Wiggins High School Stepping Into the Future

With the new school being approved, teachers, students, coaches, and parents are looking forward to moving out of the existing buildings. They are also excited about all the new things that will come with a new school.

The teachers are looking forward to their new classrooms and all the new accessories that they will get. New projectors, computers, and smart boards will be added to most of the classrooms. The science room will become better equipped for experiments, and the art room and ag room will be set up to better serve the students.

After so many years of having a dirt track, the track team and coaches are looking forward to an an all-weather track, where they can now hold meets and more productive practices. With the track, they are also getting a jumping pit and throwers area. The wrestling team is looking forward to their new wrestling room, along with a new weight room with some new equipment.

Track coach Mario Garcia is looking forward to the better facilities as in the new training room, locker rooms, storage rooms, and especially being able to hold track meets with the new track.
Many students are excited for a new school, but most of them are just excited for the new amenities like working heaters that are to coming with it.

Tiger Volleyball Awards

Volleyball season may not have ended the way that the girls wanted it to, but a few of the girls had great accomplishments. The girls ended the season with a record of 8-12. Tori Jordan and Chloe Baker ended the season with All-Conference honors.

Jordan, a junior outside hitter, has been on the Wiggins Volleyball team for three years. After playing both junior and varsity her sophomore year, she has been a force as an outside hitter. As a sophomore, Jordan earned Honorable Mention in the Conference. Along with earning her second All-Conference nod this year, she earned Co-MVP and offensive player of the year. Jordan was also voted most inspirational by her team. When asked what she thought about the season she said, “We were a young team with a lot of different talents. Once we put those talents together, we ended up being fairly successful. I am very impressed with the way we grew over the year”

The setter, Baker has been on the Wiggins Volleyball team for two year. She has played Varsity both of her years. In those two years, Baker has helped set up the offense by setting. Her freshman year, she earned All-Conference. Along with All-Conference, her accomplishments this year were Co-MVP, setter of the year, server of the year, and defensive player of the year. Baker says that the program will only be going up because they haven’t lost anyone to graduation. “This year was a building year for us. Next year will be filled with successes, and I am hopeful that we will make it very far.”  

 

Next season starts shortly for the Wiggins Tigers. They start open gyms in early May and have them throughout the summer. This year’s team was very young, and they learned a lot. Since they didn’t lose any starters, they are expecting to do well this year.

Christmas Ideas for Your Guy

Christmas gifts for guys are hard. Some guys are open and honest with want they want, but then you have your indecisive guys who have no idea what they want. From personal experience, more guys are indecisive than honest. Even if you have ideas on what you want to get your guy, this guide will help you out more.

Your sporty guy:

If your boy spends more time on the court or field than he does at home, then he probably wants something sporty. A couple of good ideas for your sporty guy is to think about his favorite sports team. Maybe he wants something that relates or is of his favorite sports team. Shoes and socks are always a good way to go. Socks are sweet, and I have learned that a lot of guys like to show off their cool socks to their guy friends. Underarmour is a great brand that everyone finds warm and comfortable. Nike shoes and socks are always good, but Underarmour is the way to go when it comes to sweatshirts and sweatpants.

Your nerdy movies/books guy:

Not that your boy is automatically nerdy if he likes Happy Potter and Stars Wars and a lot of other things, but here are some ideas. If your boy likes nerdy books, he probably would like the movies, if they have a movie series on the book. If he likes the movies, then get him like a t-shirt based on the movie. Some movies like the DC and Marvel movies have comics and books based on each character, they may be interested in that.

Your classy guy:   

Some guy takes pride in what they wear and what they look like. Nike may seem like only a sporty place, but I promise you they have some really classy shoes that would look good with jeans and a nicer t-shirt. Most guys like watches. Your classy guy would probably really enjoy having a nice watch, not only for convience, but for style. You can also never go wrong with a button-up shirt. A pair of nice jeans are also a good gift for your guy.

Your outdoorsy guy:

Your outdoorsy guy may want some things to make his life easier. Bonoculars are a good gift if he goes hunting a lot. Coats, Colorado has some cold winters, so if you buy him a coat, he will be cozy and happy. Flashlights are good if he goes out at night. Warm clothes are essential for your guy.

Your the unrealalistic brat boy:

Your brat would probably love to have the new iPhone 7s, but make sure it is not just the 7 because he may be extremely mad at you. The hoverboard is a must for your child. Beware though, make sure that your boy is safe and get him a hoverbaord that isn’t going to blow up whenever he is on it. Drones are also something you could get your boy, even though it will be broken within a week, at least they can brag to all of their friends.

No matter what you get your guy, I am sure he will love it. He knows that you tried really hard picking out a good gift for him. Christmas is not all about the gifts you receive. It is so much more than that. Spend Christmas with the people that you love and care about.

Tiger’s Cross Country Finish The Season Strong

State Cross Country was a huge success for the Wiggins team, with seniors Connor Kaufman and Maggie Allen competing for state. Kaufman took 9th and Allen 14th. Both seniors will be ending their season by running at Nike’s Cross Country Regional Race in Casa Grande, Arizona on November 19.

With this being Allen’s last cross country race of her high school career she is hoping to break, since it is at a lower altitude, and just have fun. “ I am expecting to see really hard competition during this race,” said Allen.

This will be Kaufman’s second time running this race. From the first time running this race Kaufman thought that it was a good experience, you get to meet a lot of new people, and get to run in Arizona. “ I am hoping to break 16 minutes for this race,” said Kaufman.

Junior Courtney Jenson also competed at State Cross Country and finished 8th in the field.

After the Nike Cross Country Regional Race you will be seeing these three running in track in the spring.

Dale Dubbs: the man, the myth, the legend

Claire Boyer

462 funerals. 176 carrier take-offs and landings. 88 missions. The numbers in Dale Dubbs´ life today are written on a whiteboard before a classroom filled with students but these are the numbers that defined a period in his life. Dubbs is the only service veteran on staff at Wiggins High School and he remembers these numbers like they were yesterday.

Dubbs’ plane was docked on the USS Hornet, which allowed him to be stationed close to Vietnam in order to act as ground support. Dubbs witnessed trial in war, sorrow, and saw the negativity the American people possessed for soldiers involved in the Vietnam War. Dubbs was an active member of the Marines during this time. He was the pilot of an aircraft known as the F-4, and he served as ground support for the American troops. Flying, especially as ground support, required immeasurable amounts of skill in the cockpit of an F-4. Dubbs, of course, possessed such skill and was able to be relied upon by many soldiers fighting on the ground. Dubbs recalls a specific job that entailed dropping Napalm over fire bases that were being overrun by enemy fighters. According to Dubbs, dropping Napalm slowed down the enemy’s advance into the American fire bases. This was an important task in the defense of our country during this violent time of adversary.

Another crucial job that allowed Dubbs to stay on American soil was a certain assignment called “weasel hunting.” Weasel hunting, as Dubbs described, was a search for missiles that had been reported to be seen as a threat to the country’s safety. The squad involved in the destruction of such missiles would fly to the location and retrieve the explosive. Dubbs made sure to point out that he was successful in the extraction of the missiles in every weasel hunt he was a part of.  

After the Air Force had been grounded in the later part of the war, Dubbs’ next task was to carry out a service known as Escort Duty. “Escort Duty,” Dubbs describes, “is when you pick up bodies of fallen service members, such as Marines.” After picking up the bodies, those on Escort Duty would return the fallen heroes to their homes and families. Dubbs describes this as his “most difficult mission.” Bringing individual men back to wives and children who had never met their father was, as you can imagine, heartbreaking. Dubbs never escorted a man without meeting and grieving with the family. Being the officer in charge, Dubbs was tasked with the assignment to conduct the military- sanctioned funerals for the soldiers that lost their lives. The American people owe escorts a great amount, but that debt was definitely not repaid during that violent time. Crowds of rowdy and upset Americans would sometimes meet the soldiers in the insecure parts of the airport where they would face disrespect, dishonor, and pure hatred from citizens for fighting in the Vietnam War. Dubbs says, “Because the Vietnam War was not a popular war among the American public, I would get spit on and called names while escorting the caskets of the fallen service men.” Years later, Dubbs can still recall all 462 escorts he partook in because of the impact it left on him and fellow service men.

As Veteran’s Day is approaching, it would be fitting for the youth as well as the adults of this community to honor and respect all Veterans for all they did to serve and protect our country. Servicemen like Dale Dubbs deserve to be recognized and thanked for the sacrifice they made. Honor the fallen, the wounded, and the living on this day, for America would not be the land of the free and the home of the brave without men like Dubbs.

 

State Cross Country

The Wiggins Tigers headed to Colorado Springs on October 28 for State Cross Country. Not all made it to State,but luckily 3 runners made it in, which are Junior Courtney Jenson,  Senior Conner Kaufman, and  Senior Maggie Allen.

Leaving Wiggins High School with pride and excitement, the Cross Country team has positive emotions and try to win 15th place or higher at this year’s State Cross Country.  `Junior Courtney Jenson has prepared herself to win 15th place or even higher as this has been her first experience running at State.

At State, the boys started running at 12:30 and for the girls started at 2:30. For Jenson , she started her race at 2:30 and was challenged with a long path and multiple obstacles. The race started off on gravel and head towards multiple steep hills and rivers.  Through a barn and several turns throughout the path and back to the stadium,  Jenson was able to complete the race and placed 8th overall.

Courtney Jenson was able to reach her goal and be part of the top 15 at State. Even though her feet were on fire, it still motivated her to finish and accomplish her goal.

Senior Maggie Allen also participated in the race with Jenson and finished the race and placed 14th.

Senior Conner Kaufman was part of the boys race that started at 12:30 before the girls did. He  finished the race and placed 9th overall.

The Cross Country team  had a great season with an amazing finishes at State with their top 3 runners placing in the top 15.

Pages for People

Chloe Baker

Reading. It’s something that everyone should learn to love to do. Reading is what takes people to different worlds. Reading changes people. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without reading the books that I have. Reading may not be liked by very many people, but whenever you open up a book you are bound to learn something. I have read a multitude of books, and I have never read a book that I haven’t learned from.

The Fault In Our Stars: Even though it was a fictional book, it had so much truth in it. If it was just a sobby love story, I would’ve definitely stopped reading it. John Green added so much life in a story that was about death. This story was my favorite to read. In fact, I’ve read it about 6 times. The Fault In Our Stars has made me think harder than any other book I’ve ever read. Think about these two quotes then get back to me: “The marks humans leave are too often scars,” “Pain demands to be felt,” and “Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.”

The entire Harry Potter series: The Harry Potter series is an amazing series filled with adventure. Many people could like this book if they were more open-minded. This series has many different twists and turns in it. This book teaches you to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. My all-time favorite quote from the series is in the last book. “Always.” It is a simple quote, but it is by far the best quote in the entire book. It may seem a little odd, but you need a little of back story to fully understand it.

Looking For Alaska: A lot of tragedy in a small book about life. The thing that interests me most in this book, is the fact that a single person can actually change your life. Everyone in life is trying to find their “Great Perhaps.” The “Great Perhaps” is what comes at the end. I know that is the worst explanation for a quote ever, but I promise you it’s a great book. So read it.

Reading may seem a little boring at first, but the world of reading is infinite. There are 31 or more different genres to choose from in the world of reading. I am sure if you are patient enough you will find one that you will like. Reading was never my thing, but when I read books with quotes in it that related to life and made me think, I was in love with them. If you want to learn about life, read a book, learning while reading doesn’t always mean you are reading out of a textbook. Pick up a book and learn a little. If it causes you pain; remember “pain demands to be felt.”

 

Vermin Supreme: A Boot on His Head and Change in His Heart

By Claire Boyer

Vermin Supreme: A presidential candidate who promises ponies, mandatory toothbrushing laws, and a brighter future. His goal is to not actually be elected, but rather to raise awareness about the downfall of the American political system today. Vermin Supreme, acting as a sort of mediator, has been known to occupy the streets in efforts to extinguish quarrels between fellow protesters and law enforcement before they even happen. Although his methods may appear outlandish, bizarre, and eccentric, Vermin Supreme catches the attention of citizens looking for a way to fight America’s current political injustices.

Starting with his attention-grabbing outfit, the boot that occupies the top of his head has no other purpose but to attract attention. It works. Supreme, who because of his outfit is often mistaken for a threat, is regularly approached by law enforcement who have concerns for the public’s safety. Vermin Supreme, in a documentary made about his political involvement, has stated that he has never had the intention of harming anyone. Supreme’s methods are as simple as marching down the street with a bullhorn, but the message he wishes to convey is much deeper.

Vermin Supreme first became active in political protests as he started forming and voicing his opinion during high school when police surveilled, and arrested students for using drugs on school grounds. Feeling threatened by what he viewed as an overreaction on the part of the police, Supreme took matters into his own hands and began a campaign in which he argued against the police’s’ surveillance of his fellow classmates. Supreme has set a precedent for youth as he has encouraged youth and shown them how, even at a young age, it is easy to speak their minds. Especially in today’s ever-changing society, future generations need to learn to express concern for issues involving the nation in which they reside. While he grew up in an era that was arguably ‘more free,’ Vermin Supreme refused to follow the crowd and comply when he felt that his freedoms were being infringed upon.

Reinforcing his physical appearance to illustrate how politics has become indiscernible from show business, Vermin Supreme mocks the empty promises made by candidates by making  his own outlandish promises to voters. One example of such promises includes his pledge to give a pony to every American. “If actually elected,” says Taylor Boyer, “Vermin Supreme isn’t going to give away ponies. He is opening people’s eyes; showing them that a lot of the promises that candidates make are just words to get them elected.” Boyer has been in the process of organizing a rally to present Supreme to the Morgan County community. According to Boyer, Supreme is capable of appealing to young, confused voters. Boyer believes hearing the brutal truth in a captivating, entertaining way will increase students’ knowledge about current and rising issues. Through his unconventional methods, Vermin Supreme has proven himself to be an effective advocate for free speech and individual freedom that he believes should be granted to all citizens of this nation.

 

 

Not Dressing Up, You Halloweenie

What are you going to be for Halloween this year? This is a commonly asked question at this time of the year. Some people think that after the age of 12, you shouldn’t dress up for Halloween. Others, on the other hand, believe that it is cool no matter what age you are. I have always really enjoyed dressing up for Halloween ever since I was little. I took a couple years off from dressing up though because I was “too cool.” Most people go through that “too cool” stage though, you’ll grow out of it.

No one is too cool for Halloween. I am unsure on how Halloween is even a thing, but I think we can all agree that it is not the most important holiday. Halloween is still a day that everyone should participate in. It’s like Homecoming week at school, you have the people that dress up, and the people that don’t.

Let me tell you a story. When I was in fifth grade, there was this sixth grader that I liked. It was right before Halloween, and he was asked what he was going to be. He laughed and told everyone he was planning on being himself for Halloween. I was then asked what I was going to be, I knew that I was going to be a pirate, but instead of telling him the truth, I lied and said I wasn’t going to be anything. I was 11 then, and now I am 16, still regretting lying to him. Good news though everyone, the guy I liked is going to be Harry Potter this year. Things change. Give yourself a year, you’ll want to dress up next year.

People that are ashamed of dressing up for Halloween, don’t be, in the end it’s one day out of the year you get to pretend like someone you aren’t, so you might as well. If you want to be Harley Quinn or Donald Trump for Halloween, own it. Be proud. You obviously have a valid reason for them to be who you chose to be for Halloween this year, then don’t be ashamed. If you aren’t dressing up for Halloween, please seriously consider it within the next couple days or before next Halloween. Don’t be afraid to dress up, Halloween is supposed to be fun no matter your age. 

Tigers Volleyball Season Ends Against Wray

Heading into their first district game against Wray, the Wiggins Lady Tigers lost and missed their chance to move on to regionals. With the Tigers being sixth in their league, they played Wray, who was second in league, and to move on had to beat them.

“Heading into the week we felt confident that we were going to beat Wray since we had beaten them two times before,” said junior Courtney Jenson.

The Tigers had a good head start leading the first set 6-0. At the beginning of the first set junior Tori Jordan got the first point of the game with a kill. Even with the Tiger’s strong start, they ended up losing and not moving on to regionals.

Next year the team hopes to make it to regionals and hopefully state. According to Jordan, she hopes that next year they will be able to beat Yuma and be first in their league. Sophomore Chloe Baker said that to obtain those goals they need to “become more confident, volleyball smart, and consistent with everything we do.”