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Kyle Rappe - page 3

Kyle Rappe has 21 articles published.

Varsity Wrestling Accomplishes Season Goal

in Sports by
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    Coaches Dennis Stromie and Buck Shiver watch during a practice. (Pictures by Brian Morgan)
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    Junior Callen Davidson dominates an opponent in a match. (Pictures by Brian Morgan)

Overcoming some adversity, the Varsity Wrestling team was able to accomplish their season goal of qualifying for the State Dual Champions Meet. They finished the regular season with a 22-4 record, and finished second in the Area Dual Tournament. Since top two in the area continue on to state, the Mat Wolves were able to accomplish that goal.

The team has not been to the meet in five years, and this is the first year since Head Coach Dennis Stromie took over the team that they have reached this far. On January 15th, the wrestling team competed in the State Dual Tournament. They wrestled Lovett first and lost 49-19 and then wrestled Jeff Davis and lost 40-31.

When asked what stands out to him so far this season, Stromie said “The injuries the team have had. We have had to overcome a number of injuries, but we are healthy now.” The Wolves still managed to have an impressive season.

There is still a lot more wrestling as the State Qualifying individual tournament starts February 11th and continues through the 13th. After that the qualifiers go to sectionals and then to state. The team has many hopefuls including Juniors William Delk and Chapman Pendery and Seniors Chase Kelly and Haydon Koch.

All of the wrestlers were very excited about achieving this year’s goal. Sophomore Ben Connor says “Coach Stromie told us the first day that our goal was to qualify for state. We were all so happy that we completed that goal!” Many wrestlers consider this season a personal success as well. Connor says “Individually, I would count this season so far as a success because of the improvements I’ve made throughout the season.”

The Wolves look to place a number of individuals in the state meet. The Traditional State Championship takes place at Infinite Energy Center in Duluth. Good luck to them for the rest of the season.

Top Five Water Fountains at Wesleyan

in Backpage by

5. Library water fountain- This is the only water fountain on the list in Wesley Hall. The Library is one of the more underappreciated establishments of the school. This water fountain is almost always vacant and is just the right amount of water at a time. It also happens to be across from both genders’ bathrooms which makes it a hot commodity for the students.

5. Library water fountain: This is the only water fountain on the list in Wesley Hall. The Library is one of the more underappreciated establishments of the school. This water fountain is almost always vacant and is just the right amount of water at a time. It also happens to be across from both genders’ bathrooms which makes it a hot commodity to the students.

4. Senior Hallway water fountain- The Foreign Language Department and the seniors have a wonderful treat of cool and refreshing cold water located just outside of the men’s restroom. Located just like 30 paces from the Junior/Senior lounge the water fountain is not a burden to walk to. In terms of actual distance the water fountain is almost dead center in the middle of the hallway.

4. Senior Hallway water fountain: The Foreign Language Department and the seniors have a wonderful treat of cool and refreshing cold water located just outside of the men’s restroom. Located just like 30 paces from the Junior/Senior lounge the water fountain is not a burden to walk to. In terms of actual distance the water fountain is almost dead center in the middle of the hallway.

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Wesleyan Water Pipe Scandal: Who Did It?

in Backpage by

On Monday Nov. 9th, the Wesleyan water pipes were cracked allowing mud and other natural elements to enter the Wesleyan water stream. The students were told that local contractors working on campus accidentally busted it, but there are a number of valid theories that have surfaced over the last few weeks. After carefully investigating the claims, the Green & Gold has selected the most practical conspiracies. Which one do you readers believe?

Mr. Cleveland and Mr. McDaniel

Mr. Cleveland and Mr. McDaniel are two of the most beloved faculty members in the school. Mr. Cleveland had begun to sense some negative morale around the school. Calling up his good friend Mr. McDaniel, Mr. Cleveland hatched an idea. He wanted to have the Wesleyan students take a day off. Mr. McDaniel could not pass up the opportunity to make “the call,” and quickly agreed. Thus, the plan was hatched, and the water pipes were tampered with.

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The School Store Theory

The Wesleyan School Store has been one of the most positive changes to the Wesleyan community this year. The school store has been very profitable, but they were losing business to the water fountains found in each hallway. The moms of the School Store decided they needed to cripple the competition for a week. During a lull in customer attendance, some of the moms snuck up and made a deal with the contractors to tamper with the pipes. This plan was successful as the water fountains were broken.

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The Birthday Theory

There are a number of Wesleyan members with birthdays on Nov. 10. Caroline Hodges, Taylor Berg, Mr. Custer and Mrs. Goddard all have birthdays on Nov. 10. They decided there was absolutely no way they were going to come to school on that day. During lunch these four were never found, and they came up with a way to get the pipes to burst. Fallout 4 also came out on Nov. 10 much to Taylor’s pleasure.

fallout 4 taylor

The Calcium Deficiency

A number of students have a calcium deficiency and needed a cheap way to nourish it. These unnamed students (Ben Buckley and Grant Sauer) decided to mix milk into the water fountains. They snuck up on Nov 9 during their free period and poured milk into the water stream. The next few days they would drink the lovely water/milk combination, and slowly their calcium deficiency began to go away.

A uncovered pipeline construction site with sand around it

007 Faces His Greatest Test Yet in New Movie Spectre

in Uncategorized by
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    Spectre opened with a $293 million opening weekend, surpassing it’s overall budget.

As the MI6 is being merged, and the 00 program is being shut down, James Bond must face off against his next greatest threat, the mysterious organization Spectre. Spectre sees Daniel Craig return for his fourth performance as the iconic British agent. Spectre picks up where Skyfall left off, as 007 is back in action performing one last mission for the deceased M (Judi Dench).

Spectre begins with Bond tracking down an assassin named Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona) in Mexico City. After a massive explosion and a chase involving a helicopter, the scene in Mexico City becomes worldwide news. The issue arises as to whether or not the 00 program is necessary. This is a continuation of the events of Skyfall.

Bond looks over the damage done after a plane crash in the snow.
Bond looks over the damage done after a plane crash in the snow.

While Spectre has its bright moments, it feels somewhat jumbled and rushed. It feels as if it’s trying to balance too many components. Craig’s performance is brilliant again, and the supporting cast consisting of Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux and Naomie Harris also perform well. The acting is not the issue, it is the crammed script. While 007 being hunted instead of doing the hunting is a creative switch, it seems Spectre attempts to deal with too much. While the movie’s runtime is two and a half hours, it still feels like events are forced. Mostly the relationship between Bond and Madeline Swan (Seydoux) is rushed. This is one of the first Bond movies in which the audience actually needs to have watched the previous three installments to really understand what’s going on.

Spectre also features subplots of the question of universal surveillance. The idea of nations combining intelligence is a major driving force to the plot. The first hour of the film produces heavy intrigue and the possibility of a truly suspenseful thrill ride. However, the last hour and a half fails to live up the hype set up by the beginning of the movie. Spectre tries too hard to tie up its loose ends that it leaves the audience feeling a little underwhelmed by the end. The action sequences were creative. Since it’s a Bond movie, it features a solid car chase scene. It also features fight sequences in a helicopter and train. One of the main issues is that these action sequences are just too brief and feel like they don’t really matter to the grand scheme of the film. The fight scene between Bond, and a Spectre henchman named Hinx (Dave Bautista) is the exception. It’s outstanding choreography and unpredictability allows it to be the standout scene of the movie.

Bond (left), and Hinx (right) have an intense fight while on a train.
Bond (left), and Hinx (right) have an intense fight while on a train.

One the most disappointing parts of the movie is the villain. The mysterious Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) falls a little flat. Waltz’s performance isn’t necessarily bad but fails in comparison to his other roles such as in Django Unchained. What has made previous Bond movies successful is the villain. Franz falls flat due to lackluster motivation, a predictable plan, and no physical intimidation. The movie seems to underutilize the organization of Spectre as a whole because it had so much potential to be Bond’s toughest test in years, and yet he almost single-handedly defeats them with ease. Despite its faults, Spectre is a middle of the road Bond film. It’s the third best bond film since Craig took the titular role. Casino Royale and Skyfall were better films, but Spectre isn’t as disappointing as Quantum of Solace. Spectre still provides entertainment from its action sequences, and dry humor that’s always present in a Bond film. The questions raised regarding rights to security and the question of democracy in the film’s subplot are very intriguing and provide a more modern and realistic taste to the movie. Spectre is possibly the last time Craig will play Bond, and its ending will leave you wondering what happens next for 007. Spectre earns a 6/10 in my book.

Christian Life Theme of the Month

in Editorial by
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Continuing on the quest of Christian identity, the Christian life theme for the months of November to December have changed to even more specific Christian traits. The theme for November is “you are a new creation.” The theme for December is “you are a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

The verses for November are 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 4:16, and Revelation chapter 21. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 4:16 states, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Revelation chapter 21 talks about the new heaven and new earth. All of these verses relate to Christians being new creations.

The verses for December’s theme of “you are a temple of the Holy Spirit” are 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 states, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”

When asked about the relevance to the themes of the year as a whole, Christian Life director, Greg Lisson said, “As you cross over into somebody who is follower of Christ, now there are some new things that are part of your identity. One, you are a new creation. Next, a pretty well-known one is you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. We are trying to build on what it looks like to be a follower of Christ.” When asked how December’s theme relates to Christmas, Lisson said “I did choose this theme on purpose because when you talk about God dwelling in you, it also reminds me of God dwelling among us which is what the incarnation of God is.” While not a direct relation, it still reminds Christians that God came to earth as a man so that we could gain salvation.

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