Summer Side Story

IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL / 2901 MELROSE AVE / IOWA CITY, IA 52246 / INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM / MAY 23, 2016

Summer Side Story

Summer break is approaching, and some Trojans are going global.

Pages 7 to 9

CONTENTS

PROFILES

3 Fashion forward

Annie Peterson ‘16 is a forward on the soccer field, but also ahead of the fashion game as well.

FEATURE

7-9 Going global

While most students are excited for school to be out for the summer, some Trojans are excited to go global.

OPINION

13 School’s out! in?

With all the new changes coming up in the next school year, isn’t it time to consider a new schooling system?

Editorial board members Olivia Dachtler Allie Schmitt-Morris Kara Wagenknecht Jenna Zeng

COVER DESIGN BY JENNA ZENG COVER PHOTO BY KARA WAGENKNECHT DESIGN BY JENNA ZENG AND OLIVIA DACHTLER PHOTOS BY OLIVIA DACHTLER AND KARA WAGENKNECHT

Fashion Forward

When asked to choose her favorite outfit, she described the one to the left. “I love that blue and green crop top, and my green jacket. That’s a must have,” Peterson said.

Her overall style is very different. She would describe it as ‘sporty chic.’ Lots of what Peterson wears is based on comfort, but she also loves to accessorize with jewelry.

BY OLIVIA DACHTLER

School is a creative outlet; every day you see new people and new personalities.

While walking through West High, you can easily spot 20 different styles ranging from preppy, to grunge, to a two second throw on. Next time you’re in the halls, keep an eye out for soccer forward Annie Peterson ‘16.

Peterson plays forward in soccer, and with the soccer season in session, dressing for fashion can be a bit difficult. “I tend to dress less nice during the soccer season,” Peterson said. “But, I still try to at least dress nice three days a week because you know, look good, feel good, am I right?”

Fashion is a way to express yourself through clothing.

Each item picked has a place and must look good with everything else. “I am a really big shoe gal, but I think a shirt really defines an outfit because you can wear parts more than once, but you’ve got to change up the shirts more often,” Peterson said.

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INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 PROFILE 3

Francesca’s

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HEARTFELT Many people think art is solely for fun and relaxation. However, for Frances Dai '19, art means so much more than that.

BY JENNA ZENG

I

t all started in first grade with a snail. The little six-year-old could draw them, and her fellow classmates were extremely impressed.

Dai was “the girl” known for her art. While the other little kids were proudly drawing stick people, she could scribble down a realistic looking human. She would draw any spare second she could get. Her mother noticed her interest and decided to take her to an actual studio to learn art.

It started out easy with drawing cartoons, but Dai proved to be much more advanced than her age would suggest. She took her first fine arts class at the age of seven. The classes were more than just fun and games, Dai learned many vital techniques for art. “I remember going home one day almost crying because the teacher was like ‘you didn’t do well today in class,’” Dai said. The classes were intense, but Dai pushed through and has not stopped since.

“She’s more focused now,” Lydia Guo ’19, Dai’s best friend, said. “She used to paint things for fun, but now she focuses more on specific artwork of famous painters and less of what she wants to do, like drawing cupcakes.” Dai spends o v e r five

Renvoir

Rembrandt Clear-cut facial expressions

Landscapes and feeling of warmth

Chardan Still lifes

hours doing art each week, and goes to Meroger Fine Arts in Coralville that teaches legitimate fine art. She has been a student there for five years. Dai has branched out and grown into a more serious artist, working on traditional types of artwork as opposed to cute cartoons.

The process of art is a tedious one. Countless hours, days, and even months are spent working on a single piece because it never seems to look entirely how you want it. Each edge, color, and shape must be exact. Worn down erasers and numerous crumpled papers are all too familiar for an artist. “The most difficult part for me is telling myself to stop and move on to a different part so I won’t get too frustrated,” Dai said. But, she pushes through. She doesn’t stop until each line is precisely how she wants it and each color is the perfect hue. She keeps going until she’s exhausted and can’t find any more tiny details to adjust. “Actually doing art is kind of frustrating, but afterwards it’s so fulfilling because you feel like you’ve accomplished something and people usually say it’s fairly good, so then that feels nice as well,” Dai said.

She can do it all: watercoloring, sketching, pastel painting, you name it, but her favorite has always been oil painting. “It’s kind of easy to fix and it stays forever, but it’s kind of messy,” Dai said. “You’d think by now I’d learn to not wear nice clothes to art class. I always find these random stains on my jeans.” The process is long because oil painting must be done in separate sections so the paint can dry. The longest Dai has spent on a painting is three months, but that includes her being semi-

FRAN’S FAVES: artist edition

DESIGN BY JENNA ZENG

4 PROFILE MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

unproductive and nit-picky.

Even though Dai enjoys multi-tasking by talking with friends and painting at the same time, truly paying attention produces great results. “After you focus for a while and intensely paint, you can kind of feel it. Your shoulders are tense and you feel like you’ve actually been working out,” Dai said.

Dai’s big break came in junior high. She entered her work into the prestigious Scholastic art and writing contest where she received a silver key the first year and an honorable mention the next year. Then, in eighth grade, she entered the Hani Elkadi art show where she won. “It was the first show where I received a large sum of money, like a hundred bucks, for winning,” said Dai. She is continuing to grow and has sold some pieces to galleries. Art teacher Christian Aanestad has even taken notice. “I met Frances when she was an award winner in junior high, and she was introduced to me by Hani Elkadi because of her strength in art,” Aanestad said. “I had her in sculpture class where she continued to impress me with her artistic abilities.”

Adjustment to high school has gone well for Dai, but it’s is hard to find time to carve out for art. She used to draw everyday to practice, but now it is almost impossible with the hefty workload. She hasn’t been very active art-wise at West, but she does do a lot outside of school. But, even though she has only taken one art class at West, Christian has already seen her talent. “She’s not intimidated by the assignment ever. She works with a really open mind and open spirit and I think that Christian Aanestad shows in her work,” Aanestad said. “It’s always evident that she enjoys what she’s doing and that makes it possible for her to have really FOR VIDEO COVERAGE, GO TO successful pieces.”

WSSPAPER.COM Dai has one piece of advice for anyone who is wanting to begin art. “Come learn from me at Meroger Fine Arts because I’m a teacher there. Self advertisement done,” said Dai. Dai has just

started teaching little kids this year, and works five hours at the studio each week. “She started watching her teacher teach students and then she started studying how her art teacher’s teacher taught her teacher. She started to practice with students and has gone on from there,” Guo said. Dai can tell which kids are actually committed to getting better, and which ones are there to goof off with friends. She truly believes that if a child is serious about art, he or she can definitely improve and get better even he isn’t that good at art.

As for the future, Dai would love to be able to incorporate art into her career, whether that be as a graphic designer or marketing person for a business. Art has shaped Dai into the person she is today and has made a huge impact on her life. “It’s pretty rewarding after you win something or sell a piece just to know that people have accepted your art as really nice or as something that is good in their eyes,” said Dai. Photo Captions left: Dai holds up one of her pointillism pieces titled “Summer Path” middle: Dai’s recreation of Claude Monet’s “Lilies by the Water” right: Dai smiles for a profile shot PHOTOS BY KARA WAGENKNECHT

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 PROFILE 5

DOWNTOWN: IC Even though it may not be Times Square or Navy Pier, Downtown Iowa City is still unique with its quirky shops and heavenly restaurants. With all the time over the summer, head on over and explore the diversity that makes Downtown the exciting and local social hub it is. Be sure to visit the various events that occur Downtown over the summer like the Jazz Festival or Sidewalk Sales. There is something for everyone to enjoy including food, clothing, books, and much more. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your next favorite spot.

BY JENNA ZENG

DESIGN BY JENNA ZENG PHOTOS BY ALLIE SCHMITT-MORRIS, KARA WAGENKNECHT AND OLIVIA DACHTLER

6 ENTERTAINMENT MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

GOING

GLOBAL

Summer break is creeping closer and closer, and the anxiety for the last day of school keeps building.

While most students are excited to just be done with school and have time to relax, these Trojans have some eye-opening worldly adventures planned.

DESIGN BY JENNA ZENG

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 FEATURE 7

BY JENNA ZENG

H

ello, everyone. This is your captain speaking. We’re looking at an on time arrival in perfect flying conditions. The cabin door has now closed, so please fasten your seat belts as we prepare for takeoff. We’ll be cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet, and the seemingly long flight will be over before you know it. So, sit back, relax, and get excited! We’re leaving Iowa and heading out on a world tour.

Our first stop is the South American country of Peru, where we will find Michael Moonjely ’17 and his family this summer in the middle of July for about two weeks. Despite being an avid traveler, this will be Moonjely’s first time in South America. This trip comes at great timing, as well. “I’m graduating soon, so it’s kind of one of the last big trips we’re all gonna have together as a family and this is a country that everyone has wanted to visit for a long time,” Moonjely said. With its high towering mountains, historical Inca empire relics, and location on the Pacific coast, Peru is the perfect blend of sightseeing and Michael Moonjely ’17 relaxation for Moonjely and his family. You can catch him on a private tour around the country with his family. You might also spot him at Machu Picchu, or on a two day hike in the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Andean Highlands, where various mountain settlements and Peruvian civilizations can be found.

With all the excitement and great expectations of how the trip will go, Moonjely does have one small, minor hesitation. “I’m kind of nervous for the hike because it’s like two days of consistently hiking, and I’m not that physically… I don’t know,” Moonjely said, laughing. However, if there is one thing for certain, it is that this trip will be family-oriented. “My family is very busy during the school year and we all have pretty busy schedules,” Moonjely said. “Our international trips are a chance for us all to hang out with each other, and [I can] spend time with my family.”

From the ancient civilizations of Peru, we head to Central Europe. Here, Jenny Pigge ’17 along with a group of eight other classmates and social studies teacher Dominic Iannone can be found touring the region during late June. Pigge decided to go on the trip last spring because she absolutely

loved the AP Euro class. The itinerary changed due to the soccer cup that will be taking place in France, but they’ve still got a loaded schedule touring Prague (Czech Republic), Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria), Salzburg (Austria), Berlin (Germany), Dresden (Germany), Munich (Germany) and Heidelberg (Germany) by bus. They will be traveling with other schools from the United States on the bus, but at the sites, they will be able to split up. “In each city we’ll have a tour guide, so we’ll get to learn about history and see more touristy sites,” Pigge said. “But, we’ll also have free time to explore the city and kind of have a mix between structure and vacationing.”

Pigge thinks this trip will be a great experience to finally be able to see the places she spent so long learning and reading about during AP Euro last year. Plus, she gets to spend two weeks with close friends and Mr. Iannone. “I really liked Mr. Iannone Jenny Pigge ‘17 as a teacher, so I think he’ll be really interesting, and I know he’ll have a lot of interesting anecdotes to say,” Pigge said. She’s ready to experience all the differences in cuisine, architecture, and culture that make Central Europe so unique from the United States. Pigge is nothing but excited, even with everything going on in the continent. “I’m not [nervous], but there is more talk about, you know, all the recent media attention to terrorist activity in Europe,” Pigge said. “[My mom and I have] talked a little bit more about safety than we maybe would have if it was a different year, but I feel comfortable and excited.”

Because Pigge is visiting four cities in Germany, this will be the perfect time for her to put all her AP German smarts on culture and language to the test. She might even have to be the translator for the rest of the group. Each city will be unique and have it’s own story, and Pigge is enthusiastic to learn about all of them. However, she does have some early favorites. “I’m really excited to see Budapest because I don’t think I would get an opportunity to go there like aside from this kind of trip. [I’m] also [excited for] Prague, because I hear it’s absolutely gorgeous,” Pigge said.

While the trip is loaded with fun and interesting activities, it might get tiring at some points with all the walking and sight-seeing. But, in

All you need is a map and some sunglasses for your summer adventures (below).

PHOTO BY JENNA ZENG

DESIGN BY JENNA ZENG

08 FEATURE MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

the end, it’s all worth it. “I think travel is very valuable just because you get a chance to kind of see what a different part of the world looks like,” Pigge said. “It’s just a nice break from life… oh, and the food [is one of the best parts about traveling.]”

These summer adventures can be fun and exhilarating, but sometimes they can be bittersweet. Our final stop is all the way around the world in Bangkok, Thailand. In the middle of June, we can catch Pattarin Oonmettaree ’19 arriving and unpacking all her things, as she and her family will be moving back after spending about ten years in Iowa City. Oonmettaree’s parents came to Iowa City and opened a restaurant when she was in first grade. So, Oonmettaree lived with her grandparents and visited her parents each summer. After permanently moving to Iowa City in third grade, she hasn’t been back to Bangkok. They are moving for private family matters, but it will be difficult yet exciting to return home. “A lot of our family lives there and so everyone has been trying to get us to go back ever since we came,” Oonmettaree said.

The shock of moving still hasn’t hit Oonmettaree, and it Pattarin Oonmettaree hasn’t quite sunk in yet. It will be hard to leave all her friends ‘19 and memories she has built in the United States, but she is extremely excited to see her family back home. Oonmettarree is very much looking forward to the tropical climate of Thailand and the warm weather. “I was talking to my grandma and she said that is was 80 degrees and she was like ‘it’s so cold,’ and I was like ‘what are you talking about it’s like, I’m dying at 80 degrees!’” Oonmetaree said. From pad Thai to chicken curry, she is also excited for the mouth-watering cuisine. “There’s so much food that I want to try, and there’s so many restaurants there. My family’s really big on food and eating out, so I’ll probably gain weight,” Oonmettaree said, laughing.

Despite being from Thailand, moving back will definitely have its challenges. “[I’m most scared about] the language barrier and the reverse culture shock,” Oonmettaree said. “ I’ve been isolated from Thailand for such a long time and I’m trying to learn these teenage slangs and I feel like a grandma because my parents even know them. I have a like a third grade level of Thai so I’m going to be this random 15 year old who can’t talk.”

Since Oonmettaree cannot speak the native language very well, she will be attending an international program where everything is taught in English, except the Thai class. This will be a huge change for her as it is a completely different school, and uniforms must be worn. “And, it’s like an hour away from my house, including traffic,” Oonmettaree said. “But, traffic is a disaster in there because it’s the biggest city during rush hour.”

Even though she will probably never move back to the US, her aspirations for the future are wide open because of her experiences. She wants to possibly go to college in England, study abroad, and then travel and see the world. However, Oonmettaree will never forget the memories and opportunities she got from living in the United States.

“Moving here really opened my perspective that I would never learn even if I traveled her for like a few months,” Oonmettaree said. “Living somewhere else really gives you a different point of view, and [you can] learn things you haven’t grown up with.”

These global adventures will certainly have a large impact of these students. It’s not everyday where you can walk outside and see an ancient civilization, or visit the place where Mozart was born. “When you get a chance to travel the world, you get to see a new perspective of how people interact with each other that you can’t find in the United States, let alone in Iowa,” Moonjely said. “It’s just a great way to learn about other people.”

Top 10 CITIES to travel to 1 Kotor, Montenegro 2 Quito, Ecuador 3 Dublin, Ireland 4 George Town, Malaysia

5 Rotterdam,

Netherlands

6 Mumbai, India 7 Fremantle, Australia 8 Manchester, England

“When you get a chance to travel the world, you get to see a new perspective of how people interact with each other that you can’t find in the United States, let alone in Iowa,” -Moonjely ‘17

9 Nashville, USA 10 Rome, Italy SOURCE: LONELY PLANET INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 FEATURE 9

Mixed berry smoothie Summer is approaching, which means the grocery stores will be filled with sweet fruits! Take advantage of the plethora of fruits by making a delicious, icy cold, refreshing mixed berry smoothie bowl.

BY OLIVIA DACHTLER

1 1/2 cup of mixed berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries 1/4 cup of pomegranate juice 1/4 cup of plain yogurt 1/2 cup of blueberries 1/2 sliced peach 1/2 cup of granola

Start off by blending the frozen berries of your choice with ¼ cup of pomegranate juice, and ¼ cup of yogurt until it is smoothly blended. Pour the smoothie into a bowl and top with blueberries, peach slices, any seeds, granola, and a drizzle of yogurt to your liking.

Quick tips:

• Make sure to use plain yogurt, not vanilla.

• Try mixing in your favorite fruits to find the best combination for you.

Quick Tips:

• If you have a sweet tooth, add a sweetener of your choice.

• If you aren’t big into vegetables, try adding more fruits to the mix.

Blend the kale, almond milk, banana, and avocado together to begin. Put the mix into a bowl and top it with raspberries, chia seeds, honey, and the rest of the banana.

Feel free to add whatever seeds you find fit and make the bowl your own!

1 cup of kale leaves 1 cup of almond milk 1 sliced banana 1/2 avocado 1/2 cup ice 1/2 cup of raspberries 1 tbsp. of honey 1 1/2 sliced kiwi 1 tsp. chia seeds

Avocado kale smoothie Looking for an easy way to add more nutrients into your diet? Try this unique avocado kale smoothie to eat more vegetables in a fun, blended form.

DESIGN BY OLIVIA DACHTLER

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 FOOD 11 PHOTOS BY KARA WAGENKNECHT

In? School’s out!

OPINION

No more two-and-a-half month summer vacation? Yikes. That sounds like an awful world to live in. But with all the adjustments going around in the school district for the next school year like new start times everything will be completely different. So, why not try out a year round school schedule? Here are some common myths about year round education (YRE), debunked.

BY JENNA ZENG

#1: Year round school means more schools days.

#2: There are less breaks in year round school.

Let me make one thing very clear. Year round school does not, I repeat NOT, mean more school days. When you first hear “year round,” it seems daunting and scary. However, that is not the case.

Year round schedules have the same amount of schools days as regular school schedules. The days are just spread out differently, in a more logical way, throughout the year. Basically, we have 45 days of school and then a 15 school-day break (which is about 3 weeks). Around the holiday season, it gets a little jumbled, like our current schedule does. So, the longest stretch of school days with a year round schooling system is 45 days whereas our current system’s is 70 days. That’s one entire trimester without a break!

This is 100% false! Students get the same amount of break time, but it’s just distributed in a better way. As mentioned before, the breaks are scheduled at the perfect timing for students. For example, you know that part of first tri a little bit after midterm where you are seriously considering dropping out because the next break isn’t until second tri?! Well, with year round schooling you’ll never feel that way. Just after you’ve had a nice chunk of school days and can feel you brain starting to crash, a three week fall break saves you. In addition to that, spring and winter break are also three weeks each which is awesome because they currently seems to last for five seconds, and I don’t get anything productive done. To account for these breaks, that means summer vacation is shorter, but it’s for the better. I know I, along with many other students, end up feeling bored two weeks into summer anyways.

#3: YRE doesn’t benefit academics or teachers Many people think that YRE doesn’t have any true benefits for academics. However, there is actually evidence to prove that YRE is better for students and teachers in the long run. While those long, lazy summers might seem fun, they can actually hurt your academics. You know that feeling where you walk into the first day of school and you don’t remember a thing from last year? Yeah, that happens to me every year. The information students learn isn’t being retained, so teachers have to waste a lot of valuable class time reviewing old material. Additionally, according to the American Library Association, YRE year end math gain is 10.05 while the regular school’s is only 7.75. The year end reading gain for YRE is also 1.61 higher than regular schools. Education is a major key to success, and year round school has proven to be a more effective method in teaching students material, and not forgetting it all over the summer. And, let’s not forget about teachers! This helps them immensely as well because they have more frequent breaks to catch up on grading and preparing lessons. It’s a win-win!

#4: Summer camps and activities are affected.

This is the one big issue that everyone who opposes year round school always brings up. But, camps and activities won’t be affected as much as you might think. Summer break is still oneand-a-half months long. If you don’t waste your summer being a couch potato, that is more than enough time for students to do a camp, go on an Instagram worthy vacation, binge watch some Netflix, and even get some homework done. However, I understand that summer long programs will no longer be possible which sucks because I do them myself. But, if more and more school districts change to year round schooling, then summer activities would be adjusted to fit the schedule. Regardless, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. I would much rather have three three-week breaks throughout the tedious school year than have a super lengthy pretty boring summer.

You probably wonder, why do we even have really long summers in the first place? Originally, it was for children to be able to help harvest crops. Last time I checked, we all aren’t farmers living off of what we plant for survival. In our new, modern world, isn’t it time to replace old outdated methods of school with better ones? Year round school is the perfect solution. I’m not the best at explaining things with words, so I’ll do it with math instead. Frequent breaks + shorter chunks of school days = happier students and teachers = more motivation and focus = better grades = MORE SUCCESS! DESIGN BY JENNA ZENG

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 OPINION 13

START HERE

Choose your IOWA summer adventure! e

id ins

Beach or waterpark?

ar k

Movie or Netflix series?

Comedy or horror?

Theater or home?

Home

Horror

Lazy river or toilet bowl?

Tanning or surfing?

Tanning

Lazy river Toilet bowl

Comedy

ch b ea

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de

vie mo

tfl Ne

ou tsi

wa te rp

BY OLIVIA DACHTLER AND JENNA ZENG

It’s 90 degrees and you have free time. Where would you spend your time?

Surfing

Theater

Maquoketa caves

Make your way over to the state capital Des Moines from August 11 to 21 for deep fried heaven!

Searching for an

exciting, slightly eerie way to get in touch with nature? Look no further!

Drive an hour east to Maquoketa, and your adventure awaits!

Lake McBride Hiking, fishing, relaxing, oh my! Visit the lake, only thirty minutes north of Iowa City, for a plethora of fun activites on the serene beach shores.

Lost Island waterpark SPLASH! Ready to spend the day racing down high energy rides? Head to Waterloo for the perfect day under the summer sun.

DESIGN BY OLIVIA DACHTLER AND JENNA ZENG

Iowa state fair