May '07

One Copy Free

The Black & White

Johnston High School Student Paper

May ‘07

Vol 16 No. 9

Experience in Sudan enlightens graduate

BY LARISSA FRENCH NEWS EDITOR Class of 2000 graduate Sarah Coleman-Lubbs recently went on a learning tour, and spent a month in Sudan and a week total in Kenya and Uganda. Coleman-Lubbs was invited to go on the trip in January with the non-profit organization New Community Project. According to Coleman-Lubbs, the organization takes the tours to provide aid and raise public awareness.

On the trip, Coleman-Lubbs learned about two main programs of New Community Project. Give a Girl a Chance provides scholarships to girls, because education is not readily available to them. According to the New Community Project web site, educated girls will marry later, have fewer and healthier children and will have

options if stuck in abusive relationships.

“Most girls don’t go to school anymore; when you have six to eight children, you can’t afford to send them all to school,” Coleman-Lubbs said.

“What the deal is that once girls get to about 12 or 13, they usually stop going to school.

This happens because Coleman-Lubbs they need to stay home and help their mothers or because they sell items to help put their brothers through school because the boys will have more opportunities to use their education.”

The other major program, Every 30 Seconds, works to reduce the number of malaria cases, a deadly disease that kills three million annually and is spread by mosquitoes. The name comes from the

fact that every 30 seconds a child under the age of five dies of malaria in Africa.

“If you were to donate $10, that would buy a mosquito net. Two-thirds to threefourths of the people don’t have mosquito nets, which is the most basic form of protection against malaria,” ColemanLubbs said.

Although children are most likely to die from the disease, everyone is susceptible to contracting it, and there are 500 million cases of malaria annually.

“I’ve never seen kids so sick; they get (malaria) like we get colds. Parents can’t afford to buy medicine for their kids, and clinics don’t have enough to go around,” Coleman-Lubbs said.

The Sudanese have suffered other horrors than lack of education, poverty and disease. According to globalsecurity.org, the Sudan civil war began in 1983 after north Sudan attempted to make its Mus-

lim religion law over the entire region, despite the fact that south Sudan consists of non-Muslims. The conflict began between the Sudanese government and the opposition group the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), who received outside help from other countries to attempt overthrow the government.

Peace talks began in 1989, but failed when the military assumed control of the country. Other African countries tried to push for peace, but the government refused to talk until serious losses against the SPLA in 1997.

There has since been a series of peace talks, and in 2004, the SPLA and the government signed key protocols, bringing the country closer to peace. However, civil war has still continued in Darfur, and there are still clashes over territory and resources.

see SUDAN page 2

STUDENTS COME TOGETHER

Dan Haight/BW

Senior Scott Cronin and junior Rachel Spurgin laugh to each other as the candlelight ceremony comes to an end.

The service was held on May 2 in support of At-Risk coordinator Vickie Cronin. For a related story, see page 3.

Muscular dystrophy fundraiser attracts volunteers

In this issue...

Staff members debate school starting date Page 6

Students track spending to learn how to budget their money Page 8/9

Sophomore steps into male role on stage Page 12

BY CHELSEA NELSON STAFF WRITER Librarian Jane Behrens and history teacher Alicia Rollison participated in the Lock Up fundraising event on April 26.

The event raised money for people with muscular dystrophy, a heredity disease characterized by the gradual wasting of skeletal muscle.

At 3:00 p.m. on April 26, two fake police officers arrested Behrens and Rollison and took them to a mock jail setup and located at Trostel’s Greenbrier.

“We knew (the cops) were fake because when they arrested us, Behrens they were wearing high heels,” Behrens said.

Rollison and Behrens shared a cell and called district employees to ask for a donation. They would then write down how

much the people were willing to give on pledge slips.

“Whenever someone there got a $50 pledge, they would ring the bell and the other volunteers would applaud,” Behrens said. “That never happened to us, but that’s okay.”

Behrens and Rollison together raised $833. They raised $700 prior to being arrested by emailing people employed by the district.

Overall, the event raised $42,310, an increase from last year. The amount of money raised by Rollison and Behrens was above average, compared to the amount raised by other volunteers.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association first Rollison approached Behrens at the beginning of March when someone suggested that she would be a good volunteer. Behrens thought that Rollison had made the suggestion, so she nominated Rollison to volunteer

with her.

“It was funny because Mrs. Behrens thought that I was the one who volunteered her, so she had me be her partner in crime,” Rollison said.

Behrens and Rollison liked the way the fundraiser was organized, and believed that it was a great way to volunteer. According to Rollison, it is common for teachers to be asked to volunteer at such events.

“As a teacher, you’re used to being asked to do things, to be a model for the kids. I just thought that it’s a good chance to do a little service, so to speak,” Rollison said.

Behrens moved to the district about two years ago and believed that it was time that she did something to help.

“It was my first real opportunity to give back to the community. I’ve been here almost two years, and I wanted to do something and make a difference,” Behrens said. “I know there have been other chances besides this, but this one really sparked my interest.”

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NEWS: what’s important May ‘07

NewsBriefs

2008 student council announced Juniors and sophomores voted on next year’s student council representatives May 1. The student body selected juniors Cicely Gordon student body president, Michael Lunn as vice president and Jenny Pray secretary.

In addition, junior Thomas Lashier did not win his bid for re-election as classmate Sam Grasso was chosen for the Activities Director position.

Gordon already has big plans for next year. “What I’m planning is to have a big kickoff day or bonfire during the first week of school, so we can set the year off right,” Gordon said.

Other plans include incorporating more unity within all classes, not just the seniors, and making student council a more inviting place. “I think that listening to one another is key,” Gordon said. “It’s not the student council’s school, it’s everyone’s.”

Senior signs letter of intent

Matthew Courtney/Dragon

Senior Jeremy Johnson signs his letter of intent to play football at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. Johnson is the only Dragon football player to receive an athletic scholarship this season.

Corrections and 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.

Compiled by staff writer Austin Hartsook

Students support struggling library

BY VERONICA ROSHEK IDEAS EDITOR Student council set up a three-weeklong book drive for Des Moines’ Amos Hiatt Middle School. The seniors’ ticket to Senior Picnic was bringing at least two books to donate to the drive.

Former Johnston teacher Amy Lane had the idea to attempt to work with Johnston to help her new school out.

“I know that Johnston is always looking for ways to volunteer for student council, SAIL and others,” Lane said.

“So, I talked to (teacher Chris Beguhn) and she set it up with student council.”

According to Lane, stundent council did all the work from there.

“We have a nice library; it’s just outdated,” former Johnston teacher Spence Evans said. “A lot of the copyrights are from the ‘80s. It needs to be filled.”

Student council ended up collecting stacks of boxes filled with books from the drive, but it has not had the chance to take them out to Hiatt yet. According to Lane, there has been a security issue and Hiatt wanted to ensure the safety of Johnston students. The date it will be taking the books has not been decided.

Most of the books that were collected are fun reading books, according to Beguhn. There were a few books that student council had to omit because they were aimed for students much younger.

Along with the book drive, student council also tried going to Hiatt on early out days.

“The after school program, Safe Village, was a way for Johnston students to come over and play dodgeball and other games with the kids,” Evans said.

According to junior Michael Lunn, the kids there live in a low income population, where they have no place to go after school. Sometimes, they stay at school till seven or eight at night when they can be picked up or walk home.

“Hanging out with those kids, you could tell it meant a lot to them,” Lunn said. “Watching them have a good time is what makes it all worthwhile.”

Because there is not much more student council can do this year, it is hoping to possibly continue a partnership with Hiatt next year, according to Evans.

“The main focus this year was to get the books,” Evans said. “We have talked

Veronica Roshek/BW

Veronica Roshek/BW

about having students tutor or other things for government service hours.”

According to Lane, school supplies, winter clothes and hygiene products are all possibilities for future projects.

Lane, Evans and Sarah Updegraff ended up at Hiatt this year.

“We had a whole new administration coming in this year,” Evans said.

With Lane as an advisor who works with seventh grade students on post-secondary opportunities, Updegraff is the vice principal and Evans is principal.

All three of them are satisfied with their decisions to switch to Hiatt, and feel like they need to be there.

“I had a calling to come here, and it was an opportunity to have more of a

(Above) Hiatt Middle School teacher Angie Schnurstein puts books away in the library after a class activity earlier in the day. (Left) Hiatt Middle School’s sparse library contains these few shelves of outdated books. The book drive collected by student council will help fill the empty spaces.

challenge,” Evans said. “Not that Johnston wasn’t challenging enough.”

“I miss Johnston,” Updegraff said.

“But I work very well with the diversity, and I feel like I have a need to be here.”

Evans and Updegraff did not know each other until they worked together this year because they worked at different schools before. Evans was at the middle school and Updegraff taught at the high school.

Lane took the job later, and already knew Evans and Updegraff were there. In the end, it influenced her to go to Hiatt.

“It’s a great demographic and a huge difference from Johnston,” Lane said. “I loved being at Johnston, but I’m learning to love what I can do for these kids.”

Visit to Africa inspires alumna, changing her life continued from page 1 “The peace agreement says in 2011, if the south wants to secede, they can. The general consensus is that they’re gearing for another war. When the country was left by the British, north was left with the power, and the south was left with the resources (including oil and the Nile River, and the north isn’t going to let that go),” Coleman-Lubbs said.

According to Coleman-Lubbs, the civil war left a lasting impact on the country, and as a result, the scars of violence remain.

“One village (we went to) had 600 kids killed in one day (many years ago). While we were there, every place, there were ambushes close to where we were,” Coleman-Lubbs said. “First night we were there . . . we heard gunshots, screaming and crying, funeral drums. That’s just what happens at night. You get over heat, dirt and physical discomforts, but you don’t get over hearing things like that.”

Every person Coleman-Lubbs encountered had a story from the war. The learning tour’s driver, Jamba, was a child soldier who had been taken from his village when he was young. His captors taught him how to drive an artillery vehicle through his army training. As a result of

his experiences, he cannot hear very well, and he does not speak very often.

“His experiences were horrific; he had to drive his commander over dead bodies,” Coleman-Lubbs said. “When that’s what your youth is like, it just shapes you.”

Despite the horrors Coleman-Lubbs encountered, she found hope. This inspired her to plan a trip back, as a teacher.

“They offered me a job teaching at a preschool. There would be three to four college-age teachers there on a volunteer basis. There would be no pay involved, lots of kids, no supplies or materials, and most schools have no buildings,” Coleman-Lubbs said. “I’m probably going back to work with literacy.”

Since Coleman-Lubbs will mostly likely be in Sudan for a long period of time, she will risk contracting malaria. Most medicine for malaria is hard on the organs, and therefore, can only be taken for three to six months at a time.

“I would probably take it for the three to six months . . . If I stay longer, I would not take it. I’d just bring medicine, so when I got it, I would have enough pills,” Coleman-Lubbs said.

According to Coleman-Lubbs, the medicine to cure the disease is the same medicine taken to prevent getting it, just

(Above) Coleman-Lubbs looks into the face of a baby girl in Sudan. “She deserves the opportunity to be able to exercise (her) potential and live her dreams like the rest of us,” ColemanLubbs said. (Left) A young girl wanders alone in Sudan. “When I saw that little girl standing all alone, my heart broke. She had no one to protect her . . . You look at children like this and realize just how lucky we are in this country,” Coleman-Lubbs said. taken in different proportions.

Coleman-Lubbs is now working to raise funds for her return trip to

Provided/Sarah Coleman-Lubbs the Sudan, which will cost $1,500 for round-trip tickets, and she will need additional money for medicine, food and transportation. In the meantime, she has met with several different groups, including the Lion’s Club, and numerous newspapers to spread information.

If anyone would like to donate money to send Coleman-Lubbs back to Sudan, or if teachers would like her to speak to their class, email her at sjcoleman@mchsi. com. If anyone would like information on ways to help, visit newcommunityproject. org or invisiblechildren.com.

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NEWS: what’s important May ‘07

Pink worn for Vickie Cronin

BY BRITTANY DEAL STAFF WRITER

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Dan Haight/BW

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Brittany Deal/BW

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Senior Scott Cronin sat in the cafeteria with his friends on the morning of May 1 when he received a phone call from his mother, At-Risk coordinator Vickie Cronin, asking him to return home.

“I definitely felt scared when she called me, when she asked me to come home,” Scott Cronin said. “That wasn’t normal.”

Scott Cronin found his mother lying down in her bedroom.

“I knew something wasn’t right,” Vickie Cronin said. “I obviously had some pain and discomfort in my chest, in my arm.”

According to Vickie Cronin, the situation did not make sense at the time, because she has never had a heart attack before.

“In hindsight, it probably would have been better to call 911 than Scott; I probably should have called 911 first,” Vickie Cronin said.

Shortly after Scott Cronin arrived, he dialed 911.

“We got some of her stuff, like her purse—she needed her insurance card— and she wanted to move downstairs so (the paramedics) could get to her easier,” Scott said. “The paramedics came in; I think they diagnosed it as a heart attack pretty quick.”

Vickie and Scott Cronin arrived at the hospital. The doctors took Vickie Cronin into surgery and performed a coronary angioplasty in order to reopen the blocked arteries. According to Scott Cronin, the doctors took care of any other blockages they found in Vickie Cronin’s arteries.

News of Vickie Cronin’s heart attack spread quickly. Principal Bruce Hukee notified the staff via email, while senior Matt Burch formed a plan. Through a system of mass texting, he and his friends spread the word to fellow students to wear pink the following day.

“It originally started out with the Khaki Wednesday group,” Burch said. “We were going to just wear pink with our khakis, but then we decided to see how much of

Juniors Chris Cline, Audrey Henning, Madie Fiedler and senior Emeri Sams sing “Tribute,” arranged by Brenton Brown.

Senior Scott Cronin and junior Rachel Spurgin hold lighted candles while listening to various students share memories of At-Risk coordinator Vickie Cronin. the student body we could get to do it.”

Vickie Cronin will not forget what the students did for her.

“I have never felt so honored,” Vickie Cronin said. “(The students’ gesture) was a humbling experience.”

Wearing pink shirts was not the only gesture the student body had to honor Vickie Cronin. That same night, a candlelight vigil was held at 9 p.m. in the parking lot.

Senior Hailie Zulaica and her mother

Dan Haight/BW

Sophomores Taylor Martz, Leslie Tosch, Lindsay Timmons and senior Matt Carlson circle up for the candlelight vigil.

Heidi Zulaica planned and spread the word about the service.

“I called my mom right after school (on May 1) to let her know what happened to Mrs. Cronin,” Hailie Zulaica said. “(My mom) had always adored Mrs. Cronin, and when I told her about it, she instantly (said), ‘We need to do something.’”

Vickie Cronin returned home from Mercy Hospital on May 6, five days after she experienced the heart attack.

Pink had always been a favored color of Vickie Cronin’s, but now it signifies much more to her, because she feels she had never been honored in such a meaningful way.

Currently, Vickie Cronin is at home recovering from her heart attack.

“I miss my work, my colleagues, my students. It would just be good to get back, and to get things back to normal,” Vickie Cronin said. “I would like to thank everyone (for their kindness).”

Students show off businesses at all-day trade show

BY DAWN WILKENS STAFF WRITER Marketing students brought in posters, cookies, desserts and electronics to the small gym during an early dismissal to promote created businesses.

Marketing, a semester-long class taught by business teacher Jackie Prehm, helps students to understand strategies businesses use to sell products and how to target different people. It is taught during third and fourth period.

The students were required to do a trade show as a final project. A trade show helps businesses promote awareness of their business and sales according to webster.com. Students had a chance to do a hands-on trade show and sell their business to visitors throughout the day. “(Marketing classes) put on a trade show of the imaginary business that we created at the beginning of the semester,” sophomore John Puffett said.

According to senior Krista Bowers, marketing students chose their business based on their hobbies. “(At the beginning of the semester) for our first project, we made up three different businesses that were our favored interests and then we picked one of those,” Bowers said. “Prehm also gave us advice on which one she thought would be a good business.”

The Buffalo Creek Tack, created by Bowers, was created based on her longtime passion of horses. Bowers brought saddles, hoof picks, boots and horse treats from home to help create the feel of a horse care business.

Dawn Wilkens/BW

(Top) Senior April Adams gives junior Danny Sigmund a massage.

(Bottom) Students gather around to vote for their favorite business.

Seniors Alexis Buchanan and Kayla Schmidt and juniors Rachel Binner and Alyssa Buckley look at a saddle from the Buffalo Creek Tack created by senior Krista Bowers. “It was very interesting the ways (the vendors) sold their businesses,” Binner said. “(Krista’s) was a good visual representation.”

Puffett chose to create his business, The Royal Car Club, because of his love of cars. Puffett brought a miniature TV and a racing video game for visitors to play while they looked at his business.

Students also brought food to attract people to their business.

“Prehm said that food draws people in,” Bowers said, who brought frosted sugar cookies. “It can help people to look at your business, even if they don’t like

the theme.”

Students, teachers and parents were allowed to attend the trade show. The students set up their projects around the perimeter of the gym, so on-lookers could see all the projects.

Sophomore Adam Helgeson attended the trade show and enjoyed it.

“I liked everyone who had food and I thought the light show was pretty cool,” Helgeson said.

The trade show lasted all day in the small gym on May 9. At the end, as people were leaving, they voted for their favorite business. “People voted just for what business they enjoyed the most or which students that could sell their business the best,” Bowers said.

The winner of the trade show competition and voted for the most by the visitors was Puffett. “(The trade show) was just a fun thing to do,” Puffett said.

B &W 4 No excuse for lack of dissection alternatives Skip OPINION: what they think May ‘07

Bethany Christenson/Dragon

Using cautious precision, junior Ryan Lay snips off a section of a sheep heart in anatomy and physiology. Alternatives to this practice, such as computer simulations, should be offered within science classes that require dissection.

Miniature

OPINIONS

Junior Michelle Wallace remembers freshman biology not for what she learned, but instead for the dissection she was forced to witness and perform on a fetal pig. “I literally started crying,” Wallace said, “It was one of the worst experiences of my life.”

Alternatives need to be offered for students like Wallace who desire the knowledge taught in anatomy and physiology, biology or Advanced Placement (AP) Biology, but have ethical complications with animal dissection or simply cannot stomach the scalpel.

Science teacher Kevin Schulte feels dissection is imperative to the course. “Part of the learning experience is hands on,” Schulte said. “(In a dissection lab) you see what tissue looks like. Pictures are different. You have more respect for a specimen.”

However, Schulte also said he would allow a student to step out of the room if ill or talk with a teacher about their concerns if he or she cannot handle a dissection. Science teacher Pam Brown said she would work with the student to find a different assignment if they choose.

But realistic and ethical options are available in which students would not miss out on the dissection experience.

Life-like models are constructed of removable latex “skin” and organs. Such products can be bought and reused year after year, ultimately saving the science department money for other supplies.

Various schools make active

Ethic-friendly alternatives are available for efficient costs

the scalpel 2

Video Simulation $712 Realistic Models $350

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Online Sources

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use of computer simulations, multimedia presentations and anatomical overlays.

Some classes have used butcher shop “extras” in place of conventional dissection to study muscle composition. None of these alternatives involve the slaughtering of animals for solely dissection purpose and therefore are ethical for most students to participate in.

More creative options could include the use of specimens from the supermarket deli and the use of PlayDoh to study brain anatomy.

Wallace said she would feel more comfortable taking anatomy and physiology if she could use a model to complete the dissection, rather than the real thing. “It wouldn’t have the horrible smell, and would be more bearable,” she said.

The rapidly expanding resources of the internet also provide many new resources

small things we care about compiled by Bryan Lippincott, Sports Editor

Finals on a Monday

Mechanical pencils a no-no

Think about it. I am sure that a lot of you, not unlike myself, sat at home waiting for the official announcement that school was cancelled. If only I could count the times that we were thwarted by Dr. Sundblad, the hours of school the following day that dragged by as the result of staying up late.

However, the Clay Guthmiller regime has started on the right foot. He gave in, not that he had much choice with a foot of new snow on the ground, but still credit is due to him.

The only drawback to all of this is that now the fourth and eighth period tests will take place on Monday, June 2. That sucks, but just think back to how happy you were for that unscheduled day off that made the entire winter worth having. Seniors, this need not apply to you because you do not have to make up any extra days.

However, for the rest of us, enjoy the final by thinking of how you spent your extra day off in the winter.

The bottom line is enjoy it while you have it, and remember it when the consequence rolls around.

The Dec. 9 ACT was a day that could perhaps have determined what college I would go to. As I checked in, I was informed that mechanical pencils were not allowed. My immediate response was, “What the heck?”

Are you kidding me? They’re the same as the number two wooden pencils, except trees are not killed to make them and they allow people to take exams without constantly having to make the trip to the pencil sharpener.

I mean really, how am I going to cheat? With magic lead? Nope. By being able to adjust the length of the lead at will? I don’t think so. There is no plausible reason. Did they perhaps catch someone once cheating, who just happened to be using a mechanical pencil? Probably. So to that person, thanks for ruining it all.

To the test committee: Can’t we let bygones be bygones and allow the pencils? I assure you they do not have any special powers. No clocks built in to time the test that would give an unfair advantage, and no food hidden cleverly inside to provide more brain power. Just plain, honest, slightly more high-tech pencils.

Dan Haight/BW

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for dissection. Brown uses free college-developed sites as an introduction to the frog dissection in her general biology class. This should be furthered and used instead of dissection, as well as allow students to learn at their own pace and reduce safety considerations.

Nearly all alternatives to dissection are cleaner and cheaper than actual dissection, running at under $800 per reusable option, compared to the $76.20 per individual cat with up to 15 ordered each year alone.

When students are unable to take a class due to ethical complications or queasy stomachs, something needs to change. Alternatives to dissection can be offered in all science classes at efficient costs that do not alter the material learned. It is time these options are taken advantage of so students do not miss out on valuable knowledge obtained by taking such courses.

Editor-in-Chief Mike Slusark Managing Editor Kari Dockum News Editor Larissa French Opinion Editor Sam Leahy Feature Editor Kelsey Hyde Sports Editor Bryan Lippincott Doubletruck Editor Amanda Lower Review Editor Alex Guns Backpage Editor Cicely Gordon Photo Editor Dan Haight Ideas Editor Veronica Roshek Staff Writers: Chris Ajluni, Caroline Byrd, Emily Conn,

The Staff

Brittany Deal, Nels Engblom, Kyle Hanson, Austin Hartsook, Drew Houp, Stephanie Ivankovich, Hana Kajtazovic, Allison Kane, Thomas Lashier, Tina Li, Amy Lovejoy, Kiera Morrill, Chelsea Nelson, Shawna Polen, Lauren Proffitt, Torey Robinson, Jordan Van Essen, Dawn Wilkens, Jenna Willson, Brennan Winget, Lee Yocum 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 michaeljohn48@aol.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.

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OPINION: what they think May ‘07

Leahy’s Leaven

Protect students, promote moderation Sam Leahy Opinion Editor Dan Haight/BW

Senior Shawn Dickerson smacks a line-drive during coach Brian Woodley’s softball unit in seventh period team sports track P.E. Popular yet diverse, track P.E. has made progress by offering alternative activities to students.

No revision needed for P.E. grading scale

BY CHRIS AJLUNI STAFF WRITER Changing the P.E. grading scale would work against everything that track P.E. was supposed to accomplish. Although this has not yet been proposed, it is a viable option used at some schools.

Through elementary school, middle school and most recently high school, P.E. has always been graded the same way. A, B, C, D and F are the ingredients to a well-balanced P.E. that allows students to earn the grade they deserve.

The grades are not based on athletic ability; instead, it is a combination of attendance, uniform, effort and attitude.

This fitting process is being threatened by the regressive proposition of a dying grading system.

It is called Pass/Fail P.E. and it is simply self-explanatory. Under the new system, students would theoretically only need to maintain a 60% in their class to

“earn” a passing mark, according to P.E. teacher Deb Nicholson.

“A pass/fail grading scale would be bad for Johnston,” Nicholson said, “People wouldn’t show up, they wouldn’t try as hard and people who really want to be there wouldn’t have as much fun.”

Nicholson also didn’t agree with the prospect of exemption from P.E. for athletes. “Single-sport athletes don’t get the same variety they get in P.E. For example, soccer players don’t ever get exposed to archery unless they’re in P.E.,” Nicholson said.

Students do not care for the idea of a pass/fail system either. Sophomores Cali Kness, Sarah Engstrom, Katie Hull, Aaron Schultz, Shelby Brose and Alyssa Cook prefer the current grading scale and the current criteria involved in it. “I consider myself unathletic, but it’s still easy for me to get an A in P.E. All you have to do is try,” Kness said.

Many students are of the opinion that P.E. could not become any easier

by switching to a pass/fail system. “P.E. is pretty much a pass/fail class already. If you try, you get an A; if you don’t, you get an F,” juniors Adam Thompson and Jay Riehm said.

Both are not involved in sports, yet have no problem with the process of the P.E. grading scale.

Although some questions regarding the ability of some students to participate in certain activities have been raised, track P.E. has nearly solved the problem.

Samantha Meyer, sophomore, said, “Some of (the students) don’t try because we can’t. I would try if it was something I liked.”

Meyer supported the idea of adding dance as a P.E. track, and though she wasn’t happy with the current tracks, a P.E. based on the study of dance would be suitable for her.

P.E. classes at Johnston still have room for improvement, but the idea of a switch would chop down the things that track P.E. made better.

Parents, please leave it in the stands

BY KYLE HANSON STAFF WRITER In high school athletics, success is often relevant to the number of students in the district. It is a coach’s dream to be able to pick starting players from a large pool of athletes while also having depth on the team. But how do they narrow the field from so many?

Pre-season practices are common in determining who can play and who can’t.

Other factors play a role as well, such as effort, skill and attitude. Unfortunately, another common deciding factor can be parents. Because Mom or Dad was an allstater, it may be hard to swallow the fact that their son or daughter will spend the season on the bench or playing JV. Despite coaches having past experience and the qualifications to coach high school athletics, parents often feel they know best. Rather than letting the coaches evaluate performance throughout the season, they complain. It could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe their child does not get the minutes they think they deserve, or they think the child is better than the person playing ahead of them, or they are not getting to play the position they want to. The bottom line is that parents will be watching the games from the stands, exactly where they be-

long. Coaches coach for a reason, and their judgment should be trusted.

Parents do not realize that they might be slightly biased because it is their child, as well as because they listen to them come home everyday and complain about how they should play more. It is difficult to measure skill levels of high school students because many are still developing and most are of similar size. That is why many positions are decided by effort and dedication. If two players have similar talent, the one who has not missed any practices and tries hard everyday in practice deserves the spot.

This is what parents cannot grasp, mainly because they are not present when practice takes place and the real work is done. All they see is that their child is not playing, something they disagree with because they believe their child is the best.

This is when they pick up the phone or approach the coach to complain.

This puts the coach in a bad position and having to defend their decision. This most likely worsens the relationship between the player and coach and will ultimately hurt the child’s chances at playing. Sometimes, however, the coach may want to avoid confrontation and the parent gets what they want and the whole team suffers.

The bottom line is that parents have no place in high school sports besides en-

couraging and supporting the young athletes. Everything should be decided on the field by the coach. The coach knows the players as well as anyone else and sees the effort put forth in practice.

If an athlete has a big enough problem that their parent needs to complain, they should talk to the coach themselves and talk it over with them. For the team to be successful, the best players should be playing and the coach should be the one choosing. Parents who feel like they need to contribute should do it by cheering in the stands.

In an April 19 article by The Des Moines Register, the creation of a buddy system for males on the Iowa State University (ISU) was talked about by ISU junior Dusty Kroll. This measure would be in hopes to alleviate unnecessary deaths, such as that of Abel Bolanos, who was the most recent alcohol-related casualty at ISU. While creating a buddy system would lead to fewer deaths, moderation in regards to alcohol consumption would be a more surefire repressor.

The main reason for establishing such a system is to ensure that college-age males are safer, as well as to decrease the death rate among this age group. Nearly 1,700 college students between the ages of 18-24 die each year due to alcohol-related injuries, according to the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. With this being the leading cause of death on college campuses, things need to change.

On a national scale, 50 to 60 percent of college men reported binge drinking, as compared to the 34 to 40 percent of college women, according to a 2002 study published by the national alcohol abuse council’s committee. Clearly, men drink more heavily than women, and thus, are just as vulnerable to bad incidents occurring when inebriated.

Keeping men protected is the motivation for a group of ISU students promoting the buddy system, however they have overlooked a solution that will guarantee safer students. Encouraging and educating students on moderation would be more logical and produce greater results.

As a result of creating such awareness, public intoxication arrests would go down from the 697 reported by the three major Iowa universities last year, of which 589 were men. A buddy system would not rid college campuses of this occurrence; rather, it would encourage intoxicated men to walk together. How is a group of drunken males expected to give aid in a situation where one of their own is in danger? They cannot since their judgment is already impaired and their ability to comprehend the seriousness of the problem is greatly diminished.

As a senior, male and a soon-to-be ISU student, I know that alcohol will be prominent in my surroundings next year.

However, this does not give me free reign to do whatever I want. I would feel much safer knowing that my fellow students are being told to pay attention to their alcohol intake rather than believing that they can drink to their little hearts’ content as long as they follow the buddy system.

While Kroll’s idea has its benefits, it would be skirting the real issue at hand.

Unfortunately, if the safest behaviors are not promoted and encouraged, it is up to the individual to moderate their alcohol intake. With all of this in mind, whether you will be attending college next year or not, be mindful of your decisions and don’t become just another statistic.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this column, send emails to sam.leahy@gmail.com

6

B &W

OPINION: what they think May ‘07

calendar

chaos

THE HEATED DEBATE ABOUT THE STARTING DATE FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.

[pro]

BY CAROLINE BYRD STAFF WRITER

Johnston needs to follow Ankeny’s lead, and start school earlier in August. The school district looked into doing this last year, but the school board did not approve the change. It would be wise for the board to look into it again.

Changing the calendar to have students start school earlier in the year would work well in Johnston. First, it would enable students to take finals before winter break, preventing the stress that goes along with having to study over the holidays.

Sophomore Abbey Nelson thought a calendar change would be nice. “It’s so hard to be stressing about finals over winter break,” Nelson said. “You’re suppose to be having a ‘winter break,’ but it’s more of a ‘winter study.’”

Taking finals before break could help students to have more focus while studying, since they would still be in the school routine, not on vacation.

Junior Jake Aplin, from Ankeny, said the calendar change, which happened three years ago, has worked well for him and his friends. “I like it a lot,” he said. “We don’t have to worry about finals after Christmas break.”

Although students would get out of school earlier, they would be heading back to lockers and books sometime around the second week of August. While the change might upset some people, it is really not that different. Sophomore Jake Baumgartner says moving the start date would not be bad.

“The first summer would be shorter, and I would be kind of angry, but once the year started, I’d be fine,” Baumgartner said. “Overall, it’d be beneficial because we’d have a nice relaxed break, rather than a stressful one spent studying.”

That would not be the only sacrifice. If the calendar was changed, teachers would have to grade finals over break. Most tests can be graded quickly because they are taken on Scantron sheets, but for the teachers who do not use them, it should not be that big of a deal. The school provides one in-service day for teachers to check finals.

With all the students in our school, it would be quite the challenge to get all the finals graded in one day. Some teachers might already be grading over winter break.

Nelson made a good point. “They decided to be a teacher, (so grading finals) is just something they have to do,” she said.

Dan Haight/BW

Senior Chris Schnell performs a backside 180-degree ollie off of a loading ramp while enjoying his summer break. There has been much discussion about changing the starting date of the school year. School would start earlier in August and let out at the end of May under the proposal.

[con]

BY ANDREW HOUP STAFF WRITER

The proposed idea to put finals before winter break is absurd. December is a wonderful month, full of wonderful things. Why destroy it with studying and finals, things that require a lot of time and stress?

If you study the issue in depth, it is clear that the disadvantages of moving finals to December far outweigh the advantages, and a change would certainly mean misery for the students who are affected by it. It would also would mean almost certain anguish for teachers who would have to correct finals over break.

Two years ago, the school board discussed the idea of holding mid-year finals before the beginning of winter break. A change was never made, due to the huge affect it would have on the district and the calendar.

According to school board member Jill Morrill, a brief survey was conducted, and it found that there was not enough support in the community. The decision also stemmed from the fact that they did not have enough data to make a proposal.

“We felt that we needed to give the community more time,” Morrill said.

Finals after break provide another vacation. For four days in January, no homework is assigned because it is the end of the semester. This little break is needed as students have nine straight weeks of school before spring break arrives.

Students would begin school a week earlier and get out a week earlier, most likely sometime at the end of May. Though getting out a week earlier would be pretty neat, starting a week earlier could very possibly mean disaster for a student body who is busy with their summers. That is exactly why the calendar was not changed in 2005.

The suggestion that winter vacation contributes to the rusting of students’ memories is an understandable argument, but the fact is there is around a week’s worth of days between the time students get back and the time they begin finals. That means a week’s worth of study time, review time and time for other preparation.

If the schedule was changed, this worry and panic would have to be confronted during the month of December, during which Christmas and many things that involve it take place, which means students lose out time on one of the most important seasons of the year.

Allow me to reintroduce myself. . .

My name is Hov’, OH, H-to-the-O-V I used to move snowflakes by the O-Z I guess even back then you can call me CEO of the R-O-C, Hov’!

-Jay-Z What can I say? It’s the story of my life. I grew up on the streets of Brooklyn (Marcy!) just hustling to get by.

Life was hard, but I survived, but then everything came to a head when a couple of guys who were up to no good, started making trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one lil’ fight, and my mom got scared. She said, “You’re movin’ with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air.” But things just didn’t work out in California with my aunt and uncle, because as they say, you can take the boy out of the streets, but you can’t take the disturbingly violent and sadistic tendencies out of the boy. Also, I pooped on their kitchen floor.

So I moved to Iowa as a type of therapy with my main dawg Johnny “I can’t say certain three-digit numbers” Kennedy, and we joined the paper in 2004 mainly as a way to prey on vulnerable geeks.

I got my big break in January 2005 when then-editor Sonja (pronounced Sawn-ya) Spray recognized my good looks and asked me to go on a date with her. I, of course, denied because I don’t date Russians. Also, I’m deathly afraid.

So the first thing I did was try to think of a title fitting for such a ground-breaking achievement in modern

Death OR Glory

Michael J Slusark

literature. I managed to narrow it down to two possible choices, “The Clampdown” or “Death or Glory,” both titles of Clash songs off of London Calling. I decided to go with the latter because it at least seemed relevant, not realizing that it was the first of many allusions to plagiarisms of much more talented writers in music (see sidebar). It may not be the most meaningful name, but at least it’s not a bread reference.

After getting the important stuff out of the way, I started writing my column, which was about the Steelers and how much Artists I’ve they rule. I’ll probably keep a clipping ripped off... of that around to show them when I Bob Dylan apply for a job in their front office Joe Grushecky some day. I can see it now: Drive-By Truckers Me: “Look at this article I wrote Jay-Z about the Steelers in high school.”

The Weakerthans Art Rooney II (Steelers’ PresiDesaparecidos Bright Eyes dent): “Hey, that’s great! Now, who Mike Jones let you in here again?”

So that’s exactly how I started writing columns and became an overnight celebrity with thousands of fans screaming things like, “Mike, I want your baby!” and “Mike, who are you talking to?” and “Are you really arrogant enough to think anyone cares about you or your stupid preachy column?” You know, it’s tough having such a huge fan base of super hot babes and paparazzi that all want a piece of you, but I guess that’s just the price of fame.

The next couple years were a blur. Pulitzer here, Peabody there, in and out of rehab, Oscar, Source Award, Tony, Emmy, Latin Grammy. I was all over the place.

It really took a toll on my other commitments. I mean, how could I find time to learn lines for Who’s the Boss and Charles in Charge and write my columns at the

same time? It’s not my fault Tony Danza and Scott Baio look so alike.

So I went into a brief, eight-year hiatus and hibernated in a cave, much like a bear. In fact, I woke up at weekly intervals and nursed from a mother grizzly that took me in as one of her own. It’s the explanation for my bear-like tendencies and love of salmon.

I eventually returned and finished up my obligations to the paper, which is where I am now. As I look over my work from the last decade, I truly see how little progress I’ve made. This is truthfully a verbatim quote from a fourth grade journal entry in English class. The question was, “What food would you like to make your parents eat?”

My response: “I would like to make my parents eat worms, slugs, spider webs and mud mashed up like mashed potatoes boiled in muddy water for a month. It would be funny watching them eat it because I would tell them it was a new type of chocolate.”

If I didn’t know that I had already written this in fourth grade, I might have written it in this very column.

That is how little I have progressed or matured in any mental or emotional way. Billy Madison still gets me, and I’ve seen it more times than I can count.

And, I, America, am proud to be a representative of your class of 2007!

P.S. For all you future Hawks, you can look for “Death or Glory” in the issues of next fall’s Daily Iowan, but you’re not gonna find it.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this column, send emails to michaeljohn48@aol.com

7

May ‘07

Spiderman 3 swings low

BY JORDAN VAN ESSEN STAFF WRITER

and scenes with an often-confusing development of plot and characters. The result is a film that seems to go belly up after the first act, and barely has time to redeem its honor with an acceptable ending that manages to, at least, tie up all of the loose ends in the story.

All in all, the movie is a cut-and-dry example of mediocre Hollywood movies and a series that has played itself out. Entertaining enough to get by as a passable installment in the series, but not enough to be anything worth mentioning, Spiderman 3 is arguably the worst chapter in the Spiderman series.

Provided/ Sony Pictures

Foreshadowing keeps the pages turning Marcus Sedgwick’s The Foreshadowing weaves a great tale of historical fiction, shedding a new light and a new perspective on World War I. The book takes flight with the 17-yearold Alexandra, who is racked by the terrible visions of people’s deaths. No matter how much she tries to leave them behind, they always find her, getting stronger with each one that passes.

Alexandra soon finds herself shunned by her family, who ignores her and labels her an outcast. She realizes with a sinking feeling that her family is falling apart.

Her father is always helping at the hospital, her mother is in a trance-like state, one older brother has gone off to war and the other off to medical school, leaving her behind. Readers who have siblings, know the competition that they have to go through just to get attention.

With the ongoing war with Germany, all that Alexandra wants to do is lend a helping hand. Her dream is to work as a nurse, but when she finally gets her chance, it’s ripped away from her.

The cause: her visions. Here, the reader must remember that this takes place in a time where the oldest male in the family makes all the final decisions, including someone’s occupation.

When another vision comes, warning her of her brother’s death, she decides to

This month in....

film history

“Star Wars, filmmaking & mom”

history lesson by Alexander S.G. Guns

Director Sam Raimi, along with the cast members Kirsten Dunst, Tobey Maguire and James Franco, delivered the third installation of the Spiderman series to anticipated audiences. With a budget of over $250 million it seems that Spiderman 3 will be one heck of a summer blockbuster.

The third installment pits Spiderman against two new foes. First, there is Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), the killer of Spiderman’s uncle, who is turned into the visually stunning Sandman.

Then, there is Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), the brown-nosing new photographer who threatens to oust Peter Parker of his job. After being infected by an alien black ooze transported via meteorite, Eddie is transformed into the menacing Venom.

On top of the two new villains, there is also Peter’s best friend and worst enemy Harry (Franco), who is all too eager to follow in his deceased father’s evil footsteps.

If dealing with three villains at once was not enough for him, poor Spidey’s relationship with his damsel in distress girlfriend Mary Jane (Dunst) grows colder every day.

At the beginning of the movie, Peter Parker is the shy, innocent, bookish and nerdy character he was in the first two movies. However, after becoming infected with the same alien sludge as Eddie, he becomes an all new (almost proto-emo) dark Parker who loves nothing better than to strut around trying to catch the eyes of other girls while on personal vendettas of revenge. The new Parker even comes with a trendy new all-black Spidey suit to match his wild new demeanor; how cute.

What is not cute is how Raimi failed to see where jam-packed becomes overkill. He injects into the movie a cheesy script, cringe-worthy scenes (two words: dance routine), unnecessary monologues

BY SHAWNA POLEN STAFF WRITER

B &W

REVIEW: what’s new

Other Books by Sedgwick Cowards The Dark Horse The Book Of Dead Days

My Sword Hand Is Stinging Blood Red Snow White The Dark Flight Down Floodland Witch Hill do something about it. Steeling another women’s ID, she gets herself sent straight to the war zone working as a volunteer nurse, also known as a VAD nurse. Afraid and alone, Alexandra tries hard to help and find her brother, which proves to be a daunting task. It’s not long until the head nurse is on to her and her lie. With the government now on her tail, she seeks the help of a man named Hoodoo Jack, who is said to have visions too. This part of the book gets exciting, with fast moving sections that leave readers wondering

what happens next.

Together they try to find her brother, chasing his battalion from one site to the next. When they finally find him, and the vision close at hand, the unthinkable happens.

The Foreshadowing comes to a shocking end. Reading the book over and over still would not give any clues to the unexpected ending. Sedgwick has taken war and a young girl’s dreams of being someone and compiled them into a work of art.

It was 30 years ago today, George Lucas taught the band to play. In May 1977, Star Wars was given to the world, and everything became new. No film has been left untouched by this $20 billion industry that is the Star Wars Saga. Now, me being 18, I can’t recall the ‘70s premier, but my own first encounter in the early ‘90s is just as classic.

It was 1994, and kindergarten was just on the horizon. Almost every week, my mom took me to the Urbandale Library where I would pick from a pile of Eric Carle tales. I would then venture into the movie section. One day, my mom pulled out a movie and handed it to me. On the cover it had a boy pointing a laser gun, and in the back was this man in a black suit with a laser sword! Now, this was enough for most five-year-old boys, but I was skeptical.

On top, it said “STAR WARS.” I may have not been able to read, but I knew “STAR” when I saw it, as in “STAR TREK.” I figured Star Trek and Star Wars would be one and the same, if only for the same first word in the title. My earliest memories are visions of my mom and dad watching Star Trek, a show about people in space talking for what seemed like, days. “Naahhh, that’s okay,” I said.

For whatever reason, that mom of mine was pretty persistent. “You’ll like this. It’s filled with bad guys and capes and swords.” I looked and read her the best I could with my 5-year-old logic. In my youthful optimism, I decided to take a chance and rent it. The winning argument for me was, “Well, it’s free anyway.”

I was a pretty frugal boy.

I took it home, made a bologna sandwich sat down and pressed play. A cruiser flew by followed by this mammoth ship.

Quick, now we are in the cruiser, people firing every which way. “Wow baby!” I said. At this point, I decided this is the greatest movie every made.

A door explodes! A man saunters in the middle of the frame; he looks from side to side, then walks on. This guy was bad; this guy was Darth Vader. My eyes widened and I spurted out, “Ohhhh, my STARS!” At this point, I decided I wanted to make movies for a living.

As soon as the credits rolled, it was my own divine mystery if my mom knew I would have such a polarizing reaction. In my first week of kindergarten, I went with a Darth Vader shirt. In fourth grade, I made an mPOWER project on Star Wars. My sophomore year, I waited six hours to see Revenge of the Sith with fellow columnist Mike Slusark (page 6).

I’ve made reference to Star Wars seven times in my eight columns.

It was never the ships, Han Solo or the awkward aliens that kept me coming back to this midday masterpiece. In a world that is obnoxious at best and self destructive at worst, it is the ethos of Star Wars that keeps it in prospective, the idea that there is a difference between good and evil and that the righteous sufferers will inherit the earth. The power of evil may be great, but can only be temporary.

Existence may be dark, but the sun will rise above the horizon, ascending to the right hand of heaven.

Star Wars was the perfect visual for the lessons my school, church and parents told me. Going into kindergarten, this was pretty heavy stuff. Now, when I’m graduating in a week, it’s more important than ever. But there’s no doubt my mom already knew all that.

8&9

B &W

DOUBLETRUCK: what’s the scoop May ‘07

The

HIGH PRICE of student

ex p e ns e s

Thursday

Friday

$104

2 pair of Abercrombie shorts

$7 $50 ‘07 $7 $50 $20

Saturday

Mountain Dew ($1)

4-pack of Red Bull

Soleil ttanning package

spent at Jimmy John’s

Shorts ($12)

$50

tank of gas

$10 10

Gum ($2)

Palmer’s Deli

Shoes ($15)

$1 15 $1 16 $20 $10 $110 110 $12 12 $20 20 $50 $14 $20 20 $38 $50 $60 $110

$3

Wallet

CD

Natalie Cunningham

11 ‘08 $11 $5 5 $1 1 $10 10 $5 ‘10 $5 5 Necklace

Earrings

Mountain Dew

McDonald’s Meal

10 Chicken Fingers

Austin Finley

Candy

Starbucks

Pretzels($1.50)

Financial Advice

BY AMANDA LOWER DOUBLE TRUCK EDITOR

According to Jim Garnett, Director of Education at Consumer Credit of Des Moines, there really is no easy way to budget, and it takes real determination to do. “Saving money requires paying yourself first,” Garnett said (more information on saving see sidebar right).

Many high school students are constantly looking for an easy and simple set up to budgeting their money. Garnett explained how budgeting can be easily achieved. “Although

‘10

the idea of a budget is intimidating to many people, it is really not hard to set up and maintain. Budgeting requires four simple steps: monthly pay, monthly pattern, monthly perception and monthly planning,” Garnett said.

Monthly pay represents the amount of money a person has available after taxes are taken out of the net income. It is vital for a person have a general idea of how much they can spend each month on necessities. According to Garnett, monthly pattern requires a person to determine their average spending each month for housing, car, clothes, entertainment, etc. “A small pocket notebook will help to track where your cash goes,” Garnett said. “If you spend more than you bring home, you have two choices: spend less or earn more.”

The next step to easier budgeting is gaining a monthly perception how to break down the money being spent. “You should begin to see your monthly income like a pie that is sliced into pieces. Each ‘piece’ represents a certain amount of money that is designated for a specific obligation,” Garnett said. According to Garnett, most of these “pieces” of

$2 5 4

Gum

Wendy’s ($4)

Book

Tanning lotion ($30)

Movies

Subway ($4)

Shoes

$5 $2

McDonald’s Breakfast meal

Casey’s Pizza

Brownies

Large L arge Taco Pizza

Doritos ($2)

Hat

Junk Food

Fried chicken meal from KFC ($10)

Legend’s entree two shirts from Forever 21

Smoothie(3.00)

Tanning Package

Starbucks($2.50)

three shirts from Heritage

the pie should be necessary expenses, but many young adults confuse them with want expenses.

The final step is monthly planning, which ties everything together to achieve an easier budgeting plan. “Young adults that are beginning to earn and spend their own money should have some kind of checking account,” Garnett said. According to Garnett, he advises that all money earned should go into a checking account so that when the time comes to pay for something necessary, it is always available.

“Leftover money determines how much ‘want to’ spending you can do and should be divided in separate from the checking account for easy monitoring,” Garnett said. “This method will enable you to pay off necessities on time while knowing how much you have available to spend on whatever your heart desires.”

Garnett claims the best way to separate the leftover money from each month is to put it in envelopes and label them.

Then the next time a shopping spree urge comes along, that leftover money is easily available and the money in the checking account doesn’t need to be used.

5

$2 6 6

$2 71

Cinnabon($3.50)

Tanning Lotion

Courtney King

6 8

$10 10

Bag ($28)

Dress

$2.50 .50

$2

$5

Prom P rom Corsage

Dairy Queen

Quizno’s sandwich and drink ($7)

Quizno’s sandwich

$20

Subway ($7)

tank of gas

Tommy Stroud

Total

Sunday

tips to

saving some

1 3

green

Set up a savings account.

What you don’t see, you won’t spend. Begin directly depositing money from paychecks into your savings account.

5

2

Don’t try to save too Don much too quickly. Start saving with a realistic goal of around $500 and work your way up.

4

Set aside money every other week to contribute to a savings account.

Place your savings account where it isn’t so accessible. If it is an inconvenience to get money from your savings account, it might stay in there a bit longer.

10

B &W

ENTERTAINMENT: what’s happening May ‘07

The Simpsons

BY ALEX GUNS REVIEW EDITOR The Simpsons aired their first episode December 17, 1989.

I was 17 months old (nearly 18) and yeah, I watched it. My generation grew up with America’s favorite yellow family in the most literal sense. Now, in the less than 2 months, The Simpsons Movie is being released, and it should be a cause for celebration in the streets.

There is a focal point for every generation. Where the collective unconscious meet at one single point. For the baby boomers it was The Beatles, for the 70’s/80’s it was...drugs.

For my generation: The Simpsons.

Our parents, for the most part, look at The Simpsons each week with confusion. That feeling only deepens as the howls of laughter run through the room from their children. “What is this garbage?!” they ponder. Thy don’t get it because they can’t, it’s all ours. The Simpsons speaks to us, and only plays to the other generations. (Editor’s Note: I, Mike Slusark would like to add that my dad loves The Simpsons, but he also thought Wedding Crashers was the funniest thing ever, go figure).

In retrospect, The Simpsons has taken on the burden of being the nuclear family’s moral compass like Leave it to Beaver, in a much cooler way. Behind the veil of sarcasm, gags, and satire is a field guide on how to be a decent human being.

Homer and Marge are still married after 18 years, a rare sight these days. They attend church in nearly every episode.

(Not even 7th Heaven can match that.) And although Homer may be self absorbed at best, he makes the right choice in the end: his family.

Take for example, when Homer is finally out of debt and able to quit his job at the nuclear power plant under the most wicked boss/human being alive- Mr. Burns. He gets his dream job (pin monkey) and has never been more in love with life.

Then, unexpectedly, a third child comes along, and he can no longer support his family with a reduced salary. Homer literally crawls back to Mr. Burns for his job. Mr. Burns agrees to give Homer back his job on one condition. Mr. Burns places a plaque on Homer’s office wall that says “DON’T FORGET, YOU’RE HERE FOREVER”. Homer becomes bitter, but as he sees the face of his third child Maggie, it all flushes away.

Homer then takes the pictures of his youngest to the office and covers his sign until it reads “DO IT FOR HER”.

Ritual is necessary for every man. Some find religion, some find football, my generation found the Simpsons. By nature we stick to our ritual, no matter how unpleasant it may be at times. The last number of seasons have been lacking at best.

But I, like so many others tune in at 7:00 on Sunday nights.

Now after about 50 consecutive episodes of lame jokes, we will line the streets the night before, waiting and hoping for the midnight showing.

Thoughts on

Senior Challenge

Senior Challenge Champions Team Sapphire Team Members:

Connor Elmitt

Team Navy

“The whole event was really special.

Student Council did a great job of putting on an activity that gave all of the seniors one more chance to make some memories.”

Sammie Johnson

Team Purple

“I thought it was fun.

My favorite game was the one where you had to pop the balloon by sitting on it, but I couldn’t get mine popped.”

Compiled by: Jenna Willson, staff writer

Natalie Cunningham

Student Council “We did our best at keeping the rules straight by having meetings to help it go smoothly. Overall it was very fun and especially entertaining to watch.”

Justina Mazza Lydia Givens Emily O’Keefe Alexa Johnson Ashley Bedord Brie Bumpus Emily Conn Rachel Winterbottom Hillary Mumma Sylvia Fouch

Sponsors: Ms. Norris Mr. Hukee

11

FEATURE: what people are doing May ‘07

B &W

Freshmen shave heads in support

BY THOMAS LASHIER STAFF WRITER The past two months have been tough for freshman AJ Grill and his family. On March 7, AJ’s mother, Ann Grill, was diagnosed with lung cancer.

“My first thought was ‘I’m dreaming,’” AJ said. “Then, once it sank in, I went to see her in the hospital and just kept asking why.”

But AJ had his own idea about how to help his mom out.

Due to chemotherapy treatment for her cancer, Ann soon began to lose her hair. AJ wanted to help out. In order to make his mom feel more comfortable and help her through her battle, he shaved his own head.

“I had told my mom if at any point she lost her hair, no question, I would shave (mine),” AJ said.

But AJ was not the only one who wanted to be there for Ann. “A good friend of mine, Alec Recker, said he would do it with me,” Grill said.

Without Grill knowing, Recker rounded up a group of freshmen that also wanted to shave their heads in support.

“They all waited for me to get done at weight-lifting, and when I was done, they told me they were all doing it with me,” AJ said.

Freshman Jeff Oatts was one of the boys who shaved his head.

“Some of the boys thought about doing it to support AJ and his mom,” Oatts said. “I thought that it was a great idea.”

Freshman Blake Hartsook agreed. “I did it because I thought that it was a good cause and it shows support to AJ and his family,” Hartsook said.

The day after, friends and classmates noticed the shaved heads.

“We went to school the next day, and I had about 15 more kids that wanted to (shave their heads) as well,” AJ said.

The boys knew about Ann’s condition, and they all wanted to show that they cared by shaving off their hair.

This act of compassion impressed AJ, and it helped put a positive spin on his family’s situation.

“I remember the week that everyone shaved their heads with me was not a good week. (Ann) had a chemo treatment and two radiations,” AJ said. “It is the hardest thing for me or anyone else close to my mom to

Provided/AJ Grill

A group of freshmen boys who shaved their heads pose for a photo. The boys shaved their heads in support of AJ Grill (top center) and his mother Ann Grill, who was diagnosed with cancer in early March. see her like that.”

The boys shaved their heads in AJ’s garage. According to AJ, about 30 students from two different schools showed up.

“I believe (we had) about 25 kids from Johnston, and four from Urbandale,” AJ said.

AJ was impressed with the turn-out and was honored that his peers cared so much.

There was no professional barber present; the boys and Ann each took their turns with the clippers.

AJ, Ann and friends ate food, drank

pop and took pictures to remember the inspirational afternoon.

“It was more of a party than anything,” Oatts said. “Ann Grill is the one who actually shaved my head.”

According to Oatts, there were no regrets about getting rid of his hair.

“If it wouldn’t have been worth it, I never would have done it,” Oatts said. “I knew AJ would have done the same for me.”

Hartsook thinks that the shaved heads have encouraged the Grill family.

“I think that it definitely has (helped),”

Hartsook said. “I don’t think the Grills thought so many people were shaving their heads.”

Although Ann is still fighting the cancer, AJ says this has been a very inspirational experience.

“This has been really encouraging, not only for my mom, but for my entire family,” AJ said.

AJ is now selling “Anna’s Bandanas” in support of his mom. The bandanas are $5 each. Contact AJ if you are interested in buying or for more information.

Cloyd gains profit off prom car

BY STEPHANIE IVANKOVICH STAFF WRITER “Anyone with a first name that starts with the letter P, stand up,” the kids at after prom were told. A small group of kids stood up in the auditorium. “Anyone in this group that has a last name of C, remain up front.” The last one standing was senior Patrick Cloyd.

Patrick was the grand-prize winner at after prom and received a ’96 Nissan Ultima. The car was given away with 60,000 miles already on it and was donated by Toyota of Des Moines. The parts were donated by Ice Truck Works, High Performance Tires, Car Sounds, S&C Automotives and Dent Eliminators.

“I didn’t think I would win, and wasn’t expecting to either. I was excited and shocked,” Patrick said.

Patrick drove in his new-ish ’96 Ultima the first week he got it. After that, he did not drive it anymore. Instead, he sold it to his father.

“I sold it to my dad to pay off a loan for $4,000,” Patrick said.

Tim Cloyd bought it, and now, he likes it.

“The car is in great shape, it has good

gas mileage and is a real blessing to have,” Tim said.

Tim believes that the car was a great prize to give away.

“It was a fantastic prize. If they do this in the future, they should let people know in advance, so then more people would go (to prom); it would attract more (people),” Cloyd said.

The car was a very beneficial item for the Cloyd family.

“I bought the car from Pat because we needed a more fuel efficient car, and Patrick didn’t need the car,” Tim said. “I have driven in it; my wife has driven in it to and from work. It is a great running car.”

Mark Dubay, father of junior Troy Dubay, was in charge of setting up the prizes at after prom.

“I chose this car (to give away) because it was the one that seemed to make the most sense. It was also in the nicest price range,” Dubay said.

The ’96 Nissan Ultima was a big hit and blessing for the Cloyd family.

“Next year, whoever is in charge of prom, should contact Toyota, so then they could do this again for next year,” Tim said.

Provided/Tim Cloyd

The grand prize at after prom was a blue ‘96 Nissan Ultima. The car was donated by Toyota of Des Moines and parts were donated by Ice Trucks Works, High Performance Tires, Car Sounds, S&C Automotives and Dent Eliminators. All together, the car parts are said to be worth $5,000, as much as the car itself.

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FEATURE: what people are doing May ‘07

B &W

Sophomore shines on stage

Drag shows allow student to express self

BY AMY LOVEJOY STAFF WRITER As the crowd roars, sophomore Chloe Coulter walks onto the stage at The Garden nightclub as drag king Allister Riley Evans. She is lip-synching Justin Timberlake’s Summer Love. Dressed entirely in boys’ clothes, she sports a false goatee and stubble.

Coulter was 15 when a friend suggested that she see her first drag show.

“I had just been out and open about being gay, so I would meet more people like me and be in an atmosphere where everyone is okay with everything,” Coulter said. She saw her first drag show in January 2006.

Coulter, who goes by the drag name Allister Riley Evans, began starring in her very own drag shows in October 2006.

“My first show I did was completely spontaneous,” Coulter said. “I was lip-synching a song and dancing, and one of my friends was like, ‘I want to see Chloe do drag’, so the next month I was on stage.”

Now she performs a 13-minute set every month at The Garden, a gay nightclub located in downtown Des Moines, complete with lip-synching and dancing.

In order to prepare for a show, Coulter’s chest is taped down with plastic wrap and duct tape.

“When I first started doing drag, the next day my ribs would be bruised,” Coulter said. “But now that I’ve done it for a while, I feel perfectly normal the day after (a show).”

Coulter also uses eyeliner to draw on facial hair to make herself look more like a boy. She wears men’s clothes, including boxers, jeans, tennis shoes and flashy jewelry, which she buys at The Theatrical Shop, located in Valley Junction.

Coulter, who in the past has been nervous days before a show, is now completely collected the entire time she is on stage. She opts for more improvised shows, sometimes only selecting her music directly before her performance.

“When I wing it, it usually turns out better than planned shows,” Coulter said.

Coulter enjoys the new friends she has made and her increased popularity in the gay community as a result of her drag shows.

“I never intentionally spread the word out of who I am,” Coulter said. “But people I don’t even know will know who I am. It’s really insane the kind of people you will meet and the people that know who you are.”

According to Coulter, the majority of her audience comes from the gay and transgender communities. Attempting to entertain an apathetic audience is the hardest part of her drag shows.

“If most of the audience is either caught up in some other business or is in a huge group of friends that are completely uncomfortable with the situation, it’s harder

Amy Lovejoy/BW Amy Lovejoy/BW

^ ^ Above, drag queen Passion Prin-

Provided/Chloe Coulter

to get them up and dancing,” Coulter said.

Despite a sometimes luke-warm audience, Coulter has never had any real difficulty with her shows.

“Before I was a king and someone told me I looked like a boy, I would get somewhat offended,” Coulter said. “But now that I am a drag king, I take it as a compliment because that’s basically what I aim for.”

Coulter’s mother, Suzanne Poulson, is very supportive of Coulter’s drag king performances, although she had never heard of a female doing drag before.

“There is a little part of me that is sad only for the thought she pretends to be something she could never be (a male),” Poulson said. “After some thought, though,

cipal performs at The Garden night club. She lip-synched and danced to the song Buttons by the Pussy Cat Dolls. << Left, sophomore Chloe Coulter performs as Allister Riley Evans at The Garden nightclub. “I can usually make about $65 or so for just being on stage for around a total of 13 minutes,” Coulter said.

I truly trust her honesty to herself and celebrate her integrity and acceptance of herself.”

Poulson is also grateful for the unique friends, both gay and straight, that her daughter has made through her shows.

“I think her gay friends, like Chloe, have developed great strengths of compassion, tolerance and acceptance,” Poulson said.

In addition to meeting new friends, Coulter has been able to come out of her shell since being on stage.

“I think performing lets her expand her personality a bit; she just seems to have a good time expressing herself on stage or off,” Poulson said.

Chicago: a Wicked vacation for marching band

BY BRITTANY DEAL STAFF WRITER On the morning of a show choir competition, senior Megan Bendixen arrived to school early. She approached the band room.

On the door, posted by band director Patrick Kearney the night before, was the musical selection for the upcoming marching band season: Wicked: the Broadway Musical.

“The arranger tried to select music from the show that would fit well with a marching band instrumentation,” Kearney said.

According to Kearney, most of the band recognized the musical.

“I was so sad that I’m not going to be here for it,” Bendixen said. “I’m graduating.”

Other seniors, including Brianna Upton, felt the same.

“We couldn’t believe that after we were graduating, (the band was) going to get to play the music from this sweet musical,” Upton said. “We basically mourned for a week.”

This July the band students are traveling on a bus to Chicago to see the musical live. “(The trip) is really just a chance to go see a show of some music we will be perform-

ing, and it’s really just to put it into context,” Kearney said.

Sophomore Laureca Landwehr, who originally felt unsure about how the musical would work in a marching band show, became excited when she found out about the trip.

“I was really happy,” Landwehr said. “I was really excited. Wicked is one of the musicals that I’ve really wanted to see, and now I get to see it with all my friends.”

Seniors in band have been invited, even though they will not be in the show next year.

According to Kearney, the seniors deserve to see Wicked because of the hard work they have done over the past years.

“I think any chance you get to go see professionals performing is an educational experience,” Kearney said.

Although Bendixen and Upton will not be a part of the show next year, they plan to return to watch the band perform.

“Band is a family,” Upton said. “You can’t just walk away from that.”

The trip is scheduled for June 27 at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre. According to Kearney, the cost for the show plus one meal and transportation will run to about $115 per student.

Felicia Hoover/Dragon Felicia Hoover/Dragon

Senior Megan Bendixen smiles skyward as the marching band plays Disney’s Illuminations. Bendixen will return next year to watch the band perform Wicked, arranged by Steve Shanley.

B &W 14 Sports’ income, expenditures SPORTS: what the athletes play May ‘07

BY ALLISON KANE STAFF WRITER Every year, the school spends and receives lots of money from sports. According to Athletic Director Gary Ross, sports are valuable for students because it allows them to have fun, and in order for it to do this, the school district must maintain the athletic program and meet the needs of these students.

Currently, football is the number one sport, in that it has brought in and spent the most money. “It’s more of a traditional sport, and people enjoy going to the games,” Ross said.

According to Ross, in football, there are the most participants and the safety equipment, including helmets and shoulder pads, costs more than other sports.

Other sports, such as golf, tennis and cross-country, do not require as much spending for equipment. For golf, the school district pays for use of the courses and balls, but otherwise, players pay for their own season passes. In tennis, the

KEEPING TRACK

school pays for nets, wind screens, and bought a new ball machine a couple of years ago. The extent of cross-country equipment is mostly the coaches’ decision on items like team t-shirts and uniforms.

Although the athletic department has its own budget, it is different than the school budget and money is not used for academics. According to Ross, money left over from the budget can be carried over years, and admissions in individual sports are not only for that sport. “Money that we bring in from football isn’t just used for football,” Ross said. “It’s spread out based on the needs of the sport.”

Ross also mentioned that the athletic budget does not go towards coaches’ salaries or transportation; money from the school’s budget is used for these purposes.

This is an overall look of how much money came in and was spent on sports this year. According to Ross, these amounts change yearly depending on the needs of each sport. “One year we may spend $3,000 in a sport, and the next year $1,000,” Ross said.

concessions

admissions

equipment

$10,000 net

$50,000 net

-$20,000

VOLLEYBALL

$4,000 net

$4,000 net

-$4,000

CROSS COUNTRY

$0.00 net

$500 net for entry fees

-$500-$1,000

SWIMMING

$3,000 net

$5,000 net

-$2,000

WRESTLING

$3,500 net

$6,000 net

-$3,000

BASKETBALL

$5,000 net

$20,000 net

-$3,000

SOCCER

$1,000 net

$5,000 net

-$1,000

TRACK

$2,500 net

$4,000 net

-$2,000

TENNIS

$300 net

$300-$500 net for entry fees

-$1,000

$2,000/ $1,100 net

$4,000/ $3,000 net

-$3,000/ $2,000

$0.00 net

$300 net for entry fees

-$1,000

FOOTBALL

BASEBALL/ SOFTBALL GOLF

1

Dan Haight/BW

2

3

Dan Haight/BW Dan Haight/BW

Dan Haight/BW

(1) Backup quarterback Kellen Johnson sets up a play during a football game against Hoover at home on Sept. 8. (2) Junior Mark Anderson dodges a defender in a game against Dowling on May 10.

It lost 1-0. (3) Senior Logan Koch serves an ace to his opponent. He and his doubles partner Josh Kintz placed third in tennis districts.

Schultz’s card prevents him from playing

A red card carried over from last season sidelined sophomore for one soccer game

BY LEE YOCUM STAFF WRITER As the boys’ varsity soccer team took the field to kick off the season, one returning starter was not there. Aaron Schultz, sophomore, who started varsity as a freshman, was sidelined from a red card that carried over from the last game of the previous season.

“It is unfortunate that Aaron had to sit out. He collided with a defender and knocked him down. Aaron did not do anything intentionally. He was just going hard,” coach Matt Todd said.

Schultz was carded about 15 minutes into the first half of the sub-state game against Dowling and was forced to watch the remainder of the game from the sidelines. Dowling won 1-0.

Schultz felt that getting the red card jeopardized the team’s chances of winning. “We had to play a man down for the rest of the game. Instead of playing with 11 (players), we had to play with 10,” he said.

When a red card is given, the player is forced to sit out the remainder of the game, as well as the next one. Schultz, a forward, knew at the end of the last

season that he would not be able to play the first game of the next season.

This was the first time that the rule had been used since Todd started coaching at Johnston, but he was aware of it. “That has always been the rule; it’s not going to change,” Todd said. “We did have a senior a couple of years ago get one, but it did not have any impact on the next season.”

Schultz was disappointed he was not able to play in the first game, yet feels that the rule is necessary. “It helps keep the games clean,” Schultz said.

“Aaron is a great leader and a great scorer. It hurt our offense to have him sit. Fortunately, we have other good forwards who stepped up. We still scored three goals without him in the lineup,” Todd said.

They won their season opener against Ankeny 3-1, without Schultz.

The rule is the same for other sports.

Next year, junior Tim DeSplinter will not be able to play in the first basketball game of the next season because he was ejected after receiving two technical fouls against Ankeny during the sub-state final. If the Dragons had won that game, DeSplinter would have had to sit out the first state game in the state tournament.

Dan Haight/BW

Sophomore Aaron Schultz gets caught between two Dowling defenders during the last home game of the regular season on May 10. The Dragons lost the game 1-0. Schultz received a red card in the final game of the previous season, forcing him to sit out this season’s opening match.

15

B &W

SPORTS: what the athletes play May ‘07

Legal users strike out

Dan Haight/BW

Athletes legally using tobacco are punished

BY NELS ENGBLOM STAFF WRITER

Walking into a gas station, an 18-year-old Johnston athlete examines the tobacco display. Knowing they are legally allowed to purchase one of the items, the student takes out money. Suddenly, this individual remembers that because of school policy they actually cannot have any of these products with them.

The Good Conduct Policy says that athletes of any age caught using tobacco products are subject to receiving a strike. With a strike comes a suspension and a mark on the individual’s record. After three strikes, the person is no longer eligible for athletics.

“I think that the rule is a bad idea because it goes too far into students’ private lives and choices,” senior Cody VerHuel, who is 17, said.

The reasoning for the rule is so that athletes perform to their full potential. “Tobacco compromises the performance

of the athletes, poorly represents our school and is something that is not healthy,” athletic director Gary Ross said.

Students that legally use tobacco products are not often turned in by the police, however. It is more likely that they are seen by a school official or an adult. “Oftentimes, police don’t know that the individual is breaking school policy and they are let free because they are 18,” principal Bruce Hukee said.

The reason that this rule is able to stand is because athletics is considered a opportunity available to students that comply to rules. “Sports are something that are a privilege to students and to participate they must follow rules,” Ross said.

Because athletics is not a student right, the district has the power to set its own standards for participation.

When an athlete is caught with tobacco products they are punished the same, regardless of age. The punishment is based on what the coaching staff and Ross find suitable.

“I think the rule is a good idea, but it should still be the person’s choice if it’s legal for them,” senior Jon Hoffman said.

“ K

Q&A {QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS}

Q:

What is the reason for the no-tobacco policy?

“Tobacco limits the performance of our athletes.

We feel it is a poor representation of our school and it is not healthy.”

- athletic director Gary Ross

:A

schmidt advances to

LAS VEGAS after placing second

BY TINA LI STAFF WRITER

Kayla Schmidt swings her arm backward in a wide arc, throws her bowling ball down a glossy lane and knocks down all ten pins. The group behind her cheers raucously.

“Holy (crap), that’s the fifth strike!” one of them shouts.

Barely done with half the game, big red Xs have already covered most of Schmidt’s score sheet. This is not unexpected given the success she has already had with bowling, which she took up at the age of five.

“My dad was big into bowling. He brought me to the game when I was five and taught me everything that I needed to know,” Schmidt said.

Among her latest accomplishments is placing second in the Girl’s Open Division in the Teen Masters’ state championship. This feat has qualified her for the tenth annual Teen Masters national championship, a prestigious bowling tournament which will take place from July 29 to Aug. 3 in Las Vegas, Nev. She will be competing with approximately 120 girls in the Girl’s Open Division.

After the culmination of 18 games, scholarship money will be available to those who place in the top 16. The top contender will be awarded $7,500.

Schmidt names Las Vegas as one of her top five favorite cities and is looking forward to seeing its sights and visiting Caesar’s Palace.

“I’m just hoping to meet a lot more people,” Schmidt said.

“I like all the people that I meet that are interested in the sport as much as I am.”

Schmidt is involved in varsity girls’ bowling and participates in several bowling leagues. She has been accepted onto University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s bowling team.

It’s kind of nice that not a lot of people know about it. It can be your individual sport.

Bowling Tips 1. Keep your arm straight.

2. Keep your eyes on the target.

Tina Li/BW

16

B &W

BACKPAGE: what’s fun May ‘07

Compiled by: Cicely Gordon, Kari Dockum, Sam Leahy, editors

Spraying pests, senior Brian Smith works to rid a bush of mosquitoes for his dad’s exterminating business, Preferred Pest Control. In the summer, Smith works as an exterminator, teaches drum lessons, mows lawns and plays in his band.

Killing cockroaches and squashing spiders is an everyday practice for senior Brian Smith, who can be spotted driving around in the summer in a truck with the words “Preferred Pest Control” emblazoned on the side. Smith works for his dad’s exterminating business, one of the three summer jobs he takes on.

Along with eliminating insects, Smith gives drum lessons and mows lawns. “For drum lessons, I work one hour a week, and I usually spend three hours a week mowing lawns,” Smith said. “I work full-time, 40-50 hours a week, for my dad’s business, which is why the other numbers are so low.”

Smith enjoys the personal aspect of his exterminating job. “I like meeting new people and developing communication skills,” he said.

However, Smith does not like working for people who are in bad moods, or clients who get too involved with his work. “One of the things that really bugs me is when people follow me around when I’m doing my job and watch what I do,” Smith said.

Smith is able to establish the same type of personal connection through giving drum

lessons, although this is not Smith’s favorite part of the job. “I love playing drums, so it’s like a bonus to teach (them),” Smith said.

According to Smith, he only teaches one student during the school year, but he plans to take on more in the summer.

Mowing lawns allows Smith a different type of work experience. In mowing about three lawns a week, including his own, he is able to work on a summer staple. “I get to be outside and with nature, so I can work on my tan,” Smith said.

Of his three summer jobs, Smith’s favorite is teaching drum lessons. “It’s where my passion lies, so I teach (drums), if you want to call it that,” Smith said.

Along with giving lessons, mowing lawns and exterminating, Smith plays drums in Tomorrow’s Storm, his band with senior John Miller and Matthew Sorenson, who is home schooled.

According to Smith, the band schedules shows around their other work agendas. “It’s pretty rare (for one of us to miss a show), but when (I can’t come), they play an acoustic set,” Smith said.