Ram Write-Up. Maple Valley-Anthon Oto s. The Greatest Generation. 501 South Seventh Mapleton, IA. Issue 4. January (Continued on page 2)

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1 Maple Valley-Anthon Oto s Ram Write-Up January 2017 Ram Write-up Staff: 501 South Seventh Mapleton, IA Issue 4 The Greatest Generation Editor-in-Chief: Jacob Schaffer Layout/Copy Editor: Jacob Schaffer Technical Editor: Anavin Mounivong Staff Reporters: Joe Kovarna Jaun DelaGarza Dalton Kollbaum Skyler McDermott Colby Seuntjens Danielle Yockey Brad Ortner Johannah Mckibben By Brad Ortner A panel of speakers from The Greatest Generation came and spoke to the MVAO seniors about the times they endured during WWII and The Great Depression. Advisor: Lois Moser Civil Rights - Notice of Nondiscrimination It is the policy of the Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact Patti Ryan, 501 South 7th Street, ,pryan@mvaoschool.org. The Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Community School District offers career and technical programs in the following areas: Agricultural Education, Business Education, Industrial Education and Family and Consumer Sciences Education. On Thursday, December 1 six members of The Greatest Generation came to MVAO to speak to the senior class. The senior class is writing a scholarship essay to research this generation and why it was coined that. Four veterans and two women made up the panel. The veterans and women gave a general introduction on their part in the war and then took questions from each student from the senior class. The four men who spoke were Lawrence Nelson and John Jacobs of Mapleton, and Ralph Diamond and Marvin Hanson of Anthon. The women speakers were Joyce Corrie and Laura Langholdt of Anthon. Each senior prepared one question to ask one of the members of this generation. My question was for Laura Langholdt, I asked how she stayed in contact with her husband during the war. Langholdt mentioned that her husband was on a ship during the war. She said that she listened to the radio on the farm to hear what ships had been sunk in the war. Langholdt also mentioned that her husband wrote letters to her during the war. She mentioned that some of the content would be censored and blacked out which was interesting to hear. Lawrence Nelson also told of the war and his part in it. Lawrence was in the first cavalry in the Army and was sent to Luzon in the Philippines and arrived on February 2, Nelson spoke of how his basic training consisted of nine weeks instead of the typical eleven weeks. The reason for the shortened period of training was to fill the void of men they needed overseas. Nelson spoke of spending five months overseas in the foxholes that he dug himself and said, That was the longest five months that I have ever had in my life. Nelson also said, When I left my outfit it was not on all wheels, they carried me, thankfully, and eight Phillipinos and two Americans brought me to an outpost medical unit. Nelson said, All I knew was that I was unconscious and they brought me there. Nelson spoke of boarding a freight ship that was returning home to be serviced. He said that it took them thirty five days by ship. Nelson said, In the meantime both atomic bombs were dropped while we were on that boat on the way home. He said, You had never seen such a happy bunch as then. Nelson also said that, I can tell you for sure that when I see the question of the bombs being a good or a bad thing, I can tell you that they were a wonderful thing. Nelson said that Japan was prepared to fight with six graders on up, he said When they ask you if the bombs were good or bad, and I know they killed a lot of people, but it saved half as many if were to go to war with Japan. Nelson ended with Only ten percent of the military in World War II saw hand to hand fighting, I guess I was one of those ten percent and I m thankful that I am here today. Ralph Diamond also spoke of his time in the army. Like Lawrence he went to basic training in Texas and was sent on January 2 overseas. He was on the front lines on January 17. Diamond spoke of coming from a military family, his son was in the navy and his other son in the Air Corps. Diamond spoke of farming and coming back to Anthon to work in a parts store and raise a family. (Continued on page 2)

2 Page 2, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools The Greatest Generation (Continued) Diamond said he made seventy five cents an hour as a parts man and could have made more in Sioux City but he wanted to stay closer to home and raise his family. John Jacobs told of his service in the Air Corps and earning his wings in pilot school. Jacobs was with a friend in Ricketts, Iowa when the bombings on Pearl Harbor occurred on December By June his friend was in the Navy and by August Jacobs had passed his entrance exam into the U.S. Army Air Corps. Jacobs went into the cadet program on March 7 and was on active duty on an Air Base in California. His classification in the Air Corps was a gunner. Jacobs spoke of learning the basics of flying in the Hancock College of Aeronautics where he learned the fundamentals. He said the first time he flew with the instructor he Lost his cookies and was so sick if I could have walked back to the farm after landing I would have. On January 7, 1944 he earned his pilot wings and went on to assemble a crew to fly a B-24. He said that, The pilots had to know as much about the airplane as the mechanic did and The first time I saw a B-24 I said, this dumb thing can fly? His crew took off from San Francisco at dark and flew ten hours only by instruments to Hawaii. They went on from there to fly many bombing missions out of Australia. Marvin Hanson told of growing up in South Dakota and going to eighth grade in a country school house where all the grades were in the same room. After high school he went into the navy and quoted, At that time we had three months of basic training but for us we had thirty days. Hanson boarded a tact transport on December 31, 1942 headed for New Caledonia. The ship held two thousand troops and was fully equipped. Hanson spoke about a star shell bomb hitting their ship but not detonating, I did not have a gun position and did not think much about it until I saw planes falling out of the sky, after that I had a gun position. Hanson spent thirty nine months in the navy and thirty of those were overseas. Hanson was also in Guam, Luzon, and Iwo Jima. Hanson told of returning home to farm and marrying and raising a family after the war. Joyce Corrie spoke of marrying her MVAO decorates their doors to get into the Christmas spirit husband who went to Wayne College but later enlisted in the Air Force. Her husband wanted to be a pilot but she said, He washed out of pilot school and that was the biggest disappointment he ever had is what he told me. Corrie said she came from a family of military and has a son that is a thirty year graduate of the military academy. I am thankful that these men and women gave so much for our country. Hearing each of their life stories reminded me and hopefully will remind others that our freedom is not free. The senior class would like to thank all of them for coming to Maple Valley to tell us of their life stories and service for our country. The grand champion: Mrs. Holst 1st runner-up: Mrs. Hallowell 2nd runner-up: Mrs. Dirksen Mentor award: Mrs. Berning By Juan Delagarza The door decorating continues at MVAO but the winning tradition ends for Mrs. Moser and Mrs. Scholl. Each year the mentor groups decorate their doors in a Christmas theme to try to earn the spot as number one. The competition stayed high and the artistic skills of some groups were shown. All of the doors had something different and unique about them. In the end, each door gets an award that best describes their door. The grand champion went to Mrs. Holst with her Staching through the snow door. They took a picture of each of the students in her mentor and put mustaches on each of them. Below are the rest of the awards: Mrs. Hallowell- 1 st runner-up Mrs. Dirksen- 2 nd runner-up Mrs. Dougherty- Yukon Cornelius Award Mrs. Cox- Clark Griswold Award Mrs. Mallory- Best door on a budget Mrs. Moser- Most Christmas spirit Mrs. Babl- Multicultural Award Mrs. Berning- Mentor Pride Award Mrs. Hermsen- Best use of a different theme Mr. Scholl- Charlie Brown Christmas Award Mr. C. Brown- Red neck Award Mr. Manchester- Oh Christmas tree Award Mrs. Maynard- Dandy door Mr. Breyfogle- Santa s Favorite Mrs. Sass- Mrs. Clause s Favorite Mr. B. Brown- Rudolphs Favorite Mr. Smeltzer- Jack Frost Award Mrs. Scholl- Most decorative door Mr. Wimmer- Shiniest door Mr. Miller- Scrooge Award

3 By Skyler McDermott On Wednesday, November 30, the MVAO Drill and Coed teams traveled to Des Moines to compete in the 2016 Iowa State Dance Team Championships. The teams performed the next afternoon, December 1, at the Wells Fargo Arena in front of a panel of judges from around the country. This year s MVAO State Pom Dance Team consists of Senior Skyler McDermott, Juniors Dani Steffes and Brenna Lansink, Sophomores Emmalee Scott and Brylie Boettcher, and Freshmen Maria Swanson, Lexi Weber, and Avery Ehlers. McDermott and Steffes are the captains of the team and the coach of the team is Kathy Hamers. Some might think that only having a team of eight girls is a disadvantage but the team thinks differently. It s an advantage because we could clean up the routine and work with people individually says Steffes. Boettcher says that it is an advantage because We got to know each other better and we knew how to work with each other because we are so small. It was often said that the team felt like a group of friends hanging out and that there were lots of positive vibes coming from the girls. The team earned a Division I rating at the state competition on December 1. Page 3, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools MVAO dance teams earn Division 1 ratings Above is Mr. Muckey the man behind the operation. By Dalton Kollbaum Walking down the halls of MVAO you would never know that custodian Dennis Muckey has an unknown talent. Muckey makes custom handmade three-ring binders out of wood. Muckey uses the laser machine at the MVAO high school to carve unique pictures into the wood. Muckey has always enjoyed being a hands on individual. He first got started in The Coed Dance Team consists of partners Skyler McDermott and Ben Sadler, Dani Steffes and Jacob Schaffer, Emmalee Scott and Jackson Krusen, Brylie Boettcher and Calvin Ferris, Maria Swanson and Adam Ehlers, Lexi Weber and Blake Paulsen, and Cameron Brenner and Anavin Mounivong. They also earned a Division I rating. Some of the team s favorite things about the state competition are spending time together, doing things as a team, having late night talks, having random conversations with random teams, bonding, hanging out at the hotel, and going to the mall. Lansink s favorite thing is How friendly everyone is and being able to laugh all the time, be yourself, and make great memories. Other favorite memories take place at the awards ceremony. The awards ceremony was on the night of the competition, December 1. Around 9 o clock all the teams pack onto the floor of the Wells Fargo Arena. You sit on the floor for hours while all the trophies and plaques are handed out and it is just an insane experience. Waiting for awards is the best part. All the teams have to line up to get into the arena. There is a lot of singing, talking, and this year dance offs. woodworking during his high school classes with Mr. Tippery. Muckey started out making things like a coffee table, chest of drawers, and an entertainment center. He also made the ten boxes that display all of the former schools that make up MVAO. They are on display in the High School. Muckey first got a start working with the laser machine once the new high school The dance girls consists of Brylie Boettcher, Brenna Lansink, Cameron Brenner, Maria Swanson, Skyler McDermott, Emmalee Scott, Avery Ehlers, Lexi Weber, and Dani Steffes Except for the Pom routine being performed on December 20, during half-time of the boys basketball game, all the dancers get to take a break. No more early morning or late night practices for a while. The break will last until they have to start preparing for the annual MVAO Dance Show in March. MVAO custodian has a unique talent Pictured on top is the front of a binder with the inside below it. building was built. The former FFA advisor, Dennis Benson, purchased a laser machine that is used by students in the industrial shop. Muckey never was taught how to run the laser machine. He simply watched Benson and began learning hands-on. Once he became more acquainted, Muckey then began scanning pictures onto the computer to be lasered onto wood. After taking a mission trip to Kenya in 2014, Muckey was inspired to start making wooden notebooks. He has now made wooden three-ring binders for important figures such as Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joni Ernst. After completing a binder for President Obama, Muckey had hopes of presenting it to the president in person. He was then informed that he would not be able to deliver it to the president in person. They told him instead to stay involved in his community. Muckey was able to present a wooden binder to current U.S. senator Ernst. Ernst visited Mapleton in February Muckey made the binder for Ernst to remember her trip to MVAO. Muckey has recently made a binder for Hillary Clinton. He personalized hers to say, Hillary Rodham Clinton 45 th President of the United States of America. On the inside of the binder images of the White House and Clinton s career are etched in the wood. It is hard to realize the skill and craftsmanship that a person has until it is unveiled. Dennis Muckey possesses skills in woodworking that are very unique. His craftsmanship will be enjoyed by others for years to come!

4 Bailey Page 4, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools Senior Spotlights Loren By Juan Delagarza July 18, 1998 was a very special day. This is the day that Bailey Lou Boettcher was brought to the world. Boettcher is the son of Jason and Shelli Dannenberg, and brother of Jaedyn, Brylie, and Lily. Something unique about Boettcher that many people do not know is that he secretly enjoys watching bull riding. Another thing By Juan Delagarza Many people have what they would call a dream car, whether it is a Lamborghini or a jacked up truck. Dylan Feller is one of those people, but in his case his dream has not came true yet. Feller has been blessed with a 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. He was given this car by his grandpa, Robert Feller. He has had his car for a year and a half now. Every heap has problems and Feller has learned to just deal with the problems and that you may not know about him is that he used to live in Idaho. He has traveled to many different places throughout his life. Some states that he has been to are: Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Students who have classes with Boettcher might often hear him shout out; Heap of the Month Above is Dylan Feller and his Oldsmobile keep driving. When Feller was first asked what problems the car has he responded with, Everything. Some problems that he has with the car are: the traction bar is broke, the speakers on one side of his car do not work, and a chunk of his steering wheel is cut off. Feller has also made some memories while driving his car. Some of these memories may be better than others. One of them that he remembers the most is when it died one day at the Caseys in Correctionville. Luckily Dope! when something goes wrong. School has made many memories for Boettcher. His favorite one from his childhood was when he went to the zoo with his class in fourth grade. When at the zoo, Boettcher did not go look at the spiders because they are his biggest fear. Boettcher is a person of many characteristics. Teachers would say he is very responsible and gets stuff done, his parents describe him as big hearted and passionate, and his friends would describe him as loving and a homie. Some of Boettcher s closest friends include: Kyler McDermott, Jacob Schaffer, Juan Delagarza, Dylan Feller, Dalton Kollbaum, and Brandon Todd. The reason that these are his closest friends is because they all have the same hobbies as him. While in high school, Boettcher has been involved in football, track, wrestling, and FFA. His favorite high school memory was making it to the state playoffs his junior year in football. Boettcher s future plans are to play football at Iowa Central Community College and major in elementary education. for Feller he had some of his friends there to help him out with the problem. It took about an hour to get the car running, but they eventually got it going again. Other memories that Feller has with his car include: going drifting with his homies, going on some joy rides, and trying to fix all of the things that go wrong with it. By Dalton Kollbaum Senior Loren Todd came into this world on April 2, 1999 moments behind his brother Brandon, and was followed by his sister Morgan. The triplet has one older brother named Riley. His parents are Kevin and Brenda Todd. As a child Todd enjoyed being around his grandparents. His favorite memory from his childhood was staying the night at his grandma and grandpa s house. Todd has enjoyed his time at MVAO. His favorite memory during high school came from the state FFA convention in Ames. Todd s parents describe him as being outgoing and loud. When Todd asked Mr. Wimmer how he would describe him, Wimmer replied with, I don t even know how to. This shows Todd s uniqueness. Todd has made many friends during his years at MVAO. Some of his closest friends include: Kyler McDermott, Dylan Feller, Bailey Boettcher, Tristan Petersen, Anavin Mounivong, Adam Ehlers, and Alvin Pegram. They are all his friends because he has known them for a long time. His friends describe him as being easy going and laid back. Todd has traveled all over the country throughout his lifetime. Some of the places he has traveled to include: Texas, Las Vegas, Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and the Grand Canyon. Todd has been involved in football, track, and FFA during high school. He is also the secretary of the FFA chapter. After graduation Todd plans on attending South Dakota State University to study agronomy. Best of luck to you!

5 By JoHannah McKibben Dalton Daniel Kollbaum was born January 1, 1999 to parents Kenny and Patty Kollbaum. Derek Kollbaum, Kollbaum s only sibling, had to now accept the fact he was no longer the only child. Growing up Kollbaum had the best memories of riding four wheelers and dirt bikes around with his brother. Something you may not know about Kollbaum is that when he was younger he had blonde hair. While in high school Kollbaum has participated in Golf, Student Council, FFA, and NHS. His favorite high school memory is attending many different sporting events with Travis or Tristain. Kollbaum has a group of friends consisting of Tristan Petersen, Colby Seuntjens, Connor Beeck, Travis McBride, and Turner Petersen. By Brad Ortner Brett Michael Weaver was born on May to Terry and Kelly Weaver. Weaver also has two younger siblings, James and Jared. His friends describe him as being witty, a nerd, and a geek. Weaver s favorite memory from his childhood is spending time with his grandfather while he was farming. His favorite high school memory was being around Todd Sherill, Logan Buth, and Jacob Miller freshman year. Something unique about Brett is that he plays esports professionally. Weaver said that his biggest fear is life without internet. Weaver s teachers would describe him as being driven to accomplish his goals. His parents describe him as being a hermit. Weaver s closest friends are the students in TAG. Weaver said that, They make me laugh and entertain me. Those close friends include Nick Hollinghead who Weaver said, Tunney Brett Page 5, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools Senior Spotlights They are all his friends because they all share similar interest with him. He also stated that Seuntjens is one of his friends because they enjoy being master chefs in culinary. His friends describe him as friendly and easy going. Kollbaum s teachers and parents describe him as dependable; he has a good sense of humor, outgoing, intelligent, and hardworking. Typically you can hear him saying, If they don t find you handsome, they can sure find ya handy, as one of his sayings. Kollbaum has traveled to Wyoming to snowmobile, Minnesota and Canada to fish, and to South Dakota to visit. After high school Kollbaum plans to attend Iowa Central to study Electrical Technology. We bonded over the years even though we hate each other and Joe Kovarna who Weaver said, He just grew on me. Weaver has been involved in Quiz Bowl, Band, and Choir while in high school. In the future Weaver will attend Iowa State University to study Aerospace Engineering. By Colby Seuntjens Dalton Birthdays By JoHannah McKibben Morgan Spencer 2 Christian Ramirez 3 Chelsea Redenius 6 Romeo Widemon 9 Kallee Allen 9 Jennifer Frank 9 Kolby Morgan 10 David Fegenbush 14 Shelby Davis 17 Magie Hamman 17 Kyle Sexton 20 KaDarius Beckner 25 Tayler Capron 25 Talon Brown 26 Dalton Kollbaum 26 Carter Boyle 27 Hunter Hanks 27 Haley Tornabane 27 Hunter Ritter 29 Austin Clarke 30 Hidie DeGraw 31 On November 25, 1998 James and Amelia Merril welcomed their little ball of energy into the world, his name is Tunney. Merril has one full sibling named Beau. Merril has two step siblings. Merril has a step sister who goes to Maple Valley Anthon Oto, Linzey Geoddeke. His step brother Jacob Geoddeke graduated last year from Maple Valley Anthon Oto as well. Merril also has a dog who he loves very much whose name is Tipper. He is really close with this dog because they are almost exactly the same age. His parents would describe Merril as being out going and having a great sense of fun. They would also say he has a great attitude. Most others would describe him as being this way, he would too. Merril describes himself as having a great sense of humor and caring about others well-being. His teachers may see him as being out of control but his friends see him as being fun all the time. Merril s friends, who would know this better than anyone are Weston Nettleton who has been his been his friend for ten years. Nettleton always listens and is always there if Merril needs an extra laugh. His other friend, Tyler Blake is always there to defend Merril when he needs him and also to send him down the right path. Merril s favorite memories are from school where he was always with these friends. Merril has been involved in two activities in high school, wrestling and picking up girls. While walking the halls of Maple Valley Anthon Oto you may hear Merril repeating Everyone is doing it, doing it. Picking their nose and chewing it. Thinking that it s candy but it s really snot. Merril has a very strong fear of spiders and drowning. After graduation Merril pans on getting money, having a nice car, and being happy. Best of luck Merril!

6 By Danielle Yockey Page 6, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools Ram Walking: Movie Quotes When four students from MVAO were told quotes from the following famous movies and asked to name which movie they were off of, some of the student s answers were closer than others. The quotes were from these famous movies: Dirty Dancing, Titanic, Field of Dreams, and Forrest Gump. All of these movies came out before these students were even born. The first quote was, Nobody puts baby in a corner from Dirty Dancing. This movie came out in 1987 but takes place in In this movie a teenage girl, known as Baby, goes to a resort along with her family. The movie tells a story of her time at the resort, the friends she makes, and the romance she has with the camps dance instructor as well as many hardships that occur throughout her time there. The second was, I m the king of the world from Titanic. This movie came out in 1997 and tells of the love story between a rich aristocrat girl and a talented poor boy on the Titanic. Next was, If you build it he will come from Field of Dreams. This movie came out in 1989 and was filmed in Iowa. In this movie a farmer hears voices and takes them as a sign to build a baseball field in place of his cornfield. The last quote was, My Mama always said, Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you re gonna get. from the movie Forrest Gump. This movie came out in 1994 and tells about an unintelligible man and the events that he was present during. The first student asked was, Tayler Capron, a freshman. She knew the answer to the first quote right away. The second one she got right away as well. The third quote she thought about for a while, finally after a hint she guessed, Children of the Corn. Although she didn t get the third, she was able to name the last one right away. She even finished the quote before it was said. The second student asked was, Jayce Ingram, a sophomore. She also knew the first movie right away. The second quote she hesitated on for a bit. After she was given a hint she finally got it, even though she has never seen the movie. Ingram didn t know the third quote even after a hint that it took place in Iowa. She guessed, I don t know, The Sandlot. Ingram also was able to finish the last quote and to get the answer correct. The third student asked was, Katelynn Mullin, a junior. She was able to answer the first question correctly with just a little bit of thinking time. Mullin switched up the second answer with an answer that was later on. She guessed, The Field of Dreams. The third answer actually was, The Field of Dreams and she took a shot after some hard thinking saying, The Lion King. She was able to get the last answer correct right away as well. The fourth student asked was, Courtney Redenius, a senior. When she was asked the first quote she had no clue what the answer was. After she was told the answer she knew that she should ve known that. She was able to get the second and third one after hints about the locations and the types of movies. Redenius was able to get the final answer just like all of those before. The final person asked was, Mrs. Hallowell, a teacher at the MVAO high school. Hallowell was able to answer all of them right away. She only needed help with one of them. It is clear that those asked at MVAO know at least some of the top movie quotes. Mrs. Hallowell Courtney Redenius Katelynn Mullin The new year brings resolutions Jayce Ingram By Colby Seuntjens Each year, just hours before the ball drops in Time Square, millions of people look back on the previous year. They see what they could change and improve upon as a person. The most common resolution is becoming more healthy or working out more. Others may do something little like calling grandparents more often or trying to not be involved in so much drama. No matter what resolution is made it is generally for selfimprovement. The making of New Year resolutions is not a new practice. The first people to actually make a New Year resolution, similar to the ones we make, were the ancient Babylonians. They first started making resolutions about 4,000 years ago. Their New Year was at a different time. Instead of being held in January theirs was held when all the crops were planted and they held a large celebration. They were not making resolutions to themselves they were making promises to the gods that they worshipped. They believed that if they kept these promises to their gods, their gods would grant them good luck for the following year. I think if this were the case today more people would follow through with their resolutions. Up until the 1700 s the making of New Year resolutions always had to do with a religious connection. There are still some parts of the world where they sit and pray on New Year s Eve and New Year s Day hoping that they will become a better person. But as time has progressed people have made it mainly just goals for themselves. About 45% of people say that they take part in making a New Year resolution. Only about 8% follow through and completely do their resolution. Hopefully this article has taught you a little more about the tradition that you take part in. If you don t take part in making a resolution you should start because everyone can make a little self-improvement.

7 Page 7, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools Who looks like these cartoon characters? By JoHannah McKibben Walking down the halls do you ever think to yourself that a student or teacher looks like a cartoon character? Here at MVAO High School, two students look like cartoon characters. We also have one teacher who also looks like a cartoon character. Bryce Kafton, a sophomore, at MVAO looks like Sheen Estevez off the famous Nickelodeon cartoon Jimmy Neutron. Their hair is very similar by being dark in color and spiky. Kafton is also an outgoing guy just like Sheen who has a lot of energy in the show. Blake Paulsen, a freshman, at MVAO looks like Gene Belcher. Gene Belcher is the cartoon character off of Bobs Burgers. Bob s Burgers is a cartoon that is aired on numerous television shows. Paulsen shares the same dark hair as Gene but the biggest similarity is their personalities. Paulsen is an easy going guy with a keen sense of humor just like Gene. Mrs. Moser, a teacher, at MVAO looks like Edna Mode off the Disney movie The Incredibles. Moser and Edna look a lot alike according to the students. Both Moser and Edna have the same haircut, almost identical glasses, and are short. Also their personalities have similarities because they are both very sassy. In the movie Edna is kind but will lay down the law if not followed. As a student of Moser s I know if homework isn t completed on time she will lay down the law also. Now walking down the hallway you will be able to recognize the look a likes. What character will you see next at MVAO. Sheen Estevez and Bryce Kafton By Joseph Kovarna Gene Belcher and Blake Paulsen Music is in the air at Christmastime Edna Mode and Mrs. Moser It s that time of year again for the music students of MVAO. That s right: the Christmas Concert! Preparations for said event began the day after the Pops Concert, leaving no time to be wasted by either the band of choir. The students taking part in the concert have had barely a month to prepare and perfect the songs. The blame for any musical mishaps falls solely on the shoulders of the unprepared musician. The day of the concert was Monday, December 5. Final rehearsals before the event take place during 1 st and 3 rd periods for band and choir, respectively. The purpose for these rehearsals is so both of the ensembles can practice and adjust their sound so that it fills as large of a space as the gym. This is important for both groups; they practice in the music room, which is many times smaller than the gym. This means they have to do more musically: louder louds, more dramatic crescendos and decrescendos. And while not as large of a problem for the band, the choir has to rehearse to hear what they sound like in the absence of the ineligible students. Due to scheduling complications, this year, the elementary program and the high school concert were held on the same day. This also meant that the choir had to sing in the bleachers opposite the audience, making for less than ideal performance conditions. Those leaving the elementary concert and people arriving for the high school early hear the Jazz Choir caroling in the commons area. As 7:30 p.m. rolls around and people get situated, the Concert Choir kicks off the event with And We Sing Gloria, with words and music by Jay Althouse. Next is Baroque Christmas Festival, a collection of traditional Christmas song. These songs were Alla Hornpipe, Angels We Have Heard On High, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and Joy to the World. They closed out their portion of the concert with Deck the Halls, arranged by Francisco J. Nunez and Jim Papoulis. Next up: the band. This year s set wasn t so much Christmas oriented, but was more of the standards for a high school band to play. They began their set with Flourish for Wind Band, by Ralph Vaughn Williams. Next was Salvation Is Created, by Pavel Tschesnokoff and arranged by Bruce Houseknecht. Lastly, the band performed Russian Christmas Music, which isn t so much Christmas music as it is just plain dramatic, by Alfred Reed and arranged by James Curnow. The final set of songs for the night would be performed by the Ram Singers. First up was Carol of the Bells, a traditional Ukrainian carol, with words and arrangement by Peter J. Wilhousky. After that was White Winter Hymnal, with words and music by Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, and arranged by Alan Billingsley. Finally, to bring an end to MVAO s 2015 Christmas Concert, the Ram Singers invited the audience to join them in the bleachers to sing Hallelujah (from Messiah), by George Frederic Handel. The Jazz Choir sang Christmas carols while the crowd was waiting for the performances of the cochoir and band. Above is Mr. Smeltzer conducting the choir.

8 Page 8, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley-AnthonOto Schools The RamPage Staff would like to thank the following sponsors for their support, and encourage everyone to shop at these local businesses!! Gold Sponsors 4 Way Stop Shop Anthon Mini Mart Armstrong-Van Houten Funeral Homes & Monuments of Anthon, Danbury, Mapleton, and Ute Beef N Brew Berne Coop BodyWorks Therapeutic Massage, Rachael Breyfogle, L.M.T. Boysen Electric/Kim s Cakes & Cookies Brock Auction Co., Darrell Scott, Auctioneer Burgess Family Clinic, Mapleton C.H.N. Garbage Service, Inc. Colbert s Market Crop Production Services of Anthon & Moville Danbury Review Dick Schleis, Auctioneer Divide Hill Drees Digging/Second Street Storage, Julie & Gary Drees Eric & Jennifer O Connell Fiesta Foods Fireside Steakhouse & Lounge First State Bank Plus +of Battle Creek, Danbury, Ida Grove, Mapleton & Odebolt Flanigan Brothers, Inc. GFG Agriproducts of Danbury, Charter Oak H & R Block Hamman Construction, Mark Hamman Heights Home Health Heritage Bank/Financial Services, Anthon Hoffman Agency Horn Physicians Clinic, Affiliate of Horn Memorial Howland Custom Auto Body Incontrol-Integrations Jostens Lansink Tree Service, Danbury Little Sioux River Kayaking & Tubing Mac s Chevrolet, Inc. Maple Heights Nursing Home, Apts., & Support Mapleton BP Mapleton Collision Center Mapleton Hometown Variety Mapleton Press Medical Oriented Gym (MOG) at Burgess Midwest Land & Auction, Jack Seuntjens Gold Sponsors Mills Pharmacy Monona County Iron New York Life Insurance, Bob Andre Nurture Your Body Massage LLC~Emily Sandvold, L.M.T. O Neal Farms Pioneer Products, Bill & Sandy Ortner Rick s Computers, Inc. Security National Bank Sexton Oil Staley s Food Service St. John s United Methodist Church The Cutting Edge The Shooting Shop LLC Tiny s Bar Titan Machinery Umbach Seed & Feed Valley Bank & Trust Welte Vault Wolf Tree Service Works of Heart/Jill Sadler Maroon Sponsors Barry Motor Company, LLC Crop Production Services of Danbury Danbury C-Store Hawkeye Bar Litl l Siouxlutions Maier Family Pharmacy Pepsi Cola of Siouxland Valley Lodge Assisted Living, Correctionville