While the high temperatures could make it seem that spring has arrived, spring doesn't officially start until March 20, but spring sports practices are looking to be interesting this year with almost every sport having at least one new coach. 

While some non-basketball athletes are already getting ready for their spring sport, HHS basketball athletes are still working on finishing their season. Two Sub state basketball games will be played on March 3 and 4 at home. If won, the championship games will be on March 6 and 7 at Sabetha. If the Red Hawks make it to state, the seasons will be extended even longer. 

"I am very proud of how well our basketball team has done this year. Everybody picked to be sixth in the league and we turned out to be third," said junior Pauly Rockey. "It's nice to know that the team's hard work has paid off. Although, I wish the season wouldn't overlap with the spring season. Track is my favorite sport and I', super excited for it. I am still enjoying my winter sport but staying ready for my spring sport."

On top of track and field, the other HHS spring sports are boys golf, baseball, and softball. While the golf coaching staff hasn’t changed since last year, the baseball, softball, and track and field teams have new additions.

  For the softball team, HHS junior and senior English teacher Nicole Jewett is taking on the role of assistant varsity coach.

 “I am excited to be coaching a sport that I grew up playing, and have a passion for,” said Jewett.

Other than softball the new coaches include Dusty Jones and Ron Smith for the baseball team, and Daspin Bruning as the track and field throwing coach. Students were asked about their opinion on their respective teams’ coaching staff changing.

“Getting a new perspective will help the team, and the new coaches know the current staff, so they should work well together,” baseball senior Tagen Diller said.

The new perspectives might be helpful for more than just coaching with many students still deciding whether this is the year to pick back up or start a spring sport.

“It will be interesting getting back into track with a new coach,” junior Rafe Schuetz said.

The new coaches won't have much time to prepare with the first baseball and softball games starting on March 26 at St. Mary High School. The track season will start soon after with the first meet occurring March 30 at Holton High School. The boys golf season will start the latest, with a home meet on April 10.

Recently, there has been a massive increase in demand for the squishy stress toys called “NeeDoh.” The toy brand, owned by Schylling, has been struggling to keep up with the intense demand, with their official website and many stores nationwide, including our local Walmart, being completely sold out for nearly a whole month.

Hiawatha Students have been buying and bringing a wide range of selection of these NeeDohs to school, including the Dream Drop, Niceberg, Groovy Glob, Gumdrop, and more, all varying in size, texture, or shape. Students claim that the squishes give their hands something to do while they are bored or learning.

HHS Sophomore Morgan Handke said “Needohs are just fun, they give me something to do, and they are just good.”

This sentiment is not exclusive to the High School however, with middle school students agreeing with Morgan’s statement. 

Eighth Grade HMS Student Gentry Morey said “all of my friends have NeeDohs, they are really popular right now and Walmart is always out of them.”

Employees of Hiawatha’s Walmart have shared the same sentiment, saying that they typically sell out within the day they are restocked.

Shylling, the toy company behind NeeDoh is a massive corporation, owning many brands and product lines, including Big Wheel Trikes, lava lamps, the sock monkey, the slinky, NeeDoh, and many more. However, despite their size they have struggled to keep up with demand caused by viral TikTok and Instagrams.

Overall, this NeeDoh “epidemic” although not likely to stay, is a great example of how trends and the youth specifically, can make a difference socially and economically, through simple things like squishy fidget toys.

HHS teachers and students tried three beloved Filipino snacks, offering comparisons that ranged from honey-dipped rolls to unexpectedly soft rice cakes. 

People who tried these snacks have varying degrees of familiarity with Filipino cuisine. For many, it was their first introduction.

"Not familiar, like zero," sophomore Brynnan Boye and junior Emon Thompson said, a sentiment also echoes by several of their peers. 

Social studies teacher Cody Jiru, however brought a different perspective. Growing up in California, he said, exposed him to a large Filipino population. 

"My high school was very diverse, so we learned a lot about the different cultures including the Filipino culture," Jiru Explained. 

The spanish bread emerged as an immediate crowd-pleaser, with tasters drawing direct lines to familier American pastries. The Spanish bread is a Filipino bread roll with traditional sweet filling made of breadcrumbs, butter or margarine, and brown sugar. It is usually yellowish in color because of the eggs and butter. 

"It tastes like a honey bun, it's good," Boye said, a comparison that was repeated by multiple students such as seniors Taryn Keller, Garrett Morey, and Jacob Gallagher. 

Another participant, senior Gus Smith, noted it was sweeter than expected, comparing it to a less sweet Twinkie with no filling.

English teacher Nicole Jewett approved of it as a breakfast item.

“It was yummy,” Jewett said.

Student Pauly Rockey also said she would have it as a breakfast item.

“10/10, delicious and mouth watering,” Rockey said.

The Filipino steamed rice cake, a mild and steamed rice cake topped with cheese, surprised tasters primarily with its texture.

Jiru named it the biggest surprise to his palate.

“This is because of how soft it was when I ate it,” Jiru said. “I was surprised at the texture—big thing for me—and the overall taste.”

Senior Ash Chamberlain described it as having an intense flavor of creamy cheese beneath a soft, vanilla-cake-like exterior.

The Nagaraya cracker nuts, a savory and super crunchy peanut snack, proved the most divisive.

While Jewett praised them as a “great grab and go snack” and enjoyed the spice, others were less enthusiastic.

“I don’t like the spice to it, and it’s just weird,” Smith said. Chamberlain also agreed, finding them “alright” but with a taste they wouldn’t eat on a regular basis.

When asked which treat could most easily find a home on American grocery store shelves, Nagaraya, the peanut snack, was the voted treat.

Both Jewett and Jiru noted its portability and shelf-stable nature.

“That is the most ‘snacky’ item and as Americans, we love our snacks!” Jewett said.

Jiru added that the Steamed Rice Cakes and Spanish Bread require freshness to be truly enjoyed, while the Nagaraya can be packaged and consumed over time.

Looking at the trio of snacks as a whole, participants noted a distinct difference in their overall feel compared to standard American fare.

Jewett described the dominant flavor profile as light and filling.

"When you eat these snacks, you get full, but you don't feel gross like you might when you eat American snacks," Jewett said.

Jiru agreed, using the word “refreshing” to describe the experience.

“You do not taste the preservatives, the extra sugar, the extra ingredients that seems to be in all of the American food,” Jiru said.

On Jan. 9 2026, Netflix released the film adaptation of the book “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry. This movie is rated PG-13. The story involves two main characters, Alex played by Tom Blyth and Poppy played by Emily Bader. These characters are arranged to roadrip together through a mutual friend because they go to the same college. At first Alex is hostile towards Poppy and acts like he is miserable to be around her, but eventually they begin to form a friendship. They later make a deal that once every summer no matter where they are or if they are in relationships they will still go on vacation together. This movie is rated 76% Rotten Tomatoes. While this movie is relatively well rated there are some differences between the book and the movie. 

The biggest and most noticeable difference is the amount of vacations the pair went on. In the book the pair goes on 10 trips throughout the 10 summers they spend together. The movie forgets to mention important trips such as Nashville, Colorado, Croatia, and Palm Springs. The failure to mention these trips leaves out the interesting events that take place in Palm Springs such as their rental car getting a flat, the air conditioner at their home rental breaking during a brutal heatwave, and them almost having a heat stroke inside a roadside dinosaur attraction. Many viewers feel that leaving these events out of the movie made it seem very rushed because there was a lack in chemistry compared to the book. 

The second biggest difference between the book and movie is the genre of the book. In the movie the genre leans more towards a comedy than in the book. In my opinion, this builds the movie because instead of it being cheesy and full of romance it gives you something to laugh about. 

One of the last largely noticeable differences is the role their significant others play on their trips. In the book the significant others of both Poppy and Alex are not very significant and are mentioned very minimally; however, in the movie the significant others play a larger role such as the fall out Poppy and Alex experience on their last vacation, after Alex proposes to his longtime girlfriend, Sarah. Since Sarah is more talked about in the movie, it signifies to the audience why Poppy and Alex’s falling out was so severe. 

Overall as someone that has read both the book and the movie, I personally liked the movie better. I feel like the movie had more chemistry that really showed the relationship between these two characters. My favorite part of the movie was the infamous dance scene while the pair was on their New Orleans trip. I feel like this part of the movie was comedic and sweet. I would recommend this book and movie and I would rate it a 8/10. 

As the weather is changing, people need a change too. At Hiawatha High School, students have been in a slump after the winter season. Spring is coming and it is the perfect time to build new habits of refreshing your mind and body.

“Winter can make it easy to slip into sedentary habits, comfort foods and a sluggish routine. Spring is an excellent time to refresh your health goals and establish new habits, Atriumhealth.org said. “‘Spring symbolizes renewal,’ says Sejal Desai, a physician assistant with the Atrium Health Department of Lifestyle Medicine. ‘There's also increased daylight, which can help boost your motivation and life your spirits and energy.’”

INCREASING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

After the long winter season of staying inside, now is the time to get out in the sun for some vitamin D. Go for daily walks or bike rides, find a way to spend some time with nature. Moving the body will boost moods and help build athletic endurance. If finding time to go outside is hard, bring things, such as homework, outside to do. Do anything to get fresh air.

“An activity I look forward to the most in the spring is softball! During spring, I personally notice a difference in my mood and have more energy when I get to spend more time outside,” HHS junior Saige Stover said.

STAYING HYDRATED AND EATING HEALTHY

Sometimes it’s hard to have that reminder that getting enough water is key. Create goals to get a certain amount of water throughout the day. Spring is also a great time to eat more fruits and vegetables. Choosing better foods will increase energy and productivity.

SPRING CLEANING

Whenever someone cleans their room, it freshens up their living space and mind. Being in a clean, organized environment can lead to better focus and less stress. Having a dirty room just adds to more problems, keeping it clean and unproblematic.

DO MORE THINGS YOU LOVE

When seasons go on and life doesn’t slow down, people forget what they even like. Make sure to not forget favorite hobbies, interests or passions. Find ways to make time for stuff you love. Remember, spring is about growth.

If you go to Falls City frequently, you might have driven past Runza without giving it a second thought like I often do. However, I think it is worth giving a try. 

It is most famous of course for its namesake Runza sandwich, which is a German-Russian style sandwich with beef, cabbage, and onions. I'm gonna be honest, it's not my favorite thing in the world. I do not like cabbage, and in my opinion there were just too many onions on it, and I love onions. This is not Runza's fault though, I just personally don't enjoy the sandwich myself. The cheese and beef were very good, but in my opinion cabbage doesn't belong on any food. 

However there are some other things on their menu that are pretty good. Their chicken strips are not bad at all. They were pretty perfect, not too dry and not too moist. their burgers are not bad at all either, and in my opinion they just taste and look fresher than other restaurant burgers. Overall in my experience the food in general is just less greasy, which is a big plus. 

Their fries are a little bit weird, they are like a combination of the crinkle cut fries from Sonic, and the straight ones from McDonalds. They do have the perfect amount of salt though. so they are overall pretty good. I know service isn't a huge part of fast food, but it wasn't bad either. It was pretty busy when I went and I got my food in around three minutes. 

Overall, Runza, is not bad at all, and is a little bit underrated in my opinion. The food quality feels better in general, but I do not personally enjoy the Runza sandwich. It is not my favorite. I do not think it is worth driving all the way to Falls City to eat Runza, but it definitely isn't a bad opiton if you are already in the area. 7.5/10.

Representing the entire month with the color green, St. Patrick's day has become a staple holiday in just about every American household. Originating in the 7th century in Ireland, St. Patrick was believed to be not only a saint, but also someone that helps with God's final judgement call for Irish people. 31.5 million American citizens (9.5% of the population) claim to have Irish origins, explaining the vast majority of Americans that celebrate. 

Surprisingly, the famous St. Patrick, had no Irish origin. Adopted by the Irish people because of his "saint-luckiness," he is known because of his writings and bringing christianity to Ireland. 

After being forcibly brought to Ireland while kidnapped, he made it his mission to seek God again and became a saint. 

On St. Patrick's day, most celebrations often involve wearing green, attending parades, and enjoying the forgotten spring air. Traditionally, people went to church and indulged in family feasts. Now, most cities host parades with Irish customs to celebrate St. Patrick. 

Wearing green became popular because of its correlation to Ireland, Green representing Irish nationalism. Because of the color's association with Ireland, it quickly became associated with Saint Patrick. As this holiday approaches, make sure you have your green outfit ready to celebrate the luckiness that St. Patrick was known for. 

The Kansas minimum wage has been making headlines recently. State officials proposed Senate Bill 471 in early February of this year, offering to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 up to $16 an hour. This bill has sparked much debate around potential impacts to business and the community as a whole, as it would more than double the current minimum wage. 

For students attending Hiawatha High School, this impacts various aspects of student life.

"...I would use the extra money to buy a car, I am really in need of one, to drive to school and such," said Sophomore Kenly Noll who works at Pizza Hut. "I would also like to start saving up for college, but cannot, because I currently make less than three-hundred dollars a month."        

Higher minimum wage would significantly help students save up for life after high school which continues to get more expensive. The state minimum wage has stayed the same at $7.25 per hour since 2010. This has not been the case with inflation. According to the "U.S. Inflation Calculator" by the Department of Labor and Data, The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.51 percent a year between 2010 and 2026, producing a cumulative price increase of 48.64 percent." If the minimum wage from 2010 were to rise at the same rate as inflation, that would mean the current wage equivalent would be around $10.78 an hour. Even surrounding states like, Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri have been taking charge by increasing their respective minimum wages to $15.16 and $15 an hour. While the significant increase of the minimum wage might not be appropriate, it is clear that some action by Kansas is needed. 

Tiktok caused an uproar in the beginning of 2026 due to Byte Dance selling portions of the company to others. It has reset people's feed, blocked random people, and has had new censor words that you cannot search up or say on the app. 

Byte Dance was the first owner of TikTok and they still own 19.9% of the company. They were forced to sell a portion of the app so that it could still be used by Americans after the 2024 law was made to cut off ties with Chinese companies. 

On Jan.22, 2026 it was released that the three main companies that purchased this app were Oracle, MGX and Silver Lake, all having 15% of TikTok. 

After this change in ownership, the app has been experiencing many difficulties. Users have been seeing a repeated feed, random blocked users, and filtered words that affect big names in our world. 

"TikTok has been tweaking lately;My FYP has repeated and my feed isn't as informational about some topics as it was before," Sophomore Michaela Williams said. 

Many believed that the censored words have been caused by President Donald Trump because of his concern with the newly released information in the Epstein files. Trump has been a very big headline for the wrong reasons before and after his presidency which could have led to his decision to filter things like that. 

A user on TikTok named @kators88 shared a video about her experience with TikTok's new censorship. She said that she was wondering who Bad Bunny was so she could be ready for the Super Bowl XL halftime show, and after looking him up on TikTok, she found out that she had him blocked. She said this confused her due to her having no prior knowledge of the singer. When the viewers put their information together they realized the line up with our government doing corrupt things like this. 

Though this information has not been confirmed, it is still concerning and is almost too coincidental to ignore. So next time you find yourself questioning the app, think about what it could involve.