5 ways to keep the holiday season healthy

The smell of turkey or stuffing, or even pumpkin pie cooking in the kitchen during the holiday season is enough to send your tummy rumbling. With all of the traditions and unhealthy eating which leads to weight gain, what are some delicious ways to stay healthy this season?

Every family has its food traditions that carry throughout the generations or that are new. The first way to cut down is in the food you eat. Stick to meats such as turkey or chicken instead of roasts or ham. Turkey is low in fat, calories, salt, and carries a wonderful source of protein. Carole Layton, a history teacher here at BHHS said, “We always eat turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas.” You can always freeze the turkey and save it for Christmas.

Exercise is always an important necessity for our human body to stay healthy, but while you’re pounding down calories this holiday season, it is so important to make sure you are keeping up with your work outs. Working out can consist of lifting weights at the local gym, or even going outside to shoot some hoops. Dave Myers, one of the assistant principals here at BHHS claimed, “I probably get more exercise during the holiday season because I don’t have to work all of the time. I usually lift weights and play basketball.” If you want to keep the weight off, even the little changes in your exercise plan can make all of the difference.

Traveling during the holiday season can be dangerous or safe. Some people travel during the holidays to visit family. Kevin Wimsett, a history teacher at Black Hills states, “Sometimes we travel. This year we will be traveling for thanksgiving in a car and for Christmas we will be taking an airplane to Texas.” Through the craziness of the seasons, make sure you are careful and drive safe to your destinations!

Stress can be a huge part of the holiday season which some people don’t look forward to. Whether its money, traveling, or family most adults can be stressed about one thing or another. Dave Myers claims, “Budgeting my money so that I use it most efficiently or being around extended family because they’re wacked.”

During the holiday season the one thing people stress about is the cost of supporting everyone. Like Mr. Myers stated, money can be a huge part of the holiday season especially when it comes to buying all of the food. Cissy Fontenot said, “I would say I spend more than I want to, but I enjoy the festivities so it’s not that bad. The thing is, I have the biggest house in my family so both Thanksgiving and Christmas are spent at my house. The most I have ever spent on food would be $800.”

Remember this year, to stay active and healthy during this holiday season! Who knows, maybe you can even lose some weight.
By: Lauren Saelid

Panda Express takes fast food honors

Fast food is a reliable food source for people who are on the go and want food immediately. But, is it really the healthiest thing to make a habit of though?  At BHHS, students voted that their favorite fast food restaurant is, the one and only, Panda Express.

Whether you have chow mein or fried rice, the desired entrée was Orange chicken. Other preferred entrées that were on top of the list were the Sweet Fire Chicken Breast and the Honey Walnut Shrimp!

Teenagers and adults don’t want to know the nutritional value of the meal they order. They find comfort not knowing how much sodium or fat they are feeding their bodies. At Panda Express, a Panda Bowl with Orange Chicken and Chow Mein consists of 43 grams of fat, 1680 mg sodium, 95 mg cholesterol, 28 grams of protein, and a total of 910 calories; almost half of our calorie intake for an entire day. Eline Halaand, a senior at BHHS claimed, “I have no idea of the nutritional value of my order and prefer to keep it that way.” Back in 2009, Panda Express introduced their “Wok Smart” Menu. It includes sides, entrées, and appetizers that contain 250 calories or less per serving. Some examples are Black Pepper Chicken, String Bean Chicken Breast, Broccoli Beef, and 2 Veggie Spring Rolls. 

Surprisingly, students here at BHHS on average go to fast food anywhere from once or twice a week to once a month. Mostly everyone seems to go at one time or another. Trystan Kirkley, a senior also attending Black Hills said, “I go to fast food approximately twice a month.”

A frequent question that is asked is, “What is the difference between fast food and a restaurant?” That is a very simple, yet complicated answer. At a fast food restaurant, they have 5 minutes or less to prepare your food for you. At a restaurant, they generally take more time to prepare a gourmet meal for you. Most fast food places prepare items that are pre-cooked or made in hot grease, while a restaurant might serve you a nice sizeable, tasty and juicy slab of top sirloin steak!

By: Lauren Saelid

With such a massive universe, someone else has to be intelligent

Human civilization has toyed with the idea that there could be other life forms in the vast universe. This likelihood can be summed up into one formula,”N = R* • fp • ne • fl • fi • fc • L”, found on the SETI institution website. SETI is “a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research, education and public outreach”, who can be found at www.seti.org. The formula they quoted from Drake can be broken down into all the separate variables, and when broken down, makes a lot more sense.

N is simply, the number of other civilizations in our galaxy that could be able to communicate with us. R is the average rate that a star forms within our galaxy. fp is however many of those planets that actually have planets around them. Ne is the potential number of those planets that can actually sustain life. fl is the number of those planets that actually go on to make life on the planet. fi is the fraction of that life that actually become intelligent enough to communicate. fc is the fraction of those life forms that get the technology to make communication possible, and lastly is L which is just the length of time it takes for these civilizations to be able to be detected from space.

When multiplied together, this formula creates a general estimate for how many intelligent civilizations actually exist in our galaxy.

This formula was created in 1960 by a man named Frank Drake, He used this formula to create a general estimate in this time which he came to find that there are one hundred eighty nine million other civilizations that could be contacted just within our galaxy, at least according to this formula.

Frank Drake, the original creator of this formula. Picture from the SETI Institute website.

This result may seem large and unlikely, but when it comes down to it, our galaxy is so vast and expansive that the time it would take to find and communicate with these other worlds is insane. It would take dozens of generations of scientists to even get the message there, not to mention getting the message back.

The chance that the human race will meet or even catch a glimpse of another intelligent civilization in our lifetimes is unlikely. But the work of our generation, and the generations to follow will push us closer and closer to actual contact. These worlds are out there, it wouldn’t make much sense to have a universe this massive and for nothing to be there other than us. Carl Sagan, a renowned astronomer, feels the same way, “The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space.”

By: Derek Thedell

New chemistry teacher, Mr. Valz, is getting settled in

At the start of this year, the student body here at Black Hills High School gave a warm welcome to our new Chemistry Teacher, Mr. Henry Valz. Students currently attending Black Hills should want to know some background knowledge on Mr. Valz.

Mr. Valz graduated for Tumwater High School in 1998. He was a part of the swim team that they offered there.

Mr. Valz has been teaching chemistry for a total of three years. “I taught Chemistry at Miriam Knight in Matlock Washington for two of those years. Miriam consists of around 200 students ranging from pre-school to 12th grade.” says Mr. Valz.

When asked if Mr. Valz has always had a passion for teaching chemistry, his reply was “No, while growing up I wanted to become a marine biologist, which is the study of fish. Then I found out that required a lot of research and I thought that was boring.”

What is your favorite part about teaching at Black Hills High School so far? “I have really fun students who are starting to understand my sense of humor.” says Mr. Valz.

When asking a student what she thinks of Mr. Valz as a teacher Shanelle Briggs replied “I like the way he teaches and I like the way he takes the time to explain something when I don’t understand.” What’s your favorite part about having Mr. Valz as a teacher? “He’ll take the extra time to help me.”  Says Shanelle Briggs.

As you can see Mr. Henry Valz is a caring, fun chemistry teacher that is always willing to help his students thrive for success.

By: Alyssa Varney

Facial hair begins growing throughout Black Hills

The growing of facial hair is spreading throughout Black Hills High School, becoming more and more popular. The question on everyone’s mind is, “how do i look with facial hair?”. My goal was to get you the inside scoop on the public opinion on this matter.

My first question was whether they thought facial hair was formal or informal. “For the most part, these days it is informal, but I dont see anything wrong with it”, replied Kacy Wyrick. As a whole, the biggest response I got was that if depended on the style.

“Well certain beards go really well with formal attire”, stated Darwin Jones, “and if you have a long ‘wizardy’ beard, it goes well with a nice suit”, he continued. But, in my interview with Mackenzie Emerson she states how “dumbledore’s beard” is an example of an informal beard. As you can see, there can be many different opinions on what looks good and bad on people.

Facial hair is not only a trend with students but also with many teachers. Mr. Everson states on this very subject, “It depends on the trimming of the facial hair, and the maintenance”. He agrees with the rest of the people featured here that the biggest deal with facial hair is that you need to keep it tidy. If your beard gets too out of control it “makes me think that you are a hobo”, Darwin Jones goes on about.

Now, hearing how the male population in school feels about their own beards and facial hair is not much help when it comes to a lady. But Mackenzie Emerson has a very biased opinion when it comes to this subject, “I think they are stylish and classy at the same time” she replied when asked whether facial hair was classy. Later she tells that her preferred style of facial hair on other people is a “nice neat goatee”.

As a whole, facial hair at our school is a growing trend for those who can grow it. The general agreement is that if your beard or mustache is unkempt and curly it makes you look informal as a whole. But if you keep it nice and clean most agree it looks good on people. As a closing statement just remember, “Beards are fun”, Mark Davis.

By: Derek Thedell

As the winter begins, preparting for those storms is essential

Washington State is well-known for their horrible, frosty, and dangerous storms throughout the winter. Every year, places in Washington State lose power for days, and are stuck staying in the protection of their houses. Seeing if the residents of Washington are prepared for the storms that they face every year is something that’s essential.

With Washington having lengthy storms, people would agree with knowing that Washington State battles many problems during the winter. According to senior Mark Davis, “I think that over the years Washington State has faced more dangerous winters than other states because it gets super icy and snowy. Also plenty of power lines fall down, leaving many people in the cold dark.”

Knowing that there is a terrible storm coming, could come in advantage for most families, in giving them plenty of time to prepare. For example, when Mackenzie Wittenberg hears what this winter has in store she tells me, “I’m very prepared for this up-coming winter; I have many snow chains, lots of food, some delicious hot chocolate, nice warm cloths and for the fun I have sleds!”

Many people might wonder how you’d find out when a storm is coming. Jessica McCown willingly shares, “We usually look at the local news and see what they have to say, whenever I don’t keep track of the weather my parents are always the first to update me on what’s going on.” When the nasty, hazardous weather starts to come, everyone should regularly check the local news or even call the School Emergency Hotline (709-7999) to see if school has been canceled that day or it there has been a two hour delay.

If your one of those people that is wondering about this winter you should know that according to Farmer’s Almanac, the 2013 winter in Washington State should be drier than normal but with chilly temperatures. However a teacher here at Black Hills, Ms. Serna, says “I disagree, I have been watching the weather pattern and I think that this is going to be a wet, wet, winter. I think this because the fall this year was mild, and dry.” Most would agree with Ms. Serna since the morning of November 19th, Thurston County flood bulletin, put the Thurston County area on “flood watch.” However winters can provide some fun and exciting stories.

Stormy, terrible weather can result in some funny stories. When asking Rosie Rumsey, a Black Hills student, she replies “When I was around the age of eight, I lived in Shelton and it had snowed close to three feet that winter. At the time I had a very energetic dog that loved to jump on me, because he thought I was playing. When he jumped on me one day I landed in that snow and was instantly covered from head to toe. My body was so numb and cold and after that, I was scared of snow for about two years.”

As you can see the winters here in Washington can be very dangerous and they can be different for each year. Taking the necessary preparations can be essential in dealing with this kind of weather.

By Alyssa Varney

Creativity thrives in Black Hills' senior,
Logan Sizemore

Creative genius is definitely not something that Black Hills is lacking. Whether that is in music, art or just creative thinking in everyday class, you can see it everywhere throughout an average school day. Many of these people go unrecognized in our community; the goal is to bring out someone who many people probably don’t know has creative genius coursing through his veins.

This man is Logan Sizemore, a man known for his sarcastic off putting comments and that his mom is a biology teacher here at BHHS. But there is a side to Logan that not many people know, that side being his creativity exploding through drawings.

When interviewing Logan I found that he has been drawing “religiously since [he] was four.” He went on to talk about his upbringing, being mostly centered around art and drawing, “Before I drew I had my dad and mom draw things for me, but one day they became fed up with drawing something every day and so they told me to draw myself”. That is where it all began, just by parental support and inspiration.

Speaking of inspiration, an artist is nothing without his inspiration. Every artist must start with a foundation, this being a reason behind his work, or an idea that fostered from something happening in their life or minds.

Logan’s inspiration obviously comes from irony, drawing things that are doing the opposite of what they should be doing. “Recently I’ve found enjoyment from drawing innocent/cute things doing serious things,” Logan continued, using an example of recent work,” like a cupcake robbing a store, or a bunny drinking [an alcoholic beverage].”

But he doesn’t stop there, Logan finds enjoyment in reversing that irony, drawing “serious things doing innocent stuff” he replied when asked if there was anything else he was working, “like an action hero with a Christmas sweater”.

All of this beauty didn’t just come completely naturally to Logan, he draws every day to keep his imagination flowing. He is currently working on a project he is calling “Joy Bubbles” and he will soon debut it when finished. “The hardest part for me has to be perspective and proportion”, a tip for any of you aspiring artists.

Logan cannot be the only one in this school with an incredible talent like this one. Black Hills is a breeding ground for creative genius and there are probably plenty of people like Logan out there.
By: Derek Thedell

In January there will be a movie presentation in the PAC that discusses anti-bullying. A small group of Black Hills High School students are hosting it. Cooper Lamb, Max Trotter, Marquies Wall, and Wyatt Truschel all decided as a group in Global leadership; a class that requires something be done to improve the school, That they would target BHHS’ bullying problem.

They have been working diligently in and out of school so that their message is received not just to those who are at the presentation, but to those who hear about it from the people who were. I sat down with Max and asked what he was hoping to accomplish his response was, “I hope to prove a point to the students and try to inspire them to make a change. This is my last year, and I want to feel like I did something make a change to my school.”

They are still in early planning but they ensured me that it will be an eye-opening event. Marquies wall said, “This isn’t something to come too just for the fun of it. This is a serious presentation about how bullying destroys kids’ lives and that it must be completely gone from our school.” This group is very passionate about what they are doing; they are willing to put in countless hours after school just so that the audience learns everything they need to know.

The exact date of the presentation has not yet been decided on but January is the for sure month in which it will happen. After sitting down and hearing this group talk about how hard they are working, I encourage everyone to go. It will be a 90 minute long presentation that changes your life. Please come and support your fellow high school students.

Black Hills students participate in the blood drive to save lives

The blood drive is an important event at Black Hills High School. It brings people together, shows your courage and pride, and helps save lives in return. This year, the Key Club was trying to get a higher number of donors than previous years, but it hasn’t stopped people from coming in to give blood.

“It’s very fun,” says Kim Cook, a volunteer for the Blood Drive from Key Club. “I feel like I’m really helping people when I do this.”

Others feel the same way. The Key Club, who is in charge of the event, is happy to help in any way they can. The student helpers took time out of their days to sign people up at school lunches, and skip class periods to help the progression of the blood drive. 

I asked Kim what she does at the Blood Drive. “Whatever they need,” She said with a smile “I deliver notes, reassure nervous students and man the Canteen to make sure everyone’s healthy afterward.” The canteen is where students go to eat food and rest after giving blood. They stay there for ten minutes, or until they feel well enough to return to their studies.

Luke Procter, a student who gave blood, proudly told me “I give because it helps others. I liked it. I like to know that I helped people.” It seems that this is the thought process behind most students giving blood. Students just like to know that they can help and save lives.

I asked Luke what it was like to give blood. “It was interesting,” he said. “Just relaxing really. All I did was lay there and listen to music.” This should be a relief to some students with apprehensions about signing up. Many won’t sign up because of their fear of needles or blood in general.

A returning donor, Makenzie Emerson, said that she would definitely give blood next year, “…if my blood has nothing terrible in it. I want to save lives.” Kudos to her and the rest of the donors, returning or not, who gave blood and helped save lives at the Blood Drive.    

By: Brian Baldwin  

Nygren runs hard but Wolves stumble over North Thurston

On September 27th; a Thursday, the Black Hills Wolves faced; league competitor River Ridge Hawks, Ending in a heartbreaking 13-20 loss for the wolves.  A player who set them self apart for the wolves was Running back/Linebacker, Conrad Nygren

Conrad ended the game with the wolves’ only two touchdowns and most of the wolves tackles. Mike Robinson, a spectator said,”23 really ran hard, the team just came up a little short.”  Senior Quarterback, Miles Smiley said, “Conrad has done very well at running the ball and getting us out of tight situations.” Conrad has been having a great season, averaging almost 9 yards a carry and totaling 5 touchdowns. 

But not only has Conrad been having a great year on the field he also is leading his team as a student as well. He is currently taking two AP classes, AP Calculus and AP Government. He also has a accumulative GPA of 3.4, which is highly respective for all the extracurricular activities he does, including working for his dad, and helping his brothers TCYFL team. We are looking forward to see his next game against W.F. West on October 5.

By: Shane Robinson

One from Japan and one from Norway, all the same wolf pack

This year at Black Hills, we have six foreign exchange students with us. One being Takumi a junior this year, from Japan, and the other Eline Haaland, a senior this school year, from Norway.

Some of the questions I asked them were what made you decide to be an exchange student and what were your fears about coming to America?

Takumi’s answer to my first question was, “Mostly cultural experience. I want to get into business class in an American school. Also, I like football and track.” America is wonderful to foreign people because it gives them a chance to fulfill their dream which they can’t in their own country, and that is exactly why Takumi came here. To eventually move here and study a class they don’t offer in Japan.

Eline said, “It’s been my dream forever and experience the high school and culture. Get a second family and meet new people.” Eline absolutely loves her host mother and her cooking.

“I am afraid to be killed by someone with a gun since we don’t’ have them out in public in Japan,” said Takumi. Who knew foreigners are afraid of getting shot in America. Is that really the impression we give the world?

Eline responded with, “I didn’t have any fears, I was excited actually.”

Just think how hard it would be to leave your family and come to a different country, across the ocean. Would you be able to do that? They gave up a whole year of school to come and be with us this school year. Let’s make them feel at home and welcome at our wonderful school of Black Hills High School.

By: Lauren Saelid

Darwin Jones, co-lead trombonist in jazz, gives insight on the inner workings of the band

Whether it is in the band room at 6:40 in the morning, or the Washington center on a Saturday afternoon filling the concert hall with the beautiful sounds of jazz, the Black Hills jazz band is filled with the elite of our music programs. The co-lead trombonist in the jazz band, Darwin Jones, tells of his troubles and trials while in this zero-hour class.

First comes his background, how he got into jazz and playing trombone as a whole. Darwin has been playing trombone for “about five years now”. When asked why he chose the trombone he replied with, “of the two instruments I tried, the clarinet and the trombone, I could not make a sound on the clarinet, and the trombone had a slide, so it seemed fun”. Darwin is obviously been playing trombone for a long time, and has had lots of experience on one of the harder instruments in band.

After the getting background on the length of trombone playing, now Darwin gave his experience in high school jazz band.“Two years, this is my second” he replied to the question of how long he has been in jazz. When one person plays jazz for so long, he must have developed a favorite part and a long list of challenges he faces every morning. “The parts are a bit more interesting than in concert band”, he stated about his experience in jazz, yet he has problems with, “Notes, rhythms. Specifically high notes and fast rhythms”.

The combination of these two loves is what makes Darwin the fantastic player he is. Jazz band at our school can often times underestimated, even though they practice before anyone shows up and go across the state to compete with the schools name. But to those in it, this doesn’t matter, jazz band holds great importance in their lives and as the case with Darwin, they leave the class a different person than when they went in.

Black Hills' students really love pie

Delectable, creamy, crunchy, hot, cold, chewy, sweet, pungent… There are so many ways to enjoy a good pie. Throughout the year, people everywhere consume countless pies for a number of reasons: tradition, religion, or to show the dentist who’s boss. Or maybe they’re just delicious. With Thanksgiving being a crucial holiday for the consumption of circular delights, it’s been interesting finding the real scoop on what Black Hills Students think of pie anytime of the year.

Everyone has a different favorite type of pie. The two top favorites were apple and pumpkin though. “Pumpkin pie is amazing, and Costco sells it for only $5,” says Katelyn Notestine. She likes to get the pumpkin pies at Costco until they’re sold out and gone for the year. “I eat the whole pie,” she says, “Not just one slice.” Other students really like apple pie. “It’s a classic,” says Katie Mortenson. “I only eat pie like two times a year.” Nick VanBrunt likes apple pie too. “Apple pie is my favorite because I like the big chunks of apple that are in it. I have a slice about once a month.” Each and everyone eats pies at one time or another.

Maybe it’s just a time in the year when family gets together to make a crust and throw things into it, and maybe it’s a holiday event, but everyone eats pies at some special time of year. “I eat pies mostly at Thanksgiving. We make pumpkin and pecan,” says Audrey Fairhurst, and ads “Pecan is my favorite,” It seems like everyone eats pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving to celebrate survival of a new community in trying times with our Native American friends. However, Nick has a pie tradition on Christmas as well. “We eat apple pie and strawberry rhubarb pie every Christmas,” he says. It’s sad to note that most people’s pie eating and making traditions are restricted to both Thanksgiving and Christmas, with other more obscure holidays like Saint Patrick’s Day and Easter leaving the holiday delights to be desired.

Pie can be eaten a lot of different ways and most everyone enjoys their brief time with it, whether it’s eaten like a cookie with the hands or like a soup with the spoon. “Pie is the most amazing dessert ever, even better than cake and ice cream.” Nick says, and adds “Pie is my best friend. When I’m sad, [he] is there for me. When I’m lonely, pie is there for me…” He is clearly in love with his pie, but he’s not the only one. Ms. Fairhurst added to it with a smile saying “Pie is a masterpiece, its edible art. [It’s] a way of life. The sweetness represents how sweet life can be, and the crisp crust represents the challenges in life we have to break through. Together these things portray what life is. Just like making a pie, life is not easy.” This is a deep and philosophical statement. Understanding pie is the way to enjoying life for some. Katelyn says that “Pie is my life.” She is “seriously sad when Costco sells out.” “Pies are a comfort food,” Mortenson says, “they also have a lot of sugar and should be eaten rarely.

Pies really are a comfort food. Hot or cool, and anyway they are, they can bring comfort to anyone’s heart. This thanksgiving, or any day of the year, you don’t need to understand the philosophy of pie, you can just go out and have a slice for yourself, and be glad you did. Happy Thanksgiving.

When unable to vote, Black Hills' students keep themselves entertained

The presidential election is almost upon us. Students have been encouraged to vote by staff and parents alike, but after extensive research, findings show that only around 32% of the Black Hills student population can vote. The other 68% of the student body cannot vote, and have other plans for what they plan to do on Election Day.

Most every student who was interviewed had a positive reaction to the overall election and how they felt about it. “It actually affects us,” says Hannah Reed, a Black Hills band student. “Everything that’s going to happen is really going to affect someone in some way” says Office helper Alex Van Hook. However there were also negative views for election.

“It really depends,” says Jessica Crespo about if she cared about the election or not. “In the beginning I care because it affects us, but near the end I don’t care because it all gives me a headache.” Triston Shank, a student who can’t vote stated that he cared, “kind of,” “Really no, because I don’t want someone stupid making decisions, but on the other hand, I can’t vote.” This seems to be the common opinion for many students who can’t vote.

Students who are not voting will need to occupy their free time with other activities. While not participating in the election process, youth at BHHS will be, “yelling at people for not voting,” from Jessica Crespo and “Playing Halo 4”, from pretty much everyone else. In fact, Halo 4 was a common theme among interviewees.

Halo 4 was the most common answer that students were excited for in the month of November. Around 70% of the interviewed students said that they were either most excited for the holiday of Thanksgiving, or Halo 4 instead of the election, even those who could vote. Despite this, it seems that all the students that can vote did vote. The school has educated students on all of the issues and candidates to keep everyone as informed and up to date as possible, and it worked out. Every student who was interviewed who could vote did vote. However this does not give them any interest in the voting or election process. Maybe if more explosions and space marines were involved, things would be different, but until then, we can give our congratulations to election winner, President Obama, who won by a landslide thanks to the voting students of Black Hills
By: Brian Baldwin

Students discuss the effects of preworkout supplements

The possibility to enhance your physical activity is now capable of doing, without using any illegal performance enhancing drugs. It has been proven by Optimum Nutrition, a supplement company, that using a prework out raises the weight of your lifts by around twenty pounds. I understand that you’re wondering why and we will get to that, but next I want you to hear some actual students at Black Hills high school discus how they have been affected by preworkouts.

A quote from Wyatt Ardledge, “I had to drag myself out of bed too get to the gym before I took a preworkout. Now I just take my preworkout thirty minutes before I lift and I can’t wait to be at the gym!” I         went on to ask my friend Wyatt, how he could afford getting this supplement, “Well, I take Whiteflood a product from musclepharm. It is 40 Dollars for 50 servings.” That is less than a dollar a serving! is that not worth lifting harder and more than your usual self?

A major issue with people and preworkout is what is contained in it but recently The US food and health departments banned most of the harmful chemicals that used to be put into most preworkouts. Now, preworkouts mostly contain caffeine, niacin, and nitric oxide. Caffeine will give you the pump, Niacin will make your brain focus and the nitric oxide will quickly send blood too your muscles. Alec Bogdanvich told me that, “I was very worried it would hurt my body nut after doing research I realized none of the ingredients really could do any harm.”  Turns out the worst thing he has ever felt was a little drowsy hours later. But don’t let me be the only one giving you information, stop by your local GNC and pick up a free sample too try. The results speak for themselves.?
By: Shane Robinson

Mr. Stevens shares his favorite fall treat

When teachers and students were asked what they thought of fall, the number one fall food choice was Apple Crisp. There were other foods mentioned like soups and pies, but when it came down to the final vote, the Apple Crisp was number one!

All of the teachers, when thinking of a fall recipe, tied back to a family recipe or a fond memory of the comfort food. Like Mr. Rowswell’s family tradition, Hunt’s Goulash. It is a soup, consisting of meat, veggies, and other spices. Each recipe has its own perks and special ingredients to make it unique.

Listening to the responses, many people have a preference on how Apple Crisp is served. Some enjoy it hot, while some love it cold. Mr. Stevens, an English teacher here at BHHS, stated, “I prefer it with the streusel topping,” while Mr. Wimsett, a U.S. History and A.P. Government teacher says, “Apple Crisp is best served hot and with vanilla bean ice cream to be exact.”

The crunchy yet brittle dessert has fresh apples and enough flavor to make it the number one fall dessert here at Black Hills.

One delicious recipe for the Old Fashioned Apple Crisp would be a Barefoot Contessa Recipe from Food Network:
Ingredients

For the topping:

Directions

The Apple Crisp is a scrumptious fall dessert that anyone can enjoy, and students and teachers here certainly enjoy. I encourage anyone who loves to bake to create this lovely dessert for yourself or the family.

By: Lauren Saelid

Entertainment today, interesting content or eye candy?

The entertainment that we play, that we watch today is quite different than that that we were using ten years ago; or dare I say, twenty or more years ago. The main focus has switched. Take a look at the movies that you would watch when you were younger. Computers weren’t as advanced; movies were made in different ways, and because of this, and more, people would make them in different ways.

A while ago, I took a trip with a friend of mine to Disneyland. Because of this, we stocked up with movies and music galore. While re-watching the original live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, I noticed a scene where the group of anthropomorphic animals rode skateboards down a sewer fighting ninjas with nunchucks. Times have changed now in the maturity of what is produced and what the audience wants to see.

Today, an audience doesn’t want to see Ninja Turtles fighting robots on skateboards. It’s too unrealistic. Today’s audiences strive to watch realism in whatever they see. Though there are the others (now the minority) who long for that old, nostalgic entertainment can bring. But apparently this minority is large enough for artistic directors and creators to make projects here and there that try to be what the entertainment was all those years ago.

Kacey Wyrick, a Black Hills High School student, is one person who likes where the entertainment of today has gone. “I think I like today’s media better because I really like to get immersed in what I watch,” he says, “The CG gets better and it makes things so much easier than they were years ago when they didn’t have as much money”

Others feel differently however. I for one recall the old days when I had nothing but a Super Nintendo. My time was spent on games that weren’t high budget, but still had a spark that keeps me satisfied and playing them to this day. One such game, a little known gem called Earthbound encapsulates everything that I believe is missing from a modern day creation. While the graphics and art direction were okay, the music was sub-par, the characters and plot were silly and strange, when it all came together, and it fit so nicely and became something so much more than the sum of its parts.

Sometimes it’s not so much about how much quality that’s put into the product, but how much attention and care was put into making it memorable and artistic. While the modern day media can throw hard punches of computer generated images and stirring musical scores, people still watch films from the 1930s because they say that they had more to offer. Today we live in an age of epic movies were everything is realistic and over the top in scale. Back then they didn’t have the money, and had to worry more about making something that they wanted to create, rather than making something their audience wanted them to. Japan is still a prime innovator in such departments because of the fact that they will take years developing a product that they don’t expect to sell well. They just want to create something beautiful and share their visionary and artistic end-product.

Movies can be seen the same way. Paramount, Lionsgate, Universal, Warner Bros, etc. are all examples of companies that will put our two or three big budget movies every year. They are intended to make money. Movies like The Expendables 2 or The Avengers are definitely created to make revenue. They cost a lot to make, and the developers expect a lot more in return. But sometimes the developers don’t care about the cost; they just want to make a beautiful end product. This can be seen in other films of this last year, like The Artist (2011’s Oscar Winner), Moonrise Kingdom, or the works of directors like Martin Scorsese.

While the artistic will always be there, it’s not to say that the big budget extravaganzas are horrible experiences. Some of them can be just as memorable and creative as their low-budget counterparts. There are always great things on either side of the spectrum, though there will always be individuals who will side with a certain side. It’s true, we do things today that we couldn’t do ten years ago, and technology will just keep getting better. For all the blockbusters, there will always be the little guy who makes art with the new technology. The future looks bright for entertainment. 

By: Brian Baldwin