INIWA » Feature

Jazz Workshop gives opportunities to students

KatieRider — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:13:18 +0000

GFHS’s jazz band, the Blue Notes, and Rhapsody Choir had their annual visit from University of Idaho teachers, who came and set up clinics for individual instruments. The clinicians came and began instruction for the students on the first Thursday after break and the students had two days to prepare for a concert that was the following Friday night. They come to spread the joy and effect music can have on a person. Vern Sielert explained, “The world needs more people who appreciate good music.”

Both days were great opportunities for the students to be able to work with adults who work in the field of music. The teachers were hands on, and they really enjoyed being at GFHS teaching students from both public high schools. Sielert said, “There is a great connection between all of these great people. It is a privilege to work with these talented young artists and musicians.”

The clinicians came and worked with the students on their individual songs, improvisation (where a single instrument comes out through the band with a solo with only one or two accompanying rhythm instruments), and individual sections of the band. Dan Bukvitch worked with the choir and percussion, Vern Sielert worked with trumpets, Jon Anderson worked with rythm instruments (bass, guitar, piano, and vibes) Vanessa Sierlert worked with the saxaphones and Alan Gemberling worked with the trombones.CMR comes to GFHS for the clinics as well, and the two schools collaborate and play two songs that are heavy in improvisation, while the two jazz choirs sing all of their songs together. Bukvitch, who conducted both the choir and the bands, said, “I can see from watching them, even in this short amount of time, that everyone here has the passion to work hard. They all are very talented, and they all wanted to be here.”

The concert was an incredible success, and you could clearly tell that everyone on the stage was having an incredible time. From a passionate and expression-filled song the choir preformed with a featured violinist to joyous, carefree jazz songs with unexpected improvisations. Anderson said, “Everyone rose to the occasion to this year and it turned out to be one of the better years.”

You could be the winner!

ADA — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:24:41 +0000

First Lady Nancy Shweitzer announced a recipe card contest to engage children in exploring gardening, healthy eating, and cooking. Montana students are invited to submit a favorite family recipe that includes ingredients that can be grown in a garden. Alternatively, students can submit drawings or illustrations of their favorite healthy recipe. The winning recipes and illustrations will be printed on recipe cards and distributed at the ServeMontana Symposium in Helena, February 23-24, 2012. The theme of the symposium is Growing Montana Communities. “Gardening and cooking give kids a fun, hands-on experience with fruits and vegetables,” said First Lady Nancy Schweitzer. “Growing, measuring, and mixing your food is also a great way to explore math and science.”

The recipe contest is part of Nancy’s Garden, the newest feature of the Governor and First Lady’s Math & Science Initiative (mathscience.mt.gov). Nancy’s Garden provides a gardening experience for every 4th grade student by supplying grow boxes, seeds, lesson plans and instructions for each classroom.

The contest is sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Community Service with a grant from the Sodexo Foundation and Youth Serve America. The contest is also a partnership with the Department of Public Health & Human Services to engage children in eliminating childhood hunger. Guidelines on the contest can be found at mathscience.mt.gov. Submissions must be received by Friday, February 3, 2012.

-Julia Gustafson ServeMontana

Sleep Paralysis : The Terrifying Phenomenon

Cantalope — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:57:02 +0000

I recently had the misfortune of experiencing the phenomenon known as sleep paralysis firsthand. One’s body naturally goes through different sleep cycles, one known as REM (rapid eye movement). A certain portion of this is called REM atonia. During this, certain neurotransmitters are inhibited causing motor neurons to cease function, thus leading to paralysis of the body. Now this is a normal function of the body that occurs when anybody sleeps, however sometimes the person can become aware before this REM cycle is completed. This can last up to a few seconds to a few hours, luckily my quandary extended for a period of only a few minutes.

I vividly remember hearing the world around me immediately as I became aware of my surroundings. My brother had overtook my computer and was engaged in a game of “Minecraft” on my computer, the ethereal tunes reverberating off the walls in my basement. I preceded to try to open my eyes when I realized that this was impossible. The routine task of opening and closing my eyes seemed elementary in my mind. Why could I not perform this simple feat? I then attempted to move any limb in my body, and once again my actions were proven to be extraneous. I tried shaking and convulsing with every fiber of my being and nothing seemed to work. It suddenly dawned on me what I was going through. I had heard of sleep paralysis before but never had given it heavy consideration. In addition to not being able to retract my eyes or move, my voicebox was crippled to the point of non-functionality. This surreal episode seemed like it would never cease, but in a matter of minutes, I found myself acceded to the sandman’s soporific spell.

Upon waking up (for real this time), I reveled in the briefly quaint process of muscle contraction. Little is known on the reason for this unique phenomena. Some suggest laying face up, stress, alcohol and lifestyle changes might be contributing factors, but none are known as the definite reason for sleep paralysis. If this ever happens again, I only hope the circumstances are akin to the one I’ve described, as opposed to a length of several hours. If that were to happen I might lose all of the sanity I still seem to hang on to.

A Fright Charged Day

kristen — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:10:48 +0000

On an average day most people do not take into large consideration the date on the calendar. Though, on certain days of the year that is precisely people’s main focus. On Friday the 13th dozens of heads remain in bed, work is neglected, and sales even drop.

The distorted fear of Friday the 13th is a phobia. Phobias are defined as irrational fears. Many fears and phobias are based on luck. People who tend to believe in bad luck also tend to believe in superstitions. Examples of other superstitions include breaking a mirror and receiving seven years of bad luck, or that a rabbit’s foot brings good luck.

The origin of superstitions can not be completely determined. Certain superstitions have an obvious basis such as getting bad luck from walking under a ladder. There are clearly hazards when walking under a ladder. It or something on it could fall, or you could knock someone off of the ladder. Then associating that with luck is understandable.

Unlucky number thirteen is among the undetermined. Thirteen historically has been seen as the “off” number. In the bible Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, was the thirteenth person to come to the Last Supper. In witches rituals the devil also was thought to be the thirteenth attendee. Thirteen is just an unsettling number. Twelve is often used, it is round and even, but thirteen is unfamiliar.

How to Keep New Year’s Resolutions

smoltzan — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:25:38 +0000

27% of people have quit their New Year’s resolution as of the end of the first week. For most people it was just too hard to give up what they loved. If you are one of these people or someone who didn’t make a resolution this year there’s no need to worry. After reading these tips you will have a new resolution and the necessary skills to keep it.

Top 10 Resolutions
1.       Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone
2.       Eat Healthy Food
3.       Enjoy life more
4.       Get a (Better) Job
5.       Do better in school
6.       Lose Weight
7.       Get Organized
8.       Manage Stress
9.       Spend More Time With Friends and Family
10.     Volunteer
If none of these suit you check out the New Year’s resolution generator at http://www.moninavelarde.com/newyears/

Strategies to maintain your goal

Reward yourself each day you maintain your goal. Just walk 3 miles? Go shopping with your friends
Track your progress. Mark the calendar with your favorite color every day since you quit eating junk food. At the middle of the month when the top is all shaded in you’ll feel better about keeping up your goal.
Do it with a friend. Making a change is easier when you have support.
Have a relapse? Decide to do better tomorrow and don’t stress over it
Time changes everything. After 21 days it’ll become a habit, and therefore easier. In 6 months’ time it becomes natural and you’ll barely even notice it.

Students dance appropriately and enjoy themselves at ‘Big City Dreams’ prom

KatieRider — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:21:31 +0000

The days leading up to prom were more than a little tense, with the grinding incident that shook both students and faculty, but the students preformed exceptionally, and showed the community what true bison pride is. Junior Lauren Hering, the prom queen, expressed how she felt about prom, “I think it was an overall success, and even though we didn’t get to dance [like last year], everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.”
Freshman Cilly Geranios, had similar thoughts on how well the prom went, “It went pretty well, the DJ had some minor slip-ups, but they weren’t a big deal and I think the crowd handled it well.”
Hering had an interesting experience as prom queen because her other nominated partner, Teylor Smith, left prom before the crowns were distributed. “I was still pretty happy, considering, it was not that big of a deal, but I was still a little upset that I was alone up there. It would have been nice to be up there with him.” Hering still had a fun time and loved how much fun everyone had.
Abigail Davidson, the freshman prom queen, loved her first experience at prom, “It went well, the kids behaved appropriately, and it was a lot of fun.” She also enjoyed being a prom queen and wanted to thank all the people who nominated her, “I am just really happy and I am grateful for all the people who voted for me.”
Winter Formal has always had a fairy tale element to it. Geranios sums it up perfectly, “It was so magical to see everyone all-glammed up. It was refreshing to see some people in a ball gown instead of their everyday sweats.”
Junior Jordan Purinton has a very different experience of prom, because he was the DJ. “It was a fun experience and it was fun to do the light shows. I wish the equipment had behaved better, but overall I think we did a good job.” The crowd loved the music Purinton and Bryton Gabriel played, and their business “A Beat Ahead DJ Services” was praised after the prom.
All freshman have a different idea of what prom would look like. Geranios exclaimed, “I thought there was going to be a disco ball!”
There is always the good and the bad of prom, for every person. Hering wished we could of had more freedom with dancing styles, “Everyone has danced like that since I have come to GFH, it is tradition for me now,” but she loved the getting ready part, “I have always loved taking group pictures and going out to dinner.”
Geranios thought there should have been a better transition between the seating and the dancing, “Whenever I sat down I felt excluded, there was a giant wall between the two areas!” But she enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t in a gym, “It wasn’t a stereotypical bad prom movie, it was much more special having it in the civic center. It was an amazing night.”

Student Speakers Master Communication

Austin Mu — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:33:19 +0000

The supplementary organization of speech and debate is still alive and thriving throughout the public schools of Montana.
Once a part of the program, students are offered the chance to develop the lifetime skills of speech craft and sportsmanship among other equally imperative abilities.
“Kids that get involved with speech and debate build confidence, leadership and life skills. They put that to use throughout their life and will realize how much it helps them,” said Keith Davey, an eighth grade English teacher at East Middle School as well as a coach for debate participants. “I’ve even had speech and debate students that have become lawyers, business owners and other noteworthy leaders in their community.”
There are many reasons why Great Falls High has remained one of the top public schools in the state. When sports fail to epitomize with the most stellar results, academics and music tends to make up for it significantly. Speech and debate is a prime example of students applying their educational studies to real life situations.
“You gain confidence that really helps you think on your feet with speaking. In all of the interpretations, you learn to improve voice reflection as well as acting,” said Freshman Bailey Brandvold.
Currently, an excess of students have chosen to take part in Lincoln-Douglas, a division that consists of ethical and moral reasoning.
Junior Brian Tremper, a Lincoln-Douglas participant, has only just taken up debate and is already showing some impressive results.
“I like Lincoln-Douglas debate because I feel like with ethics and values, there is no middle ground. There is always going to be something to contest.”
As natural speakers, Brandvold and Tremper recently took places at the Helena meet on Nov. 5, with little experience and newly found acquaintance with the communication arts.
Despite the promising outcomes that the young presenters have already seen so far this year, a lack of individuals in certain divisions has become a major concern to the group.
“We need more people,” said Tremper. “I would say that a lot of people think that debate is going to take a lot of their time, but really, it isn’t much of a time commitment and it’s a load of fun.”

Famous guy from Great Falls High

jordanomac — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:46:02 +0000

The list of famous people at Great Falls High is pretty paltry to say the least. We’ve had a few small name football players, a couple of governmental figures, some decent wrestlers, and that one guy who wrote Independence Day, but nothing too substantial in the entertainment world. With the exception of Reggie Watts that is.

Reggie Watts was born in Germany in 1972, and eventually relocated to Great Falls where he was raised. As a professional musician, his musical aptitude arose at the young age of five, taking classic piano and violin lessons up till the age of 16.

After graduating high school, Watts set off for Seattle to study Jazz music at the Art Institute of Seattle, where he would later form the band Maktub. Watts was the frontman for the band, singing and playing the piano. After going on a few national tours and releasing five studio albums, Watts’ started to emerge as a very competent solo performer. During performances, Watts would often experiment with his looping effects pedal and improvise songs off the spot, and this is where he discovered his true calling.

Nowadays, Watts isn’t your commonplace musician. Instead of using instruments to project sound, Watts uses his mouth to mimic instruments, otherwise known as beatboxing. Beatboxing is essentially a lost art nowadays, as not many people are informed as to what it is, “You know, I’m not sure what it exactly is, but I think it has something to do with the mouth?” Said senior Hadley Jackson. Beatboxing is the simulation of drum sounds by manipulating one’s mouth to reproduce noises of a drum set. This unique musical style is what sets Watts apart from other entertainers.

Looking to divert his attention toward his solo career, Watts moved to East New York, performing his beatboxing and comedic routines. In addition to doing small shows, Watts began to collaborate with Internet groups such as CollegeHumor, where his music video “What About Blowjobs?” turned viral.

Watts’ popularity skyrocketed however in 2010 when two large things happened. The TV Network Comedy Central took notice to Watts’ unique abilities and signed him to produce a comedic video, and the dvd/album “Why Sh*t So Crazy?” was released. In addition to this, in the same year, Conan O’Brien signed Watts to be his opening act for his Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour, thus spiking Watts’ repuation. This tour crafted a close relationship with Conan, as Watts has now appeared on the Conan show four times now. Watts also has become quite the celebrity on the Internet, as his popular song “F**k S**t Stack” is nearing four million views on Youtube.

Watts doesn’t forget his roots however and frequents Great Falls often, sometimes even performing for his hometown. For more info regarding Reggie visit www.reggiewatts.com.

Mission: Mobility

KatieRider — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:45:22 +0000

“I want to say the injury has changed my life entirely. It changed the way I view the world, behave, and just about everything.” Kunho Kim explained the difference of his life was, and how much it has changed in just the last few years. He came to GFHS as a junior in the 2010-2011 school year. He was a popular foreign exchange student, he had good grades and was good at athletics. He came from a family in South Korea. The winter he came here, his life changed completely. A showdown jump, and a wrong fall, left him stuck in the hospital for two months, and with information that he would never feel his legs again. “In retrospect, now I can say I was very cocky, having good grades and being athletic kind of got to my head.”
Although it was difficult finding out he would never walk again, he kept his hopes high. “It was like learning how to live again. Even when I heard that I can’t walk for the rest of my life, I was not that depressed. I’m a person who doesn’t really think about the past. I admit that everything that I had to go through was the hardest steps I had to overcome in my entire life.”
When he arrived in Vietnam after the accident, he found that one wheelchair in his hospital cost $5,000. “I lived in Vietnam about 5 years prior to going to the states and know the financial difficulties that Vietnamese people have, the first thought I had in my mind is that whether Vietnamese people are able to pay that much amount.” The thought of speaking out scared him at first, but he gained his confidence when his friend was searching for a community project. “Having the thought about the Vietnamese patients who shared same medical conditions, I suggested about making a club that donates wheelchairs to Vietnamese patients.”
The club became an instant success, and it is now the most popular club at his school. Since the moment that he started the club, they have donated 47 wheelchairs. The organization is called HeartSaysFreeMove. He has made this movement the most important thing in his entire life. “The idea that I can change someone else’s life fascinates me. Being able to do something that someone cannot do because of their inability really inspires me and my work that I am doing here.”

Cyberbullying

kristen — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:48:42 +0000

Social media can be used to spread information faster than imaginable from traditional sources. It can discover a new sensation overnight. It can connect people that otherwise would be impossible. When properly used its benefits are limitless. Unfortunately that is not always the case. If Social media is misused it can become a device of warfare.
Cyberbullying remains a fairly hushed topic until it reaches a forsaken climax. “[Being bullied] makes me feel more cautious and take a step back. Like I’m not wanted and people don’t like me,” said freshman Roni Thiel. Thiel is a longtime victim of bullying and cyberbullying. “It drains me,” explained Theil. “When I get home I don’t feel like doing anything.”
“When I had texting they called me some pretty bad names.” said Thiel. Not only has she been victim of name calling but also had some physical encounters. “People bumped into me and pushed and nudged me.”
The bullying became a more severe problem for Thiel when the bullies started to bother her more every day. “When they start thinking I’m vulnerable and its okay for them to do that,” it stopped being a game for Thiel. “I get very sad and angry,” said Thiel. “I usually just bottle [the emotions] up until they overflow and turn into something drastic.”
After everything Thiel has been through she expressed her concern. “I’m afraid that people are not just doing it to me. It starts out as a joke but can lead to someone hurting themselves or sometimes suicide.”
“Bullying is a bad thing and not just a joke,” said Thiel. “If [anyone] knows someone who is [bullied] they should tell someone because it is going to be a long hard road for them.”
In a case of cyber bullying the School Resource Officer would get involved. The Great Falls school district policy states, “all reports of harassment in cyberspace will be fully investigated.” Consequences can include expulsion and legal repercussions.
Some cases have occurred with adults misusing social media, and this creates an even larger problem. When an adult is involved in cyberbullying it no longer is a manner of bullying but rather of cyber harassment or cyber stalking.
A new district policy is in the process of being written and established. “Its been a work in progress for a period of time,” said Dr.Anderson.
Disputes have risen about teacher’s and staff member’s lives in the world of social media. The policy our school district is trying to adopt reminds employees, “lines can be crossed to easily regarding their personal life,” said document writer Tammy Lacey. The policy recognizes social media as a helpful teaching aid but is taking precautionary measures to prevent its misuse.
What deems a teacher’s online actions as inappropriate is not very finite. “It is not something very black and white,” said Anderson. In the classroom as well as in the cyber world, teachers are to abide by The Professional Educators of Montana Code of Ethics. Teachers are to maintain professional, appropriate relationships with their students in any setting.
Failure to abide by this code through social media can result in serious consequences to staff members. Any other personal off duty activities, including use of social media is only “[problematic] if there is a nexus between their off duty behavior and their teaching or job in anyway,” said Lacey.