The Little Hawk

SONG REVIEW

Love 119

Riize, a seven member boy group under SM Entertainment, just had their second single

By Claire Hartwig

RIIZE have released their second single, Love 119’, returning with a new concept that they deemed a ‘high school drama’. Shotaro, the oldest of the group, even took to Weverse (a social media site dedicated to interacting with fans) to post four pictures of K-dramas he thought this comeback was most similar to. The concept was highly anticipated amongst fans as the group is known for bringing back past generation’s K-pop concepts, even referencing Exo’s ‘Growl’ in a Tik Tok as they were similarly dressed in school uniforms...

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STAFF EDITORIAL

WHAT MORE WILL IT TAKE?

By Tai Caputo and Isabella Young

On May 17th, 1984, a 17-year-old entered Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, carrying a handgun. What ensued was so horrifying that it is almost unimaginable. Violence. Blood. Death.

Nearly half a century later, in the year 2024, nothing has changed. According to the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, there has been a total of 2069 school shootings since...

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Students and teachers react to injunction against book ban law

By Tai Caputo

On December 29, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher filed an injunction against the book-banning portion of Senate File 496 just before the law was set to fully go into effect in all Iowa public school districts on January 1, 2024.

The book banning section from Senate File 496, blocked by Judge Locher’s injunction, declared that any books “depicting or describing sexual acts” were to be removed from all school libraries. Another section blocked by the injunction prohibited any curriculum, instruction, or discussion related to gender and sexual identity in elementary schools. The in-

By Grace Kirschling and Lili Moessner

YEARBOOKS STILL FOR SALE

50 Yearbooks are available in the main office

By Claire Hartwig

junction came after two lawsuits filed by Penguin Random House and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Many students at City High supported Judge Locher’s decision. Reyna Roach ‘24, a student rights advocate, celebrated the news.

“I’M SO RELIEVED. BOOKS BACK ON THE SHELVES! KIDS GETTING TO READ! IT’S SO WONDERFUL. FOR ME, THIS IS A DECISIVE VICTROY FOR BOOKS, AND READING, AND INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM.”

Ali Borger-Germann

“[The] injunction takes a huge weight off our backs,” Roach said. “While the courts are deciding the legality of the bills, we, as students, will not continue to suffer.”

Judge Locher wrote in a statement that Senate File 496 is “wildly overbroad” and that “the Court has been unable to locate a single case upholding the constitutionality of a school library restriction even remotely similar to Senate File 496.”

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Don’t worry you haven’t missed out! If you still want to purchase a 2023-2024’ yearbook go to the main office. There are still 50 yearbooks available at $60 each. You can pay with cash or make out a check to ‘City High Journalism’. This year’s theme is Spotify so be sure you don’t miss out on getting one!

If you’re interested in joining the yearbook team The Little Hawk has opportunities for students wanting to get involved.

“If you’d like to work on the yearbook you can sign up for the yearbook class next year. And if you have any great photos that you think should be put in the yearbook, let us know.” Yearbook advisor Jonathan Rogers said. Additionally, there are some more opportunities for seniors in the yearbook too.

“We will be sending out information on seniors to send in baby photos and if they want to buy senior ads, and those will be due before spring break,” Rogers said.

Librarian Jenahlee Chamberlain puts previously banned books back up.

PHOTO BY TAI CAPUTO

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Hello Little Hawks!

Welcome to our Valentine’s day paper. We’re so proud to present our collection of articles this cycle. We hope you’ll notice the love we put into this issue. Be sure to check out Tai’s update on book bans, Kate’s 4th Ave update, and Kaitlyn’s incredible UNBREAKABLE columns.

Here, you can also vote for the CUTEST COUPLE! Make sure you also take an extra copy to share with your valentines.

Thank you for continuing to support our publication. We appreciate all of your support.

From your executives, Have a happy Valentines day,

, ,

Students and teachers react to injunction against book ban law

By Tai Caputo

On December 29, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Locher filed an injunction against the book-banning portion of Senate File 496 just before the law was set to fully go into effect in all Iowa public school districts on January 1, 2024.

The book banning section from Senate File 496, blocked by Judge Locher’s injunction, declared that any books “depicting or describing sexual acts” were to be removed from all school libraries. Another section blocked by the injunction prohibited any curriculum, instruction, or discussion related to gender and sexual identity in elementary schools. The injunction came after two lawsuits filed by Penguin Random House and the American Civil Liberties Union.

single case upholding the constitutionality of a school library restriction even remotely similar to Senate File 496.”

On January 5, District Superintendent Matt Degner informed all students, families, and staff in an email that the district would “pause any work related to curtailing the books available in our libraries or classrooms” and “return books that have been removed from library shelves.”

Beginning on the first day that students returned from winter break, they were able to check out any of the formerly banned books from the library. English Language Arts teacher Alina Borger-Germann was pleased with this development.

“WHILE THE COURTS ARE DECIDING THE LEGALITY OF THE BILLS, WE, AS STUDENTS, WILL NOT CONTINUE TO SUFFER.”

Reyna Roach ‘24

“I’m so relieved. Books back on the shelves! Kids getting to read! It’s so wonderful. For me, this is a decisive victory for books, and reading, and intellectual freedom,” Borger-Germann said.

City High librarian Jenahlee Chamberlain expressed hope that Senate File 496 will remain permanently blocked in future court cases.

“I think I can speak for all the librarians in this district, and probably most of them in Iowa, that none of us agree with [Senate File 496],” Chamberlain said.

Certain provisions of the law were not included in the injunction, including a section about gender identity that prohibited students from requesting to change their name or pronoun if it was not already on Infinite Campus, the platform that schools in the ICCSD use for organizing schedules, attendance, and grades. Staff members are required to report any student requests to the administration, which then in turn reports to parents.

that’s wrong.”

Since Senate File 496 was the first statewide book-banning law in Iowa, discussions surrounding what high school students should and shouldn’t be allowed to read have augmented in intensity.

Representative Zabner, who graduated from City High in 2017, supported the idea that students should be allowed to read banned books.

“I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL THE LIBRARIANS IN THIS DISTRICT, AND PROBABLY MOST OF THEM IN IOWA, THAT NONE OF US OF US AGREE WITH [SENATE FILE 496]”

Many students at City High supported Judge Locher’s decision. Reyna Roach ‘24, a student rights advocate, celebrated the news.

“[The] injunction takes a huge weight off our backs,” Roach said. “While the courts are deciding the legality of the bills, we, as students, will not continue to suffer.”

Judge Locher wrote in a statement that Senate File 496 is “wildly overbroad” and that “the Court has been unable to locate a

Of those who disagreed with Senate File 496, many criticized its vague phraseology and lack of specific guidance for school districts. Senate File 496 did not provide an official list of banned books, so in order to clarify which books were to be prohibited, the ICCSD published its own list of 68 books in October. Librarians were still in the process of revising and adding books to the list when Judge Locher blocked the law in December.

One supporter of Senate File 496’s initial approval was Moms for Liberty, a conservative group that advocates for “parental rights.”

Jenahlee Chamberlain

Adam Zabner, the Iowa State Representative of Johnson County and the Iowa House District 90, voted against the bill when it was first proposed in May.

“I think [Senate File 496] went way too far,” Zabner said. “It was a small minority of parents, groups like Moms for Liberty, going in and telling other parents what their kids can and can’t read in school. I think

“I read a lot of the books in high school that I’ve seen in lists that have been banned in other communities,” Zabner said. “Some of those books are very challenging and deal with difficult subjects, but reading them was formative for me. I think high school students deserve to be challenged, especially now, when students are barraged with all kinds of things online and on social media, [which maybe aren’t] as carefully thought out as what goes into a book.”

Because of the lack of clarity surrounding which books were supposed to be removed, critics argue that the law disproportionately targets LGBTQ+ authors and authors of color. 41% of the books that have been banned in the U.S. contain LGBTQ+ characters or themes.

The Iowa Legislature has since appealed the block, and the ultimate fate of Senate File 496 has not quite yet been determined.

Librarian Jenahlee Chamberlain returns books to City High shelves after injunction on book bans PHOTO BY TAI CAPUTO

Model UN starts preparations for upcoming spring conference

City High’s Model United Nations begin to meet to prepare for this spring season

By Wisdom Konu

There are many ways to get involved at City High, one being a club with the goal of broadening students’ knowledge of the world and its global issues: Model United Nations. As students head to Room 2305, they learn more about the United Nations, global issues, and soon how to begin

working on the problems lying ahead at the Iowa Model United Nations spring conference.

Model UN is a student organization that models itself after the actual United Nations. The club members get assigned countries, specific problems, and committees. Then they sort out potential resolutions while working on their own diplomacy.

“There are several different

committees students are assigned to, and each of those committees, whether they are the legal, cultural, or humanitarian committees, are actually present in the actual United Nations and get assigned specific issues or problems to work through,” said club advisor Jenna Eastman.

Model UN meets every Monday, before and after school, at 8:20 a.m. and 4:10 p.m. in room

2305. Model UN is currently in the process of developing their teams and getting ready for the annual University of Northern Iowa Model United Nations conference, where they work to compete for many different awards for speaking at the conference and their papers written before.

“I think the best part, really, is the conference. Obviously, there’s a lot of prep work and making

position papers and resolutions, but it’s all worth it once we get on that bus. We get to meet with other students from Iowa and debate present issues that are affecting us and all different countries, which is super important. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with representatives of the UN. All around, it’s just a super fun and collaborative event,” club member Amal Eltayib ‘26 said.

The study of the mind: Psychology Club

A look into Psychology Club’s current meetings and goals for this school year

By Kate Meis

Wandering the halls before Thursday’s classes, you may stumble upon City High students discussing psychology purely out of interest in the subject. Throughout the year, the club’s leaders present on various psychology topics, all with a side of donuts for those attending meetings to enjoy.

“Maddee and I make lessons the night before, [of] really whatever we want; the topics are really broad because you can relate psych back to anything,” Eviann Smith ’24 said.

Psychology Club Co-Presidents Eviann Smith ‘24 and Maddee Framer ‘24 encourage input from those coming to meetings about what they want to learn about and discuss in the future. Already, the club’s meetings have covered a wide range of topics, from serial killers to why people make bad decisions, tying it all back to

psychology.

The two seniors took AP Psychology last year as juniors, and it was in the same year that they both got involved with Psychology Club, with some influence from their friends Greta Stanier and Ari Collins (‘23), who were the previous club presidents.

A usual meeting for Psych Club starts at 8:15 on Thursday mornings in Mr. Carlson’s room (2311). Kramer and Smith present on that week’s topic, often including a video or other interactive activity.

“I really look forward to being interactive; I think that’s one of our goals. If we’re just standing there yapping at you, it’s like we’re literally in a psychology class, and that’s not fun. So we try to make it interactive,” Kramer said.

In some meetings, the presidents try to align what they talk about with the upcoming exams in the AP Psychology , often seeing a higher student turnout. With

experience taking AP Psychology, they understand the difficult nature of the higher-level class and the tests that come with it.

This year, an additional project for the club will be expanding on the one-year-old mural in the back of Mr. Carlson’s classroom.

“Last year, we had to redo the whole thing because we moved classrooms, so that was a big thing. That took a little bit, but I think we’ll add more different, symbolic terms [this year],” Smith said.

As the year goes on, Kramer and Smith hope to expand club size and have more students get involved. Many students currently attending club meetings do not have room in their schedules for a psychology course or are underclassmen wanting to get a feel for the content of future psychology classes. The club highlights that anyone is welcome to join and feel there is a lot one can gain from the

“I would like some more people to come. We put in the work the night before, like an hour of planning. So it’d be nice to get some people to come to reciprocate [that],” Smith said.

Moving on to higher education, both Kramer and Smith are interested in continuing to learn about psychology through classes in the colleges and universities they will attend.

Kramer and Smith also like to spread the word about the club and encourage students to keep up with its happenings and meeting schedule by following its Instagram account (@cityhighpsychclub).

Model United Nation’s new advisor Ms. Eastman presents to the club. PHOTO BY WISDOM KONU

Psychology club’s mural in room 2311. PHOTO BY WISDOM KONU club’s meetings.

Students take part in Palestine protest

City High students join those accross Iowa, walking out in support of Palestine

By Wisdom Konu

On January 17th, during advisorOn Friday, January 26th, City High students will be walking out, joining Iowans For Palestine in a protest in support of the Palestinian people.

“We hope for City High students to join us in protesting and being more vocal about the genocide in Palestine,” said walkout organizer Miamen Elawad ‘25.

The walkout will take place starting at 3 p.m. on Friday. City will be among other protestors from Iowans For Palestine, a University of Iowa organization. The organization hosts protests every Friday in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The protest will begin at 3:30 at the Pentacrest.

On Thursday, January 18th, the Iowa House of Representatives passed a resolution supporting Israel and condemning Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the country, affirming the chamber’s “support and unwavering commitment to the welfare, security and survival of the state of Israel.”

Penelope Wilmoth ‘24, another organizer of this Friday’s walkout, hopes to get the attention of legislators and demonstrate how many Iowans do not agree with the resolution that has been recently passed.

“I think a lot of people believe that this war doesn’t affect us or that we have nothing to do with it. But really, this has a lot to do with what our own government is doing. I think a lot of people speak out on Instagram, which is great for creating conversation, but I think we really need to be doing more action to put pressure on our government,” Wilmoth said.

MESU hosts MLK day panel

City High pairs up with BlackVoicesHeard for an MLK day panel

By Estelle Hartz

On January 17th, during advisory, MESU, a Multi-Ethnic Student Union at City with the goal of promoting a diverse environment and recognizing students of color and their efforts, held a student panel featuring creators of BlackVoicesHeard, Aniyah Franklin, and Hallie Crockett.

With Wisdom Konu ‘24 taking upon the role of MESU (Multi-Ethnic Student Union) president at the beginning of last year and elected Secretary Edjounise Tertulien ‘24, MESU has had a new-found purpose of shining recognition on students of color and their efforts within the school.

“BlackVoicesHeard can be used in such a great way, so I am glad that our community and other communities can also join us in that and show awareness and unity towards everybody,” said Hallie Crockett.

BlackVoicesHeard is an ICCSD student-organized Instagram account with the objective of being an outlet for people of color, but specifically black voices. At the panel, Hallie and Aniyah talked about their experiences as black students in the academic environment and the process by which BlackVoicesHeard was created.

“BlackVoicesHeard is important to me because it gives people a place to feel safe and a platform to speak out for themselves, other people, and what’s right,” said Aniyah Franklin, a senior at Liberty.

The panel had the theme of using one’s voice, and the two speakers spoke about how they use their voices and the future of their accounts. Both creators plan to continue what they’re doing in the future and bring more awareness to BlackVoicesHeard.

Speech gets the show on the road

After City High’s Speech team attended the district competition, they prepare for state

By Estelle Hartz

Waiting in the Liberty High School gym, Livian LaVine ‘24, waits for her improv results for the speech competition. After waiting for four hours for her oneact results and getting the unfortunate news that they didn’t make it to state, she was hoping for good results. Rushing to the newly put-up papers, she sees that her improv group got a one, the best score, meaning her team is going to the state competition.

“After I’d gotten the one-act score, I was feeling a little sad. But when we went in and did our improv sketch, people were laughing. It was a good time to perform it, and it seemed like people had fun watching it. It felt really good to get that score, and I think it felt well deserved,” LaVine says.

For speech, there are four possible ratings: one, two, three, or four. A four means a rule violation, resulting in a disqualification; a two and three are scores on the lower side, meaning that there are still things the group can work on before going onto the next level; and a one means that the group advances to the state competition. Finding out these results can take anywhere from minutes to hours.

“The process was very intense. We didn’t find out [our one-act results] for about four hours after we performed. We were chewing our fingernails and just thinking what’s it going to be? Then we unfortunately found out. But for improv, it was a lot faster. We felt a lot more confident and it was a really great feeling to rush out of the bleachers, onto the gym floor [to look at the score],” LaVine says.

Speech season starts after the fall play ends and ends once the spring musical begins. Speech is a way to continue theater during City High Drama’s off-season.

“I wanted another opportunity to act outside of play and musical season,” Norah Mettemeyer ‘24 says.

Mettemeyer is a part of musical theater and improv. Both of the groups that she participates in moved on to the state competition. However, this took lots of hard work.

“I’m practicing outside of my musical theater rehearsal specifically and just putting my best effort in every rehearsal that I go to,” Mettemeyer says.

One common misconception about speech is that it is like debate. Instead, it is competitive theater.

“Speech is a large group activity and it involves a series of different events. We have everything from ensemble acting, one act, musical theater, group mime, and solo mime, which is also a part of large group speech. There’s also radio broadcast and short film. Just a lot of different activities to get students involved, practicing their speaking and their communication effectively,” Ms. Brinkmeyer says.

Ms. Brinkmeyer is the speech coach for improv and ensemble acting. She has been a speech coach for 17 years. As speech continues its competition season, she must make sure that her groups are ready for the competitions.

“[For competitions], we go and compete at different schools. It’s kind of like Allstate for band, choir, and orchestra, but it’s in a theater setting,” Mettemeyer says.

This year, City High has nine speech groups. After the recent district competition at Liberty High School, only five of City High’s groups will advance to the state competition.

“[Competitions] are just a super fun day. You get to hang out and watch other groups compete and perform,” Mettemeyer says.

Speech isn’t just a fun club, though. It builds many useful skills that those in speech can use later in life. Because of this, Ms. Brinkmeyer highly recommends all students try out speech.

“I was involved in speech for four years in high school, and it really improved my confidence and my ability to communicate effectively. The mission of speech is that everyone knows how to be a strong communicator because that’s just joy for life. Speech is fun and a creative outlet,” Ms. Brinkmeyer says.

Ms. Brinkmeyer started her love of speech in high school and continues to share that love with as many students as possible to this day. She does this by making sure that everyone is welcome at Speech and no one is rejected.

“There’s lots of student input and how we do things and how we invent things and create, which I think is really special that you don’t always get in drama. I think it’s cool that anyone can be involved. So I don’t turn anyone away. There is a spot for everyone in speech. There’s no one who can’t do it. And so I really love being a truly inclusive club,” Ms. Brinkmeyer says.

Wisdom Konu ‘24 and Edjounise Tertulien ‘24 host bingo with MESU. PHOTO BY ESTELLE

Speech seniors opening the speech home show in January. PHOTO BY YOMI HEMLEY

CHOIR

What Street? 4th Ave! SHOW

City High’s show choirs start the season strong with first place performances at the Sadie Street Showcase

By Kate Meis

In City High’s music wing, the shelves of music folders are adorned with awards from all of the show choir program’s achievements. Now after the first competition of the season, several awards have been added to the group’s continuously growing collection.

In mid-January, both groups within City High Show Choir, 4th Avenue and Charisma, attended the Sadie Street Showcase hosted by Anamosa High School. There, 4th Ave put on their show titled

“Norden” and Charisma performed their show “Elemental”.

Norden translates to “the north” in Norwegian. 4th Ave’s show follows a group of people who follow the northern lights and leave their homes behind. Eventually, they fall in love with their new home and the people around them.

At the Showcase Charisma, directed by choir director Mr. Walker, won best treble group and the show choir’s Combo, student-led by Edward Kenyon ‘24, won best band. 4th Ave, lead by choir director Mr. Hagy, took home awards for

best vocals and best choreography, and during daytime awards, they were number one in the 4A category. Finally, to end the night, they earned the title of grand champions in the finals.

“We were very nervous about this being our first competition. We were going against many talented groups and no one was sure we would win. Our directors told us that we should treat this win as a confidence boost for our next competitions, especially because our next competition is even harder and we are facing some crazy groups,” 4th Ave member Yomi Hemley ‘25 said.

Jillian Leman ‘26 and Eviann Smith ‘24 sing 4th Ave’s closer. PHOTO BY MEGAN SWARTZENDRUBER

Charisma cheers on 4th Ave’s performance at the winter show. PHOTO BY MEGAN SWARTZENDRUBER

Josie LeClair ‘25 dances to Mountain Sound. PHOTO BY MEGAN SWARTZENDRUBER

Deon Brown ‘24. PHOTO BY MEGAN SWARTZENDRUBER

Charisma sings their ballad PHOTO BY MEGAN SWARTZENDRUBER Nadia Spragg ‘27 sings the ballad. PHOTO BY MEGAN SWARTZENDRUBER

PERFORMER PROFILE

Dancing through life: Lila Tallman

By Esther Puderbaugh

It’s the summer before her senior year and Lila Tallman ‘24 is studying ballet in Arizona at a summer intensive. Before she knows it, that experience will lead her to move across the country to pursue her dance education.

“This last summer I went to a summer intensive [at the School of Ballet Tucson in Arizona which is where] you go away for like a month,” Tallman said. “So basically, they asked if I wanted to come back for the fall semester and I was like ‘Oh, I kind of just want to go back to school [and] just get settled in in the fall, stay for like one last fall, go to homecoming, all that stuff. And then I’ll see about in the winter.’”

There were other factors to Tallman’s decision to move or not including her job and finishing her schooling at City High.

“Then I was thinking I also have a job at Petland here, too. But other than that, I was like ‘Well, I think I can move away from my home studio here like I’m gonna be okay because I’m gonna go [to Arizona] for college anyway’,” Tallman said. “[Then it was like] so let’s just go a little bit earlier. I’m wrapping up with school, I can do it online. So yeah, and then they were just like ‘Yeah, you can come down for the winter if you want’. And that’s what I’m doing now. It’s basically the same place I trained for the summer but it’s like a year-round training program. And then after that I’ll go to University of Arizona. I’m going to major in business and then possibly double major in dance or minor in dance.”

Tallman began dancing after seeing a friend dance in the annual Nutcracker production put on by Nolte Academy.

“I first saw my friend Shay [who’s] also a senior here. She was in the Nutcracker. It was like a school show,” Tallman said, “All the second graders went and so I saw her do that. And I decided that next year, I would audition for The Nutcracker and start dance. I started to dance like that last summer after seeing her in the winter.”

Starting out attending dance competitions focused on Tap, Modern, and Jazz styles, Tallman pivoted to focusing mostly on ballet.

“I decided to move just to ballet, focus more on ballet,” Tallman said. “It’s not that I didn’t prefer the [other styles of dance] but it was more just like the competitions like in Iowa were more focused on like winning awards than dancing and just performing.”

Tallman’s time dancing has given her many opportunities including chances to study ballet in cool places and performing numerous times in ballets like the Nutcracker.

“[Some of the opportunities I’ve gotten through dance are] summer intensives which are when you go away for like a few months at a time, and you get to meet new people, you get to train with new teachers in a new place, and also just like explore wherever you go to. I went to Denmark, I went to Florida, and I just got to meet a lot of new people that also love dancing,” Tallman said. “Last year, we went to YGP which is like a competition for ballet and I got top 24 of all the classical seniors in Kansas. That was so cool.”

Tallman believes that dance has changed her life in many ways.

“I would say [dance has] changed my life because I’ve met a lot of people through it. And it’s kind of changed like my focus around school and stuff because I was never really involved in sports through city or anything like that because I’m always at dance,” Tallman said. “So like, I guess my main

friends kind of come from there because I’m always hanging out there but it’s then also hard to keep on top of all your school and stuff while being [at dance] all the time.”

To train for any type of dance requires lots of time and discipline, and regular school hours can be a barrier to getting that training.

“I feel like it was hardest freshman through sophomore year. But like it was easier I’d say last year and this year just because I loaded my schedule like freshman and sophomore year. So it was just a lot more classes but then because I loaded it those years I can take less this year so it’s a lot easier to dance more,” Tallman said. “Freshman year since

we were online, I would go to the studios in the morning and then I would do school in the afternoon. And then sophomore year I would go like all night [because] I’d be at school all day. Junior year same thing I’d be at school all day. This year I’m doing mostly kirkwood online classes so I’m not really coming here very much.”

One of Tallman’s issues with the traditional school system was their handling of her PE credits and attendance.

“I would say with PE it would be kind of like if you’re doing sports here at City it would be like ‘oh, you’re in athletics you don’t need to do PE’. But I’ve had to get doctor’s notes because I was dealing with injuries

and stuff and like take time out of school for competitions and then get my doctor or my PT to sign off on all these letters. And sometimes it’s hard to miss a lot of school if like the school isn’t thinking it’s actual school-related curriculum,” Tallman said.

One of Tallman’s biggest role models in dance has inspired her next steps in life.

“One of my biggest inspirations is Leslie Nolte who founded Nolte and the James Theatre, and she’s doing a bunch of big things with like business and dance. So I think that would be really cool to do somewhere or just do anything related to like marketing, social media, ticketing for a big ballet company, or something like that,” Tallman said.

Tallman poses outside of the dance building at the University of Arizona where she will study. PHOTO COURTESY OF LILA TALLMAN

L to R: Tallman’s headshot. Tallman performs in the 2023 Nolte production of The Nutcracker. PHOTOS COURTESY OF LILA TALLMAN

PERFORMANCE PROFILE

Jillian Leman’s jazz journey

Since starting trumpet in fifth grade, Jillian Leman has taken every opportunity to perform. Now, she’s a member of City’s top jazz band, Jazz Ensemble

By Lily Rantanen

For as long as she can remember, music has been a part of Jillian Leman’s life. From starting trumpet in fifth grade in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to joining City High’s varsity show choir, Leman ‘26 taken every opportunity to share her music with the world.

Now, as a sophomore, Leman is a member of Jazz Ensemble, the top jazz band at City.

“I decided to do jazz because I jump on every opportunity to perform, especially with trum-

By Estelle Hartz

Cpet,” Leman said.

When asked to reflect on her best memories from jazz band, she was quick to say that the competitions, and especially last year’s annual trip to Chicago, were her most memorable experiences.

“We did really good last year [at Jazz in the Meadows in Chicago], especially as a second band,” Leman said.

Last year, Leman was one of only two freshmen selected as a member of Jazz Ensemble, but due to her commitments with dance, she couldn’t join. Instead, she chose to be a part of

City’s second highest jazz band, Jazz Collective.

“[A normal day in rehearsal] starts out with call and response and some improv stuff to get our creative juices flowing,” Leman said. “And now we kind of just dive straight into music, cleaning it up.”

Like any performer, Leman gets nervous before a performance.

“I just try to remind myself that I can play this music,” Leman said. “I know how it goes. I know what to do. I’m comfortable with it. I just can’t get in my head too much.”

‘Singin’ in the Rain’ begins rehearsals

for spring musical

ity High will put on Singin’ in the Rain, a classic musical, this spring. It will feature a full pit of 27 musicians, and large musical numbers.

“Singin’ in the Rain will bring in an older

as this was a classic movie and musi-

cal that many people in their 60’s and 70’s saw on the big screen or on stage. That will make for a fun generational experience,” Doug Lestina, Technical Director said.

The Drama Department has done more modern musicals for the past few shows, so this will be one of the first classical musicals in a while.

“It will be good for the students to see what the more classical style of musical is like,” Lestina said.

While Cast and Crew meetings have started, rehearsals will not begin until February 5th. A group of adults at City are working to prepare for the spring production, including Director Lauren Darby, Choreographer Betsy Staak, Vocal Director Shelby Zukin, Pit Director Megan Stucky-Swanson, Set Designer Rich Burke, Costume Director Jackie Green, and Makeup Director Michelle Buell.

The cast will also be creating a short film that they will be shooting in advance, and

then using in the show.

“This will make for a technical challenge and give some students the opportunity to work on a film,” said Lestina.

Singin’ in the Rain comes with other challenges, one being making it rain onstage.

“I always enjoy a good challenge. When we solve all of the issues that come along with it and the audience gasps when the rain comes down, it will all be worth it,” said Lestina.

Jillian Leman ’26 stands outside of City High’s music wing with her trumpet. PHOTO BY LILY RANTANEN

crowd,

A&E RECAP

WINTER SNAPSHOT

Scenes from City performances this winter

Avery Provorse ‘24 smiles during 4th Ave’s segment of the annual Show Choir and Jazz Band Winter Show. PHOTOS BY ESTELLE HARTZ

Members of 4th Ave strike a pose

Symphony Band members smile during applause at the Winter Band Concert

Matthew Walker, Choir Director, directs Schubert’s Mass in G at the choral-orchestral Masterworks Concert

Gideon Levine ‘26 plays during Wind Ensemble’s portion of the Winter Band Concert

Executive

Sports

Ahmed Basheir Kaitlyn Brown Jack Rogers

Opinion Editors Tai Caputo

Isabella Young

A&E Editor Esther Puderbaugh

Culture Editors Wisdom Konu Sadie Bodzin

Broadcast Editor Grace Kirschling

Feature Editors

Hattie Conover

Yomi Hemley

Yearbook Editors

Lili Moessner

Megan Swartzendruber

Assitant Design Editor

Greta Hayek

Assistant Editors Amelie Donovan, Claire Hartwig, Estelle Hartz, Molly Savage

Staff

Bobby Bacon, Josh B-G, Kaitlyn Brown, Helena Echa, Summer Eland, Zsigmond Ford, Lily Rantanen, Catalina Armstrong, Ramatou Diallo, Gabe Egeland, Samuel Keuter, Diego Loria-Evans, Rito Perez

Adviser Jonathan Rogers

Mission Statement

The Little Hawk, student journalism newspaper and website of City High School, aims to inform, educate and entertain readers. LH journalists follow the code of the journalist by seeking truth, doing no harm, being independent, and working toward balance in all news stories.

All student voices are enouraged to be part of a LH journalism class. To join the class, talk to your guidance counselor today.

Letters to the editor may be submitted to: LittleHawkPage@gmail.com

ICCSD Equity Statement

It is the policy of the ICCSD 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 educationall programs, activities, or employment practices.

If you believe you (or your child) have been discriminated against or treated unjustly at school, please contact the

Equity Director at: 509 S. Dubuque Street (319) 688-1000

WHAT MORE WILL IT TAKE?

Iowa School shootings continue to threaten students’ safety

ART BY ROSANGEL FLORES-RUBIO

On May 17th, 1984, a 17-year-old student entered Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, carrying a handgun. What ensued is almost unimaginable. Two students were killed in the first school shooting in Iowa.

Nearly half a century later, very little has changed. On January 4th, 2024, a 17-yearold entered Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, carrying both a handgun and a shotgun. Seven people were injured, and two died. Ahmir Jolliff, a 6th grader, died after being shot three times, and Perry High School’s principal, Dan Marburger, died on January 14th as a result of his injuries. The shooter, student Dylan Butler, shot himself after his rampage.

The Iowa City Community School District is by no means immune to the real-life threats of gun violence. Last November, a parent entered Grant Wood Elementary School and threatened staff members with a gun. The school was placed on lockdown. Many students and staff were shaken by the experience.

According to the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, there have been a total of 2069 school shootings since 1970 in the United States. That is about 38 school shootings every single year. The U.S. leads the world with the highest number of school shootings by a large margin.

Instead of acting to make guns less accessible, Iowa lawmakers made the process of obtaining a gun much easier in 2021 by removing the permit requirement. Acquiring a permit

previously involved firearm safety training and extensive background checks. Lawmakers have also made it permissible for anyone who is at least 21 years of age who legally owns a firearm to “open carry” their fully or partially visible firearm in public without a permit or license.

In an attempt to loosen gun laws even further, Iowa lawmakers this year passed House File 654, which states that it is legal to keep a dangerous weapon inside of a vehicle in a “publicly accessible, nonsecure parking lot,” such as a school parking lot.

In an age of rampant school shootings, the

STAFF

idea that anyone can legally bring a gun onto school property is unconscionable. The tangible consequences of this lack of accountability show themselves, over and over again.

Following the shooting at Perry, Governor Kim Reynolds failed to acknowledge her party’s lax gun laws as a factor in creating an environment that made the shooting more likely.

After offering thoughts and prayers to the Perry community, Reynolds said, “This was a horrible tragedy. No additional gun laws would

have prevented what happened.” She blamed the 17-year-old high school student’s actions on evil. “There’s just evil out there,” Reynolds said. With this statement, Reynolds abdicated responsibility to prevent school shootings. She overlooked the fact that lawmakers have a significant responsibility to ensure the safety of Iowa schoolchildren. The decision to commit murder is the result of complex factors, but the access to a gun that enables shootings is under the express purview of Reynolds and Iowa lawmakers.

Although some may claim otherwise, the solution to gun violence is not to make gun access easier. Nor is the solution to increase the number of firearms in a school by installing a security team or arming teachers. The solution is simply to limit access to dangerous weapons in the first place. While the sentiment that “Guns don’t kill people, people do,” rings true, it is also a fact that none of these incidents would have happened without access to guns.

Political polarization has led lawmakers to disregard various solutions to gun violence. The fight against gun violence should transcend party lines. After all, its consequences do. Children, teachers, and staff die and are harmed regardless of their political views.

We call on lawmakers in Iowa and the United States to step up to their responsibilities and initiate stricter gun laws. We call on the citizens of Iowa to do their duty and vote for politicians who will protect the people they represent, and who will use the millions of dollars that have been granted to make schools safer. Until then, our lives are on the line.

The Little Hawk Little Hawk Journalism Staff

WORDS OF WISDOM

Wisdom Konu ‘24 gives love advice

By Little Hawk Staff

There is somebody I want to ask out to Prom but I’m just too scared. How do I ask them without embarrassing myself? What is your advice?

Don’t do it! Joking! Well, what I like to say is that things aren’t embarrassing unless you make them embarrass ing. As for me, I’d love a cute little Promposal! This is my dream Promposal: they’re playing my favorite song, they get their friends to be backup dancers and they’re performing for me, and they have a Hello Kitty Pink Bouquet for me and then ask me and their friends come out with a poster, saying, “Will you go to Prom with me?” and I’m like, “Yes!” That wasn’t really answering the question but to ask it without embarrassing is to figure out if they have a date or not and ask! Your friends could ask them for you and then if they don’t have a date, find the courage and then ask them out! If you al ready are comfortable with them, ask directly! Be brave and have courage!

I have a friend who is antisocial and likes to stay at home all day. How do I get this friend to go to Prom? I’m afraid he’s going to end up living in his parent’s basement. What is your advice?

Tell them to live life in the moment! Try to remind them that with friends, Prom can be fun. It’s fun to have fun!

There is a girl I like in my math class. I’ve never spoken to her before. How can I get her to pay attention to me? What is your advice?

GUEST OPINION: Primates of the grasslands

All the ways in which baboons are better than humans

By Olive Jackson

What is a monkey? A tree-swinging, banana-peeling, fifteen-pound mischief maker, right? What is a monkey not? A sixty-pound African grazer, chewing grass and traveling in herds of hundreds. The six humble species of the genus Papio are wildly different in most respects from all other

regard our success as a fluke and the baboon’s as a certainty. The genus Homo is absurdly specialized. Without the ability to cook, we wouldn’t be able to digest fast enough to survive. Infants are born prematurely because if they gestated any longer, their heads would be too large. We’d starve without spears, freeze without clothing, and stagnate without speech. The odds of success were slim. Baboons are everything they need. They don’t need spears to eat grass, clothing in a savannah, or progress without ambition. The butt of a baboon is a pad of callused skin so they are their own

This is what you have to do: if there’s a girl in your math class and you have a crush on her, you have to do little things to interact with her. Ask to borrow her pencil, and if you guys sit close to each other you can ask her, “Do you understand this problem?” Even if you fully understand the problem! The main objective is to talk to her. “Do you know how to do this part?” and then you get to work together. So once you start having those little tiny interactions, you can get to be sort-of friends. At that point, you can say “Hi” and “How is your day going?” “That last test was hard as freak.” Then when you interact more in class, you can become friends outside of class, so when you see each other in the hallway, you’ll say hi! Focus on little tiny interactions that can grow into a blooming friendship and then a blossoming romance!

What are some fun things to do when you’re single on Valentine’s Day?

Well, Valentine’s Day can be for friends and family too! Love isn’t just romantic love, it can be platonic love, familial love. So for Valentine’s Day, what I’ve done in the past, is that I would create little cute gifts like origami hearts and pair them with little goodie-bags with things like chocolate, and give to friends and family who matter most to me.

ART BY ROSANGEL FLORES-RUBIO

GRAPHIC BY WISDOM KONU

POLITICAL CARTOONS

ART BY OLIVE JACKSON

Understanding African Diaspora wars: A HISTORICAL DIVISION

How diaspora wars are nothing but a catalyst for division and disunity in the black community

By Wisdom Konu

As I grew up, I was told one thing: I am African, not African American. Although as I looked at my darkened skin and my distinctive features and compared them to those who were supposedly different from me and were “African American,” our features weren’t similar, they were one and the same.

The African diaspora is the overall collective of communities who descended from people from Africa. The diaspora is a mix of beautiful cultures — being a collective of many values, traditions, beliefs, behaviors, varying identities, and much more. But despite that, a line of division has been drawn between. The division’s origin arises from diaspora wars. Diaspora wars, also known as cross-cultural conflicts, are the rising conflicts amongst diasporic groups that create a negative impact on our communities, creating disunity.

Being Black in America is not an easy experience whatsoever. But being Black is also an extremely confusing experience. You can be born to African parents in America, but you are not African American, you are Black. But you may not feel aligned with that term, so you are “African.” But due to America’s skewed perception, you are “Black” once again.

Growing up African, I have grown up with different customs, beliefs and behaviors that have been passed down from generation to generation; someone with Black parents who were born in the United States and only have African ancestry would also have different beliefs and customs in comparison to mine. But the problem that arises between the diaspora of the Black community is the invalidation of cultures.

The definition of African American is a Black American of African descent. African Americans are born in America with their ancestors being descended from Africans or otherwise slaves from the Transatlantic slave trade. The Transatlantic slave trade was the transportation of 10 to 12 million enslaved African people to the Americas. But that definition barely touches the surface of the horrors that enslaved Africans had to go through. The Transatlantic Slave Trade really represents one of the most violent and horrific eras in world history. Slaves were robbed of human rights and were abused, raped and killed. Taken from their homes, they had to adapt

to a new land to survive. As a result of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and colonialism, new cultures were formed. When slave owners attempted to strip African culture from their slaves, retention of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans was facilitated by slaves verbally, musically and also through writing. African American culture evolved from descendants from the slave trade and has now become one of the most widespread and influential cultures in America, yet is one of the most invalidated ones due to the differences when compared to other cultures.

Differences between cultures can range from religious beliefs and practices, behaviors, traditions. Due to these differences between African Americans and others of the African diaspora, they can cause different parts of the diaspora to clash, because we all are centered on our own cultures, and naturally, people judge something that is unfamiliar or different than what they are used to, painting the fact that one definite reason for diaspora wars is invalidation of each others’ cultures.

As well as cultures, there are other things that make up identity, like traits. There are negative and positive traits that can be attached to groups in the African diaspora, and the traits that are usually associated to groups are negative and are otherwise known as stereotypes. As I have grown up African, some stereotypes that I have heard about African Americans are that they are “troublemakers” and “unclassy” as well as “full of attitude.” Some stereotypes that I have heard about Africans are that we are “smelly” and “poverty-stricken.” These negative stereotypes are one of many reasons why disunity exists in the African diaspora. But the main reason for the amount of disunity is tied to the very basis of diaspora wars as a whole: white supremacy.

White supremacy can be defined by the social, economic, and political systems that collectively enable white people to maintain power over people of other races. Throughout history, white people have oppressed people of color, but especially Black people, for decades upon decades. Although slavery has been abolished, white supremacy is embedded in the entirety of all cultures. Especially in the African diaspora.

One tool of white supremacy is media portrayal. Black people, regardless of culture and ethnicity, have been demonized by mass media. The negative stereotypes that can be found attached to groups that have influenced our views of

other Black individuals originated from white supremacists who believed in it first, and should we continue to further believe in them and push those stereotypes, we continue to draw the lines of division that originally were drawn by white supremacy.

Because of media portrayal, a superiority complex has been attached to each culture in regards to one another. One example of this is that African people may think that they are better than African Americans because they know where they come from and have strong cultural ties. This thinking is pointless. It only discredits African Americans and Black history. African American culture is just as rich as African culture and both cultures, while they have their differences, share multiple elements originating from the same very foundation of all African diaspora groups: Africa.

Because of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Africa was left in a state of destabilization and vulnerability which led to more conquest and violence for centuries. Africa continued to be colonized, and you can still find the effects of colonialism in Africa, even now. When I went to Africa this past year, specifically, Togo, besides the native language, the other majorly spoken language was French. The currency that is used, the West African CFA franc, was created by France in 1945 and been used since. That is an example of the lasting effects of colonialism on African groups and with the African diaspora spanning six continents, despite all of our differences, we all share something in common: a history of colonial oppression. Yet we continue to fight and invalidate one another when the real enemy is white supremacy and its historical oppression.

African Diaspora wars have gone on for long enough. Competing and fighting with one another has done nothing but separate us as a community. In order for unity, we must look past our superiority complexes, accept our differences, and look at what makes up all of us: our blackness. While my culture may be different from my African American peers, our skin and features is what makes us, not similar, but the same. As long as we are at war with one another, we may never be free from the shackles of racism our ancestors were once chained to. To break free, we must come together and draw a new boundary, eliminating colonialism so we may live like how our ancestors did before the terrors that reached them: united.

GRAPHIC BY WISDOM KONU

HAPPY (GAL)ENTINE’S DAY

GRAPHICS

MOVIES

The Color Purple

The Color Purple has returned in movie musical form as another depressing yet powerful adaptation

By Wisdom Konu

From a book, to Broadway, to now the box office (again), The Color Purple has returned yet again in our current time of pop-culture as a musical period drama film. This movie-musical is the second film adaptation of the 1982 epistolary novel, written by Alice Walker, with its screenplay based on the stage musical. Steven Spielberg and Quincy Jones return as producers for the 2023 film, along with its Broadway producers Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, the latter of whom also starred in the 1985 film. This adaptation of The Color Purple is a powerful and poignant film that in the end will color you impressed.

The Color Purple starts off devastatingly. We follow 14-year-old Celie, who lives in rural Georgia at the beginning of the 1900s. She is pregnant after being raped by her father. His rape has resulted in two children of Celie’s, who are later taken away from her. With her children taken away from her, all she is left with is her sister Nettie. But even her sister is chased away from her after she is callously given away in marriage to the superficially charming “Mister” Johnson and Celie is then left alone in an abusive marriage.

As the story continues, Celie has grown from a girl to a woman. Her life is depressing to watch, as she gets beat over and over by her husband in her marriage. Her life begins to change when her husband’s mistress, Shug Avery comes to town. As the movie progresses, Celie begins to find her inner circle of women, along with Shug Avery, that help her overcome the abusive restraints of her marriage.

A key part to the film that contributes to the excellency of it is the music. Not only are there songs from the Broadway musical, but there are original songs as well like

Halle Bailey’s “Keep It Movin'”, sung by both Halle Bailey and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, who plays young Nettie. “Workin’”, sung by Corey Hawkins and The Color Purple Ensemble is also currently trending on TikTok. The music is banging, catchy, and tells the story in a beautiful way. The dance numbers that go along with the music are also incredibly captivating to watch.

Along with the amazing music, the powerhouse performances take center stage throughout this adaptation. Celie is played by singer Fantasia, the film being her goodbye to the character. Her Broad-

way debut was Celie in The Color Purple stage musical. Her performance beautifully conveys the depth of her character, bringing even more emotion to the musical as a whole. The lustrous Shug Avery is portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, who puts her heart into each and every role she plays which explains why her role as Shug is nothing short of phenomenal. Danielle Brooks plays the outspoken Sofia, originally played by producer Oprah Winfrey, and her scene-stealing acting makes her a definite highlight of the film.

The Color Purple is a triumph in every

Mean Girls

How watchable can a movie without “Meet the Plastics” be?

manner, from its radiant song and dance numbers to its awe inspiring story. The story is not only heart-rending but is also a story of transformation. Celie’s journey is a journey of self-realization, where she realizes she is more than her pain and trauma. Through that, she is liberated from her abusive relationship and trauma and in the end, she is finally free. A story of both pain and hurt as well as love and light, The Color Purple is an adaptation that is nothing short of amazing like its earlier versions and proves itself to be a powerful, moving movie that will leave you completely speechless.

By Kaitlyn Brown

Get in loser, we’re going shopping.

Mean Girls (2024) is Tina Fey’s newest “re-make.” As the production for Mean Girls began, fans were awaiting the date of release. With casting choices like Reneé Rapp, a Broadway-trained Regina George, the movie was looking to be one of the big hits of the year. But in the ways many of us expected it to be a hit, it took a shaky path to meeting expectations.

The discussion all over social media platforms revolved around the constant “advertising” of e.l.f. makeup products throughout the movie. While I love e.l.f. and its products, it did not serve much of a purpose except making the audience think they were watching an advertisement with the addition of a few popular songs mixed in. As we sat and watched the e.l.f lipstick fall into the sink, confused faces poured over the crowd.

When it comes to Cady, the protagonist, I think we all can recall seeing the scene of her running with the camera in Revenge Party. This was just one of many interesting filming choices the directors made. It was very easily connected to the musical version

in some shots, including Regina’s song Someone Gets Hurt, in which the cinematography felt very oriented around a “stage” that was represented by a room in the house party. These decisions felt off and disappointing for a movie, but in a way, they were just one way for the directors to form a tie between this adaption and the Broadway production.

But, the camera shot choices were not the only disappointing parts of the film. Although the producers and casting decisions

made it clear that the movie would be related to the Broadway musical version rather than the movie from 2004, the constant bursts into singing were only sometimes smooth and easy to interpret. From the dance in Stupid With Love, a song Cady sings while in calculus, to the lack of Karen and Gretchen in Meet the Plastics, the musical component of the film did not include many of the necessary elements avid fans of the Broadway production were expecting.  Now, the producers and directors did a

great job at trying to tie in all aspects of the Broadway hit musical. With the addition of Reneé Rapp as Regina George, an artist who won the National High School Musical Theatre Award (Jimmy Award) for Best Actress which led to her casting in the Mean Girls Broadway production from 2019-2020, there were moments of that Broadway magic as viewers listened to her songs. Rapp, like other co-stars, made her debut in television and film recently in HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, and unlike other co-stars, she continues to develop her music career as her EP and album are becoming major hits.

The cast was one of the bright lights of the film. Along with Rapp, the other actresses who took on iconic roles as members of the plastics, Avantika Vandanapu as Karen Shetty and Bebe Woods.... Gretchen Weiners, brought so much to the movie. Vandanapu took on the role of Karen, the “dumb plastic” and managed... SCAN FOR MORE:

GRAPHIC BY WISDOM KONU

GRAPHIC BY WISDOM KONU

LH Album Review: Sparkling Blue

By Claire Hartwig

TNew Boy Group, TWS, releases their debut album ‘Sparkling Blue’

WS, the second boy group under Pledis Entertainment, just debuted with their hit singles “Plot Twist” and “Oh Mymy:7”. TWS stands for twenty-four seven with us as their concept is they will always be with their fans, who are called TIME. The album itself consists of 5 songs, two are considered the singles from the album.

The first song is “Plot Twist”, an upbeat pop song about how first encounters never go right. It has a very fresh feel to it but it still stays contemporary. “Plot Twist” has also made its way onto TikTok with people enjoying the lyrics. On Tik Tok this song has been labeled as one of the best debut songs. The originality of the lyrics and music has really stood out to people.

If you’re a fan of indie pop this song is definitely for you, “Unplugged Boy” is an indie pop song. The guitar in the background gives it a very different feel from the rest of the tracks. The song is also entirely in English, when typically it isn’t until a second or third comeback that a group would release a full English version. The post chorus has drawn attention because of how catchy it is. “I’ll be there in no time (I’ll be there in a minute, yeah, eh) / Without saying a word, I’ll be right by your side / Go louder ‘til the sunrise (Yeah) / Sounds better when unplugged, keep up the music (Yeah, yeah)” Plus the sweetness of the lyrics makes it so much more enjoyable to listen to.

The third song, “First Hooky” has a much more groovy pop feel to it. The lyrics repeat “I really wanna kick it with you baby”. Once again this is another catchy track they’ve included on the album. This is also a type

of song that’s never really been heard from Pledis (TWS’ company) before so it will be exciting to see more.

“BFF” is the fourth track, switching up the style for a more trap R&B vibe. The progression of this song is just right and it’s a perfect fan song for a debut album. (A fan song is a song dedicated by the group to the fans.) It’s also really cute with the way the chorus ends with the lyric, “you and I’ll be friends forever.” The upbeat but still soft energy makes for the perfect song.

The last track of the album is called “Oh Mymy:7”. This song was released before the album came out making it a pre-debut single. This is something a new group will do to draw in attention and show people what talents they have. The song starts off very

LH SONG REVIEW: LOVE 119

By Claire Hartwig

RIIZE have released their second single, Love 119’, returning with a new concept that they deemed a ‘high school drama’. Shotaro, the oldest of the group, even took to Weverse (a social media site dedicated to interacting with fans) to post four photos of K-dramas he thought this comeback was most similar to. The concept was highly anticipated amongst fans as the group is known for bringing back past generation’s K-pop concepts, even referencing Exo’s ‘Growl’ in a Tik Tok as they were similarly dressed in school uniforms.

The single samples ‘Emergency Room’ by Izi, a song released back in 2005 as a part of the soundtrack for the K-drama Delightful Girl. ‘Love 119’ is an upbeat ballad about liking someone so much it kills you. Hence 119 referencing the emergency phone

number. The main chorus repeats the lines, ‘Ppaetgin my heart that girl is a killer/love so good feels like a thriller/119, 119, save my life, save my life.’ The music video took place in a High School showing their shared heartbreak with a girl, referencing the lyrics about a girl breaking their hearts. RIIZE continues to make music that sounds fresh and new, no matter what the style of the song is. My favorite part is definitely the bridge, a part RIIZE has always impressed fans with. Sohee, a member best known for his memorable voice, shocked fans with his adlib high notes in the back.

The boy group only has four songs as they debuted just four months ago but have quickly risen in popularity. They are the first boy group from the 5th generation to have entered the Top 10 of Melon Daily Chart.

As RIIZE continues to release more music, I expect that we’ll see more accomplishments.

slow and classical before quickly transitioning into an upbeat techy pop song. It has a catchy chorus, a good mix of rap and lyrical verses that really give this song life.

Something different about a K-Pop album is that some of the songs have dances along with them. For example, in “Plot Twist” they include some clock type choreography which looks really cool. Additionally I heard a lot about the “Oh Mymy:7” on TikTok because of how the post chorus dance looks. Fans then like to learn the dances and post themselves dancing along. It’s something interesting and extra that an album comes with. Plus it’s free promotion from the fans and gets people to hear their music more.

Overall TWS has had a very impres-

sive debut, their music has been a hit with fans and people are wanting to hear more. They debuted with a school concept which has been very popular recently with K-Pop groups. The only downfall is that Pledis gained hate for having their slogan be very similar to Enhypen’s, a popular 4th generation K-Pop group under the same Company as them.

But, since TWS is under the same company as Seventeen who is arguably the biggest K-Pop group today going forward, they will gain more attention. Carats (Seventeen’s fandom), have already stated they would like to support TWS after seeing how much Seventeen cares for them. K-Pop fan or not, whether you like pop, indie, or R&b, giving this album a listen would be worth it!

LH SONG REVIEW: Yes, and?

By Sadie Bodzin

Since her 6th studio album, Positions, was released in 2021, pop starlet Ariana Grande kept fans desperate for more music. After speculation that she might be done with music forever, Grande has released her new single “yes, and?” this January and announced her 7th studio album eternal sunshine is to be released on March 8. Grande stated that the upcoming album is “kinda a concept album”, causing fans to be even more excited about the release.

The airy pop track “yes, and?” is about Grande being done with letting critics dictate her life. The music video for the song further amplifies this message, as she invites a group of skeptics to watch her perform a choreographed dance number of the song. In the end, a few of the spectators become so entranced by the performance that they

get up to join her. The lyrics of the song exemplify the theme even further, with lyrics like: “Now I’m so done with caring / What you think, no, I won’t hide” and “Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much who’s **** I ride?” The lyrics point to a few things going on in Grande’s life, namely her romance with Wicked costar Ethan Slater.

The track accumulated a large amount of attention due to the fact that this is Grande’s first new release in years. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her 8th song and 6th song debut to achieve this milestone. The song also amassed attention on TikTok for its straightforward lyrics. After taking a long break from making music, there was no way of predicting how the song would perform. Thankfully for Grande, the song is a hit and it added a new level of anticipation for her upcoming album.

GRAPHIC BY WISDOM KONU

GRAPHIC BY CLAIRE HARTWIG

GRAPHIC BY CLAIRE HARTWIG

Black History Month movie recommendations

As the observance of Black History Month comes to a start, here are some Black movie recommendations for this Black History Month

By Wisdom Konu

February marks the start of Black History Month, a month of observance as well as celebration for African Americans. With it being Black History Month, it’s the perfect time to indulge in Black media, from music to art. In Black Media, Black struggle as well as Black pain and trauma takes the center stage in many cases. While learning about Black struggle is important for educating and understanding Black history, Black joy is equally or maybe even more important.

From romance to animation, here are some Black movie recommendations that feature almost something for everyone to enjoy!

DREAMGIRLS (2006)

Written and directed by Bill Condon, Dreamgirls is a black musical movie with a packed ensemble. The movie musical is an adaptation of the Broadway musical, Dreamgirls, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen.

The story begins with Black girl group known as “The Dreamettes”, consisting of lead singer Effie White (Jennifer Hudson) and

Lorrell

The movie follows the trio of the rookie black female soul singers as they cross over to the charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way. The story also follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s.

Dreamgirls is jam-packed with emotion and amazing songs, making it a fantastical musical and

JUMP

Released in 2007, Jump In is a Disney Channel Original Movie, following African American teenager, Izzy Daniels, a boxer who wishes to follow in his father’s footsteps but everything changes when his friend, Mary introduces him to the very different sport of rope-jumping.

A movie of Black joy and youth,

With an entirely Black cast, Moonlight is an Academy Award-winning movie, winning ‘Best Picture’ in 2017 — the first movie with a gay protagonist to do so. Moonlight is a coming-of-age movie that takes viewers on a jour-

ney through the main character’s childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood.

Starting in Miami in the 1980s, Chiron navigates daily life as he is confronted with the impacts of drug addiction and poverty. The protagonist also struggles to understand his sexuality and identity throughout his life, making it a crucial element of the film’s storyline.

Moonlight is a movie that not only highlights the black experience and struggle but is also a movie of black gay love and sexuality.

WENDELL AND WILD (2022)

Written by Black horror director, Jordan Peele, as well as filmmaker and clay director, Henry Selick, Wendell and Wild is a combination of both writers and what they are known for: horror and animation, creating an American adult stop motion-animated horror comedy film.

The movie follows two scheming demons as they strike a deal with a punk rock-loving teen, Kat Elliot, so they can leave the Underworld and live out their dreams in the Land of the Living.

Black History Month book recommendations

As we progress through Black History Month, here are a few book recommendations with Black authors and/or characters

By Sadie Bodzin, Claire Hartwig and Wisdom Konu

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

In the world of fiction, there are tons of mythology-centered books but one mythology that remains mostly untouched is African mythology. In Tomi Adeyemi’s debut fantasy novel Children Of Blood and Bone, 16-year-old Zélie Adebola is a young woman, determined to bring back magic to her oppressed kingdom that used to be teeming with magic. As the book goes on she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi contains a stunning fantasy world that is inspired by West African tribes and mythology, which makes for an excellent read for those who enjoy both the enemies-to-lovers trope and the fantasy genre.

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan

Douglass

The book follows black medium Jake Livingston, who sees dead people everywhere, with the dead playing their last moments on a loop. In addition to those horrors, Jake goes to a school where he is also at the mercy of racist teachers. But his high-school life changes when it becomes a game of survival as he has to fight off a vengeful

ghost who comes after his life, having bigger plans for Jake than he knows.

Not only is it a story of black horror but of black gay romance with Jake Livingston, being a gay black teen who finds himself in a romance with the arrival of a new Black student — the handsome Allister. The Taking of Jake Livingston is a spine-chilling YA read that will scare you again and again while reading.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith

White Teeth follows two friends--Samad Iqbal and Archie Jones--and their families. The book spans through many decades, centering in on different members of both families and the different trials and tribulations of their lives. It grapples with themes of family, friendship, and cultural identity.

This incredible multigenerational novel was surprisingly Zadie Smith’s first book, cementing herself as a phenomenal writer. This hilarious yet incredibly poignant book is an excellent read for anyone who needs help recognizing the comedy of daily life or understanding what their identity means to them.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Such a Fun Age is about a young Black woman named Emira who is falsely accused of kidnap-

ping the white child she babysits while shopping with her at the grocery store. The entire incident is filmed by a white bystander who encourages Emira to release the video.

The book touches on white guilt, colorism, white saviors, fetishization, and more. It does a great job going in depth into very multifaceted and complex issues while still creating a space for the characters to establish themselves and their personalities. It’s a great read and provides insights into many different perspectives.

The Blackwoods by Brandy Colbert

The Blackwoods follows the Blackwood family, one of the most famous black families in Holly-

wood. When the matriarch of the family, Blossom Blackwood passes away it changes everything. This book follows Hollis and Ardith, her great-granddaughters and the events following her death. When family secrets come to light Colbert tells a thrilling story where everything is up in the air. Brandy Colbert’s thriller novel is a tribute to the groundbreakers of Black Hollywood. It provides deep emotional insights and acknowledges race, class, and gender. I would recommend this book to any mystery lover, as it follows the dark secrets of their grand-mothers famous life.

And Don’t Look Back by Rebecca Barrow

In And Don’t Look Back, you’ll

read a thrilling novel about seventeen-year-old Harlow and her mother Cora. The pair have been hiding from her mother’s unknown secret and a hidden enemy for years. But when her mother is fatally injured and Harlow is forced to leave her behind, Cora mysteriously tells her to find a specific deposit box at a bank in a town nearby. She now has the choice of finding out the mystery of what happened or to continue running.

This is Rebecca Barrow’s fifth and most recent book. She’s written an incredibly thrilling story about a teenage girl left with so many questions. This story holds onto plot twists until the very end of the book making it perfect for mystery lovers. This book shows how great of an author Barrow is.

backup singers Deena Jones (Beyonce) and

Robinson (Anika Noni Rose).

watch over all.

IN (2007)

Jump In is a perfect family-friendly fun watch that everyone is capable of enjoying.

MOONLIGHT (2016)

GRAPHIC BY WISDOM KONU

GRAPHIC BY WISDOM KONU

WHO WOULD WIN: Taylor vs Turtles

It’s a battle for the ages: Taylor Swift or every turtle on the planet?

By Lily Rantanen

If given the choice between Taylor Swift and turtles, which one would you choose? You can only keep one; the other one disappears forever.

Here are some ground rules: if you choose to keep Taylor Swift, all turtles (including tortoises) in the world will go extinct. If you choose to keep turtles, Taylor Swift disappears off the face of the Earth and you can never listen to her music again.

There is no doubt that there are major advantages to keeping both of them. With over 50% of American adults identifying as fans of Taylor Swift, she leads a large and influential fanbase. But on the other hand, turtles are important to the ecosystems they live in—they help control the population growth of seagrass, jellyfish, and sponges.

At first glance, the choice seems obvious. Turtles are essential for keeping ocean ecosystems stable, while Swift is one person in a sea of eighteen billion. But although turtles are a keystone species, is it possible that Taylor Swift may be too?

Let’s look at the facts: just from tour revenue alone, the Eras tour has become the highest-grossing tour of all time. But beyond what’s just on paper, attendees of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour have racked up a massive 5.7 billion dollar receipt impacting the economy not just from ticket and merchandise sales but from increasing tourism in areas where she has performed and other events and sales associated with the tour. In turn, this has created a significant boost to the economy.

Let’s be clear: the Eras tour has made more money than the GDP of fifty-five countries.

And that’s just the first U.S. leg of her most recent tour. The international section of the Eras tour will begin in Tokyo, Japan, in early February, and she’s scheduled for a second half in the U.S. next fall. Get rid of Taylor Swift; you get rid of all the possible effects she could have on the economy.

That’s not even accounting for all the

people who have made the Eras tour possible, from scheduling venues to backup dancing to collecting tickets. Taylor Swift isn’t just a singer. She’s beyond that—she’s a universally recognized brand with significant power politically and economically. In September, Swift encouraged her followers to register to vote on her Instagram Story, which led to over 30,000 newly registered voters that week—a record-breaking high.

Some other statistics: Taylor Swift has 279 million Instagram followers, while the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—arguably the most well-known turtles in popular culture—have 0.1 percent of Swift’s followers, at 279 thousand. Swift gave $55 million in bonuses to The Eras tour employees, while all that turtles give people is… salmonella?

Beyond her political and economic impact, Taylor Swift has redefined the music industry. She has advocated for artists everywhere, from reforming music contracts to changing ticketing practices. And there is no doubt that she is an excellent artist known for her lyricism and bond with her music. But that’s not all. Taylor Swift saves lives. Swift’s music has changed so many people for the better. This leads us to a looming question: Can turtles compete with the astronomical force that is Taylor Swift?

ability group--Swift topped the list of most celebrity CO2 emission even before going on tour. Although a representative for Swift has claimed that her plane is loaned out to other people, that same plane accounted for 8,293.54 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in a six-month period.

“AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SHE IS AN EXCELLENT ARTIST KNOWN FOR HER LYRICISM AND BOND WITH HER MUSIC. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. TAYLOR SWIFT SAVES LIVES.”

Lily Rantanen ‘26

Sure, Swift may seem perfect on paper. But with the number of people traveling to see her perform live, there’s no doubt that the carbon emissions produced by the Eras tour are high. According to a study done by Yard--a United Kingdom-based sustain-

Additionally, the amount of consumption by fans of Taylor Swift is shocking. As with the Barbie movie craze, fans are quick to buy specialized outfits for her tours and trade bracelets with each other. Yes, it’s a special sentiment shared by her fans, but do the negative effects of this mass consumption outweigh the benefits? Air New Zealand had to add 14 extra flights because of fans traveling to see Swift perform in February in Australia. For context, that’s about 846 extra tons of CO2 being added because of Swift’s ten-day stunt in Sydney and Melbourne. That’s nothing compared to Swift herself, of course, but it’s still a substantial amount of carbon emissions, at about 211 times the average global tons of CO2 emissions per person. Turtles, on the other hand, don’t emit enough carbon dioxide to have anything about the subject on Google. Fish, sure, but turtles? No way. In fact, instead of destroying the environment, turtles are an important part of the ocean ecosystem. Some species are the coral reefs’ gardeners, from mowing the seagrass to trimming the sponges to keeping the jellyfish population at bay. Without turtles, our aquatic ecosystems would disappear. According to Whit Gibbons, a real-life turtle scientist, turtles ‘do no harm and do a lot of good.’

What else do turtles bring to the table? For one, they’re highly represented as wise, old characters. Perhaps one of the most universally well-known stories is that of Greek storyteller Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare, in which a steady tortoise outsmarts a self-assured hare. Through thick and thin, people have remained infatuated with turtles—this curious animal that carries its home on its back.

Turtles carry a deeper meaning, too. In some cultures, turtles play a crucial role in religious and creation stories. Oftentimes, turtles are represented as carrying the entire world on top of their shells, like the Native American and Hindu concepts of a turtle supporting the Earth on its back. Or, as a more modern reference, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series takes place in a world that sits on top of four elephants, which in turn stand on a giant, celestial turtle’s back.

Turtles are already disappearing. Even with the Endangered Species Act, which protects at-risk species in the United States, 61% of 356 turtle species have become endangered or extinct. Humans, on the other hand, including Taylor Swift, show no signs of stopping or slowing down. Should we be using the money we spent on Taylor Swift to protect turtles instead? Or should we let all turtles go extinct because of our mistakes?

Since Taylor Swift has only been alive for a mere 34 years, an infinitesimal amount of time compared to turtles (thought to be around for more than 230 million years!), there are no creation stories about her. However, Taylor Swift and turtles do share a few things in common. They can both see in color, for one.

The clear winner between the battle of Taylor Swift and turtles is turtles. Sorry, Taylor, but I’d sacrifice you in favor of those little animals with shells. Despite the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift, turtles and tortoises alike have been present for millenia and will continue to remain popular years after the love for Taylor Swift dissipates. As in The Tortoise and the Hare, slow and steady wins the race.

GRAPHIC BY LILY RANTANEN

City High state champion Matt Gatens returns to coach the Hawkeyes

By Jack Rogers and Ahmed Basheir

From a young age, sports have always run through the Gatens household. Matt Gatens’ father Mike Gatens was an All-American Basketball player at Iowa City West High before continuing to play at Iowa. Matt’s mother, Julie Gatens, was a cheerleader during her tenure at Iowa. Matt, on the other hand, went attended high school at the crosstown rival, City High, of his father’s alma mater where he led the team to a state championship and won Gatorade Player of the Year in 2008, an award that recognizes the nation’s most outstanding high school student athletes, and was named Iowa’s “Mr. Basketball.”

“We had a really fun team and a good group of guys, great coaching staff and we really came together and went on a great run and it was just really fun winning you know, for the community of City High and the school and everything. Obviously, I’ll never forget a special moment in my life like that and all our teammates were just a lot of fun. But just a lot of great memories playing there and having some great coaches and great teammates and great support from the community,” Gatens said.

After his tenure at City High, Gatens went on to complete his childhood dream of playing basketball at the University of Iowa. During his tenure at Iowa, Gatens scored a total of 1,635 points over his four years at Iowa, ranking him tenth all-time in school history for career points. Most of those points came from behind the arc as he had 239 three-pointers in his Iowa career, ranking third in school history. Gatens was also just the second player in Iowa history to record 1,600 points, 450 rebounds, 250 steals, and 125 steals over the course of his career.

“My father had gone here and played, my mom was a cheerleader, and both my other sisters played sports as well here so it’s kind of something I always wanted to do from a young age and was thankful for the opportunity. To play in front of family and friends, for a team I grew up following so much and cheering for so much, it was definitely special to get to play for your hometown. Coach Alford was the coach at the time who offered me a scholarship and gave me the opportunity to play here and we didn’t waste much time,” Gatens said.

Throughout Gatens’ long playing career, he had the opportunity to play amongst and against many great players in high school and college. Many of those players went on to play in the NBA and have great success.

“I was at LeBron’s camp as a high schooler and he ac-

tually checked in on one of our games and we guarded each other for a few minutes. So that was one of my favorite memories but, in an actual game, really good players in my era [were] Kevin Turner from Ohio State, [and] Draymond Green was at Michigan State so we played a lot against him. Guys like that kind of come to mind,” Gatens said.

After his time at Iowa, Gatens then went on to play professionally overseas. He played in Ukraine, Turkey, Spain, and France. In his three seasons, Gatens averaged 13 points per game, four rebounds per game, and two assists per game per 36 minutes.

“Just learning how to navigate life in another culture and country of different people in different languages, everything you know, exploring new foods, different cultures, different ideas teaches you a lot. It was just a lot of patience and going with the flow with things and thankfully I had my [girlfriend] who then became my wife. She was with me over there all four years I traveled around Europe and played for different teams. But it was a time in my life I really appreciate and it was fun, just a lot of fun life moments happened overseas,” Gatens said.

Gatens finished off his playing career in the United States after suffering an ACL tear in only his second game playing for Iowa Energy in the NBA development league in 2016. Gatens joined the Auburn basketball staff as a graduate assistant in 2017. After helping the Tigers win an SEC Championship, he joined the Drake Bulldogs as a director of operations under Head Coach Darian DeVries. Gatens helped the Bulldogs to 95 total wins between 2019 and 2022. He also helped them to a Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Title in 2019 and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021. Currently, Gatens is in his second year as the Assistant Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes Men’s Basketball Team. Gatens guided the Hawks to a 19win season and an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season.

“When you become a coach, you start to think about everybody else so much more than when you’re a player. When you’re a player you’re thinking about ‘okay, how can I get better today and get my body in the best shape’ or you go take care of an injury or work on my jump shot, you know, whatever it may be. You’re just constantly thinking about improving yourself. Now when you’re a coach, it’s everybody else. ‘How can I help anybody else get better today whether it’s one player or all of them?’ Then just looking at the game in a little different way you know, from instead of looking at it just from my position, okay, now you’re looking at it from the position of all five guys plus what are the guys on the bench going through and thinking about during the game. Just thinking so much more about others instead of yourself,” Gatens said.

Over his coaching career, he’s helped many young talents including Kris Murray who was the 23rd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. During Murray’s time at Iowa he received third-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, was a finalist for the Karl Malone Award, a semifinalist for the Naismith Award and Wooden Award. Murray now plays for the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA. Hawkeye Filip Rebraca was third-team All-Big Ten, Bryce Brown was an All-SEC selection, and Jared Harper was also an All-SEC selection and now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans.

“You know he’s a bright young coach. I mean he’s pretty good at everything. He can scout, he can recruit, he can do skill development workouts, I mean there’s really nothing he can’t do. Very knowledgeable, very mature in his approach, [and is] going to be a star in the business,” Iowa Men’s Basketball Head Coach Fran McCaffery said.

Matt Gatens coaches his players on the sideline in a game against UMBC. This is Matt’s second year as assistant coach of the Hawkeyes. PHOTO BY JACK ROGERS

Matt Gatens’ role as an assistant coach for the Iowa Hakwyes includes scouting teams they have on their schedule, recruit new players for the team, and develope players they have on the team. PHOTOS BY JACK ROGERS

Q&A with Coach Ahlers

A Q&A with City High Head Wrestling Coach, Ryan Ahlers

By Kaitlyn Brown

Can you introduce yourself and what you teach?

My name is Ryan Ahlers. I teach Economics and AP Economics here at City High.

What teams do you coach here at City?

I coach women’s cross country in the fall, and women’s wrestling in the winter, and I’m an assistant on the men’s track and field team in the spring. So I’m coaching throughout the year.

What are your favorite things and some of the most difficult things about coaching?

I look at [coaching] as a continuation of your teaching, you’re educating. Sports, I think, is such an amazing way to express yourself and do things with your body and mind that help you become a better overall person. That’s the goal. And I love the excitement, the ups and downs with kids. You’re going to learn a lot as a coach and you’re going to learn a lot as an athlete. I love seeing kids learn about themselves. I’ve been coaching long enough now that some of the kids that I coached are in their 30s now and it’s cool to see them doing other things, working jobs, and finding love.

How long have you been coaching?

My first year was 2006. I was a volunteer assistant with the boy’s cross-country team. Between City High and Bozeman High School in Montana, I’ve been coaching for 18 years.

Why do you coach?

One big reason is my high school math teacher. He was also my cross-country coach. I had him for one year in math but also had him for four years in cross country. I loved how he coached, how he taught, and how he made kids feel like they were a part of something. It didn’t matter how good they were. He was good at navigating the really good high-level varsity athletes, but also recognizing and bringing along the kids that were maybe new to it or maybe weren’t as raw talented. You could tell he loved what he did. And even though my style might be a little different than his, finding that love and that daily aspect of coaching that’s what feeds me. Coaching doesn’t feel like a job. I talked earlier about the long hours, but those days and nights I don’t think ‘Oh my god, I’ve been working for hours.’ This is what I do. This is what I like to do.

What are your favorite parts about meets?

My favorite part about the competition is that essentially [the athletes] are finding a lot out about themselves. Competition is such an interesting aspect of life because along with it comes nerves and doubt, feeling like you’re not ready for it. But I tell my cross country athletes or wrestling or track athletes, as soon as the gun goes off or the whistle blows you need to forget about that and immerse yourself into what you’ve done every day in practice. I think that competition is important in life and so many people are competitive in so many different ways. It’s not just a part of the sports realm. In the end, it just teaches you a lot about yourself and how to persevere through things that don’t go your way. At some point in your life, you may work with somebody that you don’t see eye to eye with, that’s part of the sport, that is part of the competition, and you grow from it. Hopefully for the better.

Coach Ahlers congratulates Eliza Mitchell ‘27 after she pinned an opponent at the MVC Championships. PHOTO COURTESY BY TODD BOY

Nina Peterson ‘25 and Coach Ahlers talk after a match at CR Prarie. PHOTO COURTESY OF TODD BOY

Head Coaches Jeff Koenig and Ryan Ahlers watch as one of their wrestlers battles an opponent on the mat. PHOTO COURTESY BY TODD BOY

Athlete profiles: “Unbreakable Female Athletes”

Unbreakable: Impossible to be broken. A group of Female Athletes with undeniable success take on the final weeks of their winter seasons with an “unbreakable” mindset

SHOANA EMMANUEL ‘26

By Kaitlyn Brown

Fans of City High Womens Wrestling have seen time and time again the talent of Shaona Emmanuel ‘26. With a season record of 31-7, Emmanuel has come away with numerous pins this year. The term “unbreakable” is fitting in many ways to this record-breaking sophomore.

“It is difficult [to be a female athlete], because I feel like especially with wrestling, it’s such a new sport, so we’re achieving these things as the sport itself grows. The team has already done great things this season,” Emmanuel said.

With her coaches being her biggest motivators and her sister, Nabi, inspiring her to wrestle at City High, Emmanuel has put in an unthinkable amount of work this season and last.

“When I get on the mat, I put my emotions aside and zone in on what I’m doing. I try not to get too emotional so I can focus and figure out how I’m gonna reach my goals,” Emmanuel said, describing her way of balancing her mindset and the sport.

In the world of sports, it is easy to rely on the energy that comes from a team sport. With wrestling, even as a team sport, the mental side of being on the mat 1 on 1 is a whole new mindset that many women’s wrestlers have had to adapt to.

“My goal for this season is to get first place in a tournament. I’ve never gotten

KAITLIN LORIA ‘27

By Amelie Donovan

first. That’s always been my goal,” Emmanuel commented before taking the mat for her second match of the MVC Championships.

“If I don’t achieve my goal, I just go to practice and try harder to get to the level I need to be for next time. “

But this time, she didn’t have to go back to practice and try harder, she just had to set a new goal for her next meet. Emmanuel had been preparing for the moment, and when she went in to wrestle, she took home first in the MVC Championships.

“My favorite thing about wrestling is when you win but you know why. When you put in the effort, you get to see the success happen,” Emmanuel said.

good, and then it’s like putting it into the universe.”

BRENIAH RICHARDSON ‘26

By Alexandria Gichia

Breniah Richardson lines up with her teammates in a frenzy, yelling at the top of her lungs to the student section. The student section marches as the clock runs out, halftime approaches, and the Liberty vs City game is tied.

Breniah Richardson ‘26 joined City High Cheerleading in March 2023. Cheerleading had always been something Breniah wanted to pursue, and this was the perfect opportunity. She has participated in Fall Cheerleading and now Winter Cheerleading. Breniah has always expressed a passion for the sport, and she wants to continue doing cheerleading for the rest of her high school career.

Richardson could see herself doing competitive cheerleading or even collegiate cheer.

“I would only do it in college if I had the time because cheer does motivate me to push [myself],” Richardson said.

Richardson has been backing since she first joined cheer but she is quickly progressing into basing. She went into detail about how cheer has become important to her. Cheerleading incorporates stunting, jumping, and tumbling; and this requires a lot of trust.

“The important thing to me about cheer is trust. You have to trust who you are around and be comfortable messing up and

correcting yourself, but trust really is the backbone of cheer,” said Richardson.

The sport of cheerleading focuses mainly on a team and the combined and used efforts. However, when Richardson was presented with this fact she didn’t agree. Richardson believes that cheerleading makes you learn a lot about yourself and what you can do.

“You are also able to see how much you can push yourself and how much you are capable of,” said Richardson.

Kaitlin Loria is a freshman with a great deal of skills. So far, in her freshman career she has so far been a varsity starter in both volleyball and basketball. She had 63 kills in her first season and 29 blocks.

Since Loria has only been playing at City for 5 months, she has had to adjust to high school standards and the responsibilities that come with it. However her teammates seem to have been great about helping her out. “From right off the bat, I felt very welcomed. These girls are amazing, and they know that it’s my first year playing varsity basketball and I’ve been put in a position that most girls don’t get the opportunity to be in.”

As well as being an extremely skilled player, Loria also understands that mentality in sports is very important. “Basketball is 90% mentality and 10% skill. You can be the worst player on the court but have the best mentality and score the most points, because that can translate into you being the best player on the court. But if you have a bad mentality and you just aren’t really there, mentally. You’re not gonna play great because you’re thinking about not playing

Loria’s biggest role models for basketball are her dad and Paige Bueckers, guard for UConn Women’s Basketball. “My dad has always been my number one supporter. He’s always willing to watch film with me, go to the gym with me, and help me work out. He always just likes to make sure that I’m in a good mental state before a game and then after a game if I played bad, even if I played good making sure that I’m still in a good mental state.”

Her biggest goal of the season is to improve and for her team to be able to go to Wells Fargo for state, and win. “I just hope that our season will start going up sooner than later. And then we all just start playing well together as a team, and we meet our criterias that we want to meet.”

that my dad always tells me to do, and he has said this to me since day one of starting a sport, just move on. I know it sounds so simple, but like especially for freshmen, if you make a mistake, say to yourself, move on. That’s the only way that I have lasted through the volleyball season.

And that’s the only way that I’m gonna make it through the basketball season. When discussing mentality, the big “un-

“My biggest piece of advice is one thing

breakable” term came up again, and Loria had a lot to say. “To me, [unbreakable] means making a strong enviornment for all female athletes, old and young. And letting them know how great it is to be a female athlete.”

GRAPHICS BY KAITLYN BROWN

Kaitlin Loria ‘27 looks over at Head Coach Lynsey Barnard while at the freethrow line. PHOTO BY LILI MOESSNER

Shoana Emmanuel ‘26 tries to pin her oppenent in a MVC Championship match. PHOTO BY LILI MOESSNER

Kylee Wessling ‘27 and Breniah Richardson ‘26 pose for a picture while cheering at a City High football game. PHOTO BY ALEXANDRIA GICHIA