September '11 Little Hawk by The Little Hawk

TheLittleHawk City High School Iowa City, Iowa volume seventy-issue one September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Social Insomnia

Technology, such as texting and social media, is causing teenagers to stay up late at night, answering messages and chatting with friends on Facebook. Students are getting less sleep, leaving them restless and unfocused. Studies show that this deprivation leads to several negative effects, including poor performance in school.

by Max Friedman The buzzing, beeping and blinking lights of the latest technology surround the typical teenager, creating a cocoon of electricity. “I’m always texting, even when I do my homework,” Kristen Figueroa ‘12 said. “I check my Facebook page all the time.” Advanced technology has become common-place in our society, most notably among teenagers. Cell phones, computers, music players and various other gadgets are all around. The excessive use of technology has proven to keep teens up late at night, causing sleeping problems. “I usually stay up until 1 o’clock, sometimes 2,” Summers Stokes ‘15 said. “I wake up a lot during the night, and I get woken up by texts a lot too.” In 2010, a study was conducted by Dr. Peter Polos at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey with a group of people from ages 8-22. The study monitored the amount of texting that these 40 people did over the course of a month. The results showed that 3400 texts were sent in a month, about 100 every day. Of these 100, there was an average of 34 texts sent at night, after the subjects were supposed to be asleep. According to a 2011 City High Poll, 50% of students reported sending between 30 to 90 texts every day, and 74% of students reported checking either their Facebook or Twitter accounts every day, usually more than once. When students were asked if they used these technologies before bed, 66% said yes. Furthermore, when students were asked if they stayed up later to answer texts and go on Facebook, 43% said yes. Technologies like texting and Social Media are new, exciting, and easily accessible to teenagers. “If you witness something horrific, your going to have posttraumatic stress and insomnia, you won’t be able to sleep,” Dr. Eric Dyken, professor of Neurology and Sleep Disorders at the University of Iowa said. “When something exciting happens it has the same effect, you won’t be able to sleep.” The real

problem lies in Sleep Deprivation, according to Dr. Dyken. “It’s simple, if you don’t get enough sleep, you will be sleepy,” Dr. Dyken said. “This sleepiness can lead to things like car accidents, but more importantly it will affect your overall performance in school.” If students stay up too late, they won’t have enough energy to focus in class and do all of the things that the busy teenage life entails. Late-night texting has also shown to cause other problems. “People that used texting also experienced more insomnia, leg cramps and learning disabilities like ADD,” Dyken said. Dyken isn’t suggesting that people stop using this technology before bed all together, but rather a way to regulate your sensory intake. “You need a way to wind down.” Dyken said. “In my family, we read comic books.” This “winding down” that Dyken refers to is a form of CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT is essentially the combination of acknowledging the thoughts that prevent one from falling asleep, and the method of preparing oneself for sleep. Dyken’s family reads a comic book before bed to get away from the stresses of life, and help them doze off after a long day. “I got my idea from Dr. Breus,” Dyken said. Dr. Michael J. Breus is known as “The Sleep Doctor” for his extensive studies with sleep and CBT. Breus recommends that people have good sleep hygiene or a system of preparing for sleep. For Dyken, the system consists of delving into a comic book, but he realizes that it’s not for everyone. “Breus’ idea is a construct to build off of,” Dyken said. “You can take the idea and make it your own.” While texting and social media have revolutionized the way our world communicates in many positive ways, they have been proven to cause sleeping problems with teenagers. Technology is stimulating, and will hinder normal sleeping patterns. “This technology revs up your stimulatory system,” said Dr. Dyken “and if you use it before bed, you will stay up late.”

AMPERSAND September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

inthis

clubs&

ISSUE... PAGE4

STUFF

PAGE14

PAGE20

Looking for something to get involved in? Take a look at some clubs and stuff that City has to offer, and who to contact to be a part of them.

ART CLUB Jill Harper

BOOK CLUB Jeff Morris & Andrea Fredickson

national merit semi-finalists

COMBINED EFFORTS DRAMA Janet Schlapkohl

PAGE6

DEBATE TEAM Jennifer Brinkmeyer & Vince Woolums

DRAMA CLUB Doug lestina & Troy Peters

ASTRONOMY CLUB Mary Lestina

debate team

FRENCH CLUB

PAGE9

Donna Grunstad

STUDENT SENATE Nathan Hellwig, Chip Hardesty, Melanie Gibbens & Randy Brown

BEST BUDDIES Tom Braverman, Brent DeNeice & Charlie Lang

peter pan

girls swimming and diving

families overseas

PAGE22

INTERACT CLUB carrie watson

PAGE24

SADD CLUB Jane Green & Greg Vraspier

MATH CLUB Stephanie Mclaughlin & Vicky Pedersen

PSYCH CLUB Jane Green

BPA AJ Leman

SCIENCE CLUB Mary Lestina

boys and girls cross country

everything football

LARGE GROUP SPEECH Troy Peters

CHESS CLUB

TheLittleHawk

Randy Brown

STAFF

MOCK TRIAL Chip Hardesty

ECONOMICS TEAM Steve Dodge

MODEL UNITED NATIONS Steve Dodge

SPIRIT CLUB Emily Dvorak, Ann Schaefer & Heidi Schmitt

mission statement The Little Hawk, the student newspaper of City High School, aims to inform, educate and entertain readers; to provide an educational opportunity for the students who produce it; and to provide a medium for commercial advertising.

Equity Statements

renata stewart co-executive editor

sarah lange sports editor

gabriel brasile a&e editor

max friedman

alex perez

ethan zierke

cassie wassink

nora holman

sonora taffa & kieren green

co-executive editor

news editor

features editor

design editor

online editor

opinion editors

jason arnold & emma gier designers

mikiel curtis & emma baxter adverisments

della nuno photo editor

reporters

nat adler lily howard ellen kealey kristopher kindl sarah lange jonathon myers oli peters annika wasson tempest wisdom jack rogers

English Version: It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. If you believe you have (or your child has) been discriminated against or treated unjustly at school, please contact the Equity Director, Ross Wilburn, at 509 S. Dubuque Street, 319-688-1000. Spanish Version: Declaración de Equidad: Es la política de Iowa City Community School District no descriminar en base a raza, credo, color, género, origen, religión, edad, estado civil, orientación sexual, estado de veterano, incapacidad, =estado socio-económico en sus programas educacionales, actividades, o políticas de empleo. Si usted piensa que usted o su hijo (a) han sido descriminados o que han sido tratados injustamente en la escuela, por favor comuníquese con el Director de Equidad, Ross Wilburn, 509 S. Dubuque Street, teléfono: 319-688-1000.

September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

News

A Less Green Lunchroom Locally grown foods may not make a comeback in City High’s lunch room this year due to high costs and supply shortages.

Students chow down in the lunch room, fueling up for the rest of the day. This year, less green foods will be sold in the lunch room.

by Oli Peters Last spring, locally grown apples and lettuce were introduced to City High’s lunch menu. However, locally grown foods have not returned to the cafeteria this fall. “We try as hard as we can, but finding local growers with enough volume to feed the whole school district is a challenge,” Dianne Duncan-Goldsmith, Director of Food Service for the ICCSD, said. “We also have to make sure that the growers pass our food-safety test, and many don’t, which decreases our options even more.” After getting locally grown lettuce in the lunchroom last year, the cafeteria staff can attest to the difficulties of working with fresh food. “Locally grown lettuce takes a lot of effort to process once it comes in,” Erin Randall, City High Kitchen Manager said. “That’s the

problem with locally grown food; it takes up time that we don’t have in the kitchen before lunch.” Along with supply shortages, strict safety precautions, and preparation issues, there are also problems of cost when serving locally grown foods. “The prices among growers is very competitive and we were able to buy the lettuce last year with money from a grant,” DuncanGoldsmith said. “Now, the money simply isn’t there.” Despite all the challenges that accompany acquiring locally grown foods in public schools, Heather Widmayer, chairperson of the Iowa City chapter of the Farm to School Program says that fresh foods are valuable to school lunches. “Locally grown foods are fresher and healthier,” Widmayer said. “It’s important to be able to identify where your food is coming

photo by DELLA NUNO

from, rather than being transported from some random place in California like it is now.” To raise awareness about the benefits of locally grown foods, the Farm to School Program has been campaigning at schools within the ICCSD. “We have a Spring Greens Day every year where we go to schools and provide fresh lettuce along with information about locally grown foods,” Widmayer said. “It was a huge hit when we came to City High last June. All the students loved it.” After the success of last year’s Spring Greens Day, Farm to School hopes to do more with locally grown foods in the ICCSD school district. “I think that there’s hope for locally grown foods in school lunch at City High,” Widmayer said. “People are realizing that fresh foods are a much healthier alternative.”

AP Language Courses Now Offered by Sonora Taffa AP Spanish, French, and German have been added to the growing number of AP courses at City High. Along with these classes comes an increase in the number of AP exams taken and passed at the end of each year. Counselor Eric Peterson described some of the motivations that led to this increase. “We want to challenge students,” Peterson said. “Our honors courses are certainly very solid and very good, but we also want to provide students with opportunities to get ahead.” In 2011 a total of 168 students took AP

exams, 81% of them receiving a 3 or above. “I think the key thing is that more students are looking at high schools as a way to possibly earn college credit,” Peterson said. “If students do well on the AP exams, and the colleges they choose accept the scores, they could go into college with additional credits. Sometimes even a year’s worth of college credit.” City High is considering modifying prerequisites in order to allow more students the opportunity to earn college credit and participate in higher level courses. “It’s a balance. We want to keep truly AP level courses, but we also want to give more students the chance to experience an AP class,”

Principal John Bacon said. “I’m excited about continuing to grow our number of AP classes.” Not all students that take AP classes choose to take the AP exams. They cost $87, and not all colleges choose to accept them as credit. However, Bacon believes that college credit isn’t the only thing that can be gained from advanced placement classes. Bacon described his own experience with AP courses at City High. “For me, I was not an Honors student at City,” Bacon said. “However, someone believed in me. The newspaper is actually what led me to take an AP course. A teacher told me to take AP English and I gained a lot of confidence.”

Edited by Cassie Wassink

School Board Candidates Visit School by Della Nuno In preparation for the 2011 School Board election, all seven candidates visited Jeanine Redlinger’s government classes, prepared to answer students’ questions. “I really wanted to give the students a view towards this year’s school board election,” Redlinger said. “The kids should get a good idea of what it’s all about.” Sally Hoelscher, winner of a four-year seat on the board, believed that the meeting was beneficial to the candidates as well as to the students. “We are so lucky to have such wonderful schools,” Hoelscher said. “Through this meeting we can learn what we’ll need to be offering.” A common question among students was how and what needed to change in the district. Candidate Phil Hemingway argued that the Board should strive for more candid discussions. “We need to be straight forward and we need to be transparent,” Hemingway said. “Maybe I’ve gotten too passionate, but I’d like to see a school board meeting talking solely about education.” Though unable to vote, Redlinger’s students displayed a strong interest in the upcoming election. “It is very important to vote for the school board election,” Calvary Tutson ’13 said. “That’s what’s really going to affect our teachers and students eventually, so we should put someone in there that knows what they’re doing.”

Senior Earns Perfect ACT Score by Ellen Kealey

For Sean Hoelscher 12’, the classic saying, “third time’s a charm” really did prove true. Hoelscher scored a 29 on the ACT for the first time in seventh grade. The second time he took the test, he scored a 34 and then, finally, a 36. “The only reason I took it the third time was because I didn’t ace the math section,” Hoelscher said. Placing him far above the national average of 21.1, Hoelscher’s score will lead to many college scholarship opportunities in the future. “I haven’t taken much time to look into colleges,” Hoelscher said. “I was thinking maybe Caltech or MIT.” While many students take advantage of study books and prep courses, Hoelscher chose not to utilize these materials. “I took the test for the first time in seventh grade,” Hoelscher said. “I never really studied for it.” The subject areas of the ACT consist of English, mathematics, reading and science. Without the writing test, it takes just over four hours. “I liked the math section the best,” Hoelscher said. “I finished in 15 minutes and walked around until everyone else was done.”

NEWS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

New Fine Arts Wing

City High will be expanding their arts and music classes with the new Fine Arts wing. The changes will feature larger rehearsal rooms, storage space, and more. by Gabriel Brasile City High arts and music teachers are currently scattered and suffering from old, out of date classrooms. “Right now, the arts room is stuck in a weird place in the math wing,” Art teacher Jill Harper said. “We don’t have room to decorate and make the art room our own.” Harper’s experience is representative of common sentiments among art and music teachers. In response, the well known arts and music programs of City High will be expanded and enhanced with the addition of a new wing. Last year, after many years of being put on hold, the school district brought the plan forward. Bacon then took the responsibility of presenting the plan to the school board, who decided to pass the project and be built through the Shive-Hattery firm. “We’re very excited to model a state of the art facility,” Principal John Bacon said. “With it, we’ll enhance what we can do with our classes.” The wing will include several expansions for music and arts programs including larger rehearsal spaces for band, choir, and orchestra, a drama scene shop, more storage space, a music theory classroom with new and more fitting technology, and much more, all funded by the school district. “Currently, our classes are [technologically] ahead of our classrooms,” Bacon said. “With this addition, our facility can finally catch up with the needs of our classes.” The new wing will start construction during Spring break this school year and is projected to be completed and ready for use by the ‘13’14 school year. The new wing will be placed in part of the cafeteria parking lot and where the auto-tech classroom currently is placed. Because of this, the auto-tech room will have to be taken down before any building can begin and the class will temporarily be moved to a building half way between City High and West High. “We don’t want to negatively impact the auto-tech programs,” Bacon said. “It was very difficult to decide to take the building down, but it provides a transition to the Regional Academic Facility.” The Regional Academic Facility is a project to construct a building that will host auto-tech classes and is to serve as the long-term goal for the these courses. “We need to make sure people still take auto classes,” Bacon said. “so we’ll schedule these classes in a way that is helpful to the students.”

by Jon Myers

TOP: The first floor will feature a larger rehearsal room for band and band offices. BOTTOM: The second floor holds bigger rehearsal rooms for orchestra and choir and a large ensemble room.

The fine arts wing is currently in the specific design phase under the Shive-Hattery firm. “In the new wing, we’ll have a lot more freedom,” Harper said. “We’ll be able to put up

murals and decorations and make the room our own. In addition, we’ll have much more storage space. I’m really looking forward to it.”

National Merit Semi-finalists Named Based on their high PSAT scores, seven seniors (four girls and three boys) were named semi-finalists in the long, extremely competitive scholarship process. by Cassie Wassink A process which began in the cafeteria last October is approaching completion. Eight City High students were named national merit semi-finalists. While these students remain deep in the application process, each of them already has great potential for college scholarships. The next step for the students is to submit their final applications, which are all due on October 12. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation will begin choosing merit scholarship award winners on January 22. Finalists will be notified on February 1.

Project Lead the Way

photo by DELLA NUNO BACK ROW: Shecharya Flatte and Kelly McNeilly. Front row: Elizabeth Larsen, Rachel Fehr, Abigail Roman, and Emma Goldenstein. Not pictured: Sean Hoelscher.

Two new engineering and science courses are offered this year through Project Lead the Way (PTWL). PTWL is a series of courses providing new and innovative curriculum teaching students about engineering and architecture. These new classes include Civil Engineering and Architecture, Principles of Engineering, and Introduction to Engineering. “It is important for the kids of city high to take these type of courses, they teach them many skills that normal classes don’t offer,” Vicky Pedersen said. Not only do the courses offer a variety of skills, but they also provide potential college credit at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and Kirkwood Community College. “I want to prepare for life, and I’m looking ahead for college,” Anes Capo ‘15 said. With all these advantages, the popularity of Project Lead the Way is increasing. With the number of students almost doubling from last year. The number 23 of students taking Principles of Engineering last year grew from 23 to around 40. Throughout the year these students get to work with local engineers and build projects like a ping-pong ball launcher, and a marble sorter. “Our goal is to continue to grow.” Pederson said. “We went from 1 classes to 3. And hoping to add 2 new classes within the coming years: Biochemical Engineering and Digital Engineering,”

Envirocity by Ethan Zierke

A new environmental-awareness club is making its mark at City High. Led by Seniors Sage Behr, DJ Martin, Ellie McMullin and Darien Vonk, members of Envirocity are excited to see what they can accomplish. Martin described the group from his point of view. “We are a group of ambitious and fiercely intelligent City High students, who have come together to fight for our environment.” Martin said. “From the City High level to the local, state, nation and beyond!” Currently, the group meets on Saturdays, outside of school. A regular meeting schedule is yet to be determined.

NEWS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

New Student Supply Store by Emma Baxter

Homecoming Court The competition on the court is hot this year. Here are some thoughts from some of our favorite seniors.

Kevin Franklin, a level three special ed teacher, has started a school supply store in room 1402. This store will be staffed and run by special ed students. “The students will really benefit,” Franklin said. “It’s a job for them to do, that can prepare them for the real world. They could possibly get a job in retail.” At anytime of the day, students can come to room 1402 and buy school materials. The money made will go back to the special education students. “School supplies are something everyone needs,” Franklin said. “So that’s why we decided to sell it.”

Mosaic Art Project in Park by Annika Wasson After three years of hard work, and some artistic imagination, a new bench and decorative plinths were added to this neighborhood park with the help of 60 elementary and 30 high school students. After the theme “Characters of the Imagination” was set, Jill Harper worked with elementary students to design characters for the project. Harper and some City High students transferred the kids’ pictures into glass mosaics, which were then assembled in the park. According to Harper, the best thing about working on the project was working with the kids. “When you work with people everyday, it really breaks down boundaries.” Harper said.

Miss Teen Iowa Goes to Orlando by Sonora Taffa

Miss Teen Iowa, junior Francesca Lubecki-Wilde, attended the Miss America Outstanding Teen Pageant in Orlando, Florida this summer, where she placed in the top 15. “The judges at nationals asked me questions that I could have never prepared for,” Lubecki-Wilde said. “I was asked everything from what my favorite Disney princess is, to whether I thought it was wrong that the United States intervened in Lybia, but not Syria.” According to Lubecki-Wilde, she is under no pretenses about the nature of this competition. “Everyone always says ‘It’s not a pageant. It’s a scholarship program’,” Lubecki-Wilde said. “But I think I totally own that I do pageants.” While Lubecki -Wilde enjoyed evening gown shopping in Minneapolis with her mom and having her own make up artist, she also described the value of the intellectual and social aspects. “At the same time what I got out of it was so much more academic,” LubeckiWilde said. “And so much more about the amazing girls that there are in this country.”

photo by OLI PETERS

Above are the 14 students elected for Homecoming king and queen this year. Top to bottom, left to right: Josh Cabbage, Steve Ferentz, Jeremy Johnson, Mason Greer, Cortez Barfield, Quinn McNutt, Sarah Mildenstein, Elise Brown, Laura Shephard, Kelly McNeely, Lindsay Hall, Izzy Scoblic, Rachel Fehr, and Sage Behr.

Interviews by Sonora Taffa and Oli Peters Josh Cabbage

Q: What are your goals for this homecoming season? A: “I would say to get Kelly McNeilly elected as Homecoming King...”

Cortez Barfield

“There’s no competition. I’m confident in myself.”

Izzy Scoblic

Q: What are you looking forward to at homecoming? A: “I’m ready to grind! But really, it’s just all about having a great time with friends!”

Elise Brown

“I’m just pumped to watch the homecoming game with my friends!”

Laura Shepherd

Q: What’s the first thing you thought when

you heard you had been elected? A: “Time to bust out the baby pics!”

Mason Greer

Rachel Fehr

Sarah Mildenstien

“I’m excited to choose music for the slide show!”

Lindsay Hall

Q: What are you looking forward to? A: “The parade is going to be awesome! I need to work on my princess wave!”

Kelly McNeilly

“The real Julius Carter.” “I rigged the voting, so just know that no matter who you vote for, I’m winning.”

Sage Behr

“There are so many awesome girls on court this year! No matter what happens, it’s an honor!”

Kelly only had two words to say... “ USA DAY!”

Quinn McNutt

Jeremy Johnson

Steve Ferentz

Q. What do you think the funnest part of being on the court will be? A: “I just wanna ride in Julie Law’s corvette!”

“Well, I’ve got Leman’s vote for sure...” “I’ll probably walk up and they’ll call someone else’s name and be all shocked when it’s not me! Seems pretty typical.”

Student Senate Represents

This year Student Senate will elect homeroom representatives who will help bridge the gap between homerooms and Student Senate. by Emma Baxter Student Senate has implemented changes to their system, hoping to focus more on students’ opinions and ideas. “Student Senate represents the students here at City High,” Senior Class President Sophie Neems said. “I want to do what the people want, not just what I want.” This year Student Senate is experimenting with homeroom representatives, who relay messages from their homerooms to the Student Senate meetings. According to Neems, students are responding positively to changes. “What we need to work on is finding out what people want to change,” Neems said.

Goals that Student Senate is focusing on currently are homecoming and the homecoming parade. This year’s homecoming theme is “Hawaiian.” Student Senate is also trying out the idea of community service projects. They don’t want to overlap with Interact, the volunteer club, but they hope to incorporate service projects with the homecoming parade. “Pack the Pickup” is the slogan for their latest project. They plan on having a red pickup truck in the homecoming parade that will be “packed” with canned foods. Families can bring cans to pack the truck with, which will eventually be donated to the Crisis Center.

“We’re taking something that is all about us, like the homecoming parade, and are turning it around to help someone other than ourselves.” Neems said. Homeroom representatives also have personal goals of their own. “I want to give the seniors the best year possible,” Amel Ali, ‘13 said. “I also want to make effective changes to the school.” Student Senate meets every Wednesday before school in the Little Theater, and is open to any student with the desire to impact their school. “We’re doing a lot of new things we’ve never done before.” Rachel Fehr, Senior Class Vice President, said. “It [Student Senate] is heading in a new direction.”

NEWS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Brinkmeyer Leads Debate Program

Growing School Gardens

A new dsxsebate teacher has arrived at City High School. She plans to implement several changes and integrate speech skills with the debate team.

by Cassie Wassink Eight ICCSD schools have partnered with the Farm to School organization and are growing school gardens. Students and teachers are invited to attend an informational meeting on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 1-3pm, where people will share their own unique experiences with starting gardens at their school. This will provide an opportunity for those interested in starting a school garden to learn about the process. Between talks, there will be free time to allow students and teachers to share ideas with each other. Several community groups involved with school gardens will also be introduced, including Iowa State Extension’s 4-H and their new USDA People’s Garden Initiative, Soilmates, Backyard Abundance, Summer of Solutions, Reclaiming Roots, and Master Gardeners.

Chess Club Continues by Nat Alder photo by NAT ALDER

Jen Brinkmeyer discusses this year’s debate topic with debate members Raychel Skay 13’ and Henry Wright ‘14. They are both returning members of the debate team and look forward to another exciting year.

by Nat Alder A new Debate teacher has joined the City High Staff this summer. Jen Brinkmeyer came from teaching in Tipton all the way to Room 1315. Ms. Brinkmeyer says she hopes to build off of the past year’s success in many new and exciting ways. “The team is excited to recruit new people as many new kids as we can get! The more kids, the better the experience!” Brinkmeyer said. Brinkmeyer is also starting a new event called Public Forum, which is a crossfire-style debate in which members discuss important national issues, as opposed to the other two styles which tend to be more work intensive and in-depth. Brinkmeyer is also using her Speech skills to help improve the debaters individual speaking abilities. With the new debate recruits, hopes are high.

“I really like to argue with my parents, so this could come in handy,” Tony Soberanis ‘15 said “it looks like a lot of fun!” Other students are rejoining debate after spending time with it in past years. “I find debate to be an extremely enjoyable extra curricular - not only does it increase my critical thinking skills but it also gives me freedom to express myself and better knowledge on how to research things.” Ava Vargason, ‘13 said, who recently returned from a debate camp at Georgetown University. Other varsity debate team members also endorse Ms. Brinkmeyer’s new direction for the team. Raychel Skay ‘13 described some improvements that have accompanied Brinkmeyer’s arrival. “Ms. Brinkmeyer’s class is pretty awesome.” Skay said. “It’s more organized.” Ms. Brinkmeyer is very excited to be a member of the City High team. “The new setting is great!” said Brinkmeyer.

2011 DEBATE SCHEDULE

Chess Club has returned to City High for its second year, and is run by Randy Brown. There are currently 10-12 people in the club and Brown hopes it will expand as the year progresses. The City High Chess Club is also planning on going to up to 4 competitions, mostly in the eastern Iowa area. Chess Club meets every Wednesday and is open to all students.

Valley Sept 23-25 UNI Sept 30-Oct 1 Indianola Oct 14-16 New Trier Oct 21-22 Iowa Caucus Oct 28-29 Michigan Nov 4-6 IFL Nov 11-12 Glenbrooks Nov 18-22 University of Kentucky Dec 2-4 Dowling Pardigm Dec 9-11 Blake Dec 16-18 Returning members: 6 New members: 14 Randy Brown is on his game.

photo by DELLA NUNO

Stand Up for City High Fundraisers Look for Improvements to Athletic Facilities by Kris Kindl Ever since its creation in 1948 Bates Field has been home to many legendary football games and track events. Many memories have been formed there and many people have watched The Little Hawks celebrate with success and cry with defeat at Bates Field. Now, this place of glory is showing its age.

“The restrooms are outdated and scarce, I would like it if they had better restrooms. They need to be updated,” Patricia Kindl said. The Stand Up For City High fundraiser was created in 2010 to offer the public an opportunity to donate money for renovations of City High’s athletic facilities. City High hopes to raise enough money from this fundraiser to make a new press box and renovate the restrooms, plus many other new facilities.

In this project there are many stages to the renovation plan to get to a final goal of a newly renovated Bates Field and restore the bathrooms and create a new viewing area. Improvements are meant to increase the enjoyment of the events held but also improve the safety and style of this facility. New bleachers have already been installed in part of this project in 2010. Stand Up For City High as of August 21 has recieved 345

donors. Donors range anywhere from alumni to parents of students to just plain fans of City High athletics. Donations for Stand Up For City High fundraiser can be made at City High’s website where there is more donation information. Go to http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/Schools/City, scroll down and click on the link that says more information about Bates Field restoration project.

NEWS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

A Summer of Research, Film Studies, and Debate

Run for the Schools

While many students were relaxing and enjoying their precious free time, three teens were working towards their future endeavors this past summer.

The annual fundraiser is hoping to have the largest turnout yet this year. by Ellen Kealey

SUMMER JOBS: Ruth Anne Riedl ‘12, Nat Alder ‘13, and AvaVargason ‘13 did research at a university, worked in the film industry, and studied debate at Georgetown.

by Cassie Wassink Although Ruth Anne Riedl ‘11 participated in a research camp at the University of Iowa, Nat Alder ‘13 interned as Assistant Theatre Manager in Provincetown, MA., and Ava Vargason ‘13 researched and practiced day and night at a Policy Debate camp in Georgetown, MD., some common threads tied these diverse experiences together.

Ruth Anne Riedl Riedl spent five weeks at the Secondary Student in Training Camp, analyzing the effect of snails’ shell colors on their preference for a light or dark habitat. Although Riedl spent her first week and a half watching Doctor Who while taping cups, she deemed the overall experience extremely beneficial.

Highest ACT Score

City High students tied for the highest average ACT in the school’s history.

by Renata Stewart

City High students reached an academic landmark this year, by tying for the highest ACT score in the history of City High. This record was set three years ago in 2008. The average score on the test (which assesses students in English, science, math, and social studies) was a 25.1, up from the 24.7 average in 2010. City High’s score was the second-highest in the state, behind West High’s 25.7. “I think it’s a reflection of our upper classmen’s commitment to challenge themselves in rigorous classes,” Principal John Bacon said. “It’s a reflection on our outstanding teachers and families as well.”

The opportunity to form and prepare an experiment, collect and record data, and present a hypothesis was invaluable. “We were really self-directed,” Riedl said. “I really like that about the program. You essentially set up your own research.”

Nat Alder Alder, who hopes to eventually work in the film industry, interned as theatre manager with a theatre in Provincetown, MA. “Any kind of film work would make me super happy.” Alder said. As Assistant Theatre Manager, Alder’s responsibilities ranged from monitoring concessions and line waiting to showing film directors and stars around the theatre. While Riedl befriended her like-minded dorm mates, Alder played in high society, conversing with such film stars as the popular

Swan Lake director, Darren Aronofsky, Little Miss Sunshine lead actress, Abigail Breslin, and Romancing the Stone lead actress, Kathleen Turner. “It was very daunting.” Alder said. “I had to keep cool.”

Ava Vargason Ava Vargason, who hopes to continue debating in college, spent a month in Georgetown, honing her skills. “You can’t really do policy debate unless you enjoy spending a lot of time doing debate work and research.” Vargason said. Although Vargason has not narrowed her plans down to any specific career, she feels that her debate work will translate no matter what. “The research skills, work ethic and critical thinking skills that I have gained through debate will improve my skills in any career.”

City High 2011 2010 2009

25.1

Run For The Schools is trying to make the 35th annual race the largest in history. “Last year we had 2,500 runners,” Director Joe Dwyer said. “We just want one more runner than last year and we will be happy.” The race will take place on October 9, 2011. Participants will have the choice of running the half-mile Fun Run at 8 a.m., the one-mile run/walk at 8:15 a.m., or the 5K, 10K and the half marathon runs at 9a.m. “The race really benefits the Iowa City school district and Regina through the proceeds,” Dwyer said. “We try to generate a lot of interest in the community.” Through the support of individuals and sponsors, the ICCSD received over $28,000 to help support the School District Foundation. “There’s a large group of volunteers working almost year round for the event,” Dwyer said. “We want to get as many people as we can to run and have a safe race.” Donations are now being accepted online and by mail. The title sponsor for the event is Midwest One Bank. Other companies who choose to donate are divided into gold, silver and bronze level sponsors. According to Dwyer, this year is the 35th annual race, and their 11th year of raising money for the district.

New Virtual Reality Club

by Nat Alder

A new Virtual Reality Club is available to City Students for the first time. Students will be taught how to work with 3D design using a free program named Blender. The club consists of a group of 15 students and three teachers, Mr. Morris, Ms. Harper, and Mr. Raaf. Every second Monday of the month, the club will meet at the University of Iowa Lindquist Center where a Senior from Mount Vernon High School will help to familiarize them with this program. According to Alex Moen,‘13, familiarization with the program provides good skills and techniques for a variety of careers as well as new opportunities for students to express their creativity.

24.7 24.8

PACK THE PICKUP!

West High 2011 2010 2009

25.7 25.7 25.8

Bring canned goods to the Homecoming Parade to benefit the Iowa City Crisis Center!

NEWS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Wapsie Retreat Planned for Underclass by Ethan Zierke This fall, freshmen and sophomores will be participating in a team-building retreat at YMCA Camp Wapsie. This is the first year the opportunity has been available for students at City High and over 45 students are signed up. “I think it will be an excellent way for students to build relationships and become more involved, successful students here at City High.” Principal John Bacon said. “It’s also a great way for me to get to know the underclassmen.” Students will leave after school, October 20th and stay overnight at Camp Wapsie. Activities will include a variety of team building activities, such as roasting s’mores around a campfire and tower-climbing. Bacon described contacting Cedar Rapids Washington Principal, Dr. Ralph Plagman. “He’s been the principal there since 1981 and I have a lot of respect for him.” Bacon said. “He told me, ‘if there’s one thing you do, do this’.”

City High Renovation to Start Off 2011 by Oli Peters New school year, new school! City High underwent many rennovations over the summer. To start off, the small gym has been painted and there’s a bench dedication underway. When City High started a landscaping project 10 years ago, one thing that people could do to donate money to the project was buy a bench that would be dedicated to them and put on school grounds. Soon, the bench dedication will be finished and ready to sit on! There are also different stones by the front door that were dug up when the small parking lot was built and a new temporary building by the practice fields for the level 3 autism classes while the music wing is being renovated. To keep all the renovations looking fresh, thirty more security cameras have been set up around school.

Chip to Coach First Mock Trial

A new program called Mock Trial will come to City High this fall. Hall monitor and coach Chip Hardesty is excited to start the year. by Nat Alder Thanks to the success of Debate and Large Group Speech at City High, a new program will be implemented. This endeavor is City High’s first annual Mock Trial, run by Chip Hardesty. “This is Iowa City’s first Mock Trial,” Chip said. “And I think that gives us the opportunity to do great things with it!” The decision to have Chip be the head of the Trial was an easy one. Chip has a law degree and his sister was an advisor for Mock trial at Cedar Rapids Washington High School. In this activity, students will receive a court case to solve and each student will be given a role to portray in the case. The idea was initially introduced by Mayor

Matt Hayek, who approached Mr. Bacon with the idea of partnering a lawyer with the students to help them learn and prepare for their case. As well as working with a lawyer, City High will also be reaching out to the University of Iowa for critique and practice. According to Chip, each student will become accustomed to the inner workings of the court system. “If the witness is a doctor, he/she will learn how to sound and act like a doctor in court,” Chip said. “The role of the witnesses are just as important as that of the lawyers.” Chip plans to have groups ready for a regional competition in mid March. He hopes to then progress on to a State competition. Mock Trials often consist of a group of 10 people, each representing witnesses, prosecutors or plaintiffs. The group is given a case and must

Run for Relief 5k run/walk all procedes go to Joplin, MO

to help rebuild after their devistating tornado of 5/22/11.

Saturday, November 5th in lower City Park www.cityhighruns.org for more information

The Cleaning Crew • Apartment Cleaning • Floor Care • Carpet Extraction • Custodial Care • Construction Cleanup • Office Cleaning Free Estimates - Licensed

photo by NORA HOLMAN

338-2317

employ each of their different roles to solve it. Mr. Bacon hopes that the mock trial can be used for personal enlightenment. “This is very valuable for students who are interested in studying law or who like debating,” Bacon said. “You will see the many facets of what it means to be an attorney. If it interests you, check it out, it contains invaluable experience.” The Mock Trial is looking for 20-30 people and hopes to start its season around Thanksgiving. At that time, the organized groups will be given a case and roles will be assigned. Mr. Bacon hopes that in the future, Mock Trial will rank among some of City High’s other prestigious extra curricular activities. “I’m hopeful that it will become a successful, vibrant club not unlike Debate or Large Group Speech here at City High,” Bacon said.

Arts & Entertainment September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

City High Graduate Stars in Landlocked Film by Gabriel Brasile

City High has always been a school with many great opportunities and career paths. Many people use City High School as their start to a great future, including actor Steve Bissell. Bissell, who graduated from City High school in 1963, was involved in many drama performances and classes. “Attending City High impacted my acting career a lot,” Bissell said. “A couple great teachers helped support me and improved my acting as well as teaching me how to run things backstage.” Bissell grew up in Iowa City and attended Mary’s Catholic grade school. While in second grade, Bissell acted in the school’s Christmas play. For Bissell, this was the start of something big. “As a kid, you would watch something on film or TV and say ‘I could do that,’” Bissell said. “Then I asked myself ‘why not?’” Bissell got involved in school plays often from then on, continuing through his experience at City High. This eventually led to his first role in a major film, The Newton Boys in which he played a screen extra. More job offers came to Bissell as a screen extra in movies such as Davy Crockett and Deathproof. This gathered the attention of Lu Chunsheng, a movie director from China on a trip to Iowa to create a short film. Chunsheng offered Bissell the main role in his film, The First Man who Bought a Juicer Bought it Not for Drinking Juice. Chunsheng refuses to tell the meaning of the title or even if the title has a meaning, but Bissell has his own idea. “I don’t think the title has a meaning,” Bissell said. “I believe it’s there to get people to think.” When Chunsheng approached Bissell, he gladly accepted, but was unsure of why Chunsheng came to him. “Chunsheng asked me if I knew how to run machinery,” Bissell said. “In City High, I was always in metal and shop classes. This really came in handy and is one of the reasons I was picked.” The film, a story about a man versus a machine, was shown in Iowa’s Landlocked Film Festival as well as in London, Florida, and even China, where Chunsheng resides. After the showings, Bissell reflected on how he went from grade school actor to star of Chunsheng’s film. “When you’re a young actor, you always hear the negative,” Bissell said. “In the big world, you’ll almost never hear a positive word because everyone else is vying for you job. My words to high school students are to persevere and keep on trying.”

Drama Takes Flight with Peter Pan City High’s theatre department is taking flight and landing in the mysterious world of Neverland with their adaption of the classic play “Peter Pan” by J.M. Barrie. by Alex Perez “Neverland is pure magic,” Francesca LubeckiWilde ‘13 said. “It’s just like a wonderland filled with pure joy and energy.” A fantasy in five acts, Peter Pan tells the story of the Darling children whose worlds are shaken up when a young boy with the ability to fly appears at night to invite them to Neverland, the world where no one ever grows up. “The story has a little bit of everything,” Jared Kilberger ‘15 said. “Pirates, fairies, flying, fighting, everything you could ever want in a story, it is very fairy tale esque.”

Lubecki-Wilde and Kilberger both play the parts of lost boys, yet both have very different characters in the play. “My character Nibs is a very happy go lucky sort of boy,” Kilburger said. “All he really wants is a mother.” Lubecki-Wilde’s character is quite the opposite. “Slightly is the know it all of the group,” Lubecki-Wilde said. “He uses his superiority to hide his loneliness.” The show contains different groups within itself; the pirates, the lost boys and the fairies. “The lost boys are super fun,” Lubecki-Wilde said. “They’re really energetic and playful, they’re

sort of just the essence of childhood.” Along with the fine display of City High actors, City High has teamed up with Young Footliters acting company and incorporated children into the show. “It’s exciting to work with the kids,” Kilburger said. “I think it keeps everyone reminded of what it’s like to be youthful.” The show will premiere October 14th and run through the 16th. “I hope the audience just has fun,” LubeckiWilde said. “It has an important meaning and you need to watch it like a child, see Neverland through a child’s eyes because that is how we are performing it.”

photos by GABRIEL BRASILE Left: Alex Perez ‘13 and Jared Kilberger ‘15 poke around with their new props. Right: Elijah Jones ‘14 is thrown overboard by Captain Hook.

MUSIC REVIEW

Sit Back and Relax by Kieran Green When Brooklyn based rap group “Das Racist” first emerged into mainstream culture early last year, nobody was entirely certain what to make of them. The Internet pseudo-hit “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell” had certainly gained them notoriety, but at that point it seemed as if they were just another stoner joke-rap duo. Then, all of that changed. The release of the mixtapes “Shut Up, Dude,” followed later that year with the more polished “Sit Down, Man” established Das Racist as a force to be reckoned with within the indie-rap community, using a combination of obscure pop culture references and biting social commentary to craft track after track of masterfully clever, extremely intelligent hip hop. It is with the release of their debut LP “Relax,” however, that Das Racist truly comes into its own. Much like “Sit Down, Man”, “Relax” benefits from the input of a diverse field of producers, including Diplo, El-P, and even Rostam Batmanglij of “Vampire Weekend.” The album starts out with the title track, a snaky blend of latin and electronica, then transitions abruptly into“Michael Jackson”, a much denser song the effect of which is similar to having one’s skull smashed in with a copy of Wallace’s “Infinite Jest” wrapped around

a sledgehammer. “Girl” and “Booty in the Air” both do an excellent job of spoofing 80s pop and contemporary hip hop, respectively, while managing to be surprisingly catchy. The album isn’t devoid of serious content, however, and there’s a sort of underlying resentment of America culture and authority, as evidenced by El-P’s paranoid harangue from “Shut Up, Man” in which he declares “The street meat feed youth/The boogie men bend rules/Elite scene double breast monocle men move/When backroom blood boils, the ink dries quite smooth.” But “Relax” is not without its faults. Despite the fact that it does manage to avoid the jammy freestyles that defined the latter parts of “Shut Up” and “Sit Down” there are still a few parts of the album that feel aimless, without any real intent. And while the production is sublime, “Relax,” lacks the trippy simplicity that defined its predecessors. Despite its flaws, though, the album boasts some of Das Racist’s most clever work to date, demonstrating an ability to cater to their fan base with their usual output of hyper-self-referential not-quite-joke-rap, as well as reaching out to mainstream hip hop, even as they disparage it. It is, in short, an album that would be both immensely enjoyable to the average music geek, whilst still being socially acceptable to play at parties.

littlehawk

RATING:

Arts & Entertainment September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

FOOD for THOUGHT The noodles of Iowa City Z’Mariks

photo by DELLA NUNO PASTA: Z’mariks’ mac comes out hot, cheesy and zesty with parsley garnished on top. Z’mariks was judged as having the best macoroni out of the three resturants reviewed.

One of the most popular food locations for college students and others wandering around Iowa City, known for their classic macaroni and cheese that many rave about. The Little Hawk indulged in a large bowl of this warm cheesy goodness and found it satisfactory. Z’marik’s mac ‘n cheese will most certainly give you the best bang for your buck. Z’mariks has a comforting and laid back atmosphere that seems to draw customers in, if you’re looking to warm your belly and not empty your wallet, this would be the place.

by Alex Perez and Mikiel Curtis

Noodles&Co. Panera Bread If you suddenly had a craving for a big bowl of mac ‘n cheese, Noodles and Co. should not be your first stop. Although they have very friendly service and and a nice atmosphere, their noodles were unsatisfactory. When eating at Noodles and Co., you may find that their mac ‘n cheese has a taste that is reminiscent to the likes of Easy Mac or Kraft products. Money wise, Noodles and Co. is a smart and affordable place to eat. Overall, Let’s just say that over the counter mac ‘n cheese is a wiser investment of time and money and your taste buds will thank you.

Many people go to Panera in search of bagels and soup. But even more people go for the mac n’ cheese. Panera’s delicious Mac ‘n Cheese consists of shell pasta and tangy Vermont white cheddar cheese sauce. Panera’s mac has it all; great taste, melts in your mouth, and even comes with a side. The only downside about this mac ‘n cheese is its price. At seven dollars you can get an inadequately sized bowl of mac and a side to choose including a small bag of chips or half of a french baguette. Although it is delicious, it may be hazardous to your wallet.

Kenan Thompson HOROSCOPES Deemed not “All That” littlehawk

“your destiny...revealed” By the Oracle Oli Taffa

Saturday Night Live actor Kenan Thompson provides a free comedy show at the Iowa Memorial Union. by Gabriel Brasile Celebrities rarely come to Iowa City, but when they do they are met with large crowds and large expectations. On August 26, Kenan Thompson, who starred in the television program All That and acts on Saturday Night Live came to the Iowa Memorial Union to perform a stand up routine free to the public. Unfortunately, Thompson’s stand up comedy doesn’t match his filmed or scripted performance, and he lost many cessful jokes, but many revolved people’s interest early on. around lines from his Saturday “I enjoyed it because it was Night Live skits such as the free,” Jake Atherton ‘12 said. talk show What Up With That? “But stand up isn’t his strong and his appearance as Jimmy point.” McMillan Thompas the canson’s didate for routine He played off his fame too the Rent is consisted much. I think he should have too Damn of an imleft his Saturday Night Live High party. provised and Good Burger jokes out “He autobiograand made some more original played off phy of his comedy. his fame life with a too much,” few jokes -Audience member Al Alder Audience thrown in. member UnforAl Alder tunately, said. “I think he should have left many of these jokes fell flat and those jokes out and made some left the audience with a straight more original comedy.” face. Thompson did have suc-

Thompson generously made his routine a zero dollar event, but nothing is completely free. Thompson’s stand up cost the audience valuable time. The stand up routine left many of the audience disappointed and can hardly be considered comedy. “If it weren’t free, I probably wouldn’t have liked it as much,” Atherton said. “But my favorite part was the question and answer session.” Thompson’s Q&A was the most laughed at part of his routine. Thompson was quick to respond with comedic and interesting answers to every question posed to him by the audience; even revealing information on his old companion, Kel, who has been out of contact with Kenan for over three years. Other questions ranged from “How high is the rent?” with which Thompson responded, “The rent is too damn high!” to, “Can I have a bro hug?” which Thompson gladly accepted. “I went in there expecting stand up comedy, but I got more of a lecture on his life,” Alder said. “I do enjoy what he did in movies and on Saturday Night Live, but now I realize that he’s not a good a stand up comedian.”

Leo

{July 23-Aug 22} Never fear! We don’t have dates to homecoming either.

Virgo

{Aug 23-Sept 22} Time really to REALLY change things up. You’re life needs some excitement! Take a different route to second period. www.nigerianprinceinneed.com

Libra*

{Sept 23-Oct 22} Go all out this Spirit Week. You won’t regret it! (but take it easy on the spandex, males)

Scorpio

{Oct 23-Nov21} You Scorpios are so flippin moody! Sniff some chi grass or something.

Sagittarius

{Nov 22-Dec 21} Worried about your grades? Make a teacher an offer they can’t refuse. Large sums of money usually work wonders.

Capricorn

{Dec. 22-Jan. 19} Feeling down lately? Buy a pillow pet. Everyone needs a friend.

Aquarius

{Jan 20-Feb 18} www.nigerianprinceinneed.com

Pisces

{Feb 19-March 20} Things aren’t what they seem. Trust no one.

Aries

{March 21-April 19} If you’ve ever felt the urge to pull a crazy, awesome, insane, amazing, ridiculous, dare-devil stunt, now is your time.

Taurus

{April 20-May 18} Sorry, but you just don’t have what it takes to pull a crazy, awesome, insane, amazing, ridiculous, daredevil stunt. I mean, we can’t all be Aries.

Gemini

{May 21-June 20} We like you guys. Eat a brownie, you deserve it.

Cancer

{June 21-July 22} Dress your dog in your clothing and send them to school. See if anyone notices the switch.

FEATURE September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

In the Halls Fall Fashion Trends by Emma Baxter City High students have swapped out short shorts and tank tops for fall attire. Matching canvas shoes with patterned tops seems to be the inclination. As seen above, blue Keds and the popular horizontal striped shirt match to perfection. Patterns are also popping up in the halls; returning is the ever popular plaid tunic. Comfortable cotton hoodies give off a casual, cool look. Rust and mustard yellow are reminiscent of the changing leaves and are popular colors this fall. From leather to suede, knee high to ankle, boots are always a smart choice. Cozy knit sweaters paired with leggings and boots is a never fail look.

Doubletruck

September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

A Third High School?

Board Takes New Direction

With the issues of overcrowding at West High and under-utilization at City High coming to a climax, the district and new school board are looking at different solutions. Is building a third high school an inevitability, or are there other options worth pursuing for the future of Iowa City schools? by Max Friedman

“I’m very excited for the new students from Hills,” Bacon said. “But we need to continue to look for ways to fill our capacity.” Even with This fall, Iowa City West High School reported having 1,915 students, which exceeds the the new students from Hills, City High is still under it’s possible capacity. school’s capacity by 115. By a striking contrast, “I believe that we can hold 1700 students, City High currently has about 1400 students, with a capacity close to 1700. With several new and that’s not including the addition of 16 new School Board members, different approaches to classrooms,” Bacon said. “Our classrooms are also not used all periods of the day.” this problem are being proposed, including the While Principal Bacon believes that buildpossibility of building a Third High school in ing a third high school would be a step in Iowa City. However, not all are in favor of this proposal. the wrong direction, he does think that some boundary-line changes be made. “I have a strong belief that our city should “Shifting some students over from West to use the existing capacity,” City High Principal City seems to make John Bacon said. “It’s the more sense,” Bacon most efficient use of our said. “It’s free and resources.” Principal Bacon it would provide a believes in the utilization greater balance of approach, meaning that the enrollment between district should use available the two schools.” space within the schools. Murley agrees, yet Following this plan, some stresses the inevitastudents will be shifted from bility of a third high West to City after boundary school. line changes. Superintendent “We have enough of Schools Steve Murley seats currently, but agrees with Bacon, but sees it the students are not as a temporary fix. balanced,” Murley “It’s certainly in considsaid. “Shifting eration,” Murley said. “But -Principal John Bacon some students over It just won’t be enough in from West to City the long run.” The Iowa City is a possibility for the short term. But with the School Board has been dealing with this issue growing number of students, we can clearly see for some time, and has agreed on the need for that we will need a third high school.” an additional high school. With recent budget problems in the district, In May of 2010, the School Board voted 7-0 the money to build and staff a new high school in favor of a proposal to build a third High appears to be a problem. In April of this year, school, instead of adding to either of the two the School Board proposed a plan to terminate existing schools. More recently, the school board voted to send kids from Hills Elementary 22 teacher positions in the district, but the plan to South East Junior High, which feeds into City failed after much protest. “My concern is that a third high school High.

I have a strong belief that our city should use the existing capacity. It’s the most efficient use of our resouces.”

would stretch limited resources too thin,” Bacon said. “The school district is looking for places to cut, so starting and operating an additional high school does not seem to the most efficient method.” Murley sheds some light on the monetary aspect of the this operation. “The money is set aside already to build it,” Murley said. “The details as far as staffing and operating it are yet to be decided upon.” These two approaches are the main methods of solving the problem of over-crowding and under-utilization, but a few other options have also been presented. Kirkwood Community College has recently passed a referendum to build an Educational Center on the Oakdale Campus in Coralville, Iowa. This center will offer special and advanced classes for college and K-12 students. “This would help with the overcrowding issue as some of the students could be at this facility for part of their day,” Murley said. Another option lies in the Elizabeth Tate alternative high school in Iowa City. “[Tate High school] is under capacity, and we could teach some students at that facility too,” Murley said. While these other options are present, the shifting of boundaries seems to be easiest and most efficient way of alleviating the unhealthy enrollment balance between the schools. Principal Bacon sympathizes with students that would be affected if the boundaries were to be changed. “Change is very difficult,” Bacon said. “However growing communities need boundary changes, and students are very resilient.” Whether in the short term or over time, boundary shifts are a topic for discussion in the community. “City High is very excited to welcome more students,” Bacon said. “And hopefully better utilize our capacity.”

New School Board members Marla Swesey, Jeff McGinness, Sally Hoelscher, and Karla Cook and incumbent President Patti Fields join the staff. by Cassie Wassink

City High Iowa River

The Future of Our Schools

West High

*image not drawn to scale graphic by EMMA GIER

“I want to make sure everyone knows what’s going on and what’s happening.” Cook said. For McGinnes, the desire to improve commuWhen election time rolls around, it carries nications required first improving relationships with it a stir of excitement. The air is filled with among board members themselves. a sense of new potential waiting to be unleashed. “Over the last few years, we’ve had comWith four new members and one incumbent, munication, but not quality communication.” the Iowa City School Board is heading in a new McGinnes said. “I want to improve the quality as direction. well as the nature of that communication.” New board members Marla Swesey, Jeff McGinnes also hopes to continue the work McGinnes, Sally Hoelscher, Karla Cook, and that City High Principal John Bacon has begun in incumbent Patti Fields all joined the board with spreading a positive message about City High and specific goals that they hope to impact over the the IC schools. According to McGinnes, Bacon next four years. accomplished a shift in the outlook of City High. Swesey, who has taught in the ICCSD for 26 “John Bacon focuses a lot on the positive.” years, described a strong desire to impact local McGinnes said. “I want us to do that as a dispublic education. trict.” McGinnes listed the district’s ACT scores, “I retired three years ago and decided that this national merit semiis the time to make a difference for finalists and successful students in Iowa City.” Swesey said. journalism programs Specifically, Swesey hopes to shift as some examples of a the attention of the school board thriving district. to make sure that they are focus“I want people to ing directly on helping students in understand that we classrooms, and making that their [IC schools] have great first goal. things going for us.” According to several members McGinnes said. of the board, communication in Swesey, too, exthe past has often led to mistrust pressed a desire to see and criticism from the surroundCity High utilized to its ing community. New school board full potential. “I want to members hope to improve the relautilize City High for the tionships between the community -Jeff McGinness, new purpose of educating and the school board. kids in a high quality member of the school Cook, who is replacing departed spot.” Swesey said. Mike Cooper, and will only serve a board. A recurring aspect two-year term, articulated this goal, of quality education, emphasizing a desire to promote of course, is funding. Over the past year, zero transparency in the Board. percent of allowable growth was passed by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad. One job of the school board is to decide how and when to cut into the built in five percent reserve fund. “We need to maintain our quality education here, as we get into that economic hardship.” Swesey said. McGinnes described his determination to circumvent obstacles presented by a lack of funding. This is where he hoped to channel some of the creative thinkers in the community and utilize their innovative ideas and brainstorming to determine creative budgeting options. “We are trying to effectively do more with less.” McGinnes said. Sarah Swisher, member of the School Board since 2009, described her excitement for the upcoming changes. “I’ve enjoyed the last 2 years,” Swisher said. “But I’ve often had differences of opinion. Now we will have new ideas, maybe something completely different. This is a time of change for the district.”

I want people to understand that we, the Iowa City schools, have great things going for us.

New board members attend orientation at the CAO building on Wednesday, Sept. 21. FAR LEFT (left to right): Marla Swesey, Tuyet Dorau, Jeff McGinness MIDDLE (left to right): Tuyet Dorau, Pattie Fields FAR RIGHT (left to right): Marla Swesey, Sally Hoelscher, Tuyet Dorau, Karla Cook photos by RENATA STEWART

FEATURE September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

City High’s Bravest Families Two families near and dear to City High tell first hand what it’s like to be a part of a military family, and the struggles they go through every day.

The Hollander Family

n May of 2010, there were 94,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan; one of those troops was the father of City High’s own Ana Hollander ’12. “Sometimes I would forget he was gone, I’d be watching his favorite movie or something and turn to comment to him,” Hollander said, “But he wouldn’t be there.” Ana’s father, Will Hollander, was missing from their home for over a year with the combination of training in Georgia and his tour of duty in Afghanistan. “At that point [when he left] it wasn’t really going to be much different because he had already been gone for almost a year,” Ana said. “It was the fact that he would be in a lot more violent situation that made me more worried.” At times, Ana’s father’s deployment was trying. “During that year my mom would always sort of lean on me and if she had a rough day she would come to me,” Ana said. “Or if she were crying she would come to me for comfort. That was really

by Lily Howard hard because I didn’t have anyone to go to for that.” In mid April a suicide bomber made an attack on Will Hollander’s base. “During the situation with the suicide bomber we had no contact with him for a week; that was on my birthday.” Ana said. “Like sweet sixteen, yay.” “You never want to think of your family using their imagination to wonder what’s happening to you” Will Hollander said. His family hadn’t been notified of any attack when they received a call from another soldier’s family in Cedar Rapids asking if they knew if Will was all right. “That really wasn’t the best way to find out,” Sara Hollander said. Will Hollander was not allowed to communicate with his family in any way until the family members of the soldiers killed and wounded had been notified. An entire week was spent wondering whether he was even alive. Such traumatic experiences are experienced by troops serving in

wartime situations that many times soldiers find it difficult to discuss what happened during their tour of duty. “I don’t think he minds talking about his time overseas,” Ana said “but we don’t talk about it a whole lot. I just wait for things to come up in conversation naturally. It’s a lot more interesting that way.” “It was such an adventure over there [in Afghanistan].” Will Hollander said. “Working with the Afghanis was a great experience, but it was great to come home and see the family.” Will Hollander returned to his family and friends on the 30th of July and now he’s home for good. “I’m done now; I don’t have to go back.” Will Hollander said he easily slipped back into normal life and he looks forward to this year back in Iowa City. “Having him home is great,” Ana said. “It’s hard to appreciate the people you love, until you try to make witty movie quotes and they aren’t there to laugh at you.”

Ana Hollander looks up at the American Flag in front of City High. photo by LILY HOWARD

The Keisler Family

photo courtesy of ANN CROKER

Jenny Croker Keisler and her husband Chris Keisler pose for a photo. This currently sits atop Ann Croker’s desk.

ositioned on a desk in the City High main office is a picture of a couple clad in uniform, serving for their country. In the fall of 2009, secretary to Principal John Bacon, Ann Croker’s daughter and son in law were sent to Iraq. “She needed to do her time.” Croker said “She knew quite ahead that she was going with her fiance.” A difficult part of parenthood is saying goodbye and sending your child off to find their place in the world. Although many miles away, Croker remained hopeful about her daughter’s experience. “I knew she would be taken care of.” Croker said. “My family had to be brave and accept the fact that she was going.” Jenny Croker Keisler and her husband Chris Keisler are both trained Gunnery Sergeants in the Marine Corps. “She had a very good indoctrination.” Croker said “ She actually had a lot of luxury for being over

by Alex Perez there.” For the most part Croker Keisler was safe on the base and way from the battlefield. “There were times when I got scared when she left the base.” Croker said. “But I was not going to sit around and worry.” For Keisler it was quite the opposite. He was constantly in battle, protecting his country. “He was really in the trenches,” Croker said. “He’s a grunt as they call him.” Since 2003 there have been almost 5,000 U.S. Troop casualties. Unfortunately Keisler’s best friend is included in those statistics. “He doesn’t like to talk about it,” Croker said. “He was there when he died and he says he feels like it should have been him. One minute they were standing there talking and when he walked away suddenly his friend was gone.” With family fighting overseas, communication was a key element in the Croker family.

“She tried to call every Sunday and emailed at least once a week,” Croker said. “She usually had no idea what day of the week it was. I told myself anything that can happen over there can happen here too,” Croker said. “You just have to be prepared for anything.” Since then Croker Keiser has safely returned and now presents flags to families of soldiers who have passed. “Presenting the flag scared her,” Croker said. “She did not want to present a flag in the morning and then receive one in the evening.” Croker Keisler awaits the return of her husband who is issued to return in November. “When he gets back it’ll be great,” Croker said. “They can resume their life together.” Overall it’s been a difficult journey, but in the end it was worth it. “That’s why you have children,” Croker said. “So you can raise them on a good foundation, then let them go and be free.”

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

FEATURE September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

From all over the world, lucky students are chosen to come to America. This year City High is fortunate enough to have six students that get to share experiences with typical American teenagers.

12 34 5 6 Interviews by Emma Baxter

Laura Koch Marklohe, Germany

Q. Why did you decide to do the pro-

Nicole Ehlers Bargleheide, Germany

Q. Why did you decide to do the program?

A. I wanted to stay in America for 1 year.

I was here for vacation last year and I went to California. I really liked it.

Q. What do you think of City? A. It’s different; back home I have 13

classes a week. Here I only have 5 classes.

Q. What do you think is weird about America?

A. Fast food! It’s gross, and that you don’t

listen to foreign music. In Germany we listen to all kinds, from Swedish to Spanish.

Q. What’s your favorite food? A. I can tell you the best fast food? Q. What is that? A. The Wendy’s spicy chicken salad!

gram? A. I wanted to explore the different language and ways of life. Q. What is different about our school? A. We can’t choose classes, and we don’t have team sports. So I’m very excited to do cross country and soccer. Q. Are you homesick? A. I thought it would be easy to leave my family, but it’s getting harder. I’m happy to be here though. Q. What are you excited for? A. I’m here with a rotary club, and at the end of this we’re going on a big USA trip to major cities in America!

Linnea Gustafsson Aysun Zeynalova Jönköping, Sweden

Q. Why did you decide to do the program?

A. I’ve always wanted to go to America

and it’s a great opportunity to learn English.

Q. What do you think of City? A. The school spirit is cool. My school is more like college, we also don’t have school sports.

Q. Are you doing any sports? A. I’m in cross country, it’s hard! I frequently rode horses in Sweden

Q. What is your favorite food? A. In America, pancakes! In Sweden,

Gence, Azerbaijan

Q. Why did you decide to do the pro-

Q. Why did you decide to do the program?

A.There are many things that Europeans think about America, I wanted to see if it was true. I also wanted to meet new people. Live the dream!

Q. How is City High different? A. It’s the school that leads! Everything, classes, teachers, sports.

Q. What’s the most exciting thing you’ve been to?

A. I went to my first football game. It was really cool!

Q. What do you do in your free time back home? A. In the winter I like to ski, and go to clubs with my friends.

Lena Jamar Theux, Belgium

Q. Why did you decide to do the program?

of my 94 dreams and it’s very close to me.

another culture. I’ve been to America three times; to New York, Florida, and Los Angles.

A. I love America very much. This is one Q. What program are you with? A. FLEX. I feel very lucky because 6,000 students applied but only 30 got chosen.

Q. How is City different from school in

Azerbaijan?

A. The connection between students and teachers is like friends. Back home it is much more disciplined and strict.

Q. What is strange about America? A. The freedom. People aren’t shocked

you bring?

and think it’s strange when you do some-

the whole year.

things.

A. More clothes! I didn’t bring enough for

Grieskirchen, Austria

gram?

broccoli and mushroom pie

Q. If you could pack again, what would

Victoria Wieczorek

thing weird. You don’t have to care about

A. To improve my English and discover

Q. What do you think about City? A. It’s like a big family. Everybody knows everybody.

Q. What are your favorite foods? A. Here, I love hamburgers! In Belgium, I love pasta.

Q. What do you like to do in your free time?

A. I like to read books, meet with friends, and shop. I love H&M.

Q. What are you excited for? A. Everything! It’s all exciting here.

Opinion

September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Edited by Sonora Taffa & Kieran Green

overcrowding What do you think should C

Sonora Taffa

ity High is 300 kids under capacity. In 1997 City had 200 more Little Hawks in it’s halls, and that was without the two extra wings that have been added to the school. Meanwhile, the growing populations in North Liberty and Coralville have actually overcrowded West High. Right off, I’m going to make this clear: I’m sick of the rivalry between West and City. Yes, some good competition always makes life more interesting, but in the end City and West are both superior schools. So what’s the point of always criticizing and comparing the two? Let’s just all give it a break and take the time to realize that students are offered exemplary educations no matter what side of the river they live on. However, if the number of students continue to grow unequally, that healthy competition is going to go down the drain. A larger talent pool at either school would mean a higher chance of success and diversity in all areas. If City has less students to work with, then obviously it’s going to become harder and harder to compete. So the question is, how do we fix this? There seem to be three options the school board is considering at the moment. We can either create a third high school, add on to West, or redraw boundary lines so that more students will come to City. I would be very surprised if the school board decided to add classrooms to West. That’s an extremely short sighted solution to the problem. What will happen once the communities and populations continue to expand on the West side of the river? More money will have to be spent adding on to an already over crowded school. It just doesn’t make sense economically. On the other hand, planning to build a third high school seems too long term. Every year the school board is putting 3 million dollars of the local option sales tax money into a fund, saving up for this possibility. Building a third high school would cost 60 to 70 million dollars however. After 10 years we’ll only have 30 million dollars put away, and who knows when a third school will even be necessary? I feel like that money could be better used improving the schools that we already have. The possibilities are endless when you think about them. My Spanish class could really use some new textbooks (they’re somehow supposed to last another ten years), the lunchroom

could actually go green, or the girl’s soccer team could start to practice on a real field. Right now I’d call it a sparsely vegetated dust basin. Not to mention that just a few weeks ago the heat index forced us to let schools out early. High school students should be able to ignore a bit (okay, maybe a lot) of heat, and concentrate on their school work. But I just wish elementary schools like Longfellow, Lemme, and Hoover could have had air conditioning that day. Those 30 million dollars could be spent paying for that! My six year old little sister came home from Longfellow excited and dehydrated saying, “It was so hot! I just wanted to jump in a swimming pool!” Yeah, me too. So in my mind, the only option that makes sense right now is re-drawing the boundary lines. The redistricting that took place a year ago has had some success. The first wave of Hills students who would have previously gone to West will be arriving at City next year. Lincoln students were also supposed to switch, but that movement has been delayed by at least a year and I think we all know why. Parents made complaints. To this I say: OH PLEASE! Really, I don’t think we’re that bad over here on the East side. Our locker rooms stink pretty bad, but we don’t! Well... mostly. But seriously, all jokes aside, I just wish that our community would start to give City some hard earned credit. Just last year we tied for our highest ACT average in the history of the school, with a score of 25.1. This is a full four points higher than the national average, proving City’s ability to compete with the best high schools in the state and nation. In the end, the school board can sit and ponder the solution to this problem all they want. But to me, it’s obvious. West has too many students, City has too little, so how about we get moving and redraw some boundary lines? Because if we ignore the issue any longer, nobody wins. West can’t continue to support so many students while City’s assets are left wasted and unused. This opinion column is my call to action, this needs to happen now! School board elections were just a few weeks ago, and I have hope that the new members will take this issue into consideration with a fair amount of urgency. And just one question to our friends (and possibly future classmates) on the West side: Why would you not want to come to a school where everyone actually has desks?

be done about the overcrowding situation at West High? 42.16% 32.84% 25%

Results out of 46 participants

Student Responses Build on to West High.

Redraw boundary lines to bring some west-siders to City High.

Build a third high school.

Pursuit of happiness

chool has begun. With it, commence the sleepless nights, studying furiously for tests that will determine your future, the bottomless sums of homework, over scheduled extracurriculars, and merciless teachers. Not to mention the raging hormones fogging the minds (and actions) of high school students everywhere. Okay, it might not be that bad, but for many the beginning of school is a troublesome hindrance to a long awaited oasis of freeing sunshine, more commonly known as summer. The sun may still be shining, but the days of summer 2011 are gone forever whether you like it or not. Despite my productive summer, with my employment at Pagliai’s, various volunteering

opportunities, and a church mission trip to Appalachia, I couldn’t help but feel as though my summer came to a screeching halt. This is not a new experience for me, and I’m sure it is the same for many. Although It’s improved over time, I have found myself battling this not-sosmooth transition for a number of years. This diagnosis encouraged me to dig deeper to find the real meaning behind my conflicted feelings towards school. I found that much of it can be traced back to my love for adventure and underlying appreciation for postmodernism. Ever since I was but a wee boy, I have enjoyed stories of venture and travel. The idea of foreign exploration and conquest was as exciting as anything. I liked pirates and explorers! What early elementary schoolboy

didn’t? Summer presented an opportunity for me to embrace my freedom and enjoy myself. However, these fantasies and daydreams never truly blossomed until I reached the age when I began to appreciate my education a little more, and absorbed the basics of U.S. History. I learned that America would not be what it is today if someone hadn’t had the guts to go out and be the first to do something everyone else thought was outrageously stupid! I began to connect what I learned in school to what was happening in my life, creating a link between what once were two separate worlds, making the switch from summer to school a little more bearable. Our founding fathers, in the single most important document of the history of the

Ethan Zierke

United States, stated something that resonates within me; “...they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...” I think freedom is the most important thing we have, and when all else fails, it’s everything we have. I believe a lot of this is lost in the shuffle of not only high school students, but any inescapable daily-life routine someone may stick themselves in. Take some time for you and don’t let high school determine what you are. Do what you love. Break some routines, be an exception to the rule, and pursue your happiness.

17 Thumbs

OPINION September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Give Me

Pottermore

t was 4:00 AM, August 2nd, on a quiet street. Suddenly, an alarm went off. I immediately sat straight up in bed and grabbed my iPod off my shelf. I impatiently hit the Safari button more times than necessary. There it was. The question. “In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, how many points is Gryffindor leading by when Harry catches the Snitch in the Gryffindor versus Slytherin game? Multiply this number by 35.” Luckily, I was prepared for this sort of thing. I grabbed my copy of said book and almost tore it to shreds in my quest to find the match in question. Aha! 60 points times 35 is... my iPod informed me that it is 2100. I’ll spare you the details. Suffice to say that eventually, after roughly sixteen tries on four different computers, my sister and I became one of one million to gain early entry to the elusive Pottermore website. Now, finally, I’m in. It took thirty-eight days to receive my welcome email, but I’m in. Pottermore is a new website based around the Harry Potter books. J K Rowling announced it over Youtube, but she didn’t really describe what it was about. She used words such as ‘experience’ and ‘like never before’, which told me nothing, but ensured that I would fight a Hungarian Horntail to get in. Turns out, that was an overreaction. All I had to do was click buttons. So to clear away all the confusion, Pottermore is, in the most basic terms, a chance to go inside the Harry Potter books and experience for yourself the most important parts. For example, you get to unlock the third-floor corridor and encounter my favorite three-headed canine, Fluffy. He’s beautifully drawn, simply animated, and altogether elegantly done. He’s even cuter than in the movie- all those razor-sharp fangs are just adorable! The rest of the art is just as fantastic. It’s very

New Beginnings Jerzday Fresh School Supplies Chalking the Walk Football Games Getting dropped off in a ‘71 Chevy She’s too young for you, bro Cartoons from the 90’s Bacon Socks Tailgaiting ‘90s Nick Greek Yogurt Jump on it illustration by LILY HOWARD

similar to the cover art of the American versions of the books. And exploring the books isn’t the half of it. There’s plenty of background information on characters as well. Have you ever wondered how the Dursleys met? About McGonagall’s childhood? Well, you will now! You can duel with other players; get your own wand at Ollivander’s (based on personality test); and get sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts. Keep in mind that Harry Potter is read by all ages. My parents started reading them with me

Being a

in kindergarten. So, to keep the kiddies safe, we rambunctious teenagers (and the rest of the world) don’t get to make up our own usernames. Instead, you are presented with four or five computer-generated usernames, and you pick one from those. I actually prefer those to the lame ones that I could’ve made up. They take two elements from the books and a number together to create your username- such as WolfsbaneNiffler75 (myself). That’s pretty cool, I think. It makes me think of a Were-Niffler,

a group of friends at around ten o’clock on a Saturday night. The drunks seemed to all have the same uncontrollable urge to put on a bizarre show. We saw severely unbalanced dancing, a fight break out, several crude words mouthed, and a 70 year old man find a ten dollar bill. Walking through the ped-mall I’ve seen women with beards longer than my ponytail, lounging around on park benches in what look suspiciously like 20 year old bathrobes. Parades of sorority girls in skirts so short and tight they would give my grandma heart palpitations. Some people may be shocked and perturbed by this collection of oddities shoved into a single square mile, but it brings

which would be awesome. I can’t wait for the rest of my Potterhead brethren to get in. Pottermore will be even better by the time that happy day rolls around. That day, by the way, is October 1st. So start your countdown! Pottermore is geeky, silly fun to obsess over, and I’m excited to compare notes on cauldron quality (is it really worth it to spring for a solid gold one?) with my fellows. Until then, I suppose I’ll just have to brag about my early entry.

Homework the first week of school Summer TV Google + Alarm Clocks

‘TOWNIE’

iving in a town that hosts one of the top five party schools in America is a situation that sparks a lot of opinions. What always surprises me is the amount of negativity usually used when viewing our position. Besides the obvious benefits of living in a college town (better restaurants, more outlets for the arts and great educational opportunities) there are quite a few other perks of residency. Sitting in the window of any downtown restaurant, you can see a variety of weirdos, cliches, old men, loose children and average Joe’s that could send any country bumpkin reeling. Just last spring I sat in the window of the downtown Pancheros with

Tess Wisdom

Mold

Lily Howard me endless entertainment. Where else would we find hilarious quotes from homeless people to post on our Facebooks? What else would we do when the bowling ally is closed for bowling league on Friday nights? When you have an open afternoon or the weather keeps the weirdos away, there are dozens of old, less frequented buildings scattered throughout the University campus. These buildings are full to the brim with musty, and occasionally quite interesting, artifacts. Think the Museum of Natural History is boring? Try straying a little beyond the beaten path. This summer I embarked on an expedition across downtown Iowa City searching for the

legendary tunnels that supposedly promise great adventure to those who care to venture into their dank depths. Through this futile adventure I learned that with the right group of friends, even structures as seemingly boring as the Study of Psychology building can be turned into an afternoon full of enterprise that could challenge the most audacious souls. Adventure and weirdos, that’s what makes living in Iowa City so great. Being a townie doesn’t make your life full of obnoxious detours due to the students, it makes life a bizarre and often exciting experience. Get out there, and instead of complaining about vomit puddles or slow pedestrians, go find some adventure.

School Pictures Jersey Drama Facebook Video Chat Self Tanning Deadlines Missing Deadlines Stalkers Blank inside a blank = “Blankception” “That’s so 2010 Weirdly specific shool supplies

18 WHY’S SHE FAMOUS AGAIN? OPINION September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

t was dubbed “The Celebrity Wedding of the Year.” Superstar Kim Kardashian and her beau, Kris Humphries, wed in a lavish ceremony in front of a starstudded crowd. But wait...who the heck IS Kim Kardashian? Come to think of it, why are half of today’s celebrities really famous? What have they done? Why should we care so dang much about them? Reality TV cultivates some of today’s most dramatic, vivid, and trivial characters. Everyone from The ‘Real’ Housewives to Bret Michaels seize our attention on a regular basis...but for what? We spend hours glued in front of a screen watching melodramatic 40-year old women acting like babbling pre-teens, and trashy middle-aged exrockers pursuing young, even trashier women. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a good, healthy dose of reality TV once in a while just like the rest of us...but what really counts as a healthy dose? When does pure fun turn into fixation? A casual, one-hour session all in good humor doesn’t make you an immoral person. However, if you’re stuck in front of the TV set six hours a day flipping between MTV and VH1, what does this say about what your sponge-

like brain is absorbing? Probably nothing too virtuous. Not only has the the boom of reality TV contributed to our culture’s obession with the famous, but it has had serious implications. According to recent medical news, since 2000 (when this boom in reality shows started), eating disorders in girls ages 13-19 have nearly tripled. Young girls are being brainwashed into thinking that they are watching women with the ‘ideal figure’. They will do anything to achieve this, and go to extremes to attain the bodies they see. As annoying as it is when your mom comes into the room saying “Stop watching that garbage, it’s killing your brain cells”, is there a grain of truth to that? I know, I know, there’s no way we could admit that those nagging, carping parents of ours are ever right...but maybe deep down inside we know that what we’re watching is just plain trash, and that we may have come to rely on it too much as our source of entertainment. So, instead of obsessing over camera-hogging Kim K’s wedding details... turn on the the Discovery Channel! Or the ever-informative History Channel! Or better yet, turn off the TV and read a good old-fashioned book.

illustration by LILY HOWARD

3d movies don’t “pop out”

h...3D movies. I liked them at first. I mean, really, who didn’t like them? Stuff flew out of the screen at alarming rates, from blood to giant blue aliens. Alas, that was 3 years ago. Now, we have drivel like “Spy Kids” in 4D (Aromascope!) or “Conan the Barbarian 3D” with a hulking ex-Baywatch star spastically slashing his sword across the silver screen just to give us that “oooh” effect. But the thing is, that effect isn’t working for me. At least not anymore. It’s this thing in Hollywood. They re-discover old fads and boom them through the mainstream in hopes of cashing in. Not to mention those darn ticket prices! I have paid the 3D ticket price of doom. It’s awful. And the thing about the 3D effect fizzing out? Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. Ever since Hollywood found out this 3D thing was gaining traction, they started putting less effort into it and introduced the “post conversion” process. This is

when the movie is NOT filmed in 3D, but rather converted in the editing room. This leads to really, and I mean really, dark screens and extremely choppy effects. Also, I should take note that people aren’t really respecting the original result of 3D effects, which is to make stuff pop out at you. At least half of the 3D movies skip these effects completely in favor of what I like to call an extra “layer” of screen as opposed to a third dimension. Case in point: “Toy Story 3”. A lot of directors have explained that 3D isn’t supposed to pop out at you, but rather be used to extend the framing of the screen so you feel immersed in the experience. That would be acceptable, Mr. Cameron. Only the fact is it doesn’t work. What’s supposed to immerse you is the story, not the effects. Unless of course there was a certain movie made for 3D effects, such as “Final Destination 5”. But even those movies feel old because the effects can only be original for so long.

I’m tired, man. I don’t want to pay $12.50 to see another 3D movie with either a) a horrible post converted 3D or b)un-original gimmicks. I could easily spend this money on something else, like a rat at Petland or a copy of “Space Jam” on Blu-ray. And yes, that movie is on Blu-ray. So what’s going to happen now? Are we going to keep paying our assumedly hard earned money on 3D until our economy spirals into a depression? I don’t think so. This past week three 3D movies premiered in cinemas and despite the inflated price of the tickets, none of them managed to secure the number one spot. Although I must say, “The Help” is a fine movie. Call me crazy, but maybe there are people out there who (gasp) agree with me! Wouldn’t that be something? We’ll see next week, when “Pirates of the Carribbean and the Deathly Hallows Part 6” hits theaters in jaw dropping, eye popping 3D.

Dig In to high school

o many of us, high school is seen as something of an imposition. Sometimes it just cramps our style. We are impatient to progress through high school and reach what ever it is that is waiting on the other side. This philosophy, however, is a recipe for missed opportunities and wasted time. High school is a stepping stone. It is a link between childhood and that dreaded world that doesn’t go away no matter how much we ignore it. You know. Real life. As a stepping stone, however, high

school can still provide us with some of the most shaping, meaningful experiences of our lives. Here are a few examples of what high school could be. High school could be my freshman English project. My task was to create a newspaper, publishable in To Kill a Mockingbird context. As my first experience of journalistic writing, I wrote and rewrote, striving to capture the elusive journalistic tone, which I had been previously unfamiliar with. I took that assignment seriously. I planned. I organized. I worked hard. And when I

Ren Stewart

handed the project in, I smiled. I was proud. It’s not that I was excited about every project I ever did. But I found the ones that I cared about and I put real time and effort and thought into them. I persisted despite inevitable stress and anxiety. I worked hard to create something that I was proud of. So I encourage you, find that one project that you care about. Find that research topic that you are passionate about, and then really go for it. Research and do more research. Write and rewrite. And when you turn that

Nat Alder

illustration by LILY HOWARD

Cassie Wassink project in, be proud. Another aspect of digging into high school is enjoying the quirks. We are privileged to have each specific teacher that we have at City High, and it is each of those teachers that make our classes special and unique. Mr. Koepnick tells stories like no other. Sixth period of every day last year was made fresh and interesting by the stories that Mr. Koepnick used to introduce our activities. Not only were they great stories, but by the end of that year, I knew Mr. Koepnick through his stories.

OPINION September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Hemorrhaging Hegemony

For nearly a century, American leadership has defined and shaped a generation of world citizens. Now, the US foreign policy stands at a crossroads with dire consequences for both our nation and the world.

or the past five decades or so, the term “isolationism” has become something of a dirty word within the foreign policy community. A combination of entrenched commercial interests, somewhat misplaced ideology, and complacency have worked to ensure that, for better or for worse, America has maintained its dominance over the world. Admittedly, the influence that the United States has exerted has been, by and large, positive. Despite the (largely deserved) criticism of America’s foreign policy, we’ve managed to avert great power wars for the past sixty years, due largely in part to the occasional instance of inspired diplomacy, as well as a willingness by the US to maintain stability in volatile parts of the globe. However, a changing world environment, in addition to a stagnating economy, is raising questions about both the sustainability and necessity of US’s ability to influence other nation. There are some who would claim that it is time for America to cede its global capacities for the purpose of focusing more on the domestic issues. The staff of The Little Hawk, however, feel that, despite its drawbacks, American hegemony should continue to define the world for the coming century, albeit with some changes in the way that we exercise our power. In the past, America, was able to coast along as the de facto leader of the Western world following the Second World War. Since America con trolled the vast majority of the means of production, it was able to create for itself a robust industrial economy, which had several major effects. First, it entailed a spread of American culture across the globe (as countries bought American goods and sought to emulate the American way of life). Second, it enabled the US to keep a large standing army, and using it to intervene in conflicts and potential conflicts across the globe, in the name of the “greater good” of the American populace and the world. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this preeminence was used to create a sort of “global community,” breaking down the regional and ideological blocs that had up until then defined international politics in favor of the attempted integration of (quite literally), every sovereign nation into the liberal capitalist fold. Free trade agreements, the expansion of strategic alliances, and a lack of any genuine rivals fostered a culture of interdependence. All of this was done under the watchful eye of the the US, which aided in the spread of uninhibited trade and used it’s military prowess to either stop regional violence outright (such as during the Gulf War), or backed UN peacekeeping missions with the same intent. For a while, it seemed as if the Pax Americana would last forever, but it was not to be. Not twenty years after analysts had all but ruled out a decline of the United States’ “new world order” we find ourselves in a mire of instability, and US preeminence seems anything but certain. The causes of hegemonic decline are numerous and complicated. Most global ana-

cartoon by Juliette Enloe

lysts are saying that we are experiencing a foreign policy are by far preferable to the shift to a more “normal” version of how in- alternative, which at this point would apternational community functions, and that pear to be an utter vacuum of power, with the US is essentially be coming off a “high” no real replacements ready to step in. There generated by the Second World War. This is simply no other entity that is even close problem was exaserbated by the intertwin- to being able to holding together a fraging of the political and economic aims of menting world community and arbitrating the United States, which led to the involve- the various spats and disputes between nament of America in tions. Without the numerous lengthy US’s guiding hand, and oftentimes the world would, in questionably legal all likelihood, disforeign adventures, solve into a maelwhich reduced strom of regional Americas internadisputes with disastional standing to trous consequences the point where we for human civilizacould not influence tion. Do you think that the US other nations withThough as great out the use of excesas American hegeshould continue to exercise sive cajoling or overt mony is, it is unglobal leadership? coercion simply no sustainable in its longer exists. current form. We Needless to say, are confronted by this is disappointa paradox. On the YES: ing because, as one hand, continued stated before, the US leadership is esNO: intents (if not the sential to creating a outcomes) of most verdant and peaceof America’s current ful world, but on the

EDITORIAL VOTE

4 1

other, that peace and stability cannot exist in the status quo. There are, however a couple solutions that the staff of the Little Hawk feels should be enacted. The first part of the solution would be to get the global economy on track, and this doesn’t just mean solving the current financial crisis. We need a radical shift to come about in the way that the economy itself functions. We could do this by first straightening out the inconsistencies and double standards that define economics at the international level, as well as bridging the divide between the “first-world” and developing nations. That would mean forcing industrialized nations to abide by the rules of the free trade agreements that they themselves had laid out, as well as a cease to the interference in other countries’ domestic affairs for the sake of the “greater good.” There are other contributing factors, but a fix would essentially boil down to separating out the political and economic aspects of our economy, and making sure that they, in no way, interfere with each other. After resolving international affairs, the US needs to resolve the internal inconsistencies within our own economy. That would mean making an effort to increase actual wages (which have completely stagnated since the 70’s) and shift away from an economy contingent on the success financial sector, back to an economy based primarily on production. This would need to be accompanied by internal political reform, which would put an end to the incentives for sacrificing long term stability for short term gain that have been built into our political system; this would entail things like stricter term limits for congresspeople, reducing and dispersing the powers of the executive branch, as well as much more strict campaign finance reform. These two overarching areas of reform would address many of the root causes of failure, and all other reforms and “fixes” to the system as it stands would stem from there. But what can ordinary Americans do to solve these problems? The answer lies within the question. Ordinary Americans need to cease to be “ordinary,” and instead become extraordinary. The American populace needs to, in the words of Howard Beale, “get mad.” We need to do away with the apathy that has for too long defined politics. This would mean actually holding government officials personally accountable for failiure, instead of blaming all of our problems on a faulty system, and it would also mean holding ourselves responsible by educating ourselves about current and past events, and the affect that they have on the way we live our lives today. More importantly, we need to act upon the knowledge that we gain. We need people of every political persuasion in the streets telling elected officials that yes, we are “mad as hell,” and we’re not going to stand for this short sighted governance anymore. That we’re tired of sacrificing our children’s well being for the sake of politics and we simply “are not going to take it anymore.” Then, and only then, will we begin to see real change occur.

September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Sports

Tegan Harty ‘14 takes a breath while swimming breast stoke in the 200 IM in a meet against the women of Troy.

Edited by Sarah Lange

photo by SARAH LANGE

Records Set at Peak of Season Coach Sanchez is pushing the girls to swim faster and faster each week. Pushing towards the goal of making the state meet with clear minds and improving turns with tempo. by Sarah Lange Girls’ swimming is diving head first into competition and hoping to make a big splash on the scoreboard this season. Although girls swimming had some tough losses in the beginning of the season, all girls are making mass improvements. “The girls have been swimming faster week after week,

despite the freshness of the team,” Coach Sanchez said. Among the handful of Little Hawk swimmers is freshman, Elizabeth Brown, who just started swimming this season. With breaking her personal time of 1:18:02 in the 100-breast stroke event, against West High. With plenty of records being set, it’s necessary for the City High swim team to bring their A-game.

2011 Meet Schedule Date

Time/Opponent

Location

“Making it to state, it’s really hard, cause only the top 24 make it so you have to be on your game.” Ava Vargason ‘13 said. With state right around the corner, each individual swimmer is expected to push themselves to the limit. Training is important, especially during peak season, when the swimmers are doing their best to put an impression on the scoreboard. Ways of practice include sprints, builds and distance workouts. Swimmers also use medicine balls as a strengthening tool. To top it all off, the swimmers wake up at 5:30 every morning to get a practice in. The team also has a practice in the afternoon from four to seven to insure full training time. As the scouts look out for senior Jindalae Suh, they are impressed with not only her backstroke, but also her stunning performance in diving . This year Suh feels that the team has better chemistry then previous years. “ I love the way the team bonded like a family,” Suh said. “because we spend so much time together in and out of the pool we learn to push each other in ways that will help us enjoy the sport for its full potential” Besides swimming about 9,000 yards a day, each team member has several methods to prepare themselves for personal success. “I completely clear my mind before a race, I want to think about one thing I want to do in that race.” Vargason said. “I think about improving my turns or tempo. If you think about perfection in the race, you won’t be able to focus on much.”

photo by SARAH LANGE

Randi Pitzen ‘13 gathers in a huddle with her fellow lane member to have a little pep talk prior to race.

SPORTS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Tailgating Takeover

Charcoal grills, lawn chairs, food, friends, and fun. Tailgating has begun. Every Friday night students gather for pre-game festivities, and get pumped up to support the Little Hawks. Red and white fill the hallways as Friday football rolls around. With school ending supplies fly out the back of cars as tailgating begins. You may have seen a couple dozen students in the jock lot with music blaring, lawn chairs and the smell of food in the air. Preparation doesn’t just come from the players and the coaches, but rather the dedicated fans at the school that leads. Matching the theme, Dakota Ketelsen ’13 paints his whole face to show his city high pride. With each football game, a mysterious theme is placed among the student section. From tiedye to glow-in-the-dark socks, wild variations flood the stands. Nothing is set in stone but some possibilities for themes might include Pink-Out for breast cancer, Pajama Night and Hick/Lumberjack. Tailgating being the city tradition, it helps bring people together in the same parking lot for one reason, to get pumped up for an upcoming football match-up. “When I came in as a freshman, my mom dropped me off at the game and I saw just a few guys tailgating.” Jake Binggeli ‘12 said. “I knew it had to be bigger. So ever since sophomore year, we’ve been tailgating, home and away.” Making tailgating what it is today did not just happen overnight. “In 2009 tailgating only happened once, and last year it happened almost every game. This year we are trying to get the crowds as big as they were last year. We also want to take down the stereotypical drinking before a game,” Sam Fosse ‘12 said. Not only do you need food, chairs and grill, but rather what makes tailgating so special is the people that attend. With full stomachs and warm hearts, the tailgating team use body paint to portray each weeks theme. With paint sprawled all over student’s back and stomach, a sea of tailgaters enters into the sweet gates of Bates Field for an anticipated Little Hawk football victory.

photo by DELLA NUNO

by Sarah Lange

Golf Put Putting Their Best Foot Forward by Jon Myers

photo by DELLA NUNO

Ainsley Cooper ‘12 decorates herself with glitter to show her sparkly spirit for the football game.

Golfers last year made it to state, but that was not enough for senior Ryan Duncan. “I want my last City High golf season to be the best that it can. Not only do I want to make it to state, but personally I want to enjoy it while it lasts.” Duncan said. Losing four seniors this season including Jack Kregel, Colin Berry, Ryan Maske, and Griffin Hassler the team has practices each day to help insure a victory, against competitors Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Cedar Falls. During each practice, technique and style is critiqued by Coach Jerry. “Losing the seniors from last year was tough, but Coach Jerry has been pushing us to make up for them,” Coale Cooper ‘12 Said. With a current rank of 11th in state, captains Grant Simpson ‘13 and Ryan Duncan ‘12 prepare the team for future meet including this Thursday September 27th against Linnmar, Prairie and Jefferson. As state approaches the team’s goal is to place in the top ten. Having the State tournament at home this year will hopefully give the boys an advantage above the other teams. City High needs fans cheering on the determined golfers, which tee up on October 4th for the district tournament and state hosted at Finkbine.

Brian Mitchell Strikes in as City High’s New Baseball by Ethan Zierke

photos by DELLA NUNO and JON MEYERS

LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER: Dakota Ketelsen ‘13 paints his face for the City vs. West MIDDLE LEFT: Students enjoy pre-game festivities. TOP LEFT: Silas Berkson ‘14, Coale Cooper ‘12, and Sam Fosse ‘12 dress up for the game. MIDDLE: Aaron McDonough ‘12, Jake Binggeli ‘12, Tristan Spears ‘12, Sam Fosse ‘12, Silas Berkson ’14, and Nathan Chalkley. ABOVE: Cassidy Bergeon spray paints shirts for the USA themed game.

Brian Mitchell has recently been chosen to lead the Little Hawks as the new baseball coach here at City High. Mitchell is an Iowa City local, growing up here, attending Lemme Elementary, graduating from City High, and then going on to play in the minors for Toronto and Minnesota. “Whenever a coaching position is available, the position is posted and open for a set period of time,” said Deanne Kroemer. “Then we review all of the applicants and develop a list of interviewees.” Selection comittees are then in charge of selecting the coach using a variety of interview factors. Mitchell stood out amongst the other applicants and is anticipated to be a vital part of the athletic program. “He has great knowledge of baseball and a passion for working with students,” said Kroemer. “He is a true teacher of the game.”

SPORTS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

On The Line

Ninety-eight percent of cross country runners have marked up personal bests this fall. by Ellen Kealey

Six weeks into the season, the boys and girls cross-country team are striving towards number one. In preparation, the team runs every day after school and Saturday mornings at 8a.m. “Practices are fun and very smooth,” Andrew Gomez, ‘12 said. “We do most things together which is really beneficial to our bonding as a team. Everyone really encourages one another, so we all push each other to improve.” The girls’ head coach, Tom Mittman and the boys’ head coach, Jayme Skay are known for focusing on team unity and the improvements of every runner. Everyone counts. “Coach Mittman made me want to join,” Captain Izzy Scoblic ‘12 said. “He came up to me after my 800 race in junior high and told me to join.” With five meets down, and seven to go, the teams have time to train for the state meet. “I am most excited about state,” Scoblic said. “We have really great potential this year.” Last year at the state meet, the girls’ team scored second place and the boys scored ninth overall. “One of our team goals is to place better than we did at state last year,”

Gomez said. “We also want to maintain the traditions of the past.” Making a comeback from the Spartan Invitational at Pleasant Valley, the girls’ and boys’ Junior Varsity teams took first place at the Cedar Rapids Invitational. “JV has been dominating some meets lately,” Gomez said. “We have performed very well and all three teams have been improving.” At the Hawkeye Invitational, on September 15th, 60 girls and 48 boys ran their best times of the year. The girls varsity and junior varsity teams also came in at first place. “Our biggest accomplishment so far was when 98% of the team had seasons bests or set a personal record,” Scoblic said. “My goal for this year is to beat my personal record of 17 minutes.” Their biggest competition is Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines. “They are crazy good,” Scoblic said. “They have a lot of girls on their team.” Between the Freshman-Sophmore, Junior Varsity and Varsity teams, the girls have 70 runners and the boys have 59, making it one of the largest sports teams at City. “Our biggest team strength is team unity,” Scoblic said. “The entire team of 70 girls is like a gigantic supportive family. I love running and I love my team.”

photos by NORA HOLMAN

TOP: Daniela Perret ‘14 prepares herself to run a tough meet

FAR LEFT: Mohamed Traore ‘13 and Ian Nessler ‘12 fight to the finish line LEFT: Terra Perez ‘13 hugs Lindsay Bruns ‘13 of West Branch after a successful meet BELOW RIGHT: Meg Richardson ‘12 BELOW LEFT: Evegeney Kolyvanov ‘12

SPORTS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

Strong Start to Season Despite Loss of Spike

playmaker

PROFILE

With the loss against West High the girls’ volleyball have high hopes for a state title. Little Hawk How long have you been playing football? Amos: Since seventh grade. LH: Why did you start playing? AL: I just tried it. LH: What are some team goals for this season? AL: To go undefeated and win the state title. LH: What are some of your personal goals? AL: To keep my all state title and be the best I can be.

photo by ANNIKA WASSON

Abbey Sahler ‘13, Erin Muir ‘12, Laura Shepherd ‘12 and Rachel Rinehart ‘13 keep their spirits up when playing against west.

by Annika Wasson Coming off of a close, 1-3 loss to Iowa City West Tuesday night, the volleyball team continues to improve, and strives to be “the team to beat.” “It’s a learning experience. You boil it down to what we can do better and learn from it,” head coach Craig Pitcher said. The Little Hawks have started their season with a record of 17-2, and have been ranked as high as No. 1 in the state in the process. The recent loss to West will drop them from the No. 1 position, but they’re sure to still be ranked in the top five teams in the state. While the team has had success early on, they know they need to work hard in order to achieve their ultimate goals. “This season is going really well. Obviously

we’ve got things to work on, but we’re going to be a tough team to beat.” Laura Shepard ‘12 said. Altough things are going fairly smoothly Pitcher agrees there is still more to work on. “We have to improve to accomplish our goals of a conference and state championship,” he said. With the high expectations from themselves and from others, the team puts pressure on themselves to improve. “We need to make sure that we keep pushing through the whole game with no breaks. When we get a lead, we need to expand it and not be complacent,” Shepard said. Whether it’s running for every miss serve or scrimmaging, the team is always pushed to be their best in practice. “[The coaches] put us in pressure situations in practice to prepare us for them in games,”

Shepard said. Hard work has paid off for the Little Hawks in the early weeks of their season. Having swept No. 1 Class 3A Dubuque Wahlert, and a 1-3 loss to West, then No. 2 Class 4A, they’ve proved they deserve their high rankings. “We have so many players who can make great points under pressure. There is no one you can stop on our team,” Erin Muir ‘12 said. Despite the disappointing loss to West, the team continues to work toward their ultimate goal. To win the conference and state championships. Pitcher has a full plan to achieve the season goals. “The basic answer is to win the regional final match, the complex answer is to improve daily to make sure we are ready for any team at any time.” Pitcher said.

LH: Do you have any pregame rituals? AL: I’d rather not share those. LH: Which do you prefer, offense or defense? AL: Offense, but I’ll do whatever is best for the team. LH: What is your favorite football memory? AL: The Xavier game last year when we came back to win it in the end. LH: What’s the best part about playing for CHS? AL: We have really good coaches, and they push me to get better.

ACNE? IF SO WE ARE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET! Iowa City Dermatology Susan Wall, MD and Erica Colleran, MD Located on First Ave. midway between City High and Regina 269 N 1st Ave Ste 100 Call today for an appointment! 319-339-3872

www.iowacitydermatology.com

SPORTS September 23, 2011 www.thelittlehawk.com

L I T T L E

H A W K

FOOTBALL

Breaking the record: Longest winning streak in the MVC Conference

The Little Hawks are undefeated again and taking smashmouth to the level of a dynasty

“The arrogance of the opponent and the look on the loser’s face motivated me in that record-breaking game.”

by Kris Kindl and Eli Shepherd Football has traditionally been an event that brings people together, and City High football is certainly no exception. The ever successful Little Hawks are notorious for drawing large crowds of devoted fans, almost more than they are notorious for crushing their opposition. Thompson and Johnson have led the way at running back and quarterback with record breaking performances, keeping the boot and are bringing their leadership to the rest of the team. “We are very excited about this team,” Malin Craig ‘13 said. “With all the guys together we will definitely dominating and claiming the title that is ours” Expectations are high for the football team, which has been an important part of not only the school, but the whole city. The Little Hawks this season are living up to that with a No. 2 ranking in the state. City High has several big games coming up including their highly anticipated homecoming game on September 30 at Bates Field against Cedar Rapids Washington. Other important games this season include City’s match-up with the Linn-Mar Lions on October 14, at Linn-Mar’s newly renovated stadium. The Little Hawks are surely racking up the accomplishments, with wins over Xavier and cross-town rival West High. Ronald Thompson smashed the school single game MVC rushing record with 362 yards against West High. Before the exciting match-up against City High, Xavier’s defense hadn’t been scored on by any opponent, zero points allowed. “We are doing very well,” Craig ‘13 said. “we execute our plays well in games and in practice.” The Little Hawks scored 52 points against the Saints to come out with a victory. The Little Hawks’ explosive and powerful offense has racked up 171 yards passing with ten out of twenty completions and three touchdowns. Adding to the accomplishments the team has had 1,628 yards in rushing on 194 attempts and 20 touchdowns. When the ball comes our way, the boys have 171 yards with ten receptions and three touchdowns. Kicking for City High, sophomore Drew Cornwell has been 100% accurate in PAT kicking and two for five in field goals. “Many times the game comes down to one kick,” Cornwell ‘14 said. “It is all up to me and I try to do my best.” City Highs’ aggressive and fast defense as a whole this year has 244 total tackles. Which include ten tackles for loss and four solo sacks. Not only did City pull through with three interceptions including one 61 yard interception for a touchdown, but also three fumbles were recovered. Football is rooted in City High coaches, from their seasoned advice, their hard work and determination, and just the fact that they play a great game. They have many highly reputable coaches, and including many coaches on the Little Hawk staff who have been together for many generations. The Little Hawks have leaders at every position including two returning all-state players, Amos Lavela and Jeremy Johnson who will be leading the defensive line and secondary. Other big-time players for the Little Hawks include Jasper Washington, Ronald Thompson, Nile Banks, Cortez Barfield, John Law, and Ryan Kroeze.

-NILEBANKS ‘12

all photos by DELLA NUNO

“I am so proud of our team for making history and beating the record! Go Hawks!”

-DREWCORNWELL ‘14

“Mrs. Wilson and the marching band pumped me up for the game. With the school behind us, it feels like we can do anything.”

-STEVEFERENTZ ‘12 “My goal for this season is to be 14-0 and to get that ring! After breaking the record, we now have more confidence to do that”

-AMOSLAVELA ‘13 “Breaking the record shows how Sabers never gives up on us, even when we give up on ourselves.”

-TONYPERRY ‘13

“I love the satisfaction of success after breaking the record!”

-JASPER WASHINGTON ‘12