Exploring Harlan, Iowa

Erin and Bri explore and discover things to do around Harlan, Iowa.

Exploring Harlan, Iowa from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Halo Reach and the Tournament

Halo Reach and the Tournament from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

this is a video on halo reach and the halo reach tournament. we messed up on the date the tournament started, it started the day after the game came out the date we said was the second round. thanks to Trace and Trent Timmerman and Ian O'Dell. the songs we used were the Mortal Kombat theme, Indestructable and Forgiven by Disturbed.

Well, About That Center.

Ba ba da da! Imaginary trumpets sounded as perhaps one of the greatest openings to ever take place in the history of Harlan (and dare I say it the world?) took place only a few short weeks ago. A fabulous place to get fit, kill boredom, make money, get out of those gosh darn cornfields... What could I be referring to? Why none other than the awesome Petersen Family Wellness Center and Lewis Family Aquatic Complex.

Construction started in December of 2008, and now the centers are in full boom. The facilities offer a variety of things to enjoy like a dry sauna, multiple playing courts, pool, and ridiculously nice workout equipment. The open houses they held were packed with people wanting to get a gander at all of the new stuff, and since then memberships have been incredibly popular. According to Sara Pape, "memberships have nearly doubled what was expected!"


Senior Dylan Greer was "totally" excited about the wellness center. "I haven't been fit in years!" But on a more serious note, he "really likes the opportunity to swim and exercise in more unique ways."

Around the school, conversations often center around the early morning workouts everyone has participated in and plans to join upcoming programs (such as yoga, starting on October 4th). American teenagers being excited about getting into better shape is definitely a refreshing change of pace. But another great chance the PFWC is offering is something American teenagers have been known to love... money.

That's right, there's plenty of high-schoolers working at the recently opened party central. Ellen Klitgaard, Joe Schmitz, Andrew Markham, Sara Pape, Dylan Greer, and Tannis Belisle are just a few. I know from personal conversations with teenage employee, Sara "Papey" Pape, that "the managers are trying to hire more lifeguards and daycare providers so that the center can accomodate more people." So, if you'd like a job where you can spend time with young children and maybe get in a sweat afterwards, you know where to go.

So, there you have it: the scoop on the brand spankin' new fitness/wellness/aquatic/super-awesome center. If you'd like more information about classes, hours of operation, or you just don't feel I've covered all the bases about Harlan's latest and greatest attraction, feel free to visit their website.

This has been Danielle Hernandez, reporting from my comfy couch at home, for School News. Let me know your feelings about the new wellness center, and feel free to pose questions about seeking employment or otherwise. Just click that nifty little comment button :)

Just a Hobby - Victoria Thomas

Photography. Life through the lens. Dorothea Lange, Jonathan Mehring,
Ben Hattenback. Some legends, some amateurs, some winners of a $200
prize in a magazine. Regardless of age, location, or career,
phenomenal pictures are (or were) being taken. Nikon, Canon, Pentax,
all great machines of vision. But no matter the machine, $50 or $1000,
a great picture comes from the photographer, not the camera.
Photography to me is not just a hobby, it’s a passion. It’s a way to
see the world in a whole new perspective. It’s a way to capture an
image, a moment, forever inside a little box. With a camera you can
bring out emotion, deep feelings from a person, a place, or even a
simple bug.
Nature photography helps you to experience new and rare things, and
feel like an important piece of the puzzle called life, that is why nature and animal photography is what I love to do. This article isn’t just about photography though, it’s about finding something you love to do, helping you find a new hobby to let stress out, and to find things that interest you that may benefit you in the future; near or far.
Everybody needs a release now and then, we all need that one thing that keeps us smiling and interested in life. Sometimes, I know from experience, our hobbies are just what we need to keep our heads above water.




In the first picture I have a photo of my eye, with some rainbow eyeliner on. A simple picture taken in a split second, and you can look at it and wonder what the girl is thinking. It almost looks like a sad girl. The simplest of pictures can bring out emotion.




Photography can be used in many ways to bring out different things from the object being photographed. The next picture is of a band member, on stage, belting his heart out, the simple muscles shown on his arm and the clenched fist show passion, and show that holding a microphone is what he loves to do. This photo was taken with a Canon, model S5 IS. I love this picture because it brings out passion, and I love how the musician falls into the ink black background. To me, it shows that he is part of the music, he is the center of attention.



The last photo is obviously, the butts of six cows. I think this picture shows that not all photography is ‘powerful,’ but sometimes humorous. Pictures like this one show up on silly cards in stores.
My hobbies are taking care of my animals, and taking pictures of them. No matter what your hobby is, always enjoy it. If you don’t feel like doing it, don’t, you shouldn’t have to force yourself to do something you love. Hobbies are something that comes natural whether it’s photography, sports, drawing, dance, music, whatever, don’t force it. Embrace your hobbies, and maybe someday they could become more than ‘just a hobby.’

What Does HCHS Know About Woodstock?

What Does HCHS Know About Woodstock? from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

What does HCHS know about Woodstock? Danielle and Kelsey were dying to know, and they were determined to find out. For their final excursion as students of HCHS School News, they present to you the rights and wrongs about Woodstock. Adieu!

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.

Let The Sunshine In! (Spring Fever)

Let The Sunshine In! from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

With winter's last gasping, dying breath, spring made it's grand appearance this week. What does HCHS think of this recent seasonal change? Danielle and Kelsey explore this thought in this video...

Summer Lovin' by Victoria Thomas

Ask a student if they’re ready for summer and their answer will always be yes. Sure, students enjoy hanging out at school and learning, but what beats soakin’ up the sun in a small town? You got it, nothin! As the weather heats up, the students get restless in school. What are we all so anxious about? What will we spend our summer doing? I wanted to find out.
I asked a few students around the school what their summer will consist of. Working? Vacation? Friends? Their answers were pretty much all the same; all of the above! I found out it really depends on the student, and what they are involved or interested in. One student said she would be working at her job 4-5 days a week, and in between, a vacation to Okoboji, and hanging out supporting our school at baseball games.
Another student I asked said that she would be babysitting some of the time, also vacationing in Okoboji, and hanging out with her friends. Some kids don’t have jobs, but seem to have hard work to do around their houses. A lot of kids said they would be attending the races in the summer too.
I spoke to a senior here and there and most of them said they would be readying themselves for college or college classes. Some will spend their summers on a job hunt to take up some of their time. A lot of the seniors said that they were just going to be relaxing and hanging out with their friends before they go away to college. Others are moving in the summer to a different town, some to a different state entirely.
A lot of students I talked to are just taking on small jobs and hanging out at the pool or skate park with friends. Some people said they were just going to sleep all summer, and I don’t blame them. Those who work hard in school and have after-school jobs get worn out and just want to relax in the short months we have out of school.
Obviously students just want to relax in the summer, but as my class is growing up I’m seeing more and more kids trying to get jobs, help out at home, or do good in the community! I know that the day summer hits I’ll be on a plane to Ft. Myers Florida to see some of my family. When I get back? Work and friends! This is my last summer before graduation, and I’m going to take advantage of it! You should too! Have a safe and fun summer. Stay healthy, tan, and happy!


Pictures- Victoria Thomas

Toilet Paper? Say WHAT?!

After hearing the announcement about the Toilet Paper last week, I’m sure many of you were very confused. You were probably thinking something somewhere along the lines of, “Read the toilet paper? Huh? There’s nothing on it!” Well, worry no more Toilet Paper-readers; I’m here to tell you what all this “business” is about.

Every couple of weeks, or actually about once a month, we are assigned a blog story, which is pretty much just a miscellaneous blog, for those of you who have experienced one of Mr. Bruns’s classes. For those of you that haven’t, it’s pretty much just a paper that’s about a page long, giving your opinions or a recap of something. Anyways, because none of you ever read these stories that we put an enormous amount of effort into, Danielle and Kelsey came up with the idea of creating the Toilet Paper.

The first editions of the Toilet Paper came out last week, and they were updated with four new ones this week. There has been a lot of talk about the paper, some positive talk, and some negative talk. One of the things that student’s were confused by was the MLIA’s on the side bar. MLIA stands for My Life is Average, and it is a lot less depressing than the also popular FML’s. I really enjoy the MLIA’s, and think they are quite hilarious to read while you’re doing your business.

Some of the positive feedback we have received is basically the same. When asked if they liked the Toilet Paper, Bailey McGrath said, “Yeah, I like it! Especially the MLIA’s.” Amanda Petersen stated, “I don’t really notice it...” and Ben Reinig said, “I haven’t really paid much attention to it, but when I was talking to someone about it, nothing good was really said.”

In my opinion, I think the thoughts about the Toilet Paper are split into two categories: Girls=Positive and Boys=Negative. I think the girls appreciate it more because they spend A LOT more time in the bathroom than boys, and boys just like to get in and get out of there. I also think boys don’t like it as much just because they aren’t really concerned with social issues like girls are.

That pretty much “wraps” it up for me. (Pun definitely intended) If any of you have any comments or feedback on the Toilet Paper, or things you would like to see added to it, feel free to contact either Mrs. Daniels, Mr. Bruns, or any other School News members. Or just feel free to visit the News Blog and comment!

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 :)

Facebook vs Myspace

Facebook or myspace? Which one is better? Personally I have accounts for both. There are good features for both so it’s hard for me to choose.
I think Facebook is better if you want to stay in touch with friends and keep up with the latest gossip. It is a very social website. It allows your voice to be heard and your opinions put out there. You may comment people on their thoughts and quotes and even make it noticed that you like it. Facebook also makes it very easy to find old classmate that you haven’t seen in forever and to stay close to family members that live out of town. Not only do people get on to communicate with friends and catch up but a lot of people play games on there. Games such as the popular Farmville, Happy Aquarium, and Super City, all in which people can connect to other players and help each other on with the games.
Myspace on the other hand has great qualities too. Myspace allows people to be more creative. On myspace, you can customize everything from the background of your page or adding your favorite songs. Myspace is also known for discovering a lot of talented people such as music artists, Colby Callait, Soulja Boy, Lily Allen and Sean Kingston. It allows people to discover new bands and keep up with their favorite artists. Another thing that is nice on myspace is on the status you can post your mood. It doesn’t sound like a big deal but it’s nice to let people know how you are feeling.
There are some big down falls for these websites though. For Facebook some include things like not being as creative and being able to customize your profile. Uploading your pictures on Facebook can be a pain too if you do not have the right software. If your software isn’t up to date it makes you upload only five pictures at a time (Which takes forever!). Another thing that can be a problem on Facebook is that even if you keep your page private, it’s still very easy for strangers to access your information.
Some disadvantages for myspace include things such as problems with pedophiles, spam issues and there have been many reports on cyber bullying. They has been many cases in which teens get picked on so much by their peers online that they go as far as committing suicide.
So which one would you rather. The very social Facebook or the unique creative myspace? Feel free to tell share your opinions and even stories. =]
-Sierra

Senioritis (The Silent Killer) by Victoria Thomas

As the end of the year nears, more and more seniors are beginning to experience senioritis. What is senioritis you ask? Well, the Urban Dictionary describes senioritis as ‘a crippling disease that strikes high school seniors.’ A crippling disease? Yes and a killer to grades. Is the disease contagious? Of course; any student slacking off in class has fun, which rubs off on the students around them. Symptoms often include repeated absences, lack of studying, and excessive wearing of ugly sweatpants.
Many students don’t feel the need to try at schoolwork anymore, and can’t get their mind off of graduation. Most seniors who get the disease do not know how to cure it, or don’t care to. Senioritis is most commonly caused by stress, among many other school issues. The disease sometimes shows up after an individual has been accepted into college. This student feels as if they no longer have to try, because all their after high school plans are all laid out. Seniors do not realize that colleges can still reject them. They begin to feel tired, bored, and annoyed of the routine. They begin to realize that most of their important tests are over, and that they no longer need to gain high school level knowledge. Another cause is senior festivities such as prom and ‘Senior Survivor.’ These activities free seniors’ minds, and let them relax.




Professionals say that the only known cure to ‘senioritis’ is to receive your diploma. What do you think? Do you think you can beat the disease? Or will you be doomed to procrastinate in school for the next few months?

If you are experiencing senioritis, please, don’t hesitate to speak to a counselor, a friend, anything! There is help for you! Senioritis can be a fun thing to experience, but there is also a serious side to it, as sometimes it will lead to a student trying drugs/alcohol for the first time. Seriously, if you notice one of your friends starting to fall behind, or think about doing something unintelligent, talk to them, see if they need help.
Do not let the disease go unnoticed. If your friends are slacking off in class, give them a little punch, whip them into shape. Senioritis is killing America. Our kids are getting lazier and lazier towards spring. We must prevent senioritis. Many teachers may try to kill the disease, but it is not up to them, it is up to you, the senior. Good luck in beating this widely spreading disease, and farewell.

Cell phone usage

Cell phone usage from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Does cell phone usage in the hall ways really matter

Personality By Music

Personality By Music from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Tara and Austin ask several students and teachers at our school what their favorite music styles are. We then decode them to reveal what they tell about your personality.

Pampered Pretty Pink

Pampered Pretty Pink from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

This video is over Pampered, Pink, and Pretty. It was on February 4th at Grace Baptist Church. There are a few interviews included. It was a night for women to come and be pampered with massages, manicures, etc. Enjoy!

Music Tastes Can Affect Your Personality? by Tara Benner

Rap, Hip-hop, Blues, Gospel, Country, Rock, Alternative, Punk, Emo, Heavy Metal, Oldies, Techno, Screamo…. Everyone has different tastes in music. Some love country, but hate rap. Others love rock, but hate country. No one has “Bad” taste, just different.



Believe it or not, your music taste actually reveals something about yourself. We all have noticed, at at least one time or another, that our music taste goes along with our friends, clothing styles, activities, style of talking, and our desired “hang –out”. But music can also help you identify who you are as a person. Some of the statistics in music vs. personality choices might surprise you. Contrary to what most people believe, heavy metal fans, such as Metallica and KISS fans, are calm and at ease with themselves, smart, liberal, adventurous, athletic, and prone to social dominance, but most of heavy metal fans tend to be slackers. Classical music fans have some of the same traits as heavy metal fans. They are both calm, creative, and introverted. Unlike heavy metal fans though, classical music lovers tend to work harder and strive more towards their goals.

Studies show that listening to jazz music can help boost your self esteem, while heavy rock causes some people to lack self- belief and confidence. Rap and hip-hop fans, such as Lil Wayne or Justin Timberlake fans, are known for being outgoing and friendly, agreeable, liberal, athletic .Jazz listeners are also smart, liberal, and adventurous. People, who listen to Pop music such as Madonna or Britney Spears, tend to be agreeable, conscientious, conservative, rich, happy, and emotionally unstable. Indie lovers, such as Fall Out Boy fans, lack self-esteem and are not very gentle. Emo fans, such as My Chemical Romance and Three Days Grace fans, are similar to Heavy Metal fans, but also lack self confidence and are “mad at the world”. Country music listeners, such as Taylor Swift or Kenny Chesney fans, are hardworking and shy. While most people think it is heavy metal or emo music, Country music is the statistically proven most depressing genre of music out there. Obviously, Gospel and religious music listeners are, in fact, religious and consider them close to God and strongly believe in the Bible.



Most people tend to hang around friends who have the same or at least loosely similar music taste as themselves. This shows we all like to have the same interests as friends and like to be able to identify with them as well. Some people like just one specific type of music, while other listen to several, or even all types. These people tend to be very complex individuals with many different personality traits and types.

So, are you a hard working country fan, a extraverted rap lover, or a self confident Heavy Metal fan?

Tv Shows Exposed

This video is about the most popular Tv shows among teens and how they affect their lives. We interviewed 100 students and picked some students to say what they think. We also showed some examples of how these shows affect the teens in their everyday lives.

Untitled from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Conquest: Large Group Speech Districts

HCHS Speech Contest from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

"Con-on-quest! They were out to make a conquest, they had some super fun, and they won, the pri-ize! Ah ah ah!" ... Well, large group districts speech ended pretty darn well. Learn all about the epic, thrilling adventures of speech kids.

Pack the (Concession) Stands!

Untitled from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

It's Friday night, do you have plans?! Of course you do! You're sweating your tail off in the Concession Stands. Do you know all there is to know?! Well, soon you will! Danielle and Kelsey, masters of the stands, bring you inside. Lucky for you, you are not required to experience the heat.

67th Annual Golden Globe Awards -Alex

The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards were held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills last Sunday night, the 17th, and were televised on NBC.

The Golden Globe Awards were first held in 1944 at the 20th Century Fox Studios and has been held in various locations ever since. The Awards are presented annually to recognize the stupendous achievements in both motion pictures and television. The Golden Globes are said to be a major part of the film industry’s award season, along with the Academy Awards.

This year, many of the winners and presenters at the Golden Globes sported red and yellow ribbons to show their support for the disaster in Haiti, which in my opinion is a very modest and considerate action.

There were many movies, television shows, and actors and actresses that I was extremely excited to see win awards this year. One motion picture that won two awards was the 3D blockbuster Avatar. I personally haven’t seen this film, but I’ve heard from various friends that it was AWESOME. The awards that Avatar received were ‘Best Movie Drama’ and the director, James Cameron, took home ‘Best Director’.

The 2009 comedy ‘The Hangover’ received the award for ‘Best Motion Picture Comedy/Musical’. I was thrilled to see this movie win because I thought it was hilarious. Another movie I was excited to see receive an award was Disney-Pixar’s ‘Up’, which received ‘Best Animated Movie’. You don’t even need to be a kid to enjoy this animated movie, it was a spectacular combination of humor and seriousness, and it even got a couple tears from some people!

My favorite award winner of the night was Sandra Bullock, without a doubt. She received ‘Best Actress Movie Drama’ for her 2009 hit movie, ‘The Blindside’. (If you want to learn more about ‘The Blindside’, feel free to check out my previous story on it by clicking the tag 'alex and joe' on the left side of the page) I was excited to see Bullock win this award because she did a phenomenal job of playing her part in the movie, and also because of the comeback she's made back into the movie industry. She herself stated, "I'm in the best spot of my career." The movie was spectacular; funny and inspirational, and just an all-around feel-good movie.

All in all, I was very impressed with the presentation of most of the awards. The only thing that I didn’t like about the Awards was the host, comedian Ricky Gervais. Many people thought he was hilarious, but for an awards show that is supposed to be elegant and classy, I found his humor to be very crude and a tad bit disturbing. Don’t get me wrong, I think a few jokes to break the ice are acceptable, but some of the things he referred to were just disgusting.

Other than that one little thing, I though the Golden Globes were definitely a success. If anyone has any opinions on the recipients of the awards, or anything else, feel free to leave a comment!

For complete coverage of the Golden Globe Awards:
-http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/17/golden.globes/index.html
-http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/01/17/monique-takes-home-golden-globe-award-precious/