Hereford by Foundations of Journalism

HEREFORD IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

2901 MELROSE AVE.

IOWA CITY, IA 52246

WSSPAPER.COM

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1

THE ONLY ONE LEFT

JUNE 1, 2015

Staff Members

Writers Quentin Davis Junhee Lee Prateek Raikwar Mason Wang Editors Quentin Davis Junhee Lee Prateek Raikwar Mason Wang

Designers Quentin Davis Junhee Lee Prateek Raikwar Mason Wang Photographers Quentin Davis Junhee Lee Prateek Raikwar Mason Wang

Graphic Artists Junhee Lee Mason Wang Multimedia Quentin Davis Prateek Raikwar Advisor Sara Whittaker Principal Jerry Arganbright

COVER AND TABLE OF CONTENTS DESIGNED BY JUNHEE LEE

Table of Contents page 4-5

Unpopular Slang

page 6

Contact Information

Mail 2901 Melrose Avenue, Iowa City, IA, 52246 Phone (319)-541-8136 Email Quentin Davis: qrd0702@gmail.com Junhee Lee: jheelee28@gmail.com Prateek Raikwar: raikwarprateek9@gmail.com Mason Wang: mwanger32@gmail.com

One word to describe me is...

page 7-9

So what next? COVER STORY

page 10-11

Philadelphia Chickens

page 12-13

Forever In My Memory

page 14-15

Our Purpose

Hereford is a student made mini-newsmagazine. Because this is our first (and last) issue, and since we have zero followers, this newsmagazine will not be distribued to anyone outside of the Introduction to Journalism Classrooms. We hope to provide true stories, entertainment, and some of our opinions to our readers. Please enjoy Hereford.

Standardized Testing

page 16 The Worst Article Ever

page 17 The Bin of Shame

page 18

And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it.

Hereford

Quotes for the class of 2015 ARISTOTLE The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

DR. SEUSS Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don’t mind.

J.K. ROWLING We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already; we have the power to imagine better.

ELLA FITZGERALD Don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do.

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T. 0. C.

Un com mon Slang WRITING, DESIGN, AND PHOTOS BY MASON WANG mwanger32@gmail.com

Phrases like “swag” or “good for you” go unnoticed in a conversation, yet fresh new phrases like ‘I’ve eaten my slice of the pie’ can make one reality-tv worthy. So be unique with more of these nearly unused sayings:

Myth Busted

What you just said has just been proven to be false. Condition: fresher than Febreeze. “Did you know that nobody got higher than a D on that math test?” “Nope. I got a C-. Myth busted.” Origin: The popular Discovery Channel show. Use in place of: Fail

Fight Me

After a responsible enough sounding sentence that might slightly embarrass someone, use these words. Allow Brandon Clark ‘15 to give its common usage. “When I say it jokingly? It means, let’s have an argument,” said Clark. Condition: Semi-mint. “Do you think the U.S. military proves socialism works, because it is tax funded like my colleague suggests?” “If the military was truly socialistic wouldn’t it be safe to assume that the lowest level privates receive the same pay and benefits as higher ranking officers? Fight me.” -Debate.org

‘Tis K

Brenden Clark ‘15

It’s fine, it’s alright, it’s okay. This phrase could be worn out quickly, but Elizabeth Han ‘16 has managed to keep it new. “Don’t use it too often.” It’s simple: “‘‘Tis means ‘it’s’. K just means okay.” Condition: Factory Use in place of: It’s all good Elizabeth Han ‘16

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Don’t Question my Masculinity

A phrase used by someone after their masculinity has been challenged. Often combined with a combination of facial slaps. Condition: Sooper fresh Leon Sun ‘15, a senior at Johnston High School, uses the phrase occassionally. “Say you find an attractive shirt and wear it the next day. But one of you friends says ‘Gee, that shirt could possibly be worn by women.’ You would slap them in the face, and say ‘Don’t question my masculinity.’” Leon Sun ‘15

My hair commands you to

A phrase used to get people to do something. As Michael Dlouhy ’15 puts it, “It means you better do what I tell you to… Or Else! I usually use it to get people’s attention.” Condition: Mint “My hair commands you to fetch me a glass of water.” Origin: Math Club at West

Micheal Dlouhy ‘15

Have you been living under a rock?

Ryan Creighton

The state of being completely unaware of modern happenings. “’You haven’t heard of [famous pop star whose picture is on all the magazines]?? Have you been living under a rock?’” said Ryan Creighton, an author and a frequent user of unused words. Condition: Not worn out. The phrase has popped up within the past few years according to Creighton. Use in place of: You haven’t heard of ____??!

Swiggity Swag

So neat that the word ‘swag’ can’t even describe it Condition: More ‘subway-fresh’ than ‘fresh-fresh’ “Dr. A is here to stay? Swiggity Swag!” Use in place of: Swag

Test your knowledge of fresh slang at wsspaper.com! HEREFORD

JUNE 2015

FEATURE

One WORD to

DESCRIBE ME IS...

Compiling and photos by Quentin Davis

LEO SHRIVER ’18

CALM

“It’s hard to get me truly angry.”

HALEY ROACH ’17

ZEBRA

“I show my wilder personality at home; at school I’m a shy tame white horse.”

SARAH GRABER ’15

IDEALISTIC BEN JOHNSON ’15

HELPFUL 06

FEATURE

“I like to help others and make a difference.”

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HEREFORD

“If you can’t imagine a better world, we’ll never get one.”

LOANS, JOBS, HOUSING... THE OPTIONS ARE ENDLESS.

SO WHAT NEXT?

WRITTEN BY JUNHEE LEE jheelee28@gmail.com

After four years of hair pulling stress and sleepless nights, it’s no surprise that seniors wait impatiently for graduation day. Graduation marks the end of an era - and also the beginning of a new one. But to tread water in the real world, as easy as it may sound, seniors may need to leave their comfort zones and step into the unknown. For seniors like Natalie Childs ’15, the future is anything but clear. “I have absolutely no idea what’s in store for my future. It’s all very blurry,” Childs said. “I have a general idea of what I would like to be doing and how I would like everything to work, but I’m just not sure.” And rightfully so. With no yellow brick road to guide seniors on their path to the future, the possibilities are endless. Childs, who will be attending the University of Iowa next fall, still hasn’t made up her mind about her major. “I’m thinking about [majoring in] something with education, but I’m just not sure yet. Hopefully I can figure it out soon.” Child said. But she isn’t alone. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 80 percent of students end up changing their majors at least once, and students on average change their majors three times. And with so many different courses, sports, and extracurricular activities at West High, it’s no surprise that students have such a hard time choosing which path to take in life. For some, choosing their path in life means moving away from home. Unlike Childs, who will stay in Iowa to continue her studies, Akash Borde ’15 plans on moving to Evanston, Illinois to attend Northwestern University. But even with a major in mind, Borde has some concerns about his future outside of Iowa. “[My] fears include getting stuck with a crazy roommate, having crushing debt, and not knowing what to do with my life,” Borde said.

COVER STORY

JUNE 2015

“[My] fears include not knowing what to do with my life.” Akash Borde ’15

AFTER GRADUATION

HEREFORD

His fears prove to be accurate: for students like Borde, college may be an expensive quest to find the right path in life. With 57% of students receiving financial aid, and with an average student debt of $29,400, it may take more than 20 years to pay off student loans. Depending on the fluctuations of the economy, loans may be as painstaking as mortgage payments to pay off. In addition to the possibility of massive debt, Borde is still uncertain about his career plan after college. While he seems hopeful about a career in the STEM fields, he thinks that his job prospects may change after his life in college. “I know so little about the job market and so little about my own interests and desires from life,” Borde said. But alongside all of the uncertainty and concerns, students like Childs and Borde look towards a brighter future. A self-described home body, Childs is looking forward to settling into the University of Iowa. “I’m really looking forward to living in the dorms with my future roommate Jenna,” Childs said. “Everyone seems to be going so far away, and that’s hard. But I don’t know. I’m really close to my family and [I] am definitely a home body.” Like Childs, Borde is finding a path of his own. Using the time he has at college and the resources from Northwestern University, Borde hopes to find his passion and pursue it. “[I’m really looking forward to] doing cutting edge STEM research,” Borde said. “Hopefully, I get a great opportunity to do awesome research or internships with all of my school’s offerings.” For seniors, life is filled with curveballs and impossibilities. But for each sad moment comes a happy one, and with each turn for the worse comes one for the better. And no matter what life may bring and no matter what path they choose, they can always hope that it will be great.

80% of workers in their 20s want to switch career paths.

57%

of students receive financial aid.

Average Student Loans

$29,400

BY THE NUMBERS of West High seniors 82% knew which courses to take at West BUT

38%

of them know which courses to take in college

Seniors: One word to describe my future?

The words that were used the most were

UNDECIDED ADVENTUROUS SUCCESSFUL GROOVY UNAWARE

EXCITING GOOD AWESOME UNSURE

BRIGHT HOPEFUL GOD TEACHER AMBITIOUS UNDECIDED

Philadelphia Chickens In a world where music trends fade so fast, Sandra Boynton will make her album last. The chickens dance and cows sing down low, oh the strange songs that you know. Wirtten and Designed by Junhee Lee jheelee28@gmail.com

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SANDRA BOYNTON’S SMASH HITS “COWS” by the Seldom Herd Cows are everywhere. Anytime you take a road trip, there they are by the side of the road. But who knew that they could sing very low and dance in a row? This song serves as tribute to the world’s most memorable mooing animal.

The owl is whispering “Moo.”

“SILLY LULLABY” by Natasha Richardson

With an elegant voice and a sleepy tune, this lullaby is absolutely laxative… until you burst out laughing from the lyrics. But this song leaves you with an important lesson - it’s time to sleep when the owl is whispering “Moo.”

“FARAWAY COOKIES” by Caitlin McEwen In this sad ballad, the singer laments about a previous relationship that she misses. Slowly, but sweetly, she recounts her story and shares the heartbreaking details about their breakup. Tragic. Oh, I forgot to mention - her sad relationship? She was too short to reach her cookies.

I’ve got a cat named Bob and a dog named Bob...

Cows, we’re remarkable cows, we can sing very low...

Chocolate Chip Cookies, so high on the shelf...

“FIFTEEN ANIMALS” by John Stey If I had 15 animals, I think I would give each one a special name. Wouldn’t you? Sandra Boynton certainly thinks so. That’s why she’s got a cat named Bob and a dog named Bob, and fish named Bob and Bob. And let’s not forget Bob the mouse, and Bob the bird, and the turtle named Simon James Alexander Ragsdale the Third.

Forever in My Memory... A memory is something that is significantly remembered from the past. At West High, there are a lot of great ones ranging from the craziest to worst.

My craziest experience has been... Sarah Graber ’15 The first time I had to edit a video project--I didn’t know anything and I failed really bad initially so my teacher allowed me to redo it. We were making muffins for French class and the editing was all choppy and was really bad. I was just really embarrassed because it was such a badly edited project that I had to present to the class and I guess it was just really awkward in general.

Elaina Martz ’17 One time a squirrel got into the generator last year and then they let us out early, but then the power came back right after we left.

My best experience has been...

My worst experience has been...

Alex Lynch ’17

Max Johnson Johnson ’16 ’16 Max

I got a yellow card as a goalkeeper in a game. I went out to punch the ball but I accidentally took out the other guy’s feet while he had his arms all around me. It was just a really stupid yellow I guess and maybe he should’ve gotten a yellow, too.

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I really enjoyed the football game I went to. It was really fun - I got to hang out with my friends and I got to see our team win by a very large margin against City. Sports in general at West have been very good, at least from what I have heard and seen.

My funniest experience has been

Angela Zirbes ’18 One time I saw a friend of mine and I thought it would be funny if I tripped him, since he trips me all the time. I stuck my foot out and he stumbled. I heard some laughter and turned around to see Dr. Arganbright standing right there. He looked at me and just said, “haha, very funny. I liked that!” in a completely non-sarcastic voice.

WRITING, DESIGN, AND PHOTOS BY PRATEEK RAIKWAR raikwarprateek9@gmail.com

Any regrets?

Pranav Krishnamurthy ’18 Not attending many sports events at West. I didn’t go for the first trimester, and then I started going to some and I really enjoyed it. I really wish I went to them earlier so I could see how great our athletes are.

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FEATURE

Standardized Testing Written by Prateek Raikwar

When determining what colleges certain people will Carolyn Walling, a Chemistry and Chemistry Honors attend, standardized testing scores are one of the key teacher disagrees with Kirpes and Iannone. “It seems like components that colleges look at when determining a the people who write standardized tests are focusing, potential candidate - and students at West High have at least in science, with being able to read tables and traditionally been good at them, averaging 4.825 more graphs from sources. [...] Being able to interpret data is points on the ACT than the national average over the more important than memorizing facts.” past four years, for example. Even with high scores at It is reasonable to say, from this input, that standardized West, a problem has arisen: is standardized testing the testing works well for certain subjects, and not so well best way of testing students, or are there some better for others. alternatives? Putting the curriculum James Kirpes, a based arguments aside, Geometry Honors and Iannone notices that AP Calculus BC teacher, standardized tests might be “The more time we spend sees the good in them. being used as a shortcut for assessing learning, the “If you’re looking for a colleges. “There are many comparison across a large facets of life that are either less time there is for spectrum of students not traditionally tested actual learning. ” nationally, then I don’t or that aren’t easy to test. know of a better way of Since test scores are easy to Dominic Iannone testing.” understand and interpret, it Dominic Iannone, an is tempting to use them as a AP European History shorthand for how “smart” and MENA (Middle East someone is, when the reality and North Africa) teacher agrees in another sense. is that many people have exceptional talents that aren’t “[Standardized testing] is just a measuring device. [...] measured on the SAT analogy section,” Iannone said. This turns the data into a statistical tool that can be used Ultimately, the debate of whether standardized testing to reflect.” is a good thing or a bad thing is a close one. While Although teachers view standardized tests as an standardized testing is probably the most efficient way efficient way to test students nationwide and the tests of testing nationally, certain subjects seem to get the do uncover some faults in certain curriculums, there “short end of the stick” when it comes to these tests. are some evident problems with the testing. “From With these disadvantages, there also comes the notion a classroom perspective, I don’t give bubble-in or that standardized tests do not test students’ other Scantron tests. From that perspective, it’s important as abilities. Students must just keep on improving. a math teacher to see if the students are reasoning and “Standardized testing isn’t going away anytime soon, understanding instead of asking whether they’re right and I don’t think it should. As we move forward; or wrong.” Kirpes said. however, I would like people to remember the inherent Iannone believes that the main flaw in standardized limitations of standardized testing. It is also important tests is that they are all written tests. “Every written test to remember that the more time we spend assessing is, first and foremost, a reading comprehension test. [...] learning, the less time there is for actual learning,” Your ability to read well ususally says a lot more about Iannone said. the quality of the education you have received than how smart you are,” Iannone said.

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National Merit Awards 2011-2012 Commended

2012-2013

Semi-finalist Finalist

2013-2014

According to National Merit Awards graph, West High has traditionally had a similar amount of finalists compared to semifinalists. The AP Exam graph shows the West High has consistently had success with AP exams. Most of them have at least a ninety percent success rate.

AP Exams

2014-2015 0

2009-2010

2010-2011

Percent with 3 or above

2011-2012

SAT Scores

2012-2013 2013-2014 85%

National

90%

95%

2012-2013 2013-2014

State

ACT Scores West

2010-2011 0

200

400

600

800

The SAT Scores graph shows that West High is well above the average state scores and national scores for the exam. Once again, in the ACT Scores graph, West High is presented as the dominant scorer. Consistently receiving scores well over the state and national averages, West High is a great test taking high school.

National

2011-2012

State West

2012-2013

2013-2014 0

HEREFORD

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A+ Gr Fo ea r S t R ur ep e or t in g

r t BEST

e Wo

Article

10 To 0% tal tr u ly e leg it ; )

Ever

To say that this is a great article is an understatement, compared to other articles it makes them seem sloppy and poorly written. No one can understand how great of an article this is, except me the writer. To start off the speilling is 500% better than any Pulitzer Prize winner. The grammar in this article is good enough to make the internet use the goodest grammar all the time. Also from a journalistic standpoint the quotes are at the top of the field. Joe said “[...] and […] finally […]”. The article will be forced upon students in their English classes. The article will have hundreds of thousands of essays written about it. The article will become a role model for all upcoming journalists. There is negative bias in this article, and it makes many people strive to become less bias. The article is so great that it will be displayed alongside many important landmarks like; The declaration of independence, the Eiffel Tower, The Leaning Tower of Pizza, and next to the president’s toilet. The only font suitable for this great article is the renowned comic sans. The article will be translated into all languages for everyone to read and enjoy. People will be made fun of for not having read the article. If anyone tries to write an article as great as this article they will have to be prepared for a lifetime of failure and copyright lawsuits. If anyone tries to burn this article they will be forced to watch Barney for the rest of their probably short life. The computer that this article was written on will go for trillions of dollars on Ebay (even though it is a windows computer). The Lack Of Capitalization Errors In This Article Will Make english Teacher Proud. This article will bring a much needed piece to the world. The article is so great that the weather will not drop precipitation on anyone who is carrying this article around. Finally the amount of satire in this article will make Onion employees read this time and time again as their holy text.

“Designed and written by Quentin Davis”

WRITTEN and DESIGNED BY MASON WANG mwanger32@gmail.com

TH E

SHA ME

BIN Because the only way to get us to recycle is to get rid of the trash can.

A recent survey shows that there are 214 trash cans at West High, but only 178 recycling bins. This survey was not actually conducted, as the bins refused to comment. But I shouldn’t need to make up statistics to prove that the trash cans are still used as much as they were last year, or the year before that, or the year before that, despite all the speeches made by every influential person at West about how you should stop throwing things away. People like me are lazy. We would rather throw all of our lunch away than to separate it into compost, recyclable material, and waste. How much of a difference can it make to compost a single banana peel than to toss it? Don’t get me started on the regulations on recyclable materials that we learned on Earth Day. “You better not throw away that red and white striped paper boat, it has plastic in it. The recycling center will have to discard the whole batch of recycling material. You might as well have started a tire fire or dumped a barrel of oil in the creek or driven a Hummer half a block to school on a perfectly beautiful day.” Unless the recycling bin is right next to the trash and you want to throw away a stack of paper, it’s easier to throw things in the trash. Your waste is gone from your life forever, and there are no social consequences. But I have a solution for my own laziness. At school, there should only be recycling bins or compost bins. But you might ask, “Where do I put this white and red paper-plastic blended boat?” You eat it. Just kidding. You would have to keep it until you got home... and then put it in a personal trash can chained to your ankle. The Bin of Shame. This way, everyone could see all of your trash. The more trash you have, the harder it is to carry it around and get from class to class. Carrying around too much trash would attract attention and invite yourself to bullying. The most popular method of harassment? Dunking you in your own trash can. Nobody would throw things away at West. People would throw things away less at home, also. Unfortunately, after seconds of careful thought, I realized a few problems with this model. For one, the trash cans could be safety hazards, especially during P.E. and school sports. It attempts to solve the problem of the over-availability of trash cans by adding more, which is a twinge counter-intuitive. Some kid who has become indifferent to social consequences have just gotten a personal trash can. This proposal would never pass the School District Board. It might pass as an experiment, but it would probably be modified so much that it would miss its main purpose and just add a bunch of trash cans to West. So today, we can only dream of a school system where you and I never throw a stack of paper in the waste.

To see the “Recycle Rap Parody”, go to wsspaper.com! HEREFORD JUNE 2015 OPINION

AND THAT’S IT.