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IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL
e
2901 MELROSE AVE.
etermined
IOWA CITY, IA 52246
2
SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
MAY 31st, 2017 SUMMER
DAYS!
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TO C
MAY 26, 2017
CO
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AV EL
12 OR TS
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APPLE VS SAMSUNG
SUMMER DRINKS
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SUMMER TO DO LIST
RAVIN’ RESTAURANTS: MIRABITOS
FO OD
SP
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SWINGIN’ INTO THE SEASON
As the summer months approach and the dreaded end of school is near, everyone’s summer plans are yet to be determined (TBD). Enjoy our many summer stories to get you into the mood for the start of summer and to give you ideas on how to spend them but make sure to end the school year strong. For now we are done and ready to shoot off towards summer vacation and wait for next year to come on rolling through.
LETTER FROM THE
TEAM
03
iPhone VS. Samsung
TECH
MAY. 26,
BY TANNER HEIAR
TBD
Screen- OLED Size- 4.7 or 5.5
DESIGN BY TANNER HEIAR
Two modern day companies fight for the most promotion, profit, and popularity to gain their respective reputations. Apple and Samsung spend billions of dollars on the technology they build, but specifically, Apple’s soon-to-be-released Iphone 8, and Samsung’s Galaxy s8 are the new topics of conversation. West High students express their thoughts on these new devices about to hit the market. Cole Accola ’20 has always been on Samsung’s side believing they’ve optimized today’s technology, “Me and my family have always had Samsung phones. We’ve just been used to Samsung and their format, but Apple is obviously a good company, we have nothing against them. One big advantage I think Samsung has is their multi-tasking option, which Apple doesn’t have.” Cade Maras ’20 puts himself on the other side of things. He believes apple’s the more developed company, not just in their technology, but their operating systems. “I think that apple is simpler and that they have more apps offered than android, I’ve had Apple products for three years now.”
2017
$725
Screen- AMOLED Size- 6.2
04
TECH
MAY. 26, 2017
COMPUTER MASTERMINDS BY TANNER HEIAR
The stereotypical computer geek personality consists of a lot of awkward silence and knowledge on basic computer components... maybe not, but this is what you might encounter if you build a PC. The question persists, why not just buy a computer? Mitchel Shephard ’19 has a solid passion in such a hobby which might just inspire you to pursue the same. His passion has been building up for over the past 12 years, which all began with the google search, “How does a computer work?” Shephard has a full on commitment to pc gaming spending $3,300 on games and the setup himself. That hefty price still shows some saving as he built his own computer and didn’t buy it completely built. Comparing prices, his whole setup, which includes a mouse, headphones, a keyboard and speakers clocked in at $1600 dollars. While an equivalent store bought computer would be $1500. Sam Fink ’18 is another computer pro that built his own system learning after his friend, Shephard, who also followed the technique of researching online. Fink might not be as committed as Shephard, which made this comment very surprising, “My setup has two monitors which I bought for $2 and $5, my mouse and keyboard came from Mitchell and I have a junky pair of headphones that I use.” Both Shephard and Fink purchased most of their parts on amazon. Considering where these computer experts got their information, becoming one would be a piece of cake if you had some time and access to the internet. Back to the question, time and knowledge is definitely something to consider if you want to assemble your own high performance system. The cost fluctuation is definitely accounted for, as building one would well-benefit your budget, but the correct knowledge needs to be acquired to enact upon such a task.
DESIGNED BY DANIEL SONG AND TANNER HEIAR
05 TECH
MAY. 26, 2017
Take a look at the interior of Shephard’s PC, along with his setup
06
SUMMER
Summer Drinks
MAY 26, 2017
BY IVAN BADOVINAC
Whether you are traveling to the warm Central American beaches or staying next to the Iowa poolside, you have your favorite drink of choice for staying refreshed. It can be anything from a regular Coca Cola to an extravagant virgin Mojito. Staying hydrated during the summer is a very important thing to do Refreshing, or quenching the thirst is the most important thing when talking about summer drinks. They are supposed to cool you down and make you feel rested and energized. Ryleigh Mulcahey ’19 say, “My favorite drink during the summer would have to be a Fanta when I am in Iowa but a virgin Mojito when my family goes to Costa Rica.” She said she loves the freshness of mint in the virgin Mojito. While Mulcahey loves more extravagant drinks, Soren Schmidt ’18 on the other hand likes more popular drink, “I love the taste of a Coca Cola with ice on a warm summer day,” says Schmidt. Everyone has different tastes in drinks but the most important thing is that it is refreshing. Along with the drink itself, the setting of where it happens is just as important. According to Ryleigh Mulcahey, “My favorite place to visit is Costa Rica, the warm beach and suntanning without thinking of school work.” For Mulcahey, Costa Rica brings her to complete calmness and nirvana. “I usually drink Coca Cola at home or at a pool with my friends,” says Schmidt who enjoys staying in Iowa during the summer. Each drink has its own special location where the taste stands out even more than usual. Everyone has their own reason for liking a certain drink. Mulcahey says, “I love the freshness of the mint and the sweetness of the brown sugar,” she loves the taste of the virgin Mojito on a summer day. “My favorite part about Coca Cola is the coolness and sweetness of it,” says Schmidt who loves the taste of the soda. Everybody has their own certain reason for falling in love with a summer drink. The refreshing taste of every summer drink is what everyone lives for in the treacherously hot months of Iowa summer. You can go far or stay in the safety of your own home but summer will always get to you so stay hydrated with a amazing taste of your favorite summer drink. DESIGN BY IVAN BADOVINAC
07
SUMMER
MAY 26, 2017
Danes Dairy VS Dairy Queen
DESIGN BY IVAN BADOVINAC
08
SUMMER
MAY 26, 2017
ICE CREAM BY IVAN BADOVINAC
During the summer, the Iowa heat and sun brings many people to extreme dehydration so what do they do? Eat ice cream of course! In Iowa City, the main ice cream places are Dane’s Dairy and Dairy Queen. Danes is a single shop in Iowa City while Dairy Queen is a corporate chain of fast food restaurants all across the USA. So the question is… which one is better for the hot summer weather that is fast approaching? Summer brings many opportunities for outside fun which includes the warm sun that shines for 16 hours a day. First we need to look at what each store has to offer. Danes Dairy, a local store in Iowa City has all types of ice creams available. From ice cream cones to slushies. Justin Thomas ’19 says, “My favorite item at Dane’s is the regular chocolate cone.” While Dane’s only offers multiple times of ice cream, Dairy Queen offers both ice cream and other foods like sandwiches and fries. According to Jacob Fisher ’18, the best item to buy at Dairy Queen is the Cookie Dough Blizzard. When looking at what each place offers, Dairy Queen is in the lead. Next up is the working environment and business. Danes Dairy is a local business while Dairy Queen is a multinational food chain. Supporting a local business would bring money back into the community while buying from a national corporation would not help. According to Thomas and Fisher the working environment in both is really good and they are treated well.
09
SUMMER
MAY 26, 2017
“I’ve accepted I’ll probably never find a better work environment, everyone is so friendly and they’re good with my changing schedule,” says Justin. In this category, both Dairy Queen and Dane’s Dairy have a good working environment but supporting Dane’s, supports our community. Even though it is just ice cream, danger still lurks in the shadows. Both Thomas and Fisher have lived through some crazy things at work. “The craziest thing that has happened to me would be almost getting my finger cut off when using the mixer. I was mixing a Blizzard when I realized there was a hole in the cup where I could have lost a finger,” says Fisher. Thomas’s craziest work story was when a few guys broke a horse statue in the backyard of the Dane’s store, “A group of guys tried to fit as many people as possible on the back of the horse and the legs just snapped off!” says Justin. Both Dane’s Dairy and Dairy Queen employee’s have crazy work stories to share so if you are looking for a crazy work environment, do not pass up an ice cream store. Despite these two stores being the most popular ice cream stores, the employees do not see much competition between the two. Fisher say, “No there is no competition between us and Dane’s Dairy.” Thomas thinks there might be some competition but as an employee he does not see it happening. So there is not competition between the two amazingly delicious ice cream stores in Iowa. As the warm summer months approach, what store will you pick to cool your mouth? Dairy Queen has more food options to choose from but supporting Dane’s Dairy will help support the community as well. Make your decision and visit Dane’s or Dairy Queen before you reach extreme dehydration! DESIGN BY IVAN BADOVINAC
10
SUMMER
MAY 26, 2017
SUMMER TO DO LIST BY COLESON KRUPP
With summer coming up soon, there is plenty of time for activities and hanging out with friends. But sometimes it is hard to think of things to do so we thought of some for you.
-Iowa State Fair Aug 10-20 -Lost Island -Maquoketa Caves -Visit the Field of Dreams Movie Set -North Liberty, Coralville, or Iowa City Public Pools -Reservoir Lake or Lake McBride -Watch some West Baseball -Adventureland -Ragbrai July 23-29 -See the Mississippi and Missouri rivers -Drive in Theater -Zip Lining -Go Fishing -Star Gaze DESIGN BY IVAN BADOVINAC
RAVIN’ RESTAURANTS: MIRABITOS
11 FOOD
MAY 26, 2017
BY COLESON KRUPP Nick Mirabito, 17’ is the son of the owners of Mirabito’s Italian in North Liberty. This restaurant opened in November of 2014 and has been busy ever since. Maribitos Italian is a small authentic family owned Italian restaurant located right off of Highway 965 in North Liberty. They serve soups, salads, pasta, pizza, subs, and other tasty Italian foods, with Nick’s favorite being the The Hoagie Sandwich. Nick is the middle child of four, an older sister, older brother, and a younger sister. When his two older siblings are back in town from college and just life they will help out, but that is not too often, and his younger sister is too young to be working and helping the family out in the restaurant. So it is mostly up to Nick to help his parents at the restaurant. When they first opened up about three years ago life was hectic and hard to manage with life especially with it being his first job. “Life was hectic when we first opened trying to perfect everything and since it was my first job.” But with the parents working 50-70 hours a week and Nick working 20 hours a week, it has brought the family closer together. Nick spends about 20 hours a week helping out at the restaurant but still finds time to balance in school and other activities with ease. “It’s pretty easy balancing things and my parents are flexible about other activities” He did not have to make many sacrifices since they have opened but he does find that he has less time on weekdays and has to miss some activities on weekend nights like football games and hanging out with friends. Luckily he has open periods during the day so he can get his homework done but even if he does not get it done during the day, they close up at 8 P.M. so he comes home and has
more time for homework and relaxing. A day in Nick Mirabito’s life would start off like most kids in highschool with school, but instead of leaving after 7th period he leaves after 4th period because he is in the work release program. He is only taking four classes at West but most of them are A.P. classes preparing him for college so he still has plenty of enough homework to fill up most his free time. He gets home around 1:00 and will make himself lunch and try to get some homework done or just watch some tv until it is time to leave at 1:50. Work starts at 2:00 for him and starts getting busy right away right up to closing at 9:00, making it so he does not get home until about 10:00. He will usually then end his night playing Xbox with some friends or going out for the rest of the night.
DESIGN BY DANIEL SONG
48 SPORTS
MAY 24, 2017
SWINGING INTO THE SEASON A look at West High Varsity baseball and the upcoming 2017-18 season BY DANIEL SONG
Following a night of astonishment, heads were held high at the 2016 Iowa High School State Baseball Championship for the Trojans of West against the Prairie Hawks of Cedar Rapids. Coming in with a 36-5 record, the Men of Troy had nicked by the semi-final game, 6-5, from a 3 run walk-off home run by the Sophomore Left Fielder, Jason Strunk. The confidence meter was set high as the Trojans got off to a hot start, progressing to a 3-1 lead by the 4th inning of the game. However, the #1 ranked Cedar Rapids proved their ranking as the top seed in 4A baseball, showing their offensive power and scoring 9 unanswered runs. With such a deficit, hope was lost and West would eventually suffer the loss and receive their 5th runner up trophy in 8 years and 3rd consecutive. Back and refreshed this year with emerging senior leaders, we sat down with 2 seniors (Izaya Ono-Fullard and Connor McCaffery), to discuss the upcoming season.
49 SPORTS
CONNOR McCAFFERY (RF, 1B, P)
MAY 24, 2017
I Z AYA FULLARD (3B)
DS: What is your name, number, and position? IF: My name is Izaya Fullard, I am #23, and I play third base. CM: Connor McCaffery. #21. Right fielder, 1st base, pitcher DS: How are things going on with the practicing of the team in this start of the season? IF: Practice is good. The start of the year is always a grind. Also a lot of teaching going on especially with the new guys on the team. A lot of scrimmaging for the pitchers and also for the hitters to see live pitching. CM: Things are going really well so far. I think we have a chance to be very good and it’s been fun to see all the young guys start to figure things out. DS: What are the places of work to improve with the team right now? IF: I think as a team we need to build good chemistry and we need to focus on doing the little things defensively. CM: I think as of now one thing we need to improve on is our work ethic. The young guys don’t understand what it takes to be really good yet and as a veteran on the team, it’s my job to help them. DS: So the two of you older guys, what is your job coming into the season? IF: For us older guys we just need to be good leaders. This will be our third year for the varsity team and each year we have made it to the finals and came up a little short. And Connor, Nate Disterhoff, and I
also won state in basketball this year. Just having that experience is what I think we need to bring to the table. We need to keep encouraging the younger guys to work hard and show them what it takes to reach our goal. CM: Our job is to just help the younger guys understand what it takes to be really good. The season is a grind and at times you may not be as focused or at your best but you have to be in order to win as many games as you want to. DS: Do you guys think you have another shot at the State Baseball Championship again this year? IF: Yes I think we have a great chance of winning state. We have always had a winning tradition and we have a lot of guys returning this year and a lot of juniors who are very good and could contribute to the team in a big way. I think if we can play defense well we will have a great chance because our team hits the ball very well. CM: I think we have a shot at the championship because of the lineup we have. No one has a pitcher that can consistently get our hitters out and that’s a huge advantage for us. We have multiple weapons and we’ll all be very tough to get out. DS: What are your individual goals this season? IF: My individual goals are to help lead the team to a ring, also I would like to make 1st team all state and I want to improve on my stats from the previous years. CM: This year I expect to win Gatorade player of the year and bat over .450. I want
Third baseman Izaya Fullard fires the ball to first base to end the top of the 5th inning vs Iowa City High. to hit at least 10 home runs and lead my team in almost every category. I want to be super team all state and I expect that to happen. DS: As far as concerned for you guys, who will be some of your biggest rivalries/ games this year? IF: The classic City vs West game is always really competitive and fun as the thought of being crosstown and fighting for bragging rights is energizing. Last year it was on the 4th of July and the whole baseball field were packed with fans, parents, and kids and that just made the tradition of America’s pastime feel real. CM: It has to be Cedar Rapids Prairie or Southeast Polk. Both these teams have beaten us in the most important game of that year [state championship] and playing our strongest against those teams can boost our confidence for what lies ahead.
DESIGN BY DANIEL SONG
CROSSWORD FRENZY! SUMMER EDITION
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ACROSS 4) G______ B_____ : Scary and don’t run into one when camping 5) A trip well deserved 6) Hollywood Paradise 7) A night of ribs, wings, and more 9) One of these will boost your popularity points 11) Take off your sneakers, it’s time to wear ______ ______”
DOWN 1) V_______ G_______ : Sits you down for hours 2) A nice refreshing drink 3) Smooth and cold is the best 8) Home of log cabins, wooden bunks, and new friends 10) “Summer without ________ is no summer”
DESIGN BY DANIEL SONG
Answers: DOWN: 4) Grizzly Bear 5) Vacation 6) California 7) Barbecue 9) Pool party 11) flip flops ACROSS: 1) Video games 2) Lemonade 3) Ice cream 8) Camp 10) friends