April by Ann Visser

Jazz One Won Again

The Fall of Facebook

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04.26.2016

Volume 34

Issue Six

Current 2 I m p r o v Sh o w Re t u r n s t o Hi g h Sch o o l Page Editor: Chandler Jahner

04.26. 2016

Pu t t i n g a n e w co l o r o n t h e sch o o l

Every year in the spring, the speech department hosts their annual improv show. Improvisation, or improv for short, is when a person performs something without preparation. Suzanne Jones and Ashlee Whittington, the speech advisors, have been hosting the show for 6 years; although, a student is the MC. This year’s MCs are senior Joe Start and junior Ryan VanMaanen, with senior Paige Miller as the assistant director. You do not have to be in speech or drama to participate in the improv show. There are four groups, one group that performs every night and three diferent groups that perform either Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Many students try out, but sadly, only a few are chosen. There are a few key aspects that are looked for at auditions. Jones said, “You need to be brave. You can’t be afraid to make mistakes. You also have to be a strong team player and help your team members look good on stage. It takes performers that can collaborate.” The show is a great opportunity for people to be involved without the school spending a lot of money. They simply design and buy t-shirts, and that’s it. “It is very simple, and yet, people tell us all the time that it is their favorite event of the school year,” said Jones Another interesting thing about the improv show is that there is no rating. There is no student who is necessarily better than the other. There is a cool and relaxed atmosphere among the students. Junior Kaylee Butler said, “I like that I can be myself and just cut loose and have a good time.” The improv show is a great time to watch students be themselves and represent their school in the community. There are many new students joining the improv group this year. “This is my irst year, so it’s all new experiences for me. I watch “Whose Line is it Anyway”, and I love it, and I just laugh so much, and I want to be a part of stuf like that,” said Butler. “I’m so excited to be a part of this show!” • Gabi Criscuolo (gabrielle.criscuolo@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

With the Pella High School’s new renovations, a few students wanted to help make the school look newer. Without experience in the construction industry, several students wanted to help carry out a simpler task. When the Building Leadership Team (BLT) decided to paint the south-side classrooms, this provided the perfect opportunity for students to help with the school’s new look. Megan Clayberg, a physical education teacher at the school, is part of the BLT. “The purpose of BLT is to help create a good climate and culture at the high school,” said Clayberg. Clayberg was the unoicial head of the painting committee, and she looked for volunteers, especially students, to assist with painting. She wanted to “bless the teachers” by allowing their students to paint the rooms and leave their marks on them. The volunteer painters, which included roughly a dozen students, some BLT members, and a few teachers who were not involved in BLT, painted classroom walls solid colors. Teachers who were returning to or moving to classrooms which were a part of phase one of construction were asked to choose the color for their accent wall from a few colors that are going to be part of the color scheme of the refurbished high school. According to Clayberg, they wanted “to stay within a color scheme, to stay within a low throughout the entire high school.” Although the classrooms are being painted a solid color, some students want to include some additional painting projects. In a poll sent to every student in the Pella High School, 113 responded. 89.4% of the 113 said that the Pella High School would look nicer if it was more colorful. 69.4% out of 111 said that they would volunteer to help paint, and make the school look newer. This means that the majority of the student body would prefer a new look for the school and would help to make it possible. The school library, hallways, and bathrooms are not going to be touched by the renovations. Some of these students want to paint a mural in the library and customize their lockers. These changes have not been approved by administration. •Logan Hudson (logan.hudson@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

>>SPEAK. Senior Micah Criscuolo takes part in the school improv show on April 14. Criscuolo was a member of the All Night improv team. The team includes seniors Elyse Parisee, Joe Gaiser, Craig Miller, and Criscuolo, junior Ryan VanMaanen and sophomores Isaac Zeimetz and Ethan Vance. “I enjoy the improv show as it gives me a chance to preform with my friends,” said Criscuolo.

So l o a n d En se m b l e Gr o u p s Co m p e t e So l o a n d En se m b l e Gr o u p s l i st On Saturday, April 2, ten orchestra students went to Grinnell High School to perform solo competitions and an ensemble quartet. The ten participants included ive violinists, two violists, and four cellists. The cellists competed as an ensemble quartet. Each grade level participated in the contest in either a solo or a quartet. At this competition the participants were rated on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the best they could get. They were rated on tone quality, intonation, rhythm technique interpretation, musicianship, diction/vocal, bowing/strings, articulationwinds, and other performance factors. Their performance is all summed up to one rating between 1-5. All of the participants received a 1 or 2. To prepare, the participants practiced during orchestra or on their own. They practiced with an accompanist each time in orchestra for a couple of minutes until they were ready for their solo or quartet. Katherine Bendon, the orchestra director, believes that preparing for this competition helps students develop as musicians. “It challenges them musically because they have to work hard on one piece, and it gets them better at playing. It is also good because they are under pressure, and that helps them grow musically,” said Bendon. • Drew Van Hauen (drew.vanhauen@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

04.26.16

Page Editor: Vivian Neal

Current

The Iowa FFA Leadership which is reciting the FFA creed conference was held on April and being quizzed on questions 17 through 19 at the Hilton to meeting leadership, and Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. It was "Experience the Action," which a three day trip that included is an interactive presentation activities, guest speaker given to groups. seminars, and competitions. “We prepare for the FFA students were given the competitions by performing for opportunity to attend. They businesses and other groups, competed and discussed issues and in return, we get feedback with other divisions of the state from them. It really helps during this event. them,” Bowers said. The FFA organization is split Last year the Pella FFA chaper up into chapters, districts, and was extremely successful, and states. The diferent chapters they wanted to repeat that from surrounding schools and again this year. districts went to the conference “Last year for 'Experience to learn from others and better the Action,' we got silver at their own chapters. Our Pella districts, and then gold at chapter competed against all state,” Bowers said. They also the chapters in the state of placed well for other activities Iowa. such as creed recitation and “We compete with over radio broadcasting. 300 other chapters across Their incentive to do well is Iowa, which is a large deal. driven by one thing: free food. If we do well, it’s a great “If they win at state, I accomplishment,” FFA Advisor treat them all to a steak Jacob Bowers said. dinner,” Bowers said. The Chandler Jahner, district 2015 "Experience the Action" oice vice president, had looked group had gotten this honor forward to the event. Activities previously. included laser tag, bowling, line This conference is also a dancing, and arcade games. place for FFA members to learn “I enjoy all of the about Ag. business. competitions. There are “There are record breaking competitions for meetings, numbers this year. The radio broadcasts, and all kinds job market is low, but the of public speaking. It usually agriculture market is at a high. isn’t taken as a chance to learn, There are many jobs open, but I enjoy learning from other ranging from desk work to people,” Jahner said. hands-on ield work. There The competitions span a is something for everyone in large range of topics. There is the agriculture business,” said everything from creed speaking, Bowers. • Harley Atchison <harley.atchison@student.pella.k12.ia.us>

>> LEAD. (From Left to Right) South Central District Oicers; Treasurer Mason Ohnemus, Secretary Cassie Bond, Sentinel Mara Weis, Reporter Kate Collins, Vice President Chandler Jahner.

Carnaby Club is a musical and theatrical event at the high school hosted by band directors Jason Pentico, Dameon Place, and Gabe Schott. The performances are on April 29 and April 30. The shows provide an opportunity for students to showcase their musical skills. “Carnaby Club is a variety show-- like a talent show type of thing,” said director Dameon Place about the event. “We have musical and theater acts audition for it, and we select two separate shows for Friday and Saturday night.” Two of the main musical groups that play at Carnaby Club are the two jazz bands. Jazz 1, the varsity jazz band (who recently won the Iowa high school jazz state championship), is directed by Dameon Place, and Jazz 2, the non-audition band, is directed by Jason Pentico. The Carnaby Club performances are some of

the last opportunities of the year where students in jazz band will get to perform for an audience. “Both jazz bands perform both nights. It’s a good opportunity to showcase what great work our kids have done in jazz band,” said Place.

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The CAP (Career Academy of Pella) was only completed in August of 2015, and already, it has been getting national attention. The CAP building has been recognized as Building of the Week by American Architects. This organization picks a select few buildings across the United States to recognize. They judge the buildings for the quality of their design as well as cost efectiveness, and if the people of American Architects like what they see, they recognize the building on their website. Of course the CAP building has not been the only building to have received this recognition. Countless buildings have been considered based on design and overall uniqueness. However, getting the attention of American Architects was no small feat considering only one building is picked per week. Principal Eric Nelson said, “Our chances of being recognized were very slim, but

somehow we managed to get the building. Several city-wide their attention.” meetings were held to show Although Nelson and the people of Pella what the Lowell Ernst, director of K-12 facility would look like and instruction, were involved what purpose it would serve. with the conception of this Neumann Monson then helped building for many years, it was put the construction of the Superintendent Greg Ebeling building in motion. who interviewed construction Nelson said, “I was very irms to construct the building. pleased that all of our hard work Once one was selected, the paid of and helped provide project could begin. Neumann us a very positive educational Monson Architectsof Iowa City experience.” were chosen and then designed • Drew Roozeboom <andrew.roozeboom@student.pella.k12.ia.us>

700 Washington Street (641)628-1270

Club shows. The improv show groups usually perform skits at the shows, and on some occasions, speech students have performed plays at the event. There is a lot of crossover between band and theater students, so many of those students are involved in both areas of the performances. “I’ve done Carnaby Club in the past, and it was a pretty good experience,” said sophomore band student Austin Adrian. “I played vibes for a percussion ensemble, and I hadn’t seen the jazz bands yet, so I got a cool opportunity to watch them perform.” Overall, Carnaby Club is an event for students that gives students a way to showcase what they can do in the musical and theatrical arts. “It’s an opportunity to have a great performance,” said Place. “It’s gonna be fun.”

“Jazz band students are all involved. Jazz 1 and Jazz 2 both perform, but anyone else that wants to put together an instrumental act can.-” Theater students are also very involved in the Carnaby • Gavin Klien <gavin.klien@student.pella.k12.ia.us>

>>PHOTOGRAPHER. Cameron Campbell <originally found on americanarchitects.com>

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04.26. 2016

Page Editors:Gabi Criscuolo and Allison Clark

The music department of Pella High School over the years has received acclaim for multiple feats and awards. As the back to back Jazz State Champions, jazz band has gained the attention of the high school in a hurry. Although some still wonder how jazz band difers from other band experiences. “Jazz band is diferent than regular band due to its atmosphere and its set up. Rather than having the traditional band set up, it has 56 trumpets, 56 trombones, an actual drum set as compared to a complete rhythm section, and also the songs are just diferent in general,” said senior Jazz 1 member Macy Nossaman. This year, the Jazz 1 group reached the level of state competition yet again after participating in multiple competitions. The group competed on April 5th; junior Cameron Blom commented on the experience. Junior Katelyn Bonham plays her trumpet solo in Jazz 1. Bonham has been in Jazz 1 for two years. “The competition was great! We felt a huge “Jazz band is great to be involved in because you relief when we won, because we were a little make a lot of friends and fun memories. You get nervous about some of our competitors. Mr. to play high-level music with excellent musicians, and it’s enjoyable because you know you’re part of Place helped tremendously with helping us something really special,” said Bonham. stay calm and relaxed, and when we did win, it made us so much better after everything Mr. Place did for us.” The Jazz 1 group was lead by Mr. Dameon Place. “Before the competition, I was feeling good about our group when we qualiied for state back in December when we won districts. After we had performed at state, I was very conident that they done some of the best they had ever done. After our performance at state, I felt fairly conident, but to be honest it did not matter what place we got. We could have got 3rd and I still would have been immensely proud of what they have done and how they played,” said Place. The Jazz band will play again at Carnaby Club on April 29th. The Jazz Band has accomplished many feats this year and the band shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. ●Chandler Jahner (chandler.jahner@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

As you would expect, Tulip Time is a very busy time for the girls on the Royal Tulip Court. Seniors Elyse Parisee, Anne Williamson, and Shanae DeHaan-Burch will be representing our community and promoting our small town. The month of April is full of presentations and court events. This has made Parisee, Williamson and DeHaan-Burch’s schedules very busy. As of right now, they have missed sixteen days of school because of their activities with the court. Not only do they have their normal school work, but they also have to do things like memorizing lines for their show. It can become challenging to juggle all of the events. “One challenging aspect is keeping up with school, really keeping communication with teachers open. They are all really great about it, and they have been able to work with me. That is deinitely a chal>>Seniors Elyse Parisee, Anne Williamson. and Shanae lenge,” said Parisee. So far they have already meet interestDeHaan-Burch pose for their irst tulip court picture. ing people, like the oldest living Tulip queen. “Our responsibilities are to represent the town of Pella and promote Tulip Time. We are one of the biggest groups that promotes Pella. We advertise Tulip Time and why it all happens,” said Williamson. They also will be attending many events. By the end of the Tulip Time season they will have gone to around 40 diferent groups and given their presentation. They talk about tulips, activities at Tulip Time, and our heritage. So far they have already gone to the capital to meet the Governor and other politicians. “We are ambassadors for the community. We help lift up everything that Tulip Time is about, and we go share all the fun things that we get to do,” said Parisee. The Tulip Court of 2016 includes Pella Christian students Taylor Bolt and Maria Bandstra, as well as Parisee, Williamson and DeHaan-Burch. Bandstra is this year’s Tulip Queen. Through all of the events the young ladies on the court have a lot of time to bond. “My favorite part is getting to know the girls on the court. They are all diferent. Beforehand I didn’t know them as well as I thought I did. I’ve just been getting to know their diferent personalities and growing closer together in this time preparing for Tulip Time,” said Dehaan-Burch.

●Allison Clark(allison.clark@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

•An article by: Drew Vanhauen (drew.vanhauen@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Junior Mandolin Holmes

Senior Micah Criscuolo

Sophomore Isaac Zeimetz

Mandolin Holmes

Micah Criscuolo

Isaac Zeimetz

Literary Program

Improvisation

Grade: Junior

Grade: Senior

Grade: Sophomore

Q: How long have you been in speech? A: This is the irst year I’ve done speech.

Q: How long have you been in speech? A: I’ve been in speech for 4 years.

Q: How long have you been in speech? A: I started speech in my freshman year, so this would be my second year.

Q: Could you describe your performance? A: I performed a literary program. My pieces were Explaining My Depression to My Mother by Sabrina Benim and A Good Day by Kait Rowoski.

Q: Could you describe your performance? Are you performing in AllState? A: My performance went really well. I did a solo improv. My performance that got me to All-State was appreciated by the judges for my vacuum noise.

Q: Could you describe your performance? Are you performing in AllState A: My improv involved a dragon who just couldn’t remember his old friend’s name.

Q: Why do you participate in speech? A: I participate in speech because it’s fun, and I like being able to perform with my friends.

Q: Why do you participate in speech? A: I participate in speech because of the thrill and enjoyment of entertaining crowds of people.

Q: Why do you participate in speech? A: I really love performing because I think it’s one of the best ways to spread a message. Speech is a good way to improve communication and performance skills.

1130 West 16th Street 641-628-2184

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2010 Washington St. (641) 628-995

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615 West 1st Street. (641) 628- 2540

Junior Katie VanderMolen

04. 26. 2016

Sophomore Chloe VanVliet

It is the beginning of spring, and the track season is starting up again. The boys are coming of an exceptional season after getting 7th in 3A last year at state. They had ive All-state honors and won their 4th consecutive conference championship. However, they have a lot of new challenges this year. Some of the challenges this year will be the fact that four out of the ive studentathletes who received all-state honors graduated this past year. Also, the Dutch have a very talented 3A class that is out to win a state championship as well. But, the expectations for the team won’t be put any lower this year. “Expectations are always very high around our program. Winning the conference meet and being a top 5 team in class 3A are among our goals every year, and this year is not an exception. With a talented group of seniors, we hope this will be a special year for the boys’ program,” said Coach Brent Van Hauen. The Dutch will be a team that will put in the time and go through the process of trying to win a state championship. “I am ecstatic about this year’s track team, and with all the amazing athletes from previous years plus the new runners and throwers on our team, I believe our chances of a state title continue to increase with every track meet,” said senior Michael Buma. With 45 students out, the challenge will be giving all of the athletes running time. But, the Dutch, with all of the talent, will be another team from the Little Hawkeye Conference that will be gunning for a state championship.

Meet the coach: Mark Solomon Q. How long have you been coaching at Pella? Do you have any prior coaching experience. A. “This is the 10th season that I have been the head coach of soccer at Pella. Before this, I coached at the middle school and high school level for 8 years in Houston, Texas. ” Q. What do you love about coaching soccer? A. “I have played soccer all the way till the end of high school. I have always loved the game. I am passionate about and I really love with young people who are also developing that love and feel for the game is something that makes me feel really good.” Q. How would you describe your coaching strategy? A. “I don’t know if I have a particular coaching strategy. My philosophy is one that is centered around trying to develop young men into being people who are passionate about the game, but people also of character, and people who understand that at the end of the day, it’s a game. It can teach us a lot about life and how to be successful in life, understanding the diferent components about playing the game well and play it with character.” Q. What is going to be your main strategy or main focus for this year’s team? What are you going to try to implement? A. “We have used some words that come together to create the team acronym: United Together; We are Determined. Vertically it shows team. The focus, as always, is getting them to work together, to realize they can’t be individual stars. The players on the ield, and even the players on the bench, all have to buy into what is going on.” •Caleb Piersma (caleb.piersma@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Senior Will Warner

Girls Varsity Basketball Team

Senior Payson VandeLune

Boys Varsity Basketball Team

The girls’ track season has also begun They are coming of of a 5th place placing at the state meet. They were district and conference champions for the 6th year in a row. The Lady Dutch were very successful last year; it will be interesting to see if they can repeat the success that they had last year. The girls will face the same challenges they have faced every year- maintaining a focus on the team and making sure the individuals perform to the best of their abilities. “The biggest challenge this year is the same as it is every year; maintaining focus on achieving individual and team goals throughout the course of the season. We want to strive to always get better and have fun while doing it,” said Coach Dak Rasmussen. But, the girls have an excitement about this year’s track season that will hopefully help them do well this season. “This season I am most excited about the team we have and the talent we will be able to bring to the track this season,” said junior Kjersten Pingel. The team has lots of expectations and goals this year. The coaches hope that the team will consistently get better throughout the season and do well at state. Coach Rasmussen commented, “I hope that we can add a 7th conference championship, I hope we can add another banner to the gym, I hope we can continue to do well at state, and I hope that all of the girls can feel that they’ve improved throughout the season, found success, and enjoyed the sport of track.” •Caleb Piersma (caleb.piersma@student.pella.k12.)

Tennis is a very popular spring-season sport at Pella High, and many students take part in playing it. This year, the coaches are teachers Lindsy Brandt, Josiah Brandt, Josh McCollam, and Donna Boots. The Brandts coach the boys teams, and McCollam and Boots coach the girls teams. “I am very excited to coach tennis this year,” said McCollam. “I am really looking forward to getting this season underway.” McCollam is the head coach for the girls tennis team. There are 47 students on the boys team, and 39 students for the girls team, which is 86 students playing tennis overall. “Tennis is popular because it is a sport that allows student athletes of all levels to get involved and be part of the team,” said McCollam. According to McCollam, the sport attracts a large number of participants every year because of how accessible it is to both highly athletic students who are in it for the competitive spirit, and also other students who are just in it to have a fun experience. “Tennis is a really relaxing and fun sport, but it can also be a challenge,” said freshman Jacob Schemm, who is playing for the boys’ tennis team this year. Students on the team prepare for meets by playing matches against each other as well as other workouts and games. “Tennis helps students build teamwork skills, responsibility, and honesty,” said McCollam. “Tennis is also a great way to get outside, get some fresh air, and stay in shape. Not to mention all the fun they will have!” •Gavin Klein (gavin.klein@student.pella.k12.ia.us) >>Serve. Sophomore Patience Dykstra serves to a Boone player. The team lost to Boone. “I love playing tennis because I know God is always on my side even when I lose,” said Dykstra.

PAGE EDITORS: Caleb Piersma & Jack Sytsma

In Fo

The Autism Society annually celebrates the month of April as Autism Awareness Month. The month includes diferent activities set up by the Autism Society to call attention to the condition, which some of the students in the special needs program have. Different activities include sending in a photo with someone who has Autism and completing the phrase “Autism is….” In addition, the Puzzle Ribbon, which is the most commonly recognized symbol for autism, is being distributed and people are encouraged to display the ribbon. Special Education teacher Lori Grubb, who works and is a member of the Iowa Autism Society, commented on Autism Awareness Month. “The month of April is Autism Awareness month. The point of the month is to call to attention to people what exactly autism is, how it afects people, how many people are afected, and how people deal with Autism 365 days a year,” said Grubb. Autism Awareness Month is also dedicated to educating people about Autism. Autism is diferent than other conditions as there is a range of how Autism will afect someone. “Autism is a spectrum. Each individual has their own unique set of circumstances to deal with. Autism is diferent than another condition such as Down Syndrome, for example, as it does not have a speciic set of circumstances to meet that disability. People with Autism range from the lowest being that individuals who do not have any language skills, they have to use assistive communication to communicate, or it can range from people who just do not understand social cues. For example, a person without Autism understands that once you enter school, you are supposed to behave. People with Autism do not necessarily understand these cues. They may be really smart, but they may struggle with forming relationships like others,” said Grubb. Autism can be diicult to understand due to its variance; however, people are capable of gaining a lot of knowledge from people with Autism. “We are capable of learning so much from each other, about living, about life by being around people with Autism. Whether you are around someone on either end of the spectrum, you are capable of discovering so much about one another,” said Grubb. •Chandler Jahner (chandler.jahner@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

The Special Olympics has been going on since 1968. It was started by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, John F. Kennedy’s sister. “She believed in justice and equality for individuals with intellectual disabilities and started this program to further that passion,” elaborated Lorri Grubb, head of the special needs department at Pella High. The Olympics is an international event. Each state and country have their own Olympics. It consists of ive parts and takes place throughout the year. Regional and State took place in Des Moines during the months of October and November. Bowling is a part of this section.The Mid Winter Games took place on March 15th in Iowa City. The summer games take place during May in Ames. Grubb believes there is a wide range of students at the olympics. “Anyone with an intellectual disability can participate in Special Olympics. You wouldn’t be able to tell a lot of the athletes that participate from your typical high school peers. Any student with an IEP is eligible to participate. People from age eight to 108 can be Special Olympic athletes!” Grubb said. Since there is such a wide age range, elementary, middle and high school students take part in the Olympics as well. Eight students from Pella high school participate in the Olympics. Senior Briana VanDonselaar is one of them. “It’s fun because you get to try out diferent sports and get out of school,” said VanDonselaar. All eight students in Grubb’s class have done bicycling or will do bicycling in May. They practice bicycling in P.E. Individual students do diferent things to prepare for their events. Senior Mark Steimling, who won a bronze medal for basketball in the Winter Games, practiced outside of the school day. “I practiced basketball in the gym. I made new friends,” said Steimling. Kids with special needs are not the only ones who take part in the Olympics. Their peers, teachers, and associates can help out. Grubb is a Special Olympics coach. All her associates have gone through background checks and passed tests to become Class A volunteers. Amber Williams, a Pella High alumni, was in peer P.E. She helped out there as well. It has taught her to look at special needs kids as who they are, not what they have. It made her realize how frustrating a disability can be, and she is now pursuing a career in occupational therapy. “My favorite part about volunteering is seeing each individual’s gift. For some, it is the gift of athleticism. For others, it is the gift of being a social butterly. I would say that I’ve learned that when someone sets out to help another, the second one isn’t the only one changed. For me, personally, I have seen many changes in myself. I used to be timid and shy, but around them, I can’t be shy. I have taken on more extroverted qualities to adapt to their needs. This is a gradual process and therefore diicult to articulate, “said Williams. The Olympics have been a positive inluence on the kids, including freshmen Marcus Goodyk. “I liked it because it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I liked being a cheerleader,” said Goodyk.” I like how I choose to do it myself. It was fun getting the medal. I loved it!” •Ally Pronina (aleona.pronina@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

What do you know about special needs? What about knowing any of the kids with special needs at the high school? Do you know how to help them? Well in the special needs community, there are many innovative ways to help students with special needs develop their full potential. There has been a study about how preschool teachers can help children with autism learn how to communicate better. Teachers use a technique called Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement and Regulation, JASPER for short. They integrate behavior therapy into the students’ daily lives. In the study, researchers looked at 66 children, ages ranging from three to ive years old in 12 urban public school systems. Half of the teachers incorporated JASPER while the other half did not. Researchers came to the conclusion that kids worked better together, communicated more, and had better speaking skills using JASPER. In addition to today’s technology there are many apps students with special needs can use to communicate. While most of them are expensive, they seem to be very useful. Due to one of the symptoms of autism being the inability to speak, a few apps were created. The apps use pictures to help the kids put together sentences and tell people what they want. If you don’t want to pay a lot of money, there are some books and graphic novels that help students with special needs gain skills. There are also books on how parents and teachers can work with kids with Autism. These books range from diferent topics like speech, communication, and basic needs. When you are walking down the street and see a dog with a special harness do not pet them! They are on duty. Service dogs are a type of dog specially trained to help people with blindness, hearing disabilities, mental illness, and diabetes. The dogs know what to spot, and they know how to comfort their owners. For an example, if a person has diabetes, the dog can tell if their owner has low insulin. Not only do we have a schedule walking from class to class throughout the day, but kids in the special needs world use a very structured schedule. Now you may think that we live according to a structured schedule, so why is their schedule so important? Think about your morning routine. Do you brush your teeth irst or your hair? Special needs kids use this schedule almost in the same way, but it’s always based on order and time. They sometimes use pictures to show what they are doing at a certain time to help them remember. Structured schedules may seem simple, but it does help a lot. In the Pella High School there are many special needs represented. Our special needs community is made up of kids who have Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Autism, traumatic brain injury, learning disability, cognitive delays, and fragile health conditions. If our schools intend to help them reach their potential, we must know about innovative ways to help them develop and learn. •Tifany Van Gilst (tifany.vangilst@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

ocus

04.26.2016

•An article by Allison Clark (allison.clark@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Peer Art:

Peer Art was created when art teacher Jim Emmert was left with an open period due to a problem with scheduling and started brainstorming. Peer Art is a class that is for students with special needs and General Education students to work together and make art. It is a place to have interaction between the peer helpers and the students with special needs. It is a great opportunity for all students to express themselves through art. There is a lot of free range when it comes to Peer Art. Emmert counts on his students to come up with the project ideas. One example of a project that they worked on in Peer Art was little bees made up of paper towel rolls. “We make little art projects. For example, little bumblebees and it’s easy to do. We work with kids who have very little coordination and have them create something,” said Emmert. Emmert strongly suggested that every student should take the class. He said that he thinks Peer Art should be mandatory for all students. Peer Art is unlike many classes ofered at the high school. Students are allowed to work without being worried about messing something up. “It’s a growing class. In art we might have that today we are going to make a face with paint. They might just take it and throw paint on the paper, totally not what you had in mind, but that works in art. You can do that, but you can’t do that in other classes,” said Emmert. There are many lessons that Peer Art teaches students. It teaches peer helpers how to connect with the students with special needs. It’s about breaking down barriers between the students. As for students with special needs, they are able to make art projects, which brings a sense of accomplishment. No matter the skill level, when it comes to art, students are greeted with a high ive and a smile. “I like it. It’s fun,” said freshman Marcus Goodyk. “It’s awesome, exciting.”

Peer PE:Peer Physical Education (PE) has been around in Pella Community Schools for twelve years. This class gives students with disabilities assistance from peer student helpers in a PE class setting. The activities are adapted for the speciic needs of the disabled students, which allows everyone to participate together in activities. “With PE, part of what we teach is recreational skills. It is teaching them that moving is good, exercise is good, and there are all diferent kinds of things you can do to exercise,” said Lorri Grubb, special education teacher. Being a part of Peer PE has beneits for everyone involved. It allows both the students with special needs and the peer helpers to socialize and become friends with people they would normally not have the opportunity to meet. In addition, the experience shows the peer helpers another perspective they may not have been able to see before joining Peer PE. For senior Elyse Parisee the biggest beneit has been the gratitude and friendships. “I think we get to learn a lot about ourselves and appreciate everything that we are given, and seeing some of the diiculties that the kids have really makes you appreciate what you’re given. And honestly the friendships is probably the biggest thing,” said Parisee. Peer helpers must be a junior or senior. An application is also required and must be approved before a student is able to be a peer helper. Peer PE has led many students to learn life lessons and make new friends. “I have learned to not take anything for granted and to look for friends maybe where you might not expect to ind them. A lot of the special education kids have become some of my closest friends,” commented Parisee.

Peer Foods

: Peer Foods has been around for only a semester and is the newest of all the peer classes. Because the class has only recently been created, it has been a learning process. It was created when teacher Kathy VanNorden was inspired by the Peer PE and Peer Art programs. It is designed to get students with special needs working in a more professional kitchen. The class works on basic kitchen skills. They don’t use a text book and are very hands on. Their main focus is on safety and sanitation in the kitchen. Students learn to work with other people in a diferent environment than the norm. They also read recipes, measure, prepare, and clean up meals. The peer helpers get to decide what kind of things that they want to do with the kids. One of these peer helpers is senior Sara Maakestad. “My favorite part about Peer Foods is getting to know all of the students better and having a lot of fun making delicious treats,” said Maakestad. The experience of taking a class like Peer Foods teaches peer helpers many diferent things. For starters, it gives students who want to work with people who have special needs in the future some experience. They are able to form relationships with their peers with special needs. And sometimes the peer helpers have to think outside of the box when things don’t always go as planned. They have to problem solve and use diferent strategies to get things done. Unlike Peer PE, Peer Foods allows all grades to participate. Although, it still does require an application form. Maakestad recommends students give it a try if they have patience and want to have fun. Van Norden also encourages students to take the class for the skills you gain from it. “I would recommend students take Peer Foods. You are dealing with transferable skills because we are always going to be working with people with varying degrees of skill sets and capabilities. There is a lot of developing diferent communication skills,” said Van Norden.

? How does seeing students with special needs brighten your day?

Freshman Cole Bisbee “They always have a face of joy, no matter the situation.”

Sophomore Bailey Hamilton “I just like how positive Marcus is, and how he has something nice to say to everybody.”

Junior Grace Fisher Senior Kayla Langstraat “Whenever I go down the hall, a “They always say hi to people they lot of them smile at me. They are recognize in the hallways and aljust so positive; it makes my day.” ways have something nice to say.”

04.26.2016

GPA, weight, number of followers, height, that score you got on a history test. There is the problem right there. Why are we focusing on the numbers in our lives when we should be focusing on our heart and soul? More students have been asking “What did you get on that test” instead of “How has your day been.” We hold ourselves above the students who get worse grades than us. Class ranking isn’t publicized in our school, but it is available for viewing on ininite campus and word can get around very easily. If you tell one friend, they can tell their friends, and then other people know. Life has become a huge contest. Students often feel terrible about themselves when semester grades come out because their GPA isn’t as high as their friends’ or even a family member in the high school. Or how about the physical things about someone? There are plenty of girls I know who think they aren’t skinny just because someone they know has a waist size of 00 and can it a hand around their bicep. Even in sports there is the pressure of numbers. If someone runs a little bit slower or can’t throw as hard as the best player, it doesn’t mean they aren't a person that is worth your time. Due to the fast world we live in, people seem to want shortcuts for everything. By looking at those numbers – height, weight, number of freckles, number of pimples – people can quickly sort you into interesting or … something else. The problem, of course, is that people are much more than just those numbers. I am more than a person who happens to be shorter than the average bear. You are more than whatever external characteristics you present in your everyday life. By judging people based on numbers, we miss a universe of interesting things about people. We miss the joy of getting to know a new friend because we think we are too good for them because we are smaller than them or smarter than them. When did the world stop even consideringthe values of having a good personality? We are all guilty of looking at someone we know and placing a number on them. Maybe that girl that you just labeled as a math test failure volunteers at soup kitchens for the homeless on the weekends. The boy who gets made fun of because he can’t lift as much as the others in PE might spend his evenings taking care of his sickly grandmother. We so often just look at the surface, we don’t get to know the people around us to ind out the deep inner things about the ones right around us. >>"We so often just look at the surface, we don’t get to know the people around us to ind out the deep inner things about the ones right around us." Art was orginally published at Feedly.com. that has spread However, we can stop this problem someone, don’t among us. Next time you talk to them what they ask them how they did on a test. Ask did this weekend. Don’t ask them why they are so short. It’s obvious. They were made that way. They can’t help the way their body grows and the way they look. Maybe you should ask the boy about his grandmother or the girl about the soup kitchen she works in. Life would be so much better if we all took a little time out of our day to be interested in someone other than ourselves. To me, numbers are weighted far too much in our lives – online and oline. The stuf that really matters, like love, companionship, the soul can’t be weighed or measured, and to me, that’s instructive of how we should look to interact with people and how we should judge ourselves. It’s easy to assign a number to someone, and it’s quick. But you lose an awful lot in the translation. •Gabi Criscuolo(gabrielle.criscuolo@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

My sister started talking at a later age than other kids. Her speech has progressed a lot though. Now, she is doing all the talking at our dinner table, even though it is sometimes hard to understand what she is saying. Despite her speech delay, we have a normal older-younger sister relationship. We love and tease each other. We play games and have fun with each other. My sister and I are always there for each other. She is one of my best friends. (Don’t tell her I said that though.) I have never thought any less of her because of her special needs. My sister has afected who I am as a person. I have helped her with homework by reading with and giving her spelling tests. Sometimes, if she says something that does not make sense, I explain how to say it right. Helping my sister has made me more patient and understanding. Working with my sister has opened doors to opportunities I might not have had otherwise. She is one of the reasons that I joined Peer P.E. I love it and feel like I would not have joined if it wasn’t for my sister. She is the sweetest and kindest person I know, so nice to everyone all the time Her best friend loves her to death. In fact, her mom asked the school if the two could be in the same class because it helps her daugher focus. Nobody brings as much joy to my life as my sister. She never fails to put a smile on my face or make me laugh. She is so adorable and cute! She is also always so happy, unlike some kids her age. My parents were not expecting to have a second child at the time. Yet, the three of us can not imagine our lives without the little munchkin. She has taught us not to judge someone for something they cannot control and to focus on the things they can, like how kind and caring they are. I have also learned that even if someone struggles with something, it does not mean that they will not ind something they’re talented in. My sister plays the piano, plays the clarinet, and dances. She was one of the irst people in her class to get a black belt for recorder and has a beautiful voice. Yes, I know she did not get the talent from me. She has taught me that people with special needs can accomplish as much, if not more, than others. In conclusion, what is it like having a sibling with special needs? It completely depends on how you react to it. Your experience with your special needs sibling lies in your hands. If you actually try to get to know them, it is like a roller coaster ride. At irst, it is scary, and you do not know how to get through it. There are a lot of ups and downs. It is an emotional ride! However, as time goes on, it might turn into one of the best things that ever happened to you.

>> Family. Social Studies teacher Jerod Garland with his daughter Cayla, sophomore Juliana Van Gorp with her sister Bella, junior Sydney Wiskus with her sister Ellie, and sophomore Aleona Poninia with her sister Maria. “My sister has deinitely given me a better outlook on life,” said Wiskus. “Ellie teaches others how to love even in the hardest of times. She has taught me so many lessons and I feel so blessed to have her in my life. I wouldn’t trade her for the world, she is my best friend!”

April is Autism Awareness Month, making this month a perfect time for the school’s special needs programs to be recognized. Some of the students in our special needs program have autistism. Though the programs have grown, little is known about the students, helpers, and teachers that make this program possible. The Pella High special education program currently serves 6 students of the school. The special needs program clearly fulils the Pella Community School District mission “to maximize life’s chances for every child.” The special needs program serves students with wide-ranging academic and behavioral disabilities. There are several classes ofered at the high school for students with special needs. Some of these classes include Peer Art and Peer Foods. The students beneit from these programs with the help of diferent students of all grades. The student helpers assist special needs students with activities, work, and communication. There are currently many student helpers (or peer helpers), a number which is expected to grow. These programs are necessary to fulill the Pella Community district motto. Students with special needs are valued members of our school community. The classes ofered at the school only enhance their day to day routine, while having a positive impact on the lives of the other students at the high school. The Pella High peer programs have not only been recognized as great, for their work with special needs students. The programs have grown to having a Peer Art, Peer Foods, and Peer PE. The programs not only help the special needs students, but the student helpers as well. Students of the high school have the opportunity to help students with special needs express themselves and better their knowledge of diferent cognitive and learning disorders. These classes help the students not only gain experience helping the the students throughout the class period, but to communicate with others themselves. There has been research dedicated to treatment and support dealing with various conditions. There are a lot of new approaches to helping the students, including structured schedules and diferent phone applications to assist communication between the student and others. In all, because the month of April is Autism Awareness month, it is a perfect time to recognize and explain the special needs programs throughout the school, and the beneits each class brings. These classes not only fulill the district motto and vision, but help students better their knowledge of diferent cognitive and learning disorders. •This was voted on unamimously by the Staf

04.26.2016

Opinion

You turn on the TV and a political ad comes on. You go on Twitter and your favorite candidate has a couple of new tweets that you must be sure to read. You get on Youtube and ind that Trump just came out with a brand new controversial ad. There are so many forms of media, and there are many ways in which publications are constantly trying to get your attention and make some more money of of your views. The fact of the matter is, media has changed politics. Whereas beforehand, without all of our forms of media and technology ranging from the radio to Instagram, everybody would be getting the news from the same source, spitting out the same data, that would contain a whole bunch of facts. Now, if people don’t want to hear the facts (which less and less people do), they can watch a group of people debate it out over highly opinionated television and hear what people think about politics and who they think will win. For example, the famous Bill O’Reilly: he talks and talks and shares his opinion constantly, continually making bold statements that people ind interesting and thought-provoking, so they continue to watch him. He isn’t necessarily just spitting out data; he’s saying what he’s thinking about this candidate and relaying the rumors about that candidate. If you’re conservative you watch FOX; if you’re liberal you watch CNN, and you’d be surprised

the diference between the same topics within just the two news stations. Overall, it’s a much diferent world. Many of you might be thinking, okay, but why? The reason that all of this is changing is due to the fact that we don’t trust journalists nearly as much as we used to. There have been cases in which they lie and tweak stories so that just a tad of scandal is in there, or a smidge of action, when truthfully, they might be leaving something out, or altering the story all together to get more attention so that their news sells. We’ve seen it many times with many diferent journalists, and this causes us to lose their trust and go our own way. We know that data can be altered to favor one side, or make it look like it’s saying something when it really isn’t, and keeping that in mind, we look to other forms of social media, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc. All you have to do is follow your favorite candidate, or maybe even all of them, and there would never be a need to watch the news again. You would ind yourself very informed. You can choose exactly what you want to hear, and candidates can campaign for free, so essentially, it’s a win-win. Overall, media continues to change the world, and politics seems to follow it around like a puppy wherever it goes.

•Cartoon by Tom Toles; Originally published by the Washington Post

Page Editor: Andrew Roozeboom

Here are a few alarming facts: One in ive children between the ages of 13 to 18 have had or are currently struggling with a serious mental illness. As suicide is the third leading cause of death in teenagers, it is important to note that 90% of the children who commit suicide have some sort of underlying mental illness. However, the most troubling statistic would be that only approximately 80% of kids with mental illness actually get help for it, meaning up to 20% of kids are left in the dark. Whether we choose to believe it or not, there are many people in our school who sufer some sort of mental illness. There are people with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), bipolar disorder, clinical depression, and generalized anxiety. You wouldn’t know it just by looking at them. People with mental illness don’t have some kind of neon lashing light pointing them out. They’re just normal people who happen to sufer from an unseen illness; it doesn’t make them any less human. Other than ADHD, depression and generalized anxiety are the most common types of mental illness. Clinical depression is deined by Mayo Clinic as “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.” Generalized anxiety is deined by the same source as “excessive, ongoing anxiety and worry that interferes with day-today activities.” On the surface these symptoms don’t seem too bad, and it’s that kind of thinking that can lead to the misconceptions and misunderstandings circling people with these ailments. These illnesses make it extremely diicult for people to function normally in day to day life. However, people think “they don’t make a big deal about it, so it must not be too bad.” It’s these misconceptions that make life even harder. When phrases such as “you’re so OCD” and “I got a C on that test, I’m so depressed” are thrown around so lippantly, it can dismiss the real

feelings and experiences these people are going through. It can lead to people feeling that their personal problems don’t matter, insinuating that the troubling emotions these already hormone-ravaged teens are experiencing are small and not a big deal. It’s also a gateway into bullying. Now, I’m not blaming every single person for every single demeaning thing they’ve ever said. I am saying, however, that the best way to make sure we aren’t inadvertently hurting people is to think before we speak. The point is to just be kind. Don’t say or do anything you could regret. Another thing we all could do is educate ourselves about these illnesses. Even if you don’t personally know someone with a mental illness, odds are you’re friends with someone who does. Even if you don’t know anyone with a mental illness, you should still consider learning about this important issue that afects so many people everyday. Thankfully, the school nurse knows how to deal with things like a panic attack (note: you don’t have to have a mental illness to have a panic attack). The school also works with students who have notiied the board of their condition. The teachers and guidance counselors work with the students to accommodate learning and safety. This is a very good thing, but is there something more to be done? The best thing we can do as a community is to be understanding and knowledgeable about these conditions. Although it can be a tricky subject, it needs to be talked about, it needs to be recognized. A great way to do that is to participate in Mental Illness Awareness month, which just so happens to be May. If you have any friends or loved ones sufering from a mental illness, show them you care. Even if you don’t personally know someone with a mental illness, try reading up about some anyway, so that one day you will be able to help out someone in need.

Pelladium Staf

Executive Editors: Jack Sytsma, Caleb Piersma Page Editors/Reporters: Jack Sytsma, Chandler Jahner, Caleb Piersma, Aleona Pronina, Vivian Neal, Harley Atchison, Andrew Roozeboom, Brenna Hildebrand, Gavin Klein, Allison Clark, Gabi Criscuolo Reporters: Drew VanHauen , Logan Hudson, Tifany VanGilst, Laurel Stelter Business Manager: Jenna Murphy Photographer: Sammy Boetger Cover Page: Jack Sytsma Advisor: Amy Blanton The Pelladium is a monthly tabloid produced by the high school journalism department to serve as an informative, educational and entertaining communications media and to provide an open forum to students and readers. *Letters to the editor are encouraged. These letters must be signed and should, in no way, be libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters must have veriied facts and should deal with real issues. The Pelladium reserves the right to edit grammatical errors, libelous content or length due to space limitations. Letters may be brought to Room 201 or sent to Pella Community High School, Box 468, Pella, IA 50219. *The Pelladium will strive to deliver information in a fair and truthful manner. The Pelladium will function in accord with all applicable laws, both in regard to the rights and restrictions of journalism. *The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual writer and are not those necessarily of the Pella Community Schools administration or the Board of Education. *The Pelladium will make retractions in the event of errors made in the content of printed stories. Retractions will be re-printed in the issue immediately following the issue containing the error. *The Pelladium is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association.

Entertainment

PAGE EDITOR: Gavin Klein

04.26.2016

Ho w t o Ge t Ri d o f Th a t Ca b i n Fe v e r Pi ck t h e m o v i e (se r i e s) y o u w o u l d m o st l i k e l y g o se e : A) The Avengers B) Lord of the Rings C) Star Wars D) Harry Potter

annoyance, impatience, and similar symptoms resulting from a long time indoors during the winter.

Wh a t f a st f o o d ch a i n w o u l d y o u st o p a t d u r i n g a r o a d t r ip? A) Subway B) Taco Bell C) McDonalds D) KFC

Sp o r t s If you’re into sports or the outdoors after a long and tedious winter, then there are some sports you should try. Tennis, golf, and track have started, but you don’t have to join the team to get out of the

Wh a t f o r m o f so ci a l m e d i a i s so m e o n e m o st l i k e l y t o fi n d y o u o n ? A) YouTube B) Tumblr C) Snapchat D) Facebook

winter funk. Grab a few friends and go run, hit, and tee of! Some of us don’t have the hand-eye coordination or like running, but that’s okay. You can go walk or bike on the bike trails. Did you know that Pella’s bike trail is 13 miles long? Don’t worry though, you don’t have to walk all of it.

Wh o sa n g t h e se l y r i cs: “ An d I ca n ’ t fi g h t t h i s f e e l i n g a n y m o r e , I ’ v e f o r g o t t e n w h a t I st a r t e d fi g h t i n g f o r .” (No Go o g l i n g )

Ne w Se r i e s

A) REO Speedwagon B) Heart C) Cher D) Fleetwood Mac

So sports aren’t your forté? You would rather stay on the couch but still get the efects of break-

A) Watching clips on Kennedy’s assassination B) Reading books C) Playing Black Ops D) Reading up on interesting current events

season of Daredevil, and the second season of Grace and Frankie. These shows should help your

ing out of your big sweaters and into your shorts? Then here are some shows going on Netlix this

Ch o o se so m e t h i n g y o u m i g h t b e d o i n g o n t h e w e e k e n d s:

Wh i ch t i t l e w o u l d y o u u se f o r y o u r n o v e l ?

spring: The Ranch, the second season of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Marseilles, the second

need for the new season. (Th e se a r e n ’ t r e a l b o o k s)

A) Forsaken by the Nation B) The Ancient Silence C) So Skies Can Lie D) My Fearless Conquest

Sp r i n g Cl e a n i n g Is your house dirty? Like did you ind that frozen yogurt container you got before Mango Tree closed

Wh a t w o u l d b e y o u r r e a ct i o n t o : “ Ca n y o u h o l d m y b a g f or m e?”

Ca b i n Fe v e r (n .):

A) You drop the bag and run. B) You sit down with the bag because it’s a struggle holding it. C) You stand in place patiently, being a nice bag holder. D) You chuck the bag across the room and stare at the person who asked you to do such a stupid thing.

for the winter? Maybe you should do some spring cleaning! Open windows and let the fresh air in. Shake out your sandy rugs. Clean out all of your trash. Do the dishes. Find the source of that weird smell that started in January. Cleaning the house can reduce allergies, gets you up and moving, reduces stress, and helps you relax.

Wo u l d y o u sh a r e y o u r f o o d ?

A) Maybe just a small piece. B) No, because I’m the one asking people to share their food. C) Yeah, of course. D) What type of question is this, of course not.

Sh o p p i n g Spring shopping could give you a whole new wardrobe for the new season. Maybe just do some

Wh a t i s t h e t r a i t y o u i d e n t i f y m o st w i t h ?

window shopping if you’re tight on cash. It’s a good rainy day activity that you could do with your

A) Old-School B) Geeky C) Bubbly D) Quiet

friends. Perhaps new prints are in your future? If you don’t like clothes, you can always buy food. •Tifany VanGilst (tifany.vangilst@pella.k12.ia.us)

Wh i ch t e a ch e r d o y o u t h i n k y o u w i l l g e t ? A) Mrs. Arndt B) Mr. Solomon C) Mrs. Williams D) Mr. Hancock

Mark Zuckerberg is a name most people know. As the CEO of Facebook, he’s a sort of a •Vivian Neal (vivian.neal@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

celebrity. His creation, however, is losing steam quickly with teens in competition with Snapchat, whose CEO is Evan Spiegel. This “war” of sorts is fought by teenagers, and if there’s one thing Pella

loud mouth friends, and you will never be left without entertainment. Th e M r . So l o m o n - If you got more D’s than all the other letters, then whether you’re surprised or not, you resemble Mr. Solomon. You’ve always been a tad quieter than the bunch, and yet, you’ve always had a lot to say on many topics. Not gonna lie, sometimes you might come across as intimidating or brooding, but that’s not your own fault. After all, if you’re here then that means you probably have the best poker face out of all your friends. You can deadpan a joke and then switch back to “it’s all business” in a lash, but not without your audience cracking a few awkward smiles. You might be pretty driven and don’t like falling behind on things. Just be sure to stick with some Th e M r s. Ar n d t - If you got more C’s than the rest of those letters, then guess what, you resemble Mrs. Arndt. You always seem to be up and jumping around no matter the day. Your excitement and general enthusiasm for things might make people smile or even laugh. You might be up for a good story and, of course, telling one of your own. The secret about your stories, you always know how to spice it up with quick movements and wide hand gestures. Don’t worry, you probably haven’t hit anyone… yet. Just like those who fall into the Mrs. Williams category, you can and will unleash your inner geek. Th e M r s. Wi l l i a m s - If you got more B’s than all the rest, then you’re oh so similar to Mrs. Williams. So you’re the person everyone goes to when they either want to talk about books or a sci-i/fantasy show. You might come of as serious at irst, but you actually really are, at least when it comes to the things you are passionate about. It doesn’t matter where you are at or doing, you will always ind a time to stop everything and have an in depth discussion on the newest books coming out. If anyone was searching for you, they’d probably ind you hidden in the deep jungle of the library or enjoying your time watching netlix…. or maybe doing both? Th e M r . Ha n co ck - If you got more A’s than anything else than you are a deinite Mr. Hancock. Most likely if you’re here then you got question #4 correct, which means Mr. Hancock has already taught you well with those 5 point music quizzes. If you didn’t get that correct, then it doesn’t matter because you are here anyway, which means you are a very passionate person about well who knows, but you would most likely express that passion to anyone who would listen. You always seem to ind a way to keep people engaged in a conversation and, maybe, you can’t help but be a tad bit controversial. Although that’s part of the package with a fun person like you. M r . Ha n co ck

M r s. Wi l l i a m s

M r s. Ar n d t

M r . So l o m o n

High School has, it’s teenagers. The teenagers of this school are heavily in favor of Snapchat at the expense of Facebook. In a school-wide poll, out of 154 responses, 58.9% used Snapchat more frequently than both Instagram and Facebook. Instagram was also more popular than Facebook; 23.2% of the students who responded to the poll prefer Instagram. But what has caused this fall from glory? For one thing Snapchat exists in a fast-paced world, so it being fast paced itself is itting. The 1-10 seconds that let you glimpse into another person’s lives are perfect for the teenagers of today who prefer the short and sweet version of things. Another plus is that there are very few adults on Snapchat, making it a little safe haven for teenagers. As teenagers vacate Facebook, it seems that parents are locking to it. Everywhere you look there’s another picture of a kid or a minion quote. Facebook has become the number one spot for moms and aunts to chat about their lives. In order to draw in more revenue from teenagers, Zuckerberg tried to buy Snapchat from Spiegel for 3 billion dollars, yet Spiegel refused. He decided that the accomplishment of building up a company like Snapchat was worth far more than the short-term gain of the money he would have gotten for selling. Is a teenager-illed app a bad idea? Is the rapid decline of Facebook popularity an omen for bad things to come? Maybe. Or maybe it’s progress, another change in an ever-changing world that craves the new.

•Brenna Hildebrand (brenna.hildebrand@pella.k12.ia.us)

PAGE EDITOR: Ally Pronina

04. 26. 2016

Budget-$179 million Box Oice Takings-$183.9 million Film Rating-26% Approval Rating Jupiter Ascending is a ilm about a young woman who discovers her destiny as a member of an intergalactic nobility who must ight to protect Earth from a destructive race. Although this was actually fairly anticipated for the year, it fell lat with critics for its overuse of animation.

Budget-$150 million Box Oice Takings-$119.8 million Film Rating-27% Approval Rating This prequel to the original story of Peter Pan has been praised for it’s technical achievements. This ilm, however, didn’t seem to pan out for the critics (no pun intended) due to a lack of an original story and characters. Budget-$60 million Box Oice Takings-$47.3 million Rating-13% Approval Rating This action comedy starring Johnny Depp gained a reputation as being one of the worst ilms of 2015. Lacking in plot and in overall appropriateness, this ilm received generally negative reviews.

-Budget-$15 million Box Oice Takings-$2.87 million Rating-8% Approval Rating This ilm follows a washed up music manager who inds talent in a middle eastern country, and with Bill Murray starring in this ilm, many couldn’t believe that this ilm received negative reviews. Critics claim that the ilm is simply not eye grabbing and lacked in terms of originality.

Here’s a song that screams not Meghan Trainor at all, which is amazing as Meghan Trainor has been on almost all playlists for her pop inspired beats. This time she’s hitting us back up with something diferent. 2. This song is making its way back onto a Spring/Summer playlist mainly because of it’s constant mention of the ocean. So, if you haven’t gotten tired of it yet, here you go. 3. (ft. Chris Brown)- Zendaya’s a rising Disney channel star, nuf said, but in all seriousness, this song throws in some old school hip-hop vibes as Zendaya shows she has shed her childlike shell. 4. (ft. Daya)- Slowing it down no with a a DJ mix and a beautiful voice. There is no other way to describe a simple little song like this. -Then speeding it back up with a cute little 5. synth beat. Don’t worry; it’s much more than a cute synth beat, but I suppose you’ll just have to igure that out for yourself. 6. Can’t forget to give Sia a spot on this list, because of course, you need to hear her telling you that she’s alive. It’s a pretty inspiring song, to be completely honest. 7. Now throwing it back with some groovy sounds as Janelle Monae lays it down with her amazing voice. 8. -Next the playlist kicks itself up a speed as Jess’s unique voice gets stuck in our memories. This is most certainly a good car ride song, if you are ever looking for one. 9. ”-Gotta admit, I didn’t listen to alot of Adam until I got one of his albums for free, and I said, not bad. So here we have it, with “Heavy Fire” a song that starts of slow, but there is much more to expect than from the initial sounds. -Anyone remember Lilo and Stitch, 10. the epitome of summer movies? Well, here we take you back in your memories in both a movie way and song way. Re-introducing “Burning Love” to the current generation, Mr. Hancock would be proud. •Vivian Neal (vivian.neal@student.pella. k12.ia.us)

Budget-$250 million Box Oice Takings-$420 million Rating-29% Approval Rating Ok, so even though this ilm made nearly double its budget, it lopped in the eyes of many ilm critics and DC fans alike due to its dark tone, excessive running time and apparent unfocused narrative. •Andrew Roozeboom (andrew.roozeboom@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

1, Senior Allee Kowzan @Allee_Kowzan_34: 6 Mondays left 2. Senior Travis Dingemen @travisdig: When there’s a way, there’s a Willet. #Masters2016 3.Sophomore Ava Rowe @ava_rowe: So I inhale vapor sometimes in the shower so... does that mean I’m basically vaping...? 4. Junior Nick Bernhagen @NickBernhegan: Hope everyone has their tuxes and dresses for the big day tomorrow. Ya wouldn’t want to go take the ACT looking trashy. 5. Senior Seb Sikora @Eugene_Seb: Just want someone to get pizza ranch with •Aleona Pronina (aleona.pronina@student.pella,k12.ia.us )

6. Sophomore Ethan Vance @ESwizzle: If I get a new phone all my social media may be lost due to lack of knowing my passwords..... #RoughLife 7. Senior Sarah Peterson @SarSarPeter: I HAVE WHIP CREAM FROM THE PIE GAME UP MY NOSE AND IT BURNS 8. Sophomore Harley Atchison @harley_atchison: “Hey Harley what if there was an app for twins dating called Twinder.” -my brother 9. Sophomore Avery Vanzee @AveryVanzee: “ The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.” -John Wooden 10. Sophomore Bailee Meyer @bailee_meyer: I love thunder but when it shakes my bed like an earthquake and makes me want my mommy I don’t appreciate it.

PAGE EDITOR: HARLEY ATCHISON

LEFT: Sophomore Elizabeth Lovell and junior Nathan Boldt are interviewed for Pelladiumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coverage of prom. RIGHT: Seniors Isabelle Hall and AJ Kingery arrive outside of Graham Hall, the 2016 prom venue.

LEFT: Seniors Micah Criscoulo and Sara Maakestad pose for prom photos outside the central campus. RIGHT: Junior Ciara Bucheit, senior Grant Judkins, senior Austin Schulte, and junior Halle Van Vark take a group picture on Central Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus.

LEFT: Junior Janyret Somreat and sophomore Grace Larson arrive at prom. RIGHT: Sophomore Kelly Murphy and junior Colton Van Roekel get ready for a picture at prom.

LEFT: Sophomore Kennedy Landgrebe and junior Jared Martens pose for a picture in Graham Hall. RIGHT: Promgoers mingle during the dance. After prom was held at the Vermeer Pavillion.