Issue 5 14 15

ECHOES

Issue 5 | Volume 114 December 2014

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

Mall’s future in doubt

The mall, once a shopping hotspot, is now a shell of its former self. Photo by Nathan Vorce

Lacking anchor stores, mall seeking rejuvenation Hailey Carson Reporter

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ince the Mall of the Bluffs was purchased by the New York company Namdar Reality, there have been plans to fix the place up and bring in new stores. Besides the addition of Planet Fitness, which has reached 8,000 members, and Little King, there hasn’t been any noticeable changes except for some lease signs set up outside

by Gary Kuklin, agent at NP Real Estate who was recently appointed this area.

“We are starting the advertising process of rejuvenating the mall,” Kuklin said. “We are working on bringing in some new venues to the food court.” According to

Kuklin, there may be a new Mexican restaurant to visit.

Malls usually consist of larger anchor stores and then smaller retailers and that is how they get their traffic.

People may go to the larger

occupy it once it is complete.

The price of the land is still yet to be determined.

Depending on the future use of the land, the amount could be figured per square foot or by acre, the latter

with Mosquito Creek being nearby. There was interest in the land for building a movie theater, but Kuklin is still looking to see where the market for that land is.

With the slowdown of

“It would be tough for the mall to be a destination again.”

-Myron Wilder, Economics Teacher store, Target, for example, then stop at another store because it is close. At the Mall of the Bluffs, Target, Dillard’s, and JCPenney had to pay rent for their space, so financially, it might have helped for them to get their own space. They would have

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room to expand their stores.

“For the mall to be a destination,” Myron Wilder, Economics Teacher, said. “You need a bigger store to get some traffic.”

Behind the mall on

Valley View drive, there is an area of land that is available for one of three things; sell it outright, lease it so someone can come in and build a venue, or “build to suit.”

“Building to suit” is when the landowner builds a facility for a future tenant who will

Upcoming Events

being more for agricultural land. Out of the 14.1 acres of land, about 60% with be of use since one corner goes off into the shape as what has been described by Kuklin as a beak of a hawk. There are also concerns about the area being a floodplain

the Mall of the Bluffs, a newer shopping center has dominated the city. Metro Crossing has flourished with a combination of stores from the old mall including Target and Hallmark, and stores that are new to the city entirely.

“The area has Target

Jan 5:

Jan 10:

First school day of 2015

Snowball Dance

to draw people in, but then there is a variety of other stores and restaurants people can visit while there,” Wilder said. “People could stop at Target then eat, or go to men’s clothing or makeup place.”

Dick’s Sporting Goods will be coming to Council Bluffs, adjacent to Target.

“A Dick’s store is a good addition to Council Bluffs because it’s more convenient than driving to Omaha,” junior Destiny Hyme said.

With further loss of stores like Aeropostale and many additions to the Metro Crossing area, some might feel some déjà vu. Just like when the Mall of the Bluffs was new and stole some of its business from the old Omni Center downtown some speculate Metro Crossing is doing the same.

Council Bluffs has many shopping areas, and as business changes we will see the growth of some and decline of others.

Jan 19:

No School (Martin Luther King Jr.)

News Echoes 2 Speechers prepare for upcoming season December 2014

Nathan Vorce | News Editor

Alyssa Clayton Reporter

Getting up and speaking in front of people is a phobia that afflicts many people. No one really likes doing it, but everyone has to do it at some point in their life. When one thinks of the words “speech club”, the first thing to pop into most people’s heads is “I’m not joining that, I’ll have to get up in front of people and speak. That’s not fun.” Students who join speech participate in not only just reading speeches, in fact, it is far from that.

They also do choral reading with a large group, put on short skits, reader’s theater, improv, poetry, and many more categories.

“Right now we’re doing a reader’s theater skit

on mixtapes. It’s really fun, more fun than I thought it would be,” sophomore Maricecy Zavala said.

This is a great activity for people who love making people laugh, and this club is a lot like a musical performance, as it incorporates the aspect of acting in front of people.

“Speech is along the lines of show choir, because you are performing for them, and acting, and reading lines,” sophomore teacher Mrs. Smrdel said.

Speech Club is an activity directed by multiple teachers, and each teacher is in charge of a different section of speech. Dirk Waller directs reader’s theater, and Bethany Stacy is in charge of mime acting. Members can participate in any of these “sections.” They could write their own script and

perform it, or they could act out a prepared script.

“There are so many things to choose from when you join; you can do pretty much do anything that you would like to do, because there is something for everyone,” Waller said.

The speech club has gone to many competitions, and even won a handful of awards. The next event they will compete in is on Jan. 23, and there are more in February.

Joining speech helps students become more outgoing, and encourages the ones who are. For those interested, there is still time to join. There is something for everyone in this fun extracurricular activity. It helps to get kids to overcome any fear they have of public speaking one speech at a time.

Speech Coach Dirk Waller reads the script with the Reader’s Theatre students.

Photo by Nathan Vorce.

Mock Trial readies for another year Nathan Vorce

Co-editor-in-chief At AL, a large medley of after school activities are available for students to partake in and one of these activities is Mock Trial.

Members of this club debate, argue, and discuss their way to winning the trial. The participants of this club began practicing earlier this December for contests in March.

Students are involved in trials by role playing as both witnesses and attorneys, and a standard trial for the contest requires four witnesses and six attorneys. The goal

for the group is to win both trial cases at the contest in March, by being the better prepared team, and advancing to the state level.

“We have to prepare for 2 cases, but we don’t know if we’re going to have to be prosecuting or the attorneys until we show up, so we have to prepare for both,” Mock Trial coach Bryan Pregon said.

Last year, the Mock Trial team debated the topic of cyberstalking and went undefeated in the district round by winning both of their two trials, but failed to advance to the state level, due to tiebreakers going against them.

Bryan Pregon presents details of mock trial. Photo by Haley Borgaila, Crimson and Blue yearbook.

Only three schools from the district could make it to the state level, and AL’s team was fourth overall. Regardless, Pregon believes the team was successful last year, and will be again this year.

“The years we have the most success are the years we have a dedicated group of upperclassmen who take on leadership roles and motivate the team. I believe we have that this year,” Pregon said.

There are five returning members from the 20132014 mock trial team. A good portion of the constituents from last year have graduated, but junior Marina Galaska has faith in the team, de-

spite losing many members.

“I hope we’ll do as well this year. Hopefully we will make state this year,” Galaska said. “We lost four seniors last year, but I think we’ll do well this year.”

Many new members are eager to show their debating skills and learn more about courts and trials, such as freshman Colton Jones.

“I have an interest in legal studies, so I’m hoping to get some experience,” Jones said.

The members of mock trial, whether new or returning, are confident that they will be triumphant this year, and obtained some new knowledge in the process, case closed.

TAG seminar projects allow students to display talents Jaime Huerta Reporter

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chool and community go hand in hand, but through the years they’ve lost the connection they once had. One class pushes kids to go the extra mile and take initiative to make a change in the community. Talented And Gifted, or TAG for short, is

a class focused on bettering the learning skills of students in all curriculum areas. Some people have the impression that TAG is a class best suited for the “smartest kids in school” but that isn’t the case.

“I love teaching TAG because I get to work with many different types of kids.

Some are talented in writing, some in math, some in art. Sometimes people get the idea that TAG are all the best kids in the school, but the diversity is huge and

“I love teaching TAG because I get to work with many different types of kids.”

-Sarah Steinmetz, TAG teacher

the assistance is never the same for each kid,” TAG teacher Sarah Steinmetz said.

TAG incorporates a more individualized approach towards learning. The goal of the class is for students to demonstrate critical thinking skills and the ability to work independently. This individualized approach on learning proves to be very beneficial for all students.

“TAG benefits the students by allowing them to have a time where they can pursue an interest in a smaller environment,” Steinmetz said.

Along with honing the learning skills of students, the class also helps students identify problems within the community and set up realworld solutions to fix the problems by requiring students to complete a seminar project. When it comes to the project itself the possibilities are endless. The class en-

courages students to create a project that has not been done before. The student may seek to make a substantial gain in personal goals or find a way to make a difference in the community around them.

“The community is benefited when the student is allowed to present their project to the community or sometimes the projects are a way to give back to the community,” Steinmetz said.

There are an endless amount of possibilities for project topics but picking a project idea isn’t easy.

The project requires a great deal of time, planning, and thought on the student’s behalf. The ideas of past students range from exploring astronomy more in depth all the way to building a well in Africa. TAG Seminar is a class for anyone interested in sharpening their learning skills or to strengthen their skills on a specific topic.

Echoes

Sports

December 2014

Will Schademann | Sports Editor

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Local law firm supporting cheerleading funding Tanner Hochstetler

Visual Reporting Specialist

A

n idea proposed by the Shanks Law Firm Attorneys Office squeezed its way through the Abraham Lincoln Athletic Department and made its way to the court. With Randall Shanks’s plan, one lucky individual can become $500 richer. Randall Shanks, owner of a local attorneys office located in downtown Council Bluffs and as well as downtown Omaha, decided to hold this competition to benefit the girls cheerleading team.

The Shanks Law Firm Shootout will be held every halftime of the boys basketball home games.

The shootout is based upon a raffle system. In order for a single brave individual to compete in this shootout he

or she must first purchase a raffle ticket. Limit is only one contestant per halftime game.

“I think it’s a great idea.

We should do more stuff like the shootout in our school, it would get so many kids involved,” junior Raymond Duncan said.

Raffle tickets vary in price from 1 ticket for $1 dollar to 10 tickets for $5 dollars, and 20 tickets for $10 dollars.

The more raffle tickets that are purchased the greater the odds are of being chosen.

Once a contestant is chosen, then the pressure begins: the possible victor goes through a very tricky process. A 30 second time limit is set on the clock. A layup, free throw, 3 pointer, and a half court shot must all be accomplished consecutively within this time frame. If all steps are performed and achieved correctly then the competition is completed and will be concluded for the season.

“It’s really cool to watch people make all the shots, and to see that many anxious people involved with the

competition,” senior Rachel Harold said.

“I was extremely nervous during the shootout, I focused on relaxing and making my shots,” senior Nate Meeker (shootout contestant) said.

The lucky shooting warrior will then receive a $500 dollar untaxed reward from Randall Shanks himself as well as bragging rights all around! All revenue generated from the raffle sale will go to the girls cheerleading team. It will help support the girls on their long away games throughout the year as well as home games. The money collected will go towards food, busing, and other expenses or necessities.

“The raffle shootout is a fun and exciting way for everyone to get involved and help our cheer team earn money,” junior Taylor Morris said.

Shanks’s shootout competition was proposed to the athletic department to put a twist on this years basketball season.

The shootout will provide a means

Controversy or not, the college football bowl games must go on Jake Peterson Reporter

It’s finally here--the bowl games were announced Dec. 7, and they are about to start.

Many questions still hang in the air though, such as how will Jameis Winston do?

How will Nebraska respond after Bo Pelini’s firing?

And will the SEC continue its supposed “dominance?”

These answers will begin with a five bowl game slate on Dec. 20.

Let the controversy begin as to who’s in and who’s out, we know now the four teams who got in and the first two out, #1 Alabama, #2 Oregon, #3 Florida State, and #4 Ohio State are all in, but #5 Baylor, and #6 TCU are the first two out. In an interview with ESPN, TCU head coach Gary Patterson gave his thoughts.

“It’s one of those things if you didn’t want to be disappointed, you need to be undefeated, its the only way you can control your own destiny and we didn’t do that,” Patterson said.

Baylor head coach Art Briles had a different way of expressing his emotions to ESPN. “The playoff committee has no voice for the Big 12, I could see it coming when Archie Manning left that the we were in trouble because he knew how strong the Big 12 really is,” Briles said.

Now that it is all behind them, Baylor and TCU still have some big bowl games

coming up, with TCU playing Ole Miss in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, and Baylor playing Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl.

So let the postseason begin. Kick back, relax, and watch some of the best games of the college football season.

Commentary

Why Mike Riley is a good fit for Nebraska Jake Peterson Reporter

And so starts a new coaching era in Lincoln, and it starts for former Oregon State, NFL head coach, and Wallace, Idaho native Mike Riley.

Riley graduated from the University of Alabama where he played defensive back under the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant from 19711974. He coached the San Diego Chargers from 1999 to 2001. Riley also coached for the New Orleans Saints as the defensive backs coach in the 2002 season before returning to Corvallis for his second stint at Oregon State. His 93 wins overall at Oregon State are the most in school history.

Some of the things to expect from the 61 year old Riley: strong secondary play; he knows all about the position.

Expect him to get the most out of his talent, and the final and most important thing to expect are wins, don’t expect him to be another Tom Osborne because let’s face it,

Nebraska fans, you are not going to ever get another Tom Osborne, but also expect him to have an effective coaching staff around him, something that Nebraska was also missing with Pelini.

In an interview with ESPN, athletic director Shawn Eichorst said, “Mike Riley has proven record of success, a sound approach to football, and teaching.”

Eichorst also said, “I have no doubt that Mike will assemble a tremendous staff and lead our student athletes to win Big Ten titles and compete for national championships.” Riley also told ESPN, “It is truly an honor to join the University of Nebraska family, though I enjoyed it at Oregon State, this is once in a lifetime opportunity to coach at one of the most storied programs in college football.”

Clearly the bar has been set high for Mike Riley now the only question remains, can it show on the field for eleven Saturdays and one Friday?

The Abraham Lincoln Cheerleaders holding the winner’s check of $500.

Submitted by Lisa Fidone of entertainment to pump up the crowd at home halftime games, and in the meantime will raise some money to benefit Abraham Lincoln’s Athletics. The competition benefits the Shanks Law

Firm by providing company advertising, but also benefits the Abraham Lincoln Cheer Team, and is a great way to help the girls out. Although many have come close to winning this challenge,

a winner is still yet to be crowned! With the season just only beginning there will be more chances for someone to make their mark on the court.

Rugby team anticipating new year of competition Calab Holder Business Manager The sport of rugby can trace its origins back to Rugby, England in 1823 when William Webb Ellis defied the conventional rules of football at the time, taking the ball in his arms and running with it.

Eventually rugby would be extended to the United States, with the first recorded rugby game on American soil being played between Harvard and McGill University in 1874. Remarkably, the U.S. national men’s team, the Eagles, would win Olympic gold medals for rugby after defeating France’s team in 1920 and 1924. However, later in 1924 rugby would be eliminated as an Olympic sport. A resurgence would occur in 1975, when the United States of America Rugby Football Union was created, which now encompasses seven different territorial organizations nationwide.

Rugby Coach Dan Whaley is especially interested in rugby and enjoys coaching the sport.

“I love the sport and since I can’t play anymore the least I can do is pass the sport on to another generation,” Whaley said.

The game of rugby is similar to that of football, with the exception of a few rules. The ball can only be passed laterally, or backwards, but the object remains the same--to score

a touchdown. Additionally, rugby is a tackle game without any padding, making the sport unforgiving at times.

“You learn to be a gentlemen, because on the field you can get violent, but once the game is over with all of that stays on the field,” Junior Dillion Hawley said.

Every year the opposing teams can be seen as competitive, but with the internal problems that Whaley faces with new players and changing schedules, each season presents new obstacles.

“In my third year of coaching it’s hard to say what our competition will be like this year. This is very much a developing and learning year. The competition is very much with yourself than it is with other teams,” Whaley said.

Regardless of some

taxing situations, the sport provides exciting and meaningful moments.

“My favorite coaching moment was from my first season of coaching. We didn’t have enough players and yet we were able to compete shorthanded. We didn’t win, but our kids never gave up. It was aweinspiring,” Whaley said.

Additionally rugby can provide players with a sense of camaraderie and fellowship.

“Rugby is easy to learn and usually our current players are welcoming to anyone that’s new. Rugby taught me teamwork.

Everyone’s close and we all depend on one another,” said Junior Ian Dreessen.

For anyone looking for an exciting and engaging opportunity, rugby is a viable and entertaining option.

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ALHS Echoes

4

Feature

December 2014

Spread Design By Jessi Borwick

Sneak peek: Crimson and Blue 2015 staff creating ‘Life Through the Lens’ yearbook Shooting Photos!

Jessi Borwick

Co- Editor in Chief

Madison Wendland taking photos for yearbook, photo by Don Vinkenberg

Cover Preview: 2014-2015 yearbook cover

The backbone of the yearbook is all about photography.

The Crimson and Blue 2014-2015 staff members are dedicated to producing quality photos for readers’ viewing pleasure.

“Getting a good picture takes more than just pointing the camera and shooting.

You need to know how to properly use your camera as well as how to work with the lighting and your subject in order to get good quality and

interesting photos,” senior Erin Stuckey said. The next step in involving students in this memborable production is getting interviews.

“Interviews are key to our spreads. Readers want to know what is going on in photos.

It’s not always easy to get a good interview.

Sometimes it’s like pulling teeth,” senior Brenna Wilhite said.

The photography in this book is the visual representation of our high school lives and the interviews are what give us student interpertation.

5

Getting Interviews!

Erin Stuckey getting an interview for the Crimson and Blue, photo by Don Vinkenberg

Designing Pages!

Jessi Borwick

Co- Editor in Chief

Most readers might not realize the time, technique, and skill it takes to design yearbook pages. “When I design pages, the first thing I think about is the pages’ themes. Is it sports? Student Life?

Fun/Entertaing? or something a little more on the professional

side,” senior Scott Brown said. From these first thoughts, the spread design emerges. “If it is a fun and exciting spread then there will be various shapes and colors. At the same time we keep pages in line with the cover’s design elements,” Brown said. When designing spreads for the yearbook, student body interests have to be taken strongly into

Brenna Wilhite finishing a spread design, photo by Don Vinkenberg

consideration. Each spread is individually very important and is never made perfect the same time. This is because the yearbook is all about students, their interests, and their lives. It is a book made to hold onto the greatest and most fun moments of our high school careers. A lot of time, care, and thought is put into these pages of memories.

Dani Rambo | Opinion Editor

Opinion

Echoes

Jedi battling Marvel superheroes

Illustration by Kelly Hickey

6

Star Wars: The Force Awakens The Avengers: Age of Ultron Kelly Hickey Reporter

A long time ago a film called “Star Wars” was released in 1977. Since then, the film has spawned many sequels, prequels, and developed a huge fanbase.

The iconic characters have been featured in various types of merchandise; action figures, lego sets, video games, clothing, posters, and books. The “Star Wars” series has become an influential part of popular culture; its characters, setting, and quotes are recognizable to many people.

Whether fans of the entire saga or just the original trilogy, people are hyped for the new “sequel trilogy”.

Talk to any “Star Wars” nerd and they’ll most likely tell you that the prequel trilogy is disappointing, blabbing on about how it doesn’t hold up to the greatness that is the original trilogy.

Common complaints include annoying characters, too many computer-generated effects, cheesy dialogue, and story elements that don’t add up correctly. Most of these complaints are directed

towards George Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars”, who had complete control of the prequel movies.

Most of the fear that the new “Star Wars” trilogy would be ruined is taken away because a new director, JJ Abrams, took reign. Abrams has received acclaim from his directing on projects including the new “Star Trek” movies and television shows such as “Lost”. Abrams states that the new trilogy will be styled more like the original films, focussing more on emotion rather than explanation.

The actors that played the iconic main characters have returned, an aspect keeping the new movies like the original.

Another fear that some have about the new films is that they are now under the ownership of Disney. In 2012, George Lucas sold the rights of “Star Wars” to Disney for about $4.1 billion when it was announced that another movie was in process. With Disney, the first things that come to mind are animated mice, princesses, and lots of singing. That sounds like a terrible idea, you might think. Keep in mind that

Disney has recently acquired Marvel as well and has had phenomenal success with the Avengers film. They know how to handle the “Star Wars” franchise and won’t add in a CGI Mickey Mouse in the background.

It’s no surprise that “Star Wars” is getting huge hype.

Unlike other media popular decades ago, “Star Wars” has continued to be prominent even when new films weren’t in development; toys and videogames have continued to be popular and there’s always someone dressed up like Darth Vader on Halloween. The fan following is so big that an entire day has been devoted to be celebrated by fansMay the Fourth - a pun on the phrase “May the Force be with you.” The announcement of a new trilogy has excited many, as shown by the official trailer for “The Force Awakens”; which has already gained over 44 million views on YouTube. Come next December, crowds of eager fans will gather in theaters, some even cosplaying as their favorite characters, to see what “The Force Awakens” has in store.

When most people listen to music they hear words and instruments. When I listen to music, I hear emotions, feelings, and the expression of one’s true self. I believe that music is crucial to a person’s well being and plays a prominent role in the everyday person’s life.

I recently watched a video on how music affects the brain. This study was done by Anita Collins who researches the neuroscientific side of music education. The way music affects our brain can be

Changing from middle school to high school was a bigger change than I thought it would be. Your schedule changes every trimester and you might not have the same teacher as you would previously. In middle school, the only thing that changes are your electives. Here in high school everything can change, your lunch time or what period you might have math. Being shy, it’s kind of hard to get back in the swing of things, and becoming

Logan Erwin

Avengers, assemble!

The new “Avengers: Age of Ultron” movie has comic book geeks and run-of-themill movie enthusiasts hyped for the new blockbuster film.

The Avengers: who are the Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man, and Black Widow (along with Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver), are up against their newest challenge: Ultron. Ultron is a hyper-intelligent robot created by Hank Pym also known as Ant Man. The robotic renegade’s main superpowers include: strength, speed, stamina, durability, and agility. Other abilities that are out of the common are: An encephaloray which puts the victim into a near-death coma or can put them under Ultron’s control (including other robots as a hive-mind), can convert electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy that can be stored and used later, and finally the infamous adamantium armor which is indestructible except to supernatural forces.

The plot starts with Tony Stark trying to revive S.H.I.E.L.D. to its former glory by restarting a dormant peacekeeping program.

Ultron, the peacekeeping robot has an AI which is self-aware and self-teaching.

This leads to his thought process that humans are the main problem, so he sets out to eradicate them thus the Avengers are back into the fray.

Previous Marvel movies have been box office hits since “Iron Man” in 2008.

The new Avengers movie will be a much bigger hit rather than Star Wars because it fits a bigger demographic rather than adults and sci-Fi geeks.

Don’t get me wrong, Star Wars is great and all but the modern age yearns for suited superheroes (excluding the Hulk’s fashion choices of course). Star Wars is just too complicated; planets, names, and even ships names are hard to memorize. Marvel keeps everything organized and simple, yet also brilliant with their style of movies.

The movie will even have major effects on other movies, and their television show as well. Rebuilding SHIELD will dramatically

affect Agents of SHIELD by possibly introducing new characters, a story arc, and maybe even more involvement with the new Avengers movie. It’s safe to assume this since the first Avengers had major effects on movies afterwards. Tony Stark in “Iron Man 3” had major health complications including stress and PTSD since the wormhole event.

Loki sided with Thor in the second installment of the Norse god’s movie: “Thor: Dark World” after he learned he cannot defest the Avengers. The God of Tricks sided with the God of Thunder took down Malakith if you don’t recall the events of that movie. Regarding Cap, Hulk, Agent Romanov (also known as Black Widow), and Hawkeye it doesn’t seem much has changed throughout the franchise so hopefully something comes to fruition.

Avengers just fits a better demographic, if you consider everyone a demographic.

Nearly every modern movie fanatic, geek, or nerd has a favorite superhero.

Who doesn’t love action, superheroes, and a fantastic story?

described as “fireworks in our brain”. It’s one thing to listen to music, but to play an instrument or sing creates a strong, powerful, connection between your left and right brain. It can be as much to trick our brains into thinking we’re doing a full body workout.

Music has been used in many cases for therapeutic and recovery purposes.

When happy music is played, our pulses rise and breathing speeds up, a sign of happiness. However, when sad music is played, our

pulse slows down and blood pressure rises. According to science.howstuffworks.com music has been used in many ways. “For example, music has been found to boost the immune systems of patients after surgeries, lower stress in pregnant women and decrease the blood pressure and heart rate in cardiac patients, thus reducing complications from cardiac surgery.”

Music doesn’t just affect our emotions, but our bodies have responses of their own. According to Wired.

com, some of the physical symptoms of music include, “The pupils in our eyes dilate, our pulse and blood pressure rise, the electrical conductance of our skin is lowered, and the cerebellum, a brain region associated with bodily movement, becomes strangely active.”

In conclusion, I believe that music is very important to everyone. For teenagers, it can be a way to express how we feel and be an escape from reality for a short while. Here at AL, there are many ways to get involved in music related

activities. For example, show choir is a group of choral kids who dance and sing simultaneously to songs chosen to match the theme of their show. We are the home to the Lincoln Volume Show Choir.

There are also other ways if you can’t dance and sing, or sing at all. We have an award winning band and orchestra here at AL. So whether you sing, dance, or play an instrument, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in music and show your talent.

comfortable in new classes with different people. Not everything is scary here, for example, as a freshman usually three out of your five classes are in the same area which is really nice, and you see friends--some in class and some in the hallway. It doesn’t take long to make new friends, just put yourself out there and talk to people.

Sooner than you expect you will have some new friends and someone to chat with in the hallways before and after

school.

The freedom you get in high school is so nice! For example, in the mornings you don’t have to go to a certain place before the bell rings. In middle school you had to wait in the gym or auditorium, and if it was warm enough we waited outside. Here you can stand or sit where almost anywhere you like; it’s really nice. And when going to lunch you don’t have a teacher walking you down to lunch and you

can get in line with your friends you don’t have to stay with your class. And you can sit where you would like in the lunch room.

The flow in the hallways is a lot different too. The commons is the worst during passing time. People get in groups and it’s hard to find your way around them, especially when you are short like me. In the hallways with classrooms and lockers it almost seems too small to have so many people walk

through them at once. You almost have to fight your way through the hallways, otherwise people will push you when they are trying to get through. It seems like it takes longer to get to classes because of people in the halls. Could be if one class is on one side of the school and your next one is on the other side, the school is a lot bigger than you think at first. You get use to it, and after awhile you know the place like the back of your hand.

Circulation Manager

Music gives the firework effect in our brains Emma Seilstad E-Tube Producer

Freshman describes change from middle school Taylor Bever Reporter

Opinion

Echoes

Staff Editorial

Dani Rambo | Opinion Editor

Slang destroying English language For as long as it has existed, humanity has used various forms of communication in order to understand each other.

Throughout the years, these methods have evolved.

Humans became smarter and developed languages, and these languages are used by societies to contact and understand one another. But since the dawn of instant messaging, on both the cell phone and the internet, the English language has obtained some new lingo.

Now more than ever, people find themselves laughing out loud and rolling on the floor laughing while messaging other people.

While abbreviations such as “lol” and “brb” are great for saving a little bit of time, they are also good examples of terrible English.

Also, this terminology can unexpectedly seep in into your normal dialogue.

And while misspellings are okay during leisurely

communications, when it comes time to write essays for classes, teachers and professors notice mistakes, and probably won’t hesitate to let you know you’ve made them. So there is a difference between “there” and “their”, and although it is socially acceptable to mistake the two, no English professor will cut any slack for you, simply because you don’t know the difference, or fail to acknowledge there is a difference. Small details can ultimately be the difference between an A and a B, or even a passing grade and a failing grade.

Practice makes perfect.

That ancient testimony applies to many things in life, and it can definitely be applied to proper language usage. As terms such as “lol” and “K” (Not Potassium) become more frequent in online transmissions, they don’t garner a whole lot of impressive attention from others outside of technology.

Laziness is another problem which is developing with the constant use of technology. When people become more comfortable “talking” over a screen and realize the minimal effort it takes, as compared to conversing face to face, the first option is generally chosen, due to the lack of effort exerted.

John McWhorter writes brilliantly about the points mentioned above in his piece for Time Magazine, “Is Texting Killing the English Language?” In this excerpt from the passage, he focuses on the term “LOL”. “‘LOL’ signals basic empathy between texters, easing tension and creating a sense of equality. Instead of having a literal meaning, it does something — conveying an attitude — just like the -ed ending conveys past tense rather than “meaning” anything. LOL, of all things, is grammar,” McWhorter wrote.

Next time you are texting and use simplified language, think about the unintended

consequences it could have, and simply say to yourself; smh.

teachers should tell people what they have to wear.

So the thought of having a required school uniform is just dumb and pointless.

If you look around at any school that doesn’t require students to wear uniforms you can see a wide variety of students expressing themselves in tons of different ways whether it’s from piercings, hats, the way they style their hair, the way they wear their clothes, etc.

By assigning them to wear a specific school uniform takes away their right to express themselves in one of the most important ways possible.

They can at least enforce the dress code a little bit more if instead of just assigning them school uniforms. To some people school uniforms are like a way of saying that school is like a prison and

that the uniforms are like the jumpsuits that prisoners wear. Some students just feel like they are victims of conformity when wearing them.

Schools that have uniforms have a high level of complaints from the students wishing that they did not have school uniforms.

One such school is Mintie White Elementary School in Watsonville, California, where the students have to wear white t shirts and black/ green pants. The students there constantly complain about not having the freedom of not being able to dress freely however they want.

Sunnyside High School, my former school in Fresno, California, tried setting a new rule where you will need to wear a school uniform, but students and parents quickly

got together and signed a petition saying they were against the new rule and the school finally agreed to not set the new rule.

Not only do school uniforms make students feel like they are victims of conformity this fuels their urge to be rebellious and break the rule just to feel like they are different from everyone else. People argue saying that uniforms improve school discipline and promote higher education but in reality it doesn’t matter if students dress badly or great it does not improve their learning.

Even some principals say that although some students may be horrible dressers it doesn’t mean that they aren’t great students. Seems like the only thing school uniforms does is improve school spirit

and pride by having the students wear uniforms that have the school colors on it. While some people think that schools with uniforms just do nothing but give the school a bad name thus making them not want to send their kids there.

In conclusion, school uniforms are nothing more than jumpsuits that people in prison wear and do nothing more than take away students rights to openly express themselves.

In most schools that have uniforms, the students usually oppose them.

They feel that uniforms do nothing but annoy the students and make them feel like they are in prison.

Schools should not require their students to wear uniforms.

Reporter

School uniforms are something that creates rage in almost all teenagers.

Students should feel free to express themselves in whatever way possible even if it’s expressing themselves simply by what they wear.

No one, not even schools and

Editor

and conception to the day that we are born we set out on a leading path. It’s up to you whether to run this path and turn it into something truly amazing and successful or create a chaotic train of disaster.

Everything happens for a reason, all of us including myself were brought into this world for a purposeful reason. From the moment I saw light I never thought life would come so fast. In no time I was already walking and creating words. Before I knew it I was already attending kindergarten and making friends. I was already attending high school, starting my first job, and driving my first car. All of these events, in addition to

many more, occurred in the blink of an eye. 17 very short years has brought happiness, success, sadness, heartbreak, excitement and many more emotions into my life.

Looking back on the years it has all gone by so incredibly fast and seems to be a blur. My life has twisted and turned in all different directions. When people say the phrase “life throws you a curveball”, I never expected it to be so true. When I take a glance back to my past it’s almost an alien-like world.

Not only has my image changed, but my outlook on society has changed as well. I would never guess I would be where I am today.

I have forgiven and I have forgotten, and I moved on

from my past. I didn’t let my mistakes become part of me, rather a learning experience for future generations.

My advice to you, is to make the most out of every situation whether it’s the big things or the little things. You never know what tomorrow will bring in today’s world.

Appreciate what you already have because someday you might not have it. Enjoy high school and everything that comes with it because you might regret not going to that football game or that big school dance. Have fun and experience new things in High School because you’re going to wonder about everything that you missed out on. Furthermore, don’t hesitate to stop, enjoy

the moment, and have a good laugh, because one day you’re going to wish that you did.

You often hear young children say “I can’t wait till I grow up”, but they don’t understand how frightening the real world is. Kids anticipate growing up, but they should enjoy being a kid while it lasts. Life is short and sweet and can change in a split second. I would give anything to be a little kid again. Generations should focus not on growing up so quickly but rather focus on bettering themselves in the present. Life is entirely about the choices you make and consequences from those choices. Plus you have your entire life to grow up.

We all have a special purpose in life. A divine plan for each and every one of us that motivates us to become something much greater. From the gift of life

Editors-in-Chief Jessi Borwick Nathan Vorce

Section Editors

Dani Rambo Kendal Bainbridge Will Schademann Tanner Hochstetler Don Vinkenberg

Business Manager Calab Holder

Circulation Manager Logan Erwin

Reporters

Kelly Hickey Sean Veazie Hailey Carson Alyssa Clayton Audrey Hays Jake Peterson Anthony Ruiz Taylor Daugherty Jaime Huerta Taylor Bever

E-Tube Producer Emma Seilstad

Los Ecos

Growing up, leaving childhood behind Tanner Hochstetler

ECHOES

Graphic Design Editor

School uniforms addressed by student Anthony Ruiz

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Francisca Aguilar-Padilla Jazmine Martinez Ricardo Lopez Raquel Lopez Juan Nunez

Adviser

Gerry Appel The Echoes is published by the newspaper staff at 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 Facebook: ALHS Echoes Twitter: @ALHSJournalism Web site: alechoes.com NSPA Member Publication

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Kendal Bainbridge | A&E page editor

Arts & Entertainment

December 2014

Echoes

Art extravaganza showcases student talent Taylor Daughtery Reporter

Once again the Abraham Lincoln art teachers, Heather Mauer and Brittany Ridenour, have outdone themselves during this year’s annual art show. From spectacular live performances to amazing art pieces created by students, this year’s winter art show was a huge success.

Hours and hours of planning and work went into this event

and Mauer and Ridenour worked to make sure they wouldn’t let anybody down.

“It took a year,” Mauer said. “I start planning the next one right after the previous one ends.”

The minute that one entered the commons there was live singing and guitars playing. Many students, parents, and teachers crowded around the entrance to the Art and English hallway to hear these live student performances.

Photo By: Don Vinkenberg

it was by,” freshman Rylee Fichter said. There was an assortment to the styles of art.

As students and parents made their way to Ridenour’s classroom, they arrived in a rain forest. The room was blocked off by large paintings that were orange and red in color. It was also set up so that visitors would follow a path. This rainforest setting was full of clay sculpture that were made like masks. It

Photo By: Don Vinkenberg Besides the singers and the crowd of people at the hallway entrance, there were tables set up with cookies, pizza, soda, marshmallows and even a chocolate fountain. Another popular feature was the henna tattoo and wood burning booths. It was very fitting since henna tattoos are so popular today and wood burning is so interesting.

The first room that was open was Mauer’s room.

Paper snowflakes were hung from the ceiling to direct the people to where they were suppose to go. The walls of the path were chock full of paintings and art that had been created with recycled newspaper and magazines.

Moving on down the hallway, students’ artwork was hanging up on the lockers and in the art cases.

“My favorite piece of work had three vampires on it but I don’t know who

Photo By: Don Vinkenberg

land during the event; such as a laser gun shooting range, slot car racing, RC trucks, model trains and moving trains, many activity tables with crafts and a soft gun arcade. Drawings will be in place as well as gifts.

The first 125 kids to visit Santa’s Wonderland from 5:00 to 7:00 on Monday through Friday get a character backpack clip that changes every week. The previous ones have been a

raccoon, bear, moose, owl, and the current one is a three dimensional skunk figure. If you go to the Santa’s Wonderland from Dec. 22 to Dec. 24 there will be the final backpack clip of the year a fox. When you go visit Santa you also can get a free 4 by 6 inch studio-quality photo in store with the jolly mascot of Christmas cheer, Santa Claus.

Throughout the holiday season children can make so

many different kinds of decorations to put around their houses. Gingerbread Stockings, stuffed reindeer, plaster ornaments, foam birds, and Santa bobbers have been made there. Come now and decorate an ornament in the shape of a stick soldier.

On the days leading up to Christmas Eve, large cookies can be iced, decorated and brought home.

The Santa’s Wonderland is not just for young

gave it a sort of tribal vibe.

The room was kept in darkness but was lit up by the clay masks (which held candles). Some of the other art in the room were the paper mache masks made to look like Disney characters.

This year’s art show was one for the books. It was a successful art show that visitors enjoyed, and with all the planning that goes into the show next year’s will be just as good.

Santas Wonderland returns to Bass Pro Shop Sean Veazie Reporter

Every year from the middle of November all the way through the end of December, Bass Pro Shop becomes overrun with snow, elves, holiday cheer, and Father Christmas himself!

Christmas trees go up, sales start, the general atmosphere goes up with the holiday

spirit. Santa’s Wonderland is open from Nov. 15 all the way through Dec. 24. During the holiday event there are booths, sales, arts and crafts, games, decorations, prizes, and so much more. Visit the Toy Shop to see exclusive fun products not available during the rest of the year.

Seasonal food such as a fudge stand are also up during this period of time.

There are so much fun to be had at Santas Wonder-

children and their parents.

On Dec. 14, a local “Heroes Night” was hosted for police, firefighters, paramedics, war veterans, soldiers, and other military personnel. Events from drawings to ten percent discount was placed on regular priced items including photo packages for those who are being represented.

The first 100 local heroes to arrive got a free decorative ornament for serving our great community.

Rock n’Grohl: Sonic Highways Foo Fighters new album tops charts Anthony Ruiz Reporter

Photo By: Logan Erwin

Students experience Magic through cards Logan Erwin

Reporter Magic: The Gathering is a trading card game where Planeswalkers, also known as players, duel for the fate of the Multiverse. A player starts by untapping his or her lands and creatures, allowing them to be used for mana and attacking. The player then draws a card and plays a land card which generates mana to play spells. He or she plays spells to ultimately bring the opponent’s life total down to 0. Players alternate turns: untapping, drawing, playing spells, and attacking to win the game. Types of cards include: creature, enchantment, artifact, sorcery, instant, and lands.

The game started out in 1993, originally created by

Richard Garfield. Wizards of the Coast, a tabletop gaming company, partnered with Garfield to publish his idea.

The game has many aspects of Dungeons and Dragons but does not use pencil and paper as heavily as D&D does. Some of the original name ideas were “Magic” and “Mana Clash” but then was decided to be called “Magic: The Gathering”.

“Magic: The Gathering is the type of game that shows you there are some things as cool as sports,” junior Dillon Gibson said.

Furthermore into Magic, it has many complex rules besides the basics. There’s certain abilities and rules which can make the game more complex, but the “core” sets are basic so new players

learn to play easily. There are even strategies and deck archetypes which employ detailed strategies to gain an advantage over opponents; reducing a player’s deck to 0 cards, “poisoning” an opponent, and even using ability that says “Target player loses the game” are some examples of tricky win conditions.

“Magic is just something you can get better and better at, there’s really no end to how well you can develop your skill,” junior Kevin Lin said.

At ALHS, quite a few students have already begun playing this immersive game, even starting a club about it. Magic: The Gathering is a great game to play with friends, go forth and fight for the Multiverse Planeswalker!

The “Sonic Highways” is the highly anticipated 8th studio album and TV series by the critically acclaimed alternative rock band Foo Fighters. “Sonic Highways” was announced in Jan. 2013 while the TV series was announced on May 31, 2014.

Although the official release for both the album and TV series were Nov. 10, 2014 for the album itself, and Oct. 17, 2014 for the TV series. The singles from the album are “Something From Nothing” as the album’s lead single.

Then came “The Feast And The Famine” as the second single. Next is “Congregation” as the third single.

Then finally the last single is “What Did I Do?/God As My Witness.”

The tracks of “Sonic Highways” were recorded in a different way than any other album they have ever recorded. Rather than recording in a single studio they decided to travel all throughout the U.S.A. to eight legendary studios each in eight different cities: Chicago, Washington

D.C, Nashville Tennessee, Austin Texas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle, and New York City. The album is also the shortest studio album they have ever released consisting of 8 songs and a length time of 42:03. Each track on the album is also inspired by the city that they recorded in. For example, the lead single “Something From Nothing” has some funk and psychedelia influence from Chicago’s funk and psychedelic history.

Upon being released the album has mixed reactions from all the fans. While it received mostly positive results it had its fair share of criticism from long term fans by saying its too repetitive and boring and overall just terrible. Although most fans and even some long term fans say its the bands best work while some go on to say its even better than their previous hit album “Wasting Light.”

“Sonic Highways” the TV series debut episode was aired on Oct. 17, 2014 and continues to air all the way up to Dec. 5, 2014. Each episode talks about the history of music that the city is best

known for like Washington D.C. it talks about the hardcore punk movement which inspired the sound for their song “The Feast And The Famine.” “Sonic Highways” airs on HBO at 11:00 pm and they release a new episode every Friday up till its final episode.

Dave Grohl, the lead singer of the Foo Fighters, describes the TV series as “A love letter to the history of American music.” He came up with the idea of starting another documentary because he became interested in making another documentary due to the success of his previous documentary titled “Sound City”, which is about the history of the recording studio he used to make music in.

Overall, “Sonic Highways” is charting high on multiple of charts on counties all across the world.

While the TV series continues to air and is considered to be one of the best rock documentaries of the year if not its the best rock documentary of the year. Stay tuned to “Sonic Highways” on HBO at 11:00pm and go out and buy the album today.