The student newspaper of, by, and for Ames High School.

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The student newspaper of, by, and for Ames High School.

The WEB

The student newspaper of, by, and for Ames High School.

The WEB

Stretch Armstrong? More like Stretch Ellrich

Ross Ellrich is so many things. It is said that all people are special individuals, but I argue that it would be unfair not to acknowledge some as more special than others. Ross is one of those people. “Stretch” has earned this title through his enormous stature, personality, athletic ability, and da Vinci-esque multiple talents. “You’ll have to speak up, buddy; my ears are all the way up here!” This was the first thing Ross said to me during our interview, which gave me a good indication of both Ross’s stature and sense of humor. Ross plays for the high school and AAU basketball teams, and hopes to play basketball in college. For cross-training he lifts weights and high jumps for the track team. However, his athletic exploits go far beyond the conventional level. “One of my favorite things to do is to go on meadow runs. I go at about 6:00 in the morning and just run through meadows. There’s just something really satisfying about running through meadows; it’s tough to describe.” Ross listed running through meadows as both his favorite thing to do during his free time, and the most underrated activity among young people. He also mentioned that he thinks teen drug use could be reduced if high schoolers would just go meadow running to get their highs. Describing these meadow runs is one of the few times one will see Ross lost for words. Usually, he is very outgoing, and his lighthearted voice or laugh can be heard (and seen) from some distance away. This is fortunate, considering his height makes him so recognizable. “I like being tall because everybody knows me. Of course, it also means I can’t get away with anything, like when I pretend to have open campus,” Ross said. Many other Ames High students have been entranced with Ross’s gargantuan form. This fascination is shown in many different forms, from the envy of some, to the adoration of others. “He’s so tall,” junior Jua Rudeman said. “I wish I could be that tall someday.” Rudeman spoke with such emotion that one could feel the honorable romanticism in his words. However, an individual who can evoke so much praise from some will always attract equally emotional criticism. Sophomore Sam Tim had some less flattering words to saw about Ross. “Ross Ellrich is a two-timing trickster.” Tim said. “He’s a half-nosed hobgoblin.” Tim declined to elaborate on the above statements. It is difficult to adequately describe and recognize all of his talents and interests in the constraint of a news article, but a few include: the art of juggling, telling good jokes, NCAA video games, comedy films, and ducks (his favorite animal). These are all small things by themselves, but together, they make up the wonderful mosaic known as Ross Ellrich.

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