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September Stampede 2012

About the Stampede

The Stampede is produced monthly during the school year by the McCook High School Journalism Dept. and is printed by the McCook Daily Gazette.

The Stampede is an open public forum newspaper.

The Publication attempts to provide a fair and accurate source of news and a forum for student expression. Content is not neccesarily the opinion of the school board, administration, or adviser.

The views expressed in the column section of the Stampede are solely those of the columnists.

The staff encourages comments on relevant issues and encourages reader response. All letters must be signed in order to be accepted. The staff reserves the right to edit for content, length, or to reject any letter. Correspondences should be sent to:

The StampedeMcCook High School

600 West Seventh Street

Stampede Staff

Opinion Editor Amelia Cooper

Feature Editor Mikayla Packard

Sports Editor Chase Hurdle

Entertainment Editor

Amber Trosper

Business Manager Courtney Garcia

Website Editor Drew Bredvick

Reporters Cody FrasierMegan PennockAdviser Mrs. Kristen Harris

March, 2012—just seven months ago—devastating news hit the Casillas house: their six-year-old son only had four to six months left of his life. One can only imagine the shock and panic of parents who receive that kind of news, no matter how old their child is. But, Isaiah has done the unthinkable and defied all boundaries set before him by those who have had eleven times as much schooling as he has. His story is one that has tugged at the heartstrings of McCook, Nebraska and motivated its citizens to fight for a cause that could save a life.

March of this year Isaiah Casillas started to experience spontaneous seizures. His parents first took him to doctors in Denver who diagnosed him with terminal brain cancer. The doctors there treated him with radiation and chemotherapy. After his return home, Isaiah’s condition worsened. His parents, Emily and Patrick, chose to take him to another doctor: this one in Omaha. The surgeon drew out the fluid that was building up around Isaiah’s brain causing pressure. Four months later Isaiah’s symptoms were nowhere near where the doctors expected them to be. In fact, he didn’t seem to be displaying the symptoms at all. Patrick believes it is from everyone’s faith and prayers that Isaiah is doing well.

It was thought that Isaiah’s parents were timid about telling Isaiah about his condition because they wanted him to go on living normally. Whether this was true or not, Isaiah is fully aware what is happening to him. He knows that he doesn’t have much longer and is being very mature about the whole thing. According to McCook Daily Gazette, Isaiah asked his mother to start putting stickers on items he wanted certain friends and family members to have once he was gone. Emily recounted that he seemed very grown up about the whole thing. “He didn’t look or act like a six-year-old….”

Despite the fact that Isaiah isn’t expect to live much longer, many organizations and local residents have stepped up to the plate to help make Isaiah’s last moments his best. Treatment for Isaiah is not cheap, and the Casillas family, though they’ve never asked for it, has received lots of help. Scents On A Mission is selling candles, Willow Ridge organized the Cookie Project, jars have been placed in stores around McCook, a Benefit Concert donated all proceeds, Team Isaiah T-shirts were sold, Highland Park raffled a quilt, and Make-A-Wish Foundation sent Isaiah and his family to Disney Land. The Casillas parents are overwhelmed at the effort of the community and other organizations to helping out their son.

Isaiah acts just like any other six-year-old. He runs around and uses all the energy stored up in his youthful limbs. He is an inspiration to all of us that no matter what curve ball is thrown our way, we need to make the best of it. Let our hearts reach out to Isaiah that he will hang in with us for as long as he can.

Isaiah CasillasAnd his fight for lifeMikayla PackardFeature Editorpackard.mic1@gmail.com

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Stampede 2012 | November/December

Fists are clenched. Nails digging into your palms. You squeeze until your hands shake, then your forearms until finally your whole arm is vibrating. Suddenly, you release. Your arms begin to regain feeling as blood flows to your fingertips. And all your stress and nerves seep out, penetrating the barrier that stopped the surge of blood to your hands’ extremities.

This may seem like a silly, maybe even stupid, thing to do in your past time, but doing it right before auditions for All State is what kept some of the students from McCook High School from letting nerves get the better of them. There were five students from McCook that tried out for the All State Band and Choir. Mikinzy Packard (Sop.), Kelsey Siebrandt (Sr.), Whitney Loos (Sr.), and Mikayla Packard (Sr.) tried out for the choir, and Katelyn Kinne (Jr.) tried out for the band. McCook was lucky enough to send two students to All State this year: Kelsey and

Katelyn. The All State clinic is

a three-day rehearsal process with a concert on the last night to demonstrate what the students have been accomplished. When the students first get there, the band members have to ‘audition’ for their placement within the band. Katelyn said that you don’t have any idea what the judge will make you play before you go in.

Band is placed with their section, and the choir is usually mixed by sitting boy-girl with different parts on each side; however, the choir director this year sat them within their own parts. So, Kelsey was placed with the altos and Katelyn with the B flat clarinets.

Katelyn was greatly impacted by the first encounter with the band director. He came in and said nothing.

“We ran through a whole song like that. Without him saying one word,” she said.

The point was to stress that if they wanted to get

things done, they needed to be quiet and pay attention.

When asked if the songs were challenging, she answered in the affirmative. But she also said that it was very rewarding to master them.

Meanwhile, Kelsey was getting to know her instructor as well. Kesley said that her director expected them to behave and sing as professionals. “He expected perfection,” she said. “We would sing a couple measures and then he would stop us, and we’d have to go back and do it again until we got it right.”

But through her strict director she learned how to sing more professionally and was rewarded with a teary-eyed conductor during a song of the performance.

Katelyn and Kelsey would both recommend upcoming Sophomores, Juniors, or Seniors to try out for All State Choir or Band if they are in either class. Kelsey says that even if you don’t make it,

Mikayla PackardFeature Editorpackard.mic1@gmail.com

Best of the Best

it is a priceless experience and a chance at being able to sing or play with the elite performers in the state. Katelyn says that she would recommend trying out as a Sophomore because it gives you one more chance that you could make it.

Katelyn, being a Junior, says she intends to try out next year and is excited for it. Kelsey as a Senior was grateful that she was able to make it her last year as a high school student. She said she “tried to soak up everything as [she] looked out into the

audience for the last time, trying to remember how [she] felt at that moment.” Both girls really enjoyed the time they were able to spend at All State and each took something away from their memorable experience surrounded by the best in the state.

All State Band and Choir

Kelsey Siebrandt and Katelyn Kinne qualified for All State Choir and Band (respectively) this year.

Mikayla Packard

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3 Opinion

Stampede 2013 | January

Once you start high school, you suddenly realize you are just a couple years away from graduation. And once you’re a senior, it hits you even harder. As graduation approaches, you start to ponder how it will feel to walk across that stage. Wonder what it will be like to sit among all your classmates and listen to speeches and music dedicated to you. That vision is what drives you through the endless hours of high school and the endless hours of homework. That scene is what keeps you going. But not for me. Not anymore.

Graduation for me has become something that I dread. Something I don’t want to think about. It’s not because I don’t want to grow up and move on. It’s not even because I’m scared for what comes next. It’s because I can’t decide if it’s right to go. As all of you are well aware, graduation is held on a Sunday. For most, this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but for me, it is. I don’t believe that attending graduation on a Sunday would be keeping the Sabbath holy. Sundays are a day of rest—a day of peace, one that is to be spent with my family at home. We don’t even buy things on Sunday. Or work. Or do recreational activities. Sunday is a hallowed day. A day that should be devoted to the Lord. How can I honor Him if I spend my Sunday participating in a worldly event? I can’t.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Most of you know us by our nickname: Mormons. In our church we have standards. That doesn’t mean that everyone follows them or interprets them the same way. Why? Because we believe that we are entitled to personal revelation. We have the ability to pray and find out for ourselves what is right. This makes it difficult to know where to draw the line. (And it makes it even more difficult for those who are trying to understand us.) There have been students here that have graduated on a Sunday that go to the same church I go to, and that makes it hard for others to understand why I have such a problem with it. It is hard for me to explain myself. It’s about as hard as it would be to describe why you like a certain band. Or why you like your favorite food. You just do. Likewise, I can’t explain why graduation seems like an inappropriate activity for Sunday. It just doesn’t feel right.

So here I am. Caught in the middle. Not knowing which path to take. I don’t want to miss out on the day that I have spent my entire life looking forward to. I don’t want to have to miss walking across that stage and receiving my diploma. But I also don’t want to have to defile the Sabbath in the process. I don’t know what I’m going to do, and it only makes it that much harder as we slowly inch up to May. If I thought that it could be changed, I would try; however, it has been this way for so long that it would be nearly impossible. So here I stay, caught in the middle of two feelings that cannot coincide come the 12th of May.

Half of you will probably see my article and decide it isn’t worth reading. Or you think the paper sucks so you won’t even open it. However, I think we can all agree that the horrific school shooting that took place in Newtown, Connecticut was a wretched event that swept the nation. I for one was completely dismayed after hearing about the teacher who lost who her own life trying to save her students from the gunman. My hat goes off to twenty-seven year old Victoria Soto. I’m sure that most people wouldn’t be willing to give up their own life for a group of children. It was a complete act of chivalry.

This whole event got me thinking about some of the teachers who had been there for me in my life, the teachers who had actually taught me something and the teachers who had made an impact on my life and inspired me to be the person I am today. It’s important to realize how much teachers can affect your life, for the good or for the bad. I won’t lie and say that I’ve had amazing teachers my whole school career; there have been a few that honestly were atrocious at their jobs and should have never been in the school system. I could even tell they didn’t want to be at school as much as I didn’t want to be.

However, the teachers that I have always thought fondly of and truly want to thank include: Mrs. Pat Wagner from Hitchcock County. She taught me more than how to read and write; she taught me how to treat people with the kindness and the respect they deserve. Mr. Ray Walter and Mr. Clapp were, by far, some of the coolest art teachers I have ever had and introduced me to some pretty keen art ideas. Mrs. Priebe was definitely the best band teacher anyone could ask for; she taught me how to put my hands on a clarinet and gave me a new perspective on orchestra music. Mrs. Jankovitts is a peach, and I couldn’t have asked for a better third grade teacher. And last but not least, Mr. Schaffer was pretty grand to have as a computer teacher my first two years of high school.

These were the teachers I actually enjoyed learning from. And not that my opinion makes a difference to anyone, but I think we could all take the time to appreciate the hard work that certain teachers have done for us. Without them I don’t know where I would be. I ended up learning something from them even when I didn’t realize it.

...Well It Shouldn’t Be...

Caught in the MiddleMay 12, 2013

Mikayla PackardFeature Editorpackard.mic1@gmail.com

My Life, My Story

Teachers ImpactDoes it affect us?

Karie FunkReporterkrfnk@gmail.com