East Scroll senior issue 2020

ScROLL The Senior iSSue

ISSue 4

Volume 89

Principal: Leslie Morris Advisor: natalie niemeyerlorenz staffers: shelby alsted alexis blaim emily cosner taelyn fisher ashlyn forget estrella gonalez ny’asiah gully cat hexamer alea hoof isabella lopez aiom makier jesus martinez Page 3 : Au revoir francais carolina mendoza Page 4 : Cedrick Warren meeah ochoa Page 5 : All about Ashley kristen pierce Page 6 & 7 : Life of Sunya ptolemy rimmer Page 8 : Ami Khalifa Sawra selema Page 9: Yajayra Cruz kylea tackett co-editors in cHIEF: Page 10 & 11 : A year in review fabiana centeno Page 12 : Isolated ryleigh hayworth Page 13 : 5 ways to keep busy at home design editor: ali solis-palos Page 14 & 15 : Siblings in quarantine copy editor:joselyn hildebrand Page 16 & 17: Goodbye East High multi-media editors: Page 18 : Scroll seniors say goodbye maria hernandez Page 19 : Peace out senior ambassadors cheyanne potter cover: ali solis-palos Page 20 : Q&A with Kelsey Reiter back cover: ali solis-palos Letter Policy toc: Fabiana centeno The Scroll welcomes letters but reserves the right to edit for space as needed.

Table of Contents 05.20.20

Outside contributions are subject to the usual restrictions of libel and obscenity and must conform to general paper policy, which is available upon request. Signed commentaries represent personal opinions, not views of the staff. Also, your letter needs to include your full name and grade. Unsigned letters can not be printed. You can deliver your letter to Natalie Niemeyer in room 3060N. Ad Policy Ads are available in quarter page, half page and full page sizes. Ad inquiries should be directed to Natalie Niemeyer at natalie.niemeyer@dmschools.org. The Scroll reserves the right to reject ads deemed not in the best interest of East students. The paper is printed by Wilcox Printing in Madrid, IA. District Educational Equality Statement Des Moines Public Schools prohibits discrimination in educational and employment programs and activities based on age, race, creed, color, sex, marital status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disablility. In addition, the District prohibits acts of intolerance or harrassment toward employees or students that are not related to the individual’s employment or education.

Au revoir Français Goodbye French. The heartbreaking news that the French students learned about just weeks before spring break...

Over the last few years, a lack in funding at the state level has led to big changes for DMPS. Just months before the end of the school year, the district cut yet again another French class at East and it has left the students with no way to finish French at East High School. For the past seven years, DMPS has been receiving less than two percent of new money from the state and it has caused the district to cut classes and excess teachers to save money. But why French you may ask? Just last year the other French class got cut so why take the only French class left?

“I was initially told that the numbers were not there to support a French position, but then was told that there were over 200 students that requested French; that is more than enough students to justify a full-time French position,” French teacher Angela Schreck said.

According to an article on Whotv, a large factor of budget relies on student enrollment. The more increasing number of students who want to take French as a foreign language the better chance of keeping the class. Even though the district is doing this to cut back on spending money it has forgotten about the students who are affected by the changes. They are doing this for the betterment of students, but they have forgotten the key people who it affects since it’s their education. Without letting the students have a say in this change blindsided students when they heard about the news and it has left the frustrated, worried and stressed. The decision was finalized without letting the students have a say in it. If the numbers were more than enough the district doesn’t have a valid reason to cut French.

The news was unexpected for the students taking French. Schreck who teaches French tried her best to let the students know what was happening as soon as she heard what was happening to her class.

“I ensured that students were aware that any time they are dissatisfied with decisions that impact their education, they have the right and responsibility to make their voices heard,” Schreck said.

Even though Schreck let her students know, there was a huge possibility that the decision was final and there was nothing that could be done to prevent it from being cut.

“I feel like it’s unfair knowing that French is going to be taken away. I felt disappointed in the school board/district when my French teacher gave us the sudden news. I also feel that I was powerless knowing that I did not have an opportunity to prevent French classes being taken away so suddenly,” junior Johnson Ly said.

The new change effect all grades and students taking French but it mainly effects third year French students because they would have had only one more year to complete but now that French isn’t at East they must figure out another way to finish their last year of foreign language. All colleges require two years of foreign language to attend their school but the top schools in Iowa require the two years and an additional

two more years if you want to pursue in the nursing field and some other majors. So, it will leave students who only need to complete AP French with some hard decisions to make.

The change will affect many students who were already taking French as a foreign language for a few years now.

“I won’t be able to finish my last year of French and I also won’t have the same opportunity as the students that are taking Spanish,” junior Fatuma Mohamed said.

With French not being provided at East the students that want to continue taking French will have to start going to central Academy. Taking even one class at central can mess up your schedule and students would have to make some difficult decisions because it can infer with their classes at east mostly electives.

“The feeling of being comfortable within the class made me feel safe and the teacher had a friendly vibe”

“There are also many obstacles to students being able to access course at Central.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that all students who requested French will be able to continue it next year, and I think that the sizes of French classes at Central will be big. This can also really impact students in the long run as many students are hoping to fulfill college entry and exit requirements by taking four years of a language in high school and colleges and other scholarship committees sometimes have world language requirements,” Schreck said.

Taking classes at Central Academy will bring new challenges. It can make it more challenging if it's your first time going to Central.

“I’ll either have to take French at Central Academy or not take it at all. With how I did at Central before with a different class I don’t think it's going to turn out well. Most people who haven’t taken classes at Central before will most likely struggle more,” junior True Na stated.

When Schreck announced what was happening to her French classes the students were most disappointed that they didn’t get a say and how they really had no idea why this was happening. If they had a say, would it be different?

“I do think that decisions that impact an entire program should require more voices than just the building administration. For example, the district world language curriculum coordinator wasn’t consulted before making this decision, and it obviously impacts many students,” Schreck said.

Foreign language essential to getting into college so without French the students are also going to be missing out on an important course.

“I feel like we should have a say. The point is to benefit the students, to help them learn and grow. I was told there were over 200 students who wanted to continue with French so, how will that effect those students? The greater benefit of taking French at East was because of the atmosphere. It's going to be harder in college and will cost money. So, basically it benefits us as students economically,” Na said.

While they may not get the final say, students would like to be consulted about decisions to eliminate programs from home schools before they are cut since the decisions affect students’ futures.

“I believe students should not be asked "Which teacher do we cut this year?" That is unnecessarily burdensome. I would not ask a 17-year-old to pick which teacher loses their job. I do believe that students being impacted in programs facing elimination should be consulted and brought in for problem-solving,” Sam Finneseth, World Language Curriculum Specialist said.

While there were steps taken by East’s French Department to avoid the loss of the program, no solutions were found.

“I reached out to the district world language curriculum coordinator to help advocate for the students, as she has more access to those with decision-making power. I also spoke to one of our school counselors, so they were aware of the situation as they handle student scheduling.

In the weeks following this decision, I followed up with both the district coordinator and the building principal on a weekly basis to see if there were any updates. There were some ideas circulating, but no concrete solutions were found,” Schreck said.

Reaching out to the right people helped students still trying to continue their education with French.

“I worked with Central Academy's team to help problem-solve how to serve all East High's French students. Central Academy is committed to serving all East High students wanting to continue their French study and looks forward to seeing Scarlets in class,” Finneseth said.

Before leaving for Spring Break, the French students displaced by the decision wrote letters to district officials in hopes to have their voices heard.

“During our time in excursions, students sent out emails on why DMPS shouldn’t take French away and we sent it to important people at DMPS. Fully expressing our opinions into those emails and hoping for a miracle. We were desperate,” Ly said.

Hoover High School was planning on cutting their Chinese class from their building because of staffing, but students and administration met up to solve the issues because the decision effected the IB Diploma Program. Because of all the support they had, Hoover students were able to keep the Chinese program for one more year. East did not have the same luck in supporting French, their efforts fell short.

Page editor/S.Selema Story/S.Selema Illustration/S.Selema

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Q&A with a senior athlete .................

Cedrick Warren

Q: Tell me about yourself.

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A: Warren grew up in Des Moines with his mom, his older sister and two older brothers.

Warren didn’t have any pets growing up right away, but later he took in his grandpas’ dog.

Warren has a large family that are half Asian and half black. Warren also didn’t grow up with a father in the house, but he still had plenty of support from his mom. “Growing up my father left and wasn’t a big part of my life. It was my mom; she was my support system,” Warren said.

Q: Who is someone who inspires you and how have they helped you grow?

A: Warren’s mother played a big role in his life. She stepped in to play both mom and dad and taught Warren to be independent.

Warren also mentioned Keonte White also known as Coach Key, who was like a big brother in Warrens eyes. Key taught Warren to be a young man and to carry himself. Key played a major role in Warrens life when it came to life lessons or advice for his love for sports. He mentioned his gratitude to Key for helping him get to where his is now. “There is so much I am grateful for because of what he taught me,” Warren said.

Q: What have you learned from high school?

A: Over Warrens four years, he learned to focus on what’s important and just tune out people with music, He also learned working hard pays off and gets you closer to your goals. A quote that stuck with Warren throughout high school was “If you can look yourself in the mirror and say you gave it 110%. You have nothing to be ashamed of,” Warren said.

East High Scroll

Q: Tell me about your plans for after high school and why you chose those things.

A: Warren is confident in what he wants to do after high school. He plans on attending Mount Marty College in Yankton, South

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Dakota. Warren chose to study Exercise science for strength and conditioning at Mount Marty. Warren doesn’t stop there after he completes college, for Exercise science he wants to join the ROTC. His goal is to be in a Special Operations Force (SOF) while serving. “I’ve found myself as a person to lead others and motivate them by my actions. Mainly to get free college and serve my country as a second Lieutenant,” Warren said.

Q: What will you miss about high school?

A: Warren’s most memorable year at East is his senior year although it ended early by a global pandemic. He enjoyed the time he got to spend training and getting better in the things he enjoys doing. Throughout his four years his favorite part was meeting new people and becoming close friends with them. The thing he will miss the most is putting on that uniform. “The thing I will miss the most is playing high school football and running track because I’ll never wear the uniform again,” Warren said.

Page editor/ I. Lopez Story/ I. Lopez Photo/ K. White

Get to know this East High senior!

All about Ashley It’s crazy how one day we’re sitting in sixth grade, wishing we were older, wishing we could drive, wishing we could date.

And then, one day you wake up and it’s senior year and you realize: it went too fast. Senior year is a crazy time for all and Senior Ashley Luvan is no exception.

But let’s go back to the beginning, Luvan was born in Des Moines, Iowa and grew up surrounded by those she loves most. Her two brothers, mom, dad, and grandmother.

Her younger brother is her best friend and they do everything together.

“My favorite memory was when my brother first started walking, I would chase after him calling his name and asking ‘baby!

Where are you going?’

I’d follow him everywhere, we are best friends,” Luvan said.

But not everything in Luvan’s early life was easy-going.

Luvan spoke only Lao before being enrolled in school. She didn’t know English. She overcame this barrier by going to school and learning English there.

Her parents were supportive by also beginning to speak English in the home.

Luvan has a very positive outlook on life. She knows how to be inspired and pass the inspiration on to someone else. She has proved herself to be a hard worker and an inspired leader in every activity she does. She’s great at inspiring other people, but who inspires her?

“My mom inspires me everyday. The teachers I see, the people I encounter, and my lovely friends inspire me to do new things, to have fun, and to live my life to the fullest,” Luvan said.

They say high school years are the best years of your

life. Luvan has always been a very involved student with a goal in her mind and has never let being in a new situation change her outlook on any activity.

Freshman year, Luvan was adjusting to the high school lifestyle. Sophomore year, she got more serious about her grades and volunteering. Junior year, she got a job and began participating in numerous activities throughout the school.

As Luvan looks back on her four years in East High School, she favors senior year.

“Senior year has been so chill. I’ve met so many great people. I got accepted into my dream college, varsity soccer captain, and finally got my 4.1 GPA. This year is by far the best, it’s been so fun and I will be sad to leave,” Luvan said.

Luvan is a very accomplished and involved individual.

Her friends know her by her huge smile and kind heart. She has left a mark in every activity she participates in.

“Growing up, not many people believed in me, including myself but i’ve learned that I am so amazing, and that I can do anything,” Luvan said Throughout her life, Luvan has had to learn that though not everyone may believe in her, she believes in herself and that’s all that she needs to succeed.

So, what’s next for this accomplished senior?

Luvan will be attending Iowa State University in the fall to study engineering.

“I am so thankful for everyone who I have met throughout my entire life, they have really shaped me into the Ashley I am today and i’m off to make my momma proud,” Luvan said. story/K.Tackett page editor/K.Tackett photo/N. Phiathep

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Story/F.Centeno Page Editor/F.Centeno Photo/W.Watson

“i am deserving” “Feelings are temporary”

“time is constant”

“love is real”

LIFE OF SUNYA

“Let it be”

From the new kid to an activist, meet senior sunya hardi

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He is an artist. He is an activist. He fights for his own life while also fighting for others. He is senior Sunya Hardi. He may be leaving East High School, but his journey is just the beginning.

Hardi was born and raised in Des Moines by his mother who escaped from the Lao Civil War. Growing up as half Chinese and half Lao, he felt more connected to his Lao family and the culture.

At a young age, his parents got divorced, which impacted him emotionally and mentally. He felt a lack of sense of belonging both at home and school. Because of the divorce, Hardi grew up only with his mother.

“She’s the most hard working, most amazing, loving person I know. She literally built herself up from the ground. She escaped an entire Civil War, crossed the Mekong river to go into a refugee camp in Thailand, spending six months there. She came all the way to America, learned a whole new language while in a new place, scared and young,” Hardi said.

Hardi’s mother is someone that he looks like up to and everything that he does is for her.

“She made a life for herself out of nothing and that is so commemorative that she traveled across an entire ocean and survived bullets from the Pathet Lao,” Hardi said.

Before becoming a student at East, Hardi attended a different district. Hardi described it being one of the worst experiences he’s ever faced.

“I was nothing like my peers because there was no diversity (there). I experienced racist, homophobic, transphobic harassment constantly,” Hardi said.

While attending the school before East , Hardi was only seen as ‘the Asian kid’, ‘the trans kid’, or ‘the gay kid’. It was hard for him to find people that he can relate to and felt a lack of belonging there.

“Those kids have just not been exposed to other people, they do not know how to treat someone who doesn’t look like or identify like them,” Hardi said.

While experiencing a difficulty feeling of belonging, Hardi experienced sexual and emotional abuse from someone he thought loved him.

Hardi was a sophomore at the time and his abuser was a senior. The relationship started as love and was going well, but that is what abuse looks like in the beginning.

“I am a rape survivor. He didn’t want me to go to college, didn’t want me to have a life outside of him,” Hardi said.

When his abuser left him, Hardi attempted suicide which caused him to end up at the hospital. Because of this tragedy, he transferred to East.

“I only bring up all of this stuff because it’s shaped who I am now. If I hadn’t been abused, met my abuser and attempted suicide, I wouldn’t have ended up at East. I’ve literally never been

happier; never had friends and I’m constantly inopportunity to use my voice, to speak up and to spired by amazing people around me. My teachers try to facilitate to at least be on the right side of are human here and they care about you outside history,” Hardi said. academically. I feel like East saved my life,” Hardi The Sunrise Movement is an army of young said. people working to fight against climate change.

Being at East, Hardi has met some of his best They also create millions of good-paying jobs in friends, the people that care the most about him. the process and grow their power through talking “He hypes me up, he holds me accountable, he to communities. They’ve organized on national keeps me in check, he makes me a better person,” and local levels and hosted large and small actions senior Bimta Subba said. to make a change.

Not only is Hardi a survivor but he was as“I want to be involved in the political and signed female at birth but has identifies as male. social landscape in this nation wherever it goes.

Hardi questioned his gender identity at a young I’ve got a voice; everyone has a voice. You got age after watching the Disney movie Mulan. to be the change you want to see in the world,” “I felt really connected to her being this young Hardi said. kid who connected to her pretending to be a Hardi is also a part of another climate activman,” Hardi said. ism organization called US Youth Climate Strike.

Hardi started questioning his identity and They are a strong grassroots movement fighting sexuality in middle school. In the eighth grade for fundamental change. Through Sunrise, Hardi he knew for sure he was a male. However, he was got to go to Philadelphia in January for a sunrise outed without his consent by one of his peers. high school and middle school training. Learning “I feel like there would be so much harmony organizing techniques, recruiting techniques and between trans people and cis people if there was how to facilitate and escalate an action. He also more education (over it),” Hardi said. got to travel to Washington D.C. in February For the next few years, Hardi faced harasswhich he was one of 20 facilitators for managing ment and transphobic comments. He was even group discussions of 150 kids. called names and got dirty looks for even going “Activism makes me feel like it is possible to the men’s bathroom. At first, Hardi’s family to live in a society as long as it has potential for was not receptive at all. Transness did not exist in change. As long as the people are full of hope. his community and it was unspeakable. Being gay Activism has given me hope. I don’t think I will was seen as weird and unacceptable. feel complete as a person,” Hardi said.

“There’s hope for people who think that their Hardi has shown dedication to climate activfamilies are going to hate them, reject them, ism by getting the word out to his peers. He is disown them but it takes time cause at the end of seen going to classrooms talking for a few minutes the day if your family is really your family, they’re hoping to inspire his peers into taking action. going to learn to love you despite whatever they “He has a positive aura around him (which) feel about your identity,” Hardi said. makes me want to do my best and I also want him Despite everything Hardi has faced, he has to do his best, we’re each other’s support system,” grown into the person that he wants to become. senior Kathy Le said.

By attendIn the fall, Hardi “I want to be involved in the will be attending Iowa ing East, not only has he political and social landscape in State University for been a part Premedithis nation wherever it goes. Biological of activical Illustration. It is a ties such as I’ve got a voice; everyone has a specialized job in the IHSSA, or voice. You got to be the change medical field. He will being the you want to see in the world,” be making diagrams president of and animations for Hardi said. the art club, medical education or but he has research. After he will also been a part of climate activism. In one of his be hoping to attend the University of Chicago for classes, two Sunrise advocates came to talk to his their medical illustration graduate program. class about the importance of the green new deal “Everyone as a human being has a right to and seeing if they can get students to participate their pursuit of happiness and one day you will in Sunrise. find that happiness. You’ll find that self-fulfill“I was so inspired by young faces of color ment. No matter how long it takes. As long as you talking about how rich white men have screwed have the drive to love yourself and put yourself over this generation with their fossil fuel incenfirst,” Hardi said. tives chasing after the bag, how that’s ruined our present and will destroy our future. Given the

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AMI KHALIFA

the fashionista who is always strutting her stuff

“She’s so pretty.” “I love her style.” “Did you see Ami's cool pants today? I heard she designed them herself.” These comments can be heard echoing the halls at East High School. Who is Ami you may ask?

Most people know her as the fashionista at East High School. Ami Khalifa is a senior at East that is always rocking cool clothes and what makes it crazier is most of the clothes she is wearing is made by no other than herself.

“I think her sense of fashion is great and as you can see from her social media, she makes some of her own pieces which is pretty cool and unique,” junior Pilita Debe said.

Anyone who sees Ami Khalifa at school or anywhere else can see that she is always standing out with her new designs.

Ami was born in Ethiopia and raised there until she was five. Then her family decided to move to the United States. Ami didn’t always have a passion for fashion. When she first moved to the states she dressed like a boy because she saw what her older brother was wearing, and she looked up to him and wanted to dress like him. How she dressed as a kid helped her even to this day.

“I’ve grown up now and I can still pull off wearing guy clothes,” Khalifa said.

Dressing in boy clothes helped her be different. For Ami fashion really came in the picture when she entered high school.

“I’ve honestly always loved fashion and started to dress differently throughout high school , then people were always encouraging me to do fashion when I grow up but I didn’t take it seriously until I got accepted into the Central Campus Fashion, in the Merchandise Program,” Khalifa said.

When Khalifa got into Central Campus for fashion, she really started expressing herself. She is inspired by what clothing celebrities are wearing and who is designing more than who the celebrity is, but one of her favorite fashion Icons is Rihanna.

Khalifa incorporated cultures and what stood out to her into the designs she created, which lead her to ultimately becoming one of the designers for the Central campus Fashion show in 2020. Khalifa had many amazing designs for the fashion show.

“My favorite designs from my collection would be my silk robe which you can literally rock outside in public with confidence like I’ve done, and I would say my guys suit which I had many issues with making but pulled it off and hey I would wear this myself,” Khalifa said.

Khalifa had many other great designs for the fashion show but unfortunately with Spring Break being extended then school being completely closed for the school year due to COVID-19 she couldn’t show off her amazing talent and designs which took months.

The students and teachers apart of the Central Campus fashion show worked very hard on their designs and couldn't showcase them.

“What I will miss about the Fashion Show is of course my amazing students but more, that I won't be able to showcase their creative designs. I have extremely talented students and wish everyone could have experienced their vision,” Tracy Holland, Central Campus Fashion Design instructor said.

But if everything went as planned Khalifa could have been enjoying a great fashion show and her last and only fashion show since she’s a senior this year.

“It would’ve gone amazing as usual, very mind blowing because my classmates are really talented, and we all have our different taste in fashion, which is awesome. I’ve learned so much from them and my teacher, we have worked our hardest to get these designs done,” said Khalifa.

If Khalifa could give her freshman self some advice, she would’ve had much to say. Khalifa would tell herself and incoming freshman to step out of their comfort zone and to explore as much as they can from the fashion world.

Khalifa got bullied sometimes for experimenting different types of clothing. For example, bright colors and African fabric.

“People think you can’t wear something because of your color or shade but that’s not true at all I used African fabric in my first collection because I want to see different cultures wearing what I’ve designed you don’t have to be African to just wear African print please step out and be a trendsetter,” Khalifa said.

Khalifa has so much confidence in her clothes because despite what others said she just stood tall and wore what she wanted to wear proudly. Khalifa's very vocal about making sure you stay true to yourself and to make things your own.

Khalifa has plans to attend more schooling after graduating high school she is planning to continue her journey with fashion and is looking forward to more fashion shows and designing many more collections.

If there is anything that Ami Khalifa from a small city in Ethiopia lives by is that being different can be kind of amazing.

“Be someone’s inspiration not the follower, make your own decisions because you have that freedom to do so”

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Page editor/S.Selema Story/S.Selema Illustration/S.Selema

Yajayra Cruz

East High senior says goodbye to high school Grow up. Those are words high school seniors often hear those words when they are on their way to adulthood. What happens if you were forced to grow up at a very young age. Or that you had to take on roles that some people wouldn’t take at that age. Senior Yajayra Cruz experienced tragedies that has shaped her into who she is by making her into the strong individual she is.

Cruz grew up in a very close family with her parents and two younger siblings. She was always seen as a role model for them and often took care of them. In 2013, her father was involved in an

accident causing him to be paralyzed. He traveled back to Mexico and had to stay there to receive medical care, leaving Cruz with just her mother and siblings.

“My life flashed before my eyes and I had to step up and be a mom to two kids because of my dad having an accident. Since that day, my life never was the same happy, joyful family. Even (with how) the circumstances were, we tried our best being happy,” Cruz said.

Cruz had to mature at a young age, helping her mother out by taking on the role of taking care of her siblings. Her main priority was family.

“We’ve always been close, we’ve been through a lot together and always managed to keep our heads up. My parents always taught me to look out for others and take care of my siblings. They are my life to this day, I would do anything to see them happy or I’d do anything so they won’t go through pain,” Cruz said.

Cruz’s junior year was one of her toughest years. Cruz lost her mother that year affecting her drastically.

“I was at the point of dropping out ‘cause I had no hope in myself at all from losing my mother since she was my biggest supporter in anything I ever did. It was hard getting back on my two feet and walking back to school knowing I had to try my best even though deep down I was broken,” Cruz said.

Cruz suffered emotionally and mentally. On top of that she had to take care of both her siblings and basically took on the role of a mother.

“It was a very emotional roller coaster for me. There were days that I thought it wasn’t for me, that I wasn’t going to be able to accomplish much but thanks to many people, staff and friends, I was able to push and keep going,” Cruz said.

Cruz made sure to not only

Page Editor/F.Centeno Photo/L.Flores Story/F.Centeno

care for her siblings but to also keep up with her studies. She had a lot of help from her friends and teachers.

“During the time she was dealing with her mother’s illness, she had to step up and be her mom’s caretaker, ‘mom’ to her siblings and try to continue to be a student. She had tough days, but she never gave in. She has goals for herself and although it could take her time to get there, she can do anything she puts her mind to. I cannot wait to see where life takes her,” Central campus teacher Jennifer Eppert said.

Because of help from loved ones, she made sure to value her education and try her best for her mother. “ I saw no hope or point of graduating since my mother wouldn’t be there but I got the idea of knowing I was going to do it for her. That’s all she wanted for me,” Cruz said.

Once senior year came, Cruz realized that one thing she regrets is that she wasn’t as involved with school as she would have liked to be. For her first three years she was part of cheerleading and then joined track the past year.

“Don’t doubt yourself if you want to join anything like a club, just join it. It’s only four years and you’re never going to go back,” Cruz said.

In the fall, Cruz will be attending DMACC to become a registered nurse. She hopes later she can transfer to Grandview. Cruz is also looking into getting her real estate license this summer.

“When my dad was in a coma, I saw how much they helped him. It made me want to do it even more. When I would go with my mom to her chemo it gave me more hope of actually becoming someone in the medical career. Health class at central helped me a lot, it let me job shadow at different facilities and I hope one day I’ll become a nurse,” Cruz said.

With everything Cruz has gone through, she is excited to make her family and close ones proud of the direction she is choosing for her future.

“She had made me realize that strength comes in a variety of packages; she might look small, but she is fierce, determined and has strength that is admirable,” Eppert said.

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a year in photos

Photo/J. Hayworth Page editor/R. Hayworth

Portraying nuns onstage are the cast of East’s fall production of Sister Act. The show, running from Nov 14-16, earned IHSMTA’s top recognition of Outstanding Overall Performance, as well as other recognition for individual performances. “Sister Act taught me a lot. It was a challenge, mentally, physically, and emotionally, but it made me face my fears and burst through. I’m happy to have been part of the beautiful Sister Act,” senior Damaris Nelson said.

Gathering in memory of Dominic Reidburn is the student section at the Oct 4, 2019 football game at Williams Stadium. In late Sept.

2019 Reidburn passed away in a car accident.

Photo/contributed

Marching in their first competition in 5 years are the East High Marching Scarlets. On Oct. 19, 2019, the marching band competed at the IHSMA State competition in Waukee and earned a division 2 rating. “I think the best thing I can say about marching band this year and competing is that I’m glad we could all come together and push through after not being able to (compete) for four years,” senior Paige Furnish said.

Photo/J. Slagle

Being crowned as homecoming queen and king are Paulina Hernandez and Pablo Rios. “It’s easier to be nice than mean, and I think it’s an honor to be recognized by others as someone who is kind. I didn’t want it to be about popularity, I wanted to be represented as a good person to others,” Hernandez said.

Photo/E. Guerra Cabellero

october

September march Posing for their last picture (left) in East’s soon-to-be remodeled auditorium are members of theatre.

Construction (below) began on March 13

november may Photo/DMPS

Photo/DMPS

Receiving her alumni scholarship drive-up style is senior Kaytlyn Andrews. Alumni delivered over 169,000 dollars in scholarships to seniors on May 1. “Although this year was very different in getting my alumni scholarship, it still didn’t take away the meaning of it. I still feel very honored and proud of this achievement and I know with the support I have that East High is proud, too,” Andrews said.

Photo/DMPS Photo/contributed

Also under construction is the Williams stadium track and field. Construction began over spring break.

Photo/DMPS

Delivering caps and gowns to Scarlet seniors is East High administration. Seniors received their caps, gowns, and a graduation yard sign, picked up on May 13. “We were so excited to see our seniors last week during the cap and gown distribution! We hoe you enjoyed the class of 2020 arch and the yard signs. We are really working hard to make the graduation activities as memorable as possible during this pandemic,” principal Leslie Morris said.

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ISOLATED page editor/K.Tackett

Waking up past noon, staying up till 3am, and eating everything in the fridge has become the norm today. With social distancing, everyone is left feeling like nothing is getting done where everything needs progress. It can be hard to feel motivated during this weird and uncomfortable time. So what can you do when you don’t know what to feel?

Understand that it is okay if the only thing you’re able to accomplish right now is getting out of bed and eating a healthy meal. It’s okay if you can’t even do that. It’s even okay if you lay in bed all day binging your favorite shows. Everyone moves at a different rate. Everyone has a different definition of accomplishment.

“The biggest thing I’ve accomplished during quarantine is binging all the Marvel movies,” junior Morgan Lewis said.

Being isolated from people you’re used to spending time with can be draining in many ways. You’re used to having that person there to talk to, laugh with, and keep you company. It can be strange not having anyone but your family there to communicate with.

“I have felt very disconnected. From everyone! From my boyfriend to myself. Facetime isn’t the same as hanging out in person,” junior Jessenia Burton said.

Isolate. To remain alone or to be apart from others. So much of our daily lives consists of talking to other people.

From work, to school, to extracurricular activities. We all need people to bounce energy off of. It can be hard on one’s mental health to be isolated from the world.

“At times, I have felt disconnected with those I’m most close with, which is very heartbreaking,” senior Daniela Gama said.

Anxiety and depression can be amplified as we are left alone with our thoughts and no distractions. Especially in teenagers, who are already prone to this.

“At one point, this quarantine did drain my mental health. I got very sad because I knew I may never get to see some of my friends and teachers again. I never expected my goodbyes before spring break to be my last,” Gama said.

Although there is no denying that this quarantine has been hard on everyone, seniors are far more affected.

Many of them are struggling because this is how they must move on to the next chapter of their lives.

“This quarantine is mentally draining because we’re used to being able to keep busy,” Burton said.

It’s safe to say that our lives have been changed forever by this virus. Many people will be relieved when we go back to our normal lives, while some will never forget

The struggles students face during quarantine

story/K.Tackett

what we went through during this time.

“I used to have a routine of going to school, staying after school, then going home. Now I have few online classes and nothing to do. Sometimes, I don’t even want to get up in the morning and I’d rather stay in bed all day,” Gama said.

During this time where it feels as though the world has stopped. Think of all the things you will get to do when this is over. Petting new dogs, hanging with friends, seeing a live show, going shopping. And remember, it won’t feel like this forever.

Life hasn’t ended and you will get a chance to experience new things. And maybe in this time the world will grow to appreciate things, to be more thoughtful, more empathetic, and a little bit kinder.

“Remember, it won’t feel like this forever.”

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“Boring” “Annoying” “Draining”

“Lonely”

55 ways ways to to keep keep busy busy at at home home Story/ M. Hernandez Page Editor/ M. Hernandez Illustations/ M. Hernandez

B

eing at home all the time can cause us to feel lazy but it is important to ensure we stay healthy. But that doesn’t mean that you can still have fun and be productive at home, so here are 10 things that I have tried at home to cure my boredom.

Learn new skills Something I have learned is that the more things you know how to do the easier it is to learn.

Learning how to cook, sew, or even learning a new language will help you in the long road, it also gives you something to fill up your day!

Sell clothes online The months of April and May are typically a time for Spring cleaning. Usually I would donate clothes, but under the circumstances I cannot, so another way to get rid of old clothes is by selling them. A great way to do this is apps such as Poshmark that are easy to sell clothes. This is a good way to get rid of old clothes and get money if you are not working.

Try a new thing every week Experimenting with different things can be very fun, especially things you would not think off. So try a new skill or experience every week (maybe even every day!) it could be something that scares you or maybe just something you have always wanted to do. For example, maybe next week I will try going vegetarian. You never know until you try something.

Develop new and healthy habits With all this time away it is perfect to start new habits, like working out or eating healthy! It is hard to get used to things like working out when you have obligations like school or work it takes about two months to form a habit so when we return to school it will help to maintain an already formed habit!

Make goals This one is a big one, one day we will start going back to our ‘normal’ lives and it is good to come out of all of this with something. So, make an overall goal of something you want to do during this time. For example: lose weight, learn a new language, ect. Whatever your goal is make sure you make a plan to how you want to achieve it.

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A fa m i ly t h at qua r a n t i n e s to g e t h e r . . .

I

n the blink of an eye, tens of millions of students in the United States went from sitting in class with peers, eating lunch with friends in the cafeteria, and spending afternoons with teammates or fellow club members to now being stuck at home as a result of the social distancing guidelines accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic..

Amongst these tens of millions of students are about 20 million college students, most of whom ended up back at home with their families to finish the 2019-2020 school year online, a move most primary and secondary schools soon followed. Zoom calls and FaceTime swooped in to keep classmates and friends connected, but another change came from school cancellations. A blessing to some and a curse to others, social settings of teachers and students became -kenna parents and siblings.

Family became unavoidable.

“The relationship with my siblings over the past weeks has been weird. One minute we are getting on each other’s nerve and the next we are making food for each other,” sophomore McKenna Dolphin said.

Where there was once a school full of other classmates, now there is only a house full of siblings. Families fighting full schedules now have nowhere to go and little to do. The Dolphin siblings, a formerly busy trio, are amongst the families adjusting to quarantine life.

“Before quarantine my

oldest brother Keagan was in Davenport for college so I never really got to see him.

My other brother Kade was a senior so I would see him every once in a while at school but because of sports we never spent time together. Since we are all at home all of the time, we are spending more time together,” Dolphin said.

McKenna, the youngest Dolphin is involved in swimming, both as a part of the girls’ team and as a manager for the boys team, as well as playing soccer and being on the yearbook staff. Kade, the middle Dolphin and senior class vice-president, is involved in cross country, swimming, tennis, yearbook, student government, and National Honor Society. Keagan, the oldest Dolphin and 2017 East alumni, goes to college at St. Ambrose in Davenport and is on the swim team there “Our best family moment has to be being able to sit Dolphin down for family dinners. Since we were all so busy with activities, we never had time to do anything as a family and with all of this, we finally have time,” Dolphin said.

Although all students are at home now with varying levels of school work to do, many parents are still working both at home and in public.

“My mom is working from home but my dad still has to go out. Since my mom works at home, we all have to try and find quiet places to be on meetings/ class. With my dad still having to go to work, we are always worried about who he comes in contact with and if he

we never had time to do anything as a family and with all of this, we finally have time

FRIENDS

SCHOOL East High Scroll

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is bringing anything home to us,” Dolphin said.

Never before have jobs been categorized as ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ like they are now. A new appreciation has come for those who still have to brave the ever-changing and ever-restricted world. A lot of typical high-school jobs are “essential”, such as grocery, child care, and restaurant services.

For parents, there is a greater variability. Most with office jobs are working remotely, but many parents and adults, especially those in the healthcare industry, are still working in public.

“My parents have essential jobs, with my father being a truck driver and my mother being a nurse, so luckily my family hasn’t been hit as hard (financially) as I know some have. My worry for them has increased though, because before I never really had to think about whether they would be safe and now it is as not as certain as it used to be,” senior Cosmas Nyaika said.

Nyaika’s family consists of three sisters: one seven, one eleven, and one thirteen years old, a fourteen year old brother, his mom, dad, and aunt. “So,” he says, “a pretty full house.”

“My relationship with my siblings has remained pretty the same, they only listen when they want to, but as quarantine progresses they seem to be more annoying since they don’t have school to dilute their craziness anymore. So for the most part it’s just louder and crazy at my house,” Nyaika said.

The absence of school in daily routines has a big impact on students of all ages. For elementary and middle school aged students, most schools are giving packets of work, all optional and dependent on parents enforcing

Work

s tays to g e t h e r

During the COVID-19 pandemic, families have been united again at home. It’s just like Christmas, but with lots of facemasks and uncertainty. See how families are coping. their completion. This does not however, replace the social aspect they once relied on.

“I would say the reason we have not killed each other during quarantine is because we try to keep somewhat of a schedule each day. We still get up eat breakfast and ‘go to school’. We take breaks for lunch and then they play/have free time for a few hours in the afternoon until mom gets off “work”.

Then we exercise and shower/get dressed for the day. We have dinner then play a family game or watch a movie together. Weekends we take time away from school and clean the house/drive by relatives to visit from the driveway, etc. Anything to make the days still have a “feel”,” teacher Lacy Anderson said.

Boredom can have a variety of effects on kids. An abundance of energy due to being cooped up in those house is not uncommon, and its expression occurs in different ways.

This can especially hard on parents and older siblings responsible for watching kids.

“My kids get along every now and then.

They wrestle around a lot which usually leads to someone crying or getting hurt. I feel like a referee most days. Some days they will get along very well and then start fighting for something to do, I swear,” Anderson said.

A drastic increase in time spent at home and with family opens a door to a whole new set of experiences, and a whole new set of conflicts.

“It’s kinda hard for me to rule out any scenario that happens as the result of us being stuck together because my house is crazy and people get into fights and arguments all the time. I will say that the result of us being stuck together for longer periods of time than normal has increased the frequency of these conflicts,” Nyaika said.

For both those whose time at home with family has been positive and those whose time has been negative, plans for postquarantine life are growing.

“Post quarantine I am most excited for

reconnecting with my friends, escaping my home and crazy siblings, and taking advantage of the summer,” Nyaika said.

The effects of COVID-19 will be farreaching and long-lasting, but for some, the personal effects are positive and uplifting.

“We (siblings) will be closer than we were before. We have spent all of this time together after years of not really hanging out due to sports and other activities, so we have a better understanding of each other’s lives now,” Dolphin said.

The last ten weeks of isolation, no school, canceled events, and forced family time will not be forgotten any time soon.

Generations later, children will hear stories of their parents’ canceled proms, socialdistancing graduation ceremonies, and online classes. This moment will be history, even if right now it is inconvenient and mildly irritating.

Story/R. Hayworth Illustrations/R. Hayworth Page editor/R. Hayworth

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GOODBYE East High kaytlyn andrews

“Thank you East for allowing me to grow in a diverse community and thank you for Helping me grow throughout the past four years with amazing people.”

Daniela Gama

“Thank you East, for allowing me to blossom into the person i am today. I’ll miss you.”

Tyler Bernardino

“Thank you for the best four years of my life.”

Brooklyn MILLS

“Thank you for giving me a safe place to Figure out who I am.”

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Photos/Contributed

Seniors get a last chance to say goodbye Page editor/ F.Centeno Photos/Contributed

kade dophin

“True success isn’t measured by your grades, but by the memories and people attached to those grades. AS A SCARLET AT HEART, I’VE REACHED SUccess for greater than anything.”

Jenny reyes

“Thank you for the memories. i wish it hadn’t ended so soon and i had more time.”

Mara Kinney

“To East: Thank you for all that you have taught me.

Although it was cut short, i have made many memories I’ll never forget.”

cosmas nyaika

“To all the great people I met during high school: don’t think of this as a goodbye, but as more of a see ya later.”

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Scroll seniors say page editor/ M. Hernandez

“

Cheyanne Potter

Fabiana Centeno

Ali Solis-Palos

Shelby Alsted

3060N thank you for the best two years of my life. You were so welcoming, and showed me how a team works. Scroll I’ll forever remember you,

“

”

Goodbye to the class that made me feel like I mattered, to the class that helped me express myself with design and words.

Goodbye to the people who supported me through the my whole newspaper journey and goodbye to the life long friendships I will never forget.

Goodbye to Mrs. Niemeyer for believing in me and pushing me to do better and for being a friend to me and to all. I would have never imaged that Newspaper would be such a big part of my life but I’m glad that it was and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Goodbye East,

“

” “ ” “ Goodbye East High, I’ll miss everything about Scroll

”

The Scroll Squad is a group that helped me get through high school. For me the class was my escape. I’m sad to be leaving my favorite part was knowing that people were reading what I was writing and some even look forward to it. So to all who read and write the Scroll, thank you and goodbye for the final time.

“

3060N will always have a special place in my heart. It was a class that actually made me feel like I belonged and was essential to. I met some of my best friends and met some of the most amazing creative people. Looking back I feel very blessed to have been able to be apart of this class and I will always have the pages I created to remind me of it.

This was a second home for me and I will forever cherish the memories i’ve made,

Cat Hexamer

”

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Estrella Gonzalez

Newspaper will forever have a special place in my heart.

It’s one of the best classes I’ve took. Mrs. Niemeyer and the other students is what made the class fun to go to.

Newspaper class made me see a creative side of me I didn’t know I had. I’m going to miss the small holiday parties and all the food! I’m so sad to say goodbye but I’ll always cherish the good memories. I’m looking forward to see what other students bring to the class!

Peace Out Senior Ambassadors Ambassadors are students 9th-12th grade who design projects to make East a better place Say goodbye to the three senior ambassadors who contributed to the East community.

Maddie Miller Miller has been an East ambassador since her sophomore year. She is the oldest sibling in her family, and she loves taking on that role to her siblings. She stays busy. After graduating from East High, she plans to go to Mercy Medical School to get her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and Science. After that she wants to specialize in labor and delivery. Throughout her four years of high school, she has been in track, yearbook, newspaper, Scarlet squad and softball.

“My favorite thing other than the amazing teacher we’re blessed with that I have built a special bond with it has to be the environment that feeling on inclusion and safety you feel when you enter,” Miller said.

The one-word Miller would describe the relationship she has with Mrs. Niemeyer, who is the advisor, is

“special”. Her relationship with Niemeyer has been great over the years in ambassadors. Niemeyer would always be there for her students.

“Take advantage of the opportunity you are given, continue to work for the service of humanity. We are the future of tomorrow, learn from yesterday and teach today to make tomorrow better,” Miller said.

This was a message Miller wanted to give to the future ambassadors who will soon make the East community a better place.

RJ Channon Channon has been an ambassador for the past two years. Over the last four years, he has been in several activities; bowling, golf, baseball, ASL Club, and Scarlet Squad. Some interesting facts about Channon is that he was is deaf, and was born in Des Moines, Iowa. Back in February, Channon and his bowling teammates were Metro conference meet champions.

“My favorite thing about being an

ambassador is helping other people and improving our school’s reputation,” Channon said.

Being an ambassador has impacted Channon in many ways. One of the things he will miss about being an ambassador is getting to see the people, Mrs. Niemeyer, and getting to do projects for the community. In March, Channon and Miller helped elementary DMPS Art teachers. In the fall, Channon plans to go to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Chantiana Ward

Ward has been an ambassador this year, along in Yearbook and participates in Scarlet Squad. She has been doing Softball for the past two years. In ambassadors, Ward had plans to do a project along with other students which was “Fashion Show” at East High. Unfortunately, it was canceled due to COVID-19.

“I think my favorite thing was doing small little things that could make a person’s day. It wasn’t small from their perspectives, its big how they view it,” Ward said.

Being an ambassador has impacted many students in positive ways. It starts when students have the chance to help the community. Students have the chance to create their own projects to help and create change. These students give a great reputation and show respect towards our community.

“I believed we were more involved in our East Pride as

a whole than the entire school, because we set a reputation up for ourselves doing things for these organizations and I feel as if they see us differently than other schools and students”, Ward said.

These seniors have worked so hard, and have tried to set good example to the students and want to make sure that the future ambassadors should not be afraid.

“From experience, I would tell them no project nor idea is big enough to the point you can’t do it, if you want your project out there then the work needs to be put in order to accomplish what you wish,” Ward said.

Story/C.Mendoza Page editor/C.Mendoza Photos/contributed

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q&A

H

eading toward DMACC and facing the responsibilities of adult life, senior Kelsey Reiter meets the end of her high school career with fortitude and exuberance.

What was your experience at East like?

It was amazing. I loved the chance to make so many new friends.

List at least three memories that you’ll never forget...

Color guard state in 2019 Color guard state in 2017 Becoming iJAG president in 2020 What college do you plan on going to and what will you major in?

DMACC for two years and the Grandview for four years. Major in psychology and minor in sociology.

What do you see yourself doing in five years?

I see myself doing an office job as a secretary until I finish college.

What do you like to do for fun?

I like to do color guard and sleep.

Which school tradition are you most proud of ?

I love how us seniors got recognized

3

Story/A.Forget Page editor/A.Forget

with Kelsey Reiter Take a look inside of senior Kelsey Reiter’s life as she goes off to college and leaves East High School behind

on senior night. I loved that we got to do that and be noticed in front of our peers. It meant a lot to me since I wasn’t really sure about myself completing school and graduating.

What’s your most embarrassing memory?

Falling up the stairs in front of a group of kids I didn’t know .

Which event did you most look forward to? Did it live up to its expectations?

Color guard solo cause it was my senior year and my first solo.

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned in your entire high school career?

The biggest thing I learned is that don’t always trust the people you walked into freshmen year with as friends cause they can turn on you in a blink of an eye.

What would be advice that you would give to incoming seniors?

Some advice to give to incoming seniors is to not mess around and pass all your classes and do everything you can to make memories.

Photo/H.Bash Photography color guard isdta state 2018

became president of

memories that kelsey will never forget

“You think I’m crazybut in reality I am just passionate about what I do” -Kelsey Reiter

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color guard isdta 2019

East High School iJAG