Norse News

By Kate B. The Roland-Story School Board held a meeting on Tuesday, September 12, with a new member present. Roland-Story student Emilia Broich attended as a student-representative on the school board. Emilia Broich is a senior at Roland-Story High School. She is involved in various activities. As of this year, she has been attending the school board meetings as a representative of the student body. The board meets on the second Monday of every month. During the September meeting, she gave input on the new stadium and discussed how students feel about various fundraisers.  When Broich was asked about the benefits of having a student voice on the school board, she answered, “The benefit of having a student on the board provides opportunities. Opportunities for the school board to understand how their decisions are impacting the student body. Opportunities for students to understand how decisions are made and how the school works. It also gives an opportunity for the student (represe...

By Carson B. The Roland-Story Norsemen took on the Carroll Kuemper Knights on Friday, September 15th. The Norsemen were looking to improve to 3-1 for the first time since the 2016-17 season. This was the first home game on the new Kerry Van Winkle Field with the student body theme being white out. Coming into the game the Norse were led by junior Sam Knoll who has 332 passing yards and 1 touchdown. Senior Hesston Johnson leads the teams in tackles with 24.5 and rushing with 342 yards and seven touchdowns.  The first half did not turn out how the Norsemen expected it to be: being down 21-0. The Knights had scored two offensive touchdowns and had a punt return touchdown. At halftime there was still the belief that the Norse could turn it around and win. The first drive the Norse looked strong with senior Jonovan Wilkinson taking a 30-yard rush to the house. The score was now 21-7. The defense got a stop and set the offense up with good field position. Then the Knights took back contr...

By Brooke T. The Roland-Story Cross Country teams had their home meet on Thursday, September 21. The Invitational took place at River Bend Golf Course. Both Roland-Story teams had a very successful night. The girls’ team took 3rd place overall. The top five Roland-Story girls all medaled and got in the top 20. Junior Claire Truesdell came in with a time of 21:10. Next, seniors Makenna Carlson and Elizebeth Ihle came in with times of 21:54 and 22:05. Junior Brooke Thompson placed 17th with a time of 22:08. Then freshman Kara Patterson placed 18th with a time of 22:33. The boys’ team placed 9th, with freshman Corben Lucchesi clocking in at 18:16, and placing 16th. Next came junior Evan Voga, who ran an 18:21 race and placed 20th. Freshman Henry Dalhsten and senior Lucas Wuebker ran times of 20:00 and 20:11. Finally, junior Luccas Hart finished with a time of 20:28. Roland-Story Cross Country teams are having a fantastic season so far. The conference and district meets are coming up soon....

By Kathryne A. The Roland-Story FFA had their first chapter meeting on Friday, September 8th, in the Ag room. FFA is a student organization for farmers around the United States. The acronym, FFA, stands for Future Farmers of America. Every meeting starts off with breakfast for the members; this Friday the chapter had Casey’s donuts. The business session started off with Secretary Delaney Paulson giving her secretary’s report.  Multiple officers talked about old business: exhibiting at County and State fairs, competing in the grilling contest at the Story County fair, and member recruitment at freshman orientation. After old business, the officers discussed new and upcoming business in the chapter. There are a lot of events happening throughout the year: Homecoming parade float - a group of FFA members will be putting together a float for the homecoming parade. Volunteering at the community garden - anyone in the community can volunteer to go out and help with the FFA garden; contac...

By Tristan P. Homecoming: a time filled with tradition, festivities, spirit, colors, and energy. One of the best things of high school is being able to experience homecoming: the sounds of students screaming at the top of their lungs and celebrating their school spirit, and the sounds of instruments from the band to make it just as memorable.  Roland-Story has been having homecoming since 1969, a total of 54 years. Students are reminded during this week how much support they have from the community. Parents and former students come to enjoy the parade, Powder Puff game, crowning of king and queen, and the Friday night football game. The tradition of painting the faces of middle school and elementary students leaves everyone with a smile that can last a lifetime. From dress-up days to the picnic on the field, and finally ending the week with the dance, homecoming week is filled with so much joy and memories.  It is an extraordinary week, but what does it look like for the footb...

By Kennedy P. This week marks a very exciting week at RSHS: homecoming week! With many fun things lined up from coronation to the parade, it is important to remember the people behind all the festivities. This year, like each year, Student Council diligently works weeks prior to create the best possible experience for the students at RSHS. Here are some of the fun activities they plan to put on this year: On Monday the Student Council puts on a Pep Rally in the North gym during seminar time. This is when the court is introduced to the students and community and the band and cheerleaders perform cheers and chants for our student body. This year the court includes Elizabeth Ihle, Jonovan Wilkinson, Boaz Clark, Makenna Carlson, Jaclyn Gessner, Lucas Wuebker, Grace Dowling, William Licht, Jake Jennings, and Emilia Broich. On Tuesday is the Powderpuff game. While seniors mostly put that on, the Student Council is in charge of sound and music and finding the equipment and staff that help mak...

By Josie R. The 2023 Roland-Story volleyball team has a very talented group of girls; they are expected to have big wins and tough matches this year. This team comes with many strengths according to assistant Coach Lettow. She said, “We have a solid core group of senior leaders that provide lots of knowledge and experience, but we also have very talented underclassmen. We are also balanced offensively and defensively and have a deep bench.” The girls’ main goal for the season is to win the conference and make their season as long as possible. There are also some challenges the volleyball team might face this year, but with the right mindset and motivation, they will be able to overcome those challenges. When asked what challenges she sees ahead for the team, Coach Lettow said, “Trying to find the right combination of players to maximize our strengths.” Asked how the team will overcome these challenges, she responded with, “We are already bonding well, but some girls are playing new pos...

By Tyler P. This year in the Roland-Story School District, we have a new face in some of the buildings! Mrs. Eley is the new Family and Consumer Sciences teacher for the middle school and high school. Her Room 203 is on the second floor. If you see her around, make sure to give her a warm welcome! Mrs. Eley grew up in Sheffield, Iowa, and attended West Fork Community School District. In high school, she was involved in cheerleading, golf, National Honor Society, and student council. She also worked as a lifeguard and a CNA. When asked about FCCLA, she said, “My school didn’t have FCCLA yet, so being an adviser for FCCLA is new for me, and I am excited for what’s to come.”  Growing up, she wanted to be a nurse and was on her way to becoming one before changing her mind. She said, “When I was growing up, I actually wanted to be a nurse, so I went to NIACC (North Iowa Area Community College) after I graduated high school…, and that lasted for about three weeks before I realized I did ...

By Caty E. The Roland-Story football team faced off against Kuemper-Catholic Friday, September 15th, but this game wasn’t like the others. After months of anticipation, Kerry Van Winkle Field is finally completed. It is named to honor Roland-Story's longtime football coach. The new football stadium has many new upgrades, such as spacious seating, new concession areas, larger bathrooms, and lots of other amazing improvements.The high school athletes are all very excited about the new area, whether they are enjoying the game from the bleachers, running the sound board, or playing out on the field.  First, walking up to the stadium there is a new ticket booth and entrance gate. The new visuals—including the large sails and lit up areas—show a sense of school pride and heritage. The aesthetic of the new stadium is branded to the school’s mascot, the Norsemen. The community appreciates the addition of a few hundred bleacher seats as well. When asked about his view on the new field, assi...

By Claire T. Many people in the community and Roland-Story District do not realize what the Roland-Story Athletic Booster Club is all about and what they do.  The Roland-Story Booster Club, run by a handful of people, is an organization that is primarily involved in raising money for the Roland-Story. Most recently, a golf outing was put on by the booster which raised over $12,000, all donated back to the Roland-Story Schools.  The money that the booster club raises goes to upgrade the Roland-Story athletic facilities and to supply new uniforms for high school and middle school teams, as well as providing dedicated and trained strength coaches. The weight room and practice equipment are upgraded as well. And lastly special requests from coaches and the athletic department to help RS athletes succeed on the court, field, mat or course. Sara Truesdell, a member of the booster club says, “The booster club provides a number of opportunities for community members, fans, and stude...

By Brooke A. It was September 8th and a beautiful night for football: the air was warm, and the sun was just setting. The Roland-Story versus South Hamilton game was a big game for Roland Story, so the stadium was bound to be packed. Around 6:00 p.m., everyone started getting seated for the game. The Norsemen started getting warmed up with good intentions and attitudes. They were telling their teammates what they needed to remember and encouraging one another.   The Norsemen football players were cheering very loudly and praising their teammates for their successes in the plays. The coaches and players were locked in. The game was fairly close, with back-and-forth touchdowns. During the third quarter, the Roland-Story Norsemen were two points ahead (22-20), and that’s when the energy of both sides of the field started getting loud. Coaches were yelling, and players were on their toes for every play. Close to the end of the game, Fiston Carlson picked up a fumble and scored an amazi...

By Krystal R. On any normal Friday at Roland-Story High School if you were to walk from class to class, you would see a few white jerseys sticking out of the crowd. Everyone is excited and ready for 3:30, because when the bell rings, it’s a mad dash. This week it’s neon and glow-in-the-dark themed, facing Nevada. All of the students and parents start to show up right around 7:20 to get settled in for the game. All of the student section is dressed from head to toe in flashy vests, shoes, and just about everyone has a glow stick. The seniors always get the front right next to the fence, then juniors on the very first couple of benches, right after them the sophomores, and at the very top the freshmen.  Once we hear the Nevada crowd start to roar and see the Nevada players running on the field, then we know we're one step closer to kick-off. Once we hear the introductions of the coaches and the football players, we all get ready to cheer and rally. The Cheerleaders are on the field a...

By Aidan H. Being a secretary is a job that not many people are fit for. However, a new addition to Roland-Story, Mrs. Wolff is the ideal candidate. Mrs. Wolff landed a job as an administrative assistant two months ago through an in-person interview and an online application. She is currently still in the day-to-day learning process at Roland-Story High School. Her job consists of writing passes for students, taking attendance, ordering teachers' supplies and requests, and socializing with students and staff to create an overall positive atmosphere in the RSHS office.  Mrs. Wolff grew up in Emmetsburg with her parents, Janice and Dennis Quinn, and her two sisters. She attended Emmetsburg High School and graduated in 1993. School never appealed to her, so she took the work path straight out of high school as opposed to the college path. She moved to Boston at the age of 17 where her now husband Todd moved out to join her later. She worked as a full-time nanny for ten years while liv...

By Luccas H. A spray-painted line runs along Hole 9 of the Links Public Golf Course in Webster City--18 boxes for 18 teams. It’s 83° and the sun is just starting to brush the tops of the trees on the far end of the greens. Dozens of runners stand shoulder to shoulder waiting for the starter to get on with his announcements. Parents and coaches are packed around the starting line in hushed silence. Then comes the inevitable: “On your marks.” The starter in the orange jacket puts in his earplugs and raises the blank-filled gun to the sky. Everyone who wasn’t already in a runner’s stance lowers themselves into one--over 100 bodies holding their breath and waiting for the inevitable crack of the gun. This is many runner’s first meet--for some, it’s their last first meet--but it’s only one of many in a runner’s career. For Roland-Story’s runners, the work started long before August 28th. Two months before on the morning of June 19th, the boy’s cross-country team met in Roland for the first ...

By Sam K.  The 2023 Roland-Story football team had its opening game in Tama on Friday, August 25, playing the South Tama Trojans. The Norsemen are now into their fourth season under head coach Matt Finn. The expectations are set high for this season, with hopes to have a winning record for the first time under Coach Finn.  The Norse had a strong showing, beating the Trojans 40-0. Some notable stats from the game were senior runningback Hesston Johnson’s 159 rushing yards on 15 carries tallying 3 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Sam Knoll was 10/15 with 181 yards and 1 touchdown. Senior Jonovan Wilkinson also added 1 touchdown for the Norse with 4 receptions for 98 yards.  Defensively sophomore Cody Long led the team in tackles with 7 and picked up a fumble. Charlie Watts and Hesston Johnson each added 6 a piece. The Norsemen forced 6 punts from the Trojans and held them to only 72 rushing yards and 21 passing yards.  “I think we played really well and really hard. It w...