September '06

One Copy Free

The Black & White Johnston High School Student Paper

September ‘06

Vol 16 No. 2

Stegman’s murder impacts school

BY LARISSA FRENCH NEWS EDITOR The murder of former Johnston student Matthew Stegman has left students and teachers in shock. “(Sophomore) Kasi (Dickerson) called me, and she was crying,” senior Blake Boever said. “The only thing she could say is ‘Matt’s dead’ . . . It still hasn’t soaked in that he’s dead yet; I don’t get how that could happen to someone so young.”

Stegman was found murdered in the

Woodland Cemetery at 9:30 am on Sept.

3. According to Police Sergeant Todd Dykstra, the cause of death was “multiple stab wounds.”

Five individuals have been arrested and charged with murder in the first degree. If convicted, they could receive life in prison. Dykstra would not state the motive, because “they’re still trying to determine the particular motive.”

Dykstra said the motive would be released at trial, if there is one.

English teacher Sarah Wessling had Stegman in her homeroom. “Certainly,

I have needed time to reflect,” Wessling said. “I think as more details are revealed, with each new piece of information, my heart feels heavier about how malicious this was.”

Although Wessling only had Stegman in her homeroom, Wessling and Stegman still talked. “He was often writing poetry that he wanted to share, so I would read (his poems). He would collect song lyrics, and we would talk about that . . . I enjoyed him,” Wessling said.

According to senior Chris Leslie, Stegman not only wrote poetry, but

he also wrote his own music, using his acoustic guitar that he had named “Eleanor.” Leslie said that Stegman’s favorite bands included Metallica, Dimmu Borgir and Rammstein.

In addition to writing, Stegman ran for the junior varsity cross country team. “I remember at the Ankeny meet, it was real important for me to meet his parents,” cross country coach Dave Beason said.

“He was so happy that I could meet his parents. It was a neat deal.”

see STEGMAN page 3

DRAGONS UNVEIL NEW OFFENSE

Antonio Rodriguez/Dragon

Dragon defenders swarm to make a tackle against Hoover on Sept. 8. The Dragons went on to win 50-7. For a related story, see page 14.

Summit Middle School receives sports walls

In this issue...

BY DAWN WILKENS STAFF WRITER

Survivor: Cook Islands: race war or something more?

At Summit Middle School, there are four new sport wall training stations available in the recreational room that were installed Aug. 22, according to Shari Walling, Physical Education (PE) teacher.

The sports walls are located on the right side of the rec room. The walls are blue with five spots for lights. The lights illuminate and the person working with the wall hits the lights and moves on to the next one. If the person misses the light, it shows up until they hit it.

The sports walls are supposed to help develop one’s sports and motor skills. The walls can also help build one’s strength, endurance, stability and reaction time, according to Walling.

“The controller and each panel installed was approximately $3,500 each,” Walling said. “We received a grant from the company (Sportwall International, Inc.) and Mr. Busby allotted money toward the fitness enhancement of students and Sum-

Trying out the rock climbing wall for the first time, senior Blake Boever enjoys scaling. “It makes me want to go back to middle school again, because we didn’t have as many opportunities as (the students) do now,” Boever said.

Dawn Wilkens/BW

mit PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) provided $6,000 toward the purchase.”

The PE classes at Summit have started using the walls. The Urbandale, Johnston and Waukee (UJW) swim team has used the training reaction wall and the rock climbing wall during their practices when

they are not in the pool.

Junior varsity swimmer Amanda Hatfield uses the sports walls for dry land training. “I didn’t understand why we were using them, but then I found that it was making us quicker and our upper bodies stronger,” Hatfield said.

Hatfield enjoys climbing on the rock wall for practices. “You don’t go right up the wall, but you go around the wall because it goes around the whole room. It’s hard and challenging,” Hatfield said.

Only the PE teachers at Summit and trained coaches are allowed to reserve the rec room for helping to train their athletes at this time. Contact Walling to schedule training and usage times.

Page 4

Learn everything about cancer and its treatments and read personal stories

Doubletruck

Mike Slusark sits down with Republican candidate for governor, Jim Nussle

Page 11

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B &W

NEWS: what’s important September ‘06

Car accident brings town together

BY SUSAN CLAUSEN FEATURE EDITOR

Photos from the Cory Shannon benefit on Aug 1 and 2. The photos were taken by Deena Byrd.

Former students Ben Langwith, Cory Shannon, Reid Baker and Tiffany Lewis took a lake road corner too fast on Sun, July 16 and ended up in the ditch after the car flipped in the air once, then rolled two more times on the ground. Cory and Baker were ejected from the right side of the car. Cory was the only one with serious injuries. Cory broke his t-6 and t-7 vertebrae located on the upper spine.

“When I first found Cory, we were all in shock,” Tiffany Lewis said. “He was so worried about my arm, which got burned from the seat belt. The night of the accident at the hospital, I went to see him and the first thing he said, ‘Tiff, are you okay? How’s your hand?’”

Cory spent the next 40 days in the Mercy Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The waiting room was filled with people to support the Shannon family.

“The amount of people there in support of Cory was amazing. I couldn’t believe how many people came and how they found out so fast.”

It also became a thinking room as friends of Cory planned a golf event in his benefit.

“It was orchestrated and run by (all of) his friends,” Johnson Ridge owner Cindy Johnson said. “It was all college kids.”

The best shot tournament was held at Johnson Ridge Aug. 1 and 2.

“All of the people that showed blew my mind,” brother Tyler Shannon said.

In two days, 250 golfers golfed the nine hole Johnson Ridge course. It was $50 a person to golf. Wed. after the tournament there were live bands, an auction and food.

“There were more people that wanted to golf, so we encouraged them to make a donation,” Lewis said.

Cory’s Courage, a theme drafted by Baker and his mom the night of the accident, held as the campaign title for the event. T-shirts and bracelets were made

with the phrase for donations. An auction was held with donated items from various businesses and families.

“The event was a huge success,” Johnson said.

Cory is currently at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado. Craig Hospital is a rehabilitation and research center specifically for patients with spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. It has treated more spinal cord injury patients than anywhere in the world.

“We chose the hospital by first working with the social services department at Mercy hospital,” mother Maureen Shannon said. “They said we should pick one of the 14 model programs that are spinal cord injury specific. We also wanted Midwest area and liked the outdoor activities offered in Colorado, as Cory likes to hunt and fish and be outdoors.”

As progress and confidence grow, so do Cory’s activities. A group called the therapeutic recreation department organizes outside activities for patients at Craig Hospital.

“We went via bus and light rail to a mall in downtown Denver, went to the Denver Broncos game versus the Kansas City Chiefs, went to see the movie Invincible, out to dinner and two high school soccer games,” Maureen said.

Cory’s tentative release date is Oct. 26. The doctors determined the discharge date based on their own past experiences and how Cory is progressing. Family conferences have been held on a regular basis to find out if the date is to change one way or another.

“We would love to be home for the last home football game,” Maureen said.

The whole family is ready to see how Cory will do back at home. “I’m anxious to see if he gets back to college second semester, because I know that is what he wants,” sister Colleen Shannon said.

Headsets help with safety, emergencies

BY AMY LOVEJOY STAFF WRITER Assistant principals Randy Klein and Jerry Stratton wear the ear pieces to talk with each other, as well as other school officials. The other school officials who use them include campus monitor Deb Bjurstrom, nurse Penny Jess and attendance secretary Liz Sullivan.

The idea for the devices was started last school year in an effort to help communication between administrators. The new tools were implemented in a general effort to improve communication in within the building. Klein had worked with them at DM Lincoln and found them very beneficial to the communication between staff at the school.

The ear pieces, according to Stratton, have greatly improved communication between the school’s administrators. They are used to signal school officials instantly if a student is lost, not in class, sick, injured or if a question needs to

Newsbriefs

Corrections and Clarifications The Black and White strives to be both accurate and fair. Readers who believe that the paper has printed an error should call 515278-0449. compiled by Nels Engblom

be answered. The ear pieces are used as walkietalkies, as well as to maintain students’ privacy.

In addition, the ear pieces will be used for safety. Police, as well as school officials, will wear the ear pieces at football and basketball game in an attempt to keep order.

Students, however, are confused about the need and purpose of the ear pieces. “You can’t catch people doing bad things with a little ear piece,” sophomore Meredith Luksetich said.

Some students agree that the ear pieces are ineffective in catching bad behavior.

Other students think the ear pieces are intimidating. “They make (Klein and Stratton) look like Secret Service; they make me scared,” sophomore Anna Kurns said.

Stratton is aware of the secret agent look of the ear pieces. “It has been made a joke of,” Stratton said. “It’s one of those things you don’t appreciate until you have a need to have a question answered.”

Amy Lovejoy/BW

Attendance secretary Liz Sullivan works at her desk. The ear pieces are used to improve communication among school officials, like Sullivan.

Swimmers could not use pool

Unusual homeroom schedule

A-7 jet craft will be moved

For the second year in a row, the girls’ swim team was not able to start the season in the Summit pool. When the pool was built in 2004, the tile on the bottom was improperly laid. Last year, before the swim season, a temporary plaster bottom was put in to get through the school year. Over the summer, the plaster was replaced with new tile. The repair took longer than expected, which is why the pool was not available for the swimmers.

At the beginning of the school year, the homeroom schedule was somewhat unorthodox. Instead of the usual Tuesday homeroom, homeroom days were every day but Tuesday.

“Every year, we do this so students can go over the handbook and ask any questions they have,” special education teacher Dan Scanell said.

While the awkward first week that may have confused some students, it was actually done to benefit them.

In October, the A-7 jet craft, located on Beaver Ave., will be removed to be repainted.

A helicopter will pick the plane up from its mount to move it to the Iowa Air National Guard for painting. “We must have the right propeller speed and temperature to move it,” Metal Technologies Supervisor Steve Houp said. This will happen in October when ideal conditions are more likely. The painting will take between one to two weeks to complete.

3

NEWS: what’s important September ‘06

Changes to PE classes increase interest

B &W Former student found killed

BY DAWN WILKENS STAFF WRITER

Last spring, students were given a survey for different Physical Education (PE) classes they could take during the 2006-2007 year, according to PE teacher Deb Nicholson.

The classes, also known as “tracks,” are now in session.

There are eight tracks with a different subject, and are taught by one or two teachers separately.

One of the main reasons for switching to the tracks was to have students become more involved and to catch their own personal interest.

“I believe that students have different interests in physical activity and it benefits them a lot by giving them choices of the activities they enjoy,” Nicholson said. “We feel like they will have more fun and participate a lot more if they are doing something they enjoy.”

There are a variety of activities the students can choose from. The tracks are a semester long. Students are able to take the same track throughout the entire year or can switch to a different track at semester.

Track one is “Individual/Personal Fitness,” and is taught

by Nicholson. It focuses on exercise methods to help with one’s personal fitness level, according to the PE department.

Senior Keriann Rupp is taking this track and likes it. “I actually participate with everything in the class,” Rupp said.

“I am actually able to do everything unlike the team sports and football.”

Track two, “Individual/Dual Recreation Activities,” also taught by Nicholson as well as PE teacher Dave Beason, helps with learning techniques in small groups. They play games like tennis, badminton and ping pong.

Junior Sam Dearden is taking track two with Beason.

Dearden likes this track more than past PE classes. “It’s more my style,” Dearden said.

The more physical activities are within track three and four. Track three, “Team Games/Activities and Sports,” is taught by PE teachers Brian Lutter and Brian Woodley. It is similar to track two, but is in a bigger setting. Track four, “Total Body Fitness and Conditioning,” is taught by Lutter and helps students’ levels of physical fitness.

There are four tracks that last for the whole year. Track five is “Aquatics” taught by PE teacher George Sypniewski.

“Aquatics” is available only on Wednesday nights from 7-10

Provided/Jamison Osborne

Sophomores Brooke Egly and Alex Crahan choose medicine balls from a barrel during track one PE with Provided/Dave Beason PE teacher Deb Nicholson. In track one, students work on their own personal fitness levels. This track, as well Matthew Stegman (right) runs alongas the other tracks, was added for the 2006-2007 side senior Tyler Foster-Stavneak at last school year. year’s Ankeny cross country meet. pm. The training received in this class can also help one to become a certified lifeguard.

Track six is taught by Beason, and is “Outdoor Pursuits.”

This track was also available in previous school years. This track helps with activities in an outdoor setting such as camping. Track seven is taught by Lutter, and is “Life Long Activities.” This helps with activities that students can use throughout their lifestyles.

Track eight is called “P.E.O.P.E.L. (Physical Education Opportunity Provided for Exceptional Leaders) PE,” and is taught by Lutter. Students are available to help assist special needs students during PE classes.

The PE tracks are gaining more interest from the students.

“I really see a difference in the participation levels,” Nicholson said. “Everybody is participating more and are enjoying PE more because they are doing an activity they enjoy.”

Results are in for school board elections

BY SHAWNA POLEN STAFF WRITER School board elections took place on Sept. 12. It was a very close race, but only the top number of votes could win seats of the board.

There were two open seats, for which Tracey Orman, Ralph Young and Chris Sonner ran for. A one-year seat was also open, for which Karen Coaldrake and Matt Brown ran.

The new members will be helping to solve issues such as the No Child Left Behind Act, staff problems in the schools,

Karen Coaldrake starts her first term.

Background info: Coaldrake grew

up in southern Illinois. She got her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Drake. She also has a master’s in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois.

Children: Coaldrake has two sons: Justin, who is 14, and Tristan, 10.

Reasons for running: “I’ve been going to all the meetings for two years now, and I wanted to give back to my community.”

Other comments: “I think we need a culture of openness because good communication is a good thing.”

and bussing situations.

To get where they are now, Sonner, Coaldrake, and Young all had to get fifty or more signatures on a petition from people within the district. When that was done, they became candidates and started making their campaigns. Lastly, citizens of Johnston voted for who they wanted on the board.

Below is a short profile of the three winners of the school board election.

Chris Sonner starts his fourth term.

Background info: Sonner graduated

from Des Moines Hoover. He later went to college at Iowa State to get a major in behavioral management.

He currently works at Principal Management Financial doing union pension plans.

Children: Sonner has a son named Todd (senior), and a daughter named Abby (sophomore). Both go to JHS. Reason for running: “I wanted to help the new superintendent, so I ran again.”

Other comments: “I’m really happy that Ralph (Young) and I were able to run together, but it’s going to be tough; we have many new changes.”

Ralph Young starts his third term.

Background info: Young grew

up in Marshalltown. He attended Northern Iowa College for a teaching degree, as well as a minor in coaching. He is now the Central Campus’ welding and shop teacher.

Children: Young has one son named Taylor, a junior at JHS. Reasons for running: “I ran originally so I could increase teachers’ pay and benefits.”

Other comments: “I just wanted to thank all the people who supported me, and, to make the new superintendents job go as smooth as possible.”

continued from page 1 Outside of school, Stegman attended church regularly. “He loved God,” Dickerson, Stegman’s ex-girlfriend, said. “You may not have been able to tell by looking at him, but he did. He always had good intentions.”

According to Leslie, Stegman had been accepted into a church program, Youth Ministries Freedom for Youth. “He helped out at the church, the First Assembly of God, volunteering. He was going to church everyday,” Leslie said.

Stegman was only at Johnston this past year, and he ended up dropping out. “Last time I talked to him, he was living in his car,” Dickerson said.

Since then, Stegman had been working on his future. He moved into the Jefferson Apartments at 1519 Grand Ave., where he lived with the suspects. He also got a job downtown at Noah’s Ark, a restaurant. “He was starting to go back to school, taking classes at Central . . . He was starting to get his life back together,” Dickerson said.

Boever believed that Stegman had a lot of drive. “He was always trying to prove people wrong. He wanted to achieve more than they expected he could,” Boever said.

Leslie stated that Stegman was like Humpty Dumpty, in the sense that Stegman would “get up and fall down.” “He could rise up from anything, and this time, he got up for good, only for (the suspects to make him) fall back down,” Leslie said.

Leslie did not believe the theory that the killing was ritualistic or involved with cult activity. He did not wish to say what he believed happened.

Beason does not believe the slaying can be comprehended. “He was a unique kid, and he could identify with so many different kids, and I think someone took advantage of that.

I think he found himself in a bad situation,” Beason said.

“You don’t know what’s going through someone’s mind to make them do that,” Beason said. “There are so many questions, and there’ll be a lot of mystery (as to what happened exactly).”

Some students, like Boever and Leslie, have had to deal with insensitive comments about Stegman’s life as well as his death.

King believed that Stegman’s life should not be defined by his death. “I just hope that if people are having trouble dealing with Matt’s death, that they talk to someone, and that they remember Matt the way that they want to remember him,” King said.

Stegman’s funeral was held on Sept. 15 at 10:00 am at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Ankeny.

4

B &W

OPINION: what they think September ‘06

Bush bans breakthrough research The Black and White Editorial President Bush used his veto power for the first time since taking office five and a half years ago, on July 19 by saying that an embryonic stem cell research bill “crossed moral boundary.” The bill passed by the senate on July 18, would have loosened the restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research, and made way for scientific technology to take off in a positive direction. However, at a vote of 63 to 37, they were four votes short of overriding Bush’s veto and pursuing the aid researchers need to cure many diseases and injuries families are struck with everyday.

Attending the event at the White House were a group of families with children who were born from “adopted” frozen embryos that had been left unused at a fertility clinic. Yes, these children were fortunate enough to get put into homes of families that love them, but that’s not always the case. This research is entirely justified, considering hundreds of embryos are made daily in fertility clinics to be put in a freezer, instead of being used to cure illnesses and accidents like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, spinal chord injury, diabetes, stroke, burns and much more.

In August of 2002, Bush decided to allow federal money to be spent on research on a limited number of already-existing embryonic stem cell colonies. However, these stem cells get old and aren’t as efficient as they once were. Bush opposes the development of new colonies, so privately funded researchers have to create human embryonic stem cells from sperm and an egg.

Most of these are donated by couples who have had embryos frozen for fertility treatments.

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 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, John Kennedy,Tina Li, Amy Lovejoy, Chelsea Nelson, Shawna Polen, Lauren Profitt, Veronica Roshek, DawnWilkens, 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.

Provided by University of Wisconson-Madison

A red blood cell colony made from human embryonic stem cells at the University of Wisconson-Madison, a leader in embryonic stem cell research in America.

To make a cloned embryo, researchers hollow out a donor egg, insert a patient’s cells, and then zap the egg with chemicals to shock it into dividing. After cells have divided for about five days, the researchers would harvest the stem cells, destroying the embryo in the process. In theory, the cells would be coaxed into becoming replacement tissues, and because they would carry the patient’s genes, researchers expect they would not be rejected by the body’s immune system.

Adult stem cells are another alternative. The only problem is they typically generate the same kind of cell

they come from. A stem cell used to recreate damaged skin has to come from an adult skin cell. Adult stem cells also aren’t as effective because they age with their donor. For example, Dolly the sheep, cloned in 1997, died at a young age because she was cloned from a cell taken from a six-year-old ewe. Embryonic stem cells can become anything, and they are brand new cells so they won’t age with their donor. The stem cells from embryos hold the most promise for making rejectionfree, transplantable organs. However, in extracting the cells, the embryo is destroyed.

Likening it to abortion, critics say therapeutic cloning of embryos is unethical. Abortion is always going to be a controversial topic, but as of today, it is legal. If the mother is voluntarily giving up her baby, the government can’t do anything about it. Why not give the mother a choice to donate her embryo to researchers discovering a way to make life easier for people who can no longer walk, have trouble remembering, and can’t control their nervous system?

Regardless of what defines life, stem cell research is a major discovery in medical science that opens the door to so many opportunities and can help people in unbearable situations. Our future as teenagers can be affected by this as well. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “One in 10 individuals over 65, and nearly half of those over 85, are affected. Rare, inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease can strike individuals as early as their 30s and 40s.” That’s about three people in each of class at school. Not only that, but if one was to get into an accident and damage their spinal chord, doctors will most likely tell them that they won’t walk again. It would be a comfort if the government funded the medical advancement that can cure damaged tissue and eliminate unwanted diseases from our generation and generations to come.

Survivor: race war decided

BY ALEX GUNS STAFF WRITER The new Survivor entered into its thirteenth season on Sept. 14 without a hitch. After 13 seasons, anyone could agree that the Survivor formula gets old, regardless of the number of bugs swallowed. Well, the powers that be took care of that by making Survivor an all-out race war.

The 20 members of Survivor: Cook Islands have been divided into tribes by their race. There are four tribes; Caucasian, African-Americans, AsianAmericans, and Hispanic-Americans. Which race will win? That, however, is the easy question; we’ll get to that later.

The real situation at hand is that Survivor has not gone far enough. Hopefully Survivor: Cook Islands will open the doors of competition, and show us the truth of our differences to answer that fundamental question: which group of human beings is better than the others? And the wondrous invention of the twentieth century; the television, will sit with us in our family rooms to help answer these age old questions.

After we discover which race is better, religion should be the next target. Pit Christian fanatics, Sunni Muslims, Orthodox Jews and Darwin Atheists against each other. That Survivor season alone should end global terrorism, the most current conflict in the

Middle East, and the polygamy issue here at home.

No longer will someone in a political forum be able to say, “Well, you can’t tell that one religion is better than the other; they are all equal.” To which John Doe TV-viewer will reply, “ Uhhh, no. Maybe you missed the last season of Survivor, but Islam is the greatest religion. So those third-place Mormons can pack up and ship out!”

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. The original question was, “Which race will win the million dollars?”

The answer: it doesn’t matter. No one on that island is going to stick to his or her race. If American history has taught us anything, it is that money is the great emancipator. We are all equal under the shimmering dollar bill. When there is a million dollars at stake, the skin color of your teammates matters as much as their eye colors. Each person will betray and ally with anyone in order to reach the top, regardless of race.

The question I leave you with is this: Is this good or bad? Has greed destroyed racism, or replaced it?

Is it better now that we don’t sell people, but instead our own souls? Money is what everyone’s after now, and being a racist is far from profitable these days.

Racist groups such as the KKK are not in decline not because folk singers sang protest songs about them.

But because it’s hard to make money on denying groups of people work. That is the debate at hand, which won’t unfold on television, but in the people’s conversations each night after Survivor.

Miniature Opinions

little things we care about

by Kyle Hanson

Pluto demoted

No Shirts, NoProblem

Not long ago we were informed that Pluto would no longer be considered a planet but rather a micro-planet.

However, the general population was not consulted on this matter and many are upset. Although Pluto cannot stand up to the new planet requirements, which would call for it to be a certain size as well as hold its own orbit, Pluto is still just as much a planet now than it ever was before. Its elliptical orbit may seem unique, but let’s not forget a football, which is also elliptical, is still considered a ball. Also, a golf ball, which is much smaller than the majority of balls, is still not excluded from the ball family.

The reason Rock Around the Clock was created in the first place was to get in the spirit of homecoming, and what better way then rolling around in pudding and competing in obstacle courses? This year, Rock Around the Clock will not include the infamous student-created T-shirts with nicknames, but instead plain colored T-shirts. So what? The new rule saves teams about $100 from last year, when shirts could run up to $20, because they are now only $10. Plus, the level of competition will be higher as the focus will be off of shirts and instead on the game at hand. With all that time students will save from not having to plan out team shirts, they can go formulate a game plan that will lead their team to victory.

5

OPINION: what they think September ‘06

Popular PE remains untouchable

B &W Leahy’s Leaven

BY KELSEY HYDE STAFF WRITER Year after year, when that late afternoon in August finally arrives, when we all rush out to our mailboxes and rip open the pressed and sealed envelopes, many of our exuberant smiles quickly fade as we realize our fate for the next semester. School schedules arrive after weeks of pacing and expectation, and when, at last, we are able to rip them open, we are crushed to see that once again our schedules just didn’t work out quite right.

It is inevitable that everyone will receive a schedule and not have it just right at some point during our numbered high school days. Yet it seems as though this happens almost too often. As a sophomore, you don’t have as much freedom because of all that health and speech you must pride yourself on; but, as juniors and seniors, when we finally have the free will to choose our courses, something has to get in the way. Usually it’s those darned AP classes that strangle our hopes of expanding our horizons.

One big disappointment that seems to recur each school year, is how those of us who enroll in those prestigious AP classes can never seem to fit in those AMAZING block P.E. classes. Many of us dream of the day that we will be able to stroll out every B day for two periods and throw together a home-cooked meal with Mr. Dave Beason. And best of all, finish a whole year of P.E. in one semester! Unheard of!

Scheduling block P.E. courses such as Mr. Brian Lutter’s Lifelong Activities or Beason’s Outdoor Pursuits has always been a difficulty for the faculty. It is especially difficult with students pursuing AP courses because the periods offered for those classes are so dispersed, often conflicting with the times when block P.E. courses are offered. The main problem is the fact that students who take these classes will have two open periods every other day. The only way to fill these extra periods would be with study halls, unless the student was involved in choir or E.L.P., which a huge majority of the student body is not. Maybe, as a senior, you could use the two free periods and your open-campus privileges to your benefit by doing service hours or helping in a service credit, but most of us would rather go nap or eat a decent lunch.

These inescapable facts leave us no better off. It really stinks when we have to give up our dream of the perfect schedule and settle for a standard one period, every other day P.E. class, especially when this year was meant to be the year where P.E. was individualized and all different kinds of classes would be available so our wildest P.E. fantasies could come true.

For AP students, hopefully sometime in the future, it could be

Election time is here: Samequestions, different year Sam Leahy

Opinion Editor

Kelsey Hyde/BW

Seniors Grace Meiners and Carly Hammer watch a fitness video in Mr. Beason’s Outdoor Pursuits PE class. The class covers many units throughout the semester, including fishing and outdoor cooking. made possible for those two open periods every other day with a block P.E. class, to be turned into an AP course. Having AP Biology for two periods every other day would allow for more time to get major reading assignments done and maybe even allow for more information to be covered in a shorter time. Teachers would have more time to prepare meaningful class sessions and grade papers, make tests, etc. With the opportunity to cover more material in a shorter amount of time, by the end of the year, AP classes could switch gears and start prepping students for the AP tests that come at the end of second semester. This would be extremely beneficial for athletes and involved students who can’t make after-school AP review sessions.

For now, we will remain hopeful that our middle school descendants can fulfill our long lost desires for enrolling in those hour and a half P.E. classes that seem to keep slipping through our fingers.

We need more “M” in MTV

BY STEPHANIE IVANKOVICH STAFF WRITER MTV has been around since 1981. From then until now, MTV has undergone many major changes, some for the better and some for the worse. MTV now includes shows such as Laguna Beach and My Super Sweet Sixteen, which are full of drama. Pimp My Ride, Viva La Bam, Date My Mom, and other shows also grace the screen of MTV daily. Unfortunately, MTV is showing these shows at least two times a day, leaving out the most vital part of MTV’s actual name: “Music Television.”

Looking at MTV’s schedule on the day of Sept. 7, there were three straight hours of music videos, from five in the morning to eight in the morning. The sad thing is, nobody watches TV this early in the morning. Right after the Video Wake Up, TRL was shown at 8 am. Once again most people are asleep, and students are at school.

MTV also played TRL again at 3:30 pm, which is better than the time earlier in the day. Unfortunately, students have afterschool practices or are just getting home from school then and cannot watch it. On that same day, MTV showed a total of five hours of Two-A-Days, a show about the Hoover (Ala.) High School football team, which has absolutely nothing to do with music. An idea would be removing some of these replays and showing more actual music videos of today’s hottest hits.

On the day of Sept. 9, the schedule of German MTV (www.mtv.de) included many non-music shows, such as American Dad, Hogan Knows Best, and MTV’s Next.

Stephanie Ivankovich/BW

MTV plays many hours of non-music shows and few hours of music videos, causing people to be less exposed to the latest music. If MTV would show more music videos people would have more updated music on their iPods.

This also includes seventeen and a half total hours of actual music and video programs. This version of MTV includes eighteen different shows throughout the day. They show a maximum of two episodes in a row; on this particular day it happened to be Hogan Knows Best and My Super Sweet Sixteen. The variety on this channel is great.

Many people only listen to their Apple iPods or Discmans. In order to keep up with all the latest music, they would have to get it from somewhere else. Think about this. If there were no radio stations or AOL music and the only choice for music updates was MTV, nobody would know what the latest music is. That’s not good.

The radio is also another option.

However, the Des Moines area radio stations play a lot of older and adult contemporary music. Kiss 107.5 and Star 102.5 are the only stations that play new, updated Top 40 music. They also play a lot of old music as well. These are not good sources to update ones music needs.

Another benefit of having MTV play more music is so people can watch the videos. Watching the music videos helps one to better understand the song. It also makes the song cooler than it is. Also, if one has a Video iPod, this would help you decide what videos to put on it.

If American MTV would include a wide variety of non-music shows, as well as many other hours of music videos, it would be great. MTV needs to once again gain back its music reputation.

According to Ben Knight, government teacher, whatever age you are is the percent of your age group that will vote. So, if you are 18, only 18 percent of you will vote. I think that’s pathetic.

When it comes to voting for president, most everyone feels obligated to vote for his or her choice.

But when it comes right down to it, how many people take the time to educate themselves and vote for state and school board officials? There are notoriously low turnouts for these elections because many people believe they’re not as important as national elections. In fact, the decisions made in state and local government are those that impact our lives the most.

Take for instance the Sept. 12 Des Moines school board elections. Only six percent of eligible voters cast a vote, the lowest turnout in the city since 2001. What is it about human nature that all but guarantees our interest in controversial “hot-button” issues, while we often ignore crucial local and state issues? From my vantage point, this trend doesn’t make any sense.

Students at Johnston seem no different from a majority of people in Iowa who seem to be more wrapped up in whether or not Roe v Wade will be overturned instead of their own state’s budget and quality of education. Or what about the huge meth problem we have in the state of Iowa? These are the issues we should be concerned about.

On Sept.

12, gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle visited our school and talked with the senior class. While I might not agree with some of his views, I thought he was cordial, well-informed, and straightforward on matters that pertain to the future quality of life in Iowa. While he tried to return again and again to the subject of education, some students’ argumentative questions made it nearly impossible for him to do so. As usual, the flood gates to federal issues swung open and things went downhill from there.

Despite a governor’s limited control over either issue, abortion and the legalization of marijuana were the subjects dujour, served up to Nussle time and time again… in poor taste.

Of course, we as voters and potential voters need to be aware of a candidate’s position on big issues.

But just as important, if not even more so, we need to be well-informed regarding a candidate’s stand on the issues that so intimately and directly affect the quality of life in Iowa.

In my mind, the best way to do that is to ask the “hard questions.”

While these may also be the boring questions, they eliminate the sensational questions that alienate a candidate and reflect poorly on the senior class. * leaven: element that produces an altering or transforming influence.

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

B &W 6 The battle between the starters OPINION: what they think September ‘06

BY CAROLINE BYRD STAFF WRITER

BY SAM LEAHY OPINION EDITOR When thinking of an athlete that is a starter, one might think of someone who not only has talent, but also someone who has earned their position on the team.

They have put in countless hours of work to the team and to their own personal game. When thinking of a starter, think of a senior varsity player, who has shown time after time that they are willing to work hard at not only their individual game, but the team’s game as well. They understand the concept of team work.

One of the issues that comes to mind is that of playing time. Who ever said that the starter has to play the entire game?

They could play as little as two minutes in the game, but after three years of dedication, the least the coach can do is allow the senior the honor of having their name announced in that starting lineup. Let them have their one moment of shining glory.

The starter should be someone who has earned the spot by showing their dedication and love to the sport. This means practicing not only with the team, but on their own time as well. This means having a strong commitment to the team, and being willing to stick with it through thick and thin.

One of the other issues that come to mind is the flow of the team. Let’s say a senior sat varsity all of last year.

They practiced day in and day out with the team, but this year the coach has decided to start the freshman that made more progress last year on JV because he thinks they have more talent. The senior knows the team better than the younger player will ever know. To think they get to start just because they might be somewhat better then you. The senior hardly got any playing time last year, and now is being shafted again.

When one is arguing this point they might bring up that talent is going to win you games regardless. This is not always the case. Just the fact that the student has lived longer gives them more insight into high-pressure situations.

On the court they know how to handle emotions, because let’s face it: they are more mature.

In today’s society, we have forgotten about the players like Rudy who work their butts off in practice. They may not be the best player, but they sure as hell have earned it. They put time and energy into something they love, but never receive the glory or satisfaction of earning that starting position.

Chris Ajluni B/W

Freshman Anna Belner and Senior Erica Weirich sprint the finish of the 35th Luther College Invitational in the 4 km varsity girls’ race. Belner and Weirich finished tenth and eleventh in the race, while the team finished first.

Should underclassmen start over seniors?

Pro Vs. Con

School has just started, and everyone’s getting back into the routine: Go to your classes, do your homework, and then go to the game. Whether it’s volleyball or football, fall sports are looking a little different this year. Along the varsity sidelines, there seem to be a number of underclassmen: sophomores. There’s talk of how they shouldn’t be playing over seniors, but many disagree. The coaches have been practicing with their teams all summer long, and have put the players on the starting lines according to their talent, potential and overall ability to win.

Sophomores shouldn’t be on the roster to just sit the bench. If they get moved up to varsity, they should play; otherwise, let them play elsewhere.

Take Johnston’s first home football game as a perfect example. In the first 15 seconds of the game, sophomore Aaron Schultz scored a touchdown. The next touchdown was scored by Justin Amick, also a sophomore. Would the Johnston fans who are against sophomores playing be willing to argue that these sophomores have not done anything to benefit team?

By the time students play high school sports, they should no longer expect that everyone should get equal playing time. If a senior and sophomore are equal as far as talent, then playing time should also be close to equal.

Face it: In today’s competitive world of high school sports, coaches are paid to win, especially in the case of highly visible 4A schools like Johnston.

People watch Johnston and expect the teams to do well. If a team is going to do as well as possible, the coach should play the athletes with the greatest ability, regardless of how old they are. It’s the coach’s job, not the fan’s job or the player’s jobs, to make that decision. The coaches are hired for their ability to coach the sport and win the games. If athletic director Gary Ross trusts the coaches’ ability to make those decisions, we should too.

After graduating high school, a person will eventually need a job. Prospective employers judge on the basis of ability, not only on age and experience.

Even though having sophomores play over juniors and seniors doesn’t always seem fair to parents and fans, it’s a common practice that prepares athletes for life after high school. People who have a problem with this should think from the coaches’ perspective and should trust their judgment. Not everyone gets equal amounts of playing time in the sandbox anymore. Welcome to high school.

Evans pitches curve balls to politicians Senior Phillip Evans raised himself out of his auditorium seat, determined to get the speaker’s attention. United States Congressman Jim Nussle, who was making a visit to the school, m i g h t not have k n o w n w h a t he was getting himself in to when he called on Evans in front of the entire senior class.

The preceding questions (besides a few stumbles on one regarding gay marriage) had been soft lobs, the type of questions Nussle, a fifteen-year veteran of the US House of Representatives, sat back in the box on, waiting to put them in the upper deck.

Evans’ however, broke low and away, catching the outside of the plate. He

Death OR Glory

Michael J Slusark

asked Nussle’s position on abortion.

Nothing challenging for a hard-line veteran Republican, it was an issue he’s talked about hundreds of times. Nussle quickly responded that he opposed abortion. Not exactly tough, but the pitch hadn’t broken yet.

“What about incest and rape?” Evans retorted. “What if your wife was raped?”

Nussle sputtered. “I think one question per person is enough,” Nussle said, adding that it was a touchy subject.

Strike three. Put a backwards “K” in the book because he went down looking.

Some might consider Evans’ question a beanball, saying that Nussle just took one for the team and earned his trip down to first. This is not the case.

Nussle told WHO-TV during the week of Sept. 3-Sept.10 that he opposes abortion in any instance, including rape and incest, except when the birth could threaten the life of the mother. This is in conflict with a survey he filled out for Project Vote Smart in which he marked,

despite having a 100% pro-life voting record in Congress, that abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy. There is nothing wrong with making Nussle answer to and clarify his statements. He should be confronted about his extreme stance.

If he were to sign a bill such as the one in South Dakota (which is being challenged by referendum and is on the ballot in the state this election day) banning all abortion except when it could kill the mother, it would affect thousands of people.

It is a lot easier for Nussle to preach his position and sign bills when it affects people that aren’t himself. So Jim Nussle, what if your wife was raped? What if she was impregnated by a rapist? It is much more disrespectful to those who are affected by instances such as this to write it off as a rude question The issues become much more complicated when you are put in someone else’s shoes.

It’s clear that Nussle is looking

to appeal to a very conservative demographic. If he is uncomfortable with what it takes to obtain the votes of the extreme right and can’t answer a question in front of an audience, than maybe he should reevaluate his positions.

If he truly believes that all abortions are wrong, except when the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother, than he should have the spine to look Phillip Evans in the eye and say, “I believe abortions because of rape and incest are wrong, no exceptions.”

I, for one, do not support a candidate who gets caught looking at a called third strike. If Jim Nussle wants to be governor, he should have the grit to defend the plate, as well as his positions.

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

7

B &W

REVIEW: what’s new September ‘06

Des Moines gets a brand new flavor

BY CHRIS AJLUNI STAFF WRITER 8655 Douglas Ave. in Urbandale is built on the positive words scrawled on its walls. The café is filled with inspiration, bursting with energy and littered with happiness.

The Juice Co. grants exception to the rule “don’t judge a book by its cover” by sporting a colorful board displaying the week’s specials. The outdoor tables and bright flowers around the small restaurant give an exciting burst of life to the cozy little location. Inside, the walls are painted in creative designs, with one wall covered in words that describe the spirit of the café. Although the space isn’t very big, it is used well with a lounge area, a bar area, and a very open workspace.

Everything that the Juice Co. makes is fresh, and they even grow their own wheatgrass, which they juice while you watch. Many of the options on the menu are light, low fat, or low calorie.

The large menu consists of freshly squeezed juices, a wide variety of smoothies, protein shakes, and of course, wheatgrass.

The smoothies are the biggest seller for the business, and with good reason. Whether you choose “PB&J” or decide on “Earthy Goodness,” you won’t be disappointed. Also, each smoothie includes your

This month in...

film history

A history lesson by Alexander S.G. Guns

Chris Ajluni/BW

Senior Ricky Rodriguez tentatively tries a one-ounce shot of wheatgrass. According to Rodriguez, “It smelled like the underside of a lawn-mower.” choice of supplement, such as “fat burner,” “hangover,” or “flax seed.”

If you’re looking for a more traditional option, the freshly squeezed juice is the way to go. They have orange juice, carrot juice and orange-carrot juice, among others, all offered in 12ounce, 16-ounce or 24-ounce sizes. You can also add on to your juices with options like ginger root or spinach.

Prices for juice vary from $1.99 to $8.99 depending on the size and type of juice.

The wheatgrass isn’t the biggest seller, but it’s the

mascot for Juice Co. You can get it in your smoothies, or if you prefer, it comes in shots.

That’s right, the oneounce and two-ounce shots are served on a small plate with an orange slice, that you suck on after you hit the juice. Wheatgrass isn’t just a novelty; it has a huge amount of benefits.

According to a small flyer the Juice Co. distributes, one ounce of the pure wheatgrass juice is equivalent to over two pounds of leafy green vegetables. It also acts as an appetite suppressant for you dieters, and even boasts

prevention and possible treatment of cancer.

Although all these factors are great for business, surprisingly the number one thing the Juice Co. has going for itself is its competition, or more accurately, the lack of competition. Quite frankly, there isn’t any. The prices aren’t too bad either.

One 16-ounce smoothie or protein shake is $3.99, the 24-ounce variety is $4.99. They’ve got a great atmosphere, friendly and fast service, and they’ve started a new and healthier trend in Des Moines.

Summer movie is ray of sunshine The Hoover family sits at a restaurant on their road trip to the Little Miss Sunshine c o m p e t i t i o n in California.

The diner is just another place that the family takes full advantage to make fools of themselves in public.

BY ALEX GUNS STAFF WRITER The 2006 summer movie season was less than enjoyable.

After a pointless Pirates sequel, a Miami Vice remake, and a number of dance related dramas, a good film seemed like too much to ask for. But just as summer had begun to fade Little Miss Sunshine blindsided American audiences with its depth, humor, and heart, To save extensive explanation: There is a Mom, Dad, Uncle, Son, and Grandpa all with countless personal issues. These range from drug user, to suicidal. All are less than respectable with the exception of the daughter; Olive. The 8-year-old Olive is able to convince the whole group to take her to California to compete in the “Little Miss Sunshine” beauty pageant. On the way the family runs into one crisis after another, by both external and internal forces. It is Olive, as the emotion anchor that keeps the group together.

Although is may seem like the basic road movie or a National Lampoon’s Vacation remake, it is so much more. Little Miss Sunshine is unique in the sense that although it has the

most basic, obvious story. A predictable beginning, met by an easily seen ending. But somehow you the viewer is so connected with the characters, you may know the outcome of the scene, but can’t wait for it to come.

Directing duo Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris have found a way to create a film that is just as amazingly engaging as it is predictable. The story is flat, but you want to see it, you want to see the good guys win. It is in this sense that Little Miss Sunshine is the most original and refreshing film in a long time.

This enjoyed predictability is most apparent at the films climax when Olive seems to be making a fool of herself at the beauty pageant. The family puts aside their qualms and supports Olive on stage. It is a cheesy ending worthy of the Full House sitcom status. But you’ve grown so attached to the characters, to their plight that a tear or two just might escape.

Little Miss Sunshine simply put, is the strongest movie this year. None other has the humor, the characters and the emotional drawl as Little Miss Sunshine. It is a fine coda to an otherwise disappointing summer movie season

There has been a recent trend in American film that doesn’t seem to be fading. The small budget film known as the “Indie” film is slowly taking over the movie theaters. Could this be the third age in American film come at last, 20 plus years after the second age?

History has been through two “ages” since its inception at the turn of the twentieth century: “The Golden Age” (1927-1940) and “The New Hollywood Age” (1967-1980), and now the new “Indie Age”, which started around 2001. Indie films such as 2005’s Junebug or the most recently reviewed Little Miss Sunshine, are those small budget films with often-quirky characters. But how did we enter this most recent age? Well, first we have to examine the first two ages.

From 1927 to the mid-1940’s, the film industry couldn’t be better. Charismatic actors such as Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman flooded the screen. Genres such as Film Noir and Westerns dominated.

American film was young enough to still have plenty of fresh and original ideas, but old enough to have the film techniques mastered. American film was in a creative niche, and for a time, it was good.

By the dawn of the 1950’s, “The Golden Age” was lost. In 1947, the House UnAmerican Activities Committee blacklisted the “Hollywood Ten.” They accused nine screenwriters, and one director of being communists. None of these accusations were ever proved, but it was enough to ruin all of their film positions. These accusations spread to over 151 filmmakers. This, combined with many of the film companies’ CEOs selling their studios to corporate America, led to the end of “The Golden Age.” It wouldn’t be until the early 1970’s that American film would be pulled from its rut and into “The Silver Age.” The first generation of film school graduates entered the business. With their new ideas, there was a resurgence of the American film spirit.

Directors from this time included George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola. Their new ideas brought about some of the greatest films of our time. The studios began to loosen their grip over the director’s freedom behind the camera. Of course, that all came to a screeching halt at the sight of one of the biggest commercial failures in film history, the 1980 Western Heaven’s Gate. The film’s cost was an unprecedented $40 million, however it only grossed $3,484,331 in the United States. The studios cracked down on these new directors, and ended “The Silver Age” indefinitely.

The reign of studio control surged through the 1980’s and 1990’s. It wasn’t until the emerging Indie scene in the early 1990’s that this ended. The Indie directors cut the studio out of the process and made the films on their own. There is controversy as to when this “age” started, but most likely after the Indie opus The Royal Tenenbaums in 2001.

Either way, movie buffs will be glad that American film has entered the newest age, and is doing well. Who knows, maybe this could pave the way for a possible second “Golden Age.”

8&9

September ‘06

Cancer Cancer Cancer

Treatments of

cancer

There are several different options for the treatment of cancer. One of the most well known is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to treat cancer. It is given to treat many different types of cancer.

“Chemotherapy is a medicine that’s used to specifically attack rapidly dividing cells in the body, and that’s what cancer cells are,” Dr. Jack F. Consamus, of the Genesis Medical Center of Davenport, IA, said.

The three main ways one can have chemotherapy is through injections, pumps and tablets. These drugs are used to treat tumors in areas of the body such as the lungs, breast, and liver.

Although chemotherapy has been found to be one of the most effective ways of treating cancer, there are many side effects that come along with these drugs. Some of these side effects may cause delays in treatment or even death. “These drugs are used to treat rapidly dividing cells, hopefully it doesn’t effect other cells in the body and cause as many side effects,” Consamus said.

Radiotherapy is another common treatment for cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, about 40% of cancer patients use radiotherapy. This type of therapy is similar to getting an X-ray. The rays are focused on the cancer cells and the therapy is given over a number of days of weeks. Radiotherapy is pain-free, easy and quick. Unfortunately, radiotherapy also has many side effects.

Over the past few years, advancements in these two treatments have greatly improved the life and hope in cancer patients. In June 2005, the University of Iowa Health Care’s Center of Excellence in Image-Guided Radiation Therapy opened, offering world-class cancer care.

This new center is expected to be a national leader in cancer care and research. New advancements and medicines are being made everyday in hope to soon find a cure for cancer and prolong the life of those who have it. These new advancements are posted everyday on oncolink.com.

Side effects of Radiation

Side effects of Chemotherapy

Nausea Skin irritation Risk of infertility in both men and women Soreness to mouth and throat Damage to nerves Hair loss Damage to bowel or waterworks Damage to heart and lungs

Low white blood cell count Low red blood cell count Low platelet count Hair loss Vomiting Nausea Fatigue

Bailey Vidmar

Coach Mattingly

It was in the middle of a summer night when junior, Bailey Vidmar, was awakened and dropped off at her grandma’s house, while her younger sister, Brooke Vidmar, was rushed to the emergency room. It wasn’t until 3 am that Bailey found out her sister had been diagnosed with cancer.

“I was only 11 years old when it happened and (Brooke) was only 5 years old,” Vidmar said. “I didn’t really understand what was going on, I just remember feeling scared and confused.”

According to Vidmar, her sister had been very sick throughout the summer and had numerous headaches. The same day she was taken to the hospital she had been continuously throwing up and complaining about her head. “My mom said she had a bad feeling in her stomach that something wasn’t right, so she decided to take (Brooke) to the hospital,” Vidmar said.

It turned out that Brooke had a brain tumor, which was causing her frequent headaches and sickness. Her treatment consisted of Radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

According to Vidmar, her sister lost all of her hair due to the Radiation therapy. “During that time (when Brooke was going through Radiation therapy), Brooke wore a lot of hats,” Vidmar said.

“Her teacher at that time also got every student a hat and allowed them to be worn so Brooke would feel more accepted (at school).”

According to Vidmar, Brooke’s last chemotherapy session came during second grade, sometime before Christmas. Since then, she hasn’t had any returning signs of cancer. “It’s been five years since Brooke was first diagnosed with the brain tumor,” Vidmar said. “Since then she hasn’t had any signs of returning cancer, but after five years free of cancer, the possibility of it returning is a bit higher.”

Brooke is currently cancer free, but continues to have yearly MRIs.

A routine sports physical.

No big deal, right? For assistant boys cross-country coach Pat Mattingly, however, the outcome was unexpected. At age sixteen, Mattingly was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Testicular cancer is very rare, and many men let it advance too far so it kills them. Men including Lance Armstrong and Mattingly were lucky enough to detect the cancer before it was too late. “When I found out, I was upset, and worried about what was going to happen,” Mattingly said. “The chemo wasn’t as advanced as it is nowadays.”

Surgeries upon surgeries and harsh chemotherapy were the extent of Mattingly’s cancer treatment. “It’s hard. You basically lose all of your hair, weight, and you’re throwing up constantly,” Mattingly said.

Through this process, Mattingly also learned who he could trust as friends, even though he had no hair and was extremely sick. “You figure out where you are on the social ladder,” Mattingly said.

Through this rough time, Mattingly learned to trust in God and in himself. He learned that one can’t control everything in their life, and that there’s a fine line between living and dying when faced with cancer. “Each day we live for a reason.

If not, we let down our brethren,” Mattingly said.

Since Mattingly became free of cancer on his 21st birthday, Mattingly says his life has changed a lot. He mentions that without cancer, he wouldn’t have the same connections with his family and friends, and he would have no understanding of how fragile life can be. For Mattingly cancer was a look to the future, a sign of hope and faith through God. “Don’t take life for granted,” Mattingly said.

Events to help

Light the Night Walk

END cancer

Into the Night

10/1/06 Des Moines Marathon

9/30/06

Celebration on the Hill

9/20/06

B &W

DOUBLETRUCK: what’s the scoop

Childhood Cancer Month

10/1/2006 10/30/06

10/14/06

cancer

Melanoma: Melanoma is cancer of the skin caused by heavy exposure to the sun.

Nels Englbom In the summer of 2002, my mom noticed a bump on my head. It looked like a bump from just hitting your head, but it felt like bone mass. After a week, my mom insisted that I go to the doctor, and get an X-ray. I was relieved when the X-ray came up negative. However, after another two weeks, the bump remained, so I went back to the doctor for a CAT scan.

That afternoon, I went over to the University of Iowa with my parents, where a neuro-surgeon talked to my parents and me about my results.

For about an hour, he told them about treatment plans and what he saw on the scan from earlier.

Afterwards, a date was scheduled for my first surgery. Throughout the last few days, I had been nervous, but never actually scared.

The day before my operation, I went back to Iowa City and spent the day with doctors, who got me ready for surgery. The day of my surgery, at seven am, I went in to surgery and didn’t wake up until twelve hours later.

The next day, the doctor said that the tumor wasn’t malignant, but it was the size of a plum.

So I started school that fall, but within the first few days, I began to feel sick. I soon found out that I had contracted an infection from surgery. I went back to the hospital that day and scheduled another surgery to slow down the infection.

After the second surgery I spent a lot more time in ICU. I also had high fevers and stomach pain constantly for about three days, and was forced to stay in the hospital for about two weeks.

When I returned home, I had to take medicine through an IV. In November, I got the IV taken out and went back to school. I had missed almost two months of school, but eventually things went back to normal until December.

A post-op MRI found out that I had another tumor. It was the same type of tumor, however it was now on my eye. Within a week of finding out this news, I had a third surgery.

A month later, I started Radiation therapy to prevent another recurrence. Radiation wasn’t as scary since all I had to do was sit still for fifteen minutes. After a while, Radiation therapy became part of my new routine. I would go to school for half a day, go over to the University of Iowa for my treatments and then go home to do homework.

After thirty-six week days of going to Iowa City, I was finally done with it all in March of 2003.

Nels never had cancer, but continues to receive yearly MRIs for any tumor reoccurrances.

Race for the Cure

10/15/06

7th Annual Fall Gala

Common types of

10/28/06

Breast Cancer Awareness Day

10/21/06

Breast Cancer: Breast cancer is diagnosed with self and physician examination.

Lung Cancer: The number one cause of lung cancer is cigarette smoking.

Leukemia: Leukemia is a cancerous disorder of the blood cells.

Prostate Cancer: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men.

Colon Cancer: Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, is located in the large intestine and is the third most common cancer in men and women.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

11/1/06 -11/30/06

Compiled by: Amanda Lower, Emily Conn, Allison Kane, Jenna Willson

10

Television with Susan

It’s season premiere time!

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. TiVo allows me to follow five shows every week. All of these shows have been on for multiple seasons with the same characters that I have come to love, and I feel like I know them on a personal basis. It’s an odd concept, but I know you show fanatics can relate.

It’s fall, and that means time for some closure to tragic season finales that made me scream at the TV. I don’t like wondering.

Season finales are my least favorite episode. They are always chalked full of tragic, half-told drama. I don’t like guessing what is going to come of it, especially not for a good five months.

I know shows want to have suspense so you will watch the next week, but suspense on the season finale is absurd. For five months, I have been upset about the endings to my favorite shows simply because they want me to watch the next season. Duh, I’m going to watch the next season, even if it was a crappy, predictable, give-you-all-the-answers closure to the season episode.

I’m anxious for Grey’s Anatomy and The OC. Yes, they are on my favorite list, but they also get my award for worst season finales.

The last OC aired on May 18 and will premiere on Nov. 2. The OC is a teenage soap opera filled with secrets, drugs, sex and parties. Mischa Barton plays Marissa Cooper. In the season ender, she dies. How can you kill the main character? They will have to prove themselves this season, because without Marissa, I think The OC is going to die as well.

My motivation for watching is definitely out of curiosity of where the dramatic plot will go, and because of Adam Brody’s character Seth Cohen, my dream man. That witty nerd that loves to sail may be the perfect thing to make this show stand out without Marissa’s dominant role.

Marissa went through a lot in the show with divorces, a dad that didn’t play much of a dad role, an overdose in Tijuana, several run-away attempts. So she dies in a car accident? I was pretty disappointed they couldn’t make her final hurrah from the show something more original. Her car gets bumperchecked by an angry ex-boyfriend, falls of the side of the road, and she dies. Just when everything between her and Ryan (her on and off boyfriend through the seasons) starts getting better. Lame.

Marissa Cooper was my favorite character.

She lived a crazy life that made the show very interesting. With her lifestyle you never knew what was going to happen on the show.

Personally, I feel bad that the script writers couldn’t have been any more clever on her final exit from the show. A car accident?

That’s all you’ve got? How boring. Other characters got heart attacks or after falling off a cliff, and she gets a car accident. Come on. They were very deceptive in her death, because I was shocked, but it disappoints me they didn’t have the decency to give her something a little more memorable.

Grey’s Anatomy is number two on my “hated season finale” list. The episode made me want to cry. There was too much sadness in one episode and once again, left the audience without a guess of next years twisted plot.

Meredith Grey is both my favorite character and least favorite character. I’m never sure what she’s going to do next. She has this warm-hearted, dog-loving nature to her, but her indecisiveness gives me reason to yell at the screen, “just kiss him already!” Dr. McDreamy will make her most happy, I’m sure.

The season finale was packed. It was almost too much to handle. Burke is shot, Izzie’s fiance dies, Meredith, oh Meredith and I just can’t take all of it at once. I don’t like knowing too much before the characters know it. I, as their friend, know them so well from hanging out with them once a week. I just want to tell them things before they get hurt. I don’t like seeing them sad. Crying is a chain reaction thing for me, so too much drama, and I need a tissue.

B &W

ENTERTAINMENT: what’s happening September ‘06

&fashion

FALL

BY HANA KAJTAZOVIC & LAUREN PROFFITT STAFF WRITERS

girlyvintage

classickid

CIERA BOLDEN can’t wait to buy: pencil skirt ready to retire: skulls; leggings

JOSIAH JOHNSON

currently wearing:

can’t wait to buy pocket watch

dress: Younkers $63; necklace: Target $7; headband: vintage; shoes: Rampage $40

ready to retire: shoes currently wearing: sweater: TJ Maxx $8; jeans: TJ Maxx $39;bag:present; belt: TJ Maxx $7; shoes: PacSun $40

preppyfun CALI KNESS

laidback

ALEX CONRAD

cant wait to buy: fall jackets

can’t wait to buy: winter coat

ready to retire: glittery things

ready to retire: tight jeans

currently wearing:

currently wearing:

tanks: Buckle $12 each; burmudas: Maurices $49; flipflops: A&F $20

henley: AE $30; jeans: AE $40; belt: mom’s closet; manflops: Journeys $20

I’ve never...

BY TOREY ROBINSON SPORTS EDITOR It’s not uncommon to see girls gush about gossip while enjoying a dish at a sushi restaurant in an episode of Laguna Beach. Even here in Des Moines, I find more and more locations where Japanese cuisine is an option for dinner.

I have heard my friends rave about their favorite sushi treats, however I cannot say shoving raw fish down my throat has ever sounded overly appetizing.

Call me crazy, but I prefer ordinary, everyday beef.

Cooked thoroughly, please.

But then I realized, it is not fair of me to bash this fish frenzy without trying it.

As a close friend and I arrived at Taki Japanese Stakehouse, located off 86 St., I expected to be seated with my dining partner just as at any normal restaurant.

Instead, the two of us were

eclecticcool can’t wait to buy: Wet Seal vest ready to retire: Uggs; plaid shorts currently wearing: shoes: Old Navy $10; sweats: WalMart $6; tank: AE $22; sweatshirt: concert $35; belt: Target $18; purse: Target $13; necklace: Forever 21 $5

eaten sushi Torey Robinson/BW

Appitizer Option A, above, was my fi rst sushi sampler.

The dish included one piece of tuna, salmon, and shrimp and, on the right, a Cali roll. The cost was $8.50. awkwardly placed at the same table as a high school couple on a date. Luckily, the waitress arrived quickly to take our orders.

For me? A small sushi appetizer: one piece of tuna, salmon, and shrimp served with a California roll.

Now, me being the sushi virgin that I was, I assumed that the “roll” I was going to

MEANZ CHAN

receive was one made of bread, something that I could actually eat in the likely event that I hated my appitizer.

You can imagine my surprise when I found a set of rice-wrapped,seaweed-filled fish discs on my plate next to three slimy scraps of fish meat.

I nearly gagged at the first whiff of the uncooked food lying on my plate.

The meat was cold. Really cold. I knew it was raw, but seriously. The chewy piece of salmon slithered down my throat and left an unpleasant aftertaste that was bitter and almost scaly.

I could not distinguish the difference between the three varieties of fish that I tried; they all made me feel like I was gnawing on a rubber band and left an oily aftertaste in my mouth.

After stomaching the first portion of my appetizer, I moved on to the California roll. This delicacy was crunchy and had more of a sour taste, rather than the scaley sensation the fish has created.

My first time eating sushi did not win me over. Aside from the awkwardness of eating every bite side-by-side with strangers, the fish left an undescribable queasy feeling in my stomach for hours.

So go ahead girls of Laguna, eat your sushi. I’ll stick to steak.

B &W 11 Tackling issues with Jim Nussle FEATURE: what people are doing September ‘06

Black and White Editor-in-Chief Mike Slusark asked a few questions of Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle during his visit to JHS on Sept. 12. Democratic candidate Chet Culver was also contacted, but did not respond to attempts to set up an Slusark: If presented with a bill that would increase cigarette tax in the state, would you sign it?

Nussle: I am not proposing an increase in cigarette tax. That’s my answer.

Slusark: So if the legislature presented you with a bill, you wouldn’t sign it?

Nussle: You got my answer.

Slusark: Now how would you explain that position if obviously the argument against that would be that a cigarette tax would help discourage young people from smoking?

Nussle: That’s actually not working. Actually, teen cigarette smoking is on the increase and that’s after a number of huge increases of the cigarette tax in many different states.

So there’s not necessarily a direct correlation between increases of the cigarette tax and teen smoking.

Dan Haight B/W Dan Haight/BW

Slusark: What will you do to aide local governments in providing services to their respective communities?

Nussle: Well, it’s up to each and every local government to make that decision. What state government can do or should do is to try and get out of their way so that they can do a good job. Unfunded mandates are probably one of the biggest challenges that state governments have in making sure that they can make ends meet and fulfill their local requirements as they see fit. So I think those are some of the strategies I would employ.

Slusark: An ex-Johnston student was paralyzed in an auto accident over the summer. Scientific studies have shown that stem cells could help to treat paralysis, as well as juvenile diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

What is your opinion on stem cell research and would you use state funds towards it?

Nussle: I am for stem cell research. I am not for embryonic stem cell research, and there is a difference. A lot of the critical breakthroughs in therapy and research have been done in adult stem cell research, and there is now also a whole school of thought which has come on here in the last month where it’s possible that those stem cells can be manufactured in other ways. So, there’s a lot of exciting breakthroughs and that can be, and I think should be, funded, but I’m not for embryonic stem cell research or the funding of that research.

Slusark: So, you support President Bush in his veto of the embryonic stem-cell research bill?

Nussle: I voted to sustain the veto, yes.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Congressman Jim Nussle speaks to students in the auditorium during his Sept. 12 visit to the school.

Brickleyspices up staff with winning salsa

BY KARI DOCKUM MANAGING EDITOR Teacher Tim Brickley won the staff salsa-making challenge on Aug. 30 to kick off the first of many food competitions for this upcoming year. According to science teacher Chris Beguhn, who organized the event, contests will be held once a month on the dates of staff meetings.

“It will not only be a way to remember the meeting, but something fun to do as well,” Beguhn said.

There were 12 salsas entered in the contest. “Two other teachers were going to enter, but one left (the salsa) in the refrigerator at home, and the other just didn’t have time,” Beguhn said.

The salsas were placed in the Teacher Production room, where teachers were able to go in throughout the day to sample the salsas. Staff voted for Best Appearance, Best Flavor and Best Overall Salsa.

Brickley’s salsa was voted Best Overall Salsa, making him the winner. His salsa was also recognized for having the best taste.

Brickley received the recipe for his salsa about two years ago. “A friend of mine brought it to something, and I got it from her then,” Brickley said. “Now I make it anytime I’m going to entertain.”

Cooking is nothing new to Brickley. “I grill all the time,” Brickley said. “I make stuff like pork chops and chicken breast on the gill. I’ve started to make salads, and I’ll usually make something light, like rice or beans.”

Made with feta cheese and avocados, Brickley’s salsa is unlike most others. According to Brickley, there were also a few different salsa variations entered. “There were fruit salsas, and one that used shrimp,” Brickley said.

“There was a good one with fresh cilantro too.”

As the winner of two components of the contest, Brickley received two separate prizes. “I got a big red pepper thing for Best Flavor, and a dancing Mexican puppet for Best Overall Salsa,” Brickley said.

According to Beguhn, staff was in and out of the

Brickley’s Avocado Feta Salsa Recipe 1 avocado, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped (plum preferred) 1/4 C finely chopped red onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 T (red or white) wine vinegar 1 T fresh parsley 1 T fresh oregano 1 T olive oil 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Combine all ingredients except feta and mix. Add feta last. Chill for two hours before serving.

Teacher Tim Brickley shows off the infl atable red pepper and dancing Mexican puppet he won in the staff salsa-making contest. Brickley received the prizes for his avocado feta salsa, which was voted Best Flavor and Best Overall Salsa by staff.

Dan Haight/BW

room all day. “Anytime you went in there during the day, there were lots of teacher talking and building relationships, which is always a goal of ours,” Beguhn said. “(The contest) gave teachers a reason to hang out and socialize.”

Beguhn received much feedback from the staff.

“There was lots of buzz about it throughout the day, which is a reason to do a second one,” Beguhn said.

The next contest will be held on Sept. 27. “We’re trying to be seasonal, so it’s going to be an apple dish,” Beguhn said. “I sent out an email about it, and 12 have already said they would enter.”

While Brickley would like to defend his title as food champion of the staff, baking an apple dish could prove a challenge. “I would have to learn how to make something apple first,” Brickley said.

12

FEATURE: what people are doing September ‘06

B &W

Dewhurst returns home to play for Bucs was the last and only other Johnston student to play for the Bucs.

BY BRYAN LIPPINCOTT

REVIEW EDITOR

Family

Junior Nate Dewhurst was six hours from home at Culver Academy in Indiana a year ago.

He went there to play center on the hockey team. Now, as a junior, he has returned home to play for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League.

Culver

Dewhurst’s main focus at Culver was hockey: he was there to play at a higher level of competition. Dewhurst was able to get a lot of playing time, and traveled with the team throughout the season.

“We usually were around the Chicago or Indianapolis area, but we also went to Toronto,” Dewhurst said.

His day at Culver consisted of four periods of school, followed by a two hour hockey practice. After practice, he would eat dinner and head back to his dorm to do his school work.

“I really liked the coaches and hockey a lot at Culver,” Dewhurst said. He did not enjoy the actual school part of Culver, because they really didn’t have very much school.

Culver’s lack of time for education caused a little bit of worry when he came back.

He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to graduate since he was also only taking four

Provided by Kiley Dewhurst

Junior Nate Dewhurst scores on the opposing team, also of the United States, at a tournament in Rochester, New York. Dewhurst qualified to play for the U.S. after playing in a U.S.A camp, also in Rochester. classes at Johnston, but that has been sorted out now, and he is on track to graduate in 2008 with his class. He will be taking speech, which is usually taken as a sophomore.

Dewhurst misses things about Culver.

“I miss my friends from Culver, having my own dorm and my freedom,” said Dewhurst. “But I missed being at home.”

Buccaneers

Coming home to play for the Bucs will allow Dewhurst to play at a much higher level of hockey than Culver could offer. In order to play for the Bucs, his schedule at school is set up so that he is out after fifth period. This is so he can make it to his daily practice at 2 pm.

According to Dewhurst, the competition is much better this

year, and for Dewhurst that means having to contend with bigger, faster, stronger and older players. He currently is the youngest member of the Bucs. “It’s not really hard to get along with the other players,” Dewhurst said.

Dewhurst doesn’t expect to play much in the upcoming Buc games.

Dewhurst is the second Johnston student to play for the Buccaneers. Chad Costello

Dewhurst also had to leave his family behind to go to Culver. “It was a really hard decision for us to let him go,” sister Kiley Dewhurst said.

The family was able to make it to about half of Dewhurst’s games as a family, according to his father Scott Dewhurst.

Scott was also able to make it to games in Michigan, Toronto and Rochester.

Dewhurst was missed by every member of his family when he left for Culver. “I wouldn’t have been ready even if he was 18,” mother Jana Dewhurst said. “Our family has always been pretty close, but we enjoy each others company more now.”

Dewhurst and Kiley have grown up very good friends.

Kiley was rarely able to make it to games on weekends due to conflicts. She could only see him when he came home for the breaks on Christmas and in the spring and summer.

“It was weird because we had to do normal family traditions, like picking out a Christmas tree without him,” Kiley said.

The Dewhursts are reunited as a whole family again, and will be able to see Dewhurst on the ice this season playing for the Bucs. Now, they will be able to do thing together as a family again, and see each other on a regular basis.

Pre-game pasta dinners, keeping a healthy eye

BY KELSEY HYDE STAFF WRITER It’s the night before the big game and you slop just a little more mac ‘n’ cheese onto your already overflowing plate. Pasta dinners have been a long-held tradition for JHS athletics, but athletes need to make sure they are loading up their carbs and nutrients in a healthy way.

“Kids have such poor diets at the high school level that it is important for them to have a knife and fork kind of meal at least the night before games,” athletic trainer Mark Pierson said.

Most athletic teams in the high school hold team pasta dinners the night before races or games to help boost team morale, but especially to consume carbohydrates that help build energy stores in athletes’ muscles. By eating carbohydrates, or carbo-loading, athletes process the food into glycogen, an easily accessible energy source, and then store that energy in their muscles.

When athletes are finishing in first place or scoring the winning touchdown the next night, their bodies can quickly use this glycogen in their muscles, without having to work hard to find hidden energy stores.

“An athlete’s physical need for energy is why carboloading works. It is easier to access the energy because it is not stored as deep in the body,” swim coach Shari Walling said.

Pasta dinners would never happen without parents willing to make them possible. That’s why it is important that parents, as well as athletes, are informed about what kind of meals are beneficial on pre-game days.

“Knowing what styles of dishes to make and why they are healthy is important. If pasta is loaded down with cheese and meat, that excess fat and protein defeats the goal of creating easily-accessible energy. You end up with something that takes longer to digest; plus, you lose absorption power,” Walling said.

To help out parents, as well as athletes, Walling had nutritionist Anne Lashier come in and inform swim team families and athletes how to eat right before meets, as well as during the season. Eating healthy all week long is very important for an athlete’s overall performance.

“One thing (coaches need) to follow through on is to educate kids on how to eat well all week before events and games, and to hydrate,” Pierson said.

Overall health and awareness about how to care for one’s body is imperative.

“When kids come in and tell me how they are losing a lot of weight or not performing as well, I ask them three questions. Did you get breakfast? Did you get your eight hours of sleep in? Because that is especially important for athletes to help repair their bodies after workouts. And, are you keeping hydrated? Those three things are a good foundation,” Pierson said.

Eating healthy, well-rounded meals everyday will boost athletic performance as well.

“Breakfast every morning is key. For the swimmers, it is especially important they don’t go until lunch without eating. It can be hard to pick out something healthy at lunch. You have to be careful about that,” Walling said.

Making smart choices by picking out grains and vegetables and avoiding spicy chicken sandwiches or greasy pizza slices in the cafeteria will help to keep a healthy diet. This eating tip is the best to follow the days of the big events.

“On game days, it is important to get all three meals to stay nourished. A pre-game snack, maybe around seven-ish, is important as well. I would even suggest a pre-game meal,” Pierson said.

Keeping a healthful eye out and making sure to boost up energy at weekly pasta dinners is profitable for any athlete. Pasta dinners help athletes perform well physically and build a positive mentality for that big win. Eat healthy and win big.

Kelsey Hyde/BW

Sophomore cross-country runners Nickie Meyer and Elena Malycheva gorge on spaghetti and alfredo at a pasta dinner held Wednesday night Sept. 13 before the Ames meet. The girls’ cross country team holds weekly pasta dinners made by team parents the night before meets.

DUNGEON Name: Chris Schnell Grade: Senior Age: 17 Years Skating: 3

Favorite places to skate?

“New skateboarding spots that have just been found; the Urbandale Skatepark; Skatesouth on Wednesday and Saturday nights, which are skateboarding nights; and all over downtown Des Moines, as well as every place I can find to skate in the Des Moines and Urbandale area.”

Worst injuries?

“One time I broke my ribs and I broke them in a really stupid way. I had just gotten to the Knoxville Skatepark and fell down immediately, making it hard to breathe. We later found out that I had broken two of my ribs. I could still skate though, because there are no real procedures for healing broken ribs. Also, after a year’s worth of pain in my hand and ankle, I went to get them checked out to learn that they had been broken for a length of time during the past year. The only way for my hand to ever completely heal was by surgery, but I decided against surgery.”

Motivation to skate?

The feeling of accomplishment I get after landing difficult tricks. I can’t fully explain why I enjoy skateboarding, it’s just one of those things I like to do. It’s fun.

Dan Haight/BW

Compiled by: Dan Haight and John Kennedy

14

B &W Runner with tumor keeps up the pace

SPORTS: what the athletes play September ‘06

No-huddle offense drives Dragons to success

BY AMANDA LOWER DOUBLETRUCK EDITOR The football team has started off their season with a different approach: the offense is no longer huddling.

“It makes the game go faster and wears the other team out,” varsity football player Danny Cahill said. According to Cahill, a senior, by the offense not huddling, they can run almost twice as many plays than if they did huddle.

“At first, (no huddling) was hard,” senior varsity football player Tyler Shannon said.

“We weren’t used to it at first, we would get tired and out of breath.”

According to varsity football head coach Brian Woodley, the goal of the no-huddle offense is to allow a better chance to comeback if the team falls behind early in the game.

“It gives us a change to every game because by the fourth quarter, the other team is tired and Brian Woodley worn out,” Varsity Football Coach Wo o d l e y said. “If we want to get to the next level and win conference and state championships, then we need to continue not huddling.”

So how does the offense know what to do if they aren’t huddling before each play? According to Cahill, the offense communicates with coaches and other players through the use of signals. “We have specific signals for offensive plays that the coaches give us from the sidelines,” Cahill said.

According to Woodley, he thinks the feedback from the team is positive about not huddling on offense. “I haven’t had any complaints, it keeps the opponent on their heels and I think the team likes that.”

Woodley said.

Although the football team has yet to face the toughest competition, the no-huddle offense has proven to be successful. With four wins under their belt, the team will continue to use the new offensive strategy in hopes to lengthen their winning sreak, as the competition gets harder. “Time will tell as the season goes on,” Woodley said. “We have a tougher schedule towards the end of our season, so time will tell.”

“If we want to get to the next level and win conference and state championships, then we need to continue not huddling.”

Cross-country runner Aric Greenfield has tumor, continues to run

BY VERONICA ROSHEK STAFF WRITER

The finish line began to focus in the distance. Near exhaustion, sophomore Aric Greenfield started to kick into gear, leaving behind the rhythmic pace he had kept throughout the race. Gasping for breath, Greenfield took his final step and lunged forward as the encouraging crowd cheered on the runners. Finishing the JV crosscountry meet for him is more of an accomplishment than running with a typical injury. Greenfield runs with a tumor in his knee.

“I went to the doctor in seventh grade during basketball season because my knee was hurting and I didn’t know what was wrong,” Greenfield said. It did not take long for Dr. Stephen Taylor to figure out that Greenfield had a tumor growing in his knee. With an X-ray, Taylor was able to determine that this tumor was not cancerous. “It was growing as a piece of my growth plate just above my right knee cap, but it was growing out instead of in,” Greenfield said.

The X-ray also showed tendons covering the tumor. To be able to continue running and playing basketball, Greenfield needs it specially taped so the muscles will not move and inflict more pain.

Greenfield’s mother, Karen Greenfield, who is also a nurse, did not expect to find out that there was a tumor in her son’s knee. “When he first started complaining that his knee was hurting, I just gave him some aspirin, like it was just a minor injury from basketball,” Karen said. Once they found out what the problem actually was, she started to get worried. “Knees are a common place for cancerous tumors to be located,” Karen said.

But, with the results confirming that it was the most commonly known non-cancerous tumor, the osteochondroma tumor, the worrying quickly subsided.

“The tumor is about the same size as a lemon,” Karen said.

Because of the size of the tumor and

Abby Weaver/Dragon

Greenfield hits his stride at the Johnston Invitational at Walnut Ridge. Although he has a noncancerous tumor in his right knee, Greenfield continues to run cross-country and play basketball. the problems Greenfield has been encountering in sports, the surgery became a requirement.

“I’m having the surgery this year once basketball season is over,” Greenfield said.

The surgery consists of splitting his leg open down to the bone, so doctors can remove the tumor along with the piece of the growth plate that it was growing on to prevent regrowth. The standard time for this surgery is two to three hours. “I’m not very scared about having the surgery, (I’m) ready to get it over

with,” Greenfield said.

After surgery, Greenfield will need to go through approximately eight weeks of physical therapy.

Then will be able to participate in sports again.

“He is going to be in recovery for a long time, but (his times) will improve some when he comes back,” assistant varsity boys’ crosscountry coach Pat Mattingly said. “(The surgery is) going to be good for him not only in cross-country, but it’s going to be good for him as a person,” Mattingly said.

Cheerleaders distraught at scheduling of leadership Varsity cheerleaders miss out on going to leadership camp; scheduling causes low attendance at competition

BY CAROLINE BYRD STAFF WRITER Varsity cheerleaders cannot attend the Students Active in Leadership (SAIL) leadership camp due to a conflicting competition the same weekend.

O’Keefe Each year, the leadership camp is held the first weekend in November at the YMCA camp in Boone. In the most recent years, the Iowa State Cheerleading Competition in Ames has been held the same

weekend as the camp.

The scheduling conflict between the two events has deprived the cheerleaders from attending the camp in its entirety and from cheerleading spectators to support the team in its competition.

Senior Emily O’Keefe said it is too bad that the two events occur on the same weekend. “It’s sad that people can’t support an activity that we consistently do well in,” O’Keefe said.

Junior Jordain Skarphol shares O’Keefe’s opinion. “It’s nice to Skarphol have people there watching you,” Skarphol said.

Sophomore Miles Summa is a big supporter of Johnston’s extracurricular activities. Summa was not aware that the two events were on the same weekend, and is planning on attending the leadership camp. “I heard that leadership camp is one of the best times

in high school,” Summa said. “It’s a shame that the events are on the same weekend, and I hope the cheerleaders do well.”

Dan Scannell, who is a co-leader of the SAIL program at Johnston High School, said the timing of the two events really could not have been helped.

Scheduling of the cheerleading competition was not handled by the district, and the leadership camp had to be scheduled on that same weekend. If the camp was scheduled a week before, students that are involved with fall activities might miss out. If the camp was scheduled a week Scannell later, the students involved with winter sports might miss out.

“It’s really too bad. We have a lot of great cheerleaders that work very hard,” Scannell said. “(Administration) has gone above to make it work.”

15

B &W Williamson drives competition in overseas golf tournament SPORTS: what the athletes play September ‘06

BY TOREY ROBINSON SPORTS EDITOR

Senior Chris Williamson competed in an international golf tournament in Scotland in July. “I placed well enough at some national events last year and had to go through an application process, and I was accepted,” Williamson said.

Williamson, also a captain of the varsity golf team, first participated in several competitions on the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT) Junior Golf Tour around the Midwest during his junior year. Williamson placed second at Purdue and fourth in St. Louis, allowing him to qualify to compete against other teenagers ages 1618 at the Scottish Boys Championship in Scotland.

Friends and family were supportive and proud of Williamson’s accomplishment. “(My friend) Matt Burch kissed the ground I walked on,” Williamson said. “My parents were really thrilled about the whole thing, too.

They were proud.”

Longtime friend Scott Cronin had similar appreciation for Williamson. “It was an extremely high honor that he worked to achieve. With all this hard work he was able to reach his goal, which was great,” Cronin said.

Williamson departed alone July 18 on an eight hour plane ride. “It was mighty long,” he said. “When I got there, I didn’t know anyone. We all just met for the first time at the airport.”

The golf competition lasted eleven days in which the competitors golfed nine rounds at several courses, including St. Andrew’s Old Course, Carnoustie, St. Andres Bay and Gleneages. “My favorite (course) was Carnoustie,” Williamson said. “The British Open will be there next year. It will be the toughest course you’ll ever play, but I got my best score there.”

Williamson did not have ranking scores, but felt he played reasonably well. “The highest U.S.A. finisher tied for seventh place,” he said.

Playing in Europe was different for Williamson. “It was really foggy in the mornings. (The courses) are all really hard and the ball would run forever on the fairways,” Williamson said. “It is a completely different style of golf than in the U.S.” However, the experience was not all serious. “We hung out with the locals a lot (at nights and in free time),” Williamson said. “There wasn’t much to do at night because everything was a bar. We occasionally hit balls off a roof into traffic.”

Williamson’s favorite part of the experience was

Provided by Chris Williamson

Senior Chris Williamson prepares for a drive at the St. Andrew’s Old Course in Scotland. Williamson represented America in the Future Collegians World Tour Junior Golf Tour in July. walking the courses with the understanding that he was competing for America in the tournament. “We weren’t just tourists... We were representing our country,” Williamson said.

Williamson returned home on July 27, but not without new friends and a lesson learned. “I was hanging out with seven kids I had never met before,” he said. “We had just as much fun off the course as playing in those famous places.”

He also said that he truly learned that hard work can pay off. “Playing well and practicing over the years (can turn out in) opportunities like this. It’s unreal,” Williamson said.

Williamson’s Scores St. Andrew’s Old Course Carnoustie St. Andres Bay Gleneages

76 74 75 75

Baseball and softball teams set new school records Despite records, baseball and softball teams do not qualify for state

BY JENNA WILLSON STAFF WRITER

Olivia Schiefelbein/Dragon

Senior Austin Denny throws the pitch during one of the Dragon’s baseball games. The team ended with a record of 25-17.

Both the varsity baseball and the varsity softball teams set new school winning records this summer.

The softball team ended its season with a 42-9 record. The baseball team ended with a 25-17 record. Despite the winning records, neither team was able to qualify for the state competition.

According to varsity softball coach Todd Merical, the softball team had a more difficult schedule this season than past years.

The team played the first-, second-, third-, sixthand seventh-ranked teams in the 4A division, as well as the number one and two teams in the 2A division, who ended up competing against each other for the 2A state title.

“It was a very challenging schedule. We had seniors who were very experienced. We were fortunate to have a nice group of players to work with, ” Merical said.

The softball team had five starting seniors, each with three or four years of experience. Merical also said that there was a lot of help from the juniors, sophomores, and two freshmen who joined the varsity roster.

According to Merical, there was good, young talent on the team and a lot of competition on it last summer.

Junior Holly Von Fumetti played on varsity for the first time last season. “I was really happy with the season. I couldn’t have asked for more,” Von Fumetti said.

Senior Emily Kuster also agreed that the team

had a very good season, but that it was surprising in the end. “We were a stronger team. I don’t think anyone expected Johnston not to go state last year,” Kuster said.

According to Kuster, during the off-season, each girl focuses on themselves. Next spring, however, Coach Merical plans on making pitching and the infield his top two priorities.

“As a coaching staff, we’re very excited for next year. We will work on improving on all stages of the game,” Merical said.

The baseball team also had a successful and difficult season.

“We play in the toughest conference in the state.

Additionally, we play an extremely competitive nonconference schedule,” varsity baseball Coach Randy Wee said. “We had six wins against teams ranked in the 4A top ten and also two wins against ranked 3A teams. The CIML has won the last eleven 4A state titles so there is never an easy game.”

Despite the wins, the team still did not qualify for the state tournament.

“Although I was very pleased with our record it is always disappointing when you don’t get to state.

This team fully believed in their ability to get to state, but fell a little short,” Wee said. “It is always sad when you play the last game because that is the last time the team will play together.”

Junior Troy DuBay was happy with the baseball season. “We had two seniors, a lot of underclassmen, and we all came together and did what we had to do,” DuBay said.

Next year, DuBay hopes on relaxing before substate. With twenty of twenty-two players returning next year, most will know the varsity atmosphere, which will help in game preparation.

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16

B &W

BACKPAGE: what’s fun

underaged

inked The law regulating the age a person may get a tattoo varies throughout the country. The state of Iowa requires you to be 18 before you can make this responsible decision, but looking at our peers of JHS, you wouldn’t know.

Tips From

“Budha”

September ‘06

Jack McIlhon junior

Why did you get a tattoo? To represent my grandpa.

How old were you when you got it? 16 years old.

How did you get it without being 18? The guy was able to risk getting arrested.

Where did you get it? In an underground shop.

Where is your tattoo at? My upper arm.

What is it of? A cross with a ribbon going around it saying “In Loving Memory.”

Do you plan on getting anymore? I plan on getting nine more by the time I graduate, but I don’t know what yet.

Tattoos tend to fade, are you ever planning on getting it touched up? Yeah, soon.

Do your parents approve? I did it behind their backs.

Lauren Proffit/BW

Ri Chan senior

Do you worry about what people think about your tattoo? No, not really. I think its kinda fun to piss off the world once in a while. When everyone approves of everything you’re doing, you’re not living life.

How did you get a tattoo when you were underaged?

When I was a freshman, I went to Hawaii during spring break and asked my parents for a tattoo. My mom designed it herself, two Chinese symbols that mean “hope”.

How did it feel when you were getting the tattoo?

Like a bee stinging you over and over again.

Do you plan getting any more tattoos? Oh, it’s so addicting. I’m hoping to only get four or ve, but I can see it going further than that, hopefully not though.

Do you regret getting a tattoo? I almost regret getting my tattoo at fteen. I really don’t think kids at that age should be getting tattoos. You see people getting owers, butteries, and you wonder, did you get it to get it, or did you get it because there was meaning behind it?

Lauren Proffit/BW

Dave Temple senior

Bryce “Budha” Oakes from Five Point Studios gives some helpful advice to students thinking about getting a tattoo.

- Choose your artist wisely. All artists vary in style so make sure your comfortable with your artist and condent they understand exactly what you want.

-Know what you want beforehand. Talk to the artist, think about it, go home and then come back a few days later just to make sure that it’s not just an impulsive decision.

- Look at different shops. Compare them. If a shop doesn’t care about the way it looks, it probably doesn’t care about the way your tattoo looks either.

- Check for safety issues. Do they wear gloves? Are they sterilizing the needle? Look for tattooing certicates.

- Ask yourself “Why?” If you don’t know, don’t get it. Try to come up with something unique and totally you instead of the generic designs on the wall.

- Don’t ever go to someone outside a shop. If they don’t have good enough morals to be in a licensed shop you shouldn’t be there. It’s dirty. Everything in their shop is sterile. Do you think everything is sterile in someone’s kitchen?

-Wait until you’re 18. You have more life after you’re 18, and chances are you’ll like it longer if you wait.

-Pay attention to people in this industry. They know what they are doing. If someone asks you why you want this tattoo, don’t get defensive. Explain to them exactly what you want and why.

They’re just trying to help you make the best permanent decision that you can.

Why did you get a tattoo? I wanted something to represent my Irish heritage and I thought it was cool.

How old were you when you got it? 17 Where is your tattoo at? My upper right arm.

What’s it of? Celtic Thorns.

Does it mean anything? I don’t think so, it’s just Irish.

Where did you get it? Revolution Studios in Omaha.

How did you get it without being 18? My mom went with me and signed for it.

Did your parents approve? My mom did. My dad thought it was stupid.

Do you plan on getting anymore? I want to get a small cross on my back.

Tattoos tend to fade, are you ever planning on getting it touched up? I already have, my brother and I get in a ght and he ripped one of my scabs off so I had to get that touched up, but yeah, I’ll probably get it touched up.

Cicely Gordon/BW

Brie Bumpus senior

Why did you get a tattoo? I saw the design and I liked the way it looked.

How old were you when you got it? Almost 16 How did you get it without being 18? My mom had to give her permission.

Where did you get it? I got it when I was in Hawaii Where is your tattoo at? On my lower back What is it of? It’s the Hawaiian state ower What do your parents think about the tattoo? My mom didn’t care, but my dad doesn’t know.

Who went with you when you got it? My mom and my sister.

Do you ever have to cover it up? Only when I’m around my Dad. Do you plan on getting anymore? Yeah, but not in Johnston.

Cicely Gordon/BW

COMPILED BY CICELY GORDON (BACKPAGE EDITOR), CHELSEA NELSON, HANA KAJTAZOVIC, LAUREN PROFFIT, TINA LI (STAFF WRITERS)