February

Criminal Justice Course

Mike Smith Shares Story

PELLADIUM P. 3

P. 4

THE PELLA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL NEWS PUBLICATION

What is love today?

2.10.2015

Volume 30

Issue Four

2

Page Editor: Jack sytsma

Current

02.10.2015

The Ag Department’s Game of Drones

Agricultural teacher Jacob Bowers, along with Industrial Tech teacher Mark Goodrich, information?’ It’s great because students could one day work at a company and fly these recently purchased four large drones and twelve small ones. The drones, or quadcopters, drones and help make management decisions,” said Bowers. were purchased with the Carl Perkin’s grant, which provides money for Career Technical Bowers believes all students will benefit from the use of drones. Students, too, agree that Education programs such as Ag, Industrial Tech, and FCS. The drones will be used for this new classroom tool will benefit the classroom environment. educating students about the uses of drones in agriculture.

“I think it [the drones] will help the class be more efficient because we can see things “The drones serve a great agricultural purpose. They can scout fields, check on animals, from a new angle and perspective, without having to leave the school,” said sophomore FFA survey a large piece of land, check weed and bug pressure, and identify what parts of the field parliamentarian Amanda Stanley. need fertilizer and spray,” said Bowers.

The drones also are environmentally friendly, as they allow Although students cannot make real management decisions products such as fertilizer to be put where crops need it in a process using the drones, as an individual must have a pilot’s license to use called spot spraying. This will not only save cost by minimizing drones for commercial use, students are able to learn how drones the amount of spray used, but will help the environment as less can be used in the real world, with a real life application. foreign chemicals are released into the environment. Inside the Ag “In each class I teach, except welding, we will have a one week department at school, they also create an appeal to the students, unit on how to fly drones. I will be teaching students how to take hopefully increasing the involvement in FFA and Ag classes. off and land safely and citizenship [with the drones], and I will “I think the quadcopters are really cool. They’re a great idea to teach students how they can use them for management decisions,” get more people excited and involved in FFA . . . new people may said Bowers. be interested in learning how to use them,” said sophomore FFA The FFA program, under the Ag department, owns a crop plot, Treasurer Alex Weers. and the drones will be used to simulate making management Needless to say, the drones will provide students with an incentive decisions for this plot. to take classes in the Ag department and educate students on the >>>FLY. The Agricultural department has added electrical “We will collect data and simulate making management decisions, drones to their classes. Career Technical Education proenvironmental and economical benefits of using drones later on in grams such as Ag, Industrial Tech, and FCS will use drones asking ourselves ‘Theoretically, what could we do with all this their careers. to educate the use of drones in agriculture.

•Christina Gualteri (christina.gualteri@student.pella.k12.ia.us) NATIONAL FFA WEEK: FEB. 6-13 FFA to showcase at Excellence in Electives: •FFA will host its Annual Faculty Breakfast Feb. 13 FFA will participate in Excellence in Electives •The Ag Department will demonstrate part of their curricudisplaying drones, disecting, and other activities. lum to Middle School Feb. 12 during the STEM Event.

•FFA also took part in 8th grade orientation Feb. 9

Come see FFA and other electives on Feb. 16.

Criminal Justice on the rise Excellence in Electives returns Just as Flappy Bird and American Idol used to be the “big thing,” Criminal Justice is now taking its share in the spotlight. The class has had a record number of students sign up, totaling 26 students in a single period.

Senior Todd Van Dyke is one of the many students participating in the class, and he first enrolled in the class because he’s considering a career in the law enforcement field.

Additionally, he feels that the class would be enjoyable for all high schoolers.

“I think there’s a record number of students in the class because everyone has heard how much fun it is and wants to take it. Law enforcement just appeals to everyone. I also think people take this class because Buekelman is such an awesome teacher. Sometimes he will focus on our questions more than just the agenda he has planned out for the day. I feel that way kids are more likely to learn because he is focusing on their desire more,” said Van Dyke.

Criminal Justice teacher and Police Officer Dave Beukelman first taught the class last school year, and due to the fact that it is a semester class, he is now in the midst of teaching his fourth group of students.

“Criminal Justice is not a core required class, so we have freedom on which topics to offer and how to address them. Otherwise, we need only to adhere to DMACC’s Course Competencies and abide to the PCS mission,” said Beukelman.

Beukelman explains that his personal teaching philosophy is building relationships. He also explains how it can be difficult to juggle both teaching and being a police officer.

“Both are demanding and time consuming professions,” said Beukelman.

However, since Beukelman is a police officer, he has personal experience on the field, which many students appreciate.

“My favorite part of class is hearing all of Beukelman’s stories as a police officer,” said Van Dyke.

When signing up for the class, one may see Criminal Justice abbreviated as “CRJ 100.” The class is currently seventh period, located in the library, and students receive 3 college credits for doing the class from DMACC. Natalie Meyer (natalie.meyer@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Excellence in Electives is once again coming around the corner. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the electives that Pella High School offers. This event will be held February 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria and gym, and all community members are invited.

“Excellence in Electives is an opportunity for students to impact an audience outside the walls of school by demonstrating all their talents and abilities that they are fostering during school,” said family consumer science teacher Anna Arkema, who is involved with the event.

Many people are involved in working for this event to make sure that it runs smoothly and efficiently. Administrators, counselors and teachers will be attending the event to assist with answering questions. All other faculty will be holding parent-teacher conferences at that same time. This year principal Eric Nelson is in charge; although, the event itself is student-run.

“It is an opportunity for people to show their skills in a public forum,” said Nelson.

Family consumer science classes will be providing hors d’oeuvres, as well as beverages during the two hour period. There will also be cooking demonstrations. Other elective classes that will be participating in the evening include journalism and foreign languages.

“This interactive event includes hands-on activities, demonstrations, live performances, food, simulations, and classroom projects. Parents may be asked to work on projects similar to what their own student may be doing in class,” said Arkema.

Students will have the opportunity to showcase their work in their various elective classes, showing parents and viewers what they do on a day-to-day basis.

“It is such a fun night for parents, students, teachers, administrators and community members. It also helps the upcoming freshmen to be able to look at what the different electives have to offer and how those classes fit with their high >>>SHOW. Western Civilizations will showcase projects school goals,” said Arkema. done by students throughout he year. Junior Lydia Warin •Natalie Meyer (natalie.meyer@student. created a model of the Greek Partheon in a “Hands On History” project. “I enjoy making scale models of buildpella.k12.ia.us) ings so it was a lot of fun for me,” said Warin.

02.10.2015

Current

Construction Trade class aids the community Many people are given the opportunity to help people in any way that they can. Some of these moments are experienced in class. A course that provides this opportunity is the Construction Trades course. The construction trades course allows juniors and seniors to do some amazing projects under the guidance of teacher Mark Goodrich. One of these projects is to build a Habitat for Humanity House.

Habitat for Humanity is an organization that recruits groups, such as Goodrich’s class, to construct homes in the group’s immediate area. The Habitat House is not a new project to the course because it has been around for around six years now. The class is unique in the sense that the house construction site acts as the classroom, and supplies are provided for the class.

“When it comes to materials such as the lumber needed or the windows the Habitat for Humanity organization provides all of those materials for us,” said Goodrich.

The house, while under construction, is

completely assembled by the class with the exception of the wiring and the plumbing of the home. Also, if students complete this class and choose to move on to higher education at DMACC, they would be allowed to skip a year of mandatory construction trade courses.

“All of the homes we construct through this course are in the Pella area and are then sold to people with certain requirements such as having enough income to pay the mortgage,” said Goodrich.

Overall, the construction trades courses are doing multiple things to help the community in this way. They are building homes for the community and helping supply housing for members of the community. The course also prepares students for future careers in construction.

•Chandler Jahner (chandler.jahner@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

>>CONSTRUCT. Students work on a home in a Habitat for Humanity project. They are involved with the home due to participating in the Consturction Trades course that is provided at the high school. “I grew up working construction, and it’s completely different to do it for charity and not for my wallet. It’s a good feeling,” said junior Joe Blauw.

Page Editor: Natalie Meyer

3

Pella hosts band solo competition The Perry Band Olympics was previously ing the competition, there are three separate the only place that band students had the places for students to perform: a woodwind, chance to perform a solo or ensemble. How- brass, and percussion area for each type of inever this year, Pella will host its own Solo strument.

Contest.

“I love watching kids grow during a conSoloists and ensembles have previously per- test which offers an opportunity for students formed at the Perry Band to grow individually. We have to Olympics, but due to schedremind the students how to work uling conflicts, the students for [their performance] and give will now take part in the them the most help we can,” said first Pella Solo Contest. The band director Damion Place. contest takes place February Due to the late scheduling of 28 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this contest, Pella is currently the Roughly 70-75 students are only school performing at the solo currently taking part in this contest. However, more schools contest and have been premay decide to join. Each soloist paring for months. will have a pianist to accompany “I’m looking forward to them throughout their solo. This how much I am going to imhelps ease the nerves of students prove by preparing a solo to and helps maintain a constant be judged at the Solo Conspeed throughout the song. test. This contest will help Band director Jason Pentico has me as a musician and help put forth much effort into preparimprove my overall musical ing and helping the students to abilities,” said senior Laura improve their performance; he beKleven. lieves it is all worth it.

The format of the >>PERFORM. Sophomore Hannah Emmert “I like the fact that the competition will be the practices her clarinet in preparation for the com- students show musical petition. Pella hosts their first Band Solo Compesame as the Perry Band tion on February 28. “I am excited because it’s growth, from being conOlympics. The soloists a great opportunity to play for anyone who is ductor driven to just stuand ensembles will be willing to come and listen to all of these talented dent driven. The students judged on similar cri- people who are performing,” said Emmert. have to prepare a solo or teria; a top soloist from an ensemble and learn each grade and an outstanding ensemble will how to work together without as much help be awarded. There is a set schedule, so that a from a director,” said Pentico. student participating in both a solo and an

ensemble will not have conflicts and will be •Jack Sytsma (jack.sytsma@student.pella. able to perform both at separate times. Durk12.ia.us)

Lanschool, what?

Every time a student turns on their laptop, it’s there. A little circle next to his or her name at the top. At first it was scary, having teachers be able to look at everything you do. Now it’s just another feature on your computer that many students don’t think about. It’s LanSchool.

Although originally a popular device, many teachers have backed off the use of LanSchool and have begun to use other methods instead. Some just decided they didn’t need it; whereas, others had trouble with the system itself.

“I tried it early in the year, and I had some issues with it,” said history teacher Bryant Hancock. “I couldn’t see anything, and I tried it a couple more times... Back in that time, contacting IT was kind of difficult, and you had to do a ticket, and it just took time. I just found it was easy for me to walk around.”

Hancock has learned how to bypass this little blip. He now has a system that is very effective in keeping students in check.

“Now, I think more than anything, I just monitor how often computers need to be open. Most of the time, if there’s no need to have the computers open, and they are open and I’m talking and they’re looking at their computer screen, I

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know they’re probably not doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” said Hancock.

Things may have been different if Lanschool was an easier feature to use. Maybe more teachers would use it, at least some of the time.

Hancock added, “I would like to be able to use Lanschool at least just to say ‘Hey, I see you, I know what you’re doing’ just because I don’t think it would take many times, and then they would understand that they need to be sticking to business.”

However, there are still a few teachers who do use this school laptop surveillance device. Some use it a lot, whereas others use it just in certain instances, such as science teacher Carly Montgomery.

“Primarily I just use it [Lanschool] during exams, so I can make sure everybody is doing what they need to be doing and afterward I send them a message of what they need to be doing if they can’t remember,” Montgomery said. “I like the features of it. I know there are a lot more things I can do with it, I just haven’t learned all the other things, but for what it can do, I think it’s nice.”

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However, as previously stated, Montgomery doesn’t use Lanschool all of the time. She only uses Lanschool when students are taking tests online to keep them in check.

“I really don’t use it in the day to day. I trust students are typically doing what they need to be doing. It’s just on exam days I like to ensure they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” said Montgomery.

Lanschool doesn’t just impact the teachers. It also affects students. Emily Kriegel attests to this as she shares her point of view on Lanschool. “I think that it is a good idea to keep kids on task. I know kids don’t like it that much, but I think a lot of kids would be doing off topic things in class,” said Kriegel.

It’s not all kicks and giggles though.

“I think it’s useful but it’s just, it can also be seen as in an invasion of privacy a little bit, especially if you’re in study hall,” said Kriegel.

Lanschool is not primarily used anymore. When it is used, it’s nothing too invasive. Don’t fear the circle. Accept it.

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

4 Mike Smith impacts the school Current Page Editor: Chandler Jahner

Mike Smith is a youth motivational speaker based out of Lincoln, Nebraska who visited Pella High School on Jan. 20. He talked about topics like bullying, your own choices, and pursuing passions.

The yearbook company Josten’s sponsored Smith’s visit to Iowa. He stayed here for three days and spoke to several schools. Smith’s visit cost PHS $1250.

“If it inspires students to strive for excellence, it will be worth it every dollar,” said student council adviser Dak Rasmussen.

Smith was an average student and a little bit of a troublemaker. However, as a teenager he realized that believing in yourself is one of the most important things in life. His life turned into something extraordinary with the hard work, dedication and the passion he put into it.

As the Executive Director for Skate for Change and The Bay, he helps to make the world a better place. Skate for Change is an organization which convinces young skateboarders to help the homeless in their communities. Smith skateboarded across the state of Nebraska to collect money for this organization, and he wants to continue this journey this year from New York City to Los Angeles.

The Bay is a center that includes a skate park for the kids of Lincoln to come and pursue their passions. It does not necessarily have be skating. Teenagers are also able to explore art and music at The Bay. Smith calls himself a “professional teenager” >> Be Bold! Mike Smith presents to the because he still feels in touch with what it is like to be a teenager school about his life and offers encourage. ment. His message has empowered people “Mike Smith is younger, and he has a good perspective on all over the school. “Mike Smith taught high school issues. During his visit he talked about treating peo- me that we choose who we are and that we need to take responsibility for our own ple equally and how to be a kind person. I would like students actions.” sophmore Ryan Van Wyk to learn from him that sports are not everything; your personality matters,” said junior Elyse Parisee.

Smith motivates students to change their school culture, and he motivates others to live better lives.

“Mike Smith is an incredibly motivating speaker with a very valuable message. I am hoping he will inspire the student body to reach for greater things. The Student Council members that have heard him speak 1. were incredibly impressed,” said Rasmussen.

In fact it was the Student Council, led by Taika Dennil, that pushed for Smith to appear at Pella High. They believed that Smith would have an important impact on students. After the assembly students met in homerooms to discuss Smith’s message. Many of them were inspired.

Freshman Journey Reynolds said, “I enjoyed the assembly. Mike Smith was in touch with his story, and I think it was very inspiring.”

•Anna Staniszewska (Anna.Staniszewska@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

02.10.2015

Q&A with Mike Smith

Q: Why did you decide to become a motivational speaker?

A: I don’t think I wanted ever to be a motivational speaker. I just get asked to speak by people and schools. For me, speaking is a part of my life, but it is not my job or my career. However, I enjoy it because I don’t have the feeling that you guys get to hear always the truth. I feel like a big brother for this generation.

Q: Tell me what happened while you were in school. Have you been bullied too?

A : Yes, I think that most people have been bullied or they were the bully, but bullying is not the actual problem. It is the symptom.

Q: You talk about how everyone should be remembered for something. How can everyone of us make the world a little better?

A: Remember that it can be small. Doing little things everyday, can help a lot.

Q: How do you understand teenagers so well? How do you understand the problems they deal with?

A: I think I understand teenagers so well because the same problems teenagers have, adults have too.

Adults just like to pretend it’s different.

Q: Do you think that everyone who works hard can be successful even without a college degree?

A: Yes, I don’t talk often about it, but I didn’t graduate from college, and I get to travel around the world, and I created companies and businesses with my friends.

Besides I think that success doesn’t have anything to do with your job. Don’t we know many miserable adults who are successful?

Q: What advice would you give us to live life to it’s fullest?

A: If you work really hard and you treat people well, I think you’re gonna have a pretty satisfying life. Nobody of us is more important than the other.

This is the abridged version of Anna Staniszewska’s interview with Mike Smith. For the entire interview, go to Pelladium.com.

•Anna Staniszewska (Anna.staniszewska@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Chaos section supports basketball with theme nights

The student section at Pella High School has taken it up a notch this year by deciding to have theme nights for this years home basketball games. The theme nights consist of completely random things that are totally irrelevant to the games and they provide a positive outlet for the enthusiasm in the student section.

For the first theme night, held on Dec. 5, the student section decided to have a Green and White Night, and it allowed the section to show good school spirit, especially against conference rivals DCG. One of the leaders/characters of the student section, senior Marcus Whitmer, thought the theme night was a great idea.

“It was fun to dress up wearing all green and white. I personally dressed as a leprechaun because I have orange hair and I wore green suspenders. I thought it would bring us luck.

I think that dressing up allowed me to cheer louder and show off my style,” said Whitmer.

The second theme night, which took place on Dec. 12, was Beach Night. This was the night that most people dressed up and showed off their theme. Some could say that this night

was totally irrelevant because it was cold outside and it had nothing to do with Pella, but that is what makes it fun. Senior Trevor Argo came up with the idea of Beach Night.

“I came up with the beach themed night because I thought it

>> Chaos! The student “chaos” section cheers on the Dutch at a home game.

There is a new spark in excitement to the basketball games. “I think a lor of the enthusiams from the football season has transfered over to the basketball season this year. There is defientely a lot of fun and chaos!” senior Trevor Argo

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would be fun to dress like we are going to the beach. It turned out to be really fun, and I am pretty sure everyone enjoyed it,” said Argo.

On the third student section theme night, which happened on Dec. 16, the theme was ugly Sweater/Christmas night.

Christmas was upon the horizon, so the student section leaders thought it would be appropriate to wear ugly sweaters and Christmas themed outfits. The outfits displayed the Christmas spirit, and sophomore Ross Vandeweerd thought the theme night was a success.

“The Christmas theme was fun because everyone had unique outfits. I think one girl even dressed up as the Grinch. I think the Christmas theme night helped us show the Christmas spirit and even people that don’t normally dress up for games, dressed up. It was fun,” said Vandeweerd.

Theme nights were put into place by the student section leaders to make being in the student section more exciting and a better experience.

•Corey Elliiot (Corey.Elliot@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

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02.10.2015

Sports

PAGE EDITOR: Caleb Piersma

5

Super Bowl Review PLAYER PROFILE The NFL Season starts with equal opportunity for all 32 teams, but only one can call themselves the World Champions. This season the New England Patriots hoisted the Lombardi Trophy and took a hold of the top spot in the NFL. This year marked the 49th Super Bowl in NFL history, and it was a memorable one.

The Super Bowl was a spectacular, defensive performance by both teams in the first half.

But then the fireworks started, literally and figuratively, as Katy Perry took the stage for the halftime show, singing a lot of her hit songs and having guests Missy Elliot and Lenny Kravitz. The teams must have been watching at halftime as the offensive efficiency exploded in the second half. The game was great all the way through, but it was overshadowed by one play.

With only two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks took control of the ball down by four. They drove down the field and Javon Kearse made one of the best catches of Super Bowl history to put the Seahawks in great field position with under a minute remaining in the game. The Seahawks had the ball on the one yard line with 20 seconds left, a timeout, and three more downs to score a touchdown and take the lead. All they had to do at this point is hand the ball to Marshawn Lynch and take the lead, but they threw it instead. The pass was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, and the Patriots took over, winning the Super Bowl.

But now it is time to look forward to what next season has in store. There are many questions that have been brought up about players returning, leaving, and the upcoming draft. One of these players is Peyton Manning.

Ever since being drafted into the NFL as the number one draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts, Manning has thrived as one of the top quarterbacks in NFL history. Manning now plays for the Broncos. Their season ended unexpectedly with a loss in the second round to, you guessed it, the Indianapolis Colts. This was a crushing loss for the Broncos who had plans to return to the Super Bowl and redeem themselves after 2014’s Super Bowl beatdown to the Seattle Seahawks.

Potential coaching changes may be made, and Manning’s contract will be up after the 2015-16 season. Which leads to the big off-season question, will Manning return next season?

Garret Jansen (garret.jansen@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Name: Chase Petty Class: Senior Sport: Wrestling Favorite Wrestling Move: Chicken Wing or Fireman’s Carry Accomplishments: -Wrestled varsity for his four years of high school -Led the team as captain for the past two years - Competed at state two years of his high school career -Awarded The Little Hawkeye Conference Champion in 2014 -Won his 100th match during his senior year -Broke Pella High School’s all-time wins in a career record Bio: Chase Petty has been an integral part of the Pella High wrestling program for four years. His dad has been coaching him since he was 5 years old and has pushed him to be the best he can be. Chase has gone to countless wrestling camps during the summers. In off-season, he also wrestled freestyle and weight trained. This season, Chase is predicted to win conference in his weight division and to compete at the state tournament. Chase will continue his wrestling career by attending Central College this next year.

•Caleb Piersma (caleb.piersma@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Intramurals Pre-Season Rankings This years Intramural Season is one to watch for, since there may be something never seen in the history of Intramural Basketball….. the fast break. With many teams who are fast and have good athletes, don’t look for any shenanigans in the half court. It is a good thing the refs are cross country coach Doug Cutler and a super trim Jon Muller. They will have to be on their game physically this year.

Meet the coach: Wade Van Vark Q: How long have you been coaching at Pella?

Did you have any prior coaching experience?

A: I’ve been coaching at Pella in one form or another since my sophomore year of college. So, at the end of this year, it will be 19 years.

Q: What do you love about coaching basketball?

A: This year I love getting to be around my daughter more since she’s playing for the JV. But the thing I love about every year is just getting to be a part of the program and building relationships with the coaches and the players. I learn so much from all of them, and they all make me a better person.

Q: Why did you want to become the girls assistant basketball coach?

A: Sports were a huge part of my life when I was a student-athlete at Pella High, and I learned a lot from the coaches about growing up, work ethic, sportsmanship, things like that. I wanted the opportunity to pay that forward to other student-athletes.

Q: How has your view on basketball changed from playing to coaching?

A: Well, first and foremost, I’ve realized I was not nearly as good as I thought I was when I played, and I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did when I played. I’ve also grown to realize that while at the time winning is important, in the end it’s really not what matters most. How you conduct yourself, building relationships, growing as person are the most important things in high school sports.

•Caleb Piersma (caleb.piersma@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

1- G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) (Seniors) Last year’s champions look to repeat this season. This team found their success last year as they looked to do what most teams in intramural history refused: run the floor. This team cuts the nonsense starting with Brian Rundle; he will not tolerate any of that. With so many fast players such as Quinton Murphy, Logan Heemerma, Tanner Wood and Todd Van Dyke, they will look to push the ball up the court once again this year. Corey Elliot is the dark horse. When he is on from there, you better watch out.

2- Running Chubs (Juniors) This year’s junior class made some major additions with ballers that will contribute right away. They lost Saghit Rethmier after he transfered to play for the Mexican Intramural Team. They have replaced Rethmier with former varsity basketball players Nathan Henry and Brady Cox. This team will bring speed and fundamental basketball skills to the gym. This team also brings a post presence with Zach Vande Weerd who is a rebounding machine. The Running Chubs should be up for title contention as long as they don’t let A.J. Kingery or Colton Williams shoot the ball too much. The big question entering the season is will Josh Zemanek, who is on the Injured Reserve right now, play? If he gets healthy and they let him into the game, they are doomed, but if they can convince him not to play, the team will be better off.

3- GET SOME (Go Every Time So Others May Every Time) (Multiple Classes) One thing that will not be questioned is the stamina that this team brings to the floor.

They have nine players on the roster, but with a majority being cross country runners, they could play the whole game and then go run a couple more miles for fun. The rock of this team will be former basketball player and senior Travis Dingeman. Dingeman was a standout in middle school; literally, he was much taller than anyone he played against.

Many of these players have been seen putting in the hard work in the offseason during PE class and before their daily runs.

4- Kennedy’s Head Shot This team has no chance at success with only two members on the team. This couple of individuals need to realize that no matter how good you are, this is a team game. Jordan Meyer and Peyton Schull, good luck. **Rankings are based on results of the previous season and the team’s projected roster.**

•Garret Jansen (garret.jansen@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

6

In Focus

PAGE EDITORS: Garret Jansen & Christina Gualtieri

Love IN THE Modern World

Tinder app raises safety concerns

There is no way to talk about Valentine’s Day without talking about love, marriage, and maybe a baby carriage. However, marriages are constantly changing and people are constantly choosing to commit to their loved ones in different ways. Some choose to marry later in life, cohabitate before marriage, marry their loved one in a newly-legal civil union, or choose traditional marriage.

DIVORCE RATES

In 1999, the divorce rate in Iowa was 3.9 (per 1,000 people), while the marriage rate was 9.0.

Most recently, in 2012 the divorce rate was at its lowest, at 3.1, but the marriage rate saw an even greater drop from 9.0 in 1999 to 6.9 in 2011. No surprise, the highest marriage and divorce rates in 2012 were in Nevada, with a marriage rate at 69.7 (down from 99.0 in 1999), and a divorce rate of 7.1.

COHABITATION

GAY MARRIAGE

AGE

In 2005, only one state had legalized gay marriage. Currently, 36 states and the District of Columbia have legalized gay marriage. Beyond boosting adoption rates and providing marital rights for all citizens in the United States, gay marriage actually boosts the economy, at least temporarily. After the legalization of gay marriage in New York, almost $260 million was pumped into the New York City economy according to The Huffington Post. According to another Huffington Post article, states who allowed gay marriage had a 20% lower divorce rate than states who only allowed heterosexual couples to marry.

In 1950, the average age at marriage for women was 20.5 years and 22.8 years for men. In 2013, the average age at marriage was 29 for men and 27 for women. Couples are waiting longer to get married, due to several reasons. First, life expectancy has increased since 1950. Secondly, more couples are choosing to cohabitate (or engage in sexual activities) before marriage. Lastly, as more women and men are attending universities, they tend to wait for a degree and a full time job before getting married. In regards to serious commitments, good things truly do come to those who wait. According to a University of Pennsylvania study, couples who are older when making their first serious commitment (i.e. moving in together, getting engaged), are far less likely to get divorced.

The study found that after age 23, the divorce rate drops significantly. Couples who waited until after age 23 to make their first serious commitment were almost 30% less likely to get divorced.

•Leah Wilborn (Leah.wilborn@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

•Ashley Kirkland

The Origins of Valentine’s Day •Ashley Kirkland

The love games

Married Pella staff members and former member, Dennis Linn, shared stories on how they met their spouse. Match the couples with the correct scenarios. Answers on Pelladium.com.

1.

“We met playing a tennis tournament in Des Moines. My first impression was that he was quick and had an awesome one-handed backhand!”

While none of these statements have proven to be correct, the media has glamorized love to reflect the above statements. In today’s culture, mass media is a powerful socializing agent. Beginning at a young age, girls are barraged with fairy-tale deceptions of romantic love. It’s the typical “Handsome Prince Charming saves helpless maiden” story. As these little girls (and boys) grow older, popular movies, television series, books and magazines show love in a false light. Older Disney princess movies show unrealistic and unhealthy romantic relationships. In Beauty and the Beast, Belle attempts to reform her captor (the beast). In real life, it is unwise to go into a relationship hoping to change a significant other. Abusive “heros” usually do not have a good heart, and the women cannot be good enough to bring that heart out. Belle portrays Stockholm syndrome, in which the victim shows compassion and sympathy to his/ her captor. Belle’s father is let go as Belle stays. It’s virtually holding someone hostage, and Belle showing compassion on her captor is not something that should be looked at as a good example of romance.

2.

“We met when we were students at Central. He was wearing bright orange pants, and I remember thinking they were a little “loud.” Two days after I met him, I left for London for the whole semester. When I came back, we had a mutual friend who

3.

“We met at Morningside College at the freshman mixer dance during freshman orientation. We had many of the same friends and did lots of things together with our mutual friends. We starting dating the end of our senior year of college.”

B.

C.

Mr. & Mrs. Carey

Mr. & Mrs. Linn

4.

“We met in college our sophomore year. She went to a different school her freshman year then transferred to Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD). We were both music majors at the time (she ultimately added psychology as well). I believe we met the fall of 1993 in the basement of the Humanities Building, which was where all of the practice rooms and instrument lockers were located. I had just completed my trumpet audition for chair placement, and she asked me how it went. My first impressions of her was that was attractive, had a beautiful smile, and she looked a bit like Drew Barrymore!”

5.

“It was 1980, and I had landed a teaching job in the middle of Iowa...Prairie of Gowrie. I was selected to represent the Gowrie teachers at the annual Iowa State Educator’s Association in Altoona at Adventureland. . .We got to know each other at the convention through different meetings. He started writing the most wonderfully creative letters to me (which I still have), and we were married a year later.”

D. E. Mr. & Mrs. Pentico

Mr. & Mrs. Manning

Listed below are several statements. If you believe this is accurate, note “TRUE” to yourself. If you believe the statement to be inaccurate, note “FALSE.” 1. The man in the relationship cannot be shorter, younger, less successful, or poorer than his woman counterpart.

2. It does not matter if you and your partner share similar values, as long as you love each other.

3. The love of a woman can change a man from a “beast” to a “prince 4. The media is 100% accurate in its portrayal of love.

Love portrayed by Disney

A. Mr. & Mrs. Brandt

kept encouraging us to date. We spent a lot of time together that next summer, but I always said we were “just hanging out” and not actually dating. While we dated, he opened every door for me, paid for every date, and was always such a gentleman. When he asked for my parents’ blessing to propose, he purposefully wore an Iowa Hawkeye shirt because my dad is a huge Hawkeye fan. He proposed when we were in San Antonio, Texas, and we got married about a year later. It’s been marital bliss ever since.”

MOBILE DATING

Tinder, a mobile dating application tracks your geographic location and supplies social media profiles of “matches” within the distance set. This app was released in August of 2012, but just hit the mainstream of top apps and has taken online dating to a new extreme.

“I heard that it is an app to meet the right guy or girl for you,” said freshman Selena Guangvan.

Tinder was originated for college campuses, specifically the University of Southern California.

“Vulnerable high school youths should not expose themselves to a relatively unregulated online environment with adult content,” said junior Duncan Brumwell.

In April 2014, Tinder was reported to filtering in over 10 million swipers a day. In October 2014, Tinder users swiped through 1.2 billion Tinder profiles and was responsible for more than 15 million matches per day. Senior Taryn Ernst does not feel compelled to use the internet to find dates.

“I am the only tool I need for dating,” said Ernst.

•Ashley Kirkland (Ashley.kirkland@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Perhaps one of the main reasons for the drop in marriage rates is the ever-increasing rate of couples choosing to live together before marriage, or cohabitation. According to the 2012 census, over 7.8 million couples in the U.S. are cohabitating: a 900% increase in the last 50 years. At first, cohabitation seems like a great way to lower divorce rates; you get to see what your partner is really like before you walk down the aisle. Just like you wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes without trying them on, many couples want to “test drive” marriage. This may seem like a logical idea. However, it actually increases the likelihood of divorce and the risk of an unplanned pregnancy. Twenty percent of women who were cohabiting for the first time had a baby within the first year. In a study done in 2012 by the University of Denver, couples surveyed who had lived together before marriage had contemplated divorce 7% more than couples who had not lived together until after engagement or marriage. According to the study, couples who cohabitate before marriage tend to “slide into” marriage instead of making a purposeful commitment.

7

02.10.2015

Love portrayed in magazines

Magazines for adolescents often feature pages of articles with titles such as “How to know if he’s into you” or “10 ways to make him yours.” Thirteen or fourteen year old girls, sometimes even younger, may look at these articles in hopes of making their crush fall in love with them. These “how to’s” usually do not work, leaving the young girl feeling as though something is wrong with her. Although magazines are beginning to focus more on developing as an individual, there is still a strong emphasis on relationships- teaching young girls how to flirt, get a boyfriend, or keep one. This is not appropriate for girls who are still going through puberty.

Stereotypes created by mass media

Fitting the “Me-Tarzan, You-Jane” cultural stereotype includes the man (usually) being taller, older, and more successful than his woman counterpart. This stereotype is pronounced in many, many books, movies, and television shows. Even though it is obvious that the books and movies that keep society entertained are fictional, it is easy to be less satisfied with real-life partners as they do not meet the emotional/physical expectations the movies show. For example, most men are not going to stand out in the pouring rain, throwing pebbles at windows. A woman can fall in love with a man that is shorter, younger, or less successful than herself; although, this is not popularly shown in books or movies. Sadly, while not always consciously, men and women alike use models and actors/actresses as their standard for their real life significant other, who may end up disappointing them. This is especially pronounced in magazines that create an unrealistic image of women’s bodies.

While watching romance movies or reading books, it is important to remember the characters are fictional. The love stories that are so popular never happened in real life.

•Christina Gualtieri (christina.gualtieri@studnet.pella.k12.ia.us)

8

PAGE EDITOR: Leah Wilborn

The Bottom Line

Opinion

02.10.2015

•A column by Christina Gualtieri At the age of 18, a person may vote for the president, purchase cigarettes, permanently mark their body with a tattoo, skydive or bungee jump. One may marry without parental consent, sign legally binding contracts, and take out a loan for tens of thousands of dollars for college tuition. At 18, a person can even agree to donate their organs or donate their body to science. In essence, as a legal adult, an eighteen year old can do anything a 21 year old can do with one exception: purchase and consume alcohol. Why is it that an 18 year old who is considered a legal adult and can risk his or her life by joining the military, cannot drink alcohol?

People may argue, saying alcohol can be detrimental to eighteen year olds, who may binge-drink or drive while intoxicated. These, of course, are all possibilities - not to mention they are all occurring presently, just illegally. However, isn’t it possible for an 18-year-old to extend their credit, get evicted, go into foreclosure, pick the wrong spouse, or get killed in the line-of-action? All of these situations are possible, but most likely not probable. When a teenager turns 18, they become a legal adult and must deal with the responsibilities that come with adulthood, such as credit cards, rent, marriage, or the decision to join the military. I argue that alcohol should be included among those responsibilities.

After all, many 18-, 19-, and 20-year olds already consume alcohol. Why continue with a system that is not working? Something needs to be changed.

One of two situations would logically ensue: create stricter regulations or allow drinking to happen, legally. Instead of creating stricter laws for those who are not yet 21, I propose the latter. Students should be educated on alcohol, and how to drink responsibly. This could be much like many schools treat sex education courses. This “alcohol course” would educate students on the dangers of alcohol, such as drunk driving, binge drinking, and brain damage. It could also teach young adults how to drink in a responsible manner. With this education, less alcohol-involved problems would occur. This would result in a decrease in unsafe alcohol consumption. This has already been proven in countries where 18-year-olds are allowed to drink, where less alcohol-related fatalities are reported, such as in Spain, where the death from alcohol rate is .04 per 10,000, where as in the United States, where the legal drinking age is 21, the death from alcohol related incidents is 1.6. The difference in these numbers may not seem like much, but let’s keep in mind that even one death is tragic to people. If we could decrease the number from 1.6 to .04 in a country with 300 million people, hundreds, if not thousands of lives would be saved. Also, if drinking was legal for those under 21, they will no longer experience the “thrill” of breaking the law by consuming alcohol.

Keeping the drinking age at 21 is merely a denial of the legal age of adulthood. It’s time to give 18-year-olds all the responsibilities, rights and privileges that come with adulthood.

Staff Editorial: Love is still all you need

The Pelladium staff wanted to look at the subject of love in a new light - how has love changed? Fifty years ago, love meant flowers, chocolate, and dates to diners. Today, love is different. Communication has become snapchats and texting. Dating has turned into “talking” and websites such as Tinder have created something new - online dating. Divorce rates have increased dramatically.

Whether you think these changes are good or not, we can all agree that some changes are for the better. Modern-day acceptance has made its way into romance. Gay couples are being allowed to marry. Girls are being empowered, and the “men are better” concept is being deflated, with some women being the more successful partner in the relationship. Divorce rates have increased, but perhaps this is for the better. Domestic abuse rates have gone down. And, looking back hundreds of years, here in America, couples marry for love, not from arrangements. The concept of love has changed dramatically, but not all of the changes are bad.

•The Pelladium Staff voted unanimously in favor of this article.

>>>REACT. Juniors Elyse Parisee, Sarah Peterson, and Brad Bortcheller read Fifty Shades of Grey during a study hall. “Who would you even go see that movie with? Your parents? Your boyfriend?” said Parisee about the upcoming film.

Commentary: Fifty Shades of “I’ll pass”

According to a 2012 study in The Open Psychology Journal, men who regularly view porn are more likely to have increasingly aggressive tendencies, report decreased empathy for rape victims, report believing that provocatively dressed women deserve to be raped, report anger at women who flirt but refuse to have sex, and report increased interest in coercing partners into unwanted sex acts. Thousands of human trafficking victims (adults and children) are forced to make pornographic films, which are then sold. As the demand for porn increases, the human trafficking industry also increases.

Given the above study, the highly-anticipated premiere of the movie Fifty Shades of Grey is somewhat disturbing. While Fifty Shades of Grey is officially an erotic romance, there is only one major difference between the movie and porn: the fact that the sex scenes are staged. According to an interview with leading actor Jamie Dornan, to avoid a graphic NC-17 rating, which replaced the original “X-Rating” in 1990, contracts were put in place. Including the fact that Dornan was not allowed to go full-frontal, much to the disappointment of middle-aged bloggers. However, main actress Dakota Johnson has no such provisions.

There are actually a few things that the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise has done right. The erotica industry, for the first time, has marketed to the less than 20 percent of erotica consumers and viewers that are women. The differences in the way the franchise has marketed to women speaks lengths about how women are objectified in porn marketed to men. The film is different than porn in the following ways.

1. The main character is average-sized.

2. The posters for the movie shows the two main characters, fully clothed, embracing (while less than 10% of porn scenes contain “loving” actions such as embracing or verbal compliments).

3. While most porns generally focus on men’s pleasure, from what we’ve seen so far, Fifty Shades of Grey focuses on the female side of things.

While all of these things are positive, it doesn’t make it okay to allow erotica to make its way further into popular culture. This type of film further fuels the porn industry, and as a result, increases human trafficking. All the harms and dangers that come with porn still exist, and the fact that this film is in cinemas, not on some shady website, is a big step forward for the profiteers of porn, and a huge step backward for society. The fact that erotica is being shown in a cinema increases the likelihood that porn will become a larger part of popular culture, which means: 1. Women and men will be further objectified.

2. Men and women will have a decreased sexual interest in their significant others.

3. Empathy for rape victims will decrease.

4. Increased exposure to violence in porns (which is regularly depicted in Fifty Shades of Grey) increases aggressive tendencies .

So, instead of seeing an erotic film in theaters this February, spend the $10 it takes for a ticket and popcorn and buy an accessory made by Sak Saum, a ministry which buys handmade items former sex slaves, so that they can work to support themselves.

•Leah Wilborn (leah.wilborn@student.pella.k12.ia.us))

02.10.2015

OPINION

Believe Me on this One •A Column By Ashley Kirkland

How I thought high school would go, and how it ceased to surprise me.

When I was in middle school, I knew of about a dozen high schoolers. They were all either my neighbors or a babysitter. With my first day in high school approaching, I was nervous the way a child frets trying to find their mother in the grocery store.

Suddenly I found myself walking into a new school with people taller, faster, hairier and smellier than me. There was no way of protecting myself against the upperclassmen from day one. I knew I would not be able to hide my frantic freshman facial expressions, but at least I had my wits, at least I thought so. There was no way I would be able to “hang with the crew” if I could not even keep up with their random inside jokes and plans for Saturday night when the rents fall fast asleep. I decided to keep my head low and start at step one: learning ALL of their names. It was so easy to keep up with the hallway sleaze that I became instantly confused how a senior had any reason not to know everyone in the schools’ name. Four years later I became well aware of the reason, and it was the same reason for my government assignments being done the class period before: senioritis.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, this is what it means to me. The golden rule, treat others the way you would want to be treated, also, Do Not Mess With The Seniors. High

school is a jungle. I learned that from Mean Girls early on so that I was prepared, but what I was not prepared for was the constant desperation from underclassmen feeling as though they need to trash upperclassmen to climb on some invisible “social ladder.” If someone disagrees with me and would lend a hand and show me where this ladder is, that would be great. I would love to knock it over for good.

Lunch time is a war zone. On my first day of freshman year I was invited to sit with some seniors, and still haven’t received my gold star. I ended up sitting with my freshman buddies at a small table in the middle of the lunchroom. To my right was the table full of fully grown young adults as they devour their crispitos and gossiped about who’s football jersey was most desirable that week. To my left were the sophomores, they celebrated their victory of getting through freshman year with minimal emotional damage. In front of me was my own emotional expression- a deer in the headlights, except it was actually just another freshman girl. I learned how to use my 5 foot 2 height to my advantage when I would cut in line, especially on crispito day.

Also, I thought I would be taller by now.

Ashley Kirkland’s first day of freshman year. “I had been looking forward to high school for many reasons, such as more friends, the journalism program, and hight school sports,” said Kirkland.

Page Editor: Joshua Da

Wait, What?

9

• A Column By Leah Wilborn In January of 2013, a documentary described by the New York Times as “unabashed...dramatic...provocative” began screening in colleges, churches, cafes, theaters and film festivals worldwide. The film follows Rebecca Gomperts, a young doctor who worked as a ship’s doctor in countries where abortion was illegal. Horrified by the socioeconomic and health consequences caused by anti-abortion laws, she founded Women on Waves, a boat-turned-mobileclinic which provided free, World Health Organization approved abortions to women around the world. Founded in 2000, the ship has traveled to numerous countries, including Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. They also partner with many organizations to provide abortion hotlines in South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

These hotlines provide reproductive health information, especially information on how to use Misoprostol, more commonly known as the Morning After Pill. The information is regulated through Women on Waves and comes directly from the World Health Organization.

Misoprostol is a drug which can be used to treat gastric ulcers, aid in delivering miscarried fetuses, and induce abortion for pregnancy, but only during the first trimester of pregnancy. It is also on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines. Alone, Misoprostol is only 80-85% effective, which is why Women on Waves use it combined with Mifepristone, making the abortion 95-98% effective. Mifepristone blocks the female hormone progesterone, which is required to sustain pregnancy.

Many women in countries where abortion is illegal can buy pills online and safely take them at home, as long as they are under 12 weeks pregnant. Because the organization asks for donations instead of charging women for the pills, the organization took measures, including this one, to pre-

vent the abuse of their system. The Women on Waves website provides instructions on how to take the pills, when to go to the doctor, and abortion hotlines and other resources for nearly every country in the world. The website also links to a doctor who can prescribe the pills online, but only if the women lives in a country where abortion is illegal, has no severe illness, and is under 9 weeks pregnant.

The website also provides facts from the World Health Organization on abortion around the world. For example, in countries where abortion is legal, the unsafe rate of abortions is significantly lower than where abortion is illegal because the government can regulate abortion and health organizations can legally provide safe abortions, meaning that less women get “backalley” abortions. These unsafe abortions account for 49% of all abortions. In Latin America, over 95% of all abortions are unsafe, and in Africa, over 97% were unsafe.

These unsafe abortions can cause infertility, short-term and long-term injury, and cause nearly 68,000 deaths per year. Safe abortions, on the other hand, cause less than 1 death per 100,000 procedures.

Women on Waves work with many other organizations fighting for women’s health and their right to make reproductive choices. Safe, government-regulated and World Health Organization approved medical abortions allow women to make reproductive decisions at an early stage of pregnancy, which prevents many health and socioeconomic consequences. By providing legal abortions, the amount of women who seek out “back alley” abortions is greatly decreased, saving thousands of lives per year, and providing essential rights to women worldwide.

Correction from December 9 Issue It has come to the attention of Pelladium editors that the December 9, 2014 issue contained an error within Natalie Meyer’s commentary on whether Forté should be treated as an athletic team. Ms. Meyer stated that show choir at PHS receives funding from the school. In fact, PHS show choirs do not recieve funding from the school, but instead are funded through the proceeds from the Dutch Masters Show Choir Invitational and Cabaret events, which are operated and staffed by students, parents and volunteers. The Pelladium regrets this error.

Pelladium Staff Executive Editors: Christina Gualtieri, Garret Jansen Page Editors/Reporters: Joshua Da, Ashley Kirkland, Natalie Meyer, Jack Sytsma, Corey Elliot, Caleb Piersma, Leah Wilborn, Chandler Jahner Reporters: Megan Atkins, Anna Staniszewska Business Manager/Social Media Manager: Marissa Borgerding Cover Page: Garret Jansen Photographer: Ashley Kirkland Advisor: Amy Blanton

The Pelladium is a monthly tabloid produced by the high school journalism department to serve as an informative, educational and entertaining communications media and to provide an open forum to students and readers.

•Letters to the editor are welcomed 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 editors, libelous content or length due to space limitations. Letters may be brought to Room 201 or sent to Pella Community High School, Box 468, Pella, IA 50219. •The Pelladium will strive to deliver information in a fair and truthful manner. The Pelladium will function in accord with all applicable laws, both in regard to the rights and restrictions of journalism. •The views expressed in this publication are those of the individual writer and are not those necessarily of the Pella Community Schools administration or the Board of Education. •The Pelladium will make retractions in the event of errors made in the content of printed stories. Retractions will be printed in the issue immediately following the issue containing the error. •The Pelladium is a member of the Iowa High School Press Association

102014 songs that needEntertainment PAGE EDITOR: Christina Gualtieri

02.10.2015

Best of the best: Netflix Edition

to STOP playing

Horror

Everyone has heard the songs. They were so popular when they debuted and everyone loved them, but after the hundredth time of hearing the song on the radio, you get sick of it. It’s 2015, people, these songs need to be buried and forgotten.

Any song that Taylor Swift has debuted in 2014 - I have nothing against Taylor Swift, but I just want to point out that her songs get really repetitive *Cough Cough* “Blank Space” *Cough Cough* “Shake it off.”

“Happy” by Pharrell Williams - Yes, happy, that is all that needs to be said about this song.

“Pompeii” by Bastille - I just want to implode like the real Mount Vesuvius and cover this song in ash.

“Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj - I’m bang bang banging my head on the table every time I hear this.

“Turn Down For What” by DJ Snake and Lil Wayne - Turn down for what? I’m turning down this song is what I’m doing.

“Fancy” by Iggy Azalea - Fancy, yeah we know you; got all of your clothes at the 80’s section at the thrift shop.

The Omen (1976) The Omen is a true testament to the 1970’s expert ability for producing quality horror movies. As people surrounding an American ambassador begin to mysteriously die, he begins to suspect something sinister within his family, his own son. While trying to solve this ominous mystery and avoiding death himself, the ambassador must figure out the truth behind his own son.

Drama

Forest Gump (1994) Forest Gump is a classic movie seen by numerous Americans across the country. Forest Gump, though not intelligent, has been a part of many historical events. He fights in Vietnam, participates in international ping-pong, and fishes for shrimp; all the while trying to gain the affection of his life-long sweetheart, Jenny.

Comedy

School of Rock (2003) This film features stars such as Jack Black, Miranda Cosgrove, and Sarah Silverman. This 2003 comedy revolves around a wanna-be rock star in need of money who poses as a substitute teacher. He meets ten-year-old guitar prodigy Zack, who gives him the idea to turn his fourth grade class into a rock band in order to win the “Battle of the Bands.”

Action

“Team” by LORDE - “We live in cities” and I live in Pella, Iowa.

“Am I Wrong” by Nico and Vinz - Am I wrong that I’ve heard this song too many times?

“Rude” by Magic! - The song is being RUDE to my ears.

•Joshua Da (Joshua.da@student.pella.k12.ia)

Skyfall (2012) This film is the third installment of the Daniel Craig-James Bond movies, and the only one of these films found on Netflix. As the first two films were popular around the world, Skyfall is not another disappointing sequel. When the M16 is under attack, Bond must find and destroy the threat, no matter how personal it becomes.

•Jack Sytsma (Jack.sytsma@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

NASCAR: the history It is the most watched spectator sport in the world taking in 3.1 billion dollars a year according to Statistic Brain, and it all started with alcohol- illegal alcohol to be exact.

Prohibition During the 1920’s the United States entered a state of prohibition, which banned alcohol. As a result, illegal alcohol began to flow across the United States. The manufacturers of illegal alcohol were called bootleggers, and they often made illegal alcohol by the name of moonshine.

Now these individuals would sell their product. This was, of course, illegal and local law enforcement tried to put an end to these actions. To avoid being caught, these bootleggers needed cars to haul their product and stay ahead of the police. As a result, bootleggers increased the horsepower and speed of their cars.

Eventually over time, these bootleggers had cars so fast that they began to make wagers with each other about who had the quickest cars. This eventually lead to more and more races. Race tracks began to pop up around the country, but there were no regulations and no set limitations. This began to cause problems for the sport of auto racing.

Establishing Race Tracks In order to increase safety, Bill France Sr. decided to sanction, or put all of the tracks under one company’s control. These tracks included Mom and Pop tracks and other dirt tracks across the South. On Feb. 21, 1948 in Daytona Beach, Florida, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR for short, was formed by France. From that point on NASCAR began to gain a following. NASCAR, living up to its name of stock car, had American manufactures such as Ford, Dodge, Pontiac, and Chevrolet, contribute cars to the sport. Other companies began to notice the popularity of NASCAR and paid to have their branding on the cars. Soon companies even began to sponsor the racing classes, such as the Sprint Cup and the Nationwide Series.

As time progressed, the sport became so large that some tracks were capable of holding 80,000 people and large television deals with providers such as FOX or ESPN. Eventually the sport became the largest spectator sport in the world. During its peak in during 2006, tracks did not have a seat to spare.

NASCAR Today Throughout NASCAR racing, legendary drivers have emerged and defined the sport. These drivers include Richard Petty, driver of the famous number 43 in Petty blue, Dale Earnhardt, who drove the number 3 car and who died on the Daytona International Speedway, and Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who are both still driving to this day.

The sport has fallen in popularity recently due to the economy dip in 2008 but is slowly regaining ground. Innovations such as turning the cars into what looks like their production car counterparts and the introduction of the new points system has helped. The points system allows for drivers to make it into the Chase, which in basketball terms is like the Sweet Sixteen, and possibly win the series championship. The sport will start again here on Feb. 22 with the Daytona 500. It is the most popular race of the year, and it is one of the most eventful.

•Chandler Jahner (Chandler.jahner@student.pella.k12.ia.us)

Green Sponsors

Pella High School Publications Dutch Meadows Landscaping 100 Vermeer Rd E

(641) 628 4040 650 Hwy T14, Pella, IA

(641)628-1416 2121 Old Highway 163, Pella, IA

Iowa Dermatolgy, 2605 Washington Street Pella Corporation, 102 Main Street Pella Pets Veterinary Clinic, 411 Oskaloosa Street Town Crier, LTD, 810 East 1st Street Ulrich Meat Market, 715 Franklin Street Van Maanen Seed & Chemical, 2073 Eaton Ave. Van Maanen, Sietstra and Myer, PC, 705 Main Street Wiskus Group, 821 Franklin Street

02.10.2015

Entertainment

Page Editor: Corey Elliott

Foreign Exchange Student Awaits First Spring Break In America As March is approaching, I am excited to experience my first American Spring Break. It also makes me reflect upon the school vacations in my home country Germany. Anyone who compares German school vacations with American school vacations will find plenty of differences. The school holidays are not only different in their length, but the time periods when the breaks take place also vary.

In Germany, the school year consists of two semesters like here in America. It normally starts around the middle to end of August. Breaks are an important part of the school year for students and teachers. Students look forward to the break to sleep in and hang out with friends.

However, in Germany the summer holidays are only six weeks long.

Compared to the U.S. holidays, it seems very short, and maybe even too short.

Instead of having a long summer, Germany has a several shorter breaks. The

Spring Break To-Do’s

Palm Beach, Honolulu, Fiji, and the Bahamas. All popular Spring Break destinations. Now that Christmas Break has been over for a few weeks, it’s time to begin the countdown for Spring Break (34 days). Picture this: lying on a white, sandy beach with tanning oil-enriched skin; absorbing the salty breeze while holding a fruity drink with a cute mini umbrella dangling over the edge…

What’s that? These vacations are a little beyond your budget, and you don’t have any plans for Spring Break? No worries. Here are 10 activities you can do to make your Spring Break worthwhile.

• • • • • • • • • •

11

shorter breaks consist of two weeks and are in the fall, at Christmas, and around Easter. In addition, there is no school on public holidays.The exact days of the various vacations and breaks are set by the individual states in Germany. If one added the number of the days during the breaks together, it would be the same for both Germany and America.

Personally, I like having a two week break every 6-8 weeks even if it means having a shorter summer. It gives me more energy for the next quarter, and it definitely helps to stay motivated.

*Anna Staniszewska(annastaniszewska@pelladium.com)

Josh Draws with Josh Da

Go shopping. The weather will be transitioning (hopefully) to a warmer climate.

Stock up on shorts, tanks, and flip flops while you have the time.

Did you know there’s a roller derby in Oskaloosa? Bring friends and make it a group date!

Pick up extra hours at work. I know, I know. But work is equivalent to money, and money is equivalent to a fun Spring Break.

Binge watch How I Met Your Mother, Grey’s Anatomy, and/or One Tree Hill on Netflix. Just do it. You can thank me later.

Take advantage of the Indoor Aquatic Center. Just because you’re nowhere near the ocean, doesn’t mean you can’t go for a dip.

Dust off the ol’ bicycle and go for a ride. Leg workouts can be fun with the right activity!

SENIORS: finish those applications, housing contracts, and scholarships. The end is near.

Tie-dye an article of clothing of choice. Warning: multicolor fingers will occur.

Go mini golfing! Bring friends (optional).

Host a bonfire. If there’s giant marshmallows, I’ll be there.

*Megan Atkins(meganatkins@pelladium.com)

TWItTEN BY 1. Senior David Schemm -@David2Schemm

6. Freshman Erica Halstead -@erica_halstead

Dad: You should sign up for a scholarship for the blind Me: I’m not blind Dad: Doesn’t matter, if it’s denied that’s discrimination #DadLogic

Looking back at a photo and wishing you could relive that moment over and over again.

2. Junior Bradley Bortscheller -@Bradleybort

7. Sophomore Nick Bernhagen -@NickBernhagen

I pray to Greg Ebeling every day and night and ask for his mercy. Sometimes he comes through #latestart

Came to school with my phone only half charged and made it through the whole day...talk about living life on the edge

3. Sophomore Nicole Schnebbe -@NicoleSchebbe

8. Senior Tanner Wood- @tannerwood7

Did the bands get abducted or something? There haven’t been any new snapchat stories for like an hour.

I hate the packers lol. I hate them so much I didn’t capitalize their name cus I got no respect

4. Senior Jessica DeWaard -@jessica_dewaard

9. Sophomore Sydney Wiskus- @sydwhiskers

Is it just me or do the school buses basically do whatever they want?

5. Junior Payton Belloma -@PaytonBelloma

Payton Belloma > Noah Claberg > Marcus Mariota

Can we all pretend there’s a two hour delay and not come to school till 10:15?

10. Junior Jackson Scholten-@Sonofjack24

Whats taking Ebeling so long to call this delay. Let’s goooo -Jackson Scholten (@Sonofjack24) •Natalie Meyer (nmeyer@pelladium.com)

Sophomore Parker VanZante

Junior Nathan Henry

Junior Zach VandeWeerd

Sophomore Ryan VanWyk

Junio r nak

emma

Josh Z

Junior Matt Vos

Senior Trevor Argo

Junior Isabelle Hall

Junior Grant Judkins

Senior Corey Elliott

Junior Delaney Poole

Junior Mike Roozeboom

Junior Colton Williams

what is your

LEGACY AT PELLA HIGH? Sophomore Jenna Murphy

Junior Noah Clayberg

Junior Mariam Housni

12 PAGE EDITOR: Ashley Kirkland

Picture This 2.10.2015