By Brooke Markworth

There are many things to celebrate about our senior 2022 class at Sheyenne High School.

They have worked hard to become the people who they are today and will go into their future with lasting memories from their time at Sheyenne.

Vivienne Heidt, Paige Harry, and Logan Staska are some of the outstanding seniors who have made a great impact at Sheyenne.

Paige Harry is a senior here at Sheyenne High School who has participated in Swimming, Diving, and Cheer. During her swimming and diving career, she has made the 1st All-State Team, 2nd All-State Team, and the 1st All Conference Team. Paige holds a school record in Diving for Sheyenne. She is also on the National Honor Society, who has volunteered throughout her junior and senior year. Paige has lettered in academics, diving, and cheer. Once Paige graduates, she is going to college at South Dakota State University. She also wants to work at UCLA as a sports performance dietician and help coach their gymnastics program. Her favorite quote to live by is “Dreams don’t work unless you do.”

Vivienne Heidt is a senior who has participated in Sheyenne Volleyball, Track and Field, Student Council, and Philanthropy and Youth. Vivienne is also a member of the National Honor Society at Sheyenne High School. Once she graduates, Vivienne will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Stout to continue her volleyball career, while studying Applied Chemistry and Molecular Biology in order to purse a career in forensic pathology. Vivienne’s favorite quote to live by is “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye”-Antoine de Saint Exupery.

Logan Staska is a senior here at Sheyenne High School who is an inspiration to many of his peers. Logan is one of the broadcasters for Sheyenne Mustang Media. He also enjoys playing lacrosse for the Red River Valley Polars. After high school, Logan is going to the Minneapolis Community and Technical College for Sound Arts. He’s looking forward to become an audio engineer. Logan’s favorite quote is “Life is 5% of what happens and 95% is how you react to it.”

By Brooke Markworth

Dear Mustang Readers,

Relationships are the key to success and conflict. As the 2021-2022 school year comes to an end, there will be many new relationships continued beyond the walls of Sheyenne.

However, the relationships that have been built here are continually changing, year to year, as we see seniors leaving for new challenges and incoming freshman adapting to the unfamiliar halls of Sheyenne.

Other changes are taking place as well including with the Mustang Post. Beyond the new website and eMagazine, our broadcast crew is focusing their attention on creating monthly broadcasts many students will enjoy. This will strengthen Sheyenne’s identiy while building a community and strengthening relationships with all of us at Sheyenne.

With Jaxson Miller and Jacob Fisher as lead announcers, they hope to spread more news throughout Sheyenne.

That news has been helped by Mr. Knodel and the news desk he requisitioned from Fox News in Minneapolis. The desk has a built in TV, plexiglass counter, wood structure, built-in lighting and screen.

One way we have incorporated relationships within our community is by featuring students through our Arists Spotlight, Star Athletes, Star Performers, and Star Academics. These will also be incorporated into our Mustang Post Broadcast.

By incorporating these new changes, our goal through the Mustang Post is to build relationships within our Sheyenne community.

Brooke Markworth, Mustang Post Editor

By Keona Munowenyu and Brooke Markworth

Near the end of women’s history month, the graphic design and history classes here at Sheyenne have collaborated to create a wall of “Women Who Rock!” to highlight the amazing accomplishments women have done throughout history. In a time where things are still not equal for both men and women in America, as well as in other parts of the world, it is important to take the time to acknowledge women who have taken a stand to make the world a more equitable and fair place.

The classes and teachers involved in this group project are Photography and Graphic Design teacher Mrs. Baxter and AP Euro and US History teacher Ms. Ott.

Ms. Ott, as a teacher involved in this project, said that “Women Who Rock!” was important to her because she “wanted to include more diverse representation in [her] classroom.” Before Ms. Ott reached out to Ms. Baxter “the wall started out as black and white basic pictures of these women in American and European history” the content to which she teaches. To include a bit more “jazz” to the wall Mrs. Ott thought it would be a great idea to reach out to Ms. Baxter and her Graphic design class for assistance.

Ms. Ott notes in her interview that “Ms. Baxter and her students were the ones who did all the great work” as she continued to go on about the creative liberty they took with this project.

Ms. Baxter, Sheyenne’s graphic design teacher, states, “The focus on the project is to design historical posters about women who have made significant impacts on society” and this project was largely focused on being “informative [and] capture the viewer’s attention for a short amount of time.” In addition, beyond the research involved in the project students also relied on ”using Adobe InDesign, [and] their past knowledge and skills of Illustrator and Photoshop.” Therefore, this project, while collaborative between departments, was also a reflection of the students’ acquired skills throughout their time in Ms. Baxter’s class where they developed their page layout and technological skills while achieving substantiated research.

Regarding the collaboration with Ms. Ott, Ms. Baxter states, “The process of working with Ms. Ott went smoothly and well. Ms. Baxter hopes to “collaborate with another class or teacher [to] give my all my students as much real-life experience as possible.” Those real-life experiences for the Graphics 1 students focus on “ working with a client” which is “especially important in the graphic design and photography field since the norm is being in frequent communication with a customer.”

Concerning her individual involvement in the project, Ms. Baxter states, “[she] was the middle woman” and “chose [her] Graphics 1 class as the students to create these posters.” During this process the students were allowed a lot of creative freedom “The facts about these women could be designed however the student wished”. Even with this freedom Ms. Baxter maintained that their goal “was to communicate information, but also [create] something that would grab the viewer’s attention to make them pause and really observe it.” This is why Ms. Baxter required that the students “needed to include a photo of the person, their birth and death lifespan, as well as 3-5 facts about them that changed or impacted society.

Overall, the collaborative effort between these two departments at Sheyenne certainly worked well. Not only did this project provide a great learning opportunity for the Graphic Design students who were involved. but now every student and staff member can acknowledge the significant work of these accomplished women. Sheyenne should be proud to have teachers such as Ms. Baxter and Ms. Ott, who are determined to shine a light on the underrepresented sex in this country.

By Brooke Markworth

There are many things to celebrate about our senior 2022 class at Sheyenne High School. They have worked hard to become the people who they are today and will go into their future with lasting memories from their time at Sheyenne. Sricharan Kotala, Sherry Yan, and Michael Nhial are some of the outstanding seniors who have made a great impact at Sheyenne.

Sricharan Kotala is on the Sheyenne Speech Team, Sheyenne Student Council, National Honor Society, Sheyenne Debate, Student Congress, Swimming, Track, Cross Country, and the president of HOSA. After high school, Sricharan plans to attend the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to study Sports Medicine or Orthopedics. His favorite quote to live by is “Just Do It.”

Sherry Yan is a member of the Sheyenne Speech Team, Student Congress, Student Council, Sheyenne Chamber Orchestra, and The National Honor Society Volunteering. Sherry also participates in Dance, Piano, Violin, Guitar, and takes Chinese lessons. After High School, she plans to attend a college in California to pursue a career in Computer Science (HCI) with a minor in liberal arts. Sherry’s favorite quote is “Be you. Do you. For you.”

Senior Michael Nhial is a leader and inspiration to many of his peers. He is on the National Honor Society and dominates on the court while playing basketball for Sheyenne. Mike was named “Senior Athlete of the Year” in the Eastern Dakota Conference (EDC). Once he graduates, Mike would like to attend college to play basketball. He would also like to be accepted into a pre-med program. Mike’s favorite quote to live by is “Be the best at everything you do.”

By Brooke Markworth

There are many things to celebrate about our senior 2022 class at Sheyenne High School. They have worked hard to become the people who they are today and will go into their future with lasting memories from their time at Sheyenne. Grace Widjaja, Keona Munowenyu, and Christine Nwaigwe are some of the outstanding seniors who have made a great impact at Sheyenne.

Grace Widjaja is president of the Student Council, captain of the Sheyenne Speech Team, principal violist in the pit orchestra for “Bright Star,” principal violist for the Fargo Moorhead Area Youth Symphony, and member of the National Honor Society. Grace is also a kindergarten youth group leader, math tutor for 4th and 5th graders, and gives viola lessons on the side. After high school, Grace hopes to attend a four-year university in the Northeast to study Molecular Biology and Biochemistry with a minor in Music Performance on the Viola. One of Grace’s favorite mantras is “Be unapologetically you!”

Keona Munowenyu is in Student Congress, Sheyenne Debate, Student Council, and the National Honor Society. Throughout her high school career, Keona has won a championship title and national qualification for Student Congress. She is also a champion in Debate in the Public Forum Division. She has been to the National Speech and Debate Tournament twice to compete on the North Dakota World Schools Debate Team during her sophomore and junior year. Keona is now officially a state qualifier for Speech in poetry and humorous duo. Once Keona graduates, her plan is to land a job in Los Angeles at a production studio, like Warner Brothers or Universal Studios. Her life dream is to create her own production company to create major motion picture films. Keona intends to go to Columbia College in Chicago to major in Film and Television with a possible minor in marketing or journalism. Her favorite quote to live by is “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, compassion, humor and style” -Maya Angelou.

Christine Nwaigwe is part of the National Honor Society, Sheyenne Student Council, Student Ambassadors, Diverse Cultures Club, Student Congress and French Club. Christine is also on the Sheyenne Track and Field Team. Once she graduates, Christine wants to become an Economist or an Economic Consultant on Policy Making. She hopes to attend Williams College in Massachusetts or Brown University in Rhode Island. Christine’s favorite quote is “Life teaches you a lesson every day, if you are attentive enough in the class of life”-Invajy.

By Brooke Markworth

With the second semester now in session, it’s important to notice the new classes being offered at Sheyenne High School. Every year, new courses are added to provide students with topics and information they enjoy learning about.

One course that has been popular among students is Ms. Simenson’s “Women in American History.” The semester long course is open to juniors and seniors. The class allows students to explore the historical impact on the lives of women and the different roles they played while shaping history. The elective class was added this 2021-2022 school year. With almost 30 students in the class, they enjoyed learning about the backgrounds of women through notes, projects, and talking with peers.

There are many courses to be offered through Sheyenne to earn college credit as well. Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit courses are available to challenge students while preparing them for college level work. AP and Dual Credit courses allow grades 9-12 to explore topics they are passionate about.

For Advanced Placement courses, students must take the end of the year test in May and pass in order to get the college credit. However, Dual Credit courses allow student to get college credit just by passing the high school class. The most popular among students are the dual credit courses “College Algebra, Fundamentals of Public Speaking, Medical Terminology, and Statistics.”

AP Calculus and AP United States History are two of the most popular AP courses offered at Sheyenne. AP Calculus is designed to teach students to analyze more advanced topics in calculus. Students learn through lecture presentations as well as question and answer format. This is a beneficial class for students looking to go in the mathematics or science related fields.

The AP United States History course is open to juniors. The class covers topics throughout US History from “The Age of Discovery” to the end of Reconstruction. Mr. Quinn Wahlstrom and Mr. Jordan Lutovsky. Students will learn through reports, essays, research, and student made projects. Students must pass the AP test in May to earn college credit.

Sheyenne High School also offers a variety of musical classes including Music Harmony, Wind Ensemble, History of Rock and Roll, Treble Choir, Orchestra, Concert Choir, and Band. The study of music is all around us. Most music classes are offered for a full year. In these courses, students will experience different musical styles while learning to grow through music.

Overall, Sheyenne High School offers a variety of courses suitable for any student. Talk to your counselor with any questions you may have about these courses!

By Brooke Markworth

The winter months are full of happiness and joy as people start looking forward to the new year. With so many reasons to delight in the snow and indulge in warm hot chocolate and cookies, winter brings some sadness to many lives.

During the winter, many people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as winter or seasonal depression. The disorder is caused by a Vitamin D deficiency in your body. People who have seasonal depression lack exposure to sunlight or are sensitive to it.

Some symptoms of seasonal depression are fatigue, hopelessness, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating, oversleeping, and lose of interest in doing things that used to be enjoyable.

Although there’s not much to prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder there are some treatments to help lessen the symptoms. One example is phototherapy, a medical treatment involving natural or artificial light to improve a health condition. In this case, phototherapy mimics the natural sunlight and causes a change in the brain chemicals that are linked to your mood. Medications such as Wellbutrin XL and Aplenzin may help the symptoms over time. At Sheyenne High School, the staff and administrators are well aware of seasonal depression and it’s symptoms. The counselors especially are apprehensive about the sensitive topic.

Mrs. Krystal Haugen, a counselor at Sheyenne stated “There are so many factors that can contribute to a student struggling with mental health; genetics, school stress, past trauma, social media, family issues, etc.”
When asked about ways to cope with stress, the counselors at Sheyenne High School explained that there are both positive and negative ways to cope with stress and depression. Some positive ways would be exercise, art, music, and mindfulness. Anything harmful such as drugs, alcohol, not talking about it, and distancing yourself would fall under the negative outcomes of stress.

Along with talking about the issue, the counseling office tries their best to advertise depression as well as other mental health disorders. In May 2022, you will find many posters and items around the school giving information on the topic and other sources students may need to get help. Mrs. Haugen said “The best thing you can do if you know someone who is struggling is to stand up for them and be a good human in general. When in doubt, tell an adult you trust to help. Seizetheawkward.org is a great resource that offers help!”

With the winter months staying for awhile, it’s important to recognize the symptoms and get help if needed!