2008 December

Surveyor The Washington

2205 Forest Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403 Volume 52, Number 4

December 22, 2008

Success for Dance Marathon Friday evening was the first ever Dance Marathon at Washington High School for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospitals. Despite a slow start, the night was a success, with the school raising about $5500 profit.

The leading committee members were Lauren Sines, ‘11, Natalie Neppl, ‘11, Sam Claassen, ‘11, and Max McGee, ‘11. Claassen made the most personal donations and was presented with the grand prize for the top contributor, a limo ride to and from a pre-paid lunch for four at the Irish Democrat. Pat McGrath Chevyland donated the limo and the Irish Democrat donated the lunch.

Students that organized the fundraiser gather on the stage to address the crowd. nie y Mela otos b

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2008 in Review: Look back on the year’s best and worst moments. From political controversy to a pregnant man, this year contained surprises around every corner that will long be remembered. (pages8-9)

Stem cells

Major developments in stem cell research have been made in Spain, where a woman received a fully functioning trachea derived from her own cells. The cells were taken from her hip and windpipe.(page 3)

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12-22-2008

Dec. 9, Springfield, Illinois Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is indicted on charges of conspiracy and soliciting bribes.

He illegally attempted to “sell the open Ill. US Senate (previously held by Barack Obama) to the highest bidder.”

News Just so you know

Dec. 14, Baghdad, Iraq Journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi throws his shoes at President George W. Bush- a great insult in Middle Eastern countriesduring a media session that is part of a farewell tour by the president. The size 10s missed the president.

Trevor Polk/Surveyor

Dec. 12, Washington D.C. Following his rejection of a bill to carry out a federal bailout of the U.S. auto industry (Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) on Dec. 11, President Bush works to analyze the issue further and bring about a stronger plan to aid the industry.

Nov. 26-29, Mumbai, India The terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba, a Pakistanbased terrorist organization, carried out coordinated attacks aimed at Westerners. These occurred at multiple locations across the city, killing an estimated 173 people and injuring 308.

The Future of America’s Education Tyler Hubler Co-News Editor Nearly seven years ago, on Jan. 23, 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The legislation was a product of a bipartisan team of legislators, most notably including Senator Edward Kennedy (DMA) and Judd Gregg (R-NH), with the goal of standards-based educational reform and improving the performance of the United States’ public schools.

NCLB was founded upon basic tenants such as increasing the standards and accountability of states, school districts, and schools, especially in the math and reading core of school curriculum. NCLB also required each state to set up an assessment testing the proficiency of their schools in math and reading, and to set standards determining the proficiency of students in these areas. The bill also added that a non-proficient school would be required to bus students who opted to go to a proficient school. Another aspect of the legislation that drew some controversy was that (high) schools must release students’ names to military recruiters, or lose some federal funding.

A common opinion of educators has been that while NCLB was founded on solid principles, it has actually hurt young Americans’ education. Some believe that too high of standards were set for public schools and that there was an improper allocation of funding for the bill.

In viewing the positive aspects of the bill, Eric Thompson, US History teacher, said “(NCLB) has forced public schools that have never concentrated on actually making sure each kid gets taught, to do so and be accountable for their students.” In making these schools accountable, NCLB originally required that 100% of students should be proficient in math and reading by 2014, and that non-proficient schools would not see any increase (and possibly lose some) in federal funding. In the past few years, The US Department of Education has developed more relaxed paths to proficiency by allowing schools to show they are able to make adequate yearly progress (part of an AYP program), and has since slightly reduced the 100% proficiency goal, to allow for special education students that would never realistically be able to become proficient.

Critics of NCLB cite that a 100% proficiency goal will fail to be met because some students will never be able to achieve these standards. They also say that due to many state legislatures cutting funding for education, federal funding for public schools should increase, especially ones with low performing students, not decrease. A long-standing criticism has also centered on some schools and states lowering their testing standards to become proficient. This often forces teachers to be less creative and “teach to the test,” and in turn causing some students (at high or low proficiency achievement) to still be left behind. Such actions have consequently led to a reduction in instruction in the areas of

science, art, and social science.

In response to reduction of time in the arts as well as other subject areas, former Cedar Rapids Community School District teacher Mary Campbell said, “Authentic learning is meaningful.” Campbell believes that beyond drilling math and reading skills, a student’s participation in research-related art projects, or exploring the areas of science and history can become outlets for a child to learn, grow, and succeed in other areas as well. While Campbell believed that some standardized testing was necessary in America’s schools, she criticized the way that NCLB expects all students’ scores at a certain grade level to imsaying “Comparing prove year after year, graders to another one year of 4th is like comparing apples to oranges,” adding, “You can’t standardize learning, students learn in different ways and at different times.” that if NCLB is Campbell believes to succeed in the future, it must assess the growth of a student over time instead of assessing a school’s success based on one year’s test scores. ing tested under This point is bea growth model in some states by the US Dept. of Education. Many in assessing their states are interested students through this method. Melissa Kiliper-Ernst, President of the CRCSD School Board said, “Iowa is talking about going to a growth model, using the long time data from the Iowa Testing Service, which would more accurately depict the progress each student is making in their classroom.”

NCLB has provoked many controversies over the correct method through which assessments of America’s public schools and students should be carried out. However, it is likely that standards based testing will not go away, even under the impending presidency of Barack Obama. Through more innovative solutions of assessment however, such as that of the growth model, America may see an education system that will return to high ranking among developed nations, while continuing to provide the broad range of core subjects that has expanded the learning and achievement of students for decades.

News IYC Prepares Resolutions Shayma Elsheikh Staff Writer Six Washington High School students, who were previously selected as Iowa Youth Congress (IYC) representatives, have helped draft bills that will be considered by state lawmakers in January.

Washington IYC representatives Marion Epperson, ’10, Nia Epperson, ’10, Anab Abdi, ’10, Alia Amer, ’10, Adrienne Shavers, ’10, and Tosha Harrison, ’09, attended the third annual youth congressional session on Nov. 14 in Des Moines. Washington High School was one of 39 Iowa high schools from 17 counties that had the opportunity to send representatives to the 100-member Youth Congress. Participation in IYC is granted to each school based on its enrollment of minority students.

To optimize the discussion of important youth-based issues, IYC representatives convened in regional meetings prior to the IYC general session in Des Moines. Five regional meetings were held in October to choose issues and concerns to discuss during the statewide youth congressional session. Among the 15 issues brought to the chamber floors by regional representatives, three were chosen during the IYC general session by a majority vote. IYC members then drafted bills regarding these three issues that they will present to the Iowa Legislature during the General Assembly on Jan. 12.

The first issue deals with suicide prevention. Realizing that the suicide rate for teenagers has been increasing every year, IYC representatives created the Coping, Awareness, and Prevention Initiative (CAP). The purpose of CAP would be to

teach students how to deal with death, depression, and suicide.

The second issue that IYC representatives chose to examine was the high school dropout age. Recently, the dropout age was raised to 18, making it mandatory for most individuals to graduate from high school.

However, last year the state legislature did not create an appealing incentive that would keep students in high school after they turn 18. Youth congressional leaders decided that establishing a penalty for dropping out of school before graduation – more specifically, the revocation of a student’s driver’s license – would encourage students to obtain a high school diploma.

The final bill compiled by IYC representatives was the Dream Act, which would provide undocumented students the opportunity to further their education.

Currently, undocumented individuals are required to pay the international tuition rate for an Iowa college or university. The Dream Act would allow individuals who have completed high school in Iowa, have above a 3.0 GPA, and are ranked in the top 50 percent of their class to qualify for outof-state tuition.

Student representatives will lobby for these three issues in January in hopes of encouraging passage of the bills. Although the IYC program provides the Iowa Legislature the benefit of obtaining youth perspectives on important issues, IYC student representatives receive some of the greatest rewards.

“The Iowa Youth Congress was an experience that I will never forget,” said Marion Epperson. “What we are trying to do for Iowa…is a rare opportunity that most high school students will never be able to receive.”

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Washington RAP Presenters Educate Peers Rachel Owens Staff Writer

Due to the efforts of local high school students, Cedar Rapids is expanding its HIV/ AIDS prevention education for youth. The Rapids AIDS Project (RAP), a Red Cross affiliate, provides local high school students the opportunity to teach area middle school students about HIV/ AIDS effects and methods of prevention.

RAP members meet the first Monday of the month for about an hour at the Red Cross Center. In addition, RAP presenters give several lectures during the middle school day about HIV/AIDS. Each RAP member must only give one presentation per month with a co-presenter.

Megan Barnes/Surveyor Currently RAP student members talk to middle Washington RAP educators address a classroom of school students with an middle school students. adult team member. Alyssa Hamilton, ‘10, one of the Washington High School student presenters, feels that the RAP presentations benefit younger students.

“People don’t talk about [AIDS], so [kids] don’t know about it. We make kids aware of AIDS so we can prevent it,” said Hamilton.

Beyond increasing middle school HIV/AIDS education, the RAP team also organizes several other venues to promote STI awareness. The RAP team is currently in the process of setting up a Rapids AIDS Project concert at Washington in December.

Cedar Rapids youth are gaining a heightened awareness of the dangerous effects of HIV/ AIDS thanks to the efforts of RAP educators. The increased education will help students avoid the contraction of detrimental diseases.

Stem Cell Procedure Anticipates Future Cures Rachel Owens Staff Writer Stem cell research has been ground-breaking once again. In Spain, doctors managed to perform the first-ever whole organ transplant with a patient’s own stem cells.

With help from researchers in Britain and Italy, Spanish doctors were able to replace Claudia Castillo’s deteriorated left bronchus using a donor trachea. To eliminate the need for anti-rejection drugs, the trachea was washed of its donor cells. Castillo’s doctors then took bone marrow from her hip and cells from her windpipe, all of which then grew and populated over the donor trachea.

Because Castillo’s own cells covered the new organ, there were multiple advantages to the stem cell surgery. The procedure left ethics out of the equation since the stem cells used in the transplant were her own. Also, her body did not reject the new windpipe for the same reason.

Five months after the surgery, Castillo now reports she is living a healthy life. She previously had contracted tuberculosis, which ruined her left bronchus. Without the replacement surgery, her left lung would have needed to be removed. She suffered serious breathing issues, and walking up stairs left her breathless at the top. It was difficult for her to go to work and take care of her children. Thanks to the doctors in Spain, Britain, and Italy, Castillo has been able to return to a more normal lifestyle.

After this ground-breaking surgery, doctors are hopeful for the future of stem cell research.

They predict that similar organ transplant surgeries will become the norm, and that they are not far from prevalence. Scientists and researchers in the United States have recently been successful in growing bladder patches in laboratories for patients with bladder disease.

With these medical advances, organ engineering and transplant surgeries may be open to about half of larynx cancer sufferers after clinical studies and trials begin in about five years.

With this great breakthrough, the future of stem cell research looks bright.

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News

12-22-2008

California court challenges homeschooling Shayma Elsheikh Staff Writer A ruling from the Second District Court of Appeals in California has challenged the current system of education that serves 166,000 home school students throughout the state. Although the court decision originated from a case of child abuse, it has ended up contesting widespread educational traditions.

The ruling regarded a case involving Philip and Mary Long, parents of eight homeschooled children who reside in Lynwood, California. The Long couple was repeatedly referred to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services for various allegations, including claims of physical abuse.

Mary Long, the primary teacher for the eight Long children, has no teaching credentials, but she spent six hours each day instructing her children in English, writing, math, science, health, physical education, Bible studies, and social sciences. The children were also enrolled in an independent study program through Sunland Christian School, a private religious academy.

Prior to the appellate court ruling, a juvenile court found that the Long children’s home school education was inadequate upon examining a case of child abuse brought against Philip Long by one of the Long children. The judge, however, declined to compel two of the children to enroll in a full-time school and affirmed that California parents have a legal right to educate their children at home.

The California Department of Education previously allowed homeschooling as long as parents established a small private school for their children through an application program. Parents were also required to hire credentialed tutors or enroll their children in independent study programs run by private or public schools. The appellate panel of the Second District Court, however, restricted homeschooling

by ruling that the Longs’ home school education program was insufficient to qualify as a private school experience.

“Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” Justice H. Walter Croskey wrote in the ruling issued on Feb. 28. “Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program.”

Philip Long told the Los Angeles Times that he believes the ruling stems from hostility toward Christians, and he vowed to appeal to the California Supreme Court. Croskey, however, stated in his ruling that all children need a public school education to guarantee their educational experience is high-quality and that the students learn civic values.

“A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and nation as a means of protecting the public welfare,” said Croskey in his decision.

Although the ruling has eliminated the ambiguity associated with ensuring quality education for home school children, disagreement still exists regarding the effectiveness of home school programs. Although proponents of the Second District Court decision believe that the ruling will prevent educational deficiencies among home school students, opponents assert that homeschooling is a highly personalized and effective method of education.

Toby Ziemer, ’11, was homeschooled from kindergarten to fifth grade. Ziemer’s mother is a certified teacher that works with the Cedar Rapids Home School Assistance Program, and thus he believed his educational experience as a home school student was valuable. Although he favors homeschooling because it is a personalized educational experience, Ziemer supports the court’s decision to limit

How clean is our school?

Taylor Dose Staff Writer

“Our school is clean for the most part, but we still have some things to work on. Even bugs and rodents show up here!”

-Krystal Hoff, ‘10.

“Washington seems fairly clean, but there are cockroaches, which I know we can’t really help. The bathrooms still need work.”

-Meg Wenndt, ‘10.

homeschooling.

“Today’s world of high education and specialized skills is no place for undereducated students,” said Ziemer. “California is scared because they don’t know how educated the [homeschooling] parents of California are. Kids can only learn as much as their master.”

Other students believe the California court ruling infringes on parental rights. Krista Johnson, ’10, is enrolled part-time at Washington High School and has been otherwise homeschooled for six years. She opposes the decision to limit homeschooling because she believes that it is the best method of education.

“In regular school, a lot of time is wasted on procedures,” said Johnson. “The amount of time [it takes] a teacher to [explain] the material doesn’t really fit any of the students very well. Some get bored and some are still confused when [the teacher] is finished; homeschooling is much more personalized.”

Johnson believes that both the abundance of educational resources available for home school students along with the individualized attention that is central to homeschooling dispel any concerns that home school students are not getting a good education.

“No one understands a child better than the child’s own parent,” said Johnson. “And there are tons of materials out there nowadays to help parents with homeschooling their kids.”

The Second District Court ruling has commenced a complex legal controversy. Despite the uncertainty regarding the future direction of home school programs in California, it is definite that home school students and parents in the state face unanticipated changes in their education system.

Making cents Max Ernst Co-News Editor The School Cents Program allows Washington High School students to shop and engage in scholastic fundraising at the same time. When Washington students patronize their favorite Lindale Mall stores, their purchases can generate points that are redeemable for donations to the Washington PTA general fund.

Washington has been participating in the School Cents Program for several years among 14 other local schools. When students of participating high schools turn in their receipts from mall stores and neighboring HyVee to the Lindale Service Desk, employees add up student spending figures and calculate the amount of points the schools earn.

Shopping expenditure records for every school are then compared to its “spending ability,” which is determined by the size of each school’s student population. Annually, Lindale Mall, Mix 96.5, KWWL Channel 7, and the Gazette donate a total of $25,000 to area schools Megan Barnes/Surveyor based their performance in the program.

School Cents commenced in August, Isabella Hamby, ‘10, deposits a reand at that point participating schools were required to turn in school popula- ceipt at Lindale. tion data. Since then, Lindale Service Desk employees have tabulated the amount of points generated for each school on a weekly basis. Generally, one point is earned for a student’s school for each dollar spent in mall stores, but in special instances students can garner higher quantities of points. For purchases in the Food Court of the mall, 10 points are earned for every dollar students spend. On select “Triple Points Weekends,” each dollar counts for three points. If students turn in their grade reports, they can earn up to 50 points.

Schools can also receive points for engaging in program advertising and special activities.

Washington PTA members hold high expectations for the program. Last year, School Cents provided the school with $450, and PTA members hope to meet or exceed that level of revenue this year.

“My goal would have been to get $500, but really it is to get the most out the program and have fun,” said PTA President Lisa Thirnbeck. “[This program] is an easy way to get some extra money for the school.”

Recently, Washington PTA representatives attended the School Cents Program’s Midway Ceremony to find out the point total generated for Washington thus far and to see how the school compared to other participant schools. Washington was ranked seventh among the 15 schools, and had thus far generated $250. However, students can continue earning points for Washington until Dec. 31.

The money earned for Washington High School will be used by the PTA to fund academic incentive programs. Regardless of how much money Washington students generate through the School Cents Program, the donation money will effectively return to the students through programs that directly benefit the student population.

Opinions

12-22-2008

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Ho ho hoax!

Picture this: a small child waits in line with the anticipation of seeing Santa to anxiously tell him what she wants for Christmas. This child doesn’t know any better even though she can see the stubble behind Santa’s fake beard. The thought that this imposter is in fact an imposter, doesn’t cross her mind. Tragically, in four years she will realize that she has been lied to.

I was in 3rd grade when my father told me Santa wasn’t real; I was crushed. I relapsed to my old habits such as sniffing glue and drinking too much apple juice from a sippy cup. The point is, after I found out my whole life was a lie, it seemed as if the world was against me.

Every year since, when I walk past the FAKE Santa in the mall, a tear comes to my eye. I see a little brown-haired girl walk up to Santa, and think of myself as a child -innocent, naive and all too trusting. I see her journey, past the elves that are taller than I am and then to the Santa

Molly Brown Guest Columnist

that seems to have lost his coat as well as his dignity.

Last year, I decided to give the whole Santa thing another shot. I was with a friend and there was no one in the Santa line (surprise? I think not). I was hesitant to approach him, but she really wanted to get a picture with him for the Myspace middle school trend.

My fingers trembled and my stomach flipped as I walked towards the Santa I knew was not. This winter scene may have brought me happiness in my younger days, but at that moment all it seemed to bring was a hint of my lunch. I sat on Santa’s right knee while my friend took her place on his left. The tall girl in the elf outfit said, “Smile” and snapped the picture. I promptly leapt off of his knee and was in shock.

We paid, then left the ‘North Pole.’ I ran while my friend chased after me. He didn’t even ask me what I wanted for Christmas. It was a Barbie dream house, for your information!

A treatise on the woes of acne It’s Saturday night and I’m at my house preparing for a night on the town when all of a sudden I take one final look in the mirror and gasp! There’s a giant red dot in the middle of my forehead. The pulsating pimple looks uncannily like the Great Red Spot on Jupiter and spells instant disaster for my Daniel Williams hopes of impressing that chick from French class Co-editor tonight.

I frantically scramble my army of acne fighting weapons and prepare for battle. The first wave of treatment consists of a simple anti-bacterial face wash which may or may not do anything. After a good rinse down with the wash the acne, unsurprisingly, still persists. At this point I’m still cool, calm and collected. There’s no reason to panic; I’ve only begun my attack.

The second assault is a bit more vigorous; it begins with a cleanser, which contains beads that are supposed to exfoliate your face as well as a viscous Benzoyl-Peroxide solution. The back of this particular bottle says it’s supposed to “penetrate your pores and heal blemishes fast.” I can’t even

read it without chuckling to myself (I know, I’m a sixth grader at heart).

After the exfoliation is complete, I use an oil-controlling astringent (I have no idea what that means) which burns my skin upon impact. The burning might be attributed to the 45% alcohol content of the liquid (the bottle also contains the warning “Flammable- Keep away from flame or open fire”). In my mind I imagine the “acnes” shriveling up and dying because that’s certainly what my face is doing at this point.

To allow my skin a chance to recover after the hopeful final battle, I take a break from the war and watch some of Being John Malkovich for about half an hour. When I return I expect at least a diminishment in the acne, a minute improvement at the very least, but alas, the acne remains in its most potent form ever. I’m pretty much at DEFCON 1 right now and I’m ready to unleash “the bomb”: a last ditch effort which will hopefully eradicate the enemy, but will unfortunately cause damage myself as well.

This last ditch effort is the infamous “popping of the pimple” technique; a painful procedure which can improve the look of the acne for a short period of time, while actually spreading the bacterial infection over the long term, causing great distress in a few days. However, given the

situation at hand, I am willing to face the repercussions.

I’ll leave the gooey details out but I’ll tell you that it wasn’t pretty. This experience is commonplace for many, if not most teens today. The ongoing war against acne wages on through our lives with no regard for our personal schedules or the social ramifications of such blemishes. Many turn to medications such as Neutrogena, Proactiv, Clearasil and Arm & Hammer toothpaste for help. Others are blessed by God, Allah, or-whomever-you-worship in having spotless features. There is nothing that can describe how much I envy you people.

These days, words such as “complexion”, “exfoliating”, “Salicylic acid” and “Benzoyl-Peroxide” have become commonplace in conversations, with talk of acne and its various treatments an ordinary conversation topic among those close to you. But no matter what we do, the dreaded zits of destruction will return without fail, always seeming to appear just before an important date or party. I salute you, my fellow Washington students, and urge you to keep on fighting this battle against acne, and though it may seem futile, I promise you someday, one glorious day, we will emerge victorious.

Surveyor Editorial Policy Surveyor is established as a school-sponsored open forum dedicated to informing and entertaining its readers. It is published nine times each school year by students enrolled in the Journalism News class at Washington High School. The staff will report as fairly and wellbalanced as possible. All activities and news will be covered to the best of the staffʼs ability.

Surveyor accepts the Society of Professional Journalistsʼ Code of Ethics as the basis for good journalistic ethics.

Editorials and the reviews that appear under a byline are the opinion of the writer, not necessarily the staff. Unsigned editorials represent the majority of the Editorial Board. The opinions section is designed to provide a forum for the opinions of the Surveyor staff and the Washington High School Community.

Readers are encouraged to express their viewpoints through guest editorials. Surveyor also welcomes letters to the editor, with these guidelines: 1. It is not libelous or obscene.

2. It explains the material clearly.

3. It is not longer than 300 words.

4. It is signed.

Megan Barnes

Maddy Halyard

Anne Brenneman

Sam Seyfer

Maddy Becker

Keile Wahle

Lauren Glantz

Alex Taylor

Dan Williams

Tiffany Westrom

Max Ernst

Tyler Hubler

Trevor Polk

Molly James

Lana Godlewski

Writers

Shayma Elsheikh Brittany Ficken Anna Fisher Alex Fuller Lily Gasway Alexis Guess Megan Hartman Nick Heins

Mackenzie Hepker Allie Johnson Lauren Kelly Brian Kopec Andy Marshall Aunna McDowell Natalie Neppl Connor OʼNeil

Rachel Owens Charlie Parks Jack Shey Lauren Sines Abby Varn Mallory Williams

Photo/Graphics

Photo editor

Co-focus editor

Co-news editor

Patrick Anderl Natalee Birchansky Maggie Bridges Molly Brown Cicely Deaton Taylor Dose Joe Eken

Editor-in-chief

Co-focus editor

Co-news editor

Co-sports editor

A&E editor

Graphics Editor

Co-sports editor

Co-opinions editor

Co-profiles editor

Co-sports editor

Co-opinions editor

Co-profiles editor

Alexandra Bergman Lauren Johnson Lauren Hoth Carter Oswood Melanie Phelan Sky Smith Jessica Wohlers

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12-22-2008

Opinions

“No! I don’t know the words to “Lullaby My Jesus.”... “i had to sit there and watch squirrels gallavanting in the trees and there wasn’t a darn thing I could do about it!”... ““My unicorn has spinal meningitis.”........

Roll up your sleeves

Nick Heins Staff Writer

“Is it better to give or to receive?” This is the gift of the season, and if you would have asked me ten years ago I would have said, “Bring on the video games,” but my opinion has changed since

then.

I’m currently going through the confirmation process in my church and there are a lot required projects to be confirmed. When I looked at all that needed to be accomplished before February, it seemed ridiculous to make the people that are in school or have a job go through all of this when they are so busy anyways, even though I did find it kind of rewarding.

Our group project took a lot of organizing. We planned a spaghetti dinner to raise money for the families in our parish that had lost everything in the floods. We wrote letters to grocery stores and restaurants, in the hope that they would donate food and supplies for the actual meal. Next came the event itself, we served so many people within the first hour of dinner, that we had to call Zio Johno’s for more spaghetti and bread.

The local pasta supplier was great and came through for us again, allowing us to serve the rest of the people. When all was said and done, we had earned twice the amount of money that we were hoping for. It felt really good knowing that the money that such a small group earned would go to the families in flood affected areas and perhaps make a financial difference for them. This hopefully made them rest a little easier.

Individually, I have visited Winslow Care Center to visit the elderly that live there. I had a great time and walked away a little wiser. The Salvation Army needed help sorting through toys for their distribution, so I spent a small

It felt really good knowing that the money that such a small group earned would go to the families in flood affected areas and perhaps make a financial difference for them.

amount of my time helping out there too. I also got the task of helping them sort shoes and find matching pairs. This wasn’t the most exciting thing to do, but it needed to be done.

My point is there are so many people that are in need of our time and our efforts, especially this time of the year. It may sound like an “un-cool” thing to do because we’re teenagers and don’t want to be seen helping other people, but truly it is a good feeling to know that I helped those who really need it.

-Student Senate lights in the hallway -to everyone who helped with the dance marathon -Dance team placing at the state meet for the first time in Warrior history -ice fishing -graduation in almost 5 months -classes with Mr. Rieck -classic...winter break -President Bush ‘s catlike reflexes

Roses

The final saga...

Thorns -misspelled graffiti on bathroom stalls -no Chinese food -college applications...

January 1st!

-school the day before Christmas Eve -scraping ice and snow off of windows daily -being at school before it is light and staying until after its dark -political correctness

Death of a cow, or death of a race?

As I wander up and down the frozen foods aisle at Hy-Vee, aimlessly looking for something amusing as my mother spends twenty minutes comparing frozen pizza prices, I come across a box of frozen burgers. Now these aren’t the typical burgers that one might eat at a baseball game or buy from a fast food restaurant; these are vegetarian burgers. Why, I wonder to myself, would someone who spends a good majority of their time trying to avoid meat, want to eat something that looks and feels like a hamburger?

(Granted, these are usually made out or soy and/or tofu which Allie Johnson taste a little different than hamburger. However, in my opinion. fail in comparison to the deliciousness of the real thing.)

Staff Writer theseVegetarianism has been an increasingly growing trend in the United States since around the 1960s. Today it seems more wildly popular than ever, with more and more people “going green” everyday, trying to live lifestyles that better benefit their environment and themselves. But do these people really understand the detriment of swearing off pepperoni pizza for the rest of their lives? (Or at least until it is “all-therage” to eat meat again.)

Many people justify becoming a vegetarian or a vegan based upon animal rights or in protestation against animal cruelty, which is permissible. However, others such as the majority of teens who write the editorials for vegetarianteen.com, have some very strange reasons of their own. One argues that if humans were born to eat meat, we would be able to eat it raw, like other animals, but we can’t because our intestinal tracts are too long and we would get sick. Another editor states, “Last time I checked, nature didn’t make frying

Ok, so we may not have been blessed with Mother Nature’s gifts of frying pans, but if it wasn’t for meat, those people wouldn’t even be here to argue their claims. pans-we did,” claiming that since we have to cook meat and can’t eat it in its natural state, we shouldn’t be eating meat at all.

Ok, so we may not have been blessed with Mother Nature’s gifts of frying pans, but if it wasn’t for meat, those people wouldn’t even be here to argue their claims. For the millions of years that mankind has been an inhabitant on this Earth, we have eaten meat.

Our ancestors survived on meat, used furs for clothing, bones as weapons and even animal brains as methods to improve their lives. People have survived for millions of years on meat , so I don’t understand the increasing need to not only not eat meat, but to disguise tofu as burgers and bacon. You don’t see the carnivorous population walking around trying to disguise our steaks as carrots, now do you?

Yes, the ethical treatment of animals is important. However, so is the need to balance your diet by eating meat. Many vegetarians don’t realize that they must eat healthy substitutes if and when choosing not to eat meat. One mother on vegetarianteen.com states, “My teenager rarely eats nutritious food and seems to replace meat products with bread and chips.” Meat is not a “bad” thing; it’s a healthy and necessary part of the human diet.

I’m just asking that before throwing our diet, and our health to the wind to be “green” and “healthy”, we should consider the risks and benefits to help us understand that maybe meat isn’t so bad after all. Bon appetite!

---www.vegetarianteen.com

In my third and final article of the Mr. Movies saga, I would like to announce my resignation from the Jack Shey clerk post at Staff Writer Mr. Movies #1077. It has been a long year full of great memories, but after careful thought and consideration, I found it necessary to leave my position of work at the rental store.

My decision to quit was influenced mostlyby my growing dislike of the store’s hours and regulations (Mostly enforced by Nicole, the store’s Manager). Under Nicole’s “Reign of Terror,” I was forced to work every Saturday, most of which were 2 hour shifts that completely wasted my night. In addition, I was put “On Call” for my other weekend nights as if I were an ER Surgeon.

Mr. Movies experienced some of its worst days under the dynasty of Nicole. Nicknamed “The Tyrant”, Nicole often times made her own rules about how to run the store. An example of her regulations was her judicial review over who got to take the “Dark Knight” movie poster home.

After close examination of the case, (Carlin, Curt, and I had our fingers crossed) she ruled in favor of herself saying that she would in fact keep the poster because it would “build character” for the rest of us. Another example was when she refused our right to rent horror movies during Halloween because they were for customers only. In the note she left me, Nicole spelled two words wrong:

Along with these strict rules, she also raised tariffs on imported goods and implemented a tax on smoking breaks, but those regulations affected me little.

Currently and explain. Along with these strict rules, she also raised tariffs on imported goods and implemented a tax on smoking breaks, but those regulations affected me little.

Of course I’m not trying to point any fingers, but even with my severe case of chronic colorblindness I was able to see the flaws of Nicole’s plan.

I will admit that at times Nicole was nice to me and on occassion would buy donuts for our store meetings.

Yet, even with her sincerity, I realized it was time for me to bid farewell and leave the store. I am sorry to all those who counted on me to check their movies out and return them. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll return to Mr. Movies with a college degree, and take on the tough responsibilities of being head CEO. Whether I’m up to it or not only the future can tell. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

“I have a next door neighbor who is a cat-lady, like a hybrid”... ...“I just found out that my boyfriend has two other girlfriends”... “I exploded in my backpack!”... “I live at GAP Body! What am I gonna do?”...

Things we heard in the Washington halls and stalls... “The sound of my voice makes her urinate, I don’t know why?”...

“Sneezing is by far my least favorite activity.”... “Sometimes I wonder what people think of me when they hear me i out of context in the hallway.”

Profiles

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12-22-2008

Warriors represent Iowa in Macy’s parade Aunna McDowell Staff Writer On Thanksgiving Day, three and a half million people stood along the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route while 50 million tuned in to watch from their home television sets. For Washington’s color guard this was an especially exciting event because guard members Karen Schmidt, ’09, and Kestrel Henry, ’10, performed in the parade.

Wash’s color guard inspector, Julie Yanda, was contacted and asked to nominate some of her guard members to perform in the parade along with other guard members across the nation. Yanda nominated Schmidt and Henry. Both had to send in video auditions and were chosen to be in the parade.

Schmidt and Henry headed off for training on November 22 and returned the day after Thanksgiving. This left them with five full days in New York City. The guard members had three days of intense practicing with their choreographer. They learned their routine and the parade route.

On Thanksgiving Day, Schmidt and Henry had a 3:00 a.m. rehearsal with NBC to figure out shooting angles.

Henry said, “It was really cool because it was pitch black,

and the camera lights reflected off the buildings.”

After practicing with NBC, the girls had to wait two hours until starting time. They wore only halters and small shrugs and huddled together with the band for warmth.

Neither Schmidt nor Henry found the actual performance frightening, even though it was very different from

Photo Courtesy of Karen Schmidt

Schmidt, ‘09, Henry, ‘10, and fellow color-guards tour New York during their stay in the city.

their typical competitions and half-time shows during football season.

Schmidt said, “I thought I would be really, really nervous, but it was so exciting. There was really nothing to be nervous about.”

Henry agreed saying, “It wasn’t scary. It was really exhilarating. It was like you were the center of the universe.”

The color guard members were the last to come in before Santa Claus. When the parade was over, random spectators began sharing their hand warmers with the freezing guard members.

Schmidt and Henry didn’t get to see the entire parade, but they still got to enjoy the big balloon floats. Henry loved the Shrek balloon, while Schmidt’s favorite was Horton the Elephant.

After the parade, the girls headed back to their hotel.

The typically 45 minute trip took three hours because of all the traffic from the parade.

Both Schmidt and Henry enjoyed getting to know the other guard members from across the nation, especially their two other roommates.

Schmidt and Henry agree that this was an incredible experience, and both the girls would happily participate again.

Student teachers embrace Wash experience

Daniel Luethke

Sarah Mollman

Natalie Neppl Staff Writer

Daniel Luethke is a student at Coe College and a student teacher for Trudy Johansen. Luethke is interested in Spanish because he really struggled with it as a student. He wants to be a teacher because he really enjoys being around the learning environment and feels he is not done learning.

Luethke says it is difficult balancing college life and studies with his professional life.

His future plans include moving back home to Colorado, working with the human rights program through the school system in Denver and spending more time with family.

Luethke loves Washington and says he has never had an opportunity to be involved with “such a great diverse background and meet students from all walks of life.”

Sarah Mollman is embracing the last two weeks before receiving her English degree to become a teacher and has been student teaching for Akwi Nji- Dawson.

Mollman feels passionate about English and wants her students to feel the same way. She believes she can make a difference and help impact the lives of others by teaching.

“I thought the transition between being a student and a teacher would be the most difficult. I cut and dyed my hair because I felt I would be treated and respected like a teacher.” Mollman has learned to never give up on a student through her student teaching

experience.

“I have learned to see the potential in each and every student,” Mollman said.

She plans to substitute for the rest of the school year and then search for a full time teaching job in the area.

BHD Club strives to make a difference Lauren Sines Staff Writer Chloe Kohl ‘12 is a freshman who is already striving to make a difference. Along with the help of her older sister, Koryssa Loftus ‘10, she started a new club and philanthropic opportunity at Wash.

One night while sisters were hanging out, they decided they wanted to do something to help.

The annual Jamnesty even at Wash inspired the pair to start a club that benefits St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis, TN. Kohl chose this Boulevard of Hopeful Dreams, commonly known on the announcements as BHD, meets Tuesdays after school until 4:00 p.m. They are always looking for new members to join the group. The only qualification is a willingness to help kids struggling from cancer.

Kohl says the basic goal of the club is to raise money. Thus far they have raised about $100 dollars for the hospital. However they have much bigger plans for the future. “We are hoping to raise between $1500 and $2000 by the end of the year,” Kohl explained. Kohl and the other ten members of the club are working hard to accomplish just what there slogan says, “Beating up cancer one kid at a time.”

Sign up with a friend and save $20! ONLY $329 **Save $20 when you sign up for a January or February class 2009** (must pay by check or money order to receive discount using the Print-out registration form and only valid for the January and February classes)

Register online @ a chance for a FREE driver’s education class with StreetSmarts.

Location: Indian Creek Mall Room # 131 B (Next to McDonalds in Marion) Register for a Jan. or Feb. class on line @ www.streetsmartdriversed.com or call 319.364.4884 More classes offered than anywhere!

Class Session IND-18

Dates 1/8 – 2/5

Days Time Mon/Tue/Thurs 6:00 – 8:30 PM

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2/16 – 4/1

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6:00 – 8:30 PM

IND-20

2/17 – 4/2

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6:00 – 8:30 PM

Check out our web-site for 2009 Spring classes and other locations! streetsmartsdriversed.com Photo by Lauren Johnson

BHD Club members discuss upcoming events at one of their weekly meetings.

We are all fully licensed by the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Focus

Focus

On June 13, 2008 the Cedar River overflowed its banks and began to flood the city, eventually cresting at 31.1 feet. This was about 12 feet higher than the record set in 1929. By June 14, approximately 20,000 people had been evacuated from their homes. The waters began to recede one week later, however thousands remained homeless. Volunteers from around the community immediately began to help rebuild and continue to do so today.

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Batman is back The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the highest grossing movie of 2008. It brought in 530,258,989 dollars, far ahead of the first runner up, Iron Man with 318,298,180 dollars. The Dark Knight stared Christian Bale as Batman and the very publicized, Heath Ledger, who died shortly before the film was released, playing the Joker.

Reccord breaking games Beginning on Aug. 4, the 2008 Olympics had excitement try. The opening ceremony of stirring all over the counthe summer Olympics took place in the Beijing National stadium with lots of dancing, drumming, spectacular lights, and fireworks. The following weeks were filled with compeming to trampoline gymnastics. titions ranging from swimShawn Johnson, from Des Moines, Iowa came away with three silver medals as well as one gold from her performance on the balance beam. Michael Phelps became the first Olympic competitor since 1980 to win eight gold medals during one Olympics. The Olympic competitions held many other highlights in addition to these throughout the weeks and ended on August 24 with the U.S. holding 110 medals, China with 100 and Russia holding 72.

Coldplay conquers the charts

Selling 300,000 million copies in the first day, Coldplay’s newest album, Viva La Vida or Death And All Of His Friends, is the best selling album of the year. Hits off the album include, “Viva la Vida” and “Violet Hill.” The album was released in June.

The United States gets down to earth One of the issues that has the past year is “going up many ways to help the of using solar energy. Acon October 24, 2008, recent trifluoride is almost 17,000 sphere than carbon dioxide.

Throughout the past three hundred and sixty five days history has been made

Economic troubles

The economic crisis has impacted many during the past few years. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the United States economy fell into a recession during December of 2007. The crisis is reported to be the worst recession since the 1921 Great Depression stock market crash.

The recession has caused the loss of 1.2 million jobs during 2008.

Sports spotlight The New York land Patriots XLII 17 to 14.

The Philadelpa Bay Rays four games to Celtics are the beating the Los

Giants beat the New Engat the 2008 Super Bowl phia Phillies beat the Tamat the 2008 World Series one game. The Boston 2008 NBA Champions Angeles Lakers 131-92.

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12-22-2008

Oil roller coaster

For many, the low gas prices have been a huge highlight of the past year. Down from a high of $4.00 over the summer, many Americans are enjoying the low prices. The economic recession and the low price of gas have been found to be linked. During low economic times, people demand less energy. The price for a barrel of oil has gone from $144 to approximately $50 per barrel.

A new face in the white house

been on the mind of many for green.” People have dreamed environment including the idea cording to an article published research has shown that nitrogen times more potent to the atmo-

and records have been broken. From the first pregnant

Video game sales have increased since last year. The most frequently purchased console in 2008 was the Wii. Grand T h e f t Auto IV has been the best selling game with 6,293,000 per Smash sales. SuB r o s .

B r a w l comes in second with 5,433,000 sales. Mario Kart Wii sold 4,697,00 games. Wii Fit sold 3,604,000 and Guitar Hero III sold 3,475,000 this year.

r n e i v 8 ie 0 2008 is arugably one of the most evenful years in decades.

The year of the flood

man to super human Michael Phelp’s eight gold medals in a single olympic game.

8

12-22-2008

The 2008 presidential campaign would have made history no matter what the outcome. If Barack Obama was elected, he would be the first African American president. If McCain had won, the United States’ would have had its first female vice president.

On the night of Tuesday Nov. 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected the United States’ 44th president rican American president. as well as the first AfThough he has less than six months before he is able to fully transition into the role of president, Obama has already begun to take action with the country’s economic crisis. As he stated on the night of his election, “Change has come to America.”

First pregnant man Thomas Beatie made history by being the first man to give birth to a child on June 29, 2008. Beatie, formally a woman, became a man after feeling he was not meant to be a female. Beatie married his current wife Nancy a few years back. Nancy was unable to conceive a child, therefore the couple turned to Thomas’s remaining female reproductive organs. After article insemination, Thomas successfully conceived a child.

The fetus grew within Thomas’s womb until giving birth to a baby girl on June 29th. The Beaties recently revealed again pregnant with their that Thomas is once second child.

Twilight takes over Stephenie Meyer released her fourth novel of the An already popular series Twilight series this year. selling 8.5 million copies worldwide, the new novel, Breaking Dawn, was expected to follow the trend. Cedar Rapid’s local Barnes and Noble received 800 copies of the novel. Six hundred were pre-reserved. Starting at midnight on August 2nd, the buying and selling began. By the end of the night, an estimated 1.3 million copies of the novel were sold. The 768-page book was a continuation of a series about vampires, werewolves, and teenagers’ star crossed love.

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10

12-22-2008

Profiles Becoming Briggie

Isaac Behrens Guest Writer “Beep Beep SMASH”: A normal morning in the Briggie household begins. “What time is it?” moans Kathy Briggie ‘10, after she turns off the alarm with her handy dandy sledgehammer. “-90 cosine tangent π.” Erin Briggie ‘10 murmurs back, obviously wide awake and ready to seize the day.

Then the Briggie twins, Erin and Kathy (yes, they really have first names), roll out of their little Briggie beds, wash their little Briggie faces, and brush their little Briggie teeth like good Briggie children.

They proceed to hop off to school, earn 5.6 GPAs and get full ride scholarships to Oxford College.

Not so simple, a top Briggie expert recently discovered. Though not obvious to the casual observer of Briggie behavior, the species Briggus superincrediblintelligensius’s actually has very complex behavioral patterns, identical to those found in humans with a much broader purpose in life than the #1 rank in the 2010 class. Let’s take a gander through this new door that careful scientific observation has opened into the Briggie world.

But really, when interviewed in person, the two sisters, both agree with Erin’s statement that they are “so different (pause), SO different (pause), SOOOO different.”

The convenient and seemingly harmless Briggie stereotype sometimes gets on their nerves. “I don’t think that some people have ever called me by my first name,” remarked Erin.

Looking closely, Erin and Kathy Briggie seem to break their own stereotype more often than live with it. Both agree that they are not inherently smart, with Kathy receiving a 30 composite on her third grade ITBS tests, and Erin once thinking it would be a cool idea to sled backwards down a forested hill. They do hold two of the highest GPA’s in human history, but Kathy stated very maturely, “I don’t pride myself on my GPA, but on the determination it took to earn it,” and added, “It proves to me I work hard.” Erin and Kathy are also staunch republicans, with Kathy against creating a GPA welfare system, and not for giving any GPA handouts, or public GPA care. Kathy and Erin are very proud of their own work.

For all you die hard Briggie fans, following in the path of Erin and Kathy would be much more challenging than obtaining straight A’s. It’s their determination, studying 6 hours a night, and foresight into the value of school that makes them unique and dedicated individuals indeed. And was it mentioned that Kathy has an Abraham Lincoln shaped birthmark on her right calf? Remarkable!

Photo by Lauren Hoth

Erin and Kathy Briggie, both ‘10, hit the books before an intense Spanish quiz. Although they are known to many as overacheivers, they pride themselves in their determination to do well in school.

College crash course: Q&A Perfect ACT attracts attention with Wash counselors Lily Gasway Staff Writer

Mallory Williams Staff Writer Dean Blanchard Q: How have students been successful at getting into really good schools in the past?

A: They have maintained good grades throughout their 4 years of high school, have been active in school activities and community service and have taken on leadership roles when they have been able to.

Q: Do you believe college representatives that come to Wash are beneficial to students?

A: Yes. Students can learn a lot from the representatives. It is also a good opportunity to get your questions answered about that college.

Q: What advice do you give to students who don’t know what they would like to major in?

A: It is very normal to be undecided about a major when entering college. I would suggest a student take an interest inventory such as the Iowa Choices program to start seeing where their interests fall and what kind of majors they may relate to those interests.

Sue McDermott Q: What is one aspect of being a counselor at Wash that you really enjoy?

A: I love the enjoyment and pride you see in students and their families at graduation. Counselors see one success story after another as seniors cross the stage and it is a rewarding experience.

Q: What would you say is the most important aspect of applying for college?

A: The most important thing is being realistic about your options. Your work ethic as a student has a lot to do with what is realistic as a post secondary choice.

Q; Do you believe college representatives that come to Wash are beneficial to students?

A: Yes, it is an easy way to shop schools. It is an opportunity in most cases to meet the person who will be doing the first screening of the application and hopefully make a good impression upon them.

Jennifer Byers Q: What would you say is the best or you favorite part of your job?

A: Every day is different! I love having such varied work to do, no two days are the same so it’s never boring.

Q: What would you say are the most important aspects of applying for college?

A: Visit schools you are interested in so you see first-hand what they are all about. Narrow down your choices to about five or six- putting in 20 applications is time consuming and not necessary. Pay attention to deadlines! You can have the best application in the world but if it’s late that doesn’t reflect well on you.

Q: What parts of college essays written by Wash students that have stood out the most to you?

A: I like it when students talk about a small life even that had a big impact on them. Anyone can write about how they want to change the world or run for President someday, but it takes extra work to look at a seemingly small life event and think about how it affected the way you think and act.

Christina Scharmer, ‘10, and her parents meet with counselor, Sue McDermott to discuss post high school endeavors.

Photo by Sky Smith

Earning a perfect score on the ACT opens a lot of doors and attracts quite a bit of mail from colleges.

Nikhil Shah, ‘09, would know. He studied hard for his flawless score and hopes to go on to study engineering at Stanford University, Rice University, Washington University in St. Louis or Iowa State University. Despite Shah’s tremendous academic success, he claims to lack good study habits.

“I’m actually more of a procrastinator,” said Shah.

Shah spends an average of one to two hours on homework each night. He does a lot of this studying with Maddy Halyard, ‘09. Along with his schedule of all AP classes, AP Physics being his favorite, Shah also takes an after-school weight lifting class and plays tennis in the spring.

Although they don’t study together, Dylan Shah, ‘12, looks up to his older brother and is interested in engineering as well.

“Nikhil is a great brother and he sets good examples,” said Shah.

A&E

12-22-2008

11

I’m dreaming of an skinny Christmas Megan Hartman Staff Writer Holiday feasts are a big part of the holiday season, but these large meals can be health hazards.

A recent study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development found that on average, people gain one pound over the six week period between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. Although a pound may not seem like a substantial amount, the pound gained isn’t usually lost during the rest of the year.

The biggest concern is that these holiday pounds add up over the years, and cause obesity and dangerous diseases that come with being overweight.

The average American consumes between 5000-6000 calories in a holiday meal. The most fattening foods in average holiday meals are pies, cheesecakes, mashed potatoes and gravy, dinner rolls with butter, and cranberry sauce.

There’s no way to avoid unhealthy foods during holiday meals. Instead, take smaller portions of the most fattening foods, load up on vegetables, and avoid putting butter and salt on everything; both add extra calories and unhealthy sodium to the meal. Try to avoid

going hungry to gatherings where there is going to be lots of high calorie food. Eat something small before going to avoid overeating at the party.

Most holiday meals have a wide variety of creamy and sugary desserts, so when choosing desserts take small portions and don’t try everything; pick only one or two. Pumpkin pie is one of the lowest calorie desserts, containing around 200 calories less than most pies.

Calories also can be saved by not eating or preparing the pie crust.

Another cause for holiday weight gain is the weather.

Since winter keeps everyone cooped up indoors, many Americans aren’t active during the winter months, which is another large contributor to the weight gained during the holiday months. Exercising or doing fun winter activities such as skiing or sledding can reduce the risk of gaining weight during the holidays. You can burn over 400 calories in one hour of sledding.

So this holiday season when filling up your plate or staying indoors, remember the dangerous effects it can have on your health in the long run.

Tradition Alternative

...The average American consumes between 5000 to 6000 calories in a holiday meal...

Eggnog

Apple Cider

Serving: 1 cup Calories: 343 Fat: 19 grams Carbs: 34 grams

Serving: 1 cup Calories: 120 Fat: 0 grams Carbs: 29 grams

Apple Pie

Angel Food Cake

Serving: 1 slice Calories: 411 Fat: 19 grams Carbs: 58 grams

Serving: 1 slice + 1 oz. Frzn Srwbrys Calories: 156 Fat: 0 grams Carbs: 36.8 grams

Duck Serving: 150 grams Calories: 472 Fat: 40 grams Carbs: 0 grams

Turkey Serving: 150 grams Calories: 150 Fat: 4 grams Carbs: 0 grams

Classic 1950s sci-fi film gets a flashy makeover Alex Fuller Staff Writer

bobmitchellinthe21stcentury.wordpress.com

Top: Space invader Kaatu descends from the tongue of his space saucer in the original 1951 “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Bottom: Keanu Reeves loses the metallic threads in favor of a trendy blazer and slacks for his role as Kaatu in the 2008 remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still”.

as the alien “invader” Klaatu, a being who has crossed unfathomable distances to reach the planet Earth, with the intention of saving it I am disheartened to report that the recent from destruction, no matter what. Unfortunately for the human race, we are the cause for remake of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” the Earth’s inevitable destruction. As Klaatu has been bombarded by critics since the moexplains, Earth is one of the few planets capable ment of its arrival in theaters. After viewing of sustaining intelligent life, and must be althe movie, I read through a number of online lowed to survive. reviews, all of which preach a similar message Many other critics have carried this theme - “It’s not the same as to unreasonable the 1951 movie! They Director: Scott Derrickson lengths, claiming that changed it!” I must Actors: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer “it involves too many warn you now - unbeenvironmental issues”, Connelly, Kathy Bates lievable, the, in the 57 but making a statement years since the making Release Date: Dec. 15, 2008 about what specifically of the classic movie, we are doing to destroy the Earth has, in fact, the planet can be done changed. People have, in opinion only. A few in fact, changed. other elements of the Those of you who do original film have been not expect to see the exact same “The Day the carried over, the main thing being GORT, Earth Stood Still” that was released in blackKlaatu’s mechanical bodyguard. and-white in 1951 are in luck -you won’t. I Despite a few other minor plot holes, the say this not because of the movie’s impressive film is quite impressive; well worth the price CGI sequences, or because of the change in of a ticket. All things taken into account, I feel cast - I say this because they have (God forbid) that Derrickson’s version, while significantly changed the script. The result of Director Scott Derrickson’s new direction for the film is, natu- flashier than the original film, attempts to make similar points about human violence reaching rally, awe-inspiring. obscene levels, as well as carrying the sci-fi clasKeanu Reeves (“The Matrix”) is well cast sic into a new era.

Great gifts under $30 for the thrifty, eleventh-hour shopper The Logitech Apple iPod Dock is a great gift for the music lover on the go.The sound quality is middling, but it makes up for that in portability.

Set it on the bathroom counter and rock out in the shower, then stuff it in your back pack and share your tunes with your friends at school. The Logitech iPod dock is available for $29.99 at Best Buy. A subscription to the Cedar Rapids Gazette is a great way to show your classy, socially conscious friends and relatives that you care about them.

They can keep up on local and national news, sports, and entertainment, and it will only set you back $24.99 for a twelve week subscription. Go to http://www.subscription.com/cedar-rapids-gazette to subscribe, print out and box up the receipt, and set it under the tree.

bestbuy.com

Most kids have nightmares about getting socks for Christmas (what could be worse??), but teenagers and adults will always appreciate a stylish pair of foot sleeves and Old Navy’s are some of the best. They have a wide variety: striped, crosshatched, spotted socks in every hue and length. Many pairs run as low as $2 and who wouldn’t want a drawer full of those bad boys?

Here’s what NOT to buy: gift cards. Major retailers are folding left and right as a result of this financial crisis.

Gift cards are a great, simple gift, but you could be putting yourself at risk: if you purchase a gift card from a company that goes bankrupt between the time the card is purchased and spent, it could become worthless. How embarrassing to give a worthless gift. If your still not sold on buying finished products, it may be safer to gift actual money (preferably in euros). ~Alex Taylor / A&E Editor

oldnavy.com

blog.kir.com

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A&E

12-22-2008

Reality bites, these shows don’t Washington Dance Team puts itself on the map

By Maggie Bridges, Staff Writer

We all know of the different reality TV shows that are out today. Some are less entertaining then the others. So how can we tell which shows are worth our time? Here’s a few suggestions to point you in the right direction.

Dancing w/ the Stars

One show that you might have heard of is “Dancing With The Stars” on ABC. Although this season has ended, it’s one you might want to consider getting into. At the beginning of the season, the names of the celebrities are announced in alphabetical order on “Good Morning America”. This season, there were 13 celebrities that were paired up with professional dancers. Just to name a few of the stars there were; Lance Bass (of N’sync), Cody Linley (From the Disney channel show Hannah Montana), and the winner of this season, Brooke Burke. Each couple has to learn a dance or two for each show. They are scored by the judges, but ultimately it’s up to the audience and viewers to vote and decide the celebrity that wins in the end.

il.iofferphoto.com

The Biggest Loser

Courtesy of Beth Tessier

If your not into dancing, then maybe “Dancing With The Stars” isn’t for you. Maybe your more interested in a show that contains sweat, competition, and losing. The “Biggest Loser” airs on NBC, and is a show that is all about working hard to lose weight. This season there are teams of two, and each team goes through physical and mental tasks to drop pounds. They are pushed to their limits to win a grand prize of not only loosing the weight they’ve always wanted gone, but a total of $250,000. The last “Biggest Loser” was Ali who lost 112lbs in a sixteen week period. For those of who you aren’t math majors, thats 13lbs a week.

America’s Next Top Model There many shows out there that are filled with drama, and “The Biggest Loser” is defiantly one of them. However, there is another show that takes it to a whole new level. That is “America’s Next Top Model” , one the WB. If you live in a shell and don’t know anything about this show, it’s a competition to be the world’s next top supermodel. Girls come from all over the world and audition to be coached by the world famous Tyra Banks.

Every week, the girls compete in a challenge that relates to what they would be put through if they were professional models.

These challenges are designed to see of the girls really can make it as a model. The backstabbing, the tears, and the yelling all lead up to one girl being named “America’s Next Model.”

For the first time ever, the CRW Varsity Dance Team placed at the State High School Dance Competition in Des Moines. The 11 member team prepared a “Jazz” routine and a “Pom” routine over the course of several months with the help of coaches L.D. Kidd and Megan Witte. The team placed 4th in the 4-A Pom competition on Dec. 5th and put them selves on the map as one of the best highschool dance squads in Cedar Rapids and in Iowa. Above: Members of the CRW Dance team proudly display thier 4th place trophy. Left to right: Emily Kratovil, ‘10, Caitlin Thirnbeck ,‘10, Mariah Althoff, ‘10.

S U D O K U

thequestforit.com

MTV’s Made

flickr.com

Some people prefer a little different kind of drama. That drama would be the pressure of being a teenager and trying to fit in at a high school that doesn’t accept you. For those people, there is “MTV’s Made.” In this show, you will find teens picking something out of the ordinary to do (breakdancing, rapping, singing) so they can be accepted by the people around them. Each teen is assigned a “Made” coach that helps them complete their task.

Tears are shed and friendships are broken. It’s hard to be accepted by your friends and the people you want to impress. In the end, each teen fulfills their desire of becoming someone new, but they still keep a little part of their old selves.

Instructions: Place the numbrs one (1) through nine (9) in each three by three box, and in each column and row. Sound Easy? Prove it. Answers below.

SUDOKU SOLUTION

file:///Volumes/LaCie/NEWSPAPER/December/PUBLISH/WHS-Dec-p12.txt

<ASCII-MAC> <Version:3.000000><FeatureSet:InDesign-Roman><ColorTable:=<Black:COLOR:CMYK:Process:0.000000,0.000000,0.000000,1.000000>> <DefineParaStyle:Body text=<Nextstyle:Body text><cSize:10.000000><pFirstLineIndent:12.000000><cLeading:11.000000><cFont:Adobe Garamond Pro>> <ParaStyle:Body text>Some people prefer a little different kind of drama. That drama would be the pressure of being a teenager and trying to fit in at a high school that doesn<0x2019>t accept you. For those people, there is <0x201C><cTypeface:Bold>MTV<0x2019>s Made<cTypeface:>.<0x201D> In this show, you will find teens picking something out of the ordinary to do (breakdancing, rapping, singing) so they can be accepted by the people around them. Each teen is assigned a <0x201C>Made<0x201D> coach that helps them complete their task. Tears are shed and friendships are broken. It<0x2019>s hard to be accepted by your friends and the people you want to impress. In the end, each teen fulfills their desire of becoming someone new, but they still keep a little part of their old selves.

file:///Volumes/LaCie/NEWSPAPER/December/PUBLISH/WHS-Dec-p12.txt4/3/09 1:58 PM

Sports

12-22-2008

13

New basketball team revamps game plan Joe Eken Staff Writer It is a memory that makes ever Wash fan cringe. With less than two seconds left in the 2007 class 4A state championship game, Iowa City High freshman Virginia Johnson caught a half court lob and sank a game winning lay-up, handing the Warriors a 48-46 loss and forcing the Washington girls to take home the second place trophy for the third time in the last four years.

“That loss was the most heartbreaking out of all of them. The seniors had gotten so close before, and to lose so dramatically at the end, it was and emotionally taxing defeat,” said coach Frank Howell.

With all of last year’s seniors gone, this year’s team will look to match last year’s success (a 22-3 record and the second place finish at state) in a different way.

Howell mentioned last year the team relied on small, quick perimeter play, but this year they will focus on the inside game, working the ball down low to Camille Marie-Lidd and Tia Dawson, both of whom stand at six foot two.

“We have to win in a different way. We are going to try to establish an inside game first, which is not like the last couple of years.

This year’s team has different sets of strengths,” said Howell.

As different as the 2008-2009 squad may be from past seasons, Howell says every year the team starts out with the same five goals.

First, get better today. Second, win the next game. Third, try to win a conference championship. Fourth, try to become regional champ (which would get the team into the state tournament). And last, the final and ultimate goal, try to win the state championship.

The road to glory will not be easy though, as there is an array of talented teams in the area alone.

Linn-Mar and Kennedy are both ranked in the top five with several college recruits on their rosters.

Howell knows that getting past these tough foes is going to take hard work, dedication, and most of all, practice.

The girls have two-hour practices six days a week, where they work on ball handling, passing, defense, rebounding, conditioning and shooting.

No matter where they finish, Howell wants the girls to enjoy playing. As he told the team after last year’s championship game loss, “Remember how important the people you went through this with are. Remember the journey you took.”

Carter Oswood/Surveyor

Members of the Varsity womenʼs basketball team huddle up and listen to Coach Howell during practice in the new gym in early December.

Season Record

Nov. 28 Warriors beat Maquoketa Valley 69-44 Dec. 2 Warriors beat Prairie 73-56 Dec. 5 Warriors beat Waterloo West 70-56

Warrior spotlight: Brandon Burrell Anna Fisher Staff Writer

1. What is your proudest sport moment?

“Making it to the semi-finals during football.”

2. What are your personal goals for this wrestling season?

“To win state.”

3. What are your team goals for this season?

“Have no one quit and win a duel meet.”

4. What is your favorite thing about the wrestling season?

“My teammates.”

5. Do you have any pre-meet rituals?

“Break dancing in the wrestling room and picking my fro.”

6. What do you eat the morning of a meet?

“Oatmeal.”

7. What is your most embarrassing sport moment?

“Forgetting my wrestling shoes for a meet.”

8. What is the last song you listened to on your iPod? “‘Triumph’ by Wu Tang Clan.”

9. Do you plan on wrestling in college?

“Yes.” 10. Where do you want to go to college?

“A small private college, like Central or Simpson.”

1

Returning Seniors Renesa Smith-Taylor, Guard Camille Marie-Lidd, Center Ashley Armstrong, Forward Gloria Munyakazi, Forward Shai Beard, Forward

Warrior Numbers

Number of points by which the Varsity men’s basketball team lost by to Waterloo East on December 12th

1:43.63

Men’s swimming 200-medley relay time, ranked number one in the area

393

Point improvement by the women’s bowling team, who defeated Xavier on December 12th

4

Ranking of the Warrior wrestling team in the Mississippi Valley Division

Brandon Burrell ‘09 Sport: Wrestling Heavyweight

72, 79

Days until the women and men’s state basketball tournaments in Des Moines, respectively

14

Sports

12-22-2008

Athletes reflect on the fall season...

“We had a great year, I’m really going to miss the seniors next year.”

Sami Puk, ‘10 Varsity swimmer

“Cross country was great this year, and just want next season to be here already.”

Meg Zmolek, ‘10 Varsity cross country

“I’m going to miss football, being with all my friends and the coaches.

I set some personal goals a while back with passing yards and touchdowns. Being able to accomplish those has been an amazing experience.”

Wyatt Suess, ‘09 Varsity football

Quotes compiled by Brian Kopec

Bowling on the rise at Washington Abby Varn Staff Writer

Trevor Polk/Surveyor

Though somewhat under the radar, bowling is an upcoming sport for Washington High School. Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday since November 10th, 68 Warriors have met at either May City or Lancer Lanes bowling alleys to practice together.

Tracy Mooney, a Spanish teacher at Washington, is in her third year as Women’s head coach. 35 of the bowlers are on the women’s team, while the other 33 are on the men’s team. Angie Brown is the men’s head coach and Monica Reeves serves as her assistant coach.

The Warrior bowling teams compete in eleven different meets throughout the season, plus a regional and state meet. The final meet will be at the end of February for the women’s team, and the first week in March for the men’s. With such large teams, not everyone is able to compete. Only 24 select athletes out of the total 68 compete in these meets. There are six on each men’s and women’s varsity teams, and six on each JV team.

Competing schools include Waterloo West, Kennedy, Xavier, Waterloo East, Dubuque Wahlert, Prairie, Iowa City High, Jefferson, Linn-Mar, Cedar Falls and Dubuque Senior. “We have a lot of new bowlers this

Ping-pong players practice pleasant pastime Patrick Anderl Staff Writer Walking past the cafeteria after school, one hears the sound of ping-pong balls careening off tables that fill the halls. A flurry of volleys and finisher shots bounce back and forth across tables with insane speed. Shot after shot, the intense players never lose concentration as their paddles rarely miss the ball.

In previous years, ping-pong has had its place at Wash, but this year Ben Matsuda, ‘11, and friends are taking a new approach to this casual sport. “We use a system of mythical creatures to develop rankings. It’s like you start off as a non-mythical creature and the better you get, you evolve into a more complicated mythical creature,” said Matsuda. He says he is currently a hippopotagriffapus, but there are even higher levels to strive for.

Although the Table Tennis Club is a crazy group of people, they are very dedicated and gifted at pingpong. They practice after school multiple times a week to enhance their skills and to try out new techniques. Even with all their hard work, entertainment is a major factor in why they play. As Matsuda puts it, “My favorite part of Table Tennis Club is hitting balls really hard and just having a lot of fun.”

So, if you’re really good at ping-pong, looking for something laid-back to do this winter, or just want Lauren Hoth/Surveyor to be a mythical creature, join Table Tennis Club!

A ping-pong player prepares to hit the ball back to his The group is always looking for new members to opponent at a recent game in the cafeteria. add to the craziness.

year. My goal is for each of them to learn how to bowl, if they didn’t know how to already, but of course I would like to see a few wins. We are already off to a good start,” said Coach Mooney.

“During practice, students bowl one to three regular games. Sometimes they do other drills that focus on picking up spares or other game formats,” said Mooney.

“I point out what they are doing wrong if they are struggling, and show them how to improve. At the end of each game, I record their scores.”

One of the main goals throughout this season is to improve the skills of those who have bowled before, and build on the beginner’s skills. “The students that returned from last year’s team have really improved their averages and taken on leadership roles,” said Mooney. “Many of the new students that had very little experience, if any, have really improved in just the last few weeks as well.”

Team unity is also a goal, like most sports. “Bowling is a team sport. They have to help keep each other motivated so that they can hit more pins and win the game,” said Mooney. “I am pleased by the amount of team spirit the team has this year. They give each other pointers on how to pick up certain pins and congratulate each other when they do well. It is great to see them grow together and succeed.”

Upcoming Warrior Athletic Events December 22nd -- JV women’s basketball at home against Iowa City High -- Freshmen women’s basketball at Xavier December 23rd -- Varsity men’s basketball at home against Newton January 1st -- Varsity men’s basketball at home against Dubuque Wahlert January 6th -- Men’s swimming at Waterloo West January 9th -- Bowling against Dubuque Wahlert at Bowl & Beyond

Sports

12-22-2008

Warrior men take it to the ice

Upcoming Hockey Games

Alexis Guess Staff Writer

From August until the end of February, Heather Adams, AP Psychology and chemistry teacher, dons her Cedar Rapids Mustangs jersey and puts up her posters. Adams is a fan of the Cedar Rapids Mustangs, a local hockey team six Washington student, Logan Brown ‘10, Lee Goodlove ‘10, Tim Kigin ‘10, Joe Eken ‘11 and Sam Kacena ‘11, play on.

Students from several area schools come together on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. They pay on the ice for an hour and a half and spend 30 minutes conditioning off the ice.

The Mustangs play 36 games per season on the weekends. A typical game lasts for one hour to an hour and a half with three 15-minute periods and time allotted for an intermission and stop-time. During the game, only six players are allowed on the ice at once: five players and one goalie.

Brown, Goodlove, and Kigin all play on JV and say that most of their games can be characterized as aggressive and fast-paced. This can be challenging for the Mustangs, a younger, less-experienced team.

“We’re a very young organization with lots of potential,” said Goodlove.

Despite the team’s underdog status, they still hope to make it to the Midwest divisional finals.

Led by head coach Jerry Moon, a professor at the University of Iowa, and assistant coaches Jay Hildedr and Maury Burnett, the Mustangs have been transitioning from a laid-back to a more serious team. The coaches and the players have bonded and improved in their five years of playing together.

The Mustangs would enjoy more support from the community for the rest of the season. The games technically cost money, but according to Kigin, if you run past the ticket master, you can get in for free.

December 22nd Mustangs v. Waterloo 6pm in Waterloo January 3rd Mustangs v. Omaha 4:15pm in Sidner Courtesy of Mrs. Adams

Lee Goodlove, ‘10, battles an opponent on the ice at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, the Mustang’s home rink, in a game in early December.

2008 Mustang Facts Head Coach:

Midwest League Rank: 16th

January 22nd Mustangs v. Dubuque 7:45 at Home

Professor Jerry Moon

Season Points: 5 Home Rink:

Cedar Rapids Ice Arena

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January 23rd Mustangs v. Des Moines 8pm at the Metro Ice Rink January 31st Mustangs v. Dubuque 2pm at the Flags Center

16

12-22-2008

Back Page

Cocoa and Carols

Photos by Melanie Phelan

THE PTA WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ALL 2008-2009 AP SCHOLARS Karly Abel Caitlin.Allen Reginald Anderson Megan Barnes Sheldon Bazzell Madeline Becker Isaac Behrens Katharine Bott Allyson Brawner Anne Brenneman Erin Briggie

Katherine Briggie Hannah Colton Tracey Cook Matthew Daughtery Stephanie Davenport Shayma Elsheikn Julia Emery Maxwell Ernst Gabriel Frana Joseph Gallet Madeleine Halyard

Roland Hart Mackenzie Hartman Kestrel Henry Tayler Hines Tyler Hubler Krista Johnson Jacob Johnson Sharon Kann Wesley Keene Emily Kratovil Rebecca Krewer

Chase Lehrman Cameron Loushin Emily Lower Eileen Marshall Sean Matthews Elizabeth Matus Lillian McBride Colin McLaughlin Morgan McVay Marci Novak Cassandra Novick

Connor Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil Shondra Olson Zachary Patzwald Gabriella Perez Daniel Peterson Brittany Quaid Luke Reynolds Abigail Rings Christina Scharmer Dylan Schulte Samuel Seyfer

Nikhil Shah Kathryn Siebels Regan Sieck Austen Smith Elizabeth Smith Caitlin Sole Jeffrey St. Clair Martin Strobel Alexander Taylor Dylan Tharp Caitlin Thirnbeck

Jennifer Titus Kollin Trevallion Jaron Ulrich Meredith Van Woert Keile Wahle Brett Warner Maria Welch Tiffany Westrom Daniel Williams Madeline Young Meg Zmolek