The Bettendorf High School
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rowl Vol. 50 Issue 2
Friday, Oct. 18, 2013
3333 18th St. Bettendorf, IA 52722
New math program receives mixed reviews By Alex Connor Staff Reporter
“I would like to go as far in math as the high school will offer,” sophomore Blaire Logan said. “What I like about math is that there is either a right or wrong answer, there is no gray area.” Logan has worked her way up from Algebra I through Geometry and is currently in Honors Algebra II. Logan is one of the select few who have experience with the new math curriculum. Last year, Martha Beck, a math teacher, along with the rest of the district math curriculum committee, agreed upon a new math curriculum that meets current state standards. “We went looking,” Beck said. “I went to a national math conference that exposed the College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM) education program and I liked the way it engaged the students. The more engaged the better.” The new math program, CPM, focuses on student directed learning and assigns roles to give every student and teacher a task. The teacher becomes the facilitator, and the classroom is broken into groups of either three or four students with roles
such as task manager, recorder/reporter, resource manager and student facilitator. The CPM math curriculum has seen resistance with its student directed learning methods, however. “Since it is new to everyone, it is a little rough. You get a better understanding of concepts through re-teaching and it is not as much as a brain dump,” Beck said. “The hardest part I think about implementing this curriculum is working with students who are unmotivated to learn. You always have two to three other people counting on you.” “It is complicated because our community has learned from the traditional method, but unfortunately the traditional method did not benefit many people,” Colin Wikan, dean of students and former math teacher, said. Although there is not enough information so far to collect data as to how this new curriculum is affecting test scores, students are being exposed to this new way of learning earlier on in middle school. “I feel the students retain information better. We are in a state of constant review so that helps connect the new to the old,” Logan said. Math is the only curriculum to be switching to this student directed learning method so far.
Honor inductees saluted By Jordan Raso Co-Editor
his set design for “Good Grief Charlie Brown: A Tribute to Charles Schulz.” The journey of creating “I’ve never worked on a production a powerful, substantial where everyone is facing the same legacy begins before a direction,” Anderson said. “Everyone was graduate even wraps his working to achieve a common goal.” fingers around the high school diploma. In high school, Anderson was involved in On Oct. 4, five former students, Matthew student council cross country and theatre. Anderson, Robert Gallagher, Samuel The mayor of Bettendorf, Gallagher, Silverstein, Cheryl Willman a 1987 graduate, is also and Thomas Waterman, managing partner at were inducted into the Hall Millage & Gallagher PLC, of Honor. Attorneys at Law and a The Hall of Honor graduate of the University was designed to honor of Iowa and Marquette ”noteworthy graduates who University Law School. have achieved a place of Gallagher was involved in distinction in the area of At the banquet, Waterman band, wrestling, football public or community service and cross country in high and Gallagher discuss or who have achieved a school. how their pasts have noticeably high level of A 1977 graduate, influenced their futures. performance in a career or Waterman is a justice on profession and who have the Iowa Supreme Court. influenced the lives of others in a positive He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, manner.” University of Iowa College of Law and the “I was honored to have the chance to American Law Institute and was appointed give back to my old school in a way that as a justice in 2010. I hope will inspire others,” Waterman At BHS, Waterman played tennis, was said of receiving the letter from principal involved in student council and was senior Jimmy Casas. class president and co-editor of the Growl. Silverstein and Willman, 1985 graduate He was also captain of the swim team. and 1973 graduate respectively, could The honorees have used important life not attend the ceremony because of prior lessons in their professional careers that commitments in Europe. they learned at BHS. Anderson, a 1990 graduate, is coThe honorees, as well as all hall of founder and creative director of Ex honor recipients from years past, provide Machina Design X Marketing and co- inspiration that can lead current students founder of Think It Ink It. A graduate of in creating their own legacy beyond UNI and California Institute of the Arts, graduation day. Anderson won a 2000 Emmy Award for
“We were not seeing the academic success we wanted,” Wikan said. “I am for whatever ensures the student’s success. Math is its own beast.” With reviews from students and parents varying, it is hard to tell where everyone stands with the curriculum. “Students have to work hard and think. The parents are shy to the idea but they are having less anxiety about their kids. It is
harder but good,” Beck said. Beck is the frontrunner for implementing and teaching the CPM math curriculum and was one of the first teachers to use it in her classroom. This is her second year teaching using this untraditional method. “You are no longer using just a method,” Wikan said. “You are gaining an understanding of what you are learning.”
iOS 7 Update bittersweet By Amanda Kane Staff Reporter The new buzz around school has centered around Apple’s bold new software update iOS 7. It was released at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Students raced to download during class, excited for the new changes that came along with it. “I like the new design,” freshman Lane Harris said. “The old Apple was simple and boring.” Apple’s all new design follows a strict template and color scheme, making it simple yet complex. The company claims that the main focus of the update is function, and that design went hand in hand. The new layout takes better advantage of the screen space, while the transparency gives depth to basic applications. The software also introduces new features including iTunes Radio. “iTunes Radio is sweet and I use it almost every day,” junior Gracie Touvelle said. All of the apps have been completely redesigned in order to fit a new grid system, and audio alerts have been re-imagined. Unnecessary buttons and bars have been eliminated to remove clutter and to focus
on the user’s content. According to Apple.com, the goal is to make the new software so simple and elegant, that someone picking up an iPhone for the first time can complete any desired task without reading a manual. Many loyal iPhone customers are unsatisfied with the new layout, however, comparing it to already existing android phones. “I understand it’s competition, but I got an iPhone because I want an iPhone, not an Android,” Keaton Amiot said. There have also been many complaints about malfunctions and two more updates have been released, iOS 7.0.1 and iOS 7.0.2, that supposedly fixed security flaws and other bugs. “It glitches all the time, it freezes, closes out of apps and my keyboard does not work sometimes or does not show up,” Touvelle said. Another major glitch is the widely reported problem with iMessage. Countless iPhone owners have complained that iMessage has simply stopped working. Messages do not send as a text, when necessary, like they used to. Apple has promised to solve this “unstable, but fixable” problem with the release of iOS 7.0.3, coming early October.
SOUP attends cultural festival By Aimee Plante Online Editor To emphasize the importance of exposing students to different cultures, the University of Iowa hosts an annual Cultural Diversity Festival in which volunteers share the fashions, flags and, most of all, foods of their cultures. On Sept. 29, 10 members of SOUP (Students Organized to Unite People) attended to broaden their horizons in more ways than one. “I enjoyed seeing all of the different tables lined up and how the [representatives] approached you to make you feel welcome,” Kelli Van Blaricome, the paraeducator who volunteered to take the students to the festival, said. Within the festival, the students walked among the creations of countries such as Germany, Brazil, and Malaysia. SOUP member Zaira Shaikh is a foriegn exchange student from Mumbai, India who attended the festival in her traditional Sari.
“My favorite part of the trip was seeing Zaira’s reaction to everything,” Kylie Gutierrez said. “When we hit the India table, she couldn’t stop eating the pani puri.” “I stayed there like 20 minutes because I was going through the shock scenario that even in America we get all the Indian foodstuffs as well as the Indian attires,” Shaikh said. After embracing the atmosphere of countless countries, the students decided to further their cultural experience by visiting “Oasis: the falafel joint” located nearby. The majority had never tried the chickpeastuffed pitas, a Middle-Eastern dish. “The falafel was extremely delicious. It was like a crusty ball of tasty,” senior Quentin Yarolem said. SOUP club has witnessed the vast differences among cultures in our world and learned that exposure is the key to unlocking the connections we make with those who live among these differences.
Opinion
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The Growl Editorial
BHS joins the Twitterverse: How our school is evolving
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“@bhspride retweeted your tweet.” Last year, to get a notification from Twitter that the principal retweeted your tweet would be a preposterous notion. It is now, however, a daily event. Our school has striven to implement Twitter for everyday purposes. According to Forbes.com, Twitter is becoming increasingly mandatory for public schools. Information about everything from club meetings to pictures of school events are available to the public, making access easy for students, parents and teachers in the community. “Everyone is so mobile now, it is the most efficient method,” associate principal Kristy Cleppe said. “You can go to one place and get everything all at once,” senior Eric Hale said. Yet, not everyone finds the regular Twitter updates to be an effective way to
put out information to the public. “ T h e thing with Twitter is there is so much on your feed,” senior Hannah Montgomery said. “It is overwhelming.” Many students are supportive of the transition to a more Twitter-based road for information. Club advisors, and even students within them, have gotten involved with the trend. Melanie Trepa, who runs Communications for the Theatre Department, praises the new focus on Twitter. “More students use their phones to communicate than through email or school resources, so Twitter allows us to get information out there as soon as possible, knowing students will get the memo,” Trepa said. Hashtagging or searching #bettpride provides information related to activities at BHS.
Equality Now:
‘Feminism’ is not a dirty word By Aimee Plante Online Editor I am a feminist, and, if you have held a conversation with me for over ten minutes, this should be no surprise. Some love it about me, some hate it, some do not really know what it means and an alarming majority combine options two and three. So, what exactly is feminism? Those of you who either a.) sneered b.) rolled your eyes or c.) began reading another article after reading my opening statement most likely replace “feminist” with “hairy, unattractive man-hater,” alternatively known as “The Feminazi.” Unfortunately, I cannot deny that these women exist, but what I can say is that these women are the minority in the realm of feminism. Much like any other political movement, feminism has its extremists; however, it is incorrect to assume that a few women who take things too far represent the entirety of the feminist view. Another common misinterpretation of the word “feminist” is that it is a label designated exclusively to women. While the title may contain the root “fem” and the majority of feminists are, indeed, women, the movement itself does not discriminate between genders. After all, doing so would essentially defeat the purpose of the movement in general. As a matter of fact,
there are many branches within feminism which focus on male-specific issues such as society’s repression of male emotion and it’s idealization of masculinity. Now, most high schoolers, and even adults, do not know just how important these topics can be, and that is normal; however, in order to overcome the inequalities we face, we must familiarize ourselves with the importance of the movements which change them. Feminism, by definition, is one way to achieve that. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feminism is “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” There you have it. If you agree with this definition, you are a feminist. Simple as that. My being a feminist does not mean that I am about to stop shaving my armpits and begin burning my bras; nor does it mean that you cannot. Feminism exists so that both men and women may live beyond what is expected of them, so that we may decide what we expect of ourselves. I need feminism because I am a person of value and I, regardless of my gender, deserve to be treated as such, and, whether you rolled your eyes at this article or not, you do too. The closer we come to understanding the meaning of feminism, the closer we come to treating one another as what we all are: equals.
Growl Staff
Editors: Jordan Raso and Allie Weis Sports Editor: Michael Conner Reporters and Photographers: Brianna Klabunde, Alex Connor, Amanda Kane, Brett Gaydos, Dana Waterman, Aimee Plante, GG Columnist: GG bettgrowl.com Editor: Aimee Plante Adviser: Connie King Mascot: Newsie The Growl is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association (IHSPA) and the Journalism Education Association. Visit us at bettgrowl.com. “Like” us on Facebook (bettmedia).
Oct. 18, 2013
The Growl accepts all signed Letters to the Editor by the student body. Letters may be edited for length, grammar, and clarity. Letters may be dropped off in D100, journalism lab or emailed to bhsgrowl@gmail.com.
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“[With #bettpride] we are united as one entity rather than isolated,” Cleppe said. “Our purpose behind promoting #bettpride is to create a strong sense of community,” principal Jimmy Casas said. Every time “bettpride” is hashtagged, the tweet filters to the Twitter feed that runs constantly on the flat screen televisions in the Commons. Also, every time a tweet with #bettpride is retweeted, that appears on the screen too. “The increased focus on Twitter has helped unite Bettendorf High School as a whole,” Trepa said. “The community aspect and school spirit has increased.” Even after the introduction of this hashtag, administration is still looking towards the future for different ways to stay current. “Each year we review what has changed,” Cleppe said. “[Next year] all grade levels will have iPads. Technology never stops changing.” The addition of this new technology tool has bridged the gap between administration and student communication. With #bettpride and informational accounts providing useful material presented at our
Wise Words
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fingertips, we as students can comment and become more aware of what is happening in the community. “There is a lot more exchange between students and administration. Students have more of a voice,” Cleppe said. The pure fact that BHS is utilizing an application that is deemed by other schools as a nuisance justifies the evidence that our administration knows how to bend a problem into an advantage. “I feel using social media for educational and school pride purposes affects not only the community in a more positive way but it influences a positive feedback for social media, too,” Trepa said. “Too often, society focuses on the negatives about what social media can do rather than the positives.” In a world that is constantly changing, we must rise to the occasion of implementing changes in technology. Our use of Twitter as a school saves confusion and the time that situations like trying to send home a note about early outs to over 1,000 students would hinder. We must move forward with the times, because soon this Twitter policy will be the new normal.
GG:
DRIVING TIPS By GG Yearbook Editor
Some of you may or may not know that I have a somewhat extensive driving record. I’ve gotten a few tickets that I’m not proud of... (okay, four to be exact), making me a perfect example of what not to do. Our parking lot is a great teacher of how to drive defensively. Embarking to your car after school or during lunch is pretty much a death trap. A battlefield, where the champagne colored Toyota Camrys go up against the pickup trucks in hopes of making it to the front of the exit line. Throw in the gas guzzling SUVs who think they can go anywhere they want, including the grass, and, well, the words “traffic jam” don’t even begin to describe it. However, among this chaos you can choose to literally take the high road and not be the problem. Tip #1: Take your time. Don’t be in a hurry because it’s safer (and legal) to just follow the speed limit. Yes, I struggle with this one myself. Think of it this way: a car racing to a stoplight is similar to the try-hards in gym class. They run their two laps in under two minutes when it should definitely take at least four. Then they sit there and wait till the slow pokes that follow directions can catch up. Speeding will not help you get somewhere faster, trust me. If you’re running late, take the lesser punishment, because a tardy on your record or a curfew lecture from the ‘rents is so much better than dealing with a ticket. Tip #2: Read signs. Our school prides itself in our academic success; however, administration may want to check those statistics because frankly many of you must be illiterate. The entrance was made for you to...wait for it...ENTER. Mind blowing idea, I know, but it’s dangerous
to not use the appointed exits. You aren’t starving. When A lunch breaks loose, you can wait five minutes in the never ending line of cars before racing down 18th Street to be the first ones at Healthy Hub. Tip #3: Be courteous, for goodness’ sake. The etiquette in our parking lot is so incredibly selfish. Either a car gets so close to the car ahead that the space between them is nonexistent, or a car is so persistent on being let in the line that it squeezes its way in regardless of whether the car in the line wanted to let it in. Combine these scenarios and you’ve got trouble. If you’re an underclassman, you can just give up because there’s no way that stubborn senior is going to let you in the line. It gets personal, too. I’ve seen best friends not even widen the gap to let a pal in. Oh my, and after school, throw in the parents picking up the freshmen, and the reputation of our generation continues to plummet because we aren’t courteous with our driving. Tip #4: Don’t get pulled over by super cop. One of Bettendorf’s undercover cops, Officer Kelling, has had the pleasure of giving me not one, but two tickets. Having encountered the fine gent twice, I can honestly say my heart still skips a beat every time I see that silver Dodge Charger peering out a side street, even if I’m not driving. Now am I happy that I received these tickets? Not in the slightest. Nonetheless, I think I finally learned my lesson. In all seriousness, know that the decisions you make within your car could potentially put your life, as well as all your passengers’ lives, in danger. Yes, I know you’ve heard this talk a million times, but maybe it will resonate when it comes from a peer.
Opinion
Oct. 18, 2013
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Give me fame, fortune, followers By Alex Connor Staff reporter
Miley Cyrus, One Direction, Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Lawrence are all actors, actresses, and singers whose names can be heard flying from teenage girls’ mouths, magazines, late night TV shows, and newspapers across the country. When Miley Cyrus twerked on Robin Thicke at the VMA’s, nearly everyone heard the news in a matter of minutes, and when Michael Jackson died in 2009, not a second could go by without hearing of his death. So what about the whole different breed of famous? Parents and teachers have been warning students since childhood on the dangers of the Internet, yet nearly everyone has used a computer at least once in their lives. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter thrive on those who crave posting their lives for others to see, but what about those who make a living from it? Or become famous? To write this article, I took on the overwhelming task of becoming famous on the popular photo sharing social networking app, Instagram. To accomplish this, I followed the numerous steps which involve a lot of time and effort. At the end of my week experiment, I was able to gather about 540 followers, and 100
likes on one of my photos. Of course, it was not enough to get on the popular page, but hey, I tried, right? There are many social networking sites to become “Internet famous” on, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, MySpace, Google Plus, Ask.fm and DeviantArt. Of course, already famous celebrities, such as Ariana Grande, gather tons of followers instantly. It is not entirely unattainable for a regular user to become famous, however. In fact, even students at BHS have been fortunate enough to climb the strenuous mountain of complete failure and have become Internet famous. These students include senior Matthew McFate and junior Kayla Briggs. McFate, who has 15.1 K followers on Twitter, still gains more followers gradually every day. “I have a friend in Chicago who is a model. Her casting director gave us a shoutout on social media because we are pursuing careers involved with being famous,” McFate said of his climb to fame. “You should also use a lot of hashtags.” McFate’s next goal is to become Internet famous on Instagram. “I typically gain followers every day on Instagram,” McFate said. “To look at all of my followers [on Twitter] is a cool feeling.” Briggs has already conquered the Instagram circuit, as well as Facebook celebrity status. Another social media site,
Tumblr, originally helped launch Briggs to fame. “I talked to some famous people on Tumblr and they posted pictures of me that got a lot of likes,” Briggs said. Currently, Briggs has almost 9,000 followers on Facebook and 1,000 on Instagram. “I used to have 60,000 followers, but I gave that Instagram away to a girl with cancer,” Briggs said. “I gave my 15,000 [followers] Instagram away to a girl who goes here.” Though she does receive a lot of hate, Briggs does not let it bother her, since she either blocks the users or does not respond at all. “I post whatever I feel like, mostly funny stuff,” Briggs said. Briggs even traveled across the country this summer and met some of her followers. “It is cool and fun,” Briggs said. “Apparently I inspire people, and I think that is pretty nice.” Now that you know all of the tricks of the trade, I hope your road to Internet fame is a smooth ride
and that someday, you can become the admiration of teenagers across the nation, or whomever you choose to be admired by. And if you choose not fulfill a career in Internet fame, well then, good luck on your many adventures and be safe no matter what road you choose to travel down.
Office aide job has perks, lessons By Jordan Raso Co-Editor Perched at desks all to every area of the building, and I felt around BHS, office totally in control. By the end of the quarter, aides are a common, the extensions seemed to fly off my fingers almost passive, sight for automatically. students weaving in and out of the prime When answering the phones, you get offices scattered around the building. some pretty crazy calls. Honestly, I have As an office aide in the main office last way too many stories than I could fit quarter, I found it to be one of the most in this article, but trust me, if you take enjoyable classes offered at BHS. this class you will come out dazed from Many take the class because they think trying to figure out conversations lacking it will be a block that they can slack off enunciation, but laughing nonetheless. in, but I discovered that this assumption is I had the two coolest advisors in most definitely false. As an office aide, I the whole building, the main office learned many skills that are secretaries, Sarah Peakin helpful in everyday situations and Kathy Ouellette. They and can be applied to life after are seriously the nicest, graduation. funniest people around Dealing with parent and they never hesitated to complaints was certainly a help me whether I needed wonderful way to enhance my to know an extension conflict management skills. number or where the In the future, I will be able to scissors were. relate a particular time when As if that was not Kathy Ouellette and I was yelled at by a parent enough, I got a lot of treats Sarah Peakin, main (who did not know that I was throughout my time at that office secretaries, are a student) and had to respond desk, such as Dilly Bars, the coolest advisors at in a calm, polite manner, chocolate, homemade BHS by far. to dealing with rude future pumpkin cookies and classmates or colleagues, Twizzlers. Especially because, honestly, crabby people are not Twizzlers. going anywhere anytime soon. Also, a fun fact that I picked up from the As an office aide for the main office, main office is that Ouellette is pronounced I had the daily task of filing substitute “woo-let,” because it is French. folders, answering and directing phone Likewise, the main office is the central calls. Answering the phones was one of my hub for everything and anything that goes favorite things since I got to transfer calls on at BHS, so I always was up to date. I was the person people would call if they
were wondering about what time football games started or how to get a transcript or college credits transferred. That reminds me of another fun fact; the Registrar Office is pronounced “reg-esttrar” not “reg-ist-er”. Additionally, in my free time I got to work on homework for other classes, which helped lighten my workload from the late nights crammed with other responsibilities.
Junior Keaton Amiot and senior Kelsey Westerkamp, both guidance office aides, joyously pop bubble wrap. I had many tasks that I worked on throughout the block, like creating data spreads and stuffing envelopes. Besides that, I got to make lots of “arts-n-craft” projects, like the Student Spotlight boards and reminder slips for club meetings. One of the most unique duties I had was to alternate the napkins by color for the Hall of Honor dinner. Before I actually had to do it, I never really thought about who made napkins look pretty. Assignments vary depending on which office and what time of day you are an
office aid. Senior Kelsey Westerkamp, the office aide for the guidance office, for example, had different tasks than I, since we were in different offices. “I answered the phone and directed calls,” Westerkamp said. “I looked up student schedules, sorted mail for teachers and organized.” Westerkamp’s advisors were Sheri Fleming, Kristie Henson and Terry Goodall. “I like being able to have time to just sit and think, talk to people and see teachers I do not have anymore. I like the respect seniors get from the staff,” Westerkamp said of her office aide course. “I love running errands for teachers and being social without having to do classwork.” All in all, if you do not look forward to learning new and perfecting old skills that prove valuable, do not take this class. However, if you want to work hard on various tasks and have loads of fun doing it, sign up and I assure you that you will not regret it. As a last piece of advice for all future main office aides, if you ever find yourself in a phone call bind in which someone is screaming and/or confusing you, just say in a pleasant voice, “I’m sorry, I’m just a student,” and transfer it to 6007. You will thank me later.
Homecoming Memories
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Saving money on homecoming crucial
then they borrowed from someone else or bought a different dress,” Hayes said. Selling past homecoming dresses is an economic way to save money and a smart idea to keep past dresses from By Alex Connor and Brianna Klabunde collecting dust in the back of the closet. To find the perfect dress, girls search Staff Reporters near and far only to retire them the day after the dance. Smart ideas to save money on homecoming The heels are off, the include borrowing a shirts are untucked, the ties dress from a friend, are loosened, and retired selling an old dress, dresses are thrown on the buying a dress used, ground, only to be carefully renting a dress from hung up in the closet the online websites, following day. The timeline and rewearing for homecoming dresses old dresses or is incredibly short for how repurposing them. much time and money is Junior Kali Hill spent on them. However, has never re-worn some students know a dress, but instead exactly what do with their buys her dresses ex-homecoming dresses. online to save “My dresses usually money, compared stay in my closet or I let with buying people borrow them,” them from stores. junior Bri Hayes said. Homecoming can Hayes spends about be a stressful time $100 on her dresses, but Kali Hill and her friend get for all, but deciding this year she is borrowing excited about homecoming. where to buy and her dress. She has tried what to do with that selling her past dresses before, but usually her buyers bail. special dress after the big event can be a “People would say they would get it and relief for student’s minds--and wallets.
Homecoming parade a crowd pleaser
Oct. 18, 2013
Parade Fun
Foreign exchange students Idah Muriithi, Faisal Salum, Zaira Shaikh and Fatou Diouf await their first homecoming parade ride.
The girls cross country team waits for the parade to start. Many teams and clubs appeared in the parade.
By Kristin Streeter Stringer
Homecoming floats drifted by the many waving hands of community members lined up along Spruce Hills Drive and 18th Street. The homecoming parade was on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6:30, lasting about 30 minutes. The sides of the streets were filled with families and children waiting for candy to be tossed at them as the homecoming excitement filled the air. Many clubs, such as, FBLA, student council and foreign language participated
in the parade. Fall sports, including football, volleyball and cross country, were also recognized. The whole community showed their spirit, with the elementary schools and central administration sporting their own floats. Near the end of the parade, homecoming court candidates rode in convertibles to the football field for the coronation that followed.
Junior class executives Kylee Cangas and Alaina Wallace are prepared to take a convertible ride.
Get the BIG PICTURE! Don’t let homecoming memories fade away! Buy a yearbook before Nov. 1 for $60. After Nov. 1, the cost is $65.
Jonathan Gunti and Michelle Larsen were paired up before Larsen was crowned Homecoming Queen.
Homecoming court nominees Elizabeth Culliton and Nicholas Baer ride in style. It was a beautiful evening for a parade.
Features
Oct. 18, 2013
Restoring old Buick will take years of craftmanship
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by Aimee Plante Online Editor
An image of teenage boys suited in all-black and the infamous T-bird jackets comes to mind when many think of auto shop; however, the work of student auto enthusiasts strays far from “Greased Lightning”. The most obvious difference? While John Travolta may slick grease into his hair, the students aim to use it in the engine. This fall, the boys began their restoration of a luxury ‘28 Buick. The car had originally been owned by teacher Joe Phillips’ grandfather, but, after Dustin a series of transactions, King is a it lies in the garage of restoration Phillips’ auto class. volunteer. “My grandfather gave it to a guy, who sold it to a guy, who sold it back to me,” Phillips said. “It’s pretty awesome to have it in the family again.”
Since its purchase, the Buick has been stripped of its body and half of its engine in order to be sandblasted and repainted. The group hopes to finish the project within three years. “The first year we are going through and reconditioning everything with the chassis, repainting [and] getting it to be an operational and a full-functioning car,” Phillips said. “Next year we will fabricate the body and, [in] year three, we will paint, make the interior and fix other minor stuff.” One student, however, hopes to Senior complete the first few Jake Fricke milestones at a faster supplies his pace. Dustin King, own tools. a student currently working on the car, thinks “the engine might be put together by the end of third quarter, with what we have already gotten done
in one quarter.” “I think [he is] optimistic,” Phillips said. “Painting takes time.” Despite the long process of restoring such an old car, the boys have been steadfast in their progress. Every Tuesday and Thursday, the group meets until five to work toward their goal; however, more helping hands are encouraged. “We could use some volunteers,” King said. “Anyone can come.” To those who have already contributed, the anticipation for the end product has already set in. Some students, such as Jake Fricke, have even brought their own tools to the shop to get the job done. “It has been very exciting, but it can get really irritating at the same time,” Fricke said. “I will have to come back after I graduate to see how it is going.” The auto shop boys may not have matching jackets like their musicallygifted counterparts, but they spend hours fixing up the machines which others rely upon daily. For them, working on cars is more than a letter grade; it is a hobby.
Fast Facts about Buicks: •
The founder of Buick was David Dunbar Buick, 1854-1929.
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Born in Scotland, his family moved to the U.S. in 1856.
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His first independent venture was making plumbing equipment.
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In 1899, he started building gasoline engines for agricultural and marine work.
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Buick originated the windshield.
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His first company went bankrupt.
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Other investors took over his company and had made over 8,000 cars by 1908.
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Buick left the company in 1906. Source: britannica.com
The bare chassis is the starting point for the restoration of a 1928 Buick. Phillips’ auto class is restoring the car from here.
The dashboards of yesteryear are nothing like the ones of today; the Buick’s is far simpler than that of a 2013 model.
The BHS Twitterverse Follow these accounts: @bhspride—BHS Principals @u_bett—BHS Student Tweet @BettSchools—BCSD @bhs_spirit—BHS Student Section @BettPress—BHS Newspaper,Yearbook Editors @BHSTheatre2—BHS Theatre Department @BettAthletic—BHS Athletic Department
Phillips has fun driving his grandfather’s old Buick through the parking lot while Fricke proudly shares that they have made one full lap.
Features
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Oct. 18, 2013
Teen sleeping patterns interfere with school hours By Amanda Kane Staff Reporter Wake up early, go to school half-awake, go home and crash; this has become the normal schedule for many high school students. This does not include the hours spent studying and doing homework, leaving virtually no time for sleep. Many people attribute these behaviours to being a teenager, but these are not normal symptoms and can lead to serious health problems and lack of retention during the school day. “(I would rather get) no sleep and study, I do not know if that is the best method,” junior Sydney Wientjes said. The amount of sleep required for an average teenager to produce certain hormones is about nine hours, these are essential for growth and development. Lack of sleep has been linked to serious conditions including depression and anxiety. Taking naps during the day does
not make up for lost consecutive hours at night. Teens that go to bed after midnight are 24% more likely to suffer depression. Losing just one hour of sleep at night is equal to losing two years of “cognitive maturation and development.” This means that a senior will be performing at the same rate of an average sophomore student without even realizing it. According to the Washington Post, staying up late to study hampers a student’s ability to process and retain any information taught the next day. Wientjes said she has gone to school on “probably on an hour and a half (of sleep) and I did terribly.” Some students even find themselves falling asleep in the middle of class. “It is very embarrassing!” junior Hannah Chin said. This is not an indication of a lazy student, but perhaps an exhausted one. People with this habit are more likely to find performing day to day tasks difficult and suffer from chronic disorders such
as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, according to CDC Data & Statistics. Extracurriculars and outside activities that students are involved in just adds to the responsibilities keeping them awake at night. After school, teens pour their last amount of energy into hours of various activities, such as dance, sports and choir. Many of them rarely make it home with enough time to do their assigned work, chores, eat, shower before the clock strikes midnight. “I am on Bettendorf Gold Dusters, RSVP, NHS, FBLA and I am the head coach of the special needs dance team at the high school, and I dance on elite competition teams. I usually dance from 3:30 to 9:30 every night,” Chin said. Other pastimes can eat up more time than teachers and parents realize. With
students having to choose between hobbies, homework, and rest, it can become very overwhelming. “I ride horses so I’m at the barn every weekend for nine to ten hours a day, and then after school four days a week for two hours,” Wientjes said. “ I have no time to do anything.” Another major problem that interferes with teens’ sleeping patterns is technology. “I will not do my homework until I finish watching TV shows, and then there is the Internet,” Wientjes said. “My desktop computer is right next to my bed.” Whether it is extracurriculars, technological distractions or work, getting enough sleep is critical in developing adolescents. Sufficient sleep can make a world of a difference; make nine hours the new normal.
School lunches need extensive planning Meat-free lifestyle positive By Brianna Klabunde Staff Reporter students, problems can arise when going A meat driven out to eat with friends or even getting their lifestyle is a prominent parents to agree with their decision. part of the American “It bugs my mom because she has to food culture. For make different food for me,” Stamper said. vegetarians, though, the common “meat“My parents do not accommodate to loving” attitude is not suiting. what I eat, so I have to fend for myself,” People such as junior Akpevwe Ikoba Earnest said. find it hard to imagine a lifestyle that does “Going to eat at a friend’s house is hard not include meat. ,” Kane said. “You do not want to offend “Props, to them,” Ikoba said. “That them. It is usually pretty awkward,” Kane takes guts. I do not know how I would live said. Although, “fending for yourself” can without meat.” be a problem for a teenager “It is not as hard as people who doesn’t eat meat. think,” senior Brittnie Serrano “I eat a lot of mac and said. “Sometimes if you do cheese,” Earnest said. not eat [enough of] the right “I’m not gonna say I am [nutrients], you might have to a perfect vegetarian,” Kane take a vitamin, but that is about said. “I thrive on candy it.” and pizza.” “The only time it is ever If done right, the lifestyle difficult is when it comes to can be beneficial. ‘nostalgic food’ I ate as a kid. I “It makes me feel used to love chicken nuggets, “I stopped when I healthier when I do not eat though, and now the smell of took environmental meat,” Stamper said. them makes me nauseous,” biology and “I do not get sick junior Amanda Kane said. learned that there anymore from [meat],” People become vegetarians for are two sides to Earnest said. a vast array of reasons. the argument,” Overall, a meat-free “The taste of meat makes me Gutierrez, a former lifestyle appears to work sick,” junior Mckenna Earnest vegetartian said. well for people who have said. chosen it. “I do not like thinking about “If your lifestyle dead animals on my plate,” Kane said. permits it, I would recommend [being a “This is actually kind of embarrassing. vegetarian],” Stamper said. “It makes me Kennedy Knight dared me [to be a feel healthier.” vegetarian] while at camp one year and I “I would recommend it. People always just never stopped,” junior Ellie Stamper, say it does not, but it really does make an who has been a vegetarian since seventh impact against things like animal cruelty grade, said. “I never really liked the taste on meat farms. It is better not to enable of meat.” that,” Kane said. “It is easier than it seems, When it comes to food, people seem to be and it gets easier as you do it.” picky enough as it is. For some vegetarian
By Alex Connor Staff Reporter Lunch. The typical student’s most anticipated part of the school day where students can catch up with friends, do unfinished homework or play a few games, all the while eating food provided by the school. Meals for not only the high school, but also the elementary schools, are made down in the kitchen as early as six in the morning. The elementary lunches are later transported by a van to the respective school and the main cook arrives at seven. “I’m in charge of creating the menus for the elementary school and the high school menu is based on that,” Kayla Leu, director of school nutrition, said. “I also process Iowa Income Eligibility Application, and I also make sure we sent the applications to the state monthly so that we can reimbursed.” To be able to be served at the schools, food must meet strict guidelines that have nutritional standards based on the national school lunch and school breakfast programs. This includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. “We have to make sure we stay within guidelines, so that means many fruits and vegetables, a calorie range that is separate for all the schools,” Leu said. “[That] means the older you are, the more calories you consume.” The schools also have a 6 Cent Program which means that for every full meal a student buys, the school is reimbursed six cents. The high school also offers an a la carte in the cafeteria and a Grab N’ Go in the commons, which is also required to follow strict guidelines due to the Healthy Kids Act. Because of the Healthy Kids Act, which
was signed into law by the governor of Iowa in 2008, any vending, a la carte and regulated fundraising items must meet requirements to be sold during school hours. “The [regulations] are good and bad,” Leu said. “With the regulations, it limits [the menu], but it keeps kids healthy and cuts down on childhood obesity. Because of these programs, school breakfast and lunches have calorie ranges from 550-650 calories for lunch for grades K-5 and 750-850 calories for lunch for grades 9-12. Lunches also require plenty of vegetables to be available; they are divided into five subgroups that are dark green vegetables, starchy vegetables, red and orange vegetables, beans and peas, and other vegetables. The school lunches are healthy and beneficial to the students as they must undergo a strict criteria to even be considered being served at the school.
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Oct. 18, 2013
Opinion from the sport editor’s desk:
Sports
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Bulldogs ready for state playoffs By Michael Conner Sports Editor Let the headline stand: speed and elusiveness makes him nearly The Bettendorf Bulldogs impossible to tackle. are still the team to beat in With starting quarterback Cyle Cox the state. As controversial being out with an injury, it gave a chance as it may sound, I firmly for sophomore Owen Ridenour to take the believe it is the truth. snaps. Ridenour had to make his debut However, is it really that hard to explain against the number one team in the MAC, my reasoning? With for now, the explosive offense, Pleasant tough defense, Valley. With brilliant coaching, and more plays loud student section, under his the Bulldog football belt, Ridenour team is a real force to will mature be reckoned with. as a player, After the tough and become loss to PV, I’ve heard an excellent many students talking quarterback. about how bad the When Cox is Bulldogs are and how Tristian O’Brien kneels as he waits for his 100 percent, this season will be turn to attack the North Wildcats. the Bulldogs’ a repeat of last year. offense will be Really…. Really?! How about we break one of the best in the state. down this year’s team. Under head coach Aaron Willey, the Let’s start with the offense. The big Bulldog defense has always been tough. uglies, or the offensive line, is one of the This season is no different. The defense reasons why the Bulldogs have averaged averages only giving up 10 points a game. over 35 points a game. The big line With that stingy of a defense, all the averages over 250 pounds per player. With offense really has to do is show up for the that brute force terrorizing the defensive team to get the win. Leading the way on line, it almost makes it easy for the offense the defense is the big, tough defensive line. to get into a groove and tack up the points. Any athlete who has been to a Bettendorf One of the most explosive players lifting event knows Coach Freking. on the roster is senior running back Freking leads these linemen, who show John McLaughlin. So far this season, no mercy to the opposing offense. One McLaughlin leads the entire MAC in of the leaders on the line is senior Matt rushing yards, and he doesn’t even have Albert. If you have not been to a football the most carries. He never stops moving game this season, you have missed out on his feet, finds the holes the offensive line the opportunity to watch Albert donkey makes, and in the blink of an eye is off hump the quarterback. It is truly a moment to the races. At 5’9”, he’s definitely not that makes anyone proud to say they are a the biggest player on the field, but his Bulldog.
Wrestlers have high expectations for season By Brett Gaydos Staff Reporter
After the wrestling team’s impressive second place finish at the state tournament last year, the Bulldogs are pushing for first place this year. Three state champions and a state runner up are returning to the team, with expectations running high. “This year our team looks very solid,” senior Logan Ryan said. Jacob Schwarm “We are preseason celebrates his ranked first in the victorious match state with six kids last year. ranked one or two individually.” At state last year, junior Fredy Stroker, senior Logan Ryan, and junior Jacob Woodard all won individual state titles
and junior Jacob Schwarm finished as a runner up. The pressure is already building for these highly ranked athletes. “I think this team has a lot of potential. If everyone wrestles to their abilities, we are going to be hard to beat,” Schwarm said. With the start of the season quickly approaching, the team is busy setting goals and preparing to stay mentally focused for the challenging season ahead. “Getting through the state tournament as the champions will always be the goal,” Ryan said. “There is no one in the state of Iowa that will stop us from winning a state title as a dual team and a tournament team.” The team kicks off the start of their season on Dec. 7, at the Keith Young Invitational in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Logan Ryan pumps up the crowd after his win in Des Moines.
The defensive line makes it nearly impossible for the opposing offense to get a running game to click, and with the secondary the Bulldogs have, it’s hard for the other team to pass the ball as well.
Girsch with the defensive backs, to Coach Schaefer leading the speedy offense as the offensive coordinator, and Coach Wiley, continuing to lead a rock solid defense and coach all the Bulldogs as the head coach, to every coach in between, it’s no wonder the team is so talented at what they do. With the incredible coaching staff it is hard not to excel the way the Bulldog football team does. The ‘Dogs should have no problem running the table for the rest of the season, but come playoff time they will need Matt Albert explodes off the line of scrimmage to buck up and rip it. With the and terrorizes the offensive line in his path. offense and defense performing at 100 percent, the Bulldogs will Austin Broyles and Tristian O’Brien have as good of a chance as any team to occasionally catch more passes from the win the state championship. opposing quarterback than the team’s own receivers. Sam Ambrose, returning second team All-MAC linebacker, hits harder than any other player in the MAC. Causing fumbles and making sure no yards are to a minimum is a priority for him. With the talented offense and defense, the only thing that could make the Bulldogs better is quality coaching. There is a difference between quality Justice O’Conner waits on the and exceptional, and the ‘Dogs have sideline as the offense goes to work. EXCEPTIONAL coaching. From Coach Spranger and the offensive line, to Coach
Student section boosts athletes By Michael Conner Sports Editor Not every student is a The student section can also serve as natural born athlete, so the student section a means of momentum changer for the serves as a great way for those students to team. For example, a football player from get involved in Bettendorf intercepts a pass athletic events. from the opposing team. The Whether it students will then go wild, be football, almost as if they were feeding volleyball, energy to the football team. basketball, Then the players will use that tennis, or momentum and perform at a b o w l i n g , higher level. having a loud, Another fun thing about the excited student The student section packs the student section is that it almost section can stands in the white out against serves as a second contest help the team in North Scott. between the schools. The first whatever they contest would be the sport that are competing in. is being played, and the second contest is When it comes to Friday nights, the cheering war between the two schools. Bettendorf’s student section always The student section is not for the faint of finds itself at war with the other school’s heart, though. If a student plans to sit down, student section. Any football attendee relax with friends, and pay no attention to knows that there are the classic “Here we the game being played, the student section go Bulldogs,” “Let me hear your Bulldog is not for that person. Dedicated students spirit,” and “D-D-D-Defense” chants attending the game will be on their feet during the game. However, certain schools for the whole contest, pay attention to the get special chants, just for that school. game, and leave with hardly a voice when For North Scott, once the Bulldogs the contest is over. have a commanding lead, and it is all but With the loud cheering and dedicated inevitable that they will pull out the win, pride, the student section serves for not the student section will chant, “Start the only a momentum booster for the athletic tractors!”, to add insult to injury. sport, but a fun time for all who attend.
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Growl 50-Year Anniversary
The more things change, the more they stay the same . . . . Platters were records. Skirts were long. Necklines were high. Hair was short. Glasses were cat-eyed (for girls) or square (for boys). Bobby sox were in. Cherry Coke was purchased at a soda fountain. The most electronics any student had was one telephone that was connected to the wall and a black-and-white television in the living room. That was life 50 years ago, when the first issue of the Growl was published. For the remainder of the school year, the Growl staff will be pulling out old issues and old yearbooks to give readers a taste of what the old days were like. And, by the way (BTW), the Growl was TYPED on a TYPEWRITER and PASTED to a layout sheet before being printed. Today’s Growl is composed on InDesign (Adobe Creative Suite 4) and uploaded to the Quad City Time’s server to be printed. But deadlines still drive the editors crazy . . . Some things don’t change.
Oct. 18, 2013
Record round-up: the old and new The old
The new
The “Platters”
Today’s Covers
A bonfire was an important part of the spirit week festivities.
By Aimee Plante Online Editor
It is mind-boggling to think that within the last 50 years, our society has gone through more music phases than I did in middle school. We have progressed from record players, to 8 tracks, to Walkmen, to brick-sized mp3 players, to iPod nanos, to the iPhone 5c, which fits comfortably in the back pocket of those eager enough to have it. Along with these technological advancements, changes in music have spanned across a gamut of genres. This week’s top hits include: Katy Perry’s “Roar,” accompanied by a melodramatic music video set in the jungle, tackles the barrier to courage, making it the number-one hit for pop-lovers across the country. An electro-synth sound paired with an upbeat rock melody embodies the second place hit, Capital Cities’ “Safe & Sound.” Next runner-up, Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness,” is, well, sad (much like most of her songs) and paired with the black and white-style which follows her signature retro trend in music videos. Taylor Swift’s “Everything Has Changed” is probably one of the most mature songs from the country-influenced pop-singer. A strong drum beat and Ed Sheeran’s voice joins Swift’s in a soothing harmony. Another catchy Electro-pop tune from the Queen of Pop herself, Lady Gaga’s “Applause,” features a sharp Disco-like setting in which she drapes herself in a white sheet for no apparent reason. Lorde has advanced to the throne of hit number eight with “Royals,” a hymn-like song backed by a literally snappy beat. Her music video is reminiscent of popular indie films with dramatic angles and muted colors. Well, I am running short on Platter (aka: Record) Chatter, so good-by.
Then as now, cheerleaders led the spirit.
Royal Court: J. Wooten, R. Owen, T. Hutchings, J. Deere, J. Eich, S. Jensen, C. Miller, J. Waugh. King and Queen: Gary Lehman and Nancy Mayo. The pep assembly was still time for silly fun.
Homecoming Court: Queen Michelle Larsen, Dana Waterman, McKay Matheson, Anna Wiley, Elizabeth Culliton, Julianne Trizzino, Lexy Jurevitz, and Haley Bankson. Tyler Dunlavy, Matt Penrose, Nicholas Baer, King Eric Hale, Kolton Schlichting, Dylan Sortillo, Michael Lintz, and Jonathon Gunti.