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

Regina George reigns again

Ariana Griffin, Online Editor
May 15, 2024
Student Equestrian Kalyn Horst has been riding horses for two years now because of inspiration from her sister. She quickly found a new passion. “I had just gotten out of gymnastics and I was kind of in need of a new sport,” Horst said. “My sister wanted to know if I wanted to do it and I tried different disciplines, but I never really stuck with one except for show jumping. So, I stuck with that one.

Unbridled spirit

Ariana Griffin, Online Editor
May 1, 2024
The Prom theme was ‘A Night in the Jungle,’ and the Junior Class Board executive team worked hard to make this Prom a memorable one. They have spent a lot of time preparing and were excited to finally see all of their efforts pay off. “The members of the Junior Class Board volunteer to help set up for Prom; the executive members will be there to help guide their vision along with Mrs.Mcenaney and any of the parents that volunteer,” Verby said. “Many of us have friends outside of JCB that have volunteered their time to come and help us set up this year so we can get done as quickly as possible.”

Coordinating an unforgettable event

Ariana Griffin, Online Editor
April 26, 2024
Sony releases “Madame Web” on Feb. 14 and it is not received well.

One tangled web

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
March 13, 2024
Before incentives were introduced, there were only punishments put in place for students who were not in Good Standing. Incentives will begin to be given out after Prom. “We wanted to brainstorm some fun things that we can offer to students in Good Standing,” Assistant Principal Casey Lundgren said. “For example, at a basketball game, we said that if a student was in Good Standing then they got free popcorn and we had a really big student section that night.”

The power of positive reinforcement

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
March 11, 2024
The first-ever book swap was a success, with many students rushing into the library early in the morning to trade out their books. “This is all new,” librarian Amanda Gehrke said. “And it's not just kids participating, it's teachers too, which is great. They're bringing home books for their kids, and so it's really promoting literacy for everyone.”

Page-turning exchange

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
February 7, 2024
Most people give up on New Year’s resolutions before the end of January. Counselor Amy Reoh gives some insight on how to keep your New Year’s Resolution going. “Allow yourself some grace,” Reoh said. “Just know that you don’t have to stop or get rid of the notion if you make a mistake. Just continue.”

Starting with a clean slate

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
January 24, 2024
Students stop by the band hallway to donate gifts for children in need. There were 30-40 gift donations and an envelope full of gift cards.

Season of giving

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
December 20, 2023
This is an image of my original art (right) and an image after I ran my art through an AI art application called “Pica AI” nine times (left). This picture isn’t the best example of what AI art can create, but I wasn’t willing to spend money on it.

From muse to machine

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
December 15, 2023
Senior Ayda Matya (left of center) looks forward to continuing on with cheer after high school. With the new tier, many new opportunities are available to the team. “I feel like we need to have a lot more trust in the team,” Matya said. “Because we’re not just having someone at shoulder length anymore. It’s a lot more risky if someone falls, so we need to trust each other and strengthen bonds.”

Flips, tricks and team spirit

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
November 17, 2023
The President’s Own Marine band performed live at Millard West Caption: The band performs live at Millard West for many people to see. This was the first of many stops they had made. “Many musicians and music educators from around the Omaha metro were in attendance and greatly appreciated the performance,” band director John Keith said. “It was also great to see so many men and women who have retired from military service in attendance and the pride on their faces when they stood for the branch's song.”

America’s music

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
November 9, 2023
Language arts teacher James Grachek allows his students some free time to get their work done. “In my classes, the only homework I consistently assign is reading,” Grachek said. “Otherwise, I prefer to have students learn and practice skills in the classroom so they can use me and their peers as resources if they don't understand a concept. Students may occasionally have to catch up on work they didn't finish or work on an ongoing project at home, but otherwise, I don't design assignments specifically as homework.”

Beyond busywork

Ariana Griffin, Staff Reporter
November 1, 2023
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