October 2010

2205 Forest Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52403 Volume 54, Number 2

Surveyor October 18, 2010

The George Washington

Changes in AP exams leave many asking why Lauren Sines Editor-in-Chief For the last 55 years, each May millions of students around the world have been sitting down to take various Advanced Placement exams. This year, for the first time, they will be tackling the tests in a slightly different manner. The College Board announced on Aug. 16 that there would be a change in their scoring policy.

The old policy stipulated that for each wrong answer with five choices one-fourth of a point would be deducted and for wrong answers with four chances one-third of a point would be deducted. According to The College Board this policy, which is still used on the SAT, is designed to prevent students from being rewarded for “random guessing.” Starting this year points will no longer be deducted for incorrect answers.

The company gives many reasons for the change. They say that the change is just the first step in a multi-year plan to redirect the emphasis of the tests. Each test will be more focused on the conceptual ideas of each class instead of specific details. According to “USA Today” this will make the multiplechoice section of the tests more compact while adding complexity. Next year, French, German, and World History classes will be the first to experience this change in the style of the questions and course structure.

“This change won’t affect the material we cover in class, we’ll still be talking about the history of the world,” said AP World History teacher Benjamin Hamburger, “How we review for the test is where the greatest change will take place.”

Gender inequities are another justification for the change. In a joint study conducted by the College Board and the Educational Testing Service it was concluded that the multiple-choice format is biased against women. Psychological differences between boys and girls were linked to boys scoring higher.

“Research shows boys are more likely to take risks than girls,” AP teacher Pete Clancy explained, “the ideas is that this change will make the testing more equal for everyone.” Females tended to leave an answer blank rather than make and educated guess at the risk of losing points. The National Center

Pouplarity of ACT and SAT at Wash

Number of students who took the exam

Numbers of AP exams and examinees

800

ACT

150

600

100

400

50 0

What effect do AP teachers at Wash think the changes will have?

1000

250 200

for Fair and Open Testing thinks that the move to “right scoring” is a sign of progress.

“Hopefully the change in scoring will cause the gap between test scores of boys and girls to shrink,” said Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director for NCFOT. The College Board also says that the change is due to an increase in international testing. Because more students are taking the tests overseas, the company says they have had to create more versions of tests. According to a College Board official, eliminating the deduction of partial points for wrong answers will increase the ease of scoring.

Some people think the change in the testing is a result of something altogether different. They suggest that it is a direct result of the SAT becoming the lesser-preferred college entrance exam. Only 10 percent of Wash graduates in 2009 took the SAT compared to 66 percent who took the ACT. This causes some to believe that the change is to ensure the profitability of the AP Exams.

Its been said that AP is looking for new ways to maximize profits just like any other company.

Though AP teachers at Wash disagree on the justification for the changes, most agree that the change to “right scoring” will No Effect have little effect on their teaching. Many 35.2% AP instructors said that only the manner Positive in which they review for the test will be 58.8% altered. The actual course syllabus will remain the same until the changes in testing Negative focus are implemented in their course area.

6.0% For now Wash students and teachers will go on learning the challenging course material without having to worry about guessing strategies.

SAT

200

9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 199 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200

The ACT has consistantly been the college admission exam of choice among Wash students.

During the last seven years the number of students taking the SAT has steadily decreased and reached an all-time low of 31 students in the class of 2009.

Arts & Entertainment

Kitty McGurk finds “Social Network” almost as appealing as Facebook. page 11 Nightstorm Dance Club; safe teen hang out or STD breeding ground? page 12

Number of AP tests taken

0

Number of students

0

200

The number of students taking AP tests and the number of tests taken by each student has increased over the years. Last year 430 students took more than 942 exams school wide. For the number of AP tests taken there is a strong correlation at 0.983.

Inside this Issue

News

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 20

Focus

Cocoa plant disease impacts Find the best lunch places for your stomchocolate lovers everywhere. ach and your wallet.

Especially Emily Comer ’14. pages 8-9 page 2

Opinions

Cole Rhatigan warns of putting too much faith in the “wise words” of fathers.

Homecoming King and Sports page 5 Queen give an insider look Despite a unique origin, tailgating takes Patrick Anderl ask life’s most pressing queat their everyday lives. many new forms around Wash. tions. page 10 page 6 page 15

Profiles

AP courses at Wash Art History Biology Calculus AB/BC Chemistry Computer Science A Macroeconomics Microeconomics English Language English Literature Environmental Science European History French Language German Language Comp Government & Politics U.S. Government & Politics Human Geography Japanese Language and Culture Music Theory Physics Psychology Spanish Language Statistics Studio Art U.S. History World History

2

News

10-18-2010

World events

Mojave Air and Space Port

October 11th

Kolontar, Hungary

October 4th

The sky is no longer the limit since Virgin Mobile’s Richard Branson started the comA flood of red sludge overcame this small village south of Budapest after an aluminum mercial spaceflight program. The first successful flight was completed as the ship took off factory’s reservoir malfunctioned and released a torrent of hazardous chemicals flowing attached to a plane, detached mid flight, and used its rockets to reach 45,000 feet. The space through the town. The sludge’s extent reached over six feet high as it killed everything in trip is already booked for 370 passengers totaling $50 million in revenue. its path, including four people. Burning skin, blinding eyes, and killing those who consumed it the government started a criminal investigation into why this sea of red leaked from its failed reservoir.

San Jose, Chile

October 9th

The drills have finally reached down to the miners. The news came in early morning on October 9th as families and relatives staying in shelters near the mines overheard the news and were overwhelmed with joy. Although the drills reached all the way through 2300 feet of rock, the miners could not be evacuated until there was a thorough check of the rock to examine if it was sturdy enough, or if there needed to be a hollow steel tube put in. A custom-made cylindrical elevator was put down to pull up the miners.

What’s up with North Korea?

Grant Kamin Staff Writer

North Korea could kill the entire population of Washington High School 93 times.

According to the CIA, North Korea has enough nuclear material to make two nuclear weapons as powerful as the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, Japan, near the end of World War II. Korea and the United States have a long history, that began in 1950 with the Korean War. The United Nations sided with the citizens of what would become South Korea, and Soviet China and Russia sided with what would be known as North Korea. What started as a civil war quickly turned into a proxy war between the United States and those who were run by communist governments.

Ever since the U.S. invaded and attempted to create a democratic government in North Korea, they have shown distain for the American way. The anti-American government that started with Kim Il-Sung, the eternal president, and in recent years Kim Jong-Il, is soon to be replaced by Kim Jong-Un, who is estimated to be around 27 years old. Kim Jong-Un is an unknown face in the political realm, but since the political cabinet that makes all of the major decisions will remain the same, we can expect continued hostility from North Korea.

“We should be defensive, but ready to respond at any minute,” said Noah Burdt, ’1, and which is how many other Americans feel. There are many ways to approach the North Korea problem, but the two most proposed ideas are centered around economic sanctions and military response. Economic sanctions work well, but it takes a global effort to create any lasting effect.

“Once provoked, the United States military should respond with full force,” said Mitch Blades, ’13, and recent satellite images of a North Korean construction site, which also happens to be one of their old nuclear weapon production facilities, is more than enough provocation due to the fact that it is an extreme breach of global nuclear protocol. Whether this is a push to expand their stockpile of deadly weapons before an even more dangerous leader is announced, or just a “flex” of their muscles to regain the spotlight, no one can know for sure.

“Axis of evil” Coined back in 2002 by George W. Bush in his State of the Union Address, the “axis of evil” is defined as countries who help terrorists and try to obtain nuclear weapons. Countries on that list:

Iraq

Iran North Korea Drawing by Joe Eken

Prison in Northeast China

October 8th

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo as he sat in his jail cell. Xiaobo is a political prisoner in China, sentenced to 11 years for “suspicion of inciting subversion of state power.” There is support from the Western Hemisphere to release him from prison contradicting the Chinese belief that awarding Xiaobo the prize attempts to shatter Chinese society. In a private visitation with his wife, he told her to dedicate the award to all of those who died in the Tiananmen Square Protests in 1989.

No more chocolate?

Shana Matthews Staff Writer

Percentage of world’s chocolate How much does America really love chocolate? As a disease affecting cocoa pods ravages farms in West Africa, the chocolate market may see extreme price hikes in the coming months.

Swollen shoot is a viral disease that has been studied in cocoa plants since the 1960’s. It is transferred from plant to plant by mealybugs: white, unarmored insects found in moist, warm climates. Affected cocoa pods wither and turn black rather than golden, while their leaves come out red instead of green and yellow.

So far, the disease has been contained to the West African region. The countries of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo and Nigeria have been hit the hardest, though the virus is spreading rapidly.

Currently, the disease accounts for approximately 15% of global cocoa crop loss.

The fear and uncertainty about the future of cocoa plants has caused cocoa prices to rise to levels not seen since 1977.

“My mom buys the chocolate in our household,” said Emily Comer, ‘14, “but I would pay like $6 for a bag of chocolate chips. I eat chocolate chips out of a bowl.”

Adding to the concern, this summer a hedge fund manager bought $992 million worth of coca. This decision could simply mean that the company was trying to protect themselves from sudden rises in costs, or it could indicate that they are attempting to control the supply of cocoa in the

coming months, forcing prices even higher.

“A shortage in chocolate [as a candy] is just the tip of the iceberg,” said economics teacher Francis McMann, “we need to consider other products that contain chocolate and how an increase in chocolate prices would affect them.”

In Africa, this disease is being taken very seriously. The Cocoa Producers Alliance (COPAL) is a Nigeria-based organization of global cocoa producers that has led the fight against swollen shoot. COPAL supports farmers by helping to cut down affected trees, giving grants to cocoa farmers, and providing seedlings to be replanted at subsidized rates. In Ghana alone, about 32 million affected trees have been cut down, but only 60% of the necessary replanting has been accomplished.

“I can’t predict exactly what will happen to chocolate prices, but I think it is safe to say they will go up. It depends on if chocolate is an elastic or inelastic good for people,” said McMann.

Despite any changes in chocolate prices the world may see in the future, the cocoa farmers are the ones who are really facing the economic problem. An estimated 60% of cocoa farmers live in absolute poverty.

Lowering the quality of their cocoa pods, or losing their crops completely will leave communities whose economies and lives are entirely tied to cocoa with hard choices ahead.

News Sara Larson Staff Writer

10-18-2010

Battle of the governors

3

Where do they stand?

Marriage

Helped legalize gay marriage in Iowa

Pro-choice

Believes it should be between man and woman

Abortion

Pro-life, helped to establish laws regulating abortions

Stem Cell

Overturned the previous ban on embryonic stem cell research

Chet Culver As November comes, it is time once again for Iowa to hold its gubernatorial election, which occurs every four years. Chet Culver (D), the incumbent governor, will face against Terry Branstad (R), Gregory James Hughes (I), Eric Cooper (Libertarian), Jonathon Narcisse (Iowa Party), and David Rosenfeld (Socialist Workers Party). Despite the multiple candidates, political polls have shown that the election will come down to the traditional Democratic and Republican candidates: Culver and Branstad.

Branstad and Culver both won the primaries for their respective parties back in June.

Culver stood unopposed in the Democratic Primary, while Branstad faced Bob Vander Plaats and Rod Roberts for the Republican Primary. Branstad edged out Bob Vander Plaats by less than ten percent, with Roberts finishing much further behind.

“I’m kind of angry that the Republican Party chose Branstad, but I’ll probably vote for him anyways. Not that Culver has done anything terribly wrong,” said Michael Olson, ’11.

Both Culver and Branstad have experience as Governor of the state of Iowa. While Culver has served as the incumbent since 2007, Branstad served in office from 1983 until 1999. Each candidate went through a unique set of challenges during their tenures. One of the major hurdles during Culver’s term was the devastating flood that occurred in the summer of 2008. Branstad faced record high unemployment rates when he entered his first term in office.

“My mom used to have a nickname for Branstad: brain dead. He lies in his commercials, which isn’t cool,” said Molly Brown, ’10.

Culver and Branstad both campaign on platforms advocating the creation of Iowa jobs.

The two propose different ways in which to do so. During his term, Culver established the I-JOBS program, into which $875 million was invested to help create jobs. He also created the Iowa Power Fund, which invested over $200 million into Iowa’s renewable energy market. Branstad hopes to increase the number of jobs available in Iowa by increasing exports and creating close relations with potential markets. By doing this, he also hopes to recruit growing businesses to locate in Iowa.

Another key topic in both candidates campaigns is increasing the services offered to

Almost half-way done Madeline Berg Staff Writer

“His favorite words are; ‘I’m sorry’,” said Cordell Arndt, ‘13, of current president Barack Obama. “He’s all talk and never gets anything done,” said Arndt. What exactly has President Barack Obama done so far?

November 5th marks the two year anniversary of Obama’s election. So far in his term as president, Obama has brought soldiers home from Iraq, passed a stimulus package in hopes of creating jobs, passed a health care bill, and bailed multiple companies out of bankruptcy.

Obama is also raising taxes for the wealthy, sending more troops to Afghanistan, and had, according to public opinion polls, too slow of a reaction to the oil spill.

One of the most important bills Obama is trying to pass is the health care bill. The bill will make it mandatory for all employers to provide health care for their employees regardless of health status. The health care bill’s goal is to provide more affordable insurance for millions of Americans. It will also give people more choices and control over their healthcare. In Iowa alone 3,900 families will be saved from bankruptcy, 33,497 people will no longer be denied insurance due to preexisting conditions, 187,000 people will receive tax credits, and 302,000 uninsured Iowans will become insured, all due to Obama’s health care bill.

Obama’s plans for the future include: proceeding with the health care bill, using renewable energy such as the electric car, and investing in education.

Obama still has many problems to solve over the next two years. The United States total debt is over $54 trillion, averaging around $176 thousand of debt per citizen. The unemployment rate is still 9.6 percent.

Barack Obama has accomplished many things but he still has a long list in front of him. Will he be re-elected in two years? No one knows for sure, but until then let’s hope that Obama truly does create a “change we can believe in.”

Supports adult stem cell research

Terry Branstad veterans and improving their quality of life altogether. Branstad proposes to do so by exempting all active duty personnel who are stationed outside of Iowa from the state income tax, creating the Veterans Job Bank to help match veterans with jobs that require their specific qualities, and overseeing the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund more carefully. During his tenure, Culver passed legislation to help protect veterans and their jobs and homes when summoned for duty, and also helped the state to meet all of the recommendations of the Department of Defense to support military families.

The majority of polls have shown Branstad to be a clear frontrunner, but the true results can only be seen on Nov. 2 as Iowans all over the state cast their votes for the next governor.

4

10-18-2010

News

College debt Shana Matthews Staff Writer

As seniors at Wash begin to apply to colleges, the realities of paying for college are also starting to set in. With tuition costs rising at three times the rate of inflation, many students are scrambling for ways to come up with the cash they need to go to the schools they want.

If you are not one of the lucky students who will receive a scholarship, or whose parents are paying for all of your college tuition, finding the money you need can be a daunting task. Fortunately for some, many of the most elite and expensive schools, such as Harvard, Princeton and Yale have lowered their qualifying threshold for financial aid. This means that academically gifted students with relatively low family incomes will now have an easier time finding an affordable, quality education.

What about the average student? There aren’t any fool proof answers, especially since most students wish they could avoid taking out loans. One of the more popular options are part-time jobs. Undergraduate students who work no more than 20 hours a week statistically get better grades while paying for some of their college at the same time. Some employers will even pay students to attend college while they are working there. Nursing schools have many of these programs due to shortages in available nurses.

“My parents are paying for a portion of my college,” said Christophe Cummings, ‘11, “I’m planning on working and applying for all the scholarships I can to pay for the rest of it.”

A less obvious, but equally effective choice to maximize the value per dollar you spend on college is to take a heavier class load. Taking more than the required number of credit hours each semester may allow you to graduate early, saving you both time and money. Classes over the summer may also have a lower cost of tuition than classes during the traditional school year.

Getting high scores on AP tests can get you college credit, helping some students get through college faster. Many Washington graduates enroll as a sophomore instead of a freshman, meaning they have the opportunity to skip payment for an entire year.

“If I could get through college without any debt, that would be awesome,” said Cummings, “However, realistically, many kids have to take out student loans, especially if they plan on going to graduate school.”

While loans may not be the most enticing option, they are the most popular. Every year over $70 billion in federal student aid is given out in the form of low-interest loans. Loans can also come from banks and financial institutions, however their interest rates vary and may not provide the same benefits as federal student loans.

The most important advice for students searching for money for college is to fill out the FAFSA. It is the document used by most colleges to calculate how much financial aid you will receive, determine what kind of student loans you qualify for and judge your financial need. Many scholarships are awarded to the student who is not only the most talented, but also demonstrates financial need. Programs such as AmeriCorps and Teach for America are also options for students who do not mind devoting their new degrees to public service work for a few years and want their student debt reduced or eliminated.

The transformation of the library Madeline Berg Staff Writer

“Students go to the library for assignments, to relax, use the computers, and to socialize” said Renate Bernstein, media specialist at Washington High School. If a visitor walked into Washington High School’s library today, he would see few librarians, groups of people huddled around the computers, and rows and rows of books. So why is this traditional academic setting used as a hangout?

Of the 14,774 resources available in Wash’s library, 70 are checked out daily.

This number includes earphones, computers, and books.

Bernstein reports the fiction books being used daily and the nonfiction novels as rarely checked out.

“When I go there, I usually just use the computers,” Marques Wright, ’11, said.

Although the library offers a place for students to quietly Photo by Lauren Johnson study, it seems to be used for a much different purpose than the definitional meaning. Bernstein states that although she does not encourage socializing in the library, it frequently occurs.

In the modern world we live in, computers rival and often replace traditional reference materials for research and homework assignments. Basically, using computers comes more naturally to this generation than reading books. Some schools have accommodated students’ preferences by moving from books to Kindles which are $140 screens that can transform into any novel.

“More computers and more socializing would make the library more popular,” said Megan Laverty, ’13. Laverty felt the change of the library was due to the recent prominence of the internet in daily life.

As classrooms and schools have adapted to the information age by purchasing new technology like SMART Boards and school-wide wireless internet, so have libraries.

Students will continue to see a transformation of the library setting from traditional to technological. Whether using the index or Google, the information gained will remain the same.

The situation in Haiti Sara Larson Staff Writer

Nine months after the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, over a million residents are still left on the streets searching for aid and relief that had been promised to them by nations all over the world. Haitians have been forced to relocate to tent cities, where living conditions are harsh, with no electricity, running water, or methods of sewage disposal.

“While considerable aid has flowed into Haiti in the months since the earthquake, very little had been accomplished in noticeable improvements in infrastructure. Fallen buildings and walls were strewn throughout 98% of total rubble remains the affected cities, roads were full of debris, and people were still sleeping in tents,” said 230,000 killed by earthquake LaMar Grafft, an employee of the Univerand its aftershocks sity of Iowa who traveled to Haiti this past May to help provide healthcare to Haitians.

When the earthquake struck on Jan. 12, 23 earthquake aftershocks 2010, there was a surge of volunteers to the country to help remove rubble and recover victims that were trapped in collapsed struc9 months since the tures. The horrific scenes of the aftermath earthquake hit were broadcast all over television and the Internet. Commercials asking for help and 1,000,000 Haitians that redonations played on many channels.

The United States paved the way with main homeless relief, promising over $1 billion in March, comprising about ten percent of the total $1.15 billion promised to aid from the around 50 countries and orgaHaiti nizations that pledged money to Haiti. Very little of this funding has actually reached Haiti, however. It has been held up in Con$686 million Haiti has regress, as there have been disagreements on ceived so far the provisions in the funding.

Similar to the United States, many of the other donations have not yet reached the country. A little less than $700 million dollars have gone to Haitian reconstruction, while almost $9 billion had been promised.

Until funding sets the reconstruction process into motion, Haiti’s recovery will remain in a standstill.

By the numbers

Opinions

5

10-18-2010

The generation gap of “game” There was a time when the old man wasn’t so old. There was a time when the bald spot on the top of his head was covered in dark, wavy locks. There was a time when his gut, caused by a few too many cold ones, had not yet creeped its way over his belt. Yes, many decades ago, our fathers were prime high school students; very similar to us young men who inhabit Washington today. Among the similarities our fathers (during their high school career) shared with current Wash students is the pursuit of Cole Rhatigan a relationship. However, the ancient methods of wooing Columnist young ladies the old geezer practiced vary substantially from our generation’s strategies.

The first step in beginning a relationship is establishing contact. This is where the first major difference between the two generations exists. For the old men, there were two different roads to choose from. If they lacked selfconfidence behind their thick-framed, circular glasses or felt a little uncomfortable with their scrawny stature, using a mutual friend to introduce them to their targeted sweetheart provided a helpful start. The second method was direct conversation. This method would have been common for the classic “stud”. In this situation, no lack of self-confidence existed. Those who preferred establishing contact in this manner simply walked up to the young lady as she was placing her books in her locker and blessed her with a well-thought (and caring) pick-up line such as, “You ever rode in a Camero before?” or “You see my touchdown last week?” Such charm must have been impossible to resist.

Modern technology has played the role of the mutual friend for our generation. Due to social networking such as Facebook and Twitter, everyone in the high school community has been introduced to one another. This leaves us young men with only one thing left to do: communicate. Now, there’s only one reasonable way to do this: texting. Texting starts with three easy words, “Hey, what’s up?”, and the chase begins. If today’s high school boy really wants to impress a girl once they’ve started texting, he’ll send her multiple exclamation marks and smiley faces. There’s nothing sexier than letting a girl know just how

excited you are to be texting them.

After contact has been made and the young lady has expressed interest, the next (and final) step in the pursuit of a relationship is establishing the dating status. This was quite a big test for our fathers. It was up to them to choose somewhere cool; somewhere that didn’t earn them the label of a square. A funny showing at a drive-in movie was always a good choice or perhaps a dinner-date at the burger hole followed by staring at the stars on the roof of his car. Wherever the destination, the goal was to make it be just him and the girl and make it apparent to everyone that they had established a relationship. To do this, it was necessary for him to man-up, fake a yawn, and reach his arm around the girl at the movie. However, it was also his job to contain himself and not get too eager while laying on his car together. Failure to do either of these would have lost his chances at another date.

Our generation seems to do things in reverse from our old men. It seems that once a mutual liking has been established between the boy and the girl he’s after, the next step is for the boy to “ask the girl out.” The natural question of just “where are you planning on going with her?” never seems to present itself. Rather, Facebook relationship statuses are updated and everyone from every local school now knows the two are in a relationship with one another. This is where dates begin to happen. Now that the relationship is Facebook official, it’s up to us as men to not let it seem otherwise. Constantly, we need to be with our girl in public so gossip doesn’t start spreading and our peers don’t question, “But doesn’t it say they date on Facebook?”

Despite what their looks suggest now, our fathers were once eligible bachelors, as we are today. He too had a girl that spent countless hours inside his head and he too experienced the pressures of establishing a relationship. However, the experiences are extremely different. To him, it’s immature of us to text a girl rather than call her. To us, it’s immature to be proud of putting an arm around a girl at a movie. Because of this I advise to never take relationship advice from your father. He’s been out of the game for far too long. Instead, just be cool, act like you care about what they have to say, and text a dozen smiley faces.

That should get you through high school.

“I advise to never take relationship advice from your father. He’s been out of the game for far too long. Instead, just be cool, act like you care about what they have to say, and text a dozen smiley faces. That should get you through high school.”

The White People Quiz Ideas from “Stuff White People Like” by Christian Lander. Award yourself one point per yes.

1. Do you have black friends?

2. Do you like writer’s workshops?

3. Do you enjoy brunch?

4. Do you know what’s best for poor people?

5. Do you threaten to move to Canada?

6. Do you wear Northface or Columbia?

7. Do you have a beard (Cole)?

8. Do you try too hard?

9. Do you wear plaid?

10. Do you plan on adopting several foregin children?

0-3 = Not too Caucasion 4-6 = Mildly Caucasion 7 or greater = Severely Caucasion

The Surveyor Editorial Policy

The 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 well-balanced as possible. All activities and news will be covered to the best of the staff’s ability. The Surveyor accepts the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics as the basis for good journalism.

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. The 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.

Lauren Sines

Brian Kopec

Emily Wicke

Ian Fischer

Joe Eken

Isaac Halyard

Patrick Anderl

Sanju Sathian

Alyssa Christian

Ellen Hart

Sara Larson

Shana Matthews

Editor-in-chief

Sports editor

Profiles editor

Writers

Madeline Berg Joe Berry Jill Broghammer Catheryn Cooper Lily Gasway Shanay Gonder

Managing editor

A&E editor

Photo editor

Katharine Goodwin Nick Heins Francesca HildalgoWohlleben Grant Kamin Chloe Kohl John Kopec

Business Manager

Opinions editor

Copy editor

News editor

Focus editor

Copy editor

Kitty McGurk Natalie Neppl Cole Rhatigan

Staci Pawledge

Megan Anderson Natalee Birchansky Lauren Johnson

Kyle Phillips

Photographers

Web Master Anna Fisher

Adviser

6 Nick Heins Columnist

10-18-2010

Opinions

Current elections draw little interest Voting… what a gigantic deal it was in 2008. Not only were we tired of the same old administration bringing this country to severe debt, but we were tired of all of the conservative Republican power. We felt we needed to get them out of office and let someone else have a shot. We looked for a leader to fix this broken economy; one that would make a difference and bring change.

We sought someone a revolutionary leader and a completely new congress. By golly, we needed Democrats!

In November 2006, the nation decided to balance power for both the senate and the House of Representatives. Because Republicans could not deliver, in 2008, we sent a message throughout Washington that we wanted change. So, as expected, we got that change. This should have conveyed how important it is for

people to vote.

However important, it seems that this upcoming election has drawn little interest among voters. The feeling of voting’s importance has seemed to dwindle. For instance, on Oct. 4th, 2010, only 24 people showed up to the River of Life Church on Blairs Ferry road satellite voting place to cast their early ballots. The votes were calculated to be about $21 per vote for tax payers, which was seven times the cost of the 2008 election, due to the lack of voters. Perhaps the explanation for this is that many people are ashamed of their legislators.

Many have lost faith in today’s politicians, perhaps resulting in the lack of voting that we’re seeing today.

So much hope and faith was put into the Democrats that swept during the 2008 election, and now that they couldn’t deliver, the process of voting seems to be less evoking. I saw this coming. Democrats had promised much and have done little. Labor was a forefront issue and yet they’ve done nothing for it. Some of the Democratic Party’s agenda does not have the focus on the middle class and working people like they had promised. I was hoping for real work to get done on their part, but it seems that passing public health care was more important than keeping their promises to the middle class on labor issues and prioritizing education.

So, is this new agenda what we voted for? Probably not. It is my belief that people voted in the 2008 election with a goal in mind. That goal was change for the better, but I think that some of the democratic supporters feel let down by the small amount of mobilization in our new legislators. Perhaps the thing to look for is plans rather than promises.

Vote not for those who dodge questions, but vote for those who embrace questions in a prepared manner.

I have always felt strong on the importance of voting simply because it is our right and

this must be taken advantage of. However, even though I am eighteen years of age, I have yet to register to vote. In truth, it is the lack of good candidates that make me drag my feet to the polls. It seems that we are voting for the lesser of two evils rather than the best candidate to do the job. Change was bashed into our heads and yet, I can’t help but ask, “When is it coming?” To me, it seems like the same self interests that motivated republicans are still here.

On this note, my prediction is as follows: due to the lack of success on the Democrats’ part, Republicans will win back either the Senate or the House, or perhaps both. On the same note, my hopes are as follows: a figure will come and make a difference. Not only change, but I seek a figure that isn’t run-of-the-mill and a Congress that bears a different brand name. By golly, we need… oh crap, not again.

ROSES

-Rob Hogg -That Econ pass-bringer during 4th hour (thundercat J beez) -Isaac’s son -Roommates with Wes -Isaac on the futon for six days -Parking jobs at Linn Mar -Baby cheetahs -Detroit Lions -Alabama loses -Potato skins -Wes’s mom’s bean dip -Sam Sparro “Black and Gold” -Almost Cudster album -Halloween festivities -BP bandits -Footlong DOGSS

THORNS

-Linn Mar -Linn Mar again -Linn Mar refs -Linn Mar students -Linn Mar football -Weird bells -No undefeated NFL teams -Linn Mar parents -No Kid Cudi album yet -Oliver has braces for another month erry month -Knowing when to use semicolons -Floundering in AP Stat -Neel shaving -Nah mean?

Life’s fundamental questions Waking up at exactly three in the morning each day, I find myself going through a series of arduous tasks that challenge both mind and body. This morning ritual includes tending to my extensive vegetable garden, writing three leather-bound novels, building a mahogany desk, practicing with the football team, and an hour-long conference call with the president deliberating foreign policy.

Afterwards, I grab a coffee with the astute and distinguished Adam Sailor to discuss the pitfalls of mankind along with the fundamental questions that we face daily. Continuous debate Patick Anderl and strenuous hours spent exchanging views on the matter have led to an educated list, which I am confident encompasses the Opinions Editor deepest fundamental issues facing humanity.

First: Why do we wear clothes? It seems to me that clothes only serve the purpose of maintaining the body at a healthy temperature. Therefore, I would make the argument that buildings should regulate temperature well enough to solve this issue and coats would be necessary for the winter, but nothing more. Case closed.

Second: Why have mosquitoes not been exterminated? I feel these creatures serve no useful purpose despite scientific proof so no explanation is needed here.

Third: Why do students become so lazy throughout senior year of High School? I don’t really have the motivation to analyze this…

Fourth: Why is there not assigned parking at Wash? Regardless of how late I arrive to third hour every morning, I’m a senior, and I find it absurd that the jock lot fills up before early bird even starts. Furthermore, much of the jock lot is full of underclassmen who haven’t earned the right to leave for lunch, making this lot unnecessary for their lack of purpose. Parking should be assigned so I don’t have to worry about finding a spot.

Fifth: Why is Isaac Halyard such a great dad? Having a son like Chris Ritter always helps.

Sixth: Why do the Eken children have such creepy hair? I don’t have the answer for this, but take a look for yourself.

Seventh: Plaid Wednesdays? It’s a tradition; get into it.

Eighth: Why are the Oakland Raiders so bad? “Improvement” and “motivation” don’t appear to be words found in the vocabulary of the Oakland players.

Ninth: Why did the ref ’s suck so hard at the Linn Mar game? They were biased and blind, along with the fact that they harvest dead children for fun.

Profiles

10-18-2010

Single singer seeks West Coast woman Shanay Gonder Staff Writer Upon seeing Peter Klopfenstein, ’14, the 5’10” beach blonde, quintessential bachelor; you can’t help but be taken aback by his self assurance.

“Peter is a hottie and sometimes distracting in AP Human Geography,” said Carly Herron, ’14.

Klopfenstein’s freshman year at Washington High School looks to take advantage of all the opportunities available. He is involved in Vivace and is considering participating in men’s swimming this winter also. Klopfenstein has already had a big impact on his peers and some of his older classmates.

“Peter is my role model,” said Trevor Leube, ’13 “I wish I had Peter in all of my classes,” said Grant Kamin, ’13.

At a glance, it’s not hard to guess that Klopfenstein is an avid outdoorsman. He plans to play soccer in the spring and has enjoyed surfing when on trips to San Diego, California with his family.

“I go rock climbing sometimes on the weekends too,” said Klopfenstein.

Klopfenstein’s passion for music pertains to singing only however; he is not a huge fan of dancing and does not have a favorite band or genre.

“Music rots your brain,” said Klopfenstein.

With such an active lifestyle, Klopfenstein is looking for a girl who is interested in similar activities as he is. He is very open to her religious and ethical views, however his future girlfriend’s height would be limited to under 7 feet.

Although Klopfenstein’s list is short when it comes to desired attributes; his idea of the perfect date is far from nonchalant.

“I think that it would be cool to go to a country where no one speaks English except you and the girl; you could spend the whole day being the only ones who can talk to one another,” said Klopfenstein.

Klopfenstein’s dream girl would be from the West Coast. “’Cause those are the girls I love the most,” said Klopfenstein He says he tries to surround himself with somewhat intelligent and humorous people and whoever he was to be in a relationship with would have to get along with his friends first and foremost.

Fee-liks Keyj (n.)

Katherine Goodwin Staff Writer Felix Kage, ’11, is a senior here at Washington High School, but calls Germany home.

Germany is located in central Europe and is about the size of Montana. Berlin is the capital of Germany where Kage lives and whose population is 26 times that of Cedar Rapids.

Back home Kage lives with his mother, older sister, and his twin brother. “It was pretty hard [to leave them],” Kage said. His sister was a foreign exchange student in Texas several years ago.

“She thought America was cool, so I thought I’d go to America too,” said Kage.

Kage came to America in hopes of improving his English speaking skills and making new friends.

“The new people are the best part [of being an exchange student,]” said Kage.

At Washington, Kage met Katarina Kohn, ’14, in his biology class. “[I first noticed] his accent. It’s pretty cool,” said Kohn, “I’m pretty jealous; I don’t have an accent.”

7

Klopfenstein spills secrets

Photo by Natalee Birchansky

Toes? “My second toe is longer than my first.”

Dimples? “I only have one dimple on my cheek” Celebrity Crushes? “I have a celebrity crush on Hannah Montana.”

Quirks? “I don’t usually twitch during sentences, but it happens”

The biggest obstacle that Kage has had to overcome is the language barrier.

“In Biology, the special names for the cells are different which makes it very difficult,” said Kage.

“There are expressions that they use [in Germany]that we don’t use,” said Amy Bly, Washington foreign language and language arts teacher.

However, student and teacher alike agree that Kage is acclimating well.

“I think he is coping very well with the weirdos here, better than my sister, Liesel, and she goes here!” said Kohn.

“He is adjusting well. He doesn’t hesitate to interact. He does well in his classwork.”

Photo by Staci Pawledge said Bly. Kage’s school is Germany is very different from Washington. “[The biggest difference] is the sports. They’re important here. We have no big school sports in Germany. You can do sports but not in school.” Rather, students in Berlin get involved in sports through clubs.

Kohn also described Kage as “popular with the la-

dies.”

“All my friends have a crush on him,” said Kohn, “I mean, he’s pretty cute when he smiles.”

Kage’s response: “Oh.” with shrug.

Kage’s Korner Favorite Color: Green Favorite Food: Lasagna Favorite Genre of Music: Rap and Reggae Favorite Candy: Lindt chocolate Favorite School Subject: Biology Favorite Thing to do on the plane: Sleep Food you must try in Berlin: Currywurst (pork sausage seasoned with curry sauce and served with fries)

8

Focus

10-18-2010

10-18-2010

Food For Thought: What’s The Best Place To Feed Your Appetite?

Briefs by Lily Gasway

Panchero’s

Hot Harry’s

Pancheros’ signature item is the burrito, but their menu also includes quesadillas, tacos, and salads, all including the same fresh-pressed flour tortilla. Pancheros does not use peanuts or peanut oil in any of their menu items.

Located at 4862 1st Ave NE in the old Panchero’s location next to Bed Bath and Beyond - Approx. 2.6 miles / 7 minutes

Located at 4701 1st Ave SE, next to the AT&T store - Approx. 2.5 miles / 6 minutes

“It’s still fast food, but it’s good quality food.” – Madeline Kennedy ’12

Located at 118 2nd Street SE - Approx. 2.4 miles / 6 minutes

The Blue Strawberry, a cozy café -undiscovered by Washington studentsin the heart of town, offers students a place to grab healthy food on the go. This restaurant, native to Cedar Rapids consists of a menu of salads, sandwiches, muffins, smoothies and deserts.

Hot Harry’s spices things up with a breakfast menu (served daily until eleven) and over fourteen types of burritos. Burritos come with chips and range from Thai Chicken to Cajun Catfish.

Their menu also includes salads, soup, nachos, quesadillas, and tacos. They offer many different kinds of meat, along with the option of tofu.

based on information gathered from 100 juniors / seniors

Burger King

CR Wash

It’s almost like the Java Creek of the metro area. I go there a lot just to get a small snack, and work on homework. It’s pretty quiet in there.

- Maddie Ficken ’11

Located at 3030 Mount Vernon Road SE - Approx. 2.5 miles / 5 minutes

BK remains to be one of the most popular fast food eateries for Wash students. The double lane drivethrough attracts many in addition to low prices for larger proportions.

“I love Burger King! I love their Value Meals; they’re so filling! - Brenda Garcia ’13

Bruegger’s

Located at 3310 Mt Vernon Rd SE across the street from Cost Cutters and Pizza Hut - Approx. 2.3 miles / 5 minutes Bruegger’s is a popular lunch spot for many Wash students. Its menu offers paninis, sandwiches, salads, soup, coffee, and – of course – bagels.

All of their bagels are preservative free and their coffee is Fair Trade Certified.

Cold Stone Creamery

“Cinnamon bagels with strawberry cream cheese rock!”

– Marlyse Strait

Located at 2210 Edgewood Road Southwest, Cedar Rapids, IA - Approx. 5.4 miles / 12 minutes

Walk into Cold Stone and after being greeted with a cheery welcome, you’ll be able to choose from about fourteen flavors if ice cream and over 30 toppings. Also available at Cold Stone are shakes and ice cream cakes and cupcakes.

- Closest to Washington : 2.3 miles - Moderate cost : can expect to spend under 8$ - Excellent food quality : fresh, preservative free bagels

1. Which of the following contains the most amount of calories?

a) Breugger’s Plain Bagel with Plain Cream Cheese b) Subway’s Oven Roasted Chicken Breast c) Panchero’s Chicken Burrito d) Burger King’s Whopper

2. How much weight did Jared Fogle lose on the Subway diet?

Bruegger’s Bagel Bakery

- Urbanspoon rating : 85% voted “i like it” - 25% of Washington students go to Brueg ger’s most frequently for lunch

a) 100 pounds c) 200 pounds

b) 245 pounds d) 75 pounds

3. How many spoonfuls of sugar are in one can of soda? a) 4 c) 10

b) 7 d) 12

QUIZ ANSWERS

1.d 2.b 3.d

Facts From http://didyouknow.org/fastfacts/food/ and http://www.brighthub.com

“I go to Cold Stone like once a week. I always get a brain freeze because I eat it really fast.” – Ian Ford ’12

When you go out for lunch during school, where do you go the most?

“It’s a pretty casual restaurant with Americanized Mexican food.

I usually order the veggie quesadilla.” – Luke Godlewki ’13

The Blue Strawberry

9

10

10-18-2010

Profiles

A day in the life of Washington royalty

Francesca Hidalgo-Wohlleben Staff Writer

Queeen Brit Bergquist 5:30 a.m. Morning swim practice. “I’m pretty much the most athletic girl on the team so I usually run laps around Jill Broghammer for fun. It should also be noted that I’m a perfect angel during practice and Coach J-Money has explicitly labeled me as his favorite.”

7:00 a.m. AP Spanish. “It’s really hard to learn Spanish because Zach Detweiler’s steamy physique and smoldering eyes are so darn distracting.”

9:12 a.m. AP Economics. “McMann’s a bro. Class is chill.”

11:15 a.m. Lunch. “I spend my lunch shift nursing paraplegic orphans back to health.”

1:45 p.m. Student Senate. “The humility and grace with which Ian Fischer leads as the executive just astounds me. When I’m not tying Ian’s shoelaces or protecting him from hoards of hormonal freshmen girls, I take his lead in sculpting young Mitch Blades and Alonzo (The Prodigy) Carr into culturally literate gentlemen.”

2:45 p.m. Debate practice. “Verbal slaughter, intellectual prowess, blah blah blah. I feel bad for everyone NOT on the debate team.”

5:30 p.m. Back to swim practice.

8:00 p.m. Out on the town. “I have a hot date.”

1:00 a.m. Time for some rest. “Sleeping in the big bed with Annie!”

King Cory Harrison 5:30 a.m. Start off the morning right. “I wake up to the sound of trumpets playing, and then go back to bed.”

5:45 a.m. Awake again to the sound of trumpets playing. “I then get ready for early bird, but not until I have punched Cameron numerous times to get him to wake up.”

6:30 a.m. Early bird weight lifting. “Time to work on the abs!”

7:00 a.m. Leave early bird to go shower, and “sing with the guys (Alex Carr, Adam Sailor, Flynn Heald, David Tann, Justin Cole, and Storhm Photos by Staci Pawledge Henry.)”

11:15 a.m. Lunch. “I drive to a fast food place in less than 6 seconds, killing everything in my way (except for small children), usually with Quinn and Zingy.”

11:45 a.m. Sprint to make it to APES class. “On good days we go to the nature center to catch snakes and ‘big bananas’ (cough, cough, Dene Ray).”

2:50 p.m. Off to practice. “Time for some football- and time to destroy kids!”

5:30 p.m. Go home. “I watch the newest episode of Naruto, after ravishing the fridge for what scraps of food we have left.”

7:00 p.m. Bedtime.

9:00 p.m. …....But only for a little while. “Time to wake up and party!”

2:30 a.m. Return home. “Time to snuggle with Tedde (my teddy bear) and drift away.”

New Wash teacher takes on derby CJ Cooper Staff Writer Jeannie Pfeiffer, first year Wash teacher, has not only tackled a new job, but has also taken on roller derby. Pfeiffer has played for the Helldorado Cedar Rapids Roller Girls for six months now.

“It’s pretty intense and full of adrenaline just like any other sport. I love it,” said Pfeiffer. The Cedar Rapids Roller Girls practice for three hours, two to three times a week. According to Pfeiffer, each session is grueling; full of endurance drills, skills, stretching, and scrimmaging. From April to November, the Roller Girls play bouts, or games, about one or two times a month. Pfeiffer has realized all the time and effort that it takes to be dedicated to a sport.

Pfeiffer is a reading teacher at Washington, and compares the components of reading to those of roller derby.

“In reading there are a lot of different strategies. In a bout, you have to predict what is going to happen before it does so that your opponent doesn’t get ahead of you, kind of like reading,” said Pfeiffer.

Being a Helldorado has made Pfeiffer’s life Photo courtesy of Jeannie Pfeiffer much busier than before.

Cedar Rapids Roller Girls at practice It takes a lot of time away from her family at home, but at the same time, roller derby has given her a new family. She feels that she has more energy now, and that she is able to connect with her students more outside of school.

“She is an incredibly strong and supportive teammate. She puts her all into every game,” said Kate Lytle, a teammate of Pfeiffer’s. These two women were in fresh meat practice together and because of Pfeiffer’s strong athletic ability and encouragement, they were both able to get through the brutal session.

In addition, playing on the Cedar Rapids Roller Derby team has given Pfeiffer more confidence in herself. She now finds that she can wear tights in public without feeling bad about it, though she isn’t sure that Dr. Plagman would allow her to wear them to school.

A&E

10-18-2010

11

Sway Machinery rocks church despite rain Chloe Kohl Staff Writer On the rainy night that Sway Machinery performed at the Landfall World Music Festival in downtown Cedar Rapids they were an act later than they were scheduled. Though the performance was delayed and moved inside the First Presbyterian Church on September 25, 2010, Sway Machinery managed to scat and scream their way through a mindblowing show.

Sway Machinery is based in New York where the lead singer, Jeremiah Lockwood, grew up. Lockwood’s strong connection with his father and grandfather greatly influenced the incorporation of Jewish tradition into Sway Machinery’s music.

Lockwood sings primarily in Hebrew.

“I didn’t want to speak Photo by Chloe Kohl English anymore…

Sway Machinery, mid-performance at First Pres.

I wanted to be stronger than myself,” said Lockwood.

The music has hints of archaic stylization with horns, using trumpets and saxophones.

Lockwood sings while methodically picking his guitar, giving Sway Machinery an assaultive, indie edge. He beautifully integrates the traditional Jewish hymns of his childhood and keeps true to his love of The Stooges and blues artist Gary Davis.

“It’s counter intuitive to always keep things the same,” said Lockwood. “Innovation is part of preservation.”

Lockwood also incorporates Jim Morrison-esque poetry into Sway Machinery’s sets,

“Social Network” socially acceptable “Facebook me.”

If you haven’t heard this expression before, you’ve possibly been residing in a deserted Kitty McGurk cave for the Staff Writer last six years of your life and are also unaware that Obama is president, Steve Irwin died, and that Mike, “the Situation”, has practically reformed our society as we know it.

There are currently more than 500 million active users on Facebook and the numbers continue to grow. Facebook, created by the distraught and spiteful Harvard student, Mark Zuckerberg, is now valued at $11 billion. The film “Social Network” takes you through the struggles Zuckerberg faced during the creation and potential destruction of this very successful network.

The movie begins and I’m already uninterested. There isn’t an attention grabbing scene to follow along with the beginning credits; just an average looking kid walking through a campus with a drab song playing in the background. The movie begins with the main character, Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, having a few beers with his “girlfriend” Erica Albright, played by Rooney Mara. A fight erupts between the two due to Zuckerberg’s arrogance, which leads to a breakup. Little did they know that their small break up, combined with Zuckerberg’s drunken programming would be the spark which ignited the roaring fire which Facebook has become today.

The movie becomes considerably more

amusing once you have a grasp on where it’s taking you. The style of the movie is original and interesting, making it far more entertaining than a more typical film format. Throughout his success, Zuckerberg is faced with two court cases; one brought to him by his former best friend and CFO Eduardo Saverin and another by the competitive rowing Winklevoss twins.

The movie’s layout is set up so the viewers witness the briefing of the cases. A clip is provided to show every question asked by the accuser. These clips continue through every step in the making of Facebook.

Zuckerberg is surrounded by exclusive clubs around Harvard which he would never be accepted into due to his overpowering brilliance and his “dorky” appearance.

His goal was to do something substantial in order to get the attention of the clubs. To do so, he wanted to take the “entire social experience of college, and put it online.”

“It was incredibly humorous. By the end of the movie I felt as if I knew [Mark Zuckerberg], and I was in awe of him,” said Molly Brown ’12.

While some Washington peers were rather impressed with the film, others felt indifferent and nonchalant about the whole thing.

“Meh,” said Jacob Meyer ’11.

Although I did not find this movie to be breathtaking, it was occasionally comical and very witty. Facebook has changed the social structure of our world as we know it and a movie based on that will leave viewers entertained. I for one will attest to the importance of facebook; resulting in my lack of interest when writing this paper. It’s painful to see that facebook tab directly to the left of my Microsoft Word window. So thank you, Mark Zuckerberg, for making the viewing of Homecoming pictures top priority, and for helping me trail away from my education. And thank you, David Fincher, for directing a movie based on it.

3.5 out of 5 Warriors

channeling dark folklore influenced by ancient fairytales of Lockwood’s heritage. The stories often involve a fallen king or a distraught princess, all of which Lockwood tells in a cool, menacing voice of intent.

When Sway Machinery played Landfall, they became immersed in their roles as entertainers. They dressed to the nines in tuxedos and fedoras and played with the intensity of a show in front of thousands when all they had was a tiny, placid crowd, trapped inside a church in Iowa. Each member of the band helped transform the band into more then just an act, but a hypnotizing entity, with tangible energy and contagious passion.

“If I acted the way I act on stage in real life,” Lockwood said with a smile, “They’d stick me in a mental institution.”

Sway Machinery embodies what has never been done, what cannot be recreated and the result is inspiring. Their mix of Judaic reverence and rock n’ roll grit along with their electric live performance is a hopeful sign of more great things to come from the already well oiled Sway Machinery.

Y’all like ghosts?

Visit these notoriously haunted places this Halloween:

- Pleasant Ridge, “13 steps cemetery” in Palo - Matsell Bridge in Viola - Black Angel of Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City

-Oak Hill Cemetery in Cedar Rapids

12

10-18-2010

A&E

Crump Squad does what they do best various members of the drumline, Kyle Fliger, ’12 on trombone, Will Roberts, ’12, on trumpet and Neel Ghosh and Max McGee, (both ’11), on saxophone.

Suddenly, the group launches into a great football pump-up song, or a hip-hop beat with a substantial amount of bass, and it works every time. The students get up, get moving, and get pumped for the second half.

“We started crumping in front of the student section about two years ago. It’s alot of fun to pump up the crowd for the second half, and to show people that we play stuff that goes beyond marching band show music,” said Ghosh.

The Crump Squad is only a supplement to the already great Warrior football experience. Two hours of football, a superior marching band show followed by a quick and genius five minutes of crumpin’. On a Friday night, who would want to be anywhere else?

Kitty McGurk Staff Writer The crowd is respectfully seated, the football players have dispersed into the darkness, and there’s a strange breeze of frost and anticipation stimulating the late night air. The marching band just finished an exceptional show, but the crowd can still feel their presence on the field as certain band members arrive with their instruments in front of the student section. With the appearance of these band members, the students instantly get hyped, as this could only mean one thing: the Crump Squad is about to do what they do best. Crump.

The first of the talented wizards appear, trombones in tow.

They come out, looking more admirable than ever, with a level of freshness only accentuated by their marching uniforms. As soon as they step on the field, it’s clear that they mean business.

Trombonists Jacob Meyer, Emily Wittman, and Ben Davenport, (all ’11), start their “suicide” routine, dodging each other’s quickly swinging trombones. They are soon joined by

Photo by Staci Pawledge

Nightstorm, paradise or inferno?

Isaac Halyard A&E Editor The traveling teen dance club, Nightstorm, frequently visits Cedar Rapids to supply the area’s youth with something different to do on the weekends. However, the club has developed a less than stellar reputation, which has made many Washington students weary of spending their Saturday nights at the Hawkeye Downs venue.

Every two to three months, the club travels to a new location. It provides teenagers ages 13 to 19 with music, dancing, and hopefully an all-around exciting night. Although few Wash students will have issues with these aspects, they might not be too thrilled with the door charge.

To gain entrance to Nightstorm, $14 is charged at the door. For high school students that earn minimum wage, this amount of money can feel like a kick to the throat.

“It costs too much. If I wanted to make a foam pit like the one they have there I would just make one in my basement,” said Monique Ritzman, ’12.

Another recurring turn-off seems to

focus on who attends the club, rather than the club itself. Middle school students are infamous for going to Nightstorm, which is a fact that many high school students aren’t willing to deal with. Other, more harsh stereotypes of the crowd have also developed.

“I’d rather not get an STD,” said Lucas Pint, ’13 when asked why he does not go to Nightstorm.

Aside from the terrors of genitalia infesting diseases, is the fear of violence.

Fights have broken out before, to the extent that the management of Nightstorm has banned all “gang-like apparel” from the club.

Despite its shady reputation, many Wash students, including all the senior women swimmers, attend the club without apprehension.

“You can go to Nightstorm with your friends and just dance, nobody cares how good or bad you are,” said Charlie Parks, ’11, a regular Nightstorm partier.

Stereotypes and reputation aside, Nightstorm provides something for teenagers to do on dreary Cedar Rapids Saturday nights. The chance of STDs, fights, or broken belts may be worth the magical experience of a music filled night. at Hawkeye Downs.

Left: Crump Squad doing their thing

YouTube video of the month

Search

The Amazing Race: Watermelon Launch CBS

“I’d rather not get an STD.” -Lucas Pint, ’13

On the CBS show, the “The Amazing Race”, a racer is destroyed by a high velocity watermelon. Almost as violent as the fans who slashed Charlie Parks’ tire at the Linn Mar game.

“Halo Reach”reaches gaming apex

John Kopec Staff Writer

After ten years of countless overused controllers, wornout plastic headsets, long nights, friends made, and collegiate studies ruined, the masterminds behind the “Halo” franchise have moved on to some-

thing new.

“This is by far my favorite ‘Halo’ yet,” said Zach Detweiler, ’13.

“Halo Reach” takes place in the year 2552, where humanity is locked in a war with the alien covenant on a planet called Reach. For those who are not familiar with the “Halo” lore, the planet of Reach is the setting for one of the biggest battles between the humans and the alien covenant.

The campaign tells a story of The Noble Team, a crew of super soldiers known as Spartans that are stationed on the planet Reach and trained to fight against the alien forces.

Players take control of a Spartan known as “Noble Six”, the newest addition to the squad. During missions, players pair up with other members of the Noble Team, but the action always stays with number six as he/she does their best to fight against invading covenant forces.

“Halo Reach” manages to stay fresh

with enhanced combat and some major additions such as jet packs and other armor abilities. The campaign is the most challenging yet for the “Halo” series. It scales in difficulty as you add players so that the four-player co-op game isn’t any easier.

“It’s definitely the best out of all of the ‘Halo’s and went off with a big bang. I especially like the new things like choosing your classes and how they brought back maps from the previous ‘Halo’d”, said Jacob Solano, ’10.

Each game earns you credits, which can be spent in the armory where you can customize the look of your Spartan. This look is reflected in every game mode. While other games make the multiplayer and single player modes completely distinct, “Halo Reach” does the exact opposite.

Players can also experience Firefight, first introduced in “Halo Odst”. For players who want more of a human challenge they can join the online arena where players are put into matches against other Xbox Live players.

Rarely is there a game as flexible and futuristic as “Halo Reach”. This is the most straightforward and easy to understand “Halo” game since the original. It is clear that the developers at Bungie, put full effort into creating this game. With “Halo Reach” earning $200 million dollars on opening day, it was bound to be legendary.

Sports

10-18-2009

13

Cross country teams prepare for state meet

Warrior spotlight: Rob Hogg

Jill Broghammer Staff Writer

What sports do you play in the summer?

The women’s cross country team has some fresh, new talent this year after losing some strong seniors last year. Madison James Kamin, a freshman this year, is a prospective varsity cross country runner, but is currently running for the freshman team. Kamin has had many strong races this season but feels that her best meet was the Clinton meet where she ran a time of 17 minutes and 43 seconds.

“This season has been really good for me and the team so far,” said Kamin. “I have been improving a lot and hope to continue improving this season and seasons to come.”

Fellow freshman Sarah Witt is also running cross country this year. Witt feels that her best meet this season was the Pella meet. “I really hope to run a best time at the end of the season this year and hope to keep improving though out the rest of high school,” said Witt.

Kamin hopes to run to a 17 minute and 30 second time while Witt hopes to run to a 18 minute and 30 second time.

Both Kamin and Witt agreed that their favorite part of cross country is the popsicles their coach provides after practice.

“I love getting popsicles after practice but I also really enjoy the bus rides to and from meets,” said Witt.

The men’s cross country team has been traveling around the Midwest for cross country meets and has been training intensely every day after school. Soromo Mugisha, a senior this year, feels that the team has done really well so far this season and hopes that the team can place well at districts and state. Mugisha feels that the team’s best meets have been both Clinton and the meet in Minnesota. The team won the Clinton meet and placed 13th out of 55 teams at the Minnesota meet. The team was sixth in Iowa team standings at the Minnesota meet.

Practice for the men’s cross country team varies day to day depending on whether or not they have a meet the following day. Mugisha feels that the team has been working really hard even through the toughest of practices.

“Depending on the day our practices can vary a lot. On days before meets practice is fairly easy yet on other days we sometimes run multiple eight hundreds at Noelridge Park,” said Mugisha.

Fellow team mate, David Nega, ’11 enjoys the social aspects of the team as well as the running. Nega’s best cross country memory is rapping on the bus rides to and from meets and sleeping with the other runners on the bus coming home from away meets. Mugisha has also really enjoyed the social part of cross country.

“My best cross country memory was last year at the state meet in the hotel when we had a dance party and set up a disco ball and dance lights,” said Mugisha.

What grade are you in?

11th grade.

I run cross country in the fall, run track in the spring and play baseball.

How is the cross country season going so far?

Pretty well, I have dropped a good amount of time and hope to continue improving this season.

What are your season goals?

I think that the team can place top three in the state meet this year.I am also hoping for an individual finish in the top 15 or 20, and want to run to a 16 minute flat race.

How long have you been running?

I started running in seventh grade when I went out for track. I then decided to go out for cross country because I heard the team was fun, the coach was good and I enjoyed running.

What are your favorite cross country memories?

The celebrations after meets and the team dinners are always really fun.

How do you prepare for a meet?

I eat right, sleep, train hard, and then sleep some more. Also, right before my race I do some jumps behind the starting line.

Do you have any special things you do for a meet?

I don’t run with socks during my meets.

What other activities are you in?

I am in show choir, and madrigals. I also am a memeber of the math team.

What are your future plans?

I dont know where I want to go yert, but I would like to major in sports medicine. I also hope to keep running in college.

14

Sports

10-18-2009

Warriors stage second annual pink week Natalie Neppl Staff Writer

Breast Cancer Week has recently become a tradition at Wash. This fundraiser was started by two former Washington students, Andre Dawson and Shay Gutman, both ’10.

“I received a phone call from the boys while on a boat fishing during vacation in the summer of 2009 and thought it was a great idea to promote awareness of breast cancer,” said football coach Tony Lombardi.

Coach Lombardi immediately called Dr. Plagman and the Photo by Ellen Hart idea became a reality. Student Senate The Warrior football team wore pink soocks for breast cancer awareness jumped on board last year in promoting the fundraiser to the rest of the student body. Many of the

other fall sports and Joe Berry activities also got Staff Writer involved in contributing to spreading Fall. You think of football, cross country and volleyball, but if you go out to the awareness by wearing pink in various games track or down to the weight room, you will see the men’s basketball team or swim and meets. For example, last year, the football team working hard to prepare for the season. team wore pink jerseys that were be auctioned “Preseason practice gets the guys that aren’t in a fall sport back in shape,” says basketball player Peter Holmes, ’13. “We need to put in the work now to have success off for pure profit. This year the show choirs wore the pink shirts sold by Student Senate during the season.” and the women’s cross country team switched Coming off of a successful season last year, state quarterfinalists, the basketball team is ready to work hard to build off of their success last year. The Warriors are returning most of their starters from last year including Josh Oglesby and Wes Washpun, both ’11.

On Mondays and Fridays the basketball team is out on the track working on their speed and endurance and every day they are down in the weight room working on strength.

“The track workouts will give us the speed and stamina to play through the fourth quarter, when it really counts,” said Holmes.

The basketball team isn’t the only team that is working hard already; the men’s swim team is also looking to improve their success from last year.

The Warriors finished sixth last year Photo by Lily Gasway at state and won their 47th conIan Ford will be a key member of this years swim team secutive district title.

The swimmers start off their season during the summer with pre-season lifting and running. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays the team spends their time in the weight room building the strength necessary for a successful season. On Mondays and Thursdays the team adds running to the workout.

Both sports know what work they have to put in to accomplish their goals and they are already on their way to having the most successful season possible.

“As long as we continue to put in the work that we already are and keep striving to be our best, we will have a great season,” said Holmes.

Winter sports look for early edge

Fall Sports Glory A look back at all the state titles ever won by Washington teams during the fall season

Men’s Golf

Women’s Golf

1980 1976 1977 1979 1984

out their normal shoe laces for light pink laces.

“This tradition is absolutely going to continue, the students are so responsive. Breast cancer has touched everyone in some way and it is great that everything was student generated,” said Lombardi.

Aside from the sports raising money, Student Senate provided many items students could purchase to represent the cause. Items for sale included pink hats, mittens, scarves, t-shirts and pink breast cancer ribbons. This apparel was available for sale right before the pink-out -Tony Lombardi football game against LinnMar so students could show their support of this great cause to the community the night of Friday, Oct. 8, 2010.

The money raised goes to the charity, Especially for You. Last year about $8,500 was donated.

“I received a phone call from the boys while on a boat fishing during vacation in the summer of 2009 and thought it was a great idea to promote awareness of breast cancer.”

Sports Tailgating fever invades Washinton Joe Eken Sports Editor

10-18-2010

15

Charlie’s tailgating essentials

- Hot Dogs - Buns - Grill - “Bags” - Football - Soccer ball - Frisbee - Car with speakers - iEnergy - BFC Monster - Warrior Spirit - Matches/Lighter fluid - Cameras, to remeber the moment - Not getting your tires slashed in the Linn Mar parking lot - Materials needed to put on a spare tire in the Linn Mar parking lot

The sun glistening off the freshly polished spatula is accompanied by the faint sizzle of each hot dog being gently placed on the grill. The mostly barren Kingston parking lot is suddenly filled with the savory aroma of cooking food, and high school students adorned in red and blue apparel abandon their games of catch in anticipation of a meal. It is 5:30 Friday afternoon and, while kickoff is nearly two hours away, for these fans the game has already started, the tailgate has begun.

The tailgating experience is more of an art form than an activity, a blessing wrought down from above which mankind has taken centuries to perfect. The origins of its practice are largely unknown, but many historians trace the beginning of tailgating back to the mid 1800’s. The first documented case came during the Civil War when crowds gathered before the Battle of the Bull Run to enjoy food and cheer the Union toward victory.

Nowadays tailgating has been synonymous with sporting events. The craze has spread like a California wildfire across the nation, with fans everywhere staging eye staggering spectacles that are almost as important as the games themselves. Fortyyear-old men put on face paint and foam fingers while setting up small tents, grills and games of Baggo. Tailgating has become so prevalent it has even hit high schools.

Here at Washington, there are plenty of opportunities for students to participate in the tailgating experience. Each Friday, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes holds a tailgate in the courtyard afterschool that lasts until about five o’clock.

This is the first year the FCA has hosted a tailgate and, in addition to the food and games, they hold their weekly meetings afterward.

“Last year the meetings were on Mondays and no one could make it. Seeing how much people like football and eating, Friday seemed like a good time for the meetings this year,” said Toby Zeimer, ’11, one of the leaders of FCA. The event is open to all students, not just members of FCA and Zeimer estimates that about 20 to 30 kids show up each week.

“My favorite part is leading the football group afterwards and also just hanging out with kids around school,” said Zeimer.

The other group of tailgaters at Wash is slightly less organized, but shows just as much spirit and passion in what they do. Every Friday, in the parking lot at the south end of Kingston stadium, a group of dedicated football fans gather as early as 4:30 to prepare for the game.

Charlie Parks, ’11, plays a large role in the party, buying food beforehand, and turning his white Jeep into a “tailgate-mobile”.

Photo by Lauren Sines “All my friends go there and there’s hot dogs and music and football and anything you’d After the tailgate the focus shifts to the football team, seen here preparing for ever want,” said Parks. the snap The majority of participants are upperclassman, but anyone is encouraged to come and share in the plethora of activities that go on before the football game.

“My favorite game that we do is Baggo, or ‘bags’ as we call it. My preferred partner is Sam Kacena,” said Parks.

No matter what the game is, or how bad the weather gets, students at Wash can always be assured of one thing as they start their weekend, the tailgate is on.

WHO GONNA WIN? Our resident sports “experts” predict the upcoming month’s biggest sporting events Michigan State @ Iowa Nebraska @ Iowa State Ian Fischer: Once you go Stanzi, you never go back Iowa 27, MSU 23 Isaac Halyard: Once you beat Joe Pa you can beat them all Iowa 35, MSU 10 Patrick Anderl: MSU ain’t got football Iowa 72, MSU 0 Joe Eken: This here some football Iowa 21, MSU 17

Ian Fischer: Gotta go with Mr. Rogers alma matter Nebraska 19, Iowa State 9 Isaac Halyard: All they have is football Nebraska 28, Iowa State 17 Patrick Anderl: ISU doesn’t practice Nebraska 72, Iowa State 0 Joe Eken: I agree with Ian, you can’t turn down Mr. Rogers Nebraska 31, Iowa State

Pittsburg Steelers @ New Orleans Saints

World Series

Ian Fischer: Adrian Arrington is too good at football to lose Saints 35, Steelers 21 Isaac Halyard: Steelers suck an unbearable amount Satins 17, Steelers 14 Patrick Anderl: Reggie got too many broken legs Steelers 35, Saints 24 Joe Eken: Troy Palamalu’s Head and Shoulders ads arent enough to win this one Saints 28, Steelers 13

Ian Fischer: Yankees over Marlins, or whoever they play Isaac Halyard: Jeter is the best shortstop ever Yankees in 5 games Patrick Anderl: Philsters packin’ too much heat for them Yanks Phillies over Yankees Joe Eken: I won’t pretend I watch baseball Phillies over Yankees in 6 games

Volleyball team continues to improve Jill Broghammer Staff Writer After losing many varsity seniors last year, the women’s volleyball team has a much younger squad this year and is working on building up their team for seasons to come.

Megan Schmidt, ’11, feels that the team is working harder than ever.

“Everyone is working really hard in practice this season and we’re working on playing as a unit and communicating more. Although we are less experienced than past year, we don’t act like it. We go out and play our hardest at every game,” said Schmidt.

The volleyball team has played a lot of close

games this season against teams from all across the state.

Jessica Erb, ’12, feels that the team has been improving with every game this season.

“We’re not winning a lot of games this season, but we’re still having fun and doing our best. I think that the team is improving every game that we play and we are learning from our mistakes after each game,” said Erb. The volleyball team does bonding dinners before every game and gets the chance to bond during early morning weightlifting, getting ready for school, and at afterschool practices.

A special tradition the team has this season is singing the entire “Pretty Boy Swag” song before each game. Erb feels that the team is really close this season and has had a lot of fun with the team.

“Singing the Pretty Boy Swag song before each game is my favorite tradition of the team. I think that the team is closer than ever this season and I have really had a lot of fun with the team,” said Erb. Photo by Natalee Birchansky

The Wash volleyball team waits to return the ball.

16

10-18-2010

Back Page

Homecoming

twenty-ten

Da

g n i K

Britt the Queen WAR R

IORS

!

ing Parade - Homecom Wednesday /Game - Spirit Day Thursday g Dance -Homecomin Friday!!

Photos by Staci Pawledge and Natalee Birchansky

Page design by Ellen Hart