. It is not very common to hear drive for a good time to just go hunt- not centrally located just in the older hunters. of many students to all be interested ing, it is almost develops into need classes although there are more up- Now there are quite a few of vari- consider in one common pastime. and it becomes a passion. perclass hunters. eties of hunting in our area and duck, This scenario does necessarily Hopefully many of these students Brett Peshek and Dakota Hoyt deer, goose, pheasant, turkey, and fit when the topic of hunting comes will still be hunting when they “grow- are some of the younger hunters be- quail are the main group of popular options ing freshmen but did not waste any hunting varieties. up between classes, at lunch, and of up”, but that is not the case for all, By: Ashley Boman course before school. especially those that move to metro time getting into the high school It is good to know that so many If you would really think about it areas. If it is truly what they love, this hunting scene. students are involved in a wholesome Editor-in-Chief There are many juniors and se- you could pull more than just one or infatuation becomes a career, turning and lesson teaching pastime instead After recent discussion, Clay niors that enjoy this hobby including two kids out of each class and they kids into adults with professions as of anything illegal. Center Public School announced that it is in the exploring phase of a possi- ble consolidation with an area school Snappy’s Happy Half Hour for the 2010-2011 school year. Although administrators and school board members have dis- cussed this situation in the past, this ‘Happy’ despite is the first time in recent years that serious discussion has arisen. Due to enrollment decrease in high school students, grades 9-12, which is under disappointing finish 60 for the first time, and financial is- sues, administrators and board mem- cember 1, 2008, the cast waited un- senior Kayla Essink said. It was hard bers were forced to look at options til the scores were final to see if they for the seniors to lose, especially af- for the future. made state. ter winning conference. “I think the “This is a real neat challenge and The outstanding actor awards students will look back and realize a great opportunity to make great im- were announced first, with Ka- what a great show they had, win- provements. And that’s really what lib Faltys, Sara Slater, and Ceirra ning conference and placing second it’s all about,” Superintendent Lee Tompkin all receiving honors. After at districts. It was truly a successful Sayer said. announcing the outstanding actors, season. Most importantly though, we A major reason of why discus- Clay Center was announced as the had fun and our audiences had fun,” sion has come up is because of free- district runner-up, finishing behind co-director Jeremy Heneger said. holding laws, which state that at the Hampton. Clay Center had taken first The play this year was called beginning of the third year of having while Hampton took fifth at the CRC “Snappy’s Happy Half-Hour.” This fewer than 60 students and a levy of one-act contest. While the runner-up was a play about a children’s show 15 cents greater than the allowable doesn’t get to go to state, it is still a in which the cast members don’t get limit of $1.05, land owners can trans- great honor to place second. a long at all. There are continuous fer land out of Clay Center to an adja- Placing second didn’t sit very fights during the whole play, whether cent school district. well with many of the cast, but they it is between Henri the Mime and At this time, board members are By: Mat Nolan play production, Clay Center had to were still happy with second place. Boo-Ba, or between Spencer and researching the freeholding laws and Staff Writer travel all the way to Stella, which is “Of course I was disappointed we Josie, two of the children actors of the how they would affect the school’s in the southeast corner of the state, couldn’t go to state but I was also show. Just after the dress rehearsal is current situation. Internal studies, Only a little over two weeks after near Falls City. The trip itself took proud of the many people that went finished, the cast and director get a along with meetings with area schools Clay Center’s first ever Crossroads about three hours. out this year and gave it a try. It was surprise visit from Luka, the produc- Harvard and Sandy Creek are Conference Championship in one-act After competing at 2:30 on De- a fun final one act season for me,” See One-Act: Page 2 See Options: Page 3 Faltys shares talent with young, old By: Sara Slater Faltys has figured out that there is always enjoy them every time I do.” tience but Faltys seems to take the something new,” Faltys said, “You have to remember you learn from Staff Writer much more than just money involve- Teaching kids is a great respon- field like a pro. “I definitely think ment when teaching young children. sibility that takes much time and pa- everyone should try showing kids teaching not just by being taught.” If you were to ask the question, “People learn in so many differ- who the greatest guitarist of all time ent ways, no two people are always was, or how many frets and chords alike,” he said. “It’s nice to help other are there on a guitar, not many people people grow in their appreciation of could come up with an answer on music.” their own. But I’m sure most kids Students involved in Faltys’s in Clay Center High School know lessons include second grader Grace someone who could. Messenger, third grader Maggie Sophomore, Kalib Faltys is Rieckman, sixth grader Zach Faltys, known school wide for his talent seventh grader Amanda Slater, and se- with a guitar and for some time has niors Jair Perez and Jessie Sorensen. been teaching his techniques to un- “I have been taking lessons for about der classmen. “I got my first guitar four months now and really enjoy in seventh grade and just haven’t them,” says student Amanda Slater, seemed to put it down,” Faltys said. “It’s good to interact with someone This fact has shown through with the my own age because we have the seven students that he teaches both in same interests.” Of course being so high school and elementary. “I first busy with high school, it’s usually started giving lessons as a way to hard to make lessons work out but it make money, but soon figured out it seems to be worth the wait for these was about more than just cash,” Fal- young guitar players. “Since we both tys explained. have busy schedules it’s hard to find Band and Choir Director Ralph Southern works with sophomore Kalib Faltys in his Music Exploration Class. In Music Since starting his guitar teaching, time for lessons,” Slater added, “But I Exploration, Faltys helps Southern instruct fellow classmates and aspiring guitarists. 2 December NEWS The PawPrint Practice makes permanent German honored with All-State Orchestra By: Abby Sorensen two weeks for just two pages because vember 20th, 21st, 22nd at the Uni- tition on January 10th. He will have “It is only the first Concerto or Staff Writer it is a lot more complicated and heavy versity of Nebraska in Lincoln to memorize Beethoven’s first piano movement,” he said. “There are three music.” He will be competing in Hast- Concerto which is fifteen minutes parts total which would probably be Foreign Exchange student, Stefan The Orchestra performed on No- ings Symphony young artist compe- long. thirty to forty-five at length.” Weiler, is the first pianist from Clay Center, since Mr. Ralph Southern has been the Music/Band instructor, to participate in the All-State orchestra. Now 16 years old, Stefan has been playing the piano since he was seven years old. With his mother, Ok-young You and father, Kurt Weiler both being music teachers and pianists, Stefan has also been inspired to play. “When I was younger, my mom made me start playing, but now I am glad she did,” Stefan said. His mother is a concert pianist. Their family owns five grand pia- nos total in their house.