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The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
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MWHS Wildcat News
First semester finals
Evie Laferla and Kyra Oberhauser • December 20, 2024
Olsen takes state
December 20, 2024
MWHS Wildcat News 12.20.24
December 19, 2024
Wildcats battle the Mustangs
December 19, 2024
News
The All-State choir group from Millard West poses in front of the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln. From left to right, in the front row are Katherine Avalos, Adrieana Saucedo, Aubrey Kirk, Michael Knowski, Caleb Houser, and Charlotte Fox. In the middle row are Ava Fix, Luke Laddusaw, Brykin Jones, Madalynn Johnson, Carlee Groff, Josh Olson, and Isaac Cottrell. Finally, in the back row are Emma Morley, Cassatt Cordaro, Hyrum Smith, Olivia Swolley, Liam Dougherty, Henry Hansen, and Dominic Baggiani. Photo courtesy of Jordan Newhouse
All-State, all good
Luka Pashia, Staff Reporter • December 20, 2024

Millard West’s choir and show choir students were granted the opportunity to perform at Allstate, hosted by Nebraska’s Music Educator’s Association (NMEA), from Nov. 20 through Nov. 22 for their outstanding music lineup. During...

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The Strengthen Minds, Elevate Performance event was a heart-wrenching reminder of the silent battles student-athletes face every day, proving their strength lies not just in their physical feats but in their vulnerability.“ I am so glad we worked with the Play for Paige Foundation to put on such an impactful event,” Teter said. “It made me so happy to see all of those who decided to come learn about the importance of mental health in athletics.”
Mind over matter
Natalie Fink, Opinions Editor • December 9, 2024

The lights dimmed in the auditorium as the Strengthen Minds, Elevate performance event began, the air charged with emotion and hope. Hosted by the Play for Paige Foundation and DECA students Chloe Teter and Noah Behrens on Dec.3, the...

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Standing outside the aquarium in the Henry Doorly Zoo, Millard West students spend the day showing the German exchange students a place that is near and dear to their hearts. Upon their arrival, the students worked together to brainstorm ideas on where they could take the Germans. “I decided to house a German student because I wanted an opportunity to meet new people from a different country and to give them experiences they've never had,” senior Jersey Retzlaff said. “The best part has been being able to go out and do things with new people I've never hung out with before.”
International becomes national
Lillian Tinker, Features Editor • November 26, 2024

Changing from one school to another is a difficult process for students, especially for those in the exchange program. With a mindset to learn about American life, students from Stuttgart, Germany took on the challenge of leaving their...

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Opinion
Fatal car crashes occur due to distractions, dangerous intersections, road rage, confusion between a green arrow versus green light, and younger age.
‘Tis the season for poor driving
Sophia Eljamal, Catalyst Editor-in-Chief • December 11, 2024
Giving food to drives, donating money or toys, and spending your time volunteering are some of the many ways you can help those who are indigent.
Most “wonderful” time of the year
December 6, 2024
Parents’ political beliefs can shape their children's perspectives when they can engage in civic activities.
Family, the first political classroom
November 25, 2024
Just before a second attack on other paintings, two unnamed protesters threw tomato soup onto the “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh and kneeled in front of it, refusing to move. The two are part of the Just Stop Oil movement, where members frequently vandalize art. They reason that "Art is part of our collective culture," adding, "We love our history and culture too much to just allow it all to be destroyed."
Paint and oil don’t mix
November 25, 2024
Cancel culture is detrimental to Gen Z’s mental health. It is important to reshape digital punishment to leave room for the inevitable mistakes that come with being teenagers.
Cancelled in a click
November 11, 2024
Feature
English teacher Michael Davis watches the Elf Christmas movie party at the Alamo with his wife Darci Davis. As they put on fun hats and took their seats, the Davis’s got to experience this wonderful Christmas memory. “We haven't gone every year but when we did it was amazing,” Davis said. “It was a whole experience with a fun party and of course the movie. My wife and I couldn't have had more fun.”
Unwrapping the holidays
Peyten Pruitt, Photo Editor • December 18, 2024
During flex time on December 11, 2024, gifts from the school's angel trees were collected. Students and teachers began to pile gifts together by the band doc, in order to load up a truck that would take the gifts to their destination. “I like that I can pick out items I would have enjoyed as a child,” sophomore Grace Heftie said. “I try to imagine little kids’ reactions to the gifts given to them. I know there's people not as fortunate as me, so I really enjoy trying to help people that might not have much for Christmas.”
Ungrey the holiday
Kyla Riveland, Staff Reporter • December 13, 2024
Smiling for the camera, sophomore Taylor Barcel makes videos for her many followers on TikTok. She started her account in 2022 and has posted on it twice every day. “I hope that I can reach a huge platform, hopefully, millions of followers, but that’s most likely not going to happen because I think like 1/30 wanna-be influencers fail,” Barcel said. “Either way I hope to keep posting no matter how many followers I get because I’m so passionate about it.”
Viral visions
December 11, 2024
Ziplining through the Costa Rican trees, sophomore Aubrey Kirk enjoys many tourist attractions on her six-day vacation. Along with the humid air, Kirk was amused by the many astonishing opportunities the country had to offer. “We found that there were more opportunities to look at wildlife than other places,” Kirk said. “My favorite part was definitely when we fed the monkeys on the beach.”
Feasting in paradise
December 11, 2024
Holding up a microphone, senior Emma Morley sings with her band, "The Soggy Phillips.” After many rehearsals, she and her band performed at many different venues and got to sing and play together. “My favorite part is jamming out in rehearsal and being surrounded by so many fun people,” Morley said. “We genuinely just have so much fun in rehearsals and while there are sometimes hard conversations to be had, we still have so much fun performing and trying things with music that overpower any of the tough conversations we have.”
Melody in the making
November 26, 2024
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Entertainment
The best part of the holiday season is watching Christmas movies and getting in the Cheerful spirit.
Keys to a Holly Jolly Christmas
Wyatt Carmichael, Staff Reporter • December 12, 2024
On Nov. 22, “Wicked” which is a film adaptation of the popular stage show under the same name, had finally been released in theaters to glowing reviews.
From the stage to the screen
December 11, 2024
“This is the Zodiac Speaking” was released on Netflix on Oct. 24, 2024, and is Netflix’s newest docuseries.
This is the Zodiac speaking
December 6, 2024
SweetBeans Coffee is an amazing new coffee shop that has already attracted so many customers and is expected to stay popular for quite some time. You can find SweetBeans on Instagram @sweetbeanscoffeeco.
Brewing buzz
November 26, 2024
In lockdown protocol, it is best to work with two or more people in order to stay safe from the dissident. But be careful, you never know who you can trust!
Sabotaging vs success
November 25, 2024
SNO Distinguished Sites Badges
Trending Stories
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Kevin Mar takes position as he referees for 16th season in college football. Kevin has officiated many games and is a veteran in the industry, with 28 total year under his belt. “This job has granted me with many experiences that I couldn’t get anywhere else,” Kevin said. “I love to travel the country and get the opportunities that I get through the NCAA.”

Stripes and whistles

2
High-school athletes can be severely demoralized after going down by large margins

The mercy rule

3
Gene Wilder had extensive input into the design of his costume. He even wrote to the movie director Mel Stuart to express his raw and unfiltered thoughts after viewing the early costume sketches.

50 years of Willy Wonka

4
Two decades later, "Mean Girls" makes for a musical comeback.

Regina George reigns again

5
The iPhone 13 comes in five colors- red, starlight, midnight, blue, and pink. I got my phone in the color pink, and absolutely love the gorgeous pastel color.

The iPhone 13 is not all that

Polls

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  • Millard West High School
    56
    Bellevue East
    3
    Oct 3 / Football
  • Millard West High School
    60
    Bellevue East
    57
    Jan 17 / Boys Basketball
  • Millard West High School
    52
    Bellevue East
    62
    Jan 17 / Girls Basketball
  • Millard West High School
    1
    Westside
    2
    Jan 17 / Hockey
  • Millard West High School
    4
    Fremont
    1
    Jan 15 / Hockey
  • Millard West High School
    70
    Lincoln Southeast
    76
    Jan 14 / Boys Basketball
  • Millard West High School
    45
    Lincoln Southeast
    53
    Jan 14 / Girls Basketball
  • Millard West High School
    5
    Gretna
    0
    Jan 11 / Hockey
  • Millard West High School
    42
    Bellevue West
    70
    Jan 10 / Boys Basketball
  • Millard West High School
    37
    Bellevue West
    39
    Jan 10 / Girls Basketball
  • Millard West High School
    17
    Lincoln Southeast
    16
    Oct 7 / Football
  • Millard West High School
    2
    Grand Island
    1
    Oct 6 / Softball
  • Millard West High School
    5
    Papillion-LaVista
    13
    Oct 6 / Softball
  • Millard West High School
    10
    Omaha Westview
    0
    Oct 5 / Softball
  • Millard West High School
    6
    Papillion-LaVista
    11
    Oct 5 / Softball
Sports
Sophomore Cade Walker dropped a career high 16 points. Last year he averaged 4.5 ppg in 21 game, never eclipsing 10, which makes this performance that much more impressive.
Wildcats battle the Mustangs
Jacob Larson, Sports Driector • December 13, 2024
Loading up his shot, junior defenseman Gavin Spencer prepares to fire from the blue line. Spencer’s efforts led him to a multi-point game in the 3-1 win over Lincoln Capitals West. “We knew we’re the better team so we just wore them down all game,” Spencer said. “In the third when they were tired and upset, it allowed us to calm down the game. It also led to us being able to make good heads-up plays to one another.”
Cats climb over Caps
December 10, 2024
Senior Neleigh Gessert dropped 27 points in the season opener against Millard North. Neleigh Gessert also led the team with seven rebounds and had three steals behind her sister who had four. “It was a good team win with everyone doing what was drawn up in our game plan”, Neleigh Gessert said. ”We definitely had moments of struggle on the offensive side of the ball, but that was mainly because it was the first game of the season for us. We were able to get hot at the right time and played great defense the whole night.” Photo by Lilly Stoops
Wildcats roll by the Mustangs
December 9, 2024
Taking it all in on the ice, senior Eli Simard skates around the ice during warmups. Simard received the call on the morning of Nov. 2 that he had the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream that same night. “It was special for me because I’ve always wanted to play for the Lancers or the Stars as a little kid,” Simard said. “It made me so happy to see that dream come true. Stepping on to the ice, I had so much adrenaline pumping and I was genuinely so happy and enjoyed every second of it.” Photo courtesy of Eli Simard
Shooting for the Stars
November 11, 2024
Awaiting the puck to drop, senior defenseman Cole Grandgenett positions himself to receive the puck. Grandgenett’s goal helped lift the Cats past Elkhorn North along with his great defensive play and leadership. “I am expecting a good run this year,” Grandgenett said. “I think after we get things together and our feet under us, we can figure it all out from there.”
Wildcats blank Elkhorn North
November 4, 2024
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Podcasts
Logan's Sport Takes: Nebraska Episode
Logan’s Sport Takes: Nebraska Episode
Logan Moseley, MWHS Wildcat News Editor-in-Chief • December 1, 2022

Logan's Sport Takes: NFL
Logan’s Sport Takes: NFL
November 22, 2022
AC Podcast 2
AC Podcast 2
May 5, 2022
AC Podcast 1
AC Podcast 1
May 5, 2022
Logan's Sports Takes: Episode Four
Logan’s Sports Takes: Episode Four
March 31, 2022
Photography
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