What Makes Monty Python Funny?

By Adam Grigg America has always had an on-again, off-again relationship with those crazy Brits. Our Nation’s history began with a few harsh feelings between us, but in the time since, we’ve gotten closer, if not friendlier. The British are strange, foreign and yet very familiar; they’re like a funhouse mirror, reflecting ourselves but oddly distorted. For example, they call French fries “chips” and chips … Continue reading What Makes Monty Python Funny?

Senior Aaron Beaird Meets the Demands of Wrestling

By Avery Freed Most of the students and faculty at Central High School know who Aaron Beaird is. Even if you aren’t familiar with the name, you would certainly recognize him you saw him. At 6’2″ and 285 pounds, he’s hard to miss. However, that same stature that causes him to stand out in the halls is perfect for his current position as Central High’s … Continue reading Senior Aaron Beaird Meets the Demands of Wrestling

The Not-so Magical Aspects of Movies

By Cullen Knowles During the holidays, members of every age group participate in an activity that seems to be an innate duty of every American: going to the movies. Hollywood is an extremely crucial part of American culture, and the thousands of motion pictures that have been produced over the last century have represented and depicted every idea, symbol, and characteristic of our country. However, … Continue reading The Not-so Magical Aspects of Movies

The New Narrative of Video Games: Text Adventures

By Aaron Thies When a person reads a book or watches a movie or the television, that person is whisked away to the world the creator invents with their words or imagery. The person observes as the story unfolds and experiences the emotions, the adventures, and the hardships the main character encounters; and, if the story is good enough, the observer grows attached to the … Continue reading The New Narrative of Video Games: Text Adventures

Should South Dakota allow uranium mining in the Black Hills?

By Cullen Knowles As our nation struggles to obtain its energy independence, we must examine a variety of resources that have the potential to fuel our way of life. However, some of these resources could easily wreak havoc upon our environment and endanger the lives of millions. As a result of this, we must thoroughly evaluate the benefits and detriments of an energy source before … Continue reading Should South Dakota allow uranium mining in the Black Hills?

The Pressure of the Common App

This year more than a million students will complete the Common Application, a standardized application used by more than 500 colleges and universities. In a special for The Pine Needle, Madeleine Price has shared one possible response to the Common Application’s essay question. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn? Failure is … Continue reading The Pressure of the Common App

Cobbler Round Up: Concerts, Clean Up, and Playoffs

On Thursday afternoon students lent a hand to custodians attempting to clean up the grounds following the blizzard. Mr. Seales called for some assistance and in no time, an unofficial grounds crew had bagged up the largest batches of leaves and dragged into a pile the large branches that had fallen in the courtyard outside the commons. Mr. Seales happily reported that “The bigger work … Continue reading Cobbler Round Up: Concerts, Clean Up, and Playoffs

Movies: Rubber Defies Reason and Entertains

By Aaron Thies Trying to explain the movie Rubber is like trying to lead a pep assembly full of teenagers in a cheer: it’s going to be messy, so bear with me. The central point Rubber revolves around is the cinematic element of “no reason,” which is basically writer/director Quentin Dupieux’s way of saying, “I don’t get it either.” This movie would be extremely hard … Continue reading Movies: Rubber Defies Reason and Entertains

Cross Country Runner Addie Straatmeyer Loves What She Does

By Avery Freed Addie Straatmeyer has had a rough Cross Country season. After spending the summer recovering from a knee injury, she started the season strong and ready to compete, with her eyes set on another state championship. Unfortunately, about four weeks ago, she suffered yet another knee injury that caused her to sit out on the past few meets. But now, after some rest, … Continue reading Cross Country Runner Addie Straatmeyer Loves What She Does

Columnist: Political Parties the Cause of Government Shutdown

By Cullen Knowles For hundreds of years, political parties have held tremendous influence over our nation’s government. Unfortunately for our country, their impact has provoked rampant and destructive division over issues that require the temperance, comprehension, and cooperation of both sides. As a result of this division, our government often fails to conjure a resolution that is acceptable to the people that it is supposed … Continue reading Columnist: Political Parties the Cause of Government Shutdown

Opinion: Rapid City Journal not cheering on Cobbler football, but we will

The football team didn’t receive much encouragement from the Rapid City Journal after their victory in Sioux Falls–the Cobblers’ first victory against a Sioux Falls school since 2006. After the Journal‘s Saturday coverage of the game consisted of a republication of the Argus Leader‘s story, which naturally filters through a pro-Sioux Falls lens, in Sunday’s paper, writer Padraic Duffy leaked more rain on that victory … Continue reading Opinion: Rapid City Journal not cheering on Cobbler football, but we will

Cobbler Roundup: Reopening the Library & Missing the Marching Band

A week after drips from the ceiling led librarians and custodians to redecorate the library with buckets, basins, and plastic, half the library continues to be off limits–the fiction and reference sections. The fall out from the blizzard may be drawing to a close, however, as custodians have been drying the carpet with blowers and emptying the buckets and trash cans of the collected water. … Continue reading Cobbler Roundup: Reopening the Library & Missing the Marching Band