The New Haven cross country team ventured to Owensville for the conference meet, which is held in Owensville every year.

This course takes on the shape of a hand from an aerial view on a golf course. It is one of the flattest courses the cross country team runs on, with a short dip and hill in the back side of the course. The last time the cross country team ran in Owensville, the course was destroyed, covered in mud and water. This time, the course officials had the course free of the mud,and holes from the last meet there, which could’ve made this course much more of a challenge.

There are many different things that could take up someone’s time in the morning before school and many factors that are taken into consideration for how much time someone needs, or how early one should wake up.  Are you good at managing your free time? If you can pack all of your bags, set your clothes out, get all of your homework done, etc. the night before, then you can decide how much time is really needed for you to get yourself ready in the mornings. Those extra five minutes of sleep are waiting for you tomorrow morning.

However, being in a sport, a club, an activity, or even gym class might affect what you chose to do in the morning. You might think to yourself, “Is it really worth getting up early and curling my hair if I have gym second hour?” Emily Lewis exclaimed, “On P.E. days it takes me about 20 minutes. I usually straighten my hair, which takes about 15 minutes, and put it up in a ponytail. Then I eat a quick breakfast. On non P.E. days, it takes me about 30-45 depending on what I'm going to wear and how I'm going to style my hair.”

Moreover, how you view getting up and ready for school could change everyday. Maybe you have been in a slump for three days and now you decide that you are going to wake up early, curl your hair, throw on some skinny jeans, and put some make-up on! You don’t have to do the same thing every morning. Switch up your morning routine a little bit each day until you find something you like that works for you.

The demanding athletic program that New Haven has is also a factor to consider. The New Haven sports teams and coaches expect a lot out of their athletes. If you have practice right after school, and then come home, do homework, and study for tests every night, you might not want to get up ten minutes earlier to do your make-up, or do anything besides sleep.

For example, Maddie Fleer--varsity volleyball player--stated, “It all really depends on how I am going to look that day. I would say it takes me about 40 minutes to get ready for school. That would be putting clothes on, hair, makeup, and packing my bags. I could push myself, though, and get ready in about 20 minutes if I had to. I don't like being rushed, though!”

As the girls move from freshman to senior year, their efforts and morning routine change just a little bit. Senior Julie Moeckli says, “It depends on the day. If I shower in the morning rather than at night, it takes me about an hour and fifteen minutes. I spend the most time either showering or eating breakfast. I spend the least amount of time making my bed. I noticed that each year it gets harder and harder to wake up. I think that reason is that you sometimes get tired of seeing the same faces every day, and when you know there is homework and a paper you have to write, you tend to favor sleep over homework. It's also hard to wake up as a senior knowing that with each day you wake up, you are one step closer to no longer GETTING to wake up and see the faces you do enjoy seeing everyday. I used to think that I wanted high school to be over, but I am really going to miss it. I've enjoyed it way too much not too. Some days, I wake up early and get to school early just to have a few extra hours in the hallways I will soon recall as a memory.”

When asked the general questions, How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?, What do you spend the most time on?, What do you spend the least time on?, How have your efforts in getting ready changed over your high school years?, senior Mackenzy Vedder answered, “It takes me 15 minutes. I take the most time eating breakfast and the least amount of time on my clothes. My effort in how I look has stayed about the same throughout high school. ”

Senior foreign exchange student Luna Tomasi, from Italy,  says, “I wake up at 7 o'clock in the morning, and I leave home at about 7.30 or 7.40, so about thirty or forty minutes. The first 10 minutes I go in the bathroom and wash my face to wake up, then I change and put my make up on, about 10 minutes. At last, I have breakfast with a bowl of cereal. I can tell you about my changing that it's always been the same since I was in the elementary school: I'm always tired to get ready and wake up in the morning, but maybe through the years it can be changed because it's became a custom!”

How much time girls at New Haven High take in the morning varies just a little bit. On average, it take girls thirty minutes to get themselves fully ready for a long day at school.

If you wanted to sleep in a little bit longer, then some of the things mentioned above might be helpful for you. If you are not a morning person, then consider doing your morning tasks the night before.  Getting out of bed and getting ready in the morning might be something that you dread doing, or it could be something that you look forward to doing to get ready for the day ahead. The morning is the very beginning of the day! Make your morning worth getting up for.

-by Kathy Jasper

You’re in high school, and you probably think that Halloween is lame and you can’t go trick-or-treating anymore because you’re too old. Well, are you? Some may not think so. Some may still go out when it gets dark and hit up a couple of houses to get free candy. Others may have younger siblings and have to walk them around all night until the they have satisfied their trick-or-treating needs. Or, you may be the one that sits on the front porch with the bowl of candy, waiting for your friends--with their siblings--to stop by to get some of the free candy you are offering on the usually cold night of Halloween.

So, you know what you’re doing on Halloween, but what is the rest of the school doing on this spooky night?

A few students were asked about what they usually do on Halloween and what they plan to do this year. “I do go trick-or-treating sometimes, but I only do it for the free candy,” said Emily Moreno. “This year I am planning to give out candy, while my family takes my little brother out trick-or-treating.” Hannah White is also planning on handing out candy this year.

Taylor Oetterer has plans for the weekend before Halloween, “On Friday I am going to Fright Fest at Six Flags and to two haunted houses in St. Louis on Saturday.” For Halloween, she said, “I’ll probably be eating candy.” Taylor stated that her family will not be going trick-or-treating because they are all too old to go. Instead, Taylor thinks she will “probably just hang out with friends.” She isn’t the only one that really doesn’t have anything planned; there are some students who just don’t like Halloween.

“I don’t do anything on Halloween because I don’t like it,” said Dylan Goodwin.  Although, he isn’t the only one with this opinion.

Lauren Gerlemann agreed by saying, “I hate Halloween; it’s scary.”

Keven McDowell said, “I don’t like Halloween because I’m too old to go trick-or-treating, but I like the candy. So I guess I don’t HATE Halloween.”

Then there are the students this year who are planning on going to state for volleyball. The game takes place on Halloween. “Hopefully we are going to play at state,” volleyball manager Julie Mockli commented. Kim Hoffmann said that she won’t have plans until she knows for sure that they are going to state. The volleyball players are three games away from knowing if they will qualify, as of October 23th.

Maybe there are some students who are excited for Halloween and not so concerned about volleyball or if they are too old. They could be in it for the fun they have with their friends.

Finally, there are students like Jon Stone who are excited for Halloween. He exclaimed, “I think Halloween is a perfect time of year to share a good ole ‘BOO’ with your buds!” Even though there are some students who do think Halloween is lame, there is at least one that you know for sure doesn’t mind getting his friends together. If you’re the kind of student who doesn’t think they are too old, be careful out there on Halloween!

-by Abby Perdue

The freshman girls volleyball team is proof that practice does payoff! Through hours in the weight room, conditioning, and practices, the team is finishing the season without a single loss. Coach Hoener stated, “I think that they have worked really hard in practice and this summer, and through that were rewarded with an undefeated season.”

The first cheerleading practice was held on October 16, 2014. This year, the cheerleading squad has twelve cheerleaders; seven of them are new cheerleaders, while five of them are returning veterans. Two of the cheerleaders, Luna Tomasi and Nele Granse, are foreign exchange students. Luna is from Italy and is a senior, while Nele is from Germany and is a junior. For both of these girls, this will be their first time to  be a cheerleader for a school.

Players POV

What did some Shamrock players and coaches think about their Four Rivers Conference championship?

“Our big goal was getting first in conference, so I think we really pushed because we wanted to make that goal really bad and have our  year on the wall! My favorite game was definitely the Hermann game. Everyone was so pumped up, and we played hard and got the job done!” -Erin Scheer
“I think we worked well as a team because we all wanted the same goal. When we are down, we try so hard to get back up, and we always do! We’re always there for each other on or off the volleyball court. One goal down, one to go…”- Trista Kormeier
“I thought we worked really well together as a team, and that led to our success! My favorite game was Hermann...During that game we came out strong, and it made it even more enjoyable! Being conference champs is such a great feeling!”- Kenzy Vedder
“My favorite game would have to be the Hermann game. Hermann is always one of our biggest competitions, and in that game we came out ready for anything. ”-Taylor Covington
“I think it is freaking awesome that we won conference! Its really cool because the last time we won conference was back in 2005 when I won and went on to win state. It’s really exciting to capitalize on  the local teams that are bigger than us. They prepare us for the post-season…”-Coach Ashleigh Riegel

All in all, the Shamrock volleyball team was on point during their conference matches, but can they do the same in the state tournament? They play on Tuesday, October 21, against the winner of the Smithton and Otterville game at Calvary Lutheran in Jefferson City, MO.             -by Lauren Bergner

The Marching Shamrocks have finished up their season of marching, and it wasn’t a boring season at all! Band director Mrs. Koch stated, “I believe the Marching Shamrocks did an amazing job this year.  We started the season off with a lot of new members, and honestly, I was a little nervous about the season in August.  However, the leadership in this band is something to be commended, and the new members really stepped up and made a huge impact on our overall strength.” This is what Mrs. Koch had to say  about  the Marching Shamrocks success during this year’s  marching season. It really showed by how many first place trophies (8) were brought home.

The band had its strengths; however, there are some things Mrs. Koch feels still need to be improved on before next season. “The Marching Shamrocks have always been known for their unique marching style, and to say the least, we dominated the marching captions this year... most by 20+ points.  Our goal for next year is to focus on the ensemble sound of the band.” Based on the scores, music wasn’t far behind, but there was almost always another band who was able to win over the judges with their musical style.

According to Mrs. Koch, next year you should expect it to be “an incredibly strong year.” In 2015, the band will only be losing six seniors and the auxiliary. “Many of our section leaders this year were juniors who will be returning next year as senior section leaders.” Mrs. Koch also said that the marching skills were sharpened this year, which will give them a better focus on music next year. “I only foresee our scores improving.”

After marching season, the band has to get ready for the conference basketball games with pep band music. This year, pep band will be playing 8 new songs for the crowd’s enjoyment.  When Mrs. Koch was asked if anything was going to change with pep band this year, she stated, “Nothing logistically will change; however, the band is excited to play a few new selections this year in addition to all our other favorites.” After band, one can constantly hear throughout the day Cameron Pritchett and Tim Prussener singing the “Immigrant” song by Led Zepplin. During band class, the players are always begging to get out the pep band folders so they can spend the class period playing modern music, which seems to be more enjoyable than playing concert music to some. When the band isn’t working on pep band music, they are working on concert music.

“The concert band music for the Christmas concert will include some of our typical holiday favorites.  We were able to order a few new selections featuring some movie themes:  Polar Express, Nightmare Before Christmas, Charlie Brown's Christmas,” Mrs. Koch stated. The band members may not be too crazy about this because they are excited for pep band at the moment. However, not all of the members like pep band the best. Michael McKernan prefers concert band simply because he just likes concert band.   

Those are not the only things to look forward to in concert band this year. Like last year, in the spring concert, all the bands from 5th grade to high school will be performing a song together. “It is also fun and exciting for our audience to hear all the band members. Our next concert band selections will focus on district concepts because we will be preparing the band for District Music Festival in March this year; these songs will be more traditional in style and sound.”

“The high school band will be performing at the District Music Festival this year.  New Haven has not participated at the district level with the full band for many years.  I would love to bring this tradition back and show everyone in our district that New Haven can be just as strong of a concert band as we can a marching band.” Each year, individuals have been able to take a solo or ensemble to be rated on by one judge. They also have the option to take a three-person ensemble, commonly called a trio, up to a group of 8. This will be the first time in five years Mrs. Koch will be taking a whole band to districts.

The band is given a score at the festival that shows their skill of sight reading and being able to properly play a prepared piece. “First, the high school concert band will prepare several pieces to be adjudicated by three different judges on the day of District Music Festival.  The judges will rate our band as I, II, III, IV, or V.  I is the highest rating a band can receive, and V is the lowest.  Second, the band will sight read a selection of music and be adjudicated on the same scale; this shows judges how well the students can read music without preparation, truly testing their musical skills.”

This year will definitely be more challenging and involved. The members will have more playing opportunities, and this makes for more experience to better their playing skills. Everyone is welcome to  these events. The band always enjoys an audience of faces they know.

-by Abby Perdue

Due to this month being Breast Cancer Awareness month, for spirit points the Shamrock fans all wore pink to the game, looking supportive and ready to see a great win. All of our players wore pink socks and matching pink headbands, prepared and ready for the game.

Before the game, Mrs.Hoener gave the girls a pep talk, stating, “Be aggressive, and work together.” The JV girls went out for a winning game. The starters were Emma Engelbrecht, Kim Hoffmann, Lauren Gerlemann, Mackenzie Bauer, Kate Ruediger, Maddie Fleer.

After the game, MacKenzie Bauer said, “Warming up, I could tell it was going to be a good night to play volleyball. Everyone was doing really good and we were communicating really well.  We played really well as a team, and everyone was really pumped up! Our coaches were really happy with how we played and the overall outcome of the game!”

“Kate Ruediger served 9, and Kim Hoffman finished the game with her serves. Also, Kim set me for a slide in the middle, and I hit it for a cross court kill in front of the 10 foot line! It was very exciting,” Emma Engelbrecht said.

The varsity game was quick and defensive. With Lauren Bergner being the kill leader, the game went smoothly. Emma Borcherding was the serve leader with 9 points and 4 aces.

Once the night was over the girls were tired but satisfied, and the bleachers were filled with cheering fans all in pink.

   The sun was shining, and people were enjoying the breeze. It was a good day for people to run the 5k from the city park to the industrial park. Kate Weiser Stated, “The run for the track was a great way to start off the balloon festival. The course was easy and safe. There wasn’t as many people as I expected, but over the years it will grow.” Once at the park, the runners went to the track and made a lap to finish.
   The parade was also enjoyed by many. Afterwards, children ran around playing at the park or the FBLA inflatables. The inflatables were up at 1:30 and were deflated at 6.  
   Businesses put stands up to sell food and drinks. The cheerleaders were walking around the park selling bakery items from their stand. The New Haven community gathered together to see the balloons go up. Kate Weiser stated, “I think that it was a great festival for anyone of any age to come, gather, play, to see the beautiful colorful balloons that soars over New Haven.” A few went up first to make sure that weather conditions were just right so that the other balloons go up.
   Families joined together to watch the air balloons gently glide into the air, drifting off to wherever they may land. “This year while I was at the festival with friends my dad was at home watching them land in my backyard.” Kate Weiser joked.
   Music played the whole time that people were there, the DJ playing hit songs such as: “All About That Bass”, etc. Around 5 o'clock people began to walk over to the field to start airing up the air ballons. Everybody stood there taking pictures and watching balloons go up.
   As the sun began to go down around 6:00p.m. and it began to cool, people started to pack up their belongings and head home.         -by Zoie Mathis

Monday night was the last home volleyball game for the New Haven Shamrocks, and their opponent was Fatima. The Freshman team came out strong, winning the first set. The second set did not come as easy. The Freshman worked hard to defeat the Fatima Freshman team 26-24. The close game got the crowd involved and created an exciting atmosphere for the team. The Junior Varsity game was not as intense as the Freshman, but the New Haven Shamrocks worked just as hard.

The varsity game was the last home game for the senior volleyball players of New Haven High School, unless New Haven wins districts. If New Haven wins districts, they will host sectionals. The Varsity team worked hard. Losing the first set to Fatima got the girls fired up and ready to go for the second set. New Haven took the second set away from Fatima. The New Haven Varsity team played with intensity and was fierce in the third set; however, they still fell short to Fatima.

When asked what the biggest improvement over the season was, Mrs. Riegel responded by saying, “I think the girls improved on working together as a team. I think that the girls did well combining their talents.”  Mrs. Hoener was asked how she thought the last home game went. Mrs. Hoener responded by saying, “I think they played hard, and I hope that that isn’t the last home game of the season.”

Katie Pierick, senior, was home recovering from her knee surgery that took place the Monday before  New Haven played against Fatima. When coach Ray Steinhoff called out the starters and non-starters for New Haven, each player did something unique. Coach Steinhoff made sure to include  Katie and state that she is still a part of the team but could not make the last home game. When Mr. Steinhoff called Katie’s name and number, the New Haven Varsity team, turned to where Katie stands and saluted her spot.

The Varsity volleyball team ended the season as conference champs. They play districts at Calvary Lutheran on Tuesday, October 21st. The New Haven Varsity team will find out who they play Monday, October 20th.

SENIOR SECTION

All of the seniors were asked how they thought their possible  last home game went. They were also asked to give any advice they had to the underclassmen and the upcoming Varsity team.

Courtney Yowell responded, “My advice to the upcoming Varsity team is to work hard every game and practice because the season goes by FAST! What I want to say about our last home game is that we worked our best, and even though we didn't win, we played our best, and that's all that matters. The things that I am going to miss are playing on the Ray Steinhoff court and hearing the crowd cheer for us at all the games, no matter if they were home or away.”

Megan Shockley said, “Tonight was extremely emotional. It could've possibly been the last time we play on Ray Steinhoff court. The last time we get dressed in that locker room, do our pre game dance in that hallway, or run out to Shania Twain. It's a great feeling to know that you have come this far, but also a bitter feeling because we know it's almost over. We have the best team out there. We not only can play well together, but we get along off the court as well. There is no drama or tension. Just one goal. My advice to the underclassmen is to not take any of this time for granted. Don't go into practice thinking, ‘Ugh I don't wanna be here. Can I just go home?’ Go to practice thinking, ‘I'm gonna work my butt off today!’ The end is coming quick and there's nothing you can do to stop it. And always remember, it really is an honor to be a Shamrock.”

Katie Pierick says, “This goes for any sport. Whether it be practice or a game, play like it's your last because one day it will be. You will be looking back wishing you would have listened to your coaches and done something different. Love and trust your team. They will be the ones covering your back every step of the way or picking you up off the floor. Set your standards high and believe in your team. A person once told me this, ‘...do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Relax and have a great time....’ Have fun with it. After all, you only have four years.’ Now being apart of the New Haven Volleyball Program is more than just going through the motions. It has taught me teamwork, responsibility, and hard work. This program has impacted my life for the good. I will never forget the feeling of running onto that court and playing. Thank you, New Haven Volleyball. It has been an honor.”

Taylor Covington says, “To lose my possible last home game was definitely hard.  To try so hard to beat that team and then lose is frustrating, but we now have to put that game behind us and look onto districts.  The thing is, we actually may still have a chance to win our last home game EVER if we can win districts and then have sectionals on our home court.

         This game has prepared us for districts and beyond, because we needed that one team to push us to play the way we were made to play.  And we needed to see that kind of team in order to prepare us for the tough road ahead.  The good news is, we know how good we can be, and now that we have seen that, we all are C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T in the way we play.  

        The thing that I will probably miss the most would have to be playing with the team.  I LOVE our team.  I wasn't really sure how it was going to be since us seniors hadn't really talked to the juniors before, nor played with them, but now I couldn't imagine playing without them.  They have the will to win just like us, and together we are domination.  And next year, I am gonna miss being part of that team.  

        For the varsity team next year, don't dwell on your mistakes because you will never be able to take them back. Be the leaders you need to be next year because every team needs those people to take charge, and as my good friend once said--you all know who she is--"Play every game like your last, because you never know when your last game will be."  If you do just that, you guys will be GOLDEN. ”LETS GO GIRLS!!”

-by Kathy Jasper

   Every year, at the end of September, the high school choir buckles down for the All District Choir Auditions. Long days of singing the same song over and over again to get it right contribute to the success of the candidates’ auditions.  Although there are only a few students who choose to go, those students are hard-working, devoted, and practice almost everyday, hoping to get a spot in the choir.
    This year two choir students attended the auditions. Freshman Britany Willimann and sophomore Anna Miller are those students. These ladies must know their parts and pitches to get every measure of the music right.   
   “The overall experience was great,and I think it helped me as a singer, “ commented Britany.
   Another large part of the score is sight reading.  There is really no way to prepare for sight reading, given that the judges do not provide the audition piece to the candidates until they walk through the door of the auditioning room.  These pieces are totally random, and the scores are based off of the student’s ability to read music and match pitch just by reading the music for the very first time.
   These auditions were held on Monday, September 29, 2014. Anna and Britany left school at 1:00 p.m to make their way to Hillsboro.
   "District choir was fairly fun but hard. I wish I would've practiced more," commented Britany.
   Anna Miller made it through the auditions and is now a part of the All- District Choir for the 2014-2015 school year.  Congratulations, Anna!          -by Karissa Durbin

Anna Miller, a sophomore at New Haven High, is attending district choir for the second year in a row! Last year, as a freshman, Anna went to districts, and it is rare for a young singer to achieve such a goal. When talking about her previous experience, she said, “Last year at districts was amazing. The director was phenomenal, and it was an awesome feeling to know I was surrounded by people who loved to sing as much as I did. I also was glad I got to experience district choir with Maddie because she is such a big inspiration to me.”  Mrs. Taylor also commented about the director, “The clinician is an awesome director and is usually very educational and entertaining.” When questioned about what she hopes to get out of this experience, Anna said, “I hope to be able to meet new people and have fun as well as learn new techniques and warm ups.”

Luckily for Anna, she and Mrs. Taylor will be meeting each week until mid-November to work on Anna’s music. Mrs. Taylor has been teaching Anna since she was in her younger elementary years. Mrs. Taylor said, “I noticed Anna's musical ability at age 9.” Anna’s mom,Mrs. Miller, also says she noticed Anna’s talent around the same age, during a school concert. Now, on Anna’s 15th birthday, she received the news that she’ll be attending districts. During the morning announcements, Anna was in gym class, and when she heard her name  announced, she jumped with glee! When explaining this, Anna giggled, “What a great birthday present!”

For Anna to achieve such goal, she had to go through auditions, which included sight singing. Sight singing is when a singer is given a piece of music and is expected to sing it without preparation. The performer does this in front of a handful of judges who are facing in the other direction.  When discussing the topic of districts, Anna was asked if she was nervous, and she laughed and said, “Nervous is an understatement. Auditions were all I could think about for the longest time.” Once Anna arrives at districts, she’ll be taking part in a large, select choir from high schools in the area.

After the nerve-wracking auditions and weekly practices, in November Anna Miller will be at districts performing with students from several surrounding schools.

-by Paige Adams

   The last Saturday of September, the city of New Haven holds an annual Balloon Festival where businesses and individuals from all over the area bring hot air balloons and illuminate the night sky on one magical night.  Families come out together, friends have fun, and the cheerleaders bond into a family.  This year, the Balloon Festival was held on September 27th, starting at 3:00 p.m. at the New Haven City Park.  The New Haven Shamrocks Cheerleaders held a bake sale during the festival.
   Most of the cheer squad showed up to help out with the bake sale to raise the money for new uniforms for the new cheerleaders.  The uniforms include an under layer of a spandex long-sleeve top and spanks, the skirt, and Shamrock top. These uniforms usually run around $300, and that’s not including shoes, jackets, bows, and sweatpants.  In the past years, cheerleaders have even worked so many fundraising events that they had extra money left over to buy new shoes the next year!
   Goodies ranged from homemade cupcakes, cake pops, and entire cakes!  An actual amount of money earned has not been calculated yet, but we will hear about the figures as soon as they're calculated.
   Along with the excitement of the fundraiser, the girls are also excited for the start of this season and what it will hold.
   Jenny Gallardo commented, “It’s a great way to bond with the girls on the squad! It’s a fun way to get to know each other and have a good time doing it!”
   Emily Lewis commented, “The bake sale turned out to be a huge success!  We sold everything but a couple cookies!”
   The next cheerleading fundraiser will be held November 1st in Downtown New Haven.       -by Karissa  Durbin

This weekend, the Marching Shamrocks were able to bring home three first place trophies. They were unable to bring home an overall first place trophy but were able to score in the caption awards. Caption awards are the sub-awards, such as, drum major, drumline, auxiliary, marching, and music.They scored first place in drum major, marching, and drumline. The Shamrocks were really feeling good about this weekend, even though there were many things that shouldn’t have happened.

   The New Haven Shamrocks faced the Wellsville Tigers on Wednesday, October 9, in the district tournament in Ladonnia. New Haven had faced Wellsville once before, but only for two innings due to the weather. Although the Shamrocks had a huge lead on the Tigers that day, it was not the same for districts.
   The weather was clear, and everyone was in good health for this special game. Wellsville had won the coin toss and would be playing as the home team, an “Ah, shoot!” came from Coach Scheer after this news. The girls wished Wellsville luck, and the Shamrocks took the field.
   When Coach Scheer talked about the first two innings of the game, he said, “They truly just hit the ball; it was all a matter of luck...they hit it in places where we weren't.” That is how the game seemed to play out. Wellsville got some great hits, and the Shamrocks just kept trying. Alison Long observed, “We kept holding them in every inning, and it seemed as if everything could change if we just had more time.” The seven innings passed, and the Shamrocks left the game with a score of 8-3 while the Tigers gained a win at Districts.  
   Afterwards, all the girls huddled in a circle, and as many of them shared tears, Coach Scheer and Assistant Coach, Bob Bratcher, said their goodbyes to the senior girls and reminisced. At the end there was a silly string fight, and then everyone rushed to get back onto the buses. The Shamrocks have ended their softball season until next fall.     -by Tenille Duessler

   Here at New Haven High, the students are always coming up with creative ideas to embrace each school year in a fun way.  This year the senior class of 2015 decided to have a barbeque to raise money for senior trip.  I mean, who doesn’t love BBQ?
   The barbeque was held in the Save-A-Lot parking lot from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, September 26th.  From students to class sponsors and even parents, everyone had something to do!  Students and teachers from New Haven High were even able to order their own barbeque plate for lunch the day of the barbeque.
   Jenny Gallardo, a senior at New Haven High, commented, “The food was really good!”
   Hannah Pehle and Chase Moeckli, also seniors from New Haven High, both commented, “Today is gonna be a really good day getting barbeque for lunch! I can’t wait!”
   The senior class sold pork steaks, pulled pork, bratwursts, and a combination of sides which included German potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. They also sold sodas with the BBQ plates.  The BBQ raised around $2,000 to cover the unexpected rise in the bus cost for senior trip.
   The senior class would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who helped with the BBQ and everyone who came out and showed their support for the class of 2015!     -by Karissa Durbin

   The cross country team took a short trip to Hermann on Tuesday, October 7th. It seemed to be a difficult race, because times varied greatly.
   The varsity girls ran first on Tuesday, finishing 3rd as a team. Abby Grater, Emily Lewis, and Lucy Roth all medaled in Hermann, finishing in 6th, 11th, and 14th. Behind these girls were Hannah Kruse, who finished 32nd, and Natalie Hoerstkamp, who finished 52nd.
   The varsity boys team ran after the girls, also finishing 3rd as a team. The lead runner for New Haven was Nathan Ford, who finished in 7th. The runners that came in after Nathan include Dominick pataky, who finished 12th; Dylan Goodwin, who finished 13th; Keven McDowell, who finished 18th; Jon Stone, who finished 24th; Cole Lensing, who finished 28th; and Ryan Blankenship, who came in 34th.
   “I felt like it was a hard course,” said Cole Lensing. “I felt like I couldn’t pace myself while running.” Dominick Pataky added on to that by saying, “Yeah, I didn’t feel right at this meet. Definitely not my best meet.”
   The junior varsity boys ran last, and they finished in 3rd as well. Kyle Brumels was the lead runner for the junior varsity boys. He got fourth and has been moved up to varsity for his major improvement in time. Behind Kyle was Alex Madden, who finished 13th; Riley Otten, who finished 15th; Drew Armfield, who finished 23rd; Alex Majors, who finished 24th; Bubba Gale, who finished 27th; and Robbie Cichon, who finished in 35th.
   The next meet for the cross country team is in Owensville. Mr. Tucker wants to see how everyone runs as individuals and is expecting good times.        -by Alex Madden

   This weekend at the Washington marching festival, the New Haven Marching Shamrocks proved that practice equals perfection! In a previous interview, Megan Shockley, Mackenzy Vedder, Josh Lindley, and Mrs. Koch all said that the same thing, “marching,” is what needed to be improved. This is exactly what happened at this past weekend’s competition!
   The Shamrocks were supposed to start the parade at 9:15 a.m., but since other bands were not prepared, they stepped off at 9:05. Every year for this parade, all the Shamrock fans wait at the corner by Dairy Delight to watch the band march by. This year, they were taken by surprise--the Shamrocks were ahead of schedule. The band was supposed to be the last one to step off in their class, but ended up being one of the first. Maybe this helped with their scores since they were prepared.
   After they passed dairy delight, they passed another judge to find themselves in the middle of the parade. Each time they got to the corner of a street, they did their famous Texas turn. Other bands have their own turn, but the Marching Shamrocks’ turn is unique. Each time they would walk past the judge, it was a quick change of posture and a horns up! The drums would start off, and the auxiliary performed their routine to the music. After the song ended, the band became uniform, but the drums were the only ones performing.
   As the Shamrocks were finishing the parade, they marched up a hill leading to the buses to go home. On both sides of the streets were people from other schools cheering them on because not every school marches up that hill. “I love that other schools encourage us to continue on. They were cheering and saying ‘Go New Haven!’” said Hannah Kruse.
   Instead of losing to Vienna, as was previously the case, the Shamrocks brought home two trophies to add to the four from Sullivan. They placed first in their class overall and first for marching in the whole competition. Vienna placed sixth in music; New Haven placed second. “The judges from Washington definitely thought the band was doing a lot better than Vienna when comparing the scores,” Mrs. Koch stated. During marching season, they have always been New Haven’s biggest rivals.
   “You guys did great today, good job!” Mrs. Koch said. In the marching rank, they were placed first by 60 points! As a band, their rank was first by 6 points. The drumline still did very well, even though they got third place with a score of 114 points: first place drumline had 120 points. Finally, the auxiliary got second place in their class, losing to Osage County R-2 by 4 points.
   Regardless of what the scores were, “I think we did pretty well,” Keven McDowell, the drum major, said.
   Saturday, October 11th, the Shamrocks leave for their last competition of the season. During this last week of practice, they are determined to perfect their music and still hold the lines while marching. The band hopes to see another first place trophy, along with a first place in music and marching!     -by Abby Perdue

   The Shamrock softball team had their final home game for the 2014 season on Monday, October 7th. This meant that after the JV game, the senior Shamrock girls would have their senior night. The Wildcats have played on New Haven’s soil before, although not against the Shamrocks. They received second place in the New Haven Invitational Tournament earlier in the season.
   The girls knew they would have to really “bring it” for their game to beat this well-rounded team. The first inning seemed to fly by, with the Shamrocks getting three outs in the field easily and then going up to bat. This is where the team “hit” a problem. The pitcher for Linn had a lot of movement, and when the Shamrocks went up to bat, they could not quite make contact. When asked about the pitching and hitting of her team, Emily Scheer said, “The pitcher was really good and had speed; we have been used to slower pitching in the last couple games. We really need to hit the middle of the ball and drive it. We also need to focus when we are up to bat and want to hit and not walk.”
   Although there were not many hits made, or bases loaded, the Shamrocks made great plays for their defense and managed to hold the Wildcats at five runs. Coach Scheer said, “Don’t stop playing now! We still have districts, and you girls definitely have a chance. This isn’t over.”
   The rest of the night continued, with the Junior Varsity playing and losing 8-0. Afterwards, the seniors gathered around their teammates on the field, and each senior was given their gifts from their parents, as well as their teammates. The Shamrocks will be losing Tenille Duessler, Cortanie Gale, Carlie Steinbeck, Lindsey Nixon, and Molly Munsinger after this season. Many tears were shed in this moment, and the girls came together one last time on their field for a team photo. This ended the night, though surely it will continue to live on in their memories. The Shamrocks will now face the Wellsville Tigers in Districts for what could possibly be their last game.     -by Tenille Duessler

   Shake N’ Bake BBQ team from New Haven, Mo, made its fourth appearance at the American Royal BBQ Competition over the past weekend. Head of the team, Tim Scheer, has been practicing and waiting all year for another shot at the Royal. Last year, Shake N’ Bake placed 12 out of 174 teams in the invitational competition.  Tim, and his wife Terri, made the four-hour drive to Kansas City, Mo, to see what they could cook up over the weekend.
   The Royal is a five-day-long event that consists of two contests. The first competition  began Saturday, which required a team to have won at least one grand championship to be invited. The second one was Sunday, which was an open competition in which any bbq team was welcomed to participate. This year, there were 140 teams in the invite-only competition and 551 in the open. Smokin Hoggz BBQ- MA won the invite, while Cool Smoke won the open. Shake N’ Bake placed 84th in the invite and 6th in the open. This was a huge accomplishment for Shake N’ Bake.
   There are four categories in which teams enter their meat. The categories are Pork ribs, Chicken, Pork butt, and Brisket. Shake N’ Bake placed 137th in ribs, 78th in chicken, 137th in pork butt, and 77th in brisket during the invite. When talking to Shake N’ Bake team member Terri about their box turn ins, she said,” We felt pretty confident.” And confident they should have felt. In the open competition, Shake N’ Bake shook things up a bit and received a first in brisket, 18th in pork butt , 170th in pork ribs, and 73th in chicken. When talking to team member Terri Scheer on the first place win in the open, she said, “We were totally pumped. It’s a shot in the dark competition with 551 teams, and you gotta get lucky to win.”
   This would wrap up the 2014 bbq season for Shake N’ Bake; however, they will spend next weekend traveling to Centralia, Mo, for a fresh new start. Congratulations Shake N’ Bake!     -by Molly Munsinger

   On September 19, 2014, the New Haven High School Music Boosters held a barbecue to raise money for the New Haven High School Band and Choir.  The stand opened  at 11:00 A.M. in the Save-A-Lot parking lot and sold food  until they ran out. The items sold included bratwursts, a selection of pork steaks, mustard potato salad, German Potato Salad, beans, and Pepsi products.
   The reason the music committee was raising money this year was for new band uniforms. They also intended on using any leftover money on needed equipment for both band and choir.  While they had no set goal for money, they intended to make at least one thousands dollars. The big benefactor to those barbecues are the businesses in town who placed large orders from the stand.
   An issue this year for the barbecue is the price of pork. The past year, a virus swept through pigs and drastically decreased the amount of pork on the market this year, which  increased the price of pork.
   Even though there was an issue with the prices, the barbecue was a success, and they managed to sell out this year as well.       -by Robert Cichon

   To kick off the the 2014 Balloon Festival, Elizabeth Bennet from New Haven  organized an early morning 5K. This 5K was designed to help raise money for the new track. Around $1,100 was raised. The 5K began at 7:30 a.m., below the school, on New Haven’s newest, but unfinished, track.  Runners would start and finish there. When asked about how she determined the route, Elizabeth replied, “I knew that I wanted to incorporate the track somewhere in the route. So, I ended up deciding that starting on the track and ending on the track would be the perfect way.”
   All participants were given a t-shirt for participating. Runners started at the track, ran up by the pool, down past the industrial park, and back to the track. Walkers walked four laps around the track, which is equal to a mile. There wereabout sixty runners andwalkers all together. With a time of 20 minutes and 30 seconds, Julia McIntyre from New Haven came in first place, followed by Nicholas Bates, and John Hughes. Participants Jerry and Paula Pruessner said, “The hill at the start was the hardest, having to walk through the wet grass. Other than that, it was a great walk and never got too hot. The Girls on the Run girls held signs and encouraged all the runners/walkers.”  
   After the runners returned, they were awarded cake for their hard work! Medals were also given out to the top three in each division. As runners walked up the hill, after the event there was over, two hot air balloons were spotted in the sky. It was the perfect ending to a great morning run.     -by Molly Munsinger

   Tuesday night, the Sullivan Eagles came to New Haven and battled against the New Haven Shamrocks. The Shamrock’s Freshman team won the first set, followed by the winning of  the second set. The JV team did not start out well; therefore, the team lost the first set but came back and took the second set away. After winning the second set, the Junior Varsity team then had to play a third set. The third set was a very close score, but the New Haven Shamrocks trailed by five points and lost the third set, losing the game. Coach Carey said, “The girls need to focus and remember why they are here. I thought we did some good things, but we need to have a good practice and prepare for Thursday’s game.”  
   Kim Hoffmann jumped on the opportunity to sit varsity. Kim is the Junior Varsity setter, with help from Mackenzie Bauer and Emma Engelbrecht. Erin Scheer, one of the Varsity setters, has had leg and back injuries. Mrs. Hoener brought Kim Hoffmann up to Varsity to step in if needed.
   The Varsity game went by fast! Mrs. Hoener said, “I thought the girls played really well. I was very happy with how we served tonight.” Emma Borcherding said, “Coach was nervous because Sullivan was a conference game, and they could be decent at times. Once we got them down, they couldn’t catch us.” The Shamrocks won both the first set and the second set against the Eagles, which awarded them a win in conference. Winning this conference game brings the Varsity's record to 4 wins and 0 losses.     -by Kathy Jasper