People also ask teachers know best administrators know best governors know best parents know best
JANUARY 2023
VOLUME 31 ISSUE 3
Editor-in-Chief
Print Editor
Design Editor
News-brief Editor
Copy Editor
Sports Editor
Theron Luett
Catherine Reiher
Audrey Allen
Allie Christensen
Lily Fleming
John Kirkpatrick
Riley Babel
Anna Catlett
Giada Grimes
Sydney Hodges
Dory Holms
When Jay Rice ‘94 brainstormed the name of our paper in 1991, it was not because of the ink color. For the last 28 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.
Lauren Holm
Sidny Pohlman
Noah Traylor
Ike Venter
Words and Layout | Theron Luett
Cover | Audrey Allen
Cover Photos | Lauren Holm, Jaden
Anderson, Catherine Reiher, Jaden A, Giada Grimes, Jenna Westendorf, Jaden
A, Calvin Wolvers, Jenna W, Desiree
Gentry, Ana Dornes
Guest Writer- Anita Dinakar
Johnston has gone through a lot of controversial changes and decisions in the past couple of year. Throughout these decisions one voice stays strong: ours. From funding public schools and the need for an equity director, to new rules in the cafeteria, we as students are impacted most by the choices our district and government makes. Yet our voices struggle to be heard through the opinions of parents, teachers, governors, and board members. But we stay resilient, because in the end, we know best.
“Siddarth Rajkumar-1-1800” see pages 6/7 for more.News
4/5 Briefly
Features
6/7 1-1800-Siddarth Rajkumar
17 Lunch Staff
12/13 Athlete Hall of Fame
22/23 World According to Jauron
Opinions
10/11 Moving Backwards with Equity & Inclusion
14 Valentines Day Sucks
16 Cafeteria Jail
Editorial
8/9 Mother Knows Best
Arts and Entertainment
15 Relationship Playlist
18/19 Riley’s Reads
20/21 How Did COVID-19 Change Us?
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 materials, 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 jhsblackandwhite@gmail.com.
The boys bowling team just finished their season. Alex Kehoe bowled for the varsity team and he’s been playing since his sophomore year. His best score is 267. “I like the strategy, there are so many variables in bowling from
the way you throw it, where you throw it, different lane conditions,and the material of the bowling ball itself. It’s really satisfying to get the right combination and get a strike.” Kehoe ‘24 said.
The speech and debate team has found a lot of success this year, with speakers consistently placing in the top positions in competitions and debaters placing well too. “We’re having our best season yet,” debate captain Eshaan Chandani ‘24 states. The team has already won five separate championships this year. “My favorite thing about speech and debate is the collaboration aspect that Johnston has. As one school, even though we’re all com-
peting separately, we all work together to help each other grow. It’s super cool as a debate captain to see how our novices grow throughout the year and even looking back to see how far I’ve come.” Chandani said.
The science bowl team competed at Iowa State and played various rounds in pool play before advancing to the double elimination bracket. Essentially the team answers trivia questions on different science topics and gains points through answering correctly.
The top team gets to go to Washington D.C. “My favorite thing about science bowl is watching really good teams that have knowledge on a lot of really obscure things. It’s cool to see how much they know off the top of their head.” Sophie Ruddy ‘23 said.
Showzam took place on Friday, January 20th, and Saturday, January 21st. Showzam is an annual invitational show choir competition that Johnston hosts. It draws
talented show choirs from all over the midwest. “My favorite thing about showzam is getting to see all of the others schools and how they go about putting on their shows. It is also very fun to get dressed up and be with friends throughout the whole weekend,” Piper Wright ‘23 said.
Photo By: Lauren Holm
Across the United States millions of high school students approaching graduation have a busy schedule that includes the ACT, an entrance exam reflecting college readiness. First introduced by University of Iowa professor Everett Franklin in 1959, for 64 years students have taken the 36-point test. The odds of a perfect 36 score are increasing, but they are remarkably low even so. Each year, less than 0.5% test takers earn a 36. This year Siddarth Rajkumar ‘24 contributed to this impressive statistic, leaving the question, who is the kid behind the perfect score?
When Rajkumar was one year old, his family moved to America from India.
“I actually didn’t first settle in Iowa. We moved around until I was in 6th grade, so we settled in Iowa then, but my parents moved to America because my dad and my mom had a lot of student loans and they found a job opportunity to pay those off,” Rajkumar said.
Counting on his fingers he listed the states he has lived in: California, Texas, Minnesota, Kansas, Arkansas, Connecticut, North Carolina and as a 2nd and 3rd grader he lived in the Southern city of India, Chennai.
“That’s where my dad is from,” replied Rajkumar. “My mom kind of moved
around… She’s South Indian too, but I think she’s even further South.”
Looking back on memories, Rajkumar described schooling in India, “I’d say that, it was a lot stricter. So you have to memorize a lot more and the teachers are more— I don’t know, the culture is different.”
While Rajkumar hasn’t been to India in a while, he says he would like to visit the family he has there soon. At home, he speaks Tamil with his parents and has one older sister, Dhatchu, who’s in college and is someone he looks up to a lot, “She really taught me how to deal with people … Just like how to treat people with respect and respect each other’s differences,” said Rajkumar.
Rajkumar is currently taking French three in addition to speaking English and Tamil. Outside of Rajkumar’s full schedule of classes, he has been involved in the Technology Student Association (TSA) since last year, “which is like the big one,” he said. He also swims for Johnston and
plays a handful of instruments including the flute for concert band, synth in marching band, and piano in jazz band. The backstories of his chosen instruments are quite simple.
“Why do I play the flute? I mean, it was just the first thing that occurred to me, and I wasn’t bad at it, so that’s why I chose to do it. The piano, I mean, I was four when I started, so I didn’t really have much choice,” Rajkumar explained.
Similar pressure from Rajkumar’s parents have made quite the impact in his life; after earning a 34 on his second go at the ACT, he was satisfied, but his parents urged him to reach his full potential.
“I took the ACT thrice … I took it once my freshman year and once my sophomore year. So I got a 34 my second time, and I was happy with that, but my parents thought I could do better,” he stated.
In addition to the encouragement of his family, discipline was key to his success, taking lots of time to study, and a website of official practice tests, “Crack ACT”. For
From sophomore to senior, one student was randomly selected to tell their story.Photo by Karthika Rajkumar
less expensive ACT practice prep, Rajkumar bought used practice books from ThriftBooks, as well as borrowed prep books from the library. The time frame of his practice consisted of
“Like two or three hours a day, so quite a bit … for about two or three months,” said Rajkumar.
Despite his achievement on the entrance exam, he recognizes the flaws of standardized tests in college admissions,
“To be honest, I think there is a lot of inequality because practice materials for those tests can be pretty expensive,” Rajkumar acknowledges. “It’s really unfair to people who can’t afford those kinds of courses because the people who do have more money get the higher score because they have those materials. And that gives them access to better education, so it’s just an unfair system.”
Nonetheless, undoubtedly Rajkumar’s dedication and hard work will open significant opportunities in the college admissions process, a process Rajkumar is not yet immersed in as a junior, “I mean, I’ve had a lot of discussions about what I want to do for a career and like what colleges I want to go to. But as of now, I’m not sure, like I’m thinking
about biology or engineering,” he reflected.
Through the momentary uncertainty of future plans, on the question of a dream job he pondered,
“A dream job… I don’t know, I think researching biology would be really fun.”
While navigating junior year and fathoming what life will look like post graduation, in the meantime Rajkumar enjoys reading and, more recently, creative writing in his free time. He remarked,
"Well, I’ve been trying to get started with creative writing. I also read a lot, so that’s good. … I really like Game of
Thrones, so more into the fantasy kind of stuff.”
Rajkumar may be that rare one out of 200 ACT takers that gets the perfect score, but in many respects he’s the typical Johnston teen. The future is bright for Rajkumar, but next year will be filled with the ordinary trappings of a high school senior; music, band, swimming, TSA and college visits.
Photo by Rajkumar Subramania Photo by Chris Pose“To be honest, I think there is a lot of inequality because practice materials for those tests can be pretty expensive,”
- Siddarth Rajkumar
Education is currently a topic of great debate. Bills are being passed in several states across the country about what can be taught, what books can be read, and how schools should address topics like race and sexual identity. Iowa is no different, and now even public school funding is on the chopping block. On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Iowa Congress passed the ‘School Choice’ bill. Through education savings accounts, public school funding will be available to students attending private schools. Gov. Kim Reynolds put this bill on the top of her agenda after it failed to pass last May among other education bills. Reynolds called upon lawmakers during her condition of the state to make this bill a priority.
Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, families up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible to receive $7,598. As a roll-out program for the 2024-2025 school year, the eligibility requirements will change to up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level and for the 2025-2026 school year, all students will be eligible regardless of income. Money in education saving accounts will be available to students until they graduate from high school or turn twenty-one years old whichever occurs first, money in these accounts can be put towards tuition at accredited private schools, books, testing and tutoring.
Most private high schools in the Des Moines metro have tuition rates exceeding $7,598, for 9–12 graders, namely Dowling Catholic High School, Des Moines Christian School, Grandview Christian School and Ankeny Christian Academy. Tuition rates for Kindergarten through Eighth Graders and for smaller
private schools tends to be lower than the allotted $7,598 which would allow for money to accumulate in education saving accounts for other uses like testing fees and tutoring. This could put public high school students at a disadvantage regarding college entrance exams and extra assistance. Currently, students who qualify for free and reduced lunch can receive fee vouchers to take the ACT or SAT. Education saving accounts would allow students regardless of income to take entrance exams for free by utilizing funds while public
accounts in Iowa effectively puts public school students at a disadvantage when it comes to paying for entrance exams.
Waverly Zhao ’23 is a House page and was present during the debate and vote on HF 68. “I felt lucky to be in the room while they debated, having a front row seat to the action, but it is also discouraging. I did not want the voucher bill to pass, but I already knew where the votes were from being present for the entire legislative process. It is hard to see something you feel so passionate about pass without you being able to speak on it, but this experience has already helped me learn more and more about state and federal issues,” Zhao said.
“The whole process was emotionally and mentally draining for everyone there, and the day after felt off because of how much of a hold this issue had on the entire legislature.”
The introduction of education saving
The bill was passed by republican majorities in the House and Senate. In the House, the bill passed 55-45 and in the Senate, the bill passed 31-18. The Johnston Community School District (JCSD) is represented in the Iowa House by Eddie Andrews (aye), Sean Bagniewski (nay), John Forbes (nay), Dan Gehlbach (aye) and Brian K. Lohse (nay), and in the Iowa Senate by Janet Petersen (nay), Jack Whitver (aye) and Brad Zaun (aye). Last February, the Johnston School Board passed a resolution publicly to oppose what was then SSB 3080. Yet, 4/8 congressmen and women that represent JCSD voted for the bill. Displaying a disconnect between our representatives in the Iowa Congress and the majority opinion of the constituents they represent. Education should not be inherently political, but only one representative
“The whole process was emotionally and mentally draining for everyone there, and the day after felt off because of how much of a hold this issue had on the entire legislature.”
-Waverly Zhao ‘23 school students who do not qualify for free or reduced lunch would still have to pay out of pocket. Beginning with the lack of testing availability for students during the pandemic many colleges have continued to be test-optional as they understand the economic disadvantages students face with the abundance of costs associated with entrance exams: tutoring, practice materials, and score sends.
who represents Johnston students voted in opposition of their party, Rep. Brian K. Lohse, a republican, voted against HF 68.
From a national perspective, the ‘School Choice’ bill will make Iowa among other states a testing ground for education saving accounts and the use of state funding and taxpayer dollars for private school students. In the coming years, data will be collected on transfer rates, graduation rates, state testing, college acceptance and the closure and openings of private and public schools to see if the education saving accounts are benefiting students. This is not the first time that state funding has been available to private school students. As public schools became desegregated in the south, private school enrollment increased rapidly. Many private schools at this time were still segregated and in an effort to block the desegregation of schools states passed laws that allowed for public funding to finance private schools. In 1961, Georgia passed a law that provided scholarships and grants to students attending non-religious private schools as a means to keep segregated schools. Similar bills were passed in surrounding states though they were abandoned or invalidated shortly after by the courts and as discreet ways to disrupt desegregation. The history of efforts to divert public funds to private schools is troubling. In a growing divided political environment, education savings accounts could be seen as a means for parents to separate their children from children with other beliefs or religions.
While some Iowa lawmakers were concerned about whether the bill would actually benefit students, the main concern among most is what the bill might do to rural and under-performing school districts in Iowa. JCSD is a very large district and while over 500 students within the boundaries enroll at other institutions, Johnston also has over 500 transfer students and should not be hurt financially by the change. Other schools in Iowa may not be as lucky and could be impacted by the bill so severely that they have to close. If there are concerns about students being
“forced” to attend under-performing or underfunded public schools because of where they live or their parents’ income, the solution should not be to divert money from these districts to strengthen private schools. The best thing a state government can do to insure student success is to promote strong public schools where students can receive a quality education that will challenge them, allow them to be exposed to possible professions and ideas, and give them the skills they need to be productive citizens. The ‘School Choice’ bill does not accomplish that, and $1,205 does not adequately supplement the funding that will be lost at these schools.
HF 68 has had a lot of names: school vouchers bill, education savings account bill, school choice bill and now the Students First Act. The newest name is almost a paradox, this act does nothing to put students first. Instead, it will remove funding from districts that are already struggling and leave the students there with fewer opportunities and resources. Yes, the bill gives parents more freedom to choose where their children will attend school, but what if students do not want to attend a private school or do not have access to one because of where they live? The bill allows parents to utilize the $7,598 toward educational expenses, but there is also concern for fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars. The Students First Act will mostly benefit students already attending private schools, serving as a tax cut for those wealthy enough to afford private schooling.
The most alarming part of the current conversations and debates on education is that they are all happening by adults who believe that they know what is best for students. In so few of these conversations are students given the opportunity to voice their opinion and if they can voice their opinions, those opinions are often weighted unequally or disregarded. Students are primary stakeholders in their education. While the ‘Students First Act’ has been passed many other issues relating to education remain, and every person responsible for decisions in the education system should ask
themselves if they are really always advocating for what is best for the majority of students, or simply agreeing with the pack to gain approval from voters. Yes, taxpayers fund the schools, and parents more often than not want what is best for their children, but students often know what would be most beneficial for themselves and need to be included in these conversations and decisions too. Advocate for K-12 students because they cannot advocate for themselves in the democratic process.
Yearly tution rates at private schools in the Des Moines Metro Area. All tution rates are for the 2022-2023 school year and reflect the highest tution at the applicable instatutions.One image of the Johnston Community School District website’s homepage proudly showcases 30 silhouettes of students in various skin tones underneath the words “Moving forward with equity and inclusion.” However, the district’s actions and student experiences tell a different story about equity and inclusion in Johnston.
After serving as the Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging for a little over one year, Louis Fountain announced his resignation from the position in August 2022. On February 6, 2023, the school board voted against keeping the position. Students are feeling the loss of Fountain, but the district must address the structural issues that led to his departure before bringing the position back.
As school board members continue to argue over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, it is easy to forget about the students who suffer the consequences of the school’s failures in equity.
“I feel like there are some people who are just unfair to others just because they don’t view them as equal to themselves…. We don’t talk about [equity] a lot, people just kind of set it aside or don’t talk about it as much…” Eliana Elizondo 23’ said.
Racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, misogyny, and many other types of discrimination create barriers and make school less welcoming for minority students.
“I noticed that my friend, he sometimes gets judged by who he is because he likes boys. I get judged by who I am because I like females. Just because I like females, or he likes boys doesn’t mean anything. Just because I’m Black and he’s white does not mean anything, none of that matters,” Saleena Goldman 25’ said.
Johnston students feel even more unsafe at school when prejudice escalates to threats and harassment. A parent spoke about targeted threats at a school board meeting when the equity director position was first being reconsidered.
“My child who attends sixth grade at Summit Middle School was threatened by a student who said, ‘If I had a gun and a bullet, I’d shoot you,’ which was overheard by a staff member. Another student at Summit said he will beat up anyone who is LGBTQ+ … Threats against minority students are prevalent and need to be addressed,” Temeshia Bomato, a Johnston parent, said.
The Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging used to address incidents between students and general inequities in the school system.“The DEI director was the sole advocate in place to address these instances and mitigate their occurrences. Minority students experiencing a hostile learning environment lost the one voice they had in this district and the school board is failing them by choosing not to provide for this role,” Bomato said.
One area that could be improved with the help of an equity director is some teachers’ biases against certain students.
“I feel like they’re pretty good at [treating students equitably]. Sometimes I feel like some people have a stereotypical mind when they’re like, ‘Oh you’re not gonna be good,’ but they’re surprised when you actually are,” Hailey Akinsola 23’ said.
Without a well-supported Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, the work needed to prevent minority students from being attacked and simply having an equal environment for learning is left undone.
While students lost a great advocate in Fountain, the school district never took the role of Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging seriously even when they had the position. Johnston featured Fountain on the front page of the district website for months, with his name misspelled. The district also failed to understand the realities of the issues equity directors are tasked with addressing, and did not provide the necessary resources, support, and trust to execute the job.
An equity director can not be very effective if the position is intended to be just for show. The district wasn’t truly on board with the last equity director and needs to fully support the position with the weight of the institution to live up to its promise of providing an equitable education.
“There is a lot of work that needs to be done in order for that person, a DEI director, to come into this district and be effective…. I don’t think at this moment that we should bring in a DEI director because the infrastructure that needs to support that director is not there…. But I want a commitment from this board that we are moving in that direction,” school board member Soneeta Mangra-Dutcher said.
The board has discussed doing a climate survey and an equity audit as steps to take before hiring an equity director. However, it is highly unlikely that these steps will be taken and executed properly,
as some school board members remain opposed.
“I don’t know what equity is, it’s an undefinable term…. A culture survey, perhaps. The only questionnaires that we were given as examples were clearly
tation issues and financial issues are absolutely problems in Johnston and an important part of equity work. However, there are already administrative departments that specialize in these areas. Racial issues are no longer being addressed by a qualified administrator.
An equity director can’t fully address all of these types of equity issues if they are not given the proper resources in the first place. According to the district organizational chart, the Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging was the only administrative position without any support staff. Johnston isn’t alone in having structural issues with diversity positions.
designed to paint some type of agenda that may or may not exist. ‘Have you ever felt uncomfortable at school? Have you ever felt threatened? Was there a time you [...]’ and all of those were negative,” school board member Clint Evans said at the school board meeting.
Being serious about equity means asking questions about difficult topics, even if they are negative. Discrimination in education isn’t going to be solved by only talking about the positives. The only way to reveal the existence and extent of equity issues is by conducting a thorough survey.
Another school board member criticized DEI director positions for only dealing with racial issues.
“It’s shallow, and it’s about skin color… I will never, ever vote for anything in favor of a DEI director until my four years are up, and I’m out of here. Ever. And so, if we could say that we hire a DEI director, and they’re gonna talk about kids that need help getting on a school bus, ‘cause they’re having problems paying for school lunch and that they have a financial issue …. I did see the trainings that were being designed … and it didn’t have anything to do with that as far as I saw,” Derek Tidball said.
Transpor-
According to the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 55% of Chief Diversity Officers at colleges said their roles were not optimally structured, and 93% of them said that diversity infrastructure on their campuses needed to change.
Equity directors are set up to fail, let alone capable of addressing longstanding educational inequalities, without the support and cooperation of students, teachers, parents, and most importantly, other school administrators and the school board.
“Without a director in the equity space, without teachers and staff, and even the school board learning about their own unconscious biases, without addressing any of this, our district will continue to struggle. Our students will struggle,” parent Beth Arnold said.
You can encourage the district to start taking equity seriously and do the work to support a future equity director by contacting members of the school board. Students can also vote or spread awareness about school board elections in November.
“Without a director in the equity space, without addressing any of this, our district will continuously struggle. Our students will struggle.”-Beth Arnold
the situation in which everyone is treated fairly according to their needs and no group of people is given special treatment
If you take a walk along the indoor track in the JHS gym, the words Hall of Fame in purple and gold stand out amongst the slate gray of the track and walls. The large glass display holds the records of Johnston’s greatest athletes. The words state champion, record holder, and all-state read across many of the plaques that memorialize the illustrious careers of these athletes.
One athlete, in particular, has climbed the sports ranks ladder from high school, and college, to now playing professionally. Peyton Williams ‘19, left a legacy of achievement behind at Johnston and has faced every challenge that has been thrown his way.
“I started playing baseball when I was about five or six years old, and I had to play with older kids because there wasn’t a league for my age,” Williams said.
Williams never let the challenge of facing older kids intimidate him. If Williams had stopped there, he might have never become the competitor that he is today.
During Williams’ sophomore season, he helped the Johnston baseball team win the 2017 class 4A state championship. That team won 41 games with Williams acting as a major contributor to their success. Williams credits the state championship as one of the high points of his career.
“High points include winning the state championship, signing at Iowa, and getting drafted,” Williams exclaimed.
While playing for Johnston, Williams racked up numerous individual and team
accomplishments. As a senior at Johnston, Williams was named Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year and Iowa Prep Baseball Report Player of the Year. Williams became only the sixth player in 4A history to get 200 career hits. He also holds single-season records at Johnston for home runs, doubles, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Williams holds career school records in at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and RBIs.
On top of his laundry list of achievements, he also found time to be a multisport athlete. He split his time playing football and basketball alongside baseball.
“I played football and basketball because they helped at developing skills that baseball doesn’t develop as much. I also knew that I wasn’t going to play them after high school, so I wanted to get as much time out of them as I could,” Williams said.
While Williams never considered playing football and basketball after high school, there was a time when Williams also didn’t consider the possibility of playing baseball at the collegiate level. It wasn’t until after his freshman season that the thought of playing D1 could become a reality.
A story of just one of Johnston’s greatest athletes, and his iconic career he went on to make
“Johnston was the best place for me to be because the coaches gave me a chance as a freshman and they are the closest thing to a college program. It also had the teammates and coaches to push me to my very best.” Williams said.Photo by: Juliia Merrit
“…After my freshman season, I was invited to play in a showcase that was meant for guys that are going to play college. I think that was when I knew I could play [baseball] after high school.” Williams said.
After Williams graduated from Johnston, he played D1 baseball for the University of Iowa. When asked why Williams chose to play for the Hawkeyes it came down to the dream every athlete has of playing for their favorite team.
“I chose Iowa because I was an Iowa fan my whole life and I would have been going there if I didn’t play baseball.”
Williams spent three productive seasons at Iowa. During his time there he was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2022, he became the first Iowa baseball player to hit for the cycle since 2018, totaled 21 home runs and 84 RBI for his career at Iowa, and finished his career with a .317 batting average.
After his third season at Iowa, Williams was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft. He currently plays for the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.
“As of now, I am in Florida for early camp working out before spring training.”
While Williams prepares in Florida for spring training he often sees similarities between the practices he had at Johnston and the ones he takes part in now.
“I would say these practices are close to what [Coach] Barta had me doing in high school.”
Even though Williams has moved to the new challenges that the Minor Leagues bring, he still looks back on his time spent at Johnston as the best place for his baseball skills and career to grow.
“The coaches gave me a chance as a freshman and they are the closest thing to a college program. It also had the teammates and coaches to push me to my very best.”
Williams cites his biggest inspiration as his family, friends, coaches, and teammates who he says believed in him and were always looking to see the best in him.
“They pushed me to where I am and they believe in me more than I sometimes do.”
Alongside his family and friends, Williams credits Coach Barta as another person he’s drawn inspiration from. And Williams attributes the successes he’s had to the teaching he received from Coach Barta.
“Coach Barta is who started my transformation from a scrawny freshman to the power hitter I am today. He made practice harder than I ever had and showed what it truly meant to practice harder than you play,” Williams said.
While Williams has gone farther than most in their athletic careers, he says he still experiences doubt, just like every athlete. However, Williams hasn’t let the doubts stop him from reaching the next level.
“...You just have to understand that you are in the position you are in [today] because someone believed in you and wanted you there.”
Whatever the future holds for Williams, he’s ready for the challenges that come along with it. The doubts he may have, the injuries he may face, or any other hurdles that life throws his way, Williams won’t let them stop him from achieving his dream of playing Major League Baseball.
Words| John Kirkpatrick Layout| Lauren Holm
Valentine’s day is a day dedicated to showing admiration for your loved ones. That is what it is supposed to be, at least, but this holiday is poorly executed. Whether it be the extremely materialistic values or the effects it has on people’s mental health, Valentine’s Day sucks.
The holiday started out well intended; a holiday to celebrate love and those closest to us. Though the day became extremely commercialized, it is just another holiday to buy and expect gifts, or to put relationships on display for social media followers. It switched from appreciating who we have to what we can gain.
“I think that the actual holiday itself is like a cute idea, but I think it’s a little materialistic now. I think it started out as like a cute day about love and stuff, and now it’s more about like getting thing,” said Grace Black, ‘24
Every February, without fail, stores fill their isles with the same overpriced flowers, chocolates, and stuffed animals.
“I feel like it’s the same thing every year. I feel like people capitalize on it a lot, like $15 for four chocolates. It makes big bank for what it is,” stated Riley Dorau, 23’.
Valentine’s Day may be bad today, but its origins are not great either. There are many different stories of how the holiday came to be, and none are completely certain. Many of these stories stem from
violent or sexist traditions. The holiday started in ancient Rome, celebrating Saint Valentine. According to NPR, it is said the original Roman celebrations included sacrificing a goat and dog then used their hides to whip women. This raises the question, is Valentine’s Day still sexist today?
single folks.
“I am indifferent towards it, I’m not bitter but, I don’t think anything of it. There’s not much for me to do, it’s not a holiday meant for me,” the single Oliver Vegara ‘25 said.
According to the Hindustan Times, a person’s mental health can be negatively impacted by this holiday. When seeing things all over social media, it can be easy to feel excluded from the celebration.
“I definitely feel like people post a lot on social media about like ‘oh my boyfriend got me this, girlfriend got me that’ and at school. I feel like people who are single or don’t have many friends kind of take that like not very well. I wish somebody would get something for me or like the Valentine’s Day grams I wish somebody thought of me for that,” stated Dorau.
A day that is meant to celebrate love should be inclusive to all people. Valentine’s Day would be a better holiday if it was geared towards embracing the love for family and friends, along with significant others. Taking the day to spend with loved ones without the materialistic pressure of giving and receiving gifts.
“Everything is always, ‘oh, the dude has to ask you to be his valentine, you can’t ask him.’ And then, the man is supposed to bring you flowers and not the women and like he is supposed to buy you jewelry and stuff. Which I think is a little weird, because like yeah, the man provides for everything,” Black said.
Some people believe that gift giving on Valentine’s Day is one-sided.
“I feel like it can be very controversial. I mean, I feel like girls expect guys to get them something, but I also feel like guys should deserve to get something too,” said Dorau.
Traditionally the holiday is celebrated by couples, but a day about love should be accessible for everyone, including the
In the end, Valentine’s day is a holiday that serves the opposite of its purpose. It has a negative impact on many and is just another excuse to sell overpriced candy. Basically what it comes down to is, Valentine’s day sucks.
“I feel like it’s the same thing every year. I feel like people capitalize on it a lot, like $15 for four chocolates. It makes big bank for what it is,”
-Riley Dorau, 23’.
Side A:
I Know It’s Over -The Smiths
Before He Cheats -Carrie Underwood
Shampoo Bottles -Peach Pit
Somebody Else -The 1975
Kill Bill -SZA
The Cut That Always Bleeds -Conan
Gray
ceilings -Lizzy McAlpine
Bloodshot -Julien Baker
Side B:
Don’t Know to Keep Loving You -Julia Jacklin
Moon Song -Phoebe Bridgers
A House in Nebraska -Ethel Cain
Connect the Dots -Greer
The Exit -Conan Gray
Regret Me -Daisy Jones and the Six Night Shift -Lucy Dacus
Emily I’m Sorry -boygenius
Happiness -Taylor Swift
Side A:
Sidelines -Phoebe Bridgers
Daydream -Luna Luna
It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With you) -The 1975
Stone In Love -Journey
Silk Chiffon (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
-MUNA
Open Arms -Journey
About You -The 1975
Kilby Girl -The Backseat Lovers
Side B:
First Day of My Life -Bright Eyes
Don’t Delete the Kisses -Wolf Alice
Friday I’m in Love -The Cure
Almost (Sweet Music) -Hozier
Love My Way -The Psychedelic Furs
Jackie and Wilson -Hozier
We Fell in Love in October -girl in red
Hands Down -The Greeting Committee
Lover -Taylor Swift
Words and Layout | Giada GrimesJHS Black & White would like to thank our lunch staff for all the hard work they do. Without fail, everyday, they prepare and deliver tasty, nutritious meals to all 1800 students at JHS. Thank you! -JHS B&W
Debbie Hanauer has been putting out meals for students at JHS since 2009. Hanauer’s favorite meal to cook is any type of pasta.
“Pasta with all different kinds of sauces. Alfredo, goulash, any of them, any different ones. Deer meat, sausage, hamburger,” Hanauer said.
So, it is no surprise that her favorite day at JHS is pasta day, especially if tetrazzini is on the menu. She enjoys talking to students from behind the counter at A la carte and passing out fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
Hanauer also has a love for animals and nature. When asked what her favorite animal was, Hanauer said, “I have too many. I like all of them. At the zoo, a giraffe!”
Hanauer likes to take it easy when she is off the clock.
“I like to fish. Take my dog out to the farm and fish the farm ponds,” Hanauer said.
Boe Stoebner supervises the kitchen at JHS. He has looked over the cafeteria since 2006. When Stoebner isn’t at JHS he likes to be outdoors.
“I like to run, bike, hike and adventure,” Stoebner said. Stoebner is the adventurous type, even going so far to step out of societal norms in his personal kitchen.
“I like to make breakfast for dinner. Bacon and waffles is probably my favorite meal to make,” Stoebner said.
His favorite meal to prepare and serve to students are dumplings and when asked about his favorite part of being on the lunch team, Stoebner replied, “You guys! [Students] You just keep a youthful energy in the building that I really appreciate. I came from the restaurant industry where I served private members and to private clubs. Long story short it’s a different kind of atmosphere. I like the lively atmosphere that you guys provide.”
Liz Meeley has been dishing out food at JHS for three years. In her free time she likes reading, cooking, walking her dog and making Mexican food for her family.
“I love nachos. I would eat nachos like five days out of the week, but my sons prefer burritos and they love breakfast burritos,” Meeley said.
She has two cats, a dog and four chickens. In the cafeteria, however, she loves serving students new foods.
“It’s always fun to serve [students] something new because then you have to kinda have to gauge; are they gonna enjoy it? Are they not?... I just like them to enjoy what they’re eating,” Meeley said. Meeley’s favorite thing to make for students are salads. The kitchen is always getting fresh ingredients to throw together to make a plethora of healthy options for students to enjoy.
Kevin Lone is the new guy in the kitchen. He enjoys working out, specifically running and biking. Lone’s favorite meals to make at home come from the grill and when he is on the job he likes helping students make walking tacos. Lone likes to stay busy both on and off the job.
“I like to do home improvement projects. I’m kind of handy,” Lone said. When asked why he decided to come to JHS, Lone replied, “I grew up in the restaurant industry. My parents owned a restaurant so I just, was looking for a job in school lunch because my dad does that also. Just looked around and this is one I found that I thought I’d like the most.”
Shawna Heathcote has been serving up lunch to students since 2003. At home, her favorite meal to make is lasagna and she loves being outdoors.
“I like to camp and fish and go four-wheeling. We [Lunch staff] are outdoorsy people,” Heathcote said.
Heathcote is excited to serve students tetrazzini, a new pasta dish in the kitchen. Heathcote loves meeting and conversing with new students.
“I’m very outgoing, so I like to talk to the kids and I want them to feel comfortable coming to me,” Heathcote said.
Words | Ike Venter Layout | Noah Traylor
Changes in cafeteria monitoring have students asking, ‘are we students or criminals?’
The bell rings. Students file out of class, conjugating in the center of the schools with empty stomachs, ready to eat. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors alike gather with their friends to eat, socialize, and take a break from classes. Many leave the school to go home or get something else to eat, but hundreds of students remain to partake in the school cafeteria’s cuisine. Not only is it a cheaper option to remain in the cafeteria and eat school food or a lunch from home, but for sophomores and many students without a car, it’s the only option. Many students find solace in the school cafeteria, whether it’s getting to see their friends or eating food that they enjoy most, lunch is often the most carefree part of a student’s day. At least, it used to be.
Barriers went up, guards taking their post at every exit. No one goes in, no one comes out. Due to “issues” with students coming and going from the cafeteria during their lunch period, the staff is locking down. What once was a safe haven is now a bunker, a prison for those thirty minutes of free time. The word “free” is
used very loosely.
Vivian Moss ‘24 has something to say about the new policies. “I think it’s dumb,” Moss said. “They’re taking away our freedom a little bit each time. Now you’re not allowed to leave the lunchroom if you step foot in it. Next thing you know they’re gonna lock up the bathrooms and tell us we can’t go to the bathroom anymore because a couple of kids are misbehaving.”
Moss has had her own issues with the new system. One day, things got especially out of hand.
“I was walking through the cafeteria to go talk to my friends and I wasn’t eating food, I didn’t even have a lunch with me,” she explained.
But when she went to leave, one of the cafeteria monitors stopped her.
“The teacher put her hand right out in front of me and was like ‘You can’t leave, you’re not supposed to leave, I cannot let you go.’”
When Moss explained that she wasn’t eating lunch and was on her way to go talk to a teacher, the monitor stood her ground, insisting that she wasn’t allowed to leave
and was breaking the rules. Eventually, Moss walked away anyway, but the lunchroom monitor pursued her.
“She pretty much left where she was to come follow me and yell at me. And then, she went on her weird walky-talky thing and said, and I quote, ‘There’s a runaway child!’” Moss was fed up. “I went back and I yelled, ‘Just so you know, you just left where you’re supposed to be standing, now a whole bunch of kids probably left the cafeteria.’”
Eventually, the lunchroom monitor returned to her post and told Moss that she was going to email her mom, which she did not do.
Moss adds, “I think it’s dumb and I’ve been stopped from going to the bathroom in the cafeteria because my class was right next to it and it was the nearest bathroom. I went into the bathroom and they stopped me and asked where I was supposed to be. They were like ‘Don’t come through this way again.’ When I asked why, they just said ‘Because there’s lunch going on.’”
Words and Layout | Riley BabelWords | Riley Babel
Layout | Allie Christensen
Reminiscent of the Hallmark channel in both storytelling and quality, Delilah Green Doesn’t Care follows woman A (whose name I can’t remember) and Delilah Green (whose name I only remember because it’s in the title of the book) and their fast-burning romance after Delilah returns to her hometown for her sister’s wedding and runs into woman A at a bar.
Woman A is good friends with Delilah’s sister and went to high school with both of them, but doesn’t recognize Delilah. Woman A has a daughter and an ex-husband, both excruciatingly irritating, who
by Sally ThorneThe Hating Game by Sally Thorne is perhaps the most exquisitely named romantic comedy ever created, for exactly one reason: I hated it. Lucy Hutton, our main character and socalled “protagonist” works at a publishing company where she specializes in being a pushover and reminding every person who she crosses paths with that she is five feet tall. Joshua Templeman, often confused with a stale piece of bread, specializes in pretending to hate Lucy and being a stick in the mud. When the two insanely attractive young people who absolutely
serve no purpose but making Delilah look really cool and making everything more difficult for the main characters.
As the title subtly suggests, Delilah Green doesn’t care about anything. Or does she? She does. Of course, woman A softens her cold, uncaring heart, and they live happily ever after. Or so I would assume, as I do not hate myself enough to read the sequel and find out.
despise each other are up for the same promotion, antics ensue.
To absolutely no one’s surprise, they simply can’t help but fall for each other. Shocking. This book is riddled with bad jokes, awkward interactions, second-hand embarrassment, and borderline gross romantic scenes. The easiest one star rating I’ve ever given a book.
“The Hating Game”
Not that long ago, in a galaxy not that far away, set against the backdrop of a biochemical graduate program at a prestigious university, Adam (Driver?), a professor, and Olive, a graduate student, cross paths in a very unique and questionable way (Olive kisses him without his consent randomly in the middle of a hallway with no warning).
Naturally, this means our two leads must enter a false relationship to trick Olive’s friends and Adam’s coworkers that they are hopelessly in love with each other, despite the fact that they—sort of—hate each other. Or do they?
In case the cover of the book, the names of the characters, and my cleverly worded introduction didn’t give it away, The Love
Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is possibly the most famous published Star Wars fanfiction yet. The characters, inspired by Kylo Ren and Rey from the most recent addition to the Skywalker saga. Instead of delving into the world of lightsabers and the Force, I’ll give you the short version: this book actually wasn’t that bad.
As juvenile as the story and the characters were, I actually managed to have a fun time reading it and found myself intrigued by both the main couple and the side characters. Though I’m not usually a fan of fake dating, this was done well enough—or horribly enough—that it was still enjoyable. A very surprising three stars.
This book drove me crazy.
“She Drives Me Crazy” by Kelly Quindlen
“The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood
“Mistakes Were Made” by Meryl Wilsner
Words and Layout | Audrey Allen
Amongst the noisy hallways as students work their way to their next class, one voice stands out. Every day, students passing through the yellow downstairs hall are sure to run into Jason Jauron, or at least hear his encouraging yells towards students to “Get to class and have a great day!”
Jauron’s plan wasn’t always to be a teacher, he wanted to be a state patrol officer just like his dad. As he grew older his dad pushed him away from law enforcement and he decided to get a degree in business. It wasn’t until years later that he went back to school to become a teacher.
“When I tried to get into law enforcement, initially I thought it would be like my dad’s lifestyle. I like the fact that you know my dad was brave. I like the fact that my dad respected the laws, and he would stand up for them, but in business classes, I realized that wasn’t necessarily my personality, so I veered off and got a degree in business,” Jauron said.
After six years of working in business, his future wife told him to go back to school and become a teacher. Jauron has now been teaching for 23 years, and he is right where he wants to be with his career. One thing Jauron would like to do with his career is being able to take students to experience the world, “Well it would be
nice if in the summer I could take a group of students to different parts of the world not necessarily Europe and you know to take a hundred juniors over to Africa and spend a month trying to help out a village in some way and also experiencing the different climate the different cultures. I think that it would be beneficial to Americans to spend time outside America to see how other people live,” Jauron said.
“Well I think probably right now in the current environment probably the most difficult thing is just trying to motivate and engage students. And what that means is ever since kids have been allowed to bring in a cell phone, it’s harder and harder for me. It is way more difficult to get their attention and say listen to the story, draw into it.”
Despite the challenges of teaching today, Jauron has managed to remain positive.
“No, because I first became a teacher for the material. I love my material and then before I was a teacher I was a coach and as a coach, I realized I can motivate teenagers and this is the age group I’d like to work with. And so you need a challenge and my teaching is divided into the age before cell phones and the age after, and I’ve adapted, but you’ve got to be creative and win the kids over,” Jauron said.
Jauron loves the material he teaches, but out of the seven different classes he has taught throughout his career, psychology has been his favorite.
“Well, I like them all. I would definitely say I remember psychology fondly because it was an elective and the content is just great. I found that psychology just drew the kids in so easily, I didn’t have to work hard at all,” Jauron said.
World history is another one of Jauron’s favorite classes that he has taught.
“... I think world history because I spent the first 17 years of my career in this district seemingly teaching world history, and believe it or not I got to where I looked forward to seeing them sophomores and bringing that curriculum alive and so it’s been a good time,” Jauron said.
After 23 years of teaching, Jauron had some advice for prospective teachers.
“If you want to be a teacher, I think you have to know your material. So my advice is to get a master’s degree, in other words, take enough classes that you truly know the material,” Jauron said, “My other bit of advice is besides student teaching volunteer and try to put yourself around teenagers as much as you can even if it’s like the Iowa games or some type of event because you have to find out, can I be around these people eight hours a day and
So. Kids. You want to be happy? Here ya go.
- You want to be happy for an hour?
-You want to be happy for a day?
-You want to be happy for a week?
You want to be happy for a year?
You want to be happy for a lifetime?
Eat @ The Olive Garden
Shop @ The Mall of America
Go on a cruise
Win the lottery
Earn an “A” in Mr. Jauron’s History
do I have the personality, the backbone, do I have the perseverance to continue to work with them cause as soon as a teenager tells me to go fly a kite or just walks off how do I handle that, and that’s why I think teachers gravitate towards elementary or middle school or high school. But you’ve got to put yourself around them for a long time.” Jauron said.
Outside of teaching, Jauron has many fun hobbies he does in his free time, such as going biking with his wife, going on nature walks, and taking his kids fishing. He has taken his kids fishing so many times they now have an annual fishing competition,
“The Bass Master Classic.”
“I’m big on getting out and making sure that me, my wife, and my kids have a connection to nature and for whatever reason, I just got a family that bought into that,” Jauron said.
He also enjoys playing in his summer tennis league with his friends, “I am friends with some Simpson professors in Indianola, and we have a little summer tennis league we do so it’s always nice to drag my family to watch me get beat.” Jauron stated.
For a long time, he participated in the Iowa games doing tennis doubles with his son. He loves being outside with his family because he spends enough time inside with other people’s kids.
“Well I’m the best dad ever and that’s my greatest accomplishment and underneath there I think I’m a pretty good husband.”
Jauron’s greatest accomplishments aren’t at work. They are with his family.
“But really in my life when I look at accomplishments it’s at home because again teaching what I do it’s not who I am. But
I’m pretty good at teaching. But you know that’s not hopefully how I get remembered with my family.”
One event in Jauron’s life that has changed the way he goes about his day-today life was his father’s passing.
“Recently when my father passed and that reminded me of my mortality and it also reminded me to be a little more grateful in the daily experience because I like to get wound up, I have high expectations, I want the kids to be successful but we tow a tough line and sometimes I don’t know if the kids realize how happy I am when I do that. So since my dad passed I need to
they built these things and how they’ve stood the test of time and how the people cherish these things. It just reminds me that we do spend a lot of time in this country focused on careers and money and in other places they are a little more community and socially oriented. Because I think the first time we went to Europe my wife and I was in ‘99 and as Americans, breakfast takes four minutes, lunch takes 11 and dinner takes about 15 and in Europe these are events and there are protocols and you visit you talk and my wife and I discovered that we were Americans in Europe because, on a good day at dinner, we said about 15 words because we’re eating and then we leave and here in Europe I mean you’re discussing the future I mean they just seem to be so much more social and happy and relaxed and it just threw me because in America its work, work, work, work, sleep, work, work and here in Europe there just like they’re not anxious to get back home. They’re having a good dinner. They seem to know each other and we just don’t do that in America.”
Jauron’s piece of advice for high school students was about getting a college degree.
“I’m an educator it’d be nice to get some type of a degree in college. Assotictes, two year, four year because my experience in the business world is some type of a degree will allow you to switch jobs easier because believe it or not at 20, 30, 40 you still might not know who you are or what you want to do and if you want to spend 10 years at a welder, if you want to spend 10 years in insurance, if you want to spend 10 years as a CEO you’ve got to have the degree that will allow you to get up and choose another adventure and so that’s the educator in me,” Jauron said.
Jauron also wants young people to prioritize experiences over material goods.
show a little more gratitude. That as we’re working hard and I’m pushing them I’m enjoying this and that I want to be here I want to be around you young people,” Jauron said.
As a history teacher, Jauron has been to Europe many times, but one thing that stands out to him every time is their sense of togetherness and community.
“I would probably say if you’ve been to Europe enough and you’ve seen the cathedrals and all of them, even the streets, how
“You need to consider experiences versus stuff because Americans are good at being consumers and your house is littered with stuff. You could’ve spent that money and had an experience and I think that’s one thing I want kids to know especially when they’re young,” Jauron said.
His final piece of advice for young people was to enjoy their life and have fun.
“In this country, we put a lot of emphasis on a career and how to make a career but we don’t put much emphasis on life and how to make a life and you’re gonna work enough. You just need to focus on what makes you happy,” Jauron said.
People Mr. Jauron would like to have a cup of coffee with:1. Sting 2. Robin
Wright3. RL Stine 4. Ric Flair 5. Madonna 6. Roger
Federer7. Barack Obama 8. Phil Jackson 9. Kevin VanDan 10. Henry Rollins
“In this country, we put a lot of emphasis on a career and how to make a career but we don’t put much emphasis on life and how to make a life and you’re gonna work enough. You just need to focus on what makes you happy,”- Jason Jauron
