Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
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We are all born with a genetic endowment, the biochemical blueprints of our DNA, that dictates who we are. However, this is not the end of the conversation of who we are meant to be. Rather, our environments constantly impact gene expression, meaning that factors like nutrition, societal patterns and lifestyle alter how our basic blueprints are translated into personality and behavior. This phenomena, known in biology as “epigenetics”, means that we are all products of our environments. It may seem silly to be thankful for...
The purpose of playing team sports is not simply to outscore the opponent. Rather, the development of a strong team gives rise to individual and collective growth that is far more profound than a win-loss record. In his book, “Winning Every Day”, former college football coach Lou Holtz compiles a “game plan for success” through the development of effective teams. To maximize the power of the team, Holtz advocates that groups should acknowledge the power of attitude, tackle adversity, have a sense of purpose, make sacrifi...
Schools across the country are participating in National Prevention Week from May 13 through May 19, an annual effort to educate students and communities on substance abuse and mental health issues. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Prevention Week has three goals: to “nvolve communities in raising awareness about behavioral health issues and implementing prevention strategies; foster partnerships and collaboration wit...
In reflecting success and accomplishment, the question arises, “How did it happen?” And from there: “Who helped it happen?” According to Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired), the answer to “who” should be miles long. In his book, “Make Your Bed”, in which he addresses ten lessons learned in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs (BUD/S) training that can lead anyone to change the world, he acknowledges that success requires help from others. In presenting his lesson, McRaven employs a metaphor: “If you want to change th...
What has become a Lind-Ritzville High School Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Club tradition continued, as a group of students traveled Friday to Moscow, Idaho for the 25th University of Idaho (U of I) College of Engineering’s annual Engineering Design EXPO. The Design EXPO is the longest running showcase for senior capstones in the Pacific Northwest, and the National Academy of Engineering has recognized the program as “one of the best in the nation.” To describe the event, the program’s website explains, “Th...
With the end of a school year comes the beginning of new student leadership. As is customary each spring, Associated Student Body (ASB) elections will be held to replace current officers with new leaders. This spring’s ballot, given out May 1, will also feature a proposed change for ASB Officer Bylaws. The proposed changes mandate that ASB Officers must be enrolled full-time on campus at Lind-Ritzville High School, and stipulates that applicants must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 for the previous academic year o...
High school graduation is too often misinterpreted as a finish line. In reality, it does not symbolize an end, but rather a checkpoint. For many seniors, the checkpoint lies on the path toward higher education, leading to exciting potential for growth. For example, senior Morgan Lane will be attending Whitworth University in the fall to pursue a degree in pre-physical therapy and health sciences. Her decision to commit to Whitworth was based on its private status and religious affiliation, along with “the small class sizes a...
It was the late, great Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” About a quarter of Americans consider the question in earnest and take action. The Corporation for National Community Service reported, as of 2016, 62.8 million Americans volunteered for an average of 32.1 hours apiece, equating to 7.9 billion hours of service or $184 billion worth of work. Given these numbers, it is difficult to deny that service plays a critical role in helpin...
In search of new opportunity, many LRHS sophomores and juniors are planning on enrolling in Running Start in the fall. As defined by the United States Department of Education, “The term ‘dual enrollment’ refers to an arrangement where students are enrolled in courses that count for both high school and college credit.” Beginning with Minnesota’s 1985 Postsecondary Enrollment Options Program, similar state mandated initiatives have been developed in 47 states, helping to keep “students academically challenged throughout...
“If you want to change the world, slide down the obstacle headfirst,” wrote Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) in his book, “Make Your Bed”. The need to dare greatly is one of 10 lessons McRaven shares from his experiences during Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs (BUD/S) training that, when applied to life, can help make today greater than yesterday. In Coronado, California, home of the Navy Special Warfare Center and BUD/S training, there is an infamous obstacle course featuring the “Slide for Life.” Aptly named...
From the time students begin their first day of preschool, they are faced with the infamously daunting question: what do you want to be when you grow up? Through the years, the answer changes hundreds of times. Exposure to new opportunities causes the answers to evolve from “Princess” or “King of Space” to equally exciting and more feasible options: like the careers found in health sciences. Seven students traveled to Washington State University/Eastern Washington University’s Riverpoint campus in Spokane for a tour of t...
When many people think of leadership, they defer to positional leadership from presidents, captains, and the like. However, a position of leadership is by no means required to empower others. In his book, The Mentor Leader, former NFL coach Tony Dungy describes a style of leadership capable of transforming the lives of others in a much simpler way than most people might expect. Through mentor leadership, the goal is to build relationships and affect the lives of others. Dungy explained, “Ultimately, mentor leadership is j...
The Lind-Ritzville High School (LRHS) varsity Knowledge Bowl team competed in the regional tournament on Friday, Feb. 23, at Whitworth University, falling just short of qualifying for the state tournament. Teams from around the area competed in brackets with schools of similar sizes, with the top four teams from each bracket advancing to state. The LRHS team did earn several victories at the tournament. Rounds one, two, four, and five were all 50 question oral rounds, held between three teams. In oral competitions, teams...
It was ancient Greek philosopher Socrates who said, “All I know is that I know nothing.” Centuries later, his sage wisdom about our lack of exposure to the world highlights a fundamental truth: by acknowledging how much we don’t know, we open ourselves to new opportunities to combat limitations. In a self-perpetuating cycle, these opportunities lead to heightened awareness, personal growth, and, unsurprisingly, even more opportunities. I have lived in Ritzville my entire life, and I am very thankful for the oppor...
Lind-Ritzville High School (LRHS) Future Business Leaders of American (FBLA) chapter competed successfully at the Northeast FBLA Winter Regional Conference in Spokane on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Seventeen LRHS students joined the group of 5,000 students across the state competing in regional contests. Two students and three teams from LRHS placed in the top six in their respective competitions at the Regional Conference, qualifying them to compete at the FBLA State Leadership Conference this April. Individuals advancing to the...
When conditions are bleak, maintaining hope is not easy: never mind inspiring hope in other people. However, in his book, “Make Your Bed”, Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) cites spreading hope in the face of adversity as 1 of 10 lessons learned in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALS (BUD/S) training necessary for anyone seeking to change the world. In proving the power of inspiring others, McRaven recalls an experience during Hell Week, “the seminal event for the First Phase of SEAL training… [charac...
“The original purpose of U.S. education was to shape citizens who share a common ideal and have the knowledge, skills and inclination to uphold the tenets of democracy,” explained Anna Saavedra, policy researcher at the Research And Development (RAND) Corporation. While the future success of America rides on the success of its school system, the relationship between education and government is one of interdependence: schools need the organization and support of legislation to improve the quality of American education just as...
While apathy is a symptom of many diseases, laziness itself is not a diagnosable illness. Students suffering from senioritis would beg to differ. Senioritis is the supposed “disease” that afflicts high school seniors, whose symptoms include waning motivation, poor studying habits, repeated absences, and being overall dismissive. With the second semester beginning on Friday, Jan. 26, several students have self-diagnosed themselves. “Yes, I have senioritis,” admitted Morgan Lane. “I am so not motivated to do my calculus or my S...
Clichés become clichés for a reason: they present ideas that remain important, time and time again. This is true for the famous axiom, never give up. In his book, Make Your Bed, Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) conveys to readers 10 lessons that he learned in Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training that can be applied to positively change readers’ lives. Among his lessons, which include “get over being a sugar cookie” and “make your bed”, McRaven emphasized, “If you want to change the world… don’t...
It doesn’t take a scientist to know that the flu, which peaks during winter, is dangerous. From 2010 to October of 2017, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports as many as 710,000 hospitalizations and 56,000 deaths from influenza. Similarly, it does not take an expert to make the connection between being absent from school and lower academic success. A Johns Hopkins study in Baltimore concluded, “a strong correlation between sixth-grade attendance and the rate at which students graduated from high school on time...
10 was a year of monumental discoveries. With potential to drastically change the future, these discoveries should be acknowledged as the bridges that will lead to new breakthroughs in the New Year. In February, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Spitzer Space Telescope observed seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting the dwarf star Trappist-1. Found in the Aquarius constellation, the observation is significant for the exoplanets’ similarities to Earth. Michaël Gillon, an astrophysicist at the Univ...
A very wise man once said, “Discipline builds character.” In his book, “Make Your Bed,” Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) describes lessons in mental discipline that he learned in Basic Underwater Demolition SEALS (BUD/S) training. McRaven believes that applying these ten lessons leads to personal growth, and eventually, changes the world. The titular lesson, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed,” is strongly representative for doing little things right that lead to doing other, more...
As the six foreign exchange students at Lind-Ritzville High School are experiencing the holidays in America for the first time, different traditions from different cultures are joining together. The foreigners, Jasmin Vogt of Germany, Tilla Mathiesen of Norway, Viktoria Mengel-Niemann of Denmark, Sofia Foschi of Italy, Nora Gutzweiler of Denmark, and Beth Duran of Spain are all embracing new traditions with their host families. Jasmin Vogt, staying with Hank and Becky Buckmann, noted there are several German celebrations...
Many people find sugar cookies to be a hallmark of the holiday season. Fewer people know that “sugar cookies” are also a punishment in Navy Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, in which trainees are commanded to jump into the ocean, roll around in the sand, and remain as an uncomfortably sandy “sugar cookie” for the remainder of the day. “There were a lot of things more painful and more exhausting, but being a sugar cookie tested your patience and your determination,” explained Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. N...
The world will never be perfect. Rather than trying to make it perfect, small and continued efforts toward improvement can be made each day to help make the world just a little bit better than it was yesterday. There will always be hungry animals in the world. However, through the dedicated efforts of the Adams County Pet Rescue (ACPR), there are fewer. To aid the ACPR in making the lives of local animals just a little bit brighter this holiday season, the annual Food for Furry Friends Drive will be held Saturday, Dec. 16. Co...