Albert Lea High School Newspaper

THE AHLAHASA
"High School has taught me to really value to process over the product, furthermore, I actually care about every person around me," says Senior Ashley O'Sullivan. "I have learned that failure is a chance to see how far I have come, and to recognize the progress I have made throughout high school".
Fair Connected ALHS to Future Opportunities
All of the artifacts depicted have been found or made in Freeborn County. (1) Cataline gorget (piece of clothing worn on or near the neck), possibly from the Late Archaic/Early Woodland Period (2,500 years old). Photo courtesy of Augustana University (AU) (2) Native American grooved ax head, unknown date. Photo courtesy of the History Center of Freeborn County (HCFC) (3) A bone tool, possibly a bodkin, probably from the Woodland Period. Bodkins are sewing needles used for thick cloth/leather. Photo courtesy of Mark Sorenson (4) Pottery sherds of an unknown date, made out of chert stone that was heated and then molded. The impressions on the ceramic’s surface are from cord-wrapped sticks. Photo courtesy of AU (5) 1919 doll given to Hazel Pilgrim from a Sioux family passing through Freeborn County, made out of a rice or flour sack. Photo courtesy of HCFC (6) Headdress of William H. DeCora, former chief of the Ho-Chunk, formerly known as Winnebago, tribe’s Thunderbird Clan. He lived in Albert Lea from 1942 to 1961. Photo courtesy of HCFC (7) Sioux children’s beaded moccassins, unknown date. Photo courtesy of HCFC (8) Ho-Chunk children’s deerskin jacket from the DeCora family, 1970s. Photo courtesy of HCFC
Buried: The Long Forgotten History of Freeborn County
“This [photo] is basically the same area,” said science teacher Todd Mikkelsen. “So that [the cover photo] was my photo at dusk. Here it is at night time and there’s something jetting up out of the ground. So it’s the same location, different dates, two different cameras picked up an anomaly in the same region.”
Supernatural Stories from Across ALHS
Swift Response Ensures Safety during Social Media Threat
Swift Response Ensures Safety during Social Media Threat
Sean Gaston has had a long career as a history teacher, dean of students and assistant principal. This year he is taking on a new leadership role as the principal at Albert Lea High School. Gaston is excited to continue to lead while following his five core values and create a more positive culture at Albert Lea High School. These values were molded by his mentors, family and experiences. He hopes that they will have a positive impact on the school just as much as they have had an impact on them. He has already started to make a change in the way our school approaches discipline and suspensions and hopes to be more present in classrooms.
NEW PRINCIPAL PROMOTING POSITIVITY
Senior Nevaeh Wacholz is the President of Student Council and National Honor Society. She is also the captain of three sports teams: basketball, volleyball and softball. She has been named captain for multiple years. She was also named the Volleyball All-Conference Player (Junior and Senior Year), Basketball All-Conference Honorable Mention (Junior Year) and All Conference (Senior Year), Triple A Award Recipient, Excel Award Recipient, and DAR Award Recipient. During her Freshman year, Wacholz was inducted onto the Wall of Inspiration.
Nevaeh Wacholz: 2025 Impact Student
Larry Irvine with his grandson at their game on Oct.10 vs. Wasca. Charlie Irvine(12) on the left, Grandpa Larry Irvine in the middle, and Sam Mcgill (12) on right. “I feel like it’s on the behalf of my family,” said McGill. “It represents the character that our parents have built us up to and the standard they’ve held us to.”
Two Jerseys, One Big Family
One thing Senior Nina Moreira Lin’s was excited about was the opportunity to be a cheerleader. She gets to experience the wonders of Friday Night Lights and the excitement of the student section. “I don't have cheerleading in Brazil,” said Moreira Lin. “I always thought about being a cheerleader - so American movie. I was excited to go to a football game. Photo Submitted
ALHS Host Foreign Exchange Student
Choose Wisely - Senior Reflection
Choose Wisely – Senior Reflection
Eh Thaw
Stone In The Water – Senior Reflection
Josephine Petersen
Value The Time – Senior Reflection
One Last Time - Senior Reflection
One Last Time – Senior Reflection
Minnesota First Celebrates Veteran's Day
Minnesota First Celebrates Veteran’s Day
Assistant Principal Stiehl's Door is Open
Assistant Principal Stiehl’s Door is Open
Honoring the Legacy of Labor Unions
Honoring the Legacy of Labor Unions
We Love Trilogies For The Story Arc
Cancel Culture: Cure or Curse?
Cancel Culture: Cure or Curse?
Men Are Choking On ‘The Red Pill’
Men Are Choking On ‘The Red Pill’
Supplies used to paint pumpkins were acrylic paints, brushes, water, paper plates and paper towels.
Hasa Trys
Taylor Swift's 12th album, "The Life of a Showgirl" out October 3rd. While many album covers, the one above is the most common.
The Life of a Controversial Artist
Seniors Jorja Bolinger, Kae Bee and Emma Weckwerth doing yoga.
Hasa Trys Yoga
The Conjuring: Last Rites
The Conjuring: Last Rites
Even the Walmart carries whole shelf filled with blind boxes. This photo was taken towards the back of the toy section at the Walmart in Albert Lea.
The Blind Box Obsession
Carley Ladlie (12) and Evelyn Koepke (11) enjoying the original s'mores.
Hasa Trys Summer Camp
Domino (3 yrs) from the Albert Lea Humane Society
Humane Society Pet of The Month
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor
Honoring the Legacy of Labor Unions
Honoring the Legacy of Labor Unions
Sean Gaston has had a long career as a history teacher, dean of students and assistant principal. This year he is taking on a new leadership role as the principal at Albert Lea High School. Gaston is excited to continue to lead while following his five core values and create a more positive culture at Albert Lea High School. These values were molded by his mentors, family and experiences. He hopes that they will have a positive impact on the school just as much as they have had an impact on them. He has already started to make a change in the way our school approaches discipline and suspensions and hopes to be more present in classrooms.
NEW PRINCIPAL PROMOTING POSITIVITY
The Pain of Beauty Throughout the Years
The Pain of Beauty Throughout the Years
History Center of Freeborn County Header
Albert Lea High School Newspaper

THE AHLAHASA
History Center of Freeborn County Header
Albert Lea High School Newspaper

THE AHLAHASA
History Center of Freeborn County Header
"High School has taught me to really value to process over the product, furthermore, I actually care about every person around me," says Senior Ashley O'Sullivan. "I have learned that failure is a chance to see how far I have come, and to recognize the progress I have made throughout high school".

Fair Connected ALHS to Future Opportunities

Jorja Bolinger, Staff Writer • November 13, 2025

Albert Lea High School hosted their annual College and Career Fair on Oct. 24, held in the gymnasium. Students from grades 10-12 had a chance to attend. Almost 900 students from across 4-5 districts were...

All of the artifacts depicted have been found or made in Freeborn County. (1) Cataline gorget (piece of clothing worn on or near the neck), possibly from the Late Archaic/Early Woodland Period (2,500 years old). Photo courtesy of Augustana University (AU) (2) Native American grooved ax head, unknown date. Photo courtesy of the History Center of Freeborn County (HCFC) (3) A bone tool, possibly a bodkin, probably from the Woodland Period. Bodkins are sewing needles used for thick cloth/leather. Photo courtesy of Mark Sorenson (4) Pottery sherds of an unknown date, made out of chert stone that was heated and then molded. The impressions on the ceramic’s surface are from cord-wrapped sticks. Photo courtesy of AU (5) 1919 doll given to Hazel Pilgrim from a Sioux family passing through Freeborn County, made out of a rice or flour sack. Photo courtesy of HCFC (6) Headdress of William H. DeCora, former chief of the Ho-Chunk, formerly known as Winnebago, tribe’s Thunderbird Clan. He lived in Albert Lea from 1942 to 1961. Photo courtesy of HCFC (7) Sioux children’s beaded moccassins, unknown date. Photo courtesy of HCFC (8) Ho-Chunk children’s deerskin jacket from the DeCora family, 1970s. Photo courtesy of HCFC

Buried: The Long Forgotten History of Freeborn County

Rice Boettcher, Online Editor • November 13, 2025

In 1835, the topographer Albert Miller Lea of the U.S. Dragoons surveyed the southern portion of the territory the U.S. government had recently acquired; Minnesota Territory. With rolling prairies and...

“This [photo] is basically the same area,” said science teacher Todd Mikkelsen. “So that [the cover photo] was my photo at dusk. Here it is at night time and there’s something jetting up out of the ground. So it’s the same location, different dates, two different cameras picked up an anomaly in the same region.”

Supernatural Stories from Across ALHS

Kae Bee and Izzy Mednansky • October 2, 2025

Are ghosts real? Or is it the brain playing tricks on us? Not everything unexplained is imaginary. Some things aren’t meant to be understood, only experienced.  With the weather getting colder, and...

Swift Response Ensures Safety during Social Media Threat

Swift Response Ensures Safety during Social Media Threat

Kae Bee, Editor-in-Chief • October 2, 2025

On Sept 22, Albert Lea Area School district went on a secure hold after the Freeborn County Sheriff's Department received information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation that a current ALHS student...

Sean Gaston has had a long career as a history teacher, dean of students and assistant principal. This year he is taking on a new leadership role as the principal at Albert Lea High School. Gaston is excited to continue to lead while following his five core values and create a more positive culture at Albert Lea High School. These values were molded by his mentors, family and experiences. He hopes that they will have a positive impact on the school just as much as they have had an impact on them. He has already started to make a change in the way our school approaches discipline and suspensions and hopes to be more present in classrooms.

NEW PRINCIPAL PROMOTING POSITIVITY

Carley Ladlie, Editor-in-Chief • August 21, 2025

Patrick (“Pat”) Monroe said he was a cook while serving in World War II. He wrote letters home that reported his military duty as boring and uneventful. He was peeling potatoes, not fighting Nazi facism....

Senior Nevaeh Wacholz is the President of Student Council and National Honor Society. She is also the captain of three sports teams: basketball, volleyball and softball. She has been named captain for multiple years. She was also named the Volleyball All-Conference Player (Junior and Senior Year), Basketball All-Conference Honorable Mention (Junior Year) and All Conference (Senior Year), Triple A Award Recipient, Excel Award Recipient, and DAR Award Recipient. During her Freshman year, Wacholz was inducted onto the Wall of Inspiration.

Nevaeh Wacholz: 2025 Impact Student

Eh Thaw, staff writer • May 15, 2025

Senior Nevaeh Wacholz is an impactful leader. She wakes up every day, knowing she was meant to make a difference through her acts of service. Many of her peers agreed that she is making a difference at...

On March 28 and 29, Albert Lea High School held the 2025 Tiger’s Roar talent show. A variety of talents were showcased with solo performances, as well as performances from a clarinet choir, saxophone quartet and show choir. There were a total of 15 performances throughout the two nights, including a pre-show performance by the Albert Lea High School jazz band. Over 50 students participated in Tiger’s Roar and showcased their skills with an exciting and entertaining night full of talent and music. “Tigers Roar is such a great way to display students’ talent, which is another reason why I wanted to take part. I wanted to be able to give back to the community and also show off my talent.” said senior New New.

A Night Full of Talent: Tiger’s Roar

Emma Weckwerth, Staff Writer • April 16, 2025

Tiger’s Roar has been helping students showcase their talents for more than 80 years. Albert Lea High School students put on an amazing performance at this year’s talent show on March 28 and March...

The choir students outside the Parthenon replica in Nashville, which had a museum inside that they toured.

Musical Memories

Jorja Bolinger, Staff Writer • April 16, 2025

Albert Lea Senior High School students had the opportunity to travel to Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee, the biggest music cities in the United States, during the 2025 spring break. On the trip, the students...

All of the books that were collected and packaged by NHS members.

NHS Books For Africa

Jorja Bolinger, Staff Writer • March 13, 2025

Helping others goes beyond just donating to a cause; it also means you are setting up our future world for success. That’s exactly what Albert Lea’s National Honors Society (NHS) works hard to accomplish...

At the pepfest on Feb. 13 the Winterfest Royalty nominees were introduced. There were two girls and two boys candidates from each grade. Royalty included Prince Axel Calderon (11), Jacob Miller (12), Princess Maya Fuller (11), Brecken Wacholz (10), Ethan Brownlee (9), Lord Given Saw (9), Lilly Elmer (9), Angela Buansombat (10), Queen Jenna Balfe (12), Hanna Austinson (11), Raegan Broskoff (8), Duchess Evalyn Holcomb (10), Jordyn Earl (8), and Lady Leighton Brenegan (9). Not pictured include: King Kaiden Baldwin-Rutherford (12), Piper Aanes (12), Blair Blake (11), Duke Kuol Duol (10), Thoo Kah (8) and Aidric Calderon (8). Student council member and Junior Prince Axel Calderon said, “It [the nomination] means that I’m kind of a student leader. I hopefully show younger kids what it means to be a part of the student council and lead the school.”

A Toast To Winter: Winterfest Week

Eh Thaw & Kae Bee, staff writer • March 13, 2025

Winterfest Week was Feb. 18-22 and was organized by Albert Lea High School’s Student Council and adviser Therese Netzer. Student council and Netzer have arranged multiple events for this year’s Winterfest,...

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