September 2018

b&w

BLACK AND WHITE SEPTEMBER 2018 VOLUME 27 ISSUE 1

CONSUMPTION Consumption; the using up of a resource.

Consumption is a part of human nature.

We are hard wired to take in as much information as possible and to create new and complex thoughts based on that information. However, our consumption transcends much deeper than mundane thoughts and ideas. The Black & White decided to take a look into how and what we consume on a daily basis. Are we consuming too much, too little? Where does our food come from and where does it go? Is banning straws really the right measure to be taking? And why do we still not have free WiFi? The September issue looks at what it means to be a consumer in 2018.

SEPTEMBER When Jay Rice ‘94 brainstormed the name of our paper in 1991, it was not because of the ink color. For the last 26 years, our mission has been to bring our audience stories from the school, community and nation, told clearly and without exaggeration--in black and white.

Editorial Board

Editor-in-chief Andrew Maresca Print Editor Obsee Abbajabal Online Editor Ada Basic Feature Editor Taylor Siebert Sports Editor Evan Newcomb Copy Editor Brooklyn Dilley

Staff Writers

FINE PRINT Black & White is published solely by the Johnston High School newspaper staff. It is an open forum. In accordance with Iowa law, students assign, edit material and make all decisions of content.

Editorials represent the opinion of a majority of the editorial board. Editorial and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the advisor, school officials or the district.

Letters to the editor must be signed. Like all material, letters may not be libelous, obscene or an invasion of privacy. To write a letter to the editor, or report an error in the issue, please contact the editors at jhsblackandwhite@gmail.com.

Say Hello

Parker Anderson Riley Anderson Payton Blahut Duncan Christakos Caroline Christensen Annie Culbert Cameron DeRoos Kylie Emery Kara Green Paul Heggen Akshaya Kumar Tate Larsen Erina Lee Sophia Longo Karla Lopez Maranda Mangra-Dutcher Ashley Marsh Jacob Marren JD Norris Jenna Olson Charlie Pattinson Ben Pegg Julia Richards Colt Smallwood Ben Williams

Instagram: @jhsblackandwhite Twitter: @jhsnewspaper Facebook: JHS Black and White

INSIDE LOOK

12 A World of Waste

News

4 Slip and Slide Kickball Johnston v Dowling football

8 Food on the Move

Opinion

20 Locked out of Service

Sports

22 Athlete’s extreme diets 10 Operation Dragon Nation 12 A World of Waste 16 1 in 1700: Parul Srivastava 5 Underclassmen on the Rise

Feature

6 Singing with a New Tune

Editorial

18 The Last Straw

4 | NEWS

News Beats

words & layout | Charlie Pattinson and Cameron DeRoos

Johnston vs. Dowling

Coming in at #1 in the state, the Dragon football team hosted rival #5 Dowling Catholic Sept. 7. The Maroons shut out the Dragons 27-0. Dowling started off hot in the first half, putting up 20 points, but the Dragon defense only allowed a touchdown in the second half. “It wasn’t our best showing,” kicker Cooper Peddicord ‘20 said. “It just makes us hungrier to get back on the field and fight for our ultimate goal of a state championship.”

Anthony Coleman ‘19 stiff arms a Dowling Catholic player during their game on Sept. 7. Coleman led the Dragons with 51 receiving yards on 2 catches.

Photo By Cameron DeRoos

Slip’n Slide Kickball The school’s first-ever slip’n slide kickball tournament was held Sept. 16 behind Dragon Stadium and the tennis courts.

Intramural Director Chris Yao ‘18 came up with the idea, changing the typical kickball activity by adding water to the equation.

Tyler Overton ‘18, a member of student council, was pleased with the intramural turnout. “We wanted to start the year off with a good intramural and then those

Photo By Andrew Maresca

people who enjoyed it will hopefully come back for future opportunities.”

(Above) Eric Bui ‘20 dives into first base during slip’n slide kickball. Bui joined forces with Grady Degeneffe ‘20 to take home the victory.

Photo By Andrew Maresca

(Left) Grady Degeneffe ‘20 kicks the ball towards second base at slip’n slide kickball. Degeneffe’s team won the overall tournament.

5 | Sports

UNDERCLASSMEN ON THE

RISE words | Charlie Pattinson layout | Cameron DeRoos photos | Evan Newcomb, Cameron DeRoos and Charlie Pattinson

9/14/18 - Noah Storts ‘22 made

his first career start at quarterback for the varsity football team against Muscatine.

He passed for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

9/15/18 - Aleah Tenpas ‘22 lead

9/20/18

- Jared Meyer ‘22 broke his the cross country girls’ team to victory heel during the 50th Indianola Cross at the DSM Roosevelt Heartland Classic. Country invite, yet finished with a time of Tenpas ran a time of 19:51 and finished 19:07 in his varsity debut.

10th overall.

Climbing Up the Ranks - The sophomore duo of Yohanna Yual ‘21 and Carter

Borwick ‘21 made their cross country varsity debuts at the Bobcat Invite & DSM Roosevelt Heartland Classic respectfully. Yual started the year on varsity, while Borwick burst onto the scene by winning the 9 and 10 grade race at the Bobcat Invite held in Marshalltown. Both Yual and Borwick had brothers who ran varsity.

Playing Varsity - Jared Bowser ‘21 and Logan Fritz Puttting it on the Boards

‘21 have been playing on the varsity golf team as sophomores. Abby Rastetter ‘21 has been dominant on the girls’ swim Both qualified for team state golf at the districts meet held at team, having the fastest time on the team for the 50, 100, Waveland Golf Course.

200, and 500 yard freestyle.

SINGING WITH A NEW TUNE

words | Brooklyn Dilley photos | Taylor Siebert layout | Brooklyn Dilley & Taylor Siebert

O

ne by one, a total of 30 girls walked through the choir room doors. Some filled with nerves,

others not so much, but all experiencing the same thing — excitement for what lie ahead.

Like a blur, the girls wrote down their names,

was there, because behind the scenes, there

numbered themselves off, and stepped into

are a bunch of financial things that you need

the hallway. Groups of four returned to the

to make sure are in place before you start up

room, knowing it was time. As the music

a whole new academic program,” Schunicht

coming across changes they have to make

began to play, they moved in sync, showing

said. “So they just needed to make sure the

when it comes to an all girls show choir. “As

off the choreography they had been learning

numbers were all there, and then get me

far as blocking goes...you would normally

for the past two weeks. The dance was

board approved, and get contracts in place,

do one boy, one girl, one boy, so the color

followed by singing a song every choir girl

and then they were able to say, ‘Yes, this is a

differences make good patterns,” Schunicht

knows by heart, “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”.

board approved thing that we can go ahead

said. “For this I’m thinking about different

And just like that, the audition was over, and

and start.’”

color schemes as far as, okay, maybe all the sopranos will be in one color and all the altos

all the girls could do was wait.

Composed solely of women, Women’s Show Choir is a new activity to Johnston.

Led by Molly Schunicht, it contains 30 girls, from freshmen to seniors. Due to Johnston’s large student population, many talented girls do not get into the other show choir groups, simply because there is no room. The choir department had been considering starting a

“Everybody that I’ve seen so far, I’m like, oh dang, these girls are good.”

-Molly Schunicht

will be in one color, so we still have good patterns on stage, and then how the sound transfers, it’s just a different way of thinking about things, but still getting it to have a good visual impact on a stage.”

While Women’s Show Choir is not as popular, the group will still have competition at events. “I know of at least two other 4A schools that do have a women’s show choir,”

new group for the past few years, and after revisiting numbers this fall, they finally

Schunicht and her choreographer are

While the other show choir groups at the

Schunicht said. “Waukee for sure has one, and

high school exclude freshmen, they will be

I believe Southeast Polk has one as well. So

Schunicht, a Johnston graduate, directed

allowed to participate in Women’s Show

people are jumping on board with it, which

show choir in Indianola for two years before

Choir. “The same thing happened over at the

is great, because now we have competition.”

applying for an assistant position for Synergy.

ninth grade building — we had such a large

The group will participate in Showzam, the

“We interviewed some people for the assistant

amount of people that were auditioning, and

showcase in Johnston, as well as competitions

position for Synergy, and met Ms. Schunicht

they really didn’t have the room for them,”

in Urbandale and Southeast Polk.

there, and I actually know Ms. Schunicht

Schunicht said. “And they felt like it was a

Although the new group can get a negative

because she was one of my students many,

really good idea to have those ladies have

connotation as the trickle down of people

many, many years ago,” Choir director

the opportunity as well....they just don’t have

who didn’t get into Synergy or Innovation,

Hannah Ryan said. “And she’s a Johnston

the numbers to be able to get in, so they

the girls participating are instead seeing it

grad, and so, in the back of our minds, we

just stopped trying. When, really, they were

as an opportunity to improve their skills. “I

were thinking, if [Women’s Show Choir] gets

maybe just that one or two right after. And

would like to gain a little bit of confidence

approved, she would be the perfect candidate

if you would use that year to just build your

in my singing and dancing abilities,” Heather

for this position. So we kinda kept that on the

skills. So we wanted to include those ninth

DeBruin ‘20 said. “Cause I always knew I

backburner, and then when it got approved,

graders in there so they’d have a year to build

was very self conscious about that in middle

that officially happened.”

their skills, and work towards either getting

school show choir, and I think that held me

decided to turn the idea into reality.

Despite the obvious need for the new

into Synergy, or maybe just stay here. I mean,

back throughout my high school show choir

show choir, , the idea had to be approved by

I think that women’s choir is going to be

experience with auditions, so I’m hoping

the school board before it could go anywhere.

awesome. I’m excited for it. I think it’s going

that Women’s Show Choir will give us all the

“The board needed to make sure the funding

to be wonderful.”

confidence to build upon those skills.”

8 | feature

FOOD ON THE

MOVE

words | Obsee Abbajabal and Karla Lopez layout | Obsee Abbajabal

S

haring food on bus rides seems so

rely on Dragon Power Bags which is mostly

trivial to many. However, there are

funded by the Johnston Partnership.

some kids where it makes a big

When the final bell rings, marking the end

difference. After being enrolled in Backpack

of each Friday, students receive their food.

Buddies, one student wrote on her evaluation

Student outreach director Susan Lucas helps

form that she was so happy with the program

coordinate the food programs run at the

because she would finally have some food to

elementary schools. “They’re delivered to

trade with the others every Friday.

the teacher’s classroom and the teacher very

A majority of students enrolled in the

discreetly puts the bag into the kid’s backpack

Backpack Buddies program rely on free and

and zips it up so no one knows,” Lucas said.

reduced breakfast and lunches at school. The

“The student’s name is confidential and

program sends food home with students,

is expected to be kept private and discreet

usually a meal and a couple of snacks, to last

because it’s not anybody’s business.”

them over the weekend.

There are certain concerns to what food

Currently, there are two different programs.

should be sent home with students. “They try

The Friday Friends Program distributes food

to have it be a well-rounded meal, and you

to students at Lawson and Beaver Creek

know this is all while keeping in mind: is it

Elementary and is funded by the Food Bank

something that kids will eat, is it something

of Iowa. Because the Food Bank of Iowa is

that the family wants, and is it something

unable to expand their program, Timber

that isn’t going to be too heavy for the bag,”

Ridge and Horizon Elementary students

Lucas said. “So at the end of every year, we

BY THE NUMBERS...

STUDENTS THAT QUALIFIED FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH IN 2017 Qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch Illegible Free and Reduced Lunch

30.4% 69.6%

23.4% 76.6%

Lawson

Beaver Creek

survey the kids and the parents.”

In 2017, there were 1,431 students in the Johnston Community School District that qualified for free and reduced lunch. Before the beginning of each school year, low-income families in Johnston are able to apply for free and reduced lunches at school. The application forms are sent out with school registration.

Within the registration forms, parents are asked if school officials are able to share their application information with the Backpack Buddies Program that operates at some schools in the district. “It’s important for people in our community to know that there are places that are in our community to support them and help them,” Lucas said.

“There are so many people within the district or community that want to help and support.”

Lynn Ross Cope is a volunteer of the Friday Friends program at Summit middle school and

I can’t imagine being elementary age, being a little person, and not being able to eat regularly.

- Andrea Cook

shows up every week on Thursday to help pack the food. “Just like any community, I’m a little surprised of the number of kids that don’t have

to families at different locations in Johnston. “To

food on weekends,” Cope said. The initial start

some people it’s a surprise that Johnston has a

of the program in the 2013-14 school year had

problem, but look at the summer lunch program

20 to 30 students enrolled across the district. The

that we have implemented.” Noe said. “There

number has since grown.

were days that we had 20 kids. Now, if you go

S.T.A.R. teacher Lisa Noe, who works with

[elsewhere] there were 70 kids.”

students at the high school in order to keep them

Partnership director Andrea Cook was able to

on track for graduation, has had multiple students

read the student’s evaluation and knew her job

in the past that she has offered food to. “If I hear

was making a difference in other’s lives. “I’m lucky

that or someone just happens to mention that

to do the work I do because I can see no greater

they are hungry, I will offer them something,” Noe

sense of satisfaction to be able to do what I do,”

said. “Some of the kids already know that I have

Cook said. “With the help of the volunteers and

those things and will actually come in and ask.”

the funding and everything else that we have…

Noe volunteered at the USDA Summer Lunch

I feel really lucky to do this job and feel like it

program over the summer that provided meals

makes a difference.”

26.6%

21%

79%

73.4% Horizon

Timber Ridge

14.7% 85.3% Wallace

Operation Dragon Nation 10 | feature

words l Kylie Emery layout l Julia Richards photo lSierra Mangra-Dutcher

O

n Sept. 7, the Walmart in Grimes was nearly sold out of white sheets, due to it being Toga night for the varsity

football game. The students behind Dragon Nation, an informal student committee that helps boost student involvement at sporting events, were the ones who chose the theme.

Dragon Nation tries to get the student sections excited at sporting events and chooses

An inside look of how four seniors run the student section.

themes. “We organize themes for football games, basketball games, basically any sport that has a student section,” Danny Ho ‘19 said. Last year’s Dragon Nation leaders chose Ho, Clay Smith ‘19, Alex Page ‘19 and Conor Woods ’19 to run Dragon Nation based on the amount of positive energy they give off and their school spirit.

Ho not only is a part of running Dragon

ter @DragonNation1.

Nation, he also is one of the student counsil

Dragon Nation is entirely student run

co-presidents. One of his goals with this po-

and does not require approval by school

sition is to get more students involved, and

administrators,

he plans on using his role in Dragon Nation

freedom to choose what they like. However,

to accomplish this, especially because student

according

involvement was low last year. “We cancelled so many intramurals, I was on the committee, so it’s like really embarrassing,” Ho said.

When it comes to choosing the themes, Dragon Nation wants to make sure that the student body likes what they choose. They try to get input by making polls on Twitter..

Right now, Twitter is their only method for doing this, but they are looking into other ways that people can contact them. “We can make a Dragon Nation email if that is some-

“Running the flag is one of the greatest feelings ever.”

-Danny Ho ‘19

to

so

the

associate

students principal

have Jerry

Stratton, there are some limitations as to what they can and cannot do for themes, as they have to be school appropriate. For example, if the theme was Cowboy Day, toy guns would not be allowed. “To be honest, I believe [Principal Ryan Woods] is in conversation with the head of Dragon Nation and talking about if there is anything questionable,” Stratton said.

From an administrative view, Stratton is overall happy with the student section and

thing people feel is necessary,” Woods said.

how it is being run. “I love their energy,” he

“They can always just come up to us too,

said. “I like the support that they give to the

we’re easily approachable.” If students would

kids. As a coach and a former player, that’s

like to give input to the members of Dragon

something you love to see when you have

Nation, they are invited to reach out via Twit-

the support of your school.”

12 | in-depth

A WORLD OF WASTE words | Annie Culbert & Kaylee Ross layout & photos | Andrew Maresca

T

he United States wastes 133 billion pound of food every year. People could reduce this number if

they improved their food-wasting habits.

Students at the high school are no exception to the number. On a daily basis the cafeteria produces anywhere from 176 to 264 pounds of garbage. Accumulating more than 880 pound per week.

One third of all food produced in a year is lost or wasted. The high school cafeteria throws away anywhere from eight to 12

bags of garbage a day. The amount of trash

Boe Stroeber said. “The more kids that leave

depends on students’ waste, as well as the

campus, the more food that is being wasted

cafeteria’s leftover food. On days when the

because the district isn’t allowed to do

school utilizes styrofoam trays instead of

otherwise.”

reusable ones, the amount of trash thrown out vastly increases.

With the inability to estimate exactly how many students will eat school provided lunch

The kitchen has to make an educated

in a day, the amount of food waste rises.

guess on how much food it needs to make for

However, the cafeteria staff monitors how

the four lunches, but often times struggles to

many meals are being bought, in order to

accurately estimate how many students buy

provide a more accurate estimate. :So we’ve

lunch elsewhere or bring their own lunch.

got our numbers generally figured out and

“Even if you try to make an educated guess,

then we react after every lunch period and

every day is different,” cafeteria manager

we look at our sales and we go okay so we

sold this many,” Stoebner said. “How many do we need for the next lunch so we’re not just randomly filling up the ovens, it’s more of an educated guess.”

Once food is offered to students, rules and regulations prohibit that food from being reused. “The federal food code says, any food that is put out on the lines that you have access to… I can’t reserve that, it’s gone, Stoebner said. “There are so many things that can be done, but the solution has been just to throw it away.”

Options tried include a compost pile and a new program called the Share Table. Taking food to homeless shelters is often mentioned as a possible option. However, federal law prohibits it.

The

“We have to know exactly where the food is going and to justify where it went.”

- Boe Stroeber

federal

government

has

many

requirements. The director of nutrition, LaRae Doll, has to provide kids with an exact amount of fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins. These guidelines sometimes contribute to food waste.

During

Barack

Obama’s

presidency,

First Lady Michelle Obama introduced the Healthy Kids Act, a program dedicated to help kids become more active and conscious of foods they eat. The Obama administration made changes to school lunches, which put more requirements on school lunches, such as having to buy a fruit or vegetable. Students must take items and then do not eat them.

Joel Kellar ‘21 buys school lunch every day and sometimes purchases an extra entree.

“I get double entree, and then a vegetable because you have to have one, and a milk, and sometimes a la carte,” Kellar said. “If it’s a good day, then I’ll get two sides. A majority of the time I do not eat the side.” He also said that he does not eat the vegetables and that he has thrown away everything on his tray before.

One option would be to offer differentsized portions, not just a one-size-fits-all mindset. While some students may need a small snack in the middle of the day, some require a full meal in order to keep their energy up. Students like Dillon Warwick ‘21, an athlete involved in several activities such as hockey and show choir, eat everything on their tray. “All of it,” Warwick said. “Every single day.” However, this idea would break the regulations set by the federal government.

A newly introduced option to reduce waste is the Share Table. Share Tables have been integrated into schools across the nation in an effort to reduce waste, and provide for students that do not have enough to eat. The Iowa Department of Education promotes the idea on its website. “Schools can play a role in helping reduce this problem by setting up a

“I was brought up with take what you’re gonna eat and that’s it. I see a lot of kids come up with whole breadsticks and other items that haven’t been touched besides the fruit and they throw them away because they were required to take it.”

- James Nickolish

Sharing Table – a station where students may place food or beverage items they choose not to eat. The items can be available for students to take additional helpings or utilized outside of the meal program.”

The Share Table was introduced on ____, located near the trash bins of the cafeteria.

The Share Table can include any unopened packaged food, temperature controlled food, and rewashed uneaten fruit. The table must be monitored by a trained nutrition employee to ensure that proper food is being placed on the table.

A student-led group tried another option, a compost bin, several years ago. Students were supposed to place their food waste in a separate container. Stoebner said educating the student body how to properly dispose of the food waste proved hard. “There were … ideas talked about with that group of students that perhaps we have some trash cans here that are labeled that only vegetables go in,” Stoebner said. “I’m not sure if they decided if teaching the population here was possible, and if people would really get in on it and not just throw something in there and ruin it.”

Either mistakenly or on purpose students threw away items besides food like plastic and meat, which renders the entire container unusable. The bacteria produced by meat would create smells that would attract animals, as well as disable the bacteria produced by organic products to decompose the food properly.

With the potential of unwanted foods in the compost bin comes the responsibility of checking each bag of compost to ensure it is all compostable. “The students didn’t really want to sort through it, so the idea sort of just dropped,” Stoebner said. In addition, the school could not afford to provide help or pay to transport the compost.

An often-mentioned solution – giving food to homeless shelters or to food pantries – proves not viable either. The government sets harsh restrictions on what schools are

The federal food code requires that any food that is put out on the lines that you have access to, that you can grab, and put a tongs in and take out, I can’t reserve that, I can’t reheat that.”

- Boe Stroener

allowed to do with food, in order for the school to get money back for each meal served.

As the government provides money for school lunches, food must be closely monitored. “For every meal we sell we get a kickback of money from the government, and that’s every school nationwide,” Stoebner said. “So they have the money to keep schools funded. We have to know exactly what happens to the food and to justify where it went.”

While there are multiple solutions to reduce the school’s food waste, there are obstacles with all. The school has various regulations and restrictions it must follow, hindering its ability to test out these solutions.

Reducing food waste is a problem addressed by schools and students alike.

16 | profile

Parul Srivastava

1/1700

words & photos | Ada Basic layout | Ada Basic & Ashley Marsh

FROM SOPHMORE TO SENIOR, ONE STUDENT WAS RANDOMLY CHOSEN TO TELL THEIR STORY. Parul Srivastava’s ‘19 first taste of activism came from her time

“I was really excited to have a voice and to be able to influence

in Girl Scouts, the place where she met her best friend, Marianne

people in a way that’s actually going to change things,” Srivastava

Aldrich ‘19. “She was in Girl Scouts with me and I think that’s where

said. “That’s one of the ways C.O.R.E. really impacts people’s lives,

I first started trying to be her friend because I saw how cool she was

because if someone says something in class that they shouldn’t

and I was like, ‘This is going to be my friend,’” Aldrich said. “I think

say, and someone reaches out to them about going to C.O.R.E. and

that’s where I first started experiencing that, because in Girl Scouts

learning why they shouldn’t have said that. It has changed peo-

you’re trying to go out and make the world a better place, and try

ple’s perspectives on race relations and things that they should

to help other people, and I think that’s where I first started noticing

say and things they shouldn’t say, what’s insensitive, what’s not.”

those characteristics in her.”

Once she entered the sixth grade, Srivastava began to learn

Srivastava has experienced some backlash for being so outspoken about her views, both online and in person. “It didn’t feel

more about women’s rights by reading articles, and her passion

great. It was surprising how much it changed not only people’s

took off from there. She became more outspoken once in the 8/9

perspectives of me, but my perspective of people. At some point

building. “I think it kind of all started from there,” Srivastava said.

you can talk about something too much, or you can talk about

“In the lunchroom where me and my friends could talk openly

something too controversial. And at that point it does get a little

about something, and about what needed to change. That’s kind

bit lonely.” For Srivastava, it’s all worth it. “But honestly, in the

of what snowballed into protests, rallies, and outward activism.”

end I realized that I was really, really distraught about it because

“

The more I know about the problems, the more I see them, the more concerned I get with trying to solve them.”

-Srivastava ‘19

Srivastava is always looking for ways to better educate herself, and does so by attending different events. One of the most recent events she went to was the March For Our Lives protest,

I see every single problem as my problem to fix,” said Srivastava.

“

I love that quote, ‘If you’re not angry then you’re not paying attention.’’’

-Srivastava ’19

“It’s hard having this unreasonable, obligation to all these problems, when you don’t even know exactly why.”

In order to keep the negativity from consuming her, she

alongside Obsee Abbajabal ‘19. “It’s honestly so refreshing to,

tries to focus on the things in her life that make her happy. “I

first of all, meet the new people, and, second of all, to have those

focus on positive things in my life,” Srivastava said. “So, like

perspectives.” Srivastava said.

my friends, I care a lot about my friends and they’re some-

After noticing that students of color were not being offered

thing that brings me a lot of happiness. I talk to them about it,

many leadership positions in and around Johnston, Srivastava

or talk to them about other things. That’s kind why I believe

decided to do something about it. In order to start C.O.R.E.,

so much in caring for people in your life, because there’s so

Community of Racial Equity, Srivastava, alongside Abbajabal and

much negativity that happens outside of every individual

Jimmy Lee ‘18, had to write a proposal and submit it to the school

person, that if you can put positivity in some person, then why

board for review. They then had to wait for the next school board

would you not?”

meeting, where they presented to the board to convince them that

Her strive to help people in everyday life does not go unno-

C.O.R.E. was necessary. Their proposal was approved and the first

ticed. “She’s a people person, she’s really into others,” Abbaja-

meeting was scheduled for February 6, 2018. “So last year I went to

bal said. “She’s a motivator, she really helps everybody out and

the first C.O.R.E. meeting and I saw her standing up there in front

is willing to be there for others, I feel like she focuses more on

of everyone and just directing the meeting and I just felt pride,”

others than she does herself.”

Aldrich said.

18 | editorial

THE LAST

STRAW The editorial is an opinion held by the editorial board of the newspaper

and is a collaboration of the board. It needs a simple majority to pass. This month’s vote was 6-0. To contact the editorial board, please email us at jhsblackandwhite.com or visit us in room 622.

“I think there’s always going to be some people who need an alternative method.”

M

ore than 500 million plastic

this is a significant milestone to achieve our

straws are used every day

global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served

in the United States alone,

to our customers in more sustainable ways,”

according to Eco-Cycle, a nonprofit recycling

Kevin Johnson, president and chief executive

organization. In restaurants, gas stations,

officer for Starbucks, said in a press release.

grocery stores and even schools, plastic straws

Instead of using plastic straws, Starbucks

are unnecessarily used and sold in enormous

will begin using strawless plastic lids

quantities. This consistent overuse of plastic

-- an item much easier to recycle. Their

straws is causing a large environmental

frappuccino will be the one exception to the

and ethical problem, resulting in many

straw ban; it will have a straw made from

corporations making efforts to decrease their

paper or compostable plastic. These straws

plastic straw use.

will only be available to customers who

While it is true that the majority of

order frappuccinos.

plastic use is wasteful and unnecessary,

Many disabled people rely on plastic

many disabled people rely on plastic straws

straws to consume liquids, and it is not fair

to consume liquids. Complete elimination

to them to be denied plastic straws. Sallie

of plastic straws, a direction this country is

Hedgepeth, a special education teacher,

quickly moving toward, would not be fair

agrees that the amount of plastic straw use

to the disabled community. Therefore, there

should be significantly decreased, but that

should be certain exceptions for the plastic

there have to be certain exceptions. “I would

straw ban.

support it for the most part,” Hedgepeth said.

Because plastic straws are small and

“The time that it is a problem is when there

lightweight, they are often lost or diverted

are certain students, particularly in special

during

education, who are unable to drink with a

the

recycling

process,

causing

them to end up in the ocean or in landfills.

cup, even with the support of a sippy cup.”

While plastic straws make up only a tiny

While she personally uses metal straws

amount of the plastic trash polluting our

instead of plastic straws, this alternative

world’s oceans, their size makes them very

would not work for her students who rely

dangerous to marine life. Plastic straws

on straws. “That’s not always appropriate for

entangle animals in the ocean and are

certain students either because the metal, for

consumed by fish, adding an ethical

whatever reason, it doesn’t work with their

concern to a massive environmental

mouth or they want to bite the metal and it

issue.

would hurt their teeth,” Hedgepeth said. “I

Many

large

corporations

have pledged to cease or at least

think there’s always going to be some people who need an alternative method.”

decrease their plastic straw use,

Currently, there is one student who relies

Starbucks being one of the most

on plastic straws in Hedgepeth’s class. This

famous companies to do so.

student needs a plastic straw due to a lack

Starbucks

recently

decided

of mobility. If he were to be denied plastic

to take initiative and find

straws, he would spill his drink all over

a solution to this global

himself, and paper straws would also not

issue, making a goal to

work, as they would dissolve in his mouth.

end plastic straw use

This is just one example of a person who

at their stores by

would be greatly affected by the elimination

2020. “For our

of plastic straws, and Hedgepeth said she

partners

and

customers,

PLASTIC STRAW

FACTS In the U.S. on average 500 million straws are used every day. Thats enough to wrap the earth 2.5 times or fill yankee stadium nine times a year.

Of all the plastic in the ocean straws only make up about 4% but, thats still over 2000 tons of straws.

The average straw weights 1/67 or about .42 of a gram People use straws for a couple of minutes but once the are throw away they can last for a life time or longer.

For less than ten dollars you can buy a reusable stainless steel straw on amazon.

Straws are made out of a plastic called polypropylene. it is bad for the reproductive system. It can mimic the female hormone estrogen, which can cause problems with fertility and conceiving.

has taught in classes where 11 or 12 students needed plastic straws.

takeaction.oceanconservancy.org get-green-now.com thelastplasticstraw.org

Locked Out of Service words | Erina Lee layout | Jenna Olson

R

eagan

Lehman

Biotechnology

‘18 class

sat

in

Many students of JHS have always

as

they get reception, which by then could be

he

wondered why Johnston does not provide free

checked his phone and saw he

WiFi. While some constantly complain of the

too late.

Also, being kids of the 21st century,

had gotten a call from his manager at work.

lacking service, others don’t seem to mind

students think they should be allowed to

Seeing that she had called during school,

the absence of WiFi.

access the social aspects of their generation.

Lehman assumed it

“Right now we live

must be important

in the 21st century,

and tried to call back. Although, the lack of service and reception

caused

“We need to get out of our screens since we’re always so plugged in all the time.”

the call to not go through.

- Applegate ‘20

Lehman could do

and

there’s

so

many

things

like

social

media

and

everything that we use and do. We have so many friends and people that we talk

nothing about it except wait until he got to

As many would point out in the school,

to; and because of that, we have to be able to

work. Unfortunately, he found out that the

reception is not a strong point of the building.

know what they’re doing. That’s how we grew

reason his manager called was because she

“You have really bad service and like

up and it’s just all the things we know,” Kathy

was going to be gone and needed to give him

downstairs you literally can’t send a text out

Bui ‘21 said.

instructions.

or get a call out,” Willow Applegate ‘20 said

A couple years ago, Urbandale High

Because he wasn’t able to talk with her, he

This can come as a possible problem when

School decided to launch a wifi system for

had to learn everything 10 minutes before

students need to get in contact with their

their students. It enables the students to have

the session started causing all the kids to

families. If an emergency comes up, students

access to a WiFi network with their personal

have to wait for him.

wouldn’t be able to find anything out until

devices like their phones or computers. With

the WiFi, Urbandale students are able to bring their personal laptops to school and use their phones without complications.

While Urbandale and several JHS students

there to back it up with.

purposes only. So only educational devices

In addition, JHS has to consider the

can legally be on our e-network,” Sparks

policies or guidelines within their technology

said. “Urbandale may not do E-rate. They

capabilities.

may have, and they may not choose to follow

Tony

Sparks,

Director

of

think there should be an open wifi, there are some students and staff that point out school would be better off without the wifi. “We’re already so involved in our phones and live through our screens that we don’t need that environment at school when we’re trying to learn and prepare ourselves for the future,” Applegate said.

Students may reason emergencies to be an example of needing WiFi, but other kids contradict it by asking what are the chances we will ever be in that position or place. The differing students understand it is not the safest, but staff members have also advised before, in the case of an emergency, it would be best to not have all the students spontaneously using their devices. Without the WiFi, students wouldn’t be able to back up the reception because nothing would be

the federal guidelines; but it is a federal

“If we need to contact someone and figure out what’s going on, we can’t contact them.”

- Bui ‘21 Technology, gives several explanations of why JHS does not have an open wifi for the students. “We get subsided by E-rate. It’s a federal program which half of our internet is paid for by them and it is for education

guideline. That’s why we do it.”

Sparks continues to explain that there is only so much room on their system, also known as the bandwidth. “If we allowed all the students with their phones on the WiFi, it may kill our bandwidth. We haven’t had to increase the bandwidth for the last couple years, but that’s without student devices on,” Sparks said.

Increasing

the

bandwidth

does

also

cost money so it is not something that can change often. Increasing the width may not affect some families, but as Applegate said, “They can make our money to pay to go to school go up in order to pay for the free wifi for us. With different families and different situations, that extra money, even if it’s a $1, can make or break their budget.”

DIETS

DYING

Words | Paul Heggen Layout | Evan Newcomb

DOWN

T

he new year has come, and with it, a whole new batch of players from many different sports has arrived.

These student athletes will participate in their sports with their will and passion to achieve. For years, their coaches have advised them of the importance of maintaining their fitness and monitoring their diet throughout the season.

Many individuals believe that athlete’s diets are extreme, but that extremetity has seemed to waver in the past few years. There are specific diets that student athletes follow to ensure that they are at peak shape and performance when they compete.

The diets between the types of sports vary, but the overall goal stays the same. For cross country athletes, head coach Matt Jaschen gives a packet that includes specific eating guidlines. The runners are able to eat lean meat, protein, vegetables, meals that have extra iron, and are supposed to drink plenty of water.

Varsity wrestling head coach Aaron Tecklenburg helps control his wrestlers’ diets.

“We tell our guys to eat good food, real food and to control their portions,” Tecklenberg said. He explained that wrestlers should eat lean meats, fresh vegetables and fruits, with a splurge day here and there.

The standards are clear: get the athletes on good diets and have them maintain their diet through the season. The coaches know they to need to inform kids about the needed dietary standard in order to be successful.

Jaschen has even taken it a step farther. “We give packets to our runners at the beginning of the summer,” Jaschen said. The packet included all the essential info on how to lead a healthy runner’s diet.

Jaschen does not believe that there is an

“That’s the good thing for these athletes; they

extremity to the diets. “I wouldn’t call it an

understand what you have to do to keep your

extreme diet,” he said. “I’d call it a balanced

body in tip-top shape,” Tecklenberg said.

diet.”

Jaschen has experience when it comes to taking care of his runners. He understands the toll the sport has on a person’s body “Distance running is very much leading a disciplined lifestyle” said Jaschen.

Tecklenberg views on the subject are clear; he wants to make sure his wrestlers are eating right. However, when last-minute changes are needed, there are times when cutting their weight by not eating or even dehydrating themselves is the only option.

“Kids used to cut a lot more weight than they

This is not the case for everyone though.

“For kids who are losing weight, it’s not going to hurt them to eat healthy.”

- Aaron Tecklenburg

do now,” Tecklenberg said. “It’s a part of the

said.

The athletes determine how far to push themselves and have the potential to drive themselves as they choose. “I think it depends on the individual athlete,” said Jaschen.

Although, the diets do give them a head start for their sports. These sports do have some weight requirements. The players must constantly are checking their weight.

“It isn’t fun, but extreme is not eating at all,” Stahlblum said. “This keeps you alright.

Not super great, but it keeps you from being weak.” The overpowering diet is strict and it does have a downside, but all this is to keep the athletes at 100 percent.

The extremity of the diet does not seem as big as it once was with the practices of largely

sport that is still there but phasing out to a

Some put in the time and eat what is necessary

cutting weight reducing. Now, a majority of

certain degree. The diets themselves are fine.

to power through training. The constant

athletes compete with their natural weight.

It’s the last minute starving that the students

splurging catches up to people eventually.

The people are still healthy even though the

and teachers are seeing.”

“Certain foods affects athletes differently,”

diet is strict. The fact is that the extremity of

Tecklenberg said.

the diet is just exaggerated too much.

Rheiner Stahlbaum ‘19 is a wrestler for the varisty team and understands the guidelines

There is nothing against the occasional

set in place. “The truth is that some wrestlers

splurge of bad food. The diet is not that strict

will eat fatty, unhealthy food days before their

that the players are not able to eat comfort

tournament,” Stahlbaum said. Then, they will

food. As athletes, they are still allowed to

stop eating. The vast majority of these people

indulge in the occasional splurges. “It’s okay

have been in wrestling for quite some time.

to splurge now and again,” said Tecklenberg

Layout | Taylor Siebert & Morgan Lind

Photos | Caroline Christensen, Parker Anderson, Morgan Lind, Taylor Siebert, Sierrah Mangra-Dutcher, Cameron

DeRoos, Princess Pate, Madision Dunn, Brooklyn Dilley, & Andrew Maresca