Issue 5 (December, 2013-2014)

ECHOES

Issue 5 | Volume 113 December 2013

The Independent Voice of Abraham Lincoln High School | Council Bluffs, Iowa | ALechoes.com

Student robotics team succeeds Reaching final rounds in numerous competitions compete in the yearly competition, where they will get the chance to go on to the national competition.

“The robots are built throughout the year to compete in the contests against other schools. There are two divisions, one for both high school and middle school,” said Ryan Higgins, engineering teacher. Aside from the opposing schools, they also have five other teams from this school to compete against.

“We compete against the other groups here by looking at their designs, taking what works best for them and implementing it into our own design,” Rice said.

Each robotics team has to work vigorously through the year to make sure their robot is in top shape before each competition and for The Bayliss Bashers, left to right, senior John Cooper, senior AJ Stanley, senior Grayson Harvey, junior Alex Brewer, some this means staying junior Trevor Funkhauser. Photo by Francisco Franco after school nearly every day they can.

“We spent lots of time competition robot teams. during high school.

Some robots however,

By Nathan Vorce making our robot the best it Students join robotics “I just joined are built to help achieve Reporter can be. We spend hours upon for various reasons of engineering my junior year, goals, and are engineered hours fine tuning it during interest in the activity. and I worked my way into by students here in school. school and after school to “I became interested in robotics from there,” senior Robotics is a form of hen one make sure it’s the best we robots when I was younger, Cody Rice said. engineering and is offered thinks of can make it,” senior John and enjoyed building Students may have seen after school year-round the word Cooper said. things,” freshman Brendan some of the wheeled robots for anyone who wants to robot, The robotics teams had Geer said. at work in the engineering participate. They begin at the they generally think of the a competition on Dec. 7, For some, interest in room while walking by. beginning of the year, and metal creation with flashing and the Bayliss Brawlers engineering was obtained The robots are made to are sorted up into different eyes and mechanical parts.

W

Senior Cody Rice works on his teams’ Redneck Robotics robot. Photo by Francisco Franco

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ALECHOES.com

Important Dates

The Bayliss Bashers’ robot.

Photo by Francisco Franco

January 23: Parent/Teacher Conferences 2nd Trimester March 10: 3rd Trimester Begins

team led by senior Grayson Harvey reached the finals in the competition.

One important aspect of the robotics competition is the arena which the robots compete in. The arena is composed of 3 zones; a hanging zone, middle zone and goal zone. The various zones are divided up by different obstacles that the robotics students must have in mind when building their robots.

The competition itself is composed of a 15 second period where robots are released in the arena and do their own thing, followed by a minute and 45 second time when teams can remote control their robots. During this time, players try to get the robots to score points by getting the various red and blue balls, which correspond to their team, into the scoring zone or middle zone, or by hanging their robot off a tower in the arena at the end of the match.

“You score by placing the different size balls in tubes or in a point zone,” Harvey said. “You have to spend a lot of hours designing and programming the robot.”

No matter where they go through the year, the robotic students try to work hard and have determination that will help ensure that their robots beat out their competition.

(From left to right) Junior and senior John Cooper make adjustments to their robot. Photo by Francisco Franco

March 25: Juniors College Planning Night April 24: Parent/Teacher Conferences 3rd Trimester

May 31: Graduation Day For more important dates and information check out cbcsd.org

News E Advisement classes giving back 2

Jessie Adkins | News Editor

By Danielle

Rambo Reporter

This year, all students have been put into advisory classes and because of these classes, students have gotten together and are able to help out those in need with ideas each class has came up with.

Drama teacher Steve Mandelko and his class have started a coat drive. The class has been debating on where to send the coats and the rest of the winter gear, on the top of the list is the Salvation Army. All of his students pitched in ideas to come up with the idea of the coat drive, and ended on Dec. 16. The whole student body was able to help out by bringing warm weather items like gloves, scarfs, hats, and coats.

“My class and I came up with the idea to give back for the holidays,” sophomore Paige Oamek said. “We got a few coats but not as much as

we would want.”

While Mandelko’s class is taking care of the coat drive, special education teacher Anthony Tedesco’s class started a ramen noodle drive. His advisement class discussed how they could help others out.

“We talked about canned goods and the usual non-perishable items people donate and then the class brought up donating ramen,” Tedesco said. “I asked them why would we only collect ramen and they said ‘because everyone loves ramen.’ I didn’t know that was an undisputed fact, but they said it like it was scientifically proven.”

One of the students responsible for helping with the idea shares why it will be affective.

“Ramen is really easy to make and it’s also cheap,” sophomore Zach Ambrose said.

Although it is a food drive for ramen, the class is accepting other things to give

December 2013

even more to local shelters in need. The class is leaning more towards the Micah House and Mohm’s Place and can expand to other places depending on how much food is collected.

Many of the students were encouraged to make a card for injured soldiers in their advisory class, which was sent to Holiday Mail for Heroes, sponsored by the Red Cross.

“I decided to try and make a good card because there are people out there putting a lot more on the line than me and I’m sure they would enjoy to hear from someone else how much they’re appreciated,” senior John Cooper said. “My hope would be that one of them would be reached out to and have their spirits lifted by it.”

There are also students from FCA that are making cards for the Bethany Lutheran nursing home.

“We are doing it as a community service project,

to give back to the community,” sophomore Jessica Hipnar said.

Many classes have taken

the time to think of others by collecting food, warm clothes and even sending out a simple card to people let-

choes

ting them know that they are cared for and to have a good holiday.

Drama teacher, Steve Mandelko’s advisement class collecting clothing for the salvation army.

Photo by Eric Cavanaugh

Importance of filing the FAFSA FAFSA TIPS: • File early. Get in your FAFSA in as fast as you can.

• Always try. Even if you think you might not get anything still apply for aid.

• Check over your application. Checking over your application can prevent any errors or missed questions that can delay your application.

• Don’t lie. Lying can lead to a fine up to $20,000, time in prison, and forfeit of financial aid.

• Leave nothing blank. If you can’t answer a question with a monetary value use a zero, everything else should be filled out completely.

• Extenuating circumstances can change outcome. If you have high medical bills, the death of a parent, divorced parents, loss of employment, loss of benefits or income, or other circumstances you should consult the financial aid office at the college you wish to attend Tips from http://business.time.com

By Holly Jensen Reporter

With the upcoming tax season and final dates for college applications approaching it can be a stressful season. Any student or adult planning on returning to further their educations are facing enough due dates to make their heads spin.

The FAFSA, or the federal application for student aid, can be found on http:// www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and the paper applications can be printed off from the same website. There are deadlines: the federal deadline is on midnight central time, June 30, 2014 but any corrections or updates must be submitted by midnight central time, Sept. 20, 2014. There may be different deadlines for

different colleges, programs of study, or certificate programs. While filling out the application some questions may come across as strange when they actually serve a purpose like the question of gender or religion.

“Males are required to sign up for the selective service and if they haven’t then they can’t receive the FAFSA,” said Janelle Whatcott, Communications specialist from Iowa Western Community college, “It asks for religion then we have to respect their religion and to let them off for their holy days.”

Before one starts the FAFSA application some things are required like social security number, one’s alien registration number if not a citizen of the US, the student’s parents most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. Sometimes

bank statements and records of investments can affect the money a student can receive, just as records of untaxed income can. Most importantly each student will need a FAFSA PIN, which can easily be obtained but it’s important to check if one has one in the first place, along with the student’s parents. A pin can be obtained at www.pin. ed.gov.

When filling out the FAFSA there are a few pitfalls and gopher holes there to trip up inattentive students if they aren’t careful. Many students and parents have gone through the FAFSA process and now you can learn from their mistakes like accidentally leaving important spaces blank. or writing an incorrect social security number or drivers license number, so be sure to check over the application before turning it in.

Mt. Crescent opening for the season

By Jessi Borwick Circulation Manager Mt. Crescent is located in the Loess Hills in western Iowa, many adults and students ski, snowboard and/ or hang out in the day lodge.

Mt. Crescent opened Saturday, Dec. 14 this year. Different activities one can enjoy at Mt. Crescent are snowboarding and skiing on the slippery slopes. Sophomore Paige Oamek enjoys certain winter activities at Mt. Crescent, “I’ve been skiing for seven years, but I have been skiing at Mt. Crescent for about three years.” Oamek said.

Many people go to Mt. Crescent because it is a

hometown area to enjoy certain winter activities so people do not have to travel far.

“I live about half a mile from Mt. Crescent, so it easier to go to than traveling to Colorado to ski,” Oamek said.

Junior Manny Hernandez works at Mt. Crescent. He is a cleaner and does whatever he needs to help out.

“Some activities that kids will probably enjoy is tubing and/or zibob(is like sledding).” Hernandez said.

Mt. Crescent also offers learn to ski and snowboard lessons and a development program for kids 7 to 17 to acquire skills and/or improve their skills. The Development Program is a six

week program meeting once a week starting in January 2013 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with one hour free-ski/ride from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“There are a lot of trails that are good for beginners,” Hernandez said.

Tubing and zibob are special activities that are only on Saturdays and Sundays. Times on Saturday are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday times are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There are also events that Mt. Crescent

hosts such as Midnight Madness, Mudzilla Mud Run, and College and Military Thursdays. Mt. Crescent is a family friendly place that is a great for winter activities.

Mt. Crescent is closed Monday and Tuesday and opened Wednesday through Sunday.

For more information on Mt. Crescent, got to www.skicrescent.com.

Echoes

Entertainment 3 Unique gift giving this holiday Jaidlyn Bookout | Entertainment Editor

By Taylor Crinklaw Reporter

Homemade fleece blanket

Christmas ornament

Personalized Portraits

Photos by Taylor Crinkclaw

Portrait by Shyann Vangerpann

An easy idea that will last for a long time is a double sided

Another low cost gift is a homemade ornament, you can have

A creative and unique idea is a portrait. It’s homemade and can

fleece blanket. Head to your neighborhood fabric store and

your younger siblings or family members help with this one!

mean much more than something expensive. All you need is a

pick two fleece fabrics that you like. Have them cut you

All you need is your choice of colored paint, a plain orna-

pencil and a piece of paper. You can draw anything from a self

anywhere from 1.5 to 3 yards of each. Once you get home lay

ment and a paint brush. If you would like to make an unique

portrait to a favorite character or animal. If you aren’t the best

one of the fabrics on top of the other and make sure they are

ornament, you can use popsicle sticks or add personal pictures.

drawer, you could ask a friend to draw it for you. Many have

even. In the corner cut boxes about 4 inches, and cut around

I used popsicle sticks and broke them into different sizes to

asked other friends to draw self portraits of their loved ones.

the blanket, cutting in about 3 or 4 inches. Once done cutting

make them look like a christmas tree. You can include sparkles

It’s a gift that will definitely stay in the hearts of your friends

double knot tie the two different fabrics together. Do this all

to add some character and also paint with your hands or a

and family for quite sometime! If you want to add just a little

the way around. Depending on which fabrics you pick, will

brush. When you are done with that you can add use a hole

more to the portrait you could try picking out a frame to put it

depend on the price you pay. I payed only $25 dollars.

punch or glue and a string to make it hang!

in or even make one with it’s own personal touch as well.

Students revisit unusual tv shows

By Calab Holder Reporter In recent years, television networks have seen an influx in reality TV series.

On the Arts and Entertainment channel (A&E) the duck-call making Robertson family have captivated many audiences with their quick wit and gut-busting sense of humor. The name of the show is “Duck Dynasty,” and it documents the Robertson family’s daily lives and the business dealings of

their million-dollar company Duck Commander.

“I’ve been watching the show since the first episode and I watch Duck Dynasty every week. I always watch it together with my family in our living room. The actors are really funny and the episodes show that families can become stronger even through difficult times. I consider the show quirky and funny, but on a deeper level it portrays a duck-call making family from the South and their odd sense of

humor,” Sophomore Kaleb Henningsen said.

Unusual television shows are definitely not exclusive to the United States.

In Canada, the popular Red Green Show ran from 1991 to 2006, airing a total of 300 episodes.

“The show centers on a group of middle aged guys at the Possum Lodge with their “leader” being Red Green. Other big characters in the show included Red’s nephew Harold, local convict Mike Hamar, store

owner Dalton Humphrey, and sewage worker Winston Rothschild III. Basically, they’re a bunch of goofballs who go on crazy adventures which aren’t usually seen, but are summarized in little interludes between segments,” junior Noah Larsen said.

Since the first episode in 1963, Doctor Who has become a cult classic that’s influence has spread not only through England, but all over the world. The show follows the Doctor, a

time-traveling humanoid, who explores the Universe in a spaceship called the TARDIS, righting wrongs and helping out ordinary people.

“I’ve been watching Doctor Who for about a year, but I have seen every episode from the 9th, 10th, and 11th season reboots, along with other past episodes. Recently, I’ve watched an entire television marathon of the show, and I watch the show every other day of the week, at the

least. My favorite part about the show is the plotline— some episodes correspond with one another and some episodes stand alone. The overall concept of the series is very well-thought out,” junior Andy Meyers said.

At first glance, some television series may seem unusual or weird, but underlying the preconceived notions that brand them unusual, are important lessons of family values and intelligent, complicated story lines.

Continuing....

Bad company vs the new world order

By Joe Vrenick Multi-Media Specialist Part 2 of 4 Explosions and gunfire are not things one normally runs towards. The Resistance however, dives right into the action. Even if we are outnumbered and outgunned in every battle we fight, we fight. And that’s what my battallion and I have been doing since we landed.

Hiding behind the rubble of crumbling buildings, and behind pieces of exploded helicopters for cover. Firing into crowds of NWO members and are barely getting any bullets through their armor.

The NWO advances The Resistance in technology by a long shot. We’ve never seen weapons or armour like this before.

I see the general on the other side of the street, yelling into the walkie talkie, trying not to get shot as he

calls in for drones and air support. We aren’t going to make it down the street any further without them because we are getting slaughtered.

Drones and Mechs have always been our most reliable defense. The science division of The Resistance had a blast making the models!

They based the models off all of those James Cameron movies they watch a lot and added a whole ton of weapons and armour, similar to the one the NWO uses, to

help beat the odds. Out of the sky, a drone lands in the middle of the street and fires a missile at the NWO grunts firing at us. Clearing the path for us to advance forward. In the distance I see one of our cargo planes get shot down, and piloted mechs parachuting out of the flaming wreckage. Wish we could pilot those mechs! They take hits from bullets like it was nothing. Rockets and missiles, on the other hand, do a little bit of damage but you can at

least pick yourself up.

We continue up the street and set a command post up in an abandoned building. I look out at a building in the distance through a set of binoculars and I see my target. H.I.M himself, on the top floor, observing the battle from afar. Just like the coward he is! And he’s the one I’m going after since my orders are to get into the building he is occupying, and bring him into Resistance custody.

Dead or Alive.

The best plan of attack that my troop and I could come up is to strike from where they least expect it.

We will go in through the sewers, come up through the basement, and work our way up to the top floor to apprehend H.I.M. Hopefully it will be discrete and quick.

We were on our way into the sewers until a missile hit nearby us.

End of Part 2

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Feature

December 2013

Spread Designed By Britteny Johnson

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From keeping warm to driving cautiously: Staying safe and healthy this winter season Keeping safe from cold, snow, ice:

*Drink plenty of fluids such as juice and water.

* Bundle up when braving the outdoors, wear: *Coats *Gloves *Hats *Scarves

*When driving, give plenty of room to stop. *Check and make sure your tires, breaks, and cars are winter ready. *Have an ice scraper at hand.

*If you are sick, don’t stay outdoors too long.

Photos and photo collage by Eric Cavanaugh

By Jessi Borwick Circulation Manager

N

ow that winter is approaching there are many ways that people can get hurt and get sick. Three main issues dealing with staying

safe during winter are safe driving, staying warm, and preventing illnesses.

Many parents badger their kids on staying warm and dressing appropriately for the cold weather. Gloves, winter coats, hats or ear muffs, and boots are proper attire for going outside this time of year. Children who enjoy sledding, snowball fights and building snowmen wear snow pants to keep dry and keep their legs warm.

While indoors during the winter, appropriate attire would be jeans or pants, long sleeve shirts, hoodies, and

sweatshirts. Socks would also be appropriate because most of the body’s heat escapes from its feet. By wearing this cold weather clothing, people can stay away from frostbite, hypothermia, or just from being chilled. Another thing that people should be safe and cautious about is the flu. Two types of flu are the stomach flu and respiratory flu. Both are equally bad and no one wants them. There are a few things that people can do to keep from getting sick.

“Good hand washing and common sense are the best ways to stay away from

influenza. Stay away from sick people, do not expose others if you think you may have influenza, and get vaccinated,” Daniele Michels, nurse at Jennie Edmundson said. “It is everyone’s responsibility to stop the spread of influenza.” There is the chance though that people can get sick even if they do their best to stay away from it. Thankfully, there are things a person can do to help cope and get better when they have the flu.

“Get plenty of rest and push fluids, such as water and juice, because it is important

to stay hydrated while running a fever,” said Cyndi Borwick, Employee Health nurse at Jennie Edmundson.

A couple ways to keep others from getting the flu when you have it is only leave the house if it is really needed to reduce exposure to others.

If a sick person is going to go out, wear a mask, which one can get from their doctor.

Practicing good hand washing is also a good habit to do.

One other important thing to be safe about during the winter is driving. This is one of the biggest things to be cautious about during the

winter because if something goes wrong it can be fatal.

There are some simple things you can do to be safe while driving during the winter.

“I make sure my car is warmed up before I drive it. I also put snow tires on my car during the winter,” senior Joi Albertus said.

When driving on icy roads it is important to decrease the speed and leave plenty of space to stop. Brake gently to avoid skidding and use lower gears to keep traction are also good ideas. If people are going to go out when there is snow and ice, it is best to

wait until the snow plows and sanding trucks are done doing their work. It is also a good idea to allow extra time to reach a destination. If the winter weather is really bad the best idea is not to go out at all. By following these few safe driving tips, winter travel will be more at ease than full of worry and stress.

Staying safe is important all year round, but during the winter season it is more of a challenge. By following some of these tips, one can decrease the risk and stay warm, healthy, and safe on the roads.

Additional design by Jessi Borwick

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Victoria Holcomb | Opinion Editor

Opinion

December 2013

Echoes

Christmas shopping; go early, finish late Shopping early, when cash is on hand

Shopping late, to catch all the deals

By Kendal Bainbridge Reporter

By Christian Miller Reporter I never understood how people were able to achieve last minute shopping for the holidays. I mean the things that you really want to purchase will be out of stock, and everything that you end up getting tends to be the lower quality items that are left over after the holiday rush. Someone ends up not getting what they wanted, gifts break quicker and easier, and it ends up being a bigger hassle, compared to the alternative; early holiday shopping.

Early shopping is not just a month or two before hand, it usually goes even further back. You buy a few things here or there, when cash is at your disposal, and by the time the actual holidays roll around there is hardly anything left to buy. Personally, my family buys toys for my brother and sister all the way back into

the early months of Spring all the way to late October, so that by the time all of the holiday madness arrives, we can put the credit card down, the cash can stay in our wallets and we get to relax.

Ordering last minute gifts and items also tends to be more of a problem than you’d think. Most of the time when you go to order an item online, it is an item that multiple other people also wanted. So in turn, hundreds of people want this item before you even get your hands on this item, but by the time you go to order it, it’s out of stock, and you are now paying for your incessant procrastination.

Starting off early also allows for a full complete and thought out list to be produced for the recipient.

If you ask subtle questions in the early months about what someone wants, odds are that you’ll end up being subjected to a long rant about what they want oh so badly in which you can

make sure you have it in a few months time, opposed to putting someone on the spot and getting only a few things that hold lesser importance, that the recipient didn’t truly want.

Getting gifts together earlier also allows for more gifts to be bought in the long run. If you casually buy gifts little by little, many more gifts end up being accumulated than if had they been all bought in one short amount of time with a much smaller and limited budget.

One could argue that the holidays are not about gifts, and that you should cherish the little things, and I believe this as well, but you need to consider families that have more people in them. Families that have three or more children tend to be of lower middle class in which much more stress put upon the parents, because they feel as though they may not be able to provide as much for them, and want to give better quality gifts to their children.

to battle the cold, and the crowds. During December, stores are packed with people looking for the perfect gifts. Stores expect this.

It’s normal. It’s acceptable, but when should people stay home? When do people need to stop going out and spending money, and instead be with the people they love?

Christmas is a good start. So is Thanksgiving.

You could always throw New Year’s Day into that mix too. All of these are holidays that are celebrated by the majority of the United States population, and they all occur once a year. So you

would think that to celebrate these you would stay home to enjoy time with your family, or go to parties with your friends. But you would be wrong with these assumptions. How would I know this? I spent the last year and eight months working at the local AMC theater, and can honestly tell you that out of all those shifts, the busiest ones are on holidays.

I celebrate Christmas, so I would have liked to spend the day as I traditionally do, at home with my family, opening presents, and eating a well-anticipated meal. Instead, I was cleaning movie

Many will say that early shopping is so much more of a productive ordeal and a bit more of a fun time, but is it truly this way? Can the fact of being trampled in a store help prove this “fact” false?

Being mowed down into the corner of an aisle in back of a Target store really hurts; trust me, I know this from experience. That experience is due to the fact that I tried the “practical” and early Black Friday Shopping with my Mum a few years back.

Not only was I a bit of a “younger, slightly cheeky, brat” as one would call a teen of my age, and I was smaller than most (pretty much all) of the people that were shopping and got trampled on quite a bit. Oh, it was not fun whatsoever, and no one paid any mind to the girl being shoved around.

No one really seemed to even care. They all seem to

be selfish and want to get in and get out as quick as possible, without paying any mind to who is around them, nor the consequences and bruises they are leaving behind.

Golly, it was quite the awful experience. One minute you are trying to reach around the huge masses of people in front of you, just for the one and only lego set your little brother wanted, only to find yourself flat on the ground because in mere minutes you were being shoved aside so someone else could get the exact same thing. It is not like I’m an intimidating person, so people normally pay no mind or feel any guilt to push someone around who was my age. So, after a few hours in line at that one store, it’s time to bustle off to the next!

Therefore, the process of early Christmas shopping is horrendous. I decided that later shopping is just as good, maybe even just a little bit better, especially in the long run.

Later shopping, you don’t have to deal with the stress and pressure to get something right away. That’s what stores rely on. When you go out and expect to buy something, you buy the first thing that comes up so you don’t have to do it later, as it is a snap decision; especially when you shop early. When you shop at a later date, you can actually sit and ponder as to what exactly you need to buy and how much money you are going to spend instead of just buying something and not knowing where or who exactly it is going to when you give your gifts out.

Instead of racing to stores early on, you can wait until, say, December 15th to get your gifts for friends or family. Sure it is a little later than the usual, but there really is no hustle and bussle to buy things. You can stroll around the store leisurely instead of trying to get away from the mobbing crowds to get your gifts, with your dignity still slightly intact.

Putting an end to this unwelomed holiday trend

By Kirsten Darrington Reporter

The holiday season is often a busy time, as people are constantly leaving the warmth of their homes

theaters from 10 a.m., to 6 p.m. My entire shift, there were lines out the doors.

Almost every single theater sold out. To give you a better idea of what that means, there are 17 theaters, and at the time, the smallest theater sat 120 seats, and the largest sat 345. I was assigned to eight theaters with two other people, and I promise that between keeping eight theaters, the lobby, and the bathrooms clean, there was no Christmas spirit between the three of us. I don’t remember opening gifts, or spending time with my family; I remember hating my

life, and the general public for eight hours straight.

Christmas isn’t the only holiday experience I’ve had.

On New Year’s Eve, I welcomed in the new year alone in my car on my way home after working 4-11:45. On Thanksgiving, I had to miss out on spending time with my favorite cousin from out of town so that I could work all night. I missed out on cherishable memories for a measly $7.35 an hour.

What I’m trying to say is that we need to respect other people’s traditions. People going out on holidays might create a fun, memorable

time for them, but for the people who have to cater to their needs, it ruins holidays. Why should someone have to suffer on a holiday?

There’s an easy solution to this. Stop going out on holidays. Go the day before, or the day after. If there aren’t people coming in, they’ll let people leave early.

There will always be people that have to work on holidays, but when you can do something to prevent it, you should. If you give people the opportunity to enjoy their holidays, you’ll see a lot less bah humbug, and a whole lot more deck the halls.

True meaning of holidays overtaken by shopping experience

By Victoria Holcomb Opinion Editor Within a few years, holidays will be nothing but another day. As it is, they are being overtaken

to introduce the upcoming holiday. Stores, people and the world are forgetting what it’s like to enjoy one holiday at a time, before jumping on the next.

I am working seasonally at Shopko, I started around Halloween. By that time, they already had Christmas trees up and ornaments out.

The aisles designated toward autumn had been dwindling down to just a few items, and before too long were replaced with christmas candies and stocking stuffers.

Stores are progressing so

fast along the holidays, passing one and another as if on a race toward Christmas.

I love Christmas, all the joy, music and gift giving; although if you start too early, you completely lose sight of the other holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. They just get lost in the jumble, being overpassed to catch up to the Christmas competition.

All the rush of holiday shopping is turning families away from celebrating with those who matter to them.

Thanksgiving is a holiday

meant to be thankful for what you have. Yet Black Friday shopping is drawing families apart. Everyone rushing to stores, even on Thanksgiving, to fight for what they want. Although just hours before were celebrating and thankful for everything.

Most people don’t even give a second thought toward all the employees that are pulled away from their families to assist in finding exactly what you need.

Stores prepare their employees for this day for months,

hiring extra seasonal help like me. Stores even open early, on thanksgiving day to ensure to pull in all willing customers. Their mindset is leaving Thanksgiving behind and moving straight to christmas within hours. I, on the other hand, would like to spend that day with my family, enjoying the entire day.

Don’t get me wrong I love Black Friday shopping, but the key word here is “Friday.” Starting earlier is just ruining the essence of Thanksgiving. Yes, people just get together and pig out,

but being together is what makes the holiday special.

Not leaving early to rush to save some money on that new TV, you could buy at a different time.

Others wait until Friday, at midnight or even until later that morning. Enjoying their holiday celebrations with their families, instead of rushing through it. People can keep the holidays in the spirit of happiness and togetherness. While, one can still enjoying the holidays with the people they cherish.

Opinion

Echoes December 2013

Victoria Holcomb | Opinion Editor

Staff Editorial

Tips to make it through this winter How to stay safe during the cold winter months (Staff voted in favor of this column 20 of 20.)

Brrrr. Winter is here again and with that comes the illnesses and icy roads. Many may know people who had been in winter accidents, and they will tell you: it doesn’t end there. After an accident, you have to deal with insurance companies, and possibly getting your car fixed, and all that other jazz. If you were the one who caused the accident, even if it was due to

icy roads, you feel awful So this winter the Echoes staff advises everyone to take precautions when hitting the roads. Make sure your tires are prepared for the treacherous roads, and drive carefully. Give yourself time to stop. We don’t want to have to hear sad stories about people getting hurt this winter. Please drive safely.

When it comes to staying healthy, we hope everyone takes as many precautions as possible. Wash your hands

regularly, stay as warm as possible, and don’t stick around sick people too long.

Let those who are sick run their course, give them their space and let them get healthy.

We know that a lot of students like to go out and have a good time in the snow during the winter, but please make sure you bundle up. Make sure if you go out to have snowball fights, or go tubing, or something like that, keep yourself warm.

Don’t go out in shorts and

Photo illustration by Tiffany Ferrer

tees. We know some of you are probably thinking, “Why are we being told to do this?

It’s common sense,” but some students don’t seem to get that. To those students who don’t seem to want to dress winter appropriate, please rethink. Even when walking from the school to your car, a coat is always a good idea. We don’t want to see freezing peers getting sick. Keep yourself safe. If you get in an accident or have a problem, and have to sit on the side of the road for a while you might be frozen without a coat.

Winter is a dangerous season, one has to deal with all of the snow and colds running around. It is a good idea to learn what precautions to take, and how to take them.

For more on staying winter weather safe this year, take a look at pages 4-5 of this issue.

Customers are everything, holiday rush is on on many that what they do or say has massive effects on the employee’s psyche, attitude, and feelings in general. Consumers these days are everything; saving money, getting good service for little to nothing is usually the goal. Many don’t understand that their snide comments, or utter rudeness can ruin an employee’s entire day.

I work at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery as a waitress, and we are constantly on our feet, running around, trying to get everything each one of your tables need, and being as polite as possible throughout the whole process. The job itself isn’t very difficult, but it never fails, out of

ByRachel Cattone-Dungan

Reporter

Everyone has their grievances with their workplace. In between your boss, the actual tasks you have to perform, and the worst: customers, it’s hard to power through. Though it seems hard to imagine for the everyday consumer, the idea has not dawned

hundreds of customers there are usually a few who go out of their way to be horrendous towards others.

When one person, or group of people are saying things about you or towards you, it’s hard to ignore. I’ve only had one table ever do such a thing, they told my manager how I was a bad server and that their food wasn’t good or prepared correctly, when most of the food was already gone. My manager later took me aside and said that they were just attempting to get free food, but I could have easily cried for how embarrassed and angry I was. To this day it amazes me that they had the nerve to say those things, when I was five feet away. Luckily

for myself that was six months ago, the first week of my employment. Working the food industry has always been one end of the spectrum, or another, those who are incredibly nice or those who make us wish we could hide in the kitchen and never return.

Though some never seem to learn, I have come to see some incredibly kind and selfless things take place in Perkins. Some restaurants have “regulars,” or people who come in weekly or often, and at Perkins we have many, one particular regular we have is a father and his mentally handicapped daughter. One day while I was serving them I went to print out their

receipt, and found that it was missing. I check all my other tables and none of them had paid for it, and proceeded to ask my manager for help, being incredibly confused.

He then told me that an anonymous person paid for their meal. I then went to relay the message to the father, who was completely shocked, thanked me several times, and then gave me a $10 tip.

If I ever got the chance I would thank that person for their random act of kindness.

None the less, the holidays are near and the consumers may flock to the nearest Wal-mart to get as much as they can, I will patiently wait at Perkins for the rush of hungry, angry customers.

Alumna fulfilling newspaper dreams

Photo Submitted by Haylay Hochstetler

I

guess this is where I’m supposed to share my college experience thus far and give my advice.

Well, I could talk about how crappy a job CBCSD does to prepare one for college, but I’ll spare you the complaints and also save myself from the wrath of anyone in a position of power in the CBCSD. I could talk about how difficult college courses are and how much homework I have, but I don’t want to scare anyone away from going to college.

Instead, I want to share this quote: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

This is something that everyone should live by.

My dream ever since I was in high school was to be a photographer. I had dreams of a job at a big newspaper like the Des Moines Register or the Omaha World-Herald.

Never did I imagine actually working at a professional newspaper at 18 years old.

Never did I ever imagine to have my photos actually be in the Register already!

I’ve experienced so many cool things that I would have never imagined an 18 year could experience. I’ve gotten to experience Division I football games on the field; no more than 5 feet away from the players. I’ve gotten to interview and photograph football players, basketball players, wrestlers, cross country runners, coaches,

and more. I’ve experienced a Big 12 soccer Championship series game from the field.

I’ve photographed cross country runners puking as they crossed the finish line of the regional cross country meet. (Gross but cool.)

And that was only during my very first semester of college.

So here’s what I have to say to you guys in high school.

If your dream is to go to school on the coast of California, go to California.

If you want to be a firefighter, by all means you go put out that fire. If you want to go to a community college to save money, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that. In fact, your parents will probably thank you. The world is full of so many opportunities

once you are out of high school and it is entirely up to you to decide what to do. YOU. Not your mom or dad. Not your friends.

You. Do not let the opinions of others stop you from accomplishing what you want to accomplish.

Trust yourself and your abilities and put yourself out there in the real world. Work your tail off and I guarantee your hard work will not go unnoticed. Stay true to yourself. You get one life and one day when you’re looking back on your past, you’ll want to remember all of the cool things you did rather than having regrets for what you wanted to do but never did.

After all, the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

ECHOES

7

Editors-in-Chief Britteny Johnson Jaidlyn Bookout Section Editors Jessie Adkins Krystal Hopkins Victoria Holcomb Business Manager Brooke Criswell Photo Editor Francisco Franco Graphic Design Editor Alex Snipes Reporters/Photographers Calab Holder Christian Miller Danielle Rambo Eric Cavanaugh Hailey Carson Holly Jensen Kendal Bainbridge Kirsten Darrington Logan Eruin Nathan Vorce Rachel Cottone-Dungan Tanner Hochstetler Taylor Crinklaw Tiffany Ferrer Will Schademann Circulation Manager Jessi Borwick E-Tube Executive Producers Jazmine Orellana Kate Hiers E-Tube Producers Ali McDougle Cara Ireland Hayley Leonard Jordon Yearian Keowa Coleman Taylor Daugherty Tina Huynh Trey Chubick Multimedia Specialist Joseph Vrenick Adviser Gerry Appel The Echoes is published by the newspaper staff of Abraham Lincoln High School, and exists to serve as an open forum for the students, faculty, administration and community.

All state and federal laws regarding the publications of student materials shall apply, and the Echoes will not publish materials which also fall under the guidelines established by the Council Bluffs Public Schools system, and are deemed libelous, obscene, or a material and substantial disruption to normal classroom activities.

The views expressed are not those of the Council Bluffs Public Schools, faculty, or administration.

Any student, faculty, or staff member wishing to contribute materials will need to submit a letter to the editor within deadline restriction; however, final publications is at the discretion of the staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged, and must be 400 words or less in length and signed; letters will be printed as received.

Every attempt will be made to verify the authenticity of the author, and no anonymous letters will be published.

Advertising will not be accepted for all products or services that are illegal for minors to possess or utilize. Advertisers wishing to reserve publication space should contact us by : Phone 712-328-6481 ext. 425 Facebook ALHS Echoes Twitter @ALHSJournalism Website www.ALechoes.com

Member Publication

Echoes

Sports

December 2013

Krystal Hopkins | Sports Editor

8

Bowlers strike away the season competition

By Tanner Hochstetler Reporter The boys and girls bowling team has been practicing for the past few weeks at Thunderbowl. With five meets accomplished the team plans to move forward.

Bowling is one of the world’s oldest sports dating back to 3200 B.C. It is a sport that is achieved over time rather than right away.

Bowling is one of the few sports at our school where the boys and girls practice, and go to games together.

“We always practice with the boys next to us and we travel with the boys to almost all the meets,” senior Ashtyne Madsen said.

“When we have mistakes the

boys coach will give us tips such as moving one board to the left or right or don’t throw the ball so hard just let it fall, also keep your shoulders square to the pins.”

In previous seasons the bowling team has made it to state each year. Last year the bowling team placed 10th at the state competition and bowlers anticipate this season’s state competition on Feb. 25. Many players have seen improvement this year from their previous scores.

“Freshman year I was scoring a 150 average, but now I usually put up 180,” junior Josh Epperson said.

During the practices leading up to the state competition, one thing the team works on is their spins. Spinning the ball is necessary at times because one may have

a tricky split or can use spin to make a strike. For amateur bowlers getting a split can be a nightmare, however the team practices hitting the most common split with the seven and ten pin.

“Most of the time we just bowl normal, but sometimes we practice hitting the seven and ten pin,” Madsen said.

“Other times we practice shooting spares. When we do this one person throws a ball and then another person throws the ball to pick up the spare.”

Other things bowlers can do to raise their scores is improving the friction of the ball by coating it in a special resin. By applying this resin a bowler may have an easier time spinning or hooking the ball. Spinning or hooking the ball is gained by simply mov-

Bowling team takes turns throwing the ball at practice. Photo by Francisco Franco ing one’s footing on the line, changing the way you throw or hold the ball, and following through your motion.

Some bowlers have individual things the may work on to improve their score.

“I grip my fingers tighter around the ball and roll the

ball in a handshake motion towards the pins,” sophomore Angel Fernandez said.

Where a the ball is thrown from can also affect the play.

“I plan to change how I stand on the line,” sophomore Zach Ambrose said.

With the state competition on its way, the bowling team continues to bowl its way to the state competition.

Bowlers on the bowling team are aiming for better scores this year, and they are also hard at work to clean up their technique.

Students getting a full body workout with Swimming

By Will Schademann Reporter

When it is winter time, what do people typically think of, the cold, snow days? Maybe basketball, but swimming? Yes, boys swimming season is during the winter for high school sports.

Although it is typically considered a summertime activity the competitive side of the sport has always occurred in the winter. Swimmers can be seen working on anything from the backstroke, to the butterfly, as well as becoming conditioned. Swimming can seem to be a very rigorous sport, because unlike all other high school sports an athlete in this sport has to float. Junior Alex Jones

Left: Junior Jack Weiss dives into the water. Right: Sophomore Kevin Branigan surfaces to breathe.

Photo by Francisco Franco believes it to be a sport that requires not only one’s arms, but their entire body.

“You use all your body parts during swimming, from your arms to your legs and everything in between,” Jones said.

Junior Matt Cumberland agrees with Jones, that the entire body needs to be conditioned for a swimmer to have a successful season.

“Just about every muscle in your body is used when you swim, because of the various strokes that you do.”

Cumberland believes that swimming overall is good for the body.

“Swimming helps the body by creating strength in all of your muscles and it does not give you any joint or bone pain,” Cumberland said. “Well, unless you

fall on the pool deck which would just make you look stupid.”

Jones believes that swimming is unique because overall, it helps your body, and doesn’t hurt it.

“Since you’re in a zero gravity environment your body will not get hurt as often as if you were running and it helps with cardio and overall conditioning,” Jones

said.

Jones believes that since the team has become smaller over the years, he doesn’t think anyone should need to tryout.

“I don’t think anyone who is interested in trying out for swimming next year will have to try out, because we are already a small team and the kids that stay after the first week are competing

to get better for themselves and for the team most importantly,” Jones said.

Another swimmer who enjoyed competing since his freshman year, is senior and captain of the swim team, Jared Holcomb.

“What I like about swimming is, that it gives our bodies a chance to get stronger and stay in shape, and allows us to be with some really cool people during the season.”

Along with Jones and Cumberland, he advises others who want to tryout for swimming, to do it.

“Others should tryout for swimming because no matter your skill level you will become a better swimmer overall.”

Whether swimming happens in the summer or the winter, swimmers can agree that it takes a lot of practice and hard work in order for the team to succeed.

Beginning of deer hunting season is here Students express their feelings on the controversial pastime ByRachel Cattone-Dungan

Reporter

Hunting has been an American pastime for centuries and is enjoyed all over the country. According to huntingworksia.com, 253,000 people hunt annually throughout Iowa and 4.2 million combined days are spent hunting. Hunting enthusiasts enjoy the sport for a variety of reasons-- some say you should only hunt for sport, and for herd control, others say it’s purely for fun.

“My favorite part so far since I haven’t shot one (a deer) yet is seeing one get super close and the anticipation

if you will have a chance to shoot it,” said senior Mandy Vorthmann, who has recently taken up the sport.

The first shotgun season for Iowa begins Dec. 7 and ends Dec. 11, the second begins Dec. 14 and ends Dec. 22. There is question of whether or not hunting should still be allowed throughout society has risen throughout the years, some believe hunting should no longer be apart of our culture.

“Because it’s killing animals/harming wildlife and it’s dangerous” sophomore Austin Devers said.

Hunting may not be a necessity to survive, but hunters continue to carry out this tradition annually. Some may

consider hunting to be a cruel treatment to animals, and feel that it is unnecessary in today’s times, considering we have had domestic farming for centuries.

“Probably because they believe animals are just as worthy as life as human beings, or it’s cruel towards animals, they feel like its a bad way to kill them, and mistakenly feel that they suffer.” Life Skills Teacher Joel Brandt said.

Hunting has been said that it is not only the act of killing but learning to survive and outwit their prey. To understand the animals habitat, it’s tracks, and their behavior.

In order to achieve your kill you must also understand your equipment, how to ef-

ficiently use it, and prepare yourself for the actual hunt.

“I have camo winter pants and a coat,” senior Mandy Vorthman said.

“Then I wear like three pairs of Under Armour pants, and long sleeve shirts, and a sweatshirt, a bunch of socks and winter boots, if it’s super cold I’ll bring hot hands.

We also practice year round at shooting ranges and at my house we set up a 3-D target of a deer.”

The sport requires a lot of gear, practice, and the constant gain of experience. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has reported 121,407 kills for the 2011/12 season by licensed hunters.

All participants are required to have a hunting license in

every state, only some require completion of hunter’s safety course, and all states require to have deer tags.

Hunters safety course is held at Iowa Western during the summer for those looking to complete the requirements.