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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

Quinn Burton

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter

Quinn is a senior and this is his third year on the CATalyst staff. As CATalyst editor-in-chief, Quinn has spent his time in Room 312 designing, editing and producing the latest edition of Millard West’s print paper. Aside from writing, editing broadcasts, and even dj-ing a radio station, Quinn likes to spend his time hanging out with friends, listening to music, and watching Disney princess movies.

All content by Quinn Burton
Standing in the center of Times Square, senior Ella Knowinski and sister Ava Konwinski shoot video for her short film “The Village Book.” After battling the loud noise and herds of people, the sisters finally got the right shot after spending hours filming. “Filming is extremely hard in a place like New York City,” Ella Konwinski said.  “But I knew I wanted to film there for the aesthetic.”

Film featurette

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
February 6, 2024
graphic by Quinn Burton

Standardized stereotype

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
December 20, 2023
Standing in line, students apart of the EL program wait to be served traditional Thanksgiving dishes brought by administrators and faculty.

Culmination of culture

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
December 11, 2023

Cell Phone Use PSA

Quinn Burton, Catalyst Editor-in-Chief
December 8, 2023
Cheering for the first touchdown of the year, senior Jacclyn Smidlien and friends jump and scream in excitement. This was a special moment for the group as they’ve waited four years to get that front row spot. “It was such a fulfilling moment, Smidlien said. “Getting to cheer for our football team, year after year, has been so much fun, and I can’t wait to do it for the rest of the season.”

Ain’t no party like a Wildcat party

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
September 22, 2023
Setting the record for biggest opening of 2023, Barbie, single-handling helped bring back thousands of fans to the theaters.

This Barbie is a record-breaking film

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
September 1, 2023

Frozen masterclass

Quinn Burton, Catalyst Editor-in-Chief
May 24, 2023
Thanks to the excellent performance and acting exhibited by Brendan Fraser it was only fair when he received the honor of Best Actor at the Oscars 2023.

Diving deep into self-destruction

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
April 11, 2023
Senior Carson Ballard spends time in the library, a program partially funded by the levy. For both students and staff, maintaining the schools programs is of upmost importance. I really hope the levy goes through, Ballard said. Even though Im leaving, there are many resources I dont want our school to loose.

Pushing the property tax

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
March 3, 2023
Beyoncé’s ‘RENAISSANCE’ proved itself to be an album of the ages with its iconic tracks and incredible performance. Listened by thousands across the world this album found a way to unite and enlighten its viewers, and it’s no surprise it was recognized as one of the best albums of the year. At the 2023 Grammys Beyoncés win for Best Dance/Electronic Album for RENAISSANCE put her Grammy total at 32, the most of all time. After winning the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album, Beyoncé now holds the all-time record for most Grammy wins.

Reinventing the “Renaissance”

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
March 2, 2023

Faith over fear

Quinn Burton, Catalyst Editor-in-Chief
February 7, 2023
Sign Language, often unrecognized by public schooling institutions, despite being utilized by over 500,000 people in the United States, desperately needs to be implemented into high school world language curriculums.

Saving sign language

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
January 17, 2023
Students in either groups of five or four gathered in the libraries production rooms in order to hang out with their furry friend. “I loved the dog that we had,” junior Lauren Jones said. “She was so well trained and made the experience so calming and comfortable. She even knew a few tricks, like high fives and handshakes, which made it even more fun.”

Love on a leash

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
December 20, 2022
Walnut Shrimp delivers excellent presentation, yet falls short in the flavor department.

Raving for ramen

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
December 6, 2022
Whilst putting together your final costume for Halloween night, its vital to acknowledge the possibilities of cultural appropriation and its relation to your outfit. Its a simple solution: Don’t wear costumes that exhibit a custom or tradition different from your own.  This way everyone can enjoy a Halloween without perpetuating others’ culture.

Culture not costume

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
October 31, 2022
Released Sept. 30 on Disney+, Hocus Pocus 2 was enjoyed by audiences across the globe, after anticipating its revival for more than 30 years.

A not so spellbinding sequel

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
October 28, 2022
With Banned Books Week only being acknowledged once a year, its vital that we recognize essential works of literature are constantly being diminished almost every day.

Rewriting the future

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
October 7, 2022
After 36 years of anticipation, Tom Cruise returns to reprise his infamous role of Pete Maverick Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick.

Top notch sequel

Quinn Burton, Editor-in-Chief
September 12, 2022
Following the start of the new school, E-Hall Pass, an advanced hall pass system has provided countless benefits for students and faculty.

Walking the halls with ease

Quinn Burton, Catalyst Editor-in-Chief
September 7, 2022
Sophomore students sit in their first block chemistry class with an hour left of learning; however, this will look different their senior year as their class will only run for 45 minutes. “It’s definitely something that will take getting used to,” sophomore Lexie Hatch said. “However, I know that it will help in the long run because the schedule’s purpose is to fix the problems we have right now.”

A new change for the Wildcats

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
May 13, 2022
Adapted from the graphic novels by young adult author Alice Oseman, Netflix released its latest romance series titled, “HeartStopper.”

Made my heart stop

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
May 13, 2022
For her last competition, senior Eva Gould competed in the dental science category.  “In under 30 minutes I had to disinfect an entire dental clinic,” Gould said. “I used different tools, chemicals, and bi products to make sure that I did the job correctly. I had only a few minutes left on the clock before I finished my work and presented it to the judges.”

Taking the lead in health

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
April 20, 2022
During her Yearbook class, senior Kaitlin Reynolds was surprised by her advisor with the title of 2022 Nebraska Student Journalist of the Year. After spending three years working toward this moment, Reynolds reflects on her past and looks toward her bright future. “I am hoping that being the Nebraska Student Journalist of the Year will help me to get involved right away in college,” Reynolds said. “I think that 	by having it on my resume it will open doors for me to join publications in the future.”

A JOYous occasion

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
March 18, 2022
Alley sits next to her handler, fire investigator David Sobotka, after receiving training at the Omaha Fire Department. They have spent every day together over the past few years at the department working and training to prepare for real fire scenarios. “Alley lives to work,” Sobotka said. “Sometimes even when I’m not ready or don’t feel like going to work, Alley will be by my side ready to start the day.”

The ultimutt firefighter

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
March 4, 2022
This is the Peach Ring Tea drink from “Daily Boost.”

[Photo] Daily boost of repulsion

Sophia Condello, Staff Reporter
February 25, 2022
After leaving behind the stresses of exams and roleplays, the competitors put on a talent show during the score analysis period. On stage, junior Lillian McCrae and junior David Freiburger perform a karaoke routine in front of their peers. “After all the hard work we’ve done, we really needed a time where we could just have fun,” McCrae said. “We decided to do karaoke because its something that would not only bring our DECA chapter together but also with other schools.

Leading in business

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
February 23, 2022
Players from the Kansas City Chiefs (left) and players from the Buffalo Bills (right) wait in anticipation to see the results of the coin toss.

Over the overtime

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
February 7, 2022
Performing “Disneys Descendants: the Musical” junior Sadie Kottich and her fellow cast members gather around the auditorium’s center stage to begin their performance. After spending weeks preparing, they were reading now more than ever for their moment of showtime. “Getting to perform on stage is truly an unforgettable expierence,” Kottich said. After getting past the nerves, I was really just excited for everybody to see what we worked so hard on.”

A thespian like no other

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
December 9, 2021
The musical’s cast members gather around the auditorium’s center stage to begin their performance. After spending weeks preparing they were reading now more than ever for their moment of showtime. “This was a really exciting experience getting to be in front of a crowd again,” sophomore Mars Zekpa said. “Having past experience performing in front of large crowds made it not really scary or nerve-racking. I was really just focused on getting to show everyone what we worked so hard on.”

A memorable performance

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
November 11, 2021
While the booster vaccines are being distributed throughout the nation, Pfizer is also making sure to achieve its mission at a local level. Starting Friday, Oct. 29, Hy-Vee, Walgreens, and other local pharmaceutical companies will provide boosters for those who qualify.

A boost to reduce

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
November 8, 2021
At the beginning of the event, volunteers lined up at the front of the school to be guided to their job. Helping them find guidance was Rohwers own staff members. Thanks to them the event couldn’t have run more perfectly. “Throughout the entirety of the event, I helped out at the volunteer table, guided families to games, and made sure that everybody was having a great time,” Rohwer Elementary principal Nicole Burton said. “Although, most of all I enjoyed seeing some of my former students come back to help out with our event.”

Lend a helping hand

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
October 11, 2021
Former Nickelodeon star, Victoria Justice, returns to the acting scene by starring in Netflix’s newest hit movie “Afterlife of the Party.”

Party like there’s no tomorrow

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
October 1, 2021
The Heart run continues their annual tradition of the kid’s dash across the field. Towards the end of the event the kids line up across Werner Park to begin their run across the field. The dash is something that we have always done at our events Burton said. Its a moment celebrated by the kids to show how far they have come through their CHD journey.

For the 1 in 100

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
September 27, 2021
Netflix released Shes All That, the remake to 90s movie Hes All That, on August 27th.

No. He’s not all that

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
September 16, 2021
Beginning the journey to adulthood teenagers as young as 15 are taking their first steps towards driving on their own.

Normalize teen drivers

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
September 10, 2021
Netflixs Outer Banks released its second season over the summer on July 30th.

Pogues for life

Quinn Burton, Staff Reporter
September 2, 2021
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