October 2008 by JHS BlackandWhite

BLACKWHITE the black and white . october 2008 . volume 17 issue 10 . 515278044 . 96501 NW 62nd ave . johnston . iowa

one copy free

More Options with the New English Curriculum p.5

AP Government: Is It Necessary? p.6

The B&W Explores eBay p.10-11

The New Facebook p.7

How a Casino Works p.13

Students Examine All-State Options p.15 Spencer Vasey,(above) page byKallen Kramer

news

the change

Recently, the staff began discussions about switching the paper to a new format. We decided to redesign the newspaper to a totally rock-awesome size. Smaller papers are “in.” We also wanted the front page to grab your attention. Color is one way to that. Hence, the color on the front. Basically, we wanted to reinvent the paper — to make it like it has never been before. Now, you must be asking, “But newspaper staff, our paper is called The Black and White, not The Multi-Color.” But we aren’t changing the name. Let us spit some knowledge at you. Years ago, when this newspaper came into existence (1991), the staff of the time wanted to strive to report the truth in black and white with no gray area in between. Now, flash forward to 2008: our staff feels the same way. That’s what our name is all about. It isn’t about the color of the ink on paper. Our principal, Bruce Hukee, supported our efforts. He even found money to pay the color costs of the first three issues giving us time to figure out how we will pay for color second semester. Shout out to Hukee. If you would like to comment about the change, give feedback about anything covered in the paper, story ideas, or give all-around mad props contact us. Remember, this paper is yours. Thanks for reading. Write to thebandw@gmail.com with any suggestions, or just to chat. Tip your waitresses and enjoy the new issue.

in this issue feature

Center: grand opening Andserson wins award { Erik 3 { Fitness Looking at student loans 14 Food pantry National Merit Scholars Preparing for All-State Mac leads to new rules { { 4 Broken Andrew Meek performs again 15 News briefs 5 { English: new curriculum dungeon { Featuring: Troy Gordon editorial 16 6 { AP Government sports

opinion

Football 17{ Fantasy 0:00 overtime It! 18 { Work illnesses Big hits and sports bits 19 { Respiratory

7 { Astronomy Gas waste

Lyrics need respect { 8 Hu’s Happenins

review

backpage

Ben Folds Buddy Holly Minature reviews

20 { Savor the globe

doubletruck

10 {BEEANDUBZZZ on Ebay

entertainment

The Bookworm 12 {Calendar 13 { Gambling

the

BLACK&WHITE

STAFF 2008-2009

Steph Ivankovich

Kallen Kramer

Lauren Gehrke

Caroline Byrd

Haley Johnson

Julia Manning

Jeremy Mullen

Shawna Polen

Kiera Morrill

news editor

opinion editor managing editor

double truck editor backpage editor review editor

feature editor sports editor photo editor

Brittany Deal

editor in chief STAFF WRITERS Catherine Caracci, Nels Engblom, Jonathan Houp, Kevin Hu, Kelsey Kruse, Amy Lovejoy, Dwight Lykins, Kelly McGowan, Scott Monroe, Philip Mortens, Chelsea Nelson, Eric Oatts, Ben Vander Ploeg, Brennan Winget The Black and White title does not merely refer to the ink of our paper, but to the facts that we report. Our staff strives to report information to the student body in black and white.

what we’re about 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 bblosee@gmail.com or contact the school via phone at 515278-0449. 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.

NEWS

PAGE

OCT

New Fitness Center on track to open Kelly McGowan staff writer

The new fitness center is scheduled to open towards the end of Oct. with new equipment. Sophomore Garret Kanwischer is a football player that will be using the new fitness center. “It’s going to be really good for the athletics and its going to help us out with football so we will get stronger.” Kanwischer said. “There is so much anticipation,” Gary Ross, Athletic Director said. “Everyone wants to know what it will be like.” The new room will be made up of four stations. Station 1 will have freestanding weights, barbells, racks, and dumbbells. Station 2 will have lifting machines that work on specific muscle groups. Station 3 will have medicine balls, stability balls, bands, and ladders. Station 4 will have treadmills, bikes, and other cardiovascular machines. The cardiovascular station is what makes it a fitness center, not just a weight room. “More and more kids are being involved in programs, but not everyone could fit into the old room,” Ross said. P.E. teacher Dave Beason knows that the new fitness center is necessary for many reasons. There are several reasons that the new fitness center was necessary. A major contributing factor was the amount of room. The old weight room was crowded and stuffy with 60 people in it. The new fitness center can comfortably hold 100 or more people. The weight racks allow two people to be lifting at once, doubling the things that can be done in the same amount of time, with more room. All of the equipment is completely new, and the old equipment is completely functional and will be put up for auction in November. “We are trying to advertise, to get the word out to other schools wanting to upgrade their weight rooms,” Ross said. Ideally the school would like to sell all of the equipment, and they will sell some parts to individual buyers. The money from selling the old equipment will go towards the upkeep of the new room, or to offset some of the other costs from the fitness center. The use for the old room, once the old equipment is cleared out, is still being discussed. P.E. teacher and varsity football coach Brian Lutter is going to the teacher facility to decide what the old room will be used for.

Station One-Racks

Station Two-Lifting Machines

Station Three-Resistance

Station Four-Cardio Machines

The new Fitness Center is made up of four stations, lifting racks, specialized lifting machines, resistance activities, and cardio machines, much more than was available in the old weight room. “No final decision has been made, maybe a multi-purpose room for clubs like fencing or cheerleading and dance could practice there,” Lutter said. There may be some community ED activities in the new center, though details on that are still being decided. Nancy Buryanek is the Director of community ED. “We look forward to being able to offer some opportuni ties to our community in the area of wellness, using this new facility,” Buryanek said. There may be televisions on the walls, there is a top-notch sound system. “The only thing different from a real gym is the monthly payment,” Beason said.

Taking a look into student loans NELS ENGBLOM staff writer The constant exposure to the economic crisis may lead some students wondering how their college loans and payments will be affected. The answer to this question is more complicated than just yes or no. College Planning Center worker Steve Loven said it is too soon to determine for sure how students will be affected. The variance in payment options from student to student also makes it a difficult question to answer. Nonetheless, it is important for students to know how to get started with student loans. The first step to take in college payment is filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA). This form asks students about their financial status and other general payment question that colleges will be interested in. After completing this, you must send it into the college you plan on attending. “Any further information will come from the colleges financial aid office,” Loven said, “they will tell you what kinds and amounts of financial aid you are eligible for.” The normal first loan that students are eligible for is called a Stafford loan. The maximum amount allowed from a Stafford loan for a freshman is $5,500 Loven said. According to the Student Loan Buying Guide the com-

Private Loans Perkins Loan Stafford Loan

Yiming Qin/Illustration

bined Stafford limit that may be borrowed during an undergraduate’s attendance is $31,000 for dependant students and $57,500 for independent students. There are two types of Stafford loans. What changes from type to type is where the money comes from. It can either come from the federal government or from private lenders. One of the things that have changed the most as a result of the economy is where schools are getting their money. “Many private lenders are getting out of student loans,” Community Choice Credit Union manager Melissa Streck said.

Going Once...Going Twice... Old equipment will be put up for auction On November 8 At 9:00 in the morning In old weight room and small gym Individual units will be up for auction Cafeteria equipment. will be auctioned

Provided by Tim Kline All photos by Kelly McGowan/BW

Just like there are several options for secondary education options, there are also several different options for payment. The type of loan, private or federally funded, varies between schools. The kind of loans available varies greatly from individual to individual Loven said. Some students are eligible for further loans after the Stafford loan. The next step is called a Perkins loan. This is available to students who require more aid than the Stafford loan. If there is still need for more money parents are able to take out private loans or what is called a parent loan. These loans are done through private lenders (banks), rather than through the college like a typical loan. All students are also eligible for grant money and scholarships. Federal grants are available to all students but are different depending on the student and the chosen school. As a result of the struggling economy, many schools have been switching from using private lender loans to going through federal money. There are two reasons for these changes; the first is that colleges feel less confident in the private lenders as they potentially struggle. Secondly, is because many of the banks that was once in the business of college and student loans have stopped. It became either too difficult for them to keep up or not worth it. Large state schools like Iowa and Iowa State are not changing. Many larger schools were already using the federal program. The colleges affected were mostly private schools and smaller colleges Loven said.

NEWS

PAGE

OCT

Merit semi-finalists announced Alan Nagel ‘09

Senuri Jayatilleka

‘09

Kevin Shi ‘09

news briefs

New Breakfast Time in Cafeteria The school’s cafeteria is now open from 7:308:00 am. “If I don’t get breakfast in the morning then I can’t stop in between periods to grab something,” Katie Hinkle said. The transformation to a remodeled cafeteria offers less time for breakfast. More time is needed to prepare for the main meal served, lunch. “We have a lot to do to get ready for lunch, our main focus is lunch,” said Boe Stoebner, who is in charge of the cafeteria. There is less business in the morning now that study halls are in classrooms instead of the cafeteria. Employees can’t stay working on the cash register because more help is needed in the kitchen. “It’s actually helped us get lunch prepared and out there,” Lisa Vignovich, an employee in the kitchen said.

History Class Collects Shoes for Children AP World History has started another service project to aide Global issues. Samaritan’s fleet is the campaign whose goal is to provide ten million children with ten million shoes in ten years. Children in Mozambique, Nigeria, Peru, and Ecuador will receive the contributions. Youth sized shoes, 1-5, or $5 to buy shoes are acceptable donations. “These kids (students) want to show the rest of the world that the average American cares, the average student cares,” AP World History teacher, Jason Jauron said. Four countries were chosen to evenly distribute the shoes to. The hope is to raise 1,000 pairs of shoes by the end of October.

New Kum and Go to Open Soon There is a new Kum and Go under construction currently on Merle Hay Road, by the Johnston Public Library. It will be opening on November 21, and will be the 26th Kum and Go gas station in the Des Moines metro area, the third in Johnston. News briefs compiled by Kierra Morrill, photo editor and Eric Oatts, staff writer

Provided/Kevin Shi

Planned major?

Dwight Lykins/B&W

“Music and something in the social sciences side.”

Dream vacation?

“To go to the island of Antigua. I went there once before and I want to go back to kayak and go fishing.” CATHERINE CARACCI staff writer The National Merit Scholarship semifinalists for the 2008/2009 school year are Senuri Jayatilleka, Kevin Shi, and Alan Nagel. According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s web site, the program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. The exam consists of three separate sections on critical reading, math, and writing and takes two hours and ten minutes to complete. The critical reading and math portions each consist of two tests. “It’s harder than the PLAN test the same way the SAT is harder than the ACT,” Shi said. National Merit Scholars are eligible for

“I’ve been dreaming about going to a nice college.”

What is your planned major? “Although I haven’t made any definite plans as of yet, engineering seems to be a good bet.” What was your last dream? “The last dream I had I can’t even remember; it had a lot to do with me eating soup.”

scholarships ranging from partial to full. “It depends on what college you go to,” counselor Curt Larkin said. “Most state-sponsored colleges do (offer full scholarships), but not Ivy League schools.” In order to be eligible, a student must take the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) exam during their junior year. All scores are submitted to the College Board, the organization that sponsors the exam. The College Board recognizes around 50,000 students in April of their junior year who scored the highest. “Iowa students are only competing against other Iowa students (to be recognized),” Larkin said. In September, the College Board arrives at a pool of around 16,000 semifinalists from

this group of high scorers. Once students become semifinalists, they are required to take the SAT exam either their junior or senior year. They also must complete an application to be considered for a scholarship. The College Board then selects the students who receive scholarships. In February, around 15,000 finalists will be notified. From March to June, approximately 8,200 winners are selected and notified. “It is a great opportunity,” Larkin said. “Three out of four (National Merit Scholars) last year received full scholarships. The one that didn’t went to a school that didn’t offer it.” Students who are not chosen as National Merit Scholars may win special scholarships through the program that are provided by corporate and business sponsors.

Provided/Senuri Jayatilleka

What is your planned major? “Biology major and premed too.”

What are your dreams?

Accident causes new iMac to break, new rules follow STEPHANIE IVANKOVICH news editor

With the ring of the bell to switch the period, a senior’s chair pushed one of the new iMac computers forward, cracking the screen. It happened during the fourth to fifth period switch Allen of Computer Applications. Kristin Volesky is the teacher. She did not witness what happened, but heard he sound. “I was just a little shocked and a little disappointed that we didn’t see it coming because those computers are top heavy,” Volesky said.

Senior, Trent Allen was the student who accidently did it. “As the bell was ringing I got up really fast and my chair bumps into the computer behind me and causes the computer screen to crack,” Allen said. “I was stunned. I just stood there with my eyes wide open in amazement. I thought I broke the whole entire computer, but it was just the monitor screen,”Allen said. “Now people have to put their backpacks in the other room,” Allen said. “And the next day all the kids were looking at me weird (when I came in) and they were unhappy with me.” For anyone that goes into Lab 218, no backpacks are allowed and they must put it in the video studio to the right of the lab.

Sophomore Kristin Bunting has Graphic, Sound and Animation in Lab 218 and is one of the many students who must put their backpacks in the other room. “I think it’s dumb (that we can’t carry backpacks in the room) because it was an accident and girls that have bags over their shoulder still have to put their bags in the other room, and they don’t get in the way,” Bunting said. Allen did not have to pay the damages. Tim Brickley has different classes in Lab 218. “With labor and what not, the cost is around $200 to replace the glass,” Brickley said. “The glass fell away from the screen so it didn’t puncture it and the hard drive was not damaged.”

NEWS

PAGE

OCT

New English curriculum provides new options for students

Classes offer unique choices

Black&White

Student PANEL

COURSE GUIDE

AMY LOVEJOY

Students weigh in on the new curriculum.

On the Road

A Teen in the World

Power of Persuasion

This class will explore various journeys, and think about how we grow and change as individuals from the journey experience.

Students will examine various ways that teens define, create and live in the world. They will study how teens manage conflict, peer pressure, parents, and social expectations.

This class will study various skills involved in argument. Students will practice analytical strategies that will help them approach arguments critically and make observations about their effectiveness.

Reading the Screen

Students will explore the outer limits of human imagination, experience and endurance. Topics will include how humans make amazing discoveries, how they deal with extreme emotions and how do they push the boundaries of society.

This class will address a wide range of literature not traditionally read in an English class that build on other areas studied in school. It is ideal for students who are interested in other subjects, such as science, history, or sociology.

AP English

Debate

Acting

This year-long course will help develop a student’s critical reading, writing, and thinking skills related to the analysis, investigation, and critique of literature. It is for students capable of doing college level English work.

This elective course will follow the Public Forum Debate style and the IHSSA format of events. The class will teach students how to effectively research, reason, analyze, and communicate arguments in an effective manner. The final exam of the course is to actually compete in a formal debate.

This course introduces various aspects of theatre. Students will be expected to memorize lines, compose character analysis papers, act on-stage, and participate in an evening production. This course has no prerequisites, and does not count for an English credit.

YEAR

Pilot

AND ELECTIVES

Frameworks II

Pushing the Limits Cross Currents

Capstone Courses

The English curriculum is being revamped for the 2009-10 school year. It is being redesigned to provide more classes and options for students, and also to combine different subject areas. This year is the pilot year, where teachers will be testing out different books and units. They will also begin writing the new curriculums this year. “Students should not be experiencing reading separate from writing, viewing, and speaking,” English teacher Sarah Wessling said. “They should all be integrated.” This new plan, three years in the making, orginated for several reasons. First, the curriculum needed to be updated in order to match the Iowa Model Core Curriculum, which will become a state mandate. The state model works to ensure that all Iowa students have access to a rigorous and relevant curriculum and to provide a tool for educators to ensure that their subject matter is being taught and essential knowledge is being learned. Also, a curriculum review, which occurs every seven years, called for a change. In addition to this, many teachers felt a change needed to be made after freshmen left the building. “There was a sense (among the staff) that the English curriculum needed to be reconfigured,” Wessling said. The new curriculum will provide many new options for students by tailoring classes to their interests. New classes will include studies in cultural and gender issues, sports and journalism. Students will choose classes among the Frameworks I and II courses, and Capstone courses. “Students felt like (they were taking) a series of required courses that didn’t speak to their interests,” Wessling said. The new additions start with sophomores, who will be taking a year-long integrated language arts class. Speech will no longer be offered, although Advanced Speech is available as a Frameworks II course. Juniors will be able to choose two courses from either Frameworks plan, each course being a semester long. One course will emphasize writing, the other, reading. The majority of the classes are just a semester long. Seniors will also be able to choose from either Frameworks option, as well as Capstone courses, such as AP English, that will provide a more in-depth study of language. Students enjoy the additional choices this new curriculum will provide for them. “The classes are a lot more specific, so it’s easier to pinpoint your interests,” junior Jeff Oatts said.

Frameworks

staff writer

“I’ve added some things to put an equal emphasis on visuals and writing.”

Leslie Shipp

This class builds a critical vocabulary that will allow students to approach movies as artistic texts. Students will learn the basics of film craft, and revisit such concepts of conflict, characterization, setting, metaphor, and symbolism. Significant viewing of films will take place.

Sophomore English is testing out new books, such as Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees.

“In Advanced (Composition) we have to write speeches now, it used to just be papers.”

Elena Malycheva ‘09

Publications Advisor Teachers are testing new books and units in order to prepare for the new curriclum next year.

Elena Malycheva ‘09 “When you’re done with a speech class you don’t practice as much. But it’s good to brush up on the basics all four years in high school.”

Ethan Kumbera ‘11 “I hate English as it is, I don’t want to take a whole year of it instead of just a semester.”

Jeff Oatts ‘10 “(The classes) are a lot more specific, so it’s easier to pinpoint your interests.”

“At the end

of the semester, we’re going to evaluate to see what work’s, doesn’t works, and what needs to be tweaked.” -Jane Altman

EDITORIAL

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OCT

AP Government: a necessary option for senior students

PROCESSES

With 12 Advanced Placement (AP) classes and 10 classes that offer the option of dual credit through Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), it comes as a surprise that government is not one of them. Not having an AP Government class does in no way mean that people do not study and take the AP Government test. Government teacher Jeremy Yenger leads study sessions that begin to take place five weeks prior to the test date in the spring. These sessions are held once a week for two hours. Last year, they were held on Wednesdays from three to five. Yenger said that he covers the format of the test, sample multiple-choice questions, and sample free response questions on top of a general review of the material. Ben Knight said that its good that the current setup forces advanced students to take classes with everyone else. All three government teachers agree that it is important for a government class to be composed of different types of people, because that is how a government is formed. They also agree that having AP would distort this. “As a society, this is the last time we’ll have all of you together no matter your social economic status,” government teacher Patrick Hennes said. “We look at this as an opportunity for all of us to sit down with each other and see what thoughts or opinions our fellow citizens have.” This philosophical reasoning does not make sense because of one main error the teachers made. The teachers assume having AP would take away from the diversity of the classes. This is simply not the case. Last year in Jerry Kinder’s AP US History classes, there were upper-middle class students and lower-middle class students. Therefore, the AP Government class may reflect these similar statistics. Also, having AP would not distort the regular government classes because many people with the same intellect as a student taking AP dislike the AP curriculum and prefer taking the regular course. Students of varying intellects enjoy discussion and have different economic statuses. The government teachers also expressed concern about how they would fit the Service Learning Project (SLP) in with the AP curriculum. The majority of the SLP is done outside of the classroom. There are several days are taken to discuss the students’ experiences with the project. These days can be freed up by covering more AP material in the days leading up to the discussion. However, regardless of the reasons we do not offer AP Government and despite the study sessions offered to prepare for the AP test, it is imperative for AP Government, or at least government with dual-credit through DMACC, to be offered. There are a multitude of reasons for AP Government, the most obvious being the opportunity to earn college credit. With the expenses of college continually increasing and the recent collapse of the world market, offering free

college credit through high school courses can help many students and their families save money. Graduate David Zhang entered the University of Iowa with 30 college credits earned through AP classes. “If AP Government was offered last year, I certainly would have taken it,” Zhang said. “Like I say, raise the bar and the kids will keep up, particularly if you do it via offering AP, allowing each student to choose for him or herself the appropriate class.” Offering college credit through high school helps begin a student’s college career early. This saves the student and the student’s family some other expenses, such as those spent on college books, room, and board. A good example is how American National Government at DMACC is worth three college credits. If government offered dual credit, students would be able to earn these credits without stepping foot on one of the many DMACC campuses throughout the metro. Besides the point of earning college credit, having the actual AP class will theoretically better prepare a larger number of students for the AP Government exam in May. Some students are too busy to attend study sessions outside of school while others are less motivated or feel significantly less prepared to take the AP test without the actual class being provided. Government teacher Ben Knight said the goal is to get more students taking the AP test. What is a better way than to provide the class, which may help motivate more students? Although earning college credit is a plus of taking an AP class, AP classes provide students that learn faster with the rigor they need. Most teachers agree that students learn in different ways and at different paces. The current government curriculum is designed so that everyone can pass and graduate. In essence, it is designed with the slower learners in mind. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, but what about the faster learners? Are they simply to sit around bored in class? This is where AP can assist teachers in providing the rigorous learning their more advanced students require. AP Government needs to become a class. At the very least, the option of receiving dual-credit should be offered. Some students need increased rigor. Others simply desire the college credit. Either way, having an AP Government class would benefit the school.

Proposing a new class

Adding AP to the curriculum

Making a class dual credit

Costs to district for AP

propose new class to the principal proposal taken to Building Leadership Team (BLT) meeting

specific curriculum that needs to be followed must submit syllabus to the college board for approval

must have Masters in subject area to teach; those without a Masters in the field must still have a Masters plus 12 hours in subject area standards and benchmarks of class must match not only Johnston’s, but those also of DMACC it is an agreement between the school and DMACC

materials (i.e. books, specialized equipment, other resources)

proposal then taken to Academic Affairs, a school board sub-committee proposal goes to the board; it is then either approved or rejected

staff receive training provided by the college board, especially if they do not have a Masters

training provided by the college board help students pay for exams when there is a fee waiver proctors needed for exams; Larkin organizes the rooms

EDITORIAL

PAGE

OCT

Music industry lacks creativity While some bands aim for more than just a radio hit others put little into their work BEN VANDER PLOEG staff writer “Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake, uh shake it,” Trace Cyrus, the co-frontman of poppunk band Metro Station, sings as I turn on the radio. “Shake it” managed to make the Top Ten charts in Billboard in June. This song, like many of today’s hits, features little to no musical talent or creativity. The more I listen to the radio the more I am disappointed by today’s “popular music.” Musicians have become lazy and complacent with throwing together one song after not caring about the time, talent or creativity that went into it. Whether it be the protest music of the 60s, the anthems of various countries, or even hymns, music has been used through out history to change people’s way of thinking or inspire them in some sort of way. Musicians have explored new frontiers of music and tried to create something new and totally different. Their main goal was not to bring in huge crowds, but they played for the love of the music. It may seem like there is no where left to go for today’s musicians, but that doesn’t

mean they should stop trying stretch their view of music and how it applies to our culture. They have given in to the social norm just to make money. Money should not be placed above music. All this is going on while other bands that are trying to put music together as a full package are ignored or frowned upon. They pour time, energy, and creativity into their music so they can give the listener a song that contains talent, creativity, and thought provoking lyrics. Striving to go deeper than your typical love song or radio hit. All this work and yet the bands who write a song (that this band could write in less than hour) are getting all the attention and money. Do not get me wrong the music industry has not totally lost it. There are some bands that put lots of work into their music and are being rewarded for it. The media has recognized who are doing pretty well, and are still constantly trying to change up their sound and become better musicians. Bands that are not content writing two albums that sound the same. Showbread, a band that continues to stretch their role as musicians, performers, and artist has taken their album writing to a new level. They did not just go into the studio with twenty songs that have the same chord

“Creativity and artistic endeavors

have a mission that goes far beyond just making music for the sake of music.” -Herbie Hancock

progressions, structure and lyrics that took all of 10 minutes to write. Instead they took their already creative style a step farther. They wrote two stories, one about a girl named Anorexia and one named Nervosa. Each of these stories was then set to music. The music was written to be listened to while following along with the story. These songs and stories were separated into two albums. The songs complete the stories, the stories complete the songs, and the albums complete each other. Not only did they completely go against how albums are normally written, they also changed their style and put time and thought into their lyrics. I believe this is the approach bands should take when writing an album. To stretch themselves and their genre. I’m not saying bands need to redefine the industry, just that they take their music seriously. You can still write catchy, fun, popular songs that have depth to them.

Bands bring more to industry Showbread is not the only band showing creativity, here are two other examples of bands that I believe put time and thought into their music.

Underoath Lost in the Sound of Separation Underoath is known for stretching the bounds of the Metal. A genre that usually either displays talent or the lack there of. With each cd they strive to change their style and explore new possibilities. Not wanting to do the same thing twice. When writing they think that aspect of the album is important. Whether it be lyrics instruments or vocals Underoath continues to strive for excellence.

Mayday Parade A Lesson in Romantics Not only does Mayday Parade put time and thought into their creative riffs and tight harmonies, they surpass many of today’s bands in lyrical ingenuity. Writing love songs that go beyond what you typically hear on the radio.

Our favorite quirks from our favorite AZN KEVIN HU staff writer

New Facebook Layout

If you live in the 21st century, you probably have heard about a thing called Facebook. Log on for about two seconds and you’ll notice the plethora of angry users, claiming their way of life has been ruined by the new layout of Facebook, and here is what I have to say to them: Grow up. Being a Facebook user for about 3 years now, you would think I would hate the layout. Quite the contrary, the new layout is a lot more user-friendly, more convenient, less cluttered, and makes things easier to access. Also, the new layout prevents “creeping” from unknown strangers. Here’s a story for the millions of angry metathesiophobiacs out there. Back in the day, April 23rd, 1985, Coca-Cola attempted to change their formula, with tests confirming that people preferred their new formula over their old formula and Pepsi. When unveiled, people were outraged. Against all research that the new Coca-Cola was better tasting, the people disregarded this and continued in uproar. They wanted the old Coca-Cola back, and after a period of discontent, Coca-Cola listened to the customers and went back to the “classic” taste. Even though the new one was better. Moral of the story? People are stupid. Change is normal and natural. Live with it.

Hu’s Happenin’s

Extending Breakfast

3rd period is my favorite period of the day. Not only do I get to participate in this wonderful paper right before your eyes, I get to grab myself a little bit of breakfast and a drink to last me through the day, until now. Now that the new cafeteria has brought us all these new foods, beautiful atmosphere, and quick lines, they seem to be skimping over the simple necessities us studious children need: extended breakfast periods. I get my breakfast and energy from breakfast. Without something in my stomach, I starve throughout blocked 5th and 6th period calculus, and without a little bit of Propel, I can’t stay awake for half my classes. Some people can’t come in within the “30 minute time period,” like the late arrival students. Others are too busy procrastinating their homework, or rushing to school at the last second, squeezing out as much sleep time as possible. Let me run down how much money the cafeteria is losing. Keeping in mind that I just might be the cafeteria’s best customer, I used to get two or three rice crispy bars (which by the way, need to come back), a breakfast sandwich, and a bottle of berry Propel. Add these up, and you’ll get about 3 dollars. Multiply that by 180 school days ($540 for those of you who need a calculator) and then multiply that by all you students that are ticked off about breakfast time being reduced, and you’ll have a boatload of money. Maybe my parents are happy with the money they’re saving now that I can’t buy my morning breakfast, but I’m not the least bit enthralled.

OPINION

PAGE

OCT

Astronomy needs to be added SHAWNA POLEN review editor Flipping through the course selection book, students see the large array of classes to choose from. The newest classes added look awesome, like the complete revamping of the English curriculum, and a few others in math and science. The school has a wide range of electives to choose from too, from Myths and Legends to psychology, helping students find something that they may want to pursue as a career. A great addition to the list would be an astronomy class. Investigations in science briefly covers a section on astronomy in two chapters. We need a separate class. Remember back in fifth grade when we learned about the planets and the solar system? Making those weird models and learning that if you look at the sun to long that you would go blind? But if you think about it, that is all we learned. Just the basics, like, what the other planets were called and how far away they were. Not much to go on. I remember in elementary, my class was taken into the gym and a huge inflatable dome was set up. After we all crawled inside, the teacher turned out the lights and the dome lit up with the constellations. The teacher would say what each constellation was and told us how we could find it outside. But, I can truthfully say that now I only remembered the Big and Little Dipper. Students would take an astronomy course to learn more about the unknown and by doing so, possibly open the door to a career . Adding an astronomy class could offer time to delve deeper into the solar system, teaching the students things like how the solar system works, what stars make which constellations, and why Pluto is not a planet anymore.

Shawna Polen/BW

Not only that, but it’s important that we learn about what is out in the universe, and how it effects us. Even now, scientists are experimenting, and creating black holes to observe how they effect Earth and other parts of the solar system. Adding any class is a difficult process. If the idea were to stem from student demand, the students would take there idea to a teacher in that area, who then comes up with the

curriculum. Then the idea travels to the principle and lastly to the board. If approved, it takes about three years to get the actual course started. Human beings have looked on the stars since the beginning of time, putting names to them, worshiping them and trying to learn more about them. If future generations only knew the basics, all the wonders of the solar system would slowly fade away.

Police waste gas, resources, and our money PHILIP MORTENS staff writer In a country so concerned about the rising dependence on foreign oil and non-reusable resources, one would think efforts would be made to change the trend. In a time fixed on changing the way society works, live, and thinks, where the presiding governmental body should be taking action to stem the rising tide of high gas prices, which continues to fluctuate as days go by. But alas, all the government, national and local alike, seems to do is talk. For an example, I visited Planet Sub because one of my friends works there. Four state trooper vehicles, parked outside, were just running with not a single soul in any of them. I asked my friend how long they’d been there. As it turns out the troopers had been eating for around 45 minutes. But no matter how bad this feat may seem, there is a reason behind it. Believe it or not, in every police car there is anywhere near $20,000-30,000 worth of necessary equipment, ranging from high-speed computers to radar guns. And the reality of the situation is, that while the car is off, all of this equipment must remain running for the dispatchers to see the positions of the vehicles, and for necessary functions to occur. While most people will say just run all the stuff off the battery and let it go with that, unfortunately the truth in the situation is that the battery gets run down anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes, depending on the car. This unfortunately leads to the gas-wasting problem, which is amplified by the fact that every shift, a single car goes through a quarter of a tank of gas. Take that times the three shifts a day, and the number

Ga$ Guzzl’in $tatistics + x x

Average price of 2009 police intercepter

$20,739

Average price for one day of gas usage

$42.75

Total number of police cars in Johnston fleet

One year

Estimated cost to operate Johnston’s fleet with ‘09 vehicles and $3.00 a gallon gas

of cars in each unit and that’s a ton of needless gas wasted! Even worse, think how many police cars there are in America, the numbers are tremendous. To fix this situation, police officers should begin to look towards an alternate energy source instead of their big V8 engines to power all this equipment. They could easily invest in a bigger auxiliary generator, or some sort of lithium battery that could charge when it was necessary for the car

$176,776.50

to be actually running. If Chevrolet can make a entire car run on a massive lithium battery, then it shouldn’t be a problem for them to run just equipment. This would save the officers from being forced to leave their car on to maintain the operational status of their equipment and allow for the officers to keep taking their breaks with out breaking the tax payers.

REVIEW

PAGE

OCT

Buddy exceeds expectations A-

The Paper Trail T.I.

CAROLINE BYRD opinion editor

Jake Swesey

When I first saw that Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story was coming to the Des Moines Playhouse, I didn’t think much about it. When my phone rang and one of my good friends started screaming about how he had landed a roll in the production, I decided I would go see it. Even though I tend to be quite the music nut, the history of Buddy Holly was not my expertise. However, I was curious. As the ushers directed me to my seat, I notice the crowd was older. The seats where filled with people who could have witnessed Holly’s last performance, Feb. 2, 1959, in Clear Lake, Iowa. Excitement filled the Performances: 5 auditorium as the curtain shows a week; 25 total was drawn to reveal the first scene of the 20-member cast Rolls: Drummer in musical. Billy McGuigan played opening band, Radio Dj, Holly. McGuigan has apBack-up singer peared in over 350 performances of Holly; the perPractices: 2-3 times a week at night formance at the playhouse Why Buddy?: “I love Buddy Holly’s music.” being his last one. His costars included Elisabeth A. Ballstadt as Marina Elena, Holly’s wife, and Steve Hickle as the producer of Holly’s record label, Decca Records. Throughout the beginning of the performance, I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t too impressed until Act 1, Scene 7. That is when Chenita Marie Smiley made her playhouse debut as an Apollo Theatre Performer. Her voice in the song “True Love,” was pure and effortless. My opinion was changed. McGuigan did a stellar job of capturing every aspect of how Holly seemed to be; from the pride he had about his music, to the love between he and his wife, and even to his vocal styles. Backed by an outstanding and energetic cast Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story proved that you don’t need pop-style vocals, sequence costumes or black flips to put on a top-notch production.

Produced by T.I.P and Jason Geter Released Sept. 30 Favorite track: “What Up, What’s Haapin” The Paper Trail is a great album full of serious and up-beat hip-hop songs. One favorite would be “You Ain’t Missin’ Nothing.” The lyrics are very powerful. It basically says that if you feel like giving up, don’t, because times will get better. Along with the lyrics, the beat is great. It is a house beat which makes the song more intense. The album has a total of 12 tracks featuring artists such as Lil Wayne, JayZ, Kanye West and many more.

MUSIC

The Grade

T.I.

Ben Folds

C-

Katie Perry

Force One Seven

A-

Taylor Swift

Jason Mraz

B-

Lil Wayne

Fall Out Boy

Monster Quest

A-

Monster Quest

A-

Provided/DM Playhouse

Folds chokes on“Way to Normal” C-

Boston Legal on ABC

JEREMY MULLEN managing editor

Many people in their lives must eventually live through the tragedy of a “choke”. For Cubs fans, Iowa State Fans, and more recently Iowa Fans, it has been a part of their lives. However for the thousands of loyal Ben Folds fans in the world, a choke would be the last thing we all expect from Mr. Folds. However, his latest album Way to Normal released Sep. 30, is exactly that. Way to Normal is Folds’ third solo release since the breakup of his band Ben Folds Five. Folds has used bassist Jared Reynolds and drummer Lindsay Jamieson on his previous solo release Songs for Silverman as well as on Way to Normal. Although Folds is an excellent musician and piano player, it seems his quality of music has gone downhill since his first truly solo album, Rockin’ the Suburbs, in which he played nearly every instrument. The entire theme of Way to Normal seems to be Folds’ now lack of “coolness.” Recently, Folds has even began to sell shirts that say “I heart’d Ben Folds, before he sucked.” Although it’s meant to be taken as a joke, it’s almost like Folds is using these shirts as an excuse to make terrible music. In older tracks, listeners could paint a picture of all of Folds’ characters vividly in their heads. A hard working newspaper writer getting laid off (“Fred Jones Pt. 2”). A young man who trips on acid at a party, only to become a saved by Jesus Christ the next day (“Not the Same”). Or maybe his most popular story of two people that were so meant to be together that the wife died one day after the husband (“The Luckiest”). Now, it seems as though Folds is purposely trying to create the most goofy character he can, just so he can add some extreme guitar and piano distortion into a song to make it as terrible as possible. Tracks like “The Frown Song”, “Free Coffee”

Airs monday at 9pm Stating James Spader and William Shatner Boston Legal kicks off it’s fifth and final season this year with a bang. The show which is centered around the story of several high class boston attorneys, stars James Spader and William Shatner. A mix of both comedy and court drama this show is gaurnteed to entertain. And being in it’s finals season I am sure there are suprises to come. Boston Legal airs on ABC at 9pm central time.

Movies/TV Provided/Sony BMG

and “Dr. Yang” disappoint with this high distortion, and leave the listener wondering what the purpose of the song was. “You Don’t Know Me”, the albums single featuring Regina Spektor, is possibly the only bright spot. It’s musically catchy, but like the rest of the album, it lacks lyrical substance. One also may grin and chuckle while listening to the creative lyrics of “Effington” a song about a less than normal town Folds decides to inhabit. Way to Normal is not lacking anything on Folds’ ability to produce quirky and goofy music, but it is lacking the thought and effort that was easily present in elder albums. Folds used to pick fun at himself and others in a creative and interesting way. However, when listening to his newest creation, you may wonder if you have the same track on repeat being that almost every song has the same silly sound and poor use of his amazing musical talents. It seems as though the interesting characters that were once created and formed in my head have now gone missing to Folds’ pointless rants. “Sorry Mr. Folds, but I’ve opened my eyes, and I’m walking out the door of Bestbuy without your new CD. “

The Grade

Boston Legal

Monster Quest

Storm Chasers

Nick & Norah

Eagle Eye

Choke

Time Warp

Paris Hiltons New BFF

Quarantine

B-

Eli Stone

A-

B&W uses eBaY

The Black and White created an eBay account under the user name of beeandubzzz, and set out to get some first-hand experience on eBay. This put us in contact with eBay users from around the world. Listed items included the following:

Wilson Advantage Tennis Raquet Starting Bid Price: $0.25 Ending Bid: $15.50

Joey is Just an Alias T-Shirt Starting Bid Price: $0.01 Ending Bid: $1.75

2008 Yearbook Award Trophy Starting Bid Price: $0.25 Ending Bid: DID NOT SELL

2007-2008 Black and White Collection Starting Bid Price: $0.01 Ending Bid: DID NOT SELL

2007-2008 Pieces Yearbook Starting Bid Price: $5.00 Ending Bid: DID NOT SELL

Exploring eBay: B&W’s online shopping experience

[

EBay is known as the world’s online marketplace. It helps people buy and sell locally, nationally and internationally. According to eBay.com there are 100 million people around the world that use eBay. It was created over Labor Day weekend in 1995, by a computer programmer named Pierre Omidyar. To make buying and selling easier, safer, and quicker, a service called PayPal was created. It allows for the purchase of items with a credit card, and insures safety with a fraud prevention system. PayPal was created in October of 2002 and has 149 million registered users. EBay’s empire is strengthened by numerous other online trade sites, such as Stubhub, used for purchasing tickets, and rent.com, one of the leaders in apartment sales in the United States.

]

Selling on eBay

n Obviously apart from buying, selling items is another purpose to eBay. “We used eBay to sell my sisters old car,” Junior Steven Williams said. “It was a 1996 Lexus ES 300.” Selling things on the site is done by simply entering information about the item, how much it is selling for, and how it will be delivered. “I thought that the process was really hard. You have to go into detail on every little scratch, and take lots of pictures. It was just very time consuming.” Williams said. Although Williams has yet to but something from eBay, he is always looking around. “I found the whole set of the seasons of One Tree Hill, but people keep bidding on it so its up to like $100,” Williams said.

Odd things on eBaY

On a quick look through the thousands of pages on ebay, one can find many weird items not seen everyday. Listed below are the strange, awkward, and possibly over-priced items B&W found:

Milk Bone shaped like Connecticut price: $.56

Smiley face potato chip price: $.01

Buying on eBaY

Antiques, DVDs, clothing; eBay practically has it all. Senior Aaron Meyer used eBay to buy Power Risers. “(Power Risers) are those stilts with springs that kind of curve out,” Meyer said. “It was the biggest, spontaneous buy ever. I saw them when I was little on MTV Music Award, and remembered them one day, so I googled it, and eBay came up.” Meyer said. EBay’s network is cast all around the world. “The Power Risers I bought were from Europe,” Meyer said. “The guy listed them on eBay, and then would order them from Europe for you. It was a much easier process than trying to do that myself.” When selling an object, the seller sets an original price, allowing for people to make bids on the item, giving eBay an auction type feel. If an item sparks interest, there is a “watch” option that allows the shopper to keep an eye on the time left and the bids set for it. Items on eBay can be originally set for a maximum of 10 days. Once the item’s time runs out, it can be posted again, but it costs a fee, like it did when originally posting it. “I spent $350, which is probably about the price of getting them anywhere else,” Meyer said.

Other eBaYers:

J.T. Minor, Senior

“I bought a Super Nintendo and along with Super Nintendo games for 50 dollars. Also I sold a Digitech GNX-4 multi-effects processor for a guitar, I sold it for only 50 dollars less than the price I bought it for. In both selling and buying I got good deals.”

Spencer

Vasey, Sophomore

“My dad has bought alot of stuff on ebay: Vox guitars and amps, cars, and band signs and posters. It drives my mom nuts.”

Taylor Knuth, Senior

"I am looking for a temporary phone that I can use until my plan is up. They are all under 50 dollars, I just can't decide which one I want."

Ajdin Nadarevic, Senior

"I bought a phone cover for a Motorola Q, but they sent me the wrong one. I was too mad to send it back."

Taxidermy armadillo price: $149.99

Classic painting price: $60,000

Music/sound activated flashing t-shirt price: $31.99

“I bought self-tying shoe laces for $10.”

Vickie Borich

"I bought two woods for 85 dollars. They would have normally been about 140 dollars a piece from the store so I saved quite the chunk of change."

Compiled by Haley Johnson (backpage editor) and Eric Oatts (staff writer)

-Drew Wilson, Senior

ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE

* * * *

Learn Something New Dreams Your mood for the day can be set by what kind of dream you have. Brain waves are more active when we are sleeping.

Remember in November SHAWNA POLEN review editor

15 Event:

Nov.

Lazer 103.3 RGS w/ Hairball

Left brain dreaming: logical and rational.

Business: Val air ballroom Time: Door: 6p.m., Show: 8p.m. Admission: $15 Phone: 515-223-6152

The amount of dreams someone has varies, but the norm would be about 5-7 per night.

* * * Brush up The Old

8 Event:

Nov.

You sleep about 1/3 of your life.

Polar Plunge

Right brain dreaming: intuitive. You forget 90% of your dreams.

Sunshine

B+ Robin McKinley

BY: Shawna Polen Robin McKinley’s plays on the myths of vampires, demons and a little magic, pulling out a wonderful story. Sunshine delves into the life of Ray Seddon, a local baker who spends all her time making cinnamon rolls “the size of people’s heads.” One evening after a long day at work, she decides to take a trip to the cabin that her parents used to own by a lake. Sitting on the porch steps, she is kidnapped by a group of vampires and taken to an old mansion miles away, and thrown into a fight between two master vampires, changing the outcome of her life. What started out as a predator and prey relationship between Sunshine and Constantine (one of the master vampires) has evolved into what could almost be called friends, to take down Beauregard, (the other master vampire) whom have been fighting since the beginning of the American colonies. McKinley joins the small but growing

Business: Big Creek St. park Time: Reg: 11a.m., start: 12p.m. Admission: www.firstgiving.com/soiowa Phone: 515-986-5520

Provided by/Special Olympics of Iowa

Provided by/Lazer 103.3 & Val Air Ballroom

The BookWorm

OCT

group of authors writing about vampires. Though the topic may be the same, McKinley makes the myths uniquely hers. To begin with, there is nothing special about Ray, the main character, except for her amazing baking. Or at least that is what you think until you find out that her nickname, Sunshine, is more than just a name. Secondly, McKinley has an unusual take on vampires. They used to be human, but when becoming a vampire, they lose all human traits. Her vampires retain basic human shape, but more closely resemble aliens. Yet all of McKinley’s characters in Sunshine have real personalities that everyday people can connect to, and grow to like in one way or another. McKinley also uses more than just vampires. She adds Were-people, demons, fairies, pixies and ward-crafters, for a variety of characters, pulling the reader in. At only 405 pages, Sunshine is not a long book, but for some reason it took me longer than normal to finish. Not being able to pinpoint why for sure, in theory, I had to concentrate on what I was reading to fully understand it properly. Sunshine is by no means hard to read, readers just have to take their time reading so as not to miss anything in the plot line. The end of Sunshine was a cliff hanger for me, not a drastic one, but enough of one that I want the story to continue. With luck, McKinley will, continue Sunshine and Constantine’s story living in the vampire world. For questions, comments or feedback, e-mail me at Batty_forlife@yahoo.com

25 1 Event:

Nov.

Jan.

Jolly Holiday Lights

Business: Waterworks park Time: 5:30 - 10p.m. Admission: $9/ car, $45/ bus Phone: See website Provided by/Make a Wish of Iowa

Date

Event

Website/ Phone Number

Nov.

Day of the Dead

http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/

Nov.

OAR concert

http://www.ticketmaster.com

Mayday Parade & The Maine

http://desmoines.metromix.com/

Nov.

515-277-4405

515-422-1528

Nov.

15-16

Bugs Bunny on Broadway

http://www.dmsymphony.org/

Nov.

26-30

Festival of Trees & Lights

http://www.festivaloftrees.com/

26-30

Disney on Ice/ 100 yrs. of magic

http://www.iowaeventscenter.com/

Nov.

515-243-2300

515-241-6494

515-564-8300

ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE

OCT

HOW DOES A CASINO WORK?

THE CASINO

Casino’s around the county have two primary types of gaming. First are the slots and second are table games. Table games have a wide variety of types, and even more rules. You have your poker games which in themselves have several versions of the game, and you also have your craps your roulette, and blackjack. Slots are the other side of the gaming world. Slots run on a credit system when money is deposited, and depending on your luck, you occur points which are then able to be redeemed for money. Some casinos such as Iowa’s own Prairie Meadows also offer horse racing which is a daunting game. Centered around mathematical odds and statistics calling a race can make you rich or poor. A huge role in casinos is to re-invest profits in the community they live in. Read some more to find out what is inside the doors of a casino.

THE CASINO FLOOR. 1

WHERE TO EAT

Restaurants pertain to Prairie Meadows in Altoona Iowa

TRIPLE CROWN EATERY

Triple Crown Eatery is a buffet style dinning experience where everyone can come and eat. Bring the whole family. Prices and menu items very depending on the date. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday are prime rib special; for $14.95, come in and get fresh cooked prime rib. The menu changes everyday and includes the following. A salad bar garnished with fresh greens is always available. Entrees’ include, broasted chicken, a fish of the day which is covered in a different sauce each time, and your usual meats, beef and pork. There is also a wide verity of desserts from fresh pies and cakes to good ol’ soft serve.

AJs Fine Dining

For a little more upscale experience AJ’s fine dining is another all ages eatery. Serving steaks grilled to perfection and a french onion soup to die for. Open Tuesday thru Saturday, AJ’s makes the perfect date destination or a great place to take the family out to a classy night on the town. There is a catch to this, you have to be 21 or with some one who is 21 or older to eat at either of these establishments. As long as you are with someone of age, all ages are welcome.

HOW TO GET A COMP

or 1 Compensation, more commonly called a comp, is giving a regular player a free ticket redeemable for a dinner, a hotel room or show tickets. First, to get a comp you have to play a lot of games, and you have to play them often.

3 2 The key is to drop

a lot of coins. The more money you spend at the casino the more likely you are to get compensated. Some people try to cheat the system by making the minimum bet and then stepping it up but casinos do pay attention

THE CURRENT IOWA LAW Right now according to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) a person who is under the age of 21 is not permitted on the casino floor.

2 THE PIT BOSS

3 FLOOR MANAGER

4 SECURITY ROOM

While at their table it is the dealers job to control his players. Watching for activity associated with cheating or any other illegal activities. While card counting made famous by the movie “21” is not illegal, Most casinos don’t allow it.

The pit boss is defined differently at every casino. Some watch monitors of the tables watching the dealers helping find any suspicious activity. The pit boss role varies from casino to casino. Some casinos don’t even have pit bosses.

The floor manager or sometimes called the shift supervisor his job is to make sure everyone gets their break and the casino is running smoothly. He keeps the chips stocked, people moving and the floor safe.

The security room is the most secret place in a casino. The location is hidden from both customers and staff. Their jobs consist of dealing with problems and monitering casino activities. The people here see everything.

TYPES OF TABLES

2 1

1 THE DEALER

3 If everything goes

good and you do get noticed, VIP services will find you and reward you for your devotion. Here in Iowa, hotel comps are not a common thing a more comman thing would be a free dinner at their restaurant.

4 The

last part is to enjoy your free stuff. But remember it may not be “free”, you could lose a lot of money upstairs and just score a 20 dollar meal out of the whole thing.

THE UNDER 21 POKER TABLES

Recently some casinos in Iowa have made the move to allowing 18 to 20 year old play at special poker tables. This only applies to Indian reservations for now so know the casino rules before you play.

CASINO UP’S / DOWN’S

Texas Hold’Em is one of the most popular forms of poker. The game consists of four betting rounds. Texas Hold’Em is played with each player receiving two private cards face-down and five community cards face-up placed in the center of the table, to be shared by all the players. Player with the highest hand at the showdown wins the pot. Roulette players may choose to place bets on

either a number, a range of numbers, the color red or black, or whether the number is odd or even. To determine the winning number and color, a croupier (dealer) spins a wheel in one direction, then spins a ball in the opposite direction around a tilted circular track running around the outside of the wheel.

We as a staff thought a casino was an interesting place, and is some what of a mystery to the younger crowd. Few people realize just how much money is given back to the community by the gaming business. This explanation of a casino was a both researched and a first hand account by Dwight Lykins staff writer. Illistrations were provided by Yiming Quin and Ryan Francois.

Casinos have a very positive influence in the community. Indian reservation casinos are not regulated by the state but Prairie Meadows is and because of this they re-invest heavily into their communities. They give millions of dollars back, and aid the community while offering quality entertainment to people. While offering quality gaming, they offer great shows, from ZZ Top to Denies Miller to boxing. The downside is to go to these you have to be 21. Even when they help the community regardless of ages with re-invested profits, they do not offer the same entertainment for everyone. Casino’s are not all bad. Responsible gambling is fine, but you can get into trouble when you get in over your head.

The Black and White supports responsible gambling, If you are not of age don’t go to casinos. Recreational gambling is fun but don’t get in over your head. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem please call:

1-800-BETS-OFF

FEATURE

PAGE

OCT

R-word article wins national award KELSEY KRUSE staff writer

[ ] Judge’s

Erik Anderson, 2008 graduate, sits down with pencil in hand to begin writing his opinion piece for the 2007 September issue of the Black & White. Anderson writes down his feelings towards the word “retard” and describes what it is like being called one. He titles his article “My Experiences with the R-word.” Anderson explains his disabilities in the article, “I was born with two disabilities, a form of high-functioning autism called Asperger’s, a social disability in which the affected person does not socialize very well with peers and often misses important social cues, which makes them seem weird to other people, and ADHD.” Leslie Shipp, newspaper adviser, asked Anderson if she could enter his article in the Iowa Federation of Press Women’s High School Communications Competition in the opinion category. “I said yes just to humor her,” Anderson said. “Honestly, I thought it was an average article.” But the article was not average to the competition judges. After getting first place in the state, Anderson moved on to compete against the entire nation. “I forgot about (the competition) until I got a letter in the mail from Karen Stensrud (High School Communications Competition Codirector). I opened it and found out I had won second place in the nation,” Anderson said. The award was presented to Anderson at the National Federation of Press Women’s Conference from September 11 to 13 in Idaho Falls. “My mom and dad and me flew to the Minneapolis airport, then to Salt Lake City, and drove to Idaho Falls from there,” Anderson said. At the conference Anderson was scheduled to speak in front of the National Federation of Press Women. “Before I went up to speak my parents kept telling me not to sing any of my parodies, like Weird Al Yankovic does,” Anderson said.

Content:

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