Tuesday, September 27, 2022 Edition 5
Around Town
Vikings Kickoff to Fall Homecoming!
By Darcee Garrett
West Vigo loves to have a good kick off with a Homecoming football game!! Next week
we will be having our homecoming week, we will be having Coronation October 4th @ 2:30,
Homecoming Parade October 5th followed by Powder Puff at 6:00 but groups will get lined up at 5:30.
Then we finish up with our homecoming game October 7th at 7:00 pm.
We will be having a spirit week for homecoming, Monday we will be having Pajama Day, Tuesday is Dress up Day, Wednesday we will be having a Surfer vs. Biker Day, Thursday is Adam Sandler Day, and finally, Friday is Green, Black and White Day for our school colors!
The River Bank
By Sierra Sinders
Down to the bank I slowly walked,
With a fishing rod and big ole box,
I set them down letting them flop,
My mind on other thoughts.
With a fishing rod and big ole box,
I set them down letting them flop,
My mind on other thoughts.
At the river bank I felt at ease,
Relaxed about my thoughts put to rest,
It truly was a place think,
And ponder about the rest of reality.
Sifting the sand between my toes,
I cast my rod as far as who knows,
I settled down on a large rock,
Spacing out wondering about those who fought.
Those who fought for peace,
Those who returned home happily to their families,
Those we salute that sacrificed themselves for the price of freedom,
And those who fought for liberty and justice for all.
I returned to reality at the slightest tug,
Reeling in what was nothing,
I cast my rod out into the glistening water,
Wondering about it once again.
Our Forefathers who claimed independence from Britain,
The challenges our country faced,
What they were willing to sacrifice,
That we may have a brighter future to this day.
Once again I snapped back when there was a tug,
But something was on the line this time,
I reeled in my line with all my might,
Then I looked at the large catfish in delight.
I began packing up as the sun slipped away,
And came to a realization about what I thought about today,
A smile of joy spreading across my face,
Back to the Wabash Bank, I thought I might go someday
Homecoming Preview
Attendants
By Lorelei Elkins, Lynnleigh Kyle, and Alivia Weir
Freshman- Hayden Cottrell and Delaney Marrs
The first nominee for freshman homecoming is Hayden Cottrell. Hayden is being
escorted at coronation by Caleb Winkler and at the homecoming game by Sean
Matherly. Hayden stated she didn’t think she would win because all the girls in her class that were nominated deserved to get it. Hayden spends her free time playing soccer and she cheers, when she’s not doing sports she enjoys hanging out with her friends. Her favorite thing about homecoming is Spirit Week leading up to everything. She believes she was nominated because she tries her best to talk to everyone and treat everyone with kindness. Hayden’s dress is black and gold, she chose this dress because it was different from the rest. She usually doesn’t wear dresses but she loves her dress for homecoming.
escorted at coronation by Caleb Winkler and at the homecoming game by Sean
Matherly. Hayden stated she didn’t think she would win because all the girls in her class that were nominated deserved to get it. Hayden spends her free time playing soccer and she cheers, when she’s not doing sports she enjoys hanging out with her friends. Her favorite thing about homecoming is Spirit Week leading up to everything. She believes she was nominated because she tries her best to talk to everyone and treat everyone with kindness. Hayden’s dress is black and gold, she chose this dress because it was different from the rest. She usually doesn’t wear dresses but she loves her dress for homecoming.
The next nominee for freshman homecoming is Delaney Marrs. She will be escorted
by her brother William Marrs at the coronation. Garrett Porter will escort Delaney at the homecoming game. Delaney spends her free time with family and friends. Her favorite thing about homecoming is being able to spend time with her friends. Delaney enjoys wearing dresses for special events. Her homecoming dress is baby pink, she chose her dress because she thought it would really stand out on the field and in the gym.
by her brother William Marrs at the coronation. Garrett Porter will escort Delaney at the homecoming game. Delaney spends her free time with family and friends. Her favorite thing about homecoming is being able to spend time with her friends. Delaney enjoys wearing dresses for special events. Her homecoming dress is baby pink, she chose her dress because she thought it would really stand out on the field and in the gym.
Sophomores- Allie Lasecki and Avah Shaw
The first nominee for the sophomore homecoming court is Allie Lasecki. Allie will be escorted by Gabe Skelton at coronation and Easton Roberts at the game. In Allie’s free time she cheers, plays tennis and enjoys hanging out with her friends and family. Allie’s dress color is Pink. She chose this dress because the moment she tried it on she knew no other dress she had tried on could compare. She thinks she got nominated because she is very kind hearted, and tries to be friends with everyone. She didn’t think she was going to win but she is glad she did. She doesn’t have one favorite thing with homecoming, she loves it all.
The second sophomore is Avah Shaw, she is being escorted at coronation by Owen
Scott and Jordan Blevins is escorting her at the game. Avah spends her free time
hanging out with her friends and Cheering. Her favorite thing about homecoming is
everything she likes the vibes of the whole week. Avah didn’t think she was going to win because it was out of her hands. She doesn’t know why she got nominated but she thinks it has something to do with her being nice to everyone. Avah does not usually like wearing dresses but her dress is green and gold for homecoming. Avah chose her dress because it was the only one that fit her the way she wanted it to and she was running out of time to pick one.
Juniors- Natalie Fernandez and Masyn Fisk
The first junior nominee is Natalie Fernandez. Natalie’s escorts are Bryce Easton
and Grayson Porter. She enjoys wearing dresses. Her dress is peacock and gold. Natalie chose this dress because of the color. She loves the color blue, another reason is that she fell in love with her dress. Natalie didn’t think that she was going to win but she was happy she get the opportunity to be on court. Natalie believes she got nominated because she’s friends with everyone and she treats others the way she wants to be treated. In Natalie’s free time she plays volleyball, she works out and plays with her 3-year-old brother.
and Grayson Porter. She enjoys wearing dresses. Her dress is peacock and gold. Natalie chose this dress because of the color. She loves the color blue, another reason is that she fell in love with her dress. Natalie didn’t think that she was going to win but she was happy she get the opportunity to be on court. Natalie believes she got nominated because she’s friends with everyone and she treats others the way she wants to be treated. In Natalie’s free time she plays volleyball, she works out and plays with her 3-year-old brother.
The second Junior nominee is Masyn Fisk. She is being escorted by Byland Pape
for the coronation, and Caleb House for the homecoming game. Her favorite thing about homecoming is Spirit Week. Masyn plays soccer and pole vault in her free time. She likes to hang out with her friends and her dog Clover. Masyn didn’t think she was going to win. She believes she got nominated because she gets along with most of her peers and talks to a lot of people. She likes wearing dresses depending on the event. Masyn’s dress is Emerald Green, she picked the dress because of the color and style.
Seniors-Madalynn Ballinger and Kiersten Winkler
The first senior nominee is Madalynn Ballinger. Her escorts are Garrett Skelton for
the coronation and Jaydon Bradbury for the game. Madalynn likes wearing dresses
occasionally, her dress for homecoming is white. She picked her dress because it was very elegant. She thought it would be different than what people expect from her. Madalynn didn’t think she was going to win but she knew she would be very grateful if she did. She believes she got nominated because she helps others around her, she resists the stereotypes set for young women, and she has a down to earth attitude. Madalynn’s favorite thing about homecoming is the Spirit days and hallway decorations. In her free time, she welds works in the auto shop and the Wabash Valley Dragstrip. She was on the princess court for the county fair. She is a member of FCCLA, senate, student council, and track and field.
The second senior nominee is Kierstin Winkler. Her escorts are Kaleb Marrs and
Hunter Cottrell. Kierstin usually doesn’t like wearing dresses but she loves wearing HOCO dresses. Her dress is white. Kierstin picked her dress because it felt like her and it has pockets. She didn’t think she was going to win, at all. Kierstin thinks she got nominated because she talks to a lot of people in school. Kierstin’s favorite thing about homecoming is the parade. She was on homecoming court during junior year. In her free time, she watches tv, reads Colleen Hoover books, and plays with her puppy, Dixi.
Queen- Ellie Davis
This year’s homecoming queen is Ellie Davis. Ellie’s escort at coronation is Preston
Montgomery. Her escort at the game is Shane Mehann. In Ellie’s free time she loves to dance and Cheer. Another activity she enjoys doing is cuddling her cat. We asked her some questions and her answers were: “Do you enjoy wearing dresses?” Ellie responds with yes. Another question we asked her was what her dress color is. She said her dress is white and sparkly. She chose her dress because it seemed like an “Ellie” dress and because she felt comfortable and pretty in it. We also asked why she thinks she was nominated. She said she didn’t really know but she hopes it was because she tries to be kind to everyone. She did not expect to win but she’s grateful for the opportunity. Ellie was on homecoming court her sophomore year. Her favorite thing about homecoming is getting to take pictures with all the little kids.
Montgomery. Her escort at the game is Shane Mehann. In Ellie’s free time she loves to dance and Cheer. Another activity she enjoys doing is cuddling her cat. We asked her some questions and her answers were: “Do you enjoy wearing dresses?” Ellie responds with yes. Another question we asked her was what her dress color is. She said her dress is white and sparkly. She chose her dress because it seemed like an “Ellie” dress and because she felt comfortable and pretty in it. We also asked why she thinks she was nominated. She said she didn’t really know but she hopes it was because she tries to be kind to everyone. She did not expect to win but she’s grateful for the opportunity. Ellie was on homecoming court her sophomore year. Her favorite thing about homecoming is getting to take pictures with all the little kids.
Congratulations to this year’s Fall Homecoming Court!
The Pressures of Being a Student-Athlete: Part Two
By Sara Callecod
Since it is mental health awareness month, I decided to interview Preston Montgomery, a three-sport athlete, about how he handles school, work, and sports. When asked how he balances school and sports, he answered, “Balancing school and sports can be challenging. I try to do most of the work at school.” Getting all of your homework done at school can be tough, especially for someone like Preston, who takes AP biology, Advanced Composition, Pre-Calculus, and Spanish three. He said that “Altogether, my homework can take 2+ hours each night.” Having practice after school and then going home to do homework can be quite tiring, so I asked, “Do you feel like you are given too much homework?” He responded, “A lot of nights, I feel the homework amount is too much. I don’t feel that I get a lot of breaks to where there are no nights of homework.”I then proceeded to ask him if he felt that the homework he was given helped him learn the material. “I feel that the homework given is helpful, but I feel I’d have a better understanding if they’d do some more problems that will be similar to the homework,” he responded. Like many student-athletes, Preston also deals with stress, “I do feel pressured to do well in school and in sports, but I do have support from people. I have also pushed myself to be the best I can be.” When asked what his stress level is like during his sports seasons, he replied, “I wish it were lower, but the stress is pretty high. I wish I didn’t have to be stressed about what work I’m going to do after practice.” It can be tough for Preston and other student-athletes alike to get schoolwork done and be stress-free. During mental health awareness, I encourage you to check up on your friends, whether they are athletes or not.
Mental Health Month
By Michael Montgomery
What is Mental Health Month? Mental Health Month is a month-long
observation proven to help increase awareness about mental health difficulties
and also help people maintain and improve human beings’ mental health. It is also
shown that it can alleviate signs of certain mental health conditions.
observation proven to help increase awareness about mental health difficulties
and also help people maintain and improve human beings’ mental health. It is also
shown that it can alleviate signs of certain mental health conditions.
– In older children and preadolescents, warning signs may include:
● Substance use
● Inability to complete activities of daily life
● Changes in sleep patterns or eating habits
● Excessive complaints of physical ailments
● Defiance of authority, truancy, and theft
● Extreme fear
● Mood Swings
– Getting Treatment and Self-Care
– Accept your feelings. If you have different symptoms of mental illness, many
families who have a loved one might have a mental illness, share your thoughts and
feelings. You may ignore the warning signs, worry about other people because of
stigma, or wonder why this caused your loved one to become ill.
– Seeking Counseling. If any of the treatments that you attempted haven’t
improved your mood, make an appointment about counseling. Counseling can help
your way to express your feelings and to prevent suicide. They will ask you
questions and help you with what you’re going through. They may give you advice
and tips on how to stay mentally healthy in the future. This is the recommended
option as it can help people with prolonged mental illnesses and inhibit further
complications.
– Giving time to yourself. If you need a timeout or feel like you need to explode,
take some time and isolate yourself from another room. Take a break for at least no
less than 15 minutes and no more than 20 minutes to think about your actions and
thoughts.
thoughts.
Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Irwin
By Mallorey Fischer
Mrs. Irwin has been teaching for 10 years. She has taught at Terre Haute South and Booker T. Washington High Schools. She has been at West Vigo High School for four years. Mrs. Irwin likes to spend time with her family, be outside, cook, run, and do puzzles. She went to West Vigo High School. Mrs. Irwin loves traveling and wants to see the world. Her family travels often. Mrs. Irwin has two kids, Adelyn who is 7, and Henry who is 3 years old. Her family likes to go to Longhorn Steakhouse or Real Hacienda. Her favorite football team is the Colts. Mrs. Irwin likes teaching at West Vigo and working in her own community. She likes to watch WVHS sports. She likes to live on her family’s farm and enjoys gardening.
Mrs. Amanda Irwin
Viking Question of the Week
By Michael Montgomery
If you haven’t heard this already, the poll results are in. The results will be described below. The poll was published about 1-2 weeks ago, and gave everyone the vote in their opinions. Fall has started already, and known that everyone is planning to do fall activities for the fun of it. We all know that everyone is heading forward to fall season. Ready for the results?
The winner is…
1st place (Winner): HALLOWEEN with 43 responses!!
2nd place: BONFIRES with 34 responses!!
3rd place: FALL BREAK with 23 responses!!
4th place: Others with 16 responses.
5th place: Football with 9 responses.
Wow! Halloween is surely the most popular vote in this poll. People like to wear
costumes, go trick-or-treating, carve pumpkins with their creative designs, and watch scary movies on a spooky night. Most individuals would say that Halloween is the most awesome holiday of the fall season. Other individuals would say that Halloween is the scariest holiday of the fall season. Halloween will still continue to be the most fantastic holiday of the fall season and keep going for many centuries. Kids and children will continue to celebrate Halloween no matter how excited they really feel, such as many other parents.
Thank you for your supportive responses. Have a great fall 2022 season, West Vigo Vikings!!
Find the Viking Winner
The viking will be hidden on mornings the newspaper will be published. The finder of the viking will earn a prize. Who will be our next winner?
Congratulations to Isaiah Roush, Brooklyn Inman, and Khloe Jones!
Stay tuned for homecoming coverage next week!
Food Frenzie
Homemade Pumpkin Bread Recipe
By Red Bell
Homemade Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Great for Autumn!
Ingredients –
~ 3 cups canned pumpkin puree (3 ½ for more pumpkin flavor)
~ 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
~ 4 cups white sugar (you can use 3)
~ 6 eggs (if you don’t have that many, 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons water per egg does the trick)
~ 4 ¾ cups all purpose flour
~ 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
~ 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
______________________________
Directions –
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 loaf pans
2) In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. In the same bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Stir till well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 loaf pans.
3) Bake in oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
(My advice: Bake 40 minutes, check it, and just add time based on what it looks like. You can gently insert a toothpick or butterknife in the middle of the loaf, if it comes out clean, your bread is done.)
~You can also make muffins with this exact recipe!~
~Enjoy!~
