May 2015

black& white the

May 2015

SCHOOL POLICIES MISLEADING PG.13 Follow us on Twitter! @jhsnewspaper

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index

may 2015 p.2

meet the staff

Cover photo by: Helen Mortiz

Head editor-in-chief Anne Rogers

Print editor-in-chief Clare Farrell Online editor-in-chief Carly Kinning Design editor Zoe Wilson Sports editor Carly Campbell Opinion editor Senad Besic Online sub-editor Natalie Larimer Print sub-editor Sarah Caporelli

may

Staff writers

sports

19 Showing off their ride

opinion

compliance leads 14 Blind immoral legislation

profile

12 Caroline Aldrich

feature

The Black and White is published solely by the Johnston High School newspaper staff. Its goal is to inform, enlighten and entertain Johnston students. It is an open forum. In accordance with Iowa law and board policy, students assign and edit material and make all decisions of content. The paper is generally published ten times per school year. The paper will avoid material that is 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 advisor, school officials or the district. Letters to the editor must be signed.

Like all material, letters may not be libelous, obscene or an invasion of privacy. 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 editors through email at jhsblackandwhite@gmail.com. The Black and White is a member of CSPA, NSPA, Quill & Scroll and IHSPA.

6 Theories find compromise

b&w philosophy

photo essay

Allison Klein Michelle Kumar Eileen Lagerblade Anna Larson Kate Lichter Allexis Mahanna Kitarrah Mangra-Dutcher Carissa Metcalf Lizzy Orr Will Reiher Bryce Schulte Olivia White Photographer Sydney Ginkens

4/5 “Moongirl�

Matthew Berry Erin Bockenstedt Meredith Campidilli Grace Coleman Hannah Crooks Max Culbert Jake Dalbey Brianna Erickson Esmeralda Flores Brooke Ginsberg Myles Glandorf Kennedy Graeser Meredith Gwennap Kathryn Ikeda Medina Jusufovic

current events

may 2015 p.3

Current

1 a

b c

Madison?

5’4” 6’2”

a

Which president has been elected

Rioting in

On April 19, 2015, African American Freddie Gray died in

police custody in Baltimore, Maryland, according to usatoday.com and npr.org. The 25-year-old was allegedly in good

health at the time of his arrest, and while being transported in

Baltimore

a police vehicle, he sustained injuries to his neck and spine that led Gray into a fatal coma. Gray’s injuries were reportedly

in result from police misconduct by neglecting to give Gray proper care.

After the death of Gray, peaceful protests were organized

on April 25, although a small group of agitators vandalized

property and began throwing rocks at police. The days fol-

lowing, some of the riots had escalated in size and violence,

4 terms?

including the vandalism of several shops and police property, and the harming of over a hundred police officers.

Thomas Jefferson

b c

Taking action against the violent riots, Maryland Governor

Larry Hogan called in 2,000 National Guard members to pre-

James Monroe

vent the violent outbursts on April 28. The same day, Balti-

Franklin Roosevelt

3 a

a

How many children did President John Taylor have?

12 10

4

What type of animal was not

among one of President Calvin Coolidge’s pets?

Lion cub

c

Zebra

5 a

500 violent demonstrators had been apprehended.

Provided/ Public Domain

Almost two weeks after Gray’s death, six Baltimore officers

On April 28, police officers gather in riot gear to push back incoming protesters and journalists. Officers around the Policemen and the National Guard were called in to Baltimore to restore order to the violent protests.

A video of an African American

Hippopotamus

b

more mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake put a citywide curfew

into effect from 10 p.m. to 5a.m. lasting 6 days. Overall, about

15

b c

mother disciplining her son after

was met with celebrations across Baltimore’s streets.

“My mom would do

people think her actions were justi-

thing, may-

more riots recently went viral. Many

the same

fied, and others thought she wrong-

be not as

you for your insight.

involved ranged from assault to murder. The announcement

JHS shares their opinions

throwing rocks as a part of the Balti-

fully abused her son. So we asked

were charged in his death. The charges against the officers

Alec Jackson, violently.” junior

“I agree with

“She should

I would do

it through with

have just talked

her actions,

her son and

whatever

told him the

to keep my

family off the Jordan Walley, streets out of junior danger.”

What in the world?

consequences

Andy Pargulski, his actions senior would bring.”

Which president vomited on the Japanese Prime Minister?

Richard Nixon

b c

George H. W. Bush Ronald Reagan

6 b c

How tall was President James

5’9”

2

a

events quiz

compiled | Lizzy Orr

Interested in writing a Letter to the Editor? Email us at jhsblackandwhite@gmail.com or talk to us in person in room 413.

Which president has claimed to have spotted a UFO?

John F. Kennedy Jimmy Carter Bill Clinton

May 8 Priego de Cordoba, Spain May 7

Virgina Beach, Virgina A bank robber admits he took stacks of cash from a bank teller, but

he says he’s not guilty because he asked

answers found on jhsblackandwhite.com

politely.

An eight-year-old boy

laying in the fetal posi-

tion was found in the a suitcase being smuggled into Spain.

May 7 Japan

A zoo apologized to

the public for naming a

baby monkey Charlotte

for fear of disrespecting

the English royal family.

photo essay

may 2015 p.4

EBEC class

2

Carly Kinning/BW

brings

“Moongirl” to stage

words | Anne Rogers layout | Carly Kinning

1

Senior Chloe Kenny, who plays Kit Peck, and junior Shelby Grezch, who plays Kat Peck, discuss about what is behind Moon Girl’s doors. Their characters believe that Moon Girl is hiding crazy birds. “Moongirl” was performed by special education teacher Heath Pattschull EBCE class.

2

Senior Connor Wunsch performs his monologue during “Moongirl” May 1 in the high school auditorium. Wunsch played the character Ed, who believed Moongirl was like any other person, she only looked a little different.

3

The cast of “Moongirl” runs out onstage to pretend they are in a flood. The cast featured students in the EBCE class, as well as students in Best Buddies. “My favorite scene was probably the flood scene,” sophomore Nicole Hobson said.

“There was a lot of props that were made for the scene and it was fun having everyone out on stage.”

4

After she sang “Happy Birthday” to herself at her own party, Moongirl, played by senior Elise Murray, questions why no one attended. In the play, Moongirl decided to have a birthday party and invite the whole town to come, however, no one came because they were scared to be around her.

5

Senior Macey Kelly runs around as a bird during a scene in “Moongirl.” Many students, teachers and community members attended the play. “The message behind the play was amazing,” senior Jasmina Amidzic said. “The fact that we’re all different isn’t a bad thing.”

1

Carly Kinning/BW

3

Brianna Erickson/BW

4

5 Carly Kinning/BW

Brianna Erickson/BW

photo essay

may 2015 p.5

6

7

Carly Kinning/BW

6

7

Brianna Erickson/BW

8

Senior Chloe Keeny, who played Kit Peck, and junior Shelby Grezch, who played Kat Peck, warn senior Connor Wunsch, who played Ed, about Moongirl during the play.

“My favorite part of the play was the confidence that it built in so many students,” special education teacher, Heath Pattschull said. “It took the whole team. Everyone did what they could and tried their best for themselves and for their team.”

Using his imagination, senior Connor Wunsch envisions what it would be like if Moongirl had angry birds behind her doors. Wunsch played the part of Ed in the play, a young man who aspires to find what is really behind Moongirl’s doors.

9 Carly Kinning/BW

8

Carly Kinning/BW

10

9

Members of the play are chased by Moongirl, played by senior Elise Murray during the beginning of the play when Moongirl comes to the town.

Audiences saw nearly eight months of hard work on display. The book “Moonboy” by Carolyn Grace Garcia inspired the play, director Heath Pattschull adapted the play from the book.

10

Carly Kinning/BW

Senior Cody Faught, junior Shelby Grezch and senior Chloe Keeney talk about their jobs in the play to the audience. “Moongirl” featured a girl who was different than others, and the process she goes through to finally be accepted by the people in the town.

As bakers senior Katie Regan, sophomore Caroline Ludwig and senior Kathryn Ludwig talk to one another about the potential food fight behind Moongirl’s doors, Ed, played by senior Connor Wunsch, questions their ideas. The scene was followed by a video clip that the cast and Best Buddies members put together of an real food fight April 17. “Moongirl” was performed May 1 in the high school auditorium by students in the EBCE class and Best Buddies.

may 2015 p.6

feature

Different theories find compromise

words | Olivia White layout | Zoe Wilson Olivia White/BW

For most sophomores, the final chapter of their biology

experience consists of the theory of evolution. Evolution

is the process by which different kinds of living organisms

are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth. Here the curriculum is just that--involving no God or religious theories. Over at private religious institutions, such as Dowling Catho-

lic High School, it is a continuous challenge to keep the

Catholic church teachings and scientist theories separate.

Dowling Catholic does teach about evolution. “Dowling

teaches the scientific theory of evolution, like anywhere

else should teach the theory evolution; without convolution and as clearly as any textbook or scientist has ex-

plained it,” Dowling science teacher Kevin Schneider said.

Scheider has taught at both private and public schools over his teaching career. “I have found that teaching

evolution is easier when it can be looked at from the lens of faith,” Schneider said.

Teachers at Dowling Catholic incorporate Catholic be-

liefs into the same teaching of evolution learned at public

schools. “Teachers will say that it’s all up to faith, and evolution exists but God was apart of it, we don’t understand how it all happened, but He definitely had to be apart of

Biology teacher Kyla Burns explains a cladogram to students before a test. A cladogram is a diagram of evolution history that teachers use in the evolution unit. Teachers sometimes face the challenge of teaching evolution to students without offending those who believe in a different theory of evolution. by the unit. The unit of evolution lasts about a month, and

ity, but also her teachers efforts to make the evolution

about evolution in a non-offensive manner to religion, one

Mr. (Brad) Hurst, and he did a really good job of teaching

biology teachers here have many techniques to teach of which is known as the tube of science activity.

The activity features a box-like figure that has four

unit run as smoothly as possible. “I had (science teacher evolution so people weren’t offended.” Bigelow said.

Along with Bigelow, sophomore Adnana Becirovic took

it,” Dowling Catholic sophomore Bailey Renger said.

strings, when one pulls on a string, a diffferent string on

blocked biology with Hurst, and she too is aware of the

ing comes easier than at a public school. “When I teach

how it works because it can’t be tested. “We use that

methods of teaching prevented people from being offend-

According to Schneider, teaching evolution at Dowl-

evolution at Dowling, I don’t feel like I have to walk on eggshells,” Schneider said. “I can confess that I’m a

Christian who understands that evolution is scientific fact, and many students can do the same.”

Pope Francis, along with the previous three Popes,

the opposite side is affected. The student does not know activity to talk about how science and religion are two completely different things and science can’t say that

there isn’t something out there that’s powerful because you can’t test it,” biology teacher Kayla Burns said.

The activity takes place at the beginning of the year in

have consistently stated that the theory of evolution and

preparation for the evolution unit. Months later when the

ry. Dowling Catholic goes mainly off what the Pope says.

of the activity. “We say ‘hey remember how we talked

the teachings of the Catholic Church are non-contradicto“We take time to read what the Popes have said about

evolution and learn about the theory through textual and

video resources,” Schneider said. “And as a result, more students are open to the fact that living things adapt to

their surroundings over the course of many generations.”

At Johnston, some challenges also exist teaching

evolution in trying to prevent students from being offended

many different methods used by teachers. “I think these

ed because before we even started the unit we went over how religious views and scientific views don’t go together sometimes, like in the case of evolution,” Becirovic said.

“But it’s okay to believe whatever we want and no one is saying what we believe is wrong.”

Teaching evolution is in the national science curricu-

actual evolution unit comes, teachers remind students

lum, which means all schools are required to teach about

about how science is different from religion?’” Burns said.

religious doesn’t mean that you can’t understand evolu-

“We’re not trying to tell you that religions don’t exist or you shouldn’t be religious, we’re just saying, if you separate

evolution regardless of religion. “Just because you are

tion and then try to work it in to your religion,” Burns said.

Private schools, such as Dowling Catholic, do not try to

out religion from science, this is science’s explanation

separate religion and science. It is just the opposite. “The

we kind of try to phrase it so that we don’t insult people.”

gaining a greater understanding of the world enhances

behind why we got to how we are today. And that’s how

Sophomore Jessica Bigelow recalls not only the activ-

two are not mutually exclusive; if anything, studying and our relationship with the Creator,” Schneider said.

feature

may 2015 p.7

Hidden costs uncovered

Highlighting the hidden costs of the miscellaneous items the school purchases words | Matthew Berry layout | Sarah Caporelli & Zoe Wilson Every year people are always talking about the bud-

get. The larger costs, such as employee salaries, are a focus. It seems that no one thinks about some supply items- things that students, and faculty alike, will use

everyday at school. Items like this would be silverware, napkins, paper towels, toilet paper and hand soap.

For items that deal with the kitchen, Nutrition Direc-

tor LaRae Doll said that last year the district spent

$68,000 on supplies, compared to the $1.5 million cost for food. “I think we are on the low side compared to some places,” Doll said.

Doll said. With these napkin dispensers, people can

budget, according to Miller-Hook.

ers should limit the amount of extra waste with napkins.

to control. “How are we gonna control the use of paper

reality are unpractical. One example Doll gave was

said. “I am not going to stand there and hand them out.”

only take one at a time, and Doll says the new dispensSome things might seem like a good idea, but in

about silverware. “We have struggled with going back

however there are improvements that have been made

where everyone leaves at one time we found that much

signifigant amount of money.

of the silverware is thrown away.” The plastic silverware away, and regular silverware costs more.

The custodial supply costs are slightly different. The

district’s chief finacial officer Jan Miller-Hook said that

would just take a stack and bring them to the tables.”

per year. That makes up .48% of the district’s general

the janatorial supply costs come out to be $326,000

Supply costs discovered

installed in the new high school, saving the district a

Another way Kline said he keeps costs down is by

having vendors compete for certain items. It is similar to a bargaining system.

“I am not sure the exact amount we are saving, but

the costs of the dryers will be payed off within the first two years of opening the high school,” Kline said.

MILK Hand Soap

Cost for supplies per year $68,000 Cost per meal 7 cents

hand soap Cost per unit (2)

$31.04

cutlery Cost per unit

Ketchup

Kline said that staff has replaced old dispensers

with more efficent ones. Hand air dryers will be also be

ware.” Doll said. “But with a place like the high school

to try to conserve some materials. “We have napkin dispensers, where we used to have plastic bins, and kids

towels?” Tim Kline, director of building and grounds,

and forth between regular silverware and plastic silver-

makes sense because students just end of throwing it

Overall Doll sees no problems that need attention,

Unlike kitchen costs, custodial items can be harder

1 cent

salad plates

syrup

Cost per plate

Cost per bottle

3 cents

styrofoam trays Cost per tray

4 cents

15 cents

ketchup Cost per bag

$10

lightbulbs

black tray

Annual costs

Cost per tray

roll towels

$23,647.06

small trash bag

medium trash bag

large trash bag

large toilet paper

small toilet paper

$20.44/cs (100 bags/cs)

$15.62/cs (100 bags/cs)

$23.33/cs (100 bags/cs)

$26.09/cs (12 rolls/cs)

$36.09/cs (80 rolls/cs)

$3,066.50

$4,684.50

$15,167.00

$8,870.60

Annual costs

Annual costs

Annual costs

Annual costs

Annual costs

$4,475.16

$4

$53.93/cs (6 rolls/cs)

Annual costs

$57,974.75

feature

may 2015 p.8

Time

Escape Chambers, a new activity hosted in Des Moines, tests participants’ abilities to escape a scenario within a time limit.

to escape The Escape Chambers is a new experience for almost

everyone. “It’s a real life escape the room experience,

you get locked in a room for an hour and you have to use

words & layout | Eileen Lagerblade

end drew on we were like ‘oh crap these things don’t have

that you crawl down there and you can’t see anything

Davis advises others to be intelligent when in the

bunch of cut up bodies all over the ground so that was

any meaning’ and so you just have to be weary of those.”

at all,” Johnson said. “I turned the corner and there’s a

everything that we provide for you in the room to figure

rooms. “Think outside the box,” he said.

Garrett said. “Each room has its own scenario, some are

Chambers. “It’s difficult, but it really is fun, it really is a

“Our strategy was to tell everyone every clue you found,”

just for fun, so it really just depends on what you are more

you’re just like ‘yes, finally,’” Davis said.

thought because there was a lot of stuff that wasn’t clues

out how to escape,” game master and employee Keeley scary, some are more witty than others, and some are comfortable with.”

Senior Tyler Davis has gone to the Escape Chambers

with a group of friends. “Just the thought of using clues to

escape a room before someone gets you, that’s just such a great idea,” Davis said.

At the end, Davis enjoyed his time at the Escape

blast when you actually open a lock from somewhere,

He plans on going back to the Escape Chambers to

try the other rooms.

kind of creepy and there was 666 written everywhere.”

Unlike Davis, Johnson’s group did have a strategy.

Johnson said. “That didn’t work out as good as we and we were just saying (them and confusing people).”

Johnson did not have high hopes for the Escape

Chambers. “It was a lot better than I expected, I thought it

The Collector

Sophomore Brandin Johnson also went to the Escape

was going to be kind of cheesy,” Johnson said.

The Recruit

All the rooms give a group 60 minutes to make it out of

Chambers with a group. “I went to The Collector; it was

group completes all the clues or once the time runs out,

The Collector room is one of the more scary rooms.

have been blacklisted by both the CIA and FBI. They are

cides to meet with another accumulator in his “man-cave”

enough to move up. If not completed in time, the nerve

the room. They are locked in and are not let out until the

fun, kind of a shock factor,” Johnson said.

whichever comes first.

The scenario is a sports memorabilia collector who de-

who tell everyone the rules and who shows you how you

full of collectables. He walks in and see other collectors

Each room has a game master. “[They are the] ones

would have escaped if you do not escape at the end of it,”

Garrett said. “I am in control of every aspect of the game during the game, I hear and see everything that you are doing so that I can be as helpful as possible.”

The Party Room

The set-up for the party room is a group of people

have a friend Simon who is a lifelong fanatic of puzzles and riddles. Simon hosts a party, and when the last guest arrives, the door locks and a countdown of 60 minutes

looking around. The owner then excuses himself while

everyone suddenly notices a foul smell and tries to leave, but the door is locked.

That scenario then becomes a group’s reality. They

are now trying to escape before the collector owner comes back. “As you figure out the puzzles, you figure

out the guy wasn’t really collecting sports memorabilia,” Johnson said. “It was more like human bodies.”

Johnson’s group also did not make it out in time. “We

The plot of this room is that there are people who

putting people through training to see if they can good

gas will turn on and will kill them, so they need to find an

antidote, armory and guns because if they do escape the room there are terrorists outside.

When one walks in the room it is set up like an office.

“It has a table and eight chairs all the way around it, and

there’s a desk with an office chair and a flag and eagle on the desk and some paperwork,” Garrett said.

The Cellar

This is the Escape Chambers’ newest addition. Em-

came close to making it out, within the last 20 minutes we

ployees are currently creating the room.

it solved,” Johnson said.

foggy daze. Some of them will be shackled or handcuffed

30 more seconds we would’ve gotten out of that room.”

his were different. “Well they weren’t really fake clues

in a freezer. The group will have to work together to help

scare factor to it. “There isn’t a horror aspect to it, this

there would be writing that didn’t really say anything, (or)

appears. Simon says “Escape.”

Davis’s group chose the party room but did not make

it out in time. “We were failures,” Davis said. “If we had Unlike most of the rooms this one does not have a

room was more of just solving clues and if you didn’t make it in-time you were just made fun of because you couldn’t get out of the room,” Davis said.

However his group did not have a strategy going into

the room. “We just started with the tables because there were signs on the tables and then we just answered

those questions and then we moved onto other things in the room,” Davis said.

His group found it difficult for multiple reasons. “It’s re-

ally hard, there are thousands of clues numbers, letters and fake clues that threw us off, be aware of that,” Davis said. “We found all the fake clues pretty early in the game

and we thought they were big important things but as the

had every puzzle except for one solved and we didn’t get Like Davis, Johnson also found fake clues, except

you just didn’t know if they were clues or not because

The outline to this room is people who wake up in a

to the floor or wall, some might be in cage, even locked each other escape the room.

“Say you’re the person that’s locked inside of the

it didn’t actually mean anything” Johnson said. His were

freezer and you dig to the bottom of all these dead body

For Johnson, The Collector room was not scary until

out of the freezer it gets your friend out of the shackles

more like a waste of time.

the transition into the next room. “There was only one part

that kind of scared me and it’s this dark crawl space area

The Party Room

Most Difficult Room Fastest time: Six minutes remaining

CIA S AA U gent Special

The Recruit

parts and you find a clue and that clue doesn’t get you across the room,” Garrett said. “You really have to work together, that is like the ultimate team building room.”

The Collector

Scary Room Fastest time: 13 minutes remaining

Basic Room Fastest time: 19 minutes remaining

feature

may 2015 p.9

Undercover and Underaged

sual clothing that does not have any distinctive logos so

that they are not easily identified by upset employees when a difficult situation arises. “After busting an older guy at a gas station, he came out and realized he read my ID wrong and told us to give (the cigarettes) back,” Student A said.

“(Powell) questioned and fined him. He was wearing an

army knife-like necklace, it was really sketchy and he was not a happy camper.”

After meeting at the officer’s station or a discrete loca-

Students work undercover with investigators to enforce tobacco laws all over Iowa

tion, the student is then picked up and dropped off at a place that distances themselves enough to not be seen

from the business, most commonly in an unmarked police

car. When the student enters the business, it’s all up to them on how they deal with the employees. Student B, who

works for the Windsor Heights Police Department and officer Amanda Woods, takes a casual approach. “I’ll walk in and around for a little while until I go to the counter,” Anon

B said. “I always ask for red Marlboros since that’s what most smokers get.”

If the employee does sell to the undercover student, the

student then gives the product to the officer and waits in

words & layout | Brooke Ginsberg Without an official title, three students who chose to re-

main anonymous work with police officers behind the scenes and behind the counters of convenience stores and gas stations all across Iowa. Partnered with their officer, these stu-

dents specifically work on regulating the sale of tobacco and enforcing law to prevent sales to underage citizens.

Police officers employ teenagers of their choice that are

between the ages 15 to 17 years old to find employees breaking the law and selling to citizens under the age of 18.

With a starting wage of $10 per hour along with food accommodations, students are trained to investigate employees of

businesses and the business’s code of conduct with dealing tobacco. If convicted with selling to someone underage,

the employee is fined from $200 to $1,000 for selling any tobacco product illegally and at least $1,000 is fined to the

business for their first violation and a 30 day suspension on their tobacco license.

Student A began their undercover duties at the age of

16 with the Food and Drug Administration and side by side with investigator Corey Powell. “Whenever somebody asks (about my job) I just say that I work for the FDA as a tobacco

inspector,” the student said. Prior connections with Powell

landed Student A the job after living next to each other for 13 years. “It sounded pretty cool and it’s a totally different job.”

Investigator Powell has been working with undercover

students for 13 years out of his total 20 years of employment

for the FDA. “There isn’t much training at all for the job and we don’t intentionally go into a business hoping they break

the law,” Powell said. “I asked (Student A) to work with me because I knew what kind of person [Student A] is, I trust [their] judgment.”

Each tobacco investigation is generally approached the

same. To begin, the undercover student is only to wear ca-

the car while the officer comes in and talks to the employee

and issues two fines, one to the employee and one to the business. “Essentially it’s no different than writing a fine

for health inspection gone wrong or an officer giving you a speeding ticket,” Powell said. “We don’t have a huge issue

with this in Iowa, but a lot of younger kids work at (convenience stores) and tend to fall short in obeying this law.”

During the entire investigation, the students are hardly

Student A “I’ve gotten better in awkward moments.

I think it’s helped me socially because I had to talk to a lot of people on the job”

ever seen with their officer while they deal with the busi-

ness to prevent rare circumstances such as the charged employee tracking down the undercover student. “After this

girl sold me a pack and fined, my officer brought her into the car to talk privately,” Student B said. “It was so awkward

and I felt horrible, but it’s also nice that it wasn’t someone I knew.”

Student C is also an employee of the FDA and has been

investigating tobacco sales since they were 16-years-old.

“I kind of feel guilty (when I bust someone), but I also think you should be able to perform tasks at your work,” they

Student B

“I’ve learned to simply obey the law, whether you know you’re being watched or not.”

said. “Also we don’t try to bust people, it’s a lot of paperwork we don’t like dealing with.”

After turning 18, these undercover students will no lon-

ger be able to investigate tobacco sales due to being old

enough to buy them themselves, therefore being no use for the police department. However, anyone from 18-20 years

old can then have the same job with the same operations,

but deal with alcohol sales. “I think I’ll move onto another job (once 18), working with the same person everyday can

get lonely and kind of boring,” Student A said. “All I know

about my future career is that I won’t be doing much of what this job involves anyway.”

Student B has taken their investigation training into

thought and wishes to pursue a similar career. “It’d feel like

a waste after two years if I didn’t do something with everything I’ve learned, I think I’ll get into business operation or management when I’m older.”

Student C “I feel like the job has given me a better understanding of how people work and how to handle strange situations.”

adoption

may 2015 p.10&11

Adoption alters lives of students words & layout | Clare Farrell, Carly Kinning & Kathryn Ikeda

Alexis Wolter

Makenzie Hill question still remained on who would become her perma-

ther and two older brothers, freshman

my aunt and uncle for the rest of high school, or I would

state of California with her mother, faAlexis Wolter had a fairly simple life until it began to spin. When she was only

3-years-old, her mother passed away due to complications

nent guardians. “I would have either ended up living with have moved out to North Carolina to live with my (other aunt),” Wolter said.

Some of her other family, however, did not think moving

during a surgery. Just four short years after, her father

to North Carolina was the best option. “We felt that if we

me that he had cancer before he died, so I just thought he

three kids as far apart geographically as we could in the

passed away from skin cancer. “They actually never told was on a trip to China, and I didn’t realize he was getting different treatments,” Wolter said.

While her father was receiving treatment for cancer,

Wolter was living with his parents in Mexico and occa-

sionally visited family in Iowa. She began visiting her aunt

week out of every summer because

there was this camp that I went to called Music Camp,” Wolter said.

When her father passed away,

“

she moved back to California to pack her things so she could move

United States,” Alexis’ adoptive father Mark Wolter said.

Mark’s wife, Krista, is Alexis’ first cousin. Krista has

known Alexis since she was born and Mark has known her since she was 18-months-old. The couple thought about

adopting Alexis to keep the kids close together. They felt adopting her was something they

They love me as if I was actually their kid.

“

5-years-old. “I would come for one

let her go to North Carolina it was going to separate those

I don’t feel different than anybody else.

-Alexis Wolter, freshman

to Ames to live with this aunt and

uncle, her legal guardians for the time. There, she finished

the second semester of first grade. One of Wolter’s brothers was attending Iowa State University and she was able

to see him as much as she wanted. “After the fact that I learned that [my dad] had died, I realized why I had moved

so much and what the purpose was,” Wolter said. “I could have different family members taking care of me and loving

me while my dad was still alive, instead of not seeing them after he passed and moved somewhere permanently.”

With her two brothers, Eric and Bryan Scholar, being 10

and 14 years older than her, there was a chance that her

oldest brother, Bryan, could take her in. “He really wanted to, but he had a lot ahead of him and he just wanted

to finish college and be able to find a wife without being able to raise his younger sister,” Wolter said. “It was one of his hardest decisions because he really wanted to and he thought he could have a really good influence on me.”

When her brother said he was not able to raise her, the

needed to do. “We were wanting to have kids anyway, it just never worked out that we did,” Mark said.

Krista and Mark brought it up to

Alexis’ brothers and her uncle, who was the executor of the estate, that

they were interested in adopting her. “We had plenty of room for her

and her aunt and uncle in North Carolina were in their sixties already,” Mark said.

Krista and Mark then asked Alexis if she wanted them to

adopt her, and she said yes. “It worked out really well that Alexis ended up in Iowa, because it really strengthened

and brought us closer with my mom’s side of the family,” Bryan said.

Though she calls Krista and Mark mom and dad, Alexis

is still familiar with her biological parents. “We’ve always

made sure we haven’t tried to hide anything from her,” Mark said. “We show her pictures of them, and because

they’ve always been a close family they’ve got home movies of her mom and her dad.”

The Wolter’s are happy with their decision to adopt Alex-

is, and looking back, they see it as something they would

not change. “It’s been as a good for us as it has been for Alexis,” Mark said. “We’ve enjoyed every minute of it, we love her as much as we could any child of our own.”

Jeanne and Jeff Hill always knew

they wanted to adopt. With Jeanne having five adopted cousins and Jeff being adopted, when trying for another child

was not working, the deciding to adopt

was easy. “That was just no question to us,” Jeanne said.

“Adoption for us was just a natural thing.”

The couple decided to do foreign adoption. After an ex-

tensive process including physicals, references, applications, numerous background checks, a counseling evaluation and home studies, the Hills were matched with a baby.

Junior Makenzie Hill’s birth mother placed her in an

orphanage in Seoul, South Korea, soon after Makenzie’s

birth. “I take being in an orphanage pretty harshly,” Makenzie said. “I see it as (being) unwanted.”

Once her adoption was approved by Korea, she was

sent to the United States at 7-months-old and arrived on Christmas Eve at the Hill’s home. After three home studies, she was officially adopted.

Jeanne, who has two biological and three adopted chil-

dren, believes that adopting and giving birth are similar.

Junior Johanna Miller was adopted from an orphanage in China when she was 2-yearsold. Because she was from a smaller city, her parents and brother, Marcus, had to drive a ways to pick her up.

Senior Marcus Miller was born in Hangzhou, China, but was placed in a mental institution shortly after his birth. His parents adopted him when he was 1-year-old and then moved to Iowa.

“You have the waiting, the anticipating and the dreaming of

she said. “I just feel like there would be some more confu-

biological children and when they were born and my ad-

to ask her. Why did you give me up for adoption? Do I have

Growing up, Makenzie was not conscious of the fact that

Hill’s mother, who formerly worked at an adoption agen-

this child coming home,” she said. “The difference from my

sion if I met her, but there are some questions I would want

opted children when they came home was no difference.”

siblings? I want to know where she’s at right now.”

she was adopted. “I was so young so I don’t even remem-

cy, knows about children meeting their biological parents.

I grew up knowing the fact that I was adopted but I didn’t

ber, but I just remember growing up with my siblings and really fully realize it until I was older,” she said.

When she was in eighth grade, Makenzie was bullied by

Johanna & Marcus Miller Senior

Miller

While growing up, Johanna found it fairly easy to con-

nect with her parents. “Since I was 2-years-old when I was

stitute shortly after birth. Although there was nothing wrong

Marcus wonders about how his life would have turned

cide. “She’s our daughter and if that’s a desire that she

they were few places that could care for

Makenzie loves her family as if they were biological. “I

well taken care of (while I was there),”

Regardless, she and her husband will let Makenzie de-

placed in a mental in-

“

kind of realized ‘oh yeah my birth mom really didn’t want

Miller said.

wasn’t wanted and that my life had no purpose.”

knowledge of knowing you were adopted and placed in a

China and adopted him when he was

Jeanne agrees with her daughter. “My biological kids

his parents returned to China to adopt

with it, it’s nothing weird or different it just comes with the different home.”

any memory without them,” Johanna said.

out differently if he was not adopt-

with him, he was born in a large city and

don’t think blood matters,” she said. “When you grow up

to try to find and meet her birth parents and learn about

knew we were adopted.”

really good, and sometimes it has turned out really bad.”

“You see both sides of it,” she said. “Sometimes it turns out

orphans. “I was very fortunate and very

When she turns 18, Makenzie will have the opportunity

born

blood related,” Johanna said. “Growing up we just kind of

adopted and I grew up with [my family] I don’t really have

wants, we’ll be very supportive of her,” Jeanne said.

me,’” she said. “I felt so negative about myself and felt like I

was

Marcus

sibling. “I don’t treat him any differently because we’re not

in China and was

a fellow student. “[They] would tell me that ‘your mom didn’t want you,’ ‘you were left by a dumpster,’ and that’s when I

Freshman Alexis Wolter was born in California, but moved to Mexico once her father began cancer treatments. Once he died, she moved to Iowa and shortly after was adopted by her cousins.

Junior Makenzie Hill was placed in an orphanage through Holt International in Seoul, South Korea shortly after her birth. She was adopted when she was 7-months-old.

Miller’s adoptive parents came to

1-year-old. Two years later, Miller and

“

Growing up in the bright, golden

and uncle in Ames, IA as young as

Traveling to new homes

Students who came from various places around the world share how they found their families in Iowa

ed, but feels lucky that he was. “I

For a lot of people the past kind of am incredibly fortunate, because I am literally living the American hurts them, but for me I literally have nowhere dream,” Marcus said.

As well as that, Marcus it grateelse to look but the future.

-Marcus Miller, senior

ful for the opportunities he has been

able to experience in the United States, he otherwise wouldn’t have

her biological family. However, she does not think that she

grew in my tummy but my adopted kids grew in my heart,”

his sister, Johanna, from an orphanage in a small town.

gotten to if he was not adopted. “I am literally given the

again I already have a family that I am comfortable with,”

your mom and I love you.’”

cally, they have never thought about not being each others’

adopted don’t (have those opportunities).

will. “I am curious to see what my mom has to say but then

she said. “It doesn’t matter the bloodline. It matters, ‘I’m

Although Marcus and Johanna are not related biologi-

opportunity to do everything,” he said. “Kids who don’t get

profile

may 2015 p.12

1 in 1500

Caroline Aldrich

Junior

made by Zoe Wilson

On a list of all students in the school, from sophomore to senior, one student was randomly chosen to tell their story

Sydney Ginkens/BW

words & layout | Jake Dalbey

For junior Caroline Aldrich, high school means

being involved in not only sports but academic

pursuits as well. While most students would be

content with being involved in a single activity, Al-

drich sees school as an opportunity that should not be missed. “I think it’s very important to be involved in things during high school, it doesn’t

matter what you’re involved in really,” Aldrich said.

She participates in dance, marching band, His-

tory Day, match club, tennis, bowling and Mock Trial. “There are certain times of the year that I

stress.”

you’re not focused on how nervous you are about screwing up the trial.”

Aldrich also competes at the Iowa State Fair

a couple of different ways, either by putting glue

said. “I think that all aspects of Mock Trial have

use a toothpick and put each individual grains in a

made me better at adapting when things don’t go

about a week for each picture to be completed,

After several years of experience under her

“I think most people would go insane if they

of nature and corn. “You can create a seed picture

fidence and my ability to think on my feet,” she

onto paper and just dumping seed on it or you can

helped me become a quicker thinker, and have

design like I do,” Aldrich said. The process takes

according to plan.”

and she puts in about five to eight hours a day.

belt, Aldrich played a large role in the success of

had to place every seed, one by one, on a board

trial team, and she helped us to genuinely unify

create something beautiful out of nothing but

peted at the high school level, some at any level,”

pending on the theme. “Every year they (the Iowa

had not existed before December to proceed on

usually do about two to three of them, they’ll say

spirit high, Aldrich worked to give out several ‘pick

age,” Aldrich said. One of her most distinguished

ery year I bring good-luck stickers for my team

ton Hears a Who.” “There was a woman at the

said. “There’s a lot of downtime before a competi-

one of the greatest compliments I could have re-

her team. “Caroline was the leader of our mock

for hours on end,” Aldrich said. “I like that I can

when we had five members who had never com-

seed.” Crafting the image changes every year de-

junior Seth Tack said. “She helped a team that

State Fair) release four pictures you can do, so I

to the State level.” As a gift to keep her team’s

do a rose or a ladybug and then I make the im-

me ups’ during the many long competitions. “Ev-

pictures was a painted Horton from the book “Hor-

and the team that I coach during the fall,” she

fair that offered to buy it. I declined, but it was

tion starts, and I think the stickers are a nice way

ceived,” Aldrich said.

ed lor Ri

aS ino e

nF row la

x

her outside of Mock Trial. “It’s increased my con-

drich as coach. She believes her role has helped

ed

overall with her designs of various flowers, pieces

two years she has received first and second place

ce

16th place overall, led by her mother Cathy Al-

in the state Mock Trial competition and received

ney Bea

ns

team, Identity Crisis 2.0, was able to compete

every year for her seed art pictures. For the last

rS ige ee

d

her years being apart of Mock Trial. This year her

Seed Art: A Closer Look Kid

Her real school passion however, stems from

ing between a squirrel, a beaver, and a bunny,

Co

we make while in an activity makes it worth the

N

to take the focus off of our nerves. If you’re choos-

B

I think the experiences and the friendships that

Qu

sometimes feel overwhelmed,” Aldrich said. ”But

Provided/Caroline Aldrich

editorial

may 2015 p.13

School policies misleading what “The Black and White” newspaper publishes, “The Dragon” yearbook prints or Dragon TV airs unless the

material is libelous, obscene or causes a disruption. This

When Dragon TV aired the “Mean Teacher Tweets”

who wrote the tweets could have easily been punished, however, because of the freedom of expression school

board policy 502.2. If administration had deemed a tweet “inappropriate” or “not responsible,” the students could have been threatened with punishment.

Something similar happened in Miami, and the Stu-

dent Press Law Center, a legal assistance agency who supports student news media, helped students avoid

punishment. “Students were using Instagram to publicize things that were wrong in their school, like plaster falling off the ceiling or mold in the cafeteria, and the principal threatened discipline for doing that even though that is clearly calling attention to a matter of great concern,”

SPLC Executive Director Frank LoMonte said. The SPLC advocated for the students and the school backed off punishing them.

Things like this could easily happen at Johnston, and

because the freedom of expression school board policy,

students could be punished for simply voicing their opinion in school or on social media.

Another concern is the school board’s student pub-

lication code. While the content of the code is fair and perfectly legal, the legal reference it cites is not.

A little background is in order.

In the 1960s Supreme Court landmark case Tinker

v. Des Moines, the legal landscape changed after ruling

Now fast forward to 1988. In Hazelwood Sch. Dist. V.

Kuhlmeier, the Supreme Court ruled that school administrators did not violate the First Amendment by exercising editorial control over student newspapers as long as it

was reasonably related to educational concerns. This is the case the school board policy references.

Soon after that case, Iowa legislature enacted Iowa

Students’ rights must be understood. “Lawyers use

this term called the chilling effect, and basically if you

nalism lab care? Simple: freedom of expression. Stand-

is going to go away because people are going to be afraid

ing up for what one believes in is becoming the hype in

today’s society. Whether one wants to write a Letter to the Editor in “The Black and White” about something he or

she thinks should change, or students want to wear equality shirts in support of equal rights, administration should not prohibit students from doing that. Legally, it cannot.

The problem is the school board policy says it can if

threaten and try to scare people, all this legitimate speech to speak up,” former school board member and attorney

Tyler Buller said. “That’s what is going to happen with all of these things. If a student is scared of writing a contro-

versial editorial, then that’s harming free speech because that’s perfectly legal, there’s nothing wrong with a controversial editorial.”

Buller was on the school board in 2008-2009. During

it deems material “inappropriate” or “ not responsible.”

that time, he changed the student publications code in or-

“When you’re engaging in speech that is personal to you,

not deem an article acceptable. About a year later, after

Subjective words have no place in legal documents.

then you have protection of the Tinker standards even in a state with no state law on student media,” LoMonte said.

“Inappropriateness doesn’t belong in a school disciplinary

code. That would be entirely unlawful to punish somebody because the school deemed it inappropriate.”

There is a difference between student speech in class

and general student speech, and it is important to know that difference. “It seems like the person who created

der to protect advisers from retaliation if administration did Buller resigned from the board, the policy was changed back to its original form.

“We see that happening all the time, school boards

are often very sneaky,” LoMonte said. “Unfortunately they are disrespectful of students’ rights. So if you want to talk about inappropriate, that’s inappropriate to sneak around behind the backs of students.”

School board member Jill Morrill voted with Buller in

this policy is confusing a school’s authority over in-class

support of changing the policy. “My major focus was we

has almost unlimited authority) with all student speech in

our students would not feel they are being restricted, that

speech that’s part of a class exercise (where the school

all contexts,” LoMonte said. “When students are speaking as individuals and not as part of an assigned curricular

exercise, they have strong First Amendment protections.”

The Iowa Associations of School Boards (IASB) pro-

needed to create the atmosphere and environment so

we weren’t suppressing their freedom of expression,” she said. “I didn’t want to put the board in a position to be sued, like other states had shown.”

School lawyers advised against the policy being

vides sample policies for school districts, and our student

changed because state and federal law already had the

Director of Policy Josie Lewis said she drafts sample

policy appears to not follow state law. And as Morrill points

publications policy is similar to the sample one. IASB

policies and runs them by attorneys at the Department of

student speech, including armbands, had to disrupt school Education and outside counsel or internal resources as – think rioting – for school officials to stop it. This case still needed. We find it interesting that no one has spotted the shapes our student speech in Iowa.

dents have to refer to those said policies.

code limits the effects of the Hazelwood case.

So, why should students who are outside of the jour-

segment, most students found it pretty funny. Individuals

something should occur where school officials and stu-

discrepancies. It is concerning that lawyers and experts in the field saw the reference to the Hazelwood court case and did not recognize it does not apply to Iowa.

The goal of this piece is not to criticize administration

because of possible censorship. In fact, administration has been nothing but cooperative with student media.

Administration knows the law and follows it.

We just want to inform the student body of what the

protections in place. We are not lawyers, however, the

out, the school does not stand much a chance winning a lawsuit if a student sued for infringing their First Amendment right. Who wants to get sued anyway?

So let’s fix it. The school board needs to change these

policies in order to become consistent with Iowa law. Students need to voice their concerns to the school board. “I think a lot of people think this is all controversial when it

really isn’t at all,” Buller said. “It’s just what the law says, and we need to follow the law.”

It is not fair to students or teachers to mislead them in

regards to what they can and cannot do. Our democracy

Code 280.22. Basically, administration cannot control school board policies are, and what might happen if depends on people speaking lawfully and freely.

The editorial is an opinion held by the editorial board of the newspaper. It needs a simple majority to pass. This month’s vote was 8-0.

opinion

may 2015 p.14

Blind compliance leads to immoral legislation

Anti-terrorism laws allow for a policy of “no warrant, no cause, no problem”

words & layout | Casey Metcalf

Provided / Esmeralda Flores Some historical events leave a flashbulb memory in

the minds of the people that were alive to witness them.

The memories of things like Sept. 11 and the JFK assassination stick in the people’s minds that were alive

violating their second amendment rights, but are completely complacent with a law that violates two-and-a-half of them.

edent that is a part of the federal rules of criminal pro-

stop? If you have nothing to hide, can they watch through

like this that affect an entire nation and leave this kind of

cedure. The act allows federal agents to search a home

or twice in a lifetime. It is rare that an event like this can be predicted and predetermined, but this year it can be.

June 1 of this summer might not have any implication to

without the owner even being home, and more than that,

the officer does not even have to notify them after the fact.

The last of the most serious expansions applies to the

you right now, but it should, and it will.

extra allowances to the wiretap law. Officers can collect

- nearly a month after the attack of Sept. 11. The new “an-

that an individual has contacted - without so much as a

The Patriot Act was signed into effect on Oct. 26, 2001

ti-terrorism” laws created expansive new allowances for what the FBI and government can and cannot do when it

data on phone conversations, timestamps and people warrant or probable cause.

Senior Michael Thiel agrees with the act and believes

comes to surveillance and the more invasive aspects of

it should remain law in June. “I feel that it’s a wonderful

One of the provisions of the act was that Section 215

newed because it’s a reasonable way to take care of [ter-

investigations.

allows FBI investigators to force third-party information

holders to turn over information on their clients or their customers. It also lets this occur while giving the agents

no restrictions - they do not need a warrant, any proof or reasoning and they do not even have to have probable cause.

This means that if an FBI agent were to go to a prac-

ticing doctor and ask for any information they may have on a particular client, they would have to comply even

thing that keeps everyone safe. I’d say it should be rerorism].” While this may seem like a common consensus,

the statistics say otherwise. Reports from the American

Civil Liberties Union show that 2003 and 2006 the FBI issued 192,499 NSLs (National Security Letters - issued

by FBI agents without a judges approval or probable cause for American citizen’s information through third

party holders) and only one of those cases actually led to a terrorism conviction.

Not only that, but due to these same NSLs, the FBI

if there was no warrant, reasoning or cause. Arguably

made 56 criminal referrals to prosecutors, and after fur-

say anything to the client whose information he just gave

them was terrorism related.

the worst part is that the doctor would be prohibited to

up. This is at the least a violation of the First Amend-

ther investigation, it was found that not a single one of These laws have been in place since 2001, and it is

ment, barring the doctors right to free speech about what

unlikely that you have had a brush with them. Then again,

Fourth Amendment, the right to be protected from unrea-

affected. But this unjust - and more than that, unconstitu-

had happened, and more than that it is a violation of the sonable searches and seizures.

This is also in violation of due process, meaning that

just this one provision of the Patriot Act violates not one, but two constitutional amendments and a clause that

comes in part with the fifth amendment - lining out the

process officers must go through when gathering information on citizens. People are angry about gun control

The notion that if you have nothing to hide, you should

just up and let law enforcement infringe upon your consti-

is the ability to bypass the “knock and announce” prec-

mark on multiple generations tend to only happen once

hide!” But how far can that way of thinking go?

Another allowance that the act gives law enforcement

and create vivid recollections of where they were and what they were doing when the events occurred. Things

them have my personal information! I have nothing to

you probably would have no idea even if you had been

tional - piece of legislation is about to expire, and it is time to take our rights back. Citizens of the United States have the right to their rights. People will say they do not mind

if the government is allowed to do these things because

they have nothing to hide. Any thoughtless “patriotic” individual you might ask would probably say, “Hey, let them

search my house! Let them listen to my phone calls! Let

tutional rights is unpatriotic in and of itself. Where does it

your webcams? Can they take you under custody and search you to the bone whenever they choose to? What is misunderstood is that if a stand is not taken now, starting with shutting down the Patriot Act, that is where this will go. Eventually, things will take their course and law

enforcement officers will continue to gain more and more power in the name of national security, and there might even be a day where not just two of your constitutional rights are ignored, but all of them are.

Before the Patriot Act

If an officer comes to an individuals home without a warrant, the owner reserves the right to deny them access.

Third party information holders (doctors, teachers, etc.) did not have to give information to government agents without a warrant or probable cause.

Officers wanting to gather information about a person’s phone history, records and contacts had to go to a judge and get a warrant for the specific region in which it will be used and the person it will be used for.

opinion

may 2015 p.15

Choose memories over money My mom and I be-

gan discussing wheth-

er or not I would have a

ing down, it was time that I wouldn’t want spent any other

I didn’t know very well or even at all. Since I don’t know

Coming from someone who has already hosted their

gave me. I’m glad they came and I spent time getting to

way, with a lot of my loved ones helping me out.

graduation party over a year

graduation party, if you’re only concerned about how

about having one, because I wasn’t sure what

sive. But even if you get all the way up to $3,000 at your

ago. I was really hesitant at first

the purpose of it was. I didn’t know if I should

have one just to get a bunch of money from

people, or if I wanted one to just hang out with

all my close friends and family members. But when I finally

hosted my graduation party a few weeks ago, the first thing

I looked forward to was being with my loved ones. Spend-

much money you will get, cancel it. Yes, college is expengrad party, which probably won’t happen, it’s not like it

will make that much of a difference anyway in paying for college. What I have gathered from my graduation party, hosting the party costs money too. So when you count up the difference, it almost evens out.

With this said, I don’t think about all of the money and

ing time with your best friends and closest family members

gifts people gave me at my party. What I’m going to look

At my party and leading up to it, I didn’t focus on any

my loved ones there. I’m going to remember my little twin

always turn into the greatest memories.

of the money, gifts or presents I would get. Instead, I was focused on planning it with my mom, and we had the great-

est time spending countless hours planning it. We took on a number of Pinterest projects and we felt really accomplished when we saw all of our work on display for our

loved ones to see. Even when we were setting up and tear-

words & layout | Carly Kinning them very well, I felt terribly guilty about the money they know them, but I wish they didn’t give me money. They didn’t need to, because I just wanted to spend time with

everybody on that nice afternoon. But be humble and grateful for the gifts, and remember that these people

came to spend time with you and celebrate an accomplishment, not to be used as an ATM. Even when people would ask me how much money I got at my grad party, I

simply said, “enough,” because that was not the point of my party, nor was it anyone else’s business.

But looking back, I’m glad I made the decision to fol-

back and be reminded of are all the memories I made with

low through with my party. I’m also happy that I made the

red-head cousins playing with all of the bright balloons.

ing about the money and everything about the memories.

I’m going to remember my grandpa seeing his brothers

for possibly the last time in his life. I’m going to remember spending time with all of my best friends in the same place before we all go off to college.

But some people came to my party back in April who

decision to think about it the way I did, which was noth-

If people happen to give you some money, be grateful, humble and thank them hundreds of times. But more importantly, be excited to spend time with all of your loved ones at your party. Make great memories and be happy to spend time with each person who comes to celebrate.

Graduation parties: for the memories or for the cash?

All about that cash

words | Natalie Larimer

This is going to sound super selfish and I apologize in

to spend time with your loved ones, especially with this

of debt. Like, it is going to be tragic. I see this graduation

about the money. I do not know if you have noticed or not,

members or your parents’ friends who have met you a

are proud of me and as a way to put that money towards

advance. That being said, graduation parties are 100% but college is incredibly expensive. You saw my sign on

future day during spring fling week- “THIS IS MY FUTURE:

$184,671 in debt due to higher education”. I know this is

turning point in your life. However, those random family

total of one or two times in your life should be invited because they will probably give you money.

That makes me sound like a horrible person.

not a problem for some students here at rich-kid-Johnston,

Allow me to explain: I am broke.

but it is definitely a huge deal in the minds of those who

My parents are plan-

cannot conjure up $200,000 to send their kids through

ning on inviting a bunch

college and graduate school.

of people that I do

The whole, “You can do anything you want with

not even

your life!” philosophy that we have grown up with, is crap. So is the, “The best things in life are free!”

not sorted out the idea of free education like almost every other country in the world.

I am not trying to come off as ungrateful here. I am

speaking as an aspiring chemist who just wants to go into the field I love, but most of the odds are stacked against me. I have always been told that I can do whatever my

heart desires, but growing up has taught me that I am unable to do anything without the necessary funds.

My plan for my graduation party is to invite all the teen-

agers I want there to celebrate the day with me. Most adults will be invited for that reason too. I get that, it is important

a future that will probably bankrupt me otherwise.

These people are so proud of you that they want to

invest in your future. That is amazing. To not accept that gift or claim that it is not what grad parties are about is crazy. Grad parties are your little initiation into the

real world and if you do not have any money, you

are not going to get very far.

So, to recap, yes, graduation parties are all about

the money. They are also all about the memories and the family and friends. I do

No. Everything has a price tag, whether you recognize it or not. Especially education. For some reason, America has

party as a chance to get some money from people who

not expect people

who

know

are broke to

so if they

give me money, but

have money, I ex-

if people who are al-

pect them to bring me some.

ready on the list of invites want to

Rich people who are friends

give me money, I would love it. I do not

of my parents should help me

think this is selfish, I think our education

out. That is my equation.

system is messed up to cause people to be

I have come to realize that

in massive amounts of debt for even think-

college (and in my case, gradu-

ing about going to college, but whatever.

ate school) is going to cause fu-

ture me to be in a horrific amount

Illustration/Carly Kinning

That is the American way.

column

may 2015 p.16

kcaB 2 Besic

words & layout Senad Besic

Ah, the end of the school year, and for a lucky 535 of

us, it’s the end of our high school career. And this all hap-

Warning; nostalgia overload Senad shares some of his favorite memories from this year and hopes he can make you remember yours too

Ashley Long/Dragon

pens within the magical month of May. May is a fascinating

Everyone was constantly focused and determined. Everyone’s attitude during the season was always for us to be the

best that we could possibly be. Not only that, but those two

month indeed. It’s full of stress induced emotional break-

communities were very laid back and tight knit, which only

downs, terrifying AP tests, obscenely high amounts of se-

made us perform better since none of us wanted to let each

nioritis, last-minute cramming for finals, zipping left and

other down. It was no wonder #InnoFam became a thing.

right from one graduation party to the next, teacher pink-

And honestly, what gets better than that? We were just a

slips, end of the year student council hosted events and

bunch of guys being dudes.

obsessive over-use of Roger Hub’s final grade calculator.

As the year draws to a close, reflect on your favorite

But the weird thing is, it doesn’t feel like the end of the

memories from the year and take refuge in the fact that

caught up in the nostalgia to really realize that I’m finally

rest of your life. You know, unless your high school experi-

year to me. I don’t know, maybe I’m too busy getting all

you’ll carry some of these great memories with you for the

leaving this place. Maybe I’m actually in shock and the

thought of graduating hasn’t hit me yet. Or maybe I just Sophomore Ethan Goux plays his sousaphone in don’t care. Who knows? the rain for the marching band. This was one of Whatever the case may be, I’ve found it difficult to go my favorite memories from the year; the fact that through this year and not think about certain events this we all stuck through terrible conditions just to year that really meant a lot to me.

perform for the crowd was very memorable

Show choir band and marching band have hands down got a lot of first place finishes and honestly who doesn’t love

ence was a total catastrophe, and if it was I send you my

sincerest apologies. So, be grateful for all that Johnston has offered you, good luck next year if you’re graduating, if

you have another year here just know that I’ll be praying for you, sing the songs that remind you of the good times, and sing the songs that remind you of the better times.

If you didn’t notice, that last line was a lyric from the song

been my favorite experiences. I’ve been a part of these the feeling of completely demolishing any competition that

“Tubthumping”, better known by its incorrect name “I get

ily been my favorite. I enjoyed this year the most because

Apart from being super successful, I really enjoyed these

was a pivotal moment in the musical world. That song was

Smeared Eyeliner

her uber obnoxious sisters. She has miraculously made it

criminal, college football star, Jameis Winston. I used

at by every serious fashion mogul. Nevertheless, she is still

man, but then things started to go downhill for him. He

groups for the past three years, but my senior year has eas- thinks they’re even worthy enough to challenge you?

our show choir went undefeated and our marching band activities mainly because of the communities they created.

NFL: Kardashian style

words & layout | Carly Campbell

knocked down”, by the band Chumbawamba. Honestly that a total game changer.

in the modeling industry even though she’s been laughed quite successful and deserves some mad props for that.

Dante Fowler Jr. is next- the number three draft pick.

The NFL draft recently took place and the top five draft

This defensive end is sadly going to fit in the other NFL

football. But to those of you who know nothing about football,

five and is going to let this newly acquired fame go to his

could try to be of a little assistance and relate them to some-

these five- just like most athletes in the NFL. I mean, he did

sonalities of the one and only Kardashians (and Jenners).

showed up to the draft runway ready, hoping to get a call

five. Brandon Scherff. Now I’ll be the first to say, when he

With all this press, Kylie Jenner has received about her

never heard the name before. I knew that the University of

two attention grabbers would be paired together. It’s clear

draft, but I didn’t know that high. Go Iowa, you finally did

Drafted number two was sadly Marcus Mariota. I be-

picks came as no surprise to people familiar with college

greats just fine. He has the largest ego of any of these

these names probably sound foreign to you. So I thought I

head. He will be in more criminal trouble than the rest of

thing almost everyone understands. The dynamics and per-

say Ray Lewis was his favorite player. ‘Nuff said. He also

Now let’s dive right in and start with draft pick number

from not only the Jaguars, but also Dancing with the Stars.

was drafted five I seriously didn’t know who he was. I had

“lip challenge” and “revealing photos”, it’s natural that these

Iowa had a player who was projected to go really high in the

that both these people will most likely end up in rehab.

something right for once. So naturally, he got paired up with

lieve that Mariota was clearly the best player in this year’s

Kardashian is. Except for the fact she has like a million kids.

port quarterbacks being drafted first, but he was obviously

number four. Amari Cooper. He is a very soft spoken person,

cessful career in the NFL. I paired this angel with Khloe

the class of 2015 and is well-deserving of his success. But

these two people. Khloe is very loud and rambunctious, but

a state and a sports team. Therefore, he is comparable to

literally nothing in common, but I like them both. That is all.

Kourtney Kardashian because no one knows who Kourtney

class. I mean he did win the Heisman. Normally I don’t sup-

Because nobody cares about them, let’s move on to

deserving and is the right type of player to have a suc-

but makes a statement on the field. He is the best receiver in

Kardashian for no other reason than my immense love for

he plays for Alabama, and I kind of hate Alabama. Both as

Mariota is very poised and put together. These two have

Kendall Jenner. She is definitely the shy one, compared to

Draft pick number one goes to the most overrated,

to love this man, I was happy when he won the Heisdidn’t have a good athletic year and he’s being sued for rape. I mean, yes he’s a freak athlete, who will probably

have a couple of great seasons in the NFL like Robert

Griffin III. But, also like Robert Griffin III, this career will

be short lived because he will probably do something

immature and illegal. He is, therefore, Kim Kardashian because Kim acts like a five year old all the time. He did not deserve to be the first draft pick, just like Kim doesn’t deserve all her fame because of a sex tape.

Photo provided by E! Entertainment Television

My reaction when Jameis Winston was drafted first over Marcus Mariota. Big mistake Tampa, huge.

may 2015 p.17

Calling the shots

health

“The Black and White” investigates why some students are or are not vaccinated words | Myles Glandorf

layout | Zoe Wilson & Kate Lichter

Not everyone in the school has been vaccinated,

there are multiple reasons why an individual would

cinated,” she said. “I believe the only reason people

would be treated differently is because they are being

choose to not become vaccinated.

judged for their choice of being vaccinated or not.”

had not gotten immunized for family reasons. “We

vaccinations her whole life. She attributes her beliefs

said.

parents. “My parents know the importance of it and so

can heal itself. “Obviously if I was to get really sick

with any political or social view your parents just talk

get sick really ever so I’ve never really had to.” There

ing the same view I guess.”

nated. “Some people don’t get vaccinated because of

someone from getting vaccinated. “There’s no valid

medical beliefs,” the student said.

health effects afterwards, I don’t really get (it) because

One student who wished to remain anonymous

just believe in a more all-natural way,” the student The all-natural belief is believing that the body

I would get medicine,” the student said. “But I don’t

is no religious basis for the student not to be vacci-

religion (others don’t) get vaccinated just because of Even without the vaccinations, the student has

never had any serious ailments. “I’ve gotten like the common cold, but I’ve never gotten like the flu or chickenpox or any of that,” the student said.

The student does not think that vaccinations are

Junior Lauren McDowell has been a supporter of

towards vaccinations as being influenced by her

I also know the importance of it,” McDowell said. “Like about it and you pick up on it and then you start havMcDowell does not think that anything should stop

reason not to vaccinate mostly because it has no vaccinations are just so important,” she said.

McDowell reasons that vaccinations serve a

greater purpose for the population. “It doesn’t just

affect you,” she said. “Vaccinations affect everyone in

your community, so you have to be vaccinated to save

necessary. “I feel fine,” the student said. “I don’t feel

other people.”

If given the opportunity the student wouldn’t want to

help to protect people against potentially deadly ill-

enjoyable,” the student said.

vaccinated because if one person doesn’t do it than

any different than any other kid, like I feel healthy.”

be vaccinated. “I don’t really think that shots sound

While some may be affected from not having been

vaccinated, the student has never encountered any

She believes that vaccinations are necessary to

nesses. “It affects so many people, it’s your duty to be everyone could get sick,” she said.

With a brother having been in medical school,

Comparing how death rates are affected by vaccines U.S. pre-vaccine death rate

Decrease

21,053

Hepatitis A

66,232 530,217 162,344

say you have to be vaccinated but you don’t really

and so much time put into making these vaccinations

16,316

Nurse Susan Krebs is aware of the three students

and if you don’t use them it’s just pointless,” she said.

McDowell has also gained insight about vaccina-

that have not been vaccinated. “(This is due to)

tions from her brother. “Whenever we talk he just tells

said. “And it includes home-schooled students in our

the time it’s like kids that come in that aren’t vacci-

religious exemption and medical exemptions,” she

us about weird kinds of things that happen and a lot of

district as well as general education students.”

nated have to deal with things way differently because

a certain vaccination. Two students do not have the

of thing and that’s dangerous in a hospital because it

Some other students at the school are only lacking

they could have some different illnesses or that kind

Heatitis vaccine, however they have the rest of the re-

could spread to so many other people,” she said.

to people who have not been vaccinated, according

improved about getting vaccinated. “People need

quired immunizations. There are not many restrictions

McDowell believes that awareness needs to be

to Krebs.

to know that vaccinations aren’t harmful, they don’t

treated any differently than vaccinated ones. “Most

think a lot of people don’t really understand that,” she

Krebs does not think that unvaccinated people are

people are unaware of who are and are not vac-

cause autism they’re just not harmful to people and I said.

100%

117,333

200,752

have to.”

Diptheria H. Influenza

McDowell has heard about the difficulties of procuring things like vaccinations. “There’s so much research

U.S. Post-vaccine death rate

20,000

conflict from lacking them. “It hasn’t (prevented me

from doing anything),” the student said. “I mean they

%

47,745 29,005

99%

91%

Hepatitis B 83%

0 243 11,049 11,296

Measles

61

Mumps

982

99%

99%

Pertussis 93%

Polio

100%

13,506 0

Rubella

4

99%

Smallpox 100%

0

*Info provided by cdc.org One way to help increase awareness would be to

teach the significance of it in school. “I think it even

needs to start in health class in high school,” McDowell said. “People need to realize how important vac-

cinations are so then when they become parents they know that it’s important to vaccinate their children,

even if a doctor says it’s important people don’t listen

to their doctors so (learning) needs to start earlier and earlier.”

sports

may 2015 p.18

District sports switch up Taking a look at the recently approved athletic restructuring plan As the district was discussing budget cuts in the

past year, a prevalent issue was seventh grade

sports. Districts such as Waukee and Southeast

Polk had eliminated the grade’s sports all together,

so Johnston began considering making changes to the middle school sports. As they were consider-

ing a new plan, athletic director Gary Ross believed keeping student involvement was crucial. “We felt it

was important to have our students involved and so

regardless of what was going to be done we wanted to make sure that we still had students involved,” Ross said.

During the process of researching a new plan,

Ross worked with head coaches, middle school

administrators and assistant athletic director Josh

Tobey. Instead of focusing solely on seventh grade sports, they decided to look at the entire program.

“Maybe this is a good time to take a look at our total

athletic program, and see if there’s some things that

we can do that could help us become an even better program,” Ross said. Therefore Summit, the middle school and the high school are affected by the new structure.

At Summit, the changes to sports are drastic. Vol-

leyball, basketball, cheerleading and track and field

will be three times a week, fee-based and now avail-

able for both sixth and seventh graders to participate.

On Mondays and Tuesdays the teams will practice,

and on Thursdays they will have an intrasquad com-

petition. The cost paid by the students will be used to cover the salary for quality coaches.

Seventh and eighth grade cross country head

coach Jodi Buchan believes changing to a fee-based system could discourage some students from partici-

pating. “Students and families who can’t afford to pay the fee to participate in the programs that will now be offered through Community Ed will miss out on those opportunities,” Buchan said.

Currently, a form is available for parents to fill out

requesting financial assistance for their athlete to

participate in community education activities. Middle

TIME

HOME

QUARTER

layout l Clare Farrell

things like ping pong, tennis, golf, diving, biath-

VISITOR

28 5:34 2l l0 4 3

TO GO

words l Max Culbert

DOWN

school athletic director Josh Tobey said the same

form will be used for parents whose athletes want to

participate in pay-based sports at Summit. “We want as many kids to participate as possible, and if they

want to, we’re going to do our best to make sure they have an opportunity to participate,” he said.

For students who play on competitive club teams,

the less competitive nature of the newly approved

plan will be different. Crista Grant, whose sixth grade son Reid plays club basketball, says she wants

Reid to play for the school team as well because it will build camaraderie. “It’s important to the kids to

play together as Dragons and be part of their school team,” Grant said.

For cross-country, wrestling and swimming, the

format will not change. Seventh and eighth grade students compete on one team together against

different schools. Sixth graders are not eligible to participate in these sports due to IGHSAU and IHSAA rules. For football, students will participate in the

Suburban Youth Tackle Football League against local teams from Valley, Waukee, etc. Neither JCSD or

Johnston Schools will be involved except for providing feedback to the league.

The final aspect of athletic restructuring at Summit

is the addition of intramural like activities on Wednesdays and Fridays. “Just to name some it could be

lon, bowling, ultimate frisbee and three on three tournaments,” Ross said.

The athletic department is still discussing how

students will pay for these activities, possibly with a punch card. “We’re not sure exactly how it will

work, whether they’ll buy a punch ticket and when they go they get it punched and when it’s done they buy additional,” Ross said.

Current seventh grader Megan Woods be-

lieves many of students would attend these activities. “I think that many kids would [go],” Woods

said. “It would be fun to try sports that you don’t hear about very often.”

Changes made to eighth grade sports include

adding a coach to four sports (girls’ and boys’

track, as well as girls’ and boys’ basketball). With the addition of another coach, these four teams can split into purple and gold teams, which will

result in more games for students in these sports.

“They can each have their own full twelve game schedule, instead of some kids maybe playing

eight or even six games they can play twelve,” Tobey said.

At the high school level, coaches are being

added to improve the coach to athlete ratio. Buchan, who is also an assistant girls’ track coach

at the high school, said adding an extra coach will enable athletes to get more individual instruction

from coaches. “Anytime you [decrease the athlete to coach ratio], you allow for more athletes to

get the attention and coaching specific to their needs,” Buchan said.

Plans to educate the community about the

new structure of athletics include; an upcoming

forum for sixth and seventh grade students to go through the changes, information on the district website and a voice over done by Ross posted

on the Johnston Schools YouTube channel. “We want to make sure if anything we’ve over com-

municated [versus] under communicated,” Ross said.

sports

may 2015 p.19

Showing off their ride

words & layout | Sarah Caporelli

Students compete in horse shows around the Midwest Dressage

cannot verbally communicate. “Competitions are excit-

There is a running joke about junior Mickayla Fred-

ing and when you win them there’s always a lot of ex-

person he would be that bachelor with the penthouse

that bond that you develop with the horse,” Frederick

erick’s horse Wrainier. “We always say that if he was a

citement but for me it’s really just the riding itself, it’s just

suite in New York,” Frederick said. “He has a great per-

said.

sonality.”

Even though Frederick rides everyday, her trainer

Riding horses is something that has been done in

has stressed the importance of staying active to stay

There are many different ways to show horses:

horses you have to do something else whether you

horse show can last two days to a week and draw rid-

school,” Frederick said. Frederick has found a passion

different ways for as long as horses have been around.

in shape. “It’s really stressed that you cannot just ride

dressage, saddle seat, barrel racing, jumping etc. A

participate in a school sport or even just running after

ers from many states. Frederick competes in dressage.

for yoga.

Dressage (dresäZH) is complicated. “A lot of people

describe (dressage) when they see it as ballet on horses,” Frederick said. A dressage routine can last about 15 minutes while judges critique both horse and rider.

The dressage riders receive the patterns they per-

form in advance and have time to practice before competitions. “It’s purely based off movement,” Frederick

said. “There’s set patterns that we have to do and it requires different movements and different gaits.”

Training for competition takes time and Frederick

Junior Mickayla Frederick and her horse Wrainier train for their competitions. Frederick has been showSpending so much time with her horses lets Freding for eight years. Frederick rides everyday througherick develop long-lasting friendships. “I just love it so out the year to prepare for her show season that much, it’s kind of hard to describe if you’ve never rid- starts in May and ends in October. den a horse but you just develop such a bond and a partnership,” Frederick said. “They become your family

and a really close friend even though they’re a horse but there’s something really special about it.”

Saddle Seat

American Saddlebreds are known for being intel-

practices everyday. “I ride seven days-a-week, and

ligent and able to compete in many different types of

minutes to two hours-a-day,” she said. Frederick and

based off the different gaits of a horse: walk, trot and

Frederick’s trainer Jamie Kment lives and works in

Senior Kristen Stucker has been riding horse since

depending on how many horses I work, for about 30

shows, but specialize in saddle seat. Saddle seat is

her family own three horses.

canter and their speed.

Nebraska so they only work together twice-a-month. “I

she was three-years-old and her family has owned

training sessions, and to fully commit her best to every

horses,” Stucker said. “I want to be an equine veterinar-

expect for Mickayla to have worked hard between our

horse for as long as she can remember. “We have three

training session,” Kment said.

ian and try to have a breeding farm, but I’ll continue to

Kment trains Frederick to prepare for her competi-

tions and coaches her during them. “If there is some-

show and own horses for the rest of my life.”

thing that is not good enough that day we’ll work on horse be the best they can be that day.” The riders

ing to do so it’s your job to be one step ahead of them

in events she goes to.

its ability,” she said.

that riders advance through as they get more expe-

es that are really challenging,” she said. “I think a lot of

george, intermediate 1, intermediate 2 and grand prix.

different level than just trail rides on vacations.”

rently competing in the third and fourth levels.

has been riding since she was seven-years-old. Corell

“The horse has to show a certain level of technique and

joys being with her horse. “Horses are an animal that

the horse what to do and did they prepare the horse’,”

they understand you, but sometimes when I want to get

Many of the movements are repeated during the rou-

Riding is a physical sport and requires strength to

it,” Kment said. “Then I coach her to have her and her

weighs 1,200 pounds you don’t know what they’re go-

Kment trains arrange their schedules so they compete

to keep yourself safe and ride the horse to the best of

rienced: intro, first, second, third, fourth, pre saint

Grand prix is the Olympic riding level. Frederick is cur-

Complicated horses interest Stucker. “I like the hors-

people would really like it if they got exposed to it in a

Saddle seat competitions are all about gaits. Walk,

trot and canter are the three gaits in ascending order and the rider has to make sure that the horse performs

each gait at the proper tempo and switches at proper times.

To prepare for the competitions both horse and rider

have to get dressed and in the ring at the right time. “I

listen to music and I try not to have people talk to me and distract me,” Corell said. “I think about what I want to do and my goals for that show.”

Walk

Trot

Senior Riley Corell also competes in saddle seat and

One-to-three judges are in the ring during shows.

rides three times-a week for one-hour lessons and en-

some of it is based off the rider, like ‘did the rider tell

you can kind of connect with, I don’t want to say that

Frederick said. The scores are on a one-to-ten scale.

away from people I go ride and I feel better,” Corell said.

tine so if there are any mistakes there are chances to

control the horse. “It’s nice if you’re somewhat strong to

Riding horses is a team sport with a teammate that

your body,” Corell said. Being involved in other activities

make a better score.

help to keep endurance up.

Stucker focuses on making sure each ride goes

smoothly. “When you’re working with an animal that

There are several different classes in competition

Provided/Frederick

be able to control your horse, you move your horse with

Canter

Walk is a four-beat gait that averages about 4 miles-per-hour. The legs of the horse follow this sequence: left hind leg, left front leg, right hind leg, right front leg.

The trot is a two-beat gait that has a wide range of speeds with an average of eight miles-per-hour.

This is a stable gait with the horse moving its legs in unison.

The canter is a controlled, three-beat gait averaging about 16-27 miles-perhour. In the canter, one of the horse’s rear legs propels the horse forward.

backpage

may 2015 p.20

Senior year in 5(0) words With the recent Twitter trend of #SeniorYearIn5Words, “The Black & White” chose five random seniors and asked them to share their senior year in 50 words or less through memories and advice words & layout | Allex Mahanna

layout | Zoe Wilson

Ryan Kramme | Gap year to work then DMACC & majoring in sales management Q: Defining Moment of your high school career?

A: “Getting the school on KCCI for the lanyards. That was my moment.”

Smeet Mistry | Attending ISU & majoring in mechanical engineering

Shane Burgess | Attending Middle Tennessee State University & majoring in music industry Q: What do you want to do with your life?

A: “I hope that I can make my own music and that it has some kind of an impact on people, or at least really influence someone.”

Q: What is your favorite thing about JHS? Kameron DeMoss | Attending ISU & majoring in music education

A: “How involved everyone is with everything.

Whenever there’s an event, there are always people there involved with it.”

Q: What should all students remember?

Macall Campbell | Attending University of Kentucky & majoring in the STEM field Q: What’s the best piece of advice for underclassmen?

A: “For those still in high school I advise that they should not get caught up in the high school drama. It’s not worth the energy to fit in, or be a perfect student. In the grand scheme of things, these four years are very insignificant.

High school is a great opportunity to learn more about yourself and be a better person.”

A: “Remember to enjoy the small moments and not get so nervous about the little things like tests and stuff.”