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.
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
James Baldwin
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.”
Ava DuVernay
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
Claudette Colvin
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”
Phill Wilson
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.
Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray
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
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.
Cicely Tyson
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.
Sidney Poitier
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
Mae Carol Jemison
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.
Lloyd Augustus Hall
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.
Marie Maynard Daly
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
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.”
Arthur Ashe
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.”
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.
Mickelson’s Pervuivan host family. From left to right: Host brother Edward, Señor Mickelson, host mother Udy, and Mickelson’s biological brother
“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.
Full Mickelson family photo: pets included.
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.”
Mickelson pictured doing 2 of his favorite hobbies, fishing and hunting.
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!
Music plays a major role in all our lives. Whether it was getting hyped before a sports game or wanting to relax while you play videogames, music was a to go to for many of us.
So, while we are in the early stages of the new year, let’s look back at those hit songs by our favorite rappers and the songs that got us through the past decade.
2010 was responsible for some of our desired rap songs and party hits. One of the most notorious rap albums of all time is My Beautiful and Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West.
This famous record had features such as Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj. Selling 496,000 copies, this album still plays a major role in many of our lives to this day.
One of the most requested songs at parties and school events like homecoming and prom also came out in 2010.
That song is No Hands by Waka Flocka Flame. This song is favored by many.
Thank Me Later by Drake was also a major part of the 2010s. This album got 447,000 sales making it Drakes first number 1 album.
Even in 2011 Kanye West and Jay-Z were still delivering to us giving us their collab album Watch the Throne.
With Kanye’s amazing production and Jay-Z brilliant lyricism it makes it a classic album that brought in 436,000 album sales.
Along with Kanye West, Drake also brought another classic album in 2011 known as Take Care.
With Thank Me Later attracting so many new Drake fans the third studio album by drake got 631,000 first week sales.
Other albums that were released in 2011 were Live. Love. ASAP by A$AP Rocky, Cole World: The Sideline by J. Cole, Tha Carter IV by Lil Wayne, and Goblin by Tyler the Creator.
The most famous album from the 2012’s is good kid M.A.A.D city by Kendrick Lamar.
This record topped off at number 2 on Billboards 200 and in its first week it sold 242,000 copies.
Many people consider this album to be one of the greatest rap albums of all time.
Based on A T.R.U Story was also one of the more famous rap albums to come to the 2012’s.
The Album isn’t currently as popular as good kid MA.A.D city but it still has classic tracks that is still being played today.
Starships” by Nicki Minaj, Love Sosa by Chief keef, and Mercy by Kanye West were some other songs from 2012 that were blowing up the charts.
2013 didn’t disappoint with hit albums and songs either.
Yeezus is Kanye West’s most idiosyncratic album by having more unique sounding beats.
Many people thought it was Ye’s first “bad” album and due to that factor, it had his lowest first week sales at 327,000.
But it later grew on many people and for some becoming their favorite Ye album.
Nothing Was the Same by Drake was also released in 2013 and this album blew up on the billboards.
In the first week it debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200.
His first week sales were 658,000 copies. LONG. LIVE. ASAP by A$AP Rocky was another major part of 2013.
It had a lower count of first week sales topping off at 139,000 but it also debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200.
One of the biggest hit songs of 2013 was Rap God by Eminem.
With this song, Eminem set the record for fastest rap song averaging at 4.28 words a second.
2014 was kind of a drought year for rap albums with the only significant rap album being 2014 Forest Hill Drive by J. Cole.
This album is responsible for one of the greatest songs of the decade being No Role Modelz.
However, singles made 2014 with many singles like, No Type by Rae Sremmurd, Anaconda by Nicki Minaj, and We Dem Boyz by Wiz Khalifa.
2015 made up for lack of songs in 2014. In 2015 trap music became mainstream and many more trap artist were starting to get noticed.
One of the biggest trap albums of all time is Rodeo by Travis Scott. This album had many different sounds in the record.
Songs like 90210 being a slower moving song and more of a vibe song, unlike songs like 3500 also on the album.
Rodeo debuted at number 3 on US Billboards 200 and 85,000 units sold.
Other trap albums that came out of 2015 was DS2 by Future, SremmLife by Rae Sremmurd, and the Barter 6 by Young Thug; Young Thug became mainstream from this album and his rise to fame started here.
Drake, who is a more melodic and flow rapper, also got snatched into the trap music wave by releasing If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.
He also collaborated with famous trap artist Future to create What a Time to be Alive.
Kendrick Lamar was able to prove why he is one of the best rappers of all time in 2015 by releasing To Pimp a Butterfly.
This album, which imitates the sound of the 90’s, was the biggest album of 2015. Kendrick tackled topics in the album such as racism, police brutality, and many other controversial topics.
This record won 5 out of the 7 Grammys it qualified for including Best Rap Album of the Year.
The fact Kendrick Lamar was able to come out on top in a trap music era proves why he is one of the best.
Fetty Wap had one of the greatest years for an artist in 2015 with the release of Trap Queen in 2014.
This hit song was one of everyone’s favorite in the summer of 2015 and almost everywhere you went you would hear it.
Every single year carried its weight furthering the evolution of hip hop in the last decade, however when you ask someone about their favorite year of rap music, they’ll most likely say it is 2016.
The Sound Cloud era started in 2016. Sound Cloud is a website and app where you can listen to music and create your own tracks and hope they blow up.
The first artist that comes to mind when you think about Sound Cloud is Lil Uzi Vert.
With hit songs like You Was Right, Canadian Goose, Money Longer it’s easy to say that Uzi is one of the most influential Sound Cloud Rappers.
Trap music kept getting more mainstream each single year and one reason it’s in the place where it is now is because of the large variety of trap albums released in 2016.
Young Thug released three albums alone with Jeffery, Slime Season 3, and I’m Up.
Other artist that released a major album is Travis Scott with Birds in the Trap and 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s collab album Savage Mode.
Not only did trap artist thrive in 2016 but it was a major year for rappers like Kanye West with the release of the Life of Pablo, Views by Drake, and Untitled Unmastered by Kendrick Lamar.
Lil Yachty also thrived in 2016 by release his major hit songs One Night and Minnesota. Dram also had Lil Yachty featured on one of the biggest songs of 2016 called Broccoli.
Major songs to come out in 2016 were Black Beatles by Rae Sremmurd, No Problem by Chance the Rapper, Congratulations by Post Malone, and Bad and Boujee by Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert.
2017 is also a year that many say is one of the greatest years for rap music. Kendrick Lamar released his hit album DAMN. which won a Grammy and holds two of his biggest songs in history which are Humble. and DNA.
Along with non-trap artist like Kendrick Lamar, other rappers that dropped where Tyler the Creator with Flower Boy, and Jay-Z with 4:44.
Trap artist had a major role in 2017 with Migos releasing their hit album Culture and Without Warning with bars from 21 Savage along with Migos Offset and Metro Boomin Producing.
2 Chainz also came through with Pretty Girls Like Trap Music and Beautiful Thugger Girls by Young Thug.
Lil Uzi Vert was one of the most successful rappers in 2017 with the release of Luv is Rage 2.
This album holds majority of his top tracks such as The Way Life Goes, Dark Queen, 20 Min and of course his most famous song in his discography, XO Tour Lif3.
This song alone has 1.3 billion streams.
Lil Uzi Vert opened the gates to the sound cloud era letting in artist like Playboi Carti, Ski Mask the Slump God, and XXXtentacion.
Playboi Carti came out with his self-titled mixtape, that holds classic songs Magnolia, Location, and WokeUpLikeThis.
Ski Mask the Slump God and XXXtentacion where a great duo and even alone they were great with Ski Mask the Slump God releasing Catch Me Outside and X releasing 17 his album that had songs like Jocelyn Flores and Save Me.
Songs that came out in 2017 include Bank Account by 21 Savage, Ric Flair Drip by Metro Boomin and Offset from Migos, I Spy by Kyle and Lil Yachty, Roll in Peace by Kodak Black featuring XXXTentacion, and Bounce Back by Big Sean.
As 2018 rolled in, a new star was brought through the gates of Sound Cloud known as Juice Wrld.
His fame grew from his two songs All Girls Are the Same and Lucid Dreams blowing up and thanks to the help of Cole Bennet from Lyrical Lemonade, his career was able to erupt.
He released his debut Album Goodbye and Good Riddance on May 23rd of 2018.
Another artist who released their debut album was producer Metro Boomin with Not All Heroes Were Capes.
This album featured, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Kodak Black, Swae Lee, Drake, Gunna, and of course his partner in crime, 21 Savage.
Kanye West was busy in 2018 releasing both his collab album with Kid Cudi Kids See Ghost and YE.
The biggest trap albums to come out of 2018 are, Astroworld by Travis Scott, Die Lit by Playboi Carti, Drip Harder by Lil Baby and Gunna, and I Am > I Was by 21 Savage.
Other notable albums are KOD by J. Cole, Swimming by Mac Miller, ? by XXXTentacion, and Tha Carter V by Lil Wayne.
As for singles in 2018, that would go to Drake. He released some of the greatest rap songs which are Gods Plan, Nonstop, I’m Upset and Nice for What.
Other singles that came out in 2018 are SAD by XXXTentacion, ZEZE by Kodak Black featuring Offset and Travis Scott, Mo Bomba by Sheck Wes, and Praise the Lord by A$AP Rocky.
2019 wasn’t impactful as other years in albums. Tyler the Creator released his number 1 album IGOR on May 17th in 2019.
Other albums to mention are Death Race for Love by Juice Wrld, So Much Fun by Young Thug, The Lost Boy by Cordae, and Drip or Drown 2 by Gunna.
Singles in 2019 where amazing for the year with every month having a new hit song by new artist that rose to the top of the charts.
Suge by DaBaby was a hit in the summer of 2019 along with other songs like Ransom by Lil Tecca, Highest in the Room by Travis Scott, and Shotta Flow by NLE Choppa.
Even though everything was shut down in 2020, that didn’t stop rappers from hitting the studio.
Lil Uzi Vert came back to rapping with his long-awaited album Eternal Atake released March 6th.
Along with Uzi, Playboi Carti came back from a long wait without music with first the single @Meh and then towards the end of the year he released “Whole Lotta Red”. This Album was considered terrible on release day but as fans kept listening it tend to grow on them.
Other albums that came out in 2020 were, The Goat by Polo G, My Turn by Lil Baby, Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs, Wunna by Gunna, and Savage Mode 2 by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin.
Two of the biggest albums in 2020 where unfortunately post humous albums being Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon by Pop Smoke and Legends Never Die by Juice Wrld.
Some major songs of 2020 that came out where What’s Poppin by Jack Harlow, The Box by Roddy Ricch, Life is Good by Future and Drake, and The Scotts by Travis Scott and Kid Cudi.
2021 was another good year of music with Drake and Kanye West battling over who has the number one album.
Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Kanye’s Donda where a huge argument between fans.
Eventually Ye and Drake called it truths making the fans start to mutually respect each other after defending their star rapper.
Other albums that released in 2021 are Call me if You Get Lost by Tyler the Creator, The Off-Season by J. Cole, Punk by Young Thug, and the Melodic Blue by Kendrick Lamar’s cousin, Baby Keem. Lil Nas X was a major part of 2021 making two hit songs in 2021.
Industry Baby with Jack Harlow and Montero where some of the biggest songs in 2021 becoming Tik Tok hits.
Other singles that were released are Wants and Needs by Drake and Lil Baby, Rapstar by Polo G, EVERY CHANCE THAT I GET by DJ Khaled with Lil Baby and Lil Durk, and Family Ties by Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar.
With 2022 already being here and many more years near, it’s always nice to look back at the songs, albums, and rappers that got us and music to the place we are at today.
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!
Another volleyball season has come to an end, and it was a great one for West Fargo Sheyenne.
Khloe Brown rises up for a hit during West Fargo Sheyenne’s quarterfinal match against Bismarck High, in the North Dakota Class A Volleyball State Tournament, at the Bismarck Event Center, on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Photo courtesy Paige Johnson at paigeelizabeth.biz
Middle hitter Cally Tungseth had good things to say about the season, “I think the season went really great. My favorite part was watching everyone get better throughout the season.”
Tungseth concluded her sophomore season this year. She will be a huge factor in the next couple of years for the Mustangs.
Tungseth was one of the few sophomores on the team and contributed by getting a lot of blocks and kills at middle hitter.
Sheyenne finished 27-10 overall and as the consolation champions (fifth place) at the 2021 North Dakota Class A Volleyball State Tournament.
The Mustangs were swept by Bismarck High in the first round (25-22, 25-17, 25-21) before sweeping Bismarck St. Mary’s (25-13, 25-19, 25-18) and beating Bismarck Legacy in four sets (25-19, 21-25, 25-13, 25-15) in the consolation bracket.
It was a bright year and a bright finish for West Fargo Sheyenne. This was the Mustangs’ fourth straight trip to the state tournament. Sheyenne has yet to reach the state championship.
Their four trips to the state tournament include a fifth place finish in 2018, a third place finish in 2019, a seventh place finish in 2020, and another fifth place finish in 2021.
A big goal for everyone next year is to do something big at state,” Tungseth said. “We will have so much potential to do huge things and I can’t wait to be apart of it when it happens!”
The Mustangs were looking good all-season long and were one of the favorites coming out of the Eastern Dakota Conference. Sheyenne held the top spot until the middle of the regular season.
The Mustangs swept the Fargo North Spartans in the first round of the EDC tournament before falling to the West Fargo Packers in the semifinal round.
Sheyenne then punched their fourth straight ticket to the state tournament as they avenged their late regular season loss to Fargo South in the state qualifier game.
It was an all-around team for Sheyenne in 2021 and the Mustangs had hardly any weak spots.
Most of the time up front, it was Cally Tungseth, Khloe Brown, Vivienne Heidt, and Lexus Terhark. Reagan Bogenreif and Kailee Waasdorp were some of the best outside hitters in the state.
Brooke Johnson (#12) sets the ball for middle hitter Khloe Brown during their state tournament quarterfinal match against Bismarck High on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at the Bismarck Event Center. Photo courtesy Paige Johnson at paigeelizabeth.biz
Both of them were selected ALL-EDC team and Wassdorp was selected to All-State second team. Bogenreif was selected for All-Tourney team for West Fargo Sheyenne.
Mia Engel, Lydia Stevenson, Kennedy Colter, Brooke Johnson, Kira Karnopp, and Kallie Dodds played in the back row.
Engel and Stevenson had a lot of digs that came in huge moments throughout the 2021 campaign. Brooke Johnson and Kennedy Colter were some of the top servers and had minimal serving errors.
It was a solid finish for Vivienne Heidt, Lydia Stevenson, and Kira Karnopp. They concluded their volleyball high school careers.
Sophomore Mia Engel, who plays defensive specialist, spoke about the team chemistry and how Heidt, Stevenson, and Karnopp were great leaders, “I am very grateful for the experience I was given this season and I couldn’t have asked for better teammates and a better coaching staff.”
The Mustangs came out hot, winning 14 of their first 17 games. It seemed like the Mustangs were nearly unstoppable.
West Fargo High and Shanley gained momentum at the right time. Shanley swept Sheyenne at home, in a two-point matchup, back on Saturday, October 2.
Sheyenne got revenge against Shanley, by winning 2-1 at the Fargo Invite, the following weekend.
West Fargo High and Shanley played each other in the EDC championship and in the state tournament third place game. West Fargo High won both.
West Fargo Sheyenne has achieved a lot of goals year-by-year as a program, but the Mustangs have yet to be the last team standing.
Head coach Leah Newton, who won the 2021 EDC Coach of the Year award, has led the Mustangs to a brilliant 97-40 record since 2018. The program has been looking bright for the past four years and that success will likely continue.
Most of the team will be playing a lot of club volleyball to keep their skills sharp for next year along with a lot of lifting to get stronger.
West Fargo Sheyenne will have a large senior class for the 2022 season, which will be an advantage in terms of experience.
Cally Tungseth talked about what the team needs to improve on to be even better next year, “the team needs to work on consistency and not playing at a lower level just because the team we’re playing isn’t as good. I think what’ll fix this is a more competitive mindset.”
Cally Tungseth (far right) celebrates with Khloe Brown, Brooke Johnson, Vivienne Heidt, Kallie Dodds (far left), and Lydia Stevenson (libero) after getting a kill against Bismarck High during the state tournament at the Bismarck Event Center on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Photo courtesy Paige Johnson at paigeelizabeth.biz
Down the stretch, the Mustangs lost four of their last eight games, which included Fargo Davies and Fargo South, who were well-rounded and solid programs in 2021.
Fargo Davies dethroned Bismarck Century back in the 2019 state championship, which gave the Eagles their first state title.
Bismarck Century reached the state title game for the 11th consecutive season in 2021, and won their 9th state title in program history.
This title also marks their sixth title in the last seven years.
It’s going to be an interesting next couple of seasons for North Dakota Class A volleyball. Both sides of the state will remain loaded in talent.
It’s going to take a lot of hard work and skill for the Mustangs to capture their first state title.
If West Fargo Sheyenne plays hard and doesn’t sleep on any other team, they are going to be a team in the running for the years to come.
One thing is certain, the Mustangs are a team that can not be underestimated.
Author of All the Bright Places, Jennifer Niven, later published a book called Holding Up the Universe.
Holding Up the Universe is written from both Jack’s perspective, a popular kid with a secret, and Libby, who has been homeschooled since she developed a binge eating disorder to cope with her mother’s death.
When Libby finds the courage to go back to public school, she finds herself tangled up in an incident with Jack. Their two worlds collide creating an understanding between the two of them that doesn’t make sense to anyone else.
The characters seem to come alive in this book, allowing you to empathize for them and the mental struggles they face. The book will have you laughing and even tearing up at some points.
Throughout the novel, Jennifer Niven provides a unique perspective on fat shaming, bullying, living with secret, and love. I recommend this book to anyone who needs the message to love yourself as you are, because no matter what you look like or where you’ve been in the past, you deserve it.
My favorite part of the book was the monologue at the end, it pulls the whole thing together into a wonderful romance and sets it apart for other books I’ve read.
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone is a well written book about OCD, high school friendships, love, and forgiveness.
The protagonist, Samantha (Sam) McAllister, is part of the popular group at school. Though she has been best friends with the group since they were little girls, she feels that she does not fit in anymore.
As a result, Sam works hard to hide her obsessive compulsions and attempts to navigate away from her previous circle. In doing so, she meets a girl named Caroline who introduces her to a secret poetry club at the school.
This opens doors to a part of Sam that she never knew existed and allows her to eventually break free from the everyday toxicity she was experiencing, however, her past is still evident in her new life. Sam seeks forgiveness and yearns to belong somewhere.
From a mental health perspective, it has a potentially triggering yet refreshing view on therapy, medication, and healthy family support.
The way the loose ends are tied up by the end made this book one of my all-time favorites. When a friend asks what they should read next, this is my go-to recommendation.
The Mustang Post 