Kira Friesen – Kira Friesen is a photographer for Charles M. Russell High School and recently became involved in the yearbook and newspaper club. When she’s not at school, you can find her at the Buckle, her place or work, or at home with her family. She is very fond of her two dogs. Birdie, a mini australian shepherd and Bosco, a Doberman Pinscher. Her taste in fashion is one of her passions, as well as reading, photography, coloring, traveling, and in the summer wake surfing. However, her dream future career consists of none of those passions. Friesen wants to be a pilot, but until then she’s excited to bring what she can to the table.

Malena Gangi- Malena Gangi is a Senior journalistic writer and photographer at Charles M. Russell High School. She has had three years of experience in the journalism department, has been an intern for The Electric newspaper, and is currently a member of the school newspaper club. She is an athlete in cross country and long distance track. Gangi also can be found engaging in her outside hobbies, including playing electric guitar, volunteering at the MacLean animal shelter, and sculpting pottery at Paris Gibson Art Museum. She has lived in eight states, due to her dad’s military career, but has settled in for the long run to finish her high school years. She is a big rock n’ roll music fan, and particularly enjoys the bands The Smashing Pumpkins, The Goo Goo Dolls, Megadeth, and Soul Asylum. Besides music, Gangi loves her black cat and golden retriever, Oliver and Bengi, and is obsessed with coffee flavored ice cream. In the future, she hopes to involve herself with a career that exercises her skills in writing, communications, and creativity. However, she is open to embracing the adventure of finding her career path and trying new things. 

Maddy Osterman

Maddy Osterman is a Senior at Charles M. Russell High School. She enjoys many things such as learning Spanish, photography, and writing. She grew up in a family of six with many pets, moving all around Montana when she was younger due to her dad being in the military. She’s lived in Helena, Butte, and Great Falls. Osterman usually spends her free time running with the CMR cross country team, training for the Las Vegas Half Marathon, becoming a lady wrestler, and running track. She spends a lot of time with her friends and family, as they are a big priority for her. She enjoys a lot of different genres of music such as country, rap, and 90s hip hop. With many goals in life she aspires to go to college for photography or journalism, possibly join the military, and travel around. She has always wanted to go somewhere in Mexico and has helped that goal with learning Spanish the last four years.

Sofia Wayne 

Sofia Wayne is a Sophomore at Charles M. Russell High School, class of 2028. She is involved in Newspaper club and Art club, and she wrestles for CMR. Her favorite class is English because she enjoys reading and writing, also joining the newspaper club for that same reason. She’s a fan of the Dallas Stars and Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. She’s been living in Great Falls since August after moving from Fort Worth, Texas, where she lived her whole life. She is a cat lover, and she has three cats – Poonie, Chunky and Nancy – and two dogs, Winston and Harper. She likes to write about the sports that go on at CMR, teachers, and other school events. Her favorite food is homemade chicken gumbo, and her favorite drink is coconut Dr Pepper or Diet Coke. She enjoys country music like Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan, Flatland Cavalry or other artists like Mazzy Star, Beabadoobee, Fiona Apple and Esha Tewari. Her favorite movies are “The Wizard of Oz”, “I, Tonya”, “Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2”. Her favorite television show is “Community” or “Elementary” and her favorite color is pink. Wayne is hoping to begin the path to becoming an elementary teacher, wanting to work with first or second graders after college, hoping to either go to Texas A&M or a Montana school. She is excited to continue her journey in Journalism and continue to work on her reporting skills.