Volume 53 Number 3 Brandon Valley High School - Brandon, SD 57005 Friday, Nov. 21, 2014

The Football ends

in semis /page 3

By Jacob BoomsmaPhoto Editor

Last month’s blood drive collected 61 life-saving donations that will be used to help 183 patients.

“This blood drive went very well,” said science instructor Lisa Fuccello, the blood drive organizer. “We had as many donors as we have in years past for this time of year and for the first drive of the year.”

This is Fuccello’s first blood drive after longtime organizer Dean Pierson retired last year.

“Now that he’s gone, I just have a few more things to accomplish to make sure the blood drive runs smoothly,” she said. “He always took care of some of the more detailed items so now I just have a few more things to remember before each drive.”

Fuccello has been associated with the school’s blood drive since 2008 and co-organized it with Pierson until this year. Fuccello said her anatomy students helped with the publicity and she encouraged students to sign up to donate.

“It was just a very successful drive with almost no reactions occurring from donors,” she said.

Senior Ashley Schobert donates blood in the bloodmobile. Sixty-one people donated blood during the drive.

Photo by Jacob Boomsma

Fuccello organizes blood drive

By Eli SuchowackyUpdate Editor

U.S. Military Academy Cadet Steven Brown, ’11, will visit Monday to discuss cadet life with students.

Brown visits as part of the USMA Cadet Public Relations Council program, which gives potential future cadets the opportunity to communicate with current cadets about the academy.

The program will be in English instructor Matthew Christensen’s room, where seniors will be able to talk to Brown during their classes.

Christensen has the utmost praise for Brown.

“He’s a paragon of excellence,” he said. “Every senior should try to be more like him.”

Fellow USMA Cadet Marshall Mechaley will accompany Brown on this visit.

Cadet Brown to visit seniors

Steven Brown, ’11, (left) sits with a member of the Chinese army. Since he is majoring in the Chinese language, he has opportunities to travel and interact with the Chinese.

Internet useTablets improve classrooms

Seniors in English instructor Matthew Christensen’s composition class take notes on their tablets while Chandler McGrath and Hailey Murray give their online presentation.

Photo courtesy of Steven Brown

Photo by Becca Goth

Organizations that use Twitter include the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the football team, the track teams, the volleyball team and the Echo. They tweet things such as when and where events will be, stats on games or even how certain players are doing.

By Becca GothA&E Editor

Tablet and Internet usage is offering boundless opportunities for students.

“The Internet empowers students to know and do more—and faster,” English instructor Matthew Christensen said. “Students become more powerful with the Internet.”

Students in Christensen’s English courses implement tablets into their daily classroom routines. The tablets have many advantages, one being the use of the Internet for research. It is much faster and simpler for students to Google a topic rather than to read a book about it.

Business instructor Lana Main said engines such as Google and Google Drive are great because they facilitate student collaboration and allow for her to review her students’ projects while the projects are under progress.

Main uses online resources to promote student-driven teaching. Students create presentations based on the subject being taught, then display them to the class.

Through the use of Google Docs and Drive, Christensen’s students consult with each other and share their works.

“Our writing improves. We type faster and neater than we handwrite,” Christensen said. “We type almost as fast as we think. No devices means more obstacles that stand in the way of our super- fast thinking.”

Christensen’s English classes also reply to blog posts as a way of pre-planning essays and having quick mini lessons. These online tasks, which act as homework

grades, allow for students to have almost all of their class online.

Being familiar with the Internet and its many perks is beneficial to students by preparing them for college-style learning. University professors and students say that in most post-secondary classrooms, every student takes notes and receives and submits assignments through the use of laptops and tablets. For high school students

that have no prior experience with this, it may be a huge and arduous adjustment.

Another Internet advantage is the use of social media to communicate with students, Twitter in particular.

“I think that it is easier,” senior Vanessa Kaler said. “I use Twitter all the time and I think that having updates on there rather than in the announcements

makes more sense.”Twitter and social media are

useful because they are widely used and easily accessible. Most students have a smartphone, or some form of device at their home that they can check these social media sites with, which allows for updates all through the day and the weekends, not just during school hours.

Brandon Valley Echo Friday, Nov. 21, 2014

Discriminatory blood ban on gays should be lifted

What do you think you have

to be thankful

for?

Free Spirit emphasizes First Amendment importance

Angel TreeThanksgiving FMSC event

The Echo is published monthly by the publications students of the Brandon Valley High School, 301 S. Splitrock, Brandon, S.D. 57005. Telephone number is 582-3211. It is a state and national award-winning publication affiliated with the South Dakota High School Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. News Editor..........................................................................Umaima KochVoices Editor ...................................................................Estel NiyotwizeraA&E Editor ...............................................................................Becca GothSports Editors ..........................................Dylan Bludorn and Haley HoekeUpdate Editor....................................................................Eli SuchowackyPhoto Editor......................................................................Jacob BoomsmaAd Manager ..............................................................................Becca GothCirculation Manager ................................... .......................Kristen PaulsenAdviser ........................................................................Debra RothenbergerStaff Writers........................Halle Doe, Samantha Peterson, Amy Vardsveen, Sean McEachran, Macy Murren, Jessica Andreasen, Shelby Simpson.Brandon Valley Echo is a public forum. The editorial content of the Echo expresses the views of the newspaper and not necessarily of the administration, faculty or school board of the Brandon Valley School District. Bylined editorial content is the writer’s opinion and not necessarily of the staff, adviser or school administration. Signed letters to the editor are encouraged, but they may be rejected or edited for grammar, condensation, good taste and/or libel.

“I am thankful for the food and to be with my family. Our family deserves to have a good Thanksgiving.”

-JuniorTyler Gries

“I am thankful for the troops fighting in wars because they are working hard.”

-JuniorAdrian Smith

“I am thankful for the food on the table and the time I spend with my family be-cause not everybody gets that chance.”

-JuniorAndrew Finch

“For my family and friends, for the home-cooked food. We are lucky to have holidays like these where some people can’t.”

-FreshmanEmily Knouse

“Food and being able to spend time with family because I can always count on them, and I like spend-ing time with family.”

-SophomoreKara Peterson

“I am thankful for my friends and family because they are there when I need them and they are fun to be around.”

-SeniorShaylee Juhnke

Although last month’s blood drive was a success with donations, not everyone could donate. It, and all other blood drives across the nation, still follow the decades-old, yet little-known restrictions that have prohibited actively gay men from donating blood and have heavily restricted their ability to be organ and tissue donors since 1983.

Active gay males who attempt to give blood will be given a permanent deferral and will be recorded in the database as unsuitable to ever give blood. Many other countries like France, Germany and China have similar bans on homosexual blood, but more progressive nations have now reduced the referral to a year after a man’s last sexual encounter, and some countries have done away with the ban entirely, seeing that there is no longer scientific reasoning behind the bans. The efforts by activists to modify or end the ban are supported by the Red Cross and the American Medical Association, America’s largest group of medical professionals.

“I understand the initial reasoning behind the ban,” blood drive organizer Lisa Fuccello said, “but times have definitely changed.”

The ban started with the ’80s AIDS epidemic when it was assumed to be a “gay illness.” Knowledge of AIDS has improved during the last 31 years and, according to the Slate, donated blood goes through rigorous testing for many different infections, rendering illogical any scientific arguments against gay men donating blood. Instead, the ban has been largely upheld because of prejudiced and bigoted reasons.

The blood ban of 1983 segregated all sexually active gay men into a group of dirty, disease-carrying and second-class citizens when in reality, only 18 percent of them are inflicted with the AIDS virus, according to the Center for Disease Control. However, the spirit of the ban has lived into modern times, preventing the 82 percent of perfectly healthy gay men from donating what a study conducted by the Williams Institute estimates would be 345,400 to 615,300 additional pints of blood that could save 1,036,200-1,845,900 lives.

“I feel that it’s an outdated policy that affects so many more people than just gay men,” Fuccello said. “There is a risk of contracting HIV for anyone who is sexually active, so by lifting the ban, we would open the door to having more donors and more blood to supply those in need of it.”

With the Red Cross reporting blood shortages year after year, and 41,000 people needing a blood transfusion every day, it is wholly impractical to ignore a needed source of blood because of an outdated, unscientific and homophobic ban on perfectly eligible donors.

Thumbs up to Thanksgiving break. There will be an early out

Wednesday and no school Thursday and Friday so students can have more time to spend with

their families. Some people enjoy Thanksgiving more than Christmas because it’s centered more around the food and fellowship instead of presents.

Thumbs up to the Student Council for sponsoring the Angel

Tree. The Angel Tree will ensure that every child within the Brandon Valley School District will

receive a Christmas present this. All presents are due Dec. 11 to the high school office so the Student Council can wrap and deliver them before Christmas.

Thumbs up to senior Calli Hensley for coordinating the

Feed My Starving Children Food Packing Event. Students packed 38,000 meals

and raised $1,000 for the organization. These meals will feed people in some of the poorest countries.

Photo courtesy of Umaima Koch

Senior Umaima Koch plays part of the jury in the Free Spirit mock trial of Hazelwood vs Kuhlmeier.

By Umaima KochNews Editor

The inside of the courtroom of the District Courthouse is large and wooden and wide and cold, very cold like early autumn. Five big, bowl-shaped lights suspend from the ceiling. Wheat-colored, paneled wooden squares line the room from floor to ceiling, from wall to wall; the floor is lined with the same wooden desks and stands and jury pews. A marble-lined indentation behind the judge’s seat is stamped with an emblem of the crest of the United States.

This was one afternoon of a five-day media immersion: the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference.

We 51 Free Spirits, each a representative of the states and D.C., held in that official courtroom our very own mock trial of Hazelwood vs Kuhlmeier, a case originally challenging school boards’ prior review of student newspapers.

The attorneys’ arguments began as formally organized and professional in our Free Spirit trial; they then slowly grew a little frazzled and impromptu as U.S. District Court Senior Judge Royce C. Lamberth grilled them with questions, searching for the verdict. Humor soon erupted and the audience roared with laughter and applause. Even the judge’s lips split into a grin.

Many people take their First Amendment rights for granted. Because such rights are given and

guaranteed, we don’t realize just how important they are. We can’t bear to live in a world without them.

Free Spirit nurtures the love of the First Amendment. The importance of those seemingly basic freedoms of speech, of the press, of petition, of religion, of the right to peaceably assemble, all became clear to me.

However, my travel was more than an enlightening lesson. It was an awe-inspiring experience.

Nothing can truly describe the full extent and feeling of Free Spirit.

Those warm, late-June nights when we returned to the hotel and gathered outside in a sloppy circle, nestled in dark metal chairs and settled on the faintly

dusty patio ground. We discussed every major issue and topic of today. Nothing was ever tense, nor heated, nor rushed. Each topic of discussion was, in a sense, our bonfire. Those discussions only drew us closer.

We’ve long since returned home; yet home, now, lies scattered across the country and 1,070 miles away. Past rolling golden prairies and rippling grand rivers, past brimming cities aglow with the bustle of busy days and lively nights, yet still enveloped by the same cerulean sky. D.C., that hub of news and politics, of arts and culture, stole my heart.

Fifty lovely individuals, each more than worthy of the opportunity we were all graced with, remain in my thoughts and heart to this day. We are masters of the art of conversation. We are wholly passionate about freedom, about acceptance, about reform. We are the embodiment of Free Spirit.

Something indescribable ties us all together. It is not just a common interest in journalism. It is not just a network of the future’s finest media reporters. It is not just a summer week immersed in the experience of a lifetime. It is so much more than that.

That final night in D.C., I didn’t say goodbye to fellow high school journalists. I said goodbye to family.

Even then, it wasn’t “goodbye.” It was simply “see you another time.”

Brandon Valley Echo Friday, Nov. 21, 2014

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By Haley HoekeSports Editor

Lady Lynx will take on the O’Gorman Knights Dec. 9 there.

“Every year is a new year,” coach Mark Stadem said. “It will be inter-esting who steps forward as leaders and how the team fills out.”

Some returning letterwinners are seniors Carley Kueter, Lilli Jasper; juniors Taylor Thorson, Sydnie Buchheim, Kasara Pollema, Hannah Paauw; and sophomore Elsie Zajicek.

“We have been working hard in the off-season, as some of the girls played on a club team,” Jasper said. “We are going to

have to play as a team. Not just one person is going to be able to do all the work alone.”

Stadem said the girls need to grow together as a team and sac-rifice what is best for themselves for the good of the team.

“If we can do that,” he said, “it will be an enjoyable year.”

Middle school instructor Mike Zerr will be the new JV girls bas-ketball coach.

“I hope to come in and bring a different perspective to our coach-ing staff and to our team,” he said. “I would like to see us develop talent and continue to improve throughout the year.”

Lady Lynx play O’Gorman

Wrestlers compete at Roosevelt Invite

Photo by Macy Murren

Junior Hannah Paauw tips the volleyball against Roosevelt in Region 1AA Tournament. The girls lost in three matches.

Volleyball ends at regions

Boys bowling team beats Vermillion

Lynx open with Bobcats

Lynx finish season 7-3

Photo by Umaima Koch

Senior quarterback Jake Comeaux passes the ball.

By Dylan BludornSports Editor

Boys basketball team will open its season at Brookings Bobcats Dec. 12.

Leading the Lynx this season are seniors Austin Trevino, Peter Choudek, Tyler Erck and Ryan Larson.

“We expect the same out of all our seniors,” coach Brent Deckert said. “Lead, and if that’s not who they are, then be a great follower.

The only way we become a team is if our seniors compete.”

The Lynx will compete against their Metro Conference opponent O’Gorman Knights Dec. 13.

“O’G is a very balanced team returning two starters that led them in scoring last year,” Deckert said. “We’ll certainly find out much about our team that night. In order to win any game, our teams will have to limit turnovers, take great shots and share the basketball.”

By Dylan BludornSports Editor

Wrestling team will begin its season Dec. 6 at the Sioux Falls Roosevelt Invitational.

“My expectations for the Roos-evelt Invitational are to use it as a foundation for the early season competition,” coach Kraig Presler said. “I am expecting maximum ef-

fort, with the understanding that we will still have a lot of work to do.”

As far as outcomes, he predicts Roosevelt, Washington and Vermillion all return strong squads.

“I feel confident we can compete at the same level as those teams,” he said.

Among the competition is

Sioux Falls Roosevelt, who placed third at the state tournament last season.

“Roosevelt has the personnel to make a run for a state team championship, but in early competitions, anything can happen,” Presler said. “To defeat them, we will have to have a top performance from all of our entries.”

By Estel NiyotwizeraVoices Editor

Both boys and girls bowling teams, the largest in four years, competed in Yankton against Vermillion last Friday.

The varsity boys won 31-19 and the varsity girls lost 43-7. With a 223 game score and a 576 series score, junior Lauren Blue was the highest for the match.

“It feels amazing that all my hard work is paying off,” Blue said. “I like being a leader for everyone.”

Sophomore Ricky Delacruz had a high boys game of 215, and

freshmen Darian Blue had the high series of 557.

“It was incredible,” coach Richard Blue said, “every lane giving each other high fives and fist pounds the entire match.”

With 16 boys and eight girls, 15 of them being new members, the biggest issue the team faces is the cost of the equipment.

Having to pay for everything on their own is the biggest obstacle they face, coach Blue said.

“As a team we will all grow together and stronger as the year moves along and everyone gains more experience,” he said.

By Umaima KochNews Editor

Seniors Alex Wilde, Peter Choudek, Nate Bennett and junior Andrew Sorensen were named to the Class 11AAA All-State team at the football awards banquet Tuesday night.

Seniors Jake Comeaux and Riley Frantzen received All-State Honorable Mention recognition.

“We’re really proud of this team,” said coach Matt Christensen, defensive coordinator of the team. “The three games we lost were all within one score at the end, so we could very well have been undefeated. We could’ve been much less successful, but admirable attitude and work ethic led to a successful season.”

After two hours of battling relentless winds and a fierce Rough Rider competition Nov. 7, the Lynx ended its season with a 20-9 loss during semifinals against Sioux Falls Roosevelt, and a 7-3 record overall.

“The togetherness of this football team was unmatched,” Wilde said. “We all came together

and fought for each other every play of the game.”

Collectively, the Lynx accumulated a 1,716 net rushing yardage and a 2,294 net passing yardage.

Individually, Frantzen gained 1,037 yards rushing for 10 touchdowns; Comeaux, 683 yards rushing for six; and junior Tyler

Hintz, 166 yards rushing for one.Comeaux completed 180 out of

274 passing attempts for gains of 2,154 yards for 24 touchdowns.

Receiving, Wilde gained 1,009 yards for 10 touchdowns; senior Drew Reinschmidt, 586 yards for eight; junior Isaiah Blok, 284 yards for three; and sophomore Spencer Grage, 216 yards for three.

Sorensen had 102 total tackles; senior Wyatt Winter, 68 tackles; Hintz, 50 tackles; and junior Riley Bennett, 45 tackles.

Choudek had 48 total tackles and 12 sacks for losses of 117.5 yards.

Eastern South Dakota All-Conference players are Reinschmidt, Comeaux, Frantzen, Wilde, Bennett, Choudek and Sorensen.

Metro Conference players are Wilde, Comeaux, Frantzen, Sorensen, Choudek and Bennett.

“We’ve had a successful season,” Christensen said. “Although we were one game away from the championship, we hope that each player learned lessons that will help them be better members of their communities in the future.”

By Dylan BludornSports Editor

Volleyball team ended its 10-13 season at regions against Roosevelt in three matches.

Junior Hannah Paauw led the team with 12 kills. Sophomore Becca Koehn led the Lynx with 22 set assists while junior Taylor Thorson provided 14 digs.

With the Lynx only gradu-ating two seniors the future looks bright for the team.

“My expectations are high, just like I believe expecta-tions are,” coach Lindsey Smith said. “I think they were disappointed with how the season ended when they

know they can compete with the top teams in the state. Learning from this, and, hope-fully, age and experience will be something we have more of next year and it will benefit us and help us pull off a few more wins.”

Paauw was named to the Eastern South Dakota All-Conference First Team. Koehn, Thorson and sopho-more Elsie Zajicek received honorable mention.

“Hannah Paauw had a great year for us,” Smith said. “She has worked so hard in the off season and she just loves vol-leyball so much that I am very proud of her and happy she got this recognition.”

Brandon Valley Echo Friday, Nov. 21, 2014

Oral interpers prepare for state festival

Did you know...?

Angel Tree provides gifts for children

By Halle DoeStaff Writer

Horse judging team received silver at the national FFA contest in Kentucky last month.

Individually, junior Allison Poncelet placed 71 for a silver; junior Natalie Osheim, 103, receiving silver; junior Krista Mohror, 152, receiving bronze; and Karlie Kirkpatrick, ’14, 129, receiving bronze. The team placed 32 out of 50 states.

Horse team competed against college students with two years of study in equine science.

“The trip went really well,” Poncelet said. “We competed as a team, we worked together and figured out problems and got the highest score in team problems.”

Her favorite part of Kentucky was going to Churchill Downs.

“It is the horseracing track for the Breeders Cup,” she said,” and the scenery was amazing driving to Kentucky.”

The next FFA meeting is Dec. 3. It will be a pancake feed.

Horse team receives silver status

n November students of the month are seniors Emma Baier, Riley Frantzen, Ashley Schobert; juniors Sheila Coyle, Rachel Waldner; sophomores Ryan Meyer, Lexis Sherron; freshman Kelsey Frost and Thomas Redford.n Volleyball Awards Dinner is Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.n Early dismissal is Wednesday for Thanksgiving break, and no school on Thursday and Friday.n Sophomore Jennika Wrightsman and junior Hannah Mutschelknaus, who play with the St. Louis Blues, will be competing at a hockey tournament in Toronto, Canada, Dec. 4. At the Bauer World Invite last weekend in Detroit, they lost to the No. 2 in the nation Honeybaked, Detroit, 4-1. Mutschelknaus finished wil three goals and Wrightsman with two assists.n Journalism instructor Debra Rothenberger received a Master Journalism Educator renewal earlier this month. She has maintained that distinction for 10 years. nA giving assembly will be Dec. 5 for the entire student body.

Art Club visits the Pavilion

Senior Brielle Hogue admires a concrete, metal sculpture at the Pavilion during an Art Club field trip.

Photo by Umaima Koch

Sittig directs fall play

The horse judging team, junior Natalie Osheim, junior Krista Mohror, Karlie Kirkpatrick, ’14, and junior Allison Poncelet, hold silver bracket plaque. They received this at the national convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

Photo courtesy of Eric Fritz

Frog (junior Braden Paulsen) and Toad (sophomore Adam Else) enjoy a picnic together. Snail (senior Riley Duncanson) is on a misson to deliver Frog’s letter to Toad. Mother Frog (senior Megan Swets) is showing Frog the dangers of the “Large and Terrible Frog.”

Photos by Jessica Andreasen

By Jessica AndreasenStaff Writer

Students performed a rendition of Arnold Lobels’ A Year With Frog and Toad last week.

This is not the first time A Year With Frog and Toad was performed. The play was produced as a one act in 2009.

Director Melanie Sittig was excited she had the opportunity to do it again.

“It’s one of my favorite shows. I’ve always wanted to do the full length”, she said. “I was just waiting for the right time and the right cast.”

The matinee for the elementary children is always a highlight for Sittig,

“The reactions are unpredictable,” she said. “But that’s part of the fun of live theater.”

The character who received the largest reaction was snail, played by senior Riley Duncanson.

“The performances went amazing,” Duncanson said. “The cast was able to bring a great level of energy every night, and the pit and tech crew allowed everything to come together.”

Angel Tree is a way for students to give back to families in the school district who need assistance this holiday season.

“Angel Tree is a good way for all children in our district to participate in the joy of Christmas,” Guidance Counselor Michelle Stemwedel said.

Last year over 100 children received what they wanted for Christmas due to the Angel Tree.

“My favorite part of the Angel Tree is giving the gifts to the parents,” Stemwedel said.

Student Council is asking for donations of wrapping paper and gift boxes. They will be wrapping all of the presents Dec. 13.

If a family would like to sponsor a child, contact Stemwedel or secretary Jessica Henson. All gifts that are purchased for these children must be delivered to the office by Dec. 11.

Oral interpers will compete at the State Oral Interp Festival in Huron Dec. 6.

Senior Evan Wieser will perform in non-original oratory; senior Summer Rogers, poetry; senior Tate Green, humor; sophomore Alexa Hokenstad, drama; and sophomore Lexis Sherron, storytelling. Rogers and Wieser will perform a duo. The entire team will be performing in a Readers Theater along with sophomore Spencer Donaway, a junior varsity team member.

In order to achieve the team’s goal of Team Excellence at state, they must receive four superiors.

“Of course, we want to win a team excellence at state,” coach Gina Koehn said, “which we have won seven times out of nine years.”

By Samantha Peterson Staff Writer

Art Club will be painting the windows in the commons next week for Winter Formal.

“Painting windows use to be an Art Club tradition,” senior Mykayla Palmer said. “We are now bringing the tradition back to BVHS.”

The Art Club officers include senior Nicole Petersen and Palmer, presidents; juniors Alana Callahan and Kaily Davis, vice presidents; and sophomore Brigid

Killion, secretary.“My favorite part of Art Club is being

able to come after school and let out all my creativity,” Palmer said. “Mr. Nelson always challenges us to be more creative and to think outside of the box.”

Art Club members visited an art exhibit at the Washington Pavilion. It was Moby Dick inspired.

“My favorite thing to do in Art Club is projects that the entire school can enjoy,” Petersen said. “If it’s art-related, we try our hardest to do it.”