Senior Spotlight: Sarah Durst
Senior Spotlight: Zachary Isaiah Strike
Trinity Mayhew
Sarah Durst
If you need a loyal and caring friend who will always be there for you, a singer with an extraordinary range, help with a particularly difficult riddle, or someone to help you pick out the perfect candle scent, Sarah Durst is your girl. Ambitious, determined, and a hard worker, she will break down any barrier that dares to stand in her way in order to reach her goals. I am so excited to see what God has planned for this lovely young woman.
T: When and where?
S: March 15th 2002 in Rapid City, SD.
T: What are your plans for after high school?
S: I am going to go into hospitality at UW Stout, and then I'm hoping to work at Disney World.
T: How have you changed since freshman year?
S: I was definitely a lot less sure of myself, and smaller--mentally, physically, and emotionally. But now I know what real friends are, and I know they will always be there for me and I will always be there for them.
T: Advice for freshman you?
S: Do your homework. Even if you don't care about it. Do your study time, and don't lie about the time sheets. Do your homework the day it's assigned, not the day it's due so you're not panicking, and you'll have more time to do fun things later.
T: What's your biggest pet peeve?
S: When people think they know about the Fandoms I am in and are very wrong, or try to poke fun at them. Either that or making jokes at the wrong time to the wrong people about the wrong things.
T: What is your favorite part of Disney World?
S: Do you want the parks or the resorts?
For the resort, the Lobby of the Grand Floriddian, there's a band in the foyer with a three story chandelier.
For the park, the Experimental Community of Tomorrow with a lot of character meet and greets and the world showcase where you get a taste of all the different countries, and there are people who are from those countries working in the place and spoke their native language to each other. It's a total immersion and a real experience.
T: If you were a crayon, what would you be and why?
S: I'd like to say Happily Ever After would be the title of my crayon, and it would be sky blue like behind the Walt Disney logo, because I feel like I am a dreamer and it's like I said in my speech, to those of you seniors who were listening, it takes a lot of hard work to achieve those dreams. Also, I really like blue. It actually runs in my family. Both of my grandmothers like the same shade of blue.
T: What Hogwarts house are you in?
S: Ravenclaw! Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure. I have a lot of friends that are Hufflepuff, though.
T: What fandoms are you in?
S: Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, The Selection, The Belgariad, Three Dark Crowns, Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicles, Grishaverse, Sherlock, Librarians, Doctor Who, Downtown Abbey, Merlin, Jane Austin, Broadway, and Big Bang Theory. Not the actual theory, the TV show. I'm probably forgetting something and I'm going to kick myself later.
Favorites
Color: Blue
Scent: Peach
Book: 'The One' in the Selection Series. The Feels!
Class: Spanish 3
Custard Flavor: Double Food Cake, Georgia Peach, and Creamy Lemon Crumble.
Tea: Peach White
Disney Movie: Frozen 2, Brave, Princess and the Frog, Ziotopian, Aladin 2019, Spider Man Homecoming, Ratatouille, and the Aristocats.
Disney Character: I am Elsa, and also Padmè Naberrie Amidala Skywalker.
Star Wars Movie: Attack of the Clones, Episode 2
Song: Show Yourself, Indina Menzel
Hymn: Thy Strong Word.
Bible verse: Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth.
Zachary Isaiah Strike. Peludo to those of you in Español 3. Our local DM, card trick magician, martial artist, and ultimate fandom artist. I mean, seriously, have you seen the minifigures he makes?!? Not to mention the amazing canvas posters/paintings I’ve had the pleasure to see. Not only that, but he’s our local Dungeons and Dragons columnist for the Flash, sometimes with funny quotes, sometimes with gaming tips and info, always a fun read every issue. He may be quiet, but Zach is a dragon’s hoard of fun facts and talents.
S: When and where?
Z: WIndon, MN, 7th of March, 2002.
S: What kind of tree do you compare yourself to, and why?
Z: Weeping Willow because they have extremely bendy arms, and flexible, and unique in how they look.
S: What superpower would you choose and why?
Z: I would probably have to go with basic telekinesis because you could not only move things around with your mind, you could pick yourself up and fly around.
S: What animal do you think you’re most similar to?
Z: I’d have to go with a cat because if I’m not sleeping in late on the weekend, I’m lying around doing nothing. Basically just a house cat.
S: What do you think about when you’re alone?
Z: Usually wondering what other people are doing, usually thinking about ideas I could do for DnD or writing stories. Sometimes wondering what’s for supper on days when I run out of snacks.
S: Any advice for the freshmen?
Z: If there’s a due date for homework, do it right away so you don’t procrastinate and stress yourself out about it last minute.
S: D&D tips for the newbies, or not-so-newbies?
Z: Obviously, for newbies, if you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask. For characters, try to get into the habit of making good backstories. For not-so-newbies, try not to make yourself a character no one likes, and try to be an overly weird character.
S: Funniest high school memory?
Z: I’d probably have to say the time when the guys in the class took a whole bottle of Dawn soap and used it in the showers and made a huge foam problem in the dorm. They plugged in the third floor showers and let all the foam drain, and filled the second floor showers, and it was kind of messy.
S: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Z: Artist of some sort. I don’t know if I’m going to paint or sketch, or go into graphic design, which is in high demand these days.
S: You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color are you and why?
Z: This is the first time I’ve been a crayon . . . I’d probably say black because it goes with everything, but not outstanding and bright. It’s usually not the center of attention, if it is, it’s probably the only color being used.
S: Describe a character build you’ve done while in high school.
Z: There’s my Yuan-ti Phoenix Sorcerer. The DM hated it with its immunity to poison and defenses against magic. That, and I may have incinerated some people in one shot.
Favorites:
Class: Art
D&D Class: Fighters or Rogues
Prof.: Reim
Food: Sushi
Drink: Spicy Ginger Ale called Blenheim
Fandom: Star Wars
Hobby: Martial arts or lightsaber dueling
Animated Disney Movie: Tie between Aladdin and Tarzan
Weird Things Heard on Class Calls
Suraya Williams
May Articles
“Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you” (Revelation 3:2-3).
What if it were always Friday? Most people look forward to Friday, with it being the last day of the week and all. It’s the day when you can finally take a break from all the hard work of the past week, and prepare for the stress free weekend that lies ahead.
But what if you woke up every single day, feeling that same excitement you usually feel only once a week. People are generally in a better mood on Friday, but what if people had that same positive attitude every day? God wants us to be joyful and make the most of every day in His Name, using our individual gifts to share and proclaim His Holy Word.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Every day is a blessing, a gift from the Lord. We should gratefully thank our God, no matter what day it is, for all the blessings he has given to us. For giving His own Son to die for us, so that we do not have to be worried or terrified of what problems the day will bring, but rather look to Him in hope and love, and use our day to share this good news with those who have not heard it.
“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;” (Isaiah 35:3-6).
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us."
Rather small one this time, but l hope you guys still like it! Something to make you smile amidst all this craziness. If you hear something weird or funny, feel free to shoot me an email or text. God bless you all.
"I know the virus won't kill me; I've never been that lucky."
"You get 10 hours of sleep a night?! I don't think I've ever gotten that much sleep in my life."
"Man, I'd love an all French fry and goldfish diet."
"Old people shouldn't be allowed to vote ‘cause they're gonna die soon anyways."
"That sounds like how my daughters describe me. Worthless and meaningless and run down and old."
"I thought I heard inspiring voices, but it was the dog barking."
Bonus exchange:
Dad: What are those glowing things?
R: Blupees
D: How do you get them? Don't they appear at night?
R: Only when the mountain is glowing.
What If . . .
Samuel Radermacher
QUARANTINE
PLAYLIST: PART 2
Kitara Mielkie
-
Six Feet Apart--Alec Benjamin
-
Level of Concern--Twenty One Pilots
-
Good News--Ocean Park Standoff
-
Just Hold On--Steve Aoki and Louis Tomilson
-
Keep Your Head Up--Andy Grammer
-
Three Little Birds--Bob Marley
-
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)--Chris Tomlin
-
Good Job--Alicia Keys
-
The Longest Time--Billy Joel
If You Say to Me, “We Trust in the LORD our God”
Aric Reim
The world is full of people who want to make us stop believing in our God. They’re on TV, they’re in newspapers, it seems like they’re everywhere. We’ve gotten used to it, and although we know they’re wrong, their insidious and relentless attack can start to wear on us. They accuse us Christians of being narrow-minded, stubborn, and stupid. “Look!” they say, “Science has disproved religion!” “Look at this!” they insist, “Christian hypocrisy shows that your religion is wrong!” “See here,” they declare, “Nobody believes the other early religions any more. Why can’t you let go of your childish beliefs?”
In fact, I’ve become so used to these attacks of our time that I was very surprised to see a large number of the same arguments made by an ancient enemy of Israel when I was reading in the book of Isaiah. In Chapter 36, the Assyrian king Sennacherib has attacked Israel and is marching on Jerusalem. He sends his Rabshakeh, chief of princes, ahead of him to subdue the Israelites without a fight. When the Rabshakeh meets with King Hezekiah’s officials, he brings out some very familiar arguments.
The Rabshakeh begins by pointing out that Israel is not in a good position, and can’t expect any help from Egypt. Then he levels his main attack: “But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away?’” This was the first argument that amazed me with its familiarity. “You Christians expect your God to help? Ha! Why should he? You’re just as sinful as we are!” “You think your God will help you, you hypocrites, who preach love but hate homosexuals and Muslims [which is, of course, false].”
Then the Rabshakeh tries to convince the listening Israelites to surrender with arguments that, at first glance, seem reasonable. “Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered its land from the hand of the King of Assyria?” How familiar this one sounds. We hear it every day on TV, in textbooks, on the internet–“Experience has proven that God doesn’t help. Did God help the victims of the Holocaust? Clearly he doesn’t help. Clearly he can’t!” We’ve also heard another similar argument–“God doesn’t exist. Look at the science. It proves it.”
The Israelites, to their credit, did not listen to the Assyrian Rabshakeh. Instead, Hezekiah prayed for help, and God delivered them. In a single night, the Assyrian army was destroyed and all its proud posturing was proven wrong. God did exactly what he said he would. He answered Hezekiah’s prayer, and he protected his people.
So let’s not lose heart. God will keep his word, no matter what the powerful, the intellectual, or the majority may tell us. Our God is more than a match for any of his enemies and ours, yesterday, today, and forever.
Heard in the Highlands
Trinity Mayhew
The house shutters. The roots of the trees strain in their struggle to hold on to the ground. They will win, of course--they have fought this same enemy since childhood, and only the toughest of trees could survive here. Another burst of wind sounds like a wrecking ball upon the west wall. The tops of the pines reach to the rising moon in the east. Even if the wind stopped, they'd still point that way. Years of forced habit tend to stick.
The gasping breath of the sky beating against the house along with its whistling and howling never used to keep me awake. But now, it seems, here I lie, listening to the never ceasing life-blood of the West, crying its broken lament.
Tell Me Something I Don't Know--"Deep Sea" Edition
Since pretty much everything is going awry above ground right now, I thought I might pull a Mrs. Frizzle (Magic School Bus, anyone?) and take you on an impromptu field trip to the deep sea for a cool look at some of God’s creatures and some fun facts.
First, the Irrawaddy Dolphin. I’ll admit, I did initially click on them on the WWF website simply because I thought the name was funny and cool. However, these creatures are more than just a name. The Irrawaddy Dolphins are known for their tricks often playing with their audiences and putting on shows by blowing water out of their blowholes and catching it in their mouths, and for their giggles, for their faces are unusually expressive. Also, since they are coastal dolphins, the Irrawaddy dolphins cooperatively fish with fishermen who use cast or throw nets in the Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar. Fishermen let the dolphins know they are ready to fish by tapping the side of their boats. One or two dolphins then swim in smaller and smaller semicircles, herding the fish towards the fishermen. Unfortunately, despite this rather unique connection with humans all freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin populations and the marine population living in Malampaya Sound, Philippines are listed as Critically Endangered.
The Hawksbill Turtle: Ah, sea turtles. Did anyone else read “sea turtles” in the voice of Mr. Gibbs from Pirates of the Caribbean? No? Just me? Oh, well. They are still cool, the hawksbill turtle especially. On average, they weigh around 120 lbs and are 32 inches long, and are found generally near Coastal East Africa and the Coral Triangle. These guys are actually critically endangered because they are so cool. They have beautiful shells, which leads to them getting poached to be sold as “tortoiseshells” in markets. The Hawksbill turtle, as well as other sea turtles, help to maintain the health of the coral reefs which houses hundreds of other different kinds of creatures and habitats.
Finally, the Blue Whale, because go big, or go home, am I right? These bad boys (and girls) are the largest known animals on the planet. In this corner, we have the adult blue whale, weighing in at 173 tons and 100 feet. And in this corner, we have the adult African Bush Elephant (the largest of the elephant species), weighing in at… 6.5 tons and 13 feet. Which, yeah, is still big, but, it’s like comparing a decent sized boulder to a mountain. There is no contest.
The Blue Whale has a heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. You know, Mrs. Beekman’s car. I don’t know why, so don’t ask, but that just seems cute to me. Thinking of a yellow Beetle inside that massive creature . . . The Blue Whale eats 457,000 calories in. One. Mouthful. And, you know, their calls are louder than jet engines. God is awesome.
(Also, when I was on the WWF website looking up facts about the Blue Whale, I saw the icon at the top of the page that read “Adopt a Blue Whale!” and I couldn’t help but think of what I would do with a pet Blue Whale, what I would name him. That led me to think of this scene from my favorite childhood cartoon, Looney Tunes: I Will Name Him George.)
Grace Meyer
Life as an Essential Worker
Trinity Mayhew
My brother, Austin, is a pizza delivery guy, which happens to be considered “essential” in this time of panic and turmoil. He gave us all an inside scoop on the behind the scenes.
There are three kinds of deliveries according to how the customer pays.
-
Credit card, pre-tipped. In this method, the pizza is simply set on the porch and the doorbell is rung.
-
Credit card, no tip. The customer still has to sign the receipt.
-
Cash. A plastic bag is set on the pizza box, which the customer puts the money in and gives it to the driver.
They also have a metal bracket they set up to keep the pizza box from touching the ground. Austin tells a story about a delivery: "So yesterday, I had delivery where on the driver instructions the dude said, "When you get here, you don't have to place it on the metal altar thing that you guys bring in to worship the cleanliness gods. Just leave it on the doorstep." The man reportedly gave him a nice tip. Austin personally isn't a big fan of contactless deliveries. "They're dumb and pointless, 'cause they don't DO anything," he says.
Austin also says that life has changed very little for him, despite the fact that there are better tips and fewer deliveries. "I used to deliver to 20 to 25 places in one night. Now I deliver to 15 to 20. That's because the base is closed, though." The low gas prices haven't affected him much either, because they get paid mileage based on gas prices.
When asked how considered being essential makes him feel, Austin confided, "The fact that we're considered essential is stupid. We're not essential; we're workers that rarely come in contact with people. But, yes, it has boosted my self confidence--not that it needed it, of course."
Stay safe and God bless, and thank you to all the Essential Workers out there for carrying on.
The Wright Brothers and Me
The Messiah Complex
Grace Meyer
June 6, 2013, History.com. “In Connecticut, Wright Brothers No Longer ‘First in Flight.’” By Sarah Pruitt–
“The Connecticut Senate has passed legislation effectively stripping Orville and Wilbur Wright of recognition for the first powered flight in history.”
Loose gravel crunched under the tires as the ramshackle grey bus that was carrying me and two other unhappy convicts stopped in front of the intimidating Mac-Dougal--Walker Correctional Institution in Somers, Connecticut. As I stepped down from the bus, the relative brilliance of the afternoon sunlight blinded me for a minute, and before my eyes had time to adjust, security had waved us through and we were back out of the light, walking down an uninviting grey hallway to the only place I would be spending the rest of my life with, no chance of parole.
If you, the reader, are wondering what put me here in these unfortunate circumstances, my next encounter will shed some light on the subject. As I sat down to my first meal in MacDougal, a burly man sitting next to me grunted a greeting. I grunted something back. Conversationally, he asked, “What are you in for?”
I hesitated. I didn’t want to make enemies here, not ever, and especially not yet. Whatever mistakes these guys had made, a lot of them still had consciences that would sting if I told them my crime. But I wasn’t about to lie. I steeled my resolve and told the man what had brought me here.
“I said the Wright brothers were first in flight.”
The big man froze, his laden fork halfway to his mouth. “You said what?” He growled.
He had heard me. I didn’t need to repeat myself.
“Listen, you,” he said in a low, quiet voice, “I’ve known some guys who have done some pretty bad things. But you . . . you disgust me.”
When I had seen that first flash in his eyes when I confessed my crime, I had feared the man might react violently. But there was no violence in him. He was only shocked and horrified. He knew what I knew, and what the Connecticut State Legislature knew. The Wright brothers were not first in flight, and the lawmakers had been right to pass a law that said so. I ought to spend the rest of my life here. For my crime, I had earned it.
Raise your hand if you have ever felt like it’s all up to you to make something happen. Not for the first time in my life, I wish I had more hands than just two. I am notorious for taking on a lot of different tasks all at the same time. “What do you mean having twelve Lance pages, six Flash articles, four 7-hour shifts at work on school nights, and three athletic games to attend this week is too much?” I would ask my mother when she would say I had too much on my plate. Now, I might have been exaggerating a little, but honestly, not that much. I am terrible about thinking I need to do everything for everybody. For as long as I can remember, I have been this way. Always needing to do so much at one time, to do it sooner than others, and have it all planned out. Don’t get me wrong, I love being busy, involved, and helping others, but there’s a line when it becomes too much, and I know I have toed it or stepped over it before.
A couple of nights ago, I was having a conversation with my brother, and I admitted to him that I was actually really nervous for college to start. I explained to him that lots of people think of me as someone who has a fast track plan with everything together, which is what I try to think of myself as well. Like I said before, I love having it all planned out, and I have had my college and career plans pretty well cemented for the last couple of years. However, now that I’m getting to the point of having to actually literally dedicate myself to those plans, I told my brother that I’m getting a little freaked out.
“Ah,” he said with a smile. “The consequences of your Messiah complex are setting in.” It was very late at this point and my brother Timothy generally speaks in terms far too profound for me to understand right away anyway, so I was just like, “. . . huh?”
He went on to say that I had developed such a strong characteristic of doing everything for myself and for others that when faced with actually having to do something that will change the course of my life, I was finally getting to my breaking point.
“You weren’t meant to do it all on your own,” he told me. Despite how simple that sounds, it hit me deep. I have been in the mindset of “I have to do it all on my own and I have to do it all now” for so long that it was extra impacting when he said that. But, of course, as usual, my brother was right. I wasn’t meant to do it all on my own. Proverbs 3 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
I’m not supposed to take care of everything on my own. I’m not supposed to lean on myself. How does someone lean on themselves? Eventually, the farther a person leans without support from the opposite direction, they are going to fall over. That’s about where I was in thinking about college. How am I going to afford it? How well am I going to do in my classes? I was about to tip over, because I was focusing on what I AM DOING, not what God has already done for me, and promises to continue to do. God already sent a Messiah, a Savior, someone to have it all wrapped up nicely for me and for you. He already has everything worked out for our lives and says all we need to do is trust in Him. How absolutely rad is that?
Aric Reim
My Flying Furball of Fire
Trinity Mayhew
During this time of online schooling and staying home, I've been spending a lot of time with a friend I don't get to see very often--my 7 year old golden retriever, Nova. While a lot of people aren't liking this quarantine thing very much, Nova LOVES it. There's more of everything she loves most--attention, walks, runs, treats, foot pets, belly scratches, butt scratches, and being inside.
Nova's a very peculiar dog. She doesn't play games or with toys, and will only go to the toy box to get her favorite bone. She hates being alone, especially when she's outside. Her new pastimes include coming with me on our morning runs, 'working out' with mom and I, and coming to see Prof. Gullerud whenever there's an Algebra II or Spanish II Google Hangouts meeting. We also have taught her a few new tricks. Thanks for keeping me company, Nova!