Sparks fly as senior Teagan Harward welds together two 5,000 pound metal beams, as the only woman in an all-male work environment, and the

only one there under the age of 18.

“It was definitely weird at first,” Harward said, “Everyone kinda just treated me like an alien. They just kind of avoided me.”

However, as time has gone by, she and her coworkers have formed an unbreakable bond. 

“It’s like having 50 older brothers,” Harward said.

Working as a welder, Harward often finds herself in very dangerous situations. Cranes are used to flip 2,000-5,000 pound beams and she has

regularly almost hurt herself and others.

“I’ve almost killed myself [and others] quite a few times,” Harward said. “On the first day, when [my boss] brought me in on the welding test, he’s like,

‘hey, yeah, everything’s trying to kill you here.”

 While using a grinder to clean off some metal, the grinder hit the smallest bump and shot backwards, getting wound up in her shirt. 

“I literally was like panicking and I thought there was going to be like blood or [something],” Harward said, “and there wasn’t, it was just caught up in

my shirt.”

Harward has been welding since her sophomore year, and began her journey at NS, in the welding classes offered.

Jens Andreasen, the welding teacher at NS, taught her before she got a job in an actual welding facility. 

“I start them out with probably one of the more simpler processes, which is stick welding,” Andreasen said. “And then last year, she learned tig

welding, which is probably the most complicated form of welding.”

Andreasen has been able to watch her grow, and reflect on how proud he is of her and her work ethic.

“She’s a hard-working kid, you know? She says she’s gonna do something, she’ll get it done,” Andreasen said. “Yeah, I’m super proud of her. It’s

cool to see her learning what little bit I could teach her and apply it to real world skills.”

A friend in one of her welding classes told her about a place in Ephraim where she could begin working as a welder, CO Building Systems. Because

of school, she is currently working part time, but her hours are still long and grueling. 

“I went from working four hours and at a really low pay to working 10 hours a day,” Harward said, “so I’d work from 6 am to 4:30 pm all week, so 50

hours a week plus overtime.” 

She met many challenges while pursuing this, and her position took a toll on her health.

“It was super tiring and like, physically and mentally tiring on my body,” Harward said. “It’s so hard on your body, with the gas and stuff like that.

When I first started out, I was so sore.”

Additionally, the welds that she did at the high school were much easier than the welds that she does at work. While at the high school, they would

be welding together little pieces of metal, at her work, she welds together beams that weigh thousands of pounds.

“The type of welding that we do at our job is like way more different than what they do [here],” Harward said. “I had to relearn a lot of stuff.”

The opportunity to help people in the community and all around is what inspired Harward to pursue welding. Beams from CO Building Systems are

being sent as far as Oregon to build a school.

“I think what kind of made me fall in love is just the [satisfaction] of kind of just being able to build buildings,” Harward said. “I realized that it benefits

people.”

Harward loves being able to do something that not many people can do. She enjoys being able to tell people that she does something

unconventional and unexpected.

“I love that feeling of being in a field that not very many people get the opportunity to do,” Harward said. “It’s something that I’m really grateful for.”

Throughout all of the challenges that Harward has had to overcome, she has learned to keep a smile on her face and face everything with a positive

attitude. Her coworkers have regularly commented on her positive demeanor and have encouraged her to never lose it.

“I’ve learned that like, if I don’t really want to do something,” Harward said, “I still have to do it like, even with a smile on my face.”

CO Building Systems, where she works, hires a lot of ex-convicts, in an effort to reintroduce them back into society. While some might not give these

individuals a second chance, she’s learned that people can change when given the opportunity.

“I think I’ve definitely learned to not judge people a lot,” Harward said.

Stories that she’s heard from her co-workers about their lives have made her able to look at her life through a different, more appreciative lens. She has become more thankful for the opportunities she has and the things she has been given.

“I hear some of these guys’ stories, and it’s super sad,” Harward said. “This makes me super grateful that I have the things and opportunities I have.”


Picture of Ridley's grocery story

Terrel’s says goodbye to Sanpete County

By Tanner Mickel • March 17, 2026
Terrel’s has been an icon and community loved landmark for many years. Now that Terrel’s is being sold to Ridley’s Family Markets, the community is searching for answers on what comes next. Although some might not like the idea of Terrel’s being sold, the old management thought that it was time to sell while Terrel Seely was still here. “The owner is getting older and you know, it was just time, to make sure that, that transition happened while he was still alive,” Blake Rosenlof said. The arrangements for the sale were finished before the original owner passed away. Seely passed away last week. While some are worried about changes, the purchase of Terrel’s and the five other stores previously owned by Seely will bring opportunities for many involved in the store. “What Ridley’s actually wants us to do is help incorporate what we're doing here,” Jared Mecham said, “cause now Ridley’s has 30 stores … They're a bigger company now. And so they actually want our help from the bakery standpoint of getting some of our products into their bakeries and in all 30 stores. So they don't want to change what we're doing, because we're one of the best bakeries in the state of Utah.” Many Terrel's employees are optimistic about this new opportunity. Ridley’s wants to keep the family friendly and supportive environment that Seely has built. The employees believe that it is going to be good for the business and just a good thing overall. “I think it will be a good change for most of the employees. And hopefully for the community as well," Rosenlof said. Terrel’s is going to begin the change and transfer over starting in the beginning of April, and it is planned to be a slow change. Terrel’s is planned to stay open throughout the entire process. Small changes will begin to start one by one, starting with things like the bags and milk. “I think it's gonna take some time to adjust to,” senior Quincy Benson said, “especially because Terrel's means a lot to the community. It's a place where a lot of people shop and it's been such a staple, but especially because Terrel Seely, everyone knows him, we love him.” They are not certain when the name will officially change. And though the name is going to be changed, Ridley’s still wants to keep the atmosphere and family supported environment. They plan to keep all the same staff and traditions and carry on what Seely has built. “One thing that Terrel has always let me do is, they let me bring my little kids in here to work, just to teach them how to work…,” Mecham said. “They've all worked here, and Terrel's allowed that. Most companies would never let you bring your kids to work. So I talked to the Ridley’s owners, they say the same thing, that we don't want that to change, we value teaching kids how to work.”

Ai kort

By Kortney Mitchell • March 17, 2026
A group chat filled with teenagers from all across the globe bonding over common interests. These people, who in any other circumstance would have never met, become best friends because they decided to play the same online games. With growing worldwide access to the internet, it has become common for teenagers and young adults to have online friendships. These connections can mean a lot to a person. “The relationships I have online are closer to my heart than those in real life,” junior Brittlyn Church said. With a generation who has been online their entire lives, online friendships are less taboo than ever. The results from a NS Times survey showed that 47 percent of students have had an online relationship, whether that be platonic or romantic. These relationships can have similar benefits to in-person friendships. “I feel like I am a lot more confident around people that aren’t seeing me face to face constantly. It's just easy to talk to them about something,” Church said. While there are some benefits, the biggest concern around online and AI relations is the increased number of social issues and lawsuits. ABC News and BBC News have both covered issues involving AI users replacing human contact with AI. “My concern is that, much like how pornography is pyrite of intimacy, I worry that these AI relationships will be pyrite for actual human connection,” behavioral health teacher Sterling Whipple said. “And people chase them because it feels good in the short term, but it leaves them unfulfilled in the long term.” According to the Britannica, the first AI chatbot was created in 1966 as a test to see if a computer could gain sentience. The responses given were often jumbled but it gave a baseline to work off of. With AI advancements, chatbots can now respond in real time to any conversation or prompt that the user puts in. These bots can have pre-set personalities or even mimic celebrities or fictional characters when given the right directions. “At some points it did kind of feel like they were more of a real person when I was talking to them, like a real funny person,” junior Nolun Neilsen said. “Then I realized, ‘Oh yeah, this is just a computer. This is just a bunch of other things compiled together to create this.’” Even with how realistic AI has gotten, there are still bugs that make it feel like exactly what it is, a computer trying to be a human. “I feel like just a real human experience will always be better,” Nielsen said. “I don't think it's ever gonna get quite as perfect because it's always better to just talk to someone in person and that feels more real.” The essential need for human connection is why these new developments with AI and online relationships should be taken seriously. “AI needs to be taken seriously,” Whipple said. “The effects on the human mind need to be taken seriously. I just hope that doesn't push us too far into a knee-jerk fear response, a panic response, because I think there's a lot of potential for good as well. But on young minds, we have to be really careful because they are so easily shaped.”

Speech and debate places 2 at region

By Jennifer Solis • March 17, 2026
On Feb. 21 the NS speech and debate team placed 2nd at region with 88 points. “I was very proud of our team,” advisor Alex Bailey said. “This was the first year where we've had enough people or a large enough team to be more competitive.” Juniors Andrew Madsen and Hannah Holbrook placed 1st in public forum, senior Katie Jones placed 1st in Informative Speaking, senior Ethan Mendicino placed 1st in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, Holbrook placed 2nd in National Extemporaneous Speaking, Wyatt Bills placed 2nd in Student Congress, Jazmin Solis and Sage Ivory tied for 2nd in Interpretive Performance, and Bills placed 3rd in Original Oratory. Preparing for region took a lot of practice, preparation, and effort from the team. In the weeks leading up to the competition, students dedicated time after school on Thursdays working on their speeches, practicing their performances, and making improvements. The advisors gave feedback to ensure that students could be ready to compete at region. The regional competition was a great experience for the team, as it allowed students to challenge themselves, learn from other competitors, and reflect on how hard they had come during the season. Competing against other schools gave the team the opportunity to see new performances and see what they can change so that they could do better moving forward. “Speech and debate provides a lot of positive opportunities, and I have learned a lot about myself through speech and debate,” Madsen said. “I think anyone who does speech and debate discovers something new about themselves.” The regional competition involved four schools from across the area, and because of this students knew they would face experienced competitors that required them to step up and practice harder. The team felt both nervous and excited to see how the region would turn out. “For me, [competing] is pretty easy just because I've been doing it for four years,” Jones said. “But when I started out, it was terrifying.” The team felt confident in their performance, even if they didn’t take first. “I feel good, but it's always a tough competition every year,” Ivory said. “Sometimes you can do really good at region and then there's just a school that'll just wipe you out.” Despite challenges that come with the events, most members tend to look on the positive side and see this as an opportunity to learn. Preparation helped these competitors feel more confident when it came to competing. Many students found that placing in region gave them a great sense of joy and showed the effort that they put in throughout the season. “I'm just so proud of everything they've all individually accomplished, and then what they've accomplished as a team as well,” Bailey said. “No matter how we do at state, I feel like we've already won to some extent.” As the season begins to come to an end, the speech and debate team is now preparing to move on to the state competition, bringing with them months of practice, dedication and the hope that all of their hard work will help them perform well. “My hopes for state is that myself and my teammates will have a successful weekend,” Bills said. "I hope that all the hard work we have put in this year pays off and hope that we can take home a lot of medals this year.”