The Edict by Foundations of Journalism

Table of Contents

news Arts and Friday Night Stage 3 Entertainment Lights The Kelp 13 Sports Tennis Feature

Slipping into 3 Summer

A Taste of Summer 15

Feature My Own Worst Enemy

The Cuisine Crisis

Taking Shelter

Opinion Aptitude vs. Effort 8 Femin-isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

Summertime Sadness

02 TABLE OF CONTENTS JUNE 2014 {DESIGN AND PHOTO BY LILY WESTEMEYER

The Keys to Success

Fashion Hijinks

The Edict staff

Cameron Cook Christina Dai Olivia Read Lily Westemeyer

Cover design by Olivia Read

Photos by//Cameron Cook and Lily Westemeyer

The Edict Report By Cameron Cook

cecook1117@gmail.com

Audience gathers at downtown music festivals

The West jazz band plays downtown on May 17. Photo by//CAmeron Cook

t has long been an Iowa City tradition to have bands playing at the summertime Friday Night and Saturday Night Concert Series downtown by the Sheraton Hotel. This summer is no different. Beginning in May, the concerts have

TENNIS FEATURE T

here are many people that excel in their sport. They always win and may even want to pursue what they play for the rest of their lives. However, not all athletes think they’re ahead of the curve, or even care that much about winning. “I would say that I'm falling behind the pack a little bit,” said Sean Chi ’17, a player on the JV boys tennis team. “But I'm still ahead of some of the [players], in my opinion.” For Chi and his teammates, tennis isn’t all about winning. Chi usually plays doubles--and does win--but winning doesn’t have the same effect on everyone. “When I win, it makes me happy and I feel like I'm getting better,” Chi said. While this may seem like a normal response, the best way to judge an athlete is by how they act when they lose, and losing doesn’t treat everyone equally either. For many top level athletes, losing takes a huge toll on their self-esteem and actually changes how they play until they get over it. Fortunately, that mindset isn’t present in all the players. “Getting mad while playing tennis just because you lost a couple of points does not make anything better; you have to suck it up and not let it interfere with your performance,” said Jasper Hsu ‘16, another JV tennis player. This more optimistic view on losing is shared by other players as well, which makes for a

already seen a huge turnout for the colder than average weather. Even more people are expected to come to these free concerts now that it’s warming up, including some students from West. “I really like listening to the music,” said Erin McCain ’17. “[Most] groups have really good rhythm. You can feel it.” Many people, like McCain, come to eat dinner and listen to the music, and finish off the night with frozen yogurt from Yotopia or Aspen Leaf. The concerts display family friendly and diverse musical groups, including the Indigo Girls on this upcoming Friday, An audience gathers for the SaturJune 6th during the Iowa Arts day Night Concert Series. Festival. Photo by//CAmeron Cook

more laid back atmosphere. “Losing doesn't really affect [how I play tennis] that much. I know that there are people who are better than me and I accept that,” Chi said. The fact remains that oftentimes, a loss will happen, a mood will be ruined and someone has to be there to do damage control. “I think [persistence] is a very important part in tennis and in every other sport because it teaches you to keep on trying and to learn from your mistakes,” Hsu said. You might think that knowing you weren’t the best would lead to a lack of motivation. This is not the case for Chi, Hsu and their teammates. For lots of serious athletes, their sport becomes their life and completely takes over everything else they do. But JV players don’t have as much of a commitment to get stressed over. “Practice is a little late but it doesn't affect my schedule that much,” Chi said, “I don't have that much going on.” Not everyone wants to stick to such a relaxed style. Another JV tennis player, Yuxuan Zheng ’16 has been playing tennis for three years and has high hopes for the future. “I've been on JV for two years but hopefully I'll make varsity this following year,” Zheng said. Aside from the casual exercise element, it is a learning experience. “I've learned [from tennis] that there are a lot of people who are better than you,” Chi said.

Despite what might be considered a lack of self-confidence, the athletes try their best and find motivation where they can; and sometimes the motivation lies in teammates. “I would have to say Jasper Hsu has pushed me the hardest. He is a Sean Chi ’17 play tennis. really great player and Photo by//Olivia Read a good friend. He taught me how to do certain things and helped me out on my form,” Chi said. And if the tennis players want to become like their varsity counterparts, all they have to do is practice, practice, practice. “Players can work on hitting and serving the ball more consistently by going out to play more. They should also try not to take long breaks from hitting, so they remain consistent,” Zheng said. “Players should be willing to practice on their own and create opportunities to hit with others as a means to gain experience.” So what really drives the players, when they have a small chance of a future in the sport? Fun. “I know a lot of my friends that play tennis so I like hitting with them,” Hsu said. “I really enjoy playing tennis and there's really no other sport like it.” DESIGN BY OLIVIA READ} JUNE 2014 NEWS 03

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ENEMY Everyone talks about pressure: peer pressure, parental pressure, external pressure. But what about the pressure that comes from inside? By Christina dai

{Design by cameron cook & lily westememeyr}

H PRESS UC ENOU U D VE T G A

Jenny Pigge ’17 is busy. Between the brutally large chunk that swimming takes out of her day, all of the honors classes she takes and miscellaneous church activities, she’s got a ton on her plate. There’s bound to be some kind of force that allows her to excel in all of these activities. She says that it’s more internal Jenny Pigge ’17 pressure. “Getting into colleges and earning scholarships are now so competitive these days. I feel like I’m not doing enough.” However, extracurriculars is the area where selfpressure is more prevalent. Pigge says extracurriculars are where most of her effort -Jenny is pushed N A I towards. “[I D I’ put more effort into] extracurriculars. In school, I just do T just as much as is AS KN M AR OW necessary. I don’t put T PERSON HO extra effort.” W

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school, and there’s a lot of good programs, so I feel pressure in the sense that I have a lot of peers that do really well and then when I don’t do as well as them I just kind of question myself,” Kitamoto said. However she knows what she’s doing and how far it should go. Not everything is about being the very best; it’s all about doing the best you can do. “I know that I try to do the best that I can and I try not to focus on the other people doing well, or, like, my parents. I know people who have parents who are just super into grades.” Kitamoto can motivate herself. She want to push herself because she doesn’t know the bounds of her abilities. She doesn’t pressure herself for the purpose of being good; she just knows that there are more opportunities for those who do. “I pressure myself because I don’t know my capabilities, so I like to see what I can do, and also because I think just taking the easy classes and coasting isn’t as good of a high school experience as one could get, especially since West High’s a pretty good environment, so I want to take advantage of

E’S TOO ER T G O O M NO I I H T

veryone’s a slave to pressure. It’s all around us; you ‘just have to join the track team’ because your best friend says so or ‘need to get good grades’ because your parents want you to. Lots of pressure does come from the outside, but there’s also a good amount of pressure coming from the inside, especially for teenagers. Being a teenager is all about finding out who you are, but in that we constantly compare ourselves to others. It’s seen in everything, from our SAT scores to the way we hold ourselves as we walk down the halls. So, in this quest in becoming the best version of ourselves, where should we draw the line when it comes to self-pressure?

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Megumi Kitamoto ’15

Kitamoto had much to say about the types of comparisons she makes between her and others. “West High is a really good

BE PER OK

the self pressure stats

78% OF TEENS PRESSURE THEMSELVES TO PERFORM PARENTAL PRESSURE CAN OFTEN LEAD TO SELF

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66% spend >three hours on homework each day Information courtesty of survey of west high school students

06 FEATURE JUNE 2014 {DESIGN BY CAMERON COOK

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Getting into colleges and earning scholarships are so competitive these days. i feel like I’m not doing enough.”

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Guidance counselor Kelly Bergmann knows a lot about kids. Being a guidance counselor, she is able to empathize and identify with the kids she leads. GH THERE Concerning selfU O ’ S pressure, she N provided a lot EE D T of insight into IN why we feel the need. “No two students pressure -Kelly Bergmann t h e ms e l ve s in the same way, although NA I it typically stems from the need to internally D I’ feel and/or be perceived as “successful”. It is a very competitive world out there, and students frequently compare themselves to others to gauge how ‘successful’ they are,” Bergmann said. She also offered advice and solutions to this flawed way of thinking that she calls “perfectionism”. “The key to avoiding negative self-pressure is to acknowledge what your limits are and recognize that the most positive things you can do is let your individual interests and talents shine. For example, colleges TH and universities want to see that you are doing everything SO E P you can to focus on and improve your interests and OD ER M talents, not just take courses or be involved in N W HY extracurriculars because it ‘looks good.’” S C S Even though Bergmann knows where to draw the line for negative self-pressure, she also acknowledges that it can be good in the right amounts. There are many positives to pushing yourself to do your best. “Self-pressure can motivate you to challenge yourself, try new things, work hard and step out of your comfort zone. Positive selfGE I’M N pressure can stem from either OT ERA V internal or external factors. A H T E R W T E’S G Many times students gain a O N newfound level of confidence when they set goals and achieve

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the great resources I have in this community,” Kitamoto said.

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JUNE 2014 FEATURE 07

T KNOW ON’ I D I DON’ T HAW EP LL T H A E N

on the spot

IS APTITUDE OR EFFORT MORE IMPORTANT?

Aptitude vs. Effort By lily westemeyer

n elementary school, there were always different academic levels in the classroom. Everyone knew who the “smart kids” were in the class because kids didn’t have the option to be separated out into honors or higher level classes. Of course they weren’t separated, it was just elementary school. But those smart kids were different. They somehow knew the things that others didn’t, and were put on a distinct track as early as possible. How did they know these things? How did they know that 2+2=4 before all the other kids? Some say it’s just a natural ability to be smart, but others say that it’s because they had a pre-public school education. So these kids grow up, and eventually they do end up in the honors and AP classes. The other students are put in regular classes. This is what is expected; if you’re smart, you get put in smart people classes. And since you’re smart, you’re able to do the material and get A’s. But then things start getting harder. More and more assignments are given to you, more essays and projects, and then the smart kids get divided into two groups. Those who have worked hard to get where they are, and those who have coasted on with their “natural abilities” or whatever it was that made them smart as kids. The hard workers continue to get A’s, they continue to turn everything in on time, but the others who are used to things being easy have to step back and take a good look at things. This is similar to what happened way back in elementary school, but the tables are turned. The people who knew all about the alphabet before kindergarten are facing the harsh realities of not knowing what they’re doing. And the other kids who weren’t already educated have been working hard and learning new material the whole way through. Granted, there are some kids who don’t try the whole time, and just end up failing. But a lot of the kids in the “regular classes” have been

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lwestemeyer@gmail,com

working hard their whole lives. One way that kids are separated into these groups is through standardized testing. Standardized testing is a common way to see which kids go into the smart classes, and which ones into the regular classes. Way back in third grade, when kids take the Iowa Assessments for the first time, they don’t know how much it will affect their future. One percent can be the difference between pre-algebra in sixth grade or pre-algebra in seventh. This doesn’t seem like a big deal to some, but to others it’s very important. But there must be a reason we use standardized testing, right? It must be the most accurate way of judging a child’s intelligence. Many people would argue that it’s not a good indicator of what a child’s potential actually is. Some kids get scared when they take tests, and do much worse than they normally would. Others may be smart and know things, but not necessarily the things on the tests. It’s argued that standardized tests don’t actually measure one’s intelligence, but one’s aptitude. There is, in fact, a reason why we take standardized tests rather than another option. The majority of the time, they’re good indicators of someone’s intelligence, and test everyone the same. Unfortunately for the minority, standardized testing is something to be feared. But what else could the school system do to test a child’s potential and their current knowledge? Standardized tests are the most practical ways to do things, because everyone gets the same chance on the same test, save for the kids who just don’t test well. Aptitude is very important when learning. If you don’t have the natural ability, it’s hard to get started on higher learning paths. Effort is also very important to have. If you don’t try hard, you’re going to go nowhere. A combination of both can help you succeed in school, but that’s something not everyone has. Starting school with no prior knowledge doesn’t set you up for success. The schools should take note of this, and learn how to not just separate Is there a big difference in aptitude versus kindergarteners into the “smart group” because they know their ABC’s, but also effort? because they want to learn.

4-0

Elaina Martz ‘17

“Effort, because you can be really smart and not try. And if you don’t try, it doesn’t matter.”

Katie Pigge ’15

“Effort; if you try your hardest, good will come of it.”

Beth Belding, Librarian

“Effort because you can have all the abilities in the world, but if there’s no drive behind it, there’s no value.”

Chris Low ‘17

“Aptitude because I don’t try sometimes. Later in life it could be effort.”

The Edict Editorial Board voted yes COMPILED by//CAMERON COOK

08 EDITORIAL JUNE 2014 {DESIGN BY CAMERON COOK

Opinion By CHRISTINA DAI

christina.dai18@gmail.com

Summertime Sadness

hree weeks, five years, 14K. Until I actually sat down and calculated these numbers, I had no idea exactly how much I was investing in my annual summer enrichment program, nor had I realized the emotional attachment I held towards it. This year is the first year in five years that I’ve foregone the Center for Talent Development Summer Program. CTD is held at Northwestern University and consists of six sub-programs: Leapfrog, Spark, Solstice, Apogee, Spectrum and Equinox. Each is a different age group and each, except for Leapfrog, is both residential and commuter. Spark is oneweek; Solstice is two-week; and Apogee, Spectrum and Equinox are all three-week. When I first started, CTD was different. Solstice didn’t exist, and Apogee was both two-week and three-week. I remember my first course was Cell Biology and I commuted from a friend’s house. My second course was Musical Math and I decided to stay residential. After that came Phun Physics, then Literary Analysis: Short Stories and then, lastly, Biology Honors. Through these last five years, I’ve had five groups of friends, five amazing teachers and four crushes (in order: Sebastian, Spencer, Ben and Jay). However, this year I won’t have the opportunity to have real summer fling, all because of stupid high school. Last week I was rejected from the UI Hospitals and Clinics Volunteer Program. I’m not even going to deny it. First, I was okay with it because I was on the wait list. Then I realized that being on the waitlist meant that even if I wasn’t outright rejected, I still wasn’t good enough. My spite worsened after I realized that the reason I’d decided to skip CTD was because I wanted to volunteer at the hospital, something that I didn’t even want to do. I had given up one the highlights of my year to be rejected from something I had just wanted the credentials from. After stewing upon this for quite some time, I came to the conclusion that the credentials were the problem. Now that I’m in highschool, I can’t have fun. Everything I do now is to prepare for the future, meaning that I have to pick dreary things like hospital volunteering over fun things like CTD. I HAVE to have endless amounts of volunteer experience and I HAVE to be able to live competently in the adult world. It sucks. Fortunately, there’s always next year, and the next, and the next. There’s always another year to do things right and maybe this year was just for me to realize that doing the adult thing isn’t always right thing. I hope the rest of you realize this, too, and use high school to learn and not always do.

By CAMERON COOK

cecook1117@gmail.com

Femin-isn’t

n 1920, women were given the right to vote. The feminists congratulated themselves and each other on such a big success…but the work wasn’t done, and still isn’t. Currently, despite several attempts to right it, women still make 77 cents to every dollar men make. Women are not shown to be less intelligent or less hardworking than men, and there are regular people and politicians working to change that. That is feminism. Equality. Unfortunately, many people are starting to stray away from this viewpoint. I am a feminist. I think women and men, while different, are equal and should be treated that way. But being feminist has taken a sour turn in today’s culture. Since when is it not okay to have someone open a door for you? It’s probably not because you’re “weak” or “fragile” but more geared towards being polite. Next time, you should open the door for them. While walking through a door–held by some unnamed male–I am usually polite and say thank you. But I’ve witnessed many girls say things along the lines of, “I’m not weak, you know,” or, “You don’t have to do that.” Opening a door for someone isn’t like saying, “you’re not strong enough to lift the door yourself.” It’s just being polite. Feminism isn’t condemning getting married and having children either, but that’s exactly what some people are doing. Settling down might be traditional, but it’s not bad unless it’s not right. If you find someone you want to marry, go ahead and marry them. If you want kids–and you’re of a good age and responsibility level–that’s your prerogative. But the worst thing I’ve noticed is the pressure on girls to settle into STEM careers. I suppose I’m not taking the worst of it; I’m planning on going into scientific research. But when I mentioned to a friend that I was thinking of going to a liberal arts college, she exploded into shouts of, “No!” “Science!” “Math!” “STEM!” I slowly explained to her with the help of another friend that liberal arts colleges had lots of science, math and technology opportunities as well. Interested in staying friends, I didn’t mention how that was kind of hypocritical for someone who considers herself a feminist, and I never brought up the incident again. Even though I let that specific issue drop, the general public needs to stop equating feminism with a certain mold, and “feminists” need to stop putting down other girls for being themselves. DESIGN BY LILY WESTEMEYER} JUNE 2014 OPINION 09

cuisine

Design by//Christina Dai and Olivia Read

The

Photos by//Christina Dai and with permission from de Martino and divekar

crisis

By Olivia Read

olivia.read17@gmail.com

“

Tastes and preferences vastly vary among different peoples.” - Kai Gui ‘15

At home, both Divekar and Gui consistently eat true ethnic food. Divekar, being Indian, knows that the Indian food served at restaurants will

hinese food. Right now, you’re probably thinking orange chicken, fried rice, and chow mein. But… Are these dishes really Chinese food? The answer is yes and no. On one hand, these dishes can be eaten in China. On the other hand, they’re not staples of the cuisine; rather, they’re seldom consumed. These dishes are actually the stereotypical foods you can find at generic Chinese take-out restaurants, like Panda Express. Hence, it’s Americanized ethnic food sold at an Americanized fast food place. Not just Chinese food, but various other Anoushka Divekar ‘16 foreign cuisines are generalized and put into take-out boxes at American eateries across the country. Every culture is associated with certain foods and flavors. But, where is the line supposed to be drawn? When does association become stereotyping? Many ethnic restaurants have claims to true foreign food, while others admit their dishes are just an Americanized version of the culture’s cooking. And with these two types of take-out places come two tracks of thinking. Some say that it’s required to distinguish true cuisine against the take-out version, like Anoushka Divekar ‘16. “I think it is necessary to make the distinction between Westernized versus ethnic meals. You can tell especially if you routinely eat the real deal. I think the main problem is that it is not Kai Gui ‘15 always credited to the ethnicity,” said Divekar. However, others believe it’s unreasonable to expect restaurants not to be Americanized in, well, America, such as Kai Gui ‘15. “Ethnic foods are rarely authentic, but I don’t see that as a huge problem,” said Gui. “Tastes and preferences vastly vary among different peoples as well, and since restaraunts need to make money, they tailor their menus towards the local populace's tastes.”

be stereotyped, but the generalizations are found to be a bit frustrating. “I mean, personally I get a lot of the curry jokes, but really, that stereotype is very westernized. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I had curry, and I eat Indian food every day,” Divekar said. Gui agrees that foreign take-out usually isn’t very accurate to his Chinese ethnicity. “American-Chinese food is usually saltier Julia de Martino ‘15 with a lot more soy sauce. It’s a lot saltier or a lot sweeter,” Gui said. Not every restaurant is going to have home-cooked ethnic food, but a prominent problem is misrepresentation; The given restaurant may not be authentic or even claim to be so, but the public believes they are. American customers get their concept of staple dishes, flavors, and popular ingredients from the ethnic eateries they frequent. Because, simply put, where else do they have access to foreign food? This is the exact dilemma that many citizens are questioning. “People who have never experienced authentic food have nothing to

compare take-out food to. Even though I know Tex-Mex restaurants do not serve authentic Mexican cuisine, I can only picture that style of Mexican food,” Gui said. Besides not entirely knowing the cuisine, the disputable take-out food is argued over because many people think it’s okay that restaurants stereotype and generalize foreign diets. However, there are solutions to this growing debate. One way to solve it is just clarification of the facts. “I think the true cuisine is a very different taste than what people perceive. I’m always surprised when I hear the raving of people who eat Indian food,” Divekar said. People like Julia de Martino ‘15 strongly agree that the distinction must DESIGN BY OLIVIA READ} FEATURE JUNE 2014 SECTION 11

Misrepresentation is probably a sales tactic. I can't really think of a way be made, and that there should be no claim to authenticity if there is none. Also, she holds the belief that this kind of action can lead to someto change how it is, but I think it should be changed,” Divekar said. “The only real detriment i see is the stereotyping that is not at thing worse in the future. “I think it's very wrong to advertise untrue cuisine,” said all true.” de Martino. “What I mean by that is that the society that In the end, it’s not like any American eateries will be drastically changing their dishes anytime soon to match advertises untrue cuisine always gets more and more people and more money, so more money equals even more real ethnic cuisine. However, with this seldom-raised advertisements, which equals more and more people just dilemma seems to be more and more talked about as the buying fast food.” years go on. With so many trying to eliminate stereotypes, De Martino, being of mixed ethnicity and transferring generalizations, and other false beliefs, take-out places are also feeling the effects. to West for a year from Switzerland, is very familiar with various types of ethnic foods from Europe. She believes “I think it should remain the way it is [with foreign the foreign take-out she gets at restaurants here taste take-out], as long as people understand the westernization much different than the cuisine in the actual country. behind what they are eating,” Divekar said. -Anoushka Divekar ’16 The issue of ethnic food versus the Americanized por“I went to some Italian restaurant, and it's really trayal is something that may never fully be resolved. American-ish, actually, and doesn't taste like the Italian food that I used to get in Italy,” de Martino said. But, there is one thing we can all agree on; in a world and nation of Besides apprehension for impending irresponsibilities, there is always flourishing stereotypes, crossing off some couldn’t hurt. this irritation over distortion of a culture and its food. “I think people would actually be less attracted to the real cuisine.

“

Misrepresentation is probably a sales tactic.”

Pictures: traditional Chinese food from Chong’s in Iowa City.

12 FEATURE JUNE 2014 {DESIGN BY OLIVIA READ

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KELP

Because you can never have enough news!* By cameron cook

By CHRISTINA DAI

By lily westemeyer

On Monday, June 2, a woman living in a downtown apartment complex allegedly threw her landlord out the window of his third floor apartment after discovering that she herself had to “fix the internet.” “I asked him to reset the modem so I could continue playing online poker, and he told me I ‘could do it myself,’” said Sarah Sobrenome, the 29-year-old resident of the complex. “What a lazy old jerk!” The complex’s landlord–who wishes to remain unnamed–considers Sobrenome crazy. “Kids these days just want to go on the internet! I don’t even know what a modem is!” he said last night at the University of Iowa Hospital while recovering from injuries. Sobrenome has previously been accused of kicking a Starbucks manager out of his own shop for not having free wifi (September 2013), breaking the screen of a library computer when the internet was slow (January 2014) and tweeting while driving (April 2014). “I have over 4,000 Twitter followers,” Sobrenome said upon a resisted arrest in April after she was subdued by seventeen state officers.

Lilly Collier, a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, has been alienated from her peers because she didn’t wear pink on the 10th anniversary of Mean Girls. “Like, I can’t believe that she did that. That’s so totally, like, the worst thing ever,” Collier’s Advanced Literature TA, Susie Malarkey, said. “That should be considered, like, a class A felony, or whatever.” The Edict received no comment from Collier herself, which we suspect is the effect of the trauma she is facing. An inside source said that Collier just made a mistake. “She just didn’t do her laundry during the weekend. She doesn’t deserve this torture.”

Steve Jefferson noticed that he was different than his peers a few weeks back. “I didn’t think anything of it, I got my regular caffeine intake before school like every other kid, I yawned in English, I was normal.” Jefferson said. “But then one day when I skipped my morning coffee, I realized I was fine without it.” Jefferson is in a situation where he gets the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep that he needs every night. He believes that it’s because of a combination of having reasonable amounts of homework and a low extracurricular load. “It’s not healthy for teenagers to get enough sleep,” Says Jefferson’s doctor, Dr. Mike Stalow. “Kids need to have the yawning and groaning to be ‘regular teens’ and to fit in with their peers.” Jefferson is taking actions to try to reduce the number of hours he sleeps each night. “I signed up for a few AP classes next year, and I also plan to download different forms of social media on my phone,” Said Jefferson. All Jefferson wants is to be a normal teenager like all his friends, who can’t stay awake during school and say “I’m tired” at least twenty times

cecook1117@gmail.com

christina.dai18@gmail.com

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Should Students Who Fail Take Summer School?

* The Kelp does not print real news and is satirical in nature.

DESIGN BY CAMERON COOK} THE KELP JUNE 2014 13

SLIPPING

INTO

Iowa is now letting go of a frozen winter (haha...) and we can finally imagine whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be like when summer does come. COMPilED by//Olivia Read, Christina Dai, Lily Westemeyer, and Cameron Cook

14 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2014 {DESIGN BY OLIVIA READ

SUMMER

A Taste OF A SUMMER

Strawberry lemonade smoothie: 1 can lemonade concentrate 1 ½ cans of water 2 cups frozen raspberries ¼ cup sugar 4 cups of ice (More or less can be added depending on your taste) Fresh lemons (optional) DIRECTIONS Put the first 5 ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Garnish with fresh lemons.

s the days warm up, the desserts cool down. Here are two chill recipes to cool out your day!

Key Lime Pie: one 9-inch premade graham cracker crust 3 cups sweetened condensed milk ½ cup plain greek yogurt ¾ cup key lime juice 1 tbsp. key lime zest DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350° 2. In a bowl, beat together the sweetened condensed milk, greek yogurt, lime juice, and lime zest until it comes together.

3. Pour into the pie crust, and place the pie on a baking sheet so that it’s easy to get in and out of the oven. 4. Bake for about 10 minutes, until there are small bubbles in the middle of the pie. Baking time will vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. 5. Put the pie in the refrigerator for 3 hours and let it cool. Serve it cold, and with whipped cream if you’d like.

JUNE 2014 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT { DESIGN BY CHRISTINA DAI//PHOTOS BY LILY WESTMEYER 15

THE

Keys TO SUCCESS

Ryo Ohashi ’17 explains his journey in becoming the piano virtuoso he is today. By OLIVIA READ

olivia.read17@gmail.com

e’s that quiet kids most people don’t know, but is notorious within the music community. He’s that musician you’ve never heard, but he always wins the awards. He’s that pianist you’ve never seen, but he’s always playing. This is Ryo Ohashi ’17. “Piano is like a love-hate relationship,” said Ohashi. Around the age of seven, Ohashi formally took up piano, but his talent in the area started long before. “My sister played piano, and I was just walking around the house one day, because the classic Ryo doesn’t have anything to do. And so, my sister’s practicing piano. She told me to come in and sit by her. She taught me a really simple Bach minuet in G major,” Ohashi said. From that point onward, Ohashi realized he had a true aptitude in music, and tended to excel in piano. “I was like, ‘Hey, I can do this.’ And it was two years later that I actually started piano. I think it’s, like, been my main thing for a long time,” Ohashi said. Ever since that day, Ohashi’s world has been filled with practice, recitals, and competitions. “It’s really hardcore.” Being one of the most prominent aspects in his life, Ohashi takes piano very seriously. In fact, it takes up a large amount of his free time. “I don’t know if it’s just for me, but for piano it takes longer to practice and actually get stuff down. Also, the practices are really tedious and

sometimes the small things are really tedious,” Ohashi said. “I aim for two hours of practice [each day], but it ends up being an hour and a half. But, it’s a lot different before competitions and that kind of thing. It goes up to a really serious two hours, sometimes three hour practices.” In fact, practice does make near perfect, at least for Ohashi. His abundant effort has been awarded with big accomplishments. Especially, Ohashi recently earned some impressive awards. “Well, I won IMTA [2014]. I won all the district ones except F, which I’m in right now. And then, I won state for C and E,” Ohashi said. However, despite piano’s unmistakable relevance in his life, Ohashi plans to keep it as a part of his leisure rather than his future. “I’m just thinking of it as a small hobby, nothing major. At least I don’t think I’m good enough to be a professional pianist, so I think it’s just nice to have as a hobby. I think it’s really unstable and competitive. Even if you’re top-notch or not, there’s still at least a lot of people who are better. It’s hard.” Ohashi still has people he looks up to in the piano world, though. He has two remarkable inspirations. “Right now, my current teacher is Feilin Lin,” Ohashi said. “There’s also Johnathan Ni because… he’s kind of ridiculously good at piano, and he got a pretty good scholarship because of piano.” In the end, Ohashi may not see piano as a driving force in his future, but it still has held a sentimental meaning to him throughout his life. “It’s ridiculous,” Ohashi said. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t do it.”

16 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT JUNE 2014 { DESIGN BY CHRISTINA DAI//PHOTOS BY OLIVIA READ

Photos by//Lily Westemeyer

FASHION HIJINKS

Bringing the fashion world into one closet

world. Her favorite stores include Forever 21, J.Crew, and H&M for their variety and wide range of styles to mix and match. Also, she is interested in other types of visual and aesthetic art. “I’m interested in makeup and hair styles. I like to watch YouTube videos about makeup and hair style tutorials. I also enjoy making accessories such as earrings and hair accessories. I love doing nail art, too,” Lee said. Lee’s ambition doesn’t stop there. In fact, her future is bright with promises of a career in fashion. “I’m definitely interested in pursuing fashion in the future. I haven’t decided on a particular college that I want to go to, but I want to attend a college where I can study fashion professionally to become a fashion designer.” Being a big interest is only one role fashion plays in Lee’s life. Other than that, it is a part of her everyday mentality. “When I do things that are related to fashion, I’m always happy,” Lee said. “Fashion is happiness to me.”

By Olivia Read

olivia.read17@gmail.com

any high school students aspire to become something big one day. However, few of them are really noticed for their aptitude in the certain area they plan to pursue. But, Jin Lee ’17 always catches eyes for her talent in fashion. “I’ve always been interested in the fashion world since I was young,” said Lee. Lee’s ardor for the subject has been with her for a while. Lee developed her style with the help of YouTube, blogs, and trends she sees in her own life. She also has in inspiration right at home. “My mom has always been interested in fashion, as well. I would say that my mom is the biggest influence that made me interested in the fashion world,” Lee said. Originally from Korea, Lee hasn’t exactly followed trends from either country she has lived in. “It [Korea] doesn’t really impact my fashion, because I try to stay away from the typical ‘Korean style.’ I just wear according to my own style,” Lee said. Lee’s unique apparel is something that has always been a key aspect of her fashion choices. “I’m interested in simple, chic, and minimal style, and I’m really into cropped tops. I love wearing a cropped top with a skater skirt or high waisted shorts.” Lee often absorbs ideas and inspiration from the surrounding fashion DESIGN BY OLIVIA READ} JUNE 2014 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 17

Taking Shelter

It’s the one place where both charitability and adorable animals are combined: the animal shelter. The Edict looks more into the Iowa City Animal Center, its volunteers, and the pets that are temporarily residing there. for more coverage go to wsspaper.com

photos by//Lily Westemeyer, cameron cook, and olivia read

etting cats, playing with puppies, and feeding rabbits. Seems a 30-70 percent mix, with 30 percent surrenders and 70 percent being perfect, right? Well, that’s excluding the consistent morning strays,” Kay said. Although the shelter is a great place to pick out a pet, not all the animals cleanings and so much more that goes into making the Iowa are immediately taken. Most go within two to three months, while others City Animal Care & Adoption Center the place it is. can be at the shelter for around a year. “A lot of work goes into it,” said Mike Kay. “Sometimes they’re here for a matter of weeks, but there’s a Kay is a regular volunteer at the shelter, in cat here who’s been here for about a year,” Kay said. “Truth of charge of caring for the cats. “The hours are pretty loose. There are the daily the matter is, kittens and puppies seem to go faster. Older ones cleanings, but for me I can just pop in whenever are harder to place.” Despite these few setbacks, the Iowa City Animal Center does and pet the cats,” Kay said. its utmost to give all their animals good homes and owners, The center, being open all weekdays and on and to care for them while they live at the shelter. One of the Saturdays, is often busy with adoptions and biggest contributing factors in helping the center is volunteer regulating their many animals. “It was last June or August, we had so many work; anyone above the age of 18 is permitted to volunteer after taking a simple orientation class. kittens, and one time we had 145 cats. We’d get The class lasts approximately an hour, and is necessary to fill a whole family of kittens, sometimes five or six -Mike Kay out an application. From there, volunteers are chosen and get in little colonies,” Kay said. “In September of last year, we actually had a two-for-one sale. Any two cats for fifteen dollars. to come in during whatever free hours they have in their schedule. There But, eventually, it tapered off.” are a multitude of jobs, from food duty to scrubbing floors to socializing Kay and other volunteers at the shelter are constantly occupied with animals. “It’s very easy and free,” Kay said. “The best part of volunteer is that there this steady flow of pets. There are often two typical ways that cats, dogs, and other creatures are given to the center. Many of them are stray are no set schedules. You can choose to do as much or as little as you want.” In the end, there’s just one thing that the shelter always focuses on in animals found by people and dropped off for adoption. Others are usually surrenders that owners bring in due to the fact that they can no longer the future. care for their pet. “It’s all about caring for the animals within our community.” “Probably the majority of pets [in the shelter] are strays. Usually, it’s

“

I can just pop in whenever and pet the cats.”

18 FEATURE JUNE 2014 {DESIGN BY LILY WESTEMEYER

JUNE 2014 FEATURE 19

PHOTOS by//christina dai COMPilED by//Christina dai

M A T KES YOU A H W “What makes me happy is knowing that I have the ability to resolve to one thing, which basically means that if you put your mind to something, you know that you can do it ... because you feel fulfillment and fulfillment is one of those things you feel good about doing.” -DAVID RYU ’15

“When I’m around my friends, it makes me really happy because they are cool people and we do fun things together.” -JAXON KLOSTERMAN ’17

“What makes me happy is being with friends and enjoying good weather. Oh, and no homework!” -JASMIN GU ’16

20 BACK PAGE JUNE 2014 { DESIGN BY CHRISTINA DAI