The Live Wire: Issue III: This Is Our Year by The Liberty Live Wire

The Live Wire Liberty High School 1400 Dubuque Street NE North Liberty. Iowa. 52317 Volume 1 Issue 3 May 2018

THIS Is Our Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders

Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful

Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive

Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud

YEAR Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged

New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity

Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud

Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition Conquer Community Empowered Happy Inclusive Learn Joy Creativity Expression Difference Achieve Brilliant Able Drive Fearless Strong Resilient Intellectual Challenged New Integrity Respectful Engaged Diverse Determined Journey Leaders Opportunity Perseverance Young Accepting Change Success Proud Ambition

Contents The Live Wire // May 2018

News

4 This Is Our Year 10 Bop To The Top New Boundaries 14 What We Want For 16 Liberty 24Senior Send Off 18 Start Digging People:

The Live Wire

44 On The Board Speaking For 46 A Difference 48 LHSDM Community 50 Outreach 62Fun In The Sun Seussical 54 Entertainment:

Entertainment:

Get Involved

People:

Reading The Signs

Summer Hits

Cover Design By: Maison Allen & Grace Brusegaard TOC Design By: Grace Brusegaard

May 2018

THIS IS OUR YEAR With too many firsts to count, here is a small recap of a few of the prominent ones that happened at Liberty.

The Live Wire

The journalism class worked to create three publications of The Live Wire, Liberty’s first newspaper, published in December, February and May. In addition to the paper, many of the students also worked on creating The Bolt, Liberty’s yearbook, which is 204 pages long. This year’s theme is “A Storm is Brewing”.

Liberty’s Student Senate started the beginning of the year by electing officers and planning the schools dances and parade. The members meet with administration to discuss student concerns and work towards creating a leadership role in the community for years to come.

he first year at Liberty has been filled with both challenges and opportunities as the school staff and students created and set the tone for the future. Clubs were made, medals were gained, and new experiences helped build the stepping stone for the next set of students to walk through the doors. As the year progressed, journalism staff worked hard to create three newspapers, each one longer

With 110 staff members here at Liberty, they were essential in setting a positive and supportive tone and atmosphere. Chosen by Mr. Kibby, each staff member was selected because they are student oriented and want what’s best for all of Liberty.

Two students, Megan Uden and Spencer Knight, qualified for the SEIBA honor band in Fairfield, Iowa. To get in, the students had to memorize scales, etudes ,and a solo which they performed in front of a judge.

than the last and a yearbook with a goal to include each student three times. Each athletic season tryouts were held to form teams of students with an aspiration to win a first game in each sport to go down in Liberty history. For those who were more on the artistic side, Liberty Lightning Theatre presented two productions, both a play and a musical,

May 2018

Liberty Lightning Theatre produced their first play and musical, Seussical the Musical. They performed the musical four times for roughly 2,000 people. A variety of students, from all four grades performed and helped backstage to help make it successful. Run by Mrs. Smith, the librarian, Liberty TV produced announcements each week to keep students informed. Each Thursday, at the beginning of second period, each class watches the announcements and they are also displayed throughout the school on TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the hallways.

Two academic departments collaborated on putting on a talent show to raise money to send students to Camp Courageous, during late April.

with mainly sophomores and freshman taking the leading roles. In addition, show choir and jazz choir groups competed for the first time, learning as they went. Even a talent show was held to help raise money for some students to go to Camp Courageous, featuring many different talents.

The Live Wire

50 students, all sophomores and juniors were inducted into Libertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Honor Society which focuses on four core principles: leadership, scholarship, service, and character.

Though there were many good memories, growing pains came along with the effort to create something from almost nothing. Technology was frustrating, schedules were tricky and some classes were overfilled while others were empty. All-in-all, through the hardships and the

At Liberty there are two Jazz choirs, Voltage and Spark, made up of freshman, sophomores and juniors. They attended three jazz festivals and qualified for the state championships and ended up placing third out of eight groups.

Combined into two class periods, a total of 39 students worked on the newspaper and yearbook, many without any previous experience in journalism. They created three newspapers and a yearbook their first year.

Liberty High’s first Dance for a Difference event raised $26,755.22. All proceeds were donated to the Children’s Hospital, Flash Foundation, and Ronald McDonald House. Students, staff, and parents danced for four hours while holding a silent auction to raise additional money.

With a student body of 731 students the very first year and increasing to over 1,100 students the next year, Liberty’s first student body helped create the environment and tone for the future bolts. Starting up clubs and leading events, Liberty’s first set of students laid the foundation for years to come.

achievements, Liberty made it through the very first success created an imprint into Liberty’s history. year with many things to be proud of. As the first year comes to an end, the students and staff who first walked Liberty High’s halls, learned and taught By in the classrooms and turned what they were passionate about into a reality. Each individual will be Grace Brusegaard able to walk away knowing that each challenge and May 2018 Tatum Elmer

The Live Wire

May 2018

Bop To T he Top By

Megan Colony Tatum Elmer & Demani Dunson Design by Grace Brusegaard

his was a year of firsts for the 2017-2018 Liberty High to improve their skills and change their styles. Megan Ries, sophomore, said, “I think we made a lot of Dance Team. As the first ever dance team for the improvement, specifically on our technique from the beginBolts, with three new coaches, new dancers, and a new ning of the year, and it was great to see our practice space, the team worked through a lot of adversity and challenges. But “The successes they hard work pay off.” The dancers weren’t the only ones who their hard work paid off and paid off big. have had are truly noticed the overall improvement of the The team brought home Liberty High’s remarkable.” first ever first place trophy from the Iowa team. Katie Melloy, head coach, stated, -Katie Melloy, Spirit Spectacular. They also placed sec“Us coaches are incredibly thankful that we have had the opportunity to lead this group ond at Nationals in Florida with their jazz Head Coach of dedicated and passionate young women. routine. But hey, who’s keeping score? For me, it was such a blessing to watch this Being a member of the dance team season unfold as the girls learned so much about what it was a full-time commitment. They worked year round on means to take care of one another on and off of the dance bettering their performances and readying themselves for floor. The successes they have had are truly remarkable, competitions. The girls worked at least three hours a day

10 The Live Wire

but I know the memories we have all taken from this experience are much more valuable to us than the trophies.” -Kaylynn Steffen, From putting in Freshman countless hours of work, the girls grew extremely close. Not only did the girls practice together, but most of them are friends during the school day. Many of the dancers referred to themselves as more like sisters rather than teammates or friends. This camaraderie helped to push the girls to new heights in their routines. The chemistry of the team was visible during any performance. Autumn Erb, freshman, said,“Dancing on a dance team that you see everyday, you create a bond and a feeling of passion when you dance and it is one of the most amazing feelings anyone can feel.” Many of the girls will say they have made unforgettable memories and built lifelong friendships from being on the team.

“We won our first competition, that was pretty big because most girls hadn’t danced before.”

For a freshman like Kaylynn Steffen, dance was something special that made starting high school easier because of the built in friendships she already had on the dance team. The relationship between the girls on the team combined with hard work and dedication propelled the team to successes. “We honestly thought this would be a building year. “It was really A year to get our program exciting to win off the ground. We didn’t state because realize that we were going none of us thought to have some of the major it was possible.” success that we did. It -Megan Ries, shows that all our hours at Sophomore practices and dedication to the team really did pay off,” said Ries. Throughout the year, the team won a total of three awards, placing first at two competitions and second at Nationals. Raking in all this hardware for the trophy cases in their first year could be hard to beat. It will only make the rest of Bolt Nation that much more excited to see what the ladies have in store for us in the coming years.

MAKING THE WORLD THEIR STAGE

Josie Anderson, 11, Natalie Cargin, 10

Gabriella Aguirre, 11

Autumn Erb, 9, Ashley Ahrens, 9

May 2018

12 The Live Wire

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OVERCOMING TRANSPORTATION BOUNDARIES For many students living in the Kirkwood Elementary attendance area in Coralville, the school bus is the primary form of transportation to school. This prevents many from participating in sports and extracurricular activities. However, new transportation options are available to help overcome these transportation barriers.

Razan Karar

The Liberty High attendance area map includes the Kirkwood Elementary attendance area, which is outside of the general schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s zone.

14 The Live Wire

Map Key A: Liberty High School B: North Central Junior HIgh School C: Kirkwood Elementary School

ne of the most important decisions when building Liberty High was choosing the students who were to attend. The decision-making process took years, with one area in particular going back and forth between Liberty and West attendance zones. This area was the Kirkwood Elementary attendance zone in Coralville. In February 2017, the school board made the final decision that freshmen and sophomores who live in that area would have to attend Liberty ,garnering mixed reactions from the community. Supporters of the decision claim it will provide the three high schools with balanced socioeconomic levels and diversity, with the three high schools having a similar percentage of students in the English Language Learning (ELL), free and reduced lunch and Special Education programs. However, for many of these students the decision was unexpected, since they live closer to West and attended Northwest Junior High, instead of North Central Junior High. The decision means that students in Kirkwood Elementary would start attending North Central Junior High, and would later go to Liberty, even though both Northwest and West are closer to the area. Because of this, many of these students ride the bus to the two schools, meaning they arrive and leave school at a designated time. This limits the amount of

BY THE NUMBERS extracurricular activities and sports they can participate in. However, there have been initiatives taken to help with that transportation barrier. For North Central students, an activity bus allows students to get rides after school when participating in

“We evolved into a system of providing cab service to those who needed it” -Mike Morrison

Liberty 18% ofstudents ride the bus

>50% of these students live in the Kirkwood Elementary area. changes in the schedule can be made by the students’ guardian or coach. “This system has worked out pretty well,” said Morrison. “This is successful as long as all the information is communicated clearly.” So far, not many students are aware of this service, and more will learn about this If you opportunity want to in the participate in future.

sports. This transportation option was tested here as well. During the winter, the athletic department was providing an activity bus, however the cost to the district was not justifiable for the ridership, as they were averaging three riders per day. So starting in December, a different transportation option was implemented. “We evolved into a system of providing cab service to those who needed it,” said Mike Morrison, Activities Director, in an email. The school partners with the Iowa City company Yellow Cab to provide cab rides to students who are involved in sports. At the start extracurricular of each week, Morrison builds the activities, and cab schedule for those who have are unable to due to the requested the service. Each transportation issues, schedule is personalized for contact Student-Family the individual student Advocate Heba Nahman or based on their practice and competition Activites Director Mike Morrison schedule. for transportation assistance. Afterwards,

May 2018 15

What We Want For Liberty Going Forward

Jordan Forbes Jasmine Beemon

With our first year coming to a close, here are some things students and staff want for Liber ty in the future. “I wa nt t here t o be a lot less bog us people, t hat’s what t hey shou ld cha nge.”

-Sa kei na Ta ylor, F resh ma n “I wa nt better water fou nt a i ns at Liber t y for nex t yea r.”

-Bra yden Ha mbr ight, F resh ma n “I’d l i ke t o see wa y more school spi r it for a l l of t he spor t s.”

-Kolt on Fa ngma n n, F resh ma n “I wa nt student s t o t reat ot hers w it h respect. I’d a l so l i ke for us t o have freedom du r i ng lu nch, i nstead of stuck i n t he com mons.”

-Ka leb Wi l l ia ms, Sophomore “I wa nt teachers t o be more i nvolved w it h t hei r student s. I a l so wou ld l i ke student s t o respect t he school more.”

-Katel y n Sha r p, Sophomore 16 The Live Wire

“I n genera l for Liber t y, I’d l i ke more freedom for student s a nd a better student t o student env i ron ment.”

-Pey t on T utt le, Sophomore “Nex t yea r I hope t he footba l l field is completel y fi nished a nd read y t o be pla yed on.”

-Gav i n Luze, Ju nior “I’d l i ke t o be able t o eat out side w it h m y fr iends du r i ng lu nch.”

-Kat ie Scrogg i ns, Ju nior “I’d l i ke t o see more student i nvolvement a nd a wa y t o get more i n format ion for t he school for event s.”

-Ja nel le Beemon, Ju nior “I’d l i ke t o have a tut or i ng prog ra m at Liber t y for student s t o get help from teachers.”

-Aa ron Muel ler, Mat h “Nex t yea r I wou ld l i ke t o see sma l ler cla ss sizes a nd not so much of student s s w itch i ng from t r i mester t o t r i mester.”

-Ma r ia n ne McGra ne, Science May 2018 17

S ta rt Digging Libertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus is expanding. Most of the athle tic complexes will be completed for the start of the 2018 fall season.

Jackson Brennan Design by Grace Brusegaard

18 The Live Wire

uilding the athletic fields 2019,” predicts Morrison. here at Liberty is a big deal; These fields will take the longest to especially for the athletes build because they are at the mercy and coaches who have been eagerly of growing real grass. The football waiting for a home field. These stadium is slated to be done in the additions will bring about a new middle of August, which will be the environment to the school. Athletic second facility completed after the director, Mike Morrison, is looking tennis courts. forward to bringing the athletic The football field will be state of fields here, so our teams will no longer the art. It will be an all turf field have to travel for home events. seating more than 5,000 people As of now, students have to go off and it will have many uses. It will campus to practice and play home have concussion prevention padding games. All outdoor athletics have that will be laid underneath the turf. to make long trips to other schools Its dual purpose track and football to compete. field will Morrison provide new thinks that environments Sure the home field is student for the track participants an advantage, but so is and football and numbers having a lot of talent. programs. as a whole for Including -Dan Marino the soccer our programs will jump program higher. when there is “It’s going to poor weather. free us up from having to travel for It can also be used by the physical practices,” said Morrison. “Having education departments. facilities right here, it’s going to be The new athletic fields will much more accessible for kids to encourage higher attendance at be involved.” home games and competitions. Almost everything is supposed to Fans will no longer have to look for be done by this fall. However, the the closest away game to support fields that are real grass, such as the Bolts. Athletes also will not have the baseball, softball, and soccer to play away games every week. fields, will depend on how the grass Overall, the construction of the new grows and the weather. They will athletic fields will benefit Liberty seed these fields in the fall and in its entirety. Everyone is very hope for a good growing season. excited to see these huge changes “I don’t anticipate on us being on in Liberty’s athletic department. those full grass fields full speed until

By The #s Statistics about cost, seating, and completion estimations. August 2018

Months until When the the football field will tennis courts be done. are finished

$12-14 mil The estimated cost of all athletic facitlity according to the current plan.

5,000+ The number of people our new dual purpose track and football facility will seat.

2019

The year Liberty will have all of the athletic fields done and able to play on.

May 2018 19

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20 The Live Wire

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22 The Live Wire

May 2018 23

Senior Send Off

Liberty’s first senior class is getting ready to head out into the real world. Check out who is going where and what the seniors plan to do with their futures. By

Grace Brusegaard

dy m f lla y fro y o e he mor st da caus ool y S me e fir be sch n I r ile orite s] th erred old whe doo Ha y fav y [wa ransf at my I got front begin nd “M ert l. I t ied ing hat ew r a to a l e t Lib hoo bull fee gh a n t ov ing re I sc as the rou of tar nd efo e e I w nd d th ens to s eat life b a ke s ot gr y he l a g a m t to f wa s I wa g. this t o in .” nin ke par mp orld u w a m uge j h

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24 The Live Wire

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ergthold “My pla n s fo r the fu are to ture go t to stud o Iowa in the y psych fa ology a ll crimino n lo d g y ! My fa memor vor ya getting t Liberty is p ite r to be t he first obably gradua class to te and gett all of th e few s ing to know enio class!” rs in my

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May 2018

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26 The Live Wire

wnehto a l A l a A o go Dani y plan is t few yearssi-

“M d for a er Univ ist. o o e h w t k nt Kir o go to a de is t e b n ory the Iowa to mem ee my ty of avorite to s My f as able m West Iw fro o that eachers s able t a t w d l I o and em.” High alk to th t

Amelia Baugh-Riley Going to Kirkwood for a Liberal Arts degree.

Scott Jenkins He is planning to be employed full time.

Xavier Stevens Planing on attending Kirkwood for social work and physcology.

Siraj Wright Planning on doing a five year program.

Nick Burgess Planning on going to Kirkwood to take general classes and pursue music.

Will Cameron Planning on starting an apprenticeship for mechanical engineering.

Reese Hancock Going to Kirkwood to be a humane officer.

Gerald Seals Planning on attending Kirkwood.

Jonah Childs Planning on becoming an art teacher.

Maggie Houghton Planning on becoming a linguist for the Air Force. May 2018

Reading the Signs: A Photo Gallery By

Razan Karar

28 The Live Wire

Students from North Central and Liberty staged a walk-out in March to support stricter gun laws and protest the number of school shootings in the country, specifically the recent tragedy in Stoneman Douglas High School. Students walked or drove to Hills Bank, where they held their sign to passing cars, listened to speeches from various students and wrote letters to Iowa representatives.

Students walked out of their schools to join the

By The Numbers

>100

Students walked out of their schools to join the protest.

School shootings in the United States this year.

>20

Students and staff members were killed in the Stoneman Douglas High shooting.

How can we prevent and prepare in case of a similar event?

SROs: Part of the problem or the solution? The use of SROs (School Resource Officers) is a controversial one. Supporters believe that having specialized officers in school grounds is vital for protecting students. However, many argue that it leads to the overpolicization of students and increases the school-toprison pipeline, particularly for minority students. According to Matt Degner, Assistant Superintendent, the Iowa City Community School District does not currently employ SROs, although it does work closely with local law enforcement officers.

The Iowa City Community School District utilizes a variety of methods to prevent a school shooting from happening in its facilities. These start with prevention methods such as counseling services, in addition to partnering with law enforcement officers. One way law enforcement has assisted the school district is by providing ALICE training. ALICE stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate, and has replaced lockdown drills as training methods

for teachers and staff members in the ICCSD. Currently the district does not issue mandatory drills for students, as some fear the experience will traumatize younger children. However, as more people are requesting preparation for students, they are re-evaluating the need for student-inclusive drills. Optional ALICE training is also available for parents and students in junior high and high school.

May 2018

Staff Line-up By

Abby Fowler Kayle Cheney Design by Razan Karar

It takes many people and departments to make a school function. Currently there are 110 staff members that make up more than 20 departments at Liberty. To provide a few faces to those numbers and to give staff members recognition for the work they do, The Live Wire will feature five people from various departments at Liberty High in each of our issues throughout the 2017-18 school year.

The Live Wire

Jenny Saylor Art

Liberty offers a variety of different art classes featuring various mediums of art including ceramics, black and white drawing, and photography. Jenny Saylor, called Jenny by students, is the sole teacher of all of these classes. However, she did not originally have her heart set on being a teacher. Though she worked for a while after getting a masters degree in business, she was not enjoying it and took a year off to find something she genuinely loved. “I realized that I really, really enjoyed teaching of all kinds,” said Saylor. “I liked it whether it was teaching someone to weight lift, or teaching them yoga, or teaching them art. I just really enjoyed that and realized it was my calling.” Saylor had a positive high school experience, participating in many activities. Her commitments as an athlete kept her on the sports fields year round. On advice for students who have yet to find their future career, Saylor said, “Try to get in and have a job shadow experience. Follow someone around and just see [if] it really seems like something you’d like doing all day.”

Even though Brad Borrison is an English teacher who encourages his students to read, his passion for reading wasn’t always present in his life. As a kid he was always outside playing instead of reading like his mother wanted him to. However, this changed during his last year of high school. “My senior year, I had a teacher that specifically made us read every day because there was a quiz the next day. It exposed me to a lot of good literature that I would have never read if we didn’t have a quiz every single day,” said Borrison. “Find out what your favorite types of movies and TV shows are and then find books that match the same genre, and you’re going to find that you’re probably going to enjoy the books just as much or more than your favorite types of TV shows and movies,” said Borrison. “I argue that anybody who says they don’t like reading haven’t found the right thing to read. It takes some time to figure out what you want to read, but once you do, you can’t stop.”

Brad Borrison English

Jenifer Secrist Biology

Though Jenifer Secrist did well in her high school classes, she never thought she would pursue a career in education. She did not enjoy the process of going to school and instead spent her time focusing on her life as an athlete. After graduating from Iowa State, Secrist worked in a few different career fields to figure out what she really wanted to do. This included working as a naturalist, with a vet, and in the Howard Hughes Institution to try to find the causes of inherited eye disease. However, she decided in the end that she wanted to go back to the classroom. “I thought that if I could potentially get in and at least make some days fun and influence kids and have an impact, that it really doesn’t have to be mundane and the same thing, and that really pushed me back to the classroom,” said Secrist. “I was a student before I was a teacher but I’m still a student, so that never really changed.” “You don’t have to know by the time you graduate from high school what your future is going to look like,” said Secrist. “My path changed many times and I think it will continue to change, one day at a time.”

Coming from a family of medical workers, Carmen Gwenigale, known as Carmen by students, felt pressure to enter medical studies herself. However, positive experiences with teachers, as well as enjoying working with students in college, led her to switch from a biology to education major in her senior year. Gwenigale’s own high school experience was not favorable. After fleeing from Liberia to escape a Civil War, Gwenigale found herself redoing 9th grade in Puerto Rico because she lacked papers that proved she had already completed the grade. Bullying in school led her to become very close to her teachers instead of her classmates. “I think going through a difficult time in high school really helped me connect with a lot of my students who are going through difficult times right now in high school because I can see myself in them,” said Gwenigale. “I want to be there for them just like my teachers were there for me when I was going through what I went through.” “I know it’s kind of corny when teachers say follow your passion and your heart, but it’s true,” said Gwenigale. “If you are passionate and you love what you’re doing, you are going to be happy regardless of what comes your way.”

Carmen Gwenigale Spanish

Keith Enyart Math

Keith Enyart isn’t quite sure what drew him into a career in teaching. Having been a camp counselor when he was younger, he had experience working with people younger than him and liked to help other people solve problems. Having a positive experience with teachers in high school also contributed to his decision to become a teacher. Math was a subject he was always good at, the problem solving part of it contributing greatly to why he enjoys it. “Science has problem solving, but you need a ton of equiptment to solve what you see in physics and biology,” said Enyart. “The efficiency of math where you just need a pencil and a calculator, I like that aspect.” To Enyart, the most beneficial part of taking math are the skills you learn from it. “Are you really going to be using some of those circle product theorems in the future? Perhaps not. But the ability to problem solve and work with other people, those skills that you develop now are gonna be very beneficial in the secondary arena or even in a job setting if you’re not going to go into secondary education.”

May 2018

Visit it us at 620 Pacha Pa rk wa y i n Nor t h Liber t y!

319.626.2026

32 The Live Wire

May 2018

Rake Up The Money

Here at Liberty High School, students from 9th grade to 12th grade have many different jobs. People work all over the community to earn money for themselves and sometimes for their families. Working requires a lot of time and effort, which shows how strong these students are.

Job- At the North Liberty Rec Center, all of these people work at the pool. 8 of the 9 are swim instructors, and 1 of the 9, Ryan Nugent, 10, is a lifeguard. Best Part of Working- “Teaching the kids how to swim,” Grace QV, 10. “Teaching private lessons and working with the kids one on one,” Kayle Cheney, 10. “Working with the kids,” Josie Anderson, 11. “The summer nights and meeting new friends,” Ryan Nugent, 10. “Working with my friends and getting to hangout at the pool for free,” Sierra Suiter, 10. “I like to interact with the kids,” Katie Kovar, 10. Worst Part of Working- Ryan Nugent, 10, Kayle Cheney, 10, Katie Kovar, 10, Josie Anderson, 11, all agreed that the required 30 minute swims are the worst. “Kids constantly climbing and kicking me,” Sierra Suiter, 10. “I don’t like kids that misbehave,” Kate Randle, 10.

Grace QV Jenna Starr

Job- At Whitey’s, they all scoop ice cream, make shakes, malts, smoothies, sundaes, count money, fill toppings, clean, and have mini dance parties in the back. Best Part of Working- ”Being with friends and free ice cream,” Brian Lively, 10. “My favorite is working with Ryan,” Cayden Duhaime, 10.“I like working with my friends,”Jack Ankenbauer and Sam Rechkemmer, 10, “I like making money,” Grace Ellis, 10. Worst part of working- “Rude customers are the worst,” Max Lenane, 10. “I don’t like working without Ryan,” Cayden Duhaime, 10. “I don’t like dealing with people,” Sam Rechkemmer, 10. “I don’t like when people decide to get ice cream when it’s freezing outside,” Jack Ankenbauer, 10. “I hate when I am making shakes because my hands freeze,” Grace Ellis, 10.

34 The Live Wire

Chamya Adams, 11 Job- Host and Expo at Monica’s; Upscale Italian-American comfort food, brick-oven pizza, & a full bar served up in modern environments. Best Part of Working- “Being able to make my schedule and meeting new people. My friends from school work with me and I have made new friends from working at Monica’s.” Hardest Part of Working- “It is hard to remember the table numbers.” Job- At the Colony Pumpkin Patch, these freshman supervise the zipline, corn cannon, paintball guns, bounce pads, and even drive tractors. Best Part of Working- “Getting to work a lot of different jobs,” Gavin Hayes, 9. “Being able to work outside with your friends and coworkers,” Caleb Schillinger, 9. “How closely bonded all of us became,” Spencer Knight, 9. Hardest Part of Working- “The pumpkin slime is the worst part about working at the patch, but you get used to it,” Spencer Knight, 9. “I had less free time,” Caleb Schillinger, 9.

Janelle Beemon, 11 Job- Shift Leader at Pizza Ranch Best Part of Working-”I get paid a lot of money.” Hardest Part of Working-“I work a lot, so I don’t have a lot of free time. Customers are rude and they don’t understand that things can go wrong.” May 2018 35

Cosplay Crazy How Alexia Stevens dresses to impress By

Carley Spading

Q: How long have you been cosplaying?

“Ive been cosplaying for about three to four years now, it started as just minor stuff in my house but recently Ive been able to take it to conventions and meet ups and stuff.”

Q: In your own words, what does it mean to be a cosplayer?

“To be a cosplayer is really to be the kind of “ultimate” form of fan, to love something so much that you spend time, money, and effort to bring it to life.”

Q: Do you attend any events?

“The events that I go to, its usually Anime Iowa, my parents have been going there for the past couple of years, since I was like three. So I’ve been going every year basically since then, and only recently have I been cosplaying there.”

Q: How much do you spend on cosplays?

“I spend less than most cosplayers because I don’t hand make things, so it’s easily 300 or more... it really becomes an investment and you grow more and more invested.”

Q: Who do you cosplay with?

“The people that I cosplay with are a group of people that I met at Anime Iowa over the past couple of years they’re all really good friends of mine that I’ve had for the past couple of years, and they’re all hilarious and love cosplaying.”

36 The Live Wire

Q: What is your favorite part of being a cosplayer?

“What I enjoy most about cosplaying is the community… the majority of the cosplay community is very supportive. They’re basically a giant family, they’re great.”

hen high schoolers think of saving money, they most often think saving it for books, clothes, and college. An exception to this is Alexia Stevens, Junior, who makes room in her budget for cosplay. Cosplay, meaning “costume play”, is an increasingly popular activity among today’s generation, and beyond. People of all ages and from all different corners of the earth spend money and time putting together complex costumes to become characters from TV shows, movies, comics, and many more medias. “Cosplaying really becomes an investment,” said Stevens. “Even though I’m literally selling my kidney to get everything, it’s worth it in the end when everything is put together and I get the chance to show off how amazing I look.” Costumes can range from entirely homemade, costing next to nothing to a few hundred dollars, to professionally made and costing in the thousands. Events, such as Anime Iowa, are extremely popular among cosplayers, and are prime spots to show off their projects, and to find others who share their passion. It is also a place for people to be themselves and to play as a character in panels or to meet others at photoshoots. “It’s beautiful in its own way and as a creator who’s seen people cosplay my own artwork, it really is a warming feeling to see someone love your creations that much.” said Stevens. The cosplay community is a platform for people of all types of art backgrounds, and while the vast majority of its participants take their craft very seriously, it is also a fun hobby for many others.

“It’s worth it in the end when everything is put together and I get the chance to show off how amazing I look.”

May 2018

Arely Carrasco 8 Languages

Arely Carrasco, junior, is able to speak four languages, both of her parents Spanish dialects, and English. Carrasco is currently learning how to speak four different languages including Mandarin, Korean, Japanese and French. Learning different languages is very special to Carrasco and she finds them beautiful. “I am a server and sometimes costumers who speak different languages or have trouble speaking in English, I can be able to understand them and communicate with them in their own language,” said Carrasco. Carrasco is currently taking a French class at Liberty and is learning the other languages separately. Although she is learning these languages, she struggles to find the time study them all. “The toughest part about learning the languages is having the time to put them all in. I wish I had all the time in the world to learn and study them, and

Liberty Ling uists

“Liberty High School is a multicultural environment and having people who look different or sound different from us enriches our building.”

Hayley Iglecias Designed by Carley Spading

-Daniel Lekin, English Language Learners Teacher

Denis Mwandjalulu 4 Languages

“I speak French, Lingala, English, and Swahili.” Denis Mwandjalulu, sophomore, is fluent in all four languages but has been speaking French and Swahili since he was little. Moving to the U.S, Mwandjalulu had no choice but to learn English but since then has improved in the language. “Right now I want to learn how to speak Spanish because it is mostly like French,” said Mwandjalulu. Although Mwandjalulu wants to learn how to speak Spanish, the toughest part about learning the language is having someone to practice with. “I like being able to speak different languages because I get to talk to my friends who speak the same languages as me, it’s a relief having people who speaks the same languages as me,” said Mwandjalulu.

38 The Live Wire

Dilara Guran 3Languages

“Speaking different languages is the best thing in the world, you can become more diverse and discover things you have never discovered before.” Dilara Guran, sophomore, speaks two languages fluently; Turkish and English and is also able to introduce herself in six other languages. Guran is currently teaching herself how to speak in Arabic and have the ability to talk her friends and read the Quran. Guran says that learning Arabic has been difficult since writing, speaking, and reading are completely different from the other languages that she knows. Coming to the U.S in 2015, Guran knew very little English. She needed to teach herself to better understand the people around her and soon started speaking English fluently.

Merlin Ruiz Chuy 4 Languages

Born in Guatemala, Merlin Ruiz Chuy, sophomore, is able to speak two languages Spanish and English fluently. Ruiz Chuy is now trying to learn French and Sign Language. “I like being able to speak these languages because I get to speak with all kinds of different people and I get to help people who struggle to speak English,” said Ruiz Chuy. Ruiz Chuy and her family moved to the U.S when she was four years old and she had to teach herself English. “The toughest part about learning these languages was that I was learning both at the same time which made it confusing. Now sometimes I mix both of them up and it becomes Spanglish,” said Ruiz Chuy.

Niam El-Zein 3 Languages

Niam El-Zein, junior, has the ability to speak English and Arabic fluently and is currently learning French. El-Zein likes being able to understand different languages because she gets to watch foreign movies without having to have subtitles on. El-Zein also enjoys being able to understand different languages because she gets to interact with lots of different people. “I think it is just good to know languages because you get to interact with lots of different people, the more languages you know the more you get to talk to people in different languages,” said El-Zein. El-Zein was inspired to learn other languages by her uncle who knows how to speak a total of six languages, also saying it can be useful for jobs.

May 2018 39

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May 2018

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5901 Westown Parkway Suite 100 West Des Moines, IA 50266 May 2018

Wrestling:

Ashton Barker, 9

26-10

Girls Tennis:

Sushma Santhana, 10 “It’s a lot of fun seeing and playing with all the West girls that I haven’t seen in a year. We like to joke around a lot, and we always have a lot of fun at practices.”

“[The hardest part of the wrestling season] was probably cutting the weight and keeping mentally strong.”

#2 ranked player on West High JV Tennis Team 4-0 in singles 3-1 in doubles

ON THE Sam McPherson, 10

Girls Basketball:

#BOLTSTATS

Games: 21 Fg Att: 168 Fg Made: 56 Fg %: 33.3%

44 The Live Wire

3PT%: 27.6% FT %: 67.9% Total Points:169 PPG: 8.0

Boys Basketball: Andre Brandon, 10

“The most memorable part of the season was the first home game when the student section was packed. It was a lot of fun.”

Games: 22 Fg Att: 222 Fg Made: 120 Fg %: 53.8%

3PT %: 25.9 FT %: 71.3% Total Points: 314 PPG: 14.3

1st boy’s player in school history to score a goal Hat trick (3 goals) @ Anamosa 9 goals through 5 games

1st girl’s player in school history to score a goal Hat trick (3 goals) @ West Delaware 4 goals, 1 assist through 7 games

“My main goal was to make sure people see things are possible when there is effort, it’s not always about skill, it’s ultimately how bad you want it.”

Girls Soccer:

Kolby Godbolt, 9

Sydni Von Sprecken, 12

Boys Soccer:

BOARD By

Jordan Barry Nick Moore

200m dash - 24.32 seconds 110m hurdles - 17.20 seconds 400m hurdles - 58.29 seconds, school record

100m dash - 13.59 seconds 200 m dash - 28.31 seconds Long Jump - 14-10.00 100m hurdles - 15.49 seconds, school record First ever Drake Relays qualifier for Liberty - 100m hurdles

May 2018

Girls Track:

Drake Woody, 10

Taylor Cannon, 10

Boys Track:

“It felt really good [qualifying for Drake]. I was shocked that I had made it there in an individual event and not a team one but I was really excited and had felt like all my hard work was paying off!”

his has been one very interesting school year for Liberty. The school has pulled off many great achievements in sports, theatre, clubs, academics and a lot more. One in particular are the diversity speakers. The diversity speakers series are events started by Scott Kibby and Randy Dolson (Liberty teacher). They wanted to dedicate the first year at Liberty to discussing the diversity and the problems they have had to go through to get to where they are now. Every couple of weeks a speaker comes to the school and talks about their career and the challenges they have had to overcome to get where they are today. Whether it is someone that participated in the Civil Rights Movement, to someone who was

a former football player and a current coach for a sports team. The idea first came from Dolson, “I approached Scott (Kibby) in late September and together we came up with the premise and name. I contacted Carmen [Gwenigale, Spanish teachers] who had a few connections from working on the Marin Luther King focus day. I then started contacting people from this list and others from the University of Iowa who I felt would fit what we were looking for.” He then waited for responses while making phone calls and sending out emails. Finally, Liberty started getting speakers. Joe Williams was the first diversity speaker, and since then there have been five others. There have been many speakers that came to

“At Liberty, we face many challenges, as do other high schools, with a very diverse and socioeconomic population.” - Randy Dolson Liberty, such as; Aaron Mends, Tania Davis, Apoova Raikwar, and several more. In order to see the speakers, students must sign up online. Kibby sends out an email with a link before the speaker comes to Liberty, then students will have access to a link they can sign up through. On the day of the event, they will then receive a pass that excuses them from AFT (Academic Focus Time) or the class they are in during the time of the speaker.

Speaking For A Difference A look into how Liberty has come to express diversity with the help of Randy Dolson and Scott Kibby. By

46 The Live Wire

Jasmine Beemon Jordan Forbes Design by Grace Brusegaard

Dolson had a certain goal when starting this, which was helping to get messages across to students. “At Liberty, we face many challenges, as do other high schools with a very diverse and socioeconomic population. Since we are a new school, we wanted to make sure all students felt welcome,” said Dolson. “We wanted messages from community leaders that discuss topics that all types of students can hear regardless of gender, race, sexuality, etc.” The speakers talked about their stories and try to connect with the students of Liberty High. Since this is the first year, we are trying new things. Kibby and Dolson are not sure if they will be doing the diversity speakers series next year.

Joe Williams

“Scott Kibby and I will sit down sometime after the last speaker and discuss. We are thinking of releasing a survey to see what our school community thought of the series before school lets out,” Dolson said. Only time will tell what the future holds with the diversity speaking. “I honestly think it has been a wonderful experience” Josie Aubrey, sophomore, said. “I think it is a great way for students to come together and ask questions. I have been to basically all of the speakers and enjoyed them all a lot. I hope Liberty will continue to do this throughout the years and I think more students should attend them.” No other school in the Iowa City Community School District has

Joe Williams is a former University of Iowa wrestler. While at the Univeristy of Iowa, Williams earned three NCAA wrestling titles. After college, he went to the 2004 Summer Olympics and finished 5th. Williams now runs a youth wrestling academy in North Liberty, Iowa, which he works as head coach for. He was also one of the head coaches for Liberty’s wrestling team.

LeVar Woods is a former linebacker for the University of Iowa. During his time playing college football, he was presented with the Hayden Fry Extra Heartbeat Award, for being a leader on the field. After college, he went on to play for the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, and the Tennessee Titans. Woods is now a tight end coach and a special teams coordinator for the LeVar Woods University of Iowa.

a series of diversity speakers throughout the year like Liberty. Dolson and Kibby’s main goal was to get messages across to students without any “filters”. Listening to their stories has helped Liberty’s community grow and come together as a whole. Hopefully next year students will have the opportunity to have speakers come again.

“I honestly think that it has been a wonderful experience. I think it is a great way for students to come together and ask questions.” - Josie Aubrey, Sophomore

Stacey Walker

Stacey Walker is currently on the Board of Supervisors for Linn County, Iowa. Walker attended the University of Iowa to study Political Science. After graduating, Walker helped start a LBA Foundation that helps high school students stay on track to graduate. He has also written for several newspapers including the Washington Post and Quartz Magazine.

May 2018

Liberty High

Dance For$26,755.22 A Difference By

Ella Johnson Piper Koski Design by Grace Brusegaard

Elise Hermiston, 9 Madi Barta, 12

Kaleb Williams, 10 Zack Anderson, 9

48 The Live Wire

iberty High School Difference Makers hosted their first ever Dance for a Difference on April 22nd, 2018. The community came together for a day to raise money and awareness for kids battling life threatening diseases. At the event there was a silent auction, a face painting station, family speakers, and lots of dancing. The Snyders, the Schroeders, and the Schmidts all spoke about how life threatening diseases have affected their lives. Liberty Difference Makers has been planning and preparing for this event since the beginning of the school year. All the money that was raised at the event will go to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Fight with Flash Foundation.

“I am so proud of how

everyone stepped up and helped out and made a huge difference for the kids!” -Breeyn Gryp, 12

“It makes me sad knowing this is my first and last year with

Difference Makers, but I know these guys are going to make this amazing.’’-Madi Barta, 12 Austin “Flash” Schroeder

Dylan Schmidt

Jordan Snyder

Dylan Schmidt was diagnosed with stage 1 B-cell lymphoma in December of 2016. He went through two rounds of chemotherapy and was later declared cancer free on February 23rd, 2017. Austin “Flash” Schroeder was diagnosed with a form of T-cell lymphoma in April 2014. Austin went through many rounds of chemotherapy , radiation, and even a bone marrow transplant. No treatment was able to defeat his aggressive cancer. He passed away on April 28, 2015.

Jordan Snyder was born on August 9, 2006. At her one year check up, her family learned that she had heart defects and was in congestive heart failure. She had surgery August 22, 2007 to repair these issues. She has since been diagnosed with subaortic stenosis, which is narrowing the outside of the aortic valve, but still inside the heart.

May 2018

COMMUNITY OUTREACH By

Debbie Bonilla Taylor Gardner Design by Razan Karar

Community outreach is meant to fill in the job of governmental services and is often carried by non-profit organizations. Throughout the year, many students choose to utilize opportunities with community outreach organizations. These organizations provide extra support for those who need it through donations and counseling.

Public Libraries The Coralville, North Liberty, and Iowa City Public Libraries have many opportunities to keep busy with throughout the summer. For example, Iowa Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s TAG (Teen Activity Group)is a group for 7th-12th graders that meets monthly to discuss library activities, books, and plan events. These meetings are a great place to meet new people, and try new things. The Iowa City Public Library is always looking for helping hands. Both adults and teens, in seventh grade and up, are eligible to volunteer. There are several types of work that can be done such as checking out books, tutoring, maintaining library materials, and participating in the Teen Activity Group. It is a great opportunity to get involved in the community. New volunteering positions are posted in the Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lobby. Volunteering at the library requires a time commitment of a minimum of three months with one and a half hours per week, and more than 20 hours of volunteering. There are also short term volunteering positions available. The North Liberty Library, located in the North Liberty Recreational Center, has similar programs. They host Graphic Works Club for fans of graphic novels and Flying Needles Club where people can learn to knit, crochet, and weave. They have volunteer work as well, where help is needed in the library or in other library events.

50 The Live Wire

United Action For Youth

United Action For Youths

UAY (United Action for Youth) is an organization that provides adolescents with a safe haven to hang out and express their music and art abilities. They have a 24 hour on-call therapy system. UAY helps teens who are struggling by using therapeutic methods. They also have an art studio where youth have independence, the option to work with an instructor, group, or alone. In addition, they have a recording studio and offer free guitar, drum, and bass lessons. Besides these options, there are many things UAY offers to young kids, which include housing for kids who don't live in a good environment. UAY encourages youth to be a safe and comfortable environment while having fun. Their goal is to reach out to teens in need of help and help kids find their artistic talents. If interested in receiving services or have any questions, contact them at 319-338-7518. Another option is to visit one of their locations at 355 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City.

Food Pantry and Feeding Minds The North Liberty Community Pantry helps provide food and clothing to those in need. The pantry is an outreach of the First United Methodist Church of North Liberty. They encourage residents of North Liberty to donate food and clothing to stock their supplies. They limit the visits to the pantry to select food is once per week per person. The food pantry also has a garden for individuals who have an interest in gardening. The garden is 9,600-square-feet and it is used to grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs for pantry clients. There are nutrition, food preparation, and gardening planning classes included. “This is not your typical garden. This is designed to be sustainable for years to come, and large enough to provide food for hundreds of people,” explains Scott Koepke, Education Outreach Coordinator at Soilmates of New Pioneer Food Co-op. Upcoming volunteer and donating hours at the food pantry can be found on their website, www.northlibertycommunitypantry.org. Their website also has information about the staff members. Volunteering opportunities are available and encouraged. Volunteers can help with the garden, re-stocking shelves with food, or bag food. There are no age restrictions to volunteering. If interested in volunteering or if in need of services, call 319-626-2711 or visit their physical location at 89 North Jones Boulevard, North Liberty.

The North Liberty Library got together with JM Swank, a national full-line food ingredient distributor and started to offer food and snacks for kids and teens after school. The program started in the fall of 2017. In return, the youth read or participate in library activities. Feeding Minds takes place every weekday afternoon. “Feeding the body goes hand in hand with feeding the mind, and the library is perfectly poised to do just that,” said Erin Silva, the library’s youth and teen services librarian. There have been many positive outcomes of their collaboration including increased library use and decreased poor behavior. Students enjoy this program and are expanding their knowledge by reading and participating in activities.

Mercedes Crile, sophomore, volunteering at Feeding Minds. "It's a great opportunity to participate in and all the kids are so appreciative," said Mercedes.

May 2018

Families First

Shelter House The Iowa City Shelter house is Johnson Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only source of housing for the homeless. The Shelter House provides emergency shelter for men, women, children, and disabled. They work to keep children in school and help adults find employment. They also assist the disabled and the elderly and help them receive their rightful benefits and health care. Their three main goals are to end homelessness, have a safe space to restart, and help people step towards success. There are many volunteer opportunities within the Shelter House. Volunteer duties include helping with laundry, assisting new clients, organizing donations, sorting papers, answering phone calls, and helping in the kitchen. Translators are also needed, which requires being fluent in languages other than English. The homeless have access to laptops from 8-10 am to apply for jobs. Basic computer navigation knowledge is also a good asset for volunteers to have. They also have seasonal volunteering for individuals who cannot make a huge commitment. They have three different homes and in those homes they have a total of 70 beds in each house. They originate in Iowa City which is also the closest location to North Liberty and Coralville. For more information visit their location in Iowa City at 429 Southgate Ave, Iowa city, IA, 52240 or call them at (319)-351-0326.

52 The Live Wire

Families First is an organization that helps families cope with the stress of everyday life. They want to help families grow closer together as a whole, whether that be between parents and kids, siblings, or grandparents. Currently they are serving close to 1,300 individuals. Services can be provided through office visits or home visits. Some people are more comfortable with having home visits because they would be in their own homes. They work on anger management, communication skills, conflict resolution, coping skills, and decision making skills. Families First is one of the largest counseling services in the state of Iowa. They also have an integrated health home program. This program is to provide additional support for children health issues. They have a care carrier, a family support specialist, and a registered nurse to help ensure emotional, physical, and mental needs are being met. This program is not there to replace the parents but instead to assist and reach family goals. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Families First staff are always very professional and helpful. I had my son seen by a social worker there who was very committed to helping him work on his behaviors and help me cope with his behaviors that were tearing our family apart,â&#x20AC;? explained Nina, one of their clients. This is a 24 hour, 7 days a week service. Families First has had great success in helping families grow and come together as a whole. They have locations all over the state of Iowa, the closest of which is located at 411 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids. They can also be contacted by phone at 888-316-3025.

Therapy Tribe Therapy Tribe is an online therapy program to help kids who do not want to talk to someone about what they are struggling with in person. Since it is online based, it has no physical location. Therapy Tribe acknowledges that in-person therapy can be difficult for some individuals, so in turn they offer therapy known as “tele-therapy.” Tele-therapy is a one-on-one therapy via skype, Facetime, texting, phone calls or any other form of communication over the phone. Therapy Tribe is a huge time saver because it is easy to access at home or anytime of the day when the technology is available. It is also helpful for anyone who cannot find any transportation to a therapy location. There are several types of therapy offered: psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems therapy, hypnotherapy, and more. They also have LGBT groups, marriage-family, and a group to talk to and get to know new individuals. Whether the issues include addiction, depression, anxiety, or OCD, there is someone to talk to. Therapy Tribe currently has over 80,000 people enrolled world-wide. Their main goal is to help people who do not have access to therapy, don’t have the money, and people who benefit from the online option. In this day-in-age, adolescents rely on technology to communicate, so Therapy Tribe found a way to use technology to help people. They understand how people can feel as though no one understands them. It is a

great way to meet other individuals that could be going through similar situations. Therapy Tribe is not only for teens, but for adults as well. They try to help anyone at any age and make it a safe space to talk about things people feel like they can not bring themselves to verbally say or physically feel. It’s a great way to meet dozens of people, while making connections, and talking to others who understand different situations.

Al-Anon Al-Anon is an organization created to help families and friends of alcoholics. It helps repair relationships, whether it be between parents and kids, husbands and wives, or friends. It does not just help the alcoholic cope; it also helps friends and families around them cope with the effects of alcoholism as well. They also have a program specifically for children who have a parent or guardian struggling with alcoholism. Teens tend to think they contribute to their guardian’s addiction, but Al-Anon is there to help adolescents realize they are not the problem and shouldn’t be putting that burden on themselves. It is also a good way for students to meet others in similar situations so they don’t feel as alone. It helps adolescents feel like they are in a safe environment. Even if people feel as though “organizations” are not for them, they encourage everyone to give it a shot. Al-Anon has had many cases where people said the same thing and once they gave it a chance, Al-Anon changed their lives.

May 2018

When You Think about

Seuss...

playing all the same. However, not everyone right colors and bounding is a seasoned musical veteran like her. voices occupied Liberty High's By "I haven't really been in any other musicals," auditorium with the school's said Nathaniel Peterson, freshman. "Everyone is first ever musical, "Seussical Carley Spading trying to work it out and it's a lot more relaxed, the Musical". The musical was so it's not as stressful." Peterson played the performed April 5th, 6th, and 7th, selling role of "Jojo the Who", one of the main leads a grand total of approximately 2,000 There were many aspects of the musical that were certainly tickets, many of which were pre-order, raising plenty of money for next year's theatre. With the success from this year, there are without precedent at Liberty, from the sheer amount of now high expectations for next year. Based on several works by singing, to the complex costumes and sizeable set pieces. "Unexpected issues are probably the biggest challenges," Dr. Seuss, the plot involves characters from Horton the elephant, Jojo the Who, to the Cat in the Hat, and they're all tied up in one said Mr. Williams. "You have technical issues that arise that adventure filled with music, costumes, and gigantic set pieces. you didn't anticipate because you're not as familiar with "The fact that it's the first [musical] is a very exciting thing," said the facilities, you're not as familiar with what you have." Preparations for Seussical, both on stage and behind Mr. Williams, "For me the most exciting thing is [that] it's been good, like you don't always expect that the first of something is really excellent but this is an excellent production, and something we can be proud of for years to come, and that's pretty special to be able to say that." Mr. Williams is the choir director at Liberty High and started directing the singers for the musical in January, as well as the school's first pit orchestra in March. "It's been good, I think for me it helped that I had show band in the fall to get things started, I got to know a lot of the kids that way," he said. "Its been a really enjoyable experience." The musical provided opportunities, for more than just the directors, it became the stage for actors of all different experience levels. "I've been in community theatre for eight years but this is my first school production," said Katie Halverson, sophomore. "I really love this musical, I've been in it once before, and I just love the people. I'm friends with most of the cast so it's nice to do something that I love with other people." Halverson played the role of "Gertrude McFuzz" one of the lesser known Seuss characters, but a major role in the musical. It's a role she has past experience with, but enjoyed

54 The Live Wire

the scenes, took place regularly since the early winter, with casting, building sets, and blocking, all almost immediately following the fall play. People from all elements of the fine arts have had opportunities to get involved. "Since I've been in this production before and I've played this role, I didn't have a hard time learning the music or learning my lines, but late-night rehearsals and trying to do blocking, that was probably the most challenging part." said Halverson. Rehearsals took place periodically throughout the winter, and then every single night on stage for around three hours in the two weeks preceding the show. However, the cast and crew members never lost their optimism for the outcome. "The people are really fun to be around, and it's really just enjoyable," said Peterson. The musical itself was fun-filled, upbeat, and according to the cast members, backstage life was equally so.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is an excellent production, and something we can be proud of for years to come.â&#x20AC;? -Mr. Williams "I've really enjoyed it, I've been doing this for a long time and this is one of the most enjoyable productions I've ever been a part of." said Mr. Williams. "For many people this is their first show so there's a lot of excitement about that, but it being Liberty's first, you know I'm just really proud to be someone who gets to say that I was a part of the very first production here, and it was good." Confidence was abundant from most of the participants, both for the results of the performance and for all of the potential for theatre in the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. "I've had a pretty good experience with this show and I think everyone should give theatre a try," said Halverson.

May 2018

The Live Wire

Open Year Round!

Find Us At Two Locations! 25 E Cherry St, North Liberty, IA 52317 811 S 1st Ave, Iowa City, IA 52245

(319) 665-2249 (319) 354-1981

May 2018 57

58The Live Wire

Address: 390 Westcor Dr #14 Coralville, IA 52241 Phone: (888) 567-5370 24 HOUR TOWING AVAILABLE 319-545-4341 Monday-Friday 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM Closed Saturday and Sunday

May 201859

Summer Recipes Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finally time to bolt for the grill and pick up fresh fruits!

Selena Wisner

Summer Fruit Breakfast Bake Instructions: - Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and place banana slices at the bottom of the pan - In a separate bowl combine brown sugar, Cinnamon and salt. Pour mixture over bananas Ingredients: - Arrange sliced peaches and strawberries - 3 bananas, Sliced (or another fruit of your choice) over the mixture - 1/4 cup of brown sugar - In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs and - 1 tsp of cinnamon - 1/4 tsp of salt vanilla extract - 1 cup of sliced peaches - Slowly pour mixture over the fruit - 1 cup of sliced strawberries - Sprinkle with coconut flakes (optional) - 2 cups of milk - Bake at 375 degrees farenheight or until top is - 2 eggs light brown and firm - 1 tsp of vanilla extract - Serve warm or cold, topped with yogurt, fresh - 1/2 cup of coconut shreds or flakes (optional) fruit, or powdered sugar - Yogurt, fresh fruit of your choice, powdered sugar (optional)

Tropical Popsicle Ingredients: - 1 cup of pineapple juice - 1/4 cup of orange juice - 1/4 cup of grapefruit juice - 1/4 cup of sprite - 1/4 cup of strawberries - Paper cups / Dixie cups - Wooden popsicle sticks

The Live Wire

Instructions:

- Combine juices and strawberries in a blender. Blend until smooth - Fill paper cups with liquid - Cover cups with foil, cut a slit for the popsicle stick in the middle of it - Insert popsicle stick - Put in freezer until completely frozen - When frozen, slit side of paper cup with scissors, peel the cup off the popsicle - Serve while frozen!

Fizzy Pineapple Punch Ingredients: - 1 1/2 cups of pineapple juice - 1 cup of lemonade - 1 cup of grapefruit juice - 1 liter of cold sprite - Grenadine (optional) - Garnishes such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, oranges, and pineapple)

Instructions: - Pour lemonade and pineapple juice in a large pitcher - add most of the Sprite, reserving about 1/3 of a cup. - Add grapefruit juice to mixture - Stir to combine liquids - chill until cold - Once chilled, stir in optional Grenadine - Add ice cubes and other assorted fruits into serving glasses then pour in chilled punch - Garnish as desired and top off glass with extra Sprite for extra â&#x20AC;&#x153;fizzâ&#x20AC;?

Instructions:

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

- Mix chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, and green onions in a bowl until evenly combined - Spread on tortillas - Wrap tortillas up jelly-roll style and cut into 1/2 slices - Put them into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes. ( If serving later, individually wrap rolls in plastic before cutting into slices and chill in the fridge) - Garnish with sliced green onion

Ingredients: - 1 cup of shredded, cooked chicken - 6 ounces of light cream cheese, softened - 1/2 a cup of Franks Red hot sauce - 3 green onions, thinly sliced - 4 to 6 inch flour tortillas

Berry Watermelon Fruit Salad Ingredients: - 4 cups of watermelon, cubed - 1 pint of strawberries, hulled and quartered - 1 pint of blueberries - 1 pint of raspberries - 1 pint of cherries, pitted - 1/2 pint of blackberries - Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Instructions: - Cut all of the fruit into bite-sized pieces - Add to large mixing bowl, and gently toss together - Top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice - Serve chilled May 2018

Art Fest

Jazz Fest

Fourth Fest

When: June 1-3 Where: Linn St. Dubuque St. Clinton St., Iowa Ave, Iowa City What: A weekend long, free, community event featuring over 115 local and national art displays. Food will be served, with varieties of entertainment and activities provided.

When: June 29-July 1 Where: Downtown Iowa City What: A three day weekend full of live jazz performances, various options of food, and to cap off the weekend a large firework display. The four different stages showcase a variety of well known jazz and artists for all ages.

When: July 1-4 Where: 1518 7th St., Coralville What: Coralvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4th of July celebration is a community event that attracts thousands of residents and visitors. This festival includes a 5K run/walk, entertainment, food, carnival, a free concert on July 3rd, and the areas largest firework display of July 4th.

62 The Live Wire

Stella Warren Design by Grace Brusegaard

Fun In

Blues & BBQ Johnson County Iowa State Fair Fair

When: July 14 Where: Centennial Park, North Liberty What: This will be North Liberty’s 12th year of quality live music, delicious barbecue foods from over 15 vendors, and lots of family fun. There is no entrance fee.

When: July 22-25 Where: Johnson County Fairgrounds, Iowa City What: With over 70,000 visitors a year, the Johnson county fair includes many contests like a beef chili cook off, ugly cake contest, music, and other fun events that are enjoyable for everyone.

T he Sun

When: August 9-19 Where: Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines What: The internationally acclaimed Iowa State Fair is the largest event in Iowa. It’s the largest industrial and agricultural exposition in the country. As Iowa’s biggest event of the year, the fair annually attracts millions of people from all over the world. In this great celebration you will find lots of fried food, entertainment, and fun. May 2018 63

Free Fishing Weekend When: June 2nd 10:00-12:30 AM Where: North Liberty What: This weekend is the only weekend in Iowa where no fishing license is required to go fishing. On Saturday, it is free and supplies are available for check out. There will also be a lunch served around 11:30 AM.

64 The Live Wire

Starry Eyed Yoga

Teen Pool Night

When: June 21st, July 12th, and August 9th Where: North Liberty Rec Center What: A community yoga night for $5 8:309:30 PM on the outdoor pool deck under the summer evening sky.

When: June 23rd Where: North Liberty Rec Center Pool What: This Saturday night pool events lasts from 6-9 PM and is only for teenagers going into 7th grade and older. It is free of cost and there will be limited menu items from the concession stand.

Cedar Rapids Kernals Community Night When: June 23rd Where: Cedar Rapids Kernals Ballpark What: Tickets are $7, and the Kernals face the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. It is a night for family, friends, neighbors, and community with ballpark food and fun.

Porchfest When: August 11th Where: Arlington Ridge Neighborhood, North Liberty What: The 3rd annual Porchfest is held from 3-8 PM. This is an opportunity to enjoy live music from various different bands, ages, and genres.

Newbo Evolve When: August 3-5 Where: Cedar Rapids What: This is a two day festival that is showing many concerts including Kelly Clarkson and Maroon 5. Attendees can attend deeper sessions that speak to their soul, challenge their body, and engage their minds.

May 2018 65

Summer Hits Check out what everyone at Liberty is listening to this summer!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Yodeling in Walmart Remix- Mason Ramsey SAD!- XXXTENTACION Call Out My Name- The Weeknd

Brad Borrison, English teacher, jammed out to Metallica, ACDC 1, and the Blues Brothers when he was in high school. Now he listens to singers such as Bruce Springstein and Tom Petty.

Psycho- Post Molone ft Ty Dolla $ign

Whatever It TakesImagine Dragons All of the StarsKendrick Lamar

Stir Fry- Migos Lemon- N.E.R.D and Rhianna

66 The Live Wire

Merlin Ruiz Mollie Whaley Design by Grace Brusegaard

Over time music has come and gone. Right now, pop is all the rage; but it has not always been that way. Teachers shared their favorite songs and bands back when they were in high school and what they listen to now.

Meant to Be- Bebe Rexha and FGL

Freaky Friday- Lil D ft Chris Brown

Beth Long, FCS teacher, favortie singers were John Mellencamp and The Steve Miller Band. You can find Long listening to Lake Street Drive, and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats whenever she has her headphones in. Clint Feuerbach, football coach, mainly listened to rap back in the day. Nirvana, Green Day, and 2 Pac were some of his favorites. Now Feuerbach listens to blues. Aron Kamm, and Gary Clark are his artists of choice for this genre.

Mad Lib

Your Mom IsoFunny@momjokes.com

Design by: Jenna Starr

May 2018 67

1 3

Are you a summer person? A. Who isn't? B. I prefer the AC C. I don't go outside

Fav summer activity?

A. Eating B. Playing sports C. Sleeping

Fav summer movie? A. The Notebook B.Night At The

Museum

C. Forrest Gump

2 4

Fav ice cream flavor? A. Fruity

B.Chocolate vanilla

swirl, please

C. Mint chip

Fav summer clothing?

to A. Dress Impress B. Sweats, who

cares?

C. Swimsuits

Fav part of the beach? A.Being a mermaid B. Building

sandcastles C. Laying in the sun

Mostly A's Mostly B's Mostly C's You like to take it easier than others and have a little fun with your life. You also like to be different and stand out but that’s what makes you special. Don’t let anyone change you.

No Pain, No Gain. You like to play sports and get better at what you love to do. When you don’t go outside, you're probably inside playing video games or chilling on the couch.

You are a mix of everything, you love to relax and be away from everyone and everything. You may be anti-social but I don’t blame you because people are annoying.