KennedyTorch September Issue

“ T H E TO R C H H A S B E E N PA S S E D TO A N E W G E N E R AT I O N ” - j o h n f. k e n n e dy v o lu m e 43, i s s u e I - s e p t e m b e r 25, 2009

In This Issue

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GREEN A C e d a r Ra p i d s Co m m u n it y Sc h o o l s e m p loy e e H A S r e c e n t ly B EEN SUSPE C T ED o f embezzling a q ua r t e r o f a million dollars. and THIS I SN ’ T T HE F I RS T C A SE OF f i s ca l t h e f t i n t h e d i s t r ict. w h at h a p p e n s when real people shake the money t r e e a n d Pay t h e p r ic e ?

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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage Paid Cedar Rapids, Iowa Permit No. 147

TOR C H J OHN F. KENNEDY H I GH S C HOOL 4545 W e n i g R d. NE C e d a r Ra p i d s , I o wa , 52402

DIVERS ROCK THE BOARDS page 15

TEst YOUR SUmMER NEWS KNOWLEDGE PAGE 2

A KNIGHT’S TALE page 5

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News over the summer

How informed are you? Take our summer news quiz and find out!

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Graphic by Michael Nordstrom, Mackenzie Sheehy and Craig Aucutt A collage of summer events. The pictures in the collage correlate with the questions in the summer news quiz. The collage covers everything from political events, to pop culture and everywhere in between. Some of the most notable moments over the summer include Ted Kennedy’s death, Sarah Palin resigning as governor, Bernie Madoff’s trial, the death of Michael Jackson, riots in Iran, and the Jon and Kate drama.

1.)

Singer Chris Brown was accused of abusing who? a. Britney Spears b. Taylor Swift c. Beyonce d. Rhianna

2.) Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009.

Which of the following is not one of his children? a. Paris b. Blanket c. Prince d. Mitten

3.) Bernie Madoff was sentenced over the summer for embezzling money. How many years was his sentenced to? a. 10 years b. 500 years c. 150 years d. 16 years

4.) In which country is Swine flu (H1N1) thought to have originated from? a. Venezuela b. Brazil c. Africa d. Mexico

5.) Sarah Palin recently resigned from her gubernatorial position in which state? a. Alaska b. Alabama c. Hawaii d. Iowa

6.) Billy Mays died on June 28, 2009. What was he most well know for? a. His role as Carlos on the show Desperate Housewives b. The loud infomercial guy who yells about OxyClean, etc. c. A famous bull rider d. The New York governor involved in the sex scandal

7.) Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin have how many kids? a. 1 b. 8 c. 19 d. a. and b.

8.) Over the summer President Barack Obama worked on: a. His mad DDR skills b. Rights for the Pygmy Children of Bulgaria c. Health care reform d. Teaching Sarah Palin geography

9.) Rioters stormed the capitol of Iran over the summer, protesting the supposedly rigged presidential elections. What’s the capitol of Iran? a. Tehran b. Nigeria c. Uzbekistan d. Beijing

10.) Over the summer Senator Ted Kennedy passed away. What famous president is he related to? a. Teddy Roosevelt b. Adam Lambert c. George Bush d. John Kennedy

MiCHAel Nordstrom

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Rain, rain, go away...

Flash flood discourages Palo community Palo, a town of 950 people, experienced a horrible crisis during the June flood of 2008. Flood damage there was estimated at $25 million and affected all but ten of the 423 homes. The entire town was evacuated and National Guard humvees blocked entrances so no one could get in. Imagine how residents felt when the beginnings of another nightmare began when flash flooding caused more damage, just a little over a year from their recent devastation.

In June of 2009, 350 of those who rebuilt their houses received baskets of flowers from the Rebuild Palo Fund to commemorate the anniversary of the 2008 flood. Elected officials and volunteers wanted to thank the residents who returned and rebuilt their homes. Many residents had lost nearly everything, and there was a big push to help Palo rebuild their community and not give in to tragedy. They were expecting two to three feet of water, so they put their belongings on countertops, but then 9 feet of water entered their homes.

The highest crest on record for the Cedar River was 20 feet in 1927 and 1951. Who could have foreseen that in 2008 the river would crest at 31.2 feet?

The decision to rebuild was a tough one because the losses were so severe. Some lived in tents and recreational vehicles during reconstruction. The help that Palo received from volunteers made a big difference in making their decision to stay. The outpouring of help and caring was

unbelievable. At one point, the debris from gutting houses was piled higher than vehicles parked on the road. But many residents are still upset about government roadblocks that have hampered full recovery and caused misery because of red tape. They thought they were finally meeting the tiring challenges of a difficult come-

Flood damage there was estimated at $25 million and affected all but ten of the 423 homes. back, when soon after the flood’s anniversary, they faced another problem.

In late August of 2009, the rain came. Residents and volunteers from other towns started sandbagging once again as Dry Creek, which flows into the Cedar River, began to rise. But that wasn’t the real problem - the flash flooding from the rainfall in the streets and farm fields created the most problems. KCRG TV 9 reported that Eastern Iowa received between 4 and 12 inches of rain in just a couple of days.

Palo estimated that they had received 13 inches. Stacy Dix, City Clerk at Palo City Hall, said that this time no homes completely flooded, but over 132 homes had to deal with water in their basement, anywhere from one to two feet, up to five feet high. So the cleanup process began again.

Reporters from The Torch contacted several Kennedy

students that had experienced both floods in their homes, but they declined to be interviewed.

Forest Kelly jr., agreed to talk to us about the recent flooding in his basement. The water from the 2008 flood only got into his back yard at his old house, so they didn’t have damage. The spirit of community was alive in Forrest though, as he and members of his church, Bethany Lutheran, helped others with their homes.

His family moved to a different house in Palo, and that’s where he cleaned up about two inches of floodwater in the basement in August, after moving everything upstairs and to the garage. They have a finished basement, so the main job was drying the carpet.

Moving their belongings took hours, but it took days to dry the basement. This time, again, he volunteered by helping a neighbor vacuum the water out of her basement from a crack in the foundation.

So what is being done in Palo to help improve the community for the future? Residents and elected officials are meeting on a regular basis to look at more safety precautions and to come up with a city plan to prevent the damages of future flooding.

Suggestions such as putting in rain gardens, improving culverts, and making improvements to Dry Creek are some of the topics they are working on.

Palo currently gets their water supply from individual sandpoint shallow wells that are tested periodically by homeowners, but the city has applied for a water grant to set up a system for city water. Good ideas such as these from public input will help Palo find solutions to the problems of future flooding.

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photo by Cassie Milks (Above) Waste. Debris sits outside of abandoned homes in the aftermath of the June 2008 flood. (Below) Overflow. A Kennedy student’s basement after it filled with water due to recent flooding in Palo, ia.

photo by Laura Pochobradsky

Remembering Ted Kennedy The man better known as a lion roared for the last time on Tuesday, Aug. 25, but the legacy he left will be heard for generations.

During his 46 years as a Senator and important political figure, Edward Kennedy authored 2,500 bills, dealing with everything from civil rights for AfricanAmericans and people with disabilities to education to health care.

“He was very charismatic, very intelligent, a very good speaker,” Mary Ross, the principal’s secretary here, said, “and he was very much an advocate of young people.”

Kennedy respected and

admired young people greatly.

So, when he was invited to speak at the dedication of Kennedy by then-Congressman John Culver, the father of current Iowa Governor Chet Culver, it was no surprise that Kennedy accepted.

Ross attended the de d ic at ion ceremony 42 years ago.

The event included speeches made by Kennedy and Culver. Ross remembers the event being very joyous and patriotic. “It was pretty exciting to have someone like a Kennedy in our school,” Ross said. However, the day was also sad because it brought back memories of Ted’s late brother, John, who was

“...Ted was very much an advocate of young people.

We lost somebody very important.”

- Mary ross

Ted Kennedy visited Kennedy High School in 1967. He was there for the dedication of Kennedy High School. Congressman John Culver was also there for the dedication. Here you see Ted Kennedy giving a speech in the main gym. The event was invitation only. Photo courtesy of the Kennedy High school year book ‘1967.

assassinated four years earlier.

During his speech, Kennedy praised teenagers. “The young generation of today is the most intelligent, articulate, independent, and demanding generation this country has ever known,” he said, before going onto to explain teenagers’ unique concern for their fellow human beings and challenge for justice. “I believe in our young generation so much.

Our future is in safe hands.

They are prepared to meet the challenges.”

Kennedy’s died in Aug., after a 15 month fight against cancer.

“It was certainly the end of an era,” she said. “The Kennedys have been a big part of American politics, especially in regards to education, and Ted was very much an advocate of young people. We lost somebody very important.”

And, yet, the lion’s roar will live on.

Andrea Nemecek

Answers: D, D, C, D, A, B, B, C, A, D

O4news Working out the kinks J F K TO R C H , S E P T E M B E R 2 5 , 2 0 0 9

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(Left ) Cracking the code. a freshman uses his new locker during passing time.

(Right) Parking problem. a student parking on townhouse walks to Kennedy.

The vehicles in this picture are parked legally.

Locker issue resolved

“The locker issue isn’t new. For years Kennedy has had a problem providing enough lockers for its population. It’s just too big,” said Robert Johnson, the schools new associate principal has has been dealing with the locker problem.

This year over half of the incoming freshmen didn’t have a place to put their books on the first day of school. “Parents were calling with concerns and we assured them that their student would have a locker by the end of the week,” said Johnson, “Sheets were handed out in homeroom for OVER HALF OF INCOMING FRESHMEN DIDN’T HAVE A PLACE TO PUT THEIR BOOKS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

Photo by Michael Nordstrom students to who didn’t use their locker. They could opt out of having the responsibility of a locker.

It completely solved the problem.” There were 203 students who opted out of having a locker this year. Now there is a surplus of lockers and every student who wanted a locker now has a locker.

Josh Payne, fr., was one of the many students who didn’t have a locker on the first day of school. Payne said, “I had to carry my stuff around all week, but it wasn’t that bad.

Not having enough lockers has been a problem for years.

“We are the biggest school in Cedar Rapids, but there just aren’t enough lockers,” Johnson said, “We have come up with a solution for now, but next year we will have to revisit the situation and come up with a new plan.”

Sarah Sickles

Photo by Michael Nordstrom

Parking problems partially solved Throughout many years of complaining, residents of Townehouse Drive have gotten their wishes granted. Twohour parking signs have been put up on the north side of the street. But what does this mean for Kennedy students whom need parking spaces?

Residents have been complaining about students parking on their street for years.

Complaints range from trash being left behind in the gutters of the street, to people smoking and doing illegal things. Many students have been affected by the signs being put up; one in particular being Josh Payne, fr.

During the first month of school Payne parked on Townehouse and neglected to see the sign

that had been recently put up.

“One of the signs was covered by a tree branch and I didn’t see it so I got a ticket,” stated Payne. The ticket cost him $25 and Payne soon realized he needed to find a new parking spot. “My friend Tanner has an extended driveway so he lets me park there,” says Payne. Not many students get as lucky as Payne though.

Therefore more options have become available to students.

“Our staff did everything possible to support students and their need for parking while fighting the petition Townehouse residents sent to the city. Unfortunately owners had more of a right,” stated associate principal Jim

Muench. The school took action to find more parking spots for students after the petition was passed. Kennedy’s staff spoke with the churches Kennedy and made an agreement with the Oakland Church of the Nazarene to let them open some of their lot to our school for a small fee.

Although the two-hour parking signs have affected many students and their parking issues, different parking options have been given to students. Townehouse parking was free and students lost the privilege to park there, but we have gained even more parking spaces from the church.

J e ss i c a R o wa n

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Walking amongst us, unknown in the halls of Kennedy, is a medieval warrior marked by the courage of a lion, speed of a flying arrow, and wisdom of the noblest king. He is called upon as Willhelm da Midge in war, but to most as Willem DeJong, jr.

Constantly preparing for battle, DeJong has caught the attention of several students that have noticed his unusual hobby. DeJong is not only a trained medieval fighter, but an extremely talented metal/armor smith, in which he specializes in chainmail, as well.

One of the students that noticed DeJong smithing armor in his class free time was Nick Fitzgerald, sr. After about two years of work and just putting his finishing touches on his over fourteen-pound chainmail shirt one day in their Perspectives class, it was too much for Fitzgerald not to ask. “I was surprised at how long he had been working on his chainmail, but I respected his dedication…It was something I could identify with for football,” Fitzgerald said.

Stereotypes soon fell from both of them after a simple conversation, and it became apparent that Fitzgerald and DeJong had found a mutual joy… hitting. For DeJong it’s slaying enemy knights and goblins in a live-action role playing or LARP medieval battle and for Fitzgerald a battle against defensive lineman and linebackers under the lights of Kingston.

DeJong a six year veteran of LARP wars for Amtgard, Duchy of Olympus. This local year-round league of both Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, gave an open invitation for Fitzgerald to come out. The Duchy of Olympus meets every other Sunday at Noelridge Park from 1:00 to approximately 5:00 p.m. or whenever there are no others warriors left standing to fake kill. Fitzgerald summoned a small and very similarly curious army of seven players

Football team joins forces to help Kennedy student in medieval battle

including myself from the ranks of the football team and the next Sunday was picked for this epic, bloody battle to begin.

After a quick explanation of the rules of battle

by Sue Hohbein the sixth level healer for the Duchy of Olympus and a signed legal waiver from each of the gathered fearless warriors, practice began for the big battle. Extra weapons, made of golf clubs padded with pool flotation noodles, always carried by those other participants from around the corridor, were passed out to the football players and DeJong, who now instructed us on how to protect

Friends from afar. This year’s cultural exchange students pose for a picture outside Kennedy. They are (L-R, Fist row) Po Yo Lan, Mai Hoshuyama, Melissa Aldinger, Gustave Nordin, (L-R, second row) Hikaru Watanabe, Benedikt Schelmburg, Ibrahim Jeries, and Dian Yi (Dean).

ourselves with them. After an intense practice session I asked Willhelm da Midge if we had any chance against our more experienced opponents he shook his head and said, “You guys [football players] will eventually learn and improve.” We held our ground that Sunday though, and we made new friends and enemies and are sure to be back to support our brave captain Willhelm da Midge, who leaves this challenge to anyone curious enough about medieval fighting to come found out: “Come and taste my steel!”

Photo by Ryan Dahm The noblest of knights. Willem Dejong, jr., fights to defend his kingdom from invaders, like Nick Seedorf, sr., at Noelridge Park during The Dutchy of Olympus meeting.

R ya n D a h m

Meet and greet. Robert Johnson talks with a student during her lunch hour on the patio.

Johnson joined the Kennedy administration this fall.

photo by Jessica Mora

Meet Mr. Johnson photo by Abby Gilman

Exchange students adjust Eight students from around the world arrived in Cedar Rapids for a life-changing experience this fall. These students are taking part in the Kennedy cultural exchange program and are studying while experiencing American life this year.

When Benedict Schelmburg, jr., arrived in Cedar Rapids, from Germany, on August 7, he realized this was no longer an experiment, it was a reality.

“It is hard to pick a certain thing that I am most excited about. I want to take in as much culture, knowledge, and learn about America as much as I can in the next few months,” Schelmburg said.

He likes to play basketball and hang out with his friends in his spare time. “ The food here is different but very good,” Schelmburg said. His new favorite food is the hamburger.

When cultural exchange students arrive in the United States there is a specific procedure. “I was asked lots of questions and had to fill out a lot of papers,” Schelmburg said. One such program that works with cultural exchange students is the AFS Intercultural Program, one of the world’s largest community-based volunteer organizations dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world

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through international student exchange. More than 13,000 students, young adults, and teachers participate in AFS programs each year.

“When my wife and I hosted a girl from Hong Kong a few years ago, we had some expectations about the relationship that we would build with our new daughter. After all, my parents hosted in the 1960s and I am still in touch with my Norwegian sister. But we didn’t expect the relationship that has developed with our daughter’s natural family,” Allen Russell, Schelmburg’s host father, said.

Principal Mary Wilcynski said, “This program provides good opportunities for students from other countries and for Kennedy students. The cultural exchange students share their background and bring life to many discussions about the world.

When these students find host families that involve and help them learn about our culture there are some strong friendships that form. This experience changes lives of so many and should continue.”

As the Kennedy cultural exchange students of ’09-’10 learn and grow, they will surely benefit native students as well.

Jon Chadick

When Robert Johnson was offered the vice principal job at Kennedy, the question was not why take the job, but why not.

“The great opportunities, great staff, and the great school made the decision easy,” Johnson said.

Johnson, our new Vice Principal, came here ready to make a positive contribution.

In his first month on the job, Johnson has been very happy with his choice. “The students, staff, and the parents have made this an easy transition,” Johnson said.

He previously worked as the Dean of Students at Jefferson and as a Facilitator at McKinley.

He plans to continue to learn about and meet many more students. Johnson wants to make an impact with the Kennedy family. Johnson said, “I want to help support as many cougar clubs and organizations as I can.

I want to work with the sports, performing arts, and other clubs and other organizations to make a positive impact at Kennedy.”

In his free time, Johnson likes to watch and coach sports. “One thing people don’t know about me is I am a sports fanatic,”

Johnson said. He is a huge Detroit fan; the Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings. Johnson is actually the cousin of Detroit Lions Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson. In his free time he enjoys traveling to Mexico, coaching, cooking and spending time with his family.

Johnson enjoys listening to music as well. He likes a variety of genres, including R&B, “The great oprap, hip-hop, and jazz. His portunities, favorite artist great staff, and is Jay-Z. If he the great school could let students know made the decione thing, it is sion easy.” that he is very -Robert Johnson, approachable, Vice Principal cares about their safety and well-being, and is willing to help if there is a problem.

Johnson will continue to make positive contributions to Kennedy in the future. He is easy to talk to and wants to be there for students when they need his help. This seems like a great fit for the Kennedy family and our newest vice principal.

Jon Chadick

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Mission

The politics of ‘nice’ Today during a nostalgic moment, I was thinking about the nicest people I’ve ever met in high school. Those wonderful, sweet, ne’er-do-wrong folks who melt your heart like Pop-Tart filling.

But why, exactly, do we love nice people so much? Because they’re nice, obviously. But perhaps, it’s because being a good person in high school is notoriously difficult, and we’re simply appreciating their hard work, whether we realize it or not.

Because really, folks, “’High school’,” as comedian Patton Oswalt puts it, “is some kind

of twisted Orwellian vernacular.” Take one windowless brick console and stuff it twofold-past the fire code limit with a couple thousand emotionally volcanic, hormone-addled, beBAPEd teenaged humans...not to mention the staff who has to deal with these creatures. Every. Single.

Day. It’s the ultimate recipe for the anti-pleasant.

But are these reasons reason enough to have a nasty outlook on life and to be nasty to others?

Plenty of people have found a way to make the best of their teenage years; people who I respect and admire deeply. The

truth is, it’s really, really hard to be genuinely optimistic when you’re in high school. But can we become something more than that—more than the twig stuck in the mud of our selfish teenage agenda?

There’s no excuse to keep waiting on myself to change any longer. This is my last year, damn it!

That’s why I’ve taken a pact; a pact to be an all-around nicer person, not just for my own self-satisfaction, but to make life more tolerable for everyone else who has to put up with me on a daily basis. Being a nice person

doesn’t mean you’re fake, a wuss or a pansy. Quite the opposite, in fact. In the tyranny of high school politics, being nice takes serious balls, and I’d like to grow a (figurative) pair in the coming months.

So, Cougars, I invite you to join me on my quest to become a better sort of human. Why wallow in selfishness when we could be doing something fulfilling for ourselves and others? It’s a question that I wish I would have asked myself a long time ago, but I’m really glad that I’m at least asking it now.

a certain mold that we are forced to fill. And if we refuse to fill it, if we step outside our boundaries, we are accused of not acting our race.

Race is just as much of an issue today as it was fifty years ago, there’s just one difference— no one talks about it. Race is a taboo subject, which many are afraid to address for fear of being labeled a racist. If no one talks about it, perhaps the issue will resolve itself. So we pull the blanket up over our

faces, blocking race, shutting it out and hoping it will go away quietly, never having to be dealt with. But it hasn’t and it wont, and like any problem, the only way to solve it is to take a deep breath, pull back the covers and face it eye to eye. The moment we bring it into the light, completely exposed and at our mercy, is when we decide that equality is impossible with separation, and that race is an issue worth addressing and more importantly, one worth solving.

Today’s black As I walk into a clothing store I feel the eyes upon my back.

I know what they’re looking for. I weave between the racks of shirts and jeans, but persistently, they refuse to fall more than a few feet behind. As I look through the clothes, checking for sizes, their glare burns my skin, until the frustration peaks and I throw down the clothes and leave the store. I enter a new store, only to repeat the process.

This experience confirms what I have always known to be true.

I am black and so am treated as such.

With the election of our first black president, many argue that race has no place in today’s society. They say that it is no longer noticed nor is it a deciding factor in everyday life. But the people who take this stance aren’t looking close enough.

While minorities are legally equal to white Americans, it would be foolish to say we aren’t separated. Our society has defined certain characteristics typical of blacks, as well as whites; we have and have been stereotyped. We have been given a certain dress, a certain speech,

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

Letters to the editor will be printed from anyone in the Cedar Rapids community.

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

Torch Staff

Editorial Board Emma Lehmann, Editor-in-Chief Mackenzie Sheehy, Managing Editor Elise Krivit, Visual Content Editor Andrea Nemecek, Online Editor Michael Hoefer, Business Manager Editors Michael Nordstrom, News Jonathan Chadick, Profile Abby Gilman, Entertainment Allison Kindig, Health & Fitness Alex Busbee, Riley Galbraith, Sports Staff Writers Ryan Dahm, Allie DeVore, Asmaa Elkeurti, Chris Flynn, Hannah Gilman, Morgan Guge, Jessica Rowan, Brittani Sherzer, Sarah Sickles, Allie Sindlinger Photographers Justine Miller, Jessica Mora, Laura Pochobradsky

Celebrity screw-ups graphic by Craig Aucutt

Letter to the Editor

Needing cheerleaders, not cheer followers Picture the perfect cheerleaders: the most popular girls in school; the Too many times girls that has the Ken- decorate nedy half been every locker; the dead when the girls that team needed its do exactly rebel yell the what their title says— most. lead cheers and conduce some school spirit. Now picture Kennedy’s cheerleaders…not quite the same,

right?

This article, I would like to begin, is not a personal attack on any cheerleader as a human, because I like some of them very much, it is merely a state of the union when it comes to the kindlers of Kennedy pride.

I don’t play football much, but I watch enough to know a few things. Especially that when it’s a third down with the game tied and the last few minutes of the clock are ticking, and the Kennedy side is nearly silent, its not a good sign. Too many times has the Kennedy half been dead

when the team needed its rebel yell the most.

So who’s to blame? Pointing a finger at the parents will do no good; they already lived their glory years of high school and are now simple spectators.

Pointing it at anyone else in attendance will do no good either.

So what it comes down to is the student section—the section that ardently follows the cheerleaders, the section that has nothing better to do at the game than cheer, the section that is all too often softer spoken than the timid freshmen who go on

announcements in the morning, and the section that could be a roaring giant if only their leaders actually led.

I guess it’s been an ongoing tradition at JFK, or at least for the years I’ve been here, for our cheerleaders to do more standing than cheering. Aside from the rare “And we’re marching,” or “Here we go Cougars,” the student participation is often minimal. What my experience with Kennedy cheerleading really amounts to is the mindless repetition of cheers that have been in the playbook since freshmen

year, such as “Red Hot”.

It’d be one thing if the cheerleaders performed these ever so difficult tasks with great enthusiasm, but when the chants barely break a decibel, something needs to be done. My message to the cheerleaders of Kennedy is simple, step it up, take a few risks when it comes cheers, and dare to be a cheerleader, not a follower.

P.S. The high kicks after every cheer can get a little old.

P h i l V erm i e

As many kids grow up, they dream of being in the spotlight; of being lavished with fame and fortune. However, they are bypassing the unglamorous part of fame—the side that teaches kids that they can treat people with disrespect. In the last two weeks, there have been three prime examples of these social screw-ups.

Example one: Kanye West.

Kanye has been one of my favorite rappers ever since “Gold Digger” came out. His classy lyrics and beat have always made him stand out, but as his

celebrity status has grown, so has his ego. This same ego says, ‘Hey, I am a celebrity.’

Because he probably gets tons of VIP treatment, he doesn’t understand what is acceptable in public, and that is why he had such a meltdown during the VMAs. He didn’t earn the award so he didn’t have the right to steal the microphone from Taylor Swift.

Example two: Serena Williams. As one of the best female tennis players of our time, Serena has won more grand slam titles than any other active

female player. But in the same week that Kanye had a tantrum, Serena lost it too.

Serena was in the middle of losing her U.S. Open match against Kim Clijsters when the umpire called a foot fault on her.

She immediately got upset and said, “I swear to God, I’m going to take this f-ing ball and shove it down your f-ing throat!”

Now, I play sports, I understand how sometimes it can get frustrating and emotional. But when you have been a professional athlete for your entire adult life, you should have a

What an amazing U.S. Open it’s been! From 17-year-old Melanie Oudin’s Cinderella run to the quarterfinal, to Kim Clijsters’ comeback from retirement to win the U.S. Open Women’s Singles title. But does anyone remember any of this? No, it’s all about Serena. From all of these great headlines at the U.S. Open it’s a shame Serena Williams’ meltdown in the semifinals is taking center stage.

Serena Williams came into the tournament as the defending champion, having won three of the last four grand slam

singles titles, with 11 total.

With Clijsters just having come back from a two-and-a-half-year absence, I had already written Serena in for her rightful spot in the championship. But it turned out to be a lot more complicated than it seemed.

At 5-6 in the second set with Clijsters two points away from the match, all hell broke loose.

Serena was called for a very controversial foot fault, which gave Clijsters match points. But what ensued was more surprising than anything I have ever seen in tennis. Serena went out

of control telling the umpire about how she wanted to shove the ball down her throat, to put it nicely. Serena was then given a point penalty, ending the match with a chorus of boos.

Before I jump to Serena’s defense I want to say that her childish tantrum was way out of line, and she had no right to threaten the umpire the way she did. But, lets be honest, most players would have acted the same.

From my point of view, the call was just about the worst call I have ever seen. I was personally

In the heat of the moment

filter; she should know the appropriate public behavior. I can’t wait until all those kids who idolize her start saying, “I swear to God, I’m going to take this f-ing ball and shove it down your f-ing throat!” She was out of line and deserved to lose that match.

Example three: Joe Wilson, the Republican congressman from South Carolina. During President Obama’s health care speech, Joe rudely yelled, “You lie!” I understand that Joe has a point of view, but the protocol does not allow him to yell at the president. That is something we

all learned early on, let people talk without interrupting them, and the rule still applies.

These examples illustrate just a few celebrity meltdowns, but this happens all the This needs to time. People stop. Celebrities who work to be famous need a reality think they check. are above the rules and above social order, but kids who look up to them don’t know any better. This needs to stop.

Celebrities need a reality check.

infuriated that the foolish umpire felt the need to interject herself into one of the most highly anticipated matches of the year.

Now to all of the people that claim that Serena is a devil and should never be allowed play tennis again: you need to take a serious rain check. I am willing to bet that most everyone has lost their temper like this

at least once. People make mistakes.

I do think Serena needs to be punished, but the actions some people are demanding are way too harsh. I’ve heard people say she should be out for the next two grand slam events. That’s almost a year! What it all comes down to is this: she had one bad moment and has apologized, let’s get over it.

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Homecoming memories

photo by Elise Krivit

photo by Abby Gilman ( Far right) Surprised.

Haley Brightwell, sr., is surprised after being crowned homecoming queen. Brightwell was crowned before the Xavier football game on Friday, Sept. 18. (Above) First Down. Shauna Happel, jr., carries the ball to a touchdown. The Juniors beat the Sophomores 1918. Then went on to play the seniors and beat them 24-0. (Right) Supergirls.

Stephanie Wenclawski, so., and Janey Day, so., pose as super heros on the ‘Super Sophomore’ class float for the homecoming parade.

What if she’s pregnant?

photo by Abby Gilman

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O9in-depth

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Seeing Green Recent suspected case of embezzlement causes the Torch to take a look at district and school financial systems

E

mbezzlement. You might expect to hear this word from a government official or at a casino in Vegas, not in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Well, times have changed...

This past summer, a woman working for the Cedar Rapids Community School District allegedly embezzled thousands of dolmoney from funds that “a set of in- larsare supposed to be directed ternal controls toward education. Shocked? be. A few years ago, anwill be reviewed Don’t other case similar to this hapand strengthened pened right here at Kennedy.

May, an accounafter recent tantJamie for the Cedar Rapids events to reduce Community School District, suspected in August of the possibil- was first-degree embezzlement. ity of someone May has been accused of embezzling up to a quarter committing a of a million dollars over the crime like this past two years while working as a secretary for the again.” accounting department.

School officials made an -Steve Graham, internal investigation after the police had contacted CRCSD them. The state auditor’s office also began working on an investigation per a request from the district.

Once the investigation began, May was placed on paid leave. Although she was arrested, she was not jailed, but rather only signed to promise that she would appear for her court date.

Executive Director of Business

A similar case of embezzlement involving a Cedar

Rapids Community School District staff member happened very close to home a few years back. Mark Hammes, a theatre and drama teacher at Kennedy, was also accused of taking school funds for personal use. “He took a little over $20,000,” said Dr. Mary Wilcynski, principal, while reviewing the Hammes incident.

Hammes was charged with fifth-degree theft after a plea bargain was settled. Like the May case, Hammes was also ordered to pay back all of the money that was not recovered by insurance and was not incarcerated.

You may be asking yourself, how does something like this go on for so long unnoticed? The job of an accountant doesn’t even deal with money.

Linda Bena, an accountant for the Cedar Rapids Community School District stated, “I follow up on statements and things like that, I don’t deal with any actual money.”

Steve Graham, the Executive Director of Business services at the Cedar Rapids Community school District, works very closely with the money the district handles. He works with noninstructional support functions, such as custodial, transportation, food nutrition, and purchasing programs. All of these six functions report to Graham.

Funds come to the district largely from the state of Iowa and property taxes, as well as from local revenues, according to the Cedar Rapids Community School District’s 2009-2010 budget. The majority of the money spent by the school district, between approximately 80 and 85%, goes toward teacher salary and benefits. Money also goes toward purchasing educational mater ials.

“Money is split among different departments and chair

“There have been a lot of internal changes at kennedy during the past few years to make the cash flow operations here safe.”

-Storm Ziegler, vocal music director members buy supplies such as text books,” said Karen James, the bookkeeper here, said.

“No fund is more difficult to account for than another,” said Graham. “Every fund has its own legal requirements.

Let’s say, for example, if you eat lunch here at Kennedy, that money goes to a fund. Your parents buy you an activities pass, that goes into an activity fund.”

The Hammes case and the May case, as well as others, have affected the district and individual schools by adding safeguards to protect the district’s money. Specifically after the Hammes case occurred, safeguards were put in place at a school level to better ensure the protection of school funds.

“A set of internal controls will be reviewed and strengthened after recent events to reduce the possibility of someone committing another crime like this again,” Graham said.

Embezzlement is something that the district will try to eliminate as much as they can, but there will always be people out there who will do what it takes to get what they want. “People who want to steal are going to find a way at some point in time,” said Graham.

“It’s really a sad situation.”

Allie devore and b r i t ta n i s h e r z e r

Biology Club Who’s responsible for the budget: Kris Hellweg, science teacher Expenses: “We don’t have any expenses; that’s why we don’t do fund raising. We have the blood drive, but St. Luke’s takes care of all of the expenses for that.”

Amount of money given by the school: None graphic by Andrea Nemecek

SCHOOL CLUB AND ORGANIZATION ACCOUNTS REVEALED Vocal music Who’s responsible for the budget: Storm Ziegler, vocal music director Amount of money given by the school: $1,700 annually Other fund raisers: hosting a show choir competition and selling candy bars.

“Our revenue last year was about $70,000 and our profit on that was just under $30,000,” Ziegler said.

How the budget is balanced: “I do what is called ‘zero-based’ budgeting,” Ziegler said. “When I do a budget, my goal at the end of the year is to be at zero.

We’re not budgeting to make money or be in a deficit.

What ends up happening is that we’re 10 percent over.”

Safeguards in place: All accounts connected to vocal music are audited each year

The Torch Who’s responsible for the budget: Gary Lindsay, Torch adviser, and Mike Hoefer, jr., Torch business manager Expenses: $11,864 during the 2007-2008 school year including printing costs, computer updates, office supplies, software, food for work sessions, travel to conferences, scholarships for summer camps, and membership fees for various journalistic organizations Amount of money given by the school: $6,000 annually to pay for printing costs Other fund raisers: advertisement sales How the budget is balanced: “At the end of each year, we usually come out with a surplus. Currently there’s $9,000 in the Torch bank account,” Lindsay said.

Safeguards in place: account numbers are cleared

by Hoefer, Lindsay and the bookkeeper here, Karen James, ad contracts keep track of how much advertisers owe, and Lindsay and Hoefer try to limit cash transactions

Key Club Who’s responsible for the budget: The Hiawatha Kiwanis Club currently sponsors the club, but, “ I will have to take responsibility for it after we get it set up.

I will then work with Karen James the bookkeeper,” Joan Steinmetz, science teacher and club sponsor, said.

Expenses: None so far Amount of money given by the school: None Other fund raisers: “Key Club is just in its second year, so we haven’t done any fund raisers yet,” Steinmetz said.

C h r i s F ly n n

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1Oentertainment

PA G E B Y A B B Y G I L M A N

Behind the scenes A look at Danny Yuska’s transformation of the

drama, speech department into winning machines Having teachers come and go on a regular basis is not so regular here at Kennedy High School. Danny Yuska is beginning his second year as Kennedy’s third drama director in the past five years. If his name doesn’t sound familiar, does A Chorus Line or The Little Shop of Horrors ring a bell?

He is the man responsible for both of those hit productions that took place last year. Not only has he accomplished creating sold out shows, he led Kennedy’s speech team to the state competition.

“He really transformed the speech team here at Kennedy. We went from no one qualifying for AllState, to nearly a dozen teams going and placing perfect Division One ratings,” Andrea Nemecek, sr., and former member of Kennedy’s speech team, said.

Having a school perform that big of a turn around with the help of only one speech coach is almost unheard of. Not only is Yuska held responsible for the miraculous outcome and reinvention of the drama department and speech team but he also teaches one period of acting class and three periods of Perspectives in Literature as a teacher here.

“I have always been interested in language arts and I think it is important for kids to learn to speak and listen in different ways,” Yuska said of his courses.

Going behind the scenes of how Yuska got to this point of achievement, we learn he started at a very young age of participating in church productions. It wasn’t until his sophomore through senior years while attending South Tama Community High School that he really discovered his passion and desire to have a career in theater and production.

Becoming easily inspired by his high school speech coaches Mr. Zmolek and Mary “Fas” he pursued this line of work. “I realized I wanted to be just like them,” Yuska said. Going on from there he photos by Abby Gilman (Above) Direction.

Yuska gives drama students tips during play practice.

(To the left) Dance with me. Josh Siegel, sr., dances with Liz Sankey, sr., while Yuska looks on.

“It’s about the kids and their families and the parents and the teachers all coming together to create something that is really great. Last year we had a real awesome senior class, but we have a really great group this year too. You are constantly losing and gaining kids so you are always rebuilding.”

-Danny Yuska, Drama Director

attended the University of Iowa and became heavily involved in theater performance and majored in secondary education. “My ultimate goal would be to venture away and attend Roosevelt University in Chicago and get my masters in directing. It is just something I really, really love and enjoy,” Yuska said. However, for the time being Kennedy considers themselves lucky to have him here.

You can’t forget the talent that he is provided with too. When asked about the best part of his job he replied with a simple response: “the kids”.

“It’s about the kids and their families and the parents and the teachers all coming together to create something that is really great. Last year we had a real awesome senior class, but we have a really great group this year too. You are constantly losing and gaining kids so you are always rebuilding,” Yuska said.

Rebuilding casts to re-create more hit productions that already have high expectations is about to be tested with the premier of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Coming to the Kennedy’s Black Box Theater Oct. 1-3, it consists of 25 vignettes connected by the central theme of love and relationships. The 12-member cast had approved roles as of last June and has high expectations.

A way of looking at this musical includes everything that is ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, wives, and in-laws, but are too afraid to say aloud. The future of this school’s thespians is really something to look forward to, since falling into the hands of Danny Yuska. That’s a wrap for now, but the curtain on the Kennedy drama department’s success is far from closing.

M o rg a n G u g e

Flowers and plants make great gifts Peck’s Flower Shop 3990 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE

393-5565

www.pecksflorist.com Growing with the Cedar Rapids area since 1956.

MTV crew films students The producers of MTV’s Made have been filming Happiness Inc. for a potential show choir documentary.

Throughout Happiness camp and practice, an MTV camera crew has been there to capture the experience. The crew focused on a few students from the choir to get a deeper story on.

The film crew videotaped the practice, life outside of the show choir realm, and drama. On a few nights the crew followed members home to get a feel of the atmosphere outside of school. One night when Tanner Munson, sr., had a few friends over he found it strange to have a crew filming their hangout.

The crew was only allowed to include the members of show choir in the

scene, leaving the rest left out.

At the beginning of the process, multiple schools were in the running for this potential documentary. Now Kennedy is the last one standing. As the first components of the footage are finishing up, the producers will run it over with MTV. If MTV likes the footage they are given, they will continue on with the project.

Overall, Munson believes that this has been a great experience, though strange at times. “I think it is an awesome opportunity for Happiness. By watching this documentary, others will get an insight on how much work goes into our show. We are all very close, like a family, and now others will get to experience that,” Munson said.

Rachel Gilman

“We are all very close, like a family, and now others will get to experience that.”

-Tanner Munson, sr.

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A young leader

PA G E B Y A B B Y G I L M A N

Student finds new ways to get involved in community At 17 years old, Chris Staab, sr., is the youngest member to ever be on the Board of Directors for the Cedar Rapids Community Concert Association.

A committee of five people nominated Staab for the position when he was 16. In order to be selected for the board he received a three-fourths majority vote of the Board of Directors.

One can be nominated for a position on the board by volunteering for the Cedar R a p i d s Community C o n c e r t Association.

The board has many responsibilities, one of which is picking out which shows to bring to the area.

“We look for shows that can’t be seen in Cedar Rapids,” Staab said. “We normally look for five that

“I am a part of something that has been around since the 1920s.” chris staab, sr.

are similar to each other, as well as one that is from out of the country.”

In addition to picking out shows, the board sets the ticket prices and venues, tracks the money coming in and going out, and contacts the performers.

The Staab family’s history on the board stretches three generations, starting with his grandparents.

“My grandma and grandpa have been on the board since the 1970s and I have been going to the concerts and volunteering since I was five,” Staab said. “My aunt is on the board also. She is the youngest member next to me at 33 years old.”

In addition to being on the Board of Directors, Staab is on the Publicity and Membership Committees. The Publicity Committee is in charge of advertising and finding sponsors for the concerts.

The Membership Committee organizes the names and addresses of all members and keeps track of tickets to make sure they have been properly distributed.

While being the youngest on the board is an accomplishment, there are some disadvantages

Summer movie reviews

graphic by Craig Aucutt Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen had some high expectations to live up to after the great success of the first installment of the series Transformers. Although it was a box-office hit, the quality special effects and constant action did not seem to be enough for most viewers of the movie.

In the movie there was constant action, which was pretty cool for a while, but it had a bad story line to back it up. It didn’t help that the robots were constantly trying to crack stupid jokes. Besides of course the presence of superstar actress and sex icon Megan Fox, which to be honest is the main reason most guys went to see the film, the movie was rather boring.

In the beginning I was excited to see what director Michael Bay had to offer in the new film, but I ended up being bored out of my mind, I was constantly hoping the seemingly five hour-long movie would finally end.

For those of you who did like the movie, you can be looking forward to Transformers 3, which is expected to hit theatres in 2012.

Riley Galbraith

The Hangover breathes new life back into the familiar Las Vegas bachelor party genre and becomes the funniest movie I’ve seen all summer. Without a big name comedian anchoring the lead role, three relative unknowns are able to work freely with each other, without one of them having to take the burden of being constantly funny.

Phil, Stu, and Alan are the three main characters in the movie. Phil (Bradley Cooper) is the cool, witty elementary school teacher. Stu (Ed Helms) is the intelligent pushover. And Alan (Zach Galifianakis) is the outrageously ridiculous brother of the bride.

The movie is a roller coaster ride, as the plot flows from crazy scene to crazy scene. Just when things seem to be looking up for the trio, the plot throws them another curve ball.

The movie is packed full of talented comedic actors, including Rob Riggle, Heather Graham, Ken Jeong, Mike Epps, and even Mike Tyson.

During the credits, pictures of the bachelor party are shown, and the R-rating is solidified.

Even for a high schooler who hears the dirtiest jokes on a daily basis, it goes too far.

Alex Busbee

The sixth installment of the Harry Potter movie series premiered this past summer.

As a Harry Potter fanatic myself having read all seven books multiple times, I was ecstatic about this release, but yet found flaws with the movie.

In being such a crucial book in the series, the movie left viewers who are not familiar with the story confused. The significance of Dumbledore’s hand was hardly explained, the burrow was surprisingly burned down, and the most unforgivable, was the nonexistent final “battle scene”.

I was highly anticipating an intense drawn out battle at the end but to find only just a few spells sputtered.

Though I found flaws with the movie, there were also some high moments. The beginning death eater attacks was impressive as well as the cursed locket scene.

And while one of the darkest movies, I found the movie quite comical.

Overall, the movie portrayed the book pretty well but left some crucial explanations out. I would recommend it to non-potter and potter fans alike. I am looking forward to seeing what is to come in the final two installments.

Rachel Gilman

that come with it.

“Being the youngest, sometimes the other board members don’t listen to me,” Staab said. “[The association] is directed towards an older group, so it is hard to get my opinion voiced.”

Although difficult at times, the experience has been a positive one.

“It has given me a chance to connect with people who are older than me,” Staab said. “It has been a new experience. I am a part of something that has been around since the 1920s.”

It has given him a connection to the community, as well.

“It is a way for me to know what goes on with the board and concerts,” Staab said. “I like having a say in what [the association] does.”

A bby G ilman

photos by Laura Pochobradsky (Top) Board meeting. Staab works hard selling tickets while a fellow member looks on.

(Above) Concentration. Staab focuses on helping a customer.

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What’s for dinner?

Beat

Kennedy soph Josh Zimmerman gets new lease on life after surgery to cure lifelong illness

Josh Zimmerman, so., was always a different type of kid: growing up as an abnormally skinny boy, he lost his breath quite often and couldn’t keep up with the fast children, no matter how hard he tried. But as he was wheeled in for surgery last July, all of those abnormalities, those youth setbacks—the chest pains, the short breaths, the embarrassments, they all seemed to melt away.

Zimmerman has never been truly a normal child, though.

Born with a congenital heart condition known as Pectus excavatum, he had a concaved chest for many years, which caused several of his ribs and the sternum to grow inwards.

“I had a big old dent in my chest and my sternum was pushing into my heart, which caused my ribs to push together against my lungs and heart,” Zimmerman said. “My mom and dad always knew that it needed to be fixed, but when I was a little kid that was considered more of just cosmetic surgery.

But over time, everything just got worse and worse and the problem just got bigger and bigger and bigger; after a while it became evident that we just needed to fix it.”

There are several surgical treatment options for Pectus

excavatum. In Zimmerman’s case he underwent a Nuss procedure. This involved cardiologists at the University of Iowa who made incisions into his side, inserting a metal bar into his body.

The curved bar was flipped into a convex position, pushing against the sternum and essentially popping the chest out again.

“I was happy to have the surgery because I was always afraid to take my shirt off as a kid, because of the dent and all, and I knew that my chest pains and breathing problems were going to stop after I had the surgery, which would allow me to do more,” Zimmerman said. “But at the same time I was scared; I finally got really scared when they told me that it could possibly mess me up if they messed up. I got really scared when they were putting in all of the IVs and the breathing tubes before the operation; I was naked and had all of these tubes coming out of me, it was awful.”

The four-hour operation was successful, but resulted in a great deal of pain. “At one point, the pain was so significant that I thought, ‘Oh my God, I could seriously die and it would feel better,’” Zimmerman said.

But ultimately, he knows that once his recovery is complete, in approximately three months, it will have been well worth it.

Zimmerman is not sure whether he will test out his new-found lung capacity in track this spring, but he is not ruling out the option. For now he is just enjoying breathing normally.

“Surgery: it’s kind of scary at first and it’s kind of scary when you’re in there and it hurts like hell when you get back, and it hurts really, really bad after surgery,” Zimmerman said, “ but in the long run you look better, you feel better, and you just have a better quality of life.”

Emma L e h ma n n graphic by Craig Aucutt photos by Jess Mora

A look into the meal plans of professional fall sport athletes graphic by Craig Aucutt

Football NFL Players

10,000 calories a day The focus of the NFL diet: High-carbohydrate and protein foods such as Eggs. waffles, fruit, chicken, pasta, rice, milk, smoothies, sports drinks, water At camp: Empty calories are banned

Swimming Michael Phelps 12,000 calories a day

Breakfast: 3 egg sandwiches, 2 cups of coffee, 1 omelet, grits. 3 slices of French toast, 3 pancakes Lunch: 1 pound of pasta., 2 ham and cheese sandwiches. energy drinks Dinner: 1 pound of pasta, 1 pizza, energy drinks

Golf

Tiger Woods The focus of the TIger diet: Low carbohydrate diet 6 to 7 small meals a day Complex carbs, lean proteins, fruits, veggies After practice: Complex sugars and protein foods

X Country Ryan Hall

The focus of the Hall diet: Slimming down to increase performance Light meals consisting of seeds, colorful fruits, vegetables, plant foods including the skin, milk, whey protein, omega-3 packed fish, lean meats, poultry, eggs, water

VolleyBall Misty-May Treanor

Breakfast: Egg white omelets, oatmeal, fruit AM snack: Energy bar, water Lunch: Turkey wrap, baked chips, 1 apple, PM Snack: Smoothies, water Dinner: Grilled chicken salad, grilled fish, pasta, or sushi

MorgAn Guge

Ka Tsing Cheung After a year away from her friends and family, Ka Tsing Cheung returned to a homeland hesitant to welcome her back. Cheung, a cultural exchange student last year from Hong Kong, experienced a return trip of a lifetime.

“At the conclusion of the school year, I flew by myself from Cedar Rapids to Hong Kong,” Cheung said. However, the normalcy of her seemingly routine flight soon terminated.

“From Los Angeles to Hong Kong, I wore a mask to protect myself,” Cheung said. Immediately upon arrival, Cheung’s courage was put to the test.

“The government asked us to quarantine ourselves at home to separate ourselves from society in fear that we may spread H1N1,” Cheung said.

“This issue is very serious. Our newspapers mentioned SARS in hopes of avoiding this atrocicty from happening again.”

Despite her homeland’s precautions, Cheung envisioned her arrival differently. “I just got back from America; I hadn’t seen my friends for a year and now, another whole week. I was very angry.”

Anxious and energetic, Cheung granted herself far more freedom than desired by the government.

“While quarantined, I secretly went out of my house to go shopping for fun. Cedar Rapids didn’t have much for shopping; I just couldn’t wait!”

Cheung said.

At the conclusion of the summer, Cheung returned to Cedar Rapids to attend Kirkwood Community College. “I am safer here in Cedar Rapids from the H1N1 virus. In Hong Kong, there are too many people in one place.” Cheung lives in the most populated area of Hong Kong, a tourist shopping district.

In retrospect, Cheung admits to the fear she had returning to China. Her current perspective is different. “I have realized you won’t die from the virus. It’s no different than the flu; just go home, rest, and take medicine,” Cheung said. “It’s nothing to be feared.”

Behind the mask. Shanghai health inspectors walk the aisles of the airplane checkng the temperature of each passenger on board. Brandon Hendrickson, so., sits three rows back waiting to be tested. photo by Allison Kindig Mrs. Waldschmidt What started out as a great summer soon took an unprecedented turn for U.S. Humanities teacher Mari Waldschmidt.

After returning from the Philippines, Waldschmidt’s plans changed.

“It was mid July,” Waldschmidt said.

“We’d been back two weeks from the Philippines when my son came home sick.” His illness worsened, forcing Waldschmidt to take Ian to an urgent care clinic.

“When we arrived, there were quite a few people waiting in flu-like condition.” She sat and observed multiple patients as they left the clinic routinely; Ian was the exception.

Unlike the rest, Ian left the clinic wearing a mask. “I was shocked to see him with a mask over his face. He looked scary,” Waldschmidt said.

The test results came back positive.

Ian had contracted the H1N1 virus.

Unfortunately, Ian was not the only one.

That night, Waldschmidt’s daughter, Noelle, came down with H1N1. The next afternoon, Waldschmidt herself came down with it, as well.

“I felt like a hospital ward with medicines all over the place. For two weeks I was tired and just dead to the world.”

Waldschmidt described her symptoms as extreme tiredness, a fever and prolonged cough.

“It’s the same as any flu, just very contagious,” Waldschmidt said.

Having been the victim of the virus, Waldschmidt’s perspective of H1N1 changed. “The virus seems less scary.” Waldschmidt is a unique case; she is among the few currently immune to H1N1.

Brandon Hendrickson The mere thought made the eight Chinese language students laugh after discussing the procedures they would endure traveling to China. But when the big day came, no one was laughing.

“Everyone looked at us like we were fools,” Brandon Hendrickson, so., said. He did not care.

His top priority was clearing the Shanghai Airport without being quarantined. If that meant wearing an N-95 mask for 15 hours on the plane ride from Chicago to China, he was not afraid to do so.

“We feared one of two things, that we’d get H1N1 or we would be quarantined,” Hendrickson said. The students packed accordingly.

“I brought lots of masks. In fact, I packed 30 even though our trip was only 13 days long,” Hendrickson said. Despite his planning, nothing could prepare him for what happened next.

“When we landed in Shanghai, we remained on the plane for an hour. I was freaked out,” Hendrickson said.

One by one, the health inspectors checked everyone’s temperature. A slightest degree from a normal reading meant being quarantined.

“You could just feel yourself getting hot as they came towards you to check your temperature. Even more frightening, the inspectors looked like E.T. people in radiation suits,” Hendrickson said.

“I remember my heart beat accelerated.

They held the radar heat gun to my forehead, as if to scan an invisible barcode on my face.”

Unfortunately, something about Hendrickson’s reading alarmed the inspectors.

“At this point, I was freaked. Do I have H1N1?

Am I going to be quarantined? I thought, what a waste of $4,000,” Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson’s temperature was rechecked a total of three times before he passed the inspection.

With a great sigh of relief, Hendrickson was once again breathing and smiling. Then he was ready to enjoy his trip of a lifetime…without a mask.

allison Kindig

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PA G E B Y A L E X B U S B E E & R I L E Y G A L B R A I T H

Cougars recovering

Cougs try to bounce back after slow start, loss of runningback Royce Bell

photos by Gail Gilman

(Top) Tangled. Running back Josh Simmons, sr., is held up during the game last Friday. (Bottom Left) Das Boot.

Eric Boyer, sr., attempts an extra point. (Bottom Right) Blocked. Max Martino, sr., stops a xavier cornerback.

Talented boys’ golf team looks to state Every tournament our boy’s golf team participates in is another step towards their ultimate goal, winning the Mississippi Valley Conference championship.

This year there are more than 70 boys on the team. About six of our boys play varsity.

“If we are having an off day we know that we can rely on the rest of the team to back us up,” Dane Worley, jr., said.

The team is ranked number one and wants to go all the way to the top by winning districts and state.

“Our team is a lot deeper and we are doing much better this year,” said Connor Steele, sr. “We also practice every day after school at Ellis unless we have a meet.”

At one of their first meets of the season on August 17 our boys’ golf team won the tournament at Hunters Ridge in Marion hosted by Linn-Mar with a score of 295.

The hosts scored a 304 and in third place was Iowa City West with 311.

The CRANDIC golf tournament was won for the second time in a row on September 8. Steele, Worley, Cody Bell, so., and Brigham Stewart, so., pulled off amazing scores with the lowest at an impressive 4-under-par 68 by Steele who won medallist honors. A 69 was scored

The sun sets, and the night takes over. Bright lights illuminate the brand new turf at Kingston field. Cougar fans wearing green and gold cram into the bleachers. It’s time for some football.

“It’s our senior year, we want to go out, have fun, and leave with no regrets,” Royce Bell, sr., and Josh Simmons, sr., said. To these boys, this year’s football season is more than important.

Friday, Sept. 18, Kennedy hosted their homecoming game. Kennedy played Xavier and “could not have picked a better school to play.” According to Simmons, Kennedy and Xavier have had “bad blood.” The night ended with a loss for Kennedy, the score being 43-19.

During the game, Bell tore his ACL and Meniscus, and partially tore his MCL, all in his right knee. He had surgery on the following Sunday and is on the road to recovery. To Kennedy’s misfortune, Bell will be out for the rest of the season.

Kennedy’s 2009 football season kicked off on Aug. 28 with a loss to the Linn-Mar Lions; the score turning out to be 17-21. Kennedy was up the majority of the game until things turned around fast and the Lions took it home in the last five minutes. “It was a bee sting to us and only taught us not to take any team for granted and to never underestimate anyone,” Bell said. “The loss of this game only encourages us to win every game in the future,” Simmons said.

Winning is just what the varsity boys are doing. The Cougars came home with a victory on Sept. 4 to the Cedar Rapids Jefferson J-Hawks with the score of 56-13. For the varsity boys, the win at Kingston Stadium against Jefferson was just another practice that is going to lead them to state.

A week later, on Sept. 11, the Cougars brought back another victory, this time

being against Iowa City West. The game went into overtime as the score was tied at 17-17 as the buzzer rang. Bell, varsity running back, made the game-winning touchdown after the fourth overtime.

The bigger games of the season have yet to come though. “The biggest game of the season would definitely be the state game,” Bell said. “State should always be the teams focus and if we work hard and stay focused state is where we will be.”

The boys have been training very hard this year; they lifted all year long, had strong summer workouts, had a week of two-a-days this past summer, and have practice on a daily basis. Bell was correct about state being the team’s main focus, but for a few players things may be different. Simmons, for instance, would have to say that our Kennedy vs. Wash game is the most important game of the season. Simmons transferred from Cedar Rapids Washington High School last year and feels that it is going to be a very interesting battle.

Aside from the action you see taking place on the football fields, there are many interesting things that go on within the locker rooms and stadium hallways. Many fun traditions take place behind the scenes.

“Before we walk onto the field after half time we come out with a Remember the Titan’s theme. We do the team chant,” Bell said. “Also, after every win we go back into the locker room and the whole team does the Hokey Pokey. We also do this thing where we count the amount of points we scored in the game in one breath,” Simmons said.

The boy’s varsity football team has started off to a great new season full of team bonding and teamwork.

J e ss i c a R o wa n

(Left) Follow through. Connor Steele, sr., drives a ball during golf practice. Cody Bell, so., watches on from behind. (Below) Ball watching.

Mitch Martin keeps his eye on the ball after hitting it during practice.

by both Worley and Bell, tying them for second place, and Jonathan Chaddick and Mitch Martin both shot a 1-under-par 71.

The overall team score was 277.

Our golf team suffered the first loss of the season September 17 at the Johnston Invitational. They tied for first against Southeast Polk, but our fifth individual score was 78 and Polks was 77, giving them the championship. The top scorers for Kennedy were Steele, Worley, and Martin with 75’s. Bell shot a 76 and Chaddick and Stewart shot 78 and 79.

“By practicing on what we need to work on and applying that to our game, I think we will do great this year,” Worley said.

“Last year we were young. Over the summer we have gained a lot of experience and skill.”

The two teams who may stand in their way, Southeast Polk and Ottumwa, are the teams that the boys want to beat most.

Right now the boys varsity golf team has a 17 shot lead and is determined to win the Mississippi Valley Conference championship, districts and state.

Sarah Sickles photos by Jess Mora

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PA G E B Y A L E X B U S B E E & R I L E Y G A L B R A I T H

Divers make a splash New divers bring their unique backrounds to the swimming pool

T

aking a deep breathe of the chlorine filled air Amy Hanson, jr., keeps balance and pose as she steadily walks towards the end. She turns around and gets a feel for her surroundings. Closing her eyes and giving her coach a slight nod she leaps, throwing her body into the air and glides into the water. A crowd of fans applaud mesmerized by her talent. After years of cheerleading Amy has decided to put her skill and understanding of body movement into another passion, diving. This year Amy decided to join the swim team.

“I was messing around on a spring board one night. The Washington swim coach came over to me and told me I had a knack for it, so I’m giving it a go,” Hanson said.

Amy isn’t the only new addition to the team this year. Long time gymnast Savannah Schott, sr., is also stepping it up.

“The whole team has been really welcoming, they’ve had high expectations for us newcomers and I think we’ve made even more progress than expected.” Schott said.

After close to ten years of gymnastic Schott chose to go out for diving.

“I owe everything to gymnastics. There’s no way I would be able to do all this flipping and twisting without it,” Schott said.

“I owe everything to gymnastics. There’s no way I would be able to do all this flipping and twisting without it.” - Savannah Schott,sr.

There are many different approaches these new divers take before taking that final leap.

photos by Allison Kindig (Left) Twisting. Savannah Schott, sr., spins through the air during a dive during a meet against Linn-mar this season. (Above Right) Cannonball. Liz Hayes, jr., flips through the air. Hayes has been on the diving team for three seasons now. (Bottom Right) Flying. Amy Hanson, jr., turns in the air during a meet. This is Hanson and Schott’s first year on the team.

“Before I even set foot on the diving board I try and see myself landing my dive,” Hanson said.

Schott takes a different approach. She has a lot more going through her mind while preparing for a dive.

“I always do dry land approaches, and then I visualize me doing it and really focus on how I dive into the water,” said Schott. “I try to think about making little or no splashes, keeping my stomach tight, having a good approach, and how high in the air I can get.”

Leslie Nelson is the Kennedy girls’ diving coach. Nelson considers the new team members a welcome addition.

“They have both caught on very fast, and have learned so much,” Nelson said. “I really think they have fallen in love with diving, but its different landing things on the ground in comparison to landing them in the water.”

Schott’s known for her inward twist and has inspired other divers to try more out of the box dives.

“Since Schott joined the team and she can do inward twists,

“They have both caught on very fast, and have learned so much. I really think they have fallen in love with diving...” - Leslie Nelson, diving coach. which not many people can do, Liz started to do reverse twists.

Which really gives us an advantage,” Nelson said.

Now the swim team is a little more complete, with 3 varsity divers nelson expects to once again go to state.

J u st i n e M i l l e r

New RoughRiders arrive The four Cedar Rapids RoughRiders that are currently attending Kennedy High School already knew what they wanted to do with their lives when they were four years old. Each of them were skating and prepping for hockey careers.

As the school year kicks off, there are four new faces at Kennedy. Two seniors, Derek Deblois and Mac Bennett, came from Rhode Island to play for the Cedar Rapids RoughRider hockey team. Junior Cason Hohmann is from Arlington, Texas and Nick Lappin, also a junior, is from Chicago, Illinois.

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the United States Hockey League. The team has been in Cedar Rapids for 10 years and has qualified for the post-season playoffs each of the past nine years. More than one hundred former RoughRiders have gone on to play college or professional hockey.

Each of the four players enjoys living with their host families in Hiawatha. Understandably, however, they miss their friends and family. Although having siblings from their host families that attend school here helps, making friends is not easy for these newcomers to Kennedy.

Eat, sleep, and play hockey is their motto. The players leave school each day at 12:40 to prepare for their daily practice that begins at 2:00 and usually goes until 4:30. They then lift weights after nearly every practice. Although they have limited free time, they manage to get in an occasional volleyball game, golf outing or a ping pong tournament. Derek, Mac, Cason and Nick each claim to be the “Ping Pong Champion”.

One of the things the boys miss that they were used to at home was a nearby ocean or a lake where they would spend their free time. Back home the boys also enjoyed surfing and

swimming. Other activities they miss are lacrosse and roller hockey. Although they have had a number of golf outings here, they say Cedar Rapids golfing doesn’t really compare to what they were used to at home.

The boys came to be RoughRiders in different ways. Cason was drafted in the second round of the hockey draft. Nick and Mac were drafted as well, in the fourth round. Derek, on the other hand, was playing for the Tri-City team, but was traded to the RoughRiders.

Each boy said that their school back home was different than school at Kennedy. Their high schools were much

smaller and seemed more intense, and were not as laid back as Kennedy.

These talented, ambitious and very hard working guys have different paths ahead of them. Derek and Mac have already committed to playing hockey at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Cason is planning to play hockey for Boston University in Massachusetts. Nick has not firmed up his post Kennedy plans. In the meantime, they will continue to eat, sleep, and play hockey.

Allie Sindlinger and Morgan Guge Unity. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders gather around their coach during practice. Four RoughRiders attend Kennedy, Derek Deblois, sr., Mac Bennet, sr., Cason Hohmann, jr., and Nick Lappin., jr.

Lappin is number 12, kneeling in the center. photo by Justine Miller.

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PA G E B Y A L E X B U S B E E & R I L E Y G A L B R A I T H Soft touch.

Alexus Litts, jr. top right, gently sets the ball to Katie Sickelka, jr., who prepares to spike it during the Kennedy vs Linn-Mar volleyball game. The Cougars won the match 3-1.

This win was their first of 14 wins for the Cougars so far this season.

High hopes for volleyball

The Kennedy volleyball team has has their eye on a state title photos by Elise Krivit

Making the play. Jade Rogers, sr., leaps high to get the spike during the Kennedy Linn-Mar game. The Cougars won in four games.

The Kennedy Volleyball team has their eyes on a state title this year. The Cougars are ranked number two in the state, and are good enough to compete with anyone.

After a 34-8 record last season the girls were sent out of the state tournament in the semi-finals, in a nail biting game. Although they came back the next day to win the third/ fourth place game, it was still somewhat disappointing for the stellar team.

“It was a really tough loss for our team. We all thought we had a really good chance to win. But I was still very happy that we were

able to rebound from the loss and still take third place,” said Haley Brightwell, sr. Brightwell is the middle blocker for the Cougar volleyball team and was named to second team all-state last season. She also plays club volleyball for Nike Six-Pack.

So far this season, the Kennedy volleyball team is undefeated and playing well, with a record of 14-1. Although the team is ranked number two, they did beat the number one ranked Ankeny High School in summer team camp at Iowa State.

This year, the Cougars are expecting themselves to be conference champions. They want to

do better at state than they did last year, and hopefully win it all this year.

“I think it’s very important to all of us to win state this year. It’s our last year and we have eight seniors on the team, so it would just be a great way for us to end our senior season,” said Kristen Hahn, sr. Hahn is the Libero for Kennedy. Last season she was named to the Elite all-state team.

The question remains to whether the senior leadership will be enough to win state this year. ] The difference between us and a lot of teams is that we are all best friends. We all hang out a lot and are constantly having fun and

laughing with each other. I think just that alone makes us a better team,” said Hahn. “I also think that the team is deep enough that if someone is not playing their best, or needs a rest, someone else can step in and give the same intensity and the play won’t drop off at all.”

Look for the Cougars to make a run for the state title. The state tournament is on December 23 and they will definitely be one of the favorites to win it all.

“I really do think we can win state,” said Brightwell. “We just have to work hard and everything else will fall into place.”

R i l e y G a l b raith

Girls’ soccer takes home title This past spring the Kennedy girls’ soccer team finally won their state title. After three straight losses in the championship game to West Des Moines Valley, the Cougars finally were able to break through to win Kennedy’s first girl’s soccer title.

The Cougars defeated Iowa City West 3-1. The Kennedy team was led with two goals by Jade Grimm, 09, and was helped out by Shauna Happel, jr., who scored one.

The Cougars finished the season perfect with a record of 20-0. All state team members for the team included Jenny Martin, Rachel Spellerberg, Kimmy Journot, and Jade Grimm was the all tournament team captain.

photos provided by Barry Boyer

(Left) Excitement.The Kennedy girls’ soccer team celebrates their state championship after a 3-1 victory over Iowa City West. (Above) Soaring. Kimmy Journot, jr., leaps into the air during the state championship game.