Issue 5: The "Extended" Issue

VOLUME 109, ISSUE 5 MARCH 2014

The

oracle

Basketball Recap Pages 8-10 2013-2014 Metro conference champions NORTH HIGH SCHOOL 501 HOLCOMB AVE. DES MOINES, IA 50313 A PUBLIC FORUM FOR STUDENT EXPRESSION

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TOC THE EXTENDEDIssue FEATURES depression

THE_Snaps

pg. 3 Ambrose

Pg. 4/5 Hatte

Under fire

Profile; Daisia black pg. 6 Houska pg. 7 Lothi Profile; Heather ROsewall

,

THE_SPREAD pg. 8 Pham

One For History pg. 9 Sam/Pham

Season Stats

SPORTS pg. 10 Whisler

To A bitter End

Never ending success

pg.11 Gibb

THE_O's_Opinions Beauty

pg. 12 Tuombemungu

pg. 12 Ambrose

R-E-S-P-E-C-T pg. 13 McNichols

Girl,You so short pg 13 Abuhl

Who i really am

Photo 1: Picture From Art Show in february.

Photo 2: cake bought to celebrate student section.

Photo3: Terrance Bush Shooting two at the line.

Photo 1: Cheerleaders doing a cheer with the crowd.

Photo 2: Boys playing at wells.

Photo 3: Dakota practicing shooting.

___THE_POLLS___ CREATIVE_ARTS COntest update

pg. 14 Waughtal

district Art Show

What Kind of Socks do you prefer?

pg.14 Castillo

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oracle staff

Instagram: @NorthHighOracle Twitter: @NorthHighOracle Tumblr: NHSOracle.tumblr.com Facebook: Facebook.com/NorthHighOracle Website: NorthHSOracle.com Executive Editor & Chief Storyteller – Chanbopha Sam Executive Editor’s Assistant Laura Abuhl, Aminah Lothi Social Media Director – Michael Pham Sports Director –Brennan Whisler News Editor – Kelsey Ambrose Features Editor – Sammi Linebach Opinions Editors – Hannah McNichols Creative Arts Editors – Hatte Kelley & Leah Waughtal Copy Editors – Jacob Sanderman, Iliana Castillo, Cameron Fisher.

Photography Editor – Saleena Lovan

Ankle (80%)

Long (20%)

Do You Match Your Outfit with your shoes?

Yes (54%)

No (46%)

What Kind of Hoodie Do You Prefer?

Pullover (67%) Reporters: Kolby Chup Valerie Natale Mariah Gibbs Celina Horsley Tanna Jones Rayshawna Collier Alejandra Magallanes Hannah McNichols ALejandra Hernandez Rachael Nash Marina Song Anna Garcia Eli Repp Ciattle Washington

Zip-Up (33%)

Moise Tuombemungu Colt Wyatt Esperanza Vargas Macia Michael Colon-Ramos Derek Young Madison Houska

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FEATURES

It Gets Better

Kelsey Ambrose “I can’t do this anymore, I can’t handle all of this, it’s all too much..” Many teenagers in America find themselves saying this one, simple but powerful sentence. Everyday, at least one teenager feels like they can no longer handle the struggles that they face in their life. 1 in 12 children have attempted suicide at least one time in their lives.

Maybe this reason was because of your relationship going bad, problems at home, bullying; both online and in person, because you feel like there is no one there for you, or even maybe just because you feel worthless.

So many young people feel like their lives aren’t worth it, and that isn’t okay. In America right now, there is so much pressure to be somebody. Whether it’s to have a perfect body, have a million friends, have hundreds and thousands of dollars to spend on whatever. But if you haven’t realized it by now, that isn’t even close to reality.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States for ages 10-24. Think about that statistic for a second. Except for unintentional deaths

(48%), like car crashes, and homicides (13%) suicide ranks third with 11% of deaths for this age group, according to multiple sources.

These are children that no longer remember how to just be happy, and no longer feel the need to wake up in the morning, get dressed, and walk outside because of what they are feeling inside and how they as individuals are being treated, and decide to just end it all.

There is no reason why someone should feel the need their lives are no longer worth living.

This past summer, a Southeast Polk student, A.J Betts, committed suicide because he was bullied so severely. The ones whom he thought were closest to him were involved in the bullying. In an interview given to the Des Moines Register by Betts mother Sheryl Moore, Moore stated that her son had told her of how people bullied him because of his mixed race and his sexuality.

Depression affects people in many different ways, it doesn’t always lead to suicide. It’s not always just how strong a person is either, it’s about how far they’ve let themselves go before they can officially say enough is finally enough.

“It affected me a lot, it felt like the life was being

sucked out of me. I fell behind in school because I didn’t want to be around people,” junior Aminah Lothi said.

People deal with their problems in different ways.

Some can talk about it and express their problems to other people and some just can’t. It’s not always because they like holding things in, or because they don’t like talking to people, have you ever thought maybe its just because they’re scared of talking and being judged because of their problems. Lets face it, teenagers aren’t always the best people to turn to for advice. It’s not always easy for people to open up as it is for others.

“I used to tell people who I thought were close to me a lot of the stuff going on in my life, that ended up being the worst thing I could’ve done. The people I thought I could trust the most, ended up being the ones I couldn’t trust at all, before I knew it everything I told them was just out there and in the open,” said one North High student anonymously.

This year and the year prior some schools in the Des Moines area, including North, had made several Twitter pages, bashing students at their school. Posting derogatory things, and saying things that may or may not have been true, spreading rumors, and the

goal? To make students feel bad about themselves, and make others think low of that person. In other words, cyber bullying.

“I heard about the page at North after it was taken care of by the administration. It makes me sad that students would use social media sites to post hateful things. I would hope that all students at North, or anywhere for that matter would feel that they can come to any teacher if they feel bullied or disrespected,” Sherry Poole, a teacher at North High School said.

Soon after administration found out about the problem on the site, they took care of it immediately to ensure no more things would be posted and said.

There are countless things a person can do to get help that they need in order to be in a spot they can say that they’re happy in; a school counselor, teacher, anyone. You don’t always just have to “suck it up, and get over it,” there will always be someone there willing to just listen. It’s hard to believe, but no matter how rough things are right now, one day, sooner or later things will get better.

Features

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Under Fire, Under Scrutiny Above Prejudice, Above Expectations

A screen shot from a video story on whotv.com, “SHOTS FIRED: Gunfire After Rival Basketball Game”, posted February 1. The story contained an 182 word story, one quote, two anonomys quotes, and 48 seconds of coverage.

Hatte Kelley A crisp and cold Friday night after the varsity basketball game the residual energy and disappointment still swirl in your bones as you wait for a ride. People are yelling and then you hear it, piercing and screaming though the evening air: gun shots.

Friday, January 31 North faced Roosevelt and lost with a score of 71-60, and Jean Schwendau, a North High science teacher, attended the North versus Roosevelt game. “It was a really upbeat, high energy sense of community in the night.

Afterwards, everyone was just kind of hanging out.”

Schwendau describes the scene of the shooting as an eye-witness and does so with detailed remembrance. “There were not a whole lot of people out there. It was long enough after the game. There was a few groups of kids yelling. One girl yelled, ‘I’m gonna F up your car!’ And somebody yelled, ‘So and so and so and so get in this car immediately!’ They were just getting

“ They couldn’t find any shell casings, so there was really a lot of questions about what really did happen.”

-Mike Vukovich yelled at by their mom. Then I got in my car and then I heard ‘bang, bang, bang’ and I looked out and there was a kid with a gun. Then, he shot again.”

“He turned away from me and started walking across the street into the bushes over at Birdland Park. People up on the porch (area before North’s front doors) had gone in, and didn’t come out. People kind of ducked out of the way, and that’s all I saw (be)cause I was so focused on

that kid [the shooter], and just getting somebody to come outside. That’s when I got out and started screaming, ‘He’s got a gun!’ and I started running, and you know how you run in dreams? And it’s really slow and you never get there. It was like that, it was really weird. It was very surreal.”

“So, I got up to the porch and was still screaming, and then Mrs. Van De Walle and Mrs. Ramirez, they came out and the

police officer came out, and I just told them what happened. The police officer went across the street and got on his little radio thing. I was crying cause I was freaked out,” Schwendau said.

Principal Mike Vukovich was in the alumni room, a room tucked inside our library, at the time of the shooting. He was visiting with alumni and basketball players enjoying pizza and conversation when he got the call from Van De Walle.

“They couldn’t find any shell casings, so there was really a lot of questions about what really did happen, but there was multiple witnesses who heard it and saw and said that there was a gunshot. It wasn’t till the next morning that I found that there was a student from a different school that claimed to have been hit in the buttocks,” said Vukovich.

Schwendau, as an eye-witness, was confused when she was watching the news the following evening because it reported a girl had been admitted to the hospital for injury at the scene she was a witness to.

Features

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“breaking the cycle of poverty. That is what concerns me. A shooting in the parking lot to me is ‘ehh’. Our kids deal with more dangerous things every day.”

-Mike vukovich

Schwendau expresses her confusion, “I wondered if there had been a second incident, like if somebody had come back, (be)cause it was so different from what I had heard. Monday I came in and asked Mr. Vukovich if something else had happened cause there had been no child hurt anywhere.”

An officer of the law for 30 years and North High’s School Resource Officer, Officer Bjurstrom brings us even closer to the origins of this confusion.

“We didn’t know about it till later on that night. Until, a girl showed up at the hospital with a gunshot wound to the buttocks,” he said.

There still seems to be a lot of confusion and mystery surrounding this incident and surrounding the local news coverage of said incident.

Vukovich was disappointed with the media coverage and the inaccuracies following the event. “I do believe that [local news reporters] took just one report, ran with the story, and put our picture up there. And it wasn’t inaccurate reporting: there was a shooting. The only part that was inaccurate was actually on the police report, when they talked about a few fights during the course of the night, but that never happened. You can ask anyone at the game, there was an argument between some adults. I don’t really blame the journalists, per se, for putting that in there, but would I have liked them to call me up and say, ‘Hey, we read there was a bunch of fights, could you explain it?’ What I did appreciate was when I

talked to news stations about some of the information being misleading, they came and interviewed me here and put me on the news to clear it up.”

“Generally, that’s what you find with the news, they don’t focus on being accurate, they focus on being the first,” Officer Bjurstrom said.

Many local news article have quotes of an unnamed witness having heard shouts of “C-block” and “32” which are both gang affiliated phrases; which was unheard of from our eye-witness Scwendeau.

When asked if he thought this incident was gang related Vukovich replied, “I think there was a gang involved. It sounds like from what I hear that’s more and more what it is, and there are issues around Des Moines, but it’s all around Des Moines, not just the north side.”

Officer Bjurstrom added, “We have it here, and they have it at every Des Moines high schools, or for that matter, any high school, anywhere. At times they don’t get a long, the opposing gangs, and generally there might be a fight. Generally, it’s not any worse than that. At least not at school.”

Although gang activity doesn’t seem present in these hallways Polar Bears call home, they do not see this whole school every single day. Students see the route they take from class to class, the classroom they inhabit every other day, the corner of this community where they eat their lunch, and the activities they take part in; this may seem like a lot, but with the uncountable combinations possible each student still only sees one of them.

Vukovich describes the gang situation when he first arrived three years ago and the unique approach North administrators use to combat gang activity. “The first year that I got here with Mr. Smith we really paid attention to [gang activity]. It was pretty big. We had lots of colors, we had lots of people. Now, were they truly gang members in the community? I don’t know, but we really talked about when they come in they’re North High Polar Bears, their only colors are green, black, and pink.

“If they are affiliated with gangs outside, then that’s what they need to do outside.

Really what we did was maintain relationships with a lot of kids, and they kept it out and they still do. We hardly have any

issues here with those types of things going on; like they do in other schools. So, I would say that ‘are there gang members that go to North High School?’ Possibly.

Do we have gang issues and gang violence? No.” Vukovich openly expresses what weighs on his mind at night, who he prays for before the midnight skies, and what hopes and dreams are truly close to his heart. “You asked me about my concern. I don’t stay awake concerned about the shooting in the parking lot. I stay awake concerned about the 1,200 kids, praying that they’re in a warm spot to sleep, and have breakfast in the morning, and somebody that cares about them.”

“If they’re trauma impacted; that they’re getting the services that they need, that we’re preparing them for their ACTs. (Be)cause I know that even though they don’t know what that is sometimes, it’s important to getting to college which we know is important to breaking the cycle of poverty. That is what concerns me.

A shooting in the parking lot to me is ‘ehh’. Our kids deal with more dangerous things every day.”

It’s hard to believe sometimes there are good guys out there who care about a single student, one whom is hidden behind a mass of statistics and a mass of other students. To entertain the thought that there are administrators fighting for them with good intentions and big dreams is not very tangible. People who believe in them and know they are more than your financial situation, home-life situation, color of their skin, record of criminal activity, grade point averages, annual summative test scores, and the representation of their high school in local news media.

They can see them as a community of young human beings who have voices, and needs, and problems. It only takes realizing that they too are a community of human beings who have voices, needs, and problems and so happen to be older; when it is realized they just want the best for them and they are fellow human beings, then students can better cooperate with educators and administrators with respect and understanding.

For more of Hatte Kelley’s articles go to...

Northhsoracle.com/hattek_allday

A screenshot taken from a video article by whoTV.com, a follow up story following SHOTS FIRED: Gunfire After Rival Basketball Game, entitled SCHOOL SHOOTING: Culprit May Have Gang Ties. This was posted the Feb 3.

6 FEATURES Overcoming A Struggle, Living As An Inspiration Madison Houska After watching the hit reality TV show; “Teen Mom”, you may have a perspective that all teen moms are irresponsible and incapable of being good mothers. But Dasia Black, a sophomore here at North; is determined to prove otherwise.

Seven months ago, a “mother” was never anything that Dasia planned on becoming in high school, so when her pregnancy test read ‘positive’, it took her by complete surprise. When she found out that she was pregnant, all she could think was “No, I can’t be pregnant. How am I gonna take care of the baby, am I even gonna keep the baby? How are my parents gonna react, how will it work with school?”

A million questions ran through her like a torrential downpour. Situations like these are never easy, not to mention it is very stressful and life changing.

But Dasia remembers that through all the stress, life goes on.

Since becoming pregnant, she has changed as a whole. “I look at things differently, like my decisions I make. Its not just about me anymore.” says Dasia.

Even though she can’t go back and change it, she admits that she would have done things differently.

When asked what she would do differently, Dasia said, “I would go back and think about the decisions I made because they can have lifetime consequences.” Dasia found out she was pregnant when her boyfriend Alex Richie, a senior here at North; first suspected that Dasia was pregnant and suggested that she should take a pregnancy test. When she told him the test was positive, Alex was very excited and happy about becoming a father.

Her life the past seven months has changed drastically. Her body, her eating habits, and her life in general has taken to a new path. Dasia’s eating habits before becoming pregnant and now are somewhat similar, “ I used to eat like I was pregnant anyways, but now I have to eat healthier and make healthier

Alumni returns, proud of Polar roots

North High alumni Steve Schappaugh, class of 2002, visited the North High Oracle on February 24 to share his thoughts on the new and improved environment of the Polar Bears. While at North, he was editor of The Oracle and he was a national debate champion. He hopes to see speech and debate return to North High in the near future. Schappaugh encouraged students to attend college, to take loans if necessary, and to move up the social ladder. “When I went to Drake, I used to be embarrassed to tell people I went to North. Now, because of all you have accomplished, we [the alumni] are proud to tell everyone where we come from.”

--Compiled by The Oracle Staff

It is amazing to me to see what you guys have accomplished here."

"

choices about what I eat” she says.

Her family and friends have been very supportive through all of this as well. When her parents and the fathers parents found out, they were disappointed, but regardless of the situation, they have remained supportive of Dasia and her decision to keep the baby. “Everyone is happy for me and everyone wants to buy me stuff and through all of this, everyone has been really supportive which helps a lot.” She says.

Even though she is becoming a mother, Dasia wont let that stop her from being successful and achieving goals she has created for herself in her near future. “I plan to graduate next year and go to AIB and study accounting.” Dasia says.

“The biggest obstacle so far has been the whole pregnancy aspect itself, its not just oh you’re pregnant and you have a baby it’s a lot more than that.

You have to become more responsible and mature and you have a brighter look at life. You realize you have to take care of a life other than just yours. It has made my life more stressful but it has definitely made it worth more living for.” she says.

Dasia is due on May 14th and is having a baby girl.

They have decided to name the baby Nalah, and they are both very excited for her arrival. A positive motivation for Dasia is just to always stay positive and know that there is always sunshine after the rain.

It may seem like everything is ok, but in all reality, people often look past how difficult it is to be pregnant as a high schooler. Not only having to get up and be expected to come to class but having to deal with her own hormones at the same time. If being pregnant isn’t enough, she has to deal with social pressures, judgement from peers and adults, and she’s also dealing with the pressure of her significant other being incarcerated, but luckily he will be out before the baby’s arrival. Take note of the fact that this isn’t easy. She’s in high school, pregnant. Becoming a mother. Look at her perspective, before you judge her.

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FEATURES Wide-Eyed Traveler Tells Her Tales Brionna Lam Bubbly and personable, Suzanna Sieren teaches a full classroom of bright ELL students as part of her daily routine at North High School.

On her educational journey before her first year of teaching English Language Learners at North, she’s travelled from Murray, IA to the beautiful sceneries of Hawaii and New Zealand.

“I lived in New Zealand when I was 18 years old.

The Māori culture brought me to New Zealand,” explained Sieren. The Māori culture pulled her interest in so deep that she flew over the shimmering oceans to Hawaii to learn more about the Māori language and culture in depth at the University of Hawaii.

“Hawaii is the only place in the United States where you can learn the Māori language,” she continued.

Sieren went to Murray Community school for three years, and graduated Roosevelt High School with a GPA of 4.36. She flew to the University of Hawaii for a year and a half, continued her education at Grinnell College, and went to Drake University for graduate school, finishing her studies with languages and English.

With the ability to now speak Arabic, Māori, French and English, Sieren uses it to her advantage with her job in the classroom as an ELL teacher.

Ngan Hoang, a senior in one of Mrs. Sieren’s

Suzanna Sieren, English Language Learning teacher, leads a very diverse class of newcomers at North High.

Photos by Saleena Lovan ELL classes, describes Mrs. Sieren as “The funniest teacher. She has a lot of energy when she teaches.”

Hoang continues, “She teaches us to talk to other people and how to write.”

“She’s kind, helpful, compassionate,” says Muhindo Sila, a sophomore ELL student who has lived in the US for a little more than a year.

Despite her knowledge of quite a few languages

and the love of her job, she still struggles with communication between her students.

“I have some students who don’t know any English. There is nothing more challenging than not speaking the same language as the students,” Sieren expressed. She teaches students from Mexico to Burma, Thailand to Tanzania, and other various unique countries.

“Always be aware of being polite,” advises Sieren.

“But don’t ever be afraid to ask someone their culture.”

Throughout her first year at North, she has learned many new things from teachers, administration, her students, and enjoys the diverse population of North.

Momma Rosewall

Rosewall giving advice to young girls about teenage pregnancy. Photos by: Aminah Lothi

Aminah Lothi A beautiful smile with a beautiful heart. A mother, a teacher, and also a mentor. A mother of three that juggles to teach four different hands-on classes.

North High Alumni of 2000, Heather Rosewall returned to teach at North, twelve years later.

“I love the students here, they’re funny, honorary, little turds. I relate to a lot of them.”

On average, her class has at least 32 students.

Handling large classes can be a challenge. She currently teaches Relationships, Health, Child Development, and Fashion. Many students enjoy and request her class.

“I take deep breaths and do group projects.

Group projects help students that understand and help students that don’t,” Rosewall said.

“I love teaching child development because I love talking about kids. I love teaching health because

Rosewall giving real life examples to her Child Development class about teen pregnany while showing “Juno”

she teaches. “I’m loving teaching fashion right now!

I like teaching kids about sex education and drug We’re having a fashion show on May 10th at North education. I wanna give kids someone safe to talk to in the Auditorium. ” and the right information.”

Going through On her journey through life, many different “I’m truthful with the kids, I’m just real. things in her life, Rosewall has always kept good I’m just trying to be a resource that they can she keeps her smile and enjoys spirit. “I try not trust. I feel good about helping my students. helping people to think negative thoughts I feel like I’m making a difference on a small as much as she can, especially because once level. I feel like I’m actually reaching out to her students. She you start does things such thinking negasome kids. as being a mentor tive thoughts everything goes to the teens moms at North High and to crap.” also giving an example to students how the real life Rosewall is very caring and very enthusiastic works. when it comes to her students and the subjects that

”

While she loves the classroom, she might not do that job forever. “I wouldn’t mind being a counselor one day, she said. Many students come to her for advice with family, sex, life, etc.

“I’m already inloved in so many kids’ lives, I should probably get a degree,” she said, jokingly.

“I’m truthful with the kids, I’m just real. I’m just trying to be a resource that they can trust. I feel good about helping my students. I feel like I’m making a difference on a small level. I feel like I’m actually reaching out to some kids.”

Many students enjoy her presence and her laughter. They appreciate her helping hand and the joy that she brings. Rosewall will be an inspiration for years to come.

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Photo by: Colt Wyatt

Photo by: Cameron Fisher

One for History

Photo by: Colt Wyatt Photo by: Colt Wyatt Photo by: Cameron Fisher Photo by: Michael Pham

Photo by: Michael Pham

Photo by: Cameron Fisher Photo by: Michael Pham

Photo by: Michael Pham

Photo by: Cameron Fisher

Photo by: Cameron Fisher

#5 Ranking in the State. Six Seniors. Thousands of fans. One Community.

Story by: Michael Pham & Brennan Whisler In three seasons from 2010-2013, the North High basketball team has had a combined win column of 22 wins. This year, the boys’ have almost eclipsed that with a finishing record of 20-3. A team that has been in and out of the media and faced the most of adversity any team can face has show poise and focus throughout the season. In the preseason the North High team was one of the teams to be projected in the top six teams in the state.

At the end of the regular season. they were ranked 5th in the 4A Division.

The year started off hot for the Polar Bears who won eight straight games. North started off by beating yearly powerhouse Johnston in their second game of their season. This streak also included a win over Metro-Conference power Roosevelt to move them to 6-0 on the season. The win streak wasn’t all feel good moments though, there was narrow wins against Indianola (8-14) and East (4-16). The bad times truly started win North suffered their first lost to Southeast Polk 74-68. The game featured poor three point percentages and unfinished layups. The game proved to be crucial to the team in that it showed that they can play well if their game is off and it also took the pressure of perfection off of them.

With the loss, came understanding and confidence. North truly reached midseason form after the loss by closing out games and learning to adapt to new playing styles. After their first loss the Bears went 5-1 losing only to Roosevelt. This nice little streak included a win over a top five Ankeny Centennial team in double overtime. This proved a critical stretch itself with the high of topping Centennial and the low of losing to Roosevelt which

set up an important meeting in February with Hoover for the title of CIML Champions.

They closed the season out with a 6-0 span.

Arguably the second biggest win happened at Wells Fargo against Waukee who lost by one despite hitting a buzzer beating three.

The only other noteworthy win during this period was a win against Hoover that secured the CIML Championship for North. Here is where North proved itself by not sleep walking on the easier competition that happened here.

At North, many people know the struggles faced by their friends on the team, but thanks to the fame that comes with winning, others in the community found out as well. The team received a lot of media time thanks to their record and their personal stories and struggles caused a public outpour of help in the financial department, receiving anywhere from five dollars to thousands.

A dynamic duo in Terrance Bush and Teyontae Jenkins who lead in four different categories. Bush and Jenkins are the head of the pack in steals, Bush only beats Jenkins by 10 steals. Jenkins led the 4A division in assists and free-throws made. Bush and Jenkins are also in the top five leading scorers in the 4A division. Sam Williams was 2nd in the 4A division with blocks. The Bears’ as a team was one of the top 10 teams in rebounding and also led the 4A division in team steals. They also have the 2nd highest average points per game.

Season #2 – SUBSTATE: Round 1 – Lincoln

Four years ago, around this time, The North High boys’ basketball team took on DM Lincoln in the first round of Substate. Fresh-

men Teyontae Jenkins, Samuel Williams and Terrance Bush all looked skinnier and smaller than ever. The team fell to DM Lincoln in the ‘10-’11 season by barely scoring above 30 points as a team and only getting 10 points out of Jenkins and 7 from Williams. Now let’s fast forward to today. On February 24, a #5 DM North team took their home court as they faced a familiar foe. Now in their senior year, Jenkins, Bush and Williams are what some may call the “Big Three” for the North High team.

This year’s substate started off red-hot for North when Bush hit a three in the first ten seconds and another one on the next possession. Bush’s first quarter included four threepointers. Despite this first quarter explosion Lincoln stayed close and trailed by only seven to start the second quarter. Jenkinshad a relatively quiet game with 13 points, but spoke loudly with ten assists for a double-double on the night. Williams had a great showing with 21 points, even with a travel on a massive been dunk. Bush had 20pts in the first half and finished with 32pts, including 7 of the 11 three-point baskets.

The Bears blew past the Rails, 83-62.

Round 2 – SEP

7:00pm on a Friday night, the cold wind blows as the North High Boys headed east to 10th ranked Southeast Polk Rams. As the fans filled the stands, color seas of black and gold or green and white depict which side to sit on. A sort of cold electric feel filled the gym atmosphere as the boys’ warmed up on the court.

As the tip-off went to North, missed shots and good defense displayed by both teams plaqued the first five minutes of the 1st

quarter. With time running down, the score of 5-4 would explode in the final three minutes of the 1st to 21-15 with North ahead. The teams would battle back and forth, a show displayed

by Jenkins who exploded for 25 first half points.

North would lead 35-34 coming into halftime.

Both teams matched up well, and both teams had their advantages.

In the second half, Southeast Polk came out with a different tactic and pounded the paint.

As shots flew, the Rams would take the lead but the Bears would stay within four. As the minutes passed, Bush would foul out in the fourth, who would have 18pts of the remaining 22 that weren’t scored by Jenkins. Time ticking away as the Bears drew closer but not close enough.

Jenkins left his all on the court, scoring a staggering 42 points of the Bears’ final 64.

The Rams, what some call North’s suburban twin because of their style of play, pulled away from 5th ranked North. As the story book closed for the Bears, memories were not lost.

Community members, students, staff and the players cried as the season ended. Standing ovations for both teams as they shook hands, as the seniors bursted into tears. As the boys went into the locker room, the Bears’ Den stayed around and waited for the players to come out. Hugs and congratulations greeted them as their heads were not hung, but held high, writing the final chapter of this historic season.

Jenkins has recently been awarded CIML Player of the Year. “Staying in front of Teyontae Jenkins as a defender is often a case of pick your poison,” said Chris Cellular of the DM Register in his article about the CIML selections.

Bush recieved 2nd team All-CIML and leads a similar team to the All-CIML Elite team lead by Jenkins.

NORTH HIGH SCHOOL's

BOYS VARSItY TEAM STATS

71.2

POINTS PER GAME

375

TOTAL

FreethrOws

TEAM ASSISTS VS TEAM TURN OVERS TEAM 3 pts MADE VS TEAM 3pts mISSED ASSISTS (320)

TURNOVERS (213)

162 3PTS MADE (30.4%)

POINTS SCORED VS POINTS ALLOWED

1620 POINTS

3 pointers made by player

1357 POINTS ATHLETES

T.Bush # of

dunks

0

s. Williams # of

dunks HOURS DEVOTED TO PRACTICE

120 600 OVER

371 3PTS MISSED (69.6%)

100

10

30 40 # of 3 Pointers

50

60

70

Terrance Bush (65)

Sekou Mtayri (13)

Teyontae Jenkins (38)

Wilson Worge (6)

Samuel Williams (22)

Jamaal Dudley (1)

Nieco Greene (16)

Trey Warrick (1)

"YOU GOT SWATTED" Moments

regular season and *ALL STATS PROVIDED BY summer league games Quikstatsiowa.com For seniors Over 4 years

20

255 1600 OVER

STEALS over the regular season

SHOTS ATTEMPTED OVER THE Regular season

THE_LOCKER_ROOM

A BITTER ENd

Brennan Whisler Every great story has an ending; it’s not always fair but it is always final. Romeo and Juliet had a homicide and a double suicide, Star Wars had galactic peace, The Sopranos had the blank screen, and North boys’ basketball had Southeast Polk.

Teyontae Jenkins left his heart out on the court, Ben Hayes stepped up and knocked down a three, Terrance Bush threw down the dunk, so what happened? The same as what happened on January 10: we were outplayed. For those who claim referee favoritism down the stretch, recall that the first saw a ten-to-five foul advantage to North. Also don’t besmirch the Rams’ basketball team, they worked hard all season and came in hungry and prepared just like us.

In the thousand-plus packed house and the unknown multitude watching on highschoolcube.com and listening on the radio, intense entertainment ensued with a one point lead for the Bears at the half.

That evaporated quickly and excitement appeared with the winner now uncertain.

f Class of 1988

Polar Bear Fan

Class of 1997

A raucous student section spread the excitement through the crowd, evident in The Oracle and yearbook advisor Ben Graeber who jumped like a kid, pounded on the elevated track’s guardrail and fist-pounded those nearest to him. It wasn’t enough though, with less than a minute left and Bush fouled out and Jenkins pounded the court with his fists.

Loss was clearly spelled out to those in attendance.

Shift to the locker room and see a new world.

Players are crying unashamed, gone is the joy of hours before. Players are embracing each other, their cries of “family forever” echo on the rock walls. Ben Hayes grabs me and cries into my shoulder and says, “I love you man.” I react with my tears as well and a similar response. I embrace each player and try to offer my own words of comfort, each time I try not to cry even more. One player sits on a bench racked with sobs so badly that I doubt he could stand up.

They walk out, red-eyed, and see the student section still cheering for them even in defeat, and for the moment the pain is gone. This isn’t a story, it’s life. And this chapter closes with a bitter end.

Two greats battled, one advanced leaving the other broken but hopeful.

What did this season mean to you?

David Reimers Thank you for all the hard work, dedication and commitment to our beloved north high. I have always been proud to be a graduate of NHS and seeing the great year you guys had on and off the court helped reinstall my love for the polar bears. So to each and everyone of you awesome student athletes keep you’re heads held high. And I wish you all the best of luck in the future. Thank you.

March 1 at 6:38 PM ●

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Carla Jones Good season bears I have enjoyed watching the seniors the last 4 years. You have grown into respectable young men you grew into a great team and I am very proud of you. I know you will grow into dine men as you go onto college. As for the underclassmen I will support you and be at all of your games. Coach Ryan my husband and I have supported your program for 5 years and we see the work you put in and seen you grow with the team and we will be there to support next season and many more to come. Proud to support North High Basketball. GO BEARS!!!!

March 2 at 1:09 PM ●

NHS Staff

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Mr. Van Haecke You were amazing this year, on and off the court. You brought a feeling of magic, success, and pride to yourselves and your school. What you accomplished reaches beyond the court. You are the Conference Champs and went 20-3.

No one, ever, can take that away from you! Thank you.

March 1 at 5:18 PM ●

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Alli Banning It was amazing to see the Pride of North back in the Bear’s Den! I see great things happening at the next level for the seniors. Can’t wait to see what the underclassmen bring next year! Thank you for a fun, thrilling season and most of all for the positivity you brought to North High! Once a Polar Bear, Always a Polar Bear!

March 2 at 9:13 AM ●

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Aminah Lothi Always play hard boys!! Thanks for bring all of us together, as one big family! You guys are all amazing at what you do! You guys will always be winners in our eyes! Words couldn’t describe how I am to witness your guys’ success!

NHS Student

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March 1 at 6:08 PM ●

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Class of 1978

Tim Larson I graduated in 1978 and have lived in many places and traveled broadly over the years. I currently live in the Detroit area. Until recently, I had lost connection with North High School, my old high school and the north-side neighborhood I came to love so much. This season’s basketball team drew me back to my North High roots -- mostly through Facebook -and brought some life, light, shared excitement, and good feelings into this dreary winter season. It’s been a blessing to renew old friendships and make new ones... with all of us following our North High cagers and wishing them the best. Thanks to the North boys basketball team and to the North High student body for bringing us all together on a truly great run. And may you all come to know what a blessing it is to to attend a high school that embraces such diversity along with a true appreciation for individual talents and gifts. I wouldn’t trade my experience attending school on the North side of Des Moines for anything.

May you all have continued success in the future, Polar Bears!

March 2 at 12:16 PM ●

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Aeris Heckman Our boys changed they way people will look at North. They tried to talk us down but our boys showed them what north is about. Our boys may have lost 3 games but they will always be winners to us. The bears den will still live on and support those boys. They’re all still winners to me. Our bears NHS Student den showed how much spirit north truly has. They talked us down over twitter, we wiped their own floors with them. Once a polar bear, always a polar bear.

March 1 at 8:32 PM ●

NHS Staff

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Mrs. Hetherington This is my eleventh year teaching at North and I’ve never been more proud. North has had a guarded school spirit over the years, it’s always been there but it seems to lie just below the surface so as not to spring forth with false hope. Well, our boy’s basketball team shattered that “floor” holding our hope back and it erupted like a volcano in full force!! Thank you, Coach and boys for uniting us in North pride.

Thank you for reminding us we’re truly a family—supporting each other on and, more importantly, off the court. Helping us to remember, in our weary days when we’re tired and hope is hard to grasp, what a wonderful school and what wonderful students and staff these walls hold. The game Friday night was AWESOME—the school spirit and the feeling of being ONE with my North FAMILY was overwhelming. We are victorious!

March 4 at 9:50 AM ●

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The_Locker_Room Never Ending Success

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By Mariah Gibb

Concentration, dedication, and focused breathing brought back yet another win for the North High JROTC Rifle Team.

Starting on February 19, the team spent four days at Camp Perry, Ohio to compete against roughly 20 schools in Region 3 of the Marine Corps. Without a doubt, they pushed through and dominated the competition.

Jessica Ebersole, a sophomore, was one of five shooters to compete for North High. She finished just a few points away from first overall. “It was frustrating but at the same time I felt like I accomplished a lot in the past year.”

Over the years the team has created a reputation of champions, and again they have lived up to that title. “We’re the only school in the nation that has been in the All Armed Forces Championship since its inception in 2003,” said the team’s coach Gunnery Sgt Gettler. Despite losing the majority of their varsity team from last year, as a whole the team was crowned the Eastern US Regional Team Champions.

As for individual placing, each member of the team finished in the top 10.

With senior Dakota Lupkes first, and Ebersole second.

Ebersole finished just three points behind Lupkes. Senior Lucas McNichols, sophomore Jimmy Ellefson, and sophomore Dakota Mattos finished close behind them.

As a team, they compiled 4,276 points, a full 162 more than the next closest team, who came from from Illinois.

Their never ending success is astonishing, but they still feel as if they could’ve done better. “None of us felt we shot up to potential, but we are happy we achieved close to what we wanted to achieve,” senior Dakota

Jimmy Elefson, pictured here during first semester, is practicing in the rifle room located next to the weight room. The team practices throughout the summer months. According to Gunnery Sgt Mike Gettler, the extra practice is what separates North from other teams around the country.

Lupkes said.

The team has one month to prepare before they go back March 19, to stay another four days. This time they will compete against all branches of the military for the national championship. Their goal is simple: “Every one of our members to be in the final, that should be our goal,” Lupkes said.

According to the seniors on the team, their objective is to leave the team in good hands and set up their future rifle team members freshman Anya Young, freshman Riley Garrett, and sophomore Zane Simonton on the road to keeping up North’s dominant reputation.

Top left to bottom right : Lucas McNichols, Jimmy Elefson, Dakota Lupkes-Heim, Jessica Ebersole, Dakota Mattos in Camp Perry, Ohio.

Warrior Week, only for the strong

By Hatte Kelley Breath short, left...right...left, right, left, eyes sting with sweat, blink, breathe, and just keeping running.

The heart thudding a beat on your ear drum dares you to go one more length around the first floor hallway, a fellow ROTC cadet on your back.

Feel the harsh and gritty metal of the weights clasped between your white knuckled fists, feel your body set on fire and refuse to stop, drop the weights, and roll that giant tire over itself one more time. This burning in your bones screams for you to keep fighting, tomorrow, and every other two hours of hell you proudly face each weekday morning.

Welcome to Warrior Week.

Kicking off in January, the ROTC has been spending every weekday from 6:15am to 8:15am exercising to the extreme in preparation for their big competitions waiting for them on the horizon.

Major Sean Quinlan expresses he was concerned about Spring Break giving the team too much rest; which is why he has had these boys working to exhaustion each day. Quinlan explains how drastic the improvement has been, like how junior Imani Kwizera has gone from being able to do one pullup, or “dead hang,” to being able to do 30 of them.

Kwizera comments on how this experience has benefited him,“I’m in the best shape of my life.

There is something new everyday.”

The ROTC has plenty of competitions scheduled but their next upcoming event: Warrior Week, is to be hosted as soon as Saturday, April 5 at North

Hunter Adrain works out at 7:15am on March 6 as part of Warrior Week. About a dozen cadets were completing 2-3 hour workouts each day of the week. Photo by Michael Pham.

High, and will be accommodating teams from four different states. There will three different competitions within this event: Drill, Marksmen, and Physical Fitness.

The Physical Fitness competition has been nick-

named the “Polar Bear Challenge” by Quinlan.

This challenge requires 6 participants on each team which can be all male, all female, or co-ed. Our team has ended up being all male due to a lack of female’s attendance to preparatory practices; even though

some had expressed interest.

Kwizera mentions the interaction between team mates, “Bringing guys together, the bond, we’re not just working together physically, but emotionally also.”

The fitness challenges will be performed back to back as a team and as follows: timed pullups, timed situps, timed push ups, 300 meter shuttle, 100 meter tire flip, and a mile long run.

Quinlan mentions Kwizera a second time saying, “[He] is the patriarch of the group. I pick him up first in the morning, he goes into Moise Tuombemungu’s bedroom to wake him up nearly every morning, and the other boys we pick up too.”

Kwizera explains what keeps him motivated, “My teammates are what pushes me, they are able to see me keep going and they continue to keep trying their best.” He goes on to describe the team’s goals, “We want a group that stands out, and try to lead the school by example.”

Quinlan displays how deeply the brotherhood runs between them, “After every workout we break bread together, pray, and talk.”

A prejudice may still be held that these boys are brawn and no brain, but Quinlan asserts the average GPA of the team is about 3.5. To top it all off, these boys not only are doing intense workouts, planning to pledge their lives to their country, and maintaining academic excellence all the while; these boys are qualifying for the national championships four days before Warrior Week.

OPINIONS

What is Beauty?

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Moise Tuombemungu “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 peter 3:3-4).

The Webster dictionary defines beauty as “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses especially sight.” In this piece I seek to go beyond such mechanical conceptions of beauty, instead I seek to explain beauty’s inward and outward manifestations. Many also say that “true beauty resides inside ourselves,” for out of the abundance of the heart true character shines.

Beauty has moved continents, shaped societies, and demolished powers of oppression; it gives wings to courage, love a reason, and death a name. It’s a universal peacemaker inspiring man to take risks beyond comprehension. Beauty impacts humanity in as strong and effective manner today as it did since humanity’s beginning. It is something for which young ladies strive, and the pursuit of many young men. Beauty can be classified as inward and/ or outward, and these two entwine with each other and interact with our conceptions of self. These two forms of beauty are the mastermind behind art, the way people act, and the way they dress. While a person may be outwardly attractive, inwardly they may lack compassion for others. I believe inward beauty is immensely more important than outward beauty, although some chase vainly the outward form than the inward, you see that outward beauty may not reflect inward beauty at all, and in the final analysis, be nothing more than a facade. For a person to be truly beautiful genuine empathy is a necessary, albeit perhaps insufficient, condition.

Inward beauty is comprised of a set of qualities that defines the personality, character, and passions of a person. Inward beauty is what sparks emotions when the eyes witness overwhelming acerbic sufferings or great joys. Inward beauty is built upon a foundation of the environment a person is around,

“Mirrors,” Drawing by Iliana Castillo flowing from wells of experience and struggles, draws strength from human compassion and recoils from wickedness. When people in positions of power label others this can develop into what sociologists (notably Erving Gothman) have termed “stigma” and while stigma can act as an outside influence on the recipient’s life chances, the power of these labels varies depending on how much the person imbibes their content.

Therefore, it behooves us to be more encouraging to our friends and other participants in our lives, including strangers. Inward beauty is greatly influenced by what we see daily. Your eyes are the windows of your soul, the vast depictions and actions we feed our eyes through our voluntary participation in corporate media that is all to often soaked with violence and imparts lessons of egotism and consumerism, gives rise to how we behave and even how we speak.

sion can lead someone as far as to jump off the high bridge that holds their unique life. Inward beauty in other words is your inner being or soul that defines really who you are. That’s why it is inaccurate to arrive at judgment based on a person’s appearance, it is far better to relate with others based on what we can capture of their essence.

While outward manifestations of inward beauty is composed of both our actions towards others that reflect social solidarity and compassion, our society’s conception of outward beauty is limited to physical appearance. While the outward manifestations of our compassion, reflects our inward beauty through our actions, outward beauty and physical appearance are primarily emphasized by society, from the salience of morning rituals of applying makeup to the face, to the buying of certain weaves, clothes, plastic surgery and liposuction. We see society and the media promoting shallow depictions of what beauty is to sell products. In order to sell a woman makeup, large corporations must first sell them a particular conception of outward beauty.

While advertising helps form these depictions, we as

“I believe that beauty

is in all that is good, while ugliness resides in the destructive forces that enable a human to slander his fellow.”

When inward beauty becomes harmed in any way, it may erode our sense of hope in each other.

Without compassion, empathy and love the human being finds him or herself thrust into depression.

This pain, sparked by the utter decay of social cohe-

consumers chase after them. Every society has different attributes of what beauty consists, originating from cultural differences, and a great spectrum of religious faiths. Is it not a marvelous, simple mystery that what one considers not to be beautiful, is lovely and fair to another?

So why should a person chase in vain for outward beauty, more than the inward beauty when the latter represents our essence and the former a mere facade?

I believe that beauty is in all that is good, while ugliness resides in the destructive forces that enable a human to slander his fellow. Our piercing words, our unfeelingness, our lack of compassion for the other may result in an acerbic, bitter destruction of someone’s life, magnified by the innumerable abrasive lies of claiming a person’s unworthiness stemming from mendacious evaluation of worth that use nothing but a perverse and hollow conception of beauty as evidence. Thus while much of beauty is undeniably physical, it is its inward form that truly makes us who we are, without it we’re merely nothing.

“To the person who has known the depth of himself, none can uproot the inner beauty through storming lies and calumny “ - Moise Tuombemungu

Girl, you so Short Kelsey Ambrose A day in the life of being short is pretty normal; it’s really not that big a deal.

4’10” is short for being in high school. It’s like everyone walking next to you is towering over you. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I won’t grow to be much over 5 feet tall, if I even reach that far. So I should just stop thinking one day I’ll wake up and be an average height.

Some girls complain about being tall and how that’s a struggle; I don’t think you understand a struggle until you have to use a step stool to see yourself in a mirror to brush your teeth. That’s a struggle.

Have you ever tried to find me in student section pictures? That’s like trying to spot Waldo in one of those “Where’s Waldo” books, it’s not all that easy.

It’s also hard to see the action at a game too. Being at which means I can buy my TOMS for 10-dollars the movies is a little difficult when someone sits in cheaper at the Kids Foot Locker instead of the front of you, but why someone would choose to sit regular Foot Locker. Then there’s the times when in front of someone when there’s 100 other empty tall people have to duck down because they’ll hit theater seats around? I there heads on something, don’t really know.

I don’t have to. I can “It isn’t that bad being Then there’s the jokes just walk right through people make. Personally, short, it does have it’s ad- because I don’t even come I think they’re funny but to hitting my head. vantages at times. For ex- close guys, come up with new No, I’ll never be able ones! The usual ones are ample, I have really small to dunk a basketball, be getting boring. Yes, when I a super model, reach feet which means I can drive I can reach the pedthe top shelf at a store als and I can see over the buy my TOMS for 10-dol- without some help, and I dashboard, occasionally not ever be able to lars cheaper at the Kids might with help from a pillow to ride ALL the rides at an sit on but 60% I can do it amusement park but I can on my own. guarantee you that I will never hit my head on a tree Oh, yeah and guys… When you bump into me and branch hanging low. then say “oops I didn’t see you down there” that’s a So shout out to my dad’s DNA for making me so good one, but that one has been used too much and short, and I guess my mom too for at least trying it’s not so funny anymore. to give me some height but as you can see it didn’t It isn’t that bad being short, it does have it’s advanreally work. tages at times. For example, I have really small feet

Drawing by Iliana Castillo

Opinions

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R-e-s-p-e-c-t The Technology Laura Abuhl You drop me on the ground, you put your greasy fingers on me, and occassionally, I get dropped in the toilet or shower, but why... After everything I’ve done for you?

I am your phone.

I connect you to your friends, I let you waste hours on Candy Crush, but... I feel like I’m nothing to you.

I remember the first day you pulled me out of the box at the Sprint store. You had a huge smile on your face as you wiped your dirty, greasy finger across my screen. It was perfect, and from that day on I knew we would be together for a long time, and I knew you loved me.

A couple months into our relationship, I felt our connection go. You stopped charging me. I lay dead on your bed while you went and watched TV, or ate dinner. I loved you, and you didn’t care about me. At first when you dropped me, you’d pick me up, hold me and say “My baby, I love you, I’m so glad you’re okay.” Eventually, you didn’t say that.

And last month when you dropped me, I cracked.

I CRACKED. You didn’t care, and you still haven’t

What’s the Worst thing you’ve ever done to your phone?

Ron Davis, Senior: “Dropped it in the toilet while I was taking a poop.

Grabbed it out of the water and it still worked, I put it in rice and it sucked out all the moisture.”

Broken phones, photo credit to Laura Abuhl tried to fix me.

I’ve also noticed you’ve been dropping me in water lately. Coincidence? I don’t think so. You think I’m stupid? I am a SMART phone. You stick me in your back pocket, and when you take your pants off to go to the bathroom, I always fall into the toilet.. and in your shower, you think it’s cool to text your friends.

Do you not know water will ruin me? I know you’re upset. I’ve had glitches, my updates suck, I’m getting

old, but I’m trying to be everything you need.

I can feel we’re falling apart. But it’s not fair, I haven’t given up on you. I’m still here. I’ve done everything for you. Without me, how would you take selfies? Without me, how would you text all your friends? Without me, how would you be a pro at Temple Run? I just... I’m falling apart, literally... and you’re not coming to help me.

Addy, campus monitor:

“Dropped it in the bathtub.”

Grace jones, Sophomore:

“Threw it at the wall because I was in a texting argument.”

I Am Not Who You Think I Am Hannah McNichols

So because my skin is white and I am a female, I automatically love Starbucks and own a pair of Uggs? Okay, I may drink Starbucks every so often (or any

coffee in that case), but I don’t own Uggs and I don’t drink Starbucks every day. And that’s what it seems everyone believes.

I am a sophomore and I can’t seem to get people to realize that I am my own person. I am not the typical “white girl” who does all of those “white girl things”. I let a jar of Nutella expire in my cupboard. I do not own a North Face jacket.

I don’t tan, nor will I ever. I own one pair of leggings, not twenty. Oh, and I hate pumpkin spice anything.

I am not an “ROTC kid” who loves to get yelled at and workout all the time. Just because I am enrolled in ROTC does not mean I am “rude and cocky”, because I have also heard that before. I am not enlisting in the military nor do I plan on it as of right now. I do not have to justify why I am in ROTC, I just am.

They Are Not Who You Think They Are You’re in AP classes, you’re a nerd. What is a nerd?

A person who is smarter than yourself? Someone who wears glasses and has a 4.0 GPA? But why, I ask you, does being smart, liking math, and playing trombone make someone “uncool?” Why does it automatically label them a nerd?

All Asians are perfect. They never fail a math test and can help you in any class.

Every Arab is a terrorist.

Because one Arab terrorist group attacked the United States, every Arab you see is automatically a murderer.

All African Americans are in a gang. They break the laws every chance they get and like Kool Aid to go with their fried chicken.

Every hispanic is Mexican.

There is no such thing as a purebred Mexican. In Mexico, most Mexicans are a blend of many races. Every person who wears Ray Bans is a “hipster”. Every white American is rich. Every white Southerner is racist. All Blondes are stupid.

People practice stereotypes like a religion. That’s not how it should be. Get that out of your mind.

People are different. Every human has their own story.

“People practice

stereotypes like a religion.”

Starbuck’s cup, the icon of a white girl. (Graphic by Iliana Castillo)

Follow us on Twitter @NorthHighOracle

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CREATIVE_ARTS

North High Students Leave It All On Stage “This is what I love about acting. It can be really frustrating, stressful and nerve-racking but once you’re on stage and you hear the laughter and see the joy - that’s what you love. That’s why you do it.” -Calvin Lovan (Senior)

Photo by Hatte Kelley. The Ankeny High School’s Gym at State Group Contest where all the day’s performers and entourage leave their luggage and relax thier minds and bodies between performances.

Leah Waughtal It was 7am on Feb. 8 and students were making their way from all over central Iowa, all headed to Ankeny High School. The snow and the wind, however, made this trip less than enjoyable. After arriving, white knuckled and a little shaky, we were all anxious to find our group members and begin rehearsing.

The day started early with a group mime featuring juniors Rebekah Ostermann, Michael Colon-Ramos and senior Taylor McDaniel. The group portrayed a funny enactment centered around a plane trip that involves a scandalous affair.

“It was a lot of fun. It’s different because it is mime, so you’re not allowed to use your words. The ability to express a story, and tell a story through action is really exciting, and it was a really cool experience,” Ostermann said.

The group earned straight ones, a feat that would start the ball rolling on North’s record-breaking day.

Next up was another group mime, that walked away with straight twos, it featured a group of underclassmen who worked hard, but just weren’t quiet prepared for the competitive atmosphere.

Around 9:30 almost all of North’s students headed down to Ankeny’s auditorium and packed the front row to support the One Act play. The fantastic senior duo of Forrest Mathison and Daniel Kanyavimonh paired with junior Mike Xayavong to produce an act of theater magic that had everyone laughing the entire time.

They attempted and succeeded at The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged, a three man show that challenges not only comedy, but also their lungs as they ran, jumped, screamed and changed clothes too many times to count.

“Saturday [Febuary 8th], it was extremely chaotic but it was a lot of fun. We were always nervous and hyped up on energy. “ Senior Daniel Kanyavimonh, shares.

“But when they would ask us if we were ready, it would just hit us – like ‘it was time to perform’. We

were ready and we set up the big red chest, and they announced us, as school 34. I left it all on stage, no matter what happened. I ripped my tights, I bled, Mike broke a water bottle, and Forrest got hit in the head. And we really did leave it all on the stage” They earned a superior rating, and remained a crowd favorite the rest of the day.

Some of our original cast members from our fall musical performed Urinetown, and also earned straight ones. The vocals of Rebekah Ostermann and Melissa Sosa were beautiful and had students from other schools whispered “wow, they were good!”

This group also included senior, Andrew Jero who expressed his point of view “Urinetown is an interesting piece. We started in August, and still were performing it now. It was starting to wear me down.

I played a variety of characters over the course of the show. The piece didn’t click in until districts, and then when we got to State, I felt mentally prepared and good about the piece. ” This group also included Xayavong, and Mayte Gomez Cruz.

Bao Luong, Jero and Sosa also received straight ones in their ensemble piece, ‘Of Mice and Men’. The room was chilled at the intense scene and it left the audience applauding.

“I was nervous, really nervous. I felt ready but at the same time, I always feel like things could always be better.” Luong said.

“I wanted to make sure it was better than the times before. Afterward, I didn’t know how to feel about it but people said they enjoyed it so I felt better about it. Now I’m not so sure – the ballots pointed out a lot of negative things.”

It was followed by an inventive improv by Calvin Lovan and Kanyavimonh, which earned a superior rating. They cracked jokes that had one of the judges fanning herself with a clip board because she was laughing so hard.

“I felt like Danny and I did really great. Personally I feel like we were short ended by the judges. Improv is really fun, but it’s really about the luck of the draw.

Some situations are really hard, hard to get into, and hard to progress and build characters for. Danny and I have worked together for two years. I was so

nervous before performing, I felt like I was gonna get sick every five minutes, but then when we got into the room my adrenaline started,” Lovan said..

Students took a break to eat lunch, congregating at lunch tables and eating slices of Papa John’s pizza.

The scores posted during lunch were 4/5 superior ratings. Students made jokes, and tried to shake the nervous energy. Junior Michael Colon-Ramos picked up the competition around three with his solo mime, that received two ones and a two.

At 3:30 the brother-sister team of Yanet and Guillermo Velasquez shared their experience; “It was great, because I didn’t think we would make it state but we did. We had problems with our group because of grades. We had to erase it two days before districts. At state I was freaking out because we were against 31 radio broadcasts, and it was good because the judges gave us good comments. It felt really great because it was our first year at contest.”

They received straight ones on their radio broadcast, something to brag about for these two first time contest participants.

A group of freshman then performed the musical Shrek, and received a superior as well. Our other group mime, titled “Accidents Happen” received two two’s and a one.

To finish up the day, seniors Calvin Lovan and Leah Waughtal performed their ensemble piece based on Stephan King’s Misery. The duo’s handwork paid off when they received a superior rating.

By the end of the day, North had received nine superior ratings at State, a record for the performing arts department. But the numbers can’t express what the drama department experienced that day.

From Calvin Lovan almost getting sick in the middle of his lines, to Melissa Sosa losing her shoe during her death scene. Or Mike Xayavong dropping an entire bottle of water on the floor during his performance, and hitting Forrest Mathison in the head with a volleyball. Or possibly, one of the best moments, when Daniel Kanyavimonh made a ghostbusters joke during his improv.

Saturday February 8th wasn’t about the competition, it was about students working hard and learn-

ing the pay off of dedication.

Individual Speech Contest Individual speech contest is a crucible of pressure unlike any other acting feat. It is you, alone with a judge. North sent 31 theater kids to the small town of Nevada to show rural Iowa how polar bears perform. The high school was divided up into centers, down winding hallways and through crowded gymnasiums. The concession sold candy and nachos to starving students who were staked out in the cafeteria. There you would find lists of names and the mark of hard written roman numerals. Students waited anxiously all day. The Saturday was plagued with terrible weather that left students scrambling for time. Between 7am and 3pm, performers staked out their rooms and waited. And one by one, North students filed in and performed. At the end of the day, North had 16 performers going to state which is being held in Glenwood Iowa. But the following Tuesday, we received phenomenal news that one of our students who had originally been disqualified, had been wronged and was granted a trip to state as well! The performers are as follows.

Michael Colon-Ramos – Storytelling Esperanza Vargas – Acting Rebekah Ostermann – Musical Theater Guillermo Velasquez – Improv Andrew Jero – Prose Hatte Kelley – Poetry Forrest Mathison – Expository Address Iliana Castillo – Literary Program Lee Lee Hill – Musical Theater Danny Kanyavimonh – Improv Savannah Van De Boe – Poetry Melissa Sosa – Musical Theater Hebelin Sanchez – Musical Theater Leah Waughtal – Original Oratory Michael Xayavong – Musical Theater Bao Luong – Acting Taylor McDaniel – Radio Broadcasting

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CREATIVE_ARTS Exhibiting beauty Iliana Castillo

darks, and mediums. Some people, like Nguyen with the picture of a face, used charcoal to complete these value drawings.

North High School is not just thriving in their Lovan made the painting of the different colored sports and theater arts programs, but in their art faces. He says, “It was made out of oil paint. I had forms too. Just this past February, The District Art to start it about three months before -as soon as I Show hosted four students from D.C. Smith’s room. found out about the project- because oil paints take Their beautiful art work was displayed in the Capital so long to dry. I automatically knew that I wanted Square Mall among the art from the other schools to do a song, and Spectrum (by Florence + The on the district.

Machine) was what was on repeat all of the time. I According to Smith, students were chosen by really didn’t have a full on idea of what I was going nomination. “I had students vote on what they to do, like the faces. My thought process just went thought was most appropriate or what they liked along with the painting.” best,” he said Their hard work and determination led them to The pieces all came from different assignments get nominated to be a part of the District Art show. throughout the year. Since Smith’s art class is project Klootwyk said, “I was excited and embarrassed at based, he gives his students the freedom to draw the same time. I’m kind of shy when it comes to my what they want, as long as they learn and improve art so I don’t show it off.” on the skill he has asLovan, in turn, said “I felt signed. so accomplished, art is my The art shows give passion so when I do art I “I really didn’t have a students the opportunity put 110% in every art piece full on idea of what I was I do. When I got picked to to show the skills they have improved on, and albe in the art show, it felt going to do, like the faclowing them to see other like I was doing something es.

My thought process forms of art. right. I was really honored just went along with the The four students comto represent North.” ing from his room were: All of the students who painting.”

Autumn Klootwyk, Levi participated in the art show -Ethan Lovan Banda, Vy Nguyen, and felt very accomplished Ethan Lovan. to have their wonderful Each student had a talents and hard work different assignment. For instance, Klootwyk, who recognized. “There’s a lot of cool art out there,” drew the hearts, “was working on color and had to Klootwyk says. And she’s right, because she is one demonstrate [her] knowledge of four color schemes of the people who show that talent comes in many and how those four color schemes would apply to a forms and that everyone is a beautiful work of art. composition,” Smith says.

So take an interest in art, start looking at the world Klootwyk explained that, “It was difficult. I have a different way. These kids did, the sports team did, never painted on a canvas before. That was the first choir and theater did, these are all people that are time so it was really confusing.” making art by doing something they love.

Banda drew the twisted eye using a scratch board.

His project involved showing value with lights,

(Above) A picture of North’s art displayed in the Capital Square Mall for most of the month of February.

Art by Levi Banda

Art by Autumn Klootwyk

Art by Vy Nguyen

Art by Ethan Lovan

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3 4 Sports Photos of the Year (as of March 3, 2014) 1. Under the Lights: The Varsity Polar Bears get ready to run an offensive play against the Johnston Dragons at their home Grubb Stadium.

2. Lying in the Weeds: The Polar Bears golf team prepares to take on their long time rival the East Scarlets at their home course Grandview Golf Course.

3. A Deep Three: Junior Neico Greene attempts to shoot a three-point shot in their final home game against the Marshalltown Bobcats. Resulting in an easy win, 81-39.

4. Smooth delivery: Varsity bowler, sophomore Cameron Hansen, throws a ball down the lane resulting in a strike at state at Plaza Lanes Bowling Alley. He bowled a 231 the first game and 163 the second game.

5. Taking the Upperhand: Senior Matt Foley from Hoover wrestles his opponent to the ground from the Lincoln Railsplitters.

6. Ready...Set...Go! The North High Swim team lines up on the line to get ready to take on the Indianola Indians.

7. Conference Champions: Senior Forward Jamaal Dudley does his famous “YEAAA� scream after cutting down a piece of the net after the Polar Bears won the Metro Conference Championship after defeating the Hoover Huskies 71-61.

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