John F. Kennedy High School
Syria
Volume 50, Issue 4
Feb. 10, 2017
What’s Really Going On Pg. 12
the torch
Contents John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA, 52402 Volume 50, Issue 3
Opinion 4 Letters to the Editor John Ross, Charlie Chamberlain, Joseph Horne
6 Responding to “White Privilege” Nathan Sheeley 7 Music Vs. Sports Claire Fluent 7 The Struggle of Senioritis Taylor Weiss News
Mission Statement The student staff and adviser are committed to producing top quality student publications, applying high standards of writing, editing, and production. These media seek to fairly serve the Kennedy High School faculty, students, and staff showing no favoritism to any particular interest, individual, or group. Final decisions about content are the responsibility of the individual editors, and the Editorial Board.
8 An Insider’s Guide to Show Choir Elizabeth Barrett 9 Marching for Women’s Rights Claire Fluent Feature 12 Awareness to Syria Elizabeth Barrett 14 Kennedy Students Make A Difference Darby Herridge 15 A Class President’s Responsibility Olivia Haefner Culture
Non-Discrimination Policy
16 Restaurants for Valentine’s Day Lizzie Dennis/ Taylor
It is the Torch’s policy not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (employment only), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status (students/program only) in its educational programs and its employment practices.
17 Perfect Date, Perfect Couple Taylor Weiss
Ownership The Torch publication, website, official social media, and broadcasts serve as a public forum produced by the students in Journalism-Newspaper. Student editors make content decisions consistent with the Torch Editorial Policy, Iowa Law, and ethics of journalism.
Weiss/ Olivia Herring
Sports 18 A Successful Season Madeline Jamrok 18 Mator Receives MLK Award Brooke McNeal 19 Striving for State Jake Corkery Profile 20 A Cougar from 4,000 Miles Away Jenna Anderson 21 A New Life At Kennedy Tyler Blattner Photo 22 Gifting to Someone Special Madeline Jamrok
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Letter from the Editor As the Editor-in-Chief of one of the top high school newspapers in the state of Iowa, I feel as if it is my responsibility to stand by myself and this publication. Following the release of the last issue of The Torch, my Letter from the Editor sparked heated debates in the community, with many students, staff, and parents disagreeing with my opinion, and on many occasions vocalizing that discontent. However, I also realize that because of my position of responsibility, I have a unique ability to reach people of different walks of life and from various platforms, and engage those people in meaningful discussions. There is almost nothing better than discussing important topics pertinent to our society, and I am glad to see many students engaged and willing to participate in those discus-
sions. With that being said, I urge all of those in the Kennedy community to enter those discussions respectfully. In order for productive, intellectual debates to be made meaningful, all parties must respect the viewpoints, opinions, and experiences of other individuals. Insulting, attacking character, and spreading lies should not and will not be tolerated. It is our responsibility as young adults to be informed about what’s going on in our world, but these discussions must be entered with courtesy and civility. Treat each other with basic human respect, regardless of their political opinions.
Staff Editorial Kennedy High School is, and always has been, a place that values excellence in academics, athletics, activities, and behavior. At Kennedy, students have always valued the acceptance of each other, celebrated each other’s differences, and above all treated one another with respect. This is the foundation of what it means to be a Cougar, and what it means to be a kind person. Yet, with the current politically-charged climate of our country, Kennedy has recently started to lose some of the core values which we once prided ourselves on. Regardless of what each of us as an individual believes, we must not let our own judgements and biases blind us to the reality that we live in a world of differences. Different backgrounds. Different languages. Different religions. Different beliefs. Different lives. What one person may see as the “right” way could be the
“wrong” way for everyone else. We cannot let differences divide us, and we must encourage respectful disagreements. Kennedy students are on the brink of adulthood, teetering that unsteady line between youth and maturity. We know so much and yet are completely unaware of even more. We are the future of the world we live in, a world where hate is the driving force behind action. Let Kennedy students be the ones to break the mold of disrespect. Let Kennedy students teach the world to be compassionate, and to embrace differences. Above all, let Kennedy students show the world what it means to be kind. Approved by 9/9 members of the Editorial Board
Torch Staff Nathan Sheeley Editor-in Chief
Brooke McNeal News Editor
Jake Corkery Sports Editor
Taylor Weiss Culture Editor
Olivia Haefner Feature Editor
Jenna Anderson Opinion Editor
Anna Reinhart Profile Editor
Madeline Jamrok Photo Editor
Elizabeth Barrett Media Manager
Darby Herridge Writer Anafer Millsap Writer
Tyler Blattner Writer
Olivia Bowden Writer
Claire Fluent Writer
Rylee Hatfield Writer
Kayla Jacobsen Writer
Madylin Kircher Writer Leanne Mehring-Cruz Writer
Elizabeth Dennis Writer
Dr. Stacy Haynes-Moore Adviser
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Opinion
Letters to the Editor In response to Editor’s Column Issue 3
To the Editor: I understand that your letter
it to stop because it directly benefits you.
was an opinion piece, but you didn’t include any other points of view, there was no evidence to back up your claims, and it was quite offensive. Our country was founded by white privilege when Europeans crossed the Atlantic Ocean and started killing the natives. It continued when descendants of these Europeans started enslaving others because they had more melanin in their skin. White privilege is still very prominent in today’s society, especially in a state like Iowa that is mostly white. I can understand how you could come to believe that your opinion was true because you haven’t had to face any adversity due to the fact you are a white man in an upper middle class family. You haven’t had to live through any of the negative sides of white privilege, one of which is the ability to remain ignorant of this problem. Pretending that white privilege doesn’t exist won’t help get rid of it, but you probably wouldn’t want
As a black man, I can recall a number of times where I have had to deal with white privilege. Whether it is a comment from a fellow student or teacher telling me that I’m not capable of accomplishing anything, even though I was at the top of my class, or walking into a job interview and having the manager feel like I lied to him about who I was just because he expected me to be below average, or the paralyzing fear that you experience when police “just want to talk,” or constantly being subjected to watching people’s lives taken away simply because of preconceived notions that we are the problem. These are just a few examples of what it’s like to live on the other side of white privilege.
To the Editor: “White privilege doesn’t help
ful for the women in history that have refused to accept this, that have taken the male standard and overcame it. Thanks to these women I can have a say in who leads my country, I can work and provide for myself, and I am allowed to do with my body what I please.
to solve the growing chasm or racial division, but rather accelerates it.” I’m confused what you mean by this statement, are you trying to say that people who are considered ‘white privileged’ are what accelerates the racial divide, or that the use of that word makes the gap bigger? Another phrase that I took interest in was, “I firmly believe that one reaps what they sow, and that work ethic and commitment plays a much bigger role in the outcome of one’s life and their socioeconomic state then do ethnicity, race, religion, or gender.” As much as I like to believe that as well, it’s not always true. As of right now, when I graduate and find the job that I want to spend most of my life with, I am going to get paid less than you. No matter how hard I work, how good my grades are, how many late night study sessions I’ll power through, if you do the same job as me, I will always make less than you. Why? Because I was born with the wrong reproductive organ. I am so very, very thank-
Hopefully this letter provided you with some perspective.
John Ross
To have so blatantly ignored that this fact is offensive, people like to pretend that women are treated the same as men, but the matter of the fact is, we’ve only recently began to possess basic human rights. Now we must fight for basic human treatment. Same for African-Americans who had to fight their way out of slavery, or homosexuals who had to fight for the right to love, and many other groups that have had to fight for their rights. White privilege was created because white people, especially male, have extremely rarely been oppresses as a whole group. I agree that it’s not based off of social status, but of social treatment. It’s how common people stereotype and repress those who have been viewed as “lesser” or “unnatural.”
Charlie Chamberlain
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To the Editor: The Kennedy high school
fine arts department is exceptional when it comes to the musical opportunities and fruits of hard labor that students earn throughout enriching musical experiences. We have students that annually get accepted into the All-State ensemble every October (10 band kids this year!). What I see as icing on that cake is the way that our music programs are able to come together and put on stellar performances, like the Christmas concert that took place the night of the 20th and the next morning. It’s also quite evident in situations such as moonlight and jazz one playing together, as well as the orchestra. While these musical ensembles have breathtaking performances, it would appear that a certain instrument is underrepresented in such ensembles. That instrument would be the euphonium, an instrument that I feel deserves more opportunities in these enriching musical experiences. The Euphonium is a large bore brass instrument that resembles a dwarfed tuba and reads the same notes as a trombone, but uses 3-4 valves, unlike the trombone’s slide. It’s a lesser known instrument, which is why I typically just go with calling it a baritone if anyone ever asks what instrument I play (though sometimes that still is met with questions about what it is). That’s the euphonium’s composition in a nutshell, and it really is quite an interesting instrument. It’s unique and not just one of your run of the mill instruments in band you can name off the top of your head, like a tuba or an alto sax. Yet I might be a little biased being a player myself, and it doesn’t always receive the most interesting parts being a member of the low brass. But what makes it really
special, especially in this context, is how it sounds; or at least can and should sound. A good euphonium player is able to help bottom out and balance the band like a tuba, play pulsing rhythms alongside the trombones and play in melodious harmony with some of the more beautiful parts that tenor saxes and French horns have, as well as having a solo here and there and exemplifying the stunningly dark and rich noise a baritone/euphonium can produce. So you’d think with that kind of versatility, a euphonium would be a very important piece in any symphony. But in our full orchestra gatherings at our recent Christmas concert and in the spring symphonic rock concert, no euphonium was utilized; and likely never has been in those two instances. Our musical pits rarely have one, despite thankfully having a good friend of mine play with the trombones in The Pajama Game. And even in our finale performance for the Christmas concerts where all three departments combined, I merely played a trombone part. Not to take away from the trombone, it is a very important instrument; but the euphonium deserves more respect and freedom as a separate entity. I hope that this letter is able to shed light on the plight of the euphonium, though I’m not sure. Many people couldn’t care less, or figure why would such great ensembles need another piece. Some might read this and see the kind of possibilities a euphonium can provide in all types of musical settings. Either way, I hope this letter is at least regarded, to better the musical opportunities and enriching experiences that the Kennedy performing arts department provides.
Joseph Horne
What are your thoughts? We welcome Letters to the editor on any topic, from politics, to fine arts and sports. email our staff at JFKCougarMedia@gmail.com The torch is a public forum to inform, educate, and discuss issues of concern and interest to Kennedy audiences.
Pages by Jenna Anderson | 5
Opinion
Responding to “White Privilege” Racism is defined as “the belief that all members of a specific race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race.” Labeling all white people as privileged is perpetuating the misconception that all members of a single race possess the same characteristic, grouping all whites into a single category. The use of the term white privilege is racism of the highest order, and categorically fits under the dictionary definition of racism.
blacks killed by other blacks. In fact, a Harvard study from 20002015 of 1,332 police officers found that whites are 20% more likely to be shot, despite the fact that blacks and whites were just as likely to be carrying a weapon. This was confirmed by another study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice that found that whites are 1.7 times more likely than blacks to die at the hands of the police.
Most economists agree that there are three simple factors to success in America: preventing pregnancy out of wedlock, completing high school, and staying out of trouble with the law. Interestingly enough, the black population is worse than whites in all three of these categories. This is not institutional racism, this is not white privilege, this is a problem with culture. The default narrative in the minority community is seemingly to blame their failures on white privilege rather than recognize the problems within their group. Although this is not true of all members, it is a common defense, and one not substantiated by facts or based in reality.Instead of preaching a cultural revolution, they preach excuses and falsehoods.
Furthermore, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the single motherhood rate has skyrocketed from 20% to 72.5% since the civil rights movement. This is not white privilege; this is a problem with common choices made in the black community. They are dropping out of school at higher rates, getting arrested at higher rates, and getting pregnant out of wedlock at higher rates. This is not institutional racism, this is not white privilege, this is statistical evidence of problems with black culture.
Poverty does not look at the white homeless man (which constitutes over 60% of the homeless population) and say, “here’s your privilege.” Every single person, regardless of race, has a choice to make. A choice to pursue at “Statistical disparities do not least a high school education, or drop out. To Per the Department of Education, roughly 83% of whites graduate high school each necessarily indicate inherent be responsible, or to become pregnant out of year, compared to just 69% of blacks. The wedlock. To stay out of trouble, or break the racial discrimination.” U.S. Census Bureau also found that blacks law and end up in jail. These choices are not are more likely to drop out of college than mutually exclusive to race. their white counterparts. Statistical disparities do not necessarIf white privilege were real, then checking the “White” box on ily indicate inherent racial discrimination, but rather highlight standardized tests would show benefits. If it were real, then common choices within a particular group. For example, the Rachel Dolezal would not have pretended to be a black woman National Center for Education Statistics found that blacks are in order to further herself professionally. If it were real, then 6% more likely to choose a two-year school, and 4% more the Duke Men’s Lacrosse Team, Paul Nungresser, and every frat likely to go part-time, 6% more likely to take remedial classes. brother of the UVA chapter of Phi Kappa Psi would never have This is not because schools across the country work to gradubeen labelled guilty of rape before being proved innocent. If ate whites at a higher rate, but because of common choices in it were real, then a white student would not be rejected for minority culture. admission to college as a result of a minority affirmative action According to the CDC, the 6% of the U.S. population that placement with a less impressive academic profile. constitutes young black men commit 50% of homicides and White privilege is just as racist as it sounds, and the statistics roughly 40% of all violent crime in America. The Wall Street prove it. The issue is not with white privilege, but with culture. Journal found that in New York City, blacks constituted 55% This is not an opinion, this cannot be debated, it’s a fact proven of all arrests, and 66% of all violent criminal arrests. The same with statistical evidence. White privilege is an illusion, and a study found that 74% of all shooting victims were black, and racist explanation to suffocate white conservatives and systhat 78% of all shooting suspects were black. Nationwide, tematically destroy the meritocracy that America was founded interracial violence amongst the black community dominates upon. Facts and statistics can’t be racist. There is no white overall murder rates, between 82% and 91% of all homicides. privilege. One might claim that there is mass racism or police brutality Nathan Sheeley amongst America’s law enforcement officials, but unfortunately, that’s also not true. FBI data from 2007-2012 found that for every black individual killed by a police officer, there are 71
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vs. Kennedy High School has a wide variety of activities that you can be involved in. Some people believe that certain groups of activities are favored more than others. The question is, sports activities versus music activities, do you think one is favored more than the other at Kennedy. In my opinion, music activities are favored over sports activities. I feel very strongly about this for many different reasons. One reason being that we have some musicals or concerts that the whole school is supposed to go to. For example, before Christmas break the entire student body was required to go to an assembly during school where we sat in the auditorium for 70 minutes and listened to the band and choirs. This was not a bad concert by any means, I just don’t think this should’ve happened during school hours. Another reason would be, in eighth grade when teachers/staff came from Kennedy to give a speech about the transition to high school and all the high school activities. I remember them briefly talking about sports but music was a huge topic. The vocal teacher
and orchestra teacher also visited Harding to tell us all about the musical opportunities and to persuade us to get involved in music. There was no such thing when it came to sports. Reason number three is all the opportunities to take music classes for credits at Kennedy. There are band, orchestra, and choir options during school. For athletes there is no class for your specific sport. Most sports ask that you take Performance PE or lifting, but in my opinion everyone should be taking that and staying active. At Kennedy, some sort of gym class is required for everyone and music is not, but I think that is completely reasonable because everyone should be staying active. There is even a choice of online gym. Kennedy High School is very diverse and such a great school, but I believe music activities are favored over sports activities. With this being said, I think changes should be made to the introduction to Kennedy speech that is given to 8th graders. I believe this would make an impact on the opinions of people that agree with me on this.
Claire Fluent
The Struggle of Senioritis Do your parents call you out of school because you’re “sick” more often than normal? Do you occasionally leave school throughout the day because you don’t feel like going to a certain class? Does homework seem to be more of an option than a have to? Or do you dread coming to school every morning? If any of these are true, it seems like you’ve got a case of “senioritis”. When nearing the end of a long journey in high school, students can become less motivated when it comes to their education. Senioritis doesn’t usually kick into full gear for students until the second semester comes and when it does happen students get lazy, complain a lot, don’t care about grades as much, and are absent more.
Kids don’t really get senioritis until they are seniors, but some claim they have it as underclassmen. I don’t know if I believe in that considering they’ve only been in high school for a couple years and haven’t even seen the most of everything. As for the seniors, the only thing that is on their mind is graduation and they are counting down the days. Because they are so close to being “done” and one step closer to “moving on” with a new chapter of their life, they don’t necessarily care about anything else. Some people believe that senioritis isn’t real and that students are just lazy in general. I on the other hand believe that senioritis is a real thing and many students get it and would definitely back me up on it.
Taylor Weiss
Pages by Jenna Anderson | 7
News
An Insider’s Guide to Show Choir Show choir can seem — to any outsiders to the extracurricular — like a weird and cult-like activity.
gust to beginning of March), not including class during the day,” Alexis Weissenberger, sr., said.
It can also be confusing, as despite its competitive form, as the scoring done at competitions is entirely objective, making each performance a bit more stress-inducing.
The show involves more than just singing and dancing, though.
“I think that other people think show choir is easy, or that it isn’t as hard as other sports,” Kira Manuel, fr., a member of Chanteurs, said. “What people don’t realize is how much work show choir really is. It takes a lot of time and effort to get a show together, and being able to sing and dance takes a lot of stamina.” How long exactly does it take to put a show together?
“There is a lot more that goes into a show then just the singing and dancing. Even though that is important you still have to think about the tech and combo. Without the tech you wouldn’t have any props, mics, stage extensions, and a lot more. Without the combo you wouldn’t have any live music,” Corey Caldbeck, sr., a member of the Happiness tech crew, said. All of this work leads up to the large competitions that really signify the start of the season.
“At show choir competitions we are dividHappiness Inc. competes at their first competition Kennedy’s show choirs each start with ed into different classes based on our age, at Prairie. Photo courtesy of Craig Peterson a choreography camp, where members and then judges judge us by score sheets learn the choreography to their shows. A that check our vocals, choreography, visushow typically consists of four dance intensive songs, split by a als, band, and everything else that makes our show. Then they vocally-challenging ballad. These four dance songs are fully choadd up those scores and place us,” Carson Uthe, so., member of reographed by professional choreographers who are often hired Protege, said. and flown in from out-of-state to work with students. “The rush of the competitions and performances is my favorite While Chanteurs and Protégé (Kennedy’s prep division show part of show choir. Everything you worked for finally pays off choir) have their choreography camps split up throughout the and you get to play a completely different character,” Katie Beer, school year, the varsity show choir members learns half of their sr., member of Happiness, said. show in a mere week, an endeavor known as ‘Damon Camp’ “My favorite part of show choir is getting to meet new people, (named after the choreographer). and getting to entertain the audience and spread happiness “Camp can be really stressful because not only are you doing through our show,” Bergin said of the Happiness experiences. “I crazy dancing and competing for the best spots, but you have to have met all of my best friends, and to be quite honest, pretty remember all of the choreography that you just learned, which much all of my friends at show choir.” can be a lot harder than it sounds,” Ferin Bergin, jr., said. “I love that show choir creates almost more of a team environBeyond choreography camp, performers put in work on diction ment then other activities,” Uthe said. “No one is against each in vocals, cleaning choreography, and general practice of the other, and no one ‘sits out on the bench’ at competitions. We all show to commit it to nearly muscle memory. have to be doing our best to be successful.” “We spend around five to six hours a week, including practicing outside of practice. Around 150-200 hours a season (end of Au-
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Elizabeth Barrett
What is Your Favorite Part of Show Choir?
News
“I love that show choir creates almost more of a team environment then other activities. No one is against each other, and no one “sits out on the bench” at competitions. We all have to be doing our best to be successful.” says Uthe,so. (right)
“My favorite part of show choir is getting to meet new people, and getting to entertain the audience and spread happiness through our show. I have met all of my best friends, and to be quite honest- pretty much all of my friends at show choir,“ Bergin ,jr., said. (above)
“The rush of the competitions and performances is my favorite part of show choir. Everything you worked for finally pays off and you get to play a completely different character, “ Katie Beer, sr., said. (right)
Marching for Women’s Rights Since Friday, January 20th, President Donald Trump has managed to be the cause of the largest day of protests in U.S. history. Over three million protesters, men and women, gathered in cities around the world to show their support for women’s rights and even some hate for President Trump. One of many protests was held in Downtown Pittsburgh. Linden Runels, alumnus of Kennedy and also a freshman at Carnegie Mellon University, participated in this protest of about five thousand people. “There were all types of people protesting, people from all walks of life. I was walking behind a girl who was probably eight years old. There were also many men there which I thought was important,” Runels said.
The largest protest took place in Los Angeles with over one million people in attendence. Washington D.C. was a close second and New York came in third. Even places like London, Argentina, and Antarctica participated in these protests. “It is just so awesome to see all these people coming together and fighting the abuse of power by our government,” Runels said, “These protests have made me feel better in knowing that I’m not alone in my thoughts about our government and that there are millions of others who feel and think the exact same way.” There was a variety of famous figures involved in these protests. Madonna, Demi Lovato, Amy Schumer, and many more were impactful speakers at different protests around the country. Emma Watson,
James Franco, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, and hundreds more attended. “The majority of the protest was about the degrading comments President Trump has made towards women and how it’s not acceptable. There were some very funny signs at the protest and while most of them were cruel, they got to the point,” Runels said. President Trump has already made some big decisions as President that many people agree with and many people disagree with. Protests may continue and women all over the world are continuing to stand up for their rights.
Claire Fluent Pages by Brooke McNeal | 9
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Pages by Elizabeth Barrett | 11
Feature
Awareness for Syria
It’s a 21st century genocide. Your children will read about it in their history textbooks. But it’s more than a mere remnant of the past. It’s happening, and it’s happening now. Hundreds of thousands of people have died, and the crisis continues. Yet, most students continue to be unaware of what is happening. This is Syria, this is real, and this is now. “I know there was a refugee crisis, and that there’s still terror happening there. And I know that it’s because of a dictatorship,” Ali Meyer, sr., said. Syria is in the midst of an intense civil war, one which has caused hundreds of thousands of people to become displaced within the country, refugees abroad, or even killed. The current leader of Syria, Bashar AlAssad, has failed to accomplish many long-promised reforms within the country, a fact which has caused turmoil. Protests began to climb on a massive scale in early 2011, and by April the protests had turned into fullscale armed rebellion. The difficult part though is that, as time went on and the rebellion grew, many jihadists joined the fight. In need of supplies and aid, the revolutionaries in Syria had no choice but to accept the outside help.
to the refugee crisis happening in Europe and how it impacts us. “We get so wrapped up in something Donald [Trump] tweeted, or a vague political proposal that we’ve failed to take a step back and look directly at news sources and worldwide events that are just as concerning and important,” Claire Pardubsky, sr., said. This lack of infirmity in our student populations can be detrimental to our maturation, as many students prepare to leave the walls of school behind and enter the real world. “We definitely should be more informed. Opening discussions about tragedies like Aleppo is a step in the right direction,” Claire Pardubsky, sr., said.
ELIZABETH Barrett
The situation has only gotten worse. Now there is killing on a massive scale on both sides of the war. One of the more notable places of conflict is the Syrian city of Aleppo, a once bustling commercial center now turned to ruin by bombings, raids, and violence. Civilian casualties are at incredibly high rates, and only recently were buses sent in to attempt evacuation of the remaining thousands of individuals still trapped in the city among the fighting. Yet, many high school students know nothing about this huge scale conflict going on halfway across the world, despite its long-run presence and massive scale of influence, from the worries of what will happen if the rebels win and the Islamic State takes over Syria
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Muna Mohamed, a senior at Kennedy, was born in a refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya. Photo courtesy of Afnan Elsheikh.
Know the Facts...
11 million people have been affected by this crisis.
The Anti-government demonstrations began in March of 2011 when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad started a crackdown on growing peaceful protests throughout the country. The war has killed an estimated 470,000 people. Bombings have destroyed largely populated cities and human rights violations are frequent. Syrian refugees are fleeing to Jordan and Lebanon, where Mercy Corps has been supporting their needs since 2012. According to the U.N., about 11 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes. Not all Syrian refugees live in refugee camps, but a estimated 1 in 10 do. The remainder are struggling to settle in unfamiliar communities and environments. According to the U.N. more than half of the Syrian refugees are under the age of 18. That’s roughly 2.5 million children. Mercy Corps and other humanitarian organizations are struggling just to keep up with needs that continue to grow rapidly.
Ways you can help: Donate today. Tell your friends. Start a campaign. Sign a petition. For more information go to
Go to https://www.mercycorps.org/donate. Pages by Olivia Haefner | 13
Feature
Kennedy Students Make a Difference
Avery Hanson, fr., and Evyn DeWitte, jr., spend several hours a month volunteering throughout our community.
This will be the second semester DeWitte and Hanson have been members of Kennedy’s student government and they both really enjoy being involved in it. “My favorite part about being in student government is being involved with the community and helping others in need,” DeWitte said. In student government it is required that every semester each student has to put in 12, two-hour service projects. “My best memory would have to be making tie blankets for the homeless shelter. They reminded me of how fortunate I was and how many great people will be benefiting from us putting in a class period to make the blankets,” DeWitte said. Hanson has been volunteering since he was in sixth grade and apart of Harding Middle School’s Student Leadership. Hanson has helped serve food at a food kitchen and bell ring at Hy-Vee. “My siblings and parents have volunteer, so I guess it just runs in the family and it’s something that we just do to make people feel better,” Hanson said. Both, DeWitte and Hanson recommend volunteering to other students. DeWitte says it’s helped her become a better person and she has met so many new people because of it. “Nothing would be better than having a surplus of volunteers where you’re having to turn people away,” Hanson said. “Not every person has to do 24 hours, but if everybody did one hour then not everyone would have to do as much.” You can do things such as, bell ringing, serving food at a local soup kitchen, walking dogs or cleaning cages at one of the Cedar Rapids animal shelters, and helping out with games at an elementary school carnival. The options are endless. 14 |
Kennedy students helping sand bag before the flood in October, 2016. Jordan Vaske, Evyn Dewitte, Kirsten Wenclawski, and Lauryn Vaske. Photo courtesy of Evyn Dewitte. “I have filled the food bank at the veteran center, helped at the Pierce walk, put in over 12 hours sandbagging during the flood this summer, and bought gifts for a family who couldn’t afford Christmas presents this year,” DeWitte said. During the first semester this school year Hanson helped out at Kennedy’s homeless night, Usher’s Ferry for a Halloween festival, and various stores for bell ringing. “It warms my heart and really puts a smile on my face knowing I’m making a difference,” DeWitte said. “It really just brings me to the happiest place I’ve ever been and it feels so good to know that what I’m doing really means something.”
Darby Herridge
A Class President’s Responsibility At Kennedy High School each class elects one student to be the class president at the beginning of the year. This class president represents the class in many different ways throughout the school year. As a typically student at Kennedy I wondered what’s the big deal? Why have a class president and what do they even do? After writing this piece I understood their role and gained appreciation for it. “The importance of a class president and council is the fact that we need some type of student officer body to raise money because if we don’t raise money no one’s going to. Were basically just the fundraisers but we also provide a moral standing and we help get the word around about class events,” Jacob Graves, jr., said. The main focus for each class president is fundraising enough money for their senior prom. “The role helps so we can fund-raise for prom in a successful way, without a class president it would be un-orderly and very hard to stay focused,” Olivia Schirm, so., said. In order to raise enough money for their class the council chooses numerous activities to participate it. “We sell donuts, were setting up orders for class t-shirts, and were trying to organize events like dodgeball tournament and bake sales,” Graves said.
Elsheikh, sr., said. “I didn’t think it’d be this stressful but the fate of our prom depends on us and that’s a big responsibility,” Graves said. Each president has different reasons of why they wanted to be involved. “I wanted to be involved in my classes planning for prom because it’s the last hoorah for high school and I wanted it to be really awesome. I decided to go class president because if I was going to run why not go big,” Elsheikh said. “I like having the ability to successful portray my ideas and be able to support my class. Getting to an awesome prom is my goal,” Schirm said. This experience has helped each member learn in a new way. “Get involved right away not only with class officers but with student government because it looks really good on your college applications but it also gets you involved with school and you get to experience high school to its fullest,” Elsheikh said.
Olivia Haefner
Every class tries to sell t-shirts and meet at least once a month or more depending on the closer they are to prom. “Communication between officers is a big deal. Organizing things and making sure everyone’s on the same page as far as fundraisers and donuts because when no one talks to each other nothing gets done,” Graves said. When taking on this much responsibility the officers face obstacles. “I really like it, but sometimes it stressful and annoying when you have to call people to donate. Also when your organizing stuff sometimes you have to talk to administration and their not always cooperative, but other than that its enjoyable and I get to be a part of the process,” Afnan
Mackenzie Pattridge vice presdient for the class 2019 selling boo grams. Photo courtsey of Olivia Schirm. Pages by Olivia Haefner | 15
Culture
Check out these great restaurants for Valentine’s Day!
Founded in 1998, Biaggis has come to be a chain restaurant in the United States. Many people gather at this Italian restaurant for a casual meal.
ner or a special occasion such as birthdays for people.
Biaggis has everything from seafood to steak to pizza. The drinks also have a great variety from your basic soda to the high end drinks. “It is a very kid
The appetizers range from $8.99 to $10.99 and the dinner prices ranging from $10.99 to $29.99. The dinner menu consists of a classic pizza to a filet mignon.
friendly restaurant with room for big families and separate rooms for bigger parties.”
I personally think Biaggis has great food and I love the Italian style they have. I always look forward to going there.
I’ve gone to Biaggis about twenty times for either a family din-
dessert.
It is a very kid friendly restaurant with room for big families and separate rooms for larger parties. I get either the pizza, spaghetti, alfredo, or the mac and cheese for my main dish and for the drink, I love the strawberry Italian soda. I also get the either the lemon cake or the crème brulee for Lizzy Dennis
Stuck on where to take that special someone? Or maybe you’re starving with your friends. Hurry on over to Red Lobster and get the best seafood in town.
I have eaten at this restaurant many times and have tried something different every time and not once have I disliked it. It is hard to pick a favorite entrée considering its all fantastic.
If you are seafood lover, then Red Lobster is the place to be. Depending on when you go during the day, they have meals ranging from as low as $8.00 all the way to $35.00.
Not just the food is great but the service is wonderful also!
The Cedar Rapids Red Lobster is located on 163 Collins Rd NE. They are open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sundays to Mondays and close at 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
When you walk in the first thing you notice are the hosts, they are always in a great mood and happy to help “Not just the food is with anything and everything. The servers are also a great but the service delight to talk to. They really know how to make your is wonderful also!” night go as planned.
Red Lobster has such amazing food that makes me wanting to go back almost every day. They’ve got just about everything that has do with seafood of course. You can get anything from a classic soup and salad to the “Rock Lobster Tail”.
And how about after your Valentine’s Day dinner? Cold Stone by far is a favorite place to get ice cream in Cedar Rapids as they have a good amount of ice cream for a reasonable price. There’s great customer service and ice cream is quickly made. They are many flavors and many different options, and it’s is a great place to go with friends because no one will be disappointed. The ice cream always tastes very good. It is mixed properly and Cold Stone lets you see your ice cream being made. I personally love anything that I get there. The rich taste has me coming back. I love that every time you tip the employees, they sing a
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So if you’re looking for a nice dinner to spend with either your significant other, family, or friends, Red Lobster, to me, is always a number one go to. Taylor Weiss
song. They are super nice there, too, and they put a bunch of ice cream in a bowl or cone that you pay for. The price for a Like It size is $5, a Love It size is $5.25 and a Got To Have It is $5.75. Those are for Cold Stone’s signature creations, but you can also customize your order for a little extra. The main locations are on Edgewood Road SW and 4701 First Street SE. Hours are 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday and on Friday to Saturday hours are noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday is back to 9 p.m. The official website is coldstonecreamery.com/index.html. Olivia Herring
Perfect Date, Perfect Couple
Calysta Heunisch, sr. and Chase Baker, sr., went to Zeppelins to enjoy a meal together. Photo provided by Calysta Heunisch.
Abby Bright, so. and Gavin Zachman, so., spent the night going out to eat and then the WPA dance. Photo provided by Abby Bright.
Halle Hill, so. and Matt Berst, sr., spent the day ice skating together. Photo provided be Halle hill. Julia Brewer, sr. and Noah Gloede, so., spent their evening at one of the Iowa basketball games. Photo provided by Julia Brewer.
Pages by Taylor Weiss | 17
Sports
A Successful Season
Power. Unity. Passion. “These three words are the words we have lived by throughout the season,” dance team member, Ashlynn Greer, so., said.
The dance team finished 2nd in the Jazz category and 5th in the Pom category at the state tournament. “I believe we did so well because we were given choreography that suited our team which helped us prosper compared to years in the past,” Julia Brewer, sr., said. For the 2016-2017 dance season, the Dance team decided to hire new choreographers for both their pom and jazz dance. Sarah Harrington from New York choreographed the jazz routine and Kelly McGinnis, Iowa dance team alumni member, choreographed the pom routine. “We did better at state than we have done in the past four years,” Brewer said. In addition to state, the dance team also competed at the University of Iowa Spirit Spectacular, Prarie’s Stack the Stands and the Regional Spirit of America Dance Championship. “My favorite competition was State because we all felt united and confident about our performance,” Brianna Petsche, jr., said. Competing the jazz dance this year was one to remember for several of the teammates. “After dancing at a studio for five years and on the dance team for two years, this jazz routine was the best piece I have ever danced. It gave me goose bumps every time I performed it,” Greer said.
Dance team performing their jazz routine at the State Competition. Photo provided by Julie Weiland. The competition season has come to an end. Now the team has basketball games and their annual coed dance at the spring pep assembly to look forward to. “As I prepare for my senior year on dance team, I only hope the expectations of the team stay high and that we can dominate again at the state competition,” Petsche said.
Madeline Jamrok
Mator Receives MLK Award From moving to America at the age of two to winning the Martin Luther King Jr. Award as a high school senior, Johnson Mator, has been on a ride. “I got nominated for this award by my counselor, Mrs. Clore, for my leadership in the community,” Mator said.
Johnson Mator received the award at the Double Tree on Tuesday.
The Martin Luther King Jr. award is given to students who show leadership and helpfulness in the community of Cedar Rapids. “This award means a lot to me because it shows me that I have exhibited behaviors that Martin Luther King Jr. showed,” He said. Mator is in a group called Kappa League that focuses on training young men for leadership and achievement. Through this group he has done a variety of volunteer work such as a canned food drive and cleaning the Ronald McDonald house. As a young toddler, Mator moved to the United States from Liberia, Africa due to the war going on there and found his love for football at a boarding school that he attended in Illinois before moving to Cedar Rapids in 8th grade. “I got into football in the seventh grade and from there have just stuck with it,” Mator said.
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This past football season, Mator received All-Metro 1st team due to his performance on the field. “My favorite football memory was definitely playing in the championship game at the UNI dome last year,” Mator said. Mator is undecided on where he will take his abilities, but plans to attend college and play football. Brooke McNeal
Striving for State Avenging last year’s substate loss Drake Brewster, 2, sr., sets a screen for Derrick Diggins, 24, jr., during their home game against Iowa City West. Photo by Anafer Millsap.
It’s no secret that the Kennedy Men’s basketball team was disappointed by last year’s 56-51 overtime loss to Cedar Falls at substate.
The Cougars may have a chance to avenge last years substate loss to Cedar Falls because they are in the same substate group again this year.
The Cougars have made great strides to improve their postseason success this year and were ranked first by Maxpreps after starting the season off with six straight wins.
“[Cedar Falls] is not a focus, we are focused on improving as a team one day at a time,” Haynes said.
There are four regular season games remaining. The final home “I think the biggest difference between this year and last year game is on Feb. 14 against Waterloo East. They will close out is the number of guys buying into the program,” Malik Haynes, conference play at Iowa City High, on Feb. 16. sr., said. “Every single player on the team believes we have what it “My favorite moment of the season so far is being Malik Haynes and Drake takes to be champions.” Brewster both hope to play ranked #1 in the state for 4A,” Matt Berst, sr., said. “But honestly over that, being able to play with my basketball in college but Since the hot start, the Cougars teammates and brothers. That’s what it’s all about.” haven’t decided on a school yet. Matt Berst will play have had mixed results winning baseball at Illinois State. six games and losing five games. They currently have a record of 12-5 but this adversity doesn’t “The goal is to win a state championship,” Berst said. “But we affect the team’s process. They continue to focus on practicing have to focus game by game.” and playing as a team. “Every practice we come with a competitive mind set and a mindset to get one percent better everyday,” Matt Berst, sr., said. “We come to practice with the goal of making not just you better, but your teammates better too.”
Jake Corkery
Pages by Jake Corkery| 19
Profile
A Cougar from 4,000 Miles Away
Brooklyn Button, jr., always thought she was going to be a Ken- but I had a great start to the school year. I was able to meet nedy Cougar, even after living over 4,000 miles away from Cedar many wonderful and kind people through cross-country this Rapids. past fall,” Button said. Button left Iowa due to her father’s career and moved to Wassenaar, Netherlands in 2012.
Button noticed that in the Netherlands, school meant focusing more on education and less on sports.
“I had mixed emotions about moving there,” Button said. “I was excited for the adventure, but at the same time I was sad to leave my home, friends, and the community here.”
“It was refreshing coming to Kennedy this year and seeing the tight-knit atmosphere of the sports teams,” Button said. While moving to a different continent in middle school was a new challenge, Button felt that it was a rewarding experience.
Button and her family lived in the Netherlands for four years, where she attended the American-International School of the Hague.
“Living in the Netherlands was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I wouldn’t trade for the world,” Button said. “It has given me a different perspective on diversity, as a collection of unique “The American School of the Hague’s student body represented ideas based on different backgrounds.” over 70 nationalities. Students spoke English in the classroom, but when I stepped into the hallway I heard native tongue lanJenna Anderson guages from all over the world,” Button said. At the American International School of the Hague, each grade consisted of about 80 students with class sizes of 15 students. “When I first went there, I felt like I was going back in time,” Button said. There were many canals and the streets were made of cobblestone. Life in the Netherlands was different than the average life here in Iowa. “Everyone rides their bikes, everywhere. Because the driving age is 18, high school students would bike to school,” Button said. “Rather than going to one store to buy groceries like we do in Iowa, food was sold in individual shops along the streets.” “We would go to one shop to get our bread, one shop to get our cheese, and one shop to get our hardware, etc.,” Button said. The Button family also added a new member while in the Netherlands – a Dutch puppy named Harley. “Dogs went everywhere with their owners, even into restaurants,” Button said. Button moved back to Iowa at the beginning of the school year, allowing her to start her junior year at Kennedy. She was able to reconnect with friends she kept in touch with while she was away, thanks to social-media. “I was worried at first about how I would fit in here at Kennedy,
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Brooklyn Button (jr.), with siblings in Wassenaar, Netherlands. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Button
A New Life at Kennedy:
Pablo Mena Llano Pablo Mena Llano wrestles at Kennedy against Iowa City High School. Photo by Jaelynn Hauschild.
Being a foreign exchange student has its ups and downs for Pablo Mena Llano, jr. Llano currently attends Kennedy and started at the beginning of the school year along with his class. “Spanish high schools are harder so you need to study more but they are also much smaller,” Mena Llano said. “Kennedy is huge for me, back home the school is the same as one grade here.” Mena Llano is currently on his third exchange trip. He started when he was 13 years old and went to India for a month and then when he was 15 went to England for one more month.
people are able to join and participate in. “Everyone plays for clubs, I practice Judo and I play soccer for a club as well in Spain,” Mena Llano said.
“But then you
Mena Llano also participates in sports here at Kennedy while managing his academics. He did cross country in the fall, is currently doing wrestling, and plans to do soccer in the will spring.
have fun and feel like part of the family.” Pablo Mena
“India was amazing and it was very interesting and different,” Mena Llano said. “I was staying with a host family and they were very nice to me but the worst thing was the poverty and how bad it was.”
Llano
“England was good to a group of people in my city got a scholarship for going for one month,” Mena Llano said. “Getting scholarships is a bonus about being a foreign exchange student because you have many opportunities.” In Spain it is not common for students to play sports for their school but there are sports clubs throughout the cities that
“I ran cross country and it was a really good experience and I also do wrestling right now and I’m liking it a lot and the team is very cool and I’m planning on playing soccer as well,” Mena Llano said.
Mena Llano moves around a lot for the exchange program and it is very time consuming and doesn’t always offer a lot of free time.
“When I move into a new home at first it can be hard because you are shy because you don’t know them very well,” Mena Llano said. “But then you will have fun and feel like part of the family.”
Tyler Blattner Pages by Anna Reinhart | 21
Photo
Gifting to someone special...
Jewelry is rated in the top ten for best Valentine’s Day gifts (Cosmopolitan). “I have given my girlfriend roses and she loved them,” Quinn Beatty, so., said.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, many people are stressing to find the perfect gift for a special someone. On average, consumers spend $13 billion yearly on Valentine’s Day (statistic brain). These students celebrate Valentine’s Day and have experienced receiving and giving many gifts in past years. “My sister gave me a three-foot teddy bear,” Jeremiah Simon, fr., said. Teddy bears are a popular valentine’s gift and many students expressed their love for them.
Some may think this day consists of couples exchanging gifts but parents give just as many in some families. “One year I got a big bouquet of flowers from my dad,” Lily Hartney, so., said. Gifts on this day can vary from big to small. Sometimes the smaller ones have more meaning to them. “My favorite part of Valentine’s Day is eating the cute candies with sayings on them from loved ones,” Mallory Schultejans, fr., said.
“An assorted box of chocolates was a pleasant sur“The best thing I’ve ever opened on Valenprise for me one year,” Christian Malcolm, sr., said. tine’s Day was a big teddy bear,” Paige Loach, “The valentine’s cards and candies classmates jr., said. would give out in elementary school was my best During this holiday, boyfriends tend to gift memory,” Xzavier Hoofnagle, jr., said. many presents to their girlfriends. Tuesday, Feb. 14 marks Valentine’s Day this year “Last year, my boyfriend got me a nice pair and several students are on the search for the of earrings,” Hannah Borsay, sr., said. perfect gift.
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