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.
As school’s first month wraps up, more and more students look 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 Schoology page; however, not all clubs are listed on that page. So, here’s a look at three clubs here at Sheyenne.
“CGA eSports Stadium interior 2019” by Wpcpey is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Esports
Where and when does your club meet?
(Esports) We’ve been meeting after school and lately we’ve been meeting during voice and choice for the two blocks on Wednesday, but mostly we meet after school.
What does your club do?
(Esports) Right now, we are maining two games: Rocket League and League of Legends. [Each meeting we] practice online and against other schools [working on] positions and champions [while] getting used to each other’s play styles.
What are your plans for competition?
(Esports) Right now, we are just deciding what to do. last year we were with a company, [we are still deciding whether to stay with them, or not.]
What makes you different than the gaming club?
(Esports) The gaming club is open to board games and [changing games weekly,] whereas esports we will be into more team-based games like League of Legends that focuses on more on quick reactions and working with teammates.
What do you want this club to be?
(Esports) I would like this club to be a place where everyone feels comfortable showing up not just gamers, we have a lot of positions like managerial and content creation and even shout casting, we also offer course for learning to build computers and trouble shooting them.
Chamber Orchestra
Where and when does your club meet?
(Orchestra) Chamber Orchestra meets Mondays and Thursdays in the orchestra room
What does your club do?
(Orchestra) Rather than a club, we are an extra-curricular performing ensemble. Chamber Orchestra is an auditioned orchestra made up of students 9-12. We are a small ensemble of students that plays challenging string music. In addition to the normal orchestra concerts, we also play around town at banquets, retirement parties, weddings, and the mall.
Will the Chamber Orchestra be performing? If so, when?
(Orchestra) Chamber Orchestra performs at the scheduled orchestra concerts. Our next performance will be on March 1st.
How has your turn out been so far and do you have plans to improve it?
(Orchestra) Chamber Orchestra is an auditioned ensemble. We usually have a large turnout for auditions, but we cannot always accept everyone that auditions. Students still have the opportunity to play with their curricular orchestra during the day.
What experience do you have with your club?
(Orchestra) This is my 3rd year leading this ensemble.
Chess
Where and when does your club meet?
(Chess) We meet every Wednesday for all voice and choice periods, and we meet in room 2317.
What does your club do?
(Chess) We learn about chess, teach chess, and learn some general strategies.
What are your plans for competition?
(Chess) Once we get going, we might set up tournaments, round robins, [and] keep standings.
What do you want this club to be?
(Chess) We don’t have any major plans like making it a sanctioned club or expanding more, until further notice we are just going to play it by ear and see where it goes.
If the chess club or Esports club interest you check them out at 2317 and 2838 respectively.
In early September it was announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) that our fellow students here at Sheyenne High School: Henry Christiansen, Krishna Kamalakannan, and Grace Widjaja were selected to be National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. Approximately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year. But only 16,000 people are chosen to be semifinalists in this difficult competition.
If our fellow Sheyenne students move forward to the finalist round they will be notified in February and be one of some 15,000 Semifinalists that have advanced to the Finalist standing. Following this important date is May 11, 2022 when the National Merit $2,500 Scholarship Winners are officially announced.
Other than this scholarship’s high competition count, what makes this scholarship so special in particular is what these students had to do to even be remotely considered for this great honor.
“The mission of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) as announced on their website is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States. According to their website of the 1.5 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index scores (calculated by doubling the sum of the Reading, Writing and Language, and Math Test scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program.”
Luck has little to do with how these students are selected. All winners of Merit Scholarship awards (Merit Scholar designees) are chosen from the Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments—without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. Plenty of information is evaluated by the NMSC including but not limited to the high school official’s written recommendation and the Finalist’s own essay.
The enduring goals of the NMSC’s scholarship programs are:
To promote a wider and deeper respect for learning in general and for exceptionally talented individuals in particular.
To shine a spotlight on brilliant students and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence at all levels of education.
To stimulate increased support from individuals and organizations that wish to sponsor scholarships for outstanding scholastic talent.
In theatre Henry has led set projects, bonding activities, and underclassmen.
Goals that are illuminated by their careful process of choosing the proper recipients for this prestigious award.
For those of you who are juniors and younger here at Sheyenne High School and are remotely interested in this scholarship the semifinalists themselves have words of wisdom to offer.
Grace helps people accomplish their goals as president of the Student Council and Speech Team captain.
Henry Christiansen recommends being well prepared for the PSAT because the test itself is very difficult without proper preparation. Since this is one of the major elements that the NMSC looks for when choosing its winners it’s very important this is covered.
Krishna is a dedicated math and science tutor for middle schoolers.
It’s said best by Grace Widjaja that you should “Study. Please. Not just for the test, but also study the scholarship and the timeline, what are the different aspects, what else would they require after you qualify, etc.”
Krishna Kamalakannan reports he first got to know of this scholarship “around September or October 2020, when registration for the PSAT began.” So if you are currently a sophomore here at Sheyenne High School I advise you to be proactive and prepare for this scholarship ahead of time.’
Over Christmas break, there have been posters hung anonymously on the inside of both the girls’ and boys’ bathrooms. These posters stem from Justin’s Break the Silence campaign.
Since Justin’s heartbreaking death in 2016, the nonprofit organization through the Dakota Medical Fund spreads awareness about mental health in schools. An example of their encouragement to break the silence is with these posters.
The Mustang Post 