2020-10-16

WEST SI DE STO RY IOWA CITY WEST HIGH SCHOOL

2901 MELROSE AVE.

IOWA CITY, IA 52246

WSSPAPER.COM

VOLUME 53 ISSUE 1

UNMUTED Examining the local evolution of Black Lives Matter amidst a global pandemic.

OCTOBER 16, 2020

PHOTO FEATURE

ALYSSA SKALA “Dancing with a mask can be difficult at times, especially during our dances that require a lot of stamina and heavy breathing, like Pom, it’s hard to control your breath while dancing. Masks tend to get in your mouth while you’re breathing, [and] they will fall off every now and then. Of course it shouldn’t affect your performance, but you just have to think about breathing more slow and controlled. I’m really excited to go back to practices and halftime shows in person. We had to take a break for awhile and practice over Zoom but it’s just not the same. The halftime shows are always a super fun part of our season, and I’m really glad we will still have the opportunity to dance at the games this year,” Sadie Floss ‘22 said.

NEWS

2020 Summer Recap

FEATURE

The Digital Dilemma All for One An Additional Accessory

PROFILES

New Pieces of the Puzzle Bonding Through Swords

COVER

Unmuted

ENTERTAINMENT

7 Socially Distanced Activities to do This Fall Super Strangers

SPORTS

Broken Season Rising Stars

OPINION

Online vs. In Person Water is Wet

04 08 12 18 24 27 32

Hi there!

Welcome to our first issue of the 2020-21 school year. You’ve probably heard your fair share of pandemic cliches by now, but whether you’re a first-time reader or a WSS veteran, I hope our publication can provide a “sense of normalcy” during “these unprecedented times.”

This year has certainly posed its fair share of challenges, but whether you’re sporting your mask throughout the halls of West High or studying diligently from home, read two contrasting opinions on the “return-to-learn” decision starting on page 31.

Speaking of school looking different this year, those in the online learning model have been greeted by unfamiliar faces. To learn about how students from all four district high schools have come together during these “difficult months” head to page eight.

In spite of the social separation forced by the pandemic, students rallied behind the Black Lives Matter movement. Beginning on page 18, our cover story this issue explores the changes the movement has brought about in our community.

If you’re searching for an excuse to keep procrastinating your asynchronous work, look no further than page 24 for fun activities to do with friends, socially distanced, of course!

Okay, just one last cliche, I promise. “We are all in this together.”

Stay safe and see you soon!

MARTA LEIRA

CONTENTS PRINT STAFF LIST Fareeha Ahmad* Profiles Editor Reporter Ruba Ahmed* Reporter Caroline Barker* Photo Editor Photographer Sara Baroncini Photographer Kiley Butcher Photographer Misha Canin* Managing & Business Editor Reporter Alex Carlon* Online Editor-in-chief Reporter Caroline Chandler* Assistant Sports Editor Reporter Maya Chu Reporter Artist & Designer Tess DeGrazia Photographer Heidi Du Reporter Sila Duran Artist & Designer Bess Frerichs* Managing & Feature Editor Reporter Kailey Gee* News Editor Reporter & Designer

Sachiko Goto Camille Gretter Zoey Guo Grace Huang Kevy Huynh Eva Jordan Krisha Kapoor Hanah Kitamoto* Soomin Koh Youjoo Lee* Marta Leira* Amy Liao* Caroline Mascardo* Zoe McLaskey Alice Meng*

Artist & Designer Photographer Artist & Designer Designer Photographer Designer Reporter Reporter Sports Editor Reporter Reporter Feature Editor Artist & Designer Print Editor-in-chief Reporter Design Editor Artist & Designer Copy Editor Reporter Photographer Copy Editor Reporter

Hayate Mustefa Willow Oleson Nao Oya Audrey Parrish Ella Rosenthal* Katherine Shoppa Alyssa Skala Maddy Smith Amelia Stevens Rachel Swack Rosemary Timmer-Hackert Gwen Watson Sofia Wells-Lu Sydney Wildes Isaac Young* Helen Zhang Xiaoyi Zhu

Reporter Photographer Photographer Reporter Entertainment Editor Artist & Designer Reporter Photographer Photographer Reporter Designer Reporter Photographer Photographer Photographer Opinion Editor Reporter Reporter Artist & Designer

*Editorial Board member

2020 SUMMER RECAP The summer remained eventful in Iowa City despite being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In case you need a refresher of what went on, look no further than this summer news recap.

BY CAROLINE MASCARDO DESIGN BY YOUJOO LEE

JUNE: PROTESTS Beginning in June and continuing through to the school year, the Iowa Freedom Riders have organized several Black Lives Matter protests in downtown Iowa City.

Several West High students participated in these protests.

To read more about the local impacts of the BLM movement, flip to page 18.

JUNE-JULY: BASEBALL & SOFTBALL During a May 20 press conference, Gov. Kim Reynolds permitted a summer sports season with additional guidelines to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Trojans (7-8) fell to Linn-Mar in the substate quarterfinals 2-5, and the Women of Troy (8-15) lost to City High in the regional semifinals 2-9.

PHOTO BY CAROLINE BARKER

AUG. 4: SCHOOL DELAYED In an Aug. 4 meeting, the ICCSD School Board unanimously voted to delay the start of the 2020-21 school year until Sept. 8. The decision gave teachers more time to prepare curriculum and provided the district with the opportunity to observe coronavirus rates at the University of Iowa.

PHOTOS BY TESS DEGRAZIA

4

NEWS OCT. 16, 2020

AUG. 10: DERECHO An unexpected storm devastated Iowa Aug. 10.

With hurricane-like winds upwards of 140 mph, the storm inflicted over $82.7 million in property damage, destroying 10 million acres of the state’s corn and soybean crops. Thousands of Iowans did not have electricity or WiFi for weeks in the aftermath.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JON WELCH

SEPT. 4: FOOTBALL Following their 27-0 win against Liberty in the season opener Aug. 28, the Trojans faced the Little Hawks in the 52nd annual Battle for the Boot Sept. 4. West defeated City 56-20 with standout performances from Grahm Goering ’21 and Marcus Morgan ’21. For the fourth consecutive year, the Boot will remain on the west side of town.

PHOTO BY OWEN AANESTAD

SEPT. 8: FULLY ONLINE

SEPT. 28: HYBRID BEGINS

After a two-week delay to the start of the school year, students began classes Sept. 8 via Zoom. West students who opted for the online model found themselves among City, Liberty and Tate classmates and teachers. To learn how students and teachers are dealing with this adjustment, turn to page 8.

PHOTO BY CAMILLE GRETTER

As COVID-19 positivity rates dropped, the ICCSD transitioned to hybrid learning beginning Sept. 28. Those registered for the hybrid model began in-person classes with alternating A and B days. Extracurricular activities and sports practices resumed Sept. 26, following an 18-day suspension during online instruction.

NEWS

OCT. 16, 2020

5

THE DIGITAL

DILEMMA COVID-19 paired with election season has caused a surge in the amount of political discourse that takes place online, leaving students to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake.

BY HEIDI DU AND AUDREY PARRISH

I

n terms of newsworthy events, 2020 has provided plenty. With the upcoming presidential election, the clashing opinions surrounding COVID-19 and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s no surprise that many students have felt the urge to speak up about topics that they care about. The pandemic has made social media the prime platform for expressing those opinions, whether it be through resharing posts or exchanging viewpoints of their own.

With the click of a button, someone can instantly share an idea with hundreds of people, but this can happen without much thought, sometimes blurring the lines between research-based news and interpretations. This can make it difficult to find accurate sources while forming one’s political opinions.

Of the 127 students surveyed at West High, half said social media is their primary source of news, with over 44% using Instagram the most.

Nearly 23% cited social media as the biggest in-

3.9% BELIEVE THAT SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ARE COMPLETELY RELIABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Source: Survey of 127 West Students

06

FEATURE OCT. 16, 2020

fluence on their political opinions. Despite that, only 3.9% said that social media is a completely reliable news source. Information and opinions move swiftly online. A 2018 study by an MIT research team discovered that it takes the truth “about six times as long as falsehood to reach 1,500 people” on social media.

Because of these statistics, Alex Curtu ’22 emphasizes the importance of fact-checking news on social media sites. “I think it’s super important for everyone to [fact check news accounts] and I don’t think everybody does,” she said. “If the one account or source you got all your information from is super biased or wrong and you take that opinion and make it your own, then you are in danger of spreading that wrong information further.”

One benefit of spreading news on social media is it makes information easy to digest. “Something that catches my attention on an activism post is when it is easy to understand for everyone, and it leaves a mark on you,” said Sanket Deshpande ’23.

21 percent of students surveyed say their opinions are heavily influenced by social media. slightly over 56% said they are sometimes influenced, while over 19% said they disregard political posts completely.

Since the pandemic has restricted in-person communication, students such as Julianna Mascardo ’23 use social media to share accurate information about upcoming events.

“If there’s a protest going on that you should go to or facts about a certain thing that’s going on, I’ll make sure that it’s [from a verified account],” Mascardo said.

Tikki Cui ’21, who typically reposts 15 to 20 times a day on his Instagram story about voting mechanisms and social movements, weighs in on the pros and cons of activism on social media.

Cui believes social media is not the best communication method for information, as misinformation can get in the way of spreading the

“IT WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE THAT I ACTUALLY MADE AN IMPACT, SOMEONE WHO HAD DIFFERENT IDEAS BUT NOW HAS SEEN A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT.” - FAVOU R ALARAPE ‘21 true facts. Misinformation, defined as inaccurate information often designed to deceive, is a prevalent obstacle when it comes to using social media as a reliable source of information.

Cui attempts to combat this by ensuring his posts are accurate. To do this, he reads multiple articles from different news sources about the topic, then analyzes how the post lays it out. He hopes his followers will learn something new or put the post on their page in order to spread the information.

“Social media is effective to create a ripple effect since my followers have contrasting following bases as I do, and the collective base is wider if the posts get spread,” Cui said.

However, there has been some debate on the principles behind certain measures taken in the name of change. Via CitizenLab, the United Nations defines some media as “slacktivism,” when “people support a cause by performing simple

measures” but are not necessarily “engaged or devoted to making a change.”

Favour Alarape ’21 aims to make a positive impact by posting about issues such as equality, racism and the upcoming presidential election.

“It’s important to keep going because you never know who you’ll reach that day. One day, I had a conservative-leaning friend slide up [on my Instagram story] and say ‘Honestly, I’ve never thought of [the issue] that way,’” Alarape said.

“It was really nice to see that I actually made an impact on her, someone who had different ideas but now has seen a different viewpoint.”

Despite this successful experience, Alarape worries that social media can create an echo chamber of opinions, however, she continues posting as she feels there’s always a chance for positive impact. An echo chamber in news media refers to a phenomenon where beliefs are reinforced by repeated communication in a closed system, effectively isolating those ideas from opposing views.

Jared Heitman ’21, who identifies as liberal-leaning, occasionally swipes through the website iFunny in order to see the perspective of radical right-wing users who don’t shy away from speaking out on what they believe.

“It’s to prevent me from getting into the [social media] echo chamber,” he said. “My family and friends are extremely liberal. Nowhere in my personal life do I get a chance to see the other side. It’s very irresponsible to not do so because you don’t know if you’re in the wrong, or if you’re missing out on a different angle.”

Heitman has seen change in his own opinions after viewing discussions on iFunny.

“It has given me insight on things such as the Second Amendment… I see people in the comments discussing their own reasons to own guns and their validity. They make lots of good points,” Heitman said. Formerly in opposition of the Second Amendment, he is now in support of it after viewing the discussions.

Heitman also believes the anonymity that many enjoy online significantly impairs the ability to facilitate meaningful conversations via social media.

“People don’t feel like they’re going to be held accountable for what they say. It’s not their face which is on display,” Heitman said. “They feel more emboldened to post things that are untrue or exaggerated, because they don’t face [the] consequences of real life.”

Over 52% of the students surveyed identify as Democrats, while only 8.9 percent identify as Republicans and 18.5% as Independents. As for news sites, the top three sources that West High students use are: the New York Times (69.6%), CNN (62%) and NPR (39.2%). News sites took up 17.3% of the vote on being the biggest influence on students’ political opinions.

Media bias, a term referring to the perceived bias of journalists in mass media, can occur in both news broadcasts and social media posts.

Some students recognize that they may be too

partial to certain news sites. To combat this, some make a point to read news from a different perspectives in order to gain insight and understanding of others’ viewpoints.

“I personally think it’s important to look at new sources that are biased towards the right,” Curtu, who identifies as Independent and liberally-leaning, said. “Me and my family don’t agree with Fox News as a news source but we still watch it to get both sides of the political spectrum.”

Peer influence is another factor that shapes how students form political opinions. 7.1% of students surveyed say their peers yield the biggest influence on forming those opinions.

Cui, who identifies as Republican, doesn’t feel the need to surround himself with politically like-minded friends.

“I have friends who agree with me and those who don’t...I have to make sure I don’t sacrifice my beliefs in order to be friends with them,” Cui said. “I don’t want our political opinions to mess up our friendship.”

Considering most people spend 18 years of their life around the same handful of relatives, it’s no surprise that family influence was the top factor cited by West High students when it comes to forming political opinions, taking up 35.4% of the vote. However, that doesn’t mean students currently agree with everything their family members believe. Nearly 70% of respondents say that some of their opinions now differ from their parents.

Mascardo and her family all identify as Democrats and agree on most political subjects. According to Mascardo, this had a heavy influence on how she formed her own beliefs.

“I think it’s just because my immediate family, who I live with, also believes in those,” Mascardo said.

However, opinions aren’t always formed on the basis of factual information or another’s influence. fifteen percent of students also report drawing on their moral beliefs when deciding their stance on an issue. Fifteen percent of students surveyed said it’s their own morals that guide their political opinions.

“It’s what I feel is right, within myself,” Alarape said. She adds that factors such as her religion and how her parents raised her also play a part in what she feels is right.

Over time, Alarape has developed different opinions than her parents and formed her own moral compass by educating herself and being aware of other people’s perspectives. Part of how she does this is by keeping an open mind when viewing new information. Alarape said, “Who posted it doesn’t matter for me. If I see something and it speaks to me, it doesn’t make me judge them. It’s important to see other people’s point of view.”

WHAT HAS THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR POLITICAL OPINIONS?

35.4% 17.3% FAMILY

NEWS SITES

15%

7.1%

MORALS

FRIENDS

Source: Survey of 127 West Students

“PEOPLE DON’T FEEL LIKE THEY’RE GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY SAY. IT’S NOT THEIR FACE WHICH IS ON DISPLAY.” - JARED H EITMAN ‘21

POPULAR NEWS SOURCES:

NYT: 69.6% CNN: 62% NPR: 39.2% Source: Survey of 127 West Students

ART AND DESIGN BY MAYA CHU

FEATURE OCT. 16, 2020

07

ALL FOR ONE Some West students have chosen to ditch the classroom for virtual learning, bringing school allegiance into question as students from all four area high schools are combined.

.

BY ROSEMARY TIMMER-HACKERT AND ISAAC YOUNG

F

08

FEATURE OCT. 16, 2020

or many, school pride is a pivotal aspect of the high school experience. Football games and school assemblies are an expected part of the social dynamic for students, but these events have come to a halt this year. COVID-19 has kicked fans out of the bleachers and caused many in the district to enroll in the online option. For these students, classes are composed of peers and teachers from all high schools in the district, making school pride difficult to find.

While a strong connection to their home school may not be a priority for some students, it is for Lilian Montilla ’21 of West High.

“Showing our pride and acknowledging that you like being a part of the school is what forms our community,” Montilla said. “We have to go to school almost everyday for months, so it’s important to have a community.”

City High student Jacob Roth ’22 also recognizes the important role that being a part of a community plays in having a good year.

“I love City High. I think it’s a great community,” Roth said. “It’s my junior year. For a lot of people it’s probably the hardest year and the most rewarding year, so it kind of sucks that I

won’t be able to be at my home school.”

The lack of school spirit in the online course is especially felt by freshmen. Some, such as Ahmed Elsheikh ’24, a West High student, fear they are missing out on quintessential high school experiences.

“This is my freshman year, and I feel like I missed the nostalgia of my first day,” Elsheikh said. “That was one of my favorite things, that feeling of having a whole year ahead of me, but you don’t really get that feeling in online school,” The lack of in-person interaction has also added an obstacle for student athletes, who had to overcome a two week break at the beginning of the school year. Minou Emmad ’23, a cross country runner at West, noticed the effects the break had on her performance.

“Some days I would do the bare minimum and consider it a workout. Others I went above and beyond because I felt great, but inconsistency like that is not helpful to improve your overall times,” Emmad said. “I was definitely better when I had a few friends by my side pushing me through a tiring workout.”

Sports also play a large part in the high school

experiences of the students who are in the stands. City High student Aala Basheir ’22 notes that going to games and cheering on the teams was one of the main ways people expressed their school spirit in previous years.

“Football games are probably the thing I’ll miss the most,” Basheir said. “Everyone’s there, everyone supports and sees each other, and I feel like it just won’t be the same this year without that.”

Another important aspect of school pride is participating in extracurricular activities such as school clubs and musical electives. While some of these activities have found ways to adapt to the new situation and meet safely, many of them have been postponed.

“I’m going to miss marching band a lot,” said Montilla. “I know a lot of people don’t like marching band, but I really like it because it’s time I get to hang out with my friends outside of school.”

According to data released by ICCSD, approximately 42% of online students are from City High, 39% are from West, 17% are from Liberty and 2% are from Tate. Malika Karimi ’21 is part of the 17% from Liberty High.

“In breakout rooms, there’s rarely more than one other Liberty student, and I probably don’t know them,” Karimi said. “I think it’s kind of funny [when] somebody’s like, ‘I go to Liberty’, and I’m like, ‘Oh? I didn’t even know you went there.’”

Although there are drawbacks to mixing the schools, Bashier feels it has given the students enrolled in the online program the chance to make new friendships with people from around the district.

“I think it’s so cool meeting new people,” Basheir said. “There’s two people I see in all of my classes, and we’re always in the same breakout group, so I definitely think I can see myself becoming friends with them.”

However, building new friendships hasn’t been easy for everyone. For some, mixing the schools has been more of an obstacle to online learning

than an opportunity. It can make it harder to facilitate Zoom breakout room discussions. Bashier has a tip to overcome the discomfort working with new classmates brings.

“It’s almost kind of a conversation starter to be like, ‘Hey do you go to West?’, ‘do you go to Liberty?’ and then you say hi and you introduce yourself.”

Another opportunity for those on the online

DISTRIBUTION OF ONLINE STUDENTS

City West

Liberty Tate

Source: Iowa City Community School District

track is the chance to be taught by teachers from different schools. However, if students choose to enroll in the hybrid model the following trimester, they might have an almost entirely new set of teachers.

“I only have one Liberty teacher.” Karimi said.

“My main concern is, when we go back, having

all new teachers and having to recreate that relationship from scratch.”

Basheir is also worried about the inevitable transition back to in-person instruction.

“The adjustment to online is already so hard with figuring out your workload and stuff, and I feel like just when we get used to it, it’s just going to flip. We’re going to have to go on [to] a whole new schedule with new teachers and new classmates… I want to be back, but I also want the same teachers.”

Even with the many struggles that come with online school: the lack of community, the unfamiliar faces on Zoom and eventual transition back to in person schooling, the district has been doing its best to make online school a great experience for students.

To keep school pride alive in the online course, City High has been taking steps to try and stay involved with students. During homeroom, otherwise known as Advisory Time, Principal Kevin Bacon hosts an optional assembly over Zoom for students to offer support and remind them that they are Little Hawks. According to Roth, it’s all in an effort to build community and maintain enthusiasm.

Director of Online Programs Gregg Shoultz has made an effort to promote community building online through the event “Hat Day.” This event encouraged students and teachers to turn on their cameras and show off their hats.

As for the shift to in-person learning, the district’s teachers are aware of potential issues that could be caused by the return and are working with each other to cover the same material at a similar pace through consistent communication. ”All of my teachers are doing a really good job trying to break the awkwardness between students and organizing our time so we’re not overwhelmed with homework,” Montilla said. “I’m confident my teachers will do a really good job navigating this school year.”

.

FEATURE ART & DESIGN BY KAILEY GEE

OCT. 16, 2020

09

AN ADDITIONAL ACCESSORY West students are putting their own stylish spin on COVID-19 protective gear. Four students share their fashion journeys.

BY AMELIA STEVENS

LAYERING IT UP

S

ophomore Divinity Myers’ interest in K-pop inspires her fashion sense. Through watching her favorite idols, she’s learned how to color-coordinate clothes and developed an extensive collection of chokers. While Myers doesn’t have a concrete definition for her aesthetic, she describes it as “almost close to street fashion but not there yet.”

She often finds herself shopping at Rue 21, RagStock or online. Some of her favorite pieces are accessories.

“I like barrettes, rings, dangle earrings, gem stickers, chokers, hair clips and any shoes that look odd in a good way,” Myers said.

According to Myers, COVID-19 hasn’t changed her style, but she recently began experimenting with layering clothes and finds that it elevates an outfit.

“For example, if I wear jean shorts, I’ll put

tights underneath,” Myers said. “I’ll also layer a t-shirt under a bigger t-shirt and then tuck it in my jeans.”

Myers believes finding your own personal style is important and has advice for anyone who may be struggling.

“Think about what you feel confident in and what makes you feel good, but also add spice and get a little out of your comfort zone,” Myers adds. “Long white socks are a must. Like calf length.”

ONLINE FASHION

D

iggory Dillingham ’23 defines his style as a mix between formal and casual. “I’m a pretty laid-back person, but I’m not stupid, and I feel like my style represents that.”

In late eighth grade, when Dillingham’s fashion journey began, he didn’t put a lot of thought into how he dressed.

DIVINITY MYERS ’22 DIGGORY DILLINGHAM ’23

10

FEATURE OCT. 16, 2020

“I was teased a little for it, so I knew I had to change,” Dillingham said. “My style changed from what my friends called an E-boy style where I basically wore all black to a more colorful style that I wear today.”

Dillingham draws his inspiration from his creativity and what he sees online. “I don’t have much time in my day to go to the mall and shop, so I get a lot of my clothes off random stores on the internet.”

Dillingham started off buying button-up shirts, jeans and belts, and they quickly became the foundation of his style. His favorite part of his outfits are his belts.

“They really bring an outfit together,” Dillingham said.

COVID-19 has made it hard for Dillingham to find motivation to dress up. “My family takes COVID very seriously, so I don’t have much of an outlet to show my style off,” Dillingham said.

RAZAN HAMZA ’21 AVA REED ’23

PHOTOS BY CAROLINE BARKER DESIGN BY GRACE HUANG

“But I try my best to get ready when I can.”

Dillingham believes finding your style isn’t an individual effort.

“A tip for people who are just starting their style is to copy others until you feel like you look good in what you’re wearing,” Dillingham said. “[However] everyone has a different style so don’t just copy what your friends are doing if you don’t like it.”

BEYOND ALTERNATIVE

A

va Reed ’23 pulls her fashion from pop culture, especially from whatever she is watching at the moment.

“The first person who influenced me to start dressing the way that I do was Abby Scuito from NCIS. She was what you can describe as the goth forensic analyst,” Reed said. “Other influences are the music that I listen to: goth or emo metal bands like My Chemical Romance, Sleeping With Sirens and Mindless Self Indulgence. I also pull styles from the anime that I’m watching at the moment and try to incorporate those too.”

One of Reed’s favorite accessories is kandi.

“Kandi are from the scene subculture; they’re massive beaded bracelets that are traded at festivals or even between other kandi wearers,” Reed said. “I throw in some chains or fishnet stockings, whatever I think looks best.”

With the pandemic, she’s found masks as

another element to experiment with.

“I have this really cool mask I made that looks like a gas mask.”

From kandi to gas masks, Reed tries to not subscribe to labels.

“One thing I really hate is putting a label on things, because it limits how you act, how you dress and express yourself,” Reed said.

“Personally, my favorite styles are goth, emo, scene and nu or vamp goth, but if I can I try to avoid labels. If I see something I like, and I think it looks good, I’ll wear it.”

“Experiment with everything you want and can,” Reed said. “There are no guidelines. There’s nothing you have to wear in order to have your own sense of style.”

THRIFT-STORE CHIC

R

azan Hamza ’21 enjoys the freedom of fashion.

“I can never get tired of it,” Hamza said.

“Options in fashion are really limitless, and it’s so fun to take into your own hands.”

Hamza usually shops secondhand because she believes it’s better for the environment and does not support companies that utilize child labor.

Thrifting also allows her to incorporate what she loves most about fashion: the creativity.

“I specifically buy clothes that I think have potential so I can flip it into a piece I really like

and that feels more of my own,” Hamza said.

Recently, Hamza has flipped an old shirt her mom gave her into a sweater vest.

“It was one of my harder projects because the neckline was complicated, but it was still really fun,” she said.

While Hamza usually flips shirts and sweaters, she loves thrifting pants.

“It’s really rewarding when you’ve looked through enough pants at the thrift store to finally find one that’s your style and fits.”

Although her go-to outfit includes jeans, a black t-shirt, a thrifted oversized men’s button up and Vans, Hamza doesn’t stick to a particular aesthetic.

“It can feel really constricting,” Hamza said. “I just think of it as a good outfit is a good outfit.”

Her biggest tip for anyone looking to get into fashion would be to not let anyone else’s opinions affect the way you dress. One of Hamza’s main regrets was letting the judgment of others bother her in junior high and early high school.

“I could have been dressing in way more outfits that felt like me instead of settling for outfits that kept my style hidden in the shadows,” Hamza said.

FEATURE OCT. 16, 2020

11

N E P O P U

PHOTOS, ART & DESIGN BY EVA JORDAN

W I E C E S F T H E Z Z L E

Three new administrators share how they ended up leading West BY ALICE MENG through a radically different school year. & HAYATE MUSTEFA

MITCH GROSS

S

ome say he doesn’t look like the typical first-generation American, but that’s exactly who he is. Principal Mitch Gross grew up in Grinnell, Iowa as a child of an immigrant mother and a father who was a factory worker.

When he was in seventh grade, he asked his father to show him around his workplace. “[My dad] said, ‘I'm never going to do this again because this is the only time I ever want you to be on the floor of a factory.’ That was a pretty important moment for me,” Gross said.

“My dad worked harder than anybody I've ever seen or known or I've ever met for not a lot of money.”

After that moment, Gross was inspired to pursue his dreams of becoming the first person in his family to attend college, but it wasn’t an easy task. With a lack of mentors to guide him through the college application process, he faced lots of barriers and pressure to succeed.

Despite the challenges Gross experienced, he was able to attend Ripon College, where he continued to explore his passion in economics and political science. After that he began working in government and politics while coaching the

12

PROFILES OCT. 16, 2020

tennis team of a high school in Des Moines. At one point, the season conflicted with the Iowa legislative session, so he chose to focus on his political career.

Not long after his decision, however, he realized he missed coaching and decided to pursue a career in education. Gross began coaching the West High boys tennis team in 2001 and started teaching at West shortly after. He taught history and government classes before transferring to become the assistant principal at Northwest Junior High. During his time there, he worked to be a positive influence in students’ lives.

“I would argue seventh grade might be one of the most pivotal years that a child has,” Gross said. “...There's a malleability of a [junior high] student in that we really are able to kind of get them on a good path.”

Because of his upbringing, Gross wants to use his influence to ensure first-generation students do not have to go through the same barriers he did. This goal is not limited to West High, as he extends his help to the community at large.

Gross volunteers as the academic mentor for the University of Iowa men’s basketball team and works with many first-generation students. He helps guide them through their college years by alleviating pressures or burdens they may face.

“The most important thing to me is making sure that every student has the opportunity and is presented with an unburdened path to achieve

their dreams,” Gross said. “Both of my parents have passed away, but I wish so [badly] that I could tell them that I ended up the principal at West. I saw how they struggled, and I saw how they made education a priority for me, and they would just be very proud of me. That’s why I want to make sure that every kid here has that opportunity. If there is a barrier that's in the way of presenting a kid from achieving his or her dream, I need to know about that, so I can work my darndest to remove that barrier.”

FUN FACT: MR. GROSS LIKES GARDENING!

ALLISON BREWER

A

seemingly simple of heart during Assistant Principal Allison Brewer's years as a college student were enough to highlight her buried passion for education and inspire her to help others.

Brewer switched majors multiple times while at the University of Northern Iowa, but she ultimately decided on pursuing a history education degree. At the conclusion of her student teaching experience, she taught history classes at a K-12 building in Winfield Mount Union, a school district in southeast Iowa.

She enjoyed her job, but commuting was often difficult. Once she saw a position open up at Southeast Junior High in 2008, she jumped to apply and became a social studies teacher there.

She worked at Southeast for 12 years during which she worked with many administrative leaders who were key to helping her discover her leadership capabilities and encourage to take on different roles.

“I found that I really enjoyed not only being in the classroom and working with students, but I also really enjoyed working with adults and helping them on their own educational journey and path,” Brewer said. “I started to realize that

being a building administrator or taking on a more administrative role gave me the opportunity to do both.”

From previously being the dean of students, Brewer believes that she has grown tremendously with her leadership skills. She sees this experience as a great stepping stone that allowed her to ensure being an administrator was the path she wanted to take.

“I wanted to be intentional with the next place that I went. Everyone [has always] talked about the excellence in education at West High,” Brewer said. “I know that there's a strong tradition of great staff, great students, and so it just felt like a natural fit for me and great timing in my life because I was ready to take the next step, and I knew that this building would be a great one to do that with.”

Brewer has taken on many responsibilities since becoming an assistant principal at West.

She has many goals in mind, including building relationships with students and staff and not neglecting their social-emotional needs. “[I want it to be] that we're making sure that all students feel connected to somebody here at West,” Brewer said. “[And] that they feel supported here [so] when they leave this building, they're not only academically sound, but they are a ‘whole’ person and that no matter what

FUN FACT: MRS. EUSTICE IS A CERTIFED SCUBA DIVER!

JENNY EUSTICE

W

hen Dean of Students Jenny Eustice was working at her first teaching job, she made a promise to her mentor, the assistant principal of the school, to explore leadership and administration positions. In 2013, Eustice took that to heart and completed a program at UNI to receive her administrator’s license.

It wasn’t until 2020, after teaching science classes at West for 11 years, that her license would be put to use. As the dean of students, Eustice ensures that students and families have

their needs met.

“Right now, we're just trying to make sure that students have access and availability to school, which is the extra challenge of everything starting online,” Eustice said. “If students haven't been attending, I’ve been working with the counselors and our student family advocates and other administrators in the building to get in touch with families just to see what they need.”

With her new administrative role, Eustice has the opportunity to work with all West students instead of only the ones that were in her classes. Additionally, she has been able to encourage teamwork within diverse groups.

“I like to build teams, so [I] get a bunch of people who maybe don't even know each other or are not on the same page and get them to believe in the same mission and work towards it,” Eustice said.

Online learning has provided Eustice with an opportunity to continue to learn and try new things. She hopes that instead of treating disruptions this year as an excuse, she will use them as

their next journey will be, they will be successful because we've given them all the skills that they need to do so.”

FUN FACT: MRS. BREWER PLAYED ON UNI'S FIRST WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM! an advantage to continue to improve students’ school experiences.

“I'm such a people person, and I've definitely struggled in the last six months, just with feeling like things were taken away or feeling disconnected to my friends and family,” Eustice said.

“I think while building those relationships with students, I'm empathizing with students because [I] understand that we've all been through some pretty significant trials and tribulations.”

Though Eustice is not currently able to see all students in-person, she finds her job rewarding and is looking forward to connecting with more students in the future, whether online or face-to-face. She takes pride in the work administrators at West are doing to better student life for every individual, and she aspires to continue that tradition.

“I want to be able to be an advocate and a support person for every student in this building, whether they are a struggling student who doesn't want to go to class or they're a National Merit Semifinalist,” Eustice said. “I thrive on being the positive force in people's lives, and so if a kid just needs a pep talk for the day, I'm here for it. I want students to know that the door is open, and I'm happy and willing to be their support person."

PROFILES OCT. 16, 2020

13

PHOTOS BY CAROLINE BARKER ART & DESIGN BY YOUJOO LEE

BY SOOMIN KOH

P

Jimin Seo ‘22 recounts her journey mastering the art of kendo with the help of her dad as coach.

14

PROFILES OCT. 16, 2020

eering through the iron bars stretched across her mask, she takes one look at her opponent as she prepares her next strike.

Sweat drips down her face as her gloved hands tightly grasp the sleek bamboo sword. With an ear-splitting scream, she thrusts her sword downward rapidly, striking her opponent on the head and crowning her victory. Though her attacks are fierce, her last move always ends with a graceful bow. This sequence of movements, however, did not always come easily to Jimin Seo ‘22, a kendo martial artist.

Jimin was only nine years old when she first stepped into the dojo where her dad trains and coaches kendo. The resounding shouts and clashing sounds of the wooden swords carried through the room, drawing her attention towards two men draped in dark armor.

“I saw my dad and his co-instructor start with a bow, but the second they started sparring, they were screaming and yelling while hitting each other. I was really shocked,” Jimin said. “It looked really chaotic, but it seemed like they were cautious and respected each other’s space at the same time.”

After tagging along to several more practices with her dad, Jimin was still astonished with the powerful yet sophisticated nature of kendo.

When she attended her first official class, she quickly developed a fascination for the sport.

“When I first started, it was really different because I’d never done anything like it before. My dad took me along to one of his practices and after watching him, it seemed really interesting,” Jimin said. “During my first few practices, I would slide and play around with the swords.

That’s when I started to gain interest in it,” Jimin’s dad, Bongchul Seo, began his kendo career in college in South Korea and practiced almost four hours daily. A few years later, when he moved to the United States, he continued to pursue kendo as a co-instructor for the kendo club at the University of Iowa. Numerous years after that, began teaching his own two daughters, Jimin and Lucy Seo ‘25. Bongchul explained that mastering the art of kendo requires two important skills: determination and perseverance.

“Jimin struggled at first because kendo is a hard sport to master the basics and improve all at once. But every single practice, she always gave it her all, even if she didn’t want to go,” Bongchul said. “She would always get her uniform and her armor on quickly, and would be the first one in line to spar. I believe she learned to persevere and grow from that.”

Starting out slow, Jimin’s father taught her the foundations of kendo, from classic etiquette and technical terms to beginner sword positions.

“It was really nice to have my dad as a teacher especially at the beginning because I was a shy kid growing up and felt comfortable around him. He would take me a few times a week and just teach me the basics,” Jimin said. “I picked it up pretty quickly, and after that, he started taking me along to regular classes.”

As she advanced out of beginner classes, practices became increasingly difficult. For Jimin, mastering new skills grew harder and more technical than ever. The heavy iron and thick leather armor made the heat unbearable. Every movement was expected to be precise, and the

transitions had to be seamless.

“It is just such a hard and sweaty sport, especially because you have to keep your posture really straight,” Jimin said. “You also have to be cautious to not hurt the opponent and pay a lot of attention to every move you make. Some postures were difficult to even keep stable.”

Despite the demanding and strenuous circumstances, Jimin says having her dad as her coach played a large role in her passion and improvement over the years.

“My favorite moments while practicing kendo were when my dad would give me small compliments during the sparring matches I did well in,” Jimin said. “He usually did not give out many to his students, but when he did, those were some of the best moments that kept me confident in myself.”

In addition to developing into a more diligent and hardworking athlete, Jimin described that the best part about practicing kendo was the quality time she would spend with her dad and sister at the dojo.

“I think after doing kendo with my dad every week since I was really young, it tightened our bond because we had that connection with each other. We practiced with my sister Lucy, and my mom would also come in to watch which made kendo seem more like spending family time over anything else,” Jimin said.

Jimin’s younger sister, Lucy, also agrees that the best memories of kendo practice were the sister and family bonding they would all have together.

“Jimin and I were in different classes, but sometimes she would come to the beginner class. She would be in charge of teaching for the first 15 minutes, so it was funny to see her try to teach,” Lucy said. “Then after practice when we felt super refreshed, we would end the day by getting food or going out for ice cream as a family.”

While her enthusiasm for the sport initially drew her in, the family ties behind kendo helped solidify her passion for the sport. Despite the arduous hours spent on perfecting every move, the time spent making memories with her family was what made her experience truly unforgettable.

“Kendo is just something that is really meaningful and unique to me. Starting with my dad and him teaching my sister and I, it was all just an experience that was never questioned or would ever leave our family,” Jimin said. “It is just a special thing that bonds and holds us all together.”

Men

Kendo, meaning “by way of the sword”, is a type of Japanese martial art that descended from traditional sword fighting methods of the ancient Samurai.

Kendoka (practitioners of kendo) bow before and after the match to show respect to the opponent.

During a match, kendoka strike only towards these certain target areas: on the head, arms and torso: which are all protected by the bogu.

Kendoka must master specific techniques to attack the opponent, and each strike with the shinai on the target areas is considered a point.

The first kendoka to reach two points wins the match.

SHINAI

Bamboo sword

BOGU Armor

Keikogi Jacket

Do

Torso protector

Hakama Pants

Face mask + shoulder protectors

PROFILES OCT. 16, 2020

15

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

16

ADS OCT. 16, 2020

ADS OCT. 16, 2020

17

ART & DESIGN BY AMY LIAO

UNMUTED Examining the local evolution of Black Lives Matter amidst a global pandemic.

BY FAREEHA AHMAD, MAYA CHU & MARTA LEIRA

T

he streets of Iowa City were lined with protesters demanding racial equality.

Groups chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “Say their names” filled every corner of the city while voices echoed across graffiti-lined streets. Megaphones boomed over the crowd as organizers shared their experiences, and the stories lingered in the ears of those who listened.

Many Iowans attended the local protests motivated by recent instances of police brutality against Black Americans this summer.

According to the New York Times, 15 million to 26 million people in the U.S. alone have attended rallies in support of the Black Lives Matter movement since the killing of George Floyd in May. These numbers represent the greatest turnout for a movement in the history of the U.S.

PRE-EXISTING PANDEMIC

Systemic racism refers to the structures in society that place many people of color at a disadvantage in various aspects of life. According to USA Today, effects are shown through “success indicators,” including unemployment rates, income and education. COVID-19 has exacerbated the systemic inequalities that the Black population already faces which leaves them especially vulnerable to the pandemic.

According to the CDC, COVID-19 hospitalization and infection rates are significantly higher for Black Americans than their white counterparts, at 2.6 and 4.7 times, respectively.

“We already knew that African Americans fare worse in terms of the number of health outcomes,” said Jessica Paige, University of Iowa Sociology and African American Studies

Professor. “But now, in addition to that … countless faces of African Americans have passed away, and it’s like taking these health disparities and enhancing them and making them visible for everybody.”

Because COVID-19 has also left millions unemployed, countless individuals are forced to decide between paying this month’s rent or putting food on the table. It has been difficult for many to stay afloat, but marginalized communities have been hit the hardest by these economic effects.

“I think all these things, these moments of unrest, are never about one thing, and they never arise suddenly,” Paige said. “This has been happening, and I think the pain has been so significant from the pandemic that it’s just making people even more frustrated, frightened and in some cases, desperate.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate in August was 8.4% but was significantly higher for Black Americans at 13%. Similarly, the median net worth of a Black household is $17,700 compared to $171,000 for white families, as reported by The Guardian. These economic factors can already be limiting, but Paige feels the pandemic has only heightened their influence.

“There are people who have lost multiple family members, who are not working, who don’t know how they are going to pay their rent,” Paige said. “Then you add in the police brutality piece [and] you have this visual once again of the ways in which the United States has abused and killed Black people.”

Due to these disparities, Angie Jordan, the director of the South District Neighborhood Association, is working to promote equity within the area. She is facilitating multiple programs, one being the “Neighborhood Nest” which aims to provide childcare and a safe learning environment for children of working parents.

“The intent is to serve directly [to] the folks who don’t have child care and supervision,” Jordan said.

Other programs include voter drives, affordable housing initiatives and most recently, a forum to empower Black female business owners in the area.

Tasha Lard, a member of this group, is now the owner of JD’s Beauty Supply. According to Lard, the process of opening up her business was strenuous as multiple instances of racial profiling made it difficult for her to obtain a lease.

“I thought once I had funding, I had my money in order, I had vendors all lined up that everything else would be easy,” Lard said. “The problem came when [I had] to find the actual location.”

Once the lease was lined up at the first location Lard found, all she had to do was sign it.

However, once she saw the terms of agreement in writing, she ultimately decided against signing the lease. “[It] was so stereotypical that I was just like ‘Oh my god.’ I literally cried because it said … you can’t do any advertising. You cannot play loud music in the [store]. You can’t have people standing around,” Lard said. “At that point I knew they had stereotyped me.”

Lard continued the search for a location, this time settling upon a property that had been vacant for over a year. She called the realtor, and after multiple disregarded phone calls, she decided to leave him a voicemail.

“Once I left a voicemail, you can tell that I’m an African American woman, and he did not call me back,” Lard said. “It didn’t feel right, so I had a couple of my white friends call, and he called them back. He had the conversation on what they wanted the space to be, how much they wanted to lease it for, everything. He even called them back multiple times, but to this day, he has not yet called me back, not once.”

After numerous similar encounters, Lard eventually found and opened her store at 1067 Highway 6 E. in the South District. She aims for the business to be a service for people of color in the area.

“I got tired of having to go all the way to another state just to get those simple supplies for our hair because everybody’s hair texture is different,” Lard said. “So me opening in the middle of a pandemic—in the middle of Black Lives Matter—it was something that was needed for the community as a whole.”

TAKE IT TO THE STREETS

Black Lives Matter is a progressive social movement founded in 2013 that garnered support in response to continuous racial profiling and violence against the Black community. It has grown over the years as individuals advocate for change through various methods such as donations, protests and contacting representatives. The movement gained unparalleled attention after the killings of

George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers this spring.

Outraged by the deaths, a group of college students from the University of Iowa came together to protest in Minneapolis. After returning, the group began to organize rallies and soon became known as the Iowa Freedom Riders.

Ala Mohamed, a West High graduate and current University of Iowa senior, joined the IFR this summer. She is one of the organizers of the group and attended the first Minneapolis rally in March.

“It was a very scary experience. There were snipers on roofs, dogs and hoses, and it was a very big eye opener,” Mohamed said. “It just felt really upsetting that we were still going through it again with the protesting for equity.”

According to Mohamed, the response to protests in Iowa City has also been troublesome.

Police officers have been monitoring protesters, stopping them after rallies, locating their routes and following them home.

“The founding of the police started off with slave patrol. If you have a bad base, how do you expect to have a [stable] house? You’re not going to get anywhere unless you deconstruct it and you start looking into other ways to fix the issues,” Mohamed said.

Sophia Lusala ’22, another IFR protester and City High student, shares these sentiments as she touches on the techniques used to seize people’s attention.

“We’ve tried to shut down the interstate multiple times, and when you try and do this, it costs the state money. Money talks. As soon as you start messing with their money, they’re going to start listening to you or they’ll retaliate.

Either way, they’re going to start noticing you,” Lusala said. “Protesting is a way to get attention, but it’s also a way to come together and share with people what you feel [and] to let out your rage. It’s our right.”

Haleem Adams ’21 has been to all of the recent protests and adds that support is driving the movement as well.

“I feel excited … When I see a lot of people fighting for Black Lives Matter, I feel good energy,” Adams said. “I know that people are actually seeing the problem and [are] trying to make a difference.”

Fabio Rojas, sociology professor and social movement researcher at the University of Indiana, adds that an increased amount of free time created the perfect conditions for protest.

“The pandemic … creates a bunch of people who are at home, who are unemployed [or] underemployed; they don’t have stuff to do,” Rojas said.

Social media activist Liam Edberg ’22 agrees the pandemic has influenced people’s availability, adding that they are able to process information for a much deeper understanding today.

“People have so many things to do and so many commitments … when they were given the time,

THE LOCAL MOVEMENT MARCH 13 Breonna Taylor’s death

MAY 25 George Floyd’s death

MAY 30 Protesters gathered at the Old Capitol to express anger and grieve George Floyd’s death.

JUNE 3

Tear gas is used on protesters marching towards I-80.

JUNE 4 Protesters are joined by city council members and Iowa City Mayor Teague, who apologizes for the use of tear gas.

JUNE 5 The Iowa City Police Community Review Board and University of Iowa Student Government are assigned to review policies for police.

MAY 25 The Iowa City City Council conducts a meeting to discuss the IFR’s demands.

Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen

“ YOU ’ R E NOT GOI NG TO G ET ANY WH E R E U N LESS YOU DECON STR UCT IT AN D YOU START LOOKI NG I NTO OTH E R WAYS TO FIX TH E I SSU ES.” -ALA MOHAM ED, U I SEN IO R

they found that they were able to advocate for stuff they always cared for. It made my emotions become very visceral, and I was feeling a lot more things than I was before, and I had time to sit with those thoughts,” Edberg said. “If everyone’s ... wanting to express themselves ... they found a really important way to do that.”

REVOLUTIONARY RESHARES

With over seven months of online interaction, it is no surprise that social media has become a powerful vessel for advocacy in the pandemic era. Generation Z has revolutionized activism in the digital world; informative posts regarding racial disparities, protest organizations, ways to help and more flood the feeds of many.

Himani Laroia ’23 recently became a strong advocate for the BLM movement and other social justice issues on Instagram. She was first inspired to utilize social media when she read an article about diverse ways to demonstrate support. She often reposts infographics and news posts regarding current events.

“I realized I cannot be a bystander of the problems I personally think are wrong,” Laroia said. “I must take action because I have resources at my fingertips to constantly educate myself.”

Due to his increased usage of social media during the pandemic, Edberg also found that it has become a vital platform to spread and share information.

“I think a lot of people just go on social media so that they don’t actually have to educate

Black Americans are

2.6x

more likely than their white counterparts to be hospitalized due to COVID-19.

‘ Black Americans are

4.7x

more likely than their white counterparts to be infected with COVID-19.

Source: CDC

themselves and read the news, but if I can pepper a little stuff in there, I think including this aspect in daily life makes it more likely to reach people who wouldn’t go out of their way to find it,” Edberg said.

However, this hasn’t always been the case. In recent years, social media has garnered immense popularity as a platform for sharing widespread news about global issues.

“People become their own news outlets [and] their own reporters. So, things that previously might not have gotten a lot of coverage, not only get coverage now, but they get instant coverage,” Paige said. “It’s difficult for police or for other government figures just to say something didn’t happen or to create an alternate narrative. I think that’s really impacted people because there’s a place now to express concerns and to circulate information about ongoing inequalities.”

Instagram accounts such as @blackaticcsd have also played a role in the movement by anonymously shedding light on the experiences of students of color in the district. They aim to create a space for students to share their stories in hope of exposing issues they feel the school needs to solve.

Nadeen Mohammed ’21 believes the account is necessary as it draws attention to students’ experiences without exposing their identity.

“I think it’s a good way for students to tell their story without feeling uncomfortable because I can tell you the truth … I have talked to some teachers that have treated me differently … but they didn’t do anything about it,” Mohammed said.

According to Laroia, another reason to use the internet to advocate for BLM is because of the pandemic. She feels that since it is important for people to be social distancing, using social media is the safest way to spread awareness.

“I want to make sure people are safe, which is why online is a great outlet. You don’t have to physically go there and risk yourself [or] risk others at home. You can show your protest online,” Laroia said.

Although a National Bureau of Economic Research study suggests there is no evidence the protests have led to a spike in COVID-19 cases, many still see it as a cause for concern.

Vicki Carrica ’23 believes the protests are important to the movement and relatively safe, as long as people take proper measures to minimize the virus’ spread.

“If large groups of people aren’t wearing masks and are close together, however, it’s very likely that COVID-19 could get out of control and kill many more people,” Carrica said.

As mentioned in the New York Times, BLM protesters have worn masks at higher rates than those at anti-lockdown protests. Additionally, a group of professionals from around the country see systemic racism as a public health issue.

These health experts signed a letter that wrote, “Black people suffer from dramatic health disparities in life expectancy, maternal and infant

“ PROTESTI NG I S A WAY TO G ET ATTE NTION , BUT IT’S ALSO A WAY TO COM E TOG ETH E R AN D SHAR E WITH PEOPLE WHAT YOU FE E L [AN D] TO LET OUT YOU R R AG E . IT’S OU R R IG HT.” -SOPH IA LUSALA ’22, I FR M EM BER mortality, chronic medical conditions, and outcomes from acute illnesses like myocardial infarction and sepsis. Biological determinants are insufficient to explain these disparities.”

CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY

The push for change has not gone unnoticed in Iowa City, with both the Iowa City City Council and ICCSD School Board making efforts to address the concerns of the public. At West, Interim Principal Mitch Gross believes that teachers must be actively anti-racist to be hired.

To ensure that this is made a priority, he added the question “What does being an anti-racist mean to you?” on the job application forms.

“Black students matter, because when we look at the data, that hasn’t always been the case,” Gross said. “That’s a goal for all of us in education to make sure that those data points change and improve.”

Psychology teacher Amira Nash is working with an organization called Black Lives Matter at School-Iowa which strives to implement Black Student Unions districtwide. Nash is specifically organizing a BSU at West in order to create a community she wishes she had in high school.

“As a Black person in Iowa, you are almost always a minority in the majority of spaces you’re in,” Nash said. “I hope [BSU] is a safe space for us to learn more about our history together, to educate each other, to build community and to discuss our experiences … I hope it’s a space that promotes scholarship and self-esteem among our Black students and that it provides opportunities for our students to see positive representations of themselves.”

When Nash conducted the first BSU meeting on Sept. 15, over 20 students attended the virtual conference. According to Nash, they all brought a multitude of ideas and knew what they wanted BSU to be.

Mohammed, a member of the organization, said her friends complained to the administration last year about the lack of African American history curriculum at West. This, coupled with the BLM movement’s resurgence, inspired them to join the club.

“West doesn’t teach a lot about African American history. It does teach about the struggles, but it doesn’t include successes,” Mohammed said. “After BLM happened, we wanted to come all together and learn more about our history.”

This year, Nash will also launch the first ethnic studies class at West. The trimester elective will touch on a plethora of subjects ranging from identity, intersectionality and culture to privilege, oppression and empowerment.

“There are so many students that have been asking for this class and that want the opportunity for an in-depth exploration of contemporary cultural diversity,” Nash said. “Ethnic studies is the history of us, and all students deserve to see themselves reflected in the curriculum.”

At the district level, the school board is working to create initiatives that address equity problems and make schools more culturally aware.

Laura Gray is the director of diversity and cultural responsiveness at the district. This year, she manages the Cultural Proficiency Team which consists of 35 teachers. The group’s goal is to converse about topics such as implicit bias and privilege as well as strengthen skills like culturally responsive teaching. Her goal is to expand these trainings districtwide with the help of the teachers who have received instruction.

“Culturally responsive teaching is more than just about the social understanding of race and race relations,” Gray said. “It [also] takes [into account] what educators are doing academically.

What are your actions? What’s the action happening within your curriculum?”

For Gray, the pandemic has magnified the issues in educational gaps for marginalized students not only through academic knowledge but also in support and contact. She emphasizes that emotional guidance and inclusivity should be at the forefront of people’s minds. “[These disparities] already existed. We know that historically we’ve missed educating certain types of students,” Gray said. “We don’t have time to waste.”

School board member J.P. Claussen says that the group is working on the IFR’s demands, which include focusing all of their professional development efforts on cultural responsiveness, entirely reworking the student discipline handbook, hiring teachers and administrators of color and implementing an antiracist curriculum. According to Claussen, the three-year curriculum review process usually

“ I R EALIZE D I CAN NOT BE A BYSTAN DE R OF TH E PROBLE M S I PE RSONALLY TH I N K AR E WRONG.” - H I MAN I LAROIA ’23 happens once every seven years. However, they are changing that process starting with social studies in hopes of having it done in a year.

“We’ve already identified some curriculum we want to use, including the book ‘Stamped.’ What we learned is that even though we have a great curriculum [in the works], all of our teachers aren’t ready to teach it,” Claussen said. “We’ve done some things in the past that were more harm done than good because it was presented in a way that was insensitive or offensive. We know we have to move quickly on this, but we also don’t want to move so quickly that we do more harm than good.”

The IFR is also concerned about the use of police in addressing conflicts at school.

“We don’t want cops escalating situations like that. You might get charged with something, you might get taken out of school,” Lusala said. “A lot of BIPOC students are scared of law enforcement … We have counselors for a reason, they are trained for these situations.”

Mariam Keita ’22 has seen these very moments with police officers throughout her time at West, and she agrees that they are unnecessary.

“When you have cops come in to break up student fights, it also has the tendency to say that those students are violent. Cops usually go through background training, and their training isn’t for kids ... it’s for criminals and murderers,” Keita said. “Instead of giving the students help, you bring in a cop … it’s just not acceptable.”

Keita mentioned that on-duty police officers who get involved in student arguments are also required to carry guns while in school. Keita believes this instills fear in students which only causes more harm.

“Either the student is going to overreact because they’re scared of the police officer, or the police officer is going to overreact because they’re scared of the student,” Keita said. “They should just have correctional officers if anything

gets serious. The most dangerous thing they should have is a taser or pepper spray.”

Claussen believes that principals should only call officers when a firearm is involved.

“We want the police involved if there’s real physical danger and safety issues. What we need to work on as a district … is messaging to our principals that that should be the only time,” Claussen said. “[Most of the time] things don’t need to escalate to something like calling the police.”

Additionally, the Iowa City City Council passed a 17-point resolution that addresses topics from affordable housing to police reform.

John Thomas, the District C representative on the council, advocates for restructuring the police department towards communityoriented policing. He mentioned that whether it’s homelessness or people with mental health problems, the city has defaulted to using the police in the past. “[Police] aren’t mental health professionals,” Thomas said. “If you have a person on the street experiencing some mental state which is causing disruption … is a police officer really the best person?

Though police compliance and the recent initiatives are a step forward on both a local and national scale, Mohamed believes the fight is far from over. In spite of the journey ahead, she says the increase in racial discourse is a step in the right direction.

“A lot of people’s eyes are starting to open, and they’re starting to see what is going on, what the problem is, and they’re starting to take action,” Mohamed said. “We’re also educating them as well on how they can take action. I feel like that’s one of the biggest changes that I saw. People are asking, ‘What can I do?’, [and] I think that’s very important.”

22

ADS OCT. 16, 2020

ADS OCT. 16, 2020

23

7

SOCIALLY DISTANCED ACTIVITIES

TO DO THIS FALL

While COVID-19 may have canceled the fun plans you made for this fall, don’t worry. Here are seven activities you can enjoy while keeping yourself and others safe.

BY HELEN ZHANG ART BY SILA DURAN DESIGN BY ZOEY GUO

VIRTUAL PARTIES Hang out with your friends over Zoom, Google Hangouts or the Squad app. You can also use browser extensions such as Netflix Party, Amazon Prime Video Watch Party and Hulu Watch Party to stream movies and TV shows together while staying safe in your own home. Virtual activities that don’t require paid subscriptions include Buzzfeed Quiz Parties and Jackbox Games.

SOCIALLY DISTANCED PICNIC Meet your friends at a park or any large outside area. Make sure everyone brings their own food and picnic blanket and follows proper social distancing guidelines. Have fun chatting and if it gets cold, consider starting a bonfire.

APPLE PICKING

24

ENTERTAINMENT OCT. 16, 2020

Wilson’s Orchard & Farm is still in business this year. You can collect fresh apples on their farm, but face masks are required when you enter their market. It is recommended that you stay six feet away from other guests and do not eat apples in the field.

Besides apple picking, you can pick pumpkins and purchase their delicious cider and baked treats. Wilson’s ensures that their staff follows sanitation guidelines and provides hand sanitizer to guests.

SOLITARY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES Get some fresh air and become one with nature.

Going outdoors is a great way to pass the time you might normally spend with other people. Take a walk, go on a hike, do some biking or even try roller blading. Explore hiking areas such as Lake MacBride State Park, Woodpecker Trail or Terry True Blood.

OUTDOOR MOVIES Offering a blast from the past, drive-in movie theaters allow you to enjoy a movie in the safety and comfort of your car.

The Blue Grass Drive-In Theatre and 61 Drive-In Theatre can both be found in Iowa. If you’d rather skip the long drive, though, an alternative activity is watching a backyard movie.

Set up a projector in your backyard and enjoy a movie while leaving a safe space between you and others.

HALLOWEEN AT HOME Trick-or-treating and Halloween parties may not be the best way to keep our community safe this year. Instead, have a virtual costume contest with your friends or send them Halloween care packages with candy and other goodies. With your family, bring out the spooky movies and pumpkin carving tools and have a fun and safe Halloween.

DRIVE-BY PARADE Want to celebrate a holiday or your birthday with your friends or family in person? Plan a drive-by parade party.

Invite guests to drive by your home with car decorations and signs. For a birthday party, guests can roll down their windows and sing the happy birthday song.

ENTERTAINMENT OCT. 16, 2020

25

SUPER STRANGERS Members of the West High community share how random acts of kindness have impacted them and why they feel it’s so crucial to be kind.

BY KATHERINE SHOPPA

THE SANDBAG SAVIOR

W

hen social studies teacher Anson Kritsch was 16, he often drove his “junkie truck” to school. However, on an icy winter day, his usual drive was disrupted.

His truck suddenly started swerving and eventually completed a full 180 on the ice. A stranger asked if he needed help, and Kritsch explained what happened. The stranger went to his car and returned with sandbags to place in the back of the truck, which kept the tires on the ground. The man blocked traffic while Kritsch turned his car around. When Kritsch offered to pay him for the sandbags, the man declined and told him to get to school on time and drive safely.

“It was more than just a random act of kindness; he was the exact person in the exact place at the exact time as me with the exact thing necessary for me to drive safely. It was one of those things that make you feel like it couldn’t have just been coincidence,” Kritsch said. “Just good people doing good things. That’s what makes the world better.”

CHECKING IN

W

hen Erin Schmidt-Rundell ‘24 was having a bad day at school, a student in the hallway asked her if she was okay.

“It made me feel better because I felt noticed and I felt cared for,” she said. “It also made me think that there are other people around who see you and care about you.”

Schmidt-Rundell feels like she checks in on others more often after her encounter and encourages others to do the same.

“I think that it is important to [check in] because you never truly know what is going on,” she said, “Sometimes even if you do check on them, they might not tell you the truth, but they might feel noticed or important.”

THE SILENT SUPERHEROES

E

nglish teacher Katy Nahra and her husband went out for dinner with their toddlers. They both tried to entertain, feed them and hurry out of the restaurant so that they didn’t “continue to disturb the other patrons.” When they asked for their bill, the waitress told them it had already been paid for by another customer.

“These acts of random kindness have a huge impact on me,” Nahra said. “These strangers who chose to be kind and generous have inspired me to give unconditionally. I do not give gifts with expectation of repayment. I try to give to others whatever I can because we all need a reason to smile and feel loved once in a while.”

COFFEE KINDNESS

W

hen Mara Caylor ‘23 was at the Coralville Starbucks with her mom, the person in front of them paid for their order. The small act caused a ripple effect, as Mara and her mom ended up paying for the person behind them.

“We felt like it was a nice deed for someone to do randomly, and it made us feel good because we paid for someone else’s,” she said.

26

ENTERTAINMENT OCT. 16, 2020

ART BY KAILEY GEE DESIGN BY RACHEL SWACK

A KIND COMPANION

W

hile living in Indonesia, Spanish teacher Ashley Lorsung decided to visit a town called Yogyakarta to see Borobudur, a Buddhist temple. She rented an Airbnb outside of town, and when she arrived, she was greeted by her host, Nouri, who would be staying with Lorsung.

Nouri spoke Indonesian and very little English, which proved to be no barrier to her kindness.

One day of the trip, the two were riding around town when Lorsung’s skirt got caught in the wheel of the bike and came right off her. The traffic around them stopped, and they both started laughing.

“Nouri tried giving me her sweater to cover up, but because she was so much smaller than me, it just barely covered my bright yellow, polka-dot underwear and, in fact, just made it worse,” Lorsung said. “I was the most outside my comfort zone I’d been at the time, but with Nouri’s company, I felt safe and at home.”

The 18-day suspension of fall sports reshaped season plans for both athletes and coaches, affecting athletes’ mentalities and team atmospheres.

BY KRISHA KAPOOR AND HANAH KITAMOTO

A

s the summer heat fades into an autumn breeze, the cool weather is normally met with roaring crowds on the bleachers of West High and the excitement that comes along with the fall sports season. The cheering voices of the student section typically signifies the start of another year of West High athletics.

While empty bleachers are one of many changes the athletes are adapting to, they’ve certainly never encountered such an unusual start: a season with a pause.

Limited spectators, masks and social distancing; everyday is an uncertainty. After an abrupt suspension to the spring sports season, 302 student-athletes were eager to return to their respective sports in the fall.

Due to a spike of COVID-19 cases in Johnson County, the Iowa City Community School District requested to start the school

year in a fully online learning model. However Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a proclamation requiring at least 50% of instruction to be in person. To gain local control, the ICCSD and the Iowa State Education Association filed and lost a lawsuit against Gov. Reynolds and the Department of Education. A waiver to start the school year in a fully online learning model was approved by the state Aug. 26, resulting in a roughly three-week pause in athletics.

West High athletes were permitted to return to in-person practices and competitions Sept. 26. However, the 18-day halt in athletics ultimately left a scar in the fall sports season, leaving many athletes to balance staying in shape and keeping up with remote learning.

Although the suspension was anticipated by many, coaches and athletes were disap-

pointed by the state’s decision to deny local control.

“We’ve done everything right regarding safety and protocols. The virus is not keeping us off the field; it is rules and politics preventing us from playing,” said head football coach Garrett Hartwig. “My reaction internally is anger and frustration ... externally, we as a team are in this together, and we must stay together.”

For football player Joey Chase ’21, all the effort and work the team put into pre-season training added to the disappointment for the suspension.

“When I first heard the news, I couldn’t believe it.” Chase said. “It upset me that we had gone all summer and even two weeks into the season with no problems, but I knew [the suspension] was always a possibility.”

Nathan Deyak ’21 also fears the unpredictable breaks in the season will disrupt the momentum the team needs in order to be successful.

“With football, it usually takes a while to get used to full contact, and just immediately stopping that and then having a lot of short notice to start doing that again, it can be hard to readjust,” Deyak said.

The pause in competing in meets has negatively impacted sophomore golfer Owen Larson’s mentality.

“Because of [the suspension], I haven’t played competitive golf in a while. And competitive golf is completely different from just playing with friends. It is very easy to get angry and frustrated which leads to playing worse and it takes practice to control your temper on the golf course,” Larson said. “Before the break my mental game was strong which was helping me play very well. But since the break I have been getting frustrated really easily which is a mental mistake and it results in me playing really poorly.”

The girls cross country team had a two-week quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 case within the team. This resulted in the team only having one meet before the suspension, limiting the runners’ chance to showcase their progress.

“It does feel kind of frustrating to be pun-

ishing athletes,” said Katie Hoefer ’21. “It feels like we just had this stop and go … we never really get started.”

For senior athletes, this season was their last chance to say farewell to their careers.

“IT’S MY LAST GO AROUND, AND WITH NOT GETTING TO PLAY LAST SEASON, IT MEANS EVEN MORE.” - RYLIE BALDES ‘21 “This season means a lot to me because I’m a senior. It’s my last go around, and with not getting to play last season, it means even more,” said Rylie Baldes ’21.

From a senior athlete’s parent’s perspective, Bill Hoefer hopes that athletes will

make the most of the remainder of their season.

“I’m sure some of the students worried that their seasons may have been over after those first two weeks, so I hope they all seize this renewed opportunity and compete even harder in the weeks to come so that the last three weeks become a footnote to the season, rather than its focal point,” Bill said. “The sports season was suspended for three full weeks and those weeks will not be made up.”

For Lily Prochaska ’23, the partial loss of her volleyball season sparked thoughts on how she should cherish the times she gets to play with her team.

“This whole break and pandemic and quarantine ... made me realize that [I shouldn’t] take things for granted because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Prochaska said. “We could have gotten our whole season canceled.”

The Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union released fall sports COVID-19 guidelines for high school teams to follow during their season, such as encouraging mask wearing and social distancing for spectators, coaches and athletes. West High athletics followed suit, limiting spectators to three guests per athlete for outdoor sport events and two per guests for indoor events.

302

1

Total students involved in fall sports since July 6.

Confirmed student-athlete COVID positivee case from July 6 - Sept. 7.

Source: Craig Huegel

28

SPORTS OCT. 16, 2020

PHOTOS BY OWEN AANESTAD AND KATIE HOEFER ART BY HEIDI DU DESIGN BY ELLA ROSENTHAL

During the three-week pause, coaches were only permitted to have virtual contact with their athletes. With a strong connection being essential to team chemistry, the lack of physical contact between teammates proved to be challenging.

“We definitely still got to know people at practice but ... I feel like the freshmen this year, I don’t feel like I’m close with any of them yet. Especially [because] we have ... separate [training groups] during practice … that also limits the amount of people that you can connect with,” Katie said.

Athletic Director Craig Huegel understands the impact the three week break period has on the athletic program and athletes. He concurs that a successful recovery will take perseverance and unity.

“We are doing all we can to keep our spirits up and be prepared when our next opportunity comes, but it is hard. We are really relying on each other to pull through and keep moving forward,” Huegel said.

As athletics may play a crucial role in an athlete’s daily life, the sudden break impacted athletes’ mental health.

“Having [athletics as a] social outlet and essentially being locked in your bedroom for eight hours a day looking at Zoom meetings, I think everybody can agree ... that’s gonna affect your mental health. People are social,” Butler said.

On the other hand, Katie has learned to appreciate the time off and has noticed its impact on her mental health. Time away from the competitiveness of cross country allowed her to understand what the sport means to her as a whole.

“I have gotten more in touch with my mental health and my emotions and kind of how running fits into that,” Katie said. “I guess I just appreciate running more as a stress reliever and just that exercise is really important to your mental health.”

Despite the toll on athletes’ mental health and the limited opportunities they have, the uncertainty during the season may positively impact a team’s environment in the long-run.

“I do think that some of our juniors and seniors have been thrust into positions of adversity and have handled it really really well and I’m optimistic that’s going to be a[asset] for us in the following years,” Butler said. “I also think maybe people will appreciate some of those little things that we get to do even more so.”

Although the suspension was an added obstacle to the season, it only made Deyak more eager to get back on the field.

“It definitely [makes] us a lot hungrier,” Deyak said. “We might not be in perfect shape, ... but [we] definitely still have the drive to win and make things happen on the field.”

AUG. 19

ICCSD and Iowa State Education Association filed a lawsuit against the State.

AUG. 27 Department of Education granted ICCSD to start the school year fully online for two weeks.

SEPT. 8

SEPT. 26

SEPT. 28

ICCSD denied local control, leading to a 18-day spension of fall sports.

Fall sports resumed.

ICCSD transitioned to the hybrid model.

SPORTS OCT. 16, 2020

29

RR II SS II N NG G New members to the varsity volleyball squad, Emma Stammeyer ’24 and Melae’ Lacy ’24, share their goals and experiences playing volleyball during an abnormal start to their first high school volleyball season.

WEST SIDE STORY: When did you first get into volleyball?

EMMA STAMMEYER: I first started playing volleyball when I was eight; I played in a recreational league. My sister was starting to get into club volleyball and she looked like she was having a lot of fun. I tried out for the same club as my sister and made the team.

WSS: What was the transition like from junior high volleyball to high school volleyball?

ES: In junior high, there wasn’t any competitiveness; you were just there to have fun with your friends. In high school, you are always pushed and have to work hard to get better. The team dynamic in high school is different because we are always pushing each other to be better but also competing for a spot.

WSS: How does it feel having your first season suspended for roughly three weeks?

ES: Having my season cut short was definitely hard to deal with because we were just getting started. I was having a lot of fun, [and] we did everything we could to keep the season going.

WSS: How did you come about playing your current position?

ES: After my first year of club, I switched to a different club and they said I could be a really good setter. I’ve grown to love that position and was able to get better at it with really good training.

ASSISTS: 62 ACES: 6 DIGS: 22 30

SPORTS OCT. 16, 2020

SETTER

Stats as of Oct. 4 Source: Varsity Bound

SS TT A A RR SS

BY CAROLINE CHANDLER PHOTOS BY ALYSSA SKALA DESIGN BY XIAOYI ZHU

WEST SIDE STORY: What is it like being a freshman on a varsity team?

MELAE’ LACY: My goal was to be on varsity freshman year for volleyball and basketball. Volleyball is a ‘white girl sport,’ and for me to be the only Black girl on my club team [Rockets], it was a big deal for me to make it to varsity. Once I put my mind to it, I had good turnout. I like to be pushed, and the varsity coach does not let up on me. They treat me like I’ve been on this team forever.

WSS: If you could pick one word to describe your volleyball team, what would it be?

ML: Fearless. We don’t care how bad or how good you are. We’re going to play as hard as we can, we’re going to put our hearts out there and play as a team.

WSS: How does it feel having your first season suspended for roughly three weeks?

ML: I was really upset. I was so excited for high school, but I can’t think about all the negatives ... I want to keep growing as I go on in high school. I want to be able to do everything, play every position.

WSS: Do you have any goals for yourself heading into next year or the club season?

ML: I want to make varsity the rest of my high school years and be a team leader. I want to keep growing for myself and for my team. I have to make sure I can expand my horizons and be able to do whatever the coach tells me to do.

ACES: 7 KILLS: 76 BLOCKS: 4 Stats as of Oct. 4 Source: Varsity Bound

MIDDLE HITTER

SPORTS OCT. 16, 2020

31

ONLINE VS RUBA AHMED

L

et’s be realistic, what teenager can stand eight hours of wearing a mask and staying several feet away from their friends? Here’s the truth: the pandemic is real and dangerous, and sending students to school is an unnecessary health risk that can easily be avoided. Although the rate of coronavirus infection is lower in the younger population, students are still able to transmit the disease to others who are older or have compromised immune systems.

With 400 students in the building at the same time, social distancing is very difficult and will most likely be ignored. Teachers were instructed to alternate desks between rows to provide more space between students, which is certainly better than nothing, but according to the New

There is no doubt this year has been radically different.

Students were forced into making the difficult decision between returning to school partly in person or staying at home and starting the year virtually. Now, the most important question is: which one is better? buses will be limited to 41 students out of a maximum of 71, and if alarm bells aren’t ringing in your head yet, that means the buses would be holding over 50% capacity. If the bus reaches the limit, it will leave some students sitting right next to each other, meaning students could already be exposed to the virus before reaching the school’s doors.

Social distancing alone, however, is not enough without masks which are only effective if worn correctly. If a person touches their mask to adjust it and then rubs their eyes with that same hand, according to the University of Maryland Medical System, that person may have just welcomed the virus into their body. Students will also have to risk infection when they take their

to school. Similarly, Al-Jazeera, an independent news organization, reported that a school in Georgia discovered 100 confirmed COVID-19 cases after only the second week of reopening, causing 1600 additional students to quarantine.

Something as simple as school reopening can have drastic consequences on the whole community.

It’s important to mention that some people may not have much freedom when it comes to choosing between online and in-person learning. With fewer students in school, however, the district could focus more on providing resources for those who need it to ensure a more equalized online learning experience. Of course, some things are out of the district’s hand, since Gov.

659 44.70%

Students from West High chose to do online school

York Times, new data shows even six feet isn’t enough because the virus can travel 20 feet or more depending on air currents. Students won’t be able to sit close together in groups, eliminating any chance for successful collaboration. Furthermore, according to Washington University, the lack of group work may take away valuable benefits such as material retention, knowledge acquisition, and problem-solving skills that students gain from collaboration. Online school has the capability of breakout rooms which, although awkward at times, are productive.

Classrooms and hallways aren’t the only places social distancing is needed. The Return-toLearn guide provided by the ICCSD states that

32

OPINION OCT. 16, 2020

masks off to eat lunch at school. Your best bet is just to be somewhere where the coronavirus isn’t likely to be present—your house. No matter how careful you think you are, you can never be too safe.

Lastly, what students don’t get symptoms from, they can bring home to their dear ones. Anyone can contract the virus, be asymptomatic, and cause widespread infection. In fact, asymptomatic carriers account for 40% of cases, according to The Washington Post. The best thing to do is to not be exposed to it in the first place. Just ask Israel, The Wall Street Journal says that their COVID-19 cases sky-rocketed from less than 50 reported cases per day to 1,500 upon returning

Kim Reynolds had placed a mandate on school reopening. The more students who choose the online school option, the less dangerous it is for those who must attend in-person school.

COVID-19 is a worldwide issue that can result in terrible consequences for those who contract it. When you look at the grand scheme of things, you go to school for many years, but you live only once. The pandemic is a health issue and this year, so is returning to school.

ART AND DESIGN BY SILA DURAN PHOTOS BY CLARE LOUSSAERT AND KARA WAGS

IN PERSON OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS W e shouldn’t have to make this choice.

No parent should be forced to balance keeping their child safe with meeting their basic educational and social needs. Our pitiful national response to the pandemic has created an arduous situation as we return to school; with better leadership, it could have been vastly different than it is today. Take, for example, New Zealand, where a quick, effective lockdown mitigated the virus with only 21 deaths, allowing students to safely return to in-person school mid-May. But here we are, grappling with the needless loss of over 200,000 lives to COVID-19. In these circumstances, there is no “perfect” way to start this school year, which is exactly why we need to

been amplified. In a USA Today report, three out of 10 parents say their children are experiencing “emotional or mental harm” because of school closures. We are reminded of the importance of emotional well-being on a national scale: In June, the CDC found that 10.7% of young adults surveyed showed serious consideration of suicide in the past 30 days, compared to only half that amount in 2018. Though there are ways to fight isolation and connect with others online, they require students to be more deliberate than in the past. Students who were already “in the loop” and involved still have the tools to connect with others, but those who felt isolated even before the pandemic are at an added disadvantage.

This loneliness carries severe future implica-

KATIE HOEFER GUEST COLUMNIST

Families with working parents and young kids rely on the childcare school provides—otherwise, the responsibility often falls on older siblings, leaving them unable to focus on their own classes.

The opportunity to play sports is crucial for students’ overall well-being, and according to the current state guidelines, school sports can only take place when an in-person option is offered. Sports provide an outlet for stress relief, along with community, discipline, and the structure that many of us are lacking. Sports, as with any in-person event, come with an inherent risk, but in my experience, having a season can actually decrease risky behaviors by promoting safe, cautious habits both in and out of practice. With

816 55.30%

Students from West High chose to do in-person school

have options. COVID-19 has proved to be a long withstanding problem, so we must consider how it will impact students not just now but for years to come. The hybrid school model is imperfect, inherently riskier, and not for everyone, but it is crucial that we offer some form of in-person schooling.

Online school has taken a heavy toll on students’ mental health. Zoom doesn’t facilitate easy conversation or relationship building, and spending hours alone in front of a screen every day is demoralizing. Countless students have faced new mental health struggles like anxiety and depression, and symptoms for those with pre-existing mental health conditions have only

tions: the American Psychological Association found the long-term health consequences of social isolation, obesity, and smoking to be similar.

There is no easy remedy for this, but the structure and opportunity for in-person connections that a hybrid model brings gives students a sense of normalcy and belonging that promote emotional well-being.

Although the district has worked to provide equitable education and fight racial, economic, and social inequality, solely online school serves to widen these gaps. Privileged, often higher-income students, with home situations conducive to studying, have the means to succeed in an online environment while many others do not.

the threat of canceled games or seasons, athletes feel responsibility to limit exposures and keep their team safe.

COVID-19 is still a prominent threat that we must take seriously, but it’s not going away anytime soon, so we have to consider not only its immediate risk but its far-reaching impacts.

Keeping our community safe and healthy will require mitigation of both COVID-19 and the mental health issues students face. A hybrid model best provides the educational and social elements students need, offering it is the right choice for our district.

OPINION OCT. 16, 2020

33

Bringing you back to a time when the election and pandemic weren’t topics of debate that polluted your mind.

BY THE NIGHT SHIFT ART & DESIGN BY AMY LIAO

IT IS WHAT IT IS

S

omething that is not wet can only become wet once something wet touches it. For example, you can’t make this WSS issue wet by leaving it on a dry surface, but you can with a wet surface. If the paper and everything around it was originally dry, then it has zero potential of getting wet since water is in absence. It is only once you bring in something wet, such as a damp sponge to the paper, that the paper becomes wet. If water was not wet, then it would be impossible for it to make things wet, because only wet things make other things wet.

WATER CANNOT BE DRY

T

he Oxford Dictionary definition of ‘dry’ is “free from moisture or liquid; not wet or moist.” One of water’s three forms is a liquid. How can water be free from moisture if water itself is a liquid? If something has no water (or any liquid) on or in it, then that object or substance is dry.

Because this can’t physically occur with water since water surrounds, touches and contains itself, then water can’t be dry.

34

OPINION OCT. 16, 2020

WATER’S MANY DISGUISES

0

ne of ice’s scientific properties is that it is always wet. There is a constant layer of water on its surface regardless of temperature. Don’t believe me? Search it up yourself. You can’t physically make frozen water dry. Ice is a solid, but it is, and will forever be, wet. Ice is literally also water. If ice is wet, water is wet.

Similarly, wet snow exists. As temperatures rise to just above freezing, snow melts slightly. When this happens, more moisture is added to the snow and wet snow is created.

When temperatures are lower than freezing, you get powdery snow, or dry snow. This dry snow contains less water and will result in approximately half an inch of water when it melts. Notice how when the snow is made of more water, it is wetter, and when there’s less water, it’s drier. If the reason why snow is wet is because it is made of more water, then whatever is made of the most water is therefore the most wet. What substance has the highest ratio of water to anything else?

Pure, clean, liquid water. Water in essence is the wettest substance. You can’t describe snow as wet without describing liquid water as wet too because liquid water is more wet than snow.

TESS DEGRAZIA Rylee Goodfellow ‘21 catches a softball at a West High home game against Dubuque Hempstead Monday, June 29. The Women of Troy went 5-9 during the 2019-2020 season.

PHOTO FEATURE

Found a

Forgotten how to do

new

simple

START math hobby!

ART AND DESIGN BY XIAOYI ZHU

Z

calolom

on

Gone on

a hike ed

n ial Turned off your a W d e t n otte r s ent r camera, muted Forg Suppo a your mask s ke elf, and not s e ing leav e a lonceasls yours whil paid any attention to or your Zoom class busi k or

d be s in our ) d e 4 h ore y a 2 St for or m (

w

the house

HAVE YOU EVER?

picnic

COVID-19 EDITION

bo

Zo

m

be

d

om

n e e

B

spo ident unmken whally a uted ile

Being in isolation can be really hard. You aren’t alone, and if you ever need someone to talk to, please reach out to the West High Guidance Office. WSS is so grateful you’re here, reading our first issue of the year. Thank you for your support; we appreciate you!

BY MISHA CANIN

Gone on a

Acc

Attended a protest

Bake d

bana n

b rea

a

d aMailed letter

to a friend!

Didn’t realize it’s been over

six months

of Social

distancing

Watched

ts he u

DIRECTIONS Prepare a die (or random number generator).

1. Move according to your roll.

2. If you have done the activity, stay on the tile. If you have not, move back two tiles. If you land on a tile on top of a ladder, climb down to the bottom tile.

Repeat the steps 1-2, and keep track of how many rolls it takes to reach the end.

Based on the number of your rolls, WSS will tell you what level of quarantine you have reached.

4-6 ROLLS

QUARANTINE QUEEN

FINISH

7-10 ROLLS

THE MONTH

Hung out with

friends in a

lot parking distanced (socially

of course)

a Tik

Tok dance Gone

KAYA KIN

11+ ROLLS

G

SOCIAL DISTANCE COUCH SAVVY POTATO

Forgotten

nset

Learned

Gotten a

new job

dS a e R WS

r e v Co ry

the

sto