February Pelladium

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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ~ The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America

Everybody Talk

High school students from both Pella Christian and Pella High participate in All City Speech Night. p. 4

NEWS BRIEFS

t4PDJBM TUVEJFT UFBDIFS Bryant Hancockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S. History class and health teacher Bob Fesslerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health/PE class each have new student teachers. t7JTVBM BSUT UFBDIFS +JN Emmert leading â&#x20AC;&#x153;Edge of Spaceâ&#x20AC;? science project will begin. Building tracking will begin sometime in May. See Emmert for more details on the project. t'PPUCBMM DPBDI +BZ McKinstrey has been named 3A Football Coach of the Year. t1FMMB 1FSLT IBT CFHVO once again. Pella Perks, open every Friday from 7:15-8:15 a.m., located in the foods rooms. t4FOJPS "+ "SSFOEFMM JT ranked ninth in the state for wrestling in class 189 as of Feb. 2. tɨF WBSTJUZ TIPX DIPJS Acapella received a Division 1 ranking for their performance in the state competition held at Keota Feb. 1.

The junior varsity show choir Dutch Divas received a Division 2 ranking. t"MM $JUZ 4QFFDI XBT on Jan. 29. Pella High and Pella Christian participated in this event. Students came together to perform for the general public and to practice their speeches. t&OHMJTI UFBDIFS +FTTJDB Williams is back from maternity leave. tɨF TFOJPS TLJ USJQ UPPL place on Feb. 4. t.BEFMJOF .FZFS (NN QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN)

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The Pella Project

The Pelladium opens up the people of Pellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life stories. p. 6-7

Snow days create confusion, problems across school district Pella is up to six snow days this year, two more than the average number in the district over the last 10 years. Currently, the last day of school is scheduled June 8, but not for everyone. Seniors donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to make up any days at the end of the school year, and the current policy doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a number at which seniors have to start making them up.

Prior to a school board meeting Jan. 25, the last day of school for students was June 10. To shorten the extended school year to June 8, the board decided to have school this year on Good Friday (April 2). They also received permission to count two half-days for parent-teacher conferences as one of the required 180 days, something they have never done before.

Superintendent Mark Wittmer makes the final decision whether to cancel, shorten or delay school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When conditions are questionable, I monitor the weather the night before and get up before five in the morning to collect information,â&#x20AC;? said Wittmer.

In addition to checking the forecast and current weather conditions, he consults with the director of transportation and the workers who plow the roads. Wittmer sometimes takes his investigation to the next level and drives around on the country roads.

Although deciding to cancel school isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an exact science, many factors come into play. The predicted forecast, wind speed, temperature, depth of snow, snow coverage on roads, how full the ditches are, ice and the current weather conditions are all considered. However, the final decision comes down to whether the buses can safely bring students to school or not.

In the end, Wittmer and Pella Christian Elementary Principal David DeJong decide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We try to make the call by 5:30 or 6 a.m., but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always possible,â&#x20AC;? said Wittmer.

Once the decision is made, a phone tree is used to contact other administrators, who, in turn, contact all teachers in the district. Radio and TV stations are also contacted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are two issues that I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss when I leave this job. One is calling snow days. The other is dealing with the school calendar,â&#x20AC;? said Wittmer.

To call a snow day the night before school, a threatening forecast isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough.

The present conditions need to be bad. For example, if country roads wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be plowed until noon the next day, Wittmer says he will usually go ahead and call it the night before.

A staple of any school year, snow days are often unexpected, but the initial student reaction is usually positive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think snow days are great. Personally, I think kids need a break from school.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a nice little surprise,â&#x20AC;? said freshman Thomas Weihe.

However, there are drawbacks. An extra day in June is appreciated by almost

FREEZE. Custodian Tina Rigg shovels ice from the high schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s front entrance after the Jan. 21 ice storm. Pella received over one inch of ice, resulting in a two hour delay. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The snow and ice] does make it harder to get things done; it adds the amount of things I have to get done every day. I have to take more time to deal with the ice and snow, which is time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not dealing XJUI NZ EBJMZ SPVUJOF w TBJE 3JHH t1IPUP CZ .JDIBFM ;FMMFS

no one, students and teachers alike. A missed day can also postpone games, missed practices and scheduling conflicts. First semester, the missed days werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t added to the semester, which meant that teachers had to either skip material or teach it at a faster pace, which hinders learning that students can have. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the end of last semester, I had to cut some material. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never a good situation because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to cut material or speed it up,â&#x20AC;? said English teacher Regina Linn. t+BLVC .BSUJTPWJUT KN QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN)

Students experience semester test shake up

Semester tests tend to be a nervewracking experience for most students. occurred after the holiday break and we had to start with the second During this time students often stress about relearning all of the material semester curriculum when we came back from it. We wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given one if that classes covered over the semester for the final exam. The first semester we could have before break,â&#x20AC;? said science teacher Jeff Siewert. of the school year was different, however. Teachers were able to decide The teachers each took a different approach towards their tests. whether or not they wanted to give a final exam. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Math is a sequential course so everything we teach is based â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that Many teachers had different views about giving semester on prior knowledge. Through the semester test scores we can tests to their students and about the importance of the tests semester tests should see what subjects need to be hit harder for the next year,â&#x20AC;? said be mandatory because math teacher Wade Van Vark. towards the curriculum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that semester tests are important for college it puts too much stress Students also had mixed reactions about taking the tests and preparation, so I gave tests to both my English 11 and College the importance of taking them. on students.â&#x20AC;?

American Literature classes,â&#x20AC;? said language arts teacher Suzi â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have many semester tests, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Junior Jones. a really stressful thing for students, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really see the Lindsey Naaden Beth Hanson, also an English 11 teacher, took a different point of them,â&#x20AC;? said sophomore Kim Korver. approach to semester tests. Instead of having her students take Some students thought that the tests were beneficial and an actual exam, she had her classes perform a skit presentation worth the temporary stress that they cause. requiring them to include information from the four major â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like semester tests because when you do well on them, units the class covered and the seven vocabulary units. they can improve your class grade,â&#x20AC;? said freshman Austin Van â&#x20AC;&#x153;The tests were optional, so this was a new way to show what all the Genderen. students learned. I also considered it to be successful, and I would do it The second semester will take a different turn. All teachers are required to again,â&#x20AC;? said Hanson. give a final exam for their course, even if they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have for the one first Weather also played a key factor in determining when the exams were semester. going to be held, and what information was going to be covered. None of â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that the semester tests should be mandatory because it puts the biology classes ended up having tests because of the scheduling and the too much stress on students, and it stresses them out too much,â&#x20AC;? said junior difficulties that went along with it.

Lindsey Naaden. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The number of days missed made it difficult to make a test. The tests t,FMTFZ 7BO 5BTFMM LWU QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

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Habitat for Humaniy has built over 350,000 houses around the world, providing shelter for more than 1.75 million people.

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Flu scare !"#$%&"'(%)*%+,%&-%(%.%-"'(/0(/1%+23*%$(4565

With students lining up behind the nearest Germ-X bottle and posters littering the hallways with information on how to sneeze correctly, October was a time when mass epidemic was on the tip of everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tongue. Almost two months later, a vaccination for the H1N1 virus was offered to the students and faculty of the district, which was met with minimal response. After hysteria over the virus seemed to have dissipated, it promotes the fear over H1N1 as more of a fad than a outcry for better public health.

In the high school alone, out of approximately 700 students, only 198 received a vaccine at the school based clinic. Even more surprising, only 11 staff members decided to receive the vaccine, which makes up 20 percent of the faculty. If there was such agitation from the lack of available vaccinations just two months earlier, questions arise from the few who were willing to receive free vaccines at the school based clinic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You wonder why so few students got the vaccination, the criteria for getting the vaccination was continually changing, and while that was happening, we did have a

period of time in October where we had many students home with flu-like symptoms. Most were seen by a physician and it was determined they probably had H1N1, so those students had immunity to the strain. Also, so much time had passed since we had been exposed to the disease, there may have been students who think their immune systems were intact and would fight it again, if it came around,â&#x20AC;? said school nurse Brenda Versteeg.

In the communication of public health, there seems to be some risk for receiving a vaccination. With so much media coverage over the progression of H1N1, these risks had been under a microscope, which could have warded some away from the vaccination. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With all the media coverage on the vaccine and the safety of its administration, I imagine that may have deterred some from getting the vaccine. There will always be a risk in any vaccine or treatment you receive, but you have to weigh the options, both good and bad. This vaccine in particular had very little side effects, according to the public health officials,â&#x20AC;? said Versteeg.

Excellence in Electives returns Feb. 18 Highlighting the many elective areas and more, Excellence in Electives will be held Feb. 13 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It is an opportunity to display the works of many students in various elective classes.

Consumer science teachers, Kathy Van Norden, and Anna Arkema as well as science teacher, Cathy Hones, are part of the Excellence in Electives Committee this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The whole idea of Excellence in Electives is to let people know about the different elective choices here. It is showcasing the works of our students to everyone. Nicely, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been arranged that 8th graders will be able to see their choices in electives as well,â&#x20AC;? said Hones.

Activities will be held in the old gym, the cafeteria and the upper lobby. The event is open to students and their families. Since 8th grade orientation will also be held that night at 7 p.m., middle school students are encouraged to go with their families to participate in the activities to see what is in store for them in high school.

All teachers will be either participating in Excellence in Electives, or parent teacher conferences. Many stations will be set up by students for individual electives or groups.

There will be food, crafts, entertainment and much more at Excellence in Electives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme for Excellence in Electives is ÂĄEl Carnaval! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebrated all over the world, but we are focusing mainly on the Mexican influences. This is the second year that we have had this event. I think it creates a sense of community; I have gotten positive comments about it from people around me. We had a great turnout last year so we felt it was very successful,â&#x20AC;? said Van Norden. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! t.JDIBFM (F NH QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

Biology teacher Cathy Hones did not receive a vaccination, but made sure that all her children received one. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had the regular flu shot, so I decided not to get the H1N1 vaccination. My kids on the other hand, are in the targeted age group and had a higher risk of contracting it.

The same went for my husband, who had pneumonia last year. He was a high risk adult, so he made sure to receive the vaccination, too. These were the reasons for my family, but I really think, in the end, it is a personal choice by a parent to have their child vaccinated,â&#x20AC;? said Hones.

Senior Madeline Mueller did not receive an H1N1 vaccination, and says she never plans to in the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have never gotten a flu shot, and I never seem to be affected by it. I think I have been around H1N1 anyways, so why take a shot for a virus I have already gained some immunity to. I just see no reason for being vaccinated,â&#x20AC;? said Mueller. t.FHBO $BSE NDQFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

Construction trades collaborates with Habitat for Humanity Construction began the second week of school as students launched their work on the latest Habitat for Humanity house. Students were part of one of the newest courses, construction trades, taught by Mark Goodrich. Students worked on the house with Habitat for Humanity volunteers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. Lee helped coordinate the efforts between our school and Habitat for Humanity,â&#x20AC;? !"#$%&'()%"* said Goodrich, â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Working with Habitat for Humanity] provided several key components for starting a construction trades program here at the high school. They provided the building site, supplies, blueprints, and acted as the general contractor for the house.â&#x20AC;?

Two sections of the class operate during the regular high school class day. Right now, the class is in the final stage of the construction process.

The house was built for a family of six and includes three finished bedrooms, along with a fourth in the basement that is unfinished.

Goodrich felt that the project of building the Habitat House is very worthwhile. He also plans to offer the construction trades course in the coming years and to continue the partnership with Habitat for Humanity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The students picked up a wealth of experiences. The skills and accomplishments the students acquired could not have been duplicated in the classroom. The students have learned several aspects of construction, but have also developed other intangible skills like teamwork, reliability, and taking initiative,â&#x20AC;? said Goodrich.

The students taking this class receive seven college credits GSPN %FT .PJOFT "SFB $PNNVOJUZ $PMMFHF %."$$ GPS enrolling in a year of the construction trades course. Students not only learn about the different construction aspects and developing their life skills, but also get the chance to begin looking toward their futures. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The students got the opportunity to meet and work with several people. Networking with other people and contractors will become a very useful tool to the students as they near graduation and look for future employment,â&#x20AC;? said Goodrich.

After the house is finished, there is more that the students will learn in the class. Among these are learning how to read blueprints and to estimate materials. The class also plans to begin other building projects to augment their construction skills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Problem solving is a big part of the class. I tell the students that â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the answers arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in the back of the bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,â&#x20AC;? said Goodrich. t5BZMPS 3FOOJDI US QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

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Khapochkina thrives regardless of initial language barriers

  Walking through the front door, senior Nadya Khapochkina is welcomed home with a friendly â&#x20AC;&#x153;privet,â&#x20AC;? from her mother. In the sanctity of her home, Khapochkina is immersed in the language of her forefathers. Born in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, Khapochkina descends from Eastern Slavics, whose native language is Russian. After moving to the United States almost nine years ago, Khapochkina continues to transition between the world she came from and the one she now calls home.

When first moving to Pella in 2001, Khapochkina had only taken one English class as a student in the Ukraine, while neither of her parents were fluent in English.

Immersed not only in a new language, but new culture, Khapochkina adapted quickly to the American way of life. With a crash course in English during the summer between third and fourth grade, the young Ukrainian soon flourished not only in speech, but also in society. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After being completely immersed in a place where all they speak is English, I was able to grasp the language quickly. I think this could be a part of the fact that I was so young when I learned English, which made it much easier to absorb. By fourth grade, I was comfortable, and now, I feel completely confident in what I say. After learning the language, it also became easier for me to fit in with other kids my age, and right now, I see myself as any regular American teenager, I just happen to be bilingual,â&#x20AC;? said Khapochkina.

While Khapochkina excels at her new-found American

life, she also experiences traditions from her past life in the Ukraine. With the need to transition between English and Russian, Khapochkina has experienced both the positive and negative effects of being bilingual.

VISIT. Nadya Khapochkina, left, poses for a picture with her cousin BOE IFS HSBOEQBSFOUT XIJMF PO B USJQ UP WJTJU UIFN JO 6LSBJOF t1IPUP submitted

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I usually always translate for my parents, which I am happy to do; this has never bothered me. I just find it hard sometimes to find the right words to translate with. I think I make translating difficult because I kind of have one mind when I am speaking Russian, and I am in another mind when I am speaking English. It is easy for me to switch from

Three students follow their hearts as they serve through missions

one language to the other, but when I need to compare them or try to find the exact meaning from one language to another, it gets tricky. Not every Russian word has its equal in an English word. While this can be a pain sometimes, it also gives me a better alternative to when I just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t express something in English, I can find a better word in Russian,â&#x20AC;? said Khapochkina.

Since moving from the Ukraine, Khapochkina has gone back twice to see her family. Given the opportunity to experience both societies, she has established her own ideas of how the two areas of the world compare, in terms of people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I loved going back to see my family; my grandparents kept saying how my Russian had a heavy American accent.

After going twice, I found Russian culture to contain many people who maintain very strong values, not that people in the United States donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have strong values. I guess I feel like some parts of the United States have been sensationalized, while the Russian way of life is centered more on the basics of common values. It also seems many Americans are not in full consensus in what people should value,â&#x20AC;? said Khapochkina.

Whether or not she ends up in the U.S. or back in the Ukraine with her family as she grows older, Khapochkina has found the influence of the cultures as a powerful example of two westernized worlds which vary in population and principles. t.FHBO $BSE NDQFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

This Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, treat your sweetie to a home-cooked NFBM TUSBJHIU GSPN ZPVS IFBSU XJUI UIJT GBCVMPVT $IJDLFO â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel called to [go to Zambia] because there are &M[JOHB BMPOH XJUI .JUDIFMM QMBOT PO TQFOEJOH UJNF Parmesean. so many orphans. Over half the population is under focused on orphanages, as well. Her parents led a team This recipe is made generously for two people with one UISPVHI 5FFO .JTTJPO *OUFSOBUJPOBM ZFBST BHP IFS PMEFS 14, and earn only $300 a year. The need for love is siblings have gone through, and now it is her turn. After chicken breast each. Adjust an oven rack to the middle greater there than anywhere else to go. They need to making her first stop in Florida for evangelical training, position and heat the oven to 475°. Pound each chicken have that love,â&#x20AC;? said junior Beth Van Wyk on her Elzinga and her team will fly to Zambia. Once there, they breast to an even Âź inch thickness. Pat them dry, and will use motorcycles to reach TFBTPO XJUI TBMU BOE QFQQFS $PNCJOF UIF QBOLP CSFBE upcoming trip to Zambia.â&#x20AC;? remote areas. Seven villages crumbs and olive oil in a skillet, and toast on medium heat, Africa is known for a week are on the itinerary, stirring often until golden or around 10 minutes. Spread impoverished countries, and each with an orphanage the bread crumbs over a shallow dish and let cool, then Zambia is no exception. where they plan to teach TUJS JO UIF 1BSNFTBO $PNCJOF UIF ĂŹPVS HBSMJD QPXEFS The high rate of poverty has children to read, play games, teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a second shallow left room for many mission dish, and whisk the egg whites and water in a third shallow and lead Sunday Schools. opportunities to educate, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward dish. Line a baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top, evangelize and to bring relief to witnessing [to] all the BOE TQSBZ UIF SBDL XJUI OPOTUJDL DPPLJOH TQSBZ $PBU POF such as food and clothing. kids and to spend time at all chicken at a time with the flour mixture, shaking off excess, Stepping up to the plate are the orphanages. I thought then coat with the egg white mixture. Finally, coat with the 7BO 8ZL TPQIPNPSF .PSHBO it would be neat to use my bread crumbs, pressing gently so that the crumbs adhere.

Elzinga and sophomore Sarah talents for that. Also, I knew Place the breaded chicken on the wire rack. Lightly coat the .JUDIFMM ɨFTF HJSMT BSF I wanted to go to Africa and tops of the cutlets with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 25 traveling to Zambia through spent a lot of time in prayer minutes or until done. Then remove the chicken from the UIF PSHBOJ[BUJPO 5FFO .JTTJPO oven. Spoon 2 tablespoons of sauce onto the center of each International and plan to stay SMILE. Beth Van Wyk takes a picture break while she works with children [about it],â&#x20AC;? said Elzinga.

However, globetrotting cutlet and top with mozzarella. Return the chicken to the overseas for up to two months. GSPN 6HBOEB t1IPUP TVCNJUUFE costs a tidy sum, usually oven and continue baking for 5 minutes or until the cheese Van Wyk has a passion for is melted. Garnish with basil on top and serve over angel Third World missions and has journeyed to Uganda to much more than what a high schooler can easily attain. hair noodles while adding more sauce. do work with child soldiers and relief from the Lordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where fundraising comes into the picture. These Resistance Army. Her heart has recently been drawn to girls are collecting cash by selling t-shirts, Ugandan beads, t CPOFMFTT TLJOMFTT DIJDLFO CSFBTUT t 5TQ XBUFS Zambia, where she plans to camp in front of an orphanage fundraising letters, babysitting, chili competitions, and t D QBOLP CSFBE DSVNCT

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only a small tent for shelter. But she is there for more than tÂ&#x203A; VOCMFBDIFE BMM QVSQPTF ĂŹPVS t Â&#x203A; UTQ HBSMJD QPXEFS the experience. The group Van Wyk is working with plans t D TISFEEFE QBSU TLJN NP[[FSFMMB on leading vacation Bible schools, building homes and t/POTUJDL DPPLJOH TQSBZ helping orphans find families.

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This is the fifth consecutive year AcaPella has received a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? rating at State.

Twelve large group speech ensembles advance to State Feb. 6

AUDITION. Sophomore Marielle Gaiser performs during the ensemble piece at All-City Speech Night Jan. 29. Her ensemble included Gaiser and TFOJPST .BHHJF -BOEPO BOE /JDPMF 4UBĂŞPSE t1IPUP CZ #FO .VMMFS

Act One, Scene One. From ensemble acting to readers theatre to group improvosation and even musical theatre, the speech opportunities are immense, not to mention varied enough to captivate the interest of 47 participants.

Students involved in speech practice their routines every Tuesday as a large group and then at another time during the week as a small group, depending on what category they are participating in. With such a wide range of groups, participants are able to express their creative talents through many different avenues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Improv encourages the ability to think on your feet, which inables you to become better at speaking and comedy in general. Its nice not having to be committed to a script, you can be more creative, the world is your oyster,â&#x20AC;? said junior Eric Moore.

While speech competitions have only just begun, members of the team are looking forward to seeing their hard work and practice pay off throughout the season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to the competitions because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always fun to get out there and perform with my peers,â&#x20AC;? said junior Tori Gensch.

In addition to the rush of adrenaline that comes with every performance, the nervous jitters come as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before a performance, I do feel a sense of apprehension for the performance itself. Sometimes my fellow speechgoers and I goof around and go through â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;pre-gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rituals to prepare ourselves. Once weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out on stage, the butterflies disappear because all the practices have prepared us for that moment,â&#x20AC;? said Gensch.

After the nerves have vanished, and the pure excitement of performing is left, it all comes down to a love for drama and a love for theatrics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got involved in speech because it was my senior year,

and I wanted to do something fun and different. I really enjoy it because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a nice, easy-going extra-curricular activity, and you can have a lot of fun doing it!â&#x20AC;? said senior Madeline Mueller.

Participating in the IHSSA (Iowa High School Speech Association) District Large Group competition, the speech teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first performance was Jan. 23 at Grinnell. Of the 15 entries, 12 advanced to state Feb. 6.

The next step for speech is to perform at All-State Speech.

In order to perform at All-State, Feb. 20, the group must receive an overall â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? rating. In addition, the group needs a recommendation from two of the three judges. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we have a really good chance for some teams to make it to All-State this year,â&#x20AC;? said Jones.

For more information about the speech teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance at state, visit www.pelladium.com. t +PDFMZO 7BO %ZLF KWE QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

Upcoming Events Feb. 11 - Singfest Honor Festival (Central College) Feb. 13 - Keokuk Show Choir Invitational Feb. 19/20 - Dutch Masters Show Choir Invitational Feb. 20 - Perry Band Olympics Feb. 23 - MS/HS Orchestra Concert (7:30 p.m.)

Feb. 25 - Stringfest Honor Festival (Central College) Feb. 26 - HS Band Concert (7:30 p.m.)

Feb. 27 - Central Lee Show Choir Invitational FortĂŠ Spring Show IHSSA District Individual Speech Contest March 6 - Cabaret (High School Gym) Kennedy Honor Orchestra Hoover HS Jazz Band Festival (Des Moines)

Show Choirs begin season with success, prepare for Dutch Masters

 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Singing and dancing is like milk and cookies, always better together.â&#x20AC;?

This phrase is posted in the choir room as the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two show choir groups prepare for their season.

Acapella and Dutch Divas are in full stride within the vocal music department. The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two show choirs have been practicing two to three times a week in preparation for their upcoming competition season.

The groups began their season with strong showings at a competition in Dallas Center Grimes, Jan. 23, where Acapella placed first in 3A and was grand champion. Dutch Divas placed first in the prep division and fourth overall.

Show choirs traveled to Keota Feb. 1 to perform at state show choir.

AcaPella received a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;? rating; Dutch Divas received a â&#x20AC;&#x153;IIâ&#x20AC;? rating.

The groups will be busy during February and March as they will be performing at competitions every Saturday in February, continuing into March with a trip to Florida and the Bahamas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;DCG sets the stage for the whole season. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great compeition because it gets the groups morale up and gives us confidence for the upcoming events,â&#x20AC;? said senior AcaPella member

Mackenzie Van Zante.

One of the major events coming up in the competition schedule is the Pella hosted Dutch Masters competition.

Last year was the first Dutch Masters invitational and it will be held again this year, Feb. 19-20. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having Dutch Masters offers a chance to show others our hospitality and showcase our talents. It also defrays expenses in the vocal music department,â&#x20AC;? said vocal director Michelle Chaplin.

The name Dutch Masters was given to the competition because it is a term originally coined to describe the Golden Age of Art in the Netherlands during the Seventeenth Century.

One of the notable aspects of the movement was that a great variety of styles of artwork was produced and became accepted and celebrated by all people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We celebrate artistic variety on our stage today, as numerous show choirs from diverse backgrounds bring dazzling displays of sound, movement, light and color to paint the stage in their own creative ways. It is our hope that each performer and audience member will leave Dutch Masters with a greater appreciation for the diversity of talent and ability that exists within

Pella Branch

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our state. It is in that spirit that we honor â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the Dutch Mastersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; within our event,â&#x20AC;? said Chaplin.

Some changes will be made to the competition this year, as it will be expanded into two days. Feb. 19 will be a day of middle school competition; Feb. 20 will be a day of high school competition. This will allow the competitions to start later and more groups able to be hosted. Twenty-one groups will perform this year up two from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 19. Acapella and Dutch Divas will perform in exhibition Feb. 20. Acapella will perform during the day show around 5:25 p.m.; Dutch Divas will perform during the evening show around 9 pm.

Dutch Masters is a large event for the vocal music department as about 20 committees of parents meet year round to organize the event.

Volunteers are needed to help set up the competition and help the day run smoothly. If interested, contact Michelle Chaplin at pchsmmc@pella. k12.ia.us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My hope for the competition is that all things run as smoothly as last year ... and no snow!â&#x20AC;? said Chaplin.

t+FTTJDB 4BMQPS (js.pelladium@gmail.com)

UNIQUE. Sophomore Rachel Fyfe plays her violin during Acapellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s song, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Courtinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the Kitchen.â&#x20AC;? Fyfe and sophomore Amanda Lauritsen, viola, play instrumental features during the Irish jig. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Playing my violin for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Courtinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the Kitchenâ&#x20AC;? has been an awesome experience. I think the Irish theme of the song gives our set a nice variety of material, and the violin, viola duet brings the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fiddlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aspect into the song,â&#x20AC;? said Fyfe.

To add even more individuality to the piece, the song ends with the girls TIPXDBTJOH BO *SJTI 3JWFSEBODF t 1IPUP CZ .BEJTPO 7BOEFS 8FMM

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Before each game Bender would chew half a stick of Wrigley’s Doublemint gum

“All for one, one for all! Fight for Pella, fight to win!” echoes the voice of former basketball and boys’ golf coach David Bender. His contributions to the high school were reflected upon the compassion, thrill and motivation he gave to students in the classroom, on the courts and in the community. Bender died Dec. 10 in Arizona; memorial services were held Jan. 23 in Pella.

Welcomed in the fall of 1961 as a physical education instructor, a driver’s ed trainer, the head basketball coach and the golf coach, Bender showed his love for teaching and interaction between students and staff immediately.

“I team taught with Dave Bender in the fall of 1977 when I came. The most positive aspect I saw from his teachings was his ability to make physical education fun, but also incorporating the special needs kids into the classroom. He would give these ‘have nots’- kids who were poor, had single parents, or something that kept the student from being the ‘norm’ of Pella-manager positions, little jobs, and tried to help them in any way possible. I remember specifically a student in class that he got clothes for, and also paid for the poor kid’s lunch.

David Bender really had a heart for some of those kids,” said physical education teacher Margene VanHorn Bender’s affection and concern for students made him a life counselor.

Students felt comfortable in his presence.

“As a little girl growing up, I would see former players coming over for help, wisdom, and a lot of love. My father never quit caring about former players and students. His relationships with students were amazing. I remember a girl showed up at house once. Struggling since she was born with health issues and such, she felt like she had nowhere to go. When she came over to our house, she asked my father to help her. My dad took care of her when nobody else cared,” said Janelle Pittman, Bender’s daughter Among Bender’s highest contributions to the high school include the reforms he brought as a coach. His innovative and progressive character propelled his team members to always commit to what they are doing, and then accomplish it with passion.

“Mr. Bender had an ability to make the team work together. He was able to focus and get all the team members’ talents together. Being very encouraging as always, Coach would be extremely energetic, even in golf! He was always on the move and always asking questions, making sure everything was going okay. Coach was always right there with us every step of the way. He was my mentor. I’ll never forget that, he was my mentor,” said former golf player, 1973 Rodney Visser, a member of

the 1973 state championship golf team.

Under the direction of Bender, the golf team was Class A golf state champions in 1969 and 1973.

“One of my most fond memories was winning the state tournament in 1973. I just remember so much! A few years ago when I went to a birthday gathering for Coach, I told him I would never ever forget that experience with him, and I never will,” said Visser.

Bender transformed the basketball team into a winning tradition. The basketball team achieved conference championships his second year in Pella, and in 1979, the team placed third at state.

“When Coach Bender first came, he told us that our basketball history hasn’t been a winning way. But he said he was here to teach us how to win. He just radiated intensity! You knew something was different on board. We had a leader who was going to make us better. He was going to give us a way to win, and it was in his mind. He was going to teach us how to win! Coach was able to make the basketball team achieve well beyond the individual talents of his players. Bender challenged us to meet our full potentials. I firmly believe that the program we have here today had been laid out by Dave Bender to be successful,” said former basketball player Dennis Steenhoek.

With many philosophical sayings like “if it is to be, it is up to me,” Bender had the ability to make somebody, no matter how much they struggled, realize something in themselves that they never would have found.

“Coach Bender was not perfect, but when you look at all the lives he had a positive effect on, it is a blessing to see that God can use all of us for his good. He loved people, and he looked for ways to make you feel important,” said former basketball player Brian Vande Lune.

At the end of his life, Bender was battling Parkinson’s disease and became dependent on a wheelchair. Even so, he had great determination to overcome the disease and regain the ability to walk. He never gave up hope.

“When Coach passed away, it felt like a part of who you are, something very important in your life, that part of your life had past. Others will not get to share what those who knew Dave was able to realize, to see and be around that passion, energy, and motivation. That part was over,” said Steenhoek.

Bender’s legacy still lives on within the hearts of the people he impacted.

“I certainly will never forget him.

Anybody who ever knew him will never forget him,” said Visser. t4IFOTUPOF )VBOH (sh.pelladium@gmail.com)

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Putting yourself in second grader  Adam Pezleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoes would be difficult. After all, being born in Russia, adopted by a foreign family and asked to learn to a new language, in addition to everything a nineyear-old must learn, is challenging.

The positives of growing up in the United States with a compassionate family are numerous, but the difficulties are just as problematic.

Pezley was born Dmitriy Andreevich Burshilov on Dec. 11, 2000, in Gatchina, Leningrad Oblast, Russia. Gatchina is about an hour south of St. Petersburg and was actually voted the best-kept city in Russia during the 1900 Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fair.

If growing up with a couple siblings is difficult, then growing up in an orphanage with 106 children, ages three to 17, must be, well, hectic.

He was adopted at age eight, and now lives with four siblings, a few less than the previous 106. Adam initially resisted English, but since then has given up and has taken to the language, picking up a lot of new words. In addition to broadening his English vocabulary, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s begun

Designed around the publication of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Oxford Projectâ&#x20AC;? by Peter Feldstein and Stephen G. Bloom, The Pella Project was created to capture the intricate web of human connections among family, friends and neighbors in the mainstay of the small-town American life found in Pella. To see more from the Pella Project, attend Excellence in Electives Night Feb. 18, where there will be a display of at least 75 Pella Projects.

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For most people, ditching a state full of cornfields for a city full of casinos and strip clubs on a curious adventure most likely wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work out as planned. Dave Keuning isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t most people though, and ditching Iowa for Las Vegas may have been the best decision he couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made.

Ten years later, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toured the world and played arenas full of screaming fans as the lead guitarist of The Killers. After being all over the world, and playing for fans from Utah to Paris, Pella still is a place to find unique treats.

Keuning grew up in Pella, graduating Pella High in â&#x20AC;&#x2122;95, and found out that the best place for preparing to be a rock star very well could be high school jazz competitions. He started playing guitar at 14, looking up to the likes of Angus Young, Joe Perry and Keith Richards, and started writing his own music immediately. Enjoying sports as much as music in high school, Dave had to prioritize; he chose music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I liked sports, but knew I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t good enough to do that after high school so I focused more on music because you can do that pretty much until the day you die. Look at The Rolling Stones; they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quit yet,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Even though he played in bands throughout high school and college, Dave found high school jazz band to be the most enjoyable but also the most nervewracking, and maybe the best practice for The Killers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will always remember my senior year jazz championship at the Civic Center. I was very very nervous. We ended up winning first. I learned a lot about playing live at those jazz competitions,â&#x20AC;? he said. .BOZ XIP HSPX VQ JO TNBMM UPXOT UBML BCPVU moving to the big city, but few are brave enough to take the leap. Keuning was brave enough to do so, having â&#x20AC;&#x153;nothing to lose, except lots of money,â&#x20AC;? saying he moved to Vegas 10 years ago with the intent of playing music and choosing Las Vegas because it â&#x20AC;&#x153;seemed adventurous.â&#x20AC;? If all else failed, he figured he could move back to Iowa, and

impressively only once contemplated moving back, a month in. Turns out, Las Vegas might not have been the best place for a young musician looking to make a living. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vegas is actually not a great choice to start a band.

It was rough in the beginning. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very hard to get gigs, even harder to meet quality musicians, but I met the right people eventually and made it work,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The Killers are the definition of accomplished musicians, having been nominated for seven Grammy Awards with five of those seven nominations stemming from their 2004 debut album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot Fuss.â&#x20AC;? Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve released three full studio albums, and from those three albums, they have a slew of recognizable singles. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot Fussâ&#x20AC;? was in the top 50 of the Billboard 200 charts for 50 weeks. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sold over seven million copies XPSMEXJEF .PTU SFDFOUMZ ɨF ,JMMFST IBE B TPOH PO UIF i/FX .PPOw TPVOEUSBDL ɨFZ SF DVSSFOUMZ PO hiatus and will finish out their tour in Australia.

A rare handful of musicians ever get to hear their work on the radio, but Keuning is fortunate enough to experience the delight. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always enjoy hearing one of our songs on the radio or sometimes while I am pumping gas in my car.

About a year or so ago when â&#x20AC;&#x153;Humanâ&#x20AC;? came out, my alarm clock woke me up, and they were premiering â&#x20AC;&#x153;Humanâ&#x20AC;? on the radio station in the morning right at that moment. So, I listened to the entire song, and then hit the snooze and went back to bed,â&#x20AC;? he said.

A lot of high schoolers couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine playing a hit song on a real guitar as well as they do on Guitar Hero, but for Keuning it might be easier writing a hit song as opposed to playing it with a controller. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have played â&#x20AC;&#x153;When You Were Youngâ&#x20AC;? one time on it...and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do very well,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Even though Keuning is living many peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream, there are things that Pella offers that being a rock star canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t: Jaarsmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Vander Ploegâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bakeries.

He makes sure to take advantage when visiting Pella, saying theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re â&#x20AC;&#x153;easily the best two bakeries on Planet Earth.â&#x20AC;? t#FOKJ .D&MSPZ CN QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

to forget Russian, so a conversation in English would go more smoothly.

Kris and Jerry Pezley, Adamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents, â&#x20AC;&#x153;felt a callingâ&#x20AC;? to adopt Adam, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;knew Adam was the one as soon as we saw his picture and learned ore about him.â&#x20AC;? They are facing some challenges just like Adam is, and are finding ways to get through them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This past year has had both joys and challenges. Our family has had to adjust to having a little boy around and to deal with the challenges Adam presents. Another child - especially one with special needs - has changed the time and attention we are able to give our other children and the activities we can participate in. Adam has also had to adjust to and learn how to be part of a family. He has faced many other challenges as well - learning how to speak, read and write English! He has accomplished so much and we are proud of the growth he has made but also know he has many more obstacles to master,â&#x20AC;? said Kris.

At school Adam has discovered some entertaining things to do,

7 but also is finding some distastes, like any kid in elementary school. i.Z UIJOH JT UIF DPNQVUFS MBC because there are a lot of computers, and P.E.; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like math,â&#x20AC;? he said.

When it come to free time, Pezley likes â&#x20AC;&#x153;to go sledding, skateboarding and building things.â&#x20AC;? For movie time his favorite is Harry Potter â&#x20AC;&#x153;because he has a sword that kills a snake.â&#x20AC;? Football is Adamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite sport for the reason nearly all boys love it: tackling. His preferred holiday is Christmas because, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We get a lot of presents.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still think he struggles being in our family, because we are all older than him; he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have anyone around his age. There is a big difference in our maturiy levels, but I think he is dealing with it,â&#x20AC;? said junior Sidney Pezley, sister.

At some point, Pezley would like to return to Russia as a visitor â&#x20AC;&#x153;to remember things.â&#x20AC;? Connected through birth to Russia, Adam is growing up in America, and has the same shot at the American dream. t#FOKJ .D&MSPZ (bm.pelladium@gmail.com)

!"#$$%&'%()*( Bailey Vande Weerd & Grace Vande Haar

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Christy (Blom) Vande Haar (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;86) & Jill (Van Zee) Vande Weerd (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;87)

Do you believe that history repeats itself? Pella High graduates Jill Vande Weerd and Christy Vande Haar, who were only acquaintances, would have never even considered their daughters being best friends years after their graduation. Yet, that is exactly what happened.

It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t uncommon in small towns to stumble upon someone you know at the supermarket, but when sophomore Grace Vande Haar transferred from Pella Christian to Pella High, who knew that she would find her partner in crime? â&#x20AC;&#x153;People used to tell me that when we were little kids we used to look alike,â&#x20AC;? said Jill, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;87, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is funny to think that back in high school our daughters would be friends 20 years down the road,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funny that some of the teachers that I had are still around at 1FMMB )JHI * IBE .S -JOO BOE .S #FOTJOL .ST 7JTTFS .ST 7BO )PSO BOE .S 3FENBO XFSF UFBDIJOH XIFO I was in high school,â&#x20AC;? said Christy.

Bailey had always attended Pella High while Grace attended Pella Christian, so although their parents might have hung out a few times prior to Graceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transfer, they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to expect when Bailey and Grace started hanging out their freshman year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grace does a lot of ridiculous things; we have lots of funny

moments together. Grace tends to get very loud and she is asked to be quiet, not talk at all, or leave the area.

We always are laughing together, no matter what happens,â&#x20AC;? said Bailey.

Jill participated in many extracurriculars, her favorites being basketball and color-guard and Bailey falls in her athletic motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s footsteps. Christy was active in band and FCA, two activities that Grace is involved in as well.

As the two moms reminisced about the past, and the two daughters talked about their lives, comparisons and similarities emerged. The two daughters are little replicas of their mothers, their personalities slightly different yet completely complimenting their features inherited by their parents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They both seem very determined; they know exactly what they think and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to tell you their point of view, which I think is a good quality to have,â&#x20AC;? said Jill.

Despite the change in class size, or the amount of classes offered, there is one thing that remains the same at Pella High in the minds of Jill and Christy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excellence has remained the same, if not more successful,â&#x20AC;? said Jill. t.BEFMJOF .FZFS (mm.pelladium@gmail.com)

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Pat Robertson blamed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays, and the lesbiansâ&#x20AC;? for 9/11.

Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intelligence falters

Often in times of great tragedy and upheaval, human beings rise up to the challenge of making sense out of their collective despair. The random pattern of events outside of our control makes us realize just how frail our existence is, prompting the more altruistic side of our personalities. Tragedy, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti, illustrates humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to perform acts of complete kindness for others when they realize they could have been in the same situation if events had played out differently. Unfortunately, the opposite can be said as well. Peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; darker side is often on display, showing its face in greed, spite, violence and ignorance. Haiti once again shows us the dichotomy between these two sides as televangelist Pat Robertson remarked that the people of Haiti had â&#x20AC;&#x153;made a pact with the devilâ&#x20AC;? and deserved the disaster that so recently befell them.

Normally a story like this would be receiving bigger headlines, only taking a back seat to the actual disaster in Haiti. While that may be the biggest reason networks arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t running this story at a fever pitch, the fact that Robertson saying something completely xenophobic isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly surprising is probably another factor as to why his extremely ill-informed RVPUF IBTO U CFFO NBLJOH QSPNJOFOU IFBEMJOFT 3PCFSUTPO T RVPUFE QBTU JT ĂŤMMFE XJUI ignorance and bigotry, ranging from anti-Semitic statements (â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Antichrist is probably a Jew living in Israel today,â&#x20AC;? Harperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Magazine, 2005) to wanting to blow up the State Department (â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I could just get a nuclear device inside Foggy Bottom [area in Washington !"#$%&'((#)&*)+,-)../0$1+23+/$.,%(+4 D.C. where the State Department is located], I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the answer,â&#x20AC;? CNN, 2003).

While the utter lack of thought behind these statements really isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all that shocking considering the amount of insanity that has pervaded the last decade, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the amount of influence that Robertson has that is astonishing. An evangelical preacher, Robertson has his own television show, The 700 Club on ABC Family. The fact that this kind of bigoted message is not only on the television but on a network targeted at families is a little bit &&&& Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re everywhere... expressions used to describe the meaning of life; expressions such scary. If anyone actually follows Robertsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s message it would set America back decades in as, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;life is a series of eventsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;long and winding roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tiring race.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But what do these UFSNT PG DJWJM SJHIUT BT JG MPPL BU IJT WBSJPVT DPNQJMFE TUBUFNFOUT PWFS UIF ZFBST ZPV MM ĂŤOE clichĂŠs mean? Sometimes it is difficult to sift through philosophical jargon and decipher that he hates basically everyone who isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Caucasian or a member of his church. what makes life special, and at times it becomes even more challenging to discover what His message of exclusion begs the question as to whether or not his message of ignorance HJWFT JOEJWJEVBMT B TFOTF PG QVSQPTF BOE GVMĂŤMMNFOU "QQSFDJBUJPO GPS MJGF PGUFO TUFNT GSPN and hate should be tolerated by our society. While he should still be allowed to voice those who challenge us to stray from conforming and generic patterns. his opinions as it is his constitutional right to do so viewers everywhere should examine Genuine passion and excitement for existence can be obtained simply by hearing TPNFPOF T TUPSZ ɨF QVCMJDBUJPOT TUBĂŞ BDUFE PVU UIJT JEFB ĂŤSTUIBOE VQPO FNCBSLJOH PO whether or not this is something they can watch and condone. This is also a question for an exciting journey of discovery called The Pella Project. Inspiration was drawn from The the television networks that promote his show, as it can be considered ethically wrong to Oxford Project, a book that contains truthful and revealing stories from 670 Oxford, Iowa air messages that could be most emphatically be seen as non-violent hate crimes. If we have residents. The staff sought out individuals of all ages in the community that had a link to any chance of saying that we as a people are upholding the true value of America, we have to put a stop to this kind of message: how far is everyone willing to see hate go?

Pella and found out that every person has a story. t"OESFX 4BHFST TBHFST QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

Each person possesses a unique blueprint of personality traits that result in the beauty of individuality. Not one person in this sea of 7 billion is the same. This common thought may seem trite, but when seriously pondered, it is mind boggling to conclude that every person has a different story to tell. Every country, state and town has a wealth of diversity that is just waiting to be discovered! The irreplaceable feeling of learning something new and interesting from a stranger is easier to come across than one might think. By simply taking the time to look deeper, listen harder and see past the ordinary, it easy to get an ignited perspective on life. Break free from a cocoon of excuses, and decide to let your soul be touched by others. It is likely that a refreshed perspective will be awakened through this metamorphosis.

The staff has learned through this journalistic experience that every stranger you encounter has the power to mold and shape your life in unthinkable ways. Variety is what makes life interesting, and change is what leads to innovation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we should add 15 minutes to the beginning and end of each day. It would be far Life may in fact be a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;series of eventsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;long and winding roadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tiring raceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. less painful than making it up at the end of the year.â&#x20AC;?

But what purpose would these journeys serve without someone to share them with? Step -Sophomore Rachel Van Roekel out of your comfort zone and make 2010 a year for discovery. Start your own project of EJTDPWFSZ BOE NBLF JU ZPVS HPBM UP ĂŤOE UIF JOUFSFTUJOH TUPSZ UIBU FBDI QFSTPO IBT UP PĂŞFS â&#x20AC;&#x153;Longer days because then we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go Saturdays or into the summer.â&#x20AC;?

Share thoughts, fears, struggles and revelations. Speak your mind and spill your heart. Ask -Junior Kodi Smith someone how they are, and mean it. True compassionate curiosity is rare, but powerful. $IPPTF UP JNQMFNFOU B TFOTF PG JORVJTJUJWFOFTT JOUP EBJMZ MJGF BOE SFBQ UIF CFOFĂŤUT PG â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make them up.â&#x20AC;? -Freshman Zeke Brackin learning about others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we sohould have less spring break days. Also go longer time during the day.â&#x20AC;?

Junior Brittanie Kochheiser

9.(::+*-$.&/$(7

!"#$%&"'!"#$%&'( What do you propose be done to make up the snow days?

Correction

In last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue, senior Connor Kelderman was misquoted on page 9 regarding his new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution. A quote from the issue prior to it was accidentially left in. The Pelladium sincerely apologizes for this error.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would go with adding them to the end of the year. Keep it simple.â&#x20AC;?

-Math teacher Doug Cutler t+PDFMZO 7BO %ZLF KWE QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

Pelladium Staff Executive Editors: Andrea Huffman, Caroline Phillips, Andrew Sagers Page Editors/Reporters: Morgan Anderson, Megan Card, Liz Core, Michael Ge, Andrea Huffman, Nathan Kooker, Eric Moore, Caroline Phillips, Andrew Sagers, Addie Smith, Kelsey Van Tasell, Ranier Worstell Photographers: Ben Muller Cartoonists: Michael Ge, Eric Moore Reporters: Tiffany Carter, Heidi Gritters, Shenstone Huang, Jakub Martisovits, Madeline Meyer, Benji McElroy, Ben Muller, Taylor Rennich, Jessica Salpor, Maddy Scholten, Jocelyn Van Dyke, Shaun Van Weelden, Alexis Zwank 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 GPSVN UP TUVEFOUT BOE SFBEFST t-FUUFST UP UIF &EJUPST BSF XFMDPNF BOE FODPVSBHFE ɨFTF MFUUFST NVTU CF TJHOFE BOE TIPVME JO OP XBZ CF MJCFMPVT JSSFTQPOTJCMF PS PCTDFOF -FUUFST NVTU IBWF WFSJÍFE 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 1FMMB $PNNVOJUZ )JHI 4DIPPM #PY 1FMMB *" tɨF 1FMMBEJVN XJMM TUSJWF UP EFMJWFS JOGPSNBUJPO JO B GBJS BOE USVUIGVM NBOOFS ɨF 1FMMBEJVN XJMM GVODUJPO JO BDDPSE XJUI BMM BQQMJDBCMF MBXT CPUI JO SFHBSE UP UIF SJHIUT BOE SFTUSJDUJPOT PG KPVSOBMJTN tɨF WJFXT FYQSFTTFE JO UIJT QVCMJDBUJPO BSF UIPTF PG UIF JOEJWJEVBM XSJUFS BOE OPU OFDFTTBSJMZ UIPTF PG UIF 1FMMB $PNNVOJUZ )JHI 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 QSJOUFE JO UIF JTTVF JNNFEJBUFMZ GPMMPXJOH UIF JTTVF DPOUBJOJOH UIF FSSPST tɨF 1FMMBEJVN JT B NFNCFS PG UIF *PXB )JHI 4DIPPM 1SFTT "TTPDJBUJPO

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According to ABC news, the average person sneezes 200 times per year.

Liz Core (ec.pelladium@gmail.com)

Like a Parachute No one really likes February. I mean, aside from the people whose birthdays happen to land within its 28 days and the girls who really, really enjoy chocolate and flowers, the second month is usually least significant. February is the shortest month of the year, yet it always seems to take the most effort to get through without serious mental and physical damage (that ice can be brutal). The workload piles up so high that you end up having to do all of your assignments in the middle of the night after you get done with a shift of work plus a three hour long speech practice (ahem...).

For those of us who are lucky enough to have made it to senior year, this is the month that Mom, Dad, and college choices one, two and three begin to breathe heavily down our necks about housing contracts and tuition deposits. And to top it all off, and to top it all of, the ground hog saw his shadow.

It’s not just February that can be a bummer. It is scientifically proven that winter is a downer. It’s practically a disorder waiting to happen. For those of you who have already got “the other” seasonal bug, don’t panic. I have a cure for you.

Psychology taught me everything I need to know. Among the most prevalent facts I picked up in that class is that natural light can be used as a cure for SAD (“seasonal affective disorder”). SAD is one of those human characteristics that isn’t quite normal enough to be universal, so psychiatrists call it a disorder. After learning the tidbit of information about natural light as a cure-all, I spent 10 minutes of my time on one of my more melancholy days shining a book light in front of my face. Given, a book light can hardly be categorized as natural light, but the process really did work while it lasted.

Its downfall was that it stopped working when I took the light away, opened my eyes

!

and realized it was still dark. I found it to be a somewhat faulty prescription.

The funny thing about seasonal affective disorder is that anyone who acquires it knows that it will go away once March rolls around. That’s why they call it seasonal. So, how is it that a disorder that is inevitability going to end within months manages to last at all? I guess it just shows the human incapability to see the big picture.

In retrospect, one day of rain should not have the power to affect the outcome of the day itself. Yet in the two-dimensional mind of a human, it often does. What one should bear in mind is that though we may not be able to control the weather, we at least have control over our own emotions.

Of course, if you’re at all like me and the weather can end up being the variable doing the controlling, the underlying problem is that you are probably trying to control entirely too much. It may be that, in order to carry out and complete what you deem to be a good day, the sun must be shining, the birds must be chirping and the wind must be rustling through the trees.

If any of the checkpoints are lacking, your mood becomes that much worse. Though not every individual’s situation is quite as exaggerated as this, the idea holds true for many people, especially for the SAD ones.

Are our surroundings really what end up being the determining factor in terms of how we are feeling? Is the answer really as easy as that? In the summer, we are happy; in the winter, we are sad. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we were reared on smiling, sun-glasses wearing suns, countered by angry ice witches. Or maybe the psychiatrists are right; the people who get moody in the winter are disordered crazies. In any case, none of this will matter come March.

Reaction: Action

Nathan Kooker (nk.pelladium@gmail.com)

Reading is Dangerous I don’t recall which one she was. There were probably a dozen different females assembled in the flock of desks that encompassed mine. I suppose I’ll refer to her with a pseudonym: Mother Teresa. Why? Because she, clearly the most benevolent and virtuous person in the student body, blessed me for simply sneezing.

We were taking a test, and I was diligently calculating when some renegade dust particle decided to lodge itself in my nasal mucosa. Unable to resist the reflexes of the human body, I ousted the little devil with a satisfying sneeze and proceeded to wipe my hand on my pant leg. Before I could resume my test taking, Mother Teresa chimed in.

“God bless you.”

I’m just like any of you. I’d heard the utterance thousands of times, and it had always passed through my ears, monotonous and unnoticed. But, in the grave-like silence of a math class, it sounded so different. Mother Teresa’s had been the only spoken words in a number of minutes.

Her blessing reverberated in my mind, and as it did I began to question its sincerity.

Being an average person, I sneeze approximately 200 times a year. Each time, I uncontrollably spew forth a dense vapor of saliva and pathogens. I simply succumb to what is really quite a disgusting impulse of my anatomy when I sneeze, so I found it hard to believe that Mother Teresa was genuinely blessing me. Why would she go out of her way to sanctify such a sickening, disrupting action? And, did she sincerely intend to drag a divine being into the situation?

Class ended and my life has since progressed for several months, but I am yet to quell my curiosity for that incident. It was just a sneeze, not a baptism. In an effort to comprehend Mother Teresa’s mindset, I’ve

turned once more to the global standard for valid research: Wikipedia.

Supposedly, during times when the church was still young and medicine was less than primitive, sneezes were thought to signify the escape of the soul from one’s body. The phrase “God bless you” developed as a religious response to the sneezer, a literal prayer that the recently extricated soul would return to the body.

Today, however, the meager sneeze is understood to be less than life-threatening, and certainly to have no religious association. Yet, we continue to bless each other. We even have small blessing sprees, ripple-like instances, when multiple people will consecrate a single sneeze. For many, I speculate these are not thoughtful expressions, but rather, blind adherence to an obsolete tradition.

Blessing a sneeze means nothing in our modern society. If Mother Teresa would have been home sick that day in class, I still would have sneezed, and I still would have lived. My life did not depend on her quick reaction. Of course the good mother had the kindest of intentions, but she was being being kind with her eyes closed.

I’ve come to think of this as my “great sneeze enlightenment.” Mother Teresa showed me how we are quick to act on nothing more than habit, nothing more than ritual. I support whatever you do, as long as you do it for a logical reason. I support whatever you say, as long as you know why you are saying it. Analyze your motives, and identify the reasons for which, in the grand scheme of things, you act. If you overlook these, you are sure to form a habit. A baseless, insincere habit.

Mother Teresa, cast out your ritual ways. Next time I sneeze, show some sincerity and offer me a kleenex.

Students react to dance policy debut

The curiosity and speculations of the new school dance policies have come to an end with the Jan. 16 Winter Formal dance. These new rules were due to parental and student complaints, and were formulated by the student council.

It was questionable whether or not these new rules had any effect on the dance,

“Some people seemed hesitant at the beginning, but after awhile, people realized that the chaperones weren’t going to do anything about it. No one really ended up following the rules, but I thought it was fun.”

Freshman Kenny Du Pre

"#$%$&% !

“I didn’t notice a significant difference other than the fact that the cops were on the dance floor instead of just watching on the stairs.”

Sophomore Grant Gustafson

or if any noticeable changes took place. While some thought the dance was a change for the better, others believed it still consisted of the same bumpin’ and grindin’ they were used to. t.BEEZ 4DIPMUFO

“I think there was less sexually explicit contact, but as the night went on it became more similar to the old dances.”

Junior Kelsey Fynaardt

“I think the new rules didn’t really affect the dancing at all, and the rules weren’t enforced.

But, it was kind of awkward how the cops were just standing there.”

Senior Nicole Oliver

!"#$%&$'( /$'()*#Winter Formal

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll admit that when I saw the Winter Formal dance rules posted above the drinking fountain, my stomach did give a little lurch. I was slightly disappointed that slam dancing wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be allowed on the dance floor.

Okay, so maybe I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what the term +,$"-#The schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual â&#x20AC;&#x153;slam dancingâ&#x20AC;? meant, but in my mind, slam winter dance extravaganza! dancing meant physically slamming into one +,)'-#The evening of another. To my dismay, the activity of slam dancing January 16 had never crossed my mind prior to the dance rules, +,).)-#The lunch room but now that it said not to slam dance, I had this strong impulse to disobey the rules.

Walking into the dance, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too excited because to me, it was just another dance, except that bumpinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and grindinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was apparently outlawed, and I had a dress and heels on.

The real surprise came when I got on the dance floor and realized that the dance rules were not enforced. Whether you liked it or not, the dance moves remained the same at 2010 Winter Formal.

For me, the dances here are like cleaning your room. If you want, cleaning your room to be fun, entertaining and worthwhile but you have to be in a good mood and make the best of it. If you go into the dance thinking you are going to have a good time and go with the flow, you will have a blast. However, if the thought of 200 adolescents jumping around to pop music and singing at the top of their lungs appalls you, I would recommend staying clear of the dance floor and thinking of new alternatives to spend a Saturday night in January.

The dance was a great time to socialize and interact with teens our age while flaunting your horrendous (or amazing) movements. Moves can range from jumping with your hands as high as the sky, or spinning in circles until you get dizzy, but whatever your style is, it is welcome in the confined area of the lunch room. All in all, Winter Formal 2010 was a great experience I will never forget. I hope the dance continues to be a blast in the GVUVSF

t.BEFMJOF .FZFS NN QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

!"#$#%&$'()***

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Peter Jackson, who directed â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lovely Bones,â&#x20AC;? also directed â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lord of the Rings.â&#x20AC;?

345")'*#Nirvana: Live at Reading Released in late 2009, this 25 track collection from Nirvanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance at the Reading Festival in late August 1992, is long-awaited for diehard grunge junkies.

Available in both CD and DVD format, either experience accurately represents +,6-#Grunge rock royalty, and congratulates the energy, attitude and featuring front-man Kurt Cobain presence of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and +,$"-#DVD of one of the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dave Grohl. live performances The concert opens with a view of the +,7-# This DVD is sure to make crowd. Dressed in a hospital gown and you relive the 90s at its best. wearing a frizzy blonde wig, Cobain is pushed out onto the stage in a wheelchair. As he approaches the microphone, bass player Novoselic assures the confused crowd â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make it. With the support of his friends, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make it.â&#x20AC;? Cobain gingerly approaches the microphone and sings a few lyrics of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Roseâ&#x20AC;?

by Bette Davis (the song sung by the sign language class in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Napoleon Dynamiteâ&#x20AC;?) before falling to the ground. The crowd cheers, realizing the wheelchair was a quip at disapproving tabloids and news stations, and Cobain grabs his guitar and jumps into a compelling rendition of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breed.â&#x20AC;? Other occasional jokes and bits of sarcasm occur in between the mind blowing zealous choruses, thundering bass and protruding guitar.

With old tracks such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blewâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;About a Girlâ&#x20AC;? from Nirvanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bleach,â&#x20AC;? to more radio-friendly favorites such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come As You Areâ&#x20AC;? and  â&#x20AC;&#x153;Smells Like Teen Spiritâ&#x20AC;? from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nevermindâ&#x20AC;?, the tracklist is extensively varied. More interesting tracks are on their third album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Uteroâ&#x20AC;? ,which were unreleased at the time of the concert.

The ferocity of these live performances provide even overplayed songs new life, and the quality of the video and sound seems near perfect, especially considering how old it is.

The only downside to this performance is that many tracks are uninteresting to anyone who has never listened to Nirvana very much; some songs may seem redundant to the DBTVBM MJTUFOFS t&SJD .PPSF FD QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

!"#$#%&$'()***

0)$12+$"(,*#The Lovely Bones â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lovely Bonesâ&#x20AC;? is the recently released film adaptation of Alice Seboldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bestselling novel. Whenever a book is made into a movie, I make sure to read the book before attending the film. This time, I went the movie, and then read the book. Before it began, I assumed the +,$"-#A fiction thriller book movie would be slightly disturbing; however, narrated by the victim it ended up being more gruesome then I +,6-#Written

by Alice Sebold expected. +,7-#The novel was recently Set in the 1970s, Susie Salmon, the made into a film, directed

by Peter protagonist of the film and narrator of the Jackson. book, is a shy 14-year-old girl whose life is cut short when she is mysteriously murdered by a neighbor. Her death leaves her family hurt and the police perplexed at her unknown murderer. After her death, Susie watches her family from the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Inbetween,â&#x20AC;? a place between earth and heaven. The Inbetween is filled with scenes of laughter and sorrow, portrayed through bright colors and themes of the 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I kept thinking they were going to burst out into song; of course, they never did. The scene would constantly switch from dreary life on earth to the constantly changing Inbetween, which was like watching two different movies.

From her heaven, Susie narrates her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life after her death and watches as they slowly fall apart. Her father becomes obsessed with finding Susieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s murderer, constantly thinking of suspects. Her lonely mother doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to process her eldest daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death and her husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newfound obsession and leaves.

Overall, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really like the movie. It was creepy, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not a fan of dead bodies.

Also, when you know who the murder within the first 15 minutes of the film, the rest is a little anticlimactic.

The book starts the same way as the movie. You know the killer within the first chapter and the rest of the book is boring as you wait for Susieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family to accept her murder and move on.

Within 328 pages of a book, much more can happen than in a two-and-half-hour movie.

The characters are well-developed, the plot is more intriguing, and it is well-written, which leads to a fast read. I highly suggest reading the novel before seeing the movie. If you do so, you will have a much more pleasant experience.

t.PSHBO "OEFSTPO NB QFMMBEJVN!HNBJM DPN

!"#$#%&$'()***

WALTZ. Juniors Jared Briggs and Lindsay Bentzinger share a slow dance at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seasonal dance, Winter 'PSNBM ɨJT ZFBS UIF GFTUJWJUJFT XFSF IFME +BO t1IPUP CZ .BEJTPO 7BOEFSXFMM

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What better way to celebrate the month of love than to pay homage to the successful relationships in our very own school? We underwent an investigation to find the most romantic stories within our doors, and here is what we found: We asked our lovebirds to answer the following questions: 1. How long have you been together?

2. How did your significant other ask you out?

3. What is your favorite thing about your significant other or your relationship?

4. What is the best memory you have together? * Senior Jordyn Vande Lune !s senior Jared Gerber 3+4)*5+",&222 62*6*4,+"7*8*9#%-')2 :2* ;* +)<,&* ',"* #$-* +-* ',"* '#$),* +=-,"*)',*'+&*>,,%*',1./%(*+-*+*5?* @#11,4>+11*(+9,2 A2* B,117* +>#$-* ',"* /)* ',"* 0+"/%(%,))* C/=* -'+-D)* +* E#"&F* =#"* .,#.1,*+%&*#$"*+>/1/-4*-#*-+1<*+>#$-* +%4-'/%(* +%&* '#E* E,* ,%0#$"+(,* ,+0'*#-',"*/%*#$"*E+1<*E/-'*!#&2 82* ;-* E#$1&* ."#>+>14* >,* 1+)-* ?+1,%-/%,D)* G+42* ;* 9+&,* ',"* >",+<=+)-2* ;-* E+)* ",+114* =$%7* +%&* )',*E+)*",+114*)$"."/),&2

Junior Kelsey VerMeer !s senior at Montezuma Kirk Salnave Says Kelsey...

1. A little over 2 years.

2. On the phone.

3. How nice of a person he is and how well he treats me. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much I like about him!

4. My favorite memory would be just laying on the beach in Key West looking at the stars.

Junior Karissa Rempe !s senior Jordan Youngman Says Karissa...

1. 9 months.

2.He asked me out on the way to a soccer game after we went out to eat.

3. Everything.

4. On my birthday he cooked my favorite meal for me.

I loved it! He cooked fettucini alfredo.

Junior Lindsay Willemsen !s junior Teag Klyn Says Lindsey...

1. Almost 10 months.

2. We were hanging out a Chris Bandstraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house, and we were away from everyone, and he just simply asked me to be his girlfriend.

3. I love how open we can be with each other and how much fun we have together. About him? His smile.

4. For his birthday we spent the whole day together and went to Des Moines. We went out to eat at Olive Garden and then went to Arenacross that night.

Margene Van Horn !s Bill Van Horn Says Bill Van Horn...

1. Almost 37 years. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been married for almost 35.

2. Our first date was playing tennis.

Imagine that! We were in a class together, so I asked her during class to play tennis. She beat me.

3. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rock-solid dependable, and our Junior MacKenzie Anthony <3s junior Seth Vander Horst faith is shared equally as the focal point for As told by MacKenzie... our marriage and family life.

1. 8 months.

4. Probably the birth of each of our five 2. We were out at the cliffs, and he packed Lunchables and he took a rock and wrote on a bigger rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kenzie+Seth=GF+BF?â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; children. and asked if I would go out with him.

3. I feel like I can be myself around him. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re comfortable with each other and can do anything together.

4. We went to the beach and built a fire and made sand castles and roasted hot dogs.

After a far-too-long hiatus from our loyal fan base, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve returned from the holidays with renewed vigor to broaden our horizons and find explore the world to find new and exciting people to spread our bromance with.

To do this, we would need some help. We needed a master bro. So we searched far and wide and found 2008 graduate Alex Wei. A young master in the art of bromance, he had come back to us from an arduous semester in the far-off land of China, and was rife with wisdom in the ways of the bro.

He taught us a great many things; things that we could not repeat to any non-bros, lest we be expelled from the Order of the Bro. Unfortunately, we had to repay him for imparting his wisdom upon us. Doubly unfortunate was that Alex was also a master in the ways of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mooch,â&#x20AC;? and

milked us dry of all our money, which was spent on many trips to Taco Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Panda Garden, and Pizza Ranch.

Soon after Alex discovered that we were out of money, he swiftly and cunningly disappeared, presumably to find more pupils that he could siphon money from to survive off of until he went back to China. Our time with the Master Mooch had come to an end.

However, our journey to enlightenment was not yet over.

To finally graduate from the school of bromance, we needed one who had gone through the life of a bro, through its good and bad, and come out unscathed on the other side.

We scoured the state, and finally tracked down the elusive teacher we were looking for. Deep in the reclusive region of Ankeny, we found King Bro, and Ranierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former sensei, 2005 graduate Ranson Worstell.

Comichael by Michael Ge (mg.pelladium@gmail.com)

Ranson and his wife Jennifer kindly led us into their secret dojo, where we underwent intense bro-training, and learned the final secret of the Bromance. It was a revelation so mind-blowing, so incredible, so immaculately beautiful that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure the world is ready for it. The Order threatened to kill us with bro-ninjas the moment we attempted to reveal it.

However, we believe that this secret is something that you, the lucky reader, should be made privy to. And the truth of the bro is: bros **************** and ******** pajamas ********* but not *******use fire. Crazy, huh?

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Through Winter Formal, show choir competitions, and speech contests, students express themselves through dance.

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SERENADE. Sophomore Kelly Anderson and junior Jacob Martin dance during their musical theatre performance of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been in love beforeâ&#x20AC;? from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Guys and Dollsâ&#x20AC;? at the All-City Speech Night Jan. 29 at Pella $ISJTUJBO t1IPUP CZ #FO .VMMFS

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BURNING UP. AcaPella, the varsity show choir, strikes the final pose of their set at the Dallas Center Grimes Show choir Invitational Jan. 23. Acapella won grand champions, as well as first in the 3A Division and best choreography overall. The junior varsity, Dutch Divas, and middle school show choirs, PellAdrenaline, NBEF UIF OJHIU TIPX BT XFMM t1IPUP TVCNJUUFE

For My Valentineâ&#x20AC;Ś Flowers Balloons Valentine Bears Free Delivery to Schools and Central Free Delivery on Friday, February 12 to Area Businesses

Valentine Deliveries Monday-Saturday Closed on Sunday

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SWAY. Seniors Lauren Cooper and Holli Renaud bust a IJ;CK;JD$ move during the Winter Formal dance held Jan. 18. Four hundred-and-thirty-nine students and their dates crowded DJJ$L1&@#*@%$ A place to turn JOUP UIF DBGFUFSJB EVSJOH UIF UISFF IPVS GPSNBM t1IPUP CZ !"#$%&'$()&*+++,$ Madison Vander Well !" -&)#&./$&)0%$12#'32$%&'1$1"/($&4$5266")5$

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789$:%$;<=$ Pregnancy Counseling and Support STI ( Sexually Transmitted Infections) testing !" -&)#&./$&)0%$12#'32$%&'1$1"/($&4$5266")5$ for men and women >21?2/$@)#$7A9$:%$<BCDB=$ Counseling (Relationships & Post-Abortion) M&'132N$$G>2$E2#"3@0$8)/6"6'62$$***+.2#")/6"6'62+&15$

www.pathwayspella.org

FREE & CONFIDENTIAL Pregnancy Counseling and Support STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) testing for men and women Counseling (Relationships & Post-Abortion) www.pathwayspella.org

832 Main St. (east side of the square)

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