CR Wash Surveyor September 2016

Volume 60

Issue 1

23 September 2016

9/11 Fifteen Years Later (pgs. 10-11)

#BeDP Staff Editorial (pg. 7) Rookies of the Year- Introducing Wash’s New Administration (pgs. 14-15) Frank Ocean’s blond Review (pg. 20)

Meet the Editors...

Emily LaGrange- Editor-in-Chief

Billy Lemos- Webmaster

Sarah Altemeier- News Editor

Addi Westpheling- A&E and Design Editor

Ben Janssen- Managing Editor

Brandon Cullen- Copy, Design, and Print Sports Editor

Claire McKinstry- Profiles Editor

Jillian Gannon- Opinions Editor Matthew Andersland- Business Manager

Rielle Jones-Teske- Media Editor Gunnar Bosking- Copy and Web 2

Staff Box

Sports Editor

Seth Keppler- Media Editor

Editor-in-Chief

Emily LaGrange

... and the Staff Reporters

Julia Carlson

Araya Dunne

Bryan Gosch

Kate McCartan

Tyler McGuire

Andy O’Neill

Maggie Rinas

Quinn Wilcox 3

Staff Box

Quinn Spivey

Mariah Rodriguez

Becca Turnis

Editor-in-Chief

Emily LaGrange

Mission

News Gone 5 Pokémon Lochte Not Locked Up

6 Guatemala Fever

Longer Weekend?

Opinions

7 #BeDP The Downsides of the Olympics 8 Unimportant Terrorism Horrible Morning Traffic

9 Road Construction

Feature 10-11

9/11 Fifteen Years Later

Profiles Bachelor of the Month 13 Freshman 2000 Chrysler Town and Country

14-15 Rookies of the Year

Sports

16 Summer Sports Seek Spark Revenge of the Warriors

17 The Olympics

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.

Non-Discrimination Policy 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.

Putting for State

18 7 Interesting Facts about Kingston Stadium

A&E

19 The Pig & Porter Almost, Maine

20 blond

21 Battle of the Bath Bombs

Staff Photos by Brandon Cullen and Rielle JonesTeske Back Cover by Claire McKinstry

Backpage

The Gold Leef

Emily LaGrange

Editor-in-Chief

Table of Contents

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NE

Becca Turnis Staff Reporter What was once the number one app of the summer is now losing its massive popularity. Pokemon GO has fallen to number 43 on the App Store’s free chart. A new report from gamerant.com shows that despite its remaining profitability, Pokemon GO has lost about 79 percent of its user base since its peak on July 15, 2016. “I stopped about two weeks after it came out.

I only got to level six or seven,” Cameron Adams, ‘17, said.

One of the main reasons for the decline was the amount of effort players had to put in. “It’s a lot of work to go out and walk around every day,”Adams said.

Another reason was the multiple server issues and glitches with key features like tracking and the spawn of certain Pokemon. “There were too many Pidgeys and Rattatas,” Adams said.

One of the other major complaints was the lack of player to player interaction. “I’d

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really like to see trading…. And player to player battles,” Corporon said.

The game is steadily improving though.

As of now, the servers are fairly reliable and there aren’t any significant glitches.

On Sept. 13, an update was released which included a new buddy system for trainers to earn extra candy with their Pokemon.

The game may have lost many players, but the game’s developer, Niantic, hopes that new updates will drive popularity. According to gamenguide.com and pokemongohub.net, updates involving trading, new Pokemon, player to player battles and a fix for the tracking system are rumored for October, January, and May, respectively. The rules for trading are already included in the game’s terms of service. Also as revealed at the Apple event on Sept. 7, a version of the app will become available on the Apple watch.

Many people are hoping for the game

to expand and live up to its hype. “People were really excited for it and now they’re asking ‘is that it?” Adams said.

“I’d definitely return [if trading and battling we’re introduced.], Corporon said. Niantic wants people to be patient. “All we can do now is wait.”, Adams said.

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Lochte Not Locked Up

Addi Westpheling A&E Editor

The scandal that shook the Olympics took place early Aug. 14 at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four Olympic swimmers, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, James Feigen and the gold medalist, Ryan Lochte were all involved in what is now to be said an act of vandalism. The incident was initially reported by Lochte as a robbery in which the swimmers were held at gunpoint after returning home from a latenight party. After a police investigation, Lochte’s original reporting was discovered to be false.

The investigation revealed the truth of the incident in which the swimmers were at fault. At a gas station in Rio, the swimmers were stopped by security guards and forced to pay 50 dollars for an act of vandalism. The surveillance video released

by Brazilian police matches the claims of Bentz, Conger and Feigen, but Lochte’s initial claim didn’t match up. What really

Sarah Altemeier

News Editor

happened that night was that the swimmers stopped at this gas station to use the restroom only to find out it was closed.

They decided to urinate outside the build-

Lochte faced many consequences including the embarrassment of the entire Olympic Committee due to what he stated as his “immature behavior”. He has recently taken full responsibility for his over-exaggeration of the Olympic scandal. As far as settling the case goes with the Brazilian authorities, Lochte has agreed to pay $10,800 to a charity. As for the other swimmers, no charges were brought against them.

Lochte’s career as an Olympic swimmer has taken a hit from the whole scandal. He has lost numerous sponsors due to his immature actions such as Speedo and Polo Ralph Lauren. He is suspended from swimming for 10 months and is ineligible to participate in the 2017 World Championship Meet.

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ing and this is when Lochte tore down a framed poster from the building’s wall.

News

5

Guatemala Fever Andy O’Neil Staff Reporter

Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Burke

James Burke’s trip to Guatemala is well advertised and thought of around school.

Burke, a Spanish two and four teacher, takes about 18 students once or twice a year through the organization called Imagin Guatemala. During this nine day trip, one will explore the culture of Guatemala, expand Spanish abilities, and take five days to build homes for selected families in need. The students will live with host families in the city of Antigua and will travel to Panajachel to wander through various markets. For people who have gone on this trip, the experience is eye-opening.

Burke has gone to Guatemala 6 times total and 5 times with Wash students who have built 21 houses in all, but this last trip during June 7th to the 16th was different.

Almost every student, Burke, and Sarah Howell, a former Washington Spanish one and two teacher, got sick in some way.

The two most common symptoms

seemed to be vomiting and diarrheasome kind of intestinal illness- that lasted as little as one day or as long as three days.

Their levels in severity varied amongst everyone. At this time, there was Zika virus scare in that part of the world, but none of the illnesses were Zika related. Burke said, “I still don’t know why everyone got sick.

We all ate at the same restaurants, and the organization does a good job of ensuring we only drink bottled water.” Considering all of that, they still got sick but their host families took care of them while they couldn’t go out during the day. Some were described as “about to blow”, but some will say that being sick added to their experiences.

Although everyone did get sick, they still got everything that the trip has to offer. Burke said, “The positives outweighed the negatives”. The students will say that building the houses was the most signifi-

Seth Keppler Staff Reporter

Longer Weekends?

Coming into the new school year, students of the Cedar Rapids School District have been gifted with early-out dismissals every Friday. The change to the schedule is due to staff needing the time to improve on their practices according to Dr. Brad Buck, superintendent of CRCSD. In previous years, like the 2014 - 2015 school year, there were scheduled earlyouts every other Wednesday. Those days were also considered as a chance for teachers to work while students got dismissed early. Last school year the district had scattered designated staff work days, unlike this school year’s scheduled staff work days every Friday.

Not only does it give students a slightly longer weekend, it can give them time to finish any homework assignments, before they officially start their weekend. “I think they’re a good idea because they start the weekend early,” Lincoln Riley, ‘19, said.

Other students like Nolan Potter, the early out dismissals do not make a difference.

“Half days for me, don’t make a difference because after school I gotta be ready for the football game.” Potter, ‘18 said.

While the early-outs are popular with students, the early-out schedule is not so popular with Burke. “As of yet to me the time is not worth sacrificing class time. I haven’t yet gained enough to believe that [meetings and staff learning time] is worth the time I’m missing in class,” Burke said.

Even though the designated staff work days may not be effective for an experienced teacher, such as Burke, other less experienced teachers might need that work time. “I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to collaborate with my PLC on a regular basis. We’ve only had a few meetings so far, but I’ve enjoyed the experience of working with other LA 9 teachers to improve our teaching.” said Mark Hilton,

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cant part of the trip. “It was the first time I had gone to a third-world country, so it presented me with an opportunity to help people in need, which for me was the most important part,” said Charlie Schweiger, ’17 They learned a lot of lessons, such as learning how much privilege we have living in a first-world country. The trip taught them that it doesn’t take much to be happy.

“Now I don’t sweat the little stuff so much,” said Kayti Schuler, ’16.

Burke is currently in the making of 2017’s trip, and he encourages everyone to go.

The trip usually is in March but this year the trip will be in June of 2017, after the state soccer tournament. Interested students should watch the announcements, and if they have any specific questions find Mr. Burke in room 132 or any students who have been on the trip before.

a Language Arts teacher at Wash.

Although feelings may be mixed now, only time will determine if the early-outs are beneficial to both teachers and students.

News Editor

Sarah Altemeier

#BeDP

Staff Editorial

On August 2, 2016, Dr. Ralph Plagman (better known as DP) retired from his post as principal at Wash. His resignation came in the wake of a student-teacher sex scandal involving former substitute English teacher, Mary Beth Haglin. Plagman’s sudden retirement came as a shock to Warrior students, teachers, parents, and alumni across Iowa and the entire country.

It’s well known that Plagman was a man of high caliber who always put his students first. He made the point to learn everybody’s name, attended every athletic and performing arts event, and helped his students, whom he cared so deeply about.

After his sudden retirement, outrage and heartbreak was felt by all those he had positively impacted. People took to social media to share their favorite memories of him while they were at Wash.

Plagman will forever be missed by all and can never be replaced, but we believe that it’s time for us as students to move on and preserve his legacy. The students are the only ones who have the power to keep the greatness of Washington High School moving onward.

We fully believe in Dr. Grant and his ability to run a nationally-esteemed high school, but we also believe in the students themselves to uphold our values.

The students can do that by doing the little things that Plagman used to do, like

going to every athletic event possible, including the ones that didn’t normally have student sections, like cross country and bowling meets.

We can tirelessly encourage others to take AP classes and tests to ensure that our #1 spot on the AP index doesn’t get overtaken by lesser institutions like LinnMar and Kennedy.

Seriously though, KEEP WASH AT #1!

This is why we at The Surveyor are going to start a program called #BeDP. Every Monday, we will tweet out ways that you, the students, can be DP. There is no singular person who can do every single thing that DP did, but we as a student body absolutely can.

We will also tweet out the upcoming activities schedules and will encourage you all to attend these events like he did during his time here. Tributes to the great man can be made at his retirement open house on Sunday, Oct. 23, from 1:00-4:00 PM in the Wash cafeteria and courtyard. A short program will take place at 2:30 p.m. and video tributes will be shown at the top of each hour.

All the staff here at The Surveyor have a message to the rest of the student body: remember that even in DP’s absence, it always was, always is, and always will be a great day to be a Warrior.

9/23-Homecoming-7:00-11:00 9/24-Marching Band Linn Mar competition-10:00-6:00 -9th Grade Football-10:00 9/26-9th Volleyball at Wash- 5:00 9/27-V Swimming at Wash-6:00 -Soph and V Volleyball at Wash-5:30 -Cross Country Muscatine Invitational 9/28- Men’s JV golf Ryder Cup -Cultural Diversity Workshop

9/29-9th Volleyball at Wash-5:00 9/30-Soph and V football at Kingston-5:00 10/4-Men’s Golf Regional 10/6-Soph JV V MVC Supermeet Cross Country-3:30 10/7-Men’s State Golf 10/8-Marching Band at Kingston-9:00-11:00 -Men’s Golf State

Nine out of nine editors agree

There is no singular person who can do every single thing that DP did, but we as a student body absolutely can.

Photo by Elena Burrier

10/10-JV Volleyball at Wash-5:00 -Marching Band at Kingston-6:00-9:00 10/13-9th Volleyball at Wash-5:00 -Soph V Football at Kingston 10/19-Volleyball Regional 10/20-Leadership Retreat -Cross Country State Qualifier -9th Football at Kingston-7:00 10/21-Leadership Retreat

Upcoming Events Jillian Gannon

Opinions Editor

Opinions

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Downsides of the Olympics While the Olympics are one of the most thrilling spectacles of sport Quinn Spivey to watch, the Staff Reporter unseen negative effects of these games are never brought to the forefront. This problem originates before games even occur. The corruption of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and their ability to turn a blind eye has taken a toll on many of the previous hosting cities, especially Rio. The IOC promised to make the city of Rio a better place, as it says to every potential host city every two years.

What the IOC and the city of Rio failed to address is the already prevalent problems that had not been moving towards a solution. One of the biggest problems the city is facing is the Zika virus, a virus that has

caused brain damage in over one thousand babies. Along with the virus, the waters are riddled with garbage and are toxic. There are 40 Olympic events that take place in this contaminated water. Not only are there health concerns for the citizens, but the same could be said for the athletes.

The venues that held the games required an enormous amount of space. As a result entire communities were demolished. People were forced out of their homes to make way for the establishing of the venues.

Many of them received little to no notice and were displaced against their will. Most venues that hold the games are never used again, leaving places that used to be communities as relative ghost towns.

Just look back the 2004 Olympics in Greece. The Olympics Baseball Centre in Hellinikon, Greece has a capacity of 8,700 people. Greece is not a country that has any use for a baseball stadium, as the sport

is not generally played at all in the country.

As a result, today the Olympics Baseball Centre is rivaling the look of the ancient ruins from the very first Olympics in Greece some 3000 years ago. Put simply, there are too many venues with not enough purpose or usefulness moving forward. According to Oxford Olympic Study, the Rio Olympics cost an estimated 4.56 billion dollars to host, and I believe this money was put to waste.

It seems like it brings at best temporary economic hope for the host cities, but long term economic disaster,� said Warren Sprouse, a social studies teacher at Wash.

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Unimportant Terrorism On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight Kate McCartan 175 were both Staff Reporter hijacked and flown directly into the World Trade Center in New York City. Three thousand innocent lives were taken that day, and it is widely regarded as one of the most tragic events in American history. Fifteen years later, America is still recovering.

In the month of the fifteenth anniversary, I can’t help but think of the terrorist attacks that have happened over this past year.

There were attacks in Paris, Brussels, and Nice, happening four months apart, which each received an abundance of attention from the media. These attacks were all very

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Opinions

devastating, and their significance should absolutely not be minimized, but what is fascinating is the number of terror attacks that have taken place in the Middle East that are never reported in our media.

For example, on November 12, 2015, the day before the attack in Paris, there was an attack by ISIS in Beirut, Lebanon that killed 43 people and injured 239 when twin suicide bombs went off in a town market.

The attack received close to no media attention.

In April 2015, 146 Christian students in Kenya were killed by Islamic extremist group, al-Jihaad. Did you know this event even occurred? Chances are that you didn’t, because, like the attack in Beirut, it was virtually ignored by Western media outlets. Why is it that these attacks, killing just as many people, if not more, are so blatantly disregarded by the media?

The first thing that comes to your mind

might be that the Western media is just racist. While there may be some bias of this type, the more likely explanation is that western journalists aim to make money, and to do this, they must please their readers.

According to research done by the Washington Post, people are more likely to feel concern for victims they can identify with. The majority of the American population can identify with Europeans better than they can with Kenyans, likely because they come from European backgrounds.

While it is somewhat deplorable that the media picks and chooses which tragedies to cover, it is not entirely their fault. They are only trying to please us, the readers.

Maybe it is time the media takes a step back and realizes there are major problems happening all over the world, and not just in more developed countries.

Opinions Editor

Jillian Gannon

Terrible Morning Traffic Julia Carlson Staff Reporter We’ve all experienced the chaos of trying to make our way out of the jock lot at the end of the school day, but is the new district morning start time creating another traffic disaster?

Since the first day of the 2016-2017 school year, the lines of cars on Washington High School’s cross streets have been getting longer and longer. The four way stop at Cottage Grove Road and Forest Drive gets increasingly slow and crowded.

Even accidents are becoming a result of the traffic. “I was driving up Cottage Grove and the car in front of me slammed on the brakes so hard,” Rachel Hartwig, ’18, said.

“I almost hit it, but thought Oh good, and then lady behind me rear ended me and another hit her and possibly even another

Becca Turnis Staff Reporter

school year, but for now, Wash students will have to toughen up and keep squeezing into whatever spots they can find for the next eight months.

The city planned more than 30 projects for this season including major work on 1st Avenue, C Avenue, and Collins Road and 42nd Street. Now it’s the middle of September and most of these projects remain in progress. Fall may have just started, but winter is coming. Most of the projects are on or ahead of schedule, but it’s still cutting it a little close. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be navigating through the cones when the snow starts coming.

Luckily there’s only one project on cites list that goes past October 31. Hopefully, none of you need to use 3rd Avenue downtown till January.

One of the less ugly aspects of construction is the expense. The city is spending more than 21 million dollars on roads this year. That may sound like a lot but that’s about .02 percent of the city’s 9.96 billion dollar total budget. It’s really astonishing how little they’re actually spending.

All in all construction is pretty awful but we’re either complaining about the cones or the terrible roads. Either way, we’re all just complaining.

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Construction

Construction is the worst. It takes forever, it makes traffic a mess and it’s generally a pain. According to cedar-rapids.org, there are currently nine construction projects in progress on the northeast and southeast sides of the city. Most aren’t slated to be finished until late October.

Don’t worry, it gets worse. As of now, there’s work for the stretch of 1st Avenue from 27th Street to 40th Street scheduled on and off from now until November 2018.

Ugh. At least the city scrapped the Collins Road overhaul that was scheduled to last until 2017.

According to the Iowa DOT, the construction season this year kicked off on April 3.

Jillian Gannon

one. My car had no damage done, but I ended up being late to class on the first day of school.”

Not only is the traffic terrible, but parking is a nightmare. Students can’t even find a spot 10 minutes before their first hour class starts, resulting in many students stepping into the building as tardy.. “Yeah I have lots of problems finding a spot in the jock lot every morning and I have to go through shortcuts to get one because everybody leaves for school at the exact same time,” said Donovan Beard, ‘17.

Luckily, since the school year began, students have learned what time to leave for school early enough to get the best parking space possible, even if it’s 40 minutes before the final bell. “I feel like to decrease the traffic in the jock lot, we should make the freshmen and sophomores park in the north lot,” said Beard ‘17.

Solutions to this problem are being taken into consideration for the 2017-2018

Opinions Editor

Photo by: Kyle Phillips

Opinions

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9/11 Fifteen Years Later How Our Generation Views One of America’s Greatest Tragedies Emily LaGrange Editor-in-Chief On Sept. 11, 2001, the United States experienced one of its greatest modernday tragedies. It was 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning in New York City when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City came crashing down. The attack was initiated by 19 members of an Islamic extremist group, al-Qaeda, with the use of two Boeing 767 jet planes. A third plane was flown into the Pentagon, right outside Washington D.C., and another crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. The result? The death of not only these 19 militant hijackers, but also that of over 3,000 Americans. Of the 90,000 people in the World Trade Center on any given day, 18 were rescued from the rubble.

Fifteen years later, 9/11 is still remembered

by Americans nation-wide, but is becoming less and less relevant to younger generations. How has this inevitable generational gap impacted our views of 9/11 and what does this mean for us?

they were technically alive, they see it as something that happened in the past,” said Dr. Amy Jones, a social studies teacher at Wash.

A Teacher’s Perspective In fact, 2016 is the first year that high school freshmen will be taught about 9/11 in school, but not have been alive for it.

“I was just talking to my juniors-- I don’t think they remember the event, but I do think they know it affects their lives,” said Frank Scherrman, a social studies teacher at Washington High School.

A Student’s Perspective From the standpoint of a current high school student, 9/11 is often quite difficult to envision and relate its impact on their current lives. “In my life it hasn’t personally affected me, only because it was a year before I was born and so I wasn’t around to have it actually have some sort of an impact on my life. But, in general, in the world I live in, it has had a huge impact,” said Ellen Houtz, ’20.

For others, the impact is quite obvious.

“There is not a doubt in my mind that 9/11 changed our country, thus changing its people’s lives. However, as a white female, the gravity of the impact it has on me is minuscule compared to its impact on the lives of those who are of Middle Eastern descent,” said Elizabeth McDermott, ’18.

Many young people have a hard time grasping what life was like in the US before the 9/11 attack. “[Students] that travel just know that the security that they have to go through at airports, that the heightened security around the nation, comes from 9/11-- and at the same time, that’s all they know,” said Scherrman.

It’s often obvious how oblivious students are to 9/11 and its impact. “I think students see it the same as they see Pearl Harbor, they have no concept of it. It’s something that happened. I think even though

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The famous ‘Where were you on 9/11?’ question is one that can be asked, and often thoroughly answered, by those that were old enough to experience it. “I was [at Wash]. I remember absolutely everything about that day. There was a homecoming assembly that day, it was homecoming week. I was in the counseling office and I happened to get a call from my wife that said, ‘You should really turn on the TV, something happened in New York.’

I can remember being in the counseling office, turning on the TV, and watching the second plane hit live. It was 8 o’clock our time, so kids were in class. But it really wasn’t until after the assembly that most of the school realized something was up,” said Scherrman.

Since 9/11, higher security regulations have been set in places like airports and other areas of high transportation rates. “I do [think we are right in having so much

security and caution to letting in potential terrorists] because it’s better to be safe than sorry,” said Houtz.

On the other side of the token, the great security measures seem a little too great.

“My privilege blinds me from knowing exactly how [those of Middle Eastern descent’s] lives are affected, but from having multiple, long conversations with one of my good friends whose family immigrated from Egypt and are practicing Muslims, I have had the ability to somewhat grasp the hatred that is directed to her simply because of the color of her skin and the God she believes in. For example, her entire family gets ‘randomly’ checked every time they fly and her parents have even suggested that she not observe the hijab because they fear she will not be granted as many opportunities because others fear her and her faith. Like I said, I will never be able to understand how their lives have changed and the atrocities they go through, but this seems to give me some idea of the punishment they receive everyday for a crime they did not commit,” said McDermott.

9/11’s Current Influence Many believe that the 9/11 attacks have influenced a great deal of overall disrespect or misunderstanding toward minority cultures in the US. “I think [9/11] has only served to make us more closeminded and to make us more open to fearlaced demagoguery. I feel like it’s made us more fractured, more nationalistic, and less tolerant,” said Jones.

Beside this, 9/11 attacks have made some Americans more wary of their safety in the US. “I think we are definitely much more aware of the possibility of attack. The thought process of ‘this can’t happen to us again’ is not there. It’s not really if, it’s when,” said Scherrman.

Editor-in-Chief

Emily LaGrange

This year’s acknowledgment of 9/11 was seen, on national TV, with great controversy. A handful of NFL players knelt during the National Anthem prior to their game this Sunday, Sept. 11-- the NFL’s first Sunday of the regular season. This was the aftermath of Colin Kaepernick’s preseason protests against police brutality and racial injustice, in which he kneeled during the National Anthem as well.

Many people took to Twitter, voicing their opinions on these NFL players’ protests, including Kate Upton whose opinion opposed the football players’ actions.

“Kate Upton is speaking from a position of privilege, and unfortunately she fails to recognize this. Odds are she has never had to deal with the types of race bias and brutality that many blacks and Latinos have experienced in their neighborhoods. She hasn’t experienced what the families of Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, or the countless others have had to experience.

I don’t think Kate Upton is racist, I don’t think she wants to offend those families-I just think she is ignorant to the things that minorities have had to experience for the entire existence of this nation,” said Emmanuel Hidalgo-Wohlleben, ’17.

The fact that this protest happened on 9/11 was, indeed, unsettling for some, but for others it was seen as the perfect time. “My personal take on that is, first of all, you have to consider what your definition of patriotism is. If your definition of patriotism includes a desire to make this country continually grow in pursuit of actually embodying the ideals that we were founded upon-- things like equality, justice, rule of law, and the rights of citizens, namely freedom of speech-- if exercising those rights and engaging in the pursuit of those ideals becoming realized in our national fabric is patriotic, then what they [did was] patriotic,” said Jones.

Some believe that the acknowledgement of 9/11 and its effects on American society represent the best times to practice America’s greatest freedom. “In terms of [the NFL players] continuing this protest during 9/11, I don’t really see the problem.

9/11 is a day where we remember and mourn the lives of all the Americans that died on that day, and celebrate everything that makes this country wonderful. One of those wonderful things is our freedom to protest, and there is no better way to

Emily LaGrange

celebrate that freedom than to utilize it,” said Hidalgo-Wohlleben.

For many, it’s difficult to determine a onesided opinion on the issue. “I think it’s perfectly fine, they absolutely have the right. I support Kaepernick, these guys, they have the right to do it. On that day, maybe that day of all days might have not been the time to do it. But at the same time, if you’re trying to make a stand, why not that day? I’m really torn. I don’t think they did it to be disrespectful to the 9/11 victims,” said Scherrman.

Still, the issue continues to revolve around how to deal with opposing opinions. “I definitely feel for both sides of the issueI can see how some people, especially those who are associated with the military, are offended because if there is one thing America loves, it’s national pride. But, I find myself sympathizing more with the football players,” said McDermott.

Sometimes, protests like these are taken by the population as inappropriate before the reasoning behind them are brought to the surface. “Celebrities and public figures are always pushed to use their fame for good and rally their fans around a cause, and that is exactly what these football players are trying to do. They saw something that was wrong in our country and decided to do what they could to change it. However, instead of getting praised for their activism, they are being accused of hating America. I am not anti-America or unpatriotic by any means. I know that the national anthem is symbolic of the men and women in the military, whom I am forever indebted to, but I believe that just because one advocates for change in our country does not mean they do not love our country,” said McDermott.

Many Americans see the acknowledgement of 9/11 nation-wide as a day of solemnity.

“I do really think that that day, even 15 years later, it’s still fresh in people’s minds.

And I do think it is treated as a solemn day.

I think most people woke up on Sunday, and even if they didn’t think about it, as soon as they found out it was 9/11, they knew. There’s just something about this day,” said Scherrman.

On the other hand, some may see it as a day that should regard a higher respect than it does. “For me, as a historian, I think about how other days are recognized and

Editor-in-Chief

those traditions are born over time, and so I don’t know if part of my inclination to maybe say no [that 9/11 acknowledgement is not appropriate to the overall suffering that happened] is just that there hasn’t been enough time. And what I mean by that is yes, people do stuff, but it’s not mainstream. I don’t feel like we have a national-level tribute that has yet become an American tradition,” said Jones.

Just because 9/11 is a day of remembrance, some believe that it’s okay to go beyond this-- not as a form of disrespect, but as a form of exercising what it means to be American. “National pride is huge in our country, which not a bad thing. We live in an incredible place and enjoy freedoms that citizens of many other countries do not; however, sometimes we are blinded by our immense love of America, that we fail to take a walk in someone else’s shoes and see the imperfections that we also have. Although 9/11 should always be a day of somber remembrance of that horrific tragedy, it does not mean that we cannot also use it to promote change. In my opinion, a white female, blinded by her own privilege, has no right to criticize a group of African Americans who are simply trying to peacefully protest racial inequalities that are often overlooked. So yes, 9/11 should always be remembered, but it is not the only horrific thing that has/is happening to our country,” said McDermott.

On a closing note, here is something to keep in mind: While 9/11 is an important day in American history and should be acknowledged with the utmost respect, some say we should not forget those that have been victim to internal terrorism. “So many Americans die daily being shot by other Americans, how does it make those days any less important than 9/11? There’s not a day in this country where Americans don’t die from violence. In my opinion, quite frankly, I think we should be a little bit more concerned about the violence we’re doing to each other before we get into worrying about the much smaller amount of violence that’s done by outside forces,” said Jones.

Feature

11

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2000 Chrysler Town and Country Claire McKinstry Profiles Editor some of the duct tape on the exterior. “I was driving to school one day and I had a slight cold, so I sneezed and rear-ended this lady...and broke her shoulder. My bumper exploded so I had to do some repairs. It started off with just little repairs but then I got carried away,” said Wickham.

Gold Leef is basically the mobile version of Eric Forman’s basement. It’s a hangout place for any time of the day, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. The van is often filled to capacity with passengers, with the mood lighting on, and Kodak Black blaring through the speakers, just the way Wickham likes it. “My favorite part about the van is just hanging in it with friends and driving around,” said Wickham.

Assuming it doesn’t break down and no more sneezing incidents occur, Gold Leef will live on for years to come. The Wash duct tape won’t be on for much longer, so be sure to keep an eye out for his next theme--Harambe’s Jungle.

photos by Claire McKinstry

You’ve undoubtedly seen a gold Chrysler minivan adorned with Wash themed duct tape sitting in the jock lot or driving all over Cedar Rapids. The famous van belongs to Ethan Wickham, ’17, who has put his own spin on an average 2000 Chrysler Town & Country.

Gold Leef, the official name of the van, is pretty self-explanatory. “The van is made of real gold, so I had to give it a fitting name,” said Wickham.

Formerly sporting Hawkeye duct tape, the van got a makeover last spring, and is due for another one soon. In addition to the attention-grabbing outside, the inside has its own unique qualities. Wickham removed the middle row of seats to make more room in the van, attached a dashboard hula girl, and has also added some other components to further improve the ambiance.

“I’ve improved the interior with green shaggy carpet and black lights. I’m going to put in more lights, also,” said Wickham.

Surprisingly, there is actually a need for Flame illustration CC by Luc Viatour

Get Yo’Self a Man Sarah Altemeier News Editor

photo by Matthew Andersland

Claire McKinstry

Profiles Editor

Looking for a brown eyed, brown haired, 5’4” cutie for this fall season?

Surveyor has found the man for you!

Jeffrey Abraham participates in show choir, orchestra, football, piano, basketball, and boy scouts, but he still has time for a special lady too! If you’re looking for a nice math tutor, someone to eat pizza and tacos with, or just hangout and watch a football or basketball game, Jeffery is the perfect match for you. He is very sincere, determined, and a genuinely sweet guy, ready to find the girl of his dreams!

Profiles

13

Rookies of the Year

Sarah Altemeier News Editor

From head to toe and everything in between, Dr. Ralph Plagman was Washington High School’s backbone for the past 35 years. With wisdom, a clear vision, enthusiasm, and the most Warrior spirit, Plagman successfully worked, with the accompaniment of the dedicated Paul James and Michael Johnson and Valerie Nyberg, to make Wash the best school around.

As the new school year came near, retirements and sex scandals left us with three new administrators, Dr. Carlos Grant, Darius Ballard and Grant Schultz as our interim principal, associate principal, and interim activities director, respectively.

Previously the principal at Metro High School for two years, Grant applied for this position two months after becoming the executive director for middle level education and personalized learning.

“It was a very unique situation with the retirement of Dr.Plagman. This position became open and it was very apparent that there was a need for leadership to step in and kind of keep the school moving in a positive direction. I think that I applied for this role because I thought that I had the skill set to do so. As someone who highly respects Dr. Plagman and understands, to some degree, his vision for this school, I just figured that I was somebody that could, if the Warrior nation was willing to let me, lead in this interim time,” Grant said.

Before coming to Wash, Ballard taught biology at Jefferson High School before becoming an instructional designs strategist, teaching for part of the time then coaching teachers for the remainder of his day. He also coached men’s soccer, announced sporting events, and DJ’d school dances. Ballard is happy with his switch of position. “From a personal perspective, I really wanted to work with a lot of students.

As a teacher you can only work with about 150 in a day, whereas doing this job, I can work with 1,600 a day, potentially. I liked Wash specifically because of the reputation we have as a school, and what matters to us matters to me in my core beliefs. It was a good fit,” Ballard said.

Schultz may look familiar to some

14

Profiles

students, as he was a PE teacher at Arthur Elementary. He later became a PE curriculum facilitator, then the district wellness director. He coached football and track at Franklin. Schultz has always dreamed of having this job. “I had some familiarity with some of the students, being at Arthur, already having a connection with not only the kids, but some of the parents and then I knew some of the staff here as well. I’ve always kind of dreamt of being an athletic director. I like organizing and planning things, I like working with kids obviously, students, and I like seeing them succeed,” Schultz said.

“With the rich profound and proud culture that exists in this building, it is unlike any other school you might come across.”

These three all look forward to learning and continuing the many traditions Washington has carried out in the past, “I’m most looking forward to learning all of the intricacies of what it means to be a Warrior. People who are not connected to the school, don’t know what it means to be a Warrior. With the rich profound and proud culture that exists in this building, it is unlike any other school you might come across. For me, I’m just eager to learn what all that means, what all that entails, and also just looking forward to pushing forward the agenda of high level learning for all kids.

That’s something I am passionate about, doesn’t matter what building I’m in, my goal is to make sure we have the right structure and the right type of mindset. Selfishly, I’m also just really excited for the after school components, my past jobs haven’t had very robust fine arts or athletic departments, but then you come to a school like Wash, and they are all around you,” said Grant.

Each administrator has his own goals set for this year, “I’m a thrill seeker, so I’m willing to try all kinds of stuff. I’m going to see if I can add some extra spice to the gumbo,” said Ballard with a smile.

Becoming an activities director is something Schultz has had in the back of his mind for a long time. “I’m going to work hard to maintain all of the activities and all the things that have been kind of traditions here at Wash. I want to get to know as many of the students as I can, staff same thing, and even families. When I was in high school, looking forward to what I wanted to achieve and do, I’m doing, this is kind of what I’ve always dreamed of,” Schultz said when responding to what his goals were for this year.

In his free time, Grant might be bumping to hip hop like Kool Moe Dee, Run DMC, or Outkast on his way to Bata’s, Granite City, or Tic Toc. If he were to be stranded on an island he would want to be with his best friend, his wife. “I want kids to know that I truly love education, I’m a geek for it. I don’t know if that makes me a nerd, or what, but I just get so excited when kids progress in whatever they are in, whether it is athletically, performing arts, academically, or all of the above. I’m just a geek for learning and I love innovation, thinking of new ways to do things differently. I am not a traditionalist. I struggle when people say to, “just go with the flow.” I consider myself to be an education transformative agent, per say,” Grant said.

Being a part-time DJ makes it sort of hard for Ballard to choose his favorite artist, but at the moment he prefers listening to Pitbull. After being stranded on an island with Jesus Christ, and learning if all the stories are true or not, Ballard would love to fill his stomach with Irish Democrat, Granite City, Burgerfeen, or Leonardo’s.

Bear Grylls, the survivor man, will swiftly get Schultz off a deserted island, and possibly even listen to some older hard rock, Metallica with him. With his three kids and wife, Schultz enjoys eating at Starlite, Parlor City, and Need Pizza.

Taking over the jobs of Paul James, Michael Johnson, and Ralph Plagman, these three new members of the Warrior family have big shoes to fill, but they each have the experience, vision, passion, and their own unique personality to keep Wash on top.

Profiles Editor

Claire McKinstry

New Administration Facts Dr. Carlos Grant

Grant Schultz Position: Interim Athletic Director Previous job: District wellness director Responsibilities: Organizing athletic events, arranging transportation, maintaining the school activities calendar, coordinating school fundraising projects, etc.

Claire McKinstry

Darius Ballard

Position: Interim Principal

Position: Associate Principal

Previous job: Metro High School principal

Previous job: Biology teacher at Jeff and instructional design strategist

Responsibilities: Representing Wash, supervising and evaluating staff, conducting inservice training programs, evaluating student grievances, coordinating student recognition programs, working with Student Senate, etc.

Profiles Editor

Responsibilites: Supervising building security, safety, and parking, coordinating supervision, coordinating class activities, supervising maintenance and student activities, etc.

Photo by Katie Heinemann, Monument

Profiles

15

Summer Sports Seek Spark Bryan Gosch Staff Reporter The 10th inning is deep into effect, your body and wits are strained by time and action. As you walk your way up to the batter’s box, in a strange sense of deja vu, you now find yourself two strikes deep, one out, with a runner on third, your reaction to this next pitch is indefinitely crucial to the outcome of this game. Perfect. Ultimately you gear up in anticipation of the pitcher’s predictable point of release and take a pull at that outside pitch. As the ball hits its trajectorial peak and makes its way down to the left fielder’s glove, you’re out. But you’re putting the ball in play was not in vain, for your base runner has tagged up and has already dashed his way down the third base line, just like that the tenth inning has ended and you’ve won the game. That is the beautiful circumstantial equilibrium that we call softball and baseball.

The baseball and softball teams at Washington High school combine good natured fun with cutting edge competition.

While playing the sport America loves Both the softball and baseball teams had greatly improved over last year’s season winning a total of nine more games than the previous year with a finishing record of

17-22. Varsity baseball coach, Scott Brune was pleased with the improved record.

“More people were doing off season training, and obviously getting ready for the season beforehand is going to have benefits,” Brune said.

According to Brune the team had four main points of emphasis for the 2016

The 10th inning is deep into effect, your body and wits are strained by time and action. varsity team; to be accountable, on time, give your all, and respect the golden rule.

The softball team had a record of 14-26 this year.“Our team worked well together and we had better chemistry than previous years, which helped us on the field and made playing that much more fun,” Dana Riley, ‘17, said.

These two sports may differ in many

ways, and although both sides could most likely argue for days about said differences, it doesn’t matter. Baseball and softball offers players with an alternative way for high school students to spend summers, by doing something they love and making the best memories and friends along the way.

“Softball has allowed me to meet and play with so many people. I have made some of my best friends through high school and travel softball,” Riley said.

Luke Jonasson, ‘17, a member of the varsity baseball team described his experience as memorable.

“My favorite part of the season was getting to play the sport I love with all of my friends,” Jonasson said.

The baseball and softball programs at Washington High School offer those involved a chance to sharpen their skills and meet an abundance of new players who share their interests. To be surrounded by players from all sorts of backgrounds and skill levels is an opportunity that is unsurpassed by any other mundane summer activity that is at a high schooler’s disposal.

Photos by Scott McWherter

16

Sports

Co-Copy Editor, Co-Design Editor, and Sports Editor

Brandon Cullen

Revenge of the Warriors Mariah Rodriguez Staff Reporter After last season’s disappointing loss to Kennedy in the second round of the playoffs the Warriors are back and looking to compete for a state title. This season, the varsity football players and coaches have high expectations for their team. With many returning varsity and new players, the Warriors hope to start and finish the season strong.

Frank Scherrman, assistant offensive coordinator, Mo Blue assistant defensive coordinator, and Jason Wood, assistant varsity coach and head sophomore coach, all hope to lead the varsity team to a state title.

Last year the Warriors made it to the quarterfinals. This year, Blue expects to lead the Warriors to the Uni-Dome rounds.

Many returning varsity players expect to have a better season than last year. One such player is linebacker O’Rien Vance, ‘17. Vance has already accepted a full ride scholarship to play football for Iowa State next season.

“This season I want to be a better athlete and a better team player. I hope to achieve that by paying attention, and listening to the coaches,” said Vance.

Defensively speaking the Warriors are looking to improve from last year when they had two defensive touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and 664.5 tackles. This season the Warriors already have one

defensive touchdown, three interceptions and 175.5 tackles.

The varsity team’s grade level ranges from sophomores to seniors. The team works well together and has formed a strong bond.

“Overall I feel like we’ll be a really great, better than we were last year because as a unit we’re a lot closer. The people that left are replaced by people who are just as good. Everyone is playing together and focused,” said Ian Thomas ’17, a linebacker.

The Warriors are also looking to improve on the offensive side. Statistics show from last year that the total yards for passing were 2020, the completion rate was 49.1 percent, and their longest passing touchdown was 93 yards.

Compared to this year’s statistics so far, the varsity team has only 428 passing yards, completion rate is 43.2 percent, and their longest passing touchdown is 55 yards.

On Aug. 26, the varsity football players went against the Prairie Hawks for their first game and won, 27-14. The Warriors continued this winning streak and won 21-0 when Wash hosted Kennedy on Sept.

2. Following the Kennedy win, the team traveled to Bettendorf on Sept. 9 and won 28-27.

“My expectations for my team are always the same first and foremost to develop young men into being better young men, second to develop better athletes, and third to develop better football players.

We can legitimately be considered a state title contender,” Wood stated.

The Olympics Top Three Countries United States: 121 total 46 gold 37 silver 38 bronze China: 70 total 26 gold 18 silver 26 bronze Great Britain: 67 total 27 gold 23 silver 17 bronze Medals Won Swimming Women’s 400m Freestyle USA LEDECKY Katie 3:56.46on 7 August Swimming Women’s 800m Freestyle USA LEDECKY Katie 8:04.79on 12 August Swimming Men’s 100m Backstroke USA MURPHY Ryan 51.85son 13 August Gold Medal in Men’s Basketball Claressa Shields, Gold in Women’s 75kg Boxing Kyle Snyder, Men’s Freestyle 97 kg Wrestling

Photo by Rielle Jones-Teske

Brandon Cullen

Co-Copy Editor, Co-Design Editor, and Sports Editor

Sports

17

Putting for State Claire McKinstry Profiles Editor With the start of a new school year comes readjusting to minimal amounts of sleep and maximum amounts of homework. For Washington men’s golfers, it means doing those things, in addition to devoting much of their time to preparing for the state tournament.

The team has improved since just the beginning of the season on Aug. 11. “The season got off to a slow start, but after we won the Warrior Invite, we all started heating up,” said Alex Slattery, ’16, ranked number three on the team.

Part of the team’s improvement is thanks to their high-ranking golfers. “We are improving each and every day as a team.

Our record this year is 42-11, and we have three out of the top seven players in the state (Frank Lindwall, Connor Neighbors, and Alex Slattery),” said Connor Neighbors, ’18, ranked number two on the team.

The golfers believe that the state title is

definitely attainable. “I believe our team this year has a better shot at a state title than last year, reason being we are more experienced at the top and are striving to be better at the bottom,” said Slattery.

Connor Neighbors, ’18, agrees that winning state is something the team is striving for. “Our main goal for the season is to win state, and the way we have played so far this season, we have a great shot at accomplishing that goal,” said Neighbors.

The state tournament is at Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City on Oct. 7 and 8. The golf team is preparing for the tournament in different ways. “[I] personally am focused on districts and need to play at the top of my game near the end of the season,” said Slattery.

The team is also preparing for the tournament as a whole. “To prepare, we are going up to play a practice round as a team...so that we know what to expect

when it’s time to compete,” said Neighbors.

Be on the lookout for the varsity men’s golf team on Sep. 29, where they will be competing at the Ellis Golf Course.

Photo by Bryan Gosch

7 Facts About Kingston

Brandon Cullen Sports Editor

7. Kingston Stadium’s cost to build was $550,000, which would equal about $5 million today. The stadium has the ability to hold up to 15,000 people at one time, and on it’s opening game in 1952 had around 11,000 people seated in the stadium.

McKinley, Roosevelt, and Wilson.

3. Before Coe College had played on Clark Field (their current field), they played at Kingston Stadium, along with some semipro teams, the Raiders and the Falcons in the 1970s.

Chicago Bears in Sept. 2, 1961, the Bears and Philadelphia Eagles in Aug. 18, 1962 which brought in more than 12,000 people, and in Sept. 7, 1963 where the Green Bay Packers faced the Washington Redskins in front of more than 13,000 people.

6. Since the creation of Kingston Stadium it has gone under many renovations, such as the playing surface being updated, the press box was redone in 2011 and it was named after Bob Brooks, who was the first commentator for the games held at Kingston for KCRG radio in 1953.

2. A Canadian League game was held at Kingston in July 29, 1960 between the British Columbia Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They had former Iowa Hawkeyes play with them and 12,583 people had attended the game.

Information from Gazette article “Kingston Stadium’s proud history”

5. Kingston hasn’t only been used for football, it has been used for events such as graduation ceremonies, band festivals, track meets, and soccer matches.

4. When Kingston opened on September 12, 1952, it was the home stadium of the high schools at the time- Franklin,

1. NFL games were also held at Kingston from 1960 to 1963, which brought brought crowds in five figures. These games included the Minnesota Vikings vs. the Photo Courtesy of The Gazette

18

Sports

Co-Copy Editor, Co-Design Editor, and Sports Editor

Brandon Cullen

Claire McKinstry Profiles Editor

The Pig & Porter

The Pig & Porter is a new restaurant in the NewBo area, located in the same building as Raygun. With a welcoming front patio overlooking idyllic 3rd Street SE, the new restaurant has gained lots of attention from frequent Newbo-goers.

Although the name is probably unappetizing to most vegetarians, the restaurant offers many meat-free options.

The menu even clarifies that although the name implies differently, not all of its dishes contain meat. However, for all of you meat lovers out there, there’s an array of options.

The Pig & Porter strongly emphasizes local food sources. Their website explains that they like to serve unique creations that start with locally grown/raised food.

After eating there, it’s safe to say that they take pride in the presentation of their food, as well as in their service. Each time an employee brought a dish out, he/she would explain its different components to

Araya Dunne Staff Reporter

ensure that we knew what we were eating.

The food itself was surprisingly good.

The selection isn’t huge, but it includes many different types of food. I ordered a salad with fresh tomatoes and melons (it may sound questionable, but it was really good), and Kara Stover, ’17, ordered a pasta dish. “I was unsure about the pasta because of the description, but when they brought it out, I knew I would love it,” said Stover.

Another strength of the restaurant is the ambiance. The restaurant has blue walls, mood lighting, an exposed kitchen, and it was busy, even on a Wednesday night.

The only off-putting thing was the many pictures of pigs on the walls, but I guess it goes with the name.

Definitely try The Pig & Porter out if you’re on the lookout for a unique, new restaurant. Omnivores and herbivores alike will not be disappointed. photo by Claire McKinstry

Alm st, Maine

After losing most of our familiar faces in drama last year, I was shocked by the amazing abilities of the mostly newbie cast in this year’s play, “Almost, Maine.”

This play is a romantic comedy filled with new, complex ways of understanding what love feels like. Almost every scene is the beginning and end of a not-so love story and all of these vignettes have hidden symbols that show you when love is found, lost, or just almost, but not quite achieved. They all have their complications and awkward, cute moments that make a romantic comedy live up to what we all are hoping for it to be.

It’s hard to change characters within a matter of a few scenes, make it believable, AND commit to all of the

feelings that each character is supposed to have, but this cast does it well. You watch a couple of best bros just hanging out, talking about those bad dates they’ve just went on with some girls, realize that those girls are a waste of time, and then literally fall in love with each other instead.

A few scenes later, one of the guys who fell in love with his best friend is now a completely different character who really likes a girl, kisses her, and then things escalate from there.

This sort of complexity is not easy as an actor who wants to have a good show and every actor involved had to be able to do this switch. There wasn’t any doubt as they switched from character to character. This show also has a lot of on-stage kissing,

which usually isn’t fun to do in front of your peers, but if there was any awkward tension, it was intentional.

Almost, Maine is packed with tons of emotions that the audience will be able to relate to, which include, that feeling when you see an ex for the first time in a while, that beginning-of-a-relationship shyness, new beginnings, one person being more attached than the other, looking for love in all the wrong places, etc. Kyle Woollums, the director, and his awesome cast have obviously been working hard to make this show perfect for all audiences and it shows, despite the lowered expectations of some naysayers.

photo from www.publicdomainpictures.net

Addi Westpheling

A&E Editor and Co-Design Editor

A&E

19

Billy Lemos Web Master searching for someone who’s not there.

Although it sounds corny, Frank’s excellent songwriting carries the track over a beautiful classical guitar instrumental.

Jumping ahead, track 14, “White Ferrari”, has some of the most varied sonics on the album. On this song, Frank speaks about the permanence of his relationships on top of synth-heavy production from/ featuring James Blake. The next track, “Seigfried”, features some exceptional ambient production, littered with intermittent guitar riffs and bass lines. Frank’s vocals make reference to Norse mythology as he reflects on a past relationship. The penultimate track, “Godspeed”, is just incredible.

Though it’s instrumentally simple, Frank’s beautiful vocals describe what he has claimed to be a re-imagining of his boyhood. The final track, “Futura Free”, was a little disappointing to me. On this song, Frank delivers heavily autotuned verses of conscious rap as he reflects on his accomplishments. As a closer, I found it to be slightly underwhelming and bland.

Overall, Frank Ocean’s “Blond” is the rare album that’s truly worth the wait. It’s an eclectic mix of pop, experimental, and acoustic sounds that blend perfectly with Frank’s vocals and songwriting.

blond

After a four year hiatus, Frank Ocean has returned with an ambitious album that challenges his listeners. “Blond” is a more abstract and diverse record than “Channel Orange”, drawing influences ranging from James Blake to The Beach Boys.

The first track, “Nikes”, is one of the more experimental cuts on the project. Frank’s vocals are pitched up and even sound out-of-tune at times. However, the instrumental produced by Om’Mas Keith complements the chorus perfectly and helps save the track. The second track, “Ivy”, is what really pulled me into the album. On “Ivy”, Frank reminisces about his youth and past relationship over a gorgeous, stripped back instrumental featuring a detuned guitar (similar to that of a Mac DeMarco track).

Track three, “Pink + White”, has the most potential to become a big radio record. It’s an easy listen with smooth, catchy production from Pharrell and uncredited background vocals from Beyonce.

The fifth track, “Solo”, is definitely a standout on the album. Frank sings about how he is at a low state, emotionally, and reflects on his loneliness. The instrumental, produced by Malay, features endearing organs and unique whistle samples that make the track all the more interesting.

On track seven, “Self Control”, has Frank

Frank Ocean

photo by Boys Don’t Cry

20

A&E

A&E Editor and Co-Design Editor

Addi Westpheling

Battle of the Bath Bombs Betsy Smith Web Editor For fellow Lush lovers who are trying to make the most out of their paycheck, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Enter the the greatest thing to happen to the online shopping world since online pizza delivery (effectively ending those painfully awkward five minute phone conversations or even worse… actually having to go to the store), enter the buying and selling of bath bombs and other bath products via instagram. Shops like @wwhiteforest, @ themadbombers, and @witchbabysoap offer a wide selection of products from bath bombs to soaps to gels, in super creative scents, frequently for less than you would be able to find at Lush.

I recently had the opportunity to try the Moonlit bomb from Wwhite Forest and was absolutely blown away. Not only did the bomb miraculously arrive in one piece, which is always a concern when ordering anything slightly fragile online, but it

smelled wildly better than I had anticipated.

On their instagram account, where most of their advertising occurs, the Moonlit bath bomb is only described as having a “twilight scent” and as producing “soft, pastel pink waters”... Not much to go on, but for only $6 it worth a shot. It ended up being worth every penny, with its lovely baby pink water and faintly floral scent.

For those of you who aren’t fans of flowery fragrances, there are many, many, many more options to select from. Some shops even provide options to make custom orders in case you just can’t seem to find a scent you like.

While you do run the risk of buying a bomb that you may not like and lose the in store experience (and free samples) of Lush, the vast array of options, low prices, and constant accessibility of the shops is just too good to pass up.

@wwhiteforest @themadbombers @witchbabysoap

Photos via Instagram @wwhiteforest

Addi Westpheling

A&E Editor and Co-Design Editor

A&E

21

9/11: Looking Back

When looking back at Surveyor reccords, we found an editiorial from the September 2001 issue, by Rachel Dennis. We have reprinted it in today’s issue to show the differences in perspective in regard to this tragedy 15 years later.

Listening to the journalistic onslaught obtain what he believes is right. The bully is concerning terrorism, I often wonder how continuously unaware of the growing resentjournalists and political figures can label the ment of his prey, until its fury is unleashed catastrophic attack on America as a “shock”. in all its horror, using the bully’s own means How naive could we be as a nation as a as its weapon. people to not see this coming?

This is what happened Sept.11. The How could we, teetering from the top terrorists used years of built-up hate as its rung of world power, think that we were out motive, and crashed our own planes into our of reach of terror, or more realistically, that own cornerstones of security. However, bin no one was at the bottom, shaking the base, Laden is not alone in shaking the pedestal of trying to bring us down? the United States.

While the infiltration of evil in this whole “I think there are any number of groups affair continues to blow my mind, the fact around the world angry enough to do somethat it happened does not. Our nation posthing like this,” Adrien Wing, a University of sessed a feeling of security in our place as Iowa law professor, said. king-of-the-mountain that was passed down “But the American public is not aware of to us by our leaders which I feel is unfitting these things,” Wing continued. to hold at our high position. I am aghast Take, as an example, the multitude of at how, for so long, our nation was able to Arab nations that resent the United States maintain this uppermost seat without havfor its support of the Israeli government. ing any serious threats to our grasp on world Should it come as a surprise that our power. power and political beliefs in democracy

should make us an easy victim for terror ism? No, it shouldn’t.

Hegemoney at risk We should have seen this coming. We

cannot continue to push our ideals and Needless to say, we are a country with values onto nations and not expect them many enemies. As a country, we have misto push back within their own means. We used our power in foreign affairs time and should have seen this coming. time again. We have constantly pushed our

limits to what is acceptable intervention and

And in the future… what should have been left alone. Contrary

to American ideals, not everything that hapYet the damage has been done. There pens in this world is our business. is little we can do now to prevent another The world does not belong to us, and no terrorist attack from occurring except for quantity of power can make it such. Yet the protection itself.

American public continues to be ignorant With 82 percent of the population of how often U.S. insistence with foreign predicting that future attacks on cities, involvement affects people throughout the buildings or landmarks are at least someglobe. what likely, and soon, something needs to

be done.

“Give me your lunch money” While we in Iowa are not at a high risk

of being attacked, Brian Lai, a UI assistant We are the overgrown bully on the playprofessor of political science noted, as ground who throws his weight around to government officials revisit foreign policy

22

9/11: Looking Back

in the coming months, people in big cities, especially New York and Washington, D.C., can expect their lives to change. Measures will be taken in the near future to make them safe.

Travelers accessing airports in the past few weeks have already felt the presence of the extra security measures in increased surveillance at baggage check-ins and at terminal gates.

Others suggest beginning to close the gap in U.S. intelligence concerning the Middle East by using spies to inform Americans of Arab intentions. Some experts hypothesize that if the U.S. had utilized Arab-Americans in foreign intelligence, terrorist attacks, such as the one of the World Trade Center, could be foreseen and prevented.

Efforts such as these may, in the future, prevent another tragic event, such as the recent attacks, from crumbling the cornerstone of American security.

(Information provided by The Gazette, Sept.

18 2001 edition.)

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