FOJ yearbook project 22-23

FOJ YEARBOOK

2022-2023 project

i o w a c i t y w e s t h i g h j o u r n a l i s m

Holidays at West

“Me and my family eat sushi and watch a movie on Christmas”

Maddox Patterson

26’

“We put a lamb chop on top of the tree instead of a star”

Maximilian Schebel 26’

“My family plays monopoly”

Ethan Tisdale 26’

“Me and my family bake and decorate the tree” Iz Tibesar ‘25

“Every year I go to my grandparents house for Christmas and we play games all day.”

Oliver Miller ‘25

“My family always eats ice cream on Christmas Eve, and we drive around the area to look at the lights and decorations.”

Brooklyn Graham

‘24

“Every year my aunt comes with a recipe, and we make eggnog and use way too much butter”

Karsten

Ghabel ‘25

“For New Years we bang on pots and pans to scare away bad spirits, and wear circles and dots for good luck”

Anika Nguyen ‘25

“My family prepares food and has traditions that remind me of my family in Bulgaria”

Venelin Kotev

‘26

All photos by: Carter Houchins-Witt and Olive Ubeda

By: Carter Houchins-Witt and

“There’s an elf named Jingles that is hidden around the house”

Jonas McLaskey 25’

“Every Christmas Eve I go to my grandparents house and see my extended family” Holden Rebich 25’

“Every year I have a sleepover with friends”

Daniel Tirgardoun 25’

“My aunt sends pajamas from Alaska and we wear them and play board games on Christmas Eve.”

Jacob Weimar ‘26

“Every year me and m y siblings have a sleepover on Christmas Eve.”

Josephine Friedman

‘25

“Every Christmas Eve me and my family watch ‘A Christmas Story’”

Samuel Weitz ‘26

“We make sugar cookies with a recipe that has been passed down through generations.”

Grace Vignato ‘26

“[Me and friends] do Secret Santa, but instead of giving it to each other on Christmas, we hang out on New Year’s Eve and give it then”

Heisy Ayala‘23

Everyone celebrates different holidays and traditions around winter time, so what traditions do West students have?

Olive Ubeda

Ava Garcia VanAuken ‘24, Yuning Shao ‘24, Sophie Olivo ‘25, Marie Stier ‘25, Anna Dickens ‘25, Marie Stier ‘25, Ijin Shim ‘24, Cindy Wang ‘24, Syliva Brof tt ‘26, Anita Parecattil ‘26, Anna Greenlee ‘26, Gabrielle Moniza ‘24, Mary Danielle Gross ‘25, Lincoln Beihl ‘25, Minna Abdalla ‘26, Ginger McCartney ‘24, Annie Schwartz ‘23, Erinn Varga ‘24, Emma Moniza ‘26, Emelia Grueter ‘26, Kate Van Waning ‘26, Ava Frese ‘26, Casandro Chan ‘25, Sawyer Smith ‘25, Robert Havens ‘25, Carl Christianson ‘25, Henry Lu ‘25, Nicholas Zhang ‘25, Adriana Vargas ‘26, Joslyn Zimmon ‘26, Andrew Dong ‘24, Jonathan Fan ‘23, Saif Manzoor ‘25, Trey Montgomery ‘23, Winston Fan ‘26, Jayden Shin ‘23, Ishan Harwani ‘25, Boan Harris ‘24, Isaac Howe ‘24, Adian Jacobsen ‘24, Cole Collier ‘24, Sudarshan Kasturirangan ‘26, Waylon Houchins-Witt ‘25, Har el Gameti ‘25, Daniel Tirgardoun ‘25, Moustafa Tiea ‘25, Maxwell Bruss ‘25, Daniel Fuentes ‘25, Anders Pressler ‘25, Adam Salem ‘26, Jadyen Hayes ‘25

by Emily Rabe

PERIOD. We Are

The Period club is a chapter of PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement, a non-pro t organization whose goal is to stop period poverty and the stigma around menstruation.

Ijin Shim ‘24 and Cindy Wang ‘24 are the co-presidents and founders of the West High chapter, which they started this year. “We have really been noticing there’s a stigma around menstrual [cycles] and there’s also a lack of products in our schools and in general,” Wang said. “Lots of menstruators don’t have access to [period] products. We really wanted to educate people.”

According to Ginger McCartney ‘24 the club organizes ways to educate people and collect donations for period products so people in our school have access to period products.

Written by Charlotte Stephens

3. Ginger McCartney ‘24 and Gabrielle Moniza ‘24 listen to Cindy Wang’ 24 and Ijin Shim ‘24 presentation on sustainable period products. “I feel like a period club is very needed at West High and probably all high schools. I feel like female menstruation and periods in general are a very important topic that isn’t necessarily talked about a lot.” Moniza said.

by Emily Rabe

Photo

Photo

2.

1 Adam Salem ‘26, Daniel Fuentes ‘25, Carl Christianson ‘25, Robert Havens ‘25, Jadyen Hayes ‘25, Saif Manzoor ‘25 posing for a photo a er the meeting on Dec. 16th, 2022. “I really support that tampons should be free at school.” Salem said.

2 Cindy Wang ‘24 and Ijin Shim ‘24 presenting sustainable period products at the period club meeting on Dec. 16th, 2022.

“Don’t be ashamed of your menstrual cycle.” - Leah Butcher ‘26

Why did you join Period Club?

“To support my friend, Cindy.” -Trey Montgomery ‘23

-Emma Wiederien ‘26

Looking Back

PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement is founded on three pillars: education, service, and advocacy. For education they have mini lessons during meetings “We had a lesson about the tampon tax,” said Cindy Wang ‘24.

In December 2022, the service project was a period product drive. “We’re making shoe boxes, and we’re putting them in the classroom so people can donate [products].”

The club will donate the boxes to the local Coralville Food Pantry. Along with those boxes the club was starting to make “Give or Take 1” boxes to put in the bathrooms around the school. “We want to decrease the stigma that’s around periods,” Wang said.

“I think the issue of not just period health but also a period of education and access to period products is really important and one that is overlooked in our schools.”

5.

‘26

- Ginger McCartney ‘24

Adriana Vargas ‘26, Joslyn Zimmon ‘26, Ava Frese ‘26, Kate Van Waning ‘26, Emelia Grueter ‘26, Emma Moniza ‘26, Ginger McCartney ‘24, Gabriella Moniza ‘24 and Erinn Varga ‘24 learning about sustainable period products.

A er the meeting on Dec. 16th, 2022 Sylvia Bro tt ‘26, Anna Greenlee ‘26, and Anita Parecattil ‘26 are waiting for the AFT bell to ring. “At the club fair they were so sweet, fun and welcoming.” Greenlee mentioned.

Boan Harris ‘24, Adian Jacobsen ‘24, Cole Collier ‘24 posing for a photo before the period club meeting on Dec. 16th, 2022. “[The club] is great. It’s a very nice environment, very welcoming and a nice community.” Boan Harris ‘24 said.

Photo by Emily Rabe

Photo by Emily Rabe

Photo by Emily Rabe

Photo by Emily Rabe

Photo by Emily Rabe

Photo by Emily Rabe

Photo by Emily Rabe Photo by Emily Rabe

Photo by Emily Rabe

Photo by Emily Rabe

5.

4.

4. Cindy Wang ‘24 teaching the members about sustainable period products.

Yuning Shao ‘24 and Ava Garcia VanAuken ‘24 at the period club meeting on Dec. 16th, 2022.

“I wanted to get free tampons and pads in the bathrooms.”

“I think it’s for a good cause to put out period products.” -Leah Butcher

What Makes a House a Home?

“Roof, family, and a dog.”

Quinn Abbott '24

“Furniture, family, and comfort.” Ahmed Sharif '23

“Your family, where you came from and your experiences, and the memories.”

Joseph Alarape

'23

“Love, warmth, and just being comfortable.” Elena Garcia ‘25

“The people in it, the love you feel, if you feel safe and comforted.”

Isabelle St. Aubin ‘25

“The people, the furniture, and the area.”

Lyova

Merkle '23

“Food, warmth, and entertainment.” Harel Gameti '25

“Comfort, family, and pets.” Ivy Hendrickson ‘25

“Toilet, air fryer, and a bed.”

Moustafa Tiea ‘25

All Photos by Greg Van Auken, Design by Annie Dickens

“Comfort,

“Family,

Kylie Stevens '26

“Family,

“Pets,

Charlotte Delowery '25

“Family,

“Communication,

“Stability, comfort, and exibility.”

Abdelrahman Abdalla '23

“A bed, your family, and pets.”

Diana Tivanskaya, '25

furniture, and food.”

Jalyn Graham, '24

love, and the ability to agree to disagree.”

Donald

Doyle, Supervisory Para-educator

family, and love.”

bed, and a TV.”

Anthony Hamilton ‘24

memories, and warmth.”

safety, and family.” Ja'Vion Robinson '26

Everyone feels the comfort of a home in different ways. What are three things Trojans think makes a house a home?

Relationships at West

“[My favorite thing about Val is] her drawing skills.” Ortega Lopez said. “I love her goofy personality,” Carbajal said.

‘26

“I don’t have a favorite thing about [them], [they’re] just amazing all around,”said Devore. “When I tell him there’s needs to be met, he understands and I like that,” said Luena.

Ayden Devore ‘25 and Sin Luena ‘25

“I think that everyone should nd the person that they want to be with. It’s not that hard, really.”

Mason Goering ‘26

“Even though we have very di erent interests, [it’s] an opportunity to learn about things I wouldn’t normally,” said Benson. “Instead of ignoring the di erences, we wanna blend them,” said Steva.

Cade Benson ‘24 and Natalie Steva ‘25

“My favorite thing about him is the fact that he owns a cat. I like his cat,” said Schmidt Rundell. “I love making fun of her about the way she pronounces things. It’s funny,” said McNamar.

Grayson McNamar ‘24 and Erin Schmidt Rundell ‘24

“I

general,

nice to be around. They don’t judge me,” said Rogers. “She’s funny, and kinda dumb, but lovable. Pinchable cheeks,” said Ephraim-Gill.

Phoebe Ephraim-Gill ‘25 and Rory Rogers ‘25

“High school relationships are pretty stupid because normally they never work out and it just leads to people getting hurt.”

Waleed Ibrahim ‘26

“I really like how we just feed o of each other’s energy,” said Hinrichs. “My favorite thing about Jarret is his ability to chameleon himself. No matter what type of friends I bring around, [he knows] the energy they give and how to give it back,” said Burns.

Jarrett Hinrichs ‘24 and Gabrielle Burns ‘23

“There’s nothing wrong with dating, but sometimes it’s a bit much. Some of these kids are still 14, 15, 16 and we’re still pretty young.”

Neema Ash ‘25

like them in

they’re

Eva Ortega Lopez ‘26 and Val Carbajal

What’s your take on high school relationships?

by Shahd Suleiman and Miela Miller-Jacobs

“Relationships

“The one thing I’ve really noticed, especially about [relationships at] West, is that it doesn’t really have cliques. I think that’s really cool. It allows people to get exposure to a lot of di erent worldviews, a lot of di erent backgrounds.”

River Allou ‘23

“[My best friend is] Danyel Winters. [My favorite thing about her is] the fact that she’s calm but energetic at the same time. [It] balances. ”

Becca Wessling ‘25

“Couples that are very open about their relationship are obviously going to get some lash back from other people who may not be as open to it, or couples that don’t show a ection at all, people nd [the fact that they’re dating] a surprise.”

Tank Kuppachi ‘23

“[My best friend is} Xion. I love a lot about him. I love how goofy he is and how talented he is. And he’s very handsome.”

Carly Ephraim ‘24

“I’d say my best friend is Violet Clark. I’ve been friends with her since elementary school. And though we don’t get to hang out a lot, she’s the number one person I go to whenever I need advice.”

Jane Lam ‘24

aren’t bad if you know what you’re doing and you’re responsible.”

Fatima Hassan ‘26

“It’s fun to experiment in high school, not really trying to make it last through your life, but just meeting new people and getting to know di erent people. ”

Avanley Jones ‘25

“I guess my best friend’s Nora, She’s really nice and outgoing. She’s quiet like me, but she’s kind of more talkative than me, so it’s a good opposites attract.”

Ali

Hawkes ‘24

“The people in the West aren’t going to last. I’ve seen these people’s relationships go down in two weeks, and they’re obviously not going to last.”

Abeer

Guama ‘26

Photos

“I

Sports Superstitions

“If

“Before we competed this year, we chanted, ‘We can, we will, we must.’ We did this before we practiced and performed and it became a tradition.”

Grace Bartlett

‘25

“I like to listen to some songs, the artist I listen to is Kanye.”

Christian

Kim ‘25

usually listen to a few songs before each match, My main song is Godzilla by Eminem.”

Ankur Karandikar ‘24

“I have this bag of rosin and every time I go up to throw, I throw it with my le hand over my le shoulder and I catch it behind my back with my right hand.” James Dickens ‘23

“I never put my cleats on until I step on the eld.”

Ava Garcia ‘24

“I get noodles from Noodles & Company, I normally get mac and cheese.”

Bryan

Torres ‘23

a ier touches the ground, anything but their feet, it’s super bad luck.”

Beyonce Washington ‘24

“On the way home we play bagpipes. They put it on a speaker and they play bagpipes of the Happy New Year song.”

Asif Ali ‘26

“For volleyball, before I go to a game I put on a phone charm for luck.”

Thara Rajagopal

‘26

All Photos By: Minna Abdalla, Waad Dafalla, Anna You

“I would always have a Diet Mountain Dew and a bottle of water on the bench with me. Sometimes in the state tournaments, I would wear the same clothes over and over if we would keep winning.”

BJ

Mayer Atheletic Director

“To take my mind o the game and just free up my thoughts I watch cartoons.”

Paul

Rundquist Athletics Department

“Before meets we only do each stretch for less than 10 seconds.”

Andrew Dong ‘24

“I either carry my mom’s chain or a picture of her every game.”

Hazel

Rodriguez ‘26

“I have to time my shoes at the intersection of the white lines on the tennis court.”

Jayden Shin ‘23

“I have to always spray Curve perfume before every game.”

Melae

Lacy ‘24

“I hold a cross in my hand and rub it for good luck before the games.”

Henry Harris

‘26

“All the wrestling girls slap their coaches hands before they go out.”

Sylvia Bro tt ‘26

Jack McCa ery ‘25

Whether it’s a good luck charm, a cursed practice, or a simple tradition, superstitions can be found in every hobby. We asked 18 student athletes what their sports superstitions are and here’s the feedback!

Who is Your “Hero of Troy”?

“Michelle Wikner (science teacher) has been an amazing teacher who teaches her subject well and in a fun way. She’s helped kindle my interest in chemistry by putting up with my countless questions in her class and making the subject both approachable and enjoyable. Not only is she a great teacher, but she’s funny and an enjoyable person to be around. I can’t think of any teacher I aspire to be like more than Mrs. Wikner.”

Caleb Benson ’24

“Emma Kuepker ’24 is my friend because we can talk to each other about anything.”

Riley Uthe ’24

“Marshal Moellers (science teacher) makes class so fun and makes everyone in his classroom feel welcomed and loved.”

Leah Butcher ’26

“Luigi Enriquez (choir teacher) always cheers me up and makes me laugh even when he’s having a bad day too.”

Emily Cupp ’26

“I picked Hoazin Bukhary ’26 to be my Hero of Troy because she is very nice and is always willing to help me with my homework when I ask her to.”

Aeysha Nasir ’26

“Callie Gao ’26 continues to be a very supportive friend for me. She’s always here to make everyone laugh, but is also an incredibly insightful friend.” Shanza Sami ’26

“Defne Bayman ’24 is a really supportive friend who helps me make the right decisions.”

So a Wells-Lu ‘23

A Friend, a Teacher, anyone in West high!

Photo By: Caleb Benson, Leah Butcher, Bonnie Ding, Frances Jordan

Designed By: Bonnie Ding

’26

“David Haas (choir teacher) is a great choir teacher and he cares genuinely about his class and students! He always helps us with personal dilemmas as well as singing wonderful music. He makes sure we know we are seen and supports everything we do as a class and as people. He goes above and beyond to make sure all of us feel connected and special in choir.”

’26

“Ever since freshman orientation, Michael Mettenburg (social studies teacher) has created a welcoming environment. He knows his class isn’t for everyone, but he shows us the value in it even if it isn’t someone’s favorite. He helps us with other classes and shows empathy with his students. Every day I look forward to going to his class. I’ve never learned more in a class than in AP human geo with Mr. Mettenburg. It’s obvious how much Mettenburg cares about his students, and that is exactly why he should be the Hero of Troy.”

Frances Jordan ’26

“Jeremiah Graham ’26 is fun to hang out with because we share a similar personality.”

Shivani Harper ’26

“Evelyn Kraber ’26 is really mature and smart, but still funny. She keeps me grounded, like my other half...or my mom.”

Anna Greenlee ’26

“Grace Cheng ’24 is an amazing friend to me because she shares the most inspiring stories that makes my day.”

Iarafa Dirar

“Tamir Eltaib ’26 is a very thoughtful person and is like a brother to me.”

Mohamed Omer ’26

Grey Gromacki

“Norah Connolly ’26 is a good friend because she has always been there for me and she has always supported me.”

Sage Pottor ’26

“Alexandria Owens ’26 have learned to nd their way into my circle of friends.”

Mya Marchik ’26

Preparing to relaunch the rocket, Omer Mohamednour ‘24 and Gabe Mangan ‘25 replace the projectile object. It is then red from the engine model and monitored to collect data that is used to compare the thrust and fuel e ciency. Later, Kraeplin said “We’ll actually do a rocket design with a rocket simulator that we have. And they’ll use that data to help them simulate their own rocket launch before they actually go outside and launch it.”

1. (Le to right) Gabe Mangan ‘25, James Gannon ‘23, Keith Kraeplin, and Omer Mohamednour ‘24 observe the output data of their engine model.

2. The group huddles around a laptop and prepares to activate their model rocket.

Aerospace Engineering

1.

2.

Project Lead the Way introduced West High students to Aerospace Engineering in 2011, over a decade ago. The class covers aerospace industry history, navigation, aerodynamics, space travel, and so much more. Hands on activities, problems developed by NASA, and engaging projects pro vide stimulation at West High like never before. Critical thinking, data analysis, and presentation skills are crucial to this course, and are devel oped along the way that can be useful in the future of

students.

3. The Group observes their experiment in action, collecting time and thrust of the model to graph later.

“If you’re interested in airplanes, or rockets, or satellites, or anything that has to do with space, then this would probably be a class worth checking

- Keith Kraeplin

these bright-minded

The Crew

Gabe Mangan ‘25 is hoping to do something in the aerospace eld with his career, and is excited for what the class’s space unit has in store for him.

Kraeplin explains the launch and data collection to the group before

Omer Mohamednour ‘24 and Kraeplin put together model engine

Mo Musa ‘24 wants to be an engineer, still getting a feel for which eld he’d like to pursue, though he said, “If I were to go through the engineering route, I’d probably do aerospace…it’s working out so far.”

James Gannon ‘23, an aspiring naval pilot who enjoyed the ight simulator project, said “I’m gonna be a so ware engineer, but I’m gonna be in NROTC for the Navy. I want to be a Navy pilot.”

The Pilot

Starting his work at West around 3 years ago, Keith Kraeplin is an engineering teacher at West High,

spot for his Aerospace Engineering class. When asked his reasoning for teaching this class Kraeplin responded with, “Because I love it. I’ve always been interested in aerospace ever since I was little.” He’s even gone as far as to start his pilot’s license. He enjoys his everyday work, using Project Lead The Way as a course guide to the students’ education, “We’re always looking to try to make the program as relevant as possible and trying to make it so that students have experiences with as many di erent things as possible.” Though the class is small, made up of only 4 students, Kraeplin says that Aerospace Engineering is his favorite class to teach and be a part of.

As Gannon ‘23 and Musa ‘24 build a propeller that will help determine force of an object, Kraeplin checks their work to keep all data accurate for this complex course.

Continuing their previous work with constructing propellers, Gannon ‘23 and Musa ‘24 collect and analyze the data of their model.

“[There’s] just so many different things that students could take and really apply to a future career that interestedthey’re in.”

- Keith Kraeplin

Keith Kraeplin, industrial tech

Fears and Phobias

“Mirros because how can you be completly sure what its showing you is actully there and if you stare into the mirror for to long you start hallucinating.”

24

25

23

24

“Spiders because they jump when you least expect it, they’re hairy, and they have eight scary eyes.”

Jose Meza

“Going through life routinely. Wake up, work a 9-5 job or even worse being a housewife, then going back and make diner, go to sleep and repeat.”

Aseel Matar 26

“The future or failure since both are unpredictable and will alter depending on your decisions.”

Harel Gameti 25

“Trypophobia (fear of small holes), it makes my skin crawl.”

Anijah Turner 23

“Heights, the image of me falling from a sky scraper is scary”

Shadi Elsiddig 26

“Worms, I have such bad expiriences with worm like creatures. They’re harmless but teri ying and disgusting at the same time.”

Kevy Huynh

“Snakes, its hereditery my moms afraid and so is my grandma.”

Jay Sansbury

Adithi Anand Rajan

“Cats, they have creepy eyes.”

Eylaf Mohamad 23

All Photos by Giselle Garcia and Jaretzi Garcia

“Antiques, it has germs on it.”

Elle

Christensen 23

“Geraschophobia, Its the fear of getting older. I know things change as I get older and I’ve always hated change and because of change nothing is forever.”

Lily

Zukin 24

“Mold, the thought of it on food freaks me out.”

Anna Greenlee 26

“Birds, especially pigeons. Its terrifying how they arn’t scared of us.”

Emily

Vogt 24

“Arophobia (fear of planes) I just hate planes.”

Ian Kraske 25

“Dogs, I have a fear of dogs because I had a bad expirience with them.”

Rosemary Timmer-Hackert

23

“Scopophobia, the fear of getting stared at.” Phoebe Ephariam-Gill 25

“The Unknown, the uncertinty of not knowing what your gonna do next.”

Cathrine

Yang 23 time, water can just do scary things.”

Zariah Moore 26

What is your biggest fear or phobia? Spiders, Heights? We’re all scared of something. Here are some of West Highs.

Making the Dish

Research and quotes by Yeju Seol Design by Megan O’Neill

Culinary

Arts

Clattering utensils, microwave beeps, faucets running, students chattering are all sounds you would hear in the Culinary Arts room. Culinary Arts is a class that all students can enjoy and learn so much from. With three di erent levels of Culinary Arts that focus on di erent things like kitchen safety and sanitation, measuring, reading recipes, meal planning, and careers in Culinary Arts. Students work with and make di erent things like meat, eggs, sauces and soup, sh, pies, pasta, cakes and lots more. When students rst take Culinary Arts they learn how to cook and bake for themselves, and then once they get into CulinaryAarts two or three, they learn how to make more advanced things, they learn and use food preparation techniques, and much more. All students at West can gain from this class and use the information and skills they learn in this class for the rest of their life.

3. Carefully ipping French toast Ciram Shargawi ’25 completes one of the last steps in creating French toast. This was part of one of the classes many labs through the school year.

Photos by Henry Timmer-Hackert

I really wanted to get into cooking but I couldn’t at home.”

- Jacob Leist

Photo by Henry Timmer-Hackert

Written by Maddy Cook

Photos by Henry Timmer-Hackert

Meeting the Chefs

Photo also contains Xuvia Stevenson ‘25

Making the Dish

Aside from labs and Ms. Warning still has to plan classes and respond to emails like any other teacher. Only two days a week on average are labs, the others are lessons or preparing for those days.

Photos by Henry Timmer-Hackert

During a lab Denton Loper ‘26 pours wa e mix into the iron for the rst wa e. The group will make multiple on the same day so everyone can have some.

A er prepping the wa e iron Aaniyah Mallard ‘25 pours half a cup of batter in to prepare the second wa e they will make. The class is designed so every meal they make as a group can in some way be shared or in baking make more than one item.

A er cooking Randale Kelly ‘25 has to clean his utensils and put them away to dry. Every student cleans their own dishes so the class remains clean for other students. This allows some foods to nish baking or cooking.

“It’s a skill you’ll use for the rest of your life.”

Photo by Henry Timmer-Hackert

Photo by Henry Timmer-Hackert

Photo by Henry Timmer-Hackert

Photo by Henry Timmer-Hackert

Photos by Henry Timmer-Hackert

What’s the Hype

We interviewed athletes from di ernt sports and asked them one question, “What do you do before you play to get hype?”. West has been known for their great athletics for years, but before any of our Trojan athletes step on the court, stage, or dive in the water they need to get mentally and physically prepared. Getting in the right headspace before athletes perform is very important. Especially when there are so many distractions while playing. The fans are loud and it takes everything to not let them get in your head.

Whether it’s listening to music, talking and getting ready with other teammates, or just having time by yourself toprepare for what you’re about to do, getting hype can look di ernt for every athlete. From dancing the nerves out to holding hands with teammates, West High athletes do all sorts of things to get themselves hype before they play.

1. . “I listen to music and try to focus.” Declan Bunn 25’ said.

DeSaulniers

2. “We listen to music in the locker room and get hype beforewe play.” said Elle Barnett ‘25

3. “As a team we circle up and give each other words of encouragement.” said Averi Bartlett 25’

by Sigrid Rossi

4. Jack Jensen-Fitzpatrick ‘26 says, “I really try to center myself and lock in, I stay o my phone for a while before the game starts.”

Rylee DeSaulniers

Photo by Rylee

Photo

1. Soumaila Sanogo ‘23 looks down the court during the game against Linn-Mar which ended in a 62-43 win for West. Sou said he gets hype by dancing out the nerves. Another important part to help his mental game is listenting to the pregame speech before they step onto the court

Photo by Ava Bruxvoort

Rylee DeSaulniers

Designed by Grace Bartlett and Gretchen Van Iddekinge

-

4. Ava Waddilove ‘23 in her solo at State for the West High dance team. “Before a performance I listen to music to get in the zone and get hyped up. Then as a team we huddle up and talk about what we need to do as a team to make the routine perfect. Before a solo I sully pray to have a good performance and practice parts of my routine.”

Uç

5. Senoir Carolyn Pearce goes to take a shot at the three point line in the varsity girls basketball game against Linn-Mar. “To get hype before a game we all listen to our pregame playlist, stretch, and then we AFT (athletic focus time) just to get ourselves mentally focused and prepared to play.”

DeSaulniers

6. Nattie Gent ‘25 pins her opponent in the wrestling meet on Dec. 5, 2022. She said, “I hangout with my team and try to stay moving. Then I am ready,”

DeSaulniers

2. Mason Woods ‘25 looks ahead at the basket before shooting a free throw at the sophmore boys game against Linn-Mar on Dec. 16, 2022. In order to get hype before his games Mason said, “I listen to ‘Stop Breathing’ by Playboy Carti to get hype before I play in a game.”

In the Water

Winston Fan ‘26 dives into the pool o the diving board at a varsity swim meet. In order to get hype before he swims Winstons friends hype him up and then he puts his headphones on and listens to music to get in the zone before he swims.

On the Mat

Photo by cposephotos

Photo by Rylee

Photo by Melissa

Photo by Rylee

Sterling Warren ‘25 pins his opponent in a home wrestling meet against Dubuque Hempstead. “I get hype by listening to music. I also try to think about what I am about to do and not what my opponent is thinking.” said Sterling

Photo by Rylee DeSaulniers

Photo by Amber Seton

Debate Speech &

Speech and Debate coach John Cooper says the basics of debate consists of four forms: Congress, Lincoln Douglass, Policy, and Public Forum. Congress functions essentially like a real congress. Lincoln Douglas runs as one v. one.

Public Forum is a shorter version, and Policy is a longer version of a similar style, both two v. two. Both are equal in the amount of research and the length of time they argue a topic.

Many accomplishments can come out of debate, such as Nate Weimar ‘23 who has won ve bids to the Tournament of Champions, one of the most prestigious and competitive debate competitions in the United States. Alice Doresca ‘23 and Catherine Yang ‘23 won gold bid for the tournaments of champions as well, and that’s just naming a few.

Written by Tia Rahmatalla

Photo by John Cooper

Photo by Taelim Yoon

Photo by Taelim Yoon

Photo by Jonas McLaskey

Photo by John Cooper

Photo by Taelim Yoon

3. Abhi Ashwath ‘26 (le ) and Aanya Reddy ‘26 (right) showing sportsmanship at debate practice.

3.

1. Orion Shaw ‘25, Jessie Li ‘25, Finnley Bon g ‘26. Lincoln Beihl ‘25, Alex Douglas ‘26, and Fanshuo Cheng ‘23 at the State Tournament on Jan. 7.

A group picture of Public Forum at the rst tournament at Simpson College.

1. Jerry Li ‘26 hard at work in the Library before debate practice. 2. Debate coach John Cooper joking around with students during practice.

3. Adam Salem ‘26 (le ), Edward Li ‘26 (second), Maya Chu ‘23 (third), and Ashley Seo ‘23 (fourth) holding trophies at State.

“Debate gives me an opportunity to explore that.”

- Jane Lam ‘24

Why did you Join Debate?

“I’ve

‘26

5. Group picture of Speech and Debate on Nov. 12 at Bettendorf, Iowa.

Bashir Eltyeb ‘25

Why Debate?

According to Gwen Smith ‘26, the skills used in speech and debate can be used for a lifetime. “I think I would de nitely use the skills in my life because it’s a lot about persuasiveness and conveying an idea, and backing claims up with evidence is really important.” As shown by Bashir Elyteb ‘25 and Jonas McLaskey ‘25, having little experince isn’t a barrier to thriving. “I’m a novice, so I’ve only been to four debate tournaments. Me and Jonas [McLaskey ‘25] have seven trophies in four tournaments. Our rst tournament, Simpson, we won. It was a week a er we joined.” Bashir Elyteb 25’.

“[Public Fo- rum]’s actually a funny story, I did not chose PF, PF chose me” -Bashir Eltyeb ‘25

Photo by John Cooper

Photo by John Cooper

Photo by John Cooper

Photo by Ellie Chen

Photo by John Cooper

Photo by Tia Rahmattala

Photo by John Cooper

Photo by

Photo by Ellie Chen

Photo by John Cooper

4. Jonas McLaskey ‘25 (le ) and Bashir Eltyeb ‘25 (right) pose with their trophies at Simpson, Iowa.

always been a big talker and a big viewer, and it was just kind of the right step.” Gwen Smith

“I joined debate because I think I’m really good at speaking to a crowd. I’m really con dent in my way of speaking.”

“I wanted to challenge myself and become a better speaker. I also really enjoy researching and learning more about international relations.” Jane Lam ‘24

Group picture of those attending the tournament at Davenport West on Dec. 3.

Bashir Eltyeb ‘25, Jonas McLaskey ‘25, and John Cooper hugging at the Simpson tournament.

Photo from the Speech and Debate summer camp this year.

Jayden Shin ‘23 winning the State Champion title at the State Tournament in Ankeny, iowa on Jan. 7.

Nate Weimar ‘23 and his bids from the Tournament of Champions.

Grace Fincham ‘26 shoots free throws in the girls’ basketball 59-53 home opener win versus the Cedar Rapids Prairie Hawks. Motivation to Grace is “Motivation is not only being able to motivate yourself but also others, what you say to someone could really help their motivation. Also, motivating yourself is good because it can give you con dence in things you do.”

Grace Fincham ‘26 eyes down the paint as she prepares to drive to the hoop. In the boy-girl double header versus Clear Creek Amana in which the girls reigned victorious 61-47 in the rst varsity basketball game of

1.

Janell had this to say about why she is so motivated to succeed in her sport “I want to succeed to prove something to myself. To reach my limits and do the best that I can do. I don’t want to feel like there was something else I could’ve done and not made every minute worth it.”

1.

‘26

The Trojans got their a city rival this season with a of 68-51. Julian played one of his best games yet with seven points, seven rebounds, two steals, and three assists. Motivation to Julian is “Doing the little things that nobody wants to do when no one is watching. You should want to be the best at anything that you do but you have to be in love with the long process that may come with.”

Prairie. These two are using the 22’ season as motivation as they did not achieve what they believed the team was capable of. Jack saying, “It was a good step in the right direction, but it wasnt enough and the team feels we’re ready to make a playo leap.” Todd expressed a similar feeling stating “I felt like some games last season weren’t us. I don’t want to look back on my senior season and think I could have done more or worked harder.”

1. Jack Wallace ‘25 prepares to throw a deep ball in the boot game versus Iowa City High. This game stuck with Jack as a cross town rivalry he uses this loss as one of his biggest motivators. Jack describes motivation as “ Motivation to me is having the consistent drive to be the best while doing it for all the right reasons.”

2. Jack Wallace ‘25 scans the eld in a home opener versus Muscatine. In which he passed for 153 yards as well as 2 touchdowns. The Trojans came away with a big 42-21 home opener victory

3. Jack Wallace ‘25 hands the ball o on senior night versus the Cedar Rapids Prairie Hawks. Jack had a great night with 282 passing yards to pair with 2 touchdowns but sadly the Trojans fell 49-28

3. 2. 1.

Photo by Ceci De Young

Photo by Ceci De Young

Photos by Ceci De Young

3.

Photo by Ceci De Young

3. Todd Rent ‘24 and Jack Wallace ‘25 roll out to the right, in the senior night defeat to

Photo by Ceci De Young

2. Julian Manson

goes up for a layup and draws a foul in the varsity boys game versus Iowa City Liberty.

Photo by Amber Seaton

Jannell Avila ‘23 posts her hand on the mat while stares down her opponent from Iowa City, City High.

4.

Motiv8

Photo by Amber Seaton

5. Julian Manson ‘26 cuts past the defender as the CCA bench and student section watch. In the rst mens basketball game of the year at Clear Creek Amana; Julian had his rst varsity start during the opener in a 63-43 Trojan win

5.

Motivation is a vital part of many people’s lives but it means something di erent to everyone, especially athletes. Here at West High; students succeed in many things, whether in or out of the classroom. Every student has one common denominator behind their success, motivation. Motivation can help student athletes to succeed at a higher level because even though like many regular students when they might struggle with motivation in the classroom, their athletic motivation could keep them going in school. Jannell Avila ‘23 girls wrestling “Both my motivation for school and athletics re ect each other,” Avila said. “Without one the other doesn’t really mean anything. If I can’t manage school and get good grades then I won’t be able to wrestle and move on to bigger things.” Jannell how athletic motivation pushes her to academic success. Motivation is a driving force for success to anyone but student athletes harness it to succeed as much as possible in and out of the classroom.

9. 8. 7. 6.

Photo by Ceci De Young

Keiko Ono-Fullard ‘23 takes the ball up in the girls home opener against Prarie in Decmber of 2022. Keiko’s motivation to succeed on the hardwood is“ I wanna win with my teammates. It’s my last season playing basketball I wanna leave it all out there everygame.”

Declan Bunn ‘25 prepares to toss the ball down the lane in a November 2022 bowling match. Declan said he wants to succeed in his sport because “ I love to win. I want to someday be able to provide for myself based o my athletic career.”

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Photo by Rylee Desaulniers

Photo by Ceci De Young

Photo by Owen Annestad

Photo by Ceci De Young

Photo by Ceci De Young

7. Todd Rent ‘24 squares up and prepares for the snap in the boot game versus Iowa City High. Todd had this to say about athletic motivation connecting to academic success “ My motivation for athletics has helped my academics because I learned not to be so focused in the world of just sports… I believe to really excel in a sport you need balance and balancing with academics provides two branches of stability”

Pushing our limits

West High Hangout

“[The FOJ room] is very toasty all the time and I really like the big windows.”-Callie Gao ‘26 Callie Gao’26 and Bonnie Ding ‘26

“[In space] everyday is something new and differen”t- Brack Kristin Brack- SPACE

A group of friends eating in the commons. Damien Kim ‘23, Srimaan Aravamudhan ‘23, Haoran Wu ‘23, Anish Lodh ‘23, and Hector Ortiz Martin ‘23

“The courtyard!”

Shiviani Harper ‘26

“I like doing puzzles and it’s a lot more relaxing to hang out there than it is in a classroom.”- Mari Butler ‘26 Mari Butler ‘26

“We like to hang out in the library because it’s a quiet place to complete and so many di erent things.” -Aliwaisi ‘26 Giselle Garcia ‘26

The lunchroom is a loud place, but these don’t mind as long as the are with eachother.

Naomi Lone‘26 and Hannah Longmire ‘26

“The set shop and the theater.” Eli Asper ‘26

It is Hardy’s rst year at West and she’s already foud a place where she belongs. West High School’s eater.

Jade Hardy ‘24

We asked 18 students the question,“What is your favorite hangout spot at West?” And these are there answers

Sandu working at her desk during passing period, waiting for her next class.

Jamie Sandu- Spanish teacher

Moellers is always ready with a fun lesson for his students and always makes his class a welcoming space.

Marshall Moellers- Science teacher

Thurnblom making a braclet and enjoing her time in the library.

Neena Turnblom ‘23

Name Grad Year

“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent feugiat odio non enim hendrerit” Sophie Mellecker ‘26

Mara Strand ‘26

“[the lunchroom] is a place where I can relax and not worry about stu [...] It’s where I can rewind before the next clas.”-sudarshan Kasturirangan’26 Suarshan Kasturirangan ‘26

Jozlynne and Kate hanging out in the commons and eating lunch.

jozlynne Varner ‘25 and Kate owens ‘26

“[my friends] make [the FOJ room] a fun inviernment.” - Aeysha Nasir ‘26

Aeysha Nasir ‘26 and Hoazin Bukhary ‘26

Brittany McConnell is in the secretarial services. She manages various things, from administrative support to managing assets and needs for numerous students.

Tyler Meade is in the technological support department. He works towards managing technology and student devices.

Camille Crossett is in the social studies department, teaching AP Psychology and American Studies.

ALUMNI WEST HIGH

Thousands of students have been a West High Trojan at some point in their life -- part of the West High School community since 1968. Many of these alumni continue to be an active part of the West High community to this day. We interviewed various West High School sta members, and explored the way that their high school experience at West contributed to their current lives now, from golf to theater and even homecoming.

2.

Photo by Allison Larson

Photo by Allison Larson

Photo by Callie Gao

3. Brittany McConnell remembers her high school experiences at West, hanging out with her future husband and having success with her endeavors in cross country.

Written by Shanza Sami and Callie Gao

Photo by Callie Gao

Photo by Callie Gao

Photo by Callie Gao

Barbara Lynn is in the mathematics department, teaching Geometry and Algebra II Honors.

is in the science department, teaching the Earth and Space and Physics courses.

1. 2. 3.

6. “My favorite part of the story is when Petruccio reveals that Bianca is his true love,” Moellers said during the 2008 production of “TamingoftheShrew”.

1. Marshall Moellers refers to a map, as he teaches his class. Moellers notes that he was originally inspired to teach because of the educators that he met at West. “Mr. Gross -- he was not only my government teacher, he was also my AP US History teacher, he was also my tennis coach, now he’s my boss, he’s also my friend, and he’s got so many roles in my life,” Moellers remarked.

by Callie Gao

2. Marshall Moellers smiles in front of a science poster, as he remembers that his intellectual vitality and curiosity initially stemmed from activities like tennis and theater.

3. Following an unsuccessful music lesson with Kate, Marshall Moellers ‘10 stumbles onto stage, with a lyre smashed over his head.

“It’s how diverse and different that stu dent population is... you get used to see- ing and getting to know different types of people.” - Tyler Meade

Photo by Shanza Sami

Photo by Callie Gao

Photo by Maggie Goldsmith

Photo Provided by Camille Crossett

5. Camille Crossett ‘15 smiles for the camera on the West High School Graduation Day of 2015.

Marshall Moellers

Photo

Photo by Shanza Sami

Photo by Maggie Goldsmith