May 23, 2014 by Kennedy Torch

John F. Kennedy High School

Volume 47, Issue 6

May 23, 2014

Off the

Bench e u s s I r o i n e S e h T

the torch

the

torch

Letter from the seniors: The final goodbye

John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 Volume 47, Issue 6

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.

Non-Discrimination policy

It is the Torch 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.

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 the ethics of journalism.

not pictured: Norm Althoff As we countdown the days left in school (two not counting today) it’s bittersweet for this to be our last issue. We all started our journeys with Torch at different times, but our experiences are similar. When you come into high school, you can try all sorts of activities. From fine arts to athletics, all the way to clubs, Kennedy has something for you. You can meet some great people that you might not have encountered had you not gotten involved. This is true with our Torch staff. We’ve all dealt with the ups and downs of life. There were stressful moments, but also rewarding moments. We’ve learned how to deal with these. The lessons you learn as you go through high school don’t seem to matter as they happen. In fact, they can be annoying.

But now looking back on them, you actually can learn a lot. You just have to get out there and do new things. As we pass The Torch on, we know it will be in good hands. The staff we have is great, and we are happy to have worked with you and help you improve your skills. There’s no doubt in our minds that you won’t be able to produce a quality product. Good luck to all of you as you continue on in high school. Enjoy the years you have left because they go by fast. Lastly, to all the seniors, congratulations. It may not have been easy all the time, but we have gotten through it. It’s been nice having the last four years at Kennedy with you all. Good luck with your future endeavors. cover photo by Amy Brause cover by Bailey Zaputil

Contents

Editorial

Photo

Senior editorials

News 08

Final Farewells

Health 09

Profile 22

A day in the life as a new Kennedy principal

And when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to leave your halls... we will miss

Fair of fried foods

A&E 20

Summer Spooks

Feature

Sports

16 2014 graduation list

26 Commitment and construction

Torch Staff:

Bailey Zaputil Editor-In-Chief Alli Nemecek Managing Editor Amy Brause Photo Editor Ethan Divis Online Editor Norm Althoff Business Manager Michael Abramson News Editor Lydia Martin Profile Editor Hannah Bruns Arts & Entertainment Editor

24 Morgan Schwab Arts & Entertainment Editor Elianna Novitch Health Editor Maddy Crist Sports Editor Katie Wolfe Sports Editor Isabel Neff Copy Editor Macy Ripley Copy Editor Gabby Olejniczak Writer Zayla Mackrell Writer Abby Donovan Writer

26 Melanie Northland Writer Naomi Hofferber Writer Emily Sass Writer Xander Riley Writer Macy Anderson Writer Dylan Siegrist Writer Jordan Lunsford Graphic Designer Stacy Haynes-Moore Adviser

Editorial

Advice for the underclassmen

Amy Brause High school wasn’t always a walk in the park for me. It was tough, there’s no denying it. However, in this year alone, I have learned several things that made school better for me. If you know me, you know I can’t sing, but I do anyways and I quote movies every other sentence; so I thought

it fitting for me to explain my lessons through my favorite quotes and lyrics 1. Let it Go. While you may not have hidden freezing powers, it is almost guaranteed that you will do things during high school that you won’t be proud of, everyone does. Don’t let your mistakes haunt you! It took me a while to learn that instead of dwelling on these things and making yourself crazy, look at what went wrong, learn from your mistake and let it go. 2. I don’t scratch my head unless it itches and I don’t dance unless I hear some music. I will not be intimidated. That’s just the way it is. Remember the Titans is one of my all-time favorite movies and it is also one of the best written which makes choosing only one quote difficult but I think this one is particularly important. Do not ever let anyone scare you away from anything. Never let anyone say you can’t do something. Never let them say you can’t be something. Your life is your life, no one can tell you otherwise.

3. Then you stand. I think it’s safe to say that everyone hits a low point in high school (or even multiple) but these moments are temporary and our actions in those moments determine the outcome of the situation. The song “Stand” by Rascal Flatts can get me through anything, and that’s where “Then you stand” comes from. I can’t do the song’s message justice so you should all just go listen to it! 4. But then I thought, if I cared about the other seven billion out there, instead of just me, that’s probably a much better use of my time. Thank you Mia Thermopolis! As much as I think that it is important for us to make ourselves a priority, sometimes we forget that there are others out there to care about! Always be grateful for what you have and remember that not everyone is as fortunate. Everyone can put their special touch on the world, so find your cause and go for it!

Trying new things is beneficial

Alli Nemecek Looking back on the last four years, I’ve realized that I’ve learned a lot, from classes, extra-curricular activities, and all the way to realizing that the order in the student section matters. The past four years have been great.

I started at Kennedy relatively shy and I didn’t know that many people. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how many people I met in the first few weeks of school. They made it really easy to get used to going to a new school and helped me meet even more people. It may seem like this is said a lot, but Kennedy really is one of the best high schools. We are a school that is great academically, socially, athletically, with our school spirit, and many other things. I would like to pass on some advice: don’t be afraid to try new things. My sister did Torch, so that’s why I joined, despite not being a huge fan of writing. Now as a senior, I’m glad I joined Torch because I’ve become a much better writer and I now enjoy it. Also, I’ve met some of my best friends through Torch. It never hurts to try something new, but not every activity will be the one for you. Another piece of advice is to go to school events. We are an incredibly talented

school, and I’ve had the opportunity to take photos and accompany Amy when she takes photos. Boy can I tell you that there is not a better experience than being on the football field taking photos. In general, there’s nothing better than cheering our sports teams and supporting the performing arts events. I’ll definitely miss all of the friendships that I’ve made her too. There won’t be any more crazy hangouts with los tres amigos after football games driving around just to avoid going home. I also will miss using all of the inside jokes I have. I guess I’ll just have to make new ones with the people I will meet in the fall. It will be bittersweet to walk out of the doors for the last time on May 28. I’m sad to leave because of all the memories I’ve made, but I’m excited and ready to experience college and take different classes. Good luck with everything, cougars.

Editorial

A look back on four years of sports

If you didn’t know this already, I’m all about #SPORTS. So, since this is my last editorial in The Torch I wanted to highlight my favorite sports memories throughout my four years here at Kennedy. #5. 2010 Football playoffs vs. Xavier Man, this was my freshmen year and I still remember it clearly. Kennedy was matched up with our most hated rivals, Xavier, in the first round of the playoffs. Kennedy got steam rolled in the first match up of the season and nobody was giving them a shot. It was one of the coldest football games that I’ve ever been to

but what I watched that night was incredible. To this day that was the loudest I’ve ever heard a student section, and I can say I was a part of it. Kennedy ended up pulling the biggest upset in school history, sending Xavier home. #4. 2013 Football season This year’s football season was pretty special too. The “man van” road trips, tailgating before every football game, being in the front row of the student section, and watching our team get all the way to the quarterfinals was unforgettable. My favorite games of the season were the comeback against Prairie and the second round playoff game against Assumption. #3 2013-14 Boys’ Basketball season I won’t lie. Before the season started I wasn’t really expecting much from our boys’ basketball team. But watching our team prove everybody wrong, including me, throughout the whole season and get all the way to the state tournament was incredible. The sub-state final game against North Scott was one of the most intense games that I’ve ever seen. Storming the court after the win was awesome too. #2 2013-14 Girls’ Basketball season I didn’t know what I was signing up for when I decided to be girls’ basketball manager, but two years that I did it I had a blast. Hanging out with my guy Norm and

What a ride high school has been. Trying to put all the thoughts and memories I have in this building into words might be one of the more difficult assignments I’ve had. How do you put four years of memories into 350 words? I’ll give it a shot. Kennedy has given me so many opportunities. I feel very fortunate to have attended a school where the possibilities are endless. Not only did I grow in my education, I grew as a person and I feel like I’m leaving these halls prepared to tackle the real world. For me, personally, this is a surreal feeling. I am the youngest of five children, so I’m the last one from my family to walk these halls. Starting with the fall of 1992, my family has been a Kennedy Cougar. Twenty two years later, we will be alumni together. Time sure does fly. This also marks the end of 36 consecutive years my

parents will have a kid living at home. This symbolizes what high school has been perfectly: change. Our class has been the poster children for change. From students and teachers moving, Dr. W. retiring, and the numerous coaching changes, we’ve seen it all. I’m extremely proud of the way we’ve handled change and modeled it to our peers. Now we’re charged with the biggest change yet: life. It’s hard to even write about the next chapter in our lives. A lot of it feels like a road trip where I’m going to get in the car and drive, no destination, no maps, no idea of what I’ll encounter. I hope it’ll be great. I don’t know how to feel about this change. I’m excited to see how well I prepared myself for the last 18 years, and I’m excited to see where all of you will end up. Thanks for the great ride, Kennedy. It was a better high school experience than

Ethan Divis

getting to travel to all the games was a fun experience. That sub-state final against Muscatine was the best basketball game I’ve ever been to. It was crazy how intense that game was, but after the buzzer sounded they were off to state. I won’t soon forget my time as manager. #1 2014 Baseball season. Ok, so technically this hasn’t happened yet so it can’t be a memory but I can guarantee it will be what I remember most. It’s my final year playing the sport I love. It’s also the final time I’ll be playing with my teammates. We’ve been together since we were ten years old, that’s eight years of playing on the same team. It’s crazy to think that it’ll come to an end this summer, but it won’t be something I forget. Sadly, my time at Kennedy is ending. I didn’t know what to expect when I first walked through these halls as a freshman, but I didn’t expect to get so attached to this school and this community. I love Kennedy High School. The countless memories that I’ve made here I will surely cherish for the rest of my life. I hope to one day return to Kennedy as a teacher (and hopefully the a coach as well). Thanks to everybody for making my high school experience something I won’t forget. Love it or leave it .

High school is a time for change

Norm Althoff I could have dreamed for. I will forever call these hallways home. Best of luck in the future. I’m out.

PAGES BY Alli Nemecek

Editorial

A final goodbye to a second home

Isabel Neff I actually want people to read this so I’ll try and make it as funny as possible. Throughout my Torch career I wrote many editorials arguing something or bringing up another point of view for an already debated topic. By comparison, al-

though they were controversial and had to be worded just right, they seem 50 times easier than writing my final goodbye to the Torch, as well as my senior year. Saying goodbye is probably the hardest thing anyone will have to do, especially when you don’t want it to be over. Now I realize most of the people reading this will be underclassmen, so you probably won’t realize that what I’m saying is true until you play your last match or build your last set or sing in your last concert. I’m telling you now, even if it’s a long ways a way, it does come to an end, so make the most of it. They say the people you meet in high school will become you’re second family that you wake up at 5:30 in the morning, even when it’s the middle of winter and it’s -20 degree windshield with no two hour delay even if there was one last week for warmer conditions, to see every single day for 180 days. Then, when we stay at school until 7 p.m. to finish practice or

do other activities, we joke that Kennedy is our second home and we might as well move in. For me, seeing as my whole family is at Kennedy all day with me, it’s really true when I say I have a second family and home in Kennedy. That’s what I encourage of each student at Kennedy, find something that makes you have to stay at school for 12 hours a day and makes you almost regret doing the activity and makes you be thankful for not quitting because of all the memories that are made doing it. Find a reson to call Kennedy High School your second home, whether it’s from the teachers you meet, or the different things you get involved with. And hopefully, while doing those different things, you make new friendships that become your second family. Now I know this wasn’t really funny at all but you read it anyways so I won, but hopefully you are inspired to do something with the rest of your time here.

Putting yourself in new situations pays off

Katie Wolfe #noragrets

“Enjoy your time in High School because it will be over before you know it,” that is what you hear over and over again as you begin freshman year. Until now I didn’t understand the importance or validity of this statement.

It seems like just yesterday I was at freshmen orientation, overwhelmed with wondering how I was going to remember where my classes are and what my locker combination was, Now I am getting ready to say goodbye to high school forever. As I think of my high school experience, one thing comes to mind, and that is learning the importance of trying new things. As a freshman I signed up for class office, never thinking that I would win the position of class secretary, let alone continue to win for the next three years. I would like to give a shout out to our sponsors who have helped us with this last year of planning prom. Thank you Mr. Grady, Mrs. Frye and Mrs. Havertape. I decided to join the speech team with no acting experience and we ended up going to All State the very next year. This year I joined Torch because I had always admired the magazine and I thought that it would be a good way to expand on my interest in photography. I got the chance to meet the Director of the new library downtown thanks to Torch.

I don’t know what I would have done without all of the friendships I made from participating in these activities. Even though at times all of the prom meetings, late night soccer games, and speech practices are a little overwhelming, it was definitely worth it. The most important thing that I have learned in highschool is that it is better to put myself out there and try something new because I don’t know what I am missing. That is my biggest piece of advice to underclassmen. I look forward to applying this motto to the University of Iowa next year. When I look back on my years in high school I am happy to say that I know that I will always remember the things that I tried instead of the things that I could have done.

Editorial

Kennedy students and staff will be missed Looking back on the past four years, I can’t believe how much has and hasn’t changed. I’m not the same person I was, and I don’t expect to be the person I am today in the next four years. I’ve grown a lot, and it’s only through reflection that I realize that slowly I’ve been coming into my own. What also surprised me is how much I’m actually going to miss here at Kennedy. Not really the school part, but the people that somehow wormed their way into my heart. I’m gonna miss my heart to hearts with Amy and Alli, making faces across the room to Norm, and sitting next to my two best friends Kendall and Macy everyday in Econ. I’m going to miss my Torch family, who have been the main reason I get up everyday and come to school for the past four years. I’m gonna miss HM and Ayers and all the other teachers here who made

my time worth it. So thank you guys. Before I go, let me impart some wisdom I’ve picked up in my high school career. First: always try. Try to surpass your limitations and only stop when you yourself are happy where you’re at. There is always room to grow, so grow, grow, grow. Second: Apply for lots of scholarships! Every bit counts! Third: Have fun. Sometimes it’s easy to get stressed and burned out. Make sure you treat yo’ self every once and a while. And lastly: Remember that these AREN’T going to be the best four years of your life. Important and transformative, yes. But you can, and are going to, be so much more than your high school career. There is one hell of a world out there, so don’t short yourself! So that’s it. Have fun and stay safe, kiddos. Thanks for everyone’s support these past four years. Its been real.

Bailey Zaputil

Join the activities that interest you Good lord, goodness gracious, heavens to Betsy how in the heck is high school over. To be super duper cliché it honestly seems like just yesterday, in my very highpitched and adolescent voice, I was saying, “good golly I have four years left in this poop hole?” Though I was a very anti-high school teenager I really will miss a lot of the experiences JFK created for me. I have made many memories and learned countless lessons from this lovely building, but one lesson has stood out among the rest; never limit yourself. High school taught me to try everything that interests me and stick to what I’m passionate about. Over the past four years I have been involved in a variety of activities, on both ends of the school, and it made me who I am today. I started off with the mindset of a “jock” and was involved in soccer, basketball, and football. Into my junior year, I stuck with football and picked an entirely new passion; the performing arts. I became a part of Happiness Incorporated, speech and

was in a spring musical my junior year. Though I may have gotten negative feedback from some of my peers, the majority of JFK attendees showed me love and support. Allowing myself to be a part of such diverse activities I was able to learn a lot more than if I had only stuck with one. Playing football taught me to never quit and that so much of physical ability is based on attitude and a persons’ mindset. In show choir I learned about working as a family and that even when doubted you can accomplish what seems to be impossible. Something that a lot of people don’t realize is no matter how different sports and performing arts might be, they have so many transferable skills and lessons. Both sports and performing arts share a sense of family and teamwork as well as a passion that drives a person to succeed. Whether you work towards making it to state or placing at a national show choir competition you will always need dedication and trust in your teammates. With

Jordan Lunsford everything I have expressed in this poorly written editorial I want any underclassmen who read this to consider trying as many things as possible while in high school and never let the haters get ya down.

PAGES BY Alli Nemecek

News

Final Farewells Three staff members leave Kennedy

Bev Speer

“When I retire I look forward to being with my grandchildren and sleeping in and traveling,” -Bev Speer

eachers are the people in life that lead you to try new things, take new classes, and be who you are. The teachers here at Kennedy help students achieve those goals daily. There are three Kennedy employees retiring this year: Cary Beatty, Bev Speer and Patty Walsh. Beatty has been teaching for 30 years. Thirteen of those years he has spent at Kennedy. He has also taught in the Iowa City School District, North Cedar, and West Branch. “I like the way Mr. Beatty always makes class fun by telling jokes,” Macy Schares, fr., said. After Beatty retires this spring, he is looking into being a substitute teacher and is wanting to do some volunteer work in the University of Iowa Hospital.

Cary Beatty

Patty Walsh

“I feel really lucky to have ended my career at Kennedy, the best school in Iowa.” -Cary Beatty

“We have the best students and staff at Kennedy High School. I will miss seeing them daily,” -Patty Walsh

Beatty has taught many classes over the years. He has taught Freshman, Sophomore, and Senior classes consisting of Humanities, Yearbook, Journalism, and German 1. With all of the places he has taught, Beatty says, “I feel really lucky to have ended my career at Kennedy, the best school in Iowa.” Speer has been working at Kennedy for 12 years. All of them have been spent in the Learning Center, helping students. “The beauty of my job is that I get to help kids, but I don’t have to put a curriculum together,” Speer said. “When I retire I look forward to being with my grandchildren and sleeping in and traveling,” Speer said. Walsh has been teaching for 22 years and has spent all of those years at Kennedy.

After Walsh retires thing spring, she would like to do some of her own art projects. Also, she and her husband plan to travel to ‘exotic far away lands’ and do volunteer work and fundraising for nonprofit organizations. “My favorite memory of Mrs. Walsh is when at the end of class she would sell us candy and let us buy it if we wanted some,” Kerrigan Urbi, fr., said. Walsh has taught Design in Art, Drawing 1, 2 and 3, Painting and Photography 1 and 2. She has also sponsored Art Club, Photo Club, Service Above Self and the ONE Campaign. “We have the best students and staff at Kennedy High School. I will miss seeing them daily,” Walsh said. emily sass

PAGE BY michael abramson

200 food vendors, 60 foods on a stick The rides, the music, the livestock, and perhaps most importantly, the food. The Iowa State Fair, running August 7 to August 17, offers many festivities, and is well known for its wide variety of fried delicacies. While biting into a deep-fried Oreo may sound appealing, it’s no surprise that some of the decadent treats at the fair could be less than healthy for you. “The frying adds a lot of fat,” Edgewood Road HyVee Dietitian Christy Frese said. Frese suggests that fair-goers strive for the healthier options offered by the venders at the fair. The Iowa State Fair offers a list of the “healthy choices” offered by concession stands on its website; promoting salads, fruit, grilled meats, and vegetables. Despite the fact that the vegetables still contain their nutrients when fried, the added fat makes it an unhealthy choice. Instead of abstaining from all fried food, Frese suggests to eat “fried foods in moderation.” “The Iowa State Fair offers food to fit every appetite. Megan Grandgeorge, an Iowa State Fair Marketing and Tourism Assistant, said. “We’ve got nearly 200 food stands at the Fair with over 60 foods served on-a-stick.” Starting with only seven or eight thousand people attending the first fair, attendance had reached its peak in 2008 with over 1,109,150 attendees. “There is something for everyone at the Iowa State Fair which makes it the ideal vacation spot for families who enjoy a variety of activities,” Grandgeorge said. Out of the tens of thousands of people the Iowa State Fair attracts daily, a handful of these attendees are Kennedy students. Nathan Davis, fr., has visited the fair for two years. “We do the fried Oreos. We stay away from fried butter and stuff. That’s just nasty.” Davis said. Matt Koeling, so., has a different view of the treat. Koeling, a fairgoer for the past three years, favorites Fried Butter, the decadent concoction created by Larry Fyfe of Fyfe Concessions. “It tastes like a really buttery doughnut,” Koeling said. 2014 marks the 128th year the Iowa State Fair has been running.

Naomi Hofferber

Health Editorial

Fair of fried foods Photo by Elianna Novitch

PAGES Alli Nemecek PAGES BY BY Elianna Novitch

7 9

Health

Export. Import. To your cart.

heck, check, check… that’s all you think about as you cross items off of your grocery list and put them into your cart. But here is something else to think about; where exactly does this food come from? The produce you put into your cart comes from all over. Sometimes it comes from local farms and other times it comes from much farther away. If Hy-Vee is able to, they like to get produce from more local farms. “If we can get more local that is a huge deal. It gives more accountability for knowing where it comes from,” Edgewood Road Hy-Vee’s Assistant Produce Manager Paul Quillin said. There are many local farms that help supply Hy-Vee with its produce. Attendance Facilitator Jay Goodlove, along with his family, have supplied Hy-Vee with sweet corn and asparagus in the past. His family has been in the produce market for over 25 years. Goodlove grows his own produce rather than getting it from the grocery store. “The freshness level is higher when you grow your own produce,” Goodlove said. Goodlove grows a wide variety of different types of produce. Some of the things he grows include beans, onions, carrots, lettuce, and potatoes. “We grow about anything you would grow in a regular garden, but on a commercial level,” said Goodlove. The produce that the Goodlove’s grow is sold at local farmers’ markets such as Cedar Rapids, Noelridge, and Hiawatha. Hy-Vee also gets its produce from farther away. “A lot of it has to do with what’s in season in those areas,” Quillin said. “For example right now we can get peaches from Chile and in three months we can have peaches from Missouri.” Peaches are just one example of produce that comes from farther away, depending on the season. Some other examples of common produce that come from farther away would be lemons, bananas, tomatoes, and cherries. “Our tomatoes come from Mexico right now. All of that is seasonal. Everything kind of goes from south to north because of the weather. We should start getting them

from California by May and then get more local grown in the beginning of August,” Quillin said. Lemons also come from Mexico and, as of now, California. Another common type of produce is bananas, which come from Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala. Cherries, like peaches, also come from Chile and as seasons change, it also is brought in from Washington and California. Even though some of the Jay Goodlove, Attendance Facilitator places our produce comes from are far away, the process of getting it here is quick and efficient. Hy-Vee works with a wide variety of companies to get produce from all around. The process of ordering in different types of produce all starts with a phone call to Hy-Vee’s warehouse. Buyers in different growing regions check the produces’ quality and then the order is placed. After the order is placed, getting the produce to the store is an efficient system. The produce is picked and put onto ships and trucks that then transport it back to the warehouse. The whole movement of produce usually takes anywhere from three to five days. “The big key with produce is to keep it moving. If it sits, it’s dying basically,” Quillin said. Though the journey is long and a lot of moving occurs, the produce is kept as fresh as possible by using different techniques such as rotation for some types of produce and others are kept with ice. “There is always human error factor but that’s why it is important that procedures are followed. It really is amazing an amazing system that helps keep the produce fresh,” Quillin said. Both Hy-Vee and Goodlove support going more local for your produce. “Not only do you have the freshness factor when you go more local, but you have the local community factor,” Quillin said. “You are able to see who it effects and we want to support that. We want to promote that and help out as much as we can.” elianna Novitch

“The big key with produce is to keep it moving. If it sits, it’s dying basically,” -Paul Quillin

12 PAGES BY Elianna Novitch 10

Finding my food

Health

Graphic by Jordan Lunsford

Grocery list

-Peaches from Chile - Lemons from California - Bananas from Guatemala - Tomatoes from Mexico - Cherries fromNovitch Chile and Ethan Divis PAGES BY Elianna

13 11

Photo Photo

and when it’s time to leave your halls...

We will miss

We asked seniors what they would miss most about Kennedy after graduation and these were their answers

Anna Praegitzer “Mr. Evans” 12 14

Madi Miller “Student Government with Mr.B”

Photo Photo

Danielle Maus “My choir girls”

Panashe Tavaziva Matthew Eltze and Ryan Walker Matthew: “Mrs. Frye” Ryan: “That’s what I was gonna use”

“The ONE campaign” Background by: http://bit.ly/1l7KfRJ ~Brenda-Starr~

PAGES BY BY Amy Amy Brause Brause 15 13 PAGES

Kevin Wang “All of the teachers, especially my Japanese teacher”

Jacob Shannon “Sports”

Shelby Chostner “Speech with Ms. Osborn” 14

PAGE BY Amy Brause

Megan Dunham “The art room”

Ads

PAGE By Norm Althoff

Feature

2014 Seniors

The graduates off the Senior Bench and off to new destinations

photo by Amy Brause

West Point MilitaryAcademy

Workforce

Military

Jamey Buckallew Veronica Ingalls Mat Dillon James Laetare Amanda Feltes Hunter Mann Ashleigh Graybill Andrew Offerman Chris Hoffman Kirkwood Community College

Jonathan Damisch Mathias Fousek John Hoerner Christian Hopp Melissa Lawrence

Bailey Ovenshire Jacob Shannon

Zayd Abu-Halawa Sam Alzoubi Zara Anderson Maddie Arbore Katelyn Archer Alexandra Armstrong Leah Baethke Dylan Barr Josh Barske Jemi Baskerville Camilla Basler Bryan Beisker Tanner Bell Sommer Benda Gavin Betters Bradley Betters Glorie Borsay Shawna Brines

Kathryn Brown Brandon Buck Cody Burke Joshua Burkey Joshua Burkey Sheila Buschette Kelly Callan Garrett Carlson Morgan Castillo Raemi Chavez Matt Cheramy Sabrina Christiansen Gracie Christianson Marcie Christianson Evan Couch Mackenzie Dahl Makenzie Davis Ethan Divis

Kurtis Dix Riley Duggan Cody Dutton Jace Edwards Mitchell Eiben Kendra Evans Emma Fahey Kaleb Fillenworth Melissa Ford Marcuso Foy Brennan Franck Michael Franz Paige Gerjets Nicole Hagemann Alexis Harrison Kyle Hoback Alex Holtz Evan Hoover Samantha Hunter

Rose Ihnen Megan Keys Alex Koob Lauren Kubovec Travis Lewis David Liscum Tristan Loux Tyler Marsceau Kelsey Martinson Chase Mather James McGee Stacey McKiernan Diana Mejia Roxanne Mendoza Kaylah Miller Dakota Morris Lexi Nielson Andrew Novak Failyn Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Bannon

Chandler Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Zach Ohrt Conner Osborn Heather Osterkamp Shelby Powers Kurt Raue Katherine Reid Brandon Reynolds Nathan Rice William Riepe Elisa Schatz Madison Shillings Mackenzie Showalter Jack Sills Jayme Smith Elizabeth Smith Stephanie Sober Marissa Stangl Andrew Stastny

Ashley Steenblock Nicholas Steinke Devan Stillmunkes Lexi Theusch Ibsa Tilahun Zach Tinkey Kaitlin Turley Kelsey Turnis Logan Valenta Spencer Vanderlind Brittany Vavricek Mariah Vis Starla Wagner Michael Westermeyer Krystal Willmsen Stacia Winters Jessica Wise Donald Wrightsell

University of Iowa Mikalah Applegate Kendall Countryman Brianna Didriksen Karly Donahue Sidney Eby Matthew Eltze Chase Emanuel Matthew Finley

Laura Fischer Joe Flesner Taylor Foley Hannah Gross Brianna Hammer Michael Kegel Jordan Lunsford Mary Mathis

Mason McCune Jennifer McDonnell Jakob Meyers Ananya Munjal Allison Nemecek Emily Phelps Megan Pospisil JJ Reinhart

Macy Ripley Alisa Roehr Katherine Ross Lantz Sievert Zac Smith Valerie Smith Sara Solorio Victoria Stastny

Logan Steffans Carolyn Stone Panashe Tavaziva Madison Tessmer Matthew Thommana Stephanie Traynor Savannah Tuttrup

Jamie Vogl Nathan Waterhouse Connor Wigans Alexander Winter Katie Wolfe Haley Wright Bailey Zaputil

Nicholas Swartz

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University of Northern Iowa Nathan Althoff Rhea Bachman Alyssa Barnes Jonathan Beck Madi DeLong Peter Dennis Kelsey-Jo Doyle Parker Fifield Samantha Fogliano Sean Gallagher Mariah Girling Derek Jacobus Courtney Krousie Megan Lehmann Nicole Lindo Ben Long Danielle Maus Kaela Mitchell Kayla Rettig Grace Ridnour Samantha Sattizahn Amanda Schultz Kylie Sheets Audrey Skoog Tanner Smith Raven Stowell Chistian Stroschein Morgan Swartzendruber Austen Winders Brigham Young University Julie Ann Goddard Austin Holzer Capri College Jillian Lanifer Central College James Cunningham Maddison Hennessey Nathan Manchester Madison Megonigle Clarke University Matthew Stevens Cornell College Samuel Praegitzer

Creighton University Bloomsberg University Evan Batterson Hannah Botkin Anastasia Timofeeva Trenton Johnson

Coe College Amy Brause Natalia Drahn Drew Heitland Shiloh Herr Jordan Holmes Mariel Kean Karlie Keeney Chase Knapp AJ Losch Drew Rogers Kyle Sleep Des Moines Area Community College Tiahna Garrett Drake University Kelsie Coates Jenna Green Madison Miller Caitlyn Morehouse Rebecca Rezac

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Arts and Entertainment

Vilisca Axe Murder House The most infamous murder site in Iowa, the Villisca Axe Murder House, is known to be one of the most haunted places in America. On June 12, 1912 in the small town of Villisca, eight people were brutally murdered with an axe. The murderer(s) were never found. Social studies teacher Melissa Osborn lived in Villisca in an apartment right across the street from the house. “When I moved in I didn’t know where the house was located and then I stepped out on my back patio and I could see it clear as day,” Osborn said. “I walked by it every day on my way to work, since the school was just up the hill.” Victims Josiah and Sarah Moore were married with four children, based on the information collected from VilliscaIowa.com. Their children invited two of their friends over to go to church with them and stay overnight at their house the night of the murders. Later that night, all eight of them arrived at the Moore home. What was supposed to be a totally normal night was far from normal. The next morning, Mary Peckham, the Moore’s neighbor, noticed the father, Josiah, was not outside doing his morning chores, which he did every morning. The safe little town of Villisca, Iowa wasn’t so safe anymore after that day. Peckham knew something was off when she went into the house, yelled for Sarah and Josiah, and got no response. She immediately called Josiah’s brother, Ross, who was the one who discovered the gruesome sight. All the bodies were left in their beds. Investigators concluded that the murders took place between midnight and 5 a.m. It is unknown whether the killer or 20

killers were hiding in the house when the family got home, or if the murderer(s) snuck in after. The axe was cleaned off and left propped up in the kitchen of the home. A bizarre thing that was noticed right away when police investigated the crime scene was that the killer covered every mirror in the house with items of Sarah’s clothing. To this day, when visiting the murder house, the mirrors are still covered. Because the crime was over 100 years ago, the house was restored but is still set up the same way it was the day of the murders. All of the walls in the home were repainted, but one wall in the parents’ room has a permanent axe mark. The mark is from the murderer’s draw back of the axe right before the killer struck either Josiah or Sarah. “I went into the house a couple of times. My first time was my first year at Villisca when a student writing a paper wanted me to come tour the house. The owner at the time, Darwin Linn, gave us a tour and told us where people have felt paranormal activity,” Osborn said. “I don’t buy into the idea of paranormal activity so I didn’t experience anything strange while I was there.” Overnight tours cost $428 for 1-6 people. Tours are conducted during the day from 1-4 p.m. and cost $10. Most reviews from people who have toured the house say that they did in some way experience paranormal activity or feel like they were being watched. The murder house was featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters. Morgan Schwab

Arts and Entertainment

The Black Angel Towering over eight feet, The Black Angel Monument is located in the Oakland Cemetary in Iowa City. According to the official Iowa City Parks & Recreation website, there are several myths around the statue, such as anyone who kisses the angel will die instantly, touches it at midnight on Halloween will die in seven years, or that every Halloween the angel turns a shade darker as a reminder for everyone she has killed. The true story, however, is much less spooky. In 1911 Bohemian immigrant Teresa Dolezal Feldevert commissioned the statue from Mario Korbel to honor her late husband. Folklore suggests that the Black Angel turned black because of grieving spouses and broken promises, the but the real reason is simply that the oxidation of the bronze in response to natural elements caused its haunting color. bailey zaputil photo by Bailey Zaputil

PAGES BY Hannah BrunS 21

Profile

A Day in the Life

as a New Kennedy Principal When Kennedy Principal Jason Kline was hired, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. The Torch took a look at Mr. Kline’s first year as Kennedy’s Principal. “It’s been busy, but it has been wonderful. I can’t say I’ve ever been down, I’ve never been negative, it’s just either been really busy or very, very, very busy, but also very rewarding, it’s just been a wonderful experience so far,” Kline said. Kline has done his best to jump into the mix of things at Kennedy. By attending as many activities as possible, he has created many fond memories in his first year, “The first time I saw all three show choirs perform, I thought wow this is an awesome group of kids, and then when football had a play off run and both basketball teams had a play off run, they were just a lot of fun and I was excited to see both of our teams do so well.” On a Friday night, you could often see Kline on the sidelines cheering the football or basketball team on, and pumping up the student section. Kline enjoyed attending these events through out the year. Kline used his Twitter account, @crkennedyhigh, to post live feed to stu- if they want to, as long as it’s appropriate and dents and members of Kennedy’s commu- that kind of thing,” he said. nity, who were unBecoming the new principal able to attend these at “It’s hard to replace Kennedy meant that Kline events. Kline also had a tough act to follow. gave the play-by-play someone that was Previous to Kline becoming for play off games so loved,” -Kennedy principal, Dr. Mary Wilcynski and major performwas Kennedy’s principal for ing arts competiPrincipal, 17 years before she decided tions. “Probably the to retire. Jason Kline most exciting game I “It’s hard to replace somewent to was that volone that was so loved,” Kline said, “I feel like leyball play off game that we lost but went we’re getting there. It’s going to take a long all the way to end going back and fourth, it time for students to get used to me, there’s was heart wrenching, but it was one of my still a lot of comparisons between Dr. W. and favorite memories this year,” Kline said. I, and we are very different people but that’s Kline got to know many students through okay, I think for some students that’s hard to attending activities, talking in the lunch over come in just a year.” room and through his twitter account, “I Replacing Dr. Wilcynski meant that Kline want to make sure that students know they was now in charge of all the special recognican come to me with things and they can tion assemblies that she created. joke around with me, and they can tweet me “It’s a positive culture here and I think Dr.

W. had a lot to do with that. I think she really intentionally built that up, and I’m glad I can continue to build on that,” Kline said. “All the things we do to recognize students here and their accomplishments, all the things that we do to celebrate the school, it’s a wonderful experience. We are constantly planning for the next awards ceremony and the next pep assembly, and that’s a good thing.” Kline says that even though it has been a wonderful first year for him, he is looking forward to next year running even more smoothly. Kline wants to make sure that students know he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. “I’m excited about next year, I’m really excited about SMART Lunch and some other new changes that we will be doing, small changes, but mostly behind the scenes changes,” Kline said. LYdia MArtin

Profile

STUDENT SURVEY The Torch surveyed 150 students and asked them to grade Mr. Kline in the following areas. Participation in athletic and performing art events: Tweeting:

B A

Ideas (such as SMART Lunch): Attitude:

For more tweets from Mr. Kline, follow @crkennedyhigh on Twitter PAGES BY Lydia Martin

Editorial

HORSE CONNECTION

One student commits her time to riding horses competively

hile most kids her age were ing valuable life skills, “School can only learning to ride bikes, Mad- teach you so much stuff, but you don’t redie Herlocker, so., was learn- ally learn until you are out there doing it,” Herlocker said. ing how to ride horses. Riding horses helps you get experience, “When you ride horses, you’re not only focusing on yourself but you’re focusing on learn how to compete under pressure and work hard to aca 1,200 pound ani“My favorite part is complish a goal. mal that you have horses to control while after you’ve worked really “Riding you’re trying to hard to figure something teaches you how to be a gracious wincommunicate with ner and a gracious it, without speak- out with your horse and ing to it. This is all then that moment when it loser. It teaches you while considering just clicks and you under- perseverance and how to work hard. the safety of you stand it,” It gives you a good and your horse,” work ethic and it -Maddie Herlocker Herlocker said. also teaches you to Herlocker was appreciate the small first introduced to the world of horses at age seven by her great aunt, who owned things because it’s not always about world championship horses. Now, Her- the big picture,” Herlocker said. Herlocker’s horse has a trainer. locker competes in 15 shows a year, all The horse trainer rides her horse, across the country. Eight years and multiple horses later, takes care of him and makes sure evHerlocker is the proud owner of a quarter erything is fine with Junior and the other horses. horse named Junior. “It’s like having a personal trainer “My favorite part is after you’ve worked really hard to figure something out with for a sport, but instead of having the your horse and then that moment when personal trainer just for you, it’s for it just clicks and you understand it,” Her- you and your horse,” Herlocker said. Herlocker’s favorite thing about locker said. For Herlocker, riding horses is not only showing horses is the people that a fun activity, but has also served in teach- she meets because of the relation-

ships and connections that she forms. “It’s amazing because the people you meet are so much like you. I also love sharing that connection with your horse, like when you get to the point where your horse knows what you are thinking and you can go and win the class – it’s really cool,” Herlocker said. Much like anything in life, Herlocker says there are sacrifices she has to make to fully commit herself to showing horses and being in horse competitions. “The one thing about riding horses that I don’t enjoy is that I don’t get to play any other sports because showing horses is a year long commitment that never stops. When I try to participate in other sports, I have to miss too much with my horse,” Herlocker said.

Editorial

Training. Maddie Herlocker, so., trains her horse for competitions. Photos by Katie Wolfe

Maddie Herlocker and her horse Junior compete in fifteen shows a year, all across the country. Due to her commitment to school, Herlocker is not able to go to the barn where her horse trains everyday. School often conflicts with horse competitions as well. Last trimester alone, Herlocker missed five days for one show and three days for another show. Despite the time, money and effort put into showing horses and taking care of horses, Herlocker has the opportunity to gain a return on her investments. Herlocker has earned over $2000 in scholarships. Herlocker has won many more titles that also add value to her horse. Some of these titles include a world championship, a reserve world championship, multiple top 5 and top 10 congress world championships and a reserve congress championship.

A Quarter Horse is a horse that excels at sprinting short distances. The Quarter Horse can outdistance other horse breeds in races by a quarter mile.

Riding horses has earned Maddie Herocker over $2000 in scholarships this year.

Congress is the biggest, single breed horse so if that means selling your horse, then show in the United States. that’s what you have to do,” she said. For Herlocker, showing horses she refers Herlocker has had her to as “more of horse, Junior, for two years. “I also love sharing that a business”. He has five superiors and In the past, connection with your has gotten reserve top 5 and Herlocker horse, like when you get multiple top 10s at Conhasn’t gotten gress. He was also awarded very attached to the point where your a Rookie of the Year scholto her horses horse knows what you are arship. Herlocker thinks because she they may sell him this year knew they thinking” and buy a new horse. would end up Of all the time and effort -Maddie Herlocker selling them. Herlocker has put into hors“I just think of it as something I needed es, she doesn’t see it as a future career. “I to work hard on and then move on to the will always love riding horses, but I don’t next level, because horses can only be as want it to define my whole life.” good as they can be. Once your horse gets gabby olejniczak really good you have to move up a level,

PAGES BY Lydia Martin, maddy crist, & katie wolfe 25

Sports

Spending summer on the diamond

hat makes softball and baseball different than other sports at the high school level is the time commitment it requires during the summer. Athletes have to fully commit to a summer sport because it requires complete dedication. “Summer time commitment is a pretty big decision to make. Players must be dedicated to their teammates and the game to forgo other summer activities to be a part of the baseball team,” Varsity Baseball Coach, Bret Hoyer said. Softball and baseball are the only summer sports, their season runs from May through the middle of July. Athletes that play baseball or softball may find themselves juggling their time because of the various activities they have going on throughout their summer. Varsity softball player Rylee Steinke, jr., knows how big of a commitment it is to play a summer sport. “Softball takes a lot of time and effort, because you have to not only work inside of practice, but on your own time as well,” Steinke said. Two days of the week are typically practice days for baseball with 7 p.m. practices. The other three days are game days, in which the players lift and

practice in the morning around 9 a.m. Then they play a game or a double header in the evening at about 5 p.m. “It’s hard work to participate in a summer sport with not much free time to do other things during the season,” Sammy Lizarraga, jr., said. “If you actually want to play competitively and be successful you have to work hard all summer long.” “Every year we have the same expectations to improve each week as individual teammates and collectively as a team to perform at the highest level we can possibly play during the games that contain the most pressure,” Hoyer said. Baseball and softball are sports that require additional off-season training besides the normal practice schedules. “In season we expect all players to work to improve themselves as teammates; to put the team’s objectives or goals ahead of their own individual goals and objectives,” Hoyer said. “In the offseason we hope the players are taking some time to improve their individual skills.” A week of softball looks about the same, with game days and practice days. Everyday the team has practice around 9 a.m. whether or not there is a game following. Games vary throughout the week, normally two double headers a week and some weekend tournaments. According to Varsity softball player Tianna Drahn, so., “It’s definitely different being involved in a summer sport, because you have to want to be there and have the drive to succeed.”

“It’s hard work to participate in a summer sport with not much free time to do other things during the season,” -Sammy Lizarraga 26

Photos provided by Connie Cavines and Macy Anderson

Abby Donovan

Sports

ennedy students driving to school during the past few months might have noticed the construction going on near the baseball field. This is due to the updates that are being constructed for both the Cougar baseball and softball programs. The Kennedy baseball program is working hard to install facilities such as a new backstop and netting system. The netting system is an upgrade from the previous chain-link fence, which will help catch more foul balls and also enhance the viewing experience for spectators. “The existing backstop was coming apart at various locations and the posts were gradually moving up out of the ground causing the mesh to twist, Varsity Baseball Coach Brett Hoyer said. “The heavy wire mesh and posts obstructed views.” The Kennedy softball program has been updating their facilities as well. They recently built a new clubhouse for players that is nearly double the size of the previous one. “The softball team needed more space. They are outside all summer long and they don’t make use of the locker

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rooms in the school, so they needed a facility that fits their needs,” Athletic Director Aaron Stecker said. The baseball updates have been a five year process that should be wrapping up within the next few weeks. The softball clubhouse started progressing last fall and was completed this spring in time for the 2014 softball season. Both the baseball and softball updates were solely dependent on the parent support group’s funding and planning. “It would have been impossible without parent support,” Hoyer said. “Both in terms of financial support from themselves, but also the efforts they put forth in soliciting funding from outside sources.” The upgrades for the baseball program cost around $90,000. A portion of the money came from the Cedar Rapids School district, Activities Office, and Kennedy Booster Club, but the majority was fundraised by the baseball Parent Support Group. “I think we will see the upgrades continue, and I hope to see those types of updates happen with other facilities over the next five to ten years,” Stecker said. “This is a good start, and now we are want to look at other facilities and see how we can keep improving.” Macy Anderson

PAGES BY Maddy Crist and Katie Wolfe

John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

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