October '06

One Copy Free

The Black & White

Johnston High School Student Paper

October ‘06

Vol 16 No. 1

New classes slated for industrial tech

BY MICHAEL SLUSARK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The industrial technology department will add classes next year that give students an in-depth schooling in engineering and engineering technology.

The classes are part of a program called Project Lead the Way (PLTW).

According to its website, PLTW is a “notfor-profit organization that promotes pre-engineering courses.”

According to industrial tech teacher Josh Heyer, the classes will incorporate math, science and industrial tech.

Four new year-long classes will be added, all of them being a single period

in length. A project will be created at the end of each class. Students who complete the classes will receive high school credit and if they have an exceptional project, it will be submitted to a university for a grade. If a student receives a high enough grade on the project, he or she could receive college credit to the university.

Heyer is looking forward to the classes, but expects them to fill up quickly.

“I’m excited but I’m also nervous because I think there might be more students (in the classes) than what the administration thinks,” Heyer said. “That’s not a bad problem to have though.”

The first year-long class will be Introduction to Engineering Design,

followed in order by Principles of Engineering, Digital Electronics and then, most likely, Computer Integrated Manufacturing.

According to the PLTW website, students in the PLTW program will receive training in current technology using the latest computer software in use in industry.

The PTLW curriculum was first introduced in the 1997-98 school year to twelve New York state high schools.

Currently, 1,300 schools in 45 states and the District of Columbia are utilizing the program.

Heyer learned about the PLTW at yearly industrial tech conferences that he

attends. Principal Bruce Hukee also was interested in installing the program after hearing about it at a conference.

Heyer will take 80 hours at Iowa State University this summer in preparation for the new courses.

New digital electronic and computer manufacturing equipment will be purchased for the classes as well as upgraded computers for the industrial tech lab.

At the current time, there are no prerequisites for the classes, although Algebra I is being considered. Heyer recommends that students looking to take the class have a “solid idea” in math and science and an interest in engineering.

JOHNSTON BAND TAKES FIELD Freshman Bailey Petersma puts on her game face at the Valley Fest band competition on Oct. 7 at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines.

The band finished 3rd in the morning competition and 9th in the night competition.

Mike Slusark/BW

Students use various methods to prepare for ACT In this issue...

BY BRITTANY DEAL STAFF WRITER

Students are preparing for the American College Testing (ACT).

“The majority of colleges want students to take either the ACT or the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test),” guidance counselor Sue Baker said. “They need a standardized exam, a nationwide exam, to compare students.”

Most colleges and universities accept either test, but the majority of students in the Midwest take the ACT. Senior Megan Browning is taking it for the fourth time Oct. 28.

“The first time I took it was while I was in this guinea pig group in Michigan,” Browning said. “They took all the gifted kids and forced us to take standardized tests to see how the Michigan educational system was catering to the needs of nerds.”

The first time Browning took the test was in eighth grade, and it did not count.

“The second time actually counted, and the third time, I tried to do better and I ended up getting the same exact score,” Browning said.

In preparation for the ACT, there are review sessions led by math teachers that take place after school two times before the testing dates.

ACT offers its own study guide that can be purchased for $25.

It is one of many strategies that students use to review for the national test.

Larissa French/BW

“We use the practice packet ACT prints, available in the guidance office,” math teacher Vickie Borich said.

According to Borich, the math teachers have had good feedback about the sessions, and they believe the sessions especially help students without math classes.

“What will best prepare (students) is to challenge themselves academically and take a practice test,” Sue Baker said.

see ACT page 2

Young Americans teach positive character and individuality

Page 2

Staff writer Tina Li reviews The Science of Sleep Page 7

Boys’ golf team repeats success in state tournament

Page 15

News.............1-3 Editorial............4 Opinion.........5-6 Review..............7 Doubletruck....8-9

Entertainment....10 Feature........11-12 Dungeon..........13 Sports..........14-15 Backpage.........16

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NEWS: what’s important October ‘06

Students study for ACT continued from page 1

Baker feels that it is “not necessarily the information that throws students off. It tends to be that fact that (the test) is timed.”

For those who have difficulties taking standardized tests, Baker suggests “to practice taking tests under timed conditions and to practice some relaxation methods like a little meditation or deep breathing.”

Browning has also noticed the pressure that students undergo.

“Everyone I see is all stressed out. They’re taking the ACT, and it’s going to concern the rest of their lives,” Browning said. “They just need to calm down.”

Browning said that students will do fine as long as they remember to fill in their test bubbles “in the appropriate manner.”

Sophomore Ethan Nutter, who took the ACT for the first time in the spring of 2006, used a program his mother bought for him to study.

“The only thing I used it for was the vocabulary,” Nutter said. “The reason I used it for vocabulary is because I found the vocabulary interesting. I really did it for myself.”

Nutter believes student should apply processes learned in school to take the ACT. “Use the test-taking strategies you have learned to use,” Nutter said. “For instance, use process of elimination, because the right answer has to be there somewhere.”

NewsBriefs Class collects flowers

Larissa French/BW

Library case displays Brown’s student projects One of the library’s display case proudly shows off science teacher Pam Brown’s Advanced Placement Biology students’ projects.

Students collected wildflowers as a project for the class.

Senior Megan Browning took AP Biology last year.

“I really wish we did something along those lines last year,” Browning said. “We didn’t really have time to go gallivanting for flowers.”

Library sells flashdrives The library now offers three different sizes of flashdrives for sale to students and staff. They have a “Flaming J” on the cover and are compatible with both Macs and PCs. A 128 megabyte (mb) drive sells for $15, 512 mb drive for $20 and a one gig for $30.

Corrections and Clarifications The Black and White would like to correct two errors made in the September issue. In the story “Stegman’s murder impacts school,” Kasi Dickerson’s grade was incorrectly identified; she is a junior. In the story “Headsets help with safety, emergencies,” campus monitor Jan Bjurstrom was incorrectly named.

The Black and White strives to be both accurate and fair. Readers who believe the paper has printed an error should call 515278-0449.

compiled by staff writer Lauren Proffitt

Young Americans build character in music performers For the third time in nine years, Young Americans returns to Johnston to help student performers gain confidence and help improve expressing their individuality

BY VERONICA ROSHEK IDEAS EDITOR The Young Americans made its third appearance in nine years during the National Music Outreach tour. Students in grades 4-12 had the opportunity to participate in the workshops, classes and final show, all taking place during Oct. 12-14. “(The program is about) showing every individual that they are amazing, it’s not about being a star,” Young American Nick Titus said. “It is about being an individual and discovering what you’re good at, knowing that you are doing your personal best.”

These inspiring individuals crammed in many various types of workshops to work on vocals, dancing and overall performance while preparing the students to perform five songs on Saturday night.

According to music teacher Jody White, the Young Americans wanted students to gain confidence. It was hoped that through the experience, they would become better at performing.

“It’s similar to being in show choir except you have so much less time to prepare, so it’s not as important to have your arm here and your other arm here,” junior Julia Steggerda said. “It’s similar, but so different.”

“It’s more relaxed and isn’t about getting all the moves right,” junior Michelle Wallace said. “When performing you show your individuality, and in the end, it’s about the overall big picture.”

Members of the high school show choirs did not have a choice as to whether or not they could participate in Young Americans. “At first, I didn’t want to go, but once we got into it, I had so much fun,” sophomore Nickie Meyer said.

Middle school show choir members were also encouraged to participate.

There were 44 Young Americans that traveled with the tour. They not only worked with students, but lived with them as well.

“One of the best parts of being a Young American is getting to know so many different families and living in their different cultures,” Young American Ami Russ said.

All the Young Americans were randomly placed in different houses in groups of

John Kennedy/BW John Kennedy/BW

Young American Nick Titus demonstrates the choreography to “Getcha Head In The Game” from High School Musical for a group of high school boys during one of the many workshops on Oct. 13. “It was fun to work with your school because of your students’ ability to just go with it,” Titus said. “It was surprising how open everyone was to trying new things. Students at other schools struggle to open up as much as your students do.” two to four.

“When we picked up the two girls that were staying with us Wednesday night, Rachel Spurgin and her two girls all came over to my house, and we all hung out to break the ice the first night,” Steggerda said.

Every night after the workshops were over, the Young Americans and students had dinner together in the high school cafeteria.

2004 graduate Jason Holland auditioned for the

Young Americans his senior year, and became a member the next year.

For the first year, all new members are stationed in California, and then, they can audition for a tour if they choose. Holland stayed in California for the two years that he was a member.

Holland is currently attending the University of Iowa, and is majoring in film editing and producing.

Holland made a special appearance the night of the

show, and performed with the Young Americans one more time. He played a major role in influencing the Young Americans to come back to Johnston for the third time during their National Music Outreach Tour. “(I think Young Americans is important because) it teaches students that everyone has different qualities, but it doesn’t matter what you bring to the table, it’s what you end up leaving behind,” Holland said.

B &W 3 Accounting II enrollment doubles NEWS: what’s important October ‘06

BY KARI DOCKUM MANAGING EDITOR

A rise in enrollment in Accounting II has led to discussion about the creation of an additional accounting course.

According to business education teacher Rod Wiebers, the 32 students taking the class this year nearly doubles the number from last year.

“Most of the time the class has been around 18 (students),” Wiebers said.

The upsurge in Accounting II enrollment is in direct correlation with the numbers of Accounting I. About 92 students signed up for the course this year, according to Wiebers. “We continue to increase the Accounting I numbers, so more have also started to take Accounting II,” Wiebers said.

The business department has recently employed strategies to better market the practical business classes, helping to raise enrollment in such classes as Accounting II. “Part of it is that more kids know about the class,” Wiebers said. “We’re trying to show its importance to the real world. Kids have started to see it as helpful for the future.”

Wiebers has detected in many Accounting II students an interest to continue the study past what the school provides. “I’ve had a lot of kids saying they would love to take another year of Accounting,” he said.

Junior Ryan McCauley is currently taking Accounting II. He said he would take advantage of the opportunity if another year of accounting was offered.

“I’m interested in (accounting) as a career, so I would (take Accounting III),” McCauley said.

Wiebers developed the idea of introducing Accounting III after receiving positive feedback from students. However, discussions are only in the preliminary stages. “Right now, it’s just an idea I’ve been throwing around,” Wiebers said.

According to Wiebers, several aspects need to be considered before moving ahead with initial plans.

“There are a lot of factors we have to look at, like staffing, since we’d have to hire a new teacher,” Wiebers said. “We also have to see if it would serve the needs of the students.”

The instigation of Accounting III as a course would require a positive growth rate in the number of

Larissa French/BW

Junior Kevin Willis receives help on his Accounting II homework from business teacher Rod Wiebers.

The number of students in Accounting II jumped from 18 to 32 this year, requiring two sections of the class. If the number of students continues to rise, Accounting III may be instituted as a class.

Accounting II students each year, according to Wiebers.

“If the Accounting II numbers go up, then we could get the new class,” he said. “Kids can use it as an opportunity for more education if they know it’s a profession they want to pursue.”

The Accounting III course would focus mainly on managerial accounting, with a first-hand look at taxes in the spring. According to Wiebers, the class would give students an opportunity to work outside of class in reallife scenarios, like record keeping in accounting firms.

Although the number of Accounting I and II students is on the rise, Wiebers stressed the importance of taking any business class.

“You hear of kids who say they are planning on going into business, but leave the school without ever taking a business class,” Wiebers said. “I just encourage kids to take advantage of the programs we have.”

Accounting II students work without computers: A scheduling mix-up left Accounting II students without inclass access to the computer lab. According to Wiebers, a lot of second semester work is done on the computers, giving students a real-life application to accounting.

However, Wiebers believes this does not pose much of a problem. “We’ll make it work,” Wiebers said. “They’ll still get (computer) time. We learn more through the book anyway.”

Student population increase requires renovations

BY BRITTANY DEAL STAFF WRITER There has been a rise in the number of students since the freshmen left the building two years ago.

“Our population continues to grow with students,” associate principal Jerry Stratton said. “What is happening is we are graduating a class of students, the incoming sophomores are typically anywhere from 50 to 100 students larger.”

Before the freshmen left the high school, the student total was up to 1,267 students. The number dropped to 1,018 the following year, and has risen to 1,184 this year.

In order to help class sizes and the crowding of the high school, there will be additions and renovations. The final

drawings will begin next semester.

“We’re going to put 16 additional classrooms on the east end of the school that will become math and science classrooms,” superintendent Clay Guthmiller said. “We’re adding an 8,000 square foot fitness, PE, strengthening/conditioning addition, which will go on the north side.

That will also include some new offices and storage space.”

Other renovations taking place will include changes to the following: the locker facilities in the middle of the building, music facilities, family and consumer science classrooms, and science and math classrooms to the south.

Regardless of the number of students, the administrators make an effort to keep class sizes down each year.

“We have had a number of students this year that have actually added class-

es,” Stratton said. “What becomes difficult is when you create a staffing plan based on what kids are requesting. And then if they later on want to add classes, we’ll continue to fill the classes.”

The counselors will fill to a maximum of 30 students in most classes.

Senior Kathryn Huen has noticed that some of her classes have a large number of students in them. “It is a little less crowded from when I was a freshman and a sophomore,” Huen said The lunch line has also changed, and students now pour into the hallway outside the cafeteria.

“Now they’ve got it where they have a line to get your trays,” math teacher Rich Gradoville said.

The time line for the renovations is currently being established with an estimated time if about two and a half years.

Brittany Deal/BW

Students line up at lunch to get their trays. Due to increased student population, the lunch line is growing.

Altman’s English students write letters to inspirational authors

BY NELS ENGBLOM STAFF WRITER Once a year, the Library of Congress holds a contest for the best letter written. Students mock a letter to the author of a book they have read that has impacted them.

English teacher Jane Altman is using the competition as a project for her English classes. She got the idea while teaching it to Extended Learning Program (E.L.P.) students at the Johnston elementary schools. The idea of bringing the contest to the high school came from a parent that thought their high school student would enjoy the contest.

The students had the choice of several different projects, with Letters About Literature being one of the options.

“I think it is really interesting that we get (the opportunity) to write to the authors that inspire us,” junior Renee Pike said.

Pike is one of about 20 students that chose to do Letters About Literature. Contestants who enter are in the grade 9-12 division.

According to Altman, some students had trouble deciding what author to write a letter to. “It was hard for some kids to find a book to relate to,” Altman said.

The point of the competition is to expose an idea.

The Library of Congress believes that students who write about what they read are better critical thinkers. By holding the contest, they hope that students will more frequently write about what they have read. Winners will receive a $500 Target gift card.

Winners are divided by age and state. There are three winners for each state, one for every age division, and a national winner from each age division.

The contest is open to any 4-12 grader that wants to enter. Altman will be sending in her student’s letters at the end of the quarter. Anyone interested in entering independently can do so by Dec. 8.

John Kennedy/BW

Junior Eric Lekwa flips through the pages of his book in Jane Altman’s English class. Altman’s students are writing letters to authors as part of a national competition.

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OPINION: what they think October ‘06

Remember, remember, the seventh of November The Black and White Editorial Midterm elections are coming, but no one really needs or wants another reminder. For several weeks now, funny commercials people know and love have been sidelined for political ads. One after another, these commercials run, reminding everyone that their representatives are rich enough to blow tens of millions of dollars, yet so unoriginal that they are incapable of finding the good in themselves, only the bad in others.

Scandals are up, voting participation is down and the issues are sideways, if not removed, from politicians’ minds. While the candidates should be worried about the methamphet-

amine problem in Iowa or whether or not we should build a large fence on the southern border of the country, they are interested instead in their adversaries’ military record or their opposition’s personal wealth.

Why can’t Americans’ political leaders stick to the issues and what really affects the people they represent, because they are becoming more and more interested in their own careers and less and less interested in the welfare of the people. When leaders focus only on persuasion and replace intelligence with a nice smile, the people who we elect to political office needs to change.

In a day and age when more people watch the Super Bowl than vote and People Magazine has half a million more readers than Newsweek, it’s obvious that Americans have lost sight of what is truly affecting their lives, the government

Staff Editor-in-Chief Mike Slusark Managing Editor Kari Dockum News Editor Larissa French Opinion Editor Sam Leahy Feature Editor Susan Clausen Sports Editor Torey Robinson Doubletruck Editor Amanda Lower Review Editor Bryan Lippincott Backpage Editor Cicely Gordon Photo Editor Dan Haight Distribution Editor John Kennedy Ideas Editor Veronica Roshek Staff Writers: Christopher Ajluni, Caroline

Byrd, Emily Conn, Brittany Deal, Nels Engblom, Alexander Guns, Kyle Hanson, Drew Houp, Kelsey Hyde, Stephanie Ivankovich, Hana Kajitazovic, Allison Kane, Tina Li, Amy Lovejoy, Chelsea Nelson, Shawna Polen, Lauren Profitt, Dawn Wilkens, Jenna Willson 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.

and laws they have “chosen” and must abide by.

However, don’t take the easy way out and say that Americans are just lazy and stupid. Give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they’ve listened to the candidates squabble back and forth about who did what twenty years earlier, and they’re sick and tired of it. It’s time for a change in the American political election system, or soon people will completely forget that living in this beautiful, free country is a privilege.

Instead of allowing candidates as much campaign funding as they can raise, why not make the playing field a fair one? Give each candidate a limit as to how much money they can use on advertising and signs, or even go one step further and provide each candidate with money from the government. With limits on how much a person seeking office can spend, per-

haps they’ll think about the best way to get their message- not their opponent’s faults- across to the public.

Campaign financing has been an extremely controversial issue since 1971.

The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and its amendments in ’74, ‘76 and ’79, plus the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, have ruled out unfair contributions by corporations, individuals and indirect donations through candidates’ political parties.

On the other hand, 527 groups are still allowed to support or oppose political candidates, as long as they don’t coordinate with the candidate’s respective party.

The most memorable 527 group to date took its toll during the 2004 presidential election, and called themselves “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.” The group said that John Kerry lied about his war record.

Houses lined with campaign signs on 56 St. in Des Moines are an example of excess funding for political candidates.

Limits need to be placed on election campaigns today more than ever, and although the idea was ruled unconstitutional

by the courts in the 70s, they have changed greatly since then and their opinion of the constitution is most definitely different.

Letters to the Editor JHS Yearbook Staff,

I believe that when a fairly large group of people have almost an entire year to complete a publication, it should at least be close to par. The 2005-2006 yearbook is nowhere near it.

I have never been so dissatisfied or disappointed in a publication in my life. Not only is it visually unappealing and so much different from the yearbooks of the past, but it is also grossly inaccurate and misleading. I realize that every publication of any kind is going to have errors. That is a fact of life. This publication, however, is inexcusable in the amount of errors it contains. I have seen quotes that many people claim to have never said, passages in stories that are incredibly misleading and give the wrong and inaccurate portrayal of the facts, and a large number of accounts of mistaken identity in pictures. The index is practically useless to find pictures of a person if that person in the picture is not the person listed in the caption, or even more disturbing, the names are misspelled.

I think that the staff of this yearbook is clearly incompetent and/or poorly managed. Either none of the people know

what they are doing or they don’t care. Or, as stated by another dissatisfied student: The staff doesn’t care about making the yearbook accurate, just as long as they get the aesthetic national awards. Either way I am ashamed that this yearbook came from the award-winning Johnston Yearbook Staff.

It would be much appreciated if the staff for the 20062007 yearbook did not make such grievous errors. This way I would feel like I hadn’t wasted $40 of my parents’ money.

I truly feel bad for those who had this as their final high school yearbook.

Thank you for your time, Josh Merrit

Got something to say? If there’s something you feel strong about or an article that’s caused a strong reaction, write us a letter. Send letters to Michael J Slusark, Editor-in-Chief, at michaeljohn48@aol.com.

Miniature Opinions Rock Around the Clock

little things we care about

by Bryan Lippincott

Boswell v. Lamberti

Newly revamped Rock around the Clock was a big success. It was moved to the baseball field so as not to deface the brand new turf on the football field. The baseball field also made it easier to find events. Students enjoyed the night and the events were well organized. The field was in great condition, which provided for great competition all night, finally ending in a victory for team Smith. Connor Elmitt, whose team did not get into the competition, also provided colorful commentary that kept nearly everyone on their feet for the entire night.

As for the behind the scenes work, credit really has to go student council advisor Chris Beguhn and the rest of student council. The event was a great success and wouldn’t have been possible without their hard work and dedication not only to rock around the clock, but during the whole homecoming week. They were even able to come up with colorful names for not so colorful shirts. A lot of people had complained about the fact that teams weren’t able to make their own shirts this year. However, after Rock around the Clock the general consensus was that the shirts were an excellent idea, and they also made it easier and less expensive for participants.

Recently Leonard Boswell and Jeff Lamberti recently had a televised debate, which basically means that they argued with each other for the better part of an hour. Rather than spending the majority of the time talking about what they could bring to the table, the debaters argued over trivial votes and the past mistakes of their opponent. This leaves many viewers wondering what the purpose of this little endeavor is, and for their information there isn’t one.

There was a part of the debate that about the candidates responding to their opponents adds, or as it should be called “not so carefully disguised personal attacks.” This was the absolute best, especially the part when they aired the commercial saying that it was no wonder Lamberit had put a bag over his head after voting himself a gagillion pay raises. He denied just about everything, and then pointed out different votes that he had made, or the fact that the pay raises that he voted for actually didn’t pertain to him. Then, Boswell was able to respond to one of Lamberti’s commercials about him being confused. It was the same scenario over and over, and it really served no purpose, in fact it probably swayed people not to vote at all.

Bottom Line: Nice job student council!

Bottom Line: Stop arguing and focus on yourself

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OPINION: what they think October ‘06

Looks are deceiving

Leahy’s Leaven

BY CICELY GORDON BACKPAGE EDITOR Over-breeding, in breeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of socialization with humans, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals. These are just a few of the documented problems of puppy mills.

Sadly, many dogs are forced to live in these conditions where their lives consist of one thing: producing more puppies. Bred as much as possible, many of these “brood bitches” are killed once their reproductive capacity runs out.

Living in a cage to reproduce is no way for any animal to live. “Animals need so much love and attention. If they don’t have interaction with people they won’t develop social skills,” Christy Hensel, public relations and events coordinator of the Des Moines location Animal Rescue League, said.

Despite repeated violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), many of these breeding operations currently exist in the United States, providing these individuals with quick cash. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for enforcing the AWA; however with 69 inspectors nationwide, it’s hard to cover puppy mills on top of zoos, circuses, laboratories, and animals transported via commercial airlines. This is where the public needs to take a stand.

Puppy mills are the inventory of many online ads, newspaper ads and pet stores. These animals might look adorable and well taken care of at the pet shops, yet their breeders make a living off of hiding their true living conditions. Disease, bad behavior due to little human contact and deformities are some common problems associated with these puppies.

According to statistics from the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), approximately 3,500 to 3,700 of the 11,500 to 12,000 pet stores in the United States sell milled puppies.

Those pet stores sell about 300,000 to 400,000 milled puppies each year. That is enough to keep the culprits in business. There is no reason to put money into something so cruel, especially when there is an alternative.

Just in the month of August, 1,147 animals were taken into the Des Moines area Animal Rescue League of Iowa. 227 of these intakes were adopted in the same month. The Animal Rescue League is not only the state’s largest shelter, but also the only Des Moines area shelter that never turns away an animal in need.

The ARL is also very responsible about selling animals. They have a strict adoption process and adoption requirements. When

What a shocker... another school shooting Sam Leahy

Opinion Editor

Cicely Gordon/BW

Three 12-week-old Labrador retriever mix puppies living at the Des Moines area Animal Rescue League playfully greet guests on Oct. 12, 2006. All of the puppies got adopted that same week. animals come in, they all go through temperament tests and are spayed or neutered. If an animal is purchased there, it comes with a free vet exam. Many pets advertised in the Des Moines Register, ranging from $125 to $12,000, are the products of puppy mills. At the ARL, dogs are sold for $105. “Seeing animals get adopted is just an awesome feeling,” Hensel said.

Next time the opportunity to adopt a pet comes up, think about making a difference to stop animal cruelty. Pet store puppies and puppies in newspaper ads, as well as online ads, may appear to be well kept, but the reality is you don’t know where they came from.

No calculus required

BY LARISSA FRENCH NEWS EDITOR

Number of students

Simply put, business classes and industrial technology classes are applicable in the “real world.” No matter what students think about Law for Business and Personal Use or Auto Technology, the skills taught in those classes can be used in everyone’s life, whether or not individuals choose to major in those fields.

From the business standpoint, every person will, at some point, have some encounter with business, whether he or she is on the consumer end or the management end. Therefore, students need to understand how business works, how the economy works and how to use that information to make intelligent decisions.

On the industrial technology side, the skills taught in those classes can be used as both a trade and as necessary homeowner skills. My brother, 2006 graduate Laz French, for example, took Welding his junior year. As a result, he learned that welding was a field he wanted to get into, and he is now taking welding classes at Des Moines Area Community College.

In less than a year, he will be a certified welder. Even if he had chosen to not continue with welding, he could use the skills taught in that class to maintain his automobile or future home.

Since America revolves around money, it is important to point out the financial advantages these classes offer. Classes such as Accounting I and II and Introduction to Business teach students such important information like how to balance a checkbook, reconcile a bank state-

Business:

These classes have experienced the most growth, percentage-wise, from last year to this year.

1. Web Design 2. Accounting II 3. Co-op Work Emily Roeser/Dragon

This year Last year 67 32 26

Industrial Technology:

31 18 17

Junior Jerrod Luetje and senior Matt Burch hammer wood together.

1. Welding 2. Advanced Metals 3. Woodworking II

ment or file a tax return, which can help students keep track of their money. In addition, Introduction to Business also teaches students to make intelligent consumer decisions, which teaches students how to spend their money wisely. Industrial technology classes allow students to understand how their car works or how their house is built, which will allow them to understand when something malfunctions what the problem might be and how to go about solving it, which will help save students money.

Sadly, just over half of the student body is enrolled in business classes this year, and a meager 30.9% of students are in industrial technology classes. In order for students to get the best out of high school so they can succeed in life, they need some of these real world skills. As important as math is, it is highly doubtful that many students will be asked to calculate the amplitude, period and frequency of a sinusoid on a regular basis.

The same thing is true with science; how often can students expect to be asked to identify the different parts of deoxyribo-

nucleic acid?

Instead of so heavily emphasizing those classes, the school needs to encourage students to take more applicable classes. The state is instead showing the relative worth of business and technology classes by requiring only a measly half a credit while demanding three credits each in science and math for the class of 2011.

After all, Calculus and Biotechnology is only really necessary if students choose to go into very specific fields.

The requirements should not necessarily be changed again, but instead the school needs to encourage enrollment in business and technology. These classes are sorely overlooked and under supported. For example, Applied Economy is only offered one period this semester, which subtly encourages students to drop that class if they need to take a required class that is offered at the same time. In short, since the school does not appear to support these programs as much, students need to think for themselves about what classes will benefit them most after high school and enroll accordingly.

55 28 57

15 8 19

While browsing the Internet for column ideas, I stumbled upon infoplease. org. This website lists recent school shootings, among other things. Of course, I remember Columbine and several other notable shootings, but when I read that there have been 45 school shootings in the past 10 years, I almost fell out of my chair. School shootings seem to happen so often that they don’t even shock us anymore, but they should. Such incidents seem so common place, yet so remote at the same time. While the majority believe a school shooting could never occur in their community, the regularity of school shootings prove they can happen anywhere, anytime.

In the past month alone, there have been four school shootings. The thing that most people in any community can’t fathom is how something so horrible could happen in their own schoolyard.

Time and again, we lull ourselves into believing that our community is a safe and friendly place to live.

Take for instance the most recent school shooting in Nickel Mines, PA on Oct. 3, where 32-year-old Carl Charles Roberts IV entered the one-room West Nickel Mines Amish Schoolhouse and shot 10 schoolgirls, ranging in age from 6 to 13, and then shot himself. Five of the girls, as well as Roberts, died. Only days before, in Bailey, Colo., an adult male held six students hostage at Platte Canyon High School, and then shot and killed Emily Keyes, 16, before turning the gun on himself. Then there’s the 15-yearold student who shot and killed Weston School Principal John Klang on Sept. 29 in Cazenovia, Wis. As the list goes on, one can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever stop adding to the violence in the world. Is it possible to be proactive instead of reactive?

One of the biggest challenges faced by high school students is standing up for what they believe in and for what is right.

The perception of a person who does is, at best, branded a “narc” or rat. Thankfully, such was not the case in an attempted school shooting in Riverton, Kan. on April 21. Five boys who were planning to carry out a school shooting on the anniversary of Columbine were found out and thwarted thanks to myspace.com.

According to Foxnews.com, a message from an anonymous sender that entailed a warning about a school shooting was sent to officials, and later accredited with averting disaster. Perhaps more students would come forward with such life-saving information if school officials could guarantee their safety and anonymity. But first, our nation’s communities of teachers, administrators and parents must work together to not only provide such an avenue to students, but also to inform them of it.

It’s easy to continue to tell kids that they need to divulge any and all “chatter” that they hear or read about potential school attacks. But if a “safe haven” for doing so isn’t in place, most students will choose to look the other way. At the same time, students need to accept their crucial role and responsibility in preventing school shootings and realize that, more often than not, the right thing to do is also the most difficult.

Questions or comments email me at : sam.leahy@gmail.com

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B &W

OPINION: what they think October ‘06

Fitness test tips scale in wrong direction

BY TOREY ROBINSON SPORTS EDITOR

Body fat testing in physical education ruins self images

As the student body adjusted to the radical yet muchneeded modifications in the physical education curriculum, another new change was introduced. Say goodbye to the dreaded Presidential Fitness Tests and welcome the new health evaluation that includes a test possibly more frightening than the mile run - body fat testing.

Administering a test that forces elementary students, pre-teens and teenagers to evaluate the amount of flub in their body in an already judgmental environment where looks are a primary concern is unethical and simply cruel.

The Presidential Fitness tests were replaced by FITNESSGRAM, a program developed in 1999 by The Cooper Institute in an effort to provide physical educators with a new assessment that measured students’ muscular and cardio strength, endurance, flexibility and body composition. Johnston adopted the program for grades 3-12 in consideration of the growing adolescent obesity statistics. “After the tests are conducted, we will be able to give each student a printout that gives them a general health zone,” P.E. instructor Deb Nicholson said. “It is a great program (because) the results are more individualized.”

According to P.E. instructor Dave Beason, those performing the test are required to first step on a machine that provides instructors with the weight of an individual.

Next, an electric current is sent through one foot that circulates the body. The longer it takes to return to the other foot, the more body fat the student possesses. “The healthy range for boys is 10 to 20 percent and the girls’ is 15 to 32 percent,” Beason said.

“The results are confidential,” Nicholson said. “I write down over 350 scores, I can’t even remember what

everyone had.”

However, this fact does not provide comfort to a majority of students. Junior Stephanie Eckermann felt that the test was an invasion of privacy. “I kept thinking about how there’s no reason for my P.E. teacher to know that information,” she said. “Some people are really sensitive about their body and it could make them feel vulnerable.”

A sophomore felt ashamed that her score was not acceptable. “I was completely comfortable with my body before (the test),” she said. “But now I’m not sure. I feel like I should be watching what I eat or not eat sometimes.”

According to the Food and Drug Administration, more than half of girls ages 15-19 either are or believe they should be dieting. One in four of this group have turned to anorexia or bulimia as a solution.

Too often we are subject to criticism for the way we look.

The body fat tests reinforce the idea that we are held to a perfection norm, and those who do not fit in are outcasts.

A student unsatisfied or embarrassed by his or her score could make a dangerous decision, such as inducing an eating disorder, to escape the fear of peer ridicule.

However, high school students’ reactions are not the only concern. This test is administrated on children as young as eight years old. What kind of message is that sending them?

Preforming this test will prematurely engraving the idea that the perfect body is a necessity, a concept the media already enhances, causing a skewed image of the average appearance among impressionable teens.

Yes, America has a growing number of obese children.

But possibly more concerning, these fitness tests are bringing out the insecurities of students and causing bigger problems than anticipated. Rather than requiring a body fat measurement, perhaps instructors could provide interested individuals with information on where they may get accurate tests administered. The remaining tests are acceptable; however the body fat test needs to be removed, before serious consequences develop.

Alex Guns/BW

Inching her feet onto the electronic scale, sophomore Heidi Bibler waits to receive her body fat percentage in P.E. The test is new to the physical health evaluations and may corrupt the self image of students throughout the district.

Homecoming TPing should be legalized

BY DREW HOUP STAFF WRITER School pride can be celebrated with toilet paper. Every year, we expect to see it, our school turned into a double ply city.

This would be the annual homecoming tradition of TP (toilet papering) the school, one of the few times a year that our school campus and the trees that grace its presence are wrapped in toilet paper, not mention the houses belonging to the members of the varsity football team.

TPing trees around the school is more an act of school spirit than vandalism.

This year, though, the tradition was greatly discouraged, and to put it in more descriptive terms, outlawed. More, it seems, than other years, even though according to Associate Principal Jerry Stratton, the tradition has technically been against school policy for at least three years.

But why all the hubbub over the potential of unused tissue dangling noticeably high from tree tops pointing towards an endless sky?

According to Stratton, reasons for outlawing the practice of TPing the campus range anywhere from toilet paper being a fire hazard to the fact that no one would assist in cleaning up the mess after

festivities were over. Presently, according to school policy, no one is allowed on campus at night, and these rules stand because of problems with vandalism in the past around such places as the football field.

TPing is obviously a better thing to do to a school building than blasting it with eggshells or spray-painting it with anti Urbandale slurs or other such crazy things, which would obviously concern the administration.

How is it that every year that the schoolagers pepped up to celebrate such events as homecoming, and yet be expected by the administration not to participate in age old activities such as

TPing? The concerns of both sides are understandable, but a happy medium is possible.

The solution would be to hold a semisupervised event in which TPing practices would be monitored by administrators, but not stifled, this way egging and graffiti could be prevented.

The officials should take the names of the people who attended the event, and these people would then be required to help in the cleanup within one week on a Saturday. The goal in all this would be for people to concentrate on TPing, and to prevent damage to the school, physically or otherwise. With cooperation, the tradition can still be saved.

The truth about embryonic stem cell research With the state elections heating up, our schools have been graced by candidates eager to declare their stances on hot button issues. One of the most discussed issues that separate the major parties is that of embryonic stem cell research. The Republican Party’s stance and the misleading information they use to support it is delaying research that could lead to curing diseases and saving lives.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle voted in Congress to sustain the Bush veto on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

He supports the state ban on therapeutic cloning of stem cells, which involves switching the nucleus of an unfertilized egg with that of any living cell, which creates an artificial embryo that it is believed can be used for creating stem cells specifically for the person whose nucleus was used.

During his visit to our school, Nussle employed a defense that many members of the GOP have been using recently. He said that there have been no scientific breakthroughs in embryonic stem cell research, and that all the real breakthroughs are happening in adult stem cell research.

Death OR Glory

Michael J Slusark

This is similar to a statement made in July by White House political adviser Karl Rove. Rove told the Denver Post’s editorial board that researchers have found “far more promise from adult stem cells than from embryonic stem cells.”

In a July 19 article by The Chicago Tribune, reporters Jeremy Mainer and Judith Graham contacted a dozen stem cell researchers about Rove’s comments, all of which said they were inaccurate.

In the article, Dr. Michael Clarke, associate director of the stem cell institute at Stanford University, who published the first study showing how adult stem cells replenish themselves said, “Rove’s statement is just not true.”

In the same article, Dr. Markus Grompe, the director of the stem cell center at the Oregon Health and Science University, who objects to research that involves the destruction of embryos said, “I think it’s a problem when (opponents of embryonic research) make a scientific argument as opposed to the real reason they are opposed-which is (that) it’s a moral, ethical problem.”

During the July debate over the stem cell research bill in Congress, the scientific journal Science published three letters, including one by Dr. Steven Teitelbaum of Washington University in St. Louis, who has used adult stem cells to treat bone diseases in children. They wrote that the overdrawn claims for adult stem cells, “mislead laypeople and cruelly deceive patients.”

Even Senate Majority Bill Frist, a heart surgeon and

a pro-life Republican from Tennessee, told The Washington Post in a July 20 article that he did not support President Bush’s veto of the stem cell research bill.

Democratic candidate for governor Chet Culver has proposed lifting the state ban on therapeutic cloning of stem cells.

He has also proposed creating the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Iowa and has made an initial commitment of $10 million dollars to the project.

Misleading claims about the value of embryonic stem cell research by Nussle and other members of the GOP distort the value of this new field of discovery.

Embryonic stem cell research has the ability to help change, and possibly save, millions of lives. If the state truly wants to create new jobs and create incentives for young, intelligent people to stay in the state, then it is retroactive to take such an anti-progressive stance in an endearing and growing area of medical research.

I challenge the next governor to make Iowa a leader in all types of stem cell research. It will import dollars and people into the state and export life-saving advances out.

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

7

REVIEW: what’s new October ‘06

B &W This month in....

film history

history lesson by Alexander S.G. Guns

Provided/Warner Independent Pictures

Stéphane (center) and his co-workers play in an immaginary band in one of his dreams. His dreams reflect what is going on with his real life and thus, he often confuses them with reality.

Sleep keeps viewers awake

BY TINA LI STAFF WRITER Michel Gondry, the acclaimed French director who wrote and directed Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2004), brings audiences The Science of Sleep, an indie movie that is spoken in three languages.

The Science of Sleep takes viewers into the bizarre mind of Stéphane, a whimsical, creative man-child who has difficulty discerning his dreams from reality. His dreams, where he sometimes hosts his one-man TV show, Stéphane TV, are in a world of cardboard, egg crates and cellophane, complete with lo-tech special effects.

After his father dies of cancer, Stéphane moves from Mexico to his mother’s apartment building in France.

He only does so because he thinks that his mother has gotten him a job as a graphic designer for a calendar company.

When he finally arrives at the job, he realizes that his mother has tricked him so that he would move to France. Instead

of doing the creative job he had hoped for, he finds himself working amidst an eccentric group of co-workers, doing the mind-numbing work of pasting pieces of calendar together.

He makes friends with Guy, a middleaged man obsessed with sex and skeptical of love. Although he is a clichéd character, he is nevertheless fun and brings comic relief throughout the movie.

He is a foil to Stéphane, who is innocent and idealistic when it comes to love and sex. Guy offers love advice to Stéphane about his love interest, Stéphanie, throughout the movie, which Stéphane completely ignores.

Stéphanie is the proverbial “girl-nextdoor.” Stéphane discovers that she, like himself, is an artist who has an interest in creating eccentric projects made from household items.

Stéphane soon falls in love with her and spends his days desperately trying to win her over. However, she does not want to be more than friends with him.

They are tragic characters perfect for

each other, but their personalities keep them apart. Consequently, Stéphane turns to his dreams to work out the mess that is his love life.

The dream sequences, while intriguing, are too conceptual and go overboard.

Also, because Stéphane can fall asleep without warning at any time, he (and sometimes the audience) often cannot tell if he is awake or dreaming.

The high point of the movie was Gael García Bernal’s brilliant portrayal of Stéphane‘s Jekyll-and-Hyde personality.

Stéphane is innocent and child-like, sweet and charming. He is also profoundly sensitive and emotional, and his love for Stephanie turns into a stalker-like obsession. Convincing and charismatic, Bernal captivates the audience.

The story ends up being ambiguous, but the ending, was very well done. The Science of Sleep was slightly pretentious and could have gone with less confusing dream sequences and a clearer plot, but is worth seeing for the acting and the inventive enthusiasm it possesses.

Urinetown gives top shelf performance

BY CHELSEA NELSON STAFF WRITER With a name like Urinetown, it is easy to wonder how a play with such a revolting title could receive three Tony awards and win, as well as be nominated for, more than 15 other awards.

As it is said in the beginning by one of the characters, Urinetown has an “awful title” and a “plot so absurd.” Yet, as absurd as the plot is, it is successfully pulled off by its great music and wonderful cast.

Performed at the Des Moines Civic Center, Urinetown is a melodramatic musical about a city in the midst of a terrible drought that has lasted for 20 years. A corrupt corporation, the U.G.C., or Urine Good Company, has taken advantage of the water shortage by seizing control of all the toilet facilities. Everyone in the city must pay high fees to the U.G.C. in order to use the restrooms. Anyone who can’t pay is hauled off to “Urinetown”, a mysterious place from which they never return. When an old man is arrested and sent to Urinetown for peeing in public,

Ed McAtee/Provided

The cast of Urinetown assemble atop of a platform. his son, Bobby Strong, decides to take a stand and starts a rebellion against the evil corporation. To complicate matters, Bobby falls in love with Hope, the daughter of the U.G.C.’s greedy president.

In between the confusion of the revo-

lution, plenty of hilarious potty jokes are made. Various cast members make constant sarcastic comments, and the music includes bizarre songs such as “It’s a Privilege to Pee.” The single elements in Urinetown are what pull off the originality of it. It has a shrewd score, which includes parodies of other musicals, such as Les Miserables and Fiddler on the Roof. The choreography, which is also a spoof, is energetic and comedic. The play had great direction, and the cast was excellent.

It is said throughout the show that Urinetown doesn’t have a happy ending.

The ending, however, was abrupt. It did not live up to the play’s strong plot line and the climax is resolved, only to later become a problem again.

The ending, though a little disappointing, includes a moral. It shows that giving people what they want will not help them for long, and even a noble attempt won’t fix all of their problems.

Flush the doubts and judgmental thoughts. The music, cast and witty jokes are balanced throughout the play, and make Urinetown worth seeing.

It’s October, a month known for two things: Halloween (sometimes called “spookxfest”) and horror films (sometimes called “worthless”). But as we get deeper into October, I’ve been approached by a number of fellow students with the following question; “Hey Alex, what’s with all the dang remakes these days?!” Good question John Doe student, there have been an alarming a number of remakes in the past few years.

In 2005, six of the 10 highest grossing films were remakes. The vast majority of horror films being flooded across the silver screen are remakes of previous sub-par slashers. There is an age-old phrase in Hollywood “A good idea once, is never fresh twice” But we already know that, so why are so many remakes today? Because someone smells dollars, that’s why.

It is no coincidence that the number of remakes began to rise at the same rate as the DVD’s popularity. With the DVD, film collecting is more applicable to the average American than ever before. So the idea of people buying a re-release of an older movie and making a profit is more likely now than ever in home video’s 30+ year life-span. All the studios need is a reason for this film to be rereleased. This is where the remake idea enters stage left.

When a trailer for a remake hits the screen, it creates buzz. People start talking, reminiscing of the original and would you guess, the urge to see that original grows. Well thank the studios to make it readily available in a three-disc box set with a preview of the new remake inside! So you can buy that, then later a ticket to the theater, and even later the remake on DVD. You are buying two films on home video and one ticket to the theater for the price of one film.

Don’t forget- Nothing solidifies a finer legacy than a remake. It should be noted that the vast majority of films being remade, were terrible to begin with. In almost every review of a remake, the original is cited as a “modern classic” or “genuine masterpiece” The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) was terrible, and the majority of the reviews in America deemed it one of the worst movies of the decade. But give it time, and a remake, and the reviewers will make it a classic: “The classic status of Tobe Hooper’s original version (Chainsaw Massacre) is officially beyond dispute,” Geoff Pevere of the Toronto Star wrote in his review of the remake.

But in the end, this is not studio bashing. Sure, the Hollywood system is responsible for a number of crimes against filmmaking, but this remake ploy is not their fault; it’s ours. Although remakes are panned by the average American, we are still willing to give the 2003 remake House of Wax $68,766,121 of our own hard-earned money.

I’m not going to blame a company for making a product that sells so well. But I will blame you for paying for something you say is worthless. Soon original idea will be an oxymoron in film vernacular, and the worst part is that we as an audience have the power to change that, but won’t stop beyond small talk.

8&9

B &W

DOUBLETRUCK: what’s the scoop October ‘06

Beyond the meaning of special

Sophomore Hope Christopher

Junior Amber Cunningham Junior Amber Cunningham has been working with special needs students since the third grade.

“They interested me,” Cunningham said. “I wanted to know more about them, so I stayed in during my recesses and worked with them.”

Ever since then, Cunningham has been involved with a variety of activities with the students. Not only has she been working with them since third grade informally, but she is also currently involved in Best Buddies and PEOPEL (Physical Education Opportunity Provided for Exceptional Leaders) PE. In addition, she volunteers in special education teacher Michelle Tracey’s room during first period, and she has a service credit in Tracey’s room second.

“I think (working with these students) is very rewarding. If you’re having a bad day, they lighten it up,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham enjoys working with these students so much that she would like to pursue a career in it. She stated that she would like to either work as a teacher or go work at Child Serve. “(I like) being able to be hands-on; I like working with them,” Cunningham said. “I wish we could do more activities outside of school, (though). I know that a lot of them don’t live with their parents, and they live at Child Serve, so that isn’t always easy.”

Despite not being able to do formal activities on a regular basis, Cunningham still finds time to work with them outside of school.

“I remember going skating with (senior) Nick Jesperson, the kid that died last year. I’ve also been to (senior) Anjel (Vodenik)’s house, and we looked at pictures and painted our nails; it was fun,” Cunningham said.

Although Cunningham has worked with the students, she was not relaxed with them at first.

“I think, after a couple of days of being with them, you get used to them,” Cunningham said.

“Like, at first, I couldn’t eat in front of them; it would gross me out, but after awhile, I got over it, and now it doesn’t bother me at all.”

Cunningham really enjoys working with special needs students, and thinks that interacting with them is a good experience.

“I would encourage people who don’t know a lot about them to take a service credit in one of the classrooms,” Cunningham said.

Sophomore Hope Christopher, despite her disabilities, is just like any other student. She has a family that she enjoys boating with, and she likes watching her older brother, senior Kevin Christopher, play football and hockey. She likes pudding, eating at McDonald’s, swimming and going for walks.

Inside of school, she really enjoys doing her occupational duties. Christopher has some simple jobs that she does in her classroom, such as shredding paper, stuffing envelopes, sorting mail and assembling items.

“She likes to do her work, her vocational tasks,” special needs teacher Rachel Dowhan said. “She doesn’t like it when things are out of place; she’ll go around and straighten things, like if a door is open, she’ll close it.”

In addition to the vocational tasks, she also has basic math and reading classes.

“She can do very well,” Dowhan said. “She’s very neat; she likes her routine.”

Like any student, Christopher really enjoys laughing, being happy and smiling.

“She has a very good smile, but for pictures, you can’t really get her to smile,” Dowhan said.

Christopher will also participate in the school dress-up days. For the Homecoming week dressup days, for instance, Christopher wore a spotted, yellow clown outfit.

Even though Christopher has some disabilities, she is very competent. She can also communicate nonverbal through a picture packet. The packet has pictures, which illustrate the things Christopher may want, like a drink.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize how capable these kids are, how smart they are. Even though Hope is nonverbal, she has a lot to offer,” Dowhan said.

Larissa French/BW

Junior Amber Cunningham (right) holds sophomore Hope Christopher’s plate while Christopher eats her strawberry cake. On Thursday, Sept. 30, junior Alyssa Rios held a going away party in special needs teacher Michelle Tracey’s room, because Rios was moving to adult placement in Iowa City. Cake, soda pop, candy and other treats were offered at the party.

PE class offers interaction with special needs students When the Area Education Agency (AEA) asked Johnston to start an Adaptive Physical Education (PE) program eight years ago, Dave Beason volunteered. He visited Valley and Ankeny’s adaptation programs and started a program here at Johnston schools.

Last year, Brian Lutter took over. Lutter had participated as a high school student in the program at Valley and also taken classes on Adaptive PE. PEOPEL (Physical Education Opportunity Provided for Exceptional Leaders) PE is a program designed to give mentally challenged kids an opportunity to be active.

“We try to get them to be physically active, whether it’s throwing, hitting, jumping, rolling, or just learning basic

motor skills,” Lutter said.

This program works by partnering the “normal” students with special needs students, who Lutter calls the “coaches.” These coaches not only help teach them skills, but help them form relationships with the “regular” population.

This program also provides exciting activities for the students, including a bowling trip and an Activity Day. For Activity Day, the high school hosts a day full of different activities for the students.

Previously, students from the middle school and Summit have been invited.

“Our hope this year (for Activity Day) is to get kids from other schools to participate, not just Johnston,” Lutter said. “(PEOPEL PE) can be

PE teacher Brain Lutter holds a dodgeball while junior Chelsea Berry helps junior Emily Prendergast kick it. The PEOPEL (Physical Education Opportunity Provided for Exceptional Leaders) PE class does a variety of activities with special needs students, such as playing kick ball, having relay races and playing with a parachute.

Larissa French/BW

frustrating; it can get tedious.

The main thing is that it’s rewarding. (The students) look forward to seeing you and that’s the best part.”

If students want to get

involved with this program, they must apply to enroll in the class.

The application must prove that he or she is responsible, caring, and is willing to build a relationship with the students.

How can

YOU

get involved?

Where?

Who to contact?

Child Serve

Kaylene Steele at 270-2205

Mosaic, a social service org. that helps people with developmental disabilities

Karen Jackson at 237-0008

PEOPEL PE

PE teacher Brain Lutter

Best Buddies

Success Through Alternative Resources (STAR) Sue McCravy

Volunteering obtains heartful meaning High school students decide how to spend their time: shopping, sports, academics. For senior Kiley Dewhurst, volunteering with the Child Serve program has been a huge part of her life. Her Kiley mother Jana Dewhurst Dewhurst, a special needs teacher at Wallace Elementary, inspired her to work one-on-one with special needs students.

“Watching my mom getting to know the kids gave me the mind set that they’re no different than I am,” Kiley said.

Kiley’s family sponsored kids from Child Serve like Jared C. and Michael, allowing Kiley to establish a close relationship

with both of them.

“Kiley had a very special relationship with Jared C., a child we sponsored when she was very young,” Jana said. “She was not able to verbalize what was different about him, but she took one of her eyes off her favorite Ernie doll to make him more like Jared.”

According to Kiley, the relationship with Michael had the most impact. When Kiley started working at Child Serve, Michael was shy but the first one to say, “hi.” Michael constantly asked questions, and was persistent saying, “Because why.”

“It taught me to be a better person and see from his point of view. It’s good to see how he functions day to day compared to how I function day to day,” Kiley said.

Today, even though Kiley is

not able to volunteer at Child Serve because of her busy schedule, she feels her life has changed and benefited the children she worked with. According to Kiley, volunteering allows the kids to spend time with peers, since usually they are around nurses and older volunteers.

As a special needs teacher, Jana saw her daughter make the extremely difficult decision to stop volunteering at Child Serve. Now, Michael does not seek Kiley out like he used to.

Jana learned an important lesson from her daughter: “Empathy is contagious. It is wonderful to care for and be cared for by others. Everyone responds to a smile, touch, and kind words. Everyone is able to do more when they know someone cares,” Jana said.

10

ENTERTAINMENT: what’s happening October ‘06

B &W

The secret world of the school bus

BY ALEX GUNS STAFF WRITER

Welcome to my column I guess. Here you’ll get my thoughts on those addicting shows that so many of us watch week to week. Thanks to TiVo I consider myself a addict. I have come to love the characters, and I feel like I know them on a personal basis.

Those lying church people

After 10 seasons the Camden family told Americaa that the 05’-06’ season of 7th Heaven was their last. Psych! It’s back, but why?

7th Heaven is the longest running family drama in the history of television. It was the highest rated show for the WB. 7th Heaven is a family drama about a minister (Reverend Camden) his wife (Annie), their seven kids and anyone else staying at their house. Since their first show in 96’ they have exposed audiences to issues like the right to vote, drinking and driving, teen pregnancy, homelessness, prejudice against Muslims and hate crimes.

In ten years, I got to watch The Camdens grow up and deal with issues I have delt with too. At the end of shows with tough issues like sexual abuse they will have a short segment giving people a hotline number to call if they have been abused to call.

I really hate when sequals have different main characters. The Camedon’s had a very large family. It made me rather upset to not have Mary Camden (Jessical Biel) or Matt (Barry Watson) in many of the episodes after the 6th season.

Season seven lost Watson for Hodgkin’s disease treatments and Biel film a feature film. I know both have very valid reasons for not being on the show, but I really wanted their character lines to keep going.

Reverend Camden’s family used to be a great counter example to Jack Johnsons song “Good people.” The chorus explains how tv is just junk or a “boob tube” and where did all the good people go. I see that song as a good example of the first nine seasons.

Season 10 and 11 are starting to worry me.

I’m starting to see the father and minster of the family interested in the fact that a teacher wants to have dinner with him, Martin a kid who lived with the Camedon’s got a girl pregnant and Kevin is now a stay at home father because he got shot at work.

Reverend Eric Camedon was diagnosed with a fatal heart condition six months to live.

They should have ended the show when they said they were going to end it, last season.

The plot is dying. Mary and Matt are not on the show anymore. Simon has a very small roll.

That leaves the parents, lucy and her husband who are rather boring, Martin who makes mistake after mistake and is such a, guy, Sandy, who is the mother of Martin’s baby, and the cute little twins.

When the only entertainment comes from the eight year old twins I begin to wonder if this is the real last season.

From when the show started it has made a complete turn around. A bad turn around. It started off this innocent tv show teaching good morals and now I feel its strayed into teaching all those things are fine and completly normal.

If 7th Heaven was my code of ethics I would most likely be a ease dropping, pregnant, compulsive liar. That’s my overall view of the characters current traits.

Seriously though, do trends happen in tv series plots like trends with clothes? Three shows I watch (7th Heaven, Grey’s Anatomy and One Tree Hill) have plots that depend on the rumors, lies or well kept secrets about who’s pregnant.

They get you hooked by characters lying about being pregnant to stay with someone, or making you think someones pregnant, but really it’s not them at all and it’s their best friend. Then they don’t tell the father which creates more stupid chaos. These shows portray high school students. Why are high schoolers getting pregnant on tv? Everybody needs to stop getting pregnant because I’m sick of the confusion.

The school bus is a world of its own, that no parents really know about and few kids talk about. You’re in a confined area with 30 other kids for 23 minutes, every morning, and every afternoon. This is the secret world of the school bus.

In the elementary years, the school bus is a social get-together. Most friends are too far away to walk to their houses, so the bus is the only meeting place outside of school. The bus driver is usually well liked, especially if he/she gives out candy. The front seat is reserved for the bad kids, which no one wants to be at this age. The fifth graders sit in the back seats and stick to themselves, unless a younger kid asks for help.

There are numerous/dangerous games played on the bus in the elementary years, such as “The crawl.” The student goes to the backseat, and as the bus is in motion, gets under the seats. From there the student crawls to on the ground, all the way to the front seat, and then back to the back seat.

By the end of the year, the fifth graders begin to turn to “the dark side.” The more curse-bound language, and their following years at middle school only deepens the problem.

Riding the bus 6-8th grade is nothing short of death. The innocent elementary school chatter is quickly swept away by the worst string of curse words one has ever heard. The attitude is up, 10 fold in the middle school bus days. Anything said to a middle school bus rider is taken as a threat. Every conversation is a step away from a fist fight. Pry for the middle school bus driver, there can’t be a harder job. The front seat where the “bad kids” are is a status symbol. To have to sit in the front seat at that age is equivalent to winning a noble peace prize.

Ask anyone older than 17 about their middle school days on the bus, and a look of shame will undoubtedly flash across their face.

Alex Guns/BW

An early morning bus ride to school as the frost on the window makes its intricate patterns.

Now the high school years, that is an epic time. Most of the kids have grown out of the middle school-jerk phase and they are all friends, to a degree. The middle school students are confined to the middle seats of the bus, so the high school kids don’t have to hear them while they sit in the back. Nothing comes closer to a god on earth, than a junior on the high school bus.

I stayed on the bus till junior year, and what I said was gold. I had ridden the bus for 11 years. Instead of paying for gas, I played Pictionary in the back seat. Lame?

No kidding, but cynicism like that was “checked at the door” as I liked to put it.

My bus adventure came full circle when I changed rolls from cool (ish) older kid, to role model. One day a sophomore girl was rummaging through her personal effects, and a pack of cigarettes hit the

floor of the bus. As she casually picked them up a middle school girl asked, “why do you have those?” The sophomore girl replied with “because it’s cool” Before that horrid thought could enter the impressionable minds, I pulled all my punches (figuratively). I used that terrible middle school vernacular mixed with imposing upperclassman rhetoric to send the point from the first seat to the backseat, just how wrong that statement is. I was borderline preaching to these kids. It was then I knew the cut-off for the bus life was junior year.

As tempting as the bus life is for some people, it has to be cut short at the junior year. I was able to “experience” all the games, jokes, words, and candy ever in the school bus world. It’s all there, but few talk about it. And that, was the secret world, of the school bus.

$10.99 bottle of quality permanant hair color. But much to my surprise, the creepy and exceptionally rude “Cosmetics Associate” barked at me and refused me service. I was very confused. Then the succubus accused me of shoplifting some 99-cent nail polish about 15 minutes earlier. I was outraged and tried not to make a big deal out of this weird scenario. The manager quickly ran up to the checkout and assured me that the lady was indeed unstable and that he could ring me up.

After taking that long to pick out the color, my friend and I realized we were a little over our heads. So we enlisted the help of another friend, who had been through the hair-coloring process many times. We skimmed the directions and later decided that I didn’t really need them. So I tossed them and then played it by ear.

The process was not like I thought it was going to be like. The three of us locked ourselves in the small bathroom upstairs to keep my nosy mother out and to be freed of any and all other distractions. But soon enough the smell of chemical processing filled the air and we flung the door wide open. It didn’t smell bad though, kind of fruity in fact.

I think the reason for that was because it was “ammonia free.” Also, it did not burn or feel uncomfortable on my hair or scalp, like they sometimes display in the movies. In reality, the combination of the pleasant smell, and warmness of the dye was quite soothing. All seemed to be going well.

All of the sudden, we had an epiphany.

I have very long hair and the bottle didn’t

contain that much mushy dye. The bottle started getting empty and we weren’t even halfway done! On top of that, the dye was orange and not black-strange I thought. We all started to get paranoid.

One of my friends who is usually very confident sat down in the corner and said she couldn’t watch me plunge myself into a wreck. The other, more cocky and knowledgeable, told me to stop stressing, as she assured it would come out the way I planned. I could not help but touching my hair during the process, even though I was not wearing the necessary gloves provided in the kit. I also wasn’t aware that the dye could stain your skin for up to two full weeks.

So there I was, my hair plopped on the top of my head, the fumes trying escape the bathroom, my friends looking quite weary and my skin with splotches of gooey-orange-brown grossness. I cannot recall if 45 minutes was the recommended amount of time or not but that’s how long we left the dye in for.

I stuck my head in the sink. I was advised that the colder the water, the better, but being all too naive when it comes to this, I washed the excess off with almost icy water. It was freezing and the sink was basically all black after I finished. It took me over 20 minutes to wash it all out.

After all was done, I wasn’t jumping for joy, but I was quite satisfied and couldn’t stop looking at it. It wasn’t as drastic change as I thought it would be and basically the only people who noticed were the ones know me well and the ones who sat behind me in classes. But at least it separated me a little from everyone else.

I’ve never...colored my hair

BY HANA KAJTAZOVIC STAFF WRITER

Sometimes when I walk down the halls, I feel like I am in a sea of sameness. I look down at myself and I’m conforming to it without even knowing it.

Among the designer purses and namebrand jeans, one thing stuck out among the girls. Most of them were either natural or bottled blondes. I look down once again at my light-brown hair; I’ve never felt so unoriginal.

Spontaneity got the best of me on a warm, Sunday morning. I had not really put much thought into ever changing my hair color, but that day felt like the day. I’m sure by this age, many of you have dyed, permed, cut or relaxed your hair in every imaginable way, but I was completely oblivious to this trend and my locks had been untouched, except for the occasional hair-straightening. I was ready for a change. I called up a close friend and told her my plan. She surprisingly went along with it, never questioning my motives.

Since I made this decision with little or no prior preparation, I opted to not spend immense amounts of money at hair salon and do it myself. Being overly optimistic I didn’t really ever think of this as a risky decision.

Of all the stores that we could have gone to, my friend and I chose the convinience of Walgreen’s. The hair color section took up a whole isle. I felt a little of overwhelmed and spent almost an hour picking out the color. I finally chose L’Oreal Perfect Match N3: Natural Black. The next step is usually going to the check out and paying for the

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FEATURE: what people are doing October ‘06

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“Challenge” moves students Rachel’s message leaves an impact on students

BY AMY LOVEJOY STAFF WRTER Rachel Scott was the first killed in the Columbine High School shootings. Her uncle Larry Scott spoke with students, faculty, and community members on Oct. 11 about Rachel’s challenege rather than focusing on the tragedy.

Rachel’s message of kindness influenced millions of people all over the world.

Rachel’s Challenge is an assembly containing video and audio footage compiling Rachel’s life and the heartbreak of her death. It includes Rachel’s message of kindness and courage she left before her death in order to motivate people to start a chain reaction of kindness.

“We hear wonderful things about this assembly,” Principal Bruce Hukee said. “We thought it would tie into what we think students should hear: how to treat one another with respect and how the little things count and are important. All students are important; they should feel connected to the school. There is research to support that student achievement is better if they feet comfortable in their environment.”

Rachel’s Challenge was used to motivate people to make a positive change in their environment.

In the assembly, students were presented with five challenges. The first was to eliminate prejudice by looking for the best in others. The second was to dare to dram by setting goals. Choosing your influence was the third challenge. The fourth was performing small acts of kindness to start a chain reaction of kindness with family and friends, which was challenge five.

The assembly moved many staff members and students. “I walked away thinking ‘I hope each student feels like they can impact the world by doing those simple steps, that if everyone truly did those things how much better our school building would be?” teacher Alicia Rollison said.

Many students also accepted Rachel’s Challenge, and vowed to start a chain reaction of kindness by signing a Rachel’s Challenge banner that will be displayed in the school.

“I’ll be more kind, tell people I love them, and compliment them more,” sophomore Mindy Dick-

erson said.

Some students were moved by specific parts of the assembly. “How the shooters just shot Rachel’s brother’s friend’s really upset me. People can be really cruel sometimes. I will try and keep Rachel’s chain reaction of kindness going strong,” Dickerson said.

The assembly was also followed by a 45-minute training session involving teachers and students.

The training session was based on actions of student leadership. “They gave a framework that you could follow and suggested a frequency of when to meet,” Hukee said. According to Hukee, the training had five focuses. The first is to make new students feel welcomed. The second is to be a seethrouger not a look-atter. The third is to be the first initiator of a conversation; the fourth is dare to dream and have goals. The last focus is to make this model of kindness permanent in the school.

Do

Rachel’s You Accept Challenge?

1 2 3 4 5

Eliminate prejudice by looking for the best in others; give people three chances before you judge them.

Dare to dream by setting goals; keep a jornal of your thoughts and goals.

Choose your influence; your input determines the output of the task.

Perform small acts of kindness; these acts have a huge impact.

Dan Haight/BW

Guest Larry Scott speaks at the Rachel’s Challenge assembly on Oct. 11. The assembly details Rachel Scott’s acts of kindness and how to implement them into your life.

Start a chain reaction of kindness with family and friends.

Siewert crowned for apple ‘Chrisp’

BY AMANDA LOWER DOUBLE TRUCK EDITOR Varsity girls cross country coach and science teacher Chris Siewert has been awarded with the best apple crisp, among numerous apple dishes made by the high school’s faculty this past September.

“It’s actually called apple ‘Chrisp,’” Siewert said, “I added my own twist to the name.”

The high school staff has a started a monthly food contest, in which they compete for the best food dish that is made with a specific ingredient.

“The contest was in September and you had to make or bake something with apples,” Siewert said.

According to Siewert, the competition was held on Sept. 20, on an early dismissal day. Throughout the day, teachers and other staff members stopped by the teacher’s lounge where they could sample the spread of apple deserts. At the end of the day a winner was awarded with a prize. Siewert was awarded with a beautiful apple crown.

“It was great when I was awarded with the apple crown,” Siewert said. “Along with the crown I won a lot of pride, and now I’m tied with Brickley.”

Varsity boys’ tennis coach, Tim Brickley, was the winner for the best salsa dish in August. According to Siewert, both him and Brickley are pretty competitive, and now that they are tied, the level of competitiveness has risen even more.

Siewert’s recipe was borrowed from his mom. However, he didn’t use just any ordinary brand of apples you buy off the Hy-Vee shelf. He actually went out and handpicked the perfect apples to complete his 1st place apple crisp.

“There’s an apple tree in front of the high school, and one time after (cross country) practice I told the girls to eat the apples right off the tree,” Siewert said. “So I thought it’d be a good idea to use those same apples in my recipe.”

According to Siewert, the ‘JHS Apples’ are extremely tart and have a very good texture for baking with. This was the first time Siewert used the apples from the tree for baking. Any other time he would’ve just used regular apples, but he thought it would be fun to conduct a little experiment. As it turns out, the apples off the tree proved to work perfect for the contest.

Senior Heather Wendel runs on varsity for the girls’ cross country team, and she really enjoys eating the apples. “Well, we always stretch out by the apple tree, so one time when we came back from a tough run, Siewert told us it was okay to eat the apples,” Wendel said.

According to Wendel, there are only a few concerns about eating the apples right off the tree.

“Sometimes you have to watch out for rotten apples or ones with bugs on them,” Wendel said. Eating apples off the tree is something the girls do everyday, it’s just something they do whenever they feel like it.

Siewert will continue to take part in the monthly food contest. “I like to cook, and I like to be competitive. I’m a competitive cook.”

The next competition will take place sometime in October, and the participants must make something with pumpkins.

Amanda Lower/BW

Chris Siewert proudly shows off his Apple Crown. He was awarded the prize for his first place apple ‘Chrisp.’

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Senior enlists in military Zulaica joins Air National Guard to pursue flying interest and influence of her father’s service

BY DAWN WILKENS STAFF WRITER It was no turning back for senior Hailie Zulaica. She was being sworn in by General Doug Pierce to join the Air National Guard. Zulaica joined by influence of her father David and because of her interest in flying.

“I’ve always been really patriotic, but when my dad went overseas to fight in Operation Iraqi Freedom, I’ve never felt the calling more to serve my country,” Zulaica said. “Knowing that those soldiers do what they do everyday over there when they serve, I felt the need to help and serve my “Signing that dotted line country.”

Zulaica was gave me a great sense of sworn in on July 19. purpose and made me a By her side were mother Heidi, huge step closer to reach- her younger sister Makayla, boyfriend ing my goal.”

Martin Osborn Hailie Zulaica, ‘07 and recruiter Mark Houseman. “(General Pierce) has taken me under his wing almost and is trying to guide me in his footsteps,” Zulaica said. “He was an F-16 fighter and that’s what I would like to be someday.”

Currently, Zulaica is working out for basic training and has drill once a month. “Getting ready for basic, I’m working out almost everyday (and) sometimes I skip out (because of work and other activities),” Zulaica said. “I’m really trying to balance my schedule between school, work and all my extra stuff.”

For drill, Zulaica goes to the 132nd fighter wing next to the airport. “The pilots will fly the planes, come back and tell us (the unit) what went wrong and we will fix it,” Zulaica said. “It’s basically keeping your skills crisp and making sure you practice enough before it really counts.”

One of the biggest influences on Zulaica’s decision was her father. “I spent a lot of time figuring out what branch I wanted to go into,” Zulaica said. “I talked to my dad a lot about the army side of things, being he’s in the Army National Guard.”

At first, Zulaica was a little uneasy about going to basic training. “I’ve talked long and hard with my dad

Heidi Zulaica/Provided

General Doug Pierce is swearing in senior Hailie Zulaica on July 19. Zulaica joined the Air National Guard because of her interest in flying and by influence of her father’s contribution to the military. “I think it’s great that my daughter wants to serve the country,” said David Zulaica. about basic training, which I was really afraid of at first,” Zulaica said. “You just have to remember it’s all a mind game and you’ll do fine.”

During her basic training, Zulaica will train off of two different bases in Texas. She will be ranked as an E1, which is an airman basic. After basic training, she will be moved up to an E-3, which is an airman crewmember with less than two years of service. Basic training will be just like boot camp, according to Zulaica.

Zulaica’s family and friends help to encourage Zulaica through her decision. “My close family and friends are very supportive and it’s nice,” Zulaica said.

“Considering that I come from a military family, of course they are supportive. Occasionally, you get the

people that tell you they hope you die in Iraq for your stupid decision, but you have to remember, the soldiers put on that uniform to protect your freedoms, even those that want to be stupid and say things like that.”

Junior Ellie Sams, one of Zulaica’s friends, is excited for her. “I support her 100% and what she’s striving for, because she’s a strong-willed girl,” Sams said. “I’ll miss her a lot when she’s gone.”

Zulaica is also very proud of her decision. “I love being an American and I’m willing to protect and defend my country,” Zulaica said. “Signing that dotted line gave me a great sense of purpose, and made me a huge step closer to reaching my goals.”

High school students have strong inner children

BY SHAWNA POLEN STAFF WRITER “I have lots of stuffed animals, about 35 to be exact,” sophomore Cody Lenz said.

“One time about a month ago, my mom threw all my stuffed animals in two garbage bags and took them to the attic. Luckily I rescued them and put them back in there rightful place on my bed.

Today I keep them from her by stuffing them under my bed.”

“I thought that Cody was too old for stuffed animals, and that he didn’t want them anymore.” Jackie, Cody’s mother said.

“They mean a lot to me, I wouldn’t want to loose any. My favorite one is a giraffe named Mr. Giggles, because it makes noise and a good friend gave it to me.” Lenz said What’s the first thing you think of when someone says high school students?

Most people would think of almost adults, high value of sports and tons of homework, but a lot of people wouldn’t think of deep connection with their inner

child.

Each high school student has an inner child, but some seem more in touch with it than others. For the ones that keep them alive, there are so many ways to do so, like playing at the park, leaf diving, openly wearing children’s products, and not letting their parents throw away any of their “little kid” stuff.

“I love Hello Kitty. My bed, alarm, school stuff, purses, calendar, rug, make-up and even candy is Hello Kitty. I buy most of my hello kitty stuff, but my family knows I like it,so I get some of my stuff as gifts form them.” sophomore Bree Amos. “I don’t want to grow up yet and Hello Kitty stuff is just so cute.”

Bree is not the only high school student wearing childish things, many others do, ranging from items made by Barbie to the Ninja Turtles.

Other high school students take a more active path with their inner child.

“I go to the park with my younger siblings, but I like to play too,” sophomore Zac Stevens said.

“I also enjoy going leaf diving.

I remember last fall, when I made all my brothers, sisters and their friends rake a giant pile of leaves for the fun of it. After they had finished, I jumped in, ruining there pile, it was fun, but they were really mad at me. I haven’t gone this fall, but I plan going more often.” Stevens thinks he will be doing this until the day he dies.

DUNGEON

Abby Sonner

Grade: Sophomore Background

Sophomore Abby Sonner plays volleyball as much for the reason that it is her favorite sport as for the friendships she makes. “You get to meet so many people and everyone is fun and supportive,” Sonner said.

Since starting the sport in sixth grade, Sonner has played Johnston club leagues for three years. With these teams, she went to nationals twice, in Salt Lake City and Houston.

Team Work Sonner currently starts at middle hitter and blocker for the varsity team. “It’s kind of an honor,” Sonner said. “You have to work really hard, though, to keep up with the upperclassmen.” Sonner claims that the hardest part of playing volleyball is when you are having an off night, because it is hard to pull yourself out of it.

Senior Views According to senior Erica Warren only four of the 12 seniors out for volleyball get to start on the varsity team. “It has not been a big deal to me because we all get playing time on junior varsity and in some varsity matches,” Erica Warren said.

Story compiled by Kari Dockum, Managing Editor, and John Kennedy, Distribution Editor

Photos by Dan Haight, Photo Editor

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SPORTS: what the athletes play October ‘06

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Managers aid in teams’ successes

BY STEPHANIE IVANKOVICH STAFF WRITER Chris Soroka listened intently as varsity head football coach Brian Woodley explained the game plan to bring home a victory at halftime of the Southeast Polk football game, an experience usually only players get to partake in. However, Soroka is not a football player.

Instead, he is one of the eight students managing the football games.

“Anyone can be a manager if they really wanted to help out with the football program,” Brain Woodley, head coach of the varsity team said. “It is extremely important that I have individuals that are dependable and come to all practices and games,” Woodley said.

Football managers do many jobs. Duties such as helping unload equipment out for practices, help pack and unpack the buses for the road trips and other necessities the team needs them to do.

The football managers are Neal Rydberg, Joel Rydberg, Jake Tyler, Ryan Bole, Chris Soroka, Addie Iler, Karissa Andrews, and Bailey Vidmar. Soroka, a sophomore, has managed the team for one football season.

“I was in baseball and I got a lot of foul balls (for the team). Woodley liked my hustle and just ask me to be a manager and I said yes,” Soroka said. “My favorite part about being a manager is the fact you get to do stuff most other people don’t get to do, stuff such as running onto the field in the middle of the game. During half time you get to hear what Woodley is saying,” Soroka said.

“The fact that they take so much time out of their day to help us is incredible,” varsity football player junior Josh Camos said. According to Camos, the football team would not be complete without the managers.

Football is not the only sport where managers are needed; volleyball is also a sport requiring managers.

Stephanie Ivankovich/BW

Joel Rydberg observes the game plan discussion and chart during a short time out at the Johnston versus Ankeny game. Rydberg has been a manager for three years.

“Jobs done for the volleyball team are keeping the water bottles full, keep stats, video tape the games, get the coaches’ supplies, get equipment set up for conditioning, run the clock during practices and scrimmages, have fun and be part of the team,” varsity assistant coach Beth Ward said.

Freshman Loryn Reed, is one of the managers for the volleyball team. “I love being a manager, I like being part of the team,” Reed said. “I don’t play sports and I like helping the girls and doing what they want me to do.”

Reed started off by Ward asking if she would like to

tape the games for varsity girls’ basketball last season.

Ward then asked her if she wanted to be a volleyball manager at the conclusion of the season.

Sophomore Kari Queck, is currently on the varsity volleyball team. “Loryn is a very big help to the team, she is so nice and is always willing to do anything,” Queck said.

According to Woodley, the athletic program is always looking for more managers to help out with the games and practices. “These people (the managers), are vital to our success, along with our players and coaches,” Woodley said.

Dragon Wagon raffle raises funds

BY KELSEY HYDE STAFF WRITER Whether carrying the boys’ recreational soccer team home from a game or roaming the streets of Johnston, the Dragon Wagon has long been a prized possession of the Nuzum family. But after eight years, it’s finally time for the mini-motor home to go.

The Nuzums are holding an ongoing raffle at the home football games in which the winning ticket will receive the vehicle.

“We park the Dragon Wagon in the grass at the home games and you can buy a ticket for five dollars. The stubs have to have the person’s contact information and basically we’re going to draw names until somebody wants it,” senior varsity cross country runner and driver of the Dragon Wagon Nate Nuzum said.

The drawing for the raffle will be during half time at the last home football game against Dowling. All money raised will be donated to the boys’ and girls’ cross country and track teams.

“Bob (Nuzum) wanted to sell the Dragon Wagon Nate’s senior year because we don’t need it anymore and it was his idea to donate the money,” mother Billy Nuzum said.

The Nuzums hope the Dragon Wagon will be passed on to an individual who can have just as many memories with the vehicle as they and their friends did. “We figured when Nate was a senior it would be time to pass the Dragon Wagon on to someone else. Maybe a tenth- or eleventh-grader, so they can have fun with it,” father Bob Nuzum said.

The Dragon Wagon is equipped with all the essentials. “It’s got everything the big motor homes do.

There’s a dinette, a working stove, and it sleeps four comfortably,” Bob said.

“The best thing about the Dragon Wagon is it has a working toilet, so you don’t have to use kybos,” Billy said.

The gold and purple van is in great condition as well, according to Bob. “The Dragon Wagon has its original manual with it. It has good tires and only 85,000 miles on it,” he said.

The wagon has to be registered to someone who is at least 18 years of age, but otherwise, anyone is eligible to take part in the raffle.

“The Dragon Wagon was so much fun for soccer games and has been in the last two homecoming parades, but it’s good we’re getting rid of it. It’s time for it to have a new, young family,” Billy said.

Kelsey Hyde/BW

Johnston alumni Tyler Swett purchases a raffle ticket from Billy Nuzum to win the Dragon Wagon at the home game Oct. 13. The drawing for the raffle will take place at the last home game Oct. 27.

Ferocious fans fire up volleyball team at home, away

BY KYLE HANSON STAFF WRITER

Dan Haight/BW

Junior Troy Dubay high-fives a fellow fan after a point is scored. Dubay, like many fans, is wearing a volleyball hat.

The varsity volleyball team is having a year unlike ever before. Not only because of their 33-3 record, but also because the fan base that has grown immensely since last year.

The fans have been supporting the team in a way that is different compared to other years. The acquisition of new fans makes for a larger more intimidating crowd, creating a new hype on the court.

The newfound interest can partially be accredited to the large amounts of success the team is having, as well as the girls’ efforts to bring in a larger audience. “This team is having one of our best seasons since 1998,” head volleyball coach Rick Brooks said.

“The girls have done all they can to get more kids to go by talking to friends around school,” Brooks said. “Anytime the fans can add energy or intimidate the opposing team, it helps.”

Also according to Brooks, the fan base has been very similar to one present at a basketball game, an atmosphere that is normally uncommon for a sport such as volleyball.

Junior Jake Highfill, who attended only one game last year, has made an effort to make it to all games this year. “When the

fans are loud, I think were a big difference maker,” he said.

Highfill has friends that play for the team, but also enjoys the overall atmosphere. “My favorite part are the crowd huddles, and of course after a win,” Highfill said.

Highfill is not the only one who has come around to volleyball. Senior Kellen Johnson, who attended two games last year, has made it to all Tuesday games this year. “I have friends that play on the team,” Johnson said, explaining reasons why he goes. “But also your friends are always there (cheering) which makes it fun.”

Johnson, who plays for the boys’ varsity basketball team, believes the crowd can compare to one at a boys basketball game. “It’s a lot of fun because they are having a lot of success at number two in the state, plus there’s chicks,” Johnson said.

The girls’ 33-3 record can be accredited to hard work and good play on the court. However, any advantage the large fan base provides, they have capitalized on to have a great season.

To see the girls in action, watch the team play the winner of Des Moines North and Waukee in the regional semifinal on Oct. 25. The game begins at 7 p.m. at home. Student activity tickets will not be accepted and a fee of five dollars is required.

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SPORTS: what the athletes play October ‘06

Boys’ golf places in state golf tournament

BY SAM LEAHY OPINION EDITOR The boys golf team came up one spot short of bringing home hardware, receiving third in the state golf tournament in Davenport. This is the second consecutive time that the dragon golf team has placed.

Seniors Chris Williamson, Jordan Olson and Collin Coughlin led the team, which also consisted of juniors Jared Walahoski and Brent Goodenow and sophomore Mike Slavin.

In the two days of competition, the team shot a total of 626, only nine strokes behind the winner, Bettendorf.

Walahoski placed second individually, losing by two strokes to Nathan Leary of Waterloo West.

The tournament began on Oct. 6, with the team traveling to Davenport the afternoon before. “Once we got there we were able to map out at the course and take measurements to water and sand traps,” coach Steve Smith said.

The first day of play ended at Johnston only five strokes behind the leader of the time, Dowling Catholic.

“I thought we did a good job of keeping the ball the play,” Walahoski said.

One of the biggest challenges the team faced was playing the tournament without prior experience on the field. “For never playing the course before I was pretty impressed about how the team handled themselves,” Smith said.

“We were able to walk the course the night before, but we found out a lot more after playing the opening round,” Williamson said.

This was not the only challenge the team faced, as all six of Bettendorf’s players were current members at Crow Valley Golf Club, the location of the tournament.

“It was a huge advantage to Bettendorf to have their top six or seven players as members at the country club,” Smith said. “To only lose by nine shots was very impressive for our team,” Smith said.

While golf may have been the team’s main focus on the trip, the boys did other things to stay occupied. On the car ride up, they watched movies and played cards.

“This year, there were a lot of almost-family moments because the team bonded so well,” Smith said.

“After Friday’s round, we went to go see Departed as a team. Thursday night, we went to Biaga’s and Coldstone, which was delicious,” Williamson said.

With the golf season at a close, the team finished 118-17. According to Smith, after placing second last year and third this year, the next year seems promising.

“It is always the goal to win each year,” he said.

Jared Walahoski/Provided

(Above) Pictured from left to right: Jordan Olson, Chris Williamson, Mike Slavin, Collin Coughlin, Brent Goodenow and Jared Walahoksi. The team finished 118-17 for the year, ending with a third place finish the state tournament in Davenport.

(Below Right) Jared Walahoski swings his club in hopes to land the ball on the green. Walahoski received second place individually after shooting a two-day total of 149. He was two strokes behind the winner Nathan Leary of Waterloo West.

Score Board

Day 1

Day 2

Total

Jared Walahoski

75

74

149

Jordan Olson

83

78

161

Chris Williamson

81

80

161

Mike Slavin

80

87

167

Brent Goodenow

79

83

162 Jared Walahoski/Provided

Girls volleyball capture conference title After beating Southeast Polk, the volleyball team breaks Ankeny’s five-year conference champion streak

BY AMANDA LOWER DOUBLE TRUCK EDITOR It’s official: the varsity volleyball team is conference champions after winning the match against Southeast Polk. “It feels really good to finally achieve goals that you’ve had set for years, and beating teams like Ankeny that have notoriously been the power houses,” senior varsity volleyball player Susan Clausen said.

With a 33-3 record, the team is looking ahead to making a run for a state champion title. According to varsity volleyball head coach, Rick Brooks, he feels the team is in a good position on the road to the state tournament. “We have to ability to make that run at state, and we need to focus on trying to play for a state title,” Brooks said. “We would be undershooting if we were just glad to get to the state tournament.”

Varsity volleyball player Lauren Whitney has high hopes for the team’s chances at state. “We know that if we stay focused and work hard to win these next few games that the chances of us going (to the state tournament) are possible with hard work,” Whitney said.

According to Whitney, part of the team’s success is that they have conditioned very hard and have set high goals for themselves. One of the goals they set was to win 30 games.

Coach Brooks had set goals a few outcome and performance goals for the team as well. According to Brooks, outcome goals are objectives that are set for the team as a whole, performance goals are targets that are set for individuals. His outcome goals included win

Varsity Volleyball players Susan Clausen, Abby Sonner and Sarah Froehlich wait for the serve to transition into their blocking positions. the conference, win four of the five tournaments and make a run at a state championship. His performance goals included improve the defensive part of the team

and improve efficiency of hitters. Thus far, Brooks can say the team has achieved two of his outcome goals in winning the conference and winning four tournaments which include the Urbandale, Johnston, Ballard, and Oskaloosa Invitationals.

According to Brooks there are a few aspects of this team that separate them from last year’s varsity squad.

“There are three seniors who have three years of varsity experience under their belt (Susan Clausen, Sarah Froehlich, and Emily Kuster),” Brooks said. “Then there are other returning varsity players, who also know what to expect.” Another reason the team is even more successful then last year is the competitiveness throughout the team. Brooks said the team is very competitive and the girls are constantly challenging each other, but the team chemistry is still very good.

Whitney agrees that it is very competitive for spots on the varsity squad. “We have a lot of girls that have equal skill levels which makes things competitive,” Whitney said. “Everyone works hard and every person contributes to the team in their own way.” Whitney also says that this team is the closest any volleyball team has ever been. She says that everyone from sophomores to seniors get along well and are comfortable around each other.

“We love to have fun while playing well. We do a lot of things besides playing volleyball that have brought us closer together,” Whitney said.

The volleyball team is now closing in on their season with regional matches ahead of them. “It’s one and done now,” Brooks said. “We just need to win the next five matches and then we have a state champion title.”

r d e n A the winn is

. .

.

SAIL held a costume contest at their meeting on Thursday, September 30th. Three winners were selectively chosen due to their great outfits and participation in homecoming week.

CHRIS

or

juni

WILKIN SON

EEN

N BR A H T A N juni or

SUPERMAN

BANANA

Where did you get your costume? I got it at Nobbies to wear on costume day and maybe Halloween this year. I wanted to get a costume that I can wear the rest of my life.

Why did you pick your costume? I thought it would be really funny to get a superhero costume.

Why did you decide to take part in costume day? We got extra credit in Mrs. Beguhn’s chemistry class.

Did you think you would win the contest?

No, I was really surprised I won it.

Do you think that it’s important to take part in costume day? Yes, I think that it’s a good idea because it’s a fun way to get the spirit of the school up and get everyone involved.

Why did you pick your costume? It was getting close to costume day and I kind of wanted something unique.

Where did you get it? Nobbies Why did you take part in costume day? I didn’t really get into homecoming week earlier in high school.

Where did you get the idea for your costume?

I visited some people at UNI. A person has a gorilla costume and made me want something very unique.

What did you win for the contest? A four inch trophy with “Funniest Costume” on it.

Are you wearing it for Halloween? Yes. I like my candy.

THE

L E N A P

CHELS EA BER RY r unio

j

GO-GO GIRL Why did you pick your costume? I was just going through a costume box in my basement and it was all that fit.

Why did you take part in costume day?

It’s fun and we don’t have a lot of opportunities to goof off in school.

What did you win for the contest? A sash that said “Best Costume.”

Are you wearing it for Halloween? Probably not.

I don’t know if I’m going to do anything for Halloween.

Do you think it’s important to participate in costume day? It depends on the person. I have a sense of humor so I decided to do it.

Did you participate in all of the Homecoming days? All of them except dress up day.