Empty bowls dinner

Above; Natalie K paints her rice bowl in Sprint class. 

by Jamie Van Dee and Andrea Farrington 

We live in the world’s wealthiest nation, yet 13 percent of people living in the U.S. live in poverty. With this in mind, instructor Abby Clark and the sixth grade Sprint class are hosting a dinner on Wednesday, April 27 using rice bowls they have hand painted with the help of the rest of the sixth grade class. 

The Parent Advisory Committee donated the money for the bowls and the glaze. The dinner will be held in the high school study hall. 

After the dinner, participants take their bowls home for a reminder of how many empty bowls there are in the world. Students are asking staff members to donate homemade soup to serve at the meal. Any kind of soup and any amount is great. 

In 2010, 35.9 million people were living below the poverty line in America, with 12.9 million being children. Almost 100 billion pounds of food is wasted each year in America; just this year 41 billion pounds have already been wasted, and 130 pounds of food per person end up in landfills. 

Bring your appetites and eat up; don’t let there be waste.

Seniors share stories, hopes and advice

by Hope Kriegel

Part 2 of a series

Growing up in a small town can be a blessing in disguise. With only 29 kids in the graduating class of 2011, we know everyone’s families and the quirky things about each other. We have seen each other succeed as well as fall a little short of our goals. We have grown up together and will soon be faced with telling each other goodbye to head off to college. We have thought about our future, as well as what we will miss and the advice we would like to give.

Courtney Latcham

Courtney predicts that in 10 years she will be completing an internship on the West coast and coming back to Iowa to open and run her own chain of salons. She also sees herself happily married and possibly with children. 

Courtney tells the freshmen, “Start planning your future early; it really helps to be prepared. Never base your decision on what other people want you to do. Do what you love.” She will miss the friendships she has made and the memories she has with everyone the most. Courtney will also miss all the activities and sports. 

Bryan Stanford

Bryan sees himself in a city starting his career in marketing in 10 years. His advice is to concentrate on your grades while having fun, because it doesn’t last forever. He is going to miss playing high school sports and the friendships that were made doing so. 

Alyson (Aly) Breese

Aly says, “In 10 years, I see myself working as an interior designer in either Des Moines or Cedar Rapids. I also see myself settling down, getting married and starting a family.” Her advice to the freshmen is not to wait until the last minute to do your homework or projects. It won’t help at all your senior year when it's time to do scholarships. Aly is going to miss her friends and seeing them every day. 

Olivia (Liv) Tribby

Liv hopes to be somewhere on the beach in 10 years. She tells younger students, “This is the time to make mistakes. Take risks, take advantage but take the time to learn, grow and remember.” Liv is going to miss Hope Kriegel yelling, “Ew look at that redhead!” every day in the hallway when she sees her, even though she knows she will probably hear it for the rest of her life. 

Calli Zimmerman

Ten years from now, Calli sees herself with a job in a place like Cargill, married and hopefully with a child. She tells the younger students, “Sports are fun, but grades are actually important. Keep your grades up but have fun. It will be gone quickly.” Calli will miss knowing everybody around her and all the memories she has made. 

Alexa Wheaton

Alexa hopes to be teaching preschool or kindergarten in a town that resembles Montezuma in 10 years. She also hopes to be married to her best friend and possibly have a family of her own. Alexa’s advice to the freshmen is to “Be yourself and get involved in as many things as possible because you are never going to get this time back. Enjoy every moment and don’t take anything for granted because it goes so fast and you never realize when it’s going to be gone.” She is going to miss everything about high school. She says she grew up with a great group of friends and is going to miss all of them and the great memories they have made. Alexa is also going to miss all of the sports, activities and teachers. 

To be continued…

A tribute to Prom: 'Here's to the Night'

by Natalie Kirton and Morgan Sanders

Prom: the four letter word that excites and stresses everyone out for months ahead of time. “Here’s to the Night,” Montezuma Prom on April 2, was no exception.

Juniors started planning this event in November, giving them five months to choose a theme, colors, decorations, a DJ and prom souvenirs. 

Construction began on Saturday, March 19. Students and parents teamed up to create the perfect setting of a castle courtyard in the middle of winter. Stars and a moon hung from the ceiling and snow littered the ground. A castle covered one wall and a bench sat by a waterfall surrounded by trees. 

Junior class advisor Beth Orr said, “Prom was a wonderful experience. Many of the juniors came together to help make the dance a great experience. All of the long hours and hard work paid off. I am very thankful I had the opportunity to share the amazing event.”

Parents planned both the meal and after-prom, held in the Memorial Hall and the high school gym. The hall was decorated by Beyond Elegance from New Sharon. The main course, catered by Grate Expectations Catering of Oskaloosa, consisted of pork loin or chicken breast with mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley. The school cooks made assorted cheesecakes for dessert. 

Walk-in began at 7 p.m. in the high school gym. Each couple walked down a lighted pathway, stopping at three spots to have their pictures taken. Afterward, Calli Zimmerman, James McCain, Krista Engelbarts and Spencer Roorda were announced as prom court. Prom King and Queen were Kirk Salnave and Olivia Tribby.

Students then made their way to the junior high gym after passing a breathalizer test. Upon entering the gym, students had the opportunity to have their pictures taken by the waterfall and dance to music provided by Limelight Entertainment, Des Moines. At 9 p.m. a photobooth opened, also courtesy of Limelight Entertainment. A bubble machine added to the fun. 

Senior Paige Watson said, “Being at my last prom with all of my friends and classmates really hit home that high school is almost over forever. Thank you to the juniors and everyone who put it together. 2011 Prom could not have been a better way to end the last four years.” 

The dancing ended at midnight and students went home and changed. After-prom began soon after. Activities included glow-in-the-dark mini golf, bounce house basketball, volleyball and wrecking ball, Just Dance 2® for Wii®, karaoke, a Cash Machine, temporary tattoos and lots of food. 

Over all, students felt that prom was a good experience and will not be forgotten. The anticipation of Prom 2012 is already underway!