Issue 4

ECHOES

Issue 4 December 2011

The Independent Voice of Abraham Lincoln High School

Council Bluffs, Iowa

Standing up for MAC

What’s Inside:

Page 5: Our foreign correspondent tells about what holiday traditions are like in Denmark.

Photo by Shannon Holmes

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

Pages 6&7: An in-depth look on the effect Occupy Wallstreet is having on the school.

Page 11: Catch up with graduated Lynx athletes as they carry on their sports careers in college.

Students petition against new management

R

emember when you and your friends or family would go to concerts at the MidAmerica Center? Was it seeing your first hockey game? Maybe it was one time when you attended prom there? Or when your older siblings’ graduation was there?

Times have gone by,

and the Mid America Center, which is known best for its concerts and events, will now be managed

by Harrah’s Casinos owner, Caesars’s. On Dec. 12, the Council Bluffs City Council held a meeting where members agreed on allowing Caesar’s Entertainment Corporation, the owner of Harrah’s and Horseshoe casinos, to manage the Mid-America

Center, starting in July 2012. This was a unanimous vote by all city council members. Emily Wingfield ‘14, started a student petition, (alongside petitions by Cassandra Schilling ‘14, and Grayson Harvey ‘14) to prevent the MAC from being able to be taken over by a casino.

“I like to show leadership and inspire other kids. I started a peti-

tion, because I felt like if kids hear about the problem, they wouldn’t do anything about it,” Wingfield said. “But I felt like we could show City Council that we, the students, care about the MAC. We don’t want to say we graduated or went to prom at a casino. It’s a traditional thing that Council Bluffs does, to have those things at the MAC.” See MAC, page 2

www.alechoes.com

Students work to compete academically with peers

By Melanie Krohn Copy Editor Amongst all of the talent that AL amasses, many strengths lie in academic areas. These strengths occur not only in the programs itself, but also with some students. Two examples of students in programs outside of the AL building are Natasha Konfrst ‘12 and Mallory Huggins ‘13. They both participate in a program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center--the UNMC High School Alliance. This program allows them to get a headstart in their career paths of choice as they attend classes and seminars at the medical center throughout

the latter half of the school day.

“I love it, we get to take advanced science classes that aren’t offered at AL. I’m currently taking Pathology, Infectious Diseases, Medical Decision Making, and next semester I’ll switch Infectious Diseases for a genetics class,” Huggins said. “The other students in the program are all interested in going into the medical field and they all want to be in the program...”

Both girls agreed; there are no downsides to this opportunity through the medical center, besides the drive to Omaha each day.

“I like the fact that I’m learning so much that is

going to be useful in college and in my career,” Konfrst said. “I get to do things most high schoolers and even some college students don’t normally get to do.”

recommendations and more. Konfrst and Huggins attribute their overall success in school to several different things.

“I think the fact that I’m

“I’m very competitive, so I always try to be the best at anything I do.”

- Natasha Konfrst ‘12 Konfrst plans on being an oncology pharmacist, while Huggins aspires to go into genetics. Konfrst and Huggins hope their participation in the High School Alliance will give them an advantage later in college. Admission to the program was based on essays, transcripts,

stubborn is one of the reasons I’m a good student- I refuse to accept that I might get a bad grade,” Huggins said.

“I’m very competitive, so I always try to be the best at anything I do.”

Konfrst also said she knows how to balance her schedule.

“I know how to manage

my time, and I know how to prioritize based on when things are due and how big the assignment is. I can find the balance between working hard and still being a teen,” Konfrst said.

Time management is definitely a significant factor for both students because they both spend at least an hour on homework a day, while maintaining other activities and pastimes they partake in. Huggins enjoys playing piano and flute and riding horses. Konfrst is also in band, and she likes to read, workout, watch movies, and hang out with friends.

There are many other students who attend AL that are able to hold similar

levels of success with the dedication that Natasha and Mallory uphold. It can be seen the multiple awards and the pure numbers of students who participate in activities and also challenge themselves everyday. Many of them are able to take the opportunities presented to them and use them towards their academics and career path. Many would agree that requires a mixture of discipline, high expectations of oneself, and a certain amount of drive to be successful.

It also takes holding high expectations for oneself and ambition to challenge, and push themselves to plan far in advance for their future.

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Brittany Rupp | Editor in Chief

News

Students fight new ownership

Horseshoe.

“Under the current manager, the facility has continued to mount up significant annual losses (convention centers typically aren’t profitable but they do bring tourists to town that spend money and they also provide additional quality of life factors for local residents),” Walsh said in an e-mail. “Annual negative revenue (lost taxpayer The MAC will be under new management by the same dollars) was on a trend that company that owns Harrah’s. Photo by Shannon Holmes wasn’t improving to a point where it looks like it could MAC/ From page 1 and Tourism). Our CAT record the worst financial grant application was for While some students loss this year (estimated funding to build an arena are worried about activities between $800,000 and and convention center. The they once did now being in $1M)”. current property managers the hands of a casino, some Students became (SMG) were hired in families might be affected more involved with the July of 2003 and the final by this decision too. community and gained construction on the building “My dad works at signatures. was completed with the the MAC, where he is “Over the week, Emily building opened that fall. the manager,” Cassandra and I had over 800 students The property managers Schilling ‘14. “But that from A.L, (Abraham duties include maintaining doesn’t affect my decision.

Lincoln) St. Albert’s, L.C, the building in good repair, I think casinos shouldn’t (Lewis Central) and Kirn hiring the personnel to staff affect family events. With (Middle School) to sign a the building, booking events the casino now owning the petition. I think it helped for the arena, renting the MAC, I think they will have a little bit, but not enough rooms in the convention more adult concerts. I think to change the city’s mind,” center, performing the it’s (MAC) a really great Schilling said. accounting functions and place for the city, and the Along with Wingfield providing food and beverage casino won’t make (it) that.” and Schilling, Harvey said service.”

In a email to Echoes, the two girls asked him if he According to Walsh, City Councilman Matt wanted to help. Harvey said the contract with SMG Walsh said the MAC will he wanted to help because was for five years, with lose approximately $1 he fears people may lose contract renewal options million of taxpayer money their jobs at the MAC. for additional five year this year alone, and lost a However, not all terms. The second five cumulative total of almost students were aware of the year term expires on June $3.5 million over the last petition’s contents before 30, 2012. This year there five years. Walsh explained signing. were two proposals, one why the Casino is taking “Grayson Harvey came from SMG and the second over the MAC. up to me, handed me a from Caesars’ Inc; which “Approximately in the sheet of paper, and told me is the national corporation year 2000, the City and to write my name. I signed that owns approximately the Iowa West Foundation it, passed the paper to the 40 casinos worldwide applied to the State of next person, and then asked including, two in Council Iowa for a CAT grant what it was for. He replied Bluffs--Harrah’s and (Community Attractions

with, ‘The casino is trying to take over the MAC,’ and then walked away,” Alysha Camacho ‘13 said. “I don’t think they should have people sign the (petition) without telling us what it’s about.”

In emails acquired

by Echoes, Walsh and Wingfield communicated about the MAC being taken over.

“The City is proposing a management change in an attempt to relieve taxpayers of some of this financial burden. The MAC’s management is overseen by a citizen’s advisory board and ultimately by the City Council,” Walsh said in the e-mail. “The management function is the back room operations of booking events and concerts, serving food and beverages, maintaining the facilities and hiring the personnel. None of these duties will have any adverse effect on these students.”

While students were concerned about changes to MAC events, Walsh explained, “The petition had stated that the MAC would no longer host teen dances, Christmas concerts or provide family activities.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Finalized decisions have not been made on where future graduations and other school-related events are going to be held, Principal Todd Barnett said.

According to the Omaha World Herald, a Caesars spokesperson states that with the casino operating the MAC, they can bring in bigger, better acts.

Echoes

News Briefs

Facebook launched their new “Timeline” on December 15. Instead of the regular profile, users now have the option of having what can be considered an “online scrapbook” that shows certain parts of people’s lives.

Doctors in Los Angeles are preparing to send a baby that was born 24weeks premature home by New Year’s Eve. Melinda Star Guildo was born weighing less than a can of soda.

After almost 9 years, the war in Iraq has officially ended. This ends a time when 4,500 American lives were claimed, and soldiers obtained 32,200 injuries.

The percentage of married people has dropped to just 51 percent. Adults are waiting longer to be married and are also putting other priorities before settling down. Many also claim that the ideals of marriage have changed.

New research that was published in the journal of Infectious Diseases found that the E-Coli outbreak in 2009 was caused by raw pre-packaged cookie dough. ***News Briefs collected from Yahoo!

News and ABC News

Google Academy teaches about technology, introduces new computers

By Christina Rivera Reporter In this day and era, phones are beginning to dominate many aspects of technology.

They are becoming essential for checking email, sending IM’s, or simply acting as a navigation device. App stores are rising more than ever, by creating a large variety of applications for people to download. Everything from games, to music, to cooking skills, and for those interested in everything else imaginable, it’s likely there’s an app for that too.

There is a lot of hard work that goes into making one small app that can be easily downloaded.

Well wouldn’t it be a once-in-a-lifetime

Students have seen new Google Chrome computers pop up in classrooms.

Photo illustration by: Hayley Hochstetler opportunity if you could create your own app available for millions of people to have at their disposal? Well now you can. Google is sponsoring a course called,

“Developing Mobile Apps.”

It will be held at IWCC every Thursday, from 6 to 8 p.m., starting Jan. 12 and running through April 16. It’s a 12 week session that is intended

for freshman through senior students.

There’s limited space, but they are looking for students that are dedicated.

“We are hoping for 24 students, that’s the goal.”

College Access Program site coordinator Phil Hofreiter said.

Students involved in this program will learn many skills, allowing them to expand their knowledge about technology today.

“They will learn programming skills, learn about IT (Information Technology) careers, (learn how) to work in a team, and that’s always important.”

Hofreiter said. “ I think it’s beneficial because students can use their creativity to make Google Apps and learn more about mobile technology.”

This is the second year in a row for this program. Many of those who took it last year felt that they got a better understanding of the world of Java.

“I want to go in the technology field to be something like a software designer.” Thanh Nguyen ‘14 said. “Google Academy helped me get an early start

on my possible career.”

Nguyen said she highly recommends Google Academy to other students.

“It was a lot of hard work and time consuming, but other than that (Google Academy) would definitely be my next choice for an extra curricular,” Nguyen said.

Class sessions will be starting soon. For more information about it, contact the AIM Institute at 402345-5025 x 104 or email Nadine Baker at nadine@ aiminstitute.org.

Google Academy offers: • 12 week session on how to develop mobile apps • Opportunity to develop programing skills and learn about Information Technology • Learn more about mobile technology and use creativity to make Google Apps

News

Echoes

Brittany Rupp | Editor in Chief

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‘Tis the season to give Students giving back to community through volunteering

By Britteny Johnson Reporter

Thomas Black ‘15 helps at Mohms Place by making hot chocolate and coffee for those in need. Photo by Jessie Adkins

The holiday season is in full swing with Thanksgiving having passed and Christmas and New Year’s rapidly approaching. This time of year, the “giving back” vibe seems to be everywhere.

Even some students are taking time to go out and volunteer.

One volunteering spot is Jennie Edmundson Hospital.

Students go in and do everything from refilling pop machines to sitting down and talking to the patients. The students are led by President of the volunteer group, Jenna Wredt ‘12 and Vice President Henry Black ‘12, to go in and do their best to help out.

If one isn’t a fan of hospitals they can still do their part--hospitals aren’t the only way to volunteer, there are other ways to get out and get involved. One could help with church fundraisers and charity

events, by donating food and clothing, or by volunteering at different places that help out the community. Katie Hummel ‘13 has volunteered at the Micah house previously and suggests it as a good place to volunteer. Another student, Jocelyn Gibler ‘12, sometime volunteers with her church.

“Sometimes we go caroling, we donate food, and

spending her time with the patients and her feelings afterwards.

Volunteering at the hospital, and getting to talk to the patients is one way volunteers say they feel good and make the patients feel like they have someone to talk to.

“To have the experience and be able to relate to the patients, having moments

“You feel really good knowing that you are making their day,”

- Jenna Wredt‘12

help out with bell ringing,” Gibler said.

Volunteering may not be the most exciting thing to do during the holiday season, or even during any season, but some students find it rewarding and filled with experience.

“You feel really good, to know that you are making their day,” Wredt said of

with them, and I have some pretty cool stories from some, it’s great,” Black said.

From helping out in hospitals to donating cans of food, volunteering is one way to get out and help the community, one could even volunteer with friends and family. It’s one way to bond with them, and help out at the same time.

New trimester brings rules changes Freshmen passes, no food regulations cause frustration

By Jaidlyn Bookout Reporter

By Suzanne Peterson Executive Reporter When walking into a high school, one of the first things many people see is a sign that says “NO FOOD AND DRINK PAST THIS POINT (only water)”. This may prompt some people to think, “Is that really necessary for teenagers to not be allowed to bring in food, or drinks?” As growing teenagers, it is not unusual to eat a lot, and this rule is not settling well with some.

“I dislike the rule,”

Brittany Boulier ‘13 said.

“I think they want us just to eat school food. They want to control what we eat and drink while we’re at school.

Keeping the school clean has nothing to do with it, because the school will look fine even if you do bring in food, just like there will always be mice.”

From student to student the reasons may vary but almost all agree that the new rule is an inconvenience.

“The rule is wrong, completely wrong,” Colton Tracy ‘14 said. “I think it should be allowed because people get hungry. (I bring food in) everyday.”

Jarrod Cook ‘13 also disagrees with the rule change.

“I find the rule ludicrous.

We can’t even eat in the hallways, which is our break.

We should be able to have a chip, or a drink of Kool Aid. I think that even if a little food is spilled, that’s what we have janitors for.”

Some students may not have enough time to eat at home before they come to school and are also not hungry at 7:50 in the morning. Some students believe a small lunch with a small amount to eat throughout the day isn’t really distracting students from keeping focus.

“I like to eat and drink in class,” Boulier said. “And some people like to drink coffee and pop, with all the caffeine to wake them because people get hungry.”

With most rules being made by administrators or

district, some students think they should have a say too.

“We should take a petition on the food rule because everyone needs to eat at some point,” Cook said.

Some may ask themselves if the way something looks is first on the priority list, Where as others may consider satisfying a teenage kid who sits for 9 hours a day is more important.

Along with this new change of no food, there is another change which is directed specifically to freshman students. Freshman students this year are now restricted to five passes per freshman class throughout the 12 week period trimester.

This rule was made to reduce

the amount of students that were leaving during class time. The pass is typically for anything except for going to the nurse and the library.

Students will usually get a mark on their pass when leaving class to go to the bathroom, locker or the guidance counselors office.

According to Mike McIntosh, English teacher, coming up with the rule was a group effort and was made to affect everyone positively.

“The main reason we’re doing this is for educational purposes--making sure kids are learning, and in the classroom,” McIntosh said.

“We had to find a way to control traffic.”

Some students agree with the rule restricting

Students are no longer allowed outside food past a certain point. Photo by Brittany Rupp

the number of passes each student receives. Not many complaints were brought up when it comes to this new change.

“I guess it’s kind of necessary because some people just say they have to go to the bathroom to get out of class,” Holly Vanderpool ‘15 said.

Although it seems as if students and teachers are on the same page when it comes to why this rule is necessary, one concern brought up by students was the amount of passes that each student is allowed.

“I think it is not enough passes. I think we should have more for a full trimester,” Thomas Black ‘15 said. “I think a more appropriate number would be 12. One for once a week.”

Students receive five passes per freshman class-not five total. “We’re (the freshmen teachers) not the first ones to do this. There are other teachers that say “one pass or not at all,” McIntosh said.

According to McIntosh, the pass limit is something that a few teachers of Team Abraham (half of freshman students’ teachers) had been doing since last trimester.

Whether students like it or not, this change has been put into effect. Another rule for a new trimester, meant to be followed.

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Opinion

Britteny Johnson and Jaidlyn Bookout | Opinion Editors

Echoes

Store Bought vs. Homemade Giving cold hard cash for the Holidays

By Joe Vrenick Reporter Christmas is almost here and people are rushing to near-by stores just to get their hands on the latest 3-D T.V, or people are doing the somewhat traditional thing where they don’t go into stores and spend countless hours, maybe even days, in their houses making paper mache bowls and t-shirts (If you don’t believe me, Google it) for their families. Although I am some-what for home made gifts, I mainly lean for store bought gifts.

There are two pretty good reasons why store bought items are better than home made gifts. The first reason being quality. When you buy something from the store, you expect it to be good, well put together, and long lasting. Most of the home made items don’t necessarily have that kind of quality. When your cousin makes you a dry clay bowl to eat soup from, most of the time it will have cracks in it, it brakes in half if you use it twice and you have to super-glue it together, and eventually it’s either an incredibly interesting house decoration, or it’s just a piece of junk waiting for the garbage truck to take it away on Monday morning. If your cousin were to buy you a factory made bowl, it would definitely not have cracks (unless he didn’t handle it well when wrapping), it could be used for a very

long time, and the only time that store bought bowl would see the darkness of a trash bag is when you accidentally drop it when you spill really hot beef stew on your arm (I hope that doesn’t happen to anyone

reading this.)

The second reason is time.

The biggest question between the two is “How long will it take to get these ready for Christmas?” When you’ve got home made gifts, you’ve only

got a certain amount of time to get the gift made, make sure it’s good to go, wrap it carefully, and hope nobody steps on it when they come downstairs Christmas morning to get an early morning snack. That takes an incredible amount of time. It would take longer if you are making it for not only your siblings and parents, but also making it for your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. But when you get store bought items, it doesn’t take a who lot of time, it just depends on how you get your presents. If you walk into a store and buy the items there, the only thing that’s standing in your way of getting things done fast is long lines, going to another store because what you wanted to get is sold out, and then wrapping it. If you’re buying it online, the only thing standing in your way is things being sold out, the time it takes to get to your house, and then wrapping it unless the website will pre-wrap it for you. Online buying and Store buying are nearly equal on time, you just have to hope nothing stands in your way.

Whether you’re against buying stuff from the store or you’re for it, I think buying stuff from the store is the best way to get your Christmas presents. It’s faster, sometimes cheaper, and you give your family some good high quality items.

Homemade gifts come with meaning

By Suzanne Peterson Reporter Living in the moment, or memories that last for ever?

I think gifts from the heart have more meaning than store brought items. Store bought gifts are nice but homemade gifts just mean... more. For my best friend’s 17th birthday, I made a her picture collage, filled with all of the fun times we’ve had together.

To this very day, she still has it hanging on her wall, including the one given to her on her 16th birthday.

That means a whole lot more than a $10 gift certificate to Wal Mart.

If I wanted a store bought gift, I would go to the store, and buy it myself. Some presents are nice, but I would like to buy something for myself, knowing, and having that good feeling, where I can be proud of owning something so nice, or cool. Where as the homemade gift... let’s just say you’re not going to find me making something, and then giving it to myself.

Sure, if someone gave me a iPod Touch with all the apps included, and then someone else gave me a picture of us, imma be ALL over that iPod

Touch. As the years pass, and I look back, my iPod will eventually get stolen, or fall in the toilet. As I’m laying on the bed, pouting, about how my iPod is broken, being infuriated at the world, my eye will catch the picture with me and my friend, that she gave me years ago, and all the memories will come

back, making me forget about the broken iPod. At that moment, I will be even more happy for that gift from the heart. If you think about it, I’m sure your parents still have one of the pictures you made them from kindergarten, and not the pair

of socks you gave them from Christmas.

One could go through their closet and say “Hulur thur! Whats this shirt doing’ down hurr?” Yeah, that one shirt you got from Aunt Tamika, which you promised yourself you’d never ever wear.So, you use the shirt as your friends birthday present.

Someone could be hitting up sales, It’s just like a boyrfriend giving a girlfriend a necklace. She freaks out, tells him she loves him, than runs and tells all her friends he bought her $500 necklace.

And then she comes to show me. The biggest mistake too, because Imma straight up tell her, he won that necklace (on the first try too) in one of those claw crane machines where you put a quarter in, and try to grab a prize.

Store bought gifts are nice, but homemade gift actually have, and probably always will have a true, good meaning behind it. If presents are all about value, or how much someone spends on you. Maybe, 20 years from now, you will still have that homemade gift you got from someone who meant something to you. Like they say, memories last forever.

Who we are is more than just skin deep

By Devon Jefferson Sports Editor

I am proud to say that I am of the African American decent. I come from a strong group of people who persevered hardships and oppression against their freedom. I come from a group of people that never lost sight of their dreams, and though long ago it might not have been very American, it was still passed down for generations. I am also proud to call myself American. I am a young man living in a democracy, willing and

able to accomplish any and everything that I’ve dreamed, in a nation with a freely waving flag of patriotism.

I can say that I am proud to be me, there is no negative connotation of what I am in any sense. Yet still, lost in thoughts of self-image and dignity, I wonder why I’m labeled as a black male.

On job applications, I check the spot under ethnicity that states “Black/African American.” When I place my hand to that of a fellow peer from school, nine times out of ten my skin is darker than theirs. All of these aspects, though not offensive or wrong in anyway, trouble me. I can change the way I talk, change the way I walk, change the clothes on my back, but I can’t change my skin color. Not that I would, or want to, but what would it be like to do so? What would it be like if we eliminated all

labels of races and deemed each other people? What if instead of checking the race that applies on any type of document, you checked human being?

No matter how close-knit we are a massive margin separates us further than any distance imaginable. So I have walked miles and miles in my head to determine

“I’ve always had this internal conflict with the fact that I’m different from everyone else because my skin pigments are dark.”

I’ve always had this internal conflict with the fact that I’m different from everyone else because my skin pigments are dark. The fact that unity is supposed to be good, and that working together is how we can collectively get things done fast and efficiently, yet we practice it through diversion.

what it means to be black in America in my generation: what it means to be a race of people, what it means to be me, and what it’s like to be them. Through all of this brainstorming and soul searching, and politically correct ideology, I came to the conclusion that I am a being. I am just a terrestrial

rolling earth in search of what’s real and what my purpose is.

I have come to the conclusion that all are my brothers and sisters, and that love is unconditional and can fuel me to do the good I know I can. I want to knock down the barriers between worlds, day and night, bigotry, acceptance, and most of all social norming and innovation. All I want is acceptance and the notion that I am the same as you, just on a different side of the color spectrum: acceptance not based upon status,ethnicity, or wealth, but by creed. Though this is an inquiry of what it means to be black, or white,or any race of that matter, this is not a pointing finger to how society is wrong for the way it is. Though it is an inquiry of what it means to be a person without labels.

Skin is invaluable: I cant take the skin off of my forearm and exchange it for gold, money, or any object of value. Skin that is different colored than that of mine is worth just as much as mine is, and that price is nothing.

So why is it that we can trade skin for social status or professional success? The fact of the matter is racism is still alive in many forms, and it is solely because of the fact that we have labeled, or been labeled. The key to equality is to fully break the lock of oppression, and this is my ode to that belief.

Write a Letter to the Editor!!!

Drop it off at room B200 or email alechoes@gmail. com

Opinion

Echoes Staff Editorial

Jaidlyn Bookout & Brittney Johnson | Opinion Editors

Students need to recognize all holidays during the season Every year as Christmas time rolls around, many people enjoy celebrating the holidays with their own traditions and focusing on their own happy little lives. This is the time of the year that allows people to celebrate their individuality and enjoy their beliefs and customs. This idea gets lost and oftentimes Santa Claus’ big belly covers up other such holidays such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

And for those who do not believe in anything at all, it leaves them in a very sticky situation. How would hearing “Merry Christmas!” make you feel when you have your own traditions and they are not known, let alone acknowledged? This leaves millions of people in this country stuck in a situation

where oftentimes, they just smile and say, “Thank you.”

By no means are we saying that one holiday or religious tradition is better than another, and we are not saying that we all need to convert to one religion, or one religion is better than the other. Just to clarify, before the accusations start flying-we are not pro-something or con-something. We just want to raise awareness of the many different and diverse cultures that not only walk the hallways of this school but that also exist within this community.

Being sensitive to other people’s thoughts and religions is frequently overlooked. Most of the time in today’s society, everything is mainstreamed. 97 percent of the crowd follows the

popular and “it” thing.

According to NumberOf.net, many sources state that there are approximately 2.1 billion Christians in the world (this number can be debated because there are groups that call themselves Christians, but they do not associate with other groups of this religion).

In this scenario, Christmas is going to be the dominant “it” thing, because it is the birth of Christ and one third of the world’s population is said to be Christian. With Christmas being the “it” thing, the other holidays that have their own unique traditions and customs are often not noticed, or acknowledged, which is just about as disrespectful as knowing somebody’s name but calling them something of your own creation.

The phrase “Happy

Holidays” simply spreads the holiday cheer but encompasses everyone and every tradition (isn’t that the true meaning of the Holidays?). Many may see this as a disrespect to their own religions, but what if someone said “Hey Happy Hanukkah/ Kwanzaa”?

Would you stop and stare at them like they are crazy?

Simply be aware during this holiday season that your beliefs and traditions are not the only ones out there, and that everyone and every thought deserves a little recognition.

The staff voted: 17 agreed, 2 disagreed

Breakfast Club does what we can’t

By Lauren Myers Entertainment Editor

Each school has its own groups separated from one another. But we are all held by the common bond of prejudices.

One of my favorite movies, “The Breakfast Club” by John Hughes shows this well. In a way it’s a mini-version of every high school in the country.

In the movie, five students of five stereotypes blended together. The characters are

John Bender (the “criminal and burnout), Brian Johnson (the “nerd”), Claire Standish (the “rich and popular girl”), Andrew Clark (the “wrestler and Jock”) and Allison Reynolds )the “basket case”). They all came together during school detention on a Saturday. After they arrived that morning, the principal, Richard Vernon, assigned them a task, to write a letter about who they think they are. By the time detention ended, they all changed their minds about who they think they are. The letters, which turn into a single letter by the end of the movie, is the focal point of the film. The letter demonstrates and illustrates the changes of the course of their day, their attitudes, and perspectives. Throughout their day, they harassed each other, told stories, fought, and danced. The most moving scenes of the movie are when they speak on a variety of subjects such as bullying and peer pressure; they gradually open up and reveal inner secrets, realizing,

they all have similarities. All it took was one day for them to realize this. Even though things probably changed that following Monday at school, they formed a special bond and were known to themselves as, “The Breakfast Club.”

That is true of us, we all have similarities that someone else has. But rarely do people attempt to blend in with others who aren’t apart of their group.

If this was so, we would create an environment that is inclusive. But why do so many of us interact with others depending on how we view ourselves? We should reach out and speak to those around us, because we are not stereotypes, they do not define who we are, we are all human beings.

I know this isn’t ideal for everyone but all it takes is just one person to reach out to make someone else’s day or even change their life for the better.

I can confess to it, I haven’t always been there to reach out

to others, but it’s something I will definitely do more often. I want to leave this school with my blended group of friends while our song plays in the background, “Don’t you forget about me.”

“As what Brian wrote” in the essay at the end of the movie to Principal Vernon, “You see us as you want to see us, but we found out that each of us is a brain, an athlete, and a basket-case, a princess, and a criminal.”

So let’s stop seeing others as we want to see them. It goes back to that saying we have heard and been told since we were all young, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” because, you never know what a story is really about until you’ve read it. So the next time you see someone all by themselves in the hall, during a group activity in class, or even at lunch, reach out to them by introducing yourself and offering to spend time with them.

Spending the holidays in Denmark

By Hunter Hiffernan Foreign Correspondent

A Danish Christmas isn’t only a time to be with your family, it’s a time to eat all you can, drink all you want and relax. Although, the traditional American Christmas is quite different and revolves

around family, church and presents, the two different Christmas cultures are based on two things: Santa Claus and the birth of Jesus.

Nonetheless, Danish Christmas celebrations don’t occur just on the 24th and 25th of December, like America, the festivities start taking place the first of the month.

On Dec. 1 in Denmark, the kids of the town rally on the streets and circle around the big Christmas tree in the center of the town and all join together with Christmas Carols--also known for waking up Santa Claus. Not only does this go on, but most of the youth--and sometimes adults (even elders)-have a Christmas calendar, known in Danish as the julekalender and every day of December there is a little door you open, with a piece of chocolate inside. And that’s just the beginning of a Danish December.

The kick start of December begins and the Danes go wild.

On the weekends the bars are so crowded you can’t move an inch without bumping into someone.

Special Christmas deserts are served after dinner and lunch and during school hours. Many travel to the German border to Christmas shop because prices are a bit lower there.

The streets and houses of every town are decorated in the most Divine Christmas lights and on the inside of restaurants and houses, fires are usually burning, or candles are lit to make it seem cozy, or in Danish, “hyggeligt.”

As the Danes continue to celebrate, December gradually keeps moving and people keep gaining weight. When December 24 rolls around the corner, that’s when the Christmas tree goes up.

The Danish people usually prefer to

cut down their own trees and then put it up as a family and decorate it on Christmas Eve. After they are finished decorating, they continue celebrating and dress in formal clothes, dance around the tree and eat a nice dinner along with a special desert--rice pudding with cherry sauce. The next morning, usually a nice breakfast is served and presents are opened.

Cultures vary across the world, even, across America. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and an honor to be able to experience something like a Danish Christmas. However, a proud moment in someone’s life also can easily just being able to say “I am an American.” So then, hold on to the traditions and cultures that were passed down and remember to be proud of who you are and where you come from.

Echoes

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Editors-in-Chief Brittany Rupp Danielle Peabody Section Editors Danielle Peabody Brittany Rupp Lauren Myers Devon Jefferson Jaidlyn Bookout Britteny Johnson Photo Editor Shannon Holmes Design Editor Kevin Dickey Business Manager Emmalee Adams Ad Staff Arianne Boehme Amanda Peters Photographers Jessie Adkins Kristine Swanson Hayley Hochsettler Graphics and Cartoons Elizabeth Beck Copy Editors Melanie Krohn Brian Williams Lauren Myers Executive Reporter Suzanne Peterson Reporters Blake Willadsen Victoria Holcomb Joe Vrenick Christina Rivera Foreign Correspondent Hunter Hiffernan Webmaster Brian Williams Adviser Gerry Appel 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 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 call 712328-6481 ext. 425.

Member Publication

Feature

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Danielle Peabody | Editor-in-Chief

99% take a stand across the country In the past few months, the nation has been caught in a flurry of protests, all part of the “Occupy Wall Street movement,” or more broadly, the “Occupy Together” movement. Protests across the nation have sprung up in many cities, including “Occupy Omaha.” This recent movement has taken issue with many alleged economic justices, touting the slogan “We are the 99%,” which refers to the concentration of wealth among the top 1% of income earners compared to the other 99%. Many students are concerned some by the issues expressed by the movement, especially the rising college costs. “(College tuition) is rising a lot more than salaries are,” Alex Brown ‘12 said.

“Eventually everyone will need significant scholarships and government help because the cost is rising

exponentially.”

Many other students feel the same way as Brown about the cost of college. Aurora Owens ‘13 cites another issue that the Occupy movement takes aim at along with college costs: the job market.

“It is really criminal,” Owens said. “Loans would really be a burden, especially if a high paying job, which are becoming harder to come by, wasn’t insured with a college education.”

Regarding the movement in general, students have mixed emotions. Brown is in support of it, but believes that it lacks a common, distinct purpose.

“I think (the occupy movement) is a good idea and their hearts are in the right place,” Brown said. “I agree with the, ‘We are the 1% and they are are the 99%,’ but I think everyone is fighting for something different, so there’s no real platform.”

Owens feels similarly, but claims that the lack of distinct

purpose that Brown notes is something not all uncommon for protests, especially of this size.

“Personally, the Occupy Movement has a lot of valid points about our society,” Owens said. “These ‘99%-ers’ have full reason to be angry; and I certainly support them because many of them have done everything ‘by the book’ with their lives but it still wasn’t enough for a financially safe American dream. I think that it is a valid movement as far as protests go. Although, they don’t really have a clear message beyond that our country, and many of us are in serious trouble, that isn’t really uncommon for protests, and the insane amount of people who participated make it a valid movement.”

Not only do students hold opinions regarding the movement, but staff as well.

Bryan Pregon, government teacher, believes the situation is appicable to high school students, and reiterates

another potential problem for college-bound students.

“I think it’s relevant to everyone,” Pregon said. “But especially to high schoolers because for the first time in recent memory, there are going to be high school and college graduates who are well-educated but still, because of our financial crisis that we’re still in, are going to graduate from college and not be able to find a job.”

Though students and staff alike hold strong opinions about the movement and its protesters, ‘09 AL alum and founder of the website occupyomaha.info, Bill Riley is a protester himself. Also in full belief that the movement is relevant to everyone, he is using the Internet and social media (Facebook, Twitter, uStream and Gmail) to aid in the publicity of the movement.

“The first Occupy Omaha meeting I attended, there were a good load of angry people, and reasonably so,” Riley said. “The real selling point

as to why I got involved was this: they were at the point where they were going to abandon social media, and that is a bad idea. (The movement) certainly does have an impact, and has spread the message that needs to be spread, but everyone will always need to do more.”

With marches being held every Saturday morning and two weekly general assemblies, Occupy Omaha is in full swing. This is the case in cities across the entire country. While everyone may not agree completely with the message behind the movement, most everyone agrees that all should at least be conscious of it and its effect on their lives.

“Many of the protesters tried their hardest to make all the right decisions in school, went to college and still can only get a job flipping burgers.

I think that every high school student should at least be aware of this movement,” Owens said.

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

Many pro-testers do more than just “Occupy”...

8% 26% 10% 52% 20% 13.1%

have a high school degree

are enrolled in school

are full time students

are employed full time

are employed part time

are unemployed

Statistics gathered from statisticbrain.com

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Feature

Danielle Peabody | Editor-in-Chief

Echoes

Student balances art with academics: Rebecca Barker

By Jaidlyn Bookout Reporter With so many students in one school it may be a little hard to get to know everyone.

Rebecca Barker ‘14 is one student that you may pass everyday in the halls.

From her extra curricular activities to the activities she participates in, there is more to her than meets the eye.

Barker is participating in speech, orchestra, girl scouts and has plans to join the girls golf team this year. Her fondness of being in front of other people plays a big role in her liking speech and orchestra.

“In speech, I look forward to the competitions because they’re just so much fun,” Barker ‘14 said.

“Going there and meeting all the other people is exciting.”

Rebecca’s interest for playing the violin in orchestra began at a young age in her life. She first began playing the violin in fourth grade.

According to Stephanie Krijan, orchestra teacher, Rebecca is a good student.

“Rebecca is very hardworking, she’s conscientious, she is diligent with her lessons and her practicing, she’s always

trying to get better,” Krijan said.

Although she likes all her other activities as well, Rebecca says her favorite class in school is drama.

She shares that she likes acting. According to Steve Mandelko, drama/english teacher, she doesn’t just say that and keep it behind closed doors, she actually shows it through her performances.

“I can (tell she enjoys drama class) she really gets involved especially when she is performing,” Mandelko said. “She’s very active and very creative with her characters and scenes.”

Rebecca is involved in activities in and outside of school. She has been in Girl Scouts since kindergarten and plans to stay involved.

Girl Scouts not only helps her to do a lot of volunteer work but keeps her working for some special awards.

“I’m getting ready to start my gold award, which is a really high honor,” Barker said.

Tristin Barnhart ‘14, friend of Rebecca’s since their freshman year, thinks it’s cool that she’s been in Girl Scouts for so long.

“I don’t know anyone else who has really stayed in it,” Barnhart ‘14 said.

Playing the violin is one of Rebecca’s many activities. She is involved in speech and Girl Scouts, and plans to join the golf team. Photo by Hayley Hochstetler

Coming to America: Cultures from around the world adapt to their new surroundings

By Christina Rivera Reporter

Imad Qumsieh, a Palestinian, is one of several teachers in the district that are from different parts of the world. Photo by Shannon Holmes

America is often called a melting pot because of its diversity in people.

There’s so many people from different countries and cultures that eventually they blend in with our everyday lives.

High schools are not much different than that.

There’s people from as close as neighboring countries to students and teachers who were born halfway across the world.

It’s sometimes hard adapting to a whole new way of life and traditions.

Speaking the language and studying the American culture is one thing, but actually experiencing it is completely different. “(It was hard adapting) because it’s a new language and new things to learn,” Kyrylo Pashchenko ‘13 said.

“I have different culturalistic views still in me so I’m not fully Americanized.

(Ukraine) is like America

150 years ago.”

Pashchenko lived in Ukraine prior to moving to America. He originally started to learn English as well as French, Russian, and his native tongue Ukrainian in 5th grade, where school was often times difficult.

Life in Ukraine is based on working and is lived day by day. Alcohol is part of their everyday life as a way of expressing themselves. They prefer “the simple ways of life.”

When Pashchenko moved to America he was exposed to a new unfamiliar culture, but for some people it wasn’t much different from what they were already used to. Daniel Mohamed ‘13 is from Claro, Egypt and speaks Arabic. He has traveled and lived in places like Syria, Sudan, Uganda, the Netherlands, and Germany.

He has gotten used to many cultures and his accent sets him apart from everyone else Mohamed said. Like Mohamed, Engineering

teacher Imad Qumsieh enjoys learning about people living in different countries.

“Knowing other cultures is really fun when comparing it to my own,” Qumsieh said.

He is from Palestine and his culture is dominated by religion. He travels a lot and speaks several languages like Russian, Hebrew and Ukrainan fluently and finds himself unique in that aspect.

“I can communicate with different people and other minority groups. I can understand the different cultures and people,” Qumsieh said.

Something exclusive in his culture is the celebration of weddings normally lasting three full days. The bride spends one day with her family, where she dresses up in colorful clothing and colors her hands and body to show her joy. The second day both sides of the family sit together to get to know one other.

“As Christians, the third day they go to church.”

Qumsieh said. “(We have) big families (of) 2,000 people. (I have) 80 cousins.”

This isn’t too uncommon for people like Miguel Espinoza ‘13. Originally from Mexico, he too has a big family and celebrates family traditions in his culture.

“The traditions in Mexico are way different from here,” Espinoza said.

“It’s almost the same as here where we get together with our family, we just do different things. Some people have Posadas which brings all the communities together.

We break a lot of piñatas and get candy and food and a lot of alcoholic beverages if you’re of age.”

From Mexican, to Russian, to Arabian, and everything else in between, different cultures dominate our world today. Their values and traditions influence the people they are. Whether it be their language or their way of having a good time, every person is unique in his or her own way.

Entertainment

9 Dixie Quicks pleases the wondering soul Echoes

Lauren Myers | A&E Editor

New restaurant offers a new place for art, different food

By Brian Willams Webmaster

Dixie Quicks offers a wide varitey of food and drink, but also art as well. Photo

By Shannon Holmes

As I traversed the ins and the outs of Council Bluffs in search of something new and exciting, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a business so unique, so inviting and so booming as Dixie Quicks. My perusal of the restaurant was done so with a a sharply critical attitude, but even then there was very little I could find wrong.

I walked in to a lively, exuberant atmosphere, abounding with spunk.

An older (late fifties), yet quite charming man in a tie-dye t-shirt greeted us and directed us to our table, saying, “here you go loves!”

It seemed as though all the employees in the restaurant were just as friendly as he.

My waitress, the cooking staff, the bussers-- they all presented an attitude that led me to believe that they wanted to be there. That’s a comforting sight, walking into an unfamiliar venue.

The food was exceptional, but deciding what to eat was a little unorthodox because there isn’t a concrete menu. Not concrete, but chalkboard.

Every day the staff members of Dixie Quicks list the available meals on a chalkboard affixed to the wall. Their menu varies from day to day, depending on which foods they have in stock and what they are able to cook. This was a unique aspect to the restaurant I thought, saluting the cooks’ culinary abilities.

But what tied this locale all together, what gave it five

stars instead of four (on my scale of course) was the art.

It’s one part restaurant, one part art gallery. If there is a slight wait for a table, which there might be, you can take a stroll around the art gallery on the right side of the building, featuring works by renowned New York artists.

Once inside, the artistic element still persists. From a moving Venus Flytrap (AKA Audrey for you theatre buffs) to the nostalgia-print tables, the uniqueness keeps the customer intrigued.

What makes any place memorable is something that makes it atypical. Dixie Quicks certainly fits that category, but in the best of ways. Our community is truly better off with such a great cuisine catch. It can be found downtown, at 157 West Broadway.

A variety of holiday movies excite students for season

By Joe Vrenick Reporter

Who doesn’t love the holidays? No matter if you’re religious or not, the holidays are a time for families to get together and be grateful for what they have and enjoy the time they ave together. Even if they skip the point of being grateful, Hollywood likes to bring families together by shoving holiday movies at them, and boy are they doing that this year. There are numerous amounts of movies out there.

The holiday movie season started on November 25, with the release of two major movies: “The Muppets” (which made $29.5 million it’s opening week) and “Hugo” (which made $11.3 million the same week as the Muppets). Now that Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is right around the corner, the line up of movies gets bigger and bigger.

On December 16, Warner Brothers released “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.” This is an anticipated sequel of Guy Ritchie’s adaptation of Sherlock Holmes.

Ritchie (Rocknrolla) made $209,019,489 in 2009, and people really liked the previous film, and Game of Shad-

ows introduces Holmes’ arch enemy, Prof. Moriarty so there are a few reasons why this movie has hype.

“I’m going to see Sherlock Holmes because it’s funny, and Sherlock Hol-

sion Impossible: Ghost Protocol.” This movie will most likely bring people who liked the first three Mission Impossible movies, and the people who love action movies to the theaters.

“I’m going to see ‘Sherlock Holmes’ because it’s funny, and Sherlock Holmes can always find a way to make things interesting,” Tommy Rocha ‘14

mes can always find a way to make things interesting,” Tommy Rocha ‘14 said.

Another sequel that is highly anticipated is is “Mis-

“I will most likely see Mission Impossible because it’s got action, and I like action,” Lucy Rillareal ‘15 said.

The second movie recently released is “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” is another an adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s book trilogy, and is directed by David Fincher (The Social Network, Fight Club). People who liked either the books, the first three versions of the movies, or both will probably go to see this movie.

Another holiday release is “The Adventures of Tintin.” This movie has a lot of hype between critics and fans of the European comic series.

It’s an animated movie, and features the voice talents of Simon Pegg and Andy Serkins. It’s directed by Peter Jackson (director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, producer

of District 9) and is produced by the most powerful man in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg. There’s a lot of buzz about this movie, and excitement for a potential trilogy.

Fans of the comic and anyone of any age will probably enjoy The Adventures of Tintin.

“I will probably see ‘The Adventures of Tintin,’ because my mom read the books and liked it, plus it looks really interesting,” Nickel Hermanson ‘12 said As the holiday movie season starts, the studios, directors and cinema lovers ask the same question.

What movies will be good, and what will make the most money this holiday season?

New music albums showcase different styles

By Blake Willadsen Reporter

Photo courtesy amywinehouse.com

“Lioness: Hidden Treasures” Amy Winehouse As much has been said about Winehouse in her passing, it’s easy to forget she was an incredibly talented singer also. This album is a mix of odds and ends of old tracks with some fresh takes. The classic tracks like “Valerie” and her duet with Tony Bennett, “Body and Soul”, showcase the unique and soulful blues that Winehouse was well-known for. The mix between old and new is evident in her music. The reasons to listen to this album are the new tracks that were to be released on her next studio album, in particular ,“Like Smoke” featuring Nas. This song is haunted with all of Winehouse’s struggles as she left them.

Photo courtesy theblackkeys.com “El Camino” The Black Keys In a world ruled by fist pumping club music and synthesizers, variety is not very common. That’s where The Black Keys come in. The Akron, OH duo known for their soulful and gritty blues & rock, frontman Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney bring a more polished and refined look for their sixth studio album. Much like their last release “Brothers,” the rough around the edges has been sanded down a bit and juiced up. The singles on the record, “Lonely Boy” and “Run Right Back” are very uptempo--even a fool could dance to them. Tracks like the very Led Zeppelin-esque “Little Black Submarines” shows the true range of the Keys. It’s obvious how the band has grown since recording their first album in Carney’s basement. Overall, the album is a breath of fresh air into mainstream music that is much needed.

Photo courtesy theroots.com “Undun” The Roots You might recognize The Roots as the house band for Jimmy Fallon’s late night talk show. Their light hearted adlib songs on the show are polar opposite from the tracks on “Undun”.

“Undun” is a concept album that blends rap, a full band (afros included), and storytelling which blends together to create far from a traditional hip hop set. A serious tone takes most of the record as it’s supposed to tell the story of a young kid growing up in Philadelphia in a poor atmosphere. The lyrics drive the album, proving to be often much more interesting then the rest of the song. This is a unique blend of hip hop that picks up where jazz left off and adds in struggles of modern life. The faults in a 40 minute story instead of four minute tracks are obvious though. While it is a fun conceptm it starts to drag after awhile.

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Entertainment

Lauren Myers | A&E Editor

Echoes

Video games attracting both genders

By Victoria Holcomb Reporter

Elizabeth Welch ‘12

For weeks after a new video game release, girls complain about their boyfriends’ recent obsession with video games. It’s rare you find any girl who actually likes to play them too, due to the limited number of appealing topics. However, many girls do enjoy gaming; some are even known to be extreme gamers.

“Guys differ from girls when playing video games because guys tend to be more violent and like shooting and war games, while girls tend to like games that are happy and get them moving around,” Scott Brown ‘15 said.

Jamie Cash ‘14 enjoys playing games inside when there’s nothing to do outside.

“Games are the inside entertainment,” Cash said.

Video games can either bring activity to just your thumbs by playing shooting or maze like games, or with “Just Dance” or many Wii and Kinect games each of these systems add movement and exercise to most of your body.

Gaming producers seem to have certain genders in mind when designing a video game; some games are able to entertain both genders. The producers of “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” had both guys and girls in mind when designing these couple of games; guys and girls can be amused since talent isn’t the key but to get better. Just look around at the

bands in this city they have a mix of genders just like how both are able to sing, play guitar and beat around on drum sets.

“When it comes to video games, I just do it occasionally, its not constant. I normally spend most of my time doing something productive rather than playing video games but I do enjoy playing them when I do”, Sarah Murray ‘12 said.

Cash, on the other hand, likes the not as violent games that gets her up and dancing with her Xbox Kinect dance games. Dancing adds entertainment to her daily life, just as Murray likes the more hardcore games, same gender to completely different sides of the spectrum.

Brown plays games with his friends, staying up till five a.m. only to stare at a television screen for hours, interacting with people from all over world.

“Whenever I play Call of Duty, basically if someone bad is coming up, I will jump and scream, because I just don’t want to get killed. Say, we are playing Death Match: if the opposing team comes at you, you’re basically screwed so I just scream. I get really frightened at those games,” said Murray.

No matter who it is, or what the game, video games are a popular thing amongst high school boys and girls.

Robert Peters ‘15 Photo Illustrations by Shannon Holmes

Trips put students in real life situations, experiences

By Krystal Hopkins Reporter

L.A, Washington D.C, Orlando, and New York are some of the places clubs have been to in the past couple years. These trips allow students to not only meet new people, but compete with other schools and groups in Iowa and possibly go to nationals. Several clubs have gone on trips recently or will be traveling soon. The band will be going to Texas in

early spring, newspaper students went to Minneapolis during late fall, DECA went to Des Moines in October and the dance team visited Iowa’s capital in early December.

On March 28, band members are taking a bus to San Antonio, Texas. Once they arrive they will have the opportunity to listen to other bands as well as perform at the Festival of Bands. They will also be doing some fun activities like hanging out at Six Flags, Sea World, the Riverwalk and other local attractions. The trip did come with a cost, each member

had to pay $600, whether they paid themselves or did various fundraisers.

“I think going down there (to Texas) will be good for the band because it will give us a whole different crowd, because we only play in Council Bluffs” Jackson Cole ‘14 said.

Six newspaper students departed on a trip on Nov.17 to Minneapolis. On the trip they went to some journalism sessions on how to improve the different aspects of the school newspaper. Some of the the classes they went to were about caption writing, how to make a story interest-

ing, and interviewing. Some of the newspaper students even had the opportunity to video chat with Daniel Radcilffe about his new movie, “The Woman in Black.”

“I know a lot more now, we learned new moneymaking skills [to pay for production of future issues],” Amanda Peters ‘13.said DECA, a club for students interested in business, went on a trip in October.

Normally when DECA students travel they have competitions, but this time they were met up by other DECA, BPA (Business Professionals of America), and FBLA

(Future Business Leaders of America) chapters in Iowa.

During the day, students were able to see different speakers that talked about goal setting, motivation, and various DECA related topics. In the afternoon, the students participated in extra activities such as a banquet, a dance and a Hypnotist show.

Dance team departed on a trip to Des Moines on December 1 for Iowa State Dance Team Championships.

The team competed in jazz, poms, hip hop, and a production number with junior varsity. They hung out before each performance with other

members and had fun bonding as a team. They ended up getting division one ratings in all performances and placed third overall in their production number.

“Being able to dance around 1,000 people, the energy is really high, and it was just a great experience(going on the trip)” Olivia Burgher ‘14 said.

The fun doesn’t stop with these trips. If DECA makes it to nationals they will be going to Salt Lake City, Utah.

As well as dance team going to the basketball games and to camp next summer after tryouts for next year.

Sports

Echoes

11

Wrestlers prepare for successful season Athletes work to gain unique physical fitness

By Blake Willadsen Reporter

The mats are being brought back out for the start of the new wrestling season. That means intense conditioning and making weight for athletes who will now be competing for another season.

“I’ve been looking forward to wrestling season for a long time,” Carl Schnackel ‘13 said. “I want wrestling to start in the fall sometimes.”

Wrestling demands a unique physical fitness because of the unpredictability of a match.

The athlete’s body needs to have the endurance to outwork your opponent.

“The thing about wrestling that makes it different is that the match could go the full three rounds or three seconds,” Joel Grimm ‘13 said. “It’s very intense. If the players skills are close then it could be a close score. It can be pretty unpredictable. Guys can come in and win in ten seconds.”

Meets can take up an entire day for only minutes of actual wrestling. Sometimes the team will have to be ready at six in the morning and not arrive home from a trip until the evening. With the team making trips to Sioux City

and tournaments in locations like Lincoln, Nebraska, the Lynx get to face a wide range of competition.

The team is staying focused by reminding themselves of what they want to accomplish this season.

Keeping motivated helps the team practice harder.

“Our coach has us fill out a paper with three personal goals and he fills one out for his goals for the team,” Schnackel said.

“We hang them on the wall in the wrestling room for motivation.”

Along with the physical strains of keeping in shape wrestlers need to focus on keeping weight to stay in their desired weight class.

In order to stay competitive, wrestlers need to stay in the same weight class that their competition will be in.

Making weight requires a strong willpower.

Preparation is important because you need to stay hydrated and know how much food you are taking in.

It is something that took time for wrestlers like Peterson to completely adjust to.

“It (making weight) presents it’s difficulties. It works you mentally and physically,” Peterson ‘13 said. “It requires planning, you can’t just go out and starve yourself. I have to watch everything I eat.”

Bowling

By Blake Willadsen Reporter After winning the Missouri River conference for boys and girls bowling the Lynx are back for another year. With new faces and team leaders returning for both, the Lynx hope to reach state after reaching state two years ago.

The boys’ team lost team leader Collin Dall to graduation but return some familiar faces like Lucas Peterson ‘12 and Philip Dickinson ‘13. The girls team also returns team leader Michaela Long’12.

The team practices after school at Thunderbowl.

“I tried out for bowling because I wanted to see if I can make it. Free bowling was a plus,” Dickinson ‘13 said. “The best part about bowling is having no

Joel Grimm ‘13 attempts to take down his opponent in a wresting match on December 5. “The thing about wrestling that makes it different is that the match could go the full three rounds or three seconds,” Joel Grimm ‘13 said.

With the winter season comes lots of holiday gatherings with family and friends, and that means food.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are a little bit different for a

Achieving goals, fighting drugs

conditioning.”

The team’s atmosphere while on the alleys is fun and supportive. Yet the team will still keep a serious tone while in the thick of a match.

“We try and give each other our full support,” Cody Young ‘12 said. “Everyone keeps it loose by cracking jokes and having a good time. It makes everyone feel more welcome and be a part of the team.”

For some bowlers, the game is a shared interest with family members. Many joined simply because it looked like an enjoyable experience.

Thanks to Thunderbowl’s campaign to keep students away from drugs, the bowling alley offers bowling cards that permit two free games of bowling every day in the summer months.

All of the practice put in during the summer is to help

students to meet their goals.

For the bowlers, that goal is their personal best. For a few talented individuals that means a score of 300 with a perfect game. Unfortunately that goal is extremely difficult. A little bit of luck is necessary because as Young puts it, getting all strikes can be “such a toughy.”

As a team though, the goals are much different. The team has been successful in the last few seasons, but still wants to reach higher acheivements.

“Overall the team’s goal is to reach state,” Young ‘12 said. “We lost a lot of talent last year, but I think we have a good enough group to qualify for state. My goal is to just to help the team however I can.”

The Lynx will begin postseason play in February.

Their last home meet will be a dual vs Denison Feb 9.

wrestler.

“It requires you to not eat a big Thanksgiving dinner,” Peterson ‘13 said. “I will eat salad. You need the right protein and carbs. It’s

hard while everyone is eating pie and stuff.”

The MRAC conference tourney will be Thursday January 26 at Sioux City North.

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Devon Jefferson | Sports editor

Sports

Lynx at the next level

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Echoes

Former students excel in NCAA sports

“It’s not much different from what I expected. Classes are harder and the game is a much higher level,” said Sierra Nighswonger, 2011 graduate.

College is much different from high school in many ways. Schedules are more flexible and not as locked in as high school, as well as the amount of people in classes and how big the school is.

Yet one very huge difference is the difficulty of organized sports in college. On average there about 254,000 Seniors in the country playing high school football, yet there are only 5,042 scholarships awarded at the division one level, according to NCSA Collegiate Power rankings.

By Devon Jefferson Sports Editor

or some athletes, NCAA sports are the afterlife of a high school sports career--a jump to the next level of competition. Conditions become more serious when national rankings can sometimes dominate the chance a team has upon winning a championship.

Athletes in college are pushed even harder than in high school, and sometimes can crack under pressure, yet there are situations everyday when a high school graduate excels at the new level of play.

Though not all athletes go to D1 schools, or playing football, those numbers put in perspective the number of athletes competing for athletic scholarships, and a spot on the team.

“I really had to work hard for my spot and there were a lot of guys on the team that were just as good or better than me, but the work was all worth it,” said Devin Thomas, 2011 graduate.

Adjusting to the new challenge at hand, athletes need to have strong study habits. Study tables, and workout sessions, as well as practices are a huge part of a college athlete’s schedule.

“Between practices, games, working out, and

school I’m spread pretty thin, but I love the experience, and the coaching as well as the education making me a better individual,” said Alex Olsen, 2011 graduate.

All three athletes, Nighswonger, Thomas, and Olsen, have been adjusting well to their teams and the college experience as well.

Nighswonger is attending ATU played on their volleyball team that won the GAC (Great American Conference), and ended their season with a 35-4 record. Olsen and Thomas are currently in season still, Olsen red shirting at Creighton, and Thomas coming in off the bench at punt return at Iowa Western.

“Between practices, games, working out, and school I’m spread pretty thin, but I love the experience...”

- Alex Olsen ‘11

Alex Olsen is just one of the many seniors from the class of 2011 that continued with sports in college. Photo courtesy of Rob Andersen, Creighton Sports Information Director

Flanagan balances coaching, teaching

By Victoria Holcomb Reporter Work piling high to the ceiling and with the time running low, student athletes often have a lot on their plate. Yet frequently coaches also have to juggle practices, games, and sometimes even teaching before any of the extra curricular stuff happens.

Teachers such as Traci Flanagan double as a coach after school, and a teacher during the day.

“I feel like since I played college ball I brought some of the things that I did at the collegiate level and modified it and applied it at this level,” Flanagan said.

Flanagan, a human biology teacher, coaches

cross country, basketball, and track. After earning a degree in Secondary Education in Biology at Midland Lutheran College, and receiving her science degree (Curriculum Institution) this past may at UNO, Flanagan must now focus on multiple tasks at once.

“I’m the head JV coach, assistant freshman coach, and assistant varsity coach so I can be coaching all three on any given day,” Flanagan said.

Her modern technological twist of teaching breaks down things from the classroom down to the hardwood floors of the basketball court. Student athletes, and biology students alike think

her use of technology really helps them to learn.

“She does a good job of using different approaches, and with her being close to our age, she understands how technology helps,” Victoria Krohn ‘14 said.

Her athletes also feel that she is doing a great job from the sidelines as well.

“She likes to push us, like when we are at practice and we feel like we can’t get a play, she just tells us to lose the attitude and gives us encouraging words,” Autumn Bettcher ’15 said.

Whether it be teaching or coaching, Flanagan continues working with students to help them learn, through both athletics and academics.

Traci Flanagan coaches girls’ basketball and cross country, and teaches human biology. Photo by Shannon Holmes