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 The Mustang Post Staff

The latest issue of the Mustang Post is available in eMagazine or blog!

When you think of science, many think of genetics, evolution, or even how sound travels. Mr. Klaman, a biology and physical science teacher, has been educating students on these things for 22 years.

Prior to his time at Sheyenne, Klaman attended Dickinson State University for a year and later transferred to North Dakota State University (NDSU) where he completed his studies.

Before becoming a teacher, Mr. Klaman was interested in chemical engineering, but then chose a different path towards civil engineering. He made another switch to exercise science before finally landing on teaching.

With his experience in exercise science, Mr. Klaman used his athletic training degree at Cheney Middle School to help their athletic program.

If Mr. Klaman was not teaching, his dream job would be a food cart vendor. His reasoning behind this includes being able to travel around the city to see new places every week.

His love for traveling does not only involve being a theoretical food cart vendor. Mr. Klaman has visited many places, his favorites being New York City, Guatemala, and Banff, Canada.

Some of his other favorite things are reading, card games, and spending time with family at the lake. He describes his ideal day as a bright, sunny day on the water with a breeze light enough to cool the 85-degree air but still perfect for time on the boat. As the day winds down, it would be wrapped up with a campfire and some hotdogs to roast.

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 The Mustang Post Staff

The latest issue of the Mustang Post is available in eMagazine or blog!

By: Keona Munowenyu

According to History, Black History Month was created in 1926 by “Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator and publisher” who originally meant black history month to be a week. Black history month was chosen to begin in February because (as stated by USA Today) this was the month that “coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, a famed abolitionist who escaped from slavery, and President Abraham Lincoln, who formally abolished slavery.”

Kay Boatner from History explains that the month-long recognition of black history was created in 1976 when U.S. president Gerald Ford extended the recognition to “honour the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavour throughout our history.”

So, in honor of the accomplishments of Black people in this country, Sheyenne Mustang Media has composed a list of people of color who have paved the way and deserve to be recognized this month for their perseverance and excellence.

Literary and Film

The Biography states it best when they write that James Baldwin is “One of the 20th century’s greatest writers” and “broke new literary ground with the exploration of racial and social issues in his many works.”

Britannica writes that Baldwin was an “American essayist, novelist, and playwright whose eloquence and passion on the subject of race in America made him an important voice, particularly in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the United States and, later, through much of western Europe.”

Making history and paving way for important conversions to be held according to Britannica “his second novel, Giovanni’s Room (1956), deals with the white world and concerns an American in Paris torn between his love for a man and his love for a woman.” Highlighting the importance of such a novel The Biography states Baldwin’s novel Giovanni’s Room “broke new ground for its complex depiction of homosexuality, a then-taboo subject.” According to the Biography “his words struck a chord with the American people, and The Fire Next Time sold more than a million copies.”

Britiannica writes that The Fire Next Time was composed of “two previously published essays in letter form by James Baldwin” and in these essays Baldwin wrote “warned that, if white America did not change its attitudes and policies toward black Americans and alter the conditions under which blacks were forced to live, violence would result.” Biography writes that this statement from Baldwin was not unwarranted he had witnessed so much violence “especially the assassinations of Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. — caused by racial hatred.”

Variety writes that this incredible woman “has built a brand with smart storytelling infused with contemporary issues and often a social justice lens.” According to this article “DuVernay’s ARRAY banner produces a number of drama series through its pact with Warner Bros. TV, including OWN dramas “Queen Sugar” and “Cherish the Day.”

Kerri Alexander from Women’s History finds that despite not picking “ up a camera until she was thirty-two, Ava DuVernay has made history as a writer, director, and producer.” This article from Women’s History continues to write that Ava DuVernay “was the first African American woman to win Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival, be nominated for a Best Director Golden Globe, direct a film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, and direct a film with a budget over $100 million.”

Her project When They See Us according to this article “was nominated for 16 Emmy awards, making her and Beyoncé the first African American women in Primetime Emmy history to receive multiple nominations in their careers for directing.” DuVernay is nothing but a visionary for the new age of film and tv.

This article from Women’s History writes towards the end that “in 2010, she started her own film distribution company called African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM) but rebranded the company in 2015 under the name ARRAY to focus on racial and gender inclusion in filmmaking.” The tv and film industry should personally be thankful that DuVernay is doing the great

Activist

In 1955 Claudette Colvin‘s at only 15 years old attending a high school in Montgomery, Alabama, had first observed Negro History Week and felt encouraged enough to act on her fundamental right to freedom.
According to Hadley Meares from History “on March 2, 1955, when she boarded a bus in downtown Montgomery. She and three other Black students were told to give up their seats for a white woman.” Strengthened by the lessons Negro History Week taught Colvin refused to get up. “My head was just too full of Black history,” she stated in an interview with NPR. “It felt like Sojourner Truth was on one side pushing me down, and Harriet Tubman was on the other side of me pushing me down. I couldn’t get up.”
The article continues to state that Colvin was arrested and put on indefinite probation and despite this act of bravery taking place nine months before Rosa Park’s similar act of bravery the “NAACP chose to use the 42-year-old civil rights activist as the public face of the Montgomery bus boycott, as they believed an unwed mother—Colvin became pregnant when she was 16—would not be the best face for the movement”

Gwen Aviles and Ariel Jao from NBC News share that “Longtime activist Phill Wilson has spent four decades fighting HIV/AIDS in Black communities.”

In 1983 the article continues to write that during the height of the HIV and Aids epidemic in the United States Wilson’s then-partner Chris Brownlie found out he had contracted HIV, a disease he would later die from. At the time the American public ignorantly believed this was a disease that only affected white gay men.

Wilson commented that “Black people were always disproportionately impacted, over-represented in disease, underrepresented in advocacy, underrepresented in resources dedicated to fighting the disease.”
Founder of the Black AIDS Institute in 1999 Wilson has worked tirelessly since then to educate Black communities about AIDS and increase their access to necessary antiviral treatments necessary to combat this disease.

According to Hadley Meares from History “The writings of The Rev. Dr. Anna Pauline “Pauli” Murray were a cornerstone of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the 1954 Supreme Court case that ended school segregation.”

This woman really did the most for her community, as a lawyer, Episcopal priest, civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Organization for Women. A fighter for women rights Murray the article continues to state “In 1965, Murray and Mary O. Eastwood co-authored the essay “Jane Crow and the Law,” which argued that the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment should be applied to sex discrimination as well”

Entertainment

Laverne Cox, best known for her role as Sophia Burset on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black has according to Irina Gonzalez from Oprah Daily “opened doors for LGBTQ folks not only in Hollywood but across the globe.” ‘

She became the first transgender to ever be nominated for acting at the Primetime Emmys in 2014. Her reach in the media has been vastly expanding and making a major difference.

Already according to this article she has the title of being the “first transgender person to appear in Times Magazine in a story titled, “The Transgender Tipping Point.” That story revealed Cox’s childhood how she came to realize how she might be transgender and what that realization meant for the rest of her life.

This American Actor truly did pave a way for many black female actors to come. According to Erin Kaplan from Politico, she was first discovered by Ebony Magazine to become a model Cicely Tyson didn’t become an actor till 1951 when she took “roles on soap operas and films.”

Her career that spanned 60 years included memorable roles such as Binta in Roots, a limited series that captured the narrative of many African slaves and their families, and the character Constantine Bates in The Help a movie and book focusing on the perspective of black maids on white families.

Overall due to Cicely Tyson’s enduring work not only has she been awarded a Tony Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and even a Primetime Emmy award for Actress of the Year but, this phenomenal actor has been given the Presidential Medal of Freedom as well.

This elegant man according to Brandon Griggs from CNN is “Hollywood’s first Black movie star and the first Black man to win the best actor Oscar.” His desire to play roles other than just the servant in the 1950s to 1960s gave way for people to realize black people could perform other roles as well such as doctors, teachers and detectives.

The pressure as an only black Hollywood Actor was immense. “It’s been an enormous responsibility,” Poitier told Oprah Winfrey in 2000. “And I accepted it, and I lived in a way that showed how I respected that responsibility. I had to. In order for others to come behind me, there were certain things I had to do.”

He took this responsibility well and would not take characters he thought were one-dimensional stereotypes of black people. It’s because of how he desired to be portrayed that black men and women today have greater opportunities in Hollywood and to see themselves represented accurately.

Science

Space travel is cool but what’s even cooler is that Mae Carol Jemison was the very first black woman to travel in space. Mae Carol Jemison is not only a NASA astronaut but she also claims the title of doctor and engineer as well. The mere fact that Dr. Jemision is no easy accomplishment.

Kerri Alexander from Women’s History finds that when Jemison applied to the astronaut program at NASA in 1987 she was “one of the 15 people chosen out of over 2,000 applications.” Alexander continues to provide information on how on September 12, 1992, Dr. Jemison and six other astronauts went into space on the space shuttle Endeavor. This voyage made Jemison the first Black woman in space and forever broke away for other children of color to dream that they too could work with NASA and even travel space if they desired to.

For her many accomplishments, Dr. Jemison has earned the following honors including the National Organization for Women’s Intrepid Award, Kilby Science Award, and she has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, National Medical Association Hall of Fame and Texas Science Hall of Fame.

The many efficient ways we preserve food can be thanked by Mr. Hall in particular for his discoveries in this area.

As stated by the ASC organization “Before his research, most preservation was done with salts and it was difficult to keep foods from spoiling without making them taste bitter.”

To address this issue Mr. Hall this article continues by saying he “created a system to sterilize spices by using ethylene gas in a vacuum chamber” a system “that was later adapted by the food, drug, and cosmetic industries.”

His vision for food preservation is still in use today so if you’ve ever wondered why your meat can last in the fridge for longer than a week you can thank him.

This woman who embodies the word grit graduated with a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1947 and became according to the Science History Insitute “the first African American woman to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States.

Caldwell devoted much of her career to research on the nature and action of amylases or starch-splitting enzymes. In 1960, the American Chemical Society awarded her the Garvin Medal for her work.”

To pay it back and encourage more black children like herself to pursue careers in science and medicine Marie Maynard Daly put it upon herself to create programs to encourage the number of minorities in those programs and according to this article “in 1988, she established a scholarship fund at Queens College for African Americans in commemoration of her father” who also wished to pursue a career in chemistry similar to that of his daughter.

Sports

Wilma Glodean Rudolph did not always get a running start growing up. In fact, Britannica reveals that “Rudolph was sickly as a child and could not walk without an orthopedic shoe until she was 11 years old.”

This article continues to say that she was a self-determined young lady though and during the 1960 Olympic games she accomplished multiple gold medals in the 100-meter race, 200-meter dash, and the 4 × 100-metre relay team, “which had set a world record of 44.4 seconds in a semifinal race.”

After she retired from running Britannica concludes that Rudolph encouraged young runners and “was an assistant director for a youth foundation in Chicago during the 1960s to develop girls’ track-and-field teams, and thereafter she promoted running nationally.”

In 1968 the US Open was won by Arthur Ashe a man who lived as an ambassador of equality and goodwill. International Tennis Hall of Fame writes that “As he rose from segregation and racial roadblocks to becoming the first African-American male to win the US Open (1968), Australian Open (1970), and Wimbledon (1975).

In 1963 he was the first African-American chosen to play Davis Cup for the United States, and in ten years representing his country, helped the US win five championships (1963, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1978).” Though it’s worthy to mention all his incredible accomplishments as a professional tennis player he was so much more than who he was on the court.

The article continued to say Arthur Ashe “was an activist, author, educator, and a tireless campaigner for civil rights and racial equality, not only in the United States but worldwide, particularly against the apartheid systems of South Africa.”

International Tennis Hall of Fame applauded him as a man of many solid principles and strengths but one of his greatest honors “in 1993 when he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton.”

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!

Anyone who takes Spanish in Sheyenne can tell you just how amazing the program is, lead by some of the most skilled staff at Sheyenne. Señor Mickelson is one such expert.

Señor Mickelson teaches both Spanish 1 and Spanish 2. His passion for teaching is very unique, as it is stemmed from an experience he had in Peru while taking a break from his criminal justice studies at North Dakota State University.

In Peru, Mickelson volunteered to help out the struggling education system. It was then that he realized that he wanted to pursue a career as a teacher.

“Spanish is just what I knew best, whatever I would’ve known best is what I would’ve gone to teach for,” Mickelson stated.

If he wasn’t teaching, Mickelson said his dream job would be “the guy that announces prizes for Wheel of Fortune.” He went on to explain that being a voice actor would be a fun job and require less knowledge than a sports commentator, for example.

Other things that he enjoys are watching the Detroit Lions, hunting, fishing, and blacksmithing. He said that blacksmithing is a new hobby, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the necessary tools on hand, he was able to make things by himself.

His ideal day includes hunting or fishing with his family and making it back in time to catch an afternoon Lions game (that hopefully results in a win over the Packers at Lambeau Field). After the football game, he loves a family dinner and be able to stay up as late as he wanted if there is no school on Monday.

“Then I don’t have to wake up at 5:30 or 5:45…Not saying that I don’t like school, I would just have to be responsible and go to bed at a reasonable time,” Mickelson continued.

One of his favorite memories was him finishing his schooling at NDSU. He had just completed his Capstone project for his senior thesis and presented it to the NDSU Department of Modern Languages. This marked the end of his studies with only student teaching left to complete before his final graduation.

Mickelson explained, “I just remember vividly feeling this enormous relief because you know, at that point I was 26 years old so. Most people graduate at 22 or 23 and it took me a little extra time so after all those years of not knowing what I wanted to do so I just felt like I had worked hard to get to that point so it felt amazing.”