Senior Salute 2010

the

LITTLEHAWK

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City High School 1900 morningside drive, iowa city, iowa 52240 special edition-senior salute

senior salute

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Turn to page 15 for Senior Awards

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

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Senior columns

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oh the places you’ll go

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senior college map

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senior columns

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senior diary

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senior awards The Senior Section is produced annually by senior members of The Little Hawk newspaper’s staff.

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Davis Vonk Max Caballero Andy Cress Meredith Thornton

We would like to thank the following people for their support:

Jeff Morris Mark Hanson The Jolly Rogers

seniorcolumns

seniorcolumns|seniorcolumns|seniorcolumns|seniorcolumns|seniorcolumns|seniorcolumns|seniorcolumns

SUSANNA HOWARD

book skills we’ll need to be welleducated individuals. Their hard Seniors~ How do we say goodbye work has pushed us to achieve without being cliché? As the even when we didn’t want to.

Something that I’ve finally final countdown begins, a happy medium between ecstatic and started to realize though is nostalgic is becoming harder to how much we’ve learned from each other. Our opinions and find.

Senioritis is pulsing full-fledged interactions in and out of the through the veins of even the most classroom have affected our studious of the class, and the itch development more than we really to be out of these halls has set in. know. I wouldn’t be the same Let’s face it: high school has not person without the people in my always been a fairy tale for all of us. junior year English class, physics Four years of homework, late THE ITCH TO BE OUT OF THESE nights, finals, hallway drama, HALLS HAS SET IN hard practices, -ABIGAIL LEE difficult decisions, and growing up have taken their toll on the teenage study groups, or show choir trips. psyche, and now the senior scale They helped me become me.

So as we count down the final is leaning heavily towards the ecstasy of freedom from the high digits of our high school careers, be excited! This ending means the school scene.

With new experiences and beginning of a whole lifetime. My adulthood looming in our oh so only advice is to remember the near futures, who can blame us? people and the experiences that Some of us will head to colleges helped you become YOU along and universities, some will work, the way. some will travel, and some might decide that there is still more to Congrats class of 2010! figure out before they can take a definite next step. No matter what, each one of us will have to make that choice for ourselves based on what we have learned here, so let us examine for a moment what that has been.

Our English, science, math, and language teachers have done their absolute best to give us the

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OUR PRESIDENT

This flock of little hawks is ready to fly over the horizon -Howard’s advice

Abigail Lee

03

Dazed, confused and living the dream Confusion Seth: The journey into my educational life began in the blue spelling group in first grade and now I find myself graduating in the class of confused. Confusion breeds questioning.....

Davis: An educational robot; following all the rules, pleasing all the teachers, not only doing every homework assignment, but ellaborating and melodramatizing every single one. The perfectionist, the goal-driven newspaper fanatic trying to get everything done. Now graduating, reflection brands confusion... ...I’m confused if the information I’ve spent memorizing at mind-numbing rates will ever be useful in my life. I’m realizing that my teachers are preparing my classmates and I for jobs that haven’t been created and skill sets that are yet to be invented, just as our parent’s generation never learned how to operate a computer. I’m confused about the true value of my education.

I’m confused why the administration and teachers spend countless hours enforcing policies that hold no true value and in the end are consuming the limited resources available to the school. I’m confused about why the system is institutionally racist against people who are not white. I’m confused why as students we choose to self-segregate. I’m confused why race is an issue that we are taught not to talk about.

Maybe accepting that our behavioural norms of silence is not the solution. Maybe we have work to do. How can any social change be made if our generation is taught to ignore the way we feel and act towards others?

Regrets Seth: I truly regret actually making an effort in this place. I’m embarrassed with the level of seriousness I committed to my academic career here at City High. I am frustrated with myself that I got good grades. By conforming, I’ve

accepted my own personal defeat.

Davis: Was it all worth it? Dedicating hours upon hours of time to the newspaper, homework, projects all for a numerical value know as a GPA? Was it worth it doing all the work in group projects while others joked around and had fun? I’m ashamed at the degree of effort I’ve put in. I should of flaked on a few

davis vonk/seth saeugling

assignments, skipped a few classes and served a few detentions. I chose academic success over fun. If you only live once what the hell was I doing? ...Teachers should encourage students to challenge what they are learning. Instead we ourselves being told to sit quietly and fill in the blanks to a video study guide. To the teachers who did promote challenge and questioning along with a positive learning environment, I would like to issue a sincere thank you.

Failure ...Innovation requires failure. School teaches us to play it safe and take the secure route.

Failure is crucial in the experimental process. Outstanding results come from risk: exploration, experimentation, f***ing up (sometimes), and repeating. Intelligent failures

TOP TWENTY PARTY SCHOOLS!!

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1) Penn State University 2) University of Florida 3) University of Mississippi 4) University of Georgia 5) Ohio University 6) West Virginia University 7) University of Texas 8) University of Wisconsin 9) Florida State University 10) University of California-Santa Barbara

11) University of Colorado 12) University of Iowa 13) Union College 14) Indiana University 15) DePauw University 16) University of Tennessee 17) Sewanee: The University of the South 18) University of North Dakota 19) Tulane University 20)Arizona State University

lead to new insight, fresh ideas. Learning how to fail is a necessary process to find success.

Without implementing and encouraging failure within school we are teaching not only to never fail, we are not teaching how to deal with failure, a necessary skill in the real world.

School should foster an environment where it is completely safe to make mistakes, to share each others failures. Measuring performance based on success does not allow students the opportunity to freely make mistakes. We fear failure because we fear the consequences. The School holds students performance on paper (ie standardized test scores, GPAs etc) over the actual learning culture of the school. This conflict of interest hinders creativity while increasing anxiety in a place where we are supposedly going to “find ourselves” before embarking out into the new word. So we are finally off in the world without the protective walls of City shielding us from a world of failure. How are we supposed to deal?

Thankful Seth: I do not regret the social skills and relationships I have built and maintained with my friends. I do not regret the genuine fun I’ve had with friends and teachers. I do not regret going to City High school. I am thankful for the teachers who cared. I am thankful for my time here.

Davis: Thank you to all the teachers who did not radiate patronizing tones. Thank you to those teachers who respected the notion that every person is on their own path and can choose what action best suits their life.

Thank you to those teachers who use respect and genuiness to produce results instead of fear. Thank you for inspiring curiousity and challeging me to break out of the box the school places you in. Thank you.

***Unrealated to this article, we would like to thank Jeff Morris. He allowed us the true freedom to cover the stories we wanted to and to write in the style and format that we thought best worked. It was this freedom and trust from our teacher that allowed us to feel incredibly comfortable both individually and with our peers. We think this environment was most conducive to true, positive learning and personal growth. Thank you.***

the you’ll s e c ‘ a l , p h

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Abigail Abrams Tareq Abuissa Richa Acharya Christina Achrazoglou Pertrease Adams Ryan Africa Carl Ahrendt Hussam Albasri Luke Allen Tahmir Allen Thomas Almitra Jessica Amaya Nolan Amelon Ian Armstrong Arianna Aron Taylor Artz Brandon Asche Rick Bahner Earl Baines Cody Barnes Patrick Barnes Claire Barrett Tajeria Beacham Lashelle Beard Macy Bell Timothy Bennett Amy Berg Irfon Bhatti Stephanie Biggs Kayla Birr Gary Black Karley Boardman Shannon Bowling Stephanie Brooks Terrance Brown Molly Burt-Westvig Kevin Byrum Max Caballero Melinda Cain Lucy Campie Kelly Cannon Reuben Cassell Jasmine Chavez John Chelf Tyler Christensen Lark Christensen-Szalansk Alex Christophersen Dorelle Clay Noah Cmiel Eliza Cochran Tyjuan Connell Jonathan Contreras Brendan Correll Zachary Cox

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Iowa State University Columbia University, New York, NY Kirkwood University of Iowa * University of Iowa Kirkwood Iowa State University Macalaster College, St. Paul, MN Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ Kirkwood * Kirkwood University of Iowa * University of Iowa Systems Unlimited University of Iowa Kirkwood Kirkwood Elon University, Elon, NC University of Iowa University of Northern Iowa Kirkwood Kirkwood Trinidad State Junior College, Trinidad, CO Iowa State University American University of Dubai Kirkwood Carthage College, Kenosha, WI Career Connections University of Iowa Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI Kirkwood Kirkwood * Kirkwood U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT Post-Secondary Training Earlham College, Richmond, IN Kirkwood Work Force * University of Iowa Proctor & Gamble, Iowa City, IA Transitions Service Center University of Iowa * Kirkwood University of Iowa Kirkwood Kirkwood University of Iowa *

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Andy Cress Dexter Curry Phuoc Dao Robert Davis Alexandria Davis Monica Davis Raymonta’ DeGroat

John DeMars Seth Denburg Kiaya DeNeice Margaret Dennis Taylor Denny AJ Derby Ben Devos Lily Doershuk Dan Drews Aleksander Durumeric Deondre Earsery Mikaela Easton Rashidat Edu Nicholas Eickelschulte Ashley Eivins Zachary Ellis Weston Engelstad Constance Erickson Alex Evans Matt Evans Colton Evans Elizabeth Eyanson Callandre Eyman Casey Emily Fagan Mario Fefee Marybeth Fenner Tyler Fetters David Field Devra Flatte Ilce Flores Jordan Fluaitt Dylan Fluaitt Hannah Foster Jonathan Friedman Becca Fulton Laura Gaber David Galeano Jesus Garcia Katalan Garten Jodie Gartner Pedro Gemartino Lelia Gessner Nathaniel Gier Allison Gieswein Victoria Gillham Annika Glass-Juetten

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Iowa State University Iowa Central Community College, Ft. Dodge, IA University of Iowa Portland Community College, Portland, OR Iowa State University Kirkwood Louisburg Community College, NC/ Madison Area Tech, WI University of Iowa Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA Kirkwood University of Iowa Kirkwood University of Iowa Kirkwood University of Iowa Kirkwood University of Iowa University of Iowa Adams State College, Alamosa, CO Drake University, Des Moines, IA Kirkwood Kirkwood University of Iowa Pro-climber University of Iowa University of Iowa University of Iowa Kirkwood Truman State, Kirksville, MO Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR Long Island University, Long Island, NY Truman State, Kirksville, MO Kirkwood Transitions Service Center Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, TX * * University of Iowa Kirkwood * Transitions Service Center Americorps University of Iowa Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA University of Iowa Luther College, Decorah, IA Kirkwood Horseback riding

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Elliott Glenn David Gomer Rocio Gonzalez Spencer Gordon Susan Graves Zoe Grueskin Brian Gullickson Tyara Hamilton Barry Hamilton Coulten Hansen Isiah Harmon Michelle Haught Kyle Hayes Jasmine Hayes Carson Heath Brittany Heidebrink Jaime Helm Kassandra Helmold Luan Heywood Jesse Hodges Hans Hollander Melanie Holman Emily Horn Jordan Horowitz Mitchell Horras Bjorn Hovland Susanna Howard Duncan Howard-McGuire Alexis Howze Maddison Hull Travis Hunley Mallory Hynes Alexander Jensen Marcus Johnson Brandy Johnson Ellis Jordan Shalinee Kamal Colin Kamber Wallace Karanja Shelby Karr Talia Kay Sauve Keenan Grady Martin Keller Frederica Kenyon Brandon Kidwell Graham Klemme Lucia Klimkova Abe Kline Julia Klinefelter Alex Koch David Koehnke Chelsea Kroeze Deborah Kutschke George Lazaro Abigail Lee Jesse Lee Leyendecker

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University of Iowa University of Iowa University of Iowa University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA University of Northern Iowa Williams College, Williamstown, MA Iowa State University Kirkwood * unknown Career Connections University of Northern Iowa Employment Systems * Kirkwood unknown Clarke College, Dubuque, IA University of Northern Iowa University of Iowa * Winona State, Winona MN Iowa State University Kirkwood University of Iowa University of Iowa St. Olaf, Northfield, MN Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME University of Iowa unknown Kirkwood Kirkwood * Kirkwood Iowa State University * University of Iowa Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood University of Iowa * High School in Germany Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood EGT High School, Slovakia Colorado School of Mines, Boulder, CO Kirkwood Kirkwood College of Sometime Aveda Institute (Cosmetology) Washington University, St. Louis, MO Art Institute, Minneapolis, MN University of Northern Iowa Iowa Central Community College, Ft. Dodge, IA

Rachel Libra Douglas Littleton Logan Loring Olivia Louko Alex Lovelace April Loya Joshua Maddox Lauren Maize Maiju Mantyla Taurino Marcelino Lian Markovich Johan Marquez Katharine Marshall Amanda Martin Audrey Martin William Massey Claire McComb Karissa McCurn Caleb McDowell Kyle Mcfall Thomas Mendez Sophia Metzler Mark Michel Ellyn Miller Tara Mills Jason Millsap Jordin Minner Scott Mittman Jose Morales Peter Mosher Ana Munguia Hayley Musser Claire Myers Rachel Mziga Michael Nagy Sreelakshmi Nair Gibson Neblett Brittany Nelson Yen Nguyen Anterio Nimmers Bradley Nutter Reanna O’Brine-Young James Offutt Robin Olson Britney Opheim Nathan Opheim Andrea Oropeza Aaron Ostlund Shawn Ostrander Lukas Ovrom Erik Ovrom Emily Owen Taylor Owen Christopher Owen Jesse Pasley Tyree Payne

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Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood Knox College, Galesburg, IL Kirkwood Kirkwood * University of Northern Iowa Mantan Gymnasium Kirkwood, then University of Iowa University of Missouri-Columbia, MO Marines University of Iowa Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, IA Emmaus Bible College, Dubuque, IA St. Olaf, Northfield, MN Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN Iowa State University unknown Kirkwood Kirkwood School of Visual Arts, NY City, NY Kirkwood Iowa State University University of Iowa Drake University, Des Moines, IA La’ James International College (Cosmetology) Luther College, Decorah, IA * Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA Post-Secondary Education Transitions Service Center Iowa State University Back home to finish my senior year University of Iowa Iowa State University Kirkwood University of Northern Iowa Kirkwood Kirkwood University of Iowa University of Iowa Americorps, then UCLA Iowa State University Kirkwood Kirkwood George Washington University, DC Systems Unlimited Kirkwood Reed College, Portland, OR * Kirkwood Kirkwood Iowa State University * Kirkwood

...and even more Mark (Ben) Pearson Rachel Pellinen Alyson Pierick Emily Plock Alexander Pollock Soan Polsley Tyler Pospisil Christopher Poulton Antonia Preitler-Hoeller Eleanor Price Jonisha Randolph Janine Rapp Nadia Razavi Austin Razavi Sarah Reardon Nick Reuter Jillian Reynolds Cassie Ricci Jacob Richardson Philip Riley Timothy Ritter David Rivera Lucas Roach Chris Robertson Tyler Robertson Perswaysia Robinson Noah Rocklin Carina Rodriguez Alli Roe Jason Romont Graham Rowden Kanoe Russell Ben Ryan Christopher Sadler Seth Saeugling Kamron Saghah Amanda Salasberry Kelli Salemink Sam Schlesinger Katherine Schnoebelen Derek Schwab Eric Schwager Dakota Sedlacek Daniel Semken Maureen Sharp Aaron Shattles Nick Shevchenko Isabel Shinnick-Gordon Mary Hannah Siegfried Rachel Sieren Coady Sierra Jakari Smith Shaniqua Smith Kody Stahle Jill Stephenson

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places you’ll ‘ go!

University of Iowa Simpson College, Indianola, IA University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI Kirkwood Kirkwood Salon Professional Academy * University of Colorado-Boulder, CO Bischöfliches Gymnasium groz (high school) Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA * University of Iowa Arizona State, Tempe, AZ St. Cloud State, St. Cloud, MN Northwestern University, Evanston, IL Iowa Central Community College, Ft. Dodge, IA Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA Wartburg College, Waverly, IA unknown University of Iowa St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA unknown University of Iowa Iowa State University Kirkwood Kirkwood Vassar College, Arlington, NY University of Iowa Mt. Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, IA University of Northern Iowa University of Iowa University of Iowa Iowa State University Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, MN Transitions Service Center Kirkwood Simpson College, Indianola, IA Greece * Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood Kirkwood University of British Columbia-Vancouver Loyola University, Chicago, IL Kirkwood Iowa State University Kirkwood * University of Iowa Iowa State University

Justin Stewart Richard Strommer Alex Sullivan Rachel Sullivan Brian Sulzer Alic Szecsei Claire Szeszycki James Taylor Maria Teets Mariah Temple Brook Tewabe Tucker Tholen Izaak Thompson Isaac Thompson Meredith Thornton Regez Tosingilo James Tran David Tran Molly Trimble Elizabeth Triplett Cameron Tucker Allison Tucker-Gordon Scott Turvin Matthew Tvedte Sean Tyler Maggie Utterback Ivy Van Dusseldorp Michael Van Loh Eli Vargason Nelson Vazquez Davis Vonk Alex Walczyk Bo Wallace Michael Walls John Wertz Travis West Will Whiteman Brice Widstrom Thomas Wilcox Andrew Wilkes Ashley Wilkinson Michael Williams Parishia Williams Deidra Williams Taylor Williams Nicholas Williams Avery Wingard Kristoffer Wold Harley Wylie Jessica Yagla Hillary Yeager Derek Yoder Nathan Zehr Peter Ziegenhorn Sean Zirtzman

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* Kirkwood University of Dubuque, Dubuque, IA Kirkwood Kirkwood University of Iowa University of Northern Iowa St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA * Kirkwood * Iowa State University Kirkwood University of Iowa Belmont University, Nashville, TN Mid America University, Oklahoma City, OK Kirkwood University of Iowa Kirkwood University of Oregon, Eugene, OR Iowa Central Community College, Ft. Dodge, IA Kirkwood Boston College, Boston University or Kirkwood University of Iowa Kirkwood unknown University of Northern Iowa Kirkwood Mountain College Culinary Institute, CO Kirkwood St. Thomas University, St. Paul, MN City High Transitions * * University of Iowa Employment Systems University of Iowa unknown University of Iowa University of Iowa University of Iowa Reach for Your Potential Stephens College, Columbia, MO University of Northern Iowa Community College * Savannah State University, Savannah, GA Kirkwood Kirkwood University of Iowa Kirkwood, then Iowa Western Kirkwood Kirkwood Career Connections Employment Systems

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*no information submitted (in most cases due to early graduation)

07

Hipster or The Dream Team Artistic?

I’m graduating from high school, and yelling p#$% is still amusing to me. I don’t, however, find it funny when freshmen scream p*&# to each other across the cafeteria.

Freshmen are lame. But they’re not the only ones. The Little Hawk and its esteemed executive editor are to “seek truth and report it,” but sensationalist journalism counteracts this motto. The reporters are poets of a skill level tantamount to Tupac and other illiterate street geniuses. I can hear Davis Vonk spitting rhymes, “Irfon. You don’t Irfon Bhatti know who you’re trying to diss—I’m the one who allowed God to allow you to exist.”

Here are several examples of the vivid imagery found in this year’s school paper: “Orb of glowing brilliance shining through his bones.”

“A praying mantis with a tattoo that says ‘GURLS’ in three languages.”

“Their own homes did not have National Geographic or any other visual of whales.”

Even out of context, the redundancy manifests itself. Weak adjectives supplementing. Weak nouns replace snappy nouns; word count and unnecessary description supersede brevity.

Before I finish haranguing The Little Hawk, I have one more thing to say to next year’s editors. Stop saving articles and pictures in the temporary folder on Vol. 1 unless you want d*&$ drawn on your work via MS Paint.

Happy 70th anniversary City High.

Never call nor text me again.

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“Middle right,” I call as Chip rolls up in the seven player, Tucker. We know that when he comes from his house to school just to get some Suburban.

That Suburban only holds seven guys plus good balls to hit with. We know that when he the coach, making it a fairly intimate setting. gets choked up at senior night and tells us he’ll The other guys call their spots and pile in. miss us more than anything.

I play number one and struggle a bit to win, Whoever sits shotgun is always DJ, and usually gets heckled from the back. Alex takes this role but Philip plays extremely well at two and gets on pretty well. Tucker and Austin pile in the W’s. We have each played one and two this year. back with the lanky kid from Regina, Sean. Wes Sean has a good future even though he’s had a sits in between Phil and me in the middle row. tough season. He’s only a sophomore.

Austin Razavi and Wes We ride to our meets bumping Lupe, Brother Ali, K’Naan, and Nathaniel Gier Steffen are rocks at four and five. They hardly lose and they DMX as well as mixing in the battle in each match. They have heart-wrenching Dixie Chicks. won a bunch of matches against Wes complains about the Dixie guys who are better than them.

Chicks for some reason. We Every dream team needs always close with M.O.P.’s “Ante a guy who always plays the Up”, but the remix, featuring goofiest kids. That’s Alex’s job.

Busta Rhymes. Ever since the He’s played tiny kids, big kids. beginning of the year, we’ve He played one kid who yelled called ourselves the Dream at himself in third person all Team. match long.

You might think of a dream The doubles have changed team as one who routes everyone quite a bit, but it’s always fun they play. We don’t. We finished to see Tucker intimidate the the year .500. Compared to the recent history of City High tennis, that’s pretty children that play number three doubles.

At the top though, Philip and I are state “good stuff,” as Austin might say. Two years ago we won two matches and only one the year qualifiers. When we go “Kobe-mode,” we can before that. The Dream Team won seven, and be tough to beat.

Sure, practice isn’t as focused as it always now eight with a pre-sub-state victory over a should be, but in the end we do work. We’re quality Muscatine squad.

Our leader is Chip Hardesty himself. He is tight knit. We have fun. We play with class, generous with his time and he loves us almost and most of all, we compete. I could not have as much as our parents do. We know that when asked for anything more for my senior year. So he gets super pumped with each victory at our thanks guys. I’ll miss asking the other team… meets. We know that when he stays an hour or “WHATCHU WANT!” And I’ll really miss more after practice hitting with the number being part of the Dream Team.

City High: a mechanism A

s my big walk down the aisle and into High. Getting to come and experience this adulthood draws near, I’ve begun to truly conglomeration of different backgrounds and understand what it means to be a student of cultures that too many people take for granted, City High. Foremost, City High is a community, the gifts that are given to us every day. So, if were to take anything a mechanism that is constantly jason millsap you from my own experiences at changing and that relies on all City High, of its parts to function properly.

I hope that it would be to Without the support of everyone, truly let yourself be immersed, we would crash and burn. We all let the every day gift, no matter have to work together, we’re all how small, fill you up and intertwined somehow. Take the open your eyes to the world football player who sings in choir, around you, because we’re or any other unique combination all here, we all are special to that you can think of. City High someone, and each one of our is a place that anyone can come special attributes adds to what to and be encouraged to be who makes City High the school they are, there are kids who that leads, the school that I am would give anything to be able to proud to have been a part of, come somewhere every day and and the place that will begin to define each and have nothing to hide.

This is what I will miss the most about City every one of us, for the rest of our lives.

Buy your own website-I did W

hile it’s been quite the chore to do hours of homework, tons of projects, and take oh-so-many tests: I will miss this place.

Not the building, not the classes, and certainly not the homework. But the people. It’s the things I’ve done in these past four years that I will not soon forget.

The four years of going to football games with my friends, especially this season, knowing my friends took it all the way to state, and won. Spring break junior year singing in the world’s largest Cathedral on the choir trip to New York City. Going to show choir competitions as part of the crew and making finals only once. But above all else, being able to take a nap during my open hours.

I really didn’t start doing any extracurriculars until my senior year, which I sorely regret. I slumped through my first three years at this school getting involved in nothing fully.

Freshman year I was in the prep show choir, City Lights for two months, and quit before midterm first tri. In the spring that year I tried out for the soccer team, only to not quite make the cut after the second of three days of tryouts.

Finding out that more than five people who

made the team quit within the first week really got me.

I still don’t fully understand why anyone, myself included, would just quit after they had underthe andy cress gone audition process. It really just isn’t fair to those who didn’t make the cut because your sorry-quitting-ass bumped them off the list.

They tried their hardest, you did better, but likely by only the smallest margin, and you beat them, but now that you’re doing nothing, they’re better.

It’s really a great feeling being a part of something. Knowing you’re not just an individual, but a part of a group that is larger than

yourself. It didn’t take me very long to figure this out, but the first group t-shirt worn upon my back was the Naked Discus Team shirt.

Shortly followed by the “4th Ave Jazz Comany” shirt, and a couple of weeks later the corrected “4th Ave Jazz Company” shirt. While some may view wearing the same shirt as others as a fashion tragedy, it really feels good, knowing that you’re comrades, teammates.

Kind of sad, isn’t it? That it takes something so simple as eight ounces of cotton and ink to make you feel like you belong. Sad as it may be, it’s also empowering. Such a great feeling. Only eight ounces away.

In the briefest of ways, I can’t say it any shorter: get involved. Have fun. Buy your name as a website. It’s what I did. Hell, it worked for me.

And while it all in the grand scheme of things may seem trivial at best, the floors of City High are where we will all take our first steps out into the real world. This school of mine, my sisters, my mother, my grandfather, and many more before and after us, the school that leads.

Freshmen in the City izzak thompson

11

Lessons learned Hanson

the truth about

I

that I have too much to learn and more than think a lot of people misunderstand enough time to figure it all out. But I don’t. I things that I say sometimes. I’m pretty know it sounds morbid to think that as soon sure I misunderstand what I say as you’re born you start to die, but it’s true. sometimes. Okay, that opinion article I wrote We’re all growing up. And we’re all waiting for a while back about how I think people who something. We need to stop waiting and start settle for a school are bums, doesn’t mean I living. I know that life isn’t going to change all think people who go to college in-state for that much when we go to college and there isn’t legitimate reasons are slackers. I think people some magical land over the rainbow where who just go to K-wood or U of I without all dreams come true. But looking at all their options suck. See, there’s a difference. meredith thornton maybe if we finally take our lives into our own handsBut I don’t even know why really take control of our I’m using my senior column lives, we can accomplish for this. Really, who cares? something amazing.

Anyway. So City. I love City I was looking at my High but it’s more of an, “I mom’s high school yearbook love this building and all the the other day and she told memories I have here, but I me about all of these people really can’t stand being around who are totally drunk now anyone I know for another and people who got rich 2 minutes,” type of love. right after college. It was Think about it. You’ve so cool to hear it from my probably done so many fairly accomplished mother exciting things here that you that people you go to school with really do hit couldn’t possibly remember all of them. both sides of the spectrum. While I’m thinking We’ve spent approximately 720 days and 36 about my parents, my dad has a really cool life months to total the 4 years that we’ve all had too. Firstly, he has me-so that’s sicknasty, but he together. And now we’re leaving, whether also works in DC and has all of these awesome it is to Oregon, Maine, downtown IC or in job opportunities. But he really doesn’t have my case, Tennessee. But we’ve also spent anything to say about his HS years. Your parents at least that much and probably more time probably have a pretty sweet life too and they together, which is part of the problem. I am might have been someone completely opposite so ready to meet new people. Aren’t you? in high school. What we’ve done here doesn’t Remember when your babysitter was in define us. As cliché as this sounds, leaving City high school and you thought they were SO old is the beginning of a completely new and crazy and wise and just, grown up? We’ve been at adventure. And I am so excited to journey on. that point for a while now, and I don’t feel the way I thought I’d feel. I still feel like a little girl,

12

This coming year, John Bacon will succeed Mark Hanson as the principal of City High.

Along with everyone else, I am excited for the changes and new perspective he will bring, and I am sure he will be a great addition to the school. However, I’d like to take a moment to look back on Mr. Hanson’s time here, as well as the reasons he will be leaving us next year.

Until now, the reasons for his resignation have been kept a heavily guarded secret. I think, though, that it is long past time they became public. When Dr. Plugge asked Mr. Hanson to step down, there were reportedly three reasons: 1. When the district attempted to bring in private cleaning companies to clean the school, Mr. Hanson did not support this, since he had had disastrous results in a similar situation at Waterloo West. 2. To deal with school security, Mr. Hanson wanted to bring in a school resource officer, and Dr. Plugge didn’t see this as a politically correct solution. 3. Mr. Hanson wrote an article in the Pressbjorn hovland Citizen expressing his views on redistricting, which greatly angered the superintendent.

If we take a closer look at these charges, we see what a truly shabby case the s u p e r i nt e n d e nt built against Mark Hanson. While I wasn’t at City High when private cleaning companies were being considered, Mr. Hanson was the only person in the district who had any personal experience with them, so if he felt his school would be at risk because they were there, his opinion should have been held in the highest regard.

As for uniformed security, while it may have been politically incorrect in Iowa City, it had worked at his previous schools, and it worked here as well. That certainly wasn’t the only factor—the establishment of the welcome center was essential, as was Mr. Harper’s tireless efforts—but the last two years, City has had less fights than West. The papers won’t print it because it doesn’t fit with the public view of City High, but it’s true.

Finally, we come to the issue of redistricting. Mr. Hanson felt that the only way to make City and West more equal, both socioeconomically and in regards to the type of classes offered, was through redistricting; and at the urging of many City High parents— my own included—he wrote the article.

In all three of these instances, Mr. Hanson was doing everything he could to help City High and make it a better place, and he was fired for it. So while I welcome John Bacon and with him good luck, I hope that for all our sakes that he cares about City High as much as Mark Hanson does.

Witches don’t wear velvet At the age of six most kids jump off play structures in order to soar like a bird. I was smart for my age and decided against the silly idea. I wanted to fly, but on a broom.

My fascination with witches began after religiously watching Halloween movies on ABC Family. I no longer wanted to be a teacher. I was going to be a good witch. Unlike bad witches who steal children’s souls and summon evil spirits, I would only fly around on my broomstick with my black cat named Jinx and help mortals with my witchcraft.

I practiced my potion making skills on my younger brother by combining hot water with Smartees, toothpaste and eraser shavings. “Just drink this potion and you will become a professional race car driver,” I told Conner after he had just finished his fiftieth lap running around making car noises in an oval shape on the first floor of our home. He was practicing to become the next Jeff Gordon.

“Wow, a real driver!” he said as he drank my brew.

“Am I a driver, Susan?” Conner asked eagerly.

“I think I need to put rat tails in. Let me check my potion book. You can go back to practicing,” I said.

After several failed variations my little brother lost faith in me. I was forced to be my own guinea pig.

I also had to be my own guinea pig for learning the art of escape. Kids my age played with Legos or Barbies, but I enjoyed tying myself to a chair and trying to escape. I practiced daily in the confines of my room.

Every day I could escape faster and faster. Soon I would no long have to undo the knots, for my magic would do that for me. One particular day before lunch I locked

my door and tied my arms and legs extra tightly to my small wooden chair. Today was the day when my spell magic would work. Just as I finished tightening the last knot, my mom called from downstairs, “Susan, come down. Lunch is ready.” I looked down at my wrist anchored to the wooden armrests and saw my hands turning a slight shade violet. Time was running out. “Susan, are you susan graves coming?” my mom asked.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” I yelled to her. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and repeated the “Escaping Spell” I had concocted to myself. I looked down at my wrists only to find them a darker violet than before.

“Susan, come now!” my mom hollered.

“Mom, I am in a bit of a bind. I’ll be down in a second!” I replied. I began to squirm and wiggle in my chair. I tried to loosen the knots around my wrists with my teeth but nothing was working. Tears welled up in my eyes. Even if I called to my mom for help she wouldn’t be able to help, because I had locked my door.

No one could help me but myself so I sucked it up and went back to salivating on the knots that held me to that chair. After five minutes I could see progress. My hands had more mobility and I estimated that I’d be

free in less than four minutes. But I didn’t have four minutes as my mother was coming up the stairs.

“Susan, I made lunch for you. What could you possibly be doing in there? Glued to a chair or something?” my mom asked. I had no time to respond to that silly mortal. She wiggled the door knob and discovered it to be locked. “Why is your door locked?

What is going on?” my mom questioned just as I opened the door.

“Nothing, mom, I was just making a really cool Lego cat,” I said as I zoomed downstairs like my NASCAR brother. It looked like witchcraft wasn’t the thing for me.

I gave up potion making, retired my broomstick and packed up my spell book. I was in fourth grade and my next career choice was a WNBA basketball star. At school I could not escape my past. In language arts we read books on the Salem Witch Trials and Roald Dahl’s Witches. Then the popular series about the powerful wizard named Harry Potter was released.

Hermione was a lucky witch. I guess few people knew about my past, but one day at the afterschool program, when I was about to go play on the playground with my friends, Heath Wolf dumped Morton Iodized Salt over my head. I began to cry. When questioned why he did this atrocious act he simply stated, “I thought she was a witch.”

Even though I never became a real witch, I never lost my enchantment for witches. And the day I was assaulted, I secretly cried tears of joy.

My point is don’t give up on your dreams. Do what you love and don’t be ashamed of who you are.

Hmmmmmm, what shall I say?

T

$ and college

his has been hard to write. I honestly don’t know how to neatly place the four most dynamic years of my life into the confines of 300 typed words. It would be cheap to rattle off a few clichés and go for the sappiness-factor, but I also have no way of sharing what high school really meant to me specifically. It’s difficult and unfulfilling not knowing what to think about it all, let alone not knowing how to articulate it to you.

I suppose, how I’ve felt about high school has gone in phases. It’s felt contrived, cliché, and it’s even felt like home. Leaving will be bittersweet.

After 4 whole years, I guess it’s probably okay that my feelings about high school don’t come out packaged in some clean-cut response. I recognize that some people feel less nostalgic than myself, and that makes sense. Everyone’s high school experience is way different. Though, no matter how dissimilar we all are, our one bit

of congruency is we all seem to want to andrew wilkes be remembered here or with our peers. I know that in days to come I will sign my name in peoples’ yearbooks that I have barely ever heard from before now.

We write our name, share an inside joke, sometimes jot “HAGS” if we’re so inclined, but we all want that safe little place tucked within the strong bindings of a book to shield our memory. Some are handed legacies on trophies

and letterman bricks while others make their own with sharpies in the bell tower.

I guess no matter how different we are we all want those memories safe. And even though I’ll need some more time before I can understand what it was like growing up in high school, I can safely say that I hope my memory is kept not just in a book, trophy, or bell tower (don’t tell Chip!), but by all of you here that I have been so incredibly fortunate to know. I’ll try my best to preserve yours too. Seniors, again really, thank you all for making our confusing high school career OUR confusing high school career.

Thanks for letting me ramble and be contradictive.

Let’s Go Hawks!

TOP TWENTY MOST EXPENSIVE COLLEGES 1. Sarah Lawrence College 2. New York University, NY 3. The George Washington University, DC 4. Bates College, ME 5. Skidmore College, NY 6. Johns Hopkins University, MD 7. Georgetown University, DC 8. Connecticut College, CT 9. Harvey Mudd College, CA 10. Vassar College, NY

$54,410 $51,991 $51,730 $51,300 $51,196 $51,190 $51,122 $51,115 $51,037 $50,875

11. Wesleyan University, CT 12. Claremont McKenna College, CA 13. Colgate University, NY 14. Carnegie Mellon University, PA 15. Haverford College, PA 16. Bowdoin College, ME 17. Middlebury College, VT 18. Mount Holyoke College, MA 19. Bard College, NY 20. Boston College, MA

George Washington: Andrea Oropeza

Vassar College: Noah Rocklin

$50,862 $50,800 $50,660 $50,640 $50,625 $50,485 $50,400 $50,390 $50,380 $50,370

Bowdoin College: Susanna Howard

13

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senior profile

MAX CABALLERO

what the said to me; the Academy will most certainly be a difficult place to live. They wanted me to understand what I was getting myself into. David, my 3/c cadet host while at the Academy told me at the conclusion of my visit that, “This place sucks; this place sucks most of the time.”

Grades tend to drop compared to those of high school, late nights spent studying become frequent, and the rules get old. He said that his schedule is always full, but he said that he would not be any other place. The relationships that are made with the other cadets and the opportunities presented by the Coast Guard Academy are what keep many of the cadets at the Academy. The bonds that are shared by the cadets are completely unique because very

few people get to experience what goes on the Academy. I’ll spend my summers cruising on Coast Guard ships while the traditional college students are working their part-time jobs. I could be flying airplanes or helicopters in four years!

So yeah, I’ll have to deal with a bunch of rules, but I really prefer to look at this experience as a “getto adventure,” rather than a “haveto.” So I get to deal with the rules in exchange for a paid education, a guaranteed career in a field that I can see myself enjoying and that I see as meaningful, and I get to sail on the 290ft EAGLE which started it all. I’m truly excited for the adventure to begin. So, not to be cliché, but thanks to everyone who got me this far. Semper Paratus.

>>Reporting in Day

0700, June 28, 2010

14

“

“

>>Time Commitment

4 years to earn a Bachelors in Science

5 years in the Coast Guard

US CoAST guard Academy

States active forces. But interest in the sailing ship turned to fascination in the Academy unit as a whole. There is arguably not a more regimented place to get an education than at a military academy, and THIS PLACE SUCKS MOST OF I’m excited for this.

I love the fact that I THE TIME know where and -3/c Coast Guard Cadet will when I will need to be for the next, well, nine years. I like the This is a “traditional sewage” idea of being with a group of from The Running Light, just one cadets slightly smaller than the phrase in the 98 page handbook population of City High. I will that I will have memorized by the be trained to be an Officer in end of the indoctrination program the US Coast Guard, I have no known as Swab summer at the US idea where I’ll be stationed but Coast Guard Academy. I’ll get to wherever it is I know my job will wake up at 0530 and go to bed at matter in the lives of many people.

I went out to visit the 2200. I’ll get six weeks of leave each year. I’ll get to stay on base almost Academy in November with 3/c all the time my 4/c (or freshman) (or sophomore) Cadet Caroline year. I’ll get to shut down my Gilmore, City High graduate Facebook for a year. I’ll get to of 2008. I asked her a bunch of turn in my phone for seven weeks. questions during the visit, but Why am I doing it? Last I learned the most from what I summer I simply stumbled upon observed. Every single one of the the Coast Guard Academy’s cadets put on a good attitude and website. At that time, I was most cared about all the other cadets. interested in the 290ft Cutter I ate dinner with a group of 4/c EAGLE, the only square-rigged cadets who shared their stories. barque sailing vessel in the United There was no sugar-coating on “She walks, she talks, she’s full of chalk. The lacteal fluid extracted from the female of the bovine species is highly prolific to the 2014th degree, Sir.”

>>Core Values of the CGA

Honor, Respect & Devotion to

Duty

>> Coast Guard Motto

“Semper Paratus” (always Ready) >>Academy Stats

Location: New London, CT

Founded: 1876

2014 Class Size: 290 Swabs

Academy Size: ~1000 Cadets Value of Scholarship: $300,000 >>Mascot

Objee the bear >>Acceptance Stats

20,000 Inquiries

4,000 Applications

400 Appointments

S

UPERLATIVES

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