Ram Write-Up - Maple Valley Community Schools

May 2006
Ram Write-up Staff:
Editor-in-Chief:
Lindsey Carothers
Technical Editor:
Sylvia Pedersen
Layout Editor:
Lindsey Carothers
News Editor:
Devon Hieber
Display Editor:
Courtney Hahn
Transfer Editor:
Sylvia Pedersen
Historian:
Steffany Treiber
Class List Controller:
Ashley Mullicane
Photographer:
Nick Buth
Staff Reporters:
Jeff Koithan, Shane
Erlemeier, Kayla Dose,
Austin Bettin, James
Brouillette, Aaron Bechen,
Courtney Venteicher, Sara
Dose, Jesse Nielsen
Adviser: Lois Moser
Maple Valley-Anthon Oto’s
Ram Write-Up
501 South Seventh Mapleton, IA
Prom: Students dance
the night away
The wrestling boys and coach posed for a
group picture at prom. Back row: Andrew
Carlson, Todd Heizelman, Andy Wray,
Jesse Garule, Joey Collins, Tyler Wessling,
Jared Clauson, and Tyler Bollig. Front row:
Jason Bumstead, Kyle Livermore, Ynez
Curiel, Mr. Casey Conover, and Jake
Parker.
By Steffany Treiber
April 22, 2006 was Maple Valley Anthon
Oto’s Prom. Students were seen in dresses
and tux’s and not in their usual jeans and tshirts.
The Junior Prom Committee had been
working hard to put together a good theme.
They came up with the theme “Down In
Kokomo” and the song Kokomo by the Beach
Boys. The decorations were Hawaiian and
consisted of palm trees and water falls.
If the students wished, they could pur-
chase a dinner ticket for fifteen dollars. This
ticket would allow them to get a dinner, prom
favor, and pop and snacks throughout the
night. The prom favors were decorative
glasses with candles inside them. The Grand
March began at 8:00 followed by the dance.
At the dance there were big screen T.V.s which
played music videos.
The junior class chose freshmen prom
servers. They were Janna Dose, Whitney
Honsbruch, Brandy Kerns, Megan Daws,
Issue # 8
Craig Riesberg and Nick Bieler pose
in their Kool-Aid Jammer tuxes with
Mr. Dougherty.
Becca March, Jake Parker, Joel Barry, Justin
Hazard, Cody Maynard, Kody Krusen, and
Derek “Fish” Brown. The announcers for the
grand march were Tabby Allen and Travis
Hazard.
After prom lasted from 12:00-4:00. Once
there, students were not allowed to leave unless
their parents were called. Students could
play blow-up games, such as the bungy run
and the obstacle course, watch a hypnotist,
compete in various casino games, and enjoy
snacks throughout the night.

Page 2, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
Students honored at NHS/Gold Club Banquet
The servers for the banquet were the top ten students
of the freshman class, including (back row) Laura
Maynard, Megan Daws, Tyler Reed, Jeff Bruning,
Molly Tullis, Jeff Bridgeman, Rachel Venteicher,
(front row) Eli Else, Zach Schoenfeld, and Jon
Wimmer.
Sophomore gold club members include (back row) Nathan
Rodenburg, Chris Sadler, Stephen Phillips, Nate Sadler,
(middle row) Alex Wimmer, Kristin Carlson, Jennifer
Wilson, Jessica Bruning, Jared Boyer, (front row) Blaine
Remmick, Bryan Boyle, Matt Boyle, Derek Dougherty, and
Aaron Dose. Missing from the photo are Jamie Van Cleave
and Brett Utterback.
Junior gold club members include (back row) Clayton
Uhl, Jason Rosauer, Travis Hazard, Brad Petersen, Travis
Cameron, Nick Buth, (middle row) Jesse Garule, Ashley
Mullicane, Kelsey Bruhn, Michele Pierce, Kari Roggatz,
Sylvia Pedersen, (front row) Angie Flanigan, Steff Treiber,
Tabby Allen, Laura Hoaglund, and Jaime Oberg. Missing
from the photo is Jesse Nielsen.
Senior gold club members include (back row) Amy Bruning,
Chelsea Wolf, Lisa Ortner, McKenzie Sauser, Noelle Uhl,
(middle row) Kelsey Clark, Travis Brown, Alex Flanigan,
Lindsey Carothers, Jen Chwirka, (front row) David Dirksen,
Adam Bernard, Cody Forch, Shawn Smith, and Erin
Vermeersch. Missing from the photo is Nick Bieler.
Congratulations on
your academic
achievements!
National Honoror Society members include (back row) Nick
Buth, Jacob Malloy, Jesse Garule, Travis Hazard, Brad Petersen,
Travis Cameron, Alex Flanigan, Travis Brown, Zach Else, (middle
row) McKenzie Sauser, Kilee Roggatz, Kari Roggatz, Angie
Flanigan, Lindsey Carothers, Erin Vermeersch, Noelle Uhl,
Chelsea Wolf, (front row) Lisa Ortner, Steff Treiber, Tabby Allen,
Michele Pierce, Jaime Oberg, Laura Hoaglund, Kelsey Clark, and
Amy Bruning.

Page 3, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
Spanish students travel to Mexico
By Sylvia Pedersen
On March 24th, 2006, 12 Spanish students
from Maple Valley Anthon Oto flew to
Merida, Mexico.
The trip was open to all Spanish students
in grades 11 and 12. There were seven juniors
and five seniors on the trip, along with
Mrs. Cortez, the Spanish I-III teacher, and Jeff
Wolf, a parent.
The trip to Mexico lasted eight days, from
March 24th to early morning April 1st. The
first and last days were designated for flight,
so the students spent a total of six days touring
Mexico.
The first four nights, the students stayed
with host families. They toured during the
day and then, at night, they returned to their
host family’s home to interact and learn about
the culture. There were seven different host
families, with two students per family. Some
families had members who spoke English,
but the English was only used when something
couldn’t be understood in Spanish.
Other families didn’t speak English at all, so
the students had to rely solely on their Spanish.
During the day, the students, along with a
group of students from Indiana, toured. They
had the same tour guide every day; his name
was Iban While touring, the students learned
about the culture and history of Merida and
the surrounding area. They saw many old
churches, learned how to barter, and ate authentic
food. They also saw two Maya ruins:
Uxmal and Chichen Itza. President Bush
went to Chichen Itza later that week while
he was in Mexico.
The last four days were spent on Isla
Mujeres, an island off the coast of Cancun.
While there, the students went snorkeling,
perfected their bartering skills, and interacted
with the people.
Upon returning, the students’ favorite part
seemed to be staying on the island. Laura
Hoaglund’s favorite part was singing the
Spanish song she wrote (even in the airport).
Another student, Chelsea Wolf, said her favorite
part was staying with her family and
learning about their culture.
All in all, the trip to Mexico was successful.
The students learned about different cultures,
worked on conversing in Spanish, and
made a memorable experience that is sure to
never be forgotten.
The Spanish students enjoyed standing on top of a pyramid they
climbed. Back: Erin Melby, Jesse Garule, Jeff Wolf, McKenzie
Sauser, Travis Brown, Melissa Mente, Sylvia Pedersen, Mrs.
Cortez. Front: Janessa Rhode, Jaime Oberg, Tabby Allen,
Chelsea Wolf, Lisa Ortner, and Laura Hoaglund.
While in Mexico, the students had a chance to go snorkeling.
Pictured above are Chelsea Wolf, Travis Brown, Tabby
Allen, Mrs. Cortez, and Jesse Garule.
Laura Hoaglund and Jesse Garule work on their bargaining skills
in a marketplace, while Janessa Rhode, Chelsea Wolf, and Tabby
Allen watch them.

Page 4, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
Heap of the Month
By Austin Bettin
This month’s heap belongs to Senior Aaron
Bechen. His heap goes by the name of the
“Gooole”-yes, that is 3 o’s. Aaron got this
name from the actual type of car, which is a
1988 Pontiac 6000 LE, and if you look at the
actual name of the car, you can see where
Aaron came up with the name “Gooole.”
This car has many problems including a
shattered windshield (that is soon to be fixed),
rusted doors and fenders, a transmission that
is leaking, a passenger window that won’t roll
down, a cracked headlight from hitting a deer,
four shocks that are broken from jumping
intersections, and also the trunk has the trunk
key stuck in it.
If that is not enough problems, this
month’s heap just rolled over 203,000 miles.
Aaron stated, “The miles on my “Gooole” are
mostly gravel miles, not highway miles because
it’s my work car, not my chick-mobile.”
This Pontiac 6000 LE also has a secret talent.
It can drive without the keys in the ignition.
Aaron stated, “I can start the car and
pull the keys out of the ignition and I’m still
able to drive.”
Aaron has had many good memories in
his “Gooole”--too many to count he says. But
Junior class magazine sales
By Jesse Nielsen
Between transportation, tux/dress, accessories,
and flowers, prom is an expensive
event. Students hope to save some money
on a good cheap meal.
This year the prom dinner is $15 per plate,
which is a pretty high price for chicken or
roast beef. It also comes with potatoes and
gravy, corn, salads, and desserts, which can
be purchased cheaper elsewhere. With the
purchase of a meal ticket, two drinks are free
at the dance. The high meal price is causing
most of the students to eat elsewhere. Since
most students are eating elsewhere, the dinner
might be cancelled all together. So why
the high price? Most people blame it on the
junior magazine sales.
To raise money for prom each year, the junior
class sells magazine subscriptions and a
certain percent comes back to the school for
the prom funding. It was calculated that if
every student sold 12 magazines, the prom
committee would be able to afford whatever
they wanted for prom. This includes lighting,
a DJ, decorations, and most of the meal
cost.
Of the 76 juniors that were enrolled at the
beginning of the year, 33 made the goal of
magazines sold, 15 students didn’t sell any
magazines, which leaves 28 students that did
sell magazines but did not make the individual
goal of 12 magazines. The Junior Class
relies too heavily on one or two people doing
all the work. This is impossible! The extra
magazines past the goal for the top sellers
still doesn’t make up for the 15 no sellers.
This leads me to believe that there should
be a minimum requirement on magazines
if he had to pick just one, he said his favorite
memory would have to be when a modular
went out. He couldn’t drive the car for awhile
and then when he was finally able to, Aaron
and his friends took the car out.
There are some positives to this heap. This
‘88 Pontiac has a good sound system, which
includes a 12 inch subwoofer and a “Wal-Mart
special CD player.”
Aaron paid 500 dollars for this gem. Aaron
says that he has added more character to his
Pontiac 6000 and it is worth more money now
than when he paid for it, physically and sentimentally.
Should the goal be lowered?
sold to go to prom. If you don’t sell a certain
number, you don’t go. Now I’m not saying
that the goal (12) should be the minimum because
some who tried couldn’t get that many
sold. The minimum should be five or so. This
would make a huge difference in funds for
prom and still not be hard to accomplish.
Most people are probably thinking the
ones who didn’t sell magazines this year
aren’t going to prom. This isn’t entirely true.
There are some juniors who didn’t sell that
are going. Even so, last year’s Junior Class
did have students who made the goal but
chose not to attend prom, so this means it is
not impossible to make the goal.
What’s the solution? A small minimum
on magazine sales should be made so that the
burden isn’t as heavy on the few exceptional
students.
Body piercing
laws questioned
By Courtney Hahn
Did you know that the state of Iowa
doesn’t have any body piercing laws? That
means if someone walks into a tattoo and
piercing studio in Sioux City at the age of 13,
they can get some part of their skin pierced.
One studio in Sioux City is trying to get state
legislators to put an age law into place to
make sure all of the tattoo artists are certified
by top schools.
The studio that is pushing for these
changes is Maya Tattoo located at 605 Pearl
in Sioux City. Their main argument is that too
many under-aged kids are getting piercings
when they don’t even have a reason why they
want to get something pierced. Also, individuals
who want to become body piercers
should be properly educated on the safety
skills of body piercings.
I think that if a child wants to be pierced,
their parents should step in and have some
say in the matter. I believe that is the problem
with today’s kids; they don’t think they
have to listen to their parents at any age and
can just do whatever they please. Lawmakers
are saying it will be difficult to get any
laws passed because not every studio will
abide by every little law that is set by the state
of Iowa.
I do hope that some laws are passed and
everyone follows them, just to make the body
piercing and tattoo industry less criticized by
everyone who thinks that it is wrong to have
a tattoo or piercing done.
Hilarious movie
hits theaters
By Jeff Koithan
Benchwarmers is a movie about nerds and
baseball. It’s the funniest movie of the year so
far.
This film was directed by Dennis Dugan
and the film was written by Allen Covert and
Nick Swardson.
The movie is about three grown up geeks
who want to relive childhood and actually get
to play the game baseball. They start a team
of three players and start playing all the little
league teams. Throughout the whole movie,
you’ll be laughing your head off from all the
verbal and physical comedy.
The stars of the movie are Rob Schneider,
who plays Gus, who is the most talented
player of all three. The next star is David
Spade, who plays Richie, a nerd looking to
play baseball. Then there is John Heder, who
plays Clark, who is the biggest geek ever!
A lot of critics have said that this movie is
great for the whole family and anyone with a
sense of humor would enjoy this hilarious
movie.
I would most definitely have to give this
comedy four out of four Ram heads.

Page 5, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
Dance show held after months of preparation
Members of the MVAO dance squad are pictured above
performing their basketball hip hop routine at the dance
show.
By Sara Dose
“Movin’ and Groovin’ in a Hicktown” not
only was the theme for the MVAO Dance
Squad’s annual dance show, but it certainly
explained the atmosphere of the high school
gym on April 7th.
As a fundraiser, each year the MVAO
Dance Squad hosts a dance show in which
they perform their own routines, teach elementary
and middle school kids a dance,
and invite other schools to come and perform.
This year, the special guests invited were
Ames High School under the direction of
former Mapleton native, Sarah (Petersen)
Buss. Along with her, she brought her many
dance team members and award winning
routines.
At the show, the MVAO Dance Squad performed
two routines they competed with at
the State Drill Team Competition in Des
Moines in December. The type of routines
they brought to state competition and performed
in front of our home crowd were a
pom and hip-hop routine.They also performed
with the middle school dance participants
and showed off their one of a kind glow
dance, dancing in the dark with glow sticks.
The dance squad has been preparing for
this show since January, and have been practicing
their state competition dances since
August. “It was a lot of work, but in the end
it paid off.” commented Captain Sam Marsh.
Sophomores Blaine Remmick and Kyle
Boys golf season underway
By James Brouillette
The 2005-2006 boys golf is underway and
the weather is cooperating nicely for the boys
allowing them to get out on the course early
and prepare for their first meet of the year.
The Rams are coached by second year coach
Beau Jacobsen and first year coach Cary
Conover. The Rams are a young team will
rely heavily on the leadership of the team’s
returning letter-winners which are Adam
Peterson, Travis Brown, and Justin Wulf.
For their first meet of the season the Rams
traveled to Ida Grove to participate in a
triagular with Battle Creek-Ida Grove and
West Monona. The Rams put up a good challenge
but ended up finishing 3rd place in the
triangular. The varsity team member include
Senior Justin Wulf, Senior Travis Brown,
Sophomore Jared Boyer, Sophomore Ethan
Wolf, Sophomore Dallas Heath and Junior
Adam Peterson. Top scorers for the Rams
were Justin Wulf with a team high 45, Jared
Boyer with a 48 and Ethan Wolf who a shot a
49.
The following meet the Rams traveled up
to Odebolt to compete in a conference tournament.
The Rams finished in the middle of
the pack placing fifth out of eleven conference
teams. Travis Brown played extremely
well shooting 41 and winning the tournament.
“Hopefully it’s one of many to come
in my career and will help me someday get
to the PGA Tour” stated Brown jokingly
about his win.
“The team is starting to come together and
play good, and thankfully the weather has
been perfect for golf. I’m really excited and
looking forward to the remainder of the season,”
commented Senior Alex Flanigan.
The next meet for the boys will be in
Remsen Union where they hope to continue
playing good and improving their scores.
The Ames drill team performs their novelty dance.
McBride kept the crowd lively as emcees for
the night.
During intermissions, David and Jeff
Koithan played their guitars and sang together.
The Dance Show also included Senior
night, in which two seniors were honored as
being members of the dance squad for four
years. The seniors recognized were Sara Dose
and Jennifer Chwirka.
As part of the conclusion for the night, a
number of MVAO students and teachers were
asked to come down to front and center and
perform some simple dance moves in front
of the audience. Participants were shown how
to do a toe touch and a double turn. With new
By Shane Erlemeier
Running up and down the streets and on
the track is where you may have seen some
of the members of the track team this year.
Most of this years track practice has been on
the street due to the bad weather.
The first meet, which was indoor, was held
in Storm Lake. During the track meet it
started to snow and we all thought that we
would be getting out soon. They did finally
call it after all of the field events were over
with. It took the bus two and a half hours to
get home that night.
The next track meet was in Mapleton, there
were only six other teams in attendance.
Travis Hazard placed 2nd in the long jump
with a jump of 18’4”. “It felt good to place
second at our home meet,” exclaimed Junior
found respect for dancers, the participants
were proven that sometimes it isn’t as easy
as they think. Jesse Garule wowed the crowd
and visiting Ames squad with his impressive
toe touches.
The dance squad sponsor this year was
Kathy Hamers. Hopefully the dance show
will become an annual event at MVAO, being
one of the dance squad’s most profitable
fundraisers.
This past year, the dance squad has performed
at the 4th of July in Mapleton, a football
game, two basketball games and their
dance show. They have been quite busy and
with new members being added as soon as
May, they will already be preparing for another
busy year.
Boys track team is
‘running the streets’
Travis Hazard. Robbie Gustin placed 3rd in
the high jump with a jump of 5’6”. “Track
practice is hard and tough but the track meets
are fun,” commented Junior Robbie Gustin.
Matt Boyle also placed 1st in the 400 meter
hurdles with a time of 1:02.80. Kevin
Zimmerman placed 3rd in the shot put with
a throw of 40’6”. Travis Cameron placed 3rd
in the 1600 meter run with a time of 5:05.16.
The next track meet was in Holstein. There
were 15 teams there. Out of the 15 teams,
Maple Valley-Anthon Oto placed 5th. They
also placed 3rd in the 4 by 400 meter relay.
Travis Cameron placed 3rd in the 1600 meter
run with a time of 5:05.82.
So far this year, the boys track team has
been performing very well and will continue
to get better as the season winds down.

Girls golf excels
in conference
By Austin Bettin
The 2006 MVAO girls golf team is teeing
off to a great start. The Maple Valley Anthon
Oto girls golf team started off the season with
two brilliant victories.
The coach of the girls team is Tim Hupke.
Returning letter winners for the team are
Kristine Kueny, Erin Vermeersch, Angie
Flanigan, and Laura Hoaglund.
The team started practice not long before
they had their first meet, which didn’t seem
to bother the girls at their meet at the BC-
IG/West Monona Triangular in Onawa.
The team took home first place honors by
shooting a 198. Kristine Kueny shot a 47,
which got her first place in the meet, and Erin
Vermeersch took second place by shooting a
48.
The second meet was a conference meet
which was held in Kingsley. Kristine Kueny
took another first place honor home by shooting
a 44. The girls also got first place as a
team by around 20 strokes.
Junior golfer Angie Flanigan stated, “ I
think we golfed very well as a team. Hopefully
we can finish our season as well as it
started, even though there is always room for
improvement. We’ve also proved to be very
competitive this year.”
Hard work and
dedication pays off
By Jeff Koithan
The jazz band of Maple Valley-Anthon Oto
High School used some important ingredients
for this year’s season... hard work and
dedication.
The high school jazz band practiced nonstop
for all the jazz band competitions and
festivals in the surrounding area.
The first competition for the band was in
Griswold, Iowa. They received excellent reviews
and a division I rating for their performance.
The second stop for the band was at
Morningside College in Sioux City. They were
the 5th best band in the festival, receiving a
trophy and a division I rating.
The third gig for the jazz band was in
Council Bluffs, Iowa. They placed 1st out of
the whole competition, getting a trophy and
a division I rating. This is also the first time
the jazz band has won a competition in well
over a decade.
The last place they played was at Norfolk,
Nebraska. They played very well and received
a division I rating.
Overall, this year has been the most successful
year for the Maple Valley-Anthon Oto
Jazz Band in a very long time.
The band’s last performance of the year is
the awards ceremony at the Maple Valley
Anthon Oto High School on May 16 at 7:30
p.m.
Page 6, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
New shot-put record for MVAO girls track
By Steffany Treiber
The Rams have been practicing as hard
as possible and it pays off with a new school
record in the shot-put.
The coaches this year are Head Coach
Kayla Lundt and Casey Conover.
Tuesday, April 4th was the Rams’ first
home track meet. Erin Vermeersch received
1st place in the 3000. She ran a stunning time
of 11 minutes and 55 seconds. Janna Dose,
Tabby Allen, Chelsea Wolf, and Erin
Vermeersch placed 2nd in the distance med,
Rheannon Schoenfeld got 3rd in the discus,
and Kenzie Sauser received 3rd in the 800.
Steph Allen received 6th in the long jump and
By Ashley Mullicane
On Monday, March 27th, six representatives
of FCCLA headed to Des Moines to the
“There’s No Place Like The 2006 FCCLA State
Conference.” With so many students there,
the small town girls felt overwhelmed.
Kelsey Bruhn, Kayla Dose, and Ashley
Mullicane were the three juniors who attended
and Kalana Mauch, Courtney Holton,
and Jamie Van Cleave were the sophomores.
The girls were supervised by the head of the
FCCLA chapter, Mrs. Chaffin.
Most of the schools attended this conference
from March 26th through the 29th, but
the MVAO chapter left on Monday 27th after
school, so they weren’t included until Tuesday
when the day started at 8:00 a.m. sharp.
The day started groggily with a cup of
coffee and an opening skit explaining
FCCLA, its purposes, projects, and all of the
fun it brings. Next members of the FCCLA
council came out with a skit from the theme,
Wizard of Oz, (including Glenda the Good
Witch, Dorothy, and the munchkins).
Throughout the day, there were three key
speakers. First was Judy Jeffries from the
Iowa Department of Education. She talked
about how FCCLA fits into our ever changing
world. Next, Kent Butler brought out
some laughs and got them jumping and
jiving with “Hey Burrito”. Mrs. Chaffin also
busted out a couple of moves that none
would have guessed were in her.
Charlie Wittmack, the only Iowan to climb
Mt. Everest, had a few inspirational words
to share. He told the students how, amazingly,
for every step taken on Mt. Everest, it
takes two minutes to recover. Also for every
five climbers who climb this dangerous
mountain, one will remain, or so to say, pass
away.
And last but definitely not least, the group’s
favorite speaker throughout the trip was
Aaron Davis, former Nebraska football
player. Aaron explained his true life story
about what drugs do to the body and how
Tammy Kafton placed 6th in the 400 hurdles.
Thursday, April 6th some of the girls traveled
to Boyer Valley to compete. The girls
received 4th place. Rheannon Schoenfeld took
1st place in the shot put and discus. Rheannon
set a new school record in the shot put with a
distance of 36 feet and 3.5 inches. Tabby,
Tammy, Erin, and Kenzie received 2nd in the
4x800. Tabby Allen got 4th place in the 400
meter hurdles. Janna Dose and Chelsea Wolf
ran the 200 meter dash with times of 30.36 and
29.86. Janna placed 6th and Chelsea 5th.
The same night, some of the players participated
in the Holstein track meet, which
Learning experience
at State FCCLA
they not only affected him, but others around
him.
Later on that day, each member had to
choose three workshops that they wanted to
attend. Some of the choices to choose from
were: FCCLA Jeopardy, “So What’s FCCLA
Going To Do For Me?”, recruiting and retaining
new members, and how to spice up
FCCLA meetings! Each of the workshops
lasted one hour and fifteen minutes and went
over each topic inside and out.
From nine o’clock to eleven-thirty, a dance
was held. Tons of kids were everywhere dancing
and waving glow sticks with their packed
on glitter and crazy hair. Afterwards, there
was free time to do whatever. Some chose to
go back to the room and order chinese or sit
in the pool or jacuzzi.
Wednesday started early with a meeting
in the ballroom for a Wizard of Oz goodbye.
Before heading back to Mapleton, there was
a visit to the Capital Building and then to the
mall to get a little bit of shopping in and to
grab some lunch.
Overall, this was a great trip from many
different aspects. First the students got to see
how different schools interpreted and got involved
in FCCLA. Also, they got to meet a
lot of new people during the trip. “The purpose
of this trip for me was to get a better idea
of how FCCLA will benefit my students and
my school,” stated Mrs. Chaffin.
The students spent the trip hearing fantastic
speakers and learning about FCCLA programs
and opportunities. Students attended
leadership sessions on topics such as personal
safety, health and nutrition issues, and leadership
opportunities.
The conference ended with the election of
the 2006-2007 Executive Council who will
govern the Iowa FCCLA activities for the up
coming year.
was a make-up due to weather problems.
There, they received 10th place out of 16
teams. Megan Daws, Cassidy Bieler, Nicole
Rhode, and Kendra Perkins received 7th in
the Shuttle Hurdles. In the 4x800, Sammy
Timmerman, Kari Roggatz, Whitney
Honsbruch, and Jamie Vancleave received 8th
place with a time of 12 minutes 54.13 seconds.
Junior, Kilee Roggatz stated, “The season
is off to a great start, we hope to get better as
the season continues.”
The girls are well into their season and are
hoping for a successful conclusion with many
state appearances.
May
Birthdays
By Aaron Bechen
Freshman
Aleisha Berry 5/1/1989
Cody Hamman 5/2/1991
Andrew Divis 5/5/1991
Jake Parker 5/7/1990
Joel Barry 5/10/1990
Megan Daws 5/30/1991
Sophomores
Kalana Mauch 5/2/1990
Jordan Shoenfeld 5/4/1990
Brett Utterback 5/8/1990
Josh Sargent 5/9/1990
Adam Seuntjens 5/16/1989
Jamie Van Cleeve 5/16/1990
Kendra Perkins 5/25/1990
Ethan Wolf 5/29/1989
Juniors
Kelly Carrington 5/1/1989
Karl Johnk 5/3/1988
David Trimpe 5/9/1989
Katie Hanson 5/11/1988
Albert Seuntjens 5/17/1988
Andy Bakos 5/20/1989
Samantha Jacoby 5/30/1989
Seniors
Erin Vermeersch 5/17/1988
Tammy Kafton 5/25/1988
Adam Bernard 5/27/1988

Josh Wimmer
Page 7, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
By Kayla Dose
Josh Wimmer, also known as Tuna, is the
son of Marvin and Kay Wimmer of Mapleton.
Throughout high school, Josh has been involved
in band, jazz band, and Project Pals.
Some of his favorites include country
music, the movies The Hills Have Eyes,
Eurotrip, and Wedding Crashers, and he loves
to say, “don’t hate me because you ain’t me.”
Josh’s best memory of high school would
have to be his whole high school year. His
biggest ambition is to start his own business.
The most influential people in his life up
until now are his parents because they encourage
him to do his best and get everything
done. His future plans are to be a web programmer.
Before heading off to college, Josh just
plans on taking it easy.
Senior Spotlights
Erin Vermeersch
By Sara Dose
The day after a contestant is voted off
American Idol can be filled with the always
opinionated Erin Vermeersch speaking her
mind on whether the contestant deserved to
be kicked off or not. This would explain why
American Idol is her favorite television show.
The proud parents of this “American Idol
Fanatic” are Tom and Liz Vermeersch of
Danbury. Very rarely can you hear Erin be-
ing called by her first name because in the
halls of MVAO, she is known best as Vern or
Boppy.
Some of Erin’s favorites are listening to
rock or country music (especially Keith Urban),
watermelon, chocolate, strawberries,
Christmas, and the movies, Zoolander, Madagascar,
and Ice Age. Her second favorite television
show is Full House.
Through out high school, Erin has been
involved in cross country, basketball, track,
golf, softball, BPA, Gold Club and FCA.
Being a year round athlete, it’s no surprise
her most embarrassing moment involves a
softball game. “A grounder was hit to me, and
when I tried throwing the ball for the out,
my right foot got caught in my left foot’s
shoelace and I did a faceplant in the dirt!”
Erin’s favorite memories of high school
have been going to state cross country, BPA
Nationals in Texas, and hanging out at Morgan
Trail.
Her secret talent is that she can do
backflips and no handed cartwheels.
Erin’s future plans are to attend Drake
University, and major in business.
This summer she plans on playing softball,
golfing all day long, and having fun with
her friends.
Hopefully, Keith Urban will be spending
a lot of time hanging around the Drake campus
next year, so Erin can fulfill her biggest
ambition to fall madly in love and marry him.
Sine Chinakat
By Kayla Dose
Sine Chinakat is the daughter of Sompong
and Phanna Chinakat of Thailand and her
host parents are Timothy and Darla Baird of
Anthon.
This year Sine is the MVAO foreign exchange
student. Throughout her senior year
at Maple Valley-Anthon Oto, she has been involved
in cross country, FCCLA, Quiz Bowl,
By Steffany Treiber
Betty (Babe) and Jerry McBride are the
proud parents of this month’s senior, Leslie
McBride. Leslie is the younger sister of Corey,
and the older sister of Brittany and Travis.
Babe and Jerry have been the most influential
people in Leslie’s life because they work
hard for everything that they do and always
have tried to lead her in the right direction.
Leslie has been involved in many activities
throughout high school including softball,
basketball, volleyball, choir, honor choir,
chamber choir, BPA, FCCLA, Gold Club,
CCD, and Student Council.
When not busy with her many activities,
she also found time to have fun in high school.
Some of her best memories are going zebra
hunting, eating Chinese with Steff and Katie,
and hanging out with her boys.
Although she has had many, one of the
most embarrassing moments she has had was
when she had a spider bite on her nose and
her nose swelled up.
Some favorites of Leslie’s are food-crab
ragoon at Bamboo Village, holidays-Christmas
and Valentine’s Day, music-Love by
Keyshia Cole, The Tray, Ludacris, and country,
movie-Love and Basketball, T.V. show-CSI, and
American Idol.
Something people don’t know about Leslie
is she has somewhat of a compulsive disorder.
She wants to be remembered as the girl
track, and choir.
Some of her favorites include country and
pop music, science fiction movies, spaghetti
and Thai food.
Sine’s favorite high school memory is going
to Texas with her friends for her NASA
trip.
Sine says her most embarrassing moment
was when she was in Thailand and she was
walking to school one day. There was a string
across the street and a sign that said do not
enter, so cars won’t come in. All of her friends
walked past easily, but she decided to jump
over it, and in the process, her shoe’s button
got caught on the string. She fell down and
her face hit the ground. Her glasses bent into
a different shape, and it hurt really badly. All
of her friends and people on the street turned
and laughed at her.
Her biggest ambition is to build her own
house and live in happiness after she retires.
Her secret talent is that she can dream in two
different languages.
The most influential person in her life up
until now is her mother because she has always
told her to do whatever she wants to
do in the right way.
Her future plans are to major in engineering
or medicine. Her summer plans are to go
on some trips with her host family and spend
time with friends before she goes back to
Thailand.
Sine hopes she is one of the best foreign
exchange students at MVAO.
Leslie McBride
who was always smiling and laughing all the
time and always ready to have fun.
This summer she will be playing softball,
working at the pool, going to baseball games,
and hanging out with her closest friends as
much as possible. After this summer she will
be going to UNI. She hopes to get her masters
in athlete training, get a good job, get married,
and start a family.

Tammy Kafton
By Courtney Venteicher
Born on September 4, 1987 in Sioux City,
Iowa to Mark and Nancy Hahn of Mapleton
was Courtney.
Courtney has been active in choir and
chamber choir since her freshman year. When
asked what her favorite class was throughout
high school she said choir “because you
can just be yourself.”
Courtney attended the choir trip to Colorado
her freshman year, and this was her best
memory of her high school career.
Courtney’s most embarrassing moment
happened last year at the awards concert
when Mr. Harper told her that he loved her
as a compliment.
Up until now, Courtney’s mom has been
the most influential person in her life. “She
has been through so much and has taught me
to be a stronger person,” stated Courtney.
Courtney’s secret talent is being able to
play the guitar, which happens to be her favorite
activity, along with singing.
A few favorites of Courtney’s include the
band Slipknot, ramen noodles, and the movies
Saw and Saw II.
Courtney’s most prized possession is Otis,
her one year old pug. Her dream car that she
hopes to someday have is a 1965 Chevy Impala
SS, one like her dad used to have!
After Courtney graduates, she’s hoping to
have a relaxing summer, and also save some
money. Come fall she’ll be going to Western
Iowa Tech (WIT) to take on-line classes to become
a medical secretary. After college is out
of the way, Courtney hopes to move to
Page 8, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
By Kayla Dose
Tammy Kafton is the daughter of Joyce and
Terry Kafton of Mapleton.
Throughout high school Tammy has been
involved in FFA, volleyball, basketball, softball,
track, band, and CCD.
Some of Tammy’s favorites include the
movies Love and Basketball and The Notebook,
and her favorite food is chicken strips. You
can also find her walking in the hallways
saying,”Yeah OK pal.”
Tammy says her best high school memory
was parking in a handicapped spot at the
Holstein Basketball game with Noelle Uhl,
Lindsey Carothers and Jen Chwirka.
Juggling is her secret talent, and getting
tripped by Beau Hanson in the hall between
class and falling to the ground is her most
embarrassing moment. Her biggest ambition
is to become a physical therapist. Tammy says
her mom has been the most influential person
in her life because she has taught her the
value of hard work and importance of dedication.
Tammy’s future plans are to attend Iowa
Western in Council Bluffs and play softball
and major in sports medicine. Her summer
plans are to play softball, go to baseball
games, and hang out with her friends.
Omaha, Nebraska. Her biggest ambition is
to work at Shriner’s Hospital “helping kids
with disabilities like me,” she explained.
During her life, she wants to accomplish having
a great career.
Courtney wants her high school legend to
be the girl who was nice to everyone, no matter
who it was.
Courtney Hahn
Jenny Holton
By Courtney Venteicher
Born on January 27, 1988 in LeMars, Iowa
was Jen Holton. Jen is the daughter of Lisa
Holton of LeMars, and John and Kyla Holton
of Mapleton.
Emily Hinrikson
Throughout high school Jen has been involved
in Softball, track, and Destination
Imagination (DI). Her favorite classes are all
her art classes, and she also likes being a
teachers aid in the elementary. Her best
memory would have to be packing into the
back of Erin Melby’s two-door car with
Kelsey Clark, Tina Paul, and 17 Care Bears!
Jen’s talent is being able to argue pretty
well. Her most prized possessions are her
paintings. She is currently employed at Fiesta
Foods in Mapleton. She also wants her
high school legend to be the one who wasn’t
afraid to speak her mind.
This summer before going off to college in
the fall, Jen will be spending her time playing
softball, going to the lake with her family,
and going on a trip with her mom.
Jen plans on going to Western Iowa Tech
(WIT) for Graphic Design. After college she
wants to be making graphic designs for important
companies and people.
In five years Jen sees herself hopefully
graduated from college and having a good
job. She also hopes to live some place hot,
like Arizona or Texas, definitely not Iowa.
Senior Spotlights
By Jesse Nielsen
Who has been the most influential person
in your life? For Senior Emily Hinrickson, the
most influential person in her life is her dad
because he has taught her about cattle, horses,
and that you don’t get anything you want if
you don’t work for it. Emily is the daughter
of Ed Miller and Deb Robbins.
Her biggest ambition is to compete in rodeo
and become a rancher. Her best high
school memories are going to rodeos and FFA
contests.
Activities she has participated in during
high school include track, choir, FFA, BPA,
high school rodeo, and Phi Ramma Jamma.
Her last summer’s plans are to show horses
at the Monona County Fair and get her horses
ready for college rodeo.
After that she plans to attend Northeast
Community College in Norfolk, NE to get a
degree in Agribusiness so she can own her
own ranch and rodeo.
Emily wants her high school legend to be
that she wasn’t afraid of anyone. He secret
talent is that she can put her feet behind her
head.
Her Leslie favorite McBride music type is country. Her favorite
food is steak and chocolate milk. Her
favorite movies are Hildalgo, Pirates of the Caribbean,
and the Lord of the Rings. Her favorite
sayings are “Get R Done” and “Go for it.” Her
favorite holiday is the 4th of July.

By Devon Hieber
Phil McGrain had his most embarassing
moment sitting in art class. He wasn’t supposed
to be there anyway, and he took some
of what he thought was Leslie McBride’s lip
balm. He started rubbing it on and all the
girls were laughing at him and he looked up
and they told him it was cutical cream. Phil
is the son of Dave and Karla McGrain of
Mapleton.
Phil has been involved in FFA, golf, wrestling,
football, baseball, and dodgeball. His
best memory of high school is locking Devon
Hieber is a P.E. locker. Phil plans to go
to college and major in sports medicine.
His favorite song is Rollin because of the
fun memories with Aaron Bechen. Phil’s favorite
food is chef salad. His favorite movies
are Dumb and Dumber and Richard Pryor Live.
Phil also likes to hang out with Aaron Bechen.
The most influential people in his life up until
now have been his mom and dad because
they help him when he needs it.
Phil’s secret talent is mooning people
while driving. His biggest ambition is to be
successful. Phil wants to be remembered in
high school as the person who mooned
people. Phil plans to spend his last summer
going out and having fun with his friends.
Kayla Bleil
By Ashley Mullicane
Reciting lines from Dumb and Dumber and
eating fettucini alfredo are two of Senior
Kayla Bleil’s favorite things. Her favorite
holidays are Christmas and of course, her
birthday.
Kayla Bleil will soon be leaving her father,
Tom Bleil, of Sloan and her mother, Helen
Bleil of Rodney, to head off to Iowa Western
Community College in Council Bluffs. Be-
Philip McGrain
Page 9, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
fore she heads off to college to major in Forensic
Investigation, she wants to spend the
summer hanging out with all of her friends
before they all head to college.
For the past four years, Kayla has been
involved in volleyball, Project Pals, BPA,
FCCLA, choir, Phi Ramma Jamma, and during
her junior and senior years, she was a
girl’s basketball manager. When she wasn’t
busy, she managed to make tons of memories
hanging out with friends and going to
football, volleyball, and basketball games
with them. One of her favorite memories was
when she made Lindsey Carothers wet her
pants during World History one day when
they had a substitute teacher because she
made her laugh so hard.
Her most embarrassing moment was
when Sara Dose, Phil McGrain, Aaron
Bechen, and she were hanging out. They
were standing outside and Aaron punted a
opossum and it flew clear across the yard
towards Sara and her. It hit Kayla in the
chest and knocked the wind out of her.
Her biggest ambition is to graduate from
college and become very successful. She is
thankful that she has her mom as her most
influential person. “My mom has always
been there for me through everything and has
always taught me right from wrong.”
Kayla wants to be remembered as a person
who was never afraid to tell people how
she felt and what she thought.
By Jesse Nielsen
What is your secret talent? Senior Adam
Bernard’s is making pizza. His biggest ambition
is to become an automotive engineer, and
live in Colorado.
To achieve this, he is going to Iowa State
with a major in Mechanical Engineering. His
last year’s summer plans are to hang out with
friends and golf as much as possible.
During high school Adam has been active
in golf, basketball, and FFA. His most
embarassing high school moment is when he
locked his keys in his car while it was running.
His best high school memory is when
he went to Texas for NASA design competitions.
His parents are Tim and Kathy Bernard
who have been the most influential people in
his life. “They have always been there for
me,” he said.
His favorite move is Black Sheep, favorite
saying is “Be your own man,” and his favorite
food is eating at Red Lobster.
By James Brouillette
Breaking his arm his freshman year after
wrecking his moped right before football practice
and suffering through practice before getting
his arm checked out is Alex Flanigan’s
most embarrassing high school moment.
Alex is the son of Mike and Tammy
Flanigan of Mapleton. During high-school,
Alex has been involved in baseball, basketball,
football, golf, track, Business Professionals
of America, Gold Club, and National
Honor Society.
During his free time, Alex enjoys jamming
out to country music, eating pizza, and the
Fourth of July, all while hanging out with his
girlfriend Lindsey. Something many people
don’t know about Alex is that he can juggle.
The most influential person in Alex’s life
is his father Mike because, “He always encouraged
me to do my best and work hard.” Alex’s
biggest ambition is to be successful in everything
he does.
Alex’s plans for the summer are to play
baseball and golf all while working for
Seuntjens & Associates. After summer, Alex
plans on attending the University of Nebraska-Omaha
or Iowa State University to
major in engineering or business.
Adam Bernard
Senior Spotlights
Alex Flanigan

By Kayla Dose
This month’s Ram Walking topic was senior
baby pictures. The students were asked
to identify who the babies were.
The contestants were teacher Mr. Ocker,
Senior Tammy Kafton, Junior Kelsey Bruhn,
Sophomore Sean Meyer, and Freshman Cody
Maynard.
When the first picture was shown Mr.
Ocker pondered, ”I have no idea.” Tammy
replied, “Hold on, I don’t know. I want to say
Amy Bruning. Kelsey exclaimed, “It looks
like Lindsey Carothers!” Sean stated, “Um,
that’s Lindsey Carothers,” and Cody said,” I
dont know this one. I have no idea--this is
hard.”
The correct answer that both Kelsey and
Sean got right was Lindsey Carothers.
When the second picture was shown, Mr.
Ocker stated, “I have no idea.” Tammy replied
“That’s Kayla Bleil.” Kelsey declared,
“Thats definitely Kayla Bleil.” Sean hesitated,
“Oh is that Kayla Bleil? Oh that’s definitely
Page 10, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
Ram Walking
Senior’s Baby Pictures
1.
Contestants
2.
Cody Maynard Sean Meyer
3.
Kayla Bleil.” And Cody pondered, “This is
hard . I don’t know, umm, McKenzie Sauser?
The the correct answer, which Tammy,
Kelsey, and Sean got right, was Kayla Bleil.
After the third picture was shown Mr.
Ocker stuttered, “Blonde hair? Why do you
got to embarrass me? I have no idea.”Tammy
declared, “Is it Shawn? Yeah, that’s definitely
Shawn.” Kelsey laughed, “haha what a dork.
That’s Shawn.” Sean answered “Uh, either
Dave or Shawn Smith, but I think it’s Shawn.
Yeah that’s Shawn.” Cody hesitated, “Seriously,
this is too hard. I dont know.”
The correct answer which Tammy, Kelsey
and Shawn got right is Shawn Smith.
When the fourth picture was shown Mr.
Ocker replied, “Uh, Sine.” Tammy answered,
“Sine Chinakat.” Kelsey stated, “I’m thinking
that’s Sine Chinakat.” Sean exclaimed,
“That’s Sine Chinakat!” and Cody answered,
“That’s Sine.”
The correct answer that everybody got
Kelsey Bruhn
4.
6.
right was Sine Chinakat.
When the fifth picture was shown, Mr.
Ocker declared, ”Adam Bernard.” Tammy
hesitated, “Adam Bernard?” Kelsey giggled,
”Aww, what a cutie. Is it Adam Bernard?”
Cody exclaimed, “That’s got to be Bernie,
doesn’t i?”
The correct answer, which everybody got
right, was Adam Bernard.
When the last picture was shown, Mr.
Ocker asked, ”Is it Austin?” Tammy stated,
“Kylee Miller.” Kelsey stuttered, “Umm, uh,
Kylee Miller!” Sean said, “It looks like uh,
Killer. Oh yeah, that’s Kylee Miller.” And
Cody answered,” I dont know. Is it Phil?”
The correct answer that Tammy, Kelsey,
and Sean all got right was Kylee Miller.
The winners of this month’s Ram Walking
are Kelsey Bruhn and Sean Meyer, getting all
six pictures right. Coming in second place was
Tammy, getting only one question wrong. And
tying for last place was Mr. Ocker and Cody,
answering two questions correctly.
Tammy Kafton
Mr. Ocker
Andwers: 1. Lindsey Carothers 2. Kayla Bleil 3. Shawn Smith 4. Sine Chinakat 5. Adam Bernard 6. Kylee Miller
5.
Who ya
gonna call?
First
Responders!
By Aaron Bechen
With the record number of students signed
up for the First Responders class you can be
sure that there will be plenty of people around
that can handle an emergency situation.
There are 13 students in the First Responder
class this year, and is so far the biggest
it has ever been.
The First Responder class is a college credit
class, through WIT, and is taught by Mr.
Clark.
In the First Responders class, the students
learn what to do when people are hurt and
they are the first ones at the scene.
The students are put in real-life scenarios
as drills and practice their skills that they have
learned on dummies.
This is Mr. Clark’s favorite part of class.
“I like helping the students with the handson
drills and scenarios,” stated Mr. Clark.
By the end of the class, the students will
be able to know how to handle most any
emergency situation from car crashes to
shootings.
The students practice CPR and emergency
lifts and carries regularly.
The students can’t treat anyone until the
class is completed and they are state certified,
but it is the first step to becoming a member
of an EMS crew.
The students get an opportunity to go on
calls in the ambulance through the Mapleton
EMS.
The ambulance was brought to the school
by Dave Schmidt during class so that all of
the students could see where everything is
so that they can find it when they go on a call
and help the EMS team.
The students signed up for days to carry a
beeper so that when a call comes out, they
can hear it and respond.
When a student responds to a call, they
leave school immediately and go to the ambulance
shed and get in the ambulance with
the EMS crew.
Mr. Clark also carries a beeper so that if a
call does go out he can hear it as well and
make sure the student with the beeper gets
to their call just in case they didn’t hear it.
So far 5 students have had the chance to
respond to a call. The goal is for everyone to
get to go on at least one call.
All of the students had to come in on Saturday,
February 11 for CPR certification class.
They were tested on how well they did
CPR on a infant, young child, and an adult.
They also learned how to use a defibrillator
in more serious situations.

Rheannon Schoenfeld and Utah dance to the music.
Greg Blunk and Carol
Gross slow dance together.
Bryan Livermore, Amanda Lavender, Kristine Kueny, Rheannon
Schoenfeld, and Jessica Uhl take a break from their dancing to pose for
a picture.
Page 11, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley Anthon- Oto Schools
Janessa Rhode and Jaime
Oberg pose for a picture during
the dance.
Seniors Aaron Bechen, David Koithan, and Phil
McGrain smile after grand march.
Chelsea Wolf and Erin Vermeersch compete against each other in
the “bungy run” at After Prom.
David Dirksen, Kylee Miller, Tyler Bollig, and Kristine
Kueny play a round of poker with dealer Jim Kueny.

Page 12, The Ram Write-Up, Maple Valley-Anthon Oto 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
Fiesta Foods
Maple Valley Mercy Medical Clinic
4-Way Stop Shop
First State Bank of Mapleton & First State Insurance
Craig & Jean Conover
Maier Family Pharmacy
Maple Heights
Armstrong Funeral Homes, Inc.
Danbury Review
Willow Vale Golf Course
Rick’s Computers
Umbach Seed & Feed
Drea Sales & Service
Mills Pharmacy
First State Bank of Battle Creek, Danbury, and Ida Grove
Valley Bank & Trust
Loess Hills Cellular
Perkins Restaurant & Bakery
R.A.M. Construction
New York Life Insurance
Seuntjens & Associates
Anderson Construction Co., Inc.
Green Acres Florist & Greenhouses
Midwest Health & Wellness
St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Mapleton
UAP-Danbury
Phillips Jewelry
The Ink Spot
Flanigan Brothers
Preview Printing
Lit’l Country Story
Banta Auto Sales
Hoffman Agency
Hometown Variety
Gold Sponsors
Mac’s Chevrolet-Pontiac, Inc.
Maple Heights Nursing Home, Inc.
Casey’s General Store
Sexton Oil
P.E.O. Sisterhood
Cloud Metal Roofing and Construction
RaDec Construction
Wolf Tree Service
Piccadilly Circus Pizza
Danbury Agri Services
Morningside College
Heritage Bank
Pioneer Products, Bill & Sandy Ortner
Ortner Construction
Tham’s Insurance Agency, Inc.
Anthon Oil Company
Keith Uhl Law Firm
Mapleton Communications
Maroon Sponsors
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Mapleton
Burke’s Grocery & Meats
The Shoppe
Mapleton Collision Center
Colbert’s Market
St. John’s United Methodist Church
The Cutting Edge
Everlasting Portraits
Pepsi Cola of Siouxland
MidAmerican Energy
Staley’s Food Service