The Melrose Bulletin by Foundations of Journalism

THE MELROSE BULLETIN IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

2901 MELROSE AVE.

IOWA CITY, IA 52246

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1

MAY 23, 2016

THE PROCESS OF PROGRESS PAGE 7

TABLE of

CONTENTS

4 10 14 16

Staff Emma Brustkern Reagan Hart Tyler Thomasson Samantha Young

News

HE'S BACK

After six years, Harry Potter is finally returning to the spotlight.

Feature

SUMMER OVERSEAS

Students and teachers spill the details on their trips to other countries this summer.

Sports

TRAINING FOR GREATNESS

An athlete's job is never done - students from multiple sports prepare for training over the summer.

Feature

PRANKS, MESSES AND DUCKS

West High teachers reflect on the funniest moments of their careers.

DESIGN BY EMMA BRUSTKERN COVER DESIGN BY TYLER THOMASSON

NNA

With a bright, shining smile, and a bubbly personality, Anna Truszkowski ’18 is possibly one of the nicest people you will ever meet.

BY EMMA BRUSTKERN

girl walks down the hallway. She has a huge smile, cute clothes, and she says hi to everyone she passes. Everyone she greets walks away with a wide grin on their face. This is the joy that Anna Truszkowski ‘18 brings to the school. Truszkowski has many talents, and shows them all around school through being a member of multiple clubs. She is part of West High Behind the Mask, and also participates in the spring musical. In her free time, Truszkowski dedicates herself to helping people in the community. “I haven’t actually started volunteering yet at the Ronald McDonald house, but I’m starting this summer. I’m going to be helping patients and their families,” Truszkowski said. In addition to future work at the Ronald McDonald House, Truszkowski also volunteers at the Coralville Public Library and helps out with their summer reading program. “I am planning out the very first event for the summer reading program. It is called the 2016 Coralville Library Olympics, where you and your friends can compete in fun events for great projects,” Truszkowski said. Truszkowski started volunteering at the library by shelving books for a summer for a couple of hours each week. Over time, she has become an essential part of the Teen Advisory Board, or TAB, at the library and helps out planning and organizing all types of events. “Anna’s work ethic is fantastic. She’s very responsible, a hard worker, always gives 100 %, Karen Stierler and is smiling the whole time,” said Karen

Stierler, the advisor for TAB at the Coralville Library. Truszkowski’s desire to help people goes even further than that. In the future, she plans on becoming a teacher to help children around the world. “I want to be an English teacher in developing countries. I think that would be really helpful in the world of business because often, people can get jobs easier if they know English. It would really make their lives easier,” Truszkowski said. Helping other people isn’t the only benefit for Truskowski. Her career choice is also partially inspired by her passion for traveling the world. “I really love to travel. A few summers ago with my family we went to London and Iceland, and this past summer I went on a mission trip to Ukraine and Poland,” Truszkowski said. Truszkowski is well known around school for her unbounding kindness. No one seems to be able to say a bad thing about her. “[Anna is] really kind-hearted . . . I really admire how she doesn’t gossip about anyone and whenever somebody starts to gossip she just leaves the room,” said Olivia Manaligod ‘18, a close friend of Truszkowski’s. Truszkowski has an incredibly pos- Olivia Manaligod ‘18 itive outlook on life. She enjoys and appreciates the little things in life. In almost any situation, Truszkowski manages to gain smiles and giggles from everyone. Before the end of the interview, she asked if she could tell a joke. “Do you wanna hear a joke? Knock knock. Who’s there? Anna. Anna who? Anna partridge in a pear tree,” Truszkowski said. With a variety of unique pastimes, a positive spirit and a sense of humor that delights everyone, Truszkowski is a person everyone should strive to be like. “Anna’s a super awesome and amazing person. You should all love Anna,” Manaligod said. PHOTOS BY REAGAN HART DESIGN BY TYLER THOMASSON

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016

NEWS

HE’S BACK

West High students anxiously await the arrival of new Harry Potter content. BY EMMA BRUSTKERN

n 1998, a book was published that became the start of a series that would end up defining a generation. With over 450 million copies sold worldwide, the seven Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling make up the most best-selling book series of all time. The movies have been equally successful, ranking as the second highest grossing film series ever. Even years after the Harry Potter legacy has ended (nine years since the last book and six years since the last movie - not that we’re counting); fans still remain dedicated. And now, all of their dedication has paid off: the world will see not one, but multiple new additions to the wizarding world soon enough. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child On July 30, Harry Potter is getting its literal place in the spotlight. For the first time ever, an official Harry Potter play will debut at the iconic Palace Theatre in London, England. Although longtime fans have been yearning for a prequel starring Harry’s parents, this play is not that at all. In fact, the play takes place shortly after the epilogue in Deathly Hallows, focusing on the once boy wizard extraordinaire, Harry Potter. Harry is now, in addition to being a husband and father to three children, an overworked Ministry of Magic employee who is still trying to deal with his troubled past. Meanwhile, Harry’s middle child, Albus Severus Potter, is struggling to live up to the family legacy. “I’m not super upset that it’s not a prequel because I think it will be cool to see what’s going on with Harry’s kids and his life afterwards and everything,” said Andrea Childs ‘17. Within eight hours of tickets going on sale, 175,000 tickets were snatched up. Ticket prices ranged from $15 to $190. The play is already booked through next May. “I signed my mom up for email reminders for Cursed Child tickets in London but she didn’t take the bait,” joked Annie Peterson ‘16. “I’d love to see the show in person, but obviously I don’t think I’m going to get over to London anytime soon.” Despite the hype, some fans were not too happy with the casting Andrea Childs ’17 choices. The main cause of controversy was the actress Noma Dumezweni, who will be portraying Hermione Granger. While many devoted Harry Potter fans have always imagined Hermione to be caucasian, Dumezweni is not. However, some

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West High students have embraced the casting. “I know that there’s been controversy over the actress playing Hermione in The Cursed Child because she’s not white. I think that anyone who thinks that skin color matters for Hermione Granger is pretty stupid because she can be just as smart and powerful if she doesn’t have pale skin,” said Childs. Bailey Raso ‘18 agreed with this sentiment. “I think they should pick the actors and actresses based on their skill and not their race. If she’s a good actress, then great!” In addition to the play, J.K Rowling has announced that the script will be published for the many fans who cannot afford or don’t have the time to witness the magic in person. The Cursed Child topped the Amazon and Waterstones best-seller charts with just preorders alone. It will be published July 31; Potter and Rowling’s birthday, and a day after the play premieres. “It will be nice because since the play is in the U.K,, the book will allow many people in the U.S. and all over the world who won’t be able to see the play to kind of be able to look into the life of Harry Potter,” said Raso. Readers be warned, however - the book will remain in script form, stage directions and all. Bailey Raso ’18 “I’m interested to see how Cursed Child will be different because it’s in script form. It’s going to be a different experience reading it,” said Peterson. Although J.K. Rowling did co-write the story, many are worried that a new installment to the Harry Potter universe might not live up to their expectations. “I have this set idea of what happens after Harry Potter and I’m worried that this will mess with it,” Childs said, “but I’m probably still going to love it no matter what.” With all the excitement and buzz around the play, it certainly has a lot to live up to. Still, no matter how it goes, it is sure to be magical. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them The fun doesn’t stop there. On Nov. 18, fans will see another side of the wizarding world in the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In the Harry Potter series, Fantastic Beasts is actually the name of a textbook that is required for all first year Hogwarts students. The book is about magizoology, the study of magi-

I signed my mom up for email reminders for the Cursed Child tickets in London, but she didn’t take the bait. -Annie Peterson ‘16

cal creatures; and it is written by a famous magizoologist, Newt Scamander. The movie itself will follow Newt Scamander and his adventures in New York during the 1920s. Fantastic Beasts will certainly provide some more insight into the Annie Peterson ’16 politics and customs of the wizarding world. Never before has a Harry Potter story taken place in the United States. J.K. Rowling has already released some differences in culture and language; for example, non-magical folk are called ‘No-Maj’ in America, rather than being called muggles. This is just but one of the new and fascinating quirks fans are sure to experience while watching the new film. Since Newt is a magizoologist, the movie is sure to highlight a variety of magical animals. “I’m excited for the magical creatures. . . especially dragons. Unicorns. Anything like that. I think it will be a very magical, happy experience,” said Raso. In spite of all these differences, fans of the series are still clinging on to some similarities between Fantastic Beasts and the Harry Potter they know and love. “Even from just watching the trailer, Albus Dumbledore’s name dropped in it and the music made me so sentimental and happy because it’s the same music. The little things that remind you of the original Harry Potter series is what I’m looking forward to the most,” said Peterson. Eddie Redmayne will be playing Newt Scamander in the film. Redmayne has already built up quite a resume, by starring in The Danish Girl, The Theory of Everything and Les Miserables. Some early critics are claiming that Redmayne may not be the best choice for the role, and that a new face might be better for the film. This is not a worry for Raso: “I love him. I’ve seen his movie The Theory of Everything, and he’s a really great actor. I think it will be exciting to see him [as Newt]. ” David Yates, the director of the final four Harry Potter movies, will also be directing Fantastic Beasts. In addition, Rowling is making her screenwriting debut for the film. With an exciting plot, amazing actors and a screenplay by Rowling, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is sure to be a hit in the box office. DESIGN BY TYLER THOMASSON ARTWORK BY REAGAN HART

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HUMOR

OPINION BUDGET SPENDING

THE PIONEER OF WEST Reagan Hart ’18

Samantha Young ’18

BY SAMANTHA YOUNG

hen I’m wandering around West High School on an average day, I only have one thing on my mind, why is it so cold. I feel like I’m entering the arctic five times a week, constantly hunched over my desk, shaking in my slightly warm seat. Picking out my clothing in the morning is extremely difficult when you go to a school in the North pole, multiple times I have made the mistake of wearing a T-shirt and have suffered the consequences throughout the day. Dr. Shoultz has announced that next year, there will be TV’s around every corner of the school, showcasing the daily announcements. Big, flashy screens all over the walls of our cold school, advertising what’s for lunch. I already don’t pay attention to several of the tv’s we already have, why add more of something that isn’t necessary. TV’s won’t affect how we learn but ridiculously low temperatures will. According to The University of Scranton, a study placed students in different rooms set at varying temperatures. Students were given exams, and their scores were compared against the temperature of the room. Students had an average score of 76% in 61 degrees and in 72 degrees, students achieved an average score of 90%. That’s the difference between two letter grades and we already have other things in school that distract us, phones, cute boys, our plans for the weekend. I think if there’s anyway we can learn better and our performance as a school increases, we should do it, like using our budget more responsibly and fix our heating/cooling systems. It will be way more beneficial for the students, even the teachers and have a long lasting impression on West High. 6 MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

BY REAGAN HART Note: This article is meant to be humorous and is not meant to be perceived as factual. he frozen screen stared back at me and the cursor stayed in one place even as I ferociously moved my mouse. This was the last straw. All I wanted to do was write my essay, but the computer wasn’t having it. Right then and there I decided to be done with all technology. It had vexed me for long enough. It was time to go back to the times of the pioneers of the Old West, a time without technology. My first task was communication. After some book research I saw that writing letters would be my best substitute for emails and texts. The good thing about letters is that there is no auto correct, and they don’t crash or exit out randomly. The bad thing is that there is no spell check. Also, letters are pretty slow, and they don’t get delivered on Sundays. I couldn’t ask for help on homework or ask people how their day was going. By the time it got to them it was too late. Some people didn’t want to write letters back so my communication with people dropped to close to none. I did get to talk to people in person, but many people were irritated with my refusal to email or text. The second task was my essays and other school work. All my essays and reports had to be written out by hand. Teachers weren’t a huge fan of my hand writing everything. Everything had to be neat and clean just like a typed paper. The stress of writing just a simple question response amounted to the stress of using a typewriter. One mistake and everything was messed up. The third task was transportation. Since cars are also technology I had to come up with another way to get around. The horse-drawn wagon was the pioneer’s prefered method so that’s

that the method I choose. I got myself a covered wagon and two horses named Penny and Pippa. The problem with this was people weren’t a huge fan of me going really slow so there was a lot of road rage. I had to get up a lot earlier so I could make it to school on time. Also covered wagons ensure a pretty bumpy ride. It hurt, and no one wanted to ride with me. After a while I realized that going back to the times of the Old West wasn’t working out so I returned to the times of the now West. Looking back, it becomes very obvious that I let my anger get the better of me. When something makes you mad it’s good to calm down before making any big decisions. Going without any technology was very rough. Maybe it was only because I’m in 2016. Next step: find a time machine. Then I will be off to the year 1885.

DESIGN BY TYLER THOMASSON

THE PROCESS OF PROGRESS Students look back on the day same-sex marriage was legalized and share their hopes for the future. BY EMMA BRUSTKERN AND REAGAN HART

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People shouting joyfully, running around with glee. Samesex couples kissing and clinging on to each other, tears of happiness running down their face. Music blaring through the night. The White House, Niagara Falls, and other notable buildings, lit up with rainbow lights. This is what America looked like almost one year ago when the long awaited legalization of same-sex marriage finally occurred on June 26, 2015. The Big Day People found out about the Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage in many different ways. Some people found out through the news or a friend or family member telling them. Others found out through social media sites. Megan Kann ‘16 found out at a poetry camp after scrolling through Instagram. “For the rest of the day I only wrote poetry about pride, and it was really exciting,” Kann said. Jackson Elkins Nesheim ‘18 was alerted that morning by a multitude of texts from his friends. “I remember waking up and my phone was blown up from friends texting me saying, ‘Congratulations!’ and I was like, ‘On what?’ Then I went on social media and stuff and found out. I was really excited,” Elkins said. Others celebrated by going out to dinner or texting their friends. Although some people didn’t know how to react, most people were pretty happy and excited about the decision. “I was so happy, especially for my parents. I was jumping around all over,” said Sadie Rhomberg ‘18. Jackson Elkins ‘18 Jacob Heid ‘16 shared similar feelings of ecstasy after his parents told him. “I was bouncing off the walls,” Heid said. Behind the Case The case was brought before the Supreme Court in January of 2015. While some followed the court case as it moved along, others were rather surprised. However, many held a feeling of hope in their heart that the day everyone could marry would soon come. “I knew the day was going to happen eventually, so I wasn’t surprised about that. I was more surprised that it happened so soon, but I was pretty confident that whatever happened in the case, we would be okay,” Elkins said. The case, formally titled Obergefell v. Hodges, was actually a consolidation of four cases challenging laws that once prohibited same-sex marriage. Over the course of six months, same-sex couples, their children, and many others argued that samesex couples should be allowed to marry and should be granted all the Jacob Heid ‘16 same rights as married heterosexual couples. In a narrow 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the constitution requires every state to distribute marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize their marriage. Prior to the Supreme Court decision, 36 states already allow same-sex couples the right to marry. In fact, Iowa legalized 8 MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

same-sex marriage on April 3rd, 2009; making it the fourth state to do so. Rhomberg remembers the event specifically because it sparked the opportunity for her mothers to get married. “I remember my parents planning their wedding... Since I was younger, I didn’t really understand why [same-sex marriage] wasn’t legal in the first place, and why it was illegal that you couldn’t marry the person that you loved. That Jakob Dupuy ‘19 was confusing for me. I told my parents, ‘Oh wait, you’re getting married? I thought you were already married. You’re together, aren’t you married?’, and they said, ‘No, it was against the rules, but now we can, so we’re going to have a wedding!’” Rhomberg said. In terms of surrounding states and towns, Iowa City is an extremely liberal area. In Johnson County alone, 46 percent of registered voters are Democrats. Initially, this clouded Elkins’ reaction to the decision. “I think that I was less shocked since Iowa City is a more liberal community. At first I thought that it wouldn’t affect me as much but after it happened I realized how great it was,” Elkins said. What Next? After almost a full year since the Supreme Court ruling, the people of the United States are forced to examine the world around them and realize that the LGBT+ community still has a long way to go till they receive true liberty. “America is awesome, but it’s not there yet,” said Nicol Farias ‘17. Many people falsely assumed that after America had achieved marriage equality, LGBT+ issues would cease to exist. Unfortunately, this is not the case. “I actually hate when people say, ‘You have your marriage, you should be fine now, go sit in a corner’. I hate that. We have so much work to do, especially in the trans community,” Elkins said. Transgender issues have been extremely prevalent in the news recently. While transgender stars such as Caitlyn Jenner make headlines, discriminatory laws are still being passed against transgender people. In North Carolina, a law known as House Bill 2 reversed legislature that was meant to help gay Megan Kann ‘16 and transgender people. The most controversial section of the law states that transgender people who have not yet undergone surgery are not allowed to use the bathroom of their identified gender. This is severely detrimental to transgender people who cannot afford, are not able, or do not wish to undergo surgery. “I think definitely we need to figure out the bathroom situation. The issue in North Carolina is not okay. I feel like people just need to be more accepting about [transgender people], because although I guess it could be a hard concept to understand, gender doesn’t just revolve around the parts you have,” Rhomberg said. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, homosexual youth are twice as likely to get commit suicide. They are also 60 percent more likely to feel unsafe in their environment. Many people hope to combat these feelings with more anti-bullying laws and incorporating LGBT+ struggles through history more into the social studies cur-

riculum. “It’s not okay to bully some based on sexual orientation or gender identity just like it’s not okay to bully someone based on race,” Heid said. Also many people hope to decrease the amount of discrimination with fixing religious exemption laws. “I do think religious liberty and religious freedom is important. It’s guaranteed under the constitution, but I don’t think you should be able to use it to discriminate against certain groups of people,” Heid said. Jakob Dupuy ‘19 also has similar feelings. “People are denied service in public places for being who they are,” Dupuy said. Kann would also like the ban the practice of Conversion Therapy. This is the practice of trying to convert homosexual people into heterosexual people. “It’s a very hateful and harmful practice” Kann said. Another issue that still needs to be addressed is parenting. One of the main arguments against the Supreme Court marriage equality ruling was that same-sex couples would not Nicol Farias ‘17 make good parents; as they cannot biologically reproduce. They argued that same-sex parents would deprive children of either a male or a female role model. “It bothers me when I’m labeled as the girl with two moms, because it doesn’t really make a difference. I turned out just fine. . .” Rhomberg said, “If anything, I feel like I was raised better than people who were raised by both a male and a female. In the end though, it doesn’t really matter the gender. But thankfully, and fortunately, I was raised by two really wonderful people.” In general, many members of the LGBT+ community are holding out for less stereotypes and more acceptance over all. “Don’t let stereotypes get in the way of people,” Dupuy said. The Future is Now There are problems all over the world that people want to be addressed. America is a very progressive country compared to the rest of the world. “We are stuck in our little America bubble” Heid said. While the Supreme Court decision Sadie Rhomberg ‘18 was a huge victory for the LGBT+ community, there is still a lot that has to be done. All over the world, LGBT+ people are suffering from acts of discrimination, violence, and bigotry. As of the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, all eyes are now on the United States. “It puts the United States in a very specific and strategic area to help promote change around the world. We made this giant statement saying that we support these people, and now if we don’t support them, we will look like phonies,” Elkins said. In order to continue making progress and change in the world, everyone must unite together to achieve equality. It may be a long process, but if there is one thing that the Supreme Court ruling has showed us, it is that change can, and will, happen.

DID YOU KNOW?... Prior to the ruling, 36 states had same-sex marriage Netherlands was the first to legalize same-sex marriage U.S. joins 20 other countries who already legalized it The support of Americans for samesex marriage has risen from 37% in 2009 to 57% in 2015 72% felt that the legalization of same-sex marriage was inevitable Compiled by Emma Brustkern

DESIGN BY TYLER THOMASSON ARTWORK BY REAGAN HART

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FEATURE

SUMMER OVERSEAS West High Students venture across the ocean to a variety of locations. BY EMMA BRUSTKERN What comes to mind when you think of summer? For most of us, we would probably think of the same things: Days spent at the rec center pool, or maybe the Coralville Reservoir if you’re feeling adventurous. Chasing down ice cream trucks with your little siblings. Going to malls with your friends and hiking with your family. This Iowan summer is pretty standard for most of us, but some students and teachers are venturing outside of the United States to gain some unforgettable summer experiences. France Some students will be journeying outside of the country for their first time ever. Anna Hitchcock ‘18 is one of those students. She will be traveling to a little town in France called Loriol Du Comtat. She will be visiting the foreign exchange student she hosted last year, Louisa Loron. “I’m going to visit my friend Louisa. She was an exchange student and she stayed here for three, almost four, weeks. She invited me to come to France with her, and obviously I accepted” Hitchcock said. Over just three weeks, the two girls created a very close bond. Hitchcock is planning to spend a lot of time with Louisa during the month she is in France. “Our friendship is very sisterly-like,” Hitchcock said. Hitchcock has been taking French for two years now, and it was through the foreign language program that she got to meet LouJeff Knutson isa. However, she Choir Teacher doesn’t consider her French to be in 10 MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

the best of conditions. Hitchcock hopes that by being immersed in French culture and language, she can improve her skills. “I don’t speak French very well, but most of the people over there speak English. I will try to speak French at first but if they don’t understand me then I’ll speak in English. I definitely think this trip will help my French speaking skills. I’ll be hearing French spoken all the time, so it will start to come naturally, “ she said. Hitchcock funded the trip almost entirely herself. She started saving last summer, immediately after getting a job. Luckily, it looks like all her hard work has paid off. She has high expectations for her month in France. “I want to see the catacombs [in Paris] so bad. . . I want to see the Louvre. There’s also a modAnna Hitchcock ’18 ern art museum that I really want to see too. And the Eiffel Tower, duh, but everyone wants to see that,” Hitchcock said. Czech Republic, Austria and Germany Jeff Knutson, one of the choir teachers at West, will also be heading to Europe this summer. In fact, he and Mr. Haas are taking forty West High choir students to the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany. The trip is sure to be packed with history, but it is also a great musical opportunity for students. The group will be performing in many famous spaces, such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral. These locations have been specifically chosen to perform at based on their acoustics and style. “I’m most looking forward to performing in some of these spaces. Some of these

spaces are gigantic, but the acoustics are phenomenal. It’s one of those things that you appreciate European music when you’re in America, but a lot of these buildings that we’re going to be singing in are older than our country,” Knutson said. Many high school students across the country never have left the country by the time they reached college, let alone perform at such historical sites. For many students, the European choir trip will be unforgettable. “This trip give them an experience that they otherwise would not have. When a lot of schools take choir trips but the reason for taking the trip isn’t really for performance, it’s more for sightseeing and we included that, but these performances are the things that I think these students will remember for their whole lives,” Knutson said. The choir will be visiting Prague, Czech Republic; Vienna, Austria; Leipzig, Germany nd Berlin, Germany. The entirety of the trip will last eight days, giving them a quick overview of each city. Knutson is no stranger to some of these cities. “I’ve taken one trip outside of the country before. I went with my choir. I flew into Dublin and then bussed all the way through England and Ireland, and then I stayed after everyone left and flew into Prague and then went to Berlin. I was really interested in Prague and Berlin, and now to be there with another choir is going to be really great,” Knutson said. The students will be singing lots of sacred pieces and plenty of European music, but there is some American music thrown in their repertoire as well. “We want to make sure we perform pieces that were designed to be performed there but also perform things that represent our country. We’re doing an American spiri-

tual called “Witness” and that’s going to be one of our closing pieces, just to show that we are proud of our American heritage,” Knutson Catherine Ju ’18 said. Knutson and all the students involved are sure to represent America well, in addition to making lifelong memories. Taiwan While the majority of our sources will be adventuring around Europe, Catherine Ju ‘18 has something else in mind. She will be visiting her family in Taiwan this summer. It has been tradition for Ju and her immediate relatives to visit Taiwan every other year, but this year, Ju will be traveling alone. “I’m really nervous about [traveling alone], because of all the transferring and going through security and luggage that I’ll have to navigate on my own,” Ju said in an email. Ju will be visiting both Taipei and Taichung to see both sets of grandparents. She will stay there for a whole month, leaving mid-July and coming back the week before school begins. “It just so happens that the time that I’ll be in Taiwan, late July, that’s when Taiwan is the hottest all year. So, looking forward to that!” Ju said. Many fond memories were made on Ju’s previous trips to Taiwan. Even seemingly mundane activities strike her as memorable. Since she doesn’t frequently get to see her family overseas, she cherishes even the small memories. “My best memories in Taiwan are from when I/m just hanging out with my cousins

and grandparents. We always play a bunch of board games like UNO and poker together. I really appreciate being able to spend time with them like that,” Ju said. A vacation away from the states is always an interesting experience/, due to cultural differences. To Ju, the biggest difference is the food. “The mangoes there, you can’t even compare to the ones you buy here. Mangos, that’s basically all I eat there,” Ju said. Whether West High students are visiting friends or family, or simply going to gain amazing, one-of-a-kind experiences, we here at the Melrose Bulletin wish them safe travels and beg them: PLEASE BRING US WITH YOU.

DESIGN BY TYLER THOMASSON

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, S K N A R P MES S E S S K C U D &

Teachers share funny stories from their teaching careers at West. BY REAGAN HART

Christian Aanested

Pranks can be fun or they can be harmful. Sometimes it’s between two students, and sometimes it’s between two teachers. Aanstad and Kathy Bresnahan, physical education teacher, got into a prank war when Aanstad stole her lunch box shaped as a trout. “We took random photos,” Aanstad said. These pictures included things like pretending to set the lunch box on fire. Bresnahan describes this as a horrific time in her life. Although Aanestad can not remember what Bresnahan did to get him back, he describes her as not a good person to mess with. “I regret messing with Bresnahan,” Aanestad said. Aanestad remains to say that he won, although Bresnahan would disagree. “He did not win the prank war… it’s only just the beginning,” Bresnahan wrote in an email.

The hope is to never have the eye wash stations go off in the science rooms because this means only two things; someone got chemicals on themselves or people were messing around. In the back of Hughes’ classroom, some students were messing around during a lab when they turned on the eye washing station, but the worst part was it was broken. It gushed out water spraying everything it could. “It was like a fire hose,” Hughes said. She ran back to try to stop it. Her attempts were in vain as the water soaked her. “[The students] thought it was funny, I did not,” Hughes said. She recalls that she was only in a t-shirt, and that afterwards she really wanted to change her clothes. The good thing only good thing about this incident is that it was a less harmful way for the science department to find out it was broken. They got to get a new one. “It probably would have torn their eyes out,” Hughes said. The important thing is to not mess around with important school equipment if you’re not supposed to unless you want to turn your classroom into a lake. 12 MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

Shishonee Hughes

Doug Herman

This year on the bottom floor of West High, a plastic bottle failed Hermen. It broke and spilled red water everywhere. He was setting up an experiment for his science class. The experiment was to see how contaminated water would flow through a system. In this experiment, there is a large container of different layers of soil, and a plastic bottle of water. The water is mixed with food coloring so students can watch the water go through the layers of soil. Hermen filled up the plastic bottle with water mixed with red food coloring, and tested to make sure that the water would come out of the nozzle at the top of the bottle. “Just like that, it broke,” Hermen said. The bottle had cracked when he had squeezed it. The water inside the bottle spilled out getting all over the floor and his lab coat. He came to realize that bottle had been in storage for too long which is why the plastic had turned brittle. “It had been there forever,” Hermen said. He cleaned up the water, and replaced the bottle with a newer one. Luckily for him and all of West it was only water, and not some super dangerous

chemicals that he spilled. You go to take an apple out of your refrigerator only to find that it’s all brown inside. You throw it away because it’s rotten. The apple had sat on a shelf for too long just like Secrist’s earthworms. Secrist got out the earthworms for the dissecting unit. The stench of the earthworms was already pretty bad, but when she made the first cut for the demo it became a whole lot worse. Because of the horrific smell, she vomited in front of her class. “I wasn’t even pregnant that year,” Secrist said. It was a surprise to her, because usually she has a pretty strong stomach when came to dissecting things. The earthworms that were going to be used for the dissection were rotten from Jennifer Secrist sitting on the shelf for too long. The difference between the apple and the earthworm is that you can get an another apple or other food to eat. You can’t really just get more earthworms from the fridge. The purple bag was in Iowa in the back of his car, but really it needed “We had to scratch earthworm dissection that year,” Secrist said. to be in Kansas. Kirpes and Jon Bach, math teacher, were headed to Kansas City for a math competition. Bach went to get the cooler out of Kirpes’ car, because Bach had been there; Kirpes mentally wrote off having to think about it. He probably should have had second thoughts, because the purple duffle bag with all his clothes in it was left in his car. He didn’t realize he had left it until he got to Kansas and they started unloading the bus. “I can’t blame him. This one was on me,” Kirpes said. Bach and Kirpes went to a convenience store to see if they had clothes. The only shorts they had were jean shorts with a giant duck on the back pocket. He almost James Kirpes bought them, but ultimately he decided against it. “If you ever want to feel like a celebrity do something like this,” Kirpes said. Next they decided to go to a Walmart. They rolled up the the front of the Walmart in a charter bus and got off. There Kirpes bought duck-less clothes for the rest of the trip.

One thing that is crucial to a surprise party is that the person doesn’t know about it. When Henderson’s AP Psychology students wanted to throw him a surprise thank you party, they needed him out of the room so he wouldn’t know about it. Mitch Gross, social studies teacher, offered to help the students. He called Henderson out of his room. Gross told Henderson that the district was transferring Henderson to City. This was a scheme to get him out of the room. When Henderson returned to his room, streamers were up, a little girl was in the corner videotaping him, and still no one had explained to him that he really wasn’t being transferred. He described its as almost being surreal. When he asked Gross about it later, Gross told him to remember he did it for him the students. “He could have done it in a much cleaner way,” Henderson said. Looking back on it he realized that he still hadn’t gotten Gross back for his prank. “But someday I will strike like a viper,” said Henderson.

Travis Henderson

DESIGN BY TYLER THOMASSON

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SPORTS

TRAINING FOR GREATNESS West High athletes tell about their experieneces in preperation for their corresponding sport. BY SAMANTHA YOUNG

West High athletics department can be completely grueling in the school year, but to keep your body in shape year round can be just as intense. A lot of sports in high school have increasing expectations year round, starting with summer training. Sports like football and cross country have summer conditionings that are mandatory to be involved in that activity. Jake Davis 18’ has been involved in football his freshman and sophomore year and the work gets harder every year. Conditioning is everyday except for Wednesday to prepare for that upcoming fall season, it’s for about an hour and a half and it’s always very intense. The team does different types of lifts everyday and finish with conditioning every other day, with the occasional agility. Lifting isn’t mandatory for the team but the coach has a strong opinion on attendance, “Our coach

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says you can’t win a spot in the off season but you can certainly lose one.” Davis claims. Conditioning is hardly a chore for Davis, he finds hard work rewarding enough for his spot on the team, Davis has the mindset of “it’s what you do in the off season.” Having a positive mindset like Davis is really what it takes to be the winning team and once it’s football season, the training was worth it. For some other sports, training isn’t quite as often, such as cross country and track runner, Micaela Gravlin 17’. There’s only one conditioning camp amf only for three days, “It’s not that bad, I was just so out of shape from the summer.” Gravlin 17’ says. For only a few hours a day, the girls ran on coach Parkers property because he happens to live out in country with lots of land for the girls to do several agility and cardio workouts. The camp is not as intense and is recommended

but not mandatory. This type of camp has its rewards too, “We got fruit once after,” she said. “That was pretty cool.” Training can range from High intensity to low, All summer to a couple days but all with the same goals, to build a stronger teams. For people not involved in sports could see the trainings as unnecessary and too time consuming but for athletes like Davis 18’ and Gravlin 17’, It’s something that will benefit them in the end. To create a winning and successful team takes lots of time and work and can often become overwhelming but good results will show with the right amount of effort.

PHOTOS BY REAGAN HART DESIGN BY TYLER THOMASSON

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THE TEACHER’S

BOOK NOOK

Recommendation: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Katy Nahra

The Melrose Bulletin sat down with a few West High Language Arts teachers to ask them what book they would recommend to all students. BY EMMA BRUSTKERN

Why Read It?: “It’s one of my favorites of all time. . . there’s always something to be gotten from a book.”

Recommendation: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Darci Witthoft

Plot Synopsis: A collection of essays about Sedaris’s life, revolving around his bizarre life, from early on in Raleigh, North Carolina; to his later years in Normandy, France.

Recommendation: Paper Towns by John Green

Kate Jacobson

Why Read It?: “You always have to find the humor in every situation. . . He’s such a witty writer; he’s satirical, he’s self-deprecating. While you’re reading it, you kind of go on this emotional rollercoaster. While the gist of it is that most of the story is humorous, there are some serious underlying messages hidden in the humor and satire.”

Tom Linsey

Why Read It?: “It touches upon a lot of aspects of thought, and shows how language is an empowering thing. It forces you to questions your thoughts, which is an important skill for teenagers.”

Plot Synopsis: The novel is centered around a teenager named Quentin Jacobsen (also known as Q), who has been in love with his mysterious neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman, for as long as he can remember. After her strange disappearance, Q must go on an adventure to find her, and in turn, find himself. Why Read It?: “His characters are completely relatable and they are ordinary people. But they go through some extraordinary events which I enjoy. I think it’s fun. You can relate to the character but you can go along for an interesting ride.”

Recommendation: 1984 by George Orwell Plot Synopsis: A man named Winston must navigate through an dystopian world where the government monitors everything; from the news and historical facts to people’s marriages and their thoughts. He is faced with the decision on whether it is better to revolt and stand up for your own thoughts; or become one with the crowd.

Plot Synopsis: The book, which is narrated by Death itself, is centered around a nine-year-old girl named Liesel. She lives in Germany during World War II and experiences the terrible reign of the Nazis. After her brother’s death, she leaves her home to live with new foster parents, and while she is there, her family takes up the challenge of hiding a Jewish man in their household.

Recommendation: You’re a Horrible Person, but I Like You by Various Authors

Nathan Frese

Plot Synopsis: A quirky group of comedians, actors, and producers band together to write this collection of fake advice columns, and hilarity ensues. The topics of the columns vary, from advice on coming out to your parents to advice on (literally) finding the way to a man’s heart. Why Read It?: “It’s just advice on all kinds of bizarre things. There are some worthwhile advice, but most of it is sort of non sequitur so it gives these comedians and directors and actors a chance to be funny. It’s entertaining in it’s oddity.”

DESIGN BY EMMA BRUSTKERN