John F. Kennedy High School
Volume 46, Issue 3
November 15, 2012
the torch
where do they get it? an in-depth look at how teens illegally obtain alcohol
page 14
CONTENTS Editorial 04
Catching up with reality
News 06
Page 07
Photo by Mary Mathis
Hurricane Sandy rocks the east coast
Profile 10
Harmonizing cultures
Photo 13
People vs. places
Feature 14
Page 10
Photo provided by Sweta Sudhir
It’s no child’s play
Arts & Entertainment 17
Curtain opens on peforming arts season
Health 18 19
Winter fitness rush In the air you breathe
Sports Page 21 Photo by Hanna Krivit
the
torch John F. Kennedy High School 4545 Wenig Rd. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 Volume 46, Issue 3
21 22
Cougars make marks at state Battle of the sports
Cover by Tara Mittelberg
mission The Torch staff and adviser are committed to producing a top quality student newspaper applying high standards of writing, editing, and production. The Torch seeks to fairly serve the Kennedy High School faculty, students, and staff, showing no favoritism to decisions about content are the responsibility of the individual editors and the Editorial Board.
Letter from the editor The second those three magical dings sound across the intercom the hallways flood full of students just dying to get to their next class. You can feel the excitement in the air of students getting one step closer to the end of the school day. But excitement isn’t the only thing in the air. Is it lazy seniors that have not showered in a few days? The wonderful aroma coming from the cafeteria? Nope. Why it’s the scent of love of course. Sweet awkward hormonal teenage love. When I am power walking through the halls in order to get to my next class, which is conveniently placed on the opposite end of the building, I really enjoy all the sights and sounds of underclassmen using those five crucial moments of passing time to snog with each. I think that we can all agree that 55 minute classes are just way to long to be apart from your better half. I mean the “I miss you more” “no I miss you more teddy bear!” text messages that are sent continuously through out class are just not enough to fill that empty hole you feel from being apart forever. So what is the appropriate solution to this problem? Use those five minutes of passing time to the fullest. Teachers and other students really enjoy seeing young love blossoming in the halls. To help out all of the young love birds out there, heres a list of top five ways to maximize you snogging during passing time: 1. Cut the chit chat, go straight to the Eskimo kisses. 2. Stay in the middle of the hallway so people can just walk around you. 3. Don’t shower so your better half can fully absorb your scent. 4. Don’t ask, just do. 5. When class time is approaching continue in front of your teacher so they won’t count you tardy.
Torch Staff: Darcey Altschwager Editor-In-Chief
Mohammad Cheetany Managing Editor Hanna Krivit Photo Editor Tara Mittelberg Feature Editor Spencer Grekoff Business Editor Amy Brause News Editor Alli Nemecek News Editor Steph Mercer Profile Editor Bailey Zaputil Profile Editor Michael Abramson Arts & Entertainment Editor Sam Nordstrom Arts & Entertainment Editor Grace King Health Editor Rachel Langholz Health Editor Norm Althoff Sports Editor Annie Feltes Sports Editor
Zack Goodall Copy Editor Chuck Baxter Copy Editor Isabel Neff Online Editor Ethan Divis Online Editor Mary Mathis Photographer Hannah Bruns Writer Jason Grobstich Writer Terin Kane Writer Lydia Martin Writer Emma Moss Writer Summer Thompson Writer David Hynek Podcast Jordan Lunsford Podcast Trevor Melsha Podcast Stacy Haynes-Moore Adviser
Editorial
Catching up with reality
Jason Grobstich
You’ve just had a bad day, and come home hoping for some sort of relief from all this stress. The solution many use for this problem is simple; sit back and enjoy some reality TV. Now, reality TV’s popularity has grown immensely, and there are a few reasons this might be. One reason could simply be that many people just enjoy seeing other people do odd stuff that would never happen in this state of Iowa. How many times can we see people busting these weird myths that nobody has ever thought about before? Or seeing 12 bachelorettes living in one house, all constantly backstabbing and fighting. It’s a true form of art, really. Another reason is that reality TV changes itself to show interests in the upcoming generations (the fact that Jersey Shore is on that list disturbs me), which makes us want to watch. I mean, who doesn’t love teen moms constantly yelling and being
convicted for crimes and spending money unwisely? I also have a concern with how many “real” housewives of different cities one nation can possibly have. Personally, I do not believe they are real nor housewives. I don’t care if they’re in Orange County, New York, Atlanta, or from mideastern Pennsylvania to New Hampshire! Whether you’re trying to keep up with the Kardashians, an impossible task might I add, or watching Kate trying to raise 8 children and taking them to places or something, you still probably watch one reality TV show. I think human beings watch it as a way of feeling better about themselves, and also to laugh at some people who live on this planet with us. Love it or hate it, reality TV will still be there for you at the end of every day, and so will those dance moms too, because they are insane and never take their eyes off of you. Ever.
thirds of the school year remains; it’s not too late to take charge of my own direction, my own priorities, my own destiny. I remember those nights when I had a massive test the next morning and forced myself to head to Coffeesmiths to study instead of doing about 18 other, more meaningful things. Sometimes, it gets to the point when it’s difficult to remember the last time you actually had a free moment, or were caught up in every single class or on sleep. This mentality almost completely destroys the chances of enjoying high school because they become too consumed in the stress of our course load. At some point, it becomes a little ridiculous to live this way: continually playing catch up and feeling overwhelmed with stressful expectations. Life’s a balance. I understand the importance of taking on challenging classes, but we can’t forget that high school only happens once. So, I’m not promoting everyone to line up at the counselors’ office to drop half of their classes or to more loudly voice their nega-
Rachel Langholz
Balancing act As I sit down to write this editorial the night before it’s due, I start to wonder if this last minute, gotta have it, want it yesterday, can’t catch my breath is really the way life was meant to be lived. Always trying to catch up, but then falling behind in another area, saying yes, but then realizing I’ve already said yes to two other things that take place at the same time. We put so much pressure to be top of the class, get college credit now, strive for scholarships, please our teachers, please our parents, but in the end, how much does any of this truly matter? This week marks end of the first trimester. As I look back, I’m not sure if I’m truly content with how I lived it, or hurried through it. Did I live the life I chose to live, or did I allow life to drag me in unwanted and unnecessary directions that did not really serve my best interests or my well being. Was my focus ever directed to the meaningful pleasures of time? I think most people are searching for the same sense of purpose and value I am. Two
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tive complaints about how much homework we get and how teachers don’t understand our lives. But, I do think we should each step back and think about how we’ll look back on our high school experience 20 years from now. Will we be glad we took that extra science class to get a medal at the end of senior year or will we have wished we would have spent more time with that friend who really needed our encouragement?
Editorial
Student section, step it up Get up, get up, JFK get up. No seriously. Get up. Our Kennedy student section has been rather quiet this football season and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be loud. We just got off a five game win streak and a trip to the UNI dome on Oct. 29. Kennedy has a student population of roughly 1800 and the majority of those students end up going to football games. However, the student section remains, for the most part, quiet. I firmly believe that when we students go to a football or basketball game we should cheer our loudest. Top bleacher to bottom bleacher, Senior to Freshmen, should be 100 percent participation, in the student section. It’s a student section for a reason so why not cheer for our team? In our student section it’s weird for you to cheer if I cheer as loud as I possibly can because other some other people don’t cheer and it’s awkward. In reality, it should be weird to just stand there and not cheer at all. Who cares? Some people don’t care about the game at all, they just show up because they think it’s a social hour. Wake
up call, there’s a game going on. Students should save their money and don’t go, if they aren’t going to cheer. If students do end up going to the game they should cheer their loudest. Who cares what other people think. Everyone has a responsibility in the student section. Seniors should be the leaders. They organize the themes for the games and start the cheers. Juniors, sophomores and freshmen should follow their lead and wear the designated theme and cheer. Finally, not only do we have a problem with cheering, we also have a problem with people not wearing the designated theme for the game. Seriously, how hard is it to wear white to a white out? How hard is it to wear black to a blackout? Oh, and to the people who think it’s cool to wear black to a white out, get over yourself, you’re not that cool. Saying ‘I didn’t know’ isn’t a legitimate excuse. Follow the Kennedy Torch on twitter, we will tweet out the theme for every student section event. Also, listen to the school’s announcements.
Ethan Divis
Staff editorial: NewBo market, positive addition to Cedar Rapids but needs shoppers On Oct. 27, the NewBo City Market opened in the New Bohemian District of downtown Cedar Rapids. The Torch staff thinks the NewBo market is a refreshing addition to the city. Few Iowan communities have access to such a wide variety of fresh food products in one convenient location. We urge all students to take advantage of this market. NewBo is an excellent place to purchase fresh, healthy foods. In today’s society, it’s easy to forgo healthy food options when super centers offer a large variety of convenient processed options. NewBo combines the convenience of Wal-Mart with
the nutrition and localness of a farmer’s market. Besides, where else can you buy designer pasta, dine on traditional Russian food, and eat delicious ice cream from an entrepreneurial Kennedy student all in one place? NewBo also provides an opportunity for small businesses to sell their products, enhancing Cedar Rapids’ economy and providing jobs. It revitalizes the flood-ravaged downtown area, attracting even more shops, businesses, and restaurants. Not only does NewBo bring healthy food options for Cedar Rapids residents, but it also draws customers from all over East-
ern Iowa. Along with the newly renovated Czech Village and museum, the NewBo Market has the potential to bring tourism to downtown Cedar Rapids. The Torch staff would like to thank NewBo for bringing such an excellent establishment to our town. However, NewBo can’t sustain itself on its own. It needs eager customers to purchase its products and promote its cause. If people want NewBo to stay open, they must be the ones to instigate it. So visit NewBo this weekend – it’s open on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. You won’t be disappointed.
Page by Darcey Altschwager 5
News
Hurricane Sandy rocks the east coast
When disaster strikes, it’s often uncertain how somebody is going to react. To people it often seems surreal being in a storm so destructive and powerful. For one family and one Kennedy alumni, it was a night full of fear and hoping for the best for themselves, friends, and family. Ariana McLaughlin, an editor for Times Magazine and Kennedy alum, was living in West Village when the storm hit. “Monday night around 8 the power went out, and throughout the night I heard gusts of wind and trees being bent in the street. I held out for the night, and walked to find help in the morning,” McLaughlin said. McLaughlin walked for a while and finally got cell phone reception where she was able to contact friends and family, and also a car service to take her to Brooklyn to stay with a college friend who still had power. The scene that she saw during this ordeal was one she hopes to never see again. Though McLaughlin was lucky and is now back in her apartment, which has power, countless others were not so fortunate. “Everyone was tense, and getting anywhere is a struggle. It was pure stress being outside after a disaster, and I got out of there as fast as I could, the atmosphere was very in-
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timidating,” McLaughlin said. Brian Jauhiainen and Alexandra Sapan, Brother and sister-in-law of Jan Jauhiainen, a teacher at Kennedy High School, lived at Bayshore on Long Island, not even a mile from the coast where Sandy hit. They had a 200 gallon oil tank split open and spill into their backyard, which led to their house being condemned. Their first floor was flooded, they had no electricity and limited supplies. The two opera singers rely on living in a city like New York for their jobs and have a 3-yearold, and a 5-month-old to look after. They are currently living with Sapan’s mother, but many things are uncertain for them. “The temperature on Long Island got down to the 30’s and I think they only have limited supplies. Even if they would want to, I’m not sure they can get off the island,” Jauhiainen said. “The government can only do so much with all the destruction in such a compacted area like Long Island.” Though they face tough times ahead, their story is not unique. Millions of people are in need of supplies, power, and other basic aid. With limited transportation available, gas shortages are also becoming a major problem. “We’re getting limited information because they [Brian and Alexandra] had to recharge their phones
Flood line. (top) the waterline where sandy reached is painted on a building in Brooklyn, N.Y. photo by Noemi de la Torre (ABC News) Crushed (middle) a taxi is destroyed by a tree in New York City. photo by Yaron Samid (ABC News) Drowning (bottom). Cars attempt to maneuver Manhattan streets. photo by David Schulze (ABC News) with the van, but they’re a tropical wave in the Caribalso trying to save gas,” Jauhi- bean on Oct. 19. Sandy made ainen said. Many people are landfall in the US on Oct. 29 using what gas they have to get around 8 p.m. as a full-fledged necessities, such as food. Even hurricane that ended up killing when there are stores open, at least 149 people from Haiti most only have non-perishable to Canada. It will be a long time before things get back to goods at the moment. “You don’t realize how much the way they were before Sanyou depend on public trans- dy, but according to McLaughportation until you don’t have lin “things seem to be getting back to normal.” it,” McLaughlin said. david hynek According to livescience.com Sandy began as
News
Open For Business
Welcome. The NewBo City Market opened Oct. 27. The market provides local vendors an opportunity to sell food year round. photo by Mary Mathis Rieckoff’s parents own several small Some merchants, such as Caribbean KitchAfter months of renovation, the NewBo City Market opened in Rotary Hall on Oct. businesses, including Morgan Creek Pro- en, serve prepared foods while others, such 27. Located in the heart of the New Bohe- duce; her brother, who is in fifth grade, as Papparadelle’s Pasta, sell ingredients for mia district, this year-round market aims runs CR Popcorn Shop. Both enterprises fresh homemade cuisine. Eventually, temto provide fresh, local food products for operate out of NewBo City Market. “Most porary vendors will be able to open stands consumers, said Ann Poe, executive direc- of my family owns businesses, so we’re just in the market. “You can come our market on a Thursday night kind of continutor of the market. and the vendor in the When Sydney Rieckoff’s parents decided ing the tradition,” Fast Facts: NewBo City Market Flex Space would be to open a vegetable stand in the NewBo Rieckoff said. Open Thursday 4-8, Saturday 8-8, different by the next Rieckoff tested City Market, she wanted in on the action. Saturday,” Poe said. Rieckoff, fr., created a business plan and the ice cream of Sunday 12-6 Poe hopes NewBo applied to open a year-round ice-cream over 20 retailers Address 1100 3rd St. SW store. Although there were over 200 ap- before settling on Home to 24 permanent vendors of will provide a fun environment for all plicants, Rieckoff was chosen to become the goods of The various fresh foods ages while revitalone of 24 permanent vendors. On Oct. 27, Chocolate Shop, in her new shop, “The Chill,” opened for busi- Madison, Wisc. After carefully selecting izing the flood-ravaged New Bohemia ness. her product, Rieckoff hired six part-time district. In the summer, events such as “I’ve always known I’ve wanted to open employees including Kennedy students the Busker Ball, featuring local rappers, a business but I decided to open an ice- Lauren Gifford, fr., and Renee Mittelberg, guitarists, jugglers, and more will attract cream shop when I heard about NewBo,” fr. Rieckoff works three days per week. young people to the market. “We want to she said. On the first day she had lines of “It’s really fun to just be able to serve the give people a reason to not only come to twenty people. customers and hear how much they like Cedar Rapids to visit, but also give them a reason to come here to live,” Poe said. “[Opening day] was beyond all expecta- the different products,” Rieckoff said. Tara Mittelberg Including Rieckoff, there are 24 permations,” said Poe. “We had over 22,000 atnent vendors in the NewBo City Market. tend over the first two days.”
Page By Amy Brause & Alli Nemecek 7
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Profile
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Photos provided by Abhinaya Gunasekar (left) and Sweta Sudhir (right) Photo illustration by Tara Mittelberg
profile profile
Harmonizing cultures
Students express themselves through traditional Indian dance
W
hen they dance, they’re dancing for two--An important part of Indian dancing is the traditional themselves, and their culture. Students from dance graduation or debut solo, a two-hour performance Kennedy, Abhinaya Gunasekar, so., and Sweta which signifies that the dancer has reached the upper Sudhir, fr., discuss their lives and culture through the skills of dancing, and can now teach other dancers. For art of Indian dancing. Sudhir’s type of dance, this is called Rangapravesha, and “Dancing just shows that there’s more to India than a for Gunasekar’s, it is called an Arangetram. These dances lot of people perceive. A lot of people think about pover- take months and sometimes years of dedication to perty in India, but it shows the rich cultural aspect of India fect for their performance. Gunasekar said that during as well,” Sudhir said. the summer she was putting in eight hours a day before Many of the traditional Indian dances are based off her show. of Hindu mythology. “It incorporates a lot of different For these performances, the performer usually receives dances and the styles, you depict different gods and dif- many gifts from their friends and family. However Guferent stories basically though the dance,” Gunasekar nasekar, who performed her dance this summer, decided explained. The god of dance in Hinduism is known as Na- to donate the proceedings of her dance to Foundation 2, taraja, whose other form is Lord Shiva, the god of fire a local suicide prevention organization. Gunasekar manand destruction. Other gods with many dances dedicated aged to raise over $1,000. to them are Lord Vishnu and Lord KrishDancing has helped both girls learn na, whose dance, bhamane satya bhan, is more about their Indian heritage and “Dancing just shows culture. Though surrounded by Amerione of Sudhir’s favorites. that there’s more to In- can culture every day, both say that Both girls began very young, Gunasekar at age four and Sudhir at five. For a time, dia than a lot of people they have never felt pressured to trade both also danced in the same dance class, in one culture for another, rather enperceive.” called Noopur Dance Troupe, which took joying the differences between both -Sweta Sudhir, fr. place in the teacher’s home. There, they cultures and finding acceptance in began to learn bharatanatyam, a classiboth. cal style originating in southern India, from the state “I really enjoy the different aspects. It’s not that I have of Tamil Nadu, which is also where some family of Gu- to leave one or the other, and being able to combine both nasekar’s mother’s side lives in. “It incorporates a lot of them is amazing because I come to school here and of different hand gestures, different footwork, facial I have all my American friends and I can talk to them expressions and graceful movement,” Gunasekar and participate in the culture,” Sudhir said, “And then explained about the dance form. there’s FOICR, which is Friends Of India Association, However, when Sudhir was nine, she and so there I can show the Indian side of myself, and switched over to a different style, called the culture and heritage of India.” kuchipudi. Kuchipudi originated from Gunaseker says that her family is glad of her ability to the state Andhra Pradesh, where her find a balance between the two worlds. “I think they apmother’s family is from, while her fa- preciate the fact that I embrace both cultures, because ther’s side is from the state Kerala. there are some people who try to abandon their Indian Sudhir enjoys this style and the culture to try to fit more in here.” jathis, which are vigorous, fastAs for the future, neither girl has any plans to stop. paced dance moves. “When I ac- Sudhir now teaches two younger girls at her home, while tually get into the dance, I just Gunasekar continues to dance with her troupe every Frifeel pure joy because I get lost day night. in the rhythm. It feels so good “I just hope that people enjoy watching performances, just to feel the blood rushing and [that] they understand not just Indian culture, but to my face, and [when] I do other cultures. I hope that people try to understand to the vigorous steps, and as I grow more tolerant of other cultures,” Gunasekar said, show these emotions, and as “Which goes on and happens here.” I play the role of each charbailey zaputil acter,” Sudhir enthused, “I absolutely love dancing.”
Page by by bailey zaputil & Steph Mercer 11 11 Page bailey zaputil & Steph Mercer
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12 Page by Spencer Grekoff
People vs Places
Photography
Using a film camera, the Torch went around the school taking pictures of people on one roll of film. After finishing the roll, we rewound the film and double exposed the film by taking pictures on the same film of different places. Basically it’s one picture on top of another.
Photos by Hanna Krivit
Instagram Photo of the Month: User: Want to
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Top left: Pride. Dr. Mary Wilcynski pops a hip in the hallway, while the cougar head, painted on the wall outside of the west gym, sits on top of her. Top right: Cheesin’. Alex Pins, sr., poses on his way to the bathroom, while the pond from the horseshoe is exposed on top. Bottom left: Passing. Cole Henry, sr., and Tory Harman sr., hang out during passing time, with the school exposed behind them. Bottom middle: Best friends. Jenna Ryan, sr., and Allie Gardner, sr., show their friendship, with the performing arts trailer in the background. Bottom right: Fierce. Look close, and you’ll see Officer Sarah Lacina chilling on the track field.
Page by Hanna Krivit 13
It’s no child’s play
Feature
Despite knowledge of teens’ illegal obtainment of alcohol, officers often limited in options for punishment
Underage drinking is a growing problem here in the United States. According to The PEW Charitable Trusts, the average age that young people ages 12 to 17 begin to drink is 13 years old. Increases of underage drinking causes minors and those with a liquor license to go to new extremes in order to buy and sell alcohol. In a survey conducted by The Torch, 89 seniors were asked to comment about their drinking habits. Of those surveyed, 42 answered p o s i t i v e l y that they had consumed alcohol at some point in their life and the remaining 47 saying that they had never consumed alcohol in their life. School resource officer Sarah Lacina has been working at Kennedy for two years. She and other officers in the area know that underage drinking is a problem. “It’s hard from our angle to catch these people,” Lacina said. Students obtain their alcohol by having older friends buy it for them, using a fake ID, shoplifting or going to stores that will sell to minors. Many students talk openly with Lacina about where they obtain there alcohol. “We know that they are getting it from the BP on Center point and 42nd. Several students have actually told me out of their own mouths ‘hey that’s where I get this stuff,’” Lacina said. Lacina commented that the Cedar Rapids police have tried to do sting operations at the BP before but
every time the police send a minor in to buy alcohol the store will not sell to them because it is not a minor that store knows they can trust. One student at Kennedy, who wishes to remain anonymous so he will be referred to as Tom Smith, said that they have been going to the BP since their sophomore year to obtain alcohol. “If you just go into the BP and you know someone certain then they will sell to you,” Smith said. He even demonstrated how he has the store’s number in his cell phone and can call ahead of time so the store knows in advance what he is coming for. “It’s not very hard to get alcohol at all,” Smith said. Lacina is fully aware of situations like this in which students obtain their alcohol from the BP. But just because students openly talk about their actions of obtaining alcohol from this BP, it is not enough evidence to make a charge against the store. Another student at Kennedy, who wishes to remain anonymous so he will be referred to as John Jones, developed a drinking problem in the seventh grade that continued to his sophomore year. The problem developed because of various issues that Jones had in school as well as hanging out with the wrong crowd of people. “To me it was kind of one of the ways how I suppressed my feelings,” Jones said. Jones tried many different methods to obtain his alcohol like having friends over the age of 21 purchase it for him. He also stole from his parents’ liquor cabinet and covered it up by adding water
“It’s not what you know, it’s what you can prove,” -Officer Sarah Lacina
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to the bottles so his parents wouldn’t notice. He also tried shoplifting from a conveience store and used a fake ID with his friends but it did not end well. “Fake ID we tried once but it failed,” Jones said, “We were told not to return.” Jones sought out help at the end of his freshmen year from his parents and they assisted with his problem by removing all alcohol from the house, kept him away from his friends and parties that encouraged him to drink and Jones went through an AA system. Lacina knows that students obtain their alcohol by purchasing it from the BP, having friends over the age of 21 get it for them, or by using a fake ID. Even with all of this information, it is not enough for Lacina to make any charges. “It’s not what you know, it’s what you can prove,” Lacina said. Darcey Altschwager
Feature
Pages by Tara Mittelberg 15 Graphic by Tara Mittelberg
Arts & Entertainment
Artist of the month: Macklemore
Macklemore, originally a solo hiphop artist, has recently paired with producer Ryan Lewis to create the incredibly hip rap duo of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Macklemore who originally began rapping in 2000, has recently gained more attention with his recent album release of The Heist. Macklemore, who paired with Ryan Lewis as a producer in 2009, began creating more well-known songs. After the 2005 release of Macklemore’s first album, “The Language of My World,” Macklemore took a break until his 2009 mixtape of “The Unplanned Mixtape.” Early in 2012, Macklemore began touring again and was a performer at the music festival Lollapalooza. On Oct. 9, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released their first dual album entitled “The Heist”. Since then Macklemore has received more attention and has continued touring.
Macklemore focuses mainly on his lyricism, while Ryan Lewis does most of the instrumental work. Most of Macklemore’s lyrics are focused around consumerism, gay rights, and recovery from drug addiction. Although Macklemore’s lyrics may be on the serious side, Macklemore also many up-beat songs as well. Macklemore is currently on tour and will be at Blue Moose Taphouse in Iowa City on Sunday, Dec. 2, and in Des Moines at 7 Flags Event Center on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Mohammad Cheetany Scan this QR code with a smartphone to get the latest music updates from the Torch.
Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Genre: Hip-hop Hometown: Seattle, Washington Website: Macklemore.com
Hit songs: “Wings” “And We Danced” “Thrift Shop” “Same Love” “Can’t Hold Us” “Thin Line”
What is Black Friday? Black Friday, the first Friday after Thanksgiving, is the day that marks the beginning of Christmas shopping. Every year millions of Americans rush to their favorite stores to get items for reduced prices. The name “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960’s because when records in stores were kept by hand, red ink represented loss and black indicated profit. Philadelphia police first used this term when complaining about the crowds in the streets on the day. Although Black Friday is not technically a holiday in the US many workers do not go to work in order to get in on the great deals before others.
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Laptops are the most wanted item by Kennedy Black Friday shoppers. These are mainly wanted by seniors for college. Laptops are frequently marked down at stores such as Best Buy. Laptops are some of the hardest items to get on Black Friday.
“Although I don’t really need a laptop, I would love a new Macbook Pro.” -Christine Hamilton, jr.
Clothes were the second most wanted item by Kennedy Black Friday shoppers. Clothing is the most common marked down item in stores and many seek this on Black Friday. Some seek clothing from designer stores and others from Walmart.
Apple products were the third most wanted item for Kennedy Black Friday shoppers. This is primarily because of the iPhone 5’s release which led to the marking down of the iPhone 4’s price. iPods are also widely sought by Kennedy Black Friday shoppers.
“I want some comfortable, new yoga pants.. I want to strut them like Ke$ha.” -Kerry Brousard, sr.
“I’m due for a new phone and the iPhone 5 is the newest. I’ve wanted one since the release.” -Matt Eveland, sr.
Graphic by Bailey Zaputil and Michael Abramson
Survey reveals hottest Black Friday items
Arts & Entertainment Arts & Entertainment
Curtain opens on performing arts season
Happiness, Inc.
In order to join Happiness, you have to audition American Idol style. You sing any song you want for the judges, and they will tell you when to stop. They teach you part of the dance routine and then you have to dance for them. Then the judges decide if you are Happiness material or not. Happiness is a very competitive activity. “Rehearsals start off once a week after school and they are starting rehearsals twice a week and when it gets down to crunch time we will be doing as many as we need ”, Michael Castelluccio, sr., said, “ My favorite part about Happiness is how we are just like a family and being together and being strong and knowing that there is a silver lining at the end.” “I always loved being in show choir, I started in sixth grade, and my sister was in Happiness.” Megan Vankirk, sr., said. Vankirk’s favorite thing about Happiness is performing on stage in front of everybody. Erin Coker, jr., watched Happiness perform when she was little and decided that she wanted to be there and sing too. “My favorite thing about Happiness is performing on stage and performing at the end of the year.” “My biggest inspiration was my brother; I loved watching him perform on stage and I decided to go out for Happiness,” Michele Touchdown: Karlie Keeney, jr., and Joe Flesner, jr., are members of Wasta, jr., said. Wasta was in Protégé and Chanteurs when she Kennedy’s varsity show choir, Happiness Inc. They practice singing started high school. Terin Kane and dancing several times per week. Photo by Mary Mathis Triton’s Trident: Andrew Hanzelka (left) and Tyler Rothenberger practice for Playtime Poppy. The Show, The Little Mermaid Jr. will be performed Nov. 28-30. Photo by Emma Moss
Playtime Poppy
For over 60 years, Playtime Poppy has been performing shows for Eastern Iowan children. The shows are recreations of popular children’s books and movies whose roles are played by high school performers. This month Kennedy is hosting the upcoming production of The Little Mermaid Jr. Steve Tolly, director, is excited about the show. Tolly has been involved in Kennedy’s thespian scene by directing the tech crew at all of Kennedy’s theatre events and directing Playtime Poppy shows in the past. “I think I have an advantage directing the shows because I’m around theatre all year and I know about the technical aspect of the productions,” Tolly said. The productions give the actors a chance to better themselves due to the style of acting they have to do. “The actors gain more experience because they have to become more animated in their roles because it’s a children’s play,” Tolly said. One of the production’s lead actors is Andrew Hanzelka, sr., who has participated in many of the plays and musicals at Kennedy. Hanzelka plays the role of Sebastian, Ariel’s lobster friend. Hanzelka is excited for the role because he loved the character from the movie and he gets to use a Jamaican accent throughout the play. “Regular plays are harder than the Playtime Poppy shows because Playtime Poppy is for kids, they’ll be amazed with almost anything,” Hanzelka said. Trevor Melsha
Pages Pages by by sam Sam nordstrom Nordstrom & & michael Michaelabramson Abramson 17 17
Health
Winter Fitness Rush Cougars talk indoor workout ideas
For more health tips for staying fit during the winter scan this QR code with your smart phone.
Graphic by Jordan Lunsford
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With holidays quickly approaching and the weather turning cold, exercise is not a priority for many during the winter months. The cold makes it difficult to exercise outside, but there are many options for indoor exercise such as Farrell’s Extreme Bodyshaping, Insanity, and the YMCA. Farrell’s is a six day a week workout program with 45 minute classes including a diet plan. The workouts vary between kick boxing and resistance bands for both upper and lower body muscle strengthening. New members enter into a ten week program, with the chance to win a $1000 after the ten weeks. Later, members can become Farrell’s Infinite Transformation, FIT, members. Erin Hansen, sr., has participated in Farrell’s since January and works out six days a week and also instructs a class about three times a week. “My favorite type of exercise is definitely kick boxing because it incorporates everything for a good cardio exercise,” Hansen said. “Maybe if you have had a bad day you can take it out on the bag.” Insanity is a 60 day, total-body conditioning program that consists of 10 different workout videos. The workouts vary from cardio, plyometrics, and abs. Madi Miller, jr., said, “Whenever you want to do it you can, and it keeps your body doing different things with the changes in exercising.” P90X is a 90-day fitness system with 12 different workout videos. P90X consists of resistance training, cardio, abs, yoga, and martial arts. Both Insanity and P90X also have their own nutrition plan. The YMCA is a local option that allows members to participate in classes as well as work out on their own. Membership rates vary, but are based on age, and are either monthly or yearly memberships. The YMCA also offers team sports for adults and children. Eric Petersen, Helen G Nassif YMCA Branch Executive, said that the fitness classes are included in the membership so members don’t pay extra and can participate in as many as they want. “Our two busiest membership times are October and, of course, January and all of those New Year’s resolutions,” Petersen said. Petersen said that the social aspect of working out at a gym with your community is valuable. “The interaction with others that are trying to live healthier lifestyles is motivation to continue coming back each time,” Petersen said. Alli Nemecek
Health
In the air you breathe
Torch staff investigates radon levels at Kennedy Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers, with Iowa classified as having the highest potential for radon poisoning. With that in mind, you would think radon testing would be a top priority in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, but it hasn’t been tested for 23 years. Testing for radon was performed at Kennedy in 1989. Robert Kleinsmith, Cedar Rapids Community School District building and grounds manager, said, “The highest level [of radon] that was found was 1.4 in the pool filter room [at Kennedy]. The majority of readings were well below 1.0.” Radon is a natural occurring gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium 238. The radioactivity in radon attacks the DNA in the cells of our lungs, which causes cancer. Rick Welke, a state radon officer at the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), said, “It’s kind of like smoking and
not knowing it. It’s the second leading cause of lung cancer.” The IDPH suggests testing your home every two to three years, while schools and commercial buildings should be tested once every five to seven years. “You’re always going to have some radon in your house, it depends on the level. There’s always radon outside, it’s very low though,” said Welke. The US average for radon levels, determined by the IDPH, is 1.3 pico curies of radiation for every cubic liter of air (pCi/L) with anything above 4.0 pCi/L considered an elevated and dangerous level. The average level in Iowa is 8.5 pCi/L. According to Air Chek, Inc., the average indoor radon levels for Linn County is 4.4 pCi/L. Welke said, “If you look on the periodic table in our chemistry room, you’ll see radon in the noble gasses. Since radon is radioactive it also decays
into other things.” Welke said the risk of elevated levels of radon is not from the radon itself, but the gasses radon turns into when released into the air. Jim Muench, associate principal, said, “Where are we, what’s our stance as a district [on radon testing]? What is the justification for not following those procedures?”
“It’s kind of like smoking and not knowing it. It’s the second leading cause of lung cancer.” -Rick Welke, IDPH Initial radon testing is rather inexpensive. According to Welke, the cost to test a school for radon depends on the amount of classrooms, offices, and additional areas that need testing in the school. For example, charcoal testing kits can be purchased for $5 each, and if there were 100
locations in the building, it would cost $500 as long as school personnel are used to perform the testing. Follow up testing for rooms with high levels of radon could become more expensive if multiple continuous radon monitors are needed. Kleinsmith said, “Radon testing is really not mandated by the state, so we don’t really do it.” Welke said that it is very important that every home in Iowa be tested for radon levels. “Radon is odorless, colorless, and because it is a noble gas, you don’t know when you’re breathing it in and possibly getting lung cancer.” There has been some discussion in the district about future radon testing, but because there is no mandate for it, it is not a top priority. Grace King
Photo by Mary Mathis
Torch’s Taste: Joan’s Pumpkin Pie
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Norm Althoff’s family recipe
For a 9 inch, one crust pie: 2 eggs 2 cups pumpkin ¾ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon cloves ½ teaspoon nutmeg 1 2/3 cups (1 can) evaporated milk or light cream
1. First cut pumpkin in half and de-seed. 2. Place the flat side down on a cookie sheet. 3. Add water around the pumpkin half to help steam cook the pumpkin. 4. Pre-heat oven to 300 °F. 5.Place pumkin into the oven for an hour or more depending on the pumpkin’s size. 6. When a fork slides easily into the pumpkin flesh, take it out of the oven. 7. Use a spoon to get the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Put the warm pumpkin
into a blender with 3 tbs. of water until it reaches 2 cups. 8. Take blended pumpkin and set aside. 9. Heat oven to 425 ° F. Beat eggs slightly with beater; beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes. 10. Reduce oven temperature to 350 ° F. Bake 45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. 11. Cool and garnish with whipped topping. Enjoy!
Page by rachel langholz & Grace King 19
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Sports
Cougars make mark at state
photo by Hanna Krivit
photo by Spencer Grekoff
It was a roller-coaster like season. The Cougars started off 0-5, then went on a five-game winning streak which ended with a loss in the second round of the playoffs in the UNI Dome. “We started out not so good and ended up really well,” Head coach Tim Lewis said. “Overall rewarding, sitting at 0-5 and battling back and win five straight and get into the playoffs.” Kennedy upset Muscatine in the first round of the playoffs then lost a hard fought game to Cedar Falls. “To finish in the UNI dome is a real positive,” Lewis said. Some school records were broke this year. Alex Hillyer broke the schools single season rushing record. “(Hillyer) is one the best we’ve had here. His work ethic is tremendous, he’s a hard worker and has a great attitude,” Lewis said. Lewis also became Kennedy’s all-time wins leader as a head coach at Kennedy. “My staff and I have put in a lot of time at this and we feel we work hard at it so it’s rewarding from that standpoint.” The senior class made the playoffs consecutive years while playing varsity. “They never quit. To comeback and do what they did in the second half of the season,” Lewis said. “I’ll always remember the fact that this is a group that never quit.” Ethan Divis
Kennedy’s boys’ golf team ended a tremendous season by finishing second in the state meet on Oct. 6 at the Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City. The Cougars had a one shot lead going into the final round but lost 316-317 to Waukee. Coach Mark Wilden was a little surprised to be ahead going into the final round. “We were surprised. We were relaxed because we know how we can play,” Wilden said. Going into the state tournament, the team looked to place fourth or third. Individually, sophomore Davis Sutton and senior Harrison Moore lead the team, each with a two round total of 152 and tied for sixth place with two other golfers. “I think we played pretty well considering our team was mostly sophomores and two seniors,” Moore said. Moore tied Jeff Swegle, who was the individual champion last year. Cold temperatures and some wind had most golfers wearing stocking cap and fleece. “The weather wasn’t really a factor for us. It didn’t affect us or Waukee it looked like. We’ve been pretty good in awful kinds of weather conditions,” Wilden said. Four state participants return for the next two years. Sophomore Seth Nutt also returns, having not played at state but was an all-conference performer. Nathan Althoff
photo by Darcey Altschwager The last 100 meters of the state race was a complete blur for Alyssa Averhoff, jr., whose goal ever since she started cross country was to place in the top 10. Her wish came true after the sprint to the finish line was completed. “I had no idea how well I did until my parents were telling me I got eighth,” Averhoff said. “I was so incredibly excited.” The team as a whole placed 12th last year at the state race, but with the goal of doing better, and longer and more intense practices, the team boosted their rankings, finishing in fourth place. Averhoff said the team was a lot more dedicated this year with early morning practices in the summer and harder practices after school. “There’s a lot of preparing you do for state,” Averhoff said. “There’s mentally preparing yourself, like visualize your race and not get stressed out about it.” With a successful end to the season sparked even more goals for next year. “We need to get third place,” Averhoff said. “It’s going to be hard because we’re losing a lot of (senior) girls.” But with the dedication the team showed at state this year, Averhoff believes the team can do it. With the achievements and dedication of this year’s team, next year’s season is looking bright. Jason Grobstich
Page by annie feltes & norm althoff 21
sports
Swimming
The Question:
T
he question always goes around about which sport is harder. Each sport involves different tactics, which makes their sport more unique and tougher in different ways. Talking with returning varsity players and coaches they tell their opinion on why their sport is difficult than others.
Cross Country
Coach Jensen thinks that these are the factors that make Cross country harder than other sports: Cross country requires dedication, requires commitment, requires patience, requires physical endurance, requires physical strength, requires mental toughness requires acceptance, requires a large tolerance to pain. “More mental than physical and lots of training. I did 430 miles over the summer, so that causes lots of stress on the body.” Austin Trotter, sr.
Football
“It’s basically more of a team sport, like everyone is involved. It’s crazy and serious, so everyone goes crazy on the field. If on person is out of place, things just go wrong.” Miles Moa, jr., running back. “You’re carrying a lot of weight, with all the pads and probably anywhere from fifteen to twenty pounds of added weight. I think probably just the level of hitting, and you’re getting hit every play. So that’s going t take a toll on you physically.” Coach Lewis
Volleyball
“It’s not like football where you just have to catch a ball. You have to actually have ball control when you play volleyball.” Lexi Rogers, sr. “Perhaps the only sport where the other team dictates which of your own players starts off your offense. finding 6 likeskilled players is key to a team’s success, because you’re only as good as your weakest player.” Coach Goodall
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“Swimming uses every muscle in the body and requires coordination great aerobic conditioning. Takes a great deal of mental focus to maintain focus while swimming back and forth, following the black line,” Coach Thomsen “That you have to get up at 5 every morning and you have to do a sport while holding your breath the whole time.” Alex Boomershine, sr., Butterfly stroke.
Battle of the
A look at how tough e
Bowling
“The bowler is throwing a 6lb to 16 lb bowling ball at a 1 to 2 inch target which is 60 ft away. The bowler is expected to repeatedly hit this target. Most male bowlers throw a 14lb to 16lb bowling ball. The hand and eye coordination needed to repeatedly hit the target requires three things, arm strength, leg strength, and concentration.” Coach Kilts “The pattern [of bowling] is usually different. So each time you bowl is different, so you just have to adjust.” Troy Mckiernan, sr.
Leap. Famiek Cook, jr., runs his leg of the shutt le hurd
Wrestling
“It’s a full on contact sport and it requires all the energy you posses. It’s you going all out against somebody else going all out and it’s very competitive and hard.” Taylor Moss, sr. “It’s one-on-one and on a team sport, you can hide sometimes. But in wrestling one-on-one it’s you, win or lose. It’s really tough when you lose but it’s great when you win.” Coach Hynek
Spirit. Kelsi Hancock, sr., cheers on the Cougar s at th
Basketball
“Basketball is a lot more physical sport than people think it is. So there are a lot of different skills involved. The only thing you don’t have to do in basketball is kick a ball, or swim.” Coach Fontana “Basketball you have to make time out of your actual practice time, to get better because you cant just go into practice thinking you’re going to be good. You have to shoot on your own.” Madi Meier, jr., guard position 2 and 3
Drive. Ben Struss, sr., sizes up a Linn Mar Lions defen
the sports
ough each sport is
he shutt le hurdle relay at Kingston. Photo by Sarah Sickles
Cougar s at the homecoming game. Photo by Hanna Krivit
ar Lions defender during a home game. Photo by Sarah Sickles
Sports
Dance “Well it takes a lot of stamina and cardio to like do/ get through a dance. It takes a lot of strength and ability to do that.” Krista Shea Nelson, sr. “We NEVER stop. There is no “off season”. EVERY single one of them has to look the same in order to compete at the level we compete at with other school in the state or at the regional level. We are a sport that is “judged” so we are constantly making adjustments based on where we are lacking or where we have been told we could do better,” Coach Arends
Tennis
“The fact that you have to use a racquet probably. It’s complicated for some people.” Sarah Laseki, sr. “There is a special amount of hand eye coordination that you have to have to see the ball. And to get your feet going, It involves all of those things. You got to be able to hit accurately while on the run.” Coach Benedict
Cheerleading
“Everyone has to be perfectly in sync for our stunts to work or something will go wrong and someone can get hurt or concussions which has happened before.” Savannah Tuttrup, jr. “You have to have coordination and be able to put a smile on your face no matter if we are winning or loosing. It’s also the number one sport to get hurt in.” Coach Mackey
Golf
Coach Wilden thinks that golf requires these skills: “It demands maintaining your focus over a period of 2 ½ - 5 hours. Every shot must be planned, evaluated, and executed.” Every swing adds to the team total. Since the lowest score wins, poor judgment can lead to losing. “You have to have serious mental strength because you have to keep a positive mind set throughout the whole game. If you think negative at all, it just gets worse. “ Ali Lindo, sr.
Track “it hard because it’s an individual sport. Even though we practice as a team, eventually if you don’t go fast enough. That’s on you. Like you don’t have anyone to fall back on when you don’t perform right. “ Marisa Estelle, sr. “When you practice you’re running and when you compete you’re running so it’s constant physical exertion. When you compete in track it’s a physical exertion from the beginning of the competition to the end. So training is tough because you have to train in order to be successful.” Coach White
Soccer
“Soccer players need to be able to shoot, pass, receive, dribble, shield, and break down opponents without using their hands. Soccer is a fast paced game requiring a tremendous amount of speed, strength, flexibility and mental toughness. Players can cover in excess of 8 miles in a 90 minute game. There are very few natural stoppages in soccer, therefore the sport also requires great stamina. Players need to be able to problem solve and think for themselves. There are no time-outs in soccer.” Coach McKnight “ “45 minutes of constant moving, compared to five seconds at the average football.” Killian Magee, jr., Defender, mostly.
Baseball/Softball
“I think that the concentration that’s required and the ability to deal with the person that bounce back from failure. The people that make the hall of fame fail 70 percent of the time. You got to be able to deal with that, in order to make the next pitch, which makes it pretty challenging.” Coach Hoyer “The fact that you are getting balls hit super hard at you and sometimes they’re coming at your face.” Taylor Wagner, sr. Hanna Krivit & Emma Moss
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