LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
JOSIE SCHWARTZ
(they/them)
DEEKSHA RAGHAVAN
IVY HENDRICKSON
(she/her)
(she/her) MAEVE CHRISTIANS
MD GROSS
(she/her)
(she/her)
CONTENTS
4 6 7
Hey West High!
FEATURE Tying the Knot
The five members of WorldWideWest came together to make the brain baby that is Expressions. From day one, we knew we wanted to highlight both the individuality and togetherness that is present at West High. We went through several ideas for a cover story,
OPINION Maeve’s Minute
but none of them seemed quite right until we settled on the idea of dance, a universal language that both highlights culture’s uniqueness and brings people together. With nearly 25 million people in the United States alone participating in organized dance, we knew we had our winner. As we interviewed people and heard their stories, it became clear that all forms of dance were ways for people to express what they couldn’t say. That is what we wanted to
PROFILES True Colors
8 12
write about, something that helped people be who they are. Of course, the article wouldn’t exist without Deeksha’s resources, MD’s insight, Ivy’s dedication, and Maeve’s incredible designing skills. Finally, we would like to thank you for reading our stories. Enjoy! Sincerely, Josie Schwartz
COVER
Expression
13 14
Meet the Staff PROFILES Deuce Mac
from left to right Deeksha Raghavan - feature editor Josie Schwartz - editor in chief Maeve Christians - opinion editor MD Gross - profile editor Ivy Hendrickson - design editor
PROFILES
Teacher’s Pets
ENTERTAINMENT
My Strange Addiction
Scan here for mental health resources:
Check out the back page for a list of things to do this summer!
TYING THE KNOT BY JOSIE SCHWARTZ, IVY HENDRICKSON DESIGNED BY MAEVE CHRISTIANS, IVY HENDRICKSON
In 200 hours, you could fly from Sydney, Australia to London, England and back again 5 times. You could watch all of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Twilight. But, some students choose to spend 200 hours working towards their Silver Cord. Silver Cord is an achievement that a student earns if they spend 200+ hours volunteering in high school. This is no easy feat. Combined with homework, a job, schooldays, sleep, and social life, Silver Cord can be an impressive embellishment on a college resumé. For Greyson Reed ’25, Silver Cord isn’t just about the amount of hours he puts in, but about the energy he puts back into the community. Volunteering at Oaknoll East retirement home, Greyson has clocked in over 50 hours of community service as a freshman. “My goal is 50 hours each school year, so 200 hours by the time I graduate,” Reed said. 200 hours is a large time commitment, and burnout is common. “My best advice is to find something you enjoy doing, and do it at the same time every week. If you force yourself to do something, the impact you have will be lessened.” Reed donates nearly every weekend to volunteering, but that’s not a new thing for him. “I’ve been volunteering since I was little, mostly at soup kitchens and things like that.” Reed’s parents have encouraged him to volunteer since he was little. “I didn’t feel pressured at all though. I like volunteering and I’m glad my parents are supportive.” This isn’t an uncommon occurrence. For Elizabeth Wan ’22, volunteering is a chance to connect with the community. With just over 200 hours, Wan volunteers at the local animal shelter and plans on continuing her volunteer work in the future.
“ [IT’S] DOI NG SOM ETH I NG TO H E LP, AN D IT’S NOT AN OBLIGATION .” - ELIZABETH WAN ’22 Although many people may feel pressured to volunteer, this was not the case for Wan. “[It’s] doing something to help- and it’s not an obligation,” Wan said. “That’s why it’s called volunteering, there’s no pressure to do anything.” Wan was motivated to volunteer so that she could find a way to help her community. She also thinks that volunteering is something that anyone can do. “It’s not something to feel pressured about,” Wan said. “Don’t make it seem like a job.” With around 100 hours logged, Amie Zerwic ’24 first began volunteering with her mom the summer after her freshman year. She now volunteers at the CommUnity Food Bank, a place where people can go to when experiencing food insecurity or emotional and financial crises.
Although volunteering has several benefits for both individuals and the community, many teens may feel pressured to volunteer. It can be hard to find the time to volunteer while balancing school, work, and a personal life. “It’s definitely something I can’t do during the weekends because of sports and homework.” In addition to volunteering, Zerwic has to deal with college visits and applications. Despite all this, she still enjoys giving back to the community through volunteering. “I can’t donate my money, but I can donate my time.” Zerwic enjoys volunteering, and believes that it can be beneficial for teens to volunteer in their community. “It’s important to value giving back to the community.” According to Mayo Clinic, volunteering can also help reduce stress, teaches valuable skills, and helps improve overall physical and mental health. In addition to this, it can be a way to learn new things and meet new people. According to Statista, the average volunteer in the U.S. has around 137 hours of volunteer work (as of 2017). This is almost 30 hours less than the requirement for Silver Cord. Yet many teens are still able to manage their time helping the community and doing things they enjoy. Volunteering has a different meaning for everyone. While it may differ from person to person, at the end of the day the main goal is to help others.
“ I F YOU FORCE YOU RSE LF TO DO SOM ETH I NG, YOU R I M PACT WI LL BE LESSE N E D.” -GREYSON REED ’25
04 FEATURE MAY 25, 2022
FEATURE MAY 25, 2022
05
BY MAEVE CHRISTIANS DESIGNED BY MAEVE CHRISTIANS
MAEVE’S MINUTE Does Booktok Live Up to the Hype?
It Ends With Us By: Colleen Hoover Lily likes to forget most of her past. Her
Six of Crows By: Leigh Bardugo Kaz Brekker is a master escape artist, swift
abusive father, isolated childhood, but may-
thinker, and 17-year-old kid. Growing up in
be not Atlas. Not only her first love but her
the city of Ketterdam has morphed Kaz into the
tie to the past she’s fighting to forget. After
gang leader he is. When offered a handsome
graduating college, Lily moves to Boston,
amount of money in exchange for breaking into
her flower shop is her new beginning in a
the maximum-security prison he jumps at the
new city. When she meets Ryle Kincaid her
chance. Kaz knows he can’t do this alone, so
fairy tale ending seems possible. Ryle seems
with the help of five other Ketterdam misfits, he
to be the perfect fit for Lily, with the right
plans the heist of a lifetime. The journey is chal-
amount of comfort that allows her to grow.
lenging and deadly, but will there be a journey
However, upon bumping into Atlas, Lily’s
back?
perspectives change and her relationship
It took a lot of effort for me to get into this
with Ryle doesn’t seem as sturdy as she once
book. I had seen so many good reviews on tiktok
thought.
that I figured once I got into it that I would re-
The idea of putting this book into words
ally enjoy it. I was wrong. Overall I did like this
is impossible. Lily is strong and hopeful
book. It had a very detailed story plot and in-
but she is also scared. Everyone has a way
terestingly diverse characters, but it wasn’t one
of relating to this in some way. The author
of my favorites. In the first couple chapters the
ropes you in with a detailed backstory that
author gives details about the city and the char-
breathes through these characters. Con-
acters. It was very complex and hard for me to
necting with Lily and the other characters
understand. I found myself constantly flipping
is inevitable. Whether it’s through rage,
back to the city layout behind the title page.
despondence, or love there is a tie between
Even now after reading the entire book I don’t
you to this book. Tiktok may have question-
know anything about the city or how it relates
able content, but one thing is certain, this
to the characters. This book was a deep fantasy
book is the best I’ve ever read. Do you think
novel that is amazing for some, but for me it was
it ends with us?
not the best.
06 OPINION MAY 25, 2022
07 PROFILES
MAY 25, 2022
E S O X E PR S I N Dancers at West relate their experience with their craft, from irish dancing to baton twirling
BY MD GROSS, DEEKSHA RAGHAVAN, JOSIE SCHWARTZ DESIGN BY DEEKSHA RAGHAVAN
Although you might not hear it at first, the loud clacks of Irish dance and tap dance contain a language that can tell the story of the past and present. Even though they come from entirely different origins, with Irish dance originating in Ireland, while tap dance finds its roots in African cultural dance, both were used for the marginalized to preserve and tell their stories in secret. Nowadays, dance is less used to communicate in code, and more used to express emotion, and possibly as a nice physical workout. Here at West, countless forms of dance are practiced. Rosemary Timmer-Hackert ’23, has been doing Irish dance for ten years. “I did fencing, taekwondo, ballet, and then I got bored of ballet, and then I wanted to try Irish dancing, and my parents didn’t think there was anything in town, but we did our research, and there’s a place located in North Liberty.” At the Champagne Academy of Irish Dance, Timmer-Hackert has been able to learn all of the subtypes and techniques of Irish dancing. “There’s soft shoes and hard shoes, which are the two shoes. Then the different types of music we dance to are reels, slip jigs, and hornpipes. Finally, the different types of dances you can do are traditional solo
dances, group dances called ceilis, contemporary solo dances, and contemporary group dances called figures dances.” Since Irish dancing has been around for an estimated 300 years, it has naturally evolved over time. “Way back when the British were exerting their control over Ireland, one of the ways that they tried to control the Irish people was by controlling their art forms. So they banned a lot of things that the Irish have traditionally done, and one of these was Irish music. And so in order to preserve the traditional tunes, people were dancing steps out with their feet and making the noises with their feet to keep the rhythms intact.” said Timmer-Hackert. Although she’s been dancing for nearly 10 years, Timmer-Hackert was able to narrow down her fa-
“ I ’VE HAD TO WOR K FOR I R I SH DANCENOTH I NG CAM E EASI LY.” - ROSEMARY TI M M ERHACKERT ‘23
vorite memories to competitions. “Similar to a track meet, at competitions you’re there for hours so you can dance for a few minutes, but my favorite memories are when you’re having fun with the other people there.” Just recently, enough people were in their age group so they could do a ceili at a competition. “When you’re there for hours, you kind of have to become friends with the people there, so that’s a wonderful aspect of it.” She’s not just dancing either. Timmer-Hackert has recently begun teaching at the Academy, and has found it quite enlightening. “I mostly teach the younger children… they’ve started going on strikes, where they just sit down and refuse to move, so I have to find creative ways to get them dancing.” Along with creative ways to get kids to dance, Timmer-Hackert has learned many useful skills from their time at the Academy. “One thing Irish dance has taught me is discipline. School has always been easy for me, and I’ve developed a habit of procrastinating. I’ve had to work for Irish dance- nothing came easily, so it made me more disciplined in school.”
Similarly to Timmer-Hackert, Akshethaa Naveen-Kumar ’24 started dancing in order to develop new skills, and now she has been dancing since she was 6 or 7. “At that age, my parents were kind of pushing me to try new things, and my friends were doing it, so I did it.” Naveen-Kumar has been a student of Bharatanatyam for about 10 years. Bharatanatyam is a very popular form of Indian classical dance, almost akin to ballet or contemporary dance, at least in its popularity and influence in the United States. More specific than just Bharatanatyam, Naveen-Kumar does a style called Kalakshetra, created in 1936 by Rukmini Devi
“
IT’S TH E STOR I ES OR EXPR ESSION S OF TH E GODS AN D GODDESSES
”
- AKSH ETHA A NAVE E N - KU MAR ‘24
Arundale in the Chennai region of India (in the South). Even though it was created almost 90 years ago, in comparison to the other styles of Bharatanatyam and other classical dances, it is very new. Naveen-Kumar started learning dance from Smitha Khullar, a local teacher, at her studio called Sampradaya Dance. Naveen-Kumar has always loved to dance. She feels as though bharatanatyam teaches her about her culture. “It's the stories or the expression of the gods and goddesses. Not only that, but [bharatanatyam] also gives you a reason to try and connect with the language of the song as well as a traditional sense of fashion”. The fashion and music
of bharatanatyam are very interconnected with the culture of India itself. They reflect the mythology of the country, and a lot of classical dances tell the stories that kids grow up with. Something else that Naveen-Kumar is working towards with dance is her arangetram. An arangetram is basically a graduation for bharatanatyam dancers. In essence, it is a 2-3 hour performance of a dance curriculum that dancers begin learning a few years into their careers. “It’s like you’ve officially mastered the dance,” said Naveen-Kumar. According to her, arangetrams require a lot of hard work and energy over a long span of time. Naveen-Kumar has been preparing for her arangetram for almost two years, for her upcoming performance with her dance partner in August of 2022. Naveen-Kumar considers the entire process of preparing for the arangetram to be overwhelming. The traditional arangetram can be done solo, in a pair, or a trio. Naveen-Kumar considers herself lucky to be working with someone else, and she feels as though it makes the whole experience less stressful. “It’s a very overwhelming process, so I’m just glad I’m not alone.” In an arangetram, a dancer first begins with an invocatory item, one that introduces the rest of the show. Then, they showcase the first item (the word used in place of dance) that they learned which is called an alarippu. Then after that comes the jathiswaram, another simple item that is learned earlier. Both of these are pure dance items, meaning they are a set of steps put to music. After that comes a few dances that combine both pure dance with expressions and storytelling. The next item is the most
rigorous out of all of them. It is called a varnam and it is 30 minutes of both pure and expressive dance. The varnam ends the first half of the performance. The second half is far less tiring than the first. There is a quick, usually fun intro dance, and then any and all dancers perform a padam, which is pure expression, without any pure dance. They will then close out the show with a thillana, a final pure dance item which is fun and energetic. The performance then will come to a close once the dancer thanks everyone for being there. Naveen-Kumar loves having something that she does that not many others can do. She loves the uniqueness of dance and what it gives her in regards to her culture. She also believes that bharatanatyam connects her to the past. “It’s been taught for generations. I'm glad I can participate in this thing that is not only still being taught today but will also hopefully live on for years to come.”
At ten years old, Evan Zukin ’22 picked up his first pair of tap shoes. He attended class, rehearsed the steps, and performed on stage. As years went by, Evan decided to focus on tap dancing as he had developed a passion for it. “Tap dancing is just fun and it’s expressive. It’s a lot more than just hitting your feet on the ground.” His first tap teacher, Sean Kaminski, is his biggest inspiration. Zukin explained how Kaminski has taught him everything he knows. When Kaminski left Zukin’s dance studio, Zukin’s passion for dance continued despite his teacher’s absence. “Watching him go and do his own thing has been really great because he’s phenomenal.” Growing up, Zukin’s older sister attended dance at Nolte Academy. Although Zukin’s love for dance is undeniable now, it wasn’t always that way. At three years old, Zukin was enrolled into classes with his sister. However, that didn’t last long when at the age of five he had decided to quit. While brainstorming activities to pursue at the age of ten, Zukin recalled how he used to dance when he was little and contemplated joining it again. “I remember I was just like, wanting to do something different and I remember enjoying dance a lot” In the end, he did. Zukin enrolled in jazz, tap, and ballet classes. After attending dance classes again, he decided that tap dancing was the best fit for him. He began to devote his energy to tap in order to get better and really pursue his new passion for dance. The history of tap dancing is one Zukin embraces. Starting as an African American art form, tap dancing was a way for silenced slaves to communicate, By hitting their feet on the ground, tapping evolved as a primary way of communication. It formed a bond between African
Americans because tap dancing was something that couldn’t be taken from them. In the 1800s, white people started to perform tap dances at minstrel shows as a form of mockery, often along with doing blackface. However, in the 1900s African Americans took back tap dancing and from there it has evolved into one of the most popular styles of dance. Zukin is constantly finding new ways to get better and new skills to learn. “Honestly, it’s really gratifying when you breakthrough or you’re able to do this new thing that you weren’t able to do before.” No matter the obstacle, Zukin is very determined to pursue dance and encourages others to do it too. Although this is Zukin’s last year with Nolte Academy, his love for dance is something that will never go away.
“ HON ESTLY, IT’S R EALLY G R ATI FYI NG WH E N YOU FI N D A B R EAKTH ROUG H OR YOU ’ R E ABLE TO DO TH I S N EW TH I NG THAT YOU WE R E N ’T ABLE TO DO BE FOR E .” - EVAN ZU KI N ‘22 He has made lifelong memories with the people he’s danced with. Dance became a way for Zukin to express himself throughout his life and he will forever be grateful for how tap dancing impacted his life.
Ashley Niemiec ’25 has gotten used to throwing fiery objects into the air. Safely. She’s done this occasionally for West High football games, where she performs as the school’s featured twirler. Niemiec has been a part of Ambition Baton Twirling since the summer of 2017, which would have been the summer before she started fifth grade. “I started because my grandma, a baton twirler, got me a baton for Christmas that year.” She has since fallen in love with twirling, and it has become a huge part of her life. Niemiec started off in a beginners class, where she was by far the oldest. From there, she was catapulted up into the highschool class, which was the highest level offered at Ambition. She was still in elementary school, and remembers how intimidating it was to be around so many twirlers who were all older than her. Fortunately for her, Niemiec got the hang of it pretty quickly, and stopped having those concerns as often. As she has furthered in her twirling career, Niemiec has learned some very interesting tricks. One that is a favorite at West High football games is the throwing of her baton, while
“ IT’S R EALLY I N SPI R I NG TO HAVE PEOPLE LOOK AT M E LI KE TH EY DI D AT THOSE GAM E , YOU KNOW? ” -ASH LEY N I EM I EC ‘25
“
KI DS WHO DON ’T WANT TO PARTICI PATE DON ’T, BUT G E N E R ALLY, MOST TWI R LE RS DO IT.” -ASH LEY N I EM I EC‘25
it’s on fire. While that might sound very dangerous to the average person, Niemiec has since gotten over her fear of large fiery objects, and practices with them frequently enough that she considers herself used to them. She loves performing at the games and seeing how people react to her talent, because she believes it’s not something people see very often. “It’s really inspiring to have people look at me like they did at those games, you know? To have something I do daily be so impressive to them.” Using fire with
your twirling requires special parent permission. Kids who don’t want to participate don’t, But generally, most twirlers do it. “I have only had one [person] in my team [who opted out], but eventually she started to join in too.” said Niemiec. Niemiec also loves being a part of a team. She believes that the people she twirls with are like a second family to her, especially since they go to a lot of tournaments and spend quite a bit of time together. Niemiec spends about 15 hours every week at Ambition. She has practice for four to five hours a day for three days a week. “It’s strenuous, but I love it.” Niemiec said. Along with making a new family from twirling, Niemiec is glad her actual family supports her in her ambitions. “My grandma is the one who got me started in the first place, so obviously they’re going to be supportive, but it’s still nice.” she said. Niemiec’s sister had also been twirling for a little while when she started, and her father had wanted her to be part of the Spirit Squad, which is the group of people at the University of Iowa which includes the cheerleaders, dancers, and obviously, the twirlers. Seeing them perform inspired Niemiec to keep going and get better herself, and keep working harder. Dance isn’t just a sport, or a hobby. It’s a culture that brings people together no matter where they are in the world. It’s a way to get people onto their feet and do something that makes them happy. That’s universal. From Ireland, to India, to Africa, to the United States, all dancers can agree to do what they love, especially if what they love to do is to dance.
DEUCE MAC BY: MD GROSS
A look into the mind of junior Deuce McClahanan and his journey with music.
DESIGN BY JOSIE SCHWARTZ
T
o the average person, Deuce McClanahan ’23 is just another junior at West High. He plays guitar and enjoys listening to rock bands such as Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Van Halen. However, once he gets on the stage, he is Deuce Mac. A rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of his rock band, Skarlett Roxx. At age six, McClanahan’s dad enrolled him into guitar lessons, but it wasn’t until middle school that he developed his love for it. “I really got serious and picked up guitar mid to late middle school and from there I just kind of fell in love with it” By high school, McClanahan became the final member of his band, Skarlett Roxx. “We started kind of like getting to know each other with covers and stuff. Then once we had figured out the chemistry we started writing original material.” After the band’s third show, they started taking music seriously as they started to make a profit from it. Since then, Skarlett Roxx has performed at venues all over Iowa, released two singles, and has plans for releasing a new album soon. Everyday, McClanahan is surrounded by people who could not be more supportive of his dreams. “My parents are probably the most supportive of it all” McClanahan’s parents are very involved and supportive of Skarlett Roxx. With his dad helping manage the band and his mom working on makeup looks, his parents are all in for him achieving his goals. McClanahan’s plans for the future are nothing short of living the dream. With inspirations from 80s and 90s rockstars, he hopes to continue his music career for the rest of his life. “I mean, I look at my heroes, and they’re still doing it today at 70 something years old.” McClanahan says. Between the adrenaline rushes before shows and being able to perform with his friends, McClanahan couldn’t love what he does more. He puts his all into his shows and leaves everything on the stage. While performing, McClanahan certainly goes big or goes home. He is no stranger to the elaborate makeup his heroes wear.. Inspired by Alice Cooper’s eye look, he paints a spider on his eye for every show. “My mom came up with the whole concept, and we spent like six hours on night, painting one and then wiping it off and replacing it with another.” McClanahan’s stage presence is one you could never forget. He has the look, the sound, and the energy. While competing in a battle of the bands, McClanahan had a previous goal of just playing to win. In the end, they did not.
12 PROFILES
MAY 25, 2022
“ I J UST KI N D OF FE LL I N LOVE WITH IT” - DEUCE MCCLANAHAN ‘23
For the second competition, McClanahan decided to look at the competition as one more chance to perform and said their goal was to just have fun. “We went into the next competition with kind of a full stage show and we didn’t really hold back which included a small amount of fire. And, the last song I smashed a guitar and we wound up getting an angry email later on from the venue owner.” To anyone out there who has dreams of being a rockstar, take it from McClanahan, “If you’re truly in love with it... there’s always a way to turn it into something bigger than you think it will be.” McClanahan went from picking up a guitar in music tech class to rocking the stage just like his heroes. If you can dream it, you can do it.
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TEACHER’S PETS BY IVY HENDRICKSON AND JOSIE SCHWARTZ DESIGN BY IVY HENDRICKSON
JAMES KIRPES Meet Albert (left) and Ginger (right), the cats of math teacher James Kirpes. Albert is described as intrepid, with an affinity for coughing up hairballs, while Ginger is more timid and will do anything for some pets. Kirpes also believes that pets can be therapeutic. “I’m a big believer in the calming, soothing aspects of pets.” Despte their differences, Kirpes loves them both equally. “Whether I’m having a good day, lousy day, whatever. How can you turn down a cat that climbs up and wants to snuggle?”
SARA WHITTAKER Journalism teacher Sara Whittaker is the owner of Buster, also known as Little Prince Buster King. She adopted her pet during the 2020 presidential election. “We got him because we had the day off school and it was during the pandemic,” Whittaker said. Buster is described as being very social with the other cats in his neighborhood. While sitting at the door or in the window, neighboring cats love to come visit him. The furry creature also loves to play with toy mice or jump on people’s heads and bookshelves. “I think pets are so sweet,” Whittaker said. “I feel like they make you slow down a maybe get out of your head a little bit.”
PROFILES MAY 25, 2022
13
ENTERTAINMENT MAY 25, 2022
14
ENTERTAINMENT MAY 25, 2022
15
THE SUNNY DAYS AHEAD FIND OUT WHAT YOU SHOULD DO THIS SUMMER!
BY IVY HENDRICKSON, JOSIE SCHWARTZ
START HERE
PRESENT
LOCAL
PAST
SINGING DANCING
GLOBAL
FARMER’S MARKET EVERY SUNDAY
5TH STREET SOCIAL AUGUST 13
ARTS
ARTS FESTIVAL JUNE 3
MUSIC
JAZZ FESTIVAL JULY 1