East Scroll issue 4

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Volume/86 Issue 4 May 22 , 2017

What’s Inside?

*Catching up with the Class of 2017 *Get the lowdown on some retiring teachers *Inside look at WHO 13’s Sound-OFF eastscroll.com

@EastScroll

@instaeastscroll

S E N I O R ISSUE

TABLE

F

CONTENTS Theatre Seniors pg. 16-17 Madi Garcia pg. 25 Senior Siblings pg. 30 Co-Editors in Chief

Robbi Boggess Elaina Rothmayer

Feature Editor Multimedia Editor Abby Folkerts

Anthony Arroyo

Staffers Alyssa Ayersman Kyleana Whitmore Lynsey Borgen Jordan Williams Laurie Custard Mayson Williams Elise Dowler Mason Fisher Elizabeth Flores Cover Nicole Grove Mason Lawrence Gwendolyn Major Toni McPhee Adviser Madison Stout Natalie Niemeyer Tanner Tillotson Christopher Trevino Principal Leslie Morris Fallon Trenter

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DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY STATEMENT

The Des Moines Public Schools prohibits discrimination in educational and employment prog rams and activities based on age, race, creed, color, sex, marital status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.

In addition, the District prohibits acts of intolerance or harassment toward employees or students that are not related to the individual’s employment or education.

ADS 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 every four weeks by Wilcox Printing in Madrid, IA.

LETTER POLICY The Scroll welcomes letters but reserves the right to edit for space as needed. 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.

NOTE: All contents are the product of the EHS newspaper production staff. Occasional stories are contributed from the Journalism Intern program.

The Scroll is a public forum for student expression.

Page Editor/M. Lawrence & J. Williams

Kyleana Whitmore

Nancy Leiva-Mercado

Courtney Downing

Anna Armstrong

Mason Fisher

Max Basham

Laurie Custard

Cheyenne Gebhart

Case Tillotson

As seniors say their last goodbyes and prepare for college or for the next step in their lives, they think ahead for what the future holds.

Keagan Dolphin

Crystal Velazquez

Mary San-Elias

Page Editor/ E. Dowler

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Class of

Seniors that have earned scholarships give advice and tips on applying for them. Find out where they are going and what to consider when figuring out what college is right for you.

Hardik Karla/ The University of Iowa

What advice would you give to underclassmen who want to apply for scholarships?

“Apply for as many scholarships as you can, it’s free money. The more you apply the higher chance you have of getting a scholarship, if you don’t get one you might end of getting the other one. It’s just free money out there, it’s up for grabs whoever takes it first, gets it.”

What scholarship did you get and what is it for?

story/D.Jackson/T.Ramos

“I got the Lois Dale Scholarship. It’s financial need based and it helps you a lot through the four years at the University, it’s a really good scholarship.

I definitely encourage whoever needs help financially to apply for it.”

Photo credit/ T.Ramos

Madi Garcia/University of San Diego What advice would you give to underclassmen who want to apply for scholarships?

“Apply for as many as you can because the worst they can say is no, but no matter how small or big it is, it’s still money. It can go towards your books or tuition it will help in anyway so don’t get lazy on it. Just apply as soon as possible.”

What helped you prepare when applying for scholarships and what scholarships did you get? “ I got a scholarship from the University of San Diego for $34,000 and I got the Alumni Association for $11,000. I signed up for different scholarship websites and they would send me emails and I would also research on my own. Another thing that helped me was just the classes I have taken. English classes taught me how to write proper essays it also helped on college applications because they ask a lot of the same questions.”

Jennifer Ortiz / Iowa State University

What made you pick Iowa state?

“I picked Iowa state because it has a lot of options so if I wanted to change could easily shift without having to go to a different college.”

What did you consider before committing to a college?

“I considered the programs each college had and the size of the college.

Size is a big factor I looked at.”

What was your reaction/ feeling when you got the scholarship and what scholarship did you get?

“I got the George Washington carver scholarship . Its pays for tuition and it’s an academic scholarship Really glad because college is very expensive and when I saw the letter come in, I was very excited and kind of glad that I don’t have to worry about tuition anymore.”

Page Editor/ T.Ramos/ D.Jackson

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Dorm room checklist Tyler Straight/Iowa State

Page Editor/ E. Rothmayer

Probably a first aid kit and a laptop. You don’t want to be running to the nurse every time you get a splinter or paper cut, and laptop helps with homework.”

Kayla Palmer/Iowa State What do you think the most important things to bring to college are?

1) Power strip/surge protector.

Because you never know how many outlets you’ll actually have.

2) A lot of photos from home. These are essential for any college freshman moving away from home, it’s always good to have something to remember your hometown and your friends/family!

Misc.

Bathroom

Bedroom

What do you think the most important things to bring to college are?

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Sound-OFF An inside look at Channel 13’s sports network Last minute makeup touches, notecards ready to go, and the countdown starts “5,4,3,2,1”…. And you’re on. It’s time to talk about sports, find out what’s bugging Andy, and laugh to no end every Sunday night at 10:35 p.m. Welcome to SoundOFF at Channel 13 News.

Sunday nights are crazy, getting all the kid(s)’ stuff ready for school tomorrow, Sunday night dinners, and some late nights. Those who want to just watch TV and relax while the kids sleep but know there’s probably nothing good on, you can tune in to Sound-OFF at Channel 13 News where Keith Murphy can say or do anything to make you laugh.

Sound-OFF has been Iowa’s go-to sports network for over a decade and so have WHO’s Keith Murphy and then later John Sears. They

with their “Look-a-like” and “Top 5” segments where they talk about how Murphy might look like an inmate at the Polk County Jail or how the University of Texas logo looks like a female’s reproductive system.

Sound-OFF kicked off in the year 2000 when the directors of Channel 13 came up to Keith Murphy and told him to run a new sports network.

“My boss wanted a Sunday night sports show to follow the newscast and I thought local highlight shows were narrow in how large an audience they could attract. I thought we needed to find a way to involve opinions, humor, and pop culture,” Keith Murphy said.

According to John Sears, who has only been a part of Sound-OFF for a few years, Keith Murphy is the

Story/ M. Stout

crucial member o f S o u n d - O F F. “The number one reason why Sound-OFF has been so successful is Murphy.

Sure, he’s had great co-hosts and contributors along the way but there is no doubt the show would not be where it is today without Keith. He is an innovator, “Sears said.

Many of the staff at WHO started out as journalists in a classroom just like those who are in journalism, newspaper, or yearbook . They encourage young journalists to pursue their dreams of working for a major company like WHO, CNN, or FOX. “The main thing I would tell them is be flexible and learn as much as possible.

A lot of kids pigeon hole themselves into only

wanting to be an anchor, or only wanting to be a reporter. So many TV stations now want employees to have multiple skills. Learn how to edit, learn how to shoot video with a camera, practice being in front of a camera (its much tougher than everyone thinks). Don’t let rejection frustrate you.

Every person that goes in to TV gets 5-10 times more than jobs landed. I applied for a job at WHO three times before I was actually hired,” Sears said.

“

If you are someone who is looking at a career in journalism, call to see if you can get to WHO and see what all they do and how they do it. You can call WHOTV at (515)-242-3500 or tune into Sound-OFF and see what they’re all about.

Central Iowans love sports, but they also love to be entertained. If this was a straight ‘highlight recap’ show it would have been off the air in year two. Sound-Off is different and often unpredictable which is why so many people tune in to watch”.

-John Sears

Fun Facts about the faces of Sound-OFF Get to know the people that made Sound-OFF famous.

Keith Murphy

Photo/ WHOTV.com

1. He had neck, shoulder, knee, and nose surgery—all from sports related injuries.

2. He once had a fly land in his mouth during a sportscast. He coughed it up, and laughed so hard, they had to go to commercial. Fortunately there was no “You Tube” then.

3. He often drinks a glass of half diet Pepsi/half milk. He says it tastes like a root beer float.

Page Editor/ M. Stout

John Sears

Photo/ WHOTV.com

1. He was incredibly shy when he was younger.

2. He taught swim lessons for 5 years as a college summer job, proof that even he can somewhat get a tan.

3. He (along with of his 2 buddies) used to sweep the floor at halftime of their boy’s high school basketball games. They would dress up in full costume while sweeping.

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13

The ones left behind

photo/ K.Whitmore

Popular Neflix series “13 Reasons Why” brings suicide to back into the conversation

My hands were shaking as I tried to decipher the news. This can’t be happening, I can’t believe this, how could he be gone?

Was there anything I could have done to stop this? How am I going to move on? These are some on the questions running through your head, how do you cope with this news and is there anyone out there to understand.

This is what the people affected by lovedone’s suicide are thinking. this scenario is a reality for students that have been brought to light recently by the popular Netflix series “13 reasons why.” Some students are able to relate to the popular series.

Sometimes the people closest to you are the ones that are hiding the most. “He was my step-cousin. We were together every day of our lives from the time I was born until kindergarten,” sophomore Danielle O’Connor said. When events like this happen the people most affected are the ones closest to the ones that have passed.

“Not everyone in the show was widely impacted by the suicide,” Melynn Philips a East High School sophomore said. In the

show Clay, Tony, and Hannah’s parents were the ones most impacted and this reflects the reality of the situation. Usually the loved ones had no idea what was going through this person’s mind would affect them this badly. ” We knew something was wrong and they were doing a lot of tests to diagnose him, his mom had an idea but I didn’t think he would do that,” O’Connor said.

Some people have suicidal thoughts but don’t know how to deal with them, so they push everyone away. Much like Clay in the show, the act of suicide is a shock for loved ones, who are blind sided.

But what they don’t realize is that their friends just want to help them. “I have a friend that was going through a really tough time in her life. I felt like I was not enough to get her out of her rut,” senior Lexy Bergan said. “For a while I was really worried for her wellbeing,” said.

If you feel like or know that one of your friends or family members is going through a tough time, then you should stick by their side even if you feel like you are giving little or

no help to the situation. “I do think that me telling her how much I love her and how she affects so many people made her feel more important than she had been feeling before,” Bergan said. In the show, Hannah Baker, the main character in the show who committed suicide; felt as though she wasn’t needed anymore and that she didn’t belong. Many people in the real world believe in this but they do not realize all the people around them even if its in a small way. Even if someone feels it’s not needed, counseling can be a big help to someone going through a tough time in their life. They may not notice it but they can get the help they need in a healthy way.

Suicide is an uncomfortable topic that many people don’t like to talk about. “13 reasons why” has brought the tough topic back into the light. “This show shows more that suicide can be out of nowhere and a lot of people that the person who killed themselves knew, had impacted that persons life so its in a way showing people that they should be nice to thers,” Luong said

1-800-273-8255 N

ational Suicide Prevention Lifeline. We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. 1-800-273-8255.

Page Editor/ L. Borgen

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High school regrets

What do East High seniors most regret doing and not doing in their high school years? Their responds can help high school students leave high school with no regrets and feeling like they lived up to their years.

Photo credit/ T.Ramos

“I regret not being so outgoing freshmen year and my style I feel like I was too shy to be myself but now I changed” - Leslie Tiengkham “I regret not taking more AP classes and I wish I would have done that.

And not being more involved because I felt like I wasn’t as involved as some people were” - Hardik Karla “Not taking theatre classes and not being in the school’s plays and musicals I always wanted to be in those things and I don’t know why I didn’t go for it.” - Marie Demuth “Not playing more sports. I only played one sport and that was in freshmen year and I feel like I regret not going out and actually doing it” - Rico Field

Page Editor/ T.Ramos

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Class of 2017 A look at the senior class by the numbers...

Average ACT score: 16

Males: 263

Females:231

Story/ L.Custard

AfricanAmerican:

Valedvictorians:

21

9%

Average GPA: 2.6

$165,000

438 7,000 hours of community Seniors service

Caucasian:

Plans after graduation:

given back through volunteer work

43

%

Mixed:

34%

4 year college: 37% 2 year college: 39% Trade: 7.5% Military: 3.5% Top GPA:

Page Editor/ L.Custard

4.41

January Graduates: 29

Asian-Americans:

12% Average Birthday:

September 1 (4) page 9/ feature

s e

/

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“All of you people, there is a big world out there... bigger than prom, bigger than high school and it won’t matter if you were the prom queen, the quarterback of the football team, or the biggest nerd in school.

Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it.”

Josie Geller, Never Been Kissed.

l o o

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l exposed c h g i H

Expectation

“Do you prefer ‘fashion victim’ or ‘ensembl-y chanllenged’?” Cher Horowitz, Clueless.

Story/ G. Major

Reality

No attempt to look good whatsoever, unless there’s a good reason for it. Because who needs to impress anyone?

Constantly having new clothes, and shoes.

Because a high schooler should never wear the same outfit twice.

Literally never having any

The idea of high school is one money. Between gas and you’ve had to resort that begins as a very young food, for digging through the child. Movies like “Mean Girls”, couch cushions for pennies.

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ”, and Always looking attractive, “High School Musical” shape an Never eating healthy perfect hair, and clear skin. idea of what high school must because who has time for Because hormones and be like. Well, unfortunately, that? Or money? Honestly, sleep aren’t real. is way too they have lied to you… Mostly. healthy food expensive.

Never being broke, and never borrowing a dollar from anyone. In the movies, they’re never hustling for money. So why should you? Cher has an endless supply of clothes. So will you when you become a high schooler... Right?

Page Editor/ G. Major

“High

school is the bottom, being a teenager sucks, but that’s the point, surviving it is the whole point. Quitting is not going to make you stronger, living will. So just hang on and hang in there.” Mark Hunter, Pump Up The Volume.

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College students debunk college Story/N. myths Grove So you think you know what to expect when you head off to college? You’ve seen all the TV shows and movies and they’ve taught you enough, right? Wrong. The stereotypes portrayed in media have college all wrong. So you might want to get a reality check and prepare yourself for the truth.

#1

Wild parties are everywhere

Reality: "I would say that it's a misconception that wild parties are all over the place. During football season there are tailgates hosted by frats and that's probably as wild as it gets because everyone is invited," college freshman and East alumni Malesa Naovarath said.

#2

You and your roommate will be best friends on move in day and you’ll make friends instantly

Reality:"College introduces you to a bunch of new and different people; maybe not instantly but it will happen," college freshman and East alumni Shirah Burton said.

#3

All of your college professors are mean and unreasonable

Reality: "Most professors are crazy just in their own way, it's kind of hard to explain. You just have to figure out how to give them what they want, even if it's not what you had in mind," college freshman and East alumni Emma Kinney said.

Remember: "College is fun and it has its moments but college is also important. Parties are okay but remember they do not come before homework. It's nice to have friends but do not get distracted trying to be friends with everybody. And lastly, do not assume your professors will be mean. They may not baby you but they will work with you if you communicate well and show them that you care," Burton said.

“Accepted” Students create their own university to fool parents

“Legally Blonde”

Unqualified sorority girl is accepted to Harvard

“Neighbors” Wild frat buys a house in a quiet suburban neighborhood

“The House Bunny”

Ex Playboy bunny joins a sorority as a house mom

Movies that got it wrong

Page Editor/N. Grove

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Practicalities

Students learning basic life skills to help them throughout their future.

Story/ M. Stout

Life skills. Cooking, signing up for financial support, taxes.... seems easy, right? Well, sadly the fact is that most high school students don’t know how to do these things. Schools don’t really teach taxes and budgeting unless there’s a class, which most students don’t/won’t take because they think that they won’t need it. If you’re senior and don’t know these basic skills, here’s some simple tips to help you.

Learning these life skills throughout high school is crucial. Especially when you go off to college. If you don’t know how to cook or how to do your laundry, adjusting to college life may be rough. You keep yourself accountable because your parents won’t and your roommate(s) definitely won’t. Being able to have these skills can really benefit you down the road.

It is a key asset to growing up.

“Picking up and getting down new study habits and working on not procrastinating is probably one of the biggest skills you can learn to prepare yourself for college,” senior Libbie Skeffington said. Skeffington is planning on going to Coe College in the fall after graduating from East High School.

According to education.jhu.edu, the most important life skills that you need to learn is critical thinking (the ability to think thoroughly about a situation), communication (being able to communicate with others clearly), and accountability (being

able to keep yourself on schedule whether it’d be through reminders on your phone or writing events down in a planner/calendar).

“When deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life go for something you really enjoy not just the highest paying job. also be yourself and have fun,” EHS alumni Jared Hall said. Hall just finished up his freshman year at University of Central Missouri.

Being able to balance money in college is one of the most important things you can learn that can help you the most in the future. No one wants to be the stereotypical “broke/poor college student”. You want be able to have enough money to buy food for the week. If you worry about running out of food, stock up at the beginning of the month and only buy food if needed.

“I took out some loans to help pay for my college expenses, and this summer, I plan on working to pay as much of those off as I can,” Gebhart said.

If you find yourself not knowing these basic skills, talk to your parents, grandparents, or whoever takes care of you and ask them for help. If you’re still lost or confused, talk to your school counselors or Home Economics teacher(s) for advice.

Page Editor/ M. Stout

Top 5 tips that will help you succeed in college

1)

Pursue your passion- Amidst all the distri-

bution courses, general education requirements, prerequisites, and must-do’s for the major, it’s easy to forget what your intellectual interests, gifts, and passion were in the first place.

2)

Study, don’t “study”- Though nobody quite

3)

Matain good attendence- Teachers pay

4) 5)

tells you this, at college most of the work is done outside the classroom. Rule of thumb: one hour of lecture, two hours of preparation. As soon as the semester starts, find yourself a quiet place to study and block out the times of the week you’re going to do the studying. attention to the level of involvement students demonstrate throughout the semester. These will be the same teachers you will turn to for letters of recommendation and you can’t expect them to vouch for you if you’ve barely set foot in their classes.

Take advantage of school resources-

Most students overlook the vast network of readily available resources colleges have and go through the semester on the bare minimum – attending classes alone. Make it a rule to frequent the campus libraries, tutoring and writing centers, computer labs and career centers for free, valuable information.

Work on your problem-solving skills-

Courses such as math, physics, chemistry and statistics require good analytical skills, so be sure to spend time at home working on problems. When you get stuck on a problem seek help quickly to make sure you understand what is being asked.

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out rowing of iT G years I’m

It’s been seventeen years since I’ve taken my first breath, twelve years since I’ve started going to school, eight years since I’ve met my best friend, & one year since I’ve moved into my best friend’s house. It’s also been seventeen years since my struggle began, twelve years since I’ve began to go to a building every weekday and feel like I’m ignorant, eight years since I was taken from my family and placed into a foster home, & one year since I was rescued from a life of belittlement, & verbal abuse. This is the story of how I’ve grown in struggle & how I’m working to

grow out of it.

On any given day, there are nearly 428,000 children in foster care in the United States, & in the summer of 2005, my brother Jacob & I were added into the equation.

/ Our parents had been alcoholics for years: my dad was angry & my mom was an instigator. He was always blaring music, threatening her, & crunching his teeth together & in return, she filled his dinner with dog food & never hesitated to yell back. This led to bruises, a misplaced jaw & cuts on her neck overtime & the only thing he got in return was sober guilt. I cannot image what it felt like to wake up blackout after blackout, & realize that your girlfriend’s face is half purple, your six year old daughter had to hide the baseball bat, & your 13 year old son now feels like it’s his job to protect her; all because you can’t stop tilting back a bottle.

/2/ I don’t know who called the police that day, but a blur of blue and black passed my eyes & Jacob and I were in a red minivan, driving away while my mother screamed.

/3/ We were separated in the YESS shelter; that’s when I became shy. Everyday I woke up & stared out

of the slit of the cracked open door, waiting for the woman to see me so I could go to the bathroom. Sometimes I stood there for minutes, other days I swear I stood forever. I played with my roommate & colored & ate prunes until the days passed & a foster-family came to take us away.

/4/ I remember being so happy as we ran to look at their massive backyard, but my happiness disappeared that night as I cried myself to sleep.

There were eight or nine kids in that house, apart from us, but nobody filled the gap that my parents had once filled.

Every memory I have of that place is lonely and saddening.

/5/ After a year of wondering where my parents were, my dad finally got me back from the state & quit drinking alltoghether, but Jacob went back to the shelter. We walked miles to, and from, the YESS shelter to visit him & I’d grow so tired that my father would sling me above his shoulders a&say, “You’re a trooper.”

/ I didn’t realize it then, but I’d need to be a trooper in order to survive the next 11 years of my life.

/6/ My brother returned

Page Editor/ Jordan W.

home and we moved into an apartment.

I made a bestfriend, named Christopher, who lived right above us, and I returned to my joyful childhood. Then my mother moved back in and they returned to their old ways: fighting, arguing, speaking drunken slurs and throwing plates. Jacob, being 17, moved into his friend’s house and left me alone, so I became the growup of my household.

/7/This time I was the one who called the police. My dad threatened to kill my mother this time, & I knew that no matter what was going to happen to us, I had to do something.

/8/ Jacob & I were taken back into the foster home that we had been in before, but I was adopted & he ran away: this time I was alone for six years. I wasn’t aloud to talk to any of my family & I only had one friend, so I began to fall into a deep depression. My new parents were verbally abusive and it sank me further and further into a hole.

I cut my hips and wailed for hours a day, all without help from counseling because I wasn’t aloud to go. I’m convinced that they wanted me to die, because I was on the verge of killing myself so many damn times.

/9/My situation & my mind got so bad that one day, a year ago, I told my sister-in-law that she had to get me out of there or I wasn’t going to make it, so she saved me. She drove to me, packed my clothes & put me in her van. As we pulled out of the driveway I could feel the chains, that my parents had around me, shatter.

/10/Now, I’m in this moment & it’s still hard. My depression takes away my motivation, & my ability to be myself, even though I have no idea who I am because I’ve never had time to think about it. My sister-in-law and I avoid each other because dealing with this situation is difficult & we don’t want to create more issues than we already have. But she took me out of that house & I can confidently say that without her, I would be dead. My best-friend that I used to have is becoming more of a sister & I hate it because every sister that I have had has stabbed me in the back and left me in my darkness, but I know that we’ll grow back together again, & that everything will be okay because I’m taking anti-depressants & one day I will see my family again. I will fight to grow out of it.

page /10 feature

4 things

to look for in a c llege story/ M. Lawrence

If you’re a high school student and haven’t been asked what you want to do after you graduate, are you really a high school student? While it’s true that going to college is important, the stress society puts on going to college can be really scary. So, here are four things to consider when starting your college search to make the whole thing a little easier.

#1

One important thing n io when choosing a college is

t

a c o L

its location. Do you want to be just a short drive from home, across the country , or something in between? Would you prefer to be in the middle of nowhere,or in the middle of a big city? These are all things to consider.

#2

The size and type of school is another really important thing. At bigger public universities, you’ll end up in a few lecture hall classes, while smaller Liberal Arts colleges will give you a small class size and personal experience. Most public universities will get you in your major right away, while liberal arts colleges will make you take more variety.

Jewel Cave National Park

The College of Idaho

#3 #4 e

em c la

get a job afterward? Some universities are recognizable around the country, while others may not have ever been heard of outside of the state. Job placement will vary from school to school, so be sure to ask!

The final thing to consider are the programs and majors schools have to offer. Some big schools have countless programs which gives you lots of variety and you’ll be sure to find one you like. Smaller schools tend to be more specific with their majors which is less overwhelming and lets you focus in on one.

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page /14 feature

story/ J. Williams

Wartburg College

Vassar College

Waverly, IA 78.8% Acceptance Rate $36,120 Tuition

Poughkeepsie, NY 25.6% Acceptance Rate $50,550 Tuition

#1

84% of graduates from the Class of 2014 expect to find a job in their chosen field. The reality is that only 67% of graduates from the previous two classes have received jobs in their chosen fields. If you’re worried that you won’t be able to get a good job without furthering your high school education, gain life experience to educate yourself. Watch educational videos to learn how to do things, talk to people around you with experience in what interests you, and get out more; the more you experience and the more people you meet, the more you’ll know.

at

Meteor Crater Route 66

University of California: Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 18% Acceptance Rate $26,682 Out of State Tuition

According to Huffinton Posts article, “This Is Why 12 Percent Of High School Graduates Don’t Go To College,” “By the age of 26, just 12 percent of high school graduates have failed to enroll in a two or four-year college.”

Society forces pressure upon us as students to go to college, and to figure out our futures, but its not meant for everyone right away, if at all.

So, if you’re cruise-controlling through highschool and have no idea what to do with your future, fear no more, because here is a guide on what to do if you DON’T want to go.

Loc

The Creation Museum

Austin, TX 39% Acceptance Rate $39,270 Out of State Tuition

Lydia Holmes /12 Iowa State University

“I decided to go to Iowa State because they had a lot of options in the STEM field...it’s a good community [with] lots of clubs and I think I could get really connected with the group of people that attend there. It’s a good start for my future.”

Page Editors/ M. Lawrence & J. Williams

ion

#2 #3 #4

Thanks to the internet, building a business is easier, and cheaper, than it used to be. It may take a few years before your hard work produces livable wages, but you can accelerate your growth with advertising. Get a small job in order to pay the bills and keep working to make your business a reality. Even if your business fails, and you decide to enter the workforce, your business experience will get your foot in the door and look good to future employers.

Bu

sin

University of Texas: Austin

P

ms

you’re not g ing

Location: Caldwell, ID 92.9% Acceptance Rate $24,955 Tuition

e z i S

What’s the point of got n ing to college if you can’t

&

4 things to do if

Disney World

Britney Eddinger /12

Not sure about college

“I just want to experience life to the fullest. I want to find adventure, and write. I want to find ways to learn about other cultures personally instead of out of a textbook.”

ess

There are thousands of people out there who make a livng just by vlogging, or blogging, on YouTube. This works because we’re in the age of social media.

If you love entertaining people, or you’re really passionate about something, share it with the world and you just might get paid for it.

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Take time to get creative! If you do anything with art, whether that be drawing, acting, singing or anything inbetween, dig deep and invest some of your time into doing what you love to do. Build up your skills and you just might be able to sell some of your work or and/or become a professional.

Page Editors/ M. Lawrence & J. Williams

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page /15 feature

The seniors say goodbye to the theatre family

Leaving the spotlight

“Playing Leon in ‘Fools’ for my first show was my favorite by far. It could be partially because of how sentimeantal I am, but he was also just a super fun character. It was fun to become this character who is so full of himself but also really caring at the same time with everyone’s best interest in mind. I have to credit part of it to Lexi Lingner too for playing my counterpart.

She made it a lot of fun.”

-Mason Lawrence

Page Editor/ M. Williams

“My favorite character was the minister in ‘The Laramie Project’, although it wasn’t my main role, only because it took me out of my comfort zone and tested me as an actor.”

-Nic Graziano

Different cliques are scattered all over the lunch room and in the halls. That table that has the basketball players, the choir kids walking in the halls together, and the video gamers sitting around their lunch table. There are so many countless numbers of groups throughout East High. Students can stick with the same group all four years or they switch it up sometime in between. But what about the cliques that are so close that they’re considered family?

How does someone leave that behind when they move on from their high school years?

East High’s theatre department is nothing less than a safe haven for all who join. Once someone auditions there’s no going back. Some seniors have been apart of the family all 4 years and some are just now finding their way in. It’s hard saying goodbye once you’ve grown and fallen in love with what you’re doing on stage and with the rest of the cast.

Senior Isabel Casas had been apart of the tech crew up until her senior year when she auditioned for the musical “Hairspray” East was putting on. After auditioning, Casas got the lead role, Tracy Turnblad.

“The theatre family is definitely different when you’re apart of the cast compared to being in tech. When I was in tech I was close to the cast but I was more comfortable with the rest of the crew and I wasn’t as involved. When I was in the cast it was weird especially because I was a main role so I felt like everyone was trying to take care of me all the time and it felt like I was always involved. There were definitely two different sides of the spectrum that I feel honored to have experienced,” Casas said.

Senior Mason Lawrence joined theatre his last semester during junior year. During his first try at auditions he got the lead role of Leon in the production of “Fools”. Even though Lawrence is relatively new to the theatre family, this goodbye

will still hurt just as badly for him as it will others.

“To be honest, it’s really heartbreaking. I got into theatre way too late, and being done came too soon. I wish I had more time to grow and more time to perform. Theatre has been the most influential thing I’ve done in High School,” Lawrence said.

But it’s not just heart breaking for the seniors when it’s time to leave. Sophomore Tahzhae Burton is participating in his second theatre production and has had a good amount of time to get to know the seniors this year.

“I’m more out going because of the seniors. I want to help the younger class men that are coming in. I want to be just like the seniors and how they were to me,” Burton said.

Though the seniors deserve praise and applause for all of the hard work they’ve put on and off stage, so does the mastermind behind the curtain, Director Jamaal Allan.

Allan has been with the seniors throughout all of their 4 years of high school. Starting with Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in 2014, and ending with Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” in 2017.

“I started my teaching career in middle school and moving to high school has that awesome and sad bitter sweet feeling every year and seeing all that they’ve accomplished in the last four years. Especially because this is my second full group of seniors that I’ve had freshman through senior year here at East. Seeing how much they’ve changed from being people who can barely think, to being basically adults. You’re proud, you’re happy to see them moving on.

It’s hard and sad to say goodbye,” Allan said.

So the question still remains: how do you say goodbye to your family? You tell them to break a leg, and keep moving forward.

Page /16 feature

“I actually have two favorite characters that I played. One of them for sure would be Lilly from ‘Annie’ because that was my first big role and it was just really fun to play because I got to play someone really dumb and naive. My second favorite was Amber from ‘Hairspray’ because I got to twist it around and play the mean character and push people around which was fun.”

-Katy McCaull

“I’d say Fred Phelps [The Laramie Project]. He was such an intense character that completely contrasted who I really was, while also being my first. Him being as loud and angry like was what started my own opening of my social shell and helped me become someone who can put themselves out there and heard by others without being scared.”

-Cristian Rodriguez

Jamaal G. Allan

“This above all: To thine own self be true.”

Hamlet/ I.iii.78 Freshman: “High School Musical” (2013) / “A Midsummer Nights Dream” (2014) Sophomore: “Annie” (2014) / “The Laramie Project” (2015) Junior: “Beauty and The Beast” (2015) / “FOOLS” & “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” (2016) Senior: “Hairspray” (2016) / “Much Ado About Nothing” (2017) Page Editor/ M. Williams

Page /17 feature

Seniors in Scroll The 2017 Scroll describe their own experiences throughout their time working on East student newspaper NAME:_______________________ timw in Scroll: Two years Favorite Scroll memory: WHO TV reporter made comments on my Kanye page and praised my work Best thing about Scroll: Ms. Niemeyer lets me do what I want Worst thing about Scroll: Ms. Niemeyer lets me do what I want so I am really on my own to figure things out Scroll in 3 words: Fun, Unique, Awesome Advice for future Scroll members: Try new things Fun fact about you- Works at the greatest store in the universe, Raygun NAME:_______________________ Time in Scroll: Two years Favorite Scroll memory: Robbi and I stole two jumbo size boxes of fruit snacks from the counselors and threw them all on the table and everyone ate them Best thing about Scroll: If you want to lay down and take a break you can but there are deadlines Worst thing about Scroll: There are deadlines Scroll in 3 words: Lots of snacks Advice for future Scroll members: Don’t take a class off because then you’ll take multiple off Fun fact about you: I love getting my toes cracked NAME:_______________________ Time in Scroll: One semester Favorite Scroll memory: Doing team bonding activities Best thing about Scroll: Fun and creative energy we have in the room Worst thing about Scroll: deadlines, I hate deadlines. I hate the deadline rush Scroll in 3 words: It’s fricking lit Advice for future Scroll members: Don’t be friends with anyone in there because you won’t get anything done Fun fact about you: I laugh at everything in bad situations NAME:_______________________ Time in Scroll: One semester Favorite Scroll memory: Before I even got into Scroll I got published and I thought that was pretty cool just being in J1 and being published so then when I got into Scroll people already knew what my writing was like Best thing about Scroll: I get to do what I want to do and im not restricted Worst thing about Scroll: When things don’t workout the way I want it to. I get an idea and when it doesn’t work out its frustrating Scroll in 3 words: Way too short Advice for future Scroll members: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there Fun fact about you: My favorite color is green NAME:_______________________ Time in Scroll: Two and a half years Favorite Scroll memory: Iowa Summer Journalism Workshop and I did that because I was in Scroll Best thing about Scroll: How we have such a diverse staff and write about such diverse topics Worst thing about Scroll: It doesn’t last forever Scroll in 3 words: Changed my world Advice for future Scroll members: Try new things before it’s too late Fun fact about you: My cats name is Monster

Page Editor/ E. Youngwirth

page /18 feature

with the Science Bound seniors

Photo/ E. Flores Over the past four years, the Science Bound seniors, also known as the “bonding group”, have stuck together through the program and have turned into a team. They came into high school not knowing each other but they slowly became a tight knit group their freshman year. Now, they are heading to college together. It all started because of Science Bound. What exactly is Science Bound? Science Bound is an Iowa State program that starts in eighth grade and goes all the way up to college. The Science Bound program pays four year tuition if the student stays in the program the whole time and if they choose to go to Iowa State University.

Q: Where do you think you’d be if you didn’t meet the Science Bound seniors?

A: “I honestly think that I wouldn’t have good grades, self-standing or selfimage because they raise me up more than I could ever have from other people,” Senior Psalm Amos said.

Q: How close are you all?

A: “It’s kind of weird because we’re all like family and we’re not related. We fight just like any family would. We’ve seen each other at our lowest and our highest points,” Perla Murillo said.

Q: “How important are you guys to each other?

A: It’s like everything. I feel that we’re basically family to each other. We’re close like brothers and sisters,” Senior Joey Rangel said.

Q: How does it feel knowing that you’re all going to college together?

A: It feels surreal. We knew that we would go to college but we didn’t know our freshman year that we would go together up at Iowa State.

It’s kind of one of those things of “wow, we really did stick together,”

Senior Isabel Casas said.

Q: As a group, how have you guys grown?

A: “We have definitely matured. The whole that we’ve known each other, we have pushed each other to become who we are today,” Murillo said.

Q: What would your piece of advice be to the underclassmen Science Bound students?

A: “My advice is to stick with the people who help you out and promote your wellness not just others,” Amos said.

At the end of the day, the love for our city is there just like the love for each other.

-Ivan Apolonio Page Editor/ E. Flores

page /19 feature

photo/ E Dowler

retiring teacher, Q&A with Terrie Fenstermann

Terrie Fenstermann, an East High School P.E. teacher, will be retiring after her 17 year career at East. Before she came to East she taught at Roosevelt for seven years. She came to East in the Fall of 2000.

Story/ E. Dowler

did you want to come to Q. Why East?

principal at the time asked me to come in for an interview A. “The for an opening they had as a physical education teacher and for the head volleyball coach,” Terrie Fenstermann said.

so many. I always say that if you can’t laugh or A. “Iyouhave don’t have a story when you retire or leave than you

is a crazy memory you have Q. What of East?

never really were trying because there’s always going to be a story wherever you go,” Fenstermann said.

Q. Tell us about your family...

A.“I’ve got two girls. One girl has five kids and lives right next door to me,

and my other daughter does not have any kids and she works for the state and she investigates nursery homes. Their names are Jennifer and Jamie,” Fenstermann said.

Q. What are your plans for retirement, what are you going to be doing?

June I’ve got a cruise planned with my two daughters. We’re going A.“In out of New York City to Bermuda and we will be there for a week.

Then, in September when you guys are sweating and working hard, I will be going on another cruise with my husband out of Van Couver.

We are going to Hawaii for two weeks,” Fenstermann said.

anything you would Q. Islikethere to add?

A. “I’m just going to miss the kids and the staff. I have built a lot of relationships like with the kids and staff here and I will miss it a lot,” Fenstermann said.

Page Editor/ E. Dowler

page /20 feature

A final farewell

Story/D. Jackson

FCS teacher Deann Hebert shares her final thoughts before she retires Sewing teacher Deann Hebert will be ending her long teaching career after this school year. She started teaching at East in 1977 where she became a Family Consumer Science teacher and taught with her sister.

Hebert is a part of many organizations including Project Sewing Machine and 4-H. She also helps put on the East High fashion show every year.

She will be missed by many students and staff members.

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What made you want to become a teacher?

I didn’t really want to be a teacher, I wanted to work for Iowa State extension and then I got married. I needed a job so I got a job at East High School, here my sister had a job, too that’s why I liked it. We taught in the foods room together.

What will you miss the most about teaching?

The students; especially my student helpers that are here for me in block one. I’m going to miss the kids in 4-H and Project Sewing Machine and our fashion show.

4.

5.

photo/ D.Jackson

Page Editor/ D.Jackson

I’ve had a lot of them, a lot but one of the strangest things that has happened is, I had people who put gang symbols on their pot holders. I had this boy and his dad died and his dad only had one leg, he had a prosthetic leg and when his dad died he brought it to class because that was an important piece of his father and he wanted to have that close to him. Well they discovered that he was selling drugs out of his dads leg.

Most embarrassing thing that has happened to you while teaching?

I was teaching fashion and we were doing avant-garde and I had this dress and I held it up and when I did a mouse fell out so I laid it down and did this thing mice, mice, mice get out when I picked it up two more fell out. After that, no more candy on dresses.

6.

Do you have a memorable student or story?

7.

Will you ever come back to sub?

Biggest change from when you first started teaching and now?

Probably the number of ELL students we have. Cell phones, we didn’t even have phones in our classrooms we didn’t even have one on the wall. There were no computers when I started, we took our attendance and put it on a little tag outside the classroom on a piece of paper. We did have heat though but no air conditioning. We had students who wrote their name, the date and the period on every piece of paper when they turned it in. It was amazing.

Strangest thing that has happened to you at East?

They’re all memorable, they really are I wouldn’t want to pick any student out but I been very proud of many of them, I’ve been proud of those who have gone to Iowa State and studied fashion and design. I’ve been proud of those who married and now I see their pictures on Facebook with their children and they sew clothes for their kids. I’m not proud of the ones in prison.

Sure, one day I’m going to come every once in a while because I want to know what’s going on. But only if the students are nice to me because students aren’t very nice to substitutes

“

you are never giving a dream without the power to make it come true...

-Richard Bach

”

page /21 feature

Q

and

A

with Dan Ketchum

After teaching 32 years, ELL teacher Danny Ketchum is ready to move on to the next step of his life. Ketchum; sad and heartbroken to leave the job he has poured his heart and soul into for many years, has decided to embark on a new journey- away from the school setting. Ketchum has visited 45 different countries, and with a passion for travelling, he is ready to explore what all the world has to offer. Ketchum has contributed so much to the ELL program, and to the East community in general.

Story/ A. Folkerts 1. What are some of your hobbies?

Photo/ A. Folkerts

“I love to travel. I have a dog, and a cat. I love to take the dog to the dog park. I’ve been to 45 different countries. I’ve hit most of the countries from Mexico down to Chile and Argentina.”

2. Why did you decide to come and teach at East?

“I had been teaching at Central Campus for 25 years and they cut the program and sent the second year students to their home high schools to learn history, and that’s what I was teaching at the time.”

3. How do you feel you have contributed to East?

“I’ve always been active with the different parent groups. I’m able to translate for the parents when they come in. I shop and live in the East area, so my shopping is where everyone else is shopping.”

4. What have you learned about yourself while teaching?

“I learned that I could start myself over again, and make new friends, and new relationships with other adults and students.”

5. How would you describe your students?

“My students are from all different countries. I’ve lost track of how many countries that have been represented by the students that I’ve taught. I would imagine it’s been about 80 different countries that have been represented. The students come from all walks of life.”

6. How do you feel about retiring?

“I would like to continue to teach for another year or two. But the administration downtown assigned me to another middle school. I didn’t want to start over at this point in my career. I have loved teaching here at East. It’s been a great experience.”

7. What do you plan on doing during retirement?

“I will be doing more traveling. I will try and get those 45 countries up to 46 by the end of this summer, and more other areas of the world too. I will probably try and go back to ones I’ve been to in the past and try some new ones as well.”

8. What is going to be the hardest thing about leaving East?

“Relationships with the people I have worked with for many years. I will still maintain contact with everyone but it will be difficult to wake up in August and not go to school for the first time in my life.”

Page Editor/ A. Folkerts

3 has been to 45 different countries fluent in Spanish and French loves the students and faculty of EHS page /22 feature

The journey of senior story/ K.Whitmore

Inhale. Exhale. One more time. Inhale, hold. Exhale. Open your eyes. Tears start to fall. One tear for each family member you won’t see again. One tear for every friend you’ve ever made you’ll never play with again. One tear for the bamboo house that will never keep you sheltered again. One tear for everyone who cannot come with. And one last tear for yourself. You just left the refugee camp you were living in ever since you were born. You just left your life. Fast forward eight years. Your name is Eh Taw Bo and you just graduated from East High school.

photos/ K.Whitmore

Bo was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. He lived in Nah Poe(new poe) for 11 years. He came to America on a bus in hopes of a better life. He had dreamed of coming to America.

“Before I came to America I watched one of the American movies. I don’t know what it’s called but I know what it showed. The actor had a good house, they lived in a building. They had a nice car and when they go to school it shows people smiling at each other. People have a lot of friends,” Bo said.

Bo thought he was coming to this idealistic society where dreams came true. Though he was sad he had to leave a lot behind, he was excited for his new life.

“When I came to America I thought I was going to have those things you know? But nope. When I went to school the first day I got bullied. I thought people were going to smile at me but they just tried to bully me,” Bo said.

Bo couldn’t understand why his life wasn’t like the movie he had seen The bullying continued and still does occasionally.

“They said ‘oh are you chinese? Cheech chong’ but that is not the language. They asked if I eat dog, I never ate dog before. But I don’t know how they see that,” Bo said.

He refused to let them tear him down. He had a goal he wanted to accomplish. It wasn’t hard for him however, because Bo has dealt with plenty of hardships before. And he knew the people bullying him didn’t have a clue about what those hardships were.

“They don’t think about what would happen if one day they got really really poor. There are a lot of racists in America. It’s tough to live in America if you are not the right race,” Bo said.

No American would admit they don’t know the definition of poor. In fact many Americans would go as far to say they can relate to Bo’s story because they’ve been poor, too. They use the excuse of being poor when they can’t do something right. Bo knows the true definition of poor. And to him, poor is not an excuse to not try, it’s a motivator to survive.

“If you say I gotta get my own food in America that means get in your car and go to the grocery store. But in the refugee camp if you say you gotta go get your own food that means you gotta go to the jungle or forest or woods, to find something to eat. You got to do everything to survive. You have to find your own home to build. You have to find your own education to study. When I live in refugee camp if you don’t have money then you can’t go to school.

We can’t even afford a pencil to write with. We can’t even afford a book to read,” Bo said.

Bo was so poor his education was being affected. The schools in refugee camps are not funded and regulated like in America. In fact if you can’t afford it you don’t even get to go to school.

“Every time I hear other students say ‘Oh I hate school’ or ‘Oh I want to skip class’ that hurts my feelings. We say ‘Oh mom I really want to go to school’ or ‘Mom can I go to school.’ Back at the refugee camp we don’t have those chances,” Bo said.

Bo has taken full advantage of his education in America. He even plans to go to college afterwards. He want’s to study International Relations in order to go back to his home country and help his people. Though Bo is excited for college he is aware of the expenses as well.

“I need to work. Half of my paycheck I am going to save for college, the other half I am going to give my mom for expenses,” Bo said.

Bo has given up a lot to come here.

Which begs the question; what about Bo?

I don’t really need much. I already have clothes to wear and food to eat. I don’t need a lot of money for myself,” Bo said.

Even in his humble mind Bo still misses what he gave up. A lot of family members were left in the refugee camp, including his grandmother and grandfather whom died back in the camp. Bo was in America when it happened.

Everytime I see people have their grandma, I wish I could see my grandma right now. But I don’t have that chance anymore,” Bo said.

Whether this story moved you or this was another story you skimmed, take notice. People all around you are going through struggles. Don’t make someone’s mountain harder to climb because their mountain is different than yours.

“The reason we came to America is because we want to have a better life and better education. We want to live a happy life, and we don’t want to die,” Bo said.

Page Editor/ K. Whitmore

page /23 Feature

Meet Parker Bartz A valedictorian’s journey to number one Story/A. Folkerts

It’s the middle of summer, and you get a call from East. You just got notified that you are the Valedictorian for the class of 2017. Your palms are sweaty, and you start to go crazy, you find yourself asking, “is this real?”

It’s at that moment you realize that this is not a joke, and it’s in fact very real. This dream became a reality for senior Parker Bartz. Meet Parker, a driven and superb scholar, who happens to be the Valedictorian and the Vice President for the class of 2017.

“I found out the summer before this school year that I was the valedictorian. I was notified because I had to give a speech for the academic letter ceremony,” Parker said. “It was very cool. My parents and I were both particularly impressed.”

Even though he is at the top of his academic game, Parker said that he still strives to achieve higher standards for the future.

When asked who has inspired him to continue down the road to success, Parker admitted that he has been inspired to be successful simply because he has had good teachers.

“Mrs. Luft has been my orchestra teacher for all four years, and Ms. Singh has been there for me for two,” Parker said. While some people may believe that he has a gift for learning, Parker explains that things have not always been easy for him.

“I’ve definitely had hard classes, and times where I feel like I am not doing as well as I can,” Parker said. Parker expresses that he definitely has had to sacrifice sleep to be number one.

“I definitely don’t get the amount of sleep that I should be getting.” Parker is not only an academic scholar, he also participates in many sports and clubs that East has to offer.

Throughout his four years at East, he has been apart of cross country, swimming, tennis, National Honor Society, and student government. He is the perfect definition of a student-athlete.

“If you haven’t already joined any clubs, do it right away. You might not think you’re gonna do well, but you’ll surprise yourself.”

Parker is not the only Bartz child that attends East High School. He is accompanied by his younger brother, Carver, who is a sophomore. “He is highly smart and very talented,” Carver said of his big brother. “He’s very good at what he does and he knows what he’s doing.”

Carver also explained how his brother’s success has pushed him to be the best that he can be. Sometimes people compare him to his big brother, and he is totally okay with that.

“Everybody’s always like ‘hey, your brother’s the valedictorian, are you going to be the valedictorian?’ He’s set the bar for me. It’s nice to have that.

He gives me a challenge,” Carver said.

While he is an exemplary student, senior Brandy Cam clearly states that there is much more to this Valedictorian than just books and homework.

“He’s really genuine. He takes care of his family and he looks out for all of his friends. He’s a sweetheart,” Cam said. “He’s really funny. He doesn’t judge you, and he’s very open-minded.”

As class President and Vice President, Brandy and Parker are the voices of the students here at East High School. Brandy is the President of the student government, and Parker is the Vice President. The Brandy-Parker duo have been the best of friends since the seventh grade.

“He’s a big headache sometimes, but he’s one of my best friends and I wouldn’t want to be working with anyone else,” Cam said.

Cam had a special message for her long time friend as they both part their separate ways for college.

“I just want to let him know that I’m proud of him, and somebody else out there is proud of him also,” Cam said.

Photo/A.Folkerts

things you 3didn’t know

1

wants to be a scientific researcher or food scientist

22

going to Vassar College in New York

33 Page Editor/ A. Folkerts

worked at Arby’s for 2 years

page /24 feature

Madi Garcia

Follow a senior's journey on her transition back to the California life Story/A. Ayersman

27 hours, 1,846 miles, 6 states… Moving is a big deal, especially the move that Madi Garcia experienced when she was only 8 years old and is about to experience again at age 18. She moved to Des Moines the summer before third grade, from California.

“Growing up in Iowa has been an adventurous experience… it’s been a blessing growing up in such a vibrant community,” Garcia said.

Garcia has lived in Des Moines ever since she first got off the plane. She attended St. Anthony’s Catholic School for the remainder of her elementary years and all of middle school. For high school she attended East High, where her eyes opened to the diversity the world has to offer.

Her favorite things about East are the diversity the school holds, the strength and pride the community has, the unique atmosphere, and the feeling of acceptance no matter who you are. Over the years Garcia has accomplished a number of things such as varsity captain for three sports.

“Madi is incredibly involved in a plethora of activities and community events and still manages to balance a strong social life," Urban Leadership 101 teacher Kristopher Rollins said.

Many may look at Garcia as the Tribe Leader at sporting events, a role model in

Photo/ A. Dyer sports, or a brainiac in the class room, but her involvements are way more than that. Whether it's at East High with her athletic skills or downtown at the Social Club performing for Movement 515. She has excelled in volleyball, basketball, and soccer, alongside being involved in National Honor Society, National Council on Youth Leadership, DMPS Youth Advisory Board, and many other groups.

"Madi has developed incredible leadership skills, and has become an outspoken advocate for social justice," Urban Leadership 101 teacher Emily Lang said.

Being involved in multiple groups and activities throughout high school will not only reward you at that time, but it will also help you in the future. Garcia's involvement has impacted her tremendously.

She has earned varsity letters since she was a freshman in two out of the three sports she plays at East. While a 3.0 or higher GPA is any high school students dream, Garcia has maintained a 4.0 or higher earning her academic letters and a place on the Honor Roll. Des Moines Public Schools has also recognized Garcia's efforts and nominated her for different panels and committees throughout the district.

"The transition back to Califorwill be bittersweet," Garcia said.

While moving half way across the country may be hard for some, it's a start to a new beginning for Garcia. She got accepted into the University of San Diego earlier this spring and will soon be packing her bags to move in.

Garcia will be majoring in marine science starting in the fall of 2017 where she hopes to one day become a Marine Biologist who is active in the field, providing care for aquatic animals in an emergency. nia

top colleges

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California Polytechnic State University University of San Diego Pepperdine University

"To my old friends and to my new friends here, thank you for helping me grow and mold into the person I am today. Thank you for the memories and moments that have made up my childhood. Much love amigos/as" Page Editor/ A. Ayersman

page /25 feature

story/E. Rothmayer

LAWRENCE

An inside look at senior Mason Lawrences high school career Q- What’s your favorite class?

Q-What are your college plans?

APUSH (AP US History), it was my favorite class that I took in all of high school, because I really like history. It was a way for me to organize myself, because I was so organized I got my work done on time and not a lot of people did. I really enjoyed doing it because I was interested in the subject. My favorite class I ever took, call me crazy.

Iowa State University, I ultimately chose it for a couple of different reasons, mainly because I wanted variety I went on my first visit thinking like, I’m gonna be some kind of business major, I’m gonna do this and it’s gonna be great. I showed up and I had a little meeting with the college of business and I was like ‘this isn’t really me this isn’t what I want to do’ but at the same time just the campus in general and the atmosphere I felt like it was a great fit for me. They give you a list of all their programs and stuff too, and seeing that long list of different things, it wasn’t overwhelming to me like ‘okay, business isn’t going to be my thing but one of these has to be’ and I’ve even switched three more times since then.

That gives me the confidence of thinking if I do decide sophomore year, junior year, or senior year even that I’m not happy with what I’m doing or that’s not what I want to do anymore, I have other options. Iowa state has a good reputation for every program. Every route that I could see myself going down they have a program for. I’m really excited to go there.

Q-What are your regrets throughout high school Being scared to try new things is the biggest one, m o s t l y when it comes to theatre. I wanted to join as early as sophomore year when they did “Annie” and I saw it with my friends, but my nerves got the better of me. I guess there’s a time and place for everything, but it sucks my time came later than I wanted.

I also regret not making a bigger effort of going to Central because it would’ve allowed me to challenge myself even more. I just think it’s unfortunate and really disappointing that we have to leave our building to be challenged

The most involved person at East?

Theatre

Fools (lead)- Leon Steponovich Tolchinsky Hairspray (lead)- Link Larkin Much Ado About Nothing-(lead)- Claudio Newcomer of the year (2016)

Swimming

For me being “over involved” in stuff was a way for keeping myself on the right track and keeping myself organized. I would just go home and do nothing with my life, I’d do nothing all day. I didn’t especially enjoy that, I felt bored and unfulfilled and when I joined soccer I hated it which didn’t help. My mom was like ‘you need to try more things’ so I said ‘I’ll try 10 different things!’ And they all stuck. If I hadn’t been as involved I would have pushed myself so hard. I just thoroughly enjoy everything I do.

Q- What do you want to do with the rest of your life?

I was really confused on what I wanted to do until just a few days ago. Even though I’m currently enrolled at ISU as a Public Relations major (the more organizing and public side of marketing), I’m going to be changing to History and Secondary Education (Social Studies & History) at orientation. I ultimately came to this decision because teaching has been in the back of my mind since freshman year and I decided to stop ignoring it and act upon it. If I end up hating it, I’ll switch back to PR but I’m super excited to learn how to teach and change students’ lives in the future.

Band

Section Leader for two years Survived Marching Band

Newspaper Published while in Journalism Designed the Senior Issue cover

Districts all three years IHSSA Under six minutes in the 500 freestyle Acted in a short film that went to State Joining without knowing how to swim and surviving

Page Editor/ E. Rothmayer

Q-why did you want to be as involved in school as you are?

photos/E. Rothmayer

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S e n i o r Robbi Boggess Students and teachers give their last goodbye to the inspirational service of Humanity, Lois Dale and Rotary Scholarship recipiant. Story/ T. McPhee She’s a great person.

She’s always volunteerng and trying to betters peoples live’s. People are happier by just being around her That’s the definition of beautiful -Rory Walling

F

Charismatic

-Boogie Woodyard/10

Crazy

-Kennedy Anderson/10

RoleModel

-Toni McPhee/11

Caring

Loud

Boggess shows her pearly whites while grinnung to another student passing by outside. “Robbi is very approachable and goes above and beyond to make East a comfortable and welcoming environment for all,” Padget said. to leave her mark on the East High community.

“Leaving your mark isn’t necessarily everyone remembering you, but when you look back on -Lou Custard/12 East High and think about all the good that you have done, and all the lives that you were a part of. I think leaving your mark is a self-thing, not what everyone else remembers,” Boggess said.

-Corey In Boggess’s eyes she is not sure how she wants Mills/10 to leave her mark yet but after communicating with students and teachers, they could easily explain the mark they thought she has left during her time at East High. Some believe she has left her mark through her commitments she has taken on as a senior, her love for East High and the pride she takes in her school which is very apparent in everything she does and says. Others describe her mark being left from her motivation to put East High in positive light in the community.

“I plan on attending the University of Iowa and will be furthering my education in the medical field,” Boggess said.

-Rory Walling/12 In a few short months Boggess’s journey at East will come to an end. Then her journey to impact Iowa City will come next. As her adventure will end, East High School will never forget -Kelsey you, the impact you have made on our school and the spunk you bring to everything you do.

Wadden/11 “I’m not sure why I have been blessed to have been honored to really meet and get to know Robbi, but I have and am forever great-full and thankful,” Walling said.

Goofy

Beautiful at ME

Personable

-Natalie Niemeyer

Mad

Accountable -Vince LLoyd/11

Page Editor/ T. McPhee

Photo/ T. McPhee

-Steven Nguyen/12

rom running to the sink to fill up the water jug for the football game, to figuring out each name of every athlete for the sports section in the yearbook in 3060N, to pulling her hair out while stressing over prom nominations. This is Robbi Boggess, a committed, and accomplished East High School senior.

“Robbi is everywhere,” Community Coordinator Jill Padget said.

Boggess has done her best to be as involved in as many groups and activities as she can to be an outstanding Scarlet. She’s involved in a number of activities and holds leadership postions within these groups such as Yearbook Sports Editor, Co-editor in Chief in Newspaper, Ambassadors President, Varsity Football manager and many more. To staff and students Boggess’s involvement at East has made her grow into the leader and inspire others to grow into the leader she has become.

“Robbi has impacted East by being a leader within her senior class. She is always willing to lend a hand and wants everything at East to be the best it can be. East is a better place because of her desire to be involved and her willingness to work hard,” counselor Lauren Brandt Erickson said.

If you have ever met Boggess, you would feel the vibes that she sends off to every person around her. Others say she has impacted East by her willingness to help staff and students. She is very approachable and goes above and beyond to transform East to be a comfortable, welcoming environment.

“Robbi is in the greatest sense of the word a servant leader and to me this is the greatest type of leader anyone could ever be. She absolutely leads by serving others so selflessly,” Assistant Football Coach John Walling said.

Boggess’s outgoing personality has built her into a prevalent leader in and out of East High School.

Many can express how they think Boggess has left her mark but before she leaves East she plans

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Photo/E. Rothmayer Holding up a sign at a student organized anti-Trump rally at East High School on Nov. 9 is Elhondra Brazzle. Hundreds of students gathered together to voice their opinions on the outcome of the election

Elhondra Brazzle takes the stage one last time This well-known spoken word poet looks toward her future You think you know her. You’ve seen her in the hallways and you’ve seen her in class but have you seen her on stage? You don’t really know Elhondra Brazzle until you’ve seen her perform.

Q: What are some activities that you’re involved in at East?

A: Brazzle has been a apart of many activities but her main one is Movement 515.

Q: Why did you join Movement 515?

A: Brazzle joined Movement 515 when she was a freshman, just barely getting involved with poetry. Her brother was the one who introduced her to Movement 515. “After he introduced me to Movement, it took off from there,” Brazzle said.

Q: You were a part of the Brave New Voices. What was that like?

A: She has been a part of Brave New voices since she was a freshman. This year is her fourth and final year. “My sophomore year was probably my favorite year because I really loved the team. I think it’s just a really great experience all together,” Brazzle said.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: Brazzle plans to go to the Art Academy of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“I’m going to do four years there and honestly, see where life takes me which is what I’m really open to,” Brazzle said.

Q: What do you want to major in?

A: She plans to major in creative writing, film and photography. “Those are like a few of my passions so I’m definitely going to major in them,” Brazzle said.

Q: What are some of your goals for the future?

A: Brazzle plans to be an artist and a performer. She also hopes to make her own movies and television shows. “I definitely want to be an artist. I know that’s one

thing that I definitely want to do,” Brazzle said.

Q: How were you like your freshman year?

A: When Brazzle was a freshman, she was very shy and timid. Now, she is the complete opposite of that. She’s very outspoken and vocal. “Oh my gosh I was so shy. I never spoke and then when I would get on stage people would be like “What is happening? She’s talking.” I do think that the stage had something to do with me not being shy anymore,” Brazzle said.

Q: What was your turning point? When did you decide to change?

A: Brazzle’s turning point was when was a sophomore. she realized what life could be for her and that’s what motivated her to change. “I saw what life could be. For me, it was more so, am I going to be sad and shy or am I going to do these things that better myself. That’s when I decided that I wasn’t going to let life get in my way,” Brazzle said.

Q: What has been your proudest moment throughout your whole four years of high school?

A: Her proudest moment was when she went to Washington to compete in a national competition. She placed first and she performed in front of the first Black woman in Congress and a famous author. “It was all a big deal for me. It was amazing in general. That was most definitely one of my proudest moments,” Brazzle said.

Q: What are you most excited about when it comes to your future?

A: Brazzle is most excited about her art and what she is going to create.

Overall, she’s excited about new beginnings. “Knowing that I’m going to learn a lot of new things in college is amazing to me. The new experiences that I will find excite me too,” Brazzle said. Brazzle will be representing East and Movement 515 at Brave New Voices from July 19-22 in San Francisco, California.

I saw what life could be. For me, it was more so, am I going to be sad and shy or am I going to do these things that better myself. That’s when I decided that I wasn’t going to let life get in my way.

-Elhondra Brazzle

Page Editor/ E. Flores

”

page /28 feature

Who is Steven Nguyen?

Looking into this senior’s love for fashion

S

story/ N. Palmer

trutting down the halls of East High School, without a care in the world, senior Steven Ngyuen doesn’t care about what the people around think. Steven is a show stopper. Wherever he goes, someone knows him. No matter what he is doing he does it with confidence.

When did you become interested in fashion?

A: He has been interested in fashion for a long time. “I Became interested in fashion nine years ago when I watched this reality show called ‘America’s Next Top Model’.”

What made you love fashion?

A: Steven loves the photo shoots the runways and he loves that he can express himself in his work. “When I was watching the show (America’s Next Top Model) it gave me an interest in fashion and modeling” How did you become involved in the fashion class at Central Campus?

A: He became involved in the fashion class at Central only a year ago. While he’s been there he has got to make his own fashion lines consisting of six different outfits “Its not the same thing as I did back in Mrs. Hebert’s room. We have to work much harder and we do lots of fashion show working producing art and fashion.”

How would you describe yourself to someone?

A: Steven knows his sass is all that. “I’m fabulous, I’m sassy I’m energetic and I’m outgoing.”

What are your plans after High School?

A: Steven plans on going to DMACC in Ankeny then transfer to Iowa State he also plans to stay in the fashion field. “I never plan on quitting fashion. I mean I’m 19, I’m still young.” photo/Quill Senior Steven Nguyen fiercely posing in one of his looks for the fashion show

fabulous, I’m sassy I’m energetic “ I’m and I’m outgoing. -Steven Nguyen ” Page Editor/ N.Palmer

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Senior siblings say dbye

goo

Story/ T. McPhee

Dear Kade,

All I ask of you is to “try not to suck” because that would really suck. I hope that you work hard in school and in all of your sports. I want you to make great pages in yearbook and maybe become an Editor-in-Chief some day. You might not be as good as me... but you can always try!! I want to see you go to state in whatever sports you continue to play. In swimming, focus on the 500 and swim faster.

It’s the only way! In baseball, hit the ball harder and run faster. Unless you learn how to hit dingers; because then you don’t have to run fast. Continue the Dolphin legacy and carry on my big ego! (Don’t be like Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2, he’s uncool) But be confident that you’re the best, that way everyone will love you... or hate you.

(Maybe people hate that, I’m not for sure) But they hate you because they ain’t you, so don’t worry about it.

Be the best you can be and don’t let anyone tell you differently. You can do it, I believe in you! You’re a Dolphin ‘Eee eee’ so don’t let me down!

Sincerely, Keagan

Dear Jazzy,

Thank you for showing me what courage looks like. I know I’m the older sister but you always have been the brave one. You are so organized compared to when all my clothes are dirty on the floor, my grades a D until the last two weeks of school and ice cream is dripping down my favorite shirt (that is really yours and you let me borrow it.) You have borrowed my heart sister. When I leave for college, you will keep it at home with you. Tuck it under your pillows, under your sleeve, think of your older sister when you go to sleep.

I hope you learn to braid pride down your spine, the same way we used to braid Bratz dolls hair. I’m sorry I can’t stick around and play with you anymore but remember I’m only a phone call away. I love you sister.

Love, Jalesha

Page Editor/ T. McPhee

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Always by your side Take a look on the ups and downs of Lexy Bergans and Rylee Murrays life-long friendship as they take steps into their future Story/ E. Youngwirth We can all name that one friend that doesn’t compare to anyone else. One you share everything with, do everything together and will always have a special spot in your heart. Seniors Lexy Bergan and Rylee Murray have just that relationship with each other. Since they were three years old they have been inseparable and even now at eighteen, nothing has changed.

“It was amazing going to school with Lexy so long because my best friends was where ever I was and whenever I needed something she was there,” Senior Rylee Murray said.

Bergan and Murray haven’t just been friends forever, they’ve been classmates. For the past twelve years they have seen each other almost every day in hallways and classrooms. Through all the challenges school brings, Bergan and Murray stayed by each others side. They started their education together and will soon witness each other walk across the stage at graduation.

“We have so many memories to choose from. We went to Disney World together, and my families lake house together and her mom used to take us boating all the time every summer,” Bergan said.

Not only are they best friends at school, but best friends everywhere they go. Bergan and Murray have gone on countless trips together to all sorts of places. So far their most memorable is going to Disney land together but both want to continue traveling the world with each other.

“We had our fair share of fights but we have such a strong friendship we always

overcome them,” Bergan said.

All strong friendships know it’s not easy to get along constantly, but getting past those issues makes everything worth it. When you have a friendship as long as these two had, it’s guaranteed there will be a few rough patches. Their biggest fight happened in the 7th grade after Lexy didn’t tell Rylee happy birthday and still feels bad about it five years later. Through it all, at the end of the day everyone needs their best friend to help them through.

It will “ suck not

2007

seeing her as much as I do.

”

-Rylee Murray

2017

How well do you know YOUR bff?

My bffs name is:

Biggest Fear?

Guilty Pleasures?

Pet Peeve?

First Crush?

Favorite Movie?

Dream Job?

Page Editor/ E.Youngwirth

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Find out the most popular colleges that seniors will attend

2017

Class of

Scarlets are here