BENNINGTON
Mr. Garrett Scritchfield
Are you Catching
Fire?
The Dog
Blog
Future Army Force
State Golf
Little Things
Some people just
don’t understand
What are you thankful for?
Thanksgiving Trivia
Famous Thanksgiving Foods
AND MORE!
PUBLICATIONS
The Stranger (Part 3)
Publishing Staff: Kayla
Schlachter, Mikayla Reed,
Abby Jurgensmeier, Tyler
Appleby, Gabby Cooper, and
Jesse Weis.
The Dog Blog is a product of the Bennington
High School Publications Class.
Bennington, Kansas 67422.
Adviser: DonWagner
Issue 9.6
November 15, 2013.
Available online at <USD240.org>
The Stranger
Part 3
Fiction
I
I had no idea how
I was going to
break through
these chains. I
tried so hard
to just bang
them against
the chair to try
and break them.
Then I tried to slide
my hands through, but they
were just too tight. I was never
going to get out of here.
He was eventually going
to come back in here and
kill me, so as time passed
by, I was just waiting till
the end of my life.
All of a sudden something
came to my mind. I tried hard
to reach for my back pocket, I
was digging around until my
hand felt something it was a
bobby pin. I could use this to
unlock these chains. I always
used a bobby pin to unlock our
house whenever I forgot
my key or if I just
didn’t know where
it was. I moved
the bobby
pin
by Kayla Schlachter
around in the lock until I
heard a click, and the lock
opened. I couldn’t believe I was
free! Those picklocking days
came in handy after all.
I unlocked the lock on
my legs. I got up and ran for
the door. Of course, the door
was locked too. I continued
my picklocking skills. I slowly
opened the door to make sure
there wasn’t anyone behind it.
The door led to an empty
room with a single desk
full of papers.
I went towards the desk and
looked at the papers. It was
through the
window, noticing it, opened
into a hallway. I
looked through
it and saw that
there were people
standing in the hallway talking,
but didn’t notice Atticus. I knew
I couldn’t go out there. There had
to be another way out. I looked
around the room, but there weren’t
any other doors. I didn’t know what
I was going to do, until I looked up
at the ceiling and noticed a vent.
I didn’t know if that vent
could lead me out of this
crazy house, but I knew that
this vent could lead me out of
this room.
I climbed up on the desk and
information of people who
had the same last name as me.
I didn’t really read more; I
just stuck them in my pocket,
because the only thing that was
on my mind was that I had to
get out of here.I listened for a
movement and then hurried
towards the door. I peeked
pushed the vent open and
moved it to the side. I pulled
myself up and started making
myself through the vent.
I was trying to be as quiet
as possible, but every
single time I moved, I
made a sound.
After a few movements, I
looked through to see what
room I was in and there I saw
Atticus. I kept moving but
when I moved one more time I
made a huge sound that caused
him to look up. That face was
terrifying. I could never see his
face the past few times because
it was hidden in his hoodie
and it has been dark. Across
his face was a huge scar that
went from the top left side of
his face, across his eye, across
his lip, to the right bottom side
of his face. He started walking
up closer, and then that’s when
he noticed my face. I started
to hurry and crawl through
the vents as fast as I could.
There were explosions hitting
the vents one at a time. It was
like he was using his hands or
casting magic or something.
Whatever it was, it was weird.
I ended up getting away from
the room, but I knew the chase
was still on. I changed directions
and started to go a different way.
All of a sudden the alarms started
going off. It kept repeating, “Prisoner escaped, prisoner escaped.”
That’s when I started going even
faster.
I didn’t know where these
vents were leading me to. I
took a right and then a left,
until I started rolling down,
and the vent led me to the
outside.
I was free from the building, but
actually I wasn’t free. I could see
Attius’s army searching around,
looking for someone, looking for me. They were starting to head this way. I ran
towards a sewer, I knew this
was a decision I was going
to regret, but it was either
escape or go back to that awful place where I would face
death. I had no other choice,
soI went into it. It smelled
awful; swimming in it was
even worse, but I was pretty
sure I had escaped.
To be
Continued
Have you ever wondered who helps you out the
most during the school hours? Do you have that
one teacher whom you go to to talk about any-
t
t
e
r
r
a
G
.
r
M
Teachers who help you most with math, english, science, history, and reading can really
benefit you later on in life.
d
l
e
fi
h
c
t
i
r
c
S
Have you ever wondered if and how teachers really help their
students? If you haven’t, then maybe you should consider these
questions. Teachers do a lot of things for kids, both in and out of their
classrooms. You may not see it right away, but if you asked one of our
recent graduates, they would probably tell you that the teachers here
helped them more than they realized at the time. For me, the teacher
who has made a difference in my life would be Mr. Garrett Scritchfield.
You may not think Mr. Scritchfield does much, because he
doesn’t often have a roomful of kids in his class, but I know that
he honestly does! I actually think he has more stress than most other
teachers, because he has kids who rely on him in a variety of ways.
I know I am able to go to him about anything. He is the person who
keeps me from stressing out about my classes and my life. He helps me
understand how to get my work done. I may joke around with him and
we have fun back and forth, but I know he is ALWAYS in my corner
when things get tough!
When I was younger, I had a lot of trouble understanding
instructions from teachers and other adults. School was very difficult
for me. I still struggle with this problem, as do other students.
However, if it weren’t for Mr.Scritchfield, I wouldn’t be as far
academically as I am today. He knows exactly what I need to understand
something difficult. He somehow knows how to reword problems for
me if I get stuck.
Some students think
that people in the resource
room are given the answers
to tests and that paras do our
homework for us, but that is
NOT true! The paras don’t give
us any more help than a regular
teacher would. Mr.Scritchfield
and the paras just reword
passages and problems and make
it easier for us to understand.
They know the students and
the areas that each of us have
difficulties in. If I didn’t have
Mr.Scritchfield or Mrs. Gawith, I
wouldn’t know what to do! They
help me overcome my learning
difficulties.
I sometimes worry that
I rely on Mr. Scritchfield more
than I should and that this
dependence will be hard to break
once I get to college. I have even
talked to him about this worry
Which teacher benefits you
the most?
Kayla Chance, Junior:
-Mrs.Morris-
of mine, but Mr. Scritchfield
knows what I need and
understands how far I would
like to go in college. He is
teaching me strategies that
will help me succeed.
I don’t know what
I would do if I didn’t have
the help from Mr. Garrett
Scritchfield and the paras.
They have actually showed
me what I can really do by
myself, and in the end, that’s
what education is all about.
by Mikayla Reed
Jacob Matney, Junior:
-Mrs. Wiesen-
Jenna Gantenbein, Junior:
-Mr.ShamburgErica Jones, Senior:
-Mr. Wagner-
by Abby Jurgensmeier
Are You
R
oses are red,
Nightlock is
blue; it’s called
Catching Fire, not
Hunger Games Two.
If you have any idea what I’m
talking about, you may be a little
bit of a “Hunger Games” fangirl.
I mean I definitely am, and I can’t
wait until the “Catching Fire”
premier on November 22.
P
aired with Josh Hutcherson,
Jennifer Lawrence is the girl
on fire. Jennifer plays Katniss
Everdeen, and Josh is Peeta
Mellark, also known as the boy
with the bread. The two together
are the star-crossed lovers.
Catching Fire was my favorite
book of the Hunger Games series.
I cried, I laughed, and ultimately
fell in love with Suzanne Collin’s
writing. #nerdprobs: I’m definitely
excited for the movie to come
out, but I can’t really write much
without spoiling it for those who
haven’t read it. If you live in
the dark ages and haven’t read
the trilogy, I’d get right on that,
because it will make you twenty
times more excited for these
movies.
I
f you went and watched the
“Hunger Games”, you will be
able to accurately describe the
book except for one large thing:
the mockingjay pin. In the movie,
Catching Fire?
the pin was received from Greasy
Sae in District 12’s version of the
black market. In the book, Madge
Undersee gives Katniss the pin.
That is the one big difference in
the movie from the book. I just
wish the first movie would’ve been
a good eight hours long just so I
could get the joy of watching it for
a full day; everything would be put
in it, and every small detail would
be covered.
I
’m really excited to see how
Finnick, played by Sam Claflin,
acts in this movie, because he is
one of the major characters that we
didn’t see in the first movie. I’ve
heard from rumors that we will
not only get to see District 12’s
reaping, but we will also get to see
District 4’s. If you remember from
the books, this was a significant
part of how things in the story were
put together.
I
hope I didn’t give away too
much if you haven’t read the
books! Remember: the premier is
November 22; I have the luxury of
going to a showing of “The Hunger
Games” with “Catching Fire” right
after it. Since the movie would be
on a school night, Salina theatres
have moved up the showing time
to 8 o’clock instead of 12 so we’re
not out late that night. If you can,
I would go and see this movie; I
think it will be worth it!
Tim awoke in a stadium
that was completely vacant.
He felt like 50 pounds of
clothes were weighing him
down. He had a helmet
with a flashlight attached
to it right beside him. Tim
turned on the flashlight
“Where am I?” he wondered.
by Jesse Weis
All Tim could hear were
Future Army Force
Fiction
loud gunshots outside
the stadium. There was a
scream in the distance and
now he was afraid to move.
He heard footsteps behind
him, and he tried to play
dead. A soldier man came
up to him and said, “Get off
the ground, you sissy. We
have a battle to win.” Tim
thought he was dreaming so
he decided to join the fight
and go after the enemy. He
ran down the middle of the
battlefield dodging bullets
left and right.
All of a sudden Tim was
hit and he fell to the ground.
He was freaking out because
he was not waking up and
he could feel the pain. Hearing someone yell, he looked
around and noticed a grenade
land right beside him. “This is
the end,” he thought, and the
grenade blew up. He woke up
again, but this time he was on
the other side of the stadium.
Tim was puzzled with
what was going on because
he remembered dying and
now he was back to life. Tim
yelled at someone running by,
“Hey, where am I?” The man
stopped and told him, “Get
up, we have to win this game.”
The word “game” lingered
in Tim’s mind. The stadium
was starting to look familiar,
like he had seen it before.
Tim now understood where
he was. He was in the video
game he had played the night
before.
Now ready to fight because
he knew he wouldn’t die
for real, Tim went charging in. He was shooting left
and right, knowing that he
would come back to life if
he died. Tim tripped over
a landmine and was killed
again.
T
his time Tim woke up in
a room with people in lab
coats standing all around
him. Tim asked, “Where am
I?” A man in a military uniform came up to him and
said, “You are in the capitol. Do you not remember
signing up for this demo?”
Tim had no clue what the
man was talking about. Tim
looked at a sign that was
hanging on the wall and
it read, “Government Soldier Training Facility.” The
man said, “You’ve lasted the
longest time in there. Congratulations; welcome to the
force. Your next mission is
to fight off the militia down
in Cuba.” The man handed
Tim a rifle and told him to
walk through that door.
State Golf:
by Abby Jurgensmeier
The Kristen Experience
Bags packed with plenty
of snacks, I am off on 4 hour
drive to Garden City with my
coach, Mr. Murray. As he drives,
I surround myself with comp
homework and think to myself,
“What fun is this?” It was the
absolute definition of fun. Not
really.
Once I got settled in the motel, I
went with my crazy golf coach to
the course to hit golf balls.
When I got back, I was
faced with an empty room to
myself and went CRAZY! No,
I am just kidding. I actually did
more comp homework and took
a picture to make my sister feel
bad. Later, after I got tired of
comp, I decided to get a soda and
candy. Long story, so I will sum it
up: I almost got lost in the hotel.
Then, after I consumed my candy,
I brushed my teeth and called it a
night.
When I woke the next
morning, I got dressed and had
breakfast. When I got to the
Southwind golf course, I could
feel the chill on my face. I could
tell this was going to be a long
day just by the weather, but at
least it wasn’t raining like it was
at regionals. I was one of the
first groups scheduled to tee off
that morning, so I hit some golf
balls to warm up. I could still feel
the sting in my hands when my
parents and little sister showed
up.
As 9:30 came around,
I walked to my first hole with
my little sister. I could see
the rising morning sun and
feel its rays shining down on
me, though I knew it wasn’t
going to be enough to chase
the chill away. The announcer
announced names, but I
didn’t pay attention until I
heard mine. I walked up to
the tee box and started my
regular routine. I took one
last practice swing and then
addressed my ball, letting my
driver cut through the air and
smack the back of my ball. I
looked up to see my ball fly
through the air and land in the
middle of the fairway.
My next shot was
almost exactly the same,
except it didn’t go as far
and bent right. After two
successful shots, I was in
for doom. I looked at the
glistening green and then to
the left and noticed water.
I figured I could clear the
water, but I didn’t and my
favorite ball went soaring in
with a “bloop.” I never saw it
again. I guess it was time to
go our separate ways.
When I was playing,
I kept looking at my sister.
I believe I saw her in a
different place every time; I
even saw her in the golf cart
with my parents. This, my
by Kristen Mann
Some of the best things in life are the little
things: the trees changing color, getting to wear a
watch after long periods of not wearing one, a dog
lying on your feet on a cold winter day. Some of
these things we notice because they’re something
we’ve missed. Other times, they’re something we
just take for granted.
I bet you love your TV, laptop, and phone;
are you addicted to them? Honestly, I am. I’m
not going to sit here and tell you to stop using
them because others don’t have that privilege,
but what if one day you couldn’t check
Twitter? What if you couldn’t watch your
favorite show or text a boy halfway across the
state? Would you freak out, or appreciate that you
What’s your favorite thing about
still have food in your kitchen?
I know it’s hard to imagine being in such
fall? Is it the sweaters and blankets? The
a
situation,
and it’s hard to be thankful for what
leaves falling slowly? Hot chocolate? Most
friends, is how the rest of my
state experience went. As the
the day ended, I was relieved.
I ended up losing three balls,
two due to water and one due
to extremely tall grass.
people are able to appreciate the leaves changing
color and falling, but not everybody has the
opportunity to have warmth once the weather
starts getting colder. Not everybody has a blanket,
a sweater, a hoodie, a warm drink, a fireplace, or
a heater in the car. I bet people always tell you,
“Be thankful for everything that you have!” and
you just think, “Yeah, yeah, I know.” What if one
day you woke up and you didn’t have a comforter
hanging over your bed to keep you warm, a
hot shower to wake you up and still feel warm,
pants that had holes in them that weren’t just for
fashion? What would you do in that situation?
Would you still take everything you have for
granted?
I’m not exactly what
place I ended up taking at
state. All I know was that
I had a great experiece and
time as it last.
you’ve had every day since you were born. If
you look around, what do you see? Do you see a
bunch of blessings or a bunch of givens that will
never be taken from you? It’s hard to be thankful.
You can say, “I am! I am, I swear!”, but when it
comes down to it, we need to see the beautiful
in the little things: the pattern on a rug, the
paint color on the walls, and most importantly,
the people who surround us. Isn’t that what
Thanksgiving is? Maybe that’s all we need,
Some People Just
don’t understand
by
Ka
y la
Sch
lac
hte
r
“There’s a difference between faking an injury
and actually having one you have to deal with
for a long time.”
S
ome people
just don’t understand me.
They don’t understand when
I’m hurting
and they don’t
understand
what pain I’m going through.
All my pain started back in
the 8th grade. I was playing
kickball with my classmates
in P.E. during seminar.
It was my turn up to kick
and as I went to kick the
ball, I ended up knocking my right hip out of
place.
At first, while running the
bases I didn’t notice because I
just thought it was temporary
pain, but I was wrong. I was
having trouble sleeping, but
I had no idea why until one
night the pain really hit.
I was crying because
lying down in any position, I could just feel
waves of pain going
through my body.
My mom didn’t know what
to do. I described to her
where the pain was and she
decided that I might need
to see the chiropractor, for I
might have done something
to my body.
The next morning I
ended up visiting Dr.
Romm, the chiropractor here in Bennington.
He decided to give me an
x-ray to see what was going
on with my back and to see
if there were any bones out
of place. The x-ray ended
up showing that my right
hip was out of place and my
spine wasn’t straight up and
down. It curved out to the
side, going at a diagonal.
Ever since that day, I have
had back and hip problems.
The pain isn’t something
that will just go away. It’s
not something I can just
take medicine for to never
feel the pain.
The pain isn’t temporary; it may get better,
but just one bad move
can make it go out of
place in a snap.
I feel like students, parents, or even coaches don’t
know what I’m going
through. They just think
that I’m faking it or I’m
trying to slack off. No,
that’s not the case. Just
once, I wish they could feel
the pain or the aching I go
through. Then they would
understand. It’s difficult
for me to run on uneven
ground because it’s really
rough on my back and
hip. The bouncing up and
down causes my joints to
slide away from each other
and move out of place. In
basketball, running doesn’t
bother me as much since I am
running on an even and flat
surface. In different situations
when I’m getting roughed up
as a post, some girls tend to
push on my back, which can
cause me to have some issues. For the most part, I just
get to do an alternative thing
when my back starts hurting,
such as elliptical or biking for
a certain amount of time.
I always thought I
wouldn’t get back problems until I hit those old
ages.
Huh, wasn’t I just wrong.
Instead it started to hit me in
my teenage years. The point
that I’m trying to get out to
people is injuries are a serious thing and if you don’t
take care of them when they
start happening, they will get
worse. I visit the chiropractor
once a week, but sometimes
I have to visit twice a week
when the pain is bothering
me more than usual. I want
everyone who suffers an
injury to take care of it, because they can keep you from
reaching your dreams and
goals, whether it’s in basketball, volleyball, or running.
If you don’t take good care of
them, they won’t get better.
If you love a sport, you may
be out of it longer than you
intended to. I will always have
the back and hip issues, but I
am strengthening these areas
and making them stronger so
the tendency of them going
out will be a little less.
What
are
you
Freshmen:
Junior:
by Miikayla
Reed
Kashia Westbrook:
“I am thankful for
my friends, family.
I wouldn’t be here
without all of them.”
for?
Maria Sandlin: “I am
thankful for all
my family, even the
ones who don’t live
in Kansas, and for
all my friends.”
Trey Wood: “I am thankful
for all the people in the army
fighting for our country.”
Jenna Gantenbein: “I am
thankful for a loving and
supportive family. I’m
thankful for my health and
well-being. I’m also thankful for being given the oppertunity to compete in the
sports I love to do.”
Brad Mick: “I am
thankful for my
family and friends
and being able to
play sports and
stay healthy.”
Carter Harmon: “I am
thankful
for my family.”
Driston Swisher: “I am thankful
for the members of my family and
friends that interact with us.”
Mickinzi Burrow: “I am
thankful for a lot. I’m
thankful for my relationship
with God. I am thankful for
my brothers and my parents.
I am also thankful for the
friends I have and food.”
Thankful
Senior:
Justine Keil: “I am thankful for
my family and the things I’ve
been put through that have only
made me stronger and made me
who I am today. I’m also thankful for still being alive on this day
and having a future ahead of me
still.”
Casey Walters: “I am thankful for
my parents because I look up to
them; they make me become a better person. I’m also thankful for my
horse that I have worked with and
that we work so well together.”
Christian Siemsen: “I
am thankful for being able to spend the
holidays with my family and friends.”
Sophomore:
Bryan Weary: “I am thankful for being
able to play the season with the guys on
the football team.”
Sierra Mann: “I am thankful
for my family and what they
have helped me through and
all my friends that help me
through my ups and downs. “
Shannon Husted- “I am thankful for my family and my
friends and all the suppport
and love they give me.”
Luke Snyder: “I am very
thankful for a loving
family that supports me
in everything I do. I am
also thankful for the
friends that I have.”
Heath Thornhill: “I am thankful
for bad jokes and friends who
laugh at them no matter how
wrong they are. Also, I am thankful for British Aristocracy.”
Thanksgiving
1. What percentage of American
homes eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
2. What American lobbied to have the turkey
be the national symbol?
a. 50
b. 69
c. 23
d. 99
a. Thomas Jefferson
b. Benjamin Franklin
c. John Adams
d. George Bush
Trivia
Quiz
by Abby Jurgensmeier
7. What state produces the most turkey anually?
a. Iowa
b. Kansas
c. Idaho
d. Minnesota
8. What is the best way to defrost
a turkey?
4. How fast can a turkey fly?
3. When was the first
Thanksgiving celebration?
a. 1492
b. 1567
c 1621
d. 1923
a. With a light saber
b. In the refrigerator
c. In the microwave
d. In the fireplace
a. They can’t fly at all.
b. 25 mph
c. 222 mph
d. 55 mph
9. How fast can turkeys run?
a. 6 mph
b. 9 mph
c. They’re too fat to run
d. 25 mph
6. What country eats the most turkey
a year per capita?
a. Ring ding ding ding dah ding
b. Pop pop pop pop pop popow
c. ding dong
d. gobble
11. What is a male turkey called?
a. Jimmy John
b. Tom
c. Harry
d. Larry
Answers:
2. b
3. c
4. d
5. c
6. b
7. d
8. a just kidding it’s b 9. d
10. d 11. b
a. 300
b. 2,060
c. 3,500
d. 5,000
10. What does a turkey say?
1. a 5. How many feathers does a mature
turkey have?
a. The United States
b. Italy
c. France
d. Mexico
Famous
Thanksgiving
Ro
lls/
Bre
Swee
ad
t Pot
atoe
s
Ryan Ostenberg, senior- “Pulling the
stuffing out of the turkey!”
Aubree Anderson, sophomore- “My
favorite memory is when I went
to my aunt’s.”
Ham
n
Gree
le
assro
c
n
b ea
Brandon Nisbeth,sophomore- “Helping
my family cook the turkey!”
ie
P
n
s
she
a
M
by Mikayla
Reed
Jayme Sloan, sophomore- “Thanksgiving is
always a good day!”
Tur
key
g
ssin
re
g/D
n
ffi
Stu
Foods!
toe
a
t
o
dP
P
ki
p
um
Survey Total- 68 people
from grades 9-12 at BHS.
Hannah Rohleder, senior- “When I get to
help make the mashed potatoes because I
make the best ones!”
Trent Wood, sophomore- “Eating so much I
regret it in basketball practice.”
by Tyler Appleby
S
Losing
Wisdom
ome say
that losing
your wisdom
teeth is a rite of
passage. For
me, it’s just a
pain. Literally.
To be honest,
past the first
day isn’t as bad
as it seems.
I don’t know
what was
worse: the pain
or my mom
making fun of
A good
how mindless
explanation
I was when I
about how I felt
woke up from
waking
up after
the procedure.
I had my wisdom
I had all four
teeth pulled
of my wisdom
teeth taken out,
and two had to
I am hungry
be cut before
and tired, they
pulled, so your
put me under
experience may
anesthetic (which
not be as bad as
is optional)
mine.
and take out
The first
all four of my
day is the worst,
wisdom teeth.
as expected.
I wake up weak
No eating or
and confused
drinking 6+
and don’t even
hours in advance
remember when
of the procedure.
I fell asleep. The
Then (I had
high amounts of
mine early in the
medicine made
morning) while
me loopy beyond
comprehension.
Walking will
be difficult so
don’t try to do
it. I made that
mistake multiple
times.
I got home
and my teeth
still do not hurt.
That is because
the medicine is
still in effect.
Just lie down
and get some
sleep. The pain
is not as severe
as it many make
it seem to be.
The dentist
supplied me
with gauzes to
put in my mouth
along where my
wisdom teeth
used to be. Just
a routine with
sleeping, taking
medications, and
switching gauzes
made up the rest
of my day.
The
dentist gave
me simple tips
to help me along my way: No
physical exercise (may increase
bleeding), eat soft foods, keep
on the medicine, do not lay flat
(may increase bleeding), no using
straws, and just take it easy.
The days go by and each
one gets easier. My mouth heals
fast and the one-week check-up
results in a clean sheet. I’ve “lost
wisdom,” as they say, yet have
grown in the process.
Between 60%80% of people
have to have
their wisdom
teeth removed.
Around 35% of
people never
grow wisdom
teeth.