March '08

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MARCH 2008

The staff expresses their opinion on the continuation of having a hypnotist entertain at prom. Read more on page 4.

VOLUME 17 ISSUE 7

4 OPINION

515.278.0449

Students describe their different dinner lifestyles. Plus some quick dinner statistics.

Read more on pages 10 &11 for more.

6501 NW 62ND AVE

JOHNSTON, IA

17 SPORTS Souths share their story of competing at state wrestling together.

10/11

DOUBLETRUCK

Tournament gives scholarship away STEPHANIE IVANKOVICH

review editor

Stephanie Ivankovich/BW

Senior Ryan Palmer aims for the target at the archery tournament. Palmer placed third overall. He was among three students that placed in the tournament.

Others are senior Lindsey Tosch and junior Anna Kurns.

Arrows shoot off and hit targets for three students at the archery tournament.

Seniors Lindsey Tosch and Ryan Palmer and junior Anna Kurns all placed.

In the senior division the male and female with the highest scores received a $1,000 scholarship.

Tosch was the female champion and won a scholarship.

“I was at a show choir competition and we had just finished our first show,” Tosch said. “I was waiting to go the gym to get our awards, and my mom comes running up and telling me I won (the archery tournament), I was really excited.”

Tosch decided to leave the show choir awards to receive her archery award.

“I had to hurry back in time for the final show,” Tosch said. “I had to get to Hy-Vee Hall and back to Waukee in two hours. We barely made it back, but it was worth it.”

Tosch has done archery since last year, when she first started it in P.E. “I never really had to work hard at archery, and I only had done it at school, so it was pretty cool winning a scholarship for it,” Tosch said.

Tosch plans on using her scholarship toward Hawkeye Tech at Waterloo for next fall.

The male and female that placed first in the junior division received a Jennis Pro bow.

In the male division, Palmer received third overall.

“Out of the 146 (high school students), it was alright,” Palmer said. “I would have wanted first the scholarship, that would have been nice.”

Kurns, the fifth place winner also started archery in gym.

“I have done archery the three weeks we had done it in gym,” Kurns said. “(Teacher, Dave) Beason asked me to do

the tournament.”

Kurns was surprised that she received fifth place.

“I was expecting higher, but it was my first time,” Kurns said. “It was nerveracking (during the tournament), because it was very quiet.”

Another student that participated was sophomore Andy Verhasselt. He did not place, but he thought it would be fun to try and maybe win.

“In gym was the first time I tried archery,” Verhasselt said. “I mainly did it for the scholarship, but I also thought it might be fun.”

Beason was in charge of getting the students involved in the tournament.

“It’s a neat deal,” Beason said. “Archery in the school’s program is ideal for the kids that are not athletic in nature and that are not engaged in regular sports.”

All together, 15 students from Johnston out of 226 participants from elementary to high school students entered.

The tournament took place at Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines during the Iowa Deer Classic.

This was the second year the tournament took place.

Ben Berka, the Shooting Sports Coordinator, for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), was in charge of putting the tournament together.

“This year’s tournament was bigger than last year’s,” Berka said. “Last year, only 88 people participated, and this year was 226.”

The location was different also.

“Last year, it was at Johnston High School, but this year we had it in conjunction with the Iowa Deer Classic,” Berka said.

Any school that teaches archery in their P.E. department is eligible to participate in the tournament. At Johnston, archery is a non-sanctioned sport and there is no official club.

Pennies for Patients helps students raise money for cancer patients ALLISON KANE

news editor

Elementary and high school students helped raised money through Pennies for Patients to help students within Polk County who were diagnosed with cancer.

Pennies for Patients is a program that was started twelve year ago and is designed to help fundraise for students that have cancer.

All of the elementary schools participated in this fundraiser and were each assigned a student in which they would raise money for. The Urbandale school district also participated.

Lawson Elementary guidance counselor Cathy Edmondson started the program at the school to help fundraise for 10-year-old Alexandria.

Alexandria was diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in December 2006. She is in remission, but still has seven months of chemotherapy left. Alexandria said that she enjoys watching Hannah Montana and High School Musical.

“Your pennies could help someone like you and me,” Alexandria said.

Junior Shawna Polen heard from her seven-year-old sister in first grade, Sierra Phelps, about the program and decided to continue it over to the school.

“We turned in a lot of money,” Phelps said.

Edmondson said that part of the encouragement for students to participate was that the class the raised the most money would earn a pizza party.

Pennies for Patients also awards prizes such as computers, electronics and sports equipment to the top schools in each state.

Between Lawson and the high school, students raised $2,959.79 in pennies, quarters, dimes and dollar bills for Alexandria.

“The bank also stated that they counted over 15,000 pennies,” Edmondson said.

Edmondson said that half of the money will go towards helping her family pay for treatments and the other will go to help support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Students can continue to raise money and write to Alexandria at The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at 8033 University Blvd. Suite A Des Moines, IA.

Kiera Morill/BW

Money was raised in order to help children with cancer in the Polk Country district. Students raised $2,959.79 for 10-year-old Alexandria.

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Mock trial prepares for competition

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March 2008

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Corrections Clarifications

The Black and White strives to be both accurate and fair.

Readers who believe the paper has printed an error should call 515-278-0449.

The banquet will be held at Summit Middle School between 86th and 100th.

Cody Zoss/Dragon

Hall of fame banquet The 2008 Hall of Fame Banquet will be held at Summit Middle School on Apr. 11 at Summit Middle School.

At the banquet they will be announcing the Honor Alumni and Educator Hall of Fame Inductees. Also getting mentioned will be awards for Outstanding Student, Outstanding Educator, and Friend of the District. A silent auction will also be part of the ceremony.

The reception is at 6 p.m. and the buffet dinner is at 6:30 p.m.

Seniors Tim Clay and Katie Githens look over and practice last minute corrections before mock trial competition. The practice was held Mar. 2. “It’s been a great season even though the case is a little shoddy at times,” Clay said. “But everyone’s pulled through and made this is a very successful season.” 5 out of the 8 teams made it to runoffs which were held on Mar. 12. Those who advanced will compete at state from Mar. 25-27.

Competing Teams aTeam Hjelmaas aTeam D-Dawg

aTeam A/B

aTeam Vasey

aTeam Pray

aHave a Taped Confession

aTeam Quiquiriqui

Sale on Microsoft software Students, faculty, and staff of a K-12 school are able to receive selected programs from Microsoft software up to 75% off the retail price.

The Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC) makes this possible by partnering with Microsoft and making it possible to afford software for high school and college.

“We go through the same co-op to buy our software as the company that sells the software.” Jane Behrens, media specialist said.

In order to sign up to receive this discount on Microsoft software you must go to there Web site http://iec.e-academy.com. You have to provide proof of enrollment or employment in a K-12 school. A student can do this by registering their school e-mail which will provide instant verification. If they do not have a school e-mail address, then they can provide other forms of verification such as student ID, report card, or pay stub by sending in a photo or scan which can be verified in one business day.

Software available

Price after discount

Vista Business Upgrade Vista Ultimate Upgrade Office Standard 2007 Suite Office Professional Plus Suite 2007 Office 2008 for MAC Suite Office Enterprise 2007 Suite Office Sharepoint Design 2007 Office OneNote 2007 Office Project Professional 2007 Office Visio Professional 2007

$82.26 $97.90 $70.22 $80.88 $69.51 $95.97 $64.71 $35.41 $121.42 $80.49

aTeam Purple Freshman Sarah Mayer finishes preparing work on her computer for competition.

Katie Norris/Dragon

Students get second shot at success AMY LOVEJOY staff writer

Students who fail first-semester government have an option of either taking an additional government class during second semester or taking a DMACC high school completion correspondence program.

The correspondence program is accessed by 70 schools across the state. Students can sign up for the program through their guidance counselors at school. Correspondence programs are only available to students who have failed a class.

“Correspondence is for makeup, not to get ahead,” guidance counselor Sue Baker said.

The High School Completion Correspondence Program costs about $110 to the student, with an additional book fee of $50-60. It must be completed within four months.

Students taking the class are graded on book work and additional worksheets, as well as tests for each chapter. The student will take exams proctored by a school official. Tests will then be sent to the DMACC Correspondence Program to be scored.

The student must have a 70 percent in order to pass the course. D grades are not accepted, but tests can be retaken, with the second test grade averaged with the first test grade.

Students must teach themselves the material, which may pose a problem for some students.

“Because it’s an independent study, it can have some disadvantages and problems,” Terri Valentine, the correspondence coordinator said.

Sue Baker said an average of fewer than ten students fail government each year. Kirkwood Community College offers a course of second semester government, for students who did not pass. The students would take it during the summer.

Students who failed first semester government have declined to comment for this article.

March 2008

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Twenty seniors recognized in top three percent Seniors in academic top three percent to be honored at graduation THOMAS LASHIER staff writer The high school administration is preparing to recognize the academic top three percent for graduation in May, which includes 20 students. Being recognized as a member of the top three percent is seen as a great honor for these students.

“It honors students who have achieved academic excellence,” principal Bruce Hukee said. “During class day, it is honoring that achievement for students who have demonstrated rigor with their course work and maintained high academic standards in doing so.”

“It is an honor to be in the top three (percent),” guidance counselor Sue Baker said. “Therefore, students are recognized at graduation with the white honor chord.”

Baker and fellow guidance counselors Curt Larkin and Stephanie Guthrie have helped students schedule classes and reviewed their academic progress throughout the year. Now they have to put together a list of students in the top three percent.

Class rank is based on two criteria: a ranking that includes weighted classes, and a ranking that calculates only unweighted grades.

“Students who are in the top three percent, whether it is on the weighted class ranking list or un-weighted, are listed in the top three percent,” Baker said.

The formula is important to understand, because the two lists are different.

Some students choose to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and AP classes include weighted grades on a different grading scale. A student who is ranked on the weighted class list might not be as high on the un-weighted list. That is why both lists must be included in the top three percent.

A question proposed by the senior class ranking is which grades count and which do not. For seniors, grades earned in the second semester are not calculated in the top three percent.

“Second semester is not figured in due

Provided/Nikki Ward

Abby Bowman, 2007 graduate, participates in last year’s class day activities. Bowman wore a white honor chord given to those students in the top three percent. to the time lines of having everything ready for graduation and class day ceremonies,” Hukee said. “Also, colleges and universities are requesting transcripts for second semester.”

Senior Laura Hilby, who is currently ranked in the top three percent, likes the ranking system.

“I like it because you know where you stand among your peers,” Hilby said. “It also can be beneficial when you apply to colleges.”

Students who have worked to enter the top three percent, like Hilby, are not necessarily guaranteed post-graduation benefits.

“Students may list these honors,” Baker said. “There may be some colleges that give scholarship money, but it varies from school to school as to whether they use

this data and if so, how (they use it).”

Some colleges will reward students for being in the top three percent, and some will put more emphasis on the courses a student has taken.

“Class rank will still be considered, but we will also be factoring in a student’s ACT/SAT score, GPA, and the number of core courses taken,” Laura Goddard, admissions counselor at the University of Iowa, said.

At Iowa, there are several scholarship opportunities for students who rank high in their graduating class.

“There are a couple scholarships for which students who are in the top three percent might qualify,” Goddard said.

“One would be our Old Gold/Presidential scholarships.”

The Old Gold/Presidential Scholar-

ship is very competitive and has a value of $52,000 over four years at the university, offering an immediate reward for all those late nights studying in high school.

Students looking to continue their education into college, Goddard stresses being prepared as the most important key to success.

“Know your requirements,” Goddard said. “Take as many classes as you can.

Don’t kill yourself, but don’t let senior year be a vacation year, either.”

Baker encourages all students to do their best, and not put so much weight on being in a certain percentile.

“Study hard and challenge yourself through a variety of courses,” Baker said.

“Colleges are more interested in the type of courses a student takes than if they are in the top three percent or not.”

Select students take advanced math, French exams JEREMY MULLEN

staff writer

Tenth through twelfth graders participated in the American Mathematics Contest, which was organized

by Vickie Borich.

The test took place first and second periods on Feb. 27. Sophomore Joe Payne said the test consisted mostly of very difficult story problems.

“It made my pre-calc test seem a lot easier,” Payne said.

The test consisted of two tests, one for sophomores and one for juniors and seniors. Sophomores were allowed to take either the sophomore test or the junior/senior test, while juniors and seniors had to take their Payne respected test.

Payne chose to take the sophomore math test. If he did well enough on it, he has the opportunity to advance to the junior/ senior test.

ELP teacher Sue Cline said math teachers found students that were both advanced and expressed an interest in math as a career to select students. Students were then sent a letter that told them when the test was and what it consisted of.

Cline said that the test is very prestigious and may have benefits although no direct awards are given for doing well on the test.

“If you’re going into a field with math, this is the way in,” Cline said. She said that if you are applying to a prestigious math program, they look if students took this test, and how well they performed. “It’s a chance for a kid to decide if it’s a talent area for them.”

Can you solve it?

A grocer stacks oranges in a pyramid-like stack whose rectangular base is 5 oranges by 8 oranges. Each orange above the first level rests in a pocket formed by four oranges in the level below. The stack is completed by a single row of oranges. How many oranges are in the stack?

(A) 96 (B) 98 (C) 100 (D) 101 (E) 134 American Mathematics Contest

Answer on Back Page

Junior Sam Jungman received the best score in the school on the sophomore test last year. “I’m hoping that it will help me to get more scholarships for college.”

Jungman said. Even with her success last year, she noticed a large difference in the difficulty from the sophomore test to the junior/senior test. “I had to guess a lot more this time,” Jungman said.

Although she has had success on the test, she is not certain if she is going to pursue math as a career after high school.

Success in math is not new to Payne, completing Algebra II/Trig first semester and is now in Pre-Calculus.

Although he has had success in math, he does not think it will equate to a career.

The test started about seven years ago when a few students in Cline’s ELP program heard about the test and expressed interest in taking it. After Borich came to Johnston, she took over the test and has organized it ever since.

Payne also took the National French Exam test on March 6, which cost $3.75 and is available to all French III and IV students.

At the middle school, all students in teacher Tamara Andrews’ French II classes took the test for free. The test is free there because the middle school pays for it.

“I like to give kids competitive opportunities,” Andrews said.

“French you can sort of look at and understand the sentences but in math if you don’t know it you don’t know it,” Payne said. “We had already been taught most of the vocab, so I knew what I was reading,” Payne said.

Studying is something Payne said he is considering.

Sophomore Gabbi Angeloni placed in the top ten in the state on the French II test last year. She then advanced to an oral competition where she won, but with a modest prize.

“I won a stupid book,” Angeloni said.

Freshman Konnor Plagge took the French II test. “(It was) to give us a experience of taking a test that can compare us to everyone else in the country,” Plagge said.

However, some college scholarships to Central College, where the oral portion is held, are available to French IV and AP students who do well enough on the test and who are planning on majoring in French.

March 2008

opinion

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Hypnotist hypes students, committee

Matthew Courtney/Dragon

(Left) The hypnotist waits for an answer to his question from 2007 graduates George Vardaxis and Shawntel Noel. (Middle) Students sit hypnotized on the stage of the auditorium during last year’s after prom. (Right) Laughing hysterically, 2007 graduate Becky Heffling sits on the edge of her chair while being hypnotized.

After prom committee rightly votes in favor of hypnotist over magician Hundreds of students file into the auditorium, however, they are not here to attend a typical assembly at approximately 2 a.m. Students participating in after prom talk while eating cookies and pizza, playing a few games of blackjack and bingo, and hope for their names to be called out from the raffle to win prizes. These are all fun events but the real excitement begins when the hypnotist is brought out to hypnotize students.

What if the tradition of the hypnotist was switched out for a magician? Many students might choose to go somewhere else during this time instead of being in the safe environment after prom guarantees because the hypnotist is the main event of the night.

“It would be a bad idea (to not have the hypnotist), it’s the reason that most people go to after prom,” senior Liz Fuller said. “I probably still would have gone to after prom, but I wouldn’t have stayed as long. I don’t really like magicians.”

The discussion of this change has been debated with-

2things

movie tickets Many people would agree that they have failed to see a new movie because the theater prices are too high. It costs on average about $10 for a movie ticket.

It’s less painful to rent a newly released film for $2, start and stop when whenever, talk to the screen, and keep the cell phone on. With new means to rent online or over the phone, people are choosing to save the extra $8 for gas to go pick up the movie.

According to Artstechnica, ticket sales have dropped 12.6 percent since 2002, the last year there was no decline. Of course, with all of the new special effects

staff staff KARI DOCKUM editor in chief

in the prom committee. Reluctantly, the hypnotist will be back again this year after out-voting the magician.

Cochairs of the after prom committee, Jennifer Worley and Suzie Martz, agree that the magician would have brought change to after prom and it was a chance to try something new. As a committee, they decided that it is not yet the right time to be making this big of a change in after prom.

The hypnotist is not as common as a magician is, so it creates a different atmosphere within the audience.

It brings the once-a-year entertainment that is unlikely to be experienced anywhere else. However, Fuller had experienced a hypnotist one other time before.

“I went to a camp during the summer and we had a chance to get hypnotized if we wanted to,” Fuller said.

“Next thing you know, I’m up there making a fool of myself on stage.”

Last year, Fuller was not selected to be on stage as a volunteer, but she still was unintentionally hypnotized from the crowd. She followed the rules the hypnotist gave to see what would happen, and soon enough she was knocked out like the volunteers on stage. This alone was entertaining, and it is something not able to happen with a magician on stage.

“It would still go (well) with a magician,” senior Nathan Breen said. “But you would never really get the chance to see anything you’ve never seen before.”

that films use, movies are increasing budgets for our entertainment.

We have brought this upon ourselves, by demanding awesome action shots and life-like penguins instead of waiting for the DVD. If there is a movie out you want to see, go see it. If not, check out our review section for recommendations.

Attention from the majority of the students is the ultimate goal of the after prom committee, by attempting to satisfy their wants and safety. Although the hypnotist may appear to be dangerous, no one has ever suffered any serious injuries.

The larger safety concern is making sure students are safe after the dance. When the hypnotist is seen as a more widely-supported attraction, more students are likely to choose to stay at after prom for a longer period of time than participate in other activities.

The tough decision to reevaluate with a full-committee vote brings relief to student hypnotist fans when the outcome overwhelmingly favored continuation of the hypnotist instead of the magician.

“The cochairs, in the end, did what’s best for the majority of the kids,” donations chair person Lisa Ryan said.

“They handled it very well, and kept the focus where it should be, on the kids.”

Worley and Martz said the ultimate goal of the prom committee is to put on an event that will entertain the majority of students.

The magician, although a good idea, would not be satisfying these needs. By keeping the interest of students in school events, this creates a more widely appreciated school atmosphere and keeps students away from disruptive activities.

With a hypnotist, everyone wins.

that we care about this month bottled water

Bottled water is a nifty invention, but it is not a necessity. Most people would not spend more than $1.25 they currently pay from the vending machine. It would more rational to buy a $5 water bottle and refill it from the drinking fountain for free.

Americans are lucky enough that we can choose to spend $1.25. We have many more resources available to us than other countries and we can decide what products to buy. All of our extra dollars are not being saved up to buy the simplest access to water for our families.

According to The Water Project, the

cost to dig a well in Kenya costs roughly between $3000-18,000. For $10 a day, you could provide one person’s access to water, $50 for a household’s daily needs, and $100 for a household and farm’s needs. Count up how many times a month you buy bottled water, and think about what you could really do with that $1.20 instead.

BRITTANY DEAL managing editor

VERONICA ROSHEK opinion editor

JENNA WILLSON double truck editor

LEE YOCUM sports editor

LAUREN PROFFITT design editor

ALLISON KANE news editor

STEPH IVANKOVICH review editor

TOREY ROBINSON feature editor

CICELY GORDON back page editor

AMY LOVEJOY design editor

The Black and White is a publication produced solely by the newspaper staff. Its goal is to inform, enlighten and entertain the Johnston students, faculty and community. It is an open forum.

In accordance with Iowa law, students assign and edit material.

Publications are released monthly during the school year.

The paper will print nothing libelous, obscene or an invasion of privacy. The law does not require parental permission to use student quotes. Ethically, we believe students can speak for themselves.

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

Letters to the editor must be signed. Grammatical and spelling errors may be corrected and length edited. Like all material,

letters may not be libelous, obscene or an invasion of privacy.

Bring letters to room 413 within one week after publication to be considered for the next issue.

The Black and White strives to report accurate and timely information. If you believe that an error has been printed, please contact the Editor at karidockum@yahoo.com or contact the school via phone at 515-278-0449.

The Black and White is a member of CSPA, NSPA, Quill & Scroll, and IHSPA. Recent issues of the Black and White earned these honors: Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist, National Scholastic Press Association All-American, Quill & Scroll Gallup Award, IHSPA State Champion, IHSPA First Place Photography Second Place Layout/Design and Honorable Mention Writing.

staff writers: Erik Anderson, Nels Engblom, Lauren Gehrke, Kyle Hanson, Austin Hartsook, Drew Houp, Haley Johnson, Kallen Kramer, Thomas Lashier, Bryan Lippincott, Michael Lunn, Dwight Lykins, Julia Manning, Scott Monroe, Kiera Morrill, Philip Mortens, Jeremy Mullen, Chelsea Nelson, Shawna Polen, Jordan Van Essen, Ben Vander Ploeg, Brennan Winget

March 2008

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my

In my

Shoes

Veronica Roshek

The Snapple factor

If the board goes through with the new plans, that would eliminate all the stops within one mile of each school. Thus having no need for the drivers with those routes, they will be left to find new jobs.

Walk-zones, save money, bad idea SHAWNA POLEN staff writer In trying to find ways to save money, Johnston is discussing the idea of getting rid of 100 percent busing.

It is about time we got rid of 100 percent busing, but before we can even consider a different busing system, we need the proper sidewalks and cross walks.

The school board and administration have been discussing the current busing situation, because not only is Johnston one of the only schools in Iowa with 100 percent busing, but it is taking a lot of money to fund buses to pick up students within walking distance of the school.

The school district has been discussing the idea of adding walk zones around each school.

Meaning that students within one mile from the schools must walk or possibly pay a fee to ride the bus. Similar to the plan Urbandale has now, which is $375

per year both to and from school.

According to the Des Moines Register, in a stat box, states that of the 2,075 students that ride buses in the elementary schools, 613 students would not be able to ride the bus for free. Because there is no specific number for the middle school, high school and Summit, the stat is based on how many students live one mile or closer to the schools, meaning 222 students would have to walk.

In the plans the Board has been discussing, they talk about adding sidewalks and crosswalks like they have at Lawson.

But what about the fact that Johnston’s only complete sidewalk is on Merle Hay road? The older students could care less if there were sidewalks, but what about the younger children?

My younger sister who is seven, has to walk to her bus stop every morning, down a street with no sidewalks. Back in 1996, the kindergarten students were dropped off and picked up in front of their house, keeping them off the streets.

The board wants the parents to pay to

send their children on the buses. What if the parent can not afford to send their child on the bus? Will their fee be waved?

And if the parents are unable to take their child to and from school, will that child be forced to walk in sweltering and subzero weather to get an education?

If the district is really looking to save money, they have other problems they can fix.

The bus that leaves for Central every morning at 7 a.m. only has five students on it, drive a van, it saves gas and a bus.

On this years Sleepy Hollow trip for the eighth grades, why did we rent Urbandale buses, when every-other year, we use ours?

Johnston spent $16,000 for an outfit to come evaluate the busing system, only to tell them it was fine, but may want to reconsider a few things.

Maybe with all the money saved from changing some things, the board could use towards building new sidewalks and crosswalks, forever saying bye-bye to 100 percent busing.

Pre-Calculus prerequisites unnecessary ALLISON KANE news editor

Students file in and out of the guidance counselors’ offices, demanding schedule changes. However with the rapid growth, scheduling of core classes has become challenging, no where to sneak in.

Algebra 2/Trigonometry was one of the new core classes that became a requirement to take Pre-Calc. Instead of going straight from Algebra 2 to Pre-Calc. in the past, students now have to take Trig. Students should have the opportunity to take Pre-Calc without taking Trig.

Denying students with full schedules the right to switch from Algebra 2 to Pre-Calc has limited the opportunity for them to take excelled math courses. Why did the requirements for Pre-Calc change? Is is because students were doing poorly without taking Trig beforehand?

Reztlaff Math teacher, Adam Reztlaff explained why the math department decided to change the curriculum.

“The major two goals of creating this new course are to cover all major important topics in class, and to not spend so much time reviewing in Pre-Calc,” Reztlaff said.

What is the point of taking Trig if many of the concepts are reviewed in Pre-Calc?

Reztlaff said that Pre-Calc introduces too many Trig topics including amplitude, periods and quadratics and by jumping from Algebra 2 to Pre-Calc, teachers spent more time reviewing instead of focusing on harder concepts.

Algebra 2/Trig is that it causes difficulty for current juniors with full schedules who have taken advanced math in the past, but were unable to take Trig. Junior, Nate Johnson agrees that

Trigonometry Pre-Calculus

“

Two major goals are to cover all major

“

important topics in the class, and to not spend so much time in Pre-Calculus. ~Adam Reztlaff

Algebra 2/Trig has put him at a disadvantage.

“I’ve been ahead of my class since 5th grade,” Johnson said.

“It sucks that now I have to take an extra class which will put me back with the rest of my class. Since this years seniors didn’t have to, and I’m technically at their level, then why should I have to?”

Students who took Algebra 2 in the past should be allowed to take Pre-Calc their senior year. There is no point in these students taking advanced math, since they will be at the same level as the rest of the students in their grade.

To make scheduling of new core classes easier, new prerequisites for classes should be made extremely clear. To make this more clear, scheduling should be done in the spring instead of the fall because students change their minds. Usually by then, it has become extremely difficult to change classes.

The administration either needs to consider going back to its original Algebra 2 requirements and speed up the reviewing in Pre-Calc or make Algebra 2/Trigonometry a required class for any junior who wants to pursue Pre-Calc during senior year.

Twisting off the top of my favorite Snapple, Peach Iced Tea, I read the quote on the inside the cap before taking the first sip. Each bottle has a different fact printed here such as fact #94, “lizards communicate by doing push-ups.” I think about the simple fun fact as I take a drink of the tea, and surprisingly, I almost always remember the facts off the lids.

By drinking one of these at least a couple of times throughout the week and nearly every day of the summer, I have consumed a lot of this worthless knowledge. What a great way, though, to increase people’s intelligence by giving them interesting facts that they can’t help but read while having a refreshing drink. If other drinks out there did things like this instead of giving things such as codes for worthless contests, think of how much smarter we could all be.

Although Snapple is not the healthiest drink on the market, it is still much better than drinks like pop and coffee.

If some food products could join in too, preferably healthy alternatives to boost the advertising against candy and other sweets, we could be subconsciously creating much better habits. With no other actions fighting the foundations for obesity, stepping up the advertising for fruits and vegetables could be a small step towards the major goal.

Dieting seems to be the only action that has been tried to combat obesity, which apparently does not work for everyone. Snapple fact #101 states, “about half of Americans are on a diet at any given time.” When really the underlying problem starts with what we are eating in the first place, trying to diet may help people that were already affected. But why not attempt to reach out to those who could still be forming better eating habits instead?

Snapple also gives insight into how much time people spend doing random things throughout their lives. Snapple fact #326 states, “on average, you’ll spend a year of your life looking for misplaced objects.” So, next time you are stressed out frantically trying to find some lost item, you really could be wasting as much time as you think you are.

A whole year out of a lifetime is quite a bit. If we were all a little bit more organized, think about how much more time you wish you had that you could be getting back.

If a whole year is not too substantial, try to imagine two whole years. Another Snapple fact, #76, states, “the average person spends two years on the phone in his/her lifetime.” Cell phones apparently have been a major technology evolution, but did you really think that they take up that much of your life?

Although this is a long time, talking on the phone is not a terrible issue. However, when statistics for talking on the phone is this high, texting could be taking up just as much time or more of that.

With all the time students spend texting during class instead of paying attention and texting when they get home instead of doing homework. For some students, complaining about not having enough time in the day to get done isn’t the complete truth.

Out of all the good habits people should supposedly have, making the bed every morning shouldn’t be one of them.

Snapple fact #100 states, “in a year, the average person walks four miles making their bed.” Who cares how clean it really looks? It is going to get pulled apart that night anyway.

Snapple taught me a lot about life, I recommend cracking open a lid and see what you can learn.

6

opinion

March 2008

B&W

Legislation needs to leave smokers alone A new bill is proposing banning smoking in all public places rather than helping current smokers quit or helping businesses cut down on second hand smoke.

DWIGHT LYKINS staff writer In classes such as D.A.R.E, and health everyone learns the effects of smoking on the human body and how they can be detrimental to one’s health. Thus the reason people choose not to smoke. But for the estimated 47 million smokers in the U.S. smoking is a legal habit. The Legislature has a proposed bill, in which smoking will be banned in all public places, and in what are essentially privately owned businesses. This law is not only infringing on the freedom of smokers, but also upon the rights of the businesses’ owners.

Smoking Statistics

11 tax $The1.national average on a pack of cigarettes $1.36 tax What an Iowa smoker pays for a pack

ON

47 MILLI

Public Health Flaws

The number of smokers in the US

Private Property Rights House File 2212 (The Smoking Ban) is a ban on smoking use in almost all public places except for casinos, designated hotel rooms, and private homes. The law itself is a joke, full of loopholes, contradictions, and violations of citizens’ personal rights.

The first inconsistency is the House’s obvious picking and choosing of where to protect people from this “nuisance” of second hand smoke. It bans smoking at privately owned bars and restaurants yet it says the ban should not apply to casinos.

This is because casinos are mandated by the government and must give them a portion of their revenue in the form of a tax. The combined tax revenue for the state from casinos is in the neighborhood of $111 million. Simply because casino lobbyists say the state would lose a substantially portion of their casino tax revenue, the state decides that casinos should be exempt from the ban. But what if a local bars’ revenues decrease as a result of the ban? Should we make that bar exempt from the ban as well?

There are blatant contradictions in the bill from section to section. In section 4, in which the house gives its definition of a public place, are places such as aquariums, museums, laundromats, hotels, motels, restaurants, and bars.

Laundromats, hotels, motels, restaurants, and bars are not public, though, they are rather privately owned places of business. In which the business owner allows the public to enter. A business owner, however, still has the right to either allow or deny the entrance of any person into his or her facility as they see fit.

This right includes the right to either allow or not al-

of health insurance premiums. Honestly, this just is not the case, they pay just as much as anyone else. One argument is even that non-smokers cost the public more money because they supposedly live longer than a smoker.

A cigarette smoker in Iowa pays a tax of $1.36 on a pack of cigarettes which is above the national average of $1.11. In retrospect a smoker is one of the most underrepresented and unjustly taxed groups. Anyone who understands the pure logistics of health care economics could see that smokers pose far less of a debt on society than the taxes they pay for their products.

zer0

Number of private businesses who can allow smoke if the ban passes

low smokers. The government should not be allowed to tell a private enterprise who it can and can not serve.

Owners should have the right to either allow or not allow smokers inside his or her business.

Tobacco Racism The ban is at best a ban on smoking, not tobacco. The World Health Organization has released a new report detailing the treats of tobacco, which includes chew and cigars, not just cigarettes. It concluded that tobacco is a leading risk factor in several types of cancer, and can aid, create, or worsen heart conditions. But, again, this is tobacco, which is chew, cigars and cigarettes. Chew causes cancers of the, throat, cheek, and gums, and cigars do have nicotine in them. So why is this ban always aimed unfairly towards smokers?

HF2212 starts with the purpose of the law is to protect the public from environmental tobacco, or in other words, just cigars and cigarettes. Advocates of smoking bans cite health problems that arise from a smokers’ lifestyle choices as basis for this ban as well as the health effects on the non smoking public from second hand smoke.

These advocates claim that smokers raise the price

One of the first things someone sees when he or she picks up a pack of cigarettes that he or she would not have seen in the 1960’s is a huge Surgeon General Warning. This has led to both a 20 percent drop in the number of smokers and has sparked a wealth of education on the topic of smoking. In fact, so much education on the “negative effects” of smoking has gone on; research conducted by the national non-profit research organization, The Heartland Institute (HIL), has shown that smokers not only know the effects of their habits, they grossly over-estimate it.

Public health advocates claim one in every two smokers will die. According to Joseph Bast, the president of HIL, the actually odds are more like one in 12. This by no means constitutes that we should all light up, but it begs the question what else could these “advocates” lie about? A JEL (which ironically stands for Just Eliminate Lies) billboard ad reads, “big tobacco claims they want to help teens quit.” Showing crossed fingers behind the back of a big tobacco executive. A more accurate ad might be, “we skew our statistics in favor-based junk science.” That just would not be too catchy now would it?

Solution A study conducted by the University of Glamorgan in the UK found that ventilation systems can drastically improve the quality of indoor air. Perhaps the government could offer something like a tax break for places that do choose to allow smoking, yet install ventilation systems to help improve the air for their smoking and non smoking patrons alike.

DOT’s ridiculous consequences require revision

Law of iowa

TOREY ROBINSON feature editor

Iowa legislatures are currently being presented with multiple options to “enhance” the graduated driver’s license system for teenagers. Such suggestions include completely restricting 16-year-old drivers from escorting companions other than family members for the first six months and creating even harsher punishments than the already ridiculous consequences for offenders.

Iowa’s crackdown on teenage driving will not cause fewer accidents; rather than severely penalizing individuals who possess minor traffic violations, the Department of Transportation (DOT) should offer an alternative that fuses both knowledge and flexibility.

As of Jan. 1, 1999, Iowa has exercised the graduated drivers’ license system for all motor vehicle operators under the age of 18. According to the DOT Web site, this change allowed 17-year-old teenagers to get their full, unrestricted license.

The consequences for violations on this very system, however, have proven unreasonable and inflexible. Junior Ben Wilkins received a ticket for passing a school bus when the stop sign was out and received a 30-day license suspension.

“I think it was a little stupid, Wilkens said.

“Paying the ($186) fine should have been punishment enough.” Wilkins felt the biggest disadvantage was finding rides to school and work because his parents were not always available. This suspension was uncalled for.

Junior Brittney Thompson is to serve a 30-day license suspension in March for a 10mph speeding violation.

“It’s just a big hassle for (my license to

As of Jan. 1, 1999

14

PERMIT

A teen can get his or her instructional permit, where one drives with a parent or guardian present.

15

PERMIT

A school permit is issued at 15 for students who wish to drive alone to school

16 Photo Illustration/Torey Robinson

get taken away),” Thompson said. “I guess it’s my fault but I really need my license to get to work and school.” Thompson works 30 hours a week and takes an afternoon cooking course at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). Because she is under 18, she is not legally granted a work and school permit for her suspension. Such a permit should be allowed for individuals like Thompson who meet specific criteria.

Instead of harshly punishing first-time offenders, a four-hour traffic class should be offered to refresh safety knowledge. A similar alternative is offered in Illinois. According

to Illinois’ federal legal aid Web site, upon receiving a minor traffic offense one may attend Traffic Safety School for a fee and avoid having the violation put on his or her record, thus preventing insurance rate climbs and license suspension. Teenage accident rates have reduced 12 percent.

Thompson would not have to serve her suspension if Iowa offered a class. “I would definitely take it,” Thompson said.

The DOT’s penalties for first-time minor traffic offenders are simply uncalled for. Revisions that fuse the use of safety and flexibility would aid to the needs of teenage drivers.

LICENSE

A restricted license is granted to teens that maintain a violation and accident-free record on a permit for six months. Restricted drivers are not allowed to drive between 12:30a.m.-5:00 a.m.

17

LICENSE

Drivers who maintain a clean record while on a restricted license for a year are granted an a full license one year earlier than those not in the graduated license program

March 2008

B&W

opinion

Shades of inconvenient truth

7

PHILIP MORTENS staff writer

“Future generations may well have the occasion to ask themselves, what were our parents thinking? Why didn’t they wake up when they had the chance?”

Former Vice President Al Gore The previous quote was taken from Gore’s 2004 movie, An Inconvenient Truth.

This movie is currently being shown to all of the Biology classes at our school as a precursor to the controversial global warming.

Unfortunately for Gore and for the rest of the students who have been forced to watch this democratic propaganda, there is still hope.

The United Kingdom has recently banned the original movie from their school systems.

This movie was declared by the royal high court justice, Justice Michael Burton, as a one-sided biased presentation and was therefore breaching English law.

On top of this, the movie was also ruled to contain numerous factual flaws that went against the recent report put out by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

These flaws ranged from minor speculations to complete outrageous lies.

So why again are we showing this movie depicting and predicting untold damages to the earth with Armageddon like results to teenagers who have never been told otherwise? Like the rest of the world, I fear that if what Gore predicts becomes the reality, then we might just be done for. But fortunately for that scenario, there is overwhelming peer reviewed evidence from the IPCC that shows that this is indeed not the case. The board recently released a report concerning the climate dilemma.

According to Gore’s movie, if our polar land based ice caps were to melt the oceans would rise an average of 20 feet in the near future. This would have catastrophic results on the world because thousands of heavily populated areas would be flooded, which would cause mass world wide evacuations to higher ground.

But, according to the recent IPCC report, at the projected rates of increasing ocean levels it would take close to millennia for it to reach gores levels. Now even someone who

Provided/Participant Productions

Environmentalist Al Gore gives a presentation about the growing climate “crisis” during his movie, An Inconvenient Truth. isn’t the best at math can figure out that there is a huge difference between near future and one thousand years.

So the school system decides to teach an alternative to Gore’s theories. If they present them both equally, it gives students the chance to choose for themselves.

Now don’t take this story the wrong way, global warming is out there, but just not the to extremes that Gore is trying display before our eyes with all his statistics and graphs. If the world does not change the way it absentmindedly poofs green house gases into the air, the world would be faced with a particularly nasty problem.

Even though scientist say that the oceans will eventually rise, doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about. Just because its not hurting the planet now, does not mean it won’t hurt it later. Just think what the future generations of the world might have to face if greenhouse gas emissions are not restricted, it would extremely selfish of our world to leave this potentially heavy burden to our future youth.

Provided/Andy Hummel

Senators should shut down bill on soda sales Recent state bill prohibits non-diet pop and junk food ERIK ANDERSON staff writer When walking into the lobby to get a Pepsi, to my horror, there was nothing except flavored water, Air-Force Nutrisodas, and zero-calorie drinks. I had also noticed that the food machine had vanished from its usual spot. I hurried to the office to ask vice principal Jerry Stratton where the Pepsi went. It was then that I learned of the bill.

The bill, number 2080, or SF 46, calls for banning “minimal nutrition” foods and drinks from the vending machines, and creating a Nutrition Task Force to monitor the schools’ products for sale. It was created by a joint effort of the American Heart Association and the National Beverage Association. They, in turn, sent it to the Senate Education Committee to vote on pursuing this possibility.

The task force is composed of many health organizations working together. However, it not an official law yet because it still needs to get approval from the State Senate and House. It is making progress because it was passed though the Senate Ed. Committee on Feb. 27.

There is not unanimous support for the

bill in the legislature. However, Larry Noble, Republican senator for the state of Iowa, is against the bill.

“I think it’s an idea that, given the issues, there’s a feeling that something needs to be done,” Noble said. “Even though this is a good effort to do something, I think it’s best to let the school district decide; not impose a statewide ban.”

Noble also said that there is no stopping point for lawmaking on this issue. In other words, where will this effort end? There could be tomato juice instead of non-diet soda, and trail mix instead of chips and candy. No one knows where these attempts will stop, because the bill is worded very vaguely.

Many people support Noble’s opinion of the bill. They feel that their choice of which product to buy is being taken away, and that they are forced by the government to be healthy instead of choosing that lifestyle themselves. This bill is a bad idea, because it is not doing enough. It is also too hard to achieve the goal of the bill: prevent childhood obesity from spreading.

The main reason that this ban is a bad idea has to do with availability. Let’s face it, unhealthy food is everywhere. If the state bans it in schools, kids will just get around that law by bringing it from home or buying it from a nearby store. The goal of the bill, to prevent childhood obesity from spreading, is not going to work if it is in a nearby store available for purchase. It is just going to waste resources on a law that is impossible to enforce.

Not only that, the ban is only targeting

vending machines. This is a miniscule part of the cause of the epidemic, as the school’s lunchroom serves ice cream, cookies, and cheesy dragon bread that are full of calories and sugar. This makes the ban do hardly anything to help the health of students. If we do one thing and say the other, where are we going to get ourselves? Nowhere, if we are sitting on the fence and not taking a clear side.

The government does have a valid point in trying to prevent obesity. It is a proven fact that being overweight or obese leads to diseases like Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep Apnea, and the government will have to pay for the medical care of these citizens. But the only effects of this feeble government attempt will be hurting school funding and making people upset. Since it is never going to do what it is supposed to do (keep kids healthy), it might as well not even exist.

If a student wants to make a difference in this issue to put back the food into the machines, there are a number of things that he or she can do: one is contact the senator of his or her district by e-mail, letter, or phone and telling him to vote “no” on the bill. Or write a signed petition telling and showing them that it is a bad idea.

If they vote yes on the bill, even though the attempts that were made failed, a big step toward teenage social activism will be made.

However, if they vote against the bill, the people involved know that they worked together and succeeded in making a difference and keeping the ability to choose a lifestyle in the hands of the students and teachers.

Laments

from the

Legislators

Brad Zaun

(District 32)

“I’m still undecided, but I don’t think it will work.”

James Seymour (District 28)

“[The bill] should be up to the school board and the dieticians. Kids shouldn’t be forced to choose a lifestyle.”

March 2008

B&W

Living in a

entertainment

9

TECH savvy

world

As she drives to Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to visit her brother, junior Jenny Ajluni uses her iPhone to navigate. She types in her brother’s college dorm address and the phone gives her detailed directions. Ajluni appreciates the maps feature on her iPhone.

“If you take a wrong exit, you can just enter (your current location) in and (the iPhone) will take you right back,” Ajluni said.

According to Apple’s product information, the iPhone estimates the user’s location by using cell tower information and enabled local Wi-Fi networks.

“It will list off the instructions from where you are,” Ajluni said.

Ajluni bought her iPhone in November of 2007.

“Apple had knocked down the price a lot,” Ajluni said. “I guess it just seemed like a good idea because my iPod was the original iPod. My phone, I had it for four years. And I had a gift card there. It just made sense.”

The maps feature is not the only feature Courtesy of Apple the iPhone has to offer. Ajluni regularly uses the text-messaging, calendar, alarm clock, weather, camera and Internet features provided on her phone. “(All of the features) are really simplified,” Ajluni said.

Users can link their e-mail accounts directly to the phone for easy access.

“I have a Gmail account,” Ajluni said. “So, if I was smart and took the time I could enter in all this information and it would send the e-mail directly from your phone and it would show up like a voicemail or a text message.”

Before buying the iPhone, Ajluni carried around three items of technology: her iPod, her phone, and her camera.

“This is it now,” Ajluni said. “All I carry is the iPhone.”

Ajluni prefers the built-in camera on the iPhone to her own digital camera.

“It is a lot more focused than the camera on my old phone,” Ajluni said.

The iPhone, product of Apple, is available through the Apple Store and online.

The 8GB iPhone costs $399, and the 16GB costs $499. Both use AT&T wireless with plans starting at $59.99. “(The iPhone) works really well,” Ajluni said. “I have been really happy. I have not had any problems.”

savvy sidekicks

Brittany Deal/BW

Amazon.com has a new product: the Amazon Kindle. The Kindle is a wireless reading device. With its new display technology called electronic paper, it is easier to read than a computer screen. The Kindle weighs 10.3 oz., includes free wireless access, and holds over 200 titles. To buy, visit Amazon.com.

The Eye-Fi card is a wireless memory card. Once a user takes a photograph with a digital camera, the card automatically uploads the photograph to the user’s computer or the Internet. The Eye-Fi card is available in electronic stores and online. For more information about the product, go to Eye.fi.

Apple continues innovating with the MacBook Air. The MacBook air is 0.16 to 0.76 inch thick and weighs about three pounds. The display is 13.3 inches wide with a 1280-by-800 pixel resolution. The MacBook Air has an 8GB hard drive and a 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. The Apple Web site provides more information about this product.

$399.00

$99.99

$1,799.00

Provided/Amazon.com, Inc.

Provided/Eye.fi

Courtesy of Apple

March 2008

doubletruck

10&11

Dinner Differences Mindy Dickerson

B&W

As the typical family dinner table changes due to extracurricular activities, work and busy schedules, we take an up close look at what students do at dinner time

junior

Dickerson

Weekly Sunday barbeques form tradition at Dickerson house

Either my mom or dad.

What type of food is usually made?

Usually steaks and hamburgers or hotdogs for later in the week. We also have pasta salad, mashed potato and baked beans my mom makes from scratch.

Who attends the cook-outs?

My immediate family.

Are the barbeques mandatory?

We’re expected to be there. We have to be home by 6 p.m.

We sit in the dining room, and that is the only time we use it unless it’s a holiday.

Alex Swanson senior

Frozen food wins popularity in Swanson household

Swanson

What do you usually eat for dinner?

A typical dinner at my house is usually anything that can be stored in the freezer. My family isn’t very good at cooking so we stick to the easy things to make.

Do you eat as a family or alone?

We try to eat as a family but my father is an international traveler and my mom has an esophagus problem, achalashia, which limits what she eats. A lot of the time we end up eating alone.

What are your favorites to make?

My favorites to make are mozzarella cheese sticks and french fries.

How often do you dine out?

We usually eat out twice a week, our favorites are El Mariachi and Taki.

Family dinners contain 50% more fruits, vegetables and nutrients than meals consumed alone Children who eat with their families two or less times per week are three times as likely to experiment with marijuana, two and a half times more likely to smoke and one and a half times more likely to drink alcohol

Who cooks at the barbeques?

Where do you usually eat?

studies show...

Kiera Morrill/BW

Jenna Willson/BW

Senior Holly Von Fumetti eats dinner with her family at home. Von Fumetti’s mother makes dinner for the family almost every night a week, usually from scratch.

Seniors Tara Lappin, Ally Joslin and junior Krystal Lewis dine at Mexican hot-spot El Mariachi in Johnston. “The service is always quick and the food is always good,” Lappin said.

Family dinner, all the time

Students prefer dining out

KARI DOCKUM

JENNA WILLSON

doubletruck editor

editor in chief Saying goodbye to her friends, senior Holly Von Fumetti heads to her house. Although her friends are going out to eat for dinner, Von Fumetti chooses to dine with her family at home.

“We’ve eaten together my whole life, and that’s why it’s just second nature to me (to eat at home),” Von Fumetti said.

“It’s hard for me to imagine what it would be like to not eat together (on a regular basis).”

Von Fumetti said she eats at home an average of five nights a week. Her mother prepares all the family’s meals, making the majority of them from scratch.

“My mom makes homemade meals most of the time, but when she doesn’t have much time or is busy, we might have frozen chicken nuggets or something like that,” Von Fumetti said. “Sometimes she doesn’t follow cookbooks and she’ll just toss in whatever she wants to.”

The meals Von Fumetti eats are varied.

Her favorite is barbeque ribs and sweet corn, which her family eats during the summer.

“We’ve eaten everything from chicken and dumplings to collard greens,” Von Fumetti said. “My mom is always coming up

with new concoctions, so we rarely eat the same thing multiple times.”

During dinner, the television stays turned off, Von Fumetti said.

“It distracts from the table conversation and the family bonding time,” she said. “We basically talk about anything and everything at the dinner table. We joke around a lot too.”

Von Fumetti believes that eating dinner at home with her family has strengthened their relationship.

“I enjoy eating with my family and over the years, I think that it has brought us closer together,” Von Fumetti said.

“I like eating with my family because we all sit down and take time out of our busy schedules to have a good time and talk to each other about our day. Eating together has taught us how to have good table conversation and how to listen to what others have to say.”

As for her friends, they respect the Von Fumetti family’s tradition to eat meals at home.

“I think they’re pretty impressed that we eat together so often,” Von Fumetti said. “I often hear them say, ‘Whoa, my family never does that.’ ”

Rather than returning home for dinner after a day of school and nannying, senior Tara Lappin meets with friends at a local restaurant. With conflicting schedules, the common tradition of families and teenager sitting down to eat together has significantly decreased.

According to a recent study published by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, a majority of 12-year-olds said they had dinner with their parents seven nights a week while only 25% of 17-year-olds did.

“It’s much more convenient and quicker (to go out to eat),” Lappin said. “My mom doesn’t go to the store that much, so there’s not too much to eat at my house.”

Lappin dines out at least six or seven times per week and guesses that she eats at home maybe twice a week. She estimates that she spends approximately $30 per week on food.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average family spends more than $2,000 per year on eating outside of the home.

Junior Annie Gray prefers to eat outside of the home because her mother usually does not prepare dinner.

Compiled by Jenna Willson; doubletruck editor and Kari Dockum; editor in chief

“I wish she would (cook) though,” Gray said.

She estimates that she dines out three or four times per week.

Gray guesses that she eats at home about two nights per week and estimates that she spends between $25-$30 per week on food.

While Lappin earns money by nannying after school to help pay for her eating habits, Gray’s parents usually give her money to help cover food.

According to a recent study by the Baylor College of Medicine, meals eaten at home as a family tend to contain healthier choices than restaurant or fast food meals. The study showed that home cooked meals are three times more likely to include low-fat choices and usually contain 40 percent less pop.

“My mom makes pasta and chicken a lot,” Lappin said. “So I don’t think it’s that much healthier.”

Both Lappin and Gray prefer to stay local and inexpensive while dining out.

Lappin calls Panchero’s and Quiznos the “best places ever,” while Gray enjoys Okoboji Bar and Grill, McDonald’s, El Mariachi and Panchero’s.

$+

The average family spends more than $200 per year at McDonald’s

A

Children who eat with their parents tend to receive better grades, exhibit less stress and eat healthier food 50% of meals consumed by overweight children are eaten in front of the television rather than at a dinner table Information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Baylor College of Medicine, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University

12

review

March 2008

New artists bring back thrill Michael Jackson enlists help from likes of Akon; Fergie; nails jackpot with authority

B&W

The BookWorm

BY: Shawna Polen

Anita Blake

SCOTT MONROE

staff writer

I was riding in the backseat of my friend’s car one day, enjoying the warm weather that has been non-existent lately.

For a reason that finally makes sense to me, she pops in Michael Jackson’s Thriller and switches to track four.

“It’s close to midnight, and something evil’s lurking in the dark.” My brain screams no, and I roll my eyes. “Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart.” Images of court scenes flood into my head; he must have been guilty!

“You’re paralyzed… ‘Cause this is thriller!

Thriller night.” Whoa, he was proven innocent, why do people still label him the wrong way?

I’ll admit it. I never gave him a chance.

From day one, he was always a child molester to me, not a high-quality pop vocalist. But when one owns the world’s largest selling album of all-time, one would have a hard time screwing up its 25th anniversary. Luckily, Jackson didn’t. In fact, he did just the opposite.

After contrasting this album with the original Thriller, the Super Deluxe Edition earns all of the marbles, and then some.

The original songs are all above average, with the only flaw being the abnormal length of some tracks.

Four songs are six minutes or more, with two of those being variations of the hit song “Billie Jean.” There is also a “Thriller” video that is 13:33 in length.

But the characteristic that really convinced me to jump on the bandwagon was the multiple artists that were featured on the album. As it did in the original, “The Girl Is Mine” still features Paul McCartney, who I personally value as one of the best musicians of all time.

Vampire Hunter

Provided/United States Federal Government

Michael Jackson is welcomed to the White House by past president Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy Reagan in 1984. Jackson rereleased Thriller on its 25th anniversary.

All the songs from the original album are re-mastered and included in the new version, but then come the remixes.

Five different versions of songs are edited and voiced-over, with artists that are popular among young generations.

“The Girl Is Mine” and “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” featuring the Black Eyed Peas’ rapper will.i.am. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” is expertly equipped with Akon. Fergie was recruited for “Beat It,” and Kanye West finishes out the pack with “Billie Jean.”

All the re-makes are above average as well, with Akon giving an absolutely superb performance, merging his unique style with the mood of the song.

Look, I’m not here to sell Michael Jackson, or his music for that matter. I’m

here to give you an honest review of his CD. But I strongly urge you to reconsider any negative opinions involving Jackson’s legal issues. You believe he is guilty? Well there’s this lawyer that has proven in a court of law that he is innocent. And no offense, but he gets paid a lot more than you do. Plus take in to consideration that this album was produced long before any drama surrounding Jackson surfaced.

Overall, I give the masterpiece a solid five stars, which is something I could have never seen myself doing two days ago. If you want to purchase the album, the best deal is on iTunes, where you get the entire Super Deluxe Edition and four videos for less than $20 dollars. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll get the same thrill I received as well.

Semi-Pro fails to make a point

CHELSEA NELSON

staff writer

Will Ferrell is best known for his comedies and the slightly obnoxious characters that he plays, and this all holds true in his new movie, Semi-Pro. This comedy is about a semi-pro basketball team, the Tropics, during the 1970’s. Led by ex-singer turned owner/ coach/player Jackie Moon (Ferrell), the team performs better for the crowd than it does on the court. When the NBA decides to merge with the top four teams in the league, the Tropics have to start winning or face being disfranchised.

While Semi-Pro is entertaining, none of the jokes are new or creative and are the same mainstream antics that Ferrell uses in most of his movies, such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Most of the movie is a bit raunchy, but the timing of the jokes are so well done that it makes the movie seem less halfbaked than it actually is. For example, there are frequent off-color conversations going on between two commentators whenever the Tropics play. The arguments provide hilarious entertainment during the uneventful basketball games.

The plot line is easy to follow and done well enough to show different sides of sports, intense and complicated, but also ridiculous. The characters are believable,

Provided/New Line Cinema

and it succeeds in staying in the middle of the line between sports and comedy.

A mistake with making another 70’s movie is that all of the good jokes were used up in Anchorman. Semi-Pro was left with the scraps. The jokes are not that funny because they are taken and overused so much that it becomes stupid.

There are some witty jokes, but many of them are suffocated from overacting by some of the characters that bring them down to a lower level. Ferrell does this a couple times. For instance, in one scene guys are playing poker and arguing about their “manhood” for about five minutes.

They took a joke that had the possibility to be funny and dragged it out till it was not funny anymore. It is as if the movie

Players and fans gaze as Ferrell uses granny-style to swish the basketball through the hoop. The movie is rated R for language and sexual content. ID is required.

was too short and they added pointless and boring scenes to lengthen it.

Overacting in the movie also causes “funny” jokes in the movie to become even more stupid and boring. There is a scene where Ferrell is at the franchise meeting and assumes that his team is going to the NBA. He starts saying “Wahoo, yeah!” and “In your face,” to the other men while doing some weird sort of celebratory dance. While this is funny for about ten seconds, Ferrell dragged the scene out for nearly two minutes. Apparently, he could not make his point across in any time less than that.

While the movie was funny sometimes, most of it seems pointless. The verdict: do not waste $9 at a theater to see it.

This month, I'm switching it up, reviewing a series.

Laurell K. Hamilton is the author of the New York Times best-seller series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. So far there are 15 books, starting back in 1993 with Guilty Pleasures going until her most recent; The Harlequin in 2007.

In Hamilton's books, Anita Blake the main character, can be known by another name, one that strikes fear into vampires and sends anyone sane running for cover: The Executioner.

Anita is one of the greatest animators and necromancers to ever live, someone who raises the dead. She is also the legalized vampire executioner for St. Louis, hunting down vampires that have gone crazy and disposing of them. In her spar time, Anita helps out with a special police force know as the Regional Paranormal Investigation Team (RPIT).

Anita's world is similar to ours, the difference lies in vampirism (being a vampire) and Lythencorpism (werewolf) is legal. She soon teams up with the Master vampire of St. Louis, Jean-Claude, and the local Ulfric (leader) of a werewolf pack, Richard.

The strange trio is interconnected, each member pulling on the other members’ powers. If one dies, he/she could drag the remaining members down too.

Hamilton incorporates many things in her writing that make the story come alive and dance on the turning pages.

Anita is written as a petite, soft looking women who could kill you in the blink of an eye. You would think that she has no weakness right? Wrong, the big bad Executioner has an obsession with penguins. Yep, penguins.

Hamilton's books have great visualization, you feel like you’re in the book, fighting along side Anita, with the struggles in her love life and religious morals.

The fighting scenes are the best visualized, like with the weapons or techniques that are being used. Based on reading her books, one can tell she had to research the human body, how to harm and heal it, to be able to write how she does.

Hamilton has done extensive research on myths and folklore also. She brings it into play often in her books, from vampire myths to ancient Aztec gods.

I have read 10 of the 15 books, but all are some of the best books I've read.

Though I do throw a caution to anyone thinking about reading this series, I agree with the New York Times in saying, "It's a R-rated read."

This warning isn't meant to stop people from reading, it is meant to stress that the reader needs to look past the R rating sex and violence, finding the wonderful story hidden underneath.

ReadingTip

When reading a series, make sure to go in order, because you may miss something vital in the plot of the story.

For questions, comments or feedback, e-mail me at Batty_forlife@yahoo.com

feature

March 2008

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13

Tale of the pony

TAIL

NELS ENGBLOM staff writer

Walker’s ‘tails’

Growing up, Ed Walker was the youngest of three boys. Throughout his adolesence, he watched his older brothers give in to the hippy craze during the height of the era.

“My brother was really a hard core hippy flower child,” Walker said.

Like many younger brothers, Walker followed in the footsteps of his older brothers.

Throughout his younger years, Walker maintained a long hairstyle.

At one point, his hair was down to his waist. His mother did not approve of Walker the hippy look.

“She fought it so much with my brothers that I think when she got to me she was sick of trying,” he said.

In his early career, Walker taught at several different college campuses.

“The people on campus were always pretty accepting of my hair,” he said When he came to Johnston, his hair was shoulder-length. Walker was never concerned about people looking at him in a negative light, though. Nobody had ever said anything to him, so he never saw any problem with it.

Walker’s reasoning for no longer wearing his hair long is that is no longer looks good. “I didn’t really work with my balding area,” Walker said.

School Dress Code Violations Students:

is unsafe to himself or those around him

Eagles grows for Locks of Love At Central Decatur High School six years ago, a girl walked into class and caught the attention of a teacher. This was to which something she was likely not unaccustomed to. In the previous weeks, she had attracted attention for her long dark hair. This was different though. Now the attention was the result of a drastic change.

This high school age girl had cut off over 11 inches of that long dark hair, leaving it just above her shoulders.

Teacher Mitch Eagles was one of the first to notice the makeover. He then confronted the student about Eagles the change and got an answer he was not expecting.

She explained that she had cut her hair and donated it to Locks of Love, a charity organization that makes wigs for cancer patients going through chemotherapy.

Shortly after learning this, the then bald Eagles started his own donation. “My wife hated my bald head but it too efficient to change,” Eagles said.

He began growing his hair longer, appeasing his wife but running up the shampoo bill.

After almost two full years of growing his hair, Eagles had an interview. Him and his wife were moving to the Johnston area and he was interviewing for a job at the high school.

Staff:

It is recommended that all teachers strive to present themselves as professionals.

Hats, sneakers, blue jeans, and sweatshirts inappropriate for normal school days

gang related

“My wife told me to get it cut and I knew first impressions were important, but I had been doing this for too long to quit, so I took my chances,” Eagles said.

He explained his situation to the interviewers and later went on to get the job.

Just before his first day at Johnston, Eagles cut his hair and shaved it bald. He came to school just as changed as the Central Decatur girl.

Now he is growing his hair out for a second donation to Locks of Love. The long hair has not been a distraction for the shop teacher, though. It falls halfway down his neck now, but it is not long enough that is could get caught in any machinery. The experiences have made Eagles more aware of the purposes of hair.

“The first time I cut it all off I remember being really cold all the time,” he said.

When his hair gets longer he puts it in a pony tail, which keeps it out of his face. This prevents it from ever being a hassle while working. One hassle he does experience however, is maintaining his long locks.

“It really gets tangled a lot, especially on my motorcycle,” Eagles said.

To help with tangling he uses an excess of conditioner. Eagles plans to cut his hair on his fiftieth birthday and return to his preferred bald look. After cutting it, he is unsure if he will grow it out again or not.

unclean, or not in accordance with health standards

promotes violence, bigotry, hate, or abuse considered disruptive by a staff member

Soyer finds his inner Celtic by playing the bagpipes JORDAN VAN ESSEN staff writer It’s the middle of seniors James Becvar and John Kraber’s Eagle Scout Ceremony, and sophomore Kyle Soyer is performing a song on the bagpipes in front all his fellow scouts and their families.

Suddenly Soyer’s nerves get the best of him and he forgets what song he is playing. In a panic Soyer starts improvising, unfortunately the song he’s improvising turns out to be one he had already played. Scrambling for a solution, Soyer wraps the song up by finishing the note.

He is very embarrassed and starts to go back to his seat when the audience starts applaud for him. No one has noticed his mistake and Soyer has gotten out of the situation unscathed.

Soyer, despite being German and having no Celtic heritage, has been playing the bag pipes for several years. Soyer said that he never actually planned on playing the bagpipes.

“It started out as a joke,” Soyer said.

“I really didn’t know what I wanted for Christmas so I told my parents to get me some bagpipes and they took me seriously. They got it from this store out in California, they ordered it out of this catalog called ‘Lark in the Morning’. The thing was with those pipes (were that) they were from Pakistan, which is kind of strange because bagpipes are Scottish not Pakistani. So (those) bagpipes were very bad, they didn’t play at all, so we had to find new ones.”

Soyer takes lessons from Susan Frambach, a founding member of the Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums. The Iowa Scottish Pipes and Drums were founded in 1975 from the Iowa Scottish Heritage Society, and has been performing at concerts and festivals ever since.

Soyer plays the piano as well and plays clarinet in the marching band. He said that the bagpipes are a very unique instrument.

“I don’t know if you can really com-

pare them to any other instrument because there’s nothing else really like them.” Soyer said. “There’s so much to it.

You’ve got to squeeze it like an accordion I suppose, but then you’ve got play it like a clarinet or a recorder. Also it has the drones and I don’t know any other instrument that has drones.”

The bagpipes are made of several parts. There is the bag which fills with air and compresses air into the drones when squeezed; a blowstick that is blown into like the reed on the clarinet that Soyer plays in marching band; there is a valve that keeps air from getting out of the bag when the musician stops blowing; a chanter with nine holes to play the nine notes of the bagpipes; and lastly the three tubes coming out the top of the bag, which are called the drones. The bass drone plays a low note and the tenor drones play a higher note.

“Yeah it’s difficult because it takes a lot more air, and you really have to think about what you’re doing.” Soyer said. “You

have to memorize everything, then you’ve got to listen and make sure everything sounds fine and that everything is in tune.

(On top of that) you’ve got to have a breathing pattern Soyer down so that it doesn’t mess you up. Its kind of fun though once you get to where you can play them because you can annoy people easily.”

Soyer said that he doesn’t know or care what his friends think of him playing the bagpipes, but that first time he ever played in front of them they all burst out laughing.

Soyer also said that even though he does not practice and should more often, he plans on continuing to play the bagpipes in the future.

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14

Your t c e p Mother Res

March 2008

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compiled by kari dockum, editor in chief

bowling bonanza Super Bowl Waste Helps People in Need CICELY GORDON backpage editor Shirts and caps proclaiming the victory of the New England Patriots are produced even though the American football team actually lost the latest Super Bowl.

Thankfully, the Patriots historically incorrect gear is still put to good use, while the Giant’s gear goes into circulation. The shirts and caps commemorating a New England title end up in the hands of needy families in Nicaragua and Romania.

World Vision, a Federal Way, Wash., nonprofit, funds this act of kindness and delivers the clothing, as well as school and medical supplies, to the families in need of these necessities living there.

Not only are the used shirts being recycled, but for some of these families, it is all they have to provide their children with. Clothing is a necessity that a lot of Americans take for granted.

In 1994, the National Football League first partnered with World Vision, and every year since has helped out poor children in Latin America and Africa with the unwanted “winners” shirts of the team that actually lost the Super Bowl.

The winner’s shirts are made in advance so that players and fans can put them on immediately to celebrate the team’s victory after the final whistle is blown. This obviously leaves the shirts of the losing team unwanted.

The league’s main stipulation is that the donated clothing goes far, far away from people aware of the Super Bowl’s results. The point is not for the uniquely false print to end up in the hands of a greedy American to bid on eBay or sell on the streets. It’s a great program because it goes to the people really in need, instead of wasteful printing that people take advantage of.

The first items from Super Bowl XXVIII were shipped to Africa. Since the first shipment, other leagues have made agreements with World Vision to do the same. World Series shirts and the NBA have followed by example in the past years, providing for families all over the world. For some families, this is the only clothing they have to provide for themselves.

According to Sports Illustrated, last year the Bears’ defeat resulted in $2.5 million in clothing with false printing.

What might have likely been wasted cotton and print may become a miracle in someone else’s life across the globe.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this column, send e-mail to swizzles17@hotmail.com.

Moffitt

The bowl­ ing lane in senior Alle Moffitt's basement makes it popular with her friends.

Kari Dockum/BW

What made you decide to put in a bowling lane?

It was just a random decision. It started out as a joke, and my mom thought it would be fun to have a bowling lane. It turned into something more serious over time, though. There was a bowling alley that was going out of business, so we figured we could get (a lane) for a reasonable price.

What do you have that goes along with it?

It’s just a normal lane with a ball return, it sets pins, everything. (The alley that closed) gave us shoes and extra pins in case any broke.

How often do you use it?

It mainly gets used when we have people over. At the beginning, we (bowled) 24/7. It really depends on schedules; sometimes we bowl as a family. It kind of ends up getting lonely to bowl alone, but it always gets used during parties or get-togethers.

Do people who come over always want to bowl?

It’s always the first thing they ask. When they find out I have (a lane), it’s like, “Oh my gosh, can I try it?” But I don’t mind at all. I’m used to it.

Do you ever get sick of having a lane in your house?

It’s a really awkward situation. I mean, what do you say when someone asks you if you have a bowling alley in your house? It’s a lot of fun, but I don’t want it to come across badly. I feel blessed to have it, but I don’t want people to think I’m just some rich kid.

Do you have any favorite memories?

Everyone always asks to slide into the pins, so I have a lot of funny memories of the way people slide into them.

I definitely remember (junior) Alan Nagel. You would have to ask him to tell the story. I don’t know if he’d want me to tell it to the newspaper.

A Dress

basement arcadium Senior Tuck­ er Vasey's basement has a stage and skeeball machine as entertain­ ment.

Vasey Jeremy Mullen/BW

How long have you had the skeeball machine?

We’ve had it for about 10 years. My dad decided he wanted a skeeball machine when we built the house. He bought it from someone in the Des Moines area who had it for sale.

How often do you use it?

I don’t really use it anymore. Whenever my friends come over, they usually like to play it.

Do you ever get sick of the skeeball machine?

No, not really. It’s just kind of there in the basement.

Although, sometimes the music that goes along with the machine gets really annoying, and then when my friends forget to turn it off, I can hear it upstairs.

Has the skeeball machine ever had a problem?

Well, the score display has stopped working over the years. If you want to keep score, you have to keep track in your head. But I don’t think we’ve ever had to get any repairs on it.

So why do you have a stage in your basement?

My dad is really big into music and is in a band, so he built it when we moved into the house. It has a drum set, some guitars, stuff like that.

What do you use it for?

I don’t really use it. Mainly my dad uses it, and he’ll have his band mates over and they use it. Oh, and my sister uses it for karaoke.

Do your friends ever use the stage?

(Junior) Matt Trillet plays the bongos whenever he come over, and (senior) Alex Battani plays bass sometimes.

Which is your favorite of the two features, the stage or the skeeball machine?

I don’t really have a favorite. I love them both equally.

They both give my friends some enjoyment.

that fits best KALLEN KRAMER

staff writer

After rummaging through every mall and boutique in the Des Moines area she has finally found it. It’s the perfect dress. Fits her exactly the way she imagined in all the places she wants it to.

It may be pricey, but who can find a dress like this for any less?

Prom’s almost here and the whole night is going to be perfect. The right shoes, the right date, and the dress she loves. On the big night she spends all day beautifying and her date comes to pick her up.

Pictures go well, dinner is great, and now it’s time for the group to make their way to the dance. She gets to the dance, and she sees the girl; standing there in her perfect dress. This is the horror story of many girls’ prom night. Few girls have discovered that making their own prom dress

Kallen Kramer/BW

Junior Leslie Tosch begins the two-week process of measuring and sewing her prom dress. Tosch estimated a total of $50 spent on her dress, while most girls spend between $120 and $300. can keep this nightmare from being their reality.

“It’s cheaper, fits me just how I want it to, and no one else will be wearing it,” junior Lesley Tosch said. Although prom is often an excuse to splurge on a dress, expensive

shoes and jewelry; sewing your own dress can significantly lower the cost.

Tosch estimates a total of $50 spent on her dress.

To design a poofy dress with tulle, the cost is approximately $80, and for a dress with a longer train it

can cost up to $100.

“My mom and I go to the mall to look at different styles of dresses before we buy the fabric. Then it takes about two weeks to get it done after we buy it,” Tosch said.

Patterns for prom dresses can be found online or at fabric stores for about $15. Tosch says that the patterns can be changed or altered specifically to what she likes.

Finding the right fabric is not a problem either.

The fabrics that are most popular in dresses are also most popular at fabric stores, and are not hard to find. Fabrics that are popular for prom dresses are satin sheers and tulle.

Tosch buys her fabric at Jo-Ann’s Fabric and Craft Store.

“There is difficult piecing that is required to design and sew a prom dress,” Sarah Olson, the cutting counter specialist at Jo-Ann’s Fabric and Craft Store said.

In order to sew a dress of quality, moderate or advanced experience is required.

March 2008

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15

Andy’s illustrations QA

Compiled by Kyle Hanson and Lee Yocum

&

with Andy Hummel How did you get started drawing?

When I was a toddler, I started drawing 3-D shapes as soon as I picked up a crayon

What is your favorite part about drawing?

Impressing myself and improving my drawings

How did you become so skilled at drawing?

I was fascinated with drawing things and challenging myself.

What are your goals and aspirations for your drawing future?

I want to use my skills in a job or career as well as a hobby

Hours per week spent drawing?

Five or more hours including doodling in class

How do you continue to improve your drawings?

Paying attention to detail. When I look at something I try to imagine what it would look like on paper.

March 2008

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16

Corey Schaefer

FRESHMAN Height: 5’ 7” Age: 15 Awards: All-CIML

Freshman

Central Honorable Mention He can’t drive to practice or vote until 2012, but freshman Corey Schaefer is breaking down barriers and opposing defenses all across the CIML

other

Fab

n a m

h s

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F

Corey Schaefer hasn’t always been good at first impressions. Standing at a modest 5’7”, the freshman point guard is not the most imposing player on the court. However, it always hasn’t been that way.

“When I was younger, I definitely wasn’t the smallest, but as I’ve got older, people have grown a lot taller then I have,” Schaefer said. “This year I was definitely the shortest, but compared to the freshmen I’m about the same height most of the time.”

As Schaefer’s talent increased, the height and age of his opponents have grown as well. Throughout the game you can see the freshman guarding athletes that are a half of foot taller then him. Head coach Bobby Sandquist thinks the point guard plays with a lot of heart and has a passion for the game that is second to none.

“Corey exhibits an outstanding basketball IQ, Sandquist said. “His father is the head men’s basketball coach at Grand View College; so Corey has been around the game, and in the gym since he was very little.”

Our student body that last couple of years has been used to watching a certain 6’10” center crashing the paint and owning the boards, now students see a new freshman that will brings promise for the future of the basketball program.

“I think he will be a great addition to the team,” junior Dain Opland said. “It’s good to get some younger talent out there playing varsity.”

The freshman had a rough start to his first year of varsity basketball. During a pre-season practice, the pint-sized point guard broke his thumb, and had to sit out the first month and a half of the season.

“At first, I was really bummed, but when I found out I could practice with a cast, it was a little better,” Schaefer said.

At first it was tough for Schaef (nickname given to him by the team) to adjust to varsity practices but he received guidance from another point guard, senior Thomas Lashier.

“Thomas has helped me out a bunch, the first couple of practices I didn’t know the plays and he went threw them step-by-step with me,” Schaefer said. “He was always positive, when I messed them (the plays) up and was very encouraging.”

Schaefer’s first game back from injury was against Hoover on Jan. 15. The freshman admits he was a little anxious when he first stepped on the varsity stage.

“I was really nervous in my first game, but as the season went on I got more comfortable,” Schaefer said. “My teammates were always really nice the whole time so that really helped me out a ton.”

The point guard proved all skeptics wrong when he received an honorable mention award from the CIML coaches. Schaefer wants to build on his success this year and carry it into next year.

“I want to make it to state, improve as a team every game, and win the Central Conference.”

So Corey will you get any taller?

“I think I’m going to grow taller, but you never know!”

Corey Schaefer isn’t the only freshman in the varsity limelight.

Here is a list of prime players that have played on a varsity squad.

Tory Knuth

volleyball -The 6’2” middle was a key member of the 07 state championship team.

Jennifer Ross

Basketball -Was a reserve point guard on last year’s squad.

Ryan Torgerson

Baseball -The three year letter winner started freshman year as a pitcher

<25 words or less> Compiled by Austin Hartsook and Lee Yocum

“

I tried not to be nervous and just play. After I kind of got into the swing of things, it really helped my nerves.

”

Corey Schaefer, describing the first time he stepped on the varsity stage

March 2008

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SOUTHS STRIKE AT STATE

17

LAUREN GEHRKE

staff writer

Wrestling is more than a sport for the Souths; it is a family affair. Both senior Josh South and his brother, junior Josiah, made it to the state tournament, and coaching them all the way was their father, Jeff South.

“I love having my family there,” Josh said.

“It’s encouraging to have my dad and brother there.”

Josiah has similar feelings by having two experienced wrestlers coach him.

“They help me to do my best,” Josiah said.

“It’s good for support.”

Josh finished his high school wrestling career with a fifth place finish, for the third time. Josiah nearly made it to finals, short by only one round.

Being Josh’s last year, it has been kind of bumpy. He dislocated his shoulder six times and did not have time to get surgery done, meaning he wrestled injured.

“It’s been a tough year,” Josh said. “But I wanted to finish strong and have my best year, and I’m happy with this year.”

The South boys really feel having their dad alongside them was beneficial. Both say the support of their dad’s wrestling experience was invaluable.

“Some people don’t enjoy having their family there,” Josh said, “but I’ve gotten used to it. My brother helps push me to do my best.”

The boys push each other and have even wrestled against each other in practices.

Having wrestled since fourth grade, both Josh and Josiah enjoy wrestling for many reasons.

“I like being able to do my best for the glory of God,” Josiah said.

Josh said that he enjoys the challenge of a good opponent and doing his best.

“I don’t care if I win,” Josh said. “I like walking off knowing I gave it my all.”

The Souths are a family of wrestlers. Starting this year, each of Jeff’s sons will have wrestled competitively as well as at home for fun. Jeff has four sons, Josh and Josiah, and then Jessie, a freshman, and Jeb, a seconded grader, both who attend Des Moines Christian Schools.

Jeff has been coaching wrestling since 1989 when he decided to start to get to know the students he worked with as a youth pastor. He wanted to interact with the kids in their own setting and get to know them better outside of church.

He had wrestled in high school for four years and for two years in college, so he had all the experience, and that experience has been passed down to his sons and other individuals he has coached. Along with taking

Provided/Karla South Provided/Karla South

“

Junior Josiah South fights to keep his opponent down. Josiah was one round away from placing at state and this was his first year. Brothers Josh and Josiah South both wrestled at the State Wresting meet.

Provided/Karla South

Brothers Josh and Josiah South practice together before he state meet. “They push each other,” Karla South said. his own sons to state four times, Jeff coached wrestlers at state around 12 times.

“I like to see the wrestlers be warriors out there and do their best,” Jeff said.

Karla South, Josh and Josiah’s mom was not really into wrestling until she met Jeff, but it’s grown on her.

“I’ve really learned to love it,” Karla said.

“I’ve enjoy watching the boys and getting to know the other boys who wrestle.”

Josh hopes to volunteer coach at a high school when he is done at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Josh will not be able to wrestle in college because Moody does not have a team. Josiah is unsure or whether of not he will ever coach.

Provided/Karla South

Senior Josh South grips his opponent at the state wrestling meet. He has qualified for state four times and placed fifth three out of the four times. He is not going to wrestle in college because his school does not have a team.

It’s been a tough year, but I wanted to finish strong and have my best year, and I’m happy with this year.

- Josh South senior

”

Ultimate sleep-over benefits team, community LEE YOCUM

sports editor As a way to build team chemistry and youth involvement in athletics, the varsity baseball team and Johnston Little League will join together for The Ultimate Sleep-Over.

Head varsity baseball coach Randy Wee proposed the idea to Johnston Little League President Jerry Towers, who ended up coordinating the specifics of the event.

“I thought it was actually a good idea that he had,” Towers said. “It gives more interaction between the little leaguers and high school players.”

Wee first got the idea from the Ankeny High School girls’ basketball team, who held an overnight event. He wanted to try it out with the little league and get the team more involved with the community.

“I thought it would be a great way for our players to get involved with the future players at Johnston,” Wee said.

The Ultimate Sleep-Over is for second through fifth graders, and is on April 4 in the middle school gym. With a 6-8 p.m. drop off and a 7-9 a.m. pick up the following morn-

ing, the night will consist of pizza, pop, movies, whiffle ball, video games, basketball, and doughnuts in the morning.

The little leaguers will also get a chance to interact and learn from the varsity players as well.

“It’s just going to be a time to have fun and play games, watch movies, relax, and have the younger kids get to know players on a personal level,” coach Wee said.

All of the varsity players and coaches will be there, and other chaperones as needed depending on the numbers.

The players are looking forward to the night as a way to teach, and bond as a team.

“It gives our team a chance to get together and develop team chemistry, and teach some stuff to little kids,” Justin Hollein said.

Senior Troy Dubay also feels the sleep-over will be a chance for the team to grow closer together.

Hollein “It will give us more of a family bond and we will get to know each other better and become a family,” Dubay said.

The night will be beneficial for the kids as much as it will be for the team.

“It will give the kids people to look up to in baseball, like a role model,” Towers said.

Towers feels the sleepover will be great for the youth.

“It keeps them engaged in baseball, and they have a chance to get up close and personal with the players,” Towers said. “Either that or Dubay a riot all night.”

There are 30 kids currently signed up to attend. Wee said he would be fine with up to 100 kids, but they are shooting for a goal around 50. The cost is $30 per child and nearly all the proceeds go to Wee and the baseball team.

Wee said money earned would go toward players equipment packages and clothing, and also for maintenance on the field and batting cages.

Towers hopes to continue the sleep-over as a yearly event, however with Wee stepping down after this year, it is unknown if the next coach will be on-board with the idea.

The ultimate sleep-over ~Date: April 4 ~Drop off: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. ~Pick up: 7:00 - 9:00 a.m. ~Where: Johnston 8/9 Gym ~Events: Pizza/Pop Movies Whiffle Ball Video Games Basketball Doughnuts/Juice

March 2008

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2008 103

State Wrestling Qualifiers:

Compiled by Lee Yocum, sports editor

Stephen Shaffer sophomore

130 135 215

Josh South senior

Josiah South junior

Adam Badgley junior

Mindy Dickerson/Dragon

Senior Josh South brings down Blake Meeks, his Roughrider opponent in the first round of the state tournament. South won the match by a decision of 3-2.

State tourney similar in ways, very unusual in others Photos by Mindy Dickerson/Dragon

Josh South, four-time state qualifier, finished fifth place for a third time in the state tournament. Stephen Shaffer qualified for state after wrestling junior varsity the entire season.

South won his first round match against Des Moines Roosevelt sophomore, Blake Meeks. South lost 10-4 in the second round to Linn-Mar (Marion) senior, who ended up winning the 3-A 130 pound weight class.

Shaffer, sophomore, won the matches when it mattered the most to get into the state tournament and when faced against freshman Jordan Jones of Hoover in the first round lost 11-0. He also lost his wrestleback later in the day.

See right for how other wrestlers did in state.

For more on wrestling, see page 17 (UPPER LEFT) Junior Adam Badgley grapples Jason Leverman, from Glenwood, in the first round of the state tournament on Feb. 14. Badgley won the match by decision 4-2.

(LEFT) Junior Josiah South attempts to get under his opponent Bret Baumbach. South lost the match, but his wrestleback later in the day.

Results: Josh South -Finished fifth in state for the third time

Josiah South -Lost first match, won wrestleback, lost match

Adam Badgley -Won first match, lost next two

Stephen Shaffer -Lost two matches

Van Vark hits home on American ice MICHAEL LUNN

staff writer

In the United States, hockey is seen as a predominantly male sport, full of adrenaline, and bone jarring hits. To sophomore Chelsea Van Vark, this is quite the misconception. Van Vark, who moved to the United States freshman year, has continued playing a sport she learned to love in Canada, even if girls are less prevalent, especially in Iowa.

“I started because when I lived in Canada all of my friends that were girls played and I wanted to try something new.” Van Vark said. She started playing when she was 12 going into the sixth grade. Her younger brother, Austin, who also plays, helped convince her to go out for the sport. “When I watched my little brother’s games I thought it looked like fun.” Chelsea said.

While in Canada, Chelsea played for a total of three years on all girls teams. On average, they practiced two to three times a week and had games on weekends.

Coming to Johnston, her playing choices were limited. She could play solely on the Storm and only hit the ice a couple times a month, or join the school team, which involved a new aspect to the game. According to Chelsea, checking was obsolete in the girls leagues.

Needless to say, last season, Chelsea decided to play

Provided/Michele Van Vark

Sophomore Chelsea Van Vark skates down the ice on her old team of Oakville Hockey in Canada. Van Vark now plays on the Tri-State Storm. on both the Storm and the sub-sanctioned Johnston Dragon team along side former student Allison Burns.

They were the only two girls on the team. “It was like a boys league here, I still wanted to keep playing though because I loved to play hockey.” Chelsea said.

“Chelsea was always a good player, and from what I saw of Chelsea, or at least from my daughter’s point of view, she never thought of hockey as a guy sport or wanted to be singled out, it was about playing a sport she enjoyed.” John Burns, coach of both the purple and gold teams, Said.

Last season Chelsea helped propel her team into third place in the state playoffs. Beating Waukee in the finals at the Metro Ice Sports Facility in Urbandale.

Chelsea decided to hang up her purple and gold jerseys, deciding that the Storm was a better fit for her.

Chelsea, now a center for the Tri-State Storm, likes the way her and her teammates bond off the ice as well as on it. “I prefer the girls team just because I feel closer with them and I like how we do more things together as a team. Its more social I think.”

This is Chelsea’s second year with the Storm. The team consists of girls ages 12-18 who practice at the KGGO Arena on Hickman sporadically. The girls travel to Mason City, Minnesota, and Waterloo, as well as at home to play other all girl organizations from Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

As far as returning to the Johnston Purple team?

Chelsea stays undecided. Although, not everyone feels the same way. “I think she’ll go back, The Storm doesn’t have as many games and she misses that about the school team.” Chelsea’s mom, Michele Van Vark, said.

March 2008

B&W

sports

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Students use creatine, supplement workouts BRYAN LIPPINCOTT

staff writer

Strolling into the locker room after his morning lift, senior Jesse Poor Thunder dips a scoop into his creatine mix, adds water, shakes and drinks the supplement. Poor Thunder has been using creatine for the last four years to gain strength.

“So far, it’s been working really well, especially after wrestling (because I) get my strength back,” Poor Thunder said.

Creatine is a supplement that helps with recovery after workouts. It is a naturally occurring substance in the body that helps with energy production, specifically the breakdown and re-synthesis of Adenosine Triphosphate Anagnost (ATP), which is used for energy in short duration activities such as lifting and sprinting.

Strength and Conditioning coach Brian Lutter still uses creatine in cycles.

“It is beneficial,” Lutter said, “but it’s not as important as working out, eating well and staying hydrated.”

Lutter continued that creatine is relatively new and is not a miracle tissue building drug, but something that aids recovery time. Also, the long term usage effects are not known.

Senior Chris Anagnost agreed. “It’s not a miracle drug,” Anagnost, who has been using creatine on and off since he was 15, said. “It’s nothing like steroids. You still have to work hard to get results. Basically, it capitalizes your effort.”

Anagnost also said that it was hard to tell whether the results he had gotten were due to creatine use, or natural male growth.

Dr. Jeffrey Bebensee, MD said that creatine is a protein that goes into muscles and helps them to increase in size. It’s benefits include bulking up, and helpfulness with energy production in short duration activities.

The drawbacks to using creatine are potential damage to kidneys and the digestive tract. Also, users suffer from dehydration.

“I don’t normally recommend it,” Bebensee

Bryan Lippincott/ BW

(Above) Senior Jesse Poor Thunder squats 275 pounds during his first period track four P.E. Poor Thunder works out four to five times a week, and supplements his workouts with creatine. (Below) The contents of Poor Thunder’s locker, which include creatine in both the powder and pill form. Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise reported a significant weight gain in subjects using creatine in a double-blind randomized experiment. said, “but if an athlete came to me and said they were going to use (it) I would advise them to drink a lot of fluids.”

According to Lynn Myers MD, who is one of the country’s foremost experts on nutritional supplements, creatine has many common side effects. Creatine use can result in the following: intestinal cramping, diarrhea, increased urination and dehydration. These may be caused when creatine is loaded (taking in high doses for the first five days), which draw water away from the body when they enter the stomach.

Creatine has also been rumored to cause damage to the kidneys. According to Myers, using high levels of creatine can raise creatine, a waste product excreted by the kidneys, but it is not known to be toxic. He

also said that if a person decided to stop taking the supplement it takes an average of a month for creatine levels in their muscles to return to normal.

Poor Thunder and Anagnost were aware of the potential effects to the digestive tract.

“You have to drink a lot of water to avoid (it),” Anagnost said. “On any given day, I drink one to one and a half gallon.”

Poor Thunder also tries to stay hydrated.

“My goal is to drink 96 to 120 ounces of water a day,” Poor Thunder said.

Poor Thunder uses creatine before and after his workouts. Anagnost uses it during his workout, and at night on the days he lifts.

“A majority of it is mental...you train that much harder when you get results, and are excited to work out,” Anagnost said.

Bryan Lippincott/ BW

Lutter recognized for NSCA health knowledge BEN VANDER PLOEG

staff writer

Ben Vander Ploeg/BW

Strength and Conditioning coach Brian Lutter shouts on his way up from a squat as track coach Patrick Honkomp spots him. He lifts in the school’s weight room after track practice.

Coach Brian Lutter is now a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). “The CSCS program was created in 1985,” according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) certification commission, “to identify individuals who possess the knowledge and skills to design and implement safe and effective strength and conditioning programs for athletes in a team setting.”

To achieve this Lutter took a 210 multiple choice question test last December.

In order to do well on this test he studied from March to November. To study he purchased and extensive text book, took practice exams and watched videos.

But the test wasn’t a one time thing where went in took it and then he was done.

He has to maintain and continue re-qualifying for it. He can do this by attending clinics, reading research articles and taking classes and quiz-

zes to keep him up to date on health science and ways to make his training more effective.

“The certification itself is just evidence or proof that I’m competent in what I’m doing,” Lutter said, but the requirements keep him learning.

Although Lutter’s main goal for this was to improve himself professionally it may open a few doors for him and the community. “With new fitness center being open we’ll have more opportunities for students and the community,” Lutter said. The new facilities could be used with community education.

Not to compete with other training centers such as Aspen but just as an option for the community to come in and use it.

Lots of the athletes consider having Lutter there to be a great advantage. “It’s nice to have a coach that specializes in weight training,” senior Ryan McCauley said. “He really knows what he’s talking about.”

McCauley said that he likes having different workouts for in season and out of season. The in season work outs are less intense.

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20

Who’s Who

February 2008

B&W

Students and staff share similar features with others Sammy Sweeney 11 Avril Lavigne “I love her music and I feel like I can relate to her in so many ways other than our looks.”

JT Minor 11 Ben Folds

“With my glasses on, I guess I would say we look alike. “

Taylor Young 12 Adam Brody

Kyla Burns Evan Rachel Wood “I think I look like her, but I wish I sounded like her.”

Eric Eittreim 10 Rupert Grint

HALEY JOHNSON & JULIA MANNING staff writers Out of the six billion people in the world, there are bound to be some look-alikes. The chances of meeting up with that one person are rather slim. For senior Danny Sigmund and math teacher Adam Retzlaff, that does not seem to be the case.

Retzlaff has been at the high school for five years, and Sigmund is almost done with his fourth. Neither of them was aware of their resemblance until this year.

The resemblance was brought to Retzlaff’s attention by one of his students about a month ago, although it is not something that he hears often.

“If I squint I can see how people could think that. I look at myself all the time, so when I look at Danny, I don’t see me,” Retzlaff said. “It’s easier for someone else to see the resemblance.”

The similarity of their appearances was first introduced to Sigmund by friend and fellow senior

Michael Lunn. “Their shoulders are in the exact same positions and they both have the same cheesy little smile, they just look exactly the same,” Lunn said.

Sigmund has never had Retzlaff as a teacher, but agrees that they look alike.

The fact that they share similar features does not seem to upset either of them. “We’re both two good looking guys, so it doesn’t bother me at all,” Sigmund said.

Appearance is not the only thing that these two men have in common; they both have a love for mathematics.

Retzlaff teaches Algebra 2 and Precalculus and Sigmund has taken all math courses up to AP Calculus, which he is in this semester. In hopes of becoming an engineer, Sigmund plans on continuing math courses at the University of Iowa, similar to the courses Retzlaff took at Iowa State University.

Sarah Wessling Julia Stiles

Jake Marshall 11 Chris Brown

“I think we’re both tall and have similar face structure. I really, really like her a lot, and I think we both have similar deep voices.”

“Yeah, I guess, because I have reddish hair.”

Amanda Philiph 10 Taylor Swift

Joshua Heyer Neil Patrick Harris

“I’d have to say I probably do without my specks.”

”We both have blond curly hair, but other than that I don’t think we really look alike.”

Tim Brickley Chris Martin

Mike Schultz 12 Paul Walker

“I looked more like him when I had a beard.”

Photos provided by Wikipedia and protected under Creative Commons Licensing.

Compiled by Cicely Gordon, backpage editor; Haley Johnson and Julia Manning, staff writers

“He looks like me, I don’t look like him.”

“I love his dancing skills, but I don’t think I look like him.”

Tyler Smith 11 Dimetri Martin

“I guess we look a little alike, especially with our dark brown, long hair.”

Scott Roese 12 Jesse Bradford

“People told me that a lot after Bring It On came out.”

Answer to page 3- C

“No, I don’t really think we look that much alike, but I guess our hair does.”