Yikes!! Publication by Foundations of Journalism

H2O CRISIS

Sanya Sami EDITOR IN CHIEF

Cymry Hieronymus Photographer

Avery Carneol Photographer, Designer

Lilli Duncan Writer

SamWriter Croco Ella Rosenthal Designer

Do you live here or are you running?

Artistry a la Thompson How to solve the summer blues West High’s ocean Staff Pix STAFF FIGHT! Summer edition SUMMER BOPS

Dear Readers,

DESIGN BY ELLA ROSENTHAL AND SAM CROCO COVER PHOTO BY CYMRY HIERONYMUS

As the school year is coming to an end, many of us are looking forward to summer regardless of how it’ll be spent. In the meantime, however, it’s understandable that we’re stressed or that we just want to be done with school. My crew and I are here to help you get through these last few days and get you excited for summer. Explore things to do this summer, get updated on today’s news, and come with us to explore the ocean. Whatever you need to get through finals week, you can find them here within these 18 pages. Thank you for taking the time to read our magazine, and enjoy!

Enjoy!

Sanya Sami

West High 2020

BY LILLI DUNCAN

ith over 1,500 students at West High, there are bound to be a lot of differing opinions. With an election coming up, these opinions will be brought into the spotlight as students become eligible to vote and pick their favorite candidate. But Iowa CIty tends to be a more liberal/ left leaning city, with 25,841 registered Democrats in 2016 compared to 7,675 registered Republicans. West High is no different, about 80% of students surveyed said that they affiliate with the Democratic party, and less than 2% said the Republican party. According to a Yikes survey, the most popular candidate for 2020 is Bernie Sanders. “I saw him when he came to Iowa, and a lot of the things he was striving for really resonated with me. He was bringing attention to how immigrants are being treated in this country and the policies that Donald Trump had enforced that have negatively impacted a lot of our nation,” said Harpur Barahona ‘20. Even with the strongly democratic views of many students, there are also many who don’t have views on politics at all. According to a Yikes survey, 34% of students don’t pay attention to politics, and 18% of students said they weren’t sure which candidates are run-

ning. Razan Hamza ‘21 would like to learn more about the candidates. “They all seem qualified, but I have to look more into their policies,” Hamza said. Emma Grace Shoppa ‘20, who plans on voting for the first time in 2020, feels that the next president should care about issues that relate to her generation. “Going forward in 2020 I want more candidates to focus on environmental issues, something I feel has been neglected for way too long.” Shoppa said. Other students agree with this stance, and align themselves with the Green Party. The Green Party is a political party specifically supporting environmental activism and change. One student, who prefers the Green Party, also supports presidential candidate Jay Inslee. “Jay inslee is a great advocate for correcting the world’s most pressing issue — climate change. He believes climate change is an absolute priority, and will put all efforts forward to regulate corporate pollution.” they said. For a lot of students preparing to vote, age is a very important factor. Typically, presidents and presidential candidates have an average age of 55, and resonate more with the majority group of voters, which is the baby boomer generation.

<2%

WHS Students Identify as REPUBLICAN

80% WHS Students Identify as DEMOCRATS

While there are still quite a few older candidates (ex. Bernie Sanders, 78 and Joe Biden, 76), the majority of candidates are on the younger side, like Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is only 37. “I appreciate that the majority of candidates are younger, something that’s been missing from the white house for a while. If a younger candidate can be elected I feel like they’ll be able to represent the ideas that the younger generations want rather than clinging on to ideals the older generation don’t want to lose.” said Shoppa. “I believe having younger people in office is much more beneficial, because the decisions she/he makes as president will affect them personally in the long run.” another student said.

DESIGN BY ELLA ROSENTHAL ART BY CYMRY HIERONYMUS

All in all, students want a president that will push forth laws and policies that they are passionate about. “So many laws are getting passed that I don’t agree with,” Said Malix Prosper ‘21 of Tate High school. “I want someone who will bring changes that I support.”

Gary Neuzil, a teacher at West high, “runs” for president each election. He has over 20 rules for running for president, the first of which being, “get elected” and the second, “get re-elected.”

NEUZIL 2020

ANIME TO ACRYLICS BY CYMRY HIERONYMUS

Since she was little, she was always drawing. Coming from a family of art, with a mom who could draw almost anything, and friends who had such skill she was eager to catch up. Now sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s more succesful than she ever imagined.

Since she was little, Maddy Thompson ’19 has always been drawing. In middle school especially she got into the anime style of art. It wasn’t until her Freshman year that Thompson really began taking art seriously, “[I would wake] up an hour early each day to draw.” She also had many friends who were artists as well, and eager to catch up to their skill, she was constantly working at her’s. During highschool her style evolved to what it is now, and with it she began using more sophisticated mediums to make her art. Thompson’s favorite mediums are copic markers, high-pigmented alcohol-based markers, and acrylic paints, because they are “able to capture the ‘pop-art’/’comic book’ style aesthetic” that she enjoys.

As far as Thompson’s technical background in art, she prefers mediums that give off more vibrant colors. She has received many awards, notable ones being the Teacher’s Choice Award in the Hani Elkadi Art Exhibit for the past two years, and she has had art hung up in the Veridian Bank and Trust, and the Hancher Exhibit. Though, even with her success, Thompson still doesn’t consider the possibility of taking art classes, “I am 100% self taught, and am planning on keeping it that way” she said, “Not that I think I’m ‘more of an artist’ in any way, it’s just that classes are very expensive, and you need to take class after class after call to really see any improvement.” Besides, nowadays artists have access to each other’s

“I am 100% self taught, and am planning on keeping it that way” MADDY THOMPSON ‘19 work through the internet, and being AP Studio Art pushing me to look able to see other’s art and learn from into new avenues of art. For now I’m people who make videos online is just exploring and trying everything!” plenty good enough for learning new In the meantime, Maddy is fairtechniques. “The #1 way to improve ly content with the success she’s had on skill is to draw more, and more, with her art thus far, and for now she’s and more, and I can do that at home.” looking forward to advancing in other Aside from the internet and her fields, “ Another big hobby of mine is own art, Thompson has had a lot of sewing, and I am getting a job in the influence from famous artists and the Theater (Costumes Department) next people around her as well. “The very year at Iowa State.” and she says she first time I wanted to REALLY draw is is excited to be able to use her sketchwhen my mother would show me her ing and design skills from her art in sketchbook. She could draw anything order to make clothing. Though, she and everything, from the Queen of also has found interest in the idea of Hearts to cute teddy bears to Snoopy.”, creating a webcomic, “[webcomics] and being able to see this level of ex- are very popular at the moment and pertise in person, not just on the in- are easy to create. Besides that, I’m goternet really gave Thompson hope for ing to just keep on creating as usual.” developing her own skill. Since starting her art career middle school, she has taken AP Studio Art, a class that is offered here at west, “This last school year has turned to morePHOTGRAPHY traditional BY CYMRY HIERONYMUS DESIGN BY ELLA ROSENTHAL art, like oil paints, still lives, etc. with

DESIGN BY ELLA ROSENTHAL PHOTOS BY CYMRY HIERONYMUS

SUMMER ACTIVITES BY SAM CROCO

CAMPING

It’s nice to spend time outside and get some fresh air. Spending a night with friends under the stars is a great activity to do with friends over the summer. You can either go in a backyard or to a local camping site.

HAMMOCKS

Hammocks are a great way to spend time outdoors under the sky in the summer. It’s very relaxing and a great way to chill with friends outside. You can go anywhere, from yur backyard to a local trail, hammocks are a great way to get outside

ROADTRIP

Did someone say roadtrip? Grab a few friends and go for a ride. From getting icecream to driving to a nearby town, you can roll down your windows and blast some music

DRIVE-IN-MOVIES

If you can’t decide between a movie inside or going outside to look at the stars, why not do both? A great place for a drive in movie is Blue Grass Drive-In Theater in Blue Grass, Iowa. With 4 large screens, there are always many options on what to watch. It also has mini golf and many many movie snacks.

A NEW TYPE OF

OCEAN

Fishing nets kill around 300,000 dolphins every year

BY SAM CROCO CYMRY HIERONYMUS LILLI DUNCAN

hen your parents and grandparents were young, walking along the sands of beaches, they saw seashells and rocks. Now, you walk along the shoreline and, unsurprisingly, see trash floating and washing up on the shore. Instead of standing in the water and feeling seaweed brush against your feet, you feel a plastic bag. For our generation, this doesn’t come as a shock, we are used to a trash-filled world. The average American creates 1,672 pounds of trash each year. Since a lot of these things are oneuse-plastics and nonbiodegradable, every straw, wrapper, plastic bottle still exists in some form on this earth. For every square mile of ocean, there are more than 45,000 pieces of trash in it. The ocean takes up a majority of the Earth, and the Pacific alone covers over 60 million square miles. With the ocean being

such an large entity, how did it come Students at West High want to help to be filled with the world’s garbage? but aren’t really sure how to since Iowa is landlocked. “The only ways People have been using the ocean I can think of to help are recycling as a dump for hundreds of years, or upcycling,” said Luma Makahowever, it has only recently become wi ‘20. “I’ve read articles and seen prevalent. The introduction of plas- videos about how dangerous ocean tics that last forever is what started pollution is to the world, but I don’t the flood of trash into the ocean. Plas- think I know enough,” said Wimar tic takes hundreds of year to break (Dimas) Widiatmo ‘20. “We need down, so unlike paper or cardboard, more organizations to help get rid it won’t decompose in your lifetime. off the trash that’s in our oceans. Students can donate to organiza“PLASTIC TAKES HUN- tions to help clean up our oceans or can become advocates and fight DREDS OF YEARS TO they for a better future,” Widiatmo said. BREAK DOWN” West high teachers want to help This means that even after we die, inform students, too. Science teachplastic that we used will still be er Maureen Head has ways for stuthere. Plastic is currently being used dents to help reduce the amount for items that are thrown away in- of plastic used. She is teaching stustantly, like straws and water bottles, dents about the use of plastics speeven though they are items that last cifically in Iowa City with a project for extremely long periods of time. in her Earth and Space Science class.

It is estimated that every square mile of ocean has more than 45,000 pieces of trash in it

“Think about using a reusable water bottle or purchasing a set of reusable utensils to cut down on single-use plastic silverware like straws, forks, spoons, and knives,” Head said. “An alarmingly large percentage of ocean animals are ingestingplastic/microplastic.

Seabirds are dying with stomachs full of plastic because they think they’re full and stop eating only to starve to death. Because almost all plastics ever produced have not been recycled, this is a huge and ever-growing concern.” Although there is still a lot of work to be done, people learning more about pollution and how they can help is the first step to a cleaner world. “This project helps students see that their community knows that there are environmental issues, but that it will take innovative solutions to push the work forward,” Head said. Pollution in the ocean is something that will directly affect our generation and the following generations, so it is up to us do take a stand.

Out of all plastic, only 5% of it is recycled, 50% goes into landfills, and the other 45% disappears into our water systems

DESIGN BY ELLA ROSENTHAL

STAFF PIX: 12 PHOTO EDITION

Sa m’s Fa vo ri

’s a l l E

ite r o Fav

Cy m

ry’s

Fa vo ri

Lill i’s Fa vo ri

e t i r vo

a F s ’ ry e v A

Sa nya ’s F av ori

DESIGN BY SAM CROCO AND ELLA ROSENTHAL

MOUNTAINS VS

BY SANYA SAMI Beautiful views, fresh air, posting on your story about being 10,000 feet above sea level, and the wind blowing in your hair as you look out on the rest of the world. Those things are only experienced by visiting and being on a mountain. Okay, well maybe you can experience fresh air in other places too, but it’s safe to say that it’s best on a mountain. As every individual person, every mountain is different as well. And depending on the type of person you are, you can find the perfect mountain. From rocky mountains to grassy mountains to fault-block mountains, you are guaranteed to find the ideal mountain for you. And let me tell you, if you have a fear of heights, do not fret. There are also the plateau mountains, which don’t have deep slopes but are still at a good enough height to be considered a mountain. As I said, there’s something for everyone when it comes to the mountains! The thing about beaches is you could either like them or dislike them. Beaches are super predictable. You’ll know what to expect when you visit one: the typical sand and body of water (also cannot forget to mention the liter coming from the ocean). Some people say that the sun is the best part about going to the beach, until they get sunburnt.

But unlike beaches, every mountain is so different. There are so many different types to where you are guaranteed to find a mountain you’ll love, and you won’t have the same old vibe when you visit one mountain versus another. On one mountain, you can experience snow and on another, you may not. One mountain can be colder and another can be warmer. One mountain can be sunnier and the other can be shadier. And one can be….well, I think you get the point. On a mountain, you don’t have to experience too much pollution around you. When you’re on a beach, there are loads of trash on the sand and in the ocean. Whenever I go to a beach, it’s difficult to even walk on a beach or stand in the ocean without my foot touching a piece of trash. Trust me, while I do feel bad for the ocean environment because of all the trash, I really don’t like the fact that many people who come to the beach decide to liter. Not only does that kill the poor sea animals but that just makes the beach a worse vacation spot.

And when it isn’t off-season, well, the opportunities to not only go snow skiing and sledding are unlimited, but so are the other attractions a mountain holds. Mountains are also more secluded, so you don’t have to worry about getting through a crowd or waiting in line to do something fun. Overall, each mountain has something new and special to offer. The views are absolutely stunning and the opportunities for adventure are endless. In the end, even when your ears pop because of the high altitude, spending your vacation thousands of feet above sea level is totally worth the hype with all the upsides that come with visiting a mountain!

Whether it’s hiking, mountain biking, sightseeing, stargazing, or nature photography, the opportunities on a mountain are endless. Mountains come in many forms, ranging from mountain resorts to some national parks, such as Yosemite National Park in California. If you decide to go to a mountain resort, the options of things to do are endless. Even in the off-season, there are a variety of things you can do, from ziplining to swimming in an outdoor swimming pool.

Mountains in Yosemite National Park in California.

PHOTOS BY SANYA SAMI DESIGN BY SANYA SAMI

Sanya Sami ‘19 sits on a mountain at Yosemite National Park while letting the breeze blow through her hair.

S BEACHES

Sanya Sami ‘19 and Avery Carneol ‘19 share their points of view as to which one is a better vacation spot.

BY AVERY CARNEOL Taking a nice long walk by the shoreline, the sand in between your feet and looking at the beautiful sunset along the ocean. The beach is a place to lay out in the sun to get a light golden color to your skin tone. There is an ocean at your free will that you can dive into at any moment. That is what it feels like when you are at the beach.

Why would you choose to be colder when you can be warmer? You wouldn’t! They are so much more secluded, there is nothing to do up there. When you go to the mountains you have to have so many more things with you. When you go hiking you have to bring a backpack full of gear. It is so much more of a hassle than going to the beach and laying in the sun. You only need a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, and sunglasses. That’s all nothing else well maybe your phone but that’s an obvious one.

When you are at the beach you can listen to the sounds of the waves crashing onto the shoreline and a slight breeze running through your hair, you can’t do that in the mountains. You have an old pool that 100 people Going to the beach can be a last minute have probably gone to the bathroom decision. When you wanna go to the in. There is no sand! It’s snow and it mountains you have to plane a whole is cold up there, 10,000 feet above sea trip, where are you going to stay? What level. With the beach you don’t have to are you going to bring? How long is it worry about altitude sickness because going to take to get there? The beach is so you are right along the shoreline, much simpler. You get a group of people there is no sickness on the beach. together or you can go alone, whichever There are so many different things Students across West High School let the staff one you prefer, pack a single backpack know which one they prefer. you can do like, kayaking, sailing and you go to the beach. It’s that easy, not all paddle boarding, to relaxing in the sun, of that planning stuff. walking along the beach, and playing beach volleyball. With all of my points made, as you can tell, beaches The beach is a happier place to be then in the are far more superior than the mountains. But make mountains. When you are in the mountains it is so sure you bring some sunscreen to the beach, don’t much colder because of the altitude change.

Tel Aviv Beach in Israel during summer 2017.

Avery Carneol ‘19 (right) poses for a photo taken with Deee Brandshaw on the beach.

PHOTOS BY AVERY CARNEOL

summer playlist The car top is down, your hair is blowing in the wind, and nothing is on your mind except for Yikes !!!’s sweet summer playlist.

17 Jesus, etc.

Wiilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Autumn Sweater

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One

Movies In My Head

The 6ths - Wasps’ Nests

Blister In The Sun

Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes

King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

It’s Real

Real Estate - Days

In My Dreams

Kali Uchis - Isolation

This Must Be The Place

Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues

Blue Turning Gray

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

As We Go Up, We Go Down

Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes

Kissing the Lipless

The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

Kahlil Gibran

STRFKR - Miracle Mile

Darling

Real Estate - In Mind

The Moonbeam Song

Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson