By The Mustang Post Staff
This month Sheyenne High School celebrates another lineup of exceptional students and staff.
Tag Archives: featured
Raan Rules Tennis Court: Makes SHS History
By Jaxson Miller
West Fargo Sheyenne senior Ethan Raan is on top of the North Dakota high school tennis world after he claimed the singles championship on Saturday, October 8, at Hammond Park in Minot.
Raan defeated Grand Forks Red River’s Espen Schneider in the final round of the NDHSAA (North Dakota High School Activities Association) Boys Tennis Singles State Tournament.
Raan is the first player to win an individual state championship for the Sheyenne boys’ tennis program.
“It was very rewarding to bring the boys’ tennis program at Sheyenne its first state title and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates” Raan said. “Coach Anderson and Coach Healy have always set high standards for the team and encouraged hard work, and I feel that my success is a direct product of that.”
He redeemed himself against Schneider in a third set tiebreaker, 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3). Schneider defeated Raan 6-2 and 6-4 in the EDC (Eastern Dakota Conference) singles championship just a week prior.
Ethan Raan had nothing but a humble attitude towards his state championship opponent, “In regards to Espen, my opponent, it was our fifth time playing against each other this season and at this point we were 2-2. He’s a great tennis player and I enjoy playing competitors like him.” Raan was able to get the last laugh.
Ethan Raan went into the state tournament as the number two seed player from the East region.
He started off with a great win (6-0, 6-1) over Bismarck’s Gabe Hanson in the first round and got the chance to play his Sheyenne teammate, junior Mason Christensen, in the quarterfinal round.
Raan defeated Christensen 6-4, 6-4, to move onto the semifinal round.
He had a blast playing against his teammate in a match that had a lot on the line, “Playing Mason in the quarterfinals was great because it meant we had both been successful in the rounds prior” Raan said. “We had fun playing each other and continued to support each other in the matches that followed. He’s a great player and teammate and I can’t wait to see where next season takes him.”
Raan continued his state title run with a semifinal win over Grand Forks Red River’s Saylor Kuenzel, capturing a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
The journey to the mountain top was complete with the win over Schneider in the final round.
The EDC players came to play at the state tournament as Ethan Raan was in the mix of seven players from Sheyenne, Fargo South, Fargo North, and Fargo Davies, who were either in the championship or consolation semifinals.
Grand Forks Central’s Evan Panzer and Cole Wilber won the doubles state championship over Mandan’s Karter Hatzenbuhler and Brady Helbling.
Raan was hungry for a state title this year as he was close to achieving one last year but lost in the single semifinals to Shanley’s Kai Pierce (3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4).
He finished last year’s season on a high note with a win (3-6, 6-1, 6-3) over Grand Forks Central’s Ryder McDonald in the third-place match.
Fortunately things turned out differently this year.
The state champion himself was extra motivated all season long, “I didn’t feel that I had to redeem myself after taking third place last year as I went out on a win and played great players in the semis and the third place match. If anything, I gained confidence from it and it encouraged me to work harder for my senior season.”
Due to his success, Ethan Raan was voted the 2022 Senior Athlete of the Year.
Sheyenne’s boys tennis team went 19-3 overall and 8-1 in conference play. The program took third place as a team in the state tournament.
Raan felt that the team’s success helped him create a champion mindest going into the state championship, “My mindset going into the state championship was it was now or never. It was my last match of my high school tennis career and for that reason I wanted to win for myself and for my team” he said.
With that mindset, Raan also felt no pressure, “Although I was very motivated to win, I was also grateful to have made it that far and felt fortunate to have the opportunity. With the team qualifying for state, it had already been a great season that I and my teammates were proud of. So I went into the match feeling no pressure.”
One of the best things an athlete can do is finish their high school career on a high note, and go out with a bang, and Ethan Raan did just that. The young man has a bright future ahead of him.
Raan spoke about his future plans, “I plan on playing tennis in college in some capacity, whether it’s for a college team or club team. It all depends on what school I attend. At the moment, I’m interested in studying astrophysics/astronomy and aerospace engineering and aspire to have a career in a space-related field.”
It is safe to say that the Mustang faithful is very proud of Ethan Raan. He will look to have more success this spring, which will be his final high school track season.
Raan is an explosive, fast-twitch athlete, who will qualify for state in the 100m and 200m dashes once again along with being on the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.
One thing is for certain, Ethan Raan’s tennis state title run is something he will remember for the rest of his life.
Food For Thought: Sheyenne Lunchroom Dynamics
By Dairell Alvarico
There are many aspects to consider when creating a firm grasp on social dynamics. Things like circumstance, environment and relationships can determine how unique and diverse it can be.
Society has always been intertwined with the element of change, even if it’s forced. Considering all the characteristics of dynamics, this can be easily applied when it comes to the basic idea of school lunches, more specifically in Sheyenne.
If you were to think about it deeply, there is always a reason for certain students to sit in a particular spot and it varies based on their personal or practical interests.
But how do these types of things come to be? How does one decide to pick a preference in a place as common as a school cafeteria? There are many factors to evaluate to gain understanding.
We can first consider the new arrangement of the lunch tables that happened recently.
Due to this unexpected change, students have taken new spots to eat their meals since the ones they usually go to have been positioned differently from what they remember and yet they migrated to the same, general location yet created new lunchroom dynamics.
Everybody has a preferred spot to sit in the commons. Their reasons differ from each other based on how specific it can be.
Understandably, many students wished to remain anonymous. So, we won’t be using the students’ real names. Let start with, say Sam.
According to Sam, “I sit near the counseling office, because on the first day, me and my friend just chose that spot, so we have been sitting there.”
Based by this quote, it has been shown that circumstances may just have been rooted from an in the moment decision.
There is no deep reasoning other than the fact that they both chose a random spot and stuck with it since it was their first choice.
The same student shared that there were no benefits at all that relates to their position, and if there was a day that their seats were occupied, they would either sit on the front or the back of the commons but only for the reason of finding available seats and nothing more.
However, this versatility isn’t always the case.
Many students refuse to sit anywhere else. They’ve chosen a table and that is their table.
Even within their groups, they have a seating chart: one friend sits on one stool and the others have their own stools.
Take, for example, Alex and Alex’s friend group. They have their seating positions set. This is because they sit together with another group of students well acquainted with one of their companions, who isn’t fond of eating lunch with just one group.
Alex and the others aren’t particularly familiar with them, so they tend to sit on the right while the other group sits on the left with the mutual friend between them.
This writes down that relationship status is considered when it comes to who sits beside who. According to a student who will be referred to as Tony, seating arrangements in his group are figured out by who is closer with who because, “Some people are like best friends.”
This checks out Alex’s situation as well. Several groups in the lunchroom consist of more than two students, a lot tend to sit closer to those they are more friendly with, creating a social dynamic that shows how familiar they are to other people.
In other circumstances, most lunch groups with two people prefer the other person to be across them rather than beside them.
A student who will be named Amy agrees with this wholeheartedly.
“Me and my friend sit facing each other to talk easier.” she shared. “About whom sits where doesn’t really matter. My friend tends to be there first, so I just sit across wherever she is.”
Another student who will be called Chris made a similar statement as well. “I mean, I don’t like to turn my head to the side when I talk to my friend. It gets awkward later and I like to talk while looking at his entire face. That’s why I sit across him.”
This preference is based on how comfortable they prefer to talk to someone. Despite multiple people agreeing with sitting across their friend, there are some students that don’t mind being beside them either.
Someone who will be called Kim said, “I’m used to sitting beside my friend. I don’t really want to change that.”
The number of students in an area can also decide someone’s seating arrangements.
A student who will be referred to as “Tony” prefers an emptier and more obscured spot because he prefers a less crowded room.
But if he were to sit beside other people, he would like to sit near the “smart and goofy” students.
In contrast, Jody is more influenced by the types of people she sits next to.
Instead of choosing a more vacant area like Tony, she prefers a controlled environment where other students are not “jumping on tables and smashing food.” Which also lies in her sitting with quieter people.
This shows that many students have a bias when it comes to the personalities and behaviors of the people around them if they want to interact with anyone at all.
Usually, many students prefer minimum interaction in the lunchroom for reasons that involve their desire to have time for only themselves, but it doesn’t stop there.
Room temperature is also a factor when it comes to choosing different seats.
Jody likes to sit near the doors because she likes a cooler environment. A student named Jacob also has the same preference.
“Anywhere is fine as long as it’s not in the heat.” He speaks.
From what was gathered, a few students want to be in the cooler area of the lunchroom. This ties with the fact that a crowded room will be likely to form up heat from body temperature.
I have noticed that Jacob doesn’t sit near the doors that lead outside, but he is around the area near the vending machines where the double doors that lead to a freezer are usually open and a cold breeze would come out from time to time, also he is always at the edge of the table, the area with less people.
Seating arrangements are also chosen by the conveniences that students want to be closer to for less distance between them and what they need.
Take for example, Jody; she likes it when she is close to the garbage cans and restrooms. The reasons are clear enough.
She likes to clean her tray with less time to waste compared to if she were to be across the room where her walk would be lengthy and time consuming.
Additionally, she would also use the restroom without worrying about borrowed time or vacancy.
Tony’s seating position is more on his convenience after lunch break ends. His arrangement helps him with his desired convenience to be closer to his next class.
This is applied to many other students who would be near the stairs or the tables across the theater or gym.
Time is of the essence and in this scenario, a factor in how students find their place in the lunchroom.
Surprisingly, the intent to be closer to people is a familiar factor in seating arrangements.
A student called John likes to sit beside someone he is interested in to increase the chances of them talking to each other.
Other students have also admitted to this but for the respect for privacy, no names will be revealed.
Based on all of this information, lunchroom dynamics are formed by one or more components based on what a student wants or needs.
Relationships, environment, peers and personal taste in certain parts of the room. All these alone create diverse surroundings revolving around a student’s preference.
Loss and Agony for SHS Football
By Jaxson Miller
There’s two things every athlete feels in sports based on the outcome of their games. The thrill of victory, or the agony of defeat.
However, it is all about how athletes respond to the wins or to the losses. More importantly, the losses.
Maybe more specifically, when expectations are not met, how should athletes react to the unexpected? Change or the unexpected is hard and challenging.
And yet, in that change, in the unexpected, there’s more to learn, more to achieve, more to reflect upon, more to look forward to. This may be the case for the 2022 Sheyenne Mustangs’ football squad.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.
West Fargo Sheyenne went into the first round of the NDHSAA (North Dakota High School Activities Association) Class 11AA playoffs with a seven-game winning streak and as the number one seed.
The Mustangs were coming off a 28-17 victory against the #2 Mandan Braves in the regular season finale. Sheyenne finished the regular season at 8-1.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.
The Mustangs faced off against the Bismarck Century Patiots, the number eight seed.
Bismarck Century was most dominant program of the 2010s and the team who defeated West Fargo Sheyenne in back-to-back Dakota Bowls in 2019 and 2020.
However, the Patriots finished the 2022 regular season with a losing record of 3-6, which is something that fans are not used to seeing.
West Fargo Sheyenne defeated Bismarck Century in week 3 of the regular season, 41-14.
The Mustangs looked to begin another playoff run against the Patriots in order to reach their fourth straight Dakota Bowl and have a shot at winning their second straight state title.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.
Bismarck Century began to hit their stride going into the quarterfinal round against West Fargo Sheyenne. Century started 0-5 before winning three of their last four regular season games.
The Patriots came out firing on all cylinders against the Mustangs and were able to pull off a 27-8 upset victory at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium on Friday, October 28.
And just like that, the season was over for the Mustangs. There would be no back-to-back champion.
The Mustang faithful was stunned at what just happened. The fans were wondering how could this have happened?
The Mustangs turned the ball over a whopping six times.
Sheyenne fumbled on their second drive of the game.
Century capitalized with a touchdown reception by William Ware, a Minot State basketball commit.
For the majority of the first half, the Sheyenne defense was able to keep Century at seven points. The Mustang offense on the other hand, could not get anything going.
Century’s quarterback, Kyan Barth, connected with wide receiver Ryan Brynjolfson for a 44-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter, after Sheyenne fumbled again.
Century led 14-0 at halftime.
The Patriots got the ball to start the second half.
Century faced a third down and needed eight yards to get a first down. Kyan Barth threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to running back Peyton Arndt.
Century took a 20-0 lead.
Sheyenne answered by driving down the field easily on their next drive, which was capped off with a rushing touchdown by Kaden Rahr.
The Mustangs were able to convert on the two-point conversion to make it a 20-8 game, with 4:34 to go in the third quarter.
Sheyenne’s defense came up with big stops on the next two Century drives. One of those defensive stops included a top-ten play.
Marcus Johnson intercepted Kyan Barth on 3rd and 23, with 11:04 to go in the fourth quarter.
Unfourtunately, Sheyenne failed to score on their final three drives.
Bismarck Century scored one last touchdown with 1:42 to go in the game, right after they recovered a muffed punt.
The 27-8 first round loss to Bismarck Century will arguably go down as the most heartbreaking loss in Sheyenne’s football history. Sheyenne finished the 2022 season 8-2.
Bismarck Century was able to defeat Fargo Davies in the semifinals, 12-0, to punch their ticket to another Dakota Bowl.
The Shanley Deacons blew the Bismarck Century Patriots out of the water in the Dakota Bowl. It was a 48-7 victory for the Deacons and they captured their first state title since 2018 and their 17th overall.
This was also Shanley’s 10th state title in the modern era, which began in 1975, and the first time Shanley won the state title in the highest division since 1983.
The 2022 Mustangs featured another great squad that was full of well-rounded athletes. They looked very solid throughout their seven-game winning streak.
The seven-game winning streak started after Sheyenne lost to Fargo Davies, 35-6, in week 2.
Starting quarterback Caleb Duerr finished his first season as a starter with 90 carries, 585 rushing yards, and 9 rushing touchdowns. He was 50/116 through the air and had 839 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and finished with 5 interceptions thrown.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.
Race Wilson was the leading rusher and receiver on this Mustang football squad this season.
Wilson had 115 carries, 639 rushing yards, and punched in 4 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes from Caleb Duerr, had 222 receiving yards, and had 2 receiving touchdowns.
Senior fullback Issac Kanega, who can squat 515lbs, ran 123 times, gained a total of 505 yards, and had 7 rushing touchdowns.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.
Senior slot back Kaden Rahr, ran for 336 yards on 83 carries, and had 4 rushing touchdowns as well. Barieyedum Kpeenu had 48 carries, 331 yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns.
Wide receiver Dylan Beyl finished his senior season with 10 receptions, 194 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns.
Aiden Knodel, another senior wide receiver, caught 8 passes, had 151 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown.
Defensive end Karter Menz, the University of Minnesota commit, led the EDC AA in sacks for the second straight year, with 10.
The Mustangs defense will also miss the contributions from Nic Renner, Marcus Johnson, Ross Olson, and Ty Schlichting.
Marcus Johnson had four interceptions this season. One of them was a pick-six, which occurred against West Fargo High in week 7.
Sheyenne is going to the miss the seniors that are graduating this year, but they also had a few juniors such as Caleb Duerr, Race Wilson, and Barieyedium Kpeenu, who will return next year.
The Mustangs will look to bounce back in 2023 and try to make another run to the Dakota Bowl and capture another state title.
Sheyenne’s football program has grown so much since their inaugural season that took place back in 2014, and will be a team that will continue to be fun to watch in the years to come.
Two Rappers’ Rise and One’s fall
By Logan Jacobs
Chance The Rapper was a name that used to rule the world of Hip Hop, after the release of Coloring Book, Acid Rap, and 10 Day Chance felt like an artist that could never fail.
Six years later Redveil is making a name for himself long after Chance’s era.
Chance The Rapper or Chancelor Bennett started his early career with his first mixtape, 10 Day when he was only 18 years old.
10 years later Redveil or Marcus Morton released his third album Learn 2 Swim at 18 years old.
Both young artists soon found success through their breakout hit, but will Redveil make the same mistakes Chance did or will he continue his success?
Chance in 2011 got caught on campus with marijuana and was suspended for 10 days, inspiring his mixtape 10 Day. Eight months after that incident Chance would release his first mixtape.
Chance was an artist whose fame blew up and with that came people’s expectations. During the 2012 tour Chance would be working on his new mixtape, Acid Rap.
This new work would delve into Chance and his relationship with drugs and smoking. Chance would meet the expectations put on him and even surpass them, Acid Rap really showed Chance’s talent for making music.
With his talent Chance would continue to rise in the Hip Hop scene.
Chance’s last mixtape would come out to critical acclaim and became the first project ever to chart solely because of streams.
In May of 2016 after almost three years of radio silence about his next project Chance would release Coloring Book.
Once again It felt like Chance had surpassed his previous work and with it Chance took his spot on top of the music world. Over the next three years Chance would tour two times all while working on The Big Day.
Despite how much time he put in, his first studio album would not turn out the way fans or Chance wanted. At nowhere near the quality of his past works, fans were left wondering what could have led to such a failure.
About a year after The Big Day was released, the public would find out the reasons behind the subpar album. During the recording sessions Chance reportedly had “Procrastination and lackadaisical effort.”
Chance’s future is now full of uncertainty, with no clue on when or if he will release another mixtape or album.
Redveil was just 12 when he got into making music, but it wouldn’t be until 16 that he would release his first album, Bittersweet City.
His first album wouldn’t give him immediate success but instead lay the groundwork for his future projects. Just under a year later Marcus would drop his second album Niagara, Marcus’ breakout hit would not come until about a year and a half later.
Learn 2 Swim would come out to almost instant success because of the lead single, pg baby.
After blowing up the expectations on Marcus increased ten-fold. For right now we have no clue if Marcus will keep up the trend of improving with every work, or if he will stumble like Chance.
The Mustang Post: October 2022 Issue Released!
Sheyenne Celebrates Homecoming 2022
By Hailey Boehme
Sheyenne finished up homecoming week on Friday, September 16 with a win against Fargo Shanley’s football team and a dance afterwards. Leading up to those events was the traditional dress up week to show school spirit.
The Student Council organized five themes, and the student body rocked them all. Overall, homecoming week was not one to be forgotten. What better way to remember the good times than with a picture recap!
Adam Sandler Day
Adam Sandler day was new to Sheyenne’s dress up series, and it is safe to say that it was a huge success.
Iconic Group and Duo Day
Groups and duos got extra creative on Tuesday to come up with the most iconic character ideas!
Western Wednesday
On Wednesday there was a lot of participation in dressing for the wild west!
Jersey Day
Students sported their favorite jerseys for the dress up day on Thursday leading up to the homecoming football game and dance.
Games that took place during homecoming week. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.
Homecoming court rocked the pep rally and cleaned up nice for coronation. Congratulations to Jacob and Leziga, Sheyenne’s 2022 homecoming royalty!
Book Recommendations For October
By Dairell Alvarico
October has just arrived; you know what that means, right? Soon you are going to notice the spooky and scary skeletons chilling on your neighbor’s yard, or see costumes get sold out at your local Target, only to later be worn by children asking for candy on your doorstep. It is not every day you catch sight of these things, so how about joining in on the fun? This month is the time where everyone around you will dress their worst to be the best.
Unless you are not much of an outdoor person. But even that cannot stop you from doing something exciting for your Halloween night. To each their own, and you my friend, are just getting started.
So how about getting cozy on your couch, bed, or whatever you can rest yourself on, and grab a book fitting for the eerie, sinister, spine-chilling time of the year?
Are you ready to read a simple yet interesting story about a kid being forced to go to a haunted boarding school? How about the aesthetics of academia in a historic location like Salisbury, England, but add paranormal activities? This book has both.
Jon Whitcroft is just a generic kid with stepfather issues, which led him to be sent to a boarding school in Salisbury, England to improve his “behavior,” but fate has not been so kind to him, and his school year could not be any more opposite of ordinary when he suddenly sees ghosts.
This story is enough to give you the jitters, but not the creeps. It does make you feel the suspense of what the characters will do next and sometimes the paranoia of what is at the end of the hallway, yet it contains lighthearted moments that will give you a break from all that action.
The book has the concept of a simple ghost story, but it is creative and distinct way of turning the plot into something unique is what makes it interesting.
The descriptions of what a character feels are not the usual generic narrations of their inner thoughts, and you can see the struggles and loneliness of John Whitcroft, who did not have time to process the sudden change in his life.
This book is perfect for a casual story by the fireplace on a chilly night in October.
—Emily Burnham, The Bangor Daily News
Sherlock Holmes, but with a twist. This story was written by horror icon Stephen King. It has mature aspects to it and delves deeper into the process of catching an indescribable crime case and the struggles of finding the perpetrator, supernatural or not.
Ralph Anderson is a detective in Flint City and has not experienced any serious crime until the day the murder of a little boy has shaken the neighborhood.
After tedious interviews with witnesses and gathering of evidence, it all pointed fingers to Terry Maitland, a man who coached Ralph’s own son in baseball. But with further digging, the authentication of proof started to get foggy, and Ralph is starting to doubt they got the right guy, so he goes on a personal detective spree to find answers for himself.
This book had me on my nerves for the right reasons. The frustration of Ralph is so suffocating, you can feel it from time to time. The character’s actions become questionable, and you would have to think if what they are doing is right or not.
The Outsider is a story where you do not want your favorite character to walk anywhere with a stranger, much more alone. Compelling and spine chilling, it will make you check your window at night.
This novel can potentially keep you on your toes due to the odd way everything transpires in the heart of the crime. The stories do not match, a simple clue can make the whole investigation go for an unexpected turn, even the consequences of one’s actions can ruin a person’s life. That is why you should tread carefully, for not everything is what it seems to be when you dive deep into the story.
Peter Pan may not be the inspiring and vibrant childhood influence you perceive he is. Sometimes there is genuine curiosity when it comes to the perspectives of villains in a fairy tale.
Lots of narratives are bent and smoothened into a biased outcome in favor of the “hero.” There are always two parts to a story, and Christina Henry did a splendid job of creating lore for the infamous Captain Hook.
Before everything went to the dumps, the pirate captain was known as James who was just another Lost Boy that Peter took an interest in, but the latter considered and acknowledged James more than the other boys for reasons that he did not specifically reveal.
It was known that he was the first one to be swept away by Peter to Neverland, and that he became second in command for their group, but Peter was good at hiding his deepest, darkest secrets.
James was starting to think that his own misfortunes and trauma are tied to it, but he knew that it was impossible for confrontation, since Peter has not a drop of patience for it.
The idea of putting a group of young boys, still on the stage of growth and development to fend for themselves in an unknown island is a recipe for disaster, but with the carefree yet twisted mind of Peter Pan, he made everything a fun little playground for him.
Lost Boy is the type of story that takes you back to the nostalgic tale of Peter Pan. The only difference is that you start to doubt that any of his actions are with good faith.
How to Save a Life: National Animal Safety and Prevention Month
By Hailey Boehme
During October, the community recognizes many important causes, but it is crucial that our furry friends are not forgotten in the mix. Every year, October marks National Animal Safety and Prevention Month. The tradition that is best known for its slogan “Adopt, Don’t Shop.”
Many people tend to wonder why buying a dog from a breeder goes against animal safety. It just so happens that there is a hidden reality behind nearly 90% of the cute puppies and tiny kittens purchased online or in a store.
The hard truth is that these adorable faces come from not-so-appealing places called “puppy mills.” A puppy mill is typically characterized by unsanitary living conditions, starvation, unethical breeding, abuse, and illness.
Mistreatment alone is heartbreaking, but the concern continues to grow even after the pets are taken home by their new owners. Dogs especially require a lot of socialization, or introductions to many different environments. Without practice in situations the dog may find itself in when outside of the puppy mill, it is likely that behavioral issues will develop such as aggressive, territorial, or timid behaviors.
To take action against the inhumane conditions of these breeding sites, animal shelters across the country call on those looking for a new companion to consider adoption. However, it is crucial to consider the pros and cons of adoption.
All shelter animals undergo an evaluation of their behaviors, personality, skills, and manners. With this prior knowledge, you can find a perfect fit for your household. In addition, the animals are already trained with basic commands such as outdoor bathroom, crate, and leash training. To top it off, you are saving an animal’s life for a much smaller cost than buying a new puppy.
On the downside, there is no guarantee that there will be a specific breed or age range you are looking for. Also, though there are a lot of unethical people involved in breeding animals, licensed professionals still exist and are creating healthy purebred dogs.
Overall, the best way to go about finding the right pet is to take the time to look into its online profile.
Animal adoption can be daunting, but local shelters like For Luv of Dog Rescue offer fostering services too. After contacting frequent dog fostering parents, they shared, “You get to meet many dogs that will love you just for giving them a place to sleep. Being champions for those without a voice is one of the best things you could ever do.”
Respondents provided a lot of insight into just how good it feels to know you are giving an otherwise helpless animal the “second chance at the happy life they deserve.”
In the end, the large commitment of being a pet owner may not work out for everyone, but it is important to continue spreading the word about rescue and shelter animals. During the month of October, the Mustang Post encourages others to recognize the local shelters and honor their life-saving work.
Games Delve Into Halloween Horror
By Logan Jacobs
As the month of October is in full swing and Halloween is fast approaching, gamers may be looking for new or different scares. However, fear often takes a back seat in this style of play and tension takes over. And that tension is delivered in different and sometimes unusual ways. Multiplayer, Psychological, and Traditional are a nice triad of horror.
Multiplayer Horror: Phasmophobia is a fun 1 to 4 player ghost-hunting game in which players find pieces of evidence to determine what type of ghost is pursuing them.
As the ghost initiates what is called a “hunt” all players who are in the house at the time get locked in with the ghost until the conflict is resolved.
Players have tools to assist them such as the walkie talkie. During the hunt the walkie talkie also shuts off so players’ voices can only be heard by those nearby.
Death is always a risk. The ghost’s primary purposee is to track down players and kill them with a touch.
However, there ways to avoid these disturbing deaths. Different items like smudge sticks or a crucifix can ward off ghosts, buying the players more time.
Players can buy these items using a shop system offering many different items such as a head-mounted camera so teammates can see a first-person perspective from the van or candles that maintain player sanity in dark rooms.
However not all items can be bought in the shop like cursed possessions. These cursed possessions range from a ghost summoning circle to tarot cards that may save players from death.
Overall, this game is an engaging first-person paranormal investigation with mortal consequences yet a fun team-based action.
Phycological Horror: Yume Nikki is a true cult classic. Released in 2004, Yume Nikki explores dreams and nightmares.
While this game is far more psychological than horror, there are still horrific elements which have inspired other great horror games such as Omori, and the Lisa franchise.
As young shut-in Madotsuki, players go around dreams, collecting effects, doing events, and diving deeper into said dreams. Effects are the closest things you get to a progress system in Yume Nikki. Not all effects are useful, but some are extremely useful such as the bike making you go faster or the lamp lighting up dark worlds.
Although the effects can be described as a “progress system” gathering all 24 effects should not be the goal when playing Yume Nikki. Looking at Yume Nikki through that lens may lead to overlooking impacting events and areas such as going to Mars or meeting Uboa. These events and areas make up such a huge part of Yume Nikki and can be witnessed only after doing very specific steps that would have been missed by just chasing after effects.
Traditional Horror: Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion, has the player exploring a haunted mansion. In the mansion players will find different specimen, these specimens all have unique abilities each having their own way of trying to kill the player.
Unique abilities can range from having a puddle of goo to slow the player down, to forcing the player to constantly look at the specimen as they venture through the different rooms of the mansion.
After venturing through the mansion’s 1000 rooms players will face off against a final boss and depending on their score will either get a good or bad ending. Players will also face a sad truth of the mansion that had been hinted at all throughout the game.
Even after beating the story mode Spooky’s continues, by beating the paid hd version players will unlock an endless mode and two new dlcs.
Karamari Hospital and Dollhouse are both vastly different from the past formula of Spooky’s, instead of mixing in random specimen encounters and scripted encounters the two dlcs choose to go down the route of just having scripted encounters. This style of just having scripted encounters makes the story shine, letting the player explore a large dark abandoned hospital, discovering the past secrets left behind by GL Labs.
In Spooky’s Dollhouse the player explores a large mansion with many dark secrets left behind, eventually coming to a climax the player sees Spooky’s final moments. The endless mode opts to ditch the lore aspects and instead just focuses on scaring the player, the player can be chased by any monster across both dlcs and the main game, even adding more specimen exclusive to endless mode.
Phasmophobia, Yume Nikki, and Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion are three games I will never forget playing and games that I would recommend to anyone who’s looking for a good scare this Halloween.
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