Farewell, Seniors!

Farewell, Seniors! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

See the amazing ReNee and Chris profile and investigate the wonderful and fantastic men and women of the 2010 graduating class of Harlan Community High School.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Sneak Peak

A Nightmare on Elm Street: Sneak Peek from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

In 1984, Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street" opened in theatres to immediate success. Now, 26 years later, a remake is hoping to meet that same success. Watch this video to learn more about Freddy Krueger, see the trailer for the movie, and here what a certain "guru" has to say about the release of the original movie.

Community Service Day: A Brief Look

Community Service Day from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Community Service Day was on Wednesday, April 21st. Watch the video!

Grim Reaper

Grim Reaper from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Remember the Grim Reaper activity held on April 8? Well, here's a video about the activity and what it's purpose was.

The Potential of My Generation by Chris Schaben

Now that I am only a few weeks away from graduating high school, I must begin to think about the future. But thinking about things that haven’t happened yet kind of scares me. Who knows what will happen in the future? I’m just beginning to realize that once I walk out those doors with a diploma in my hand, every choice I make will be my own. I can no longer continue to be dependent on my parents and teachers. They have prepared me for the future up until now, but from here on, I must face it independently.

I know I’m not the only one who feels this way about what’s coming next. The entire future of America rests on the shoulders of my generation! No pressure, right? In a few decades from now, we will be in charge of leading and supporting this country. Look around! All these teenagers you see have the potential to have an impact on the lives of others. Who knows where all of us will be? One of us could be in the military, fighting to keep freedom in this country. One of us could be a doctor, saving the lives of critically injured people every day. And one of us could even be one of the next presidents of the United States, leading the country through the good times and the bad. All of these people are still just in high school right now, but think of the potential waiting for them when they enter the working world!

I think my generation will do great things in the future. With inspiration from past generations, we can continue to grow in knowledge and will not make the same mistakes others might have made in the past. Our generation will be able to achieve things that no others could. Take technology, for instance. When my parents were in school, they barely knew how to type on the computer! But in our modern society, people of our generation are exposed to computers every day. With our knowledge of using these and other machines, the career possibilities are nearly endless. With the new innovative technologies ahead, we will be able to find new ways of doing things.

Our modern society is also much different than that of other eras. Can you think of any other time where people were more equal in rights no matter what gender, race, religion, or sexuality they are? We weren’t alive to see the long term effects of harsh segregation or discrimination, and we’ve always been conscious of minorities and people that are different. This is a key element to our success in the future. Because of the acceptance of all kinds of people, we will be more likely to work together and build a strong future. All of our accomplishments will form a chain reaction that continues to develop through later generations. The choices we make right now will impact the future of America. So, what do you say? Does our generation have what it takes to continue the excellence and success of this country?

All-State Speech!

All-State Speech! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Chris Schaben recently performed his prose piece "One Degree of Separation" at the Individidual All-State Festival at UNI on March 29th. Watch this video to see what All-State Speech is and how Chris made it this far. At the end of the video, you can even see him perform his piece!

Mentoring

I signed up for mentoring my first semester of my senior year by asking the guidance office. It was simple to get me signed up-- we took my 7th hour study hall and matched it up with a time that an elementary teacher was looking to get some student help. Because I don't drive myself to school, it was easiest to find a teacher at West Ridge so I could just walk there. Soon, I was signed up to work for Mrs. Angel's 7th grade class.
My experience with mentoring has been incredible. Each day, I arrive at the class and work where I am needed. 2nd graders are at the best age, and they adored getting to work with a high schooler. I made some great bonds, and plan on inviting them all to my graduation party.
I don't know if this has been every mentor's experience, but for me, Mrs. Angel has been such a relaxed leader. If I had too much homework or was sick, all I had to do was email or call and say that I could not make it in. I realized that the kids were waiting on my arrival, so it was important to let them know when I couldn't show up.
Mentoring gave me added priveledges and benefits-- I was able to attend their elementary holiday parties (for which I made each of them some holidays gifts) and Mrs. Angel was a great referrence when applying for scholarships. Mentoring has given me a chance to solidify what I had previously suspected-- I want to work with kids! I love the idea that just a smile is enough to influence their growing lives, and mentoring has helped me to see that I would be good working with children for life.
I would encourage anyone who is interested to volunteer. Currently, mentoring is worth a quarter of a credit per semester, but I know that most people would volunteer their time without the credits. Have you ever mentored or considered mentoring? What has your experience been like? Commment on this blog; I'd love to hear your stories!

Senior Survivor Recap

Senior Survivor Recap from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Who's the new Senior Survivor? Why don't you watch and find out?! We've got a recap of the entire week of Senior Survivor right here!!!!

Leprechauns, Green, and Gold: Oh My!

Leprechauns, Green, and Gold: Oh My! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

We dig deep into the legends and traditions of St. Patrick's Day, with a special appearance by the holiday guru. We will also reveal the legend of St. Patrick. Once again, there's a surprise at the end of the video. (hint: where the most desks are besides in a classroom)

Name That Tune!

Name That Tune! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

The HCHS Concert Band had a pops concert on March 2nd. At this concert, they played many popular songs that you may have heard before. Watch this to play name that tune and see if you can guess the right song! We also interviewed band director Mr. Crilly and band student Ryan Henrich about this concert. There's also a surprise at the end of this video for two lucky people :)

Yes, Harlan Has a Speech Team!! by Chris Schaben

On Saturday, February 20th, I had the privilege of attending the IHSSA All-State Festival. Now, I know that you have no idea what I’m talking about, so let me explain. IHSSA stands for Iowa High School Speech Association. Every year in the months of January – March, students prepare their speech material and perform at contests.

Now, don’t assume that speech contest is a boring festival where students give long, boring speeches. It’s not like that at all! Speech students can perform in a variety of categories such as acting, improvisation, musical theater, mime, storytelling, prose, broadcasting, and more! There are two kinds of speech contests you can participate in: Large Group and Individual. In Large Group, you perform with another person or a group of people. In individual, you perform by yourself. At these contests, you perform in front of a judge or judges and receive a I, II, III, or IV rating (with “I” being the best.)

Ellen Klitgaard and I performed in ensemble acting this year for Large Group contests. Our piece was called “Open to Interpretation,” and it featured us performing “Hansel and Gretel” in various styles including murder mystery, Shakespeare, Vaudeville, British comedy, and soap opera. We got a “I” rating at districts, so we got to move onto state. At state there were three judges. We received two I’s and one II from the judges there. But the biggest surprise came when we found out that two of those judges nominated us for All-State! We were non-performers at the All-State festival, but I went to accept medals for our achievement and to watch other great performances.

With Large Group being over, it is now time for our Individual Speech contests. I am performing improv and prose for these contests. Districts were held in Logan on February 27. All of our Harlan participants did an awesome job, and many of us are moving onto state! Here are the results (with participant name, speech category, and rating):

Chris Schaben – Improv – I
Danielle Hernandez – Poetry – I
Trey Nielsen – Poetry – I
Kelsey McDaniel – Lit Program – I
Allison Hanson – Prose – I
Allisha Anderson – Storytelling – II
Becka Rodgers – Prose – II
Danielle Hernandez – After Dinner Speech – I
Katy Todd – Storytelling – II
Chris Schaben – Prose – I
Kelsey McDaniel – Storytelling – I
Justice Gessert – Poetry – I
Allison Hanson – Musical Theater – I
Hannah Early – Acting – II

So, all of you Harlan people should support the speech participants and maybe come to a contest some time! Did you even know we have a speech team? And now that you do, would you like to see us perform some time? Leave a comment! If you want to learn more about IHSSA, visit the IHSSA website.

Before I sign off, I would like to say congratulations to all those participants at district individual speech and good luck at state! Who knows? Maybe we’ll have an individual speech All-Stater this year!

Cruelty: It's What's For Breakfast?

Ask a vegan "why" and you could receive many potential answers. One may give you facts: For instance, most vegans ban eggs because of how they are retreived-- chickens live on farms with bad conditions, and their day and night cycles are forced unnaturally to double their production. Another might tell you it is part of their religious beliefs. You may get abstract answers about souls and 'happy food', or, my least favorite, one may answer that being vegan is a trend. But at the root of all of these reasons is a general belief that the comsumption of animal or animal byproducts is somehow unethical.

I've grown up in smalltown Harlan for most of my life. My stepfather and brother hunt every animal around and kill rabbits if they get into the garden. I am surrounded completely by friends and family who eat meat. There are deer heads and stuffed turkeys strewn about my family room. When I decided two years ago to become a vegetarian, it was a struggle; my family had no problem mentioning their distaste of it, I found it to be an inconvenience if I wasn't cooking for myself, and, to be honest, part of me still wanted the meat. For 16 years, I had eaten animal almost daily, and my body was addicted. Since that first decision, I have fluctuated many times between vegetarian, vegan, and what my little sister calls "human eating" (not to say that I eat humans but, rather, I eat as a normal human being would.) When I went on my trip to Argentina, many of my group members and my leader were from the east coast, and they noted that I was an "apologetic vegetarian," which I explained through my Iowan homelife mentioned above.

This time, though, things are different. I have been eating vegan since January 4, 2010 with thorough dedication and I do not see myself ever going back to "human eating" again. The differences? I believe in solid morals that keep me obligated, I got past the two-week want-to-eat-everything-I-crave phase, and now my tastes have changed according to what I eat.

I am asked a lot if eating vegan is difficult, but with desire, it is not! I get all of the nutrients that I need either through vitamin pills or more preferably by the food that I eat (I eat much healthier than pretty much anyone I know.) My stomach doesn't feel like it needs such large portions of food, and I only eat when I'm hungry, rather than for emotional reasons. I did lose about seven pounds during the first month, but the weight loss has stopped at a healthy number. These days, one can substitute just about any ingredient for a vegan one, and there are whole restaurants, recipe books, and grocery stores supporting the lifestyle. In the photos are a few examples of things I can't eat and their vegan replacements: milk exchanged for soy milk (rice, almond and coconut milk also available), butter for dairyless margarine, meat for a black bean burger (soy and veggie also available, as a well as a tofu version of about every type of meat), and pancake breakfast exchanged for an organic cereal with some protein I need.

Though one can make at least one order on any menu vegan, it's more enjoyable for me to go to new restaurants or grocery stores in the city. My favorites are McFoster's Kind Cafe and Whole Foods Market in Omaha, both of which specializing in organic and vegan food. It is no coincidence that these vendors and consumers are also the ones cutting down on environmentally-harming excess packaging. I enjoy giving my support to companies who are out to improve the condition of the world.

I would never press my beliefs on anyone, but I would definitely encourage anyone who is interested to try veganism. It is something you have to go into seriously to be successful, but the rewards can be incredible. Have you ever thought about becoming a vegetarian or vegan? Know someone who is? Leave your comments about the issue here!

What is Opus?

What is Opus? from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

HCHS vocal teacher Ms. Thies has been selected as a director for next year's Opus honor choir. So, what exactly is Opus, and how did she get selected for this honor? Watch and find out!

Stay Tuned

Stay Tuned from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Say hello to the Flintstones, The Brady Bunch, Scooby Doo, Mr. Rodgers, Bob the Builder, and many others in this ridiculously amazing video about the vocal concert. What was the theme?: TV show theme songs of course! We've got footage and interviews from the concert just for you!

HCHS Band goes to Disney World!

HCHS Band goes to Disney World! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Mickey Mouse and all of his friends gladly welcomed the marching band when they went to Disney World on January 22-25. Watch this video to hear about the experience from Mr. Crilly and 2 band students. You'll even get to see a few pictures from band members and a video of them marching in the Magic Kingdom!

Faith Sound: A Ministry of Music

Faith Sound: A Ministry of Music from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Faith Sound is an interdenominational contempory musical group from Harlan, Iowa, now in its 35th year. Members of the group are students (8th - 12th grade) from Harlan and the surrounding communities. Directed by Steve Lawson, this group performs in different churches across the Midwest every Sunday. Watch this video to learn more about this group and how it spreads God's word through the ministry of music.

Carols, Concerts, and Christmas

Carols, Concerts, and Christmas from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Were you able to make it to the band and choir concert on Monday, December 14th? Neither were we! Due to bad weather conditions the concert got postponed to Friday, December 18th. Chris and ReNee were able to get footage of the concert and talk to the two directors. But just for your pleasure they decided to sing their intros to the tune of your favorite Christmas songs! So what are you waiting for? Check it out and you'll be put on Santa's nice list!

Bringing Glee to TV by Chris Schaben

A new musical sensation is quickly becoming a hit across the nation. No, I’m not talking about a new sequel to the lame High School Musical series. I’m talking about Glee! This new television series began this year on Fox and has been becoming a favorite TV show to many music fans everywhere. And as a Gleek (a name Glee fans refer to themselves as), I am going to point out why you should be watching this show!

Glee is a musical dramedy (drama/comedy) about a group of high school misfits in a high school glee club, or show choir. Many of the main characters have their own problems fitting into modern high school society. Some of these students include a football player who has a secret desire to join glee club, a cheerleader who was kicked off the squad after her coach found out she was pregnant, a boy who has is afraid of what people will think when he announces he’s gay, and a paraplegic boy who wonders if the glee club will accept him even if he can’t dance.

The main story of the show follows the Spanish teacher, William Schuester, who was once a glee club member himself and wants to revive the glee club back to its former glory. The only problem is that many students in the school think glee club is lame and everybody thinks they will get made fun of if they join. And to make matters worse, the cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester, wants to make sure the glee club doesn’t steal the spotlight for her squad, the Cheerios. However, with a sense of pride and determination, Mr. Schuester finds members who are willing to face the challenges required to be in glee club. Together, the members learn to accept people for who they are and remember that they are in the club to have fun no matter how many people mock and bully them.

Not only is the story a great inspiration, but the phenomenal music the cast sings is probably the reason so many people have gotten hooked on the show. Glee features popular music from all kinds of different genres including rock, pop, country, R&B, hip-hop, and show tunes. Some of my favorite songs they have covered on the show are “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, “Somebody to Love” by Queen, “Imagine” by John Lennon, “Jump” by Van Halen, and “Keep Holding On” by Avril Lavigne. Plus, all the music is available to buy on iTunes, or you can buy Glee: The Music Volume 1 and Volume 2 on CD now!

Unfortunately, the season finale of the show was on TV on Wednesday, December 9th, but you can still watch several of the episodes online for free at fox.com. Also, the DVD of the first 13 episodes will be released on December 29th, so now you will have something you can spend all your Christmas gift cards on! The show will return sometime in spring. But until then, you can listen to the watch the episodes or listen to the music (over and over again because it’s amazing) while you wait!

If you watch Glee, please comment and let me know why this new show appeals to you! And if you haven’t seen Glee yet, I would highly recommend you to go to fox.com immediately and watch as many episodes as you can. With the diverse kinds of music used, anybody who loves music is sure to enjoy this show. So give it a try, and let me know what you think!

The date which will live in infamy

The date which will live in infamy from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

On December 7, 1941, the Pearl Harbor American naval base in Oahu, Hawaii, was attacked by the Japanese. Many people who were alive at that time consider it "the 9-11 of that time." In this video, we talk to Mr. Bruns, a history teacher at HCHS, and Joe Leuschen, a WWII veteran, about the "date which will live in infamy."

Salvation Army Bell Ringing

What is it about Christmas that stirs up in people the spirit of giving? In this holiday bustle, it is important to remember those who are not fortunate enough to afford toys for their children, or even a decent holiday meal. Salvation Army’s goal is to reach out internationally to brothers and sisters who need assistance at any time of year. Though their message and organization is Christian Bible-based, volunteers and recipients from all over the world are of any belief.
Everyone has seen a kind old man, a mother and her kids, or the local STUCO group standing outside of a store with the famous bell and red kettle. This is one of Salvation Army’s biggest fundraisers during the holiday season, and this group makes it so easy for anyone to participate.
When I decided last November that I wanted to bell ring, it took a simple five minutes on the internet to sign up. Any of these sights: ringbells.org, salvationarmyusa.org for Iowan stores, or ringomaha.com, if you would like to ring bells in Nebraska, easily guide you through a quick sign-up; choose a date, a store and time, and the website will send you a confirmation email. If you ever decide to cancel or switch dates, simply go back onto the site, sign in to your account, and change your ringing dates!
Last year, I decided to ring outside of the Scheel’s at the Jordan Creek Mall on the day after Thanksgiving, since my family Thanksgiving is in Des Moines. I rang from 10 AM to 12 PM, dressed very warmly, and sang the whole time. The stand with the kettle was right there waiting at 10, the bell with it, and when I was done, I was able to leave it there without needing to wait for the next potential volunteer. The setting was great-- the area is nice and about 50 percent of people on average donated something to the bucket. Almost everyone had a smile or holiday greeting or compliment for me in return (I sang Christmas songs the whole time-- I could only think of about 6 songs that I knew all the words to and wanted to sing.)
This year, I decided to first sign up on the identical time, location, and date, and have signed up for many more in both Des Moines and Omaha. The feeling one gets from volunteering their time for an organization such as this is irreplaceable. As a teenager, I do not have a lot of money to donate, but my time is just as valuable. As corny as it sounds, singing “Let It Snow” in front of a sports goods store made some people’s days, and the money that I earned, which will go to new shelters, food, or clothing for those in need made some other people’s days. And that is a very great gift indeed.
So! I encourage you to join in. Volunteer for just one day or many-- any contribution is appreciated. If you do not have the time, donate some money on the Salvation Army website. Smile at those who look like they are having a bad day. Though Christmas stirs up the feeling of giving, helping out can warm hearts at any time of the year.