By Logan Jacobs

More and more students are looking for clubs to join, but most don’t know what clubs are available. Know that a list of clubs is available through the Activities Office and the Schools page; however, not all clubs are updated on that page. So, here’s a look at five clubs, future issues will focus on additional clubs.

Cinema Club

Where and when does your club meet?

(Cinema) The Cinema Club, or “Movies Ya’ Gotta See” meet every week during Voice and Choice I and II in the theater at Sheyenne High School.

What movies do you plan to watch?

(Cinema) Films that the AFI (American Film Institute) has deemed as 100 best films of all time, but we are steering away from the R rating films, to make sure that all of us can experience great cinema. So far, we have watched “City Lights” (with Charlie Chaplin), Double Indemnity, Wizard of Oz, and Rear Window (one of Hitchcock’s best).

What experience do you have with what your club does?

(Cinema) I have loved movies all my life. Who wouldn’t want to have that opportunity to escape the wilds of the real world? Furthermore, I almost [have] a major in film studies from MSUM.

What would you like this club to be?

(Cinema) I would like this to be a place for people to come to the theater, shed the day’s troubles at the door, and sit back and watch cinema that’s worth watching.

Pep Band

Where and when does your club meet?

(Pep) The pep band is an extracurricular use of the band program. It is a completely volunteer force. We sometimes have rehearsals during voice and choice time or after school.

What does your club do?

(Pep)We typically perform at sporting events 8 to 10 times in the fall season, [we] try to support the playoff games, and play another 8 to 10 times during the winter season.

What other places does your club play?

(Pep) We sometimes play at pep rallies and have been asked to perform at a few special events. Our Drumline also performs on its own at events.

What experience do you have with what your club does?

(Pep)I played in marching band and pep band in college and was also a student leader for my last two years before becoming a band teacher. I have taught marching band and pep band for the last 11 years while a band teacher. I also lead the North Dakota Army band for the national guard.

What would you like this club to be?

(Pep) A significant contributor to the community of Sheyenne High School, focusing on the positive climate and atmosphere at the afterschool activities.

Improv

Where and when does your club meet?

(Improv) We meet during voice and choice 1 on Wednesdays.

What does your club do?

(Improv) We play different improv games in which dialogue, characters and plot are made up in the spur of the moment.

What experience do you have with your club?

(Improv) I have a B.A. in theatre with an emphasis in acting and directing.

What do you want this club to be?

(Improv) A fun and engaging group for students to learn improvisation skills and practice stage confidence in a safe and welcoming space.

Music Industry

Where and when does your club meet?

(Music Industry) During voice and choice times

What does your club do?

(Music Industry) We do some song writing and recording music
How has your turn out been so far?

(Music Industry) Turn out has been decent about 10 students a session on average

Do you have to be a part of a music class to join?

(Music Industry) You don’t have to be involved in a music class, just need an interest in writing/recording your own or others music

What experience do you have with your club?

(Music Industry) I have been in a band and recording music off and on for the last 12 years. I went to MSUM for the Music Industry program and toured nationally with a signed band on Victory Records. I’m currently in a cover band and play events and weddings when I’m not teaching. I play guitar bass and drums and also am a singer.

What do you want this club to be?

(Music Industry) Long story short, I want it to be a free recording studio for our students to explore and create music.

Gay Straight Alliance

Where and when does your club meet?

(G-S-A) Our club meets in classroom 2617 on Wednesdays during Voice and Choice #1.

What does your club do?

(G-S-A) Our club organizes fundraisers and events that help spread awareness for diversity, inclusion, and acceptance, especially for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

How has your turn out been so far?

(G-S-A) Our club currently has between 40-50 attendees and club members.

What experience do you have with your club?

(G-S-A) This is my first year running the club with Mrs. Radle.

What do you want this club to be?

(G-S-A) I want this club to be a place where students feel safe, feel loved, and know they are not alone.

By The SHS Counseling Team

The counseling team provides a range of services and implements initiatives to meet the needs of an ever-broadening and diversifying population at Sheyenne High School. Here’s a look at their recent student-centered support and celebrations of success.

The Mustang Closet

The Mustang Closet is a free resource available to any student who needs any clothing or shoes.

The Mustang Closet is in the hallway leading to the theater. There are bathrooms located across from the Mustang Closet for ease of trying on any clothing before you bring it home.

The closet is accessible any time during the school day; the Mustang Closet is an honor-based system.

If there are any additional items that you need, such as personal hygiene items, please let your counselor know.

2022-2023 Sheyenne Registration

The 2022-2023 Registration Process will begin in mid to late January.

Start thinking about which classes you might want to take next school year and start talking to your teachers about their recommendations.

Backpack Program Fundraising

Lex Lunde of Thrivent Financial, who partnered with Bully Brew Coffee and the Sheyenne High School Counselors, raised $1,541.00 on November 17th for our Backpack Program and families in need!

We are so thankful for the support from our school and community.

Free College Applications

On October 27th we held a Free College App Day event for seniors to apply to one North Dakota College of their choice for FREE.

The counselors, along with representatives from colleges in the state, went into all the senior English classes to help seniors apply to college, if they wanted to.

We asked our seniors to take a quick survey (only 176 students completed the survey) and here are the stats on what our seniors “did” during Free College App Day!

• 86 applied to a college
• 78 worked on scholarships
• 40 researched careers
• 3 explored military

By Jacob Fisher

It has been over ten years since the trifecta of major shooters – Battlefield, Call of Duty, and Halo – were released on the same holiday. This rarity has now landed these industry giants in the same window for the biggest FPS season gaming has seen in an exceptionally long time.

These are not the only titles releasing this holiday, however. In fact, there are some contending Game of the Year titles that you will just have to pick up.

The global pandemic has undoubtedly affected many release windows for highly anticipated games. 2019 and 2020 have been rife with delays after delays. However, the industry is now rapidly picking up steam once again.

The bottom line? Gamers are eating good this holiday season.

Halo Infinite is the most surprising release (and success!) this holiday season. This sci-fi FPS title was initially revealed all the way back in 2018, but after a disappointing gameplay showcase at E3 2020, the game was delayed a full year for further polish.

Then, after consistent rumors of an early multiplayer debut in November for Xbox’s 20th anniversary, Halo’s six-year hiatus ended as a “content complete” multiplayer – including all the maps and weapons – was released completely free to play.

The reception to the game’s multiplayer beta has been enormously positive. Fans love the tight gameplay, classic music, and general return to form that the series has struggled to achieve since the new developers, 343 Industries, took over after 2010. The biggest complaint currently is a lackluster progression system.

Reviews have also been positive for the campaign in early media reviews – one promised to be the biggest (and now open world) Halo campaign to date, with all new enemies and weapons, picking up after the disappointing Halo 5.

Halo Infinite came out for retail on December 8, 2021, but you can play the multiplayer beta for free today on Xbox and PC.

This return to the decidedly legendary sci-fi trilogy has been nothing short of fantastic. With full 4k remasters for both next-gen and last-gen consoles, you can now shoot (and talk!) your way through Commander Shepard’s action RPG story in its best version possible.

Mass Effect is a series all about making your own choices. Some of them are small, like who to befriend or romance, to a bit bigger ones, like the fate of the universe.

This remaster touches up all three mainline entries, but the first one receives by far the most attention. The original 13-year-old Mass Effect was rough around the edges, now being remastered with updated UI and fixes to previously irritating missions.

If you are looking to experience gaming history in the best way possible (or just trying to forget about the lackluster Mass Effect Andromeda), picking up this trilogy should be an easy decision. Mass Effect Legendary Edition is available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Forza Horizon 5 is the racing game to end all racing games. Now set in Mexico with a map twice as large as Forza Horizon 4’s countryside England, this newest entry in one of the most consistently excellent series is one you should not ignore.

The developers of Forza Horizon realize who their players are – and especially what they want to do. Although this newest title is not a massive reinvention of the series, the sheer amount of work put in to perfecting an already excellent gameplay structure is immediately noticeable.

No matter what you do, whether that be street racing, competing in drift competitions, or winning in Forza’s own Battle Royale, The Eliminator, you will always have an acute sense of forward progress that leaves you feeling rewarded – a rare feeling in modern multiplayer games.

Join the Horizon festival in 2020’s highest rated game on Xbox and PC.

Insomniac Games strikes once again in another fantastic outing in this iconic (and now gorgeous) PS5 exclusive. Starring the cutting-edge

DualSense controller and PS5 SSD, Rift Apart aims to immerse you in the journey of the titular Ratchet and Clank (and Rivet!) as they hop across the galaxy.

Rift Apart is a technical showcase from beginning to end. Using the PS5’s ray tracing horse power, light is accurately drawn to reflect and bounce realistically, giving a newfound sense of fidelity to console gaming.

Likewise, the next-gen DualSense controller uses its advanced haptics in both the triggers and controller to accurately simulate gameplay actions. Further, the lightning-fast SSD, one even more advanced than some PC SSDs, allows you to hop between levels and areas with a button press and a short animation. It is something worth seeing to believe.

The gameplay is equally exciting, involving you grappling and shooting your way across various levels and worlds. Along with the basic platforming features that are expected to be a part of a Ratchet and Clank game – such as the famous rail grinding – this new entry introduces hopping across rifts to gain an advantage against your opponents.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is out as a PS5 exclusive, and no doubt the one needed to show off just what this console can do.

Metriod has never been the biggest franchise in Nintendo’s decades of worldbuilding. However, as a partner piece to the new Nintendo Switch OLED, this monumental series aims to reinvent itself and go back to its roots – one of helping invent a whole genre, the “metroidvania”.
Safe to say it has succeeded.

Metroidvanias typically have you playing through a larger world where many avenues of exploration are initially blocked off. Bosses might be unbeatable. Gates may be sealed shut. So, finding the powerups and abilities to move forward is essential to progress.

Metriod Dread follows this pattern to make one of the best Switch games this year. You will explore an alien planet, fight an unknown threat, and discover a bit about your own history as the iconic Samus.
Likewise, as many unfortunate gamers have found out, the title is also hard as nails. Fans of Hollow Knight and other similar metroidvanias will feel right at home.

Metriod Dread is out on Switch – but even better on the OLED model.
It is hard to express just how fantastic of a deal Xbox Game Pass is. This landmark service offers hundreds of games – from AAA to Indie – for just an initial offering of $1 for three months.

Xbox has had an amazing turnaround even compared to just a year ago, especially in the games department. Psychonauts 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator for Xbox, Deathloop, and Forza Horizon 5 are some of, if not, the highest rated games of this year. All but one of them are on Game Pass (Deathloop is currently a PlayStation console exclusive).

Along with some excellent third-party entries into the service, Microsoft does not make a hard sell for this “Netflix of Gaming,” all for the price of a candy bar.

Xbox has truly delivered this 2021 for a premiere gaming lineup. Let’s see if it continues.

6 OF THE TOP 25 GAMES OF 2021 ARE
ON GAME PASS

(Scores out of 100 from Metacritic)

• HADES (XSX RELEASE) – 93
• FORZA HORIZON 5 – 92
• PSYCHONAUTS 2 – 91
• MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIM – 90
• IT TAKES TWO – 89
• DEATH’S DOOR – 88

By Brooke Markworth

Awareness months shed light on health conditions and cultural activities by celebrating specific events and bringing people together by sharing themselves and opening up to others about similarities between one another.

Once publicized, knowledge of these conditions and cultural differences are promoted.
This month, November 2021, focuses on Epilepsy Awareness, Lung Cancer Awareness, National Adoption, National Gratitude, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness, and many more.

While different organizations came up with the idea to advertise events and diseases, it is up to the people to acknowledge and learn more information about these illnesses.

For example, the “COPD Learn More Breathe Better Campaign” encourages people who are interested in raising awareness for this cause, to spread the word and educate others. Members and supporters can do this by leading discussions, hosting events, and gathering more information on the medical condition.

Not only are health issues promoted, but cultural and everyday conditions as well.

National Native American Heritage Month is the month of November. People come to discover and appreciate the traditions and histories that Native Americans and their tribes have brought into America and other locations globally.

During the month of November, Americans acknowledge National Career Development Month. Established by the National Career Development Agency, the campaign’s goal is to celebrate professional development and support others to achieve their career and life goals.
Each month websites and help organizations are more pronounced to allow people to get help and show support for others.

National Family Caregivers Month is a month to recognize and appreciate the caring people who look after and take care of a family member in need. These 78 million people deserve recognition for the hard work they do, both mentally and physically.

By engaging in these events and discussions, it can be easier to raise awareness and show support for health conditions, everyday accomplishments, and cultural appreciation.

By Lauren Johnson

On September 9th President Joe Biden required the vaccination of government employees by November 22nd of 2021 including military with each branch having their own deadline.

Privately owned businesses may implement their own rules on this vaccine. Rules such as when you have to get the doses by, if you still must take COVID tests, and whether a mask will still be needed are just a few examples.

Places such as Sanford Heath Medical Centers in Fargo, North Dakota have issued a mandate where all employees must be vaccinated November 1st.

Due to this Sanford mandate, many workers in these companies have reported “feeling safer” and more “comfortable” knowing that others are following the rules and getting vaccinated.

While there are those who agree with vaccination, others cite potential side effects such as “becoming infertile,” yet “the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine received full approval by the FDA on August 23rd, 2021.”

Since the first outbreak of COVID back in 2019, there has been varied brands of vaccines that have been released. The most prevalent and well known in the United States are the Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines show equivalent efficiency rates while still in the initial stages. Currently the FDA and CDC recommend the states to pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to the risk of blood clots. Yet when it comes to companies it was never specified in the mandate as to which one workers had to get.

By Lauren Johnson

As November rolls around many Americans start looking forward to Thanksgiving. While this holiday is known to be an American holiday, seventeen other countries also take part in a similar occasion. Although it may not all consist of the classic turkey and mashed potato dinner, it is just as important.

Every year on the second Monday of October, Thanksgiving is celebrated in Canada. This dates to the year 1578. Meaning that it was established as a holiday around 40 years before America made it official. Canada and America share many similarities on this holiday such as turkey for dinner, and watching the Canadian Football League with family members.

Due to Puerto Rico joining the US territory in the 19th century, multiple citizens adopted the majority of traditions on this holiday. It is celebrated on the same day being the fourth Thursday of November, but they put their own twist on the holiday. Usually there is Turkey, whether it is roasted or stuffed with mofongo, a mashed plantain dish.

Germany has a celebration called “Erntedankfest” which simply translates to “harvest thank festival.” Unlike America and Puerto Rico, this takes place on the first Sunday in October instead of in November, and the festivities of this occasion consist of church services, a parade, dancing, food, and music. Later in the night there is an evening church service that is followed by Lanternenumzug, or in other words a “lantern parade.” Many people relate the atmosphere as something similar to a country fair.

By Ameera Gaal

Paying for college is undeniably expensive, according to U.S. News data, college tuition prices are a lot higher today compared with two decades ago.

In just the 2020-2021 school year to the current 2021-2022 academic year, tuition rates at both private and public National Universities have increased by at least 2%.

With tuition on the rise, the stress of having to pay to get an education to secure a better-paying job has become a reality.

Here are some Colleges in our state that take steps to help lessen the stress and anxiety that come with tuition.

Starting in the Fall of 2021, all students in Concordia College will benefit from a new lower tuition cost: reduced by more than $15,000 from 2020-21– a decrease of 35%.

They offer scholarships like Excellence Scholarships which are automatic academic scholarships ranging in value from $5,000 to $12,000 annually which can add up to $20,000 to $48,000 over four years.

North Dakota State University (NDSU) Also offers guaranteed Scholarships calculated by cumulated high school GPA and ACT/ Sat scores.

NDSU offers nearly $3.5 million in scholarships to new first-year students. Nearly half of this year’s first-year students received an award.

Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) offers automatic, competitive, and need-based scholarships to freshmen based on high school GPA and ACT, are awarded at the time of admission.

MSUM Foundation offers scholarships gifted by alumni, businesses, friends, and foundations to incoming, current, and graduate students.
MSUM also offers financial aid to help pay for educational expenses. Once your financial need is calculated, they will attempt to meet your needs with funds from available financial aid programs.

MSUM doesn’t just offer financial aid for tuition, they also offer financial aid opportunities for studying abroad with over 300 scholarships solely for studying abroad.

MSUM offers students who don’t feel so great about their grades a different route to be admitted!

Chosen for over 20 years in a row as one of the top public regional colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report, Valley City State University (VCSU) offers the top scholarship program among all public universities in North Dakota.

Just this year 97% of Valley City State University students received grant aid in 2018/2019.

VCSU provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through grants, loans, scholarships, employment, and other student aid programs.
Transitioning from high school to college can be overwhelming.

You’re embarking on your own, starting a new chapter in your life. For those stressing this new life chapter and today’s uncertainties, we hope that we have made things a little easier.

From researching academic support to developing strong faith within yourself, the following Universities can help incoming freshmen get organized and build a foundation for college success.

By Jacob Fisher

Mr. Williams, the former head principal of Sheyenne High School, spent just one year as the head of the building. This year, he now takes a senior position in the West Fargo School District as the assistant superintendent.

Why did he take the job? According to him, it’s simple. He needed to make a bigger impact.

Vincent Williams has been in the educational field for 18 years. For the former Fargo North history teacher, he finds teaching to be his purpose.

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“I consider education to be a calling in life.”

Vincent Williams

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“I consider education to be a calling in life,” Williams stated. “When I graduated from Moorhead State University, I went into working as a paraprofessional in Ben Franklin Middle school in Fargo and I’ve been in education ever since.”

For Williams, teaching is a deeply personal endeavor. He believes much of his success in education today is due to the work of his own childhood educators where he was raised in Chicago.

“I didn’t see a future for myself,” he remarked. “I honestly believed I’d go down a path that was not good, so to have teachers and coaches take time and invest in me, that made me want to give back to others as that’s why I eventually went into the field of education. To give back.”

Now a leader in the West Fargo School District, the former Sheyenne High School principal does much of what he strived to do his whole career. He continues to improve the school district through working directly with principals, staff, and parents.

However, a quick lesson Williams learned is you can’t please everyone. The new assistant superintendent commonly finds himself trying to answer hard questions and find ideal solutions that aren’t the exact fit he hopes for.

Yet, he is committed to looking forward for not only himself but the school district. His key policy goal is the soon-to-be-implemented academy model, a format of curriculum where standards are directly based on students’ career interests. 

From his time at Sheyenne, Williams still misses the mornings as principal. For him, it was nearly therapeutic.

“Being out in the hallways, greeting students; that was the best part of my day. There are days when you get up in the morning, and there’s a dark cloud hanging over you, but when I got to work, and sitting in the hallway, and kids smiling, and giving me high fives, that just made my day,” Williams recalled.

“I want [all students] to know about Sheyenne is [that] you have teachers who care dearly about you. Not just necessarily about your academic success; they care about you as a human being, and if there’s anything you need, you have people in this building who are there to help you and I will always advocate for you to reach out if you ever need help.”

“This is an amazing school, like a family, and I’m glad you have the chance to experience this at your high school.”