December 14th, 2011 - Volume XI Issue 4
The Trojan Times Staff Wishes You and Your Family
A Very Merry Christmas,
A Festive and Safe Holiday Season, and
A Happy New Year
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The Trojan Times
Dec. 14th, 2011
Opinion
The Trojan Times
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Dec. 14th, 2011
NEWS
The Trojan Times
A student-run publication of the
Scribner-Snyder Community Schools
Editor-in-ChiefNews Editor
Sports & Activities Editor Features Editor Staff Photographers Staff Artists Staff Writers Adviser Publisher
Editorial Policies and Publication Information
The Trojan Times is a student-run publication of the Scribner-Snyder Community Schools and is produced by students in the Creative Writing / Journalism course. The purpose of this publication is to inform the students of the Scribner-Snyder Com-munity Schools, their families, and the comCom-munity members of the town of Scribner, the
village of Snyder, and residents of the Elkhorn Valley about school events and news. The Trojan Times is printed through a cooperative effort with The Rustler-Sentinel and
is distributed with The Rustler-Sentinel upon each printing, as well as a stand-alone publication on the campus of the Scribner-Snyder Community Schools. Editorials and opinions found in The Trojan Times are those of the author or
contribu-tor and are not reflective of the opinions of the administration, staff, or students of the
Scribner-Snyder Community Schools, nor of the staff of the Rustler-Sentinel. Advertising space is available in the pages of The Trojan Times or through inserts in the school-distributed edition. Please contact Mr. Cosenza for more details or to buy an ad.
Autumn Schulenberg
Junior
Chase Utemark
Sophomore
Brooklyn Thomas
Freshman
David Dunklau
Eighth Grade
Mackenzy Schreck
Seventh Grade
“iPod Touch”
“xBox 360”
“Justin Bieber
con-cert tickets”
“New Jordans”
“iPad 2”
Trojan Talk:
What do you want for Christmas?
Photos by Amanda Schellenberg. Interviews by Kiana NuccioAmanda Schreck Kiana Nuccio Steven Cleary Dillon Kreikemeier Derek Beerbohm, Chris Burger,
and Amanda Schellenberg Kyle Ebel and Jon Rains Joseph Griffin and Trevor Litz Mr. Tom Cosenza Mr. Brad Stithem - Principal Most of us who grew up in a
small town we take for granted the fact that we celebrated/cel-ebrate holidays in school. But for some students they don’t know what that is like, mostly because of how politically cor-rect our society has become; ok yes I understand now with immigration families are com-ing over with their traditions and wanting to celebrate them too. But children should at least celebrate Christmas in schools as an educational thing. Chil-dren may go to school and learn many other ways to celebrate this holiday, like for instance a child may go to his/her grand-mas the night before the 25th and go to church for the reli-gious side Christmas then go back to grandmas and open some presents from his/her aunt and uncles then go home open some more presents from Santa who just visited their house. But that’s just what I think.
Blogger Teresa McEntire put the issue in her own perspective in her article “Should Christmas be celebrated in public schools” published in the parenting sec-tion of the website families. com.
“Recently there has been a lot of debate on whether or not public schools should celebrate
or even acknowledge Christ-mas. Dr. Jerry Falwell, presi-dent of the Faith and Values Coalition, in an interview with CNN commented that he had a list of 40 areas where “other holidays may be talked about, such as Kwanza or Hanukah, et cetera, but Christmas has been berated.” He agreed that discussing the other holy holi-days was appropriate but felt that leaving Christmas out was not only morally but
constitu-tionally wrong. Those who fight
Christmas claim they are doing so for those minorities that have different beliefs and may be of-fended by the Christian holiday of Christmas. Yet in the United States about 77% of Americans profess to be Christian.
Statistics also show that 90% of Americans celebrate Christ-mas, even if they don’t believe in Christ. So some organizations are trying to remove Christmas from public schools and places for the 10% of people that don’t celebrate Christmas. What about the 90% who do? Why should the minority’s rights be more important than the major-ity’s?
This year Dr. Falwell’s orga-nization in conjunction with the Liberty Council “informed all the school districts in America that the Constitution and the courts allow for the observance of Christmas, the singing of Christmas carols, et cetera, as long as all the other religions
are honored and the secular holidays likewise are honored.”
Along with Christmas carols schools are banning the words “Merry Christmas.” Schools in Ohio and North Carolina told their teachers they can-not tell their students “Merry Christmas” or display anything with the word “Christmas” on it. Likewise in Wisconsin a high school is not allowing any decorations with religious symbols or wording relating to Christmas.
For example in Chicago the city told organizers of a festival that they could not show clips from the newly released movie
The Nativity Story because the
film “may be insensitive to the
many people of different faiths who come to enjoy the market.” Mathew D. Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, commented: “Only political correctness gone mad can
con-ceive of booting a film about the
birth of Christ from a Christmas celebration. We honor mothers on Mothers’ Day, but in Chica-go we can’t acknowledge Christ at Christmas?”
I want my children to be able to celebrate the holidays, traditions, and beliefs in school that I celebrated as a child, especially Christmas. I don’t
want my children to have to feel ashamed because they believe in Christ and celebrate Christ-mas. Just as the Jewish child or African-American child should have their beliefs acknowledged and holy holidays celebrated in schools. Christmas is about the birth of Christ. But since 77% of the people in the United States agree with that statement why is Christmas being banned?
After reading this article what do you think, should Christmas be celebrated in schools and public places? Or should it be taken out of schools to keep those who are big into “political correctness” happy?
Should Christmas Be Celebrated in Schools?
X-mas or Christmas?
On December 1st, members of Mrs. Dunklau’s FCS class assisted Scribner-Snyder elementary students in making Christmas-themed crafts. Schools nationwide have become embroiled in the debate about the celebration of Christmas. Photo by Derek Beerbohm
Renovation vs. Innovation
Remodel of 1923
H.S. Building =
Double The Cost
Editor’s Note: As part of our continuing coverage on the future of the Scribner-Snyder Community Schools, The Trojan Times staff is examining the issues sur-rounding the existing high school building and fire code and ADA deficiencies. In this installment, we compare the projected costs for renovating the existing building and new construction.
If we just renovated the exist-ing 1923 buildexist-ing it would cost way more than just build-ing new buildbuild-ings. The budget for the demo and renovation of 33,937sf @ $300/sf and the price all together would be $10,181,100. That would include classrooms, a library,
a new administra-tion area, restrooms, and a renovated and undersized gym with locker rooms. You would have to have portable buildings for 13 classrooms @ $150,000 a class-room at the price of
$1,950,000. If you add a com-petition gym with locker rooms added another $2,500,000. If you add it all together the total would be $14,631,100.
If we just do a new addition/ gym it would be less expensive. For a new 52,215sf addition with a new gym per CWP draw-ing this includes demolition of old high school it would be $7,620,000 plus contingency (10%) would come to a total of $8,382,000. If we didn’t do the gym and but still did the locker rooms you subtract $1,300,000 from the total. Also if we leave the north parking lot unpaved, it would subtract $62,000. If
we don’t add in a play area you would subtract another $32,000. Changing the elementary con-nection to a corridor only you would subtract $200,000 from the total cost.
KRS Engineering came in and did an evaluation of the 1923 high school building. They found out that the pipe and
fittings are starting to deterio -rate. KRS found out that the electrical system is in very poor condition. Some of the equip-ment appears to date back to the original constructions. Also the wiring system do not meant cur-rent codes and standards. Also
the fire alarm, exit lighting, and
emergency lightings not meet the standards either.
So as you can see it would be less expensive if we just rebuild the buildings it would only cost us $8,382,000. If we just renovated it would cost $6,249,100 more than just rebuilding the buildings. Plus if we just rebuild it, it would be a lot nicer and more hazard free. Also everything will meet cur-rent codes and standards. Stay tuned for more information on the rebuilding the future of our school.
Information from the KRS Engineering and the Becken-hauer Construction.
In order to satisfy fire code and Americans with Disabilities Act deficiencies, the Scribner-Snyder school board is
moving forward with plans that would replace the current high school building with new construction that would look much like the above artist rendering courtesy of Carlson West Povonda.
Fast Facts:
Cost Comparison
New High School Wing and Gym
$8,382,000
Renovation of 1923 Building and New Gym Construction
$14,631,100 Difference (new vs. renovation)
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In-Focus: Christmas
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Volume XI - Issue 4
December 14th, 2011
Bells Candy Chimney Cookies Deer Elf Family Frosty Gift Mistletoe Present Rudolf Santa Sled Snowman Star Stocking Toy Tree WreathChristmas-themed Word Search
By Steven Cleary
Christmas is a reli-gious holiday. People around the world have different tradi-tions and practices. Christians celebrate Christmas day as the birth of Jesus. Many traditions during Christmas holiday began before the birth of Christ such as; exchanging gifts, decorat-ing trees, attenddecorat-ing church, sharing meals with family and friends, and waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25th
has been a national holiday in
the United States since 1870. Christmas wasn’t declared a national holiday until June 26th
1870. Before Jesus, Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. The end of December was a perfect time for celebrations because most cattle were slaughtered so they had enough fresh meat. Today very few people know what Christmas holiday is all about. The word Christmas translates to “Mass of Christ”. Ancient
Christmas is full of traditions as we all know and some of these traditions go back years and years. But some just go back just a few years and are just starting to grow. These
Everyone has a favorite Christmas present whether it is from their childhood or from a few years ago.
I asked some of the teach-ers and some students around Scribner-Snyder what their favorite Christmas present was. Here are some of their answers.
When I asked Taylor De-waele what she would say her best present she said last year charismas she got the cd from Michael Jackson. She got it because she asked for it and her favorite song is thriller.
Then I asked Mr. Ruzicka It was in December
about 5 years ago when I got the most amazing Christmas pres-ent a 12 year old girl could ever get. My Aunt Robin gave me my present a little before Christ-mas. She hands me an envelope and I look at her funny and I’m
Gift of Music One to Remember
ica Center. I ask her who is all going and she told Aunt Mag-gie, her, and me.
So the day before the concert I had fun dip and I was just eat-ing the dippeat-ing stuff with my
finger so the day of the concert I had blue fingers.
We get into Council Bluffs not knowing where we have to go to get to the Mid-America Center. We drove around for
at least half-hour trying to find
and was talking to someone right behind me and she started talking to me and all I could do was just sit there with my mouth up in shock because my favorite singer was talking to me. After that she sang some more songs, next she talk about her daughters.
Finally, the best part of the concert, she asked all the little kids to come up on stage, you see tons of little kids running up on stage but my
mo-ment was the best of them all. As I was walking up the stairs to the stage so was Martina McBride I was so close to her I could have reached out and touched her. My face was also on the big over screen while I was walking up the stairs.
Martina McBride then asked the kids to sit around this big red chair so we all did that when she started to sing In My
Daughters Eyes. These people dressed like elves came around handing objects out and I got an awesome little polar bear tattoo. After she was done singing we all went back to our sits. I didn’t want the concert to be over because I just loved the sound of her voice. This was the best Christmas present I have ever gotten.
I was so excited
that I was going
to my first con
-cert ever!
wonder what the heck is kind of present is this until I opened it up. It was a concertticket to my absolute favorite country singer, Martina Mc-Bride! It was here Christmas concert.
I screamed for joy and I gave her the biggest hug ever! I was so excited that I was going to
my first concert ever! Some
people was it just a country concert, I said no it’s not just a concert it’s my favorite singer! The concert was in Council Bluffs, Iowa at the
Mid-Amer-the place, so then we went to a nearby gas station and ask where the Mid-America
Center was come to find out
were driving right by it. When we get to the Mid-America Cen-ter I screamed for joy because I saw a long black limo.
When we get in the center we waited in line to show the guy we have our tickets and then we went and found our spot, we
had a floor seat about 50 rows
back from the stage.
She sang a couple songs and
then she came down to the floor
Country music star Martina McBride in con-cert. Photo courtesy of www.masslive.com
Ho-Ho-Ho History: Christmas
Through the Ages
Romans held a celebration each year in honor of their god Saturn. Their festival began in the middle of December and
lasted until the first of January.
They decorated their homes with garlands, trees upon which they hung candles. During the festival the citizens would visit each others homes and hold great feasts. Christmas is not celebrated the exact same way in every country. In Great Britain the Christmas season is “Boxing Day”. On Boxing Day the boxes contain donations for the poor. They open the boxes at every church and distribute them to the poor. China cel-ebrates Christmas by
decorat-ing their homes and trees with
paper lanterns, paper flowers,
and paper chains. China had a traditional feast of chicken stew. In Venezuela, Christians attend daily morning church services between December 16th and
December 24th. Northern
Bra-zil celebrated Christmas with a traditional play called “The Shepherds”. British painter John Callcott Horsley designed the
first Christmas card in 1873.
Many Christmas songs that we sing or hear today were written in the 19th century.
www.history.com and www. historyofchristmas.net contrib-uted to this article.
Trojan Christmas Tradition Vary
long Christmas day, he spends Christmas Eve at his mom’s house and opens presents in the morning, after that he goes to his dad’s house and opens pres-ents. Finally he ends his Christ-mas by going to his Grandma’s house and being with family. Bruce Schulenberg opens his presents at eight in the morn-ing and then has a big breakfast with his family. Later in the
and he had to think and for good reason because he said his favorite present was the super Nintendo he got it in 1993 or 1994 he was either 6 or 7. It came with Super Mario World and in his opinion it is on the best games ever. He also got Power Rangers - the game and Donkey Kong.
Mrs.Tillotson got an engage-ment ring for Christmas from her husband. He put the ring on their dog’s collar on December 25th in 2005.
When I asked Mrs. Weitzen-kamp what her favorite Christ-mas present she got as a kid was the cabbage patch during 1986 when she was 6 or 7.
Then I asked Mrs. Fischer and she said that her mother’s ring the Christmas after Marah was
Treasured Trojan
Presents Aplenty
born in 2008. So whether it be
games or engagements the gifts you receve from Christmas will always be remembered Christmas is coming in a rush
and people want to know how to celebrate it. I will give some of my hints how to celebrate Christmas. Some people ideas how to celebrate the holiday.
I think the family should be all there for each other. Fam-ily can watch the kids open the presents that were given to them by the other people kindness. The food the family eats should be given thanks to before eating. Christmas is a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The people I will talk to are Mrs. Ryun and she said she had her tree during Thanksgiving break. She likes to hang out with her family on Christmas. Her family goes to a movie after opening presents. She likes to look at the Christmas lights and
going to Santa Land.
Mr. Cosenza tries to get the family together and hang out with them and talk. He said he likes to wait for the food or Christmas Dinner. When his family gathers around the tree to open there presents it sounded to me they have a good time.
My family gets all together at different houses every year. We all talk to each other about the land and about farming. We have a tradition older or
young-er pyoung-erson opens presents first. We eat dinner first as a family.
I hope everyone has a happy Christmas. For all the children reading you better be good for Santa. Everyone please drive safe to your event. The snow may be coming or it is hear. The snow may melt then freeze and turn to ice. If a present too big for your car or truck have some-one else bring it home for you. Make sure you all think on how to pack a car because the cops are checking this year.
traditions of-ten vary from family to fam-ily from when they open their presents to what they eat for lunch that day. Chris Burger tells
me that his family opens their presents on Christmas morning. While Nathan Kreikemeier’s family opens their presents after church on Christmas Eve. Austin Wietzenkamp has a very
day he goes over to his grandpar-ents’ house and opens a few presents with the whole fam-ily. Every-one has their own special traditions that they do for the holidays and it is one of those things that never gets old.
Austin
Wiet-zenkamp has
a very long
Christmas day
Photos courtesy of Google Images
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The Trojan Times
Dec. 14th, 2011
Wrestling Pictorial
The Trojan Times
7
Dec. 14th, 2011
Features
Trojans, Science Have Chemistry
Above: Ms. Koleen Andrews demonstrates how chemistry can be enlightening. She begins by mix-ing common chemicals in a test tube (left) which re-sults in a foam (middle) that glows in the dark (right) thanks to the ingredients found in glow sticks.
Left: Senior Kyle Boyle and Juniors Autumn Schul-enberg and Garrett Bertelsen watch with mixed expectations as Ms. Koleen Andrews pours different
chemicals into a glass flask.
Below: Senior Kyle Boyle pays rapt attention as chemistry unfolds before him.
Photos by Amanda Schellenberg
One-to-One Laptops In Trojan Hands
On Tuesday, December 6th, the Scribner-Snyder Community Schools hosted an information session for high school students and their families regarding the district’s one-to-one laptops. Far Left: As part of the one-to-one laptop program, students
and their families had to fill out
a variety of forms before being issued a new laptop.
Left: Students in Mr. Meyer’s Networking class assisted in the laptop roll out and setup.
Photos by Chris Burger
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The Trojan Times
Dec. 14th, 2011
Features
The Senior Spotlight: Class of 2012
Abbie L
ynn Hunke
Joseph Griffin
Birthday: June 12, 1994
Nickname: Abisnail, abster, abbo, hunkers
Favorite Hangout Spot: Anywhere with friends
and family
Favorite Actor and/or Actress: Adam Sandler and
Jennifer Aniston
Favorite Band: Nickleback
Favorite Song: Follow Me
Future Plans: Golf at UNL, become a pediatrician,
get married, and start a family
Favorite Movie: Happy Gilmore
Most Embarrassing Moment: Mr. Dunklau: What
is a major city in Canada? Me: Tokyo!!!(meaning
Toronto)-let’s just say no one lets me live it down.
Advice to Lower Classmen: You can never dream
too big! Go for it!
One Person You’d Like to Meet: Phil Mickelson
Birthday: 10-16-93
Nickname: Joe, jj, BK Joe, Jozee
Favorite Hangout Spot: Joes’s house
Favorite Band: Escape the Fate
Favorite Song: Fix Me – 10 Years
Ideal Guy and/or Girl: Jessica Alba
Favorite Hero: Who has one?
Future Plans: Become a cop
Favorite Movie: Roadtrip, Eurotrip
Most Embarrassing Moment: Who gets embarresed?
