February 2012 Pelladium

REMEMBERING VAN VARK

WINTER SPORTS WRAP UP

PELLADIUM P. 2

P. 5

THE PELLA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL NEWS PUBLICATION

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PAGE EDITORS: BLAKE LANSER, MADDY SCHOLTEN

IN MEMORY

02. 28. 2012.

In Loving Memory Blake Van Vark 1995-2012

Friends, family cherish memories of Van Vark Speechless. Frozen. Shocked. All emotions that still are with me today. On a day filled with laughter, hope filled with the chance of an early out, how could emotions like this come? On Feb. 13, my whole world was turned upside down.

On this day, Blake Van Vark got to do something that I can’t wait to do in my own life-see our Lord, Savior, and Christ. To be able to see heaven and experience something like nothing on this earth, better than I-dosers, the Yankees, or Guns and Roses, better than Larry Bird or Baseball.

I have known Blake since fourth grade when we both had Ann Vos as a teacher. We hung out all the time from then on- birthday parties, church and at his house. I remember the first time I went to his house; we completely destroyed his basement. We were playing football, and I remember hearing a loud crashing sound followed by a bunch of laughter. When I looked over, I realized that the people playing football had just taken out two of the lights on the ceiling. What I loved about it was Blake didn’t even care; he just started picking up the glass and continued to joke around and have fun.

Another time I remember was when sophomore Aaron VanMaanen and Blake came over to my house after a baseball game. I honestly don’t know if I have ever laughed harder than I did that night. Blake would make fun of Aaron,

then Aaron would make fun of Blake right back. They just bounced off of each other, and it was hilarious. Then, of course, Blake talked about the girl he was texting and how she was ‘totally’ into him. Aaron and I just rolled our eyes and moved onto to playing Madden. Again, we heard about how awesome the Colts are and how he would destroy us when we played him, which he did. These are just some of the hundreds of memories I have of Blake.

For us still on earth, this hurts like nothing we have ever felt before. He didn’t just break his leg or or hit his head; he died. To wrap my mind around that, it hurts like none other. I’ll never watch him eat eight double stacks at Wendy’s or be able to see that amazing smile again. I will never be able to hear one of his jokes again or watch him nail a clutch ‘three’ that meant everything then, but nothing now. All I could think at Third Church was, “Where is he?

Why hasn’t he busted through the doors with that great smile on his face?” I just kept waiting to hear the signature, “Ey yo baby!” as he walked through to comfort us all. I kept waiting to wake up, and I still am. It’s so unreal right now.

It feels like I’m watching a movie or reading a book. Now, it’s not just a statistic, but it’s more than a number. It’s one of my best friends who I will never see open his earthly eyes again.

1.@VanVark1823

- sophomore Blake Van Vark. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

The Blake Edition Blake greatly enjoyed Twitten By in the Pelladium.

I will never forget where I was when I found out. I was having the best time taking pictures and hanging out with my friends when everything stopped.

Standing on the top right-hand corner of the three-point arc, I learned that Blake was in a crash. There was a possibility that he died, and from that moment til now, I haven’t thought about anything different. I’ve never seen my life halt so quickly. That could’ve easily been me. If it was me, I hadn’t even been home for more than an hour that day before I would go to sleep and leave in the morning, not appreciating my family, friends and loved ones at all.

Now what? Honestly, I have no idea. How do I move on from the death of one of my best friends like the world wants me to? It will never be the same, so don’t try to convince me it will be. He’s gone, so it can’t be said that things will get “back to normal.” It can’t be normal when, each class period, one empty desk will never be filled again, one permanently absent student every day.

In this situation, Blake would be such a leader, helping people he did and didn’t know. If there’s anything I can take from this, it’s his leadership, smile and willingness to give EVERYTHING that he had on every possession. He never gave up.

•Derrick Akers (da.pelladium@gmail.com)

4.@VanVark1823 - sophomore Blake Van Vark. I’ve officially

upgraded from ‘bleh bleh’ to ‘bake’ #2yearoldbrother #stilllearning #gettingthere

2.@VanVark1823 - sophomore Blake Van Vark. watching dora 5.@VanVark1823 - sophomore Blake Van Vark. actually, yes the explorer is the most frustrating thing ever. if shes an explorer, why does she need so much help?! #ugh

my life did just get better mother bought 3 boxes of reeses puffs at the store. #bestcerealever #goodeatin #thanksmama

3.@VanVark1823

6.@VanVark1823 - sophomore Blake Van Vark. giant chicken

- sophomore Blake Van Vark. best gift: 6 pack of gummy bears that are the size of my fist #mysisterisalrightafterall #thankshalle

suit costume for tomorrow? i think yes

02. 28. 2012.

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NEWS PAGE EDITOR: JILLIAN SAGERS

Change will cut back number of classes per week

Adjusted scheduling accommodates staff development As the administration prepares for weekly 90 minutes early outs in the 2012-2013 school year, new schedules are being considered to accommodate the change.

“It [the schedule changes] would not have happened if we did not change to early outs. The initial decision was that the Pella school district lacks time for professional development. Other schools have over 50 hours of development while we have less than 20,” said assistant Principal Jon Muller.

The district will have 64 hours of development in the upcoming year, but associates will not be paid during this time, nor will there be classroom instruction.

Staff development will reflect the goals of Authentic Instructional Work (AIW), an initiative created by the Iowa Department of Education.

According to the Iowa Department of Education, “the goal of this professional development initiative is to increase student learning by engaging students in authentic intellectual work. Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) is defined by three criteria-construction of knowledge, through disciplined inquiry, to produce discourse, products, and performance that have value beyond school.”

Overall, AIW encourages teacher and student introspection, and an in-depth approach to learning.

“We want teachers to have a comprehensive understanding of district goals, the course, and the unit they are teaching so they can better communicate the information to the students,” said Principal Eric Nelson.

Currently, two schedules are being considered. The first, which is currently favored, keeps the traditional 46 minute, eight period schedule on Monday and Friday, but Tuesday-Thursday have period lengths ranging from 61-66 minutes. The second consists of four slightly different weekly schedules which will be rotated.

A schedule change is being implemented to facilitate efficiency with the early outs.

Classes, such as personal fitness, which has 10 minutes allotted to allow students to change, is hindered by reduced class periods during early outs and labs often cannot be started.

Nelson sees the schedule changes as a chance to further district goals and enhance

student learning. “[Our goals are to] add construction of knowledge at a higher order of thinking. We want to make sure there is a deeper student understanding. The third focus is having value behind school,” said Nelson.

Many concerns have been raised about the schedule changes including daily contact time because classes will only meet four times a week, schedules of teachers who work in other schools •Graphic by because the high school is the only school affected by the change Mitch Shepperd and maintaining student’s attention spans in longer classes.

The administration has been receptive to the concerns and are taking steps to combat them. Already, they have accommodated for teachers who work in other buildings, and believe that students and teachers will be able to adapt to less daily contact and longer periods.

“I think that it comes down to the class and student. If the student doesn’t like the class, it will be as boring for 60 minutes as 44 minutes,” said Muller. “[Keeping student’s attention] will be the teacher’s responsibility. Instruction should change every 12-15 minutes.

Instead of having three-to-four changes, now you’ll have fourto-five,” said Nelson.

Many students are still worried about the lengthened periods.

“I don’t think there is a need to change the schedule. We have schedules that adjust to the early outs. As a freshman, I know we have horrible attention spans, and sitting in class for over an hour will drive us crazy,” said freshman Emma Johnson.

Other students favor the change and believe it will provide a chance for teachers to adapt their teaching methods.

“I think it’s good because it forces teachers to find different things to teach about during one class period and find different things to keep students engaged in what’s going on,” said senior Joella Gerber.

For the past 12 years, graduating seniors from both Pella High School and Pella Christian have had the privilege to receive at least a 250 dollar scholarship thanks to the Pella Dollars for Scholars program.

“Dollars for Scholars is an organization that gives students more opportunities to get scholarships,” said guidance counselor Teresa Thompson.

The Pella Dollars for Scholars was created in 2000 by members of the Pella Community Foundation. In 2001 the program was awarded the National Golden Tassel Award which is presented to the best new Dollars for Scholars Chapter.

The program’s mission is to assist Pella Christian and Pella Community High School graduates with financial support for post-secondary education.

“Any student who is a full-time student at Pella or Pella Christian is eligible for at least a $250 scholarship,” said Thompson.

The requirements for the scholarships are simple. Students must apply for the scholarship, be a full-time enrolled student at either Pella schools, be in good academic standing, and write a thank you letter to the individual or the organization providing the award.

Dollars for Scholars is a nationwide program but it is operated on a local scale. All the money comes from local businesses and donors and will be awarded at Senior Awards Night, May 9.

“They [Dollars for Scholars] get local organizations and families to donate money if they are interested in helping students get a secondary education,” said Thompson.

The money given comes from different businesses and individuals around the community that want to help local high school students with a secondary education.

It [the scholarships] might be a memorial scholarship that is set up in someone’s name,” said Thompson.

This means that a scholarship can be set up in the name of someone without having to do it all by themselves. Dollars for Scholars gives people an easy way to make a scholarship without having to do all the logistics of setting up their own.

The scholarships are based on whatever aspects the donor chooses: grades, school of choice, career choice, and others.

“Scholarships range from $250 to 1,000 and they can be used at any college,” said Thompson.

What scholarship the person receives is decided by a committee that finds what scholarship they think is best suited.

“The good thing is that everyone gets at least a $250 scholarship,” said Thompson.

•Gregory Frommelt (gregf.pelladium@gmail.com

•Alexander Ropes (ar.pelladium@gmail.com)

Dollars for Scholars offers opportunity for future 100 percent of students that apply for the scholarships will recieve at least $250 if they meet the requirements.

- Counselor Teresa Thompson

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PAGE EDITOR: GREGORY FROMMELT

LIFE

02. 28. 2012.

Family Force Five plans March show at Vermeer Pavillion Get ready, kids. A rock band is coming to Pella. The band Family Force Five, whose songs have topped the Billboard 200 charts will be performing a stand alone concert at Vermeer Pavilion March 31. Sound random? Not completely. The band has unique ties here.

It began when band member Chapstique (Derek Mount) came across an inspiring video on YouTube last March. It was the AcaPella show choir singing and dancing to one of his songs. He and the rest of Family Force 5 was completely startled that anyone would spend time singing and dancing to their songs. He tweeted the video, and Wes Chaplin, choir director Michelle Chaplin’s husband, took the chance to tweet back at Chapstique. Wes showed Chapstique more of the routines that AcaPella had done to Family Force 5 songs. The band was unbelievably impressed and even posted AcaPella’s videos of ‘Dance or Die’ and ‘Fever’ on their Facebook page.

“Pella’s a great place to raise kids, and it’s a wonderful place for families, but from the ages of 13-to-22, there’s nothing to do in this town other than go to a movie or hang out at Smokey Row ... there’s this void, and that was one of the things we talked about when seeking sponsors. We wanted to find a positive activity that would engage everybody in town and give them an outlet,” said Wes. Wes recontacted Chapstique in June when he and Michelle were taking youth from different churches around town to the Sunshine Music Festival in Minnesota. They asked Chapstique if he wanted to get together with these kids, some who were members of AcaPella. Chapstique attended a get-together at the campsite, roasting shishkabobs with local students.

“It was really cool [to meet Chapstique] because he’s really down-to-earth, like you usually picture a rock star being

kind of cocky, but he was really humble. It’s going to be cool to have them in town,” said senior show choir member Jordan Baker.

From there, the band began asking for ways to give back to AcaPella show choir because of the time AcaPella spent choreographing and learning their songs. Michelle and

•Photo submitted

Wes decided that Chapstique could make a video for the AcaPella show choir which introduced their songs for the rest of the year at the annual show choir summer retreat.

“It’s such an honor that somebody would pour that much effort and time into learning our songs and singing and dancing to them, and the choreography, and the costumes.

It blew our minds! We had no clue it was even happening, and when we finally saw it on YouTube, it was a big honor to us. It was really cool to hang out with all those people, and Wes and his wife who directs the show choir. There is

something personal about art and when someone recreates something what you’ve made, it’s a huge honor. We’re excited this year they’re performing one of our songs again, a newer song called ‘Keep the Party Alive,’ and I can’t wait to see that,” said Chapstique.

Parents chaperoning the event then wanted to encourage the AcaPella and Family Force Five relationship even further; they wanted to bring the band to Pella. Wes immediately took the lead and tried to gain sponsors and supporters of the idea. Vermeer Corporation and Pella Rolscreen Foundation are promoting partners.

“If it goes well, our goal would be we want the concert to be an event that can be a unifying for our community.

The concert is presented by them [Vermeer Corp and Pella Rolscreen foundation] and promoted by Pella High Vocal Music. The goal is to get as many people as possible to come, and our hope is that maybe next year Pella Christian tries to get someone like Switchfoot to come, and then Central would say the next year they want to get Toby Mac to come,” said Wes. Tickets are $20 at the door, $15 in advance. They are being sold at the high school, middle school, Central College Student Activities Center, Pella Christian High School, and Branches Christian Store. The schedule for Family Force Five’s arrival and departure are still to be determined.

“We’ve been making all this art, and it’s really exciting and fun. At some point you just wanna share it, so we’re just really excited to get there and go nuts on stage and play a rock show. We contribute this a lot to Wes... who’s been working really hard to make it happen, and we’re just really excited to get there to feel your freezing cold weather and awesome hospitality,” said Chapstique.

•Madeline Meyer (mm.pelladium@gmail.com)

Deaton brings home two world championships Though he may come from a small town, senior Bridger making Deaton a two-time World Champion. These wins did not come easy, Deaton is garnering world wide attention. Deaton’s 13 as Deaton has long been preparing for the events. years of practice and experience in archery paid off on Feb. “I prepared for this by shooting my bow, and also working on endurance, 9 at the World Archery Indoor Championships, where he along with being able to keep my mental game where it needed to be. I shot claimed the title of Junior Individual World Champion and around 300-400 arrows each day after qualifying, along with shooting with Junior Team World Champion. some of my buddies that participate in archery. Visualization was another The Indoor Championships were held in Las Vegas, Nev., important aspect for me to practice,” said Deaton. and the event was attended by competitors from across the Since the wins, Deaton’s focus and work ethic remain steady, if not even globe. Deaton participated in the junior men’s division, more so. With hopes of participating in many more archery competitions this which consisted of 30 archers, representing 14 countries. year, Deaton plans on keeping up his rigorous practice schedule.

Ages in this division ranged from 17-20. These young “It’s all still a little overwhelming. After you win something like this, it’s men were considered to be among the most elite archers important to remember to keep working and shooting in order to keep getting in the world, as they were previously qualified for the better, because that is what every single one of your competitors are doing. I championship round. will keep working as hard as I can to keep my game up and keep improving,” “To qualify for this event, I travelled to King of Prussia, said Deaton.

Pa., during the first weekend of the new year. Through a Upon hearing the news of his victories, Deaton was showered with series of qualifications, along with match play and a special congratulations texts, calls and Facebook messages from his friends and family. point system, I qualified as the third member of the team Perhaps most proud, however, was Deaton’s sister, Callie, a 2011 graduate. for the championships,” said Deaton.

“I’m very, very happy he won; I figured he would. He doesn’t do that great With his sharp shooting, Deaton managed to win the under pressure, but he concentrates really well and doesn’t let a lot get in his •Photo submitted Junior Individual gold medal and went on to find success head. I’m disappointed I couldn’t be there, but I’m so proud of him,” said once again in the team shooting division. Deaton, along with his two other teammates Callie.

Ben Cleland and Garret Abernethy, placed first in the Junior Team World Championship, •Maddy Scholten (maddys.pelladium@gmail.com)

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02. 28.2012.

SPORTS

5

PAGE EDITOR: MADELINE MEYER

•Photo submitted

Veenstra soaks in Super Bowl

To most people, the Super Bowl is a yearly event they watch on television while eating hot wings at a party. To sophomore Kelse Veenstra, the game was an experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. It was such an event that, when he spoke of it, you could almost taste the atmosphere, or see the lights of the halftime show in his eyes.

As a country, America reveres things that are considered ‘super’.

Be it super powers, or Superman, or even super-nachos, anything super is a point of interest for many. One of the most celebrated ‘super things’ in America occurs in February; the Super Bowl.

Every year, millions gather to watch two teams battle it out for the honor of being the best football team in the world.

Bridgestone, a major sponsor of the game in general and the official sponsor of the halftime show, brought out many of its owners and 25 dealers from around the country to the game. Kelse’s father, Kevin Veenstra, was one of the 25. Kelse described the game as unbelieveable, but said there was a noticeable difference in the atmosphere.

“There were more Giants fans than Patriots. The atmosphere at this game was different than other NFL games that I have been to. This atmosphere felt more like a college-game atmosphere, because the stakes were just so high, and the players clearly really wanted to win,” said Veenstra.

For Kelse, the game entailed much more than just a big-time

Hurdlers jump at pre-season training

football game. The Super Bowl location is always packed with celebrities, and he saw his fair share of famous icons.

“I met people like Peyton and Archie Manning, and I saw people like Kate Upton, Adam Sandler, Carrie Underwood, Steven Tyler, Troy Aikman and more. The coolest part, though, was listening to Peyton and Archie Manning talk for like an hour. They told stories about the Manning brothers when they were kids, and they were really funny. It was really cool to listen to them,” said Veenstra.

For many fans, the halftime show is a huge part of the Super Bowl experience. Kelse really enjoyed watching the performance, even though he got to watch it four times.

“Since Bridgestone is the official sponsor of the halftime show, I got to watch them practice it three times full on before they actually performed it at the game,” said Kelse.

Though the purpose of the trip was for the Super Bowl, other activities lined the agenda as well.

“I got to eat at a restaurant owned by Peyton Manning, and I also got to see ESPN conducting an interview. One really cool thing was I got to kiss the bricks at the start of the Indy racetrack,” said Veenstra.

The Giants ended up winning 21-17, but the outcome of the game didn’t matter as much to Kelse as the overall experience.

“Looking back on the experience, it will be one of those things that I will remember for the rest of my life,” said Kelse.

•Nathan Clayberg (nc.pelladium@gmail.com)

Training to run hurdles in the spring may be a hard task to accomplish in the middle of winter, but hurdlers from both girls’ and boys’ tracks teams have been doing just that since November.

“It is difficult for Iowa high school athletes to do the necessary training before the spring season because the pre-season is in the dead of winter and most running options are inside a cement floored high school hallway. This is not an ideal environment for any runner, but it’s even more tricky for hurdlers,” said hurdler coach Kari Pingel.

The hurdling teams run inside the Central field house to focus on speed, mobility and agility.

“It’s nice to have someplace to run in the winter where you could get some practice. It also gives you a good advantage over some of the competition,” said junior Kenny DuPré.

For the most part, the hurdlers have been training three to four days a week since November, focusing primarily on their general strength, speed, and mobility.

“[Training has been] fun and awesome. I think we have a better chance at doing better at state,” said sophomore Becky Visser.

Training during the winter months is tricky for runners.

“It’s very difficult for the girls to train during November through February. So,they focus on all over strength and mobility in the weight room to improve their ability to be more powerful in the spring,” said Kari.

In addition to hurdling, junior Wade Pingel lifts to strengthen his core and general strength.

“I lift four times a week, do a sprint workout on Sundays and sometimes I do a long distance run, here and there,” said Wade.

Wade works hard, but the motivation to be successful in track is his love for the sport.

“The main reason is for the love I have had longest in my life, track and field. I’m pretty good at the sport, but I’m never content with my skills; I can always get better.

The motivation to be the best I can be is the reason I’m doing these track workouts,” said Wade.

Even though the teams are practicing inside of a building and weight lifting, Kari has hopes that the training these students endured will pay off.

“The hurdle team has been determined to make the best of their indoor situation and preparing in other ways, building their overall body strength and core and focusing on workouts that will reduce and improve mobility will give them a solid start to their practices and meets,” said Kari.

•Kayla Da (kd.pelladium@gmail.com)

Winter seasons wrap up

Girls’ basketball wrapped up their season with a loss to Williamsburg Feb. 18, while the boys’ varsity team continues into the post season. The girls’ team’s final record was 13-10. Senior leader Regan Cooper, left, averaged 17.4 points per game. “It was a great season. We might not have made it to state, but we had fun along the way and learned a lot about each other as a team and as people. It was a season I will never forget because of the girls,” said Cooper.

The boys’ varsity squad posted a 14-7 record after a 62-34 win over Carlisle Feb. 20. Senior Schyler Kane, right, who made 15 three pointers in the past three games as of Feb. 20, continues to be optimistic about the post season. “We’re doing great obviously because we’re on the longest winning streak we have had all season, and we’re really stepping it up as a team,” said Kane.

The boys faced Grinnell Feb. 23. Due to printing deadlines, results can be found at pelladium.com.

•Photos by Blake Lanser and Tiffany Carter.

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PAGE EDITOR: TIFFANY CARTER,

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PAGE EDITOR: ALEX ROPES

IRREGARDLESS

•BENJI MCELROY (BME.PELLADIUM@GMAIL.COM) Nicholas Sparks owes every red-blooded, girl-questing guy alive a big, fat apology. Not for writing heart-warming, tear-jerking novels-turned-blockbusters (because, to tap into my inner Ross Mathews, they are fantabulous), but for writing scenes so over-saturated with romance that they’d supply the world with enough valentines to last until 2053.

When all my best attempts at good old fashioned chivalry are measured against “The Notebook,” they’re going to fail miserably. It’s like expecting the basketball team’s 11th man to play like a 5’6 Lebron James.

Chivalry is dead because of Hollywood-expectations, not a lack of effort.

Unless a guy has some combination of Channing Tatum, a green screen and a million dollar budget, he’s essentially out of luck. He might as well crawl back to the Internet where a 31-year-old divorcee has little-to-no standards. A smiley is infinitely easier to pull-off than a Sparks-esque scene.

To be fair, ladies have standards to meet too. It’s hard to compete with cover models who have airbrushed skin, silicon-assisted boobs and sucked-in waistlines. But, here’s the difference: high school guys are desperate for girls like dogs are for tennis balls.

Air Bud couldn’t care less if the ball has scuff marks and a pigeon liver stuck to it. It’s a tennis ball! Much like a high

“RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON THE RELATIONSHIP THAT COULD HAVE DEVELOPED, STUDENTS ARE FOCUSING ON WHAT DID HAPPEN”

OPINION

02. 28. 2012.

“A SMILEY IS INFINITELY EASIER TO PULL-OFF THAN A SPARKS-ESQUE SCENE”

school guy is willing to overlook anything short of an Adam’s apple (and even that’s a debatable cut-off) because, hey, it’s a girl!

Girls do no such thing. Sure, they tend to overlook general douchebaggery, but, when it comes to dates, they do their best Gil Grissom and examine everything with C.S.I.-like thoroughness.

He opened the door for me. He must be a sexist pig who thinks I’m incapable!

He smiled at the waitress. Two-timing scumbag!

He said I looked beautiful tonight. I guess I don’t look gorgeous!

Every date is like the NFL combine and one girl more than makes up for the lack of a hundred scouts. Instead of measuring prospects with 40-yard-dash times and Wonderlic scores, girls measure guys with a complicated algorithm that goes something like:

At the end of the night, guys are critiqued more than an America’s Next Top Model contestant. And that’s before the Sparks-level expectations come into play.

Look, if I could pull-off romantically laying in the street without getting run over or looking like a meth head, I totally would. I’m sure any guy would. There’s not a lack of effort here. We want girls to appreciate the clean (not to mention matching) pair of socks we bothered to put on!

I don't mean to dupe ladies into settling for a Dairy Queen date, but expectations somewhere between Dairy Queen and Nicholas Sparks would be more realistic. One part Blizzard. One part Channing Tatum. I’m just saying, us guys are doing our best.

EVERYTHING’S NOT LOST •ALEX ROPES (AR.PELLADIUM@GMAIL.COM)

The death of Blake Van Vark has transcended our high school, and his impact and the a Sunday night youth group- but who have found joy in what they did experience, not in impact of his death are resonating throughout the community. The red eyes, heaving sobs what they can never have. and sniffling noses present in the gym on the morning of Feb. 14 serve as a testament I am not surprised by our community coming together, for I would expect nothing that death affects more than close friends and family, because on that morning, I saw less, but I am impressed by the authenticity of the public’s emotions. The heartbreak, utter strangers mourn amid Blake’s closest friends. hope and condolences are not a reflex, not something people do because they know what My immediate reaction, though it may seem callous, was to wonder why these they should say in a situation. It’s because people want to say it. It’s because people mean strangers were grieving; what had they lost? As I have mulled over this, talked to these what they say, which should speak volumes about the citizens of our town. strangers and read one too many Facebook statuses, I have found that Finally, students are beginning to realize the fragility of life. We’ve always thought high these individuals have just as much to mourn for as his closest friends. school students, children with so much opportunity and promise looming, do not die.

In the wake of his death, I was afraid our town would be At least, they shouldn’t. Blake’s death has cracked our transfixed upon what could have been. I was worried I would feeling of invincibility and opened the eyes arrive at school to find hundreds of students mourning the of many. Though for some this may serve as a fact that they never got a chance to be friends with Blake, short period of introspection, and for others because chances are, if he were still alive, we would it may change the rest of the high school still have a school full of students who would never be career, all of us now realize that we are part friends with Blake. It is unreasonable to assume any of the real world, and can still fall victim student can befriend the entire student population. I was to the claws of mortality. As said by fellow pleasantly surprised to find that my initial assumption senior and columnist Benji McElroy, “At Seniors Brett Renaud, Zach Buchheit, Jordan Baker •Photo by Tiffany Carter was incorrect. least, in the wake of Blake, we’ll all feel that Rather than focusing on the relationship that could have developed because someone necessary vulnerability.” said ‘hi’ to Blake between fourth and fifth period, students are focusing on what did I never knew Blake. In fact, I do not believe I have ever said a word to him, but I have happen. They are coming together, realizing and appreciating the fragility of life. been affected by Blake, even if it has been posthumously. Blake’s death has caused an As I have looked through the social media response, I have found my fair share of Bible outpouring of sincerity which cannot be grasped through a column or news coverage. verses and RIP statuses, but among those, I have also discovered high school students I cannot grieve at the loss of a family member, friend or even acquaintance, but I am coming to realistic terms with a loss. I have encountered students acknowledging that sorrowful for all of those who can, and because of them, and how they have come they only knew Blake for a short while -who may have only had discussions with him at together and handled this situation, I have never been prouder of this town.

A

Do you agree with the 2012-2013 schedule changes?

•Derrick Akers (da.pelladium@gmail.com)

“I don’t think it’s a very good idea because people will forget about homework with the day gap between classes.”

“It’s going to be a huge hassle, and it’s kind of unnecessary.”

>>Freshman Kody Beller

>>Sophomore Claire Anderson

“In my opinion, the new scheduling is a pretty good idea.

We still get early outs without missing out on time for any of our classes.”

I think it is better for students learning a foreign language to be exposed everyday to that language, even if that means to have 30 minutes class once a week”

>>Junior Brandon Konfrst >>Spanish Teacher Paloma Soria

OPINION Editorial Cartoons 02. 28. 2012

PAGE EDITOR: JACK PARISEE

Alternative News

9

>>STUDY. Seniors Benji McElroy and Tiffany Carter listen during FCS class at Pella Christian High School.

The Pelladium editors, which also included senior Maddy Scholten and Madeline Meyer, spent half a day at PC Feb. 6. •Photo by Maddy Scholten

Pella Christian visit broadens perspectives •Mitch Shepperd

Staff Editorial Van Vark tragedy provides realization Those of us who are left after a tragedy occurs have an opportunity to decide how we react to what has happened. Though we may not have all known Blake personally, from what has been said, it is easy to see that he was a kind, positive young man who sincerely cared for the well-being of others. While continuing with our lives, and our daily tasks may seem selfish and wrong, with this knowledge, we must realize that he would want us to not only proceed with our normal activities, but do them with with a greater appreciation for the opportunity to and celebrate that we have one another to do these activities with.

Instead of dwelling on what we should have done or how we should have acted, we should do our best to do what’s right now and try to correct our mistakes. Instead of taking the people we love or the opportunities we are given for granted, we should express the way we feel, show our appreciation and take full advantage of every chance we’re given, and a chance is exactly what Blake gave us. He gave us a chance to step back and examine the way we live and how we treat others. He gave us a chance to not only recognize these things but to also find ways to fix them and turn things around. What we all need to understand with this gift is that second chances are rare.

For those who now regret the missed opportunity of getting to know Blake, don’t dwell on it. Focus on avoiding that same mistake. Approach those you’ve passed in the halls and previously added to your mental ‘Get to Know’ list. Spend that extra five minutes getting to know the person that’s been sitting next to you all semester, as opposed to your normal routine of salivating over the Italian dunkers being served at lunch and waiting to dart out of the classroom. Take advantage of your science lab partnership and use your multitasking skills to learn about someone new. We have numerous chances everyday to get to know others around us, we just need to learn how to recognize and act on them.

While it is a tragedy alone that it took a death for many of us to realize how much we care for others, how we want to live our lives, how we want to be remembered, we should appreciate how much someone so young has taught us and take advantage of the fact that we have the opportunity to live out the message he’s left us with. Show the people you love your appreciation, be the person every day that you want to be remembered as and cherish every moment you have with them.

Feb. 6, Pelladium editors were invited by the editors of the Eagle’s Cry to participate in a school swap, in which the day was split between schools with each group of editors observing the others’ school.

Maddy Scholten: In normal circumstances, I can’t help but feel the rivalry and competition between Pella Christian and Pella High. This deep-seeded animosity has led to the making of countless rumors and assumptions about each school, often-times the truth being hidden behind the adamant opinions of students. The cookie break was definitely a shock, as it seems health regulations have taken over our own school. Perhaps an even bigger shock, though, was the common attitudes of the students and staff at PC. In each class we attended, we were warmly greeted as old friends, and the atmosphere was one of hospitality and kindness.

Madeline Meyer: One thing that stood out to me, in particular, was the ease each student had in professing their faith. There weren’t snide comments or remarks about quoting from the Bible or judgments about a student for using Jesus as a reason to support factual information. Although different forms of debates at our school call for ‘scientific fact’, I thought that these arguments were just as valid. In addition to the profession of faith students had throughout the day, I was equally surprised to sit in on a Spanish class and have the teacher pull out a guitar and sing for the class in Spanish!

Tiffany Carter: While many may feel that any animosity toward rival school PC should be based on sports or any other competition, our school should instead feel jealous of one thing in particular- the cookie break. The price for such a wonderful mid-morning treat? A quarter. It may be widely-believed in public school that all they do in PC is talk about Jesus and pray. While this visit certainly proved otherwise, I did notice an incorporation of religion in basically all of the classes we attended. Even in Spanish a quiz (with a rather lenient due date I must say), consisted of memorizing and reciting a certain Bible verse in Spanish.

This may seem absurd to many here, but we also forget Christian is in their school name.

Benji McElroy: Pella Christian was school pretty much like any school is school. There were pencils, desks and teenagers. These teenagers just happened to be better-behaved and the lack of open rebellion led to a more relaxed classroom atmosphere. Something Biblerelated was mentioned in every class we attended. Not just the acceptance of Christianity, but the general assumption of it was foreign coming from a school where an accidental Bible verse on Youtube leads to a quick teacher apology.

•Pelladium Editors

Executive Editors: Tiffany Carter, Benji McElroy, Madeline Meyer, Maddy Scholten Page Editors/Reporters: Benji McElroy, Jillian Sagers, Maddy Scholten, Gregory Frommelt, Madeline Meyer, Tiffany Carter, Alex Ropes, Jack Parisee, Evan Jones, Mitch Shepperd, Marielle Gaiser Visuals: Blake Lanser, Marielle Gaiser, Jillian Sagers, Mitch Shepperd, Micah Zeimetz Reporters: Derrick Akers, Nathan Clayberg, Kayla Da, Jake Dorman, Ben Konfrst, Sarah Muller, Ji Seo, Haley Sytsma Adviser: Ann Visser 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 Editors are welcome and encouraged. These letters must be signed and should, in no way, be libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters must have verified facts and should deal with issues. The Pelladium reserves the right to edit grammatical errors, libelous content or length due to the space limitations. Letters may be brought to Room 201 or sent to Pella Community High School, Box 486, 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 not necessarily those of the Pella Community High School Administration or the Pella Community Schools Board of Education. The Pelladium will make retractions in the event of errors made in the content of printed stories. Retractions will be printed in the issue immediately following the issue containing the errors. •The Pelladium is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association.

10

PAGE EDITOR: EVAN JONES

: N E V E S L

U F E M A songs ” H e r S u s E a TH uilty ple 7 The top

“g

•Graphic by Marielle Gaiser

“In the End” by Linkin Park: 2000 These ear-pieced and gel-spiked haired individuals created the perfect solution for those hardcore, yet mainstream, music seekers.

While having “In the End” in your purchased folder for iTunes is excusable, some of us may have taken it a little too far by memorizing the lyrics, or even going to the lengths of establishing a duet system with a sibling (not to say I did that...).

“All the Small Things” by Blink 182: 1992 Never has there been a more repetitive and choppy, yet enjoyable song, and, as a stickler for quality lyrics, I admit to putting aside my standards for this one. Oh, us 90’s kids.

“U Got It Bad” by Usher: 2001 The fact that the title uses MSN chat lingo should say quite a bit, but anyone who claims to have never appreciated Usher at some point is lying. It’s hard to avoid belting out the very first notes (it is quite powerful), but I would definitely save any attempts to imitate Usher’s signature dance movies for when you’re home alone.

“Don’t Speak” by No Doubt: 1995 Apparently, as a one-year-old, I had incredible taste, and to be honest, I’m probably not as embarrassed with my Gwen Stefani obsession as I should be.

“Love Story” by Taylor Swift: 2008 Yes, as painful as it is to say, I was just like the millions of other teenage girls who related their life to the lyrics of this song. But, hey, what girl hasn’t at least once longed for their life to be like a fairytale? From now on, I’ll deny making any personal connection to this song, and I recommend the same for the rest of you ladies.

“Far Away” by Nickelback: 2005 Sorry, boy band rock fans, but knowing the lyrics to, let alone enjoying, any Nickelback song should come with embarrassment.

As horrifying as it is to be able to sing anything more than the chorus, if it ever comes on the radio, liking awful music was allowed in middle school, so don’t be too mortified.

“Friday” by Rebecca Black: 2011 While I refused to allow this song to be sung or played in my presence, it still managed to get stuck in my head, along with everyone else’s. This YouTube sensation became an epidemic, reaching even biology classrooms (thank you Mr. Siewert). While the hype over “Friday” has died down, unfortunately, one can still be haunted by Black’s nasally voice from just hearing the words “It’s Friday.”

•Tiffany Carter (tc.pelladium@gmail.com) Ulrich Motor 1130 West 16th Street Pella, IA 50219 641-628-2184

Wiskus Group 821 Franklin Street Pella, IA 50219 641-628-1505

Van Hemert Chiropractic Center 1310 East Washington Street Pella, IA 50219 641-628-2099

Van Gorp Corporation 1410 W. Washington Street Pella, IA 50219 641-628-9212

Van Sant Collision Repair 80 Truman Road Pella, IA 50219 641-628-3206

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ENTERTAINMENT

02. 28. 2012.

And the award for ‘Best Picture’ goes to...

If you didn’t get your fill of award season, in last month’s edition, you are in for a treat.

If you did, Twitten By is on the next page.

This year’s award season is way less predictable than previous ones. There is no sure pick for Best Picture at the Oscar’s. “The Help,” “The Descendants” and “The Artist” have all walked away with awards claiming them to be “best of the year.”

To recap this year’s award season so far: the Golden Globes were a joke, the Director’s Guild of America gave their top honor to a French director, and the Best Picture race is still up in the air.

The Golden Globes were a joke for many reasons. First off, they rewarded Madonna “Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.” She received the award for her song “Masterpiece” from her movie “W/E,” which is this year’s knock-off of “The King’s Speech.” It was ridiculous how they left Bret McKenzie out for his awesome work in “The Muppets,” but giving the award to Madonna, that’s just a bit too much.

Secondly, because the Golden Globes split up the best picture awards based on them being comedy/musical or drama, it leads to annoying genre confusions. I can understand how they tossed “50/50” into the Musical/Comedy section, and I am glad that it was nominated, but, I challenge you to sit through that movie and tell me it’s not a drama.

Another confusion is “My Week with Marilyn.” Just because the movie is about Marilyn Monroe, who can sing, doesn’t mean that it’s a musical. I’m going to say that four of the six movies nominated for Best Picture Musical/Comedy were dramas first, comedies second. Despite these things, the Globes were amazing due to host Ricky Gervais. You have no idea what he’s going to do next, and that keeps things interesting.

The Directors Guild of America rewarded Michal Hazanavicius, director of the French silent film, “The Artist,” the award for Best Director. It was true that of the directors in the category, he had the most talent. But, it is the Director’s Guild of America, and usually that implies the film is made in America.

Hazanavicius could have waited until the French equivalent, the César Award, was thrown into his lap.

Finally, this year’s award season has been one of the more unpredictable of previous years. Last year, at this time, everyone knew that “The King’s Speech” was going to win the award. This year, it could go to one of three movies: “The Help,” “The Descendants” or “The Artist.” Each have won their fair share of Best Picture awards, and until Oscar night, we won’t know for sure who’s going to walk away with the gold.

•Mitch Shepperd (mps.pelladium@gmail.com)

Radcliffe’s stars in “Woman in Black”

Daniel Radcliffe is all grown up. Now that this Harry Potter has graduated from Hogwarts, it’s time to move on to bigger and better things. In Radcliffe’s new movie, “The Woman in Black,” instead of learning spells and playing Quidditch, Radcliffe is in for new meaning of the “Dark Arts”.

Set in an old, remote village, Radcliffe portrays a widowed lawyer sent to sell a house with a dark history.

From the beginning, Radcliffe’s lack of speech is there, but what isn’t said is made up for by the suspense in both the house and the village. Having Radcliffe alone in the woman’s house with no one to talk to is a setting that would make for any good horror movie. Adding the fact that basically everywhere Radcliffe goes, tragedy follows makes things that much more eerie.

It’s a little hard to accept the fact that Radcliffe is, himself, without a wand and a scar across his forehead, but this movie does prove that he has left the Wizarding World and expanded his acting horizons. He does a good job of playing the depressed and lonely character Arthur Kipps and for those who adore his lovely British accent, it’s still there for viewers to enjoy.

Green Supporters...

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As for the rest of the cast, not many of the faces are recognizable, but, they do their fair share at making the “Woman In Black” that much more frightening. The town has •Photo from many secrets they don’t want http://www.womaninblack.com to share with Kipps. Judging by the confusing and semi-cheesy ending, a sequel could possibly be on the way in the future.

Overall, it was a well put together film bound to get some people jumping out of their seats. It’s one of the better thrillers I’ve seen in awhile, despite a notso-thrilling ending, I was impressed at how Radcliffe and his fellow actors performed. Though the movie strays away a little from the original work of Susan Hill’s book, it’s still a chilling story that makes it is worth a trip to the theater. It’s already been made into both a play and a television series, so it’s about time a movie was added to the list.

•Haley Sytsma (hs.pelladium@gmail.com)

Sadler Sign & Design, 414 Liberty Street, 641-628-9889 Simple Treasures, 710 West First Street, 641-628-2662 STC Tire & Exhaust, 815 West 10th Street, 641-628-3153 TK Concrete, 1608 Fifield Road, 641-628-4590 Town Crier, LTD, 810 East 1st Street, 641-628-1130 Tulip City Agency, Ltd, 700 Washington Street, 641-6281270 Van Maanen, Sietstra and Meyer, P.C., 705 Main Street, 641-628-3737 Van Maanen Seed & Chemical, 2073 Eaton Avenue, Leighton IA, 641-626-3471 Van Haaften Plumbing and Heating Inc., 914 West 8th Street, 641-628-3621

02. 28. 2012.

MENTAL HUG

PAGE EDITOR: MITCH SHEPPERD

ADELE

Students’ Top tweets from the past month 1.@B_kreykes - sophomore Beth Kreykes. #whydopeople be so dumb all the time

2. @darikooistra- senior Darik Kooistra.

Realizing that while I’m writing a speech on how to be a gentleman, I haven’t shaved for a week #ohtheirony

3. @_AshleyKirkland - freshman Ashley

Kirkland. Started changing in the car, didn’t realize there was a full car of little kids next to me.. #ohshoot #sorrykiddos #awk

4. @6etnyre9 - junior Michael Etnyre.

•Marielle Gaiser (mg.pelladium@gmail.com) •Tiffany Carter (tc.pelladium@gmail.com)

7. @gabimeirick - junior Gabi Meirick.

Now I lay me down to rest I pray I pass tomorrows test and if I die before I wake that’s one less west civ test I’ll have to take #toomuchinfo

8. @palmersam44 - junior Sam Palmer.

@EvanXJones The cicada emerges at midnight every sixteen years, they are promptly eaten by birds as they attempt to mate. #dangersofsex

9. @mandy_nossaman - freshman Mandy

This tweet is about trees, love ‘em hate ‘em #trees.

Nossaman. Mom just called me to see if we had something at home because she’s at the grocery store. #iminthecar #waiting

5.@sami_wassenaar - sophomore Sami

10. @Sethjohnson - freshman Seth

Wassenaar. Oh i didn’t know the cast of Jersey Shore lived in Washington, iowa. #gtl #faketans

6. @BaileyTripp1 - junior Bailey Tripp.

Best way to make money in pella... off of middle school hormones. #promfundraiser

Johnson. Shout out to my first 15 followers.

You made the right choice. #thankmelater

11.

@HollyReimer - junior Holly Reimer. your calves are bigger than mine... #igetthatalot •Evan Jones (ej.pelladium@gmail.com)

time How to score of It’sthethat year, when students get busy trying a PROM to find a date

for the April 14 prom. However, for students who do not know how to get the right one, here are a few tips.

First, ask someone you already know as a friend. Inviting someone who’s never said more than, “Can I borrow a pencil?”, to you severely decreases your chances. I mean, who wants to go to the prom with somebody they barely know?

You might want to because he or she is the best-looking person in school, but you probably won’t have a good time.

Second, be smart. It is more fun to go to the prom when you are with a person you have known for at least a year or two than picking up somebody you barely know off the “street,” just because you think the person is attractive but

DAT E

Whatever Man •Micah Zeimetz

11 STARRING

Sunday is a lost day, filled with dread for the wretched tomorrow and always panicked thoughts for assignments that need to be completed for the following week. In light of tradition, gal pals Tiffany and Marielle geared up in their best sweats and hit the couch in style for the ultimate “snuggle Sunday.” The Grammys are a musical event designed to celebrate music in all its forms.

The two partners in crime set off in search for the finest cuisine in town before hitting the red carpet. Naturally, a Chinese buffet met all the requirements for high class dining.

After being delighted with the artery clogging food of champions, the dynamic duo retreated from society and descended down to Marielle’s basement.

The dark abyss was a perfect stage for hosting the highly esteemed awards show on the big screen. Soon, a crew of misfits assembled into the dark room and a small crowd began to view the event.

Almost forgotten, L.L. Cool J was host for the night, and the performances kicked off with big names such as Paul McCartney, The Foo Fighters, Coldplay, and several others.

Shockingly after only three years under the radar, Chris Brown hit the stage in a comeback performance.

Not to be overlooked, Adele took home six Grammys and swept the stage. Her biggest accomplishment was Best Album of the Year, and she soon began to tear up during her acceptance speech. The whole audience was amazed at how thick her English accent was but how clearly they can understand her when she sings.

Stars and celebs stole the night, but the best part of the evening was the last minute Whitney Houston memoria. She was an icon and set the stage for R&B forever. Her sudden death was a shock for the entire musical community and the tribute from Jennifer Hudson was the perfect rendition of her “I Will Always Love You.” As the night closed, we remembered Whitney for all her glory, and the gal pals split for the day, knowing they had celebrated the Grammys for all their worth. And Whitney, we will always love you.

it does not mean that you will have a night to remember.

Get familiar before you ask. If the prom is several weeks away, “prime” your desired date by talking to the one who you want to ask a little bit, if you aren’t already.

Third, make him/her laugh and put your best foot forward. Show the person how well you can get along and how much fun you can have. Give them a positive association to think back to when you eventually do ask. As people say, “Being positive is key.” A compliment is always a good start because girls are more emotional than boys.

•For the guys: Make sure you have a huge smile. Make her laugh. Strike up good conversations. Sweep her off her feet.

•For the girls: Make yourself attractive. Be confident.

Catch his attention. Show him that you like him.

Ask creatively. Prom is nearing, and it’s time to put yourself out there. If you’re a guy, you’ll probably be expected to go all out and be romantic. If you’re a girl, the guy might feel intimidated and embarrassed if you come on too strong. Know your potential date well enough to recognize

High School Hazard Jillian Sagers

what he/she likes best!

1) Hit-and-run methods. These are best for if rejection is a high possibility. They’re daring, but if the answer is no, it won’t be as awkward. For example: Make a prom Facebook group, and simply invite the person of your choice to prom from there. It’s as easy as clicking on “select guests to invite” and clicking on the person’s name. Add a personal message if you want. If the person responds as attending, you may get a date.

2) Romantic methods. Best for asking a girl you’re already dating and who you can expect to say yes. For example: A guy can sing a song or write a poem to a girl.

However, if you really want to impress her you should write them.

3) Comical methods. Best for the brave and the humorous. Higher success rate for girls asking guys than any other method. For example: Girls can just make a “joke” to go to prom with the guy who she wants to go with. Remember.

Prom is just for fun. No pressure.

•Tim Seo (ts.pelladium@gmail.com)

12

PAGE EDITOR: MARIELLE GAISER

PHOTO

02. 28. 2012.

WRAPPING IT ALL UP •Senior Emily Arrendell

Through celebrations of the last year of high school, along with coming together in the face of a tragedy to support fellow classmates and athletics, the community joined together. Several activities drew to an end with the culmination of the girls’ basketball season, wrestling, large group speech, and other activities.

•Senior Payne Pleima

•Senior Lexi De Heer

•Senior Katelyn Van Kooten

•Senior Amanda Lauritsen

•Senior Katie Sunderman

>>EXCELLENCE Senior Hannah Van Wyk and senior Mikki Nunnikoven demonstrate how to paint several different figures as they learned in Painting II. Students gathered Feb. 13 to showcase the projects and talents acquired in various electives.

•Freshman Corey Elliot •Photo by Tiffany Carter Below: Senior Jesse Merk, Andy Hardine, Paul Andersen, Trevor Wood, Tyler Swanson, Schyler Kane, Brennan Mejia. Back: Seniors Ryan Morgan, Jacob De Waard, junior Wade Pingel, seniors Jace Ver Steeg, Aaron Tysseling, Aric Balk.

•Senior Paige Van Gorp

•Junior Sam Palmer

>>THEATRICAL Junior Megan Sims and sophomore Jack Parisee perform a section from a “Little Red Riding Hood” spin-off in, “Totally Red” at state speech. “It was so much fun to perform both of my events, and my favorite part was getting to act crazy for improv,” said sophomore Sydney Swanson. After state, the improv. teams of seniors Kelly Anderson and Marielle Gaiser and juniors Mitch Shepperd, Evan Jones, Bailey Tripp and Micah Zeimetz advanced to all-state. The freshman team of Collin Jones, Kody Beller and Elenor Witt also advanced to all-state for their ensemble performance, “Greater Tuna.” •Photo by Tiffany Carter

>>WHITE OUT Fans go crazy at the girls’ basketball game Feb. 15.

“We wanted to do a fan dance, so we asked Mr. Otte if we could do the interlude by Attack Attack. It was a huge success, wearing the costumes just added to the fun,” said junior Kenny DuPré. Fans showed their support in the stands by wearing white. •Photo by Blake Lanser •Junior Kenny DuPré

•Senior Madeline Meyer

•Sophomore Sydney Swanson

•Sophomore Aaron Van Maanen

•Sophomore Greg Frommelt

•Senior Stacie Vriezelaar >>SKI Junior Carmen Van Engen screams while snow tubing at Sleepy Hollow. The senior class spent Feb. 8 skiing, snow boarding and tubing. Several seniors experienced these winter activities for the first time, while others were seasoned pros. •Photo by Blake Lanser

•Senior Meredith Slycord

•Senior Bailey Vande Weerd