Intextication

Intextication from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

This is a short video on the dangers and repercussions of texting and driving. It is very dangerous and irresponsible. PLEASE don't text and drive, the video offer an alternative or two on what you can do instead.

Happy Holidays- by Joe Schmitz

It can easily said that December is the time of giving, and receiving. The time of decorations and holiday lights. More the vast majority of Shelby County, Christmas is the holiday of choice. With 33% of the world as Christians and only .2% as Jews it would be easy to see how most people would know very little about the ancient tradition of Hanukkah. Hanukkah translates from Hebrew into English as: “establishing” or “dedication.” This old custom has also been know as the Festival of Lights, the Festival of Dedication (to the temple of Jerusalem), or the romanized version, Chanukah. It is an eight-day Jewish Holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the calendar the Hebrews use, which may occur at any time from late November to late December. This year the celebration is going to be held from Sunset, December 11th to sunset, December 19th.The festival is observed by lighting the candles on a special Candelabrum, a nine-branched Menorah, one extra light on each night of the holiday, working up to eight on the last night. Another candle named a Shamash (translated "guard" or "servant") is lit every night so it can light the rest, and is generally above or below the rest. There are other additions to the daily prayer, and an insert is added to the blessings after meals. Hanukkah is not a fasting holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain from certain activities as would be on a Sabbath day.
The celebration of Hanukkah has been a part of Jewish families for hundreds of years, it is a tradition that is a big part of the holiday season. On each night of Hanukkah there are gifts that are received or exchanged within the house households, generally following or preceding a meal. These customs are much like those observed by the Christians this time of year. So, when you are opening your presents, or enjoying a nice meal keep in mind that you aren't the only ones celebrating this season. There are a lot of different aspects of life, be mindful and respectful to all of them. After all, the season's spirit is about being grateful for the past and the present, and every one of us have our part in each. Coexist.

The Blindside - Alex Gettys

Do any of you know of someone in your life who you think deep down is a good person, but he/she just needs some help to find where that good is? Well, I certainly know someone like this, and I’m sure all of you do as well. The 2009 hit movie The Blindside definitely illustrates the power of one ordinary person stepping out of their way to help reach the good in one lost person.

The Blindside tells the story of a boy by the name of Michael Oher. Before I get into the movie, I’ll talk a little bit about his background story. Michael was born to a woman of the name Denise Oher, who was a crack cocaine addict. Because of her addiction, Michael received very little attention. In elementary school, he repeated both first and second grade, and in his first nine years of education, Michael attended around 11 different schools. Michael also spent time in foster homes throughout his early life.

Now that you know Michael’s background story, I’ll get into the movie. The Blindside starts off with Michael just being a lost soul that lives on the streets, but after he is luckily accepted into Briarcrest Christian School because of his big size and the football coach’s fascination with him, his life takes a turn for the better.

Walking through the freezing cold streets of Memphis one night, Michael runs into an acquaintance of four known as the Tuohy Family. The Tuohy Family consists of Leigh Anne and Sean, along with their son and daughter. Because of the freezing cold weather, the Tuohy’s were nice enough to let Michael stay at their home for one night.

What was originally supposed to be one night ended up turning into a permanent arrangement for Michael and the Tuohy’s. The Tuohy family fell in love with Michael’s unique personality and continued to care for him. Leigh Anne eventually talked Michael into going out for football because of his size, and at first Michael didn’t do much good for the team. Through a lot of hard work with Sean and Leigh Anne’s son, SJ, being his “coach”, Michael improves his strength and agility immensely.

In The Blindside, I really love when Leigh Anne talks to Michael about improving his blocking in the game. Michael’s position is right tackle on offense, and his job is to protect the quarterback, running back, etc. Leigh Anne tells Michael that he needs to protect his team mates like they’re his family, and that he has to do whatever he can to make sure they’re safe. I love this part because it really emphasizes how superb Michael’s protective instincts are and it shows how much love and compassion he has for his new family.

After a successful season, Michael faces the tough decision of deciding where to attend college. Everyone wants him because he’s so good at what he does, but he has trouble keeping his grades up and has to work hard to do so. Michael eventually decides to become a Rebel and play for the University of Mississippi, where his new “father”, Sean played basketball.

After college, Michael was a first round pick in the NFL draft and became a new member of the Baltimore Ravens. Michael still plays today for the Ravens and is still extremely good at what he does. Another really cool thing is that Harlan native, Billy Cundiff, also plays for the Ravens. How cool would that be?! Playing with Michael Oher!


To me, the movie The Blindside displays how one person’s love and compassion can save another person’s life, and bring out the greatness that is deep down inside them. Michael Oher is definitely a role-model in my life now; because of the factors in his life he had to overcome to be successful. He did this through hard work and determination, which are two qualities I think are the most important to possess.

Now that you know what I think about the movie The Blindside, here’s what some other people said about the movie: Sarah Konz, sophomore, said, “It’s the best movie I’ve ever seen in my life!” And freshman Minden Brix stated, “I loved it. It was great. SJ was my favorite character.” Now, what does everyone else think? Leave a comment!

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.

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.

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!

Dome Sweet Dome

This is a recap on the semi-finals football game vs. the Carroll Tigers at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. Enjoy!

Dome Sweet Dome from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Newsroom Season 2 Premiere

Newsroom Season Premiere from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

We take a look at the season 2 premiere of the epic tale: The Newsroom. We last left the class after the news of Mr. MItchell may have survived. Let's recap last season to get a feel on what may happen this season.

STATE Cross Country 2009 - Alex and Joe

State Cross Country 2009 - Alex and Joe from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

This is a short video on the results of the State Cross Country Meet this past weekend in Fort Dodge. Enjoy!

Cyclone Corner

Cyclone Corner from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

Do YOU want new, exciting Cyclone apparel, but aren't sure where you should get it? Well fear no more, this video explains the Cyclone Corner, and gives a slight glimpse into the workers behind the scenes.

Oh! The Places You COULD Go! by Joe Schmitz

As most of you know, there isn’t a whole lot to do in the podunk little town of Harlan, IA. You can find most students of HCHS sitting in their basements watching TV, or cruising around in their cars with a couple of friends. They putt around town slowly wasting gas because they don’t have anything else to do. However, there are a few different things that kids can do in Harlan, and a lot to do outside of Harlan.
Now that the weather becoming worse and the cold is rapidly increasing students may be looking for a place that’s nice and warm to hangout in. Instead of just driving around or sitting at home kids could be inside, at the Hansen Brother’s coffee shop on the North-west corner of the square. They offer warm, and cold drinks, and plenty of food. They have a bast collection of snacks, and plenty of places to sit and eat them. Hansen Bro’s has a lot of couches for students to sit comfortably and talk to each other, they play a soft ambiance of music in the back ground with the pleasing smell of coffee lightly hinting at your nostrils. Harlan also offers the bowling alley, Cyclone Lanes, where kids can get together and have fun with an activity that gets you away from the norm. At night the mood changes to a more exciting, vibrant alley of laser bowling. Personally, Cyclone Lanes is my favorite place to get pizza. They are open daily, for more details on hours visit them at 912 Chatburn Avenue (Highway 44).
There are also many activities for teenagers outside of Harlan. Having the Council Bluffs/Omaha area within about an hour gives a great variety of events. The obvious choices for a leisurely night would be strolling around one of the many malls the area has to offer, or perhaps seeing a new movie in a large theater. Some just like to get away to try a new restaurant, or visit an old favorite, but there have been some new things to do popping up in the city. For example, there is a new indoor Go-Kart facility in Council Bluffs called Joe’s Karting. It offers a new way to spend your free time, plus, it’s fun for almost anyone. For more information visit their website at http://www.joeskarting.com. Omaha offers another great places for hours of entertainment, SkateDaze. SkateDaze is a large facility with a roller skating rink, rock wall, small rides, laser tag, and much more. Visit www.skatedaze.com to learn more. This time of year there are also tons of “Haunted Houses” to visit. They are a great way to have a good time with your friends by watching them all get really scared, if you go I suggest going towards the back so you can watch everyone else’s reactions. If none of that seems to be your cup of tea, there are plenty of concerts always going on in the 712, and if all else fails, sometimes its fun just to spend some time walking around Wal-Mart for hours on end.
If you haven’t noticed by now, there is a lot more going on in our area than most people realize; all you need to do is open your eyes, and get a little creative.

Homecoming Dance: Friday or Saturday? -By Alex

As most of you know, the Homecoming dance of the 2009-2010 school year was on Saturday night, rather than Friday night. At Harlan High School, all the Homecoming festivities have always been on Friday. The day would start off with the coronation ceremony at 1:30, followed by the parade around the historic Square of downtown Harlan, and after the parade was completed, there was a small pep assembly on the steps of the Courthouse. At 7:30 that night, the Cyclone harriers would play an enticing game against their opponents, and ever since I can remember, the Cyclones have always won. At about halftime of the football game, the high school girls would scramble off to primp, polish, and scurry to be looking fantastic as their dates arrive. In the mean time, when the game would end, the football boys would rapidly shower, and get all fancied up to go meet their girls and have their pictures taken.


Now you may ask, “What’s the problem with this? It all seems to run so smoothly!” But the problem is that no one arrives at the dance until around 10:00 or 10:30, at the earliest. Now I don’t know about you, but that seems kind of late to me, especially because of the fact that the dance ends at midnight. Because of this, the Harlan High School Student Council took it among themselves to take a vote of the student body and see if students thought we should move the dance to Saturday night, with everything else remaining on Friday. The result of the vote was to have the dance Saturday, so that’s what went down.

The dance was most definitely a success! Everyone I talked to absolutely loved the music and had a BLAST dancing. Even people who don’t like to dance said that they had fun boogying on the dance floor. I didn’t even hear anyone complain about the breathalizing, which was put into effect last year. Student Council benefited from the dance as well, profiting $1645. All in all, everyone had a great night!


Many people had many different opinions on the dance on Saturday. To tell you the truth, I think both Friday and Saturday night have their pros and cons. Among the people I interviewed, one night didn’t seem to rule over the other night; both options seemed pretty even. Below are numerous quotes from different members of the HCHS student body about the dance. The question asked was, “Did you like the dance better on Friday night or Saturday night?” Here were the responses:


Amy Clark, junior, said, “It was alright on Saturday. I liked it better on Saturday because you have more time to get ready and you don’t have to leave in the middle of the game to be ready in time.”

From a guy’s perspective, Jarod Juhl, a sophomore, states, “I liked it better on Friday because everything was done and over with in one night.”

“I liked the dance better on Friday because everything, like coronation and the parade, were all back-to-back rather than spread out,” said sophomore Ali Goetzinger.

As a freshman, Jack Keane didn’t get the experience of the dance on Friday, but he still thought, “It was pretty tight!”

Michael Klein (senior), more commonly known as Drama, said, “I liked it on Saturday because the Oklahoma football game was on the TV in the commons!”

Personally, I liked the dance better on Saturday, but I didn’t mind it on Friday either. I think the reason I liked it on Saturday was because it was different and new. It made Homecoming last the whole weekend rather than just one night, and I liked that because I simply love Homecoming! I would love to hear what you readers think though, so if you have any opinions on this subject, go ahead and leave a comment! :)

H1N1: Your Guide To Survival.

H1N1: Your Guide To Survival. from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

This video is a short cover on the H1N1 virus, that is going around. Not all information may be 100% accurate, but it is to the best of the knowledge available.

Volerama 2009

HCHS Volerama 2009 from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

A look at the 2009 HCHS volermama tournament. INcluding interviews, game footage, and iterviews.

Rock For Relief Promotion

Rock For Relief from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

This is a promotional video for the upcoming Rock For Relief, Disaster Relief concert. All the info is within in the video. All proceeds are 100% non-profit and go the American Red Cross disaster relief fund.

Sheltered Reality by Joey Schmitz

Society tends to take a self assuming role as a “protector of the weak,” a screen to it’s children from the rest of the world. It seems most older generations feel the need to shield their kids from the evils of the world. They feel it is their duty to ensure the innocence of the younger era, but at what cost?
Most parents today feel their young are growing up in an unsafe environment. Perhaps the feeling is that their precious little teenage babies can’t learn unless in a safe, secure, risk-free bubble. It could be adults feel the entire world is out to get the young students, or maybe it is a feeling of fear that their children will realize everything they are told isn’t always true. In any case, the parents of today have the urge to block the eyes of the young from anything potentially harmful; whether that be physically or emotionally. The majority of the time this is seen in middle school and high school.
When these teens are over-sheltered they don’t see reality; they need to grow into the world they live in. If parents block every bit of possible harm from their offspring, these kids will eventually believe the world is made of sugar and lollipops. Not only is it completely ridiculous to try to keep kids from seeing what the world really is; it is utterly irresponsible. If people continue to attempt to cover the young generation’s eyes, they won’t be able to learn. School is a place where kids should feel safe; that is absolute; it shouldn’t mean students can’t see what is actually happening in the real world. Society continually make rules that prevent students from seeing what has be deemed “harmful.” By doing this, kids are becoming less and less informed about how to react in an unfamiliar situation. Even small things such as music or TV shows are seen as an evil to which these “special little toddlers” should never be exposed.
The American culture is turning these kids into citizens who
won’t learn to think for themselves. The censorship of parental figures and the school system is sending mixed messages. First, kids are told they can’t say this, or can’t see that. Then, there are told to think for themselves and to be problem solving students. How can kids solve the problem when they are being prevented from even knowing of their existence.
Instead of trying to avoid every hazard in the road by taking the safe detour, maybe kids should be taught how to spot the hazards and learn how to maneuver through them. It may be better to let young adults learn how to work through problems. Perhaps it would be better to expose the new generation to possible solutions to their problems instead of trying to pretend these problems don't exist. Why keep kids from seeing or hearing about society’s problems now when they will have to experience them once they are out of school and into the working world? Isn’t it a much better idea to offer problem-solving ideals than sense-numbing barriers?
Most parents today believe the best way to prevent kids from turning to harmful habits is by pretending that they don't exist at all. Youth today can handle the information as long as their parents are there to tell them what is really going on. Instead, too many teens are hold false beliefs and fake notions that everyone is out there to help them. When these kids are finally exposed to the true anarchy that is today; they end up succumbing to culture shock from the world they thought they knew.

Mr. Broomfield addresses problem at Merrill by Alex Gettys

Do you remember going to Cyclone football games when you were in elementary school? Were you the kid that was always seated with your parents, contently watching the game, or were you one of the kids always running around, playing a game?

Recently, Bob Broomfield, Superintendent of Harlan Community Schools, sent out an informative letter to the parents of New Park and West Ridge Elementary students concerning the running around taking place mainly on the south end of the football stadium. While Mr. Broomfield was very pleased with the outcome of the first home football game against Cyclone rival Sioux City Heelan, he wasn’t overly happy with the “free-for-all” on the south end of the football stadium.

A view of the south end of the stadium where kids often gather to play games.

You may ask, what is wrong with the kids just running around, playing football, and having a good time? One of Mr. Broomfield’s responsibilities as superintendent of the schools is to take precautions to ensure the safety of our students. Playing football and other potentially dangerous games isn’t exactly safe alone, but playing these games without any adult supervision is another story.

As you can see above, the south end of the stadium isn't very visible from the stands, which makes it even more difficult to monitor.

Often times, elementary parents just drop their kids off at the door, expecting them to be supervised by others at public events, but according to Mr. Broomfield, “We don’t have the manpower or desire.”

Above, an example the the running around going on at football games.

At the request of Mr. Broomfield, he asks all parents with children in grades kindergarten through fifth grade to please “be seated in the stands any time the football team is on the field.” He also understands that “trips to the restroom or concession stand may need to occur, but those trips need to be rare as possible.”

“We are fortunate to attract large crowds to our games, and those who are there to watch the game do not appreciate lots of little Cyclones continuously running around during the game,” Mr. Broomfield states, “It would be better if the children stayed with their parents, but if that is not the parent’s preference, we do ask that they be seated when the team is on the field.”

Below, a view of the beautiful Merrill Field.

At the next home game, which is Friday the 18th, Mr. Broomfield and other members of the community are hoping to see improvement upon this issue. Now that it has been addressed, it will hopefully become less of a hazard and disturbance to those trying to enjoy the game.

Coexist

Coexist from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

This is a short video on the attacks of September 11, 2001. This video portrays what happened that day, including interviews from various people about what they remember feeling that day.

Cross Country 09'

The 2009 Cyclone Cross Country Team. A look at this year's prospects.

Cross Country '09 from Chad Bruns on Vimeo.

We followed the Cyclones to their meets, to practice and even to the hallways. This year will be tough, but these Cyclones are even tougher.