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Volume 59
Issue 2
23 October 2015
The Secret Life of the Washington Janitor (Pgs. 10-11)
-Confederate Flag Controversy (Pg. 9) -Is Wrestling Dead? (Pg. 16) -Student Advice Column (Pg. 20)
Meet the Staff
The Surveyor staff wishes you a happy and safe Halloween! 2
Staffbox
Rielle Jones-Teske
What’s Inside: mission
News
Halloween safety sidebar - 4 Adastra canned food drive and Blood drive - 4 ITED assembly - 5 Bullying prevention day Oct. 21 - 5 Rob Hogg running for U.S. Senate - 6
Opinion
Caitlyn Jenner costume - 7 Early out change - 7 Small market review - 8 Apple orchards - 8 Confederate flag - 9
non-discrimination policy
Feature
The Secret Life of the Washington Janitor - 10, 11
Profiles
BIG students - 12, 13 Transfer students - 14 Saucy Rossy - 14 Drum Majors - 15 FBOM - 15
Sports
New basketball coach - 16 Is wrestling dead? - 16 Baseball field renovation - 17, 18 Adam Todd XC - 18
A&E
Haunted house review - 19 Superburrito review - 19 Advice column - 20 “The Visit” review - 20 NewBo PoJam - 21
Backpage
Comic - 23 Faculty Funnies -23 Roses and Thorns - 23 Meme of the Month - 23 Halloween playlist - 23
Back Cover Bever Park
The Surveyor would like to thank Alice Tosi for creating our new logo! Rielle Jones-Teske
The Surveyor is established as a school-sponsored designated forum dedicated to informing and entertaining its readers. 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 Journalist’s Code of Ethics as the basis for good journalism. Readers are encouraged to express their viewpoints through guest editorial. The Surveyor also welcomes letters to the editor, with these guidelines: it is no libelous or obscene, it explains the material clearly, it is not longer than 500 words, and that it is signed.
Photos Editor
It is the policy of the Cedar Rapids Community School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (employment only, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status (students/program only) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. District employees with questions or a grievance related to this policy should contact Jill Cirivello, Director of Human Resources, 319-558-2421; jcirivello@cr.k12.ia.us. Students and others should contact Rhoda Shepard, Director of Student Services, 319-558-2964; rshephard@cr.k12.ia.us. The District mailing address is 2500 Edgewood Rd NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405-1015
affiliations Iowa High School Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association, Quill and Scroll.
staff Sarah Altemeier Matthew Andersland Gunnar Bosking Emily Burke Brandon Cullen Jillian Gannon Molly Hunter Rielle Jones-Teske Grace Kline Emily LaGrange Billy Lemos Tyler McGuire Jonathan Melander Emma Nassif
Anna Rizer Betsy Smith Addi Westpheling Sam Wicke Kyle Phillips, adviser
Front and back cover photos by Jonathan Melander Table of Contents
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Halloween Safety 101 Betsy Smith Webmaster
-Don’t accept rides from strangers in hearses -Don’t eat unwrapped candIES-especially ONES with razor blades -Late night strolls in your local graveyard are illadvised -If you see a herd of zombies approaching, head the opposite way -Don’t drink the blood of untested individuals -Howling at the moon is ILL-advised -If your jack-olantern tries to carve you back, throw it away -SAFETY FIRST!
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News
adastra does good Matthew Andersland Staff Reporter
It’s the spookiest time of year, and Washington High School Adastra members are giving back to the community in a frightfully generous way. This Halloween, members of Wash’s chapter of Adastra National Honors Society will go trick-or-treating, in a very different way than one might expect. Jacqui Fashimpaur ’16, the president of Adastra, is looking forward to this drive and believes that it will be a great success. She hopes to collect as much food as possible. “It’s like trick or treating, but instead of candy, they will be asking for canned goods,” said Fashimpaur. The students will have adult drivers that take them to neighborhoods where they will trick or treat. They will be able to drop off the cans they receive with this driver, who will then drive it back to Wash and drop off the cans that they have collected. “The cans will be donated to Foundation 2, an organization that will help it get to the people that really need it within our community,” said Fashimpaur. The food will be given to people that cannot afford enough food for themselves and their families, or for people who cannot afford food at all. Collecting food is not all that this
group of students do, earlier this month they had a blood drive. Adastra runs a blood drive twice a year, with all blood received going to the Mississippi Valley Blood Bank, where it will be stored until it’s needed to be used for surgeries. The first blood drive took place on Oct. 6. “The blood drive this fall was very successful, we managed to get all of the slots filled but four, and also had many people donate who had not signed up for a specific time,” said Fashimpaur. This is the first year that Adastra has done the canned food drive in this fashion, as they do it differently every year, so they don’t really know what to expect, although Fashimpaur is predicting that it will be highly successful.
Photo Courtesy of Kiersten Larsen
News Editor
Emily LaGrange
Iowa assessments Victory Sam Wicke Staff Reporter Every October, Washington High School holds its annual Iowa Assessment Recognition Assembly to recognize individuals’ accomplishments on the Iowa Assessments, a standardized test given to many schools nation-wide. The Iowa Assessments are the latest version of the ITBS test, and the two are not comparable. Each student is tested and scored based on the performance of other students, nationally, in their same grade level. This year, 549 awards will be distributed at Wash to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. “The ITED assembly is so vastly celebrated by Dr. Plagman and the rest of the staff because it gives students a chance to be recognized for the academic accomplishments. It’s not like you only receive an award for being in the top one percent, you can be recognized for
Jillian Gannon Staff Reporter
Wash’s Spring 2015 Iowa Assessments Statistics: -40 Wash students scored in the top 1 percentile -225 Wash students scored in the top 10 percentile -447 Wash students achieved their personal best score -64 Wash seniors scored in the top 10 percentile for three consecutive years
Unity Day
Once you read this, it’ll be too late. At least, until next year. Oct. 21 comes once a year, and it’s widely known as Unity Day. Unity Day is a day where everyone wears orange and comes together to raise awareness of bullying. To clarify, a student could wear anything orange, from shoelaces to a wristband. Washington High School counselor Jennifer Byers says that Unity Day represents an idea that we need to unify and be united for kindness, acceptance, inclusion. Last year, Unity Day came and went with only a couple students and teachers showing their support. Byers plans to make more students aware of Unity Day Emily LaGrange
simply achieving a personal best score,” Lori Johnson, student center secretary, reported. The assembly started off with a performance from the Madrigal Singers led by Peter Westphalen. The performance consisted of the National Anthem and the Alma Mater. The award part of the assembly is presented by Dr. Ralph Plagman, Wash’s principal and language arts teacher, Adam Witte. Students receive T-shirts, sweatshirts, certificates, and small trophies for their accomplishments. Awards are given out for students that scored in the top 10 percent and top one percent, seniors that have scored in the top 10 percent for three consecutive years, and students that achieved a personal best score. Plagman also agreed to buy Dairy Queen for seniors who recently achieved their personal best.
News Editor
this year, even though the method has yet to be determined. She hopes that next year will be even better. Students can do their part to contribute to raising awareness for bullying. On social media, #UnityDay2015 was used to spread awareness. Even though bullying isn’t regarded as a major issue at Wash, it still exists. The students at Wash are completely exposed to all sorts of lifestyles, instead of everyone being from the same background. “Differences are the norm, instead of the exception,” Byers said. The most that students can do is to make more people aware of bullying and
to not be a bystander. By wearing orange on Oct. 21, either this year or in years to come, the community showed and will continue to show those suffering that they are supported. Unity Day’s overall goal is to spread awareness for a challenge that’s often put on the backburner--the challenge of being brave enough to report bullying when seen, and to show public support. The idea of Unity Day began at the National Bullying Prevention Center. To learn more about this and bullying nationwide, go to www.pacer.org
News
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Rob Hogg to Run for United States Senator Grace Kline Staff Reporter Iowa State Senator Rob Hogg announced his decision to run for U.S. Senator on Tuesday, Sept. 22, according to Blog for Iowa. This election will be held the same day as the Presidential election, Nov. 8, 2016. Hogg will be running against Senator Chuck Grassley, the presiding U.S. Senator for Iowa seeking his seventh term in office. Hogg has represented Cedar Rapids in the Iowa Legislation for 13 years, in both the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate, according to Hogg’s website. The need for action on climate change, campaign reform, and Congressional reform are what have compelled Hogg to run for U.S. Senator instead of just completing his term as a State Senator. Hogg said in his email interview that he thinks of climate change as “the defining challenge of our century” and has already taken steps to address it, such as writing the book America’s Climate Century and helping to pass legislation in the Iowa Senate. “I am very excited about the growth of Iowa’s wind and solar industries over my years in the Iowa Legislature, in part because of the legislation I managed in the Iowa Senate,” Hogg said. As part of his platform, Hogg also wants to change the way political campaigns are run. “I want more people to get more informed and more involved,” stated Hogg, who is concerned that current political campaigning alienates young American voters. As a potential part of the U.S. Senate, Hogg also expressed the sentiment that “If Congress worked better, we could build – in the 21st Century – a safe, healthy, peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for all Americans.”
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News
Along with being a State Senator and lawyer, Hogg is also married to Kate Hogg, a special education secretary at Washington High School, and father to Rob and Dorothy Hogg, Wash alumni, and Isabel Hogg, ’18. Hogg being elected as U.S. Senator will mean an adjustment for the Hogg family: instead of being gone for four months Monday through Thursday in Des Moines, Rob will have to be in D.C. for most of the year. “It’s more of a full time job,” stated Kate, “The state legislature is conceived of as a part-time job. They only meet for a few months… But the Federal sessions… there are breaks, but it’s more of a year-round full time position.” However, Senator Hogg’s family is used to him traveling and give him all the support and help they can when he is at home. “He’s been in the Senate since I’ve been two…For the state senate races,
I would help with mailing…stuffing envelopes and labeling them… and putting out yard signs,” commented Isabel. Isabel also accompanied her father on the annual bike ride across his Senate District on Sunday, Oct. 4. If Hogg does win the election, the family plans to stay in Cedar Rapids so that Isabel can finish her junior and senior years at Wash and because Hogg would be representing Iowa. “You want to stay connected to the community you’re representing,” remarked Kate. Those interested in following Senator Hogg’s campaign can follow him on Twitter (@SenatorRobHogg) or visit his website (www.robhogg.org).
Photo Courtesy of Rob Hogg
News Editor
Emily LaGrange
graphics courtesy of ethicsandsociety.files.wordpress. com
Guest Column
Caitlyn Jenner Costume
Nate Lane Guest Columnist As Halloween approaches so does the desperate scramble to find the perfect Halloween costume; something that will shock people and make them laugh – or scream. One that’s sure to get lots of reactions is the new Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costumes. While you might think it’ll be a good laugh with all of your friends and fun to dress up in Caitlyn’s outfit from the front cover of Vanity Fair or as her from when she was an Olympian, you may want to think twice about your costume decisions. The exploitation of Caitlyn’s recent coming out by marketing a costume of her - complete with a wig, padded top, sash, and a very masculine guy modeling it- is part of a very ugly type of transphobia that targets the women in the trans community and it’s called transmisogyny. Exploitation, transmisogyny, and being offensive aren’t the only issues this costumes has either. It seems as though the costume designers forgot that Caitlyn Jenner is a real person, not a character. There’s a massive difference between wearing a costume of something fictional like a werewolf or a character like Batman and dressing up as a real person. You’re not going to offend someone by being Batman but when you dress in a costume modelled after a person, and a very offensive costume you can make many people feel bad. The final reason you shouldn’t dress up as Caitlyn for Halloween is because transpeople exist and aren’t a joke or a costume that someone can just throw on for a good laugh. Teenagers that are transgender may see you and say nothing but can be deeply hurt by the fact that their peers see people like them as nothing but a
Early Out Changes
Billy Lemos Staff Writer Anna Rizer
Many students have said that the new early out “1 hour off ” Professional Learning Community (PLC) days that the student board created are pointless, but teachers disagree. As you all know, this year there are two types of half days: PLC and District. PLC half days weredesigned as an attempt to allow teachers to have more time to collaborate and accomplish than the schedule allowed last year. “The new half days are allowing us as teachers to have enough time to both meet up and share ideas and teach efOpinion Editor
joke. To see your classmates dressed up as an influential transperson, someone who gives you the courage to be who you are, and to see that no one takes them seriously or that they’re blatantly mocking them because they’re different than what’s considered “normal” is a very rude awakening. I mean come on, there are thousands of other options for costumes for Halloween. You could be Shrek, you could be Superman, you could be a dog for all anyone cares so why would you want to dress in a costume so degrading it makes people cringe? Go dress up as a bed sheet ghost, I can assure you it’ll be much funnier than being a transphobic rendition of Caitlyn Jenner, and you’ll be much less likely to have people arguing with you all night while you’re trying to have a good time.
images courtesy of http://i2.cdn.turner.com and http://assets.nydailynews.com/
fectively in one day,” David Duer said. Most students don’t really care what benefits teachers though, and just see the new half days as stupid irregularities in the half day schedule-ones which give us less time off. “From our perspective, in terms of what we do with this time, we have found it to be valuable. We get to work,” Duer said. It’s obvious that these new half days have been a successful way for teachers to work together and better develop
their courses for students. Our building’sleadership team, composed of teachers and administrators, proposed this idea and it has been a success so far. Students are getting angry just because they believe their time has been stolen. In reality, we are getting a similar amount of time off as last year when you consider the amount of overall half days. Besides, half days aren’t really about the students, they’re about learning opportunities for teachers. Opinion
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Small Market Review: Newbo Addi Westpheling A & E Editor Newbo!!!!! Right here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is where you will find the most collaborative community of local growers, owners, and artisans to ever exist. At the heart of it all is the famous NewBo Market, supported by surrounding local shops like Brewhemia, NewBo Books, and Great American Popcorn Company. NewBo itself is an amazing collaboration of local vendors and their beloved customers. Already I’ve used the term “local” a lot, but what does it really mean to buy local? It means buying your food directly from the farmer that grew it, no middleman in between. By middle-man I mean a lot of things like pesticides, preservatives, and semis that travel many miles. And after all this, is it really to be trusted? With locally grown products you are buying
straight from the farmer and your money goes right back to that farmer and the local growing community. At NewBo they have local vendors from all over selling all kinds of stuff like dog treats, succulents, and fresh smoothies or juices. It’s really everything you could possibly need, and more. Any purchases made from these local vendors are guaranteed with the best quality and freshness. Supporting local businesses is a great way to give back to your community and contribute to the growing local community. There are many opportunities to shop local besides NewBo. If you’re feeling like a coffee date with a friend, be sure to check out Brewhemia right on the corner. After some coffee, you should take a trip to the Great American Popcorn Company right next door and treat yourself to some yum-
my ice cream. There is just so much to see and experience with all those local shops. The more you support local buisness, the better our local community will be. Please take a trip to downtown Cedar Rapids and experience the most collaborative community of local growers, owners, and artisans to ever exist in Cedar Rapids. NewBo City Market: 1100 3rd St SE Open Thur-Fri 10:00am-8:00pm Sat. 10:00am-6:00pm Sun. 10:00am-4:00pm
Brewhemia: 1101 3rd St SE Open Mon-Thur 7:00am-6:00pm Fri. 7:00am-7:00pm Sat. 8:00am-7:00pm Sun. 8:00am-5:00pm
CC by amyleerobinson and mazeo
Apple Orchards Rielle Jones-Teske Photo Editor
When we hear the word “autumn” we often think of warm fall foods we haven’t had since last year, the leaves changing colors, Friday night football games, and cozy hours spent snuggled up under a pile of blankets with a book (or phone). Another thought might be of going to the apple orchard, and enjoying warm apple cider donuts, hot apple cider, apple cider slushies, and apple turnovers with cinnamon ice cream. You may envision the tractor that will escort you around the orchard, taking you to the different types of apples that you can pick yourself. Going to the apple orchard is a common childhood experience that often turns into treasured memories as we 8
Opinions
grow up. To me, the apple orchard has always had a kind of relaxing atmosphere. It’s a place you can just sit and enjoy the beauty of nature (while enjoying free samples of the delicious fruit). When asked what makes apple orchards magical to them, these Warriors have their own reasons why they enjoy going. “I like spending time at the orchard when the atmosphere is good and it’s a nice day,” said Nolan Cavanaugh, ‘18. Ava Klopfenstein, ‘18, said she too likes the environment. “They are beautiful and smell so nice and remind me of my childhood! You stand on the hill and look at all the trees and pumpkins and cute little
people happy ASL and it’s like staring fall right in its pretty eyes.” “I really like to go with friends,” said Regan Heying, ’18. She has a point. It’s definitely easier and more fun to go with friends, that way when you climb into the trees to get apples there’s someone to catch them and put them in a basket. Living in or around Cedar Rapids, Warriors are lucky enough to have two orchards close to us: Allen’s Orchard in Marion and Wilson’s outside of Iowa City.
Opinion Editor
Anna Rizer
Staff Editorial
Confederate Flag Controversy to school the following day with 12 other students, all of whom had Confederate and American flags on their vehicles. They were asked to take the flags off of their vehicle or leave the campus, so they moved a couple blocks away and continued their protest. The First Amendment grants us freedom of religion, speech, press, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government. While the students were correct in that they could protest, there are also exceptions to the First Amendment. For example, you don’t have the right to physical threats or scream “fire” in a movie theater when there is no fire. You also cannot protest in a manner that violates others’ freedoms or rights. “It is a part of American history but also
Photo courtesy of vintoniowa.org Anna Rizer
Opinion Editor
represents racism,” said Joe Todtz, ’16, when asked if he thinks the Confederate flag is a part of American history, or if it is racist. We believe that the Confederate flag should not be flown or used for personal reasons and should only exist in places such as museums since it is a part our history. However, we shouldn’t be able to fly it outside of our houses or on our vehicles. The flag shouldn’t be destroyed and forgotten, but kept in places that it won’t offend people. We don’t think that you should fly the flag just because it’s your heritage and was a big part of American history. We have places for history, and those places are museums, not the back of your vehicle.
10 out of 10 Editors agree with this
Photos courtesy of KCRG-TV
In a recent poll conducted by CBS, 57 percent of whites and 21 percent of blacks think of the Confederate flag as a symbol of southern pride, while 30 percent of whites and 68 percent of blacks think that the flag is racist. At Vinton-Shellsburg High School in Vinton, Iowa there was an incident on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015. A student showed up to school with a Confederate flag attached to his truck. The school’s principal asked the student to take the flag off of his vehicle or he would be suspended, because a couple of students were uncomfortable with the flag. The student claimed that this went against his First Amendment rights. He was sent home on Thursday and had plans to go back on Friday with the flag still on his truck to protest. He returned
Graphic courtesy of atimes.com Opinion
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Emily Burke Profiles Editor Business Manager Jonathan Melander Photos Editor
The Secret Life of
The boiler room under the cafe
What do you want to be when you’re older? A doctor? A policeman? A teacher? How about a high school custodian? This past week, Jonathan Melander,‘16, and I shadowed Washington’s building engineers to get an idea of what it is like to be responsible for cleaning, fixing and maintaining the condition of the school. The head maintenance control staff includes the day time director, Rick Veenstra, and night time director, William (Bill) Fiacco. Both of these men and their staff put in about 17 hours each day in order to create an appropriate and comfortable environment for the students of Washington--and we got a sneak peek into what that responsibility entails. We met up with Veenstra in the cafeteria as he was finishing up his shift on Friday afternoon. Veenstra has held the job as daytime engineer (his official job title) for eight years at Washington. “A typical day of the building engineer is answering phone calls nonstop; it rings all
Signatures from past techies
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Feature
Also in the boiler room
day long. Otherwise a regular day is getting around to VHP’s (what we call the filters that circulate air), doing the maintenance on [those machines], putting new filters in, taking care of the pool--testing chemicals, making sure the balance is right. In the winter time it includes plowing snow. And I’ve got a guy for the grass and all that, so he pretty much stays on top of everything outside,” Veenstra says as he sweeps the unwanted scraps of food left behind by the lunch-goers. Cleaning up the mess left behind by students is typically what you picture a school janitor doing. However, Veenstra and Fiacco showed us how wrong we were in that assumption. In fact, cleaning up after students is only a small fraction of what the job consists of. As we continued getting to know Veenstra, we learned that not only is his occupation labor intensive, but it can be mentally draining, as well. He shared with us that coming to Wash and knowing that he can make a difference for the student body is what he likes most about being the school engineer. It makes his job more enjoyable, knowing the he can talk to
some of the students and ask if they want to be like him, “Fifty-five years old pushing a broom around,” and tell them that now is the time to start taking life seriously. But when it comes down to it, the mess, the throwing of food, the swearing, the fighting, and the disrespect sometimes outweigh the advantages of the job. Veenstra first took us across the building into the Jock Lot entrance. From there we went downstairs, rather than going up to the main level, where--with the exception of Drivers’ Ed--Wash classes are held. We swung a left and entered a door marked “Authorized Personnel Only”. In this room there were several big machines surrounded by piping. Tubes ran across the walls, over parts of the floor, and covered the ceiling. Each plastic PVC pipe has its own role in allowing the school to function optimally. Some of these pipes are responsible for transporting the water that comes out of the sinks in the bathrooms, some are in charge of heating the pool water, and others help control the new heating and cooling system that Washington is in the process of finishing.
Rickety walkway above the Little Theatre
Editor-in-Chief
Molly Hunter
the Washington Janitor If something goes wrong in this room, or in any of the other rooms containing machines and pipes like this, Veenstra and his team are in charge of fixing the problem as quickly as possible. As we continued to look around, we found a door to a three-by-four foot crawl space. Veenstra told us that the tunnel leads all the way to under the Arcade, and that over the summer the contractors in charge of remodeling the building had to shimmy all the way down that particular tunnel in order to hook up all of the new PVC pipes as necessary. Before the 20152016 school year started, Veenstra and his staff had a chance to work closely with the contractors, due to a flood which occurred following a summer storm. Many of the machines were damaged, and needed to be replaced. Without the engineering staff at Washington, the remodeling of the building would take an even longer time to complete. The next destination was the catwalk above the little theatre, an area usually used by drama department techies to operate the lights during shows. The minute
you walk up the wooden stairs, you immediately find yourself haphazardly perched on a walkway made up of dusty two-byfour wooden planks. As you go down the walkway, looking down at the stage through the cracks between the boards, you can see the scrawled signatures left by generations upon generations of techies that have each had their names spraypainted on the aging concrete walls. Dimly lit by some industrial-grade hanging lights, the techies must have night vision when they’re up here working. Past a central area that holds what appears to be soundboards and most of the lights, is a roof access door that’s off limit to students but has obviously been used before (shoutout class of 2015). Heading back towards our starting area of the cafeteria, we had one more place to visit: the spaces below the kitchen. This area used to be the main boiler room for the school, however, since the renovations it has become a room full of air filters, pulling outside air into the school and filtering out all the bugs and contaminants so they don’t get into our classrooms and hallways. Everyday, Rick descends down the 32 steps
Hallway to the boiler room
Molly Hunter
Editor-in-Chief
Rick Veenstra and Emily Burke
into this room to do daily maintenance on the machines. Filters seem to be a very common occurrence all throughout the school, and are a large part of what the engineers have to deal with on a weekly basis. In addition to changing the filters in these machines, once a month Rick and Bill must also change the filters in every single room of the entire school. Thinking about your daily experience at Wash, you probably imagine yourself seated in your clean classrooms and walking down your clean hallways--you might be a tiny bit cold or a tiny bit warm, but overall, you’re pretty comfortable. Our engineers and their staff put in hard work to make our school environment as pleasant as possible, so that you get all you can out of your school experience. Without our engineers, that reality couldn’t even be a possibility. So next time you see Rick or Bill walking down the hallway, instead of taking them for granted , maybe you should take a moment, and thank them for all that they do for us here at Wash.
Stairs above the Little Theatre
Feature
All Photos by Jonathan Melander
Creepy room near the Jock Lot doors
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Photos by Sarah Altemeier
The “BIG”ger the Better?
Washington High School provides students with endless opportunities ranging from the drama apartment to AP courses to athletics. One unique option at Wash, and other Cedar Rapids Community School District high schools, is the chance to participate in Iowa BIG. Bentlee Birchansky ‘16, is one of 17 students who has taken advantage of this opportunity,“Iowa BIG is a project based learning school. It’s a program that’s located in the downtown Geonetric building that allows students to work hands on with certain projects with business partners in the community, or even start their own projects and gain their credit for their classes through these projects; it’s quite an amazing opportunity,” Birchansky said. The BIG program was created three years ago by around 60 diverse leaders in order to accomplish an alternative educational choice inside the public school realm. “I’ve been interested in transforming education for a long time- 25 years or so. Our educational model has been amazingly successful and remains successful because of great educators like Dr. 12
Profiles
Plagman and our amazing teachers. That said, our system- the one we inherited from leaders 100 years ago - wasn’t designed for the world we must now prepare you for. I wanted to be a part of a new design that would give great teachers a system designed for today’s world so they could have a system they and students could thrive in for the next 100 years,” said BIG’s associate superintendent, Dr. Terry Pickering.
“I also was hoping to find my passion or what I want to potentially study at college, and I accomplished that at the end of my first year at BIG.” Amelia Rodriguez ‘16 joined the program because she had already taken a lot of the classes that she had wanted at Wash,. “I am hoping to strengthen my network of leaders in the community. I have already found a few mentors through doing so, who offer great advice for my project and my future plans as well. I also was hoping to find my passion or what I want to potentially study in college, and I accomplished that at the
end of my first year at BIG,” said Rodriguez. Rodriguez takes part in the project Success to the Power of SHE,. “The mission of SuccessSHE is to inspire young women to overcome the personal barriers they set on themselves. Most projects at BIG have an average of roughly 10 students, but SuccessSHE has about 30 this year (including boys). Due to our large team, we divided into three subgroups: Gussy Down, Minnow Tank, and IWLC Conference. Gussy Down is a makeup-free social campaign to show people that makeup should be an option, not a necessity. Minnow tank is a pitch competition for middle school girls to pitch philanthropic ideas that will better the community and the audience will pledge their time and/or money to help make the projects happen (we have a partnership with Girls Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois for this event). The IWLC Conference is hosted each spring by Iowa Women Lead Change for women around Eastern Iowa. This year they asked SuccessSHE to help create a Young Leaders track, because in the past the conference was only open to adults,” said Rodriguez. Instead of using canvas, BIG uses a website students call “BBQ,” which organizes their schedule, provides a list of jobs they need to accomplish, and keeps track of the standards they have met.
Business Manager and Profiles Editor
Emily Burke
“Grading is usually a forbidden topic of conversation at BIG. What we do is passion-driven, meaning we don’t do the projects because we want to get an A, we do them because we want to do them. Honestly, I don’t even think about grades for BIG until they pop into PowerSchool on the day grades are due for our report cards in our “mothership school,” as our teacher likes to call them. If you are doing what you need to be doing for your project, you will most likely get an A. Some B’s are given out, but anything below that is fairly rare. The teachers at BIG keep up with our progress and will sit us down to have a conversation if we are struggling to keep up with our work,” said Rodriguez.
A lot of students, including Parks McBride, ‘18, prefer BIG over a regular high school setting for the most part., “To me, BIG is way better than the traditional classroom because it gives you the freedom and flexibility to do whatever projects you want, which often are more fun and more interesting than what you would do in normal school. The one thing that is harder about it is the teachers don’t prepare things for you, you have to be a 100 percent self-starter and in order to get good grades, Emily Burke
you need to be accountable for yourself and care about your education,” McBride said.
“...in order to get good grades, you need to be accountable for yourself and care about your education.” Although Birchansky ’16 commented on the fact that BIG doesn’t provide opportunities to participate in sports and musical department like Wash.“One thing that makes BIG way awesome, more awesome than Wash, is the fact that you’re not stuck in the classroom, you’re doing real world application, you’re getting to work with adults that are in the business community AND not only that you get to work with students from other schools which is really cool, you get an opportunity to make friends from all over the community,” Birchansky said. Whether you are an A+ student or someone who struggles in the regular high school setting, BIG could be right for you. “I would definitely recommend BIG to anyone who wants to expand their education and have fun doing it. BIG is for anyone! You can ask all the other wash students there it has a wide variety of students with different intellects and backgrounds. Those most benefitted
Business Manager and Profiles Editor
are those who are go getters and like to make things happen, they will get the most out of it. If you are interested at all try it out! You can always go back to the traditional school setting if it isn’t for you,” McBride said. “If the results continue to be so positive, then we need to have a conversation about how this type of learning environment can be made available to many more students and a part of the high school experience. That may mean looking at ways to re-think how we organize and schedule high school and/or make BIG a magnet type school. There are likely dozens of other options within those scenarios as well,” Pickering stated about the future for BIG. He believes it is too early to guarantee anything for sure.
You can register for BIG on their website, IowaBIG.org. The only requirement after that is that you have at least two consecutive periods built into your schedule that you can commit to BIG every day.
Sarah Altemeier Staff Writer Profiles
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Photo by Molly Hunter
“My teachers are cool. Especially Mr. M... I like this school--and the band is awesome!”
Mekela Spence, ’18, is actually a returning community member, having come back to Cedar Rapids this August after living in Puebla, Mexico for two years. “[In Puebla] I went to a private school... it was really, really small. There were only like, 20 kids in my grade. It was a lot more of, like, a family feeling.” Spence agrees that living in Mexico has broadened her horizons, mentioning that she’s now enthusiastic about the possibility of studying outside of the United States. A member of the Women’s Cross Country team, Spence is also already involved in sports at Wash. “I really like the sports here, because in Mexico there’s no girls teams at my school, only guys teams.” When asked about where she feels most at home, Spence grins. “Well, I have a dual citizenship, so, yeah, I’m both--I’m American and Mexican.”
PC of Ross Kennedy
Saucey Rossy:
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Profiles
Majiria Glenn, (not pictured) ’19, also recently moved to Cedar Rapids from Chicago. “Two of my little sisters go to McKinley and the one that’s in elementary school goes to Grant Wood. And my brother, he’s 10 months...he’s really mean… He bites. We lived in the Altgeld Gardens,” Glenn says. “It was one of the worst parts [of Chicago]. We moved here because the violence was getting closer to us,” Glenn explains. “I came home from church one day and my mom said ‘We’re moving to Iowa’. In Chicago,” Glenn notes, “they were more strict… I went to a charter school...and right now there’d be a dean table set up.... Four fights in a day wasn’t a big deal, but up here...everybody cares. Finally, Glenn says, “People don’t act the same way when they see I’m not a Caucasian person… It’s normal for them.”
Photo by Anna Rizer
WASHINGTON’S TRANSFER STUDENTS:
Georgya Harris, ’17, is another one of Wash’s recent transfers. “I was in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the Washington Township district, and I was there until I was a freshman.” Afterwards, Harris moved to Chicago to live with her mother, where she lived up until this summer. “Our grandma had evicted us... My mom called her friend and she said ‘Come to Cedar Rapids! It’s good here!’” About moving right before junior year, she says, “It’s really, really hard.” However, Harris says, “It’s way better than Chicago because there aren’t security guards around every corner, and I don’t have to go through a metal detector every morning… My teachers are cool. Especially Mr. M… I like this school--and the band is awesome!” Molly Hunter Editor-in-Chief
Ross “Saucey Rossy” Kennedy, ’16, used to be known as the kid who spilled spaghetti on his shirt in sixth grade, but now he’s known as the kicker in his second year of varsity football at Washington High School. Q: When did you start playing/taking football seriously? A: I started playing when I was in sixth grade, but started taking it seriously about sophomore year. Q: What made you want to play on special teams? A: My grandpa was an NFL kicker and he played for the Vikings, so he kind of inspired me to do that. Q: How has the season gone for you as an individual? A: For me, it’s gone really well. I’ve been hitting the ball the best I’ve ever hit it before, so I can only look forward to the rest of the year. Anna Rizer Opinions Editor Business Manager and Profiles Editor
Emily Burke
Washington’s Drum Majors
Marching Warriors into Victory
The Washington High School Marching Band Drum Majors, Ryan Miller ‘16 and Maggie Wright ‘17 talked with us about what it’s like to be a drum major and to be in band in general. Maggie Wright : Q: How Many years have you been playing in band? A: This is my third year. Q: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of being in band? A:My favorite part of being a drum major is that I don’t have to march with a bass drum. My least favorite part is rarely socializing with the rest of the band. Q: Do you have any funny band stories? A: So my sophomore year, the Davenport twins switched out all the Mellow Yellow at band camp with pickle juice. Q: What instrument do you normally play in band? A: In the winter I play percussion.
Q: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of being in band? A: My least favorite is people asking me to do things for them when I can’t do it for them. My favorite part is being the face of the band and people looking up to you and aspiring to be you. Q: Do you think that band is an important part of Washington culture? A: Very important, I mean at football and halftime shows to get the crowd all pumped up and the fine arts department in general is important. Q: What instrument do you normally play in band? A: The french horn.
Emma Nassif Staff Writer
Photos from Surveyor archives
Ryan Miller : Q: How many years have you been playing in band? A: Let me think. One... Two... Three... This is my seventh year.
Freshman Bachelor of the Month
This month’s FBOM may be small in stature, but his personality is anything but small. David Hebrink, ’19, is involved many of the activities that Washington has to offer. He is a drummer for the marching band, is a member of Krump Squad, and a runner for the men’s cross country team. Later this year you can find Hebrink on the stage for speech and on the field at Kingston kicking a ball around with the men’s soccer team. This “pretty decent” bachelor is on the market and looking for “funny ones (girls) and nice ones.” The blue-eyed, dirty blonde-haired freshmansays that his ideal date would include skydiving and dinner at a resturant that serves “really good burgers.” If Hebrink sounds like the guy for you, the surveyor staff has great news for you: he is on the market!
Emily Burke
Business Manager and Profiles Editor
Profiles
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A New Coach Ushered In Gunnar Bosking Sports Editor
Meet New Coach, Justin Decker
After the 2014-2015 men’s basketball season, the winds of change were approaching. Head coach Adam Sanchez, who had been coaching the team for three years, stepped down after the season ended. Later in the spring, Wash announced that they had found a suitable replacement in Justin Decker. Decker had been a long time coach at Coe College, and he was far from the only application received. “Basically, the way we did it was we had a online application that anybody could use to apply,” said Washington Athletic Director Paul James. “We had lots of applications to comb through.” During Sanchez’s three years as the men’s basketball coach, the Warriors had
Billy Lemos Staff Writer
Is Wrestling Dead?
Wrestling is a sport that is often criticized by students as being a display of two half-naked teenagers grabbing each other. There are so many stereotypes associated with wrestling that people avoid participating in it simply because they don’t want to be seen as one of these stereotypes. The team has seen the number of participants dipping down in recent years, as there isn’t as much of demographic for it in the Washington High School district. When asked why he thinks so many people reject wrestling and don’t find the sport appealing, Kenny Plume, ‘16, said, “I think people are just afraid of how challenging of a sport it is. They don’t want to try something new.” The fact that people think wrestling is 16
Sports
decent seasons, the most noteworthy being the 13-10 record, with 1,374 total points scored during the 2015 season. The Warriors ended up going to substate, only to lose to powerhouse Iowa City West, who later went on to win the state championship. “I’m pretty excited for the new coach,” said varsity shooting guard Luke Jonasson,‘17. “It seems like he really wants to connect better with us as a whole and not as individuals, but overall, we should be good and I think it will be a learning experience.” Coach Decker did not return our requests for an interview. The Warrior season begins this winter.
an unpopular sport isn’t something that people at schools like Prairie or LinnMar have to deal with. This may be due, in part, to the fact that the youth wrestling programs of a school like LinnMar are stronger and get people hooked at a younger age. If someone grows up playing a sport, they’re typically going to want to stick with it in the long run. There aren’t many people that want to join wrestling without the technical knowledge others have at the high school level. By the time you have passed through middle school, wrestling seems too intimidating to join. Another possible reason so many people stray away from wrestling, is that it conflicts with basketball season. This takes away many pos-
sible participants who would otherwise help our team win a few more matches that would otherwise be automatic forfeits. “It sucks because so many weight classes are just empty and become instant forfeits because there’s no one qualified to wrestle at them,” said Plume. Photo Courtesy of Surveyor Archives
Sports Editor
Gunnar Bosking
Anna Rizer Opinions Editor
Field of Dreams
For an athlete, being able to play the sport you love for your school sometimes means the world, so you wouldn’t want anything to stand in the way of that. That is what the Warrior baseball team is hoping to accomplish, but they need your help. Towards the end of September a capital campaign was launched in order to try to raise enough funds so the baseball team would be able to renovate and update their playing field. It’s an idea that has been in the works for a while. “When I took over the program a couple years ago, I put together a parent support group that has just kept gaining momentum,” head coach Scott Brune said. When dealing with problems such as poor playing field surface, bad lips on the in-field, and poor visibility, the cost can really start to go up, leaving the baseball team to raise $300,000, all through donations. “We’re just going out, reaching out to the community, and trying to get donations to resurface the field, re-do the batting cages and get another little practice facility on the side so we can accommodate all the players we have coming through the Warrior program,” Brune said. With a goal like that to reach, everyone is doing their share. “Right now, I’m suppose to be sending out letters to family members [and friends] to try and raise money,” Peter Greubal, ’17, said. If they get the money needed by the deadline, in February, then they will start the first phase of a two phase plan, which is focused on the player’s experience by renovating field, build practice field, and address safety concerns. Phase 1 – $300K of funding Player Experience – renovate field, build practice field, address safety concerns Regrade, irrigate, sod existing field Build a new practice field Improve batting cages Repair and maintain dugouts Fund Field maintenance and program operations Brandon Culen
Sports Editor
Phase 2 – Future funding Fan Experience Install backstop netting Lower/reposition dugouts for better viewing Increase seating Timing play a huge role in the foundation of this project, not just for meeting the funds deadline and getting a good head start before the season, but also when renovations will actually start. “Obviously the more time you wait, the push to get it done lets up, people start to not be as excited to give cause they don’t see anything right now, so the longer the wait, it takes off the ‘wow’ factor,” Brune said. If all goes according to plan, the baseball team is ‘shooting for breaking ground on the project by the end of the baseball season’, which is at the end of July, into August. For some players this is room for slight concern. “Honestly, I hope that I can play on it before I graduate, because it would be nice, no only to secure it for future kids, but be able to play on it myself,” Greubal said. For some however, the timing itself isn’t nearly as important or the focus of the actual project itself. “[The timing] is not going to bother me at all, I feel happy for the kids that will play on it,” teammate Johnny Dobbs, ’16, said. While this whole project is to benefit the players as a whole, that also includes the ones who have yet to make it up to high school. “It would be something that will keep kids in the program, younger kids coming through, it’s something to get excited about to play on,” Greubal said. When Brune took over the program a couple years ago it wasn’t as successful as it had been in past years, and now he is trying to ‘bring back the excitement and tradition of Warrior baseball and try to rebuild the program’, something he thinks this renovation will accomplish, not only to get current players excited about the
Problems with the baseball field 1. Current infield and outfield surface drainage system is “too good,” and does not retain enough moisture. 2. No irrigation in outfield, resulting in dry surface, damage during summer playing season. 3. Extreme drop off from infield to outfield. 4. Uneven outfield. 5. No space for additional practice field. 6. Not enough batting cages available for batting practice. 7. Old and limited fan seating. 8. Poor visibility through chain link fence wrapped around home plate, and in general. 9. Current dugouts are old, falling apart, and can promote safety hazards to players and coaching staff.
Photos by Brandon Cullen Sports
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new upgrades and playing surface, but the kids that will also be in the program in the years to come. If you wish to help support the Warriors Baseball team, donate, or learn more, you can visit the official site for the project at fixthefieldwhs.org. Nothing is too little as
Emily LaGrange News Editor
Photo by Anna Rizer
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Sports
in the words of Brune. “Everything helps, we need everyone’s help, so if you are willing and able to donate, we’d certainly appreciate it, and help out the baseball program and the Warrior community in general,” Brune said.
Born a Runner Coming across people in life that are truly incredible are few and far between. Adam Todd, ’18, is definitely one of these. Adam’s first years of life comprised of somewhat of an uphill battle. “Adam has a rare and severe form of childhoodonset epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS). It is characterized by frequent seizures of multiple types, mild to severe cognitive impairment and an abnormal EEG (a test of the electrical activity in the brain). He was diagnosed with epilepsy after having his first seizure at age three and a half years. About a year and a half later he was diagnosed with LGS,” said Sara Todd, Adam’s mother. Despite all of this, Adam is part of the men’s cross country team at Washington High School, and Sara owes it somewhat to one particular coach that got him into cross country in the first place. “While at Franklin Middle School, his PE teacher, Mrs. [Jennifer] Schnell, who was also the cross country coach, contacted us to suggest that Adam go out for cross country. She said he was a good runner and that he really seemed to enjoy it,” Sara said. Wash’s men’s cross country team thinks highly of Adam. “We love Adam. It’s fun having him on the team because he loves running and that rubs off on the rest of the team,” said the men’s cross country coach, Willis Harte. Along with this, Adam has always had the blood of a
runner. “My husband and I have both been runners for years, so Adam grew up around running, going to community races. He used to say he wanted to go running with us,” Sara said. Adam’s love for the sport is evident. “He looks forward to every practice and meet. He is really happy when he is running and he loves being a part of the team, hanging around the guys (and girls), riding the bus to meets. He has met so many people and his teammates and coaches look after him and encourage him. It gives him something to look forward to, be a part of,” Sara said. Running’s effects have become noticeable in Adam’s lifestyle. “He’s becoming a better runner, it’s helping him focus and it has a healing effect on his brain,” Sara said. Along with these improvements, Adam’s also experienced an improvement in his running. “He’s run at every meet this year and has recently finished his third race in a row which I think is a tremendous accomplishment,” Harte said. You can spot Sara and her husband cheering on Adam at any of his meets, clutching the leash of a furry, yellow dog. “About a year ago, we got Turbo, Adam’s service dog… We went to a two week camp where, first, Turbo picked Adam, which was an amazing thing to see… One of Turbo’s jobs is to alert us if Adam has a seizure. Fortunately, Adam has not had many seizures in the past year. Turbo sleeps next to Adam every night,” Sara said.
Sports Editor
Brandon Cullen
Closed for the Season Tyler McGuire Staff Writer The attraction has very good reviews, The haunted attraction Circle Of Ash has been closed for the 2015 season. They saying that it is very well priced for the have stated that it is due to the work on a amount of entertainment you are provided with. People also have said that it is very new attraction. Apparently the new attraction is going scary and that it is almost too much to to be one of “the scariest they’ve ever had!” handle, so be warned. Also take into consideration that there But don’t be too bummed out if you were planning on going to a haunted house this are NO REFUNDS. So if it is too much for year, you could still go to Scream Acres. you to handle and you must leave, you will Scream Acres is not get your money back. NO a three part attrac- ...the new attraction REFUNDS. tion complete with Some people have even said a haunted house, a is going to be one of that Scream Acres is better than haunted barn, and a the “scariest they’ve Circle Of Ash because the priceto-entertainment ratio is much corn maze, and each ever had!” better at Scream Acres. one is scarier than the last! It is open from 7-11 every Friday and Saturday night in October. It is located in Atkins, Iowa.
Rielle Jones-Teske Photo Editor
1. Turn left onto Thompson Dr SE 2. Turn left onto 1st Ave NE 3. Turn right onto 8th St NE 4. Merge onto I-380 S 5. Take exit 16 to merge onto US-30 W 6. Keep Right to merge onto US-30 W toward Tama 7. Keep left on US-218 N 8. Turn right onto 32nd Ave 9. Turn right onto 69th St 10. You’ve officially arrived at Scream Acres
Super Burrito
If you ever find yourself on the northwest side of town with a craving for Mexican food, you might consider stopping in to El Super Burrito and Lupita’s Bakery. This little shop has some of, if not the most, authentic Mexican cuisine in town. While there are other places in Cedar Rapids to get tacos or enchiladas to satisfy your craving, Super Burrito offers super friendly service and delicious food for a super affordable price. Plus if you go a few times, the staff starts treating you like family, remembering your orders, even celebrating your birthday by giving you free donuts. Before you even walk in the door you can see evidence of the homegrown ingredients that the staff use to create their tasty dishes. Outside the entrance are green peppers, grown for fajitas, and jalapenos which are featured in almost every dish. Addi Westpheling
Directions to Scream Acres from Washington:
A&E Editor
Upon entering, you will be greeted by the delightful aroma of fresh baked pastries. You look to the left and see a mouthwatering display of churros, donuts of the chocolate and sugar varieties, conchas, and their famous tres leches cake--of these, my personal favorite are the chocolate donuts. As you wait in line to order your food, you peruse the enormous menu that hangs behind the counter. You can tell just from the selection that this isn’t any common Mexican restaurant. You won’t find any burgers, hot dogs, or even a kids’ menu. In fact, you won’t find a kids’ meal at all. What you will see, however, is the huge selection of meats (including cow tongue, steak, chicken, and more) that you can pick from to put in your entree. And don’t worry, if you’re vegetarian,
they have options for you, too. You can make your burrito, enchilada, taco, quesadilla, fajita, or whatever else you’re getting veggie-only, or you can put in as many meats as you want. All in all, the combination of delicious food, friendly service, and a warm and relaxed atmosphere makes Super Burrito a great culinary experience. Address: 3300 Johnson Avenue NW Phone: (319) 366-1181 Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-9pm Sun, Mon 11am-8pm
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Freshmen Never Fail to Disappoint Sam Wicke Staff Writer This issue’s targeted group for advice are the sweet and innocent freshmen that don’t quite understand how life works. If you guys don’t want to be classified as stereotypical freshmen, then stop engaging in idiotic behaviors. For example, if you’re attending a sport event, you’d probably cheer for the team that you came to support. For some odd reason, attending Washington High School sporting events seems to be an exception to that social norm. Do you guys like being booed by your own peers when you fail to cheer? Do you like to have upperclassman come back and spray you with water like dogs? If you answered no to either of these questions I have the perfect solution for you. Cheer at the sporting events. “Whoa did he just ask us to cheer?” Yes I did, and for those of you who can’t comprehend the concept of “cheering”, it means to shout for
Emma Nassif Staff Writer
A&E
joy or in praise or encouragement. I know transitioning from the eighth grade years, where you “de-panted” and threw caramel apple suckers at each other, to high school years where you sit in the student section, may be a little difficult for most of you, but upperclassman and the trained sophomore class are here to help you if you have questions on how to scream, get crazy, and act psychotic during a sporting event.
Photo by Addi Westpheling
Photo from Surveyor archives
The Visit Review
“The Visit”, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a, “found-footage movie” about a single mother who sends her two kids off to their grandparents’ house while she and her newly found lover attend a cruise. The main characters are the two grandchildren, Becca and Tyler, the two grandparents, “Nana” and “Pop-Pop”, and the mother, played by actress Kathryn Hahn. The acting in this movie was done surprisingly well, considering the movie had a very low budget of an estimated five million dollars. Shyamalan creates a tense setting that eludes to feelings of something deep and dark. This is due to the granddaughter, Becca, and her ability to hold the camera, which allows the audience to experience a home-video style. Found-footage movies 20
“Cheering Editon”
are a popular subgenre of horror, and are becoming increasingly popular. The overall plot is decent, but it still has a few flaws. It left viewers with unanswered questions and unexplained results. Some plot points that were never explained revolved around the strange activities of the grandparents. This movie can be enjoyed with friends on a late night with a big bowl of popcorn, or with friends that don’t traditionally like horror movies, because this is not like traditional horror movies. One characteristic that separated this horror movie from other movies is its inclusion of comedy. If you were in attendance of this movie, you will undoubtedly be satisfied with its blend of thrills and laughs. Overall, I give this film a rating of two out of five stars, simply because of how av-
erage it was. This movie isn’t worth going to the movie theater for, rather, wait for it to come out on Netflix.
Poster from Universal Studios
A&E Editor
Addi Westpheling
Po Jammin’
NewBo PoJam “Brick and Mortar”
Addi Westpheling A&E Editor On October 3, 2015, Akwi Nji hosted the second annual NewBo PoJam themed Brick and Mortar at the Lion Bridge Brewing Company in Czech village. The Po Jam is a poetry slam accompanied by a musical band (hint: the name Po Jam). A poetry slam is a special occasion when all kinds of poets come together to perform and share their poetry with an audience by reading on stage with a microphone. The atmosphere of the place was so positive and welcoming with the very upbeat audience and performances, perfect for a poetry slam. The brewery was jam-packed with supporters of all ages that really made the performances come alive with the boisterous rounds of applause. The Jam part of the night was also fantastic. As the talented band played funky unique music, the crowd was vibin’ right along with the sweet melodies.
The NewBo PoJam was a hot spot for very talented poets of all ages and backgrounds with one thing in common, the love to perform and share poetry. Washington was well-represented with readings from alum, Olivia Long, and teacher, David Duer. Also, the crowd was filled with a large group of supportive Washington students and other poetry lovers. A very talented junior from Jefferson, Zahra Aalabdulrasul, also had stunning performances that were highlights of the night. Zahra’s performances “Hi, I’m Muslim” and “Dear Unborn Daughter”, spoke out against religious stereotypes and the burden innocent people have to carry for extremists. The performances we so powerful, and her fierce words still flow through my mind even today. She spoke with such poise and confidence that radiated off of her into the absorbed
audience. She spoke of things bigger than anyone could imagine; she spoke of change in a society of muslim stereotypes and the social injustices she faces everyday. By repeating the phrase “Hi, I’m Muslim” throughout her performance, she showed her courage to fight through these injustices and accept who she was. Overall, the PoJam was an uplifting experience that really opened my eyes to the power and impact of words. These words from all the poets, giving their time to share, will be in my mind forever. With each performance the room lit up with an audience hungry for more, souls feeding off the confident, powerful words. Moments like those are priceless, and performances like that, with such motivational messages, make the world a better place.
Photos from SPT Theater Facebook
Addi Westpheling
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“It’s not like Ron Swanson is standing there stopping you from going into the park.” -Mr. Clancy “They’ll scream, cry, throw babies --whatever you want.” -Mr. Miller “Happiness is boring.” -Mr. M “There is no normal force in drag --it’s a bunch of guys dressing up like women.” -Mr. Kleman “Doc Wenzel’s ring is brighter than my future.” -Mr. Witte SUBMIT YOUR #FACULTYFUNNIES TO @CRWASHSURVEYOR Drawing by Matthew Andersland
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