1. the
ECHOES
ECHOES
Scottsbluff High School | November 2010 | Volume 94 | Issue 3
the boys’
one sen ior runner,
With only bbed a
t ry team na| . 20
cross coun ry pg
Girls’ golf team w
ins another state
surprise state victo tends winning st title
reak to three ye | , ex-
ars pg. 19
With two team state championships and two individual titles,
UN-forgettable
this sports season has certainly been an
FALL
FALL [ ]
Senior Aubree Worden wins
third consecutive all-class
individual state title | pg. 20

2. Half a world away, Vice Principal Huck
gives new meaning to being ‘absent’
story by end, and then, we find out we are to explain that this is not ‘Standard to 11:30 A.M. then 2:30 to 4:20 P.M.
RYAN MEISTER | news writer required to attend school on Sunday American English,’ but because the “Heidi and Nyah spend almost
the 19. Yes, your “Attendance Ad- text book values it, so do the Chinese. two hours of their day walking the
The date was Sunday, Sept. 5. The ministrator” had to find a translator Huck’s children’s school is ex- boys to and from school. Also, like
time: 5 A.M. to excuse himself and his kids from tremely different compared to the many Latin American countries, they
Assistant Principal Matt Huck sat school on Sunday,” Huck wrote. America’s educational system. tend to eat lunch and then then take
staring at his computer, navigating Huck’s family (wife Heidi, sons “Schools in China are set up a bit naps and relax, even the adults,”
through a sea of blocked Internet Jacob and Kade, and daughter Nyah), differently than ours. Kindergarten Huck said.
sites. Finally, he reached his destina- with their Western features, tend to is a school with a completely separate Huck has been able to escape the
tion: his blog. stand apart from the rest of the crowd, facility because it is the foundation of city at times and become a tourist for
It was the first contact he had with which results in some special atten- their entire educational process--it is a day or two.
the Western world since arriving in tion given to Huck and his family. a very competitive environment for “We were able to get away from
communist China. “The boys are constantly petted parents. Also, there are no janitors the smog of the city to the Qinling
Huck is participating in an ex- and touched, and Nyah, is quite often in the Kindergarten through Middle Mountains and a nature reserve. We
change program in China for the first picked up and even kissed. Also, we Schools because, as Jake and Kade are also were able to eat a traditional
semester of this school year. are often viewed as a photo oppor- learning, the students must take turns Chinese meal that comes from the
“We’ve made it and are doing well tunity. At the Wild Goose Pagoda, cleaning their facilities,” Huck wrote. Sichuan Province called ‘Hot Pot.’ We
we have all had a hard time with it took five minutes to take a picture The curriculum is much more dif- liken it to Fondue, but much healthier
the grueling 14 hour time change, because people kept cutting Heidi off ficult than in the states. A level 3 stu- in that a broth of various spices cooks
although our the children seem to be to take a picture of our family,” Huck dent is already expected to do square the vegetables, legumes and meat,”
doing much better at adjusting,” Matt wrote. roots and 2-3 digit multiplication and Huck wrote.
Huck wrote. During his second week in China, division (mentally). Huck is pleased with his decision
On top of the time change, Huck both he and his children started However, the overall subjects are to go to China with the program.
has had to deal with a serious lan- school Working at Xi’an Jiaotong similar to the ones in America. Chi- “This will open doors for some
guage barrier. University’s (XJTU) Affiliated Middle nese, math, computer, essay writing, great opportunities for SHS students
“We are surrounded by Chinese, School, which is equivalent to an moral ed/health ed, P.E., art, music, as it is promoting future exchanges
of course, but also Zambians, Indi- American high school, which has a and english. for Nebraska students and teachers
ans, Pakistanis, and Nepalese, just 2,000 student enrollment. The school hours, on the other here in Xi’an, China. I have worked
to name a few. It is so good to see I teach conversational English to hand, couldn’t be more different. for this program to develop since the
the world from the many different the Level 3 students (advanced) and Huck’s kid’s attend school from 7:50 fall of 2008,” Huck wrote.
cultural perspectives, but it can be an American Culture class,” Huck
overwhelming at times. Our English- wrote. The city of
Chinese Picture Dictionary has Huck happened upon more than
become ‘sacred’,” Huck said. a language barrier while teaching his Xi’An (shee-ahn), China
Even with the English-Chinese classes.
Picture Dictionary, miscommunica- “My biggest challenge, besides the
•Population:
tions do occur. mere language barrier, is the fact that 14 million
“China celebrates their Autumn their English text books are written by •Xi’an is one of the old-
Moon Festival, which is the 15 day/ some Texas company who wants to est provinces in China
night of the 8 Lunar Moon. This lands pose ‘American Southern Slang’ as an •Xi’an, along with Ath-
on Sept. 23 and 24. However, because official dialect,” Huck said.
it lands in the middle of the week, all There are conversational pieces
ens, Cairo, and Rome,
businesses and schools go to work/ that use things like ‘y’all,’ ‘Big Billy was a super power in
school on the prior Sunday to make Bob,’ ‘shoulda,’ and even ‘nuff.’ I ancient times
up lost time. We had already sched- tried to explain that this is a varia- •Xi’an was the starting
uled an out-of-town tion likened to ‘How are you?’ to point to the Silk Road
2 | NEWS tour this past week- ‘What’s up?’ and to ‘Sup.’ I also tried

3. POSSIBILITIES What is a
&
CONTROVERSIES
stem cell?
A stem cell is a cell
in the body whose job
is not yet determined.
Stem cells receive a signal
surrounding stem cell research that makes them start to
differentiate, or gradu-
ally change into the cell
story by
SCOUT WILSON | news editor drocytes, and many regained the abil- This is Phase 1 of the trial, the they’re destined to be.
ity to support their own weight, hold purpose of which is to determine
Imagine a world where a person up their tails, and urinate. the safety of the stem cell therapy.
paralyzed from the waist down could Geron then had to go to the Food The next phase will be to determine Early Embryonic
stand, could leave the wheelchair and Drug Administration (FDA) to whether the stem cells do what they Stem Cells
behind and re-learn how to walk. get approval for a human trial. Ap- are designed to do and if they are
Imagine a world where someone suf- proval came in January 2009 but was efficient. A newly fertilized egg,
fering from cancer or another terminal halted when injected rats developed The success of the trial would be a or a zygote, divides, pro-
illness can leave his/her hospital bed small cysts. The final approval was step forward in science and medicine, ducing a group of stem
“ ”
and live a normal life. in July 2010, which allowed Geron to allowing the further exploration of
cells called an embryo.
Now stop imagining, because that start searching for patients. stem cell therapies.
To qualify for this study, patients Science teacher Jim Bogus is These early stem cells are
had to have suffered a excited about the trial but surprised called totipotent, mean-
If we get to the point where we ‘complete thoracic spinal to see how far the research has come, ing they can become ANY
can fix anything, I think people cord injury,’ which since human testing is usually the last kind of cell.
results in all areas from step in scientific studies
won’t care for their bodies as much the chest down being “This is a very big step forward for
and take more risks. paralyzed, within seven science and therapies,” Bogus said. Blastocyst Embryonic
-Science teacher Jim Bogus to fourteen days of However, Bogus also sees potential Stem Cells
receiving the injury. negatives if the stem cells are able to
world could soon become a reality. A total of ten eligible patients will repair injury and cure disease. Seven days after fertil-
After years of studying stem cells eventually be studied. The first, an “If we get to the point where we ization, the embryo forms
- cells taken from human embryos anonymous person at the Shepherd can fix anything, I think people won’t
a hollow ball-like struc-
that have the potential to turn into Center, a spinal cord and brain injury care for their bodies as much and take
any type of cell - on animals, the rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta, more risks. Also, because of how ex-
ture called a blastocyst.
Geron Corporation, a biopharmaceu- Georgia, was injected with Geron’s pensive technology can be, only those Embryonic stem cells in
tical company based in Menlo Park, and Keirstead’s newly-developed who could afford it would receive it, the blastocyst are pluri-
California, and Hans S. Keirstead, a cells, called GRNOPC1. These were limiting the people the new technol- potent, meaning that they
University of California at Irvine re- left over embryonic cells donated ogy could help,” Mr. Bogus said.
have the ability to become
searcher have done the first injection from in-vitro fertilization clinics, and Like other new technologies, this
of stem cells into a human. they were turned into oligodendro- is a slow process. It will be a while
ALMOST any kind of cell
According to Gabriel I. Nistor, a cytes (cells that make myelin, a pro- before the results of these studies in the body.
postdoctoral researcher who worked tective sheath around the spinal cord). become available to the public, so, for
with Keirstead, trials on rats and mice The hope is that the injected cells now, all that we can do is be patient Adult Stem Cells
have already been successful. Rats will help repair the myelin, which will and hope that one day in the future
and mice with spinal cord injuries help the injured spinal cord nerves the worries of disease and aliments
“Adult” stem cells have
were injected with human oligoden- live. will bother us no longer. a misleading name, be-
cause infants and children
also have them. These
stem cells reside in al-
ready-developed tissues,
The SCIENCE of stem directing their growth
cell research at work and maintenance. These
stem cells are multipotent,
Researchers must extract
meaning they can differ-
the stem cells from the entiate into only a limited
fertilized embryos in order range of cell types.
to be able to use them for Adult stem cells in-
futher development of stem clude: blood cells, nerve
cell thearpies. cells, muscle cells, skin
cells, bone cells, as well as
umbilical cord stem cells.
Photo from thinkprogress.org
NEWS | 3

4. Cat Calendar
November
25th: Thanksgiving Break
December
2nd: BBB/GBB- Western Conference
BBB/GBB 9th @ Douglas
4th: WR JV & VAR @ Torrington Inv.- 8:30am
BBB/GBB 9th @ Douglas
Speech- WNCC Inv.- TBA
District One Act Plays- TBA
6th: BBB/GBB 10th @ Torrington- 5/6:30pm
7th: BBB/GBB JV @ Alliance- 5/6:30pm 11th: WR JV & VAR @ Cheyenne East Inv 9:30
WR JV & VAR @ Gering - 6/7pm BBB 9th vs. Sterling- 10/11:30
SHS Band Holiday Concert @ Auditorium- 7:30 GBB 9th JV & VAR @ Gillette- TBA
Pearl Harbor Remeberence Day BBB JV & VAR @ Gillette- TBA
9th: BBB/GBB vs. Alliance- Home- 5:30/ 7pm Speech Meet Morrill Inv.- TBA
WR JV & VAR @ Alliance- 6/7pm 13th- GSW vs. Sterling- 5pm
BBB JV & VAR @ Gillette- TBA 14th- WR JV @ Lingle Ft. Laramie- 6pm
State One Act Plays 16th- GBB/BB 9th vs. Mitchell- 6/7:30pm
10th: GSW/BSW @ McCook-3pm SHS Vocal Concert- Auditorium-7pm
GBB JV & VAR A Wheatland- 5:30/ 7pm 17th- GSW/BSW @ North Platte- 4pm
BBB JB & VAR @ Gillette- TBA BBB 10th JV & VAR vs. Sterling- 4-7pm
The CAT CALENDAR is brought to you by the
SCOTTSBLUFF BOOSTER CLUB
Picture Yourself at WNCC
Senior Day
Wednesday, December 1
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Get a snapshot of WNCC by visiting our main campus in
Scottsbluff on Wednesday, December 1 during “Senior Day.”
Visit wncc.edu and register by Monday, November 29.
wncc.edu
800.348.4435

5. TEXTING SCAM BRIEFLY
s pe akin g
story by
RYAN MEISTER | news writer A massive texting scam hits the Panhandle National FFA
•Five people placed at
While riding back in a silver which could have led to more serious be used for. Read the information
the national FFA competi-
Mercedes Benz with her friends after consequences: such as identity theft, completely and understand what
a day of shopping for homecoming unknown money withdrawals from could possibly happen before taking tion this year: Sara Aschen-
dresses in Colorado, senior Maragret bank accounts, and the possibility action. brenner, Brayden Auer,
Baker felt the buzz of her cell phone. of being open to Keelyn Hubbard, Isabel Wolf
She pulled it out of her pocket and lose other personal and Jessica Wolf. With Hub-
pressed open. information.
“Platte Valley Alert: Your CARD Phishing scams
bard placing three times in
starting with 4794* has been DEACTI- like this one can be the sheep and goat event.
VATED. Please contact us at 877-342- easily identified.
7856” First, the vast ma-
Baker carefully dialed the number jority of businesses, From: unknown Papa John’s in the
in order to reactivate her card. especially banks,
GIVE US UR
Seconds later, one of Bakers will not contact
cafeteria
friends in the car received an identical their clients by •Papa John’s Pizza is now
being sold in the cafeteria
MONEY
message. e-mail or text mes-
“After I saw Gabrielle’s message, sage. Next scams on Monday and Thursday
I hung up as fast as I could, but I did will always request
every week. The cost is $1.50
give them the 16 digit pin and my personal informa-
expiration date.” Baker said. tion in urgent tones per slice with a choice of
Baker is not alone. Many other in order to secure cheese, sausage, and pep-
students and adults all over the nation quick responses. peroni.
received the same message and have Lastly, phishing
suffered from this incident. scams that men-
After receiving this text, people are tion websites will Homecoming
encouraged not to respond, then de- often have fake
lete and report it as soon as possible. links and/or gram- Royalty
“After I called the number I felt matical errors in the •This year’s homecom-
like a complete idiot, I tried to call the URL. ing royalty included Nick
bank and report it but it wouldn’t go To prevent being
Roussel and Maria Torres
through,” Baker said. scammed do not
Baker had luck on her side that give out personal as king and queen; Russell
day, as she did not give out as much information, even Morgan and Marcie Sindt,
information as she could have if she a phone number, first attendants; Kirby Thorn-
hadn’t been around her friends. She unless you know ton and Carli Rose, second
could have given her social security where it will end
number and more bank information, up and what it will attendants.
The DO’s and DON’Ts of SHS
Speech & Debate
Recognition
tanez, says the video will include all •The speech and debate
story by senior officers and some underclass- program has earned mem-
SCOuT WILSON | news editor men officers as well. bership into the National
“One clip will be about safe driv-
ing in the parking lot, how to be a
Forensic League (NFL) pres-
Entering high school is tough for
any freshmen, especially trying to get courteous driver and waiting your tigious 100 Club. They have
into the swing of things that make turn while letting others go ahead,” achieved 100 degrees or
high school such a big step from Montanez said. more last year and placed in
middle school. Other subjects in the video include: the top 10% of NFL chapters
Wouldn’t it have been nice to have raising your hand in class instead
of blurting out an answer, proper aside in the hallways and be courte- nationwide.
some sort of guide for conducting
yourself in high school, something apparel for the dress code, public ous to others by creating pathways for
to look at and model your behavior displays of affection and appropriate people to move through and not have
after? cheering at school activities. the hall backed up so nobody can get Cornhusker Award
This is the plan Principal Rick Porter believes it is a perfect op- through,” Porter said. •The 2009-2010 editions
Porter is challenging Student Senate portunity for the senior officers to Montanez also said Mr. Porter of the school yearbook and
to come up with. demonstrate that they are good stu- wants to send the video to other newspaper won the pres-
“I would like Student Senate to dents and to show their school pride schools to encourage them to do the
by making the school a better func- same thing for their freshmen. tigious Cornhusker Award
make a video that demonstrates and
shows what students should expect in tioning facility when they are gone. One of the goals Porter has set is for Class 2A at the Nebraska
respect to their behavior at school and “We are setting a bar at a level we for the Senate to get the video done High School Press Associa-
in the classroom,” Porter said. expect the students to perform at be- before first semester is over. tion’s Fall Convention.
Porter said the reason behind mak- cause we want them to be successful This would allow him to show the
in school,” Porter said. video during one of the recognition
Scottsbluff was the only
ing the video is to give the freshmen
transitioning from middle school to What Porter is hoping comes from assemblies and get student reaction. Class A2 school to win a
high school a visual reference they can the video is some solutions to prob- This feedback would be important Cornhusker for both its year-
look at to see examples of how seniors lems that arise each school year. in giving the Senate an opportunity book and newspaper .
conduct themselves and provide role An example is the alleviation of for improving the video and putting
models for freshmen. hallway congestion. in student ideas on what they would
Senior class officer, Avery Mon- “We want to teach students to step like to see additionally.
NEWS | 5

6. n :
io dangerous
Teenage drivers are more
u t
Ca than they appear
Many young drivers have multiple accidents on their records
SHS, this was not Law’s first car acci- She cruised through the out- and her father was going to kill her.
story by dent. He has been in two car-totaling skirts oftown, enjoying the summer “My parents were very, very angry
ASHLEIGH SMITH | feature writer accidents before, both within his first evening sky and street lights passing after total shock wore off and after
It’s sunny with a high of 75°. couple years of driving, leaving him by her. A dirt road stretched infinitely they realized I was okay,” she said.
A crisp breeze flows through the with no means of transportation. out before her and her right foot Menghini was grounded for more
cracked window into junior Tom Law claims his parents weren’t stretched for the gas pedal, craving than seven months, lost all trust she
Law’s 2000 red Dodge Durango as he overly upset about the accidents – he more speed. had with her parents, and even devel-
cruises down 5th Avenue. wasn’t grounded from driving, just The world was passing by as oped a fear of driving.
‘‘
He is lost in the moment as the left without a car. He says the time for Menghini kept pushing forward – un- “I had to get rides from my friends
wind rustles his shaggy blonde hair him to get a car and be back on the til the Maxima headlights unveiled an or my parents anywhere I went, if I
and Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take road is coming unexpected was even allowed to go anywhere.”
soon, though. sharp curve Menghini said. “The funny thing is, I
the Wheel” resonates through his car
“They I’ve been pulled over a lot for in the rocky didn’t mind that very much because I
”
speakers and pounds his eardrums.
On his right, there is Scottsbluff weren’t very speeding, going past a stop sign, dirt road. was really nervous, and sort of scared,
to drive again.”
High School, slowly leaving his rear- mad since
willful, reckless driving, things like Menghi- Almost a year later, after work-
it obviously ni was left
view mirror with accelerating speed.
wasn’t my that. with two ing hard for both trust and money,
Law has almost reached his destina-
tion – until a bee the size of New Jer- fault,” Law -Kolby Aulick, 11 options, Menghini earned a new car along
sey rushes through the window and explained. and zero with her driving privileges.
attacks Law’s face, kamikaze-style. “I’m glad I get to start driving again, time to think either of them over: “It took a while to earn their
He loses sight of the silver mini- though. It’s been hard these past either haul on forward and dive bum- trust back, almost seven months,”
van in front of him as his right foot couple months to get around without per first into the ditch bank, or strike Menghini said. “I also had to work at
searches for the brake, but it’s too late. a car.” the brakes, yank the steering wheel the flower shop on Broadway to pay
Silver and red paint fuse before him For other students, the privilege left and hope for the best. insurance for my wrecked car and
as he crushes the minivan like a pop of driving was granted much later She chose her second option, and earn money towards a new one.”
can. after demolishing their spankin’ new immediately realized as her car was Now that she has the car, the trust,
Law’s skull head butts the explod- vehicles. sliding sideways off of the road, that and the courage to drive, Menghini is
ed airbags before him with the force Junior Kelcie Menghini’s parents her speed, angle of the turn, and fine back on the road safely – so far.
of an asteroid hammering the earth. wished her a happy birthday with a grains of dirt layering the road didn’t Both Law’s and Menghini’s auto-
Nestled face down in the pillows shiny Nissan Maxima, exactly the car exactly mesh well together. mobile mishaps reduced their vehicles
of safety, Tom thought to himself, she had wanted for her sweet 16, and The car’s wheels were on the to rubble; they were devastating, and
“Not again.” she couldn’t wait to get behind the ground for about five seconds before left both individuals with nothing.
Like many other students at wheel. cycling into the ditch bank, sending However, sometimes you have to
A week later, Menghini hopped Menghini into a merry-go-round of focus on quantity, not quality.
into her drivers’ seat after meeting automobile terror. While Junior Colby Aulick has
with friends on Applebees’ wing The sunroof shattered against the only totaled one vehicle, his number
night and went for a drive before earth, which was now above her head. of fender-benders and traffic warn-
returning home. Solid ground was pounding against ings tally much higher, totaling to six .
every side of her car as it turned, and “The first time I was going around
turned, booming with each spin. a corner and rolled my Four Runner
The car came to a stop, into a corn field, second I was drifting
wedged upside- around the corner and ran into the
down into the ditch. fence at the Splash by the school, and
Menghini hov- the third was just a little bumper to
ered in the air, her bumper accident,” Aulick explained.
seatbelt holding her Aulick admits that he has been
against car seat and pulled over often, but he has never
her hair swaying received an actual ticket – just warn-
straight out below ings.
her. Her back ached “I’ve been pulled over a lot for
and her head was speeding, going past a stop sign, will-
spinning, unable to ful reckless driving, things like that,”
make sense of her Aulick said.
thoughts. So whether you’re totaling a week-
She knew one old car or going through your seventh
8 | FEATURE
thing for sure- her one, you’re still a part of the stereo-
car was done for, type: teenage drivers are dangerous.

7. HoME
no way
The story of one senior’s life without a place to call home
story by grandparents decided they didn’t the two months she was homeless. with utilities and gas which adds up
RACHEL CLEMENS | feature writer really want to throw her out so they She finally found a place to call to a total of about $500 a month.
called the police and reported her as home when she moved in with her Phelps has had to sacrifice a lot
We’ve all seen them. a runaway, which didn’t change until boyfriend and his parents. Then she since she started living on her own.
Sitting on the side of the road, her eighteenth birthday. and her boyfriend moved into an “I haven’t been able to buy or do
holding a sign or a tin can. “When I turned eighteen, my apartment together. anything for just me because I have
“Will work for food.” grandparents said they didn’t want It is a small apartment with a to take care of getting groceries and
“Anything helps.” me and I didn’t want to be there, so bedroom, kitchen, living room, and make sure everything gets done. It has
Homelessness affects over 643,000 they decided to drop the runaway bathroom. put a lot of stress on me,” she said.
people in America today. charges,” Phelps said. It became difficult for Phelps to That is a huge change from when
Senior Alyssa Phelps knows what Phelps and her grandmother’s find a job because her license expired you are living with someone who
it is like to be a part of that number. relationship has always been rocky. when she turned eighteen. In order takes care of you and everything else.
She was hopping houses every two When she was living with her pastor, to get a license, a person must prove “I had to sacrifice a lot of going
to three days for about a month and they would have regular meetings his/her address in two ways. out with friends. I can’t afford to go
a half starting October of 2009. Some with her grandparents. But for at least two months, she see a movie or go out to dinner with
days she didn’t know if she would Sitting around the table at one didn’t even have an address. them. I don’t have any extra spending
have somewhere to stay at night. meeting was the pastor and her She had a case worker for a while, money,” Phelps said.
Phelps’ journey toward being husband, Phelps’ sister, her grandpar- but eventually stopped going because It can be really hard for Phelps to
homeless began in her childhood. ents, case worker, counselor, and her Health and Human Services’ main focus on school when she has so much
Her mother died in a car accident sister’s counselor. goal is to reunite families, which was on her mind. Sometimes she zones
when she was five years old, and her “Okay, everyone has to go around not going to happen in Phelps’ situa- out in class thinking about what she
abusive father had a harrowing drug the table and say one good thing tion. will have to eat for dinner that night,
problem. about Alyssa,” said the case worker. Out of all the people in Phelps’ life, which a lot of the time ends up being
Phelps’ grandparents gained It came time for Phelps’ grand- her boyfriend helped her the most. ramen noodles.
custody of she and her sister when mothers turn. Everyone had their If it weren’t for him she said she Someday Phelps would like to go
Phelps was seven years old. eyes on her. No sound came out of her wouldn’t have had a place to live. to college, but she doesn’t know how
“When I was little, I got along with mouth. “A couple of my close friends she would pay for it.
my grandparents really well. I call “It’s your turn,” said the case helped me, but I kind of stayed dis- She would love to become fi-
them mom and dad,” Phelps said. worker. tant from them. The whole thing was nancially stable in the future and
Her life took a turn for the worse Her grandmother stood up. “No,” really hard to deal with, and I didn’t eventually get a job in social services.
in October of 2009. she said. want to put them in a situation that Because of everything she has been
“My grandma decided that I was She walked out of the room. they didn’t know how to handle,” she through, she knows she would be
crazy and called the cops and told This meeting is an example of the said. good at it.
them to put me on the fifth floor of the kind of relationship Phelps’ had with Phelps missed the last three weeks “It is better to talk to someone who
hospital. The cops told my grandma her grandmother. of school at Mitchell and didn’t have actually knows what you are going
that I wasn’t crazy, I just needed out The night Phelps left her house for enough credits to finish school there, through and can relate to your situa-
of the situation,” Phelps said. good; she had to jump from house to so she transferred to Scottsbluff to get tion,” Phelps said.
The policeman took her to the house and stay with people she knew. her credits to graduate. And Phelps’ situation is com-
youth shelter where she lived for a “I was in some pretty bad situa- Right now, Phelps receives social pletely independent from her parents
month. She was then placed with tions; some of the places I stayed the security checks which means she can – no communication, no financial
the pastor of the Methodist church people were really into drugs. So if I focus on school more without having assistance.
in Mitchell where she lived for six did have somewhere to stay, I didn’t to balance a part-time job and school- “If your parent’s are there sup-
months. stay for more than two or three days,” work. porting you, don’t take it for granted.
In April 2010, the pastor was trans- Phelps said. Also, her boyfriend has a job on You might not realize it, but your
ferred to a church in a different town, This went on for a month and a the farm that earns enough for them parents pay for so much. When you
so Phelps went back to her grandpar- half. to survive on their own. have to start paying for that stuff, you
ents. The stay only lasted five days “My friends would introduce me But, Phelps is quick to point out have to be aware of what you spend
before another fight broke out. to people and tell them I needed a that living on one’s own isn’t all it is your money on,” Phelps said.
“My grandma didn’t like the fact place to stay. Then they would ask cracked up to be. Although Phelps doesn’t regret
that I had gotten a cell phone that them if I could stay with them for a “I spent more than $200 on grocer- moving out, she is appreciative of the
I had been using and she wanted little bit, and then I would find an- ies. I never realized how expensive new perspective on life this situation
to take it from me. I told her that I other place a few days later,” she said. food is. When you always have some- has given her.
had been paying for it with my own All she had was the clothes she one buying it for you, you don’t really “I realize now that material things
money and she couldn’t have it,” was wearing when she left her grand- have to think about it,” Phelps said. don’t matter, and I have to live to
Phelps said. parent’s house in October. She and her boyfriend just applied make myself happy because if you are
This fight ended with her grand- Her friends would give her clothes, for food stamps which will help them living to make other people happy,
mother throwing a vase at her and but all she had for a while was one with all the other expenses they have you will never be happy,” Phelps said.
telling her to get out. pair of jeans, sweatpants, pajama to pay for.
7
Phelps walked out the door and pants, a few shirts, and a sweater. Phelps and her boyfriend have to
hasn’t been back. The next day her She lived with just those items for pay $320 per month for rent, along FEATURE |

8. How to become
Natural self-
sufficient
living 1. Plant your
own garden
( )
two students grow up in a lifestyle This will require work,
time, and a space for
devoted to self-sufficiency your fruits and veg-
etables to grow, but
now you don’t have to
take the dreaded trip
story by vegan. calves and dramatic increases in
to Wal-Mart
MEGHAN PRITCHARD | feature editor One part of Cloud’s diet, however, mastitis, a painful bacterial infection
is non-negotiable: eating organically. of the udder which causes inflam-
Self-sufficient: adj. needing no In fact, Cloud’s family grows much of mation, swelling, and pus and blood 2. Use an organic
outside help in satisfying one’s basic their own food. secretions into milk.
energy source
( )
needs. “We have a garden with vegetables Milk from rBGS-treated cows con-
Imagine getting up every morning that we can eat when they’re ready,” tains higher levels of IGF-1 (Insulin
before school to milk the cow, gather Cloud said. “We also have chickens, Growth Factor-1). Humans natu-
the chicken eggs, pick vegetables from but just for their eggs because we rally have IGF-1, and rBGS-treated This will cost less
the garden, and wash your clothes by rarely ever butcher them.” cows raise that level in humans. The money than paying
hand. Wilson has also invested a lot into increased levels in IGF-1 have been a power company
For Laura Ingalls on Little House the food area. linked to colon and breast cancer,
and will be quite
on the Prairie this may have worked, “I have my own greenhouse where which have risen in the past couple
but in today’s culture is it really pos- I grow a lot of peppers and tomatoes,” decades. “environmentally
sible to grow all one’s own foods, get Wilson said. These growth hormones also af- friendly”
off the grid on power, and just live a Wilson’s brother and dad help with fect the beef in cows that we eat. The
simpler life? the greenhouse and also sell them growth enhanced animals can disrupt
For Senior Scout Wilson, this is when he has time. human hormone balance causing de- 3. Get cows,
definitely a goal. But Cloud and Wilson don’t just velopment problems interfering with
Wilson’s family once planned on grow their food for sport; it’s for the reproductive system, and also chickens, & other
installing wind generators and solar health. leading to the development of breast, delicious animals to
power to be able to run their whole “I stay away from GMO’s (ge- prostate or colon cancer.
butcher
( )
house on those energy sources. netically modified organisms) in food The most susceptible to these
“We want to become more self- because I don’t know what affect it’ll negative health effects are children,
sufficient so that we can eventually have on my body,” Cloud said. pregnant women, and the unborn.
almost completely get off the grid,” Today’s technology is convenient Hormone residues in beef have been
Wilson said. “My dad has many cre- and much easier than the prairie days, connected to the early onset of pu- Yes, more work,
ative ideas for future energy.” but some things don’t progress with berty in girls, which is also a greater space, and time, but
But this lifestyle is more than just industrialization. risk of developing breast and other think how fun it’ll be
being green – it also means having a The United States currently allows forms of cancer.
to clean it up
healthy diet that they can provide for dairy cows to be injected with recom- “I want to get away from industri-
themselves. binant bovine somatotropin (rBGS). alized culture and society that finds
Senior Sheila Cloud takes this to Somatotropin is a naturally-occurring their way into the food chain system,”
the extreme.
Cloud is a vegetarian. That’s right.
protein hormone produced in the
pituitary gland of animals. Bovine
Wilson said. “I want to cut that out so
that I can eat all natural.”
4. Avoid purchasing
She doesn’t eat red meat. somatotropin triggers nutrients to Wilson doesn’t buy meat from Wal- food products
In fact, she never has. increase growth in young cattle and Mart, but receives a whole free-range
containg rBGS
( )
“I’ve always just grown up with lactation in dairy cows. cow for food.
that mentality,” Cloud said. When injected into cows, rBGS “We allow our neighbor to use
The entire family participates in increases milk production 10-15%. land for grazing and in return he
the strict diet. Approximately 17% of all cows in the gives us free organic meat,” Wilson If you MUST go to
But if avoiding cow meat in Ne- U.S. are given the artificial growth said. “We try to stay away from com- Wal-Mart, check the
braska seems weird, try avoiding all hormone. mercial meat.” food labels for rBGS
animal products whatsoever - Cloud’s In 1991 reports of serious health As spoiled Americans this may
younger sister, Sarah, is completely problems occurred with rBGS-injected seem crazy to some, but to Cloud and
contaminated
cows. These problems were an alarm- Wilson, it’s just the lifestyle they’ve products
6| FEATURE ing rise in the number of deformed always known.

9. the
It’s the
end of the
ECHOES
staff
editor-in-chief | KARIN SHEDD
WORLD!
news editor | SCOUT WILSON
news writer | RYAN MEISTER
feature editor | MEGHAN PRITCHARD
feature writer | RACHEL CLEMENS
feature writer | ASHLEIGH SMITH
...or is it?
Don’t start buying 2012 party-poppers just yet, new research says
center section editor | GABRIELLE CARLIN
center section writer | ETHAN HUGHES
entertainment editor | RUSSELL MORGAN
entertainment writer | VICTORIA BRAVO
In just a little over two years, Incidentally (or perhaps not), the research by Gerardo Aldana, a profes-
millions - if not billions - of people Mayans’ prediction coincides with sor at the University of California
sports editor | KELSEY EMPFIELD
around the world will party like it’s... a significant astronomical event: in Santa Barbara, casts doubt on the
well...2012. Dec. 21 is the date of the 2012 winter math behind the conversions from sports writer | MADDIE HOLSCHER
sports writer | MICHAEL MILLER
Why? Because Dec. 21, 2012, has solstice, and also when the sun will the Mayans’ calendar to the modern
long been the rumored date of the appear to rise in the exact center of Gregorian calendar. In fact, the as-
apocalypse, the catastrophic destruc- the Milky Way galaxy and touch a sumed date of the end of this world’s
tion of all life forms on planet Earth, if part of the galaxy’s equator known as 13th bak’tun is most likely off by 50 to ad manager | CHANDLER BRILL
not the entire universe - in short, the the ‘Dark Rift.’ 100 years.
end of the world. All this intricate scientific inter- Now that the apocalypse is once ad manager | CASEY SIGRIST
It all started several thousand twining was of great importance again cast into the realm of the un-
years ago in the ancient Mayan for the known, we here at The
adviser | TERRY PITKIN
civilizations of Central America. The
Mayans had an excellent grasp on
Mayans
and their
The views expressed Echoes would like to of-
fer the following advice
mathematics and astronomy, concep- mythology in this editorial were to 2012 doomsday-aficio- The Echoes is a monthly pub-
tualizing the number zero and creat-
ing remarkably accurate charts of the
of spiritual
re-birth. supported 13-2 by nados and skeptics alike:
don’t worry about it.
lication printed by the Business
Farmer. The Echoes is a member of
movements of the moon and planets,
and they used these skills to establish
What it
means for
The Echoes staff Whatever happens
(or doesn’t happen) to
the Nebraska High School Press
Association and the International
two separate ways of keeping time: modern- bring about the end of Order of the Quill and Scroll.
Short Count and Long Count. day humans, however, is still being the world, there’s no point in fretting The Echoes encourages readers
The Long Count method is the debated. about something over which we have to write letters to the editor in re-
source of the end of the world predic- The most zealous of 12/21/2012 no control. sponse to a story, but does reserve
tion. Put simply, this system is based doomsday-enthusiasts theorize that Don’t let concerns about the future the right to publish said letter.
on nested cycles of days multiplied by typical, armageddon-style catastro- distract from living in today, because The Echoes also encourages
the key Mayan number: 20. The larg- phes like massive tsunamis, cataclys- as we all (don’t) know, the world all readers to submit their ideas
est of these levels is the bak’tun, equal mic earthquakes, and the eruption of could end tomorrow. for story coverage, feedback on
to 144,000 days. the Yellow Stone National Park super All information for this editorial was stories, and any other input.
The Echoes
Mayan tradition states that the volcano will beat planet Earth into taken from the following sources:
Scottsbluff High School
gods made a total of four worlds and desolation at the end of the fourth 1. Major, Jenkins. “The How and Why
313 East 27th St.
that man was placed on the fourth. world’s 13th bak’tun. Most scholars, of the Mayan End Date in 2012 A.D.”
Scottsbluff, NE 69361
According to Long Count, the third however, disagree. Mountain Astrologer. Dec-Jan. 1995:
Letters with obscene, slander-
world lasted 13 bak’tuns, or ap- ““For the ancient Maya, it was Print. ous, libelous, or false information
proximately 5,125.36 years. The “zero a huge celebration to make it to the 2. MacDonald, G. Jeffrey. “Does Maya will not be fun. The letter must also
date,” or starting point, for the fourth end of a whole cycle,” Sandra Noble, calendar predict 2012 apocalypse?” USA be signed to be run. Content may
world was set at a time right after the executive director of the Foundation Today 27 Mar. 2007: n. pag. Web. 24 Oct be edited due to grammatical or
end of the third, said to be about Au- for the Advancement of Mesoameri- 2010. <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/ content needs. A signed copy must
gust 11, 3114 B.C. when translated to can Studies in Crystal River, FL, said science/2007-03-27-maya-2012_n.htm> be presented to the Scottsbluff
the modern-day Gregorian calendar. in an interview with the USA Today 3. Khilawala, Rashida. “2012 End of High School journalism depart-
The doomsday theory springs website. To proffer Dec. 21, 2012 as a the World: Is the World Going to End ment, room 130. Also, please check
from the modern idea that, since the doomsday is, according to Noble, a in 2012?” Buzzle.com - Intelligent Life out Echoes Facebook.com group
third world lasted 13 bak’tuns, so will “complete fabrication.” on the Web. 24 Oct 2012 <http://www. and MySpace page online!
the fourth. And the end of the fourth All the discourse surrounding this buzzle.com/articles/2012-end-of-the-
world’s thirteenth bak’tun is just oh-so-special day, however, may very world-is-the-world-going-to-end-in-2012.
around the corner - Dec. 21, 2012. well have been for nothing. Recent html>
OPINION | 9