Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Jazzin' It Up!

Jazzin' It Up! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.


Did you get the chance to go to the Harlan Jazz Concert on Tuesday, November 24th? You didn't?! Then have we got good news for you! We recorded the high school portion of the concert for you to enjoy! You're welcome. You can see the Harlan Jazz Ensemble and the Harlan Jazz Experience featuring vocalist Bob Fields and alto sax player Dave Camwell! Enjoy!

Wrestling Preview

A preview on the upcoming wrestling season.

HCHS Wrestling Preview from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Cyclone's State Champs

preview of the state game

Cyclone's State Champs from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

New Moon Madness

New Moon Madness! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.



Tara nd RJ show you all the madness and hype behind the popular "Twilight" series. We interview a Hot Topic employee about the hype, ask several HCHS students and teachers if they are "Team Jacob" or "Team Edward", and show you all the "New Moon" merchandise out there.

2009 All State Music Festival

This is an informational video on the 2009 Iowa All State Music Festival, brought to you by Alex and Joe. If you're wondering what the festival is, how you get there, and who all qualified in our school, you're in the right place. Enjoy!

All State Music Festival 2009 from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

HCHS News Podcast #17

This podcast is brought to you by Danielle and Kelsey. Enjoy!!




Download Here!


Subscribe to the HCHS News Podcast on iTunes:

HCHS News Podcast iTunes Page

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

So Fresh and So Clean

So Fresh And So Clean from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

HCHS football team tradition of crazy haircuts. It also includes an interview with the lady that cut their hair. Please watch, you will enjoy.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Generation Disrespex by Joe Schmitz



As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches I would like to point out the lack of thanks in most kids today. The majority of children; from elementary school, to even college students; have a large disregard for the things they are given. I have seen first hand how kids take everything for granted. They have this inexplicable feeling of entitlement. They feel everything needs to be handed to them, thats what their parents teach them and thats what they are used to. Parents today bathe their children with trinkets and other unnecessary items because if they don’t they have to deal with whining. Parents ruin their children by giving everything thing they want and little of what they need. Children today need a better feeling for respect. Most of them have no respect for their elders. They say what they want, and do what they want; if not, they throw a tantrum. Parents spoil their children and smother to the point where the kids believe they just have a right to everything. By always telling children that every little mistake you make is okay, you condone the consensus that no mater what you do, you’ll get another chance. If kids are allowed to repeat their mistakes or wrongs without reprimand it babies them into a sense of naive disrespect. Adults leave no punishment to their young when they disrespect other, so it carries on to when they are older. They keep doing what they want and completely ignoring the fact that what they do and say are out of line. If more parents would step and bring consequences upon their children when they are disrespectful, I believe, that todays generation would be much harder working and caring. Parents are there to ensure their children grow up to be respectful productive citizens, not to be their friends.

Thinking Thanksgiving

Thinking Thanksgiving from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.


We know everyone is excited being out of school for Thanksgiving break, but what is Thanksgiving really about? Watch this video to learn some Thanksgiving trivia, hear what some students are thankful for, and meet the Thanksgiving guru!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

HCHS News Podcast #16

This podcast is brought to you by RJ and Tara. Enjoy!!



Download Here!


Subscribe to the HCHS News Podcast on iTunes:

HCHS News Podcast iTunes Page

Friday, November 20, 2009

Third Time's a Charm

After the last two years being upset in the third round play-offs by the Heelan Crusaders, the Harlan Cyclones have made it to the Uni-Dome. After beating Heelan in the third round play-off game, Harlan students ran out onto the field to congratulate the Cyclones on their victory because they now know that this means the trip to the Uni-Dome has finally arrived. “Why is it such a big deal to go the Uni-Dome,” you might ask. Well, the first trip to the dome is semi-finals in the championship, which was played against Carroll last Monday. Upon winning that game, Harlan will be making their second trip to the dome tomorrow to play Pella in the finals. If we win that game, we’ll be declared Sate Champions!

Earlier today, the Cyclone boys got a send-off assembly in the gym as a farewell and good luck kind of thing. They left today to go practice at the ISU campus to prepare themselves for tomorrow’s game. They will practice, eat, relax, and head out for the dome around nine o’clock tomorrow morning. The pep-bus will leave Harlan around 11:15-11:30 to go to the dome. The team has worked very hard all season to get to this point, and want to come out on top with the championship. If we don’t come out with the win, we should still all be grateful that we made it that far, and keep a good positive attitude.

In conclusion, based on our record and the determination of our young Cyclones, I strongly believe that this game will be a win for us. Again, if it’s not, I will still be happy that they made it this far. I know I’ll be going to cheer them on, will you? It’s said that Pella’s defensive line is pretty big, but I think that won’t slow us down much at all. They have a record of 10-3 going against our record of 13-0, so let’s hope we can make that, Pella, 10-4 and Harlan, 14-0 State Champions! Who do you think will come out with the overall victory?

Harlan Highschool Traditions by Dylan Garrison

So this year all the football players took part in “no shave November.” From the name you can already tell what it means. The football players do not shave their facial hair at all. There have been many upset girlfriends with this tradition. Once we make it to the dome all the football players get crazy haircuts, that is one of the Harlan cyclone traditions.
Many of the football players got their haircuts on Wednesday. Some of them were really funny, like Derrick Schwartz. His haircut had some sunglasses and a handlebar mustache so when he turned around I thought it was someone looking at me. Marcus Streit also had a weird hair do. He shaved half of his head and face, eyebrow and all.
Brian Kloewer “right” got a Michael Jordan sign shaved on top of his head.
Mark Langenfeld got pink dread locks in his hair that looks pretty good.
Another tradition is the skits that the teachers do on the send off. This has been going on for many years. You would have to ask Mrs. Kluver about how long this has been going on.
I thought the skit was pretty good with Mr. Bladt dressed up like a woman and all. All of the teachers rhymes were really good that they made up about the players, specially Brian Kloewer’s.

Teenage Drinking-----by Jake


There is a lot of peer pressure when it comes to under aged drinking. Yeah other kids might make fun of you because its ’’cool’’ to drink under age but just don’t listen to them. They will find out how fun it is when they get caught. Going to the cop shop, getting a MIP, and having to go to a drinking class.
One of the leading causes that makes kids drink is there parents. They think that if my parents can do it then I can to but, you still can’t. Its still against the law. So if the kids have parents that drink it will probably make it easier to find and get alcohol. Kids that drink at a young age are more likely to end up as alcoholics. Some kids drink just to have fun, but others do it to take there mind off of things.
Alcohol is a drug that targets the central nervous system that relieves tension and depression in your body.
Parents need to talk to their and set a good example for them. You have to tell them clearly that it isn’t right to do.

T.I.'s Road to Redemption By: Tony Fitz



T.I.’s Road to Redemption

During February 10, 2009, a new show premiered called T.I.’s Road to Redemption. The show was focused of 45 days before the rapper T.I. went to jail. During all this T.I. tries to encourage seven teenagers to avoid spending a life of crime. By trying to prove and show that there is another way.
.

In 2007, T.I. was convicted of two felony gun charges. T.I. was caught attempting to purchase guns outside a shopping center. Due to him getting caught T.I. had to serve a sentence of one year and one day behind bars. That was back in March 09. Also on top of his jail sentence T.I. had to do 1000 hours of community service. Before T.I. left for jail he made a new album called paper trail

In episode one T.I. explains how his life took a turn for the worst one day on his way to buy bread where a crack dealer showed him that dealing can pay. This is when we meet one of the seven young teenagers. T.I. meets the first guy an 18-year-old from Atlanta. Who dropped out of school and became the man of the house just like T.I. was. At the end of episode one T.I. introduces Pee-Wee to acting and gets him personal coaches in California.

During episode two T.I. meet Trey, a 15-year-old boy from Georgia. People typically think Newnan, Georgia is a safe place, however shootings and violence are on the rise durmastically there. Both Trey's father and older brother are in jail. T.I. know that these traumatic events are a lot to process at such a young age. The first place T.I. takes Trey, is a cemetery where some of T.I.'s friends have been buried. T.I. tells Trey the story of Philant Johnson, T.I.'s childhood friend and assistant, who was killed during a fight at a nightclub. Even thought T.I. should Trey all this he still believes that everyone has to die at some point so there's no point in living for tomorrow. The next place he takes him to is where T.I. grew up in Atlanta. During the visit to Alanta T.I. introduces Trey to Quint, his uncle who spent 10 years in prison. When Quint met Trey, Quint was very surprised because of the attitude he had towards fighting. Since they met Trey has brought up all of his grades and hopes to be the first man from his family to go to college.

Episode three T.I. meet an 18-year-old guy named Anthony from California. Who has been in the crips since he was 13. During 2004 Anthony was caught with a gun and was sent to juvenile detention. During the interview Anthony explained that he wasn't ready to stop the life of a gang member. After talking with Anthony they went to meet his girlfriend Vanessa. Who has wanted Anthony to quit the lifestyle of a gang member because she is pregnant with his kid. After T.I. heard about this he went into using his four step program. After all Anthony is gotten his life straightened out and is currently a prep chef at the LA eatery.


Episode four T.I. heads to Atlanta to help Edwin a struggling young father. Edwin is really close to breaking his whole family up due to burglaries and multiple arrests. After T.I. talks to and give Edwin all the advice he can. Edwin suprisingly straightens his act up and now earned his GED and pursues an internship at T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records.

Episode five T.I. meets Mario, an 18-year-old gang member from Compton, CA. Mario has commited some of the same crimes as T.I. did like buying machine guys from dealers and also has had his friends die. So T.I. has taken this whole challenge to a whole new level. During this session T.I. introduces Mario to a rival gang member who has been hospitalized due to a gun shot. After all this is said and done T.I. takes mario to a boxing gym and signs him up so Mario has something else to focuz all his anger on other than gang violence and drugs.

After many teenagers and adults helped by T.I. and touched by watching his show. T.I. went to prison, and currently is still in there. He gets out in late december or early january. This was the Road to Redemption for T.I.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Substance Abuse Program - Alex

Do you think our school has a problem with drugs? Alcohol? Substance abuse in general?



On November 5th there was a meeting at the Therkildsen Center to discuss some recent substance abuse issues occurring amongst youth in the Shelby County area. This was a preliminary meeting and anyone wishing to voice an opinion, sit and listen or be a part of a solution was welcome to attend. In attendance were administrators, school board members, parents, teachers, guidance counselors, clergy, probation officers, law enforcement and concerned community members.

Our wonderful principal, Mr. Wagner, was the leader of the meeting, and lucky enough I was able to sit down with him yesterday and get a little more information about the program. One of the major things he emphasized was the fact that this program was open for anyone to attend, whether it be faculty, parents, or even students. He wants to program to be a community thing, where anyone and everyone can be involved.



The reason this program was started was because there have been a few cases in the school lately that have dealt with drug abuse. By having this program, the community is primarily trying to figure out if there is a problem with drugs in our school, and if there is, what are some things we can do to try to fix this problem. Mr. Wagner told me that drugs have always been a problem in the school, just like any other school, but just recently the problem has begun to increase immensely. In my opinion, I do think there is a problem with drugs in our school. I think a lot of kids turn to drugs because they’ve “heard” that it will make their problems better. And when they turn to drugs, they just can’t stop. A variety of things could contribute to the various problems kids have, whether it be insecurity, jealousness, or the fact that they’re bullied.

To attempt to fix this plausible problem, it is going to take a vast amount of courage, according to Mr. Wagner, and I totally agree with him. It’s going to require a lot of brainstorming to come up with possible solutions to the problem, and courage is going to be a factor in that. Courage is being fearless, brave, confident. It takes one courageous person to start standing up against the use of drugs. And like all us students have learned from Rachel’s challenge, you may just start a chain reaction.



Hopefully all you readers out there will be that one courageous person and stand up against the use and abuse of drugs. If anyone has any opinions on the substance abuse program, or the substance abuse problem in general, I’d love to hear it. Do you think we have a problem? Or not? For anyone wanting to attend, the next substance abuse meeting is Monday, November 23 at 7:00 in the High School Auditorium. Anyone is encouraged to come and voice your opinion!

LESS CANCER = MORE BIRTHDAYS



A spark. A trail of smoke. A single ash falls to the ground. A cigarette is lit and, just like the highly addictive substances conveniently wrapped in paper, another life goes up in flames. Each year, nearly four million people die from complications directly linked to tobacco use. A club situated in our very own HCHS, known as JEL (Just Eliminate Lies), is bent on getting the stories, the evidence, and the truth about such damaging products out to the rest of the students. And they're doing it the best way they know how to get to the teenaged population... THROUGH THEIR STOMACHS!



I'm Danielle Hernandez, and in case you didn't notice, the Harlan Chapter of JEL was giving away free cupcakes during lunch. If you didn't get one, let me tell you, you missed out! Not only were the cupcakes delicious (seriously!) they carried a message. And I like having my tiny cakes and eating it, too.

According to Mrs. Rasmussen, a co-sponsor of JEL, the cupcakes were given away in celebration of all the birthdays of people who had given up smoking as part of this year's theme "Less Cancer, More Birthdays". To point out the obvious, when you give up smoking you don't die, and when you don't die you live longer, and when you live longer you celebrate more birthdays. Yes I know. Obvious.



Another part of the Cupcake Extravaganza was a giant cake posted near the wall in the cafeteria. Every candle held the name of a person who had successfully given up smoking, written down by a student. There was also a bulletin board filled with facts against smoking. For example, did you know that smokers typically die ten years sooner than their counterparts? Well, now you do. It was a powerful source of information, and I really thought it enforced their cause.



I think the whole stunt was pretty successful. I mean, who doesn't enjoy free cupcakes? And while people were enjoying their food, they were reminded that if they didn't start (or perhaps quit) smoking, there would be a whole lot more cupcakes to enjoy in the future. Of course, there are many other benefits as well. If you're interested in joining JEL, you can speak with either of the guidance counselors, president Becca Stein, or other current members.

Abortion: The Right to Kill? - Chris Schaben

The teenage girl walks into the clinic in California, where parental consent isn’t needed to get an abortion. Now her parents, boyfriend, friends, or family members will never know about any of this. She will always have this moment on her conscience and will hide this secret murder for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, a few miles away, a man is consoling his crying wife. She had just received a phone call from her doctor, who had told her that she would never be able to give birth. Now they will be put on a waiting list until a child is available for them to adopt. And thanks to the teenage girl’s choice, the couple may have to wait even longer. The teenage girl gets to make a choice, but what about the childless couple and the aborted baby. Do they get a choice? Abortion is immoral and a form of murder. Why do women get to make the choice of whether an unborn baby lives or dies? Why do women get this right to kill?

The right to an abortion was stated to be constitutional by the Supreme Court in the 1973 case Roe v. Wade. The Court held that a woman may abort her pregnancy for any reason, up until the "point at which the fetus becomes viable.” The Court defined viability as the potential "to live outside the mother's womb.” However, isn’t the right to life our primary right in the United States? People that say abortion is a right are not thinking about the rights of the unborn child. A fetus should get the same right to be born and have a life like everybody else. That right to be born overrides the mother’s right to make decisions about her body since her decision to abort affects the life of another human being, the unborn baby.

Abortion occurs across America way too often! According to statistics, almost half, 43%, of American women will have an abortion in their lifetime! Also, 1.4 million women have abortions every year. This means that 1.4 million humans are killed. One of those 1.4 million could have done something great in the world if only they had been born! So, why do women get abortions? In a 1987 survey, “76 percent said they were concerned about how having a baby could change their lives, and 51 percent had problems with a relationship or wanted to avoid single parenthood. Thirteen percent cited health of the fetus; 7 percent the health of the mother; 1 percent rape or incest."

The so-called pro-choice supporters will say that abortion is alright because the fetus in not technically a human being until a certain point. This is a lie! Life begins at conception. People that say life begins at birth are trying to fool themselves and others into condoning an immoral act. The fact that a fetus is human is also backed up by scientists and medical authorities across the country. They say that a fetus has 46 distinct human chromosomes just like everybody else! From conception, the gender, eye color, and hair color of the new human are already determined!

The phrase “pro-choice” is very strange in a way. Why should women get a choice to kill an innocent human being? They’ve already made the choice of having sex. All women know that choosing to have sex could result in pregnancy. Of course, there are situations when women feel it is a necessity to get an abortion. These tough situations include rape and incest, teenage pregnancies, and deformed or handicapped children. As William P. Sanders points out, however, “we must remember the child is still an innocent human being who through no fault of his own was conceived." In other words, even though the child may seem undesirable for certain reasons, it is not the child’s fault that they exist. Take the situation of rape, for instance. Obviously, the woman didn’t choose to get pregnant, but just because a rapist impregnated a woman doesn’t mean the child will grow up to be a rapist.

For all women who simply can’t handle raising a child, there is a much better, alternative answer. There is always a couple looking to adopt. “In 1999 there were 2 million couples seeking to adopt. Unfortunately, there are only 30,000 children available for placement each year.” Another fact is that the number of infertile couples in the United States exceeds 1 million. Remember that there are 1.4 million abortions each year, which drastically reduces the chance of these infertile couples from receiving a child. If women become pregnant but don’t want the baby, they should just remember that there are women who can never have children of their own. “Over 1 million teenagers become pregnant each year. Over 40% choose abortion and only 2 – 3% place their child for adoption." These teenage girls and other women who choose abortion over adoption don’t want to go through the 9 months of carrying a child. Women who think this way are in quite selfish in a way. Why can’t a woman give a few short months of her life to give an infertile couple and an adopted child a lifetime of happiness?

A sharp pair of surgical scissors is inserted into the fetus’s skull and a suction tube is used to remove the brain matter. The fetus’s skull is then collapsed and the fetus is then removed from the woman completley. This is not something from a horror movie. This is an actual method of surgical abortion known as IDE. This process is actually one of the less common methods of abortion, but the thought of this happening should make anybody want to throw up. According to statistics, “nearly 90% of abortions take place within the first 13 weeks, commonly known as the first trimester." This shouldn’t matter though. No matter what stage a pregnancy is terminated, a human is being killed. Abortion is immoral and a form of murder. Give an unborn child the right to life. It’s a right no woman should be able to take away! So, who's with me? Do you feel that an innocent life is being destroyed through abortion? Or do you believe that it's a woman's choice of who lives or dies?

Automobiles? Teenagers? SAFETY!

Automobiles? Teenagers? SAFETY! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.



As Kelsey and Danielle travel across the grand ol' state of Iowa, they'll give you some tips on being safe teenaged drivers! They even call in an expert, Mrs. Leinen. You know, the driver's ed instructor? Yeah, her! With a soundtrack guaranteed to warm your heart, this video promises to both entertain and educate.

Crazy Hair or Tradition?





Three... Two... One... The Cyclones win. They now qualify to compete for the state football championship. They will have to practice hard, get alot of sleep, eat right, and cut their hair as crazy as possible?!

This is Kelsey McDaniel with HCHS school news. You read right, a crazy hair cut. That's how tradition goes. When HCHS qualifies for the State Championship the football team will go to the local hair salon and get a haircut. Now we aren't talking a trim and a clean shave. I mean a crazy, colorful, and original hairstyle. The football team on November 18th, 2009 came to school sporting their new hairstyles. But this isn't just a hairstyle; it's a tradition. How did it get started though?



In 1989, Harlan Community football team qualified for the state championship game. The team was excited and proud that they made it that far. Then senior, Taco Tim Miller (Tim gained his nickname "Taco Tim" because his parents owned Border Fare), showed up to school with the shape of the Uni-Dome shaved in the back of his hair. The students couldn't believe that Taco Tim had gone as far with his school spirit to shave his hair in such an unique way. The team loved it, the teachers loved it, and the student body loved it. That's when it became a tradition to do something crazy to your hair right before the big game. It seems that this tradition will never die but continue to grow even bigger. Over the years the hairstyles that have been chosen have become more drastic and unique.



It seems though that some people in the school and community think that the hairstyles is no longer a tradition but a way for the the football team to brag. I personally do not believe this, but that is how some feel. So I pose the question to the HCHS School News readers... Do you think that this is a tradition or the football team rubbing it in that once again they have won?

Well, either way this years popular choice seemed to be a blond Mohawk or bright colored hair dye. The team has definitely enjoyed getting a chance to stand out. The football team deserves it to. They have worked hard to reach their spot in the high school championship game. I wish them all good luck and a final statement of "Hey, nice hair!"

The Open Door Mission

In November of 2009, Harlan’s First Baptist Church Youth Group went to the Open Door Mission in Omaha, NE. The Open Door mission is located on 2828 North 23rd Street East and helps families and singles in need of financial or housing assistance. The Open Door Mission has a Lydia House, which is for families consisting of at least one parent and at least one parent. It also includes a housing development for single men, which can fit up to 180 men sleeping on mats each night. A housing development for single women is also included.


Plaque on the new Lydia House that is currently under construction.

Every night, the Open Door Mission assists over 320 men, women, and children who are in need safe, sheltered beds. They prepare 1,500 hot, nutritious meals daily to those who need it. The Open Door Mission also provides financial support and other means of security to more than 250 families living in poverty.

The Open Door Mission is always welcoming and in need of volunteers. On November 7, 2009, the FBC Youth Group and other youth groups in the Omaha area helped the Open Door Mission with many tasks helping them prepare for Thanksgiving and Veterans Day. The girls helped make Hand Turkey Placemats for the guests to enjoy during their holiday meal. At the same time, the boys washed laundry and helped sort and hang up clothes. Everyone pitched in together afterwards to sort through blankets, tablecloths, sheets, clothes, knick-knacks, stuffed animals, toys, and baby toys to decide which ones were proper to keep on the shelves for needy people to purchase. Other youth groups helped pack turkey and fixings boxes for needy families to serve at Thanksgiving.



Food collection at Hy- Vee

The Open Door Mission provides more opportunities to volunteer during the holiday season. The Shepherd’s Lights Event takes place on November 27 through December 31 and gives you the opportunity to view the “Parable of the Lost Sheep” from the comfort of your own car. The $5 entry fee will be donated to the Open Door Mission. Another opportunity available is to donate your processed deer meat to Van Fleet Meats and the purchase of it will go to the Open Door Mission. If you have any used Cell Phones, PDAs, Palm Pilots, digital cameras, or iPods, donate them to Recycling for Charities to help out the Open Door Mission. A good opportunity for coffee lovers is to buy Mission Bean Coffee at Hy-Vee food stores in Omaha and the money will go to Open Door Mission. On the Third Saturday of each month through December, there will be an Open Door Mission truck located two blocks south of Industrial Road on 149th Street. Bring your used clothing, furniture and other household goods and put it in the truck to donate to the Open Door Mission.

For more information on the Open Door Mission and for how you can get involved, visit http://www.opendoormission.org/. Or visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/OpenDoorMission?v=wall#/OpenDoorMission.