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State champions!
State champions!
15 of 18 competitors in finals place in top 4 to lead speech & debate to 2nd title in 5 years
15 of 18 competitors in finals place in top 4 to lead speech & debate to 2nd title in 5 years
JILLIAN WYNNE
of The Flathead Arrow
Six Flathead High School speech and debate students won individual state titles, and 15 placed in the top four, on Saturday, Feb. 1, to help the team win the Class AA state championship at Bozeman High School.
Seniors Scott O’Donnell and Jonah Love, and junior Anna Christensen, won titles on the speech side. Senior Lucus Coulter partnered with junior Braden Anderson, and sophomore Jillian Wynne, won titles on the debate side.
Flathead won with 168 total sweepstake points, beating second-place Bozeman by 14.5 points and third-place Glacier by 37 points. It was the second title in five years for Flathead and the 23rd state title in school history.
Flathead scored the most points in both speech and debate events. It scored 103 points in speech and 63 points in debate. Bozeman scored the second-most in each, 96 in speech and 57.5 in debate. Glacier was third in speech (95) and fifth in debate (36).
The victory was especially surprising for four reasons: 1) It was a home tournament for BHS, where it is renowned for being undefeated for multiple decades, 2) it happened before Bozeman’s plan to split into two Class AA schools, 3) FHS had fewer competitors in the final rounds than Bozeman or Glacier, and finally 4) FHS beat Bozeman in debate, where it is known as a perennial powerhouse.
“Schools know that if they win state, they have to do it in speech to make up for the lost debate points to Bozeman,” FHS head coach Mrs. Shannon O’Donnell said. “And we beat them by 5.5 points in debate.”
The title served as vengeance after last year’s devastating state meet loss, meaning this victory should have given the team back-to-back state championships. Last year, before semifinals, FHS lost 12-out-of-12 tiebreakers, along with a returning state champion who hadn’t placed outside of the top four all season long.
“We were the titanic last year,” Mrs. O’Donnell said. “Twelve tiebreakers with FHS in all of them, and we lost all of them? What are the odds of that? … We should’ve won last year.”
This year, though, the team won unexpectedly in the final hour.
While the entire coaching staff fully expected a state championship last year, this year’s title was won with only 18 competitors in the final rounds. This was an unusually low number, according to Mrs. O’Donnell. Not only was it a low number, but some of the team’s most consistent performers had been eliminated. Adding to the frustrations was a tabulation error that had junior Lincoln-Douglas debater Eva Bruce eliminated going into quarterfinals. Coach Donigale Dilworth looked into the ballots and realized the quarterfinals judge had two competitors mixed up. So, tournament officials decided to re-run the quarterfinal debate with Bruce in it. Had she not caught the mistake, FHS would not have won. Regardless, at that point, coaches still thought the team was in a battle for third place.
“After semifinals, it was hard because we lost so many returning state champions,” Mrs. O’Donnell said.
Last year’s state champions, seniors Julia Wynne and John Shelton, and junior Carson Robison, did not make it into the final round. Flathead had fewer people in finals than both Glacier and Bozeman.
“We were behind,” O’Donnell said.
But the team responded to the pressure by placing high in the last rounds.
“I always say that the points are in the top four,” O’Donnell said.
Sweepstake, or team, points are awarded based on individual placings where the higher a competitor places, the more points they receive--and the top four placings earn significantly more than the bottom four. Fifteen out of the 18 competitors in the final rounds placed top four.
“I didn’t expect us to win at first,” junior debater Braden Anderson said. “But as they announced the placings, it became more obvious that we had done extremely well.”
The title came as a surprise.
“Honestly I didn’t really expect us to win, just because one, it was Bozeman and also I know that a lot of people had issues going into finals, but it was really cool that we did,” junior Anna Christensen said.
On the speech side, senior Scott O’Donnell, the highest scorer from Flathead, accounted for 16 points. O’Donnell won Impromptu Speaking and placed third in Extemporaneous. In Impromptu, competitors have three minutes to prepare a five minute speech about a quotation or political cartoon.
In the final Impromptu round, O’Donnell spoke on Mark Twain’s statement, “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” In preparing for the speech, O’Donnell said he had to focus on simply telling the truth and the stories that matter. This approach won him the state title.
Fellow state champion senior Jonah Love placed first in Humorous Interpretation with a rendition of the Tom Hanks movie “Big”.
“It’s hard to portray multiple characters in 10 minutes while also creating a cohesive storyline,” Love said.
Love also competed in Duo Interpretation with sophomore Sophia Dykhuizen, where they performed a rendition of Disney’s “High School Musical”. Love and Dykhuizen placed fourth, while their squad mates, junior Hannah Greene and sophomore Aiden Christy, placed third with a version of the animated film “Megamind”.
Junior Anna Christensen capped off her impressive speech season with a first-place state title in Memorized Public Address. In MPA, competitors present and analyze a speech that was given in a speaker-audience setting. Christensen delivered television host Jon Stewart’s testimony about 9/11 first responders. The speech talked about the lack of adequate funding for the first responders’ health care.
“It was a really important speech to give because it’s an issue that not a lot of people know about,” Christensen said.
She also competed and placed fourth in Original Oratory, with a speech about public shaming. In Original Oratory, students write and deliver a 10-minute speech on a topic of their choice.
“I’m definitely more happy that I won (MPA) because I am more passionate about that,” Christensen said.
On the debate side, Flathead scored 65 points, beating Bozeman by 7.5.
Junior Braden Anderson and senior Lucas Coulter won the partner event, Policy Debate, scoring 25 points. In Policy Debate, students research the same topic all season. This year’s topic was on whether the United States should reduce international arms sales.
“It’s very hard to explain in a short debate round,” Anderson said. “Since arms sales go through a government apparatus, the whole thing is very complicated.”
In Lincoln Douglas Debate, sophomore Jillian Wynne and junior Eva Bruce took first and second place, respectively. Together, they scored 27 points. The topic they debated on was whether countries should eliminate their nuclear arsenals.
Senior Kianna Storm placed second in Legislative Debate, where competitors discuss a domestic and international topic in a congressional format. The domestic resolution had to do with poverty reduction while the international resolution dealt with global refugees.
Along with the three champions, FHS earned four second-place, three third-place, and three fourth-place awards. Seniors Bohdi Hollman, Sarabeth Rogge, and Kianna Storm, along with junior Eva Bruce, each placed second in Informative Speaking, Original Oratory, Legislative Debate, and Lincoln-Douglas Debate respectively. Placing third were O’Donnell (Extemporaneous Speaking), Greene/Christy (Duo Interpretation), and sophomore Leah Spangler (Impromptu Speaking). And, placing fourth were seniors Sam Wallace (Impromptu Speaking, Christensen (Original Oratory), and Love/Dykhuizen (Duo Interp).
Policy Debate: 1. Braden Anderson and Lucas Coulter; Lincoln Douglas Debate: 1. Jillian Wynne 2. Eva Bruce; Legislative Debate: 2. Kianna Storm; Extemporaneous Speaking: 3. Scott O’Donnell; Impromptu Speaking: 1. Scott O’Donnell 3. Leah Spangler 4. Sam Wallace; Informative Speaking: 2. Bohdi Hollman; Original Oratory: 2. Sarabeth Rogge 4. Anna Christensen 6. Carson Robison; Memorized Public Address: 1. Anna Christensen 7. Derek Neater; Program Oral Interpretation: 6. Sarabeth Rogge; Humorous Interpretation: 1. Jonah Love; Duo Interpretation: 3. Aiden Christy and Hannah Greene 4. Sophia Dykhuizen and Jonah Love
BPA Wins 12 District Events
BPA Wins 12 District Events
66% of Flathead competitors qualify for state at BPA Regionals
66% of Flathead competitors qualify for state at BPA Regionals
Daniel Edelen
of The Flathead Arrow
Flathead High School’s team of Business Professionals of America brought home 12 first-place awards from the Northwest Regional tournament on Jan. 14 at Flathead Valley Community College.
BPA is an extracurricular activity offered at Flathead High School that gives students an opportunity to exercise their business skills and compete nationwide in a wide array of events stemming from Extemporaneous Speaking all the way to PC Servicing and Troubleshooting.
All told, FHS took about 45 students and 30 placed in 6th or higher in one or more of their events for the regional tournament, which earned them a seat to the state tournament. That puts roughly 66 percent of Flathead’s students eligible for state competition on March 7 at Montana State University in Billings.
Four groups won in team events. Seniors Gavin Cate, Lucas Coulter, Isiah Owens, and John Shelton all won the Small Business Systems event. Seniors Emiley Leigh and Macey Timlick pulled first place in Presentation Management Team. Juniors Adam Bigley, Alex Eaton, Aricin Tjaden, and Sean Struble won the Computer Animation event. Seniors Amanda Dielman, Victoria White, Krystal Gilliam, and Lenee Westphal won in Administration Support Team.
In solo events, FHS brought home eight first-place certificates. Junior Colter Girardot won in three events: Computer Network Technology, Server Administration, and Programming Concepts. Senior Barret Fox won in Computer Security, as well as Fundamentals for Web Design. Junior Anna Christiansen won in Prepared Speech. Senior Kianna Storm won Parliamentary Pro Team Test. And, junior Logan Garvey won in Java Programming.
Many students are driven to join BPA due to its ability to prepare students for futures in business and technology management.
“I do BPA because I feel like it’ll really help with scholarships from MSU, when we go to state,” junior Adam Bigley said. “I also have a chance to further my mind in business because not only do I want to be a computer engineer and a computer scientist, but I also want to create a company off of it, such as Microsoft or Apple. So, BPA gives me a beeline straight for that.”
Despite the common worry of students eager to try BPA being overstressed, it doesn’t take up as much time as they realize. Many students that won in their events double other demanding extracurricular activities with BPA.
“BPA conflicts with either a band or a choir concert most of the time,” BPA adviser Mrs. Sue Cheff said. “A lot of athletes avoid BPA because it conflicts with their regional or state games and so that’s hard for them to manage. Some of our students have other commitments. Some of our students do both BPA and DECA, so all that said and done we’ll be taking somewhere around 24 students to state.”
To name a few, senior Lucas Coulter is a lead character in Flathead’s theater production of “Hello, Dolly”. He also won an individual state policy debate championship to help lead the entire team to a state title, as well as the Small Business Systems team event in BPA. Junior Sean Struble is also an actor in “Hello, Dolly” and won the Computer Animation BPA event. Junior Colter Girardot won in three BPA events and also helped win the team title in speech and debate. Junior Anna Christiansen was a state champion in speech for Original Oratory, and also won the Prepared Speech event in BPA. There are many other examples of competitors doubling in other intensive extracurricular activities with BPA.
“There were some people who were doing it (BPA) for the first time,” senior Victoria White said. “It was really cool to see how they were obviously, kind of, struggling at some points, but they ended up making it to state in a lot of their events, even though they were really stressed about it. I think this just shows how BPA is actually really manageable to do.”
Flathead choirs goes to AA mens festival
Flathead choirs goes to AA mens festival
Ethan Aegerter
of The Flathead Arrow
About 30 Flathead High School boys choir members went to the Class AA Festival in Bozeman on Jan. 26-27.
Students from Helena, Belgrade, Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, and Glacier High School also attended the two-day, every-other-year event. They all learned breathing, volume, and voice techniques from guest director Marques L.A Garrett, from the University of Nebraska, to help improve their singing.
L.A Garrett attended Florida State University and has composed many pieces of music.
“I think he had a very good technique of teaching us on how to emit better sound when we sing and he was a very happy guy,” said junior Nic Gustafson.
Students participated in new drills to help warm up voices and then worked on three songs through about two hours of practice on Sunday and seven hours on Monday. One of the songs was a gospel piece. Another was a low and slow tempo song that Garrett composed. The last was a more upbeat tempo song.
The festival also had a fun, unrelated-to-music, basketball tournament. The Flathead choir team ended up taking third place in the tourney. Two years from now the flathead choirs will attend the next AA festival.
Can I tell you a secret?
Can I tell you a secret?
Daniel Edelen
of The Flathead Arrow
Flathead’s Acting 2 class of 2019 performed their fourth-wall breaking and terrifying production of Trap on December 17 and 18 at the Flathead High School Black Box Theatre.
The performance was sold out on it’s second night and was packed to the brim on the first. It’s FHS’ first sold out production of the year.
Trap, written by screenplay writer Stephen Gregg, takes the shape of a documentary interviewing many different people that experienced a theater performance that resulted in the entire occupancy of the theater, called the Oak Box, to pass out into a death-equivalent state. The performance followed these interviews the whole way through, slowing leading up to the grand finale that is meant to terrify the audience. The show even incorporated a fake ending.
The finale itself revealed that the performance was all just a “trap” to kill the audience and repeat the events at the fictional Oak Box Theatre. The performance invited various other people from the Flathead Valley, from FHS graduates like Dade Wendt to junior Shelbie Guckenburg’s mom and many in between to add to the reality of the proclaimed Trap by standing up and joining the actors in the thrill.
The second performance especially resulted in pandemonium among the theater audience even forcing many to scream in fear.
The next performance, a practical perfect opposite of Trap, is Acting 3’s child friendly Beanie and The Bamboozling Book Machine on January 15 and 16.
FHS third at Great Falls Speech and Debate
FHS third at Great Falls Speech and Debate
JILLIAN WYNNE
of The Flathead Arrow
Flathead High School seniors Julia Wynne and Scott O’Donnell and sophomore Jillian Wynne placed first in their speech and debate events at the Great Falls tournament on Saturday, Dec. 14, to help lead the FHS speech and debate team to a third-place finish at C.M. Russell High School.
The FHS team scored 141 total sweepstake points. Glacier High School was second with 176 points, and Bozeman won with 228.
FHS had fewer people competing in the final rounds, compared to the week before at Glacier High School where FHS won eight of 15 events, which cost them a higher placing.
Julia Wynne had a successful tournament, placing first and second in her events. In Memorized Public Address, Wynne was the second seed going into her final round, but she came out on top, winning the event for the second time this season. In her other event, Original Oratory, Wynne was the first seed going into finals, but three judges scored fourth, third, and first in the last round to take second place. She lost the first-place position by only one point.
In the short preparation events, FHS had students claim six placings. O’Donnell placed first in Extemporaneous Speaking, where competitors are given 30 minutes to prepare a seven-minute speech about a question related to current events. He also placed third in Impromptu Speaking, where competitors have three minutes to prepare a five-minute speech on a quotation or political cartoon.
In addition to O’Donnell, senior Sam Wallace placed second in Impromptu, with senior John Shelton placing sixth and sophomore Leah Spangler placing eighth. In Extemporaneous, O’Donnell was joined in the final round by sophomore Scout McMahon, who finished in fourth place.
On the debate side, sophomore Jillian Wynne, went undefeated, winning all 14 ballots in eight rounds of Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Within the topic of whether or not the United States should eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, she earned perfect speaker points on six of 14 ballots.
Juniors Ben Davidson and Alan Taylor placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in Lincoln-Douglas. Three FHS policy teams placed in the top eight, finishing fifth and seventh in Varsity Policy, and fifth in Novice Policy.
The FHS speech and debate team will compete next in Spokane on January 10 and 11 at Gonzaga University.
Extemporaneous Speaking 1. Scott O’Donnell 4. Scout McMahon
Impromptu Speaking 2. Sam Wallace 3. Scott O’Donnell 6. John Shelton 8. Leah Spangler
Informative Speaking 2. Bohdi Hollman 4. John Shelton
Original Oratory 2. Julia Wynne 4. Carson Robison 5. Sarabeth Rogge
Memorized Public Address 1. Julia Wynne 7. Anna Christenson
Program Oral Interpretation 3. Sarabeth Rogge
Humorous Interpretation 3. Jonah Love 7. Jasmine Anderson
Varsity Policy Debate 5. Braden Anderson and Lucas Coulter 7. Isiah Owens and Evan Sevaly
Novice Policy Debate 5. Lander Busse and Andrew Gapp
Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate1. Jillian Wynne 5. Ben Davidson 6. Alan Taylor
Public Forum 7. Adam Bigley and Simon Lamm
Legislative Debate 4. Kianna Storm 6. Kelvin Dixon
Impromptu Speaking 2. Sam Wallace 3. Scott O’Donnell 6. John Shelton 8. Leah Spangler
Informative Speaking 2. Bohdi Hollman 4. John Shelton
Original Oratory 2. Julia Wynne 4. Carson Robison 5. Sarabeth Rogge
Memorized Public Address 1. Julia Wynne 7. Anna Christenson
Program Oral Interpretation 3. Sarabeth Rogge
Humorous Interpretation 3. Jonah Love 7. Jasmine Anderson
Varsity Policy Debate 5. Braden Anderson and Lucas Coulter 7. Isiah Owens and Evan Sevaly
Novice Policy Debate 5. Lander Busse and Andrew Gapp
Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate1. Jillian Wynne 5. Ben Davidson 6. Alan Taylor
Public Forum 7. Adam Bigley and Simon Lamm
Legislative Debate 4. Kianna Storm 6. Kelvin Dixon
S&D: Flathead wins regional tourney at Glacier
S&D: Flathead wins regional tourney at Glacier
JILLIAN WYNNE
of The Flathead Arrow
Flathead High School speech and debate competitors won eight out of 15 events on Saturday, Dec. 7, to win first place at the Western Regional Tournament at Glacier High School.
FHS scored a total of 235 points, beating Glacier by 36 points. FHS had five speech and three debate champions. In total, Flathead won 32 total placings between speech and debate.
In Original Oratory, FHS students filled the first four slots. Seniors Julia Wynne and Sarabeth Rogge placed first and third, respectively, with juniors Carson Robison and Anna Christenson placing second and fourth, respectively.
Wynne, who won last season’s state tournament in Oratory, was the highest scorer from FHS, individually winning 20 sweepstake points. Wynne competed in two events, winning both Oratory, where she gave a 10-minute persuasive speech, and Memorized Public Address, where she presented and analyzed a rendition of David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech called “This Is Water.”
At the last tournament in Missoula, Wynne placed fourth in Oratory and fifth in Memorized Public Address.
“I was unhappy with my placings in Missoula,” Wynne said. “But, it was early in the season, so I hadn’t really fine tuned my speeches.”
This time around, Wynne was the first seed going into both of her events before finals. Then, she got the highest ranking on four out of six ballots in the final rounds.
According to Wynne, one of the dangers in giving a memorized speech is that everything can sound too rehearsed.
“I wanted to do well at Glacier, so I worked on adding more emotion and making it feel more raw,” Wynne said.
Also in the memorized category, senior Bohdi Hollman placed first in Informative Speaking, where competitors give a 10-minute self-authored speech that is meant to inform an audience about a chosen topic. Hollman was joined in the final round by FHS freshman Emily Mitchell, who placed eighth.
Senior Scott O’Donnell placed first in Extemporaneous Speaking, a category in which competitors are given 30 minutes to prepare a seven-minute speech about a national or foreign current event. O’Donnell also placed second in Impromptu Speaking, where students have three minutes to prepare a five-minute speech about a quotation or political cartoon. In addition to O’Donnell, three other FHS students placed in the top eight in both of these events: senior Sam Wallace, and sophomores Leah Spangler and Scout McMahon.
Junior Carson Robison placed first in Program Oral Interpretation, where competitors deliver a 10-minute compilation of prose, poetry, and drama in order to develop a theme or argument. Robison, who is a defending state champion in the event, won with a speech focused on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Senior Sarabeth Rogge came in second with a speech about stalking.
In the other interpretation events, senior Jonah Love and sophomore Sophia Dykhuizen placed fourth and junior Hannah Greene and sophomore Aiden Christy placed fifth in Duo while Love took second and Jasmine Anderson earned third in Humorous.
On the debate side, sophomore Jillian Wynne took first place in Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate, scoring 15 sweepstake points for Flathead. It was the first tournament with the new debate topic about subsidies for fossil fuels.
Wynne said that her team worked really hard to be knowledgeable about the economic side of the topic, and it paid off in the end.
Five out of the six members on the FHS Lincoln Douglas squad placed in the top eight, claiming 57 sweepstake points. Juniors Alan Taylor and Eva Bruce took second and third place, respectively, in the varsity category. In Novice Lincoln Douglas, which is for first-year debaters, junior Ben Davidson took first place, while freshman Gabe Reddish took fourth.
Senior Kianna Storm won Legislative Debate, where students debate a domestic and international topic in a congressional format.
“It was very surprising, but also very validating, because I’ve put so much time into speech and debate,” Storm said.
For this tournament, the two topics were about Saudi Arabia and election reform.
“I had more understanding because we had election reform last year as a topic,” Storm said. “And, I had a lot of helpful resources when trying to learn about Saudi Arabia.”
In the partner event Policy Debate, juniors Braden Anderson and Daniel Edelen placed fourth in the varsity division, where they debated international arms sales.
“It’s very hard to explain in a short debate round,” Anderson said. “Since arms sales go through a government apparatus, the whole thing is very complicated.”
The two Novice Policy teams from Flathead placed third and fourth.
The team will be competing next on Dec. 13 and 14 at C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls.
Varsity Policy Debate 4. Braden Anderson and Daniel Edelen
Novice Policy Debate 3. Lander Busse and Andrew Gapp4. Robert Corbett and Mitchell Johnson
Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate 1. Jillian Wynne 2. Alan Taylor 3. Eva Bruce
Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate 1. Ben Davidson 4. Gabe Reddish
Legislative Debate 1. Kianna Storm
Extemporaneous Speaking 1. Scott O’Donnell 5. Sam Wallace 6. Scout McMahon 8. Leah Spangler
Impromptu Speaking 2. Scott O’Donnell 3. Sam Wallace 5. Scout McMahon 6. Leah Spangler
Informative Speaking 1. Bohdi Hollman 8. Emily Mitchell
Original Oratory 1. Julia Wynne 2. Carson Robison 3. Sarabeth Rogge 4. Anna Christenson
Memorized Public Address 1. Julia Wynne2. Anna Christensen
Program Oral Interpretation 1. Carson Robison 2. Sarabeth Rogge 7. Sophia Dykhuizen
Duo Interpretation 4. Aiden Christy and Hannah Greene 5. Jonah Love and Sophia Dykhuizen
Humorous Interpretation 2. Jonah Love 3. Jasmine Anderson
Novice Policy Debate 3. Lander Busse and Andrew Gapp4. Robert Corbett and Mitchell Johnson
Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate 1. Jillian Wynne 2. Alan Taylor 3. Eva Bruce
Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate 1. Ben Davidson 4. Gabe Reddish
Legislative Debate 1. Kianna Storm
Extemporaneous Speaking 1. Scott O’Donnell 5. Sam Wallace 6. Scout McMahon 8. Leah Spangler
Impromptu Speaking 2. Scott O’Donnell 3. Sam Wallace 5. Scout McMahon 6. Leah Spangler
Informative Speaking 1. Bohdi Hollman 8. Emily Mitchell
Original Oratory 1. Julia Wynne 2. Carson Robison 3. Sarabeth Rogge 4. Anna Christenson
Memorized Public Address 1. Julia Wynne2. Anna Christensen
Program Oral Interpretation 1. Carson Robison 2. Sarabeth Rogge 7. Sophia Dykhuizen
Duo Interpretation 4. Aiden Christy and Hannah Greene 5. Jonah Love and Sophia Dykhuizen
Humorous Interpretation 2. Jonah Love 3. Jasmine Anderson
Flathead Choir gets into holiday spirit
Flathead Choir gets into holiday spirit
Daniel Edelen
of The Flathead Arrow
Christmas music and cheer filled the Flathead High School auditorium when the choir started singing to a full audience on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
The event called in the entirety of Flathead’s Choir classes on the morning of the 10th and kept them until 9:00 PM of the same day.
When the crowd started piling into the auditorium they were greeted with Mr. Steve
Eckels playing Christmas music on the guitar as they got themselves seated.
The performance kicked off with the entire FHS Choir singing the all-time Christmas classic, Carol of the Bells which led into Ding, Dong Merrily on High. Then the Combined Women’s Choir started singing Welcome, Christmas along with a narration of the book, How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss to lead into the song. Next was the Combined Men who sang a spanish carol, A La Nanita Nana which led up to Varsity Women’s Choir singing Amid The Falling Snow.
The Choral-Aires came in after the Varsity Women’s Choir and sang several songs, Here
We Come a Caroling, Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming, Little Drummer Boy, and finally they finished with Santa Baby.
After the Choral-Aires the Concert Choir joined in and sang Gloria, Winter Lullaby, and Children, Go Where I Send Thee, respectively. Finally, the entire combined choir came back out and finished with Dashing Through the Snow and Peace, Peace.
“Here we come a caroling was my favorite in Choral-Aires,” senior Emme Schow said, giving some insight into the process leading to the concert. “There are really tight harmonies [in it]. It’s a very uplifting, bouncy piece and it was a lot of fun… [With] Gloria, we struggled with it quite a bit since the beginning of the year and then in the last two weeks of rehearsals it all sort of clicked and we all just would have a great time up there. Once we were able to embrace the syncopation we would just like jam out in rehearsals and it was great.”
The two performances that fell back to back both effectively filled the FHS Auditorium and it’s new seats that were put in last year.
During the Choral-Aires’ Little Drummer Boy, junior Carl Bell was featured beatboxing while the choir sang. Bell received a large amount of popularity after the performance, too much in his opinion.
“Don’t ask me about beatboxing,” Bell said, “Ask me about anything else but beatboxing. How’s my dog, how’s my cat? I don’t have a cat, or a dog. So come up with something other than beatboxing.”
One student in the Varsity Women’s Choir, sophomore Kaeton Larson, soloed in Amid the Falling Snow.
“It was really nerve wracking cause I kind of have stage fright,” Larson said. “But it was okay because it was dark, I couldn’t really see anybody… I’ve tried out for every solo my schools have ever had, this is the first one I’ve gotten.”
While the singing was the main event, the concert was enhanced due to the small cast of instruments present for several songs. Carol of the Bells and Ding Dong Merrily on High had junior Parker Stocklin on chimes, A La Nanita Nana had junior Mark Enierga and sophomore Ashlynn Briney on violin, Gloria had senior Ashton Folkman and Stocklin, and Peace, Peace had Schow on the harp.
“[I played] the chimes,” Stocklin said. “So if you’ve heard bells in a choir or concert or anything and you think they’re bells they’re actually probably chimes… I played a djembe, which is an african drum made out of hide and sometimes wood. I played a bass part so I was hitting the middle which made a bass sound… [I preferred] the chimes cause I like mallets.”
“I’ve played Peace, Peace for the Christmas Choir Concert for the past four years now so it’s one of my favorite pieces to play,” Schow said. She has played the harp at many events outside of school as well.
Leaders of Tomorrow students learn about community outreach
Leaders of Tomorrow students learn about community outreach
ELLY SCHAEFER
of The Flathead Arrow
Twelve Flathead High School students in the Leaders of Tomorrow program had an emotionally busy and educational day on Wednesday, Dec. 4, while visiting eight different community outreach organizations in Kalispell.
The Leaders of Tomorrow is a program through the United Way and the local chapter is made up of high school juniors and seniors from around the Flathead Valley. They meet once a month and visit different career opportunities in the Flathead Valley, which includes tours, panels, and demonstrations in areas such as government, arts and culture, business and industry, civic and volunteer activities, law enforcement, and healthcare.
In October, they visited the Kalispell Regional Medical Center hospital and different healthcare facilities. In November, the students visited the different disaster and emergency services. And in December, they visited different community outreach programs in Kalispell.
Specifically in December, the students visited, toured, and talked with professionals at the Food Bank, Samaritan House, Veterans Center, Head Start, Flathead Valley Youth Home, Sparrows Nest, Job Service, and the Salvation Army.
“Everywhere we went gave us a lot of insight on different careers and ways we can help the community,” junior Brooke Williams said. “I knew there were many people struggling in our valley, but I didn’t know about all the options that there are for them.”
At the Food Bank, students got a tour of the space and learned about what the Food Bank does. Students learned that the Food Bank feeds around 500 families each week, that people can only shop there once a week, and that the food is supplied by donations and the government. The food bank always needs volunteers.
Students got a tour of the Samaritan House, which is the homeless shelter in Kalispell, and got to hear from the person who runs the shelter.
Students then went to Walmart to buy Christmas gifts for a family that is sponsored by the Salvation Army. The students split up into groups of four, and each group bought gifts for all the members of the family.
“Every single place we went, we saw how the people that surround us every single day live and struggle, and yet none of the places that we went were a place of sadness or awkwardness,” junior Faith Cheff said. “They were a place where hope is found for everyone that walks through the door.”
At the Veterans Center/Food Pantry, students heard from the owner, the man that started the organization, and they heard about his own experience, as a veteran, and why he started the business. The organization provides veterans with food, find them somewhere to live, and furnish their homes.
At Head Start, students got to play with preschoolers and do fun activities with them. Head Start loves volunteers.
“I would love to volunteer at Head Start,'' Williams said. “Our time there was a lot of fun.”
Cheff agreed.
“My favorite part was Head Start, and getting to see and play with all the preschoolers,” Cheff said. “I loved seeing the admiration they had when we talked to them and took our time to play with them. It made them feel really special. I would love to volunteer there and take time to get to know each of the preschooler’s personalities and joys.”
At the Flathead Valley Youth Home, a homeless shelter for kids aged 10-18, students got a tour of the house and learned more about the organization, and what they do. The house has eight rooms available, and currently six of those rooms are being used. Students learned that the average age of the kids that stay there is 15. The kids are usually dealing with some type of substance abuse, and don’t have a stable home or parents that can take care of or support them. The kids usually stay at the house for about a month.
The Sparrows Nest is another homeless shelter in Kalispell for kids aged 14-19. This home is more permanent, and is not for anyone dealing with substance abuse. Kids usually stay there while they are trying to get their high school diploma or GED, general education development. They can stay there until they graduate from high school. They are required to maintain good grades. It is strictly for kids who don’t have parents or family that can take care of them.
“I had no idea we had two facilities for teens in our community,” Cheff said.
At the Job Service, students got a presentation from the employees and professionals
Job service helps people with job applications, building a resume, finding a job... all for free.
At the Salvation Army, students got a tour from the manager, and learned about all of the different services that it provides. It provides meals daily for the homeless and provides a hot shower and washer and dryer that they can use as well.
“I was very shocked by the amount of people that are struggling throughout our valley,” Cheff said. “Driving around you wouldn’t expect there to be so many, and knowing that we have peers struggling makes me wonder how many people I interact with, without knowing about their situation. You never know what your peers may be going through. So be kind and conscious of what you say and do.”
MUN CONFERENCE: FLATHEAD DELEGATES PLACED IN TOP 10%
MUN CONFERENCE: FLATHEAD DELEGATES PLACED IN TOP 10%
ELLY SCHAEFER
of The Flathead Arrow
Seventeen Flathead High School students placed in the top 10 percent at the Model United Nations conference at the University of Montana in Missoula on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
All told, 12 FHS delegates received 19 awards.
Over 270 high school students from 15 schools across Montana participated in conference on Nov. 25 and 26. The student delegates represented United Nation member countries, and debated, negotiated, caucused, and drafted resolution papers that addressed world problems.
Schools and delegates were judged based on their overall preparedness and participation.
Flathead represented the United Kingdom, Australia, Chile, Mayanmar, and Switzerland.
“The conference overall was good,” senior Victoria White said. “Everyone who had done it before improved. And everyone who was doing it for the first time, all wanted to go again next year.
“The conference, unfortunately, can have connotations of a way of getting out of school for other schools. Flathead has always taken it seriously. But Glacier this year participated to get out of school. It was really disappointing because they represented the United States, one of the major powers that should always have a loud voice in the committees. It was easy to tell which students were more prepared and going into it with a plan, compared to the students that were simply winging it.”
FHS seniors Scott O’Donnell and White were both offered $1,000 scholarships to the University of Montana.
“It was definitely something that made me feel like my efforts were rewarded,” White said.
Flathead junior Eva Bruce placed in the top 1 percent and received outstanding designations for her position paper on youth, peace, and security, as well as for her participation in the United Kingdom’s United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) committee.
“I thought that the conference was really fun,” Bruce said. “I really liked the committee that I was in and I cared about the issues, which really made it engaging and rewarding.”
The General Assembly First Committee represented the topic “Nuclear disarmament and international security; international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.” In this committee, O’Donnell represented the United Kingdom and received the Outstanding Delegate award and placed in the top 1-2 percent. Sophomore Scout McMahon represented Myanmar and junior Braden Anderson represented Chile and both received the Distinguished Delegate award and placed in the top 10 percent.
The General Assembly Second Committee represented the topic “Facilitating knowledge transfer for sustainable development; ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.” In this committee, sophomore Leah Spangler represented Switzerland and White, who represented the UK, both received the Distinguished Delegate award and placed in the top 10 percent. Junior Jack Gannon represented Australia and received the Honorable Delegate award and placed in the top 20 percent.
The General Assembly Third Committee represented the topic “Inclusive development for persons with disabilities; combating human trafficking.” In this committee, junior Lydia Wood and junior Anna Christensen, who represented Myanmar, both received the Honorable Delegate award and placed in the top 20 percent.
The United Nations Children’s Fund represented the topic “Eliminating violence against children and youth; protection and inclusion of children with disabilities.” In this committee, Bruce represented the UK and received the Outstanding Delegate award and placed in the top 1-2 percent and senior Natasha Gesker, who represented Switzerland, received the Honorable Delegate award and placed in the top 20 percent.
The Security Council represented the topic “Youth, peace, and security; threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.” In this committee, Bruce received an award for her outstanding position paper and placed in the top 1-2 percent, Gesker, O’Donnell, and Christensen all received awards for their distinguished position papers and placed in the top 10 percent, O’Donnell and White placed in the top five seniors, senior Aria Scovel (UK), Gesker, and Samantha Wallace (Switzerland) placed in the top 20 seniors.
FHS social studies teacher Mrs. Lauren Gustafson normally advises the school’s MUN program, but she is on maternity leave. So, social studies teacher Mrs. Melanie Dardis advised the group at school, but couldn’t make the conference. So social studies teacher Mr. Sean O’Donnell and English teacher Mrs. Shannon O’Donnell travelled with Flathead’s delegation.
“It wasn’t the same without Mrs. Gustufson and we all missed her a lot, but we were all incredibly grateful that Mr. and Mrs. O helped us compete this year,” White said.
Overall, the conference went well.
“I think the results were pretty typical, compared to the other I went,” Bruce said. Flathead did really well, along with Missoula schools for the bigger teams, which was fairly expected. Although we didn’t win the highest award (unlike last year) I still thought that we did very well.”
S&D: Flathead second at the kalispell kickoff
S&D: Flathead second at the kalispell kickoff
JILLIAN WYNNE
of The Flathead Arrow
Flathead High School speech and debate competitors kicked off the 2019-20 season by claiming over 30 placings and winning four events on Saturday, Nov. 2, to help the FHS team place second at the Kalispell Kickoff tournament at FHS.
In a close shootout, defending state champion Glacier High School beat Flathead, 199.5-188.5. Missoula Sentinel took third with 140.5 points.
FHS students won the top four placings in the event Original Oratory, where competitors deliver a 10-minute memorized persuasive speech. Senior Julia Wynne earned first place. Wynne is a returning state champion and two-time national qualifier in the event. Last season, Wynne spoke about lookism, social beauty bias.
“I can’t find a topic that I’m more passionate about,” Wynne said, looking back on last year.
This season, Wynne’s speech is about the new generation’s lack of resiliency.
“It’s not controversial,” she said. “It’s just an issue we like to ignore, and it’s becoming more prevalent.”
In her speech, Wynne talks about women who have to walk miles for water and girls who are sold into marriage. She then compares it to American teens who complain about having to read two chapters of a book for school.
“Teens in America have it so much easier than other people in the world,” she said. “I tell the audience that the buttercups of America need to suck it up. That’s pretty fun to say.”
In addition to winning Oratory, Wynne placed second in Memorized Public Address, where competitors present and analyze a speech that was given in an audience-speaker setting. Wynne delivered a rendition of author David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech at Ohio’s Kenyon College called “This Is Water,” about freedom in life after education.
Wynne was joined in the final round for MPA by junior Anna Christensen and seniors Jack Byrne and Derrick Neater.
In the short preparation category, where competitors are given limited time to prepare a speech, senior Scott O’Donnell won Impromptu Speaking and placed second in Extemporaneous Speaking. FHS students claimed nine placings in these two categories.
Senior John Shelton won Informative Speaking, where he placed third last year at state with a hilariously-unique speech centered around a fraudulent goat-gland doctor. Informative Speaking entails giving a 10-minute memorized speech with visual aids; the speech is meant to educate an audience--not persuade. His topic this year is on uncommon animals used in warfare.
Shelton also placed fourth in Impromptu Speaking, where a student is given three minutes to prepare a five-minute speech about a quotation or political cartoon. Shelton returns as defending state champion in Impromptu.
On the debate side, junior Braden Anderson and his partner senior Lucas Coulter won Varsity Policy Debate. Competitors debate the same topic all year. Last season focused on immigration reform; now, the topic is about international arms sales.
“There are a lot less preconceived notions about this topic compared to last year,” Anderson. “But there is less information available. And we have to fucus a lot more on international issues. Last year, our impacts were mainly about the United States.”
The FHS team is competing next in Missoula on Nov. 15 and 16.
Extemporaneous Speaking2. Scott O’Donnell 3. Scout McMahon 6. Rylin Wilde 7. Simon Lamm
Impromptu Speaking 1. Scott O’Donell 2. Samanth Wallace 4. John Shelton 5. Scout McMahon8. Justin Turner
Original Oratory 1. Julia Wynne 2. Anna Christensen 3. Sarabeth Rogge 4. Carson Robison
Informative Speaking 1. John Shelton 5. Colter Giardot 8. Neila Lyngholm
Memorized Public Address 2. Julia Wynne 4. Anna Christensen 6. Jack Byrne8. Derrick Neater
Program Oral Interpretation 3. Carson Robison 5. Sarabeth Rogge 6. Sophia Dykhuizen
Duo Interpretation 4. Aiden Christy and Hannah Green 6. James Francis and Kadence Johnson 7. Jasmine Rhubottom and Evan Schow
Humorous Interpretation2. Jasmine Anderson
Dramatic Interpretation 5. Kadence Johnson
Legislative Debate 6. Kelvin Dixon
Varsity Policy 1. Lucas Coulter and Braden Anderson
Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate3. Eva BruceAlan Taylor
Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate3. Ben Davidson
Impromptu Speaking 1. Scott O’Donell 2. Samanth Wallace 4. John Shelton 5. Scout McMahon8. Justin Turner
Original Oratory 1. Julia Wynne 2. Anna Christensen 3. Sarabeth Rogge 4. Carson Robison
Informative Speaking 1. John Shelton 5. Colter Giardot 8. Neila Lyngholm
Memorized Public Address 2. Julia Wynne 4. Anna Christensen 6. Jack Byrne8. Derrick Neater
Program Oral Interpretation 3. Carson Robison 5. Sarabeth Rogge 6. Sophia Dykhuizen
Duo Interpretation 4. Aiden Christy and Hannah Green 6. James Francis and Kadence Johnson 7. Jasmine Rhubottom and Evan Schow
Humorous Interpretation2. Jasmine Anderson
Dramatic Interpretation 5. Kadence Johnson
Legislative Debate 6. Kelvin Dixon
Varsity Policy 1. Lucas Coulter and Braden Anderson
Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate3. Eva BruceAlan Taylor
Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate3. Ben Davidson
fhs cheerleaders win uca competition
fhs cheerleaders win uca competition
KAYLEE MANLEY
of The Flathead Arrow
Flathead High School cheerleaders won first place in Game Day Performance at the Universal Cheerleading Association camp at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., on Sunday, July 18.
The team of 17 cheerleaders also earned third place in Rally Routine during the four-day camp from Thursday, July 15, to Sunday, July 18. On the last day, they also won the coveted Banana Award, given to the team that did the best in cheering load, being sharp, being on time, having perfect counts, and stunting.
“You can earn the banana everyday if you do well,” sophomore Bella Blalock said. “But if you get it in the end, you get to take it home and show it off. The banana is even in our trophy case with Polson cheerleaders’ names on it because we were the only two cheer teams from Montana that went.”
The team competed against eight other cheer teams and learning new stunts, cheers, and dance routines.
“My favorite memory was definitely on the last day when we hit our routine,” junior Alyssa Cadwalader said. “Nothing compares to the feeling you get when you accomplished something you worked so hard for.”
One of the biggest things Cadwalader learned is that cheerleaders are more than just people who show up to the games and cheer for their teams. They are essentially ambassadors of the school, meaning that they should always display a good look on the school and themselves in a good manner, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The girls were also able to have fun and bond with their own team while learning new things together
“Eating dinner and spending time with the team was a blast,” sophomore Rylee Bernier said. “I learned a lot of new stunting and flying skills.”
Throughout this event, the cheerleaders learned the importance of teamwork and good attitudes.
“Overall, the most important thing that I learned was teamwork,” sophomore Kennedy Postovit said. “I learned that being positive and kind within the team during stressful situations is very important for success.”
LEADERS OF TOMORROW VIsit medical facilities
LEADERS OF TOMORROW VIsit medical facilities
ELLY SCHAEFER
of The Flathead Arrow
Twelve Flathead High School students in the Leaders of Tomorrow organization visited three different medical corporations and got to hear from the leaders within those companies on Wednesday, Oct. 2, throughout Kalispell.
Students toured, visited with professionals, and listened to owners, managers and CEOs of Kalispell Regional Medical Center, Med North, and Flathead Valley Community College for the entire school day.
According to the program’s website, Leaders of Tomorrow is “committed to developing tomorrow’s leaders today.” The program annually has 30 juniors and 30 seniors represented by all the high schools across the Flathead Valley. Students apply for the program when they are a sophomore. They are chosen to be a member of the program based on their interests and involvement in areas of leadership and service. Then, they participate in the program during their junior and senior year.
“The students chosen are highly motivated, want to sharpen their leadership skills, and learn more about their community,” the website reads. “The program is held one day per month to allow students to participate in leadership sessions which include tours, panels and demonstrations in areas such as government, arts and culture, business and industry, civic and volunteer activities, law enforcement, healthcare, and even includes a trip to Helena.”
This year there are 29 juniors being represented from, Flathead, Glacier, Whitefish, Bigfork, and Stillwater. 12 of those students are from Flathead. On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the students visited the different medical corporations in Kalispell, including Med North, KRMC, Montana Childrens, and the nursing and physical therapy programs at FVCC.
At Med North on Oct. 2, students heard from the owner and what it is like owning a private medical center. They got to hear his personal opinion of the medical field and hospitals. He was very honest and gave some really great advice.
“Our presenter at Med North was super honest about the medical field, which I would say was our most educational stop,” junior Marcella Mercer said.
At the hospital, students heard from the hospital CEO, and get some great leadership advice from him. They also heard from the director of the Summit and got to hear his inspirational life story.
“I really liked listening to the director of the Summit Fitness Center,” Mercer said. “His story of how he became interested in fitness for therapeutic/medical uses was fascinating.”
Students also got to see the lab and where medical equipment gets worked on.
“Personally, my favorite part was going down into the lab at Kalispell Regional Medical Center,” Mercer said. “The man who showed us around was very excited about his job which made it fun and interesting. The people in the basement of the hospital who fixed and monitored all the machinery in the building, were really interesting. We got to cut fruit with medical instruments and wear this vibrating vest that is used to clean lungs.”
Lastly, students toured the new Montana Children's center.
“The hospital was surprisingly fun for me,” junior Sydney Loudermilk said. “It was really cool to see the new children’s center and you could tell how much work they put into it.”
Junior Brooke Williams agreed.
“I loved visiting the new part of the children’s hospital,” Williams said. “I think it's great that they no longer have to fly kids out of state to be treated, and that we have more options for them.”
Mercer said she is planning on going into the medical field.
“I really enjoyed our session at the hospital,” Mercer said. “I want to go into the medical field so I was really excited to go on this trip.”
At FVCC, students got a taste of what the nursing program and physical therapy programs are like. They got presentations from some of the teachers and got to see the tools that are used in both of the programs that students use.
“Overall, I thought the trip was really educational, especially for me or others who plan on going into the medical field,” Mercer said.
She-ra visits 2 schools
She-ra visits 2 schools
KAYLEE MANLEY
of The Flathead Arrow
About 113 Flathead High School girls in the She-Ra Club mentored at St. Matthew's Catholic School and Elrod Elementary from Monday, Nov. 4, to Wednesday, Nov. 6.
“The purpose of the mentoring club is to help create leaders in high school girls,” FHS Librarian and She-Ra Adviser Mrs. Aarica Phillips said. “It helps them show compassion for others, and they learn to be good mentors by helping their buddies become better readers.”
She-Ra members usually come together and either make cards or create projects that they complete with their elementary buddies, who are in kindergarten to the fourth grade.
“My favorite part about being in this club is being able to spend time with and mentor kids,” junior Alaina Eunpu said. “When I was in elementary school, I had high schoolers come read to me and I looked up to them so much. Hopefully, by being involved in She-Ra, I can make a difference in a kid’s life. I love the community it brings, and I hope that my involvement will better this club.”
Junior Hayley LaPorta said she joined She-Ra to spend time with children and to see what a teacher's life is like. She-Ra members talk to their buddies about school and each other’s day before discussing what book to read.
“This club is a way that students can experience what it’s like to spend time with kids and help teach them new things,” LaPorta said. “But I would say the main point of She-Ra is to help children build up their knowledge and reading skills.”
Others love the heart-warming experience.
“Honestly, I love working with kids, they are so happy and make my day better,” senior Alyssa Habel said. “I miss class, but it’s always worth it.”
Others like seeing the improvement in reading skills.
“I like seeing my buddies progressing everytime I see her, she seems to read better each time,” junior Gilly Benitz said. “This is my first time and I will for sure do it next year.”
Others joined the club for a sense of community, both with younger-aged kids and peers.
“I joined She-Ra to meet little kids and to make a connection with them, and also being able to meet new people involved in the club,” sophomore Hailey Alvord said.
Students attend annual choir retreat
Students attend annual choir retreat
KAYLEE MANLEY
of The Flathead Arrow
About 70 Flathead High School Concert Choir students went to the annual choir retreat from Friday, Sept. 6, to Sunday. Sept. 8, at Trinity Lutheran Camp on Flathead Lake south of Bigfork.
The three-day event, which was paid for by the choir’s annual fruit sale, allowed students to learn new music and techniques while bonding with each other. They worked on building vocal techniques, sang, studied, listened, learned, played games and went swimming.
Students spent their free time with different games and activities, which were planned and put together by the choir council, which included junior Shaylee Emerson, senior Ashton Folkman, senior Noelle Miller, and senior Ethan Hawkins.
“They (the council) worked really hard on this retreat and it really paid off,” FHS choir teacher Mrs. Jennifer Stephens said.
Mrs. Stephens said that the retreat has been going on for about 20 years, but wasn’t exactly sure.
Senior Shirley Weymouth was a first year student at the retreat enjoyed the experience and said her favorite song to sing was Tres Cantos Nativos.
“It was a cool and difference experience,” Weymouth said. “It was super fun, including a few injuries here and there. Some main things I learned was having more of a sense of unity and getting closer to other students. It was cool how close we got to each other. Although I was new, everyone accepted me into the choir. Overall I had a very good time.”
Senior Caitlynn Myton agreed with Weymouth’s sentiments.
“This is my first year at the retreat,” Myton said. “A good variety of music was given. It was a good showcase to expand our skills. I feel like we grew as a whole. We grew a bond within the entire choir, including new friendships. I learned new techniques to create better sounds while singing. I remember the games and tips and tricks to get a fuller, rounder sound. I would go again next year, but I’m a senior.”
The retreat had two guest teachers called clinicians, Mr. Patrick Ryan from Great Falls High School and Mrs. Lynn Ryan from Great Falls CMR High School. They taught the techniques and music.
“The students were positive and focused,” Mrs. Stephens said. “The clinicians gave us a great start on our music for the year, and the weather was beautiful. Everyone had a great time. The returning seniors did an outstanding job of welcoming the new singers and setting a warm and friendly tone.”
Theater performs Rehearsal for Murder as 1st full show of the year
Theater performs Rehearsal for Murder as 1st full show of the year
Daniel Edelen
of The Flathead Arrow
The year has officially begun in the Flathead High School Theater Department after the performance of the all school production, Rehearsal For Murder, in the David M. Hashley Theatre from Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 24-26.
The performance was an overall hit to the audience. Junior Hailey Byers enjoyed the show.
“Knowing who the killer was, like figuring it out myself [was my favorite part],” Byers said. Byers has seen almost every performance since her freshman year.
Junior Liam Stoddard is another active attendee of Flathead High School’s theater performances.
“My favorite part of the play was most definitely the reveal of who killed Monica,” Stoddard said. ”The scene was rather intense.”
The show, directed by Mrs. Bethany Shehan and Mrs. Patty Hodges, was hosted in Flathead’s black box theater for two nights after school and once during the weekend.
Rehearsal For Murder was a play about another play and followed a playwright by the name of Alex Dennison, played by junior Daniel Edelen, who had just come out of hiding a year after the alleged suicide of his fiance and famous Broadway actress, Monica Welles, who was played by junior Lydia Wood.
Alex invited five of his Broadway friends to a “reunion”. Senior Emme Schow played the part of Bella Lamb, a Broadway producer. Senior Thomas Schultz played the part of Lloyd Andrews, a director. Junior Sean Struble played Leo Gibbs, an actor. Sophomore Kadence Johnson played Karen Daniels an aspiring actress. And junior Alan Taylor played David Matthews, another actor.
Alex, accompanied by his secretary, Sally Bean, played by junior Faith Cheff, revealed to his coworkers that he was actually trying to find out who killed Monica. Later on, after Alex went through possible motives of his friends, it was revealed that the officer, named Frank Heller, played by junior Carl Bell, who had been holding everyone hostage in the theater was actually an actor hired by Alex. After more accusations ensue and tensions rise, it was exposed that the entire performance was just a hoax to expose Frank as the true killer.
“Listen Frank, nothing here today was real,” Edelen said in the role of Alex Dennison. “Nothing. The arguments, the scenes we played, they all came out of my typewriter, with a little improvisation from my friends.”
The play ends with Frank being arrested and justice was served. Alex and his fiance both finally rest.
The other cast members included Lieutenant McElroy, played by senior Michael Kelley. Loretta was played by junior Rylee Burkhart. Mr. Santoro was played by sophomore Christopher Emerson. And the two police officers were played by freshmen Cassandra Cattron and Connor Adcox.
Flathead Cheerleaders perform at crosstown football
Flathead Cheerleaders perform at crosstown football
KAYLEE MANLEY
of The Flathead Arrow
The Flathead High School cheerleaders performed their halftime show during the football game against Glacier High School at Legends Stadium on Tuesday Oct. 8.
27 cheerleaders participated in the halftime show, which was performed to the song Temperature by Sean Paul. The performance was half dance moves and half cheerleading stunts.
“I liked the dance moves because I grew up dancing so I definitely enjoyed it more.” said senior Krystal Gilliam.
The first of 6 stunts was one of the cheerleaders’ favorites.
It had cheerleaders lined up in a long straight line across the field, flipping girls in a ripple.
“This stunt was very fun to do, it was something new and flashy compared to what we would usually do in performances.” said senior Kaylee Manley.
This then moved on to the second stunt, where cheerleaders grouped up in a large circle and made five half stunts, which is when two bases (cheerleaders) hold a flyer (another cheerleader) up at chest level with a back (another cheerleader) positioned behind the other three and held the flyers ankles with the bases. Then, the five half groups walked in a circle and then broke the circle and formed a straight line, with the girls still in the air. They dismounted the flyers with a stunt known as the “pancake,” where the flyer snaps her upper body forward, parallel to her legs and held on to them, then came down still folded into the bases’ arms.
“The circle stunt was my favorite, it looked really cool and was very fun to perform.” said junior Makayla Mcpherson.
The second part of that first stunt, which was called “star basket,” was performed right after the first. Three stunt groups went up closer to the audience and threw the flyer into the air, catching her on her back as she held her legs up to her chest. Then, the bases immediately threw the flyer into the air by the stunt group, quickly catching her feet as she stands up back into a half stunt.
“This was the hardest four person stunt I’ve done without spots, but my group hit it and that's all that matters.” said sophomore Bella Blalock.
After star baskets, the cheerleaders quickly went into formation for their first dance.
“I think everything went really well both stunts and dances, knowing we put in a lot of hard work. I feel like we all bonded together as a team and created a very successful performance.” said senior Sadee King.
Concert Choir attends class aa festival
Concert Choir attends class aa festival
KAYLEE MANLEY
of The Flathead Arrow
About 70 Flathead High School concert choir students took off two school days to practice new songs for the AA festival at Glacier High School on Monday, Nov. 12, and Tuesday, Nov. 13.
Kalispell’s two Class AA schools combined together for about 16 hours of work and practice and performed five songs on Tuesday evening.
“My overall experience was fun, but I’m glad I don’t have to do it again,” senior Alyssa Habel said. “The most challenging thing was trying to stay awake after rehearsing all day for two days straight. It was actually super fun to learn and sing with new people. We live in the same town but go to a different school, so it’s a way to unite.”
Songs performed by the FHS choir were Your Soul Is Song, Benedictus Sit Deus, I Am The Storm (performed by the men in the FHS and GHS concert choirs), Come To Shore (performed by the women in the FHS and GHS concert choirs), Gamaya, Gloria, and Norwegian Alleluia, and Ukuthula. Two seperate songs were performed by the GHS choir.
“It was difficult singing all day long and learning the songs that quickly,” junior Emma Hawkins said. “They (the GHS students) were all really nice and it was all really nice singing with a bigger choir. It was really tiring, but in the end it was really good.”
Students learned new techniques for practicing, like solfege. According to musictheorytutor.org, solfege is an educational system where every note of a scale is given its own unique syllable, which is used to sing that note every time it appears.
“I learned that our voices aren't like pianos or other instruments,” Habel said. “We have nothing to tune with, so we have to use this thing called solfege.”
Many students enjoyed learning the new technique to tune their voices.
“I learned how helpful it is to solfege our songs,” said Hawkins, whose favorite piece to sing was Ukuthula.
While the two-day event was challenging and tiring, most students took positives away from it.
“It was challenging and changed me for the better,” senior Caitlynn Myton said. “I was taught new ways to learn a piece of music. I liked it a lot. I got to meet new people that have the same interests as me.”
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