Michaela Copeland
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Bella Beems
News Editor
Laci Burnett
Reporters
Katlyn Boydston
Grayson Moore
Photographers
Lauraly Lane
Josephine Long
Designers
Ashlynn Bowen
Gunner Delp
Read all about Groundhogs and the history behind the day -p. 8
Vote on who you think will win our Seniors vs faculty Game -p. 10
Learn about Senior Rylie Burdette and her future plans! -p. 12
5 Issue 21 February
By: Michaela Copeland
Senior Grayson Moore signed up his cat, Huxley, for a competition to be featured on the cover of Modern Cat Magazine, and for Grayson to win up to $10,000 Huxley has made it to the top 5 and the final round of voting.
On the website americasfavoritepet.com, voters have the opportunity to vote for free once every day, but if they would like to ensure their favored pet gets a good spot in the competition, they can donate money towards more votes and helping animals.
During the selection process, thousands of people enter their pets in hopes that they win, but there are eight to nine rounds of voting, stretching throughout several weeks. Although the voting is typically very structured, sometimes there will be a Wildcard round, allowing previously eliminated pets another opportunity to win.
All this being said, Huxley has been in 1st place since the beginning of this week, and everyone is encouraged to use their free vote to help Grayson Moore win $10,000 and have his cat featured in the magazine Grayson encourages everyone to vote, saying, “It’s the cutest cat eva.”
By: Ashlynn Bowen
By: Laci
On Monday, February 2nd, the High School Girls Basketball team played against Doniphan West and sadly lost 29-54. They played hard again the next day, Tuesday February 3rd, but lost 27-56.
In spite of the losses, there was a lot to be proud of. “The girls played very hard Monday and Tuesday and competed against two very good teams. I was very proud of how we started the game with no fear and came out ready to go,” said Coach Jackson Rumpf
The girls play against Platte Valley for Courtwarming, and to prepare for this game, they need to “work on some little things, like handling ball pressure and taking advantage of each possession,” said Coach Rumpf
After tonight’s Courtwarming game, the girls play next on Tuesday, February 10th, at home against East Atchison, which will also be Senior Night to honor the Senior athletes.
The DeKalb Boys Basketball Team has had a hard week, finishing off last week with a game on Friday, January 30th, against Northeast Nodaway.
Sadly, the boys lost to the Blue Jays, although Coach Matthews says the boys “played hard like always” and “did some really good things and continue to get better.” Even though the boys lost against them 42-61, they played a hard game and fought until the final seconds.
To start the Courtwarming week off, the boys played an extremely challenging game against the big Doniphan West Mustangs. Even though it was hard, the boys persevered and ended the game with a final score of 2954.
After a demanding week, the DeKalb Boys Basketball Team would love to see you in the crowd tonight as they take on Platte Valley on Courtwarming night. Come and support our tigers, cheer them on, and show your DeKalb spirit!
Can you tell where someone is from just by looking at them? Can you guess a person’s entire family tree just by the state of your shoes? Can you solve a murder with only a footprint? Not many can do such a feat, but a certain detective in Victorian London could
I’ve been on a historical fiction kick with my reading I’ve needed something that will work my brain, a mystery So today I recommend a Victorian classic, Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet
Now, if you don’t know, the Sherlock Holmes series was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887
The fun and thrilling adventures are all told from the point of view of Sherlock’s roommate, Doctor John Watson What makes the series of mysteries so unique is the characters themselves, specifically Sherlock.
Sherlock claims to be a “consulting detective”, someone whom detectives or people trying to stay under the radar run to when they need help solving their mysteries.
What makes Sherlock so special is his keen sense of detail and ability to pick up on every little thing about a person
Take Doctor Watson, for example. Sherlock had no prior knowledge of him when they first met, but he knew he was a military medic just by the way he stood.
Sherlock’s brilliant attention to detail and the way he solved cases paved the way for many mystery and detective stories told today. So if you need a detective fiction to read, I highly recommend you check out the true roots of the genre with Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet. If you enjoy the first book, make sure to check out the rest of the series
By: Lauraly Lane
If you’re looking for a game to play with your family or friends, then I recommend Clue. Clue is a 2-6 player game about trying to find out who killed the host with what object and where in the house did they kill him On some of the newer game boxes they have the character’s personalities or their flaws
Clue was made in 1943 in Birmingham, England, by Anthony E. Pratt. You can find Clue online, and in stores like Walmart and Target. There is also a movie after Clue from 1985
At the start of the game, the characters start on colored squares on many sides of the board, and have to roll to go to any of the rooms in the manor. If you’re the first to figure out the person, weapon, and room, then you win the game.
By: Laci Burnett
From the middle of November, 2025. to January, 2026, FBLA members have been working hard on presentations in a subject of their choice, or studying hard for a large test they had to take on December 12, 2025, as part of being in FBLA. All this was in preparation for the District Leadership Conference, DLC, in late January and early February.
On Wednesday, January 28th, the Broadcast Journalism Team, Lilly Wagner and Syra Serves, and the Visual Design Team, consisting of Klhoe Pflugradt, were selected to visit Missouri Western State University to compete at DLC Day 1. These girls did amazing, and worked hard to be selected to visit DLC Day 1, where they whipped out their presentations easily and thoroughly impressed the judges.
On Thursday, February 5th, all students involved in FBLA were allowed to visit Northwest Missouri State University. A select few presented, such as the Hospitality and Event Management Team of Presli Punzo, Grace Downing, and Ceci Sherlock, while others were allowed to, according to Mrs. Horr, “compete in business-related contests, attend workshops to improve their leadership skills, and network with other FBLA members in [the] district”. This is extremely beneficial for all students heading into the workforce and will help prepare them for their futures
At DLC Day 2, the Hospitality and Event Management Team earned 2nd place, allowing them to visit the State Leadership Conference in April, and senior Grace Downing earned a place at the State Leadership Conference due to her scores on her Agribusiness objective test.
By: Gunner Delp
Typically, people are not very fond of the wintertime Some people say they prefer it to being sweaty all the time in the summer. Every winter leaves people awaiting Groundhog Day so that they may have a chance to escape the cold.
Groundhog Day was first celebrated on February 2nd, 1887, at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This day is of great importance to Americans because it tells us whether winter will last another six weeks or if Spring is arriving early each year. If he sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter, but if he sees no shadow, that means that Spring is just around the corner.
It is the infamous Punxsutawney Phil that tells us such dire information. It is his job to rise out of his home in order to check our weather status Phil usually makes his prediction around 7:30 AM every February 2nd. Legend has it that Phil has been alive since the first Groundhog Day, making him around 140 years old!
Sadly, Phil saw his shadow this year, meaning another rough and cold six weeks of this relentless winter. Phil will arrive again next year on February 2nd to check for his shadow. Let's just hope he doesn't see his shadow next year. Stay warm, everybody!
Order by February 12th $ 1
Who’s going to win the game Friday afternoon?
“Seniors because they have THEE Miley Ann Phillips” -Lauraly Lane
“Faculty, just because” -Bella Beems
“Faculty. Chisham.” -Mr. Roberts
“Seniors because we are the best.” -Cecilla Sherlock
By: Grayson Moore
If you are looking for a good movie to watch, I recommend watching Monsters University Monsters University, starring John Goodman as Sully and Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski, was directed by Dan Scanlon for Pixar and was released in 2013, 12 years after the first one Monsters University takes place before Monsters Inc., when Mike Wazowski goes to school to become a professional scarer and meets Sully, and they have to team up with him to win the games, and both of them become professional scarers
If I had to rate this movie, I would give it a 7.9 out of 10 because it has a good plot and setting, but the cast isn't my favorite.
By: Katlyn Boydston
On January 22, 2026, Harry Styles kicked off 2026 by releasing his first new single in nearly three years, his new album is called Aperture The album features 12 tracks It is the lead single from his fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time Disco, Occasionally, which is scheduled for release on March 6, 2026
Harry Styles new album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, occasionally, talks about his time in Berlin and a reflection on reconnecting with life and the audience, rather than a deep dive into personal drama.
The songs on this album are Aperture, American Girls, Ready, Steady, Go, Are you Listening Yet, Taste Back, The Waiting Game, Season 2 Weight Loss, Coming Up Roses, Pop, Dance No More, Paint by Numbers, and Carla’s Song.
My favorite songs of his are As It Was and Story of My Life. What I really enjoy about his music is how nice his songs are and just the general vibe of his music
byMrs.Powell
