LH Magazine - 11 13 13 by The Little Hawk

The Little Hawk Feature Magazine

November 13, 2013

FEATURE

pg. 8-11

The Little Hawk Feature Magazine

November 13, 2013

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MAKING THEIR MARK

BRINGING SCHOOL HOME

MIKE BLOOMBERG WANTS YOU TO BE HAPPY

By Claire Goodfellow

By Hailey Verdick

LH staffers go into a variety of fields. Here, four former reporters catch us up on their post-high school lives in education, design, and radio.

Mary Arch, Syndie Harris, and Mary Rethwisch talk about the advantages (and stereoptypes) that await those who choose homeschooling.

By Olivia Parrott New York City has started the NYC Girls Project to address issues of self esteem and body image. Do the same problems plague City High?

“Flappers” wear stockings held up by garters under their knee-high skirts. This ensemble is paired with 2-3 inch high heels heels.

WWW.THELITTLEHAWK.COM

of clothing.

1993

,stBell-bottoms, nap toh ,shot mpants, ottobblue -lleb jeans, and mini skirts become inofim na popular ,snaeitems j eulb some thedmost

1970s

1921

1920s

Gabrielle Bonheur opens the first version of a fashion boutique. Chanel is credited with liberating women from the “corseted silhouette”

1960s

By Ellen Carman

1900s

*Fashion History

1863

Luman Chapman creates an early version of the bra

The first suits for women were created by The Maison Redfern fashion house.

By Anton Buri

Lady Gaga wears a dress made of meat at the MTV Video Music Awards upsetting PETA.

Marc Jacobs introduces “couture grunge” to the fashion industry. This manifests into what many called the “heroin chic” look with flannel shirts and ripped pants.

2010

NOT YOUR HOBBIT’S SCHIER

Using the name Schier Beats, Kole Butler ‘14 produces electronic music and shares it online.

Snapshots

What’s your most awkward Thanksgiving memory?

H A LL O W E E N Online costume contest winners

Mrs. Lestina SueSylvester • 74 likes Mr. Morris The Walking Dead • 53 likes Mr. Hartwig Captain Irony • 40 likes Chuck Riley Hello Kitty • 36 likes

“When I was in college, I invited some friends over for Thanksgiving and my parents were out of town and I didn’t know about it, so I ended up making them chicken noodle soup.

Ben Sindt

When my birthday was on Thanksgiving one time, my dad’s family came to celebrate Thanksgiving and my birthday with my family. Everyone ended up forgetting about my birthday.

I had a turducken for Thanksgiving, and no one in my family could eat the rest of the meal!

Photo credits: KIERRA ZAPF, CORA BERN-KLUG, JONAS GEERDES/THELITTLEHAWK

Chip Hardesty

Griffin Benge

PRESSURE’S ON Mr. Wilson uses liquid nitrogen to show the pressure-temperature relationship in Chem -istry Honors.

SERPEN-TIME Johnson County Naturalist Brad Freidj shows off a snake from the Conservation Educatoin Center to Mr. Sheldon’s ecology class.

THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN Members of Sra. Hall’s Spanish 3 Honors class share original art in the style of Joan Miró. November 13, 2013 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE

“Enjoy your time at City High and living in Iowa City, because you don’t truly know how great a place is until you don’t live there anymore.” –Jeff Dean ‘71 By Claire Goodfellow

LH reporters:

Where are they now? Former staffers reflect on their Little hawk glory days and catch us up on their lives and careers.

4 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE

Jeff Dean graduated in 1971 November 13, 2013

After taking Foundations of Journalism class as a sophomore, Bacon joined the Little Hawk staff. He started out as a Sports Feature editor his first year and became an Opinion Page editor his senior year, also writing a regular sports column. “I loved seeing my articles come out when the paper was published,” Bacon said. “I was always very proud of my sports column.” His favorite memories include working in the newslab late during work nights doing paste ups with Jack Kennedy, and the National Scholastic Press Association convention in Indianapolis in 1990. “I wrote a column when the first Iraq war started that Jack Kennedy read out loud to the class,” Bacon said. “Always remembered that!” Bacon became the principal of City High School three years ago in 2010, following his position as Principal of Helen Lemme Elementary School. He describes how skills that he obtained from being a part of the Little Hawk – such as clear, effective writing and being able to work

John Bacon graduated in 1992

successfully with others – are a huge part of what he does everyday. “Go above and beyond,” Bacon said. “Put your heart into it [and] expect to be the best!” Zoë Woodworth started as a Little Hawk staffer in 1994 as a writer and illustrator. She then progressed into the writer of a regular spot named Zoë’s Corner as an illustrator-commentator, and from there she became a co-campus news editor. “Being a LH journalist, to me, meant being a part of a sophisticated, quasi-professional, extremely cool monthly enterprise,” Woodworth wrote by email. ”It meant that I had a lot of power in terms of using my voice, and that I had a responsibility to make sure that different kinds of CHS students were represented in print, not just me and my friends.” Woodworth previously worked as an interactive-graphic designer in New York and was recently hired as the new Graphic Design Director for Hancher, but her memories from newspaper remain with her. “I was tasked with creating a graphic to illustrate how to turn a condom into a dental dam. (I know! The LH was/is such a progressive newspaper, I can’t believe they let us print that),” Woodworth said. ”I made some drawings illustrating, step-by-step how to use scissors to cut the side of the condom and flatten it out, and I wrote out the steps in the drawing. I felt like it needed some sort of conclusion, so at the end I wrote, ‘Fun for hours!’ After the paper was published, our advisor, Jack Kennedy, was giving us feedback in class. Stonefaced, he held up the paper open to my drawing and said in a loud, stern voice, ‘FUN FOR HOURS.’ Followed by an uncomfortably long silence. He then went on to scold me for putting such a risqué statement into a paper that, as he said, had a large subscriber base among elderly alumni.” Woodworth describes how skills like graphic design and creating illustrations for audiences that she uses on a daily basis are very important to her occupation, and skills that she learned from being a part of the Little

Hawk. “Working on the LH also prepared me for working with ambiguity and conflict and being in a position of responsibility, having to make judgement calls when there wasn’t necessarily a ‘right’ answer,” Woodworth said. “I don’t think high school prepares you enough for these kinds of realities, so I am grateful that I got an introduction through the LH.” Kyle Phillips joined the Little Hawk during the third trimester of his junior year in 2003. Phillips was the photo editor during his senior year for the newspaper and the yearbook. Phillips had a column that he wrote for every issue, but a story about cocaine usage at City High is a story that he says he is the most proud of. “I was involved in many activities during my time at City High,” Phillips said. “But the late nights I spent working with friends in newslab on The Little Hawk and The Red and White will stay with me forever.” Phillips is now the journalism teacher and newspaper advisor at Cedar Rapids Washington High School and he explains how many of the skills that he learned from being on The Little Hawk have stuck with him and helped him in the job he has now. “I also learned the importance of listening and observing what is going on around you,” Phillips said. “Because you never know when you’ll gain useful information for yourself.” Phillips also describes how his experience on the Little Hawk gave him an opportunity to see how a successful publication was run from a student’s perspective, and how this insight gives him enthusiasm to encourage the students in his class to take charge of the newspaper and get things done with minimal interference from the advisor. “Being a Little Hawk journalist means that you are well prepared to go out and get the real answers,” Phillips said. “Ask the uncomfortable questions, get in someone’s face with the camera to get the best possible shot.” His favorite memories from the Little Hawk would be attending the

JEA/NSPA convention in San Diego and spending time with his friends on staff everyday. “While it’s always great to be a Little Hawk I feel it’s even greater to have written for The Little Hawk,” Phillips said. After finishing high school in 1971, Jeff Dean attended the University of Iowa, joined the broadcasted media industry, and is now working in radio in Las Vegas. “The skill that I learned that has served me well in my chosen career of broadcasting was writing,” Dean said. “Learning how to write in a clear and easily understood style is something I use everyday.” Dean became a member of the Little Hawk staff in 1970 during his junior year as a sports editor. Dean remembers one of his favorite memories from working on the Little Hawk was learning the now unneeded skill of learning how to develop photos in a darkroom because digital photography was not available when he was in school. “My favorite story was writing about the 1946 City High state championship basketball team which my father Harry Dean played on,” Dean said, “When I graduated in 1971, it was the 25th anniversary of that team winning the state championship.” He describes the pride he felt when he saw other students reading the newspaper and how it made the hard work that he and his and his fellow LH members put in worth it. “Working on the Little Hawk meant to me that I could make a difference in the school with the articles that I wrote,” Dean said, “Of course, they seem pretty tame today but they were important at the time.” Dean went on to advise students to choose a profession that they can be passionate about and feel excited to get up and go to every morning. “Don’t get too caught up in just making money,” Dean said, “Money is temporary but your passion, interest and contributions you can make last the rest of your life.”

John Bacon ‘92 now works at City High School as principal.

Kyle Phillips ‘04 now works at Cedar Rapids Washington.

Zoë Woodworth ‘95 used to write for her own spot called Zoë’s Corner.

Jeff Dean ‘71 now works at a radio station in Las Vegas.

Kyle Phillips graduated in 2004 Zoë Woodworth graduated in 1995

November 13, 2013 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE 5

ust like so many high school students, Mary Arch ‘17 wakes up in the early morning hours to the sound of her alarm clock buzzing. She manages to crawl out of bed and drive to City High with her brother, Joseph Arch ‘14. Then she studies at City for three periods. But unlike other freshmen at City High, when third period ends she and her brother continue their studies at home. Why did the Arch family make this unconventional decision? Mary says it allows her parents to have more control over the education their children receive. “[My mom] just wanted to have more one on one time,” Arch said. “And also when you’re home schooled you can get things done faster because you don’t have to wait for everyone else in the class to finish their tests and all that other stuff.” Throughout elementary school Arch was fully homeschooled, but she joined the South East cross country team in the seventh grade. This year, she takes band, art, and has continued to run on the cross country team at City High. Arch likes homeschooling and thinks it’s a good way to get an education. Her mother majored in math, which, coincidentally, is Mary’s least favorite subject – but both say the situation lets Mary get the best-fit education for her. One advantage of homeschooling is being able to fit family needs. Families are able mold the time to best accommodate them. Ellen Rethwisch, a City High mother of six, has experienced this first-hand. She homeschooled each one of her children throughout elementary school, and then part-time in the Junior High level. “It gave the family more flexible time, individual attention for each child, and emphasized individual interests and talents, such as music,” Rethwisch said. “It was great for multiple siblings to homeschool together and work together

a regular schedule, with the exception of several online classes throughout her four years.

Religious Concern Dissatisfied or Moral about school with Instruction environment instruction Other reasons

Non-traditional education

to help each other.” SPREADING FAST Homeschooling has become a more popular form of education within the past few years. It has increased 75% since 1999 (NCES), and the data show the numbers are still rising. Still, only 4% of children are homeschooled. Sydnie Harris ‘13 has been part of that four percent. She attended public school in elementary school, but when seventh grade rolled around she began homeschooling to experience something new. It was something

Health concerns

her mother had started with Sydnie’s younger siblings and Sydnie thought it would be worth trying out. Although Harris switched to a home environment, this didn’t mean she would be able to slack off when it came to her studies. “You get all your work in, you write it, you make sure you cross everything off in your planner and get it graded, you study for tests and quizzes,” Harris said. “You do pretty much the same things you do in school.” She continued this routine for seventh and eighth grade and then began school at City High on

PRECONCEPTIONS Both Harris and Arch agree there are many stereotypes about homeschooling. Harris acknowledges that generalizations about homeschooled kids being antisocial can be true, but it’s not fair to say that about all homeschooling families. Hers specifically stays involved with sports, music and other social activities. Another assumption about homeschooling is the lack of structure. What most people do not know is that homeschoolers still have to wake up in the morning, get ready for their day, and do homework. “We have grades too, and you can’t just flunk your grade.” Arch said. “It’s like in school, if you don’t turn in a paper or something you’ll get a bad grade. So it all adds up to what college you want to go to.” Like all teachers, parents who homeschool their children have many resources to teach from. As a mother, Rethwisch had her curriculum provided for her by the Seton Home Study School of Arlington, VA. As well as having her lesson plans sent to her, Rethwisch is able to send in completed assignments to be graded. The Rethwisch children also participated in many activities through the Sacred Heart Homeschool. This group is made up of over 40 Catholic Homeschooling families that get together and host activities. The kids partake in everything from spelling bees to monthly homeschool Masses. “A key misconception of many people is that homeschooled children are isolated and don’t socialize with other children,” Rethwisch said. “This has not been our experience. Because of our homeschooling group and many activities, the children constantly socialized with children of all ages and adults in different settings.”

November 13, 2013 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE

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“Everyone I know who has done it says they never want to do it again.” - Veronica*

LH FEATURE MAGAZINE November 13, 2013

4 O

By Payton Evans & Becca Meyer

usic is blaring and people are everywhere. Smiles and quick side conversations are being exchanged as Abigail*, a City High student, is offered what she thinks is natural marijuana. “After I smoked it, I didn’t feel like myself at all,” Abigail said. “I was getting a ride home from a friend, but I thought I was being kidnapped. I felt really scared and I didn’t know where I was. I was freaking out and yelling at the driver.” Abigail was exemplifying a few of the symptoms that accompany the high induced by synthetic marijuana. “It wasn’t even fun to smoke,” Abigail said. “I was so paranoid the whole time.” Synthetic marijuana -- also known as Spice, K2, and Black Mamba -- emerged as a recreational drug in Europe during the mid-2000s. Sold as small packets of incense labeled “not for human consumption,” it is accessible to the point of being available at local gas stations. Synthetic marijuana is even more expensive than natural marijuana, costing from $60 to $100 for a 3.5 gram packet. Professor John Huffman of Clemson University originally developed the drug solely for medicinal use. It was intended to be a legal form of marijuana that could be put into a pill to help diminish side effects of diseases such as cancer. In the last decade, though, it became popular around the world as a marijuana substitute. According to The Office of National Drug Control, synthetic marijuana is the second most common drug used among high school students, after natural marijuana. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that approximately 11% of high school seniors in 2012 had experimented with synthetic marijuana at least once. Its health effects have been severe. 11,406 visits to the ER in 2010 were related to use of synthetic marijuana, according to NIDA. Seventy-five percent of these visits were from young adults between 12 and 29 years old.

P 3

“You can’t hide being on K2,” Officer Bailey said. “You could be chill for a little while and then you’re paranoid, then angry, then crying.” Earlier this year, local school administrations and police were so concerned about the rise of synthetic marijuana that they held an all district meeting before the start of school year to explain the dangers of synthetic marijuana to school district staff. “Synthetic is nasty, nasty stuff,” Iowa City Police Officer Kevin Bailey said. “It scares us to death that kids think ‘Oh it’s legal so we can use it,’ and then they end up in the psych ward at the university and are maybe even addicted to it.” City High student Veronica* received the drug from a trusted friend and assumed that it was natural marijuana. Her reaction was unpleasant. “I was throwing up, like nonstop. I couldn’t stop throwing up, and I was crying and I didn’t know what was going on and I couldn’t walk straight,” Veronica said when asked about her first experience with synthetic marijuana. Unlike Abigail, Veronica was in a more quiet situation with only a few close friends by her side. “I would never recommend it to anyone. It’s scary,” Veronica said. “Everyone I know who has done it says they never want to do it again.” When Veronica was asked her opinion on why kids have recently been exploring synthetic marijuana, her answer was typical to many curious high school students. “Kids do it because they’ve never done it before and they want to know what it’s like,” Veronica* said. “It’s also easy to buy.. like you can go downtown and get it legally.” Certain types of synthetic marijuana are legal to possess and ingest, with public intoxication being the

only possible charge when caught high on the drug. By selling the legal form of synthetic as incense, local head shops and gas stations are able to sell the drug without breaking any laws. The primary reason for synthetic marijuana still being so accessible is simplemoney. According to Officer Bailey, on average, synthetic marijuana is a billion dollar per year industry, nationwide. In addition to the large profits being made off of synthetic marijuana, the countless chemical components in the drug are constantly changing, making it challenging for the federal government to make all types of synthetic illegal. “The feds made some families of synthetic illegal, but then the chemists change the chemical formula just a little bit so it’s legal, but you still get the same result,” Officer Bailey said, “Then we make that chemical formula illegal, so they change it again.” In addition, synthetic marijuana contains different types and amounts of chemicals in each packet. One packet could have enough chemicals to be fatal. “They [the suppliers] get the chemicals on the plant material by mixing up all the chemical crap, putting it in the tank sprayers, and spraying it with these chemicals. But they could get distracted and start spraying one section way longer than the rest of it. That’s why some kids can use it three or four times and not have a “bad” experience, but let’s say you got the stuff where the guy doused it. Then you’re getting three or four times as much chemical in the same joint,” Officer Bailey said. “You just never know what you’re getting.” The dangers of synthetic marijuana are highly underestimated. Though it may be a legal drug, it is, by no means, a safe drug. “I’m surprised we haven’t seen more deaths,” Officer Bailey said.

“Synthetic is nasty, nasty stuff,” Iowa City Police Officer Kevin Bailey said. “It scares us to death that kids think ‘Oh it’s legal so we can use it,’ and then they end up in the psych ward at the university and are maybe even addicted to it.”

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O P *Names have been changed

November 13, 2013 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE

LH FEATURE MAGAZINE November 13, 2013

November 13, 2013 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE

Bandeaus, crop tops, leggings and open back shirts are forcing students and administration to debate what clothes are tasteful enough for school.

lad in black leggings, combat boots, and a blue and white striped open back shirt connected with two bows over her newly bought nude bandeau, Riley Lewers ‘16 proudly walks her outfit down the hall. Stopped, her shirt is deemed inappropriate and she is told to change. “My mom thought maybe a teacher would tell me to change, but she personally was okay with it,” Lewers said. “After I was told to change my clothes I was really mad about the dress code. I was just kind of upset with the whole deal, but I understand there has to be some limit, there are some things I personally wouldn’t want to see walking around school, it makes sense.” Although her outfit did not technically break the school dress code, administration felt that her outfit was too revealing. “I wish the ladies in school would take more pride in how they dress, and consider what message they are sending, and if it’s really the message they want to send. And if it is, what does that say?” Administrator Wendy Jacobsen said. “You want to start practicing for after high school, for what your life is really going to be like after here, having a good self identity, and putting your best foot forward.” Clothing items such as bandeaus, crop-tops, leggings, open back and lace shirts are rapidly gaining popularity in teenage fashion, but are also becoming a topic of discussion in administration meetings and teacher conversations. “Whether girls want to admit it or not, [wearing revealing clothing] does cause a kind of disruption in class,” Jacobsen said. “When you talk about having a dress code at a school, the idea is to prevent as much disruption from class as possible.” Dustin Gwee ‘14 agrees that there should be limits. “I feel like girls should be allowed to dress the way they want but I definitely think the way some girls dress is inappropriate,” Gwee said. “There are some girls that take it too far. I don’t know if it’s a cry for attention but they definitely want to be recognized for dressing that way.” While male students have to make sure their pants don’t reside below their underwear line, the City High dress code (outlined in student planners) states that women’s clothing exposing excessive cleavage, inappropriately short skirts or shorts, and bare midriffs, chests or torsos may not be worn to school. Along with these rules, hats, hoods, bandanas, and clothing promoting the use of alcohol or drugs are considered inappropriate for school. Emma McIntire ‘14 has also noticed how teenagers are getting more relaxed on how much skin they are willing to show during the school day.

November 13, 2013 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE

“[I saw] bandeaus a lot in the summer and people transferred those fashions to school. I wear leggings, and I wear lace or kind of see through shirts, but I make sure to wear a cami underneath,” McIntire said. “I don’t think people really need to see all that, so it’s not a good choice to wear to school, and it can kind of be distracting. People will always talk, ‘are they really wearing that?’” When inappropriate clothing is noticed by an administrator or teacher, the first step is to ask the student to change outfits. Administration admits that although they do not look for inappropriate dress, they have seen it commonly throughout the student body. “I have never liked rules that I don’t think make any sense. If we’re going to have a rule, I want it to make sense,” Principal John Bacon said. “And I’m not big on enforcing rules unless I can come up with a very good explanation for why it’s a rule.” The debate for the administration team now is how much revealing clothing should be allowed, and whose choice it should be of what is appropriate and what isn’t. “I think clothing is a personal choice, I don’t think it’s the end of the world if you’re revealing a little more than a teacher wants you to,” Lewers said. “But there’s definitely clothes I have that I wouldn’t wear to school because I know teachers wouldn’t be okay with it.” The dress code is decided by each school’s administration, so it differs between schools. There are state rules overhead that ultimately decide how strict a dress code can be in relation to certain clothes being banned or certain rules over the whole district. The current dress code has been in place since Mr. Bacon came to City High, with the only adjustment being taking out the required measurements on straps, shorts and skirts. But for some, the freedom to choose their outfits is more than just a privilege. “I think it defines who you are, it’s a way to stand out from the crowd,” Lewers said. “I understand there’s a need for a dress code, but I think kids want to have their own individual style and express themselves, it can be really frustrating when the dress code interferes.” To solve dress code issues, the idea of school uniforms has come up in the past amongst the administration, and has appealed to some, but has been shut down for various reasons. “I would like it because you wouldn’t have to worry about what you’re going to wear,” McIntire said. “But at the same time I would really miss being able to throw on whatever I want, it could get kind of old after a while.” Terry Coleman, athletic director, agrees. *Continued on page 19

News Analysis

NYC is tackling body image problems with their ‘Girls Project.’ What about Iowa City? By Olivia Parrott

to change this through his $330,000 campaign “NYC Girls Project.” The project aims to lift the confidence of girls who are at risk of negative body images that can lead to eating disorders, drinking, acting out sexually, suicide and bullying from ages seven to 12 – all under the motto “I’m beautiful the way I am.” The campaign hopes to do this by helping girls realize their inner beauty is more important than their outer beauty through optimistic bus and subway ads, and a 30-second video. This NYC Girls Project also offers physical fitness classes through the parks de-

Declarations in ink

Elena Foster

Instead of blades and shears, needles swung from side to side on Brooks Henry’s 18th birthday. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Henry’s mother had asked. “I’m eighteen. I can do this myself,” Henry spat at his mom, not wanting to admit he was afraid. Before Henry got his tattoo, people asked him to think about his future and what if he didn’t always want it. It was a struggle for Henry to ignore those opinions and trust his instincts. He chose a Penrose Triangle, a symbol of the purest form of impossibility. The triangle is also known as the official “Hipster Sign.” “I don’t really care about what others think of me,” Henry said. “I’ve always really wanted to get a tattoo, so when I turned eighteen I decided it was the perfect time.” Quinton Forrester ‘14 wrote “Carpe Diem” on his chest because everything that he strives to be he found in this translation, “Seize the Day.” It has been his slogan for years. Forrester ‘14 strolls down the hallway with a flannel shirt and cowboy boots and helps a girl with her books. He hears the Latin echoing in his head. “The tattoo cost about 100 dollars,” Forrester said. “But I payed good money for it because it was important to me.” He’d wanted a way to express his beliefs without pushing it onto people. A tattoo could be covered when need be, but it’s a comfort to Forrester when he remembers that it’s always with him. Amy Ostrem ‘14 is against getting tattoos at this age. She believes that this is the time to be preparing for interviews and building resumes. Ostrem feels strongly about the kind of message getting a tattoo would send to people evaluating her. “I wouldn’t get one because I don’t like the idea of them being imprinted on your skin your whole life,” Ostrem said. “I’m not sure I’m going to want a tattoo when I’m 80 years old.” As City’s attendance secretary walks down the halls, you can see an image of a duck on Renee Tonning’s ankle, reminding people that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. “My tattoo is goofy,” Tonning says, “but meaningful to me on many levels, and that is what matters.” CORA BERN-KLUG/ THELITTLEHAWK

zzy Shutt ‘16 walks down the hallway. She glances to her side, afraid of doing or saying anything that anyone wouldn’t like. She is also afraid of her muscular stature, and if she is ‘feminine enough,’ as she notices the softer features of the other girls who attend her school. According to The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, more than 80 percent of 10-year-old girls are afraid of being fat. Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, drawing motivation from the standards of the fashion industry, is taking initiative

partment. Additionally, a pilot program is made available discussing self-esteem issues for girls at 75 after-school programs, and a Twitter campaign, using the hashtag #Imagirl. The campaign is the first by a major city to be aimed at female body image. The program was suggested by an aide to Mr. Bloomberg, Samantha Levine, who said she had been deeply affected by what she had heard of young girls wearing body-shaping undergarments and even getting plastic surgery because of an ‘unsatisfactory’ appearance. She was also motivated by reading the advice columnist Cheryl Strayed, who still saw women who were worried about what their buttocks looked like in jeans. Jen Barbouroske, nurse at Twain, Mann, Hoover, and City schools, sees this problem with self-perception in her work. “I have had children in the elementary school who come to the office in tears after being told that they are ‘fat,’” Barbouroske said. “These are not girls who are considered medically overweight.” Arielle Somadi ‘15 has experienced problems with her own self-esteem. “[I]have to be liked by everyone, because at least in high school, popularity is a huge thing,” Somadi said. “[Also] I just didn’t like how I looked and I would do anything to change it.” There are industries, such as the fashion industry, Bloom– *Continued on page 19

+ SPOTLIGHT

November 13, 2013 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE

Profile

The story of a self-taught beat maker. By Anton Buri

itting in class, with his infamous cat sweatshirt on, Kole Butler has more on his mind than tangents and cotangents. In fact, trigonometry isn’t on Butler’s mind at all. The teacher rambles on, but Butler has toned it out, taking in only the sounds that may be just annoying to his classmates: the tick of the clock, the buzz of a cell phone. Behind his mane of blond hair, Butler’s mind forms these sounds into something of a melody, possibly to be used for his next beat. When Butler gets home and is reunited with his laptop, these sounds around him will be transformed into art. Butler, also known as Schier Beats, is a senior in high school – as well as a self-taught producer who shares his music over the internet. With an uncle known as DJ Earworm in the industry, Butler took an interest in beat making during his sophomore year. He downloaded a demo version of Ableton, a music production software program. Butler’s interest quickly became a hobby when he received a single present for his sixteenth birthday; the full version of the software. A year later, he began to share his beats on YouTube. “I guess I just wanted to try something new. I 14

LH FEATURE MAGAZINE November 13, 2013

downloaded the software and tried it out,” Butler said. “I was really bad at first, but I liked doing it, so I decided to stick with it.” He now works on producing music almost every day, using his laptop equipped with Ableton. He also has external speakers and a keyboard. Although Butler has a MIDI keyboard – an electric piano that can communicate with the software on his computer – he struggles to put it to good use. “I have a keyboard, but I don’t know anything about music,” Butler admits. “I won’t know what key I’m in or what chords I’m using, but I can hear if it sounds good. I can hear where I want it [the melody] to go next, so I’ll just mess around with the notes. I don’t use the keyboard because I can click notes on the screen. I don’t know the reason they go there, I just know that it’s going to sound good or it’s going to sound bad.” Creating a beat can be a lengthy and timeconsuming process. Butler works on producing just about every day for up to hours at a time. For Butler, inspiration for a beat can come from anywhere. “Sometimes random noises will spark my inspiration. It can be literally any noise at all, like any noise you hear day to day or at school,” But-

ler said. “It could be any song of any genre. Or not even music, it could be art. I will also go to HypeTrak, SoundCloud, or blogs like that just to hear new music and what’s being put out.” After getting homework and all other necessities out of the way for the night, Butler will get on Ableton and try to find a sample or begin creating the melody. The melody usually comes first, then drums, then other instruments. “Most of my songs I make at night,” Butler explained. “It’s just something about that, that makes it better.” Completing the beat usually takes two to three days. And even then It may not be completely to Butler’s liking. About one out of five beats that Butler creates becomes a final product. Many beats will be abandoned or deleted. Once a single beat is finished, if it meets his own standards, Butler will share the completed work along with his email on his personal YouTube channel. He then receives emails from subscribers asking for a download link. Most likely, these people are planning to add vocals and create a full song. “A lot of people email me from around the country, usually they’re not very good,” Butler admits. “Hopefully someone will come along.” *Continued on next page

Butler has already collaborated with a few Little Hawks, including former students Cinque Smith and Jared Kuddes, both of whom rap. Gaining recognition and admiration for his beats was a challenge, but one that he has achieved and is still advancing. Butler recently reached 1,000 subscribers on YouTube and one of his videos has accumulated over 20,000 views. Interest in his beats began to pick up when Butler began creating his own album artwork for his YouTube Videos. “When I first started I was just putting pictures of rappers up as the video. But then I started making my own artwork and putting the name of the song on it,” he explained. Butler says that is when the volume of emails

coming in really increased. “At that point I was like ‘Wow, maybe people actually like it’,” Butler said. Butler is the nephew of California-based mashup artist DJ Earworm. Earworm is known for his annual mashups in which he ‘mashes up’ 25 of the year’s top pop hits into one song. “We do totally different things,” Butler said. “He has helped me out and given me a few tools like his old laptop. He’s given me a lot of stuff to use, so I didn’t have to buy stuff myself.” While producing and selling beats can be used to make money, Butler has chosen not to approach it in this way. “I thought about it,” Butler said, “But then I look at other peoples’ beats and they’re no better

than mine, and they’re charging twenty dollars per beat. Most of the people who look on YouTube for beats aren’t the people who are going to want to pay or have enough money to pay. So, I decided just to make them for free.” Butler sees producing in his future regardless of whether it will make him money or not. “I’ll still continue to do it, and if I can make money off of it that would be really sweet,” Butler said. “It would be nice to work with someone who really knows what they’re doing and who really knows a lot about music. In college maybe it will be good to meet more people and kind of team up. Either way, I’m still going to do it as a hobby.”

Profile

Teacher profile: Carrie Watson The government teacher opens up about her past. By Lilly Reitz Every teacher has a reason; an inspiration, a motive, a drive for doing what they do. Shaping young minds is every teacher’s’ goal, and Carrie Watson, government teacher at City High, is no exception. When Watson was attending one of many schools between first grade on the East Coast and her graduation from City High, she never expected that 20 years later she would be a high school government teacher. Especially because her government teacher at the time was, in her opinion, a force to be reckoned with. “This old, cruel teacher made me hate government,” Watson said. “I absolutely despised it.” It wasn’t until many years later, when Watson attended the University of Iowa and took a Russian history class, that she discovered it was her true passion. “My perspective on government classes completely changed,” Watson said. ORIGINS Although Watson is a City High graduate, she attended 10 public schools between first grade and graduation from high school in 1984. Watson was born in New Rochelle, NY, and moved around the country for most of her childhood. From New Rochelle to Charlottesville to Santa Barbara, her public school experiences were diverse. “Going to so many schools allowed me to see so many different people and experience so many different things,” Watson said. Although going to a wide variety of schools had its

LH FEATURE MAGAZINE November 13, 2013

benefits, it also left Watson feeling as though she was out in the cold. “I always had one toe in every group of people,” Watson said. “But I was never really a part of any of them.” After spending three years at a public high school in Chicago, Watson and her family moved back to Iowa City, where they had previously lived while Watson attended South East Junior High. In her senior year of high school, Watson made the decision to move out of her parents’ house and live by her own devices. During this time, Watson balanced a full time job and the academic responsibilities of senior year. “I thought I was the most mature 17 year old in the world,” said Watson. But her independence didn’t last long; after three months, Watson decided that she couldn’t quite handle it. “Eventually, I called my mom, asking her to let me come back home,” Watson said. “I was so broke!”

COLLEGE After graduating from City High, Watson began classes at the University of Iowa, which she initially decided was not for her. “I hate to admit it, but I dropped out of college for a boy,” Watson said. “I chose hanging out with him over going to class.” But after a few years of being a non-student, Watson decided to give it a second go. “When I went back to college the second time, I was really motivated,” said Watson. It was then that Watson took the Russian history class that changed her life forever. “I felt like I had been robbed of something,” Watson said about her new-found love of social studies, after thinking she despised it for years. Watson continued going through the University of Iowa’s education program, earning a bachelor’s degree and later a master’s degree. FAMILY LIFE & TRAVEL Watson is however, more than just a teacher; she’s a mother, a wife, a friend, and a traveller. With her two children and husband, Watson has visited many places around the world. “If it’s in the United States, we drive,” Watson said, “I’ve been to about 40 out of 50 states.” Watson’s journeys are certainly not limited to the continental US. Over spring break, to celebrate her and her husband’s 20th wedding anniversary, they traveled to Italy. “My husband and I love to travel.” said Watson. Watson and her husband, Phil Fontana, met when they were in college. Watson was waiting tables at a restaurant and took one final table before her shift ended because of the cute boy that was sitting at her last table. The cute boy turned out to be her future husband. “Originally, I had thought he was gay. I waited on him at my restaurant earlier and with the way he was sitting with his friend, I just assumed,” Watson said. “I was wrong!” *Continued on page 19

Body Image: Continued from Page 15

– berg used as inspiration, that exploit the insecurities of young women for their personal gain. “The fashion industry is the biggest culprit,” Barbouroske said. “I have found when looking for clothing for my own children, once they move out of the toddler size clothing, the styles for young girls to young women tend to be tighter fitting, more sparkles, more revealing, and not made to withstand the same type of play that the boys and young men’s clothing is made to withstand.” “I have a lot of friends who are like that,” Somati said. “Sometimes they’ll not flat out tell you, but they’ll just be like, ‘I look like crap today’ or ‘I really wish I was thinner’.” Not everyone can be the ‘ideal’ body type, and that’s normal. Barbouroske believes women should not be judged based on their appearance. “I think that any images presented to both male and female youth, that show girls and women of different body structures, physical features, or roles in society will help open up all

A Teacher Profile: Continued from Page 18 Later that night, after she had forgotten all about the cute possibly-gay boy at her restaurant, Watson was at Star Trek marathon with her college friends. “I was trying to find a good place to sit.” Watson said, “I saw a cute guy with dreads in the front row, so I sat down next to him.” After a few years of dating, Watson and her thenboyfriend made the decision to get married together. “I don’t like big proposals,” Watson said. “I think they’re too one sided.” They got married in October of 1993.

“I have a lot of friends who are like that. Sometimes they’ll not flat out tell you, but they’ll just be like, ‘I look like crap today’ or ‘I really wish I was thinner’.” - Ariel Somati ‘15

kids to being able to see themselves as part of a world where they can see themselves as having value in who they are,” Barbouroske said.” Consequential Fashion Continued from Page 14

“We would never ever be able to pull it off, Iowa City is very eclectic,” Coleman said. “For good or for bad, clothing is a status symbol and a uniform would be one of those things that would level the playing field a little bit.” This leads to the question of whether fashion styles are being used as an attention seeking device or a status symbol.

“The part that bothers me is I see it as attention seeking for some, and then there’s others who don’t feel that great about themselves, but they like the attention they get when they wear revealing clothes,” Jacobson said. “I worry about that.” Another worry is how the fashions of the high school can be transitioning down to younger children. “A lot of 6th grade girls wear clothes from Victoria’s Secret, like leggings and yoga pants and shirts that say pink,” McIntire said. “But I just think they are too young.” The changes in dress have not only changed in everyday fashion, sports clothing has also been affected. After modeling uniforms after professional sports uniforms in every sports category, the styles have changed in many ways over the past ten years. Basketball shorts have became baggier, whereas volleyball has changed to from shorts to wearing spandex. “I think a lot of it is just societal. As soon as the pro players switched to the baggy basketball shorts, it got down to the college level and then to high school. With volleyball and track it’s the same,” Coleman said “I think we would run just as fast with the regular shorts as we do with the spandex outfits.” Whether the reason behind the outfit is for attention or just personal style, it’s up to the administration to decide when it becomes inappropriate. “Just in general, I am a believer of the idea that if you look sharp you perform better,” Bacon said. “It may not be scientific but there’s a lot of value in that.”

A CHANGE OF HEART After 17 years of happy marriage, things took a turn for the worse. On July 1st, 2010 Watson’s husband had a massive heart attack. “It was a reality check for everyone in my family.” Watson said. “My kids learned too early that parents aren’t immortal.” Not only was her husband’s heart attack a reality check, it changed the dynamic of Watson’s home life completely. “My husband can’t work anymore, so he stays home.” Watson said. “The house has never been so clean.”

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Fall Orchestra Concert By Cora Bern-Klug

ABOVE: City High Symphony Orchestra performs at their Fall Concert. They performed The Holberg, River Cam and Concerto BOTTOM: Mary Rethwisch ‘14 (left) plays her cello, Scott Tribbey and Savannah Surom ‘15 on cellos (center), Maria McCoy ‘15 plays violin (right).

November 13, 2013 LH FEATURE MAGAZINE

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