CMYK
February 2010
CHS students raise over $1500 for Haiti relief By Phong Duong
Every year during the month of February, everyone at CHS is pumped for Pride Week. Pride Week is all about showing your pride as a CHS student or staff. Yet it’s also a week of doing good for the community by raising money or donating canned goods to families who can’t afford them. For the past several years the CHS student council has been helping with a local organization and has put on a Hunger Drive, which helps combat hunger in the local community. While local hunger is definitely not an issue to be ignored, recent global events sparked students at Clinton High to momentarily redirect their efforts to a people they would never see. Student Council voted and decided to donate this year ’s Pride Week efforts to Haiti Relief and to help both the survivors and humanitarian aid relief there now. About a month ago, a
devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck the capital of Haiti, killing more than 200,000 people. The shocking news soon got to everyone here at CHS, and many suggested that we should do something to help the Haitians. Within a matter of days after the disaster, students throughout the school gathered together and formed a group called Clinton High Haiti Relief in hopes of filling the urgent need to contribute to the humanitarian relief. Alison Sullivan, who is a member of the organization as well as student council, proposed to the latter group that Clinton High start a change drive for the Haitians. All together, the week’s efforts amounted to $1570 raised for the earthquake victims. The money raised was done so through a student baggo tournament on Tuesday of Pride Week, the annual Mr. Clinton High Pageant, and the
class change jar competition. Also, one dollar of each class Pride Week shirt that was purchased was donated to the Haitian Relief cause. To show support of the contributions made, each class t-shirt had a picture of Haiti with the country’s name printed on the sleeve. “I had no idea we would raise more than $1500,” commented Sullivan after the total amount was confirmed. “It really does prove that a penny, a quarter, a dollar, anything can make a difference. It also Sophomore Andrew Howes sports the Haiti emblem donated by Adcraft in support of the Haiti d e m o n s t r a t e s Relief Change Drive KRISTINA ARMSTRONG how anyone can lend a hand and that eager to do so.” Poor, an organization in tarian relief and if desigteenagers and young The money raised will which 97% of donations nated so, directly to a people in general are be sent to Food for the go directly to humani- specific cause.
M.O.C. students on track to success Students partake in By Alison Sullivan
For a majority of CHS seniors, college looms in the very near future. But for those who are thinking of diving immediately into the work force, Clinton High has a program to prepare them for the high demands of working life. Multi-occupational Careers (M.O.C.) is a class specifically designed to train students to survive and succeed in their future jobs, all while earning high school credit. The students experience the process of applying and getting a job, the class helping them throughout the entire process. The students fill out multiple types of personality and interest surveys, including the Kiersey Temperament Sorter, to pinpoint a job that will appeal to them the most, as well as what they will most likely be pursuing post graduation. The students learn how to compose a professional cover letter, resume, go through
mock interviews, and fill out job applications. They also are instructed on good skills to keep their job, how to best finance and invest their money that they earn, and most importantly social responsibilities and ethics that are essential to working life. Jobs that the students undertake are "It made me realize that I’m done being a kid... that college is the first step into a great future." McDougall
from a wide range of services from places such as Pizza Ranch, to yard care and landscaping, daycare, or DM Services. The M.O.C. program has been around for about twenty to twentyfive years and was originally established for students who were not college bound, provid-
ing these students with an advanced opportunity to earn quality positions right out of high school. Today, this senior-only course helps prepare college and work bound students alike. Just ask Brooke McDougall, one student currently in the program. She currently works at Wee School, which she started before taking the class. “Well, I took this class at first just because I heard it was an easy A, but then I heard that it's a big help for your future plans,” admits McDougall. “This class has helped me figure out my life. It made me realize that I’m done being a kid. I’m graduating high school and I’m moving on. It showed me that college is the first step into a great future. It has helped me a lot by finding a job, getting it, and being successful in it.” McDougall plans on attending ITT Tech in Phoenix, Arizona next year to pursue criminal
justice. “I don’t really have an idea of [a specific career] in the field…but I love dealing with the law and learning about criminals.” For students like McDougall, M.O.C. is truly an eye-opener to the high demand and requirements that finding and maintaining a job require. Mr. Pataska, the course instructor, says it is interesting to watch kids begin the class excited to find opportunities in their chosen field of interest. “They always show a lot of desire to learn more about what they want to do,” observes Pataska. He goes further to explain how soon his students realize that work is, well a lot of work. “I think that now I’m ready to move on and go to college…[to] start my life and get out into the real world. I’ve never felt more ready,” exclaims McDougall. “Mr. Pataksa does a good job. I owe him. He helped me find my life .”
Mr. Clinton High By Alison Sullivan
Like snow in the winter time, the annual Mr. Clinton High pageant has become synonymous with Pride Week. Clinton High's own show up for a fierce competition to be able to claim the crowning title of Mr. Clinton High. The pageant was held this year on February 4 in the Vernon Cook theatre. Though there were a mere seven candidates this year, the crowd came in droves to support their friends and to certainly enjoy a night full of entertainment. Mr. Clinton High was selected based on several components of style, talent, and poise during four separate rounds which included: casual wear, sportswear, talent, and evening wear. After enduring elimination, Mr. Clinton High was awarded to senior Devan Ebensberger
with junior Patrick Hess as the runner up. Jesse Schneeburger claimed the 'Viewer's Choice' award. The money earned also supported the weeklong change drive for Haiti Relief and contributed over $500. Ebensberger greets attendees at the Friday Pep Assembly. ALYSSA
Pride Week 2010: Dress up days Pride Week is simply not Pride Week without the wacky dress-up days. CHS students go all out to show their pride and to have some fun. This year's dress up days included: farmer day, college day, cliche day, tv show character day, and class color day. Four of the days are pictures below. (L-R) Wyatt Klooster and Laura Mataya are adorned in collegiate attire. Patrick Hess and RG appear as a gangster and nerd. Allison Kimmer is Gumbee. Amanda Fecht and Juliana Ruttenbeck show off their sophomore class pride in green. PHOTOS: KRISTINA ARMSTRONG
CMYK
February 2010
Shirts cause breech of 1st amendment rights? By Hannah Stratton
The state of Iowa is all too familiar with what freedoms Americans of all ages possess, most importantly freedom of speech, as demonstrated in the famous Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines. In what is one of the most-often quoted affirmations of free speech in schools, the 7-2 majority wrote in its 1969 decision: "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." One may ask, how different is a t-shirt for a class from a political arm band? I have to argue not much. In fact our alternative Clinton High School Senior shirts were without political offense, therefore why should we be censored? Now some of the Clinton High School seniors are up in arms about this year’s school Pride Week class t-shirts. If a member of administration did indeed tell said students that they were prohibited from making alternative t-shirts and then proceeded to contact Ad-Craft to prolong or inhibit printing of said shirts, this is
indeed censorship. These alternative senior shirts were not offensive, nor did they include the school name. Therefore the grounds for censorship are blurry. The song used on the t-shirt itself may be of a risky nature; however the quote upon the shirts themselves was not. Why then should a class be denied their right to wear what they have already paid to receive? In previous years students have chosen to make alternative Pride Week shirts and as long as said shirts were not of an offensive nature they were not shut down. The senior class may be a part of the school itself, but is also a part of a larger body of young people. We are also our own group, the class of 2010. Though there are plenty of students who were pleased with the approved shirt, there were a large number who were not. Why should one class be censored over something as trivial as a class t-shirt? These t-shirts were indeed approved by school officials just simply not voted on: why then should we not have the opportunity of making shirts of our own? In fact, for other parts of
Pride Week, students opted to make their own shirts for dress up days. How is that any different from a t-shirt for color day? If the students went home and made shirts with iron on patches and fabric paint, I can hardly imagine that we wouldn’t be allowed to get one. Is it the sophisticated nature in producing the shirt or a control issue on part of the administration that is disallowing the production of our own class shirts? Moreover, the students, who organized the making of the alternative shirts, were also willing to donate profit to charity. Why were they censored? If the school administration doesn’t make a change, this will continue in one form or another for years to come. Understanding that on the grand scheme of things a t-shirt isn’t a major issue, what is more important was that money was given to charity to help the recent crisis in Haiti. Even though some students may be upset by the decision of the administration, what it most important is that it all went for a good cause. I think that’s something on which both students and staff can agree.
Delivering heart-to-heart
FBLA members visit the Alverno to deliver their hand-made valentines. (L-R) Saad Ansari, Brandon Dunham, Hiba Ansari, Dan Fogg, and Anthony Hagen. SUBMITTED PHOTO
By Alison Sullivan
On Friday, February 12, a group of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) members travelled to the Alverno Nursing Home to give its residents little reminders that they were appreciated and loved this Valentine's Day weekend. The students went after school to deliver valentines that had been handmade by members of FBLA as well as students throughout the
school. A total of 125 valentines were delivered that day as well as countless connections made between the students and those residents who received the cards. "I really thought that of all the community service events we have done, this was one that truly made a difference for us as well as the people living in our community," reflected Brandon Dunham, one of the students who delivered the valentines.
Students get hands-on with bacteria By Brittany Carroll
I know you all have heard the word, “bacteria,” but do you really know what it means? Bacteria are a type of microorganism that can cause infections and diseases. There are many types of these disease-causing bacteria, like the flesh eating bacteria, which is a deadly bacterium. Not all bacteria are deadly. For a learner-centered, relevant scientific question, this particular experiment tested different areas of Clinton High School to see how much bacteria were growing in our school. With a donation from Mercy Medical Systems laboratory, the students had a true to science experience. I think this project was a good thing to show us what is around us even though we can’t see it! I would like to say to everyone around me that they should wash their hands more frequently! In addition to my perspective as a student in the classroom, I interviewed teachers Mr. Bohach and Ms. Kelly to see what they thought of this experiment:
Why did you have us do this experiment? Ms. Kelly: “We always try to come up with lessons and labs that are interesting enough to keep our students involved and engaged, but that will also teach us how to apply the scientific method.” Mr. Bohach: “We also want our students to use scientific inquiry. This means that the students create their own questions and discover their own answers. With this lab, the students designed their own experiments to answer a question that they wanted to know about bacteria” Was there anything that surprised you about this experiment? Mr. Bohach: “We were both surprised at how much bacteria grew! So much bacteria in our world, but yet our bodies do so well at fighting it off! It really makes you think and be more conscientious about keeping yourself and our classrooms cleaner!” Ms. Kelly: “We have already run out of soap in the Biology classroom, which is a good sign! I
don’t really know if any one thing surprises me, but I am very pleased with the way the experiment turned out. As two first (or at least first to CHS and first to Science at CHS) year teachers, we kind of come up with these labs and they grow and evolve as we plan. We never really know exactly how they will turn out; sometimes we think ‘That was incredible!’ and sometimes we think ‘What were we thinking?!’ We came up with this idea and didn’t really have everything we needed so we decided to reach out to our community. Mercy Medical Systems laboratory donated the Petri dishes with the Nutrient Agar (microbe food) which was what made this all possible. Without them, I think we would have had to resort to Google images of bacteria and online labs or something like that. We certainly wouldn’t be able to have done this kind of student-led, inquiry based, scientific method focused lab. It just wouldn’t have been as much fun and science IS
fun.” Is there anything else you want to say about this lab? From the team: “We knew the kids would enjoy this and that they will probably remember it for years to come. One of the best and most rewarding things about teaching is to be able to provide experiences like these for kids. We invest in these learners and receive an even bigger return by watching what they deduce, produce and learn from it. On the surface we think they learned of this tiny world that exists outside of us - the world of microorganisms and as a result, we believe they will do a better job of washing their hands. But what we really hope they take away from this experience is a thirst and love for learning, the desire to think critically, and to see how enriching things can be when we collaborate. We are a community of learners and we believe those three things are what makes us such a powerful team and what makes our classroom (hopefully) one that kids look forward to attending.”
The visit to the Alverno was in celebration as part of FBLA's National Community Service Day. The visit also helps the students earn points towards an upcoming convention in April. To attend the convention, student members of the group must earn a set number of points achieved through things such as community service projects, attending FBLA meetings, and participating in other FBLA fundraising and projects.
Ryan Kooi shows enthusiasim to work with his petri dish
Mr. Bohach gets swabbed for bacteria
Students diligently gather data
Students examine bacteria through a microscope.
Valentines strike a good note By Amber Elkins
Valentine’s Day presents an opportunity for candy hearts, chocolates, flowers, and other tokens of affection to show appreciation. Keeping with tradition, the Clinton High choral department annually provides another
fun and enjoyable way to say ‘I love you’ with a singing valentine. On Friday, February 12, Men’s Double Quartet and Women’s Triple Trio toured both the school and the city of Clinton and sang to people’s significant others who were
lucky enough to receive a singing valentine. Male singers include Derrick Bertram, Eric Olney, Lance Wilden, Ben Owen, Alex Baker, John Bray, Patrick Hess, and Chris Pollpeter. Women’s Triple consists of Emma Yahn, Alison Sullivan, Grace
Shemwell, Ashley Susie, Jackie Santiago, Marissa Matzen, Laura Mataya, Sarah Shim, and Christy Gosnell. Singing Valentines are used as a fundraiser for A’capella choir. The money raised goes to the department's various
needs such as buying more music and other needs throughout the year. “I like being in Women’s Triple because singing in a small group you get a chance to hear everyone around you singing,” said Emma
Yahn, a sophomore at CHS who was excited about it being her first year to participate. A big thank you goes to all the people who bought singing valentines and thank you for the continual support. Surely your loved one appreciated
CMYK
February 2010
Speech fares well at state By Amber Elkins
This month the Clinton High speech and debate team participated in the District and State speech tournament in Iowa. Districts took place on January 23 in Monticello, Iowa and received top marks in three of the participating groups. Derrick Bertram, Lauren Fletcher, Christy Gosnell, Taylor Koch, Ashley Blakley, Alec Snodgrass, Sarah Bark, Kaitlynn Ryan, Amber Elkins, and coaches Sarah Ball and Sarah Long all went to the tournament. Radio broadcasting, reader’s theater, and ensemble acting were the three categories in which the Clinton High participants received a one rating. If participants receive a one rating (out of the three level scale) from the judges, they are then eligible to compete at the state level. If they then receive ones across the board plus a nomination from the judges, they can continue on to the top ranked all-state level. At the state meet on February 6, radio broadcasting received a two, two, and one; reader’s theatre received a two, one, one, and ensemble acting received a two, two, and one. "It's exciting to see a lot of new faces participating," commented Ms. Ball. " It is also nice to see the cross over of drama and speech students because the two styles of performing are such a national combination." Expect to hear more for the rest of the year with the individual speech competitions commencing February 27.
Congratulations! Ben Owen Anna Marshall Christopher Pollpeter On Saturday, February 13, three CHS students performed in a piano recital in the Vernon Cook Theatre. Piano students from the surrounding area took part in the recital and were judged based on performance, ability, and were rated on a one to five scale. Ben Owen was awarded 'best performance of center' and will be performing his piece later on in Ames.
Clintonian Staff: In this issue... Editor-in-Chief: Alison Sullivan Layout: Alison Sullivan Advertisement: CHS FBLA Photographers: Alyssa Wells Hannah Gettes
Reporters: Phong Duong Taylor Mckee Amber Elkins Wyatt Klooster
Kristian Armstrong
Hannah Stratton Kristina Armstrong Sean Determan Brittany Carroll
Like what you see? Let us know! Send all questions, comments, and concerns to chsclintonian@gmail.com
Kings vs. Dogs By Wyatt Klooster
Going into Tuesday, Febuary 2nd's pivotal MAC clash, the River Kings had just suffered a tough loss to the Assumption Knights. The Kings were determined to win and make sure their share of the MAC boys basketball title was not out of reach. At 7:30 PM, the Clinton River Kings squared off against the Bettendorf Bulldogs who had a one game lead on Clinton in the conference standing. The Clinton crowd was not lacking to cheer on their 7th ranked Kings. Bettendorf won opening tip and it was game on. Clinton led the Bulldogs after a rough and ruckus 8 minutes of play, 15 to 14. The second quarter had some steals and fast break lay-ups which led to a 9 point run. This allowed Bettendorf to carry a 5 point lead to half. Opening the third quarter, the Kings stayed within five points until the 1:30 mark where Dylan Burn hit a nice jumper to pull within two points. This sparked
the crowd, which was heckling many questionable calls. By the end of the night, Bettendorf had an answer with buckets from Danial Byrn and Eric Lee. Clinton saw an eleven point deficit but never got down. Mo Walker would turn the tides minutes later putting in an acrobatic layup then stealing the inbound pass to pull the Kings closer. Seconds later David Johnson stole the ball and went to the line after being fouled and sank both free throws. Before Bettendorf knew it, their eleven point lead had been wiped out to just a 3 point margin at 45 to 42. Clinton would pull within two but could never regain the lead, while Bettendorf would steal the game at the free throw line. After the final whistle sounded, Bettendorf had escaped with a 53 to 49 victory. After a tough MAC road game, the Kings regrouped and put their minds to sneaking by the Muscatine Muskies 45-43.
Clinton Location 1700 Camanche Ave 563-243-2368 Hours: Monday - Wednesday 11 am - 5 pm Thursday 11 am - 8 pm Friday 11 am - 5 pm Saturday 9 am - 5 pm
Making a splash at state By Sean Determan
The Clinton River King swimmers concluded a great year with a grand six wins and three losses, whose teams went on to rank high at state. This year's state meet took place on Saturday, February 13. At state, the River King swimmers placed 24th out of 25 places with two teams tying for last place. The Kings have taken each year in stride and over the course of several years have steadily tackled goals set for each season. Last year’s goal was to qualify for state, this year to score some points, and next year is to be able to compete with Iowa’s finest swimmers. Matt Boyd finished in 10th place for the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.55 and 12th in the 500 yard freestyle, swimming time of 4:54.39. Andrew Howes placed 17th in the 100 yard butterfly swimming with a time of 55.61. In addition, all of the relays for the River Kings had qualified and dropped time. The 200 yard medley relay consisted of Tyler Hemingway, Andrew Tuisl,
Andrew Howes, and Evan Tuisl swimming a time of 1:43.68, which was better than their seed time of 1:44.24. The 200 yard freestyle relay with Andrew Howes, Evan Tuisl, Shawn Mauritz, and Matt Boyd, swam a time of 1:32.73 setting them at 23rd. The 400 yard freestyle relay also was faster than its seed time of 3:24.57 and dropped to 3:24.12, swam by Matt Boyd, Andrew Howes, Evan Tuisl, and Andrew Tuisl. Other MAC teams that placed at state were Muscatine at 4th, Davenport North at 14th and Pleasant Valley at 16th. Swimmer Shawn Mauritz says, “It was an awesome experience and we hope to have a repeat next year. We had fun and we did well.” Saying it was awesome is putting it mildly as this year’s top swimmers nearly set state records. Needless to say, the River Kings will be back for another chance to do some damage at the state meet next year. Above: CHS swimmers show pride at state meet. ALYSSA WELLS
Davenport Location 4007 East 53rd St 563-359-3948 Hours: Monday - Thursday 11 am - 7 pm Friday 11 am - 5 pm Saturday 9 am - 5 pm Sunday noon - 4 pm
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'Valentines Day' a heart-warmer. By Taylor Mckee
The movie "Valentine’s Day" was sheer genius and fit perfectly into the very holiday it was depicting. Its star studded cast picked up the characters that would typically appear throughout the city of Los Angeles during Valentine’s Day. The cast contained Ashton Kutcher (an Iowa native as seen in the "Guardian"), Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover"), Julia Roberts ("Erin Brockovitch"), Jessica Alba ("Fantastic Four"), Jennifer Garner ("Thirteen Going on Thirty"), and Emma Roberts ("Nancy Drew") to name a few.
The cast had many other celebrities involved which helped pump up this movie to the level of high class comedy and romance. “Valentine’s Day” showed intertwining stories of young and naïve romance, lonely hearts clubs, old loving devotion, heart break, proposals, gay couples, and sweet sappy fairytale endings. The movie follows all the different couples and friends through the 'commercialized' holiday and all the pressure they endure trying to live up to the expectations on finding true happiness in the end. Even though in some parts the movie was predictable, it was still nothing short of entertaining. This movie appeals to couples, groups of friends, or even the family. You will laugh, feel sad, and be able to relate to some character within the movie. So put down the chocolates and go see "Valentine’s Day." I give it 4 stars.
Horoscopes By Kristina Armstrong
Aries 3/21-4/19 You have many ideas floating around. Don’t be afraid to express them! Love: You’re thinking back to the past too much. Look towards the future and something great is sure to be waiting. Taurus 4/20-5/20 Don’t be ignoring that inner voice of yours. It’s probably telling you the right choice to make. Love: If you're seeing a bit of jealousy in your significant other, play it up. It’s not always a bad thing. Gemini 5/21-6/21 You’re at the top of your crush's list. Be careful and make the right moves, but don’t over think things. Love: Reassure your loved one that all of your quietness lately doesn’t mean you're upset or angry. Make sure they know you are just thinking things through. Cancer 6/22-7/22 This month is different than most. You are feeling surprisingly good about every decision you’ve made! Love: Don’t focus so much on finding that special someone. Focus more on yourself and that special someone will find you. Leo 7/23-8/22 You’re shining this month and everyone is noticing. Keep up the good work! Love: Whatever you do, don’t hide your emotions. If you're feeling a bit upset or depressed, talk things out with whomever you feel comfortable talking with! Virgo 8/23-9/22 Future plans and goals seem to be consuming your thoughts this month. Don’t be scared of reality! Love: If you are feeling pressured to commit then it’s probably not the right time or person. There’s plenty of fish in the sea! Libra 9/23-10/22 Why so tired? Try and get more rest and you will be able to appreciate each day a little more. Love: Try and lend a helping hand to your friends in need of advice. Don’t get cranky with them, it will get you nowhere. Scorpio 10/23-11/21 Who could possibly resist you this month? Your ego should be shining because your month is fantastic! Love: Directly approach the issue with your significant other. Don’t blow things off as if they are no big deal. Sagittarius 11/22-12/21 Congratulations on finding that special new someone. Keep them around, they are the best you’ve had in quite some time! Love: Keep your communication open and don’t hide things. Capricorn 12/22-1/19 The world can be intimidating. Get out there and show everyone what you’ve got!
Love: Surprise your new found crush with a sweet little something! Aquarius 1/20-2/18 Don’t be intimidated to ask anyone any questions you might have. Just remember they don’t have to answer you! Love: Keep that surprise under wraps! Don’t tell a single soul! Pisces 2/19-3/20 Go with the flow, don’t fight your emotions. Love: Take the advice of your elders. You might think they don’t know anything but they know everything. They were your age once .