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Articles by Eliyah Lara-Johnson
Football trounces Briar Cliff’s Challengers 24-18
Two weeks ago, on Oct. 17, the Tigers traveled to Orange City, Iowa to take on Northwestern College, where they walked away with a loss of 17-45. During the first quarter, the Red Raiders gave the Tigers quite the challenge, adding two touchdowns and a 34-yard field goal. However, in the second quarter, junior Cannon Crowder scored a 22-yard touchdown off of freshman Brody Carroll’s kick. The Red Raiders then added two more touchdowns, making the score 7-31 after the first half.
Men’s and Women’s XC places seventh
On Oct. 24, the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams traveled to Ashland, Nebraska, to compete in the Blazing Tiger Classic, where both teams finished in seventh. Crossing the finish line first for the Women’s team was freshman Hailey Hengtgen, who placed 20th overall with a time of 23:02.9. Placing 32nd was sophomore Kristen Billings, who had a time of 23:22.3, making her the second person to cross the finish line for the Tigers.
Purizaca goes No. 4 to No. 2
Many 7-year-olds find themselves watching television, playing video games or playing outside, or nowadays riding around on their electric scooters and bike; but not for senior Maria Purizaca Soto. “My mom was just trying to get up into a sport during the summer,” Purizaca said. “I fell in love with tennis and my brother and I begged my mom to keep going… She didn’t want us to get distracted and pay less attention to school.
Women’s and Men’s XC finishes 2nd and 5th in Iowa
Last Saturday, the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams traveled to Sioux Center, Iowa to compete in the Dordt Holiday Inn Express XC Classic where the Men finished second and the Women finished fifth overall.
Consent is not an option
Content warning: The following story deals with themes and personal narratives of sexual assault. Doane offers free counseling for students. Additionally, the Hope Crisis Center, serving southeast Nebraska, can be reached anytime at 1-877-388-HOPE(4673). Hello devoted readers, I hope you’ve had a fun and eventful Homecoming week. I also hope you were able to take some time over fall break to relax, catch up on some homework, or even spend time with your friends and family.
Tigers demolish the Warriors
Last Saturday, Sept. 26, Doane Football had its second scheduled home game of the season against Waldorf University, where they demolished the competition with a score of 35-7. Just three minutes into the game, sophomore Trent DePompa scored the first touchdown. With almost one minute left in the first quarter, freshman Noelyn Lozano scored the second. DePompa found himself in the end zone once again in the second quarter.
Football falls against no.7 morningside
On Sept. 12, the Tigers traveled to Sioux City, IA, to take on No. 7 Morningside University, where they walked away defeated 10-70. Starting in the first quarter, freshman Alcarrio Holmes scored the first touchdown for the game, with freshman Brody Carroll’s kick being good, which brought the Tigers to 7-0. The Tigers ended the first half with Carroll kicking a field goal, which brought the score to 10-35.
Twenty five years since…9/11
It was the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City, NY. Everyone was getting ready for their day; some were already on their way to work, and some were enjoying a nice cup of coffee. Meanwhile, back in Portland, ME, 19 hijackers were passing through security to board on four different flights. At 8:46 a.m. when the North Tower of the World Trade Center was hit, 76 passengers along with 11 crew members were killed instantly.
Hot takes; common sense needs to come back in style
Well-devoted readers, if I am going to be one-hundred percent transparent with you, I never saw myself getting to this point in life. A senior in college. Some may say I officially reached unc status, which, for my peers who are also graduating this year, just know I didn’t say that. However, let’s talk about something that has been giving me the ick ever since school started. Why does no one have common sense anymore? Now what do I mean by this?
StuCo announces 9 new senators, three-way tie for 10th
On April 21, Student Congress (StuCo) sent an email to all Doane students regarding the upcoming StuCo senator elections for the following year. Students were asked to pick 10 students out of a variety of other students. Fast forward to Friday, April 24, when StuCo announced not only the new senators for the year but also that there was a three-way tie between freshmen Bettie Chambers, Naomi Clutter and Frank Thomas.
Hot Takes: I hate group projects, etc.
Over the past week, I have been trying to figure out whether I wanted to write a normal hot take or if I wanted to write a goodbye for now. So I guess I am going to do both. For starters, I absolutely despise group projects for so many reasons.
Track & Field competes at Drake, NWU leading up to GPAC
On April 22-25, both Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams traveled to compete in two different meets, the first one was at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, and the other was at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska. Starting in the Drake Relays for the Women’s side was senior Kat Vogt, placing second in the 400m, with a time of 53.92.
Track & Field has successful last home meet of outdoor season
Graphic by Hailey Schweitzer & photos by Elenna Koenig | The Doane Owl On April 15,16 & 19, the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams competed at home in the John Green Combined Event/James Dutcher Memorial meet, where several Doane athletes walked away in first. Starting in the Men’s events was the 100m, where senior Connor Bradley placed first with a time of 10.86. He was also in the 200m, where his time was 22.14. In the 400m was senior Joaquin Gutierrez, who had a time of 49.37.
Hot Takes: It’s time to grow up
Hello, devoted readers. Before I begin, I want to assure you that I am not trying to upset anyone with what I am about to say, but it needs to be said. We are a month away from the end of the school year, so why do some of us still not know basic things?
Eleventh annual Polk Lecture speaks on stepping out of your comfort zone
Members of the Doane community gathered in Heckman Auditorium on April 13th to attend the 11th Annual Polk Lecture. This lecture is not just where a bunch of students and faculty come and listen to someone for an hour; instead, it honors the Rev. Dr. Robert Polk ‘52, while also focusing on topics pertaining to leadership, service and justice. Rev. Polk joined this year’s lecture via Zoom. Juniors Kya Caddy and Myridean Lehman introduced this year’s speakers.
Track scores big against Nebraska Wesleyan University in annual dual
On Wednesday, April 8, both Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams traveled up to Lincoln, Nebraska, to take on Nebraska Wesleyan University in a dual where both teams walked away with wins. The Women’s team had a score of 123-61 while the Men’s team had a score of 93-86. There were a ton of athletes who were in the top three in all categories, so starting with first in the Women’s 100m was junior Neryah Hekl, who had a time of 12.01.
Twenties are a weird time
Well, hello devoted readers, I hope that your Easter break was fun and magical, making mine enjoyable too. With that being said, over break, I got to thinking about something, and in all reality, it’s has been on my mind for quite some time. And yes, I should be worried about more important things like my Capstone project, my Writing with AI final project and a variety of other things. But the number one thing I am thinking about is, am I wasting my twenties?
Dangers on both sides of Nebraska
While the Doane community was enjoying its spring break, Nebraska experienced two extreme weather events: a massive wildfire burning across Western Nebraska and a powerful blizzard that shut down part of Interstate 80. According to Nebraska Public Media, the wildfires have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres, becoming some of the largest wildfires in Nebraska’s history. These fires primarily impacted ranchland, leaving some communities to deal with major losses.
One Day, One Doane makes goal
There is no doubt that the Doane Community is strong. On March 18, the university held its annual One Day. One Doane, a 24-hour event, where alumni, graduating seniors, students and families can donate towards financial aid and scholarships, faculty and staff salaries and development, academics, athletics, fine arts and campus life. There were a ton of ways to get both students and alumni involved throughout the day.
Attention spans are becoming nonexistent
Over the past couple of days, my brain has wrapped itself into twenty million different directions. Not because of the weather change, not because of classes, it’s because I literally don’t know what life is anymore. (Disclaimer: I apologize for this rant that you very much did not ask for.) To start, Fruit Love Island. Why is this a thing? And why are people so obsessed with it?
Greek month concludes with bridge crossing, skit night for members
Photos by Brianna Wright & Mackenzie Pike | The Doane Owl (Left) The 2026 members of Alpha Pi Epsilon. (Right) Phi Sigma Tau members and alumni celebrate. Throughout February, each Greek group on campus put in many sleepless nights, tons of steps and maybe lost their voices once or twice, to lead up to the two most important events when it comes to new member education: skit night and bridge crossing.
Artist showcases work in Rall Gallery
Photo by Elenna Koenig | The Doane Owl Patrick Casey’s work in the Rall Gallery. Over the past week, printmaker Patrick Casey showed his artwork in the Rall Gallery from Feb. 4 to Feb. 25, where he explores identity in the digital age through speculative science fiction woodcuts. In his artist statement, Casey describes imagining a posthuman future shaped by advances in technology, where ideas of intimacy, privacy, life and death are very uncertain.
Hot Takes: Is it worth it to take landmark pictures?
Alright, devoted readers, we are officially back to our regularly scheduled programming. Yes, I do apologize for last week’s emotional spiral, but hey, character development is important, or at least that’s what my therapist told me. Anyway, I have a bone to pick. Not with a person. But with a situation.
Sports Briefs
Women’s Basketball Women’s Basketball began the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) on Feb. 25. The first round of the tournament was played against Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, South Dakota. Women’s basketball put up a good fight but just came up short, losing 45-74. Players who made an impact were senior Megan Chamber, who scored 13 points, and freshmen Keeleigh Knobbe and Rylie Rice, who scored 11 points each. With this loss, Women’s basketball has concluded its 25-26 season.
Men's Track wins GPAC championship
Photo by Elenna Koenig | The Doane Owl On Feb. 20, the Men’s and Women’s track and field teams traveled 240 miles to Sioux Center, Iowa, to compete in the two-day Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championships, where the Men’s team walked away as Champions while the Women’s team walked away in second place. Starting with the Heptathlon was junior Addison Croghan, who had a total of 4,852 points, which placed him second.
Grief is like petrichor: the smell after rain
Content Warning: The following story deals with themes and a personal narrative about grief and mortality. Doane offers free counseling for students. Additionally, the National suicide hotline, 988, can be reached at any time. You are not alone. Hello devoted readers. Now this isn’t like my normal hottakes, but instead it’s something I believe isn’t discussed as it should be. Pain. We have all experienced it in one way or another.
T&F continues breaking records, prepping for GPAC Conference
Photo by Elenna Koenig | The Doane Owl On Feb. 6, the Men’s and Women’s track teams traveled 30 minutes to Lincoln, Nebraska, to compete in the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite. In the 60m was Neryah Hekl, who placed second with a time of 7.40. Placing first in the 5000m was sophomore Alvin Keter, who had a time of 14:56.79. Fast forward to the next day, both teams competed at home in the Fred Beile Classic, where in the 60m, taking second was senior Connor Bradly, with a time of 6.97.
Hot Takes; Super Bowl and halftime show
With last week being probably the most eventful week for me, I am glad to say that it is over. But one of my favorite things about last week was Super Bowl Sunday! Now I have watched probably every single Super Bowl since I was a little kid running around, not having a care in the world. It was one of my favorite things to do with my father. However, this year was vastly different. Not only because I didn’t get to watch the Super Bowl with my father, but also because my team sadly didn’t make it.
Baseball goes 2-2 in Texas
On Feb. 6, the Doane Baseball team traveled 913 miles to Victoria, Texas, to take on Wayland Baptist University and Texas A&M University – Victoria, where they walked away 1-1. In the first game against Wayland, the Tigers took the win of 8-6, with senior Carter Roth having three runs and senior Sam Kwapnioski having two runs. Senior Kaden Crawford, the pitcher, took the winning pitch, which makes him 1-0.
Kat Vogt breaks same record twice
Photo by Elenna Koenig | The Doane Owl When you break a school record, relief isn’t usually the first emotion that comes to mind, but for senior Katie Vogt, who is better known as Kat, that was how it felt to her. “It was the first time I had run the 400 this season, so I just wanted to see where I was at,” Vogt said.
Hot Takes: Movement against ICE at Grammys
WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE! Whoa, that was way too much. Let me try it this way. Welcome back, devoted readers. I hope you are having a great semester thus far, because it has been a semester for me. Now you might be wondering, why do you say that? Well, that is because for the second and third week of the semester, I got influenza B, which, let me say, I do not recommend getting. But that is not what this is about.
Forensics builds momentum as season progresses
As the speech season continues, sophomore Brianna Wright says that the Doane Forensics team is in a good place and is having fun while doing it. This year is Wright’s first year competing, and she said the season has gone well thus far. “I think we’re doing really well,” Wright said.
Sports in Brief
Women’s Basketball As we hit the last stretch of games for this season, Women’s Basketball goes one for one this week. On Jan. 28th, the Women’s Basketball team traveled to Omaha to play the College of Saint Mary. Women’s Basketball was able to pull out a big win of 74-68. The players who had the biggest impact were senior Megan Chambers and redshirt junior Rylie Rice, scoring 17 points against the Flames.
Hot Takes: I need to be on a beach somewhere
With finals coming up, the semester coming to an end, I think it is time to say that I officially need a break, and you do too. But what I mean by a break, I actually mean a break. Now, let me explain to you what I am talking about. Have I been the best I can be academically? No. But let’s be honest, none of us has. We, as college students, have been functioning off of caffeine, panic and the false hope that next week we will “lock in,” but we don’t.
Hot Takes: Practicing what you preach
One thing that really gets to me sometimes is not practicing what you preach. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen this phrase shift from one end of the spectrum to the complete opposite. Let’s say, hypothetically, that you and your friend group have promised each other countless times that no matter what happens, you’ll always be there for one another. Sounds great, right? But then one weekend, your friends decide to go out while you choose to stay in.
Volleyball team celebrates seniors
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, the Doane volleyball team lost in its last home game against College of Saint Mary. The score was 3-2 for the Flames; the set results were 25-23, 20-25, 17-25, 25-14, 15-6. Currently, with two games remaining of the regular season, the conference overall for the Tigers is (3-11), and the general overall for the 2025 season is (12-17). It is essential to highlight the performance of junior Brooke Larsen with 22 kills and senior Camdyn Carpenter with 52 assists and 30 digs.
Sports Briefs
Men’s Basketball On Oct. 24, the Men’s basketball team started their season opener at home versus Kansas Christian College. The Men’s basketball team was able to pull off a victory with a final score of 92 – 75. Having a successful start of the season was junior Jack Wilson, who put up 20 points throughout the game, with freshman Trevon Beckman adding on another 17 points. Men’s basketball plays again at home on Oct. 27 against Tabor University at 7 pm.
Women's Soccer puts up a tough battle
Last Wednesday Oct 22, the Women’s Soccer team took on the College of Saint Mary, where they walked away with a 2-0 victory. In the second half, senior McKenna Rathbun and sophomore Lexi Adams scored two goals, with junior Virginia Johnson, who was the goalkeeper for this game, having six total saves. Fast forward to Saturday, Oct. 25, the Tigers played Morningside University for senior night, where they walked away from a hard-fought battle, losing by a score of 2-3.
Hot Takes: This true crime needs some answers
Hello, devoted readers. I decided to do something a bit different and, instead of a hot take, I’ll do a true crime instead. Now this true crime really hits close to home for me, quite literally. During the Fourth of July weekend, a man by the name of Chance Englebert, his wife Baylee and their son Banks decided to make the four-hour drive from Moorcraft, Wyoming, to Gering, Nebraska, to spend time with Baylee’s family. The weekend seemed to be going well.
Football puts in good effort at homecoming
Over the homecoming weekend, the Tigers played on Oct. 4 at home against Dakota Wesleyan University, where they endured a 7-33 loss. Starting in the first quarter, Dakota Wesleyan scored its first touchdown at the 7-minute mark, but failed its kick, bringing the score to 6-0. Following that, with two minutes left on the clock, Dakota Wesleyan got another touchdown, along with two others in the second quarter. At halftime, the Doane Cheer and Dance teams had their alumni be a part of their routine.
Hot Takes: Not a fan of Taylor Swift's new album
Last Friday, Taylor Swift released her new album titled “The Life of a Showgirl,” and I have heard a variety of mixed opinions about it. While some people say that this is the best album, others can say the quite opposite. Just to clarify, I am NOT a Swiftie. Now, don’t get me wrong, Taylor Swift’s music is good, but I have to be in the mood to listen to her. One day, I love her music, and the next, I think that it’s annoying. However, I decided to sit down and listen to this album.
Hot Takes: People are lazy
People have become lazy. Now, if you are offended by that first line, well then, buckle up because this might pertain to you. What I mean by this is not to use ChatGPT because you’re too busy to write a heartfelt text, or you don’t want to do your dishes that have been sitting there for like a week (which, by the way, you should probably do those). No, I am talking about people not doing their job and still expecting to be paid for the work that they didn’t do.
Hot Takes: Treat others the way YOU want to be treated
I am a firm believer in “treat others the way YOU want to be treated.” It is something we have probably been told ever since we learned to walk. However, some people don’t understand the meaning of that phrase; well, here is my meaning to it. Say hypothetically, you did something horrible to a person who really loved and cared about you, whether you cheated on them, treated them horribly or any of the above.
Hot Takes: Done with planning
I am officially done making plans with people. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love hanging out with people, especially when it’s someone I haven’t seen in a while. But sometimes things happen that cancel plans, and while some reasons are understandable, others can be frustrating. Need some examples?
Sports Briefs
Women’s Soccer On Aug. 21, the Tigers opened their season at home, taking on Grand View University, where they walked away with a 1-1 tie. In the first half of the game, the Tigers scored a team score, which is when a goal is made by a team and not one specific person. During the game, junior Virginia Johnson, who was the goalkeeper for this game, had five saves while senior Celeste Galvan had three attempted shots. Two days later, on Aug.
Hot Takes: Advice for new students
As you have been told probably dozens of times over the past week, welcome back to campus or welcome to campus. We are glad you are here. Well, I hope that your first week wasn’t too much trouble, because if I am going to be honest with you, that is just the beginning. Now, since you have successfully survived your first week, or at least I hope you did, it is time to get into all of the things that you might not think are important, but unfortunately are.
Congratulations to Doane's GPAC champs
Graphics by Hailey Schweitzer | The Doane Owl Doane Women’s Golf, Women’s Track & Field and Men’s Track & Field were all recently crowned GPAC champs.
Men's and Women's Track become GPAc Outdoor Champions
Over the weekend, the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams traveled to Hastings, Nebraska, to compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championships, where both teams walked away as GPAC Outdoor Champions for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2018. Starting in the 100m was sophomore Neryah Hekl, who placed first with a time of 11.90, along with senior Jadae Moore, who placed third with a time of 10.87.
Women's Golf wins first GPAC championship
On April 28-29, the Women’s Golf team traveled to Cairo, Nebraska, to compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championship, where they walked away as GPAC Champions for the first time in Doane history. Placing second with an individual score of 233 was freshman Connie Jarm, freshman Laila Saunders tying for sixth with a score of 238. Tying for eighth was junior Kaitlyn Dumler, who scored 239.
Jank announces new teaching career in Seward
On May 5, Academic Success Specialist and Financial Literacy Workshop Coordinator, Rachel Jank, announced that she will not be returning to Doane, as she took a job at Seward Middle School to be a 6th-8th English teacher. “This is not something I sought out, but was approached to apply, and when I went through the interview process, it just clicked,” Jank said.
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