The Little Hawk by The Little Hawk

THE LITTLE HAWK

Iowa City, IA

Vol. 75

Friday, December 22, 2017

Issue 3

thelittlehawk.com

Teacher Profile: Frederick Newell By Cecile Bendera

F ABOVE: Iowa is one of the leaders in the country in wind and solar power projects ART BY OLIVIA LUSALA

Red, White, and Going Green The future of solar energy in the ICCSD By Eric Thomas Reporter

ith climate scientists predicting the complete loss of ice in the north pole by this summer or the next, ICCSD is looking forward to taking steps toward renewable energy. Both for ICCSD and the world at large, creating energy is a big challenge. Coal and oil industries have dominated for the majority of history. More recently, humans are moving towards renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy. A popular way many cities, huge companies, and even residential houses are helping the environment is by incorporating solar energy into day-to-day life by installing solar panels on rooftops. “[Renewable energy] is going to accelerate and keep getting bigger and bigger,” said Peter Byler, a PLTW teacher at City High. “Iowa is on the forefront of this. MidAmerican has committed to building a lot of solar.” In fact, MidAmerican Energy, a company that

provides electricity to over 760,000 homes in the Midwest, has pledged that 40% of its energy will be renewable by 2020. A big part of its initiative is building solar arrays. This can greatly reduce a company’s electricity bill. The company invests an initial sum to install them, but it is paid off soon after, due to reduced electricity bills. “Our district financed our current solar power system from a 20-year loan we took out from the bank,” said Robin Popejoy, the financial coordinator of Sheridan School District in Indiana. “We will pay it off using the money we normally spend on our energy bill.” The Sheridan district gives excess electricity in normally stored in batteries to their electric company. By doing this, it reduces waste while earning credits from the local electric companies for cloudy days when sun quotas for the solar panels aren’t met. This will still happen after the loan is paid off, creating a possibility of gaining money for certain months.

Throughout the country, various school districts have switched to renewable energy. While this works for other districts with a larger energy budget, there are numerous concerns about ICCSD’s financial ability to invest in solar power. “I think it’s going to cost you more to get your electricity from those solar panels than from the grid,” said Byler. “Even with tax benefits, you’re going to pay a bit more for solar power.” Although the initial cost is high, it should eventually decrease to zero as it did in the Sheridan district. City’s current annual electricity bill reaches $200,000, growing every year due to the one-to-one program and increasing demand for energy. This bill is paid by the number of kilowatts per hour (kWh) used. The average cost for one kWh in Iowa City is 7.8 cents. Factoring this into the previous year’s electricity bills, City uses 557.14 kWh during the school year. Continued on 9A

Reporter

rederick Newell is the Student Advisory Director here at City High School. In this role, he plays the roles of student advocate and support system for many students in the building. He is also the creator of the Dream Center. “[The Dream Center] focuses on character building, leadership, and service,” Newell said. “That’s important because every youth needs a mentor, every youth at some point needs to build their character to become our leaders because I believe [they] are our leaders...my life goal is to inspire and empower.” Newell’s passion for students and his drive to help them succeed is what led him to create the Dream Center and work with young people at City High. The program also has a four different academies which include the Fatherhood Academy, the Young Leadership Academy which focuses on mentoring, the Performing Arts Academy, which is primarily on theater and spoken word, and the Family Academy. Working with young men in the grades of fifth through eighth grade, many of whom lived in the Southeast side of Iowa City and ended up as City High School, was the main inspiration for Newell to begin working with students at City. He began to build a relationship with Mr. Bacon, which eventually led to many conversations about him working with students at City High. “My first boys at the Dream Center that were part of City High School [graduated],” said Newell. “I became a part of City High family as I followed and mentored them.” Continued on 9A

Can Drive Returns By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos Reporter

very year, Student Senate hosts a can drive, but this year it has changed it up. Student Senate is finding ways to get more cans this year and has revived an old tradition of “Powderbuff volleyball,” where male students at City form teams and compete. The Senate is hoping to receive more money this year, and all cans will be donated to the Crisis Center. “We’re getting cans from Hy-Vee and a lot from the excellent Volley-buff tournament we had a couple weeks ago so I feel like [the Can Drive]is going extremely well,” said Senate president Teagan Roeder ‘18. This year, Student Senate added a requirement to enter the competition. Each member of each team was required to donate five cans to the Can Drive. The Powderbuff tournament isn’t the only thing City is doing differently this year. Student Senators are focusing on collecting cash more

than cans. Despite these differences, the Can Drive remains an important Senate event. “It’s one of our big trademark projects we do every year,” said Lottie Gidal ‘19, head of the Can Drive committee. The Can Drive is a City High tradition and has been going on for over eight years. Last year the senate raised around 6,000 pounds of food. This year, Student Senate is on track to donate just as much. “The emphasis has always been on the cans. We’re changing the emphasis a little bit to try and get more cash,” said Chip Hardesty, a campus monitor at City and an advisor for Student Senate. “[The Crisis Center] likes cash better than cans. They have much more buying power.” After the Powderbuff games and one shift at Hy-Vee, the donations students have received are the equivalent of over 1,000 pounds of food.

ABOVE: Emmeline Krause hands out flyers. PHOTO BY NINA-LAVEZZO STECOPOULOS One dollar is equivalent to four pounds of food. way to give food back to the community, and it’s “I’ve set up times at Hy-Vee,” Gidal said. definitely needed,” said Lottie Gidal ‘19. “We’ll go in for six hours for four different The donated food will become part of the Saturdays and collect cans as people come in and Crisis Center’s food bank, which is a place out and collect money there.” where people in need can come to take food for Traditionally, the Senate has a booth at themselves and their families for free. The food Hy-Vee and donates to the Crisis Center, a nonis distributed by volunteers. profit organization that helps those who have “I think the Can Drive is a great idea for a gone through traumatic experiences or need help great cause and everyone should donate,” said in any way. Esti Brady ‘20. “I’m so excited about the can “The Crisis Center feels like the most direct drive, I can’t stand it.”

NEWS

December 22nd, 2017

LH FEATURE

Section A

PAYING IN PEARLS

Magazine

STAND YOUR GROUND

One student finds a creative solution to financial challenges

STADIUM CLEANUP: THE STORY BEHIND THE STADIUM

By Lottie Gidal Sweeping gun legislation affects August ped-mall shooting trial

By Mira Bohannan Kumar and Zoë Butler

2017 IN PHOTOS

By the Little Hawk staff

By Victor Kalil and Maya Durham

10 THE HORSEMEN OF THE

AMERICAN APOCALYPSE

By Eden Knoop and Mira Bohannan Kumar

17 A TIMELESS TRADITION By Zoë Miller and Theo Prineas

The Nutcracker returns to the Englert

Why “trolls” and “consumers” are behind the downfall of America

19 CHILD’S PLAY By Olivia Lusala and Zoë Butler

CONTROL 10 IN By Mina Takahashi

VITALITY

By Olivia Lusala and Zoë Butler

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear Readers, Looks like this is the last paper of the year! 2017 was pretty wild but who knows what 2018 will hold. This year, we’ve been through everything from an inauguration to a royal wedding, from Nova, Sarah, and Sofie to us (Maya & Victor). We’ve got you covered from A-Z this issue and we’ve worked hard to make it A-1? We have stories about Student Senate, gun control, resume building, and student athletes-not to mention some throwback pics from

ABOVE: Co-Executive Editors Victor Kalil and Maya Durham PHOTO BY ZOË BUTLER

the year and advice from other Little Hawks. And every bit of it is packed full of love. So, for one last time this year, we hope you enjoy this issue. Have a great holiday (whatever that may be) and/or a happy New Year! Love, Mymydur & Vicky Vick

NEWS 3A

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

Paying in Pearls Lilly Manning ‘18 sells handmade jewelry to pay for college applications By Mira Bohannan Kumar & Zoë Butler Editors

hile college tuition is a well-known cost for young people today, another expense that isn’t as widely acknowledged is the fee for simply applying for college. For students who apply to the recommended number of schools, costs of application can add up quickly, ranging in the hundreds of dollars. Lilly Manning ‘18 has a creative solution to the problem of application fees: selling handmade jewelry to raise funds. “Even if you do have a financially stable home, it’s still so much money on college, not just tuition but finances--I submitted two applications just yesterday and the fees were about $110 for only two, and that’s a grocery trip you could be spending that money on,” Manning said. “I feel lucky that I’m in a financially stable situation that I didn’t have to worry about [the applications] too much, but I know that there are some people who really struggle with that.” Manning has only recently begun making and selling jewelry. She sold several pieces at the first-trimester City High art show. “Over the summer I was staying with my aunt and she had a bunch of jewelry stuff set up and I asked her, ‘Can I play around with this, see what I can make?’” Manning said. “I thought about starting an Etsy but you have to be 18 and I’m 17. I [thought]... here’s a great solution: I can sell it at the art show.’” However, age restrictions mean less in the real world than online, as Manning’s jewelry sold well. “Out in the open, if your work is good and people have the money to buy it they

Flexisched Makes Advisory More Accessible By Victor Kalil Executive Editor

ABOVE: Zoë Butler ‘19 wearing earrings by Lilly Manning ‘18 PHOTO BY ZOË BUTLER definitely will be interested,” Mantuition, so I’m glad we do have sysning said, acknowledging, “sometimes tems like scholarships or fee waivers.” they do underestimate you because But these systems are not allof your age and that does make it encompassing, and working through difficult. You have to prove, ‘No, I’m college to come out the other side not stupid, I’m not debt-free is no longer as dumb, I know not to “I SUBMITTED TWO feasible as it has been blow all my money on past. APPLICATIONS in the one thing. I can sell it “Some people have and I can guarantee you JUST YESTERDAY to choose between stayit will be good.’” home and taking AND THE FEES ing Manning is aware care of their family that while this money is WERE ABOUT $110 or taking a year off helpful for her, there are FOR JUST TWO.” to get maybe enough others who may need money for half a year more financial aid to of tuition,” Manning LILLY MANNING said, “and if you are attend college–if they SENIOR just in the middle you are even able to attend at all. might not get any help “I know some at all, so you have a lot people who have parof hard decisions to ents that work two or make.” three jobs and they’re still struggling And the cost of applications, unto pay a mortgage and feed all their like tuition, is no guarantee. kids, and I admire them so much,” “You may or may not get in, or you Manning said. “I can’t imagine those might not get as many scholarships as people paying the full price of college you thought you would, or you may

not get the classes you want, so it’s kind of just putting yourself on the line,” Manning said. Other students are also aware of the issue and are attempting to give themselves or others financial cushioning for applications. “A lot of people in [my] art class...sold their art at the art show,” Manning said. “Tatum Hills...is taking pictures of people for their senior photos, and some people want to pay her but she’s doing it for free for people who can’t afford it with college applications.” Manning asserted that there are students who are financially affected by these fees in a dramatic way. “Especially because a lot of them are between thirty and a hundred dollars, it gets really, really expensive,” Manning said. “I feel like people do have to choose between putting food on the table and getting into college.”

dvisory passes will be switching from paper to an online system in the latest stage in City High’s digitalization. Instead of getting a pass from a teacher, teachers now use a website called Flexisched to request students for Advisory. The system has been in place for a few weeks already, but starting this Friday, paper passes will no longer be available to go to a teacher’s room during Advisory. “[Flexisched] helps us do a couple of things because we can track student use of Advisory a little bit better. It makes it easier for teachers to plan out in advance what they want to do for Advisory.” said Doug Lestina, a teacher at City High. Lestina believes that the system will be more convenient for both students and teachers. “Students won’t have to keep track of passes or find the teacher they want to see,” said Lestina. “Teachers will be able to do the same thing. They won’t necessarily have to find a student in order to call them in to get help during Advisory.” Patrick McMillan ‘18 also believes the new system will be useful. “I think it’s good that they’re going digital,” said McMillan. “It’s more organized for teachers. They’ll have designated groups that they can put together beforehand to have a more effective use of Advisory time.”

Commons Get Charged City High installs phone charging stations in the commons

By Victor Kalil Executive Editor Everyone needs a phone charger from time to time. If your friend has forgotten theirs, then you might have to lend out your own. Fortunately this potential problem has been solved by the addition of charging stations in the commons. With the help of the Executive Board and Student Senate, students will now be able to charge their phones at school whenever necessary. The idea of the charging stations was originally brought up last school year by a group of students who were participating in Architecture Club. However, it was not until this year that the concept was brought into the Student Senate for deliberation. After the Senate took a vote on the idea, both charging stations were installed in the commons to promote the use of that space as a more social location for students. “There was some discussion of putting [the stations] in the library as well but we are really trying to promote the library as more of an educational space and the commons more as a place to do homework while also a place to visit with friends,” said Scott Jesperson, City High Assistant Principal. “Plus, having them in the commons allows us to have security cameras on the charging stations.”

to charge a phone during a prep or lunch period. More charging stations may be added in the lunch room and library in future years in addition to the current ones. There is some controversy on the matter that teachers and staff promote

“WE WANT THIS TO BE A MODERN HIGH SCHOOL AND A PLACE WHERE STUDENTS FEEL LIKE WE RECOGNIZE THEIR NEEDS.” SCOTT JESPERSON VICE PRINCIPA:L

ABOVE: Charging station in the commons PHOTO BY LINDY RUBLAITUS Jesperson and the Executive Board, an organization of a few members of the student body tasked with creating a connection between students and the administration, worked with Student Senate to organize this addition. It

was settled that one charging station would be purchased with parking lot money, funds that go directly back to the students, and the other would be funded from the Student Senate’s coffers.

City High librarians were the first to approach Jesperson with the idea of the $550 charging stations. Each includes eight charging cords for various models and brands of phones, and the stations provide a quick and safe way

keeping phones put away and secured during the school day but are providing a place to keep phones accessible and of use throughout the day. But Jesperson does not agree with these concerns. Rather, he is of the opinion that the charging stations show respect towards students and is a way to reward students for good behavior as long as they use it wisely.”

NEWS A4

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

Feminist Club Hosts Tampon Tuesday Feminist club, run by Lucy Rohlman ‘19, sells baked goods in exchange for tampons, pads, and money to donate to a local women’s shelter By Rika Yahashiri

Reporter

s the final bell rings, students pour out of their classrooms into the main foyer. They are greeted by a table filled with baked goods and they crowd around trying

“I WAS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE TURNOUT FOR TAMPON TUESDAY. IT WAS A LOT MORE THAN EXPECTED, WHICH IS ALWAYS GREAT.” KATE MALKUSAK SENIOR

to snatch some of the last ones. In the middle of the table is a large cardboard box full of tampons and pads. The members of Feminism Club

ABOVE: Feminist Club sells baked goods PHOTO BY LOTTIE GIDAL smile as the stack grows higher. Tampon Tuesday is a fundraiser for money and feminine products to donate to people who can’t afford to purchase them themselves. It was started by Girl Scouts who attended City High and this year was restarted

by Feminism Club. Lucy Rohlman ‘19 runs Feminism Club every Wednesday after school and also organizes Tampon Tuesday. “I was worried a lot of people wouldn’t know about it, or wouldn’t be aware that it was a thing,” Rohl-

man said about the year’s first Tampon Tuesday. “But then as more people saw this table...it went really well.” The restarting of Tampon Tuesday this school year was an easy decision for Feminism Club. “We decided that this was a really helpful thing, a lot of people enjoyed it, and it was for a good cause, so we wanted to bring it back,” Rohlman said. “It’s just a good thing to do, because imagining a world without [these products] would be not very fun.” Feminism Club members Kate Malkusak ‘18 and Maria Buri ‘20 agreed. “I was super excited about the turnout for Tampon Tuesday,” Malkusak said. “It was a lot more than expected, which is always great.” The members of Feminism Club collected $76.50, 175 tampons, and 95 pads. Throughout the year, they will be donating the money to an organization called ‘Days for Girls’, which helps girls who drop out of school because of their periods. They will be donating the tampons and pads to a local women’s shelter.

Interact Club Day of Service By Lottie Gidal

News Editor

hile the rest of the school was relaxing at home, enjoying their day off, there were 15 students standing in the City High parking lot on the morning of November 15th, waiting to volunteer. Interact Club had decided to change up their normal routine and spend a day volunteering as a group. “In the past meetings were sort of more just to inform students about different opportunities,” said Ava Otoadese ‘18, Interact president. “So this year Addy [Smith ‘18] and I are trying to incorporate more group activities and so that’s why we wanted to do the Day of Service.” Otoadese and Smith chose Hope Lodge, an organization sponsored by the American Cancer Society that allows cancer patients and families of cancer patients a place to stay free of charge while seeking treatment at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Students volunteered by preparing a meal for the residents and cleaning parts of the building. “Although it was only a little bit,

“ALTHOUGH IT WAS ONLY A LITTLE BIT, I FEEL HAPPY BECAUSE HELPING PEOPLE IS ALWAYS A GOOD FEELING EVEN THOUGH IT’S JUST MAKING SANDWICHES OR MAKING THEM LUNCH.” MICHELLE TRAN-DOUNG JUNIOR

ART BY BELLA EPSTEIN

SDEC Aims to Celebrate Diversity At City City High students participate in the Student Diversity and Equity Council (SDEC), a group that seeks to celebrate City’s diversity and promote equality and equity By Henry Mildenstein

Reporter

he Student Diversity and Equity Council (SDEC) is a group of students that was created during the 2016-2017 school year to solve social and ethical problems throughout the school that affected students in the aftermath of the presidential election. The SDEC makes an effort to be as diverse as possible in order to ensure that each student is involved in issues that deeply concern students. Much of the group’s work involves trying to stop the use of racial slurs, sexual harassment, bullying, and ethnic profiling, as well as celebrating City’s diversity. To do this, they create school social events, host think tanks, and much more. “Initially, the committee was developed in response to issues surrounding harassment,” Ava Otoadese ‘18, an active member of the committee, said. “Over the course of the year, the focus broadened to include the implementation of positive change that promotes a more equitable environment at City.” In 2016, students were required to

be nominated by teachers to join the I am committed to helping to make equity board. the City experience positive for all “Since members were selected by students,” Otoadese said. teachers, not everyone had time in According to Otoadese, the board their schedules, and we had difficulty hasn’t selected its final plan of action, making the impact we but its members have had hoped for,” said some ideas of what their “I RECOGNIZED future holds. Otoadese. “The application process this year “We want to focus [THE COMMITTEE] is helping the commiton making the board AS A CHANCE tee because members proactive rather than TO EXPLORE have the time and reactive. We want to commitment to make create cultural awareness MY PERSONAL a difference. It is imin the school. We have PASSION FOR portant that applicants such a diverse student are enthusiastic, good SOCIAL JUSTICE.” body in regards to race, communicators, creative religion, ethnicity, thinkers, and have the gender identity, and inAVA OTOADESE terests, and I think it’s time and drive to truly SENIOR incredibly important commit to being a contributing member.” that we embrace this Otoadese was a diversity, which is what member of the board makes City such a great last year and is currently involved in school,” Otoadese said. “Hopefully we many of the council’s organizational will be able to organize events celebrataspects. Otoadese wants students to ing the diversity of our student body, understand the goals that the commit- and create change to make sure City tee has this year. is as inclusive an environment as “I joined the committee because possible.” I recognized it as a chance to explore Olivier Shabani ‘19 is another my personal passion for social justice. returning member of SDEC.

“I joined the equity board because I’ve seen a lot of bad things happen at City High and I wanted that to change,” Shabani said. “There are a lot of people who get singled out and I just wanted to make sure everybody felt comfortable here.” The Student Diversity and Equity Council is working on a multitude of events and projects. Shabani is particularly excited for the most recent project that they are working on: spreading the message of diversity to younger kids. “One thing we want to do is to go schools and teach people about things that are wrong like different forms of bullying and stereotyping,” Shabani said. Another project that the council is working on is a gathering for people to embrace diversity. “We want to plan a celebration that people will come to where they can express their culture or heritage by bringing food or different items,” Shabani said. “I hope that this will make people feel less singled out and more wanted.”

I feel happy because helping people just a little bit is always a good feeling even though it’s just making them sandwiches or making them lunch, or helping somebody, because that equals happiness,” said Michelle TranDuong ‘19. Otoadese was pleased by the reaction from club members to the task at hand. “I think it went well, it was fun to see how excited everyone was to volunteer and to help around with cleaning and with food preparation. We finished the food preparation part really quickly and everyone was still really ready to go.” Usually members of Interact will follow up on opportunities presented by the club or posted on the classroom on an individual basis, perhaps only volunteering with one or two other people. “Volunteering on my own can sometimes be boring and there’s not someone to talk to all the time,” TranDuong said. “But when volunteering with Interact there are so many different people you get to talk to and you get to know them better.” After the success of the Day of Service, Otoadese and Smith are planning more group volunteering in the future. They have their eyes on the ABBE Mental Health Center or St. Mary’s for cookie decorating. “That’s a really good one for a group because you can all pile in the van,” Otoadese said. “So hopefully we will be able to do it more often.”

NEWS 5A

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

French Cooking Competition By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos Reporter Pots and pans clattered in the sweet-smelling fumes of room 3108 as students toiled away at the annual City High French Cooking contest. Students gathered on Friday, December 15th to make their chosen dishes and compete for the glory of winning, plus a bonus of la crème de la crème. Though most everything went smoothly, there were some hardships along the way. Two of the six groups decided to make un Buche de Noel or Christmas log before the day of the competition. But they both stuck to their choices. One of the two teams varied their “EVERYTHING log by adding some gummy IS CONFUSING... others made a worms while the deconstructed WE’RE NOT THE Christmas log. “Everything is confusing... ONLY ONES we’re not the only ones making un Buche MAKING UN BUCHE de Noel,” said Isabel Jones ‘19. But the team DE NOEL.” recovered with new ideas. “Oscar didn’t grease the pan so ISABEL JONES it,” said Jeremiah we couldn’t roll JUNIOR just kinda threw Collins ‘21. “We it in the [oven] and it looked really bad, but then I shaved some chocolate chips on top.” Some of the other dishes included apple cake, flourless chocolate cake, chicken arugula potatoes with yogurt sauce, mushroom stew, flammekueches, gougères and fondant potatoes and croquembouche with raspberry custard. “Our cake is fantastic, hopefully it will taste good,” Serena Collins ‘18 said as she decorated a French apple cake with her team.

ABOVE: Younes Rouabhi ‘19 celebrates after winning the dessert contest BELOW: Entrees PHOTOS BY NINA LAVEZZO-STECOPOULOS “Usually we have to practice what we bake three times before we do [the competition]. This time we just winged it and I’m feeling pretty confident.” Around twenty-five students participated with the help of their friends. Uninvolved judges were chosen by French teacher Monsieur Balcaen. The judging began at 6:30. Chip Hardesty, Terry Coleman, and Brandon Swenson judged the six groups. All of the dishes were judged based on appearance difficulty and taste. Two winners were chosen, the best sweet and the best savory dish. The best dessert this year was awarded to Team Pamplemousse: Adriana McCall ‘19, Younes Rouabhi ‘19, Lottie Gidal ‘19, Salwa Sidahmed ‘19, and Paul Cornell ‘20. These students made a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. This team was also

second in the savory category. “It’s our third year so it’s been a while. We got second the last two years, so it’s a big moment,” said McCall ‘18. The juniors in Team Pamplemousse have competed in this competition many times before and have consistently been awarded second place. “I feel ecstatic,” said Rouabhi. “Honestly, this year I don’t know what we were expecting but to come out with the [result] was amazing.” Seniors Amadou Sanogo ‘18, Ava Otoadese ‘18, and Fifi Odhiambo ‘18 were awarded best savory plate. There will be another cooking contest this school year as well. “Come out next year,” Rouabhi said. “It’s a blast!”

Advocating for Animals at City High By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos Reporter

nimal Advocacy Club was started by Emme Kraus ‘19 earlier this school year. She started this club to provide a voice for those who don’t have one. The club met for the very first time in September 2017. “During the club we have a variety of activities,” said Kraus. “We do presentations, Kahoots, videos, and discussions.” At the moment the main goal of the club is to pass a ban that would eliminate all animal mills in the Johnson County area. Kraus is working with an informal community group to help this initiative move forward. She is also part of a ABOVE: Emme Kraus ‘19 leads a meeting of Animal Advocacy Club PHOTO BY NINA LAVEZZO-STECOPOULOS group in the community that discusses the same issues. This is an informal conditions often regarded as inhumane. In Dogs and other animals that are raised by organization that originally came up with the puppy mills, it’s very common for animals to breeders are often treated extremely differently idea for the ban. have such little space that they sleep in their own than those in mills. In many cases, breeders take “They just let me know about [the ban] and feces. care of fewer dogs and run their businesses on a I’ve been really trying my best to help,” Kraus “Puppy mills and cat mills treat their animals farm, giving the animals more space to roam. said. awfully. They spend their lives in cages and rotThere are two puppy mills in Johnson The ban the club is trying to pass would proting floors and starved and dehydrated and so County which house less than 150 grown dogs, hibit all animal mills from selling their animals we want to end that suffering,” said Kraus. “We as well as one store that sells puppy-mill dogs. and existing as a business. want to end this cruelty to animals.” Iowa puppy mills contain 16,500 adult dogs, and “Right now there are two puppy mills in Kraus’s passion has not only started recently. some of the worst puppy-mill operations in the Johnson County and then Petland, of course, so She has always been interested in animal rights. country take place in Iowa. The ban Kraus and all of these stores would no longer be able to sell “For my entire life I’ve been really fond of the organizations in which she is involved want dogs or cats,” Kraus said. taking care of animals, and speaking up for to pass would prohibit all three facilities located The reason why Kraus and other club memthose who can’t speak for themselves,” Kraus in Johnson County from selling puppy-mill bers want to pass this ban is to stop the breeding said. dogs. of animals in the conditions of an animal mill. Kraus has two dogs herself, one of which her Kraus and her fellow animal advocates A puppy mill or cat mill holds its animals in family rescued, the other from a breeder. started the process of creating this ban with vir-

tually no basis off of which to work. “There are a couple laws but they’re not strictly enforced and they’re not large enough to actually care for the animals in these areas,” said Kraus. There is only one federal law regulating the selling and research of animals in the US: the Animal Welfare Act passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. This law prohibits unlicensed companies to sell or research certain domesticated animals. Having a license doesn’t prohibit one from treating animals inhumanely, it only forces one to keep them in conditions in which the animals will survive. For this law you must be USDA licensed; in Iowa commercial breeders must be state licensed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). Iowa breeders do not have to be licensed by the IDALS and USDA. And not all breeders receive state oversight, which leads to more legal, but inhumane breeding facilities. Kraus is hoping to change these laws for Johnson County. “It’s been a long process trying to figure out what we’re going to do for this ban,” said Kraus. “We’re going to try and appeal to the supervisors of Iowa City and start from there.” Kraus has high hopes for her club, and the first step is larger attendance. “I’d really like to expand [the club] and get more people interested in advocating for animals,” said Kraus.

6A NEWS

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

FAM Talks Time Management By Lottie Gidal News Editor

Humans of City High By Lindy Rublaitus Reporter

“For me, it’s not quite being an adult yet but it’s still having those responsibilities. You have almost all of the responsibilities as an adult but you aren’t treated as one. You don’t have the status of an adult. You still have to follow your parents rules, you still don’t have a say in things because you’re living with your parents, even though I work, I pay taxes, I go to school, I do everything that adults do, but I am still a child and I don’t have a say in things, which is kind of difficult because I know a lot of kids who want to be more independent and they want to be able to do what they want—smart decisions, not dumb decisions—live the way they want to, but with their parents being there it’s like being a prisoner of your home. In some aspects, it kind of sucks—but it’s fine.” - Elias “Bubba” Perez “I think we are just trying to find a place for ourselves. With that, you kind of look around at other people and see where you are compared to them. It’s not like I’m trying to put myself down. It’s not really a ranking but sometimes it feels like that.” - Maggie Cremers

“I’d really like to get out and travel somewhere because I’ve never left the Midwest. It’d be nice to actually get out. That’s one of the things I want to do most in life, experience everything possible. That’s the ultimate goal.” - Maddie Kim “We are building ourselves a pathway to the future. I have no idea what I want to do in the future. I don’t know what college I want to apply to. I don’t know what I want to major in or minor in. I just have no idea what I want to do with my life. I am just afraid that I won’t have my life figured out in time.” - Mai Hoang

“I am gay and I’m good at math and I’m very thinky. I think a lot about a lot of things. I’m pretty in tune with myself.” - Evelyn Smith

“When it comes to politics, I don’t have a huge opinion on it. Even when the national anthem comes on I don’t put my hand over my heart because I’m not an American citizen so I don’t feel like I should be doing that. I just put both of my hands behind my back, I feel like that’s a right just Americans have. I’m not an American, I’m just a resident. For example, when people ask me if I’m Republican or Democrat, I just say that I’m Australian.” - Ryan Carter

“When I was younger I always loved to perform and I felt like “me” was me onstage. It was the whole me and not just the me I put on for other people. I feel like, when I am onstage, I’m so much more confident and passionate about what I want. I know what I want and I get what I want when I am onstage. It’s my decision. I can affect so many people with one note or how you play something. It just makes me feel very powerful.” - Oriana Ross

he entire freshman class gathered in Opstad on Tuesday, November 21st for their third FAM, or Freshman-Ambassador Meeting. Ambassadors Beatrice Kearns ‘19, Phoebe Chapnick-Sorokin ‘19, Tommy Brands ‘19, Eli Anderson ‘19, and Emma Hartwig ‘20 discussed ways to manage time more efficiently. “I think that a lot of kids struggle with procrastination and getting all their work done,” said Kearns. “As a student who is involved, or as a student athlete, getting all my work done is always a struggle, so having some tools and resources to help me manage my time better is helpful, and if I can pass that on to people I’m gonna do it.” They began by showing videos of each ambassador discussing a time in their high school careers when they failed to manage their time effectively, and then gave each other advice based on that scenario. Freshmen were then invited up onto the stage to participate in a series of fun activities including balloon relays, eating an Oreo off off each other’s foreheads, and competitive cup stacking. “This one went really well, they paid attention and hopefully learned some stuff,” Kearns said. “I think that the games were really fun and hopefully that helped to show time management in action.” This was Kearns’ second time leading one of these meetings. She also helped lead the first FAM. “Leading by example is an important thing, so I think that stepping up and being willing to commit to the responsibility is an important thing.”

Leo Kearns Chases Stars Freshman Leo Kearns started a stargazing club to find students who shared his love of astronomy and to create a space open to all By Henry Mildenstein Reporter

Iowa]. Some of the documentaries and movies we are planning on watching are Cosmos with Neil deGrasse Tyson and October Skies, a movie I feel inspires young people to explore science. Even if the club only ends up with a few core members, we hope to get the word out about some of the events the club has planned so students could come if they wanted.” “We have about three to four students interested and have always

eo Kearns ‘21’s passion for astronomy was born in room 1412 during Christine Lewers’ earth space science class. According to Kearns’ sister, Beatrice Kearns ‘19, he was hooked on astronomy almost immediately after his class started studying it. “They started studying it and he loved doing it, he would talk to the teacher about it and it started his passion for astronomy,” the elder Kearns said. “He just sort of found [astronomy] and knew he would love it. He wound up creating the club because there was no club for astronomy. He was very passionate and he wanted to share it with others.” According to Leo Kearns, Stargazers Club does a plethora of different space-related things. “We watch space documentaries, we create space theories, and we are hoping to use the telescope at Van Allen [Hall]. It is really fun and we are hoping to do more of the cool things we planned,” Kearns said. Since the club is in its infancy, the member count is slightly low but according to Lewers, its current mem-

“He just sort of found [astronomy] and knew he would love it.” BEATRICE KEARNS JUNIOR

ART BY Tatum Hills bers are trying to build interest in the student body. “We have advertised it over the announcements but not all students hear those, so we have our events on posters throughout the halls for a little extra advertising,” Lewers said.

One issue the club may be facing is mixed interest. Lewers mentioned that there could be students who want to show up for some events, like using the telescope at Van Allen Hall, but not others. “As a result of the low member

count, the club is trying to do a diverse mix of things so it can appeal to more than one type of person,” Lewers said. “One meeting we planned activities ranging from visiting a planetarium to using the telescope at Van Allen [Hall at the University of

had a couple at each meeting,” said Lewers. “In the months following, Leo Kearns, myself and the rest of the members hope to get the word out about their new club. With all the stuff we had brainstormed the members of Stargazers Club hope to see new students for our meetings every other Tuesday.”

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

NEWS 7A

Best of 2017 PHOTOS BY LITTLE HAWK REPORTERS FULL SLIDE SHOW ON THELITTLEHAWK.COM

NEWS 8A

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

Spreading the Love City High students volunteer at the 27th annual Christmas party for underprivileged children at the Mooose Lodge and Family Center By Anshul Gowda Reporter

gone through this program who I run into on the streets that remember having come here 15-20 years ago,” ocal teens helped the city’s Larew said. “Their family situation underprivileged children has improved and people are happy at the Homeless Children’s to have had this kind of help in the Trust’s 27th annual Christbackground.” mas party, which was held in the This year the party was conducted Moose Lodge and Family Center. differently due to the closure of the Children were laughing as the City K-Mart that was located south of State High cheerleaders raised them over Highway Route 6. their heads. “We used to take the family shop“You could clearly see that young ping at the K-Mart while the volunlives were being changed,” said teers would take care of the children, Mitchell Wilkes ’20. but since it closed, we didn’t have any The Homeless Children’s Trust real options of doing that anymore,” is a part of the Hawkeye Area ComLarew said. “However, what we did munity Action Program (HACAP), was purchase big gifts for each child, a non-profit organization that gives and have them already wrapped and housing for over 55 families in the ready to go under their family tree. So area, along with LiHeap, a heating it is a different format entirely than assistance program, and Head Start, what we’ve usually done.” a group that helps over 260 children, This change of having the parents and even offers job assistance for in the building along with the those who require it. volunteers was met with no objecThe Christmas party is full of ABOVE: Mia Garcia ‘21 volunteering PHOTO BY ANSHUL GOWDA tions. Volunteers were able to see how food, activities, and is a fun night for others might live, and understand the their afternoon. Along with these “This big group experience helps underprivileged children. challenges that others face. Student them with learning social skills,” said “I think the Christmas party gives larger responsibilities come simpler volunteers also ended up walking ones as well, such as making sure the Phyllis Reefs, who ran the temporary everybody a lot of festivity and fun away with newfound knowledge from child participates in activities, uses the tattoo station at the event. “These to the Christmas season,” said Mary the children for whom they had been restroom when kids—they don’t really have very Larew, the responsible. director of the “I think I learned to interact with “THE BIG GROUP EXPERIENCE necessary, and much, and they don’t really have eats lunch. many opportunities right now, so this annual Christchildren who are less privileged than HELPS THEM WITH LEARNING There was can give them an idea of what they mas party. me, and mutually learn from each no shortage of can do.” SOCIAL SKILLS. THESE Every other through shared experiences,” guest speakers, “I have been with this program for year the said Andy Chen ’19. KIDS—THEY DON’T REALLY performances, 27 years, and we have done this every party attracts However, Mitchell Wilkes ’20 HAVE VERY MUCH, AND THEY and activiyear,” said Larhundreds of brought up ties. The City ew. “Every year disadvantaged DON’T REALLY HAVE MANY an issue he “THE NIGHT BEFORE WE High Dance we have many, children. had noticed OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT NOW, Team did a many children Along with WRAPPED 130 PRESENTS. I when particiSO THIS CAN GIVE THEM AN short routine in Iowa City these children, HAD SO MANY VOLUNTEERS pating in the teenagers IDEA OF WHAT THEY CAN DO.” for those who who don’t have WE DID IT IN AN HOUR AND TEN event.. Wilkes attended. After the advantage come from the thought that they performed of having the surrounding the event was MINUTES, WHICH WAS REALLY PHYLLIS REEFS they proceeded home setting high schools, not sufficiently REMARKABLE.” VOLUNTEER to have the where they drawn by the advertised. children run will be getting opportunity “[The peothrough their nice things for to give back to ple who run it] MARY LAREW routine along Christmas. We the communiDIRECTOR should consider with them, and also played games want them to ty, as well as the potential for gaining advertising it with children. There was live music have a party Silver Cord hours. more, because with guitar and vocals by Kevin Burt, and have a lot of fun, meet Santa “We buddy up one of the teenage we can definitely use more volunteers Bob Sulzer, and Randt Burghdoff, Claus, and just run around and be volunteers with a little one,” said and kids here,” Wilkes said. “Stuff like as well as special performances from kids and have a good time.” Larew. “Both the teenager and the social media can definitely help, flytwo bands, the Skipperlings and the Larew believes that this event helps ers, and just spreading the word.” little ones have a lot of fun.” Dream Machine. many children around the Iowa City Volunteers are assigned to one Shuntaro Kawasaki ’20 found out This event, along with being a way area, and she hopes it will have an child, and act as the child’s caretaker about this program from his science for students to gain Silver Cord hours, impact on children’s lives and will alfor the rest of the afternoon. The teacher. Many of the volunteers who is a way for them to directly impact low them insight into the possibilities high school student is responsible had shown up had found out from these children who are living in unfor- for their futures. for aspects such as making sure that other volunteers or through their “I know a lot of people who have the child feels safe, happy, and enjoys tunate circumstances. teachers. “If my science teacher didn’t tell me about this I don’t know if I would be here right now,” Kawasaki said. “I know that five of the volunteers here were influenced by my science teacher.” Volunteers wrapped a total of 130 presents in just seventy minutes in preparation for this year’s event. “The night before last we wrapped 130 presents. I had so many volunteers we did it in an hour and ten minutes, which was really remarkable,” Larew said. Next year will be the 28th annual Children’s Trust Christmas party. Again, volunteers will be needed to work in the kitchen, wrap the presents, take care of the children, and help with the cleanup. Students who volunteer are able to gain Silver Cord hours that go toward receiving the community service award when they graduate. “Well if you want to come and give to the community, have a good time yourself, and enjoy the entertainment, we would be more than happy to have anybody to volunteer,” said Larew. ABOVE: Julia McReynolds ‘21 and Maddie Kim ‘19 at the Christmas party PHOTO BY ANSHUL GOWDA

Annual Iowa Thespian Festival By Lindy Rublaitus Reporter

Members of the City High Thespian Club attended the Iowa Thespian Festival at the University of Northern Iowa

he stage had been set, the actors were ready, and high schools from around Iowa were ready to immerse themselves into the world of theater for the weekend. Two days of shows, workshops, and performances gave students an escape during the annual Iowa Thespian Festival at the University of Northern Iowa on November 10th and 11th. “It was pretty fun,” Isaac Elzinga ‘18 said. “I got to know my cast and crew members a lot better. I got to talk to them a lot more than I think I would have otherwise.” This year, a select group of students, along with teachers Troy Peters and Doug Lestina, attended productions of “Peter and the Starcatcher,”

“I GOT TO KNOW MY CAST AND CREW MEMBERS A LOT BETTER... I TALKED TO PEOPLE I WOULDN’T HAVE OTHERWISE TALKED TO.” ISAAC ELZINGA

CITY HIGH SENIOR “A Piece of My Heart,” “Next to Normal,” and “Almost, Maine.” Last year, City High showed their production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the festival, but this year the students were not performing and thus were able to enjoy every show and have full range of the campus for individual events as well as an open mic. Interactive workshops provided students with insight on acting, play readings, and improv, as well as several opportunities to discuss theater with professional technical theater crews and create puppets. “We got to see five shows and lots of smaller performances while also seeing individual acts and participating in workshops,” Claire Green ‘19 said. “I enjoyed seeing all of the productions and being able to immerse myself in theatre for a couple days.” Ten thespians, students who have been involved in three or more City High theater productions, got to celebrate their art with schools across the state on this year’s trip. Prospective thespians apply at the end of every school year to become part of the City High Thespian Troupe as well as of the Student Drama Board. These students serve as role models to City High’s theater community and provide an educated view on every element of the performing arts. Even though the group is small, it is a tight-knit community of students that Green believes can make a difference. “[Being a thespian] means that I’ve been chosen to help the new people in theater learn about it and opportunities to explore theater,” said Green.

NEWS 9A

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

Student Senate Recap: 11/9 - 12/13 11/9

The Senate meeting on Wednesday, November 8 began with reports on committees. Referees have been obtained for the Powderbuff volleyball tournament, which will be held Thursday from 3:30 to 5:30. The Senate wants the student body to be more informed about this event. The Can Drive committee will be making posters and have decided to donate money. There may be a loft going in the commons as part of an attempt to draw student socialization to the commons as opposed to the library. This also includes charging stations. The Senate voted to give funds to purchase a charging station for the commons; the others will be paid for by the district. $1000 will be donated to charity organizations to aid in hurricane recovery efforts. The Senate discussed goals for second trimester, including fundraising, publicity, exposure to ELL students, advisory meetings and listening posts, and club grants which must be publicized so as to help student groups who are in need of funding.

11/21

The Senate meeting began with a report from heads of committees. Lottie Gidal ’19 asked for volunteers to man the Can Drive at Hy-Vee and students signed up for shifts. The dance committee reported on its progress: posters for the dance will be put up and the Senate wishes to advertise that

the dance will be held in December committee, led by Zoë Butler disthis year as opposed to January, in the cussed tickets, ticket sales, and posters. evening of December 16. The Can Drive started on Saturday, Eric Thomas ’18 had previously November 25, and will continue over proposed an open mic night in the the course of the next few Saturdays Little Theater and the Senate discussed at the 1st Ave Hy-Vee and in the main its setup and implementation. It deter- foyer. Lottie Gidal ’19, the head of the mined to create a committee for the Can Drive, is still looking for volunevent. The Senate revisited the topic of the charging stations in the cafeteria area and the commons as per request of a student to clarify costs and what was pur- PHOTO BY NINA LAVEZZO-STECOPOULOS chased. It then broke up into comteers. The Open Mic Night committee mittees. head, Eric Thomas ‘18, presented on availability of the Little Theater and possible dates for the event. Finally, 11/29 President Teagan Roeder ’18 discussed The meeting began with the fundraising possibilities, like a bake introduction of an official, stansale, a dinner to benefit our school’s dardized procedure for meetings, a and other schools’ Student Senate prosimplified version of the Robert’s grams, or other methods of generating Rules of Order, establishing an order revenue for the Senate. and organizational system of Senate Maya Durham ’19 reported on the business within meetings. progress of the charging stations manCommittees presented: the dance dated by the Senate and the Executive

Board. The Student Senate photos will take place after school on Wednesday, December 6 in the main foyer.

12/6

Club photos for the Senate will take place today, Wednesday, December 6, after school. The Senate split into committees.

12/13

The Wednesday, December 6 meeting began with a recap on the notes taken in Friday’s listening post. President Teagan Roeder presented on the issues: accessibility and student confusion on the Executive Board, details on the charging stations and possible changes to vote procedure, and senior events. Committees reported on progress. The dance ticket sales will begin this week, and the winter formal will be Saturday, December 16, from 8-11 pm. The Can Drive is progressing, with more profits having been made Saturday, December 2, and the third and final session will be Saturday, December 9. Open Mic Night will happen next calendar year after winter break. Club photos for the Senate will take place today, Wednesday, December 6, after school. The Senate split into committees. Student Senate meets every Wednesday morning in room 3311 at 8:15 am. To learn more, contact Mr. Tygrett, the primary faculty advisor, or attend meetings, which are open to all students.

Solar Energy in the ICCSD continued from 1A The amount of panels City would require depends on the amount of kWh per cell. While a 1-kWh cell usually costs upwards of $25,000, the final amount gets reduced immensely with the International Trade Commision (ITC) discount of 30%, included with every solar power purchase to encourage the change. This factors out to be around $13,500,000. Spreading the payment over the 25-year warranty of most cells, the yearly cost of the panels would be around $500,000. The investment would doubling how much City is meant to be spending, as well as putting it $300,000 over-budget. Even negating the surplus energy generated over the summer, the amount of debt the school would be in after just ten years would be well over $1,000,000. Although the idea for total solar power was rejected in past years by the school board because of this necessary spending, there may still be a possibility for a compromise. “Some small-scale thing you could use in a learning environment would definitely be a cool thing,” said Byler. “But you’re never gonna go 100% on site without some kind of cogeneration plant where you’re burning fossil fuels to generate electricity. Also, if you’re replacing power that’s already 30-40% from wind and geothermal, you’re offsetting something that’s

already pretty clean.” This means that the investment, if not a total switch, would be more efficient not only in terms of cost, but environmentally as well, reducing the amount of cells to one or two, and leaving out any unneeded fossil fuel use. Another advantage included in fewer solar panels would be the reduction of real estate from the 500-kWh farm covering at maximum two acres down to a few square meters per 10kWh system. This reduced amount of space will make it much simpler to decide where to put these certain cells. While there are many locations around the property to place panels, because of City High’s reputation, doing so could be harder than one would imagine. “Keeping the historically famous campus will be...difficult,” Hannah Boer ‘18, the president of the City High Architecture Club, said about the possible implementation of solar panels. “Modern technology can be a stunning and aesthetic complement to historic architecture when it’s done right, but since our building has so much history behind it, there are a lot of things that we can’t change—anything on the front lawn or visible in pictures of the front of City High’s campus. It’d [be a] much bigger deal than if the arrays were out of sight.”

Leaving the aesthetic parts of the campus out of the picture, other voices say that there are still plenty of places to install solar panels around the school. Some of the optimal locations would be on top of the cafeteria or next to the commons where they would be in view of all of the science classes. Even some students feel the introduction of solar panels is a great idea. “Having panels would look cool, mixing old with the new,” said John Momberg ‘18. “It’d be really interesting to take a renewable nenergy engineering class. Getting to know how wind turbines, solar panels, and geothermal energy cells work sounds fun.” However, a class on renewable energy would require a qualified teacher. This is where Byler steps in. “Teaching the engineering and physics classes, having solar power right outside our window would be great. We’d go out there, ask, ‘How is this working? Let’s compare a cloudy day to the output of a sunny day, during peak times or off-peak times,’ you know, those would be great learning opportunities,” said Byler. “And along with that, if we looked out here from the physics room and saw the top of INFOGRAPHIC BY OLIVIA LUSALA the study-hall roof was full of solar panels, that would make you feel good about your school.”

Frederick Newell continued from 1A

“Then in 2015 I was offered the Student’s Advisory Center position and [took] the job because the young men I was working with at the Dream Center were already here. I only worked with them outside of school, but then to become the support within the school as well,” Newell said. Besides being the Student Advisory

Director, Newell is a basketball coach for the City High freshman team. He also coaches for the Little Hawk Basketball School (LHBS), an elementary school basketball team, while playing basketball himself. Students are also inspired by the work that Newell does. Shevonna Noris ‘19, one of Newell’s students, com-

mented on the impact that Newell and his program, The Dream Center, have had on her. “He is like a big brother to me,” Noris said. “My past years at high school weren’t always good, but I feel like this year has been my best year. I have just matured a lot and Fred has helped me. He is a mentor and guide to

a lot of the students.” Noris also works at the Dream Center with the kids in the summer. “The Dream Center helps develop [young people] to be leaders,” said Noris. “[It has also] helped me to be social, and understand things from another perspective—not only how I see things, but how other people see different situations.”

10A NEWS

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

Standing Your Ground By Lottie Gidal News Editor

The trial for the August shooting in downtown Iowa City is the first major test of major stand-your-ground legislation passed earlier this year in the Iowa Congress. Many are worried that this law will disproportionately affect minorities.

ne August morning, shots were fired in downtown Iowa City. 22-year-old Kaleek Jones was shot, along with two other men, and after remaining in critical condition for several days died in the hospital. Police charged Lamar Wilson of Iowa City with the murder, but then something changed. Wilson’s lawyers argued that he was justified in using force to protect himself. They used a stand-your-ground defense, citing the passage of a sweeping firearms law (House File 517) passed on July 1st in the Iowa legislature, and signed by then Governor Terry Branstad. The lawyers argued that because of this Wilson should be able to avoid prosecution if he establishes that he acted within the confines of the law. “Lamar Wilson was lawfully in possession of a firearm and was lawfully concealing it on his person at the time he and others on the pedestrian mall were attacked,” stated Wilson’s lawyer John Bruzek in a motion filed on October 20th. House File 517 states that a person does not have to retreat before using deadly force to defend themselves if they believe their life is in danger. Even “WE AS HUMAN if they interpreted the threat incorrectly, meaning that the BEINGS HAVE person was not in immediate IMPLICIT danger, they would still be BIAS. IT’S NOT found justified. “HF 517 was the most signifiSOMETHING THAT cant firearms-related legislation WE CAN CONTROL in recent history,” said Derek Drayer, the Communication WITHOUT Director of the Iowa Firearms TRAINING...IN THIS Coalition, the first organizaCOUNTRY OUR tion to support the law. “IFC was proud to work with the MEDIA TEACHES members of our legislature and US CERTAIN support this legislation.” THINGS, IT Wilson’s lawyers called for a special evidentiary-based VILIFIES CERTAIN hearing and asked that if the INDIVIDUALS THAT judge found the shooting to be justified he would dismiss the LOOK A CERTAIN case based on HF 517. WAY.” However, Sixth Judicial District Judge Paul Miller ruled on November 3rd that the RAS SMITH stand-your-ground plea used by IOWA STATE Wilson’s lawyers could not be REPRESENTATIVE used until after the trial. Judge Miller said that he would hear both sides of the case and return with a ruling on the immunity issue afterwards, referencing State v. King, a similar Iowa case from 1989. This case is one of the first major legislative tests of HF 517. When the law was first being discussed in the Iowa Legislature, many Democrats were especially concerned by the stand-yourground provision. Representative Ras Smith spoke out against it by standing in front of the congress and pulling on a hoodie at the end of his speech, drawing attention to the fact that standyour-ground laws are notorious for disproportionately affecting

minorities, specifically young black and Latino men. “My role in stand-your-ground was to really do some research and to inform my caucus of what had happened in the past where we have seen this legislation and how it has impacted those communities,” said Rep. Smith. “What we found is that [standyour-ground] disproportionately and unfairly impacted minority communities more than any other in states where that legislation was input.” A study found in identical cases where the only difference was the race of the shooter and victim, juries were twice as likely to convict the perpetrator of a crime against a white person than against a person of color. A study analyzing FBI data found that homicides were found to be justified in 35% of white-on-black shootings, and only about 3% of black-on-white. The study was conducted by researching 204 Florida standyour-ground cases. Florida was the first state in the nation to enact such a law, and since then, 33 more states have followed. It was there that the infamous shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin sparked national outrage in 2012. The shooter, George Zimmerman, was acquitted based on stand-your-ground. “We as human beings have implicit bias. It’s not something that we can control without training,” said Rep. Smith. “Unfortunately, in this country our media teaches us certain things, it vilifies certain individuals that look a certain way.” The past few years has begun a discussion of how the news media may or may not further implicit bias. A 2015 study conducted by the University of Houston’s Temple Northup found that the news overrepresented African-Americans as criminals. “Based on the findings from the study in the U.S., long-term exposure to local television news, wherein African-Americans are depicted frequently and stereotypically as criminals, predicted increased negative implicit attitudes toward African-Americans,” said Northup. “Viewers who watched more local television news demonstrated more unconscious negative attitudes toward African-Americans.” In each of those 33 states that has some form of the stand-your -ground law, the exact language can vary. At least 24 states do not require the shooter to retreat before shooting, and at least 22 provide civil immunity under certain circumstances. In Iowa, both are true. But HF 517 did not only contain stand your ground provisions. “It is now legal for underage shooters to learn how to shoot a handgun under the direction of an adult,” said Drayer. “We believed that this restriction on the discretion of adults in Iowa was a tremendous overreach. Protecting the privacy of concealed-carry holders, redefining hostile language pertaining to armed with intent, emergency power restrictions, capitol carry, and stand-yourground defense were also included. These expanded the rights of Iowans and make people safer.” “It’s not a gun-rights or a gun-advocates issue,” said Rep. Smith. “Stand-your-ground is more of a self-defense issue, but sometimes people can get misconstrued.” Self-defense is often equated with guns in today’s world, as that is the most common way to defend oneself. So Smith, a gun owner and hunter, has definite views on the role of government when it comes to gun legislation. “There were parts of that bill that I had issue with, such as the age for shooting,” said Rep. Smith. “We lowered the age for

allowing handgun safety to be taught to kids in the state of Iowa to eight years old—or really however old you want it to be—with a parent or guardian. Now, those are things that I didn’t necessarily oppose...that’s a family and a parenting decision. I don’t necessarily agree with it as a parent, but I also don’t agree with the government dictating what, as a parent, you can and cannot teach your child. I think that if you are willing to assume that risk as a parent that that is not a place for the government to overstep.” But there are so many different facets to stand-your“STAND-YOURground that Rep. Smith does GROUND WILL LIKELY not believe that legislation can cover them all. In the Lamar BE A HOT TOPIC IF IT Wilson case, for example, gang IS EVER TESTED IN activity and gang affiliation were involved, and he says that COURT. WE FOUND this changes the way stand-yourSOME COMMON ground should be interpreted. MISCONCEPTIONS “I think that that is one of the very dangerous things AND WEAKNESSES IN about this stand-your-ground THE SELF-DEFENSE legislation is...all those nuances legislation can’t really account LAWS IN IOWA, BUT for,” said Rep. Smith. “I think WE BELIEVE THIS that’s a loophole that myself ADDITION WILL and the district attorneys for several counties are very much EXTEND IOWANS’ opposed to because it does give GUN RIGHTS BEYOND loopholes for those who are gang-affiliated. They kind of get THE HOME AND MAKE a ‘get out of jail free’ card.” PEOPLE SAFER.” All of these different aspects to stand-your-ground have made DEREK DRAYER interpreting how the law can IOWA FIREARMS be applied incredibly difficult. COALITION Wilson’s case is the first of many ways in which it will be applied in Iowa. But while Florida was the first state to codify stand-yourground in 2005, these laws far predate that legislation, dating from 17th-century England. English common law stated that when being threatened or attacked by another, there was a duty to retreat. Then, if there was no other means of escape, deadly force could occur. A self-defense argument could only be used for homicide if the defendant could prove that they were preventing

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

death or serious bodily harm. English law attempted to preserve human life as much as possible, but this changed when the law began to be used in the colonies. Castle Doctrine Law, the name given to these self-defense regulations in 18th-century America, compared one’s home to a castle and carried over the idea of justified deadly force when defending the home. It stated that there was no need to retreat in one’s own home and that deadly force could be used despite a lack of force originally exerted by the other party and regardless of a lack of fear of imminent death. Over the years, the definition of a person’s ‘castle’ has extended to include public spaces. In Brown v. US (1921) the court ruled that a person did not have to retreat in any place that they felt threatened before using deadly force. Iowa had previously passed some self-defense laws, but nothing quite as extensive as stand-your-ground. “We expect to see some further clarification from the legislature on this topic in 2018,” said Drayer. “Stand-your-ground will likely be a hot topic if it is ever tested in court. We found some common misconceptions and weaknesses in the self-defense laws in Iowa, but we believe this addition will extend Iowans’ gun rights beyond the home and make people safer.” However, it has been shown that there is a correlation between the states with the strictest gun laws and the ones with the least number of homicides. Especially in the past few months, there has been a slew of mass shootings across the country, from Las Vegas to a small town in rural Texas. Many people are asking “AT THE END OF what can be done to stop these THE DAY, I DON’T killings. But legislative response has been next to nothing. CARE ABOUT YOUR “As a gun owner, the last thing IMPLICIT BIAS. I that I want is someone shooting a CARE THAT YOU gun that shouldn’t have one,” said Rep. Smith. “We can make it damn TOOK SOMEBODY’S difficult, and if we do that we are LIFE. AND THIS doing our jobs. If we continue to LAW MAKES IT SO look at this as a political issue we are going to continue to keep failing THAT YOU CAN.” not only the people of Iowa but the country as a whole. We owe people RAS SMITH safe communities.” IOWA STATE Smith believes that gun violence should not be treated as a political REPRESENTATIVE

NEWS 11A

issue, citing the polarization that has occured between the left and right on that issue. “Gun violence is a public health issue, not a political issue,” said Smith. “You’re not going to stop the flu, you’re going to make it way harder for people to get it by making a vaccination.” There are huge disagreements between the left and right as on how to handle stand-your-ground, and more widely, the entire issue of gun ownership. But Smith says that the first thing to do is start a conversation. “A couple weeks back I did a discussion with a class at UNI. What I found out was that those extremely liberal students there on campus were expecting me to come in and do a bunch of ‘I told you so’ to the Republican students in that class. That’s not what I’m about. Because if we are going to move things forward we have to be inclusive of everybody. We have to find that common ground.” And that common ground is not so far off. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 90% of Democratic gun owners and 88% of Republican owners are in favour of preventing the mentally ill from purchasing guns. 86% of Democratic owners and 70% of Republican owners are in favour of background checks for gun sales at private shows. “I believe there is a place in our community for guns, but how do we do it safely? How do we do it so nobody feels attacked?” said Smith. “We have to really change the tone of the conversation because if we keep blaming each other, we are never gonna get anywhere.” But when it comes to stand-your-ground, Smith is quite sure. “Because at the end of the day, I don’t care about your implicit bias. I care that you took somebody’s life,” said Smith. “And this law makes it so that you can.”

ABOVE: The downtown Iowa City ped mall at night, the scene of the shooting that took place in early fall, killing two men and injuring another PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PRESS-CITIZEN ABOVE: Models posed in humanize my hoodie sweatshirts PHOTO BY JONAH TERRY

10A NEWS

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

LITTLE HAWKS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR YEAR IN FIVE WORDS IF I HAD A DO-OVER... "Exhausting...Stressful... Regretless...Long nights. That was five right?" -Sarah Nunez

SOMETHING I DON'T WANT TO FORGET

"I want to remember how far we've come in Mock Trial and I'm going to take what we've done and multiply it by one thousand." -Kawther Rhouabi

Anna Lindower

LESSON LEARNED "Things are going to happen. They're going to be good, they're going to be bad, but you need to not let that impact you as a person." -Shay McLean

BIGGEST CHANGE

FAVORITE MOMENT

"I got a job this year and I also got my car, so it's been a lot more self-reliance. 2017 has been about being responsible for yourself."

"I broke five minutes in the mile in track, which has been a goal of mine since I started doing track."

-Ollie Morelli

BIGGEST REGRET "I snuck out of my house using a metal fire ladder and almost shattered my window." -A nnali s e Rummelhar t

ART BY OLIVIA LUSALA

"I would ask D-Schnoeb to have pancakes with me on Sunday morning."

-Nolan Cochran

BEST OF 2017 MOVIES 1. Get Out 2. Star Wars 3. Thor: Ragnarok 4. Spiderman:

ALBUMS 1. DAMN.— Kendrick La-

mar 2. American Teen — Khalid 3. 4:44 — Jay-Z 4. Reputation — Taylor Homecoming 5. Guardians of the Galaxy Swift 5. Rainbow — Kesha Vol. 2

BY ROB STRANG

LH Executive Editors

Maya Durham & Victor Kalil

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22nd, 2017

OPINION A13

ART BY OLIVIA LUSALA

News Editors Lottie Gidal & Phoebe Chapnick-Sorokin

Staff Editorial Poll

Opinion Editors Eden Knoop & Mira Bohannan Kumar

Feature Editor

Does our educational system put too much

Sports Editor

pressure on students to conform or participate

Mina Takahashi

Addy Smith

meaninglessly in order get into an elite school?

A&E Editors Zoë Miller & Theo Prineas

YES: 11

Video Editor Shayna Jaskolka

NO: 1

Photo Editor Jacob Strathearn

Web Editor Zoë Butler

Copy Editors Theo Prineas & Mira Bohannan Kumar

Art Editor Olivia Lusala

Staff

Jack Bacon, Gabriel Baird, Olivia Baird, Samiya Batie, Cecile Bendera, Landon Clay, Orson Codd, Quincy Coghill-Behrends, Alexis DuBrava, Alfredo Filero, Forrest Frazier, Paris Fuller, Katherine Geerdes, Sylvia Gidal, Anshul Gowda, Allyson Guyer, Reese Hill, Madelyn Hix, Bihotza James-Lejarcegui, Alyse Lacina, Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos, Olivia Lusala, Liam McComas, Henry Mildenstein, Paula Mompio-Martinez, Emmelene Perencevich, Julia Powers, Teagan Roeder, Lindy Rublaitus, Abbott Ruhinda, Dylan Ryfe, Egan Smith, Escalade Smith, Robert Strang, Robert Tharrington, Eric Thomas, Samba Traore, Griffin Vogelgesang-Maurer Rika Yahashiri.

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.

here is one phrase in the English language that nearly every high school student in America hears much too often for their own taste: “It’ll look good on college applications!” But despite the distaste many students feel towards the constant repetition of this dreaded sentence, high school students continue to engage in “resume building:” enrolling in certain activities and taking certain classes for no reason other than college pressure. Recent increases in the importance of standardized tests, lower acceptance rates from top schools, and inconsistent and inflated grading standards that lead to the “Everyone has a 4.0 these days!” philosophy put a tremendous amount of pressure on high school students to participate in extracurricular activities. Everyone in high school knows someone who has a laundry list of activities that they do, even though they don’t care about any of them. Correctly or not, these students think their future rests on even the smallest details of their college applications and that, somehow, if they can just add one title to their resume, they’ll guarantee a future for themselves that shines brighter than a Pantene commercial. In other words, many high school students base their entire lives around the vague possibility of a future they can never fully guarantee. The high school landscape is rapidly changing. Students today are driven to bad decisions. Because they are extremely overscheduled, they sleep only when everything is done, which it never is. A 2006 National Sleep Foun- d a t i o n poll found that more than 87% of high school students get far less than the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep. That number is only increasing. Sleep deprivation is linked to a myriad of health problems, distracted driving, and poor performance in school. Poor sleep and overscheduling both lead to a culture of underperformance, where quantity, not quality, is pushed upon the top students. Today’s culture of pressure and necessary perfection also has wreaked havoc on high school students’ mental health. One in five students in the US will show symptoms of mental health issues, and in one survey, 17% of Iowa juniors reported having wanted to commit suicide in the previous year. School counselors, psychologists, and social workers are often dramatically understaffed and are unable to help students who need it. Students feel alone, unseen, ignored, and their mental health crumbles under the numerous pressures pervading their lives—including pressure for academic achievement and college acceptance. That same college pressure has caused a dramatic rise in cheating over the last 50 years. Nowadays, according to the Educational Testing Service, about 75% of high school students admit to academic dishonesty. That number rises to 80% among top students, despite cheating being traditionally linked to those with poor grades. Even more concerning, many students feel justified in cheating,

because they see students around them cheating, and don’t think it would be fair for cheaters to get a higher grade than them. They lay the blame for their cheating on poor teaching that failed to adequately prepare them, leading to their need to cheat. High school students bring these lax ethics with them to college, where they are far more likely to cheat if they have already in high school. The growing fear is that these morals will follow students into the workforce. Students are compromising their morals, their time, and themselves for the sake of this college quest. To some, this system for getting into college may seem ridiculous. However, even students who criticize this educational rat race find themselves unable to disrupt the system, boxed into a set web of grades, clubs, sports, and community service so tight that there is almost no room for movement. Students who try to work outside this box, even a little, are instantly swamped with extra work that threatens everything else. This is partly why students who pursue creative hobbies are often forced to make a choice between the things they love and the things they ‘must’ accomplish in order to get into college. And if they choose to do what they love, their future could be forfeit. Because many of these activities have no standard measure of success, like official clubs, awards, or leadership positions, the work to which students dedicate their lives is overlooked. There are many steps t h a t schools can take to reduce the burden on students. High schools can enforce consistent grading and de-emphasize AP classes as the only way to perform as a high-level student. They can work to reduce the amount of meaningless homework handed out everyday. In turn, colleges can help by limiting the amount of activities that can be listed on their applications, prioritizing quality over quantity. They can learn to care about personal substance and excellence in non-traditional areas. But these token policies can only go so far. America has to change the way it views education. Personal substance and the interests of individual students must be prized above stock achievements on a resume if we are to escape the net of commercialized higher education. A system such as ours is fit only for those who have no interest in learning but see college as a means to an end, as a way to get prospects and qualifications for the workforce. Students should be able to love what they study and participate in, and they should be able to get into college using their own personal journeys in their own fields. Uniform applications which result in every Harvard student being exactly the same are useless to both American students and American institutions. Only by embracing a variety of people, viewpoints, and skills can we craft a better future, and colleges need to understand that and apply it to their admissions policies. As our educational system becomes increasingly commercialized, we need to learn to see the people behind the veil of money. We need to stop seeing education as a financial transaction, as a means to get some cushy high-paying job. When we truly learn, all of society benefits.

“IT’LL LOOK GOOD ON COLLEGE APPLICATIONS.”

14A OPINION

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22nd, 2017

Not Our Executives By Eric Thomas

By Olivia Lusala Usually when depression hits, its hits hard. Depression is a serious mental illness that can interfere with a person’s daily life, causing long-lasting, severe feelings of sadness and hopelessness as well as loss of interest in activities. True friends make it through all tough times and that includes periods of depression. If you’re someone without depression you may not understand or really know what to do if someone you love and care for has depression. But even if it may not seem like it, there are ways you can help, including just being there for your friend. Be patient. You never know how long it will take for some to get out of their slump. Depression is never invited, and it leaves on its own time. It’s hard to imagine how difficult it is for your friend to get through each day already, so don’t rush them, or question what’s going on with them. Just being there is good enough. Take care of yourself as well. Don’t stress yourself out trying to make someone else happy. Don’t make yourself weak by trying to make someone else strong. People who have depression struggle to be good and engaged friends and it’s okay to get frustrated about that sometimes. Take a step back and time off if you need to. You can’t help anyone if you’re not in the right place mentally. Also remember that it’s not always your job to lift up someone who has depression. Help them stick to a healthy routine. Whether you realize it or not, your life runs on a routine, from the time you wake up and brush your teeth to the time you go to sleep. If you find yourself in a bad state regularly it could be caused by a very negative routine that you have developed over a long period of time and you don’t even realize it. Finding these negative habits will transform your way of spending time and help you feel better. Even parts of your life that may not seem to affect mental health, like diet and exercise, are hugely important and can be the easiest and best way to help you. Changing little things in your life will really do a great deal of good, like getting a gym buddy and working out, going for a walk, taking your medicine on a regular basis, writing, and getting healthy!

So when people dealing with depression don’t respond to their friends, it doesn’t mean they don’t care. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to be your friend, and it doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in maintaining your friendship. Depression is hard, but friendships are stronger, and being there for someone during a period of depression helps them to maintain a support system that is very important for overcoming mental illness.

As all seventeen of you know, the Executive Board here at City High has been planning on trafficking the rowdy crowd in the library to the commons. The best way for that to happen according to them, is to create a more comfortable, user-friendly environment. To start this initiative the Executive Board and the Student Senate have chosen to implement charging stations in the commons. Sadly, as is obvious to everyone, nothing will move all the chatter out of the library. You could put in a Jacuzzi, lounge chairs– hell, even a bar wouldn’t bring kids out of the library and into the commons. Despite the initiative’s obvious futility, the Executive Board still used over $1000 to put in these charging stations. This may just seem like a small, unneeded addition to the school, but it almost perfectly defines the Executive Board and what it stands for at the moment: a flawed system. Things work out best in the most democratic and population-inclusive governmen-

tal systems. Not because they fly seamlessly from one topic to the next in a matter of weeks or days, but because they try to listen to everyone’s voice. Everyone is heard, and the majority wins. In the end, most everyone is happy. This is not what the Executive Board is

“THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MAY BE GETTING THINGS DONE FAST, BUT IT ISN’T GETTING THINGS DONE RIGHT.” at all. Not only is it detached from the entire population of City High, but when voting for their proposed changes, it just consults Student Senate, which is only a small percentage of the students of which the student body is made up. The last time I checked,

there was only one guy on the Board and it was mainly made up of mostly middle- to higher-class citizens, some haughty enough not to bat an eye on the $1000 purchase to help charge cell but think donating more than $500 to Puerto Rico for aiding with hurricane repairs is too much. With this lack of diversity inside the Executive Board along with a lack of communication to the general population, the Executive Board may be getting things done fast, but it isn’t getting things done right. To provide an analogy, this is equivalent to taking an online typing test and spamming “ c c c c c c c;” although you may have over 200 words per minute on paper, when you factor in the accuracy of 0%, your speed goes down to zero. We can only hope that this flawed system will eventually change for the better, as it has only been in place for about a month now here at The School That Leads. I hope it will improve soon, because I really don’t like hating things.

A Call for Change By Madelyn Hix

ART BY AVERY SHRADER

Eight hour practices in 100-degree heat. with my open period, I don’t have any free student’s discipline, both a sports team and a Outside rehearsal almost every day first pe- time. I need an open period to be able to marching band would fall apart. riod first trimester. Performing to be judged stay sane but I have to fill that period with While talking to Mr. Bacon, I asked him by hundreds. This is all normal for a band PE even though I get my physical activity point-blank, “Why doesn’t marching band student. However, as taxing as marching band from marching band. In my opinion, main- qualify for a PE waiver?” There is something is, it does not count for taining my mental health called the Iowa Code of Physical Education, PE credit. This needs to and keeping up with my which says that a PE exemption can be award“I AM APPLYING FOR change. copious responsibilities ed if a student is “enrolled in an organized or As a student who is is much more important supervised athletic progaram which requires COLLEGES, STUDYING in band, I have to do than taking a class that I at least as much participation time per week FOR MY ACT, DOING marching band as well. will never use in the fu- as one-eighth unit of physical education.” HOMEWORK...EVEN This includes starting a ture. How Mr. Bacon takes it is that the adult suWITH MY OPEN PERIOD, week before before everyNot only is marching pervising the class must be a certified physione else in the summer, I DON’T HAVE ANY FREE band comparable to PE, cal education teacher or coach. However, the coming home with awful it is also comparable to actual guideline says “organized OR superTIME.” sunburns no matter how a sport. While I am not vised.” It does not have to be supervised by a much sunscreen I put devaluing golf and bowl- trained PE teacher, as long as it is supervised on, and moving so much that sometimes I ing, marching band is much more active than and organized by some adult. There are two can’t even walk the next day. The marching those two sports and the skills necessary are easy solutions to this. First, we could certify band does just as much, if not more, than similar. In bowling, you the band directors (and the school PE classes, yet we’re still forced to have to focus on the way choir directors if we in“THE SCHOOL BOARD either take another physical education class. you swing your arm and clude show choir). They This is not fair to those who are outside sweat- on the spot that you want NEEDS TO TAKE MATTERS would take one or two ing in the over-90-degree heat. I have seen to hit. In marching band, classes to get certified INTO ITS OWN HANDS.” more injuries, exhaustion, tears, and people the way you carry your and renew it every year or passing out in marching band than I have instrument matters or so. Alternately, the rules ever seen in a PE class. So why do the band the playing will not sound as it should. You could simply be amended. kids have to do marching band as well as PE? have to focus on the spot that you have to go No matter what it ends up doing, the Because I am involved in numerous activi- and get there in a certain amount of steps. school board needs to take matters into its own ties, this year is the first year I’ve had an open Golf relies a lot on body position and being hands. It wants students, faculty, and parents period. I am applying for colleges, studying one with your body. In marching band, there of the Iowa City Community School District for my ACT, doing homework for other class- is a certain way that you must carry your body to feel listened to. This is the perfect opportues, and practicing for numerous musical au- and you need to be one with your body to nity. The rules were written by the people in ditions I have for college scholarships. Even keep balance in certain moves. Without each power. Who’s to say they can’t change them?

Caught By Mira Bohannan Kumar and Zoë Butler

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22nd, 2017

On the Partisan Frontline By Maya Durham “Oh, you live in Iowa? With the corn Las Vegas, Dallas, Sutherland Springs, That you never really know where, or and the pigs?” and so many more. We have seen 29,755 when, or to whom the next tragedy is go“Kind of, but Iowa City’s its own little victims shot, and we have seen 14,683 hu- ing to happen. bubble, away from the farms.” man beings killed. Throughout this entire When are we going to say it: there are “Wow, you live in Iowa. That must’ve year, throughout the majority of the his- guns that are not being controlled. There been pretty bad during election season.” tory of America, we’ve been caught in an are people out there, who may or may “Actually, Iowa City’s pretty much a endless cycle of the “gun control” debate. not be mentally ill, who may or may not little blue bubble.” Should we focus on the have previous records Iowa City is a bubble. That’s always motive of the shooters, of violence, who are “DO WE PAY MORE been the best way for anyone to describe or how they gain access taking those largely ATTENTION TO...THE uncontrolled guns and it. And for my entire life, I have seen this to the guns they use? bubble as unbreakable. While the rest of Do we pay more attenPARTISAN LINES THAT killing people with the world has been crumbling, from nat- tion to how taking away them. And that those GUNS INEVITABLY ural disasters and thoughtless acts of vio- guns will affect “us as people who are being DRAW?” lence, we have been untouched. Over the Americans,” or on the killed have family and past few years, however, that seemingly partisan lines that guns friends and loved ones. impenetrable bubble has developed little inevitably draw? They have — I’m sorry, had — lives that imperfections, just waiting to be burst. Earlier this year, the deadliest act are being snuffed out every day. And for Every single day we hear about a of gun violence in American history what? To continue the never ending fight new incident. Sometimes it’s across the occurred in Las Vegas. 84 days ago, 58 of red versus blue? country, with 500 people were killed What we really need is to have calm, victims. Sometimes, and more than 450 rational, data-driven policy discussions “EVERY SINGLE DAY WE it’s down your street people were injured. that would prioritize the wellbeing and HEAR ABOUT A NEW with one. ThroughIn response to this safety of ordinary people. The converINCIDENT. SOMETIMES IT’S tragedy, President sation needs to go beyond the basics to out the United States ACROSS THE COUNTRY this year, there have Donald Trump said, really focus on why assault weapons, milbeen 409 cases of “We are not going itary-style armaments, semi- and fully-auWITH 500 VICTIMS. mass shootings in a to talk about that tomatic guns that have no purpose other SOMETIMES IT’S DOWN matter of 354 days, today.” than killing are freely available.The Las YOUR STREET WITH ONE.” according to the But when are we Vegas shooter carried a whole arsenal up Gun Violence Argoing to talk about to his hotel room; the Sandy Hook shootchive. In Iowa City, over the past year it? er had four guns; the Orlando shooter there have been 43 incidents of violent When are we going to start talking had two. Even the Second Amendment crime, according to the Iowa City Gov- about the issue, discussing the dangers can’t be seen as limitless. There must ernment, an 8% increase from 2015. around which we’ve been dancing? That be a line, and we must be the ones to This year alone, we have heard about at the end of the day, people are dying. draw it, before anyone else gets hurt.

The Little Hoax: A New Club Comes to City By Eden Knoop Starting this Tuesday, a new club is coming to halls of City High, joining the dozens of clubs already meeting each week. The goal of this club? “Well, our goal is to really help aid seniors here at City on their way to college,” Ressa Mae Builder ‘18, the club’s founder and co-president, said, fighting back a yawn. “That’s why the club’s called the Board of Seniors, or the ‘BS’ for short.” The club’s sponsor is English teacher Unda Payed, who is also the advisor for both Students Against College Rejection Letters and the Trash Club. When asked about why she was interested in helping to start a club to build students’ resumes, she expressed optimism about the future of the Board for Seniors. “I wasn’t sure why this club was really

needed at first,” Payed, a teacher at City for over thirteen years, said over a pile of ungraded papers. “But after a long chat with Ressa and her parents, I agreed to share the workload–even though I am

“I’VE NEVER BEEN ON A BOARD BEFORE... HARVARD, HERE I COME!” COLE EDGEBOUND ‘18

BS EXECUTIVE VICE TREASURER

faced with record numbers of students in my freshman English class this year.” The board will meet each week with seniors planning to attend college, handing out both free doughnuts and free

college application padding in the form of effort-free leadership positions. “I’ve never been on a board before,” Cole Edgebound ‘18 said, as he downed four Five-Hour Energies. “I can’t wait to write about my role as executive vice treasurer of the BS for my college apps. Harvard, here I come!” Builder shared Edgebound’s enthusiasm. “Not only am I the club’s co-president, but I’m also the founder,” she said. “This club has already done so much for my college applications and it hasn’t even started.” If any readers are interested in joining the Board for Seniors, they may stop off in Payed’s room at any time during the school day to talk to her about it. It’s not like she has anything better to do.

OPINION 15A

“Ragnarok” and Relatability Culture: Is Media Changing? By Mira Bohannan Kumar Everyone who went to see “Thor: Ragnarok” noticed how different it was from previous “Thor” and “Avengers” movies– more specifically, how different the eponymous character himself seemed. Rather than a stoic, blond-haired do-gooder whose misunderstanding of modern culture would have grown old if his speaking time had exceeded a movie-wide total of three minutes, Thor in the third installment of his saga was funny, awkward, and a more realistic depiction of an average person, despite his previous characterization as A Perfect Norse God. Now, this change in the sense of humor of the movie was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it seemed a little out of character for the Thor we’ve seen in previous movies. His entire attitude and demeanor were altered, which was hard to swallow. I also couldn’t help feeling that it was slightly overused. For example, in one scene, Thor gets hit in the face when he attempts to smash a window and the projectile instead rebounds. Every Marvel/Avengers movie has a few such moments, but in “Ragnarok” there were many, and after several times they felt like a try for a cheap laugh, like a fart joke but in the context of a movie about a Norse god whose awkwardness had questionable legitimacy under the circumstances. On the other hand, however, it was funny. It got laughs. It got sympathy, empathy, every word in the book that ends with ‘pathy’ (well, not ‘antipathy’ or ‘apathy,’ but all the positive ‘pathy’s). And, most importantly, it fed the souls of today’s consumers in a culture that seems to value relatability over success. But wait, what? you might be asking (or, who knows, perhaps you’ve taken that apathy the audience left behind and jetted the heck out of the opinion section). How can we value relatability over success? Success is...well, success. Relatability is a mere consolation prize, the tool failures use to squeeze something more out of this life. Right? Question all you want, but don’t tell me you haven’t noticed that what we focus on these days is not celebrities’ perfection, but their intrinsic human attainability. The things that make them just like you and me. New stars like Jennifer Lawrence who are human! and magazine covers saying you too could look like Gwyneth! and YouTubers and other social media stars who have gained millions of followers from #relatable content. Culture is changing. Audiences are changing. And so, it would seem, is all media, even huge, mainstream, multibillion-dollar franchises like “The Avengers.” Perhaps, though, the increased relatability of “Ragnarok,” while new for this specific franchise, is not really new at all. For centuries, the art and literature and other works that we’ve considered ‘great’ have often been the ones we can relate to, the ones that portray the innate universality of emotions and themes common to all human thought and conflict: love, pain, thirst for knowledge, hatred, kindness, cruelty, innocence, and stories about people, always people who are flawed just like us! This new culture prizing relatability may be the newest stage in a long saga of people wanting to see themselves on the page, onscreen, onstage, and on the canvas. It’s just not trying to hide itself anymore. These days, our society feels increasingly as though no one is who they seem. From unrealistic standards of perfection propagated by social media to distrust of previously credible mainstream news outlets and airbrushing of bodies and truths in magazines, what people want to see now is real people like them, who struggle and feel and stretch for what they want and sometimes don’t get it. We no longer want to see the sparkling superheroes who effortlessly slay monsters and stay spotless all the while. We want to relate to who’s on our screens--even if they are immortal Norse gods with ridiculous pecs. We want to root for our protagonists, and if we don’t see ourselves in them, even in little ways, we’ll never be able to. Real, flawed people and their journeys have replaced the effortless Sean-Connery James-Bonds of our media. Watching heroes grow and hurt and fail is important to us, perhaps as important as their ultimate and inevitable success, because in them we can now see ourselves, and their failures make them like us, and their eventual triumphs over evil give us hope for our own lives and ultimately for our world. It is sometimes so hard to believe that we, as humans with so many problems and rips in our jeans and weights on our shoulders, can change the world, and maybe save it. Seeing ‘real’ people saving their own worlds makes us believe a little bit more, and that may be all we need. In this age, when we are wracked by crises of conscience and what seems like an ever-devolving, consumerist, and heartlessly polarized world, we don’t want to be perfect anymore. We just want to be human.

16A OPINION

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22nd, 2017

The Horsemen of the

A M E R I C A N By Eden Knoop

By Mira Bohannan Kumar

Since when do so many of us take so much pleasure in other people’s anger or suffering? America has a case of the plague, a viral strain of schadenfreude that infects people from every background and political ideology. It blocks out all discourse, both sides too busy revelling in other people’s frustration to even try to understand. People have become so polarized that they don’t even see each other as fellow countrymen anymore. We see these so-called trolls everywhere, on the Internet, in person, in public office. All they do is provoke, by racebaiting, creating fake news, and sowing discord in comment sections for kicks. But this sentiment is also present in smaller actions that most people partake in, like making fun of people for having certain viewpoints, talking over each other, and scoffing at all positions that aren’t their own. This schadenfreude is a sin of which almost everyone is guilty. Trolling came to a peak during the 2016 election, when all sides devolved into a vicious mill of rumours and name-calling. Thanksgiving dinners became unbearable and the national stage has never looked nastier, with politicians insulting each other and the American people alike. Marco Rubio quipped about his opponent’s penis size. Hillary Clinton referred to Donald Trump’s supporters, her would-be constituents, as “deplorables.” Yet no one topped Trump himself, who spun off nicknames for any political enemy at the drop of the hat, renaming both of the aforementioned people “Little Marco” and “Crooked Hillary” respectively. Even worse, this trolling has turned into a new form of digital warfare: Putin reportedly played off of these divisions amongst Americans by hiring people to act as Trump supporters to spread pro-Trump propaganda and sow discord. For a nation that supposedly draws its strength from its unity, we have rarely been so divided as we are now. For that reason, there is no greater threat to American democracy than this contempt we hold for each other. It divides us and weakens us in one swoop. Because of the cracks in the American public, the foundation of our democracy is slowly being chipped away without notice. Presidential power-grabs, fundamental restructuring of our government processes, and concerns over international meddling in our elections are being blown over in favor of sensationalist news about some absurd quote from a politician seeking their moment in the limelight. We all need to discard the image of a troll that we have in our head. There is no overweight pimply thirty-year-old man living in his mother’s basement with nothing better to do than enjoy other people’s misery because it makes him feel better about his own. There is no malicious troll out to get us; there’s just us. We need to all try to be better, to suppress the little voice inside ourselves that relishes the failure of others. We need to strive to be better than that man in the basement, because that guy? That guy is a loser.

The consumer is not a zombie, but they are pretty damn close. This passive recipient of information is the kind of person who will hear what you say and never ask questions, but will accept it as fact. The “fake news” pandemic is perhaps the fault of these people as much as that of the troll because they are not creating, promoting, or changing anything with a goal in mind; no, the fault of the consumer is that they take in what they are told without examining it and thinking critically. Unlike the troll, there is no end, no objective, no goal in sight. The consumer’s role in this American apocalypse is to observe and to receive in an endless cycle with no ultimate goal or gain. It is amazing that even though consumers do nothing to actively deceive or harm others, they can have such a negative effect on society, but affect it they do. The consumer is the largest facilitator of the activity of the troll. Without the consumer, the troll would be out of a job, and the stories spread by trolls would never gain any mainstream recognition or publicity. The consumer not only receives information and internalizes it, but because of both the social nature of humanity and the newer advent of social media inevitably passes it on. Whether in the breakroom or on Twitter or Facebook, the consumer spreads the ‘facts’ dispensed by the troll. Now, social media can be a powerful tool for good. The attention people give it and the pithy, easily accessible nature of its messaging make it one of the most useful media today for spreading knowledge and important points about our society and the problems thereof. But it is commonly appropriated and misused by consumers to spread bad information from trolls and other disreputable news sources. Today’s divisive political and social climate is not only facilitated by trolls who generate false information specifically to get money or to sway people’s beliefs. It is also greatly affected by the consumer, that everyday zombie, that unquestioning ear–and it will continue to be for as long as the consumer cannot differentiate and discriminate between what is true and false, what is “fake news” and what needs to be discussed, publicly and civilly, to improve our society. There will always be trolls in this world, people who take any opportunity to wreak havoc for their own personal gain or pleasure. Call them what you will–pirates, robber barons, Donald J. Trump–but they have always been here, and they always will be. The downfall of American society as we know it (or rather, hope it) may well be upon us, and it is not by a reformation of the troll that we may save it.The only way we can reverse this American apocalypse is by aiding the consumer in thinking critically and removing trolls from their sphere of influence. The consumer, not the troll, must be the one to stop the American apocalypse. We have the means, the motive, and the opportunity. We only need to use them.

A P O C A L Y P S E

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM |DECEMBER 22, 2017

A&E 17A

A T i m e le s s Tra d i t ion By Theodore Prineas and Zoë Miller

eople rush to warmth beneath the glowing lights of the marquee declaring the beloved classic: “The Nutcracker.” For some it is their first time, but for others it is a tradition that brings a smile to their face each year. Inside, people speak in hushed voices as they wait for the performance to begin. The bright eyes of little ones sitting on their parents’ laps twinkle. “‘The Nutcracker’ is a family tradition for so many,” Leslie Nolte, founder and creative director of Nolte Academy, said. “The community truly comes together to start the holiday season. I love the collaboration of so many groups…dancers, musicians and singers that are all working towards the same goal.” Nolte Academy has been putting on “The Nutcracker” at the Englert with a live orchestra every year since 2006. City High students Ruby Anderson ‘19 and Mairead Moore ‘18 have been part of this celebrated event numerous times, each time tackling new roles. “I love [playing] the Sugar Plum Fairy because I love the story behind her,” Ruby Anderson ‘19 said. “The Nutcracker has been under a spell for so long and this queen has been missing her king. So their dance together is their reunion and I think it’s the sweetest thing.” “The Nutcracker” is a ballet composed of two acts. It tells the story of young girl named Clara who gets a nutcracker for Christmas from her uncle, Drosselmeyer. That night the Nutcracker comes to life and Clara is taken through a decadent adventure in the land of sweets where the Nutcracker is reunited with his queen, the Sugar Plum Fairy. The show is based off of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Along with the elegant storyline, the music’s beauty is part of what has made the show so well known. “Tchaikovsky's “Nutcracker [Suite]” is some of the most recognizable music out there. You hear it all the time,” Mairead Moore ‘18, a dancer, said. “Whenever I hear it, I immediately think about the choreography and the memories that surround the production.” The dancers have been rehearsing to convey the magic of the show since September. They commit 12 long weekends to prepare. Though it makes for a lot of dedication and time, they say the process is rewarding. “My favorite part of “The Nutcracker” is all of the people and components coming together. Even as dancers, we don't see all the behind the scenes work,” said Moore. “When we get to the theater there are the lights, the orchestra, the costumes, the other dances, and [when] you step on stage to dance, you remember your love of performing.” “The Nutcracker” reaches beyond just the dancers, singers and musicians to the audience. Linda Hoel, guidance counselor at City High, reflected on what the show has meant to her. “I love the Nutcracker music and the dancing,” Hoel said. “I have two granddaughters who have danced in the [show] for years, so I like to come to watch them.” Overall, the show brings different things to mind for each who has been part of the production or in the audience. For some the show is simply a way to support loved ones and for others it’s a core part of their holiday rituals. “[‘The Nutcracker’ is] a really positive experience,” Anderson said. “Doing the same thing and making different memories is really fun.”

PHOTO BY ZOE MILLER

18A A&E

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

NA N OW R I MO Solitude” and “Love in the Time of Cholera.” He is considered one of the greatest writers of the magical realism genre. question that English teachers hear “I was going for something by [García around this time of year is: What is Márquez]... because he’s so big in magical realNaNoWriMo? For many, NaNoWism. I also just really like the Victorian era, and riMo is one of those phrases often heard in classI wanted to write in that era because I’ve never rooms and over the announcements, but never clearly explained. Fortunately, City High English done it before. ”Prineas ‘18 said that taking advantage of the teacher and NaNoWriMo-expert Ali BorgerVictorian setting of his story was one of the most Germann can clear up the mystery behind the rewarding parts of writing his NaNoWriMo annual event once and for all. story this year. “NaNoWriMo is a national movement and “It’s really fun to research how people lived organization that encourages people to write the in those days and the old technology that they novel of their dreams, but to do it in 30 days,” used,” Prineas ‘18 said. “I love retro technology, Borger-Germann said. “Essentially, it is a tool to to the point that I own my own typewriter.” help writers get that first Prineas ‘18 is the president draft down on paper.” of Writing Club at City NaNoWriMo stands “THE GREAT THING ABOUT High, an after school club for National Novel NANOWRIMO IS THAT IT that meets every Friday Writing Month (that’s in Ali Borger-Germann’s DOESN’T HAVE TO BE ONE NAtional NOvel WRIting room. It hopes to give MOnth). NaNoWriMo NOVEL. I’VE WRITTEN A students a space to write takes place during the LITTLE SCRIPT AND A LOT OF anything from to essay month of November, and assignments. POETRY.” is run through a website “One thing I had of the same name. It entrouble with before I courages writers to begin a MIRA BOHANNAN KUMAR’20 started Writing Club was draft of an original piece consistency,” he said. of writing with the goal “I used to write 3,000 reaching 50,000 words words in a single day, and then three weeks later or more by the end of the month. Writers who I wouldn’t have touched it again. Writing Club reach the 50,000 word goal are given a certificate brings you back every week to this one thing and declared “winners.” The project was created

By Jack Bacon

in 1999 by writer Chris Baty, who wanted to you’re working on.” encourage aspiring authors to start working on Mira Bohannan Kumar ‘20 is another Little novels that they hadn’t yet had the opportunity Hawk who participated in NaNoWriMo this to begin. year. She is writing a dystopian novel, and hit Because the purpose of NaNoWriMo is to the 50,000 word goal this year. encourage authors to make as much progress as “I have to write every day,” Bohannan Kumar possible, the novels are not graded for content. ‘20 said. “If I were to skip writing for even one Instead, any novel that reaches the word count day, I know I would just procrastinate for the is considered a “winner.” There is no prize for next week and then never write again.” winning, other than pride in a job well done and Bohannan Kumar ‘20 said during November a completed first draft to be improved upon. Sto- she used her calculator every day to figure out ries don’t even have to be how many words she finished to be considered needed to write to stay on “THE MOMENT THAT YOU winners. This flexibility schedule. She said someFINISH IS GLORIOUS, is meant to allow writers times it can be hard to to work on a diverse range BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU’VE focus on one project for of projects without much an entire month, which CONQUERED YOUR FIRST stress. is where NaNoWriMo’s NOVEL.” Theo Prineas ‘18 flexibility kicks in. When is one of many Little she can’t focus on her Hawks who have written novel anymore, she shifts THEODORE PRINEAS ‘18 NaNoWriMo novels this to other projects. year. Prineas ‘18 reached “The great thing about the 50,000 word goal as NaNo’ is that it doesn’t a sophomore, and is excited about the novel he have to be one novel. I’ve written a little bit of is currently working on. It is a magical-realism a script and a lot of poetry. About 6,000 of my story set in Victorian England about girl who words aren’t a part of my main novel.” suffers from tuberculosis. His goal is for the Prineas can appreciate the work Bohannan reader to question whether the various superKumar put in this year. Having previously natural events she is experiencing is real or a reached the 50,000 word goal, he understands symptom of her disease. the discipline it takes to get there. “The most fun part of writing this story defi“It’s a huge commitment,” he said. “Writing nitely is playing with the ‘is this real or is this 50,000 words in a month is no easy task. It’s magic’ element of it,” Prineas ‘18 said. “It’s really grueling. At first it’s fun, and you think ‘this challenging because you can’t be heavy handed is easy’, but then towards the end of the month with it at all. It’s a lot of fun.” you’re saying ‘Oh God, can I do this?’” Prineas ‘18 was inspired by the author GaStill, he said, all of the work is worth it. briel García Márquez, a Nobel Prize winner best “The moment that you finish is glorious, beknown for books such as “A Thousand Years of cause you know you have conquered your first novel.”

Scan the QR code to see interviews with students who participated in NaNoWriMo. Infographic by Olivia Lusala ‘19 Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.

19A A&E

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

Child’s Play Art teacher Dan Peterson is inspired to create by his young son’s interactions with the world By Olivia Lusala and Zoë Butler

hat may look like nothing hospitals. Sayuri Sasaki-Heman, a creative more than a simple children’s director at the U of I hospitals, was able board game to some can be to contact Peterson through a connection inspiration for others. The bright colors at the Iowa City Press Co-op, a commuand pictures of candy and lights can be nity print shop that allows artists studio expanded to explore the depths of the time for a monthly fee. human mind. One of Peterson’s pieces on display, Dan Peterson, City High art teacher “New Games,” incorporates his themes of and father, takes inspiration from the wonder and curiosity. wonder and curiosity in human nature. “I remember thinking that all [my “I am personally very interested in son’s] games were super boring and I was things like the idea of wonder that keep tired of playing Candy Land, but that it us curious and how that changes between had a great classic game aesthetic. [My being a child and being an adult,” Peterson] was also asking about how things son said. were created and Peterson sees who came before this growth of “I AM VERY INTERESTED IN us,” Peterson said. curiosity in his “[These were] his THINGS LIKE THE IDEA OF own family. first inquiries WONDER THAT KEEP US “A lot of that about history, the stems from being a universe, and the CURIOUS AND HOW THAT dad and watching CHANGES BETWEEN BEING A environment.” my son’s brain and The “game” CHILD AND BEING AN ADULT.” in the piece starts curiosity develop.” Peterson said. with the birth of Peterson’s the universe, then DAN PETERSON creative process the growth of life revolves around and human civiconcentrated lization, ending bursts of creativity, rather than continual with enlightenment waiting if one makes production. it to the end of the game. “I have periods of working very “It’s just supposed to be some kind of intensely, and periods that I’m doing the symbolic journey through our existence, things that allow me to work intensely at not for educational purposes or to create the other times,” he said. a complete understanding of something,” Peterson believes an artist needs Peterson said. “Just me processing things balance to provide stability in home life, that [my son] was doing and asking including in hobbies such as gardenabout, as well as a glimpse of our own ing and writing that allow one to create current context, through a playful and output. With this balance Peterson has familiar image.” created in his life, he has been able to Peterson’s artwork will be on display construct a collection of pieces that are until January 3rd near the Medical Munow showcased at the University of Iowa seum at the University of Iowa hospital. New Games by Dan Peterson

LH Book Reviews: The Invisible Library By Theodore Prineas

he Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman is a thrillride for book fans. It follows Irene, who works at the mysterious “Library,” a space between dimensions that is designed to store all of the greatest works of literature from a range of different dimensions. Irene and her companion, a junior librarian named Kai, are sent to steal a first-edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales from a steampunkfantasy London, where zeppelins are the primary mode of transport and fairies and magic are real. Here, they meet the third central character, this world’s equivalent of Sherlock Holmes: a London detective named Vale. Irene immediately dislikes this mission. The world she has to enter has been ‘tainted by chaos.’ Chaos acts as a counterbalance to the power of the Library, and the two forces are constantly at war across all the different worlds, mediated by the dragons. This isn’t the only issue. The previous owner of the book was murdered and Irene’s goal stolen by a shadowy thief known as Belphegor. Plus, the Iron Brotherhood, a powerful faction of anti-fae guerilla soldiers, are also pursuing it, while their shadowy leader pulls the strings from behind. All the while they hear rumors that Alberich, a disgraced Librarian turned chaos’s greatest agent, has entered that world. This book is set up like a classic action novel. We get a cast of characters with shaky motivations and generic backstories and a constant barrage of excitement and well-

choreographed action scenes. The motivation of the book was a little shaky. Why did they need this particular copy of the book? Why couldn’t they simply grab any old copy? This question is partially addressed (in a spoiler), but never fully answered. While I would call many of the characters generic, I didn’t dislike Irene. She was born in the Library to become a Librarian, unlike her coworkers. This makes for an enjoyable rivalry between herself and another Librarian, named Bradamant. Unfortunately, this is where Kai comes in. He is as clichéd as he is flawless. Irene describes him as “incredibly attractive,” and he doesn’t mess up, ever. He has a mysterious and troubled past related to his family. One surprise was that he was not, in fact, the love interest. While it is fun and easy to write a character like him, it doesn’t make for a lot of investment. I thought he had no personality beyond a lost-puppy kind of loyalty to Irene and an obnoxious air of superiority around everyone else. Vale was funny, and enjoyable to read about. Unfortunately, there’s not much more to say about him. He had literally no reason to be pursuing Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and he didn’t play a particularly important role in the story. He provided some information about the world to the two librarians. Unfortunately, thanks to Kai, my patience for quirky characters with little personality was quite low. Despite all of this, I still enjoyed reading the book. The

world was very well developed with tiny details and history, and the writing was good enough to carry it. The action was fabulous, and the pacing kept me invested. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman wasn’t necessarily good in all departments, but where it excelled, it exceeded expectations. I would recommend this book for people who are looking for a fast-paced story with a unique world.

20A A&E

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

Q&A

BUBBA PEREZ

By Zoë Miller

HALEY STALZER

As the show choir competition season approaches, the Little Hawk gets some reflections and goals from Fourth Avenue Jazz Co . soloists Haley Stalzer ‘18 and Elias Perez ‘19.

EP: My favorite song is our ballad “Who Wants to Live Forever.” [The ballad] is that one song where we get to show off our vocals and change people. I’ve listened to so many fantastic ballads and I want to move people the way I’ve been moved. EP: I’m very excited for this competition season. I think City High could do really really well. We’ve had a couple rough years but I think this is the year where we break pretty good and become excellent. After Works In Progress I feel extremely confident in our show. We’re going to kill it. EP: This is my fifth year of show choir. I started in junior high.

EP: My favorite memory would be getting to work with the seniors from last year. I was an underclassmen and even though they were older they were really nice and I felt completely included. EP: I look over the music when I get it and I learn it well before we start dancing. I rewatch the videos the choreographer makes and I dance, check problem spots, and work on it to the best of my ability. EP: I think my favorite part of competition season is just meeting new people.

What is your favorite song in the show and why?

How do you feel about the upcoming competition season?

How many years have you been in show choir? What has been your favorite show choir moment over the years?

How do you practice and prepare for shows?

What’s your favorite part of competition season?

I get to watch other shows and talk to the people in them.

EP: Go into your audition with your most optimistic attitude. Have fun and smile. Smiling is key in show choir. The audience will be more engaged with facials than the dancing. Go in there and give them everything you’ve got. Work it!

What advice would you to others aspiring to make Fourth Ave?

How do you think being apart of Fourth Ave has impacted your high school experience?

EP: I think that Fourth Ave has helped me become the person I am. It showed me that I can do what I want and love and not be embarrassed. I can sing and dance in costume and have fun, be with fantastic people and have a grand old time.

HS: My favorite is “Sun Is Never Going Down” because I really like the choreography.

HS: I’m really excited about it. I think it’s important that we continue to work hard and I can see that at this point in time our show is really coming together. We’re getting the combo involved and that is the most exciting part. HS: This is my sixth year in show choir. I started show choir in seventh grade at Southeast. HS: I really liked last year’s show. The Beyoncé medley was really memorable and we really connected with everyone.

HS: I spend a lot of time rehearsing the choreography. Also, mentally preparing is super important before shows. I get really nervous so I always take time to focus on my breathing and meditate before each performance. HS: I really like performing but my favorite part is watching the other show choirs. [I like] seeing how different each show is and what they bring to the table. Some have crazy props and that’s really fun [to see].

HS: I think it’s important to know that it’s a lot more work than people think. You really have to work hard and pay attention during rehearsal and if you don’t know the choreography you have to ask people around you.

HS: Show choir is probably the most influential part of my time in high school. I’m not big into sports so music and show choir is pretty important to me. Going to rehearsal is always the best part of my week.

PHOTOS BY ROB STRANG

Sports

December 22, 2017

BACK ON TOP

ABOVE: Matt Rew ‘20 pins his opponent in one minute during the Little Hawks’ meet against West on December 14th. PHOTO BY ADDY SMITH

After a 63-16 win over West High marks a new tradition for the Little Hawk wrestling team. By Egan Smith

he gym was aglow with hundreds of glow sticks. Lit up in the center lay the wrestling mat. Two rivalries dating back to 1968 faced off. All eyes were on the prize: rights over “the belt.” A combination of glow sticks and free merchandise joined together to fill seats in wrestling’s “Pack the Gym Night.” This year, the annual City versus West wrestling meet was held at home. At the end of the forty-five minute meet, the Little Hawks left with 47 points more than the Trojans, making two wins in a row for City, something that, before last year, hadn’t happened since 2002. “I mean, you come out here and put up 63 [points] on a team like West, it’s just great for the kids to see what they can do,” Head Coach Cory Connell said. Joey Harney ‘18 won his match by forfeit in the 138 lbs weight class. Harney be-

“[COACH] TELLS ME: BASICS WIN MATCHES. STICK TO YOUR BASICS AND YOU’LL GET THE JOB DONE.” JOEY HARNEY ‘18

lieves that the turnout of “Pack the Gym Night” gave the team an extra boost to compete. “It was really exciting for us to have so many people in the gym tonight,” Harney said. “I think that really helped some of the guys win their matches.” In addition to the strong crowd support, Harney cited Coach Connell’s emphasis on the basics for his success. “He emphasizes the basics. Basics win matches,” Harney said. “Don’t try anything huge if it’s not there. Stick to your basics and you’ll get the job done.” That strategy seems to be paying off for Harney and his team. In Harney’s mere four year tenure at City High, the Little Hawks went from having a losing season to having the highest place finish—tenth—out of every team in the MVC conference, including West. “As a freshman we came in and we lost to [West], like we had throughout the years. I think my sophomore year was the first time we had beat them in like a decade,” Harney said. “It feels really great to be keeping the streak going.” City High’s new tradition of winning wherever they go has sparked confidence in the team. Harney thinks this dominance is here to stay for a while. “I think that our team is progressing, our program is getting a lot better. We can definitely keep this up,” Harney said. With confidence and a powerhouse reputa-

tion, Coach Connell has noticed some standout wrestlers, on of which was Jacob Murry. Connell was very impressed with his performance against the #6 heavyweight in the state. “I’d say Jacob Murry was wrestler of the night tonight,” Connell said. “Guy Snow is number four in the state and [Murray] got beat by him three times last year. To go out there and wrestle him as hard as you can and then stick him is pretty awesome.” Sporting an undefeated record, Connell is

“TO GO OUT THERE AND WRESTLE HIM AS HARD AS YOU CAN, AND THEN STICK HIM IS PRETTY AWESOME.” COACH CORY CONNELL

very impressed at what his team has accomplished thus far this season. “I feel we are a lot further along this year than we were at this time last year. I feel we got a lot better throughout the year last year,” Connell said. “If we are able to make those kind of improvements this year, we can accomplish some great things, so we need everyone to buy into the process of becoming great.”

2B SPORTS

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

table of contents

EXPERIENCE BEGINS TO PAY OFF FOR THE BOYS SWIM TEAM

BOYS ON THE RISE After a 4-18 season last year, the young basketball team is off to a promising start.

BEHIND THE PINS Get the scoop on both the boys and girls bowing squads.

UNDEFEATED AND #1 The girls basketball team retains many key players from last season, and is shooting for a state title.

TOP TEN OF 2017 Take a look into the best City High athletics had to offer this year.

upcoming events Dec. 22

4-5

GIRLS BASKETBALL vs.United Township 7:00 pm City High Gym

Jan. 4

PLAYMAKER PROFILE: COLLIDE A SCOPE Ileana Knapp ‘18, known by her teammates as Collide A Scope, has found her niche on the roller derby track.

MIND AND MATTER In addition to physical training, athletes are increasingly using visualition and meditation techniques to improve their game outside of practice.

WRESTLING

Jan. 4

vs.CR Jefferson 6:00 pm CR Jefferson

BOYS SWIMMING vs.CR Jefferson 6:00 pm MercerAquatic Center

Jan. 5

BOWLING vs.CR Prairie 3:15 pm Colonial Lanes

a letter from your editor By Addy Smith

Ho Ho Ho my Homies, It’s the holiday season, and this is my gift to you! I lugged sacks of the Little Hawk sports section across the globe throughout the night to bring quality content to good children like you. The new year is just around the corner, and with it will come a whole new range of sports seasons. Before then, however, New Year’s is a time to reflect on the past, so I included an entire page devoted to the best sports photos of 2017; and a pretty sweet shot of our Homecoming King and Queen too. Another thing I like to do in the New Year is relax and enjoy two weeks without “Dante’s Inferno.” To illustrate this, I wrote

an entire article devoted to learning relaxation techniques outside of practice in order to improve performance, though I prefer lounging on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa. In this issue, we’ve done a lot of looking back on this year, but I think it’s also important to look forward to what’s going to happen in 2018. One thing’s for sure, you can count on the sports section being good! To close out the year, I owe some big time thank yous. This wonderful section wouldn’t be possible without the rest of my dear Little Hawk staff. My fellow section editors, the copy editors (aka Cosmo and Wanda), and our great staff make the never-ending hours beyond worthwhile. And of course, I could never publish anything without the athletes

themselves, because a newspaper is nothing without amazing, talented people to write about. You can add regularly checking out thelittlehawk.com to your list of New Year’s resolutions. Unlike the others, this resolution will be a joy to accomplish! I will leave you with one final command: enjoy your holiday break! I’ll see you in 2018.

Jan. 5

BOYS BASKETBALL vs.Waterloo West 7:30 pm City High Gym

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017 BOYS SWIMMING

Experience Begins to Pay Off The knowledge of the once-rookie squad is paving the way for a successful season

By Rika Yahashiri and Robbie Strang

ith only a little over 20 boys on the roster this season, the City High boys swimming team is looking forward to a competitive season. Since last year, the boy’s swim team has lost many familiar faces to the team. Even though the swimmer count has dropped, many swimmers are optimistic about being part of the team. This is Head Coach Zane Hugo’s 4th year of coaching the boys swim team and he is intent on on taking more boys to state than ever before. “The team may be smaller than last year, but there is a lot potential for this season,” Hugo said. “Some of the goals for the team this year would be making it to state, along with having a fun, successful season.” This season, the team has leadership from several new captains: Eric Thomas ‘18, Mickale Sadecky ‘18, Ivan Johnson ‘18, along with returning captain Sam Naylor ‘18. Although, there are less swimmers than last year on the team, the team has lofty goals for the season. “The whole boys team has been working on big goals and they are trying to score higher and higher at meets as a team,” said Sadecky. “I really increased my speed since last year and I plan on scoring a lot of points for the team this season.” Along with team goals, many notable swimmers have personal goals of their own for the season. Captain Thomas ‘18 is a three-year state qualifier and has been swimming for seven years. “Some of my goals are going to state in four events, along with getting a school record in

BOWLING

City Swimmers Take On Junior Nationals By Rika Yahashiri

Sophomores Forrest Frazier and Carly Weigel represented IFLY in multiple events

ABOVE: Isaac Bills ‘18 swims during a dual meet against Linn-Mar PHOTO BY RIKA YAHASHIRI the relays,” Thomas ’18 said. “I have been doing [swimming] for so long, it is just kind of a habit. The atmosphere is good, and I enjoy the team, swimming is one of my favorite times of the year.” Isaac Weigel ‘21 is a newcomer to the City High team and has already made a huge impact to team scores in the meets so far. He plans on making his mark on the swim team during his high school career.

“Even though there aren’t a lot of swimmers we all our going to work hard to perform well in the pool,” said Weigel Forrest Frazier ‘20 is ranked first in the state in the 100 yard breastroke, and the 100 yard butterfly, after only participating in one meet. The 200 yard medley relay is also ranked fourth in the state. “I’m so excited to swim with everyone and compete,” Naylor ‘18 said. “It’s gonna be a blast!”

Behind the Pins

The boys team hopes to transfer their skills beyond Colonial Lanes in order to qualify for State, while the girls are battling small numbers By Addy Smith

SPORTS 3B

ix school the right way, to records. Four learn the rules first-place meet of the game is finishes. The bowlwhere we’re at ing team is coming right now on off of a recordthe girls side of breaking season and things. Hopehoping to continue fully in years to their success. come we can im“Last year was prove on that,” unbelievable,” Head Degner said. Coach Michael Degner Degner said. “This believes the longyear, we’re really term success trying to take it to of his program the next step. We’re begins with the really trying to athletes carrying make [our record] the lightest bowla realistic 8-4, 9-3, ing balls. somewhere in there, “It starts and then ultimately with the youth advance to the state program, we’re tournament.” really hammerAt the dawn of ing that home. their season, Degner We have to get a believes his team’s youth program greatest challenge established,” might very well Degner said. “If be their ability to you go up to perform on foreign Cedar Rapids, soil. every one of ABOVE: Andrew Franz ‘18 releases a ball against Linn-Mar PHOTO BY ADDY SMITH “Ultimately, it’s those centers up there has a strong “As a team we want to get over 2200 altogoing to be a matter of taking it from the City youth program, whereas here our youth program gether at a meet. But for me it’s just bowling High Colonial Lanes and being able to apply is something we’re trying to build and get more over 200. [In order to do that}, I need to hit my what we’ve learned here and be able to transfer younger kids in.” pocket and my team needs to get their head in that to a different set of lanes, and then ultiSenior bowler Andrew Franz has experienced the game,” Emily Wilkins ‘18 said. mately have all six guys going at the same time,” the value of starting young firsthand. Wilkins and her team have been struggling Degner said. “In this sport you really can’t be “I’ve been bowling since kindergarten. Since to fill their roster. One meet, several boys were competitive if you only have three or four guys then, I’ve been able to repeat the same thing needed to bowl for the JV squad in order to going, you need the entire team.” over and over. Being consistent is a big part of compete. Although Coach Degner acknowledges While the boys team has their eyes on the improvement, just doing the same thing over this year might not be easy for the girls team, he state meet, the girls are looking for improvement and over again, and once you figure it out you remains optimistic for the future. anywhere they can find it. can just keep doing it right.” “Getting these kids to have fun, learn to bowl

t the start of December, the University of Iowa had the opportunity to host and kickoff the 2017 West Winter Speedo Junior Nationals Championships, an annual event that draws hundreds of the best young swimmers from all over the western United States. Two of these swimmers were City High’s very own Carly Weigel ‘20 and Forrest Frazier ‘20. This meet was the first time Weigel had competed in an event of this caliber. “Junior Nationals was a lot to take in,” Weigel said. “It was a big meet, and everyone there was super fast and did amazingly.” Weigel eventually got over her initial anxiety and went on to find success in the 400 freestyle relay and time trial. “The warm-ups were the hardest part, because we were all packed tightly into the lanes that we had. I was just in a relay and a time trial, so I think it was less stressful than others doing individual events, but it was still a pretty big thing to go into,” Weigel said. “I felt pretty good and dropped time in the two events I swam.” Weigel and Frazier both had to train very rigorously to make the qualifying times to compete in this meet. They each went to nine practices a week, in the morning before school as well as in the afternoons. “I trained for Junior Nationals by going to as many practices as I could, eating healthy, and trying to get enough sleep,” Weigel said. “I go [to practice] for my friends and my coaches and my parents, but I also go because even though I know it will hurt, there’s a small, small chance that the practice will be fun...and because after practice and working out I feel better in general.” Frazier competed in the 200 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke, 200 individual medley, and the 100 backstroke. Both swimmers dropped times and swam lifetime bests, and Frazier went on to final in two events, the 200 and 100 breaststroke. “I felt pretty good about about it,” Frazier said. “Everybody there were for-real swimmers and they were all there to compete.”

ABOVE: Forrest Frazier ‘20 prepares for an event during a meet PHOTO BY RIKA YAHASHIRI

4B SPORTS

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017 GIRLS BASKETBALL

UNDEFEATED AND #1 Retaining many key players from last season, this year's team is shooting for a state championship By Christina Hora

teams. The Little Hawks were only ahead by one basket in the third quarter. West High trailed 23-25 until senior fter finishing 22-2 last season, the City High Ashley Kuennen splashed a huge 3-pointer. girls basketball team is hungry for more. Rose Nkumu 20’ found Ashley Kuennen in the corner and all she had to do was drain it, and that’s exactly “It was hard losing at the Well in the first game last what Kuennen did, bumping up the Little Hawk’s lead year,” Iowa State commit Ashley Joens ‘18 said. “We are from two to five points. Only seconds after entering the determined to win it all this year. This is our year.” game, she makes a major decision that she didn’t even The Little Hawks’ rival West High is also favored to hesitate for. return to the well this coming season. “I saw her in the corner and got it to her as fast I “Being a freshman I’m excited for the opportucould,” Rose Nkumu said, “I’m pretty sure everyone nity to be apart of such an amazing team,” freshman in the gym knew that once that ball left her hands, it Ayana Lindsey said. “Being so young and never having was going in.” experienced playing West or not knowing the feeling of Averaging 60% from behind the arc, Kuennen qualifying for state or suiting up in Des Moines with an is quite the sharp-shooter. Though she doesn’t arena of people waiting to see you play see many minutes, she makes is the best motivation any player could the absolute most with the min“WE ARE ask for.” utes she does get. Ending their season earlier than DETERMINED TO WIN “She’s a shooter and she’s very they expected in the quarterfinal game humble. She came in for two secIT ALL THIS YEAR. 48-46 to Cedar Falls last season, the onds and drains a 3-pointer that THIS IS OUR YEAR.” we really needed, that’s what we Little Hawks are determined to make another appearance at Wells Fargo. City put her in to do,” said Assistant High will have three returning starters Travis Dyer. “Ashley ASHLEY JOENS ‘18 Coach (Ashley Joens ‘18, Rose Nkumu ‘20 and makes everything that leaves Aubrey Joens ‘20) for this upcoming her fingertips at practice and season. in games, and it definitely “We are back and hungry for a state championship,” pays off.” Rose Nkumu ‘20 said.“We have a chance this year and I Coming into the game ranked third in think we all know that if we have the right mindset, this the state, City High prevailed in the fourth could be our year.” quarter to defeat No 2 ranked West High “It’s been ten years since our last state championship with an ending score of 53-40. City High and I’m getting antsy,” head coach Bill McTaggart said. Little Hawks now claim the No 1 ranking McTaggart's team took a big step towards that goal in the state. when they handedly beat West. “We’ve worked hard for this,” KuenGoing into the second half down by three, theLittle nen said, “It feels so good to beat our rival Hawks knew that they needed to bring their A game. especially on our home court. But, you can bet that City High went into the second half trailing behind we’ll be back in the weight room tomorrow preparing West 18-15. A very low scoring first half as a result for the next cross-town showdown.” of great defense from both

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N SMITH BY EGA O T O PH e hoop 8 at th 1 ' e e Mc G

BOYS ON THE RISE

After a 4-18 season last year, the young team is off to a promising start including a win against previously #4 ranked Cedar Falls By Egan Smith

Keshawn Christian '20 takes one to the hoop PHOTO BY ADDY SMITH

espite the ups and downs of the “We were the only ones who thought basketball season, there is one we could do it and we did. Now everyone constant in every practice and else is starting to see what we’re about,” scrimmage: Head Coach Derek Roberts Threlkeld-Wiegand said. watching from the sidelines. Roberts never City has played four top 10 teams so far tires of his team, and he feels a special this year and will continue to play highly connection with its members. skilled teams consistently throughout the “I could write a book about them,” season. Roberts said. “But to put it in a straight“We will play possibly the toughest forward answer, the schedule [of best part of coaching any] high school “WE WERE THE ONLY ONES is seeing the kids come team in the together as a team and state,” Roberts WHO THOUGHT WE COULD improve.” said.“There are [BEAT CEDAR FALLS] AND WE no easy games on They’ll continue to play some highly our schedule.” DID. NOW EVERYONE ELSE skilled teams consisOne of IS STARTING TO SEE WHAT tently throughout the Roberts’ keys WE'RE ABOUT.” season. City has played to success is four top-10 teams this consistency. year. Coach Roberts He emphasizes RY THRELKELD-WIEGAND ‘19 that his players understands the challenges that lie ahead. don’t change Varsity has started off their game-day the season 2-3 against procedure. elite Iowa teams. Many reporters wrote “We believe the most important thing the team off this year without giving it is to keep things consistent,” Roberts thought. But when they defeated the #3 said. “We will always go through the same team in the state, many players had someroutine on game day, timed out from the thing to say about them. minute that we get out of school that day.” Ry Threlkeld-Wiegand ‘19 believes as Threlkeld-Wiegand went in-depth long as you can work as a team, you can about some obstacles the team will have to accomplish anything. overcome this season.

“We face some of the toughest competition in the state in our conference and going out and performing our best each night will be the biggest challenge,” Threlkeld-Wiegand said. “One disadvantage is outside of Jeremy [Kambomba ‘18] we don’t have much height, so smaller guys will have to step up. I think we will match up well against the teams we play.” Threlkeld-Wiegand has some ideas on how the team will combat those barriers and handle them. “We need to come together as a team and face the challenges instead of breaking apart and trying to face it on our own,” Threlkeld-Wiegand said. He reminds the fans and coaches that at the end of the day basketball is just a game and that the main goal of anyone watching or playing is to have fun. “I play basketball because I love it. I always have, especially the competitiveness that comes with it,” ThrelkeldWiegand said. “The best part is getting to go out and just play. We all love basketball and getting to show off what we’ve worked on.”

Ashley Joens '18 battles defenders in the lane PHOTO BY ADDY SMITH

SPORTS 5B

6B SPORTS

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

THe Top 10 of 2017 PHOTOS BY LH STAFF FULL SLIDE SHOW ON WWW.THELITTLEHAWK.COM

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017

Mind

SPORTS 7B

Matter

In addition to physical traning, athletes increasingly use meditation and visualization techniquesto improve their game outside of practice By Addy Smith

n a recent surge in emphasis of the mental aspect of sports, over the last few years many coaches and athletes have begun to focus on incorporating mindfulness in their respective sports. The City High Athletic Department is no exception. Head baseball coach Brian Mitchell uses techniques learned from Dr. Jason Selk, who has worked with the St. Louis Cardinals. “We incorporate a simple 10-Minute Toughness Program, as it is efficient and not too overwhelmCOACH BRIAN ing,” Mitchell said. Mitchell helps his players practice visualization before practicing physically, whether on the bus before games or in the clubhouse.

One of the athletes involved in the program is Travis Reyhons ‘18. “I lay down in a quiet room, close my eyes, and take deep breaths for six seconds in, hold for two seconds and breathe out. We visualize all of our successes in the game while meditating and also what we need to do better so we can be better players,” Reyhons said. “I find time to meditate/visualize before or after workouts, before baseball games when I’m nervous or even when I’m playing in the game.” During his visualization sesssions, Reyhons focuses on the details that will help him perform at his maximum ability. He thinks about how MITCHELL being in certain situations will feel, and how he will respond when the scenario occurs in reality. “We think about what we need to do to get 1% better “I used it as an athlete and I believe it everyday,” Reyhons said. “The helps [one] focus more on the process vercoaches always preach that to us. sus simply being concerned with outcome. We also think about our success It is a chance to take a minute to step to remind us who we are what to back from the grind and keep things in almost relive that moment again.” perspective in addition to helping athletes Although he hadn’t ever used relax. I believe the success log is equally these techniques until his coaches important.” introduced them, Reyhons The 10-Minute Toughness Program, acknowledges the positive called the “Mental Workout”, consists of impact they’ve five steps: Centering Breath, Performance had on his Statement, Personal Highlight Reel, perforIdentity Statement, and Centering Breath mance. again. Mitchell believes that the effectiveness of these strategies is dependent upon the buy-in of each individual athlete. “Certain athletes are not at a point where they understand the benefit. Those that do have shared they feel real benefit to keeping them calm and focused. We do spend significant time teaching and doing the centering breath portion which can be transferred to many situations where nerves and excitement allow the calming of a racing heart.”

“IT HELPS US FOCUS MORE ON THE PROCESS VERSUS SIMPLY THE OUTCOME.”

“I’ve definitely noticed improvements an athlete during a game, and helping to by meditating,” he added. “I’m definitely prevent injury by maintaining a healthy not as uptight as I used to be in the games state of flexibility through the body and a and it helps me play more loose.” strong core.” In addition to implementing a consisReyhons has experienced these outtent visualization routine, the baseball procomes firsthand. gram also attended “Yoga has the class Yoga for helped me Sports at the North a lot,” said “THE PSYCHOLOGICAL GAME WILL Reyhons. Dodge Athletic Center, taught by is MAKE OR BREAK THE EXPERIENCE “Flexibility Natalie Johnson. great to have AND THE OUTCOME.” Johnson believes in baseball that yoga is vital for and it’s made any young athlete. me a better NATALIE JOHNSON “If one takes athlete. Yoga yoga’s benefits and is also a great applies them to an way to relax athlete’s training and take your and mind off fitness, one can poteneverything.” tially see a variety of Johnson believes that in addition to changes that could the physical benefits yoga offers high help the athlete,” school athletes, perhaps the greatest aspect Johnson said. “[These of yoga is the psychological strength pracinclude] being able to titioners gain. reduce stress in or“The psychological game will make or der to perform betbreak the experience and the outcome. For ter with improved optimal outcome, it must be paired with thinking strategies, the physical,” Johnson said. “In young making it easier athletes the emotional wear and tear of to return to sports growing up can be a huge distraction for after previous injury physical performance if the environment and perhaps navigating is not supportive.” through fear of return to Coaches like Brian Mitchell and his sports, reducing distracstaff, who understand the importance of tions from various enforcing said psychological workouts, life events that aren’t as common as Johnson would hope. may hin“It is essential to have a coach who has der some knowledge or openness to explore this area though and unfortunately most do not have this in their background,” Johnson said. Johnson understands that a season doesn’t allow for much time to convince a coach or trainer of the significant benefits of devoting the time required to implement mindfulness practice. She does hope, however, that athletes and coaches who have experienced positive results will share their strategies. “I think word of mouth from those that have experienced the benefits of meditation, mindfulness, or yoga provides the biggest source of change or movement.”

ART BY CREATIVE COMMONS

8B SPORTS

THE LITTLE HAWK | THELITTLEHAWK.COM | DECEMBER 22, 2017 Profile

Playmaker Profile:

collide a scope Ileana Knapp ‘19 has found her niche on the roller derby track. By Addy Smith

hree years ago, Ileana Knapp ‘19, known by her teammates as “Collide A Scope,” discovered something that her father believes saved her life. That something was roller derby. “My therapist actually brought me in. I was in a really dark spot, I was depressed, it wasn’t going well. This league started, and it was viewed as an outlet and a safe space for kids who didn’t quite fit in anywhere else,” Knapp said. Each game of derby, called a “bout,” is played between two teams, each with five players in a lineup at one time on the track. Each lineup is made up of one pivot—designated with a helmet stripe, three blockers, and a jammer—designated with a helmet star. Every passed hip earns a point, except for the initial pass through the pack. If a player passes the other team’s jammer during their lap, it’s called a grand slam and earns five points, as opposed to four. Whichever team with the most points after two half hour quarters, wins the bout. First played in Chicago in 1935, the sport has long been known to encourage the adoption of alternative on-track personas. A popular physical method of doing so is through the use of Derby names. “You can pick your name and your number. My number is my address because it’s easy for me to remember. Your name can be anything you want. I went with ‘Collide A Scope,’ because it’s more of a word play, and I actually got it from my sister back when she was younger and wanted to do roller derby.” If a skater doesn’t pick a derby name, Knapp’s coach will assign them one. “Molasses

“THIS LEAGUE STARTED, AND IT WAS VIEWED AS AN OUTLET AND A SAFE SPACE FOR KIDS WHO DIDN’T QUITE FIT IN ANYWHERE ELSE.” ILEANA KNAPP ‘19 is Molasses because it takes so long to get her up.” Knapp typically skates under a pivot, which means it is her job to take charge on the track. The pivot faces backwards, derby direction, communicates where the other team’s jammer is to help their wall, and braces where the jammer is impacting. “I put skaters where they need to go. You need to be able to communicate and keep a level head if your team isn’t doing what you

need them to do,” Knapp said. “Because if we’re not working together and

communicating then it isn’t a wall, and it doesn’t work terribly well.” Knapp skates for the IC Bruisers, a junior roller derby team with skaters from ages 4 to 17. IC Bruisers is the only free roller derby league in the world. The Bruisers consist of three age ranges: the Bug Bites, the Black Hard Bruisers, and the Misfits, of which Knapp is a part. The Misfits practice five hours a week. “Typical practice, we start with warm-ups, transitions, warm-up sprints, and then depending on the mood of our coach, we do more sprints,” said Knapp. “Planks normally come if we’re not communicating or we’re not walling up fast enough. We talk about strategy and our walls too. After a game we talk about what we did and what we could do better to improve for next time.” When the Misfits are in season, they usually have tournaments every weekend. In the past they’ve travelled to South Dakota; Topeka, Kansas; Council Bluffs; Indiana; Omaha; the Quad Cities; Minneapolis; and Illinois. In future they may have a tournament in Texas. With all of the time Knapp and her team spend together, they have formed a unit resembling a family. Because of her experience and leadership role as the pivot, Knapp often finds herself in a motherly position towards her younger teammates. To protect her “children” in the highly physical sport of roller derby, Knapp uses a strategy of controlled aggression. “If you can hit a smaller skater, what you want to do is hook them and lean them off the track rather than just sending them flying,”

PHOTOS BY ADDY SMITH

Follow Ileana’s story online @ thelittlehawk.com