With a pocket full of cash and sense of determination, sophomore Andrew Dubas and his friends walked into YoYoBerri to beat a renowned record: the most frozen yogurt fit into one cup. The most prestigious record there is.

Weighed at 51.2 ounces, the yogurt cup was able to pass all the past contesters. Along with Dubas was sophomore Samuel Harter, junior Robert Hay, and junior Jacob Fusselman. They all had a mutual friend known for bragging about his accomplishment of previously holding the title and made it their goal to beat him.

“If somebody beat us I think we will try and beat it again just one more time,” Dubas said. “After that, however, we will let it go because it was a waste of money.”

As an employee at YoYoBerri, junior Kylie Kloucek had seen her fair share of competitors. Not everyone knew about this competitive community of fro-yo lovers. So, some were surprised

when they beat the record. “The most I have personally

checked out is 41 ounces, until Dubas and his friends came and beat it with 51 ounces,” Kloucek said. “You can always tell when people are aiming for the record because of the excessive amount of frozen yogurt.”

Finishing the enormous amount of dessert was an accomplishment in and of itself, but the friends worked together to reach possibly the largest brain freeze in YoYoBerri history. Balancing the mountain of frozen yogurt took a lot of effort.

“We all put in money and stacked up the frozen yogurt as high as we could,” Hay said. “Then we rushed to the scale to weigh it before it all tipped over.”

Coming out of the frozen yogurt shop with their heads higher, stomachs wider, and wallets lighter, the boys considered it a success. They knew the record would not last forever, but they were satisfied with the temporary taste of victory.

photo by Kamrin Baker

byKATHERINEGILROY

INSIDE SCOOPFriends fight a prestigious

battle of frozen yogurt

Finishing off his portion of the sacred 51 ounces, sophomore Andrew Dubas laughs with his friends, awash in pride. The group’s goal was to annoy a gloating friend, and they succeeded. “The workers in the shop just laughed at us,” Dubas said. “It’s a total waste of money.”

HIT ME WITH

Students get snappy with photo sessions duringthe summer months

Capturing laughter and creating memories had become a trend among many students once the weather thawed over and beauty became more prominent. Juniors Lydia Berry, Dominique Doutre and senior Monica Zurek all shared the enthusiasm for photography and vibrant clientele.

Among occasions such as senior portraits, anniversaries, and individual boosts of confidence, these girls had many muses to choose from. Their expertise grew with each session after working with new models.

“I take pictures because I like showing people how pretty they really are,” Doutre said. “I love seeing people’s positive reactions after knowing they’ve had issues with self esteem.”

Despite the ever-present positivity, the photographers confronted many challenges. Wind, lighting, and difficulty posing were obstacles they

wished they could pull out of focus.“People who are taller than me

are always tricky to take pictures of,” Berry said. “I don’t complain, though, because I get to capture happiness and make people smile.”

Each shutterbug had their taste of success when they received their first professional cameras. In fact, they all copped a camera as a gift on a birthday.

“I always had a camera when I was growing up, but it was really cool to finally get a big one,” Zurek said. “I love finding new locations to shoot and going on adventures with all of my friends.”

Before capping off their exploits, these photographers secured new friendships, perspectives, and experiences that saved a spot on their memory cards and in their Instagram feeds for virtual eternity.

YOUR BEST SHOT

photo courtesy of Michaela Reddel photo by Gwyneth Heisterkamp

byKAMRINBAKER

Emily Ernst ‘17, Olivia Pesek ‘17, Lydia Berry ‘16

Dominique Doutre ‘16

008

phot

o by K

athe

rine G

ilroy

phot

o by K

amrin

Bake

r

Andrew Dubas ‘17

CAMEL BACKEnjoying an exotic date this summer, junior Elijah Zoucha and sophomore Rachel Packwood ride camels at the recently-opened exhibit at the zoo. The couple spent the whole day together, surrounded by the animals. “We got on the camel and it was really uncomfortable and kind of hurt,” Zoucha said. “But it was fun.”

RUFF STUFFWith a grin, junior McKenzie Anderson revels in the wrinkles of a Sharpei puppy at Tully’s Kennels. Tully’s was a known destination for many students in the summertime. “Even though I came out with a ripped shirt and urine on my leg, I love Tully’s,” Anderson said. “I loved that puppy. Those wrinkles are my life.”

WEAR THE WORLD

byGWYNETHHEISTERKAMP

Fabricating a creative summer pastime, two students endeavored to become businesswomen. Juniors Kamrin Baker and Katherine Gilroy, began working for a business called Serengetee.

While scrolling through Instagram, Baker came across the company’s page, which advertised volunteer positions as company representatives. That meant promoting and sharing their mission and products on social media.

“It’s so refreshing to be involved with a company that not only helps people around the world, but also does not underestimate young people to get the job done,” Baker said. “It was a privilege to be a representative for an organization as unique as

this.”The original identity of

Serengetee was in its initial priniciples: giving back to others while wearing fabrics from around the globe. Their clothing items were decorated in materials found from countries big and small. A fraction of their proceeds then went to various charities around the world.

“Doing this with my best friend made this opportunity an even better experience,” Gilroy said. “The company provides so much support for different charities, and I think everyone can learn from that.”

From stitch to stitch and country to country, Serengetee’s presence will be worn on these girls’ sleeves forever.

Best friends become hometown representatives for Serengetee

photos by Gwyneth Heisterkamp

TIMOTHY SOHLSENIOR

“I don’t like the Lemonberry slushies, so I get a mix of Strawberry and Atomic Lemon. It’s a lot more sour, which has got me feeling some type of way.”

HANNAH SCHLAHTSENIOR

“My favorite is a mix of Cherry, Green Apple, and Blue Raspberry with Nerds. I love each flavor individually, so I thought they would be great together.”

MARK FULLERSOPHOMORE

“I love the Route 44 Dr. Peppers. The people at Sonic know my family because we go and get them so often. Now they start making them when our car pulls up.”

MICHAELA REDDELSENIOR

“After trying all the different kinds of shakes this summer, I decided my favorite was the Oreo Peanut Butter Shake. It tastes just like Nutter Butters.”

SON

IC B

OO

MS

tud

ents

sh

are

thei

r fa

vori

te

slu

shie

or

shak

e at

So

nic

photo by Katherine Gilroyphoto courtesy of Elija Zouchaphoto by Hannah Butler

Kylie Kloucek ‘16

Samuel Harter ‘17, Andrew Dubas ‘17, Jacob Fusselman ‘16, Robert Hay ‘16

Katherine Gilroy ‘16, Kamrin Baker ‘16

JUNK IN THE TRUNKMarveling at the unique pieces the eclectic fair had to offer, juniors Alyssa Burd and Karley Schwartz take their time browsing through products at Junkstock. Junkstock was a semi-annual market held in a farm just outside of Elkhorn, where bargain hunters and first-time crafters alike could take part in the festivities. “Junkstock is a craft fair with vintage stuff and antique furtniture,” Burd said. “It really brought out my artistic side, which was very different for me. I liked all the food, too. The food was great.”

Kamrin Baker ‘16

photo by Katherine Gilroy

BERRI DELICIOUSTriumphantly eating their record-breaking treat, sophomores Samuel Harter and Andrew Dubas, and juniors Jacob Fusselman and Robert Hay basked in the frozen glory. The boys won a ten dollar gift card for their efforts and ate every last drop of yogurt. “The record probably won’t last for long,” Fusselman said. “There are a lot of competitors out there.”

YOU GOT SERVEDIn the midst of re-filling a topping containter, junior Kylie Kloucek looks on while customers purchase their desserts. Kloucek enjoyed her job for the variety of people she met every day. “There’s a little girl who comes in all the time, and she has made the Hall of Fame so many times,” Kloucek said. “She even won a free YoYo Berri t-shirt for her efforts.”

//SUMMER

1

1

2 3

3

2

018AUGUST

Buckets filled with ice-cold water, millions of dollars raised, and amplified awareness of ALS were all attributed to one fad; the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’.

The worldwide phenomenon was all for the cause of Amyotrphic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS. This deadly disease is the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Because this was not well known, the challenge developed awareness and funds for a cure. To help the cause, students, teachers, teams, and the administration accepted the challenge.

“I’m glad that they started the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ to raise awareness for this good cause,” junior Nicole Carnazzo said. “My great grandpa died from ALS, so it’s very close to my heart.”

The idea of dumping ice water on heads stemmed from the feelings that ALS patients experience. The challenge was also a new and entertaining way to bring attention to the disease.

“The purpose of the challenge is to represent the feeling of the disease,” junior Cassidy Loberg said. “You get to experience what it feels like for a couple of seconds when you dump the water on yourself. I wanted to participate in the challenge to spread awareness and use it as a bonding activity for the volleyball program.”

From virtually unknown to a social media sensation, the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ and ALS gained considerable attention from the entire population. Not only did it provide a unique activity to let poeple know about ALS, but it also heightened funds substantially.

“Considering the attention brought to the cause by celebrities, the results were outstanding,” principal Dr. Gregory Tiemann said. “The funds for ALS have raised from two million to 87 million dollars so far.”

Because ALS affected around 30,000 Americans, it was important enough to educate people about. As a result of the funds and awareness being raised so quickly, the challenge was a factor to becoming closer to finding a cure.

ENDLESS FOR ALS

Students and teachers helpraise awareness for disease

photo by Mark Hilburn

photo by Haley Dahlgaardphoto by Jillian Obregon

byHANNAPLEISS

Students gather to witness Dr. Tiemann take on the ALS ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’. After school, Tiemann accepted the challenge with the help of seniors Benjamin Kositzke and Kaci German who had the honor of dumping. “I wanted to do it in front of the school so everyone could see,” Tiemann said. “The challenge is an outstanding way to bring attention to the cause.”

Benjamin Kositzke ‘15, Gregory Tiemann, Kaci German’ 15

Nicole Carnazzo ‘16Varsity Volleyball Team

TYLER KLEIN‘18

“Before the first day of school I go to Walgreens. At the store I always buy a large bag of Smarties to get me through the first day of the new school year.”

EMMAWALKER‘17

“Every year on the first day, I have a sleepover with my friends, then we go to Panera the next morning. I always get a cinnamon crunch bagel there.”

JENNARICE‘16

“I always have a sleepover before the first day with my best friend. The next morning, we wake up, get ready, and go eat at Village Inn for breakfast.”

KENDALLSCHMIDT‘16

“On each first day I go to the school’s pool and throw a chair in the water. It’s really funny until I have to jump in to get it. My swim coach is never very happy about it.”

ANASTASIYAPASHEYEVA‘15

“Every year my friends and I all take the same car and go to Starbucks together in the morning. I always order an Americano and then we relax for a little bit.”

TRA

DIT

ION

SS

tud

ents

exp

lain

an

nu

al r

ou

tin

es f

or

the

first

day

of

the

sch

oo

l yea

r

//1STSEMESTER

WHERE ART THOU?

As the students in her English 10 class acted out the famous Shakspeare play, Romeo and Juliet, English teacher Kara Kirk leaned back and laughed at the fun way to explain a challenging text.

Kirk was a new teacher this year, but she had been a student teacher and a long-term substitute for Family and Consumer

Science teacher Kelsey Chittenden. Because of this experience, her shift into the classroom was much more comfortable.

“It has been a great transition and I love the English department here,” Kirk said. “Other teachers have taught me everything I know-- from survivial skills to discipline to content. I felt very welcomed by all.”

Student teacher and long-term substitute tries it on her own

Leading the color guard for the first time, junior Amanda Parker marches and twirls in front of her teammates. Being a color guard leader was different and more stressful than marching in the background. “When being a leader, you can’t show weakness,” Parker said. “I have to be the strong one, but I get to watch people grow so it’s fun.”

photos by Katherine Gilroy

MARCHIN’ ON

After finishing their number, junior Rachel Bailor and senior Grace Mueller strike a pose together. Bailor and Mueller had been performing togther for years and became close friends through band. “The march was over six miles,” Bailor said. “The weather wasn’t that great, but we still goofed around and had a good time.”

FLUTING AROUND

Focusing on perfecting the notes, sophomore Dylan Hermann shows off his euphonium skills while creating a memorable performance. Hermann enjoyed all of the random dance calls during the march. “My favorite part was in between the actual marching,” Hermann said. “There were fun activities we made up in between the songs, like a rain dance.”

IN TUNE

photo by Kamrin Baker

photo by Hanna Pleiss

PAR

TY IN

TH

E U

SA

Foreigners experience life in the states

JENNIFER

GERMANY

“My favorite part of this experience is the activities after school. I miss my family, but I enjoy football games, German club, and I run cross-country.”

UYGAR

TURKEY

“I like this opportunity because it’s a whole new lifestyle for me. I miss my friends in Istanbul, but the people here are really friendly.”

MARIA SAENZ

MEXICO

“I’m going to study here for a year then go back to Mexico for college. I’m in this program to meet people, but it’s hard because my English isn’t very good.”

FRI “I had a great experience at my last Back to School Dance,” senior Zoe Zimmer said. “I dressed up as Pope Francis and my friends went as Mary and the wisemen. A lot of people know me as The Pope so it was pretty spicy dressing in my full garb at school.”

ZOEZIMMER’15

“My first day this year was a lot easier than last year because I knew what was happening and I wasn’t really worried,” sophomore Dawson Wills said. “Since I didn’t have to come on ‘Freshmen Day’ I stayed home and slept all day.”

DAWSONWILLS’17

TUE08.12

MON08.11

08.15

Clapping along with her new classmates, freshman Elizabeth Dahlgaard learns of the school she will attend for the next four years. As tradition, all of the freshmen gathered in the gym for an introduction on ‘Freshmen Day’. “Even though I got lost on my way to Biology, having a day to ourselves was really helpful to me so I could get to know the school better,” Dahlgaard said. “I was more nervous for the next day when everyone came.”

“FRESH” START

photo by Katherine Gilroy

photo by Zoe Zimmer

WED08.13

Making her way to safety, junior Mikaela Pechar slides into third base. Pechar was looking forward to catching for the softball team at Districts and State from the beginning of the season. “I love how unified our team is and how our coaches push us to be the best players possible,” Pechar said. “We’re a strong team and we have a really good shot at taking state if we play to our full potential.”

SAFE AND SOUNDphoto by Emily Cvitanov

Mikaela Pechar’ 16

photo by Elizabeth Hemenway

photo by Taylor Walenz

photo by Keegan Holmes

FUHRER ‘15 TAZE ‘15 VILLALOBOS ‘15

byABIGAILDURBIN

THU08.14

Assisting a student with a building project, Industrial Technology teacher Trev Fiedler, finally gets to show off his teaching skills in the classroom. Fiedler was very experienced in teaching because he had been around it for most of his life. “I was born into a family of educators, and my dad inspired me to become an IT teacher,” Fiedler said. “This is my first year teaching and so far I have really enjoyed my year and all of the students.”

BUILDING BLOCKSphoto by Elizabeth Hemenway

Trev Fiedler ‘IT Teacher, Zaher Nabulsi ‘18, Mitchell Koch ‘18

1

2

3

1

2

3

024 AUGUST

While watching intently, senior Benjamin Kositzke, along with his fellow Crazies, admire the dance team as they show off their skills at the first pep rally of the year. “It was great to get everyone together and be out on the floor having an awesome time,” Kositzke said. “It was cool to be able to watch the dance team do what they do best from up close with all the Crazies.”

LIVE GREEN

As he poses for the Omaha World Herald, junior Derek Hitz throws his hands in the air with pride. Students gathered in the gym during the pep rally to take a group photo that would land a spot in the city’s newspaper, honoring the school for its top notch athletes two years running. “It was amazing to be a part of an award that is important to the state,” Hitz said. “It really motivated the team to try harder at practice and at games so we could earn the award again.”

LOUD AND PROUD

LOVIN’ THE CLUB Students spend time doing their favorite activities“I was in the 40 Assets Club when I was in middle school, and it was alot of fun, so I wanted to continue it in high school. We volunteer and host food drives to help the less fortunate.”

-GILLIANWEIBEL’18

“Mr. Mosely, a favorite teacher of mine, introduced me to Cycling Club. I always thought it looked really competitive. Plus, Lance Armstrong does it, and I aspire to be just like him.”

-ALEXANDERVRASPIR’15

“We play anything from video games to physically active games in Gaming Club. I really like it because it creates a social group for people who aren’t particularly into sports.”

-ANDREWWELLS’15

Ashly Helfrich, ‘17 Activities Director Chris Loofephotos by Alexis Mitilier

phot

o by G

wyne

th H

eister

kam

p

photo by Zoe Zimmer

“The first varsity football game of the season was really intense. Even though we lost to

Omaha North, it was still an impressive game and I had a lot of fun cheering at it.”

MORGANVIDLAK’15

“My teammate, Annika Brown, suggested that the girls golf team to do the ice bucket

challenge. Our coach, Kent Speer, was all for it since it helped people with ALS. We did it

right after a varsity golf tournament, so it was refreshing after being out in the heat. Everyone

donated ten dollars, and he donated even more.”

BROOKESANCHEZ’17

MON08.24

TUE

WED

FRI

08.25

08.26

08.28

While stepping into the deflated mascot suit, freshman Isabel Johnson is helped by a friend as she prepares for tryouts. For a few days out

of the week, several students received the honor of trying on the mascot suit and having a shot

at becoming Willy the Wildcat. “Being in the suit was more difficult than I expected,” Johnson said.

“It was hard to see and find balance, especially when doing tricks, but it got easier the more I

did it.”

PAWS ON DECK

“Getting back into the swing of things with school has been really hard, especially because I’m a

senior now. We’ve spent the last couple weeks of AP Calculus reviewing concepts from last year, but now

we are picking up more difficult concepts, which isn’t all that fun. But I do love derivatives and Mr. Hall.”

KELSEYSIEVERS’15

THU08.27

As she glides her paintbrush over the paper, sophomore Alexis Johnson helps make

decorartions for the Homecoming dance. The Student Council spent weeks preparing for the Cirque du Millard West theme. “I helped paint

the big animal train that covered an entire wall,” Johnson said. “It was really cool to be able to

work on something that turned out great and was so special for the school.”

STUDENT CIRCUS

photo by Zoe Zimmer

“In HOSA, we volunteer and raise money for health organizations. My family has a history of bad blood, so being a part of something that I have connections to is really cool. ”

-ROHANKANDEL’15

“We’re the only high performing school that didn’t have a Math Club until this year. The people in it are actually really cool. We practice for the ACT and SAT and compete.”

-GARRETTCONTE’15

“In the Spanish Honor’s Society, we work to help hispanic communities. My favorite activity in this club is volunteering at elementary schools and getting to teach them spanish.”

-KAITLINMASON’15

Benjamin Kositzke, ‘15, Ethan Novacek, ‘15, Cole Martin, ‘15

Derek Hitz, ‘16

photo by Kira Johnson photo by Hannah Delano

photo by Paige Mueller photo by Kennedy Wall

photo by Alexis Mitilier

phot

o by A

lexis

Mitil

ierph

oto b

y Hale

y Dah

lgaar

d

photo by Kennedy Wall

2

2

1

1

//1STSEMESTER

The athletic department once again rose to the top among all Class A schools in Nebraska. The Omaha World Herald had named Millard West the “Class A All-Sport Champions” for the second year in a row, making for five total awards in the 19 years the school has been eligible. To determine the award, the Omaha World Herald looked at the Nebraska Class A Varsity State Competition results. Although there were no Wildcat state champions, the athletes performed best out of the state when all of the sports were combined. Activities director Chris Loofe was thrilled to share the exciting news at the school’s first pep rally for the 2014-2015 school year. “What I’m most proud of, besides having outstanding athletes, is that we all do a great job in representing our school,” Loofe said. “This is the most comprehensive high school in the state in all aspects.”

The athletes who contributed to this incredible accomplishment couldn’t have been more excited to be a part of it. Ranked in the top ten for the five kilometer race in the United States, sophomore Seth Hirsch helped the school to achieve the award. “I thought it was pretty cool to be a part of it all,” Hirsch said. “We didn’t win a state championship, so it was awesome that we had a second chance to be able to win something.” Not only did the student athletes put all of their effort into getting the award, but the coaches also were a huge part of this honor. “I think all the coaches in every program have done a really good job,” assistant cross country coach Colin Johnston said. “We all have high expectations and want to compete at the highest level.” The athletic department was ecstatic to receive such an honor and had the intentions to continue their streak.

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?Students, teachers, and alumni compete with each other for the 20th annual improv night

On Friday, October 28, drama fanatics of all ages shared the stage to create a comedic atmosphere. Current Drama Club members competed against both teachers and Drama Club alumni to take the trophy in the department’s annual Improv Night. This was the only competition in which being creative and completely random paid off. The participants engaged in many games, one of them being “The Question Game.” “The objective is to answer every question with another question,” senior Holly Pridie said. “You lose if you respond with a statement or hesitate to answer. We won, which

I’m super excited about since it’s my senior year.” Even though the students were the only ones to emerge victorious, everyone involved had a good laugh, social studies teacher Tim Royers included. “As a teacher, it’s really fun to have the chance to push the limits as to what you can and can’t say around students,” Royers said. “Everyone in the show did well, but personally I think the alumni got robbed of first place.” Despite the contrasting opinions as to who should have won, everyone agreed on the fact that it was a very entertaining event.

photos by Kamrin Baker

BEST IN THE MIDWEST

Teachers Tim Royers, Michael Catronand, Sonja StejskalHolly Pridie ‘15

by KENNEDYWALL&ALEXISMITILIER

by KENNEDYWALL

Wildcats accept award for outstanding performance in all athletic programs

Kamrin Baker Millard West High School