3-Torch 12Nov2010

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John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 Volume 44, Issue 3

“THE TORCH HAS BEEN PASSED TO A NEW GENERATION” -John F. KEnnedy

Fall in full force, 6-7 Are you embracing the season?

in this issue: Finals week threatens health of students, 3 Harry Potter superfan awaits movie debut, 9 Student athletes hit the ice for USHL, 11

graphic by Rachel Gilman

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JFK Torch November 12, 2010

Briefly

Cougs combine to win Z102.9 dance

news

Page by darcey altschwager

Rockin’ All-State

Recently, Pepsi and Z102.9 sponsored a contest for all the Cedar Rapids schools and the surrounding areas.

The contest started on August 23 and ended on October 15, when the winner was announced.

Kennedy High School had over 5,000 votes, beating the other schools to win the dance. “I was a little surprised we won the contest because smaller schools usually rally together, but we did really well at promoting the contest,” Dr. Mary Wilcynski, principal, said. “[The date of the dance is] Saturday, January 22nd. It will be right after the Ames boys’ and girls’ basketball double header,” Robert Johnson, associate principal, said.

The dance will not be formal; casual attire is appropriate. Students from the Cougar Advisory Council haven’t decided whether or not it will be a theme dance.

Jordan Calef

Voters speak out, Branstad Governor

The elections for the U.S. Senate, Iowa governor and U.S. house were held on November 2, with Republican Terry Branstad picking up a big victory. Branstad grabbed 53 percent of the votes, beating out Democrat Chet Culver, who received 43.3 percent of the votes in the race for governor. The senate race pitted Republican Chuck Grassley, 29 year incumbent, against Democrat Roxanne Conlin. This race ended with a victory for Grassley, receiving an outstanding 64.5 percent of the votes. The U.S. House election ended with Democrat Dave Loebsack winning the District Two elections.

Although Terry Branstad won the state over, Linn County had a different view on the race for the governor. Linn county voters chose Chet Culver over Terry Branstad by 4.3 percent. Linn was just one of nine counties where Culver won the majority.

The state house was split with democrats beating republicans by picking up three of the districts in Iowa, leaving the republicans the other two.

Info from http://data.desmoinesregister.com/ dmr/iowa-elections/

Photo by Jessica Rowan Perfect Harmony. James Odegaard, sr., and Megan Van Kirk, so., sing in preparation for All-State.

Auditioning for All-State can be a very nerve-racking experience. But for some people who are auditioning for their second year, this audition may seem a little bit less nerve racking.

Ben Feuerhelm, jr., has been playing the trumpet for about five years. This will be his second year making it into All-State. He is involved in marching band, wind symphony and jazz band which meets two days a week during seventh hour and often times competes.

“It’s hard for me to be involved in a lot of bands because of wrestling season,” Feuerhelm said.

In preparation for All-State Feuerhelm

Spencer Grekoff

Electric car enters race at nationals The electric car season is officially over; the season ran between April 1 and ended towards the end of September.

Barry Wilson, Electric Car instructor, believes Electric Car is a great experience for teens. “It offers young people the opportunity to experience business, to work on the skills of reliability, teamwork, goal setting, and problem solving,” Wilson said. The electric car team didn’t do as well as Wilson expected during Nationals; they placed 4th in their best race.

Another difficult race for electric car is in Nebraska; nearly 100 teams participate in the Nebraska competitions. Racing in Iowa is a lot easier according to Wilson. “Only 12 teams participate in the Iowa races,” Wilson said. Wilson believes the team did well last season, and next season they hope to do well at Nationals, Nebraska, and Michigan.

Currently the electric car team is working on their new model. Wilson believes if their car design works out, it will do well in next seasons races, “It should be a fun season next year,” Wilson said.

SAM NORDSTROM

Torch, Profile head to nationals On Thursday, November 11, the Fall National High School Journalism Convention will begin in Kansas City, Missouri and will continue until November 14. Those attending include 11 members from the Torch staff, one from the journalism class, two members from the yearbook staff and the staff advisors.

At the conference, students will have opportunities to compete against other students during write off contests. Students will be able to choose from a wide variety of interests at the convention. There will be more than 300 training sessions. Staff members will be able to get involved in media sessions with pro journalists.

At the convention there will be between 5,000 and 6,000 students. Two of the key speakers that will be at the Convention are Joe Posnanski, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and was twice named the best sports columnist of the Kansas City Star and Jim Richardson, a photographer for National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Travel magazine.

The Kennedy students attending are looking forward to the learning experience and having fun.

austin johnson

Photo by Jessica Rowan Stringing away. Iman Kashmola, jr., spends time practicing for her chair audition.

Qualifying for All-State for vocal can be one of the hardest things to audition for.

Regardless, five students from Kennedy all received the honor of making it into All State.

James Odegaard, sr., has been singing for about ten years. He is involved in Happiness, concert choir, chamber choir, and moonlight express.

“All State is basically a mass choir of outstanding singers. It is really cool to hear the amazing sound they produce,” Odegaard said.

Megan Van Kirk, so., thought the audition process was very hard and nerve racking.

“You have to be able to blend with your group but also have to be able to have individuality to your voice so you stand out,” Van Kirk said.

During the audition, participants are given seven minutes to show off their skills. Unlike band and orchestra, vocal auditions are done with a group of people instead of individually.

But people who do make it into state are among the top 17 percent of singers in the state.

Darcey Altschwager

practiced for a month, 45 minutes a day either after school or sometimes during lunch. Before the audition he was given songs and scales to practiced that were released by the All-State committee during the last week of August.

During the audition Feuerhelm played two songs that were each a page long. A selected solo was also required in the audition. He then played a scale of his choice and then another scale that he randomly selected from a pool of cards.

“I knew what to expect,” Feuerhelm said.

Although after the audition he felt that he could have played better then he actually did.

Darcey Altschwager For some students in the hopes of making All-State, the third times the charm.

Iman Kashmola, jr., has been playing the viola for about four and a half years. She is involved in orchestra, golden strings, symphony orchestra and chamber orchestra..

“I have been practicing since July,” Kashmola said. The excerpts of the songs needed for the audition are released towards the end of July.

She is still practicing for All-State because she will have a chair audition before the concert which will take place in Ames, Iowa.

All-State Qualifiers Vocal Nick Arceo Kate Day James Odegaard Megan Van Kirk Jake Wilding Keenan Wilson Orchestra Eric Hansen Iman Kashmola Dael Lockhart Sean McQuade Kale Paulsen Ryan Unash Band Brian Crew Ben Feuerhelm Tait Madsen Will Tollefson John Zauche

Photo by Rachel Gilman It takes time. Ben Feuerhelm, jr., practices his trumpet in preparation for All-State.

Auditioning consists of having a one minute and 20 second solo, playing two excerpts and two scales. Excerpts and scales are announced on arrival of the audition.

“This year I felt I was prepared enough for the audition,” Kashmola said. Along with having the honor of participating in All-State Kashmola also hopes this will open up doors for college.

“It’s very stressful, but the rewards are great,” Kashmola said.

Darcey Altschwager

Yearbook yourself Yearbooks are a practical and fun way to preserve memories and keep track of the high school years, but have never been extremely personal, until now. Josten’s yearbooks has introduced a new option to help make a yearbook special, by adding personalized pages.

The feature allows students to create up to four personalized pages online that will appear in your yearbook. Students can upload pictures from their computer, Facebook, or even twitter, as well as pick a layout and background, and add stickers and shapes to each page. There are hundreds of design options available on the website that provide an opportunity for a truly one of a kind yearbook.

Step 1: Visit www.yearbookyourself.com to get started in making your own personalized yearbook pages.

Step 2: Create an account that will allow you to save and revisit your pages and allow you to submit your pages to appear in your yearbook.

Step 3: Upload your photos from Twitter, Facebook, or straight off your computer then select any layout of your choice and begin placing photos in any arrangement.

Step 4: Pick from a wide variety of backgrounds that will add flare to your pages.

Josten’s offers backgrounds ranging from graduation to sports to tie-dye

Step 5: Finish decorating your pages. Once finished select the submit button. The pages will appear in your yearbook once printed.

Andrea Trager

In- Depth

JFK Torch

Page by Michael Nordstrom

November 12, 2010

Seize the zzzzzs

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Lack of sleep affecting student performance in the classroom Starting next week, students’ lives will be centered around one thing: finals.

With cramming and last minute projects piling up, a decision must be made, ‘Do I stay up and study or just go to bed?’

According to family physician Imane Bentahar, sleep plays an important factor in one’s ability to focus and perform well in school.

“Sleep is part of the body cycle, and when it’s disturbed, all body functions can be disturbed, and it can affect your health,” Bentahar said.

However, sleep can be a hard thing to come by for students. “It’s hard getting enough sleep when I have to manage school, homework, a job and swimming,” said Carmen McCoy, sr. “I usually get six to seven hours of sleep.” This lack of sleep is actually common here. A Torch poll found that the average Kennedy student receives 6 hours and 33 minutes of sleep every night. According to Bentahar, the average teenager should be getting eight to ten hours of sleep every night.

While studies suggest that enough sleep can improve students’ performance in school, sleep offers additional benefits. “(Sleep) Restores body energy, helps certain body functions, improves brain functions, helps metabolism, strengthens the immune system, and helps you psychologically,” Bentahar said. In fact, people receiving enough sleep are less prone to disease and depression. Bentahar believes lack of sleep can be caused by numerous things. “People under some kind of stress, people who don’t have

“Try to really think about sleep just like you would think about eating. It’s a very important part of your health and taking care of yourself. Sleep is very important, and if there are any problems or any disturbances you shouldn’t take it lightly but rather look into it and talk to doctors and talk to parents to help it get better.”

-Imane Bentahar

a steady lifestyle, and people who consume a lot of caffeine, cigarettes, or alcohol are prone to sleep loss,” Bentahar said. In some cases, lack of sleep can be life threatening. The National Institute of Health has identified teens as a high risk group when it comes to sleepiness and sleep-related injuries. Drowsiness and fatigue have been identified as principle causes in at least 100,000 police-reported traffic crashes every year, resulting in the death of 1,500 Americans. Young drivers age 25 or under are involved in over half of sleep-related crashes.

While balancing a nice sleep schedule with scholarly and extracurricular activities may be difficult for some students, Bentahar offers another perspective on sleep. “Try to really think about sleep just like you would think about eating. It’s a very important part of your health and taking care of yourself. Sleep is very important, and if there are any problems or any disturbances you shouldn’t take it lightly but rather look into it and talk to doctors and talk to parents to help it get better,” Bentahar said.

When students sacrifice a good night’s rest, they are hurting their ability to perform well in school. According to medicalnewstoday.com, sleep affects students’ ability to focus in class, their test scores, and overall performance in class. So staying up to study may actually damage a student’s chances of passing that dreaded AP Physics final.

If, however, a student decides to shorten their sleep schedule during finals week, there is one thing that may help them temporarily improve their fatigue and alertness: caffeine. While many offer opposing views towards caffeine, a recent study performed by the Nutrition Journal suggests that caffeine proves to be beneficial for students’ test scores. According to the study, students who drank caffeinated beverages before testing saw an improvement in alertness, reduction in response times and better cognitive response. “Caffeine is a stimulant, so it actually causes some disturbance on the hormone cycles that make humans sleep. It does slow hormones in the brain that helps people sleep,” Bentahar said. Even though there are benefits, students should also beware of the crash.

All in all, sleep is an important factor often taken for granted. Studies and experts recommend students get 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. Compared to the average 6 hours and 33 minutes, students have something to work on.

Michael Nordstrom

photo by Michael Nordstrom Sleeping beauty. A Kennedy junior falls asleep in school. Most students here admit that they don’t get enough sleep. Experts recommend 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night for teenagers.

Sleeping by the numbers Yes 13% No 87%

Do you get enough sleep at night?

Which class are you most likely to fall asleep during?

8%- other 9%- social studies 14%- science 17%- foreign language 24%- math 28%- language arts

68 students were surveyed Nov 4, 2010.

Information compiled by Michael Nordstrom. Graphics by Rachel Gilman.

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JFK Torch

Editorial

November 12, 2010

Page by Alex busbee

torch the

John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 Volume 44, Issue 1

Mission

The Torch staff and adviser are committed to producing a top quality student newspaper, applying high standards of writing, editing, and production. The Torch seeks to fairly serve the Kennedy High School faculty, students and staff, showing no favoritism to decisions about content are the responsibility of the individual editors and the Editorial Board.

Letters to the editor will be printed from anyone in the Cedar Rapids community. However, Torch retains the right to edit stories for length and style, without changing the writer’s intent. We also reserve the right to refuse publication for legal and ethical reasons. All letters must be signed in order for them to be published.

Editorial Board

Editor-In-Chief Alex Busbee Managing Editor Mike Hoefer Design Editor Allison Kindig

Editors

News Darcey Altschwager Profile Jessica Rowan, Rachel Gilman Photo Asmaa Elkeurti Feature Michael Nordstrom Copy Editor Sean McQuade Lifestyle Allie Sindlinger, Shane Goodall Sports Riley Galbraith, Mohammad Cheetany

Writers

Jordan Calef, Zack Goodall, Grant Sheeley, Sam Nordstrom, Spencer Grekoff, Austin Johnson

Photographers Rachel Gilman, Jessica Rowan, Asmaa Elkeurti, Michael Nordstrom

Graphic Artist Rachel Gilman

photo by Asmaa Elkeurti Skipped. Mike Hoefer, sr., poses alone in class, surrounded by empty chairs as the rest of his class has skipped. Students skip class to finish homework.

Skipping scandal People are missing school. Empty desks are becoming more and more common as the school year wanes on. Oh man...seasonal flu again? Same old, same old, right?

Wrong. People may be ‘excused’ from class, but often times they are feeling quite fine. No, sickness is not keeping us home. School itself is keeping us from school.

Take the other day, for example. One of my friends wasn’t at school. I texted her to see what was up. As it turned out, she didn’t finish her five page essay on time (it was due that day), so she skipped school to avoid turning it in. She missed the entire day of school for one essay.

I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen someone in first hour, and then mysteriously disappear the next. When students don’t get homework or projects done, there seems to be an increasing tendency to simply skip that class in which it’s due. Getting excused is no problem. A student can send a text to their parent saying, “Mom! You have to call me out or I’m gonna fail!” Parents will do just about anything they can to assure their kids do well in

school, even if it involves missing school itself.

We have school for a reason. When you skip class you miss out on quality fun and education. Secondly, this defeats the whole purpose of homework! Homework is supposed to be a supplement to going to class. When a homework assignment causes you to skip class, the education system is working against itself.

Mikey J in the Morning Mike Hoefer The solution cannot be accomplished without cooperation from everyone involved. As much as I hate to say it, students should simply get assignments done. This becomes nearly impossible for some people, especially those who succumbed to and signed up for the multiple AP classes thrown in their faces. Multiple projects, papers, and study guides due on the same day can cause tons of stress. Giving yourself more time by skipping class is too tempting of

an option. Parents could refuse to call out students, but that’s simply avoiding the problem.

It all comes down to the teachers. I would assume teachers don’t necessarily want students to skip their class, no matter what the reason is. A simple solution would be to assign less homework, but good luck telling teachers that. Instead, teachers need to be more flexible. Teachers need to reassure students, and come to an agreement with students about what to do if an assignment doesn’t get done on time (preferably an agreement that involves going to class). Teachers should allow extra time for special circumstances such as, “I was up till 3 AM last night doing other homework,” or, “I had a game and had no time, but I didn’t want to miss school!” The teacher should make an exception to ensure that the students go to class, whether or not homework is complete.

Bottom line: students fear the repercussions of not turning in assignments on time, so they skip class instead of facing the consequences. Teachers, students, and parents all need to work together to make sure that school is not working against itself.

Letters to the Editor Understanding Islam

From the attacks on September 11th to the Christmas Shoe Bomber, a growing number of ‘Muslims’ are carrying out attacks on innocent civilians. Critics use these attacks and verses from the Quran as evidence to claim that Islam is a violent religion. As a Muslim, I feel that it is my duty to present my opinion on this issue—that Islam is not a violent religion.

Judging Islam by a tiny percentage (less than one per cent) of Muslims is unjust. Judging Islam by Al Qaeda and the Taliban is just like judging Christianity by the Crusades, the Spanish Conquest, or the Oklahoma City Bomber.

If people want to know what Islam is really about, then they should read the Quran and see for themselves.

Islam believes in freedom of religion and justice for all, and forbids taking life. “. . . Do not take life, which Allah has made sacred, except through justice and the law. He orders this so that you may acquire wisdom” – (Quran 6:151) Many critics point to certain verses in the Quran which seem violent without understanding

what they fully mean.

“And slay them wherever you find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the recompense of disbelievers.” - (Quran 2:191) The people who criticize this verse do not look at the verses before or after it.

“Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.” – (Quran 2:190) “And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” – (Quran 2:192) As you can see in these two verses, Allah (God) clearly states that Muslims should fight those who fight them, not the opposite.

The radicals, just as the critics, misinterpret the verses. These uneducated interpretations tell me that Muslims not only need to educate non-Muslims about the true Islam, but they also need to educate themselves.

Zayd Abu-Halawa

Respect your school

Graffiti. Vandalism. Litter. All are serious crimes, punishable by jail time, and can carry a fine of $200 to $10,000. Yet here at Kennedy, there is no punishment for these crimes.

Walking the halls of ‘simply one of the best’ schools in the nation, I am disappointed. Seems that the students here do not respect Kennedy. It is difficult to look around and NOT see the graffiti on the lockers, the vandalism of school property, and the garbage left behind by careless students.

Graffiti is everywhere, especially on lockers. One locker upstairs has nail polish on it.

When I think of NAIL polish, I think of putting it on my NAILS, not a locker. There are messages of one’s professed love, people’s coolness, and I saw one girl was a “fag” and her friend was a “lesbian.” The point is that the rest of us don’t care to know. Lockers are not your Facebook walls; don’t share your thoughts with the rest of us.

Vandalism. A pizza was flushed down the toilet in the boy’s bathroom where it proceeded to back up and spill all over the floor. Custodians had to

clean it up. Someone broke the paper towel dispenser, put the towels in the urinal, and boys proceeded to urinate on them all day long. Custodians had to clean that up too. See a pattern in the boy’s bathroom? I do. If any of these vandals had common sense they would not have done these things.

Litter: hallways, cafeteria, parking lot. We have garbage cans, please use them.

The parking lot is the worst.

Students eat in their cars and the closest garbage can is next to their back tire. Unbelievable how much crap is left behind; fast food bags, broken bottles, soda cans, and what is left behind after a weekend of hanging out in the KPL. Every morning the custodians have to go out before school and pick up students’ trash.

I apologize to those of you who don’t write on lockers, or vandalize parts of the school.

You are good citizens and should be recognized for that. I thank those of you who DO throw your garbage away. Your help is appreciated. To the rest, I ask one thing. Think before you act.

When you do, it could be a ‘better day to be a Cougar.’

Miranda Arends

Editorial

JFK Torch

Page by Alex busbee

November 12, 2010

5

Respect your elders

photo illustration by Rachel Gilman

During game four of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and the New York Giants, President George W. Bush threw the ceremonial first pitch with his father, President George H.W. Bush. The crowd went wild. In lieu of the political atmosphere right now and the chronic hatred that has been directed towards our national leaders, the unexpected receptiveness highlighted a dynamic issue: presidential respect.

No one president can appease an entire nation. This has been apparent throughout our country’s history. But more than ever before, the division between presidential proponents and opponents has become unmistakably visible. We the people are the ones at fault. We are tightening the political gridlock.

If we want to remain the voice of our government, we must address this fact.

Let’s begin with the basics. The presidential position is respected because it is the top position in America. The president is the voice of the people, the one that sets the standard for our country and for the entire free world.

Furthermore, there are certain presidential traits that are respected. We respect presidents who exemplify trust, patriotism, honesty, bipartisanship, openness, and responsiveness.

If a president admirably fulfills this standard, it’s easy to respect them. But if a president falls short of this mark, we make haste to hate. This is a problem. Don’t just say, “Mr. So and So is an idiot!” or, “I hate (place name here)!”

What good does that do? Absolutely nothing.

Staff Editorial: Snooki for President 2012 Talk shows and reality television are creeping into politics.

Many leaders, including President Obama, are employing the entertainment industry increasingly in the political process.

Sarah Palin’s Alaska is a new ‘documentary’ premiering Sunday on TLC. Palin and her family will be followed by film crews as they adventure through Alaska’s serene landscapes. In the preview, a rock climbing guide reminds Palin that she always wanted to be a rock climber and she replies, “Rock climber or rock star?” And therein lies the problem.

American voters should be wary of a dangerous trend— electing celebrities to office rather than qualified politicians. The line between Hollywood and the White House becomes blurrier every year, and Sarah Palin’s Alaska is the latest (and one of the most outrageous) examples.

So here’s an idea for a sequel to her reality show: Sarah Palin’s New Jersey Shore. We take Palin and the rest of her family, and we can throw in Johnston for fun, and let them live with the The Situation, Snooki, and the rest of the Jersey Shore crew in a beach house in Jersey. Cue the cameras, and watch the mayhem.

Now that’s television.

People are speculating Palin will bid for president in 2012.

And her eight-week mini-series begins right before the release of her second book, America by Heart, hinting that she may be preparing for something big.

Every American has the right to run for office. But every American adult has the right to vote for whom they want in office. So please, educate yourself, and keep Hollywood out of the White House. Or else we’ll have Ed Hardy t-shirts and fist pumping at the Inaugural Ball.

The Kindig Shindig allison kindig It’s as simple as this: If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

But when a majority of the people in our country feels the president is not being presidential, in other words they are not fulfilling their responsibilities to represent the voice of the majority, then its time to talk, respectfully. We must focus on the policies, not the person. If you disagree with the president, voice remedies, not exasperated rhetoric. And

if, come election season, you still don’t care for the incumbent, vote wisely. Let Lincoln’s words of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people reign sovereign because it works. Take for example the past two decades. Voters went to the polls and realized change; presidential power shifted from the Democrats, to the Republicans, and then back to the Democrats. This month’s midterm elections upheld the trend.

Consider this. Whether you are a red, a white, or a blue, we all come together to form the colors of one flag: the American flag. So don’t sling the mud, and by all means, refrain from doodling hatred over the face of any president, past or present. It’s time we all capped our Sharpies and saved a little ink.

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JFK Torch

Fall in full force Lifestyle

November 12, 2010

Page by Allie Sindlinger and Shane goodall

Thanksgiving recipes to endulge the senses

Lifestyle

Page by Allie Sindlinger and Shane Goodall

JFK Torch

November 12, 2010

A fresh look at fall

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What traditions do you have over Thanksgiving break?

“I play football in the morning with friends, then go home and have a big dinner with my family.”

Pumpkin Cake

2 ¾ sugar 1 cup canola or vegetable oil 3 eggs 2 c. canned pumpkin 3 c. flour ½ tsp salt ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp cloves 1 tsp nutmeg 1 stp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup walnuts (optional)

Jared Poole, jr.

Hunter Corkery, jr.

Austin Holzer, fr.

“I go to my grandparents house and have a plethora of food. We go back for seconds, and even thirds. “

1.) Beat sugar and oil together until blended.

2.)Whip in eggs and stir pumpkin into mixture.

Blend in dry ingredients.

3.)Pour batter into ungreased tube pan and bake 350 degrees for a 1 hour.

4.)Cool and remove from pan.

“I go to my family’s house and eat lots of food. We also play some pretty intense dodge ball.”

Sweet Potato Souffle

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (fresh and canned) ½ to 1 cup of graduated sugar 3 eggs ¾ cup milk ½ cup butter, melted and cooled 2 Tbsp vanilla extract Topping: 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup self-rising flour (or substitute ½ cup all purpose flour plus ¾ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt) ½ cup shopped pecans ½ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks

Vibrant fall colors. The colors of fall are at their peak.

Photo by Asmaa Elkeurti

Organic autumnal feel. Foliage litters the ground.

Photo by Asmaa Elkeurti

Lightly buttered a 2-quart baking dish, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, milk, butter and vanilla. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan, Combine the bown sugar, flour, pecans, and butter, working with clean fingers to form a crumbly topping. Sprinkle on top of the potatoes.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 45 to 60 minutes or until crusty in top. Serves 6-8

Photo by Asmaa Elkeurti Strategizing for success. Fantasy football players must make decisions every week on which players to play.

Fantasy football captures fans’ interest

Fall Chex Mix 3 cups Corn Chex cereal 3 cups Rice Chex cereal 3 cups Wheat Chex cereal 1 cup mixed nuts 1 cup bite-sized pretzels 1 cup garlic-flavored bite-sized bagel chips 6 Tbsp butter or margarine 2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce 1 ½ tsp salt ¾ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp onion poweder 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds 2 cups autumn colored M&Ms In a large microwavable bowl, mix cereal, nuts, pretzels, and bagel chips; set aside. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings.

Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.

Microwave uncovered on High 5 or 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Add two cups autumn colored M&Ms. Store in an airtight container Recipes by Allie Sindlinger

Sunny skies. The sun shines over Iowa corn fields.

Photo by Rachel Gilman

Beautiful orange. Oranges and yellows of the leaves light the skies.

Photo by Asmaa Elkeurti

As the NFL season continues to drag on, fans find themselves rooting for their favorite teams and, occasionally, for players on other teams, seeking points for a different kind of game: fantasy football.

Fantasy football is essentially a game of strategy and statistics. At the beginning of the season, competitors draft professional football players to accumulate football stats such as yards and touchdowns for their respective teams.

These stats translate into point totals for each player.

Competitors manage their teams throughout the season by deciding which combination of players available to

them will yield the highest point totals.

Fantasy football is an activity that is growing in popularity across the nation, and Kennedy High School is no exception. Matt Maiers, sr., is currently a member of two fantasy football leagues.

These leagues typically consist of a total of 10 to 12 competitors that are usually friends or family of his. This year is his fifth year playing fantasy football. Maiers enjoys watching and playing football on its own, but prefers to also play fantasy football during the football season. “I think playing fantasy football adds to the excitement of watching the sport,” Maiers said.

“It allows you to stay engaged in the games, even if your favorite team isn’t playing, and it allows you to follow players that you otherwise never would.”

Not all football fans play fantasy football though.

Tanner Boyle, so., is a football player for Kennedy and also enjoys watching football games on TV. “Fantasy football sounds cool, but it seems to take up a lot of time,” Boyle said. “You really have to be up to date on what’s going on in the world of football. With all my other commitments in my life, I really don’t have the time.”

Shane Goodall

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JFK Torch

Profile

September 24, 2010

Page by Rachel Gilman and Jessica Rowan

Digging deep into secret lives of Kennedy teachers

Rick Nees enjoys himself as he strums his acoustic guitar in his free time, after school, with his guitar club.

Jessica Mangione is filled with happiness as she gazes upon her favorite Project Runway designer Mondo Guerra.

Steven Tolly, (above), perfects the techincal touches for Tuesday night’s Premiere Show Choir Concert. photos By Jessica Rowan

There’s a lot more than meets the eye with Rick Nees.

He isn’t just the curly haired math teacher that we know.

Deep inside Nees there is a fun loving guy who has a lot of passions outside of the school setting.

Aside from teaching, a few things he loves are listening to music and playing his guitar. His favorite genre is electric, and a few favorite artists of his are Neil Young, The Police, and Bruce Cockburn.

Nees is a devoted Buddhist, too. He attends a Buddhist meeting almost every weekend and participates in Buddhist chanting often.

A striking fact about Nees is that he doesn’t watch television. He has not owned a television in over two years.

Jessica Mangione could definitely be one of the shortest teachers at Kennedy. That doesn’t mean that she isn’t the same as every other teacher.

Besides teaching social studies classes, Mangione has a wide range of hobbies and things she likes to do.

One of her favorite things to do is watch Project Runway.

“Project Runway, it’s not just my favorite show, it is my obsession,” Mangione said.

Since she is a teacher, there is always schoolwork to be done, sometimes leaving little time for her personal life. “The school work is never ending,” Mangione said.

Another thing that she loves is country music. Right now, she is really into Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé, or any genre that has a jazzy

Steven Tolly is well known as one of the ninth grade language arts teacher, as well as the KHS theatre tech director.

One of the parts you don’t see is the partially successful, semi-professional bass fisherman who spend most of his summer fishing in local and some different midwestern club tournaments.

This summer Tolly picked up three gold medals and one silver medal in different fishing tournaments he participated in. Now that the school year has started he has switched gears. Tolly is focusing more on teaching now because, as it gets colder, fishing becomes less favorable.

Early this fall he was busy as the tech director for the Kennedy drama program, getting props built and ready for

“I simply threw it out. It was a major distraction and I watched way too much,” Nees said. After ditching the TV, he has found that he has more time for the things he enjoys.

He also participates in a comedy troop that performs improv comedy. “It’s really fun; I just love it,” Nees said.

The biggest thing in Nees’s life is his family. On most given weekends, if not more, he can be found spending time with his daughter and granddaughter. He also likes to meet with his friends, hang out, and just have an all around good time.

Nees really enjoys being in a peaceful atmosphere, and hates having to be a disciplinarian.

Spencer Grekoff

tune.

Mangione’s hobbies vary more than just watching TV and listening to music. She’s a casual bird watcher—she enjoys to stop and watch them if she’s lucky enough to catch some at a bird feeder. Also something that most students wouldn’t know is that she is trying to teach herself Italian in her car.

Because students don’t often know teachers personally, there were three final things that she wanted students to know. “First, that I may be little but I am a teacher,” Mangione said. “Two, I’m very dedicated to the classes I teach and I love them. Three, I have a LOVE for Nutella.”

Spencer Grekoff

Senior photo provided by Taylor Delperdang Most students go the more traditional route for senior pictures, and then there are those who choose to do something a little different, something that might turn a few heads, which is the case for Taylor Delperdang, sr.

“I like doing things that are different,” Delperdang said. “I was sick of the cliché seriousness of senior pictures.” Many of the photos from Delperdang’s senior picture session show him, stark naked, with nothing more than a leopard print pillow, or a cowhide box covering the essentials. “I think senior pictures should reflect who you are. I’m not saying I like to get naked all the time, I’m just saying I like to do things that are surprising and out of the ordinary,” Delperdang said.

The pictures were met with mixed emotions from his friends and family. “My mom was super pissed and thought it was like child

fall musical The Fantasticks.

After the long days at school, he enjoys going home and watching some of his favorites TV shows that he has recorded. Two of his favorite shows are NCIS and Bones.

Like every other teacher, grading papers follows Tolly home. “Some weeks it’s [the homework level] more than others, but I don’t mind it much,” Tolly said. Like all busy teachers, free time can be scarce for Tolly.

The biggest thing Tolly would like to express is that teachers are humans, too.

They don’t just teach, correct papers, and live at school.

They have their own favorite hobbies and activities they enjoy participating in too.

Spencer Grekoff

Senior takes new artistic approach on pictures

pornography, but everyone else thought they were really funny,” he said. “My mom freaked out when she saw them on Facebook.”

Delperdang’s pictures were taken by his older sister, Kelsey Delperdang, which was what allowed him such freedom with his photos. “We treated it as a ‘get in-get out.’

She didn’t see me completely naked,” he said. “I always had something in front of me, but we were laughing the entire time.

Delperdang is regarded by many as a unique and charismatic individual, who can liven up a classroom and keep an atmosphere positive and comical.

“Taylor’s a generally nice, funny, smart guy. Not necessarily always focused on what he should be,” Michael Ayers, Delperdang’s Perspectives in Literature & Composition teacher said. “He recently volunteered for the role of side kick…which he played

for about half a day, but I feel like if I ever do need a side kick, he’s definitely the front runner for the job.”

Delperdang considers himself a relaxed sort of person who has been able to learn from his family. “Being the youngest of five, I feel like I’ve been able to learn from what my siblings have done.

They were all pretty crazy as teens, even more than me, so there’s always somebody I can go to for advice on anything.”

Delperdang’s a big promoter of individuality, and being genuine. “It’s not that I love standing out, I just don’t like how people will do something because it’s the norm, and not necessarily what they want to do. Like, if there’s something that people consider conforming, but I want to do it, I’ll still do it,” he said. “So basically, I want people to do what they want and not be afraid of their own ideas.”

Asmaa Elkeurti

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JFK Torch

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With final exams just around the corner, the stress of getting in last minute assignments and studying for the brutal exams is on every student’s mind here at Kennedy. But for some students, the stress of finals melts away and is replaced with the stress of getting their tickets for the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Emily Mere, so., had her forth hour final rescheduled so she can sleep in after attending the midnight premiere.

“They didn’t ask,” Mere commented about her teacher’s reaction after rescheduling her final to attend the premiere. “Otherwise, I would have told them that I already bought tickets to this movie,” Mere said. Mere bought her ticket about three weeks in advance.

Mere has only been a fan of the Harry Potter series since the summer going into her eighth grade year. A friend of hers told her that the series was really great so she decided to try the books for herself. She read the whole series over the summer and then began to re-read the series one week later. Over the course of that summer, Mere read the series a total of

four times.

Taylor Kilgore, jr., has been a fan of the Harry Potter series since about first grade. She has read the books and watched the movies countless times. Her favorite characters, besides Harry, are the Weasley twins.

“Fred and George together are just hilarious, the things they come up with. I just like the Weasleys in general. They are good people,” Kilgore said.

Adding without hesitation, her least favorite character.

“Draco [because] he is mean!

He is such a snob and he thinks that he is better then everybody else. I can go on and on about him.”

Although Mere and Kilgore have different views on the Harry Potter series, they both agree that if they could take the place as one of the characters it would be one of the Weasleys.

“Ginny Weasley because she gets married to Harry and she is always in on the adventures,” Kilgore said.

“One of the Weasley twins because of events that happen in the seventh book,” Mere said.

Trevor Brammer, jr., is not an extreme fan of the Harry Potter series but is a still a big fan. He already has his ticket to attend the midnight

September 24, 2010

premiere even though he is not a fan of the movies.

“I just don’t feel the movies do the books any justice,” Brammer said. Mere and Kilgore also believe that the books are better then the movies because the producers did not fit a lot of details into the movies that are in the books. “The movies have been getting slowly worse, but the seventh will by far be the best,” Kilgore said.

Brammer plans on attending the movie even though the books are better. This will be the last movie in the series and the movie will be split into two parts, leaving plenty of room for lots of details.

On the night of the premiere, Kilgore plans on arriving at the theater a few hours early and wearing some of her Harry Potter merchandise. Mere plans on wearing her Harry Potter glasses and possibly a t-shirt from her Halloween costume when she went as Hermione.

Darcey Altschwager

Homeschooled teens walk the kennedy halls English, and history subjects at home.

“I really like being home schooled. I have a lot of options on what I want to do, such as taking the classes that I want to take at Kennedy, while I’m still doing all the basics at home,” Kale said. Kale believes the biggest difference between being home schooled and public school is the flexibility of his time. However, accountability is coherent between his teachers at school and his parents at home.

The question is often raised about whether public school is better than home school. Kylere Paulsen, sr., believes it depends on the situation. “It isn’t better, as much as it is different. For some families Kylere Paulsen, sr. it works out great, but for others, public Few know what it really means to be home school is the best choice. I think it depends schooled, but for some students at Kennedy, on the student.” He believes the biggest it has been their educational experience from difference is how much time is wasted in the beginning. Home schooling is a fairly public school compared to home school. As unknown, even far as Kylere’s social life, controversial topic. “For some families it works it’s the same as every However, for Keith, out great, but for others, pubother teenager. He has Kale, and Kylere a job, goes to school, Paulsen, only posi- lic school is the best choice.” hangs out with friends, tives can be seen and plays video games.

-Kylere Paulsen from it.

Grading is adminisThe Paulsen tered exactly the same as brothers come to Kennedy for part of their in public school. They take tests and quizday and then return home, where they are zes. As for grades, an A is 90% and above, a home schooled for the rest of the day. Kale B is 80-89%, etc, just like at Kennedy.

Paulsen, so., was home schooled up until the Grant Sheeley seventh grade, when he joined the Harding orchestra. He is enrolled in three classes at Kennedy: Spanish, Chinese, and orchestra.

He then finishes his day with math, science,

9

photo by Michael Nordstrom Magic. Emily Mere shows off her Harry Potter love and devotion through her full collection and various Harry Potter merchandise.

ER B M E NOV

New seasonal trend strikes many students

photo by Jessica Rowan William Rowan III gazes proudly upon his progress in No Shave November.

For most people shaving is a regular thing, but for some people November is a time to disregard shaving altogether and let participants grow their beards out for a full month.

No Shave November is a well-known, unofficial holiday that has been started, and has spread to Kennedy. No Shave November has blown up in popularity as websites and fan pages have popped up on the internet supporting it. For the new phenomenon, two rules have been made to people participating in it: you must shave on October 31st and you cannot shave, wax, or trim your beard during the whole month or else you are considered disqualified. Anybody can participate, but is mostly popular among men.

For some Kennedy students, No Shave

November has been liked and adopted by them. William Rowan III, sr., started doing No Shave November last year and is doing it again this year. “What’s not to like about it, you get to be lazy, not shave, and not care about what people think of you,” Rowan said. Rowan first heard about No Shave November his freshman year, and decided that he wanted to do it when he got older.

Nick Roosa, so., is also among the students who are participating in No Shave November.

“I first heard about it during my freshman year, and decided that I would do it this year because other people wouldn’t do it and I wanted to be my own person,” Roosa said.

“Most people tell me to shave, and my parents don’t care about it but my girlfriend and friends tell me to shave, but I’m my own person and don’t want others to bring me down and make me shave,” said Roosa. Rowan has also gotten mixed responses from people concerning his choice of participating in No Shave November. “My parents want me to shave, and mostly everybody else tells me to shave but all I say is No Shave November,” Rowan said.

Roosa plans to shave after November, because he just wants to participate for the month but hopes to annually participate.

Rowan is not only participating in No Shave November but also his own no shave senior year, where he won’t shave all of senior year due to a bet. He was able to shave for No Shave November, but hopes to keep his beard growing the remainder of his senior year.

Mo Cheetany

10

JFK Torch November 12, 2010

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Sports

JFK Torch

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November 12, 2010

11

Student Riders take ice The Cedar Rapids Roughriders have a rep- these players starts early, with school startutation as a top development youth hockey ing as early as 7:00 am. With at least a 2 hour program in a very supportive community. The practice beginning at 2:00, followed by lifting, fan base, the patrons who provide housing to there is little free time until evening. With the players, and the school system all make practices or games every day except Sunday, the Roughrider program appealing to aspir- what free time the players have is usually spent ing youth hockey playhanging around with their ers from all over the “playing for the Roughridteammates. country.

“Hanging out with my ers is definitely an eyeYoung hockey player teammates is what I encomes to Cedar Rapids opening experience,” joy the most when I have in hopes of making it -Tanner Pond, senior down time,” DeAngelo to the National Hockey said. Doing so is difficult at League or earning a col- Roughrider player times for him as he is only lege athletic scholarship 15 years old and doesn’t for hockey by joining the Roughriders. The yet drive. Fortunately, Pond lives nearby and Roughriders give them an opportunity to both gives DeAngelo rides to and from school, pracdevelop and showcase their talents. tices and other team activities.

Cason Hohmann, Sr., is from Arlington, DeAngelo is the youngest player in the hisTexas, part of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. tory of the USHL. “Being the youngest player Anthony DeAngelo, fr., is from New Jersey, has its advantages and disadvantages. “A adwhile Tanner Pond, Sr., is from upstate vantage would be it gives me the opportunity Michigan. Cedar Rapids is a small town to to play more years in the league. A disadvanCason and Anthony, while to Tanner, coming tage would be everyone is bigger and stronger from Walled Lake, Michigan, a town of less than me,” DeAngelo said. than 10,000 people, Cedar Rapids seems like The team is off to a fast start this season.“We a large town. have 6 wins and only 1 loss so far, so you could The main priority for these players is hock- say we are off to a strong start,” Pond said. The ey before anything else. While it may seem team is looking forward to keeping up their to many of the Roughriders that there is not success throughout the season. “playing for a lot to do in and around Cedar Rapids, their the Roughriders is definitely an eye-opening schedules don’t allow them much free time experience,” said Pond. for non-essential activities. A typical day for Allie Sindlinger

photo by Asmaa Elkeurti Strike. Tanner Piond, Sr. and Roughriders player strikes his hockey stick as he passes it to a teammate.

XC runners dash to state They don’t play in a dome. They don’t need pads or a helmet. They don’t even have a halftime. The Kennedy girls cross country team made it to the state meet, running some of their best times of the season.

Jessica Rodman, so., was the top Kennedy girl runner with a 4k time of 15:28, placing 51st at state. “It was nice to be there and absorb it all, and to know that we earned it and deserved it,” Rodman said.

As a team, the girls placed 15th. “I was super excited to make it to state, so happy I cried, especially since it was my last opportunity to run a cross country race,” Alli Koch, senior captain,

said. The girls’ state qualifying team consisted of Rodman, Aliza Lichty, so., Katie Wampole, so., Allison Culver, fr., Koch, Megan Terukina, jr., and Tara Mittelberg, so.

The road to state, however, was not a simple jog for the team. “We’ve been underdogs all season. No one expected us to make it to state,” Rodman said. The team stayed quiet until their breakthrough performance at the Iowa City meet. “We ran really well at Iowa City. We broke the top 10 [ranked 7th in the state],” girls’ coach Mark Jensen said.

Cross country runners and teams qualify for state at the district meet. Teams need to

place in the top three to qualify, while individual runners need to place in the top ten. The girls’ cross country team placed third at districts with 76 points, beating out fourth place Marshalltown by 34 points. “We earned a spot in a district other than the Cedar Rapids district,” Jensen said. “That helped us.”

The boys’ team didn’t make it to state, but Trevor Oates, jr., placed 35th at the state meet as an individual. “I ran a 16:17 which is a new personal best by ten seconds,” Oates said. “It was the proudest moment of my life so far.”

The boys’ team was beaten at districts by third place Marshalltown, knocking them out

of qualifying as a team. “We did what we needed to do, they just ran better,” Brian Annis, boys’ coach, said.

Both teams are looking forward to performing even better next season. The boys’ team is losing five of their top seven runners next year, but “We’ve got a very good runner [Oates] who’s got a shot for a state championship,” Annis said. The only graduating senior on the girls’ team is Koch. “We’re young, and we’re gonna figure it out,” Jensen said.

Michael Hoefer

Swimmers race for title Finished 16th overall at State Relays: 14th – 200 yard Medley Relay 13th – 400 yard Freestyle Relay 20th – 200 yard Freestyle Relay Individual events: Kylee Von Ahsen: 5th – 50-yard freestyle; 8th – 100 yard freestyle Liz Hayes: 21st – Diving Carmen McCoy: 13th – 100-yard backstroke; 24th – 200 yard individual medley Lexi Scharmer: 18th – 100-yard butterfly Conference champions for fifth consecutive year Regionals: 3rd place “As a team, one of our team goals was to be the best team in the metro area at state and we succeeded in doing this. Again, a very successful year. Its always difficult to see our seniors move on.”

-John Ross, girls’ swimming head coach

photo by Alison Kindig Cheering. Carmen McCoy, sr swimmer roots on her teammate at the State swim meet.

“I was very happy with my results. They exceeded what I believe I was capable of doing. Overall, it was a very good meet.”

-Kylee Von Ahsen, senior swimmer Alison Kindig

photo by Alison Kindig Pefect timing. Lexi Scharmer, Jr. takes off as Carmen McCoy, Sr. finshes at the wall in a relay exchange.

12

JFK Torch

Sports

November 1 2, 2010

Page by Riley Galbraith

Emotional ride ends

Cougars fall to Bettendorf

The season started with the bragging rights for 42nd Street on the line, as Kennedy went on the road to visit cross-town rival Xavier in a high profile season opener. Both teams were loaded with talent and were hopeful to start off the season on a high note and get some important momentum heading into the season.

The Cougars were stunned as Xavier gave them a good old fashioned thumping, winning the game by a huge score of 35-7.

As the season progressed, the Kennedy team couldn’t get it going and fell to an early 1-4 record. Although some fans were getting panicked, the Cougars were always confident they would get their act together. With the majority of their toughest games already out of the way, and the entire team back playing after early injuries and problems, they were all still looking to finish strong. “The biggest difference is we have all of our kids back from suspensions or injuries or whatever the case may be, and we just never lost hope. The players continued to believe in what we were doing, and bought into our philosophy and just never doubted for a minute that we could finish on a good note,” Head Coach Tim Lewis said.

With just four games left, the Cougars were still in good position to make the playoffs, needing just two more wins to clinch a spot.

That’s when they really kicked up their game.

They were able to win all of their final four games, and got on a roll heading into the post season. Waiting for them, once again, was inner city rival Xavier, the same team who handed the Cougars their biggest loss of the season by 28 points. Even after that big loss, the Cougars were still confident going into the game. “We knew we had improved a lot and were a lot better team than we were before, so it would be a completely different game,” Heitland said.

On an eerie Wednesday night before Halloween, Kennedy and Xavier gave the crowd a thrill. In a weird game featuring a large amount of turnovers, the Cougars were able to pull off the upset with an 11-7 win. The huge win left the team, as well as the fans, on a high. For a little over 30 minutes, half of the Kennedy student section stood outside on the side of the road to wait for the Cougar team’s

Photo by Asmaa Elkuerti Throwing deep. Jed Haycraft, sr., throws a pass during the Kennedy-Bettendorf state playoff game. bus to drive by to cheer for them, along with every other Kennedy fan that drove by. Now that’s commitment.

Bringing the record to 6-4, the Cougars went on the road to North Scott, and put up another win, thanks in large part to the Kennedy defensive squad. In fact, Jake Losch, sr., alone had three interceptions, which all but secured the game.

For the first time since 1994 the Cougars were in the third round of the playoffs, and would now get the advantage of hosting the quarter-final game against an 11-0 Bettendorf team. The Cougars started slow and went down by 7 early, which was the score they would bring into halftime. Midway through the second half the Cougars fell behind by another touchdown and trailed 14-0. All seemed lost going into the fourth quarter with the Cougars down by 14, that is until Jed Haycraft, sr., launched a 49-yard touchdown to Losch to bring it to a 7-point game. Things were looking up for the

Photo by Asmaa Elkuerti Disappointment. Anthony Crawley, sr., walks off of the field, disappointed after a loss to Bettendorf in the quarter-finals of the state tournament.

graphic by Rachel Gilman

Cougars, but in the end they were not able to pull it even. They suffered a devastating loss 14-7, bringing their final record to 7-5.

But after an up and down, “We knew we had improved a truly exhilaratlot and were a lot better team ing year, the Kennedy squad than we were before, so it can look back would be a completely differon this season ent game,” and hold their heads up high. -Trevor Heitland, jr.

“There’s always going to be a little bit of disappointment because we all feel like if we would have made a few more plays we would have won it, but we still fought the fourth ranked team in the state to the last play and made the third round of the playoffs, so we can’t be too disappointed with that,” Losch said.

Riley Galbraith

Photo by Asmaa Elkuerti Standing Strong. Christian French, sr., looks to make a tackle as Bettendorf nears the end zone. The Cougars suffered a disappointing loss 14-7.