Racial tensions erupt at mizzou, a6
The
LittleHawk
Iowa City High School • Iowa City, Iowa • Vol. 73 Issue 3 • Friday, December 18, 2015 • www.thelittlehawk.com ifuckedyourmom
A Dire Deer Situation The urban deer population has skyrocketed since the 1970’s. Iowa City debates how to control it.
By Jim Geerdes & Claire Goodfellow Although usually thought of as cute and fragile creatures, deer can cause serious harm. They destroy landscaping, kill trees, and lead to approximately 1.5 million car accidents nationwide every year, and their numbers are growing. “I hit a deer on Prairie Du Chien,” Jim McMillan ‘17 said. “I was shocked, it had just popped out of nowhere.” State Farm Insurance estimated that between 30,000 and 40,000
collisions occurred between June of 2013 and July of 2014. Iowa has also repeatedly been ranked among the top three states in deer-car collisions. “Safety needs to come first,” driver’s education instructor Terry Rew said. Rew hit a deer while traveling south on Highway 218 several years ago. Rew recommends using deer whistles on cars. Deer whistles make a high pitched sound, inaudible to humans, that supposedly repel the animals. Since the collision and the addition of whistles, he has not hit one since.
“Don’t break to miss them,” Rew said. “When you break, the front of your car goes down and that will just send them through your windshield, still kicking.” As Iowa City development expands, it continues to encroach on the deer’s natural habitats. Charles Bray, a Kent Park Ranger, blames the city’s deer problem on human development invading the deer’s habitat. “We build and we encroach on [their habitats],” Bray said. “Deer are very adaptive.” Deforestation in Iowa along with other environmental factors
PHOTO BY JIM GEERDES
have limited the deer’s natural living space, causing them to move into nearby urban areas. “There are a lot of deer here,” McMillan said. “But they were here first.” The rise in deer numbers has sparked controversy over how to contain the population. One of the ways Kent Park and Johnson County are addressing this problem is by having an annual deer bow hunt. Kent Park has set strict guidelines for the hunters in order to keep the hunt ethical and safe. cont. on A5
Iowa’s Ties to the Syrian Refugee Crisis By Sadie Hobbs & Lucy McGehee 4,283,224 refugees, more than the entire population of Iowa, are fleeing the familiarity of their home, in pursuit of a life without fear from oppression. The corruption left behind includes the growing strength of terrorism groups and the injustice performed by their government. “We do know that terrorism does exist. Extremists do exist in every religion and in every society,” Newman Abuissa, transportation engineer and native Syrian, said. “We cannot paint extremists on all of society.” Abuissa came to the United States to pursue his graduate education at the University of South Dakota. Upon completion, he accepted
a position at the University of Iowa, and has stayed ever since. Abuissa and his son, Yusef Abuissa ‘16, traveled to Syria in 2009 to visit their family. “I’d play soccer with the kids of nearby neighborhoods,” Yusef said. “All the food is locally grown. We would go buy bread in the morning so there was hardly any huge consumerism,” he said. “The traditions were more alive. You don’t really see that in America.” Syrians have been fleeing their country due to the ongoing violence and instability since its Civil War began in 2011. The resulting conflict has caused 320,000 deaths, with at least 12,000 of those deaths being children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Abuissa’s brother still resides in
Syria, and serves a community in Damascus as a pharmacist. According to Abuissa, the area’s population has doubled, and as safe places are now hard to come by, his brother is currently serving four times as many people as he used to. “He likes the country and he’s serving the people. Somebody said that you don’t run away from your mother when she’s sick and needs you, so that’s the way he feels [towards his country],” he said. “He can provide a service and his services are needed, so he can’t just leave.” Recently, Iowa’s governor Terry Branstad formally requested denial of Syrian refugees into Iowa because of safety concerns following the terrorist attacks in Paris. cont. on A3
A2 PREVIEW
December 18, 2015
Section A
The LH Feature Magazine
Iowa City’s sweaterless trees
4
By Maya Durham & Lucy Wagner
7
5
The best hot cocoa
By Caroline Brown & Olivia Parrott
Naughty or nice, spicy or sweet, these off-brand off-market hot chocolate recipes are sure to zest up your winter break.
Campaign Zero Works to Inform Presidential Election
What is driving the epidemic of gun violence that is racking the United States?
The Cheating Phenomenon
11
“it happens everywhere”
5
By Addie Bass & Claire Goodfellow
everything in between By Innes Hicsasmaz & Sophia Schlesinger
12
By Lilly O’Brien
The Little Hawk
feature 12
•
A&E Special feature
18 •
15
boys and girls and
By Jonas Geerdes
By Sofie Lie
A celebration of Star Wars, the Force Awakens. This is A&E’s first attempt at a feature style magazine.
Campaign Zero, the branch of the #blacklivesmatter movement, works towards enacting policy regarding racial inequality.
everything in between
Gender-nonconforming students discuss navigating the gray areas of the gender spectrum and of society’s expectations. (p. 12)
the lh sports magazine
14
Kenya Earl By Jim Geerdes & Jonathan House
The City High junior has some big shoes to fill, but is making her own name as one of City’s top scorers.
18
in a puff of smoke
Promise of what’s to come
By Dominic Balestrieri-Fox & Jim Geerdes
16
The boys basketball team burned through a solid pre-season, with eight wins and a loss, and started their regular season in a two game rut following a game against Davenport North.
By Sonali Durham & Nova Meurice
Cigarette sales are down and e-cigarette use is rising. Many teens are embracing the trend, but the medical community remains skeptical.
A Letter From Your Editors
By Nova Meurice & Sarah Smith
Dearest Readership-Fresh off our Pacemaker win in Orlando, our staff has been hard at work to ensure quality of our publication. In addition getting multiple sunburns from our trip, we also came home with a lot of new ideas. As we were sitting through our seminars, we were reminded of the presentation at our first journalism seminar as web editors, when a journalism advisor told us that all online editors become “aloof trolls” over time. At first we were skeptical, but soon enough we started noticing the transformation: we began to develop squinted eyes, unmanageable hair, and hunched backs created from spending countless hours in front of a computer screen. When The Trifecta asked us to write the letter from the editors, we groggily hobbled out from under our web bridge to sing praise of the December issue (out of tune). With the news team tackling hot topic political issues like the Black Lives Matter movement and the Syrian refugee crisis, the sports reporters previewing upcoming winter sports, and the features writers profiling transgender students and looking into the
topic of teen vaping, this issue is not about to disappoint. (Not to mention an entire special edition A&E section dedicated to Star Wars.) Back in the comfort of our web troll domain, our website has gotten a facelift: we’ve redesigned the logo and the homepage. In the coming weeks, keep an eye out for multimedia versions of the best stories from this issue being published online. We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we do. Now stop clip-clopping on our bridge. With love, the Web Trolls
P.S. Look out for more troll appearances throughout the issue.
NEWS
A3
December 18, 2015
City’s National Ranking Rises Many news outlets have placed City on their lists of “best high schools.” Students and faculty weigh in on the importance of these rankings.
By Zoë Hopewell Every year, lists are published by many news outlets of the best high schools in the country, each based on their own individual ranking systems. City is often listed among these, and in the past few years, has seen jumps in its ranking. However, Brent Gage, an admissions officer at The University of Iowa, says that these rankings are not considered in admissions to the school. “High school rankings are more useful in admissions to help universities understand what students have access to in regard to AP, IB, and elective coursework. They do not impact our review of an individual student’s credentials in seeking admission,” Gage said. Rankings take into account a variety of statistics, mostly considering academic factors. Newsweek’s rankings include proficiency levels on statewide assessments, graduation rates, AP enrollment, and other measures of academic success. Other lists use similar criteria, with a few considering other factors, such as the quality of extracurriculars. “This is not a perfect measuring system,” Principal John Bacon said. “I think there are other aspects to make [City High] a truly well rounded comprehensive high school. Certainly number one is our academics, but right behind [are] the other important parts of the high school experience. Some of the learning experiences that take place in those activities, I can promise you, will stay with you the rest of your life, and they are at least as important as some of the lessons we learn in the classroom.” Some lists have expanded the criteria they use to rank schools. Niche.com uses a ranking system that figures academics as 50% of the overall ranking for a school. Other factors considered include: Health and safety, student diversity, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Melody Duong ‘19 also believes that many valuable learning experiences take place outside of the classroom. “When you’re in music and [other activities], you’re still learning, and it’s as [important] as learning math or science. It’s the same with sports-you’re still learning,” Duong said. Newsweek has also created two lists of top high schools. One of the lists takes into account socioeconomic status of students in addition to their academic achievements. According to their website, “Newsweek’s ‘Beating the Odds’ list seeks to identify schools that do an excellent job of preparing their students for college while also overcoming the obstacles posed by
students at an economic disadvantage.” On this list, City was ranked #1 in the state of Iowa this year. City was also named #323 on The Daily Beast’s list of America’s Top High Schools. The most heavily weighted criteria for these rankings are the percentage of students who graduate and those who are accepted to college. Other criteria includes the number of students taking AP exams and the percentage of the students who pass these tests, how many students receive free or reduced lunch, and average scores on the ACT and SAT. City does well in all of these categories, with an average score of 24. However, Duong believes that rankings shouldn’t be based only on test scores due to the variety of factors that can affect these scores. “If someone does poorly because they’re not trying, then the ranking will go down. It sort of places a lot of emphasis on test scores,” Duong
said. Many of the top schools on these lists are magnet schools or charter schools, including all of the top 10 on The Daily Beast’s list. Of these 10, six are classified as “selective,” which means that students must apply to be considered for attendance. Three use a lottery system to select students. Only one is classified as “open.” This means that there is not a selection process for students. “I’m proud to be a public school that is home to everybody that walks in the door. If we had some type of selection process… our statistics are probably going to get even higher, but that’s not our purpose here,” Bacon said. Duong believes that the inclusion of these schools in rankings could create a bias. “City High is a public school; anyone can be here,” Duong said. “If a school selects [who can attend], then it’s biased, because they just choose the smartest people to be in their school
*Syrian Refugees from A1 “I think [Governor Branstad’s statement is] unfortunate because people who see the Syrian refugees know first hand that they are in need of support, and they are the victims, actually, of the terrorists,” Abuissa said. “[Governor Branstad] is giving more power to the terrorists. You cannot paint [the Syrian refugees] with the same brush as terrorism, and if he does that, it’s actually empowering the terrorists.” Brett McCleary ‘17 shares the same safety concern that Governor Branstad has proposed. “I believe in helping. I believe in foreign policy and other countries having a chance, but I don’t believe that all of the Syrian refugees should be welcome into the United States,” McCleary said. “I don’t believe that they should come to our country just because [it would jeopardize] our national security.” The mayor of Swisher, Iowa, Christopher Taylor, has recently stated that he would welcome all visitors-including Syrian refugees-contradicting Governor Branstad’s proclamation. Along with Mayor Taylor, Matt Hayek, mayor of Iowa City, would welcome Syrian refugees as well. “The City Council has not formally addressed the refugee issue. However, Iowa City has ties throughout the world, and I believe our community would do its part to help with the crisis. We would welcome refugees,” Mayor Hayek said. “Personally I find Governor Branstad’s action to be in-
consistent with our state’s history of helping displaced people.” The argument that an influx of Syrian refugees to Iowa City could cause security concerns has also been denounced by Mayor Hayek. “[I would worry about the Syrian refugees] no more than I would worry about anyone else in the community,” Hayek said. “Ironically, the background of a refugee who came to Iowa City would be far more scrutinized as a result of the federal program than that of anyone else new to the community.” The terror attacks in Paris, the recent shooting in California led by two individuals that pledged allegiance to ISIS, and the mounting number of refugees fleeing Syria has sparked America’s presidential candidates to engage firmly in the foreign policy conversation. Abuissa has been involved in Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley’s presidential campaign, and has appreciated O’Malley’s recent meetings with newly acclimated United States citizens from Syria. “[The Syrian refugees] were just catching their breath [after getting their citizenship], and trying to adjust to the new environment,” Abuissa said. “It was lucky that Governor Martin O’Malley wanted to meet them. That was a nice welcoming gesture from a presidential candidate.” Republican presidential candidates have also voiced their input, the most notable being Donald Trump’s proposal to track and ID all Muslims, and even deny all Muslims’
entry into the United States. Trump has faced bipartisan scrutiny. “You have to know the background, and you have to know the facts. Someone’s not a terrorist until they’re a terrorist. If someone’s a Muslim then they’re a Muslim; that’s just their religion,” McCleary said. Legislation to tighten the security process of admitting Syrian refugees has recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill requires the director of the F.B.I., the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and the director of national intelligence to justify that the Syrian applicant will pose no threat. This is proposed to be added onto the extensive 18-24-month screening process for Syrians in several federal agencies. “Syrians are very well vetted; they are the most vetted out of any nationality on the face of the Earth,” Abuissa said. “The president wants to welcome about 10,000 Syrian refugees, and that is a very small, but meaningful, number to the people who are able and would like to come.” According to the Refugee Processing Center, the United States has accepted 2,200 Syrian refugees since 2011. The admission rate is expected to increase to suffice President Obama’s plan of accepting 10,000 more refugees. “I think it’s better for us to help people in need,” Abuissa said. “That’s how we win the heart and minds of people, when they are in need.”
and then they get on the list and they’re really high up.” The Washington Post’s list of most challenging high schools excludes some of these selective schools, such as charter and magnet schools with average test scores higher than that of any normal enrollment school. Their list is based on the number of Advanced Placement and other college-level tests given at that school divided by the number of graduating seniors. Gage believes that the job of high schools goes beyond preparing students for college. “They should be providing the opportunity for students to master core competencies that will make them successful,” Gage said. Bacon also believes that differences between top ranking high schools can be very small. “You get to a point that you’re really splitting hairs when you’re looking at decimal point differences in achievement on exams,” Bacon said. “I think everyone on that list is doing a pretty great job, and I’m sure there are plenty of schools that aren’t on that list that are doing a pretty great job.” Duong agrees, saying that it matters more to her that the school has earned a spot on the list than where it is ranked. “I just care more about being on the list than where we’re actually ranked, because we could be ranked last and still be a good school,” Duong said. For families considering a move to Iowa City, the quality of the public schools can be a motivating factor, but rankings aren’t always what they first consider. Gage has children who will attend City High in the future, and his family considered the quality of the schools before moving to Iowa City, but did not look at ranking lists. “While we did not check any lists or rankings, we did visit several schools to learn more about what they had to offer,” Gage said. Duong says for her, the role of the rankings is as a source of motivation. “I guess [I feel a responsibility], because you need to make sure that you’re doing well also, and if you’re doing well, then your school will be doing well,” she said. Bacon agrees that these rankings can be motivational, and that they should serve as a source of pride. “I hope everybody’s head goes up a little higher, and everybody knows that this is the expectation here,” Bacon said “We’re going to perform at a high level, get active and involved, achieve in the classroom, and do our best,” he said. “I think it should be a source of pride, and I hope that it is for students.”
A4
T rees Lose Their Winter Sweaters
December 18, 2015
IC Downtown District Holds Gingerbread House Decorating Competition By Madeline Deninger & Lucy Wagner
By Maya Durham & Lucy Wagner In past years, Iowa City citizens could stroll downtown and see trees snuggled into cozy sweaters for the winter. This year, however, knitters around Iowa will not be participating in the annual Tree Huggers Project, an eightmonth program in which colorful “sweaters” are knit onto trees. Betsy Potter, the Iowa City downtown district Operations Director, cited a lack of staffing capabilities and the project’s time requirement as reasons for the closure of this Iowa City tradition. “We had a great few years with the project, but this year we wanted to offer up our services to other projects,” Potter said. “It’s a time consuming project.” The Tree Huggers Project was created in 2011 to attract families downtown. The program was a result of a collaboration between the Iowa City downtown district and Home Ec, a local craft supply shop. The sweaters elicited a positive response throughout the community. “[The typical response of the community was a] really great response!” Potter said. “So many knitters were involved; people from all around the state and even outside of the state participated. There was a good response of participants and on social media,” she said. “People seemed to really enjoy them.” The lack of tree sweaters this year has elicited shock in many Iowa City citizens. “I had no idea they weren’t happening this year.” Shannon Stamp ‘17 said. “That’s upsetting because they were a great addition to the downtown.” Despite the largely positive response from the community, the Tree Huggers Project has caused some controversy in the past, as some have suggested that supplies would be better used in helping those in need. “I guess [the controversy] is pretty valid,” Cole Nicholson ‘17, an avid knitter for the homeless shelter, said. “I see that making sweaters for people in need is a better cause than putting sweaters on trees, but the sweaters on trees look cool. Hopefully whoever made the sweaters for the trees is making them [this year] for people in need.”
NEWS
Contestants work together to complete their gingerbread houses. PHOTOS BY MADELINE DENINGER
Cookies and candies of various sizes were spread across tables at the first annual Downtown Gingerbread House Competition on the evening of December 12th. The holiday spirit was in full swing as participants of every age rushed to finish their houses in hopes of winning the grand prize: a $100 gift card to downtown Iowa City. David Noble, a City High alum of ‘01, did not take the traditional route in constructing his project. “[My wife and I] entered the competition for a fun date night,” Noble said. “We are very excited about the Hawks going to the Rose Bowl, so we decided to create a Hawkeye inspired house.” However, the competition was not solely about the gingerbread. A percentage of the proceeds went to the Iowa City United Way, a nonprofit organization that covers local issues such as education, health, and income. Bridget Brown ‘18 and Muriel Brown ‘20 first heard about the competition through their father, who works for the organization. “We wanted to surprise our dad [by entering the competition],” Bridget said. Nancy Bird, the executive director of the Iowa City Downtown District, believes the event was successful in part because of its wide appeal. “At this time of year, competitions are fun for very little kids, to high schoolers, to people in their seventies,” Bird said. “It’s a really great multi-generational event.”
Horse Drawn Carriage Rides Offered Downtown By Celeste Chadwick
The Iowa City Downtown District, with the help of Hills Bank and Trust Company, is putting on their second annual horse drawn carriage rides. What started as a one day event, Celebrate the Season, now begins on Black Friday and will continue every Saturday from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m until December 19th.. “We estimate about 200 riders per day and about 1000 in total,” operations director, Betsy Potter said. “Unfortunately, we do have to turn down about 75 people each day because the horses can’t go forever.” Emma Arp ‘17 was one of many who enjoyed the carriage rides last year. “It was fun! There was a lot of little kids who were really excited about it. It was pretty cold though,” she said “I’d definitely go again! It was a lot of fun”. The horses will be provided by Country Gentleman’s Horse and Carriage Services. Along with singing carols on a carriage ride, riders will have the opportunity to participate in Santa Saturdays, a downtown hunt for the elves, and the downtown holiday market. A complete list of events can be found on the Iowa City Downtown District’s website: downtowniowacity.com
The carriage rides run through downtown Iowa City each Saturday, starting at 11:30 a.m. PHOTO BY CELESTE CHADWICK
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NEWS
A5
December 18, 2015
THE CRoSSWoRD In honor of The Force Awakens coming to theaters on December 18, this crossword features entirely Star Wars trivia.
Hot Cocoa with Claire And Addie Naughty or nice, spicy or sweet, these offbrand off-market hot chocolate recipes are sure to zest up your winter break. We put our taste buds to the test so you don’t have to and tried out some different ways of brewing hot coco.
Our ingredients maple syrup, french vanilla coffee creamer, grape jelly, Nutella, candy cane (crunched), peanut butter
Some helpful tips! -Make sure that your Nutella is Nutella and not an off brand hazelnut spread, and that it melts fully, or else it will not blend with the coco and be grainy in texture. -Use milk when adding peanut butter into the mixture! UNLESS you like the taste of watery Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. -Do not go overboard on the creamer. Unless you’re into that sort of thing. We recommend you start with a half-tablespoon!
*Deer population from A1 The hunt is held between October 1st and January 10th, lot of them.” and the hunters are only allowed to kill female deer. Even with Besides the hunt, many people have their own thoughts on the precautions taken, the hunt still receives backlash. how the growing population should be dealt with. “When we started the hunt in 1995, we had some pro“People need to be more aware,” McMillan said. “It could testers,” Bray said. “The truth is, there will always be protests damage your car and hurt the deer. Spreading awareness about the deer.” would be the best cure for the problem.” The idea of deer population conCity High science teacher Susan trol in Iowa City sprouted in 1973. Rustwick, who hit a deer on Interstate THEY HAVE A Researchers in Iowa looked into many 80 in 2013, agrees that the population possibilities, including bowhunting, should be managed, but within limits. VITAL PART IN sharp shooting, birth control and oth“They have a vital part in the food THE FOOD CHAIN, ers methods. Black Hawk county opted chain,” Rustwick said. “But we want to for sharp shooting in the early 1990’s. make sure they are not overpopulated.” BUT WE WANT Chip Hardesty remembers a similar Rustwick also reiterated that the TO MAKE SURE situation in Iowa City. best plan of action is to just hit the deer THEY ARE NOT “There used to be this professional and don’t attempt to swerve around the guy, who had a PHD in game managedeer. OVERPOPULATED. ment,” Hardesty said. “He came and “Do not go into the ditch,” Rustwick, shot 100 deer that were roaming around said. “Because you could hit something [Iowa] City, and I think we should get a lot worse in the ditch, or roll your car.” him back.” Ranger Bray said that if it were up Hardesty believes that the deer are a to him, the state would work more with hazard to the community, but isn’t sure its scientists to figure out ways to effecif it should necessarily be considered an tively control the situation. epidemic. “The governor needs to utilize the biologists and have them “I advise new drivers to be really really careful,” Hardesty help him with his laws and fundings,” Bray said. “Deer are near said. “Especially in the spring and early winter when we see a and dear to my heart. I’d like to see it managed responsibly.”
“
”
-SUSAN RUSTWICK
1: candy cane 2: peanut butter 3: french vanilla coffee creamer
1: candy cane 2: jelly 3: peanut butter
A6
December 18, 2015
NEWS
The Shifting Scope o Racial Tensions Erupt at Mizzou By Maya Durham & Molly Liu On a normal day at the University of Missouri, Chelsea Haynes walks around campus, smiling and conversing with her fellow classmates. In recent months, however, Haynes’s daily life has taken a rather dramatic turn- as racial threats and tensions begin to take center stage at the university, Haynes now often finds herself surrounded by various protests and camp outs, and isolated by her peers - all because of the color of her skin. “[Sometimes] people will kind of look at you in a funny way, just because you are black on campus,” Haynes said. “It’s definitely interesting.” The issue of racism in America has had a long history, and the recent student protests at the University of Missouri, or Mizzou, have helped bring these issues into the light. To the black students at Mizzou, however, racial issues are hardly a new concept. The recent uproar of racial tensions can be traced back to the spring of 2010, when an incident involving the scattering of cotton balls outside the university’s Black Culture Center caused a disturbance. Seen as a racist act and undeniable reminder of slavery, the alleged student offenders were arrested. However, this failed to quell the worries of the black students on campus; problems only continued to intensify as subsequent events brought heated tensions to a boil. “I was aware of everything that was happening on campus, but [problems] didn’t just start with racial tensions. There were a lot of different things that were going on,” Haynes said. “It was the [student] protests that kind of got everything going.” In a recent occurrence on the social media platform Yik Yak, anonymous threats were posted to the site detailing plans of a school shooting. These threats caused some black students to evacuate the campus out of fear. “[Black students] got a lot of threats on campus. Other people have received a lot of threats as well, especially on the night of [Tuesday, November 10th], when the threats first broke news,” Haynes said. “I actually had to go off campus [that day], because I was so scared as to what was happening.” While many students at Mizzou have not directly experienced racism, many have seen their peers endure non-physical aggressions on campus. “I have seen my peers use microaggressions or write pseudo-informed Facebook statuses that definitely contribute to the ‘us versus them’ theme that I believe has been prominent throughout the last few weeks,” Mizzou sophmore Hanna Yowell said. Since the threats and protests began, Mizzou students, staff, and faculty have noticed changes on campus. These changes have been very different for each person in the community. Leah Hoelscher, a sophomore at the university and a City High alumna, admires the evolving climate on campus. For her, the protests and newfound solidarity between the student body have made her appreciate Mizzou even more than she did before. “I now love Mizzou football for standing up for what they believe in over a game. I love our campus for allowing marches, protests, sit-ins, campouts, and prayer services,” Hoelscher said. “I love my fellow students for bonding together to support marginal-
ized students on campus. I love our professors for respecting the safety concerns of our students on campus.” News of the events on the Mizzou campus has spread across the country, mostly through news outlets and social media. The hashtag #BlackOnCampus brought worldwide attention to the issue. Many social justice activists on the social media site have tweeted about it. The twitter account for Concerned Student 1950, a student organization at the University of Missouri, started the trend by tweeting, “Black Students and black alum, tell us your experiences as a marginalized student. Hashtag #BlackOnCampus.” This hashtag was met with personal accounts and displays of support for the students tweeting, as well as tweets disagreeing with the movement. “Privilege was me being moved out of my dorm, because my roommate was afraid of me. She simply learned [about] blacks from TV. #BlackOnCampus.” Twitter user @ AurielEbonie said. This point is made often throughout the tweets under this hashtag. According to the tweets many black students feel alienated on their campuses. “Being told as a student reporter that wearing your natural hair isn’t professional & you must remain ‘consistent’. #BlackOnCampus.” @kimayak_Davis tweeted. The administration has played a large role in the happenings at Mizzou. Former Mizzou president Timothy Wolfe and former chancellor R. Bowen Loftin resigned following various protests across campus, notably those of the Mizzou football team and graduate student Jonathan Butler’s hunger strike. In his resignation speech, Wolfe acknowledged the concerns and anger of the students, faculty, and staff. “So the question really is, is why did we get to this very difficult situation. It is my belief we stopped listening to each other. We didn’t respond or react. We got frustrated with each other, and we forced individuals like Jonathan Butler to take immediate action and unusual steps to effect change,” Wolfe said. “This is not, I repeat not, the way change should come about. Change comes from listening, learning, caring, and conversation. We have to respect each other enough to stop yelling at each other and start listening, and quit intimidating each other.” While the University of Missouri faculty and staff have not made many public comments on the issues at hand, they maintain support for their students. “My Spanish teacher is a large advocate for student’s rights on campus, so classes were canceled in order to give students the ability to attend the protests,” Hoelscher said. “Any other conversations during class times have just been blanket statements from professors of their support, and we have moved on with class.” Hoelscher supports Wolfe’s resignation, but understands that the resignation of one individuals will not mend the racial tensions at Mizzou. “It’s not like everyone was blaming him for the racism experienced at Mizzou, but it was his job as the figurehead of an institution to set an example and to be an effective leader. He failed to do this,” Hoelscher said. “I believe that the people in charge of institutions have an important responsibility to actually care about the individuals they represent, and Wolfe clearly didn’t.”
Students march in protests throughout campus on November 6, 2015, just days before Wolfe’s resignation. PHOTOS BY HANNA YOW
NEWS
A7
December 18, 2015
of #blacklivesmatter
WELL
Campaign Zero Works to Inform Presidential Election By Sofie Lie
Two months after the launch of the Black Lives Matter movement’s policy platform, Campaign Zero, data analyst Samuel Sinyangwe garnered 2,000 retweets on an almost blank chart posted to his twitter page. The trending chart details the presidential frontrunners’ proposals in response to policies suggested by the platform, such as ending broken windows policing, and creating more diversity amongst police officers to better represent the communities where they serve. According to Sinyangwe, who co-founded the platform, the attention it has received is precisely what is needed for candidates to better acknowledge the black demographic. “I think that we’ve seen how Black Lives Matter and the movement is a regular theme and topic of conversation that the [presidential candidates] are being held accountable to answering to,” he said. Sinyangwe’s experience with activism started when he founded a social justice club at his high school in Orlando, Florida. He then went on to study the relationship between race and U.S. politics at Stanford, and, upon graduating, worked with research institution PolicyLink, which aims to address systemic racism. However, it was Sinyangwe’s work with compiling data for Mapping Police Violence that laid the foundation for Campaign Zero. “I was really interested in figuring out sort of how the system works, how race and politics are connected, and how to change those dynamics of inequality,” he said. The Campaign Zero platform outlines several solutions to end police violence through the proposal of state, local, and national laws which would decrease the priority of minor offenses, and require the use of police body cameras, among other things. These policies are supported by Sinyangwe’s research for Mapping Police Violence, in which he designed a map that shows police violence against black people throughout the past year. “My role [in Campaign Zero] is to understand what the universal solutions are, how those solutions connect to the problems and, finally, how we need to digitalize that in a way that communicates very clearly what needs to be done,” Sinyangwe said. According to Sinyangwe, the incident in Ferguson furthered the diffusion of racial issues into politics. “I think the conversation has changed, because it’s no longer acceptable [for candidates] just to say they’re going to do something and say that black lives matter,” Sinyangwe said. “They have to have a very detailed plan for addressing policies.” Shanice Johnson ‘17 came upon the Black Lives Matter movement through networking site Tumblr a year ago, and has since become an advocate for it. She agrees with Sinyangwe in that the candidates’ policies should aim to be far more detailed than they are now. “I think it’s important to highlight why these kinds of policies are needed in the first place,” Johnson said. Both Johnson and Sinyangwe’s critique come after the Democratic and Republican National Committees declined to hold debates based entirely on issues of racial equality, yet in the Democratic Debate held in Des Moines, candidates were asked whether black lives matter, or whether all lives matter. For Sinyangwe, one question is not enough to address the issue. “I think that any opportunity for the candidates to address the issues of black voters is something that we really haven’t seen done before, and that sort of speaks to how we’ve been marginalized historically,”
he said. “I think that this would be an opportunity for the candidates to show that they connect with our demographic, and that they can really respond, not only in terms of what they’re saying they’ll do, but how they’re saying they’ll do it and whether it’s authentic.” Johnson agrees in that more publicity for the movement will give the candidates more capacity in addressing specific policy objectives. “Systemic racism and stereotyping are unnecessary and ridiculous,” she said. “If we have more candidates talking about the issues and the movement, then I think there will be a more positive reaction.” While the relationship between politicians and movement leaders is not clearly defined, Sinyangwe believes that it is in both the candidates and the movement’s best interest to engage in conversation about equity. “[Candidates] have a strategic reason to respond to these demands,” Sinyangwe said, referring to the comprehensive set of reforms released by Campaign Zero. “But, I think that on our side it is important to engage the candidates, because ultimately, one of them will be the president of the United States.” In engaging candidates and representatives, Campaign Zero employs a direct action strategy in which they will reach out to and confront politicians. In some cases, the politicians themselves will call or email representatives from Campaign Zero in order to schedule a meeting. Sinyangwe noted that the politicians’ willingness to talk about racial justice differs vastly, but movements towards racial equality have ultimately encouraged this conversation. “For example, [President Obama] has been very cautious to talk about anything involving race, and so the movement has really created space for him to talk about it in a way that seems authentic, and like he’s not forcing an agenda on white people. I think there are many candidates like that,” Sinyangwe said. “On the other side, there are many candidates who are uncomfortable talking about this issue, and then there are candidates who are hostile to the goals of the movement.” Sinyangwe describes his role in these conversations as intermediary; he and fellow movement leaders seek out a space and host the meeting. Among the politicians the founders of Campaign Zero have met with are Secretary Hillary Clinton, Senator Bernie Sanders and Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Yet he believes that it is this kind of dialogue between politicians and movement leaders that can prove to be problematic, as both the Black Lives Matter movement and Campaign Zero remain unaffiliated politically, and choose not to endorse candidates. The movement’s decision to remain unaffiliated is one that Johnson thinks allows there to be a stronger emphasis on the social issue of inequality, rather than strictly policy. “I don’t want the movement to have a political upbringing,” she said. “It needs to be what it is without influences from politics.” Considering what lies ahead, Sinyangwe wants to see candidates release more detailed agendas regarding racial policy and an increased sense of competition amongst the candidates about their respective solutions. “I think that all of the candidates need to work for these votes. There’s no one party that has a monopoly on the truth, or a monopoly on black votes,” Sinyangwe said. “Our philosophy has been that whoever the president is going to be, whether that’s Democratic or Republican, they need to actually address these issues.”
“THERE’S NO ONE PARTY THAT HAS A MONOPOLY ON THE TRUTH, OR A MONOPOLY ON BLACK VOTES. OUR PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN THAT WHOEVER THE PRESIDENT IS GOING TO BE, WHETHER THAT’S DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN, THEY NEED TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.” -SAMUEL SINYANGWE
A8 OPINION
December 18, 2015
Staff Editorial:
LH Executive Editors
dominic balestrieri-fox, sonali durham & claire noack
News Editor
How Sensationalism is Ruining Journalism The world of journalism is undergoing big changes in the digital age, some of them more concerning than others.
olivia parrott
Opinion Editors
Cody Owen & Ellis Fontana
Feature Editor caroline brown
Sports Editor
brady vanlo & jonathan house
Photo Editors
caroline brown & max gruber
A&E Editor
jonas geerdes
Copy Editor
madeline deninger
Ad Manager
bella pittman
Online Editors
nova meurice & sarah smith
Online Opinion Editors
sadie hobbs & lydia kauffnan
Online News Editors
sofie lie & lucy mcgehee
Social Media Editor claire goodfellow
Media Editors
innes hicsasmaz & sophia schlesinger
Staff
sam bloom, serena collins, joseph cress, estie dillard, bianca esquivel, victor fesenmeyer, gabe gibbens, jim geerdes, zoe hopewell, shanice johnson, lydia kauffmann, lucy mcgehee, robin menietti, sam naylor, lilly o’brien, anna penta, jake russel, frederick stumbo, aminata traore, a.j. boulund, paige etten, kyle irish-gorvin, daniel massey, miles pei, micaela selck, nathan cremers, maya durham, duncan forbes, molly liu, brittney pirkl, raz schlutter, karl thomas, gabriel weigel
Adviser
jonathan rogers
Online Bios and Stories
www.thelittlehawk.com/staff
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
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.
In theory, the mission of a journalist is to report the truth, and to do no harm. However, adherence to that mission has become somewhat murky in recent years. Likewise, these changes in journalism culture have made being a journalist is becoming more difficult in and of itself. For someone turning on a modern news channel, the world looks terrible. When we visited CNN and MSNBC’s website while writing this piece, we found various articles about Donald Trump’s crazy antics, updates on the ISIS situation in Syria, North Korea supposedly owning hydrogen bombs, and clickbait-y articles. When we went on to Fox News, it became worse. As we write, ten out of sixteen articles on the front page of Fox New’s website have to do with the horrors of terrorism and how ISIS must be stopped and how we’re doing it, and the other six articles are on gun control or Selena Gomez lip-syncing. All of these articles are paired up with pictures of bloody corpses, mugshots, pictures of ISIS members waving guns around, and Trump (except for the Gomez one, of course). All contribute to the overall sense of fear that it seems the website is trying to convey. That’s not to say that there aren’t things to be afraid of in our country. There are, but they aren’t the things being reported on. In fact, the average American has a greater chance of being killed by a lightning strike than in a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, around 88,000 deaths occur annually due to alcohol-related issues. Around 33,000 deaths occur in car crashes. Instead they’re busy telling you about the latest deadly home invasion in some city halfway across the country, despite the fact that every year there are only around 2,000
anchors tell them what they want to hear before showing them the latest advance in internet cat videos. There is a constant search for the next big headline, which has created a kind of insanity, culminating in the break-ins and crime-scene contamination perpetrated by journalists attempting to find more information on the San Bernardino shooters. As a publication, the Little Hawk largely avoids this trend. Granted, there is less for us to report on than there is for a national news source, and the subjects tend to be a lot less heavy, but we actively endeavor to report on the things most relevant to our school without doctoring or misrepresenting the subjects of our reporting. In fact, many publications are doing the same. Publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post are still attempting to report honestly on important issues, such as America’s problem with gun violence. Nevertheless, sensationalized reporting is an alarming trend. Instead of attempting to educate the public, some media outlets pick and choose specific stories that match a target audience and will make us feel exactly what they want us to feel so we will keep on tuning in. Americans are more aware of the strange pasts and various idiosyncrasies of our political candidates than their actual plans and ideas. If there is no change, journalism could be headed for a time where a casual news media consumer would have no clue about the state of their own country.
In general, do you think popular media journalism accurately reflects the state of our nation? Yes: 4 No: 10 deadly home invasions, out of 125 million houses (or .002%). It’s also worth mentioning that we are in the most peaceful time in human history, but most people will tell you we’re living in the most violent. Why? Because news stations tend to focus heavily on the violent stuff because as it so happens, violence sells. This change wasn’t for no reason, though. The fact is that many people are no longer as interested in real news. News sources are becoming more sensationalized, now the money is in getting more clicks, which means pandering to audiences and reporting on the things that will pique the interest of today’s increasingly impatient readers as they skim through their feeds or flip through their channels. Readers are no longer concerned with the concept of multiple viewpoints on a controversial topic. Instead, many will just flock to whichever news station matches their ideology and helps them create an echo chamber where glossy news
OPINION
A9
December 18, 2015
With Open Arms
Thumbs
By Zoë Hopewell
On Friday, November 13th, the city of Paris was gripped with fear as a series of coordinated terrorist attacks killed over one hundred people. Later, German chancellor Angela Merkel offered her condolences, telling the people of France that “we, your German friends, are so close to you. We are crying with you.” This expression of remorse for a city in mourning was met with attacks on the chancellor’s policies on refugees. Merkel, who has been accepting of refugees coming to Germany from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries, was criticized for allowing refugees to enter the country, and many of these critics stated that terrorists could use the refugee crisis to easily gain access to a country that they want to attack. Ho w e v e r, these people were missing one important fact: the majority of the attackers were not actually refugees, and the majority of terrorists overall are not even foreigners, but “home-grown” terrorists. In fact, only one of the attackers in Paris was suspected to have entered Europe as a refugee. This is consistent with statistics; 80 percent of terrorist attacks in the US since 9/11 have been committed by US citizens, and there has not been one single domestic terrorist attack committed by a foreign organization since then. Those concerned about threats to the US should know that refugees must undergo an incredibly thorough screening process before getting refugee status. This process can take months or even years, and includes several rounds of background checks, interviews, and other security checks. Many are turned down throughout this process if there is any doubt at all about their motivations for coming to the US. These refugees have been forced to leave their home countries, their lives, and often their families, only to be met with suspicion and ignorance while seeking a safe place to live, receiving hate from the people who should be welcoming them with open arms. If the US is going to continue to claim a place as a world superpower, we must step up in this situation. We cannot sit idly by while innocent people are displaced and killed. It is our responsibility, as a country that has the ability and resources, to help.
Yes, we must have a screening process. Yes, we must perform background checks. But there is a difference between being cautious and being completely xenophobic, a difference between ensuring the safety of our own citizens and endangering the safety of others. No, these people are not US citizens. They are, on the surface, different from us. But that does not mean that their lives are not just as valuable as ours. It does not mean that they should be expected to stay in an extremely dangerous situation just because they were unlucky enough to have their home country turned into a war zone. It does not mean that we should care any less about their lives, their safety, and their human rights. S t i l l , even though refugees do not pose any danger, many are calling for the US to stop letting in refugees from the Middle East. This will not help to prevent terror, and will in fact only increase the growing divide between the East and West, which is the opposite of what we need right now. What we need right now is international cooperation, d i p l o m a c y, and education, not fear, ignorance, and hate. Turning away refugees and accusing them of being terrorists only contributes to an “us and them” mentality, which will only lead to more disunity and reinforce the idea that the West and East are enemies. This situation is also more than just politics. More than anything, we need to exercise some simple human compassion. These refugees are victims of a war that has torn apart their country, not scheming terrorists trying to play the system. They are often fleeing because of attacks by the same groups some think they are a part of. They deserve a chance at a life free from war and fear. Refugees are human, just like we are, and they have the same rights that we do: rights to a safe place to live, work, and raise their children, rights to human decency and kindness as they seek these things. Instead of seeing them as foreigners, as people completely different from us, as terrorists or potential threats, we should see these refugees for who they are: human beings, potential colleagues, and neighbors and friends.
What Mental Health Means for Guns By Cody Owen and Miles Pei So far in 2015, there have been 355 mass shootings, which is an average of more than 1 mass shooting per day. The standard has been to blame the issue on poor mental health care and to call for stronger background checks aiming to detect a history of mental issues. While such a thing would likely help marginally, it wouldn’t have a massive impact towards fixing the problem. In order to truly reduce gun violence, a myriad of issues need to be addressed. The propensity for violence isn’t only linked to mental illness. Of the factors present in the lives of mass shooters, substance abuse is one of the largest contributors. A study conducted in Sweden tracked the rate of violent crime in a group of 8,000 people diagnosed with schizophrenia between 1973 and 2006, and found that 8% of those with the disorder and no problems with substance abuse were convicted with a violent crime, but 28% of those who had the disorder
in addition dealing with substance abuse were convicted with a violent crime. Likewise, in a study by the National Institute of Mental Health, substance abusers with no mental disorder were nearly seven times more likely to commit a violent crime than non-substance abusers. Having access to guns is another problem. Out of 37 school shootings in 26 different states, the shooter acquired their weapons from a family member or relative 65% of the time. A study in 2003 showed that having a gun at home increases the risk of homicide by 3 times, with suicide 3-5 times higher. The overall issue of how shooters have access to guns can easily be tied to gun shows not enforcing background checks. The “gun show loophole” is one of the only ways people can purchase guns without a background check because the sale of most guns in the U.S without a background check is only allowed if the seller is a private seller. This
loophole allows convicted felons to be able to purchase the majority of guns at a gunshow. The truth of the supposed prevalence of severe mental health issues in those who commit these actions is: it’s generally not prevalent, or at least not outwardly detectable in many cases. A study conducted in 2001 by the University of California studied a group of 34 adolescent mass-murderers found that only 23% of them had a documented history of mental health issues. The attribution of mental health disabilities to these acts of violence are more of a result of us trying to rationalize the actions of these individuals. If we want to try and solve the issue and bring the number of these terrible occurrences down, we need to address the all of the issues causing them. To crack down on gun laws, and offer counseling and better care for those with mental issues and dealing with substance abuse.
Oatmeal! Star Wars! The fusion reactor in Germany! The re-death of Facebook! Fires in the fireplace! Ice fishing! Exclamation points!
College Applications! Fires leaving the fireplace! Neo-Nazi presidential candidates! Structurally challenged gingerbread houses!
A10
December 18, 2015
Let’s Get Satirical: REd cUpS?!?
The Cheating Phenomenon By Lily O’Brien As a teenager, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks on how to survive the harder parts of high school, especially cheating. Whether it be writing notes on my arm or looking at a paper in my lap, my cheating habits have bumped up my test scores... more than once. The idea that cheating is bad has been drilled into my mind since I was old enough to read and recite the alphabet. Copying someone’s work onto your own test or homework is what is most commonly defined as cheating, but the possible consequences are much more serious than the act itself. It seems the motto nowadays “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” is becoming much more relevant in my life and the lives of my peers. I’ll admit it, I’ve been there...a few times. Being a teenager, taking the easy way out is just part of my nature. But in reality, stealing an answer or two for a better grade isn’t worth the F I’d receive and the permanent notation on my educational record that could ruin my far fetched dreams of Ivy League acceptance. Cheating consequences should be lessened, teachers should spend more time stressing the importance of learning instead of grades, and assignments should be shortened in order to maximize the time students have to engage in activities, clubs, family time, or work. Students should never feel the urge to cheat to receive a better grade than they would if they took the time to do the assignment themselves. Learning should be beneficial to the students and enrich their lives rather than being an obstacle holding them back from participating in other activities. Students understand there are consequences, often major ones, if they do happen to cheat, but they wouldn’t feel the need to cheat if they properly understood all the content. As a sophomore, I’m expected to do a lot in regards to school. I must complete at least one assignment every night for every class, sometimes more, and am expected to be well rested, alert, and participating during class. I’m also always expected to go above and beyond for the A, but it’s hard when I’ve stayed up all night working on all my homework from the day before. I mostly feel the urge to cheat when I don’t understand, forget, or run out of time to complete an assignment or test. Teachers need to take the time to teach lessons more thoroughly for the comprehension of their students. The copious amounts of homework teachers give causes students to sacrifice most of their time for a good grade. Cheating is a habit I’ve given into a few times during my educational career. I personally know that if the risk of cheating pays off, I could potentially receive a higher grade than I would putting an answer I’m not sure of on the paper. Teachers have done everything they can to prevent students from using information from another person on a test. Whether it be changing the order of the answers, folders around your head, or a notecard to cover your answers, teachers are cautious about how their students take exams. If I were caught cheating, my parents would be called and I’d fail the test or assignment. The consequence is too extreme for just one run-in with the rules. In high school, students should receive a warning and a solo retake if they’re caught once. If they cheat again, the punishment should be more harsh. Approximately 20 percent of City High’s population has a full
“
By Sophia Schlesinger Dear Mr. Howard Schultz,
schedule of seven classes. I happen to be a part of that 20%, and trying to finish my homework in all my classes and still getting a full eight hours of rest is next to impossible for me. Cheating could save hours and open up space for more leisure time. If teachers gave shorter assignments, my work could be much more quality and I would have more free time for reviewing for tests. I may also feel less of an urge to cheat when I’m only assigned two or three hours of accumulative homework every night. Taking the time to look up an assignment online or asking a friend for answers would take more time than the assignment itself. Shortened assignments would also give teachers time to go over the assignments in class. According to a survey given to approximately 5% of City High’s student population, 76% of students reported previous cheating on homework and/or tests. The survey was given to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors who anonymously answered a series of questions regarding their cheating habits, if any. Of the 104 students recorded cheating, approximately 85% of the students said they cheat occasionally, while others cheat daily or frequently. The majority of students at City cheat, some more than others, which shows their inclination to complete their homework and tests even if unsure of their answers. Only 6% of those students have been caught cheating. Slight improvements in the educational strategies could potentially lead to more participation from students and higher test scores. When students don’t feel the need to cheat, they actually learn the content and therefore receive higher test scores. Better test scores could also mean a bump in school funding due to the No Child Left Behind Act’s policy. The urge I feel to cheat comes from stress induced from too much homework. Once the clock reaches 12:30 AM, I have a hard time focusing on the work in front of me. Tired and unmotivated, I search the answers online or ask for a friend’s. I agree cheating isn’t the best strategy, but I’m not left with many other choices. Less homework would mean more sleep, more time participating in things I enjoy or spending time with friends and family, and more quality work. I strongly believe that cheating could be eliminated or lessened with compromise between teachers and students.
SILENT
“Can you see me if I lie down? I’m going to relive my childhood by becoming a dead raccoon.” -Mr. Hartwig
“Two more hours until I turn into a pumpkin” -Mr. Rogers
“Poisoning your own citizens is considered to be bad news bears.”
“
RIGHT TO REMAIN
OPINION
-Mrs. Rustwick
“It’s all fun and games until someone goes to a Malaysian prison.” -Mr. Dodge
I’m writing to you today because this morning I stopped off at a Starbucks located in my small, primarily white, conservative Texan town, and upon receiving my gingerbread latte with soy milk and lowfat sweetener, I was instantly shocked to find my holiday cup completely naked. No snowflakes, no snowmen, no gingerbread, no nothing. I shouldn’t need to explain why this is unacceptable, but unfortunately there are parts of this great nation teeming with flaming liberals bent on ruining the Christmas season-- or as they call it, “winter.” I would like to begin by addressing the statement issued by your company: “This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories.” Excuse me, “purity of design”? You’re going for subtlety, a simple kind of elegance, clearly. Riddle me this, Howard. What in the hell is subtle about the Christmas season in capitalist America?? Our tree went up fifteen minutes after we’d finished Thanksgiving dinner, and 20 minutes before our whole family went to the mall to engage in physical combat with other families over a television. I haven’t worn real clothes in a month; the sweater I’m currently wearing is made out of actual reindeer, and has approximately 67 jingle-bells on it. Almost our entire country regularly tunes into a television channel that plays nothing but Christmas themed content. And you want to go for subtle. As for “welcoming all of our stories”-- is that really necessary? I mean, they’re only 5.9% of the population in the entire nation, can’t we just marginalize them a little more? Personally, I think it’s okay to marginalize a population if they’re already an extreme minority. What’s a little more isolation? Howard Schultz, it’s come to my attention that you, yourself, are Jewish, but you must understand that I hold you responsible for adhering only to America’s Christian population, as we are clearly historically more religiously persecuted than Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists COMBINED. As an act of social justice, I have taken to giving my name as “Merry Christmas” to force you to participate in my religion. It’s quite clever, yes? The only thing is that every time I do it, the coffee tastes vaguely like human saliva. Haven’t quite figured that one out yet. I strongly hope you will consider adding something appropriate to the cups. In previous years, I’ve seen snowflakes. Those were quite nice as far as Christmas decorations go, and I do mean Christmas decorations. They’re pretty exclusively symbols of Christmas, and as far as I know, members of other faiths can’t even see snowflakes. They don’t make snowmen, either, I’ve noticed. In my entire life, never have I seen a Jewish snowman. It’s quite strange, really. Merry Christmas to you and yours, Howard. You’ll be hearing from me soon if these wild, hippie, “subtle,” contemporary art cups don’t disappear from the market soon. Sincerely, Christian and Confused Conservative St. Nowhere, USA
A11
DECEMBER 18, 2015 A&E
ARTS
& ENTERTAINMENT ABOVE: Mohamed Shaban ‘16 and Shawn Panthavong ‘16 pose for their mixtape. They plan to release it over Soundcloud later this month. PHOTO BY MAX GRUBER
Rapping duo Da Phan and Lil Mo plan to release their new mixtape titled “Mid-December” on the 29th of this month. By Sadie Hobbs and Jonas Geerdes
I
t all started with a beat, a lyric, and a love for the month of December. Mohamed Shaban ‘16, “Lil Mo”, and Shawn Phanthavong ‘16 , “Da Phan”, are two City High students who decided to work together as a rapping duo and produce a mixtape called Mid-December. “It came out of nowhere. I was joking with Mohamed about the mixtape and then I was like, we should drop a mixtape and I can produce it,” Phanthavong said. “At the time, we thought it was really funny. We wrote a really bad song as a joke, but then it evolved into something serious.” Phanthavong and Shaban began to work on their mixtape in the beginning of November. They worked mostly at school writing lyrics and thinking of beats they could use for recording sessions. They then began working on the recording process over Thanksgiving break, finishing almost all of the mixtape. The biggest issue was scheduling when they were
both available to work on their mixtape. “It’s hard to find time that can work for the both of us,” Phanthavong explained. “We both have different schedules, and our free time doesn’t align very well.” Phanthavong, also being the producer of the mixtape, believes that he and Shaban compliment each other well. They both want Mid-December to represent their last few months with their friends. “The purpose of [Mid-December] is to be with friends,” Shaban said. “It’s supposed to be memorable.” With the hype of Mid-December, and word getting around, both City High and
other students have expressed interest in being part of the album. “People have asked, and I’m cautious to let them be a part of [Mid-December],” Phanthavong said. “We have a lot of City people featuring, and it’s meant to be a kind of farewell to everyone.” Keeping the City-image, the duo have also kept the mixtape mostly a secret, revealing little details about upcoming songs and offering no hints on what to expect from their music. “Let me leave it at this,” Shaban said. “There is a clear subject in every song we rap about. People won’t be confused about what we’re trying to deliver.” The mixtape includes a unique tone surrounding their different types of rap-
“IT’s Our Final FaReWeLL, before we have to leave.” -MOHAMED SHABAN ‘16
ping, but the overall structure fits well with their different styles of rap. “I’m definitely a little more explicit,” Phanthavong said. “I believe that some messages require certain words in order to portray that.” Although titled MidDecember, the tape will come out on the 29th, later this month. The delay is due to Phanthavong and Shaban having a difficulty finding a place to record. “I need privacy,” Phanthavong said. “A lot of the stuff I say I don’t want people to hear.” Shaban also agreed that the tape was meant to be hidden before release. “It’s meant to be our final farewell, before we have to leave,” Shaban said. Both boys will be graduating at the end of the year, and see their mixtape as a way to say goodbye. “It’s going to be interesting,” Phanthavong said. “I love the month of December. Snow is falling; the world is in a beautiful state. I can’t think of a better time than now to drop Mid-December.”
A12
DECEMBER 18, 2015 A&E Ca rol ine Bro wn
DANCE :CAPTAINS
Q&A
Fourth Avenue Jazz Company dance captains talk about their showchoir experience and hopes for the upcoming season. By Molly Liu LH: How many years have you been doing show choir? CB: Six years. I started in seventh grade. ZK: I’ve been doing it for five years. NM: I’ve been in show choir all four years in high school. LO: Four years. I’ve been in show choir since my freshman year.
LH: What made you want to become a dance captain? CB: I think that I have pretty good leadership skills, and I am a confident dancer and performer. I thought it would be great if I could put these skills to use. ZK: I like leading, and I enjoy dancing as well. I love that I can be a part of making the group better. NM: Show choir has been one of the most important parts of my time at City High. I really care about the group and I wanted to make it as fun and successful as possible. LO: I watched the previous dance captains and I have dance experience, so when I first joined show choir, I set it as a goal for myself to eventually become a captain.
LH: What do you enjoy most about being on the 4th Avenue leadership committee?
CB: I like being able to help others. It’s a nice accomplishment to have since it’s my senior year as well. It’s fun to be able to help create an energy within the group. ZK: I enjoy being able to help make decisions, and contribute my ideas. NM: The leadership in our group is great because we have Mr. and Mrs. Berry in charge. LO: I love feeling like I have a part in our success this year! I think the whole team works well together. I also like that the leadership committee also includes the vocal and social captains, allowing for more opinions. LH: Most memorable show choir moment?
LH: What are you most excited to see from 4th Avenue once competition season starts? CB: I really want to win, although it’s not what show choir is always about. But I really hope we are able to do so this year. I think we are off to a better start this year, so hopefully things turn out in our favor. ZK: I would love to show how much we’ve improved since last year, and show how good 4th Avenue really is. NM: I’m excited to see everything come together. It feels incredible as a performer when everyone gives everything they’ve got to our show. LO: I’m really excited to compete and see how much our hard work has paid off. This year is definitely my favorite show, so I’m excited to see where it takes us!
LH: Which of the 4th Ave songs is your favorite this year and why? CB: Definitely Dancing Fool. I think it’s the catchiest song, and it’s going to be the song that is stuck in people’s heads when they leave our show. It’s also the most fun to dance. ZK: Probably Dancing Fool, just because it’s so similar to what I like to perform. It’s crazy and fun. NM: I love Dancing Fool. Our choreographer, Stephen Todd, is great. I love how much energy goes into the song; when we have the band playing with us, it really makes the song come to life. LO: I love the closer, Dancing Fool! The choreography is so well done, and it’s very different from the other pieces. It’s unique, and the dance makes it really fun to be a part of.
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CB: I don’t know if I have one specific favorite show choir moment. I remember though, my freshman year, all these seniors that I really looked up to, and I just knew that I really
wanted to be like them when I got older. ZK: I have a lot of good memories from show choir. Sophomore year, we used brushes as one of our props for our show, and I accidentally threw it across the stage during a performance. It landed by Sam English, [another member of 4th Avenue at the time]. He just kicked it into the audience. NM: My most memorable moment would be winning first place at the Supernova competition my sophomore year in 4th Avenue. We made finals, but we were not expecting to win it. It was so amazing to be able to lift a grand champ trophy. LO: In the second song, [there is a dance move where the girls sit on the guys knees]. During our Works in Progress performance, my dance partner Tom accidentally got down on the wrong knee, so I stood and pretended to squat so it looked like I was sitting on his knee. The song is so fun that it didn’t even matter; it was just a funny thing that happened.
PHOTOS BY JIM GEERDES