Norse News

By Brynn A. Nerves ran high and singers belted their hearts out under the stage lights as the Roland-Story Jazz Choir took to Dallas Center-Grimes High School to compete in the 2025 State Vocal Jazz Championships. Held on April 1, the competition is designed to showcase the very best vocal jazz ensembles that the state has to offer, with the competition in the 2A division better than it has ever been. After winning the championship the previous four years, pressure weighed down the shoulders of every performer in the group, but none of them faltered.  Roland-Story Vocal Jazz consists of 16 singers, as well as piano, percussion, and bass players. This year, our group was led by eight seniors, all of whom gave their everything to this ensemble in the last several months! Succeeding in the ensemble requires dedication to early Wednesday practices, as well as commitment to working during seminar and choir periods. There are typically only two people per part performing very difficult s...

By Joe R. On March 26, 2025, Roland-Story FFA held its first Drive Your Tractor to School Day. Even though it was pretty cold, for this being the first time for Roland-Story FFA, they had a good turnout: 11 Tractors, ranging from new to old, big and small, and all of the above.  We started at the bowling alley on the west side of Story City, were escorted by police down Main Street, and passed the elementary school. We ended up parking at the pool parking lot to end the escort and to get breakfast. Everybody had a good time doing this, and we are gonna try and do it again next year.

By Lexi B. Spring break of 2025, the Roland-Story Marching Band got the thrilling opportunity to perform at Disney World in Orlando, Florida! The band hopped on a bus around 11 a.m. on March 16th and headed up to Minneapolis to take off on their flight to Orlando. This trip was not just a vacation, but an opportunity to showcase their talent by marching through the iconic Magic Kingdom on their first day there. The band was directed by drum major Kelsey Johnston. The band paraded down Main Street, the students felt excitement from performing in front of families and tourists, and creating memories that they will truly never forget.  In addition to their performance at Magic Kingdom, the band spent the rest of their days exploring the various attractions across Disney World. They visited Universal Studios, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot, getting to experience the truly magical feeling of Disney World. With lots of thrilling rides and enchanting shows, the students experienced some of ...

By Payton C. The National Honor Society (NHS) is based on four main principles: Scholarship, leadership, service, and character. A select number of people are chosen each year to be a part of this society. The official Induction was on Monday, March 24.  The night started off with all of the new inductees and members of NHS taking their seats while everyone arrived. Issac Hall, Kennedy Petersen, Alana Thorson, and Eva Corcoran all spoke in the ceremony as the selected officers. As the night went on, Kurt Erichson spoke about the society and what it takes to be a part of the society. He talked about the responsibilities of each member and what an honor it is to be selected. When he got done speaking, Issac Hall came back up to announce the new inductees.  Each inductee walked onto the stage as their names were called. Kennedy and Alana handed them each a pin and certificate as they shook their hands. Once all of the inductees were on stage, Issac recited the pledge for the indu...

By Mason S. The Roland-Story Jazz Band is in full swing, preparing for the Jazz Championships. They are practicing after school, competing at competitions, and even bringing in university clinicians to work with the students to perfect the music ahead of this year's fierce competition. Their hard work is showing, especially at the most recent competition, the Blue Note Jazz Festival. Blue Note takes place at Waukee Northwest High School and is a new competition both in the state, and that Roland-Story has attended. With around 60 different jazz bands competing, it was an excellent opportunity to see other schools play and learn more about Jazz in general. Waukee NW also brings in a panel of incredibly talented musicians and music teachers to be the judges and clinicians for the bands. On top of that, Blue Note has different classes to take throughout the day to help musicians refine their skills in improvisation and rhythm section collaboration.  “Blue Note Festival is a massive co...

By Lily B. On March 7th and 8th, Roland-Story High School students performed their spring musical titled “Anything Goes.” The two shows were an outstanding success! Everyone has the privilege of seeing the actors out on stage, making the show a magical experience, but the crew often goes unnoticed. There are tons of different jobs on crew, such as costumes, hair and makeup, backstage, props, tech, and even stage managers. The work these kids put in isn’t seen the same as the dances and amazing dialogue. It is just as important to the show.  Props and Backstage work together to get the set ready for performance. This might include painting, building, or just finding the right props for the show. Backstage then moves everything for the scene changes during the show. Hair, makeup, and costumes work to make sure everyone looks well put together and cohesive. Without these people, the show would not come to life the way it does. Tech also goes above and beyond to ensure everyone gets th...