Recycling at RCHS?

Copyright Red Cloud Indian School

Recycling at RCHS?

By Jen Brave Heart ‘14

Let’s go green!

RCHS started recycling a few years ago but stopped doing so these past few years. Unfortunately, large amounts of paper and aluminum cans are being now being disposed of when they can be recycled.

One student here at RCHS sells Peace Teas, Poptarts, and other variations of candy straight from his locker. Our students, and a few teachers, stop by his locker to buy snacks, candy, or drinks during passing periods or during the lunch hour. With his profiting idea being a success and the conveniency of having the products here at school, the students are satisfied with the idea.

However, whenever our students are finished with their Peace Teas, or any other drink in general, there are always huge amounts of aluminum cans being thrown away. If we had the convenience of recycling bins designated for specific items, this would be a lot more helpful and safe for our environment. Here at RCHS, paper and aluminum cans are the most disposed of products among all the rest. Plastic bottles haven’t really been a big deal but they are still being thrown away throughout campus.

Although the paper situation is a big deal, our teachers still try their best to conserve the paper they use. For example, when our teachers use one-sided paper they recycle it by using the other side. 

To Recycle or Not?

By Rhiannon White Eyes ‘14

Recycling is important in the modern world today. By recycling, people save money and save the environment. There are also a lot of good outcomes of recycling.

Recycling should be used everywhere and by everywhere I mean in schools. One question that is frequently asked is “Should there be recycling in schools?” In my opinion I would say yes. There are so many opportunities in school where students and staff can recycle. Look at all the paper and cans that can be recycled for a good purpose. There is so much paper being wasted at the moment in various different schools who don’t recycle. All that paper sitting in trash cans, laying on the ground, taking up space in your locker. Yes, all that paper can be recycled.

By recycling you are doing a good thing for the environment and for yourself. People may think recycling isn’t necessary. Well, in my opinion yes it is. Look at all this excess trash including papers, plastic, and cans sitting around waiting to be recycled. According to Green Waste, “The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.” http://www.greenwaste.com/recycling-stats  That is why we should recycle what ever we can.

Some people argue that recycling is a big hassle because they say it costs more to recycle than to not recycle. If you look at it from a positive point of view no matter the cost to recycle, you're still saving money. You're saving the pollution from air and you're saving the environment. Besides, where would all the trash and excess paper go if recycling wasn’t in the big picture? Trash builds up more and more each day, and each day one more person starts to recycle.

Another one thing is that recycling would save the schools money and they would save on their budget.

“Recycling should be in all schools,” stated Kirkland Ross. 

“Recycling should be in school, because it would save profits and it is good for the environment,” said senior Jennifer Brave Heart.

A Day in a Volunteer's Life: The James Flannery Story

James. Photo by Cece Two Lance '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

A Day in a Volunteer's Life: The James Flannery Story

By Cece Two Lance '14

James Flannery is a small town guy from Clinton, New Jersey. James graduated from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY in 2012, which is a Jesuit school just like Red Cloud! Mr. Flannery is currently finishing his Masters degree in Secondary Education from Creighton University in Omaha, NE. If all goes well, he will be graduating in May 2014.

Who knew James had a twin brother named George Joseph who is a graduate student in International Relations at the University of California San Diego? 'Cause I sure didn’t. 

James enjoys reading, watching TV, trying new restaurants, having a good time, and relaxing. He loves Mexican food and macaroni and cheese! He’s indifferent about what his favorite color is but he sure does like blue though.

I asked James how and why he chose Red Cloud High School. “The graduate program I am in assigns people to various schools in the Midwest upon acceptance, and the program assigned me to the Volunteer Program here at Red Cloud,” he said. “I stay here, though, because of the energetic and friendly students, supportive staff, and opportunity to learn about a new culture.”

James’ daily schedule during the week is rather routine and consists of waking up at 6:45 or 7 am, arriving at school between 7:30 and 7:45, eating breakfast, reading his morning emails and making any last minute copies for the day. After school, James often drives bus 10 to Manderson or has a staff meeting until late in the afternoon. James teaches both freshmen and seniors in the Spiritual Formation Department. He usually works in his classroom until 5:30 or 6:00 pm grading papers or catching up with colleagues. He then goes home to eat dinner with other volunteers before returning to his classroom to plan lessons, clean, and grade papers from 8:00 until 10:00pm most nights.

Outside of the classroom and teaching, James does a lot of bus driving and attending school sporting events. On his weekends he likes to spend most of his time on the road traveling to see new sites or visiting friends in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. “I hope my life does not bore you too much,” said James Flannery.

Red Cloud Defeats STM...in Wrestling

Red Cloud wrestling at STM. Photo by Jin Yup Jung '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Red Cloud Defeats STM...in Wrestling

By Jin Yup Jung '14

As you arrived at school on time and listened to morning announcements last week, you may have heard of Red Cloud wrestling winning a lot of times. Last Thursday, the Red Cloud wrestling team got on a bus to go to St. Thomas More for the triangular, which contained Red Cloud, Spearfish,and STM.

The Red Cloud wrestlers competed against STM first. As times went by, the STM wrestling team seemed like they were surprised after they lost against some Crusaders. 7th grader Dylan Westover, freshman Jeff Twiss, sophomore Miranda O’Donnell, and seniors Morgan Starr, Kristian Big Crow, and Pedro Martinez earned victories.

Even though Red Cloud had to deal with their team’s pain of defeat against Spearfish, which has produced a lot of state placers and some champs recently, seniors Morgan Starr and Kristian Big Crow each had a victory against varsity wrestlers by pin.

The Red Cloud wrestlers traveled to Gordon on Saturday for another meet.

Technology in the Classroom

Photo by Kirkland Ross '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Technology in the Classroom

By Kirkland Ross ‘14

Some teachers are worried that technology is taking over the students’ lives, while students and other faculty members believe otherwise. 

As time goes on, technology is becoming more and more relevant in our lives. Students are using technology daily, hourly even. They use the internet on their smartphones, laptops, and tablets for social media, watching videos, and in some cases, research for school. 

Some teachers think that technology is becoming a distraction, that technology is preventing the students from learning. 

“Technology is a necessity,” stated math teacher Clay Leonard.

“Every classroom should use technology,” said senior Melinda Bad Wound. “In the future technology will be everywhere, so we should get used to using it.” 

Bad Wound continued, "It helps accomplish more work.”

Boys Basketball Season Starts Tomorrow

Junior Kein Clements. Photo courtesy of the Denver Nuggets.

Boys Basketball Season Starts Tomorrow

By Marco Starr ‘14

The boys basketball team started practice on Monday, December 2nd. Every morning the gym is open at 6:30 for people who want to shoot and work on getting better at basketball.

With the season starting and the first game on Saturday against the Spearfish Spartans, the Crusaders are in the gym everyday working on their game. “I think its going to be pure vish!” stated Robert Pourier Jr. “Im lila excited for the season.”

 The boys are preparing for the upcoming Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI). Last year the Crusaders suffered a defeat in the LNI championship game against the White River Tigers.

“Teamwork, making new friends and getting buckets are my favorite things about basketball,” said  Pourier

Tomorrow both the Crusader boys and girls teams will host the Spearfish Spartans. Team schedules can be found on the SDHSAA website.

A Day In the Life of Meagan McMahon

Meagan. Photo by Savannah Jensen '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

A Day In the Life of Meagan McMahon

By Savannah Jensen '14

Meagan McMahon is the Current Events, World History, and World Geography teacher in the social studies department. She is a very humble, kind, and amazing person. Her personal qualities reflect in her teaching and it creates a very “enjoyable learning experience” as one senior states. Meagan is from Akron, Ohio. Now she is a volunteer for for Red Cloud High School on the Pine Ridge Reservation is South Dakota. Meagan answers a few questions about her journey to Red Cloud and her experience.

Describe your journey to Red Cloud and your transition.

MM: I found out about Red Cloud through Creighton University’s Magis Catholic Teacher Corps. My senior year of college, I was looking for programs that would enable me to teach while pursuing a Masters of Education and I found Magis through my research. I applied, was accepted and then they recommended I interview with Red Cloud as a placement option. I had never heard about Red Cloud or even about Pine Ridge until that moment, but I thought “why not?” and set up an interview. The interview process was a whirlwind and before I knew it, I was offered the freshman social studies position, and something about it just felt right. I had never considered moving to South Dakota, but it was the path that God opened for me, and I believe this is where he wants me now. That certainty made the transition easier. Even when I was homesick, or feeling overwhelmed by my workload, I could go back to that feeling of “this is what I’m supposed to be doing” and be comforted. The transition was difficult- I am very close to my family and it is hard being so far away from them. Being here for a second year has made that a lot easier though. I’ve started to create a new family here with the other volunteers and the school community and as a result, South Dakota has started to feel like “home” too.

What do you do now and how do you feel about it?

MM: I work in the social studies department in the high school teaching primarily freshman. I love teaching them World History and Geography. People might give freshmen a hard time, but I think it’s actually a really fun age to work with. I love watching how they mature and come together as a class as the year progresses. Having the opportunity to share subject matter that I’ve always enjoyed is another blessing of my job. In addition to my freshman classes, I also teach a Current Events class for upperclassmen. This class can be a lot of fun too. It allows me to watch students take an interest in the world and develop informed opinions. Based on what I’ve seen, I am very excited for their futures!

How much time do spend in the classroom outside of teaching? What was your favorite memory in class teaching?

MM: I spend a lot of time in the classroom before/after the school day- though not as much as I did my first year! On any given night, I might have 1-3 hours of prep work to do to get ready for the next day. And then I usually spend a good 5-10 hours on the weekend doing grading or prep work as well.

My favorite moments in the classroom are whenever someone gets really excited or passionate about what we are learning. Or whenever something clicks for someone who has been struggling. Those moments are awesome and make all of the work I do feel worth it.

What do you do on weekends? When was the most memorable time?

MM: Weekends are grading time for me and planning for the upcoming week. That can take up quite a bit of time, but I also make time for fun things so that I can recharge before returning to school. I love sleeping in, so I generally try to do that either Saturday or Sunday. My housemates and I also like to watch movies, go on hikes, or make trips to Rapid, Chadron, or Hot Springs. One of the most memorable weekends was at the start of the year when a group of volunteers headed to a lake in Hot Springs for a day of relaxing and fun. It was a beautiful, hot day, and the chance to unwind and go swimming just made for an awesome weekend.

Who is your hero?

I’m going to cheat and say two, my parents, Dan and Nancy, are my heroes. They have both worked so hard and sacrificed a lot for our family. They have taught me what it means to be caring, responsible, and selfless. By their words and actions they have shown me the importance of faith and of always seeking to learn and grow as a person. They have also shown me, through their love for one another, how love is not just a feeling, but it is about the choices and actions of everyday life. I am so blessed to have been raised by them, and I know I will carry with me the lessons they have taught me throughout the rest of my life.

If you could change one thing about Red Cloud what would it be?    

MM: It would be closer to Ohio and to the rest of my family! More seriously though, I would improve the financial situation of the school to make it less dependent upon the volunteer program. The high teacher turnover rate experienced each year at Red Cloud is not ideal.

Life of a Manager

Jaycherie. Photo by Jin Yup Jung '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Life of a Manager

 By Jin Yup Jung '14

Wrestling managers are a crucial factor of the team. Managers take care of the wrestlers and help them do well in their matches and at practice. The Red Cloud Wrestling team is lucky to have a new wrestling manager, senior Jaycherie Little. 

Here's our exclusive interview with Jaycherie.

1. What’s your job on the team?

Jaycherie: My job is to be the manager and do whatever Clay tells me to do.

2. How do you help wrestlers?

Jaycherie: I give them moral support.

3. Do you like being a manager?

Jaycherie: I don't know because I haven't really done anything yet.

4. Why did you decide to become a wrestling manager this year?

Jaycherie: Because Jin Yup, a new wrestling coach, signed me up and it didn't seem like a lot of work. But it's also better than doing nothing and it seemed kind of fun.

Profile: Boys Basketball Coach Christian McGhee

Christian McGhee. Photo by Jennifer Brave Heart '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Profile: Boys Basketball Coach Christian McGhee

By: Jen Brave Heart ‘14

The Eagle has landed!

Last year when basketball season started, our boys basketball team was introduced to a new coach after years with Coach Matthew Rama.

Christian McGhee, RCHS alum and Athletic Director, is a graduate of Chadron State College and the head coach of the Crusaders. McGhee graduated from Chadron State College with a degree in Sports and Rec Management and a minor in Business, all while playing basketball for the Eagles all four years. McGhee started coaching last year when he also started working here at RCHS. With the new season starting, McGhee is faced with new challenges and obstacles to overcome. 

“Some challenges we will face this year is our lack of experience. We have five returning varsity players with only two that got regular minutes,” stated McGhee. “This year our goal is to make it to state and match or have a record better than last year.” 

Since the new season has started, McGhee has been pushing the team so that they can build their agility, speed, endurance, and stamina. The Crusaders have been working hard to make this season better than the last after last year’s loss in the regional game against the Spearfish Spartans that ended their season. Coach McGhee and the Crusaders have high expectations for this season.

Last season McGhee led the Crusaders to a strong record. They finished 2nd at LNI. There were numerous times when the games got wild, emotional, and challenging for the Crusaders, but what kept the team strong was coach McGhee and their drive to come to out on top. Unfortunately, the season ended a little early for the Crusaders.

Come support our boys this Saturday as the Crusaders take on the defending regional champs, Spearfish Spartans, as our season-opener.

Healthy Tips

EAT AN APPLE! Photo by Kylie I'atala. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Healthy Tips

By Kylie I’atala ‘14

How about some health tips?

Stretching is something you should do before your workouts, as well as warming up your muscles. It eases back pain and aches. Don’t skip breakfast, because there are studies that show that eating a good breakfast is positive, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.

Eat your stress away by having regular and small healthy meals and keep fruit and veggies handy. Finding a fitness buddy is a huge help to keep you motivated. Relieve achy muscles by taking a cold bath. It relaxes the soreness in your body. Also, picking out your motivational song playlist will help you work harder.

Stay hydrated when working out and always breathe in and out. If you don’t exhale and inhale, it aches the muscles. When you are working out, make it enjoyable for yourself. 

Stay healthy, faithful readers!

Semester Finals are Coming

Students working hard. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Semester Finals are Coming

By Scott Two Bulls '14

It’s do or die time!

With only 1 ½ weeks left in the semester, the Red Cloud students are trying their best to get their homework in on time and keep their grades up. For those with F’s, they are about to experience #thestruggle.

Red Cloud is ending the semester earlier than usual this year. Last year the semester ended in January, but this it’s ending before LNI and the winter break.

For the seniors, it’s a happy feeling because they have one semester down and only have one left in their high school days.

The students with F’s better get their grades up now if they want to pass their classes for the semester. Semester finals are on Monday and Tuesday, 12/16 and 12/17.

The Disciple of the Mat: The Josh Twiss Story

Josh Twiss. Photos by Jin Yup Jung '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

        The Disciple of the Mat: The Josh Twiss Story 

By Jin Yup Jung'14

A junior brings experience to the wrestling team.  

Josh Twiss, a new captain, works out hard and pumps wrestlers up everyday.  Twiss wrestled when he was about 8-10 years old in AAU and placed 2nd in his district. He started wrestling again during his freshman year at Red Cloud. Twiss’ father, uncles, and three elder brothers before him wrestled for Red Cloud when they were in school. The main reasons he wrestled were that he was fascinated by his brothers' tosses and wins since he was younger and and all of his father’s wrestling experiences.

“The first match I won in my high school career was like this wave of happiness and joy,” Twiss said. “After I won, I just looked at my father and we smiled at each other with the biggest grins.” Since Twiss knew the greatest feeling when his hand was raised by a referee after he won a match, he has pushed as hard as he could for another win. “With my current and recent medical condition, I try to put on as much layers of clothes as I can,” Twiss said. “Then go through my moves slowly at first to work out all the kinks then at full speed as if I’m in a match, but it’s going to be hard to cut ten pounds before the first meet.”

Also, he is already excited to see how the wrestling team will do well this year. “I believe we have a good team this year. I see a lot of hard workers and quick learners,” Twiss said. “Some new students that can do really great this year, not to mention the veterans that are returning. Miranda O’Donnell is looking great. She has the will and determination to be the best she can be while still learning more and more techniques.”

Twiss wants to be a great captain who can help his wrestling members as much as he can. “In anyway I can, if that means pushing them on the mat, then so be it. They may not like it but nobody likes to lose either. Everything that I will do will benefit them as a team and as individuals as well,” Twiss said.

His goal is to make state. The goal he is really trying to achieve is to lead and improve his family of wrestlers. “To make them better and better, every time they walk on to that mat,” Twiss said.

The wrestling team traveled to Custer this morning for their first match of the year. 

Alumni Profile: Shane Star Excelling Beyond Red Cloud

Shane. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Brave Heart '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Alumni Profile: Shane Star Excelling Beyond Red Cloud

By: Jen Brave Heart ‘14

The day finally came for him to leave his nest. Star is shooting for the stars!

This past May we celebrated the class of 2013’s graduation. Amongst them are numerous bright and talented students. We definitely miss them this year, but are very delighted to see them becoming young adults and going after their dreams. Out of 36 students, one student has been experiencing becoming an adult, learning leadership skills, and taking initiative quite quickly. Shane Star.

Shane Star isn’t your average teen. Star is a freshman at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and plans to major in Civil Engineering. He spends most of his time studying, playing basketball, attending Gates Leadership conferences, and is also apart of the SDSM&T AISES chapter. Since he graduated, Star has been moving forward and improving his life- for starters, going to one of the top ranked engineering colleges in the state. Occasionally, Star will come back to the reservation to visit his family on the weekends, which is one of the reasons why he chose to go to SDSM&T.

“I'm involved in one program, Tiospaye Program. I go to a meeting with some advisors every other week and they help me stay on track and find more opportunities for me. I'm also in the AISES chapter up here. I go to meetings and we plan events and raise money to go to conferences. We are also trying to do something with Red Cloud next semester if things work out,” said Star.

“Some advice I would say is apply to as many scholarships as you can. All they can do is help you in college! Another thing would be just keep your grades up and always try your best! You just might be earning a reputation at your college and that could lead to many opportunities!”

Although Star is very busy, he still manages to make time for his friends, family, studies, and tries to be the best role model he can possibly be for the youth on the reservation. He wishes to be a good example of what you can become if you stay focused on school.

The New Wrestling Room: Hotter than Ever

Wrestling gym. Photos by Jin Yup Jung '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

The New Wrestling Room: Hotter than Ever

                                                             By Jin Yup Jung '14

The old wrestling room has been changed to the new wrestling room, which is connected to the weight room in the gym. The transformation occurred last year. Also, the new wrestling room became larger than ever before and got a great heater.

The coolest part of the wrestling room is that wrestling students' names who qualified for state are written down on the wall. It’s great to show current wrestlers so that they can be motivated and  work harder and harder until they collapse.

Also, wrestling students' names who were members of the National Honor Society are written on the opposite side. It proves that wrestlers are hard workers both in wrestling and in schoolwork. Occasionally, Head Coach Clay Leonard remind wrestlers to work hard both in athletics and in academics and make sure that they finish their homework every night and hand it in on time.   

"It is nice to be back up with the Red Cloud athletic program," said Leonard. "I hope students will continue to see how beneficial wrestling is and come out and join in on all the good things happening.” 

 The wrestling team is ready to heat things up in their new, renovated gym.

Staff Profile: Nakina Mills, Counselor Extraordinaire

Nakina hard at work. Photo by Jennifer Brave Heart '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Staff Profile: Nakina Mills, Counselor Extraordinaire

By: Jen Brave Heart ‘14

She is a triplet, mom, friend and Red Cloud alumni.

Nakina Mills is pretty much the new boss of all students at Red Cloud High School.

Mills graduated from RCHS in 1998 and then continued her studies at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. Upon graduating in 2002, Mills earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. After finishing her studies at Creighton, Mills came back to the reservation to further her career by working with the Department of Social Services (DSS) for over a year. After completing her work with DSS, Mills continued to work in Child Welfare by resuming her career with the Casey Family Program. Working there, she helps by providing the youth and their families with a healthy environment..

Mills has also been our Director of Advancement and Alumni Support for nearly two years now. She provides our students, mainly juniors and seniors, with information about furthering their education, ACT prep, scholarship support, and the college application process. While helping the students with their onward advancement in education, she provides the students opportunities to go on college visits so that they may get an insight of what college has to offer. Mills also keeps our students updated with where their grades are and informs them of their GPAs. Whatever our students may need, she’s always there for support!

Mills was asked about her personal expectations. “To better help our students prepare for their post secondary education," she responded. "Helping them obtain the skills to be successful after high school.”

Our students, staff and alumni are truly grateful that Mills is a part of the RCHS community.

Checkmate: The Red Cloud Chess Club Saga

Jack playing chess against himself. Photo by Rhiannon White Eyes '14. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Checkmate: The Red Cloud Chess Club Saga

By Rhiannon White Eyes ‘14

Chess. One board. Two people.

Mental jiu-jitsu at its finest. 

Every Monday and Wednesday throughout the year is Chess Club. Some of the best students come to challenge their minds and sharpen their strategies. Chess Club is run by the masters of chess, Mike Sunderland and Matt Campbell.

   

Campbell and Sunderland started Chess Club about five years ago. The last chess tournament here at Red Cloud was four years ago. Since Chess Club was introduced, more and more students have joined. Some of this year's best chess players are seniors Richard Brewer, Santana Red Feather, and Pedro Martinez.

A variety of students from all grades show up for Chess Club. The students put their minds to work and play against each other to see who comes out with the win!

The objective of chess is to get the opponent’s king in checkmate, where he would not be able to move out of check. If it is impossible to put your opponent’s king in check, then the game is simply a stalemate, in which there is no winner.

There are a lot of specific moves in chess for the different pieces. Pawns are only allowed to move forward but capture diagonally. The king is allowed to move in any direction but only one square. The queen can move anywhere. Bishops can move any number of squares but only diagonally. Rooks can move any number of squares but only up and down and side to side. Last but not least the knights only move in L shapes.

Chess Club is gradually getting more and more students each week. Some students are beginners and some are already on the path to putting the king in check. Hopefully by the end of this year, Chess Club will be filled with chess masters!

“Chess is like warfare for the mind,” states Kirkland Ross ‘14.